Halloween 2011

Posted on by Julie Stiles Mills

6:45am:
Me, trying to wake PinkGirl this morning:
“Good morning Ida.” (her character in the play she’s in rehearsals for) nothing.
“Good morning, Luna” (the character she’s dressing up as tonight) nothing.
“Good morning, PinkGirl” nothing.
“HAPPY HALLOWEEN!”
PinkGirl: “JUST A MINUTE. I’m almost finished with my dream.”

1pm:
I know some Christians have a problem with Halloween, but in our house it has always only been about two things: costumes and candy. Like theater, but on a sugar high.

5:45pm:
Any personal recommendations for spice/flavor if I attempt to roast these pumpkin seeds? And, I suppose, any instructions on how to roast pumpkin seeds? I can Google, but I haven’t gotten that far yet. I’m still dealing with jack-0-lantern guts.

6:45pm:
kids fed dinner. check
kids dressed in Halloween costumes. check
jack-o-lanterns carved. check.
pumpkin guts cleaned up…kinda.
mini-Snickers in the freezer. check.

7:45pm: There’s a guy driving down my street in a golf cart, pulling a lighted, homemade mini-Halloween float with kids on it. #toomuchtimetoomuchmoney

The witch from Snow White, painted by MY DAD! Unfortunately, there’s something about her that says: “Don’t wait for someone to open the door, just go ahead – reach out and open it yourself! Had to lock the door between trick-or-treaters!

8:45pm: A tiny little boy pulled down the bowl of candy I was holding to look for a lollipop, which I didn’t have. PinkGirl chased him down the sidewalk to give him one from her pillowcase.

anti-candy strategies.

Posted on by Julie Stiles Mills

How to make sure you actually still HAVE Halloween candy by the time Halloween rolls around:

1. Buy candy you hate.

2. Have your spouse take the candy to work until Halloween.

3. Have your spouse HIDE the candy somewhere in the house.

4. Buy replacement candy after you’ve vandalized your house looking for hidden candy.

Thankfully, at the present time, I’m closer to #3 than #4.

contemporary [kuhn-tem-puh-rer-ee] -adjective: of the present time; modern

Posted on by Julie Stiles Mills

Proof that song selection is NOT the only defining characteristic of “contemporary Christian music.”

I couldn’t make it through the first time – and this is the SHORT version. Just the highlights. FavoriteSon watched the entire thing, cracking up and he sucked me in.

beyond horrible.

WHY would anyone do this? why? Why? WHY?

Dear Panera: it’s your own fault.

Posted on by Julie Stiles Mills

I figure if Panera didn’t want me to monopolize booth #1, they shouldn’t have put a power outlet under my feet.

10:39am – At Panera Bread, trying to write instead of at home trying not to fall asleep or clean something. I’m supposed to be working on my book, but it seems that lyrics are sneaking out instead. We’ll see. I’ve got time to do both – PinkGirl has a 12 hour theater day.

11:39am – Crudola. Power supply at home. Battery has 2 hours and 40 minutes. Gonna try and bribe FavoritSon to bring it to me later. seriously. that’s not going to happen.

12:39pm – I’m attempting to bribe FavoriteSon with free Panera lunch. He and his dad think it’s “girl food” but I think he’ll do it anyway. The question is whether he’ll make it before my battery dies. 1 hour 42 minutes.

1:39pm – My son loves me. He just brought my laptop power supply to me at Panera Bread so I didn’t have to stop writing. And I didn’t even have to buy him lunch.

Let the monopolization of booth #1 continue.

I’d REALLY like to say I don’t know where he gets it.

Posted on by Julie Stiles Mills

The weather is beautiful! I made FavoriteSon go out into the backyard tonight and do NOTHING.

No electronics.

No distractions.

I told him he could talk to God or just listen, I didn’t care, but for FIVE minutes, I wanted him to sit outside with the wind in his face and look out over the pond behind our backyard and do NOTHING.

He came back in 10 minutes later and said:

“That just made me realize I need to mow the backyard.”

I’d REALLY like to say I don’t know where he gets it.

recycling words.

Posted on by Julie Stiles Mills

12:45pm – There are days when I’m writing that I think I might be on to something. And then there are days like today when I think “there’s nothing new under the sun” and I’m just recycling words.

I think I need an endorphin.

and a mentor.

2:45pm – I abandoned the writing and had lunch with the Lord.

Then I cleaned the back porch.

Sitting down with the computer again, praying I’m not cleaning the house in an hour – because really, if I do that, I’m desperate.

5:59pm – My living room is clean now.

fragments: F250, toxic levels of NO!, lunchbox, photo that never dies, business distraction, thinking chair, strep, grilled cheese & the learning curve of a cat.

Posted on by Julie Stiles Mills

August 29, 2011
(FirstHusband was out of town and my car needed to go into the shop.)

“I’ll be driving the Ford F250 this week, but in addition to the water it needs to be fed every day, FirstHubs says it needs oil. I’ll be dragging a step ladder out to do that because there is NO WAY I can reach while standing on the ground.”

(didn’t drive the F250. Called dibs on FavoriteSon’s car instead. I can just see it, a Ford F250 with the hood up, next to an empty stepladder – and my legs hanging out of the engine because I fell in)

__________

August 30, 2011
Dear Tuesday, August 30th: you have exceeded your daily limit of the word “no.”

__________

Did some new hire computer training today – I LOVE it when I can show someone how to make their job easier and their work more efficient – at the SAME time! Ultimately, it helps to lower their stress level, increase their job satisfaction and build their confidence. And I LOVE it when I train someone who’s enthusiastic about learning!

__________

August 31, 2011
I spy . . . a forgotten lunch box on the kitchen counter. dang it.

__________

I was supposed to get a new driver’s license Tuesday morning.
Text from FirstHusband in Utah: “Any luck on the driver’s license front?”
Me: “you. are. a. nag.”
1stHubs: “I waited more than 24 hours after you said you would be there. Besides, I’m waiting on something. I’m bored.”
Me: “Had to get PinkGirl to school 45 minutes early because we only had one car. This photo will follow me for 10 years.”
1stHubs: “What? I’m confident your natural beauty will shine through. You are being too modest.”
pshhh. He IS bored.

__________

Trying to write. I knew avoidance was imminent.
random word search on youtube: “business”

__________

I’m confident there is an answer to this problem. Just haven’t figured it out yet. If only I had $199. What? I said I was avoiding. I just shifted from youtube to ebay. (click HERE for the Thinking Chair eBay auction)

__________

September 1, 2011
FavoriteSon home from school today. His self-diagnosis? Strep. 11:30 appointment at the doctor to confirm.

FavoriteSon’s self-diagnosis is confirmed. He is “strep throat boy.” Now we try and prevent him from morphing into “CONTAGIOUS strep throat boy”

FavoriteSon: “Mom, will you make me a grilled cheese sandwich?”
Me: “It’s 9 o’clock at night. I bought you soup.”
FavSon: “You can’t eat soup without grilled cheese.”
Me: “yes you can. I’ve seen it done.”
FirstHusband, overhearing all this over the phone: “you don’t love your son enough to make him a grilled cheese sandwich?”
It’s a grilled cheese conspiracy.

10:21pm – I caved. he really is pitiful when he’s sick.

__________

September 2, 2011 at 1:07pm
Bob the Cat is dumber than dirt. I must have thrown him (gently) off my desk 30 times in the last hour and a half. Trying to get some work done and he’s seriously throwing off my groove!

1:16pm – 31

1:17pm – 32

facebook fragments: can’t. lazy bum. oil. p. muscle cars. tornadic activity. good times. intentional choices.

Posted on by Julie Stiles Mills

Here’s a few fragments of my week:

FavoriteSon vs. AP Lit.
FavSon: “I can’t.”
Me: “can’t is a four letter word.”
FavSon with a formal tone of voice and his signature grin: “I cannot.”
I have no idea where he gets it.

__________

Headed back to BodyInUnity yoga Monday morning (M-W-F at 9:15 am at First United Methodist Church of Oviedo in the youth room if you’re so inclined to join us)! I’m stiff and weak and flabby and reeking of lazy bum – all with no excuse! If I want do more than pay lip service to my commitment to be a good steward of this body God has blessed me with – it’s time to GET BACK TO WORK.

__________

Got a flashing oil light in the van today and drove straight to Auto Mech & Muffler. Turns out, that light is supposed to flash when you’re 6 months and 10,000 miles past your last oil change. oops.
(Since I’ve somehow become oblivious to the little reminder sticker they put on the top of the windshield, I just entered it in my phone calendar with an alarm.)

__________

FavoriteSon, doing pre-calc: “Dad, I know how to get ‘Q’ but can you help me get ‘P’?
Both FirstHusband and I answered: “drink water.”
FavSon groaned.
Me: “What? Did you not see that coming?”
FavSon: “I thought you were more mature than that.”
nope.

__________

FirstHusband texting me while on travel in Detroit: “I’m driving a Dodge Charger.”
Me: “Oh no you DID NOT just tell me that!”
(Those of you who are aware of my affinity for muscle cars: Dodge Charger = Dream Car.)

__________

10 year old PinkGirl: “Mom, there may be some tornadic activity on Friday.”
(She knows who Jim Cantore is too.)

__________

Target snack bar. PinkGirl talking about her day, seemingly without taking a breath while devouring breadsticks. Good times.

__________

Thursday night. 10:30pm. Too quiet downstairs. Called down to FavoriteSon and FirstHusband:
“Are both of you on task and making intentional choices?”
At the same time, I hear:
FirstHusband, (playing a videogame): “He is.”
FavoriteSon, (on the internet): “no.”
Do I know them or what?

Cheddar Jack Cheez-its, you have no power over me. today.

Posted on by Julie Stiles Mills

Problem: I want a fistful of Cheddar Jack Cheez-its.

(Regular Cheez-its pose no threat to me. But . . . these are CHEDDAR JACK Cheez-its. They have Cheez-it SUPERPOWERS.)

Strategy: I’m going to get a nectarine. and if I still have room for Cheez-its, I’m getting a fistful of cherries.

(I may still want Cheez-its after that, but there won’t be room. That’s my theory anyway.)

Today, I’m going to be a good steward of this body God has blessed me with.

And I will not whine about it.

much.

nectarine gone. going to get a fistful of cherries now.

June Fitness: progress, not perfection.

Posted on by Julie Stiles Mills

exercise-log

If you’ve been around Compendium before, you know my goal: To be a good steward of this body God has blessed me with.

Because my personal fitness history shows I can’t be trusted and that I desperately need the motivation of accountability, I put my June fitness goals out here on the internet and have been blogging, facebooking and tweeting my progress.

How did I do? I didn’t meet all my goals.

again.

But I’m STRONGER than I was a month ago!

June Totals
6.5% Incline Miles Walked: 52 – GOAL!
Strength Training/Yoga Days: 0 (FAIL. NOT. ONE. DAY. Sad and pitiful.)
2 Minute Planks: 30 – GOAL!
Back Extensions: 300 – GOAL!
BOSU Pushups: 300 – GOAL!
Tricep Reps: 315 – EXCEEDED GOAL BY 15!
Oblique Crunches: 205 (not on the goal list, just working on the love handles)
Days Supplements Taken: 16 (14 days short of goal)
Fruit Servings: 34 (26 short of goal)

(See the daily JUNE ENTRIES HERE)

I’ve just about decided on July’s goals and I’ve decided I need to shorten the window of accountability from a month to a week, so I’ve also decided to join Ragamuffin Soul (Carlos Whitaker) and An Idol Heart (Grant Jenkins) in their 12 week quest to “get their sexy back.”

They’re asking for WEEKLY check-ins. It appears I need that, or I may continue in my pattern of slacking an entire week and flippin KILLING myself to make it up. I’m slightly stubborn.

(“sexyback11?” I know. Guys can relate ANYthing to sex, even exercise and dieting) Kind of annoying that every post is supposed to have the “sexyback11” hashtag. I have to override my computer’s parental controls EVERY time I read someone’s sexyback11 update.)