Sex And The City

I finally got around to watching Sex And The City, The Movie. I meant to actually go to the movies, but with a little baby, it gets complicated. :)

I was kind of disappointed in the movie. Sure, it featured beautiful (and bordering on ugly) clothes, wonderful shoes, and the same cast, but something was different. It was... a little pathetic. These women were supposed to be powerful, successful, independent women, and the whole movie was spent pining after men who wronged them somehow. The only character that didn't annoy me was Charlotte.

I'm surprised that Miranda took Steve back after what happened. I'm surprised Carrie took Big back after what happened, and I'm surprised that Samantha was so messed up in the head. I'm also a little surprised at myself for talking about these people like they are real. :P But, the situations can be real, and for a franchise that tells women to make their own destiny and that they are in charge of their own lives, I'm shocked the writers had the characters make the decisions they did.

Plus, was it just me, or did everyone in the movie look like the past 4 years had aged them a decade? For those women to be at the age that they are in the movie, it seemed sophomoric to be clubbing and drinking all the time and acting like 20-somethings. Doesn't that bug anyone else? Doesn't anyone think that they need to all grow up? It was just, like I said before, pathetic. I almost felt embarassed for the characters, the way you'd feel if you heard a grandmother say "That was off the chizzain".

Anyway, I'd give it three stars out of 5. The set was great and some of the scenes were really good, but what I had mentioned above was a significant negative.

Husband 1.0

Just a reaction to a recent onslaught of 3am wakings, piles of dirty dishes, and financial nagging.... seriously, I really do love Hubby. :)

Husband 1.0 Tech Support

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Subject: Service guide for husbands

Dear Tech Support: Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 and noticed that the new program began making unexpected changes to the accounting modules, limiting access to flower and jewelry applications that had operated flawlessly under Boyfriend 5.0. In addition, Husband 1.0 uninstalled many other valuable programs, such as Romance 9.9 but installed undesirable programs such as NFL 5.0 and NBA 3.0. Conversation 8.0 no longer runs and House Cleaning 2.6 simply crashes the system. I've tried running Nagging 5.3 to fix these problems, but to no avail.

Desperate

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Dear Desperate:

Keep in mind, Boyfriend 5.0 is an entertainment package, while Husband 1.0 is an operating system. Try to enter the command: C:\>I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME and install Tears 6.2. Husband 1.0 should then automatically run the applications: Guilty 3.0 and Flowers 7.0. But remember, overuse can cause Husband 1.0 to default to GrumpySilence 2.5, Happyhour 7.0 or Beer 6.1. Beer 6.1 is a very bad program that will create "snoring loudly" wave files.

DO NOT install MotherInLaw 1.0 or reinstall another Boyfriend program. These are not supported applications and will crash Husband 1.0. In summary, Husband 1.0 is a great program, but it does have limited memory and cannot learn new applications quickly. Consider buying additional software to improve performance. I personally recommend HotFood 3.0 and Lingerie 5.3.

Change is in the air

Several things have happened in the past week, both personally and nationally, which have changed my day-to-day life. Our dear friends, L & G, have moved on to Cali. It was really sad to see them go, even though we will be a much shorter drive to them in just a year. G was Hubby's buddy on the boat, someone who got his warped sense of humor, and someone who liked to go hiking as much as he does. L was my Ross buddy, someone who I hung out with while the men were on those hikes, and someone who got MY warped sense of humor. They were also Auntie and Uncle to LB, so even though he can't speak, I'm sure he'd say he misses them, too.

Last week, Hubby came home from duty with boat nastiness, and oh-so-kindly passed it on to LB and me. So, we've all been battling yet another cold for a week now. LB's much better off than Hubby and I are, so I'm glad for that. The last time he got sick, it seemed like the world was going to end!

And, speaking of that, holy crap- what's going on with the economy? I'm a little nervous that we've already started the descent into recession, but nobody seems to be acknoledging that. I, for one, have been trying to live like we are, only buying things that we absolutely need and holding off on splurges... okay, MOST of the time. :P But, what's going to happen? All of these banks are going under and being taken over, it makes me nervous about the state of our future (and I use "our" meaning the entire country, not just my family).

On to other things, I have noticed something that has been noticably absent as far as change in the air. It's another autumn in Hawaii, meaning another autumn without the crisp, cool air, the changing leaves, the hayrides, the pumpkins, the sweaters and jeans, etc. It's actually (and I can't believe I'm saying this) depressing to live someplace where it's ALWAYS the same, weatherwise. It's so boring! I miss the changing of the seasons.

I suppose with all these changes around me, maybe I should make a change, too. The 3 of us were walking past some stores yesterday, and we stopped to look at the puppy store. They were adorable, but I told Hubby, "You know we could never buy them." He asked why, and I explained how puppy mills work. "You should google it, or youtube it sometime," I said. It got me thinking, why haven't I been pursuing this more? I watched a video this morning that had me in tears. So maybe my change will be to stand up for those animals and help take down the puppy mills.

PS- Go ahead and youtube it if you want. Be warned that it might make you cry.

In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.

That quote is from English writer George Orwell, and I think it sums up why I will be voting for McCain this election. Based on the debates last night, McCain is the one candidate that I feel is truthful, with his past decisions and ones that he regrets, with his future decisions including unpopular ones, and with current decisions. He acknowledges when he has made a mistake. He acknowledges the current situation in Iraq, Afghanistan, the economy, etc. And, he has a plan to fix them.

I get the feeling that Obama is playing the role of presidential candidate, and doesn't really understand that once he is elected, he will have to solve the American crisises (is that a word? if not, I just made it up). He seems more preoccupied with winning than with what he is going to have to do if he does win. There are things about Obama that I like- I'm not saying he'd be a terrible president. I just think McCain would be better.

OUCH

I was talking to my mom on the phone today, just laying on the couch chatting, when LB came crawling up to me with a big grin on his face. I watched as he swung one leg up and tried to pull himself up onto the couch.

How cute, I thought. He wants to chill out with me.

So I helped him up, gently pushing on his butt while he grabbed and clawed his way with his little arms. Once he was on the couch, he smiled another big grin. I continued talking with my mom about LB and Hubby and Puppy.

All of a sudden, I feel this pinch on my arm. Shit, I thought, I hope that wasn't a centipede. I yell, "Ouch!", and look over to find LB's face firmly attached to my bicep... okay, who are we kidding? To my fat-arm-where-a-bicep-should-be.

He bit me! I can't believe it! My darling baby boy, who cries for me when I leave the room, who uses me as his own personal jungle gym, who hugs me so fiercely, BIT ME!

I was in such shock that it didn't register that I should be scolding him. He smiled another big (and mischievous) grin, then giggled. What a little monkey! He didn't do it again after that, but it has started, the I'm-a-different-person-than-you stage.

I suppose it could be worse. I can remember times when my brother used to bite my mom's behind. All I've gotten is a little pinch on mine. But now that LB has discovered his teeth and that they can be used for cool things, I'm afraid my ass is next.... literally.

Good times

Hubby has duty tonight, so I have the house all to myself. LB was playing around with the bookcases, and started picking at our wedding album. Naturally I started flipping through it, and felt the need to watch a montage of our wedding pics that Hubby's uncle made. Then, I was still in the wedding mood, so I watched Wedding Crashers. Now, I'm still feeling a little nostalgic, so I'm watching There's Something About Mary, the movie Hubby and I saw on our blind date. Hopefully I'll be tired after that! :)

It's so funny how fast that day went. I know we had all afternoon with the ceremony and reception, but it seems like such a blur! Thank god for technology- I actually wish I had a copy of any video of it. I know my MIL has one, but I'd like to see it!

Wow, I can't believe this movie is 10 years old.... that means we've been together for 10 years... holy crap. :)

I had lunch with the CO's wife today- we'll call her L. She's so sweet and so genuine- it makes me so happy to know that she'll be around for the big deployment. L's the kind of person that cares about the other wives, very unlike the previous CO's fiance (which I got some scoop on that whole thing... not surprised at all). This is exactly how my ideal wardroom would be! It's relieving to know that there is much less drama than before- if you're reading this, then you know me, and you know that I'm not the kind of person that likes drama. Life's too complicated to begin with. :)

Coconut Shrimp

Coconut Shrimp (Hubby looooooved this one)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp packed brown sugar

1/4 tsp salt

Dash of red (cayenne) pepper

1 large egg

1 tbsp lime juice

1 cup shredded coconut

1 lb peeled deveined shrimp (thawed if frozen) (about 40)

2 tbsp butter, melted

How To:

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Mix flour, brown sugar, salt, and red pepper in shallow bowl. Beat egg and lime juice in another bowl. Spread coconut in a third bowl. Coat each shrimp with flour mixture, then dip each side into egg mixture (it helps to do that part fast, so you don't lose all the flour mixture). Press into coconut to coat well. Place shrimp on rack in broiler pan. When all shrimp are ready, drizzle with melted butter and bake 7 to 8 minutes.

*For a little sweetness to it, I served them with apricot preserves, yummy. Also, you can use raw or cooked shrimp- I used the cooked, frozen ones because they were the easiest for me!

I farted.

This very funny thing happened this morning. LB was sprawled out on the floor under his rainforest gym, drinking a bottle, and I was on the couch checking my email. I suddenly felt a rumble in my stomach and thought, crap, I have to fart. BUT since no one else was around, and I'm sure LB didn't know what a fart even was, I figured I'd just let loose.

It had to have been a fart heard around the world. It was so loud, LB got scared- he dropped his bottle and stared at me, as if to say, what the heck was that?? Even the dog on the other end of the house came running into the living room.

Wow... embarassing. And now that I've shared it with the entire world, even more embarassing. But, amusing, too!

Oopsies

To be honest, I completely forgot about my weekly Friday recipe. I've had a headache all day, and LB has been the most active baby I've ever seen. So let me think a minute about what I've had to eat this week...... ummm...... despite the pile of leftovers in the fridge, I really can't think of anything to share. I guess that means I'll have to resort to a recipe I've done before and not one I've done recently.

Uhhh.... WHY am I having a hard time finding one to share?? Probably because food is the last thing I want to think about right now! I don't think I've shared this one, so here goes... and sorry if it's a repeat!

Larissa's Waldorf Salad (not tested by Hubby, since he dislikes salad dressing)

Ingredients:
1 head of Romaine lettuce
2 apples (any brand, but I find Braeburn works well)
2 celery stalks
1 generous handful of craisins (or grapes, if you don't like craisins)
2 handfuls of walnuts or pecans
Bleu cheese dressing

How To:

Well, it's pretty self-explanatory. Chop the lettuce, apples, and celery and toss. Sprinkle on the craisins and nuts. Drizzle the dressing on top, then toss the whole salad to coat.

*I used those roasted pecans that I posted a few weeks back, and they were delicious. It seemed contradictory to mix bleu cheese with cinnamon and nutmeg, but those nuts tasted amazing! It would also be a great main dish with some slices of roasted chicken, kind of like the one at California Pizza Kitchen.

Good News / Bad News

Hubby came home from work yesterday, and he had a discussion with the captain regarding shore duty. We'll still be going to CA, but it will be a little later than we thought. We'll be staying here in HI until November... of 2009. So, it's even later than our original schedule.

It's good news for a few reasons: We will be here with Hubby for Christmas and LB's first birthday- and we can celebrate them on time instead of early to squeeze it all in together. If I'm going to spend months apart from him, at least I'll be here with the other wives instead of living in a brand new place. And, if he's going to get extended on any boat, it's good that it's this one, with this captain and this crew. Also, I won't have to resign from the board of directors for the band early.

It's bad news for other reasons: Hubby will do the entire deployment, instead of rotating early which is what we thought would happen. He'll be starting the winter semester instead of the summer semester. We'll also be here in a faraway place longer, so it's even more unlikely (and more expensive) to fly back to NH.

But, there are more positives to staying here, at least for LB and I. The biggest thing is that since Hubby will be out to sea no matter what, at least I'll be able to stay in a place where I know people. It's also nice to finally get an idea of where we'll be living next year! :)

Are we even talking about this??

Wow. I usually don't post twice in one day (who has the time?), but I'm letting LB play with (meaning: tear apart) my magazines until I voice my opinion on this matter.

I just read an article on MSN about the possibility of legalizing drugs. The author weighs the pros and cons to such an idea and what it could mean for Americans.

Seriously??? Is this really being considered??? Who in their right mind would think legalizing drugs is a good idea?

The pros are what scare me the most. Just to catch you up, here's what they are (and my opinions on them):

1. *Savings on drug-related law enforcement.* Yup. We'd save alright, but with all the crazy people hyped up on methamphetamine, we'll need just as much law enforcement to keep them from stealing, killing, breaking and entering, etc.

2. *Increased productivity as fewer people were murdered, drug offenders were freed to find work, and those stripped of their criminal record found it easier to get jobs.* Okay, maybe I'm just a little cynical, but do we REALLY expect these people, who managed to get themselves thrown in the jail in the first place, to go out and find worthwhile jobs and turn their lives around overnight??

3. *Tax gains.* I suppose that would be the ONLY benefit.

4. *A new legal drug industry would create jobs, farm crops, retail outlets and a tiny notch up in gross domestic product as the black market money turned clean.* Sure, it would, but people would be stealing from their workplace and farms just to get a fix. Really, addicts would do anything to get their fix, and getting it for free is better than paying The Man, who has kept them down and forced them to live the life they now have. (Please pick up on my sarcasm)

Jeffrey Miron, a professor at Harvard University, even goes so far as to say this: 'As for legalizing all drugs, Harvard's Miron argues that the increase in drug abuse would likely be small. "Millions of people don't smoke cigarettes. The same is true of alcohol . . . because they know that too much of it is not good for you," he says. People who are prone to abuse drugs are probably already abusing them, he adds.'

Is he serious?? He really thinks drug abuse would not increase? What about the inevitable glamourization of drugs by the media. Does he think that won't affect kids at all? And what about all those college kids that just want to try it "just one time". I think he's completely forgetting about the young, impressionable population that are more likely to be sucked into drugs than anyone else.

Now I know the article was aiming toward marijuana, since legalizing all drugs is just outrageous. But still, I got the feeling that legalizing it would be okay, since it appears that everyone had tried it at least once. I haven't. My sister hasn't. I don't think my parents have. And I think it's a little presumputous to imply that we would understand. "Oh, that's okay if he does a shoddy job at work today- he was high all weekend."

No, it's not okay. I've seen people who were okay with just one joint, but I've seen people more who do it multiple times a day, bordering on addicted. So how can that be okay?

Plus, I don't want to be the responsible one who has to take care of these people when they lose their jobs, their houses, their families, and need my tax money to support them.

No, I'm tired of being the responsible one all the time. If it's legalized, then I can't see myself living here any more. I just can't support something like that.

New York, New York, it's a hell of a town...

.... the strangers are nice when my sister falls down. (Okay, so I changed the lyrics)

I called my mom today, just to say hi and see how things were going, and she asked me if I had heard about what happened to my sister this morning. Since it was about 8am here, I obviously hadn't, but I suspected it involved some hilarious mix-up or some ridiculous drama. My sister's personal life sometimes reminds me of Seinfeld episodes- always a little adventurous in a very comical way.

Anyway, she then told me this story about how my sister (we'll call her T) was leaving the subway and walking up the steps. T fell and thought, ouch, that hurts- I think she may have been more embarassed about the fact that she fell UP the stairs. When she got up, she realized that there was blood on the steps and it was also pouring down her pants and there was a cut on her leg. Yuuuuuuck...

Fortunately, some lady saw what had happened and gave T some tissues to blot the cut. Another man helped her hail a cab and told the cabbie to take her to St. Luke's. The cabbie took her straight to the ER there, got a wheelchair for her, and didn't charge her a dime!

Now, I know NYC gets a bad rap sometimes. Sure, there are lots of gangs, crime, violence, young men who say nasty things to you on the subway (I speak of experience), etc., but I really believe that most NYers are willing to help someone who needs it and they have just a little compassion for a stranger. Although, I'm sure if T was A LOT uglier and dressed like a bum, they might be a little more reluctant to help out!

My point is, I have a renewed faith in NYers. Even though their baseball team is lame. :) *Sorry, couldn't help it!

Long weekend

This past weekend was a long one! LB and I went to our neighbor's daughters 2nd bday (they're twins), then the next day we attended a hail and farewell for our good friends.

The bday party was so fun. LB splashed around in the pool and he charmed the pants off of everyone. He's such a little flirt. :) The girls wore tiaras and were just so fun. They both had cake all over them!

The other party was fun, too. Obviously, everyone from the boat was there, and a few friends of the honorees. Unfortunately, one particular family showed up that nobody likes, but fortunately, the wife wasn't as horrible as she usually is. I think she was told to be on her best behavior. Anyway, the food was good, the people were good, and even though LB was tired, he still was all smiles.

Now he's a little pooped more often today, but still all smiles... what a good baby. :) Hubby has a long workday today, for some reason, coupled with the fact that he has to get to the gym after work, too. Soooo, he'll be home late. :( But hopefully all week won't be like this.

It seems like this month in particular is crammed full of stuff to do and to get done. Between parties, HCCB, and SOWC, I have something to do just about every other day!

Yay!!

So, my big important thing that happened yesterday was that Hubby's boat pulled in and he's back home!! Yay!! Although, he has duty all day and night tonight, so I really won't spend a substantial amount of time with him until tomorrow.

Standing on that pier was pretty brutal. Meeting up with the girls was fun, but it's just so friggin hot on those piers. It seems like that's the hottest place on the whole island, and LB was not very happy about it. I tried to get him to sleep earlier that morning, but he must have sensed my excitement because his nap was very short. So here we were on the hottest pier in the world, and he's overtired. Thankfully he fell asleep in the stroller about 10 minutes before Hubby got off the boat. But after Hubby came home that night, he was able to spend some time with LB before nitenite.

Yay! I love having him home! I know that life on a sub is hard, but it's also hard going from married mommy to single mommy to married mommy, etc. It's a very strange feeling to be married and alone! Not to toot my own horn, but I think it takes a certain type of lady to be able to handle that.

A day early

I have something important going on tomorrow, so here's my Friday recipe a day early. I know I posted two desserts in a row.... oops. :)

Reese's Pieces Pudding Parfaits

Ingredients:

4 cups cold milk
1 package Jell-O Fat Free Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding mix
1 package Jell-O Fat Free Sugar Free Vanilla Pudding mix
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
Whipped cream
Reese's Pieces

How To:

In a large bowl, pour in 2 cups of the cold milk. Add the chocolate pudding mix and beat with an electric beater (or use a whisk, whatever floats your boat) for 2 minutes. Immediately put bowl in the fridge to set the pudding. In another large bowl, pour in the other 2 cups of the cold milk, peanut butter, and add the vanilla pudding mix. Beat for 2 minutes (you might wanna wear an apron, because the peanut butter might splatter the milk everywhere), then immediately put bowl in the fridge to set the pudding. Let both puddings chill for at least 10 minutes. Press saran wrap onto the puddings (yup, right onto it) if you are not using the puddings for awhile to prevent a chewy skin from forming on the top of the puddings.

When ready to serve, use a spoon to drop pudding into glasses in layers (using glasses makes it all pretty with the two colored puddings). Top the parfaits with whipped cream and sprinkle Reese's Pieces on top.

Sweetness, sickness, and Hubby

I found a babysitter that I like and that's actually available, woo hoo! She's the daughter of the CO and even got along with Charlie (some people don't like dogs... why, I don't know). I'm so excited!! I need to start planning date nights with Hubby, and now I don't have to rely on the childcare place at the hospital when I have an appointment. They suck- they're only open three days for several hours. Psh, whatever.

Anyway, so that really put me in a good mood. It was actually a tough day today- I took LB to the doc, and he has a chest cold. Poor thing- hasn't been sleeping well at night and has been coughing all the time, like this hacking cough. He was so miserable all day. He only stopped crying when I was holding him, and he clung to me like it was the last time he'd ever see me. Even his cries sounded so pitiful. I just felt so bad for him! We'll see how he does tomorrow. Hopefully he is more well-rested and a little less congested.

I've been hearing from Hubby, which I love. Apparently, things are much different on the boat with the new captain... in a GOOD way! It's nice to hear good things from his boat life- not that I could do anything when it's bad, but after the shipyard experience, these guys deserve a better lifestyle. I can't really go into it further- OPSEC. :) But, things are good, trust me!

More of being a bitch

You really don't have to read this. I just needed to vent about my redneck neighbors for a bit. Although, you may sympathize, so go ahead and take a look!

I took Puppy outside to pee this afternoon after getting back from the store. I thought he might have to poop, so I took a poop bag with me.

*Sidenote: These poop bags are awesome. They're made of corn, so they're biodegradable. Much better than using plastic baggies! If you wanna know where I got them, ask me!

I digress. So I'm walking with the puppy, and I see one of my neighbors pull out of the shared driveway. She has these friggin loud kids that set off fireworks and yell and everything (you know the type) at all hours. She's also smokes like a smokestack. Her hair looks like it was cut by a blind Sweeney Todd, and she dresses trashy. You know who I mean- every neighborhood has one.

Anyway, I see her stop near my house. I turn my back, just because I didn't wanna talk to her, but she didn't say anything to me. She was actually picking up the kids that live right across my front door. I thought, woo hoo, the crazy neighborhood kids are going somewhere, now Lewis can take a nap! (I also thought, figures the two most loser redneck families are friends)

Now, the family that lives across my front door is friggin crazy. The cops are there ALL the time, breaking up domestic disputes, and I'm pretty sure they have a kid who has behavior issues. The short bus stops there, but the kid that gets on it is not physically handicapped and not autistic. Their teenage son has stopped by our house multiple times to ask me to call the cops, and I think she might be missing a few teeth. She also smokes a lot, and they leave their outside lights on all the time (which shines right into our bedroom.... it sucks during Christmas).

Anyway, the mom finally comes out of the house and sees me with Puppy. She says to the dog, "Oh, you're the one that likes to poop in my yard and leave it there!" Now, remember, I am standing there with a poop bag in my hand. I turn to her and said "Really? He did?" a little sarcastically. She said, "Yeah, I found this little mound of poop there!"

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.....................

Okay, I know you're thinking that it's just a little comment, BUT here's what I don't get:

1. Why would it be Puppy's poop when I clearly pick up after him, as evidenced by the poop bag I was carrying??

2. Is my puppy the only dog in the entire neighborhood??? Is there no other dog that could have possibly pooped in her yard?

3. Since her little yip-yip dog escapes from their yard (probably to run away from the insanity), it was probably HER dog that pooped.

I seriously wanted to get into a fight with her. Maybe I've just been in a bitchy mood lately. Maybe I've had my buttons pushed a little too much today by stupid hawaiians. But I really wanted to bitch-slap her.

So I did the next best thing. I let Puppy poop in her yard. :)