Copycat-

IM004522.jpg
Originally uploaded by brunhildecrow.

Yes, I am a copycat. I have completely stolen Hillary's cool, discrete half-headed portrait. Except, unlike her I am unable to get it to sit nicely in my profile area. If anyone knows how to do this, feel free to enlighten me.

Hillary was also kind (and creative) enough to put me in the tree in the Ebba-fairy-poo-land picture from my last post. But flickr would not allow me to upload it. Apparently they don't think I DESERVE to be a tree sprite in Ebba-fairy-poo-land.

But they are wrong.

I several hours at Chuck E. Cheese today. I am not one of those parents who downtalk the place. Where else in the world can you. for $30, eat pizza and completely ignore even the very youngest of children knowing that if you have a little plastic cup of coins, they will surely find you eventually? And in the south they serve beer at Chuckie's! It must be paradise there...

So about this picture - my smaller son took this. He's only 7, but he has a love of photography. And cooking. And smacking himself on the hinder when he dances.

My older son, who is 11, went to see Paper Clips with a friend yesterday. I was curious to see what he though of it. I was prepared to have a real heart to heart about man's inhumanity to man and that sort of thing. Instead he gave me a 10 minute diatribe about how documentaries are not his thing. I guess I am relieved in one respect. I was worried about how he would react to a movie about the holocaust. But I am also concerned that he didn't "get it". He knows that Nazis were bad (from Indiana Jones movies and yes - my children do learn everything from television, thanks for asking...) but I think maybe he doesn't understands that it really happened. Would I be a bad mother if I rented "Life is Beautiful" and watched it with him?

And as long as you are giving advice, maybe you can tell me what the piece of skin that is between the nostrils is called. Is there a name for it? And is there some inexpensive day surgery I could have done? Mine appears to be sagging as much as other parts of my body. Shameful...

Ebba-fairy-poo-land.

ebba-fairy-poo-cartoon
Originally uploaded by brunhildecrow.

I desperatly was hoping to cut and paste my own face to this strange little picture, but I lack the skill and the time. But I post it in hopes that you will enjoy happy daydreams of yourself in Ebba-fairy-poo-land. You do not even want to know what I was looking for when I found this. And if you are my friend Jen you really REALLY don't want to know. Suffice to say, I was shown the most horrifying sight of my life this week and I have watched myself give birth AND attended an Air Supply concert so I know whereof I speak. I was trying to exact revenge on the person who showed me the website of horror when I stumbled on Ebba and she just cleansed my soul and made me want to live again.

Other things that are making me as happy as a pig in... well, as happy as a pig are the following blogs. Mr. Nice Guy writes about the impending birth of his child, among other things. So funny that I lose control and howl. I have heard of Mimi Smarty Pants before but never read her until yesterday. Why do I find it funny when people are snarky about obnoxious children? Even yesterday when my own little spawn was practically pole dancing at his soccer game (he was playing defense and was bored, what else would you expect?) and the man sitting next to me said to his wife, "There's nothing more disturbing than a spanky-ass-dancing seven year old." and I thought, "Too true..."

Speaking of the disturbing, I went to see Sin City last night. It was far more disturbing than any movie I have ever seen - but also absolutely amazing. I did not sleep easy last night. Mickey Roarke was amazing. And I can't stand the guy. There was an interesting article about him in Rolling Stone. Apparently he is "repentant".

The final thing I leave you with is a bit of religious fundamentalism I can really get behind.

Blessings to you from Sibling Gatling Gun of Love and Mercy.

This is your brain on wood...

woodcut brain copy 3 copy
Originally uploaded by brunhildecrow.

I like this brain very much. It is a reminder that I do in fact have one, although the evidence of that is in short supply. I feel like lately I am on a toboggan made of fruit roll-ups careening down a mountain of molten lava. But I suspect that will end as soon as I finish this last semester of school and the end of the school year. I so look forward to normalcy. And that is my obligatory excuse for not writing in this blog for over a month. Believe me - in June you will be thinking "Can't you just shut the hell up for ONE DAY??" Trust me...

But that is not why I am writing - I received a MeMe from Guusje. And since I love the topic - I am going to send it along. Incidentally, Guusje is the first of my friends to start a blog and the first to send me a MeMe. Thanks Guusje!

So here it is:
Book MeMe

You are stuck inside Fahrenheit 451, which book do you want to be?
Since I have no ability to memorize at all it would probably be best for everyone if I was "Pat the Bunny" or if I am feeling like a challange, "Good-Night Moon". But if I were thinking of a book I would hate to see disappear I would choose Anne Lamott's "Traveling Mercies" and/or Margaret Atwood's "Handmaid's Tale". Because I both love Jesus and am terrified of people who claim to love him and are planning to destroy our country in His name. Freaks. (Yes, I do express my political opinions with all the clarity and eloquence of a nine year old.)

Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character?
Of course! I love Tony Markham from the Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace and Remus Lupin from the Harry Potter books. Also Master Jervie Pendleton from "Daddy Long Legs". So I guess these crushes were more in my younger days. Now I have no crushes on anyone but El Guapo - my beloved - man among men - man above all other men - washer of dishes - fertilizer of lawns - poster of comments. (There, that ought to hold him for awhile...)

Last book(s) you read:
"Bloody Jack" by L.A. Meyer - story of an orphan girl in 1800 or so who disguises herself as a boy and goes off to sea with the Royal Navy. Ripping good fun.
The new Robert Parker "Cold Service". I suppose I could have a crush on Spenser if he weren't so concerned with everything his girlfriend eats and so dismissive of fat ladies. But he is heroic.

What are you currently reading?
"Curse of the Blue Tattoo" the sequal to "Bloody Jack". Also "Anastasia Again" because I never read the Anastasia books. And I was going to give Augustin Burroughs' "Running With Scissors" a try because I loved "Magical Thinking" so much - but I keep putting it aside for things like "Promoting Writing and Research Using the I-Search Method" and Us Magazine.

Five books you would take to a desert island?
This depends on how long I am going to be on the island. If it is just for a few weeks I would just take what I like and read it over and over. But if I am there for ages I should go for quantity. I will assume it is the latter and choose:
1. The complete Maud Hart Lovelace - all the Betsy Tacy books plus Carney, Winona and Emily bound into one volume. Not published yet, but I am sure it will be before I hit the mythical Island.
2. The complete Harry Potter - all 7 (or more if we should be so lucky) see above.
3. The complete Shakespeare - with notes so I understand what the hell I am reading.
4. The 12 volume library of the funniest things ever written including the complete works of Mark Twain, David Sedaris, Peg Bracken and Haven Kimmel and others. Yep - I dream big.
5. The Bible - you know I have to...

But realistically the five books I never tire of are:
Gone to Soldiers by Marge Piercy
Betsy and Joe by Maud Hart Lovelace
A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
and
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Who are you going to pass this stick to and why?
I will send it first to Hillary because she is my inspiration. Then to this very funny, articulate woman from my favorite listserv who as far as I can see doesn't list her first name on her blog so I will respect her anonymity. And Beth who is quite free and loose with the giving out of her first name.

And there you have my blog entry for the month of April. See you in May!