Admiration

So Tim & I have a friend, Lyn. Lyn is probably 43 years old and is a widow. Her husband of 15 years died about 5 years ago from cirrhosis of the liver. It couldn't have been an easy life together. He was from England, they met during her junior year abroad. They married after she graduated from college and then moved to California so he could try his hand at screenwriting. After a good number of years and some success, they decided to move to Boston as it was a city they both loved. They ended up buying a fixer-upper in Wakefield, then he got really sick.

So after Lyn helped him through the end of his life, she took some time for herself and then decided to fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a parent. Lulu, her adopted baby girl from Guatemala, was matched with Lyn in the fall and they spent Christmas together. Lyn got the amazing news that Lulu was ready to come home in February. So back to Guatemala she went, and then brought Lulu home. Tim was given the honor of being Lulu's male role model in the adoption process. Lyn asked him as we see Lyn weekly at church and she's seen how well he interacts with the kids. In addition, Tim was also given the honor of being Lulu's godfather. The baptism was yesterday and I just couldn't have been happier or more proud of Lyn. What an amazing person. She has experienced more in her 43 years than most by far, and she is just so very happy to be Lulu's mom. Yay and lots of love and best wishes for a truly happy life together to both of them!

Decisions, decisions

So we are at a crossroads. What to do to enhance our TV options. Right now we have basic cable, which is fine but offers very little of interest to either of us when we do get a chance to watch.

One the one hand, Netflix is having a deal for a free first month. We joined and just got the first season of Entourage. So we could continue on the miser plan of $4.99/month and get two movies per month. We're really not movie folk, so I wonder if we will actually watch them. I dont' know if we have ever rented a movie for entertainment, so the Netflix option isn't all that promising. I'm honestly not sure that we'll even watch Entourage even though its supposed to be great.

On the other hand we could have DVR, Verizon's version of TiVo. That will let us record our favorite shows to watch whenever the hell we feel like it. Seinfield, Scrubs, Sex and the City. Steven Colbert & the Daily Show. My nerdy HGTV favorites...Designed to Sell, House Hunters and that show where Candace Olsen hosts and designs. Probably a lot of sports too. Oh and my favorite Food TV shows. These are all half-hour commitments and much more likely to be watched than those 90+ minute movies.

Hmmm. When you put it in writing, there isn't much of a decision to make. We're going DVR people!

Tick, tick, tick

So the years, months, weeks, days and hours count down closer and closer to the arrival of Book 7. HP Book 7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. July 21. I can not wait. Truly. And I'm in a quandry over what to do at midnight on that illustrious date. Join the other rabid fans for the last Harry Potter book release bash ever or snuggle in my bed? Looking at it written down, I think the choice is crystal clear, although the alternative is quite tempting to be perfectly honest.

In preparation for this fabulous event, I am re-reading the series. Which really amazes even me given the fact that Rose is such a devotion and there's not a whole lot of extra time for reading these days. And so I have yet another reason to praise taking the commuter rail to work. Save the environment, save gas, save headaches, save time, and yes, create two little windows each day that belong just to me, to be spent only how I want to. They are a true luxury. And right now, they are dedicated to HP.