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Friday, December 29, 2006
I May Be Sick, But...
The other day, the four year old again came in to observe a diaper change and this time she asked, "What's that big thing under his p----?" I told her the proper name for that particular body part, but she was skeptical. She asked if her big brother also had them. And then she asked if her dad did. I wanted to stop pursuing this line of questioning, so I informed her that all boys did.
"Really? Does our dog have them too?"
"Uh. Um. Well, he used to."
"What happened to them?"
This continued on through an explanation about our not wanting him to make puppies and that the vet did the procedure.
I just hope that next time she's mad at her brother, she doesn't suggest we take him to the vet.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
In Sickness and in Health
Friday, December 22, 2006
Nice Place You've Got There
That Doesn't Make For the Happiest Holiday
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
So Many Things...
We just bought a house...
And there is this thing called Christmas coming up...
It's keeping me busy and I'm not even the one playing general contractor.
We closed on the house on Monday, December 11. On Wednesday, we had the porch roof ripped off and met with a fencing contractor.
On Friday the HVAC guys started redoing all the ductwork. Also on Friday, we had a dumpster dropped off in the backyard at the new house. Also on Friday, my parents arrived with two van loads of stuff, including, but not limited to, a clawfoot tub, a dishwasher, a sofa, and a four poster bed. Also on Friday, we had to go to my husband's office Christmas party, which is a fun family affair with good food and lots of silliness.
On Saturday we (including my parents) all got up, dragged ourselves over to the new house and spent the whole day filling up the dumpster by clearing the piles of scrap wood filled with nails, trash, nasty underwear and other garbage from the backyard and garage. My mother also started in on the attic.
On Sunday, after church my parents and Justin worked on the attic and the backyard some more. Throwing away peed on mattresses left in the attic and much of the "insulation" (aka newspapers) left up there as well. The dumpster was full.
On Monday, I had to take the littlest to the doctor for his two month checkup. Justin took the day off from work and spent the whole day working on cleaning the attic. The first dumpster was hauled off and a new one was brought in its place. I watched kids, trimmed a tree and met with the guys who built the cabinets in the kitchen and whom we hope will finish the job now that it's under new management. Unsurprisingly for Nashville, they are country music singers as well as carpenters. Justin also met with a fellow who does a lot of the lawn care in the neighborhood and signed him up to clear the part of the backyard affectionately (or not) known as "the jungle." The guy told us it would really help with the snakes in the summer. That made me really happy.
On Tuesday, the yard guy started clearing brush and the HVAC guys finished all the ductwork and installed a new upstairs unit.
Today, the electricians began their work removing old ragwire and knob and tube. I baked cookies so we'd have a present for the kids swimming teacher, went shopping for Justin's secretary (I knew I had forgotten someone!) and bought an oven for the new kitchen. The credit card company thought my card had been stolen with all the shopping and made me wait at the appliance store for about 20 minutes while they verified my information over and over again. I was glad they were looking out for me, but it made us late for swimming. And since I had been up baking cookies at 7 this morning, I wasn't about to miss the chance to give them away.
And this evening? We have Bible class and I have to get over to the other house so I can mark all the places I want the electricians to put in lovely new outlets.
The fun never ends around here.
Friday, December 15, 2006
Let It Snow
There are directions all over the web for folding the paper. Once that's done, we go to town, cutting and snipping and making a big mess to be swept up later.
To flatten out the snowflakes after they are all cut out, I iron them on the lowest setting on my iron that steams (I think it is "wool"). After that we either punch a hole in them and hang them some place, or I use a bit of double-stick tape to tape them to the windows. After the holidays, we can throw them away and start fresh the next year.
Here's this year's display:
The Battle of Nashville -- 142 Years Later
The current battle monument is located just down the street and our neighbor one street over from us found a Confederate cannon ball while digging in her garden.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Progress and Hope
Since we had gotten an estimate though, I was a bit shocked to find out just how much more the real costs would run. The worst case scenario was having to replace everything. It seems that that is not going to be necessary. However, we will have to put in new ducts and a new unit upstairs, since that stuff all has mold in it. We have better estimates now and the price, while much worse than we thought, is not as bad as we feared.
Some things are really clicking faster than we could have hoped. Our roofer came over this morning and his men have been busy tearing off the porch roof -- all three layers of which were rotten. We'll be getting a new metal roof next week. Next week the electricians are supposed to begin their work and if the weather is good we might get a fence to hold in the dog and the kidlets the week between Christmas and New Year's.
While this doesn't take care of all the things I would like to have done before we move, it will make a big dent in the list.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Money Pit
Monday, December 11, 2006
Closing Day
Actually, I'm terrified.
Update: Pictures!
Thursday, December 07, 2006
I Wish I'd Taken A Photo
Grammar Time
Way to go! You know not to trust the MS Grammar Check and you know "no" from "know." Now, go forth and spread the good word (or at least, the proper use of apostrophes).
Are You Gooder at Grammar?
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Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Books, Books and More Books
Along with the high brow reading material contained within some of these boxes, I also filled one entire box with our Tintin, Asterix, Calvin and Hobbes, and Bloom County collection. I can't believe we own that many comic books or as many books of any kind as we do, and yet as I pack them and look through all of them, there are very few I sort out to send to Goodwill and even fewer once my husband puts back in all of his books.
Light Reading
The four year old studies theology.
Monday, December 04, 2006
Way Back When
That night, we went to the mall to walk around and time contractions. Later, I decided (way too early) that it was time to go to the hospital. They did keep me, and I labored all night. With the dawn, my desire for natural labor had comletely disappeared and I got an epidural. Which turned out to be a good thing, since until I got it I had not dilated any further from where I'd been when I checked into the hospital.
Then I labored and labored and labored. The day passed. Everything moved s-l-o-w-l-y. Finally, after 25 hours and three hours of pushing, The Boy was born at 10:20 p.m. on December 1. He'd managed to make it as hard for me to get him out as possible, being over nine pounds, facing up instead of down and holding his hand up to his face.
I became a mom. The authorities trusted me to bring home a tiny little human. I had very little idea what life would be like with a demanding, wailing creature around and now seven years and three more children around, I can hardly remember that time before children.
The Boy has grown and changed so much in seven years, that I can barely recognize the face of the baby I once cuddled in the lean, lanky boy. Usually I think I want to keep him and see what the years to come will bring.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
I Knew Them When
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
If Only I Remembered Math
85-100% You must be an autodidact, because American high schools don't get scores that high! Good show, old chap!
Do you deserve your high school diploma?
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Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Homey Days
What I want to know is -- why can't I manage this level of efficiency at least once a week?
Monday, November 27, 2006
Desperate Times
I wouldn't recommend it as a general practice though. The cries of, "Mommy, my diaper is too tight!" get kind of annoying after a while.
I could have gotten a better fit if I'd had some duct tape in my purse.
I already carry a pocket knife and a tape measure, but clearly my Mcgyvering skills would be improved by the addition of duct tape. Do they make purse-sized rolls?
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Uh Oh
Which Wooster and Jeeves Character Are You?
You are AUNT AGATHA!You are traditional, dignified, and in full control of your faculties. You know exactly how things should be done, and you do not suffer fools gladly. I long with all my heart for you to biff off--and after sneaking into the kitchen for a quick restorative, I may quakingly ask you to do so.
Take this quiz!
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Taken from the Llama Boys.
No Termites
And thus, I present to you -- The Purple House:
Friday, November 17, 2006
Martha's Menu
What's on the menu over here? My husband keeps requesting that we trade the turkey for a rib roast, but I like turkey and the bird is staying. As for side dishes, we'll be making cornbread dressing, spinach gratin, possibly sauteed brussel sprouts (I love them and don't care if I'm the only one who will touch them), mashed potatoes, cranberry-pear-ginger sauce, maple-bourbon pumpkin pie and perhaps apple-cranberry cobbler. There may be something else that isn't coming to mind right now, but we'll see. That already sounds like plenty.
What's on your menu?
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Without going into a lot of details, we have a contract on a big old house on the other side of town. It will need a lot of work, including several things that must be done before I will feel comfortable moving in (not even counting the kitchen which, at present is only a bunch of unfinished cabinets without electricity, plumbing or any appliances). It fell in our price range and is a good size for our family while still being close to town and satisfactorily old, and so we'll just have to take on the work and learn to tolerate the problems.
I love my current house and location, so the thought of moving makes me sad. We never really planned to move from this house, but although I think we could have done more to make our current house work better for us, I think ultimately it would always feel cramped and our children are just going to grow larger. The new house is also really beautiful and despite all the drawbacks, I really am excited to think of living there, fixing the place up and seeing my things decorating the place.
Assuming, of course, that the termite inspection doesn't tell us horrible things, we'll be closing in about a month and moving in as soon as we can have some of the necessary things, like rewiring, completed.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Hey! I'm not heretical!
| You scored as Chalcedon compliant. You are Chalcedon compliant. Congratulations, you're not a heretic. You believe that Jesus is truly God and truly man and like us in every respect, apart from sin. Officially approved in 451.
Are you a heretic?
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Tuesday, November 14, 2006
What Kind of Reader Am I?
|What Kind of Reader Are You?
Your Result: Dedicated Reader
You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
|Literate Good Citizen
|Book Snob
|Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
|Fad Reader
|What Kind of Reader Are You?
Create Your Own Quiz
From the Llamas.
One Month
I can't believe it, but it has already been a whole month since the wee one arrived. As his father always likes to say, "Babies eat, sleep and excrete." He likes to do all three with great frequency.
His siblings are fond of him. My main job is keeping them from squishing the baby with too much love. I can't believe that it won't be long before he's participating in the chaos and chasing his brother and sisters around, but that day will come all too soon. I know from experience.
I have to start working on ways to keep my little one little. These months pass too rapidly.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Behold! She Can Speak!
So, behold:
Thursday, November 09, 2006
I signed right up for NoBloShoeMo when Chris sent me an invitation. Fortunately the rules didn't actually insist that one post thirty days of shoes, because I can't seem to get around to getting photos off my camera every day, let alone taking photos of my shoes every day.
But here's a shot of the shoes I wear on a lot of days.
Comfy, if not so very pretty.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Lego Art
The bad news is that the upstairs area where he plays is a disaster area and I constantly curse the creators of Legos (I suppose I should learn to curse in Danish). The good news is that I always know where to find The Boy.
The other good news is that he makes some interesting things.
Lego people:
Lego Minoan Temples:
Lego Penguins:
Lego Icons:
Yes, it is all about Legos here and I haven't even shown you his Lego nativity scene, the Lego houses, Lego Empire State Building or some of the other things he has made lately.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Election Day
In the meantime, I thought I share this little bit of political profiling (not to mention profiling of other sorts) that was left on all the houses in our neighborhood the other day.
You can click on the image to enlarge it.
The small text reads, "So much is riding on your vote. Money for classrooms instead of war. Retirement security for our elderly. Good jobs to keep our young people off the streets and out of trouble."
One Reason I Love Homeschooling
Monday, November 06, 2006
I Speak Californian and Other Languages
|What American accent do you have?
Your Result: The West
Your accent is the lowest common denominator of American speech. Unless you're a SoCal surfer, no one thinks you have an accent. And really, you may not even be from the West at all, you could easily be from Florida or one of those big Southern cities like Dallas or Atlanta.
|The Midland
|North Central
|The Inland North
|The South
|The Northeast
|What American accent do you have?
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Wednesday, November 01, 2006
She never misses anything. She sees all and she says all. She talks almost constantly. Much of what she says is sweet, but also repetative and as I've mentioned before, she has learned many things from her older siblings that they didn't know at the tender age of two. She doesn't seem to understand that at only two she shouldn't think she can do everything a six year old and four year old can do. Not that that stops her. She's in the fray and part of everything that goes on around here.
The Younger Girl sings and loves music. Every afternoon before her nap, she wants to hear "My Bonny Lies Over the Ocean" and "You Are My Sunshine." She wants a repeat of the latter at bedtime. I love it when she sings to me in return and it surprises me how much of the lyrics and tunes she remembers from songs we sing around the house.
Just a little less than two years ago, I was surprised and upset by the appearance of a hemangioma in the middle of her forehead. I had never seen such a thing before and all I wanted was for someone to get that thing off of my little girl. At the same time, I did not want to subject her to cosmetic surgery just for my own vanity. The birthmark is still there, but just as the doctors told us, it is shrinking and fading away. If she ever grows some hair, the birthmark really will be almost invisible under bangs. I'm glad it is disappearing, but I'm certain I also needed the lesson in learning to worry less about appearance and remember just how wonderful and beautiful she has always been even when the red mark was at its largest.
Happy birthday, you adorable little two year old!
Trick or Treat
Although earlier in the day, the forecast had called for evening thunderstorms, the weather turned out to be cool and only slightly overcast. We handed out a candy to the early birds and then turned out the lights and went out on our own candy-seeking adventure.
Yes, as you can see, all of the children were in costume. The Oldest wins most creative costume -- not because of his homemade beard, but because he was not your average pirate, but Mad Dog Morgan, pirate captain in The Voyage of the Arctic Tern, an epic poem that Justin is reading to the kidlets for bedtime. The younger girl was too young to understand trick-or-treating last year, but this year she thought it was the best thing she'd ever heard of. We did have to reign her in a bit as she started walking up to people's houses, sticking out her hand and saying, "Give me candy!"
Halloween always makes me a bit grumbly, but I do like getting out and seeing the neighbors and the children had a blast. Naturally after they were in bed, we proceeded with annual raiding of the candy bags "Mmmm, dark chocolate!" and other candy reduction measures were taken that should result in there being better candy at my husband's office for a month or two.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
This year we did a skull, a traditional face and a kitty cat.
Friday, October 27, 2006
How to Cook, Possum-style
Of course, I like sweet cornbread and one of my favorite biscuit recipes has a teaspoon of sugar in it, but being a gentleman Terry has promised not to smite me, should we get to meet again.
Weekend Entertainment
How about going to the GodMen conference? "At the daylong GodMen event downtown Saturday, men will be able to cuss, smoke cigars, watch videos of football pileups and car crashes, listen to specially composed Christian rock songs such as "Testosterone High" and attend workshops on how to fight pornography addiction."
Is it just me or does going to a conference to help you get back to your manly roots seem just a tad Oprah-fied?
As for my family, husband and all, I'm afraid we'll have to miss the
House Thinking
The book is neither completely fluffy nor a difficult read. It suited my need for light, but interesting, reading quite well. The discussions of various rooms and the psychology behind why we look for certain things in different areas of a house were helpful to me, especially as I am currently trying to reimagine my own house and figure out a way to rework the living spaces we have to fit our family.
When we bought our house we had one child and were expecting our second. While I didn't expect to stop with two children, I never really considered what adding two more children would do to the feel of our cozy, comfortable 1850 square foot, 3 bedroom house. Unsurprisingly, we feel cramped. However, after spending several months looking at houses this summer, knowing that there were certain things we really did not want to give up in a house -- something old, no farther from my husband's job than we are now and not requiring us to take on a mortgage much bigger than our current one, we realized that there really wasn't much of anything out there for us. Everyone else's house has increased in value at about the same rate as ours and even moving to a much less desireable neighborhood and a fixer-upper without amenties like a kitchen would not actually fit all our requirements, because sellers are convinced that they can still garner high prices for houses even if those houses have no kitchen, plumbing that drains into the crawl space, and holes in the roof.
Needless to say, for at least the present, we'll be staying where we are. But we have realized that we need to figure out a way to live better in the space we have. We have two front rooms that do not get used nearly as much as they should and we tend to live in the kitchen and tiny morning room behind it, ignoring most of the living room space taken up by the two front rooms.
Reading House Thinking really has gotten me thinking about how to make changes to our home to make rooms we've been passing through more inviting. Places we want to linger.
Not that any of this will get me another bedroom, but perhaps that will come eventually after we figure out how to use the downstairs better. Afterall, The Baby isn't planning to sleep in his own room for quite some time yet.
Growing Up Is Hard to Do
Via Tightly Wound
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Getting Around
When we all pile out of the car these days, I sense somewhere in the middle of it all that I am the driver of a clown car. People keep coming out long after you expect them to stop.
For the most part, people are very nice to me and my horde (whether a horde of three or four) when we do go out of the house. A lady let me go in front of her in line. A man offered to put my cart in the cart return for me. It may mean I look tired and desperate, but I take the help. Once in a while, I garner looks of sympathy and comments about having my hands full, but usually they are well meaning and often accompanied by a statement that the speaker had 4 or more kids themselves and they remember the strategic planning required to leave home with them all and return with the same number.
I'm glad therefore that I live where I do. Most people in Tennessee, I dare say do not, any longer, have large families with four or more children, but very few seem to think it shocking. Apparently some places this isn't such an acceptable lifestyle choice.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
I Don't Exist
This morning at breakfast? "Mom, your tummy is getting a lot smaller!"
I could only thank her for that positive affirmation.
This in no way means that I am, at this point less than two weeks post-partum, concerning myself with weight loss or tummy-size. I'll wait at least another couple of weeks before I start looking at the fat rolls and crying.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Heigh Ho, It's Back to Work I Go
We've been well taken care of with meals brought by almost daily by people from church. It will very strange when I finally have to start cooking regularly again. We've also been fortunate that Justin's law firm offers him some paternity leave. He was at home this whole past week, which was lovely. If only someone would pay him to stay home full time.
But all this is starting to come to an end. Justin is going back to work, eventually people are going to stop bringing me food, and we're going to start school back up for the kidlets. I'm a bit intimidated by handling everything on my own, but I know I can. I've already been alone with all four for a couple of hours when Justin went to some boring lawyer dinner last week. The real question is when I'll ever be brave enough to leave home with everyone in tow.
Monday, October 16, 2006
It's A Boy!
As the lovely Miss Frazier mentioned in the comments below, we now have evened the family child count and have two boys. Peter Benjamin was born on Saturday and weighed 7 lbs 13 ounces and is 20 inches long. We decided 24 hours was long enough in the hospital and came home last night. All is going pretty well thus far. Anyone wishing to see all the photos can check out my flickr account.
Friday, October 13, 2006
Very happy that I didn't gain any more weight this week.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Nothing Wrong With Her Comprehension
So, as the title says, her comprehension is excellent. I just wish her vocabulary weren't so highly developed.
It's Not a Side View For the Full Effect
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Well, I Still Intend to Teach It
It's hard for me to imagine a world without cursive. In school I used it to take notes, answer essay questions and all those sorts of things. When my husband and I were dating long distance for a couple of years, I wrote more long hand letters than e-mails. It was pleasant to sit down and actually put my thoughts on paper. Now, I can't say I write on paper all that much, but I still make out grocery lists, write thank you notes and other things of that sort. I much prefer my cursive to my printing and it flows a lot faster.
The Boy is actually already asking to learn cursive and he can generally read it quite well. I've been thinking about starting him on it in the spring. It's hard to believe some consider it a dying art.
Ancient Money
Later he told us that the coin (a 1978 Eisenhower silver dollar) was of the type that Laura and Mary Ingalls might have seen. We're still working on history timelines...
He told his little sisters that the tooth fairy turns herself and her belongings into air to enter the house, turns back into a solid, magically exchanges the tooth for the coin and note, and then turning back into air, slips back out of the house. Sounds even more complicated than going up and down a chimney, but what do I know?
My favorite line of the morning though, has to be, "I love my new dollar. Dollar coins like this are very rare in these post-modern times."
While The Littlest Keeps Us In Suspense...
Since many of his peers lost their first tooth ages ago, he's felt very ready for this day to come and when his tooth finally loosened the excitement was keen. And then the tooth held on for over a month.
Yesterday afternoon as we were talking about the changing of the seasons and I was spinning a globe around our heads, I looked over and noticed that that tooth was hanging crookedly. I took a closer look and saw the incoming tooth poked up half-way behind the baby tooth and I knew it was time to take matters to hand. Despite a few objections, I yanked and after only a slight amount of blood, which The Boy took better than expected, the excitement of the moment took over.
Our tooth fairy is a rather retro one. A first lost tooth is going for a dollar around here. I'd meant to make sure the tooth fairy had a special Sacajawea dollar on hand for the occasion, but I'm afraid the tooth fairy forgot. However, after a bit of digging around, the tooth fairy did find an stash of Eisenhower silver dollars given to her by her grandfather on birthdays long, long ago and she slipped one of those in for The Boy along with a special, perfumed (fairies must smell extra good, afterall) note.
Sniffle. My little boy is so proud of being big, gap-toothed and kind of funny looking. How dare he keep trying to grow up?
Monday, October 09, 2006
Getting Ready For Baby
We still haven't picked out names, which seems to bother my friends and family more than it bothers me. I guess I have more faith in our ability to come up with something suitable when the time comes than they do.
Other than the difficulty with names, we did get some of the other little things done to get ready for the kidlet. I bought a baby book, which like those of older siblings will mostly never be filled out. Not wanting to set the standard too high for myself, I've managed to not fill out any baby books after about the first month and I've also managed to only once get a studio portrait taken of a child. We wouldn't want the rest of them to start complaining that I didn't love them as much as baby number one -- so I just striven for an extra low standard for all. Henry Higgins treats a duchess as if she were a flower girl and I try to make sure I make as few differences between my children as possible by doing as little as possible.
We brought the carseat and bassinet down from the attic. I made sure someone will be around to take care of the kids when we go to the hospital. I think we're actually in decent shape for the arrival of a baby. I even vacuumed and cleaned the kitchen floor. I have some food in the freezer for meals after all the ladies from church stop arriving with food. I'm sure there is something I've forgotten, but things seem like they are pretty much as ready as they'll get.
Now we just have to wait around for the big event.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Gift Suggestions and Other Late Pregnancy Rantings
Many of them want to know what we would like to have for the baby. I have a boy and two girls already. All of them have fall birthdays. I save everything. Relatives are left unsatisfied when I say diapers are welcome, but what I'd really like is a spa day or a visit from a house cleaning service. I realize that none of those fit the cute little baby outfit category, but they did ask what I wanted. If this is a boy, I might need clothes -- because I actually haven't saved every outfit The Boy wore seven years ago, but I can't really know that until after the child emerges from the womb -- now can I?
Naturally, they all also want to know the baby's due date. I've been telling them mid-October for nine months now, and again, they are strangely unsatisfied by this response. They all seem to assume that if they ask just one more time, I'll break, give them an actual date and then they can start calling every hour or two on that day to see if anything is happening yet. Obviously that's what I need.
Having left them without the answers they are looking for on the above questions, my relatives move on to the next one. Most of them already wish I'd found out whether the baby is a boy or a girl, but since we haven't -- they want to know what names we've picked out.
In the past, we've always managed to narrow the list down to a few promising first names at least, by this point. Nobody really seems to believe me when I tell them that this time I don't have a list. It is true that I have a front runner in the boy name category, but for girls -- nada. Honest. And as far as middle names go -- nothing. And what if I decide I don't like the boy's name I have in mind. Ooops. No back up plans at this point.
It's true, of course, that I don't much like sharing names before hand anyway. I start hearing from one side or another why name X is horrible. One name I had considered in the past actually inspired a comment from a relative that it was the next "Adolf." Yep, picking names is fraught with tribulations, but since we have none and are having trouble getting started on that subject, I know for sure I don't want to talk about it with even the most well-meaning relative.
At the end of such calls, I always receive a reminder that the relative expects to hear when the baby arrives -- as if we planned not to notify grandparents, great-grandparents and other close relatives.
I expect many, many more such phone calls in the upcoming weeks. I know they care and I know they usually mean well -- but I'd like it better if Merry Maids showed up at the door and I was whisked off to the spa.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
That's Me Boy!
1. What's the wind's favorite month?
2. What's a lumberjack's favorite month?
3. What's a snowball's favorite month?
4. What's a soldier's favorite month?
5. What's a simian's favorite month?
1. A-gust
2. Sep-timberrrrrrr
3. Decem-brrrrrrrrr
4. March
5. Ape-ril
It's Not the Outfit I Would Choose
Slow Day
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Hippy German School, Update
I Need To Lie Down From All The Excitement
After breakfast this morning, I was sitting at the computer when I suddenly felt really faint and like the world was spinning. I lay down and didn't faint, but decided I'd better call the doctor. Apparently, they didn't think it sounded like a good thing, since they told me to go on over to Labor and Delivery for evaluation.
They couldn't really find anything wrong. I'm still dilated about the same as before and having irregular contractions -- I think I had 5 or so in the hour they had me on a monitor -- but nothing to make them want to keep me.
So here I am at home. Hanging out mostly in bed and not doing much. In most ways this has been my easiest pregnancy -- so it seems funny that I've had to run over to the hospital for this one when nothing has ever gone on in any other pregnancy ever before.
Fortunately, all this happened before Justin went to work. He's staying home today so I can rest.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Bad Things Children Say
And then there are the things she says that just come out wrong. Anything that pokes or pinches at her or if a bug (including a butterfly) comes near her, she says, "Bite me." Naturally, she means that something is trying to bite her, but when she proclaims loudly -- and in church, of course -- "Bite me, Mama!" It does tend to garner a snicker or two from those on the surrounding pews.
Friday, September 29, 2006
Who Would Win?
Without missing a beat, he told me, "Superman would win, but they'd never get in a fight. First of all, they are both good guys. Second, they can't fight each other because one is DC and one is Marvel."
Library Notes
We left home at 11 and returned at 1:30. Lunch was not eaten in the interim.
On the way there, I experienced true cacophony. One child hummed "Joyful, Joyful" at full volume. Another, inspired by the loudness, started singing REM's "I am Superman" and the third joined in with Queen's "We Will Rock You." I wondered how long it would take my head to explode.
Things quieted down after we got to the library. We watched the Friday morning marionette show, where the older two sat quietly and the youngest gave me a running narration of everything on stage. "OH PWINCESS! FROGGIE! PWINCESS GO BYE-BYE. BE RIGHT BACK!" Every time the princess marionette left stage, The Toddler Girl speculated rather loudly that maybe she had gone to the potty.
The puppet show lasted about twenty minutes. Afterwards, The Boy suggested to the puppeteers, who know us pretty well fortunately, that they should consider writing a puppet show about Michelangelo. Especially about The Boy's favorite statue -- Moses. One thing is for sure -- no one is going to mistake them for normal children.
We spent over an hour gathering up books. We wound up with so many that I had to break out all four library cards that I had on me. And one can check out up to twenty-five items per card, so that should give you some idea of the number of books I had to tote to the car.
When I was checking out books, I noticed that a movie I had returned after closing on its due date but before the library opened the following day had been placed as a fine on my card. Considering that videos accrue a $2 per day fine, I didn't want to pay the money. I usually have no difficulties when I point this out the people at the desk, but in this case, the lady working called in her supervisor who then treated me as being a highly suspicious character and told me that she really found it hard to believe that it had been turned in on time, because the video hadn't been checked in until afternoon. My suggestion that perhaps they were slow about checking things in from the book drop was treated as crazy talk, but in the end they did remove the fine. I hate being treated like a criminal or liar.
Naturally, towards the end of the library trip, The Toddler Girl fell asleep. Now she thinks she's had her nap for the day. This means I don't get a nap. I hope I don't get too cranky.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Marriage Advice
"Let not the sun go down upon your wrath." Ephesians 4:26
"Affection begets (something that rhymes with T-Rex), and vice versa."
"Pajamas were not made for the married."
"Nothing should come between husband and wife, except the bathroom door." Helpful advice my husband learned from Opus the Penguin.
When we first got married, my new brother-in-law advised, "Shower with a friend."
What other simple advice do you like to give to those young, or not so young, folks taking the plunge into wedded bliss?
This and That
(1) I never seem to get any sleep any more. I'm thinking about doping myself with Benedryl, as suggested by my OB.
(2) The Middle Girl turned four today. I'll try to mention more about that at a later date, but let's just say her grandparents spoil her.
(3) We've had a house guest since Monday. I'm so tired of having people in the house. I guess I must hide that relatively well, because they all keep arriving. I think I'll turn out the lights and hide if anyone else tells me they are coming to stay, because nice as my relatives can be, I now officially do not want to see any of them for a while.
(4) I had my first internal check on Tuesday. I have less than a month to go at this point and am three centimeters dilated and 75% effaced. I was more impressed with those numbers during my first pregnancy. I always seem to go straight to that exact stage and then sit there for several weeks. Naturally, if I have any chance of going into labor early though, it will be on the day next week that my husband has to be out of town and we have a dinner to go to.
So there you are. That's pretty much all the news around here.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Twelve Years, One Day
So how did we meet? Let's hop in the Wayback Machine and find out.
It was the beginning of my senior year of college. I was 19 and had recently returned from a semester in Germany. I was adjusting to being back in Sewanee, having a roommate again, and seeing all my college friends.
One of my friends and I had a tradition of taking late evening walks out to various overlook places around the Mountain to chat about this and that. Sometimes we went out alone, but often tried to bring someone else along with us. One night, a few days after we all returned to school, my friend called me up and asked if I wanted to go for a walk. I was already in my pjs, and wasn't really wanting to go out, but I hadn't seen my friend yet and so I threw on some cut-offs and went off in my pajama top and shorts.
My friend informed me that he had also invited another guy to walk out to the Cross with us. The other guy, he said, was a freshman and hadn't been out to the Cross yet. My friend was trying to rush this freshman and I suppose wanted to tempt him with the girls that would surround any man who joined Lambda Chi. Not that he explained that to me at the time.
So I hung out in my buddy's room, playing Tetris and waiting for this freshman, before we could head out on our walk. He arrived shortly, and I was pleasantly surprised by how cute he was. We had a fun walk, although that freshman did say some silly things about writing poetry and being a libertarian.
When I got back from my walk, I told my roommate I'd met a cute guy and suggested I should introduce them. Naturally, as you might guess, Justin was the cute freshman and I'm lucky that my roommate wasn't interested. Justin went home and told his roommate he'd met an "utter babe." He was obviously more discerning about these things than I.
Over the next weeks, my buddy, Justin and I took other walks, and then eventually I ditched my friend and just went on a walk with Justin. He asked me to go to the first football game of the year with him -- football at Sewanee is all about dressing up, getting a date and chatting. Football has very little to do with it.
The next weekend, we watched Henry V and held hands. And finally the day after that we officially decided we were dating.
All that seems so long ago and yet not so long in the past. We kept dating. I graduated and went to Delaware for two years for a MA in German literature. We saw each other a few times a year, wrote tons of letters, lots of e-mails and talked on the phone about once a week.
After finishing at UDel, I went to Alabama, which at only about 3 hours from Sewanee put us within driving distance of each other. We decided we didn't want to wait too much longer to get married and so our wedding was held in December. Justin still had one semester left in college and I had to finish library school, so we arranged class schedules that gave us four day weekends and just commuted for a few days per week. Living apart for the first few months of our marriage wasn't ideal, but also wasn't too bad.
Since those early days everything seems like it has sped up. Justin graduated. We moved to Nashville. He went to law school and I started working as a librarian. We had The Boy and I quit work. We moved to Alaska so Justin could clerk for a judge. We moved back to Tennessee. We had The Middle Girl. We had The Toddler Girl. Now here we are -- twelve years after that first date -- and Adams 4.0 is due to arrive shortly.
Back when I was in college, I knew I wanted to have children, but had one asked me what life would be like in twelve years. I would have had no idea. I can say that all told, it is far better than I could have ever known and my husband is, in large part responsible for that. I'm glad we've had these years growing up, moving around and raising our kids. I'm looking forward to the coming years, although I fear they are going to move even more quickly than the years gone by.
Friday, September 22, 2006
Musical Edumacation
After reading some biographies of Mozart, I pulled out my photo album from my semester studying in Europe and showed the kids pictures of Salzburg. They thought the pictures of the house where Mozart was born, his wife's grave and of the castle on the hill that had been drawn in our biography were interesting, and I'm glad I had personal photos of those to show them.
The lesson did lose a little bit in flipping through the pages of the photo album though. They thought the photos of me at age 19 and my picture of the Salzburg McDonald's sign were much more interesting.
I Am, I Am Superman!
I explained that when Superman flies through the air people would look up and try to figure out what they were seeing, before figuring out that Superman was once again on the job.
"But, I guess since he is Superman, he could actually become a bird or a plane if he wanted to."
"Superman can catch bullets and turn back time, but he isn't a shape-shifter, Son."
"But he has to be. The song says, 'I am Superman and I can do anything.' If he can do anything, he can change his shape, right?"
"No, it doesn't work that way."
"That doesn't make sense. He's not so great then. I like Spiderman much better."
And thus a superhero falls from grace.
Random Questions, Answered
Were you born before the end of the first Gulf war?
Yes. I may be a lot younger than some of you, but I was in high school during the first war.
Childhood nickname?
George. A family friend decided Jordana was too hard to say and started calling me George. Much to my chagrin as a little girl, it stuck.
And no, no one in my immediate family was named after me, despite this coincidence. In fact, it never occurred to me at the time.
Historical person you have the biggest crush on?
I really don't have any historical crushes that I can think of.
How about admire?
I can't come up with anyone I'm even in great admiration of at the moment.
Favorite type of candy?
Dark chocolate, black liquorice and anything gummy.
Favorite foreign country(ies)?
England. At one time, I would have said Germany, but I think a bit less favorably of them at the moment.
Fish or chicken?
It depends. I love a perfectly cooked piece of salmon or tuna.
Do you have your own perfume line?
I never touch the stuff.
Have you ever written a children's book?
No, but I always think it would be fun to try.
Have you been in a movie based on a book?
No, neither have I been in any other sort of movie.
Ever posed nude for a photo?
Yes, but not after the age of about 4.
Guiltiest pleasure?
The occasional indulgence in bad romance novel reading.
Your best nonguilty pleasure, then?
I do like a hot bath and a cup of tea.
What are you allergic to?
Penicillin, maybe.
Worst pickup line you've heard?
I suppose I lived a sheltered life, because I haven't had any used on me.
Were you bar mitzvahed?
No, nor even bat mitzvahed.
Have you ever cried during a TV interview?
If they made a movie of your life, who would play you?
I have one of those faces that looks like about a million other people, so I think they'd have no trouble finding some starving actress out there to play me. I did notice recently that Claire Danes and I have the same boring, straight hair, so if they want to go high budget they can cast her.
Pet peeve?
I've mentioned the dropping of "-ly" endings and the use of "real" when one should say "really." People who refer to God as "Dad" when leading a prayer. I'm also not too fond of Legos being left all over the floor. I think I could make a long list of things that bug me at the moment, but that's probably the 9th month of pregnancy hormones talking.
If you weren't doing what you do, what job would you like to have?
I would love to be an artist, but I don't have the business drive to ever make something like that a going concern.
Place you will never be found?
Skydiving and/or bungee jumping
Why did you participate in this tagging?
Because Blair asked, and she's gotten so much brighter since the time when she used to date my brother.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
We got the cars inspected and I went and picked up our new license plates. I guess I'm clueless, because I hadn't even noticed that Tennessee had changed its standard plate this year. I went to a grocery store I don't frequent too often so that I could buy steel cut oats in bulk. They are much cheaper that way than buying the little tins they come in at all the other stores. I have started cleaning out my closet (a mighty undertaking, to say the least) and I packed a bag to take to the hospital.
Taking a day off from my regular plans has been the best thing I could have done today. The kids are busy playing time traveler with a box that we got yesterday, and I'm feeling a whole lot less tired of everything than I was when I woke up.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
The Middle Girl: Yeah, they sing good songs, but I like The Lemonheads better.
Monday, September 18, 2006
I think I'll lock myself in a closet and cry now. Well, I would except that wouldn't really get anything accomplished, so I guess I'd better fold laundry instead.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Swimwear Advice
If, despite contempt and ridicule even from the mouths of short little blonde girls, a man persists upon wanting to wear this disgusting form of swimwear, please make sure that you can at least fill it out. Leaving nothing to the imagination in a Speedo is bad enough. If you are too small to fit in a tight fitting lycra suit (before getting in the cool water) I really, really don't need to know about it.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
The Streaker Strikes Again
What can I say? I'm a one woman-three child roving circus. Look for us playing in stores, YMCAs and other locations near you (if, of course, you live near me).
The Thursday Three Season Opener
1) What are three new books that you've read recently?
Hmmm...can I count my new cookbook as something I'm reading? I just got Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook. It's got some yummy recipes in it.
I'm reading House Thinking: A Room-by-Room Look at How We Live too. It sounded interesting when I heard the author on a recent NPR show and so far I'm enjoying it.
I'm also trying to slog through G.K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy, which my husband insists I need to read. I think making a nine month pregnant woman read even lightweight philosophy is rather cruel. I'm on page 20 and although Chesterton is witty and has already had some great lines, I'm not sure that the other 80 pages of the book won't kill what little brain I have left.
2) What three new products have you tried lately and what were your experiences?
I can't think of anything too new and different that we've started using in the Adams' household. I guess we're relatively slow adopters around here.
3) What are three new movies or shows or plays or whatever that you have seen lately, or would like to go see soon?
Movies? What are those? I think I've been to about three movies in the theater since my son was born 6 1/2 years ago. Clearly, I don't get out much. I don't even know what's coming out soon. Then again, I suspect my ability to get out is soon to be hampered even more, so it is a good thing I'm not pinning my hopes on getting to see any new releases any time in the near future.
We Did It!!!
Now we just have to keep reading every day with her and to her and see if she turns into the voracious bookworm her brother is.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Well, What Did You Expect?
Oddly enough though, he asked if we could study killer whales for our animal of the week this week. It seemed a bit out of character, but I went ahead and checked out several books and we started reading up on them. I've always thought they were truly beautiful creatures, especially after we got to see some on our ferry ride down from Alaska.
After reading about their abilities, social qualities and size, we came to the section on their hunting habits. The Boy was appalled to find out that they eat seals and other mammals. I had to ask, "What did you expect a killler whale to do?"
He wasn't really sure.
I expect our next animal to be something sweet, soft and fuzzy. I guess I'd better not let him find out that bunnies sometimes eat their own babies, huh?
Friday, September 08, 2006
Little N*d*st
This morning, I went up to get the Toddler Girl out of bed and found when opening the door that she had again stripped down to a state of nature, wet her bed and was sitting happily in that bed "reading" a book.
Do they make strait jacket style pjs in an 18 month size?
Every Pregnancy is Different
To make up for this boon from the pregnancy gods, I have instead developed the nasty tendancy to feel light headed and dizzy if I don't eat and drink just about every second of the day. Really. Since lying down for long periods of the day isn't a good option, I'm afraid I'm going to just have to eat all the time and instead of swelling up with water that will disappear three days after delivery, I'll just be packing on pounds that will take me at least nine months to lose, if they ever go away.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Back to the Barefoot Lego Dance
Although, the dinosaur obsession ended about the time he tried to convince me to take the bones of three chickens and convert them into a "dinosaur skeleton" (thank goodness that bullet got dodged), I almost miss the dinosaur phase and the endless stream of facts. The toys were limited to a few plastic dinosaurs generally set up in a scene somewhere around the house.
Legos are not so containable. Although I try to insist that they stay upstairs, the sharp little toys seem to migrate, and they never seem to all get cleaned up at once. Sigh. At least the girl's don't seem too interested in Legos, so perhaps I'll get a respite from their mess eventually.
By the way, besides a lot of Legos that have been given directly to The Boy over the past year or two, we have what The Boy refers to as "heirloom Legos" or "really old Legos from Daddy's childhood." And my husband was equally, if not more, obessessed with Legos. And we got all my little brother's Legos. We're infested with the things.
The Child of Two Lit. Majors
--The Boy, yesterday, when given a new book
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Strong-Willed? Yessir, That's My Baby!
Besides the inevitable shouts of "No!" she has also decided that she is too old for sippy cups and will throw the cup and herself screaming to the floor when you offer her one -- except at church and in the car, where that's her only option for water transportation.
One of her most common phrases is now, "First me, Mommy." By which she means both that she wants to do something before I do, but also that she wants to do things unassisted. She wants to climb onto the changing table by herself (and she's even suggested that she should get to put her diaper on by herself -- which yes, means she's probably ready to potty train, and no, at my current girth and all, I am not ready to do it). She wants to brush her teeth first, before her parents give it a shot. She insists on climbing up and down the stairs all by herself -- except when she imperiously sticks out a grubby little paw and demands my hand.
Although she has always sat at the end of the table closest to her parents and the other kids sit next to us on the other side, she has also recently decided that her place is with "the other kids" and about half the time she wants to sit at their end of the table -- though woe betide the sibling who tries to take her seat.
She's a whirlwind of energy and will, but when she smiles she has the power to melt everyone in her path.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Things That Happen When You Feel Faint and Need to Lie Down
While the older two stopped destroying the house and got interested in the doings of Mr. Rogers, the youngest one had no particular desire to watch television.
Instead, and in rapid succession, she:
(1) Removed all the folded clothes from the laundry basket waiting to go upstairs and stuffed them in various places around my bedroom.
(2) Started pulling off all the thread from a spool in my sewing box that had had just a tiny bit sticking out from under the lid.
(3) Stuck a raisin up her nose.
Never a dull moment here!
Where'd I Put That Spare $5.4 million?
Stretch Marks???
The other day I got out of the shower, looked at my belly and was really surprised to see a new, shiny white stretch mark glowing there, but going oddly the opposite direction from all its predecessors. I was very disappointed. Then I realized it could be scrubbed off. It was actually left over paint from my bad habit of wiping my hands all over my work shirt instead of using a rag to wipe up. So no stretch marks, just fuzzy pregnancy brain and too much paint not on things I'm actually painting.
If only that were the only kind of stretch mark I'd ever gotten.
Friday, September 01, 2006
Never Get the Head of Obstetrics As Your OB
I had a check-up today (and Meredith watched my kids, which was absolutely wonderful and sweet of her, considering she's in the midst of packing up and moving). My check-up was very straight-forward. Just measuring things, checking my blood pressure and weight and listening to the baby's heart beat. I've gained 36 pounds which I'm not particularly thrilled about, but not surprised by either.
The only difficulty in my appointment was scheduling the next one. I'm supposed to go back in two weeks, but my OB is only in the office for two days at the beginning of that week which is too early. And all the other doctors in the practice are equally busy. I couldn't get an appointment with anyone earlier than afternoon with anyone at all.
So I'll go back in about 2 1/2 weeks, seeing my doctor, and hope that he'll manage to be around and out of meetings about the time the kidlet is due to make an appearance.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
The problems are as follows: there aren't a lot of boy's names out there that I really like and that meet my criteria of falling below the Top 100 names from the annual SSA list, my husband is still hoping for St. John, one of my favorite boy's names is on the top ten list for France, I've used up another favorite boy's name as my son's middle name, I've used both my favorite girl's names on my daughters, and my friends inform me that I can't possibly use Jemima even if I do promise to call her Jemma.
So I leave it to you all to make suggestions, which will all, no doubt, be roundly rejected. Of course, one must keep in mind that the name must go well with those of its siblings, sound like an Anglophile named the child, and not have a ridiculous set of initials when paired with a last name that makes every set of initials sound like some sort of organization.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Explaining Potiphar's Wife and Other Excitements
First, we had to back track and discuss Jacob and his two wives. This was certainly a bit troubling to The Boy, who wanted to know not only why Jacob could marry both Leah and Rachel, but why it wasn't really a good thing to have two wives, and why women couldn't have more than one husband.
Then we wound up chatting about why having favorites among one's children is also unwise and unfair.
Moving right along, try explaining the story of Potiphar's wife to a kid who steadfastly refuses to be interested in the birds and the bees, but wants to know why Potiphar would imprison Joseph and what Potiphar's wife wanted.
And then there is the issue of the illustrations in the book we were reading. Why is Benjamin drawn as though he is about seven when his brothers bring him to Egypt? He's almost always portrayed this way in drawings, but by my count, Joseph has to have been gone at least 19 years. Naturally, The Boy wanted to know why I was disagreeing with the book.
And although I shouldn't have done it, I did happen to mention that some people think there are better translations than "coat of many colors." Being a traditionalist, The Boy took great exception to this and objected strongly to any suggestion that any but the common translation might be correct.
I enjoy these discussions, but whew! The Boy is wearing me out.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Hurt Me
The other days, the two bigger ones were playing and the Middle Girl said, "You hurt me!" But then she giggled. The Toddler Girl decided this must be a desireable condition. So now she runs around yelling, "Hurt me!" And just a minute ago, she crawled up in my lap for a cuddle, snuggled in close and demanded, "Mommy, hurt me!"
I suggested hugging or kissing might be better, but she insisted on "hurt." I tickled her neck with kisses until she'd giggled herself senseless and then sent her on her way.
Five Weeks
I know this honeymoon period can't last, but I really am pleased with how things are going. I wish I were fitting in more art and music, but that will come eventually.
Monday, August 28, 2006
What Happened?
And we found one -- a beautiful, hundred year old Victorian on the other side of town. It wasn't perfect, and it wasn't move in ready. However, it seemed like we could do the work to make it great and ready to move in for the amount we could make from selling our current house and using some of our savings. On Friday we had an inspection and realized there were far more issues than we had seen on our own.
I'm a bit disappointed, but not so very much as one might think. It's a lovely house with a lot more room, but I think the idea of taking on the work this one needed right before a baby arrived was probably madness anyway. We don't think the owner will accept a much lower offer than our original one, so now we can concentrate on just getting ready for Adams 4.0 and staying put here for at least a while longer.
As expected, the owner was not inclined to take less than our previous agreement, which was already well under her asking price. It will be interesting to see if there is some one out there with the money and time to buy the place at the price the owner wishes to get.
Loose Tooth
I checked his molars and they all looked fine, but he kept complaining. So I asked which tooth hurt. Sure enough it was a front one. The tooth he grew first and for which we once called him "Fang" since for over a month it was the only tooth he had.
It keeps wiggling and soon will come out. There is some discussion as to whether the tooth fairy our family is assigned to is the kind that grants wishes (as in One Morning in Maine) or the more common money-bringing variety. The cheapskate in me prefers the wish-granting fairies, but considering that The Boy's wishes tend towards seeing a live dinosaur, I think we need to ask for a fairy who brings a dollar or two.
We've heard that with inflation teeth are paying more these days than they used to. I suppose the tooth fairy needs to go to the bank to make sure there is cash on hand when the day of tooth loss comes.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Very Busy
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Bad Influences
Monday, August 14, 2006
Then some graffiti "artist" decided to spray paint the side of one of the school buildings with the words "F*ck You!" And being very proud of my second grade ability to read all things, I read the words out loud. My friends were shocked. Apparently, I was the only innocent in the second grade who knew not of such things.
Every once in a while, I ponder the wisdom of having taught my son to read. He reads far too well for his own good and naturally, though he knows there are words out there that one should not say, like "butt" of course, he's still a bit sheltered from the greater world.
Last night we ate dinner with a young teenaged girl who wore a shirt emblazoned with the words, "Stop Checking Me Out!" across the chest. Had I been her aunt, I don't think I would have let her leave with that on, but her actual aunt, while not approving in the slightest, did not choose to fight that battle. And thus my six year old started asking what that meant. Did she want people to stop checking her out at the library like she was a library book? he wondered. Rather at a loss, my husband told him that he (my husband) would explain it to him when he was older, but that by the time he was old enough for the explanation, none would be necessary.
We left the restaurant well aware that we have two daughters and full of hope that when the time of their teenage years arrives that the styles will trend towards baggy sacks.
Today, again my son displayed his remarkable ability to sound out and read things clearly and distinctly. I'm not talking about our discussions of the finer points of the Euplocephalus, nor of the Pharoah Menes. When he was taking a shower at the Y after his swimming lesson he apparently (my husband was with him, not me) came across the following sign, "Sexually inappropriate conduct is prohibited." Naturally, he wanted to know what that meant.
We're perfectly ready to explain the usual birds and bees, which he refuses to ask about in any detail, although I've brought up the topic on occasion. I'm not ready to move on the questions about what's inappropriate when he is apparently not ready for the appropriate as of yet.
Thus, again I ask -- why did I ever teach that child to read?


text:
I've never really been into fashion, usually choosing to wear jeans and a t-shirt over anything fashionable. However, recently I have been feeling like I don't care about my appearance when I wear this outfit as it looks as though I haven't made an effort and to be honest, usually I haven't. In order to try and break out of this habit, every other Wednesday I will be posting a photo of my favourite fashion item of the previous fortnight.
This fortnight's fashion piece is this beautiful duck egg blouse from Matalan (£12 if I remember correctly). I picked it up a few weeks ago from my local store as I thought the colour was pretty and the style of shirt was gorgeous - there are no buttons, but there is a waterfall-type front falling down the centre of the blouse which adds an air of sophistication to any look containing this shirt. I tend to pair it with trousers for a smart look or jeans for a smart-casual look - I most recently wore it to my sister's baby shower last Friday.
The one drawback I have of this shirt is that it feels fairly low-cut at the front. I actually like the feature since it makes the shirt feel a little more dressy than a regular blouse and less like a simple oversized boyfriend shirt, though the blouse only just covers all of me. However, that may just be specific to me due to my sizing.
What do you think? Is it something you would wear?
Also, I'd like to give another shoutout to The Art of Being Human for nominating me for the One Lovely Blog Award again - you can read my previous post here.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
translated by Marichka Oliynyk
* * *
I am hiding in a corner,
eating quietly, sleeping quietly.
Suddenly – someone threw a hook.
I am nibbling.
Floating as a fish and rummaging in a silt.
Maybe carp, maybe sheatfish.
I am on the bottom, mule is on the top
drinking water and falling asleep.
The mule, heat and summer are on the top.
I am keeping to the depth.
Prominent actor, not Chaplin – Keaton,
has dreams about me.
Deep Mississippi.
A raft is floating, and on the raft
arranged dancing,
putting tipi,
having golden skin.
Сhildren of flowers, all are bright,
consciousness is widened to the limit.
There Jesus is giving weed to Barabbas,
and «The Beatles» is arising from the towers of Babel.
As for me – I am just a fish,
floating and rummaging in a silt.
Dancing, singings, shouts, wheezes are heard from the top,
noise and boom are heard from the top.
Suddenly became quietly. Shhhh, not a word!
I felt silent, stopped and pretending
like I am forging quiet in myself.
Suddenly – someone threw a hook.
I am nibbling.
translated by Khrystyna Mykhailiuk
sick beast wanders the dead zone
the bar where you met
other places which she visits
the district where she lives
the lanes along which she gets to her workplace –
you steer clear of all these places
(though sometimes you needn't)
you don't use the tram
by which she goes home
(though sometimes you need)
and what is the purpose of all that?
and the purpose is
not to come across her accidentally
and rape her directly in the street
right in front of everyone's eyes
sick beast wanders the dead zone
dialogue of the divorced
were you unfaithful?
with plenty of but on one occasion with everyone
and you?
I was
with one but on plenty of occasions
you'll return to me
it wasn't a question
then yes
and for how long this time?
till the end
until death do us part
I'll buy you a handgun
before I relent and slip out
it would be a beautiful,
almost divine job
unless there weren't a forced necessity
to leave her alone in bed with her orgasm after everything has happened
(she coils,
doesn't shout anymore
doesn't beseech
makes muffled sounds by a whisked breath)
and to go to the bathroom to wash the hands
full of warm sperm
and then to return
to lie down near her
and for a few minutes more
like beasts
to smell into sex
hence don't ask why I don't come
why from time to time I stop
I stop to continue
I don't come to drag out for the moment
when being exhausted and wet
we fall asleep
absorbed by each other
what is the most doleful thing in the world?
when a bottle is over
when cigarettes are over
when grass is over
but these are trifles
the most doleful thing is when she says:
don't you mind to stay the night at your own place?


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The New York Times reported today that Mike Seeger, the half-brother of folk legend Pete Seeger and an accomplished folk singer and music historian himself, died of blood cancer at the age of 75.
A founder of the New Lost City Ramblers and a collector of Southern musical treasures (like much of his extended family), Seeger also had a profound influence on Bob Dylan during Dylan's early attempts to make a name for himself as a folk singer in the early '60s. The Times quotes from Dylan's 2004 partial memoir, Chronicles: Volume One, about Seeger, in typically Dylanesque phrasing:
"He was like a duke, a knight errant. As for being a folk musician, he was the supreme archetype. He could push a stake through Dracula's black heart. He was the romantic, egalitarian and revolutionary type all at once."
You can read Seeger's obituary here.
Jim Keane, S.J.


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Having worked through every presidential transition since 1992, Nels Olson has a keen sense of how Washington changes every four (or eight) years. He's currently working as the Head of the Global Government Affairs Practice at Korn Ferry, and we spoke with him to pick his brain on career transition tips and what to expect as the Trump administration moves into Washington.
This is an excerpt from our latest report on compensation trends in the government relations industry. Download the full report.
How do you see the change in administration affecting government affairs professional's career paths?
This transition is unlike any presidential transition Washington has ever seen and will clearly have an impact on the government affairs function. Specifically, the way advocacy has been practiced in the past is changing dramatically. Those involved in advocacy will need to evolve their approach over the next year to adapt to this new administration.
Three tips for firms looking to hire during the transition:
1. Don't make long term business decisions – i.e. hiring of senior government affairs executives – solely based on short-term political realities. It's still a long-term game.
2. Policy depth and deep understanding of the issues needs to be balanced with relevant relationships. Understanding the impact the digital age has on advocacy is also key – especially in the Twitter age.
3. It is best to find an individual who possesses both government and private-sector acumen – the transition to the private sector can be bumpy straight from government.
What types of organizations can we expect Obama administration officials to gravitate toward after Jan 20?
It varies greatly – for individuals coming out of the Obama administration there are clearly roles in healthcare, environment and interesting roles in the not-for-profit space as well.
What advice would you give Democratic lobbyists as they prepare to navigate a Republican-controlled Congress and administration?
It is essential that you keep your wits about you and understand that the political winds do change in this town. As always, having bipartisan relationships is key. Everyone has their own personal political leaning – however – professionally it is always wise to have a broad network to reach out to. As the transition to the new administration and congress plays out, there may be a temporary challenge for those in the opposite party. However, once things settle down, political appointments are made and cabinet vacancies are filled, other opportunities will present themselves.


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New York Comic Con 2013 - October 10th - 13th.
Just some of the creativity and coolness seen at NYCC.
A few Cosplay Highlights...
And of course...I always love the cars!
Move Media to promote
The Silver Spectrum the creation of Ken Lashley and Ian Macintosh.
UD Replicas Jackets online for a very long time...
...and they were every bit as impressive in person.
The Blonde Swan
View a larger photo gallery posted on the Fashion & Action Facebook Page


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The blaze around the Madera County community of Oakhurst remained at a little under 2 square miles on Tuesday. It has destroyed eight structures and was threatening about 500 homes around Oakhurst, which is about 16 miles from a Yosemite entrance.
The wildfire began Monday and was fueled by gusty winds and dry brush.
It comes on the heels of another blaze around Yosemite this summer and last year's Rim Fire, which raged for two months across 400 square miles of land. The Rim Fire threatened thousands of structures, destroyed 11 homes and cost more than $125 million to fight.


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Hi Ladies
I have just started to see brown spotting and I am 6w.. This is pretty devastating as I have been ok up until now. Done a test today and it has gone from 2-3 weeks to 3+.
I have a scan booked for tomorrow as let's face it I need to know something even if it is bad news. It's slowly gotten a fraction worse throughout the day no pain just lower intermittent waves of cramping.
Any good stories with this outcome?


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I believe in fairy tales and in true love and that eventually, love will win out in the end no matter what. I believe in wishing on shooting stars and dandelion dust. I believe in Christmas and that you can fall in love again even after you've lost it to the worst of circumstances. I believe in second chances and that music really does heal, that just hugging is a powerful thing, that sometimes crying is the best therapy, that laughter is the best medicine. I believe that Anne Frank was right. . . in spite of everything, people really are good at heart. I believe that people do have an effect on us, even after they are gone. Especially after they're gone. I believe in family, in sisterhood, in the bra code, in best friends. That fictional characters become part of our lives just for a little bit, that for a short amount of time they are our friends and that in the pages of a book, in the scenes of a movie or a television show there are lessons to be learned. I believe in superheros, I believe that we need them in our lives because they symbolize hope. I believe in Narnia and in Neverland. I believe in good coffee, in glitter, that sometimes a Starbucks barista does more than just make your coffee. I believe in bare feet and high heels and painted toenails. I believe that everybody is beautiful in their own way, that every girl is a princess. . . it is their right. I believe that one day there will be peace on earth, that everything has a purpose under the sun and that God is real.
I especially believe that God is real.


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Location: Chicago, IL
States Visited: Indiana, Michigan, Illinois
I'm extremely short on time right now for reasons I will explain very soon. But despite my current busyness, I was able to fit in one last road trip. This was the culmination of a year's worth of research and a pilgrimage on various levels. I headed back to Ann Arbor, likely my last chance to do so for quite a while (again, I'll explain soon). Of all the driving I've done, this trip is the most familiar. I think I could do the Chicago to A2 jaunt in my sleep at this point. But I wasn't just going up there for the hell of it. I had been fortunate enough to set up an interview with Lloyd Carr. After getting all charged up reading Dave's heartfelt posting, I tried to make the most of the meeting.
We spent an hour in his office, talking about the state of the game and taking a few minutes to reminisce about that glorious 1997 season. The focus of my questions were primarily for my book, so certain curiosities such as, "What do you really think of Urban Meyer?" went unasked (though he briefly dropped the subtlest of hints at that particular topic). I hope to get an excerpt up here soon, time permitting. But I will say this, the man is sharp as a tack. Not only did he remember the name of my high school coach from his days on the recruiting trail while coaching at Illinois (1978-79), when I was unsure of which season Washington had played Minnesota in the Rose Bowl, '60 or '62, he knew it was 1960 immediately. We found ourselves agreeing on so many areas, I had to wonder if it was solely because he was my team's head coach and had therefore informed my sensibilities. I'm sure that must be at least partially the case. In sum, it was a fantastic hour for me, and I think he enjoyed our chat a little bit, too.
Yeah. This'n'll be framed.
After leaving Carr's office on a bit of a high, I poked around campus just a bit before going south to take a look at the progress on Michigan Stadium. The way things look right now, I question how ready they will be for that Utah game in three weeks.
They have begun to put the bricks on, though.
Gate 9 on the north end is "done", though it looks as plain as a prison entrance. I assume there are forthcoming additions to spruce things up a bit.
Near the Indiana/Michigan border on my way home, I stopped at a fruit and vegetable stand across the street from a Panera Bread. Over the course of the season, I rarely had time to hit any side-of-the-road, family-run joints. I picked up some corn, blueberries, and tomatoes. They were about the same price as the local chain grocery store would have charged, but my goodness could you taste the difference. The tomatoes were so ripe they were practically bursting. They hadn't been carted halfway across the earth to arrive on my plate. It was nice to know that at the end of this trip, I'm still able to get a bit of the local flavor, even if I ended up savoring it in my own kitchen.
As I referenced above, I'll have a big update in the next day or two.


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Apprenticeship Training Programs
IMPORTANT* Those who are interested in applying for our Journeymen Program please apply in person at our facility located in Middletown, CT.
Finishing Trades Institute of Southern New England Inc. is now accepting applications for apprentice Painter Decorator, Taper, Industrial Painter, and Glaziers.
Those who are interested in applying for our Apprenticeship Program are welcomed to apply here.
To apply online-
Please click the link below to access the FTI-SNE online application.
To apply in person-
To apply in person you may visit either of our Training Centers shown below.
Connecticut Training Center
Thursdays 9:00a.m - 3:00p.m
Painters & Allied Trades District Council 11
79 Bradley Street, Middletown CT 06457
Phone: (860) 613-0200 Fax: (860) 613-0707
Rhode Island Training Center
Wednesdays 9:00a.m - 3:00p.m
Painters & Allied Trades District Council 11
1808 Elmwood Avenue Warwick, RI 02888
Phone: (401) 781-4873 Fax: (401) 781-6016
Before being accepted as an apprentice you must meet the following requirements:
- Complete the apprentice application form online or in person.
- Must be 18 years of age or older.
- Must provide a social security card.
- Must provide a valid drivers license.
- Must provide a high school diploma, GED, or Job Corps Completion Certificate.
- Must be a U.S Citizen or be lawfully permitted to work in the United States of America.
- Must be physically able to perform the work required of the trade.
- Must complete a favorable interview with an assigned Interviewer.
- Must attend and successfully complete the Apprentice Orientation.
Each applicant who meets all minimum requirements will be evaluated for acceptance.
The Finishing Trades Institute of Southern New England is an Equal Opportunity Training Program.
We strongly encourage woman and minorities to apply.
Painters and Taping Apprentices who are accepted into the three year programs will be required to complete 6000 hours of on the job training together with 432 hours of related Classroom Instruction.
Glazing Apprentices who are accepted into the four year Glazing Program will be required to complete 8000 hours on the job training with 576 hours of related Classroom instruction. The classes are from September through May.
Before an apprentice starts work they are required to join the union and pay applicable initiation fees. Apprentices are also required to pay state registration fees prior to being enrolled in the program. Apprentices will undergo a probationary period of 1000 hours.
Apprentice wages will start at 50% of the applicable journeypersons pay rate. Apprentices receive an increase in their pay per every 1000 hours of work performed.


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The debut recording by the award-winning Ensemble Meridiana. A scintillating programme of Telemann leading the listener on a musical jouney through Europe in the Baroque period.
On this beautiful recording, Ensemble Meridiana explores a variety of Georg Philipp Telemann's chamber music.
The pieces chosen highlight the mastery of Telemann's 'mixed taste' writing style and are a perfect display of Baroque influences from France, Germany, Italy and Poland.
The ensemble's playing is energetic, vibrant and displays a soft touch which is ideal for interweaving the various mixed tastes within these compositions.
Also featured on this album is a recording only recently discovered not to have been composed by Telemann, but by Pierre Prowo!


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Bill, you're a wonder, thank you so much for the loan of the laptop. Got no results to show you however - basically the camera I got is too "bells and whistles" to give me the shots I want. No matter what I do to the settings, the autofocus and autoexposure stays on, so after about 15 seconds, the planet fades out of focus ... incredibly frustrating, let me tell ya!
I got some footage last nght and was just setting up for tonight when, and I swear this is true, the sky clouded over and began raining inside 15 minutes ... it's still raining now
So not good results for the Quest, however I have not given up! I will try again with this webcam, Also with another, older one that I have ... and by the steel flesh of Ormagöden I will succeed!!
October 19, 2009
Oh what a weekend!
2 comments:
And I thought you got all sidetracked by metal gamey goodness. Though without pics, I still have my suspicions you're making this up ;) Trust the laptop made it in out of the rain!
Sux about the camera. Maybe pickup a cheap Canon off trademe? Some of them can be remote controlled via USB, Canon has software for it on their website.
- October 19, 2009 at 9:13 AM
- ValHallen said...
Well the metal did claim some of the time, and the rain and clouds the rest - I quite honestly have nothing to how from the weekend, well apart from a new game I guess :) There is video, but it kinda sucks :(
- October 22, 2009 at 1:19 AM
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1. Remember the purpose of the CV
Your CV is the first point of contact between you and a prospective new employer. It is unlikely that the reader will know anything about you except what's in the CV – so try to see it from their perspective. Make sure the employer understands what you have to offer and how you could be an asset to their organisation.
2. Make sure it's easy to understand
When you use your CV in support of a job application it will usually arrive along with a large number of others. The person reading it will only allow a very short time for an initial appraisal of each candidate so in the first instance they will 'speed read' the applications. You may be ideal for the job, but you will have lost your opportunity to prove it if your CV is too complicated.
3. Not too much detail
If the layout of the CV is not attractive, or there are long paragraphs of prose, the employer could discard your CV without ever reading it at all. You need to impart the maximum information with the minimum effort on the part of the reader. The most common mistake people make is including too much detail.
4. Prioritise information
Although it can be a daunting task, you must prioritise information and only include what is really important and relevant. The reader doesn't need to know how your last employers ran their Company. When writing a CV, always remember that 'less is more'. Your CV will have far more impact if you include less information but make sure that it is all totally relevant.
5. Avoid repetition
Be careful that you don't repeat the same information in different sections. Organise the CV so that each bit of information only appears once. After you have completed your CV writing, go through the document and strike any unnecessary adjectives or repetitions. You will be surprised at how much this will improve and streamline your CV.
6. Use bulleted lists
In CV writing bulleted lists are much better than paragraphs of prose. However bullet points are not meant to be used simply as paragraph dividers. In order for a bulleted list to be effective, the points need to be carefully formulated so that they have impact. Don't make each point too complicated and don't include too many points in any list.
7. Keep it clear and concise
A CV is essentially a marketing document for use in a very competitive field. It needs to be written so that it is pleasing to the eye and will impart information in a very clear and well organised format. It needs to be businesslike and there is no need for any fancy presentation.
8. Be objective
Remember that employers are really only interested in what you can bring to their organisation. They don't need to know everything about you. You need to demonstrate the skills and competencies you have to offer. If an employer is interested and wants to know more they can always ask you for additional information.
9. Always tell the truth
You can be sure you will be found out if you include things which are untrue. There is no need to 'big-up' your past achievements and qualities. An experienced employer will see straight through this. Avoid 'perceptions' that is anything which is only a matter of opinion. Although you may say that you have a particularly pleasing personality, it is unlikely that people will take your word for it.
10. Identify your market
The trick in writing an effective CV is to identify your target market and then demonstrate that you have the skills and competencies that the prospective employer is looking for. Read the job description and person specification very carefully. Identify what they are actually seeking and make sure that your CV clearly demonstrates what you have to offer.
The CV Book: Your Definitive Guide to Writing the Perfect CV
Last updated on: 03/05/2017 15:15:54
PharmiWeb.com is Europe's leading industry-sponsored portal for the Pharmaceutical sector, providing the latest jobs, news, features and events listings.
The information provided on PharmiWeb.com is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between a patient/site visitor and his/her physician.


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Here's what you saw and learned from your trip through the mountain:
- The tunnel, well-constructed and decorated in some places by line carvings representing mountain peaks, is about a mile in length, and goes roughly NW into an area, so far as you know, never explored by anyone else.
- Giant spiders are a known subterranean threat throughout these mountains – their presence in the tunnel was not surprising.
- The hidden valley is about 1/2 mile across at the base – at the lake level, that is. The lake is a few hundred feet across, and the ruined town/buildings to the west of the water is a several hundred feet in depth and width, reaching up the valley's sloped wall a few stories. There are no structures, aside from the few, small ruined buildings on the island, in the valley.
- You did not see any clear passes our other tunnels leading out of the valley, but given its shape and your focus during your time there, it's impossible to be sure if there are others or not.
- There is a dark hole among the ruins on the island, which can't be seen from the town level – it was only visible from the ledge leading out of the tunnel.
- The corroded metal gate is quite ornate, and still standing strong despite its seeming age and neglect. The seemingly hostile midgets did not approach it. The feeling of heaviness and pressure left you immediately once beyond the gate.
- The midgets were stout, filthy, and you saw none of their features. Their hands were also within the tattered edges of their ragged garments.
- You only found a few metal implements in the one building you searched, and they were heavily corroded and pitted – the gate was not like that at all. The wood was almost entirely dry pulp, with only some larger chunks here and there – as if whatever held it together had been drained or damaged.


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At Redstones we are continually seeking new and innovative ways of adding value to our brand which will benefit both our customers and our franchisees. We are therefore delighted to announce the official launch of our new Finance Division which will do just that.
We are aware from talking to our customers that reliable, unbiased financial advice is hard to come by in the property sales and residential lettings market. Redstones Financial Services now offers our clients the convenience of expert independent advice provided by professional and friendly staff under the umbrella of the Redstones brand.
Our new division provides financial services and independent advice to our clients for a range of financial products including:-
- Home mortgages finance
- Buy-to-let property finance
- Commercial finance
- Property insurance
- Business insurance
- Motor/travel insurance
- Life insurance
- Pensions and investments
- Tax planning
Why Choose Redstones Financial Services?
We generally find that our clients' top three concerns when considering a financial services provider are:-
- Cost
- Quality of financial product
- Quality of service
Redstones Financial Services offers you the following assurances:-
- We listen : At Redstones Financial Services we promise to provide our customers with the most appropriate, cost-effective products to match their needs. We won't compromise on quality or on the levels of protection you need.
- Family run : As an expanding family run business, Redstones Financial Services is committed to low overheads to ensure that our prices are among the cheapest available.
- Quality : We work closely with Simply Biz to ensure that we can access the whole market so you can be confident we are offering the appropriate level of protection to meet your needs.
- First class service : With Redstones Financial Services, you can be assured of attentive, qualified staff who are ready to listen to your requirements and provide you with a solution that suits you, the customer.
- No call centre : As you would expect with Redstones, you will deal directly with friendly and experienced staff, rather than experiencing the inconvenience and frustration of being directed to a call centre.
Benefits to Our Franchisees
The launch of Redstones Financial Services expands the advantages offered when investing in a franchise with Redstones compared to other lettings agency franchises, in addition the following benefits:-
Low start-up costs : The total investment required to launch a Redstones franchise is between £20-25,000, offering a cost-effective route to entry into a competitive market. Our franchise model assumes the launch of your Redstones franchise from a serviced office, rather than costly high street premises. This way, overheads are kept to a minimum during the first crucial year of your business.
Larger than average territories : Our unique mapping means that our territories are larger than those generally on offer by other lettings agency franchises, encompassing c250,000 population, or approximately 100,000 chimney pots. This gives every franchise an equal opportunity to build a lucrative and successful business within the Redstones network.
Outstanding customer service : Redstones is recognised as an ethical brand with an outstanding reputation for customer service in a sector that often receives a bad press. With our Switch Agents facility, our Platinum Total Care Service and now with the launch of Redstones Financial Services, our franchisees are guaranteed a comprehensive package to set them apart in the market.
For more information on Redstones Financial Services or on what it takes to succeed as a Redstones franchisee, contact us today.


text: It is around home, profit could for prove clean wardrobe, or consolidated unit, bedside put up or hush beds pot-head board. Its an extremely fits exceptional styles, designs with the addition of eras; drench is thus group. Far are regarding which oak may paraphernalia home, only one we've reckon above, what's A- is wipe are details which shudder at profoundly economical. This is equipment is for that's afterwards layered regarding oak harmonize effect.


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Today was hot. The last few weeks have been hot! And we have had some kind of pool on our patio for the kids (and even sometimes Mike and I) to paddle around in. They have had a ball!
But tonight, because of the heat, I went out to water the garden and the kids had so much fun with the hose. I couldn't work out the fascination- until I realised that I rarely water the garden (ours is pretty self-sufficient). So this was a fairly new experience for them. As kids we used to play under the sprinkler all the time, but with water restrictions around for all of Megan's 3.5yrs, fun with running water didn't exist outside of the shower!
They weren't quite happy with being squirted by mum, but having a go at hosing and putting their hands and feet in the pressurised water was great fun! (I was ever conscious that their hosing attempts were somewhat near the plants that needed it!)
|No comment about the lack of trigger-hose please! I took it off for the kids to feel the water :)
Maybe one day there will be a time where playing under the sprinkler wont be wasteful and be back to being a great childhood past time. Until then, it'll be wading pools with 10cms of water and the odd playing with the hose while mum waters the garden!


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Lindsay Lohan and her brother Michael Jr. are being sued $60 million. They have received a court order that has instructed them to halt working on their fashion app known as Vigme. This comes after an ex-business partner alleges that the pair stole his idea. So he is now suing them because of it, reports several different news media sources.
A Manhattan Supreme Court Judge handed out a short-term restraining order Friday. It stated the siblings were prohibited from debuting, endorsing or advertising what they termed their "virtual closet" app. They also cannot look for any investors for the site until there is a hearing held Nov. 20. The directive came after Fima Potik alleged that Michael Lohan Jr. and his famed sister took Potik's professional secrets from his own online shopping business called Spotted Friend to begin their own opposing company.
The Lohan brother and sister, together with Michael's friend Chris Roth, met up with Potik back in 2013. At that time, they became equal partners of Spotted Friend, and Potik supplied them with a start-up version of the app, along with various marketing tools. The app allowed users to look through famous personalities' and also friends' simulated closets, and then be able to buy the clothing items they so wanted.
It was several months later when Potik discovered from several different news media sites that the Lohan siblings had went ahead and started the social business Web site known as Vigme. He claimed it was a practical clone of his own app. He declared that Vigme's mobile application was almost a complete duplicate in the way it was laid out and designed when compared to his own app.
Potik decided to hire major power attorneys Marc Kasowitz and Kenneth David.. David declared that the Lohan siblings' stealing of the scheme, design and function of the Spotted Friend's application was in flagrant disintegration of their pledged duties. This substantial victory will aid in helping to make sure that Lindsay Lohan and Michael Lohan Jr. will not receive any revenue from their dishonest behavior at the Spotted Friend app's expense.
However, the Lohan family is fighting back. Their lawyer, Ravi Batra, spoke to several different news media sources and explained that the restraining order was only something that was there to preserve the status quo until Michael Jr. and Lindsay Lohan were able to file their own papers in court. Those forms back up the allegation that Potik is an incompetent thief who deceitfully encouraged Lindsay, Michael and Christopher to join up with him under false exemplifications.
He exclaimed that he would have an app that recognized products created by June 2013. This is something the man still has not produced, added Attorney Batra. He declared that Fima's days of being some sort of a leech off of celebrities was finally over with once and for all. Everything depends on what happens with the $60 million dollar suit Potik has against the Lohan siblings.
By Kimberly Ruble
Photo by jkuttarkabat – Flickr License


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Just got these straight from Germany for the USA based Topeak-Ergon riders. This is a new tire that the Europe team has been collaborating with Continental on to bring to the public.
The tires that were sent are 2.2 and 2.4 width. They are also all Protection. I love the new all black Protection tires....as well as the new graphics.
Tread pattern looks good for the loose and dry terrain here in Colorado. I know the tire does well in damp and moist conditions as well, as the Europe based riders have been using it in such conditions.
Here are the tires mounted up to DT Swiss 1450's with tubes for size comparison. The left tire/wheel is the 2.4....the right tire/wheel is the 2.2. The X-King 2.4 is very similar in footprint and casing size to the current Race King 2.2. The X-King 2.2 is just a little bit narrower....but not that much...similar to the current Mountain King 2.2. I just added the X-King 2.4 to my Colorado Trail Race bike.....replacing the Mountain King 2.2. I can say that these new tires from Continental do inflate and Stan's out very easily....which is important to the Topeak-Ergon riders here in the USA.
What are the weights? I don't know...as I do not have a digital scale. In my hand, these Protection tires feel lighter than the current.
29er version? Yes....that is all I know.
Availability to the general riding public? My reliable source says late Fall 2010...sometime after Eurobike and Interbike.
Testing and on-trail thoughts to come in the next 4-7 days.


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The Tufted Titmouse nest has seven eggs! I peeked in on the Carolina Chickadee's nest to see if the last egg has hatched, but mom Chickadee was there. … Continue reading
Monthly Archives: April 2011
Four of the five Chickadee eggs have hatched! … Continue reading
Happy Easter! Here is my son, Eric working very hard on coloring his Easter eggs! Getting the colors just right! Eric's two favorites. They have no cracks! Adding stickers. The finished eggs! He will have fun hunting for them in … Continue reading
We have a couple bird houses in our backyard. We have nests in both of them! This one is the nest of the Titmouse. We had them nesting in this house last year. No eggs yet. This one is the … Continue reading
We had a great trip to Phoenix, Arizona to visit Ferd's daughter Kelly and met her boyfriend, Jason. We went at a good time. The weather was only 94 degrees and we did some mountain climbing! Just starting out here. … Continue reading
The Carolina Wren is the cutest and most cheerful little bird. Always singing every morning on my deck railings. … Continue reading


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I read with interest the recent article "Carroll conservatives clash with Van Hollen" (Nov. 12). I could readily relate to Carroll County Republican Bill Schroeder's statement — "We have nothing in common with Montgomery County — absolutely nothing" — concerning his representative, Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat who lives in and primarily represents Montgomery Co. And, according to the article, that county "accounts for most of the district's population."
I live in Howard County and am represented by Elijah Cummings who also represents much of Baltimore City. I'm in the same boat. Over the years, the repeated redistricting referred to in the article has served the purpose for which it was intended: to divide Republican voters. This ensured that previously conservative districts, represented by conservative representatives, were now diluted to make a new district with a Democratic majority.
Apparently Mr. Van Hollen, along with other Democratic colleagues, have greatly benefited from this. It's a matter of what's best for advancing the party agenda, not necessarily what's best for fulfilling the needs and desires of the actual people who are being represented. I was previously a registered Democrat, am now a registered Republican and am on my way to becoming a registered independent. There's no doubt in my mind that similar methods have been used by the Republican Party in other jurisdictions to attain or maintain their majority.
It doesn't matter to me who does it. The bottom line is, it's cheating and it is the antithesis of what a representative democracy is meant to be. Obviously, our congressmen, either on a state or national level, see no problem with this so, for me, the real problem lies therein.
Susan M. Lancelotta, Sykesville
To respond to this letter, send an email to firstname.lastname@example.com. Please include your name and contact information.