How to Be a Winner

Attention loyal readers. Today I would like to share with you the lessons I have learned during this football season. This year our immediate families participated in the very first fantasy sports pro football Pick 'Em league. For those out of the know, Pick 'Em is when you pick which teams will win the games every week during regular season. Now, after 17 weeks, the Pick 'Em league has ended and we have a winner (color coded for the full effect).

1st: Connie

2nd: Dana

3rd: David

4th: Donna

5th: Dave

6th: Dale

7th: Kirk

So, to all you men out there who think you know more about football than the women, let me tell you something. Us women have a gift. It's a natural born instinct otherwise known as a woman's intuition. You've heard of it; and you've probably laughed at the idea of it. But, fellas, the proof is in the rankings. I have a theory about why the women seemed to excel in the Pick 'Em league.

1) A woman's intuition hardly ever lets us down. Forget the stats; we go with our gut.
2) Women tend to be more on top of things. You didn't see any of us forget to make our picks, whereas some of the men made the mistake of not getting their picks entered on time.

So what have we learned? Well, the next time you want to go head to head with a woman in this family regarding pro football, lose the Y chromosome. It's not doing you any favors. :)

Parker Christmas 2008

Christmas was relatively quiet this year. David and I drove down to Kentucky Christmas morning (a great idea; no traffic!). We had lunch with my parents and grandmother and spent the rest of the day watching bowl games and playing games. On Friday Cooper and Jackson came over to open their gifts from me and David and my parents. They raked in a good loot. Surely it will tide them over until next year. Other than that, we didn't do a whole lot. Played more games. Ate more food. And had a very nice time visiting with family.

Stelsel Christmas 2008

David and I just returned from the annual Stelsel family Christmas....in Florida! This year we decided to forego the blizzards of Wisconsin in favor of the warm, sunny skies. We all stayed at David’s grandparents’ home in The Villages (yes, that's the real name of the town). Although it got a bit crowded at times with 8 people running around and different rooms temporarily barricaded as Dave painted two bedrooms, it was really great to have everyone under one roof.

We didn’t do anything terribly exciting really: played some cards, read a lot, walked around the outdoor shopping center, and went joyriding in the golf cart. I have to say, just being in The Villages is an experience in itself. Let me explain:

The Villages is a community just for people over age 55; if you’re not 55, don’t even think about trying to take up residence. It has its own shops, restaurants, golf courses, swimming pools, recreation centers, nightly entertainment, newspapers, and more. For example, Boppa has taken up billiards and leatherworking, and Gigi takes part in a book club and Bridge club. It’s like its own little utopia for retirees. David said, “Is this what Heaven is like?” The best part by far was driving everywhere in the golf cart. Don’t worry, Dad/retired police officer/retired police officer who taught me how to drive, safety first. This place had its own golf cart paths so that you can get anywhere without having to merge (for the most part) with traffic. Folks there even pimp out their rides with cool paint jobs, shiny wheels, and remodeled bodies to look like real cars. It's pretty surreal.

But back to Christmas. We had a really great time, and we’re already planning to do it again next year. I would vote it the best Stelsel Christmas ever (but maybe I’m bias because I really do hate those Wisconsin winters).

Day 1: We celebrated my birthday. That makes birthday celebration #3 so far! Connie made my favorite: lasagna. And she made me this very yummy cake.

Day 2: Dave started painting his second room. He clearly enjoys it.

Day 2: We all went down to the outdoor shopping center. This just happened to be one of the first things I saw, which made me think of my Dad. Dad, this one's for you.

Day 2: David and I go for a ride on the golf cart. Like they say, "When in Rome...."

Day 3: We all gather around for a family picture. From left to right: Laura, Kirk, Dave, Gigi, Connie, Boppa, David, Dana

All By Myself

For the last four days I have had a Green Day song running through my head. It goes something like this:

I was alone
I was all by myself
No one was looking
I was thinking of you
Oh yeah, did I mention I was all by myself
All by myself...
All by myself...
All by myself...

My Mommy and Daddy left me here while they went to Florida. To make matters worse, they said Grandma Connie, Grandpa Dave, Uncle Kirk, Great-Grandma Gigi, and Great-Grandpa Boppa were all going to be there too. They said I couldn't go 'cause the airplane doesn't allow it. I promised I'd be good, but they said, "Chase, rules are rules." And when Daddy talks like that in his I'm-not-messin-around voice, I listen. So they sent me to the PetsHotel for four nights, which was pretty fun. Lots of new people and lots and lots of doggies to play with. Coon came too; we shared a room. The staff there even let me have doggy ice cream cones, which Mommy and Daddy never let me have. But shhhh..... what they don't know won't hurt them. And then I got a big surprise. Aunt Lindsay came by today to pick me up and take me home!! So now I'm just waiting here for Mommy and Daddy to come home. I hope it's soon 'cause I gotta go potty. And Coon won't get out of my food dish! He's so naughty when they're not around. :(

Merry Birthday, Happy Christmas

Today I turned 27! Daaaang, that's old. At least that's what David likes to tell me. It's been a crazy weekend, so we ended up celebrating my birthday on Friday with dinner at one of my favorite restaurants: Bravo. Last night we had David's office holiday party, which included dinner at a nice restaurant downtown and a Christmas show at the Indianapolis Symphony. We had a good time, but by the second half of the show we were both dozing off from all the free wine and whiskey from dinner. And now today, on my birthday, I'm doing homework. Blech. I did have two nice surprises though:

Surprise 1: our mailbox magically appeared this afternoon

Surprise 2: two big elves decorated our big pine tree out front

Part of me really misses the fun birthday parties from my childhood in which I invited all my friends over for ice cream cake and a sleepover (which probably more often than not included me wanting to put on a show). I miss those little girl days when I didn't have to worry about mailboxes and finals week. But despite all the yucky stuff that comes along with getting older, at 27 I'm happier than ever and thankful for everyone and everything in my life. Here's looking forward to another 27 years!

Thank you for all the birthday phone calls, text messages, e-mails, and Facebook messages! They made my day!!

Happy Birthday to Me!

I'm 2 years old today! Wow, how time flies! Mommy and Daddy brought home a new buddy for my birthday: Hedgy the hedgehog. I love him so much. I take him everywhere I go and drool on him a lot so no one will touch him. My best friend Coon is a little jealous 'cause I'm not paying as much attention to him. Daddy said he's the velveteen rabbit, whatever that means. He don't look like no rabbit. But Coon knows I love him, so I'm not worried.

Daddy says I'm a real dog now and not a puppy anymore, but Mommy says I'll always be her pup. Oh, Mom! If I'm good, maybe they'll let me sleep with them tonight; sometimes when I'm a real good boy or if they miss me a whole lot, I get to sleep in the big bed snuggled up against Mommy. She keeps me warm, and if I act real cute she'll rub my belly 'till I fall asleep. Ahhhh..... it's good to be 2.

A New Enemy (Part 2)

If you read my entry titled "A New Enemy," posted in October, then you'll appreciate this. Indy got hit with its first real snowfall yesterday. Accumulation was only about an inch. Even so, the snow combined with the speed bump spelled disaster for our mailbox. Yes, that's right. By noon yesterday our mailbox was demolished when a driver hit his brakes on the speed bump and slid into our yard. Ugh.

Fortunately, the driver was nice enough to stop to tell us and has offered to pay for a new one. But we don't expect this will always be the case, which leaves us in a difficult situation. While David was picking up the remaining pieces of our mailbox, he saw two more vehicles hit their brakes and start to slide into our yard. Out of concern for our own safety, other pedestrians' safety, and less importantly the safety of any future mailboxes, we are writing a letter to our neighborhood association to address the issue. I doubt anything will come of it, but we are so annoyed with the whole issue that we have to do something. If this happened after just an inch of snowfall, I can't imagine what's in store for the rest of the winter.

David did some quick research to validate our concerns, and it turns out that having speed bumps in residential neighborhoods is not necessarily the most effective tool for rectifying reckless driving. I could go on and on, but I get riled up just thinking about it. So I'll stop here.

Speed bump: 1
Stelsels: 0

Stay tuned....

Music Review

There has been a lot of new music released lately, and as a music lover of almost all genres, I'm always interested to hear new tunes. Here's my two cents on some new albums that have hit the charts:

Britney Spears: Circus
Love her or hate her, the girl knows how to make your hips move. I listened to her new album, and it's good! I would recommend it for anyone who likes a good dance beat. Much better than her previous album in my opinion. Don't judge the album based on her first single, "Womanizer." This may be one of the least impressive songs on the album. If you like the title track "Circus," you'll want to hear more. I'll definitely be adding this album to my work-out mix.

David Cook: David Cook
Who could forget David Cook's riveting performance of the remake of Michael Jackson's "Billy Jean." It was quite possibly my favorite AI performance of all time. Well, he doesn't disappoint on his new self-titled album. It is very Daughtry-esqe but with softer tones. I highly recommend this album for any classic rock n' roll lovers. Listen to his first single, "Light On."

Guns N' Roses: Chinese Democracy
After 15 years of no new music from Axl and company, I was super excited to hear their new album......much to my disappointment. I'll be honest, I'm not a die-hard fan of GNR. I love their old hits, such as "November Rain," "Sweet Child 'O Mine," and "Live and Let Die," so I'm probably not the best person to critique this album. There was at least one song that I really liked, and some others that were okay. True GNR fans or hard rock fans may have more appreciation for this album, but it wasn't my cup of tea. Listen to "This I Love," the song most like GNR's old-school ballads.

New Kids On The Block: The Block
Okay, so the NKOTB comeback happened a few months ago, but I thought it was worth mentioning. Joey, Jordan, Donnie, Danny, and Jonathan hooked up with some pretty cool hip-hop and pop producers to turn out an album with a vibe much younger than the guys themselves. There are a few songs on the album that make me groove, but for the most part I think it tries too hard to be fresh and cool. The songs are over produced and the lyrics are your basic "baby baby" this and "baby baby" that. And let's face it: it's just a little weird to watch these 40-somethings try to relive their glory days. It works for Madonna, but not for NKOTB. Watch their video for their second single, "Single."

Beyonce: I Am...Sasha Fierce
She sings, she dances, she acts, she desgins clothes. What doesn't Beyonce do these days? Well, she doesn't write good songs, that I know for sure. She has an amazing voice; that I can't deny. But this album just doesn't do it for me. Sorry Beyonce (or is it Sasha Fierce these days?), but it's just not working for me. Listen to her first single, "If I Were A Boy."

Now, if you're interested in hearing some music you've probably never heard, you should check out David's music blog (yes, he has his own secret blog). David has quite a unique music perspective.

I think you can listen to 30-second samples of all albums on Amazon.com. However, I recommend listening to full-length versions of songs on YouTube for a better feel for the songs.

Has anyone else heard any new music lately that you really liked?

Vacation and Thanksgiving

David and I are back from a fabulous week and a half of total relaxation. We just spent a week living it up at a resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. We spent every day on the beach or poolside reading a book and sipping on fruity cocktails. Let me rephrase that: fruity cocktails for me, beers for David. One day we splurged for massages (something we had scheduled on our honeymoon but was cancelled by Hurricane Wilma). It was 50 minutes in heaven, and well worth the wait. I wish I had a lot of great pictures to show you, but our camera battery died. :(

Aerial view of the resort. The pool ran the length of the resort down to the beach.

The only proof (other than David's sunburn) that we were actually there! David thinks he's Christopher Columbus discovering the island.

The beach!

We missed Chase a lot, but we had some other pets to watch. The flamingos could get pretty rowdy at times. I think they are sleeping here. This bird, however, sure loved to hang out by our room. This picture was taken from our back porch.

Our room, along with the pet swan we kept at the end of the bed in place of Chase.

A view from our back window and porch. We were lucky to have a poolside room. We spent a lot of time in those chairs reading books and taking a dip when we got too hot.

We returned to Indy just in time for Thanksgiving. We drove up to Wisconsin (i.e., Kirk drove while I slept in the back) on Thanksgiving morning, where we feasted on turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, pies, and other delicious things that I just can't remember. We had a great visit in Wisconsin. Chase especially enjoyed it because he was spoiled to the max. There was no lack of attention for the pup, and there's always a lot of action around the Stelsel household. Needless to say, he's plum exhausted. Connie and Kirk ventured out on Black Friday and made it home unscathed. Then we all went shopping in Madison on Saturday morning where David and I finished up our Christmas shopping.

The men at work. Dave carves the turkey while David whips cream. He hates whipping cream. Can you tell?


Chase didn't stray too far from the turkey. I didn't stray too far from the pumpkin pie.

After a long day, Chase takes a rest on Kirk's belly. The two of them had some good bonding time while David and I were on vacation.


We're happy to be home in Indy....snow and all! It was hard coming to work this morning, but in just a few weeks we'll get to have another break to see more family. Can't wait!!

Halloween

Chase and I spent Halloween weekend in Kentucky with my family while David was in Boston with his brother visiting a friend. My parents had a get-together at their house so Jackson, Cooper, and their friends could go trick or treating.

Jackson was Shaggy and Cooper was Scooby-Doo!

Braden spent Halloween in Florida. He was a turtle, but I'm thinking maybe reptiles aren't his thing.

The rest of my weekend was spent watching a lot of college football and doing some early Christmas shopping. I'm half done with my Christmas buying!! Jealous?

David went to a Halloween costume party somewhere in Cambridge with a bunch of Harvard grad students. He and Kirk spent most of the weekend touring Boston, which of course included a visit to the Sam Adams brewery. Wherever there is free beer, that's where you'll find the Stelsel brothers.

David, Kirk, and their friend Chris. David is Miami Vice. Cute, huh?

Chase spent his weekend trying to keep up with all the activities around the Parker household. Visiting Nonna and Grandaddy really wears him out!

Chase did a poor job as my co-pilot. He fell asleep on the job!

Another Weekend, Another Wedding

David and I had a fabulous time in Chicago this past weekend. We went up with Lindsay and Russell to attend a fraternity brother's wedding (the first of many more to come in the next year). Believe it or not we weren't even the last to arrive at the ceremony! (gasp) Although we did cut it close; I believe they were seating the mothers when we snuck in the back pew.

Everything was just great until (insert creepy music here): the cocktail hour! Now this was a first for me: the cocktail hour lasted 3.5 hours; and that's BEFORE the reception started! It was all planned, so we knew what we were in for ahead of time (i.e., trouble!). Imagine what happens when you have access to a full open bar starting at 3:30 and going strong until midnight, with a shuttle to drop us off between the hotel and the reception venue (safety first!). Like I said, trouble. ;)

The night starts off great. Lindsay and I look fab in our new Macy's dresses (got 'em on sale!).



And we finally make it to the reception. I'm getting sleepy from the wine, but David appears to be doing just fine. Let's eat!



And then things start to get crazy.......



and weird.....



and just plain scary!



That's what an afternoon of cocktails will do to a person.

A New Enemy

We have a new enemy in the neighborhood. Don't worry, it's not a someone, it's a something. It appeared out of the blue late last week and has made its presence known to everyone who drives down our street. The culprit: a devilish, gigantic speedbump smack dab in front of our house. Kudos for the safety precaution (people drive way too fast down our street), but so far the speedbump has caused more angst than relief. First of all, it's the biggest speedbump I've ever seen, more like a small hill than a bump really (I can fit my car on top of it). Second, it's solid black, which means you can't see it at night. So here we have people who still drive too fast despite the speedbump, either because they are idiots or because they can't see it, and every time their cars bottom out as they go over it (which is very often), it startles Chase and he lets out a woof. So imagine what it's like at our house these days. We've got the thump-thumps from the cars bouncing over the speedbump, the squeal of the tires as people slam their brakes so as not to catapult their car into the air, and the woof-woofs as Chase advises us when there's a loud sound outside our house. Oh my. Guess that's life on Hollingsworth Drive.

Three Years and Counting

Three years ago Wednesday marked a milestone moment for us — the day we pledged "till death do us part." I can't believe it's been three years, yet at the same time it seems so long ago. I wish I could say our third anniversary was magical and spectacular. Unfortunately, we don't live in fantasy land (as much as I'd like to pretend we do). I had to give a presentation in my accounting class that night and wasn't home until 8:45. But I'm a lucky girl. David had a surprise dinner (and a much needed glass of wine) ready and waiting for me when I walked in the door. Say it with me now: "Awwwww." We shared a late candlelit dinner in our pajamas, opened gifts, and crashed with the pup watching a random '80s movie on TV. It wasn't nearly the magical night that it was three years ago, but it was pretty perfect for just an ordinary Wednesday.

Yep. Pretty perfect indeed.

Farewell to Summer

It can't be! It's fall already? Noooooooo! Oh how I will miss those warm sunny days....

and the pretty flowers....

and the late sunsets....

and....

did I mention the warm sun?

Okay, actually, fall is my favorite time of year; it's the winter that immediately follows that I hate. And this crazy Indiana weather doesn't help anything. One day it feels like August, and the next day I'm breaking out my winter clothes. Pick a season, Indiana; you're killing me here. But for the time being I am enjoying the crisp air (Chase, too!) and the beautiful oranges and reds on the trees. And the holidays are right around the corner, which is always the most fun part of the year. So I bid you farewell, summer, farewell.


David and his dad clear out the garden........ while Chase supervises.

Night at the Movies

Last night David and I saw the new movie Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. We hardly ever see a movie in the theater. Prices ridiculously higher than the $3.50 I remember from my childhood, annoying kids with no manners who should be accompanied by adults but aren't, and the miraculous invention of DVR and Video On Demand have made the movie theater experience, at least in our book, extremely underwhelming. However, in rare instances when we a) see a really great movie previewed that we just HAVE to see on the big screen (a la Dark Knight) or b) really need to get out and do something we don't do very often, it almost always comes down to a night at the movies. I think it's the nostalgia of the movies that I like so much. These days going to the movie theater isn't that spectacular (unless you go to a brand new theater with superb surround sound, the most comfortable stadium seating you've ever sat in, and butter pumps so you can customize your popcorn according to your tastes). And last night was no different; the theater was practically empty, we didn't get popcorn, and the seats were the old kind where you have to strategically place yourself a few rows behind people either to the left or right so as not to have the screen blocked by someone's big head, then slump down in your seat so you can sit still for an hour and a half without getting a cramp in your neck. So no, it wasn't the spectacular movie experience I remembered from the '90s, but I was happy all the same.

There's something about sitting in a dark, quiet theater, sharing an armrest with the boy you like, and laughing out loud when you turn to each other at the same moment because something the characters just did on screen reminds you of a moment way back when, that just feels......good. Maybe it's those millisecond moments when you can relate to the characters in the movie. Last night it was when Nick and Norah (two young singles who share a love for music and a quest to find out where their favorite band is scheduled to play in the city) start making up dances in the middle of a club. To any of the other viewers last night, it was probably just a funny scene in the movie. To me, it was an "awww" moment when David and I glanced at each other and just started laughing because we were both thinking the same thing: "we do that too!"

The movie was just okay in my opinion. Good music and some funny parts here and there. I wouldn't recommend it for anyone over 30; it speaks more to the teenage and college crowd than the twenty-somethings. But what I really enjoyed, despite the lack of popcorn and the uncomfortable seats, was that one-of-a-kind experience that only happens at the movies: when you can sit in a dark public place surrounded by strangers and still feel like you're in your own little world. When it's just you and the person you're with, laughing together in secret at what would appear to be nothing at all.

A Wife's Point of View

My husband is a hostage
of the CFA.
Tortured nearly daily,
cramming knowledge into his brain.

He comes home from work
and goes straight to studying at the table,
while I mope around the house
‘cause I can’t watch cable.

And then it’s off to bed we go,
but wait, he’s still not done.
That big pile of notecards
have to be reviewed until there’s none.

Sometimes I get lonely
because I feel like I never see him.
A dinner here, thirty minutes there,
and if I’m lucky a trip to the gym.

But when I get upset
and wish he’d just be done already,
I step back and remind myself,
he’s doing this for me.

I certainly have no right to complain;
he’s sacrificing more than me
by giving up all his free time
to build a bright future for our family.

I don’t like the long study hours
and I miss the time we had before.
But in the end it will all be worth it,
and that makes me love him even more.

Braden's Getting Big!

These are the latest pictures of Braden (7–8 weeks old). I can't believe how much he's changed already. He's so pretty....er.... handsome. Takes after his momma and the Parker side of the family, I'm sure! ;)