Mope

I've been very mopey these last few days. It's a combination of the usual hormonal insanity plus change, and I'm just not a big fan of change no matter how often it comes. Even if changes bring good things, I just tend to resist it and make myself miserable, wishing for things to stay the way they were, no matter how improbable it may be. I'm trying very hard to kick that habit, but I can't say it will be easy. I just ask that my friends understand where my insanity comes from and roll with it for a little while. You know me, I always even out in the end. :-)

In my neverending quest to get back to wedding day weight, I made carrot cake bars using a Cooking Light recipe I've been meaning to try out for about two years now. While I am suspicious of any carrot cake recipe that doesn't involve cream cheese frosting, I will roll with this and try it at lunch. If it's good, I'll post the recipe on Domestic Goddesses - that's the Martha blog after all!

I think this blog needs a picture of Duran Duran on it to cheer me up today.

Why stop at just one? Here's a yesterday/today kind of thing. Ahhh... so much better now.

Emmys Hilarity

A friend of mine sent me this link to Conan O'Brien's Emmy opening. Hilarious.

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Sometimes I really miss working in NYC. Little things like seeing this sweet mopey bulldog, being a quick walk or hop away from lunch with friends - it is an adjustment.

We're Doomed...

At least, that's what this pretty hilarious site thinks. Check it out.

Happy Birthday Boy

Alex had a great birthday yesterday, and the pics will come later. He got some toys and ran around like a psycho with big brother Will last night, and a lovely time was had by all. Now he eagerly awaits his birthday celebration with uncles Keith and Adam and aunts Nancy and Stacey. I figure this is the last year I could get away with having the quick 'n dirty family party at home, next year we're looking at McDonald's at the very least.

I still can't quite wrap my head around Alex being three. He's still a baby, at least I feel like he should be. They don't stay little long enough.

Don't get me wrong, I love that Will and I can kick back on the couch together and watch Who Wants to be a Superhero? and laugh like maniacs (I haven't watched last week's yet, waiting for Will to come home - so don't tell me who was eliminated!) and have an hour-long conversation about our favorite X-Men. But I feel like I didn't get to hold that squirmy baby for long enough. I miss the feeling his of their little heads resting on my shoulder at 4 a.m. when I'd burp them and watch Insomniac Music Theatre on VH-1.

When Will was at the height of his colic bouts, we stayed up and watched Donna Summer's comeback concert on VH-1 (I'm 35, I watch a lot of VH-1). I sang along while he screamed and I just told myself he was singing backup. By the time Donna was belting out her last encore, he was finally asleep and I felt like I had really accomplished something. I had gotten my colicky baby to sleep with no nervous breakdown. (Thanks, Donna!) I stayed up for another hour, just holding him and watching him sleep. His little mouth was half open and his eyelashes dusted his face, they were already so long and lush.

Alex and I would wake up for a little while, and I'd keep him curled in to me while I just sat awake, watching him in the moonlight coming through the window. He'd give a satisfied little sigh and push his head against me, falling back to sleep. Those are the moments we don't have long enough. Maybe that's why I appreciate them so much now.

The End of Summer is Nigh!

Alex is three today. How did that happen? I still remember waddling around Bookspan feeling him beat the tar out of me. And getting together with our friends on Friday nights, only to fall asleep on them by 9.

Mike and I were up last night frosting mini-cupcakes for his party at school this morning. Only thing was, we forgot to mention it to school on Friday so his teacher just called me up and said, "If I had known, I'd have told the parents." I started feeling bad, but he's 3 - and he's got cupcakes. I think we're all good. Plus, do I need more presents than I know he'll be getting? They'll sing, he'll eat cupcakes, life will be good. Because he's three.

Went to Michelle's birthday extravaganza at Barca 18 on Saturday night, which I highly recommend if you like Spanish food and/or tapas. It's on Park Avenue South between 18th & 19th and it really wasn't as expensive a night out as I feared. The food was awesome, the company was great, and I got to sit with David and Robb, which is a pretty good formula for a good evening. I even thought it may be fun for us to consider for the Sex & The City Girls' Night Out that Stacey and I have talked about for four years now.

I can't believe we're almost into September already. Man, time is going by faster than ever. Next thing I know, I'll have to worry about Christmas shopping.

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The bootie from hell!

It looks so unassuming. So cute... but this little sucker is giving me some grey hair. I have followed the instructions to the letter, and yet I keep getting this hole between where I shape the instep and where I continue on with the rest of the bootie. GRRRR!

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Pigeon on the windowsill!

How the heck did it get to be Mid-August?

I'm sitting here scratching my head in wonder. How is it that school is just around the corner(for both me and Will)? I still have half a reading list to get him through! I haven't lost all the weight in time for bathing suit season yet!

But yes, summer is rapidly coming to a close and that means that shorter days and cooler temperatures will be here before we know it. While I love Fall and Winter, the inevitable shortening of the days is sure to bring me down like it always does. I wish I could figure out a way to get past that.

Anyway. I finally finished some knitting projects - you know by now how horrible I am at actually sewing the projects up once they're done - this weekend. I met Karenala for a stitch & bitch at our Starbuck's on Queens Blvd and instead of starting yet another project, I brought stuff I needed to finish before I could move on.

So I finally finished my goddaughter's poncho, which I promised her roughly four months ago. Just in time for Fall, right? And I sewed up the little infant hat I made for Helene's pregnant friend, Helena, in Sweden. (Gab, if you're reading this, surprise! I'll be sending out a package soon!) Now I just have to find the three letters I've written to Helene while I was waiting to finish the projects for Helena. Good lord, I am a mess.

Pictures to come, I just have to pull them off the camera... who says I finally finish what I start?

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Mighty Will at the sprinklers in Russell Sage park.

Awesome, I geeked out and sent a pic from my phone. It's a couple of weeks old, but still cool. Thanks to Stacey for leading me into a new level of geekdom, hee hee.

I'm Back!

I haven't disappeared! I've been on vacation, glorious, vacation. Yes, it was 104 degrees in Virginia and mid-90s in Florida, but so was New York! And I wasn't working, I was in the swimming pool in my Dad's complex or at Busch Gardens. So I'll take it. I'll post more later, but for now... the boys.

Linda nominated this as her favorite picture, and I'm inclined to agree. I don't know what's funnier, the gorilla hanging out in the background (which is why I posed the shot like I did), or the hilarious faces on the boys.

It's root beer, don't call Child Services on me. But I still can't shake the nagging feeling that I'm looking about 15 years into the future...

Alex and Will enjoy a frosty (root beer) one on a hot day. It hit about 100 this day at Williamsburg, down from 104 the previous day.

More later.