Don't fence me in

I went to a coworker's ranch in Cheyenne, Wyo., yesterday for a sports department gettogether. It was beautiful! They have so much space, and four beautiful horses to go with a fantastic house and arena. Here I am with Cinnamon Sky, if I recall correctly.



The other three were named Alpo, B.O.B. (Big Ol' Boy) and Sunny, who did this amazing gum flapping trick to try to get more carrots. He even smiled at us, baring all his front teeth. What a ham for the camera!

I also took my first photograph in front of a state-line marker. In all these years of crossing between New Mexico and Colorado, we never stopped to get a snapshot. But my friend M. wanted to get her daughter's first picture in another state. I figured I had my camera, so what the heck? That one will be coming soon, so stand by.

Little ol' me

I had a friend ask about me tonight. Not the baby. Not the weather. Not work.

Me.

A few weeks ago, I began to grow tired of the constant pregnancy questions. People greet me with "How are you feeling?" And it's a sympathetic question. "How is the baby?" That one is all excitement. I realize these are all great questions, but when I field many of the same questions every day, it wears on me a bit. At one point, I wondered if anyone could think about anything but this pregnancy.

G. is planning a wedding and told me it's the same with her. People ask about the plans. The dress. The details. Then I realized I am so guilty of this, too.

In an effort to talk about what's new and current, I inevitably fall back on that. I did it with another friend today who also is planning a wedding.

But what I remembered is my friends and I are not just interested in each other's lives. We're not just consumed with what's happening now. We genuinely care about each other. And how we are feeling. How we are doing. How we are living.

Sure, I'm pregnant. Sure, she's planning a wedding. But a year from now, I won't be pregnant and she won't be planning a wedding. I'm positive we'll have plenty to talk about then.

P.S. And if you worry that I'm the least bit thrilled with my pregnancy and my baby, don't. I am doing cartwheels (in my head)! Every time I feel movement, I smile to myself. This is something I have wanted for as long as I can remember, and I simply cannot wait to be a parent!!

I'm not a buddha

I had my very first inappropriate belly pat yesterday, after a company meeting.

The offender was a coworker, and as I saw his unwelcome hand drift toward my stomach, I retracted. He patted it twice, anyway. Just then, I reached out to touch his belly, and he did the same thing...pulled back. He gave me this sheepish grin and said, "For good luck."

When did my baby make me a lucky buddha?

Now, I've had lots of people (and all women) ask if they can touch. That is fine. If I'm not up to it, I'll say so. But I haven't said no yet. It's just amazing how some people's manners go right out the window when it comes to pregnant women.

------------------------------------

P.S. During said meeting and for about five minutes, I heard (and I wasn't the only one) the distinct sound of someone clipping their fingernails. I know sometimes our newsroom meetings are boring, but I didn't think it was time to give oneself a manicure! All I could picture afterward were little sprinklings of someone's fingernails all over the carpet at work. Ew. It still doesn't compare to the skin left behind after a since-retired coworker was picking at her bedsores throughout a different meeting, unknowingly leaving a pile of her dead, scaly skin on the floor. Double ew.

The dreams are back

This one made me sad. It made me mad. When I finally thought more about it, it made me laugh.

I was living in my old house with my parents, towel wrapped around my long, wet hair like a turban. I was waiting for C. to call me. When he did, I was waiting for him to say something. He never did. So I prompted him. Apparently, it was my birthday and he had forgotten. Well, it wasn't so much that he had forgotten, it was that he chose to ignore it. Then he started talking about someone. When I asked who he was talking about (a female), he said a woman's name. When I questioned him some more, he said I couldn't get mad if he wanted to talk to me (his wife) about his girlfriend. Just then, I started shaking my head, and the towel and phone dropped to the floor in such dramatic fashion. It was like a scene in a movie, shot in slow motion, my scream of "NOOOOO!!" slowed down so much it sounded like some muffled warrior cry.

And that was it. Isn't that a riot?

Cafe preggers

I read this in a Baby Talk magazine last year when I was pregnant, but it's all starting to make sense to me now. And for those of you thinking it's a bit exaggerated, let me assure you it's not. (I'm slowly realizing there's not enough room in there for dessert all the time!)

Cafe Preggers
First Trimester Menu
Appetizer
Tums compote
Entree
Fresh saltines on a bed of saltines, lightly seasoned with saltines
Beverage
Ginger ale (IV drip available upon request)
Dessert
10 minutes in a dim room with an ice bag on your head

Second Trimester Menu
Appetizer
Half a roast chicken, extra crispy
Entree*
A succulent leg of lamb smothered in pork chops, served with BBQ ribs and garnished with cheeseburgers (all burnt beyond recognition for your safety)
Beverage
Toll House pie smoothie, prepared with 1/2 pint heavy cream
Dessert
9-by-16-inch pan of double-fudge brownies

Third Trimester Menu
(Each course followed by 15-minute neck massage and/or bathroom break)
Appetizer
Three bites of tossed salad
Entree
Two bites of lasagna
Beverage
None, so you'll have room for dessert
Dessert
A Tic Tac

* Double portions available if you're expecting twins

Little mermaids

I went with my mom last night to see The Little Mermaid pre-Broadway show at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, and after everyone had spilled out of the theater, we saw many little girls dressed in their mermaid outfits.

They were adorable, holding hands with a mom or a dad, some of them carrying tiny purses, some carrying a bag of Disney merchandise. Since I thought the show was so amazing, I wonder what they thought of their fancy night at the opera house, watching a play, perhaps for the first time. And as Ariel, Flounder and the rest of the underwater characters glided around on Heelies across the stage, I'm sure memories were made that will last a lifetime.

Now he's sick

Yup. I passed on my cooties to the ol' hubby.

We sat this morning, drinking Celestial Seasonings' Throat Soothers tea and generally feeling sorry for ourselves. I thought I was all better, but I feel like I've hit the wall again. Guess it's time to buy stock in Kleenex (thank goodness we have about a dozen boxes in the garage, thanks to Sam's Club's bulk packaging)!

In the meantime, enjoy this 27-week photo of my growing waistline. It's no wonder I have heartburn. The baby has settled in where my stomach used to be. I think my stomach now is somewhere near my lungs (which are also being compressed), at least that is what it sounds like when it starts growling at me.

Still sick

Since I have been neglecting my e-mail and blogging duties this weekend, it's a safe bet to think I'm still sick. I didn't go to work yesterday, and that's a good thing. Since Saturday morning, I've been camping out on my couch, trying to knit, but my brain just doesn't want to work with that, and trying to read, but that requires too much concentration for my zapped head right now. Sadly, I got sucked into a Bridezilla marathon and proceeded to just get pissed that there actually are people out there like that. My "favorite" episode was of an alcoholic bride from Wisconsin. Then there was the 18-year-old spoiled brat from Cali. And the "me-me-me-do-it-my-way-but-feel-sorry-for-me-because-nobody-knows-how-stressful-this-is" woman. Can't remember where she was from. Those poor hubbies. They're in for a ride.

Anyway, speaking of poor hubbies, C. has been working at the opera house this week as a manager, and he also did all the house chores yesterday (trash, dishes, ironing, cat box cleaning and feeding) while I napped. He tried to convince me to take a little walk for some fresh air, sun, get my blood flowing, but I looked at him like he had three heads. And though I didn't think I got enough rest yesterday, I made up for that by sleeping for 12 hours last night.

After feeling pretty "good" upon getting out of bed at 11 a.m., I decided to run some errands (well, two to be exact). After completing my second task of the afternoon, I started to feel queasy, hot and sticky. And dizzy. Maybe I'm not all better just yet. And I guess you know it's bad when your mom won't even come see you because she doesn't want to get sick, too.

I guess it's back to the couch. :-(

A song to cheer me up

I was driving to work today after an emotionally and physically draining morning (and I was only awake for a few hours), but after dealing with moronic drivers on the highway, I turned the station to Jack FM and just as I did, I heard Lowrider begin.

So I turned it up. Loud.

(This was the least cheesy of all the videos.)

Almost as an extra pick-me-up, the Weather Girls' It's Raining Men followed. Bonus.

Sunglasses update
Since some of you have asked, I'd like to report I mailed back my Bolle sunglasses, asking for the third style featured in my previous post. The fifth style was a decoy; I only wanted polarized lenses to help protect my eyes after having LASIK four years ago.

Sick in the summer?!

Nope, that "scratch" in my throat last night wasn't put there by a sharp piece of food from dinner.

It's there because I'm getting a little summer cold. Ack!

Being pregnant and all, I called my nurse to see if there's anything I should be concerned about. (Otherwise, I'd stick it out and complain every bit of the way...) I still plan to complain every bit of the way, but at least I can look forward to a throat culture Monday if this little "bug" doesn't leave over the weekend.

Until then, lots of fluids, juice, Tylenol if necessary and rest. And salt water gargles in the morning and at night.

Meme

I got "tagged" by a high school buddy, so here we go!

Two Names You Go By:
1. Doe
2. Josephine

Two Things You Are Wearing Right Now:
1. Big maternity jeans (oxymoron?!)
2. A digital watch

Two Things You Want In A Relationship:
1. Love
2. Respect

Two of Your Favorite Things To Do:
1. Yoga
2. Knit

Two Things You Want Very Badly At The Moment:
1. To not be at work
2. To not have sciatic pain

Two Pets You Had/Have:
1. Booty, longhair white calico
2. Gabby, grey and black tiger striped cat

Two People Who Will Fill This Out First:
1. I always leave...
2. ...these ones blank

Two Things You Did Last Night:
1. Watched part of an Oprah rerun
2. Ate a Reese's brownie (it wasn't that great)

Two People That Live In Your House:
1. Me
2. My hubby

Two Things You Ate/Drank Today:
1. Cranberry juice
2. A popsicle

Two People You Talked To Last:
1. My mom
2. My hubby

Two Things You're Doing Tomorrow:
1. Sleeping in
2. Working

Two Longest Car Rides:
1. Denver to Minneapolis
2. Pueblo to Billings, Mont.

Two Favorite Holidays:
1. Thanksgiving
2. Christmas

Two Favorite Beverages:
1. Iced tea
2. Orange juice

This is getting amusing

This morning, I dreamed about having plans to move to the mountains, but C. said he couldn't go, because people who work downtown don't live in the mountains. I said, "I work downtown." His reply? "Not anymore." But he made me guacamole dip before leaving, saying it was for my going away party. And then he said he wasn't coming back, but to have fun.

Evidently I went hiking after that (or this is just one of those bizarre, no-logic turns in a dream) with my friend R., whom I haven't seen since my birthday party in February, and while scaling the face of a cliff with a wicked dropoff, I found myself climbing a rickety old ladder and tree, and a bat decided my hand looked good enough to take a bite out of. After flailing around and shaking the dang thing off my hand, and with R. sitting nearby watching but doing nothing, I guess I woke up or drifted away from such nonsense.

OK. Back to sleep for a couple of hours.

EDIT: Look at that! My ticker says only 100 days of pregnancy to go!! In a little more than three months, the little munchkin will be here!

Dreams

I just had a dream involving floating on wind currents, breaking and entering, UFOs, a funeral, police surveillance, a fitness club, amusement park rides, text messaging, and, yes, Justin Timberlake. Don't ask me how this all tied together, because I'm still trying to figure it out.

Next time, cheap sunglasses

If you know most of what is going on with me, you'll know I've been "fighting" with Bolle about these sunglasses I bought three years ago. They are the Morph, and they were pricey, but I like them. However, I've sent them back for factory repairs twice. And twice Bolle has replaced them with a brand-spanking new pair. Well, I got the latest pair back about three weeks ago, and ... wait for it ... they're broken. The left lens keeps popping out. So after calling customer service yet again, I found out I have to send them back a third time, but the rep suggested I ask for a different style this time.

EDIT: Now this is where you come in. Help me pick a new pair of Bolle sunglasses! Post your choice in the comments section, if you please.

Pictures

Here are the latest, but in the meantime, enjoy this sleepyhead goof I made.

I went to bed sometime after 2 last night, and I forgot to take off my earrings, remembering this fact after I jumped in bed. I took one off, put it on the night stand, and then ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ...

This morning, I saw that one earring was on my night stand, so I started searching frantically on the floor, in the sheets, under the bed. The cat knocked it off. I knocked it off. It's lost. (Mind you, it's not like they were my diamond earrings, but they were still purple and adorable.) After searching for a good couple of minutes, I had an itch on my left ear lobe. My second earring was just where I had left it yesterday. Still attached!

This one is from last week: 24 weeks.



This one is from this morning, 25 weeks, with sleep marks on my tummy and all. And how its possible I look paler is anyone's guess. Has to be the lighting. But the good thing is I got complimented yesterday three times on how I looked like I had gotten some sun. (These people don't know I've been sequestered in air-conditioned environments every chance I get, far away from the hot sun.) Light eggplant, yesterday's sun dress shade, must be my color.

Welcome

Dominic Orlando was born at 9:09 p.m. Monday to proud parents M. and D. in Albuquerque.

He was 6 pounds, 10 ounces and 20.5 inches long. Awww.

The 4-1-1

We went to the doctor's office yesterday for my 24-week checkup. I'm doing great so far. BP (110/60), weight (ha! like I'd really tell you that), urinalysis, fundal height and fetal heartbeat all check out perfect.

Except for one thing. My uterus is measuring "big," as Dr. B put it. Just then C. started laughing. Need I remind you he was an almost-11-pound baby when he was born? When Dr. B and I both gave him daggers out of our eyes, he told her why he was laughing. My OB said my fundus measurement was 3-4 centimeters bigger (and that seems awfully big!), but it wasn't alarming enough to change my due date to any time sooner. She also said the baby's weight goes more by what Mom was when she was born (that'd be me at 6 pounds and a half-ounce), but of course Dad has something to do with it, too. Pooh.

At any rate, my next appointment is in four weeks (Aug. 14). That is when the fun begins. I have to do my glucose blood test to check for gestational diabetes. (So far, no sugar or protein in my urine.) I've been hearing from other ladies this sugary drink they make you choke down is absolutely no fun. Then you have to sit and let it do it's magic for an hour before your blood is drawn.

All of this brings back a memory from when I was 8 years old, in the hospital for an appendix-related malady (but I didn't have an appendectomy), and I had to drink this "grape juice", as the nurses tried to sell it to me. First off, it was this nasty purple dye crap that tasted worse than moldy liquid cardboard/carpet. As soon as it hit my esophagus, I started spitting it all back at those clever nurses, a la Linda Blair in The Exorcist. I can't remember how they actually got me to drink that poison (I probably blocked out that memory for good reason).

Tids and bits

This photo gave me a giggle. Don't ask how I found it.

---

I also forgot I could blush so easily. I got a compliment (well, more than one), on some fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants design I did tonight at work, and the kudos made me turn red.

But inside I was jumping up and down for creating something that people will be talking about (at least in the office).

Baby knits

Here is a bib I made last night. I got the pattern from the Mason Dixon Knitting book, which I recommend for anyone. I've already tested out at least five patterns from the book and have my eyes set on many others.



If you're wondering about the funky colors, I used ball of a variegated yarn that was almost nil, and thought I'd experiment with another bright color in between and on the strap ends. And this cotton yarn washes up like a dream. So easy!

Geometry

I walk past this scene almost every day on my way to work, and if I am on the right side of the street, the tip of the Denver Art Museum "touches" the top of the Denver Public Library. It just doesn't work from the opposite side of the street.

Today, I snapped a pic with my cell phone and e-mailed it to myself. I thought I'd share a sunny, blue sky from Denver today.

He's joining in the fun, too

C. had his first baby dream last night.

He was changing the baby, which was a girl by the way, and he said her diaper was dry. Just as he picked her up from the changing table, she started peeing on the floor. There was a puddle on the floor, and somehow she ended up peeing on a lady standing in line across the street (?). He said, "Just tell her it's water."

After the peeing episode finished, he put his hand under her butt to put her back on the changing table, and of course, she started pooping in his hand. Just then, he said he started yelling, "HONEY! I NEED AN EXTRA HAND HERE!!"

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Yesterday's "seen"

A bike "bumper sticker" that read: "My other bike is a bike."

Really?!

Not even the cops

This sign is posted next to the Wellington E. Webb Municipal Building downtown, catty-corner to the Rocky's building. Pedestrian traffic is "urged" to flow adjacent to the Webb building, not along the nearby sidewalk next to Colfax Avenue. Where Colfax takes a jog around Civic Center Park, that sidewalk is for wheels only. (So the opposite of the sign above. No peds. Bikes and blades, OK.)

Mind you, nobody pays attention to these signs; as you can see from my vantage point in the photo, they're not at eye level.

And today, just as I crossed Colfax Avenue and Bannock Street, two cops on mountain bikes ignored the sign, riding straight into the pedestrian flow! As if!

In a front-loader, to boot!

I'm kicking myself for not taking any before pictures, but here is my new felted tote bag!



For those of you not familiar with felting, it's basically the same thing that happens if you've ever machine-washed a wool sweater. Oops! It comes out looking like it will fit a teddy bear. Items are knit or crochet much larger than the desired size and out of 100 percent wool. Before felting, I hung the straps on my shoulder, and the bag nearly dropped to the floor (about 8 inches above). And here's the finished product on the back of a dining-room chair.

The problem with front-loading machines is once the door is locked and the wash cycle begins, the item cannot be checked several times during the various wash cycles, like a top-loading machine. Using a front-loader is like "blind" felting (though I did a few practice swatches beforehand). I'd have to say I'll likely be felting blindly more often!

Lazy Tuesday

I was thinking of completing one giant task today but decided against it when it required a shower, change of clothes and driving. (More on that later.)

Today, I ate a bagel and fruit for breakfast, a dang quesadilla for lunch and now I'm thinking I just might make those enchiladas for dinner (that, too, involves driving, though).

But the best part is just about to come.

Trash TV. OK, I know it's not Jerry Springer, but my lineup includes Dr. Phil, followed by Oprah. I've already watched part of The Young and The Restless, one Baby Story, two Bringing Home Baby episodes and one and a half Take Home Chef shows on TLC (I only watched one half of a show since it made me hungry).

But since I'm actually finishing a smaller task at home, I can feel guiltless about watching the boob tube. I began making a felted bag months ago, and now all I have left to do is assemble the bag and knit the two straps, attach and felt! I'm still experimenting with my front-loading washer's felting capability, so wish me luck. I'll be sure to post a photo of the finished product.

And it was much easier for me to stay home today since I had a near accident last night on my way home from a friend's house. All said, I'm OK, but it really scared the poop out of me and I'm a little afraid to drive on the interstate. I think I'll be sending C. to get the Nissan those new tires we promised to get after our trip to Taos.

Gotta run. Can't keep Dr. Phil waiting much longer!

Blog junkie

I'm back and borrowing this idea from MomOf3.

64%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

Weekend update

Another weekend at a wedding, another weekend of belly rubs and pats.

Good news, though: I have yet to have a belly-rubber offend me. The word out there is if that comes to pass, I should reach right out and rub the belly of the offender. See if they like it (sadly, they probably would)!

In other news, I wasn't feeling well to end the week. I had lots of cramping, more contractions and decided to take a day off sick Thursday. I couldn't stand up for longer than 20 minutes at a time without feeling the pain, so I stayed home on the couch, knitting another blanket for Junior (this one is a log-cabin throw made of cotton) and watching TV, mostly tennis.

I had to strategically plan my 20-minute bursts with meaningful tasks: bathroom breaks, beverage refills, snack preparation, a little e-mail and sometimes a chore or two (but nothing too serious). I had C. do all the heavy lifting (laundry baskets, ironing board, even watering the flowers and running an errand to REI for los novios), and all without protest (as it should be!).

Luckily, I made it through, rested and ready for my busy weekend.

A cruel way to think of dessert

Never before had a vanity license plate made me hungry until last night.

We were driving back from Estes Park, where we had been for a wedding and reception at the Stanley Hotel (yes, it's where The Shining was filmed!).

About 25 minutes from home, I spotted a white Nissan Altima, shiny and clean, and the Nevada license plate read

BAKLAVA

Mmmm. Flaky layers oozing with flavor, melting in your mouth, making your fingers sticky. Sweet. Crunchy. Flaky. Soft. I really want some!

Happy

The seen

A middle-aged black woman at the grocery store, wearing what appeared to be a curly wig, big eyeglasses and carrying a black, patchwork purse. As I walked past the customer service desk, I saw the back of her shirt and had to look again.

So fly

Those were the words air brushed to the back of her red t-shirt. It was evident they had been made for a group of some sort -- I started thinking of bowling shirts, high school band shirts, even my old dance studio shirts -- but my eyes didn't read past the distinct lettering.

It made my day!

Sorry, dear

Last night, I had the most glorious night of sleep since, well, I can't remember when. I slept seven hours straight - 2:20-9:20 a.m. - and the only caveat was I was walking to the bathroom hunched over like Igor because I usually get up at least once in the middle of the night. But seven hours ...

...and C. wasn't even here to experience it.

Nope. My hubby is away in Oklahoma, and I had the whole bed to myself. Well, it was me and my five pillows.

P.S. Lest you worry I didn't get enough rest, I slept about another 90 minutes after that!

Shameless contest plug

The Pinks & Blues Girls Blog is having another contest giveaway, and by golly, I'm going to enter.

It features Body Shop coconut butter and a Vera Bradley purse. And you know I love my purses! (Haven't bought one in more than six months! Help me out here!)

Anyway, here's the other required link to Sheena Williams' Body Shop site. Great stuff to be found, no doubt!

If you yourself are a blogger, why not enter?

I can't believe I'm doing this

Since I got pg., I've been trying to "document" my size by taking weekly (but sometimes I forget) self portraits. Here I was at 14 weeks (two months ago):



Mind you, I thought I was getting "big" back then. Now look at me. Here I am at 22 weeks (just a few days back, as confirmed by my ticker):



It's not easy to get all this flesh into the viewfinder any more.

Anyway, stay tuned. I'm sure more humiliating belly shots will be available as the weeks roll on. (And I roll on...)

The trifecta

By popular demand, here is the finished seahorse!



I wish the tail was longer. That's something I can experiment with as I make more. I already made a second crab; it's just not assembled yet. I gave the first one to a friend for his daughter. He said she would get a kick out of it!

Stupid technology

Here's another thing that didn't used to happen 20, probably even 10 years ago.

I was leaving work tonight and on my way down the stairwell to my car, I heard a familiar noise. Just then, I tensed up, searching in my purse to make it stop. It was my cell phone, and the speaker was happily chirping one ring, then two. Then I saw the outer screen. Calling B. home.

Shit!

I crazily searched for the end button and hit it about 18 times. Since my pal in Massachusetts was the last person to call me, she and her hubby were the lucky winners of a middle-of-the-night phone call courtesy of my arm banging on the outer buttons of my cell phone. With just the right movements when I walk and hug my purse close to my body, I can squeeze out a redial when I'm expecting it least. And it's on speaker to boot. Embarassingly, I have done this several times (I've woken up my mom, I've called C. repeatedly). This was just the worst all-time goof.

So B., I'm sorry for the 2:23 a.m. wake-up call. Please tell your man I'm sorry. Tell the little dude in your belly I'm sorry.

And tomorrow, I'm calling AT&T to see how to disable this horrid, unnecessary feature!

P.S. The entire time it took me to write this at 1 a.m., I devoured a bowl of Kashi Autumn Wheat cereal. I think I may have another!

Considering

After discussing cloth diapering with C. and doing lots of online research, here's what we've been considering (as of now, in order of approval).

• Earth Smart Diaper Service in Longmont. Weekly delivery included.



• The Changing Table diaper service in Boulder. Also weekly delivery.



• Bummis, wash-it-yourself cloth diapers you buy. Have to buy new sizes as baby grows.

We wouldn't use cloth exclusively -- think day trips, vacations, sitters, etc. -- but the thought of tossing even one disposable diaper into the trash makes me wince. One throwaway takes 500 years to decompose. Disposable diapers also are the third most frequent item in our landfills.

The pros I've learned of with cloth diapering? Fewer infections and quicker toilet training. Suddenly, this is something I'm very passionate about!

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Also, here are a few things I have bought or received for the little guy.

Little pjs with Pooh and Piglet on them, and an outfit for next summer from Michelle.

"Perfect" onesie and some terry-like footed pjs, bought on clearance at Kohls.

Some bigger clothes I bought for next year. I love the whale onesie, and the raincoat makes me smile.

Have you ever...

...hiccuped and burped at the same time?

I don't recommend it.

A friend for crabby

I had so much fun making the crab, I decided to give the fish a whirl.




Thanks to my friends who suggested I make a bunch of them and make my own mobile for the baby's crib.

There still is one more pattern: a seahorse. I'm sure I can squeeze him in over the next couple of nights after work. After that, I can play with different color combinations on all three. This is fun!

No pinch

Here is my latest knit project. I labored over scraps of yarn last night for a couple hours tops, and here's what I got.




P.S. I'm actually craving a very ripe watermelon, but my mac and Blogger weren't communicating this morning, so that's why the french fries are still there (I think it's a good staple to be craving, anyhow).

Doctor's orders

I was at Petsmart today buying our glorious cats some supplies: cat food and cat litter. I lifted the Iams bag into the cart myself, but when an employee was walking past the litter aisle, I asked him kindly to put the litter in the basket. He did with a big smile on his face, and I felt better about saving my strength and not pulling something. (My round ligaments still hurt when I sneeze.)

When I was checking out, the cashier asked if I would like help out today. When I said "Yes", she looked at me like I had a third eye.

"I'm sorry?" she said.

I guess people rarely ask for help anymore.

Update

I got an e-mail from a nurse in my OB's office today. Her orders? Drink, drink, drink and keep exercise moderate. If cramping is closer than 15 minutes apart for one hour despite rest and hydration, then I should call. (She gave me a list of other symptoms to watch for, but some of them are just gross.)

So here I am, taking it easy today on my day off.

Pure '80s

Just seen/heard: 1980s pop star Tiffany strutting around the stage at Civic Center Park at this weekend's Denver PrideFest, hosted by the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center of Colorado. There were lots of rainbow-colored umbrellas, lots of skin, and I saw smoke rising from the food vending area. I bet they have frickin' funnel cakes there. (I'm so close!!)

Also seen: A black t-shirt on a woman wearing capri jeans and a studded, black leather belt and blue cap. The t-shirt read:

HOLA

BITCHOLA

The seen, No. 2: A guy in his 40s running through the water fountain on the corner of Cleveland Place and Broadway, just steps away from Colfax Avenue. There were many teens who were standing and sitting nearby, drenched and laughing hysterically. The guy's woman was standing by, giggling, when he ran out of the fountain, soaking wet and undeniably cooler than before. Just then, he ran into the street in front of my car (my light had just turned green). Oops.

Whew

Well, after suffering from way too many Braxton Hicks contractions yesterday, I decided to elevate my feet and watch TV last night. I even took a nap!

I think the contractions were a way of telling me to slow down. After going to yoga yesterday from 12:30 to 2 p.m., I picked up C. at Prima, we went to the Cherry Creek mall to pick up an ink refill for his space pen, then headed for the Greek festival. We ate fried calamari, gyros, Greek fries and baklava, and listened to live Greek music. It was so freakin' hot there that we decided to split.

After dropping him back off at work, I drove to Old Navy to see if they had any outrageously cheap items on clearance. Nope. I decided to park the car near the new outdoor shopping mall at Northfield; it's basically situated on the old runways of the former Stapleton International Airport. I'm really excited about this shopping center because they have good restaurants, a Super Target and lots of cool little shops in between (including Bass Pro Shops from a previous post). I hadn't marched around to see exactly what cool shops those were until yesterday, so I may have been pushing it.

But I was drinking from my water bottle the entire time. I even sat in a Brookstone massage chair for 15 minutes to rest. I hadn't realized my feet were so swollen until I tried on a pair of flip flops. I could barely squeeze my tooties into them! I figured one last stop at the Cold Stone would suffice, but I got surprised with a contraction, then another about 10 minutes later. While indulging in my ice cream bowl, I had yet another one on my way to the car. That was it. I got home and that is where I've been since last night.

But today, I don't think I've had one, and I'm on my way to pack a lunch and head to work. But believe me, if I start having them at work, I'm going to drive my achy butt home to do some more self-imposed bed rest.

P.S. I had fun updating the code on my blog today. It's much easier this way, but a lot of the pesky html code I had in place before was deleted, and it took me way too long to figure out how to keep the pregnancy ticker at the top of the page, then to add a link to the baby pool to the right. And this was all done for you. ;-)

My latest purchase

The four-piece crib sheet set (not the crib), for the kid's room! I think I've got a blanket that matches.

Insomnia strikes

It's either that or I still have a lot on my mind. Or it's heartburn. My guess it's a little bit of both. I got home from work less than an hour ago, brushed my teeth, washed my face and took my vitamins. I felt tired, but maybe I just need some more time to unwind.

I also got some tragic news about a friend, so that has me thinking of the things I need to be thankful for, namely, this little boy in my belly. Tragedy does not discriminate. It's not fair, but it happens. So I guess I was left to lie awake, listening to the twirl of my ceiling fan, C. lightly snoring and a kitty purring at my feet. And my mind still racing from the night just passed.

So now I'm up. Guess I'll curl up with a book, and pop a couple of Tums just to be sure about that heartburn.

Another "brown" cloud

While I was getting ready for work today, I noticed how HOT it was outside. We've had temps in the 90s the past few days to bring an end to spring, and yesterday, making the 0.6-mile walk to my car was brutal.

So with the sun blazing outside, I rifled through my limited wardrobe with extra care, got dressed and headed out the door, equipped with a 32-ounce Nalgene bottle with ice water. But what waited for me at Vasquez Boulevard and Interstate 70 was ominous.

A sandstorm, if you will, had whipped up in the area, like a dense fog leaving motorists creeping along, not sure what waited on the other side. After pulling out of it, the blue sky reappeared and tiny dirt devils whipped up adjacent to the highway. Denver's know for it's brown cloud -- a very ugly, stinky smog layer that blankets the city in the winter.

But this one was a little bit different. There to remind us that weather in Denver is never dull.

Introducing...

...our baby boy, set to make his appearance Nov. 1, 2007.

A different world

I finally went into Bass Pro Shops yesterday to purchase a stadium/bleacher seat (the one with the back support, since I tend to get uncomfortable more quickly these days). We were headed to watch Pulp Fiction at Film On The Rocks at Red Rocks last night and I wanted to be prepared.

But nothing prepared me for these wild indoors.

First, hundreds of antlers were intertwined at the grand entrance, and a big, brown grizzly bear stared at me when I opened the door. (The door handle? Made from a giant antler.) There were tons of taxidermied bodies all over the place! Brown trout, lake trout, rainbow trout, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, moose, white-tailed deer, a mountain lion, a blond grizzly bear (which was rather pretty) and elk.

Everywhere.

I'm by no means a card-carrying PETA member, but something about hunting just doesn't sit right with me. Before entering the ginormous store through a gate past customer service (which, by the way, has a rustic, log-cabin feel with big wooden rocking chairs, leather seats and a fireplace, if memory serves), there's a sign that reads "Please check all guns and bows at the door." And I saw two men check their rifles!

I quickly made my way to the camping section, pulled what I needed off the shelf and hurried my way to check out. Adjacent to the checkout lanes is the "general store", with saltwater taffy, fish fry batter, salsa and chili, spice rubs and anything else you need to cook your venison or freshly-caught fish. Yikes!

I'm not saying I'll never enter the store again, but at least next time I will be more prepared!

Baby's first...

...blanket! I hated the color of this yarn when it arrived, but after working a few rows it grew on me. Especially now since I might have chosen a crib sheet set. It would match!

The baby knitting will have to take a back seat for a bit though. I've got to start making more washcloths for my relatives and finish up another baby project - that one is a gift, though. I also promised my cousin a kitty bath mitt for the kids. Methinks I don't want to do another blanket for a while; I don't need a big project draped across my lap as I work. Discloths, bath mitts, even the stuffed monkey I was dreaming of knitting wouldn't fill my lap and make me break into a sweat! I'll keep you posted on my progress. (I am being a hair ambitious with all this talk.)

Happy...

Father's Day to all the daddies!!

Tick tock

Time is running out to vote in C.'s and my baby pool (well to select gender, at least). We have our big ultrasound Tuesday afternoon.

Navigate to it from the "Links" section on the bar to the right.

Do not try this at home

DO NOT drive past the Purina dog chow factory on Interstate 70 near Vasquez with your window down. (Just as I did last night on my way home from work around 12:30 a.m. I know better than that!)

It's enough to make someone not pregnant gag!

Fast forward

C. called me tonight from the golf course. He had taken a glimpse at our future.

A man was waiting in the bathroom when C. went in, and the man called out, "You still doing OK, buddy?" I guess a little 4-ish-year-old boy said sheepishly from one of the closed stalls, "Daddy, I pooped in my pants."

C. thought it was so cute. He could sense the little guy was scared he was going to get in trouble, embarrassed and just wanted his problem to be fixed. Then C. told me that's what he has to look forward to in about four more years.

At least he'll be taking our son or daughter to the golf course!

Seven letters

My favorite sighting on the way back from Taos, N.M., traveling north on Colorado Highway 159, was a vanity plate on a charcoal gray Prius hybrid (something I want so badly!):

UNHUMMR

It made my day!

Road trippin'

Can't wait to hit the road for Taos.

I'll be seeing my grandma for the first time since September, and my dad for the first time in a few months. I have not seen a lot of my extended family for more than a year.

Hopefully I'll be back with a lot of new blog fodder, and if not, at least some tasty pictures for you to feast your eyes on!

Edit: Baby movement update! I think s/he liked the concert. I felt a "flutter" last night. Imagine holding a little fish in your closed fist and it wiggling around trying to get out. That's what it felt like! Some people describe it as butterflies, and it felt slightly like that. The fish analogy works much better for me though.

I'm just wild about ...

... Harry.

The concert tonight at Red Rocks was outstanding. His band was on fire, and he brought Lucien Barbarin, who plays a mesmerizing jazz trombone. Barbarin was even working it on the stage, lying sultrily across the top of Harry's Steinway & Sons black piano during a rendition of Basin Street Blues. They both sang. Truly a riot.

Harry made jokes ("Boy it sure is hot out here." The temp was in the 50s.), walked across the stage like a drunken sailor while showing us all how they dance in New Orleans, got sentimental about his hometown and the Musicians' Village, played three different pianos and even tried his hand(s) at the bongos.

He sang Jambalaya On The Bayou, directing his big band to "laissez les bon temps SWING, MAN!" He even threw in a reference to his wife, Jill, in the same song.

And during a super jazzy version of Didn't He Ramble, in which the 50-year-old Barbarin also sang a few bars, Harry busted out "Fish don't fry in the kitchen, beans don't burn on the grill. Took a whole lotta tryin', just to get up that hill."

Oh, and the best part?

We were about 10-15 feet away from the stage in the third row. Quite amazing.

Blast from the past

Today I saw a real, live lemonade stand! And they were troopers, sitting on the corner in Montbello in high winds. As far as I could tell, it was two young girls and two adults, perhaps Mom and Dad?

Didn't we all want to run a lemonade stand when we were younger? But this one was pretty high-tech, if memory serves (when the days of a plastic pitcher full of the lemony concoction and Dixie cups atop a card table was all it took, and enough coins in the bank to make change).

It was equipped with two five-gallon jugs, rows of disposable plastic cups and a wooden framing around the table area, all painted lemon yellow with black LEMONADE lettering at the top.

I was just dying to see how much they were charging for one cup!

Gabby rules

Either that's her slogan, or she makes up her own "rules" along the way, my youngest cat is just rotten to the core. But I love 'er!

Goofing around the other day, she looked so playful standing next to the little "fun fur" mouse I crocheted for her.


Then with a flick of her tail -- it has a mind of it's own, you know -- she let out a gurgly, chirpy meow and dashed under the bed. If this is her idea of hiding, she had better rethink it. Every time I see this (and she does it often), I tap on her tail with my toe. She doesn't like that.

iPods, on your mark

I'm borrowing this task from another fellow blogger. Thanks J.

Instructions:
1. Put your music player on shuffle.
2. Press forward for each question.
3. Use the song title as the answer to the question even if it doesn’t make sense. (I cheated here by skipping the iTrip stations that came up...to be fair, only two did.)

How do you feel today? Battleflag - Lo-Fidelity Allstars
What's your outlook on life? Winter Wonderland - Harry Connick Jr.
What does your family think of you? Greenbacks - Ray Charles
What do your friends think of you? Awakening - Michael Mandrell
What do your exes think of you? It Had To Be You - Harry Connick Jr. (instrumental)
How's your love life? I Can Help - Billy Swan
How will your love life be in the future? Fallin' - Alicia Keys
Are you good at school? Disappear - Hoobastank
Will you be successful? Here Comes The Hotstepper - Ini Kamoze
What song should they play at your birthday? The Jitterbug - Harry Connick Jr.
What song should they play at your graduation? Perfect - Alanis Morissette
The soundtrack of your life? Do Dat Thing - Harry Connick Jr.
You and your best friends are? U Can't Touch This - McHammer
Happy times? Weed With Willie - Toby Keith
Sad times? Juke Box Blues - Reese Witherspoon
Every day? Corazonado - Ricky Martin
For tomorrow? Aye Davanita - Pearl Jam
For you? Used To Love U - John Legend
What does the next year have in store for you? Science of Beauty podcast (attraction, puberty, hormones, etc.) - Science Channel
What do you say when life is too hard? Mr. Sunshine - Lori McKenna
What do you want as a career? Nowhere With Love - Harry Connick Jr.
Your favorite saying? U Got It Bad - Usher
How will you die? Ballad of Spider John - Jimmy Buffett (who has arachnaphobia here?!)

Just passing it on

Have a good and "Funnellicious" day.

That's coming straight from the dry-erase board in front of the Funnelicious snack stand at the People's Fair. Not only did the vendor offer funnel cakes, soft pretzels and meatballs on a stick were also for sale.

Belly movement update

OK, after Sunday's post, I haven't felt anything else.

But here is how it went down. I was taking a little walking break with a coworker, and about five paces away from the lobby door to the street, I felt a huge whack on the inside of my belly button.

One kick, punch, stretch. That was it. I explained the feeling to someone, and they discounted it as gas. I've never had gas that felt like that (and was so short-lived..haha). Anyway, after being stopped in my tracks, I waited about 15 seconds and still no movement. I waited all night. Went home and laid still, again, waiting. Still five days later, nothing. I guess I have to be patient.

My nurse practitioner said I should be feeling movement at about 20-22 weeks, and I just passed the 18-week mark yesterday. Still, I made notes of the "movement" and hopefully I'll know what it really feels like soon!

In another weird feeling last week, I felt a silly "ripping" sensation on my tummy. I thought I sprouted my first stretch mark (lovely), but when I got home I didn't see anything (and still no signs of the pesky little buggers). Ladies, it felt like a nylon run. Imagine a big rip in your pantyhose, running up your leg. That's what I felt on my stomach. Weird, I know!

Neon goofs

So I was driving home from work and many many things caught my eye.

First, it was at a salon next to my work. Then there was another one in a convenience store. Yet another one in a storefront on Broadway.

They were neon signs, advertising "OPEN" when the stores clearly were not at 12:30 a.m. After working in my family's restaurant and closing a few times, I learned the one thing we were not to forget is turning off the "open" sign. I guess it's a pet peeve of mine now.

It also is worth mentioning the convenience store on Lincoln is called "Snack Attack." That reminds me of one of my favorite recent Saturday Night Live skits. Click the link below and enjoy...(boy, those cupcakes look good)!

Lazy Sunday skit

I think ...

...I felt the baby move! More on this later!

Fear factor

My worst fear still is having another miscarriage. After learning another dear friend on one of my grief and loss message boards is losing her baby at 12 weeks, I realize lightning can strike twice. (In my case, three times...) The only words I can muster is, "It's not FAIR!"

I used to get so angry at girls/women who found themselves with unwanted pregnancies. There are good women all across the world -- at least three women I hold dear to my heart -- who cannot bear their own children. And they want to. Desperately. When I went through each of my losses, I felt like I saw pregnant ladies everywhere. I got mad. I didn't understand this anger. Why are they round and happy when I've lost three angel babies in nine months? It's just part of this cruel but necessary process of grieving.

Nobody should ever have to lose a baby, but it happens, and that just makes me relish in the fact this pregnancy is relatively easy. I say easy because I'm less worried about the things I cannot control. I can do all I can up to a point, as in eating right, not doing any heavy lifting, driving safe, getting enough rest. But the things that are out of my hands are exactly that. Out. Of. My. Hands.

So this morning, I cozied up with my rented Doppler again, not sure if I should send it back by the first of the month or keep it a little longer. As I pressed the wand a few inches below my belly button, there it was. My little baby's heart beat chugging along, sounding anywhere between a galloping horse, to a light "thump, thump, thump". My sister-in-law described it as sounding like shaking a piece of sheet metal (she's right!). I've described it as a "swoosh/swish" noise. Just as I steadied the wand in place, the heartbeat grew stronger and louder, then it waned. Then I heard a noise -- the baby doing a flip or a turn? -- I guess I won't know. But s/he was moving around in there, dodging the wand then cozying right up next to it, as if to say, "Look, Ma, I can swim and do somersaults and move around all I want to in here."

It made me smile. It also made me be thankful for what I've got here. This miracle of pregnancy never ceases to amaze me.

The Bunnski

I have to get a picture of this today when I walk by, but yesterday, I saw a little sticker dressing up the blue mail box on the southeast corner of 12th and Bannock.

It's a picture of a rabbit on top of "THE BUNNSKI" lettering. On the upper-right corner is a blank text bubble, like in a comic strip. Does this mean you fill in the blank as to what the bunnski is going to say?!

I Googled it ("the Bunnski", exactly) to see what came up, and there's one photo on Flickr with the Bunnski trio -- three of the same stickers affixed to a window above some very creative lettering. Check it out.

Edit: As you can see, I got those snapshots!

Dream weaver

In the past week, I've had the most odd dreams! Here's a sampling, and just in case you wondered, it's one of the symptoms of pregnancy.

1. A home invasion. C. and I were in our townhome, but there were "people" there watching us. They didn't hurt us, just terrified the crap out of me. So we were trying to create a diversion, find a way to get out of the house. Since they had turned out the power, I had this idea that we light some matches up close to the fire alarm and when the sprinklers went on, we'd magically escape through the back door. (We don't even HAVE sprinklers!) So there I was spending book after book of matches under the fire alarm since the ceiling fan kept blowing them out. Plus, the guy who smokes (C.) didn't have a lighter. Go figure. Well, I succeeded finally, and we ran out the back yard, and just then, I cried "HELP!! HELP!!" And that was out loud in real life, so I woke up C. in the process and he calmed me down and I went back to sleep!

Later, when I was explaining this dream to him, he kept finding holes in my story. It totally made sense in my head while it was going on, but who makes sense of dreams, anyway? For one, he said if we're trying not to call attention in the DARK, why would we be starting matches? If the power had been cut, how was the ceiling fan on, etc. Gee, thanks for the comfort. :-P

2. Food dreams. I've had more of these, but this one stands out. There was an old lady with her white hair tucked away in a bun, and she was wearing a frilly apron. She was making buttermilk biscuits, her hands and apron white and powdery with flour, her biscuit cutter moving swiftly across the dough. When the biscuits came out of the oven warm and flaky, then came the country gravy with sausage. It was one of the best food dreams I've had. Homemade country gravy and biscuits. YUM!

3. Cheating dreams. Either me on C. or, more often, him on me. This one was him cheating on me with a real person I know (a distant, distant friend of a friend). I obviously won't say who, but this person is 20 years his senior, has a gruff voice and almost reminds me of another person I've met called Butch. It is hilarious in retrospect. I found out C. had been sneaking out with said person to rendezvous in her minivan. Ew. This probably was partly because of our talk the other day about how he doesn't want to be a "minivan" family. Luckily, our soon-to-be family of three won't require a big passenger vehicle!

4. Another type of kidnapping/home invasion dream. This was just last night. I was being held captive in a one-room structure, with dirt floors, ants all around and a tiny little stove top. Out the window, I could see sagebrush for miles, and mountains in front of a gorgeous sunset with terrific colors. There was another girl with me, and just when we were ready to make our big escape (and me moving rather swiftly with a swollen belly), our captors were walking back across the field carrying two brown bags of groceries each. There was lettuce peeking over the top of one bag, oranges in another. Does this qualify as a food dream? Like we weren't leaving now that fresh produce was coming our way?!

Can't wait to see what my brain cooks up tonight!

Things that make you go . . .

. . . hmmm.

Our newspaper's health and fitness editor walking past the stairs to take the elevator to the parking garage.

Signs of spring

Seeing all the brightly colored spring clothes cropping up around town, I thought of the equally bright houses and other structures C. and I viewed while riding from Braco to Montego Bay in Jamaica.

The hues snapped against the blue sky -- yellow, blue, orange, green, red, peach, teal. One structure popped out from behind another, sometimes in time with the music coming from the taxi driver's radio on the drive to the airport. We even spied some metal palm trees painted in bright colors.

The one white building that would leave a lasting impression on me is the Rose Hall Plantation. It rests on a hillside east of Montego Bay, peering down at the road and coastline below. Here lived Annie Hall, the "white witch" and a figure of Jamaican folklore. Though we used our trip as a re-energizing, we didn't do any sightseeing. This tourist spot would be on my list should I ever return to this side of the island.

Click here to read a little snippet.

To Moms everywhere

This is for all the "Moms" in my life, I hope this day truly is a special one.

Shoot, I forgot to buy that Prius

Six months ago, I was "complaining" about the price of gas at the nearby Pilot station.

Just last night, it was more expensive than the diesel price. "UNLEADED $3.079" was staring back at us in bright red letters. C. was asking me why gas has gone up so much in the past month. I say it's the season. Memorial Day is coming up, along with all those road trips.

Luckily, we have a Nissan that gets about 27 mpg and a Kia that averages 33 mpg. We did the math for our upcoming trip to Taos, N.M., and by driving the Kia, we'd save only four gallons over the length of the trip. That's a savings of about $12-$15.

C. and I are willing to pay that for the luxury of cruise control, power locks and power windows.

So what are you paying in your neck of the woods?

Toilet humor

Warning: Pregnancy complaints ahead.

Every morning, I marvel at the capacity of the human bladder. After some cursory research, it's about one liter, give or take a few ounces. So with a growing uterus squishing my bladder and all the extra blood volume in my bod, it's no wonder I feel like I have about five times that amount when I awake in the night, sometimes four times, and stumble toward the toilet. Is it mother nature's cruel little joke of getting us "used" to the overnight feedings? That's one theory.

I just want my sleep.

Drumroll, please

I'm pregnant! In my 14th week, to be exact (which also means I've officially entered the second trimester). I'm due Nov. 1!!



An excerpt from one of the many pregnancy Web sites:

The second trimester is typically experienced as the most exciting yet enjoyable of the three -- the morning sickness is gone, you definitely feel and look pregnant, but you’re not yet reaching the overstuffed lumbering mammoth state.

True? Well, I'm still suffering from morning sickness, cravings, and all the other fun stuff pregnancy brings (gas, bloating, dizziness, headaches and an overall "blah" feeling, but only part of the time). But we have seen the little "pumpkin" on the ultrasound. S/he was about 7 weeks old at the time and there were two gestational sacs. Twins? Maybe at first, the doc said. But now there's one healthy dude or dudette in there. Plus, we have heard the heartbeat. Honestly, it was the sweetest sound I've ever heard in my life. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh... I have a .wav file of it if you're interested in hearing it (says the proud mama).

Want to take part in our baby pool? Here's the link (or find it in my "Links" section):

Scratch-my-head moment

Walking past Civic Center Park, I saw all the worker bees hustling to get their booths set up for the Cinco de Mayo parade and celebration.

Just then, I walked by a man setting up a sign that touted "Gyros!"

... for Cinco de Mayo? I know, I know, but it at least gave me a giggle.

Money

After months of parking along a street about 0.6 of a mile away from work where there are no meters, just "timed" honor-system-type parking for 2 hours (I tend to stretch the limit a little), I parked at a meter today. Excuse? I was running late. Really late.

I have my little cash key, and when I inserted it into the slot, I felt robbed. Four bucks to park for four hours before I could move my car safely into the garage at work. Boy, am I spoiled.

Bunch o' savages in this town

To steal a line from Clerks, there truly are a bunch of savages in this town. Grr!

On my way home from work, I caught a glimpse of some idiot's graffiti on our neighboring 'hood's welcome sign. You know, the signage that signifies the name of a certain community? Well...three big characters scrawled in black covered the entire sign, and it has to be 8+ feet high.

Luckily, ours hasn't been tagged yet. It's probably our sign's size (3 feet tall with dark brick) and lack of room to vandalize. But it seems week after week the sign across the street gets hit. What gives?

Reminds me of the graffiti we saw stamped on several fences and buildings on our way to the Montego Bay airport. Simply put, it read "Big Nuni Singer."

Hmmm...

Run to the Roses?

With only five and a half days to go before the Kentucky Derby, a memory returned from our recent trip to Jamaica.

On the third night of our trip, we had gone to the main drag of the resort to watch the nightly activities. But we thought we were too late, so we headed on to dinner. About halfway through our meal, we heard the announcer, then we heard the familiar tune.

My Old Kentucky Home, the song that signals the start of the Run To The Roses, was playing over a loud speaker. The crab races had begun.

Though we didn't see it, it sounded hilarious. The races were complete with crab painted with different colors, a play-by-play announcer and cheering fans.

All we needed were mint juleps and some stylish hats!

It will be hard for me to watch this year's Derby without letting out at least a tiny chuckle.

The motherlode

Today while walking into work, I spotted a black pigeon standing atop the cracked concrete and blacktop. Partly on the sidewalk, partly on the street, partly in a drive way, it was feverishly picking food out of the crevices. S/he gorged on something that was an afterthought by one of us humans, perhaps dropped by a patron of Cap City Tavern in the 1200 block of Bannock Street.

Nachos? Chips? Whatever it was, this pigeon hit the lotto.

Gasp!

My 7-foot wooden ostrich is gone!

Not knocked over, not broken, just plaine gone. Who will I wave to every night I drive home from work?

Thank you, Easter Bunny

Well, the furry little dude didn't happen to hit my place, but that's probably because I skipped church this weekend. For some of us, this means the end of lent and fish on Fridays.

Anyway, hope everyone is having a wonderful Easter, Passover or plain ol' spring weekend!

Another bizarre day

Later, while moving my car into my work building's garage around 6 tonight, I spied a man with glasses and a hat walking against the wind down Colfax Avenue (sometimes the most bizarre stretch of road in the city and beyond).

Beneath his charcoal wool coat was a ruffled white skirt. Beneath that were black leggings. He wore flip flops with white straps and seafoam green soles. I couldn't stop staring at his frilly skirt. Nor could the man walking in the opposite direction toward the capitol.

What will I spy tomorrow?

Cow town

Walking to work this afternoon, I had a weird tickle in my nose -- and then it hit me.

It smelled like manure. In the middle of the city.

For the entire 15-minute walk, I clutched my sleeve close to my nose and mouth, almost excited when I walked past a smoker on the street because for once, it didn't smell like cow poop.

(And it almost seems appropriate to take a dig at real cow towns Greeley or Lamar ... but I digress.)

DEN-DFW-MBJ

In eight hours, I'll be on a plane to Jamaica, by way of Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.

I'm packed and have my entire week planned out. It consists of ... nothing! I've been a little stressed in the past month, so this break comes at a great time. About all I have time for is swimming, spa-ing, lounging, napping, eating and drinking. I might squeeze in a little more napping ... (But I don't want to overbook myself.)

And with the Internet cafe at our resort coming with a premium, I'll check back with y'all next week! I hope I have a tan by then. :)

"It's a llama!"

For the past month or so, I've noticed an unusual creature peering at me from the side of the road when I drive home after work.

It's a 7-foot wooden ostrich, yellow beak, knobby knees and all, decorating a small patch of grass in front of a sign shop (Eye Candy Graphics) on Broadway near Curtis.

The first few nights I noticed the black body, long legs and beady eyes, I had to steal a look from my rear-view mirror. Did I see what I thought I saw? Now I look for him almost every night, and the few folks who seem to always be waiting at the bus stop just a few yards away act as though there's nothing wrong with this picture.

Edit: Why haven't I noticed this before!

Beauty

When I walked into the break room at work to heat up my burrito, there it was, happily staring back at me.

Ribbons of pink and blue sky filled the view, full with the majestic Rocky Mountains and the sharp edges of the City and County Building. I am so glad we get another hour of daylight to see this beautiful landscape of ours.

Note: I'm moving a little bit slow this afternoon after making that time change.

Josephine's alphabet

A--Available, Married or Single: Married.
B--Best friend: Rod ... and Monique.
C--Cake or Pie: Pie.
D--Drink of Choice: Ginger ale, Diet Dr. Pepper.
E--Essential item you use everyday: Hmm. My blender for a smoothie or the coffee maker.
F--Favorite Color: Purple.
G--Gummy bears or worms: Bears. Cherry flavor.
H--Hometown: Denver, Colo.
I--Indulgence: Designer handbags.
J--January or February: February.
K--Kids and names: Booty and Gabby, my four-legged kids.
L--Life is incomplete without: Family.
M--Marriage Date: Nov. 19, 2005.
N--Number of siblings: 1. A brother who is OLD. :)
O--Oranges or apples: Oranges. God I love OJ.
P--Phobias or fears: Not heights, not snakes. Spiders. Ick.
Q--Fave quote: This, too, shall pass.
R--Reason to smile: Hard to say.
S--Season: Spring and fall are my favorites.
T--Talent: I can tap dance. And I can crochet and knit.
U--Unknown fact about me: If I say then it won't be unknown any longer.
V--Vegetable you don't like: I like most all of them, but I might say raw onions.
W--Worst habit: Being consistently 5 minutes late.
X--Xrays: Don't like the ones at the dentist when you have to bite down on that little plastic thingy. Stay still!
Y--Your fave food: Grandma's cooking.
Z--Zodiac sign: Aquarius.

Let it snow

Just when the tiny patch of snow remaining on our equally tiny patch of grass was threatening to leave after the warm temps this week, more white stuff started to fall late Friday. Or I guess it was early Saturday . . . about 12:30 a.m. when I was on my way home from work.

And the moment the temperature was just right, the snowflakes arrived. But it was more like a rush of the tiny flecks dancing across the headlights of the oncoming cars. Whoosh. It is here. And I have two Netflix movies, a chest full o' yarn and plenty of lounging intentions for my Saturday off. Don't be mad if I fail to answer the phone. :D

It's in the air

A few days after Denver failed to break the record of consecutive days with snow on the ground, it's starting to take shape.

You can see it all around. Before Tuesday, we had dealt with snow cover for 61 days. Sixty-one long days with some version of the elements on the sidewalks -- be it slush, ice, snow or a mix thereof -- and it wasn't always fun walking a mile each day when I come to work.

But the past couple of days when I made that short trip on foot, I saw more and more people getting brave with their wardrobes. Shorts. Flip flops. Skirts. Capris. Strappy, open-toe pumps. No coats. No hats. No gloves. No scarves.

At last, spring is in the air!

Eww

Getting ready to return the moldy birthday cake to Safeway (not Albertson's as I originally had thought). Imagine my surprise when I'm serving up slices of the white cake with pink icing, and all of a sudden there's a moldy circle about two inches in diameter staring back at me from the spongy cake! Someone called out, "It's a blueberry. Don't worry!" It was almost eerie how indifferent people were about it. We popped out the mold and kept serving.

Funny thing, I didn't eat a slice.

Graduation

A day after turning 33, I am finally yielding to all these cold symptoms. They began three nights ago -- my sore throat masked as heartburn -- and today I just s t o p p e d. I've been going full blast since Wednesday, so it's no wonder this cold is taking control when my body is at rest.

But don't fear. I've taken some meds (drank my OJ, too), traded my PJs for some equally comfy lounge clothes and after cooking a late breakfast of blueberry pancakes, I am graduating from the bed to the couch . . . where I plan to stay all day long.

New meaning to "airport gifts"

As a kid, whenever Dad traveled, we always wondered what he brought back from his trip for us. These little treasures quickly were dubbed "airport gifts".

Sitting in a Minneapolis airport a few weeks ago, I saw a bit of Retail America that I fear has gone too far. Behold... the electronics vending machine.



iPods in pink, green and blue? Cameras? Headphones I get. But cell phones and Bluetooth? So many questions flooded my head. What music would you listen to? How? If no music or videos, would you be forced to stare at your fancy new possession on a 3-hour flight? Or would you be able to download, at 99 cents a song, some music from the machine's iTunes?

Swipe card. And for some people it's just that easy.

Yikes

Thirty days since my last post. That's a bit frightening.

I have had many ideas for posts, they just have not made it here yet. But for starters, here are a couple of photos of the City and County Building, as seen from my view at work. There is still snow on the ground, despite the rapid meltdown after a 60-degree day this week.


Since I took these photos, the lights are coming down and it seems like the world has adjusted to post-holiday life.



P.S. The red 't' on the Benjamin Moore sign has been fixed!

The seen

While driving home from work Sunday night on a giant neon sign at Park Avenue West and Walnut Street:

Benjamin
Moore
Pain s

The red 't' had burned out.

Even a fox

Anticipation was in the air as the three of us walked down Bannock Street in Denver. The clock hadn't yet rang 6 o'clock and people were milling around the City and County Building waiting for someone to set the holiday lights aglow. Vendors sold glow-in-the-dark merchandise and flashing "sun"glasses among other goodies. Bundled up, citizens walked past heaps of snow and up to the nativity scene, looked up and stared at darkness.

As we neared the end of the block, lights still unlit, one of us spied a tiny fox. Its feet painted black and its tail whipping about, the little critter hopped alongside the building, seeming to be filled with excitement at the firing up of the lights, but we all knew the shy creature was just plain scared. It was searching for a tree or bush to hide behind, yet too much action was going on nearby and it was evident the fox could not relax.

Still, there it went - Hop! Hop! Hop! - not even letting the fact it only had three legs (the lower hindquarter was missing) slow it down.

Snow days!

I've been home all week anyway, but over the last two days I couldn't leave the house if I wanted to.

Denver was buried under 2 feet of snow and blizzard conditions for about 36 hours, ending earlier at noon today. But now, the sun is out (until it sets in about 15 minutes) and our driveway and neighborhood streets are still covered under drifts up to 5 feet tall.


This was a view from our master bedroom last evening. Yes, that is a street in our complex filled with mounds of snow. I think the plow truck got stuck; at least that's what it sounded like last night.


By the look of it, the sun has a lot of snow to melt in the coming days, including the massive amount on our rooftop.

Lest anyone worry, C. and I have plenty of food, drink and stuff to do. To wit, he has been playing a Tom Clancy game on his Xbox while I've been uploading photos, updating this space and sending e-mails to friends far and wide. Yesterday, I baked 11 dozen cookies and 16 mini loaves of lemon and pumpkin bread, wrapped them in cellophane bags and prepared to pass out the holiday cheer. I think a game of Scrabble might be in the cards later. Today, I even have done a bit of crocheting and knitting. (Below: Thanks, G., for the new Ballband Dishcloth pattern! As you can see, I'm loving it and almost have two scrubbies completed! Thank God I buy the kitchen cotton almost every time I'm in the craft store. It's so inexpensive at just over a buck a ball.)



That is all for now. I hope you and yours are staying warm and safe!

Holiday update

So it's 14 days to Christmas and I've got nearly all of my shopping done. Greeting cards are out and all but one package has been sent. I just have to finish crafting a couple of gifts before I'm done for the holidays. This is much better than last year :)

And I do have plans to do a little baking. Can't wait to fill the house with good smells of pumpkin, banana and lemon bread! Now I'm hungry.

Countdown!

I've decided to make my countdown ticker (above) into a regular feature. I guess I'll have to find new reasons to count down to an exciting date! (My birthday could be the next one, for instance.)

Hope you like it. Let me know what you think.

Holiday tidings

With my Christmas tree twinkling across the living room walls and holiday music in regular rotation on my iPod, I wish thee a very happy holiday season!

P.S. My goal is to do the remainder of my Christmas shopping online. The mall just isn't worth it.