iShuffle Soundtrack

Tiburon* did this game on her blog and I thought it was so fun that I wanted to do it too. It's like the iPod shuffle game - you set playback to shuffle and then write down the songs in the order they're played, but in this version each song that comes up represents a song in a theoretical soundtrack to the movie of your life. Here's mine.

1. Opening credits: "Not Your Year " The Weepies
Scattered shadows on the wall
You watch the long light fall
Some impressions stay and some will fade

2. Waking up: "9 Crimes" Damien Rice
I love him but waking up to this song would suck. Holy depression, Batman!

3. First Day of School: "Love Is Strange" Everything But the Girl
An often covered song, but this one is amazing. I highly recommend the whole album, Acoustic. It's in the top 10 of my all time favorite albums.

4. Falling in love: "Samson" Regina Spektor
You are my sweetest downfall
I loved you first, I loved you first
Beneath the stars came falling on our heads
But they're just old light, they're just old light

For the record, one of my favorite songs ever.

5. First Kiss song: "Ex-Girlfriend" No Doubt
Kinda always knew I'd end up your ex-girlfriend
I'm another ex-girlfriend on your list
But I should've thought of that before we kissed

HA! I remember my little sis SWORE the lyrics to this song went "Why're you always doing it with your ex-girlfriend." Awesome.

6. Breaking up: "Hideous Towns" The Sundays
Sticks and stones may break my bones
but words will just finish me off

7. Prom: "We're the Same" Matthew Sweet
I don't have to speak and you know what I'm thinking
You don't need to hear what I say

I loved this song in high school (and still do). I went to prom four times, one my sophomore year, two junior year and one senior year. Of course, the best one was with Eric.

8. Life: "Santeria" Sublime
It's true. I don't practice Santeria.

9. Mental breakdown: "All Across the Sands" The Stone Roses
How can a pretty painted shell
Send them all packing off to hell

I love that line.

10. Driving: "Stolen Car" Beth Orton (I swear I didn't plan this!)
You walked into my house last night
I couldn't help but notice
A light that was long gone still burning strong
You were sitting, your fingers like fuses, your eyes were cinnamon.

11. Flashback: "Don't Be Sad" Whiskeytown
Seen a lot of things we didn't wanna see
But I'm glad we did
I know a lot of times we fell out of line
But we fell back in
I think we lost the keys to the kingdom
Before we'd seen them
Don't be sad
Don't be sad

12. Getting back together: "Carry On Wayward Son" Kansas
Now that I think of it, the only boyfriend I ever got back together with was Eric. Interesting. He is also the only boyfriend I ever talked out of breaking up with me, but that's another story. Great song, if not terribly relevant.

13. Wedding: "Whatever" Oasis
I'm free to be whatever I
whatever I choose and I'll sing the blues if I want
I'm free to say whatever I
whatever I like if it's wrong or right it's all right

Probably not a great strategy for a successful marriage, but a fun song. I used to tune my guitar to this one until I bought a tuner.

14. Birth of a child: "Stay Young" Oasis (again. Nice job, shuffle function!)
Hey, stay young and invincible
Cause we know just what we are and
Come what may, we're unstoppable
Cause we know just what we are

15. Final battle: "Pam Pong" Sweet Diss and the Comebacks
The boss is already out,
he’ll Schrute it up, I have no doubt
She’s the kind of girl you’d adore,
that you could make your famous cheese sandwich for
And dance until the music stops;
Look into her eyes, tell her how you feel

Yep, this was written about Pam from The Office. I had no idea I actually had it in my iTunes library. I'm even more of a nerd than I thought.

16. Death scene: "Baby It's Cold Outside" Ella Fitzgerald
Apparently I'm going to die to the sounds of a lighthearted jazz duet.

17. Funeral: "Flame Turns Blue" David Gray
Worlds dismantled and all the books unbound
Conversations though we utter not a sound
I heard a rumour I don't know if its true
That you'd meet me where the flame turns blue

Through the lemon trees the diamonds of light
Break in splinters on the pages where I write
That if I lost you I don't know what I'd do
Burn forever where the flame turns blue

I'll just be happy if it's not "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead." I do love this song though.

18. End credits: "The One I Love" Rosie Thomas
This one goes out to the one I love
This one goes out to the one I left behind
A simple thought to occupy my mind
This one goes out to the one I love

Fire , fire, fire, fire

A great cover of the R.E.M. song. I loved R.E.M. in high school but I had no idea that the chorus said "fire" until listening to Rosie's version. Funny.


*Speaking of Tib's blog, she's doing a super cool giveaway right now - all you have to do is leave a comment. Check it out!

Welcome Baby Benjamin!

Congratulations to my good friends Becky and Matt, who just had their first baby! Benjamin Matthew was born on August 8 and is such a cutie. Check out their blog. http://mattnbecky.blogspot.com

Congratulations Mom and Erin!

Last week Sawyer and I went out to Utah to celebrate the graduation of my mom and my sister Erin from BYU. Erin graduated in English and is planning to move to the DC area soon, so you know what that means - instant babysitter! My mom had to drop out when she got pregnant with me, and so now almost 30 years later she finally had the chance to go back and finish. She is now a college grad with a degree in Family History. I am so proud of her! Here are some pictures from our stay.

Grandma Sue and her grandbabies after the ceremony.


The graduates with me, Sawyer, Tanne, Caroline and Megan.


The two water babies. Sawyer and Caroline both love their baths!


On this trip we discovered that Sawyer loves dogs - even 75 lb. Jack, who has huge teeth! Luckily there isn't a sweeter dog in the world and he put up with Sawyer's abuse without complaint.


On the swing at Grandma's house. The house my parents are renting while they build their new one has a fantastic back yard.


The two cousins with Erin and Megan. Sawyer better grow, Caroline is catching him up!


Sawyer's favorite greeting for Grandpa - the Head Butt.

Great News

I've known this for a while, but I'm just now free to share it with the world at large. My sister Megan is pregnant! She's about 9 weeks along and is due in late November/early December. We've become really close since we live so near each other and I'm so excited for us to have babies together!

Ten Reasons Why I Love My Cat

1) He wakes me up every morning at 4:00 by sitting on my neck and purring loudly. I pet him, and he sticks his head between my boobs and falls asleep. It's our little ritual.
2) While I'm cooking he sits at my feet and talks to me - literally. "Walker, how was your day?" "Mrew." "I can't believe it's already September, didn't the summer just fly by?" "Mrew." "Here, do you want a piece of chicken?" "MREOW!"
3) He falls asleep in my arms with his belly up and his head hanging back. Holy cuteness.
4) He's possessive of me and jealous of Al. Once when we were cuddling on the couch Eric turned to me and said, "Chels, look at Walker!" He was crouched in a dark corner, glaring at us with pure malice in his eyes, which on a 3 month old kitten is actually kind of cute.
5) Like most kittens, he has a Jekyl and Hyde personality: one second he'll be tearing across the floor chasing his rubber ball, and the next he'll collapse on a newspaper and instantly be fast asleep. Ten minutes later, he's up and going again.
6) He sleeps on the side of the tub while I'm reading in the bath. Once in a while he climbs behind me and perches on my shoulder and watches the pages turn, like he's reading along with me.
7) He's friendly with everyone, even people and animals he doesn't know. He even likes the vet.
8) He thinks I'm his mom, probably because we got him so young. He trusts me so much that it makes me feel terrible when I inflict baths on him and he gives me that betrayed look: "Why would you do this to me? Why?" Even so, minutes later he's already forgiven me.
9) He purrs every time I pick him up, even if 5 seconds later he's struggling to get down.
10) He's been my little buddy through this whole IVF process. He tolerates my tiredness and my moodiness in a way no human ever could, and having him curled up on my lap takes my mind off of all the stress and pain I've experienced.

Please Pass the Pills

Eric came home from work today and found me lying on our bed in a fetal position, moaning and cursing the day I was born. Naturally, he thought I was dying. Then he saw the heating pad and the bottle of oxycodone and realized that I was just having period-induced cramps.

Three weeks ago I had a laparoscopy to investigate my innards, specifically the innards that are related to producing babies. My RE (Reproductve Endocrinologist, AKA Really Expensive fertility doctor) found endometriosis on my ovary, bowel, and the back of my uterus - in endometriosis land, what they call the cul-de-sac. Because of the torture I endure every month, I was not surprised with my diagnosis. In a way it helps to know what's causing the pain and to know that I am not a hypochondriac. There's a cause for what I feel. So I'm glad I have some sort of explanation.

Dr. B removed all the endo she could, using a laser (or possibly a light sabre), and also scraped some polyps out of my poor battered uterus. She warned me that my next period would be a doozy. She wasn't lying.

I've never been more grateful for percocet.