The L.A. Dime

Photos of the L.A. fire plume from around town.

Saw this on another blog I follow and thought it was a fun way to share what’s on my mind:

outside my window …is darkness with a few headlights mixed in as cars drive by
i am thinking …about how to get through these challenging times with Sophie; she is such a sweet, smart and loving little girl but lately she’s also become very whiney, throws things on the floor (and at us), screams at the top of her lungs when thing don’t work out her way, and can’t entertain herself for more than 2 minutes…..we just keep telling ourselves “this too, shall pass”
i am thankful for … the opportunity to provide for our family, having a home that keeps us safe & warm, and the doctors who diagnosed B with a disease that, although it threw us for quite a loop at first, now will allow him to live a longer and healthier life
from the kitchen… comes only GF (gluten-free) food these days; it seems like B & I have figured out what we can make without having major anxiety attacks; going out to eat is still tricky though (we even got burnt ordering off the GF menu at Chilli’s last week!!)
i am wearing … green workout pants (haven’t actually used them for working out in a while though☹) and a Barack Obama t-shirt
i am creating … scrapbooks of Sophie’s life; I love looking back at how much she’s grown, changed and developed
i am going … to KY for a very, very, very short visit to celebrate my college roommate’s wedding and to see family
i am reading … fortune’s rocks
i am hoping … to get lots of comments from all of you!!
i am hearing … Sophie talking to herself as she lays in her crib (that’s how she goes to sleep)
around the house … are lots of dust bunnies because our vacuum cleaner has been in the shop for a while and the replacement part is on back-order
one of my favorite things … is sleeping; I love my weekend naps and appreciate it so very much when B lets me sleep in one weekend day
a picture to share … our brand-new nephew Bishop!! Welcome to the world little guy!! Congrats Chad, Mandee and big brother Sawyer!!

Ride your bike for  a good cause!  My brother, Brian, has partnered with Hopeful Lutheran Church, Bromley Christian Church, and a whole slew of generous and well-known Cincinnati/NKY area sponsors to host a fun, family bike ride October 17th called The Tour de Fright. There will be food, activities, a costume contest, and two bike rides of different lengths. Nearly all of the proceeds will benefit United Ministries of Northern Kentucky.  Visit http://tourdefright.com/pages/home for more details and to register for the ride.

Enjoy a serenade from Miss Sophie-Bophie…performing live at Hamlin House!

Visionary trendsetter, Apple, does not include writing credits on its iTunes movies. Why? Please email itunesmarketing@apple.com to ask.

After getting glutened at Chili’s, despite ordering off the GF menu, Tina and I settled in to watch the Road Trip – Beer Pong DVD extras (with me alternating cold and hot compresses on my now stitch-less head wound). I was surprised to discover that I was given lots of screen time in several of the segments. Monkey Deux Productions did a fantastic job with the extras, and not just because they let the writer talk. Really, really enjoyed it. Almost an hour of programming.

Look closely, you can see the fibrofatty lypoma still stuck in my forehead.

Reports are streaming in that long lines have besieged retail outlets known to sell DVDs. We await video confirmation, but are hearing rumors of rioting outside Best Buy and Target stores in Kentucky. Sources indicate that the release of the much anticipated film, Road Trip – Beer Pong today, August 11, 2009, may be the cause.

Sophie has always had a highly energetic, but overall very pleasant and happy-go-lucky demeanor. Over the past two weeks though, and ironically as we quickly approach her 2nd birthday on September 4th, she is turning into quite the drama queen. She’s gotten very whiney, gets very frustrated if things don’t go her way or we don’t immediately respond to her request for attention (especially while we try to get dinner done) and grabs things, even if someone else is using them and/or knowing full well that it’s not hers.

Today however, there was a break in all of that. She was her usual sweet self, smiling, singing her ABC’s (which include a whole lot of D’s!!), coloring, practicing her shapes and playing on her own.

We know this is all part of growing up and while we try to remind ourselves to stay calm while she’s having a complete meltdown over not getting her milk within 1 second of asking for it, we were very happy to have “the old Sophie” back today. Let’s see what tomorrow brings…..

Based on a recommendation from our friend, Erin, we checked out Descanso Gardens on Sunday. It was an awesome place to be outside, let Sophie run wild, check out some beautiful flowers and ride a train. Much fun was had by all…..

http://gallery.me.com/bradriddell