I confess

I am a very superstitious person.

(But I don't tell anyone about it because that might actually make it true.)

I tend to not tell very many people, if I tell anyone, exciting news because I don't want to jinx it.

I didn't even tell Nick that I was taking a pregnancy test a day early, just in case (it came out positive, hence the presence of a monster in our home.) I seriously prayed every single night (and many times throughout the day, everyday,) trying to reason with God for announcing it before the 12 weeks mark- how could I not announce something so exciting? He couldn't possibly punish me for being happy, right?- and beg him to let me keep the baby. Sad, but true.

Thankfully, I didn't jinx myself that time, and I have the monster to prove it.

However, I still can't get over my superstitions. I cringe when black cats cross my path, I will walk well out of my way to avoid walking under ladders, and I think I will have a heart attack if I ever break a mirror. And I won't share the exciting parts of my life.

Example 2:

Right now something very exciting is going on, but it's not complete and therefore, I'm not 100% sure it will happen. Though I am sooooo excited about the prospects, everything seems to be going so well right now. Too well in fact. I keep telling myself to break the cycle and just let the world know what's going on- fill them in on all the little details- but I can't. And I won't.

So just know that something exciting is happening and in two and in two weeks I will be able to post all about it on multiple sites. Maybe one day I'll get over this superstitious nature of mine, but not today.

And incase you're wondering, we're not expecting another baby.

Favorite Songs By Bands that are Disbanded/Dead

Sorry I'm a little late with this one, this last week kind of got away from me... and this topic was an easy one too! I'm just going to dive into it.

Judge me all you want, I really do miss and love these groups/people:

"Wannabe"- Spice Girls

"Taxi"- Harry Chapin (I originally had a different group for this slot, but they were part of a musical so I decided to change it up a bit)

"I am the Walrus"- The Beatles

"Bye Bye Bye"- NSYNC (there's lots of songs I could put here, I just chose the first one that came to mind)

"Sweet Cherry Wine"- Tommy James and the Shondells

And then I caved

Day 3 of the 17 Day Diet and I caved... hard.

I ate a Krispy Kreme donut.

And it wasn't worth it.

It's only been a few days but I already feel different. I have a ton more energy and feel lighter. Not that I have the sugary doom inside of me, I feel yucky. It's amazing how much sugar makes a difference in how I feel and now I am determined more than before to see this diet through. I have to. I'm not saying that you should cheat in order to succeed, but this may be a blessing in disguise. Or it may be my downfall.

I was down 3 pounds, but I'm sure the doomnut added 15. Stupid doomnut.

Back to square/day 1 for me.

Don't blame me, blame the lack of the yummies.

It has been one year since my precious little monster was born. I'm sad that he is no longer a baby, but I am excited for what toddler-hood has in store for us (and lets be honest, I'm super frightened too- those "terrible twos" are just around the corner!)

I finally decided to do something about all the chub that's been keeping me "warm" for the past year. As of the last time I weighed myself (three days ago? four? two? I can never keep it straight) I weighted eight pounds more than when I gave birth. I've given myself one year for all of it to magically disappear and now it's time to actually do something about it. So I picked up this book.

I am not a fan of detoxing, but this one has you "detox" by cutting out sugars and carbs for the first 17 days and replace it with certain fruits. No starving, no liquid dieting. And I like the sound of that better. The best thing about this diet: it will eventually mean no more insulin resistance for me and hopefully, no more stupid metformin.

I've been "sugar-free" for 3 hours now and I haven't killed anyone, but it's going to be a long day... and a long 16 days after that. But I know that come tomorrow I am going to become a monster the Japanese couldn't even dream of. So forgive me for any bitchiness that will arise. I'm detoxing.

Favorite Hidden Tracks

The hard part about this challenge? If there are hidden tracks that I like, I can't remember them. This week required a lot of googling to jog my memory, because I know that I have albums with hidden tracks that I really like, but I can never remember the titles of songs (even the ones not hidden). I think I have a pretty good list, but I'm sure I'll come across some I'll wish I had used in place of some of these. Oh well.

These are in no particular order.

"Next to You" by The Offspring (off their Greatest Hits album)

"Silence is a Scary Sound" by McFly (a UK band that Hope and I fell in love with when we were in Ireland. This is off Motion in the Ocean)

"Dirty Little Secret" by Bon Jovi and Jennifer Nettles from Sugarland (can I just say that Jon Bon Jovi is one of those men who could make me forget my marriage vows. He's yummy. I love him. This is off Have a Nice Day)

"Thank You For the Music" from the Mamma Mia! soundtrack (from the movie. This isn't my favorite Abba song, but I love Abba and my goal is to include them as much as possible in this challenge.)

"Mameshiba" by Yoko Kanno ( from Into Another World. This one I cheated on. I couldn't think of a fifth song so I found a list of hidden tracks and listened to a bunch of them. I really like Yoko Kanno and this song, so it made the list. Hopefully I won't have to do much cheating in the future.)

Anyway, the hubs and I just finished an M. Night Shyamalan marathon (minus The Last Airbender since that movie was just plain terrible) and I am pleased to announce that I have been able to sleep peacefully every night since. Maybe this means I'm ready to see movies like Insidious or Paranormal Activity? Yeah, I don't think so either.

Songs that Make Me Feel Guilty

This week's song challenge is just that, challenging. I've really had to think about what makes me feel guilty in the first place, which is hard. Not that I'm free from guilt, but it's something I don't really like to dwell on... or maybe I just forgive myself too easily? Either way, this challenge was hard, but I think I've finally got a list together. I can only think if three, but I think that's ok. Here they are:

"Whiskey Lullaby" by Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss

"If I Die Young" by The Band Perry

"La Chanson de Craonne", which is a French song that came out during WWI. Here's what it says in English (this isn't a very good translation, but you'll get the gist):

When at the end of eight days, the r' pos finished,

One r' will take the trenches,

Our place is so useful

That without us one takes the pile.

But it is well finished, one has enough of it,

Personn' does not want to go any more,

And the quite large heart, comm' in a sob

One says good-bye to the civ' batches.

Even without drum, even without trumpet,

One from goes away there high while lowering the head.

[Refrain:]

Good-bye life, good-bye love,

Good-bye all women.

It is well finished, it is for always,

Of this infamous war.

It is in Craonne, on the plate,

That one must leave his skin

Because we all are condemned

It is us sacrificed!

Eight days of trenches, eight days of suffering,

However one with the hope

That this evening will come the r' raises

[Find more Lyrics one http://mp3lyrics.org/flzi]

That we wait without truce.

Suddenly, in the night and silence,

One sees somebody who advances,

It is an officer of hunters to foot,

Who comes to replace us.

Gently in the shade, under the rain which falls

The small hunters will seek their tombs.

[with the Refrain]

They is unhappy to see on large the boul' vards

All these large which makes their fair;

So for them the life is pink,

For us it is not the mêm' thing.

Instead of hiding, all these embusqués,

F' stripe to better go up to the trenches

For défendr' their goods, because we do not have anything,

Us autr' S, the pauvr' S purotins.

All the comrades are buried there,

For défendr' goods of these Sirs.

[with the Refrain]

Those which have the dough, these r' will come,

Because it is for them that one bursts.

But they is finished, because the soldiers

All will be put in strike.

This ruffle your turn, Sirs the large ones,

To go up on the plate,

Because if you want the war,

Pay it your skin!

A New Challenge?

Ok, so I know that I haven't finished my last challenge, but I am going to start a new one that, thankfully, is only once-a-week and one that I'm hoping I can keep up with. I have every intention of picking up on the previous challenge once I am able to find the next picture I want to use. (The problem with packing and moving? Everything you need is in a box you can't find.)

So the new challenge has to do with Songs. I love music- every kind, and almost every genre- and I absolutely believe that music is food for the soul. I know that sounds super corny, but I really do believe it. I cannot imagine a world without music. So I am even more excited about this challenge than the last (but I swear I will get the last one done. Eventually.) So here's where it's coming from:

My husband has a group of friends who call themselves "The Badgers" (there is a backstory to that name, but I'm not going to share it-- I'm not sure I even remember it and it's not my story to tell.) Anyway, these badgers are some of the most creative, kind, and loving people I know* and when they come up with an idea, it's usually a pretty good one. So anyway, Alex came up with this specific weekly challenge, so I'm going to copy her FB note and maybe one of my very few readers will take the challenge up themselves and it will become a new internet phenomenon.

I've noticed the '30 Day Song Challenge' floating around recently, and the first time I saw it, I thought, "Fuck. I can't pick one song. Ever. How can I make this something I want to do?"

And then....

I started writing my own categories, thinking about songs that mean a lot to me, songs I wish I could share with my friends and ended up with 52. I've written them down, sealed them and will be picking one at random for the next year.

Monday I'll pick a new category and post vids every friday with 5 relevant songs. My personal challenge is not to repeat any songs.

I'm posting it here because it's easy to access, I'd really like any of you who are interested to play along with me. =)

This is Week 1, category chosen at random...

Songs you know all the words to.

So here we go. These songs are in no particular order, just list as I remember.

DRESS, Buck-Tick

Ventura Highway, America

You Get What You Give, New Radicals

Come What May, The Moulin Rouge version (Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman)

Barbie Girl, Aqua (yeah, that's right. I even had a dance a friend and I choreographed in middle school. We were awesome.)

Ok, week 1 is complete! Maybe I'll find my pictures somewhere so I can post the picture that always makes me laugh. There are actually a lot that I could post, but there is one that I have to post because it's hilarious, and will always be hilarious. Anyway, I'm going to listen to the lecture going on right now. This is why I don't use my lappy to take notes.

*sappy much?