Friday, June 29, 2007

Joel Siegel

I just found out that film critic Joel Siegel died. I'm a huge fan of Good Morning America (I love Robin Roberts and Diane Sawyer--and I miss Charlie Gibson), and Siegel just seemed like another good-natured (but tough!) member of their team. In fact, he was on the show just a couple of weeks ago, reviewing Ocean's 13, so I assumed that he was in good health these days.

Anyway...

I'm adding a third person to my list...

Not only am I sick of hearing about Paris Hilton and Rosie O'Donnell, but I'm also sick of hearing about...

3. Isaiah Washington (from Grey's Anatomy)

He isn't gettin the TV news coverage that the others are, but the story of his firing from Grey's is permeating all the entertainment mags and websites. I'm done with him.

More from the mouth of Big Daddy

Darryl and I had our second class last night. Big Daddy and his significant other were a few minutes late, and I was a bit hopeful that they wouldn't show up. But no, they came, and this time, Big Daddy was wearing a skull cap/'do rag.

Big Daddy didn't have as many questions this week, but he did have one moment of, um, "brilliance."

The teacher was telling us about what happens immediately after the baby is born, and she mentioned that the baby gets a shot of Vitamin K very soon after birth.

Big Daddy raised his hand and said, "Yeah...speaking of shots, did you hear about that wrestler that killed his wife and kid, but he was giving his son steroid shots?" (What a connection there, dude--Vitamin K, steroids...virtually the same thing, right?) Several of the men (Darryl included) got up immediately and left the room because they were about to lose it. The teacher just quickly acknowledged the tragedy and then dismissed all of us for a break.

Another thing about Big Daddy--he is constantly leaving the room. He'll stay for about fifteen minutes and then leave for about ten. Last night, his eyes were half-closed most of the night. I really wonder what he's doing when he leaves the room...smoking a joint, maybe? Odd.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Two People I'm Sick of Hearing About

1. Paris Hilton
2. Rosie O'Donnell

Is anyone with me on this?

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Back from the mountains

Saturday, Darryl and I left with my parents for a cabin in the mountains near Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg. My aunt Winifred; cousin Andy and his wife, Leigh, and daughter, Lily; and Aunt Winifred's nephew Clint were staying in another cabin about a mile from us. We had a great time hanging out together and having a good, relaxing time. Unfortunately, I took very few pictures (I'm terrible), so I don't really have any good photos to show.

Sunday, we all went to Dollywood. I wasn't really sure what to expect from Dollywood. Country schtick aside, it is a really nice amusement park. It had quite a few rides for adventurous adults and older kids, and Lily seemed to enjoy the kids' section. This was my first venture to an amusement park when I couldn't ride anything, so that was a bit different. I ended up being "that person" that held eveyone's wallets, cell phones, and such. The park was very clean, and the food was VERY good. I had fried chicken for lunch, and then I had ham and pinto beans, turnip greens, and blackberry cobbler for dinner. Delicious! There were also stands selling fare such as fried green tomatoes, sausage sandwiches, ice cream with fresh berries...not your typical amusement park food.

Monday and Tuesday, we went to various places around Pigeon Forge and spent time shopping and eating. In the evenings, we just stayed in the cabins, playing Wii bowling and various board games.

And that brings me to today and our trek home. We made a spontaneous stop in Athens, Tennessee, at the Mayfield Dairy. While the tours were closed, we still managed to have some good ice cream. I had the Extreme Moose Tracks; I was really wanting some serious chocolate, and that really hit the spot.

All in all, it was a nice little vacation. I will be more than happy to sleep in my own bed tonight, though!

Saturday, June 23, 2007

My Father and the Wii

I probably won't post for a few days; Darryl and I are going with my parents to a cabin in the mountains and will be back Wednesday.

Last night, Darryl showed my dad how to bowl on the Wii, and this morning, my dad asked if we could take the Wii with us to the cabin. :)

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Poor Anteaters

Well, the Anteaters didn't make it last night. My interest in the CWS has waned, so I guess I was really addicted to the Anteaters instead of the series itself.

Big Daddy the Clueless One

(Before I begin this post, I want again to clarify that I'm not turning this into an "all baby" blog, but this story is too good to pass up.)

So Darryl and I are taking a Labor & Delivery class, and our first meeting was tonight. (The class meets one night a week for four weeks.) Yes, we know it is early in the game, but this class would be really difficult to do once school starts, and it is something I can check off the "to do" list.

Our class is made up of about nine couples, and it is just like the classes you see on TV--mats on the floor, teacher who talks in a soothing voice...the whole shebang.

Anyway, one of the couples is this guy and girl who look like they are in their mid-20s, and he had kind of a scruffy look and was wearing a ball cap. (Darryl noticed later that his nametag had his real name, and then under that he had written "Big Daddy.")

The teacher started mentioning everything we would cover in class, and she said that at some point we would talk about C-sections so we would know what to expect in case any of us have to have one.

Big Daddy's hand shot up in the air.

Big Daddy: I have a question about C-sections. How many births are C-sections?
Teacher: About one in four.
Big Daddy: Wow. Really?
Teacher: Yes.
Big Daddy: Is it true that a woman has to have a C-section if she has an STD?
(Big Daddy's significant other turns red, says something through her teeth, and punches him in the leg.)

Seriously, y'all--I was embarrassed for the girl. I could feel my face turning red when he asked that question. Couldn't that have been a question saved for, oh, the doctor or after class?

(I also feel the need to add here that I'm not judging anyone for having an STD, but I seriously doubt that is how a person would like to be introduced to a group of strangers that the person is stuck with for four weeks.)

Then, about 10 minutes later when we had to introduce ourselves, he made some comment like, "We ain't known each other very long." Okay.

Big Daddy continued to ask questions for the duration of the class, ranging from "Is breastfeeding hard?" to "If a baby is breech and starts coming out and the doctor has to do a C-section, do they just cram the legs back in?"

I think it is going to be an interesting class. And I have a feeling that I will have future posts about Big Daddy.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Randomness

I had a bit of a reality check when I went to the dentist yesterday. As the hygienist was scheduling my next appointment for January, she asked what time I'd like to come in. Just before I blurted out some random time, I realized that I needed to schedule a time when someone could watch the baby. Yikes. (I ended up taking the last appointment time of the day Darryl could leave work a little early to watch Coretta Scott.)

I think I might be addicted to the College World Series. I'm pulling for UC Irvine's Anteaters. They've never been to the CWS before and are the underdog. I stayed up until after 11 last night (which is late for me these days) to see how the nailbiter between them and Arizona turned out. (Both were facing elimination--how exciting!)

I had ice cream (after my dental appointment!) with Kim and enjoyed visiting with her. She has already bought Coretta the cutest toile outfit! (I also enjoyed my double-dark chocolate ice cream with a Reese's cup mix-in.)

Oh, Tim and Max, Darryl's coworkers like the name Coretta Scott, but they also have another suggestion: Hilary Rodham.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Progress

I promise not to turn this into an all-baby, all-the-time blog, but I just had to report our progress. Apparently, finding out the baby's gender has spurred us into action. Since Friday, we have done the following:

1--We bought baby furniture. We had an idea of what we wanted if we were having a boy, and we knew what we wanted if we were having a girl. Anyway, our plan was to find a crib and order it, but the place had it in stock already, so we figured we might as well take it. It is now in a box in the garage. Because the crib is white and therefore pretty easy to match, we decided to buy the dresser (also to be used as a changing table) and a nightstand (to be used when Baby Girl is older and for us to use now as a table next to the yet-to-be-purchased rocker) at a regular furniture store at a much lower price. Even though the store had those in stock, we were able to have them put to the side in the warehouse so that we weren't completely overwhelmed with furniture! (Another plus--all of this was well within our "baby furniture budget." Yea!)

2--Darryl finished building the shed behind our fence, so we have begun moving stuff from the garage to the shed, and stuff from our office to the garage. The baby's room will be what is currently our office, but now that we are both on laptops, we really don't need an office anymore. We just need a place to put our filing cabinet and a few other necessities.

3--We have found some carpet. We have carpet just in the three bedrooms, and it looks terrible, thanks to our dog, Abby. (I'll just say she has come a long way in housetraining since we moved into the house.) We were pretty much planning to replace it anyway because we want to sell our house in a couple of years, but while we're cleaning out/moving things around, we figure we might as well do it now. (And yes, I realize the baby will make her own stains on the carpet, but the carpet we have selected is darker than what we have now AND is stain resistant. I also think we may be getting a rug for the baby's room, just to be safe.)

You probably didn't find this post fascinating, but I'm really proud of our progress so far. I have to confess that Darryl has done most of the work, but I'm pitching in where I can. Our goal is to have the office emptied this week--if we can accomplish that, we are in good shape. I really want to get as much done as possible before school starts again.

Friday, June 15, 2007

It's a . . .


GIRL!!!!!!

Darryl and I are really excited! This pic is my favorite because it looks as though she is shaking her fist in the air. Yeah!

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

One Life to Live: The Musical

This post is mainly for Kim and Tim because I thought they would get a kick out of this...

While flipping through the channels today, I saw a promo for a special episode of One Life to Live--a "prom musical" that is airing Friday. I tried to find the promo on You Tube, but all I could find was this video, which may be even "better" than the promo.

This production apparently has it all: zippy choreography, romantic tension, teen angst, a positive message, a high school setting, a rivalry...shall I go on????

I know Kim will tune in; she LOVES pop musicals!!

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Babies, babies, babies

That was definitely the theme for yesterday.

My friend Jessica, who has a year-old son, was kind enough to take me through Babies R' Us, showing me some useful things, giving much-needed advice, and so on. I think between Jessica's recommendations and my favorite baby book, Baby Bargains, I am in pretty good shape when it finally comes time to register.

Last night, I became obsessed with looking up nursery themes/bedding online. I think it is amazing how I have a knack for picking out and liking the most expensive collections BEFORE I ever see the price. After some searching, though, I found some things I really like at reasonable prices. I'm just waiting for Friday, when I'll finally know the gender!

In the midst of my online search, I realized what was playing in the background on the TV--VH1 had some show on about the cutest celeb babies. (#1 was Britney Spears's Sean Preston, but I think my vote would have to go to Suri Cruise or Gwen Stefani's son, Kingston.)

So I completely felt immersed in all things baby yesterday. I have a feeling this is just the beginning...

Saturday, June 09, 2007

The Secret Life of Bees

I finished The Secret Life of Bees this morning. I really, really liked this book. I've noticed that it is appearing on more and more Honors reading lists (along with Life of Pi and The Kite Runner); I'm not sure I would ever assign it as a book I would teach to the whole class, but it might be a good contemporary lit option for independent reading.

I like the characters, the plot, the message, the setting, and the voice of the book. (I also found some of the beekeeping stuff pretty interesting.) My only complaint about the book is that sometimes it seemed to beat a dead horse a few too many times--Lily's longing for her mother, her emptiness inside...it is central to the book, but I think it is something that Kidd doesn't have to keep being quite as overt about. Other than that, though, I would recommend this one.

Thursday, June 07, 2007

Darryl, a.k.a. Superman

Darryl and I work in the kids' program (department, whatever you want to call it) at our church--Darryl's job is to pass out candy to kids as they walk in, and I work at the registration desk. Anyway, our church does this thing for kids every summer called "Summer Craze," and the theme is "Superheroes." As you can probably tell from the picture, part of the attire includes a red Superman cape. Darryl was oh-so-happy when he was told that although there weren't enough capes for all the workers to wear one, the "candy man" MUST wear the cape. (Jen, does Luke have one of these?)

Darryl also did not want me to post this picture. Oh, well...I think he looks smashing in this cape. The more I look at this picture, though, the more it makes me laugh. Darryl looks almost forlorn, holding his bucket of candy in one hand, very unthrilled to be wearing the satin cape. Ha.

Paris...Out Already

Ridiculous...but should anyone be surprised?

I'm sick of people not having to take responsibility for their actions. This is a huge problem with students at my school (dare I say that?), but I think it is just a huge problem in our country, period.

Okay, enough about that.

P.S. This should be my one and only post, ever, related to Paris H. :)

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

An observation

It stinks that now that I have time to watch TV, there is nothing on TV. :(

My summer vacation...so far

I haven't posted this week because there really hasn't been much to post about. I'm enjoying being off from school, but I've pretty much been a lazy bum most days. Here's a rundown of things that have happened or things that I've done when I haven't been lounging on the couch. :)

1) Darryl returned home from a business trip. Darryl went to South Africa for a business trip for two weeks and returned Saturday. I'm really glad he's back. (I had pretty much exhausted all conversation topics with the dog, anyway.)

2) Darryl and I saw Shrek the Third. It was okay, but I didn't think it was as good as the first two.

3) I've had to do fun medical stuff. Monday, I was convinced I had a urinary tract infection. (Is that TMI? I don't think so, right? It's a fairly common, talked-about ailment.) After spending three-plus hours driving to the doctor, waiting for the doctor, and driving back from the doctor, it turns out that it is highly likely I do NOT have a UTI. Tuesday, I had to have blood work done at a lab (not related to the UTI--this was a routine screening test). I've been pretty proud of myself with all this needle-sticking I've gone through in the past year. Some of you may know that I do not have a good track record with needles and such, but, knock on wood, I have had no issues so far. Maybe I'm finally turning into a big girl. (Look, that's true in more ways than one these days.)

4) I've finally gotten back to cooking on a consistent basis. I'll be honest--Darryl and I have definitely done much more eating out than eating in since I found out I was pregnant. At first, this was because my tastes seemed to change with the hour and there was no way to plan a menu, but then it just turned into "I don't feel like cooking" blahs. Now that school is out, though, and my tastes are somewhat more consistent, I have no excuses. Last night I fixed a pretty good Paula Deen pepper steak recipe (with blueberry cobbler for dessert!), and tonight I'm having good ol' meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

5) I watched The Queen and really enjoyed it. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. I confess that I was completely obsessed with Diana's death when it happened (yes, I actually woke up at the ungodly hour to watch the funeral live), and it was really neat (for lack of a better word) to see a "behind the scenes" look at the royal family and the relationship between the Queen and Tony Blair. I also see why Helen Mirren racked up during awards season.

That's about it.

Friday, June 01, 2007

Summer Vacation Officially Begins!

After a week (!) of post-planning, summer vacation has officially begun. So far, I've spent it by lounging in the chair-and-a-half, reading and watching TV. Somehow, I don't think much will change this summer.

Last summer, I had all these goals of losing weight, reading tons of books, and cleaning/organizing the house. Well, this summer, losing weight is a no-go, but I do want to attempt to eat healthier foods. I'm trying to work in more fruits and veggies. I also have some books on my reading list for the summer. Right now, I'm finishing The Secret Life of Bees, a book I began earlier in the semester but had to put on hold for what seemed to be a hectic semester.

I also need to do some cleaning and organizing. Our office has to be cleaned out for a baby's room, but that can't happen until the storage shed is built. Once that happens, though, we can do the fun stuff like decorating the baby's room. :)

Well, I better get back to my lounging...