Blokus

Blokus. A crazy puzzle-type game. We played this with Ben and Stephanie over the weekend and we were HOOKED. In fact, Saturday, Will made me go buy it and we have been playing it with two people ever since. It's totally addicting. I love games.

Survivor

So, yesterday my friend Stephanie and I drove to Gary, Indiana to go to an open casting call for Survivor. Steph was going to audition, not me. I decided I couldn't leave my baby for 39 days straight. The casting call "started" at 10 a.m. but we got there at 8:45 and were still the 104th people in line. We waited for a couple hours and then got number and were told to come back in an hour. P.S. Did I mention this was taking place in a casino? It was super stinky.

So she went back and did her video audition. She told them about herself and why they should choose her. Then we went home smelling like ashtrays. Yummy. She won't find out till March if she makes then next cut but we all have our fingers crossed. Go Stephanie!!!

Snippets

Yesterday I took my son for a haircut. His hair was so shaggy he was starting to look like a Bad News Bear. My friend , Amy, had recommended this place called Snippets and it was FABULOUS. It's completely kid-themed. It has a play area and all of the "seats" are these little cars that are on the hydrolic lifts so they get to sit and "drive" in the cars. At each station there is a little tv that is playing a kid DVD so the children are completely distracted during the haircut. Tristan LOVED it. The only time he fussed was when it was time to go. Apparently Snippets is a LOT cooler than home.

I'm Freezing

That's it. I'm freezing. It's too cold here. Maybe I'm a pansy and that's okay. I'm just not sure I was cut out for this cold weather. I spend the bulk of my day debating on whether or not I dare go to the store and buy groceries for my family. I mean...we could just eat crackers and hot water til spring....right?

Football

I was never a super-huge football fan. BUT...growing up in a town that lacked a professional football team (Salt Lake City), I DID feel a keen sort of "football disconnect" from the rest of the world. Who should I root for? I didn't know.

So a few years ago when I moved to Chicago I thought, "Great", now I can be a diehard Bears fan. But it never felt right. I felt like I was dating someone that I was indifferent towards but just kept hanging out with because I didn't have any other prospects. It seemed kind of pathetic.

So I went out with a couple more teams and I really hit if off with the Broncos and the Eagles. But unfortunately they didn't make it far in the playoffs. And so I find myself crawling back to the Bears.

You might think me flaky or call me a fair-weather fan, but perhaps you will go easy on me now that you are aware of my rootless, dysfunctional football background.

Tristan

This is my son, Tristan. He is the cutest thing in the whole wide world. He'll be 17 months next week and his NEW thing is to bring everyone's sneakers into the living room and then try to walk around in them. Which is just ridiculous when you think about it.

When people ask me his name and I tell them, Tristan, they immediately say, "Oh, like Brad Pitt's character from Legends of the Fall." This makes my husband roll his eyes and shake his head. But it' true. He KNOWS it's true.

Pride and Prejudice

About every eight weeks I get a hankering to watch Pride and Prejudice. So I'll pull out the newer, shorter DVD and watch it. This inevitably creates a Pride and Prejudice FRENZY. So after watching the short version, I'll watch the long 6-hour version. Then sometimes I even read the book. Then after I read the book I'll watch all of my Jane Austen movies, and the whole while with my husband saying, "Didn't you JUST watch these last month?"

He doesn't understand.

P.S. I finally decided that my ideal version of P&P would be the long version but with the Mr. Bingley and Jane Bennett from the short version. I'm right about this.

Sisters

So this is the ONLY picture I have of my three sisters. They are as follows; Hillary, Erin, Lindsay and then me. I also have two brothers but this post is called Sisters..not Sisters and Brothers.

Now a little bit about my sisters...Lindsay is the oldest and blondest. She isn't wearing any makeup in this picture. Hmmm.....?? She is married with three kids and writes her own music. (of the country variety). She has her own website which is www.lindsaymitchell.com if you want to check out her music and see a picture of her WITH makeup. Also, Lindsay if you're reading this...I've found a super-cool sweater for you to wear in your next video.

Erin is sister number three (I'm number two )...Her hair is a kind of a light orange color in this picture. Lindsay and I have decided that she looks best with blond highlights. Not super-blonde like Lindsay but just lighter....sometimes when she doesn't comb her hair we call her Ramona Quimby. Erin is very tall. This upsets me because I can't borrow ANY of her clothes or shoes.
She is married and works as a paralegal.

Hillary is the youngest. She is going to college at BYU and still lives at home. She has been telling everyone for two years that she is going to get a job but we've all given up hope. Mostly we rag her about it because the rest of us all had jobs at 15...but I guess that's how it goes when you're the baby of the family. Also she has my Luella Bartley handbag that she doesn't take care of and that I want back.

Organ Donation

I was watching reruns of Grey's Anatomy last night and have decided that if I die or if I am in some sort of vegetative state and have to be taken off of life support that I definetely want my organs to be donated. Except for my eyes and my skin. Please don't take my skin.

My new blog

I've been inspired by my friend Stephanie to create a blog. And since I'm not really computer-savvy it'll probably take me a while to make it remotely interesting. So now people near and far can log on everyday to see exactly what transpires in a day in the life of the Bireleys. Maybe then they'll realize why I don't call.