Halloween is such a crazy holiday. I was tempted to dress Apollo up as a pink unicorn tonight, but there are so many conflicting thoughts about it I decided not to. Since Apollo is not quite five months old I imagine every door we knocked on would know the candy is really for me, not the little pink unicorn in the stroller. I didn't want to give my neighbors the impression that I am willing to use my child as a means of getting 'the goods,' so that's out.
Also, I'm not sure what dressing a five month old boy in a clearly girl's costume would do to him. Not that I do or don't want my child to dress like a girl, but if I am the one physically responsible for it, does this put a certain unspoken pressure on him? I mean, especially if there are photos. Years from now friends will be looking at this baby pink unicorn pictured next to a fairy and a giant (steven and me but not necessarily in that order). they will know, he will know, that at one time his momma thought it was 'cute' to make in not only a pink imaginary creature, but a pink imaginary creature that just happens to be most girls' favorite animal.
Now I've lost my train of thought. A man in a glittering clown shirt accompanied by an acoustic and a witch playing flute is singing about country montana living. silly silly halloween.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Random Notes
Some things we've noticed about Montana:
1. There are a lot of different license plates
2. They love coffee here
3. They definitely don't like people overusing their wireless internet
4. 2 and 3 combined provides weird situations where a place will offer free coffee refills, but you need a password for the internet which can only be good for a few hours
5. They stick their windshield wipers straight out from the windshield, presumably to keep them from freezing to the the windshield
6. Dogs are pets, not novelties
7. No one knows what a studio apartment is
8. Lots of tattoos
9. No pigeons, one yet to be identified bird is very prevalent instead
UPDATE: They are magpies.
1. There are a lot of different license plates
2. They love coffee here
3. They definitely don't like people overusing their wireless internet
4. 2 and 3 combined provides weird situations where a place will offer free coffee refills, but you need a password for the internet which can only be good for a few hours
5. They stick their windshield wipers straight out from the windshield, presumably to keep them from freezing to the the windshield
6. Dogs are pets, not novelties
7. No one knows what a studio apartment is
8. Lots of tattoos
9. No pigeons, one yet to be identified bird is very prevalent instead
UPDATE: They are magpies.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
parenting
so, if anyone is curious, having a baby changes your life.
one day you are going where you want to go, eating/sleeping/watching tv/shopping/going on dates at your leisure and the next day - wam! eating now consists of the one handed wonders and a quick meal when the baby is sleeping. shopping is hours long now. apollo, being predictably unpredictable, is either hungry, tired, spits up, or has a blow out on every outing. in my free time i am researching car seat safety and sneaking showers, which is rather uncharacteristic of me as i tend to postpone showering.
on a positive note - i have grown to appreciate my parents on a new level. all the puke and poop they too, had to deal with...
also positive - i have grown to truly love being a momma.
but i am dreading the future - crawling, walking, talking. then talking back, making curfews and rules of all sorts. perhaps the most terrifying thought is that apollo is half me. i can only hope he quells those spontaneous desires and whimsical wants that im sure to pass on to him. perhaps, like most children, he will want to be something different. he will strive to be the opposite of me - he will wear matching clothes and be extraordinarily personable.
one day you are going where you want to go, eating/sleeping/watching tv/shopping/going on dates at your leisure and the next day - wam! eating now consists of the one handed wonders and a quick meal when the baby is sleeping. shopping is hours long now. apollo, being predictably unpredictable, is either hungry, tired, spits up, or has a blow out on every outing. in my free time i am researching car seat safety and sneaking showers, which is rather uncharacteristic of me as i tend to postpone showering.
on a positive note - i have grown to appreciate my parents on a new level. all the puke and poop they too, had to deal with...
also positive - i have grown to truly love being a momma.
but i am dreading the future - crawling, walking, talking. then talking back, making curfews and rules of all sorts. perhaps the most terrifying thought is that apollo is half me. i can only hope he quells those spontaneous desires and whimsical wants that im sure to pass on to him. perhaps, like most children, he will want to be something different. he will strive to be the opposite of me - he will wear matching clothes and be extraordinarily personable.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Our First Visitor
Last week we ha our first visitor to our apartment. It was after nightfall and I was getting ready to go to work while Kalina was getting ready for bed. There was a knock at our door and since I was the only one not in pajamas I answered. It was was a Police Officer. After formalities he wasted no time in getting to the point.
"Sir, do you have a chicken in your backyard?"
I must pause here and explain that this is not the strangest question I've been asked by law enforcement.
"No. Well, I mean, I saw one earlier."
Apparently, the rooster I saw wandering around our house was not supposed to be there. After explaining that we did not own the whole house and had actually just moved in so we didn't know anyone else, he continued his investigation elsewhere.
Whenever I have an interaction with police officers it turns into a bizarre moment. Other great questions I've been asked include: "Sir, are you running a meth lab?" and "How would you like a $110 early birthday present?" to which I became confused as to the officer's intent and almost replied with "I wouldn't like that very much." Luckily I realized that was his way of letting me off with a warning. (Sidenote: Yes I was speeding. But I had just driven 800 miles straight where the speed limit was 75 mph. I exit onto a 55 mph road, immediately realize I'm going 65, correct this and then get pulled over.)
Anyways, to date the only person to knock on our door has done so just to inquire about a rogue chicken.
"Sir, do you have a chicken in your backyard?"
I must pause here and explain that this is not the strangest question I've been asked by law enforcement.
"No. Well, I mean, I saw one earlier."
Apparently, the rooster I saw wandering around our house was not supposed to be there. After explaining that we did not own the whole house and had actually just moved in so we didn't know anyone else, he continued his investigation elsewhere.
Whenever I have an interaction with police officers it turns into a bizarre moment. Other great questions I've been asked include: "Sir, are you running a meth lab?" and "How would you like a $110 early birthday present?" to which I became confused as to the officer's intent and almost replied with "I wouldn't like that very much." Luckily I realized that was his way of letting me off with a warning. (Sidenote: Yes I was speeding. But I had just driven 800 miles straight where the speed limit was 75 mph. I exit onto a 55 mph road, immediately realize I'm going 65, correct this and then get pulled over.)
Anyways, to date the only person to knock on our door has done so just to inquire about a rogue chicken.
Monday, October 26, 2009
week 2 and counting
good and bad things have happened so far in bozeman.
goody goods
- bozeman seems to be pretty sweet.
- we went to the library yesterday and got ourselves library cards. i do believe this establishes us as bozeman residents.
- i haven't gotten lost yet.
the bads
- our kitchen sink drips which creates a little population of unwanted insects in our kitchen.
- i have made no friends. but i have met one of our neighbors. Dan from apt E. of course my nerdy-ness always seems to overwhelm me when i meet new people. so the conversation was very similar to
"Hi. Do you live here?"
"Ya I live in apt E, the apartment next to the mail boxes."
"I live here. too. now."
"I'm Dan. And who is this?"
"This is Apollo. I'm Kalina. You can call me K. Some people do."
"Hi Apollo. How old is he? 4, 5 months?"
"Ya.
um 4 and a half months"
this very boring and painfully slow transaction happens for another few minutes. after which i pick up my broom that i was using to sweep the leaves (don't ask) and saunter inside. the wind picked up after i had this conversation with dan. i stood watching our front yard get covered with leaves. and i realized not only did my attempt at making a new friend fail, but so did my desire to make my yard look respectable.
kalina
goody goods
- bozeman seems to be pretty sweet.
- we went to the library yesterday and got ourselves library cards. i do believe this establishes us as bozeman residents.
- i haven't gotten lost yet.
the bads
- our kitchen sink drips which creates a little population of unwanted insects in our kitchen.
- i have made no friends. but i have met one of our neighbors. Dan from apt E. of course my nerdy-ness always seems to overwhelm me when i meet new people. so the conversation was very similar to
"Hi. Do you live here?"
"Ya I live in apt E, the apartment next to the mail boxes."
"I live here. too. now."
"I'm Dan. And who is this?"
"This is Apollo. I'm Kalina. You can call me K. Some people do."
"Hi Apollo. How old is he? 4, 5 months?"
"Ya.
um 4 and a half months"
this very boring and painfully slow transaction happens for another few minutes. after which i pick up my broom that i was using to sweep the leaves (don't ask) and saunter inside. the wind picked up after i had this conversation with dan. i stood watching our front yard get covered with leaves. and i realized not only did my attempt at making a new friend fail, but so did my desire to make my yard look respectable.
kalina
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Big Sky
Montana's nickname is Big Sky. I always thought that was kind of silly. I mean isn't the sky the same everywhere? Who are they to claim that their sky is larger?
One of the first things we noticed when driving to Montana was the large expanse above our heads. Some of it's hard to explain, all I can say is that it just looks bigger. But one of the most immediately noticeable differences once we entered Montana and Wyoming was the lack of billboards. Your eyes were drawn to the sky so that you could notice things that admen tried to hide from you before.
The contrast is especially apparent leaving South Dakota were for 400 miles there are ads for a dinky tourist attraction in a dinky town that has a plastic dinosaur and free water. Immediately before leaving South Dakota there is a long string of large billboards advertising a casino that have pictures of women who don't work there and things you probably can't do there and then... nothing. Then there is blue sky and mountains. And you're able to clear your mind a little bit.
Steven
One of the first things we noticed when driving to Montana was the large expanse above our heads. Some of it's hard to explain, all I can say is that it just looks bigger. But one of the most immediately noticeable differences once we entered Montana and Wyoming was the lack of billboards. Your eyes were drawn to the sky so that you could notice things that admen tried to hide from you before.
The contrast is especially apparent leaving South Dakota were for 400 miles there are ads for a dinky tourist attraction in a dinky town that has a plastic dinosaur and free water. Immediately before leaving South Dakota there is a long string of large billboards advertising a casino that have pictures of women who don't work there and things you probably can't do there and then... nothing. Then there is blue sky and mountains. And you're able to clear your mind a little bit.
Steven
Friday, October 23, 2009
"Montana"
We have moved. Within three years we have moved from a city of 3 million people to a town of 30,000. On a recent journey to wish Kristen (steven's sister) luck with a new husband, we met up with some friends we acquired while living in Chicago. When David found out we were moving to Bozeman, MT he nonchalantly asks if I was going to be a dental floss tycoon. Hilarious and witty if I would have recognized it as a Frank Zappa wonder, which I didn't. It wasn't until the next day when another friend broke out in "Montana" that it sunk in. I was moving to Montana, and fate deemed I am to become a dental floss tycoon. So, in order to fulfill my destiny and also give friends and family updates, Steven and I have created a blog.
Kalina
Kalina
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