Tuesday, April 24, 2007

My Precious



Soon, my precious. Soon we will be together. Just a few more layaway payments. What? No, of course there's no one else. It's just, you're spendy. And Mama has other bills to pay. Yes, you're worth the money, baby. You know I love your 7.2 MP for big prints and tight crops. Not to mention your 3X Optical Zoom and that big ol' 2.0 inch LCD screen. Please, just try to be patient.

Sunday, April 22, 2007

"Son of a nutcracker!"

The other day at Goodwill, I was writing out a check while the cashier tried to talk with Jersey. Suddenly, Jersey says, "Son of a nutcracker!"
The startled cashier looked at me. "What did she say?"

Amanda and I were giggling in surprise. "Um, I think she said 'Son of a nutcracker,'" I said.

The cashier nodded once and turned away. Amanda and I hustled out the doors, guffawing loudly. I don't know where Jerz comes up with this stuff.

Anyway, as promised, here are a few pictures of Jersey and Aaliyah from Easter.

This one makes me laugh a lot!

Aaron and Aaliyah.
My mom with Jersey and Aaliyah.
Also, my cousin Andrew and his wife Jessica had a baby boy on April 20th. Welcome to the world, Zayne Andrew!

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Interview'd!

So, I stole this from the lovely Chica, who got it from somewhere else, and so on and so on. Chica emailed me five interview questions, which I will now post and answer.

1. Who has been the greatest love of your life so far? (It can be a lover, a friend, a relative, anyone you love/have loved.)
While my love supply was severely depleted by that enigma known as Tony, hands down the greatest love of my life has been my niece, Jersey. I've watched her grow from this tiny creature who captivated me with her fragility, innocence, and dependence, to this beautiful little girl who is wildly creative, super smart, and so hilarious that she's left me in tears. Obviously, I love Aaliyah, also. But since I don't get to see her very often, our bond isn't as strong. Jersey has been a part of my life almost daily since the night she was born. I can't imagine loving anyone more.

2. What is your fondest childhood memory?
This one is a bit more difficult. Most of my childhood memories are filled with things children shouldn't have to be exposed to. I guess the earliest memory I can recall with fondness, without it being marred by an evil step-father (I've had two) or one of my mom's ex-boyfriends, is when I traveled out to Washington state with my grandparents. I was only 14, so I couldn't help my grandpa drive. I loaded up on Drammamine because I get carsick, and I read probably 20 books there and back. I got to see Glacier Park in Montana, Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens in Washington, the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota, and Mount Rushmore. All while listening to Aerosmith's Get a Grip album. There's nothing freakier than listening to "Livin' on the Edge" while actually driving on the edge of a mountainside.

3. Why do you blog?
I started blogging in early 2001 as a way of expressing my feelings, albeit in an open forum where strangers could lurk and/or comment. I was still in college at the time and needed a way to vent my frustrations over a crappy relationship, my class work, and family dramas. I've continued blogging because I like it. I like to entertain, make people laugh. And it's nice to get feedback on some personal issues. Mostly, the people who read my blog have become friends, and I don't want to lose that connection.

4. What is your biggest ambition?
The same as any other former English major, to write the great American novel. Of course, it would help if I had some idea to work from. Details, details.

5. What makes you feel better when you're feeling blue?
Bridget Jones's Diary. Elephant Tracks ice cream. My blue and green robot blanket. Phantom Planet's "Lonely Day." SNL's Best of Chris Farley. Kristen, Krista, and Jolene. People tripping in public. Reading my favorite blogs. Jersey. Fluff books. Daydreaming about certain boys.

Okay, ladies and gents. That's my interview. If you are interested in your own interview, read on.
- Leave me a comment including your email address saying, “Interview me!”
- I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick them, and you have to answer them all. Or else.
- You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.- You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
- When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Thursday, April 19, 2007

"Tugboats and arson, that's all I ever get from you people."

Well, we didn't crash the singles meeting at Perkins, mainly because they were all over 50. They were all meeting in the parking lot before going in together, so Kristen and I got an eyeful as we waited for her friend Kelly to arrive. One man zoomed through the parking lot, and Kristen yelled, "Don't get so close to my car, you single bastard!"

After Kelly arrived, we went in for dinner. Kelly was sorry she missed seeing all the old singles and kept thinking of ways to go sneak a peek. I think first she was going to take a long route to the bathroom. Then later as we left the restaurant, she wanted us to walk behind the building to peek through the windows. Because that wouldn't be conspicuous at all. :) Luckily, she wasn't wearing proper shoes.

Since it was also Kelly's 6-month anniversary with her boyfriend, and she was trying to think of something fun they could do, I asked where they had gone on their first date. She quipped, "To my bed." hahaha She was kidding, btw. But Kristen and I kept thinking about it and laughing all weekend.

K-Lo and I later went to rent videos, and as she was checking out, Video Dude informed her she had late fees for three late returns. She disagreed. Then I stood for 10 minutes as Video Dude and Video Chick consulted the computer and kept repeating the date the movies were checked in, and Kristen kept insisting that she'd returned them the night they were due. Finally she said that she'd also checked out movies the same day she'd returned her others. Sure enough, once Video People checked the computer, they saw she was right. Victory! Then, once Video Dude checked out her new movies, he said to Kristen, "Just make sure you get these back before we close on Wednesday." I thought, "Hey, jackass. Try checking them in on time. Der."

So we thought we'd rented a couple of horror films. One looked pretty good. It was called Between the Walls. We start watching it, and right away we know it's low budget. This guy, Peter, is packing up everything in his parents' house because the bank is foreclosing on it. And there's a secret room that his dad never let anyone into, but since good old dad is dead, in they go. Lo and behold, dad had recorded everything that ever went on and had held it against Peter. So Peter is super angry, but his best friend (who just happens to work at the bank that's foreclosing) continues to preach the Bible to Peter. Every other sentence starts out, "Well, remember when the Israelites...blah blah blah."

Kristen and I realized that we'd picked up a Christian film!! hahaha Talk about horror! It was so cheesy. The part that makes me laugh the most is when Peter's wife tells him she's picked up a double shift at work, and off she goes. Then Peter starts listening to the tapes his dad had recorded, gets angry, and smashes all the dishes on the floor. Late that night, Peter's wife walks in, wearing a flannel shirt, and sighs.
Me: Damn it, Peter! She just worked a double shift! She doesn't need to pick up your mess.
Kristen: What's her job? Lumberjack?
Me: Uh, it's lumberjill.

Later Kristen was staring at my pajama top, which was just an aqua-colored T-shirt with a picture of a rooster on it.
Me: What?
Kristen: I just don't understand. Why a rooster?
Me: What's funnier than a rooster on my chest?
(1 minute later)
Kristen: *starts laughing* That is pretty funny.
Me: That's what I'm saying.

On Saturday we went to an antique store because Kristen had found some pretty sweet 40s sheet music that she was going to frame, and I wanted to copy her. I didn't find any I liked. Oh, well. We also visited the public library, which was having a booksale, and Kristen picked up some books for her grandmother and a 1920s book for herself. Then we went to the children's room to visit Kelly. Kristen showed her the old book.
Kristen: Look what I got!
Kelly: *taking it* What, is this like, super awesome or something?
Kristen: *sighing* Ugh, it's from the twenties!

Then Kelly asked what we were doing at the library.
Kristen: We just stopped to check out the book sale, come say hi to you, have you criticize my purchases. You know.

Then on to Famous Dave's, which is famous for its barbecue. If you've never been to one, you're missing out. Mmm... Before we even got our food, Kristen reached for the barbecue sauce bottle, and a big glob squirted out. She grabbed a paper towel to mop it up. She touched the bottle, and more squirted out. She grabbed another paper towel. Five paper towels later, I told her to stop touching the bottle. And of course, Kristen had use for several more because she'd ordered barbecued chicken, and it got all over her hands, arm, shirt, etc. There was a mountain of used paper towels on her plate by the time we were finished eating. So she put them all on my plate to make it look like I was the messy one.

After that we did some shopping. We roamed around Barnes & Noble and DSW. Target. Fashion Bug. Dollar Store. It was exhaustive. We finally just headed back to Kristen's house for dinner and TV watching. I continued to read after Kristen fell asleep. We were facing each other when all of a sudden her whole body jerked. I almost screamed. She opened her eyes. "Sorry." She flipped over. A minute later her foot jerked. She turned to face me, "There was a car coming at me. Had to hit the brakes." She went back to sleep.

The next morning when we woke up, I looked at her blurrily. There was something strange.
Me: Your lips are orange.
Kristen: Doritos. Before bed. *goes back to sleep*

On Sunday we had a small lunch at Applebee's, then went to see Blades of Glory. It was pretty funny, but exactly what I expected it would be. Still made me laugh quite a bit, though.

Then, home I went. I'm probably forgetting parts. Ah, well. So it goes.

Friday, April 13, 2007

"I'm not creative like you, with your work sneakers and left-handedness."

I don't have my film developed from Easter yet, but I should by this weekend. I'll be sure to post lots of pictures of Jersey and Aaliyah in their fancy dresses. Cuz I know you're dying to see them. :) But I can tell you that Jersey wore a white sundress with butterflies, and Aaliyah wore a pink dress with white polka dots, and a little white crocheted sweater. So stinking cute!

Well, we only got to have Aaliyah for about 2 hours on Easter Sunday. Aaron and Nikki are still separated, and it's not amiable, to put it lightly. After Aaliyah was picked up, we had our Easter egg hunt for Jersey. She got all bundled up in a tracksuit, with the skirt of her dress hanging out. I'd already used up all my film by that point. (*sigh* Someday I'll invest in a digital camera.) Aaron and Amanda had hidden the eggs all around the yard, but they were still pretty visible. We made our way to a line of trees at the front of the yard next to the road. I could see a bright green plastic egg that was cracked open. I whispered to Amanda, "Did you just throw the egg on the ground? It's open." She swore she'd set it down gently, and it was fine when she went in the house. Aaron agreed. We slowly made our way over there. Not only was the egg open, but someone had actually taken out the candy and left the wrapper. We were shocked that someone had had the audacity to come into our yard in broad daylight and steal a kid's candy.

We picked up the egg and wrapper anyway, and stuck it in Jersey's basket. In case the candy thief was still anywhere around, I raised my voice so they could hear. "Come on, Jerz. Looks like some JERKFACE took your candy on EASTER SUNDAY. Pretty LAME, huh, Jerz?"

Oh, and my mom's boyfriend, John, has a new dog. One of those mini chihuahuas. She's all white and teeny tiny. I asked what her name was.
John: Her name is Jenna.
Me: Jenna? What kind of name is that for a dog?
John: (silence)
Me: Jenna? What, is she named after your favorite porn star or something?
(I'm such a freaking smartass sometimes.)
Mom: April!
(I thought I was in trouble.)
Mom: You are so smart. Did he answer you?
Me: No.
Mom: Look at his face, and you'll have your answer.

So, yeah, his face was beet red and he wouldn't talk to me. My smartass comment had hit the nail on the head. The next day, his face still red, John goes, "You know, I was so embarrassed yesterday, I never thought to ask you how you know that's a porn star name." Relax, people. I've never seen her in action. I think I've heard the name on Howard Stern or something.

I guess Cara brought Tyler over to my mom's house sometime this week, trying to get Amanda to babysit him. Amanda refused because Tyler never listens. I guess Tyler kept throwing Jersey's toys around and getting in her face and saying mean things. Jersey got really mad, pointed a finger in his face and told him an asian beetle was gonna get him.

Later, as they were leaving, Jersey watched them out the window. She turned around with a disgusted look on her face. She said to Amanda, "That kid's an asshole."

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Usually, I'd be the first one saying how inappropriate that language is from a 2-year-old, but it's so funny. I told my boss about it. She goes, "Well, Jersey is a very good judge of character." haha

So, after work today I'm headed up to Superior to visit Kristen. We may or may not be crashing a singles meeting. Probably depends on how cute/old they are. Also, we're having a dinner and a movie night. Kristen has a sweet book with a recipes to correlate with certain movies. These are the ones we're currently trying to decide among:

~The Breakfast Club, with Breakfast Club Sandwiches
~Footloose, with Kevin Bacon and Cheese Hush Puppies
~Saturday Night Fever, with Tony Manero's Mozzerella Marinara

Also in the May or May Not category, if I can get an appointment with Kristen's excellent, funky, awesome hair stylist, I could come back home with a new look. Or I may come home sporting the same boring style. We'll see how it goes.

Saturday, April 07, 2007

My Aunt Barb called to invite me to Red Lobster tonight to celebrate my cousin's 18th birthday. I happily accepted.
Me: And guess what? I straightened my hair today!
Barb: Really? Wow. I've never seen you with straight hair.
Me: Yes, I'm sure you'll be quite excited to see it.
Barb: Well, I colored my hair today.
Me: Hey! There's reason enough to go out on the town.
Barb: Straight hair, huh? That's so American Idol!
Me: Yeah. Just call me Sanjaya!
Me: hahahaha
Barb: hahahaha
Me: Please don't call me Sanjaya.

Happy Easter!

Thursday, April 05, 2007

Dear America,
Must you continue to show your ignorance? I mean, it was bad enough when you re-elected Dubya. But now there's this American Idol nonsense. Why is Sanjaya still in the competition? He can't sing. He can't dance. He smiles like a patient at a long-term mental health facility. And don't even get me started on his hair. You eliminated Stephanie Edwards, Chris Sligh, and now Gina Glocksen. Really? Am I really living in a country of freaking morons? Who the hell is voting for Sanjaya and trampy Haley Scarnato? You should be beaten by a 5-pound bag of shit. Now knock it off.
Love,
April

Dear Library Patrons,
Start washing yourselves. It's not fair that I have to smell your greasy hair or cigarette smoke-infused clothes. And if you're sick, stay home. Why should I have to inhale your nasty germs? Can't you even freaking cover your mouths when you cough or sneeze? For God's sakes, my Clorox Disinfecting Wipes can only cover so much area. Didn't your mothers' teach you basic hygiene skills? Don't make me shove you into a wading pool of bleach.
Love,
April

Last week my mom had Jersey help her bake some cookie bars. Mom cracked open a couple eggs into a bowl. Jersey was ready with a spoon.
Jersey: Mash them eggies, Gram?
Gram: Yup, mash 'em, Jerz.
So Jersey got to mash them. And then later when no one was in the kitchen, she mashed some more eggies into the refrigerator shelves.

Last Tuesday night, I turned on American Idol. Grandpa stood in the doorway for a moment. We watch as all the contestants cross the stage. Gramps points at Sanjaya Malakar.
Gramps: Let me know when that gink comes on, will ya?
Later...
Me: Grandpa! He's on!
Grandpa rushes into the living room to watch Sanjaya "sing."
Gramps: Good God. Look at his hair.
Me: What an idiot.
Gramps: Get on that phone and vote against him.