Category Archives: Comic-y goodness

About that glorious graphic format

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What’s going on lately

As my Auntie pointed out, I haven’t posted for a while. My brain’s been going in a lot of different directions, and while I’ve been feeling like I should write about some things, it just hasn’t happened. So, instead of a deep, thought provoking post, here are some things going on around here lately, complete with illustrative links.

Zoe’s new favorite show is Word World. I highly recommend it. She’s watched 2 episodes about 4 times each, and can now spell rope and ball from memory.

We have a new car- Tina. She’s a lovely 06 Mustang- a little sister to our 65 Mustang, Parker. Parker is named for the amazing Mrs. Dorothy Parker, and Tina is named after her heir apparent, Tina Fey. Just for the record, the car I drive doesn’t really have a proper name, he’s just called Cool Car. For a while we were calling him Brock (after Brock Sampson) but that didn’t really stick, and Z thinks he’s a cool car, so that’s what we’ve gone with.

Zoe giving Cool Car a hug

Zoe giving Cool Car a hug

I had a lovely birthday, we had a tea party, stake play finished, and B and I went out for an amazing dinner. I got a spoilicious gift card for Lush and a Zutter Bind-it-all HOORAY!! I will be posting some projects I’m making with it soon.

Audrey has been going back and forth with her sleeping, (case in point- she’s supposed to be taking a nap right now and isn’t) she will wake up at 4 in the morning, completely awake and ready for her day. Not so fun. But isn’t she cute?
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It’s supposed to be quite warm today, and thus is our first official pool day. Zoe can’t wait to get back in the water, we’re not going over to the pool until 11, and I think she might die of anticipation before then.
Here are pictures of her celebratory dance, performed this morning.:
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Isn’t Z’s hair crazy long?

My hair, on the other hand, is not crazy long, and it’s making me kind of crazy. I’m trying to grow it out, and it’s threatening to make me insane. See:
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I also got a super awesome new little camera, which I love, and I used to take those pictures. :) I also have a super cool (so cool it could perhaps be called wicked cool, although I rarely use the term) wifi card that transfers the pictures from my camera to the computer magically. I love technology.

I got to see my friend Hilary earlier in the week, which was fantastic. :)

I’m on a rampage to clear my house of anything I don’t love- we’re surrounded by clutter and it’s making me crazy.

I think that’s all. :) What’s going on with all of you?

A little PS. We’re back from the pool, and oh my goodness the screaming. Swimming lessons are in our future, to remind of the love and skill possessed last summer.

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UBERLIST 2008

Some of you know that I’ve adopted the practice of making a to-do list at the beginning of each year, rather than making New Year’s resolutions. I stole this idea from other people, I didn’t come up with it on my own. I did decently well with my list this year; I don’t know that it would have been possible to actually do everything on the list. I mean, I could have, if I really concentrated on it. Or if I made the list really specific to things I already was going to do. But anyway, here’s the list, the things I accomplished are bolded.

Books
1. Participate in RS book club at least once
2. Add to library for Zoe
3. Read10 child development/education books
4. Read 50 books (55)
5. Read 2 biographies of LDS women
6. Get more books out of the library than I buy -yeah, so not. But I did buy more books on the Kindle, so they were cheaper.
7. Participate in a Chicklit book club
8.Read a book by an author I’ve never heard of Could be any number, but the first one this year was Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance by Gyles Brandreth.
9. Give a book I hated the first time around a second chanceIt’s horrible to do this, but I’m counting the Old Testament. Because, well, I did hate it the first time. I gave up in Leviticus after having nightmares about sacrificing goats. I liked it much better this time.
10. Write about books I read
11. Read biography of Gordon B. Hinckley
12. Read something by an author I’ve always meant to try The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton
13. Reread a childhood favorite Pippi Longstocking by whoever wrote Pippi Longstocking
14. Create list of books to read to Z and A in future

Local attractions
15. Go to the aquarium
16. Go to the zoo
17. Go to Triton Museum
18. Go to Winchester Mystery House
19. Take Zoe to the ocean
20. Take Zoe to the nature preserve

Spirituality
21. Pray morning and night regularly
22. Meditate 5 minutes a day for a month
23. Read the Book of Mormon
24. Read the Old Testament
25. Read the New Testament
26. Read Doctrine and Covenants
27. Attend Sunday school, and prepare for lesson
28. Create a file of FHE lessons
29. Read 5 spiritual books
30. Extract 1000 names
31. Get temple recommend renewed
32. Attend temple twice
33. Keep journal regularly
34. Read RS lesson each week
35. Memorize 10 hymns

Personal Development
36. Practice active listening
37. Ask 3 different people to hang out and actually do it
38. Have 3 different couples over for dinner/games/something
39. Visit teach regularly
40. Contact some old friends
41. Make a new friend Yes, I am so lame that I have to make it a goal to make a new friend.

Leisure
42. Use netflix often
43. Participate in RS moms’ group at least 3 times
44. Get manicure
45. Try some new music Vampire Weekend, Amy Winehouse, Duffy, Keane
46. Try out Janis Joplin
47. Go to a play
48. Go to tea with Liz
49. Go to a musical
50. Go to a concert
51. Go camping
52. Take a dance class
53. Get sketchbook and draw nature

Home
54. Get needed frames
55. Hang art in bedroom
56. Hang Zoe’s art
57. Hang family wall in Z’s room
58. Get clock for Zoe’s room
59. Make curtains for Zoe’s room
60. Shred old useless mail
61. Clean out Z’s closet
62. Organize pictures
63. Get some plants
64. Commission a picture of Christ from Mike Allred
65. Buy a vacuum
66. Decorate the bedroom in a comfortable, welcoming style
67. Get dressers
68. Get shelving for closets
69. Super clean apt.
70. Organize desk
71. Take book donation to library
72. Make clip storage system for Z
73. Figure out how to arrange Z and A’s room
74. Get out Audrey clothes/stuff

Writing
75. Edit novel
76. Write daily letters to Zoe journal
77. Complete index for blog
78. Write thank you notes
79. Write 4 short stories
80. Post to blog at least every 3 days
81. Write 1st draft of Princess book
82. Submit proposal to Deseret book

Health
83. Go to dentist
84. Work out consistently after Audrey’s born
85. Walk every day before Audrey’s born
86. Floss Just FYI- I do floss, this just meant more regularly, and yeah, didn’t do it more regularly. And if I can’t answer to myself, who can I answer to?
87. Drink at least 2 glasses of water daily
88. Get a massage
89. Eat one fruit and one veggie a day
90. Eat less sugar

Homemaking skills
91. Learn how to cook 10 new dishes
92. Make pair of black pants
93. Make skirt (dress)
94. Make quilt
95. Make Zoe 2nd year scrapbook
96. Scrapbook wedding stuff
97. Compile collected recipes into one place
98. Pay loan on time
99. Knit a hat
100. Go to knitting class at Purlescence
101. Have a well stocked pantry
102. Start collecting food storage
103. Make a master grocery shopping list
104. Organize crafting materials
105. Practice purposeful photography (rather than hope and shoot)
106. Order alligator clips
107. Make 10 clips and post on Etsy
108. Make jam

By my count, that’s 55 accomplished, which is more than 50%, which is awesome! Go me! Now I need to make next years list, which will begin by moving some things from this list onto the next one. I wonder if they’ll get done next year?

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You can’t lie to Batman

Just popping in here quickly to say, this is awesome. A 7 year old’s review of a recent Batman comic; insightful in the way only 7 year olds can be. And the paragraph that contains the title to this post is the best of the lot. Go check it out, nothing more to see here.

(Although, I must add; kudos to that dad for getting his kid comics, talking to him about what he reads, and encouraging him to write about it. That’s awesome.)

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OH. MY. DEAR GOODNESS.

Michael Cera is in final negotiations to play Scott Pilgrim in the film adaptation of the comic.

That is so unbelievably perfect I can’t handle it. I don’t usually geek out over such things, but I really am having to restrain myself from jumping up and down right now.

If you don’t have any idea what I’m talking about, go watch Arrested Development and read the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels. You have no idea what you’re missing.

(The fact that the movie was written and is being directed by the Shaun of the Dead director was already enough to make my brain explode with excitement, but this just pushes it over every possible edge.)

AAAAAAAAHHHH!!

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Updates

Most importantly, and before anything else- ZOE IS SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT!! Praise all that is good and holy. It truly is a beautiful thing, and I learned a lot about myself in the process. But more on that in another post.

My last two kindness days have been small kindnesses in comparison to day 1, but any kindness counts. On day 2 I made a point to smile at everyone I came in contact with, and on day 3 I gave a sincere and effusive compliment. I haven’t done anything yet today, (I mean, I’m sure I’ve been kind, but I haven’t done anything purposefully) and I’m currently eating the cookies that I made to leave on someone’s doorstep. They’re just so dang yummy! I’ll just have to make some more.

Because I’m so insanely behind on my book count for the year, and because I read so many less graphic novels, I’ve decided to count them, as well as some pregnancy books I wasn’t planning on counting. I’m not necessarily going to review each one at length, but here they are, as well as the other books I’ve read recently.

The Prestige by Christopher Priest- This was really good. Went in a different direction than I expected, and I’m glad I read it before I saw the film, which I haven’t seen yet.

Missouri Boy by Leland Myrick, Kampung Boy by LAT, American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang- You can read my review of these graphic novels in the January issue of Eclectica.

Klezmer by Joann Sfar- This is the first volume of a graphic novel series about Jews in Russia- gorgeous art and really interesting.

She May Not Leave by Fay Weldon- I love Fay Weldon’s wicked sense of humor, and this book about new parents and their au pair is really entertaining. It also brings up some interesting questions about motherhood and responsibility.

The Pregnancy Book by Dr. Sears- Helpful, but oddly arranged.

What to expect when you’re expecting by Arlene Eisenberg, Heidi Murkoff and Sandee Hathaway- Also very helpful, and easier to navigate

What to Eat when You’re Expecting by Arlene Eisenberg, Heidi Murkoff and Sandee Hathaway- Really helpful.

So That’s What They’re For! The Definitive Breastfeeding Guide by Janet Tamaro- Really good, except for the first chapter which falls into that trap I talked about here.

12 Reasons Why I Love Her by Jamie S. Rich and Joelle Jones- This book is a beautiful look at a realistic relationships, dark side, light side and all. The art is breathtaking, the story is in parts hilarious and heartbreaking, and all of it is honest. It’s just really, really good.

Sidescrollers by Matthew Loux- I love this book. It’s about 3 guys who love video games and don’t really know how to deal with life, until they go through a crazy day and end up figuring things out. It kind of reminds me of Empire Records, and that’s definitely a good thing.

Anges Quill: An Anthology of Mystery by Dave Roman and others- I don’t have words to express how much I love this character and the world she lives in. She’s a teenage detective who can communicate with the dead, and she’s AWESOME. Zoe is so reading this. I really hope there’s more coming soon.

The Little Book of Hindu Deities by Sanjay Patel- B got this book for Zoe because of the pictures, but it’s got plenty of text too. It’s a primer on Hindu Deities (imagine that, based on the title!) and it’s really informative. The pictures, however, are really the best part- the best description is that they’re super deformed Hello Kitty versions of the iconic images, but done completely respectfully. They’re just absolutely adorable, even Kali with her necklace of heads and skirt of human arms.

Ok, that brings me to 85. Still behind, but not insanely so. And that’s the end of this post!

Current total:85

Currently reading: The Complete Short Stories of Dorothy Parker

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Graphic novel goodness

I’m reading 4 graphic novels for an big review I’ll be writing for Eclectica Magazine, and I’ve finished two of them- Missouri Boy by Leland Myrick and Kampung Boy by LAT. They both tell the story of a boy growing up, one in Missouri, the other in Malaysia, and the parallels are really interesting. The review is going to focus on the concepts of place and heritage in these comics, and the other books I’m loooking at are American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang and Klezmer by Joann Sfar. Should be really fun. But I’d recommend both of those I’ve read so far, they’re quite good.

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So cute

A little update on the last post, Alex has posted the picture, along with his version of what happened here . Apparently we were the “best part of all”! Woo hoo! Anyway, check out the picture and marvel at my “roughly the size of a houseboat” pregnant self. At least I look pregnant now and not just like working at home = eating lots of bonbons.