I thought I’d blog, though I don’t feel like I have much to say. But with Diane & Glen in Mexico, they are using my blog to keep up to date on what’s going on.

Plan for the weekend is to clean house today, because tomorrow we have couples group here. I hope to make a coffee cake today for snack tomorrow. I’ve never made a coffee cake before, so I’m scouring my Joy Of Cooking book for a good recipe. I actually look through my JOC book often, I also browse recipes online at foodtv.com. I did make a tasty ginger bread once, but ginger just seems so seasonal. Well we’ll see how the day goes. I also bought some grapes for tomorrow too. And we’ll put on a pot of Peet’s coffee, which always goes over well.

I was talking with Myrna at Mom To Mom this week, and she offered to watch Elijah for a few hours if Geoff and I want to go on a date. I am keen on taking her up on the offer, I’d like to get out and see even one movie that I know will be Oscar nominated. So I have something to root for. If Geoff isn’t keen on a movie, Myrna said she’d love to go out to the movies. I toyed with the idea of throwing an Oscar party, I haven’t in a few years, not since California, and it was a Lord Of The Rings theme (‘member Cate?). I probably won’t, since that is the weekend of Elijah’s birthday (his is on the Monday), and we’ll likely throw a small gathering.

Back to Myrna, there was one movie we agreed we both wanted to see, and then she surprised me by saying she wanted to see Brokeback Mountain (which I don’t want to see). I’d been meaning to post that I think GLAAD is being ridiculous for lashing out at a movie critic for his interpretation of Brokeback Mountain. He described one of the characters as a “predator”, and GLAAD was up in arms saying he didn’t understand gay relationships. I find it extremely annoying when people tell others their interpretation of a movie, poem or book is “wrong”. It’s someone’s opinion! Their life experience taught them to see things as they do. One critic doesn’t like the movie, and they jump all over him? Seems silly to me. You have all the other critics and award shows shouting your praises, give it rest people!

That’s just my opinion, feel free to harp on it. 🙂

Well, I should get on cleaning while the boy is sleeping. I’m going to close with a quote from The Wedding Singer.

Mr. Simms: Do you have any experience?
Robbie: No, sir, I have no experience but I’m a big fan of money. I like it, I use it, I have a little. I keep it in a jar on top of my refrigerator. I’d like to put more in that jar. That’s where you come in.

Light & Day/Reach For The Sun – The Polyphonic Spree
Back To You – John Mayer
Stand By Your Man – Tammy Wynette
Overkill – Colin Hay
Yer So Bad – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
Tell Her THis – Del Amitri
Real Love – Mary J. Blige
You Sexy Thing – Hot Chocolate
Sweet Child O’ Mine – Guns ‘N’ Roses
Time Of The Season – The Zombies

When I woke this morning, I thought Geoff was here. I could hear Elijah fussing and thought why isn’t he getting up to get him?

I had a dream last night about my old friend Barry, who hates being called Barry. Probably because it isn’t his name, but he just never seemed like a Rick to me. I can’t recall specific details about the dream, other than we were talking and catching up on the last few years. I haven’t spoken to him since 2000, I think. We just drifted, with us moving, and also he dated our friend’s ex-girlfriend. Which is a no-no. Unless of course the guy consents. But he was never given that option, so it just seemed like an underhanded thing to do. It was unfair to him that I was willing to forgive the girl involved before I forgave him. But as I said, we also just drifted apart. I heard he got married, and I guess he’s doing okay. We don’t have any mutual friends, so I don’t really know much more than that.

It seems pointless to try to reconnect that friendship, as it’s been so long, and I already have a ton of long-distance friendships. Plus he never was good at keeping in touch. But I don’t think poorly of him, I look back on those years of friendship between us (him, Geoff & I and our little clique) and I smile. It’s always odd to dream about people you haven’t seen in a while.

It’s funny how some relationships are so easy, and some are painful/annoying. There are so many factors that make them one way or another. I find it easy to be friends with people you haven’t known for long, as there is so much to learn about them. Unless that person is unwilling to share past a superficial level, and then you always stay at a “aquaintance” comfort level. I have a few of those. It can be annoying, but I’m learning to let that go. If they don’t want to move into a different place, then they can stay there. But you can enjoy that friendship, you just have to set realistic expectations about that person. Don’t expect more from them than they are willing to give.

With someone you’ve known forever, there is a safety, a comfort in knowing they’ve seen you through so much. These can be work, as you don’t want to get stuck rehashing the past, but you want to continue to build on the foundation. You continue to find new things you share in common, and you continue to build that trust, build that relationship. And yet there can be people you’ve known forever, and you feel like you don’t really know them at all. They changed, you changed, and you both drift. I’m not really sure how that is repaired.

I guess new friendships for me are pretty easy. I am willing to make new friends, allow myself to be vulnerable, take that chance. It was hard to do that when we first got to CA, but it paid off in spades. I made some of the best friends of my life, and I got a family out of it too. You don’t have to go to church to do it, but you do need to break out of your box, get out there, and interact with the world. It’s too easy to stay indoors, squirrel yourself away, find excuses.

Wow. okay. That was cool.

As the title suggests, I got qutie the surprise today. I gave Elijah his bottle, then went upstairs to file something away. I got distracted reading something, and when I returned to the stairs to go back down, Elijah was in the bathroom at the top of the staircase. Yeah! He silently climbed the stairs while I was gone for 3 minutes. Yikes! Myrna says she has a gate at her place she isn’t using, so either I’ll borrow it, or we’re going gate shopping this weekend. Problem is at the bottom of the staircase, we have two wide stairs, so the gate will have to go on the third step. And at the top, there is no wall to secure a gate, so if I got one, it would have to be to block in the loft. Well, Geoff and I will look into it this weekend.

That’s about it from here. Tomorrow Geoff comes home. It will be nice to have the family all together again. 🙂 In honor of that, I’ll close with a quote from Return To Me.

Megan Dayton: Whatever you do, don’t shave your legs.
Grace Briggs: Why?
Megan Dayton: Well, then you definitely won’t let it go too far.
Grace Briggs: Megan! It’s a *first* date!
Megan Dayton: Yeah, well, I married a first date, missy, and you know how it is. You’re out with a guy, you find him attractive, and suddenly everything he says sounds brilliant. Hairy legs are your only link to reality.
Grace Briggs: I think you should needle-point that on a pillow.

It doesn’t hurt to get any older. 🙂 Have a great day, 2006 is gonna change your life. Can’t wait to hang with you again.

I dunno that I can say enough about how much I loved my weekend in Irvine. Let me try to list all my favorite moments in order of date.

-Eating In-N-Out as soon as I got to Irvine.
-Having all the Kroliks, the Gustafsons, and the Stanleys meet Elijah.
-The look on Sharon’s face when she came back into the office.
-The scream Julie made when she saw us in her house.
-Being able to walk around in my t-shirt, capris and tevas.
-Spelling athlete in the boggle game with Lexi & Cindy.
-Elijah in the swing at the park.
-Showing up at Jen’s house and having her say she had wanted me to be her surprise.
-The big smile on Cate’s face when she saw me through Jen’s window.
-Asking Jen & Greg, and Cate & Kaisara to be Elijah’s godparents.
-The parking lot standoff between me & Ashley, and the laughter that ensued.
-Seeing the few familiar faces at church on Sunday, and the picture I took of Chuck & Elijah.
-Having Lexi help me at Color Me Mine, and Cindy’s gift (I can’t wait to get it in the mail).
-Amy babysitting Elijah.
-Watching Kevin & Elijah bonding.
-Making Lexi & Ali laugh; “give it to me, give it to me”.
-Coldstone with Ali.
-Poker with Kevin, Jake, Ali & Cindy.
-Seeing Elijah climb the staircase.
-The deep talk with Lexi on the way to L.A.
-In-N-Out before the airport.

I had the best time, I love the Kroliks. Despite what Alec says, I am family to them. They love us, and you never met nicer people. Jake, Cindy, Ali (Kevin), Ashley (Chris), Amy, Alexis, Alyssa, Alec & Abbie. It was a great weekend. Do I want to move back there? Naw, I love having my own house, and I couldn’t have that there. The goal is to get them all here, or at least to get them to visit frequently.

I’ll close with a quote from She’s All That, for Lexi & Ali.

Zach Siler: Brock Hudson? What kind of a name is that?
Taylor Vaughan: What kind of a name is “Zach?” OK, Brock is from “The Real World.”
Zach Siler: What, Resceda?
Taylor Vaughan: No, like the TV show. “Real World LA”, second season, hello!
Zach Siler: The dyslexic volleyball guy? They kicked him out of the house.

For my birthday, I decided months ago that I would fly to California and surprise my friends. Since practically no one out here (save a few Kroliks) had met Elijah, and Geoff was going to be away for so long, I made plans to fly out to the coast after my birthday. Only the Kroliks, people married to Kroliks, Greg & Kaisara knew. It was hard not to tell anyone, or blog about it.

We flew out Thursday morning, and once I got off the plane in L.A., rented my car and drove down to Irvine, it was close to 2pm. We’ve been having a great time. I really missed the people here, I really missed the weather. What is keeping me grounded in reality is that there is no way we could have the house we have in CO here in CA for the price we paid.

Surprising people sure has been fun! Last night I had dinner with Greg & Jen, Cate & Kaisara. The looks on their faces, matched with the smugness of hubbies proud to have kept a secret was funny. Elijah has turned on the charm for everyone here. Enough to get people to move to Colorado? Maybe not, but a few trips have been planned for visits to see us.

This morning we’ll go to the old church. Tomorrow we’ll fly home and reunite with Honey cat. I will try to post pictures Monday night. Then Geoff is home on Thursday. Yay!

That’s it. I’m thrilled to say that Denver beat the two-time Superbowl champs New England (boo Pats!). Let’s hope Shanahan & Plummer can take us all the way. Go Broncos! Fox isn’t airing any new House episodes until February. So I’ll close with a quote from that.

Dr. Wilson: You really don’t need to know everything about everybody.
Dr. Gregory House: I don’t *need* to watch The O.C., but it makes me happy.

Got this email today. I’m super stoked!

Friday the 13th
January 2006

Less than two weeks after 2006 arrived amidst great excitement and optimism, something terrible happened at 12:01 a.m. this morning: Friday the 13th arrived.

Under normal circumstances, today’s date would be unfortunate. This year, it is even more ominous, a word which here means “extremely worrisome.” That is because this terribly unlucky day occurs TWICE in 2006.

Associates at LemonySnicket.com predict that the second time, Friday, October 13, will bring The End. Of what, however–the Baudelaire orphans? Lemony Snicket himself? Thursday, October 12th?–remains unclear.

There is much to fear in the coming months–alarming puzzles, distressing notations, a series of communications from someone named Beatrice. All of us at AuthorTracker will continue to try to locate the elusive Mr. Snicket, gather information, understand the truth, and share our findings with you.

Still, we are sorry to ruin your year after only 12 days. Perhaps 2007 will be cheerier.

With all due respect,

Harper Collins Publishers

My, how I’ve grown up!

Happy Birthday To Me!