The 2013 Gratitude List Extravaganza

Okay, here's my Top 100 Things I'm thankful for THIS year:
(In no particular order ... for the most part)

1. The Gospel of Jesus Christ.
   Without it, well, life would be just something to be endured, not ENJOYED.
   I'm glad that our God is a God of love ... and that He loves us so much that He knows that we are all worthwhile. And that we are able to have family relations that survive death.
   And that we're taught to love and respect everyone, regardless of how they choose to live their lives.
2. Michael ... Because he chooses to put up with me and my craziness.
   He's an awesome father, my bestest friend, and possessor of an amazing sense of humor.
   He's not put off by my bookish nature ... and he's fun to geek out with.
   My greatest wish is that everyone could have a spouse that is so awesome (for them. Because I'm not sharing.)
3. Bruise - Without my son, I'd not know how much fun it is to have boys.
   He's such a wonderful little man. And I'm so glad that he's such a wonderful namesake for two of his grandfathers. As much as I'd love to keep him around forever, I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of a man he turns out to be (Will he be a policeman? A LEGO MasterBuilder??).
4. Bucket - Even though she's so much like me (which means that she drives me a little loony, bless her), she's such her own person. And she's growing up so fast! What is up with that?? She does give me a definite run for my money ... and she makes me laugh. Again, I'm very curious to find out what she's like as an adult (Is she going to be a veterinarian? A fashion designer? A painter?). 
5. Bubbles - She's still such a wee, little thing now ... but full of personality. I'm looking forward to her starting to (consistently) use her words. Still, she's a fun little miss ... and being her mother is pretty fun.
6. Freyja-cat ... Because, as Michael found out, I'm not my happiest/best self without a cat in the house.
   She is a cat with some issues (Kitty Prozac prescription? Check!), but she is a sweet and patient kitty. And very soft. I'm glad that she's in our house.
7. My parents (and that includes Michael's folks, too) ... Seriously, what would I do without them?
   (I wouldn't be alive. I wouldn't be me. I wouldn't have an awesome Michael. ... I could go on.)
8. My siblings ... my one complaint is that I didn't get them until I was older (I got my stepsiblings when I was 16. And they're all older than I am) and my siblings-in-law when I was almost 20. 
9. I'm grateful for my body ... even though I gripe about it ... a lot. Overall, though, it can do lots of things. And I'm glad that it was in good enough shape when we went to Disneyland and LEGOland. If I had borked up my ankle six months earlier than I did, we'd have been hosed.
10. I'm grateful for my kids' teachers. They've been very blessed to have good teachers that love them and teach them well. I'm glad that they kept their Spanish teacher from last year ... and not just because she adores Bubbles (It's really because she responds quickly to emails. And I appreciate that.)
11. I'm glad that the kids have a good school with a principal who knows them (and us ... She can recognize us, even without Bruise and Bucket, at Costco. I was impressed!).
12. I'm grateful that we have a house and it's in a neighborhood that's safe and quiet enough for the kids to play outside. And there are other kids close by.
13. I'm grateful for electricity ... I would NOT make a good pioneer.
14. I'm thankful for a working dishwasher ... and a husband that unloads it.
15. I'm grateful for flannel sheets. Even though it makes getting OUT of bed a little bit harder.
16. Hightop sneakers ... So I can feel like I'm making an effort AND I have JUST a little extra support for that ankle of mine.
17. Netflix ... especially the streaming feature. Bubbles loves her some Daniel Tiger. ^_^
18. Chocolate.
    I mean, do I need to elaborate?
19. Ice cream.
    Again ... I don't think this needs any explanation.
20. Books. As an only child, books were my first siblings and friends. And they never change. And, if you have your own copies, your favorites are always there for you. And new books are full of promise and possibilities.
21. My phone ... I'm so lucky that Michael loves me enough to get me a smartphone. Because I need all the help I can get.
22. The internet ... because information is always just a few clicks away.
    And I can never be bored anymore.
23. That, even with how much I color it, my hair hasn't fallen out.
24. That I have all my teeth ... and I don't get too many cavities.
25. That I have great friends (Yes, you.) I appreciate that my friends help keep me aware that there are all types in the world. And they make me laugh. (Seriously, if you make me laugh, I already adore you. If you don't smile, I'm kind of intimidated/terrified. Please put me at ease and tell a joke. ^_^)
26. The temple (well, all of the temples), but especially MY temple (Portland, Oregon).
    I love knowing that I have BEAT death and that I get my family for forever.
    Now I just have to behave myself and be good.
27. Crayola crayons. The BIG box. You open that, take a whiff of the wax ... and you know that the world is your oyster. There's no limits to what you can color.
28. My Cozi calendar ... keeping me on schedule for a few years now. I don't know what I'd do without it.
29. Email/Facebook ... helping me stay in touch with people. I'm terrible at writing actual letters ... but I love email because I can send it any time and people can answer it at their leisure. Can you really do that with a phone call?
30. Those looms ... because I can't really crochet or knit (can't knit at all), but with these things, suddenly I'm a crafty little wizard!
31. Pool Noodles ... how else can one smack one's kids and not get in trouble?
32. Rooibos tea. I know, TECHNICALLY, like all herbal "teas," it's a tisane ... But it's good and lets me get my chai fix AND keep the Word of Wisdom! And I love that the local tea shop has quite a few blends of Rooibos tea. And they're all really good.
33. The fact that I live in a town with a tea shop and a movie theater and a Target. I didn't have that growing up. I hope that my kids realize how lucky they are. ^_^
34. Living in Oregon. I love it. Living here in the valley, we're only around an hour away from most things (bigger cities, historical sites, go west to the Coast, go east to the desert ... we live in a temperate rain forest. There are mountains near enough for sledding or hiking. ... There's a reason I've never wanted to live anywhere else. Besides nearly all of my family is here/near.)
35. Blogging. It's the best that I've done at keeping any kind of a diary/journal with any sort of regularity.
    I know that we're supposed to keep a journal/family history ... but I don't feel like an interesting person most of the time. I mean, I have my moments, don't get me wrong ... but JOURNALS are kind of intimidating. I don't think that my handwriting is THAT nice ... but blogging? Blogging is a little less pressure. Sure I've put all this out there for anyone to read (which is why there are nicknames and all), but ... well, it's just easier.
36. I can't forget my cousins ... and it's sad that I don't get to see most of them anywhere near as often as I'd like. (But that's what Facebook is for, right?)
37. Singing. It makes me happy ... even though I leave plenty of room for improvement.
38. Dancing ... though I don't do it all that much right now. But I enjoy it. I'd love to learn the tango. But Swing and Lindy-hop are so fun. 
39. Music in general (with a few exceptions. :P) ... I like music. It makes me happy.
40. Bunnies. The world would be a much sadder place without bunnies.
41. Aquariums. Because I like fish ... and I like watching fish.
42. Petting zoos ... because I can't own ALL the animals. But I can sure as heck work to cuddle as many as possible!!
43. Museums ... I really like museums. Especially OMSI. But I like learning and feeling like I'm NOT letting my brain atrophy.
44. I'm grateful that we have a living prophet who gives us counsel. Because Heavenly Father loves us enough to want us to return to Him. It's pretty awesome.
45. Cars. It's amazing that we don't have to walk or ride horses everywhere. And it doesn't take DAYS to drive across the state. 
46. Computers. Actually technology in general. I'm always boggled at how much information is out there and what we can use it all for (Seriously, they've managed to alter the DNA in HIV to target certain kinds of cancer. In kids! I mean ... we've taken this killer virus and figured out a way to use it for good. If we can do that with HIV, just think about what other awful things out there we can use as tools to make them do good stuff! I mean, we can use knives to kill people or to hunt and feed people. Or as scalpels and save lives. Yeah, I'm shutting up now.)
47. I'm glad that my kids aren't into Justin Bieber or Twilight or anything like that. YET.
48. I'm grateful that they're still at the age that the idea of kissing kids their age is beyond gross.
    And I love the faces they make when considering the possibility.
49. I'm often thankful that I still have a 12-year-old boy's sense of humor.
    Because the kids and I all think that poop jokes are HILARIOUS. It's a great bonding tool.
50. I'm grateful that my allergies are mostly seasonal and don't involve food in a life-threatening way (just a hella-annoying way. I miss eating raw apples, peaches, and almonds without having an itchy mouth throat).
51. Spellcheck.
52. Spiral-bound notebooks ... so I can tuck a pen into the "binding."
53. Inside jokes with friends ... It's always great to just be able to screech out a word or phrase and then burst out into gasping-for-breath-clutching-your-stomach laughter.
54. Not having much of a filter. I work so that I don't say anything mean ... but being unable to lie convincingly makes it a lot easier to be honest. So that's nice.
    And people tell me that I'm funny ... when I'm really just being totally honest. I guess it's unexpected or something.
55. Cherry Coke.
    Or Vanilla Coke.
56. Cheesecake.
57. Pictures of my kids ... and of my friends and family. And of places that I want to go.
    Seriously, cameras are really amazing when you think about it.
58. And, really, think about a USB stick ... you have a little THING that carries tons of pictures, music, or other files THAT FITS IN A POCKET. And we just take it for granted.
59. Lip gloss/balm. Because when my lips get chapped, I pick at them. And then they bleed and hurt. So I'm thankful for lip gloss.
60. Washable markers. And crayons. And finger paints.
    I'm a mom. Art supplies that are washable are DA BOMB.COM
61. Sharpies ... because I'm a mom, an Ed major, and the daughter of a teacher.
    Sharpies are a necessity.
62. Tape ... duct tape, Scotch tape/sellotape, masking tape, painters tape, electrical tape, plumbers tape ... we use tape in various varieties and amounts in this house.
    (I should try washi tape.)
63. Pinterest ... because I'd never think of half so many things to do.
    AND it lets me keep track of so many things on a webpage instead of having a million more bookmarks.
64. Growing up in a home that valued reading and education. It made going to college much easier ... because I never really considered NOT going to college (there was a little bit, but that was VERY shortlived. Because I was being stupid over a boy. And he didn't deserve it anyways.)
65. Online shopping ... so that I can find books that are out-of-print or shoes that aren't sold locally and I don't have to find a parking spot. Or get dressed.
66. Our water cooler ... because making a cup of hot tea (tisane, I know) has never been easier.
67. Online bill paying. Forgot to buy stamps? Not such a huge deal!
68. Amazon Prime ... because two-day shipping is pretty snazzy.
69. Scissors ... when used properly (not to give self-inflicted haircuts or cut my curtains), they're really great. Can you imagine wrapping a present using a knife?
70. Naps.
    Naps are wonderful.
71. Hot baths.
72. Clean bathrooms.
73. Bleach.
74. My neti pot ... I don't know how I survived without it.
75. Altoids.
76. Trivia games.
77. Washing machine and dryer.
78. Microwave!!!
79. Pizza delivery (or Chinese take-away that delivers)
80. Yellow curry with chicken.
81. French onion soup.
82. Broccoli, because eating little trees is fun. (And you can prepare it lots of ways.)
83. Paper towels ... how did people clean up vomit before they were invented??
84. General Conference.
85. Massages.
86. Play-doh ... except when the kids get it in the carpet. Oy.
87. Plumbing that works. Because it's BAD when it's not working.
88. Modern sewer systems. Enough said.
89. Clean water.
90. Freedoms of speech, religion, to vote, to possess guns, etc. ... Yeah, I'm grateful to be an American (though I do adore Canada, England, and Japan ... and a lot of other countries, but I don't know ALL that much about them. Yup, room to improve ... I haz it.)
91. That I was able to grow up close to most of my grandparents (I have a set in another state. And Grammy has passed, so I don't know her or Grampy as well as I could have. Or his second third wife ... she's better, though, with email, so that helps. ... My mom's folks divorced when she was young, so I grew up with THREE sets of grandfolks: Grandma (her mom) and Grandpa, Nana and Pop-pop (Dad's folks), and Grampy (Mom's dad) and Grammy.
    Since Grandma passed when I was 15, Christmas isn't quite the same ... We used to do Christmas Eve at Nana and Pop-pop's, then Christmas morning (or after church if it was a Sunday) with Grandma and Grandpa. Since Grandma (then Grandpa) and Pop-pop passed ... and Nana moved out of their old house, I REALLY miss my childhood Christmas traditions. ... I mean, yes, I'm married and have LOTS of stuff to do anyways ... but, well, I'm not the best with change, okay??
    But, AS I WAS SAYING in the first place, I have some great memories of visiting and hanging with my grandmothers and Pop-pop. I'd follow Pop-pop around in the garden. Or he'd let my cousins (S & D) or me "help" drive the tractor as we'd mow the lawn for a neighbor of theirs. I'd play with Nana (favorite little kid games were "Meghan and Sundance" [My Little Ponies], where I'd ride on her back and she'd complain that my mom's folks were younger ... why didn't they play that with me? :P and "Alvin's on the table" ... where I'd climb up on the kitchen table and yell that out and Nana'd call back, "Alvin! Get off the table!" ... Yeah, I was somewhat easy to amuse.
    Nana'd also, in the summer, fix me a bowl of strawberries from Pop-pop's garden, sprinkled with sugar and a splash of cream.
    At Grandma's house, I played outside by myself a bit. Watched the train go by or the neighbors' horses. She also had TONS of Disney story kits with a book and a cassette to listen to. I usually chose, to my best memory, Alice in Wonderland. There were also books and some stuffed animals to play with as well. When I grew older, she'd give me books -- especially as presents, since she was once a school librarian. Once, I helped her clean out her cupboards. She gave me one of the teacups that she collected (Sadly, tragically, it broke. I still am coming to grips with that).
    Because I treasure those memories of growing up and being able to visit (often) my grandfolks, I have been pretty adamant about living within driving distance of the kids' grandparents (and great-grands, when I can wing it ... Now, my Grampy still lives in another state, as does Michael's maternal grandmother ... but we try and visit Nana often. And Michael's paternal grandma lives with his folks a couple towns away).
92. Deodorant ... because, well, I've gone through puberty. I'd prefer NOT the stink.
93. Having a husband who can fix things. That's a really nice thing.
94. Having children who are generally of a happy temperament. It's nice to hear them laugh. And I love that they'll play together (Bruise and Bucket are pretty patient with Bubbles).
95. Egg Nog ... for it is delicious.
96. Those drink machines where you can add the different flavors to the different sodas? THOSE ARE AMAZEBALLS. Cherry-vanilla Coke? Don't mind if I do! Thanks!
97. That my kids get to ride the bus (Not dressed in the morning? As long as they're not in Kindergarten, no problem! Just send them out the door!)
98. Disposable diapers ... especially with Bruise and Bucket as babies. I'd have been doing laundry ALL THE TIME. And we didn't get our own washer and dryer until they were almost one. Our house would have smelled HORRIBLE.
99. Disney movies ... especially when I used to go into chat rooms and get bored, you could always start a Disney Sing-a-long. It was awesome. And they're something the kids and I can watch together.
100. I'm thankful that I'm DONE with this list. (I know, I know, cop out. But still. It took a while!)

I'm not dead. I swear!

Okay ... again (like usual), it's been a while since I last blogged.

Which just means that -- hey! -- there's stuff to blog about, right? ... Um ... yeah. Sure.

Okay, so Halloween. Let's start there.
Michael and I were not cool. We didn't dress up at all.
I HAD perused a couple stores to find a decent pirate-hat. No dice.
So, between THAT failure and my gimp ankle, I didn't have the energy or motivation or wherewithal to do anything.

The kids did dress up.
Bruise was a robot-ninja from Power Rangers (No, we don't watch the show. But the costume SPOKE to him. He wanted to be a gold or white ninja -- and we only had red or cobra ninja costumes -- SO.)
Sadly, the mask covered his adorably handsome face, so we think he didn't get AS much candy as previous years.

Bucket opted to be Skelita Calaveras (from Monster High). We did NOT invest in the official costume.
For less money, we got a "white skellington" costume (leggings, long-sleeved shirt, gloves, and wispy grey skirt) AND a pink animal-print skirt (that she can wear as a regular wardrobe item) and I sprayed her hair darker with orange-gel highlights (Instead of dropping another $20 on a wig). And I did her Dia de los Muertas makeup ... which turned out pretty darn well.
(In fact, in all humblebrag, the gal taking pictures at the mall said [and posted on facebook] that they should get me to do facepainting for them ... which kind of freaks me out. Because doing makeup for ONE girl is totally different than doing small bits on MULTIPLE children. Seriously, I got Bucket's hair-and-makeup down to about a half-hour [It'd have been less if I had a stage-type white base. Whenever I'd touch her face (to do eyeliner or anything, I'd have to redo where my finger had been, since the white creme base had rubbed completely off)] ... So, apparently, I need to practice face-painting so I'll have a marketable skill.)

Bubbles was an owl ... in the same costume as last year. And it fit MUCH better.
And she LOVED the trick-or-treating at the mall.
You could just about see her thought-pattern: "What are you telling me? You're saying that if I go up to those strangers with my bucket, they'll just GIVE ME CANDY? Seriously? BEST DAY EVER."
And, since she's a tiny thing, a lot of the folks giving out candy would just hold their bowls out to her and laugh as she grabbed HUGE (for her) handfuls.

So, Michael had come home early from work, which was WONDERFUL. As soon as I had Bucket's makeup done, we skedaddled to the mall. Then we went to a neighbor's house (she ALWAYS has great treats and personally asks us to come by). After that, Bruise and Bucket ran into the house to go through their loot.
We could have gone to a local high school's trunk-or-treat or to a shindig thrown by a local church ... but the kids were happy enough to just go through their candy and eat pizza rolls. So, we did that and watched the Disney version of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (complete with bonus Bing Crosby).

Since, as I mentioned, I still have a bum ankle, I wasn't terribly heartbroken that I didn't have to gimp about for the rest of the night. (I'd have sent Michael out with the older ones. Bubbles and I would have just chillaxed and gone to bed early.)

After the kids went to bed, we watched an episode of BBC's Jekyll ... we're now about halfway through it (only six episodes). It's gotten better as it's gone along. (Still there's a bit of language. Which isn't THAT surprising, since it's British ... but, yeah, not for children. Definitely not.)

And that was Halloween.

The next day, Bubbles and I made it to the school assembly (for MOST of the assembly -- Bubbles was NOT HAVING ANY OF IT, cranky girl) to see Bucket receive a Student of the Month Award.
It was much nicer NOT being on crutches for this assembly (as opposed to last month's, where Bruise got a Reading award ... and I was in tears trying to get around. *sigh*).

This assembly was much better organized. (They opted to have the [noisy] Kindergarteners have their OWN assembly. And the 3rd-5th graders had their own assembly in the afternoon in the gym, which is much larger. There were LOTS more places for parents to sit. And the volume level was MUCH better.)

The kids cleaned their room. And they've worked VERY hard to keep it clean. They've made it a WHOLE WEEK. They need to tidy it up today ... but I'm very impressed.

Even though it's been chilly outside, I've been letting them play outside with some neighbor kids most days. Might as well, until it gets too cold, right?

Bubbles isn't very happy about that. I should take her to the play area at the mall, so she can get some wiggles out.

Last week was pretty low-key. We took the kids to a frozen yogurt shop for FHE (Family Home Evening) to celebrate/commemorate Bucket's Student-of-the-Month award (We like to celebrate with ice cream/frozen yogurt).
We cleaned up the house Tuesday. My mom came up Wednesday (and had to leave VERY early Thursday morning). Thursday, I was out late, since I went to a THRIVE (food storage/emergency preparedness supplies) party at a friend's house ... and stayed chatting with her and her friend (now a facebook friend) for about two hours. Good times.
(Seriously, I NEEEEEED to order a #10 can of those pomegranate yogurt bites. Yummmm. And the freeze-dried double chocolate swirl ice cream is rather amazeballs, too. Truly, I was pretty dang impressed with everything I tried. ... So I want to try the freeze-dried asparagus. FOR SCIENCE.)

Friday, Michael and I went out for a lunch date (with Bubbles). Yay for Red Robin (Bubbles LOVES their Sweet potato fries. I can't complain, either! I had the French Onion soup and BTLA (Ham, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and avocado) Croissant. It's my usual. Michael had a craving for French Dip. So, that's what he got. And onion rings to share. (The bacon aioli sauce? Is pretty amazing. ... Yeah, I know. I could never keep Kosher.)

Saturday, the kids had their Primary Program rehearsal (well, not Bubbles, she's too little). We took Bubbles shopping with us. Michael needed new brown shoes (he's TOUGH on shoes. And clothes) and I was on a mission to find high-top Converse sneakers. Not just because they're awesome, but to support my gimp ankle.

We weren't finding anything good anywhere. Which made me pretty pissy for a bit.

We did (FINALLY) go out in the afternoon (after Bubbles' nap) to a local paint-your-own-pottery place to use Bucket's gift certificate she won this summer. And then we used Bruise's gift certificate to get dinner at a local pizza place (We only had to pay for drinks! Nice!)

After that, we headed back to the mall to check another store for high-tops ... and to get Michael's shoes. And I checked at Ross ... and there was ONE pair of Converse that fit and were $20 less than the others I was THINKING of maybe settling for. But I liked these better anyways. (And I now know what size I need, so I can always order a pair online, too. ^_^) So I have shoes that give me a little more confidence when I walk ... since I CANNOT handle being on crutches again anytime in the future.

The kids had their Primary Program on Sunday. Mom, my stepdad, Mom C, Grandma C, and Uncle D all came up (Dad C somehow hurt his foot/ankle. He had better get back on his feet, so I told Mom C, since there's only room in this family for ONE gimp. And I'm it.).
We impressed a brother in the ward, who noticed that we had four generations on one pew (Grandma C, her son [D, Dad C's brother], Michael, and the kids).
I had to introduce my mom in Relief Society (the women's class).
I, of course, did it with subtlety and restraint: " This is my mom, [Mom's name]. She's awesome. I get my awesomeness from her. It's totally hereditary."
It's a good thing that people at church are used to me.

While we were waiting for the High Priests (older men's group) to get done, Bubbles blew kisses to the brethren in there.
One of them mimed that her kisses hit him enough to bonk him against the door frame. And she (and Bruise and Bucket) laughed and laughed.
(For a nearly-two-year-old, she's got a rather sophisticated sense of humor.)

Mom and C (my stepdad) came over to visit and eat lunch before they had to head back home.
Michael and Bruise went and did some Home Teaching.
Then we had choir (and I sang the solo in practice ... and, oh, it was not my best at all. If you're in choir with me, please accept my abject apologies. Did I mention that I'm fighting the plague? It's not the best excuse ... but it's a legitimate one.) and I had a RS Board meeting afterwards ... and Kim (who was giving me a ride home) and I stopped by a friend's house to return her coat ... and help her put a bedskirt on. And then we chatted for a bit ... since that's what we do.

Yesterday was Veterans' Day. My friend, T, and I FINALLY got together. She brought her son, J, over and we all went to a local parade. She and I made Doctor Who jokes and admired the reenactment/vintage clothing. We ran into her sister-in-law (who had marched in the parade ... She's a drummer in my alma mater's band). It was really fun to get to catch up a bit.
Being a grown-up is haaaaard, since you have to work around work schedules (her), kids' schedules (us), and college classes (her). But it's worth it ... when we can make it happen. ^_^

Bruise-ism of the month:
He and I had sat down to read together (out of MY Childcraft books that I got when I was in first grade. And, OH, I love them. They're my precious and I read them a LOT when I was growing up).
I picked the one about "The World and Space."
And Bruise made the observation, "The planets are like islands, space is like the ocean, and the stars are the reflections on the water."

Yup, my boy is a poet.
He's definitely a boy -- loves video games, LEGO, swords, Star Wars ... but he is so tender-hearted and sweet.

Bucket is often a girly-girl -- She's more into dolls and art and fashion (She's a FASHIONISTA). She can be a bit shy, but she can definitely hold her own around boys. She does enjoy LEGO, but she's more into watching shows and reading. And she loves to laugh.

Bubbles is like Bruise in being a people-person. She LOVES music (one reason she loves to watch Daniel Tiger is that there's so much music.She also loves Baby Einstein. And, for a while, when Michael was watching Star Trek episodes, she'd RUN so she could watch/listen to the opening theme of TNG. And she'd be MAD if she didn't get to hear it.She also is our most adventurous eater. She is not deterred by spicy foods. She also KNOWS that she's adorable -- probably since everyone fawns over her.
And, like her mother and sister, she's very into shoes.
(As we were trick-or-treating, we came up to a display window for one of the shoe stores in the mall. And, as Michael had to point out, she was ENTRANCED. "She's YOUR daughter." ... Though, really, in temperament, she's very like her dad. He was a perfect baby. I was NOT.)

I should read through a ton of library books (a ton = maybe ten). And I should get laundry and dishes done. And the living room vacuumed again. And make that THRIVE order. And read my scriptures, say my prayers, plan my Visiting Teaching, plan dinners, go grocery shopping, stop complaining constantly about my stupid gimp ankle ... Yeah. And I should get a shower today. And take a nap, since that blasted cough kept me from sleeping much (and kept Michael from sleeping as well as he could. *sigh*)

I think that's about everything to report for now. Unless I lose 50 lbs in the next couple days or something. (Don't I wish! :P)