All About ME

I fear that I'm becoming more boring than a sloth. I even bore myself sometimes. But lately I've been able to capture a few moments to do things that I like, other than write on this blog. Here's what's new.

Reading: The Interestings. It's slow-going, but so far it's quite interesting. Heh. I also have a stack of Anthology mags that I have yet to crack. In order to keep my brain sharp and abreast of current events (mostly those abroad because I have a hard time keeping track of foreign affairs on my own), I read TheSkimm every morning. It keeps a person's mind fresh. I recommend it. While I don't have time to delve deeply into every blog in the world like in the past, I do keep up with a couple blogs from my favorite designers...and of course those of my friends! Oh, and my two favorite websites that keep me feeling young, modern, and up-to-date are Refinery 29 and The Everygirl.

Listening to: This American Life...again. Ira Glass joins Gavin and I on our commute each day. Public radio is really quite good, and until someone introduces me to some new music that I really enjoy, it'll be me, G, and Ira. Dylan and I also listen to Freakonomics pretty often...again . There was once a time that I said I couldn't stand to listen to people talk, but now that I'm in such a music lull, I'm really loving how much my mind is opened up when I listen to a good podcast. I go in and out of listening to these types of things, and right now is an in time.

Watching: I still do love TV, and I record all the usual shows but just take in bits and pieces of them when I can. We also started watching Role Models, and I made it through 40 whole minutes before falling asleep. It's pretty funny! I love Paul Rudd...because who doesn't?

Shopping: I'm not as prolific a shopper as in days past, but lately I've been a real sucker for workout clothes and shoes. My favorite leggings are from Beyond Yoga. Has anyone tried Athleta? What are your thoughts? I'm think I'm over the Lululemon craze. I actually have fewer things in my closet than ever before as I am starting to become a real grown-up and favor a classic look and high quality over loud, colorful, trendy, and cheap. Or maybe that's just me becoming more boring...

Drinking: I bought a copper mug this week but I have yet to make a Moscow Mule. I've also doubled (sometimes tripled) my coffee intake compared to the days of yore. And though I'm clocking plenty of hours of sleep on most good nights, I have gone down the dark path of becoming a coffee lover over the last half-year. Our favorite is Starbucks Medium Roast Kcups. While lacking in quality in comparison to the Aero Press, the convenience factor shoots these puppies to the top of my ranking. I think the Keurig that I received as a birthday gift is what kept me alive for a couple of months.

Eating: We still have plenty of meals compliments of Trader Joe's and my toaster oven. I spend a good amount of time making food for Gavin, so cooking for the adults in this house has become pretty low on the priority list. Kind of like cleaning. But Dylan has learned food preparation as a survival tactic, and lately we've been pretty well-fed. Tonight it was chicken Caesar salad and garlic bread. He also feeds me fresh juices that resemble blood (or sometimes slime), and sometimes they taste a little bit like Earth, but I think they help keep us all healthy.

What else?: We've taken a couple of hikes in the preserve. Once with Gavin in the stroller. That was kind of tough, but still worth it. Also, Dylan is actively mountain bike shopping. We have a shiny bike trailer for the baby (and the dogs, of course!) on its way and a couple of the dumpiest mountain bikes you've ever seen out in the garage. So we're hoping to update our wheels and go on many adventures some time soon. And a great vacation is in the works. Man, do we need a vacation. Oh, and Dylan has been doing the Lumosity brain training. I'm intrigued and may try it for myself, but I just don't want something else that I feel like I need to do every night.

The dogs: They're huge pains in the butt, but I still love them. Usually at night I'm flanked on each side by one dog until they get kicked out of the bed (which sometimes doesn't happen at all.) Often Dylan asks them, "What have you done for me lately?" or "Did you bring home a paycheck for the family this week?" to try to make them feel guilty, but it doesn't work. They are great with the baby. They love it when he drops food, and after he's asleep they get comfortable on his stuff. Probably not very sanitary, but I'm so over being a germ-a-phobe.

Gavin: He eats finger foods, and his appetite has remained hearty. He still loves to stand (supported), and when you put him on his belly, he kicks his legs like crazy in an effort to propel himself toward the dogs. He also makes a lot of noise. Babbling, shrieking, yelling, screaming, laughing...he does it all. He puts everything in his mouth, and somehow he has accumulated a ton of toys, which are in every corner of the house and all over the car, so that he can be constantly stimulated. We had been guessing on and off that he was teething for the last few months...and we were wrong every time. But now, for real, I can actually see something trying to come through his gums, so they should be here before too long. And he can sit well, though he extends his legs when you try to sit him down because he'd prefer to stand. But, for some reason, he burps and poops a lot when he sits, so I think it's generally a pretty enjoyable experience for him.

It's not like it used to be, but this is indeed the best of times!