Showers and Such...

I am now at 32 weeks. I am so big all of a sudden! I've gained 14 lbs now and 4 of those were in the last two weeks! I've got visions in my head of a nine pound baby...sweet lord noooooooooo!

Anyway, not much to post. I went to the doctor yesterday and everything is going normally. I have lots of 'false labor' contractions (aka: Braxton Hicks contractions) and I notice them more this time than I did w/ the other two. The doctor says I'm probably not drinking enough fluids and the dehydration can contribute to more of those so I have to be more conscientious about making myself drink water now. Too many of those 'fake' contractions can supposedly cause your body to believe it for real and result in premature labor. Yikes!

Saturday, my congregation gave me a shower. It was so nice and most of the congregation was there, which made me feel really special. The sister who hosted it worked SO HARD to get it together and it was such a HOT day. So, thank you so much Michael! Johnson was still visiting in Memphis, so Nathan and I enjoyed all the attention alone. Thankfully, some of the sisters got my boys presents too so they wouldnt feel left out. Awwwwww. I got lots of sweet little clothes and blankets and some of the congregation went in together on my stroller from my registry (one big item down...whew!). As the day cooled off, the nicer it was to be outdoors and by seven o'clock, when everyone was leaving and Michael and her husband were cleaning up, I was still sitting placidly in my folding chair. By the way, I'm SO SORRY Barbie, that I was late! (My friend Barbie showed up at 2pm like a faithful little friend and I didnt show up until four so she had to leave right after I got there...sigh.)

Anyway, Sunday I got some more 'deep cleaning' done around here. I'm 'nesting' in spurts, to conserve my energy, and deep cleaning one room a week. Sunday, I cleaned out the kitchen cabinets while my husband finally got all the bathroom accessories (towel hooks, cabinet hardware) installed in the hall bath. I felt so much better by the end of the day.

Yesterday, I took the day off and picked up Johnson in Bellevue where my dad met me. My son has been in memphis for the last week and a half so I'm very glad to have him back.

Surprisingly Accurate...(ENFJ)

Okay sorry guys that I don't have anything exciting to post lately. But this test here might be something all of you find interesting. It's really accurate and very detailed...and hey, isnt it nice to have a label? LOL

Neko Case

Has anyone heard of Neko Case? I discovered her last year (kinda late, I'll admit) when that show 'On the Edge of Country' featured a video of her's. I can't remember the name of the song but it showed scenes from that Cate Blanchett movie 'The Gift' in it, so it was obviously a couple of years old, even then. More recently, my husband got the album 'Fox Confessor Brings the Flood' and I am officially a big ol' fan! Her video for 'Maybe Sparrow' is in pretty heavy rotation on the above mentioned show, and it gives me chills. It's my favorite song from the album. But really, the whole thing is worth your time.

I guess you could say her genre is contemporary folk but that just doesnt seem to really convey the idea of her sound. Very original.

Her myspace page is : http://www.myspace.com/nekocase

And you can check out that video to Maybe Sparrow here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOa5BujYYPQ&mode=related&search=

enjoy!

A 'Cool, Modern Nerd' Am I.....

Your Score: Modern, Cool Nerd

56 % Nerd, 60% Geek, 30% Dork

For The Record:

A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.
A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.
A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.
You scored better than half in Nerd and Geek, earning you the title of: Modern, Cool Nerd.

Nerds didn't use to be cool, but in the 90's that all changed. It used to be that, if you were a computer expert, you had to wear plaid or a pocket protector or suspenders or something that announced to the world that you couldn't quite fit in. Not anymore. Now, the intelligent and geeky have eked out for themselves a modicum of respect at the very least, and "geek is chic." The Modern, Cool Nerd is intelligent, knowledgable and always the person to call in a crisis (needing computer advice/an arcane bit of trivia knowledge). They are the one you want as your lifeline in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (or the one up there, winning the million bucks)!

Congratulations!


Also, you might want to check out some of my other tests if you're interested in any of the following:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Professional Wrestling

Love & Sexuality

America/Politics

Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

Link: The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test written by donathos on OkCupid, home of the The Dating Persona Test

The Soundtrack of My Life...my choice. :)

My friend, Moose, decided to add a little 'post script' to her 'Soundtrack of my life' blog entry by including the ones SHE would choose. I thought I'd do the same.

This is the soundtrack of my life...by choice, not ipod. :)

The Soundtrack of My Life :

Opening Credits: "Into the Mystic-Van Morrison"-okay, this is my theme song ...my brother and I danced to it at my wedding and it's always reminded me of being young...and 'Dream a Little Dream',the Corey Feldman flick. LOL

2. Birth: "Doomsday"-Mephiskapheles-after all, us 1975 kids had a lot to contend with

3. First Day At School: "Kindergarten"-Faith No More-seriously one of my all time favorite songs.

4.Falling In Love: "Buttercup"-Brad. Yes, my hubby and I have 'a song'. This one is it.

5. Fight Song: "Cocaine Blues"-Johnny Cash...yeah, that's right. I said it.

6. Breaking Up: "You Will Be Loved Again"-The Cowboy Junkies...just rips my heart out and stomps it flat.

7. Prom: "C'mon Eileen"-Dexy's Midnight Runners- Okay so I didnt go to prom...but if I did, I'd be really mad if this song didnt play.

8. Life: "Ain't That a Kick in the Head"-Dean Martin...another perfect song and one of my very favorites

9. Mental Breakdown: "Twisted"-Joni Mitchell

10. Driving: "Puke and Cry"-Dinosaur Jr.

11. Flashback: "Release Me"-Pearl Jam

12. Wedding: "Thank You"-Tori Amos...the song we danced to and a brilliant cover of a brilliant song

13. Birth of a Child: "Pale September"-Fiona Apple...'and all my armour fallen down/in a pile at my feet/ and my winter giving way to warm/ as I'm singing him to sleep'

14. Final Battle-'Tear it Down'-The Old Crow Medicine Show...'when you feel the mule kickin' in your soul/ you gotta tear it down'.

15. Death Scene: 'Song of the Siren'-Liz Frazier...that's a pretty idea.

16. Funeral: "Nessun Dorma"-Luciano Pavoratti OR "Clementine" by Bobby Darin...either one would be fine. :)

17. Ending Credits: "My Gal is Red Hot"-Billy Lee Riley and His Little Green Men

New Review: Transformers (2007)

www.movinpitchers.blogspot.com

29 Weeks and the District Convention...

Another great Convention and another month passed.

If you look to the left, you can see an interesting view that we found in the nice little pond across from our convention site. One huge coi fish, lots of smaller gold fish, a bunch of tiny baby ducks, and one mama duck enjoying the leftover lunchables of convention delegates and park patrons alike. I thought it was so odd to see them all so close together like that and seemingly unaware of one another's presence. But I digress.

The convention theme this year was 'Follow the Christ' and I am pleased to say that I got almost everything there was to get out of it. A nice little 'last gift' before I am stuck w/ a nursing infant. Luckily, Victor will be one year old almost by next convention so I shouldnt be too overwhelmed. The circuit assembly in Oct is another story altogether...voivais! Both boys were extremely good and Johnson has taken to looking up all the scriptures and taking notes-without our coaching too much. Nathan draws pictures and looks at his Bible Story book for two minute intervals, climbs on me for two more, before eventually settling down to sleep for long stretches at a time. He loved the baptism and the drama, for the most part, and was very confused (as were many in the audience, I'm sure) by the new 'audio program'. heh heh. During lunch, we enjoyed leisurely strolls across the street to the very nice Huntsville City Park. Yes, it was hot and very humid but the boys didnt care a bit. My favorite talks were the ones dealing w/ Christ's different 'titles' and the Public Address on Saturday. The brother who gave that one was one of those 'gifted' speakers who speaks very deliberately and quietly so that you have to listen very closely to what he says. Extremely effective teacher. He used to be a circuit overseer but goes to a local hall now so I've heard him a few times before. The final talk of the convention was also great...given by a brother from Bethel. We had about 6,000 in attendance ,on average, and 46 were baptized.

We stayed at the Couryard Marriott again and we really like it there, despite the absence of free breakfast. The pool area is very nice and cozy so if you have a 'pool-facing' room, you can watch from your balcony as your brothers and sisters self-conciously tug at their swimming attire. Good stuff. We swam once, Saturday night, but our swimming was cut short when Nathan has an 'accident' in his swimming shorts and I had to leave in embarassment. It rained Friday night, unfortunately. We're gonna try to come in earlier on Thursday next year and leave on Monday so that the kids can take advantage of the hotel amenities a little longer.

Huntsville is my favorite place for Conventions. It's a small city but has lots of convenient eating establishments and nice hotels. It also has a beautiful downtown area that most people overlook. Friday night we went w/ some old friends (12 of them!) to a local Mexican Cantina called "Rosie's". Pretty good food but more 'tex-mex' than the traditional stuff that I'm used to...and yes, I did partake of a Dos Equis amber in spite of my condition...LOL. Couldnt help myself. Saturday we had us some yummy vittles at Chile's w/ a smaller group (just us and a close friend) and had a nice evening at the hotel. It was a relaxing 'vacation' in spite of the dressing up everyday and walking alot.

Other than a few minor ligament pains due to the extra weight, everything is good with the pregnancy and I was pretty comfortable for the duration. We'll see how things work out next year, when we add another youngn' to the mix.

I'm looking forward to all of your own convention stories! Get to bloggin', my friends!

The Times-They Are A-Changin'...

Aye Me. Nostalgic feelings. Today I found a tape in my junk drawer labeled "Sunnier Sessions" and realized it was a compilation tape that I'd made for my husband long before he was such. One side was called 'Carthage/Gatlinburg' and the other was called 'Memphis'. It consists of songs and sound clips that I associated, at the time, w/ our budding relationship and the time we spent together in those respective cities.

The first thing on the 'Memphis' side was a hilarious sound clip from the great Mike Myers movie, 'So I Married an Axe Murderer' in which Mike's character is singing a poem at the local speak-easy. Does anyone remember this hilarious bit? "Harriet. Harrie-it. Hard-hearted Harbinger of Haggis..." Classic stuff and just a great movie-back before Myers ruined himself and all of America w/ Austin Powers and Shrek (no offense anybody :) ). Anyway, I believe it came out around the weekend I threw my graduation party and a large group from Nashville came to the party and ended up staying for a long and fun-filled weekend that I'll never forget. So we saw the movie and spent the rest of their visit quoting lines from it, making it an instant classic of sorts. I aquaint that movie and the time surrounding it with the silly and carefree cavorting of that weekend-the Dr Seuss t-shirt my husband bought me and that I promptly began wearing almost daily (with cut off shorts, black and white striped tights, and docs, no less), the Dr. Giggles poster he wrapped it in, a patchouli-scented bead of some kind that fell off his necklace without his knowing and which promptly began to spend nights under my pillow, small hilarious photos from the Mall of Memphis photo booth of the whole group of us trying to shove each other into the picture, blanket tosses, , Paul singing 'Oh Lottie Pick a Bale of Cotton' from his pallet on the living room floor, eating lucky charms marshmallows out of a large bowl whilst playing all night games of Spades, 'Say Anything', 'Singles', and finally my mom kicking the whole group out of the house on Tuesday when they had evidently overstayed their welcome...haha.

Then there is the music. As I listened to my compilation tape this morning I was shocked how much the songs I chose WERE representative of those times and how there is little chance I'll think of anything else when I hear them. Smashing Pumpkins ('Mayonnaise' especially), Dinosaur Jr (The Wagon, Quicksand), Tool (Sober-which we listened to probably 200 times on our way back from Gatlinburg once), Primus, Belly, Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden. It was fun to take that little trip down the famous 'Memory Lane' this morning and I just wanted to share it for the sake of those who were there and those who SO should have been. :)

To all my old cronies, ' HEAD, MOVE!'