Under the Wire

Gotta get my top 10 for 2010 in before the ball drops. I don't suspect anything new is going to happen in the next 90 minutes. By the way you can't get your "best of" the decade in after the new year. It is just lame and it makes the whole thing drag on too long.


Music, and there is no particular order and probably no surprise to anybody. :

1. You are my sunshine, it is at least the song I've sung the most in the last 10 years. Granted most of it has been in the last 18 months, but still it over shadows the rest of the songs.
2. Gonna Make You Love Me More--Or anything off the Gold Album by Ryan Adams
3. "Love Love Love" no, no, no "Dance Music" or maybe "This Year" by the Mountain Goats. Probably my favorite album of whatever year it came out. No need to call 911, I'm not that depressed.
4. Mariner's Revenge by The Decemberists (except that I love every song, well every song that doesn't, um, drag a bit)
5. Adelaide by Ben Folds, sentimental value mainly--bogans
6. At Bottom of Everything Bright Eyes; I listened to that album like 10 times through the first day I had it.
7. Scar by Missy Higgins
8. Why Modern Radio is A-Ok by Roman Candle. I'm not even that high brow about music, but it is a fun song.
9. The Owls Go by Architecture in Helsinki
10. The latest Toughs by Okkervil River. Love the whole album...again, I'm not that depressed.
11. Kick Drum Heart--The Avett Brother, that is right a number 11 it is cheating, but it is my list.
12. Spaceman--The killer, really cheating now but it was my fav song of 2009

Also, Justin is about to get banned from posting to the blog. He isn't telling the truth because he doesn't totally appreciate my fun projects. He is sure our house will be overrun with fungus due to the mushroom project, he barely wants me to grow the spouts on the kitchen counter (which occurs totally inside a jar). Also, I don't appreciate being outted about the whole Project Runway deal. Keep it up, Justin, and see what comes out about you!

In the last decade we've kinda done a lot. Both of us had our first real job, went to grad school, had our first international trip and move, bought a house, got our first tatoos, had a baby and well I guess that topped it off. Guess everybody should be able to point to a few things that happened to them in the last 10 years; still putting it all down seems kinda crazy to me.

Well here is to the next decade. I hope it is just as wonderful. Monika

PS I'm going to start a worm farm in 2010....looking forward to that, Justin? Mushrooms AND worms--don't forget, we have a guest bedroom folks so come on out for a visit.

Back in Old MO

We made it back to Missouri just in time for a little sprinkling of snow. We decorated some gingerbread cookies with the boys that Nana thought to bring (messy, messy messy, but fun!). We traveled to southwest Missouri to see more of the family and have had a good old time. Noli has enjoyed her extended family so much! More are coming today from Texas, but we are expecting 3-5 INCHES of snow! Goodness. We'll have to bundle up and make a snow angel. Hope everyone is keeping warm and enjoying their merry making.



Oh and the picture of Mel and I are showing off our prayer shawls that mom made us. We sang a little "Match Maker" from fiddler :)

Best of 2009

It's time for the annual "best of" lists. This year is extra special since it closes out the aughts ('00s), which means there's a best of the decade list coming soon...


Top 5 Best New TV Shows (we started watching this year)

5. 30 for 30 -- ESPN's series of documentaries celebrating their 30th year have been interesting, even when the subject matter initially didn't seem so. The best example was the Baltimore Colts marching band edition (I know, zzzzzz), but it turned out there was lots of drama in the way the team left the city. Warning: Only for die hard sports fans.

4. Austin City Limits -- Finally got this on the DVR and have enjoyed having the concerts on in the background. Noli was dancing to Elvis Costello this morning. A great DVR program because I'm no longer awake at 11:30pm on a Sat.

3. Modern Family -- Mock-documentary style show (think The Office) about 3 related families that is funny for the first 20 minutes and then usually has a warm fuzzy ending in the last 2 minutes. Ahhh...

2. 30 Rock -- Can't remember if we started watching last year or this year, but either way we were a couple years late to the party. Solid show every week.

1. Community -- Probably not the greatest show, but we love Joel McHale from The Soup so it gets some extra slack from us.


Top 5 New Hobbies for Mon (from Justin's perspective)

5. Spinning -- Doesn't sound all that fun to me, but Mon likes it so much we even got her a bike for the basement.

4. Vases -- She made these cool mock-porcelain vases out of glass vases from the Scrap Exchange.

3. Mushrooms in coffee grounds -- We have a barista friend that can keep us in pounds and pounds of coffee grounds, which apparently you can grow mushrooms in. To eat, not the funny kind.

2. Mushroom logs -- Same idea only in logs. My only rule was they had to be outside; didn't want to purposely introduce fungus into the house.

1. America's Top Designer -- The shock of the year. In an effort to learn about girly stuff in case our daughter wants to know that stuff later Mon watched this season of the show. And really liked it!


Top 5 Cutest Things Noli Did

5. Eating dirt -- I think we posted this picture, the one where she's grinning wide with dirt in her teeth and all around her mouth.

4. Laying on my shoulder after being scared -- One day the cat outside the door really scared her and she sat hugging my shoulder for a long time. Not that I want her to be scared, but lemonade out of lemons people.

3. Kisses through the gate-- Mon started a game of letting Noli shut the gate at the top of the stairs on us as we're coming up. But in between the gate openings and closings she shares a kiss through the bars.

2. Fish face -- Mon also taught her to make a fish face and now every time we see a fish (anywhere) she looks for mom. Doesn't say "mom," but this kind of makes up for it.

1. Southern "Bye" -- Her favorite word to say, usually after someone's already out of earshot. The best part is that it kind of sounds southern.


Top 5 Albums of the Year

5. Discovery -- LP: Initially drawn to it because it was another electronic, back-and-forth side project, like the Postal Service, and the music lived up to the expectations. Nothing earth shattering or all that deep, but a fun album.

4. Roman Candle -- Oh Tall Tree in the Ear: Finally got a new Roman Candle album this year after about 5 years with the first batch of songs. We got to go to the release party too. Another solid set from the band, not a weak song on the album.

3. The Avett Brothers -- I and Love and You: Haven't had a long time with this one, but the title song gives me goose bumps, especially the little background harmony that comes over the top of the chorus about the 4th time through.

2. Neko Case -- Middle Cyclone: This was the first album I heard after my music fast for Lent and it's from one of my favorite all-time voices. I could listen to her sing the phone book. (Note: The music is much better than the phone book.)

1. Phoenix -- Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix: I had been waiting for this band's first 3 albums to show up on emusic but when this one came out this year I had to buy it anyway. Even if you've never heard of the band, you probably know the song "1901" from a car commercial and loved it. So buy the album already! Bands are having to sell their songs to ads just to stay afloat now.

Happy Holidays Folks

if you notice, Noli isn't putting a ornament on the tree, but a bottle of sunscreen. I don't think she really "got" tree trimming this year.

Happy Halloween.

Donkeys and more

Noli had a big weekend of fun excitment. We went to my friend (and coworker) house. Her husband raises miniature donkeys. They were a hit with all the kids. Noli liked them, but per usual had second thoughts when they got too close. Eventually she reluctantly posed for a picture with the calmest one, chocolate (she was the only brown one, the rest were red)..

We let her help making cornbread which she thought was pretty cool.
She also figured out that my step ladder makes a really great little desk for her. She likes to sit there and color or eat raisins.

We all went to the neighborhood block party. Noli fell down (like a billion times) and ended up with a fat lip. It sort of looks like she had a collagen injection gone wrong.

Random photos: Justin and Noli sharing their daily morning banana

For B$ on his birthday

This post goes out to B$.

I ran my first official 5K last weekend, a charity run for autism in downtown Raleigh. Heather ran with me, the first time we have ever run together. And since it was my first race, I posted a personal best! 26:12 (8:26/mi average). I'm happy and will shoot for 25 next time, whenever that is.

The Sound Opinions guys did a career breakdown of U2 a few weeks ago. They identified 4 stages: Boy-War, Unforgettable Fire-Rattle and Hum, Achtung Baby-Pop, and All That You Can't Leave Behind-No Line on the Horizon. Guess what? Greg actually said Pop was his favorite album! You're not alone Brett.

Finally, a sad farewell to Saturn. Maybe if Brett hangs on to his long enough it will be a collectors' item.

punkin knot

Justin was sure that we had a picture of me with Noli's new hairdo and lo and behold he was right! I'm the little person poking out between my parents. Mel is in the front row far right (with my cousins teri and barb next to her).

87 and going strong!

We were so lucky to get to spend the weekend at Aunt Eileen & Uncle Sandy's to celebrate Grandma's 87 birthday! Noli got to meet her great grandmother (and get her ears pulled like all little Goodwins). We went to see Tom play the bag pipes and the other Brooks Men play the percussion. They marched over the town that grandma when went to college. She told me a story about one of the buildings downtown that would throw out turkey birds for who ever wanted them! Carl showed off his
curly locks and I couldn't be left out of that one. Oh and Mary Clayton, Aunt Eileen and I made mozzarella....and people ate it; talk about a trusting family!

Also there are a couple of pictures of Noli. That furrowed eye brows look is really common now. She is irritated or upset, just thinking, I think. Also there is a picture sporting her new hair style-- a punkin knot I think Dad used to call them.

Noli's First Parade

We went to the pride parade last weekend and Noli was totally captivated by the noise and colors.

iPod exchange club

I heard a great idea on NPR this afternoon: an iPod exchange club. What a great way to get to know your friends.

"I used Laura's iPod for a week and had a voyeur's trip through her life. Her music made so strong an impression, I started dreaming what had to be her dreams, because I found myself in places totally strange to me."

Some provisional ground rules...

- Trade for a week
- No prepping the iPod: what's on there stays
- Shuffle by song

Anybody want to trade?

OC's Bday ParTAY

Owen Charlie was born to his mother 2 days after her birthday. So this year they had a dual birthday party outside at a place in Carrboro

BBQ Blowout

We had our end of summer BBQ to mark the ending of our veggie diet. We had friends, food and spirits in abundance. Here are some pics. Oh and we will continue the veggie thing...but not as strict.

Lunch

Sometimes I eat oranges for lunch....and sometimes I just dig on dirt. Plus I love Simon the Cat and my dad and my new diaper cover.