Friday, May 27, 2011

Good Carma

I'm hitting the open (except for 8 bajillion pounds of Memorial Day traffic) road this weekend!  Heading up north for some Memorializing Days.  Going rustic.  Getting my hick on.  Much like this happy couple:
 

Reasons I love this ad:
1.  I love this song and it reminds me of Juno, one of my all-time fave movies.
2.  The fox reminds me of my dog, Allie (a Sheltie- all Shelties look a little foxy I think.)
3.  He takes her shoe shopping?  Hot.  Guys?  You should ALL take your ladies shoe shopping on your first date.  Then later, if animals pop out of your facial hair?  It will be enduring rather than date-ending.
4.  Who doesn't love baby birds?  I'm reminded of The Twits by Roald Dahl.  Mr. Twit always had stuff stuck in his beard and incidentally his favorite meal was bird pie.  He was despicable.  But he never took his wife shoe shopping either.
5.  I'm so happy car companies are moving forward (pun intended) in the advertising department.  Remember how lame they all used to be?  It was car after car driving down a curvy road, usually on a mountain.  Nobody in Michigan can relate to that!  But bagging a river trout?  That's an idea we can get behind (without a doubt!)
6.  I think their next commercial should be a Beach Boys remix of "Help Me Rhonda," but instead sing, "Help me Honda."
7.  My numerical list is getting out of hand.  Let's just give the Hybrid a Hyfive and be done.
8.  Happy Memorial Day!  I hope your long weekend is full of minimal traffic, maximum relaxation, and awesome commercials.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

WWW Wednesday

Whine:  How did I let myself run this low on diapers?!  I probably expected it to be sunny again today and figured I'd just zoom out, happily donning my sunglasses, sun roof wide open.  I wonder how long A can stretch these last couple diapers?  Or maybe this is a sign that today is potty training day #1?  Forget it.  I'll just run out.
Wish:  One week from this moment I'll know the sex of my New Baby.  Big wishes for a healthy munchkin, obviously.  Also wishing I don't wet my pants before I get there- moms, do you remember having to drink all that water before the ultrasound?  Torture!
Woo-hoo!  This is my 400th post!  For the fun of it, I took a look at Ad Bits' most popular "tags."  Here are the top five, starting with the most common:
1. Commercial (um, good- I guess I'm staying on task at least a little)
2. WWW Wednesday
3. Target
4. Geico ("four your money!")
5. Sister Wives (a surprising twist!  Five must be their lucky number... you know, because there's five of them in their marriage?)
Things start tying up after that.  Honorable mentions go to: "wedding," "swagger wagon," and "snickers."

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Take A Break!

Standing alone, I would describe myself as the gas pedal.  In comparison to my husband?  I'm the brake.  (Unless it comes to dessert.)  Jim saw this commercial a long time before I did and in Seattle when we needed to power walk past somebody or start our day at 5:30am he would explain, "Jewel, some people are the brake and some are the gas pedal" as I shuffled my swollen, pregnant feet just as fast as possible to keep up.  So I hated the commercial a bit until I saw it.  Now?  Love it!  It's so cute it Hertz!

Right now I'm accelerating to the couch for the Dancing With the Stars finale.  What?  I feel like I deserve a little brake!

Monday, May 23, 2011

Vaccums and Vampires

Every now and then my hand itches and when it does I always say, "My hand itches.  I must be coming into some money!"  But I never do.  Or, I didn't until today!  Long lost relatives, hold your ponies, don't hit me up for a loan quite yet.  It's only $296.  Apparently in 2006 we overpaid some insurance or some tax or something and they just let us know the money was going to go to the state treasury if we didn't collect it.  So I collected it.  I mean 296 bucks is 296 bucks!  Every penny of which will be spent on a new vacuum cleaner.  That sucks, right?  Heh heh.

I am determined to knit this summer and I think I found just the inspiration to get those needles moving.  My friend Margi is giving away a Vampire Knits book on her blog.  I shouldn't even be telling you about it because I want to win it, but I'm telling you anyway because I can't help myself and because it's the perfect segue into today's commercial.  Here's the link to her giveaway.  And here's the commercial.  Holla Twilight fans!

Friday, May 20, 2011

The End?

So what do you think guys?  End of the world tomorrow?  Or just another Saturday?  I vote for just another Saturday.  It is FINALLY getting sunny out around here and I have a hard time believing God would give us a little sun we've been just begging for and then end the world.  I'm being facetious of course, but really?  I have a feeling we'll all be back to work or blogging or whatever on Monday morning.  Just in case though, I think I'll not count calories today.  Or do housework.

Speaking of the end of the world, it would have been the end of this spider's world.  You know, if he was real.


And an obvious music video:

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

WWW Wednesday

Whine:  On my way back from vay-cay my curling iron broke.  In two.  Not fixable.  I loved that curling iron.  Every now and then I have a deviant section of hair that doesn't curl with the others and I counted on that iron to curl it back into place.  Until iron is replaced my hair is just straightening amuck.
Wish:  I used the food processor today and now it's sitting in my sink waiting to be washed.  I wish I didn't have to wash it because last time I did that I nearly sliced my finger off.
Woo-hoo!  Dinner tonight was awesome.  Totally worth using the food processor and risking a life of nine fingers.  Are you ready for it?  Banana pancakes with berry sauce.  I got the recipe out of Parenting magazine.  And woo-hoo! for you- I'm sharing the recipe (which, if you eat like my family, really needs to be doubled):

Puree 2 cups fresh or thawed mixed berries with 1/4 cup sugar; set aside.  Whisk together 1 mashed ripe banana, 1 cup milk, 1 Tbsp melted butter, and 1 large egg until smooth, Stir in 1 cup whole-wheat pancake mix until moistened.  Drop silver-dollar spoonfuls of batter onto a preheated lightly buttered griddle.  Cook 2 to 3 minutes per side.  Drizzle berry sauce on top.

Heaven.  It'll make you want to dance:

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Utilikilt Me

Let me just start by saying my sister-in-law opened her mailbox to find it full of ants the other day.  I hate to beat a dead horse by explaining again why I won't get the mail, but let me just refer you to this post or this post.  The ant incident is just one more reason Jim will be getting the mail for the remainder of our marriage.

I may be totally unhip and lame, but I saw something in Seattle I was not familiar with.  Utilikilts.  Have you heard of this fashion phenom?  It's a kilt... but utilitier.  They have a belt, cargo pockets, and look heavier duty if you ask me.  Plus they come in colors and patterns that I think are more timeless and practical than say, your family's tartan.  (That's right, I just said army gray is more timeless than a bajillion year old red and black plaid pattern.)
If you have your druthers you might check out the tuxedo Utilikilt, which in my humble opinion, is a (unfashionable) women's skirt.  Sorry.  But it is.
Are you dying to get a peek at these things?  Here's the official (I think) website: http://www.utilikilts.com/  It's really funny.  I particularly liked the FAQ section.  Also, they have mockumercials on there, which you know I loved!  Here's one:

Monday, May 16, 2011

A Seat-atle Story

A love story:


Jim and I got our seat assignments for our connecting flight to Atlanta and we weren’t next to each other. We were bummed, but it was the shorter of our two flights so it wasn’t the end of the world. In Atlanta we got our seat assignments for our flight to Seattle and again! They were not next to each other. I was so sad! I was hoping to catch up with Jim on the way out, exchange some playful banter, maybe rest my head lovingly on his shoulder. “Well, maybe we could ask somebody to switch once we get on” we agreed.

The flight was very, very full. I sat down in my window seat waaaaay behind Jim and across the aisle and unpacked my book. A guy sat down in my row’s aisle seat. People continued filing in and I continued reading. The next thing I knew the gate was closing. Everyone that was getting on the plane was on and as far as I could see the only empty seat was the one between me and the other guy! I could get Jim back here!

But. It was kind of nice having that extra space. I sprawled a bit. I had both armrests to myself. I could stretch at least one leg out a bit. I decided against telling Jim about the seat next to me. Besides, how fair would that be to the other guy, right?

Fast forward to Wednesday when the guilt got the best of me. I confessed to Jim there had been an empty seat. And here’s the story’s twist. There was an empty seat next to him too! I was delighted at our sameness! We have a reciprocal love for personal space! Are we meant for each other or what?! I won the love lottery with this guy.  Love: it’s even better than hearing the Pina Colada song on the radio. And that’s saying a lot.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Mace in the Hole

I was pepper sprayed last night.   It's not as glamorous as it sounds, it's just bound to happen when you hang with the kind of rowdy people I associate with.  And when I say I was pepper sprayed?  I mean somebody not far from me was pepper sprayed and the table my friends and I were sitting at happened to be in the crossfire.  My girlfriend realized it first and ushered me and another pregnant girl away.  I coughed a few times and that was the worst of it.  For me at least- others at the table were really burning, and I imagine the guy who got pepper sprayed was hurting.  I hope he really deserved it because she also sprayed our cheesecake (that I stupidly left behind when I was ushered away). 

When I recounted all of this to my mom she couldn't believe I returned and ate my cheesecake (that may or may not have been mildly sprayed).  I had to stop and consider that for a moment because it really never occurred to me NOT to eat the cheesecake.  My mom clearly does not remember being pregnant*.

You are probably surprised this post wasn't peppered with puns.  I'm rising above all that.  Let's just spray this doesn't happen again.  Really, spraying that stuff in a restaurant is beyond attacky, don't you think?  But I do take this as a sign that if I have a boy this time, his name should most definitely be Mason.  And for a girl?  Pepper.


*Anyone who knows me knows that is a pitiful excuse; I would have mowed down that cheesecake, pregnancy or no.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

How A Piece of String Made Me Cry

Molly's preschool had a Mother's Day party today.  It was darling.  We were swarmed with munchkins (who are not so excited to see us at home, but at school love us ten times more than usual) eager to present us with hand-printed hot pads and sorbet.  Sorbet!  I was pumped, as I had sent this text to my friend two seconds before walking into the school: "Waiting to go into school for mothers day party.  Ohmygosh!  I hope there is a snack!"

So the sorbet was awesome.  Then they sang some songs about being little miracles, and flowers and sunshine being for everyone, big or small, rich or poor.  I started choking up, but managed to squash the tears by focusing on the kid inviting Molly to dance (oh geez, it's the same kid who brought her a shell from Florida over spring break.  Lord, help me).

But then.  Then!  Those wonderfully sadistic teachers presented us with a portfolio of our child's work, complete with the name tag they got the first day of school, blurbs about what they like to do with their Daddies from the Father's Day Valentine's Day party, and... a string.

A string they used to measure Molly way back in October.  She has grown.  And not just taller.  She colors in the lines better now, she memorizes long(ish) songs and poems, she speaks more eloquently, she shares more happily, she holds her crayon properly, she has even more confidence (!), and she's just... older.  A more mature Molly.  Thank you piece of string, thank you very much.  I will tape you up and remember all the ways in which my girl has grown, even as she puts her shoes on the wrong feet or spills her milk or cries when she falls.  She might be little, but I know it's not for long.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

WWW Wednesday

Whine:  Jim was supposed to bring me a Diet Coke this afternoon and he forgot.  It's one thing when I forget.  It's a totally different (more horrible! more unforgivable!) thing when he forgets.  Especially when it means the difference between serene, productive, Jules and "Why is this house such a freaking mess all the time!?  Am I supposed to clean, do kid care, cook, nap, and create a human life here?!" Jules.  I trust he won't forget again.

Wish:  I wish for my chicken tetrazinni to turn out tonight.  I've never made it before and food is just too precious these days to struggle through a mediocre meal.  The recipe calls for heavy whipping cream and butter though, so I have a hard time believing it will be anything less than finger-licking.  The name "tetrazinni" also makes me wish for a good, old-fashion game of Tetris.  I flippin' rocked that game.

Woo-hoo!  Jim and I leave soon for our Seattle/Vancouver trip!  I'm reluctant to say exactly when we leave because while I know YOU wouldn't break into my house some weird lurker might be after my insanely fresh, freakishly good pineapple or leftover tetrazinni.  So you understand why that information cannot be disclosed.  But it's soon enough that I can give a woo-hoo!

I hope you all have a baseball bat and something (inanimate!) on which to beat away your whines today, friends.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Man Down

When I logged into Blogger this morning I saw I was down one follower.  Who knew Bin Laden was reading Ad Bits!?  Well, I'm happy to be short one reader if it means he's a goner.

So May is starting off with a bang (if you will) and I have to say, the end of April was fantastic too!  The wedding I was in Saturday was perfect.  It rivaled Kate and William's if you ask me!  As an added bonus, I fit into my bridesmaid dress!  It was a photo finish, but that baby zipped in the end!  Here I am with Jim and the girls.  This is one of two family pictures we have taken since Adrienne was born.

Why are both my girls pointing at their right cheeks?  Are they pointing at their dimples?  Pondering something?  It's a mystery!
Here's to a magnificent May, full of woo-hoos my wonderful, peaceful, not-a-terrorist readers.  May your joy be contagious!