No time to blog!

Is it really so hard to find a few minutes each day to log in and reflect on.....something.....
apparently - yes.

A thought for today: Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam, be it ever so humble...there's no place like home.

It was Mom's birthday

Yesterday was Mom's birthday.  The kids were very excited.  I think mostly to eat the cupcakes they helped me make on Sunday, but well before that they were throwing out phrases like,"this is the best party ever" or "this is a great birthday".  And then I wondered - was it?

My mother's birthday consisted of the following:

1 - spend day at school (during vacation) with om team

2 - pick up my kids at babysitter

3 - dinner of pizza and salad

4 - cupcakes made by kids and I

5 - presents and cards  (funny note here: Kate and I shopped for separate gifts and didn't speak to each other regarding the details of what we had gotten.  I got two candles for her - one green and one pink. Kate got her new placemats, green with pink flowers - just so funny that we coordinated with out even discussing it)

I certainly hope that the hurried "celebration" was enough to let her know that she is loved and so important to us.  My Mom turned  57 yesterday, which gives me about three years to plan something truly special for a truly special person on her next milestone.

CHANGING "The Space Between"

So I'm getting rid of starting all my posts with "The Space Between...something and something"

Why? Because it's too much darn work! So many times this month I've wanted to sit down and share a story or put some thoughts on something together and I haven't been able to get past the title!

So that's over. I'm over being clever with titles. Maybe.

That said, "the space between" things and thoughts and feelings remains one thing that I will and do muse about quite often.

PS Does anyone even read this?

The Space Bewteen...6 more weeks of winter or just winter

Phil (Bill Murray): This is one time where television really fails to capture the true excitement of a large squirrel predicting the weather. (Groundhog Day, 1993)

yes that's right friends...
today is Groundhog Day. every year on feb 2 a rotund rodent is plucked from his slumber, observed to see if shadow is cast, and then held aloft for thousands of shivering on lookers to applaud. if he "sees" his shadow, 6 more weeks of winter. if not, early spring. oh. my. god.
why? why can't American's (and Canadians for that matter, you don't get off the hook here either) let go of this ridiculous observance? or more accurately, why won't media let this gigantic waste of time and effort go away? Google, Fox, MSN - come on.
A side note: Thank you, former employer CNN for holding out some brief glimmer of hope. As of this writing I didn't see an annoying article on your site.

besides wondering at the relatively free schedule of the 13,000 people one story said were there to observe "Phil's forecast", i have to wonder why a picture caption including "sees shadow, in shock returns to hole" is AP worthy? of course he was in shock. groundhogs hibernate until march or april! that in itself should make this silly day go away.

for those of you prone to enjoy this seemingly ancient and antiquated frivolity, you would enjoy these crazy people. seems there is actually a group of distinguished looking (looking being the operative word here) people who have charmed the media into covering this monstrosity of a holiday.

my final thought on groundhog day is this:
Dear Fox and MSN: Please find something else to talk about on Feb 2, 2010. We need to move beyond Groundhog Day.
Dear Groundhog Club of Punxsutawney: I'm sorry. Being from a small town too, I can sympathize that this is important to you. But really...we as a society, should be over this. And I'm kinda thinkin Phil would agree...

The Space Between...work and life part 2

(second blog for work. there was supposed to be a third, but i haven't written it yet)

So my favorite commercials have either great music, star power, or a tad of reality. (Sound familiar?) Here’s my plug for great music.

Doin’ things is what I like to do. Not a great descriptive sentence, not really a great sentence at all. But in the capable hands of They Might Be Giants and Hill Holiday, it’s an amazing jingle that will not leave my head! The first time I saw this spot I said, “That is the stupidest song…doin things is what I like to do (in an over the top “stupid” voice)…no kidding.” Then the next time, by the end of the :60 I was humming. Next day: “I’m slightly more efficient than I previously was…” What?!? Yes, it was stuck.

I like the beat, the melody, the harmony…plus it’s a commercial jingle that has the words “efficient”, “productive”, and “previous” (TWICE!)…how can you not appreciate that?!

I dare you, triple dog dare you, to watch this spot and then not have this song in your head the next time you walk down the street with a DD cup in your hands.

Slightly related: They Might Be Giants have been around since 1984 and have released many albums as well as done commercials, TV theme songs and kids albums.
Apparently during a 2004 tour, TMBG recorded songs about each of the venues they played, including The Egg.

The Space Between...work and life.

(the following is a blog a wrote for work, 1 of 2 so far, I liked it so I figured I'd post it here in The Space Between)

Because I’m the mommy, that’s why…

When my boss first told us about the blog on the website, he indicated that he really wanted everyone to contribute. I thought, “Hmmm, ok. Blog. I can do that.” Then I thought again. What would I possibly blog about? Being the Mossey staffer with the longest commute, I could share my thoughts on gas prices...ummm, no. Having two children younger than 5, I could share endless rants about children’s programming…hmmm, maybe. Or being an avid fan of musical theater, I could share my thoughts on the “Hollywoodization” (it’s a word – it’s all over other people’s blogs) of Broadway…ahhh, next month. (Just kidding). One thing I do feel fairly safe in talking about, is what I like and why. I figure if you like it too, then we’ve got something to talk about. If you don’t, then we still have something to talk about. So here’s my first Mossey Group blog:

I pay attention to commercials. (Big surprise!) When I see one that sparks my interest, I can’t wait to see it again. When I hear one with catchy music, look out. To me the most memorable commercials either have great music, star power, or reflect a little bit of real life. (But not too much…we need something fanciful) The spot I’ve attached here has the latter. I love this spot. This video has Spanish text, but the message is unchanged.

So why do I like this? Because I’m a mommy! The little bit of reality here is that my kids would do this every night if they could. And if they could magically flop down and fall instantly asleep…I can’t even finish that thought…there are no words. You see, it’s only been a few months that my kids have shared a room and both been in “big kid beds”.
The novelty is still fresh for them and bouncing back and forth is a nightly ritual. It’s actually rather precious, as they usually try very hard to stay as quiet as possible but inevitably end up giggling or full out laughing prompting a trip up the stairs by yours truly. “Guys, you need to lay down and go to sleep. No more jumping.” “Why?” “Because I’m the mommy, and those are my directions, that’s why.” And every time I say it, something deep inside cringes a little. Do I really expect a 4 year old and a 2 year old to believe this as a reasonable explanation…well, yes! Anyway, when I hear the thumping on the floor and the stifled giggles through the monitor, this spot comes to mind.

So we’ve got the little bit of reality covered. What else? Come on! The kid is cute, the footsie pjs are cute, and the bouncy music is catchy. I also really like that there is no voice over. You get it. I could have done without the snoring sound effects…but that’s minor. Sealy carried this basic principle into their advertising during the 2004 Olympics. You may remember the high jumper, the swimmer, the gymnast, or the synchronized swimming pair, who fall instantly asleep on their Sealy mattresses. Again, no voice over, save for the whispered “Sealy, official supplier of the US Olympic team.”

Bravo, Sealy! (Or should I say, Sealy’s agency!) This is one of my favorite spots ever.