Nerdy Sad Clown

I have a few random things on my mind, so here you go.

The Beach I just spent a week in California. I totally get it now. I've always been in there in the Spring and Summer. I thought, Sure, it's a nice place, but MAN is it crowded! Every time you think you're getting off the freeway you're getting onto another one. (You know that scene in Clueless when they FREAK OUT when Deon gets onto the freeway on accident? It makes total sense, once you've been on the roads in California.) The beaches were nice and all, but then you get all sandy and gross, and salt gets your swimsuit all crusty. Then I went to California in January. And suddenly, the traffic wasn't that big a deal because it was 80 DEGREES OUTSIDE. We went to the beach, and the sand and salt were just minor problems because it was 80 DEGREES OUTSIDE. One day sitting in the sunshine after I left subzero temperatures changed my life. So my plan is to get super rich, buy a beach house, and live in California from November until May. (Do you hear that, Tim? I hope you're on board.) And I know I'm not wearing my super cute new swimsuit here. It requires some personal grooming I just didn't have time for before the beach.

Super Nerd I've seen Napoleon Dynamite. I know fanny packs are totally nerdy. But guess what? They're also super duper handy. I came home from the store last weekend with a fanny pack, and Tim looked at me with raised eyebrows and asked, "Are you planning on wearing that?" And my reply was, "Dude. I'm going to be wearing tennis shoes with my shorts. I'm already going to look like a nerd. What's the problem?" Let me list for you the benefits of a fanny pack when going to Disneyland (or any theme park).

1.Girls' pants, shorts and jeans are made with teeny tiny pockets. My phone is just about the size of a small tablet. My phone is fine in my tiny pockets when I'm walking around my house. But when I'm going to be spending three days in Disneyland, getting in and out of rides, sitting and standing repeatedly, and my phone is essential to communicating with my family, I'm not going to risk it falling out on Space Mountain, never to be seen again.
2. I also have no desire to have a wallet in my back pocket. I suppose I could have stuffed my cash and credit cards and ID into my tiny pockets, but again, risking that stuff falling out wasn't an option.
3. Cross-body bags and purses are fantastic. But I bet you can't feel your phone buzzing in a noisy park when it's buried in a backpack or at the bottom of your purse. I never missed a call while I was there.
4. Hands free, baby.
5. I had candy and hand sanitizer right at my fingertips.

I looked super nerdy. I won't be wearing it to the mall or anything. I was the only one I saw with a fanny pack. But I didn't lose my phone or wallet while I was there. I knew where all my stuff was. I had both hands free, which came in handy for wrestling a toddler and super energetic little boys. So I totally rocked the fanny pack.

Sad Clown Syndrome One of the fabulous parts of my trip this last week was an evening with my amazing friend Rachel. We had gelato at a little cafe, and chatted about topics from A to Z. One of the things we talked about was our shared ability to cry at the drop of a hat. When I was in high school, I managed my crying habit pretty well by acting goofy all the time. We watched "Dead Poets Society" in my English class, and I bawled at the end, and this girl that sat in front of me turned around and said, "I didn't know you knew how to cry!" Anyone who knows me now has seen me cry many times. Rachel and I were talking about this, and decided we needed a name and a support group for this problem. We call it Sad Clown Syndrome. We are happy people who make jokes and act goofy to keep from being in tears. It was great to talk to someone else who has had total meltdowns in the church bathroom/gym/library. Want to join our support group? Here are the symptoms:
1. The Biggest Loser, eliminations on the Bachelor and ANTM, and commercials for St. Jude reduce you to a puddle of tears.
2. Nicholas Sparks movies and books are too much.
3. You've been seen crying in the church bathroom.
4. Everyone you know has seen you cry.
5. You crack jokes a lot, especially when you feel the tears starting to flow.
If you have experienced three or more of these symptoms, you suffer from Sad Clown Syndrome, and should contact me at once. We'll watch Strictly Ballroom.

The Season 4 Curse Lastly, I'd like to note that the fourth season of almost every show I like is crappy. For example, I'm pretty sure that's the season Smallville got really weird and lame. Am I correct in saying that season 4 of Gilmore Girls is when Rory turned into a tart? Season 4 of Lost was pointless (remember the buried alive episode? Stupid). I'm sad to say that it's starting to look like Season 4 of Vampire Diaries is following suit. The Christmas episode was RIDICULOUS. And by ridiculous I mean stupid. I like having complete sets of books and movies and TV shows, but I may not be buying Season 4. Has anyone else noticed this pattern?

There you go. I'm a nerd who cries a lot and is obsessed with TV. I'm off to clean out my fanny pack.

Best of 2012

It's a new year, and I'm looking forward to whatever's ahead. Except for trips to Walmart. I know I'll be doing them, and I never look forward to trips to Walmart. But now for a quick look at the past year. Here are some highlights:

1. A yellow Miata. I had actually begun to think I'd never ever learn how to drive stick, because really, how many minivans come with a stick shift. It came at a great time, when I was starting to feel like I'd never leave the house without 3 kids in tow ever again. There's no back seat in that car, and it's a great date car, or a zooming around with the passenger seat and tiny trunk full of shopping bags car. Plus, at 35 years old, I learned how to drive stick.

2. Performing on my flute with my sister and parents. That was a wonderful opportunity for me to reacquaint myself with my old, disciplined, musician self. I worked hard, I prepared well, and I had a great time. And my kids thought it was really cool. It helped me remember that I can still play the flute with my kids hanging around the house.

3. Netflix is finally streaming some darn good stuff. Tim and I are addicted to Psych. I've watched all 5 seasons of Alias this year. Revenge is now on Netflix. The first season of Downton Abbey is there (um, waiting for season 2. Come on, people!). (There are also an endless number of Power Rangers series on there, but we're being positive right now.) I have discovered shows like Roswell and Burn Notice that I just kind of skipped over when they were new on TV. This may seem like a lot of TV. It is. But think about why I've been in front of the TV so much...

4. My sweet sweet little Joshua. He was born in 2011, but the majority of his life up until now has been in 2012. I spent the first 8 months of 2012 feeding him on the couch in front of my beloved Netflix. It's a good reason to watch TV. He is such a sweet baby, and I have enjoyed countless snuggles with him, day and night. He's a toddler now, really, so I'm celebrating his babyhood by remembering all those sweet times we had together.

5. Entertaining books. There are always great books to be had. I read some fun, if not super deep, books this year. You've already heard about "The Passage." And I thoroughly enjoyed a book called "What Alice Forgot." It was interesting and thought-provoking. And had some humor, too, which I deeply appreciate. I just finished "The Night Circus," which I also enjoyed. I read "Divergent" and "Insurgent" this year, too, and they were both a fun and interesting read. (Nothing too deep here, but please remember, I was enjoying snuggles with Joshua at 4am regularly. Not really in the mindset this year for deep thinking.) I love a good book. I can't wait to read more this year.

6. Reaching a goal. I lost some weight. It made me happy. 'Nuf said.

So, here comes 2013. I hope I can find more good books to read, enjoy spending time with my boys, discover more great TV, play my flute and enjoy it, and drive that Miata to all my favorite stores. I would also be glad not to gain all that weight back. (Evil evil M&Ms, teasing me from the pantry...)

Happy new year!