Tomorrow's Friday! Lalalalalalallalalaaaaaaa!
Tomorrow's February 1st! Double Lalalalallalalalalaaaaaaaaa!

First of all, tomorrow's Friday. Do I need to elaborate here? I think Fridays might be my favorite day...ever. I love the anticipation of the upcoming weekend and the potential of what could be done with so much time. The weekends are a time when I do not operate within the confines of a clock. I am released from the restraint of the professional, adult world.

Second of all, tomorrow is February. Do I need to elaborate here? I think January might be my least favorite month...ever. To me, January is the epitome of sadness. Here in Iowa, it's the coldest, blusteriest, bitterest month of the year. Combine that with the major letdown from Christmas, and you've got all the elements of a suidical season gone postal. And frankly, I don't give a damn about dear Punxsutawney Phil and the poor-ass, rodent-infested holiday he represents. February, for me, is about the enlightening upward climb into the light. Days are getting longer, weather is getting nicer (or least more bearable), and even if we do have a crappy day here and there in February, well, those days will soon be few and far between. I know it will get better.

Why? Because it's February. It's the baby of the family whom everybody loves and thinks is so cute. It's the prodigal son who is welcomed back, unconditionally, into the family fold. Everyone forgives its most direst sins, because, after all, it's February.

Bottom line, February is the music group New Kids on the Block...the group that everyone secretly loves, but is afraid to admit because it's not fashionable. Except, guess what? February is actually better because, unlike NKOTB, February writes its own songs and plays its own music. Ha!

Well, my friends, February is BACK! Like the New Kids on the Block.

OK, it's been a couple of weeks since I had my hair colored, but I finally got pics, which I will post for you.

Try not to get too excited or disgusted by my overgrown eyebrows or huge schnozz. Also, disregard the background...it's my icky bathroom wallpaper.

I'm not usually ones to post these YouTube video things and such...but I wanted to share what made me laugh like HELL today. Enjoy.

First one is SNL's Andy Samberg and him punching people before they eat. Look for the sweet cameo by Bon Jovi and the guys from the Foo Fighters. EDITED TO ADD THE YOUTUBE LINK IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. BUMMER. GOOGLE: "SAMBERG PUNCHING" AND YOU'LL FIND IT.

The second video is a hilarious British kid video called "Charlie Bit My Finger."

OK, so those of you familiar with Buddhism know that the ultimate goal was Nirvana, which was the supreme state of peace of the mind. You probably also know about the Eightfold Path, which was a guide to the path to Nirvana. You achieve the eight steps, you achieve the highest form of peace and enlightenment possible.

I've obviously condensed this all, of course.

OK - so what does this have to do with anything? In my own life, I feel that I am well on my way to an enlightenment of my own. For the last month and a half, we have gone through the process of preparing for the purchase a minivan (I know, three kids and we haven't joined The Club yet - scandalous!).

This weekend, however, I feel we will finally achieve the state of supreme enlightenment known as "Minivana."

Let me describe my journey for you. I will present the Eightfold Path and how it has been achieved in my house.

1. Right View: To see and understand things for what they really are

Minivana: My husband and I have come to see and understand that our four-door Extended Crew Cab Chevy truck is not enough anymore. Our kids don't have enough room to spread out and constantly are in each other's physical space.

2. Right Intention: A commitment to improvement

Minivana: Over Christmas break, we committed to making a new minivan purchase, and buying it in the near future. It's no longer an idea, it's on its way to becoming reality.

3. Right Speech: Using words genuinely, kindly, and effectively

Minivana: We did a follow-up email to the minivan salesguy after we'd visited the lot one weekend, asking plenty of good, effective questions. We did this in a kind, respectful manner as well.

4. Right Action: Wholesome actions lead to sound states of mind

Minivana: Brent spent a week after the salesguy emailed us back crunching numbers and poring over financial records to find out when would be the best time to buy.

5. Right Livelihood: Wealth is gained in a healthy, legal, and peaceful

Minivana: Brent is a software engineer and I am a high school English teacher. Both are very peaceful professions.

6. Right Effort: Focusing the right kind of energy, making the right kind of effort

Minivana: We are exercising a fair amount of restraint, which is uncommon for us. Usually, if we want to do something, we'll just do it. However, this time around, we are truly making a great effort to not rush into the decision.

7. Right Mindfulness: An ability to conceptualize the "big picture"

Minivana: Because of our research, we are picking minivan models now based on future needs. Growing kids = more legroom = buy the bigger minivan now, etc, etc, as opposed to just getting something now that we'll be dissatisfied with later. This is not just an impetuous, "now" purchase, but one for the future as well.

8. Right Concentration: All mental energies are directed and focused on an object.

Minivana: This is where we are now. Brent and I will be focusing all of our energy on this one task; we are mentally, physically, and economically preparing for this event. For example, Brent entirely cleaned out the car we plan on trading in. This shows extreme concentration and foresighted preparation - a focus on making this one event happen.

Say it with me now...Ohhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmm.

"Sometimes I think
Life is just a rodeo.
The trick is to ride
and make it to the bell."

These lyrics come from one of my favorite songs ever..."Rock and Roll Girls." Every now and then, they pop into my head and I am reminded of life and its craziness in general.

So, having these lyrics in my blog tonight prompted me to locate my playlist and put this song on it...however, playlist.com did not have this particular JF song (bastards), so you will all have to do without it tonight, and listen to my same old playlist I posted way back in August.

You know, I do honestly think at times life is like a rodeo. We all get on, and hope for a fairly uneventful, yet fun, ride. We try to make it to the bell without getting bucked off and getting seriously hurt. If we're lucky, we manage to hold on for eight seconds (or eighty years or whatever) and then we move on.

What brings about these deep thoughts? Because these lyrics remind me how tenuous life is. How one moment things are going smoothly and we think we have the world on a string, and then the next, life crashes in on our heads and we don't know if we'll make it.

Our nephew (Brent's brother's son) is five years old. When he was a baby, he began having febrile convulsions/seizures. It's a genetic thing, on the male side, and the thought was he'd eventually grow out of it. Spencer had one when he was a baby also, but never again after that. But, Colin grew into toddlerhood and still the seizures occurred. He began taking heavy medications to stop convulsions, because the fear was that they would cause brain damage. When he was around three, the seizures tapered off, and his parents began gradually weaning him off the meds. This last Christmas, he took his last dose of medication. It had been two years since an episode.

Then, Christmas night, out of the blue, he had one. And since then, it's increased dramatically. There have been about three days when he's had several a day, and he's been making trips back and forth to Iowa City for the whole gamut of tests. This weekend, his parents are meeting with a specialist, and will hopefully get answers and help they desperately need.

Another twist to the story - this little boy's parents are both doctors. Can you imagine? Being a doctor and not able to cure your son?

Here they are, being bucked off that bronco with a vengeance they couldn't even have imagined or deserved. The bell they try to make it to is a day without a seizure. What they wouldn't give to have a healthy little boy?

What do you do? Enjoy the ride while you're steady atop the horse, I guess. And pray.