The time has come, the walrus said ...

... to talk of many things.


I can't seem to pull together a full post lately - I'm perpetually moving, constantly distracted, and just ever so slightly mad as a hatter. So, today, you get the following random missives from my mind:

< brain dump >

I'd forgotten how much work puppies are. 

Porthos is actually turning out to be a great dog for our family. He fits in to our lifestyle just right, I think. But potty training a 3 year old and a puppy at the same time can be kind of exhausting. And then there's the chewing (that's the dog, not the 3 year old, for the record). He loves to chew on "squishy things" - from shoes to blankets to toys. (I'm pretty sure I found the kids' missing plastic monkey during our morning walk the other day. They won't be getting that back.) But his favorite thing to chew is anything that shreds into fun little bits, like paper products. Then Mommy gets to come home to confetti. Yay. Still, all is forgiven when he cuddles up on my lap at night and gives me those big puppy dog eyes. He really is a sweetheart.

I <3 Doctor Who.

Thank you BBC and Instant Netflix for letting me watch all of the seasons of this awesome reboot in order, from the beginning. I'm half-way through Season 4. Love, love, love this show.

I've started taking karate classes, Kenpo, to be specific. And I'm loving it.

It started out with The Professor wanting to take karate classes. We found a really nice family run dojo with two great teachers (father and son). After about a month of taking him to the "pee-wee" classes, I thought that it looked like so much fun that I signed up for the adult class. I took a self-defense course about 15 years ago that was based on Eastern martial arts, but, other than that, I'm a total newb at this. And no one has ever accused me of being graceful or athletic. And yet, I am having a blast! It's terrific exercise (as my happily aching muscles can attest), I'm learning interesting and useful new skills, and the classes are really fun! Last night, we played dodgeball in class. Seriously. Total blast! Some days, it feels like on the mat is the only place I can really shut out everything else and just focus on one. thing. at. a. time. I really need that right now.

There's a well-recommended tattoo shop two doors down from my Karate school.

I might have to check it out. I'm jus' sayin'.

I am so not ready for Christmas.

For some reason (probably the same oh-my-gawd-I'm-so-busy-I-can't-focus-on-any-one-thing-for-too-long-or-the-universe-will-collapse feeling I've been marinating in for months now), I am not nearly as organized this Christmas as I usually am. Normally by now, I would have a closet full of presents, even more on the way from cyber-shopping and a geographically organized plan of attack shopping list of all of the presents that still need to be acquired. Instead, I have exactly one present in the closet - a scooter for Bam-Bam. (Shhh, don't tell him.) I don't even know what we're going to get The Professor this year, let alone everyone else on my list. I haven't even put up Christmas decorations at the house. Well, except for one snowman cookie jar that keeps following me around the house. (Long story.) Bah. Humbug. I am the suck at the Christmas thing this year.

But I do have a Christmas gift for you!

I do have one awesome Christmas gift almost ready to go. And it's for YOU! I'm going to be hosting a really great giveaway soon! Stay tuned, yeah? ;)

I am also the suck at the blogs.

In addition to neglecting my own little blogdom here, I know I've been MIA at commenting at most of my blog-buddies' places, too. I just want to let you guys know that I'm still reading! Okay, to be completely honest, I'm mostly skimming. But I'm mostly doing it on my iphone or just squeezing it in between other things. So, I haven't been commenting very much at all. Still love you guys, though. ;)

< / brain dump >

So, what sort of flotsam and jetsam are floating around in your head today? Embrace the randomness and shout it out, yeah?

Distractedly yours,
Zen