Walk the Walk

It's going to be a beautiful weekend here in the DC Metro area and I'm so relieved.  While I may not be walking this year, my teammates The Back of the Pack Walkers, will be taking part in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer this weekend.  26 miles for some, almost forty for others. It's quite a challenge and something I am immensely proud of them for.  They have trained through all sorts of weather.  Held fundraisers and raised over $1800 a piece to participate in this monumental, emotional and spirtiual event.  It's amazing. I know, I have done it four times and each time was a different and wonderful experience.  If you want to know more about the Back of the Pack Walkers (some still need to raise the $1800) or the Avon Walk visit here.  There is still … [Read more...]

Overheards- Avis Edition

Words you never want to hear from the car rental representative-"Ma'am are you sure you want to return this car?  Maybe you might want to check to see if your flight is still going out today?  Now, ma'am, why are you looking at me so funny?"I made it home.  That's all that matters.  The trips are done.  I am relieved. … [Read more...]

Happy Earth Day!

It's Earth Day and I feel like I should be telling you to go out and plant a garden today.  How about just taking a walk on your lunch break?  Or getting out with the kids before or after dinner, if weather permits. If it doesn't then play in the rain. I still enjoy that as an adult.  I'm all about being more green.  But you already knew that.  Earth Day is no exception.  I don't even want to tell you how TD reacted when I told her that the recycling company wasn't taking her daily yogurt cups anymore.  The kid has grown up green and saying things like, "sight-kling!" each time we tried to throw things away.  In honor of my kid who wants to either be a Vet, Trash Woman or Earth Doctor, here are some great ways to go green that maybe you hadn't … [Read more...]

I Don’t Just Write. I Speak in Public Too.

Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking to a local women's group. The topic for the night was Earth Day.  Along with me was a woman from my local Public Works office. After she discussed recycling, volunteerism and much more (There are over 22 trash companies serving my county and only two trash inspectors! Animal waste running into our rivers and streams is a HUGE issue. Blech.  Pick up your yard poop was the message.)  I got up, rather nervously, to speak about products that help you green your life.  After about a minute I found it quite easy speaking to this group of women. They were interested, had loads of questions and since I genuinely love the topic of green products I felt like I was on a roll.  I could have gone on for over an hour … [Read more...]

Blame it on Earth Day

Maybe it is all the PR pitches about Earth Day that has me in the green mode more than normal.  Maybe it's my pregnancy or the spring time with its feelings of renewal and spring cleaning.  Whatever it is I've become incensed lately when I see something going to waste.  Well, more so than my normal ranting, undapants in a wad, shaking fists fury. Case in point, today is trash day in my 'hood.  I look across the street and see my neighbor is throwing away a grill, two strollers, a bike, a little tikes car and a tiny pool table. Then there is some actual trash.  I say to H, "I hope that's for Freecycle."  To which he replied, "Nope.  It's trash."  One man's trash as they say... and I dashed across the street and went to look over the pile.  The bike and kid car are fine.  The strollers … [Read more...]

Overheards- Totaled

Scene:  I'm cooking dinner, sipping grapefruit juice and fielding complaints from the peanut gallery.  Spaghetti frittata isn't a gallery favorite.  Then the phone rings.H:  "Sooo... what kind of new car do you want?"Me:  "What?! Why?"  Thoughts drift towards our earlier emails regarding his car's prowess.  As in, it has none. It's a '98 Corolla.  H:  "The Corolla just got totaled."Me:  "WHAT?! Are you OK?"  Inwardly I am screaming and thinking in short circuits of, "FUCK!" "DAMN!" "Whew!"  "Crap... we just got rid of our only car payment in December...FUCK!"H: "Can you pick me up? Or wait. I'll call you when the tow truck gets here."Me:  "Ok... I'm so confused.  What happened? Was it your fault?"H: "No. The other … [Read more...]

You read. You comment.

I wrote a post last week about media pressures on women to look hot.  It went out into the internet and all I got back was the sound of crickets chirping.  I said to H, "I really thought that would generate some discussion, some comments of some sort at least and it was like, nothing."  He replied, "Look, you are an intelligent writer but you are very moderate. You write something like that and it is as if the reader reads it and thinks, "Right. I can agree with that point of view."  There is no controversery, nothing inflammatory to get people riled up.  That is what generates comments most of the time."  So basically I need to start saying stuff like this to get comments?People who own cats are dirty, filthy beings.orAmerican Idol is for losers.orWomen who … [Read more...]

Does the Media Pressure You to be Hot?

Yesterday I slathered on sunless tanner (ahem, review purposes). I even dressed up a bit. OK, so I basically picked out a button-down shirt and ironed it, but I totally did my hair and make-up and wore cute shoes.  Even accessories.  For just me.  It's like I'm back despite my three inch roots.  I'm trying to hold on to who I was before I got pregnant this third time, because I swear this third pregnancy really wants to see me in sweats, worn out yoga pants and a ratty t-shirt on a daily basis.  It really likes it when I use Pssst on my hair versus real, lathering shampoo.  In fact, all week I've been making the extra effort so that my outsides don't reflect how tired and bedraggled I feel on the inside.  When I read the Sacramento Bee's article, … [Read more...]

New Faces and Places

Maybe we have been cooped up in the house too long because of all this winter weather.  Maybe it is the seed that H repeatedly tries to plant in my head about TD branching out her set of friends.  Whatever it was, we took a trip just down the road to new horizons this week.  We went to a group play date.  Did your hand just fly to your mouth as you gasped in shock?  I know.  I broke our ridiculous and now monotanous routine of work, gym, school, work/play, neighborhood play, dinner, bed.  Wake up and do it all again. Gag, snore.  I don't know why it takes me so long to do these things.  I don't know why I don't schedule them myself. Oh right (smacks forehead) I hate entertaining.  That's why.  Hives. Hives! There would … [Read more...]

This ain’t no Billy Blanks Kickboxing

Five minutes of jumping rope.100 push-ups.150 squats.200 sit-ups.That's how kick-boxing class started.  That was just the warm up.  After that? There was still another forty minutes left of class.  Oh, and an ab routine.  Did I mention the murder on my post-two-baby abs?  I felt like such a wussy weakling.  My tailbone is so sore today.  It hasn't been this sore since I fell on the ice at age eight and chipped it.  Oddly enough, that is where I am sore the most.  I feel like I need a little pad attached to my butt or one of those inflatable donuts to sit on.  Before the class I felt like a scared little bunny.  After the class I felt taller and like I could really kick some box!  Like a cardboard box post-Christmas that's been … [Read more...]