confessions of an iPod widow

Let me begin by saying that I believe I am, in fact, married to the best of the best. We two are truly one and I am fortunate to be forever attached to him. I really don't believe I could function without him and this is not at all sarcastic. I rely on him in every way.

He is, also, probably the funniest person I know. While I am wound fairly tight most of the time, he is constantly loose. And while this drives me crazy sometimes, it is exactly what I need. And, it makes for some fun entertainment for our friends, so we've been told. I believe Jimmy is even more funny when he is home around me and the kids, he doesn't just put it on for other people. I feel blessed to get to see him ALL the time. (And I get to see ALL of him all the time, since his uniform at home is boxer shorts.)

This week, after months (probably years) of wanting one, he ordered an iPod. He called me from work, while on line tracking it's progress, to tell me it would be arriving and that I should open it and charge it right away. He was very excited, to say the least.

Now, I hope I've made it completely clear how much I love this man. But sometimes, he has issues when it comes to hearing what I say and, if necessary, responding to it with some sort of action. It's not his fault, he just forgets. But still, I have spoken and my request has fallen on deaf ears. I have learned not to get my feelings hurt but when you wake up to stinky trash when you specifically asked your man to take it out and he responded with "no problem, babe" you do question, in that moment, how much of his "babe" you really are.

Back to the iPod. That night after the kids were in bed he began to load it full of songs. After putting enough metal and U2 on it to satisfy, he strutted around the house (in boxers, of course) dancing along and shaking it in every sort of way. Very proud and excited about his toy. I was cracking up, but not TOO much. He doesn't need an excessive amount of encouragement. This went on most of the evening, and every once in a while I would call out to him with a comment or question about what I was doing. Guess what? He didn't hear me. At all. I didn't even get a "no problem, babe." In this moment I thought, "Now he REALLY can't hear me. What does this mean for me?"

My husband calls some of our female friends "computer widows" because their husbands spend so much time using their computers. He is, of course, joking but I am going to refer to myself now as the iPod widow because today, I caught him attempting to watch a football game, play a video game, and listen to his iPod all at the same time. I just shook my head. This is a man who I claim can't do more than one thing at a time. Except drive and use an iPod. Which he hasn't proven yet! :-)

Props to Jimmy for making me laugh. And I bet he made you laugh, too.

"Challenge for our Superfriends"

We just cut up the pumpkin tonight and wanted to issue a challenge to all you creative people. Can you beat the Man of Steel??? Do you have what it takes? Post it on your blog and let us know. Briiing it!!!

Hal---OOps! Pumpkin Time!

Well yesterday the J's went to their annual pumpkin find and picture shoot. The finding is easier than the shooting. As the kids seemed more interested in the million kids running around than Mom's camera lens. We went to the pumpkin patch on the corner of John Knox and Meridian. That church does it right. Many nice pumpkins along with Fall creations and even a large as life Mr. Potato Head ( Seen above). Libby seemed to get it more this year. I love watching the kids at each holiday seeing how much more they understand about it. Jackson is the old pro and Cash of course no clue. Enjoy!

I heart New York

I should be cleaning and organizing but I wanted to add a few more pictures and thoughts about the city before I forget. My grandmother tells a story about going to a big city with her family when she was a child. Detroit, I think. It was quite an adventure and a big event in her life. I think I will tell my grandchildren about my voyage. The city holds in itself opportunity and excitement. But, also, dirt, grime, and corruption. Kind of like me. I am just a jar of clay with a treasure inside.

Enough deep stuff. Time for pictures. This is Jimmy and Cash at the Hard Rock Cafe. We figured we'd start him on the rock music early. And a self portrait of me with the Lady. Jackson still forgets and calls her the "Statue Delivery." And lastly, our baby girl, who wore her "heart" shirt for about 24 hours after we got home. Once she added the shoes, I had to take a picture. For more pictures, you'll have to come visit. We have a friendship, not a blogship.

in New York, out of time

Well. I've been wanting to blog while here in NYC but we forgot our password. It took us a while to figure it out. Anyway, we're getting ready to make our trek to the airport in about an hour, and, while I'm not feeling especially poignant, I'm going to try and sum up our trip and post a few pictures.

First of all, a few observations. People ride the subway in their sleep. It's very interesting. Almost everyone in New York has white cords coming out of their ears. The strollers people push around here cost more than my first car. Whenever you feel hungry and you're a tourist, expect at least two hours of talking about it and walking before you actually get to eat. Consider it a treat if you get to see a woman reach out and touch a sculpture in the MET, because you get to hear the beeping sound and feel the pounce of the security people. Be prepared: If you want to ascend into the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, you must first be stripped of all your possessions, food, and water, put through a full body scan, and stand in line for approximately 90 minutes. (But personally, I thought the Lady was worth it.)

Things we saw:
Empire State Building
NY Public Library
Squares: Times, Washington, Union
Museum of Modern Art
the MET
World Trade Center Site
NYACK College
Central Park
Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island

Things we did:
Enjoyed time with family (Gary and Sharon) and friends (Robin and Jamie)
Ate at the Hard Rock Cafe
Browsed Toys R Us (it's like an amusement park)
Got lost on the Subway
Lost and Recovered our Luggage
Played some nasty Catan
Walked, walked, walked

(and, for all you moms out there...)
Places I breastfed (to name a few):
The airplane
The MET
the bathroom of the MOMA
the mens section of a shoe store
Washington Square park
the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty
a ferry boat (twice!)
the Hard Rock Cafe (while eating, thank you very much)

We have had a great time. We are tired. I've discovered what can cure me of my night owl disease...Walk around Manhattan for six hours a day! Whew!