Legends of the Fall

Here I sit, alone on a Thursday night, and Legends of the Fall is on cable. I've probably seen it a dozen times, but I still find it captivating. It's definitely in my top 10. I think Brad Pitt is totally underrated as an actor. Everyone seems to focus on his looks (I'm not a statue, of course I think he's foxy), but he really is talented as an actor. He makes the movie.

A few years back I read the novel by Jim Harrison. I then read every other Jim Harrison story and novel the local library had. I don't recall all the details, but he's a superb author. Despite being a contemporary novelist, he can make you feel like you are in the time and place he is describing. You can feel the breeze floating off the South Dakota plains and the sun beating down as you gallop back to the ranch house. His characters are complex and imbued with the foibles and flaws found in all of us. If you come across his works in the local library, I highly recommend taking a peek. Tell me what you think.

Oh, It's On!

Well, now I've gone and done it. I signed up to run the Des Moines Race for the Cure. I'm part of Team Baby Bootcamp, and I even pledged to raise money - which is a first for me. See the sidebar - it'll be up until October 25th.

I've been doing a little running as part of the BBC classes, and have ventured a jog or two on the Jordan Creek Trail, but 3.1 miles is a whole different animal. I've got the Couch-to-5K-Plan, which says you can do it in 2 months. I've started the plan before, and it does work (last time I built up to 2 miles before I had to quit), but let's see if I can go all the way this time. I'm also worried that it will take me longer to build up, as I am a very slow runner (more of a plodder if you will) and even slower when pushing an extra 40 lbs of baby + stroller.

So who wants to run the Race with me? Just you, me and 20,000 of our friends, neighbors and countrywomen (and -men) all for a great cause!

Iowa State Fair

We had to hit the Iowa State Fair one last time (while we still live here). We were fortunate to visit on a Friday afternoon with a cool breeze blowing and temperatures in the low 80's (with low humidity too - at least for Iowa). We packed up the BOB and enjoyed the afternoon. Big Sis had to have her 'farm' experience, and loved picking her vegetables and riding the tractor. She then had to see the baby chicks, pigs, cows and goats. After that it was off to the rides. She's been talking about the Ferris wheel since she rode it last year. Mama got roped into riding with her, as Big Daddy gets motion sick (shhh..... don't tell anyone he has a weakness in his super-powers). We also rode the Strawberry Spinning Ride (like the teacups at Disneyland). And the carousel.

That was about enough spinning for Mama, so we headed off to feast at the Fair. I got my gyro, she had cotton candy, and BD even partook of some deep fried cheese curds. All good stuff. We saw the butter cow and the butter Shawn Johnson (only in Iowa), walked a bit, and called it a day! It doesn't sound like much, but I think it took about 4 hours to do all of the above.

The Butter Cow

It's a great Fair, and if you get the chance to visit it, you should. Lots of history, lots of animals, and LOTS of junk food. And of course, all the pork makes me giggle. Seeing people munching giant pork chops on a stick is just hysterical.

Sprinkles

For my birthday my Mom was kind enough to support my cupcake madness with 2 cupcake cookbooks, 150 cupcake wrappers, a decorating kit, sprinkles galore, and 2 boxes of cupcake mix from the semi-famous Sprinkles cupcake shops. They are Red Velvet and Lemon - 2 of my favorites. Here's the container for the Red Velvet. Nice packaging!

The instructions were straightforward, but I thought it was a little weird that it called for vinegar in the mix. Here's the result: Nice red color, decent flavor, much more batter than needed to fill 12 cupcake cups (I filled them to the top and still had batter left over).

I made the recommended cream cheese frosting (delish!) and frosted them.

Here's the setup before I ate the first finished cupcake. The dot is part of the Sprinkles experience (at least that's what the instructions said). They were included with the mix.

Net/net: Well, for something from a cupcakery that has received as much press and accolades as Sprinkles has, they were not awesome. The cake was dry and flavorless. Red Velvet cake should taste chocolate-y, but it really didn't taste like anything at all. The batter said it would make 12 cupcakes, but I filled them to the top and they overflowed, creating a big overhang that wanted to tip the whole cupcake. The frosting was incredible, but wasn't enough to salvage the cupcake itself. And the dot? Rock hard, shattered when I bit into it, and made me afraid a tiny candy shard was going to embed itself into the roof of my mouth. Total Bummer. I hope the Lemon is better.

Fall Fever

I have other things to blog about, like our 2008 Iowa State Fair experience and the Sprinkles cupcakes I recently made, but due to my extreme laziness and my lack of desire to move from the couch in order to actually download the last round of pictures, these subjects will have to wait.

I feel like I'm in Fall planning mode. I'm constantly thinking about cool-weather things. Winter boots. Mittens. Cozy, snuggly, fleece lined jeans. Fuzzy hats with ear flaps. Warm, filling Fall foods like stew and baked chicken and mashed potatoes. And steamy soups with hot sandwiches. Yum....

I love summer, especially a summer like we've been having. But around mid-August I begin to yearn for cooler weather. I think Fall is my very favorite season of the year. The leaves changing on the trees. Sunny days with cool temperatures and that nip in the morning air which warns of colder days to come. Hot apple cider and crackling fires. Picking out pumpkins for Halloween.

Corvallis, looking west to the Coast.

Fall planning has also been supplemented by Holiday Obsession. We're going back to Oregon for Christmas and New Years (I almost hurl'd when I bought the tickets. That was highway robbery), and once I got over how much it was going to cost, I started daydreaming about the things I want to do while there. Like visit Saint Cupcake Bakery. And go to our favorite 'Breakfast Place' in Salem for a Breakfast Burrito. Do a little tax-free shopping. Visit Courthouse Square and see the Christmas Tree. Have dinner at American Dream Pizza with my husband. Drive out to the coast and see if we can spot some whales. Visit my friend Aaron at the new design studio where he works in downtown Portland. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and I didn't realize how much I missed Oregon until now. I still don't think we'll ever live there again, but I'm looking forward to visiting. 4 months is a long time to obsess about this trip, but I'm going to need that much time to prepare to stay with my in-laws for 2 weeks.

5 Months Old!

Time for my monthly update on Big J - he's 5 months old now! Babies don't change that much from month to month, but when I think about how much he's changed from birth to 5 months, I am amazed.

What he's doing now: He likes to grasp and grab, and will reach for favorite toys, grab and yank hair, and can pull his paci out and put it back in. He can roll over, but doesn't like to very often (he's a modest boy). He's eating solid foods, but does not like it at all. He enjoys hooting, cooing and squawking, especially first thing in the morning. He loves to ride in the BOB, be worn in the front carrier, and even allows me to put him in the sling carrier once in a while (in the side hip carry). He enjoys longer periods in the exersaucer, especially if he can see me while in it. He LOVES to lay down in the tub & 'float' with the water up around his face (just like Big Sis did!). Overall, he is a very happy, laid back and sweet baby. He's showing signs of longer, more restful sleep at night - hallelujah- and I only wish he would nap a little longer during the day.

Snip Snip Snip

I was looking at Big Sis today and noticed that some of her hair was much shorter in the front then in the back. Like 8 inches shorter. She has waist-length hair, as the only time I've ever cut it was last September, and it was about a 1" trim. But apparently the 'practice cutting' she was supposed to be doing only on paper somehow morphed into practice cutting hair. I mentally freaked out, as we've had a few playdates in the last several weeks. I have yet to receive any panicked phone calls of the missing hair variety, so I figure I'm safe there. And Big J is pretty bald, so she couldn't really cut his hair if she wanted to.

After much cajoling and assurances that I wasn't mad, she 'fessed up to giving herself a little trim. She agreed to let me cut it to even it out. Seriously, the front pieces of her hair were up around her chin. So cut I did. She's irritated with me now, as she doesn't like her "short" hair. I cut about 4 inches off, and angled the front, but overall it's still about elbow length. Hardly short. It looks much cuter, and isn't ratty on the ends like before. I'm certainly no stylist, but I think I can hold my own in the home-hair-cutting Olympics. Of course, Big Daddy might not agree. (And BTW, despite the picture above, it IS even on both sides. She had a funky wave on one side that I couldn't even blow dry out).