random thoughts:

* we have a new dishwasher. cuz the old one broke is why. it only worked if you wedged a butter knife into the latch, and that seemed a little kooky to me. (Ed. Weds. a.m. to say: The one that was just installed, however, doesn’t work at all. Sears is reportedly coming back out tomorrow. Am now consigning myself to the Zen of washing dishes by hand. It’s OK.)

* I finally got a Facebook page. Whatever. Whatever Facebook, I think you’re a little clunky is all.

* I worked out 2 days in a row. Woooooo-hoooooooooooooooooo!!!!

* so far 3 of my old friends and none of my ex’s have found me on Facebook. Woooooooo-hoooooooooooooooooooo!!!

* I am confused because Hockey God has been playing a song on the piano called “On the Lagoon” but it sounds like “Que Sera, Sera.” So whenever I hear him, I keep expecting him to bust out with, “When I was just/a little girl/I asked my mother/what will I be?” But he never does.

* Dinner? I’m thinking pizza, too, how did you know?

* That’s it.

xxox

wm

“Triolet on a Line Apocryphally Attributed to Martin Luther”

— A.E. Stallings

Man, no one loves Randy Travis like my grandma, my late grandpa and me. So imagine my joy when Hockey God sent me this:

“I know every engineer
on every train
all of their children
and all of their names
and every handout
in every town
and every lock that ain’t locked
when no one’s around…”

Sign here to show your support for making March 31st a national holiday in honor of the late Cesar E. Chavez.

Michael: “Why do you have a diary?”
Dwight: “I keep secrets from my computer.”

I’ve kept a diary since I was nine years old. That’s right, Internets. I don’t tell you everything. But since I’ve started my blog, the diary hasn’t been put to as much use as it could be. Why write it down when I can type it up? But. But, but, but… lately I’ve been scribbling for pages on end. It is very fun, therapeutic and sprawling and a little weird, because when I’ve finished a volume I just toss it into the closet and what’s the point? There is no point, that’s the point.

“If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him.” (You ever heard that one before?)

There are some things I don’t want to blog. Alternately, there are some things I don’t want to commit to a diary.

There is a lot to say, much of it boring, but I don’t care. Some of it is worth keeping. You can skip the entry; my kids can toss the diaries into the recycling bin after I’m gone. Whatever. I like having some different spots to stash it all.

Grandma update: She is almost 89 and feels like hell. Questions? I love her. Her cookbook… still a work in progress, but we’ve almost figured out all the details.

If you have a recipe, e-mail it to me and I’ll include it.

Hockey God and Wacky Girl: at a hockey game.

Wacky Boy: keeping busy with scotch tape. Refusing to change into pajamas, refusing to put away laundry, refusing to pick out clothes for tomorrow. Typical.

Wacky Mommy: Tell it like it are… would you? Ha ha ha ha HA! Well. It’s spring here and I’m glad about that. The crocus, daffodils, daphne, all are blooming and beautiful. We’re seeing a lot of people, in raincoats, strolling by with their dogs, who are also in raincoats. That’s kinda funny.

I’ve been studying some and reading fiction a whole lot and drinking not enough tea and way too much coffee. If I could limit myself to just three cups of coffee a day I would be happy but damn. I like my java. Trying not to watch too much TV, but I think this is the best season ever for “Friday Night Lights” and it is irresistible to me. Also loving “Brothers & Sisters” jesus god please help us, because if you had ever told me I would like a show starring Calista Flockhart I would have said HAR HAR HAR to you.

Also, Wacky Boy and I went to see “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” today and it turned out to be a kinda subversive little movie. That was unexpected. I liked that.

All for now.

xxox

wm

…on the Today Show.

(PS — her book tour stops at Powell’s in Portland, Ore. on March 30th.) (Yay.)

One day, long, long ago, there lived a woman who did not whine, nag, or bitch.

The End

(That was courtesy of Zip.)

Listen, my friends, if you are still out there, that is? Are you there? ?Si o no? It was a rough day today. It has been a rough few months, I think you have probably already figured this out. I cannot give details. But I will tell you this… I am lucky to have you, and I am blessed to still have my grandma. How many of us can say this, once we hit our forties?

I am 44, my grandma is 88. I called her on our last birthdays (they’re a week apart) and told her, You are double my age! She thought that was hiiiiii-larious. I love my granny for a lot of reasons, but the number one reason is 1) she will always talk about my cousin with me, when I am missing him and the second reason I love her so is 2) she’s zany.

It is tough seeing her down and not feeling well and not hardly zany at all. I am not feeling very zany, either. I cry all the time now, from stress, from my grandma being sick, from this flu/cold thing that won’t leave. Because right now everything makes sense and nothing makes sense.

It looks like my family leave will be approved (for 12 weeks, unpaid except for the first bit of it), and that’s about the only good thing I can say for today. Not true — L took me out for lunch. We had soup and lattes. And she gave me two books! (Nothing says “love” to a librarian like books.) I fixed manicotti and broccoli for dinner, that was good. I mean — fake it til you make it with this motherhood thing, eh? The kids worked on homework and piano and they worked extra hard on “being kids” which is where they shine the brightest. Now I’m going to watch Jeopardy with my husband and try to not be distracted.

I have a couple of little projects I’m working on. I’m also working on the big project of finishing my Grandma’s cookbook that I started way back when — it’s almost ready for production (ie — Hockey God will take over).

Mom and I went out to see Grandma today — she was sick all morning, after having an okay day yesterday. She slept most of the afternoon. That is good, she needs her rest. And when she’s sleeping, she’s not throwing up. The nausea is doing her in. (The doctors are trying to figure it out — I’m blaming the Ativan, which is supposed to help with nausea but sometimes has the opposite effect.)

I have never seen my Grandma sleep. Ever. She goes, goes, goes. She looked just like an angel, and that was too intense because… I’m not ready for her to be an angel. I want her to keep on being wild and out-of-control and stirring up trouble.

It never occurred to me until today that my Grandma might stop being wild someday.

Please keep sending her good thoughts, would you? I don’t want her to be hurting. I don’t know when we’ll feel zany around here again, but it will be a long while, is my guess.

A hybrid model of learning? What do you think? Go comment, if you are so inclined.

Not as much for me as it does for my Granny, who is convinced she will die soon, go to Heaven (her heaven is Capitalized), find my Grandpa, slap him silly for being the one to die first and leave her, and then start a new family with him.

Presumably so their babies will be cuter this time around.

(Just kidding. My mom is adorable.)

Hmm.

Do you have any thoughts on Heaven? Or Hell?

Please share.

wm

After a slammin’ great season, my beloved Lady Demos (shown here last season) lost tonight to Willamette at the University of Portland. The Nekkid Neighbors and I would like you to join us in a few moments of mourning.

Ready?

Thank you.

We love you, Demos. Thanks for playing so hard.