Muddlesome Meidells

Why I Feel Powerful Lately

2011-08-11T22:23:00.001-07:00

I don't know what it is. For some reason I've just felt powerful lately.

Like there's this energy, this force helping me...

It's coincided with a decision to try something socially drastic (for me anyways). I have determined to no longer be inhibited by social insecurities. No more timidity. No more deep-rooted shyness dogging my every step. Imagine a world where you can simply exist as yourself with whomever you meet. You are just pure indiluted you no matter where you are.

I think I'm getting closer... though I'm still not sure if I've pinpointed it.

(Can you see me grinning? (Trust me, it's there.) I've been grinning since it came in the mail. Happy Graduation!)

Suddenly avenues are opening up for one of the most precious commodities this world has to offer... friends. In order to make friends you have to form acquaintances. And in order to form acquaintances you have to be willing to interact with other people in positive circumstances, without the muffling impact of your tight social bubble that keeps you from ever hearing what goes on outside.

Is that it?

(Thanks and happy partings to the sweet aunt who left us her tv! (she's in Texas now) I turn the volume way down and the speakers are still rumbling through our entire apartment. poooweeer.)

ooooohh. the power.

It's like waking up after years being only half-awake. (My brother went through this same process in Jr. High or Elementary School. I could have saved a lot of time if I'd just made this determination sooner.)

What Does a Week Without Mommy Look Like?

2011-07-15T09:43:00.000-07:00

It is an often frightening thing.

Just kidding. This is the hairstyle courtesy of my little nubbins of a daughter. She's actively seeking new clients. :)

Here are a few more choice moments...

She fits right through those bars. I could only get my head through.

This is more emblematic than anything else. This represents what Jane has been doing this whole week so far. Running away from Daddy.

How Powdered Sugar Has Transformed My Life

2011-07-03T09:16:00.001-07:00

Lo what whispered mist appears
in sabbath morning's halls...

There was a time when I didn't do pancakes. Didn't do French Toast for the life of me unless I plastered butter only over the top. Wouldn't dream of doing German pancakes with any degree of satisfaction save a full belly. All that's changed.

Here's this morning's battlefield.

Powdered sugar has brought pancakes and more back to my life. I am a changed man... a better man.

And just to prove that it really does exist, I've captured on film one of the rarest occurences known to man. What you're about to see will shock and amaze, and maybe even frighten you.

This is no camera trick. This is real. What you are looking at is powdered sugar mist. It danced around us this morning. It was beautiful.

Happy Sabbath everybody, and happy 4th of July!

Happy Wedding! Happy Life!

2011-05-31T08:29:00.000-07:00

So a few weeks back we had the opportunity to see my brother and his wife get married, and what a great occasion! This is following their ceremony.

We had a somewhat different experience just the other day that while oddly familiar, held some clear variations. See the same moment following the ceremony of my sweet grandma and her husband.

It was funny!

Life on the Edge

2011-05-26T08:43:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite cartoons is Recess. I never particularly enjoyed the story, except where it brought in the kindergarteners. The portrayal of the kindergartners was priceless, and has endeared that show to me forever through a surprising and delightful depiction.

They always enter the scene en masse, vicious and dangerous, and they strike fear into the hearts of the entire school.

My older brother as a young man was placed one Sunday in charge of the nursery. The adults had a meeting. He documented the experience in a drawing.

It's become a legend in my family.

To all of you out there that served time, here's to you.

Lost Laundry Scrolls

2011-05-17T13:45:00.000-07:00

These are some of my most prized possessions. From before I left on my mission in 2003 I have kept these notebooks of scripture, religious, and personal thoughts on anything and everything. The notebooks are used to remember the ideas that throughout my life pass through my mind and disappear.

These are what I call the Lost Laundry Scrolls.

This first one was tragic, until I got the idea to re-wet it and form it back into a manageable shape. I could then go back with a fine edge and work the pages open to type out everything inside. It was a miracle.

The second is a more tragic loss. This notebook was about half full of scriptural insights and ideas when it recently went through a cycle.

(it almost seems like I see writhing shapes within the deformed pulp, trapped in the throes of a soapy death)

It makes me think about how valuable ideas can become when we start to treasure them up. Ideas passed through my mind for my entire life as fleeting wisps of thought, but seeing now what fills these notebooks makes me curious as to what things have been lost from before, and now more recently in these Lost Laundry Scrolls.

Anybody know a good record preservation or restoration scholar?

2011-05-04T10:42:00.000-07:00

This is about how I feel right now. It looks happy, even though things are about to get pretty crazy for it. The French Toast that resulted was delicious. Have you ever tried putting butter and powdered sugar on French Toast? What a revelation that was! Delicious.

So graduation is here, and the undergraduate portion of my life is about to come to a close. Whew! A little longer than we'd planned, but who plans on getting sick? So what's next? These are some possibilities:

1. Find employment in the Church Education System
2. Pursue a career elsewhere in either Church History or maybe some other curriculum or writing division (whatever's available I guess).
3. Find a career in the creative writing division of Hallmark or a similar company.
4.... Whatever is out there...

Additional schooling may be in the future, but not immediate.
Whatever the case, things are sure to prove interesting for our little family.

For now, a little brother is getting married this week, a mother is having her birthday tomorrow, and a graduation is occurring (Friday?). :)

What's In a Name Anyways?

2011-03-09T00:17:00.001-08:00

Here are just a few of the variations we've seen of our last name...

There were others, but these are the ones on display on my parents' refrigerator. :)

The name really comes from Norway, and refers to a dish served of fish and bread. It's really quite wonderful.

Let Me Be One of the First

2011-02-14T00:51:00.001-08:00

Today is Valentine's Day, and although I plan on getting a good night's rest before really committing myself to the holiday, I thought I would be one of the first to say how wonderful it is to have a sweetheart like mine.

Now we all have our biases, but if you come to read this, let me indulge in some few of the things I love about my wife:

She thinks I'm funny. (Yes, I'm starting with a very ego-centric one on my part. I can't help it, right?) This means I have corrupted her over long exposure to my admittedly bland or nerdy humor, but she laughs, and how wonderful to see her smile and laugh.

She has wonderful eyes. Of course I should extoll inner beauties before this, but I love them too much. They're sparkly.

She has a good heart, attuned to those around her, particularly the little kids with whom she has such a remarkable gift. Considering the Savior's love for these children, what a wonderful gift to be able to guide and teach them, and what a wonderful asset for a home in which I worry so much about how in the world I will ever properly raise up a child.

She has a joyful heart, inclined to laughter and happiness. I fear I contribute too often to dampening this at times, but she exudes the kind of joy that I hope I can possess, and that never fails to rub off on me.

She is beautiful. How often I sometimes have to remind her, but where wives get the cold diamond rock, husbands really get the jewels in their wives, and I will forever be grateful she deigned to look my way.

She is smart, smart enough even to counter all my addlepatednes and ensure that both myself and our nubbins are on track.

And last for now...

She loves me, despite all my imperfections and eccentricities and trying tendencies, and so many things that could have been ridiculed and debased, she loves me, and I want to be better because of that love.

I'm a sentimentalist, and unabashedly so, but you might as well find out on Valentine's Day, if ever.

So there will be poems and treats to come, and I have sleep to absorb before the nubbins welcomes me to a new day, but Happy Valentine's Day to my wife when and if she reads this, and Happy Valentine's Day to all of you. I am happy to know you.

All You'll Ever Need to Know About Parenting

2011-02-04T20:52:00.000-08:00

Because the world needs to know.

1. CONTAINMENT I cannot stress enough how marvelous a thing this is, but be cautious, for children have an uncanny ability to slip through almost any crack or crevice to freedom (I think this even inspired an X-Files episode). Gates, barricades, holding chambers, carseats, high-chairs...

2. APPEASEMENT Trust me. You can say what you want about remaining strong and firm, unyielding before their tirades, but in the end, you can often save yourselves a world of grief by just appeasing them. (You can even turn it positively by requiring a "pleeeaaaase", or some other ridiculous excuse for giving in. You choose.)

3. CONCEALMENT Their world is exactly what it appears to be, meaning if something is outside of their field of vision, then it doesn't exist yet. Think long and hard about this, for it will make the difference between eating the chocolate symphony bar you really want to eat, or the apple slices that you need to eat because you know your child is going to be getting some. (that is just one of the unlimited possibilities)

4. ENJOYMENT And to make our little sentimental sides warm and fuzzy, let's not forget that we should be enjoying this time, and our little spuds should be enjoying this time. There will be exceptions, but for the most part, if you're not enjoying the time as a parent, something is dreadfully wrong, and it is in your power to fix (see rules 1-3 for possible solutions :) )

Let's face it. These are possibly just more applicable to the male side of the parenting scene (although I doubt it).

Bollywood, Anyone?

2010-12-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

How often do you find movies that you just entirely enjoy? This wasn't quite there, but I need to say that the wifey and I recently watched a Bollywood musical called Pyaar Impossible, and it was quite charming. Despite the seeming eccentricities of the genre (which is likely just a cultural flavor), the flick has left even our nubbins singing one of the tunes (more specifically, one brief portion of one of the tunes :) sporadically over the course of a month.

So, if you were just waiting for a recommendation before plunging into the experience, here it is.

Here's a link to a youtube clip of one of the songs.

Western Martial Arts???

2010-10-09T23:49:00.000-07:00

It has been a little while, but as I'm up late anyways, it is somehow more fitting that I should add a long overdue post to our family blog.

What's new? Case-lot sales, very difficult goals of not watching television or movies(I'm failing miserably), fun new phones that say "droid" whenever an email or message notification comes (followed by our little nubbins who repeats as best she can, "dooiii." Oh, and lest I forget, I should announce the next little phase to which my mind is promptly turning.

If you'll recall, I have recently been wrapped up in a little nostalgic turn down a card game lane from my Jr. High past, Magic the Gathering. Though the obvious interest is still there, it has undergone a rather drastic reduction of late. So the great question then becomes, what takes its place? Because as the wifey will tell you vehemently, there is always something foremost that consumes my interest, as far as hobbies are concerned. They occupy the foreground of my leisure time and energy (save family of course), until my mind begins to move on, leaving them present, but diminished in the background.

My novel writing is there (though I still find time every week to work on it). Magic the Gathering is there (though my brothers and I will undoubtedly continue playing as we get together). Let me give you a taste of it...

Two of these have been ordered from New Stirling Arms, and are due any day now. And before you cry NERD (which I could not begin to deny), just know that there is actually an emerging tradition surrounding these little wooden swords, called wasters.

Me and my brother are going to look into Western Martial Arts. It encompasses the traditions of European fighting styles throughout medieval and renaissance times. And yes, it is a haven for nerds, but that just means I'm... we're in the right place.

Take a look at the video, and enjoy the beginning of my next phase... (sorry again to the wifey, who is extremely patient with each of my phases as they come. luvs) The video is intense with the music and all. Thanks to the folks at this historical fencing school for the post on youtube.

Just like that...

2010-04-12T00:55:00.000-07:00

It's over. The trip was a blast, and now we're back. School tomorrow, work, and life's routine resumed.

The nubbins had fun, despite recurring problems with ear infections that have caused her some grief. The wifey also had fun, seeing a couple of the trails she'd never been on. We're working up slowly, and the goal is to make it up Angel's Landing next year when we go.

I think the highlight of the trip for the nubbins was Grandpa brushing his teeth, aside from making friends with the father of one of my neighbors from the old ward, with whom she chatted whenever she could. But we have pictures of the teeth brushing.

...which of course put her in the mood. (and yes, grandpa did look a little scary as he brushed his teeth)

I'm already excited for next year... big plans for next year's trip!

Vacation at Last

2010-04-07T00:05:00.000-07:00

I saw some pretty clouds recently and thought I'd post them up here. Otherwise there is nothing really new to report... except we're going to Zion's National Park soon, and since that's probably my favorite vacation spot in the entire world, that's something pretty big (and since I haven't really seen the places that I really want to around the world yet, it's especially true).

It will be the nubbin's second trip to Zion's. It's interesting to think about what kinds of memories may be forming already for her from our little adventures. Will she be able to remember rolling Easter eggs down the hill at the park, or going through temple square in the bitter cold with all the Christmas lights up in the trees? I hope we're making good memories for her. Zion's National Park is a great place for fun memories. Ever since I was a little kid my family would go down there and camp. It's a very nostalgic place for me, and I'm really excited to be sharing it now with my own little family.

Life really is fun, even though it sometimes takes a while for that to break through the clouds.

We'll let you know how the trip is.

Shield Update

2010-03-19T07:47:00.000-07:00

Ha! By the second day my battle-ready shield looked like this...

funny.

All Time Greatest Anniversary Gift!

2010-03-17T23:50:00.001-07:00

The package came... what could it be? I pulled it out of its broad box, filled with those annoying foam peanuts that cling to you no matter how hard you shake.

This is worth the peanuts.

It's beautiful. A shield... battle ready. That's actually what the description of the shield was when I found it online. A battle-ready shield. I could have gotten one of the gaudy, ornate, decorative shields crafted in Toledo Spain that seem to have inundated the online shield market(which is so big anyways)... or this battle-ready, plain black shield.

Guess which one I chose. You don't need to guess. Awesome! I'm one step closer to having a full set of armor. I have a sword, and now a shield. Next up...

Anybody want a battle?

Restroom Rater

2010-03-10T15:58:00.000-08:00

So, the wifey and I had an idea while we were out to eat the other night. Since obviously my life is so closely tied to restrooms now, why not have some fun with it. I'm starting a blog called the Restroom Rater, where I document the different bathrooms encountered in our galavantings/journeys across the Wasatch Front.

If anybody reading this blog has suggestions of good restrooms we should visit(good doesn't always mean "good" as you will certainly come to see), then let me know, either in the comments or emailing me. I'm using the author@nathanmeidell.com email address on the blog, but if you have my other email address you can send it there also.

So... any good potties out there I should see? If you need inspiration, go to Bucca di Beppo's in downtown Salt Lake, or the Chevron gas station on Beck Street.

Well, It's Back.

2010-03-06T23:04:00.000-08:00

I usually cycle through different phases of hobby and interest, but tend to return to the same places eventually, like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or nachos. For example, prior to the mission I had started playing Magic: The Gathering(a card game for nerds) and then it had fizzled out. Then the other day we're at Shopko, and it was the beginning of a new month, which means an allotment of spending money for Kim and myself, and there they were, sitting on the shelf. Suddenly it all came back. A certain unnamed sum of spending money later, and excavation of a storage box, and there they were again, as if I'd never put them away.

Now a week later my wife is rolling her eyes and waiting for this next phase to cycle through. The good news is, the cycling always happens, so she knows that she won't have to wait long, likely... (I have my knight legos in a box just in our outside storage, waiting.)

I sometimes wonder if I'm missing some crucial step in the whole growing up process, but there are enough very adult(if only in age) people out there to validate my peculiarites.

Wow! This commercial packs an unexpected punch.

2010-02-19T08:18:00.001-08:00

Find more videos like this on AdGabber

Don't forget to buckle up everybody. (the few times I'd forgotten to buckle in the nubbin's carseat were enough to scare the bejeeezins out of me.)

Life's great right now. School is fascinating. It's wonderful to be in a program that I'm passionate about. It's funny how polarized the field is on that account also. Have you ever noticed how for the most part, people who did well in English struggled with Math, and vice versa?

I'm studying poetry, and writing poetry right now in two separate classes. I love it. Meanwhile I have dreaded getting back into math for two years now. What's another semester or two more, eh?

The nubbins is walking, reaching for stuff that we never knew she could reach before. She still wants to eat anything small and unknown she finds on the floor. She runs around pretending to talk on the phone now. She picks up our cell phones(or anything else if a phone isn't available), and she holds it up to her ear and says "Hi!" then saunters off into the other room to talk to whoever it is she's talking to.

The wifey is going strong in school, though both of us are anxious for her to be with our nubbins during the day instead of me. It's such a guilty pleasure for me, but we both wish the nubbins could have her mother.

Besides, isn't it about time I got into one of those, whatever-you-call-em's... a career, or something? Well, just keep swimming, right?

Until then, I'm writing poems for my undergraduate program, studying some of the finest literature in the world (Peter Pan, Wind in the Willows, Alice in Wonderland, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz... and many more to come), and taking care of a little spunky nubbins of a girl while we wait for mommy to come home every day.

By the way, Lysacek... Awesome!

Panoramas - 360 degree spherical panoramas of Utah - Utah tourism - Temple Square

2010-02-08T08:59:00.000-08:00

As a blogging aside, I found this photographer's site a while back, Martin Van Hemert, and he does these cool 3D photography shots of places around Utah.

Panoramas - 360 degree spherical panoramas of Utah - Utah tourism - Temple Square

Visual Symmetry as Opposed to Smile

2010-02-06T12:45:00.001-08:00

So my ongoing struggle with my wife, the lasting, heated battle over which we both remain unyielding... is about white socks. (Maybe you've heard rumors of similar struggles elsewhere.)

White socks, or black. I've made a distinction in my mind regarding the visual, design aspects of the look, which I think works. I've come to the conclusion that I like the look, the composition of white with black. Pure black for the entire bottom half is heavy, dragging. I stand with Marie from "Everybody Loves Raymond", who said of Robert's floods, "I like a little white sock to show." (or something like that.)

But it isn't fashionable. It is not accepted by society. Or my wife.

Is it as important as all that?

Do I yield preference for style?

And if you forget all prior notions of fashion and look at the design itself, the white socks as counterbalance for the shirt... it works, doesn't it?

(I won't even go into the brown with black debates, also very heated.)
On a Similar Note, at 4:04 - 4:30 Michael Jackson...

Been a while?

2010-01-30T23:02:00.001-08:00

I wonder how many thousands of blog posts begin with similar variations of that phrase. I haven't blogged in a while. It's been too long. I forgot for a while that I had no life beyond the computer(that one doesn't apply to me by the way).

My favorite movie this week has been Rocky IV. I watched Rocky III(the one with Mr. T), and that got me in the mood for Rocky IV, which is the greatest of the series.

Would you like to hear something funny? My wife loves the Rocky movies. That took some convincing before I would buy it(in the sense of believing her, not acquiring the movies). But I finally had to accept that she does indeed sincerely like them. (I think there's a violent streak in her somewhere that I'm bound to stumble onto one of these days.)

I think I'm addicted to movies, a struggling addict. I can at any given moment sit down and enjoy any movie in our collection. And once it is finished, proceed to the next(and the next, and the next). I don't know why. I think it's sick as well. But I still love it. Karate Kid, Narnia, Harvey, Pursuit of Happiness, Parent Trap(the original), Chariots of Fire, Jason and the Argonauts... and the list goes on and on, just as I do.

What does a person do with something like that? I should have just gone the next step and become a movie critic.

In other news, school has started again, so I don't have time anyways to watch movies. Oh well. I like reading too.

Sad

2010-01-16T22:23:00.001-08:00

Our little nubbins is a wee talker. She blabs all day long. Well, she's been sick recently and this nasty inversion(that's an entire blog just waiting to happen) has not helped her condition in the slightest.

But here's the funny/cute/sad part. She had lost her little voice, but still blabbed all day long, so for a couple days all I'd hear were these little squeaks coming from our little daughter's mouth.

It was so hilarious... and did I mention sad?

On another note, in an effort to combat the nasty inversion, we invested in a little air purifier from Target. That first night I turned it on(motivated in particular by a coughing fit as the nubbins tried to sleep), and as I was up late doing my homework, I noticed a distinct difference in our apartment's air. It was incredible! The nubbins is doing better now,

...and so are her parents.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-23T02:40:00.000-08:00

Well folks, Merry Christmas! We're blessed to have good friends here and abroad, and wish you all the very best this season. Christmas is my favorite time of year. It is that time when we celebrate the tiny child who came so quietly to this earth, and to whom we owe so much. And let's not forget the presents, either.

You've likely all seen it before, but I thought I would post on here two of my favorite Christmas moments, short scenes from two of what I consider to be the best films to express the feeling of this season.

The First timeless and moving.

And the second, just for fun..

Curse you Flip!

2009-12-19T01:06:00.001-08:00

The wifey gave me very simple instructions in preparation for our Christmas party tomorrow(today). She said to charge the flip videocamera and save the film so it will be completely free.

One problem, where's that blasted cord?

Who wants to guess how long I looked before giving up? Yes, I actually gave up looking for the cord for our Flip before I ever realized just how self-defeating my efforts were.

Technology has become so convenient, that I am no longer able to function. I need more work, and so I created it for myself by looking for the cord to a device that doesn't use a cord.

You push a little notch up on the side and out pops a usb connector on the device which charges and extracts the files.

AAAAAUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I wasn't cut out for convenience.

Amazing Developments!!!!

2009-12-06T21:10:00.000-08:00

...And kind of foreboding for me. The wifey gave the nubbins oatmeal mixed with prunes for dinner tonight. Let me repeat this, oatmeal mixed with prunes. Before fifteen minutes had passed a wonderful new aroma filled the living room, and we saw the first capacity diaper we'd seen in a great many months(and the nubbins really hasn't been around all that long to begin with).

Now the wifey will leave me tomorrow with this ticking timebomb.

What's the gameplan? For breakfast tomorrow, bananas!!!!!!!!
We'll see who comes out ahead of this conflict.

2009-12-03T23:03:00.000-08:00

Have you ever typed out your entire blog post and then done something stupid that you never quite understand and lose the entry, forcing yourself to face the option of either writing the entire thing out again and somehow capture the fresh emotions you'd put down the first time(knowing that it will come out bored since at least in your mind it's being rehashed), or doing something like this, where you type nonsense that nobody will care about and that will reveal nothing about our family circumstances and the fact that we enjoyed Thanksgiving, twice!(since we did it on two separate days for the different sides of the family), and that Christmas is coming, and the wifey and I, despite having set for ourselves strict limits on how much to spend have ended up going well over the limits by buying the items without calling them "Christmas Gifts" per se? Have you ever done this?

(If you've forgotten by this point, the entire body of text I've written thus far is in fact a single question, but if you're going to, feel free to answer whatever question you think is the one I was trying to ask, since I had to go back and think about it myself to see if I had kept the original line of thought. Do you ever find yourself exhausting yourself. I didn't put a question mark on that last question because I'm tired of these questions. Happy Thanksgiving everybody. Hope it was a great"ful" one. ha ha. I'm done.

Don't Disparage the Turkey

2009-11-11T00:03:00.000-08:00

The point seems to be that starting early with Christmas is likely done to the detriment of Thanksgiving. I regard that as a valid point of caution. Point taken ladies.

In response:

Thanksgiving and its accompanying spirit seem more like the perfect Christmas prep in order to really be ready for the season, like a final launching pad to propel us into a true observance. We are first acknowledging our gratitude for so much abundance, and then in response to that, Christmas allows us the opportunity to give to others from our abundance(even if we are only giving of our good will and cheer in many cases). So Christmas anticipations can still begin early, while embodying the true spirit of Thanksgiving along the way... (You could even say that early Christmas spirit potentially enables one to better celebrate and observe Thanksgiving.. hmmm?)

Do you still think it can't(shouldn't) be done?

(By the way, the wifey gave a great Hooplah when I told her your responses. I believe her phrasing was "AMEN!!" Personally though, I think that the nubbins is definitely on my side of this issue.)

"The Line Must be Drawn Here!"

2009-11-09T21:28:00.000-08:00

(By the way, can anybody tell me the movie that quote is from?)

We (this post will henceforward be in the first person because the wifey does not share my sentiments) heard the first Christmas song on the radio two days ago, and it blew me away. I am a person who is excited for Christmas all year long. The wifey... not so much. The song was Josh Groban's "I'll Be Home for Christmas", and it was a tribute to the troops which made it all the more poignant for me.

Because I suffer so much criticism for my early anticipations of the Season, I am officially kicking off my (personal)Christmas Season here by stating the reasons why it is okay, and even better to celebrate Christmas as early as possible, or at the very least why I celebrate early.

1. Christmas is magical. The Spirit of Christmas adds an almost faerie tale undercurrent to everyday life.
2. There is an added propensity for cheer and goodwill toward those around us.
3. Two figures are brought to the forefront of society with increased emphasis. Santa Claus and his entourage, and the Son of God(and there's nothing wrong with thinking more about Him).
4. Familial bonds are strengthened.
5. The anticipation of both giving and recieving gifts shifts the way our minds think. e.g., we become more outward oriented(the "me, my, mine" element diminishes from our lives).
6. What other time of year could raise the child-like tendencies of anticipation and delight more than Christmas? I still find myself on Christmas Eve with that brimming sense of awe and excitement that I felt as a child, increasing despite my added years of life.
7. Christmas music(Ohhh so controversial). In their emotive themes and even tones, Christmas music impels mankind in a directional shift toward all of the previous points on the list, almost as if triggering a switch in our minds.

I'll stop there. So for all those who had hitherto chosen their side, I am now ready to hear your reasons for waiting until it is closer to December 25th to begin celebrating and getting excited....

This is your chance to convince me. All arguments are welcome. If I hear nothing here, then I will make the natural assumption that there is no valid argument, and that you are simply suffering, along with my dear wife, from the dreaded scrooge(often confused with scourge).

I'm waiting. (And on a similar note, MERRY CHRISTMAS everybody!)

What can we say?

2009-10-30T10:44:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween to all!

We'll post costume pictures after the festivities. Why do I think halloween is such a wonderful holiday(not counting the assurance of chocolate in great quantities)? It is because Halloween means that we have begun the countdown to my absolute favorite holiday... Christmas.

I know that it is way early to begin the christmas music marathons on the radio, but I have to tell you that if they do play Christmas music this early again, it will be very hard for me not to listen. I've already begun singing Christmas songs to myself.

Merry Halloween everybody!

Dropping Like Flies

2009-10-24T12:06:00.000-07:00

Am I the only person who is paranoid about the Swine Flu? So far it has struck hard only through the news and second hand accounts. But finally it has hit closer to home, a close relative.

They say it's dangerous, even potentially deadly,

but don't panic. :)

So we aren't panicking, but we're being as careful as we feel we can. Why not keep within our power what precautions we can? The thought of the nubbins suffering from something we could have prevented through common-sense caution(as common as common-sense is nowadays), is a sobering thought. (not to say that those who catch it aren't taking those precautions themselves already.)

Common Sense
How about washing your hands after visiting the restroom... yeah. Not as common as you'd think(especially when you see those same blessed individuals later in the gift shop touching all of the merchandise) Hmmmmm....

We'll stop there for now.

Fatherdom for Sickies 101

2009-10-15T07:45:00.000-07:00

So I am resuming my position as a stay at home mom... err, father. I love them, and they were and are so willing to help, but it seemed to be wearing on my kind-hearted mommys to be helping with the nubbins every day. So we've figured out a solution.

When the nubbins wakes up, I call for back-up, one of three or more nearby mothers who are willing to come and lift the nubbins out of the crib for me, and set her on the floor in our living room.

At that point, I'm good. Feed her, change her, play with her, all of which can be accomplished without ever having to lift her up(ten lbs is the limit). But what about naps you ask(since she can't sleep very well unless in the dark confines of her room).

I just hold her hands and walk her(she won't crawl, but she'll gladly walk hand in hand with us all day long) down the hallway and into the bedroom, where I laid out her blanket surrounded by a barrier of pillows for containment. It's wonderful. Daddy's back baby!!!

On another note, that is the secret key to parenthood for dummies(Has someone authored that one yet?). It's all about containment. You have my permission to write that down... jk.

Home again for the last time.

2009-10-08T23:34:00.000-07:00

So after another round(about four days I think this time) in the hospital following the procedure, I am home.

Can I just tell you how wonderful a thing it is to be with those you love. The hospital, with all its niceties(cable tv, room service until 4:30 am for anything from cottage cheese to sweet delectable clam chowder, these amazing motorized beds which at the push of a button take you from lying in bed to sitting up for breakfast, incredible freedom of wearing nothing but a light, breezy gown, open at the back all day long(that was actually fairly awkward...))all of this cannot compare to knowing that you are with your family at the end of the day, and that they can stay with you, rather than leaving you alone.

As for my recovery, this was certainly a less invasive surgery, and I am already feeling dangerously normal(meaning I have to be careful to remind myself that I am still less than a week out of surgery and need to take it easy). I feel stronger, and after nearly a year of wading toward normal life again, we can see it at last on the horizon.

And though I am now literally able to claim the title of being "gutless" (which I suspected throughout my childhood years anyway), we have emerged from this time better, with a cute little nubbins of a daughter who seems absolutely bent on filling our lives with happiness.

On behalf of the wifey and myself, I accept.

Off-Chocolate

2009-09-28T22:13:00.000-07:00

Have you ever tried Nutella?

Have you ever seen off-white?

I am a devout chocolate lover. Not dark or other strange variations, but pure, sweet and beautiful milk chocolate. When I was younger and healthier, I once sat and downed seven straight Symphony Bars(King Size). I just sat doing something else and went through them one mouth watering, melting in my mouth morsel at a time.

Caramello's... so good. And Reeses... so good.

But back to Nutella, the wifey loves it. I tried it, and maybe its my extreme love for good milk chocolate, but the only way I could describe Nutella was "off-chocolate". It's not quite right, like taking the pure goodness and tweaking it slightly. The twilight zone, outer limits, Eerie Indiana version of chocolate.

I'm sorry Nutella. There could never be a future for us.

At last!

2009-09-26T22:39:00.000-07:00

We finally watched it, High School Musical 3, Senior Year. Did I ever tell you we got a new old television? Well, now we've watched High School Musical 3 on that new old television. Still cheesy, but it goes with the territory. We still enjoyed it. All except a very acute sense of embarassment(for some reason I can never spell that word, and no matter how many variations I try, it doesn't work, until I spell check it in a fit of frustration and think again, duh! I knew that. I don't want to worry about it right now, as I was saying.) we still enjoyed it, except for a very acute sense of awkward discomfort as we watched the very first scene. If you haven't seen it, just youtube the very first scene. Afterward, it was as we expected, the normal cheese. If you watch any of it, just watch that first scene. It should at least make you smile.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pENkcsNNbk

If you don't want to watch the entire 7 minutes or so, just click through to the 5:00 mark. And enjoy. :) Or not..

economy or comfort

2009-09-08T09:14:00.000-07:00

We booked a stay at a Days Inn for a staycation, opting for its lower price. When we arrived we found the edges of the room discolored from months or years of neglect. The carpets had that old, greasy feel like hair that hadn't been washed in a long time. There were hairs on the bathroom floor from who knows how long ago. We wanted to pay less, and so this is what we got. We didn't dare ask questions about the grime in the room that we couldn't see as plainly. We planned to stay two nights, but the following day checked out early, bit the bullet to pay for a nicer stay at the Hilton, and arrived to find yummy chocolate chip(and any other variety) cookies in a basket at the check in desk for guests upon arrival. So economy is great, but you have to be willing to settle for less. I think we'll look for the chocolate chip cookies from now on.

(It should be stated that I have always had great experiences at Days Inn, which is why I chose it in the first place, and even this situation was resolved by their Customer Care personnel and the manager in a very professional and satisfactory manner. Still no chocolate chip cookies, but hey, it is still economy.)

An Obama Bill

2009-08-29T10:27:00.000-07:00

I was given an Obama bill the other day that invited me to repent and accept the Savior into my heart and be saved.

It was on an Obama bill(a million dollar bill with President Obama's caricature). :)

Anyways, I thought it was interesting. Take from this what you will.

:)

trouble

2009-08-20T09:18:00.000-07:00

Sometimes circumstances beg a blog. We went to get a blizzard and I decided I wanted a kid's meal instead. And wanting a hamburger with grilled cheese I ordered the grilled cheese kids meal. The wifey was confused asking why I ordered that instead of chicken strips. I told her if I would change anything it would be to get it without cheese because I really wanted a hamburger. She said change it to a hamburger.

I still didn't understand. That's what I'd ordered, right? Grilled cheese on a hamburger. The meal came and I ate my ice cream sandwich, then some fries, and then reached for what I thought would be my hamburger. Instead I pulled out this weird little waffle bread grilled cheese sandwich. There was no hamburger. I was so confused and the wifey just explained that she had tried to warn me.

That grilled cheese should never have existed. I still wanted my hamburger so we went to get it from Burger King, pulling into KFC at the last second for their 2.99 chicken meal instead. We were in and ordering when we realized there was no money for it. So we dug for all the change we could and pulled together enough.

By then we were both on the verge of insanity(let me point out that we had gone into this evening after having watched the Hannah Montana movie from redbox, which did not help our temperament in the slightest. We were misled by effective advertising, determining it was a "halfer", as opposed to a one timer) The man's voice at the drive through of KFC was loud, and deep, and nearly left us both laughing uncontrollably as it took us by surprise.

Needless to say we made it home, with the girl's peeps sounding from the backseat. A fun night, which would have sounded even more entertaining had I written about it immediately following its occurrence. But there it is. Hope you enjoyed.

Psych!!!

2009-08-19T12:36:00.001-07:00

Anybody watched the series Psych? My brother bought the first three seasons on dvd and we've been watching them for the past little while. We like them, and I'll tell you why that's worthy of note. Every single episode follows the same exact pattern. It's almost like we're watching the same thing over and over again for some contest they did to see who could get the most interesting portrayal of a single script. And yet we watch, and laugh, and keep watching.

So if you've seen it, you'll probably know what we're talking about. Otherwise if the chance ever arises, take a gander. The first episode has a rough beginning. Feel free to fast forward that part, but otherwise it is fairly clean, compared to what's out there. We hope it stays that way.

2009-08-14T23:17:00.000-07:00

As much as I sit here and try to come up with some interesting happening or thought to attract the attention of readers, nothing is coming. I had a thought for a keychain idea and maybe some feedback on that would be enough for this edition of the muddlesome meidells. Let me know what you think. My uncle makes these things for a living and I was thinking of having these made, for fun, and because I love this kind of stuff.
ps. the scriptures on the second side are the armor of god verses from Ephesians. So great!
Otherwise, life is normal..... I guess. The nubbins is getting her first tooth, so suddenly chewing on fingers is not okay. "No biting! No!" And then, funny little nubbins smiles at us, like saying No! is a good thing. A funny thing. Then she still won't crawl, nor remain on her stomach for longer than five seconds. But she loves being on her feet. She even tries to take off on her own at times when we've let her stand supported by the black footrest things in our living room. I can't remember what you call those things right now, but the nubbins turns away from it and tries to take off, instead barrelling forward toward a solid face plant(then daddy or mommy swoop in with cat-like reflexes and hoist her up. So there you go. Something else came to mind after all. But I would still like some feedback on the keychain idea. Let me know. Or don't. Whatever.

Blog psychology excerpt.- It's hard to have much confidence when making any kind of request on these things, because if you do and then nobody responds, suddenly there's a loser label on the blog. "Ha ha, that guy asked people to do something and nobody did. He must be a loser."

Well, I can accept that.

Ask and Ye Shall Recieve

2009-08-02T21:33:00.000-07:00

All right folks. Our lives have been upgraded to the very next level of home entertainment. We have gone from a small bulbous black television set slowly pooping out from old age to a neighbor gifted set otherwise on its way to DI which as they were moving was offered graciously in all its flat, silver, ORION 27-30 inch-ish glory. We're living to the extremem now. That's right. Not extreme. Extremem. Think about that for a little while. Let me know if you find the true meaning in that leratisticistic phrase. asldkfja;oie;jaie;mvndka;dl. Are we tired of reading this yet? Goodnight. But let's be honest. We're not really going to bed yet. "Yeah we are." Says Kim. Let's really be honest. The wife is usually right. Goodnight all.

Dear Father, I believe I am hungry...

2009-07-12T23:23:00.001-07:00

For lack of anything better to say right now, how about an update to any who know of the situation. Surgery number two of three is completed successfully and I'm now in the recovery phase. hooray. Once I've recovered from this one, on to surgery number three. hooray. Aside from that, the thing that really bears mentioning here is that our little girl has rolled over successfully from her back to belly, and back to her back. That is great. We love our cute little nubbins.

She said her first "m" sound today. So far she's gone through "d" 's and "l" 's and a few others that are somewhere between "blgrahhh" and "thwiphthhhhhh". Any day now we expect to hear her look up at us and say, "Dear father, I believe I am hungry. Would you please see to my sustenance in as timely a manner as possible?" ..... yep. Any day now.

2009-06-20T15:48:00.001-07:00

So we have that new car, Kim's dream car, (a black Honda Ridgeline, for visualization purposes) and the other day the name for it came to us in a flash of inspiration. I made the comment that it looks a lot like Darth Vader, as cars go anyway. So either myself or Kim, I don't remember which, gave it then and there the name, Darth Nater. (I'm the one that drives it mostly, even though it's Kim's dream car. That is because in order to get Kim's dream car my Malibu was traded. So I drive it. hee heee hee.) Out of lack of anything better to put on here right now, there it is. So if you ever see us coming toward your house for a visit or just on the street, go ahead and start humming the Star Wars theme song. You know you want to.

2009-06-10T22:21:00.000-07:00

So I'm cursed. Throughout this whole week these stupid little birds have been running out into the road right in front of our car and I have to swerve out of the way or brake, often needing to honk before the little things realize there is a giant metal beast looming over them, just inches from possible demolition. Then there was a little dog that decided to traipse out as if it owned the road, and again I had to do the same, braking and honking before it got out of the way.

Tonight it culminated, and while driving back home from Grandma's house two cats darted out in front of us. I hit the brakes as best I could but this time felt the light impact from beneath.

I am not a cat person, in fact I'm allergic. But I love the little things. It really is a shaking moment to realize you may have just witnessed the expiration of a living thing, which brief moments earlier had been running and enjoying its life. We called the police department and they sent someone to check if it was still alive. We don't know, and may not ever know, but we did pray for the little thing, and hoped for the best. Anyways, here's to little animals that tug our heart strings, and remind us of the fleeting nature of this thing we call mortality.

2009-06-08T18:40:00.001-07:00

I would like to extend a special thank you to our one stated follower... May you follow long. To you others who I know are out there(I sometimes see comments), it's okay. I would not want to be seen following this myself(which you can follow your own blogs I found out, though I have not(which could either show lack of confidence in my own blog, or disinterest since I'm the one that wrote the stuff so I know what it says anyways). Then that begs the question, are we bloggers who make our posts and then return to them time and time again just to see what we said, or are we bloggers for whom the "View Blog" button will forever remain unaltered blue(I can't remember if that one changes colors after clicking on it actually).

Anyways, to the real purposes of this post..

The wifey is out of school. We went to a Real Salt Lake Game and then watched David Archuleta(our American Idol(we lived in his stake)) perform a few songs. It was so funny. Each flourish and trill with his voice was accompanied by a wave of squealing girls answering it as loudly as they could(many of which were in our immediate vicinity, to the chagrin of my poor ears). It was great, though throughout the night we kept seeing little things which reminded us of the nubbins, and then we would sit and miss her. (Isn't that supposed to be the other way around?) The nubbins seems absolutely fine leaving us, it's us as her parents that struggle. oh well, it was nothing like moving her at last out of her little bed in our bedroom to her crib in the other room. That was a big step, though for her it was the same. Parents can be funny sometimes.

Last and First

2009-06-05T07:24:00.000-07:00

Last day of school for mommy, first day of her coming home to stay(for the summer at least). Which is a good thing, the babe is far too attached to daddy after spending so long with him. Not that I mind under the circumstances, cute widdle biddy bug.... but I'll be glad to have Kim there to counter the heavy doses of daddy. I'm weird enough alone, but if that little girl grows up watching me too closely, look out world. Social Awkwardness, nerddom, dilapidated memory retention, complete absence of anything closely resembling tact, and a peculiar adeptness at cutting through any and all defenses at random times to be utterly and unalteringly irritating, frustrating, and otherwise strange...... Hurry home mommy. Baby needs you.

Debut

2009-06-01T17:33:00.000-07:00

By popular demand(Kim), and following the example of certain other intrepid husbands, I've decided to take the initiative and begin a family blog, thereby enabling all who could ever wish to know anything of the trivialities of our daily lives the wonderfully monotonous privilege of reading the things that a few short years ago would have been explained in person, or by telephone.

So for this first edition of Muddlesome Meidells, let it be known that Kimberly, wife of Nathan, mother of nubbins, has cut her hair. It sounds droll, but judging by the fact that her hair now reaches only partway down her cheek before tapering off into nothing, it is amazing! (normally I would then accompany this with a photograph allowing you to see just how amazing it really is, but since I can't figure out how to get the stinkin thing to work, I'll just include my own exclamations of amazement which will then convey the emotion to you through written osmosis.

OOooooooohhhhhhhhhhh.... Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh.....

There you have it.