One of my favorite things

I did one of my favorite things today. I mowed the lawn. No really, I’m serious. I love doing it. In fact, Bill actually likes to do it too. I’m not kidding. Sometimes we even fight over who gets to do it. Don't laugh. Really.

I’m an instant-gratification kind of person. I like symmetrical, even things. I like to do mindless tasks to achieve relaxation. I like to work outside. I don’t mind the feeling of dirt under my fingernails. I love the feelings of sun and wind. I like the challenge of getting all the mower tracks to be perfectly straight - even around the trees. It's a bit obsessive, I know. But, this is a perfect job for me. This, or bridge construction, I guess. So, when all I need to do is walk back and forth in my yard to achieve straight, even lines instantly, can “zone out” while doing it, and even get a little tan – I’m thrilled!

I’m pretty sure as a kid, mowing lawn was not one of my favorite things. I remember just praying to God that it would be a day that I was working or had other plans when mom decided it was lawn-mowing day. From my recollections, I didn’t luck out all that often. And these were the days before my dad bought a riding mower…and we had a really big lawn. Our yard is pretty big now, and we still don’t own a riding mower. I think a riding mower would take some of the relaxation out of it for me…I’d be too afraid of tipping it over, rolling down the hill and landing in the middle of Frankfort Pkwy.

So, I'm not sure what has brought on my love for mowing. Owning my own house? Getting older? Trying to incorportate more activity into my daily life? Who knows, I may even develop a love for picking weeds one of these days.

And just in case your wondering...no, I’m not for hire.




(note the extremely gratifying, straight, symmetrical lines...)

Another PSA

I came home from work several days ago and Maddie asked me, “So, Mom - how was your day? Did you have anything stupid or unfortunate at the hospital?” It took me a few seconds as I summarized my patient list in my head. (Drunk car crash. 15 yr old riding an ATV without helmet. Unhelmeted motorcyclist who will probably die. Poor little old lady who fell off the toilet. Drunk guy attempting to climb a tree….)

I replied, “Mmmm, yep – I had both today.”

So, as our trauma patient census seems to be directly proportionate to the nice warm temperatures, I think it’s time for another public service announcement from yours truly.
1) Wear your seatbelt. Duh…
2) Wear a helmet. Doesn’t matter if it’s a bike, motorcycle or ATV. You kinda like your face and brain, don’t you?
3) Don’t drink and try to drive anything. Nope, not even a bicycle
4) Don’t hang out with people who carry around guns.
5) Don’t dive unless you know how deep the water is.
6) Don’t climb trees, houses or watertowers if you’re drunk or high.

Be safe!!

100 Movie Meme

Here is a list of the 100 greatest movies of all time. (according to who??)
Bold the movies that you have seen.
Italics those you have seen more than once.

The Godfather (1972) Not yet...but it's on my "list"
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
The Godfather: Part II (1974)
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) love them all!!
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Schindler's List (1993)
Shichinin no samurai (1954)
Casablanca (1942)
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Star Wars (1977) Remember collecting all the glasses from McDonalds?
Citizen Kane (1941)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) ...and the action figures?
Rear Window (1954)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Pulp Fiction (1994) What do they call a quarter pounder with cheese in Paris?
Usual Suspects, The (1995) So...who is Kaiser Soeze?
Memento (2000) great movie!
North by Northwest (1959)
12 Angry Men (1957)
Buono, il brutto, il cattivo, Il (1966)
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Psycho (1960)
Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Le (2001)
The Silence of the Lambs (1991) Closer, please. Clo-ser Clarice...
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Goodfellas (1990)
American Beauty (1999)
Sunset Blvd. (1950)
Vertigo (1958)
The Matrix (1999) I've seen this so many times...and I still don't really get it...
Cidade de Deus (2002)
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) and I loved the book.
C'era una volta il West (1968)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
The Pianist (2002)
The Third Man (1949)
Paths of Glory (1957)
Taxi Driver (1976)
Fight Club (1999) One of Billy's favorites
Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001)
Some Like It Hot (1959)
Double Indemnity (1944)
Das Boot (1981)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
Chinatown (1974)
L.A. Confidential (1997)
Maltese Falcon, The (1941)
Requiem for a Dream (2000)
All About Eve (1950)
M (1931)
Bridge on the River Kwai, The (1957)
Se7en (1995) Don't look in the box, Brad!!
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
Saving Private Ryan (1998) I think I held my breath for the entire 7 minute beginning
Rashômon (1950)
Raging Bull (1980)
The Wizard of Oz (1939) scared the crap out of me as a kid
Alien (1979)
American History X (1998)
The Sting (1973)
Léon (1994)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
The Manchurian Candidate (1962) I saw the remake with Denzel - bad...
Vita è bella, La (1997)
Touch of Evil (1958)
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
Finding Nemo (2003) gotta love it...
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Reservoir Dogs (1992) I think this is the movie with the really disturbing ear thing at the beginning...
Great Escape, The (1963)
Modern Times (1936)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Amadeus (1984) Remember "Rock Me Amadeus"?
On the Waterfront (1954)
Ran (1985)
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
Annie Hall (1977)
Wo hu cang long (2000)
Jaws (1975)
The Apartment (1960)
Braveheart (1995)
High Noon (1952)
Aliens (1986)
Fargo (1996) We Minnesotan's don't really talk like that...do we?
Strangers on a Train (1951)
The Shining (1980)
Metropolis (1927)
Blade Runner (1982)
The Sixth Sense (1999) I had to watch it twice so it all made sense
City Lights (1931)
Donnie Darko (2001) weird, weird, weird
Duck Soup (1933)
The Great Dictator (1940)
The General (1927)
Det Sjunde inseglet (1957)
The Princess Bride (1987)
Dogville (2003)

Odds and Ends

Hi all…I’m back! It’s been crazy busy around here. You know…soccer, baseball, soccer, swimming, work, soccer, shopping, varnishing, soccer, soduku addiction, work, soccer. You get the idea. It’s been so crazy that I haven’t even read my book club book for Friday and I’m 3 weeks behind on my ER and Grey’s Anatomy shows.


Anyway, here’s a brief review of what we’ve been doing:


We enjoyed a night out with Brian and Nicole a couple weeks ago. After going through the Bob Dylan exhibit at the Weisman Art Museum on the U of M campus, we had a great dinner downtown at Solera. For those of you who don’t know, it’s a tapas restaurant. No, not topless. Tapas. Get your mind out of the gutter. It means “wide variety of small appetizers in Spanish cuisine”. Nicole and I really liked it. The guys – not so much. By the time I remembered I had my camera, we were on the desserts. Here is Brian with his “mini-malt”.

We had a farewell party for one of the girls I work with at Buca DiPepo. As always, lots of food, wine and fun. This is our whole little trauma department - what a great group!

As much a I love this restaurant, it’s never been as great as the first time I went there. What I remember most is drinking bottles of chianti outside while waiting to be seated, the huge candelabra, and singing “Cecelia” in the middle of dinner. (God, we must have been the most annoying group of people to sit next to… Who remembers that?...)

Since Will got his loft bed, it seems that Maddie is always in search of something new and exciting in regards to her sleeping arrangements. The latest has been her closet floor.

Brian, Finn, and our friends Victor and Melanie joined us for dinner last weekend. It was another fun night at the Gallagher house, complete with kite-flying, light-saber-dueling, crazy-hair-styling, and leg wrestling. Don’t ask.



...and that was followed by a fun morning at the park:

We even pretended like we still knew how to shoot hoops. It was really a sad, sad site. What started off as a game of "HORSE", had to be shortened to "PIG" since it was taking forever. I can't help but hum the Springsteen song "Glory Days" as I'm typing...

All the neighbor kids have recently acquired Tamagotchi’s. I’m still not quite sure what it is. To the naïve adult eye, it looks like a little cute computer pet that beeps a lot. Here, you’ll see Will and Cole engaging in some strenuous outdoor activity.

My mom

Today marks the 5th anniversary of losing my mom, Karen Dais (1947-2002). She died after a nearly three year battle with inflammatory breast cancer. Not a day goes by that I don’t feel her absence. And not a day goes by that I’m not reminded and inspired by her strength, courage and wisdom.

For me, losing my mom was like losing an absolute constant in life. A constant that started me out in the world and guided me through it. She was a constant that loved me more than anyone, for longer than anyone, and would do anything for me. And when I look at my own kids, I’m reassured of that. I know I am lucky to have had her in my life for 31 years – and believe me, I think of it often and feel thankful for those years. But losing my “constant”, has shifted my world a bit.

I know the grieving process pretty well and I feel that I’ve moved through it as well as any functional, normal person. Not that it ever ends; I think you just keep moving through it. Most days, I just miss her without any physical heartache at all. There are also times that it feels like a dull pain that can be easily soothed by great memories or by happiness and laughter currently in my life. As time goes by, there still remain rare moments that actually take my breath away…those in which I find myself stifling a sob…or a scream. Sometimes not really knowing which.

I thought today might be one of those. But it’s not. This morning I woke up with my wonderful husband next to me. I sent my beautiful kids off to school with hugs and kisses. And right now I’m sitting at the computer, gazing out onto an amazing, sunny spring morning while listening to the birds sing. Life is good.

And I know she’s always with me.

Yep, life is good.

God bless animals and aliens.

I was just saying bedtime prayers with Will. Up until tonight, his prayer has always gone like this:

Now I lay me down to sleep.
I pray dear Lord my soul to keep.
Keep my safe all through the night,
And wake me in the morning light.
Amen.
God bless you and everyone in the world and up in heaven,
including animals and aliens.

Tonight he told me he was too old to say the last part about animals and aliens.

Sniff...he's growing up too fast.

Sniff, sniff.

Monday's To-Do list

So, this is my to-do list for the day...

1) Clear off very messy dining room table. We've got a little bit of everything on this table: Easter stuff, a brick & mortar construction kit Madison got for Christmas, material that Madison is saving to design clothes, toys, stuff to make a throw pillow, drawing/art supplies, soccer uniforms, a sarcophogus and mummy, and Campbelle's birthday present (yikes...I better mail that one). This table seems to be our catch-all. If we're not sure where it goes - it goes here. And sadly enough, it really only gets cleared off before someone visits and when there isn't room to stash more stuff.





2) Patch and paint the new hole in the living room wall. I've already started that...now to just find the sanding block and matching paint.





3) Create faux granite. Somehow I need to figure out how to transform this patio table top from bad sponge-paint into faux granite. And then water seal it. This homemade MDF table top was created a couple years ago after my brand-new one was blown off the deck in a storm! I just sanded off the faux mosaic paint yesterday and tried this technique on a whim. I'm not sure about it. Any ideas?

4) Stain the remainder of the basement woodwork. On the previous wood, I used 2 different kinds of stain...now I'm trying to remember which one goes on first. I'd like to get both stains and both sides of the doors done. Isn't this a nice little DIY workshop in our garage?

5) More damn laundry.
...and that's why I'm sitting here at the computer blogging. Any bets that I'll actually get this stuff done??

Maddie's remorse

(please refer to the previous post regarding the tearing down of living room curtains...)

The Path to Enlightenment

I was browsing through Barnes & Noble recently, while my husband was off doing his thing (checking out magazines about stereo equipment and speakers) and my kids were off doing their thing (Will searching for dragon books and Maddie looking for kids cook books), I wandered into the “Spirituality & Religion” section in the back. I wasn’t sure what I was looking for…just something to give me some sort of “boost” that I felt I needed that particular day. OK…well, most days.

It’s a very diverse section.

I glanced at “The Jesus Way”, “Exploring Mormon Thought”, “The Misunderstood Jew”, “Wicca For Beginners”, “The Spells Bible”, “The Satanic Bible”, “Letters on Demonology” (this is when I literally turned and looked behind me to be sure there was no creepy guy with slicked-back hair wearing black clothes lurking behind the gardening books, just waiting to snatch unsuspecting victims from the occult section and take them to a satanic sacrificial ritual. Whew…nobody there) , “Future Jihad”, “The Hare Krishna Movement”, and “The Teachings of Don Juan” (huh ?????)

Then I found a small red book with a friendly-looking man smiling at me from the cover. He sort of looked like somebody’s kind old grandpa. It was the Dalai Lama and he was going to teach me how to practice the way to a meaningful life. That is it! That’s what I need. A “how-to” book to get me out of my funk. Genius!

Well, I’m half-way through it. I don’t think I’m cut out to be Buddist, but as a religion, it does have a beautiful message. From what I’ve learned so far, part of the way to a meaningful life is to establish a non-violent, non-abusive outlook for each day. It is essential to adopt a positive attitude while eradicating feelings of lust, anger, jealously and hatred. And it’s important to remain calm and reasonable and refrain from harming others - at all costs. (I guess that even pertains to when your 8-yr olds play hide ‘n seek with the babysitter and tear down the living room curtains - along with a big chunk of drywall…Grrrrr…)

So, during a recent “State of the World” conversation with my husband, I made the comment that if the whole world just adopted the Buddhist views, there would be nothing but peace, harmony and love for all. No terrorists, no war in Iraq, no orphaned children, no school shootings, no Howard Stern. He laughed and said, “yeah, that would be great, but we’d all be vegetarians living in caves or tents with no electricity, running water, or cars.”

Hmmm…but do you think there would still be Super Targets?

Fashion peer pressure

I think I’ve recently witnessed the fashion-peer-pressure phenomenon. This is our first. Both of the kids came home from school recently insisting that they need skater shoes.

Me: “What are those?” (asking because I’m very un-hip and un-cool…or so they think.)
Madison: “You know…those kinda big, really cool shoes with the big laces that you never have to tie. Everybody in my class has them. I want them sooooo bad!”
Will: “Yeah. Everybody has them. And so do Thomas and Jake. And they are soooo cool!”
Me: “What is wrong with your Adidas and New Balance tennis shoes? They’re nearly new.”
Madison: “Yeah, but…”
Will: “I’ll do my homework early every week! Please, mom!”
Madison: “Me too! And I won’t ever ask you to buy me anything ever again! Pleeeeze!”
Me: "OK. But you guys don’t even own a skateboard."
Both kids: “Ma-ummm…” (all eyes roll)

Up until now, Madison hasn’t really cared what everyone else wears…she has her own unique sense of style. She definitely knows what she likes and what she doesn’t. Camouflage is her favorite. And as for Will, he’s not too picky as long as shirts don’t have a scratchy tag, draw too much attention, or require that he go on a shopping trip with his mom. He typically likes anything plain, with stripes, or with a hood. If it has writing on it…good luck.

So, after my kids had succumb to fashion peer pressure, and I had succumb to their pleas, we went out and bought skater shoes.



They are both very pleased with their new footwear. Although I’m not quite sure how they keep them on their feet. Apparently, it would be ridiculous to tie them. So I just watch them walk with their heels flopping against the ground, hoping that they don’t trip and break an arm.

I’m pretty sure they’ll be asking for skateboards soon.

Happy Easter!

In keeping with tradition, we spent another Easter afternoon in Ham Lake with the whole Gallagher gang at Uncle Dick's house. What a fun group...just what a big, crazy Irish family should be!

Due to the unseasonal low temps, the Easter Egg Hunt was held indoors this year...in Dick's ecclectic basement. It's an amazing place! It is one of those places, as a kid, that you would dream about searching for lost treasure...and maybe even find one!

It was a great day spent with great family!

The Gallagher cousins after the hunt

Here's me searching for my egg. Yep, even the grown-ups take part in this hunt.

Both kids and adults get an egg to search for, but the kids each get a whole Easter Basket as well. It took Will a while to find his...

Here's our very own genius at work...at the bar.

Finn, Maddie, Will and Hunter

Movie Meme

You all know I can't pass this up...

1.Name a movie that you have seen more than 10 times. Shrek
2.Name a movie that you’ve seen multiple times in the theater. Forrest Gump
3.Name an actor that would make you more inclined to see a movie. Hugh Grant and Will Ferrell. I have a thing for accents and funny guys…they beat out the hunks everytime.
4.Name an actor that would make you less likely to see a movie. Leonardo Dicaprio (although he was alright in The Departed)…sorry Dee.
5.Name a movie that you can and do quote from. My memory is not good enough to quote from movies, but my movie-freak husband knows every single line from Pulp Fiction. He's even got the timing right.
6.Name a movie musical that you know all of the lyrics to all of the songs. The Nightmare Before Christmas “Jack? Ja-ack?? I’m only an elected official…I can’t make any decisions by myself.”
7.Name a movie that you have been known to sing along with. Nightmare Before Christmas and O Brother, Where Art Thou
8.Name a movie that you would recommend everyone see. Little Miss Sunshine and 300 (Huh...quite the polar opposites.)
9.Name a movie that you own. I can’t possibly list all 1362 movies we own… OK , that's a bit of an exaggeration. But really, I can't list them all.
10.Name an actor that launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops. Will Smith. I love him.
11.Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in? If so, what? My first (and only) drive-in movie experience was last summer in Door County. We saw a double feature: Wedding Crashers and Dukes of Hazard
12.Ever made out in a movie? I don’t think so…
13.Name a movie that you keep meaning to see but just haven’t yet gotten around to it. Coach Carter. It’s been out forever but there have always been other movies I’ve wanted to see more. We finally got it from Netflix and tried to watch it last night, but the DVD was cracked and we were unable to view it. Should I take that as a sign that it’s not meant to be?
14.Ever walked out of a movie? I walked out on The Princess Bride back in high school. I’m not sure that I got the humor and I think we had to leave and meet someone to buy us beer or something… I just saw it for the first time about a month ago and it's actually pretty funny.
15.Name a movie that made you cry in the theater. I’m such a baby, I cry all the time. The first one I think of right now is “The Family Stone”.
16.What’s the last movie you saw in the theater? In a “real” theater: 300 in Imax (wow, talk about testosterone floating around in the air). In our home-theater: Borat
17.What’s your favorite/preferred genre of movie? I just really love movies! Action, documentary, comedy, sci-fi…depends on my mood.
18.What’s the first movie you remember seeing in the theater? I think it was Disney’s animated Snow White. I remember it being very scary as a little kid. My first R movie was Coal Miner’s Daughter, although I have no memory of what the movie was about. My first date movie with Bill was Robin Hood starring Kevin Costner.
19.What movie do you wish you had never seen? Running With Scissors. I’ll never get back those 2 hours of my life… I know Jill, you warned me.
20.What is the weirdest movie you enjoyed? Fight Club, Kill Bill, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
21.What is the scariest movie you’ve seen? Looking back, probably the Exorcist. Most recently, The Grudge
22.What is the funniest movie you’ve seen? Wedding Crashers

Your turn!

Coloring Easter Eggs

Ha! Ha! Ha!

Hi sunshines! Thought I'd just brighten your day with a laugh or two...

The (Oval) Office

Dwight & Michael: Sexy Back

Frank Calliendo Impressions

Future Dwight

Darth Vadar being a Smartass

Tea Partay

Have a great Friday!

My kiddos...

Irksome things

I really try not to have too many bitch-sessions on my blog, but for some reason, it just seems the thing to do today. Not that I’m presently feeling bitchy, I’ve just thought of some things that bug me.

• Teaching kids to use cutsie nicknames for genitalia. Come on, people. It’s just another body part…elbow, cornea, knee, vagina, scapula, heel, penis. Is that so difficult??
  
• Blog lurkers. Please say “hi” to me! I love to know who’s reading…otherwise it’s kinda like stalking:) It’s easy – just click on “comment”… I know you're out there - I dare you!
  
• Fist bumping. My eight-year-olds can get away with it. If you’re over age 20, mmmmm…not so much. And then if the “explosion” is added at the end – even worse!
  
• Huge, big, baggy clothes and pants worn around the groin instead of the waist. Did you know they’re actually a safety hazard? Last week I watched a guy walking down Coon Rapids Blvd. His baggy pants fell down around his ankles and he almost did a face-plant on the sidewalk. I giggled all the way to work…
  
• Rudeness. These are my top three: 1) People who don’t say “thank you” when someone opens/holds the door for them. 2) People who don’t say “thank you” when a server sets their food order in front of them. 3) People who don’t let you merge onto the freeway when there is a perfectly good, open lane on their other side.
  
• The commercials for Ovaltine, Pepto Bismol, Charles Schwab, and that medication for herpes. Sometimes I actually have the leave the room. On the other hand, I have to tell you that I’m a huge fan of those Macintosh commercials…I LOVE THEM! Cancel or allow? (It actually makes me want to buy one!)

Anyone else want to share?

...and go ahead...de-lurk...click on comment now...

Anyone need a romantic getaway??

My good friend Stephanie Didow-Wambeke, founder of "Help-A-Husband.com", is now the spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Tourism: Romantic Getaways. She is featured on their website - so check it out!

Explore Minnesota!

Click on the link and then you will see a series of small photos at the top of the page. There is a picture of her labeled "Romantic Getaways" .You can then view the video and some photos attached to the destination lists.

"You want me to put WHAT in my eye?"

Will's giving contacts a try. So far, so good. The only problem is prying his top eyelid open. It's a wonder he has any eyelashes left! The morning after the first day, the poor guy looked like he was in a fight...red and swollen all around both eyes.

Contacts will be so great for soccer, baseball, basketball and swimming. Not to mention the rough-housing with his sister and dad.

His eye doctor warned us that we may want to start saving for a gift a Lasik for his high school graduation gift!