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!'

New Movie Review: Giant (1956)

True to my word, I've posted my review of the 1956 classic, Giant. It's one of my favorite films of all time but is a landmark picture because it was the last film James Dean made. In my opinion, it's his best movie and proved beyond a doubt that he was a great actor who was not limited to those stereotypical pictures of teen angst associated with Rebel Without a Cause and East of Eden.

Sorry about the horrible paragraph construction of my review. Stupid blogger would not let me seperate the paragraphs for some reason.
www.movinpitchers.blogspot.com

Giant Dancing Dinosaurs...

Heh heh. No, there will be no pictures of dancing iguanadons on this entry. That was my not-so-clever way of combining three little subjects in one.

Last night was the first 'competition' episode of 'So You Think You Can Dance',my favorite of all talent shows. As mediocre as American Idol was this year, I won't be a bit surprised if this one takes over as America's favorite talent competion. Last season was phenomenal and introduced us to some great performers and fantastically choreographed routines (like the one above). This year, judging by last night's show, will be just as good or better. Wade Robson (choreographer extraordinairre) will have a bigger part in the routines this season and the dancers are a little more varied as well. I'm so excited to see what comes! (Can you tell I watched Star Search religiously as a kid?)

Yesterday, I also finished reading the book 'Giant' by Edna Ferber. I have to admit I was strangely disappointed with it and this was a surprise since the 1957 movie starring Rock Hudson, Liz Taylor, and James Dean is one of my all-time favorites. The book lacked so many of the characters and great scenes from the movie so my hat is off to the screen-writers for adding this stuff. As most of you know, it is a rare thing indeed for a movie to outshine the book it is taken from. In this case, Ferber's writing was a bit more stiff than usual and the characters less dimensional than the movie. Also, it seemed like more of one-sided commentary against the Lone Star State than the movie respresented. I'll post a review of the movie on my movie review blog in the next few days or so.

And also last night, hubby was doing is daily online browsing and discovered that The Black Keys are playing on the 22nd at the Nashville City Hall (a club, not an actual government building...ha) and WHO is opening for them? Dinosaur Jr! I am not only thrilled to my fanatical toes but shocked at this unexpectedness and going online to purchase our tickets today! Who knew such a thing could happen??? I have been listening to J Mascis' band since my teens (I actually discovered them late) and adore them, to say the least. They are the quintessential summertime band, ideal for driving about in the heat with the windows down. I've been listening to them alot lately and this was icing on the cake for me. Yay!

25 weeks

6 months and counting.

Everything seems to be okay so far but I'm already feeling a bit of pressure due to weakened muscles, I suppose. At my doctor's visit last Monday I found out that I have gained 7 lbs in all. I was excited to finally go up on the scale but then last Saturday the whole family came down w/ a stomach virus and I think I may have lost some of that.

Victor is very active and likes to kick things off my belly. I'm curious to see how he differs from his brothers who at this moment are arguing loudly over which of them gets to play with the blue 'clone trooper'. Johnson is such an analytical academic and Nathan is just the opposite. He's kind of an athletic , happy-go-lucky sort.

I'm really looking forward to the convention in a couple of weeks. I hope my ankles hold out and my little aches and pains don't get too unbearable for those few days. The chairs are hard so I'm gonna try and remember to bring a 'huge pilla'. I'm also determined to wear my cute shoes, no matter what. The ones I'm wearing are heels but ones I've worn a few times so they are nicely broken in. The other day at the meeting I got up from my chair and proceeded to fall right on my knees at the entrance of the ladies room. Everyone freaked out and told me I had to stop wearing heels and no manner of explaining that my foot had fallen asleep and it would have happened if I was barefoot would appease them. So I'm thinking I'll get lots of scolding when they see my cute 'lucky lous' and 'dancing hearts'. :)

Okay, this is fun!

The Soundtrack of Your Life:

(A friend put this on her blog months ago and I never put it on mine, though I did intend to because it's very fun. Here's how it works: Open your computer music files, ipod etc and set to 'shuffle'. Whatever song plays first goes in the first slot (no cheating!). When you go to a new question, hit the 'next' button' and continue doing so until all blanks are filled.)

1. Opening Credits: "Folsom Prison Blues"-The Reverend Horton Heat

2. Birth: "Give It To Me"-The Stray Cats

3. First Day At School: "All I've Got"-The Hellacopters

4.Falling In Love: "Then I Close My Eyes"-David Gilmour

5. Fight Song: "Where the Flavor Is"-Mudhoney

6. Breaking Up: "Why Georgia"-John Mayer

7. Prom: "Digging the Grave"-Faith No More

8. Life: "Paranoid Opioid"-Corrosion of Conformity (LOL...that is just a coincidence, I SWEAR!)

9. Mental Breakdown: "Into the Void"-Kyuss

10. Driving: "In a Jar"-Dinosaur Jr. (a happy conicidence this time since Dinosaur Jr is my favorite band to drive to of all time!)

11. Flashback: "The Selector"-Missing Words

12. Wedding: "Red Red Wine" -Tony Tribe

13. Birth of a Child: "So In Love"-KD Lang

14. Final Battle:"My First Taste of Texas"-Ed Bruce (haha. I guess that shows you how 'non confrontational I am)

15. Death Scene: "Blue Suede Shoes"-Carl Perkins

16. Funeral: "Motor City is Burning"-MC5

17. Ending Credits: Cinema Paradiso (Se)-Josh Groban (couldnt end any prettier :) )

Okay guys, get to it!

A Profound Sense of Pride

My family and I just finished watching the 'Independant Lens' documentary on PBS called 'Knocking' which details the lives of two families of Jehovah's Witnesses as well as the history of the organization itself.

I was so filled with pride and love for Jehovah by watching this little film. It is extremely well done and even though it was constructed and lensed by a non-'Witness', the truth of the information is very well-represented. It moved me to tears on more than one occasion and I especially loved how there were comments from non-Witness scholars and family members interspersed with the families' respective stories. It's such a positive step toward making the true nature of our message and our decisions in life known to the outside world. With all the 'mess' that is being publicized in the papers lately concerning our brothers and their handling of congregation matters, it's nice to see someone take more of an active interest in finding out the truth.

If any of you haven't seen this show yet, I believe you can find information about obtaining a copy of it on the PBS website under 'Independant Lens'. We recorded it on our dvr but we also would like to have a permanant copy for our library.

How priviledged we all should feel to be part of this wonderful work!

12 Years and Still 'Twitterpated'...

On May 20, 1995, the old man and I got 'hitched'. We were married at The Magnolia Room in Overton Square (Memphis) at the ripe old age of nineteen. Two and a half kids and one house project later, I can honestly say we've made a nice little success of us. I guess sometimes even teenagers know what they're doing. :)

( Listen honey, they're playing our song! So help me, it still makes me swoon. )

Song Title: Buttercup

Artist: Brad

http://www.badongo.com/file/3151684

I Love It!

So you guys have heard me talking about site I found online called Dungaree Dolly's, right? Well, for those of you who haven't-she's this great little lady who makes custom purses and bags using great retro-reproduction fabrics. For a very reasonable price, she will let you pick out your own fabrics for the exterior and lining of your bag as well as tailor the strap length to suit you.

I picked the deluxe messenger bag ,that I plan to use as a diaper bag, and it's so fantastic! It's a fuzzy leopard print w/ a lipstick red lining and everything is double reinforced and awesomely made. I also got a matching sunglasses case, a little tattoo print mirror, and a 'rosie' head scarf that I love just as much.

One of the reasons I'm singing Dolly's praises is also that her customer service rivals any I've experienced in my years of online ordering. As soon as I placed the order, she sent me an email thanking me personally for my interest and making sure I didnt have any further questions or concerns about my purchase. When I did have a question, she responded almost instantly and was absolutely detailed in her answers, always friendly and making sure that I was completely satisfied before she began working on my bag.

Just about three weeks later I got a box in the mail lined w/ a lovely assortment of tissue paper and all kinds of extra goodies like candy (yep, candy!) ink pens, stickers, and such. It made my day! My bag was everything her site claimed it would be and more. I am now on a mission to tell as many people as possible about her amazing little company and also to eventually obtain more of her precious little bags myself.

And there you have it, a shameless use of blogging as free advertising!

Here's to ya, Dolly!

www.dungareedolly.com

21 weeks...

So here's the 21 week shot...halfway there.

Anyway, things are better w/ the nausea. I had a small bout of indigestion last night that was kind of a nusiance but other than that, I'm okay. Eating normally and all that .

I registered on Target.com, more as an organizational tool for me than a real 'gift registry' at this point. It's under sharron westmoreland, which was not on purpose since most people don't know my first name.

I'm having fun tailoring my workouts to my pregnancy. It's kind of liberating doing the 'lazy' versions of squats, planks, etc. But due to the extra weight, I feel like I'm still getting the same quality work out. My sciatic nerve is starting to pinch so the workouts are absolutely necessary to prevent progression in that area. Lifting my right leg is painful in the mornings, at first, but as I continue to move, the pain lessens. Good stuff.

Gotta go take my boy for his last day of first grade so that's all for now. Sigh. Aren't I supposed to be happy that he's going to be home w/ me every day for the next three months? I'm sure I'll get used to the chaos however...aye me.

Ashley's Flippin' Good Cookies...

Okay so I discovered this recipe some time ago and have made it numerous times but now that I have a blog, I can share it with the world. You will not believe how much yumminess resides in so few calories (unfortunately I lost my calorie-count info for them but it is rediculously low)!

The actual 'technical' food network name for them is 'Rita's Ultra Lite Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies' but I'd prefer that you refer to them as the entry title suggests. Heh heh.

Ingredients:
4 egg whites, room temp
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c. sugar
12 oz mini chocolate chips
1 c. pecans, finely chopped (I actually only use 1/2 cup cuz I'm not a big 'nut-lover')

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

In mixer on medium-low speed, beat the egg whites until frothy-between 1 and 2 minutes. Increase the mixer speed to high, add salt and whip to stiff, but not dry peaks (i.e. peaks stand up straight, don't curl, but aren't grainy). Reduce speed to medium. Add vanilla and then sugar, a few tablespoons at a time. Whip to glossy peaks (pretty shiny thick stuff), about 2 minutes. Gently fold in chocolate chips and pecans. Drop by tablespoons full onto cookie sheets lined w/ parchment. Bake 45 minutes. Turn off and leave in oven overnight (or at least a few hours) without opening the door.

No, you can't dip em in milk but I'll venture to say you won't give a darn.

'Lost'...in...space...

So I know some of you guys gotta be watching 'Lost' on Wednesday nights.

What do you think of the last couple of episodes? Last week, I was thrilled w/ the way the show picked up in the last 20 minutes and the revelations we were blessed with concerning the connection between Locke's father and Sawyer's nemesis. Incredible.

But last night I was SO thrown for a loop on several occasions! Does Richard not age? Are he and the other Others in some wierd 'island' time warp? Why was Jacob invisible and when we did see him for a brief moment, did he not look remarkably like Robert Englund? Who IS this Jacob guy anyway? Is Locke dead? Sweet lord, Noooooooo! And Ben, he's way more evil than I thought. Did anybody else catch that he stole a 'sample' from Kate just in case she might be pregnant? And we thought she and Sawyer were just being sneaky in that cage...heh heh.

I have to admit I've been fed up w/ this show's lack of progression for a while now but the last few shows were really back on track. And now we're in for a 'showdown' between the islanders and the survivors, which looks cool. But I just wonder when we're REALLY gonna learn something about the Dharma Initiative and what it's become since Ben took over. And now I'm all into finding out who this Jacob guy is and why Richard apparently remains eternally pretty.

For those of you not into this show...forgive my geekiness. :)

Spiderman 3 Review:

I posted my review of Spiderman 3 on my movie review blog:

www.movinpitchers.blogspot.com

Victor James Westmoreland

Well, there you have it. In spite of the Chinese Lunar Calendar, the excelerated heartrate, the constant nausea, the fact that this pregnancy was entirely different from the other two, and the constant assurances of everyone and their mother-the baby is definitely a boy. I went today for the ultrasound and decided to go it alone this time as opposed to taking company with me. I just had a bad feeling, you know? Anyway, also unlike the other two times, it took the lady FOREVER to find out the sex. The other two times it was like-squirt gel, apply camera, 'whoah! That's a boy!'. This time, the baby was wild and hyper, turning flips every which way. She finally got a good view and she just gave me an 'uh-oh' look. She showed me the 'evidence' with almost a grimace. At first I was okay. I laughed it off and all that. But as I was waiting to see the doctor, I just started crying and I've been kind of weepy all day. I guess deep down I really did think it was a girl. I was looking so forward to cuddling a little girl and watching my husband spoil a girl and buying little girl things. I realized that I had been picturing a little girl in my head all along, really, and now I feel like I'm kind of grieving over the loss of a daughter that never really existed. I didnt expect to be so sad.

Anyway, I'll get over it. It'll be a happy mommy again when Victor arrives and I guess I should be happy for hand-me-downs and all that bunk. And as Marilla said 'every baby is the sweetest and the best', right?

Okay, so I told myself this blog would not be a 'downer' so let's move on.

MEMPHIS-TOWN
_______________

I went to Memphis last weekend and enjoyed myself quite a lot. The purpose of the visit was really to see my ailing grandmother who has developed quite a bad case of dementia and isnt likely to know us much longer. So sad. We also were planning on looking at a couple of Honda Odysseys over the weekend. We understand the importance of a 'third row seat'-with the third baby and all-but both of us hate the average mini-van and didnt want to splurge for a gas guzzling SUV. So the pre-1999 Odyssey just suited us since it is 'technically' a mini van but has a lower profile and four normal doors instead of those bulky sliding things that I detest. Lastly, the Beale Street Music Fest was Fri-Sun and Friday night held special interest for us.

Friday night we (me and the hubby and Toby and Annie) went to Beale Street around 7pm and after a few hectic turns found pretty good garage parking for ten bucks. By the time I picked up my will-call tix and got some cash out of that super-expensive atm, it was about 8 and Chevelle was just getting started. I'm not a fan of Chevelle, myself. I kinda get sick of the 'Tool' comparisons when I really don't feel there ARE any and I also get super annoyed at the way that guy keeps saying 'here it comes...here it comes!' before powering into the most simplistic parts of the song, thus fooling 4 acres of people into thinking they're witnessing something truly spectacular. That said, I tolerated them for the sake of my fan brother and was surprisingly entertained. I didnt expect much and didnt get a whole bunch but what I did get was nice and loud, moderately heavy, and pretty impressive for a three piece band.

Social Distortion, however, was a blast! Mike Ness totally lived up to my expectations, charming the audience immediately by throwing roses in the crowd as he walked onstage and completely blowing me away w/ the gravely beauty of his voice. I adore him, have done forever, and was not disappointed. I wanted to hear 'Story of My Life', 'I was Wrong', and 'The Angels Sing' but was pleased w/ the selections he chose from the latest album as well as the great old classics he brought back to life. 'RIng of Fire' made an instant fan of my sister in law, Annie, who felt she'd surely have 'sweet dreams' after hearing his sexy rendition of the classic. The band was brilliant as well, never too close to the album to bore , but tight enough to leave you wanting more. Needless to say, by the time they finished up I had screamed and sung myself hoarse, was suffering from sore hips due to dancing whilst 'with child', and dreading the walk all the way thru Pronto Pup Hell to see the Stooges. (incidentally, I visited one of the vendors and got me a funnel cake but promptly threw it away after tasting it. A friggin ' brick.)

The Stooges were a cranking up 'My Idea of Fun' when we made it over to their stage and the crowd was pretty sparse, as I expected. But at least they made up for it w/ energy. Lots of great old classics to hear ('Dirt' was phenomenal) and though I was too zapped to dance about, I was doing a jig in my heart as I sat getting wet-butted on the ground and singing joyously along. Yeah, the old guy has a potty mouth but boy is he ever fun to watch as he cavorts around the stage humping the monitors, swinging from wires, and convulsing like some kind of epileptic chimp to the beat of his favorite rhythyms . Speaking of rhythyms, Mike Watt on bass was having such a ball and he was my favorite thing about the performance-if that's not making me too many enemies. Add to all that the allowance of about fifty people onto the stage to hop w/ Pop and two encores and you've got one heck of a show. After it was over, I didnt even mind the nightmarish journey back to the car along drunken-teen laden streets all that much.

Saturday we made it to the car lot a little late (sleeping off the fun, ya know) and lucked out when we found a 1998 Honda Odyssey w/ all the trimmings, beautiful original paint and interior, and an itty bitty price tag. Of course, the price tag was due to the excessive miles (175,000) but we serious Honda people know that this car is just a teenager and good for another 100,000 miles at least. It drives like a new car and I couldnt be happier (especially since I talked the dealership down another 1000 bucks w/ my smooth handlings).

My grandmother is not doing well but I'm ever so glad I came to see her. I don't know if she REALLY knows who I am but I am comforted in the knowledge that she seemed to enjoy my and my family's visit alot. Sunday,, while my mom n' em headed off to the assembly (we've already been), we made a family day of it and went to lunch at Huey's (one of our favorite things about Memphis) and to see Spiderman 3 at the Studio on the Square. It was a lovely relaxing day (the movie was good and I'll post my review tomorrow) and the drive home (though in two seperate cars) was a cinch.

And...that's about it.