tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20279817039327004882024-02-20T16:31:52.105-08:00Victoria's Not-So-SecretsThe rantings, ravings, and just general random thoughts of a busy mom with three awesome kids and an equally amazing husband. WARNING: This blog will occasionally contain adult material in the form of very frank discussions of my daily life and shouldn't be read by people easily offended.Vichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10846678283819591101noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027981703932700488.post-64204703230358508042010-06-17T11:22:00.001-07:002010-06-17T11:22:50.201-07:00What website do you spend the most time on?<p class="formspringmeAnswer">Probably Twitter. But I usually use the Twitter for iPhone app when I want to use Twitter. :)</p><p class="formspringmeFooter"> <a href="http://formspring.me/GasStationSushi?utm_medium=social&utm_source=blogger&utm_campaign=shareanswer">Ask me anything</a></p>Vichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10846678283819591101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027981703932700488.post-49424019358280248022010-06-17T11:16:00.001-07:002010-06-17T11:16:51.648-07:00Who's the funniest person you know?<p class="formspringmeAnswer">Probably my husband. He always knows how to make me laugh.</p><p class="formspringmeFooter"> <a href="http://formspring.me/GasStationSushi?utm_medium=social&utm_source=blogger&utm_campaign=shareanswer">Ask me anything</a></p>Vichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10846678283819591101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027981703932700488.post-18215068109259894772010-06-16T21:38:00.000-07:002010-06-16T21:58:21.912-07:00More Ranting!Okay, I'm the first person to admit that I'm not perfect (well, maybe my ex-husbands would jump into that too, but fuck those guys), but I have a very strict sense of the way children should behave in a public place like a restaurant. Matt and I went to Sweet Tomatoes for dinner last weekend, and of course, they were very busy. That's not the issue we had while we were there. The issue we had was that there was a large group of people there with a small number of children with them. I think it may have been a soccer team or some nonsense like that, but I digress. The children with the group ( I think there may have been about 5 or 6 kids) were all being <span style="font-weight: bold;">very</span> noisy and it seemed that they had some terrible magic causing them to have what seemed an endless supply of balloons. That they wanted to draw on. And bounce around. And yell about. <span style="font-weight: bold;">For 25 fucking minutes. </span>I think there were 4 balloon poppings that I can remember, and it seemed like they just magically regenerated like they were some kind of fucked up balloon T-1000 or something. The worst part: people seem afraid to say anything about things like that now. I kind of understand why, in some ways, but those kids were just behaving awfully. There was <span style="font-weight: bold;">no</span> excuse for any of that. At all. The noise level in the place dropped by a huge amount after they left, and there were actually <span style="font-weight: bold;">MORE</span> kids there when those people left than when we first sat down.<br />So just as a general rule, from now on, I think I'll make it a personal policy to let people know when their kids are being awesome in a place like that. I have had people tell me that my kids are incredibly well behaved, and I have to say that in my own opinion, I think that they are, especially in situations like being in a crowded public place. If anyone has any ideas about how to approach a large group to let them know that the children of the group are behaving like extras in 'Lord of the Flies', please let me know.Vichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10846678283819591101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027981703932700488.post-73124075228422881342010-06-16T21:32:00.000-07:002010-06-16T21:38:22.105-07:00Ahh,, the end of the school year..Tomorrow is the boys' last day of school for the year. I'm still not sure if I should be happy or somewhat disappointed by this. Happy because I can spend more time with them, disappointed because I lose almost all of my time to do things during the day. I suppose it'll be a pretty good summer though. They really like spending the time with me, and I am enjoying watching them grow. (Sometimes, not always though. It's scary!) So I imagine I'll be blogging more from the phone, which I thought would be a good idea, but in actuality it just makes me feel lazy for not posting more. I guess I'll just have to post more at night, which is okay with me. :)Vichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10846678283819591101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027981703932700488.post-11757834910083003622010-06-07T22:07:00.000-07:002010-06-07T23:06:01.491-07:00My damn hair... (a rant) And some other stuff...Okay, so I decided to go get a haircut and change things up a bit. I liked my asyemmetrical a-line, but I decided it was time for a change. So I decided to get the haircut my dad's been telling me he thinks I should get for a while. [I wore this wig a couple years ago for Halloween, and my dad really liked the way the style looked on me, so he's been telling me he thinks I should get that same style for my actual hair. It's a short bob with these cute little Bettie Page bangs.And it <span style="font-style: italic;">did</span> look nice on me. :)] I went to the same place I always go, and there was someone getting their hair cut almost the same way I wanted. "I'm in luck!", I thought. So I waited for the girl to have her cut finished, and seeing the way it turned out, I was encouraged that I'd be as lucky with mine. When the stylist was all finished, I explained to her that I wanted a very similar cut, but with Bettie Page bangs in the front. This stylist was what I lovingly refer to as 'a relic of a bygone age'. (She later told me she's been styling hair for 45 years). And I had to remind her WHO BETTIE PAGE WAS. I was understandably less encouraged by this, but what the hell, I was already there and I <span style="font-style: italic;">did</span> need a haircut pretty badly. Between the stylist and I, we decided that it would be easiest to take the extra length off first, and that went fine, but then she started on the bangs. She asked how long I wanted them, which I thought was a little weird when I'd told her I was looking for Bettie Page style bangs, but I went ahead and explained it anyway. When she started cutting, it seemed like the right length, so I told her to go ahead. But she made a slight mistake and had to take a little more off than I'd really wanted. Then...my hair started to dry. When my hair dries, it tends to bounce up a little. Yeah, it's pin straight, but still, I have a little body and volume in it. Apparently, I also have a (previously undiscovered) cowlick right in the front of my hair. That made the new bangs stick up. More than normal. So, to even them out, she took a little more off the other side. When they finally looked about right, she went to work on the back of my hair. That part went pretty well, so I was thinking that the worst case scenario was that my bangs were a little short and I'd have to weigh them down with a little product. So Relic Lady "finishes" my hair and Matt and I head home so I can shower all the icky little cut hairs off and style the cut the way I wanted. I come home, take my shower, get my jammies on, and style my hair. But as it dries, I look over at Matt and ask "Is it just me, or are the bangs a little uneven?" "Um, hon, they're more than a little uneven. I'd say there's about an inch difference between each side. They're a LOT shorter on your right side than they are on your left side." "Well, FUCK. " So I went back into the bathroom to check and see how bad they really were and if if was just how I'd styled them, or if maybe I'd moved them. Nope. They were fucking slanted. And Matt was right. They were about an inch higher on my right side than on my left side. I called the salon right away and made sure Relic would be back the next morning.<br />So we go back the next morning, on the way to helping my brother move, so Relic can fix my damn bangs. She decided that the only way to really fix them (because she cut them too fucking short in the first damn place) was to keep them more a sharp angle from the rest of my hair (which I wanted) and to thin them out (which I definitely DID NOT want). But at least they're even now. And my hair grows fast. So eventually it'll be the haircut I actually wanted, not the one I have now, that I had to settle for.<br /><br />In other news, life is pretty damn awesome. Matt continues to be the best husband on the entire planet, and I couldn't be happier. I can't imagine life without him. The kids are awesome, when they're not breaking stuff. And life here in the 'burbs is going pretty well. I promise I'm trying to write more. Not necessarily here, but I'm trying to write more. And I've been playing my guitar more lately. I'm starting to make some progress I think, and I think if I combine the two, I may actually end up writing a song before the year's out. Nothing like an amazing partner to have as a muse. Seems like everything I write lately is about him. And I'm very much okay with that.<br /><br />Okay, it's bedtime now. Good night. :)Vichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10846678283819591101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027981703932700488.post-75964340271072752862010-05-25T21:17:00.001-07:002010-05-25T22:25:29.717-07:00Changes...Wow, what a month May has been! First, I had the splendid pleasure of being at W00tstock 2.1 Portland, and meeting a lot of awesome, funny, talented geeks. It was my early Mother's Day present to myself, as Mother's Day was the next day. I got to meet Wil Wheaton, Adam Savage, Paul and Storm, Molly Lewis, Hank Green, the brilliant Loading Ready Run, and more. They've actually got a site up now, and it's definitely worth checking out: <a href="http://w00tstock.net/">http://w00tstock.net/</a><br />I couldn't believe how much it felt like finally being in a room filled with people like me. Nerds. Geeks. (I was called both while in school, with varying amounts of meanness. It used to bother me, but I tend to embrace the terms now, and actually sort of welcome them.) It was wonderful, and I really didn't even notice they'd gone over an hour over their scheduled time! I'm so glad I got to share the experience with Matt and his good friend.<br /><br />Then I had my Mommy day with my little guys and went to see my mom. I got new plants for my deck (they're doing quite well now!) and had a very fast couple weeks.<br /><br />And on Friday May 21, 2010, (the 30th anniversaries of the releases of both Pac-Man and The Empire Strikes Back), I married my best friend. We had a small ceremony at his brother's house, and with our families there, we finally became husband and wife. I know it seems silly to say "finally" in some ways, these things obviously don't happen overnight, but he's been different from day one. I think I realized I was in love with him on our second or third date. I felt so instantly connected to him, and it seemed obvious to me that there was no way I was going to spend another day without him in my life. And here I am, now happily married to my best friend. Our ceremony was officiated by my friend Nate, who was totally awesome and really listened to us when we said we just wanted something simple that conveyed our feelings. No "giving away the bride" or fancy dress. No tux. No flower girls, groomsmen, ring bearers, or (much to Nate's chagrin) bridesmaids. Just Nate, Matt, and me. And there's no possible way it could have been better. It was exactly what I had wanted for Matt and I. Private, surrounded by family and friends close enough to be family. The only thing that went wrong was that my mom was sick and wasn't able to make it. And as much as I would have loved to have had her there, I can understand why she stayed home. I'm glad my dad got video of everything for her. We had tons of cameras, and at least two people taking video, so I think we got that covered. We have our beautiful wedding rings, which were custom made for us and have my fingerprint on the outside of Matt's ring and his fingerprint on the outside of my ring. I'll make sure to post some stuff as soon as I get it, because silly me forgot the camera here at home. Our brothers were our witnesses and signed our marriage license after the ceremony. My brothers girlfriend made our cake, which was very yummy, and Matt's sister's boyfriend manned the barbeque to cook the meat his sister-in-law had seasoned. All of it was completely delicious, and I liked it that it was really a total family effort. The kids all seemed to have a lot of fun and got along as well as can be expected given that many of them hadn't ever met before.<br /><br /> So, that's my May so far. I met some geek celebrities and had a great time. Then, most importantly, I got to call my best friend by a new title: husband. I really don't think there's any possible way to make this month have gone any better so far. I know I'm rambling, but I'm sleepy dammit, and I reserve the right to not make sense should the mood strike me so.<br /><br />Okay, that's really everything.<br /><br />Oh, and don't forget: Don't panic, and carry a towel.<br />Love,<br />VicVichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10846678283819591101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027981703932700488.post-84088063870105236212010-04-16T23:01:00.001-07:002010-04-16T23:01:01.971-07:00So...haven't posted much of anything for a while. I've been kinda busy. So here's a quick update on the life of Vic: My super fantastic boyfriend and I decided to get married. (May 21st, 2010) I'm learning to knit, and my kids are monsters. Adorable, sweet monsters, but monsters nonetheless. Um...that's about it.
<br> So, anyway, I'm getting married again. This is a really new thing for me though. I feel like we're really equals in our relationship and he's my best friend. I don't have any doubts at all about this, and I had immense doubts when I was married before, so I'm feeling pretty good about it. Our brothers are going to be our witnesses and his brother actually is hosting the wedding. I know this sounds sappy and all that shit, but this is the happiest I've been. I wasn't sure I *could* be this happy, or that I deserved it, but here I am. He's an amazing person, and I am so much better for having him in my life. I feel very fortunate that he wants to share his life with me. Even his family is cool! His mom is a sweet person, his dad is really funny, his sisters are sweet, and his brother is just cool. This is the first time I've ever liked potential in-laws, and actually gotten along with them. My parents and brother like him too, so it's like a win-win situation. I'm so excited for the wedding! I get to have an old friend perform the ceremony for us and everything. I can't believe how lucky I am.
<br>Time for bed, however. I promise to attempt to post more. No guarantees though. :)Vichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10846678283819591101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027981703932700488.post-24400127659492578202010-04-16T20:27:00.001-07:002010-04-16T20:27:24.855-07:00Wow. I now have a Twitter troll. Or at least I did for about 20 minutes today. I made a comment about a particular singer having covered a couple Led Zeppelin songs and he spends 20 minutes tweeting back at me in all caps. Fucking hilarious. I love Twitter for randomness like that. Doesn't happen on Facebook or here, on this bloggity-wog. I was laughing so hard at his comments, I couldn't get mad. Such uneducated drivel is just hysterical to me. So thank you, mystery troll, for a very amusing 30 minutes tonight. I won't use the Twitter handle here because that's just silly. You all can read the tweets yourself. <br>Please leave a comment if you've been trilled before. I'm admittedly curious to know how you handled it. <br>-Vic.Vichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10846678283819591101noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027981703932700488.post-52339142059610069952010-02-03T16:57:00.001-08:002010-02-03T16:57:11.200-08:00Wow. Posting to the blog from the phone. For some reason, I have a feeling this could get me into trouble at some point.<br>I'm not really that worried though. Anyone reading this already knows I have a potty mouth so the occasional swearing probably won't bother anyone. <br>I know I'll post a LOT more from here, so I'm hoping anyone else that reads the blog will be slightly more entertained. :)Vichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10846678283819591101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027981703932700488.post-46189094180489046992009-09-22T20:35:00.000-07:002009-09-22T21:37:53.177-07:00New Years ResolutionsYeah, I know, it's September, not January, but I don't make New Years resolutions as the calendar year changes, I make 'resolutions' as my own years change. But I don't like to call them resolutions, I prefer to call them promises to myself. No one but me knows if I break the promise and for the most part, no one but me really cares, but I think it's important to set goals for yourself from time to time, and I think the anniversary of my birth is a good time of year to do it. <br /><br /> So, on August 29th, I had my 29th birthday and began my 30th year of life. In the past year, I have had some amazingly insane shit happen to me, shit that changed my life forever, that changed the way I look at life. And honestly, shit that brought me to a place where I really believed I had dug myself a hole I'd never get out of. But I was wrong. And in the past year, I have learned that nothing happens without a reason. Everything, every little event has a purpose, a meaning that may not be clear at the time, but that in time, becomes clear. I was not planning on having a good birthday. But it was great. Surrounded by people that I love, people that love me, was the very best possible outcome for my dreaded 29th birthday. And the next day, still with the big smile on my face from the night before, I made these promises to myself:<br /><br />1.) I will let my heart make decisions, as long as my head gets a vote too. And vice versa. It's never a good thing to let one make a decision without the vote of the other.<br /><br />2.) Read all the labels on my food. ALL the labels on ALL the food. Before I buy it.<br /><br />3.) Watch less TV.<br /><br />4.) Make sure to take a little time for myself every day. Even if it means locking myself in the bathroom for 10 minutes.<br /><br />5.) Get back on the bike.<br /><br />6.) Keep trying to learn guitar, no matter how frustrated I get.<br /><br />7.) Try to spend more one-on-one time with each of the kids. They are developing such varied and interesting personalities and turning into such amazing people, I want to make sure they know that they always know they can talk to Mom.<br /><br />8.) Remember the mistakes I have made. All of them. And be grateful for them, they helped bring me to where I am now.<br /><br />9.) Take a minute or two each day to remember how lucky I am to have my awesome family and friends, and remind myself that not everyone is as lucky as I am.<br /><br />10.) Take nothing for granted. All it takes is a minute to change a life forever, good or bad.<br /><br />And that's it. I can say that while I had <span style="font-weight: bold;">no idea</span> I would be here at this time last year, I can't really regret any of it. I have learned a lot about myself in the past year, and I am very grateful for that. So as I begin my 30th year of life, I am not dismayed by my age, I am not afraid of the things I have not accomplished, I am, instead, happy, healthy, and probably most importantly, comfortable in my own skin.Vichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10846678283819591101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027981703932700488.post-34541840457942387552009-08-25T20:24:00.000-07:002009-08-25T21:25:40.130-07:00'Inglorious Basterds' was AWESOME!!!Sunday, I was privileged enough to have the free time to have a date with Matt. We don't get too many of those opportunities, so we decided to go see the new Quentin <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Tarantino</span> film 'Inglorious <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Basterds</span>'. I'm going to do my best to not give away major plot points, so if I seem cryptic, go see this film. Actually, you should see it anyway.<br /><br />The trailers have been pretty open about one of the bisecting plots: there's a unit of Jewish American soldiers out to have their revenge on the Nazis. They are called (shock of shocks) the Inglorious <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Basterds</span>, and their leader is Lt. Aldo <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Raines</span> (Brad Pitt). I want to say right here and now that I don't care much for Brad Pitt as an actor, but holy crap was he ever perfect for this movie. I can't think of anyone else capable of playing that part, aside from Bruce Willis about 15 to 20 years ago. Pitt puts on a thick southern accent and it plays wonderfully. And when you hear the Pitt character say in the trailer "each one of you men owes me 100 Nazi scalps", don't think he's kidding or that they won't show it being done at some point.<br /><br />The other plot involved is that of a French woman whose entire family was executed while they were being hidden from the Nazis. Her name is Shoshanna, but we see her later in the film being called <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Emmanuelle</span> because she has <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">successfully</span> evaded Nazi capture and is now running a movie theater under an assumed identity. A German soldier becomes smitten with her and persuades the propaganda minister to hold a film's premiere at her small theater instead of at a much larger venue.<br /><br />At some point, it becomes obvious to the audience that these plots will intersect, but the people in the separate plots don't figure it out in a way that's <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">ever</span> acknowledged.<br /><br />One of the really truly great things about this movie is that the French people actually speak FRENCH, the German people actually speak GERMAN, and the Brits and Americans all speak English, instead of everyone speaking English and pretending it's something else. Which means for American audiences, about half of it is subtitled. <br /><br />Also, this being a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Tarantino</span> film, you expect a lot of vulgar language and a lot of blood (especially in a war movie), but this is almost suspiciously tame by his standards. Not that there isn't some swearing and not that there isn't some bloody action, but none of it really seems gratuitous like in some of his earlier films.<br /><br />Sadly, anything else I say is going to give a lot of stuff away, and I don't want to spoil it for anyone that hasn't seen it yet, but I do want to say that the Pitt character speaking Italian is probably the funniest bit in the whole movie. I hope this gets some serious awards recognition because it deserves some.Vichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10846678283819591101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027981703932700488.post-64297843330722591372009-08-24T18:30:00.000-07:002009-08-24T19:32:54.690-07:00Ah, the weekend...What a weekend! For me the only real difference between the weekend and the rest of the week is that on the weekend, the bf is actually home and we usually do fun stuff, where on the week days, he's at work most of the day and I'm at home doing the cleaning/taking care of the kids/making sure dinner is ready when he gets home thing, and honestly, very little of that is any fun, but taking care of the kids is by far the most enjoyable thing and the thing that makes me craziest. <br /> That being said, this weekend, the kids went to go visit some family friends and are away with them on vacation for the rest of the week, so Matt and I had the place to ourselves and the freedom to get all the little things taken care of that we can't do when the kids are home. Did we think, even for a minute, about doing any of that crap? Hell, no! we wanted to have fun! So, after we dropped the boys off, we went to go visit my parents for a little bit because they're cool and fun to hang around with, then picked up some of Matt's stuff from his brother's place. Then, we went to Trader Joes and bought yummy snacks, but only because the Game Crazy was across the street.<br /> So stupid me ( I say 'stupid me' here because it's <span style="font-weight: bold;">way too easy</span> to spend a crap ton of cash in that place) went to Game Crazy with my boyfriend and waited patiently as he perused the collection of games they had available for our Wii. I was trying to find something to look at while waiting patiently at the counter because he had found the Guitar Hero game I wanted and I wanted to make sure he didn't feel rushed looking for a game that he wanted. After giving him my iPhone so he could look up details of a particular game, I discovered that 'Lego: Batman' was on sale for <span style="font-weight: bold;">ten bucks</span>. I felt as though fate had forced my hand and that I simply had to have it. Especially because I already had 'Lego: Indiana Jones' and 'Lego: Star Wars- The Complete Saga' and the boys and I had just discussed the need for the Batman game to complete our collection. So, we now own all of the 'Lego' games for Wii.<br /><br /> Sunday, we had planned to see 'Inglorious Basterds', obviously not a kid-friendly activity, and we did that (another post will be forthcoming on the movie) fairly early. Then we got some stuff of mine from my bro's place and then off to another very dangerous place: Fry's. Luckily, Matt found the game he wanted (No More Heroes) and we set off to grab a quick drive-thru dinner and headed home. <br /> We finished eating and then had to start playing the games. I have to start by saying that I had never played No More Heroes before and, in fact had not really heard anything about it until Matt brought it to my attention. It's <span style="font-weight: bold;">so</span> awesome!!!! It's like the Bride's fight with The Crazy 88's the whole way through! Constant sprays of blood and gore through everything! And when the characters phone rings, you have to hold the Wii remote to your ear to hear it! <span style="font-weight: bold;">Way too much fun!!!</span><br /> Which brings us to Lego Batman. This game is ridiclously fun. Pure awesome. Of course, if you're a Batman geek (and I am) or a Lego geek (strike two) and you like silly fighting games where the enemies are reduced to a pile of rubble when eliminated (strike three) you are almost predestined to love these games. Reducing the Joker to rubble was just something I couldn't resist.<br /><br /> And to bring our weekend to a close, we decided to watch 'A Nightmare Before Christmas' because, surprisingly enough, Matt had never seen it. So we watched it and surprisingly stayed awake for the entire thing! :)Vichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10846678283819591101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027981703932700488.post-45591650562013375412009-08-20T12:31:00.000-07:002009-08-20T13:06:32.900-07:00Ah, the many joys of apartment living...We just moved into a really great apartment in a quiet neighborhood in a Portland suburb. While I am generally pretty much opposed to living in 'the 'burbs' , I liked this community and it puts us within 2 miles of my boyfriend's job. Of course, it's been a while since I lived in an apartment, and there were a few things I had forgotten about.<br /><br /> 1.) Maintenance happens. Including the groundskeeping service mowing the lawn at 8am. And the sprinklers going off at midnight. And waiting a week to have anything fixed.<br /><br /> 2.) Other people have small children. And different parenting styles than you do. The best way to deal with this is to hold your tongue when you see or hear something you don't agree with, even if you literally need to bite your tongue to prevent yourself from saying something you may regret later.<br /><br /> 3.) The pool isn't just for you and your family. The entire community is entitled to its use, even when that means the other children are doing things you didn't want your children to ever see outside of a TV show that runs a disclaimer like this: "These stunts are performed by professionals. Do not attempt at home."<br /><br /> 4.) Not everyone has the same taste in music as you do. There may be times when the downstairs neighbor and the neighbor on the north side are playing two different kinds of music and you hate them both. This is probably also the right time to remember that not everyone wants to hear you practice your trumpet. At 6am.<br /><br /> 5.) If you can hear your neighbors next door having sex, they can hear you too. It's a natural part of living in a place where bedrooms share walls. If you don't look at them funny, they won't look at you funny. (It's worth noting here that I have never heard our next door neighbors on either side do anything at all, much less that.)<br /><br /> 6.) If you have a party, the least you can do is inform your neighbors. If you have nice neighbors (like I do) and everybody gets along okay, go ahead and invite them.<br /><br /><br /> That all being said, I really love living here. And I'm getting used to it pretty well, I think. I'm thinking we might have to invite the neighbors over once we finally get some furniture and get everything all settled. It's nice living in a community where on our first day here, the downstairs neighbors invited us to play volleyball and bingo with them. They're such nice people, and they aren't the only ones around here that are. They liked my blue hair, and I have a feeling that once I get good enough to actually play my guitar around other people, they may not mind that. As long as I'm polite and don't practice too early in the morning or too late at night.Vichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10846678283819591101noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2027981703932700488.post-10606355104263884492009-08-18T18:31:00.000-07:002009-08-18T18:58:50.722-07:00Aww...My first blog post! (and other stuff)<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Wow, so this is my first post on this new blog. I'm used to the character limit on Twitter, so if these first posts are awkward, please forgive. I'm sure I'll get nice and cozy in no time.<br /><br /> I have no idea who will read this, but just in case any of you don't have kids and don't want to hear about the daily adventures of having kids, you should probably be reading another blog.<br /><br /> Continuing on that subject, I have a very frustrating issue about my kids' clothes, and I'm hoping any other parents reading this can offer advice or suggestions about this. My youngest son and my oldest son are both pretty skinny kids. The oldest is about the average height for his age, the youngest is a bit on the short side, but they have the same problem. I can't seem to find a pair of pants for either of them that fits both in the waist and the inseam. Shorts aren't a problem because I can get a 2T or 3T for the little guy and a 5 or 6 for the oldest and the waists fit fine, but in regular jeans and other pants, I have to get a 4T for the little guy and a 7 or 8 for the oldest. They're both healthy and very active, they're just thinner than the apparent standard for children their heights. Some companies are offering adjustable waists in jeans and other pants, but even those are sometimes too big. It's really irritating that there are more than enough allowances for larger children, which I have to admit I see far less frequently than smaller children, but the smaller children seem to have less available options for them. Grr...<br /><br /> Anyway, thanks for reading the ranting, I much appreciate it. Also, if you like what you're reading, feel free to send me a comment either here or on my Twitter page at http:www//twitter.com/vjs829 <br /><br /> -Vic<br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span>Vichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10846678283819591101noreply@blogger.com0