The L.A. Dime

As many of you know, there are several minor improvements Brad and I have long talked about doing to make our home more appealing. But not until we noticed a water leak (which seemed to stem from the shower in our master bath) did we finally do something about our wish list. Our friends Mark and Nancy recommended their contractor Frank to us who sold us on the idea that he could do everything we desired, within 2 weeks and for a price that seemed reasonable.

Frank and his crew of two started last Tuesday and have been going strong ever since. On the list is a new shower (the leak was caused by a cracked cement base which had to be completely gutted to be repaired, or risk the possibility of it breaking through the ceiling onto our dinning room table), new tile flooring in both bathrooms, removal of the “wall mirrors”, replacing the old theatre-lights for recess lights, taking down the entry-way mirrors and removing the fireplace arch.

It’s a dusty process and while I’ve been confined to the guest room and office, things are starting to take shape and I’m getting excited about how everything will look upon completion. Stay tuned for pictures of the progress….

This past Christmas, one of my fabulous college roommates Julie gave me a gift card to the Burke Williams Spa….wanting not to waste this incredible gift, I’ve waited until the perfect time to use it. As my belly continues to expand, my back begins to ache and the contractors were improving Hamlin house, I took the opportunity to get a facial and “especially for pregnancy recommended milk bath” with my friend Nancy. What a fabulous experience! From the super-luxurious bathrobes, to the fresh-squeezed lemonade, fantabulous service and extraordinary treatments, this was such a treat. Thanks Julie for making it possible and thanks to Nancy for suggesting (and joining)!!

I continue to encounter events, situations and issues that make me wonder why colleges don’t offer us an opportunity to learn about life lessons like: Which life insurance coverage is best for us? How much should we invest vs. keep in our savings account? When do you hire a contractor or just attempt to fix the leaky shower yourself? Oh, and which credit card is going to give me the best rewards? These and a few other questions are ones Brad and I have been dealing with over the past year or so, and while we either research the answers on the web or from a book, or get advice from family and friends, it sure would be nice if these types of topics were covered in a structured academic setting that allowed you to consider the various options without fearing that your ceiling will cave on you if you don’t fix that water leak immediately.

For most people, watching TV either serves an educational purpose (“Planet Earth”, “Little People, Big World”, “The Amazing Race” or anything on the Discovery Chanel) or is purely for entertainment purposes (“The Bachelor”, “The Simpsons”, “American Idol”, etc.). One of my personal favorite TV shows that always provided me with that warm-n-fuzzy feeling , a few tears here and there, lots of laugh-out-loud moments, but mostly a sense of the importance of honest relationships with the people around us, was Gilmore Girls. It wasn’t necessarily about the witty conversations that Lorelai (mother) and Rory (daughter) continued to have about all sorts of topics, but more the sense that they were portrayed in a way that I hope to live my life — take each day as it comes, make the best of all situations, cherish your family, value your relationships, work hard to make a positive contribution, and never take yourself too seriously. Last Tuesday was the series finale and of course I cried…not only because it was the last one but because the whole show was about taking risks in life to obtain big rewards, never forgetting where you came from, and taking the time to truly thank others for the positive impact they’ve had on our lives. When Lorelai begins to impart a number of life lessons on Rory before she takes off to live in another city for a fabulous new job, and Rory simply says “mom, you’ve taught me everything I’ll ever need to know” – I not only thought of my own mom and all that she has taught me over the years (even if I sometimes learned it kicking and screaming!), but all the other people in my life that provide me with lessons on a daily basis, and how grateful I am for them all. So, thank you Gilmore Girls for seven wonderful years of showing us that the simple things in life still matter and being true to yourself is always the best policy.

We’ve been slow to post lately as things have been hectic with the semester ending at USC, getting ready for a teaching trip to Louisville, and doing a bit of writing work. I did escape to Beverly Hills this week for a haircut. My guy, Atila, was once a Harley mechanic, has a cool name for a guy wielding a blade all day, and is a highly competitive endurance athlete. He’s been cutting hair in the 90210 for years, and can be found at Alford/Mikolaj on Little Santa Monica near Roxbury.

On the way, I bought my girls some gourmet cupcakes from Sprinkles. There’s usually a long line out the door, but I managed to make my buy in less than five minutes, getting a pretty pink box of 4 for $13. Vanilla was our favorite. We’re hoping cupcake expert Melanie Mauer (the best photographer in the world) will visit soon and give us her take.

I saw Spiderman 3 Thursday night, and was terribly disappointed. The high-flying Spidey action was so fast, that it was tough to make out what was actually happening — as if the the filmmakers said, “we don’t have anymore cool ideas, so we’ll just have everybody zoom around at Mach 5 so that nobody notices.” Dizzying is the word. Despite a few good laughs when Peter Parker goes macho, the “character” story was nauseating, everyone looked bad (especially the befanged Dunst), and for a franchise that seems to want to go on forever, I don’t get the need to jam three villains into one movie. Spread it out, slow it down, and make a better movie. The other two were good, but this one stinks. Still, nothing can touch Batman Begins.

You wouldn’t think that The Pursuit of Happyness would be the kind of movie you’d watch in order to christen a brand new HDTV, but it came in the mail so we watched. It’s a touching film, a little slow but well performed, and definitely worth a rent.

Lexington friends Jack and Adrienne have welcomed their second child into the world, Elliot Jackson, and according to Jack, he was “born at 6:35 am, May 7, 6 lbs, 5 oz., 20 inches. Mom and baby are doing very well. Dad needs a nap.”

Today we learned that Kentucky friends Scott and Elizabeth are having another boy near the due date for our little one, and that Beth and Bob (now in Denver) are expecting a girl around the same time.  Congrats and best wishes to all.

Jack and Elliot

Keeping our KY traditions alive is near and dear to our hearts…so, what better way than to kick off the summer of 2007 than by celebrating Derby Day with our closest friends and a brand-new TV!! We invited the usual suspects (Dempseys, Shepherds, Berne/Whites, Thomas’ and JT) as well as some fellow Kentuckians Shannon, her finance John, and Chris) to help us enjoy the fastest 2 minutes in sports. The food preparations began the night before with homemade green bean casserole (off the soup can), corn pudding (adored by all — thanks Saundra!), gorgonzola mashed potatoes (Jan’s recipe), derby pie (Amy’s recipe), and of course Mint Juleps. We bought the fried chicken at Ralphs, and Jan contributed his delicious biscuits with sausage gravy. Everyone participated in some good ol’ fashioned betting, and there was lots of hollering when the gates finally opened. The winnings were shared by a few lucky fellows and while no one wore a hat, it was sure nice to sing “My old KY home” with our LA family.

Hello beloved readers of our little blog….it’s been great watching from behind the scenes how Brad gets so much joy sharing our news, adventures, and thoughts with all of you, and then having you comment so actively. I’ve often suggested topics to blog about, so eventually he convinced me that I had a lot to say and should write my own posts…so, here we go!

Of course, writing your first blog brings with it some pressure…what’s the best topic to open the floodgates for a lively online conversation, stimulate thought, or share some useful information? Well, since our little Sophie is currently on one of her many workout sessions, I thought I’d share a picture of my growing belly with you all. We’re at 5 1/2 months and I’ve gained 13lbs. Enjoy!

The following comment was left by my brother Chad under the Big News post of two days ago. It was too good to be buried in the comment section, so I have copied it here:

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I should probably do this closer to the delivery date but I will do it now while things are still clear in my head. I hope you will be able to check back periodically and I will post new tips as my little fellow progresses through infancy.

1. You will be tired a lot. Suck it up. Although, it’s a different kind of tired. It’s a happy tired. Every time she squeaks you will be up and springing into action like a fireman on a four alarm fire.
2. D-Day, Delivery Day, will not go as planned. There are bumps in the road. Like a 19 hour delivery that suddenly, and I mean suddenly, turns into a C-section. Or Mandee peeing on the doctor. That was funny. It was like a urine grenade going off. I nearly got hit by the shrapnel 7 feet away. Ask questions. Often times the doctors and nurses do routine things that you do not understand. It helps to ask and find out what’s going on.
3. You will be nervous, you will be unsure. But all that goes out the window when you hear the first scream. THERE IS NOTHING IN THE WORLD LIKE HOLDING YOUR NEW LITTLE PERSON FOR THE FIRST TIME.
4. Baby tips are like assholes, everybody has one. Take them as you will, but remember every baby is different. She’ll tell you when she’s hungry, she’ll tell you when she needs changed, that’s about all you need to know for the first couple months.
5. Diaper changing is a very technical exercise. Speed is the key. Don’t stand there and look at your gorgeous naked baby. You will get wet, and so will the wall and surrounding decor. Speed I tell you, be quick.
6. Sometimes babies don’t want to eat, and sometimes babies don’t want to sleep. However, eventually they will want to eat, and eventually they will want to sleep. Just wait it out. It may not be when you want them to, but it doesn’t really matter. Babies are kinda selfish, they do what they want when they want and it doesn’t really matter what you want.
7. Sometimes babies just want to be held by their mommies, don’t get alarmed Brad, they are just used to mommy. She toted her around for nine months and you didn’t really do anything. But if you get upset, read tip 8.
8. Sometimes babies just want to be help by their daddies.
9. Burp, Burp, Burp. I sometimes feel like I should call social services on myself because I feel like Tommy Lee doing a solo on his back. It helps though.
10. Sometimes babies’ tummies hurt. It happens a lot. Mylocon drops are the answer. They work about 40 percent of the time which is a lot better than it sounds. Holding them works about 60 percent of the time. Doing the math would make you think that using drops and holding them will always work. It doesn’t, but the tummy ache will pass.
11. Don’t even think about a schedule for the first two months. It would be like picking G.W. to be your school’s representative for the spelling bee. It just doesn’t work out.
12. It’s not gas, it really is a smile, and it’s the next greatest day in your life.
13. Work in shifts. One stays up for 5-6 hours, then the next shift comes in. 5 hours of sleep will feel like a 10 day vacation in Hawaii.
My little man is now telling me he is hungry. It’s a very unmistakable, WAAH, WAHH, GURGLE GURGLE, WAAH WAAH. I really can’t do the decibel level justice but believe me, it’s loud. I’ll be back soon with some more tips. Sorry for the spelling errors if there are any, the cry I am hearing is like a ice pick through the brain. I don’t have time for proof reading.