Monday, April 21, 2008
Salt Lake Marathon 2008
Thurm ran his first marathon this last weekend! He did great. This is a picture of him at the finish line.
Monday, April 14, 2008
How could you not love Bono?
Differences.
Sure Thurm & I seem pretty different from an outsiders view. In public, I am a conversationalist and Thurm can barely squeak out a yes or no. But really, when its just the two of us, we couldn't get along more perfectly. We see eye to eye on pretty much everything. We like alot of the same things. We spend all our time together doing stuff we both enjoy. We can talk and talk about everything. But I've found how we are truly different:
He hates Bono. I don't know how this is possible. How could you not love Bono? He has put out great music for three decades. He has an Irish accent. He uses his money and fame to help the world's poor and afflicted. He's a family man. He's religious. You never see him on the red carpet. I know hardly anything about his personal life. He wrote "With or without you." What's not to love? This baffles me.
Sure Thurm & I seem pretty different from an outsiders view. In public, I am a conversationalist and Thurm can barely squeak out a yes or no. But really, when its just the two of us, we couldn't get along more perfectly. We see eye to eye on pretty much everything. We like alot of the same things. We spend all our time together doing stuff we both enjoy. We can talk and talk about everything. But I've found how we are truly different:
He hates Bono. I don't know how this is possible. How could you not love Bono? He has put out great music for three decades. He has an Irish accent. He uses his money and fame to help the world's poor and afflicted. He's a family man. He's religious. You never see him on the red carpet. I know hardly anything about his personal life. He wrote "With or without you." What's not to love? This baffles me.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Senior Pictures
I got Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac a few weeks ago and I'm pretty disappointed. It doesn't have some of the features that Elements 6 for PC has. And I didn't realize how much it couldn't do compared to the full Photoshop. I've still been using my iPhoto to do all my editing because it goes so much faster than photoshop. It was $400 cheaper, but I'm sort of regretting my purchase. I think I need to figure out a better process so that using Elements will go faster, but right now its a pain.
Anyway- these are some senior photos I've taken the last couple weeks. I don't think they are fantastic, but they are probably better than the school photos they are used to getting.
Anyway- these are some senior photos I've taken the last couple weeks. I don't think they are fantastic, but they are probably better than the school photos they are used to getting.
Our tires got slashed a few nights ago. Well, one tire. A "gang" was out on a Tuesday night slashing tires (many of the victims were teachers at the high school). They also did a bit of graffiti that night. I'd be more mad if I didn't think it was so LAME! One of the gangs here calls themselves the "White Picket Fence" gang. I just want to mock them till they understand how stupid their gang is. These kids here are just bored out of their minds. Today in church one of the speakers talked about how we need to engage ourselves in uplifting activities to keep away from the adversary. That's exactly these kid's problems. There isn't a whole lot offered here in the way of after school activities. No dance or violin lessons. No roller skating rink. They are idle and not engaged in anything good, so the bad stuff finds them. And alot of them come from messed up homes with parents who are on drugs or gamblers or adulterers, etc. The parents don't value education either, so that makes it hard. There is alot working against them.
Thurm & I were discussing the other day how we have taught kids in two very different cultures. Our experience in Taiwan was completely different from here. In Taiwan, school is their whole life. They go to school all day everyday except Sunday. And when they aren't in Chinese or English school, they take music lessons or some other kind of extra curricular activity. Alot of the kids don't get home till 9 o'clock at night, just enough time to do homework before bed. They got excited when they had a few hours on Sunday to watch TV or play video games. However, alot of these kids are under so much pressure to perform that the suicide rate is pretty high.
On the extreme opposite are the students here in Wendover, a 90% Hispanic population. They could care less about school. They go because they aren't old enough to work and its a social activity. And when they go home at 3pm they have nothing else to do for the rest of the day BUT watch TV and play video games and get in trouble. School is not valued at all here and even the smart kids are not challenged enough to keep their interest, so they are lazy students as well.
Thurm & I were discussing the other day how we have taught kids in two very different cultures. Our experience in Taiwan was completely different from here. In Taiwan, school is their whole life. They go to school all day everyday except Sunday. And when they aren't in Chinese or English school, they take music lessons or some other kind of extra curricular activity. Alot of the kids don't get home till 9 o'clock at night, just enough time to do homework before bed. They got excited when they had a few hours on Sunday to watch TV or play video games. However, alot of these kids are under so much pressure to perform that the suicide rate is pretty high.
On the extreme opposite are the students here in Wendover, a 90% Hispanic population. They could care less about school. They go because they aren't old enough to work and its a social activity. And when they go home at 3pm they have nothing else to do for the rest of the day BUT watch TV and play video games and get in trouble. School is not valued at all here and even the smart kids are not challenged enough to keep their interest, so they are lazy students as well.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Poonem Note
My mom read my blog about the word "pudem" or "poonem." She gave me a call and informed me that I got it from Tweety Bird. I knew it! I told everyone that when I first was asking about it. But everyone thought I was confusing it with "puddy tat." I have a vague memory of the Grandma telling someone that they have a cute "pudem."
Ok... I'm done.
Ok... I'm done.
Tour of Wendover
Thurm & I took a little drive today and decided to document the desert, dust-bowl that we call home. The first picture is the H.S. Thurm teaches at. The second picture is the elementary school I teach ESL at. Third, the LDS church, a half-block from our apartment. Fourth, the trails Thurm runs. Last, the only green in within a hundred miles, the golf course. These pictures are actually just so you'll feel sorry for us and the depressing town we live in and invite us to come stay at your house, or take us on vacation with you. Preferably somewhere green. Like the Oregon coast?
Our Apartment
The flash on my camera actually makes our apartment look pretty good. It looks so white and clean. Note the bathroom picture how you could sit on the toilet while washing your hands.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Cheesecake-Topped Brownies
1 package fudge brownie mix
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Chocolate frosting
1. Prehead oven to 350. Prepare brownie mix as package directs. Spread into well-greased 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and cornstarch till fluffy.
3. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk. Add egg and vanilla, beat till smooth. Pour cheesecake misture over brownie batter.
4. Bake 40-45 minutes or until top is lightly brown. Cool. Spread frosting. Store covered in fridge.
Makes 3 dozen brownies.
**Note: They are better when they are room temperature. These are the BEST brownies I've ever had!!!
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Chocolate frosting
1. Prehead oven to 350. Prepare brownie mix as package directs. Spread into well-greased 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and cornstarch till fluffy.
3. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk. Add egg and vanilla, beat till smooth. Pour cheesecake misture over brownie batter.
4. Bake 40-45 minutes or until top is lightly brown. Cool. Spread frosting. Store covered in fridge.
Makes 3 dozen brownies.
**Note: They are better when they are room temperature. These are the BEST brownies I've ever had!!!
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Wendover HS Spring Fling
I was asked to take dance pictures for the spring fling on Friday night. I thought for "Spring Fling" I would do a Springy background. So I put up a blue backdrop, a fake tree, fake flowers, etc. I asked the kids what they thought and they all really liked it. But I just couldn't do it. It was so cheesy-high-school-dance. I asked them what they have done in the past and the reply was butcher paper, die-cut outs, whatever is available... yuck! I needed to save these kids from crappy dance pictures. So I just did good ol' classic black. If I had access to a some stores other than Smiths (or "The Smith" as the Hispanics like to call it and what Thurm & I now like to call it) and the Dollar Store I might have been able to come up with something better, but I had to make due and black seemed the best choice. I realized after I picked all my favorite pictures from the dance that they were all the same pose. I must really like that pose. These kids were all so serious! I kept trying to get them to smile to no avail.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
One of the little girls I teach told me today that I look like I have TWO babies inside of me. And that she wants me to bring the baby by when it's "done." Done cooking? You can always expect the truth from kids. My belly might be lined with a healthy, very healthy, layer of fat, but I'm trying to think of it as extra padding and protection for the little guy.
I woke up with swollen glands and a sore throat this morning. Its all I can do to stay awake till 9 pm and I already took an hour nap after work. Thurm thinks I'm so tired because I'm in my third trimester. Maybe. I should just take advantage.
Thurm coached his first track meet yesterday. I slapped him on the butt and called him Coach on his way out. It seemed like the right thing to do : ) I love that he is so excited to coach and that he's had the opportunity here. He also had his first Boy Scout meeting tonight. Plans were made for the next two months for hikes, fishing, knot tying, wood carving, etc. It seems like a good group of boys, even though one spilled red punch on our carpet. Nothing the carpet in our palace probably hasn't seen before.
Thurm has 3 1/2 weeks left of marathon training before the big day. Any of you that would like to support, he's running April 19th in SLC at 7am. It starts up by the UofU hospital.
uhh.. guess thats it. Maybe I'll go to bed, its almost 8pm.
I woke up with swollen glands and a sore throat this morning. Its all I can do to stay awake till 9 pm and I already took an hour nap after work. Thurm thinks I'm so tired because I'm in my third trimester. Maybe. I should just take advantage.
Thurm coached his first track meet yesterday. I slapped him on the butt and called him Coach on his way out. It seemed like the right thing to do : ) I love that he is so excited to coach and that he's had the opportunity here. He also had his first Boy Scout meeting tonight. Plans were made for the next two months for hikes, fishing, knot tying, wood carving, etc. It seems like a good group of boys, even though one spilled red punch on our carpet. Nothing the carpet in our palace probably hasn't seen before.
Thurm has 3 1/2 weeks left of marathon training before the big day. Any of you that would like to support, he's running April 19th in SLC at 7am. It starts up by the UofU hospital.
uhh.. guess thats it. Maybe I'll go to bed, its almost 8pm.
New York Photos
Here are a few photos from our trip. Pregnant Natalie with pregnant Picasso, NYC Skyline, Grand Central Terminal.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
New York 2008 Log
Monday
7:00am-Arrived JFK
8:00-10:00am- Took Super Shuttle to Upper West Side-Candy Hotel. Shuttle took 2 hours because of Parade & crane accident. Hotel bed was great and I was really glad!
11:00am- Took subway to 5th Avenue & 50th Street to watch St. Patrick's Day Parade. While we were there we went to the Rockefeller Center. The ice skating rink is tiny, much smaller than on TV. Went to Saks 5th Avenue and laughed that people actually pay $200 for a hat or scarf. Went to the toy store FAO Schwartz and saw the big piano Tom Hanks played in "Big."
2:00pm-Went to the Museum of Natural History. Thurm can't even remember it because he was so tired, he didn't sleep at all on the plane so he was going off no sleep. I liked the ocean life and dinosaur bones sections of the museum.
5:30pm- Dinner at Famous Ray's Pizza.
6:15pm- Went to a taping of the David Letterman Show. Brooke Shields and Seth Meyers (Saturday Night Live) were on.
9:00pm- Went back to hotel and went to sleep. We were really tired.
Tuesday
11:00am-Went to Manhattan Temple and did a session.
12:00pm- Ate at Thai restaurant, Lemongrass. I had Panang curry and Thurm had Squid & Shrimp black bean paste stir fry (his looked disgusting, but he assured me it was delicious).
2:00pm-Tried to get boat to Statue of Liberty, but were too late. So we walked around Wall Street area of town. We also saw the huge hole where the World Trade Center was.
4:00pm-Tried to get to Little Italy & Chinatown, got lost. I got frustrated because I was cold, tired, and pregnant. So we gave up because I didn't want to be outside anymore.
5:00pm- Went to Empire State Building. We got special treatment because of my pregnant belly and didn't have to wait in a half hour line like everyone else : )
7:30pm-Went to eat at Katz Deli (famous for "When Harry Met Sally" scene). Didn't eat there because I couldn't bring myself to pay $15 for a sandwich that didn't even come with chips or fry's. Plus I was just cranky to begin with.
7:45pm-Ate panini sandwiches at "Sweet Eats" instead. Had to listen to really annoying girls talk very loudly. Sat next to an Adena look-alike.
Wednesday
10:00am-Went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I loved this museum, by far the best one.
1:00pm-Lunch at "3 Guys"
2:00pm-Guggenheim Museum-loved the building, hated the artist. They rotate a new artists work every three months. It felt like the Emperor's New Clothes. The art sucked, but no one wanted to say anything because then they would be accused of being close-minded. So even though no one really liked it, everyone said "wow, amazing talent!" The city sort of has that feel. Everyone is too scared to say "you know this isn't as great as everyone thinks it is." Its a city of image and status.
5:00pm-Took subway to Harlem, got off on wrong stop and walked a few scary blocks before we got to the Apollo Theatre. Bought tickets for the Amateur show.
5:30pm- Shopped at H&M. Ate at Burger King.
7:00pm- Went back to Apollo and watched a very entertaining show. If you haven't seen this on TV, you should, it's really entertaining. Performers come on stage and if the audience doesn't like them, they get booed off the stage. One woman behind us said, before the singer even opened his mouth, "That boy looks like he needs to be booed!" It was a tough crowd, but really fun.
Thursday
7:00am-Thurm ran the entire loop of Central Park while I slept in.
10:00am-Museum of Modern Art. We both loved the paintings. Saw lots of Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, Tippy-tippy-day-day, Picaso, Degas, etc. I loved the furniture displays. Cool chairs and book shelves I would love to have in my home.
1:00pm-Tried to eat at Serendipity (famous for its frozen hot chocolate) but it had an hour wait and we had lots to do. So we ate at Patsy's Italian across the street. I had a delicious Spinach Ravioli in a cream pistachio sauce. MMMmmm.
4:00pm- Took a Harbor Cruise around Manhattan. Took some great pictures of the skyline.
6:00pm-Went to Times Square. Played at Toys R Us, bought chocolate at the Hershey Factory, tried to get tickets to a musical--but all sold out.
8:00pm-Ate at a Mexican restaurant, Viva Pancho, which wasn't that great. But we live in Wendover, where the Hispanic population is 90% and the food is really good. So our Mexican standards are pretty high.
Friday
9:00am- Second attempt at seeing the Statue of Liberty. Didn't go because it was a 2 hour wait in the freezing cold.
10:00am- Little Italy/Chinatown-bought a great Dolce & Gabbana knock off bag. Who actually pays the $2,000 for a real one? That's insane. I also got a $2 purse at a Chinatown dollar store.
12:00-Lunch at "Novella." I ate Chicken Parmesan & Thurm had Chicken Marsala. Mine was delicious. And a canoli for dessert. Mmmm.
1:00pm-Swung by Greenwich Village. Browsed a cool bookstore.
4:00pm-Grand Central Terminal-took great pictures and browsed a cool market.
5:00pm- Chrystler Building
6:00pm- Dinner at City Diner. I had eggs, fruit, toast & potato's. Thurm had a New York Steak. Really good.
Saturday
7:00am-Thurm ran Central Park while I packed our bags.
9:00am- Walked around Central Park. Ate a hotdog and candied almonds from vendor. Saw Strawberry Fields and building where John Lennon was shot.
11:00am-Had to check out of Hotel.
12:00pm- Ate lunch at Indian Buffet.
1:00pm-Took subway to JFK : (
The trip was great and way too short as always. I would have enjoyed it even more if it wouldn't have been FREEZING cold. We didn't pack for 20 degree weather so there were a few days that I wore my entire wardrobe. Two pairs of pants, five shirts and a sweater. And being pregnant and walking all day long wasn't my favorite. Outside of those complaints, it was a great trip. Thurm probably would have enjoyed it even more without my complaints too. : ) Once we figured out the subway, it was super convenient. (Its definitely the most ghetto subway I've been on). The feel of the city was fun, but I'm glad I don't live there and have to keep up with it. I think its a city I would have loved to live in when I was 21. People were really nice to us, but we did see some really rude interactions. Must be subway rage. I felt like a celebrity/freak with my pregnant belly, people stared constantly.
We are going to enjoy relaxing on this Easter Sunday and eat a few deviled eggs. Then tomorrow we are going to start to prepare for our next adventure, parenthood.
7:00am-Arrived JFK
8:00-10:00am- Took Super Shuttle to Upper West Side-Candy Hotel. Shuttle took 2 hours because of Parade & crane accident. Hotel bed was great and I was really glad!
11:00am- Took subway to 5th Avenue & 50th Street to watch St. Patrick's Day Parade. While we were there we went to the Rockefeller Center. The ice skating rink is tiny, much smaller than on TV. Went to Saks 5th Avenue and laughed that people actually pay $200 for a hat or scarf. Went to the toy store FAO Schwartz and saw the big piano Tom Hanks played in "Big."
2:00pm-Went to the Museum of Natural History. Thurm can't even remember it because he was so tired, he didn't sleep at all on the plane so he was going off no sleep. I liked the ocean life and dinosaur bones sections of the museum.
5:30pm- Dinner at Famous Ray's Pizza.
6:15pm- Went to a taping of the David Letterman Show. Brooke Shields and Seth Meyers (Saturday Night Live) were on.
9:00pm- Went back to hotel and went to sleep. We were really tired.
Tuesday
11:00am-Went to Manhattan Temple and did a session.
12:00pm- Ate at Thai restaurant, Lemongrass. I had Panang curry and Thurm had Squid & Shrimp black bean paste stir fry (his looked disgusting, but he assured me it was delicious).
2:00pm-Tried to get boat to Statue of Liberty, but were too late. So we walked around Wall Street area of town. We also saw the huge hole where the World Trade Center was.
4:00pm-Tried to get to Little Italy & Chinatown, got lost. I got frustrated because I was cold, tired, and pregnant. So we gave up because I didn't want to be outside anymore.
5:00pm- Went to Empire State Building. We got special treatment because of my pregnant belly and didn't have to wait in a half hour line like everyone else : )
7:30pm-Went to eat at Katz Deli (famous for "When Harry Met Sally" scene). Didn't eat there because I couldn't bring myself to pay $15 for a sandwich that didn't even come with chips or fry's. Plus I was just cranky to begin with.
7:45pm-Ate panini sandwiches at "Sweet Eats" instead. Had to listen to really annoying girls talk very loudly. Sat next to an Adena look-alike.
Wednesday
10:00am-Went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I loved this museum, by far the best one.
1:00pm-Lunch at "3 Guys"
2:00pm-Guggenheim Museum-loved the building, hated the artist. They rotate a new artists work every three months. It felt like the Emperor's New Clothes. The art sucked, but no one wanted to say anything because then they would be accused of being close-minded. So even though no one really liked it, everyone said "wow, amazing talent!" The city sort of has that feel. Everyone is too scared to say "you know this isn't as great as everyone thinks it is." Its a city of image and status.
5:00pm-Took subway to Harlem, got off on wrong stop and walked a few scary blocks before we got to the Apollo Theatre. Bought tickets for the Amateur show.
5:30pm- Shopped at H&M. Ate at Burger King.
7:00pm- Went back to Apollo and watched a very entertaining show. If you haven't seen this on TV, you should, it's really entertaining. Performers come on stage and if the audience doesn't like them, they get booed off the stage. One woman behind us said, before the singer even opened his mouth, "That boy looks like he needs to be booed!" It was a tough crowd, but really fun.
Thursday
7:00am-Thurm ran the entire loop of Central Park while I slept in.
10:00am-Museum of Modern Art. We both loved the paintings. Saw lots of Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, Tippy-tippy-day-day, Picaso, Degas, etc. I loved the furniture displays. Cool chairs and book shelves I would love to have in my home.
1:00pm-Tried to eat at Serendipity (famous for its frozen hot chocolate) but it had an hour wait and we had lots to do. So we ate at Patsy's Italian across the street. I had a delicious Spinach Ravioli in a cream pistachio sauce. MMMmmm.
4:00pm- Took a Harbor Cruise around Manhattan. Took some great pictures of the skyline.
6:00pm-Went to Times Square. Played at Toys R Us, bought chocolate at the Hershey Factory, tried to get tickets to a musical--but all sold out.
8:00pm-Ate at a Mexican restaurant, Viva Pancho, which wasn't that great. But we live in Wendover, where the Hispanic population is 90% and the food is really good. So our Mexican standards are pretty high.
Friday
9:00am- Second attempt at seeing the Statue of Liberty. Didn't go because it was a 2 hour wait in the freezing cold.
10:00am- Little Italy/Chinatown-bought a great Dolce & Gabbana knock off bag. Who actually pays the $2,000 for a real one? That's insane. I also got a $2 purse at a Chinatown dollar store.
12:00-Lunch at "Novella." I ate Chicken Parmesan & Thurm had Chicken Marsala. Mine was delicious. And a canoli for dessert. Mmmm.
1:00pm-Swung by Greenwich Village. Browsed a cool bookstore.
4:00pm-Grand Central Terminal-took great pictures and browsed a cool market.
5:00pm- Chrystler Building
6:00pm- Dinner at City Diner. I had eggs, fruit, toast & potato's. Thurm had a New York Steak. Really good.
Saturday
7:00am-Thurm ran Central Park while I packed our bags.
9:00am- Walked around Central Park. Ate a hotdog and candied almonds from vendor. Saw Strawberry Fields and building where John Lennon was shot.
11:00am-Had to check out of Hotel.
12:00pm- Ate lunch at Indian Buffet.
1:00pm-Took subway to JFK : (
The trip was great and way too short as always. I would have enjoyed it even more if it wouldn't have been FREEZING cold. We didn't pack for 20 degree weather so there were a few days that I wore my entire wardrobe. Two pairs of pants, five shirts and a sweater. And being pregnant and walking all day long wasn't my favorite. Outside of those complaints, it was a great trip. Thurm probably would have enjoyed it even more without my complaints too. : ) Once we figured out the subway, it was super convenient. (Its definitely the most ghetto subway I've been on). The feel of the city was fun, but I'm glad I don't live there and have to keep up with it. I think its a city I would have loved to live in when I was 21. People were really nice to us, but we did see some really rude interactions. Must be subway rage. I felt like a celebrity/freak with my pregnant belly, people stared constantly.
We are going to enjoy relaxing on this Easter Sunday and eat a few deviled eggs. Then tomorrow we are going to start to prepare for our next adventure, parenthood.
Monday, March 03, 2008
Name Note
Just so everyone knows, Thurm has already vetoed Kale & Moses. Well, everyone has vetoed Moses. I'm still sticking by Moses, I think its cool. But apparently you have to be a black football player to be named that. While the voting results don't reflect this, I think Quinn probably has the biggest chance of making it to the finals. I had lots of other cool names that never even made it to the polls. Ainsley, Finley, Gwen are a few of my favorites. I tried to convince Thurm that Pacey was a cool name, but he didn't like the idea of his kid being named after my early-twenties-Dawson's Creek crush.
Does anyone have suggestions? Don't bother suggesting any name that is a mutated version of another name, like Jaden or Kyler or Colter. We want real names only, please.
Does anyone have suggestions? Don't bother suggesting any name that is a mutated version of another name, like Jaden or Kyler or Colter. We want real names only, please.
Sorry Jonathan, I had to post this... it was too funny.
GNAT-
I just wrote a whole comment that I was going to post on your blog but
I am so paranoid about it being a family place that I fear my cynicism
may not be welcome by all who read it. I liked my comment though, so
I thought I would at least share it with you. Plus, it is another
long one that makes me think I should start a blog of my own. I
hardly have time to keep up with my facebook. Here it is:
I am really writing to comment on the name selection poll, not the
whole "pudem," "pumem" charade, but while I am here I do have one
thing to say about your most recent blog, it is this: BUY A TV
ALREADY! Trust me, you will like it and Quinn/Roman/Moses/Kale will
thank you--and me. Look, you grew up with a TV and turned out fine.
We had nearly as many TVs as people in our house and I Lizzy and I
survived. Sure, I am shallow, emotionless and sometimes brutally
sarcastic, but that has nothing to do with TV. Ok, maybe a little.
So, back to the names. I was holding off voting until I saw some form
of Jonathan, Tyler, JT etc on the list but it is becoming clear to me
that if I want a kid to be named after me, I am going to have to get
someone pregnant myself or start sending $.89/day (just the price of a
cup of coffee) to a child in sub-saharan Africa who might befriend a
kindly priest and ask for a "Christian" name. Now that this is
officially not about me, I will tell you I voted for "Moses." I had
to. I am sure this might offend a family member (that I may or may
not know) but I didn't want the name "Kale" to win. I mean, kale is
the grossest of the leafy green vegetables. Kids have it tough these
days (or so I hear) without that kind of burden. Come to think of it
"Roman" is just two letters away from being "romaine" which, while
quite tasty in a Caesar salad, is another leafy green vegetable. What
are you trying to do to this kid? On the other hand, Moses is not a
vegetable or vegetable-related but could be a lot of pressure on a
kid. I can just see you talking to people you run into at the mall,
Person at the mall: "Oh, what a cute baby! What's his name?"
Nat: "Moses."
Person at the mall: "Oh, just like in the Old Testament."
Nat: "Ya, kind of, but without the tablets, the unparalleled
spirituality that garners attention for aeons of time or the strong
leadership skills."
Not to regress, but you are right, TV might screw up kids.
***********
Really, the pictures are great and MAN! you are pregnant. Still seems
surreal. I do like the name choices and know you well enough to know
they wouldn't be conventional. I like the idea of names not many
other people have (just not Soda or Seven). I am starting in the ER
on Tuesday, which means I am only working 40 hours/week. That should
give me time to catch up on old emails and my facebook page--and call
you.
Talk to you soon,
Jonalove
I just wrote a whole comment that I was going to post on your blog but
I am so paranoid about it being a family place that I fear my cynicism
may not be welcome by all who read it. I liked my comment though, so
I thought I would at least share it with you. Plus, it is another
long one that makes me think I should start a blog of my own. I
hardly have time to keep up with my facebook. Here it is:
I am really writing to comment on the name selection poll, not the
whole "pudem," "pumem" charade, but while I am here I do have one
thing to say about your most recent blog, it is this: BUY A TV
ALREADY! Trust me, you will like it and Quinn/Roman/Moses/Kale will
thank you--and me. Look, you grew up with a TV and turned out fine.
We had nearly as many TVs as people in our house and I Lizzy and I
survived. Sure, I am shallow, emotionless and sometimes brutally
sarcastic, but that has nothing to do with TV. Ok, maybe a little.
So, back to the names. I was holding off voting until I saw some form
of Jonathan, Tyler, JT etc on the list but it is becoming clear to me
that if I want a kid to be named after me, I am going to have to get
someone pregnant myself or start sending $.89/day (just the price of a
cup of coffee) to a child in sub-saharan Africa who might befriend a
kindly priest and ask for a "Christian" name. Now that this is
officially not about me, I will tell you I voted for "Moses." I had
to. I am sure this might offend a family member (that I may or may
not know) but I didn't want the name "Kale" to win. I mean, kale is
the grossest of the leafy green vegetables. Kids have it tough these
days (or so I hear) without that kind of burden. Come to think of it
"Roman" is just two letters away from being "romaine" which, while
quite tasty in a Caesar salad, is another leafy green vegetable. What
are you trying to do to this kid? On the other hand, Moses is not a
vegetable or vegetable-related but could be a lot of pressure on a
kid. I can just see you talking to people you run into at the mall,
Person at the mall: "Oh, what a cute baby! What's his name?"
Nat: "Moses."
Person at the mall: "Oh, just like in the Old Testament."
Nat: "Ya, kind of, but without the tablets, the unparalleled
spirituality that garners attention for aeons of time or the strong
leadership skills."
Not to regress, but you are right, TV might screw up kids.
***********
Really, the pictures are great and MAN! you are pregnant. Still seems
surreal. I do like the name choices and know you well enough to know
they wouldn't be conventional. I like the idea of names not many
other people have (just not Soda or Seven). I am starting in the ER
on Tuesday, which means I am only working 40 hours/week. That should
give me time to catch up on old emails and my facebook page--and call
you.
Talk to you soon,
Jonalove
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Poonem
A few months ago I told Thurm what a cute "pudem" he had. Face. He laughed and said it wasn't a real word and that I just made it up. But I swore that I had heard it some where and that people used it. Over the months, we've asked our friends, no one has heard of it. I googled it, couldn't find anything. And tonight, I had a REVELATION! It's Yiddish!!! I looked it up in a Yiddish dictionary and there it was, not "pudem" exactly, but "poonem." YAY! My word is a real word! (Thurm is laughing at me that I'm blogging about this).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)