Thoughts on a Saturday

Update: I tried to finish up this post last night, but Typepad just wanted to eat my work. Pictures and tangents added.

1. The restaurant last night didn't have cannoli. The food they did have was awesome. Too bad our waitress sucked, and customer service in general was lacking (which made me understand totally why soooo many people were ordering out from there). Another lady talked to the manager, whose response was a blow-off "Thanks for bringing this to my attention."

::added tangent::
Someone at dinner last night recommended eggplant parmesean to me, saying she had heard it can induce labor. Gah! That's what I had at dinner last week with Danielle. Guess not.
::end added tangent::

2. Belly pics were taken today. When L asked me to place my hands on my belly to form a heart that centered my belly button, I asked her to take some shots zoomed out a little bit so one can see just how off-center my belly button is these days. I'll post it once I get it from her.

Why wait? I took my own.



::inserted tangent::
Today marks the second time I have worn makeup since June. (The first being an assignment from Debutaunt.) I primped, painted and powdered for these pictures, and what do I get in return? The discovery of a fucking gray hair. The last time I found a gray hair was 1999.

::tangent inside an inserted tangent::
I remember this specifically. It was one of the last days for teachers at my first school. I was cleaning out all my stuff because I was moving to a new school that fall. One thing I didn't take with me were my Sea Monkeys (which makes me giggle now and think of Jessica Rabbit). These I was able to unload on the administrators' secretary. As we killed time chatting, I told her of my discovery that morning of a gray hair, and she mortified me by saying that I shouldn't pluck them (too late!) because they'd grow back double. Well, it took 6 1/2 years for me to find another single gray hair, so now I know that's a load of shite.
::end tangent inside an inserted tangent::

I've saved this hair and may take a picture of it for posterity.

Here it is!


::end inserted tangent::

3. Picked up black licorice and raspberry tea today.
4. Rookie Momma posted Rookie Daddy's birth story on her blog. Prepare to be jealous (both of her short labor and of her sweet hubby... and of a sweet LG who doesn't appear to have suffered from alien baby head).
5. Congratulations are in order for William. He placed third in the BoB Awards for Best Daddy Blog.
6. Frida's room is painted. Yay! I tried to post a picture of it on her site but Typepad ate it. Booger. I'm particularly proud of this feat because I did all the edging by hand. Usually I don't trust myself, thinking I can't hold my hand very steady. The whole time I was painting I constructed a Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance-type post in my head, but when I started to write it, it just sounded lame. I even managed to forget the catchy title I had for it.



7. Speaking of craftiness, here's a picture of my first knitted hat. It doesn't fit Bug, and she immediately decided that it's for the baby. I have yet to start another, bigger one for Bug.



::tangent about the head::
Does anyone recognize this head? About ten years ago now there was a commercial for the buckwheat pillow. The commercial demonstrated how stable the pillow was. The ensuing silliness went something like this:

"We placed a raw egg under the buckwheat pillow [egg shown under pillow on top of glass table] and dropped a glass head on the pillow [glass head identical to above dropped on top of pillow]. The egg was unharmed! It's amazing! Buy your buckwheat pillow NOW!"

This commercial tickled me to no end, so maybe you can imagine my glee when I walked into Pier 1 Imports one day and say a WHOLE SHELF full of these glass heads. I had to have one!
::end tangent about the head::

8. Note to Big Brother: Please don't share what you read here with the folks. When you do so, I get guilt-inducing emails from Dad with such phrases as "Mom and I don't visit your site, so we've been in the dark about you" (i.e., "You never call us with your news."), "We pray you're doing well" (i.e., "You could be dead and we wouldn't know because you never call."), and "We feel so helpless so far away" (i.e., "How could you move all the way to Alaska and not closer to home? If you were closer, we could check in on you whenever we please to make sure you're not dead."). Bottom line: I'd call with newsworthy events, not things that are likely to freak them out and make them worry, getting Mom all worked up, talking about changing her flight plans to come out earlier. Totally unnecessary, bro! Yeah, I still love you, but consider yourself smacked.

Comments

[lawbrat]

Holy Moly, i'm first!!
Glad you got frida's room done, now you can relax, until she comes.
Sucky service is the worst!

[mrtl]

lawbrat - Word!

[Dima]

Why do we call them grey hairs, when in reality they are white?

DUDE: Prince is on SNL! I almost peed my pants I'm so happy!

[Momo]

I'm glad the food was good, and I hate they didn't have cannoli.

Can't wait to see the belly pics.

Grey hair sucks, I find a new one daily :(

I'm not a fan of black licorice, but raspberry sounds yummy.

I'm glad to see you were able to finish Frida's room. I guess now you can have her without worrying about not getting it finished.

I'll be checking in on you soon, you are in my prayers.

[Lori]

Damn, are you STILL PREGNANT!!!!!

[mrtl]

Dima - Thanks for the head's up! I set the DVR.
Momo - I'm not either, and I detest Good and Plenty's. I bought them because a little birdie told me they can help with labor. Thanks for the good mojo!
Lori - Just shut up. wah. Fingers crossed to last till Tuesday... or should I say Thursday?

[eclectic]

Few things get me so easily riled as sucky service at a restaurant. We don't go all that often, and when we do, it's with a family of 5 which can add up quickly to a large bill. And if I'm going to pay that much for a meal (which, in most cases I could prepare at home...), then I damn well think it ought to be served to me. I don't go in for arrogant or demanding behavior, I don't get a charge out of sending stuff back or complaining, I sort of expect them to do their jobs without me bitching. And when they don't, it's very disappointing!

Frida Watch continues...

[The Anti-Stalker]

I say this knowing full well it can and will be read by all: your dad is the king of the controlling guilt trip and it will only work if you grant him that power. You're 34 years old and an adult who lives her life the best she knows how; if that's not good enough, that is *his* problem, not yours. If you want a window to your daughter's soul, log on, Pops.

[William]

Thanks fo rthe plug and the Congrats getting the room painted.

[mrtl]

eclectic - This waitress was argumentative and offered up a plethora of excuses where just making it right would have been appreciated and more appropriate. It pisses me off, too.
T A-S - I'm willing to bet that all parents to a degree have a mastery of the guilt trip. Still, I'd rather not throw that gauntlet. There's no reason why my parents can't pick up the phone or send a note if they feel so in the dark. We've never had the kind of relationship where I've bared my soul or shared all of my innermost thoughts, so their reading my journal isn't appropriate. (Hell, my brother's reading isn't right.)
William - You're more than welcome. I'm glad someone placed, and am peeved that no one recognized WoM. Boogers.

[Nina]

The phone works both ways . . . just how I feel about it. Room is done, time to rest up for the arrival. :)

[greenie]

he he! Look at that Belly!!! Jusst look at it!!! (Hi Frid!!!)

[MrsDoF]

Frid's Green Room all done. Nuff sed.

Pay no attention to the guilty trip parents. I thought my mother should be the queen of that parade. I Tell her to read my blog/e-mails, call me. She's above all that. My sisters read, my cousins read, my Minister Reads, but my mother, oh no, she believes the whine should only benefit her.
So, whether you like it or not, I have to agree with The Anti-Stalker.

[mrtl]

Nina - I rest for two more days.
greenie - Hopefully that belly will be a deflated, saggy balloon by the end of the week. Rock on!
MrsDoF - I'm not so comfortable yet with the thought of the fam reading this. I've never forbidden them from doing so, but would rather not know if they are. My own little state of denial, if you will.

I do understand where T A-S is coming from in saying that, but don't want it construed (by the fam) that he is speaking for me.

[Bente]

The belly is great! I have to admit that when you said your belly button was off center I was picturing it being like on the side of you or something, so this isn't too bad.

I love Frida's walls! That's a really great colour. Let's hope this gives her some more incentive to come out and join the family!

[mrtl]

Bente - I'm gunning for Thursday. Then again, I couldn't resist the ultra-spicy chile con queso we made for the game today.

[Andrea]

1. I'm unsympathetic about gray hairs (or even just one). My mom found MY first one when I was in third or fourth grade. I didn't start getting a bunch until about the time I had my first baby (coincidence? nuh-uh!), but I've probably got at least a couple hundred or so now.

2. I AM sympathetic about the guilt-tripping blog-knowing parents. My dad informed me this weekend that he stumbled onto my blog. He did read my disclaimer, but was clearly mystified about why I wouldn't want people I know to read it, but am fine with total strangers reading it. I wish he had not even told me he'd found it :(

[mrtl]

Andrea - Welcome to the land of denial! Pretend that he never reads it like I do. It brings a slight sense of peace.

[Daphne]

ah! augmented with pictures! now I really understand about the belly button.

Good job on the room and the hat. It looks fuzzy and perfect for a baby sister.

[Amy]

Love that green, it's gorgeous.
And so is your belly, what a beaut.

You hear SO many things from people about what brings on labour. I swear they make it up on the spot. Red wine, lasagna, licorice, sex, chili pepper, pistachio ice cream, seafood, no food, no sex, scary movie, roller coaster, etc.
I say combine any of the above three and see what happens. Then, do blog about it.

[mrtl]

Daphne - It's veloury, and yes, very soft.
Amy - OOOOHHHH! You're adding to my list. Thanks! The fun starts tomorrow.

[butterstar]

Gray hair, glass head, green room. Nice alliteration, there!

I love, love, love that green on those walls. Great!

And screw those crazy old wives' tales about the gray hairs. I used to get one in the same place for a few years, every few months or more. Never doubled. Although I will say in the last couple of months, I've had maybe a handful I noticed. Not surprising, really! And heck, my mom started going gray by age 25, so I expected a lot worse a good while back. :)

I don't even know what to say about the glass head. Except, I wish I had a glass head!

And the knitting is cool, too. Wicked cool. But it doesn't start with G.