BlogHer is over and done with and I must say it was a crazy blur. A good blur though and for this Blogher newbie it could not have been better. Is it too Mary Tyler Moore of me to say it was all I could have hoped for and more? Yeah, probably but suck it, I'm optimistic today. Before I left for the trip I had heard all sorts of advice. Tips and tidbits like-- There are all sorts of cliques and popular people. They stick together and you probably won't meet them. Don't get bent out of shape if they diss you.Huh... I found none of that. I heard some griping about it but I met everyone I wanted to and worship blog-wise so I'm good. I can die a happy blogger now. I geeked out over everything sufficiently and feel sated. For this year.- You will need to pack an extra bag for all the … [Read more...]
Scenes from a Getaway
Hey look! It's a pregnant lady eating ice cream. Go figure. Gratuitous beach/cute kid shot. Now that is a clamcake! Or fritter if you are like not from South County Rhode Island and want to be a weirdo or something. This is in no way a crab cake. It's all fried dough goodness. At last count I consumed about ten of them. Check out the classic scenic wood paneling on the walls. This place hasn't changed since the 1950s. My parents went on dates here and now T.D. climbs into her favorite chair like she's a regular. It does not get any better than that. … [Read more...]
Dude, It’s Just Heavy
Focus.Regroup.Communicate.All things that swirl around in my brain and that H and I need to do since his lay off last week. While it has only been a week in some ways it feels like a lifetime. The man is working his butt off on the job search and has come to the conclusion that he isn't sure if he wants to stay in his current field which leaves us to -Focus, communicate and regroup.We are going away this week for our planned vacation in sunny, beachy New England. While H feels incredibly guilty and embarrassed at the fact that he is taking a vacation while jobless this trip could not come at a better time. We'll be staying with my family so it's free and the grandparent childcare will give us the time we need to -Regroup, communicate and focus on what our next steps will be with our entire … [Read more...]
Ah, Reality!
While Atlanta and all it's pampering was fantastic and Graco could not have treated us better, it is good to be back home. OK, so maybe the immediate dose of reality as soon as I landed in D.C. was not actually what I was looking for but still... Did I really need to be reminded of H's job search and unemployment frustrations as soon as I got to baggage claim? I'm already well aware of them. It is all I think about. Note to self: Do not call home immediately. Take the route that H does when traveling and just show up at the front door. Much more relaxing. And for a little escape in the meantime, check out the new server mpo for mpo888 on www.pennandquill.com, a fun way to de-stress and unwind. Also, when I plunked my bags down at the front door and Lex, the dog, shot out outside like … [Read more...]
Competition for the Cruises?
The transformation was almost complete. Three inches had been lopped off my hair and the Gwyneth look was being ushered in. The bangs had indeed grown out. Just in time too because I'm headed to Atalanta this week for a work thang and wanted I my hair to look it's shiny best.Then the unthinkable happened.Fringe.Just a bit. Um.. OK, that's fine I suppose until my stylist took out a large chunk by accident or what, I'm still confused. I screamed, "WHOA! WHOA! WHOOOAAAH! What are you doing?!?! WHAT just happened?!" She looked at me in horror and realized that she had gone and taken out too large of a chunk. She claimed she could fix it and I braced myself, white knuckled in the chair. I knew what was coming. Gone would be the cut I had taken a year to achieve. Ushered in would be the cut that … [Read more...]
A Bit of a Bikini Rant
After I had my suspicious mole last summer I was told by some that the bikini would be no more. At least for me. I balked at this. When the comment was quickly followed by the classic, "Besides you are a Mom now. You don't want to be one of those Moms who you see at the pool wearing a bikini...."Excuse me what?! I wanted to breathe fire.While I may not have the body I did when I was 24, I have spent a fare share of my time at the gym toning and cardioing my butt off well into my 30's and not just because I want to look swimsuit ready but because I like how I feel after a good episode of sweating. I refuse to go up a size with each child. Yes, I had a child and my body changed but I'm still a size six! I'm proud of that fact. Quite frankly I don't feel comfortable in a one piece. I'm long … [Read more...]
These are the Days of Our Lives
I have been trying to formulate in my head how to begin this post and nothing comes to me. I wrote about it here at DC Metro Moms first and it felt like a great release. It's scary times people and who knows what will come next.Then, today as I was looking for blog fodder. Anything to post beyond what is actually going on in our little world, I took a trip to Christina's blog and read this post. Well, if that doesn't just beat all. My roomie for BlogHer is going through the same thing! Only their news hit their little world one day sooner than ours. This country is a mess right now is it not? Is this our generations version of the Depression? I'm beginning to think so. Everyone I know is affected from a waiter and actress in L.A. to friends and family in New England.Bear with me in the … [Read more...]
The U.S. Economy is Kicking My Ass
The hours between 1:30 and 4 a.m. are when I can typically be found lying awake wondering about all the 'What if's'. The 'Woulda, Shoulda, Coulda's' too. When I think back to when H & I made the decision for me to quit my corporate job and jump off that career path (um... wait, was that a career path? It felt sort of empty and meaningless to me. Drone-like actually) and into full-time Mommyhood and a fledgling writing career I was full of optimism. That optimism can still be found most days when I get an award, such as this one, or I am asked to do something fun like fly to Atlanta or head to some other city for work and I am actually paid to do that work that I love so much.I remember how at the time, it was my job or our marriage. I stay home and try to write and make a bit of … [Read more...]
Random Question # 172-‘Burb Life Edition
You know you live in Suburbia when you hear the following sentences uttered...Have you been to the new Wegman's yet? It's amazing! You must go! (This is akin to having a new Trader Joe's/Whole Foods/World Market opening in your 'hood. The giveaways, the samples, it is enough to make a person faint over dead in free basting oil.)I LOVE tea parties! Let's have a tea party!!! (This is not said by anyone in the age 3-6 set who has a tiny Disney princess tea set. No, it is said by a grown woman.)I think we have a hook, er, working girl living on our street... (seriously. We might.)Did anyone have someone knock on their door at almost 9 p.m. the other night? Me too!!! Who does that? (It was then blamed on a John who must have been in the 'burb to see the hooker.)The inevitable talk of paving … [Read more...]
Pregnancy Hormones or a Case of “That’s Life”?
Next week we find out the gender of Dash Two and it could not come at a better time. OK, maybe today would have been good, but at this moment, it is needed.I need to feel some sort of connection with this being who is for all intensive purposes the size of an apple. Sure, I have now heard the heartbeat, which puts me at ease, but I need to see it. To know that it is growing normally and all looks good. Once we know the gender we can assign a name and make it personal. I can plan and begin to get excited. Also known as soliciting companies to give my boy or girl new crap to review. Heh. I can no longer think of Dash Two as just the reason my breasts are now possibly a new wonder of the world or why my otherwise delectable coconut birthday cake makes me puke it up each time I attempted … [Read more...]