James Brown is Dead!

When I read the news of James Brown's demise this morning, this song immediately popped into my head. I have it on a mix tape that I bought in the summer of '91 in Jerusalem, but I haven't gotten around to converting my tapes to digital files (one of the projects I hope to accomplish in the next few weeks), so I am using this grainy youtube version. The point is really the lyrics.

Apparently you will have to click on the video screen to view it on youtube.

RIP James Brown!

Jenn

ipod Nation

I have to admit that for many months the green monster has been eating away at me. As I watched everyone walking around in their blissful ipod worlds, oblivious to everything and everyone else, lost in their playlists, I couldn't help but wish to be part of the cult.

I obsessed at the gym about how much better my workout would be if I had 1000's of my favorite songs in the palm of my hand (or strapped to my upper arm - which would be shirinking that much faster if only I had an ipod). As I walked the mile from the parking garage to class, I envied the numbness to the surroundings and the weather that the ipod users seemed to posess. I dreamed of my shadow dancing to Pearl Jam while little white earbuds swung from it's head. The ipods were multiplying by the day, and I was soon going to become the last person on earth without one.

Well - I wasn't about to let that happen, so I added the Apple store to my pre-dawn, post Thanksgiving, zombie-like shopping trance routine. How cold I resist when they were offering discounts that amounted to a little less than 10% of the purchase price? I was one of the first people in line and I got the first ipod Nano of the day.

How wonderful it is to spend my hours avoiding chores and school work, while trying download my entire CD collection? It's so liberating to ignore every study I've read about earbuds and hearing damage, while I dance around my house playing "Jeremy" full blast. It doesn't matter, because I know that my shadow is having the time of it's life. Oh sure- I will have to mortgage my house to buy all of accessories that my little ipod dictates I need, yet, somehow, I am really enjoying this little contraption.

I believe that the ipods have already taken over!!!

Jenn

Updates Coming Soon (I hope)

I admit - I haven't been doing too many exciting things with this blog lately. And, from the respose I am getting at least, only about 4-5 people are still actually reading it. So I have decided to clean it up and otherwise revamp it in the near future. I would like to change the look, add more pictures, delete old posts, etc... If anyone has any suggestions, please IM, call, or e-mail me (or post on the blog), and let me know what you would like to see.

On the homefront - things are good but busy. I really have to start studying for the GREs. I haven't taken a math course in at least 10 years, so that's the area I will probably focus on the most. I think I have a better than average grasp of the English language and Psychology, so I am not terribly worried about those sections.

The kids are being kids, and doing all sorts of cute things(although mostly M is doing cute things). The other night she woke up at 4:00am (yawn), and was very upset that I wouldn't run around the house getting the items she was requesting. Finally, after about 40 min of crying, I gave in and brought her into my room. I put on a Dora video thinking it would buy us another 45 min of sleep. She watches TV so loudly! When the video was over (about 5:30) I put her back in the crib. She cried some more but then, all of the sudden, got really happy. Yes the thought occured to me that I should go check what she's up to, but I was TOO tired, so I rolled over and went to sleep. When I woke up at about 6:45, I found her asleep in an empty crib, containing nothing but a naked two year old and a wet sheet! Ugggh!

Yesterday Y had a tummy bug, so he spent the day with me. Last night the phone was ringing with 2nd graders calling all night. 2nd graders aren't know for stating their name when they call (or other phone ettiquite for that matter), so it was a rather comical night. A typical conversation with Y went like this.

Y answers the phone (We are not allowed to answer the phone anymore), mumbles a few words, and hangs up.
Us: Y, who just called
Y: I don't know
Us: Did you ask their name?
Y: No
Us: Well, what did they say?
Y: Something about spelling words.
Us: So it was one of your friends from school?
Y: I don't know. He didn't say his name.
Then I checked the caller ID and told him who it was, and then he got excited.

Today everyone is in well and the boys have Karate after school, so I don't have to pick then up until 4:45! I just hope they don't use it on eachother.

Jenn

A night out

E and I don't get out much, and when we do, it is usually to a wedding (where half the time the man and women are sitting in seperate rooms) or a charity function. Tonight we had our first date in a long time (unless you count an afternoon of test-driving cars without the kids a date).

We went to see Movin Out, and it was - uh - interesting. First of all there was no dialogue, only music and dancing. There was a plot but, even having read the synopsis in the program before the show started, I had a hard time following it. It was strange to see men in muscle shirts, blue jeans and toe shoes, dancing to rock music, and I felt that some songs were choreographed better than others. Still, I would say that I had a good time. My attention deficit disorder didn't kick in, and the play felt as long as it actually was, not longer.

The kids are off of school tomorrow and Tues., and I have a ton of school work to do - YAY!

Have a fun week everyone.
Jenn

We lost!

Not only did St. Louis beat us in the World Series, they also beat us in crime rates this year - is anything sacred?

Update

For those who aren't keeping track, but still care, here's how things stand...

The Cards won one, then the Tigers won one, then the Cards won one, then the weather won one. Game four is still hard to call in the fourth inning, and they are playing some real baseball there, but I think the Tigers will win it.

Now that we got that out of the way, I must say that this is indeed the semester from hell! Bye-bye perfect GPA! Bye-bye social life. Of course, as I get closer to applying to grad school, the grad students are coming out of the woodwork to tell me how miserable they are, and I am starting to realize that it isn't just in jest that people say most psych PhD's are crazy themselves. I mean one of my professors is a basket case who publicly bemoans his messy divorce and such. I mean there are people in the faculty who could seriously end up watching the basket weavers sit and smile and twiddle their thumbs! When people say, "Oh - Jenn - She's crazy," they don't actually mean that I belong in a straight jacket. I don't know if I fit into all of this. Not that I have any other options in mind right now. I will do my research assisting next semester, and then decide for sure.

I am hearing a lot of boo'ing from the TV in the other room. A good sign. I am off to check the score.

Jenn

Yay!

Only Detroit can play good baseball in 38 degree, rainy weather!

I hope they throw one in St. Louis, so that they can win it here in Detroit. I am so selling a major organ to get tickets to the 6th game!

B-day party season has begun. M had a party this morning for 2 of her friends. It's so funny to watch a room full of 2-year-olds getting all territorial about every toy in the place! Then, this evening, Y had an ice skating party. He fought me tooth and nail about going on the ice, and cried that whole way around. Of course the second we got off the ice, he said, "I think I want to skate more often."

Now my legs and ankles are killing me and I need sleep. Goodnight.

Jenn