I'm In Love....

For the past several weeks, I've had more than just an interesting show to look forward to on Masterpiece on Sunday nights, I've had a show that has made me want to be home in time to see every minute.  More than just remembering what time it's on, but avoiding any potential conflicts.  I can't even begin to tell you how long it has been since I've cared about a show that much!  Unfortunately, like many BBC shows, the season was painfully short and as I write this on Sunday, I wonder what I'll watch tonight, feeling a bit empty at the idea that Sherlock will not be on.

Before I link you to the site's website I think you deserve some background and why Sherlock is just so absolutely awesome.

So Much Junk, It's Nice to Have Something Useful

I hate junk!  I think I've made that perfectly clear in several of my posts exonerating my frustrations in simplifying my life and organizing my clutter.  But the kitchen is just one of those areas that's a total crap magnet!  I mean there's a million gadgets and gizmos, right?  Yet, ya have to eat.  More importantly, ya have to feed your kids and you have to feed them good stuff, otherwise they get sick or have horrible health habits or both.

Personally, I'm probably a bit more granola than average.  I LOVE the whole food movement.  Except I'm not the most prodigious cook.  My Mom wasn't really a cook, so there was no example, and my mind it's not wired for meal planning.  Still we muddle through, mostly thanks to my amazing cook of a husband.  Ok, so I'd probably eat a lot worse without him and so would the kids.  Still, cooking is everyone's job and the kitchen is full of stuff that may or may not get used.  As we try to add more and more whole fresh foods, one item that has been absolutely indispensable has been our Helen Chen bamboo steamer basket.

Thank You For Your Lives

Happy Veteran's Day everyone!  Go out and shake the hand of a soldier wherever you are, they deserve it everyday and even if you aren't in the US you should thank those who've taken time from their life to do the bidding of their respective country.

Dyslexia, ADHD, I Must Be a Demigod!

Ok, I don't have ADHD, it's actually ADD, but that's not important.  I mean my whole life I thought I was half alien, when it turns out I must be a demigod!  Or maybe the daughter of a demigod.... hmmm I wonder who my dad's deity parent is?  Or maybe not....

If you are totally lost, then you haven't been sucked into the very popular Percy Jackson quintology by Rick Riordan.  I recently blazed through this series (in between Dresden books by Jim Butcher) - did I mention I'm on a reading binge?  Percy's been hailed as the next Harry Potter, and I don't think that's quite right, and his movie definitely didn't get treated with that much respect.  That doesn't mean it's not an amazing story concept, wonderful world, fun characters, and a read that if it were any more like eating candy would leave cavities of pleasure in the brain.

Pick Me! Pick Me!

I have so many wants to write about.  Of course this blog will remain my primary source of printing out absurd ideas, insane plans, crazy designs (boy I really need to get my graphics pad hooked up and learn to electronic sketch, don't I?), and other crazy detritus inspired by my own personal walk with insanity that finds so few outlets in real life - at least not without some ungodly hour of the evening/morning, several overtired friends, and possibly a some form of adult beverage.  Unfortunately, those insane ideas and the stuff I really really really want to get out of my head take the most effort to get to make sense on the screen.  Not to mention they get long and weighty and I rarely have time to type that much in one sitting right now, maybe later, at least that's what I keep telling myself.  Seriously, I owe you some economics considerations in an alternate reality and an analysis on the failures of communication, war, the Tower of Babel, and the impossibility of Utopia.  I know you can't wait can you?

So since so much of that stuff is so time consuming and frustrating to get into text, I fill time (when I actually write anything at all - thank you all who push me to keep the updates coming, you know who you are and I appreciate it a LOT)  So I whine about my observations of society, my life, my obsessions, my quirks, and just blather in general.  I also get to comment on stuff I'm watching,reading, playing and whatnot (which I haven't done much of, but I've got lots I want to talk about! - especially some of the books and this BBC show I've been watching).  Unfortunately, I'm not what's considered an "early adopter," mostly because I'm broke and have expensive tastes.  Although I did get to write a great review of a video game a year ago and I loved that, so you know when I get the chance and get typing, you'll get more!

A Word, A Theme, My Children

One of my goals for this blog is that it does not become a "Mommy Blog".  I have nothing against them, but Paper Napkins is more of a place for me to think beyond my daily grind of feedings and homework and sippy cups that have been redesigned to leak (seriously, I love Nuby's but the new tops - disaster!)  Still, a large part of who I am, what I feel is important, and what I invest my life in has to do with my children.  Therefore I think it is only fair that you have an introduction to who they are, at least as I see them.

There have been many ways I've associated concepts and people.  Every guy I seriously dated has a song that symbolizes them to me.  Many major events in my life are marked by a small insignificant item.  Certain phrases, sounds, movies, or games bring up fond memories of friends and times gone by.  Even reminiscing about Rocky Horror this past weekend with the photographer brought up fun memories of many friends, most of whom I've never even seen Rocky Horror with!  In the same way, each of my children have a symbolic representation - they are each associated with a word, a single concept, yet that concept is hugely identifying of their personality and who they are.

I feel pain, therefore I am

I feel so horribly I haven't been posting anything at all here.  I think anyone who hasn't read it elsewhere deserves a bit of an explanation.  Back at the beginning of October I got a cold from my infant son.  No big deal, I came down with the worst of the symptoms going into the weekend and while I do most of the writing for this blog on the weekend, I was relieved to have the time to sleep and let my body deal with the virus.  After the weekend most of the cold symptoms were gone, except for a deep cough.

That cough, well it just didn't go away.  And the longer it persisted the more miserable I became.  First it was a pulled muscle, and then a migraine.  It persisted for the entire month and the remnants are still present today.  Along the way muscles and ligaments in my torso became aggravated.  Eventually (last Friday), I went to the doctor and she diagnosed me with a bunch of itises, gave me some antibiotics to hopefully kill off the cough, physical therapy instructions (can't afford the actual thing) to regain movement in my right arm (seriously annoying, I can barely lift the arm and I can't really use it for anything), and strict orders to take lots and lots of ibuprofen, to deal with all the inflammation.