Thursday, February 5, 2009

Virtual Vomit
I'm just here to spit it out

I feel like my brain is misfiring.  I cannot settle down for the life of me.  After drinking two cups of Sleepy Time Tea and getting no results, I decided to post a few of the things I was thinking about on the treadmill tonight.  Ah, the truth comes out.  I can never fall asleep when I exercise at night.


I have come to the conclusion that I could never run on a treadmill without music.  For me, it is pure torture without it--I don't care how good Oprah is, I can't last more that ten minutes.  I am not a runner but I'm starting to think I could be....?  Ha!  No seriously though, I'm pretty shocked at how well I do when I have good songs to listen to.  So far, my favorite is "Pump It" by Black Eyed Peas.  It just gets me uber happy.  And reminds me of dancing like crazy in my parents living room with all my bros and sisters a few years back--we had like a dancing FRENZY to that song--it was awesome.  Also, I love the one by the Killers "All these things I've done."  I think that's the name.  It gets me really happy too and running fast!  (Mitchie you know why)


Found myself chuckling about this next thing.  Last week.  Mitchell came into our room at 2:43. "Nicholas threw up and my woom stinks BAD!"  Now, Nicholas is old enough to make it to the toilet, but it must have been violent because the damage was indescribable! We're talking it hit two opposing walls....  Usually, I'll be nice and deal with this sort of thing, but when that stench smacked me in the face and I took a look at the ladder--I started dry heaving so bad--I had to run back to MY woom.  "Nick!! Waaaake up!!" There's like an inch of puke on every rung of the ladder!"  I am giggling even now picturing Nick's slit eyes as he gingerly tiptoed the ladder across the hall and into the shower.  I only shared this with you, so in case it happens to you, you know to take the ladder to the shower.  I thought it was ingenious really.  Whoa...when I pause to think how I would've gone about cleaning it.....ew!  shivvers.....


Pandora's box.  Have you heard of this?  It's so cool.  It's an internet radio station where you type in a band or song and then they create a playlist around it.  I've just recently discovered it and love it.  Check it out.

I was repeating one of the lines from this movie in my head while I was daydreaming tonight.  I love it when Jack (can't remember his movie name) comes storming in the room and yells to Greg Kinnear, "Are you gonna talk to me or what?!"  I LOVE that scene!  Of course you can't even appreciate what I'm talking about if you haven't seen it. This is for sure one of my all time favorite movies.  It is just fabulous and I am so ready to see it again.  The message is wonderful, the acting so good....I can't say enough about it.  If you haven't seen it, you should.  


I completely cured myself a few days ago with these two things. I kid you not.  I was getting the worst (I mean worst) cold.  The kind where it hits you in like ten minutes and you think the world's gonna end, and you sneeze like forty times in a row.  Nick went and got me this stuff and made sure I knew it cost "like 20 bucks" but it was WORTH IT!  I took the Zicam three times before bed and the Echinacea twice and it was gone the next day.  It came back a little the next night and I did it again....and it vanished.  I've never used Zicam before because my dad called it ZiScam so I figured he must know....anyway, he was wrong.  I was cured and I have witnesses.


So you know when you're on the treadmill and you start thinking about your kids and all their issues. Tonight it was about Natalie and I started wondering and worrying if it's normal that she has such a serious crush on a boy in her class.  I mean, I just think she's too young for that--3rd grade after all.  Then I started laughing to myself because I thought back to my first crush, and it wasn't on a boy in my class...no it was on a boy in Mr. Kotter's class!  That's right Vinnie Barberino aka Danny Zuko.  I had a tee shirt with John Travolta's face on it and I put it over my pillow case and slept on it. Many a night I cried about him because I was just soooooooo miserably in love with his laughing eyes, big toothy grin and to-die-for dimple!  Now the crazy thing is, I was picturing the bed and the room in which I did all that boobing, and it was in our house in North Las Vegas, which would have made me seven years old!  Okay, is that messed up or what?  Really... HOW ON EARTH could I have been bawling over him at such a young age? I'm still pondering that...and figuring Natalie's normal?  Normal...like....her mother?

So, then I started thinking about the time I fell in love with Stevie Wonder after a dream. This was one of those completely real dreams where you wake up and are majorly affected.  Like the dream has become your reality because you feel it in-your-bones strong...you know what I mean?  This probably happened about age fourteen because remember  I was completely obsessed with this boy named Donnie at the time.  The word "obsession" does not even begin to touch what I had for this kid.  Anyway, before I went to bed one night I crank-called poor Donnie and said nothing but played "I just called to say I love you" into the phone.  Well, little did I know how that simple act would affect my psyche during the night.  In the dream Stevie and I were laying on the floor next to the orange couch in my parent's family room.  We kissed each other (a lot) and he taught me that I could love a sightless man the same as any other.... and let me tell you, when I awoke.... the spell had been cast!  I  literally walked around for two weeks miserable over the guy....lovesick and crazy, believing somehow, against all odds, Stevie and I should be together.  That's sort of a bad memory for me...too real.  I must have been super hormonal.
Last but not least I thought about the email my dad sent all his kids today titled "Food Storage Recipe #1".  It's not often he exposes his expertise and I hesitate to share, but if you've hung with me this long...I figure you've earned it.

Family,

This is my old faithful spaghetti recipe, but it is very tasty and very inexpensive. I recently made a batch for the dove and me and it lasted for six meals at a cost of about $5.00 (less than a dollar per meal). We had a small salad...green (if available) with ranch or canned fruit and cottage cheese (if available) Both salads are very inexpensive.

Ingredients are:

1 26oz Kroger spaghetti sauce (about $1.09) Ragu, Prago etc. is fine but over double the cost
1 dry Kroger spaghetti packet
1 lb ground turkey or beef (if available) or no particular brand of canned meat (beef, turkey, or chicken)
Fresh chopped onion (if available) or stored minced onion (onion is totally optional)

DIRECTIONS

Brown onion and meat and drain...with turkey there is 0 grease to drain
Add wet spaghetti sauce to meat and onion. Put spaghetti dry mix into empty spaghetti bottle and add about 2 full dry spaghetti packets of water to the dry mix in the bottle. Shake the crap out of the water and dry mix and pour it into the meat and wet spaghetti sauce. If you have music available, you can dance vehemently while shaking the crap out of dry mix and water.

REHEAT AND SERVE THE FAM!!!!!!!!

I can completely make this in 15 minutes if I don't use fresh onion. While the water is boiling for the noodles, I can have the meat and sauce ready when the water and noodles are done.

Love from,

Big Al's Tightwad Survival Kitchen

Tomorrow will be Food Storage Recipe #2.


What are some other good songs to run to?
I like alternative stuff mostly.

14 comments:

Jek said...

No wonder dad asked me why I hadn't commented on this email. I clearly hadn't read it all and paid attention to the "add water to the DRY spaghetti packet and shake vehemently". I wonder if anyone has ever even thought about adding water to the dry packet. Only dad. I loved your whole post/ I would love to do a post like this someday. Great post. And boy i used to hate those dreams. then it all changed. I LOVE those dreams.

Me said...

I am like you. I have to listen to music on my treadmill. I can't watch just tv or I get too bored.

And thanks for the heads up on the ladder thing. We are about to set up my sons bunk beds and I'm sure that little tip will come in handy someday.

I've seen As Good As It Gets many times, and it's ok. It's not my favorite, but it is great acting. There are a lot of great lines in that movie.

Thanks for all the other ideas. I'll have to check some of them out.

And I hope the sickness doesn't last too long. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I/we don't catch anything.

Suzanne said...

And that was completely RANDOM and it was completely entertaining. Ah, the crazy things we write when we cannot sleep.

I would have to say my favorite song to run to is "Every time we touch" by Cascada, I believe that's their name. Great beat and the chorus I always pick it up and sprint a little.

Vomitting..............no comment.

You couldn't have shared the cold remedy in an email to me? Hello! That was useful information I could have used 3 days ago.

Your dad always cracks me up. Secret recipe revealed and its a doozy. haha! You should post recipe #2 also. Curious how your parents do food storage when it is so hot there? My family says everything sweats and ruins the food. Very interesting analogy! Anywho, John Travolta and Stevie Wonder, that is very interesting too! I feel like we cracked open your head and got a glimpse last night. Too funny! -Suzanne

VEGAS VIC said...

Where did you come from? haha, oh yeh, I know---you're dad.

Tiff said...

The very next time you have a nice warmish (45-50 degrees is plenty warm enough) sunny day, you MUST run OUTSIDE! I'm telling you, there is nothing like running outside for the soul. Plus, it is good exercise. You can even bring your iPod if you want, but most of the time I prefer to let my thoughts run as well. Try the canal path--nice and flat. You may be surprised how far you can go!

Anonymous said...

j-mark,

Wow. Where to start with this one? it is indeed a fertile field.

I recently saw a picture of Bernadette Peters. I was struck by my reaction that she is "an old woman"! I remember the pain of yearning I had for her long ago when she was on the Carol Burnett Show. I looooved her. Then I remembered lying on the floor behind my bed downstairs and indulging that pain with some tears and pining. Upon recalling that, I realized it was in our old house that we moved out of before I entered the 4th grade. Ouch. And a single teardrop...

Two words for "As Good as it Gets" and the scene where Kinnear's character starts sketching Helen Hunt's semi-nude character: "Mental Rolodex."

In a serious vomit situation such as you describe, my first thought is "How can I get all this stuff (yes, ladder and all) out to the garbage"? Second thought is: "How can I get all this into the shower"? So props to your man-trophy on his quick thinking.

Keep the posts coming woman.

Lisa and Bill said...

Wow, Jen! I don't think I read it all either. You really couldn't sleep! I have to listen to music while on the treadmill too.

I did a fun tag..check out my blog..you've been tagged!

Have fun!

Jayne Layne said...

That was a really good post I really enjoyed it! I will say, I hate exercise and any form of it (except yoga), but I will also say there have been a few times in my life that I been an EXCELLENT runner for a few weeks at a time and I can honestly say I owe it to my playlist... I for the life of me do not remember what it was now, but it was GREAT! I love running to Techno, it is so upbeat and fast you can't help but have adrenaline... I have a few good songs that span out over 20 minutes, once they are done your run is almost done, Wolah!

One song that you should download is Brainstew by Greenday, but you have to get the GODZILLA soundtrack version. Great beat and it completely makes me feel like I can run forever. maybe it is just cause I like the song though....

Dreams, oh yes I know the kind. The kind that makes you wish you would have never woken up because there is absolutely nothing you can do about them, and now you are so in love with someone you have never met that you are destined to have a miserable two days, until you can finally get over him. That has happened to me alot lately with TJ Lavin... BMX racer.

Lastly, don't worry about Natalie. You are talking to the girl that in 5th grade (older than Natalie, but still young) called home from Grandma Miller's basement to see if Chris Kelly had called me. It was Summer Break, and I hadn't heard from him, he was my boyfriend, and I was SO DEPRESSED. Mom assured me everything would be fine, but I thought life was ending. Young love is Natural. My first two boyfriends were in the third grade. Zack Collie and Tanner Frey, no harm done. However; still be careful because times have changed.

Sorry for the novel.

Ann Marie said...

Oh Jen..
Glad to see/peek into your late night thoughts..

I have a theory -- from my BFF Monica that you only run while being chased...true stuff.

The treadmill TOTALLY has to be songs! And good ones at that.. I have alot that I love but I'm not sure what you consider Alternative.. Is 80's considered? I could give you a whole playlist.

This morning I turned on "Take on me" by A-ha and boy does that song make you wanna move! Love it!

The ladder, I am so sicked out -- just reading it... Those are the days you want to call a maid service! :) Good job Nick.

Young love is obsessed Love, but harmless. -- At least for me.

Glad I got to see who 2 of your "crushes" were..

I love the Killers. Totally love them.

As good as it gets.. Makes me feel like my OCD is OK compared to his..

Love your Dad's e-mail. I hope you share #2 also.

Fun post. Thanks for your sweet comments on my blog. Today is the first good day. (fingers crossed )
Happy weekend! XO ~ Ann

SaraBerry said...

I feel sick to my stomach. Puke is not my strong point. Give me ANYTHING else, just not puking kids. Scott just lets them puke all over him and calmly comforts them. I dry heave, and apologize to the child puking, as I leave the room, and RUN and get Scott. Then I am sick for about 24 hours. That is not exaggerating.
Hey, I was wondering if you would like some company. We have a flight from GTMO to DC every Saturday. We told the kids we would take them to see the historical sights of DC, and I would love to see you all. What do you think? It would be summer, or January on our way home?

carey said...

I LOVE this random treadmill post! I may have to copy you on this one...I have the most interesting thought process when I'm on there. OK, the treadmill and/or running just is NOT the same without good music. If you do decide to run (yes you can!!!), let me know - - I have a long playlist of good running songs. The Killers have some good ones! ;)

Mitch said...

I agree. Exercising without music is like the church without the BoM; maybe worse. There's been a few times where i've gotten to the gym, realized i forgot my ipod, realized it's too far to go home JUST for the ipod, so i just go home. I refuse to workout without music. Jayne's right regarding techno. It really does pump you up and keep a good pace. For some reason, Rage against the machine is my all time favorite workout. All the beats completely workout perfectly to the speed of my reps. It's nice.

The spew story is too much for me. I dry heave pretty easily these days.

Something was seriously wrong when i was reading about my oldest sister(7 years old at the time) rolling around on the floor kissing Stevie Wonder. I'm still a little disturbed by the whole thing.

I'm a little bugged that mom let Jayne have Chris Kelly as a boyfriend when i remember specifically the day that i asked her if it was alright if Natasha Zeman(hottest girl in school) was my girlfriend. She said no. For a fourth grader i was a little emotionally damaged. And jayne knows how incredibly OBSESSED i was with Jennifer Martinez. Holy mama she was hot. I can look back at her pictures as a fifth grader and still think she is smokin. I miss her.

JENNIFRO said...

Mitch...Stevie was at 14, thanks so much.

J.Frey said...

Hi! I'm Jennie Frey. I'm married to Tanner Frey...you know, Jayne's first boyfriend:) Kamille and Glenna told me to check out your cute/funny blog. I'm glad I did!

My first love was Jonny in Kindergarten. I specifically remember pretending like I didn't know how to tie my shoe so he would help me and then asking him to flex his muscles for me...I wish I was kidding...I was five.

I love running! And I am constantly looking for new songs to run to so thanks for the suggestions. Right now my favorite is Let it Rock by Kevin Rudolf.

Thanks for letting me stalk your blog!