ZEMAS

On a scale of one to ten, one being equivalent to "okay, she's a little bit odd" and ten being roughly like, "wow. she's a pathetic loser!" how bad is it that the highlight of my day was seeing these photos...

...and discovering that a certain inappropriate crush of mine is currently filming a movie called The Lucky One, based on a Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook, Dear John) novel?

I'm thinking another gathering of the ZEMAS (Zac Efron Mutual Admiration Society) will take place sometime next year. Ladies, brace yourselves.

Oh, and if you can't wait that long, I'll try to find a way for us to convene and watch Charlie St. Cloud at my house once I get my hands on a copy. It's totally on my Christmas wish list.

a message for my high school crush

Dear boy I liked in high school,

It's been a loooooong time. I haven't seen you or spoken to you in over a decade. So why, may I ask, do you keep disturbing my sleep with cameo appearances in my dreams? This has been going on for years, boy I liked in high school, and I would like it to stop. Having you waltz through my dreams every few weeks, sometimes interacting, other times just looming... well, it's kind-of weird. It would be ungracious of me not to point out that you are always very respectful, never attempting to do anything that I, as a happily married woman, would consider untoward. But still, just the fact that you're there seems a bit inappropriate, don't you think? Perhaps what we really need is some closure. Is that why you're still lingering in my subconscious? Alright then, let's sort this out.

Here's the thing, boy I liked in high school: we both know that you were one of many crushes I entertained during those formative years. I am willing to admit that I was completely boy-crazy, suffered from what I now realize was a bit of a self-esteem problem, and as a result pursued and dated a number of boys that I now regret. But you were different, I think... because nothing ever happened between us. We were just friends. We had lots of classes together, ran in the same circles, participated in some of the same activities, spent time hanging out and talking on the phone. We were good friends and I valued our friendship, but without hesitation I would have become more-than-friends with you. And I think you must have known that.

I can't say that I liked you for four solid years, because there were times that you drove me crazy! You were an idiot and sometimes a little mean and I didn't always approve of the girls you liked or dated. But the thing that has always frustrated me when I'm forced to think about you, boy I liked in high school who keeps lurking in my dreams, is that I'm fairly certain that you liked me too. Like, liked me liked me. You wouldn't admit it to yourself, but you did. And I think we could have been really great together, in a temporary, you're-not-my-soulmate-but-I-can-learn-a-lot-from-you kind of way. At the very least, you could have prevented me from going after that one guy, the total jerk who used me and broke my heart a little. That would have been nice.

I didn't go to our ten year reunion. I doubt you were there either. We've obviously both moved on with our lives and are full-fledged adults now with real, grown-up relationships and responsibilities. I'd like to think that if I ever saw you again we'd be able to fall back into that easy friendship that we once had. But I can't imagine when or where we'd ever see each other again. So let's just be content with the knowledge that if our adult selves had been around to advise our teenage selves, perhaps things would have been different. But they weren't, and that's ok.

So, do you think we've worked through our issues, boy I liked in high school? Have we come to an understanding wherein you could now kindly step away from my peaceful slumber and stop hijacking my dreams? That would be so thoughtful of you. It would almost make up for your teenage ignorance.

Yours most sincerely,

Me

What's Up?

Hi there!

Did you miss me? It seems I forgot to blog for, like, 3 months. Whoops! If this were a blog devoted to my day-to-day life, I would try to tell you all about what has passed in the last few months. I'd prattle on about our summer road trip/family reunion, I'd post way more pictures than you care to see, and then I'd top it off with the latest sayings and doings of my children. But since I chose from the beginning to devote this blog to all things trivial and unimportant – my random thoughts – I'll gladly stick to my original purpose and favor you today with a list (yay lists!) of random thoughts/occurrences/drivel:

• I bought a pair of jeans at the Gap recently in a size that made me happy. When I got home and tried them on for Scott I asked, "Do they look okay, or do they look like I had to grease my thighs with butter to get them on?" [I feel sorry for men. They get really nervous when we women pose questions like that.] He was wise and said they looked good. But what other choice did he have, really?

• Recently, I acquired a new cell phone. It is so much smarter than me! I've decided it is time to crawl out from under the rock where I've taken up residence for the past decade and start texting. Now I just need a reason to text and someone to text at/with/to. Brace yourself because before you know it I'm going to be using my phone to take 20 pictures a day of random stuff that I will immediately post to my facebook profile. My friend count will deplete and then I'll curse the day I ever laid hands on my smartphone. Just you wait.

• Fall is here and I am so ready! Jeans, boots, long sleeve tees and sweaters... here I come! There is no better time of year and no better choice of wardrobe to accompany it.

• My husband wants me to self-publish a cookbook with all of my favorite, tried-and-true recipes. I think his main motivation stems from the current cluttered mess of recipes I have in my cookbook cupboard. I think it would be fun to do, but it's also intimidating. Maybe someday...

• Guess what has two thumbs and two tickets to see Michael Buble again in December? This girl! And I've got floor seats! Hooray! Now let's all say a collective prayer that I don't have someone tall standing in front of me during the concert. We shorties are at such a disadvantage at any function that requires the ability to see past the person directly ahead of you. I'm debating whether or not to do something that I've never done in all my concert going experience: wait around after the show in an attempt to get an autograph. Seems lame and totally desperate, right? But also kinda fun. We'll see.

• I'm in serious need of suggestions for good running tunes. I get bored so easily with my running playlist. Got any suggestions? I tend to like newer stuff by any number of artists that I wouldn't listen to otherwise. Currently I've got songs by Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Flo Rida, Ok GO, 3OH!3, Jason Derulo, Michael Franti, Rhianna. But I need more! Got any suggestions for me?

• I was asked to co-chair a committee on the PTA this year. I now know what it must feel like to be in the mafia. These women are hardcore! Amazing, talented, but hardcore. I feel so inadequate, out of place, and completely clueless. And I'm not sure they'll ever let me quit. Already there's talk of what I'll be doing next year. If I disappear for awhile, the PTA powers-that-be should be prime suspects.

• Latest book obsession: The Mortal Instruments series. I found these while browsing books at Costco, which is pretty much the best thing ever for a book lover like myself. Don't be fooled by the shirtless guy on the cover – these books are YA and a lot of fun to read! I'm awful at describing plots, so I'll just say that there's a bit of everything in these books (in total it will be a series of 6 books, but only 3 have been published thus far.) Love triangles, mysteries, unexpected plot twists, good vs. evil, teenagers knowing more than their adult counterparts, mythical creatures. I'm not usually a fan of the fantasy genre, but these were based just enough in reality that I could easily handle it. Take elements from series like The Lightening Thief, Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and yes, even Twilight, and you've got a decent understanding of what to expect from this series. Highly recommended by me.

• Artists and songs I've been into lately:

Wakey!Wakey! – Light Outside, Almost Everything

Jeremy Messersmith – A Girl, a Boy, and a Graveyard

The Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition

Anya Marina – All the Same to Me

Jason Walker – Down

30 Seconds to Mars – Kings and Queens

Stateless – Bloodstream

Now it's your turn... got any book or music recommendations for me? Any suggestions for how I can escape those PTA gangsters? Should I publish a cookbook? Wanna text me? Is waiting around after a concert with the hope of meeting the artist really pathetic? And most importantly... do these jeans make me look fat?

(not me. imagine the above picture with someone 8 inches shorter and with a bigger bum)

If the shoe fits...

I have weird feet. Like, really odd and funny feet. You know those Bear Claw pastries? That's kind of what my feet look like. They are wide with short, stubby little toes. Growing up, my family used to tease me about my feet. I remember on several occasions having the entire family, my parents included, just sit and laugh while staring at my feet. They really are that amusing. Rather than go to therapy to uncover what kind of emotional scars I will carry with me to the grave because of the merciless foot mocking of my youth, how about I just write a blog post about them and then move on? Sounds like a plan.

In college, I had to see a podiatrist about some issues I was having with my feet. When he first looked at them, he snickered. I'm not kidding. A man who examines feet for a living laughed at mine. When he started to remark on the unusual webbing between my second and third toes, I nearly lost it. And so, six weeks before my wedding, I had a minor surgical procedure on both feet. Have you ever had a shot in the bottom of your foot? If not, I can tell you that it is just about the most painful experience I've ever endured. I would rather get an epidural in my spine than another shot in my foot.

I am no Imelda Marcos. Finding shoes that fit comfortably is a real chore which means that I own very few pairs of shoes, and when one pair wears out, I mourn the loss of it. Summer is my least favorite season because sandals are my nemesis. Any shoe that is designed to show off your foot is not a shoe for me. My goal is always to find a sandal that covers the greatest possible area of my foot while still passing as a sandal.

So, you know if you've read my previous posts that I reacquainted myself with my treadmill about a year ago. Turns out that when you exercise regularly, you need shoes that will hold up well. Naturally, I pulled out a pair of old shoes that my mother had worn for her daily walks before giving them to me. She is also blessed with wide feet, you see. Thus, I started my daily exercise routine in a pair of hand-me-down, already worn out shoes. After several months, those shoes were hurting my feet and so I replaced them with a second pair of my mom's cast-offs. Then, about a month ago, I jumped off the treadmill after a workout to discover that I had blood on my sock. Yup, my crappy, ill-fitting, hand-me-down shoes had abused my feet so badly that they were actually bleeding. When Scott saw the pathetic state of my blistered, callused, bloody feet, he begged me -- begged me -- to go buy myself some decent exercise shoes. As much as I hate shoe shopping, after a year of exercising in cruddy shoes, I had to admit that Scott was right (it happens so rarely) and it was time to get some real shoes.

It was with no small amount of trepidation that I entered a shoe store designed for runners/exercisers. I couldn't help feeling like a fraud, despite the friendly salesperson who was eager to help. He asked me a bunch of questions about my exercise regimen, and I slowly began to feel like maybe I belonged there in that store.

Eager-to-please salesguy: "How many miles do you log each week?"

Me: "Hmmm. Well, I hit the treadmill about 4-5 times a week and do about 5 miles each time, so..."

Eager-to-please salesguy: "Alright, so about 20-25 miles a week."

Me: (thinking) Huh. I never thought about that before. Go me!

He explained their three-step system for determining what shoe will fit you best. First, he asked me to remove my sandals so he could measure my feet. Ugh. I suppose I could have predicted that I would have to expose my feet, but it didn't make it any easier when the time came to actually do it. Eager-to-please sales guy managed to maintain his composure after my shoes came off. I placed each foot into a measuring device that he had to tweak and adjust in order to accommodate my mammoth bear claws. At one point he touched my foot and it took all I had not to shout, "Ewww. Don't touch! Don't Touch!"

Eager-to-please salesguy: "What shoe size do you normally wear?"

Me: "7 1/2"

Eager-to-please salesguy: "Yeah, your feet measure at 6 1/2"

Me: "Hmmm. That explains a lot."

Basically, I'd spent the last year exercising in old, worn-out, too-big shoes. Nice. Step two of the three-step shoe fitting process required me to stand on a scanner for a full foot scan, the results of which appeared on a giant monitor in the middle of the store. How fortunate that I was able to examine the thermal patterns and pressure points of my feet in full-color and in plain view of everyone in the store! The salesguy was telling me all about what each shade of color represented, but all I could think was Get my feet off the screen! Get my feet off the screen! I should mention that I brought socks with me for when it was time to try on shoes, and after each step I would ask the salesguy if it was time for me to put on my socks -- so desperate was I to cover my feet. Finally he just had to reply with "No, I'm afraid you're going to have to stay barefoot a little longer." Because there was still one more step... and it was my worst nightmare, but it was no dream.

Step 3: Run, barefoot, on a treadmill while being recorded by a video camera so it can be watched in slow-motion on a giant monitor.

And so I ran, on a treadmill, in bare feet, while being recorded so that we could later watch it on a giant screen in slow-motion and evaluate my foot weaknesses. What happened next is kind-of a blur. I remember the salesguy using big fancy foot words like "pronation" but to be honest, I didn't hear most of what he was saying about arch support, etc. because I was completely transfixed and mortified by the giant image being broadcast across the store of my feet slowly thump thump thumping along on the treadmill.

Eager-to-please salesguy: "It's time to start trying on some shoes."

Me: (relieved) "Great! I'll just put on the socks I brought."

Eager-to-please salesguy: "Actually, I noticed that you have cotton socks. We don't allow cotton socks in our store."

Me: (dumbfounded and slightly amused) "You don't allow cotton socks in your store?"

Eager-to-please salesguy: "Nope, I'm afraid not. You can wear some of our specially designed moisture wicking running socks to try on our shoes."

Me: "Um, okay."

I overcame the sense of shame that had befallen me for bringing unwelcome cotton socks into the store because I was too curious and had to know why they are shunned. Apparently, according to eager-to-please salesguy, cotton socks are pretty much the worst kind of sock you can wear for exercise. So, not only had I been running in old, worn out, too big shoes, but I'd been wearing the wrong kind of socks to boot!

Anyway, I started to try on shoes (they had wide sizes -- yay!) and discovered something remarkable: if they are the right size and well designed, running shoes can actually feel really good on your feet. Go figure! I tried on several pairs, hopped around in them, declined an offer to jump back on the treadmill to try them out, and in no time at all, found a pair that fit like a glove. $150 later, I left the store with a spiffy pair of brand-new shoes, arch-supporting insoles, and several pairs of moisture wicking super fancy socks!

I was really excited to jump on the treadmill that evening and try them out. The store has a 90-day return-for-any-reason policy, so I was determined to see if these shoes were really that much better than what I'd been using... and they totally are! Holy cow! Now, when I exercise, it feels great! My feet don't ache, my legs don't hurt, I feel like I'm just bouncing along. It's awesome! I'm not generally a proponent of idolatry, but I worship these shoes. Aren't they pretty?

So, to all of you who are currently exercising in a pair of your mom's old sneakers (I can't be the only one, can I? Can I?) may I recommend that you follow my ground-breaking example and invest in a pair of new shoes that fit well? You won't be sorry. And your feet will no longer bleed. What more reason do you need, really?

p.s. One benefit of writing this post is that I'll soon be able to tell who all of my blog lurkers are. You'll reveal yourself when, next we meet, you are stifling giggles or recoiling in horror as you stare at my feet.

On Motherhood

It's lunchtime around here, which today went something like this:

Make kids lunch: The latest request from my kids is a bread, butter and jelly sandwich. I don't know what peanut butter did to deserve such a profound rejection, but for my kids at least, PB isn't invited to J's party. Add to the plate some cheetos (because I'm a 'fun mom!' who does things like that), and give the boy a yogurt, as he has a massive addiction to dairy products. Take drink orders by stating "water or milk?" and then wait the 0.3 seconds it takes for child #1 to ask for lemonade. Get everyone settled at the table, have kid #2 say a prayer to bless the food, during which kid #3 shouts out what should be included, "bless the water!"

Make myself lunch: Return to the counter to fix myself a sandwich--not jelly & butter. Barely finish putting the last piece of homegrown lettuce (so good!) on my perfect looking sandwich when the boy calls out "uh-oh, spill!" Abandon my untouched sandwich to marvel at how a boy with a bib on managed to get half his yogurt on his shirt. Start walking towards my sandwich when child #2 asks for more milk. Get her more milk, eye my sandwich lovingly as I approach it, and hear child #1 asking for more cheetos. Spend the next minute or so explaining how one serving of cheetos is enough, while my sandwich grows impatient and threatens to eat itself. Finally sit down to take a bite of my amazing sandwich, when the boy decides he's done and begins to leave the table with cheeto fingers. Leap up to wet-paper-towel the fingers, notice child #2 is finished, ask her to carry her plate over to the sink, realize I wasn't specific enough when only her plate, not her cup or napkin, makes it's way off the table. Sit down to eat another bite while fending off more pleas for cheetos from child #1 who at this moment is clearly dying of starvation. Convince her the begging is futile, get her to clear her dishes, and finally manage to snarf down my sandwich before wrangling the boy into his crib for a much needed nap:

"Time for a nap."

"Why?" (his new favorite question)

"Because you're cranky and mommy's cranky and we'll both be less cranky if you have a nap."

"Okay."

If I were a "mommy blogger" this would be the part where I say I'm so blessed to be a mom and I love every minute of it! While that first part is absolutely true, the last part is a lie every mother tells herself. You love your kids. You love being a mom. But you don't love, you can't love, some of the unpleasant, inconvenient parts of motherhood. There's no love for the puddle of mystery pee in the powder room that all of your kids deny any knowledge of. There's no love for vomit on the carpet or bruises inflicted by a hard toddler skull cracking against mommy's face (remind me to tell you about that sometime).

I love my kids. I am so grateful that they're mine and that they appear to have fewer faults than I do. I wish I could be one of those perpetually perky parents who finds joy in mundane mothering tasks. But, I don't know... maybe we'd all be better off if we admitted to each other that occasionally, from time to time, every once in awhile, parenting isn't fun. So, here I am, putting it out there:

Motherhood is a blessing. Motherhood teaches you how to be unselfish (it forces you to be unselfish, if we're being completely honest). Motherhood has so many rewards, like the daily hugs, and smiles, and "I love you's". But it is HARD. And sometimes, when you run out of patience or make a bad parenting decision, you really do feel like a failure.

It helps to realize that even though I had to meet everyone's needs before my own, that sandwich still tasted great. (Can you tell how much I liked my sandwich?) Maybe that's the lesson I needed to learn today.

2 weeks, 2 concerts

After a decade of deprivation, my concert-going drought ended a few weeks ago when I attended not one, but TWO amazing concerts. The artists (and the shows) could not have been more different, but I loved them both—and, in an effort not to forget the good times that were had, I will now devote the rest of this post to describing the highlights of each night.

First up... Michael Bublé!

The thing about buying tickets to a show in an arena that you've never been to before is that you really can't tell from a seating chart what your seats will be like. I was very pleasantly surprised to discover that our seats weren't awful. Seated next to me were four 40-something Canadian ladies who had come to Chicago for the weekend just to see the show. They were actually really nice and considerate, talked hockey with us (I fudged my way through that conversation), and weren't even obnoxious after their fourth or fifth beer. That's one thing I'd forgotten about at concerts—holy crud there's a lot of booze. And when people drink they soon after have to pee, which explains why there was a constant stream (pun intended) of folks headed up and down the aisle all evening. But we didn't care!


Some highlights:

• The opening act, Naturally 7, was a really incredible a cappella group. The way they could manipulate their voices to mimic instruments like harmonicas and drums was impressive. Even Scott, who sang with an a cappella group in college, approved.




• Bublé mentioned Team Canada's gold medal , and when members of the crowd began to "boo" he yelled "Suck it, Chicago!" He then went on to joke about how Americans must get so bored following the medal count during the Olympics, since we always lead it. :)


• Half way through the show some random woman in the audience interrupted Michael while he was talking by shouting at him. He ripped into her and it was hilarious. "I don't come down to the 7-11 where you work and interrupt you!" So funny!


• He opened with "Cry Me a River" and at the end of the song there were some pyrotechnics. Later he said something like, "Did you like the fireworks? Good. That stuff (only he didn't say stuff) was expensive!"


• He mentioned how he got engaged recently and indicated that the ring he's wearing on his left ring finger is something men do in his fiance's Argentinian culture, "At least, that's what she tells me."


• He sang a few of my favorites, like "Everything," "Home," and "Feeling Good." When he sang "Me and Mrs. Jones" the cute woman next to me who was celebrating her birthday, was so excited. Her last name is Jones, and that song, she felt, was meant for her. :)

At one point he came off the stage and walked through the audience, mounted a "b-stage" directly in front of us, and sang a song or two there. He started to sing Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" and then deadpanned "I wish I wrote that song."

He closed the show with "Song for You," which is a beautiful song that he makes amazing by lowering the microphone for the last part and just belting it out. So incredible!


(Our seats were not nearly this good. I just poached this video from youtube.)

We had a wonderful time. The crowd was really diverse, a mixture of young and old. People watching was a joy. We hit the jackpot when we spotted a Kim Kardashian wannabe, wearing what I can only describe as a slutty prom dress, accompanied by a man twice her age who was definitely not her father. Wish I'd snuck a picture. We have vowed to go back the next time he swings through town, so it seems I won't have to wait another decade to attend my next concert.

And now... John Mayer:

To say that the John Mayer concert and the Michael Bublé concert were like night and day would be an understatement. The crowd was younger, the music was louder, the venue was bigger, and the vibe was hip-er. I loved every minute of it! Scott was really not interested in seeing John Mayer live. Though he likes his music, Scott really isn't much of a concert-goer in general. Thankfully, I got four tickets and we brought friends along!

Karin and Joe made the night super fun! We wandered through the United Center before the show began, then took our seats and listened to the earsplitting opening act, Michael Franti and Spearhead. At one point, Michael Franti came singing through the audience, stopped directly in front of us, noticed that we weren't screaming like idiots, then turned around and went the other direction. I would've taken a picture but I didn't want to bother turning on my camera. Besides, he was really sweaty and I was more concerned with not getting wet.

At some point during the evening, we invented a game called “slut bug”—our own version of “slug bug” where every time a really scantily clad girl walked by we punched each other. There was a lot of punching going on—girls seem to really like getting dressed up for John Mayer. It's fun to imagine what they are thinking when they're getting ready for the concert: "Maybe if I wear this sequined halter top and flail around like a lunatic, John Mayer will notice me!"

Other highlights:

• Some fool proposed to his girlfriend onstage during the opening act. If Scott had done that, I would have said no.


• During Michael Franti's final song, he invited pretty much whoever felt like it to come up onstage. In addition to hordes of skanky girls, there were these guys running around the stage in masks and capes looking ridiculous. A few days later I found out that it was actually John Mayer and some of his bandmates dressed in disguise. It wouldn't have induced me to go up onstage, but still...


• John Mayer and his band were amazing. So fantastic! He played many of my favorite songs, like Assassin, Free Fallin', Good Love is on the Way, and Stop this Train. There was no "Your Body is a Wonderland," which was FINE with me. It was the last night of the tour, and everyone on stage seemed to want to end strong. The concert was delightfully long, with John Mayer coming on at 9:30 and ending close to midnight.


• During "Half of My Heart," after Mayer sang the lyrics "Made a plan to stay the man who could only love himself" he added "And how's that working out for you, man? Crappy! (only he didn't say crappy)" which, from what little I know about his personal life, seems to be true.


• Mayer talked about how much he was looking forward to returning home to LA, which prompted the audience to "boo!" He went on to have this little exchange with the crowd: "You're booing me because I'm going home? I can't wait to be home! It's gonna be awesome. [More booing] What just happened here? This is great. Actually, this is essential to a passionate relationship... A little bit of grit... How am I going to bring you back? How can I possibly get back what we had about 35 seconds ago?"


• In addition to Free Fallin', he covered parts of Homeward Bound and Don't Stop Believin', which I'm fairly certain were the songs Scott recognized the most all night.


• We tried not to mock the teenage girls sitting next to us who spent the entire time inadvertently blocking our view and/or texting.

I remember going to a Dave Matthews Band concert once where he essentially ignored the audience and jammed incessantly after each song. I must admit I had feared that John Mayer might do the same. I was grateful he didn't ignore the 17,000 of us who came to hear him play. His interactions with his band and the crowd were perfect.

So, a big thanks to Michael Bublé and John Mayer for bringing me out of retirement—I’m a born-again concert-goer because of them. And thanks to my sweetie for allowing me to drag him along. I think our next big night out will be one of his choosing. Maybe a night at the Lyric Opera? I'll keep you posted!

The Candidates

I know you've been eagerly awaiting the announcement of my new celebrity boyfriend. I broke up with my last one because it turns out he's a lying, cheating sleazebag. Now, I will freely admit that there are times when I find arrogance attractive, but not from someone who claims to be a family man but is really just a massive idiot.

So I need a new celebrity crush. Why, you ask, don't I just promote one of the other men from my original list to the #1 slot? Frankly, because I don't want to. I like them where they are. Plus, I'm fickle, and whoever becomes the new #1 might not stay there forever, but my adoration for Josh and Zac is unwavering (for now).

Here are some of the men I've been considering for the title of Rebecca's New Celebrity Boyfriend:

Jude Law - His qualifications include the fact that he is British and completely dashing. He's definitely had some of his own struggles with fidelity in the past, but I have to admit that I like him in that "reformed bad boy" kind of way. Plus, have you seen The Holiday? I dare you to watch that movie and not come away from it with a crush on him.

Joel McHale - I like guys who are funny, and this guy is really funny. Not like Jim Carrey "hey-everybody-look-at-me-'cuz-I'm-so-funny" funny, but sarcastic, witty, observational humor funny. He's also really handsome. Add to that the fact that he is a devoted husband and father, and that's enough to make him a celebrity boyfriend candidate.

Ian Somerhalder - I could never watch anything beyond the pilot episode of Lost because I'm a total wimp and it was kind-of scary, but apparently Ian was once a cast member on that show. I love him because he plays "sexy brooding vampire guy" (also known as Damon) on The Vampire Diaries, my new favorite guilty pleasure TV show. He's like a younger version of Rob Lowe. It totally works for me.

Hugh Dancy - Another suave Brit to consider. Loved him in Confessions of a Shopaholic, The Jane Austen Book Club, and the fantastic period drama, Daniel Deronda. He seems like a nice guy, is married to the super classy Claire Daines, and did I mention he has a sexy accent? Definitely a contender.

David Anders - Have you heard of him? If you used to watch Alias, you know him as Julian Sark, the most appealing villain ever. If you've never seen Alias, I insist you Netflix season 1 immediately. You won't regret it. To be honest, I don't know much about David Anders. I know that despite his flawless British accent (there I go again) on Alias, he's actually from Oregon. I know he's going to be guest starring on Vampire Diaries soon. The truth is, sometimes the less I know about a celebrity, the more I like him. Does that make sense? It's easier not to get disappointed by a celebrity crush who isn't super famous and hounded by gossip. Like this next guy...

John Mayer - Ugh. I know I shouldn't like him... I know he's wrong for me... I know at some point he'll let me down... But I can't help it. I really like John Mayer. I like his musical talent and his insane guitar skills. I like his songs. I like to avoid reading interviews he's given so as not to tarnish my own idea of who he is and what he's about. I'm not sure he could ever really be my celebrity boyfriend, though. As much as I'd like to think that I could be the imaginary girl who could hypothetically change him, he is probably destined to forever be one of those famous people who has it all but really has nothing.

So, those are the options. Do you have an opinion? Tell me what you think. Oh, and if you're ever looking for a way to waste an entire afternoon, go ahead and do google image searches of all your favorite celebrities. Guaranteed to kill hours on end.

**a note: I know all I ever do is post about useless stuff like famous people who are hot. Sorry. I guess you'll just have to have a real conversation with me sometime if you'd like proof that I'm not a total lunatic.

2010: My (self-declared) year of fun!!!

So, the past few years have been... challenging. Challenging because I somehow managed to fade into the background of my own life, consumed with duties, responsibilities, obligations – all those things which, if you know me at all, you know are the core of my existence. Rules, boundaries, control, responsibility – who would I be without them?

[An aside: my mom asked me the other day why these traits weren't evident while I was in high school. I wish I knew the answer. Sorry I was a rebellious teenager, Mom. I think I've made up for it, though.]

Anyhoo, while I am not prepared to entirely abandon my sense of duty, I have decided that this year will be decidedly more fun. I'm going to do some things I haven't done in a long time, and I'm going to give up some things that aren't enjoyable or necessary.

Here's what I've got planned...

Laugh more
Sing and dance
Avoid chaos
Live vicariously
Get fit


This very weekend I begin my quest to laugh more. Ever heard of Jim Gaffigan? He makes me laugh. A lot. Which is why Santa conveniently put two tickets to a Jim Gaffigan show in Scott's stocking. Friday night we'll be laughing our bums off as we listen to Gaffigan's musings about ordinary things. Here's some of what he does best:



To top it off, we've hired capable people to stay with our kids so we can spend the night in the city. You know what that means right? I GET TO SLEEP IN!!! Bliss. I'm practically giddy already.

Pretty much the only way you'll see me sing and dance in public is if I am accompanied by thousands of other people doing the same thing. If you've read this post then you know that I was at one time a frequent concert-goer. But sadly, it has been over 10 years since the last concert I attended. But this year, that's gonna change! Because, you see, I am going to not one, but TWO concerts!!! First I'll sing and swing with this guy:



And two weeks later, I get to jam with this guy:



Michael Buble and John Mayer, you will be contributing to my fun this year. I am sooooo excited!!! There is nothing quite like seeing an artist you love perform live.

In an effort to avoid chaos and simplify my life, I have decided to abandon the kids' friend birthday parties this year. They cost too much, are a pain to plan, gifts received are just more junk to clutter up my house, and I just don't want to deal with it during my year o' fun. That sounded a little whiny, didn't it? Sorry about that. Anyway, my girls have been prepared and I'll make their birthdays super special regardless, but a year without invitations and party favors sounds heavenly.

One of my favorite aspects of parenting is the chance I get to live vicariously through my children when they experience something for the first time. Which is why it will be fun when my Mom comes to visit at the end of February and we take the girls to the American Girl store. Or when, at the end of March, my sister and niece come to visit and we take them all to see Beauty and the Beast. The look on my girls faces when we took them to see Wicked was priceless. So much wonder, so much fun!



You know what else is fun? Buying a new pair of jeans in a smaller size. That mild obsession with exercise I was telling you about the last time I felt inclined to blog... well, it's still going. Reality set in about 6 months ago when it occurred to me that my toddler was 2 years old and "baby weight" was sounding more and more like a lame excuse. So now in an effort to get fit I exercise, track what I eat, and watch as my clothes slowly get baggier. I feel great, though I'd love to know why my bra is now the loosest article of clothing I own. Losing boob weight is a side effect I could do without. ;-)

So, that's what my "year of fun" looks like so far. I think I'll be a better wife and mother if I can regain some of what I feel like I lost along the way these past few years. Honestly, I just like having some things to look forward to.

What are you looking forward to in 2010?