On the Road

A wonderful weekend



When we lived in Columbia, I always said that we wanted to move closer to our families. We were there for five years, and then Rockford finished his program and (after a bit of chaos) we did move closer to our families. What I didn’t realize was how difficult it would be to leave our new family behind.

Rockford sent me to Columbia for the weekend, and it really felt like I’d never left. I stayed with Amy, and we just slipped into our comfy old friendship without a hitch.

It was so wonderful to see everyone and to get so many good and much-needed hugs. I can’t thank Rockford or my friends enough. I love you guys!

blessings

Love Thursday: Mostly Poppy and food.

January 18

  • Poppy’s “Hallooooooo” when she woke up.
  • Kung Pao Scallops.
  • P’s entusiasm over crab wantons.
  • Talking about the Wii with Rockford.
  • Tom and Genia getting coupons for free Pictsweet veggies.
  • A suggested name for my sister-in-law’s next child: Honey BooBlossom.
  • Marsha cuddling with me at naptime.
  • Marsha sitting on the loft’s farthest outcropping.
  • “I miss Dwight. Universe, you win.” (Jim, “The Office”)
  • Kenneth on “30 Rock”

January 19

  • Doing my silly little photoshoot.
  • Getting so many nice comments on Flickr.
  • Shocking Amy with the revelation that I read John Mayer’s blog. (What? He’s funny.)
  • Poppy kissing the camera.
  • Sitting outside, grilling a steak. (Rockford called this my Hank Hill moment.)
  • Going out for milkshakes.
  • “Monk.”

January 20

January 21

  • Opening our eyes at the same moment in the morning when Marsha crazy-jumped onto the bed.
  • The idea that we might have found a church.
  • The joyful guy in the brown suit and the sweet little baby at said church.
  • A successful new recipe: Kung Pao Shrimp.
  • The Colts!

January 22

  • Poppy waking up from her nap and saying, “Poop!” (Although the ensuing cleanup wasn’t too much fun.)
  • Reading with Poppy.
  • Horatio Caine.
  • Skinny Cows fudge bars.

January 23

  • Rockford coming home a little early.
  • A fresh “Gilmore Girls.”
  • Bean nachos.
  • Art time with Poppy.

January 24

  • Going to Barnes and Noble with Rockford & Poppy.
  • Finding a new sweater for $10.
  • Stevie Wonder’s “Happier Than the Morning Sun.”
  • Rockford ordering a filet mignon for me for dinner.
  • Rockford spilling mango chutney on his shirt and not finding it until hours later.
  • Dwight Yoakum at Sea World.
  • Today’s self-portrait came out nicely.
  • Poppy picking up rocks and saying “Bye-bye” to them when she put them back down.
  • Poppy saying “dee-shush” (“delicious”).
  • Poppy picking up the cat food bag, saying “ki-ki foo, baaf” (kitty food, bath) and putting the cat food in the bath tub.
  • Poppy telling me my necklace is “nice.”
  • Finding a few new photostreams on Flickr.
  • Watching a bad movie with Rockford.

. . . . . the end . . . . .

Screen time

Hot dog! It’s Oscar time!

italics = movie I’ve actually seen
bold = my pick

Performance by an actor in a leading role
Leonardo DiCaprio, “Blood Diamond”
Ryan Gosling, “Half Nelson”
Peter O’Toole, “Venus”
Will Smith, “The Pursuit of Happyness”
Forest Whitaker, “The Last King of Scotland”

Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Alan Arkin, “Little Miss Sunshine”
Jackie Earle Haley, “Little Children”
Djimon Hounsou, “Blood Diamond”
Eddie Murphy, “Dreamgirls”
Mark Wahlberg, “The Departed”

Performance by an actress in a leading role
Penelope Cruz, “Volver”
Judi Dench, “Notes on a Scandal”
Helen Mirren, “The Queen”
Meryl Streep, “The Devil Wears Prada”
Kate Winslet, “Little Children”

Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Adriana Barraza, “Babel”
Cate Blanchett, “Notes on a Scandal”
Abigail Breslin, “Little Miss Sunshine”
Jennifer Hudson, “Dreamgirls”
Rinko Kikuchi, “Babel”

Best motion picture of the year
“Babel”
“The Departed”
“Letters from Iwo Jima”
“Little Miss Sunshine”
“The Queen”

Adapted screenplay
“Borat”
“Children of Men”
“The Departed”
“Little Children”
“Notes on a Scandal”

Original screenplay
“Babel”
“Letters from Iwo Jima”
“Little Miss Sunshine”
“Pan’s Labyrinth”
“The Queen”

. . . . . the end . . . . .