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The Weekend

I'm heading to the city with my hubby for the weekend. Just him and I.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Quick! The bucket...*blarf*

There have been countless times in the last five days I have sat down with the intent to blog, but I've been unable to force my fingers over the keys to craft coherent sentences. See? That last sentence is rather messy and wordy. But I'm moving on, 'cause if I delete it, it may be another five days before I get to it again. So many things have happened and I've thought, "I need to get this down," but Procrastination has become my middle name. Hey, it sounds better than lazy. Now, since sentence structure and paragraph flow is sketchy at best right now, I'm gonna do a random post and just get it all down in messy chaotic fashion. Oy! That paragraph is atrocious.

This is my version of blarf, or blog puke, if you will.

:: :: ::

Benen crawled onto my bed with me to watch American Idol. During David Cooke's performance he looks at me in all seriousness and says, "He sings more better than you."

Hey, I can't argue with the truth now, can I?

:: :: ::

I was squatting down, sifting through the piles in my sons' bookshelves looking for stories to read him before bed, when Benen spoke.

"Mom, you're too fat to fit in my bed."

My jaw dropped. "What did you say?"

"You're too fat to fit on my bed." I was shaking with silent laughter. "But that's okay, 'cause I'll just move over like this, and then there'll be room."

:: :: ::

My husband and I were laying in bed watching a late re-run of Rosanne (Hey, it's what was on at the time) when Connor crawled into bed with us. He has frequent dreams so this wasn't out of the ordinary. I forgot he was lying there.

"Honey, I look like that."

"Like what?"

"Like her. Like Roseanne." I was having a "fat day".

My husband rolled his eyes.

"You don't look like that, Mom."

I turned to Connor, curious what he would say. "Really?"

"Yeah. You don't look like her. You got curly hair and glasses."

I love the innocence of kids. They are so pure of heart.

:: :: ::

Oh, YAH BABY! My guys won!! I'd give three cheers right now, 'cept they don't do that kind of thing in the UFC. That's right. Georges St-Pierre WON THE WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP Saturday night. He didn't just beat Matt Serra, he DESTROYED him! I'm talking a complete annihilation, he DOMINATED Serra! It was beautiful! A truly memorable moment.

St-Pierre beat Serra in the second round by TKO. The referee stepped in to stop the fight when Serra became unable to defend himself. If you're interested, here's a video of round two. (St-Pierre is in the tight, black shorts. Um, I'm not a fan of the spandex, but the guy is a unbelievable, his athleticism almost unrivaled. You'll hear the announcers say he may be the best wrestler in the UFC.)



And of course, Rich Franklin beat Travis Lutter in the second round by TKO. Lutter nearly got a submission in the first round, but Rich "Ace" Franklin was able to pull a Houdini and spun out of an arm bar. Amazing! You can see it here, and if you don't want to watch the whole thing, skip to the 6:00 mark. That's some beautiful, technical work.



And of course, here are the winning moments.



:: :: ::

And last, but certainly not least, a Farewell to Forty-Nine and Hello Fifty!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!!

A Night At the Theatre

Sunday night we went to the theatre and saw the musical production A Buddy Holly Birthday Bash. It was awesome! Besides being a hilariously funny musical featuring the songs of Buddy Holly and some amazing dance moves, I didn't have to cut any one's food into bite-sized pieces, get anyone a drink of water, wipe any sticky fingers or clean up any spills. A pretty top-rate night in my book.

I'm still not feeling a hundred percent, but I'm going to peck away at the keyboard and try to share some of the highlights from the evening. Beginning with this picture.

On the drive to the city, I tried to get a better picture of my hubby to make up for last time. Obviously it didn't work. I figured the bouncing in the car made the picture blurry. Sorry 'bout that.

We arrived in the city and went to see the themed hotel room my brother-in-law and his wife had booked for the night. It was done in a Polynesian theme, with a waterfall that cascaded down into the jacuzzi tub and a bed that looked like a boat. The room was decorated with bamboo and leaf print. Very unique. Here are some pictures.

Chad and his dad couldn't resist climbing into the jacuzzi for a "Rub-a-dub-dub" picture. We laughed ourselves silly when my father-in-law realized he had sat in something wet. We're pretty sure it was soap. Are these pictures looking blurry to you? Hmm....

Anyways, here's a picture of the bed that's made to look like a boat.

And here's an interesting one....

Can you figure out what it is? Yup. It's a picture of the ceiling above the bed. That's right, there are mirrors up there. *snicker, snicker* Since I try to keep this a mostly G-rated blog, I won't say more except that you can imagine the jokes and ribbing that went along with that one. And may I just say that I believe mirrors are a completely male idea.

Pictures still blurry? Yeah, this is about the time I lost it, frustrated I couldn't take a nice picture and yelling that our camera was wrecked and we needed a new one. Chad asked if I needed to clean the lens. Oh. Oops. So I gave it a swipe and voila! Here's a non-blurry picture of the jacuzzi tub.

From there we made our way to the theatre. Here is my handsome brother-in-law (I can say that 'cause he looks a little like my hubby) and his beautiful wife, who happens to be one of my dear friends.

These are a couple of the servers. Everyone is in character, even those who aren't a part of the actual play. It is wildly hilarious to watch them act out their own dramas during the intermissions and the serving of the food.

Our server was Larry King. There's nothing like being in the presence of a legend.

Chad's first comment was, "Wow, your shoulders look a lot smaller in person." I managed to take the next picture moments before they made the announcement that no cameras were allowed during the production.

The play itself was a fictional story based around Buddy Holly's 18th birthday. It was also a spin off of American Idol and had Buddy auditioning to be "The Next Big Thing." This show was a total thrill for me, with music from the '50s - which I totally love - and spectacular dancing. The cast was fantastic. The vocals are done live and it is amazing to watch the energy and spirit the actors/actresses put into the performance.

The food was incredible and of course I forgot to take pictures. I'll just say it was heaven on a plate. Chicken stuffed with brie cheese, cranberries and something sweet. Yummy!

During the dessert time, the cast went around giving special birthday wishes to everyone there celebrating a birthday. This guy jumped up on the chair right beside us and sang very loudly to the woman at the table.

This gal was one of the main characters in the story. She played Buddy Holly's love-at-first-sight and niece of Col. Simon Cowbell, recording company owner and talent show scout.

Peggy Sue came over and brought us our special birthday wish. She mixed up all our names. It was hilarious.

And now, for the final picture. I remembered to take a picture of the gorgeous dessert I had. It was called Chocolate Mousse Cake.

It was a fabulous night. The food, the conversation, the play, the music - wonderful! I would pay to see it again, I loved it that much. This is the third dinner theatre we have been to and I would say it was my favorite so far.

:: :: ::

Now, since it is my Sunday to do music, here is the line up.

Opening Song:

Doxology

Worship Set:

Arise

You're Worthy of My Praise

Holy Is The Lord

Special Music (during communion):

There Is A Fountain

Excuse for Not Blogging

Sick.

Trying to find the words.

Will post about the theatre later.

On the Road Again

Well, we're off for the weekend to visit the in-laws. Just wanted to drop a quick note and wish you all a great weekend. We're doing our annual group birthday celebration and we'll be taking in another dinner theatre on Sunday. I can hardly wait. Adults with no kids...*sigh* I look forward to the peace and quiet and a break from the never ending questions that are such a part of this age.

Oooh, just remembered I need to pack my camera. After last year, you just never know.

The Big, The Bad and The Bloody

I don't know how it happened. One minute I was strong, solid, determined to hold out. Little did I know I could be so easily seduced. That's right. I have been lured by the raw appeal of the UFC. I am hopelessly, completely, happily addicted to the sport. What did you think I was talking about?

Last fall my husband convinced me to sit down and watch one of the PPV fight nights. He began explaining the history of each fighter and I found myself drawn into the drama, unable to look away even as the blood began to spray forth - literally. Apparently it was one of the bloodiest fights ever, but even though I shuddered and gagged at the disgusting, sticky mess (how can they stand to have someone else's blood covering them?) I have been hooked ever since. I L-O-V-E it!

Saturday, April 19, is the next UFC. I have been almost giddy with anticipation over this title fight. Matt Serra vs. Georges St-Pierre (whom I saw fight last fall). The history between these fighters is going to make for a dramatic, adrenaline filled night.








Matt "The Terror" Serra vs. Georges "Rush" St-Pierre




Matt "The Terror" Serra shocked people when he defeated Georges "Rush" St-Pierre, taking the UFC Welterweight Championship in April, 2007. Set to defend his title against fighter Matt Hughes, he was forced to pull out of UFC 79 due to a herniated disc in his lower back suffered during one of his training sessions.

With the loss of the Serra-Hughes fight threatening UFC 79, the decision was made to match former champion St-Pierre against Hughes for the newly created interim welterweight championship. On December 29, 2007, St-Pierre defeated Hughes with an armbar in the second round and won the interim welterweight title. In a show of pure class, St-Pierre handed off the belt to a cornerman, stating that the real champion was Matt Serra, who defeated him the past April, and that he would wait until he had faced Serra again before claiming the belt.

That's what is happening on April 19. Matt Serra is returning after healing from his injury and will fight Georges St-Pierre to unify the belts and defend his title. Personally, I'm giving the fight to St-Pierre. He is considered one of the top pound-per-pound fighters in the UFC. I was blown away with the lithe grace and athleticism he showed in his fight last fall. He doesn't just win a match, he dominates inside the ring. The man moves with the agility of a panther and strikes with the speed and precision of a cobra. He can stand and exchange hits with the best of them and his ground game is nearly unbeatable. It's like poetry in motion.




Also fighting that night is Travis "The Serial Killer" Lutter vs. Rich "Ace" Franklin.







I've never seen Lutter fight before, but I'm hoping for Franklin to take the victory. Franklin is one of my favorite fighters. Besides being a top competitor in his weight division, he is a guy who demands respect both inside the ring and out. He won my respect during his fight against Anderson "The Spider" Silva last October. Though he was defeated by knock-out in the second round, he was pure class during the post-fight interview, giving Silva the credit he deserved and showing a deep respect between the two fighters.

Silva also won my respect that night as he fought with a skill level almost unseen in the UFC. The respect he showed Franklin was overwhelming to a newbie-to-the-sport like me. He was humble in his victory and I couldn't help but like the guy.



So next Saturday, April 19 at 8:00 p.m. you know where I'll be. Happily planted in front of my t.v. as I cheer on both St-Pierre and Franklin.

One other quick confession. I have now fallen victim to the reality t.v. show The Ultimate Fighter. It's no surprise really. Basically it takes sixteen wannabe UFC fighters and splits them into two teams. This season the teams are being led by Rampage Jackson and Forrest Griffin.

Team Rampage vs. Team Griffin

In a new twist, the contestants had to fight their way to win a spot in the house. Thirty-two hopefuls were picked and then pitted against each other in sixteen exciting fights. The sixteen winners are moving on and teams will be selected next week.

It appears I now have to download Criminal Minds and watch it on Thursdays so I don't miss my new favorite reality series.

Blah, blah, blah...

"Mom, does my juice box have vitamin seed?"

:: :: ::

"Mom, I want a credit card."
"You're too young for a credit card."
"But I want one so I can go on the Wii and buy games."
"Connor, you can't have a credit card because they're dangerous."
"How?"
"They just are."
"But, HOW?"
*sigh* "Because you can get yourself into major financial ruin."
A pause.
"What's that?"
"What's what?"
"What you just said?"
"Nothing. I can't explain it. You'll understand when you're older and when you grow up and move out of our house, you can get a credit card if you want."
"But I want one now."
"NO!"

:: :: ::

"Mom, I a little bit bugged Kolten."
"Benen, why?"
A shrug.

:: :: ::

"Mom, can I have some more bubble gum?"
"No."
Two minutes later. "Mom, can I have bubble gum?"
"Benen, I already gave you a piece today and I already said I'm not giving you anymore."
"But I swallowed my other piece."
"That's too bad. You're not getting more."
An hour later. "Mom, can I have some bubble gum?"

:: :: ::

When I began this blog a little over a year ago, I had great aspirations. I planned to blog every day of the week, Monday through Friday. I figured it would force those creative juices to flow and I could get down all the crazy wonderings in my head.

It wasn't long into it that I realized I lead a very boring life. It's busy, but rather boring to read about. I also realized that most of those crazy thoughts should stay in my head so my family and friends wouldn't start filling out an application for me at the loony farm.

So, that's where it's at. I'm not blogging five days a week. In fact, when I blog I carefully check each post to be sure I won't shock some people, what with their delicate sensibilities and all. Oops, did that sound a little snarky? Must be the computer. It's been giving me attitude all day.

:: :: ::

How sad is it that my four year old is motivating me to do laundry? He's a helper and he loves to fold clothes. I decided to let him go at it. He helped me fold a load of laundry and I was impressed at the great job he did. I managed to resist the urge to smooth some of the wrinkles and re-fold the ones that weren't "perfect."

He's been asking for the last five minutes if we can take the clothes downstairs and put them away. What? The couch isn't good enough? Apparently not. I suppose I really should go put those clothes away. You know, lead by example and all that.