My Bus Experiences

I'm usually updating my Facebook status when I am riding the bus to or from work. This means that my status often reflects my commuting experiences. And while I ride an express bus which means that you'd think most of the people who are riding with me are business people just trying to get downtown ... it does lead to some hilarity. In fact, they are the status I end up getting the most comments on. So, for your enjoyment ... I thought I'd chronicle all my bus riding statuses up to this point:

Brandy is playing Bubble Breaker on the bus.
Brandy thinks her bus driver is crazy!
Brandy is looking at a women reading a magazine about birds. these are the people who ride my bus.
Brandy wants to throw a tantrum because the RNC is so ruining her commute.
Brandy is glad the RNC is about over, so traffic and protesters can resume to normal.
Brandy questions why Minneapolis would decide to shut down two major arteries, resulting in her bus taking an hour to just get out of downtown.
Brandy feels like a sardine stuffed in a can that was left in the trunk of a car on the hottest day of summer. oh wait. it's just the bus ride home.
Brandy finds herself on an overcrowded bus and someone doesn't smell too nice.
Brandy just got sat on on the bus. no joke.
Brandy still has a sore arm. but the beehive 'do on the bus alleviates some of the pain.
Brandy is waiting for the bus.
Brandy has always enjoyed the politicians at the bus stop. at least this one I'm voting for. go dems.
Brandy would like to know just exactly how many people the driver is going to allow squeeze on this bus.
Brandy thinks this guy on the bus is a know-it-all who likes to hear himself talk.
Brandy doesn't understand why people are still boarding this bus when it's packed and there's a nearly empty 250 just behind us?
Brandy is donning all the winter gear for this morning's bus ride.
Brandy knows the bus rides too long when you can read an entire book.
Brandy cannot believe this ... people are carolling on the bus. it's just too early in the morning.
Brandy is once again in amazement at how snowflakes can intimidate even the most skillful motorists, mind you, her bus driver does not fall into this category tonight.
Brandy is stuck on 35w due to a tragic car accident. where are the emergency response vehicles?
Brandy is on her way home ... on a bus that smells like a blend of sweaty gym socks, moldy cheese, a college bar at closing time and a public urinal.
Brandy is watching Oprah on the bus ... it was a long and somber day. we all deserve the best life.
Brandy was just sitting on the bus, when suddenly the lights went out. ooohhh scary.
Brandy is wondering why the fan over her head on the bus insists on blowing cold air.
Brandy is finally on the bus and of course the biggest linebacker-type decides to sit next to her!

Did I really strain a butt muscle?

I'm on my kick to get into the healthiest shape I can. This includes: working out at least five days a week, eating fish at least twice, lessening my fat intake, imbibing in only dark chocolate, and a glass of red wine at least once a week. In the summer it will also include using the freshest of seasonal produce courtesy of our CSA membership (we'll see how this first year goes ...). And if I get really motivated, D and I might just put that garden in the backyard.

With the purchase of the Wii this past holiday, I felt like the working out thing might be a little more fun. (I do enjoy the workout DVDs, too, hence the 20+ in our Netflix queue.) Wii Fit is good, but if you are committed and do it for a month straight, you sort of master it and get bored, so I have supplemented with the Wii My Fitness Coach game.


For those not familiar with the Wii My Fitness Coach game, it's the updated Yourself Fitness from Xbox. (Which, yes, I do own.) The difference ... in the time since they updated the game ... it's gotten more intense. Which is great from a workout perspective, but I was completely not prepared. Maya (the personal trainer) truly kicked my butt the second night. I was sweating like nobody's business and so sore the next day. In fact, I didn't realize it until walking my half mile to work from my bus stop ... but I swear I strained my gluteous somehow. It was so sore. Of course, the walk to my office (it really is at least a half mile -- but it's my choice, I could get off two blocks away) worked it out and I was fine by the afternoon.


Oh, well, after the week I had, straining my butt was the worst of my problems. I happen to work for one of the many companies that reduced their workforce (isn't that a nice way of saying laid off folks). It was a very trying week and the weird essence lasted all week, but I'm hoping that Monday is a new day. I wish all those affected the best of wishes in finding something better, something more enriching and something that provides that more satisfaction than just a corporate paycheck. In the word's of Tiny Tim: God Bless Us, Every One.

Stress and All Things Corporate

This has been one crazy week at work. Of course, the week started out with a bang with K being sick and all. But it's the week before a very important corporate executive gathering, and as part of my job, I have the pleasure of writing the words that some of those executives will speak. Sometimes you nail it right on ... other times you don't. I've fared better than some of my peers as they work on their monologues, but I have to say it was the first time in a long time this week that I thought I would crack ... crack wide open ... and just give up. Of course, I didn't, but if you looked closely ... you might have seen the yolk in this egg.

It's kind of funny watching people at work. There is always political positioning, self-doubt on display, over-confidence in full swing, and people throw other people under the bus left and right. I've had to talk people down from ledges this week and bring people back to the game. I've also had my own mishaps along the way, saying things I shouldn't. I definitely have committed at least one career-limiting move this week (at least in my mind -- and I'm told I'm too hard on myself -- so I'm hoping that the sun will rise brighter on Monday.)

I wanted the corporate life. I wanted the modest, steady paycheck. The apparent stability. The benefits (have you seen how much health care costs if you buy it on your own?) But what have I given up to enjoy these middle-America luxuries? Sometimes I think my soul. After 8 years in the corporate world, I have gotten a little colder, turned a little more bullish ... and basically returned to what is probably my inherent personality. I tried desperately to rid it in during my college years and when I first entered corporate life. But, maybe I'm just older and wiser and realize if I want to survive in this cat and dog world, I have to get out the claws, too.

I will make sure that K takes the early part of his career and does something crazy and fun, before he gets tied down by the experience of having a more regular paycheck.

Big Boy Bed

The big boy bed was delivered today. Yes our almost three-year-old is moving from his toddler bed to a full size bed. (He officially has the most comfortable bed in the house now.) When they delivered it at 8 a.m. this morning, he was jumping around with excitement. This was even through the fact that he has been sick the past two days (the kind of sick that has physical proof and results in extra laundry.)

So, of course, we got everything ready for him to take his nap in his new bed ... and the first thing he does is throw up on all the new bedding. Fortunately, Sunday is laundry day anyone ... but seriously it resulted in an additional two loads. Meaning that while I'd normally be done with my laundry by now, I still have three more loads to go ... because I had to run the comforter and the pillow through the dryer twice. This is the only part of parenting that really wears on me -- when the kid is sick.

Yesterday, he definitely acted like a sick child. Just wanted to be held and cuddled. Today ... he wants to play soccer. So definitely healthy in actions. He just still can't hold anything down. Which meant we had to skip swimming lessons ... and have been relegated to staying at home. I did sneak out for a little bit to get pedialyte for him. But back to the big boy bed. It means even more work for me ... because now he wants to move into the other bedroom upstairs - but I have to paint the room. This means we aren't moving in any other furniture quite yet. So, I'll probably spend the week taping everything up so that I can paint next weekend ... and he'll have to understand that he won't be able to sleep in there next weekend. It's a lot of work when they grow up!

Frigid

It is so ridiculously cold. I mean, unbearably cold. We've had our little wood pellet fireplace blasting every night this week. I don't know if I can handle it. Riding the bus, I freeze. Sitting at my cubicle cell, I freeze. Typing at my computer, I freeze. Whoever thought this forsaken state was habitable?!!

His Name is Benihana

I am greeted everyday, at least once a day with my darling two-year-old professing that I am his best friend. Nobody else. Just him. It's absolutely priceless. Sometimes daddy gets thrown in as an extra and the three of us dance around as only best friends can. (Yes, D and I know that we won't always be his best friend, so we are truly treasuring these moments.) On occasion, another child might be a best friend for a day, but mommy and daddy reign supreme in the kingdom of best friends.

Now, I think I've mentioned in an earlier post that K has taken on wanting to have conversations at bedtime as a diversion to going to bed. Tonight, alas, was no different. He wanted to tell me all about his day. I entertain this for a little bit, asking questions and engaging in conversation. Then, K decided to tell me about one of the friend's he played with today. At first, when he said his name I thought I just hadn't heard clearly (while my son is amazingly articulate for a two-year-old, he still is just a two-year-old.) So, I asked him what his friends name was. "Benihana." He said, looking at me very seriously.

Well, I'm sorry, I absolutely lost it. I couldn't suppress the laughter. (I am well aware of the children in his class and confidently know that none of them have that name.) Now, K has eaten at Benihana twice in his life, but it hasn't been for at least a year ... so for him to pull it from that would be amazing. So, I asked more questions about Benny ... what he looked like. K informed me that his clothes looked like mine. But he had hair like his.

Since D was upstairs, I had to call him in. K began to tell him about his friend Benihana. Well, D started to laugh as well. K clearly felt like we were all in the joke together because then he began to laugh as well. As I type this, I'm not sure if my son has a new imaginary best friend, whom he chose to name after a chain of restaurants or if there's some new kid I'm not aware of in class who perhaps has this first name. However, I have gotten out the laughs and am prepared to welcome Benihana into my evenings for more tales of silliness at school.

Motherhood and the Joys of a Toddler

My son has learned a new diversion to bedtime. Now, this technique isn't exactly new, but he's just caught on to the glory that it stops everything. He kicks off his blanket and then complains that he's cold. "Please, mommy, put my covers on." He'll say with his cute little impish grin.

Tonight he added the pillow. After he threw it down, he sat up and looked at me and said, "Mommy, where did my pillow go? I lost my pillow." I looked at him, and explained that mommy saw him throw it down. He just laughed, took his pillow from me and then laid down again.

His other favorite bedtime routine right now is repeating parts of his bedtime story, but loudly. I'm reading him a few chapters from The Tale of Despereaux each night. (Yes, it might be a bit advanced for a two-year-old, but he's listening to it and asking me questions, so I'm hoping that maybe he is really a genius -- and not just in mommy and daddy's perspective.) So, there's a part in the book where other mice are declaring "To the dungeon!" It was K's mantra for the next few nights. I have to hope that he wasn't telling other children at school to go to the dungeon during the day.

On an even happier front, his teacher recommended we bring in underwear! Woot! We're so excited, he was on the verge of potty training and then had a small regression and now it seems like he is on full force. D and I have taken a "no pressure" approach to the whole potty training thing, but tried to use lots of positive reinforcement when he has used the potty.

I never thought I'd be a mom. It wasn't in my original life plan. But it is truly the greatest experience I've ever had in my life. When people say they never knew how much they could love until they have children ... well, they're not just saying some cliche, because it's the truth. Your heart becomes so full it could burst at any moment. That is motherhood and the joys of having a toddler.

Recession, Wha...?

I had to go and return our last two duplicate gifts today ... this meant braving the capitol of capitalism ... the Mall of America. (Yes, there's a place for fun in your life.) Now, I realized that most school's are still out until Monday and many others took today as a vacation day (like I did) or sadly, many others have lost their jobs and perhaps were scouring the mall for employment. But ... wow! The mall was crawling with people.

For someone like me, who had exactly two stores to go to, take care of my errands and make an exit, it wasn't the most pleasant experience. First, I had to go to a cooking store to return a Rabbit wine bottle opener (yes, of all the gifts to get duplicates of ... my only duplicate was a very heavy wine opener.) Now, I normally love perusing cooking stores ... the smells, all the fun little gadgets, for an aspiring foodie and Top Chef fanatic, there's nothing better. So, I return the item, and at this store, the "store credit" is a printout on the receipt. Since there are only two locations in the entire state of Minnesota, I knew that I must make my purchase today (or forever hold my peace.) This was definitely not the William-Sonoma crowd at this store. People were ooohing and aaahing over a Cuisinart food processor. So, I called my trusty husband, told him the dollar amount and asked him what we needed. We went down the list ... he on their Web site ... me in the store. Unfortunately, we surmised that everything we needed, they didn't carry. So he trusted me to get something fun. The purchase: an ice cream maker, folks. I'm sure we'll use it ... sometime. And this way, I can make ice cream that I know won't contain high-fructose corn syrup. Or perhaps some delicious Wasabi Sorbet (I've made Wasabi ice cream before ... and it is truly delish.)

Next stop, Urban Outfitters. I always like to peruse this store, because they own Anthropologie ... and I love Anthro -- but UO is a tad bit more affordable. Unfortunately, the store was just too packed for my likings (and now I was carrying a very heavy ice cream maker, sort of regretting that I made the purchase so early in my errand-ing.)

Off to a new favorite store of mine: Lush. Okay, okay. Let me just warn you now. It's a very overpriced little store. But it is the most fantastic store. I had yet to make a purchase at Lush, but just walking in always has made me a little happy. Well ... today they had an amazing sale. By one thing of their yummy soaps, get TWO free. Yes, buy one, get TWO free. I couldn't help myself. So, I got three yummy soaps (still overpriced, but technically I only paid for one, so it felt like I was just paying what I'd pay at Target!) And besides, in a recession, it's the small affordable luxuries people hold on to, right?

Then I was off to a bookstore for my last return. Fortunately, I was given a gift card for that purchase, so I can let my darling son pick out a new book the next time we're out and about. The last store I braced myself for is Hanna Anderssen. I love this store, but again, a little pricey. However, when they have a sale, you can get fantastic deals. Around Christmas, I got K a $60 sweater for $19 and a pair of their famous striped pajamas for $15. Of course, they were clearancing out everything in the store, but all the cute boy stuff was gone. This is one store where I wish I had a girl, but then I guess this is God's way of saving me money!

So, two hours later, I was able to get out of the craziness that is The Mall. I'm hoping that people were shopping, so that the economy turns soon. Unfortunately, for my own trip, I only pumped about $40 back into the economy, but it was $40 that wasn't there before I stopped by.

What's up Comcast?

I'm supposed to have super speedy internet ... why is it taking me twenty years to log in?!