Strike a pose

I wish I could post the smell of the air for you. I'm sitting in my backyard writing this & the smell of fresh country air is strong today.

This past week my daughter commented that we are so lucky to live in a place that is so surrounded by trees.

"Not only are they pretty, they give us lots of leaves for leaf piles and even better they clean our air!"

Smart, playful & practical...that's my girl.

I have been posting a lot on Flickr lately...check it out here:

http://flickr.com/photos/kazoofus

And there's a damn good chance you never will know.

Those of you that know me know that keeping secrets is not my gig. My mom (hi mom!) can attest to the fact that as a teen I tried keeping things secret from her and quickly discovered that either she is one helluva detective or I suck at keeping secrets.

I quickly gave up secret-keeping.

During the bright early hours of this glorious TGIF morning, Anonymous left this comment to my previous post:

I have been reading you for about 3 years. I still don't understand why you and the boy aren't "hooked up"

First, if you've read for three years you probably know that The Boy and I dated eachother once upon a time. While he is my best friend he is not someone that I am attracted to on a romantic level for a variety of reasons. Now lets be clear about something: my use of the word "attracted" has nothing to do with looks. He has been compared to, in the looks department, as looking like a variety of *hot* male celebrities. Trust me when I tell you his looks are not the issue. He and I, on a variety of philosophical levels, are truly not right for eachother.

From where we stand on religion to finances to child-rearing, careers, marriage, romance, and so on, he and I do not agree on many rather significant topics.

If this were all about me, I would divulge every last detail of why we are not compatible but this is about him too and for that reason I have never and will never post a blow-by-blow account of all the things about him that do not work for me.

He and I have always had an incredibly open and honest relationship and anything I would write would be things that he and I have already discussed. I'm not afraid of hurting or alarming him with any KathyHowe confessions. My motivation to NOT share the details is about protecting his privacy, and yes, a bit of mine as well.

Throughout my life I have formed close friendships with men that were never romantic in nature. With The Boy, and other men in my life, I continue to have non-romantic relationships that are based on common interests that do not equal a romantic interest.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Also related to that last post where I thought I saw The Boy walking in the hazy distance in downtown earlier this week. It wasn't him. Which makes me damn glad I didn't excuse myself from the conversation I was having and run screaming down the sidewalk to attack an innocent stranger with shouts of "SCHMOOPIE!".

Must have been his stunt double.

Hypothetically, of course.

You are standing on a sidewalk in busy downtown directly outside a client building talking to a co-worker that has just flown in from another state and in the not too far distance you see someone that you think MIGHT be your best friend but on top of the fact that the glimpse is brief and semi-distant and he has no reason to be in downtown and of course that damned sun is blindingly bright you are stunned to realize that you can't actually tell for sure if it is him or not and in your brain you scramble to remember the last time you actually did see him.

I'd love to stay and chat but I need to go coordinate a dinner date with The Boy.

I need a boyscout to tie my pants.

Curses on drawstring pants that start coming untied as you walk the streets of Downtown Minneapolis on your way to a client site with both hands very full of important things like a bag containing an Egg McMuffin and a steaming Triple Turtle Latte.

Curses I say! Curses!

Can't touch this.

The kids, freshly bathed, are giggling down the hall.

Fresh laundry is folded in the basket beside me.

The rain is dripping off the roof.

The windows are open letting in the sweet breeze.

The birds are tweeting in the trees.

Squirrels are giving chase to other squirrels, chirping all the way.

The wind is lapping at the green, wet leaves.

If serenity had a home, this would be it.

Kiss my karma

I think there is a funk taking over the universe. You know what I mean...a down and out, feeling blue, life is at a low for a lot of people kind of funk.

Well funk that I say...

Time my friends for "Kathy Howe Told Me To Pay It The Hell Forward".

Get off your kazoofus and go do something genuinely nice for someone. Doesn't matter how big or small the gesture, it can be done face to face, over the phone or via instant messenger for all I care. It doesn't matter what you do or how you do it.

Just DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO something.

When you are done leave a comment and let us know what you did today.

Now hop to it dogdammit...we have a world to save...

Hair today, gone tomorrow

I love, love, love new hairstyles.

Check out Flickr for the before and after.

The hardest thing in the world

No, not THAT, TJ.

The hardest thing in the world for most people is describing themself to other people. We know ourselves better than anyone else ever will, yet putting into words.... who we are, what we like, what we believe in, etc is incredibly difficult.

So here's your chance to give it a shot. Describe yourself in the comments. Pretend I've never met you before and introduce yourself.

Ready?

Set?

(Put your pants back on, TJ.)

GO!

Interesting but different

A random list of random things that are running through my head looking for an exit:

1. I thoroughly rinse out my coffee cup between every cup of coffee. If I owned enough cups I'd probably go so far as to use a new cup with every refill.

2. I have a headset for my phone that goes over the top of my head. Never fails that sonbitch always gets stuck in my hair.

3. I don't know what it is but people that I know, even just barely, like to banter with me. I get the funniest emails from people that I have met through work experiences.

4. I have a rule about my cell phone: if I don't have time to talk to the person that is calling, and by that I mean if I can't for whatever reason give them my undivided attention, I don't generally answer the phone.

5. I have another rule about my cell phone: when I'm driving or with my kids (or with anyone else for that matter) I don't talk on the phone unless it is really necessary or I know it will be quick. Be where you are, when you are there.

6. A few weeks ago my step-dad gave me and my grandma each a new Minnesota state quarter. My Grandma asked what it was for and I told her the coin operated laundry machine at her apartment. Mi step-padre poo-poo'd on that response. Collectors item...pfft...it buys chocolate if it's in my wallet.

7. Every day between 2 & 3pm I have a chocolate craving. I usually cater it with Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies.

8. In a conversation with The Boy (aka: Desperately Seeking a Damn Companion), he asked me where someone should go to meet someone KathyHowe-ish. I told him that KathyHowe-ish people are quite happy at home planting flowers, dusting their mantles and sweeping their garages. They...we...aren't generally out and about unless we are hiking, biking or running errands. Finding me would require someone to drive up my driveway when I'm power-washing the vinyl siding.

9. Last night my daughter was asking me about Kazoofus and I explained to her that the dyno-mite baby design and archives weren't online right now. She instantly got a sad look on her face which is odd since she's not a Kazoofus reader. She must just intuitively *know* about the quality of the content presented here. shutup

10. One of my guiding principles in life is "What is good for my kids is good for me." Bring on the lollipops and water balloons!

11. Yesterday I was bored, today I was busier than shit (however busy shit is). Where's the zen-like balance, yo?

12. My kids recently ganged up on me with a request for a pet bird. I told them if they had only mentioned it a few weeks ago I would have saved them the dead one that I found the backyard. They migrated quickly from a beaming request to a sour roll of the eyes and a long drawn out "moooooooooooooommmmmmmm...you cannot give your children dead pets." I told them I would need to revisit my parenting manuals...I don't remember that rule.

Tell me something that dancing in your head these days.

Oh comon...its gotta be Tuesday SOMEWHERE.

either leave your answers or a link to your webpage with your responses.

Would you rather:


1. meet willy wonka OR ghandi? (CHOCOLATE, dude...is this even a question?)



2. chug a full bottle of pepto-bismol OR drink two gallons of whole milk? (Milk...gross. I'd need a full bottle of pepto if I drank that much milk. Cut to the chase...that's what I say.)



3. be on the receiving end of an atomic wedgie OR purple nurple? (The closest I've been to sex in a long time.)



4. watch a movie marathon of all of pauly shore's films OR ian mckellen's films? (Who in the hell is Ian McKellen?)

Play along here.

Christina haters need not apply

Christina Aguilera is stuck in my head today.

Specifically, Come on over (All I want is you)

All I want is you (Come over here baby)
All I want is you (You make me go crazy)
All I want is you (Now baby don't be shy, you better cross the line)
I'm gonna love you right (All I want is you!)

What's stuck in your head these days?

I so lost my kazoofus.

Boo Bear & I both took our pedometers off around 5pm when we were putting on pants and forgot to put them back on. Sissy Bear wore hers until 8:30pm.

drumroll please...

Momma Bear: 5700 steps
Boo Bear: 8800 steps
Sissy Bear: 14,000 steps

They are ready to do it again tomorrow.

What did you do on Monday?

Walking our kazoofus' off.

This weekend I picked pedometers for me and my two walking enthusiasts. After reading the informational pamphlet on the benefits of walking and how to start a walking program, the children have decided to see how close they can get to 10,000 steps in one day.

We're all wearing our pedometers right now. I'll post our results tonight.

WTH was THAT!?!?

I had a really strange dream last night. It included stalkers and burglars and people I used to work for and a million dollar house that was mine and a Debbie Boone album that didn't even have 'You light up my life' on it.

Let the dream analysis begin...

Say cheese.

I am so giggly-ga-ga-giddy right now...you just have no idea.

This morning I got an email from Amber, a fellow blogger and friend. It wasn't your run of the mill "hey how are ya, by the way can I borrow five bucks" emails either.

Amber gifted me!

I am now the proud keeper of a Flicker PRO Account. PRO people! She UPGRADED my lameass free account for me!

How damn cool is THAT!?!?

So, now that I have more gig for my pics I'm gonna be taking more pics.

I am so damn excited about this. I started loading up some new pics right away this morning.

If you want to see the life of Kathy Howe in pictures be sure to swing by my Flickr page and look around and if you want to meet a kick ass blogger go over to Amber's and tell her hello.

She really does rock!

Further proof that I don't like the damn phone

Just so QC and Jen-O-Rama don't think that they are the only ones whose calls I never return, this morning I checked my voicemail and had a message from The Boy that he isn't calling me anymore until I call him back.

I haven't talked to him (read: returned any of his calls) in over a week.

Time to get on the horn and keep the peace I guess.

Name a form of communication that you dislike.

Private Message To People with a Blogger Profile:

Wanna do me a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge favor?

Log into your blogger profile and add an email address so I can reply to your comments. I think you have to click the box that says "Show My Email Address" to make it work.

Pretty please...

More fitness talk with your host, Kathy Howe

I can't believe that when I yammered on about the weekend with the kids and their camping trip that I forgot to mention that my 8 year old daughter did a 5k run/walk. I've never signed up for a 5k walk and she not only signed up for it she COMPLETED IT!

I think that just totally freaking rocks. I've been telling her how proud I am of her since Friday.

The Howe household has been on a mission to do some sort of physical activity every day throughout the summer and so far we have been doing pretty darn well. We aren't couch potatoes in this house but I decided that it is important for the kids to start learning that what they do physically impacts their health and growth. They are learning how the different ways that they play impacts them differently. For example, reading, writing and art works their minds - biking, hiking and swimming are good for their bodies.

After my daughter completed the 5k run/walk she decided she wanted to have a nightly family walk which we have been doing since we got home. That is in addition to our regular nightly games of frisbee with the dog, kickball, bike rides, etc.

Now my daughter wants to do another 5k walk so I told her I'd start looking for one in our neck of the woods. Irk & Keri let me know if you know of any in the area.

So far this summer I have learned several things about my kids and their abilities/interest in fitness:

1. My daughter is quickly and easily bored with most physical sports. She would much rather read, write and do art projects than do most phsyical activities.

2. She LOVES the water. Water sports are definitely her favorite.

3. My son is an incredibly fast runner. He and I have been doing foot races and he keeps right up with me.

4. He doesn't do well with structured or traditional activities. He likes to play "Boo Ball" which is his own version of kickball/basketball/tag. It requires you to toss the ball up through the tree branches and run yer kazoofus off if you get the ball away from the other person.

I posted a link to an article on Personality Fitness over on Kathzoofus. Go take a looksy if you have any interest in fitness designed for your personality type. I found several different types of exercise that I had never even heard of before.

Summer fitness rocks.

Dog bless mobile technology

How kick ass is this? I'm posting from my Palm Treo.

Technology rocks.

It's a hunerd and fifty thousand blazing degrees right now.

Good christ, who turned on the outdoor oven? It's drippy, sweaty, gross muggy heat around here right now. The gods had better be planning a major downpour to cool this shit off soon. The act of breathing makes sweat run slowly down the center of my back. Sounds sexy as hell but it smells like sweat so unless you find the smell of sweat sexy.

I'll take below zero any day over this. You can always layer up to keep warm but I am running out of things to remove to stay cool.

It's days like this I wish I could get my fucking AC out of my dogdamn attic.

This weekend was nice. The weather up north was absolutely perfect, the company was fantastic and we even had a turkey dinner complete with all the Thanksgiving-ish fixings at the campground one day. I wouldn't even know what restaurant to go to for a meal like that....let alone whip one together at a damn campsite.

The kids are home now and should be wrinkled for weeks considering all the time they spent in the pool and at the water park. They definitely had a fantastic trip and my daughter even scored a new bike from one of the fellow campers. My son, in true Boo Bear style, managed to biff it on his bike and bang the hell out of his forehead, arm and face. How his forehead ended up as bad as it did beats me since he had a helmet on. He's a little tired of me calling him "Crash Howe".

Right now the kids are finishing up a dish of ice cream and we will soon be off for a walk in the blazing heat.

If I don't melt on the walk I might work on getting Kazoofus, the old one, the *real* one up and running tonight. Or maybe I'll drink a beer on my porch and see if I can out-sweat the bottle.

It could really go either way at this point.

Stunt doubles aren't just for Hollywood anymore.

I'm attempting to establish a stand-in blog while the original Kazoofus is on the operating room table.

Comment if you dare.