Ominous, perhaps?

My mother and I went to get Dim Sum at a local Chinese place by the house. My fortune cookie predicted this, "Today, give control over to another person. It is definite."

I must say when I read this, I got goosebumps. Maybe today's the day?

Violet's Rocking Chair

This has to be one of my favorite pieces of furniture that Violet owns. This rocking chair was a gift from my mother-in-law. We LOOOVE this chair, despite the fact that Violet won't be able to use it for awhile.

Week 39

Yeeeees, I am still pregnant. I haven't felt so much as a stomach cramp. This waiting game thing sucks. Though, I have been talking a lot to Carm who has shared with me newborn stories (sleepless nights, communication barriers, etc.) that makes me wonder if Violet is better off in the womb. ha ha.

Benson's anticipation!

Benson found the perfect place to perch (or not to perch) his chest!

I call this picture, "Comfy Beast."

Setting up for Violet.

This is our living room! Joe set up the Graco Sweetpeace today. You can also see our glider and ottoman.

Some new things we've learned...

We went to the doctor's office yesterday for my weekly visit. I was really hoping that our doctor would tell me that I was 6 cm dilated and that I've been having crazy contractions but just not feeling them because I have a strong pain tolerance... Alas, my doctor told me that I was still 1 cm dilated, there have been no real contractions, and that it looks like Violet will be making her due date.

We did learn, however, that if things progress and I dilate to 3 cm by Wednesday or Thursday (March 12-13ish), he would induce me on Friday, March 14th! *KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED* That means Joe and I could have our baby girl in LESS THAN TWO WEEKS!!!! AHHHHHHH!!!

Sooo, one of three things can happen:

1. Violet comes on her own in these next two weeks.
2. I dilate to 3 cm before March 12-13th, and get induced on the 14th.
3. I don't dilate enough by mid-March, wait another week, and then get induced (assuming that she doesn't come on her own by that point).

What will happen? Only time will tell...

Week 38

We took the Winnie Palmer Hospital tour last night. I would look forward to my stay there if I didn't have to go through the whole "mind-numbing pain" part. The rooms look like hotel rooms and the staff sounds very with-it. They are the #1 birthing hospital in Florida, #2 in the nation. SOO-- if anything goes wrong with labor and delivery, rest-assured, they've had lots of experience and tons of specialists!

I think that I may be coming down with a cold too. My nose has been running non-stop since Sunday and I have a teeny tiny sore throat. Fun times!!

As we were touring the Labor and Delivery Ward, I kept my hand on my stomach and told Violet, "Momma's ready sweetheart..."

Violet's Stroller and Diaper Bag

So what's the big deal? It's just a diaper bag...

Who knew that it would take me 8 loooong months to find the perfect diaper bag. As soon as I found out that we were expecting, I went crazy and researched for hours online trying to find the perfect diaper bag. After 8 long months of searching, I finally found it... on eBay of all places. So I found an eBay seller whose store is called Watermelon Wishes. This lady makes kick ass bags (mostly diaper bags) and will customize them to your unique specifications in a jiff! Not only was she nice and patient with my incessant requests, but she shipped the bag out fast too!

So now I have the crib, stroller, and diaper bag (oh yea, and Rock Band)... Still waiting on the baby.

Weekly Doctor Visits

My last appointment was on Thursday. I am happy to say that my pregnancy is progressing very well! I am already 1 cm dilated and the baby's head is still positioned downward. Hooray! I asked my doctor if there was any sign that indicated that Violet would arrive sooner. Statistically speaking, he said, most first time moms have their babies around their due dates. All well. I was hoping she might come a little earlier... I miss sleeping on my back and tummy. I miss having a non-swollen body as well.

Week 37

So she's finally starting to descend! Violet is dropping lower in my pelvis which means she's getting ready to enter the world :). I don't know if you can see the difference but my belly seems more effected by gravity. My stomach is drooping down more so than it had been my entire pregnancy.

Yesterday, at Kmart, the cashier asked me if I was having a boy. There is an old wives tale that believes if you're pregnant with a boy, you carry him in the lower part of your abdomen, while a girl is carried higher up. I simply smiled and told her, "No, I'm having a girl! She's actually just starting to drop!!" The cashier smiled at me and gave that all-knowing look that said, you're in for it lady. The baby is coming soon.

Lamaze Class Part 2

So Joe and I have officially graduated from Lamaze class. I highly recommend the class for people who have any sort of apprehensions about going to the hospital to deliver the baby. The class is very informative and tells you basically everything that you might need to know when your "moment" has come. They tell you what to expect, what they'll have you do, and how to cope with the pain. Overall, a positive experience.

With that said, this is pregnancy week 37. AHHH! Similar to the first trimester, these last few weeks seem to drag on and on and on. "Any day now," is what my Lamaze instructor told us. It could be today, tomorrow, next week, or next month. AHHH! The anticipation is overwhelming.

Lamaze Class Part 1

Out of the 7 couples in our Lamaze Class, 6 are expecting a little girl. The 7th couple want to keep it a surprise (girls everywhere!). Two couples want to have a "natural birth" (read: no epidurals or meds to help alleviate pain) and the youngest couple just adopted a puppy Weimaraner (what are they thinking?).

Joe and I went into our weekend long Lamaze class with low expectations-- so low that we had made a pact that we would "haul ass" if it turned out to be mind-numbing. Turns out, it depends on who is teaching your Lamaze class and her ability to crack jokes. Our Lamaze nurse said that every time you celebrate your child's birthday, all the good AND bad things that your husband/coach did on the day of delivery will repeat itself in story-telling form. For example, if the coach does something good, Mom will retell the stories and Coach gets "bonus points with interest." However on the flip side-- while in the midst of the strongest contractions, women like to blame men for "what he did" to her. Our Lamaze nurse suggested to the husbands that labor and delivery was not the time to remind her that it takes two to make a child.

More babies!

Carmelina and my cousin, Mildy, both had baby boys yesterday!! Congrats!!

Week 36

4 more weeks left. Holy Sh*#.

Baby Finn

Babies are coming out! April (my sister-in-law) had her baby on Sunday. He's so cute! Here is a picture of Baby Finn, his big brother Will, and Uncle Joe in the hospital room on the day that he was born. He's so precious!

Skooter Action Pictures!

Skooter LOVES this red tennis ball. He'll roll it, chase it, put it in his mouth, and then roll it around some more.

Violet's Crib

This is for you, Shayna.

About a month ago, I was on the phone with Shayna. Apparently, she was unaware that some women's belly buttons "pop out" when they are pregnant. Quite disgusted, I promised her that if it happened to me, I would post a picture of me for her on the blog. Well, as you can see, my belly button didn't pop out but it definitely stretched out a lot. Up to this point, I only was taking profile pictures. Last night, I had Joe take a picture of me from the front. I look ENORMOUS. Well, I feel enormous. So here I am at 35 weeks!

Weigh In

Finally, a normal weight gain.

Each time I go to the doctor for a check-up, they have to take my weight. I have been growing consistently bigger with each visit... but apparently at an eye-opening rate! The last visit, my doctor put me on a "no-salt" diet. I interpreted "no-salt" to mean-- don't add any extra salt and eat low sodium stuff. Soooo for the past two weeks (last weekend excluded, we went to Boca and I indulged in chicken mcnuggets and fries) I have been sticking to that regime. My swollen fingers and feet have gone down in size and I find that my back doesn't ache as much as it had been. Hooray!

I went to the doctor yesterday for a check-up and a sonogram. Of course, I had to weigh in and found that I had only gained 2 lbs in 2 weeks! Awesome!! Finally my weight gain is "normal." My total weight, however, is not. Now I weigh a whopping 180lbs and if I can keep my weight gain normal, I should be 185lb by the time Violet is born.

5 more weeks to go!

Settling

Sooo-- life has been hectic. We've been busy buying stuff in preparation for Violet (crib, stroller, rocker, etc.) and setting up the house. I finally met my doctor and am feeling more and more like a Florida resident with every passing day (though, with that said, I can still picture my San Diego house and feel as if our belongings are still there). We signed up for a Lamaze/ Child preparation class. We discovered the local dog park (only a 10 minute drive! woo hoo!) and, of course, I have discovered the local mall ;).

We only have 6 more weeks of this pregnancy thing left. I must admit, women aren't lying when they say that the last trimester, specifically, the last month of pregnancy is incredibly uncomfortable. Last week I found it hard to breath because Violet found a "comfy" spot for her feet in my lungs. This week, the extra weight has taken a toll on my energy level and all I want to do is nap. Yey! For! Pregnancy!

4D sonograms

Right after Christmas, Joe and I signed up for a 4-D sonogram (the 4th dimension is movement). We got to see Violet in full force! She was moving around, waving her left hand, sticking out her tongue, practicing her breathing, swallowing, blinking... It was crazy!! This is our favorite picture of her.

In Orlando

We finally got to see our new place in Orlando! It's exceeded our expectations so we are pleasantly surprised and happy with our online choice :). I'll have to take pictures when we settle in a little more and get a new digital camera.

We have been busy these past few weeks trying to settle in and see family so we could celebrate the holiday cheer. Needless to say, I haven't been near a computer long enough to actually post something decent. But don't worry! Things here are good and everything should be calmer by the new year. :)

Merry Belated Christmas and Happy Early New Year!! :)

We finally made it!

Goodness-- after, uhhh, 4 (or was it 5?) days in the car, I was soo happy to finally see I-275 and familiar Tampa street signs.

The road trip was overall a positive experience. My brother, Joe, the puppies (Skooter is doing well by the way), the turtles, and I left Tuesday after the movers, the car guy, and the pest control guy came and did their things. We went to the dealership and then tried to have one last meal at the Curry House. Too bad they were closed for that "in between" lunch and dinner period. We ended up at the yummy Dumpling Inn instead. Next stop, Tucson, AZ.

We literally were a mile away from the AZ border when CA decided to give us a going away gift-- a speeding ticket! CA wanted to take our money one last time before we said good-bye as their residents. Damn the Po-Po. We didn't get to Tucson until almost midnight. We checked in the at the La Quinta. They served hot waffles for breakfast :).

The next morning, we woke up as early as one could, hit the road again and made the 12 hour drive to San Antonio. Similar situation, we didn't get there until midnight. Texas is one helluva large state. The La Quinta in San Antonio had waffles too-- but they were shaped like the state of Texas.

So what are we on now, day 3? Yes, so on day 3, we drove only 4 hours to Houston because we have friends there. We decided to spend the rest of the day eating (I love you Tres Leches) and had a wonderful time. We caught up with Jerry, Indu, and Jay.

Day 4 we drove to New Orleans. Stayed at the Sheraton Hotel off of Canal Street. It was walking distance to Bourbon Street and Cafe du Monde. We had jambalaya dinners and beignets and coffee for dessert. My pregnant belly was starting to get really really heavy by the end of New Orleans-- back aches, leg cramps, oiy.

Day 5 was our last day on the road. As soon as we entered the panhandle of FL, we were greeted with heavy rains and bad driving conditions. We drove all the way into Gainesville so I could eat my club sandwich from McAllistor's deli. We finally made it into Tampa last night around 9:30pm.

Ahhh, home sweet home.

Skooter goes into surgery today.

We went to the vet yesterday and he looked over Skooter's paw. He said that there was "healthy bleeding" and some tissue left. They cut off most of his paw pad on his back right paw so we won't know how well his foot will heal until it heals. The vet techs gave him a fresh bandage and taped a heart on it!

I have to drop off Skooter sometime this morning, they're going to gas him and close up his teeny tiny paw. Wish us luck!!

The toughest guy I know.

Awful. Yesterday was awful. It was supposed to be a fun day (read: not packing) running errands around town. We (Joe, Skooter, Benson and I) were getting evacuated out of the house because the pest control guy was coming to spray the house for fleas. Joe and I had decided that our agenda would include Berta's in Old Town for lunch, Hillcrest to trade in some clothes at the Buffalo Exchange, Mission Valley, Dog Park, and then Costco. We chose these places because they were all dog-friendly and the dogs deserved one last fun day driving around dog-friendly San Diego.

Anyways, the day started off kinda rocky. The flea guy arrived to our house and says, "Oh, I forgot to ask if you're pregnant." Apparently, if they sprayed for fleas, Joe and I had to leave the house for 24 hours and not the 4 hours that was initially suggested when I called to schedule the appointment. We had to reschedule for next week.

By this point, I was still itching to get out of the house and we had made up a fun agenda that we decided that we would take the dogs with us anyways and run our errands. Berta's was yummy. Joe got a new pair of jeans at the Buffalo Exchange. Next stop, Mission Valley.

Mission Valley, for those of you who haven't been there, is a mall. The shopping area is directly above the parking garage. In order to get to the mall area, you park underneath and ride up these (slightly inclined) moving sidewalks and viola! You're in the middle of the mall.

As we entered the mall, Skooter's back toe got caught on the moving sidewalk (I guess they're called inclinators). He was stuck. The inclinator was still moving and you could see the endless, black inclinator tiles as they passed underneath his trapped paw. Skooter didn't make a sound, no yelp, no cry, nothing. I was stunned. Joe dropped down really fast and pulled Skooter 's toe free from the inclinator tile. He put Skooter on the floor and Skooter still had his happy and enthusiastic "I'm ready to shop" breathing pant. We didn't realize that he was bleeding until he moved his paw. There was blood everywhere. Joe scooped up Skooter and ran him into the bathroom. We were trying to examine his paw but couldn't see the damage because there was blood everywhere. I called the vet while Joe washed out his paw in the men's bathroom. From what we could tell, Skooter's nail ripped out and one of his paw pads was sliced by the escalator. The next thing you know, we're in the car, hauling ass to the vet.

When we got to the vet, they had to sedate him because the pain was in full force now (mind you, he still wasn't crying but he definitely wasn't letting the vet touch his paw). They took x-rays and cleaned out the wound the best as they could. The x-rays showed that Skooter was missing a knuckle. The force of the moving inclinator pulled out his an entire knuckle on his back right paw. They have to suture his paw pad but couldn't yesterday because there was still microscopic dirt that they weren't able to get to because his paw pad was sliced so badly by the inclinator. So they sent us home with Skooter's foot as an open wound. We have to go back to the vet today so they can change Skooter's bandage and see how much salvageable tissue is left. They might be able to save his paw pad on the toe if they see enough healthy tissue today. If not, then his paw pad will never grow back-- it'll just be a really thin layer of skin. His toe nail is gone forever. He essentially declawed himself. His activity is strictly limited for the next 14 days.

So why is he the toughest guy I know? Well, first of all, he didn't make a peep. He didn't cry bloody murder when his paw got stuck... not one noise. He put on his tough guy face and was still like, "Mom and Dad want to go shopping and I won't stop them because my toe was just pulled off by the inclinator." Secondly, in the car ride to the vet, despite the fact that he was bleeding over everything (Joe's clothes were bloody and the dogs' car blanket was bloody), he would still give you kisses if you put your face down next to his. He's a tough guy with a soft heart! What a combo (and Ladies, some of you didn't think that they really existed). Lastly, in the car ride over, he still wanted to perch his head out so he could see out of the car. Apparently, who feels pain when there is a road trip involved?

The vet techs said that dogs try not to show any signs of pain because it shows the pack that they're weak. Skooter, you are not weak. You may look handsome and fuzzy and you may prance when running from room to room but-- You. Are. The. Toughest. Guy. I. Know.

The Daily Coyote

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a pet coyote?

Goodwill Donations

On their website, they have a list of things that you can and can't donate. On the can't donate list: orthopedic limbs.

Baby Showers R fun!

Yesterday, after attending my last THREAD show as a San Diego resident (*le sigh*), Kacey and Amanda hosted a small baby shower for Baby Russo and I. We made pita pizzas (an excellent idea for any gathering), gabbed, ate cake and opened gifts!! It's crazy how much other people are anxiously anticipating Baby Russo's arrival into this world-- it's not just Joe and I.

Thank-you everyone for all of the gifts!! Baby Russo has got some rockin' new threads :).

Let's compare, shall we?

The top picture above was taken at 23 weeks (before Thanksgiving). The bottom picture was taken at 25 weeks. I feel like my stomach is going to explode soon but I know that it won't. It's just going to get bigger!

Garage Sale Day #2

Today, an old Italian couple wanted the dogs. They also noticed that we had an Italian last name. They said that they knew an old man who had our last name who had just moved to San Diego. Too bad we were moving, they said, because he was rich and didn't have any children.

Then, the little Italian lady pulled our her wallet to show me some pictures that were taken of her before she left Rome some forty years ago. There was a picture of her with a dashing young man. She said in her cute Italian accent, "This was my boyfriend before I got married." I said, "Your husband must love knowing that you have a picture of your ex in your wallet." She said, "Shh... He doesn't know that I have it."

Garage Sale Day #1

As soon as the garage sale signs went up this morning, our garage was flooded with people. We had people from all walks of life going through our junk for hours on end. One couple bought almost every large ticket item we had (small dining table with 4 chairs, exercise bench, weights, this weird glider thing we had, you get the picture). Anyways, I told the wife that we also had a patio table for sale in the backyard and asked her if she wanted to see it. As I walked her through the house, she started to play with Benson and Skooter. She smiled and said to me, "I asked your husband if your dogs were for sale too. He said, 'No.'"

Packing while pregnant

Usually when I pack my clothes, it's a big debacle. Should I pack this? Might I wear that? Would I wear this to that? It turns into a constant back-and-forth in my head. I end up packing a quarter of my clothes, donating another quarter to Goodwill, and leaving half of my closet still full because I've fully convinced myself that I "might" wear those pieces before the big move.

I discovered yesterday, however, that packing clothes while in the latter half of your 2nd trimester is glorious! Because I can't fit my clothes anymore, I just packed everything! I didn't have many things to donate because last spring, I had already gone through my clothes and donated about 7-8 garbage bags of clothes to Goodwill. The clothes that now remain in my closet are my maternity clothes that I don't have that much of! No fuss, no muss!

I'm leaving all the heavy lifting and shuffling around of boxes to Joe. He's been a trooper.

The packing is coming along nicely. We've cleaned out the garage and now are working on the "junk/computer" room of the house. We're still working on finding an actual place to move into but have my brother and Greg working on contacting some rentals for us. Joe's mom and his brother will go house-hunting for us on Friday and hopefully we'll know where we will live in just a few short days. You gotta love family.

Anyways, I hope that everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving! I plan on gorging myself with all sorts of food so stay tuned for more pictures :). Gobble gobble!

Too honest

Apparently I was too honest with the eBay auction that they removed my post yesterday. All well... I can always try to find another venue to sell it OR, just suck it up and keep it. Either rate.

Oh yea, I went to my doctor's appointment yesterday and "weighed" in. I gained 8 lbs in 1 month!! OH NO! According to my pregnancy book, I'm only supposed to gain a pound a week. oops.

eBay woes

Inspired by Annemarie, I decided that I should slowly start selling off my expansive purse collection on eBay. For my first item, I decided to put up a USED Louis Vuitton handbag up for sale. I bought the purse online about 2 years ago. The lady I bought it from said that it was real. I wasn't holding my breath on it being the real thing because I got it for less than market value. I set the bidding to $49.99 and watched the bidding go up as the days went by. I didn't think that I would make more than $60. Yesterday, I checked my item and saw that the buyers had bidded my purse up to $455.00. Holy moly.

Yesterday, I decided to take the post down because as Joe said, "Someone obviously believes that it's real." Also, my pictures didn't pick up on the blemishes that I talked about in my description as well as I hoped it would. So thanks to advice from Amanda and Kacey, I tinkered around with my camera functions and found a setting that took better pictures of the purse. I relisted the purse today and added more detail in my description.

If it still goes for $455 by the end, I won't take the auction off. I will happily accept the money and be done with it. If it goes for $25, I will feel a-okay too because I just want to sell it already.

Karma's a bitch. I don't want to piss off karma right before we move and before our my baby is born :).

I really feel that my stomach grew an astronomical amount this past week.

Orlando, here we come!

Joe and I are moving back east to Florida!! Yey! Joe got the contract today. Joe's new company wants him to start work by January 7th which means that we have to move soon, soon, soon!! We'll probably be in San Diego for another month, at most. We most likely are going to hire movers to move out the big stuff and Joe and I will drive the minivan, with doggies in tow, across the country back home. We hope to be in Florida in time for Christmas Eve. We'll be living in Orlando and probably finding a house or apartment that will let us lease on a temporary basis. We hope to buy a house soon :).

It's still slowly sinking in... the reality of it all. I will miss San Diego terribly but am looking forward to the next chapter in life!

I have baby brain.

I find that I can't retain information anymore. I wonder why that is? Less blood flowing into my brain?

My belly at 21 weeks.

21st week of pregnancy

Joe and I really wanted a minivan before we got pregnant. We always talked about how convenient and comfortable a minivan would be after driving around the maroon Toyota Sienna Deck had purchased for his mom a few years ago. BUT, since I got pregnant and the reality of buying a new car was in the horizon, I found myself reluctant. I didn't think that we were "old" enough for a minivan yet. I figured that a minivan would immediately age us by 10 years and we could kiss any "street cred" we had good-bye. I mean, c'mon, minivans are family cars... FAMILY CARS. Joe and I are married but when the word family comes to my mind, I think tired mothers and responsibility. I wasn't ready for that yet!

That was, not until recently. The reality of my pregnancy becomes more and more apparent to me and the whole world with every passing day. I'm showing now. I have a belly and it's round and firm. I actually got my first unsolicited, "Are you pregnant?" comment from a Forever 21 sales girl on Friday. She said that I "glowed." Bless her little young soul...

So who am I kidding? Family is staring at me in the face. My belly can no longer be ignored (especially when she kicks, punches, and jabs). I look at the belly and it appears to be speaking to me. It says, "Look lady, you're going to have me soon enough. You know the minivan is what I want. Suck it up. You have to be practical and responsible now. Do what is best for your family."

So yesterday, Joe and I decided to go car shopping. Our intent was to test drive the car and scope out the bells and whistles before we committed to buying anything. We ended driving home in a champagne colored Toyota Sienna.

The Russo's are a minivan family.

Our baby is a ___.

We're having a little girl! YEY! We couldn't be happier. Well, Joe and I would have been happy either way. So here's the baby tally:

Pregnant with boys (4): April, Carmelina, Brittan, and Mandy (but she's not pregnant anymore because she just had her little boy a few weeks ago).

Pregnant with girls (2): Charina and me!

Pregnant with unknown gender (1): Debbie

I shared the news with my mom as soon as we left the doctor's office. She was so giddy. Finally, after all the stuff that she'd been through these past 5-6 years, I'm glad that Joe and I could do something to make her squeal.

Squealing moms are adorable.

News should be coming soon!

Tomorrow, I'll be 20 weeks pregnant--that's halfway through the pregnancy! The baby has been moving and kicking a lot and seems to respond to the book that Joe and I bought the other day. We should be finding out the gender on Monday!! AH! I'm so excited :) :) :).

Witch Creek Fire, Harris Fire, Rice Fire, oh so many more...

Don't worry! Joe and I are safe! We were close to the fire but not close enough to get evacuated.

Florence and Phong live up in 4S and came to our house as soon as they heard there was a fire and that it was in their neighborhood. They just bought and moved into their house a few months ago! They stayed at our house for a day and a night before leaving for LA yesterday. Joe and I have been making phone calls to check up on friends, making sure that they all have a place to stay. A friend of mine from the restaurant, who lives just a mile away from us, was evacuated from her apartment on Monday night. Joe's old house (KC, Kelsea, and Amanda still live there) was also evacuated. Everyone that I know that was evacuated hasn't had a major catastrophe yet. But, with that said, people are now just being allowed to slowly trickle back into the areas that burnt earlier this week.

The air quality in San Diego is poor. On Sunday, I smelt smoke in the air and thought that our neighbors were bbq-ing for football Sunday. When I went to close all the windows later that night, I noticed black ash had fallen into our house. I knew that a fire was near (Joe and I were here for the Cedar Fires four years ago. Basically, it was the same scene). Smoke had completely filled the air and ash was everywhere! It didn't smell like a bbq now, but more like we were standing right next to a campfire... Just imagine your entire neighborhood smelling that way...

The next morning, I went to sub for Joy's 4th grade class. The air was smokier than before and an orange-y color. Thirty minutes into school, the district decided to close all public schools so we scrambled to make phone calls home to have the kids picked up. It's pretty much been oddly chaotic and calm since that point. We've been plastered to the news, watching for any updates.

Phong, Florence, Joe, and I tried to pass time playing fun games like Bohnanza! and The Settlers of Cattan (if you like playing games, I HIGHLY recommend buying both of these games).

Joe and I spent Tuesday watching TV, waiting for news and updates. We tried to get our mind off of things and went to Barnes and Nobles (but it was closed), Babies'R'Us (we still haven't bought anything yet), Target (we bought our baby it's first book!) and had dinner over at Athena and John's house. It seems like weeks have gone by, but really... it's only Wednesday. School has been canceled the rest of the week. Joe's work is on a voluntary basis. Even though we're safe, I'm in a state of disbelief and shock. It's weird knowing that neighborhoods you often frequent are now burnt down.

So, to top off today's post, I decided to include this picture of this puppy in a hot dog bun. It always brings a smile to my face :).

My jeans don't fit anymore...

I know that I've been complaining about my pre-maternity jeans being tight and uncomfortable but I discovered this thing from a Pea in the Pod that's called a Tummy Sash. Essentially, it's a large bandeau that goes over your jeans to keep them up so you don't have to zip up. They were doing a great job up until last night. My jeans were so tight that I think I might have accidentally pissed the baby off. I guess I would be mad too if my personal arm and leg room were suddenly confined by ill-fitting jeans... I need to be more considerate of the womb... I should stop watching Season Two of Grey's Anatomy and go buy a pair of maternity jeans.

Oh yea, tomorrow Joe and I have another doctor's appointment. Wish us luck!

I was in a F-15E yesterday.

Huh? What? Planes? Yes, I know very little about planes but had a crash-course in plane-ing yesterday thanks to Phillip.

Joe, Phillip, and I all went to high school together and now, Phillip flies jet planes (the F-15E) for the Air Force. Holy crap. Anyways, he was at the Miramar Air Show over the weekend and invited us (via Jason, his twin brother-- who was my high school prom date) to get VIP treatment at the Air Show. We got access to all the planes (even the restricted ones that were taped off to lowly civilians!), meet pilots, eat free food, and sit in "special blocked off seating." It was super fun but my ears (and legs) hurt by the time we left. Here are some pictures... (I must admit, I'm getting better with this whole picture thing aren't I? ;)).

Joe actually got to climb into the backseat of Phillip's jet but couldn't touch anything because the controls were active. The ejector seat was working and one wrong button push from Joe and out of the plane he goes!
Phillip actually got to fly his plane all the way over from North Carolina. The empty missile Phillip has his hand on is where they store their luggage... golf clubs, clothes, and whatnot.
Phillip is a demo pilot who is PAID to perform stunts for Air Shows for the next two years. That means no overseas deployment during that time. Yey! Thanks again Phillip for a great time :).

Kauai Pictures

It's taken me a while to finally upload our vacation pictures from Kauai. I think that I was inspired by Kevin and Jenn when I talked to them earlier this week. Kev mentioned that they were going through vacation pictures and actually printing them out. Not just uploading mind you, but PRINTING... They're actually making tangible pictures and I haven't even been bothered as to so much as upload Joe and I's vacation pictures on my computer. Anyways, when I woke up this morning, I decided, today is the day. Carpe diem, damn it.

We spent 9 (or was it 10 days) in Kauai in August. We had planned the trip back in April when Kev and Jenn were in town visiting, before I got pregnant. Joe and I bought a ton of travel books and decided that we were going to hike, kayak, catamaran, and do whatever outdoor activities they had in store for us. Oh wait? What was that? That's right. I was suffering from the first trimester blues (nausea, vomiting) that by the time we made it to Kauai, I didn't want to do much of anything except sleep. Every other day, Joe and I went to the beach with Jenn and Kev but mostly laid low... VERY, VERY low. We'd sleep in and wouldn't leave the condo until noon. We'd walk around the adjacent towns, pretend we were locals, and find some Hawaiian Shave Ice (SHAVE, not shaved, there is a difference). Then we'd come back, play games (Bohnanza!), and go to bed.

Here are some of my favorite pictures:

There are a ton of chickens on the island. This was just one of many!

Stupid thrill seekers, stay away from the cliffs. You wanna see the cliffs?

The drop from the top of this waterfall was well over 120 feet.

Don't worry, it was a virgin pina coloda.

I lost my address book.

If you're checking this and you didn't get an email from me, it's because I don't have your current email address!! Will you please email me your current contact information-- full name, address, phone number?

My goal for this year to send out Christmas cards :).

I felt my baby move today!

...but, it might have been gas... I'll feel more confident about my diagnosis after I feel it move a few more times.

Spur of the Moment

Oh yea! I decided to buy a ticket to visit my mom before she sells the Thai Market-- the store that has been the bane of my childhood. Don't get me wrong, I'm stoked that my mom is selling the store. She shouldn't have to do all that manual labor anymore but, something about going home and not having the store will probably be strange... very, very strange.

So mark your calendars! October 2-9th.

A combined effort

Joe recently told me, "It's not called a uter-you or a uter-I, it's called a uterus for a reason."

My husband is 110% supportive of our pregnancy and of our unborn child.

Too many episodes of Law and Order

Joe's been away in Atlanta for the last week. I didn't realize how co-dependent my life had gotten until he left me alone to fend for myself. Thank god for the puppies and their need to be in the same room with me wherever I go.

I get the heebie-jeebies when I come back home from school at nights. I have to double check everything in the house-- make sure there are no boogymen under the beds, hiding in the closets, or crouching in the tub. I lock all of the doors and close all of the windows (this detail is particularly painful because our house doesn't have air conditioning and we depend on the fresh air at night to cool the house during the day). Maybe it's my hormones going crazy or maybe it's one of those pregnancy "mood" swings but... I really do miss my husband.

Bigger news than before!

Okay, I admit, I have been baaaad at blogging. Like any addict or junkie would say, I am going to get better. I am going to take my lazy habit and kick it to the curb. Keep your fingers crossed and hope that I really mean it this time :).

Anyways, teaching 4th grade was awesome. I had some trouble children but nothing hair pulling. I would most definitely reteach 4th grade if given the opportunity again. Class ended July 20 and since then, I've been vegging. Why vegging you ask?

Oh yes! I found out the last week of school that I'm pregnant! I was (am) tired all of the time and got morning sickness about 6 weeks into my pregnancy. Today is the last day of my first trimester. For those you that are familiar with pregnancy, the first trimester is supposedly the most nauseating.

We have had two ultrasounds so far. The first one, our baby looked like a teeny tiny blob with a very strong heartbeat. The second ultrasound, which took place on Tuesday of this week, our baby had tripled in size and grew arms and legs! We actually got to see it move. I would describe it's movements to dancing. The baby blob looked very similar to Mr. Peanut of Planter's peanuts and it's extremities were stick-like, just like Mr. Peanut's arms and legs. I will call the baby "Peanut" until it is born. The moment I saw the baby move, it became real to me. Holy crap. Joe and I are going to have a baby.

Things are up in the air right now. I didn't pursue getting a new teaching job for this academic year because Joe and I would like to move back to the east coast. I would love to be back in Florida before Peanut is born (due March 14-15ish). We both are in the process of trying to find jobs in Orlando, Fl right now sooo-- keep your fingers crossed!

Big News

Joe and I had an AMAZING time in Thailand. We were gone for a total of 3 weeks and visited Suphan Buri, Bangkok, Cambodia, and Krabi (the south portion of Thailand). Great times to be had!!

The first two pictures that I am going to post are from Cambodia. The country exceeded my expectations. We were only there for a full day (we spent a weekend there. Friday: we traveled from Bangkok to Cambodia. Saturday: we spent going to various temples. Sunday: we spent traveling back). Joe and I LOVED Cambodia and we loved the children we met. They could rattle on facts about where you were from. For instance, they knew the capital of California AND the population!! How many children here know information like that?

Anyways, the reason for my post isn't actually my trip. Joe and I just got back late Thursday night. I checked my phone messages Friday morning and I FINALLY HAVE MY OWN CLASSROOM!! Yey! Mason Elementary's principal called to tell me that they were creating an extra 4th grade class and that they want me to teach it! I was (am) so excited. I'm still jet-lagged so I haven't been able to process it that much but I start setting up my classroom this Wednesday! AH!!!

Days off...

You would think that I would have all the free time in the world right now. My stint in the 4th grade ended on Friday, Oct 20. On Saturday, Joe and I drove up to LA to hang ten with my brother and our family friend, Chai. They came over to San Diego that night and we hung out till noon the next day. After that, I met up with Sylvia to help her grade some papers. Monday was cleaning day and Tuesday well...

5am, Tuesday, Oct 24. Skooter starts to bark to be let outside. We let the dogs outside only for them to come face to face with a skunk. Joe said that he saw that the skunk was, "Cocked and ready to aim." The skunk sprayed Benson right in the face. Skooter got some of the residual spray as well. Dogs smell. Dogs run inside the house. House smells. Time for home remedies.

Tuesday night, Annemarie comes into town (thank-god for some happy time) and stays until Sunday morning. Jonathan's stay overlaps with AM's and he's here from Friday-Sunday. Throughout that entire time, I get a sore throat and can barely talk above a whisper.

Monday, Oct 30. Cleaning Day.

11am, Tuesday Oct 31. I get out of the shower to hear a noise that sounds like a running faucet. I run into all of the rooms to find that the turtles have managed to aim the "spray" portion of the water filter outwards. Yes, that's right-- stinky, dirty, salmonella-infested water all over the table and all over the documents I acquired during student teaching. I almost start to cry as I try to separate all of the pages and pages of lesson plans and graded material I kept in the binder. The sun will dry what it can but it looks like most of the material is now just trash.

To take my mind off of things, I like fantasize about Joe and I's upcoming trip to Thailand. This is one of the hotels we're thinking about staying at.

Fourth grade in October

I got a long-term sub position for the month of October. I have been made aware that one of the kids in my class is hard of hearing. This means that I have to wear a microphone while I teach-- soo Britney Spears.

Some fun news-- Joe, my mother and I are planning a trip to Thailand in November. I am super excited/ecstatic. We'll be gone for 3 weeks and are planning to go to the south of Thailand to max and relax by the beach. I. Can't. Wait.

So its been awhile...

The last time I blogged, I was up to my eyeballs in kids and classroom management. Now, after a nice break and time well spent with my pups, I find myself back as a waitress, waiting for that phonecall (or email) from the district telling me that they have found me the perfect classroom. So I wait and take sub jobs as often as they come around.

Not 1, or 2, or 3! But 4! 4 students were suspended from my class yesterday!

Okay, really, I know what you're thinking. My class is horrible. I do actually THOROUGHLY enjoy my class on a day-to-day basis. There are just some days when you're thinking to yourself WTF were they thinking when they did X, or Y, or Z. Mind you, none of them were suspended for doing stuff to me (thank you Jeebus!), they just do it to each other (stealing) or write on small sheets of paper that so-and-so teacher is a _______ (insert profanity here).

"That's one of my kids."

We had a Mad Science assembly yesterday. All fourth and fifth grade classes attended--easily over 200 students, in addition to their teachers. I must admit, out of all the assemblies that I had been to with my kids, this one took the cake. It was fun, interactive, AND educational! *gasp* At the end of the assembly, the "Mad Scientist" told the audience that he would take 3 questions. The first question was from an inquisitive student wondering when the Mad Scientist's love for science began. Legitimate question. The second question asked what was his favorite science class-- biology, physics, or chemistry. Again, another appropriate and legitimate question. So, for the last and final question, he looked at my class and pointed to a girl with her hand raised. The sweet and innocent face sounded surprised and said, "Who? Me?"

"Yes, you in the pink hoodie-- what was your question?"

"I, uhh... just wanted to know-- [Insert "mean girl" face] Do you have any friends?"

Don't get me wrong, she wasn't asking him about his socializing skills to be polite. She wasn't concerned that his Mad Science life took up too much time and that he need remember that life is so much more than work. No, she had said it in a way that implied-- YOU BIG DORK, DON'T YOU HAVE A LIFE? OBVIOUSLY NOT. YOU'RE HERE TEACHING US THIS LAME ASS SCIENCE CRAP. My jaw dropped. I was floored.

So yes, that HIGHLY inappropriate question came from someone in MY class. Not yours. Mine. And no, I don't teach them manners. I teach them to belittle people. In public. In front of large crowds of people.

It's a compliment... I think.

"Mrs. Russo-- are you a teenager?" asks one of my students.

"Sweetheart, think about it. Do you think that the school would let me teach you if I were just a teenager?"

"Uhhhh. I guess not. But you know something-- you sure do act like one."

The woes of 5th grade

Actually, teaching fifth grade hasn't been that bad. It's been pretty exciting trying to piece together the parts of a partially written lesson plan. It's been fun to watch the kids humor you as you improv your way through said lesson. It's been nice to see all 30 students smiling at you as they're thinking, "This lady needs to get her s*#@ straight before she tries to teach us." My response? Don't worry kids, next week will be different.

So what are the "woes" you ask? The woes came when a little girl said, "The new boy is cursing under his breath. He says that he hates white people." I thought that I was going to vomit. My studies at the university did not prepare me to handle race issues. It taught me how to write a lesson plan and how to teach multi-cultural classrooms. Nothing in the text about bigotry and hatred.

Woe is me.

Good-bye 3rd grade, hello monsters

So it's been a while since I've had time to blog. Joe and I went to Florida for the holidays and both caught a horrible flu strain. We were immobile for what seemed like forever. Fortunately I had my mother to take care of me and poor Joe had to fly back to San Diego in the midst of his illness to pick the puppies up from the kennel. I came back a week later and started student teaching.

I had a portfolio that I needed to finish in order to graduate so I've been busy with that and planning curriculum for my little third graders. Teaching is very time-consuming.

Anyways, I finally finished my student teaching yesterday. Hooray! That means I have finished all the classes that I need to take to get my teaching credential. I can get paid now!! Woo hoo. Now the only thing that I must do is "clear" my credential with an advisor. That part should be painless. I think that I just have to meet with someone about something soon.

I start my long-term sub job this Monday for 5th grade. Their teacher is on maternity leave until June. She came in to an observation of me before Christmas break and she deemed me good enough to take over her class.

Her 5th grade kids are significantly larger than those of the 1st or 3rd kind. The 5th grade has developed senses. They can smell fear. I guess I just have to put on my tough guy attitude and hope that they don't see past my facade... beause that would suck.

Caffeine update

Farewell Caffeine, I have moved on.

It's been quite some time now since I have had a caffeinated cup of coffee. I can't say that I miss it as much as I had anticipated. I haven't cracked and hopefully won't crack during my Christmas vacation either. My teeth clenching has gotten significantly better too. I think that I am going to have to keep this up for a while. I have taken to drinking decaf coffee, decaf Gingerbread lattes, hot chocolate, and taking many naps.

Amen, sistah.

My beloved Lindsay writes in her blog,

"Suicidal suckiness, amused detachment and relief that Christmas break is a mere NINE instructional days away. That's right, people. I just might make it to Christmas. Thank God Christ was born, thus giving us some days off of school. "

2 instructional days left for me. I can't wait for Christmas break.

Day 1-- Caffeine Free

Okay boys and girls, it's that time of year again!! That's right. I'm giving up caffeine! Since we all know that this phase is always temporary (can/will last as long as 6 months) and always for a purpose (i.e. twitching eye, jittery foot...). The purpose this time? Teeth clenching. I found myself clenching my teeth at the oddest times-- painting my toenails, driving home from work, or watching tv. I never had a problem with teeth (or jaw) clenching before so I was really puzzled when my jaw became mysteriously sore one day. I wasn't chewing gum or excessively eating. I was puzzled.

So, I looked up teeth clenching on the internet and found that people who have a tendency to clench their teeth probably have one of three things going on in their lives:

1. stress (not so much stress in my life right now...)
2. TMJ (no problem there yet)
3. excessive amounts of caffeine (oops)

Since Thanksgiving break, I have been slowly reducing my caffeine intake. It started off with drinking Starbucks "split" coffee drinks (they spilt the drink for you 1/2 caffeinated, 1/2 decaf) on workdays and no coffee on Sunday (luckily Sunday is my day of rest-- if a headache would start, I would just take a nap). But, after two weeks of the "split" regime, I decided that today would be the day that I drink decaf all day long.

The day hasn't been bad. My headache can be easily ignored and I know that sleep is in my near future. Caffeine free existence, here I come.

A very rare night out!

I love eggs!

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/eggsong

Coming home for the holidays!

December 23- January 10

The last of my standardized exams...

I passed the RICA!! Woohoo!

One week and a half left of first grade

I can't believe that the first half of my student teaching is almost over. My last day is next Thursday. It'll be sad to leave the kids and the school but I guess I'm moving on to be like a sponge. I'm gonna absorb everything.

Skooter's 2nd near death experience... Oiy!

So Skooter almost died. That's right... again. On the way to the vet appointment, Skooter fell out of the car window. Luckily, Joe had a leash on Skooter and was able to pull him back into the car via leash. He said that the whole falling-out-the-car-and-getting-pulled-back-in-the-car took less than a minute. Skooter never touched ground... I guess he dangled in the air for a milli-second before being rescued from the face of death. Joe was freaked out for the rest of the day. Good news though, Skooter seems unphased by his second (almost tragic) near death experience.

Skooter's near death experience...

I was thinking that this was going to be just another Wednesday at the Dog Park. I'm chattin' away with fellow dog lovers when I turn around to see what kind of mischief my dogs were in. Skooter, who is usually wandering around the perimeter of the park (peeing on bushes), was lying down on his side in the middle of the field. I called his name twice before I realized that something was horribly wrong. I ran over to him and he was just lying there... placid. I picked him up. His whole body was limp. Everything was a blur.

Next thing I know, someone is saying, "I know CPR, is he breathing?" I didn't know. All I knew was that he needed immediate medical attention. His happy, panting face was nothing more than that of a sleeping dog's. His heart was beating... but just barely.

"You go to the ER. I'll follow you with Benson. Just take Skooter, I'll meet you there."

My body went into auto-pilot. I ran as fast as I could to the car. I didn't want to run too fast because Skooter's body was just dangling in my arms. He had no muscle control. He was listless.

___________________

Long story short, the ER doctor thinks that he had a severe allergic reaction. She suspects that he swallowed a bee. Instead of breaking out into hives and slowly turning pale, Skooter's body went straight into anaphylactic shock. His body was turning off-- too weak to fight the poison. His body wanted to die. Luckily, we were able to counter the allergic reaction with a ton of meds. He was healthy enough to come back home later that night.

I can't thank my friends at the Dog Park enough. Everyone showed their support and was there for me in my time of need. Joe and I feel so lucky to have such great people around us on a daily basis. Thank-you for everything everyone has done!

How I have been spending my free time...

RICA

Stupid RICA exam... It's the last of the standardized tests that I need to pass to clear my teaching credential. My exam is in less than 4 hours. Wish me luck!

Benson won 2nd place!!

That's right! Our little Chihuahua is a champ! He placed second in the regional San Diego Chihuahua races. That makes him top 8 in the US! Woo hoo! He won himself a year's supply of Dog Food.

Honestly, Benson should have won Regionals but our "impartial" judge sucked. Benson was so fast that she couldn't keep an eye on him (okay, maybe Benson didn't run in a straight line and ran off to the side but he still crossed the line!), even the camera guy thought he won. Well, its like I tell my first graders, the game is not about winning or losing, it's about how you play.

Our rescue dog, Skooter

Imagine this cute dog scooting around on his butt (in a twirling motion) on the cement with his back legs sticking straight up in the air. My neighbor refers to his scooting as an "ass-fault." He'll scoot on asphalt, grass, cement, carpet (new and old), and dirt.

Week of Changes Part Two

I had my student teaching orientation earlier this week. I found out that I will be placed with a first grade class for the first half of the semester and a third grade class for the second half of the semester. I am so excited!

Week of changes

While I was out shopping for my "wedding dress" last weekend with Sharon (my mother-in-law), I remembered that I had a skirt that I needed to return at Abercrombie and Fitch. I was at the counter waiting on a sales girl when out-of-the-blue, she offered me a job. I told her that I couldn't because I was going to teach soon. Then I paused, told her how much I would love a discount and said that if I did work, I would only be able to work once or twice a month. I was saying that sort of kidding around because who really wants employees that work less than 24 times an entire year? Well, Abercrombie does. So I had my interview yesterday and ta-daaaaaaaaaaaa! I am the newest employee of A&F.

We're married!

That's right. Joe and I decided to have a civil ceremony at the County Clerk's Office on Monday instead of a big ole' wedding. We'll have said wedding when we're more financially stable. It'll probably be 5-15 years from now... hopefully by then we'll have a house, new cars, and maybe some kids. :)

I love New York.

I love New York. It's a great city. You never who you're going to meet.

Case in point: I was waiting for the train to pick me up to take me to Union Square. I was going to meet Felino for a cup of coffee. The scenario: It had just been the hottest day of the summer and it was currently the hottest evening as well. I waited for the (underground) train (I called them Metros in DC but that's tooo passe' to say to a New Yorker) and start to sweat. I sweat fairly easily and it was really hot. I tried to stay cool using my hand to fan my face when a family of three stops right next to me to wait too. The mother immediately starts to rifle through her purse. Apparently she saw how sweaty I was and was looking for some paper so she could help fan me. She looks at me and says, "Are you on your way to a date?" ha ha. What a good natured woman. I politely said no and explained that I was on my way to meet up with a friend. It didn't matter how I looked. :)

Last minute trip to New York

I love New York City. Ever since I was a child, my mother and I took annual shopping trips to NYC. My mother, an ex-Manhattenite, likes to go back to visit old friends and most importantly-- shop. Sometimes I wish that my parents hadn't relocated to Florida when they laid down their roots, but what can I say, they could have laid down roots in Kansas. I am thankful for what I have.
Anyways, since my move to San Diego, my mother and I's annual trip hadn't happened for two years... Until this week. Woo hoo! I found out my (tentative) student teaching schedule on Tuesday. The schedule basically told me that this upcoming week was the only time I had to take a short trip with my mother. I called her, asked her if she could go. Then, within 2 hours flat, we had our tickets, I quit my job at the restaraunt and my mom found someone to mind the store in her absence. I love it.

Allergies are in the air.

So, it's been a little over a month since we added Skooter to our humble family. Life has been peachy for the dogs. Benson and Skooter get along so well. They wrestle and play chase all the time. When Skooter gets tired, he'll run underneath the bed and pray that Benson won't follow. And of course, Skooter still scoots. Took him for a re-checkup earlier this week. They suspect that allergies are the culprit to his scooting fits.

Speaking of allergies, I recently found out from my allergist that I am allergic to three things, 1) cats (which I knew), 2) grass ( I kinda guessed this when I developed "seasonal" allergies this year), and 3) dogs. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am allergic to my own dogs. My doctor asked me if giving them away was an option and I politely responded with a "hell no." So now I am adapting to life as a woman with (positive) allergies. It's been draining (I clean ALL the time) but hey, what can I do? I love my dogs too much that I won't let hives stop me (it's not as bad as it sounds).

Benson has a brother!

Joe and I finally did things right. We actually adopted a dog from a rescue. That's right. No more impulsive trips to the petstore (sorry Benson). After a long month and a 1/2 or so of looking on petfinder.com and meeting various dogs up for adoption, Joe and I found one dog that met our perfect specifications. He's sweet, house-trained, crate-trained, well-adjusted and healthy. He's already a year old and knows a bunch of tricks. I can't imagine why his last owners gave him up but they did. Joe and I feel very lucky to have found the little guy. Oh yea, did I mention he likes to scoot on his butt in circles? I have never seen a Roomba in action before but that's how I imagine it moving, like our new dog on his ass in circles. ha ha. So here he is world, Skooter.

Moving sucks

Damn, there is so much dust in my old apartment! I sneeze every 5 seconds and blow my nose every 10. AND, who knew that I had so much crap?! This moving thing is taking longer than Joe and I anticipated.

Need room to breathe. Need time to rest. Need professional movers... NOW.

New place to move!

Joe and I have finally found a house to rent. It's a tiny 3 bedroom place but its got a yard for B. We figure that we'll live there for a year and decide later when we actually want to buy. Houses are so expensive out here that we are going to wait until I get a (real) full-time job. I usually hate moving but I am very excited for this move. If all goes well, we should be moved in by Wednesday of next week. Keep your fingers crossed!

As I was saying...

Thailand was great. My Thai side got to meet Joe for the first time. It was a consensus-- he was a hit. They especially liked that he ate spicy foods and was an easy-going dinner guest. Needless to say, when it comes to judging character, food speaks volumes when it comes to my family. Picky eaters can spoil the fun in just about anything.

To and from Thailand

Greetings! I am back on the west coast of the United States. I decided against blogging in Thailand because I only had access to dial-up. I will try to sum up my trip now.
It's hot in Thailand. Just in case you haven't been there in early-late May-- it's damn hot. Joe, my mother, Vikki, and I visited many, many places that probably would have been more pleasant if heat wasn't a factor. For example, we decided that we should take the driving tour of around many places (Ayutthaya, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha [though, I must admit, it's hard to see the Temple with huge, white walls, blocking your view], and many more). That's right, no hiking for us. We had hiked one day at the beginning of our trip and decided that staying in an air-conditioned car was much more pleasant.
Opps, gotta go. Will finish up later.

Want to buy my furniture?

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/fur/70411371.html

i love webchat forums

I woke up in the middle of the night because of SEVERE cramps. I decided to do a midnight internet search so I could self-diagnose myself. I found this "Questions and Answers" forum. The questions, for the most part, were very run-of-the-mill-what's-wrong-with-me type questions and the answers sounded like they came from a medical professional of some sort. I blog about the last question and answer on the forum:

QUESTION: What if you is on the shots and you spot and have sex and the boy nuts inside of you and you start back to spot can you get pregnant like that?

ANSWER: I'm not sure I understand the question correctly.

root canal

That's right. I had my FIRST root canal today. My mouth is still numb so I am unable to write about the pain. But I anticipate it. I have a prescription for pain meds. Will get them immediately filled.

I love apples.

I am the proud new owner of an Apple iPod. I have wanted one for so long. My dream is now my reality. World of music, here I come.

I forgot how much fun house parties can be.

"I'm sorry I fucking FLOORED you, bitch," said the drunk guy who pushed the girl sitting on his lap.

"It's okay, I can't feel anything anyways."

Of course you couldn't. You're too drunk.

Took a test today. This is what it told me.

I am 23% Asshole/Bitch.

You are not an asshole or a bitch, more like an asshole and bitch target. You have no backbone, and fold at even a slightly insincere look. Stop crying, you wuss.

Take theAsshole/Bitch Test@ FualiDotCom

AHHH! I have allergies.

My mother has horrible allergies. My brother has worse. I never had "seasonal" allergies... until this year. My nose is constantly runny. I sneeze all the time. I am taking over the counter stuff but that doesn't seem to last long at all. Must call doctor. Must call doctor now.

Taipei

Joe has been working in Taipei while Benson and I have been visiting my family in Florida. Joe's teaching Everquest II program tools to the Taiwanese gaming company called Gamemania (I think that's the name). They need to learn these tools so they can "culturalize" it. It sounds like he's having a great time over there. He's even learned some Chinese phrases:

"What the heck."
"Whatever."
"Receipt."
"I am a skilled worker."

Oopps

I realize that I have lost the "links" portion on my new blog. I cut and pasted it from the older version but I guess it didn't save. All well. I will try to get those up and running again. Soon. Maybe. If I can remember how to do it.

A new look!

I figured that since I have hit a new era in my life (domestic and engaged), I should update my blog look. The black background on my old blog was wearing on me. I enjoy the green dots and neutral colors on my new background. Mas pleasing para me (my Spanish is great, isn't it?).

Drastic times call for drastic measures

For those of you that don't know yet, Joe proposed to me on Valentine's Day. Of course, I accepted and was in pre-wedding bliss until the next day. OH, what happened? Two small words dear friend, it's called, "Identity Theft." But no worries, it took about a week for me to contact all the banks and credit bureaus that I needed so I think that I have my bases covered now.

So now I'm hanging out with Benson in Tampa. It's been fun. It's good to see my family and work at the store again. Though, I tend to forget how culturally ignorant some people in the South can be. For instance, about an hour ago, a man walked into the store demanding to know what kind of food we sold at the "Thai Market." I replied, "We sell Thai food, sir," trying to be as nice as possible about it. Not all people get out of the country or study atlases so who am I to judge. Anyways, he looks at me like I'm insane and goes, "I don't know what you're talking about," staring at ME like I'm the crazy one. "Is it Chinese?" Anyways, this banter went on for a few minutes and this was when it hit me, I'm home.

Bumper Stickers Say the Darndest Things

"Circumcision, don't do it! If you love your baby, leave it intact."

Is my dog fat?

According to my veterinarian's chart on detecting animal obesity, Benson falls into the "ideal" category size. "Ideal," mind you, is smack-dab in between the category sizes of "emaciated/thin" and "fat/grossly obese." The chart even had illustrations.

Correction...

The baby was 9 lbs, 10 ounces.

Thar she blows!

My skinny friend Charina just gave birth to a 9 lb, 1 ounce girl last night. For those of you that don't know, a 9 lb baby is HUGE.

Congrats Charina and Dan!! I can't wait to see the little slugger.