This is what New Year's Eve looks like when you're 7 months pregnant.
Happy New Year, everyone. I'm not doing much of a reflection, because I kind of did it at Thanksgiving, but obviously 2007 was pretty awesome, and I'm looking forward to even more awesomeness in 2008. I hope for awesomeness for you and yours as well.
Monday, December 31, 2007
If you need a housesitter or pet sitter
can I recommend my mom?
Not only did she feed and water the cat, she sat and gave her love every day, too.
She also hung the bathroom cabinet she gave me for Christmas (no small feat, it sounds like).
And laundered my towels and hung up the new ones she gave me for Christmas.
And touched up the paint on the ceiling in the baby's room.
And put away the painting stuff that had been crowding the closet in there.
She rules.
Not only did she feed and water the cat, she sat and gave her love every day, too.
She also hung the bathroom cabinet she gave me for Christmas (no small feat, it sounds like).
And laundered my towels and hung up the new ones she gave me for Christmas.
And touched up the paint on the ceiling in the baby's room.
And put away the painting stuff that had been crowding the closet in there.
She rules.
Here is the sign outside Pea Soup Andersen's. See? It's kitschy and fun.
This is one of the views from our room at the Jabberwock.
Here's another. Really can't complain, right?
Here's that tub I was telling you about!
This will give you a bit of an idea of the decor.
Here's the mural in the WC. I know you can't see it, but it's looking-glass-ified. The "Dee" and "Dum" on their collars are written in mirror writing.
A large mural around the room is also in mirror writing. It reads "And the mome raths outgrabe," a quote from Jabberwocky.
I didn't take too many pictures at the aquarium this time, but this one of all four otter pups playing was too good to resist.
On Cannery Row, there is an "As Seen on TV" store.
A cool-looking seabird on the beach at Asilomar.
Also at Asilomar. Aww, don't you just want to smack us?
Here's a monarch we spotted at Natural Bridges.
And finally, this was that clothing store in Santa Cruz. I'll have to go back when they're open. And I have money. And I'm a size 4. Come to think of it, I may not have to go back.
Not a great picture of the outfit, but neat reflection effect, huh?
Aaaaaand... that's all, folks!
This is one of the views from our room at the Jabberwock.
Here's another. Really can't complain, right?
Here's that tub I was telling you about!
This will give you a bit of an idea of the decor.
Here's the mural in the WC. I know you can't see it, but it's looking-glass-ified. The "Dee" and "Dum" on their collars are written in mirror writing.
A large mural around the room is also in mirror writing. It reads "And the mome raths outgrabe," a quote from Jabberwocky.
I didn't take too many pictures at the aquarium this time, but this one of all four otter pups playing was too good to resist.
On Cannery Row, there is an "As Seen on TV" store.
A cool-looking seabird on the beach at Asilomar.
Also at Asilomar. Aww, don't you just want to smack us?
Here's a monarch we spotted at Natural Bridges.
And finally, this was that clothing store in Santa Cruz. I'll have to go back when they're open. And I have money. And I'm a size 4. Come to think of it, I may not have to go back.
Not a great picture of the outfit, but neat reflection effect, huh?
Aaaaaand... that's all, folks!
Wrap-up
After dinner last night, we went back to the hotel and read some more. This morning we had every intention of going to Scotty's Cafe at the Sash Mill, but when we got there it was Bruno's BBQ at the Sash Mill, and neither "Bruno" nor "BBQ" sounded very promising to me, but we stopped and decided to at least look at the menu. As it turns out, the menu is almost exactly the same is it was, so we just ate there. And then we did go to the Pacific Cookie Company warehouse, mainly just because it's fun to get self-serve cookies at 6 for a dollar. Then it was a fairly easy drive home (I worried there might be holiday traffic, but we didn't hit even one slowdown. Yay! Now I am lounging in my jammies watching the baby do backflips (I swear, my belly is jiggling like a bowl full of Jell-O). Next up are pictures, but we took about a billion, so I have to upload them, sort through them, and then post, so it might be a while.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Santa Cruz
(This was written in installments, as there's no WiFi in the room in Santa Cruz.)
Babymoon day 3!
Last night we just hung around the Jabberwock talking to folks. The owners just bought it in August, and they were very pleasant people. The woman had even recently relocated her mother from Colorado to Monterey, a few blocks from the inn, and her mother was there in the evening, enjoying hors d’oeuvres with us. Neither of us were very hungry after the Persian Grill, but I had to eat something, so we asked about places to eat, and they recommended Tillie Gort’s, a local vegetarian place. It was only about 8 blocks away, but we drove, as it was cold and my back has been very cooperative thus far, so I thought I’d reward it (or at least not challenge it further).
Tillie Gort’s looked like the hippie cafe in Anytown, USA. I briefly thought it looked like we were on the set of Northern Exposure. All I really wanted was a bowl of soup, and they had vegetable rice soup, so there you have it. Sweetie and I both had a bowl of soup, and it was perfectly pleasant. If I were to go back there (and I would), I’d sample further from the menu, which was actually extensive, and quite a bit of it looked good. They also had a big dessert case with several kinds of vegan treats.
After dinner, we retreated to the room again (well, it’s so comfy!) and read for a bit, then took a bath. I'll post pictures later, and you'll see why -- there's an enormous jacuzzi tub in the room!
This morning we ate breakfast at the Jabberwock (a fruit-filled croissant and a cheese souffle -- can you say rich?) and spoke at length with the older hippie couple across from us. There were five couples at the table, and all of them were pleasant, but the ones right across from us, well, the woman was from Eugene, Oregon. They knew the owner of Saturn Cafe (which we’re looking forward to tonight). We were able to chat about Hawaii and jellyfish and sharks and tigers... it was fun.
We then checked out and drove down Ocean View Drive past Lover’s Point and towards Asilomar. There, we got out, poked at tidepools, saw seals (we think), and just generally enjoyed the waves and the slightly misty air. Finally, we turned around and headed up Highway 1 towards Santa Cruz. I thought it would be more... oceany, but a lot of it is straight through agricultural fields. When we got here, we went immediately to Natural Bridges State Beach. We stopped briefly inside the visitor’s center, then walked down the trail to the butterfly trees. At first, we didn’t see any. Apparently, when it’s this cold, it’s hard for them to fly. But then we saw one (well, because another crowd of people was pointing at it!), and then another, and another. It wasn’t ever quite a swarm, but we did see quite a few, and got some good close-ups.
We thought about going downtown, but parking was really jacked-up, so we came and checked into the motel instead. We’ve been here a bit, Sweetie napping and I reading, and I suspect we’ll try downtown again in a little while. There’s no wireless here, so I don’t know when I’ll be posting this, but I’m writing it on Saturday afternoon.
Robbed! I was robbed, I tell you! (7:15 Saturday)
After resting a bit, we did go downtown, where I primarily spent time in the bookstore. I didn’t even go into Sock Shop Santa Cruz or the couple of stationery stores I like. A lot of the stores I used to like have closed down. The toy store is a huge loss. I didn’t go into Camoflauge, my favorite lingerie store, because, well, it’s a little pointless at the moment (although when I said that to Sweetie, he got bonus points by telling me I’m still sexy). I bought several new books, although I resisted buying ones I thought people might buy me for my birthday, like the new Bill Bryson that I want very desperately, not that I’m hinting (the one on Shakespeare, but I want the Africa one, too). Anyway, after a bit of walking around, we headed back to the car and to Saturn Cafe (we could have just walked, but we were in a metered spot). I got the Western Fakin’ Cheeseburger (which has apparently been renamed the Space Cowboy, which caused me a moment of panic) and Sweetie had taquitos, which answered a question we’ve had for a while: is their other food as good as their fake burgers? Apparently, yes. Anyway, this is where the robbing came in -- Saturn Cafe serves one of my favorite desserts ever, that cardinal sin of gluttony known as Chocolate Madness. Don’t fuck with Chocolate Madness; it’s a brownie topped with chocolate ice cream, chocolate mousse, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and tiny chocolate chips. But I didn’t order one. You know why? ‘Cause I was full! I couldn’t eat another bite. I couldn’t eat the half order. I couldn’t even finish my dinner! There was no debate, even. The guy brought the check, and that was that. D’oh! My only hope now is that maybe later this evening I’ll get hungry again and we can go down the street to Marianne’s Ice Cream and get a cone of Mexican chocolate. Or bittersweet chocolate.
After dinner we drove to the wharf, played a video game in the arcade, watched two dorks play Dance Dance Revolution, then walked to the end of the pier. This is when I start to feel less like a cute alterna-chick with a “bump” and more like a big giant whale of a pregnant lady. I had to stop and rest on the way to the end, and stop and rest on the way back. I sat on a bench that was wet, because I had to sit down. I have that distinctive side to side waddle. I go “oof” when I sit down in the car.
Sunday morning
I did go out for ice cream last night. Sweetie didn’t want any, and the ice cream shop is about two blocks away, so I just ran out and got it and came back. It was good, too, although they didn’t have the Mexican chocolate I was hoping for (I got chocolate and peanut butter).
Last night I finished one of my new books, I’m Too Sexy for my Volvo. It’s a pregnancy/mothering book with an emphasis on “how to stay fabulous.” It was a fun read, although I won’t take all the advice (stay in the hospital as long as possible? Please! I’ve tried to sleep in hospitals, and it couldn’t possibly be any better than having a colicky newborn nearby.)
Today I’m afraid I’m going to have to take it extra-easy. I hurt something yesterday that I wasn’t sure could be hurt. I actually slept pretty well last night until about 6:30am. I had to get up for a potty break, and Zadie started her morning calisthenics. (And I’m as maternal as anyone, probably more so, but seriously it’s hard not to think of that scene in “Alien” when the flesh of my stomach starts moving, apparently of its own volition.) But when she calmed down, I still couldn’t go back to sleep, because every a-hole in the building started stomping around in cuban heels, rolling their roller bags down the stairs, slamming doors, honking horns, talking in the halls, and playing the percussion line from “Inna-gadda-da-vida” on the wall adjoining our room.
Sunday evening
So much for taking it easy! We had breakfast at the Walnut Street Cafe, which is one of our regular spots, then walked down Pacific, the main street downtown, a bit more. I went into all the stores I missed yesterday, like Paper Visions (where Sweetie bought me a bracelet I coveted), Graphfix, Sock Shop Santa Cruz, Urban Outfitters (remind me to look for the Alice in Wonderland plates I saw there)... We also went to a store (I'll post pictures later) where Sweetie browsed soccer jerseys, and next door had the HOTTEST vintage-y naughty secretary clothes. We went back to the hotel briefly, then decided to go to the beach.
First the good news: It was a BEAUTIFUL, perfect Santa Cruz day. It was almost 60 degrees, sunny, and you could see Monterey across the bay. We walked along West Cliff drive and saw surfers. Natural Bridges is a great beach, with expanses of sand and gentle surf. People were flying kites and running in the surf. It was perfect. On the way back to the car, we even (no kidding) saw dolphins! Like, not "Is that driftwood or is that a dolphin?" but "Hey, look, dolphins!" They were jumping around and showing off their dorsal fins. It was awesome.
The bad news is that OH MY GOD, my whole pelvic region has never hurt this badly in my entire life. Things are sore that I didn't realize were capable of being sore. Things are... weird. Oh my gosh, bless Tylenol. This baby is going to be born with a wad of cotton in her ears and a plastic seal around her forehead from all the Tylenol I've been taking. And it's sneaky -- likt, right now? I'm sitting down, and feel fine. But when I move or try to stand up, I have been quite literally whimpering. I am sure I am the most fabulous traveling companion right now. An eighty year old woman totally passed us on our walk. And Sweetie is a natrually fast walker -- he's been very patient, but it must feel like he's shackled to a boulder.
Anyway, now we've had a sushi dinner that was okay. (The service was kind of lame -- I'm used to being able to order one roll or two-piece, then order more later, but the waitress brought my roll, then stolidly refused to make eye contact until she brought the check. I hope Sweetie wanted water, because she asked me what I wanted to drink, then walked away.) And now we have finished gelato at a gelato and Wi-Fi place, and I have to get moving, because our parking meter is about to expire.
I hope you're all well, and we'll be home tomorrow. After breakfast at Scotty's Cafe at the Sash Mill and perhaps some Pacific Cookie Complany cookies straight from the warehouse.
Babymoon day 3!
Last night we just hung around the Jabberwock talking to folks. The owners just bought it in August, and they were very pleasant people. The woman had even recently relocated her mother from Colorado to Monterey, a few blocks from the inn, and her mother was there in the evening, enjoying hors d’oeuvres with us. Neither of us were very hungry after the Persian Grill, but I had to eat something, so we asked about places to eat, and they recommended Tillie Gort’s, a local vegetarian place. It was only about 8 blocks away, but we drove, as it was cold and my back has been very cooperative thus far, so I thought I’d reward it (or at least not challenge it further).
Tillie Gort’s looked like the hippie cafe in Anytown, USA. I briefly thought it looked like we were on the set of Northern Exposure. All I really wanted was a bowl of soup, and they had vegetable rice soup, so there you have it. Sweetie and I both had a bowl of soup, and it was perfectly pleasant. If I were to go back there (and I would), I’d sample further from the menu, which was actually extensive, and quite a bit of it looked good. They also had a big dessert case with several kinds of vegan treats.
After dinner, we retreated to the room again (well, it’s so comfy!) and read for a bit, then took a bath. I'll post pictures later, and you'll see why -- there's an enormous jacuzzi tub in the room!
This morning we ate breakfast at the Jabberwock (a fruit-filled croissant and a cheese souffle -- can you say rich?) and spoke at length with the older hippie couple across from us. There were five couples at the table, and all of them were pleasant, but the ones right across from us, well, the woman was from Eugene, Oregon. They knew the owner of Saturn Cafe (which we’re looking forward to tonight). We were able to chat about Hawaii and jellyfish and sharks and tigers... it was fun.
We then checked out and drove down Ocean View Drive past Lover’s Point and towards Asilomar. There, we got out, poked at tidepools, saw seals (we think), and just generally enjoyed the waves and the slightly misty air. Finally, we turned around and headed up Highway 1 towards Santa Cruz. I thought it would be more... oceany, but a lot of it is straight through agricultural fields. When we got here, we went immediately to Natural Bridges State Beach. We stopped briefly inside the visitor’s center, then walked down the trail to the butterfly trees. At first, we didn’t see any. Apparently, when it’s this cold, it’s hard for them to fly. But then we saw one (well, because another crowd of people was pointing at it!), and then another, and another. It wasn’t ever quite a swarm, but we did see quite a few, and got some good close-ups.
We thought about going downtown, but parking was really jacked-up, so we came and checked into the motel instead. We’ve been here a bit, Sweetie napping and I reading, and I suspect we’ll try downtown again in a little while. There’s no wireless here, so I don’t know when I’ll be posting this, but I’m writing it on Saturday afternoon.
Robbed! I was robbed, I tell you! (7:15 Saturday)
After resting a bit, we did go downtown, where I primarily spent time in the bookstore. I didn’t even go into Sock Shop Santa Cruz or the couple of stationery stores I like. A lot of the stores I used to like have closed down. The toy store is a huge loss. I didn’t go into Camoflauge, my favorite lingerie store, because, well, it’s a little pointless at the moment (although when I said that to Sweetie, he got bonus points by telling me I’m still sexy). I bought several new books, although I resisted buying ones I thought people might buy me for my birthday, like the new Bill Bryson that I want very desperately, not that I’m hinting (the one on Shakespeare, but I want the Africa one, too). Anyway, after a bit of walking around, we headed back to the car and to Saturn Cafe (we could have just walked, but we were in a metered spot). I got the Western Fakin’ Cheeseburger (which has apparently been renamed the Space Cowboy, which caused me a moment of panic) and Sweetie had taquitos, which answered a question we’ve had for a while: is their other food as good as their fake burgers? Apparently, yes. Anyway, this is where the robbing came in -- Saturn Cafe serves one of my favorite desserts ever, that cardinal sin of gluttony known as Chocolate Madness. Don’t fuck with Chocolate Madness; it’s a brownie topped with chocolate ice cream, chocolate mousse, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and tiny chocolate chips. But I didn’t order one. You know why? ‘Cause I was full! I couldn’t eat another bite. I couldn’t eat the half order. I couldn’t even finish my dinner! There was no debate, even. The guy brought the check, and that was that. D’oh! My only hope now is that maybe later this evening I’ll get hungry again and we can go down the street to Marianne’s Ice Cream and get a cone of Mexican chocolate. Or bittersweet chocolate.
After dinner we drove to the wharf, played a video game in the arcade, watched two dorks play Dance Dance Revolution, then walked to the end of the pier. This is when I start to feel less like a cute alterna-chick with a “bump” and more like a big giant whale of a pregnant lady. I had to stop and rest on the way to the end, and stop and rest on the way back. I sat on a bench that was wet, because I had to sit down. I have that distinctive side to side waddle. I go “oof” when I sit down in the car.
Sunday morning
I did go out for ice cream last night. Sweetie didn’t want any, and the ice cream shop is about two blocks away, so I just ran out and got it and came back. It was good, too, although they didn’t have the Mexican chocolate I was hoping for (I got chocolate and peanut butter).
Last night I finished one of my new books, I’m Too Sexy for my Volvo. It’s a pregnancy/mothering book with an emphasis on “how to stay fabulous.” It was a fun read, although I won’t take all the advice (stay in the hospital as long as possible? Please! I’ve tried to sleep in hospitals, and it couldn’t possibly be any better than having a colicky newborn nearby.)
Today I’m afraid I’m going to have to take it extra-easy. I hurt something yesterday that I wasn’t sure could be hurt. I actually slept pretty well last night until about 6:30am. I had to get up for a potty break, and Zadie started her morning calisthenics. (And I’m as maternal as anyone, probably more so, but seriously it’s hard not to think of that scene in “Alien” when the flesh of my stomach starts moving, apparently of its own volition.) But when she calmed down, I still couldn’t go back to sleep, because every a-hole in the building started stomping around in cuban heels, rolling their roller bags down the stairs, slamming doors, honking horns, talking in the halls, and playing the percussion line from “Inna-gadda-da-vida” on the wall adjoining our room.
Sunday evening
So much for taking it easy! We had breakfast at the Walnut Street Cafe, which is one of our regular spots, then walked down Pacific, the main street downtown, a bit more. I went into all the stores I missed yesterday, like Paper Visions (where Sweetie bought me a bracelet I coveted), Graphfix, Sock Shop Santa Cruz, Urban Outfitters (remind me to look for the Alice in Wonderland plates I saw there)... We also went to a store (I'll post pictures later) where Sweetie browsed soccer jerseys, and next door had the HOTTEST vintage-y naughty secretary clothes. We went back to the hotel briefly, then decided to go to the beach.
First the good news: It was a BEAUTIFUL, perfect Santa Cruz day. It was almost 60 degrees, sunny, and you could see Monterey across the bay. We walked along West Cliff drive and saw surfers. Natural Bridges is a great beach, with expanses of sand and gentle surf. People were flying kites and running in the surf. It was perfect. On the way back to the car, we even (no kidding) saw dolphins! Like, not "Is that driftwood or is that a dolphin?" but "Hey, look, dolphins!" They were jumping around and showing off their dorsal fins. It was awesome.
The bad news is that OH MY GOD, my whole pelvic region has never hurt this badly in my entire life. Things are sore that I didn't realize were capable of being sore. Things are... weird. Oh my gosh, bless Tylenol. This baby is going to be born with a wad of cotton in her ears and a plastic seal around her forehead from all the Tylenol I've been taking. And it's sneaky -- likt, right now? I'm sitting down, and feel fine. But when I move or try to stand up, I have been quite literally whimpering. I am sure I am the most fabulous traveling companion right now. An eighty year old woman totally passed us on our walk. And Sweetie is a natrually fast walker -- he's been very patient, but it must feel like he's shackled to a boulder.
Anyway, now we've had a sushi dinner that was okay. (The service was kind of lame -- I'm used to being able to order one roll or two-piece, then order more later, but the waitress brought my roll, then stolidly refused to make eye contact until she brought the check. I hope Sweetie wanted water, because she asked me what I wanted to drink, then walked away.) And now we have finished gelato at a gelato and Wi-Fi place, and I have to get moving, because our parking meter is about to expire.
I hope you're all well, and we'll be home tomorrow. After breakfast at Scotty's Cafe at the Sash Mill and perhaps some Pacific Cookie Complany cookies straight from the warehouse.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Babymoon day 2
Hello! We did indeed eat at Montrio last night, and had a delicious dinner. Sweetie's been teasing me because I can't finish my meals lately, but I've got a person taking up the space where my stomach used to be! It's like a human lap band. We came back to the Jabberwock and ate chocolate chip cookies, and then read in bed.
Today we got up and had breakfast here (a fruit plate and a very rich bread pudding, plus "Jabber Juice" -- yes, I fully intend to give myself gestational diabetes), then walked to the aquarium. It was the most crowded I have ever seen it. Must be Christmas break! We couldn't even get near the kelp forest display when the diver was in it. We did, however, spend some time in the new "Wild About Otters" exhibit. They're damn cute, and they're so playful. They were wrestling and goofing off while we watched. We spent a couple hours there, then walked down Cannery Row a bit (which is mostly populated by shit-peddlers, but whatever). Then we came back to the Inn. Neither of us was hungry, although it was lunch time, so we read and rested for a while, then walked down to Lighthouse Avenue, where we stopped into Olio Vintage Fun. It was a very small antique store that looked like it had gone to some trouble to find "fun" items, like toys and games and cheesy old cookbooks. Naturally, there were several things I liked but couldn't justify purchasing. We then walked down the other way down Lighthouse in search of food, and settled on Persian Grill. I just wanted something small, so I had a kookoo (like a quiche or frittata) appetizer with a side of rice and mast-o-khiar (sort of tzaziki-like). I also had a mint tea, which they served with cardamom rock candy, which was cool. Sweetie had fesenjon, which he said was better than his mom's (don't tell her).
Now we're chilling again. We both are more full than we expected, so dinner may be light (and may even consist of the appetizers they serve here). We also haven't decided what to do with our time -- we could go into Pacific Grove, into Carmel, back to the old part of Monterey, to the butterfly grove, to the beach... There are so many options! It's also really pleasant here -- quiet and confortable. So who knows? Anyway, I'll keep you updated.
Oh! But I don't want to forget the cute thing that happened yesterday. Whilst standing in line at Pea Soup Andersen's, I saw a little girl (about 6) come in with her grandmother. She looked at me, sort of up and down. I smiled at her, and as her eyes came to rest on my belly, they widened and her jaw dropped. She looked at me in wonder, as though I were a Disney Princess come to life. She did that thing kids do; she stopped dead in her tracks and only resumed forward motion when nudged by her grandmother, but she never took her eyes off me until they went around the corner. A few minutes later, she and the grandma came back, and she was still fixated on me. Just before they reached the door, I saw her screw up the courage to say something: "I hope your baby is beautiful!" I smiled beatifically, feeling like the Pope, as I thanked her. And then the door closed behind her and she was gone. Isn't that sweet, though?
Today we got up and had breakfast here (a fruit plate and a very rich bread pudding, plus "Jabber Juice" -- yes, I fully intend to give myself gestational diabetes), then walked to the aquarium. It was the most crowded I have ever seen it. Must be Christmas break! We couldn't even get near the kelp forest display when the diver was in it. We did, however, spend some time in the new "Wild About Otters" exhibit. They're damn cute, and they're so playful. They were wrestling and goofing off while we watched. We spent a couple hours there, then walked down Cannery Row a bit (which is mostly populated by shit-peddlers, but whatever). Then we came back to the Inn. Neither of us was hungry, although it was lunch time, so we read and rested for a while, then walked down to Lighthouse Avenue, where we stopped into Olio Vintage Fun. It was a very small antique store that looked like it had gone to some trouble to find "fun" items, like toys and games and cheesy old cookbooks. Naturally, there were several things I liked but couldn't justify purchasing. We then walked down the other way down Lighthouse in search of food, and settled on Persian Grill. I just wanted something small, so I had a kookoo (like a quiche or frittata) appetizer with a side of rice and mast-o-khiar (sort of tzaziki-like). I also had a mint tea, which they served with cardamom rock candy, which was cool. Sweetie had fesenjon, which he said was better than his mom's (don't tell her).
Now we're chilling again. We both are more full than we expected, so dinner may be light (and may even consist of the appetizers they serve here). We also haven't decided what to do with our time -- we could go into Pacific Grove, into Carmel, back to the old part of Monterey, to the butterfly grove, to the beach... There are so many options! It's also really pleasant here -- quiet and confortable. So who knows? Anyway, I'll keep you updated.
Oh! But I don't want to forget the cute thing that happened yesterday. Whilst standing in line at Pea Soup Andersen's, I saw a little girl (about 6) come in with her grandmother. She looked at me, sort of up and down. I smiled at her, and as her eyes came to rest on my belly, they widened and her jaw dropped. She looked at me in wonder, as though I were a Disney Princess come to life. She did that thing kids do; she stopped dead in her tracks and only resumed forward motion when nudged by her grandmother, but she never took her eyes off me until they went around the corner. A few minutes later, she and the grandma came back, and she was still fixated on me. Just before they reached the door, I saw her screw up the courage to say something: "I hope your baby is beautiful!" I smiled beatifically, feeling like the Pope, as I thanked her. And then the door closed behind her and she was gone. Isn't that sweet, though?
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Babymoon!
Well, we left home this morning, destination: Monterey. We planned a last trip for just the two of us before the baby comes, and a few weeks ago I saw in the paper that such a trip is called a "babymoon." How appropos, then, that we are spending it in the same place we spent our honeymoon.
We stopped in Santa Nella, which was also apparently where half the rest of the population of California stopped today on teh way home from visiting relatives for the holidays. Having never been to the famed Pea Soup Andersen's, I was determined that I would break that streak. We got in and I was... confused. It looked more like a gift shop than a restaurant. Strike that -- it looked like a tacky tourist trap of a gift shop. But then we wound our way out of the back of one line (for the dining room) and into the back of another (for the coffee shop), and proceeded to wait. For quite a while, the line didn't move at all, and we were stuck looking at the sorts of colorful placards that say things like "I can only please one person per day. Today isn't your day." But then the line moved, and soon the waitress was looking for a party of two. Though we were about a third of the way back in the line, we were the only party of two, so we got to cut! It was a funny place inside -- all "Dutch kitsch," as Sweetie called it. It had very 60s/70s rock walls, and two animated characters all over named Hap-Pea and Pea-Wee. The menus and napkins were all very retro, too. Now, pea soup is often made with a ham hock in it, so I wasn't really expecting to be able to have any, and had already prepared myself for a salad. But right at the top of the menu, it declared that the soup was vegetarian, and furthermore they had an all-you-can-eat (which for me was one bowl) soup, bread, and beverage special. I was really pleased. It was good soup, too!
After that, we ended up not stopping again until we got to Monterey and to our B&B, the Jabberwock Inn. It still has Christmas decorations up, and it's really charming. Our room this time is the Mome Rath, which is smaller than the Borogove (where we stayed before), but very sweet. It has a big whirlpool tub for two, a king-size bed, Victorian-style wallpaper, a fireplace that is toasting the room up nicely, and an Alice in Wonderland mural in the W.C. We're also just downstairs from the water-soda-juice fridge, and just upstairs from the fresh cookies, hors d'oeuvres, tea, coffee, and sherry (not that I'll be taking advantage of that -- I have had two cookies, though!). We've just been relaxing and reading thus far, although I believe (I have to confirm) that we have dinner reservations in the old part of Monterey at a place called Montrio in about 45 minutes.
I'll keep you updated. We brought the camera, and tomorrow we're going to the aquarium (yay, sea otter exhibit!).
Oh, incidentally, on Christmas day there was the greatest (tragic) breaking news story: tigers on the loose and attacking in San Francisco! If you're not from CA, you probably didn't hear this, but we got the whole story. On the TV news on Christmas day, they were doing that "as it happens" reporting that is so often unreliable, and at one point they thought there might be four tigers on the loose. We were sure there were going to be maulings all over the Sunset district. In actuality, the newspapers reported later that there was just one tiger loose, and she never left the zoo. But she did kill one man and attack two others before police shot her. And the update this morning is that tiger experts believe there's no way she leaped over the wall of her enclosure, as it was initially thought. Rather, they think she had an accomplice! (Or at least someone careless enough to leave a door open.) Anyway, tiger attacks -- that's riveting news right there!
We stopped in Santa Nella, which was also apparently where half the rest of the population of California stopped today on teh way home from visiting relatives for the holidays. Having never been to the famed Pea Soup Andersen's, I was determined that I would break that streak. We got in and I was... confused. It looked more like a gift shop than a restaurant. Strike that -- it looked like a tacky tourist trap of a gift shop. But then we wound our way out of the back of one line (for the dining room) and into the back of another (for the coffee shop), and proceeded to wait. For quite a while, the line didn't move at all, and we were stuck looking at the sorts of colorful placards that say things like "I can only please one person per day. Today isn't your day." But then the line moved, and soon the waitress was looking for a party of two. Though we were about a third of the way back in the line, we were the only party of two, so we got to cut! It was a funny place inside -- all "Dutch kitsch," as Sweetie called it. It had very 60s/70s rock walls, and two animated characters all over named Hap-Pea and Pea-Wee. The menus and napkins were all very retro, too. Now, pea soup is often made with a ham hock in it, so I wasn't really expecting to be able to have any, and had already prepared myself for a salad. But right at the top of the menu, it declared that the soup was vegetarian, and furthermore they had an all-you-can-eat (which for me was one bowl) soup, bread, and beverage special. I was really pleased. It was good soup, too!
After that, we ended up not stopping again until we got to Monterey and to our B&B, the Jabberwock Inn. It still has Christmas decorations up, and it's really charming. Our room this time is the Mome Rath, which is smaller than the Borogove (where we stayed before), but very sweet. It has a big whirlpool tub for two, a king-size bed, Victorian-style wallpaper, a fireplace that is toasting the room up nicely, and an Alice in Wonderland mural in the W.C. We're also just downstairs from the water-soda-juice fridge, and just upstairs from the fresh cookies, hors d'oeuvres, tea, coffee, and sherry (not that I'll be taking advantage of that -- I have had two cookies, though!). We've just been relaxing and reading thus far, although I believe (I have to confirm) that we have dinner reservations in the old part of Monterey at a place called Montrio in about 45 minutes.
I'll keep you updated. We brought the camera, and tomorrow we're going to the aquarium (yay, sea otter exhibit!).
Oh, incidentally, on Christmas day there was the greatest (tragic) breaking news story: tigers on the loose and attacking in San Francisco! If you're not from CA, you probably didn't hear this, but we got the whole story. On the TV news on Christmas day, they were doing that "as it happens" reporting that is so often unreliable, and at one point they thought there might be four tigers on the loose. We were sure there were going to be maulings all over the Sunset district. In actuality, the newspapers reported later that there was just one tiger loose, and she never left the zoo. But she did kill one man and attack two others before police shot her. And the update this morning is that tiger experts believe there's no way she leaped over the wall of her enclosure, as it was initially thought. Rather, they think she had an accomplice! (Or at least someone careless enough to leave a door open.) Anyway, tiger attacks -- that's riveting news right there!
Monday, December 24, 2007
If you're the grinch, I'm Cindy Lou Who
Round about this time of year, I head a lot of people start talking about how much they hate the holidays, how stress-inducing it is, how it's lost all meaning, how they hate the commercialism, etc. Sometimes these folks describe themselves as Grinch-like. I don't think they are. I certainly wouldn't accuse them of having hearts two sizes too small. I know there are a lot of really good reasons for people to be a little down around the holidays. In fact, I sympathize so much that I sort of feel guilty when I tell you this: I LOVE the holidays. We have decorated the house, I have baked and made candy, I have bought and made and wrapped presents, I have listened to Christmas music... I love it. Allow me to share some of this year's goodness.
Here is our gorgeous tree, complete with Marvin the Martian star.
I'm crazy about this year's paper.
You've already seen the nutcrackers, but now the stockings are hung by the chimney with care. Yes, there are only two people living here, but there are the Lankees to consider, and Mina, and I got a new stocking as a gift this year...
We have already gotten several presents for the-baby-who-will-not-make-her-debut-until-March.
We are pretty sure this is a handmade-by-Grandma quilt, but we're going to call tomorrow and find out for sure. Cool, huh?
These are called Babylegs -- they're legwarmers for babies. They allow easier diaper changes, warm babies, and some knee padding for crawlers. And they're cool.
Now I have to get ready for breakfast! Happy holidays, yo! Even to the grinches.
Here is our gorgeous tree, complete with Marvin the Martian star.
I'm crazy about this year's paper.
You've already seen the nutcrackers, but now the stockings are hung by the chimney with care. Yes, there are only two people living here, but there are the Lankees to consider, and Mina, and I got a new stocking as a gift this year...
We have already gotten several presents for the-baby-who-will-not-make-her-debut-until-March.
We are pretty sure this is a handmade-by-Grandma quilt, but we're going to call tomorrow and find out for sure. Cool, huh?
These are called Babylegs -- they're legwarmers for babies. They allow easier diaper changes, warm babies, and some knee padding for crawlers. And they're cool.
Now I have to get ready for breakfast! Happy holidays, yo! Even to the grinches.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Alumni
Yesterday we had several alumni visit campus. They were the students I taught my first year at Horticulturalist High. Without exception, the ones who returned were doing well, getting good grades, had just completed their first semester of college... Several had nice things to say about how our honors program had prepared them for college. And it was just good to see them. I am always pleased to see the kids who've moved on.
Also yesterday, there was an article in the paper about a young man who shot a police deputy. At 16, he is going down on record as the youngest cop-killer in Sacramento. In interviews with his neighbors, I spotted another name from another first year. Pinky was in eighth grade the very first year I was teaching. She was a tough, athletic kid. Smart, but she got in trouble sometimes, too. The last I had heard, she was at my alma mater in one of their law enforcement academies. In other words, she was training to be a cop. But her picture and interview... she looked really rough, and mentioned that she and some of her friends had beaten up this "wannabe" last week in order to teach him a lesson. I suspect she's taken another path. And I'm really, truly sorry to hear it.
Also yesterday, there was an article in the paper about a young man who shot a police deputy. At 16, he is going down on record as the youngest cop-killer in Sacramento. In interviews with his neighbors, I spotted another name from another first year. Pinky was in eighth grade the very first year I was teaching. She was a tough, athletic kid. Smart, but she got in trouble sometimes, too. The last I had heard, she was at my alma mater in one of their law enforcement academies. In other words, she was training to be a cop. But her picture and interview... she looked really rough, and mentioned that she and some of her friends had beaten up this "wannabe" last week in order to teach him a lesson. I suspect she's taken another path. And I'm really, truly sorry to hear it.
It is 6:47 am on the first day of vacation
and I am a cranky Oedipal-expletive-deleted. Why? I coughed up something resembling Oscar the Grouch yesterday, and since that's usually pneumonia's big-flashing-sign-of-here-I-am-ness, I call the doctor. They want to see me at 3:30, which means I'd have to leave work early, which is really not feasible. They say okay, well, we'll send a message to your doctor's office and have them follow up with an appointment.
Dr's office calls. The message is more or less "Call us at this number between 6 and 7 tomorrow and we'll get you in." Great, I think. That's easy. So I set the alarm, get up at the ass-crack of dawn, and call the number, which, because it is a SPECIAL number, I am sure will get me through directly to that office. No. It's just the regular everyone-and-their-grandma number, and I have to listen to them say "Due to a high call volume, we are experiencing long wait times. If you are calling for a regular appointment, you may wish to call back at a later time. If you are calling regarding an illness, please stay on the line" approximately five billion times (because they play the blasted recording every 3 seconds --- the other three seconds are 2-5 notes of Muzak). My estimated wait time was 6 minutes, but I was on hold for about 12 before anyone picked up. And when they did? They have no appointments today, but can send a message to my doctor's office, but they won't get it until Monday. In the meantime, I can speak to an advice nurse...
Yeah, speaking to the advice nurse generally means answering the same question 67 times (Yes, I am having chest congestion. Yes, I am asthmatic, but it is usually managed well. No, I'm not having chest pain. No, it is not severe shortness of breath. Yes, I can get a deep breath. No, I don't feel it's an emergency. Yes, I'm drinking plenty of fluids. Sure, let me describe the shit I'm coughing up to you again...) I've had that conversation a lot. Several times, the advice has been to rest and hydrate, and then two days later I'm in the ER for chest X-rays and a killer antibiotic. I told him to forget it. I'm going to rest and hydrate, and see what happens. I haven't coughed up anything particularly nasty since last night, so maybe it was an anomaly.
Dr's office calls. The message is more or less "Call us at this number between 6 and 7 tomorrow and we'll get you in." Great, I think. That's easy. So I set the alarm, get up at the ass-crack of dawn, and call the number, which, because it is a SPECIAL number, I am sure will get me through directly to that office. No. It's just the regular everyone-and-their-grandma number, and I have to listen to them say "Due to a high call volume, we are experiencing long wait times. If you are calling for a regular appointment, you may wish to call back at a later time. If you are calling regarding an illness, please stay on the line" approximately five billion times (because they play the blasted recording every 3 seconds --- the other three seconds are 2-5 notes of Muzak). My estimated wait time was 6 minutes, but I was on hold for about 12 before anyone picked up. And when they did? They have no appointments today, but can send a message to my doctor's office, but they won't get it until Monday. In the meantime, I can speak to an advice nurse...
Yeah, speaking to the advice nurse generally means answering the same question 67 times (Yes, I am having chest congestion. Yes, I am asthmatic, but it is usually managed well. No, I'm not having chest pain. No, it is not severe shortness of breath. Yes, I can get a deep breath. No, I don't feel it's an emergency. Yes, I'm drinking plenty of fluids. Sure, let me describe the shit I'm coughing up to you again...) I've had that conversation a lot. Several times, the advice has been to rest and hydrate, and then two days later I'm in the ER for chest X-rays and a killer antibiotic. I told him to forget it. I'm going to rest and hydrate, and see what happens. I haven't coughed up anything particularly nasty since last night, so maybe it was an anomaly.
Friday, December 21, 2007
The devil and Ms. S
First, as a quick note, there are contract negotiations going on between the school district and my union. The district's latest offer for a raise? .666% Think that's a message?
Also, sometimes the devil gets into me when I'm grading. Here is what I wrote on the back of a student's essay. (Keep in mind, this was a "revision" of a paper that he had basically plagiarized before and I told him to start over. He still used huge swaths of the old paper.)
"Burn this, delete it from any electronic sources it may be saved on, and start fresh." I then gave him some suggestions for a new paper, one of which was similar in some ways, so at the end of that I wrote "But you MUST have a clear thesis, a good reason for doing it, and you must not use one word of this existing paper (because it is dookie)."
On another paper, I wrote "(Student), your writing is brain and eyeball torture. But I'm going to ignore that and try to focus on your ideas." I talked about the ideas, and then ended with "So... what now? Are you finally ready to invest some real time and thought into this?"
It's mean, I suppose, but at the same time, the eyeball torture kid is a junior in an advanced English program. Mofo needs to learn to proofread. Seriously, his paper contains this "sentence": "As she illustrates through out the novel the use of feminism by using the characters she creates and image of equality of the sexes." Am I crazy, or does that NOT MEAN ANYTHING?
Also, sometimes the devil gets into me when I'm grading. Here is what I wrote on the back of a student's essay. (Keep in mind, this was a "revision" of a paper that he had basically plagiarized before and I told him to start over. He still used huge swaths of the old paper.)
"Burn this, delete it from any electronic sources it may be saved on, and start fresh." I then gave him some suggestions for a new paper, one of which was similar in some ways, so at the end of that I wrote "But you MUST have a clear thesis, a good reason for doing it, and you must not use one word of this existing paper (because it is dookie)."
On another paper, I wrote "(Student), your writing is brain and eyeball torture. But I'm going to ignore that and try to focus on your ideas." I talked about the ideas, and then ended with "So... what now? Are you finally ready to invest some real time and thought into this?"
It's mean, I suppose, but at the same time, the eyeball torture kid is a junior in an advanced English program. Mofo needs to learn to proofread. Seriously, his paper contains this "sentence": "As she illustrates through out the novel the use of feminism by using the characters she creates and image of equality of the sexes." Am I crazy, or does that NOT MEAN ANYTHING?
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Unusual etiquette in the coffee shop
I go to a coffee shop that is awesome. They have lots of seating, plenty of space, free wi-fi that works a lot of the time, and fantastic beverages. They also offer a few edibles, like cookies, muffins, scones, and biscotti.
Although this isn't generally described as a college town, we do have a CSU, several junior colleges, and a large teaching hospital nearby. The place, therefore, is often PACKED with people studying. I've been there a lot lately grading papers (for some reason, I just can't get focused at home -- I find ways to distract myself and not do the work).
I've always thought that if you're going to hog a spot at a crowded, popular coffee shop, you ought to compensate the place. I figure that a drink buys you about an hour, a drink and a biscotti a touch more, and if you plan to be there two hours or more, you need to buy another beverage. And tip. But I don't think that everyone shares my philosophy. I also believe that while it is acceptable to bring in something small to eat, like a few chocolates or a bag of candy, if you plan to EAT, it ought to be the foods they offer for sale. Again, I'm sensing that this isn't the popular opinion.
Last week, one young lady of a pair left, and when she returned, she had enormous burritos, which they unwrapped in the coffee shop and ate. They also had sodas. "How gauche!" I thought, as the smell of black beans and onions wafted toward me. I also thought it was an anomaly, but in the days since, I have seen people unwrap sandwiches and more burritos. Tonight, I saw a sweet scene -- a man and his three kids (in pajamas and Santa hats) snuck up to a woman who was studying. Then they unloaded an ice chest with a complete pasta dinner and Diet Pepsi.
Am I crazy? A coffee shop, though it certainly doesn't offer complete meals, is nevertheless a food and drink establishment. You wouldn't drop into the Pizza Hut and unwrap sandwiches from elsewhere. You wouldn't go into the pub and open your own flask. In fact, you'd get thrown out of most places for doing that. Why would these people think it's okay to do so in a coffee shop? I have certainly had some days where I planned to put in multiple hours grading and gotten hungry in the meantime. But do you know what I do? It sounds crazy, but I LEAVE, go to a place that sells FOOD, eat it there, and then return to the coffee shop (where I BUY something).
It's not a community center, people. It's a business.
Although this isn't generally described as a college town, we do have a CSU, several junior colleges, and a large teaching hospital nearby. The place, therefore, is often PACKED with people studying. I've been there a lot lately grading papers (for some reason, I just can't get focused at home -- I find ways to distract myself and not do the work).
I've always thought that if you're going to hog a spot at a crowded, popular coffee shop, you ought to compensate the place. I figure that a drink buys you about an hour, a drink and a biscotti a touch more, and if you plan to be there two hours or more, you need to buy another beverage. And tip. But I don't think that everyone shares my philosophy. I also believe that while it is acceptable to bring in something small to eat, like a few chocolates or a bag of candy, if you plan to EAT, it ought to be the foods they offer for sale. Again, I'm sensing that this isn't the popular opinion.
Last week, one young lady of a pair left, and when she returned, she had enormous burritos, which they unwrapped in the coffee shop and ate. They also had sodas. "How gauche!" I thought, as the smell of black beans and onions wafted toward me. I also thought it was an anomaly, but in the days since, I have seen people unwrap sandwiches and more burritos. Tonight, I saw a sweet scene -- a man and his three kids (in pajamas and Santa hats) snuck up to a woman who was studying. Then they unloaded an ice chest with a complete pasta dinner and Diet Pepsi.
Am I crazy? A coffee shop, though it certainly doesn't offer complete meals, is nevertheless a food and drink establishment. You wouldn't drop into the Pizza Hut and unwrap sandwiches from elsewhere. You wouldn't go into the pub and open your own flask. In fact, you'd get thrown out of most places for doing that. Why would these people think it's okay to do so in a coffee shop? I have certainly had some days where I planned to put in multiple hours grading and gotten hungry in the meantime. But do you know what I do? It sounds crazy, but I LEAVE, go to a place that sells FOOD, eat it there, and then return to the coffee shop (where I BUY something).
It's not a community center, people. It's a business.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Must... keep... hydrated
I feel like shit. On Monday I wasn't feeling great -- stuffed up and clearly not at my best, but not downright awful. Yesterday, I pretty much went to downright awful. It's mostly just head/chest/breathing stuff, but my stomach's been a little touchy, too. I rested last night, graded papers (but not many), and went to bed early. I've been taking Airborne and drinking lots of water, and Sweetie brought me Gatorade and Vitamin Water, too.
This morning, I am not better. I'm tired, my eyes are hot and heavy-feeling, my head is stuffy, and I just wish I was curled up in bed. Of course, I can't blow sick days at this point, so I'm resigned to being here, ill, all week. And I hate Gatorade. I'm drinking it, but I hate it. (I love you, Sweetie, though, and thank you for buying it!)
I also owe Sweetie an apology -- he didn't get a very good night's sleep, because it's difficult to drift off next to Darth Vader. It's not just the noise -- it's the constant threat of getting your hand cut off via light saber.
This morning, I am not better. I'm tired, my eyes are hot and heavy-feeling, my head is stuffy, and I just wish I was curled up in bed. Of course, I can't blow sick days at this point, so I'm resigned to being here, ill, all week. And I hate Gatorade. I'm drinking it, but I hate it. (I love you, Sweetie, though, and thank you for buying it!)
I also owe Sweetie an apology -- he didn't get a very good night's sleep, because it's difficult to drift off next to Darth Vader. It's not just the noise -- it's the constant threat of getting your hand cut off via light saber.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Yet another in the vivid pregnancy dream files
In this dream, I am wandering around Sacramento playing hide and seek with Stecen Colbert. He is wearing a suit, of course, and we are chasing each other in and out of the antique store at 21st and X streets. It is a two-story building with a ramp to the second floor. Also, if you go out through the back door on the main floor, you can walk behind the stores to another antique store two doors down. It's perfect for hide and seek (and incidentally, all true in real life, unlike some dream locations).
I run into the store with Colbert hot on my heels, and run down to the basement (now we're in dream territory -- so far as I know, the store doesn't have a basement). It's a maze of plastic sheeting and unfinished walls. My principal comes wandering out, in a suit also, but a rumpled, baggy one. He looks like he's coming off a three-day bender. It is the raggediest hangover I have ever seen. But he wants to talk, and you can't just brush off the principal, so even though Colbert is coming, I have to stay and talk.
When Colbert comes down the stairs, I take an offensive tack, running after him and chasing him back out onto the street. I begin flinging pieces of buttered toast at him, and as I throw them, a huge SUV drives up and Eric Clapton leans out the window. I laugh hysterically as I say "How do you like having toast thrown at you while Eric Clapton waits behind!" Which is especially funny, because that's my FAVORITE Monty Python line to quote! Oh, ho, ho, the perfect timing of it all!
But wait. Something's wrong! I think I've screwed it up. It's not supposed to be Eric Clapton; it's supposed to be Eric Idle! Curses! Foiled again! And the toast just split in half as if cut by a laser as it approaches Colbert.
Dream interpretation people? What on EARTH is going on in my head?
I run into the store with Colbert hot on my heels, and run down to the basement (now we're in dream territory -- so far as I know, the store doesn't have a basement). It's a maze of plastic sheeting and unfinished walls. My principal comes wandering out, in a suit also, but a rumpled, baggy one. He looks like he's coming off a three-day bender. It is the raggediest hangover I have ever seen. But he wants to talk, and you can't just brush off the principal, so even though Colbert is coming, I have to stay and talk.
When Colbert comes down the stairs, I take an offensive tack, running after him and chasing him back out onto the street. I begin flinging pieces of buttered toast at him, and as I throw them, a huge SUV drives up and Eric Clapton leans out the window. I laugh hysterically as I say "How do you like having toast thrown at you while Eric Clapton waits behind!" Which is especially funny, because that's my FAVORITE Monty Python line to quote! Oh, ho, ho, the perfect timing of it all!
But wait. Something's wrong! I think I've screwed it up. It's not supposed to be Eric Clapton; it's supposed to be Eric Idle! Curses! Foiled again! And the toast just split in half as if cut by a laser as it approaches Colbert.
Dream interpretation people? What on EARTH is going on in my head?
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Sorry it's been quiet around the blog
It's because it's crazy busy around my life. I've been making crafts like 9 year old in a Chinese sweatshop in anticipation of the holiday season. They involve both perishables and non-perishables, but I won't tell you what they are, because many of you are receiving them, and that ruins the surprise. We took a Christmas card photo and I actually went and made about 20 Christmas cards. I have mailed out 9 of them, as I ran out of postage and motivation at roughly the same time.
I have been busily grading papers for school. One major drawback to having adjusted the schedule this year (to accommodate my maternity leave) is that the stuff I'm usually really busy with in May/June, I'm really busy with now, right at Christmas. That kind of sucks.
We did get a Christmas tree and it's decorated. Sweetie took a photo of it, but I'm going to see if I can get a better one. It's a really nice tree this year -- very big and full. I am a sap, but I love coming in from outside and catching a glimpse of the tree all lit up. We listened to the Charlie Brown Christmas as we decorated. Sweetie has already stashed some presents under there, too!
This morning we had another volunteer day. Well, actually it ended up being only 2 1/2 hours. We wrapped presents for Volunteers of America, who had collected hats, scarves, gloves, and socks to be given to the homeless. I had a nice time, actually, and now I have Jefferson Airplane's "Volunteers of America" in my head. Is that just me? I guess so... Oh yeah, and we shared a table with a Brazilian woman who was kind enough to tell me that Grandpa in Portuguese is "vovo." With a sort of accent on the second "vo." Not that we'll use it -- Portugese Grandpa is already designated Boompah. But it's interesting to know.
Last night was my staff party, and although we've been together for almost 5 years and I've been at this job for 2 1/2, Sweetie had never met most of my co-workers. The ones he had met were by and large not there. So we had a lot of small talk to make. I think the funniest conversation was when my vice principal told Sweetie he was something like "lugareno" or something that was Spanish for "you look like you could be from anyplace." It's sort of true to an extent, if you just go by the olive skin, but I think if you know what Iranian people look like, you'd know he was Iranian. It wasn't a half-bad party, if I did discover the somewhat disturbing fact that my principal and I had been to the same concert recently! Apparently, he's a big They Might Be Giants fan, too.
Tonight is Sweetie's staff party. Unlike Sweetie at mine, I'll know most of the people there. Not only have I gone to several of his Christmas parties, we go hang out and play poker with some of his co-workers. There'll be people there I don't know, or don't know well, but most of them will be familiar to me, and I'll have plenty of people to talk to.
Tomorrow Monkeygirl and I are doing a craftapalooza. I think Mom is going to come help, too. Hopefully at some point I can get some papers graded, but I warned the kids that they might take me longer this time. My goal is just to get them all back by Friday so they can work on revisions over the break (which they won't).
I'm trying not to make this all a pregnancy blog, but I realize a lot of my posts lately have been about that. I hope you don't mind. It's hard not to be preoccupied with something that is so continuously brought to my attention. If she's not kicking or bouncing, I'm having back pain (or front pain -- round ligament pain sucks!) or hunger. It's a good thing, and I don't mind being reminded of it, but I hope I haven't become an (inside-out) navel-gazer.
Oh yeah! And the stupid air freshener got replaced on Friday, and the on-ramp was backed up to the main street and people STILL were going one at a time. Sheesh.
I have been busily grading papers for school. One major drawback to having adjusted the schedule this year (to accommodate my maternity leave) is that the stuff I'm usually really busy with in May/June, I'm really busy with now, right at Christmas. That kind of sucks.
We did get a Christmas tree and it's decorated. Sweetie took a photo of it, but I'm going to see if I can get a better one. It's a really nice tree this year -- very big and full. I am a sap, but I love coming in from outside and catching a glimpse of the tree all lit up. We listened to the Charlie Brown Christmas as we decorated. Sweetie has already stashed some presents under there, too!
This morning we had another volunteer day. Well, actually it ended up being only 2 1/2 hours. We wrapped presents for Volunteers of America, who had collected hats, scarves, gloves, and socks to be given to the homeless. I had a nice time, actually, and now I have Jefferson Airplane's "Volunteers of America" in my head. Is that just me? I guess so... Oh yeah, and we shared a table with a Brazilian woman who was kind enough to tell me that Grandpa in Portuguese is "vovo." With a sort of accent on the second "vo." Not that we'll use it -- Portugese Grandpa is already designated Boompah. But it's interesting to know.
Last night was my staff party, and although we've been together for almost 5 years and I've been at this job for 2 1/2, Sweetie had never met most of my co-workers. The ones he had met were by and large not there. So we had a lot of small talk to make. I think the funniest conversation was when my vice principal told Sweetie he was something like "lugareno" or something that was Spanish for "you look like you could be from anyplace." It's sort of true to an extent, if you just go by the olive skin, but I think if you know what Iranian people look like, you'd know he was Iranian. It wasn't a half-bad party, if I did discover the somewhat disturbing fact that my principal and I had been to the same concert recently! Apparently, he's a big They Might Be Giants fan, too.
Tonight is Sweetie's staff party. Unlike Sweetie at mine, I'll know most of the people there. Not only have I gone to several of his Christmas parties, we go hang out and play poker with some of his co-workers. There'll be people there I don't know, or don't know well, but most of them will be familiar to me, and I'll have plenty of people to talk to.
Tomorrow Monkeygirl and I are doing a craftapalooza. I think Mom is going to come help, too. Hopefully at some point I can get some papers graded, but I warned the kids that they might take me longer this time. My goal is just to get them all back by Friday so they can work on revisions over the break (which they won't).
I'm trying not to make this all a pregnancy blog, but I realize a lot of my posts lately have been about that. I hope you don't mind. It's hard not to be preoccupied with something that is so continuously brought to my attention. If she's not kicking or bouncing, I'm having back pain (or front pain -- round ligament pain sucks!) or hunger. It's a good thing, and I don't mind being reminded of it, but I hope I haven't become an (inside-out) navel-gazer.
Oh yeah! And the stupid air freshener got replaced on Friday, and the on-ramp was backed up to the main street and people STILL were going one at a time. Sheesh.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
The universe does me a couple solids.
I WAS planning to blog about two things that were annoying me. The first was the Rinsa brand "peach harvest" air freshener that was fucking up my favorite bathroom on campus. The bathroom is clean, it's warm, and due to a plumbing mix up, the bowl water is warm, too, so it's like the seat is never cold! But unfortunately, someone stocked the restroom with this NOXIOUS air freshener that clings to you when you leave. It's almost impossible to breathe if that stuff has been sprayed. Well you know what? It disappeared!
Then, I was going to complain about my freeway on-ramp. First, I have no idea why there's a light there. At the time of day I get on, the traffic is never backed up, and is usually going around 70 MPH in the left lanes. For a while, they took the light out, and it was easy to merge into traffic. But with the light, you have to go from a dead stop to 65 MPH in about 15 yards, and since you don't get to choose when you go, you often find a mattress truck barreling down on you. In my opinion, the meter makes it much worse. But to add insult to injury, it is one of the few "2 cars per green" lights in town. So about every other time, only one car goes, which slows the process down further. And I don't think it helps that the official sign says "2 CAR PER GREEN." Well, among all the things that drive me insane about this meter, I HATE that it's ungrammatical. But this week? Someone fixed it with a Sharpie! Thank you, anonymous stranger! Of course, there's not really enough space, so now it says "2 CARSPER GREEN." But whatever.
Then, I was going to complain about my freeway on-ramp. First, I have no idea why there's a light there. At the time of day I get on, the traffic is never backed up, and is usually going around 70 MPH in the left lanes. For a while, they took the light out, and it was easy to merge into traffic. But with the light, you have to go from a dead stop to 65 MPH in about 15 yards, and since you don't get to choose when you go, you often find a mattress truck barreling down on you. In my opinion, the meter makes it much worse. But to add insult to injury, it is one of the few "2 cars per green" lights in town. So about every other time, only one car goes, which slows the process down further. And I don't think it helps that the official sign says "2 CAR PER GREEN." Well, among all the things that drive me insane about this meter, I HATE that it's ungrammatical. But this week? Someone fixed it with a Sharpie! Thank you, anonymous stranger! Of course, there's not really enough space, so now it says "2 CARSPER GREEN." But whatever.
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Festive as all get-out!
Whoo hoo! Today I made goodies for Xmas presents (and I'm not telling you what they are, but if they happened to be food-related, they'd be delicious).
We had already put up Sweetie's collection of nutcrackers (no trying to pin them on me, babe), but I got lights to put around them.
Here are the others, above our TV.
I found this cool thingie at Ikea (for $7) to display Sweetie's dad's handmade Christmas cards.
Also at Ikea, I bought two pillowcases and a sheet to make the couch more holiday-y. The cat is not from Ikea.
And just for shits and giggles, here's my new t-shirt from Mom. Thanks Mom! Just in case you can't see, it says "Yes, I'm pregnant. It's a girl. She's my first, and she's due in March." Come on, that's cute!
We had already put up Sweetie's collection of nutcrackers (no trying to pin them on me, babe), but I got lights to put around them.
Here are the others, above our TV.
I found this cool thingie at Ikea (for $7) to display Sweetie's dad's handmade Christmas cards.
Also at Ikea, I bought two pillowcases and a sheet to make the couch more holiday-y. The cat is not from Ikea.
And just for shits and giggles, here's my new t-shirt from Mom. Thanks Mom! Just in case you can't see, it says "Yes, I'm pregnant. It's a girl. She's my first, and she's due in March." Come on, that's cute!
Friday, December 07, 2007
My Sweetie rules
Okay, I know I've said plenty that my husband rocks, but one of the things I like so much about him is how he attempts to make my life easy by facilitating my little routines.
So lately, in order to sleep comfortably, I've needed to build a sort of pillow fortress so that whether I'm on my right or left, I can prop up both my belly and my top leg.
Last night, I came in and Sweetie had pre-made my pillow fortress. Isn't that sweet?
So lately, in order to sleep comfortably, I've needed to build a sort of pillow fortress so that whether I'm on my right or left, I can prop up both my belly and my top leg.
Last night, I came in and Sweetie had pre-made my pillow fortress. Isn't that sweet?
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Three belly items.
First, my belly button is slowly turning inside out. I guess I'd expected it, but I have an unusually deep belly button, and it has a mole in it that I had removed once. But they could only get so deep, so part of the mole, which I haven't had to look at in ages, is now quite visibly on the surface. It's weird.
Second, I notice that everyone who touches the belly touches it very gently, like it's super-fragile. I have to push Sweetie's hands onto it if I want him to feel the kicks. Now, I'm not fragile, and the baby's not fragile, and my skin/muscle/uterus isn't fragile, so what's up? I had noticed it, but it became even more evident via contrast yesterday. My doctor downright manhandled it to feel where the baby was. If my doctor can manhandle it, so can I!
And third, so can you! I may feel differently my March, but right now, I don't mind if you touch my belly. So many women REALLY mind, and I'm not speaking for them, but for me? Have at it. I understand. I always want to touch pregnant ladies' bellies. There's a frickin' miracle a-brewin', and I totally get wanting to be in on it. I can clearly remember getting to touch my aunts' bellies when they were pregnant when I was a kid. It was one of the coolest things ever. So touch away, talk to her, whatever you like (within reason).
Second, I notice that everyone who touches the belly touches it very gently, like it's super-fragile. I have to push Sweetie's hands onto it if I want him to feel the kicks. Now, I'm not fragile, and the baby's not fragile, and my skin/muscle/uterus isn't fragile, so what's up? I had noticed it, but it became even more evident via contrast yesterday. My doctor downright manhandled it to feel where the baby was. If my doctor can manhandle it, so can I!
And third, so can you! I may feel differently my March, but right now, I don't mind if you touch my belly. So many women REALLY mind, and I'm not speaking for them, but for me? Have at it. I understand. I always want to touch pregnant ladies' bellies. There's a frickin' miracle a-brewin', and I totally get wanting to be in on it. I can clearly remember getting to touch my aunts' bellies when they were pregnant when I was a kid. It was one of the coolest things ever. So touch away, talk to her, whatever you like (within reason).
Monday, December 03, 2007
Fartin' up the coffee shop
Well, that's a little exaggeration. But Tupelo was crowded, so I was sort of smooshed into a corner and trapped by someone's laptop cord. As I got up to go to the bathroom, I tooted! Audibly! I hope that the people nearby gave me pregnant-chick privilege.
I would just like to say that as a vegetarian, I am a little tootier than the rest of the world. And there may be a genetic factor -- no offense Mom or Dad, but I have to say I came by it honestly. Finally, I think the pregnancy isn't helping much. I've been doing hundreds of Kegels a day, but they're not butt-Kegels. I can't hold 'em all in!
Well, at least mine was a passing stink, unlike the girl next to me who was doused in a cologne that made my eyes water.
I would just like to say that as a vegetarian, I am a little tootier than the rest of the world. And there may be a genetic factor -- no offense Mom or Dad, but I have to say I came by it honestly. Finally, I think the pregnancy isn't helping much. I've been doing hundreds of Kegels a day, but they're not butt-Kegels. I can't hold 'em all in!
Well, at least mine was a passing stink, unlike the girl next to me who was doused in a cologne that made my eyes water.
Sunday, December 02, 2007
Song lyrics that give me the heebie jeebies.
"Rubbin' sticks and stones together makes the sparks ingite
and the thought of rubbin' you is getting so exciting."
This is from the Starland Vocal Band's "Afternoon Delight." There is just altogether too much rubbing going on. "Rubbin' you"? Ew. Another winner from the same song is "But you've got some bait a waitin' and I think I might try nibbling." This is just not romantic. It's also not sexy. I don't know what it is. Probably creepy.
Also on the creepy front is Fleetwood Mac's "Second Hand News," in which the line "Won't you lay me down in the tall grass and let me do my stuff" appears. What stuff is that, exactly? Do my stuff? Dude, if someone wanted to make love to me (and I suspect that's what this song is about) and proposed it as "doing my stuff" I'd be so grossed out I don't thing we could EVER do said "stuff." Even if it was David Bowie. Even if it was David Bowie twenty years ago.
In the Paula Cole song "I don't want to wait," she somehow manages to make my ears bleed via poor language use TWICE. First, she says "So open up your morning light and say a little prayer for I." It's called the objective case, moron, and only Bob Marley gets away with abusing it. But later, even worse in some ways, is this: "wearing shrapnels in his skin." Now, when I look up the lyrics, it always says "shrapnel," which would be correct. But she clearly sings "shrapnels," which is equivalent to something like "gravels" as shrapnel already indicates several individual pieces. This came out just over 11 years ago, and I still have a little portion of my brain dedicated to hating it.
But it's not as old or as ubiquitous as Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die." The lyric is "But if this ever changin' world in which we live in..." Listen, I'm not the kind of grammar nazi who's going to quibble with ending a sentence in a preposition. "This ever-changin' world we live in" would have been fine." So would "world in which we live." I've even heard people say it's REALLY "world in which we're living," which would be fine! But it's not -- it's preposition abuse. I have actually perfected a technique for shutting off the radio and turning it right back on so I don't have to hear it. It now sounds (in my car) like this: "But if this ever-changing world in which we live (off-silence-on) makes you give in and cry..."
The song is "Lightning Crashes" by Live. The lyric is "Lightning crashes, a new mother cries. Her placenta falls to the floor." Ew, what? Why? Don't sing about placentas.
That's all for now. I'd be delighted if you commented with your own irritating lyrics.
and the thought of rubbin' you is getting so exciting."
This is from the Starland Vocal Band's "Afternoon Delight." There is just altogether too much rubbing going on. "Rubbin' you"? Ew. Another winner from the same song is "But you've got some bait a waitin' and I think I might try nibbling." This is just not romantic. It's also not sexy. I don't know what it is. Probably creepy.
Also on the creepy front is Fleetwood Mac's "Second Hand News," in which the line "Won't you lay me down in the tall grass and let me do my stuff" appears. What stuff is that, exactly? Do my stuff? Dude, if someone wanted to make love to me (and I suspect that's what this song is about) and proposed it as "doing my stuff" I'd be so grossed out I don't thing we could EVER do said "stuff." Even if it was David Bowie. Even if it was David Bowie twenty years ago.
In the Paula Cole song "I don't want to wait," she somehow manages to make my ears bleed via poor language use TWICE. First, she says "So open up your morning light and say a little prayer for I." It's called the objective case, moron, and only Bob Marley gets away with abusing it. But later, even worse in some ways, is this: "wearing shrapnels in his skin." Now, when I look up the lyrics, it always says "shrapnel," which would be correct. But she clearly sings "shrapnels," which is equivalent to something like "gravels" as shrapnel already indicates several individual pieces. This came out just over 11 years ago, and I still have a little portion of my brain dedicated to hating it.
But it's not as old or as ubiquitous as Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die." The lyric is "But if this ever changin' world in which we live in..." Listen, I'm not the kind of grammar nazi who's going to quibble with ending a sentence in a preposition. "This ever-changin' world we live in" would have been fine." So would "world in which we live." I've even heard people say it's REALLY "world in which we're living," which would be fine! But it's not -- it's preposition abuse. I have actually perfected a technique for shutting off the radio and turning it right back on so I don't have to hear it. It now sounds (in my car) like this: "But if this ever-changing world in which we live (off-silence-on) makes you give in and cry..."
The song is "Lightning Crashes" by Live. The lyric is "Lightning crashes, a new mother cries. Her placenta falls to the floor." Ew, what? Why? Don't sing about placentas.
That's all for now. I'd be delighted if you commented with your own irritating lyrics.
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