mombrain

Freedom, She Is a Girl

Last week, driving the Little Guy to school on a bitterly cold morning, I was stuck in traffic and still bundled in my hat and mittens when I saw a girl flash by on a bike. Wearing nothing but jeans and a white t-shirt, with two long black pigtails flying behind her, she stood on the pedals and weaved through the cars, then flew up and over a grassy hill. Watching her fly, stuck in the smoky exhaust of a winter traffic jam, I wanted to be her. I looked at the hill for a long time after she disappeared.

Broken Bones

Here at MomBrain HQ, we have just taken our very first ride in a wheelchair. This is because I broke my delicate, princess-like foot last night when I took a wee tumble on the stairs. This morning my foot was not so delicate looking, so the Big Guy whisked me off to the ER where a nice man wheeled me down shiny hallways in leatherette comfort. Then they parked me in the hallway and forgot about me. Thank goodness I had the New Yorker with me.

The Little Guy is very excited that I have crusses. But I'm not sure the Big Guy is so excited. In the best of times I am just the tiniest bit high-maintenance, and I think he fears that I may be a demanding patient. Which, of course, I will be.

I Want ...

I want a long nap.

I want a massage, possibly with hot stones, which I've heard about but never tried.

I want my dad to visit so he can replace the burned out light bulbs in my kitchen and bathroom, plus figure out what smells in my basement shower.

I want to know why my fingers and toes hurt so much all the time.

I want a personal assistant to get me another desk from Ikea, take my cat to the vet, and organize my tax papers.

I want a housekeeper to dust the shelves on my stairwell, bring the Christmas boxes to the basement, and scrub the rust stain out of my kitchen sink.

I want it to stop raining so I can cross the swamp that is my back yard.

I want to sleep just one night without waking up at 4:00.

I want a magic nose like in "Bewitched" so I can just wiggle away the remaining boxes. And the extra 20 pounds.

I want, I want, I want.

MomBrain's Favorite Things 2004

In the spirit of Oprah, I offer you MomBrain's Favorite Things. However, unlike Oprah, I will not be giving away free goodies to members of our studio audience. No, my ducks, you must satisfy yourself with hot links. But satisfied you will be, and perhaps you will even try a few yourself! So ... here are the things I just couldn't live without in 2003.

Let's begin at the beginning, shall we? MomBrain starts each day with two cups of PG Tips tea. My Brit friends send this to me every year for Christmas, and it puts American tea to shame. More flavor and more caffeine in an adorable little triangular bag. Bloody good!

The Donna Karan Sports Bra has me actually looking forward to exercise. Finally, a sports bra that fits!!! No more uni-boob. No more sweaty contortions to undress. No more bouncing-boob-induced black eyes. The underwires are on the outside for comfort, and the straps adjust with hooks so they're not too stretchy. Donna Karan speaks the truth.

When it comes to running and power walking, I'm committed to New Balance running shoes. I used to be a Saucony girl, but NB lasts longer, fits better, and supports better. This is the specific model I wear, but I'm also pigeon toed and duck footed, so buyer beware. Quack!

If my running shoes and sports bra get me out the door, the iPod keeps me going. This groovy little tunes player puts others to shame. Now if Apple could just fix that pesky battery problem.

This watch has quickly become one of my few beloved objects. I wear it only when it can be appreciated -- with 3/4 length sleeves or a fluttery blouse. Thanks to Francesa for the tip!

I gotta give Oprah credit for bringing the Tisha bra to the world's attention. Little Miss Tisha makes my ta tas stand and salute like no one's business. Ah yes, the Goddess of Lift and Separate smiles down on me every time I wear this sweet number. It's not pretty -- it looks a bit like a Granny bra. But if Granny had worn something like this, well, consider the possibilities!

My house smells like these Lily of the Valley jar candles from Illumination. I have one in each bathroom and a couple of bedrooms. The scent is light, fresh, and floral, and the frosted glass lends a soft light. And as we all know, soft light is a wrinkly old bag's best friend.

I don't have a "signature scent." I can't pick just one perfume from all the delightful choices. Plus if you wear perfume these days you're likely to be assaulted by the chemically sensitive legions. But I do indulge in this magnolia lotion by Elizabeth W. Again with the light, fresh, and floral. And it has shea butter, so it's a lovely body moisturizer at the same time.

Call me silly, but MomBrain is picky about calendars. Year after year I buy this one. It's a week-at-a-glance with plenty of room for writing on each day. Plus it has nifty little perforated corner thingies that you can tear off as you progress through the year. I know. It's dumb. But I love this calendar.

Wrapping up the day, I sink my popsicle toes into a pair of these. Ain't nothin' warmer, softer, or more comforting, and I usually end up wearing them to bed.

Now. Time to go shopping!