Monday morning shop.

The things I subject my poor child to. We ran half a dozen errands before 9am today. By the time we got to Aldi, she was clearly not impressed. When she opted not to walk, I proceeded to bury her alive. She was provided bread with which to sustain herself. So come to think of it - she had a way better shopping experience than I did.

Ouch!

I'm thinking this The Grind/Eric Nies/Jana working out gem is good for at least a few posts. I mean . . . have you met me?

Now imagine me dancing (if you can call that spazzy marching/kicking/pumping - yes, pumping as in "pump it down" - hand to god that's what they say - activity "dancing") in my living room along with Eric Nies.

There's just so much to say. And so much humiliation I'm willing to endure.

It's only been a few hours since I completed the first half of the workout and I'm already sore! There was a warning at the beginning that said I should consult my physician before beginning but I decided (just before dialing) that my physician might not appreciate a call of that nature at 10:30pm Sunday night.

"Hi, Dr. G?"

"Yes?" and I imagine this in a gruff, not impressed voice a few octaves lower than his actual speaking voice.

"I just wanted to consult you before starting this The Grind hip hop workout with Eric Nies. Do you think it is okay to proceed?"

And I imagine that he'd hang up at this point and I'd have to start looking for a new doctor.

So you can see why I didn't call.

Clearly, I should have.

The Grind

Those of you who did NOT watch MTV in the 90's may think that you're about to read a Sunday night lament of the impending workday.

You are sorely mistaken.

Those of you who did watch MTV in the 90's know that you are in for a real treat.

Who remembers Eric Nies? What kind of question is that?! Who doesn't remember Eric Nies? One of the first reality TV stars (The Real World) turned dance/workout god on The Grind.

And guess who stumbled across one of his videos?!

ME ME ME ME ME ME ME !!!!!

And guess who is ridiculous enough to actually attempt said workout video?

ME ME ME ME ME ME ME !!!!!

The amount of unflattering Addidas spandex and unnecessary bandanna wearing should have/would have been enough to deter someone more stable than myself. At first I thought I might watch part of it over cookie dough ice cream tomorrow, basking in nostalgia.

I couldn't wait that long. And Eric's abs inspired me to fore go the ice cream.

While The Grind workout once featured "the freshest hip hop dance steps" allowing you to "grind to the best of a sizzling MTV soundtrack" . . . somehow I'm afraid these moves might not play quite as well in 2010. Here's a quick peek at the Grind moves (you may only need to watch the first half of the video to get the idea):



Now as you may have guessed. . . that is not Eric Nies. But those ARE the moves. That is also the ONLY video online of this workout! You'd think MTV would've done a little more careful marketing. Anyway. This guy makes it look a lot easier than it actually is - I assure you. In fact, he may look better doing it than I do. Of all the times I wished my living room blinds actually provided some privacy . . . Well, there goes that last little annoying shred of dignity. But for Eric Nies it was worth it.

This is Eric Nies:


So is this (and this bit is PG-13):



And so you see what I'm saying.

Now if we could just track down a delorian or a magical, George Carlin carrying phone booth to transport me back to a time and place where my fresh new, kick butt hip hop moves will be appreciated. . .

Stay tuned. . . I only watched the first half of the tape. When Eric started the ab workout with a series of pelvic tilts, I had to call it a night. I'll let you know when I work up the nerve to give the second half of the tape a try. (and here I'll refer you back to that second photo).

Can you help?

I was going to post something clever here this evening but sadly we are fresh out of clever this particular evening. I can promise a very endearing video of Sedona in the coming days though. The girl likes to read, likes to be filmed, and even more - loves to create her own videos. Makes for some good times.

What I can offer you instead is an opportunity to make a huge difference for men and women returning from incarceration in Saint Charles County. As you may know, I work in the Pathways to Success program at CtS where our goal is to provide men and women with the tools and resources to achieve economic self-reliance. What does that mean? We teach life skills, employment skills, computer skills, and then coach them through their first year by connecting them with faith-based mentors, case managers (me!) and an employment specialist all of whom work together to help each individual realize the goals that they set out in an 8-part life plan.

We have been challenged to raise $1000 by THIS Wednesday for the computer equipment, projection screen, white board etc for our new classroom in the Saint Charles CtS building. If we meet that goal, a generous donor will match it - giving us the $2000 grand total that we need to get the room fully functional before our February class begins. Can you help? Every dollar counts - whether it is $5 or $75 - the only way we'll reach this goal is by asking for help. And so I humbly ask . . . can you help? You can donate online at connectionstosuccess or if you're in the Saint Louis area, we can make some face to face arrangements. Either way, your donation is tax deductible and so very appreciated.

I'm excited about what we're doing over at CtS and I just can't not share this great opportunity with all of you. Forgive me for the unsolicited solicitation.

And now we return you to your regularly scheduled programming. videos of the girl coming soon.

What if your sink looks like this . . .

What should you do if your sink REGULARLY looks like this?




Some kind of mysterious pink slime finds it way all over the counter and sink bowl almost daily. And yes, I know it is toothpaste. And yes, I know that I am the adult charged with teaching these little people the rules and procedures of polite society (which certainly would include toothpaste etiquette). And yes, I have clearly failed.

So now what?!

I lean over to wash my face - glop. All over my shirt.
I try to have them wipe it up - glop all over floor, new white towel and their shirts.

I find it on the floor, the cabinet door, even the outside of the bathroom door.

I think it may be time to just give up the brushing of teeth. It is too messy and too risky an endeavor. If only they made clear toothpaste. . .

In the melting snow

The weatherman promises that it will be near 40degrees tomorrow. A welcome relief from the bitter cold for most of us, but a very different promise for our snow. Sedona insisted in one last romp before the melt.

Here she is as the sun settles down for the night.




"That great cathedral space that is childhood." - Virginia Woolf

Attic Journals

Super excited about the new journals I ordered over the weekend! The promise that they might arrive any day is just too much to handle.

In keeping with our resolute theme for 2010 I thought that stopping a few pages short of the end of my last journal was justified. I'm ready for a new work. And so came across these FANtastic journals at Attic Journal and just had to order me a few.

After all, "Nothing has really happened until it has been recorded" (again a nod to Virginia W). And as you may have noticed with this sudden influx of posts, I've renewed my dedication to record keeping.

But let's be honest. . . there are many things that I just can't/won't share with you all, though I love you dearly. And for those secret special little things . . . Attic Journals!

I'd love to hear what you all are reading/writing/thinking as this new year dawns. Care to share?

It is in our idleness . . .

"It is in our idleness, in our dreams, that the submerged truth sometimes comes to the top."
- Virginia Woolf


And it is this long forgotten idleness that we seek out in 2010. I had resolved not to resolve this year and made it to 2010:Week Two before being overwhelmed by the possibilities that a new year holds. And in that realization, I recognize the need for more idleness, more dreams and the value of beginning of the year reflections (if not resolutions). Thank you, Virginia.

And so instead of thinking about the Statue of Liberty that I'm not seeing, I'm embracing the relative quiet of an evening at home, of the melting snow and the beauty of idleness. With all the associated evil I rarely consider the actual definition of idleness. It is simply to be "not employed or busy; avoiding work or employment; not in use or operation" which I take to mean even more simply: stillness.

You know what? I made it this far into the post before thinking "what a crock". No stillness here! The kids are fighting over ice. Yes, ice. Sedona doesn't want ice and Jordan is accusing her of being wasteful. And so there is squealing and mocking and feigned innocence. And the cars zoom past and the water heater is still not heating and well, with great resolve I decide not to dwell on any of that.

Instead, I offer other words of wisdom from my dearest Virginia - "Arrange whatever pieces come your way." The pieces today may be remarkably different than what I ordered. Some pieces more glorious than I knew possible, others decidedly, well, not.

But being empowered to arrange it myself (or rather with a bit more of God) means stillness or not . . . no pouting! no surrender! only determination to see the beauty and to hear the joy and to be nothing less than grateful for having been given pieces to arrange.

Searching for idleness, creating space in this new year for dreams might mean I have to arrange the pieces a bit differently if any stillness is to be found and valued. It might mean being quiet and reflective. More importantly though it now means ARRANGE THE PIECES! and arrange I will.

Stay tuned for more of what we're embracing in this gift of a new year.

Rites of passage

Sedona got her very own library card today. It was quite a milestone. She packed a purse, touched up her lip gloss and walked right up to the front counter to inquire about a library card. She even got to sign the back. Hooray for libraries (and kids who get this excited about having access to all those books)!!!

1001 books

Really?! 1001 Books you must read before you die. I was searching for some inspirational/motivational titles yesterday for a binder I'm putting together for an upcoming class and I stumbled across this rather humbling list.

1001?!

That's a lot of books, even for some who loves to read. I couldn't help but think about how one undertakes the making of such a list.

I had questions.

How is each book evaluated? Is there a panel? Has everyone on the panel actually read all 1001? Are these books that Americans should read? Men should read? Those with a Master's degree should read? Or is this a working list for the general population of the world? Are there other such lists? All of which really boils down to the real question - who says? I'm sure I could have found answers to some of these questions had I not spent so much time asking the questions. Clearly, I did not.

What I did do, with a very convincing "who says?" in my belt, is spend nearly an hour trudging through the list, highlighting the ones I've read, kicking myself for the ones that have been sitting (unread) on the shelf for over a year, thinking "My God! There just isn't enough time!", and finally, resigning myself to thinking again - "who says?!"

I was pleased to find some of my favorites on the list, but was surprised at some omissions as were many of the web prowlers who posted hateful comments and even lists of their own on the site.

What do you think? Do you ever feel like you couldn't possibly climb that mountain just ahead? Have you ever thought, "If I could just learn more, read more, write more then ____________ (fill in the blank)"? Or are you able to say easily "waste of time" and get on with your life?

I had visions of quitting my job, sending the children away to boarding school and investing in new glasses with which I would systematically and incredibly read all 1001 books in the next year. I thought about Julie and Julia (or is it the other way around?). I thought about the brilliant, book/movie landing blog that I could write if I undertook such a daunting task.

Ahhhh, the sweetness of disillusionment. And then back to the reality where the number of books you've read does not equal the sum of your person. The reality where reading books that some guy or some panel somewhere decides you should read hardly seems reason enough to read them.

And so I read now, once again, because I love to read. Because the beauty of the words on the page rivals the most spectacular sunsets. Because the people I find there are intriguing, terrifying and magical. Because the adventure inside those pages has never failed me. I think maybe spending a little bit of time in that world, I become a better person in mine. I begin to see my own adventures and characters, the beauty and strangeness of this life with fresh eyes.

P.S. I've read just 77 of these 1001. I wonder how many more will find their way into my hands. . . Perhaps I'll give an updated count next year. How many have you read?

Snow-pocalypse

Alright, I stole the catchy title from Jeremy. With the frenzy that much of the bi-state area is in with all this snow forecast and the news bulletins complete with loud, blustery gusts of wind and seeming machine fire announcing the Arctic Blast - we figured this was for real serious this time. Not like every other time they call for snow in Missouri. Then we got nearly 4 of the 5-8" of snow and while, yes, the temperatures are extreme (especially for this area), we're faring pretty well.

With the snow-pocalypse must come sledding. Dangerously low windchill or not. . . . we must sled.
And sled we did (however briefly). Jordan hopped on a friend's snow board and took a wicked run down the hill. He did it with some style, some grace and then, well some knee injury. But he looked good goin down, I swear it.

Sail- Ho!

This is neither a command to a woman of ill repute nor a variation on Santa's much loved cheer this holiday season. Allow me to explain . . .

Sedona is adrift in a wrapping paper boat this morning. Having unrolled it and discovered the cardboard tube inside, she quickly realized a nautical theme. The tube, of course, a telescope and/or oar, and the wrapping paper, of course, the boat.

As if that weren't enough, she decided she had better mark the tube because "I needed it to say something so that people know who I am when I go exploring." Duh.

So she weilds a marker and concentrates for a few moments before asking, "How do you spell sail-ho?"

I ask a few questions for clarification and discover that what the child wants to write is "Ahoy!" because that is what you say in a boat. Again . . .duh.


Here she is - off to discover the new world.

Breaking news . . . Nulik home: less hospitable than a desert

While under no delusion of winning housekeeper of the year, I've always strived to make our home comfortable, inviting and uplifting.

Some recent events indicate that I may have failed.

Cacti are notoriously hardy plants. They survive extreme conditions, need very little attention or love, they exist in some of the most hostile climates on earth.

One such hardy cactus was no match for the Nulik household.

In fifth grade, I bought a cactus. I remember thinking that having a cactus in my new black and white bedroom was the ticket to coolness. I imagined that it would grow to my height in just a few short years and by the time I got that studio apartment in the city after high school (you know the one, with the red convertible parked out front) my cactus would be beyond cool, ultra hip and modern. I was thinking ahead. I didn't want a flower. I wanted a cactus.

Well the convertible and studio didn't quite pan out. And so clearly, without awesome studio in which to display the cactus, there seemed little reason to upset its perch atop the curio cabinet it had so long enjoyed. In fact, it had survived two moves and more than 17 years in the Donovan (later Leget) home. (And between you and me . . . it wasn't really as big as I had imagined it would be)

For whatever reason, my mother decided that this cactus would find Missouri to be a happy home. She couldn't have been more wrong.

A mere two weeks in Casa de Nulik renders it well . . . you can see for yourselves.P.S. Mom? I have a basket to give back to you.

Connect

I spent the morning yesterday at Algoa Correctional Center, a medium security facility with a capacity of 1,635 male inmates, sharing information about Connections to Success with offenders who are within 6 months of release. I sat in the parking lot for a moment wondering how I had come to this place where I was a vehicle for connecting ex-offenders with resources, opportunities and most importantly, hope. And statistically speaking, the result of these connections is incredible. What happens if they don't get connected? If they don't have the opportunity to become a part of more?

This morning I'm browsing kiva.org with Jordan and he picked out a family in Mexico who has asked for $450 to repair/replace their roof. Jordan was nearly overcome with the idea that they didn't really have a roof on their house and begged that we do something to help. The amazing thing is. . . with kiva.org - we can (you can too, see left sidebar). If you haven't explored this incredible movement/website, then you are missing out. Jeremy recently interviewed one of the founders who talks about how the vision for kiva is not about lending money - it is about connecting people.

There is more power in bringing people together than we know. I work to bring together people of faith and ex-offenders every day and it is sometimes easier than others, sometimes more productive than others, sometimes it feels like work and sometimes, well, sometimes it takes my breath away.

Who are you connected with? How is that connection empowering you both to move forward, be better, do more? Because in those connections, we are forever changed. In those connections, we see God.

I have no explanation for this

And while I have no explanation, I couldn't not share it. Here he is, in all his glory.

Balloon Glow

Does a crazy spontaneity ever come over you? Provoking you to do things you wouldn't otherwise do? Alienating loved ones with your disregard for planning?

Two Fridays ago I heard something about a Hot Air Balloon Race in Forest Park. I picked the kids up after school and jumped online to see what I could see. Well the race wasn't until Saturday and we were booked solid for Saturday. But that evening there was something called the Balloon Glow where you could get up close and personal with the hot air balloons on the eve of their flight. So . . . off we went. I'd never seen a hot air balloon in the flesh (or nylon, as the case may be) and neither had the kids. I figured pizza and stupid movies could wait for another day. We jumped in the car and called Jeremy who was already at an event downtown and told him to meet us in Forest Park.

That spontaneity bug didn't stop there though. Half way downtown, sitting in unbearable traffic, the kids noticed people standing at what appeared to be a bus stop. I explained that it was the Metrolink, a public transit train that rus around and into Saint Louis. And before we knew it, we had pulled off the road, parked the car and jumped on the Metrolink to head in to the park. I'd never ridden it before either, but having some experience navigating Chicago Public Transit - I figured it couldn't be all that hard.

And we made it!! Jordan skipped, somersaulted and tumbled across the rolling hills in the parked. We were so excited to see the balloons glow!! Maybe next year we'll make it to the race.

Labor Day has come and gone

but not without a trip to the woods. (not sure why that is underlined but I can't make it go away)






We traveled to Mark Twain lake for time with family and friends, walking in the woods, and staring into fires.



We were even able to bring a bit of the woods home with us. Meet Silly Loo-Who, a very friendly snail who now lives in our kitchen.


This is just after she climbed onto Jordan's hand from the little bowl where she was kept for the better part of the day. Complete with slime trail. And here she is just getting moved into her new digs, hanging out with Sedona.

She seems to be doing well. Though I will say that we collect the strangest pets. And somehow they all end up in the kitchen! Who is in charge here? Why doesn't someone put a stop this?

A story -

Once upon a time, there was a magical place where it never rained and it was always dry. All the people who were there worked digging holes. They only got one gallon of water for a week. It was a very horrible life.

The end.


This rather uplifting story was brought to you by Jordan.

Tyranny in the suburbs

New tyrannical rule has taken our otherwise peaceful suburban home. . . this ridiculous notion called "character" and its all too ugly friend "integrity" nevermind the abhorred "gratitude" and "moderation". You can imagine the terror in which we live when nightmares such as these break loose in our home.

Alright enough with the drama of it all. I'm destined to be accused of being "soooo dramatic" by the 10yr old.

So I put a spending freeze on toys. At least a freeze on my wallet. I've set up a system by which Jordan can do daily tasks and even some extra chores in order to earn a small wage that he can then save for the purchase of toys - aka plastic joy. There was a seething greed and ungratefulness settling in our house and I'd just finally had enough.
There never seemed to be enough stuff. Each new toy only made the next new toy more necessary and urgent and any denial of this inalienable right to more stuff was met with outrage, deep sighs, and rolled eyes.

Enough was finally enough.

I can only hope that somewhere in here a little boy will learn the value of hard work, the importance of setting a goal and working towards it, and maybe even that "new" and "stuff" are ever elusive lovers. A fickle pair. Stuff will never be enough. And new lasts but a few minutes. Can you imagine really learning that at age 10? Well, no, neither can I, but imagine that one could .. . how much heartache would be spared? How much clamoring over senseless possessions, attention, and status could be sidestepped?

Jordan, on the other hand, is sure that I've lost my mind. After all, EVERYONE else already has a cell phone and their parents buy them WHATEVER they want.

It is a miserable little life he is forced to lead.

What I want to be. . .

In talking about savings and futures Jordan share some of his thoughts on how his savings should and shouldn't be spent.

Jordan: But I don't even want to go to college so why do we have to save for it?

Mom: I never said that you had to go to college, but remember when we talked last time about keeping an open mind and looking for all kinds of different opportunities. Maybe you'll use the money for another kind of training, maybe it will be for a car, or your first apartment. . .

Jordan: But I dont want to go to college. Then I won't have to be a policeman or a doctor or even a drug dealer. I mean ... then I won't have to . . .

Mom (a bit perplexed): No one said that you had to be any of those things. Since you seem to have a pretty good idea of what you do not want to be - any thoughts on what you would like to do?

Jordan: Yeah. I want to be a hotel man. You know, give people their keys and stuff.

Mom: Okay, so like at the front desk?

Jordan: Yeah. . . . . . .okay I'm just joking. I mean, really, that's not what I want to be.

And around and around we went. But at least now that he isn't going to college he won't have to be a drug dealer. And here I never even knew that a college degree was required for official drug dealing. I have so much to learn. Thank goodness Jordan is kind enough to teach me.