February Pointless Lists

February 29!  Well, there's something you don't get to write every day.  Since I'm pretty sure Feb. 29 doesn't really exist (even though Eric says it HAS to exist or the months and their corresponding seasons would get all messed up--wow, science is boring), I was hoping that today would be a freebie of sorts, where all kinds of awesome stuff happened.  Like maybe leprechauns would bring me coffee and doughnuts.  Instead, it was the same old damn day I've been having for the past two weeks.  I think Bill Murray needs to look into doing a movie about THAT.

Great.  More snow.  Thanks, February 29!

If I had to sum up February in a word, it would be "freezing."  I can't remember the last time I was actually warm.  I'm thinking wistfully of summer and the garden I am going to have.  And the sandals I am going to wear.

All right.  Enough of that.  List time!

Books read:
My Seinfeld Year by Fred Stoller.  This is a Kindle Single, and a complete deal and a half at $1.99.  But then, I love Fred Stoller, so I cannot be trusted to be entirely unbiased.  I hope he takes these few chapters and turns them into a book--the parts about his childhood were particularly awesome.  I was a Seinfeld fan back in the day, but I didn't really care so much about that as just listening to this guy talk.  Um, you know what I mean.  He's hilarious.  Totally recommend this if you have a poser device like me.

Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins.  I LOVE THESE BOOKS.  I started them at the beginning of the month and plowed right through them.  I was going to be good and just read Abby's copies, but I found that I needed my own ebook versions because!  I just do!  So then I spent a week or so just reading my favorite parts, and now I'm rereading the entire series again.  Five stars.  Love, love, love.  They're wonderful, and horrible, and fascinating.  My only regret is that I didn't listen to Abby and read them sooner.  P.S. Abby and I cannot wait for the movie.  Midnight showing, anyone?  P.P.S. We're also Team Peeta, just in case anyone needs to know that sort of thing.  What?  I'm pretty sure it's not wrong of me to say that even if I am 39.

Movies watched:
None are coming to mind.  Well, I take that back.  We've been watching the entire Harry Potter series on DVD lately, except I myself haven't joined in to watch them all.  Sometimes I like to just listen while I play on the computer.  I'd rather read the books, that's why.  Come on, JK!  Release the ebooks already!

Something I never thought I'd hear in the shower:
"Hey Mom, this might be a bad time to ask this, but would you open this molasses for me?" --Abby

Things we learned:
Johanna learned about Empire penguins this month.  "No, really.  We're learning about six types of penguins," she's telling me now.  "You rock, penguins!"

Abby learned that she is too busy to answer my petty questions.  Wow.  I told you 12 is fun!

Eric cannot think of one single thing he's learned this month, and is going so far to say that he hates these types of questions.  Tough crowd tonight.

I learned that I should maybe not have this list header on my Pointless Lists posts.  I also learned that just because you have one weird week, there's no guarantee that the next week is going to be normal.  If anything, it'll probably be weirder.

I need some peace of mind

I invented a new drinking game yesterday.  Every time someone says "MOM," or asks me the same question they just asked three minutes ago, or steps on my toe, I take a drink.  Upside: You could totally get drunk in five minutes playing this game.  Downside: I don't actually drink anything stronger than coffee.  I have nothing against spirits, mind you, it's just that my stomach does.

See, Sunday was a family day.  We knew we were off to a winning start when Abby didn't even want to get into the car. But Johanna needed a new baseball mitt for her upcoming season (whoops, forgot she also needs shoes), so Eric and I were determined to persevere.  Even though we actually hate shopping.*

Because shopping is depressing, that's why.  All that junk.  All those people.

But Eric isn't one to pass up an opportunity, plus we really did need some stuff, so he spent the morning printing online coupons and planning our extravaganza.  We had some stops.  (Note the plural.  The girls sure did.)

Eric found coupons for Omeprazole (what should have cost $23 cost $15.  We got two by checking out separately), and for cheese (um, we got three of those utilizing Abby.  Five smacks for a two-pound brick.  Of good cheese, mind you, because cheap gross cheese is gross).  And he got 20% off of Johanna's mitt and 10% off some racquetball balls.  (That sounds wrong.)  I'm pretty sure he had other coupons, too, but whatever those were for, he must have deemed them unworthy.

Since we were out anyway, we attempted to go to the new brew shop, except it was closed.  Then we went into a furniture store because SOMEDAY I'm going to redo my living room, but it wasn't exactly filled with anything I couldn't live without.  Or, more to the point, what I felt I could live with.  But the girls found these electric massaging heated chairs, so that was a hit.  Jo asked if we could come back every year.  (Because that's about how often we get out, apparently.)

So of course our children, being themselves, had to fight at every turn, and call my name to tell on the other, and ask something I am pretty sure I'd already answered fifty times, and stand so close that every time I turned around, I was tripping over at least one of them.  The bells went off when I spied some mini-bottles of wine--in a six pack, no less--at the drug store.  Um, what?  Who buys this stuff?  People playing drinking games in need of portable beverage, that's who.  When your children are your drinking game, you need the convenience of that wine six pack.  (That's a marketing strategy for someone.  You're welcome!)

It's too bad I can't drink.  Small bottles of wine in a six pack.  What could possibly go wrong with that?

Eric says I should be "grateful" that the girls "want to be around me."  Because we all know in just five months Abby starts teenager-hood, and it's probably all downhill from there.  And I try, I really do.  But wow, I'm definitely enjoying my four hours of quiet this fine Monday morning, except Skilly is attempting to eat my knee cap, which isn't as much fun as you'd think it would be.  IT NEVER ENDS.

Skilly is a ninja.

P.S. Aside from our family shopping day, my weekend consisted of sleeping in, taking naps, and reading.  It. Was. Awesome.

*Okay, fine, I'll admit it, I have discovered I like clothes shopping just a little too much.  But we weren't clothes shopping.  I am willfully, mindfully not clothes shopping.  Until, you know, spring actually gets here...

Breaking Benjamin, Had Enough.  This song reminds me of shopping for some reason, even though the lyrics maybe point to just a really bad breakup.  Fun fact: This is one of the first songs I downloaded when I got my iPod.

But Friday never hesitate

FRIDAY.  Thank God.

This has been the craziest, busiest week I think I've ever had at work.  It's just been nuts.  I'm pretty sure there is something in the water, or maybe everyone has decided to take drugs.  Where's Nancy Reagan when you need her?  Just say no, people.  Or at least pretend to work with me.

And I've been trying to write about it for the past two days, but honestly, it's just coming out snarky and mean instead of whimsical and funny, and that's not how I want to remember this week.  Because I do not want to remember this week at all.

Well, not all of it has been bad, I guess.  I started the Occupy Trisha movement at work a couple of moths ago, and it's really catching on.  Lately I've been transcribing bits out of the 1912 archive for an upcoming special issue.  They were not so much into concise sentences in 1912.  Apparently they never had Mr. Dills for English.

And the girls have been most entertaining.  They've been trying to figure out what to give up for Lent.  Jo keeps changing hers.  First she was going to eat only healthy stuff for six weeks (um, Lent doesn't even last that long), and then she was going to give up technology, except not the iPad or the computer.  Which is all the technology she uses, just FYI. Now I think she's just giving up sitting down, so we're par for the course, really.  Abby is trying not to snack between meals unless it's a fruit or a veggie.  That's hard for a kid.  Oh, and no video games.  Or maybe she's limiting herself to 15 minutes a day?  I have a feeling the further we get into this ordeal, the more changes that will be made.

Did I mention I promised to take Johanna to Skate Night tonight?  Yeah, didn't think THAT one through.  Crowds of noisy children on wheels.  Good lord, HOW is that a good idea?  For anybody?

The Cure, Friday I'm in Love.  You know what I'm in love with?  Sleeping in on Saturday morning.  And Robert Smith still, a little bit.