2008 April — Giving Up on Perfect

List of the Week, v1

5:29 pm ByMary @ Giving Up on PerfectFiled UnderFun, Random & Crazy, Pop Culture & Entertainment

I’ve decided that I need a list of the week. However, I should caution you at this point not to set your watches by my lists. I have in the past – twice, actually – attempted to send a “Tip of the Week” to my co-workers, and both times it ended up being more like a “Tip of the Every Once in a While When the Mood Strikes Me.”

That being said, this week’s list is ever-growing and ever-evolving…and begins with Everwood. Without further ado (I am big on ado, aren’t I?), here it is:

TV Shows I Plan to Watch on DVD

(a.k.a., shows I missed the first time around or don’t have time to watch now)

Everwood
West Wing
Friday Night Lights
Brothers & Sisters
Wonderfalls
Veronica Mars, season one
So You Think You Can Dance, season one
(Do they put reality shows on DVD?)
Arrested Development

Now, in order to watch these shows, I will have to actually purchase the DVDs (not likely, as I only own two TV shows on DVD – The Office, season one, which was a gift; and Home Improvement, which was free and I took it for my husband) or break down and get a membership to Netflix, which I’ve been avoiding especially since discovering Redbox.

You know, now that I think about it, this is a pretty lofty goal. Because it’s not like watching these shows in their entirety will be a short thing. No, it’s going to take time. And dedication. I probably better put it on my summer projects list. (Yes, the same place my “read some classics” goal has been for years…)

So – what about you all? What’s on your list?

Taggedarrested development, brothers & sisters, everwood, friday night lights, home improvement, list of the week, so you think you can dance, the office, veronica mars, west wing, wonderfalls 10 Comments

A Battle of the Wills

9:33 am ByMary @ Giving Up on PerfectFiled UnderMarriage, Parenting, Family & Friendship

You know those forwards that ask you lots of personal questions and tell you to pass it on to your friends? Like, chocolate or vanilla? Hugs or kisses? What are you listening to right now?

Well, this picture tells you what I’m listening to right now.

Apparently, this is the torture I’ve heard other parents speak of called “crying it out.” It’s pretty bad, I will admit. The doctor told us yesterday that yes, she can learn to eat more formula during the day if we don’t feed her at night. And that no, she won’t remember that I let her cry and hold it against me when she’s 16.

The best (and by “best,” I mean “worst”) part of it all is that until the past couple of weeks, Annalyn has been sleeping like a champ. And then we added solid foods. Oh, she loves her solid foods, that Annalyn. Rice is yummy and carrots, well, they’re the best thing since….ummm…rice. But now she thinks she’s a big kid and only wants to eat solid foods. No more bottle for her.

Unfortunately, kid needs that bottle for another six months. This is evident by the way she’s been waking up in the middle of the night and yelling until I feed her.

But the doctor says to stop doing that.

So here I am, at 4:42 a.m., listening to an angry, angry baby. Please, kids, don’t try this at home.

Taggedbabies, crying it out, parenting 12 Comments

Can We Have Class Outside Today?

1:32 pm ByMary @ Giving Up on PerfectFiled UnderFun, Random & Crazy

I know it’s been a few (okay, seven) years since I was in college. But beautiful spring (or fall) days always remind me of the times we would beg our professors to have class outside. I think it only happened once (the actual class outside, not the begging) – and the windy environment wasn’t really conducive to note-taking. But still, it’s days like today that make me want to ask my boss, “Can we work outside today?”

(By the way, this picture was taken out at my father-in-law’s farm. Pretty, huh?)

Taggedcollege, farm, photography, weather, work 6 Comments

And I Could Not Ask for More

2:28 am ByMary @ Giving Up on PerfectFiled UnderBooks, TV, Music & Movies, Marriage, Parenting, Family & Friendship, Work & Career

Last night I watched Monday’s episode of How I Met Your Mother. (I taped it so I could watch Bones.) The basic premise is that Marshall quit his job at a corporate law firm because it was sucking up all his time, making him miserable, and forcing him to sell out to the man. Umm, The Man. Anyway.

For those of you who don’t watch, you should. But since you don’t, I’ll tell you about Marshall. He’s married to Lily, and they’re an almost sickeningly sweet couple. Some would debate the “almost” part, but I like them so I don’t. Lily has a billion dollars of credit card debt, plus the couple just bought an apartment they can’t really afford. So Marshall felt like he had to take the higher-paying corporate job instead of pursuing his dream of using his law degree to save the environment.

After he admitted to Lily in this week’s episode that he had quit his job, he swore he would go back and beg for hisjob back. But Lily said, “No, you won’t.” And when her friends asked her if she was upset, she said she was just glad to have her husband back.

You might be wondering why I’m telling you this. Well, it’s because that very scenario occurred in my life about four years ago. I was in a very bad job situation, completely burned out and miserable and spending all my free time on the very job that was driving me crazy.

Like Marshall, I felt like the job was chipping away at my soul. Okay, that may be a bit dramatic, but it was definitely hammering away at my sanity and peace of mind and happiness. So, again like Marshall, in a fit of well, not exactly rage but close enough, I also quit my job. Without another one lined up. Knowing full and well how much debt we had and how my paycheck paid exactly half of all our bills.

And when we told our small group at church about it, all my husband said was, “I’m just glad to have my wife back.”

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Taggedburnout, how i met your mother, marriage 8 Comments