Hi? Yeah... I'm the Asshole...

...who tried to pass a Euro off at Starbucks as a $1 coin.

See when I go to the postage machine at the mall, if my change includes more than $1, it spits out a $1 coin. Why don't I go to the post office? Hm cause bringing Liam to the post office is about as much fun as a bikini wax.

::tangent:: And why is there always only ONE person working the desk at the post office? No matter what time of day there is always a line of EXTREMELY irritated or SLIGHTLY comatose people. And they don't like children. NONE OF THEM. It's like a line of kid-haters. And currently Liam likes, well, almost everyone... so you can imagine the tension!
::/tangent::

So I thought what I had in my pocket was a $1 coin, until the drive thru lady held it up like I was trying to rob the joint and said "That's a Euro."

I'm all "uh...oh...hold on a sec...ha ha...oops!" and she's all *long suffering sigh*.

Yes that's my mocha, thank you, have a nice day, next!

PS Be sure to sign up to play Carrie's GAME! You have til 7am tomorrow morning to get your Cze-Bingo card! It looks like it's going to be so much FUN!

This One Time...At Band Camp.. NO, THAT NEVER HAPPENED, PEOPLE! That was a MOVIE.

Man I have a raging case of PMS and I'm sitting here eating 2% cottage cheese? WTF is my problem? Oh right, there is a side of chocolate chip cookies. Heavy on the chocolate.

Yeah, so I was a band geek...guess that cat shot it's ass out of the bag in last night's post. What am I gonna do - lie and say I was a super duper cheerleader? Pullllease. I'm sure there were a great many perky and friendly cheerleaders out there...but at my school...well let's say the movie Mean Girls is pretty accurate. And I'd rather be remembered as a nice Band Geek than an uptight mean slut. Ooops?! Did I say that in my outside voice??

Details...I started playing the flute in 4th grade. It stunk until about 8th grade when dum dee dum dum - I joined the junior high band. Don't get me wrong - there was NOTHING worse than junior high band because #1 we sucked, and #2 our director was geekier and nastier than any other teachers in the school.

I swear I almost quit in junior high but my mother guilted me into keeping up with it. "Oh so you want to be a quitter?" And my private lesson teacher was really good and got me hooked up with the high school band in 9th grade even though I was still in junior high.

I was pretty nerdy anyway. I had some physical difference with my hands (discussed here) that isolated me from the cool kids. Cause, as you know, being different doesn't fly with kids. And so in looking for an identity, music found me making some friends. I was a little brainy too back then (not sure what happened??) so it was pretty much nerds-ville for me anyway... and I had some friends in the honors classes too.

Only problem is I stopped being quite so smart and most of those friends didn't, so we parted ways in high school where the only subject that still made me look good was English. Probably couldn't tell that by my grammar! I swear to God knowing what I know now - I probably wasn't that far away from ADD - I have an infinitely hard time focusing on one thing for too long. But I think the teachers said it was my inability to "apply myself." Yeah those progress reports caused some painful after-dinner "discussions" about parents being disappointed and me applying myself more.

Anyway, the band geekiness. In high school I got some mentors through the music program and eventually I really came out of my shell because there I was accepted 100%. No one ever even asked me about my hands or my differences. Or snubbed me. The differences didn't matter. And that rocked.

I would say that once I got into that environment, I started focusing in more on my music talent and I got pretty good around my junior year and was first chair in my senior year. Um for those of you NOT in the KNOW regarding orchestra - First Chair = The Shit. The Princess Flutist. The Best On that Instrument. Soloist. Taking bows and crap. It was sweet.

So yeah, be a little nervous if your kid becomes a band geek...but know they will make GREAT friends. And STILL do stupid ass shit like toilet paper houses, drink (oops!), and break curfew.

Geeks can be rebels too!

I Didn't Play Piccolo in a Clown Car

I was going to post something witty but I'm shocked and immobilized by the freak show also known as the Closing Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics.

A marching band was marching around - as they oft do - and my husand - per usual - took the moment to lovingly mock my past life as high school band nerd.

We were discussing the size of my plume (personal question, really, please forgive if I don't get into it here) and if I got to keep it (it was returned, sadly, but only after the bright orange son-of-a-bitch ran all over my white topped hat and white gloves when we got caught in rain storm. The Band Major yelled "Take off your plumes!" ...but was too late. BASTARD!)

Any way, I looked back down again at the laptop monitor and he said "Or was your band more like this..."

I looked up to see about 100 clowns in band gear prancing into the stadium.

There's a lot of love here, people. You just can't buy moments like these.

Ok, must go as, reported by Dan, 1,000 Amerlia Earharts are doing "YMCA."

Scary part... it's true.

Mmmmm It's Still Warm!*

Well it was no sooner I posted my last entry than I checked my mail box and received this card from my best friend.


Timing.... is everything.

Liam woke up chipper from his nap and we read and looked at pictures together until it was time to make dinner.

The teriyaki pork loin, noodles and carrots came out perfect. And Liam ate some of each. Even 3 or 4 baby carrots. Rock on!

Then my husband made this.


Yeah that would be chocolate chip banana bread. Yeah. And he doesn't even LIKE the chocolate chips in there ! Those are Just. For. Me. He put them in because I asked. I LOVE HIM SO MUCH.

So things are looking up. And while my ass expands...so does my smile.

So excuse me while I get some warm chocolatey bananery yumminess.

*Aren't you relieved to see I was talking about the bread?

Sometimes You're the Windshield, Sometimes You're the Bug

I really wish Liam would send me a memo the night before he was going to have a morning of meltdowns so I could get to bed early and rest up. Mother of GOD did he hate LIFE today. I checked his temperature and it was about 99. A little higher than normal but nothing too bad. So like a mother of any toddler/baby I chalk it up to teething. He has 16 teeth but still has a gap through the front two big enough to drive his ride-on car. So I figure they have got to be moving around in there and some of them may even still be pushing through.

On top of that I have a gimpy pug. That's right, Lily, the middle child (Jan Brady syndrome and all), somehow hurt her leg Monday and has been gimping off and on ever since. The vet said that pugs are prone to dislocating their KNEECAPS. Who knew pugs HAD kneecaps - never mind dislocated them.


Lily is on the left.

So the vet gave us some pain meds for the next 4 days. And Lily is doing a lot more laying than anything. Poor girl!

And the house saga continues with a visit from Keyspan Nutbagger regarding our heating system. It's been turning itself off during the night and we've been waking to the house being about 63-65 degrees. Which is nothing to my friend Ang who goes all sub-Arctic at night and turns her temps down to like 55 or some shit. And it's not been effecting Liam as we have a separate electric heater because his room runs colder anyway.

So yeah first the new water heater at about $750+ and then the Keyspan Nutbagger charges $100 just for entering my house. I think in many states they call that PROSTITUTION. Anyway - the only thing he did was clean out the manifold and attached ducts (does that sound right?). When I was getting the lowdown from him, I was TRYING my best to FOCUS on what he was saying, but it still mostly sounded all Charlie Brown "Wah wah wah wah.. debris blocking air... wah wah wah wah... cleaned it out... wah wah wah... that'll be $110."

My eyes glazed over and rolled back in my head till I heard the fee after which I repeated it 3x like a moron and went upstairs to get the checkbook. Liam was yelling and the dogs were barking and it was all turning into a circus. But it was warm in the house and we like our circus to be toasty.

So after a stupid disagreement with a friend last night (read: two girls feeling crappy and saying dumb things at the completely wrong time) and Mr Joy-to-the-World this morning and Lady Gimps-a-lot and Keyspan Nutbagger. I'm a little tired.

What was that bitch's name that said "Tomorrow is another day?" Yeah her. See ya tomorrow.

PS Close friends and family, don't go getting all freaked out. I'm fine - everyone has these days...I just get to write about them!

Week 5 Results

Well I think I've found a chink in the collective armour of my Contestants! Can you say Late 70s-Early 80s? Yeah it's probably when half of you were born...WHATEVER! BJ saved your asses with coming through with some good - and correct - calls. Listen up on some classic rock, people! I still heart you. I HEART YOU. There I said it. It's out there.

Welcome to our new PLAYERS!!! So happy to have you and to roll out the red carpet we will give you THREE FREE 'I'm not a loser' points and and extra point for guessing... That's right - you ahvent even gotten one right yet and you got 4 pts. Can I get a woohoo? So WELCOME! to kep, Grant, ZuphChic, Gina, Laina, BJ, and Peggy.

Way to go Kelli for being a mom AND knowing a Top 40 hit. She's the real slim shady. Jenni was the first commenter and walked away with her pts. Ang came later than usual but nailed the commonality of the songs first. Carrie racked up referral points and both kep and Bridget gain a bonus point as well. And Jody? Yeah the petite girl from the big city rocked you all OUT this week. Oh and don't even think William didn't interrupt his travel to post a comment JUST to get his point. Oh yeah. He did.

Answers and Point Takers...
1. These days you might feel a shaft of light make it’s way across your face
These Are Days – 10000 Maniacs; Points to Jody!

2. My father yells what you gonna do with your life
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper; Points to Jody!

3. If your life was bad to you, Just think what tomorrow will do.
Don’t Stop – Fleetwood Mac; Points to Bill Clinton cause you all missed this one. So don't stop thinking about tomorrow..don't stop it'll soon be here...

4. And it turns out he was a missing person who nobody missed at all
Goodbye Earl – Dixie Chicks; Points to Jenni!

5. Your love is better than chocolate… Better than anything else that I’ve tried
Ice Cream – Sarah MacLachlan; Points to Jody! Even thought you butchered poor Sarah's name all to shit....a 'g'? Really?

6. If I’m acting so distracted… I’m thinking about the fireworks…That go off when you smile
Don’t Get Me Wrong – The Pretenders; Points to BJ!

7. Love just don’t come easy…No it seldom does
Dim All The Lights – Donna Summer; Points to Carrie!

They travel in packs of two or three… With their itsy bitsy doggies and their teeny-weeny tees
Stupid Girls – Pink; Points to Kelli who is being chased down the hall by her IT dept for bypassing her company's firewall to play! Oh and my favorite guess of the week is Bridget thinking mabe this song is Short People by Randy Newman. LOVE YOU, B!

9. Color me your color, darling…I know who you are.
Call Me – Blondie; Points to BJ!

10. I’ve had to work much harder than this for something I want don’t try to resist me
Open Your Heart - Madonna; Points to Jody!

Bonus Point OP #1: Carrie referred 4! Bridget referred 1! kep referred 1! Each will be awarded an equal number of points.

Bonus point OP #2: Ang scored TWO bonus points here. These are all songs sung by female artists!

Everyone gets 1 point for playing. Newbies get 3 points so they don't look so pathetic.

Claire gets 1 point for giving birth. Yes if you give birth in a game week you also get 1 pt. Name your child after me and get automatic 500 points.

The current stats can be viewed in the sidebar!

We are in the home stretch for February's Rock Star. Next week will round off the contest for February. We will start from scratch in March.

You could still WIN IT ALL! The Referral Bonus will continue next week. Get a new player to the game and say they sent you...bonus point, baby! There will also be a new bonus question.

Welcome again to the newbies...you aren't newbies anymore! See you next week.

Next Wednesday the game will be posted at 9 AM ET.

Week 5

Yeeeehaw! Welcome back to the only game that makes you sing the same song in your head all friggin day long.. yes you are WELCOME!

Yeah mad props to my girl Carrie for jazzing up the game with these sizzling logos. She is the schiznit. Go visit her and share the good love. Also note the stats listed in my sidebar...also the SCHNIZZLE. Thanks, Car.

Welcome to new playas! Hopefully you are here because someone referred you to gain some extra points... PLEASE read the rules. Cause just cause you are new doesn't mean you are SPECIAL. HA Well you do get the 3 FREE 'I'm not a loser' points and if you guess you get another free point just for being YOU. Kinda like writing your name on the SAT getting you the 200 pts. But NO! No 200 pts here so don't ask. Liam won't budge and he is the man behind the curtain after all.

RULES RULES RULES...
1. Be honest and don't Google the lyric line I posted, ok? I mean the prize won't be THAT stellar to warrant cheating. Now I never said team play was illegal. But there is only one prize. And most people are playing on their own... so it does sort of pose an unfair advantage. But I still won't rule it out.
2. First come, first correct answer, points earned! That means only one person gets the points for getting the song/artist right. Whomever guesses the correct answer first!You have til the deadline [declared day of game] ET to take guesses.
3. ONE comment entry per person per game. So no guessing one then coming back and guessing on the rest. One shot to get them right. Otherwise we've got ourselves a free-for-all!
4. You can guess on all or just one or two. You get a point for each one you get right - IF you were the first commenter to get it correct.
5. You have to guess both the Song title AND the Performer. If you guess only one or the other you get no points, even if it's right. AND you give another player a chance to get it right!
6. The game is played every Wednesday - the game will be posted by 10AM ET.
7. Lastly, if it looks like someone got them all - guess ANYWAY! It's fun! And you could end up with some points due to a technicality. Sucky to one, joy to another - that's life!

TIME LIMIT: YOU HAVE UNTIL TONIGHT AT 7PM ET TO COMMENT.

The Lyrics...
1. These days you might feel a shaft of light make it’s way across your face

2. My father yells what you gonna do with your life

3. If your life was bad to you, Just think what tomorrow will do.

4. And it turns out he was a missing person who nobody missed al all

5. Your love is better than chocolate… Better than anything else that I’ve tried

6. If I’m acting so distracted… I’m thinking about the fireworks…That go off when you smile

7. Love just don’t come easy…No it seldom does

8. They travel in packs of two or three… With their itsy bitsy doggies and their teeny-weeny tees

9. Color me your color, darling…I know who you are.

10. I’ve had to work much harder than this for something I want don’t try to resist me

#1 BONUS POINT OP for this week!! I will give one extra point to YOU for every NEW player referral you bring to the game next week. In other words... if Ang gets Jamie to play, he comments and says Ang sent me! AND takes guesses.. Ang gets an extra point. New player means never played before. New players can also participate. So using this example...Jamie could then get Joe to play and Jamie would get an extra point.

#2 BONUS POINT OP: What do all these songs have in common? First player to get it right gets 2 bonus points.

Results will be posted by Thursday morning!

Last note: Contestant Claire may be absent this week as she just HAD A BABY! Go check out her gorgeous addition to an already beautiful family. Congrats again, Claire!

Brooklyn Takes Over (did you hear me say "ovAH" not "ovER"?)

This is Dov and his mum Jody. They came to visit us and play today! (What you see is Liam trying to push Dov off his mother's lap so he can get back on).

I sat back and ate bon bons and drank wine as Jody nannied my son with books and cuddles and Dov vacuumed my living room. Over and over. And over.

Then Jody sat back and had some wine and bon bons with me and Dov changed Liam's diapers and, YES, did more more more vacuuming. He is THAT good.

Dov was tickling Liam and Liam thought it was SO FUN! They were both giggling quite a bit. But not enough to drop the cinnamon raisin bread apparently.

Clean! We are all CLEAN!

So Guy and Son said he'd come between twelve and 12:30 to replace our hot water heater. So we didn't plan on much. I figured I'd do the grocery shopping later on after they left, during Liam's nap.

Well noon came and went. Dan stood by the Guy and said he would be there. Will he call? He'll be here. Will he let us know if he can't come? He'll be here.

Dan called him at 2:30 to find out where the living holy HELL he was. Running behind.

So as our dishes piled up and our bodies created more stank...we waited. He said around 4pm.

At 5pm, Guy Nutbagger and Son showed up and replaced our water heater in about 45 minutes. Hot water will be up in about an hour! Ya! Hoo! Yahoo!

Showers for everyone! Even the dishes in the brand new stainless steel dishwasher Dan installed in yet another move to improve the house for sale! I grit my teeth and smile enthusiastically!

Now excuse me I need to tidy a bit as we just confirmed one of Liam's friends is traveling in from out of town to play* tomorrow. We are VERY excited!

And there will be hot water! And clean people to greet them!

*Ok so he isn't traveling all the way here just to play but he can fit us into his schedule. Yippie!

New week, new attitude, new water heater?

So as we start a new week here at Raising Liam I realize that the CEO needs to shake out the drearies and snap a bit more to it. It's time to breathe in and out and laugh again.

I know not everyone can do that but I know a certain someone who reads my blog needs more laughs and so I must oblige her. After all, what are friends for? If not to mock themselves to make you feel better.

Is anyone else BORED TO TEARS by the Olympics this year? For the love of drug-testing and clubbing ice skaters, could we get a little more EXCITEMENT? Perhaps if they let us see a few more non-American dominated events so we could see and example of country vs country adrenalin rush? The cooler moments are the high drama Davis who was all bitch-faced when he won his gold metal for speed skating. And that dipshit Jacobellis who did some showboating BEFORE she crossed the finish line, fell and lost her gold. Oh and right now I'm watching and it's snowing like a BASTID and that is pretty sweet - after all it's the Winter Olympics.

In other news today I woke up and the heat was out - again - had to "reboot" the furnace. Then when Dan went down to "reboot" it a second time he noticed that Holy Shitbaggers! Our water heater is leaking. That's right. Leeeeeeaking. Super! So the house is now getting toasty warm but we have no hot water. Friggin fantastic. And yes, check your calendars because it's a Sunday on a holiday weekend. Lovely. I'm sure we'll have NO PROBLEM getting some guy over here... we don't even have a regular guy because we have been fortunate enough to never NEED a GUY to begin with. But of course the house hears all this talk of SELLING and REAL ESTATE and kaBLAM - the water heater is spontaneously creating a fountain in my basement. We were supposed to spend the day at my parents... they were making a big dinner and all. So Liam and I left Dan at home to deal with the heater.

Oh and instead of my leisurely two-parents-preparing-child-stuffs-to-leave-the-house-for-the-day routine... I was switched into the higher gear of oh-shit-I-planned-to-leave-in-45-minutes-and-I'm-still-in-my-pajamas. So I changed, broke into a sweat dressing the boy, packing his 2 bags, chopping some food and jamming it all in the car (along with the possessed pack n' play). No no no don't switch to a visual of poor Dan in the basement breaking his back draining out the heater... back to me... sweaty and irritated! There you go...ok...

We were on the road, with a stop for my Venti 2% Mocha (don't I sound like SUCH a bitch?) in no time. And we played nice at Nana & Papa's. And no one even noticed I hadn't bathed and forgot to comb my hair.

Also...strange new things afoot here at Raising Liam... stay tuned the next couple weeks. (No I am not pregnant!)

And the guy couldn't come until tomorrow - OF COURSE.

Relying on Faith

Today I went to the graveside service for Karen and Derek's son. There were just a handful of people invited to attend and the love and support was palpable. The faces genuine in grief, support and faith.

It was sad yet utterly peaceful. Though we had blizzard conditions just 5 days ago, today was like spring... sixty degrees, crisp and clear. As if the heavens were opening doors... waiting for his arrival and the warmth unfurled like a red carpet.

Today was the day to say goodbye. To thank him for the joy he brought to many hearts in his short existance. To show tenderness and care as his body was returned to the earth. To pray and express hope that he may find greater love now in the arms of heaven. To show faith that his family may grow stronger just because he was once with them.. and now always will be.

In memory of Brian Christopher.

Bueller...Bueller...? Name That Tune Results

So this week was harder, eh? Not so many guesses... and not so many right answers... but points were had by all who tried! And there were definitely points given for right answers too. As always, thanks for coming and playing!

Ang and William were here, bright eyed and bushy-tailed this AM refreshing like mad. William is stalking the game and has more excuses than Peyton Manning. Diana strolled in a bit later in the morning and nabbed a few points for herself. As always we had Carrie and Claire guessing as well. Many no shows... or maybe just no guessers. Either way - here we go!

Answers and Point Takers...
1. Love me or leave me, make your choice but believe me... I love you...
I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do - ABBA; Points to Carrie!

2. This is the book I never read... These are the words I never said... This is the path I'll never tread...
Why - Annie Lennox; Points to William!

3. I could hide out under there... I just made you say ’underwear’... I could leave but I’ll just stay... All my stuff’s here anyway.
Pinch Me - Barenaked Ladies; Points to Diana!

4. What am I gonna do if my mom finds out... I’ve got a green gorilla... She’ll ground me for a week...
Red Banana - Ralph's World; points to the sky - no one got it. This is a children's song. I think it's been on Noggin but not sure...

5. And for my nineteenth birthday I got a union card and a wedding coat...
The River - Bruce Springsteen; Points to Diana! This is CLASSIC Bruce...the dude in the song always gets screwed.

6. She feeds him well his concerns he forgets them... And remembers being small... playing under the table and dreaming...
Ants Marching - Dave Matthews Band; Points to Ang!

7. From the high to the low to the end of the show for the rest of their lives...
Scenes from an Italian Restaurant - Billy Joel; Points to William!

8. In sixty-nine I was twenty-one and I called the road my own... I don’t know when that road turned onto the road I’m on...
Runnin' on Empty - Jackson Browne; points to my head cause no one got this one either. Which was a bit of a shocker to me... think of the scene in Forrest Gump where he is RUNNAN...'looking out at the road rushing under my wheels...'

9. But when you talk about destruction.. Don’t you know that you can count me out?
Revolution - The Beatles; Points to Claire!

10. Can’t you see the sunshine... Can’t you just feel the moonshine...
Carolina on My Mind - James Taylor; Points to Jody!

And the standings...
(remember 1st time players get 3 "I'm not a loser!" points; additionally players get ONE POINT for showing up to play even if they fail to score - first and only game you'll get points for THAT.)

Diana - 13 pts POINTS LEADER
Ang - 10 pts
Carrie - 9 pts
Jody - 7 pts
Claire - 7 pts
William - 7 pts
Johnny Mac - 6 pts
Jenni - 6 pts
Kelli - 5 pts
onangelwings - 5 pts
Toronto Erin - 4 pts
Erin - 4 pts
Kerry - 4 pts

PROGRAMMING NOTE: NEXT WEEKS' GAME WILL BE POSTED AT 9:30am ET.

BONUS POINT OP for next week!! I will give one extra point to YOU for every NEW player referral you bring to the game next week. In other words... if Ang gets Jamie to play, he comments and says Ang sent me! AND takes guesses.. Ang gets an extra point. New player means never played before.

Enjoy your flight!

HEY YOU! Name that Tune Week 4

How YOU doin'??? Are you ready to rock out? Liam is... he's jamming as I speak to the Wiggles. Of course jamming means he is looking at his feet and bouncing his butt up and down to the beat of "Dancin' with Wags the Dog." He has added a couple moves in the past week. The flapping of the arms, shaking of the hands and the stomping of the right foot. Totally getting jiggy with it!

Here are the STANDINGS from last week...
Diana - 10 pts ***NEW POINTS LEADER ***
Ang - 8 pts
Carrie - 7 pts
Johnny Mac - 6 pts
Jenni - 6 pts
Kelli - 5 pts
Jody - 5 pts
onangelwings - 5 pts
Claire - 5 pts
Kerry - 4 pts
Toronto Erin - 4pts
William - 4 pts
Erin - 4 pts

SOOOOOO Kiddies we are KICKING IT UP A NOTCH - BAM! - this week. I think most of these are HARDER. So maybe think them over - don't jump the gun! And remember the RULES... (and that the winner at the end of February gets a coolish prize of my choosing....)

RULES RULES RULES...
1. Be honest and don't Google the lyric line I posted, ok? I mean the prize won't be THAT stellar to warrant cheating. Added: Now I never said team play was illegal. But there is only one prize. And most people are playing on their own... so it does sort of pose an unfair advantage. But I still won't rule it out.
2. First come, first correct answer, points earned! That means only one person gets the points for getting the song/artist right. Whomever guesses the correct answer first!You have til the deadline [declared day of game] ET to take guesses.
3. ONE comment entry per person per game. So no guessing one then coming back and guessing on the rest. One shot to get them right. Otherwise we've got ourselves a free-for-all!
4. You can guess on all or just one or two. You get a point for each one you get right - IF you were the first commenter to get it correct.
5. You have to guess both the Song title AND the Performer. If you guess only one or the other you get no points, even if it's right. AND you give another player a chance to get it right!
6. The game is played every Wednesday - the game will be posted by 10AM ET..
7. Lastly, if it looks like someone got them all - guess ANYWAY! It's fun! And you could end up with some points due to a technicality. Sucky to one, joy to another - that's life!

TIME LIMIT: YOU HAVE UNTIL TONIGHT AT 7PM ET TO COMMENT.

The Lyrics...
1. Love me or leave me, make your choice but believe me... I love you...

2. This is the book I never read... These are the words I never said... This is the path I'll never tread...

3. I could hide out under there... I just made you say ’underwear’... I could leave but I’ll just stay... All my stuff’s here anyway.

4. What am I gonna do if my mom finds out... I’ve got a green gorilla... She’ll ground me for a week...

5. And for my nineteenth birthday I got a union card and a wedding coat...

6. She feeds him well his concerns he forgets them... And remembers being small... playing under the table and dreaming...

7. From the high to the low to the end of the show for the rest of their lives...

8. In sixty-nine I was twenty-one and I called the road my own... I don’t know when that road turned onto the road I’m on...

9. But when you talk about destruction.. Don’t you know that you can count me out?

10. Can’t you see the sunshine... Can’t you just feel the moonshine...

And there you go... once again... you have 'til TONIGHT AT 7PM ET.

Rock on, my good friends. Rock ON.

HEY YOU - PSYCHE!

Are you looking for this weeks Name That Tune lyrics game??

The new list of 10 lyrics will be posted at 10AM ET Wednesday.

Nighty night! MUAH!

Hope You Spend Some Time on Valentine's Day...

Valentine getting 

Balloon bopping. 

Toy playing, treat greeting 

Empathy Woman! Squeeze Her and See Real Tears Fall from Her Eyes!

Many of you have been following the story of my friends Karen & Derek. They are doing better - the best under the circumstances I guess. Spending some time together. Taking turns with bad moments and good moments.

I have a hard time with pain brought to me by people close to me. Like really hard time. I empathize to the point where I'm physically drained and spent. And what is kicking my ass currently is the realization that I haven't had to exert much of this emotion for Liam yet. His first schoolyard ridiculing? His first major injury? His first heartbreak? All ahead.

I was speaking with my friend Jeff and joked that if I had a superpower it would be the Power of Empathy. I feel things so deeply it can set me off for a week. Katrina left me wasted for well over a week. The sudden death of my cousins' father... depressed. Karen and Derek...complete sadness. Weeping whenever I think of them both or discussing the situation.

Of course this also works to the opposite extreme. I get so happy and excited for others happiness and good fortune. My sister is getting a new kitchen and I'm so excited for her to have such a nice new thing! My friend Ang is pregnant and I feel almost as excited (maybe even more to an extent?) as when I got pregnant.

While my superpower can be a curse and a blessing I guess I have to take it as a blessing. Because I know there are many people out there who don't or can't feel things so deeply. That don't truly live in the moment.

And that is enough to make me cry.

Daffodil Yellow

Yesterday we painted our kitchen. While Mother Nature dropped 12 inches of snow outside. 

If Only It Were Pink Floyd in My Head... or no... that would be something different entirely, wouldn't it?

What the HELL has happened to my brain?

I have to say that lately - I feel my brain is what they took out of me when Liam was born, not the 8lb 6oz perfectly shaped headed love monkey that I call my baby.

I remember nothing. I know nothing that is new.

Current events? What?

Seriously. I am a person that used to be the Queen of Pop Culture. The Diva of Disco. The Movie of the Moment Mrs.

Not. So. Much. Anymore.

I am embarrassed to admit that I saw NO MOVIES that are nominated for any type of awards. I have not even seen the gay cowboys. People! I need to see me some gay COWBOYS!

I MISSED the Grammy awards. The conversation between Dan and I: Did you know we missed the Grammy's last night? They were on last night? Shit.

And the most recent jaw-dropping development...my husband has started filling ME in on celebrity gossip. This is just not good, people. Because I'm starting to look forward to his nightly dish from the stories he's picked up around the water cooler. You remember the telephone game right? By the time it gets to the last person, the message is completely distorted. Well by the time Dan brings the gossip home to me, Oprah is pregnant with Kevin Federline's love child.

I don't know any songs in the top 10. I can't even keep up with a friggin SOAP OPERA. Is Marlena still with Alex or is she with John? Would someone slap Chelsea cause all she does is cry. Who is dying this week? Port Charles has a deadly disease sweeping through? Is that Scorpio? AAAAH!

I DO keep up with my evening shows but mostly because I'm so damn tired I can't move from the couch and the heat from the laptop is keeping me warm.

So I don't have the tv on much during the day because Liam gets glassy-eyed and starts watching. We do see some Wiggles and Sesame or Barney. And that, my friends, combined with playdates and Gymboree, is where the problem lies.

My brain? Is filled with toddleroni (copyright Claire O'Neal).

Oh Mr. Sun, Sun, Mr Golden Sun, shine some light on me.

Fruit salad, yummy yummy, fruit salad, yummy yummy

Elmo's has a goldfish, His crayons, too... That's Elmo's World, Lala la la, Lala la la Elmo's World

If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands! Stomp your feet! Yell hooray!

Gymbo the clown goes twist twist twist, twist twist twist, twist twist twist...

Hot potato hot potato...hot potato hot potato...potato...potato....potato potato potato...

I sing these songs all day. And if I'm not singing them, I'm humming them. Or thinking them. They go around and around my brain like two lost souls swimming in a fishbowl. Year after Year.

Is there a cure? Anyone? Anyone?

And That's How We Spent Our Week

Liam alternates breakfasts. One morning is oatmeal with some fruit, next is yogurt with a couple mini pancakes and fruit. Every morning he gets a handful of dry Cheerios to munch on while waiting for me to prepare his main course, between bites of other stuff, whatever.

A while back, maybe a couple of months ago, he initiated putting a Cheerio on the loaded spoon (either on top of oatmeal or yogurt). I always found this very cute and amusing. Not that long ago he upgraded to dropping a handful into the bowl of oatmeal or yogurt. Like this:



I think he likes his breakfast crunchy.

As you may have noticed from the menu, we had some people over for the Super Bowl. This was Liam's 2nd Super Bowl. The first one in which the Patriots were not involved. Boo. Hiss. The first superbowl he celebrated like this:



This Super Bowl he was running around Mantown like he OWNED the joint. Looking all like this:



And this:



Also this week Liam joined the drumline. He wailed.


Mikayla came to play Thursday. They conned Mummy into pulling them around the house. They like the Red Wagon... that's how these kizzies roll.


Today we had Gymboree and Liam SCORED his first Valentine! A girl named Lindsey gave him a Valentine for a free cone at Friendly's. He also ran like he had nothing to lose. All class. Or at least for 30 minutes then he said "buh-bye" hand motion and all and headed for the door. Gymboree is 45 minutes long. He hates the last 5-10 minutes because of the parachute. Is it the sound? No idea - but he's not a fan. Like at ALL. So when the braver kids run underneath... we sit together (along with a couple other moms and kids) and watch the 'chute go up and down above us. I kinda dig it.

Afterwards we went and got our valentines, some things for the Valentine playdate we are hosting next Tuesday, and a new pair of kicks for the boy (no they were not that expensive - they were $17 at Kohl's! Way cheaper than Stride Rite sneaks, too.) All he needs now is a board.

Happy weekend to you... I'll be around. Just do me a favor and keep praying.

Oh and this is the photo we sent in to the contest. They announce the ten finalist on Live with Regis and Kelly on February 20th. If he doesn't make the cut then obviously they are all morons at that place. HA!

Many Thanks

Thank you internet - you are wonderful. I am hoping all those well wishes, thoughts and prayers for Karen and Derek are channeled right to them... providing them strength... even if it's for something simple like eating. Karen is most likely home today. I'll be checking in with her tomorrow.

Many thanks again, from the bottom of my sad heart.

Please Pray and Be Humble Today

Updated: See end of post.

I have a friend. A very very good friend. Who has been trying to have a baby for a long time. Since I started trying to conceive Liam over two years ago. She is on her third pregnancy... the others didn't survive.

This week she is about 22 weeks along. The longest she has ever carried a child. She started having contractions this week. You can imagine the escalation of fear given the other experiences she has had.

She was monitored and sent home to rest.

She ended up back yesterday and is now in the hospital with an infection. I don't have all the details. Only the devastating news that for her health and safety they have to induce her.

There is little hope the baby will survive.

I can barely type this as I am crying and just at a loss as to why these things happen to people and to babies. What God does this? I just cannot even wrap my brain around it, it just isn't fair.

IT'S NOT FUCKING FAIR!

So all I ask of you, internet, is to pray for strength for my friend and her husband. Karen and Derek. I love you guys and will be thinking of you and praying for you and wishing I had answers.

Updated: I spoke with Karen earlier today. She was induced this morning because of the infection which would threaten her own life. She said her baby boy was perfect and he was alive for a couple hours. She and her husband are doing the best that they can and have a long road ahead. Please, if you can, continue to pray strength for them. They deserve so much better.

It's Getting Hot in Herrrr; Name That Tune Results.

Woooohooooo it got a little smokey in here today. That's good! I like things a little spicey!

First Jenni got all rapid fire premature shooting. Da ruleeeez girl! You gotta read da rulez. They will be reinterated below. Diana cleaned UP this week due to technicalities! Jody finally got her hat in the ring! We also had newbies drop in: Kerry, Erin and Kep. Ang showed up a little late for the party but got a groove on. Carrie's still bitching and moaning about missing the Wednesday bus. When she isn't doing that, she is lobbying for extra points by snitching! Dream ON, sistah. Claire came but perhaps little Isaac's Thomas train sets tripped her up on the way here. William brought his game but seems like he barely made it to the 3rd quarter before collapsing from Florida heat exhaustion.

Somebody remind me that this is supposed to be a mommy blog cause I'm having fuuuuuuuun.

Ok so let's reinstate the rules... I only posted a link to the rules this week - guess I should post them clear as day every week.

RULES RULES RULES
1. Be honest and don't Google the lyric line I posted, ok? I mean the prize won't be THAT stellar to warrant cheating. Added: Now I never said team play was illegal. But there is only one prize. And most people are playing on their own... so it does sort of pose an unfair advantage. But I still won't rule it out. Hell I'm sure if I were playing I might ask Dan if I were stumped on a rap lyric. Yeah, rap. Don't ask.
2. First come, first correct answer, points earned! That means only one person gets the points for getting the song/artist right. Whomever guesses the correct answer first!You have til the deadline declared day of game ET to take guesses.
3. ONE comment entry per person per game. So no guessing one then coming back and guessing on the rest. One shot to get them right. Otherwise we've got ourselves a free-for-all!
4. You can guess on all or just one or two. You get a point for each one you get right - IF you were the first commenter to get it correct.
5. You have to guess both the Song title AND the Performer. If you guess only one or the other you get no points, even if it's right. AND you give another player a chance to get it right!
6. The game plays every Wednesday - the past two weeks I've been posting the game at 9am ET This may change - if it does I'll let you know AT LEAST the day before.
7. Lastly, if it looks like someone got them all - guess ANYWAY! It's fun! And you could end up with some points due to a technicality. Sucky to one, joy to another - that's life kids!

Ok enough bullshit... let's get to the results portion of the show. Cause even I'm falling asleep here.

Answers and Point Takers...
1. A little more bite and a little less bark; A little less fight and a little more spark
A Little Less Conversation - Elvis Presley; points to Diana!

2. Life is a mystery, everyone must stand alone; I hear you call my name; And it feels like home
Like a Prayer - Madonna; Points to Diana!

3. Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you’ll marry a music man; Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand
Tiny Dancer - Elton John; Points to Diana!

4. You’re playing so cool, obeying every rule; Dig way down in your heart, You’re yearning, burning for some
Footloose - Kenny Loggins; Points to Ang!

5. And now... I’m glad I didn’t know... The way it all would end, the way it all would go.
The Dance - Garth Brooks; Points to Jenni! Welcome to the game!

6. It’s obvious you hate me though I’ve done nothing wrong; I’ve never even met you so what could I have done
People are People; Depeche Mode; Points to Carrie!

7. And I’m a bad boy cause I don’t even miss her, I’m a bad boy for breakin’ her heart
Free Fallin' - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers; Points to Jenni!

8. You nodded off in my arms watching TV, I won't move you an inch even though my arm's asleep
Gracie - Ben Folds; Points to Jody! Welcome to the game!

9. And in the master’s chambers, they gathered for the feast; They stab it with their steely knives, but they just can’t kill the beast
Hotel California - The Eagles; Points to Diana!
Jenni - I'm sorry but you matched the wrong number to this song!

10. I’ve had my share of sand kicked in my face -but I’ve come through...
We Are The Champions - Queen; Points to Carrie!

So yeah! There you go...

And the standings...
(remember 1st time players get 3 "I'm not a loser!" points; additionally people will now get ONE POINT for showing up to play even if they fail to score - first and only time you'll get points for THAT.)

Diana - 10 pts NEW POINTS LEADER
Ang - 8 pts
Carrie - 7 pts
Johnny Mac - 6 pts
Jenni - 6 pts
Kelli - 5 pts
Jody - 5 pts
onangelwings - 5 pts
Claire - 5 pts
Toronto Erin - 4pts
William - 4 pts
Erin - 4 pts
Kerry - 4 pts

PROGRAMMING NOTE: NEXT WEEKS' GAME WILL BE POSTED AT 10am ET.

Be careful out there.

HEY YOU! Name that Tune Week 3

Last weeks game was great! The heat! Fury! Indignation! I LOVE it!

As a reminder... the Standings...
Ang - 6 pts (Somebody stop her!)
Diana - 5 pts (She knows country!)
Johnny Mac - 5 pts (Beastie Boys sing with Elmo!)
Kelli - 5 pts (She could take it all!)
onangelwings - 5 pts (She knows hair bands and The Wiggles)
Carrie - 4 pts (She keeps saying she "forgets" when the contest is)
Claire - 4 pts (She thinks Bob Seger sucks! and likes pop rocks and Coke!))
Toronto Erin - 4pts (Sneaky little Canadien!)
William - 3pts (He woulda whooped ass last week but he had a hall pass or business trip or...)
Bridget - 3pts (She lives FAR away from me.)
Maria - 3pts (She's pregnant, in nursing school and has two daughters. Back OFF.)

Hope we get some new players this week!!!

The Rules!
Exception to the Rules: The contest keeps getting shorter! Haha! I'm evil! This week you have until 9pm TONIGHT. Ya, huh! Tonight 9pm - game OVER.

The Lyrics...
1. A little more bite and a little less bark; A little less fight and a little more spark

2. Life is a mystery, everyone must stand alone; I hear you call my name; And it feels like home

3. Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you’ll marry a music man; Ballerina, you must have seen her dancing in the sand

4. You’re playing so cool, obeying every rule; Dig way down in your heart, You’re yearning, burning for some

5. And now... I’m glad I didn’t know... The way it all would end, the way it all would go.

6. It’s obvious you hate me though I’ve done nothing wrong; I’ve never even met you so what could I have done

7. And I’m a bad boy cause I don’t even miss her, I’m a bad boy for breakin’ her heart

8. You nodded off in my arms watching TV, I won't move you an inch even though my arm's asleep

9. And in the master’s chambers, they gathered for the feast; They stab it with their steely knives, but they just can’t kill the beast

10. I’ve had my share of sand kicked in my face -but I’ve come through...

Allllllrighty then...game on! See you tonight for the results show!

(Oh and if you have an extra sec vote for a pic of the boy below. Thanks much!)

Which is the cutest little baby face?

I've been encouraged to submit Liam's picture for this contest. I thought these 3 pics were cute... which one would you submit? (You can only submit non-professional photos - or believe me I'd be sending off one of those gorgeous ones I paid through the nose for a couple months ago).

Number 1:













Number 2:













Number 3:

Chariots of Fire

Dan took today off for Super Bowl clean up and recuperation. So I suggested, because he was so busy most of the weekend preparing, that we maybe go to an indoor playground or the like with Liam to make up for all the mind-numbing television we had on to amuse him while I cleaned bathrooms and Dan decided it was a good time to hang leftover drywall in the basement (!? I love you, honey!)

Dan thought that although that sounded great, we probably should do something more timely in regards to prepping the house for sale. We had decided we wanted to update a couple of light fixtures and paint in efforts to make the house sell quicker.

So first we took Liam to On the Border where he had one of his favorite meals of a cheese quesadilla with a side of diced tomatoes and avacado. Afterwards we headed to the store where men are men and the women are more efficient shoppers... Lowes!

We got two feet in the store and Dan put Liam down and proceeded to follow (run) after him through out the store for 45 minutes. I followed them with the shopping cart and in the first 5 minutes Liam headed straight for the John Deere and Troy-Bilt tractors. He thought they were the coolest thing like EVER. Daddy even put him on one for a while. When he got back to the floor he started running again so Dan just told me to go pick out my paint and he'd meet me there.

When they finally met me, Liam was still running (Run, Forrest, ruuuhhhn) he was sweating! I told Dan that maybe perhaps taking the fleece coat off him might be a good idea. Then they were off again.

Liam ran and ran and ran. Dan said later people smiled at him and commented at how cute he was then usually said "He really likes to run, huh?"

He likes to run, yes.

When we met again in the lighting section, Dan was a bit winded (haha) and put Liam in the cart where I handed him a much needed beverage. The boy was THIRSTY.

I had to sing songs and talk to him on the ride home so he wouldn't fall asleep. Then it was nap time for Liam. YA. Hoo!

Super Bowl Menu (a.k.a. what you missed)

Chili – 2pm

Homemade Meatballs and Sauce – 2pm

Veggie Platter with Veggie Dip – Anytime in Afternoon

Fruit with Raspberry dip – Anytime in Afternoon

Buffalo Chicken Dip – Pregame (5:30ish)

Lil Kielbasa wrapped in bacon (Artery Clog Wrap) 1st Q

Marinated Chicken Wings – 2nd Q

Cookies and Brownies for Dessert – 3rd and 4th Q

Tums Parfaits - As needed

Blogger = Anti-Christ?

Is it me or has Blogger been a pain in the ass unstable lately? Last night I couldn't access my site at all - it was "Restricted."

Today we are prepping and planning for our Superbowl party tomorrow night. There is roughly 273 lbs of ground beef in my refridgerator right now awaiting a pot for chili. Or meatballs.

My ass will be awaiting a few new sizes up in elastic waist paints.

You are welcome to come by... the menu will be posted tomorrow. We expect the chili and meatballs to be ready around 2pm.

Bring your own Tums.

Rock on! Follow up to Name that Tune

Sorry this is belated - I swear I had my act together and wrote out a big blog post last night with answers and all that jazz but Blogger shit the bed on me and lost my post and I just wasn't feeling it to do it all again.

So that bring me to this morning when Liam woke crying at 6:30am. I brought him back to bed with me - I've never done that before (at least not since he'd been an infant). He snuggled in to my neck and slept another half hour - I on the other hand of course, did not. I had an itch here, a loss of blood circulation there, the need to stroke the downy soft hair on his sweet little head which smelled like Johnson's baby shampoo from his bath last night. How I didn't immediately call Dan to order him home to make more babies is beyond me.

So anyway... here I am... and you want answers. You want answers? I want the truth. The truth. You can't handle the TRUTH! Ah sorry - movie lines are for the next months game.

Answers & Point Takers....
1. ...I said, "Do you speak-a my language?"He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich...
Down Under - Men at Work; points to Johnny Mac!

2. I'm 33 for a moment, Still the man but you see I'm a they, A kid on the way, A family on my mind...
100 Years - Five for Fighting; points to Kelli!

3. Don't save a prayer for me now, Save it 'til the morning after... No, don't say a prayer for me now
Save a Prayer - Duran Duran: points to Diana!

4. I feel wonderful because I see the love light in your eyes... And the wonder of it all...Is that you just don't realize how much I love you.
Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton; points to Johnny Mac!

5. ...ate a burrito with tobasco...they put it on their rice...they put it on their beans...on their rutabegas..and on their collard greens...
Victor Vito - Laurie Berkner; points to Kelli! (but Johnny Mac, I'd love it if Beastie Boys started signing on Noggin!)

6. I didn't mean to miss your birthday, baby... I wish I'd seen you blow those candles out
No one got this one! I'm OUTRAGED! not really. Kelli almost got it! so close!
I'll Be There For You - Bon Jovi; NO POINTS!

7. 'Cause the players tried to take the field... and the marching band refused to yield
American Pie - Don McLean; points to Diana!

8. And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression...Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy, ya gotta learn to play it right."
The Gambler - Kenny Rogers; points to Toronto Erin! (I loved all the southern girls going back and forth about this only to get stumped by the girl from Canada! How aboot that, eh?)

9. When we said our first hello, little did we know...Love was just a glance away... a warm embrace and dance away
Strangers in the Night - Frank Sinatra; points to Carrie!

10. Out there in the spotlight your a million miles away, every ounce of energy, you try and give away... As the sweat pours out your body like the music that you play.
Turn the Page - Bob Seger; points to Claire - late in the game but a winner none the less!

And the Standings... (first time guessers get obligatory 3 points to make them not look so loserish)
Ang - 6 pts
Diana - 5 pts
Johnny Mac - 5 pts
Kelli - 5 pts
onangelwings - 5 pts
Carrie - 4 pts
Claire - 4 pts
Toronto Erin - 4pts
William - 3pts

Commentary...
Ang is SO lucky she got 3 last week! She is still in the lead! Welcome to the game Diana, Johnny Mac, and Toronto Erin. Carrie needs to get her groove on, come on, girl!Claire, I'm so impressed you got Bob Seger! Kelli moved up this week! She could be a contender! Bridget, William and onangelwings were no shows this week.. though Bridget just celebrated her daughter's first birthday (Happy Birthday, Riley!) so she is excused.

Tune in next Wednesday for Week 3!

The Meme Must Go On

Four jobs I’ve had
1. Phone operator for a woodworkers supply chain
2. Candy girl for movie theatre
3. Popcorn popper for same movie theatre (and no you NEVER get sick of eating it)
4. Resident Hall Director for over 300 freshman men at a state university

Four movies I can watch over and over
1. BBC's Pride and Prejudice
2. Overboard
3. Steel Magnolias
4. Noises Off

Four places I have lived
1. Woburn, Massachusetts
2. Lowell, Massachusetts
3. Alexandria, Virginia
4. Washington, DC

Four TV shows I love
1. The Office
2. How I Met Your Mother
3. 24
4. Lost

Four places I’ve vacationed
1. Aruba
2. Park City, UT
3. Las Vegas, NV
4. San Diego, CA

Four of my favorite dishes
1. Chicken tortilla soup
2. Italian dishes with ricotta cheese (lasgana, ravioli, manicotti, etc)
3. Thai lettuce wraps (Cheesecake Factory)
4. Penne Rustica (Macaroni Grill)

Four sites I visit daily
1. Cze-Johnson Fever
2. Poop & Boogies
3. Nov Newbies Message Board (moms group)
4. Friday Playdate

Four places I would rather be right now
1. Basking on a beach, toes in the sand, sipping a fruity cocktail
2. Seeing Ireland for the first time
3. Doing something fun with Liam and Dan
4. Eating any of the above favorite foods because thinking of that list made me hungry.

I'm supposed to tag some people but hate doing that so I'll just say:
Hey you there, leave a comment and tell me your Four for any one (or more if you like) of the categories above!

Hey You, Name That Tune Wk 2

If you are just joining us, I'm running a spectacular little game of lyric recognition. I supply the lyrics, you supply the Song title and Performer.

To recap The Rules:

• Be honest and don't Google the lyric line I posted, ok? I mean the prize won't be THAT stellar to warrant cheating.
• First come, first correct answer, points earned! That means only one person gets the points for getting the song/artist right. Whomever guesses the correct answer first!You have til the Thursday night 6pm ET (following the new post) to take guesses.
• You only get one comment/guess per game. So no guessing one then coming back and guessing on the rest. One shot to get them right.
• You can guess on all or just one or two. You get a point for each one you get right - IF you were the first commenter to get it correct.
• You have to guess both the Song title AND the Performer. If you guess only one or the other you get no points, even if it's right. AND you give another player a chance to get it right!

Ready, players?
1. ...I said, "Do you speak-a my language?"He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich...

2. I'm 33 for a moment, Still the man but you see I'm a they, A kid on the way, A family on my mind...

3. Don't save a prayer for me now, Save it 'til the morning after... No, don't say a prayer for me now

4. I feel wonderful because I see the love light in your eyes... And the wonder of it all...Is that you just don't realize how much I love you.

5. ...ate a burrito with tobasco...they put it on their rice...they put it on their beans...on their rutabegas..and on their collard greens...

6. I didn't mean to miss your birthday, baby... I wish I'd seen you blow those candles out

7. 'Cause the players tried to take the field... and the marching band refused to yield

8. And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression...Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy, ya gotta learn to play it right."

9. When we said our first hello, little did we know...Love was just a glance away... a warm embrace and dance away

10. Out there in the spotlight your a million miles away, every ounce of energy, you try and give away... As the sweat pours out your body like the music that you play.

Ok that's pretty diverse AND some tough ones and not so tough... I mean it can't be too easy, right?

Ok note the time limit difference from the last game - this time you have until 6PM Thursday nite. Good luck! And please, no cheating! :-)