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Just Jen
Careful with the pretty things

Friday, July 30, 2004
Too funny ... from CBSNews.com

Quote of the Day: "Go balloons. Go balloons. More balloons. All balloons. All balloons. Come on guys, let's move it! ... We need more balloons! F---, f---." --Don Mischer, executive producer of the Democratic convention bemoaning the delay in the balloon drop, expressing his anxiety, and using Dick Cheney's favorite four-letter word, which was heard accidentally by millions of people over an open mike. (Boston Globe)


I would like to know who makes the fruit and yogurt parfaits stocked in the cafeteria fridge downstairs.  I had one this morning, and it was full of strawberries, grapes, pineapples, granola, obviously yogurt ... but perhaps a less obvious ingredient worth pointing out is love.  That sucker had love all up in it; I know it. Plain old blueberry, raspberry, yogurt parfaits are for fools.


Thursday, July 29, 2004
Really, you don't have to be so mean.


Holy mother of the sun and the moon and the stars, I may just be able to take a lunch break today! And now I must decide how I would like to spend that time ...

The possibilities are endless!!


Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Wow.   I just lost a post.

I think it said something about how I just published yesterday's entry, which was written mid-day yesterday but not published until today.  And I started to tell you about our vacation and how much fun it was, and how there's too much to write right now ... how the island is bigger than I was aware originally and how you need weeks there to do everything you think you NEED to do.

And how I'm in a better mood today than I was yesterday, which is a good thing.  How I feel guilty for complaining when it probably looks as if there's not much to complain about, though depression is a weird little beast.  Yes, I was telling you all about that weird beast.

This week has flown by.  I hit the ground running Monday morning and haven't stopped.  Work is busy and new and overwhelming; everything's overwhelming.  That's not necessarily a bad thing, you know, but it describes most areas of my life right now.

But today's been a good day.  A busy day.  Another overwhelming day, but a good day even still.


Tuesday, July 27, 2004
We had a fabulous vacation that I need to write about at some point.  I only had one really bad day where I totally flipped my shit and cried.  And I cried because I'm huge, and I cried because I couldn't have a drink, and I cried from an overwhelming sense of being overwhelmed.

I'm reading the dumbest book ever, as part of my participation in book club.  The sad thing is, I'm enjoying it.  I'm actually enjoying it.

Oh yeah, and my Iron is low, so add two more pills to the number consumed daily. And I may have low Iron, I may be full-cheeked, I may be depressed and stressed, but I'll tell you one thing:  I've got one helluva tan, bitch.

*It's been proven that typing curse words does not cause harm to unborn children.


Friday, July 16, 2004
I am giddy.

Honeymoon, here we come! Prepare the beaches of Maui for my large tummy!


Thursday, July 15, 2004
Not everyone likes confrontation. I don't particularly like it, but I do like things out in the open. I mean, if I'm ticked at you, you're gonna know. That's just how I am.

The thing is, I want to know if someone's ticked at me, too, but not all people are so willing to tell you such things. Perhaps they think that you don't really want to know. They may play dumb games, drop hints that they're upset, but then say nothing to you about it. They may tell other people, too. That's the worst -- when they tell someone other than you that they're ticked at you, then deny anything's wrong when you ask what the deal is. People are weird, generally. Why not just shoot it straight?

Anyway, I've found this to be a recurring point of contention in various relationships. And I'm working on that. I mean, very often, my association with those who don't want to "tell-it-like-it-is" is cut abruptly short. Personally, I think calling a spade a spade is the way to go. But that's just me.


Wednesday, July 14, 2004
Help me. I can't quit buying clothes. Maternity clothes, specifically. I think it has something to do with being dissatisfied with everything I put on, which has less to do with the clothes and more to do with my current shape. Repeat: "Big is beautiful, big is beautiful, big is beautiful."

OK, yeah, so I know I'm not really that big, but to me, I'm huge. Huge, I tell you. My ankles are swelling, I'm carrying fluid, I gained 10 pounds in five weeks. Seriously.

And I can't stop eating.

Must leave work early to shop. Need retail therapy.
And no, I don't care if I sound like a total brat.

Um yeah, so last night as I'm reading a magazine on the sofa, I get this urge to roll my hair. Yes, I had a strong desire to put my hair in curlers, you read right. But then I remember that I threw out the curlers I had, mainly because I never used them. What do I do? I inform my husband that I'm going to Walgreens. At 9 p.m. I'm going to get curlers.

I bought a set of 31 rollers and proudly brought them home, parked it in front of our standing mirror in the bedroom and began to embark on my mission. How hard can rolling your hair be?

I'll tell you, it can be difficult. Especially when your hair's about a foot and a half long and you're stretching your poor arms as far as you can in order to get the ends around the rollers.

Other issues to be aware of:
1) If there's a man anywhere around after you set the rollers, rest assured, he will laugh at you. Even if he's a sweet, poetry-spouting man like my B. Humor is humor dammit; you're likely to laugh yourself. Especially if you decide to tie a scarf around your head, all Thelma & Louise like.

2) Sleeping may be difficult. Add this to the fact that sleeping while pregnant isn't a cake walk anyway, and you might just re-think the whole idea that rolling your hair in the p.m. will save you time in the a.m., thus affording you more sleep. Somehow, it just didn't even out.

3) There's the possibility that even though you spent seven plus hours in rollers, your hair may still be straight when you take them out in the morning. Perhaps a setting gel should be used ... or maybe wet hair would work better. This could require research and, you guessed it, more time.

Keep in mind that, as B firmly stated last night when I commented about a gut feeling that the hair-rolling wasn't going to work, all that matters is that you tried, dear. All of this has me asking myself what I did with my evenings before I got knocked up. I assure you, I wasn't sitting my arse in front of a mirror rolling my hair granny-style.


Tuesday, July 13, 2004
I think I'll start every post from here on out with, "We've been busy." That just about sums it up.

We had our doc visit last Thursday and everything went well. Baby even kicked while we were listening to his heartbeat, and you could see my stomach jump ... I didn't realize those kicks had gotten so strong. Brian was able to feel the baby for the first time.

We also managed to have a nice, relaxing weekend, watching (four) movies and spending time in the sunshine. We finally purchased a digital camera, which we'll take on our upcoming Hawaiian vacation! We leave in just a few days!

In the meantime, I have a ton of work to get done. My new job is hard, but I like it. I'm just trying to get over the learning curve still.


Sunday, July 11, 2004
I was just wishing for something like this.


Wednesday, July 07, 2004
Yeah, it's my birthday.

The Plans:
Lunch with Dad
Lots of work meetings
Leaving early, perhaps
Dinner with my husband and Chip & Amy (YAY!)

Presents so far:
Marble fudge cupcakes baked by B
NewWilco album
Gift cert to Francesca's (courtesy of the Figs)
Jeans that fit and a couple of preg tops (courtesy of my mama)
A poem by B
A painting by B (still in progress)
Lots of cards from friends and family
A short work week

This year, a low-key celebration is right up my alley, and it looks like that's what I'll get!

Happy Hump Day, too.


Tuesday, July 06, 2004
I've got nothing but praise for Diet V8 Splash. See, I'm trying to get off the Diet Cokes. Yes, in addition to depriving myself of all things obviously harmful, I'm now depriving myself of all things enjoyable.

So caffeine is bad, right? Couldn't I just have caffeine-free diet soda? Nope. Aspartame is bad, too, so that means I really should eliminate it entirely ... unless there's a diet cola made with Splenda that I'm not aware of.

Diet V8 Splash is made with Splenda, which gets the OK by all the pregnancy books I've discovered.

Hurrah for Diet V8 Splash! And for unsweetened decaf tea.


Sunday, July 04, 2004
Happy Independence Day!


Saturday, July 03, 2004
Kaboom Town! was/is tonight. It's been a year.

Actually, it started in June, at JV's bday party where afterward my future husband walked me to my car and asked me to dinner. I declined.

The next time we saw each other was at Kaboom Town!; I was loaded. I invited him to attend my birthday party two days later. There was something interesting between us from the get-go. He reminded me of David Arquette (he hates that comparison).

Two days later my birthday party happened, and he showed. We found ourselves making out in the bathroom at the Elbow Room that night.

I'm glad I went to Kaboom Town!; I'm really glad I invited him to my birthday party.

The next time he asked me to dinner, I accepted.


Friday, July 02, 2004
So I left work early today because we had a doctor's appointment, but when we showed up, we were informed that we, in fact, did NOT have a doctor's appointment. Apparently when we were there last and made today's appointment, the temp at the front desk never entered it into the system. And the doctor was out today performing surgery. So, no doctor's appointment for us. We'll make the trek again next week, and hopefully, we'll actually get to see the doctor.

This left me with some free time to run errands, not a bad thing. And since it wasn't raining, I got to do errands in the sunshine while B hit the golf course. I like riding in a clean car with windows down.

You know what's funny? It's funny when boys check you out while you're in your car, say, pulling up for gas. The scene plays out as such: Boy pumping gas eyeballs you, and from in your car, your condition is not obvious. Then you get out to pump gas yourself, and he notices your bulge and perhaps your wedding ring. Said boy no longer risks eye-contact. It's the bulge that does it, most certainly.

The scene makes me laugh even now.


Thursday, July 01, 2004
I'm in a good mood today; it began this morning and has continued into the afternoon, so it officially qualifies as "today."

I took extra time getting ready this morning ... spent a little more time on the make-up, a little extra time under the blow dryer. I put on a new skirt and a top I've worn only once -- both maternity, so I don't feel stuffed into my clothing, but hip maternity. I'm feeling sexy, baby. =) And I'm wearing a pair of shoes I forgot I had. It's amazing what taking a little extra time for yourself can do for the attitude.

All this, mainly for the party at Brian's office this afternoon but also for the team lunch I had today. And I'm so glad that JM's back from leave. I'm so glad to transition, and I'm really glad to have someone at work to talk to about weird pregnancy things.

I've not been very productive today, but I feel awesome. Perhaps it's because it ISN'T raining!!