Now go...before somebody drops a house on you.

Last night we huddled in our little tornado nook, listening to 70-80 per mile hour winds. As I sat there, with Wizard of Oz music going through my head, I was glad that I hadn't done the dishes since it sounded like the wind was going to take care of them for me anyway. But the really bad winds didn't last long, only about five minutes. So I had to do the dishes anyway. Our regularly scheduled program (Jeopardy and The Biggest Loser) was interrupted for the storm watch. It was crazy, and a little creepy, to sit on the couch and watch the storm approach us, then go sit by our inside wall until it passed, then come back and watch all the coverage of the damage as the storm passed. Here is a picture of the Chase Tower being struck by lightening during the storm last night. I wish I could have found the video of it. There was a ton of lightening and it was struck several times.

Fall of Federer

Wow, what a great title. I should write headlines.

Ok, so it wasn't really a fall. More like a slip. My dad and I have been watching the Australian Open all week. We were shocked that Federer lost to Djokovic in the semi-finals. Here are some impressive Federer stats:

- It's been three years since he didn't make it to the finals in a Grand Slam competition.
- I believe he has won the past 10 Grand Slam competitions he has competed in (Australian, French, Wimbledon, US)
- He has 12 Grand Slam titles to his name...2 more and he will tie Pete Sampras, who currently holds the most Grand Slam titles.

Granted, there are a few reasons why he may not have been at the top of his game. He had food poisoning the week before, and that cost him a weight loss of 3 kilos. The Australian Open had a new surface that was more like clay, which is his worst playing surface. So I imagine this is not a sign of things to come, just a little hiccup in the path to world tennis domination.

So while I am a big Roger Federer fan, oh wait - this would be a good time for me to mention that Peter is currently living in Federer's hometown in Switzerland.

Easy on the eyes, isn't he.

Ok, so while I heart Federer, I am loving that there is now someone besides Nadal who can challenge Federer. And Djokovic is entertaining besides. Last year at the US Open, he was doing impressions of Sharapova and Nadal to entertain the crowd. I found this video of him doing some impressions backstage (Andy Roddick and Andre Agassi were my favorites). If you can't guess the subject, you can hear the names in a thick accent in the background.

LA Fitness, salespeople extraordinaire

J and I just went to visit the new LA Fitness that opened near us. Sweet facility. Five racquetball courts, pool, sauna, cool classes. What a nice life that would be, to go out in the evening and swim some laps and sit in the sauna reading a magazine. Or take a kick-boxing class. I got so pumped up to workout every day while I was walking around seeing all the cool stuff.

And then there were the sweet talkin' salesmen. We read about their sales techniques beforehand on epinons, so we were prepared. They are puh-shy. We talked to the manager, and he was everything you picture when you think of a used car salesman. He even used a car analogy for something, I giggled to myself. Much to his sadness, because he was only thinking of us and our health and wellbeing, we did not join the gym today. I have a theory. First of all, EVERYONE joins the gym in January, especially a nice, new shiny one. So if I wait until the fall, maybe I will get a lower rate...no one joins a gym in October. Plus I will like to run and play tennis outside in the spring and summer anyway. And then there's my novelty factor. I like new shiny things...for awhile. So I need to get into the habit of working out at least 3 times a week instead of joining a gym and staying home.

Has anyone out there joined a gym? Do you go?

There's nothing like grandparents

My parent's visit has sadly come to an end. We had such a great week, Boo LOVES Grandma and Grandpa. She threw pennies in the fountain with grandpa and ate apples everyday with grandma. She learned to bat her eyes at grandpa and go to grandma to get what mom wouldn't give her.


Grandpa built her a cardboard house and grandma played and played and played. We will miss them, but hopefully will see them again soon.

I had fun too. :) Mom and I went shopping and then I watched the Australian Open all week with Dad. More on that in another post.

Find your candidate

A little bit of political fun. My dad sent me this link to a political issues survey. It matches your answers up with the candidate that best reflects your views. My top Republican candidate was Romney, my top Democratic candidate was Obama. It's a good thing...I might have had to poke my eyes out if it had matched me up with Ron Paul or Clinton.

Goodreads

Thanks to Sara for introducing me to Goodreads! Check out her post here. You create your own bookshelves with books you have read, want to read, and are reading. You can join discussions on books, and check out what your friends are reading and what they recommend.

Click on this link to join and be my friend. (I tried to click on this link earlier, just to see what it did. And the site told me I couldn't be friends with myself, silly.)

When Grandma comes to town...

When Grandma comes to town, we do fun girl things. Like curl Brookie's hair. Typically, I'm lucky that we both leave the house with clothes on and hair in a ponytail. No time for curls. But the first day grandma was here, she bought Boo her first curlers. Mom put Boo's hair up in little tiny curlers, and man did she look cute with her hair rolled up in little blue curlers. I could have taken her to church just like that.


But then the curlers came out, and my oh my. Boo with curls. She out-cuted herself.

Children's Museum

Last week we took a trip to the Children's Museum with some friends. We have been before, but this was Boo's first trip since she has been able to walk. She loved the carousel and the mirrors. The older girls that we went with were really cute with Boo, showing her around, helping her navigate the maze. She loved to run down the ramp - I was pretty sure she was going to splat on her face, but she managed to keep her balance.

The Glass Castle

I just read The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls on recommendation from Anne. It is a fascinating autobiography of the author's childhood growing up in poverty. Once I started, I couldn't put it down. The author's descriptions of her childhood adventures are almost unbelievable to me - it was incredible to see the kids learn to fend for themselves at what seems to me at an impossibly young age. It gives a unique glimpse into a life that I certainly have no concept of. It opened my mind, and gave me enormous respect for the kids who pulled themselves out of that world and gave themselves a different future. I absolutely recommend this book.

Eclipse

When I start reading a series, I can't stop until I have finished it. I have finished reading the third book in the Twilight series, Eclipse. I have mixed feelings on this book. There was a lot more on the Cullens in this book, and they are my favorites. I enjoyed that. But Bella is such a silly girl and Jacob is a silly boy. I liked the plot, but I was somewhat bored by all the dialog, and I thought there were too many revisitations of the same themes.

I wonder if Bella isn't some mythical creature as well. Bella mentions at one point how strange it is that she happens to be so involved with not one but two mythical creatures. Maybe she is drawn to them because she is as well. That would explain why she is not affected by Aro, Jane and Edward's powers. See, I must like the books at least a little, because I am theorizing about them.

New Moon

Here is a review of New Moon by Stephanie Meyer that I wrote awhile ago and am just now getting up.

Time for review of book #2 in the Twilight series - New Moon. I think I mentioned it a little in the Twilight review. The four or five blank chapters were quite clever. I really liked that. But I have to admit to being bored for most of the book. I kept reading because I was sure that the Cullens would show up. I enjoy the characters of the Cullens, I think more because of the extra chapters I have read on Stephanie Meyer's website. I was also intrigued by the Paris and Romeo metaphor she had going. It did get exciting and I couldn't put it down as soon as Alice showed up. I have Eclipse waiting for me at the library and I'm looking forward to the love triangle that awaits me there. I heard today that the next (final?) book will not be out until late 2008.

Focus

I learned a valuable parenting lesson yesterday. For the last few weeks, Boo has been very interested in the dishwasher, pulling the clean or dirty dishes and silverware out and putting them back in or scattering them over the floor. I didn't want clean silverware on my dirty floor, or dirty silverware on my clean floor, so I have been shooing her away or trying to do dishwasher things when she is safely strapped in her high chair. Yesterday I was doing too many things at once, including unloading the dishwasher while Boo was running around playing. After a few minutes, I tuned into what she was doing. She was taking the clean silverware out, opening the silverware drawer, dropping it in, closing the drawer and going back for more. I was floored. How did she learn to do that? And why had I kept her from doing it for the last few weeks?! So my lesson - focus that toddler energy instead of shooing it away in the name of efficiency. And lesson #2: she watches and learns a lot more than I think she does.

Feeling better

I had to post this picture of Boo toasting in the new year. Before anyone calls CPS, it's just sparkling apple juice.

I think Boo and I are finally over this awful virus. We spent a week feeling worse everyday, and then this last week feeling a little better everyday. J has it now. I'm sorry he is sick, but I am glad we weren't sick at the same time. That happened once, before we had Boo. We were so sick! We ate oatmeal and boiled eggs for a week because we ran out of cold cereal.

I am slowly but surely catching up on housework and life-work after two weeks of illness. Our Christmas decorations are finally put away, although our Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is still standing in the corner, mocking me, daring me to just try to take it down. We ordered a bag to store it in, but it hasn't arrived yet. But I think I will tackle it tonight anyway.

Oh, great news...we finally found curtains for the living room. And when I say we, I mean J. We...I mean he...bought and returned about six sets of curtains that we thought would be perfect and then looked terrible. But I think these are perfect. At least they will be as soon as we get the room painted. Project #1 for the year.

I am part of a fitness and nutrition club as part of my goal to get fit this year. The first week was a bust, this week has gone somewhat better. I am doing my Winsor Pilates again, which I really enjoy. I found a great snack at the store yesterday - Kashi Honey Almond Flax cereal. It doesn't sound very good, but I'm a sucker for anything proclaiming low sugar, high fiber and Omega-3s. And it is tasty...for a cereal that has 8 grams of fiber and 500 grams of Omega-3s.

New Hampshire Debates on ABC

I'm watching the back-to-back Republican and Democratic debates on ABC. It has been interesting. I have not chosen a candidate yet, although since Indiana's primary is in May, it may hardly matter by that point. I was really into the politics of the upcoming election about four months ago, but I got sick of it and quit paying attention. So now I am a little out of the loop. This is my first foray into political commentary, but here is my take on these guys.

First, these guys gotta get a new jab to hit Romney with. I am sick sick sick of hearing the same joke. Is that the only thing you don't like about him? There must be something else you can jab him with.

As much as I hate to admit it, Romney is sounding pretty smart. He's getting a lot of time to talk. I also have been impressed with Guiliani's comments. Ron Paul - where did this guy come from? He's nuts. I am really disliking Huckabee, but I'm not sure why. I'll think about that and get back to you.

I like Romney (again, hate to admit it) as well as Guiliani because they have already been 'managers' of something as governor. Does being a Senator really prepare a person for leading? It's such a different job type.

What are your thoughts on the Republican candidates?

Ah, the Democrats are here. I am opposed to Hilary Clinton. I don't like her. I think we need to get away from this Washington dynasty of the Bush family and the Clinton family. If Hilary wins and is in for two terms, that will be nearly 30 years of the country being led by either a Bush or a Clinton. Again, don't like that.

Ooo, Obama and Edwards just ganged up on Clinton and now she is spitting mad. Obama sounds smart. And I like Edwards' passion for those in poverty in our country. Now what do you think about the Democratic candidates?

So the political pundits are saying that the New Hampshire primary is vital to Romney's campaign - if he doesn't win there, his campaign will be on life support. Does anyone know why this is? He took Wyoming, he came in second in Iowa, the guy you won in Iowa is expected to come in 6th in NH, and they guy expected to win in NH came in 6th in Iowa. Doesn't 2 second place finishings count for a lot? Maybe a stupid question, but there it is.

Happy New Year!

Well, we are having a rough start to the new year. Boo had a little cough yesterday, and then woke up in the night barking like a seal and gasping. She's never been croupy before, so it scared me a bit. We sat in the steamy bathroom for awhile and that helped enormously. Poor little thing is so sick. Jer and I are both a little sick with colds too. We will celebrate with chicken noodle soup and juice today. I have my favorite Lemon Ginger Echinacea drink that I drink hot like tea. We gave Boo a little taste and she loved it.

Hope everyone else is having a Happy January 1st!