Look! A video of eye surgery or something that Budsie thought was just awesome! I was actually pretty grossed out. Budsie just kept pointing at it and then pointing (read: poking out) to his own eye with glee.

Good job kiddo.

Also awesome? Cars:

Good times for Budsie.

Space was fun too (pictures were impossible with just the one free hand) as was the kid’s section, although Mummy could have done without all of the other kids. And the snooty mothers – what is that all about anyway? Where’s the sense of camaraderie? Sigh.

Still a super fun enough time that we’ve got a membership now. Next week I’m hoping to check out the Aviation Museum which is included in the membership (win!). Resolution success!

“You don’t go to the science museum and get handed a pamphlet on electricity. You go to the science museum and you put your hand on a metal ball, your hair sticks up straight… and you know science.” – Michael Scott

O-town has a Museum of Science and Technology and I’ve never been. Which is pathetic given that I a) love science museums and b) have lived in O-town for almost 5 years. Just before bed last night, we were watching The Office re-runs as we do most nights (it’s a wild life we lead I tell you), and the above quote came up and I thought: you know what? I’m going to go to the science museum.

So there it is. Today’s resolution: check out the Museum of Science and Technology so that Budsie and I can ‘know science’. Ok, maybe it’s kind of silly that this resolution was inspired by Michael Scott but whatever. I’m sure Budsie will have a blast pushing buttons and whatnot. Go science!

I’ve been so busy trying to get what I want that I’ve been neglecting to write about my day beyond some brief notes jotted down on the bus. And it’s not as though the resolutions have stopped; indeed, I’ve been making new ones daily, and improving on some old ones. For example:

Meet Percy! Isn’t his blue pot pleasing? Edmund the Ivy has been doing pretty well you see, so I thought I’d get him a friend. I’m hoping to turn Percy the Spider Plant into more plants – I love spider plants and would like to have them in a few different rooms. So we shall see…

And as for new resolutions:

August 26: resolved to keep trying new hairstyles instead of getting my hair cut. I do love having short hair, but unfortunately pixie hair is expensive to maintain so I’ve been half-heartedly growing it out. I’ve reached the mullet stage, the hardest of all growing out stages, but instead of spending money I don’t have on cutting it off, I’m going to get creative with pins. So far, I’ve been moderately successful.

August 27: resolved to update some clothes. The earlier resolution to wear all of my clothes this year and get rid of things that don’t work has been remarkably successful and actually super fun. Yes, I wear skirts to the park. Yes, I wear sequins for no reason. But in my humble opinion, sequins are always awesome and it’s silly that I wasn’t wearing them more before. Anyway, over the course of this resolution, I’ve re-discovered some clothes that just need a little nip, tuck or bow. So I went to work on Saturday and took in/up an old black dress, spruced up an old blue cardi with some new buttons, and made a new necklace out of old rings. All of this while perusing September Vogue. Super good times had by Ezmy.

I didn’t resolve to do anything new yesterday, choosing instead to re-focus on some old ones such as learning to let go of rigid schedules and to spend more time relaxing with my menfolk. I had this manicure scheduled that I’d been looking forward to but suddenly A. and Budsie looked like more fun. Also, yesterday was our one year anniversary so spending the day together seemed like a no-brainer. And in the end I’m glad I relaxed because Budsie was up all last night teething and I didn’t get any sleep. Boo.

Today’s resolution is super straightforward due to lack of sleep last night: fill the cute little pebble-shaped salt and pepper shakers on our kitchen table. I hate when I go to add pepper and there isn’t any there. Fixing that right….now. Done.

Oh yes, and I am running in the CIBC Run for the Cure, on team Tickle Me Pink. So that’s a big ol’ check mark on the list of things I want. Woot!

The lighting in our house sucks except for in one room – the kitchen. Plenty of light to go around in here. Or at least there was until a few months ago when the light above our kitchen table burnt out. Probably had something to do with the fact that I kept turning the damn thing on and off to make Budsie laugh. Anyway, it’s a strange sort of lightbulb, a large round ball with a skinny little base that it turns out is kind of difficult to find. But find it I must because I’m starting to go a little nutty around dinner time. I like to see my food and my dinner companions and now that the days are getting shorter (sad but true), this is getting more and more challenging.

So that’s today’s resolution: find and change the lightbulb in the kitchen. This means venturing out with Budsie and wandering through hardware stores looking like I don’t belong. Ugh.

And speaking of lightbulbs, I had one pop over my head last night. I know exactly what I want, it’s just that I’ve been assuming I can’t accomplish all of these things at the same time. But I can. I mean what’s really standing in my way? Me, that’s what. Well no more! Here is a list of what I want:

1) I want more tattoos. I love tattoos. I’ve wanted sleeves since I was, oh, 12. I would like to have two on my feet. One behind my left ear. And another on my shoulder. So why don’t I have more than one? Money. But there is no reason why I can’t put a teensy bit of money aside each month for myself and save for this little want. So by the time I’m 32, I will have at least one more tattoo.

2) I want to be excellent at yoga. I’d like to take more classes and ultimately register for the yoga teacher training course. Why haven’t I done this yet? Money. But there is no reason why I can’t improve my yoga-ing skills through regular daily practice and then when things pick up on the money front, insert one class each week. So by the time I’m 32, I will be better at yoga.

3) I want to go to karoke nights more often. I LOVE karoke but have no one to go with. Which is where you come in – calling all O-town readers: where is the best karoke in town? And would you care to join me? By the time I’m 32, I would like to have tried karoke in Ottawa at least once. But preferably several times.

4) I want to speak a second language, preferably German. Why the hell would I want to learn German when I live in O-town? Because German rocks my socks. It’s the funniest language and I find it remarkably easy. And I love listening to it. I’d also like to learn Russian. Ok, so this probably will not happen by the time I’m 32 and arguably, if I’m going to learn a second language, it should be French. But screw it – I’m learning German. What’s been stopping me? Money (do we sense a theme here…). But I have German-speaking friends, a German text book, and 2 years of classes under my belt. I can do this.

5) I want to act in a community play in Ottawa. I used to act in highschool. I’m not great. But I did love it and I would be perfect for a small two line role. I don’t even know where to start with this one but I think I’ll begin by surfing the interwebs for small theatre groups in O-town. I just want to try my hand at one little play and see if this is still something I actually find fun. Again, help from the O-town readers would be most appreciated.

6) I want to run in a race. I love running and have been trying to get out three times each week. I had hoped to run a marathon or half marathon but the time I have to dedicate to training is minimal at present. Still, I would like to run at least one race this year, even if it is just a small one. Fialonia is running in the CIBC Run for the Cure next month and I think I’m going to join her. Check!!

7) I want to be a lawyer AND a writer. I see no reason why I can’t be both. I’ve been spending the last year wondering if I made the right decision to pull my application for law school when I found out I was pregnant. I’ve decided that yes, it was the right decision because daycare would have been impossible. But I’ve also decided that I still want to be a lawyer. So I’m re-applying. But what about your little writing career, Ezmy? Again I say: there is no reason why I can’t be both. Lots of people do two things; indeed, lots of people combine two jobs they love into something unique. And so shall I.

8) Finally, I want to stay home with Budsie for one more year. Having crafted a version of stay-at-home-mum that works for me, I’m not ready to give it all up just yet. And I don’t have to, as long as I can continue to find little writing jobs here and there. So one more year with the Budsie I shall have!

There. That’s what I want. Now I’m going to go get it.

On August 19, I celebrated my 31st birthday. I like birthdays because I like cake, but I must admit that adding another year to my age doesn’t thrill me. Not because I’m worried about getting old (there is absolutely no point in worrying about something so inevitable), but just because I’m increasingly aware with each passing year that I’m not doing a number of the things I want to be doing. Yes I’m married and yes I have a beautiful son, but contrary to what women’s magazines seem to think, this is not where my life goals end (indeed, one could argue that I never had these as life goals per se, but rather that I happened upon these experiences by happy chance). So I had a lovely day full of cake and shopping and good company, but woke up the following day still 31 and still waffling about trying to get ahold of my life. Boo.

Three days later, a couple of people in my greater circle died. By “greater circle” I mean people I have met in person, but who I do not know beyond this brief encounter. The first was Mr. Layton, a man I met once at a pub in Nova Scotia and the second was BH, a man who meant the world to the H sisters.  Both men were taken far too soon, on the scale of things, and because of this their deaths prompted me to think about my own mortality. And how no one really knows how much time they have. And how someday I will have to say goodbye to Budsie. And how if that someday was tomorrow, I wouldn’t know what to say to him because I’m not a shining example of someone who is really living, according to my understanding of that concept.

What a load of crap, really. I mean of course it doesn’t matter what I say to Budsie tomorrow or whenever it happens to be that I die. I think telling him that I love him and that he’s a wonderful human being will be enough. And of course I’m living – I mean for goodness sake, I have a home in a beautiful country, I have a wonderful family and incredible friends, and I spend everyday writing and hanging out with my healthy and fantastic son. How greedy to want more when most people have so much less.

But thing is, I want more. What do I want? Well, that’s the problem…I don’t know.

I was thinking about this problem while on a playdate with Capital Mom this morning. And while we were chatting, she mentioned something about writing down priorities. Not what you think other people want you to do, not what you think you should do, but what your real priorities are. She mentioned writing them down and then stepping back and considering what really stands in the way of/interferes with this list.

Huh.

So the resolution for today? Come up with a list of priorities for the next year. So that 32 feels just a teensy bit less meh. I’ll consider things tonight and post the list tomorrow I think.

In the meantime, I will catch you up on other fascinating details in my life. And by that I mean, it’s resolution update time!

August 9: Accept the fact that I can’t win every fight and purchase a new printer. Mourn death of old one.

August 10: Clean the Sophie Giraffes that are lying around this house looking like some new form of black and rust coloured giraffe.

August 11: Decide to only do dishes and laundry during off peak hours. Curse the fact that “off-peak” hours occur between 7pm and 7am during the week. Decide that Hydro Ottawa is trying to punish SAHM and WAHMs. Continue loathing Hydro Ottawa.

August 12: No resolution as no sleep was had the night before. I hate teeth.

August 13: Be the prepared person. I packed all the necessities and then some for a blues/ribsfest excursion with the family. I am proud to say that I was the one who had umbrellas, water, sunscreen, blankets etc. I want to be that prepared person instead of the one who never has an umbrella when it’s going to rain or a spare diaper when there’s a poonami.

August 14: Re-evaluate how A. and I do brunch out with the kid. This was not a successful outing and sort of stole the thunder from the day before.

August 15: Set up new printer. Still mourning loss of old printer. Decide new printer is only ok.

August 16: Clean out laundry room. Success but I looked at it today and it’s all messy again. Sigh.

August 17: No resolution as nephew was born this day and I was way too excited. Welcome Henry Alastair!! Gah.

August 18: No resolution as was cleaning rest of house for the arrival of inlaws.

August 19: No resolution as was too busy enjoying shopping and eating birthday cake.

August 20: Rise above post-birthday blues. Somewhat successful…

August 21: Remember the Thrift Store! I completely forgot about thrift store shopping so on this day I went and found a gorgeous polka dot skirt, white dress shirt, and two spiffy kerchiefs. As a lover of fashion who tragically has no money to fund her addiction, I was thrilled with this rediscovery. Success!

August 22: Eat lettuce. Because I keep purchasing lettuce and forgetting about it. Or choosing not to eat it because lettuce is oh so difficult to prepare.

August 23: Make note whenever I have a beer I don’t like so that I remember not to purchase said beer again. Curse bad memory.

Phew. Alright, off to snack with the now awake Budsie.

… just working. But plenty of resolutions and whatnot to post. With luck, this will happen tomorrow and things will return to normal.

I leave you with this gem, which demonstrates that Christie Blatchford has at best absolutely no sense of respect for the recently deceased and their families, and at worst no sense of humanity whatsoever. I’m inclined to think the latter. Thank you, National Post, for solidifying my opinion that you are, in fact, the poorest excuse for a newspaper in Canada.

One teething baby

+

One husband on vacation

+

Writing work (woot!)

=

Busy Sleep-deprived Ezmy. I do miss you blogosphere. I shall return tomorrow.

(resolutions later)

Every so often (read: almost every day), and in spite of our sign that says “NO FLYERS!”, we get flyers in our mailbox. Until recently, these were an annoyance for me. They gave me false hope that I had real mail. It’s just disappointing, reaching into the mailbox and feeling what you think might be letters and then realizing no, it’s just a flyer for retirement homes or bathtub fitters or whathaveyou. Boo.

But lately, I’ve started to curse the days we don’t get flyers. Because if we don’t get flyers, then I have nothing to offer the kidlet as a reward for helping Mummy check the mail. Flyers, in other words, have become Budsie Mail. On a good day, Budsie will get a whole stack of mail, which he happily throws about the room and rips into little pieces that he then tries to feed to the cat. Awesome times are had by all (well except Zoe, but in all fairness she does get to play with the balls of flyer paper once Budsie has gone to sleep).

Anyway, yesterday we received some Budsie Mail in the form of a flyer booklet and a Pizza Pizza coupon flyer. Budsie was more intrigued by the booklet but A. and I kept eyeballing the Pizza Pizza pamphlet….

Ezmy: Dammit, I want pizza now.

A.: Me too. Stupid Budsie Mail.

Ezmy: Indeed.

A.: Well, we could make pizza.

Ezmy: No, the dough hasn’t thawed yet.

A.: We could use bread. You know, just lay out slices of bread.

Ezmy: (long pause) Uh huh, but the sauce hasn’t thawed yet either.

A.: Hmmm. Well, we could use mustard.

Ezmy: …

—

Update: even today, after reading this conversation, A.’s response was to mumble “Still think it could work…”

New post up on A is for Alsace – show me some love!

Resolution post soon…still recovering from round two of battle with MP520. Valiant effort on my part but alas, it was not meant to be. Argh.

(written yesterday)

It’s been a day full of jerks, really.

First, my jerk iPhone app for the Globe and Mail crashed while I was trying to put the kid down for a nap, causing me to curse involuntarily and thus causing Budsie to poke his head up and laugh. Boo.

Later, when I went grocery shopping with Fialonia, we parked the car and plugged more than enough money into the meter to cover off a grocery trip. Or so we thought. Lame people in line ahead of us with ridiculous requests, me being all helpful citizen and picking up a spilled jar of twist ties for an old lady, and the case of the missing frozen vegetable section all resulted in us being 5 minutes late. Surely, I thought, the parking meter guy won’t pick this day to be near our car. Silly Ezmy – whenever you are running late for legitimate and largely out of your control reasons, the parking meter guy will definitely be there. Argh.

Finally, this afternoon my printer gave a last effort to print a document, choked and went into a coma. Just as I was trying to print out a work document. Granted, the printer had been sick for quite some time, but it was a jerk move on the part of my printer to go all comatose when I was trying to print something important.

My gut reaction was to consider the printer ruined beyond repair and to begin mentally preparing myself for another purchase we can’t afford. But then I thought: “You know what? No. I’m going to try to fix this beast. Surely there are troubleshooting tips and such like for my printer on the interwebs.”

Today’s resolution: fix printer using troubleshooting tips and such like.

*1.5 hours later*

GODDAMMIT!

Stupid effing no good sonofaetc printer. To Canon’s credit, I was easily able to find troubleshooting tips on their website. I was made to feel comforted and confident by the list of ‘Try This’ stuff available to me. I pressed buttons I didn’t know existed on my printer, found helpful menus, and performed a myriad of printing tasks, all of which culminated to reveal the following: my printer is broken.

Sigh.