The other day we all piled into the car, heading out to run errands. I was on my cell phone when we got in the car. Although it was a short one minute call, the entire time I was on the phone, Piper was in the back seat trying to get my attention.

“Mama! Maaa Maaaa! Mamamamamamamam! MA! MA! Mama, mama, mama!”

It was an endless stream of calling me in every tone imaginable. Finally, my call ended. So, I immediately turned around to her and asked, “What is it, honey?”

In her little sing song voice, she told me what was so urgent. “I can seeeee you!”

I freaking love this age!

Once again I have to apologize for not being around to visit everyone lately.  Piper has been sick all week.  She is now bouncing back, but it was one of those stressful weeks.  Poor thing is on five different medications and each time we have to give her one, she breaks my heart with the begging and pleading, “good girl. all done. good girl.”  As if we are dosing out our own punishment for something she’s done.  I don’t know how to explain it to her that the medication has nothing to do with her being bad.  These are the things they never teach you in any parenting class or book.

Anyway, after four days of not eating and basically sleeping all day, this morning she ate like a pig and did a special ballet dance just for me.  I think we are back in action and over the worse of it.

As for me, I have been busy working on my new year’s resolutions.  Well, actually I only made one this year: To try.  I hate setting myself up for failure, making resolutions I can’t keep up with in the end. So, a resolution to try to reach my goals seems more productive and forgiving, rather than imposing.  And try I have.  So far, I am on track with all my goals (I know, it hasn’t even been a full month yet, but bear with me).  One goal was to lose ten pounds and so far I lost two (my Ann Taylor gift card is currently being held hostage until I lose all ten).  Another one, the biggest and most important one, was to quit smoking.  I just started the medication, so this is my last week of smoking freedom. Come next Wednesday, it all stops. After 25 years, I am scared shit that I won’t know how to live as a non-smoker.  I just hope this medication works and I can have the discipline to make it work.  I feel ready, which is the key they say.  Wish me luck.

And, if you don’t hear from me after Wednesday, it is most likely because I had a nervous breakdown or was thrown in jail for robbing the nearest convenience store.

[Spoiler Alert: Don’t read this if you did not see last night’s episode of 24 or care what happened!] 

As you know, I have been MIA since 24 was on for the past two nights. One of the reasons I love this show is because there is nothing formula about it.  Anything can happen on this show and it does, without warning or that usual build up to some finale you can see coming miles away.  I mean, poor Jack Bauer goes through two years of torture and finally gets released only to find out he is just a pawn to be sold off to terrorists.  He escapes, then has to kill his best friend to save a known terrorist (who will hopefully cooperate and help save many future lives).  And this is only the first four hours after his release from a Chinese prison.  He hasn’t even had a decent shower or meal yet, not to mention the entire jet lag thing.  Poor Jack Bauer.

This is exactly why there are many days I am grateful to just be your average schmuck and not have the weight of an entire nation resting on my weary shoulders.  Let someone else save the world, I’ll just curl up on my couch with the cats and watch House.

Except, House. Is. Not. On!  The Gods hate me, of this I am certain. 

No, instead they put on twelve hours straight of American Idol try-outs.  I think they even cancelled the news so we can watch a bunch of sad people make complete idiots of themselves on TV.  Needless to say, I am watching it all.  I admit, I secretly love when sad people make complete idiots of themselves.  The try-outs are my favorite of all the Idol shows.  But, part of me thinks some of it is embellished.  I mean, there can’t really be so many clueless people out there that honestly believe they have a shot. Could there? Even now, after several seasons?  I think they just want to be on TV, even if it is only for the brief two minutes where they are ripped a new one and put to shame.  Sometimes I just sit there in awe.  Not only that there are so many some poor saps who think they have talent just because once in a while they sound good in the shower.  But, the thing that really gets me (and I mean really gets me) is when these poor saps has an entourage of people cheering them on, encouraging them to think they have a shot. An entire group of family and friends anxiously waiting in the wings for these hopeless suckers who couldn’t carry a tune if it had a handle on it.  How can so many people be so pathetic - all at once?  Don’t you think that is just weird?  It would be like my entire family going with me to buy a lottery ticket. The whole time cheering and prodding me on, proudly telling me, “We just know you are going to win!”

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Ok, that is the end of my TV rant.  I have been an addict for three nights straight, so I have nothing else to talk about sadly. And when I wasn’t glued to the tube, I was playing around with the templates Squarespace offers (they revamped the old one I used so I lost it ALL!).  My brain is fried, so I am sort of back to the old, but not so fancy Momish look. Because at this point, if I were to click that “preview” button one more friggin time, I would have puked.  This will have to do for now.  I just suck at making decisions, especially when it comes to anything creative.  This is why I seriously could not go on Deal or No Deal.  I would be paralyzed by having to choose a number. A stupid number.  But I am totally addicted to that show.  It comes on tomorrow night, so guess where I’ll be?  At least the cats are totally loving the new couch potato me.

This has been a whirlwind weekend.  I hope to get around to reading all your latest news soon. I just wanted to say that this weekend, my little girl said, “oud ewe”.

(Translation: Thank you)

Such simple words but boy do they pack a punch.  Melted grandmom’s heart is what those two little words did!

Ok, gotta go. 24 starts in a short while. Got the popcorn, the hubby, the blanket and the cats. I plan to curl up on the couch and get lost in Jack Bauer’s whirlwind day.  Any other 24 fans out there?