Got some fish today.
Got fish?
.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Dreaded Mom Vortex
I had a lovely time today, spending it with Wolfgang and Meego. Wolfgang was getting his driver's permit. It's about time, since he'll be 16 in about another month. We spent an awesome 3 hours at the DMV.
We enticed Meego into coming, and we managed to pass the time with a variety of cheap entertainments. Played some rousing hangman, took a few educative walks, played some more rousing hangman.... It was a nice day out, so we could hang around outside away from the inside DMV queue and enjoy the lovely recession-hit strip mall sights and breathe in the fresh second-hand smoke. I give the waiting area outside the DMV a rating of "R" for language and sexuality.
Wolfgang was fretting about the vision test. He hasn't had an eye exam in a while - his choice. As the clock ticked on and on and on aND ON, I began to fret too. Really, at the 2 hours 45 minute point, I was pulling for him to pass that test probably harder than I did any of his year-end finals at school. Imagine going back there again, so soon. That would really take the specialness away.
And there's plenty of fun people-watching to do at the DMV. Here's a quick sketch of one of our lively fellow revelers.
Ah, good times.
We enticed Meego into coming, and we managed to pass the time with a variety of cheap entertainments. Played some rousing hangman, took a few educative walks, played some more rousing hangman.... It was a nice day out, so we could hang around outside away from the inside DMV queue and enjoy the lovely recession-hit strip mall sights and breathe in the fresh second-hand smoke. I give the waiting area outside the DMV a rating of "R" for language and sexuality.
Wolfgang was fretting about the vision test. He hasn't had an eye exam in a while - his choice. As the clock ticked on and on and on aND ON, I began to fret too. Really, at the 2 hours 45 minute point, I was pulling for him to pass that test probably harder than I did any of his year-end finals at school. Imagine going back there again, so soon. That would really take the specialness away.
And there's plenty of fun people-watching to do at the DMV. Here's a quick sketch of one of our lively fellow revelers.Ah, good times.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
midsummer night
The prompt took me back to my younger days as a carefree teenager. Don't tell my kids, because I'm rather enjoying harping on them about how they should be working and earning money (from someone other than their parents!) and getting valuable experiences that will help them throughout the rest of their responsible lives. After all, I did those things when I was their age.
Truth is, though, while I did do those things, I also spent a lot of time just hanging around with friends and doing absolutely nothing productive during the summers.
And it was good.
.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
19,007
That's what my pedometer currently says: 19,007. Magnum and I got these pedometers through his employer. They have put these health incentives in place, and the latest thing is the "Health Miles" program. Sign up, get a pedometer, download your daily steps, earn points. Take the health challenge today!
Today was a running day so I racked up over 15,000 steps before I even took a shower. Weee! Most recently, I got back from taking China the crazy dog for her daily beauty walk. Net so far = 19,007.
I remember when this all started. There were health screenings that paid $50. We didn't even have to be healthy! Just participate and get the $50. So yeah, I got screened! I recall one woman there, while we were in one of the waiting stations.
"She just told me I'm fat. I already KNOW I'm fat", she commented.
I suspect this is true for most. We know that there are things we should do more of and things we should do less of. It's just a matter of priorities. I think it's really the psychological aspects that drive us to do what we do. And to permanately change what we do, our psychology needs to change.
I had a friend who was quite an avid smoker. Naturally, she knew it was bad for her, but it didn't worry her that much. She always said she could quit if she wanted to, she just didn't want to.
Then one day she just stopped. Cold turkey. She came in to work, declared that she no longer smoked and that was that. Others didn't really believe her. They looked on while wearing their nicotine patches or chewing their nicotine gum so much their chewing muscles were sore or visiting accupuncturists or trying to cut back. How could she just be so calm and smug?
"It was that Yul Brynner commercial", she told me.
That's it. That 30-second PSA made a non-smoker out of her for life. Even when others would take smoke breaks, even when she went where others were smoking, even when she started putting on weight. I haven't seen her in years, but I feel pretty certain that she hasn't smoked a puff since. I could see it in her eyes.
Now I see that the U.S. is going to start putting graphic warning labels on cigarette packs. My first thought was, "people already know that smoking is bad, I don't think this will really work".
But what do I know?
.
Today was a running day so I racked up over 15,000 steps before I even took a shower. Weee! Most recently, I got back from taking China the crazy dog for her daily beauty walk. Net so far = 19,007.
I remember when this all started. There were health screenings that paid $50. We didn't even have to be healthy! Just participate and get the $50. So yeah, I got screened! I recall one woman there, while we were in one of the waiting stations.
"She just told me I'm fat. I already KNOW I'm fat", she commented.
I suspect this is true for most. We know that there are things we should do more of and things we should do less of. It's just a matter of priorities. I think it's really the psychological aspects that drive us to do what we do. And to permanately change what we do, our psychology needs to change.
I had a friend who was quite an avid smoker. Naturally, she knew it was bad for her, but it didn't worry her that much. She always said she could quit if she wanted to, she just didn't want to.
Then one day she just stopped. Cold turkey. She came in to work, declared that she no longer smoked and that was that. Others didn't really believe her. They looked on while wearing their nicotine patches or chewing their nicotine gum so much their chewing muscles were sore or visiting accupuncturists or trying to cut back. How could she just be so calm and smug?
"It was that Yul Brynner commercial", she told me.
That's it. That 30-second PSA made a non-smoker out of her for life. Even when others would take smoke breaks, even when she went where others were smoking, even when she started putting on weight. I haven't seen her in years, but I feel pretty certain that she hasn't smoked a puff since. I could see it in her eyes.
Now I see that the U.S. is going to start putting graphic warning labels on cigarette packs. My first thought was, "people already know that smoking is bad, I don't think this will really work".
But what do I know?
.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Happy Father's Day
One of the good ones.
For one thing, it was him who taught me to ride a bicycle. For that alone, I should be eternally grateful. But he's done oh so much more.
.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
launch
Welcome to another Illustration Friday on Saturday. This week's prompt is "Launch", so I did this owl. I think he's launching for lunch.
Wise.
.
Friday, June 17, 2011
getaway
Greetings blog friends! I'm back, did you miss me?? Did you even notice I was gone??
Anyways, remember how I mentioned we were going to do a road trip to Arizona, but Arizona was on fire, so we didn't? We brainstormed to come up with alternatives and settled on just driving a couple of hours up into the mountains and playing Tourist to Colorado.
We rented us a cozy 2 Bedroom condo and just had a lovely time. About an hour into the drive, we realized we had not one camera between the five of us. Oh fudge! How to visually record the trip!?
Suffice it to say that, through the magic of super high technology, I was able to capture images of the trip and share them here...
Here's us, heading for the hills in the big butt van:
There was a nice pond to rent paddle boats. The geese were bullies. Here's the kids in their boat, playing chicken with a goose... and winning!
Of course there was fishing. Didn't catch a darn thing.
And bicycling!
The educational portion of the trip included a tour of a former Gold Mine. It was awesome and not for the claustrophobes!
Here's me, outside the mine, panning for gold in the nearby stream. I found some shiny bits and made friends with a sweet burro. I don't think I found much gold, but my burro friend did provide a friendly golden shower. *ahem*.
In the end, a great time. Colorado, you beautiful state you - and not on fire!
Anyways, remember how I mentioned we were going to do a road trip to Arizona, but Arizona was on fire, so we didn't? We brainstormed to come up with alternatives and settled on just driving a couple of hours up into the mountains and playing Tourist to Colorado.
We rented us a cozy 2 Bedroom condo and just had a lovely time. About an hour into the drive, we realized we had not one camera between the five of us. Oh fudge! How to visually record the trip!?
Suffice it to say that, through the magic of super high technology, I was able to capture images of the trip and share them here...
Here's us, heading for the hills in the big butt van:
Of course there was fishing. Didn't catch a darn thing.
And bicycling!
The educational portion of the trip included a tour of a former Gold Mine. It was awesome and not for the claustrophobes!
Here's me, outside the mine, panning for gold in the nearby stream. I found some shiny bits and made friends with a sweet burro. I don't think I found much gold, but my burro friend did provide a friendly golden shower. *ahem*.
We swam nearly every day.
But mind you, it wasn't just Kidstuff. I purchased some wine for Magnum and me and didn't notice until later that it was named "Menage trois" - from some naughty winery in California. 
In the end, a great time. Colorado, you beautiful state you - and not on fire!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)