Splitting Up My Boys

So I have to admit that I am not the dedicated blogger that I set out to be 5 years ago.  Regardless, here is my newest crisis.

I received an email from one of my twin boys teacher that my boys are now no longer to sit together at lunchtime, or play together outside during recess time.  Whoa.  I've always wanted to ensure that my identical twin boys grew up with their own identity and individuality but they have been separated in all that they do now.  Their classrooms are different, their bedrooms are different and now the only time they will spend together is in a millenium when I'm not so disappointed in them for effecting their teachers so much so that the PRINCIPAL was copied on todays email.  Is my problem - their behavior - that I've let them in the same room as each other or is it that I haven't?  All of the friends that I have (and husband) with twins don't have twin boys.  Or if they do, they are younger than mine and so they haven't been given this exceptional experience....  I need a group.....  For a lot of reasons...

So, I will separate them at home and follow the schools lead but I'm not sure that's right!  Because I know my boys the best and that second when they have time together, they will hug each other so tight and giggle and laugh and fall over and someone is going to try to ferb the other and then someone's going to get that someone back with a ferb of the century and then someone is going to lick the other someone and then I'm going to yell and they're going to giggle harder and louder and then it's all over......my boys have lost touch with my singleton reality and slipped back into their zone and all is right with the world!  WAIT!!!  That's what I'm trying to prevent!!  Okay so maybe I ground them from everything they love EXCEPT each other.  I will not try to break them of what is right, I will try to give them an outlet to do what they do best and that is WRESTLING!!!  I will not and I will never try to remove the 'BOY' from my boys.  I have failed them though in that I have not taught them APPROPRIATENESS and a time and place for everything.  So take that, Franklin Elementary!  I won't teach them that what they are doing is wrong because it's simply not.  I'll teach them that they need to learn that wrestling at school is not okay.  But loving each other and being a boy and taking out aggression - one thing that males produce far more than women - is a part of who they are.  I will not squash the 'boy'.  Thanks Blogger, for helping me figure that out and providing me with my latest soap box.  I'm climbing down now....

Just Get Up in the Morning

It has been tough before and it will be tougher than this some day but if it doesn't kill us, does it make us stronger? Or more jaded? Or better our skills at hiding ones head in the sand just long enough until whatever painstaking, excruciating situation is just bearable enough to pull that sandy, dirty head out of hiding? We should be a tough people by now. I'd like to know this answer. I'll weigh in and guess yes. It seasons our reasoning skills, coping skills and if there were spilled tears, well I say that just greases the proverbial mental gears. So get out there and cry your eyeballs off, embrace your shit, the more crap, the better, because when you do decide to brush those teeth, you'll be the toughest, strongest, well oiled mental form of yourself. Oh and please, I'm not ready yet so please bring me a granola bar, and lose the toothpaste..... I'll get there.

I Got It Done, Had It Checked, And We've Got Heat

So with that said, you now know that you don't have to pay $1000 for a new blower motor or any other part....  You can do it yourself and if you really can't, call me.  I'll do it.  I just don't think American's deserve to be robbed like that.  $800 in labor??  Really?  No, really.  Either way, it's 16 degrees out and I have a fire because I want one and the heat is on...

Has anyone heard the conversation with the captain of the Costa Rica Cruise Ship?  He was asked if he was on board (his passengers were and weren't even told to evacuate) and he said "No!  It's starting to keel!"  Well shi*!  If it's starting to keel, screw those passengers, I'm outta there!  Idiot.  Gnarly fail.  There isn't enough jail time for this degenerate.  He never even gave an order to abandon ship.  My heart goes out to the family members of the lost; may you somehow find peace.

Done With Phase I of Replacement

So I have the new motor mounted to the blower and have them both mounted to the housing.  This is soooooo what I wanted to be doing tonight and not going to my friend Caleb's 35th birthday celebration.  Uh huh.

Day Two of Blower Motor Replacement

Well there is an end in sight and soon fires in the fireplace will just be because I'd just like a fire in the fireplace! Here is video of day two - no make up, tired but ready to tackle this head on.

Replace Your Own Blower Motor, Chump

Think I can't?! I'll tell what I can't do; I can't pay $1000 bucks for a $150 project. Sure, I have a band-aid on every finger and went through 2 pairs of socks because my hands kept snagging them, and SURE my son said "Ow!" when I licked my thumb and gently tried to clean hot chocolate off of his face.......  I paid $150 for a new motor to replace the one that failed on me and it was work but it wasn't hard work and you can do it too.  Unless, you have the $1k to throw around.  I've blown through a lot of hot chocolate too because I've been buying the affection of my sons as they have been kind of amazing through this whole ordeal.  They have to run into their freezing bedrooms to grab clothes for the day or pj's and run down to the fire to get dressed before the frostbite sets in.  I can't thank my amazing Mother and Step Father who surprised me with a 1/2 cord of wood and a quarter pounder yesterday and insane moral support and my father who calls his youngest daughter his hero and who drove all the way across town with pizza and wine and sat on my couch in my freezing house to just be there for me.  You are my people and I love you.  Now, here is the video on how to do this work; please don't laugh, I'm so un-photogenic and hate my voice but if this helps anyone, then I've done my job..  More videos to follow  Oh yeah, this guy is the best ever!  


www.hvac-for-beginners.com

I Think 'Cloud' is Like Religion

No one can actually give it ONE perfect definition and stand 100% confident in their less than perfect statement.  Define Statement: a communication or declaration in speech or writing, setting forth facts, particulars, etc.*  I guess I don't think it would be a statement then, do I?  Because with statement, one would be setting forth facts.  So, with today's development of the ambiguous 'cloud', I will define a new industry term:  Cloud Religion.  The term used when someone defines what cloud means to them.  To me, cloud is more a private internet most popularly offered in 1 or 10G packages w/ a Mbs of some sort to connect to your illusive and quite exclusive cloud.  Done.  Next stop: The White House; as I was voted most likely to overthrow the President in High School, I might as well give it a whirl.  Albeit, I am fond of our President but questioning the world's biggest arms deal to Saudi Arabia that he just had something to do with...  Happy New Year to all!!  Please drive safe, and don't get too crazy.  Your mother could not go on without you.

*Dictionary.com 

Good Food That Tastes Good Too?? Noooooo.....

So as a 2 time marathoner, I know food.  I know food that's good for me and I know why and how it's good for me.  Like, what it will do for my body and at which extent.  However, I have eaten more turkey bacon, whole wheat, whole grain toast, organic baby spinach and beans.  The hard part is that I love Christmas sugar cookies!  I love all cookies!!  So I was told by a colleague of mine that if I don't eat sugar for 1 or 2 weeks, that I will no longer crave it.  Not sure I can even get there!!  Whatever, I'm in hibernation.  I don't think it has so much to do w/ whether I eat a turkey brat or a hot dog, I'm wondering if my issue is the fact that my indulgence in wine  sky rockets this time of year.  Again, I'll have to say whatever.  Santa would want me to be a happier, more relaxed version me right now anyway.

Happy Christmas Eve Eve Eve!!!!  

How Many Social Media Sites Do I Need???

Answer: ALL OF THEM!!  If I intend on keeping up with the ways of the world, I will require the following:
Facebook
Skype
Twitter
Google+
These are the minimal requirements.  I wonder when my subscriptions to social media and my presence in the social enterprise world will negate a need for my resume.  I'll tell you what, my social media presence looks better.  While I may not be on board for that 100% yet, (and I know I will be) I will keep striving.  Whats more, I need all of my SMS (social media sites) to communicate to each other.  For example, Salesforce.com will soon communicate with my FB profile (looks like I'll be creating a professional profile).  The feature I like about Google+ is that I won't need to create both my fun profile and my work profile; I can have "Circles"!!  Now I know where I can post those 'too risque for my boss girls night out' pictures!!  That's the smartest thing they've done yet.  I just wish Google and SFDC would play nicer together sooner.  But for now my blog talks to my FB, talks to my Yahoo, talks to my Gmail, talks to my iPhone.  I think I'm good.  Are you?  FYI, my 92 year old Grandfather text messages me.  He doesn't LOL but he does when he calls me.  Which brings me to another point.  Text messaging is the new morse code.  Get w/ that.  I just had a conversation w/ a friend which lasted for 2 days that was neither had on the phone nor via SMS.  All social media.  I can dig it.  I can sooooo dig it.

Time to go get ready to meet a friend for coffee.  I made this date via Skype.  Ha ha ha.

"Groupon Is A Disaster" | LinkedIn

"Groupon Is A Disaster" | LinkedIn:

'via Blog this'

I wondered how long this would last. I've gotten a few Groupons, all of which I had to push out my date of 'pure enjoyment' because the vendors were packed. Then I wondered how they made any money knowing that each vendor pays an inflated price to use a credit card machine for one and then to factor in the overhead..... I have never been back to the place I had tea, the place I tried to get a mani and a martini, or the spa where I will pay a reasonable amount of money for a microderm abrasion. Two more points: a majority of these businesses are sooooooo chic (not read like boho chic), and I don't intend to go back to a salon to get a microderm in this economy for one, and I'm paying 50% less than what I would had I not gotten a Groupon and I think that's almost reasonable. I'll just try to be more diligent in washing my make-up off before I go to bed.... No seriously... Anyway, it was a great idea but I really need 50% off an oil change. I hope they pull out of this disaster. Thirty something tech billionaires are so chic.

I'm Running Faster Now

After the initial shock but lack of surprise of Steve Jobs' death at 56 from cancer, I will run faster, harder, stronger.  Not just because of that but because after having heard of his death, I didn't know that the next person I would meet tonight for the first time has blood cancer.  Her name is Carol.  Carol is proud and thankful that she is a stem cell transplant survivor.  She's not especially thankful that she's a stem cell transplant survivor, she's thankful that the transplant gave her 7 more years with her now 16 year old son.  She is "mad as hell" though.  That's not because she has blood cancer.  That's because of her divorce.  =)  I get mad as hell at the sheer thought of something threatening a relationship between parent and child.  I miss my friend Matt.  You miss your friends, family members.  I miss my cat Bucky who died of cancer when I was 10.  I am not a fan of cats but you get my point.

Training is done, it's the final countdown.....  Put the air guitar away until after you're done reading, I had to.  I want to thank the incredible people at The American Cancer Society - DetermiNation Team for landing this opportunity in my lap.  I have to admit, I didn't join this team in 2010 so I could swallow my pride to collect donations for people with cancer.  I joined because I was too late to register for my first full marathon.  I am so grateful that I found them!  On Sunday, I will be running my 2nd full marathon for The ACS and I couldn't be fortunate to be such a tiny part of something SOOOOOOO BIG!!!  I have met great people who give me encouragement and don't know me very well.  You guys rock!  Thanks for letting me be a part of your team 2 years running!!  Punny, I know.  If you haven't donated and can't, don't worry, I get it.  If you haven't donated and have .50 left until your credit card limit is reached, we could really use it.  If you have someone close to you that you've lost to cancer, give me their name, I'll proudly wear it on Sunday.

We will get you cancer.

Proceed to rip air guitar off the air guitar stand and sing it with me people.....
IT'S THE FINAL COWWWWWNNNNTTTT DOWWWWWWWWNN!!

DONATE HERE:  http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/DetermiNation/DNFY11National?px=17929717&pg=personal&fr_id=35201

Training to Train Has Begun!

Training for my second full marathon begins on 4/19/2011.  I need to be running 25 miles a week to begin said training.  Hmmmmm, I'm training to train.  Why do I feel like I'm planning to plan.  ...that's because I am, I guess.  So I started this TtoT last Friday.  I ran Cherry Creek Res. last time and saw a huge, fat snake.  CC is riddled with them so it wasn't too shocking however.  It is the beginning of April though, isn't it too early to dodge snakes?  The boys and I went on a walk in Lakewood on Sunday though (it was actually an adventure if you ask them) and the guy in front of us convulsed as he dodged a much smaller snake.  So sad.  He clearly suffers from snakeaphobia like my buddy Chris.  Cracks me up!  That's not nice.  I'm not that nice.  So with the notion that it's too early for the animals to come out to play while I run past them is a farce; I know this because yesterday I saw 2 inch worms (waaaayyyy bigger than an inch), a squossom (this is a squirrel hanging downwards from a tree like a possom for my friends who can't make that connection), and 8, yes EIGHT deer.  I filmed them but am too afraid to post because I think I sound like a dude.  I'll work up the courage.  I saw some huge birds but know nothing about birds so we'll just call them huge birds.  Seven more days to go so I can say that I'm just training.  Here is a picture of the deer - more like a Where's Waldo pic but for deer.

Thanks to my great friend Amy who took the boys (their first!!) and I to the Nuggets game last night, so much fun, picture to prove it below!