New job...new wheels!

Ron was just minding his own business last month, when a head hunter came looking for him. She had an amazing job opportunity for him that she felt he would not be able to pass up. Once he agreed to take the interview it all happened very fast. He met with several key people at the new company over 2 days and they loved him. They checked his references then offered him the position of Vice President, Finance; Corporate Controller. The name of the company is LiveOps.

I don't completely understand what this company does except that it has something to do with a call center in "the cloud." All I know for sure is that 3 weeks into his new job, he is happy, less stressed and he gets home at a more reasonable hour every day. It's a good thing, for sure!

Soon after becoming a VP, Ron decided it was time for a new car. Back in 2004, he had bought 2 Dodge Stratus' for the family. One he used to commute back and forth to work and the other one was for the girls to share (fight over) during high school and then college. The gold and silver Strati have been driven back and forth to Santa Barbara repeatedly and have scratches and dings all over them. The internal workings of these cars have been well tended to and they are both still running very nicely. Ron is very happy to be able to allow Beckie and Mandi to each have a car to use as they go about their business. I, of course, am still stuck with the Beeson Bus. Oh well.

After careful deliberation and a weekend of shopping various car lots, Ron settled on a 2013 Nissan Altima. The color is "Java Metallic" (sparkly brown) with a tan leather interior. It's quite fancy with a moon roof, blue tooth, rear view camera and XM radio. It even has a push button starter. I got to drive it the other day and it was like driving a spaceship! I'm glad that he has a new car - after all he does for the rest of us, he really deserves it. It's not his dream car; he says we aren't quite there yet, but it's certainly a step up from the Stratus!

Wednesdays with Wild Thing

My life has been ridiculously busy and hectic lately and I have fallen WAY behind in keeping you up to date in this blog. I almost don't know where to start...hmmmmm...well, the first thing that comes to mind is my Wednesdays with Wild Thing.

Viliamu is 6 years old now and just about to finish kindergarten. At the beginning of May it became my job to pick him up from school on Wednesdays. I was eager to take this job on - spending some quality time 1-1 with my favorite 6 year old? Wonderful! We have been having a great time. '

Our schedule goes something like this...I pick him up from school at 11:40. (It's really something to be at an elementary school again with all those kids!) After school he is usually ravenously hungry so we go get something to eat. His favorite spot is a restaurant just down the hill from the school called Clementine's. Everyone there knows him by name and they don't even bring him a menu because they know what he wants! The rule is that he has to eat a salad BEFORE he gets his grilled cheese sandwich and fries. After lunch we might go to the park - there is a lovely little park close by that is perfect for riding his scooter and burning off a little energy!

could this kid be any cooler?!

look at the view - it's a beautiful park

Depending on what's showing, we might then go to a movie. So far on our Wednesdays, we have seen Oz the Great and Powerful, The Croods and this week we went to see Epic. By Wild Thing's standards, the movie this week was NOT so epic. I was looking forward to this movie because it is based on a book by one of my favorite children's authors William Joyce. I've told you about several of his other books here. The book is called The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs (1996). It's another one of Mr. Joyce's sweet stories filled with his beautiful illustrations.

the book

the movie

Somehow, when it came time to translate this book into an animated movie, it became Epic. Unfortunately, it wasn't. I have become spoiled by Pixar animation and this Blue Sky production just doesn't compete with the likes of the Toy Story movies and Monsters, Inc. for me. It wasn't terrible by any means, it just wasn't as good. The movie did not pass the Wild Thing test because 3/4 of the way through it, Viliamu leaned over to me and asked if the movie was almost over! That's the kiss of death for us! Mind you, this is a kid that loves super heroes and video games, but he is only 6 years old! So, I do recommend this movie for preschoolers although the villains in it are a little scary.

Finally, I want to share a quick story. Last week, Viliamu and I were killing time after seeing another movie (The Croods - not good by the way) and we had decided to write and draw our own comic book. He would be the super hero - Fire Ninja with a sidekick named Blue Flash. He was so  excited and really worked on the illustrations while I worked on the title page. At one point he says to me, "Yawa (that's what he has called me since he was a baby), I don't know what I'd do without you!" I was stunned into silence for a minute. "Really, Baby?" I asked while trying to nonchalantly swallow the lump in my throat. "Yeah," he sighed. "I just don't know what I'd do."

Boy, does this kid have my number!

It's time for a vote - HELP!

I need your help. Yesterday, I went to see Denise and had my hair dyed (bleached) again so I am still blonde. On the drive home I had an internal conversation with myself and decided that I am ok with being blonde and also decided to remain blonde during some big family events that are coming up before the end of the year. Then Ron came home and asked me when I was going to go back to my original hair color, so, of course, now I am unsure. It's not that he doesn't like the way I look now, but I think he misses what I used to look like.

So I am putting it out there for a vote....

Brunette Laura?

OR

Blonde Laura? 

What do you think? Help?

"Ladies and Gentlemen...start your engines!!!!"

It's one of those special days in the Beeson House...Memorial Day weekend means the Indianapolis 500 Race. I spent my adolescence in Indiana and all the tradition and hoopla around the race has stuck with me over the years. Well, that and the fact that I married a Hoosier! Every year Ron and I look forward to hearing Jim Nabors sing "Back Home Again in Indiana." It's a song that will bring tears to our eyes as they usually show beautiful scenes of the Indiana countryside while Jim is singing.  I can't explain how exciting it is to hear the drivers start their engines - I LOVE LOVE LOVE the sound of the cars as they speed around the track. (If you were here I would make the sound for you!)

What's prettier than a Indy race car? I don't know.

Today there is a 40% chance of thunderstorms in Indianapolis - that worries me a bit because rain increases the chances of accidents. It's no fun when the yellow flags come out on the track and slows everything down. And we REALLY don't want anyone getting hurt.

There are 4 women starting the race today - Katherine Legge, Ana Beatriz, Pippa Mann and Simona de Silvestro. They are all underdogs and not expected to win. I just hope they all finish safely. It's too bad that Danica Patrick isn't racing Indycars anymore  - it was great to root for her every year. Today I'm rooting for the pole sitter, Ed Carpenter as he is hometown boy from Indiana and a graduate of Butler University as well! More than anything, I am hoping for a safe race for all the drivers.

Time to sign off now - the festivities are starting and I don't want to miss the national anthem and the singing of "Back Home in Indiana." Who do you think will drink the milk today?

Let the Blockbusters Begin!

I do believe that this is my favorite time of the year to go to the movies - Summer Blockbusters have arrived! A couple weeks ago it was Iron Man 3 (loved it, by the way). This weekend we went to see Star Trek Into Darkness. O.M.G.!!! It was awesome! I should tell you up front that I have loved Star Trek since the beginning of the original TV series. I have been a fan of the subsequent movies and TV series as well. I was definitely predisposed to love this movie.

Chris Pine is the new James T. Kirk. He plays the character with a different kind of swagger than William Shatner did, but he is just as good and to my eyes even better looking than the original captain - oh, what gorgeous blue eyes! Zachary Quinto is our new Mr. Spock and he honors Leonard Nimoy with the way he portrays the iconic character. The rest of the crew of the Enterprise are equally wonderful - Scotty and Bones are especially great. Benedict Cumberbatch (what a name!) is a super villian. I was very surprised to find out his character name and story line - I will not spoil it for you, but trust me - it's so good!

This is an exciting and fun film filled with spectacular special visual effects - we did not see it in 3D - you don't need to - it's great as a regular film so don't spend the extra dollars for the glasses, but do go see it!

Last weekend we went to see this little gem of a film. This is a love story set in Denmark and Italy. Pierce Brosnan and Trine Dyrholm are the main characters who meet while preparing for the marriage of their children. Much of the film is spoken in Danish with English subtitles. This story is full of quirky characters and beautiful scenes of Italy. Definitely made me want to visit there! It's a small independent film and may be difficult to find, but if you like love stories, try to find it.

So, the great summer movie season has begun....

"Mean"opause

So far this is turning out to be the least favorite time of my life. I've been suffering through hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings and some depression for about 6 months now. I hate it! It's awful feeling like I have no control over my body and moods. At least I've figured out why I've been so moody and mean lately. Most people who know me will be surprised to hear me say this because for the most part, I have been keeping the mean-ness to myself. You should hear the internal dialogue that goes on inside my head. Or maybe you shouldn't. Unfortunately, sometimes the mean me slips out and says things that I should keep to myself. For those who are unfortunate enough to be in my line of fire on the bad days, I humbly apologize.

I haven't been writing much lately. I've been feeling low and laying low. I have no energy and don't feel like doing anything. I'm watching too much bad TV and not exercising as much as I should. "Boo Hoo" and "Woe is me!"

I need a jump start or an attitude adjustment or SOMETHING! Luckily, I haven't been taking any of this out on Ron. I'm just so glad to see him when he comes home at the end of the day, I can't imagine snapping at him. I'll be so glad when this horrible phase of my aging is over. It sounds like I'm feeling sorry for myself, doesn't it? I guess I do a bit, but I shouldn't, should I? I'm lucky to be alive and I need to remind myself of that from time to time!

Mother's Day 2013

Such a lovely day! 2/3 of my kids came over today and cooked a delicious brunch for us....french toast, crepes with fresh fruit and bellinis. It was all delicious!

Beckie and Brian

Bellini, anyone?

Brunch on the patio

Giving Beckie a knitting lesson

a quick learner

Mandi learned easily as well

all that was missing from this picture was JB

love these girls!

all that was missing from this picture was Causten

Brunch, sitting and knitting and a competitive game of Scatergories - it was such a nice day! I am a lucky lady!

go red for women!

A friend sent this to me today and asked me to share this with my friends. It's only a 3 minute video, so please click on the link below and watch...

just a little heart attack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGKE54cRsEI

Knowledge is power. Please take care of yourselves and pass this video along!

Iron Man 3 - catching up

What a great way to start the summer movie season! Ron and I took Viliamu to see Iron Man 3 today. We all really enjoyed it. Tony Stark's past came back to haunt him and that's all I will say - I will not ruin this movie for anyone else. Lots of action and suspense - some violence and fight scenes, but not bloody gory. Robert Downy, Jr. is one of my favorite actors and he does a great job with this character. Guy Pearce and Ben Kingsley are excellent as the villains for this movie. It passed The 6 year old attention span test! He sat still for the entire show. No Oscars for this movie, but it's a lot of fun!

I am a little behind telling you about some other movies that we've seen lately. With summer movies on the way, I thought it would be a good idea to get caught up. 

Ron and I went to see this Pain and Gain last week. Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson play real life criminals Daniel Lugo and Paul Doyle. In a lot of ways it's a funny move - funny strange not funny ha ha. During the entire movie I couldn't imagine that I was watching a true story, but apparently it is. There are some pretty gruesome things that take place in the telling of this story. I suppose it's a fair telling of the story, but I don't recommend it.

Yesterday we went to see The Big Wedding. I had heard some pretty bad reviews for this one, but I wanted to see it anyway. Robert Deniro, Diane Keaton, Susan Sarandon, Robin Williams were enough of a reason for me to see this  movie. I have to admit that it was incredibly predictable from start to finish and parts of it were pretty crass. We did laugh some, though, so it wasn't a total loss!

I

We finally got around to watching Gangster Squad on pay per view last week. It's very loosely based on a real gangster, Mickey Cohen. We had wanted to see it when it was in the theater, but it was one that got away from us. It's worth putting in your queue on Netflix if you like gangster films. Ryan Gosling is always easy on the eyes and Sean Penn is excellent as the brutal Mickey Cohen. We liked it.

Last but not least, we watched this movie last Friday night. This, too, is based on the true story of a family's experience and survival in the aftermath of the tsunami that hit Indonesia in 2004. Naomi Watts was nominated for an academy award for her performance in this film last year and it was well deserved. She was amazing in this. It was difficult to see what happened to the people in Thailand during this natural disaster. It's a good film - also worth putting in your queue.

I will do my best to keep up with my reviews. The Great Gatsby comes out next week and its next on our list.

the plan

2013 is a big year for the family. Lots of family gatherings planned and big events on the calendar. Finally, I have found the motivation to REALLY get myself in shape. Exercise is key in my plan. You would think that after the year I had in 2012, that I wouldn't have needed any further motivation to get healthy. The truth is, however, that I kinda sorta "let myself go" once I got out of the hospital. I had lost 32 pounds during the course of my illness and hospitalization - I do not recommend this to anyone! I had lost my appetite and with my physical decline lost quite a bit of muscle mass.

So there is good news and bad news now. I feel SO much better now in so many ways. That's the good news. Unfortunately, my appetite came back, too, and the bad news is that I gained all that weight back...sigh...

I have a plan, though. I recently read how Trisha Yearwood lost 30 pounds in 4 months with more mindful cooking and eating and exercise. I've got the exercise schedule all worked out  - I started it this week - - -

Monday - Biking

Tuesday - Yoga

Wednesday - Swimming

Thursday - Yoga

Friday - Biking 

Now I'm going back to a more plant based diet, too. The big question is whether or not I will be able to convince Mr. Beeson that this is in his best interest, too! My sweetheart has a sweet tooth! 

Wish me luck! It's Friday so I have to hop on my bike and get some exercise before it gets too hot out.

May Day - May Day

Happy May 1st! What a beautiful day it was, too! The weather was nothing less than perfect. A perfect day to spend some time with the most charming 6 year old on the planet! I picked him up from school today (this is my new job on Wednesdays), we had a nice lunch and then we went swimming. Yes, I went swimming today and yes, my swim suit fit! Wonderful exercise - I had no idea what a little fish Viliamu is! It was a great day and now I'm exhausted. I will let the pictures speak for themselves...

No Fear! He jumped right in!

His handstand

goofin' by the pool

notice that someone else is a blonde now, too?

love

We had such a great day together! I am looking forward to all my Wednesdays now!