Tag Archives: friends

Feb3

TODAY is the best day of my life!

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TODAY is the best day of my life!

Well, maybe you’ve heard that the Superbowl is coming to Indy on Sunday?

It’s just a little football game.

But you know what the BIG news was?  THE TODAY SHOW WAS BROADCASTING FROM DOWNTOWN!

Guys.  I love the Today show.  It’s, like, my favorite.

One of the things on my Bucket List was being in “the crowd” on the Today show.  For serious.  (And now that I’ve written it down I’m kind of embarrassed to admit it.)

So last week when they announced they were broadcasting from Indy this week on Friday – Monday, we were SO in.  In fact, this is how in we were: Joey took the morning off to make this happen for me.  He is a rockstar.

THANKS, JOEY!!!

A couple days ago, Angel’s husband Chang also became a rockstar because HE took the day off so she could come with us!

And that’s how it became a party at my house at 6:00 a.m. this morning.

Should I mention that I was so excited last night that I couldn’t sleep until after 1 am?  So when the alarm went off at 5:30, it felt super lame.  But we got up, we got ready, and we got in the car.

We drove down and parked in one of the garages near the convention center.  I am not going to disclose how much we paid for parking because it was a shameful amount of money, but I know from a Very Reliable Source that the cost for that same garage has increased by $20.00 in the last 4 hours.  I think that makes me feel less bad?

Angel brought her carrier and we loaded Analie up.

Analie was fully dressed in an undershirt, leggings and socks underneath her PJs, was also wearing a hoodie and covered in several blankets.  Oh, and a hat.

Poor girl was so tired and confused.

But she was a champ!  She didn’t fuss at all the entire morning; she just looked around sleepily at everything.  YAY ANA!

We ran upstairs and walked the two or three blocks to the broadcast site, and I think half of Indianapolis had beaten us there!  It was packed with screaming people waving their signs.  We didn’t get very close, but that’s OK.  Just being part of the crowd was so fun.

See that big gray post in the right third of the shot?  And that cute little lady in the white jacket?  That’s ANN CURRY, guys.

We heard buzz in the crowds behind us that Al was going to zipline at 7:30, so since our spot wasn’t very good for watching the broadcast, we moved to see if we could see Al go flying above our heads.

Sure enough, we did!  (That’s him in the top right of the photo.)  He totally looked right at me.

We lined up on the street by the end of the zipline and waited with a small crowd for a few minutes while Al did the weather from up in the tower.

Ana did all the beautiful coloring on that sign herself.  (And she got it all over her foot in the process.)

AND THEN AL ROKER WALKED PAST US.  (Also some IMPD officers.)

After that we decided to walk through Superbowl Village and over to Monument Circle and see the big Superbowl letters.

That’s when we realized how cold it was outside.

And by this point, our Miss decided she’d really rather not be in the carrier for awhile.  She wanted to be able to actually see what was going on.  (She’s too short to see much over the carrier.  Poor thing’s going to be a midget.)

Superbowl Village was OK, I guess.  It probably would have been ten times cooler if things were open.  But it was 7:45 am, and most visitors were probably still having their coffee in their hotel bathrobes at that time of day.

IF they were awake at all.

Analie was getting to the point where she was wondering why SHE was awake.  (We did not pose her like this.  It was hilarious.)

We made it to the Superbowl letters just as the sun was coming up!

And you’re wondering what Angel’s sign says?  Uh…”Chang is the Baby Ninja”.  I was really tired last night when I made it and it was the best thing I could come up with at the time.

After Monument Circle we all realized we were starving.  So we hit up a Panera and got bagels and tried to warm up some.

Have you ever seen a more sleepy pair of eyes in the entire world?  (I even put her to bed at 5:30 last night knowing we’d be getting her up an hour early!)  We’re going to have another early night tonight, I think.

I am so glad we were crazy and got up early to do this.  Sure, you’d need a magnifying glass to find us on TV (we found ourselves!), but just being a part of the spirit of everything was so worth it.  It made me feel like I was part of something in my adopted hometown.

Now I need to feed an early lunch to my exhausted baby girl so I can put her down for an early nap.  Then Angus needs a bath.  You don’t want to know why.

And we’re back to  business as usual.

Nov11

Stream of Consciousness

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Stream of Consciousness

I’m glad we went to DTS

so that Joey could graduate and have

access to their job board which would connect him with

Faith Church in

Indiana

and Jonathan Baker, who is

married to Janna.

One time they invited us over for a spur of the moment dinner of

pizza

which was the best I have ever eaten, outside of

Coal Vines in Dallas;

GO EAT THEIR MARGHERITA PIZZA NOW IF YOU LIVE WITHIN A 45 MILES RADIUS.

But back to Janna’s pizza, today she

gave me the recipe:

I made it

and behold, it was good.

Oct14

APPLES.

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APPLES.

It’s no secret that Analie loves apples.

In fact, we have to hide them if we’re eating them and she’s around, because she starts flapping her arms as though that will enable her to fly up to the apple, steal it from our hands and put it in her face.

We used to let her gnaw on the apples we were eating, until she figured out that her teeth are excellent at peeling off large, choking-hazard pieces of apple that get lodged in her trachea.  So she’s cut off from sharing our apples, we just bite her off teeny pieces now.  Fortunately that’s usually enough to send her over the moon.

Well, some of Analie’s favorite big kids picked her some apples.  When I showed them to her this morning, she immediately started growling her intimidating MOM PLEASE GIVE ME THAT OBJECT RIGHT AWAY!!!!! growl and flapping her arms like a chicken.

But chickens can’t fly, and neither can Analie.  So I gave her a whole apple to roll around on the floor while I cut her up some tiny pieces for her to feed herself.

She put it straight in her mouth, just like the big people do.

I gave her a few tiny bits of apple to eat, and then planned to turn the rest into applesauce.  She was all about the apple pieces, because these were particularly tasty apples.

She had no less than six apple pieces in her mouth at the time of this photo.  And she stored them in her cheek for safekeeping for about twenty minutes after.

It didn’t take long to make the applesauce, either, and it turned out REALLY good.  Fresh picked apples make all the difference.  I gave her a few more bites and her eyes got very big each time.  So cute.

Analie wanted me to be sure to tell Lauren and Sydney THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR MY TASTY APPLES!!!  She loved them with all her heart.

Oct6

Woozy

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Woozy

Yesterday I had a colonoscopy. First one ever, definitely not the last. Yay for polyps.

Miralax party in my colon!

Anyway, poor Angel got the odious task of picking me up from the hospital while Joey stayed at home with Analie while she slept.

I don’t actually remember any of this, but apparently I was all, WE SHOULD BECOME DRUGGIES, ANGEL!!!

Fortunately Angel’s cooler, non-drugged head prevailed and she took me to her house instead of dropping me off by the river, or wherever it is that you buy drugs these days.

She did take a picture of me, though.

And I really did need a babysitter after the procedure, I got confused by the chocolate shake Joey brought me and threw it away….somewhere?…I think? (Dude. I hope it’s really in Angel’s trash.)

I guess I wasn’t expecting it to taste like chocolate, or something.

And, Angel tells me, I was also feeding Analie french fries.  She said she tried to stop me, but I was all “look, Analie likes french fries!”  I can neither confirm nor deny whether or not Analie likes french fries, because I don’t remember doing it.

Whatever they give you when you have a colonoscopy is pretty potent, that’s all I have to say.

Sep18

Quarterback

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Quarterback

Tonight we met our friends Jonathan and Janna for a walk on the Monon and some ice cream at Brics.  It was perfect weather and being outside was almost more of a treat than the ice cream was.  But we forgot to bring Analie some food, so the entire time she sat there on our laps with her mouth open, trying to dive after the spoons that were going into our months.

It was 80% hilarious. Poor kid knew she was missing out on something.

Anyway, after we finished licking our spoons, the 8 of us headed down the canal to look at geese and ducks.

As we walked, Janna’s phone beeped and she glanced at it, gasped said “OH NO!” My heart totally froze because it was the kind of “OH NO” that’s usually reserved for, like, when you find out your uncle got hit in the leg by some friendly fire while shooting clay pigeons with his buddies and he’s on his way to the hospital.

But Janna slipped her phone back in her purse and said it wasn’t that important, and here I am thinking her uncle’s bleeding all over the ambulance and JANNA DOESN’T EVEN CARE.

It was then that I began learning many important things, beginning with the following:

1.) Our youth staff at church have a fantasy football league.  I really had no idea what those were until tonight. Now I sort of do.

2.) Some football guy had hurt himself.  So Janna’s uncles are all fine.  (Whew.)  But her football team is not.

Janna, then, tried to explain fantasy football to me – which is not a task for the faint of heart.  Joey tries every Superbowl to tell me what’s going on and every year I forget.  Admittedly, I don’t try very hard. To me, football is this:

runrunrunPILE.  runrunrunPILE.  runrunrunPILE.  GOOOOOOOOOOOAL!  (Or is it Touchdown?)

So Janna was telling me about this guy, Reggie White, and all of a sudden I got super confused.  And I said, “So…wait a minute, are the Colts a basketball team?”  Because I was getting Reggie White mixed up with Reggie Miller, who I am pretty sure used to play for the Pacers.  (Or maybe he still does?)

But as soon as I opened my mouth I knew I had made a grave a mistake, because HELLOOOOOOOO the Colts are FOOTBALL, IDIOT.

So by this point it was pretty obvious that Sports Fan I Am Not.  I was relating this conversation to Joey as we walked back to our car, and telling him I think it’s weird that the Colts can’t seem to play without Peyton Manning (had to look up how to spell his name on the Internet) so Joey was trying to explain to me how Quarterbacks are important.

“The coach is like the Senior Pastor,” he said, “And the quarterback is like the youth pastor.  The coach sets the vision and the quarterback has to make it happen.”

I still wasn’t getting it.

Maybe it’s just a lost cause.

We were just about back to our car when I asked, “OK, so then why are they called Quarterbacks?  Can they only run on a quarter of the field or something?”

“No,” said Joey, “It’s because they have to be able to pinch a quarter between their backside to make sure they’re strong enough to do all that running.”

Internet.  I wish I hadn’t believed him.  BECAUSE I TOTALLY DID.

I slowed in my walking, trying to think back to how long football had been going on, and when Quarterbacks were probably invented, and then how with the advent of HDTV the hinds of football players get all up in the camera’s business and look waaaaaaaay too large and in charge — it freaks me out.   (jibblyjibbly)

Joey glanced over, noticed that I actually believed him, and started laughing at me.  Total mockery style.

So, I still don’t know why Quarterbacks are called Quarterbacks.  But I DO know that it has nothing to do with quarters and their bums, JOEY.

Anyone else know?

 

 

Aug29

A Rough Morning

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A Rough Morning

Henry died last night.  I am not intending to make a big post about What Happened, because I don’t really feel like reliving it, so that’s really all I’m going to say about it.  Unfortunately, what was a fantastic birthday had a really horrible ending, but I am thankful I can separate the two events in my memory.  Anyway, some very good friends came over and helped us bury our buddy before we went to bed and then it was IM-POSS-I-BLE to fall asleep.  We finally dozed off about midnight, but every hour and a half or so one of us would wake up and then of course the other would too.  (Does this happen to anyone else?  Wake up the moment your spouse’s eyes pop open?  We’ve been doing that for about 3 years now and it totally creeps me out.)

And to make matters worse, Analie woke up an hour early again this morning.  So we’ve been dragging around like zombies AND my eyes are still swollen twice their normal size so it’s super hard to see. As in, I may actually wear my glasses today.

Anyway, neither of us really felt like doing much awesome parenting this morning.  Joey let me lay in bed for awhile and he got up with Analie first, and when I finally wandered out he had his favorite movie on (Bourne Ultimatum) and he and Analie were contentedly watching it.  Well, she was beating the brains out of her spinning bird and he was watching the movie.

After we fed her solids, she was having so much fun beating her high chair tray that I decided to give her a bit of prunes to smear around.  Because it was easy and she could play with it without much energy expended on my part.  She’d been up for almost 2 hours, and by this point of the morning we usually use Henry as our entertainment because the more tired she was the more HILARIOUS she found him.

The prunes will have to suffice going forward, I guess.  She liked them OK too, although she was pretty intense about it, and I’m pretty sure playing with your food is supposed to be fun.

I miss you, Henry.

Even though you smelled.

I keep expecting you to be in your chair looking lazy.

Bye, Buddy.

Jul26

A Culinary Tour Inside My Mouth

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A Culinary Tour Inside My Mouth

Today, I ate jellyfish.  It had a surprisingly cool flavor, which I liked, but I have to say that jellyfish is extremely hard to chew.

I also ate sliced up pigs ear in red chile oil.  The spice was nice (RHYME!) but again with the problem of it being difficult to chew.  Very difficult to chew.

Then, since I was kind of on a roll, I ate some bitter melon.  It made my face squish up and my tongue feel weird.  I tried four pieces.

Right now, I am experiencing technical difficulties in my intestinal tract.  I think that is all you want to know.

Jul22

A new computer that’s just her size

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A new computer that’s just her size

When Joey’s laptop was stolen, what, two months ago? we spent about a week trying to figure out the wisest, most cost-effective way to replace it.  Back in Dallas a couple years ago, he had bought me a MacBook Pro that I have basically been using as a desktop at home. I don’t just up and run around places like I used to, and I don’t sit in coffee shops and write anymore, either.

I told Joey he could have my computer because I don’t need a laptop anymore.  But…that would leave us without a home computer, and I didn’t really want to be all alone at home with no landline, no TV, no computer.  It didn’t seem safe.  WHAT IF MY CELL PHONE STOPPED WORKING.  Who would find me?!

So we decided to get an inexpensive desktop and shuffle the laptop down to Joey.  It’s surprisingly powerful, for being two years old.  (And I think he’s going to padlock this one to his desk.)

Joey began doing the research on the best time to buy the desktop unit, and after waiting because all the Mac Rumor websites told us to, yesterday was finally, FINALLY, FINALLY! the day.  The upgrades on the model we want had just come out, AND they had dropped in price.  WINNING!

We are so thankful to those who were generous to us.  We love our new church family, it has become a home for us quickly and we have never had a doubt that this is exactly where God wants us.

It’s wonderful to be in that place, isn’t it?

Hmm.  Before I go getting too schmaltzy, the MacMini is telling me she’s hungry so I’d better feed her.  Before she eats the box.

Jul20

I Need To Update The Blogroll With YOUR BLOG

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I Need To Update The Blogroll With YOUR BLOG

So, we’ve lived in Indy an entire year.

Our daughter is 3/4 Hoosier.

Joey has injuries on just about 100% of his body since the move.

I have made a bajillion new friends. (I’m talking to YOU!)

My blogroll is unacceptably out of date.  Today I shall update it.  Or maybe some today and some tomorrow, since I have to reorganize my fridge later today.  (Hey, new friends, anybody have a Dymo labeler I can borrow?  I want to get all up in my refrigerator shelves’ business and slap some labels all up ons.)

Want to be in the ‘roll?

COMMENT!  OR EMAIL!  I WILL SHOW YOU SOME LOVE!

Jul6

This Is About The Time I Crushed Up 13 Boxes Of Black Snakes And Lit Them On Fire

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This Is About The Time I Crushed Up 13 Boxes Of Black Snakes And Lit Them On Fire

Did you grow up doing Black Snakes on the Fourth of July?

I totally did.

I think they’re amazing.  Joey thinks they’re super lame.  (Sometimes I think JOEY is super lame.  I told him this in the fireworks store when he was making fun of me for freaking out about the black snakes, so don’t worry.  He knows.  And he’s cool with it.)

Anyway, I happened to be talking to The Brother about a totally different topic on Sunday afternoon, and he suggested that I try something one of his compatriots grew up doing.  Smash up 10 boxes worth of black snakes and put them in a coffee can and light it on fire.

Um, YES PLEASE.

So yesterday, I bought 13 boxes because they were on sale for super cheap.

And we don’t buy coffee that comes in cans so I used a diced tomato can, which is a little smaller and I figured would intensify whatever happened with the crushed snake powder.

I put the 78 Black Snake pellets into a freezer baggie (for extra durability) and took them out to the driveway and crushed them up very good by walking on them.  It’s the one time in my life that I have found it convenient that I weigh over 100 libs.

Then, I went inside and informed Joey how many snakes I had bought.  I didn’t think he would care about my experiment so I’d planned to do it while he was at work because:

a.) he had told me black snakes were stupid

and, b.) he had told me black snakes were stupid.

I didn’t figure he’d want to waste his time on watching something stupid.  HOWEVER.  When I informed him how many snakes I’d bought, he was all, “Wow, that sounds really stupid.  Uhhhhh, you’d better wait until I get home to do it.”

Yeah.  He obviously think it’s really stupid.

(How many times can I use the word “stupid” in a blog post?  LOTS!  and LOTS!)

I also invited Angel to come over, because she had seemed skeptical that I’d really try this and she kept being the voice of caution, suggesting I could blow and arm or eyeball off.  (That’s obviously why we moved so close to a hospital.  Safety first.)  At 6:00 yesterday evening, conditions were right to light my can of smashed up snakes on fire.

It was my favorite.

Angel’s commentary in the background was totally worth the $3.00 I spent on the snakes.  It’s pretty much the 2nd best part of the video (hi Angel!), a close second only to the erupting mound of flaming snake.

And of course we had to destroy the flaming mound of, um, Black Snake after its fire was extinguished.