I read this on the BBC this morning. Apparently, there is a sign in Wales that needed the English translated into Welsh. What the council received was (they thought) the translation. However, what the email really said was "I am not in the office at the moment. Please send any work to be translated." And, given the directional arrow, I guess you need to send the translation request to the residential site at your left.


Now I wish my out of office reply could be as funny. Instead it says something along the lines of "Left to have a baby. Back sometime in the future." Maybe I should have it translated into Welsh...

Labels: misc, news

If you think about it, Prop 8 is like a microcosm of the whole election. To my mind, David Sedaris' recent piece in The New Yorker about undecided voters perfectly explains the two sides:

To put them in perspective, I think of being on an airplane. The flight attendant comes down the aisle with her food cart and, eventually, parks it beside my seat. "Can I interest you in the chicken?" she asks. "Or would you prefer the platter of shit with bits of broken glass in it?"

To be undecided in this election is to pause for a moment and then ask how the chicken is cooked.

I mean, really, what’s to be confused about?

Do you remember that part in Ferris Bueller where Cameron decides he needs to take a stand? It's right after the car goes crashing into the ravine. Anyway, this is kind of like that. At some point, you have to be very still, stop listening to the bullshit and realize that it's time you made yourself heard. This kind of change begins with you.

In that spirit, a friend of mine is staging her own protest against this ballot measure. She says, "I've decided to make myself feel better by standing up to the homophobic fuckheads by holding up my sign." Since all politics is local, I don't know of any better way to amp up the visibility of this issue.

"Let us not concern ourselves with what we have tried and failed, but with what it is still possible to do. Let us spare no energy that the nation and the world may be better for our efforts." - Tip O'Neill

So tomorrow, if you have the time, please join up with my friend at West Hollywood Park at 3:00. Bring a sign if you have it and your desire to take a stand. Tell her I sent you.

Labels: misc, politics

I mentioned a while back that there were some things that you never read about when it comes to motherhood. Belly buttons being one of them and now the awesome sex appeal of a new mom. Seriously. I don't know how Nat can keep her hands off of me. It's after 2:00 and I've yet to shower. Not only have I not showered, but I'm sitting here writing this post in my breast milk encrusted bathrobe. Oh, but wait! It gets even better! Thanks to the joys of engorgement and an overly active letdown, I'm sitting with a towel tucked under my boobs, because the milk WON'T STOP FLOWING. Notice I said 'towel' and not 'bucket.' We're only talking drips, but still - who tells you this stuff ahead of time??

My sister has a friend who doesn't have kids. She and her husband want them... eventually. Every time my sister talks about her births or the trials of motherhood, the friend proclaims that my sister just set her back another year in wanting to experience the same pleasures.

Now, my intent is not to turn people off from parenthood, but rather to provide the information necessary to make an informed decision. I consider it my public service announcement(s). Think about it. If more people really knew what they were getting themselves into, do you think there'd be as many teen pregnancies? Screw abstinence education. I think showing kids a picture of me in my (current) full glory would do the trick.

Labels: misc

So you say you want pictures, huh? Well, I'm here to tease please. One for now. More to come later.

Labels: Bean

Ok, I know he's brand new, so pretty much every day is a day of firsts. Just hush it. Nobody's making you read this.

Anyway, today Bean had his first bath. It was a successful endeavor and now he looks even cuter than ever. He also had his first visit to the pediatrician. After four days, he's only down 5 ounces. Way to go, Chunka Munka! The last first of the day involved Bean, his Mommy and an overly full diaper. Suffice it to say, Nat is going to be washing those jeans she was wearing...

(p.s. This is a super-short post to make up for yesterday's tome - I figured I'd balance it for you. You're welcome.)

Labels: Bean

I promised the details, and here they are (as well as my sleep-deprived brain can remember them). Some parts may be TMI. Also, this is gonna be a loooong post. Consider yourselves warned.

IT BEGINS
On Tuesday night around 11:30, I started having contractions. Since I'd had contractions like this before, and had them peter out into nothing, we decided to walk them into something more productive. After two hours of walking up and down the block, we thought it'd be best to go home, get some sleep and see what would develop. By 3:00 I was awake. The contractions were becoming more regular. (About time!) The barometer for calling our midwife, Diane, was 4-1-1: contractions four minutes apart, lasting for a minute each and continuing for an hour. By 4:00 am, we made the call.

Diane lives in Pasadena and I think it's some kind of impressive that she was wakened from a sound sleep, figured out that this was the real deal, explained where she was going, etc. to her husband, got dressed, got her gear together, and still made it here in less time than it takes to get a pizza delivered. She's effing amazing.

After setting up (don't ever make the mistake of thinking midwives don't have their bases covered - Diane had about 6 duffel bags of gear and medical equipment), she left us to continue laboring. The plan was to have Diane's backup midwife come check us around lunchtime.

By the time lunch rolled around, I was in full swing. It seemed a lot of progress had been made. Notice I said seemed. Remember that for later. Not only was I in active labor, but it looked like I was on my way to the next stage of labor. This was heralded by a quick run to the bathroom to barf. Yum. (Side note - I never puke, so this was especially fun.) Diane had returned by this time, so she did an exam and then the fun really began.

Remember that part where I said "seemed?" Yeah. About that.

CHANGE OF PLANS
So, I was in the next-to-last stage of labor, my contractions were enough to make me want to die, I'd been in labor for about 15 hours at this point, but I was only 4-5cm dilated. Mother puss bucket. Diane did a non-stress test on the baby and it looked like things were not going well for him either. Though she didn't say it at the time, she suspected that the cord was either around Bean's neck or being pinched. Coupled with the fact that I was thoroughly exhausted, she suggested we change plans.

We talked about our options and it boiled down to this: continue at home for the next hour or two and see where we stood, or go to the hospital. If we went the first route, it didn't look like anything would really change in those next few hours, save for the fact that I'd have approximately 40 more 'holy fuck' contractions. Diane was also fairly certain I had at least 12 more hours of labor to go. The second route offered the prospect of pitocin to move things along and - this part's important - an epidural. Nat flipped at the word hospital, picturing a slippery slope of epidural and pitocin leading to a C-section... or worse. Diane explained that both would be given in very low doses, that this was the kind of labor where intervention is a good thing, and that I'd still be able to feel everything I wanted to by the time Bean was born.

I should point out some things here. A) I have a pretty high pain threshold, B) I was prepared that labor was going to hurt, but C) my contractions were unbearable - really, really unbearable, and D) things didn't really look like they were going to change. So guess which route we took?

THE ACTUAL DELIVERY
By 4:30 or so, we were at Cedars Sinai. Diane had already spoken with our OB/GYN and the hospital, so they were ready for us. We did some admissions paperwork and - glory of glories - I was given an epidural. Those. Suckers. ROCK. That, along with the pitocin, and we were really off to the races this time. Dilation continued at a decent clip and I was set up to begin pushing around 10:30. (For those of you playing along at home, this means I was just getting ready to push in my 23rd hour of labor.)

Pushing was underway and the doctor and Diane were monitoring my progress. Unfortunately, they weren't happy. By the look on the doctor's face, I could tell he was thinking C-section. This much work would typically have produced a baby by now. Thankfully, that's not how he rolls. Dr. Kline prides himself on a high rate of vaginal births, and he was determined to make this no different (we weren't surprised to find out later that he was trained by midwives).

We changed the bed setup and my pushing position, and tried some more. Success! Bean moved along rapidly and with one final push that was the whole kit and kaboodle, he was delivered into his Mommy's waiting hands. Nat put Bean on my chest and it was a minute or two of rubbing him and warming him up before we looked to even see if Bean was a boy or girl. The remainder of the morning was spent doing all of the regular postnatal stuff and then we came home.

EPILOGUE
It wasn't until a few days later that I heard the whole story from Diane. Those contractions I had weeks earlier actually were the start of labor. However, we had a few things not working in our favor that kept stopping labor. By "not working in our favor" I mean "potentially life-threatening." As it turns out, Bean was doing a good job of being head down and ready to go. Unfortunately, he did have the cord around his neck and his head was tipped to the side. Neither of which facilitate an easy entry into this world. In fact, the majority of such instances end up with a stillborn child, since that positioning makes it impossible for birth to happen spontaneously. As Diane put it, home birth is not the holy grail; you have to know when to call it.

In our case, we were extraordinarily lucky. Lucky to have chosen the most amazing midwife who would cop onto the issue and push for a hospital birth. Lucky enough to have a great hospital with wonderful staff so near and on the ball. Lucky enough to have a doctor who wouldn't give up and just go with an all-too-standard C-section. But most of all, lucky enough to be able to welcome this glorious little baby into our lives.

Labels: Bean

I just wanted to do a very abbreviated post to let you all know that our Bean finally arrived in the wee hours of yesterday. To be specific, he was born 10/23/08 at 2:38 am and weighed in at 9 pounds, 1 ounce. Squeezing out a nine pounder has left me a little tender if you catch me, so please be patient while we all settle in and I return to normal. Details to come...

Labels: anticipating, Bean

I had to call the OB to schedule an appointment for a biophysical profile. Basically, they just want to make sure there's still enough water in the pool for Bean. I've been to the office a few times and they're nice, but certainly not overly-effusive. My call to schedule the appointment was all the funnier as a result.

RECEPTIONIST
Doctor's office.

ME
Hi, I need to schedule a biophysical profile.

RECEPTIONIST
Have you been in before?

ME
Yes.

RECEPTIONIST
Name?

ME
Seeta. S-E-E-T-A

(keyboard clicking in background)

RECEPTIONIST
STILL??!?!?! Ohhh, honey!! How are you??


So even the receptionist is feeling me at this point. I don't know whether to be bolstered by the what? camaraderie? or depressed that near perfect strangers are pitying me.

Labels: anticipating, Bean

We were at the farmers market yesterday and the No on 8 folks were there to register voters and get the word out. We were both surprised to hear that No on 8 is losing to the proponents. A little digging today and I've found that No on 8 is $10 million behind the Yes people.

Let me repeat that.

TEN MILLION DOLLARS BEHIND

The Yes people have so much money because the Mormon Church is bankrolling a large percentage, as are out of state interests. Why these people give a rat's ass about something that doesn't change their lives one iota is completely beyond me.

Time is running out and the election is only a few short weeks away. If you feel that equality is worth fighting for (notice I didn't say "marriage" - this has nothing to do with marriage and everything to do with equal rights under law), then please donate to Equality California. Every little bit counts. Your $5 or $50 could be just the bit that helps us.

If you're still on the fence, or feel that a California measure doesn't affect you (maybe you're out of state), then think again. What if anti-miscegenation laws were still on the books? How about Jim Crow? Think those were any different? Think those only applied to people outside of your sphere? See if you can spot the similarities:

In Germany, they came first for the Communists,
And I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist;

And then they came for the trade unionists,
And I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist;

And then they came for the Jews,
And I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew;

And then... they came for me...
And by that time there was no one left to speak up.

They're coming. Donate now.

Labels: politics

A few days ago, my almost 86-year-old grandfather was musing about the state of the economy and politics. "You know," he said "I've voted Republican in every election since Wendell Wilkie. Since then, every time our economy has been in trouble, it's been under a Republican president." And with that he's changing his party and is voting for Obama.

If, after 48 years of being a staunch Republican - and 86 years of being quite stubborn to boot - he can change, then so can anyone. Just read the story of Sister Cecilia Gaudette for further proof. The good sister hasn't voted since 1952, is 106-years-old, and she's voting Obama, too.

It gives me hope.

Labels: misc, politics

We took a break from email and phone yesterday. It's getting old to say "nope, nothing yet" every cotton-pickin' day. Once again, nothing to report. I'm torn between trying everything shy of pitocin (so far we've given acupuncture, foot rubs, blue cohosh, black cohosh, nipple stimulation, sex, membrane sweeping, walks, stairs and red wine a try - all to no avail) and just letting it be. As it stands, we have a firm eviction date of 10/24 before it's off to Cedars Sinai for us. I can't imagine Bean wouldn't make its grand entrance before Friday, but, then again, I never thought I'd be more than two weeks overdue, either.

Early on in the pregnancy our midwife told us she was taught to never say anything other than "You look fantastic!" to a pregnant woman. Sound advice. I'm now going to add to that. If a woman is 40+ weeks pregnant, then trust me nobody is more anxious than her to be done with the pregnancy. In such cases, you can say things like "I'm sorry - that must be making you insane," or perhaps fall back on "You look fantastic!" Questions like "Still no baby?" or "When are you going to induce?" will only serve to irritate and drive her deeper into a funk.

Since I know you all are kind and wouldn't try to make me even more depressed, let me beat you to the punch. Yes, it's making me insane and Nat says I look fantastic (dirty liar that she is). Thanks for asking.

Labels: anticipating, Bean

Sorry to disappoint... Still pregnant. We went to get an ultrasound this morning. Everything looks just fine and the doctor wasn't all "ohmygod - we need to induce!" which was nice. So the game plan is this: take it easy this weekend, relax and go to my happy place. If nothing happens, then on Monday our midwife will break my water and I'll even try (shuddder) castor oil. Since castor oil basically amounts to me shitting this child into the world, let's all cross our fingers that something happens of its own accord this weekend, m-kay?

Labels: anticipating

Whilst still in utero, Bean is proving to be part of the family. My family has been extraordinarily bull-headed for at least five generations. Seeing as it's now 11 days past my due date, Bean is showing himself/herself to be one of us. This is after at least 3 days at 80% effacement, a +1 station, 2-3 cm dilated, after membrane stripping, after acupuncture (which supposedly has success rates so high they're lucky to even get to the hospital in time after a treatment)... Notice a pattern here? Bean's so stubborn that Slime Warner won the race - who'd a thunk it?? (As of this morning, email's back, so I guess I should be thankful on at least one front!)

Looks like a few loooooong walks and maybe even this stupid salad are up for today.

Labels: anticipating, Bean

Guess what happens on November 4th? Well, in my world (where I'm Empress and things run very well, thankyouverymuch) we will not only have a new Democratic president, but the state of California will also soundly defeat Prop 8. I was reading a blog this morning that summed up the reasons for defeating it quite eloquently and succinctly:

This is not what America is all about. In the land of the free and the home of the brave, what is more free than letting people marry who they love and what is more brave than accepting someone despite his or her differences? Who I marry doesn't diminish who you marry in any way, shape or form.

(from Dorothy Surrenders)

This election season (like the one 4 years ago) has me a little worried. I mean, if America is content with this complete apathy and hatred, why do I persist in living here? (Aside from the whole "because you don't speak French, stupid" part.) I was reading the Huffington Post last night and saw an article written by Alan Cumming. Alan is why I'm staying. If people like us don't stay, then the rednecked idjits win. Not only that, he's fighting to come in to this country and be part of the solution. Here are a few parts I liked:

Now I understand that election stump speeches are partly about trying to make people feel better/confident/happy/deluded but I am really shocked that a political party in a country that so trumpets its democracy and freedom is offering its voters such a shoddy product, and WORSE, they are still buying it!! (I thank you, my fellow Americans!)

So why? Is loyalty the value that Republicans vaunt above all others? Above common sense? Are the right of America all colluding in a giant version of the Emperor's New Clothes?

and

I actually have so much sympathy right now for the hundreds of Republicans out there somewhere - well intentioned, well-informed, prepared, lucid for goodness' sake - who must be utterly furious that they were overlooked for the VP post. Imagine being a doctor and thinking you're about to be made a partner in the practice and then the receptionist who's a big fan of Grey's Anatomy gets it over you and we're beginning to understand how those poor people must be feeling.

(from Why Is America So Content With Mediocrity?)

So for now, I wait. I spread the word, I challenge viewpoints, I blog, and I vote. Do you?

Labels: misc, news

The stripping this morning was okay. As it turns out, I was pretty much ready to go on my own. We did it anyway to see if things would speed along. Here it is, 9 hours later, and there's nothing to report. Granted, our midwife said to expect something in 24-48 hours, but I'm an impatient bitch.

Like you didn't know.

Pregnancy-wise, I'm in a decent space. However, because it seems the pissed off quotient hadn't been met for the day, our email decided to quit working. Several calls to various support people has resulted in a promised solution in 24-48 hours. Gee, THANKS, Slime Warner! Luckily, web connectivity is still around, so keep checking here. If you sent an email in the last day and haven't heard back, you know why. We're not ignoring you. We're ignoring everybody. :)

Which do you think will win? Will we have a baby or working email first? The race is on!

Labels: anticipating, Bean, misc

Who me? Oh, I'm fine... still pregnant. And you?

Our midwife's sick today, so no stripping until tomorrow. I was talking with my mom about the process and she likened it to "scraping off that white bit of goo on a chicken breast." Not the most appealing thought, but (as I pointed out) you're not eating this anyway. Ick. What is appealing is the thought that, if the process works, Bean could be here 24 hours later. Wouldn't that be a loverly change of pace?

So, while I sit here with my thumb up my butt counting down the hours until then, it seems Ringo Starr is doing enough stuff to make up for my inertia. In fact, he's doing so much stuff that he just can't be bothered by fans any longer. Any fan mail postmarked after October 20 will be unceremoniously trashed, and Ringo will no longer be signing any autographs. Click here to hear the message straight from the horse's ass mouth. Because he's busy, busy, busy! Doing stuff! Can't be bothered!

Peace and love, peace and love... Whatever.

Labels: anticipating, Bean, misc

It's time. Jumping jacks, long walks, spicy foods - anything. Tomorrow I have an appointment with our midwife to strip my membranes (an event which has me humming "Strip" ad nauseum). If that doesn't get things going, then it's off to the OB for a biophysical profile. Basically, he'll do an ultrasound and determine if an induction needs to be scheduled. This has two downsides. One, insurance only covers about a buck eighty (thanks for nothing!) and two, I don't want to be induced.

Cross your fingers that Bean takes our advice and comes out on its terms, not the doctor's.

Labels: anticipating, Bean

I've been reading some lesbian mommy blogs. On several they refer to the non-birth mom as the "other mother." This really bugs me. It diminishes the part that woman plays in the pregnancy, birth and rearing of that child. And what of couples like us? We are planning to each carry a child using the same donor. In doing so, we'll both be birth mothers, both "other mothers" and the kids will be biologically related.

Which got me thinking about how related relatives are. Since I'm (still!) carrying this child, is it somehow more related to my side of the family than my sweetie's? My answer would be a resounding hell no. When Nat gives birth to our second child, will that kid be tied any less closely to me or my side? Again, hell no.

Take this comparison. My aunt and uncle have two adopted sons and one biological daughter. I doubt anyone in our family gives a second thought to how they're related. I have three cousins, not one complete cousin and two "other" cousins. I mean, how effing ridiculous does that even sound?? To put it another way: If my sweetie was a man, but we ended up using a donor, would the baby be any less his? Would my mother-in-law have any less claim to that child? No and no. Shouldn't the same hold true for us? California recognizes Nat as the parent from the moment of conception, and why wouldn't they? She is a parent, not an "other" parent.

At the end of the day, our Bean has two mommies. Neither of us is more a mom than the other, and neither side of the family is more related to that kid than the other. My sister is just as related to Bean as Nat's brother. Today's mish-mosh, blended families have proven that "relative" has nothing to do with blood ties. Even the microcosm of my family has taught me that, and I think that we're a far more interesting brood as a result.

Labels: Bean, misc

You all know about Sarah Palin being investigated for abusing her power as governor, right? If not here's the gist in a nutshell: Palin's sister was fighting for custody with her ex (Mike Wooten), who happened to be a state trooper. I guess since blood's thicker than water, Sarah used her office to put pressure on her former brother-in-law's boss (Walter Monegan) to fire Wooten. But Monegan wasn't playing ball and said the trooper had done nothing wrong. So Palin fired the boss instead.

Take THAT!

Understandably, Monegan is crying foul. Palin is responding, saying his dismissal wasn't for that reason, it was because of a "budgetary dispute." My Aunt Fannie it is.

Anyway, since this is all over the interweb, it's making the McCain camp hurry up and conduct its own investigation - you know, since they're so unbiased an' all. Here's the part you've been waiting for and I know will just be shocked to read:

"The McCain campaign on Thursday issued its own report, written by its staff, stating that the Alaska governor was not guilty of any wrongdoing."

[Sniff, sniff] Smell that? That's the unmistakable aroma of bullshit, right there.

.....

In considerably more uplifting news, Connecticut has just joined Massachusetts and California in legalizing gay marriage. In its ruling, the State Supreme Court said:

"To decide otherwise would require us to apply one set of constitutional principles to gay persons and another to all others. The guarantee of equal protection under the law, and our obligation to uphold that command, forbids us from doing so. In accordance with these state constitutional requirements, same sex couples cannot be denied the freedom to marry."

Welcome to the party, Connecticut. As for the rest of the country, what's taking you so long?

And, if you haven't already decided to do so (and you live in California), then Vote NO on Prop 8. You may or may not agree with gay marriage, but it's not fair to anyone to just take away rights.

.....

Oh, and in case you're wondering, yes I'm still pregnant.

Labels: anticipating, news, politics

There's a debt clock/ticker in New York that was erected in 1989 to display our national debt. At the time, it had more than enough room to display the then-current amount of $2.7 trillion. Problem is, we've maxed out the space. We're now more than 10 trillion dollars in debt. To accommodate the need for more debt, the sign makers are adding two extra digits. Provided that first digit can go from 1-9, then it means the new ticker will be able to display almost a quadrillion dollars of debt - that's fifteen zeros. At some point the numbers become meaningless. I mean, seriously, what's another hundred trillion or so amongst friends? (Or as McCain calls us, "his fellow prisoners." Reminds me of debtors' prisons.)

Now, just to put this in a little perspective - and because you know I have to point this stuff out - Reagan, Bush the Elder and Bush the Stupider have *increased* the debt to GDP ratio by 44.4% since 1981. Clinton managed to chip away 8.8% of that before Dubya undid all his work and then some. (Granted, this is only an estimate, since Bush the Stupider still has a little bit more time to wreak havoc.) With the bailout package and the horrific state of the economy, I wonder just how high all of these numbers will climb?

Labels: misc, news, politics

I know I'm only a few days beyond my due date, but it's really starting to bum me out. Today's my sweetie's birthday. I didn't want her to share it with Bean, nor did I want to still be pregnant. I am so ready for this little bugger to be out. It's making me intensely moody and cranky - exactly the right environment to welcome a baby. I can't think straight, I'm not getting along with myself or others, and I wonder if I'm not going a little insane. Maybe if I'm really lucky this afternoon's midwife appointment will show that I'm 8 centimeters dilated and hours away from pushing. A girl can dream, after all.

Labels: anticipating, Bean

I'm watching the debate right now. Though I haven't kept an official tally, the number of times McCain has said "my friends" already is making me sick. I can't wait to see the transcripts tomorrow to get a count. As my ex would say, "I never wanted to be your fucking friend in the first place!"

(The fact that I'm still pregnant and more than a little moody right now isn't helping matters, either.)

Labels: politics

If you're reading this post, then you probably fall into one of four categories:

• You've likely decided upon your electoral choice and it's probably Obama.


• You've stumbled across this blog, or are one of the few people I know who is undecided, and are looking for help in determining your candidate.


• You're totally lost, and think that I'm somehow a right-wing supporter, so chances are you won't even click the link below to read the author's valid arguments regarding white privilege.
  
  (If this defines you, how the hell did you end up here? That was one messed up Google search, dude!)


• You're sick of all the election shit and are just wondering if I'm still pregnant. I am. But you should read the article anyway.

"This is Your Nation on White Privilege" by Tim Wise


(Thanks, Shannon!)

Labels: misc, politics

Do I post about Sarah Palin (again) and how Tina Fey perfectly captured her once again? ("Can I call you Joe, 'cause I practiced some zingers calling you Joe..." "Wait - we're not doing the talent segment?"), or do I talk about how I'm still pregnant and oh so ready to not be?

If I go the Palin route, I can mention my sweetie's suggestion. She thinks that replacing "maverick" with "asshat" every time the word is uttered would make for much more entertaining television.

If I go the pregnancy route, then all you get is talk of me wondering how the hell I get this baby out of my belly, which would sound like the anti-Austin Powers.

Either way, it kinda sucks to be you, since you got all the way to this point of the post without getting anything worthwhile. Good thing this was brief.

Labels: anticipating, news

Today's the day. D-day. Bean's official due date. However, it seems Bean didn't get that memo. It's almost 2:30 in the afternoon, and I feel no twinges. Not that today is totally ruled out - after all, I could go into labor in the next two seconds.

Onnne Mississippi...

...

Twoooooo Mississippi...

...

Two and a hallllllf Mississippi...

Crapper.

Looks like walking the neighborhood whilst self-pleasuring is what I must do. The things you do for your kids...

Labels: anticipating, Bean

I came across this flow chart of Sarah Plain's performance during Thursday's VP debate. What's hilarious about it (or very, very scary depending on how you look at it), is this is her modus operandi for ALL interviews:



I also have to agree with Chris Matthews' opinion that she presented like she was in a spelling bee.

"M-A-V-E-R-I-C-K. Maverick."

Labels: misc, politics

Groan... I officially still have a couple days before I'm due. Yes, I know that first-time moms often go late, but I'm finished. Does that count for anything? Bean's just getting fat and happy at this point, so is it okay for me to begin eviction proceedings?

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN

To: __Bean___

The purpose of this letter is to ask you to LEAVE the premises now in your possession, situated in _Los Angeles____, California and known as __Mama's belly___. You are being asked to leave for the following reason: __Mama's finished____.

Your compliance with this notice within [___3____] days after its service will prevent any further eviction action against you. (But now's good too.)

YOU ARE BEING ASKED TO LEAVE THE PREMISES. IF YOU DO NOT LEAVE, AN EVICTION ACTION MAY BE INITIATED AGAINST YOU. IF YOU ARE IN DOUBT REGARDING YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS AS A TENANT, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SEEK LEGAL ASSISTANCE.

Yours respectfully,

__Mama_____

According to the old wives tales, nipple massage and walking are great ways to get the ball rolling, too. Somehow I think I'd get more than a start to labor if I walked around the neighborhood tweaking my own boobies. Then again, this is L.A...

Labels: anticipating, Bean

My mom just sent this link, which was pretty interesting. You simply click the politician's statement with which you agree most. I entered into it figuring I'd easily be able to spot who's stance was who's. Though the outcome wasn't a surprise (all but one matched Obama), I was a little shocked to see how tricksy those statements can be when pulled as single sound bites. (Feel free to insert your "DUH!" here.)

Try the quiz yourself and see what comes of it: Match-O-Matic II.

(Thanks, Mom!)

Labels: misc, politics

Sorry - didn't mean to psych you out. No, the baby didn't arrive in the wee hours of the morning. Today marks the first birthday of our pup, Finn.



We adopted him from the Pasadena Humane Society and since we didn't have an official birth date for him, we decided that October 1 seemed as good a date as any.

If any of you are looking for a pet, I can't recommend the Humane Society enough. The one in Pasadena is particularly nice - the people and the environment - and there are great animals there waiting for a loving home. Just look at Finn and you know I'm not lying.

Also, if you or anyone you know is in the market for a kitten specifically, we rescued a litter in our backyard last week. One of the bunch stands out as the sweetest, most docile, playful and best suited for a family. He's now at the Humane Society and needs a good home. Pass it on...

Labels: misc