Saccharine

With our soon-expanding family, we are in the market for a larger vehicle. What? We do not yet know. Ideally, I'd be able to download a spreadsheet or database of every vehicle made since 2000 that includes stats like volume, mileage, seating and storage capacities, etc. Anyone know of such a thing?

We're going to a family wedding in Napa this weekend, but Isaac and I are staying for an extra couple of days in the Bay Area. We're looking for activities to keep us occupied on Monday and Tuesday next week. Have any suggestions or reviews of what I've found already?

Bay Area Discovery Museum
Aquarium of the Bay
California Academy of Sciences

Keep in mind that the iToddler is 20 months old, very active, and likes hands-on activities.

Thanks for your help! :)

I would like to report to the Internets that I beat dicemonkey at Race for the Galaxy four games in a row this weekend. It was the first time that he's lost since partial_charge and cmt2779 schooled him in the game.

Please notify your local news stations.

Happy birthday, dicemonkey!

I love you!

Games at my house. 8:30 p.m. to at least midnight. Email for directions. Some snacks provided.

It looks like I have Saturday night to myself this week. Conor has plans, and my parents are practically begging to have Issac spend the night. What's going on? What could we plan? I can probably negotiate to have the house that night if I wanted to.

Edit: I suppose the polite thing to do is to screen the comments, so I shall.

Now that was a good day.

Boobies, beer, beef, bessert, birthday, blap dance, blow job, bed. :)

Here's a baby thing, because it's easier to post than the rest, good or bad...

I thought that the cutest thing the iBaby could do was to bump my fist with his when I offered it, but I was wrong. Last night he initiated the 'spect knuckles, and my heart melted.

Isaac is now 16 months old. Here are some interesting things about him:

-His first consistent and conscientious verbal word was "mama". He uses it to refer to me, food and sometimes his father.
-He learned to walk without holding on to things or progressively getting closer to horizontal over Valentines Day weekend. We don't actually know when because he was staying with Grandma in Dallas while mommy & daddy did delicious & naughty things at home. We don't feel guilty.
-Isaac knows some baby signs that have really been a blessing. Now that he can communicate some of his needs, he's much happier, and so are we. Here are the words he knows: food, cereal, more, please, thank you/blow kisses, milk and "choo-choo". Note there is a theme: words that will get people to give him food. He likes to eat.
-Our current challenges involve redirecting him to more appropriate tasks and getting him to stop throwing food. I might consider reading a book about discipline to help me deal with his super-stubborn behavior.
-Isaac loves to climb all over everything. If there's a step, a chair, a piece of paper, a book, a mommy, a pillow... He will attempt to sit or stand on it.
-We have the most adorable "night-night" procedure in the world. It requires holding Isaac, holding his stuffed animal, petting the animal and saying "night-night [turtle]", then putting the animal in the crib. Then we repeat with Isaac. Sometimes he'll put his head on our shoulder and rest, but other times he reaches toward the animal in the crib. We put him in the bed and he grabs the animal, hugs & kisses it, then lays down on top of it with his but in the air. There may be a little humping at this point, but we prefer to say that Isaac is just wiggling and gettting comfortable. And then he goes to sleep. Whole process takes <=5 minutes. So cute!
-It seems like his second word might be baby, pronounced "baba". This will come in handy in mid-September, along with "big brother", "gentle" and "that's mine you little punk".

My aunt passed away right before the new year. My uncle, being quite pragmatic, has asked only that people sign an online guestbook to share memories and celebrate her life. In addition to that, I would like to take a slightly traditional approach: bring him a casserole. My father and I think he would appreciate it a lot.

The problem: my uncle lives in Gig Harbor, about 45 minutes away from Seattle. I live in Texas. That's where you, the internet, come in.

If you or someone you know would be willing to bake and deliver a delicious casserole to my grieving uncle, I would really appreciate it. I will pay for ingredients and gas. Please leave comments for more details.

I <3 my maid.

Conor and I got hitched today. It was awesome. Lots of people were surprised. Maybe more details at a later, more reasonable hour.

Isaac is sick. Boogers in his nose and eyes, 103.2 butt temp and general crankiness. If you've seen us in the past 24, beware.

Dear The Internet,

Can I borrow Lost Season 3?

<3,

Amanda

Last night, at about 10:15, my grandfather, William H. Maloney, Jr. passed away from a heart attack. He was 92 years old.

It was a good time for him to die. He has been slowly putting his affairs in order since he, his wife, and her brother moved to Austin three years ago. He said his sorries and goodbyes. And last night, my parents took him out for a steak dinner. Not bad.

I mention it here to have a record for myself. Condolences and well wishing, stories and offers of help are not necessary. If you feel compelled to do something, I suggest making plans for your departure so those you love have no doubts when it's your turn. And vote for Obama.

<3

I just accepted a new position with the company: I am now the Administrative Assistant for the principal. With his help, the ladies in the corporate HR office were able to convince the Big Wigs that the proposed paycut for hourly employees was not only immoral, but illegal.

I'll post more later (yeah, right), but I wanted to jot down this tidbit...

The principal's previous assistant was in her 60s, as is he, and she usually played classical music in her office so people couldn't overhear confidential converesations in his. This week, someone changed the station to 94.7. When he emerged from his office this morning, he said, "Did you change the station? Finally, a song I like!"

The song was "Complicated", by Avril.

Like half of the people whose journals I read (which makes me wonder why I still read them), I am *clearly* going through an identity crisis (which apparently happens every day, week or month for some) and need a deeper understanding of myself. Luckily, Fate (AKA my "flist") has led me to one of the wise old [teenage fan girl] souls on the internet to help me figure out who I am. I have taken a few oh-so-carefully crafted quizzes, with precise and accurate algorithms, and then post them in my LiveJournal [under an appropriately labeled cut-tag]. Of course, I have answered all of the questions completely honestly, as the best answer for me is always one of the two choices presented by the quiz. And now, I know my true nature.

I am the Queen's Rook. It fits so perfectly.

Since I have attained this deeper insight of myself, I have the ability to talk about myself at parties at great length. I have uncovered the source of my childhood "trauma", I can explain my poor choices during my late teen and early twenties, I understand the phases I went through while becoming what can only be considered "an adult", and have finally realized that I can only drink Dr. Pepper products. (You know, I've tried to like other sodas, but it makes me want to throw up when I smell CocaCola. Really? You like Dr. Pepper, too? Awesome!!! We should have a Dr. Pepper Party!!!)

Obviously, posting my results for these deep and meaningful quizzes will allow my closest friends (and the people I found by searching for other Firefly fans--OMG, Joss!!!) to also find their identities. Then we can type long comments in each others' journals, giving advise from personal experience in [*clearly*] similar situations. When I can't find any way to work in a little information about myself into a comment (which might draw the attention of that cutie who also reads my friend's journal), then I can "send e-hugs", and pass on the cute little phrases that are the backbone of my existence (I constantly use these quotes to make it through each day). And, of course, I can't forget to give my deepest appreciation to all of my friends for everything they've done for me. I don't know how I would survive without their constant support via text-based faces and symbols in my journal. It's so good to know that I'm not alone, and that I'm not the only one who likes sex and is poly, as evidenced by my Attachment Style.

You can comment in my journal. You can ask me questions. I might answer them. I might ask you some questions, too. Even if you don't tell me to.

... Because she's the prettiest, the smartest, the sexiest...

She's my iPhone.

Isaac and I are in this Statesman.com video blog:

http://www.statesman.com/news/mplayer/m/78628

Isn't he the cutest democrat you've ever seen?