The Core

The title has nothing to do with the post. I heard it yesterday. It's one of my favorite Eric Clapton tunes and it's been running through my brain.

Say a prayer to whatever God you believe in for me, please. I have been vomiting with the accompanying nastiness all day. Animal is scheduled for her ear tube surgery on Tuesday. Please pray this is either non-communicable food poisoning or neither she nor my husband catches it. Please, please, please. I tried to pass it off as morning sickness all day, afraid that if I spoke the words "stomach bug," someone else would immediately catch it. But, I don't think it is.

On a happier front, I got my second trimester ultrasound yesterday. #2 looks great. Everything present that should be, nothing that shouldn't be. The doctor said I have the same chances of having a child with chromosomal damage as a 20 year old. Glad something in my body still works like a 20 year old.

Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You

This has been on my mind for two days. I was listening to the news while making dinner two nights ago and heard that Fred Thompson stepped down from the presidential race. Not a surprise or disappointment. Then, I heard that Heath Ledger was found dead in his apartment. The announcement that poor Amy Winehouse has finally self-destructed would not have been a surprise. Sad and tragic, but not a surprise. This took me by surprise. I don't know why it has hit me like it has, but I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. I was a fan, but not a superfan or anything. I'm embarrassed to admit, I loved him the most in his cheesiest roles. Who couldn't adore that coy smile singing to Julia Stiles in 10 Things I Hate About You? I normally can come up with about 100 things I detest about movies like that, but I loved that one from the start, largely because I found him charming and talented and ridiculously cute. I thought A Knight's Tale was fun and he and his merry band of boys were adorable. And, I'm a sucker for a movie with a pop soundtrack. He was of course brilliant in Monster's Ball and Brokeback Mountain and I am looking forward to seeing him play Bob Dylan. He struck me as genuine and smart in a sea of crappy actors and actresses in his age bracket.

I haven't been able to get him out of my head. He's the age of my youngest brother. He has a beautiful little daughter that will not have her dad around to eat ice cream with, or send her off to her first day of school. He has a family a million miles away who didn't get to see him before he died. The media are pathetic sharks, just hoping for a scrap of dirt to find this was anything but an accident.

I don't even know why I'm blogging about it. Think of his family as they mourn their loss. I guess that's all I wanted to say.

Wordless Wednesday 1 23 08

Alaska.

Shake Your Booty

I'm a horrible mother. We need to find another daycare for Animal. ASAP. My husband picked her up today, brought her home, and the first thing I noticed when they came home was she was wearing her extra pants. Artwork casualty? Yogurt fun? Nope. Her pants were too small. Now, we started the morning in a pair of jeans that looked too tight to me. I asked my husband if he concurred and he replied something to the effect that they would be fine if she was disco dancing at Studio 54. Okay, so I changed them into a pair of jeans in the next size up. Which I never thought I'd see. I thought she would go to college wearing 12 month pants, my poor short baby. These still seemed a bit snug around the middle. Nobody likes that. But they were bigger-how could that be bad??? I'm mortified. I spent some time tonight putting ALL her 12 month pants away plus anything of any size that looks remotely small. I can't believe I let her go to school like that. This, from a woman who would be very happy living in yoga pants for the rest of her life. I HATE pants that are too tight. Someone should have called child services on me.

She's fresh, to boot. And that's my doing as well. She threw her cereal bowl on the floor this morning. I picked it up, put it in the sink and proceeded to explain to her (in her face) why this was wrong, why food didn't belong on the floor, how she should use her words when she's done, blah, blah, blah Ginger. She looked me dead in the face, cocked her little head and said "Meow." Cause she's cute AND manipulative like that. I managed not to laugh, and "sternly" (or at least that's how it was in my head) said this was not about cats. She replied with "Woof." We are in trouble. Lots and lots of trouble.

Crazy

I can't believe I'm watching American Idol while attempting to work. I have never sat through an entire episode, yet can't wait to hear the run downs the next morning. The worst part is they were in Philly, and being an ex-Pennsylvania girl, I'm horrified by the myriad of freaks parading through their auditions. Way to represent, people.
C-R-A-Z-Y.

If I Had a Million Dollars

This is totally random and totally irrelevant to life, but I had to share. I was home sick last week, and turned on the television while doing some work and eating lunch (multi-tasking, anyone?). Not much is on during the day, especially when you don't have cable. Who Wants to Be a Millionaire found its way onto my screen and I was half paying attention. I looked up from the work, thought, "Oh, he's a cutie" about the guy playing. Then I thought "He has a familiar look about him." Then Meredith called him by his first name and I thought, "I KNOW HIM!!!" He was one of my first students when I started teaching undergraduates. I was floored. I don't know why I was floored by it, but I was. He was one of my baseball players I tutored, so I'm a bit ashamed I didn't recognize him right away, but I wasn't expecting to know someone playing. He did well-$25,000. The question that took him down was obscure-something about what the Guinness Book of World Records judges fast talkers with-what document they recite. Who the hell knows that? I certainly don't. He did have to phone a friend on what Johnny Cakes are made of-shame on you, Matt!!! Granted, you grew up in Washington State, but you still spent four years in Connecticut. Come on!!!
Anywho, like I said, random and not relevant in the grand scheme of things. But now I have two degrees of separation to Meredith Viera, which means I have three to Matt Lauer. And that's a good thing.

Give Me Three Steps

Okay, I have five minutes to write before I have to run. I yearn for a day I can sit down and ramble on for paragraphs about what's going on in my confused little brain. Soon, hopefully. I'm sure you can't wait. Ha.
The trip home was stellar. Animal was AWESOME in the car, a first for my little sweetie, who has a record of screaming to the point of vomiting in the past when subjected to the five minute car ride to the grocery store. No crying. No vomiting. Sweet. She was incredible with my folks, finally. She wanted her Grandpa to play with her and Nana to read to her and visit the fish in the little pond next door. She let them hold her, kiss her, and take her out of my sight, all without massive tears and screeching.
The interview was insightful. The process itself I think went rather well. The head of the CR department is great. I'd give my left arm to work for him. The other two interviewers were also very cool. It's a place I'd love to work, doing things I am trained to do, in a state I am familiar with. I think I answered the questions honestly and with information they wanted to hear. HOWEVER (there's always one of those, isn't there?), the CR head informed me twice that although I'm completely qualified for this position, I would be even more marketable if I finished my PhD. I agree, but sometime in the near future, I'd like to pay my bills, spend time with my husband and kids, lead a relatively normal existence. I'd love to chip away at my dissertation at the same time, but would have to see how the job and move go first. They are making the decision by the beginning of February, so I'll wait to hear. I won't be surprised if I don't get an offer. Nonetheless, it was the most enlightening interview I have ever been through.
It's flurrying here. We got the most beautiful snow yesterday-that heavy, stick to every last branch storm. I love New England.

Road to Nowhere

I checked my calendar on the computer. Yup, it's January. It's also 65 degrees in Connecticut. Or, it was yesterday. This morning it was 56 degrees. Global warming, anyone?

I go to Pennsylvania tomorrow for my interview on Friday. I have been smacked with a raging sinus infection, so that should be a nice touch to my first impression. Animal is feeling better, though, so the drive home should be a little more pleasant than it would have been a week ago.

Clinton and McCain. Interesting. I love a good political race. I like McCain (for a Republican-sorry, Dad). He's the least offensive on the Republican ticket to me. I can't wait to barb my dad on the whole turn of events. We don't ever see eye to eye on politics, and the exchange is usually fun.

Have a good few days, people. I'll let you know how things go south. If you want to read about a happy camper in the meantime, check out my BFF's posts about her new outlook (http://jessica213.blogspot.com/) on life. Love it. It's great to see someone deserving be happy. It's been a long time coming and few deserve it more. You go girl.

Wordless Wednesday 1 9 08

Cabin fever hits our household.

Another Day

Okay. It's a definite now. I'm certifiably nuts. Not the kind that has voices in my head suggesting I run down the street naked or anything (GOD forbid), but plain old crazy. My in-laws got us one of those Garmin portable GPS units for our car. I had it in my car yesterday. I deviated from the directions and promptly felt disobedient for not listening to the authoritative voice coming from the box, guilty for making her "RECALCULATE", and annoyed that someone was, yet again, telling me what to do. The men with the lovely strapped white jackets will be waiting for me soon. And, that won't do-white before Memorial Day???

Animal is obsessed with Elmo DVDs. Obsessed might be a mild term. I refuse to let her be one of those kids that stands transfixed in front of the television, worshipping the little red guy. But, she just about jumps out of her skin with excitement when he comes on. We have Elmo books, coloring books, games, but sometimes the DVD is the only thing she begs for. Must put a stop to this. Somehow.

I go home to PA for yet another interview on Friday. Wish me luck.

Today is my birthday. My older brother got me the Sting Lyrics book and a zip drive full of his music. He rocks. My brother, that is. Sting does, too, for that matter. We are getting Mexican take out tonight. No preparation, no clean up. What could be better??? Plus, I have been craving everything spicy since I have been pregnant. When I'm not on the verge of a hurl, that is. I could eat salsa straight out of the jar with a spoon. Besides the Mexican, it's a pretty typical day=laundry, mounds of dishes (how do three people generate so freaking many dishes???), cleaning, dealing with a baby that's been sick for a week and three people who haven't slept in as many days. Ah, good times.

Gone, Gone, Gone

I noticed I lost a reader. I am so sorry I have been such a load about posting. No excuses.

I Got the Blues

If I have to see Mike Huckabee play the guitar to some hackneyed quasi-blues song one more time, I may have to move to Canada. It worked for Clinton, but he wasn't a right-wing borderline-Fundamentalist. I appreciate the effort, Mike, but stop. Please.