Yutopia

Dial 1, Pass It On

2010-10-02T08:11:00.004-05:00

When I moved back to Minneapolis, I got a new cell phone number. The prefix for my number is also an area code used in Northern Minnesota. Not a day goes by that I don't get someone calling me from the area code that I'm actually in trying to reach someone up north. Most of these conversations go like this:

Caller: Is Sally there?
Me: No, you've got the wrong number.
Caller: Is this xxx-xxx-xxxx?
Me: No, you need to dial one first.
Caller: Oh, okay. Thanks.

No big deal, most callers are appreciative of the tip on dialing one. But then there are the others who insist they dialed the correct number. As if somehow I've absconded with the cell phone of the person they are trying to reach. But I'll save that rant for another blog. Oh, wait, I already did.

In any case, I blame cell phones. Ever since people got free long distance with their cellular plans, they seem to have forgotten that you still need to dial 1 before making a long distance call. So dial 1 people, dial 1. And pass it on for Pete's sake. Which makes me wonder, does anyone know the deal with the Pete who is at the root of that phrase? Why don't we say "for Sally's sake" for example?

The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

2010-09-30T10:37:00.008-05:00

Around 2am this morning I was up for a feeding with my son. In order to keep myself awake for these middle of the night feeds I usually turn on the TV, but my husband has been objecting lately. So instead I make him talk to me. I know that sounds kind of rough, but given the alternative is me almost falling off the bed with my son in my hands, I think hubbie will survive just fine. Besides, I think he secretly enjoys these late night convos.

We were talking about someone, who shall remain nameless in this post for 2 reasons. One) I don't think I was saying something particularly nice, and two), I honestly don't remember what the context of the conversation was. It was, afterall, 2am.

I found myself saying something like "thinks they're the best thing since...". I know the saying goes "best thing since sliced bread," but it got me thinking right there in mid-sentence. Do you know how many completely cool, amazing things have been invested since sliced freaking bread? According to wikipedia that was way back in 1928.

My favorites? DVR, smart phones and the Internet. DVR has completely changed my TV watching life and I don't think I can go back. I can't. I won't. Being able to look up things such as "when was sliced bread invented" with one hand using an iphone while I feed my son at 2am is too cool.

Digital cameras. No more paying $7 for a roll of film that has 20 pictures that are out of focus with chopped heads. Preview, delete, and print. Gotta love it.

And those are just in the tech arena. Food wise? Chipotle. I never did meet a Chipotle burrito, taco or bowl I didn't like. Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream? Whoever thought of putting brownies in ice cream deserves a special place in heaven. Bravo, Ben! Well done, Jerry!

Coffee shops. Now I know you could probably go into a diner and get a cup of coffee back in the day, but the latter part of the 20th century took it to another level. Though I haven't gotten to do it in a long time (say since my kids were born), I so used to love being able to buy a cup of coffee and sitting down for 2 hours at a Starbucks reading or just hanging out with a friend. My personal favorite would be the Espresso Royale Cafe in Dinkytown (either location).

Flat irons. As someone with naturally frizzy hair, I do love my flat iron, especially with ceramic plates.

So needless to say, there have been some pretty awesome inventions since sliced bread. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against it. I do love me some PB&J every now and then. I'm just thinking, the next time I want to talk about something being the best thing since xyz, I might choose from a whole list of advances to pick from.

Regrets? I've had a few...

2010-09-19T18:51:00.005-05:00

When asked if you have any regrets, the popular response seems to be some variation of "I have none. Every decision and mistake I've made has helped shape me into the person I am today."

I get it and to some degree, I agree. I've made my mistakes and some of them have certainly been character building. I love the saying "good judgement comes from experience; experience comes from bad judgement." So, I understand where it comes from.

But no regrets whatsoever? I beg to differ.

That extra half slice of pizza I might have on a Friday night dinner? I regret it the next morning, as do my thighs.

Not sleeping in a whole heck of a lot more before I had kids? I regret it.

My biggest financial regret thus far has been in buying a house in California in 2005. BIG mistake. We made a big down payment, have never missed or was late on a single payment, and yet we are so screwed. Do I regret it? Absolutely.

I think about my regrets sometimes and run through them in my head repeatedly, wishing I could go back in time. Some require just a single second of thought to change. ONE second. Shouldn't we all be entitled to a couple of do overs in our lifetime?

So having a few regrets and owning the fact that I have them, makes me wonder when making a big decision. Will I regret this? Will I regret not doing this? I guess only time will tell, but this much is for sure: if I regret my actions, I will probably call it a regret, not a "character building karmic accident", not that there's anything wrong with that. If that works for you, more power to you. Call me crazy, but I think having some regrets is a good thing. The lyrics to one of my currently favorite songs goes "to never regret means you have to forget, and I don't think that could." That sums it up much better than I ever could and it sort of rhymes. Nice one, Weepies, nice one.

Are We There Yet?

2010-09-15T22:32:00.006-05:00

Today was the day I bought my first tube of anti-wrinkle cream. I told myself it was more of a pro-active, preventive measure, but seriously? Apparently, we are so there.

The items in my Target shopping cart today included the anti-wrinkle cream, something called "butt paste" (for my 4 month old, not me, thank you very much), and decaff coffee. Who is this person?? If it weren't for those familiar onset wrinkles, I'd hardly recognize myself.

Beverly Hills 90210

2010-08-17T21:34:00.004-05:00

While on maternity leave, I began to DVR reruns of Beverly Hills 90210 on the Soap channel. I needed something to get me through those 3am feedings that last an hour. House and 90210 did the trick.

This is the classic 90210, mind you, the original. No 21st century fancy zip code show for this girl.

Two episodes every day. You can get through almost an entire season in just 2 weeks. God bless the man (or woman) who invented DVR! I could go on and on about how much I love it, but I'll save that for another blog.

I am loving the reruns, but man, oh man, how my perspective has changed. In my 11 year old head, Brandon was the perfect friend/son/brother/student. He was the all around good guy who always did the right thing.

Now? I think he's a pompous, arrogant ass. First of all, who the hell calls their parents by their first names? Jim and Cindy, my arse. Second, the guy was such a freaking know it all! So PC, so diplomatic, and yet so freaking annoying.

Then there's Brenda. Will the whining ever cease? Enough said.

And the absolute most annoying, can't stand her, character, in my humble opinion was: Andrea.

Am I alone in this? I used to think she was the smart girl who was trying to keep up with the cool kids, all the while getting super good grades. But now I'm thinking she's the super defensive, hyper-sensitive, know it all with an ax to grind no matter what the topic. Don't even get me started on the college years. Little miss goodie goodie gets knocked up, then cheats on her husband the first chance she gets.

But even as I'm writing this, I'm realizing something. Any TV show that gets you this worked up about fictional characters is serving its exact purpose pretty darn well. It may not be a believable show, but it sure is entertaining, even 15 years later.

Love Letter

2010-03-03T12:49:00.004-06:00

Dear Coffee,

I miss you so. I long for the day we can reunite like long lost lovers. I hope you know I haven't forgotten about you. Instead I think about each morning as I pass the coffee maker at work, or sometimes when I wake up I discover that I've had a dream about you. A wonderful dream where you are in a cup and there is a nice warm bagel next to the cup. I add half and half and a little bit of sugar, followed by some gentle stirring. You know what happens next.

The baby will be here in less than 3 months now. That is the first major milestone. Then, a few months after that, say 3, we shall meet again.

I miss you.

-Lovi

The Mom Haircut

2010-01-12T15:45:00.006-06:00

A few days after Christmas, I got the itch. No, not a rash. The itch that every girl has to change her hair and try something totally different.

The same thing happened last time I was about 20 weeks pregnant, but then I truly went mad. I had just gotten out of the shower and looked at my long hair and thought, "I can't take this anymore" and grabbed some scissors. I just chopped it off. Not a great idea when you have wet, curly hair and no experience cutting hair.

This time I took a better approach. I scheduled an appointment that very day for a cut and color. She took off at least 10 inches and then colored it to a tone I can only describe as a mix between violet and red. I loved it!

Here's the problem: a few days later as I admired my new hair cut in the mirror, it hit me. I have the "mom haircut." You know what I'm talking about. Short, easy to manage, no frills. There's a good chance you'll see one next time you see a woman get out of her mini-van.

I've decided a few things. One: with a toddler at home and another baby on the way...yes, I am a mom. Two: I'm good with that, even the mom haircut part.

On the plus side I've gotten many compliments on it and no one so far has pointed out that it's a mom-do. Shhhh...it'll be our little secret.

The Best Conversation

2009-12-29T09:11:00.003-06:00

Today I had one of the best conversations of my life...with my 18 month old daughter. I was in the bathroom putting on makeup when I heard the door swing open.

Disclaimer: I found this to be one of the best conversations I've ever had because it is the first time where I realized afterwards...I just had a little conversation with my daughter. There were no great revelations made, no surprise turn of events, nor any secrets revealed, but I don't think I will forget it any time soon. My baby is growing up!

Her: Momma!
Me: Hi, Maxine!
Her: How are you?
Me: I'm good, baby. How are you?
Her: "Goot"
Me: Did you drink your milk?
Her: Yes.
Me: Maxine, I wish I could stay home all day and play with. I don't want to go to work.
Her: Okay.
Me: Can I stay home?
Her: No.
Me: Should I go to work?
Her: No.
Me: What should I do then?
Her: Well....
Me: Where's daddy?
Her: (Points to the bedroom) Right there! (Runs away at this point.)

It's hard to believe this is the same little girl who couldn't lift her own head 18 months ago. Every day brings something new right now.

Does Everything Really Happen For a Reason?

2009-07-23T08:22:00.001-05:00

Does everything really happen for a reason? I know I've found myself proclaiming that it does, but really? The term "everything", after all, is a pretty big umbrella. What about spilling coffee all over your desk? What is the reason for that? How about your shoe laces being untied and having to stop to retie them? What's the big plan behind that?

Nothing, I guess. So let's say "everything" doesn't really mean everything, but instead everything that disappoints, confuses, frustrates, depresses or angers you. Those are usually the things we usually question anyway. No one says "Wow, I found this crisp five dollar bill on the floor! Why, oh why, did this happen to me?"

I'm trying to decide if we say everything happens for a reason to make ourselves feel better, or because it's true. I know there are many instances in my life where I eventually got to a point in a situation where I said to myself "Oh -- now I get it! That's why xyz happened three years ago, because if it didn't, I wouldn't be in situation abc right now. Cool. I'm with you now, all knowing Universe."

But lately, I'm thinking some times, not all the time of course, but some times, things do just happen because they happen. Which, even as I type, I don't like. Thinking everything happens for a reason is a very comforting thought. What's comforting about randomness? I like things nailed down. I'd carry a hammer around with me if I could, just for that very reason. Or would I...?

Random thoughts can be cool. I don't even now how a random number generator works, but how cool is that (I know, I'm letting my inner nerd out). The shuffle feature on your ipod is cool. Who would think Elton John's Sacrifice immediately after Slim Shady would make for good work out music? Not me, but there you go.

Okay, it's not even 8:30am yet and I'm only half way through my coffee. I will not solve this mystery today. In the words of Scarlet O'Hara "after all, tomorrow is another day."

365 Days Ago

2009-06-10T07:28:00.006-05:00

Three hundred and sixty-five days ago my eyes opened suddenly at 6am. A few seconds later, my water broke. After taking a shower, shaving my legs, packing Paul's overnight bag, and calling my boss, we headed for the hospital.

After 15 hours of pitocin, 1 epidural, watching 3 quarters of NBA finals game 3 (Lakers vs Celtics), and 2 and half hours of pushing, my daughter was born just after midnight.

Today, 365 days later, I woke up suddenly at 6am. This time it was to the sound of Maxine crying. My 364 days old daughter was ready for milk, ready to start the day, ready to walk around the living room carrying her favorite toy in hand.

Seriously, what a difference a year makes.

Quote of the Week

2009-04-16T21:02:00.008-05:00

My 4 year old nephew: "Will Maxine be a woman when she grows up?"
Me: "yes."
Him: "That's disgusting."

Self Reflection

2009-04-10T13:01:00.007-05:00

Yesterday I did some self reflection and realized that I have a tendency to start projects with a lot of excitement and due diligence, but to not actually complete them. The excitement dwindles and the due diligence is replaced by procrastination.

Mind you, I don't do this when it really matters. I did get my degree. I did actually have and do take care of my Maxine. Though I often put the ass in quality assurance engineer, I do a pretty good job at work.

It's my personal projects that I falter on.

I've decided 2 things. One, self reflection sucks. Ignorance really is bliss. Two, I've vowed to work on this whole failure to execute deal. I'm excited. I will be diligent in this pursuit.

...or maybe I won't and instead I'll watch reruns of Kathy Griffin: My Life On the D List. That is one good show. Yeah, that sounds so much better than working on myself.

That Damn Juno

2009-04-05T09:50:00.003-05:00

Last night Juno was on TV again. I caught just the last 10 minutes, but of course there I was, standing in the kitchen tearing up like a sap. The scene with Juno laying in the bed and her father saying "you'll be back here some day on your terms", followed by Vanessa seeing her baby for the first time gets me EVERY time.

What is it about that movie?

What is it about so many movies? There is a list of movies that I can watch any time they are on TV. It doesn't matter how many times I've seen them.

Castaway. That might be one of the most perfect movies ever made. Favorite scene is easy. From the moment Tom Hanks shows up at Helen Hunt's house, to the time he drives away. It's perfection. If she doesn't at least want to runaway with him, then you'd think she didn't have a heart. But if she actually did, you'd think she was a terrible mother and wife. So heart wrenching, yet so good.

Something's Gotta Give. Ah, to live on the East Coast, summer in the Hamptons and live the life of a tortured writer. What more could you want?

You've Got Mail. This movie makes me want to pack up and move to NYC. I know, I know, the "real" NYC isn't really like that. But in this movie and in my head it is. I love how they show every season and how life changes year round. How can a Minnesotan not relate to that?

The Lake House. I think I have a girl crush on Sandra Bullock. I absolutely adore her. Love, love, love the soundtrack to this movie. Perfect music for every scene. This is the movie that introduced me to "This Never Happened Before" by Paul McCartney. I think the play count on iTunes shows that I've listened to it over 300 times.

So while I damn Juno for making me cry every single time, and each of these movies for sucking me in over and over again, I can't help but love them.

That's Classy

2009-04-02T14:11:00.004-05:00

Almost 10 months into parenthood I realize I've already got my list of repeated, and I mean REPEATED, sayings. I like to think of them as trinkets of wisdom that my little M gets to hear. Because I'm in a good mood, I will now share my favorite with you:

Books are for reading, not for eating.

M loves her books, but apparently she loves eating them more than anything. Hats off to her for resisting the temptation as I'm actually reading them to her. She's polite enough to wait until I'm done. She is nothing if not classy.

The Distant Wagon

2009-03-21T10:13:00.003-05:00

It's official: I fell off the wagon. Actually, it's more like I jumped off it. After 3 weeks of working out, I pretty much stopped altogether.

There's an easy solution. I just need more hours in the day. Four would be fantastic. I'd use 1 to work out. Two more to spend with my hubby and baby. And the last for an additional oh so needed extra hour of sleep.

On second thought I'd use half of that last hour to finish extra chores around the house. An extra half hour of sleep would be just fine.

As for those last 5 baby pounds, I've resorted to Lean Cuisines and Smart Ones. I was pleasantly surprised to see they've added more vegetarian options instead of the token 1-2 I'm used to seeing.

So the wagon has gone on without me...it's sort of a dot in the horizon now. Maybe I'll jump back on again sometime, but for now it remains in the distance.

Vishnu, Take the Elliptical?

2009-02-23T16:30:00.007-06:00

Last Friday I went back to gym and as I was stretching, I realized I hadn't been to a gym in nearly 2 years. That was when I got mono and my doc said to lay off the exercise. I have never followed doctor's instructions like I did then. Ah, the memories. Naps on the couch, doing nothing after work, feeling perfectly OK about doing nothing but watching TV and sleeping. I'm feeling a song coming on...memories, like the colors of my mind...

But I digress. After a little stretching I got on the elliptical and here's the short version of my inner monologue:

Minutes 1-2: "Man, this feels great! Why did I ever stop working out?"

Minutes 3-4: "Okay, no need to start with level 3...lets cut back to level 1."

Around 5 minutes the "Jesus, take the wheel" song comes on the radio.

Minutes 5-10: "Jesus, take the elliptical! I can't do this! I hate working out. I'm OK with my extra 10 pounds....wait, I'm Hindu...Vishnu...please take the elliptical, please!"

Eventually I get into the groove and do not loose a lung in the process. Once I'm done, I see that I've burned about 200 calories in 30 minutes. My new mantra? A calorie not eaten, is a calorie burned. I will remember that the next time I'm craving some chocolate.

It's Monday now and I'm surprised to say that, yes, I did go back to the gym. We'll see how long it lasts....

Wrong Number Etiquette

2009-02-02T19:01:00.002-06:00

In May I got a new cell phone number and from day one the wrong phone number calls began and continue to this day. I get at least 2 or 3 every day and often just let them go to voice mail. But one day the voice mail left was from an elementary school where some kid was sick and needed his mom to come pick him up. I felt bad that I hadn't picked up and there was no number to call back, so then I started picking them up again.

This brings me to my point. If you call someone and suspect that you've dialed the wrong number, please do not try to figure it out by asking (rudely I might add) "who's this?" Identify yourself first and/or state who you're looking for. Don't call me and demand to know who it is. If you do, you'll get a equally rude "who's this" back. Enough said.

What Recession?

2009-02-02T18:52:00.002-06:00

Over the weekend we went The Olive Garden for dinner where we were told it was a 45 minute wait for 5 people. Every chair was taken in the waiting area and the only place we could find to even stand was right in front of the doors. By the time we got our table the wait for 2 people was 50-55 minutes.

Call me a crazy optimist, but I'm taking this as a sign that maybe, just maybe, the corner is coming up soon. That or we still don't know how to manage our budgets. Either way, the food was good!

Jeopardy

2009-01-29T19:08:00.002-06:00

I've decided I'm sort of on a quest of trying out for games shows. I auditioned in person for Deal or No Deal in California last year. I thought I had a decent shot as I made it to round 3, but no deal (pun intended).

Yesterday I took the Jeopardy! online audition and well....

Lets just say if the answer was "this gal did miserably on her online Jeopardy audition", the question would be "Who is Lovi?"

I'm exaggerating, but only by a bit. I got some questions right for sure -- this girl knows her pop culture (i.e. celebrity relationships, movies, TV, music, etc.), but man oh man, this girl does NOT know her royal history nor geology nor biology, among a whole host of other categories.

There is no pass/fail status at the end. You just know you did well if you get an invitation to audition in person. I am not expecting said invitation, but it was fun to try it. Who Wants to be a Millionaire is next!

I'm Going To Say It: Grey's Part II

2009-01-24T12:06:00.003-06:00

It's back and it makes sense again! There, I said it.

Just when you think this show's going down hill, they pull you back in! Now that we know there's a good reason for Denny's return, the whole sex with a ghost thing seems much more forgivable (although I'm still creeped out by Izzie's love scenes).

The last 3 episodes rocked and I'm happily dvr'ing and watching it again (at the same time, just in case I miss something).

Coming Home

2009-01-23T09:28:00.001-06:00

When Paul comes home from work the look on Maxine’s face is simple: delight. She smiles, lets of shrieks of excitement and stretches her arms out waiting for Paul to take her. Paul takes off his jacket, washes his hands and holds Maxine. They smile each other and Paul asks her how her day was and what she did. He tells her he missed her and she grunts and coos back (right now it’s all about saying “mmm, mmm”).

When I come home from work the look on Maxine’s face is also simple: where have you been?

I love that girl.

Nantonym

2009-01-23T09:17:00.001-06:00

As I was brushing my teeth this morning I wondering, why didn’t they make the opposite of antonym “nanotonym” as in “not antonym”, instead of synonym? I looked it up on dictionary.com and I suppose the way they did it makes sense. The suffix “nym” means word; “ant” is short for “anti” which is Greek for opposite; and “syn” is Greek for same. So, fine, it makes sense, but I stand by my thought that nantonym would be more fun to say.

Big Butt Kisser?

2009-01-10T20:44:00.004-06:00

My favorite song at the moment is "Live Your Life" by TI and Rihanna. Though I have to admit I have probably never been more wrong about a set of lyrics every before...especially the chorus.

I swear I thought she was saying:

Just live your life
aya aya aya
No telling where it'll take ya
Just live your life
aya aya aya
Cause I'm a big butt kisser

But the more I listened, the more I thought "this can't possibly be right". To Google I headed and pretty quickly learned she was saying "cause I'm a paper chaser" which made a lot more sense. I'm happy to report I am now singing the right lyrics as I'm stuck on 35W.

I have to wonder, am I the only one that heard these lyrics so far off? This is even worse than the time I thought Natalie Merchant was saying "I must be Wanda the Wonder, God's own creation".

Post Holiday Blues

2009-01-05T15:11:00.005-06:00

Well, it's official. The holidays are over. Technically they are 3, but I would count them more as six:

Thanksgiving, the day after, Christmas eve, Christmas day, the day after, and New Year's eve.

Paul has said to me more than a few times that it's going too fast, especially as we put our tree away this past weekend. I can't say I really felt it, but now, as I look at the date on my computer and see 1/5/2009, I realize, yes, it did go so fast.

At first it made me a little sad. I wish I had more time off. I wish I could spend more days with Maxine. I wish there was another excuse to eat cookies. I wish there was another dinner party to attend or another evening of everyone jamming into our kitchen for food and loud conversation. I wish I could be here more often to put Maxine down for her early afternoon and late afternoon naps.

Then I realized my "I wish" list could be endless if I let it be.

So instead I'm going to try to focus on the "I'm glad" list.

I'm glad I have a job, period. There are probably a lot of people out there who wish they did. I'm glad I had a nice, long vacation even though it's over. It was great while it lasted. I'm glad that while I can't be here to put Maxine down for all her naps, that she is in the loving arms of my mom and dad instead. I'm glad for my waistline that there are no more cookie excuses. I'm glad (and surprised) that I didn't actually gain any holiday weight.

So I'm done with post holiday blues. I'm hoping to be revved up for a new year and getting back to work, but one step at a time. It's only January 5th, right?

Lots of Pots

2008-12-31T17:23:00.002-06:00

Today I put Maxine's favorite new toy (a soft cloth jingle ball) a few feet away from her and as expected she started crawling towards it. A few feet past the ball was one of the new books her cousins sent her for Christmas. It's a Winnie the Pooh book called Lots of Pots. I've read this book to Maxine at least 10 times in the last few days and she really seems to enjoy it.

Turned out that although she loves her jingle ball, she went strait for the book. Even more surprising was that she took the book her in her hands and tapped it a few times. Then she looked strait at me with a sort of sad face. Of course I went over and read it to her (3 times). Three more times she picked the book over the ball.

I can't tell you how happy this made me. We started reading to her at 3 months and she's gradually shown more and more interest. I hope to read to her every day and hopefully plant the seeds of a favorite pass time.

Though I'm thrilled she likes to be read to, I sort of wish she'd like some of the other books we've read to her and not just the one. Don't get me wrong. Lots of Pots is a literary jewel in it of itself (lines like "red paint, blue paint, lots of red and blue paint" are hard to come by), but He Bear, She Bear; Green Eggs and Ham; and If You Give a Mouse a Cookie aren't bad either.

But either way, I'll say this. If she's hooked on one book I'm glad it's Lots of Pots and not Lots of Pot. That would be a whole different kind of book and one I probably wouldn't be thrilled about it.