This video is the best explanation I've seen on what's happened to our economy because of the subprime lending crisis. (Remember two weeks ago when all the "experts" on the news were all baffled?) It supports all its claims with evidence from sources such as the New York Times and government documents. Very worthwhile, but make sure you have a little time: it's about 10 minutes long.
I don't usually get political because to be honest I'm not really thrilled about either candidate. (This whole economic thing has made me really miss Mitt). So I apologize, but I thought this was informative without too much extra rhetoric that sounds pretty but says nothing.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
House Update
We currently have 3 homes. Lest this sound appealing, I assure you it's not. Particularly when you have to pay for them on less than a "Lifestyles-of-the-Rich-and-Famous" salary.
Home #1: A 2-bedroom condo in Jersey City, NJ, that we don't need and don't want. We have given up on selling it this year and are currently looking for renters. If you know of anyone who'd be interested, please please please email me.
Home #2: A 3-bedroom apartment in Rockwall, TX that we don't want but really need. I don't know how old this complex is, but it has charming qualities like circuit breakers that randomly stop working, thus rendering your stove unusable at the worst of times (like when your toddler is standing next to you chanting "eat! eat!"). Really, it's not that bad, and it's nice to have an extra bedroom/study/storage room. But I don't particularly want to be here and sort of feel like now that I'm in suburbia, I really shouldn't have to haul groceries up two flights of stairs.
Home #3: A six-bedroom house that we really want but isn't quite ready for occupancy yet. Though, to be fair, it's getting really close and we should be in by Halloween. (We give up the lease on home #2 on November 3rd, and if we find renters for home #1 all should be pretty good. If not, well, home #3 is going to be pretty empty for a while and we'll be eating lots of rice and noodles).
Home #1: A 2-bedroom condo in Jersey City, NJ, that we don't need and don't want. We have given up on selling it this year and are currently looking for renters. If you know of anyone who'd be interested, please please please email me.
Home #2: A 3-bedroom apartment in Rockwall, TX that we don't want but really need. I don't know how old this complex is, but it has charming qualities like circuit breakers that randomly stop working, thus rendering your stove unusable at the worst of times (like when your toddler is standing next to you chanting "eat! eat!"). Really, it's not that bad, and it's nice to have an extra bedroom/study/storage room. But I don't particularly want to be here and sort of feel like now that I'm in suburbia, I really shouldn't have to haul groceries up two flights of stairs.
Home #3: A six-bedroom house that we really want but isn't quite ready for occupancy yet. Though, to be fair, it's getting really close and we should be in by Halloween. (We give up the lease on home #2 on November 3rd, and if we find renters for home #1 all should be pretty good. If not, well, home #3 is going to be pretty empty for a while and we'll be eating lots of rice and noodles).
Monday, September 8, 2008
The Dallas Aquarium
Note: Yes, I know I've been a blogging slacker. But I have repented and am catching up. So for your viewing pleasure, enjoy these pictures of our visit to the Dallas Aquarium. They are a little old (we went back when we were living in the La Quinta at the end of July), but it's one of the coolest aquariums we've ever been to. And we know fish! Well, Dave really likes them. But seriously, it was fabulous, and I'd totally get a membership if I had 4 kids to make it worth the $200. As an added bonus, instead of expensive fast food as your only dining option, they had an actual, moderately priced Mexican restaurant that was totally yummy. I'm a fan. Now if only I could justify that membership fee...
Emma and I with the cool foliage outside the building
Emma and I in front of the big tank. The blur at the bottom right is a sea turtle, and the blur above me is either some sort of shark or a manatee.
Emma conversing with the penguins.
Dave was there too! He and Emma hanging out with the penguins.
I thought I had more pictures than this, but you'll just have to take my word for it. It really is cool. The main part is 3 levels, starting with the top of a rain forest (with monkeys!), descending down to the shore (with alligators!), and then underwater (with manatees!). We had fun. Come visit us, we'll take you.
Emma and I with the cool foliage outside the building
Emma and I in front of the big tank. The blur at the bottom right is a sea turtle, and the blur above me is either some sort of shark or a manatee.
Emma conversing with the penguins.
Dave was there too! He and Emma hanging out with the penguins.
I thought I had more pictures than this, but you'll just have to take my word for it. It really is cool. The main part is 3 levels, starting with the top of a rain forest (with monkeys!), descending down to the shore (with alligators!), and then underwater (with manatees!). We had fun. Come visit us, we'll take you.
Friday, August 22, 2008
Monday, August 11, 2008
Ode to Kroger
Dear Kroger, you're my number one
You make shopping lots of fun.
The store is always nice and clean;
I prefer to buy food that is pristine.
There are lots of employees to work.
Their Kroger duties, they do not shirk.
Monday, Tuesday, any day
help is there to show me the way.
Stop & Shop could learn a thing or two
about customer service by watching you.
A person to scan my groceries, another to bag my stuff,
another brought it to the car--all without a huff!
I can always find a cart.
You're more convenient than the mini-mart.
The selection is wide, the prices are good,
I'm so glad you're in my neighborhood!
I can find what I need right in front of me,
specialized ingredients for any recipe.
The shelves are always fully stocked.
I love you, Kroger--you rock!
You make shopping lots of fun.
The store is always nice and clean;
I prefer to buy food that is pristine.
There are lots of employees to work.
Their Kroger duties, they do not shirk.
Monday, Tuesday, any day
help is there to show me the way.
Stop & Shop could learn a thing or two
about customer service by watching you.
A person to scan my groceries, another to bag my stuff,
another brought it to the car--all without a huff!
I can always find a cart.
You're more convenient than the mini-mart.
The selection is wide, the prices are good,
I'm so glad you're in my neighborhood!
I can find what I need right in front of me,
specialized ingredients for any recipe.
The shelves are always fully stocked.
I love you, Kroger--you rock!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Emma at 21 Months
I have been neglecting my parental duties in blogging about my brilliant offspring. As I have not made the effort to search for the cord that connects the camera to the computer, and as I have not taken any pictures lately anyway, I will instead make a list showcasing Emma's sparkling personality.
1. Emma will put herself to bed, as long as she has her two "gankies" (blankies), her hippo, and her two Shadows (one, a black stuffed poodle that looks like the actual Shadow, and another one, a small stuffed polar bear, who somehow resembles a black poodle). Upon waking, she insists on taking all of these items out of the crib and brings them with her to the couch, where we drink milk and watch the news.
2. She has taken to giving me commands. Most often she'll say "Come?" and gesture in the direction she wants me to go. Hmmm, wonder where she picked that up?
3. She loves to "gee gook", or read books. Probably 50 times a day she will come to me with that request. I fulfill it about half the time.
4. She is obsessed with all things outside, but most especially the slide and swings. Another popular request is "Side? Wing? Slide?" I've taught her a new expression in my responses to her lately: "Hot" (as in, it's too hot to go outside, you'll burn your tush on the slide). Emma will often request to go on the swings in some of the most random places, like the pool or the middle of Target. She is becoming quite good at navigating a new playground by herself without me showing her how to do it.
5. Emma loves the pool, but only if she can do it by herself. This has led to the retirement of her boat, Toddler Speed Racer II, in favor of one of those tank tops with the built in inner tube. It only took her one day to figure out how to stay upright in it. She doesn't seem to mind getting dunked in water at all.
6. In a bizarre twist, lately she has eschewed the bath in a fit of rage, kicking, and crying. I can't understand how she can love the pool so much and hate the bath so much at the same time. But alas, playgrounds and pools necessitate baths.
7. I am constantly surprised by how much Emma remembers. New words and expressions only need to be taught once, and whenever I mention my brother Tyler, she makes a face like he made with her when we visited in June. Hooray for long-term memories!
8. She is very affectionate and will often pause in her busyness to give hugs and kisses. If she finds me sitting cross-legged on the floor, she will hug my back. She makes out with any stuffed animal, and even has a penchant for kissing random, real dogs around our apartment complex. (I never let her get close enough for lip-to-fur contact). She will gladly oblige if you ask for a kiss.
9. Emma loves music and will dance at anything from 90s pop to MoTab (the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, for those of you uninitiated). She will sing with help and her favorite songs are "Itsy Bitsy Spider" (gotta love songs with hand motions) and "Old McDonald."
10. Like her father, she is a picky eater and mostly sticks to her 4 personal food groups: gogurt (yogurt), dried cranberries/raisins, bananas, and carbs in any form, but particularly those that are the most processed. Occasionally I can get her to eat what I'm eating if I eat at the same time (which doesn't happen often, because I'm usually not hungry at 5 pm), and make loud exclamations of "Yummmmmm."
While she can throw a tantrum with the best of them, she continutes to be unfailingly pleasant. Sometimes it worries me what the next one will be like (no, that is not an announcement in any way, shape, or form). We love her to pieces!
1. Emma will put herself to bed, as long as she has her two "gankies" (blankies), her hippo, and her two Shadows (one, a black stuffed poodle that looks like the actual Shadow, and another one, a small stuffed polar bear, who somehow resembles a black poodle). Upon waking, she insists on taking all of these items out of the crib and brings them with her to the couch, where we drink milk and watch the news.
2. She has taken to giving me commands. Most often she'll say "Come?" and gesture in the direction she wants me to go. Hmmm, wonder where she picked that up?
3. She loves to "gee gook", or read books. Probably 50 times a day she will come to me with that request. I fulfill it about half the time.
4. She is obsessed with all things outside, but most especially the slide and swings. Another popular request is "Side? Wing? Slide?" I've taught her a new expression in my responses to her lately: "Hot" (as in, it's too hot to go outside, you'll burn your tush on the slide). Emma will often request to go on the swings in some of the most random places, like the pool or the middle of Target. She is becoming quite good at navigating a new playground by herself without me showing her how to do it.
5. Emma loves the pool, but only if she can do it by herself. This has led to the retirement of her boat, Toddler Speed Racer II, in favor of one of those tank tops with the built in inner tube. It only took her one day to figure out how to stay upright in it. She doesn't seem to mind getting dunked in water at all.
6. In a bizarre twist, lately she has eschewed the bath in a fit of rage, kicking, and crying. I can't understand how she can love the pool so much and hate the bath so much at the same time. But alas, playgrounds and pools necessitate baths.
7. I am constantly surprised by how much Emma remembers. New words and expressions only need to be taught once, and whenever I mention my brother Tyler, she makes a face like he made with her when we visited in June. Hooray for long-term memories!
8. She is very affectionate and will often pause in her busyness to give hugs and kisses. If she finds me sitting cross-legged on the floor, she will hug my back. She makes out with any stuffed animal, and even has a penchant for kissing random, real dogs around our apartment complex. (I never let her get close enough for lip-to-fur contact). She will gladly oblige if you ask for a kiss.
9. Emma loves music and will dance at anything from 90s pop to MoTab (the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, for those of you uninitiated). She will sing with help and her favorite songs are "Itsy Bitsy Spider" (gotta love songs with hand motions) and "Old McDonald."
10. Like her father, she is a picky eater and mostly sticks to her 4 personal food groups: gogurt (yogurt), dried cranberries/raisins, bananas, and carbs in any form, but particularly those that are the most processed. Occasionally I can get her to eat what I'm eating if I eat at the same time (which doesn't happen often, because I'm usually not hungry at 5 pm), and make loud exclamations of "Yummmmmm."
While she can throw a tantrum with the best of them, she continutes to be unfailingly pleasant. Sometimes it worries me what the next one will be like (no, that is not an announcement in any way, shape, or form). We love her to pieces!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Live from Texas
We made it to Texas without incident and are now semi-moved in to our temporary apartment. We've been by our house, which is coming along nicely and will probably be ready sometime in October.
Some random thoughts/observations on the moving process and adjusting to Texas suburbia:
1. Movers make the whole process relatively painless. Probably the worst part was the 2 hours it took to clean out the fridge and the oven (yeah, it had been a while). Dave, however, assures me that we are never moving again.
2. It's refreshing to see actual teenagers work in teenage-type jobs (ie, fast food).
3. Suburbia rocks. Instead of passing a ghetto bodega on my way home, I pass a 7-11. Hooray for cherry Coke slurpees!
4. Ten days of triple digit heat sometimes makes me think I accidentally moved to Arizona. But (as much as I hate to admit this) it really IS not so bad without the humidity.
5. We have been swimming at least 3 or 4 times a week, and in just 2 days Emma learned to stay upright in her brand new inner tube tank top.
6. Real church builings echo and Emma is louder during sacrament meeting than I originally thought.
7. There is parking EVERYWHERE! And it's FREE! And the spaces are large enough that I'm not worried about anyone (even those HUGE trucks that everyone drives out here) hurting my car!
8. Four teenage boys sitting the table over from us in Chili's the other night said grace before they ate their meal. I've never seen that anywhere but Utah. It's nice to live somewhere where people don't think you're an idiot if you believe in God. (Though I doubt that I, personally, will be saying grace in a restaurant any time soon...)
9. I own enough books to fill 2 large (for an apartment) closets. And I already bought 2 more books since we got here. (Don't tell Dave...)
10. I'm happy to be here, but I've been a little bored since Dave started work. I'm trying not to spend money and I don't know too many people yet, so it's off to the pool again!
Some random thoughts/observations on the moving process and adjusting to Texas suburbia:
1. Movers make the whole process relatively painless. Probably the worst part was the 2 hours it took to clean out the fridge and the oven (yeah, it had been a while). Dave, however, assures me that we are never moving again.
2. It's refreshing to see actual teenagers work in teenage-type jobs (ie, fast food).
3. Suburbia rocks. Instead of passing a ghetto bodega on my way home, I pass a 7-11. Hooray for cherry Coke slurpees!
4. Ten days of triple digit heat sometimes makes me think I accidentally moved to Arizona. But (as much as I hate to admit this) it really IS not so bad without the humidity.
5. We have been swimming at least 3 or 4 times a week, and in just 2 days Emma learned to stay upright in her brand new inner tube tank top.
6. Real church builings echo and Emma is louder during sacrament meeting than I originally thought.
7. There is parking EVERYWHERE! And it's FREE! And the spaces are large enough that I'm not worried about anyone (even those HUGE trucks that everyone drives out here) hurting my car!
8. Four teenage boys sitting the table over from us in Chili's the other night said grace before they ate their meal. I've never seen that anywhere but Utah. It's nice to live somewhere where people don't think you're an idiot if you believe in God. (Though I doubt that I, personally, will be saying grace in a restaurant any time soon...)
9. I own enough books to fill 2 large (for an apartment) closets. And I already bought 2 more books since we got here. (Don't tell Dave...)
10. I'm happy to be here, but I've been a little bored since Dave started work. I'm trying not to spend money and I don't know too many people yet, so it's off to the pool again!
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