For the past few months, I have been cursing our refrigerator in more and more graphic terms. It started freezing things that were on the left side - so I carefully placed things that could not be frozen on the right. Then it refused to keep things cold no matter where they were. Finally, it practically warmed things near the top while freezing things in the drawers.

This would not do.

But this will!

More proof that I am turning in to my parents:

I built a fire yesterday that kept the living area of the house at a comfortable 81 degrees while Christmas music played in the background.

Some things never change.

I have seen these signs on houses before, but this is the first one I have seen on the side of a factory.

*This is one of my favorite phrases. It is SO satisfying. Try it next time something goes wrong.

Things I could do with my free time this afternoon:

Finish Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows
Write, in hopes of retaining at least one faithful reader
Trader Joe’s shopping
Pluck eyebrows

Luckily for you, dear readers, I finished the book on Sunday night. So I guess I get to write.

I finally dumped the less-than-useful SiteMeter and signed up for a Google analytics account. A lot of the information, for my purposes, is the same, but Google has this great feature where you can see how people using search engines found your site.

Someone came here after searching for “Awesome Sunglasses“.

I have the feeling that my fantastic sunglasses weren’t exactly what they were looking for, but it made my day nonetheless!

The Moon
by Leonard Cohen
(from Book Of Longing)

The moon is outside.
I saw the great uncomplicated thing
when I went to take a leak just now.
I should have looked at it longer.
I am a poor lover of the moon.
I see it all at once and that’s it
for me and the moon.

I just got the following email from Jen:

I’ll set my tivo…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WjS9GI5CQg

…you bring the munchies

Happy Birthday to me! (we probably won’t watch it until a week after my birthday, but it still counts)

I’m taking a poll.

Does anyone actually look at my Book List page?

Does anyone else read and have any book suggestions? (I know some of you read - don’t stifle the nerd.)

Have you read anything lately that you like?

Have you read any of the same books that I read?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, go over to the book page and leave a comment. Suggest a book. Argue with my ratings. Participate!

…the life-changing experience that is Stumptown coffee. I drank Starbucks today. Even with the almond syrup in my latte, it was bitter and more than a little bit gross when compared with the smooth richness of a Stumptown Americano.

I think my weekend of good coffee finally released me from the Starbucks prison.

Huzzah! My wallet and my waistline are rejoicing.

Patriotic holidays are hard for me. They have this nasty habit of ruining a perfectly good three day weekend and reminding me to think about our country - past, present, and future. For the most part this sort of thinking scares the crap out of me.

Being an American is such a tricky endeavor. I love this country. I really do. But I hate it, with the hate that only comes from love. I want to work for change and I want to run away and disavow any connection with anything American. This tension makes appropriate patriotic celebration legitimately difficult.

I saw a bumper sticker on the drive home from the beach. It had a picture of an American flag with the words “It wasn’t earned to be burned” next to it. Now, I know this may be a little nit-picky for some, but wasn’t freedom of speech one of the Top Ten Reasons America Is Cool? Oh, wait, I just checked, it’s number ONE on that list. So, if I may point out the obvious, the flag was just as much “earned to be burned” as it was earned so that people could have ridiculous bumper stickers plastered across their cars.

God bless us. Every one.

I was worrying about my lack of comparative fitness while planning a hike with my comparatively more fit cousin.

She wrote back with the following:

You ARE tough. I know because I once hit you in the mouth with a baseball bat.

I thought she raised a very valid point and consequently felt better about myself for the remainder of the day - and beyond. And then I laughed because I had actually forgotten (repressed?) that particular childhood adventure.

The house is quiet. The laundry is folded (but not put away). The dishes are clean (but still in the dishwasher). I am sitting down trying to get my pictures from NY up on the series of tubes that is the internet to share with you….

AND THE BLOODY FLICKR SITE IS DOWN!

Circumstances like this really annoy my inner control freak.

I’m going to go read my book.

We got back home about 1:00 this morning.

Just as you suspected, we had a great time and everything went fine. Boy, don’t I feel like a nerd for all my worrying? But that is how the cycle goes.

We took a whole bunch of pictures which I will inundate you with in the days to come.

Now I’m off to do laundry.

Just in time for warm days with the windows down, the infamous hairbrush tape is finally finished.

Hey, I never gave you a timeline, I just said I would make one.

Thanks to Nichole, Alicia and Jalene for their suggestions. They will all be receiving copies of the mix tape. (aside: Jalene emailed me a suggestion of The Hairbrush Song by Veggie Tales. While I laughed out loud at the thought of it, I couldn’t fit in on the tape. However, since her idea also gave me the title of this post, she gets a cd. Good things happen when you join the discussion…)

Grab your hairbrush (or pseudo-microphone of choice) and sing along!

Track 1: I Will Survive - Gloria Gaynor
Track 2: If I Were A Bell - Guys and Dolls
Track 3: I Want You To Want Me - Cheap Trick
Track 4: Don’t Dream It’s Over - Crowded House
Track 5: Goodbye Earl - Dixie Chicks
Track 6: Strawberry Wine - Deanna Carter
Track 7: Here With Me - Dido
Track 8: Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off - Ella Fitzgerald
Track 9: One Week - Barenaked Ladies
Track 10: When I’m Up - Great Big Sea
Track 11: Video - India.Arie
Track 12: I Feel Pretty - West Side Story
Track 13: Roxanne - The Police
Track 14: Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go - Wham!

Love it? Hate it? Tell me in the comments.

This time of year always gets me thinking about the big plans I have for my garden.

Lots of things are blooming already.

Some things are almost ready.

And others want to make me crawl back under a blanket and pray for six more weeks of winter.

This last set of pictures are from my side and front yard. I have visions of a flower garden instead of grass in the front yard, but that is a few years away so I will content myself with living plants and more color.

I guess I should probably get to work.

Andrew says that the dandelions are beautiful. (”Beutful welwo fowers, Mommy”) Maybe I will keep some of them.

Me: ah-CHOOO!

Andrew: (amidst much laughter) Mommy did a bless you!

He is one cute kid.

We used our tax return to transition from these toddler maiming monster speakers…

…to these petite, wall-mounted beauties. And there was much rejoicing.

When the weather gets nice Justin will put up the outdoor set. And there will be more rejoicing (and much enjoying of barbecue).

I’m snuggling with Jen on her couch, watching music videos on our ‘let our hair down’ night, drinking many cocktails after the children are asleep. And yes, we are drunk. I am spending the night and setting the alarm in time to get home before Justin goes to work.

We are trying to compile a hairbrush mix tape. You know the hairbrush songs, the ones you sing in your car when you think no one is watching. We are serious mix-tapers, and we are terrified of missing a song. If you were to make a hairbrush mix, what would you include? If your song makes it on my mix, I will send you a free CD. How’s that for a drunken promise?

Don’t worry, we’re drinking lots of water. I’m only on my fifth cocktail. We’ll be fine in the morning.

Andrew was a complete shit today. I almost had to send him back.

But now I am stretched out, watching Sportscenter, and there is Peter Gammons reporting live from Spring Training.

I can breathe.

There is always something to look forward to.

I turned on the TV randomly the other night and found the end of Duke v North Carolina. This might mean nothing to you but it made my night.

I love college basketball. I like the NBA, I mean it’s fine. But I LOVE college hoops. Justin, however, does not love college hoops so I don’t get to watch as much as I would want to. I used to make a point to catch this game, but in the last few years I have let it slide. I should not do that.

I have been a Duke fan since ‘91, the time of Laettner, Hurley and Hill. I admit that rooting for Duke is kind of like being a Yankees fan (something I would normally eschew) but, old habits die hard. I might not be a Duke fan once Coach K leaves, but if Wojo takes his place, my allegiance will not even waiver.

Duke didn’t win the game, but it was okay. There is something about Duke, the Crazies, the quality of basketball that you can see every single time. I love it. Thank you, gods of tv viewing, for leading me to ESPN in time to catch the ending.