26 December 2010

Lucky Seven

Ate our Christmas feast tonight & I would like to die now. Full, ill, sleepy, thirsty & other crud.

Oh wait ...

7.20pm - Put Ben down 20 minutes ago & not one moment of crying so far. He just finished a Yosemite Sam dance around his crib & is currently gnawing the finish off the side but no crying. He has a lie-down every couple of minutes between his anti-social behavior so I think we're making progress.

I am in the doorway again tonight. Ass in the room, foot in the hall. Much quieter neighborhood tonight so no distraction, thankfully. Tomorrow night will attempt the wishful-thinking ass in the hall & see how we fare. Oh, just let loose with a sneezing fit & let me tell you, that is one surefire way to keep a toddler from settling to sleep. More crib chewing, more babbling. Bring it on.

Tomorrow I am going to the library to get some books - just thought I should clarify in case you thought I was going to the library for something else ... something unlibrary-like. Anyway, the point is that I have a bit of extra time on my hands of an evening now that the boy is sleeping better so I thought I could start a bit more reading again. I wouldn't have to stoop so low if there was something decent to watch on TV these days! I kid, I kid. In my days before being a mother when I had 3 hours worth of sitting on a train everyday & countless hours of leisure on weekends, I read 4 or 5 books a week. I am a bookworm, a nerd, an egghead, whatever. If I read another thriller or two I will probably be qualified to be a detective myself.

My back & rear are killing me. Doorframes do not make comfy leaning posts & you'd think I would have learned by now to sit on a cushion or something. Last night I ended my laying down on the floor, which baffled Ben for a few minutes & made my shoulder fall asleep but we survived to log another day.

7.57pm - Neighbors are singing Bon Jovi at the top of their lungs. I've handed over the distracted reins to Marcel & we've had to close his door again. This is another reason why air conditioning would be a blessing - wouldn't have to keep the bloody doors open all the time & hear everything everyone else is doing. Still thirsty, am going to break down & her some water! Will curse a blue streak if Ben falls asleep quickly under Dada's watchful eye.

8.56pm - That boy is still going strong but luckily Marcel is up for it tonight. Titanic is on TV & I can't turn away. It's not like I haven't seen it a few times. It may have come out in a very romantic period of my teenagehood & I may or may not have seen it FOUR times at the movies with friends. Ugh, those were the days. I thought Billy Zane was quite the hot thing so obviously not my best days of judgment. Not that this was Leo's best movie, but has Mr. DiCaprio not been nominated for an Oscar? Have we not all seen what he can do? But that's a discussion for another day.

Okay, I should go concentrate on this movie just in case I missed something the first gazillion times I watched it. Loving the heavy rain tonight, cooling everything down & making me feel human again. Hope you had a fabulous Christmas or Boxing Day, whichever side of the planet you're on today. Keep your fingers crossed that Ben doesn't just stay up all night. xx

25 December 2010

Oh holy night 6

6.20pm - What a stinker of a Christmas - we all got a little color & a lot of presents. No feast as it was too hot.

Ben is wailing but it sounds more angry than forlorn, which is actually a good thing around these parts. Usually wears him out more quickly even if I haaaate it. I also have the bedroom door open tonight & I'm sitting right inside it so he may be thrown off by the extra distraction of the hallway. Tomorrow night I plan to be just outside of the door then down the hall a bit but if tonight sets us back a few paces I'll just try another night right where I am until he can handle it.

6.34pm - He was starting to settle down a bit but it sounds like our neighbors Christmas get-together is breaking up so lots of laughter & loud goodbyes. No big deal but with door open tonight he's getting nosy. I think their 3 year old was yelling for Ben too so now I feel guilty but we've got to be strict for the first time in our parenting lives & actually stick with something that is going to make all of our lives much better.
So Ben has now gone without breastmilk since yesterday morning. Absolutely strange for me but he seems unfazed - I guess Christmas presents are a great distraction so tomorrow I'll have to come up with something razzly dazzly to compensate. I will be honest that I miss holding, rocking & feeding him so much! I guess when something connects you that closely for 19 months it's bound to be hard to let go. I'm very grateful that we were able to breastfeed so easily & I'm happy that we followed our own instincts to keep going so there's no doubt that now it's time. Mothers get such a barrage of information, propaganda & well-meaning advice (& everything seems to contradict everything else with a threat of dire consequences, of course) & I'll admit that most of the time I've felt like I was just blindly guessing what to do but I'm feeling confident this week about the sleep & weaning. Mark this day as it will surely bite me in the ass sometime in the future. Hey, I said I'm confident not optimistic.

7.20pm - At the hour mark & no end in sight. Had to shut the door most of the way as the neighbors' party hit the rip-roaring level again. Sounds like they're having a fantastic time - must remember to be a drinker in my next life. I don't mean that in a snide way at all - they are very cool people, great parents & seem super responsible when they drink. I honestly just mean that we do miss out on a lot of shenanigans because we don't drink ( well, I don't mind a glass here & there) & feel like sore thumbs in some groups. We should be mature enough to not feel this way but I think you know maturity is not high on our list of strengths. Name-calling & snide comments about news reports are probably at the top of that short, sad list.

7.43pm - Crap, thought we were almost there. Was quiet & still so I was holding out for the deep even breathing. Instead I got what sounded like a bark & now some gentle squealing. Tonight is the first night I feel like pulling my hair out with antsiness. Got to get a grip because I know (meaning I have read in books/magazines/pamphlets) that little ones can pick up on all your negative energy & spew it back out at you like some sort of crazed demon.
Hey, I hear some good breathing! Could it be? Will I actually be able to watch most of National Lampoons Christmas Vacation that started at 7.30? We thought we owned it but alas no luck finding it. Off to try my luck throwing a blanket on the slumbering dragon ...

24 December 2010

Silent night, holy night #5

7.04pm - Boy is in bed, has not cried or whined at all & is lying on his tummy already & I only just put him down. There is plenty of opportunity for things to go terribly wrong but I'm holding out for a Christmas miracle & let's face it, I'd be happy with anything under an hour. If you didn't read my bragging status update on facebook, he went down like a dream for his nap - 30 seconds of whining then sound asleep in under 3 minutes. Shock of my life.

Did I tell you we are redoing his room? Now that we aren't rocking him anymore we are moving the world's biggest/ugliest/comfiest chair out & got some new shelves from blessed Ikea. Looks awesome so far but still working on the little things. Ben is already loving all the extra space & breaks out in spontaneous dancing & squealing when he's in the new & improved room! I feel the same way & shall post pictures as soon as I am happy with everything.

Let's see ... what else? Ah yes, it's Christmas! Looking forward to putting all the present under the tree tonight - we've had to keep them on the dining room table out of reach - & to see what Santa will bring. Shut up, kids could read my blog! We had a really cool Santa sighting today, he came round all the streets of Kariong on the back of a firetruck with some firemen. Threw candy for the kids in the neighborhood & us mothers got a little eye candy.

Ben's still quiet & settled down but awake, kicking a bit in his Christmas pj's. That's the only present we open on Christmas Eve & we'll have a family photo in them tomorrow morning. Since he's doing so well I think tomorrow night will be my move into the doorway & then the next night I'll be in the hall where he can see me. He doesn't seem to care that I'm here but it will be interesting to see how he reacts.

7.38pm - Okay, giving up on a Christmas miracle. Will settle for having my tailbone survive sitting on the damn floor! Still no crying, fussing or whining but still kicking around & occasionally babbling what must be quite elaborate stories because there is a lot of inflection & the odd sound effect or two. Loving it!

8.12pm - Finally passed out. On to enjoy the rest of Christmas Eve with the husband!

23 December 2010

Night 4

6.28pm - Not loving the crying to be honest. We're starting early tonight because we had a big day - playing & swimming at the beach, cleaning at home (cleaning with a toddler underfoot is 1 step forward, 2 steps back don't you think?) then a quick dip in the pool. The sun is exhausting & this boy is a sleepy mess.

One thing I love about summer with all the windows open is that you can hear all the neighbors trying to get their kids to go to bed. Never will be easy I'm guessing. Speaking of neighbors, I'm going to make some cookies to take over to ours tomorrow. I've been such an absentee neighbor since I've returned from our travels & I need to step up my game!

So I'm getting back into the gym - yes, here we go again - but I think it's time to eat leaner. Need to cut down on the crazy carbs & try those stupid lean meats the world won't stop yapping about. My problem is that I eat like a bloody horse & never feel full so if I start eating less will my stomach eventually catch on & feel full with less or am I going to feel hungry all the time?

7.01pm - He was so still & quiet for about 10 minutes now he's on his back, kicking the crib bars & jibber jabbering like a mad man. Crazy child. I just do not understand why babies aren't born with ability to freaking sleep since it is one of the most important things they need! Come ON! He's saying "duh duh duh doy" or some equivalent so he obviously agrees.

7.38pm - we've got some even breathing happening & he seems nice & relaxed, just heard a snorey snort. But I think we all know how deceptive he can be, springing up like a wildcat without notice. Going to tiptoe & try to cover him ... All good. Just over an hour & Sleepy Sleeperson is ... asleep.

22 December 2010

Night 3 of the living dead

7.28pm - wailing & looks of hatred as we start the night. Just threw a toy at me, not sure where it came from but there it goes. My goal for tonight is to make it to the gym, which means he must be asleep by 9:00. Not sure that he gives a rat's ass about my fitness but I have been feeling very hormonal & strange lately so have been eating like it's the last night on earth. That is right - when the en is near, if I haven't won a pass to the inevitable rocket that avoids the apocalypse & while you guys are doing awesome bucket list things & spending meaningful time with family & friends, I shall be eating brownies & asking "Shouldn't Graham Norton be on tonight?" I'll go into more detail about my hormonal issues in a later blog (spoiler alert: I am NOT pregnant).

Hmmmm, just noticed that Ben is not crying & is lying down rather peacefully. Is the apocalypse already here?? Did I miss the rocket lottery?? Isn't Graham Norton supposed to be on tonight??

Well I better run off to check out my favorite online nonsense just in case he fall asleep too quickly (shut up) - gofugyourself.com, textsfromlastnight.com (lots of drug & sex references on that one, be forewarned) & good old perezhilton.com are getting me through these trying times. I'm sending these entries from my email so I'm guessing the links aren't linked or whatever so I apologize.

8.38pm - Victory!

21 December 2010

Night 2, Scene 1

7.06pm - I can hear the neighbors on their back porch. It's very close to Ben's window & they must think we're torturing him in here! Might have to send Marcel over to give them a heads up. Only been going 5 minutes & it's full on - this is the pits. Well, listening to the distant trill of my neighbors Kathy & Kim-esque accent is awesome but the crying baby part is the pits. That's the Aussie K&K by the way - hillllllarious.

7.21pm - Ben is lying flat on his stomach but kicking his foot back in the air. Adorable, not that I'm looking as far as he's concerned. Crap, he must have sensed me typing about him because now he's running around & crying again.

Do you use Twitter? If so, you need to follow Steve Martin - he is killing me with his Christmas singsongs & jury duty updates. I think he's @SteveMartinToGo or something like that.

8.06pm - Appears our Internet is currently down so I have nothing to surf! Must resort to word games that don't require wi-fi. Also appears that my iPod thinks Internet needs to be capitalized - wacky.

We're at a weird stage. Ben hasn't cried for almost 30 minutes but he's been flopping around like a fish out of water. Now seems settled but you know how that goes so I shall continue to sit on my numb bum until an angel comes forth & brings be glad tidings of great joy that he asleep. Is it glad tidings or good tidings? Maybe groovy? Anyway.

I am very thirsty. Have resorted to stealing one of Bens sippy cups of water - he still ha another, don't you fret. Too bad I chose the one with the lid that seals too tight for me to open so I've actually been sitting here sipping it out of its squeaky straw then putting it down quickly so Ben doesn't catch me & find me less than calming presence. Gack - he's kicking the wall again so definitely not asleep. I might prefer the old crying to the quiet rolling around or donkey kicking anything he can reach. Tonight I have moved a tiny bit further away according to the Gospel of Supernanny so am put of donkey kick reach. If he escalates to flying scissor kicks I am in trouble.

8.50pm - Oh my goodness, this is never going to end. He's in a loop of flopping from one lie-down position to the next & then on to standing & wailing half-heartedly. I'm giving him to the 2-hour mark then calling Marcel in to take my place so I can drink a gallon of water, curl up in the fetal position & just breathe peacefully for a few minutes.

Of course now he's quiet & still again! He's always one step ahead of me but heavens child, stop playing the games & go to sleep!

9.20pm - Merely minutes before the 2-hour mark he finally conked out. Poor boy, poor mama, all good for now. He fell asleep curled in the corner of the bed so no doubt he'll roll, hit the bars & wake up cranky any minute now. Ahhhh well, what can you do?

20 December 2010

Night 1 shall never end

4.45am - Aaaaand he's back! Was sneaking out the door & he popped up like a jack in the box so now we're back to wailing & gnashing of teeth (him & me respectively). I did put his pants back on him so I may still be in the running to be Australia's Next Top Mom. Except I guess it would be Mum & I can't do that because it's too weird. I feel like I'm cheating on America just like when I say lift, boot or zed.

Hmmmm, we are back to lying down with even breathing but I'm no fool so I'm sitting pretty. As pretty as I can look in these circumstances but that's another story.

As rough as it is listening to my little man crying his heart out, it's not like he's woken up any more than usual so it's not as tragic as it could have been. Sometimes I have to rock him for up to an hour in the wee hours - he goes to sleep quickly the second I stand he is back to life. Hopefully by the end of this he'll be a more sound sleeper.

Okay. Attempting another cover & exit. Tomorrow night I'll dress him more warmly as it's a bit chilly a this hour & he obviously has no blanket on while he's standing & crying. Here we go ...

Nope, no luck. Just me standing up brought him to his feet too. He is a smart fellow to conserve his energy for when I'm up & easy to grab. Lord I love my little boy but I'd give a million dollars to have this over & done with minus all the bad memories. Poor kid.

And now I need to tinkle. What to do, what to do. Don't want to rob him of my calming presence but I'm not sure he's buying that anyway as he throws the blanket at me.

5.01am - empty bladder & another quiet spell from the boy. At point do I just get him up for the day?? I'm hoping he manages to get back to a real sleep for at least a couple of hours but I'm not holding my breath. I guess he'll have a long nap today! Oh crap, do I have to do this for his nap too? I didn't realize this was going to ruin my days too. Maybe I can still feed $ rock for his nap because he goes down very easily for that & then when he's more comfortable with self settling we'll move on to the nap too. Is that cheating or does that make sense to you too?

5.14am - sun appears to be coming up as I'm spotting a little color around the edge of the blinds. Ben is sleeping & I've done a few moves to test whether he's just lying in wait but I think it might be safe to call it a night ... Eh, morning.

Tune in tomorrow for more good times.

Night 1 still going

1.25am - Marcel is in the hot seat. Cries are already intermittent but I'm going back to sleep!

4.03am - I'm back on duty. Was dreaming of eating fried mushrooms in Greece (huh?) & really would have appreciated time to finish that seam before being screamed at but whatever. No idea how long Marcel was up - felt like 5 minutes but I was sleeping so could have been 5 hours for all I know. No actually it could not have.

Boy is wailing his fool head off then has to stop & cough. Poor kid. It's a double doozy for him because I usually feed him when he wakes but now am not. So basically sleep training & weaning at once. Double the fun, right? If we survive this experience he is going to have some hard feelings but there really is no other option because none of us is getting enough sleep. Seriously, if you count the last couple months of my pregnancy I haven't had a full night's sleep in almost 2 years.

4.23pm - Ya know another part of my weird dream was a friend was planning a trip to a new grocery store for a group of us. We were all very excited to see what they'd have & were making plans to split up to make sure we saw everything. I'm even boring in my dreams.

Ben still screaming & occasionally grabs my hair or shoulder. Luckily he must not be close enough to cause harm so is it wrong to enjoy him playing with my hair while he's so miserable? Oooooh, he figured out that he can pull it so problem solved - must move over.

Night 1 still going

1.25am - Marcel is in the hot seat. Cries are already intermittent but I'm going back to sleep!

4.03am - I'm back on duty. Was dreaming of eating fried mushrooms in Greece (huh?) & really would have appreciated time to finish that dream before being screamed at but whatever. No idea how long Marcel was up - felt like 5 minutes but I was sleeping so could have been 5 hours for all I know. No actually it could not have.

Boy is wailing his fool head off then has to stop & cough. Poor kid. It's a double doozy for him because I usually feed him when he wakes but now am not. So basically sleep training & weaning at once. Double the fun, right? If we survive this experience he is going to have some hard feelings but there really is no other option because none of us is getting enough sleep. Seriously, if you count the last couple months of my pregnancy I haven't had a full night's sleep in almost 2 years.

4.23pm - Ya know another part of my weird dream was a friend was planning a trip to a new grocery store for a group of us. We were all very excited to see what they'd have & were making plans to split up to make sure we saw everything. I'm even boring in my dreams.

Ben still screaming & occasionally grabs my hair or shoulder. Luckily he must not be close enough to cause harm so is it wrong to enjoy him playing with my hair while he's so miserable? Oooooh, he figured out that he can pull it so problem solved - must move over.

He appears to be starting his wind down phase - he's lying down & quiet for the moment. May have a few spells before it's over tonight. I can't wait until morning so I can scoop him up & smother him with smooches!!!

Of course I'm planning to take him to Ikea so that's just another level of he'll in this inferno we're putting him through isn't it?0!,5(??) Ha! All those extra characters are because I was flicking some lint off the screen. Stupid touchscreen.

4.35am - Beautiful even breathing. Holy shit, he has no pants on. Not sure when that happened but I'm sure he meant to throw them at me but I'm oblivious because my mental preparedness was off the charts tonight. Check back tomorrow when I'll undoubtedly be crying my eyes out along with him - my inner strength comes in short bursts.

Sleep training, night 1 begins

7.40pm - piercing screams as he realizes there's no rocking & no milkdy dilkdy tonight. Sticking his legs through the bars to kick me then kick the bars themselves.
Has a very big tight belly because we stuffed full. Full bellies are better for sleeping, right?? He just did a major fart & I fear he'll have to poo before this is all over. Then what?? Do I change him & start over or do I have to ignore that too?

Off to play some games because that's what a mother of the year would do - ignore her baby's cries & play We Doodle!

7.47pm - Laying down bit I fear it's a trap. He's probably just working up some energy then he'll spring up like a mountain lion & rocket out of here.
Yep, back up & looking down at the top of my head from his perch. Can't look up or it will be too engaging & he would use the opportunity to spit in my eye.

7.59pm - Okay I was playing Words with Friends not We Doodle but We Doodle sounds much funnier. Still screaming but I'm doing okay tuning it out, which probably means I'm a cold, terrible person. Ben is sniffly & snotty from the crying so that's no good but I can't really do anything.
Oh, have I even told you what I'm doing? We've gone with the Supernanny method so I'm sitting on the floor right by his crib while he hurls abuse at me from above. Every night we are to move a little further away until we are eventually sitting in Peppermint Park next door & can no longer hear his cries so all is well. No wait that's not right. Anyway, I hear neighborhood dogs barking - is Ben setting them off? He appears to be reading this over my shoulder! What if he's a baby genius? What if he can't sleep because he's too busy composing haiku in his busy little brain? What if he hates my blog?

8.14pm - So I don't find Ashley Greene attractive Yes I'm already stuck in to the gossip mobile websites & no I haven't seen any Twilight movies so maybe she's better in action. I find her very generic looking. That is all.

Ben is perched above me again. One minute he's quiet then the next he's howling like a demon. I feel terrible but we have got to get this sleep sorted.

8.28pm - Ben is now playing a game of stand up & drop back on his booty, which he probably has given a catchier name than that. Still taking breaks to whine, of course.

My tailbone is aching but I don't want to change positions. Not sure why. I'm supposed to be silent but I don't think it said anything about being motionless! I'm supposed to be a calming presence but I have doubts about my effectiveness on that front so am afraid any movements will just enrage him further. I wonder what Marcel is doing.

8.49pm - Uhhh, I think Ben is asleep. On his tummy, even breathing. Shall hold my position for a while to be safe as there is still the occasional twitching. I'm not holding my breath for an actual victory here but am praying for a miracle. What was the saying I picked up from the 90210 episode where Brenda finds a lump in her breast & has to have a biopsy? Ah yes, Brandon (always the philosopher of the gang) says "Hope for the best but prepare for the worst." My reply at the time would probably have been along the lines of "Shut up sideburns & put Dylan back on screen!"
Ben is now snoring so as soon as my bloody foot wakes up, I'm putting the blanket on him (he tends to throw it out of the bed in a rage) & sneaking out.

15 December 2010

Good one

Hey, just realized I did manage to take one good picture of the ginormous stage. I am still riding my post-U2 high but a rocky morning with Ben has started to chip away at it. I do believe the boy is starting to get his back molars in or something because he's not sleeping & he wants to cuddle & have milk constantly. This is going to put a significant damper on our grand plans for weaning & finallllly sleep training while Marcel is off for the holidays. This is going to be the worst Christmas ever.

Anyway, I'm off to wrap a few presents, clean the bathtub, finish some laundry & enjoy the cool weather that just swept in with a quick thunderstorm. 

I just discovered an "add caption" button on this thing! Anyway, I think the white blob to the left is Adam (bassist) & the little figure to the right might be Bono? I don't know. That catwalk was one of two & they rotated around the stage, which was very cool. 

**TRIED TO LOAD VIDEO BUT AFTER AN HOUR GAVE UP**
So this is the beginning of Magnificent - see the little catwalk slowly coming around the main stage? Very cool. This is the song that I desperately wanted to hear live from the first time I heard it & it's my Ben song. All of my videos cut off abruptly because I realize that no one actually wants to watch them & I would rather be boogying & singing along than holding my damn camera. One video I didn't bother to turn off before I started singing along so you don't just get U2 singing Love Rescue Me, you also get the joy of my voice chiming in with the sha la la's. It's very special.

14 December 2010

U2 & you too

There are few things in life that make me as happy as seeing a U2 concert - when people talk about visualizing their "happy place" I'm always bouncing along to Where the Streets Have no Name with 80,000 other nuts. So last night I went to my 10th happy place U2 concert!! Yes, I went alone. I wish Marcel had been there with me but he stayed with Ben & they had a lovely boys evening at home. And I was able to get an awesome (but expensive) single seat behind the red zone & right against a fence, which is important for two reasons. One, I like to lean against things & I was able to squirrel my purse away out of the way of dirty stadium feet. Secondly, it was along the walkway that lead between the dressing rooms to the stage! I'll get to more of that shortly.

The stage was 360 degrees (hence the 360 tour name) so even though our section was to the side of the stage you could still see everything & more importantly, I could nose at all the comings & goings of the crew, friends & family. I was in heaven - after almost 20 years of fandom, some of which were teenage years where I would obsessively research anything I could about them, I was able to see some crew members, etc. that I recognized. Such as ....

Paul McGuinness
U2's longtime manager. He "discovered" them when they were teenagers in the 1970s. Best gamble ever so I salute you, sir. Can you imagine how well he's sleeping after a gazillion years with these guys?

And how about Edge's brother? I don't mean that in a "Hey, this guy looks like Edge." No, I mean that if this man isn't related to Edge I will eat my hat. I don't know what that means but I've heard that saying before. Anyway, not sure why Edge's brother (hey, I'm just going to call it) is dressed for a run but whatever.

Okay, I won't bore you with a set list or my review because you can look up reviews yourself & they would be a lot more sensical as they're written by people who are qualified to write such things. I think you know my review would just be a lot of AWESOME & exclamation points. Oh wait, here's a review of the second night: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/u2-live-in-sydney-a-pulsating-night-with-a-message-20101214-18wst.html

So let's move on to something I can handle - more random terrible pictures. Seriously, this is going to be the longest post ever because I have some terrible pictures & I want to share them with the world ... yeah, that's you. Let's get started.

The claw pre-show from my seat. Also the tops of the heads of the couple I like to call The Eggs because they were both shaped like eggs & kept swaying. I adore The Eggs. I also fear what the guys sitting behind me are posting on their blogs today with a picture of my ass swaying. 

As if I wasn't a sad enough sight to see, bobbing around to Jay-Z all by my lonesome & taking pictures of myself, I had to add a small bucket of hot chips to the equation. Why do I have to be that girl?

I have no idea where Jay-Z is on that stage but he's up there. I gave up attempting pictures of him almost immediately but I do love him & his good manners. I strongly urge all of you going to see him if you ever have a chance!


I'm sorry, did someone request Jay-Z in a golf cart? 

And what? You prefer it in the other direction with a little wave at the end? Don't mind if I do.

Okay, before I expose you to the collective disaster that makes up the rest of my concert photography, I will explain the camera situation. Firstly, I stole Marcel's iPhone so I could surf the web & update facebook if I felt weird by myself before everything started - too bad the service didn't work thanks to all us nerds doing the same thing. The phone couldn't really handle the lighting so every picture I took of the band with it made them look like little blobs being struck by lightning. I had my little point & shoot camera as well but of course if I used the flash I got a lovely shot of the heads in front of me with very little idea that a concert was going on behind them. Not using the flash requires a very very steady hand, which I DO NOT HAVE so it appears that I took a photo mid-seizure. I ended up taking lots of videos that no one on earth will want to watch except me because at least it was a little less nausea-inducing.

And on we go.

Mid-seizure, I caught a guitar tech with one of my favorite of Edge's guitars. 


**If a video doesn't appear here, I got sick of waiting for it to load but I'm leaving the caption. It's on facebook anyway.
Some dudes strolling in just in time for the show. When they strolled back out there was a ton of people with their cameras filming them but I just wanted to appreciate them without the camera in their face so I was just grinning like a loon giving them my warmest smile & giving them the old "good on ya" clap & since they were heading towards us Bono saw me, smiled & clapped back at me!! Lesson learned, won't live behind a camera & will appreciate being in the moment more. 

I do believe that's Bono. I can't believe I'm putting these pictures on here - please don't judge me.

Blobs being struck by lightning.

No idea, I think I was just trying to capture the glorious stage at this point.

The only reason I'm including this one is because when I saved it, I actually title it Huh? because I have no clue what's going on or why I even tried.

I'm not making any promises but I do believe this was during Where the Streets Have No Name, which is my theme song. Did you watch Ally McBeal? Do you remember how she advocated having a theme song that you hear in your head when you need a confidence boost? I think WTSHNN is mine.

*sigh* U2. I wasn't really close to the stage or anything but I was closer than these photos would suggest. How does that work?

Blobs being struck by lightning. 

Look at that screen! I actually Wow'ed out loud as the screen separated into little panels but still held an overall picture. I can't describe it better than that but I kept thinking that I wished Marcel was there because he would have been impressed. 

Before I start posting some song clip videos, here are some of the random notes & thoughts I had in no particular order:

1. Jay-Z is so damn polite. Lots of thank you's & telling us how much he appreciated our applause, etc.
2. I'm glad I wore my Dereon jeans. Beyonce never did show up & sit by me but I was prepared just in case it happened so we would have something to talk about.
3. Speaking of jeans, I think it's safe to say skinny jeans are finally on their way out in Sydney! I never thought I'd live to see the day. Just a few in the crowd - please note I'm only talking about boys. Girls are okay in most skinny jeans but I haaaate those boys who look like they're not even wearing pants because their jeans are so tiny & tight.
4. The weather could not have been better - just a tinge of warmth but a cool breeze. Australia called in some favors to get this weather for us!
5. U2 played a few songs from the Lovetown tour, which thrilled my little soul. I happen to adore the Rattle & Hum album so was over the moon to hear these, especially Love Rescue Me!!!
6. Hearing Magnificent live was even better than I imagine - the first time I heard that song on the latest album I couldn't wait to hear it in concert. Just one of those songs. And I kind of think of it as Ben's song because it came out in the last few months of my pregnancy & every time I heard it when he was a tiny thing it made me teary. I was born to be with you ...

Okay, now I'm teary-eyed again & I can't think of any more thoughts & one of the videos above is still loading so I'm going to take a break.

......

Okay, that one video is taking a million years to upload. Literally. It's year 1,002,010. Didn't you know? Did you also know it took me a good few minutes to figure out what 2010 plus 1,000,000 would look like then had to resort to the calculator to confirm it? Every math teacher I've had is shedding a tear right now. Anyway, I can't deal with the video loading time so I'll just upload the videos to my facebook instead. Have a super day!






09 December 2010

Good night, Lampy.

Is it wrong to buy something that you won't use for ages but you eventually want to base your entire house around? Does that even make sense? Ya see, there's this lamp. I am smitten. It somehow holds my entire personality in its base as well as single-handedly expressing all my aesthetic desires in one inanimate object. I'm getting carried away but that's what lamp love will do to a girl.

Seriously, look at that piece of art. Funky yet kinda sophisticated at the same time. A hearty thank you to the lovely John & Sherry at younghouselove.com (Marcel & I shall reach their level of DYI awesomeness one day) for bringing this to my attention. The kick in the pants is that it's only $75 on Amazon!! The catch is that it's obviously American wiring & no, I don't want to rewire it over here for fear of disaster (this is why we are no younghouselove) & then have to rewire it again when we ever move back to America.

Soooo, is it weird to buy something to just sit in my parents' attic until we stumble back to the states & get a house that we can decorate entirely based on said thing?

Anyway, there it is. If you want one for yourself go here http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000V6IO9M?ie=UTF8&tag=thiyouhou-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000V6IO9MI but I might have to break your arm or end our friendship or something else truly frightening out of jealousy. And consider it added to my wishlist if you're trying to decide what to get me for Christmas. You should probably go ahead & get us two. You know, for balance.

Will have more meaningful, less material posts for you soon but I keep getting frustrated & quitting. Off to wrap more presents now!!