Surround Sound and Cravings

Our surround sound home theater system has been giving itself a wedgie for some time now. For as long as the warranty has been expired, (of course) it's had tics and spasms that slow it down so that every time I/ we put in a CD or DVD, it became an exercise in patience. It had a 3 disc changer so it would load each tray every single time, whether or not there was anything in it. Sometimes 2 or 3 times. The infuriating flashing message that said LOADING would drive me to bad language.
The funny thing is, this was a gift from my husband back before he was my husband. So I never wanted to say anything. I would just sit and wait as he would load a CD and we'd sit there and sit there.... finally one day he nearly threw the remote across the room and I finally told him I felt the same way I just didn't want him to feel bad because he got it for me! haha. We had a good laugh about that and then felt freer after that to yell at it and call it names around each other.
Then Sam came along with his own personal Baby Einstein CD, and the poor little guy would have to sit there and wait for it. I'd forget about that part and say "HEY! Wanna watch your video!?!?" And then we'd wait and wait and wait. He has this thing he does with his hands when he gets excited and he would get those hands going and then the DVD wouldn't start and the player would tell me there was no DVD in the tray, so I'd open it and close it and watch the LOADING message Blink Blink Blink.... Sam would whimper and stare at the TV and wiggle his hands.

Anyway, we finally said screw it and got another one.

It's so great. It has four buttons on the front. Open/Close, On/Off, Stop, and Play. And only one tray for a DVD or CD. Last night I put a DVD in, it loaded for about 3 seconds, and went right to the menu! No waiting, no epileptic weirdness, just simply got on with business!
It was exactly what I entered the store intending to buy. I did my little bit of research, and found what I wanted and went there for it.
But it doesn't have surround. It has the stuff in back to hook it up but of course that's not compatible with the speakers we have so they're going in a box and I'm dragging out my old Henry Kloss mini PC speakers that, while they do indeed kick some serious butt for their size and cheapness, they are not surround sound. But I was OK with that going into the store. We decided that was OK for now. Later when things are different/if they're ever different, we'll go all out and get a really nice system again.
However, I stood there in the store and looked at surround sound systems. I drooled a little I think. I got that little buzz monster in my head deliriously yelling "Ah, just buy it! The money will be there, don't worry about it! Get what you WANT!!! Get it GET IT GET IT ALREADY!!!" But for all kinds of reasons that's not a good idea for us right now, not to mention that our TV is old and all the new cool stuff wouldn't work on it anyway. There's the new TV itch that hasn't been scratched in a while too, but that's another story.
The DVD player I went home with is very simple, and very compatible with our old TV, and it will be very capable of serving our entertainment needs (wants). Still, I have to say, stepping "down" from surround sound is not easy. In addition to my struggle, the place was so loud, confusing, crowded. It was full sensory overload - at least audio/visually.
I read once that stores and malls do that on purpose because it makes a person more susceptible to the urge to buy stuff. Especially the big malls. They purposely overload the senses and provide very few maps in order to induce a slightly off balance, sensory overloaded state that makes people more susceptible to making impulse purchases and/or running off to the food court and piling a tray high with comfort food. They had a name for it and I don't remember what it was.
As I was checking out, I realized I was craving chocolate, salty/fatty food and Coke. At the checkout line was potato chips, candy, chocolate, and - Coca Cola! I very nearly caved, but held out at least until the grocery store, where in addition to the groceries we needed I bought Easter Candy and Funyuns!!
I guess it worked on me!

All in the Family

Mocha's Love affair with the TV is still in full bloom. Here she is watching her favorite channel.
Mr Samson is really reading up a storm. Or at least turning pages like a pro. It's currently one of his favorite activities.

And also Hobbes is looking regal today, silently tolerating Sam with a great deal of dignity. His needy self comes out at meal times and night when he climbs on our bed and shamelessly meows and paws for attention.

Happy Friday!

There May Be Bugs On The Resta You Mugs

Sam got an early B day Present - Gerry Garcia and David Grishman's Not For Kids Only. Complete with a generous smattering of Mouth Harp and lotsa Banjo.
So FUN!

I was thinking about this the other day, how Sam isn't even one, and he's heard Grateful Dead, Barenaked Ladies, Pink Martini, Beethoven's 1-9 except for 4. Mozart, Faure, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Fountains of Wayne, Italian, French and Reggae. He's heard a little Praise and Gospel style and some Jazz Remix and Tammy Wynette and KLF (together! - remember that? Stand by the Jams). The list goes on, and he won't remember most of it. I wonder which of those, if any, he'll end up liking and what his friends will listen to. He'll be introducing us to new music!

He loves to play on the Piano, and beat on the Conga when we let him. He's heard a Tibeten Singing Bowl and some Ocarinas and a Flute and a Bamboo Indian Flute. - all live.

What seems to transfix him the most is if I sing the Banana Boat Song.

DAY! Me say DAY! me say DAY! me say Day Me say Da-a-a-O! Whatever he's doing, he just stops still, and listens.

Works wonders for those messy messy diaper changes that last too long for his highness. Oh ya, the power of music.

Only a Little Bit Lost

I'm so geeked that abc has put their full episodes online now. I can watch LOST even when I miss the show!! YEE HAW!!

And I bet you can't guess what tonight is!

I know you're jealous..... It's SUSHI NIGHT!!!

Boy Sleeps!

Wow. Today marks a week that Sam has slept through the night!!!

That is to say that he has not been waking up to eat or have long crying spells. It gets a little dicey after 4:30 AM - he starts getting restless, but other than that and helping find the pacifier occasionally - we're calling this a New Era in Samsondom!!

Now instead of fighting sleep, he fights waking up!! ha. Can I tell you how great this is? Sleep. Sleeeeeeep!! Sleeeeeeeep!!! ::sigh::

In other news, I put something in the microwave today to heat for 30 seconds and accidentally set it for 30 MINUTES. OOPS. A few minutes later I heard the microwave still going and thought HM. This can't be good. Oh my, what a mess I found!

Last night someone asked me if I had any baby clothes to spare for a new baby boy that was born in a circumstance where they were in need of a lot. Feeling suddenly stingy and sentimental about Sam's clothes, I said no actually I'm saving them, just in case... I got to thinking later. Um, DUH!! Didn't I almost always feel overwhelmed because we had so much for Sam!? Don't I have some stuff hanging in the closet with TAGS STILL ON?? Weren't people SUPER GENEROUS with us, and isn't that why we have so much!? So I went through some of his old clothes and some of the new ones that hadn't been worn. Between the clothing and some newborn diapers I found as well as many other things I'll won't need as much as this girl, I came up with two diaper boxes full of stuff.

Now, I'm not saying this to brag, I'm just saying how suprised I was at how sentimental I've gotten over Sam's old stuff! Which got me all stingy and grabby. I never would have seen that coming.

GRANDMA!!

Both of Sam's Grandmas live out of town, and one of them is far away for most of the winter.

We don't want Sam to forget his Grandmas, so we show him pictures often and have him say HI to Grandma. He doesn't say it, but he gets excited and smiles a lot.

But this is not that picture.

This is a birthday card I got a little while ago!

In other news: Sam has slept THROUGH the NIGHT 2 nights in a ROW now. No eating, no big crying spells, just business! YAAAAY!!

Last night I dreamed I was dressed up as a pregnant lady and trying to escape from some guy that looked like Christopher Walken. I disabled him temporarily with a stapler, and while I was running down multiple flights of stairs, with my fake preggo belly flopping around, I thought HM. He shouldn't be fooled by this disguise, I'm getting around way too well for a pregnant lady!

Happy Friday!

And Now, For Your Navel Gazing Pleasure

I read something the other day and I thought I'd put it out here. I imagine it might be interesting to you too.

The book I'm reading is called Every Day Blessings - The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting by Myla and Jon Kabat-Zinn. Maybe I talked about it before - I've been reading it awhile now. It takes a good long time to get through some of these books these days. But I seem to pick it back up and read just what I need that day.

It's a little long, enjoy:

" What is called for in the cultivation of mindfulness, and in mindful parenting, rather than judging, is discernment, the ability to look deeply into something and perceive distinctions keenly and with clarity. Discernment is the ability to see this and that, as opposed to this or that, to see the whole picture, and its fine details, to see gradations. Being discerning is an inward sign of respect for reality because we are taking note of subtleties as well as the gross outline of things, aware of complexity and mystery. There is a fairness in it, a rightness in it, because it is truer to the whole of reality...

So when we speak of mindfulness being a non-judgmental awareness, that does not mean that we don't see what is going on because we are refusing to perceive necessary and important distinctions. In fact, it is only through being non-judgmental that it might be possible to see and feel what is actually happening, past surface appearances and the filters of our own limited opinions, our likes and dislikes, beliefs, fears, our unexamined and sometimes unconscious prejudices, and our deep longing for things to be a certain way.

... A discerning awareness can hold even our own judging in mind and know it for what is is. We can observe this ingrained habit of mind with some degree of compassion, and not judge ourselves for bing so judgemental."

I like that last part so much! I think sometimes I want to be less judgemental and then I get all judgemental and harsh with myself for being judgemental! And I we all have a deep longing for things to be a certain way. But they rarely are, and so we are faced with a choice. Make up a reality for ourselves and then try to attain/preserve it, or accept reality as it is - or as much as we can know what it is - and adapt, change, and grow with it.

Anyway, there's something to put in your pipe and smoke on for a while, if you wish. I highly recommend the book.

Happy Day after the Super Bowl!

Works for me!

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