Taylor Swift

I hate to be a crank about this, or seem obsessed, but that girl is everywhere. Idaho Falls has 5 country music stations within earshot, and I've had the recent experience of having her on 3 of them, and Carrie Underwood on the other two, all at the same time. I think Taylor is fine as a songwriter, but I long to hear someone else sing those songs. Not Carrie. Someone ELSE.

Then, I go home last night, and the CMT Video awards are on (quick question: do those folks actually feel like they won something? Or are they as vaguely embarrassed to receive a VIDEO award as I am to watch it?), and Taylor Swift performs live, once with Def Leppard (Poor Some Sugar) and once alone. And.She.Is.Terrible. It's like watching an 11-year-old perform at a talent show. She weaves around the pitch like a driver with 12 beers around the center line. And her stage presence is cringe-inducing. Like she is doing a parody of a parody of a rock star. And boy, is she gangly.

Don McLean was wrong. YESTERDAY was the day the music died.

Today's Pet Peeve: Misuse of the word "clinch"

You see it more and more these days, presumably because there are more rounds of playoffs. But friends, "clinch" and "win" are NOT synonyms. They have related meanings, but they cannot be used interchangeably. Tonight's offender was a Sportscenter graphic (really, of all the institutions, THEY don't know better?) stating that the Penguins had "clinched" the Stanley Cup. No, they won the Stanley Cup. The game, and the series, and the playoffs are over. They have not assured that they will win the Cup, it is already won. You "clinch" a division, or a game, when you have done something that assures that you will win the division, or the game, when the time comes. Like, the way the Rangers will clinch the AL West in, like, August this year. They will "clinch" in August, and "win" in September.

Drives me nuts.

Jack Dancing

I apologize in advance for this video. It is a small snippet of what was about a minute and a half of Jack dancing to a Wiggles polka. It was so hilarious I delayed getting the camera until it was almost too late. Try not to feel too teased.

Jack's Birthday

The big 0-5. The NBA Finals were on tonight, and I was reminded how they were on 5 years ago, in the delivery room while we waited for Jack to come out. And I was also reminded how I hate basketball. In the words (and accent/inflection) of Trevor: "I hate you so much."


On a lighter note, Apryl made shark cupcakes, with life-preserver cupcakes and little-Swedish-fish-about-to-be-murdered cupcakes. See how cute?



A close-up.


You can see how excited Jack was to open his presents. Actually, this is his no-nonsense, "I just told you how it is" face.


Tons of his cousins were here, to liven up the party.


The whole gang.


Kelsey and Gwen.


Jack forgot to wait until we were done singing to blow them out, and he remembered after he'd blown out two. Or so.


Jack is constantly asking me to give him a piggy-back ride, so uncle Trevor was nice enough to pinch-hit.

The last while

We went to Logan a few weeks ago, and stopped by Grandma Darlene's grave.

Then we had a picnic with Josh and Wendy and Kylie and Lainey. Lainey on a Rice Krispie Treat.


We borrowed Jim's canoe, and just like Lewis and Clark, we paddled it. Although, we didn't paddle it all the way...



Apryl is cute.


Gwen has really caught on to this whole "eating" thing. I've been telling her for years how cool it is, but she's a late bloomer, I guess.


There were trees in the park that the kids enjoyed even more than the water.


Kylie, minutes before her death-defying tree hang.


Aerin, two feet off the ground.


Lainey, holding on for dear life.
Then we got to ride Jim's SWEEEEEEET!!!!! bikes that he restored, Cushman scooters.


Here's the hang. It was like 20 minutes. She's got very good arms.


Halle played it safe.

Last week, we just hung out here, on our freshly-mowed lawn.

Played a little ball.
How long is "a while", anyway?