<3

I may not talk incessantly about this little guy on my blog, but let it be known that I love him more than I can express... cowlick, car fetish and all.

Parks

For the past few months I have been attending a play group with a bunch of lovely ladies, and it has been really fun. It is nice to get out of the house, to converse with people I like, and to occasionally sneak in a little exercise with my sister. Asher has a good time anywhere there is a slide, and we go to a different park every month. There are so many wonderful places that I never would have found on my own. I used to go to the same old crowded spots, but now, thanks to Melanie and her superior knowledge of Santa Barbara, I have discovered some hidden treasures. I still like my old reliables, but it is nice to have so many fun options. Every Wednesday is a treat, and I know where to find a good park any day in between.

Jim at Costco?

I think I just saw the comedian Jim Gaffigan at Costco. If it wasn't him, it was a dead ringer. He was watching Asher dip a spoon into our very berry sundae as I tried to hold everything in my arms. Jim sat there with a knowing and slightly amused smile on his face as Asher tried to put the spoon in his mouth, and instead decorated his white shirt and my jeans with a very berry mess.

Cancelled Church

Yesterday after the first hour of church a member of our bishopric called 911 due a funky smell permeating the left side of the building. He wanted someone to come check for a gas leak. He didn't want a big to-do, he just wanted one or two people to come check it out. Well, that is not the way 911 rolls. Four screaming fire trucks later, we were all evacuated from church and told that church was cancelled for the rest of the day. Asher loved seeing the trucks, but I was a little upset. I had prepared for our Visiting Teaching conference, and I had fliers to hand out for Enrichment on Tuesday. I also had a bag of things to give our humanitarian specialist. Dang.

The funny thing is I spoke with my mom about it and she said she has been smelling that gas every day all week in her seminary classroom. They reported it and reported it day after day, but nobody did anything about it. I'm sure there are 50 scriptures that would fit here... something about idle hands or procrastinating the day... I'll refrain.

Ahem

This is the second time in a week I have heard the word "substenance." I think both people who used this word meant "sustenance." No b. "Substance" has a b. "Sustenance" does not... not even a silent b. I'm sure I mess up the English language all the time, so I can't bring myself to correct people to their face.
I'm just brave enough to correct them on my blog.

rawr!

I heart TJ's

Sometimes I just don't have the energy to muster up dinner. At times like these I sing the praises of Trader Joe's, where (almost) everything is tasty, easy, and relatively inexpensive. All hail the ready-made pizzas and salads... especially the greek salad and margherita pizza that gave us sustenance tonight.

Thank you Joe, I don't know how you do it. Perhaps you are trading little pieces of your soul to bring me this cheap delicious happiness, and if this is the case, I humbly thank you.

For Anna

Anna posted pictures on her blog of famous people who resemble her. According to myheritage.com, this is my closest match.


Me and Mark... we are totally twins.

Follow Up

Just so you know, I made the bathroom sink area sparkle yesterday. And I didn't get through the laundry. Weird.

Also, I do get a great sense of satisfaction when I clean, because I always do a very thorough job. With me it is all or nothing. It takes me forever to clean things because I'm such a perfectionist about it. That is another reason why I don't like it: I take so much longer than a regular person when I'm cleaning. But I do like cleanliness. Just to clear things up. (Pun not intended.)

Chores after Hemingway

This morning I tried to read a chapter of "A Moveable Feast" while Asher explored each shrub and corner in Willowglen park. I only read a few paragraphs in forty minutes because Asher kept running far away from where I was. I guess the single tunnel and slide in the play area couldn't hold his attention, so I was distracted. But I suppose this is not a bad way to read Hemingway.

I've been thinking about chores. I don't like them. Well, I suppose there are a few chores I don't mind: laundry, changing Asher's diapers, and taking out the trash. (I told you, few.)

I'm ok with laundry because it is easy with a machine, and the fruits of your efforts last for a while. You don't have to do laundry every day. The fact that laundry pays off for a week or more makes it one of my favorite chores. As for Asher's diapers... I think I just get a kick out of physically taking care of him. Also, it doesn't take much time. Sometimes it takes a lot of effort (he squiggles), but it never takes longer than 2 minutes. And it makes a big difference. I think that is what I like about the trash too. It doesn't take a lot of time, but taking it out sometimes really improves the air quality, and always helps my peace of mind. Also, trash is a measurable chore. You know just when you have to take care of it: when it gets full or when it smells bad. Other chores are more subjective I think. Take wiping down the sink. When do you do it? Every day whether it needs it or not? When you can see water splashes in a certain light on the tile? When you see a hair in the sink? I usually wait until I can see a little ring forming around the drain. You may think that is gross, but I just don't notice it is getting dirty until then. And I think a daily swipe is a waste of time. I realize that it wouldn't take much time to wipe down the sink, but all those little minutes of daily chores add up. I'd rather be reading, blogging, or just about anything else.

I like doing things that stay done, at least for a little while. But, if I'm being honest, I guess that doesn't apply to much.

Econ

In Santa Barbara we are fairly well insulated from the current dip in our nation's economy. But it is still pretty weird to drive down State Street at see all the empty storefronts with "For Lease" signs in the windows. (This always makes me think of Beethoven's "fur elise.") Now would be the perfect time to take advantage of many "going out of business" sales... if anyone had any money.

Fortune Hunting

Yesterday Dan and I went to visit our friend Anupama and her family. We had never been to Anu's house before, so we got a little confused in her neighborhood. While driving in circles, we passed a table of young ladies on the side of the road. At first I thought they were manning a lemonade stand, but on our second pass I looked a little closer at their sign. They were peddling their fortune telling skills. I couldn't help thinking what a funny thing this was to do in the middle of a lazy neighborhood so far away from streets with any real traffic. The girls seemed pretty serious about this. One of them tried chasing down our car. I wonder how much they were charging. I wonder why they were spending their time in this way.

I wonder if they knew we would not stop to receive our fortunes?