We have 3 tivos. Our newest tivo, is the HD Series 3 that we got with the new HD tv in our basement. We struggled with the whole, “Do we stay with DirecTV and use their (inferior) DVR for HD? Or ditch DirecTV altogether and hope we have more options with our cable company in the next year?”

We ditched DirecTV. We just couldn’t not use a tivo DVR, it’s as simple as that. The thought of having to go through a menu screen that wasn’t tivo’s? AGONY. So, right now, we have little to no HD shows, but hopefully that will change in the next few months. We had a lifetime subscription with our original (non-working) Tivo, that we transfered to the HD Tivo box using a very old grandfather “you can transfer lifetime subscriptions one time!” clause.

Our other two tivos we bought about 2 or maybe even 3 years ago. Series 2, I think 40 hours. They’ve served us pretty well. Until one day in December when our family room Tivo showed the blue Tivo screen of death. It would cycle on and show a “we’re trying to see about the problem screen” and then turn off and repeat, over and over. I called Tivo and sure enough, it was a dead hard drive.

At the time, they offered us a new box for around $150. We checked the only place for all your geeky tivo hard drives and tricked out tivos (weaknees.com) and found we could get a new hard drive for around $120. We opted to not upgrade, move our bedroom Tivo (not used THAT much) to the family room and planned to buy a new hard drive sometime in the future.

I neglected, however, to stop service on the dead Tivo, so today, in anticipation of that $10 charge to my credit card at the beginning of next month, I called up Tivo to cancel service.

They offered me a $69 upgrade to a dual tuner 80 hour Tivo! New, not refurbished!

I quickly called James, he agreed it was a great deal, and now, we have a new Tivo which will be shipped to us soon. We’ll probably move the family room box back up to our bedroom where it will not be used that often (I use it to watch Friends reruns while I fold laundry), and put the new dual tuner tivo in the family room.

I just love Tivo. Our first Tivo box was purchased for Christmas in 1999 for $500, with an additional $300 going for the lifetime subscription (which is still earning it’s money back today). $800 for a dual income couple with no kids was still a lot of money, but I must say out of all the useless gadgets that have come through this household (I’m talking about you, cat litter box that was supposed to scoop the poop for me) TIVO HAS BEEN THE BEST.

The end.

me: Do all high school boys really talk like this??

james: *just looks at me*

me: OK, did YOU really talk like this?

james: *just looks at me*

me: *just looks at him*

james: Actually, I don’t think I was *that* bad.

me: I don’t want our children to grow up. Ever.

james: I don’t think that plan will really work.

me: OK. Then next week we’re going to church. They can reject religion later in life, just as long as they don’t act like this when they get to high school.

As you know, Martin Luther King Jr. day was on Monday, but as you may not know, the kids’ school was still open for daycare. Being the cold, uncaring, callous parents that we are, we dropped them off and had our own “free” day to ourselves.

(Do you realize how much a sitter costs?? This was a golden opportunity! It’s like FREE CHILD CARE!! No, I’m not a bit only a teeny bit guilty.)

The last time we had a free day like this (Columbus day in Nov) we drove into DC, noodled around the modern building of the National Gallery of Art, had a lovely lunch, and then perused the Spy Museum before heading back to get the kids and go home.

We have been wondering all month what we would do this time around, and it became clear that there were some movies we both wanted to catch.

It also became clear that we both watched to catch different movies. So, the day dawned, kids were dropped off, and James and I smooched and parted ways. Him to see There Will Be Blood, and I to see Charlie Wilson’s War, Juno, and Sweeney Todd. Except I decided 3 movies was a bit too much, and skipped the first one. It’s a good thing, because by the time I left the theatre my ass hurt, and my back was really aching (chiropractor appointment today I CANNOT WAIT), and I was tired of sitting.

I saw Juno first, and it was a nice little flick. Edgy teen gets pregnant, ponders what to do, decides to go the adoption route, finds rich yuppies in nearby town to give child to, learns about love along the way.

I thought the story was well written and sweet, but at the end, I did have a certain sense of, “Really? This is what everyone was so hopped up about?” I liked the movie, thought it was well done, but I think what was even more well done was the publicity machine. I guess, how can you blame them, “STRIPPER TURNED WRITER!” has such reader appeal. I can totally understand any backlash going on (“way overrated”) but regardless, Ellen Page did a great job, as did the yuppies, played by Jason Bateman & Jennifer Garner, and Alison Janney who played the step-mom (who James and I STILL call CJ).

I ALSO have a big bone to pick with that same publicity machine – I have a long standing belief that previews and trailers are evil, and once again, the Juno trailers/previews/ads have rung that bell.

Dear sirs,

If you want me to go shell out $8.50 to see a movie, PLEASE DO NOT USE CLIPS FROM THE LAST 20 MINUTES IN YOUR ADS. IT’S JUST RUDE.

Fuck off,
Amy

Juno was not the biggest violator I’ve seen by any means, so this was a mild irritation this time around. Heaven knows other movies have certainly sinned much more in this arena, but still, it irks me.

IRK.

Sweeney Todd

I love Tim Burton. I love Danny Elfman. I love Johnny Depp. I love Tim Burton movies where all three of these things come together, or even just the two (Burton and Elfman) (Nightmare Before Christmas? Yeah, still saved on my Tivo from when it was on around Christmas).

I’ve never seen Sweeney Todd performed anywhere, although I have heard some of the songs at some point. Having gone to three summers of Theatre Workshop in my teen years, by God yes, I’ve heard some of the songs! So really, I only have myself to blame for being a *teeny* (really, it’s miniscule) bit let down. A-DUH, Amy, of course it’s not going to sound like the usual Burton movie with Danny Elfman doing the music… This is Stephen Sondheim’s musical baby.

So once I got through that, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Having never seen or heard the storyline, I was delighted with it’s quirks and surprises (although the biggie I totally picked up on halfway through the movie). Excellent movie, and very well done. I did wonder (again, having never seen the musical in a theatre) if there were scenes with Antony and Johanna that were cut for the movie. A little more insight into that whole story would have been nice.

So even though we didn’t spend the day together, it was a pretty nice day regardless.

-amy still has 10 more movies that will probably have to wait until netflix.

Isn’t that a lovely phrase?

There’s a brick of snotty gooey green snotty gook in my sinuses. Since sinuses aren’t brick-shaped, I can confess that this is quite painful.

What really sucks is that the brick will NOT loosen up at all. It stays brick-like, in it’s essence, and only leaks a tiny bit of snotty goo all the time. So that you sit on the couch with a tissue box and managed to blow and blow and blow until your nose is totally red and the pile on the table next to you becomes alarming, and you would THINK that with all that blowing, you could have blown 15 million snot bricks out of your nasal cavity, but NO, YOU HAVEN’T, and no matter how much you blow, YOU WILL STILL NOT BE ABLE TO BREATHE THROUGH YOUR NOSE.

You know what I hate? Mouth breathing.

I also hate mouth breathers. If you’re mouth breathing right now, close your mouth, for crying out loud, you look like an idiot.

So Jocelyn woke up at 6am crying and saying her ear hurt, and so since I stayed home sick on Wednesday (day one of this illness), took the snow yesterday as an excellent reason to work at home thursday, I wasn’t too disappointed to stay home with her today. And it’s a good thing, because I decided since I wasn’t at work anyway, I might as well get myself to the doctor as well, which I wouldn’t have done if it weren’t for Jocelyn and her hurting ear.

We are both infected.

Me = sinuses

Jocelyn = ear.

Owies and antibiotics all around.

Send soup. (without leeks, because james has turned his nose up at my leek potato soup, the snobby man – IT’S FROM ALTON BROWN, SHEESH)(screw him, this soup is for ME)

Send vick’s vapo rub. The vat I have is almost gone.*

Send your sure-fire overnight cure for red, raw noses, because mine aren’t working (lanolin, vick’s, aquaphor).

I’ll take cure’s for cold sores too, because the corner in my mouth is starting to get that tingly cold sore feeling. I know. SEXY. Between the red nose and the mouth breathing and the developing coldsore, I am just beating them off with a stick.

And send the plus doux KLEENEX, because I beleive we’re out of the PLUS DOUX and only have the IT FEELS LIKE SANDPAPER ON YOUR RED, RAW FACE variety.

– amy just wants her nose back.

* I’m just kidding. I have never bought a jar of vick’s vapo rub. I believe my grandmother left hers to my mother, and my mother gave it to me when I left home to make my fortune in the world, and someday I will have to choose the between my offspring who to leave it to because VICK’S VAPORUB NEVER RUNS OUT. IT JUST GETS LOST.

** this post is in the category “amy’s head” and when I clicked it, I laughed a sardonic laugh and said “AMY’S HEAD. LITERALLY. I’M WRITING ABOUT MY HEAD.”

*** There’s no double star in this post, or triple star. it’s just my way of doing a post script and post post script. just thought i’d let you know.

**** *waaaaaaahhhhh i hurt*

I have to admit that I tend to be 2 things.

I am fickle, and I am obsessive.

These two things are not necessarily bad things, but they sometimes aren’t good.

I latch on to something and obsess about it until I have squoozen (it’s a word!)(ok not so much) out all of it’s juicy goodness.

Then I get bored and need something new to latch on to. Let’s face it people, it’s amazing that this blog isn’t all cobwebby, because I just as probably could have forgotten about it 2 months after I started it!

I just have to say, it’s a good thing I am still married! It must be the sex. One can never get bored with good sex.

Ahem!

OK, so in the past few years, a few of these obsessions can be pointed out. Of course there’s Project Skinny which I’m just not going to get into lest I cry myself to sleep tonight. I’ll just say that this is gonna be my year!

Last fall I got all design crazy planning out how to kit out our newly-floored basement. (Which I really should follow up on and post some pictures.)

Last Christmas I read every photography website on the interweb trying to determine which piece of photographic equipment I should get next.

And now lately, I have been scurrying around reading personal finance blogs, listening to finance podcasts and going all crazy with the google spreadsheets. =SUM! =PRODUCT!

This is me! I latch on, and I obsess! and then 2 months go by, and I am on to the next thing.

I think though, that I have been neglecting to report on the one obsession I have had my entire life. It is one thing that I will never ever grow weary of. Long before I had the most adorable children on earth and a damn sexy husband, I have had this obsession.

When I was growing up, we had a Thanksgiving tradition. We would go around the table, and state something we were thankful.

When I was 12, I said, “I’m thankful for my hair.”

31 years later, and I still haven’t lived that statement down.

That’s right, people, I’m talking about my hair.

So while I have set down some goals for 2008, Important, Adult, and Very Mature Goals, I think it’s important to put this one down in writing as well:

I want red hair by the end of the year. If that is impossible, then at least by my 2009 birthday.

I’m glad we were able to cover the important things in life.

Thank you, and good night.

I pledged not to buy food at work, in January. Except for group lunches, I was going to eat breakfast at home, and bring in leftovers for lunch. No buying food.

I have really done well. we’re near the end of the 2nd week (of a 4.5 week month). I have also been trying to plan out our dinners for the week, so that makes it easier as well. When there’s leftovers in the fridge, it’s easy to grab them on the way to work.

Breakfast is tough for me, because I am always in a hurry. Even when there’s plenty of time, I just want to get out of the house already. My old habit was to stop at McDonald’s and get an egg mcmuffin and a diet coke. While looking at this habit from a weight loss point of view, it really wasn’t terrible. It’s not a bad nutritional start to the day, as long as you count it for what it is. However, looked at from a financial point of view, it is a HORRIFIC habit to have. It’s roughly $4 for that meal, and 5x a week for 4 weeks is $80. Times 12 months and it’s $960 for the year! Wouldn’t I much rather spend $960 on something much more substantial? YES I WOULD! And this is only breakfast, I was also spending $5-10 on lunch!

So because I’m always in RUSH RUSH RUSH mode in the morning, it’s tough to sit down and eat breakfast. Just in case I forget, I brought a box of instant oatmeal to work, so I would have no excuses to stop anywhere on my way in. If I hadn’t eaten breakfast, I could just eat at work! Look at that, I actually thought ahead!

But today we have my first mis-step. Last night we had rotisserie chicken (from costco) but I did nothing with it afterward, and was in too much of a rush this morning to throw something in a tupperware for lunch today… and here it is, lunch time.

Doh.

Other goals – the photo thing is going well, the trip to DC was definitely worth a few photos, but now I’m at the last of my pre-posted photos and need to get out and shoot some more! I don’t *want* to use blurry camera phone photos for project 366, but I will if it comes to that! And then you’ll be sorry!

The key is to prepare! Prepare prepare prepare!

later, i gots to go find some lunch.

– amy made a new category and everything

very happy. VERY VERY HAPPY.

And a teeny tiny bit guilty.

Wednesday night, I sat with james on the couch and discussed my strategy for getting my ticket lowered.

“The cop needs to have come down with strep throat and not make it to the hearing tomorrow.”

Good strategy, no?

Actually I had more than that, but no need to get into it, because the officer didn’t show up! The state has the burden of proof, so I denied the charge (equivalent of not guilty in DC traffic hearings) and with no officer to give the goods, my ticket was dismissed.

I can’t even tell you how relieved I am. Our insurance SO DOES NOT NEED TO GO UP. It’s already too up.

I didn’t end up going to a movie. I stayed home to process the photos I took while in DC instead. Project #366 – Post a Photo a Day is on track! I think it’s time to do up a new theme however – I want to kill the side columns for photo posts. Surely there’s a theme for wordpress that will do that for me, right?

OH SO HAPPY! SO SO HAPPY!!

So happy that I am happily ignoring the bad news that I had to enter on my Project Skinny page concerning December’s numbers. HAPPY DAMMIT, I’M GOING TO STAY HAPPY! OK, not really that happy that I gained nearly 2 lbs in December, but seeing as how I tossed all self control out the window, it could have been worse. MOVING ON! Goal for February January: 5 pounds, baby. I have an extra day to accomplish it and everything. (OK, this is JANUARY, Amy, JANUARY. Keep with it!)

– amy enjoys the show “TOP GEAR”. Go figure!

I have to go to traffic court in DC this afternoon to beg, plead, flash my boobs, try to get my ticket lowered.

Fun! Yeah, not.

Wish me luck.

I’ve decided I am going to go to a movie tonight, all by myself. There are so many that I want to see, that I can’t decide.

Sweeney Todd
Juno
Charlie Wilson’s War
The Great Debaters
Walk Hard

I want to see all of these.

It’ll probably be one of the first two.

There are 2 worst things about being back at work.

1. I won’t be able to sit at my table and make little fabric things.
2. I can’t wear jeans everyday anymore.

Seriously, I just want to wear jeans.

So I would have to say that this holiday vacation was a sewing holiday for me. So much fun to be had sitting and piecing and contemplating and making.

I made some random hotpads that are kind of bright and loud and I love them,
I made Jocelyn a Big Footed Bunny* for Christmas,
I made Ethan and Jocelyn Robots* after christmas (they still need faces and robot panels though)
I got my work area situated (shelves on wall, cork boards on wall, ikea drawer cupboard thingee put together) – it still needs some situating, but it’s about 80% there,
I bought fabric, fabric and more fabric (I like to think it’s OK, because I don’t buy MUCH of it, just 1/3 of a yard for whatever I choose)
I started working on little Peanut* elephants from my new sewing book, “Last Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts” which I LOVE (both the elephant and the book)

So the “hey, I’m at work, and not finishing up a Peanut elephant is kind of a bummer.

*all of these are weewonderful.com patterns – even Peanut, which she contributed to the book. I guess you could say I would stalk Hillary Lang if she were in my area!

The kids did amazingly well when I dropped them off to school. I thought Ethan would be a little complainey pants (that boy would never EVER leave home, if it were up to him), but he did great. It’s amazing how the little things make the morning good or bad. Bananas for breakfast – “AWESOME MOMMY!” Letting them get dressed while they watch Go Diego Go! “WAHOO!!”

I am on I guess what you could call a mini resolution – having been home for the last week and a half, I have effectively cold-turkeyed my diet coke in the morning habit. Now that I’m back to work, I am going to do my darnedest to break my usual work routine of egg mcmuffin + large diet coke on the way to work, have breakfast at home, and drink water at work. While I’m at it, I’m going to try to bring my lunch in to work. When my group goes out for lunch (every other friday), that’s ok, but the rest of the time I’m going to try to bring in lunch. I should be able to do that for a month, right?

Right!

The other resolution I got from Anna – she is going to try to take a picture a day this year. I love it. I want to do it, with a little tweak – I’m going to try to POST a picture a day this year. I know that realistically, I won’t take a picture every day, but I can take *some* pictures every week, and them post them each day, so that is what I am going to shoot for! So, count me in Anna!

Yesterday and today’s pictures are cheating, because I didn’t take them. James did the christmas morning photos while I handled the camcorder – but since mine is tweaked, “POST a picture a day,” I think I’m in the clear! I like my tweak already!

And of course the usual third resolution – I don’t know if anyone has noticed, but I have put my Project Skinny page back up, since I started getting (somewhat) serious about it in November. Weekly progress is too much for me to post, but I think a monthly tally is a good way to go. I completely expect to be the same for December (weigh in tomorrow!), but it’s time to get back on it for January.

That’s it for now – I will try to post some pictures of all the fabric + cuteness this week!

1 – big footed bunny (from Hillary Lang‘s Put Together pattern) finished up christmas eve for Jocelyn.
2 – Ethan colored in and cut out this angel at school, then one morning a few days ago, took the original, traced it, colored it in, cut it out all by himself (actually, before James and I were even up out of bed) — so that his sister would have one. how sweet is that!
3 – Jocelyn playing on the new Leapster L-Max (a dora game)
4 – Ethan playing with his new CAT excavator, with daddy looking on
5 – Christmas stockings – re-hung after all the hullabaloo
6 – general christmasness all over the living room floor

Well, Christmas day is almost over, and aside for a little bumpiness Christmas eve, it’s been very enjoyable. Everyone is thrilled with their presents. The hit for Jocelyn was the Woody and Jessie duo – upscaled even the major present, a wooden dollhouse with furniture & people. For Ethan, he really has played with everything, but the big two, excavator and firetruck, are definite hits. I am pleased that the wooden blocks and acorns that Santa put in the stockings were met with glee and not indifference (and acorns were handy for scooping and dumping) along with the watercolors and fancy edge scissors.

I haven’t really had the Christmas spirit the last few days. You know, that feeling of wonder and warm fuzzies. I really love the warm fuzzy christmas feeling, so I tried to get it back, but I guess being royally bitchy chases it away for good.. Cynicism and childlike wonder just don’t mix, especially if you throw in a really sore throat and hacking cough.

But then Christmas morning comes, and watching these kids’ little faces light up with excitement, hearing them shout, “SANTA ATE ALL THE COOKIES! AND DRANK THE MILK,” watching them be so kind to each other, “Thank you for the present, Mommy/Daddy/Jocelyn/Ethan!” and the warm cinnamon roll aroma floating throughout the house – I didn’t need any childlike wonder, because there was plenty of it to go around.

Ethan, as I tucked him in tonight: “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

Jocelyn as I tucked her in tonight: “Jessie doesn’t want to sleep in her hat, mommy.”

Merry Christmas!