When the Dog Bites, When the Bee Stings...

My Favorite Things Today:

*Now that the Solstice is behind us, I love looking for that extra few minutes of light every day. Its nice.

*Also. Today is my last day of work...for 12 days! That's almost 2 weeks. TWO WEEKS WITHOUT WORKING, PEOPLE! This makes me glow almost more than sex. Or even chocolate. I kid you not.

*Snow. Lots of it. Very holiday-like. Not sure how our roads will be for the holiday traveling tomorrow but I'm enjoying the picturesque views out my window.


Speaking of traveling, I have a lot to do tonight, before we leave tomorrow. We'll only be gone for a couple days, but any of you parents know that when you're traveling with a kid (one in diapers, no less), you always need more stuff than you think you will. So I'll be packing up tonight- putting presents in boxes, diapers in bags, cookies in tins, survival kit in the trunk (you know, just in case)...

It will be nice to see family but the thing I'm looking forward to most of all is the after part- the part where we are hanging out at home, doing our thing, spending time together. I plan on knitting, reading, playing with my kid and generally enjoying myself immensely.


Wishing all of you a very happy holiday, full of YOUR favorite things!!

Give Peace a Chance

Like most of us, I am many things to many different people: Daughter, Wife, Sister, Mother, Friend, Employee...I am a Reader, a Writer, a Knitter, a Cook...And, one of the titles I've identified with a great deal during my life has been Musician.

I began playing the piano as a toddler, played woodwinds in school (clarinet, flute, saxophone), took voice lessons, guitar lessons...I've always loved music. And now, in my busy adult life, while I don't have as much time for playing music as I would like, I still listen to music every day and sing to my son whenever I get the chance. And some nights, when the house is dark and the little boy has finally succumbed to sleep, you can find me playing the works of Beethoven, Tori Amos, and the Righteous Brothers softly on my piano before bed.

Maybe that's the reason this clip had me reaching for the tissue box. In the spirit of the season and all of our wishes for Peace, enjoy:

Ho, Ho, Achoo! ... Excuse me.

I keep meaning to post lovely photos of the cookies I made this weekend, or maybe of the Amish Friendship Bread that came from a starter passed on to me at a party I attended, or possibly even the knitted toy that is finally finished...

But no. The days fly by and I'm pretty proud of myself if I even remember to brush my teeth and pack a lunch. It doesn't help that we're all sick and sleep deprived because a little boy who shall remain NAMELESS is refusing to sleep. Sigh.

On the side of accomplishment, I do have all my holiday gifts wrapped and either under the tree or shipped to their recipients. As I mentioned above, I did some killer holiday baking this weekend and I have 3 parties attended, over with and out of the way. So that feels good.

But like I said, time is at a premium for me, just like it is for you, I'm sure.


Fa la la la la - la la la la!

Favorite Things

Holiday beer.

Good books.

Knitting.

Funny movies.

Holiday beer.

Dark chocolate

This soundtrack

Holiday beer.

Explosion *Edited*

There is some crazy growing happening here at Chez Birdbrain, lemme tell ya. Yesterday I had a baby, today I have a toddler- quickly on his way to becoming a Little Kid tomorrow. I know this is what is supposed to happen, but please don't laugh at me when I say that it is COMPLETELY BLOWING MY FUCKING MIND. Let me give you some details:

Suddenly, in the last week, Little O's vocabulary has done some kind of rabbit like reproduction and completely exploded. He knows all kinds of words now and can put them together to communicate what he wants. I'm going to list the words he knows now just so I can refer back to it a month from now when he turns into James Joyce:

More (also signs)
Please (also signs)
Milk (also signs)
Dad
Mom
Daisy (sounds like "Days-dee")
Bubbles ("bub-oooools")
Moon
Stars ("sharsssss")
Chair
Box
Door
Tree
Truck
Bike
Bye (also waves)
Hi (this is the new ultimate favorite word...I think he just digs the response he gets..."hi!" HI!)
Cookie
Dog
Horse
Cracker
Juice
Blueberries (comes out like "Bee-Bees")
Clock ("chhhhhock" -phlemy and really quite humorous)
Bath
Book
Shoes
Socks ("shocks")
*Edited 24 hrs later to add:
Owie (says this when he falls down or bumps his head on something)
Up
Down
Back (as in: Put that back!)

I think that's it...of course he understands much more, but these are the words he is using regularly. And he can put them together , i.e. "More cookies" or "Milk Please" (both saying and using signs).

And he's taller- I noticed this morning that his feet touch the footrest on his highchair. When did that happen?

He's wearing "big boy shoes"- shoes with a sole as opposed to the little soft infant shoes.

His 18 month onesies are suddenly hard to button. He will be 15 months old on the 24th...

Am I alone in feeling kind of like I'm in a speeding car that I have no control over?

On Marriage

I'm sure by now, you guys know how I feel about GLBT rights and marriage. As in YES PLEASE. But anyway.

This Newsweek Article provides some interesting food for thought...Go read it. I'll wait.

Ok good. I think this section is particularly interesting:

If the bible doesn't give abundant examples of traditional marriage, then what are the gay-marriage opponents really exercised about? Well, homosexuality, of course—specifically sex between men. Sex between women has never, even in biblical times, raised as much ire. In its entry on "Homosexual Practices," the Anchor Bible Dictionary notes that nowhere in the Bible do its authors refer to sex between women, "possibly because it did not result in true physical 'union' (by male entry)."
The Bible does condemn gay male sex in a handful of passages. Twice Leviticus refers to sex between men as "an abomination" (King James version), but these are throwaway lines in a peculiar text given over to codes for living in the ancient Jewish world, a text that devotes verse after verse to treatments for leprosy, cleanliness rituals for menstruating women and the correct way to sacrifice a goat—or a lamb or a turtle dove. Most of us no longer heed Leviticus on haircuts or blood sacrifices; our modern understanding of the world has surpassed its prescriptions. Why would we regard its condemnation of homosexuality with more seriousness than we regard its advice, which is far lengthier, on the best price to pay for a slave?

Indeed...it does seem that people pick and choose what biblical passages apply to them and what doesn't...not only on this issue but also on others. Maybe I have a skewed perspective as someone who has no religious affiliation or inclinations? (I was raised Catholic but left the church as soon as humanly possible- 14yrs old and have never looked back.) I just wonder how someone justifies adhering to passages calling sex between men as an "abomination" but chooses to ignore those about sacrificing goats, having more than one wife, owning slaves, etc....am I missing something here??

Positively Griswaldian

Saturday was our day to get an Xmas tree. It was THE day. The only day between now and Xmas that we both had free for this specific activity. We were excited. Every year, this is the day we look forward to: hiking around in the pristine wilderness, looking for the ONE- the best tree in the forest, green and pine-y, GOOD SMELLING, and specifically put there by the power-that-be for us to KILL and put in our basement.

And so, on Saturday morning, while Otto was napping, the husband went to get a permit ($10! Thus making getting our own tree not only a fabulous family tradition but also the most economical option) at the Forest Service office. Uh oh-Closed. But! A sign informed that the visitor's center up the mountain was open and selling permits from 9am-4pm*... No worries!

After Little O woke up, we had lunch (mmm...Reuben sammiches), got bundled up, loaded the sled, hand saw, rope and thermos of hot chocolate into the back of the car and away we went! 45 min. later, we were up in the Snowy Range looking at flocked pine trees and gorgeous mountain vistas. Beautiful! Breathtaking! Perfect Xmas tree procuring weather!

We pulled into the visitor's center parking lot, nearly breathless with anticipation, our saliva glands in overdrive at the thought of the PERFECT TREE that surely awaited us...and then we saw it:

CLOSED.

The visitor's center closed at 2pm, not 4. We pulled into the parking lot at 2:10. A permit would not be had. Not today.

For a brief moment, we considered just getting a tree anyway. What are the odds of getting caught? Well, considering my luck, pretty good actually. And no tree is worth the kind of fine they lay on Xmas tree poachers. And so, not to completely waste the trip (and the hot chocolate) we got out anyway, went for a short hike and enjoyed some amazing views of frozen wilderness.

Then it was back in the car and back to town. We drove all the way in to the nursery and picked out a tree from the tree lot. In our gators and snow boots. For $30. Sigh. So it took 3.5 hours to get a tree that was, after all, about 8 minutes from our house.

And while the tree is cute, it is perfect...too perfect. But its there, in our basement- strewn with lights and ornaments.

And we got a good story, anyway. But next year, not to point fingers, but I'm buying the tree permit.


*Yeah...he thought the sign said 4pm, but when we went back to look, it really said 2pm...

Prop 8 The Musical

Enjoy:

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

Relatively Painless

Ok, so it wasn't that bad. About what I expected. Relatives, awkward conversation, turkey, stuffing, booze, followed by a little less awkward conversation, oohing and ahhing over babies, pie, board games...could be worse, right? And again, no one in my family is a football fan: Now that's something to be thankful for. :)

And now, somehow, the Holiday Season is officially ON and the stores are telling us to BRING IT when it comes to shopping. We are suddenly inundated with brightly colored circulars stuffed between sections of the newspaper and LOUD TV commercials and JUNK EMAIL OUT THE WAZOO all claiming to have JUST WHAT 'THEY' NEED for the holiday. Well you know what, capitalist swine? I'M NOT HAVING IT. Not one little bit.

Well, maybe a little bit. But a VERY little bit. But really, I'm pretty much done. We are making a concious effort to keep it simple with the storebought stuff (only items purchased have been dvds and books- all online) and I plan on adding some homemade touches (cookies, anyone?) I'm also finishing up a wicked knitting project for Otto...will post pics when finished.

And now I feel like I can just focus on the things I love about the season: How the days get shorter and shorter, the daylight becoming more precious each day. Snow. Cuddling on the couch and watching holiday movies. Getting to focus on loved ones by both buying/making gifts and by planning to and then spending time with them. Receiving holiday cards. Chopping down and decorating a tree - bringing nature into our home to remind us that even in the dead of winter the earth is still alive and waiting to be green again.

Oh, and hot chocolate. With peppermint schapps. Yum.

Can't I just stay home and have a turkey sandwich?

[wistful sigh]

I went and saw the Twilight movie last night. By myself. Which sounds sad, but it wasn't. Really!

In fact...it was sort of awesome. And by sort of awesome, I mean FUCKING FANTASTICALLY RAD. Heh.

The reasons for this are:

1. I got to see a movie of a book that I totally got into and it was, surprise of all surprises, good. I loved it, in fact. Very true to the book, steamy, romantic, entertaining...It made me all nostalgic for teenage love. Remember when it was all encompassing, intense, passionate? When you were apart from that person you felt crazy and when you were with them it was like you were suffocating and they were the only source of oxygen? Sigh. Married, stable, old(er) people love is good too, don't get me wrong, but there's just something about those heady teenage romances that were loads of fun. And this movie brought those memories rushing back which was not entirely unpleasant, you know? I'm already looking forward to the next one.

2. I got to sit where ever I wanted and eat Milk Duds. Enough said.

3. I HAD TIME TO MYSELF. Alone. With my thoughts. I put my feet up on the seat in front of me, switched my phone to vibrate and really enjoyed myself. (Heh, not like that. Get your mind out of the gutter...although it was tempting once Edward Cullen made his appearance...)

I feel refreshed. Totally worth the $8.50.

* * * * * * * * * *

And now, suddenly, it is Thanksgiving. How did that happen? Anyone? I'm taking tomorrow afternoon off to make pies (my contribution to the gluttony) and then we are driving down into Colorado on Thursday to have dinner with the husband's family. It's always a little weird for me, having Thanksgiving there, even though its what we have been doing for the entire time we've been married (8 years and change).

You guys know what I mean: The turkey isn't quite cooked the way my mom used to do it. They have Italian stuffing instead of the southern cornbread dressing that I grew up with. They have sweet potato rolls with raisins in them (gross!)...again, not what I grew up with. I mean, its all totally fine but...you know...different.

And then, of course, there is the forced merriment, the smiling and talking to people which, c'mon, we all know I excel at THAT (uh huh)... That and the pretending to enjoy sitting around staring at each other for hours on end. At least they are not football fans, because truly, that would kill me to be stuck in a house all day listening to those awful commentators talking about the stupidest sport known to man. So it could be worse.

Anyway, I may not post again before the holiday so I'll say it now: Happy Thanksgiving...here's to hoping your travels go well for those of you traveling and for those of you staying put, let's just say I'm a little jealous. Cheers.

7:15 am

As I was drying my hair after a lovely hot shower (which followed a fabulous workout- I love getting up early to work out. Isn't that weird? It just makes me feel good. I know. WEIRDO) I overheard this coming from Otto's room down the hall:

Dad: Hrmm.....do these go together?

O: Nee nee no NO! Hahahaha!

Dad: What about this shirt and these pants?

O: Blah blah BAH no no Mama!...Book?

Dad: Ok. This is what you are wearing.

A few minutes later, Otto comes out in a blue and white striped onesie, camouflage pants, with gray and red shoes.

Mama: That is quite an outfit!

Dad: [glare]

O: Juice mooooooom?

In the cold gray tomb there was a gravestone...

At the moment, Otto's very favorite thing in the whole entire world is Books. With a capital B. Board Books, story Books, dad's Books (boring WWII non-fiction anyone?**) , mama's Books (oh Twilight series how I love thee)...if he sees a book he immediately begins a frantic signing of "more" (his go-to, catch-all sign) and saying "Eh! Eh eh eh!" with a pleading look in his eye.

Really, I swear his thought pattern must be something like: Books books books books BOOBS books books books.

So, for the sake of posterity, I am recording some of his very favorite books to read. Also, the list might give you some ideas if you have an older baby/toddler to shop for!

First, his tastes have a bit of the macabre: Goodnight Goon: A Petrifying Parody by Michael Rex. This is a spooky take on the classic Goodnight Moon...and Otto loves it more than the original. Like, a lot. It has mummies, werewolves, monsters, bats...and of course, a goon. I have to admit...I love it too.

Bears in the Night by Stan and Jan Berenstain. This little story about bears who sneak out of bed to find the source of the "Whoooooo" sound out their window is really simple but suprisingly fun. Again, there is the element of spooky with the bears running around in the dark and eventually climbing up "Spook Hill." Its fun and I think I've read it to him 20 times in the last 2 days.

Peek a Who? by Nina Laden. This one is so simple, yet so enjoyable. Otto loves that he can grab the pages by the hole in the middle.

Global Babies board book. This one, by the Global Fund for Children is a library find but I'll probably renew it for a while. Little O loves looking at the pictures of different babies from around the world. I have to admit that the photos are fun to look at.

Gossie by Olivier Dunrea. Oh. My. Word how Otto loves Gossie. And now, just typing the word I have the lilting script stuck in my head: "This is Gossie/ Gossie is a gosling/ A small yellow gosling who likes to wear bright red boots/ Everyday." It is a really fun book. We have also checked out from the library another of Dunrea's books, Boo Boo. While not as big a hit as Gossie has been (yet) its still lots of fun.

I know there are others that he enjoys right now, but these are the ones we keep coming back to, over and over and over and over and over...

I have to admit though... I'm, kinda proud of my little bookworm.

**Ok, so I know that WWII non-fiction is not really boring...I'm just trying to make myself feel better about reading teen vampire fiction. Heh.

Seriously, I'd rather eat dirt. It would probably taste better.

Ok, so those who know me best may be aware of one small food preference I hold. Or, maybe its a non-preference. Anyway, without putting too fine a point on it: I HATE cilantro.

With a passion.

It is disgusting.

If something has cilantro in it I GET PHYSICALLY ILL.

Turns out, though, I'm not the only one.

It's nice to find a community of like minded human beans, no? Heh.

The Haikus alone are worth clicking the link. My favorite:

Delicious taco
Befouled by green intruder
single tear falls

-zach272

LOL. Have a nice weekend :-)

In Which I am Slowly Regaining my Sanity

This weekend was a toughie. Sunday found me sicker than a dog, trying to clean the house, parent and nurse my aching head and sinuses full of rubber cement. The husband did what he could, but you know folks, when punk rock calls who are we mere mortals to resist its siren song? In all fairness, it was his band that was playing the gig and he really didn't have the option to bow out, but just allow me this tiny bit of bitter resentment. M'kay?

Today, I am finally feeling as though I am leaving the dark, dank woods of the WORST HEAD COLD EVER behind, which is extraordinarily wonderful. I can breathe again! The clarity is intoxicating...I was able to BREATHE THROUGH MY NOSE all night last night which did wonders for both my self esteem and my sad little chapped lips.

*********

In other news, I am nearly done with the second book of the Twilight series and OMG I'm hooked. Great literature they are not, but there's something to be said for super fun, entertaining escapism. And vampires.

Debating whether I want to go see the movie when it comes out next week...because I have such a clear picture in my head and I don't want the film to ruin it. But at the same time, the movie could be really fun. And there would be popcorn. I know...decisions, decisions.

*********

And, just to get it down somewhere so I don't forget, here's the latest on what little O is up to:

-Putting things in the trash ("tash") ...he throws things away and then claps for himself and says Good Job! ("goo-JAH!)

- Asking to nurse by making the sign for "more" and pointing to my boobs. When I ask "Milk?" He nods happily and says Yes ("YAY-es")

- He had his sixth tooth poke through last night and was not pleased about it. The good thing seems to be, though, that once it breaks the skin, he is fine. So he was up at 9:30 pissed beyond belief but then slept fine the rest of the night.

- He loves dogs ("DOG!"- he says this word very clearly) and trucks ("tuck!") and I got him a baby doll last week and he loves to give his baby a bottle. Its pretty much the cutest thing ever.

GIRAFFES!

A little known fact: Giraffes are my favorite animal at the zoo.

Enjoy!

One reason

There are about a bazillion reasons that I am happy about the election results, most of which I am sure you can guess. I could go into some of them...I could write again about how I desperately want the war in Iraq to end, about how women's rights now stand a fighting chance. I could list things like alternative energy, the environment, GLBT rights, education, health care...


But the main reason is much closer to me than that. So close in fact, that I woke up this morning with his milky sweet breath on my cheek, his tousled head next to mine on the pillow.

My son's future looks brighter than ever today and I'm savoring the moment.

Yay! us. Yay! U.S.

No, SERIOUSLY!

1. My state sort of SUCKS.

2. My country? Fucking RULES.

Congratulations all of us!

OMFG YOU GUYS

Its finally here. Election Day. Nov. 4th. Thank the powers that be.

I am a nervous wreck.

I didn't' wear my Obama shirt to work because at the last minute I decided it could be considered inappropriate. See what sort of wholly responsible employee I am?

Of course, when I got here (a bit late after voting! woot!) one of my co-workers was wearing a McCain/Palin shirt. Grrr. So I dug around in my bag and found an Obama button. So there.

Anyway, I'm glad that the whole thing is almost over. For better or for worse. But hopefully for better.

One More Day

Enjoy!

Boo!

For the first time in recent memory, I am really getting into the Halloween thing. So much so that I kind of wish I had taken the time to think up a costume for myself. Little O is rocking the ninja thing. So cute.

We carved a huge, classic jack o' lantern and toasted the seeds. Otto helped by walking around with a big spoon and periodically stooping down to get a little pumpkin on it and then flinging it all over the kitchen. Good times.

And tonight, I am taking the little guy trick or treating (just to a couple co-workers houses- he doesn't really eat candy yet) and then to a Halloween party. And guess what? I'm excited!

I think that in recent years, I'd forgotten the fun, the magic of Halloween. I'd forgotten how, when I was a kid it felt exciting and daring to dress up and then go out into your neighborhood at night- with flashlights and reflective tape on your costume- going door to door not knowing what delightful, delectable treats would make it into your plastic pumpkin. I'd forgotten that feeling of having your coat on -hopefully under- your costume (and possibly also wearing snow boots- it was Montana) and walking around in the darkness convincing yourselves that you can hear bats and ghosts and witches.

I'm excited for Otto to experience these things. Not now, but soon. And next year I'm coming up with a kick ass costume for myself- even if the only place I wear it is to the store to buy candy. Because why the hell not?

Have fun, eat much candy, be safe. Happy Halloween!!

Sick Day Baking

Donut Muffins from my new favorite food blog: Bread & Honey. Yum.

Since I had to be home with the puker anyway, I figured I might as well have some fun. The muffins turned out great and were very quick to make. Oh, and the puker helped. He doesn't look sick, does he? :-)

Now, however, I'm feeling a little baker's/eater's remorse. I think I'll hop on the stationary bike and do some reading. Ciao!

Edited to add: Maybe not...I think I just heard the puker waking up from his nap...curses!

Vomit Watch 2008! (Now! with more puking!)

So, um, yeah. For your Monday Morning Pleasure, a summary of the last few days:

Last Wednesday Night: Baby wakes up covered in vomit. We clean up, get back to sleep only to be awakened by more vomit in about 45 min. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Thursday: Stay home with baby. Seems fine other than periodic puking. I give him water in a sippy cup and breast milk only. We have high hopes.

Friday: Still throwing up in the morning. Puke now covering everything we own.

Saturday: Things looking up! No puking...here have some crackers! Oh. Oops! Puke.

Sunday: Puke free day. Seriously, not one puke. Baby eats crackers, applesauce. It stays down! Praises be!

Today: 8:00 am. Eager to return to the world of non-vomit, baby returns to daycare (with instructions regarding bland, starchy diet, excess of liquids etc etc) and I return to work.

9am. Phone rings. Daycare. You guessed it- PUKE!


Its OK, really. I totally wanted to use up ALL MY SICK TIME on my kid this month. Because, you know, VOMIT RULZ.

To be continued...

Bittersweet

It always surprises me, when we descend from our lofty perch here at 7200 ft. and go south that the seasons are just a bit slower down there. (It makes sense, of course, but its easy to get stuck in your own bubble and forget that not everyone lives at high altitude.) Here, we are nearing the bittersweet end of fall: The aspen leaves, which only recently were a beautiful green, contrasting with their white trunks, and then even more recently, brilliant gold coins that rattled and clinked in the wind, are now mostly gone, swept into gutters and raked into bags. The cottonwoods are nearly bald, the reminders of their summer beauty crunch and crinkle beneath our shoes. The days are chilly and the nights even more so. I've had frost on my windshield every morning in the past week.



So you can imagine our delight at being in Colorado this weekend. It was somehow nourished my soul to see full-fledged Fall again- lawns were still green, trees still had their brilliantly colored leaves. And the temperature! We spent a glorious afternoon at the zoo, enjoying 70+ degree weather.



And now, today, back in my office with a window overlooking the college campus, I can see the dead leaves whipping around the cold-weather clad students as they brave the bracing wind on their way to class.

I love this town, this state...I'm glad we chose this place to create our home and to raise our son.

But sometimes, just sometimes, I wish we could postpone winter a bit.

My email can beat up your email

I'll admit it: I was already a little crabby when I walked into work this morning. My kid was up at 3:30 am and it took an HOUR to get him back down. Not really sure what was going on there...maybe a new tooth? Who knows. Babies are weird. Anyway. Where was I? Oh, right- I was crabby.

I grabbed a cup of coffee (usually I'm decaf but today was a half-caff type of morning), settled in and checked my email. Innocuously placed among campus wide announcements and cute doggy pictures (thanks, Ma) was an email from a former co-worker. Someone I thought I got along with. Someone I KNOW I share certain political views with.

At first glance, I assumed it was probably just a greeting (Heyhowareyouitsbeenawhile type of a thing) or a silly forward (FRIENDZRAWESOMEforwardto10friendsorsufferHORRIBLEBADLUCK) but I was wrong: What was lurking inside this email almost caused me to spew half-caff with half n' half (say THAT 5 times fast) all over my keyboard. This email was the most vile, offensive, completely ridiculous drivel I've ever received in a personal email. And while I hesitate to post too much of it here because it is SO INCREDIBLY RIDICULOUS AND OFFENSIVE, I'll give you just a small idea of the content.

It was entitled "Why I vote Democrat" and included such gems as:

I'm voting Democrat because I believe people who can't tell us if it will rain in two or three days, can now tell us the polar ice caps will disappear in ten years if I don't start riding a bicycle, build a windmill or inflate my tires to
proper levels.

And:

I'm voting Democrat because it's alright to kill millions of babies as long as we keep violent, convicted murderers on death row alive.

And this one:

I'm voting Democrat because the government knows how to raise children better than parents do.

It went on and on and on. If printed out, it would be 4 pages. 4 PAGES! I'll have to admit: My first instinct was to fire off some sort of scathing reply. Something to the tune of:

I'm voting Republican because I’d rather completely destroy the landscape, the ozone layer and my own lungs than drive a smaller car or get off my fat ass and ride a bike or recycle a can.

Or:

I’m voting Republican because I in no way understand the issue of Reproductive rights. I've never known anyone with preeclampsia (and don’t even know what that is). I’m “Pro-Life” but do not want any of my money to go to help lower the rate of unwanted pregnancies, help single mothers make ends meet, take care of special needs children,or provide health insurance for the millions of uninsured children in this country.

I didn't of course. And I never would. I just ignored the email, and went about my work while secretly fuming. I know I should just shrug it off. There are a lot of dipshits out there right? But I hate it that this sort of baiting bullshit circulates and that people actually buy it. As strongly held as my beliefs and views are, I would never circulate or forward anything like the stuff that was in this email. And even if you have different opinions than someone else, especially someone you KNOW personally, get a long with, go drinking with...stay respectful, you know?

How do you respond to stuff like this? Especially if it comes from people you are close to? Just ignore it? Rise above?

Get Off My Lawn!

Is it just me or did McSame just come off as a crotchety old curmudgeon last night? He got some zingers in there, sure, but the overall impression was of a doddering old man.

Here's to hoping the polls are right about Obama's lead.

Also, something interesting I heard on NPR (sorry, no time to hunt for a link) is that polls can only include those with landlines...not the many people (like us) who only have cell phones...

Hrm.

Some Observations:

1. Baby boogers are gross but not as gross as adult boogers. I'm just saying. (The same goes for baby poop, as well.)

2. Much to the chagrin of my co-workers and as much as I hate germs, I refuse to use Ly$ol or nasty Clor0x Wipes. They are bad. BAD! Give me baking soda, vinegar, or plain old soap and water please.

3. Apparently, in Wyoming, if you hunt, own wave runners and/or snowmobiles, you are "outdoorsy." If you hike, snowshoe, and/or like camping you are a "hippie."

4. My stupid ass skin is rebelling against me right now and I have no idea why. The only thing I can think of is the change in seasons...I'm eating healthy, working out, drinking lots of H2O...

5. I'll be relieved when tonight's debate is over and done with. I'm not super excited but I feel somehow obligated to watch.

6. Will Ferrel is funny.

In Which I Have Real! Live! Friends!

Excuse me if my hair is just a tad windblown- it was a whirlwind of a weekend. But FUN! Yeah!

Friday night after I was FINALLY free from the office shackles, we went to a birthday party for a new friend. (I've been making an effort to cultivate more friendships...I'm so busy and naturally a little introverted and these things combined can work to sabotage a social life. Anyway. Go me!) Otto stayed up super late (9! PM!) and entertained everyone by making funny faces and pointing to things and asking "Dis? Dis?". It was fun. Beers were drunk and so were the people. (But not me, of course. Hello! Nursing!)

Saturday, I went to Diwali Nite on campus- OMG it was a freakin' riot. I've never been before and the entertainment was great and the food even better. For some reason, I had it in my moronic head that I didn't like Indian food. Because I tried it ONCE at a shitty restaurant in Denver. Yeah. So guess what? I DO like it! (For the most part- there were a couple things that were just too spicy for my pansy-ass palate.) Who would've thunk it? It was also nice to be out with girlfriends sans Bebe- The husband had no problem getting him down for the night so there was a bare minimum of mom-guilt.

Yesterday was a cold, clear fall day and I made up for my absence the night before by taking little O for a long trip to the park complete with picking up wood chips and swinging. The husband made baby back ribs (YUM) and we all watched the new episode of True Blood which, although I still think it is a tad silly and melodramatic, is growing on me.

Sigh. Why can't every day be Weekend???

Friday Fun

This one isn't even related to politics.

At all.

Enjoy!

Penny for your thoughts?

This kind of financial ooky-spooky stuff is really starting to freak me out. I am beginning (somewhat selfishly) to wonder what this "economic crisis, " "regression," "depression" -or whatever it is -is going to mean for us: Will the Husband have a job in a year? Will we EVER be able to afford a house of our own?

I'm not the only one (obviously) who has this on my brain; at Ask Moxie yesterday and then again today, they are discussing the economy, with today's post focusing on "Practical Ways to Tighten Our Belts". (You should check it out- the comments are great!) So that has me thinking.

Here are the things we are currently doing to "tighten our belts":

- Groceries:
We have switched some grocery items from name brand to store brand, and are opting for some things frozen rather than fresh (i.e., blueberries which we eat a TON of) so there's savings and less waste if we don't get around to eating everything. We switched from the jugs of orange juice to the frozen concentrate (cheaper AND better for the environment). We are also being more careful when we plan meals for the week, looking for ways to stretch a meat
purchase, for example. We are also using generic diapers during the day (they DO NOT work for overnight, though.)

- Eating Out:
We have definitely cut back on our eating out lately. We cook at home more and if we do go out we generally limit ourselves to once a week at a 'cheap' place (i.e., take n' bake pizza). I also bring my lunch to work every day and the Husband goes home for lunch.

-Cleaning:
I have switched from grocery store brands of cleaning products and detergents to an online store that offers concentrated, environmentally safe and affordable stuff. This has made a big difference in what I spend (especially on laundry and dish detergent) and our home is safer
and healthier without all the nasty chemicals (i.e., bleach, nitrates, etc.).

-Heat:
We've only just turned on our furnace in the last week, but plan on keeping it at 62 overnight and during the day and 65 when we are home in the evenings.

-Purchases:
We are buying used or borrowing whenever possible. We are works in progress with this, but I am using the library more, and shopping second hand- we got little O's entire fall/winter
wardrobe at the consignment store!


Looking at this, it is interesting that many of the choices we are making to save money are also 'green.' That's motivating in and of itself.

So what else can we do? There are some 'luxuries' that I am loathe to part with: cable TV and Internet, buying music (mp3 downloads), organic milk, little O's book club, our newspaper subscription...

How about you guys? What are you doing now to save money?

Take This Food and Shove it!

Ok, what is WITH the pickiness??? Over the weekend, the only, and I mean ONLY things that Otto would eat were little organic veggie crackers, freeze dried apples and frozen blueberries. That. is. it. Mac n' cheese? No thanks. Quesadilla? Nope. Mixed veggies? Negative. Broccoli, chicken, organic o's cereal, noodles...No, no, no, NO!

Really, I knew this was a part of toddler hood...but I was thinking more like 2 years old as opposed to 12 MONTHS. Gah.

He is still nursing (mostly evenings, overnight, and early morning- we're almost day weaned) which might have something to do with it. Its like he's holding out for the good stuff. And while I wish we could still nurse on demand, (and in a perfect world we would!), I have to pump wean. Enough is enough. Pumping at work is starting to effect my sanity. I still nurse him over the noon hour and as I mentioned, whenever we are home together so I don't feel like I'm being all that withholding.

Another issue might be that he just wants to MOVE. Walk walk walk...he's all over the place now. I've been trying to take the Drs. Sears' advice and feed him finger foods as he is 'on the go' and that works to a certain extent although he still rejects a great deal of what we offer him and asks for blueberries or crackers. (He does this by signing "more" and then pointing to the freezer/cupboard. Smart little shit.)

Ideas??

On a related note, I have a new recipe for Beef and Barley stew in the crock pot for tonight. I hope it turns out. Crock pot recipes can be so crappy sometimes...but the lure of the 'easy' keeps me coming back...

Friday Funny

Enjoy.

(A helpful chart regarding last night's debate.)

Tee hee.

Lame!

So the debate was a bit disappointing, no? I mean there were no obviously stupid comments, no name-calling, no crying. Well, I guess there was a little crying but it wasn't from her. No fun!

All kidding aside, I commend Palin's coaches- nice job. While she did not have many direct answers or specific examples, she did not make an ass of herself. Go get yourself a Jager shot.

Joe Biden, however, kicked ass. He was truly interviewing for a job- answering questions directly and citing specific examples. He did a wonderful job of sticking to the issues and contrasting McCain's views with Obama's. I could actually imagine him taking over the Oval Office, should the need arise.

I especially enjoyed the exchange regarding same-sex marriage. He was on point and when he implied that McCain/Palin shared the same stance as he and Obama, Palin's "oh shit" look was priceless.

A clip: (the best moment happens around 2:35)



Of course, Obama/Biden support "Civil Unions" giving same-sex couples the same constitutionally protected rights afforded married couples.

*************

In other news, the snot is BACK and I'm currently stuck at work wishing like hell for my couch and a cup of tea.

*************

And the Husband just IM'd me and said the bailout passed.

Strange times, indeed.

Lots of Used Tissues and Dirty Cereal Bowls

Well, I've come out on the other side of a nasty, nasty headcold, resulting in a sick day spent on the couch alternately sleeping with my mouth open and watching reruns of Jon and Kate plus 8. This is my life.

**************

In other non-snot related news, I'm so excited to watch the debate tonight I just might pee my pants a little. Just kidding. (Although now that I've had a kid, sneezing does have small risks if my bladder is full. TMI? Pardonez Moi.)

***************

We are totally out of food as neither of us has been grocery shopping all week. We are basically surviving on cereal, frozen blueberries and hamburger buns. I think a meal out this evening may be in order.

Hi!

Wanna make out?

You'll have to forgive me. I'm stuck with the creeping crud and having a difficult time prioritizing between parenting, working, and snot wrangling. Thank goodness for Neti pots, that's all I have to say.

Yeah, I know. I'm bringing sexy back.

In other exciting news, we took a trip to the next town over this weekend and CLEANED UP at the used kid's clothing store. It was bargain shopping at its absolute, tippity- toppity, double fudge ice cream sundae finest: We got a 2 piece Columbia snowsuit, snow boots, shoes, pajamas, the cutest flannel shirts you've EVER seen, corduroy pants and more for under $100, people.

And we got to stop for ice cream. I was not kidding about the sundae.

So it was a great weekend, fun was had by all, and if my freaking face wasn't full of rubber cement at the moment, I'd be happy as a pig in shit.

Friday Funny

Enjoy!

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

One Year

Dear Otto,

Today you are 1 year old. That mere fact completely blows my mind. I know its cliche to say things like "It seems like just yesterday...." and "time flies" but REALLY! It does and it does.


We had a small celebration for your birthday last Saturday- just family and a few friends who happened to be in town. You are still very suspicious of strangers or people you don't see often, but we had a fabulous time. You have received some really neat gifts (mostly books- SCORE!) and I am touched that people are remembering that a year ago today, I went through HELL to get you here. Heh.

I say this every month but you are SO much fun right now. Every day leads to new discoveries and our sides practically ache from how much you make us laugh.

Here's a list of things you can do:

-WALK!! Granted, you only go a few steps (maybe 7 or 8) before plopping down or grabbing on to something but we are impressed. And the distance you can walk increases every day. Won't be long before I'm chasing you in supermarkets and cursing under my breath.

-Say stuff. So far, you can say the following: Dad, shoes, cheese, teeth, this, there he is (sounds more like he-is), yes, and I SWEAR I heard Mama this morning. Oh, and you can meow like a kitty and tweet like a bird.

-Sign. You are great at "milk" and are practicing "all done," "yes," "eat," and "water". I need to be better about signing please and thank you because I think you will pick those up soon. You are also nodding your head "yes" and shaking your head "no." (Um...the "no" thing? HILARIOUS. And sometimes frustrating. )

-Get jokes: You are starting to make your own jokes and laugh at them. Just last night, you were smacking my leg and laughing uproariously. You love it when I crawl around the room, chasing you, and think its incredibly funny when we use the coffee grinder. (Now that I think about it, you're probably just laughing at the fact that its decaf and we still seem so desperate.)

Your 12 month doctor's appointment is on Friday, so I guess we'll find out at that point what all your measurements are. I also plan on asking the Dr. for input on pump weaning and giving you cow or some other milk while at daycare. I'm ready to be done with the pumping already!! But I am incredibly proud that we got through the first year and never ONCE has formula touched your lips. Go us!!


Speaking of food, you are turning into a great little eater. Your number one, super-duper Favorite food is frozen blueberries:

You are also wild about mandarin oranges, banana, chicken, frozen peas, carrots, crackers, rice, pancakes, and I'm pretty sure you were in 7th heaven with the piece of birthday cake you had the other day.


Things you DO NOT like so far include stir-fry that your dad makes, salsa (mild), and broccoli.

Also, cat food is apparently quite delicious. Who knew?


You are still not a great sleeper, a fact that I have just decided to accept. I don't have the time or energy right now to 'sleep train' and I question a lot of those methods anyway. You still wake up 2-3 times a night and sometimes we can get you back down without nursing, but a little milk remains the quickest way to put you back in dreamland. You are still spending half the night in bed with me and as long as you actually sleep, and I can function at work the next day, its really not that bad. We are works in progress, no?

Oh, and your hair gets redder by the minute:



All in all, you are a fantastic little person and I'm so pround to be your Mama. You amaze me every day with your intelligence, perseverance, affection, learning and your overall adorable-ness.

Happy first birthday, my love!

Mama

A Birth Story

**Warning: This is a long one. There is a super abbreviated version here**

One year ago today:

I was immensely pregnant. We are talking whale-like proportions. I was tired, sluggish, and wearing support hose. It was gross. Little Mr. O was almost a week past his due date. I was READY.

But he wasn't. While I waited in vain for labor to start, the midwife convinced me (citing his estimated large size, his lack of movement, and my circulation issues which included painful blood clots) that we should induce. First we tried stripping the membranes, lots of walking. More walking. Stripped membranes again. And then she asked if we could just book a bed at the hospital. In hindsight, I wonder if this was the right decision; I know that he would have eventually shown up. And things may have gone better for me. I had read all the books, frequented all the message boards- I knew that induction meant an increased risk of C-section and other interventions. Logically, I knew this. But at the time, I was SO miserable and the midwife was SO confident (and apparently worried because he really was not moving much at all- we were failing stress tests), I just nodded my head dumbly and allowed her to make the call.

We checked into the hospital on Sunday night. Earlier that day, we'd puttered around the house, gone to the store for some last minute items none of which I can remember right now. We were in a daze. We were nervous, anxious and a little giddy...giggling at stupid shit in that way you do when you are kind of excited but kind of scared at the same time. Once we checked in, I got all settled and the midwife came in and applied prostiglandin (sp?) gel to my cervix to coax it into dilation. We slept.

At about 3 am, I awoke to find that my water had broken. After that, there was no sleeping. Everyone waited to see if maybe labor would start on its own. The Husband and I watched early morning television and made jokes. No contractions.

As the sun came up, I had to beg for breakfast. They didn't want me to eat because of the risk of vomiting but I knew I would need as much strength as I could get for what I was about to do. Finally I convinced the midwife to allow some toast. Jeesh. Ridiculous. It was like I was asking for a freaking steak and lobster dinner.

Then, at around 9 am, they started the pitocin.

All I can say is HOLY MOTHERFUCKER OUCH. The contractions slowly revved up, getting more and more intense. Bob and I walked the halls until they were coming so close together, I couldn't really stand for too long. I used the birthing ball and the rocker and was periodically hooked up to the fetal monitor- more than I would have liked but they were so paranoid hearing the little guy's heartbeat.

At this point, mid-afternoon, I started getting bitchy. Like, really bitchy. I was in a really fragile place, emotionally. The poor Husband, who hadn't left my side all day, felt a little rejected, I think when I didn't seem to want him to touch me at ALL- I could see him thinking that all that massage practice in birth class was for NOTHING. I know now that it really might have helped, but at the time, I was so close to tears, I felt like if he were to even touch me, I might just lose control and start bawling all over the place.

At 3, 12 hours after my water broke, the midwife let me un-plug and get in a warm bath. Immediate relief. Heaven. I think I even dozed for a couple minutes. Bob sat quietly beside me. However, this stalled my labor, so after about 45 minutes, it was back out, and more pitocin.

Long story short...I was finally ready to push around 8:30pm. And push I did. For TWO AND A HALF HOURS. The contractions were coming so close together, it was like I couldn't even breathe and about half way through I asked for help. I was totally losing my shit and at that point, I really didn't think I could do it. The midwife gave me half a dose of Nubaine (sp?) (the only pain med I was to have) and it really, really helped. I was finally able to take two deep breaths in a row and get my shit back together. I mean, it still hurt. ALOT. But it took the edge off just enough to allow me to regain my focus. I remember thinking "Oh, I hope I'm not ashamed of myself for this" but you know what? I'm not. I truly think that this small amount of painkiller saved me from a C-section or forceps/vacuum extraction. Because shortly after that, it was decided that the baby was stuck behind my pubic bone.

The midwife called in the OB/GYN on call because she thought forceps or vacuum might be needed. Something about this served as motivation for me and I made one last desperate attempt, with the midwife, the nurse, the Husband and the on-call OB all cheering me on.

At 11:03 pm, Otto FINALLY made his appearance. They immediately put him on my chest and the world fell away. After a few minutes, they wrapped him up, briefly weighed him, and gave him to the Husband as I was being stitched up (only 3 stitches) which was fine as I felt too weak to hold him just then. (After all- I'd just done the hardest work of MY LIFE on 2 PIECES OF FUCKING TOAST and a butt load of water and Gatorade.)

It is at this point that I really should stop and mention how totally, utterly amazing the Husband was. He left my side only ONCE the entire day, to pee. Other than that, he was there cheering me on, holding my hand and just being an overall badass.

Anyway, after I was all fixed up, the nurse helped as Otto latched on for the first time. Then they left us alone. We oohed and ahhed over his perfect handsfeetarmslegsbackeyesnoselips...we were totally in love. As it was now pushing 2 am, I sent the Husband home to take care of the animals and get some shut-eye in his own bed - the fold out chair thingy in the room was not the epitome of comfort. I had a nurse smuggle me a bagel and cream cheese and some apple juice and I fell asleep with a warm, snuggly baby in my arms.




Some random memories:


For some reason, the TV was on and tuned to the Discovery Channel the entire time I was in labor. I was totally oblivious to it but I remember noticing at one point that it was a marathon of Man vs. Wild.

The hospital food, once they allowed me to eat, was actually not bad at all.

That first hot shower after labor was the best. shower. ever.

My midwife had a broken ankle and while she stayed with me for the entirety of my labor, I could tell that she was uncomfortable...she had her foot propped up a lot of the time. What a trooper.

Fativersary

One year ago today was my due date. I remember being in a very, very bad mood. The fact that Otto wasn't born until a week later should clue you in as to the reason for this. Heh.

Anyway.

I'm taking tomorrow off from work to get my head clear and play with my kid and clean the house so the grandparents can come celebrate with us this weekend. Yay! Birthday Cake for EVERYONE!!!! (And YES- I am excited for cake in spite of the fact that it depresses me that I still have 10 lbs to go until my pre-pregnancy weight. Is that wrong? I mean, I know that I'm still nursing and that my body holding onto some extra is an insurance policy, so to speak, but I can't help it that I have "fat days" more often than not.)

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that it has been a whole freaking YEAR since the little guy showed up. Craziness.

SatanPussy

This past Saturday began great. It was a beautiful, sunny morning. The air was crisp and fresh with an apple cinnamon scented promise of fall. Or that might have been my car freshener. Whatever.

Anyhoo. We went out to breakfast and just as we were walking back in the door, our bellies distended with waffles and pancakes and syrup and grease (mmmm...grease), I remembered- Oi! Daisy has a vet appointment today! For vaccines! Seeing as how the last vet visit for Daisy ended in a black eye and deep scratch for me, it was RED ALERT time for preparedness.

And so, I fished her carrier out of the closet, cleaned it up, found the leather gloves and screwed up my courage. I lured her into the carrier with a treat and off we went. Whee!! Of course, since she does not handle car trips very well, she cried like a human child the entire way, clawing and scratching at the door of the little crate.

Once we got there, she seemed to be relatively calm, as evidenced by the photos below*:


Once the vet came in, I warned her: "My cat is aggressive. Very aggressive. Last time it took 4 of us to give her the shots and I got a black eye." (Maybe it would have made more of an impression had I cheered it: "She's! Aggressive! She's! She's! Aggressive!" Who knows.)

"Oh ho!" She scoffed. "We see aggressive cats in here all the time!"

Then she gave Daisy the first shot.
Hiss. Spit.

{AGGRESSIVE 15 LB. CAT GOING RIGHT FOR PREGNANT VET'S FACE}

"I think we'll have to sedate her." Yeah.

And so they did. They corralled the poor thing into a fish tank and gave her just a bit of gas until she was asleep. Another shot and a physical later, they took the gas away and she woke up. P.I.S.S.E.D. beyond belief.

I lent the veterinary assistant my leather gloves so he could help me get her back in the carrier. Never have I seen the like: this cat was hissing, spitting, and gunning for both our jugulars. Honestly, it was completely frightening. The vet assistant said it was the most excitement he'd seen in 6 months. And that included watching Animal Planet.

I escaped with only a flesh wound (read: two smallish scratches) to my right hand and a monetary wound in the neighborhood of $80.

And the reassurance that it will be at least 2 years before we need to endure an episode like this again.

Damn cat.


*I don't have any photos of the "excitement" as the assistant put it because HELLO I was in mortal danger. Maybe next time I'll hire a camera man. Who knows...maybe we could get our own reality series...Birdie and the CAT FROM HELL

Pucker up, Buttercup

Big Issue

While there is much political rhetoric and mudslinging swirling around about The Issues, who's honest about them, who's not, blah blah blah, please let me clarify one of the the important issues in MY life (and honestly, right now? not so much to do with politics. More to do with me. And my desperate quest to hang onto my sanity):

My Issue Numero Uno: SLEEP.

Or how I am NOT GETTING ANY. Don't know if this is a developmental thing or what but for the love of Pete, why is my kid not sleeping??? He was up 5 times last night. I'm running on fumes. We are slowly working on weaning him from co-sleeping and its a struggle- not his issue really, but mine. I mean, yeah, he's waking up astounding frequency, but when he's up so much in the night, the easiest thing is just to pull him into bed with me and fall back asleep while he nurses. Its easy in the light of day to be all "oh nursing will be the last resort, I'll try to get him to bed in other ways first, only if that doesn't work will I nurse him IN THE CHAIR and then put him back in his own bed."

Right.

Its way way harder to stick to this plan when its 3am, he's been up twice already and I'm thinking to myself OMFG I only have 2.5 more hours to sleep and I've only slept a total of 3 hours so far and I KNOW that if I just bring him into bed and nurse him, he will be out like a light in 20 seconds and I can get back to my dream about Christian Bale.

Upon doing some research, it appears that this very well may be a developmental, 11 month old thing. And by research I mean some phone calls and random googling. I'm being promised that things will get better again. He will eventually sleep through the night. I would even settle for 6 hours in a row right now. Until then, guess I'll just keep drinking my half-caff's and skipping my am workouts. Sigh.

_______________________________________

And of course, gotta throw in just a little teensy weensy political thingamajig: Go here to figure out if Obama's plan would result in tax cuts for you. Be sure to read the disclaimer at the bottom.

Word.

11 Months

Dear Otto,
Once again, I am a bit late posting your monthly letter. ( An idea, as I have mentioned before, shamelessly stolen from other bloggers. Deal.)

This month, one away from the BIG 1 YEAR, you are blossoming in a way that is truly astounding.

First in physical development: You are on the fast track to walking. You are currently practicing standing unassisted...which you do for a moment or so and then begin this drunken hula-hooping movement that inevitably results in you falling on your diapered butt. You crawl with lightening speed but I can tell that you'd really love to be running. Don't worry. All this practice will pay off and you'll be laughing and running away from me in stores in no-time.

You also seem taller and leaner...a result, I'm sure of growing (er...yeah. D'uh.) and moving around so much. You are on the go ALL THE TIME. Even in your sleep...you crawl around and then fall into hilarious poses involving your previously mentioned diapered butt sticking straight up into the air. Cute.

You make all kinds of faces at the moment...many of the funniest are when you are finding circumstances to be decidedly UNFUNNY. I try not to laugh but, sorry, sometimes it can't be helped. Especially when you are pouting and stick out your lip and your tongue. Its ridiculously adorable.

Word-wise, you are an old pro at "Uh-oh" which has evolved from "Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh" to a very distinguishable two syllables. You say "Dad" ALOT, "shoes," "meow" like a kitty cat, and yesterday you said "Cheese" over and over again at the grocery store. You say a heck of a lot more, lecturing us on what I'm sure are very interesting, in-depth opinions on everything under the sun, but we don't understand much. We just nod and smile and hope you keep on talking. Because we love it.

We are currently planning your 1 year birthday. It seems surreal to be even thinking about it but there it is...2 1/2 weeks away. Where has the time gone? In some ways it seems like you just got here and in others like I've been diapering your little ass forever.

Watching you grow the past month has been a blast. You are so much fun right now and I really think its just going to get better.

I love you up to the sky and back again a million bazillion times,

Mama

Monkey Business

I wanted to post this earlier but you know... {insert excuse here}.

Anyway. A bit ago, I entered a contest on the FABULOUS Amelia Sprout's Blog for an adorable hand made sock monkey. And you'll never believe it, but I won! Guess I can no longer mournfully claim "I never win anything." Behold:

Little O loves him too. Evidence below:



Thanks Amelia!!

Feel Good Friday

Chances are, you've seen some version of this before but damn if it isn't touching. Enjoy!

Hockey Moms = Dogs???

Did you watch Palin's speech? Even though it has been WELL established that I am not her target audience yada yada yada, I couldn't help but tune in just out of sheer curiosity. And the "know your enemy" thing.

Anyhoo.

I was impressed with Palin's poise, her polished appearance and demeanor, and her cute hair. I was not impressed by the canned speech, the lack of substance in her words and the level of sarcasm that accompanied jabs at Obama. And since most of these jabs were unfounded they held little weight.

Oh, and I personally do not think that comparing yourself to a dog is very flattering. But whatever. Although, on second thought, I have known some amazing dogs so maybe I take that back.

Ah well. Onwards and upwards. Looking forward to the debates!

Great analysis of Palin's speech here.

So its no big secret that I am not voting for McSame come November. His choice in running mate, however, has given rise to vast amounts of speculation both on and off the internet, some of which I can't help follow. Its incredibly entertaining and wonderfully distracting from things I don't want to be doing like, um I don't know, WORKING.

The best analysis I've read by far can be found over at Huff Post. Of course it has a liberal slant but I think the points made are valid. And not just a little bit humorous.

It's one thing to discuss how unqualified Sarah Palin is. That's a national matter and huge. But on a grassroots political level, her nomination takes away the Republicans' ONLY weapon in the campaign - calling Barack Obama inexperienced. They haven't even been trying to run on the issues, or on the eight-year record of George Bush, which John McCain has supported almost 95% of the time. They've only been running on the faux-issue of Barack Obama's experience of 14 years in federal and state government. Yes, Sarah Palin is merely running for VP, not president, but with a 72 year-old candidate with a history of serious medical issues, this is who they're saying is able to step in as president in a heart-beat. She has so little experience that she makes Sen. Obama look like FDR, Winston Churchill and Julius Caesar combined. So, the Republicans pulled the rug out from under themselves. They have no issues. The economy? Housing? The national debt? Education? The Environment? Iraq? Afghanistan? Nothing. All they have is "Dear Democratic women: please pretend our VP candidate is Hillary Clinton. Just forget that she's pro-life. And against most things Democrats stand for."

Because if the hope for John McCain is to get women to vote for him who otherwise supported Hillary Clinton - if anything could get Hillary Clinton campaigning in full force and fury...this is it. She likely would have campaigned hard, but it's in Hillary Clinton's best interest to be the leading voice for women, and the leading woman candidate for president in the future, so having another woman as the potential Vice President (and potential President) is a significant challenge to that. The Republicans just opened Pandora's Box and brought Hillary Clinton roaring to Barack Obama's side on the Democratic train. And Bill Clinton, too.

(P.S.- there is no mention of the daughterteenpregnancy debacle.- I agree with Obama on this one- people's families, especially kids, are off limits. Although I will say that this just might could be where abstinence only sex ed gets ya. I'm just sayin'.)

Thoughts on Leaders and Traitors. In that order.

1. How much did the speech last night rule? Sure it was a production, carefully choreographed to deliver the optimum amount of political sparkle with a dash of inspiration thrown in. But trim down the 84,000 in the arena, the fireworks, the celebrities and just listen to the words. Historic. Inspiring. Hopeful. Crossing my fingers for us all.


2. Ooooooh the blogosphere is all abuzz about McSame's VP pick. OMG its a woman! How very 21st century!!! Barf. While his choice may be wise from a tactical perspective, it smacks of such blatant hypocrisy that I had a hard time swallowing my morning joe due to nausea.

First off, I agree with BitchPhD. that Joe Biden will need to be very, very careful in debates in order to avoid the sting of sexism. That being said, all he really need do, as BitchPhD. says, is compare Palin to Bush. Jesus-crazy conservative Governor of an oil rich state? Check. Wants to deny women the right to control their own bodies? Check. Etc. Etc.

And let me just say, how any woman can truly buy into the anti-woman republican platform is beyond me. But to each her own, I suppose.

Twit for twat...oh wait.*

So, yeah. I'm on Twitter now! Just for fun really. And because all the cool kids are doing it. You can follow me by clicking the link in the sidebar and let me know if you're on as well. We can be twit buddies.

*I crack myself up.

Still Here

We are keepin' on keepin' on. No matter what tragedies befall us, the world keeps on spinning and we have to spin with it, no? (Now, if I could just not be so DIZZY...)

McHann died on my 31st birthday and let me tell YOU, that put a damper on things. I had a bit of a re-do on Monday, taking the day off and shopping with a girlfriend. But things have been subdued. Just parenting, working, nursing, eating, sleeping...some knitting thrown in for good measure. (I am working on the most DELIGHTFUL little project! Should be done sometime in the next couple weeks at which point I will most certainly share!)

The Husband is doing remarkably well, helping out around the house a bit more than normal which I certainly won't complain about. He's been looking at puppies online and while I think its early for that, I'm glad he wants another dog at some point in the future. Its important to me that O grows up with pets. Dogs have a great deal to teach us about love, patience, nobility, loyalty...and I'd hate for Little O to miss out on those lessons.

Haven't caught much of the DNC this week...I keep meaning to watch some speeches on YouTube but you know how it goes...the day just flies by and before you know it, its 10pm and you still have to wash your pump parts and bag your milk for the next day. From what I've gleaned from various blogs/the newspaper/etc., Michelle Obama's speech is one to see as well as Hillary Clinton's. Maybe this weekend, I'll have a chance to catch up...