Yesterday J and I went to the doctor's office to have a ultrasound to find out the sex of the baby. It had been almost 8 weeks since my last ultrasound. Because I have not felt roo moving around yet in the womb, it is reassuring and amazing to see the little one on a screen floating around inside of me.
We get to the office and Julie calls us back and says that she will be doing our ultrasound. Once I am undressed and laying on the table, Julie squeezes some warm gel-like substance onto my belly. Then she gets the magic wand out and starts rubbing it along my stomach. Immediately roo comes into view. There are moments when you are looking at the image of the baby on the screen when you know what you are looking at. Oh that is their profile, there goes a hand, there is the spine. But other times it looks like you are looking at some strange moving virus under a microscope.
After checking the four chambers of the heart, the length of the arms and legs, and the bladder (which took a while for Julie to find because apparently the baby had just peed so when the bladder is empty it is very difficult to see) Julie asked us the question we had been speculating about for the last 5 months.
Julie: Well do you have any ideas of what the baby might be?
Me: No not really.
I say this, but in all honesty, the only item I have purchased for roo is a pair of super cute striped baby legs that I was storing in my bedside table. When I had tried to explain this item to some friends of ours, they were convinced that I had purchased a pair of thigh high stockings for the little one. When I showed J the baby legs, his only response was that our son wouldn't be wearing leg warmers. Of course, I had not bought them for a son.
J's response to Julie: I think it's a boy.
Julie: Well you're right.
I struggle to get a better look at what is making Julie so sure that our den will soon be full of trains and trucks versus baby dolls.
Me: Are you sure?
Julie: Honey I'm so sure, if I'm wrong, I will personally come to your house and repaint your nursery.
Me: I won't forget you said that.
I get off the table, rub the now cold goop from my belly, and get dressed. J and I are both giddy, grinning from ear to ear thinking of what it will be like to have a son. As we leave the office Julie hands us a VHS tape and pictures from the ultrasound. Later at work as I am going through the pictures, I finally see what made Julie so sure of herself. One of the pictures, which has the word boy written on it, with an arrow pointing directly at his penis is clear as day.
When I call my Mom to tell her the news, she is ecstatic and we are both giggling silly when she says
Mom: Well we need more good men in the world.
My side of the family is mostly women. This will be new territory for us and we couldn't be happier.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
2 + 1 = 3
Over the past few weeks I keep having the same dream.
It starts out normal enough. J and I are hanging around the house when the UPS truck stops at the end of the driveway. We watch as the UPS man unloads a LARGE wooden box and rolls it up the driveway. We go to the back door to see what it is and he asks for our signature, which he tells us is necessary when delivering a live animal.
Me: What kind of live animal?
UPS man, just as calm as can be: A kangaroo.
Me: A baby kangaroo? (Because in my dream for some reason this seems logical)
UPS man: No. A full grown kangaroo.
As he walks off down the driveway J and I stare at the box and back at each other. We struggle getting the box in the house because what else can you do when a kangaroo arrives on your doorstep? I take a peep in one of the air holes but it is too dark to see anything.
We decide to open the box to get a better look and see if this is just a big joke. Once we get the box open we see a full grown kangaroo looking back at us. Slowly the kangaroo steps out into our house. He or she, I do not know the animal that well yet, heads to a corner of the room where it calmly looks around.
Immediately all kinds of thoughts rush through my mind.
How will the kangaroo hop when we live in a ranch house with low ceilings?
What does a kangaroo eat?
When and how does it sleep?
I am quite certain our pet sitter, will draw the line at caring for two cats and a kangaroo.
With all these questions running through my head, I start to panic. And like most dreams when things get uncomfortable, I wake myself up.
So later at work I Google kangaroos and dreams. From the Dreammoods Dictionary, it says, “To see a kangaroo in your dreams, refers to maternal and paternal protection. You may be expressing your nurturing and mothering nature.”
Google never ceases to amaze and inform me. Of course there were other interpretations referencing a kangaroo showing up in your dreams, but they were not as applicable as that one. Dream interpretations are like reading your horoscope. Just pick the one that suits you.
I do hope I am expressing and exploring my nurturing nature, since we have a “roo” of our own on the way. I am 18 weeks pregnant and totally consumed with all sorts of questions of what the future holds.
It starts out normal enough. J and I are hanging around the house when the UPS truck stops at the end of the driveway. We watch as the UPS man unloads a LARGE wooden box and rolls it up the driveway. We go to the back door to see what it is and he asks for our signature, which he tells us is necessary when delivering a live animal.
Me: What kind of live animal?
UPS man, just as calm as can be: A kangaroo.
Me: A baby kangaroo? (Because in my dream for some reason this seems logical)
UPS man: No. A full grown kangaroo.
As he walks off down the driveway J and I stare at the box and back at each other. We struggle getting the box in the house because what else can you do when a kangaroo arrives on your doorstep? I take a peep in one of the air holes but it is too dark to see anything.
We decide to open the box to get a better look and see if this is just a big joke. Once we get the box open we see a full grown kangaroo looking back at us. Slowly the kangaroo steps out into our house. He or she, I do not know the animal that well yet, heads to a corner of the room where it calmly looks around.
Immediately all kinds of thoughts rush through my mind.
How will the kangaroo hop when we live in a ranch house with low ceilings?
What does a kangaroo eat?
When and how does it sleep?
I am quite certain our pet sitter, will draw the line at caring for two cats and a kangaroo.
With all these questions running through my head, I start to panic. And like most dreams when things get uncomfortable, I wake myself up.
So later at work I Google kangaroos and dreams. From the Dreammoods Dictionary, it says, “To see a kangaroo in your dreams, refers to maternal and paternal protection. You may be expressing your nurturing and mothering nature.”
Google never ceases to amaze and inform me. Of course there were other interpretations referencing a kangaroo showing up in your dreams, but they were not as applicable as that one. Dream interpretations are like reading your horoscope. Just pick the one that suits you.
I do hope I am expressing and exploring my nurturing nature, since we have a “roo” of our own on the way. I am 18 weeks pregnant and totally consumed with all sorts of questions of what the future holds.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Triple Word Score
Thanks to velocibadgergirl I have a fun meme that involves words. Which is great, because it reminds me of one of my favorite board games Scrabble.
If you want to play, list a word that describes you from each letter of the alphabet with as much or as little additional information as you wish. As velocibadgergirl says, keep it positive.
A Active
B Bleeding heart
C Compassionate
D Dancer (as a kid I took dance classes for many years)
E Excited
F Funny (at least I like to think so)
G Green thumb
H Hopeful for the future
I Impatient
J Jovial
K Kind
L (good) Listener
M Mischievous
N Nesting
O Overly excited
P Playful
Q Quick witted
R Restless
S Southerner
T Tolerant
U Understanding
V Vocal
W Water Sign (Cancer)
X eXtrovert
Y Yodeling (makes me laugh)
Z Zipper free (currently none of my pants have them)
I know some of these are a stretch...
We have friends coming for Sunday lunch. Chili, beer and cheesy appetizers while watching football. Happy Fall all and don't forget to set your clocks back.
If you want to play, list a word that describes you from each letter of the alphabet with as much or as little additional information as you wish. As velocibadgergirl says, keep it positive.
A Active
B Bleeding heart
C Compassionate
D Dancer (as a kid I took dance classes for many years)
E Excited
F Funny (at least I like to think so)
G Green thumb
H Hopeful for the future
I Impatient
J Jovial
K Kind
L (good) Listener
M Mischievous
N Nesting
O Overly excited
P Playful
Q Quick witted
R Restless
S Southerner
T Tolerant
U Understanding
V Vocal
W Water Sign (Cancer)
X eXtrovert
Y Yodeling (makes me laugh)
Z Zipper free (currently none of my pants have them)
I know some of these are a stretch...
We have friends coming for Sunday lunch. Chili, beer and cheesy appetizers while watching football. Happy Fall all and don't forget to set your clocks back.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Breasts, Not For Public Consumption
On Columbus Day J and I had the day off. (I would like to thank my place of employment for acknowledging "Bankers Holidays" though we are not a bank).
J knew I would be tempted to spend the bulk of the day running errands, since I am behind on everything domestic with all my recent work travels, but he put his foot down and said we had to do something fun. This is one of the reasons I married this man.
So we headed to the Nashville Zoo. The zoo is only a few minutes from our neighborhood and when the planes from the airport aren't flying over and it's quiet, we can hear the monkeys hooting and hollering from our backyard.
J and I have been going to the Nashville Zoo for years, so we have seen a lot of improvements. On our first visit eight or nine years ago, I was appalled when we got to the elephant habitat and kids could pay a fee to ride the elephants. The elephants looked so bored and defeated, as one kid after the next jumped on their back and they walked round and round a tiny metal contraption they were tied too. Natural habitat, my ass.
But now the elephants have an elephant sanctuary, with a large grassland to roam, a pond to swim in, and all three of them look much happier. No I am not an elephant whisperer, but they really do look content and at home.
One of my personal favorite animals to visit are the monkeys. And judging by the crowd, I am not the only one. There are three monkeys. I am not sure if they are male or female, but they are always moving. Swinging from one branch to the next and then looking at you like "what are you looking at". Hilarious.
There is one monkey that always has a yellow plastic duckie. No matter whether he is swinging through the trees or hanging upside down, he never drops the duck. He moves it around, holding it in his mouth, his feet, his hands, depending on which part he needs to get himself where he is going. It is obviously his favorite toy or security blanket and for some reason that is so damn touching to me.
There is also a meerkat habitat that is neat to check out. These animals have so much expression and are super playful, so it is always entertaining to see what they are up to.
On this particular day in October, it was still hotter than hell and about halfway through I started dreaming of a bowl of dippin dots or ice cream, so we found the nearest concession stand. Sitting there at tables full of kids with their parents or grandparents we eavesdropped on the conversations. Not being a parent myself I am probably not the best judge, but adults say some stupid shit to kids. No wonder kids look at them like they're idiots and the cycle continues.
At the table beside us, a little boy about 5 or 6 years old sat with his grandparents enjoying his cup of ice cream. When the little boy would look done eating the ice cream, the grandfather would chime in, "you know once that ice cream is in the garbage you can't get it back out"? The boy would look up at his grandmother, hoping she would chime in with "shut your trap, if he says he is done, he is done", but all he got was silence. So he would eat a few more bites, in hopes that would be good enough. And we wonder why kids are overweight today. Could be due to all the crotchety grandparents that want to make sure they get all the bang for their $3.00.
After we finished our ice cream we headed off. At some of the animal exhibits the zoo has built little enclosures where you can walk into a covered area with seating and ceiling fans, to view the animals through a glass window. When it is hot outside these places are really nice.
As J and I walked in the Cloudy Leopard enclosure there was a woman sitting on the bench in the far corner with a toddler and a newborn. My first thought was, wow this woman must be super woman to be out here by herself with a toddler and a brand new red faced baby. After further inspection of the situation, I realized we had interrupted her nursing and she was hastily trying to put away all the public breast feeding evidence.
I wanted to say "really go ahead we don't mind". America your uptight attitudes to public breast feeding is total bullshit. We use breasts to sell everything in this country. And I mean everything. But a woman in who is trying to feed her newborn out in public should be ashamed and quickly cover-up. I do not understand this Victorian mind-set and I never will.
J knew I would be tempted to spend the bulk of the day running errands, since I am behind on everything domestic with all my recent work travels, but he put his foot down and said we had to do something fun. This is one of the reasons I married this man.
So we headed to the Nashville Zoo. The zoo is only a few minutes from our neighborhood and when the planes from the airport aren't flying over and it's quiet, we can hear the monkeys hooting and hollering from our backyard.
J and I have been going to the Nashville Zoo for years, so we have seen a lot of improvements. On our first visit eight or nine years ago, I was appalled when we got to the elephant habitat and kids could pay a fee to ride the elephants. The elephants looked so bored and defeated, as one kid after the next jumped on their back and they walked round and round a tiny metal contraption they were tied too. Natural habitat, my ass.
But now the elephants have an elephant sanctuary, with a large grassland to roam, a pond to swim in, and all three of them look much happier. No I am not an elephant whisperer, but they really do look content and at home.
One of my personal favorite animals to visit are the monkeys. And judging by the crowd, I am not the only one. There are three monkeys. I am not sure if they are male or female, but they are always moving. Swinging from one branch to the next and then looking at you like "what are you looking at". Hilarious.
There is one monkey that always has a yellow plastic duckie. No matter whether he is swinging through the trees or hanging upside down, he never drops the duck. He moves it around, holding it in his mouth, his feet, his hands, depending on which part he needs to get himself where he is going. It is obviously his favorite toy or security blanket and for some reason that is so damn touching to me.
There is also a meerkat habitat that is neat to check out. These animals have so much expression and are super playful, so it is always entertaining to see what they are up to.
On this particular day in October, it was still hotter than hell and about halfway through I started dreaming of a bowl of dippin dots or ice cream, so we found the nearest concession stand. Sitting there at tables full of kids with their parents or grandparents we eavesdropped on the conversations. Not being a parent myself I am probably not the best judge, but adults say some stupid shit to kids. No wonder kids look at them like they're idiots and the cycle continues.
At the table beside us, a little boy about 5 or 6 years old sat with his grandparents enjoying his cup of ice cream. When the little boy would look done eating the ice cream, the grandfather would chime in, "you know once that ice cream is in the garbage you can't get it back out"? The boy would look up at his grandmother, hoping she would chime in with "shut your trap, if he says he is done, he is done", but all he got was silence. So he would eat a few more bites, in hopes that would be good enough. And we wonder why kids are overweight today. Could be due to all the crotchety grandparents that want to make sure they get all the bang for their $3.00.
After we finished our ice cream we headed off. At some of the animal exhibits the zoo has built little enclosures where you can walk into a covered area with seating and ceiling fans, to view the animals through a glass window. When it is hot outside these places are really nice.
As J and I walked in the Cloudy Leopard enclosure there was a woman sitting on the bench in the far corner with a toddler and a newborn. My first thought was, wow this woman must be super woman to be out here by herself with a toddler and a brand new red faced baby. After further inspection of the situation, I realized we had interrupted her nursing and she was hastily trying to put away all the public breast feeding evidence.
I wanted to say "really go ahead we don't mind". America your uptight attitudes to public breast feeding is total bullshit. We use breasts to sell everything in this country. And I mean everything. But a woman in who is trying to feed her newborn out in public should be ashamed and quickly cover-up. I do not understand this Victorian mind-set and I never will.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
I have finally gotten my lazy ass off the couch. Hopefully the hibernation is over.
I know by this point, all two of my readers have abandoned me and for good reason. I have been lazy and uninspired. The last few months I have spent either buried in a good read (check out the new listings), watching episodes of Entourage (so sad when we finished season 3 and will have to wait for season 4 to come out on DVD) or watching movies. Anything to keep my mind off all the upcoming changes.
So bear with me. I am going to tie up some loose ends and hopefully start anew.
The Patio
J finished the patio at the end of July, just days before his 35th b-day party. There is nothing like inviting all your friends over for a get-together to get our asses in gear. In all honesty, I don't think our house has been properly scrubbed since. Must have folks over soon.
So this is for you Mom. Here is a picture of the finished product I have been meaning to post for months. I must say J did a damn good job. I would actually hire him, if he didn't work for me for free.
We actually plan on enjoying many a meal out here once the temperatures are out of the 90's and the mosquitoes leave. Hmmm...maybe by December?
Do you see that plastic thingie sticking up in the yard around the edge of the patio, to the right of the table? Here's a closer look.
This is one of many non-working mole contraptions we have purchased. I fondly refer to this little dandy as the mole vibrator. Why you might ask? Well it is shaped like a super-duper torpedo, is battery operated and apparently turns those little buggers on. Big time. Each few seconds the torpedo makes an annoying, beeping noise that is supposed to travel through the ground, drive the moles crazy and send them running to the hills.
See all that raised dirt around the mole vibrator? That represents pure, X-rated, mole bliss. I kid you not, every night those moles come back for more. We might have the most sexually satisfied moles on our street.
Taxation Without Representation
I just got back from a business trip to DC. This is the second time I have been to our nations capital this year and I must say, DC I do not blame you for all the bullshit that has gone down over the last 7 years. I also appreciate your dry sense of humor, thus the "Taxation Without Representation" slogan on your license plates.
We attended a national conference for state restaurant association executives. Because the company I work for was a sponsor, we got the added perk of meeting the two keynote speakers, Ari Fleischer and Mike McCurry, before they addressed the audience.
Fleischer, was spokesperson for George Bush from 2001-2003. McCurry, was press secretary for Bill Clinton from 1995-1998. While we were waiting for them to arrive, I kept imagining what an uncomfortable scene I was about to witness. A cold greeting, a few biting remarks about each others party, a general uncomfortableness in the room. This was going to be good.
To provide you with a little political background, I am a registered Democrat. The first president I voted for was Bill Clinton and I still continue to think of him as one of our better leaders, regardless of the "inappropriate relations with a cigar" incident. I get hot under the collar when discussing politics and I can be very closed minded when it comes to the "other" party. So I expected the men who had each dedicated their professional lives to two very different ideologies, to coldly acknowledge each other.
Surprisingly, they both entered the room at the same time, were both equally friendly to the spectators, and shared some friendly banter. You could tell they shared a history and mutual respect for one another. Not at all what I imagined.
My first thought, if our current elected officials could show this much class and diplomacy, we might be able to actually get something done in Washington. Second, I need to work on my hard line attitude that all Republicans drive big-ass gas guzzling SUV's, with yellow ribbons and W stickers on the bumper, and throw big gulps out their windows.
The next day, we walked the halls with our fellow state restaurant association as they lobbied their representatives about the most pressing issues affecting their business. We arrived early for the first appointment, so we stood outside the office passing the time. About five minutes before our appointment time, the congressman darted out of his office and we were left to meet with his staff member Bruce, who didn't even have a business card.
On our second appointment, our congressman was not in the office when we arrived. His staff member emailed him, informed us he was leaving a committee meeting, and would be with us in a few minutes. While we were waiting, I admired his photos with Isaac Hayes, Bill Clinton, Sugar Ray Leonard, and a bunch of other famous folks that I can't remember. Did I mention that he was a Democrat?
When he arrived we went into his office. Congressmen work in tight quarters. His office reminded me of my college dorm room minus a bed and a mini-fridge. His bookshelves were packed with all kinds of personal items that I wanted to check out, but thought it would be rude to peruse his books instead of paying attention to the conversation.
The issues were discussed. He said he would have his staff member review the upcoming bills. Then he moved on to what all politicians are good at, discussing themselves. Apparently, he had been invited to Iraq. My first thought, those sneaky Republicans are trying to get rid of all our Democrats. Trying to interject something into the conversation I asked,
"What will you do in Iraq?"
Delivered with a straight face, he responded
"You know, drink, do drugs, have sex, lounge on the beach. Isn't that what everyone does in Iraq?"
I smirked, we all laughed, and I realized politicians really are human. They even have a sense of humor to boot.
So bear with me. I am going to tie up some loose ends and hopefully start anew.
The Patio
J finished the patio at the end of July, just days before his 35th b-day party. There is nothing like inviting all your friends over for a get-together to get our asses in gear. In all honesty, I don't think our house has been properly scrubbed since. Must have folks over soon.
So this is for you Mom. Here is a picture of the finished product I have been meaning to post for months. I must say J did a damn good job. I would actually hire him, if he didn't work for me for free.
We actually plan on enjoying many a meal out here once the temperatures are out of the 90's and the mosquitoes leave. Hmmm...maybe by December?
Do you see that plastic thingie sticking up in the yard around the edge of the patio, to the right of the table? Here's a closer look.
This is one of many non-working mole contraptions we have purchased. I fondly refer to this little dandy as the mole vibrator. Why you might ask? Well it is shaped like a super-duper torpedo, is battery operated and apparently turns those little buggers on. Big time. Each few seconds the torpedo makes an annoying, beeping noise that is supposed to travel through the ground, drive the moles crazy and send them running to the hills.
See all that raised dirt around the mole vibrator? That represents pure, X-rated, mole bliss. I kid you not, every night those moles come back for more. We might have the most sexually satisfied moles on our street.
Taxation Without Representation
I just got back from a business trip to DC. This is the second time I have been to our nations capital this year and I must say, DC I do not blame you for all the bullshit that has gone down over the last 7 years. I also appreciate your dry sense of humor, thus the "Taxation Without Representation" slogan on your license plates.
We attended a national conference for state restaurant association executives. Because the company I work for was a sponsor, we got the added perk of meeting the two keynote speakers, Ari Fleischer and Mike McCurry, before they addressed the audience.
Fleischer, was spokesperson for George Bush from 2001-2003. McCurry, was press secretary for Bill Clinton from 1995-1998. While we were waiting for them to arrive, I kept imagining what an uncomfortable scene I was about to witness. A cold greeting, a few biting remarks about each others party, a general uncomfortableness in the room. This was going to be good.
To provide you with a little political background, I am a registered Democrat. The first president I voted for was Bill Clinton and I still continue to think of him as one of our better leaders, regardless of the "inappropriate relations with a cigar" incident. I get hot under the collar when discussing politics and I can be very closed minded when it comes to the "other" party. So I expected the men who had each dedicated their professional lives to two very different ideologies, to coldly acknowledge each other.
Surprisingly, they both entered the room at the same time, were both equally friendly to the spectators, and shared some friendly banter. You could tell they shared a history and mutual respect for one another. Not at all what I imagined.
My first thought, if our current elected officials could show this much class and diplomacy, we might be able to actually get something done in Washington. Second, I need to work on my hard line attitude that all Republicans drive big-ass gas guzzling SUV's, with yellow ribbons and W stickers on the bumper, and throw big gulps out their windows.
The next day, we walked the halls with our fellow state restaurant association as they lobbied their representatives about the most pressing issues affecting their business. We arrived early for the first appointment, so we stood outside the office passing the time. About five minutes before our appointment time, the congressman darted out of his office and we were left to meet with his staff member Bruce, who didn't even have a business card.
On our second appointment, our congressman was not in the office when we arrived. His staff member emailed him, informed us he was leaving a committee meeting, and would be with us in a few minutes. While we were waiting, I admired his photos with Isaac Hayes, Bill Clinton, Sugar Ray Leonard, and a bunch of other famous folks that I can't remember. Did I mention that he was a Democrat?
When he arrived we went into his office. Congressmen work in tight quarters. His office reminded me of my college dorm room minus a bed and a mini-fridge. His bookshelves were packed with all kinds of personal items that I wanted to check out, but thought it would be rude to peruse his books instead of paying attention to the conversation.
The issues were discussed. He said he would have his staff member review the upcoming bills. Then he moved on to what all politicians are good at, discussing themselves. Apparently, he had been invited to Iraq. My first thought, those sneaky Republicans are trying to get rid of all our Democrats. Trying to interject something into the conversation I asked,
"What will you do in Iraq?"
Delivered with a straight face, he responded
"You know, drink, do drugs, have sex, lounge on the beach. Isn't that what everyone does in Iraq?"
I smirked, we all laughed, and I realized politicians really are human. They even have a sense of humor to boot.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Pin Prick
Due to my natural upbringing I have always been a bit leery of going to the doctor. Don’t get me wrong, I make my annual appointments for my eyes, teeth and girlie parts, but I don’t enjoy them, and I am glad to check them off my annual “to do” list.
Amazingly in the 70’s, my small southern hometown had a health food store that is still in business today. My parents were always of the persuasion that you should try vitamins, supplements, and sweating it out (Dad’s prescription), before you resort to taking pharmaceuticals. As a kid, treats in our house consisted of carob chocolate, sliced carrots, and fruit juice frozen into plastic Popsicle containers. When spending the night at a friend’s house I would gorge myself on sodas, sweetened cereals, and greasy chips. Delicious.
As an adult, I believe that a large amount of your health and general well bring is connected to diet and exercise, but I do realize that sometimes that isn’t enough. So for the bulk of this year I have spent an absorbent amount of time in doctor’s waiting rooms, taking pills, and hoping that modern medicine would serve up a “quick-fix”. I have a better understanding of why drugs are so heavily consumed in our culture, because it takes little discipline to take a pill. As long as you can ignore the long list of side effects that are sometimes worse than what you were taking the medicine for in the first place. After months of taking the modern medicine route with no success, I have decided to go back to a more natural approach. As of June I am drug free, for the most part.
So tomorrow I have an appointment with an acupuncturist. I am anxious and excited. I went to Wikipedia to read up on the subject. There are opinions on both sides as to the effectiveness of acupuncture, but there are always two sides to every story. Honestly, I don’t love the idea of tiny stainless steel needles which resemble nails, being inserted all over my body, but I am willing to give it a shot. At least the lists of side effects are short (minor bleeding, bruising, and dizziness) and don’t include rectal bleeding.
Amazingly in the 70’s, my small southern hometown had a health food store that is still in business today. My parents were always of the persuasion that you should try vitamins, supplements, and sweating it out (Dad’s prescription), before you resort to taking pharmaceuticals. As a kid, treats in our house consisted of carob chocolate, sliced carrots, and fruit juice frozen into plastic Popsicle containers. When spending the night at a friend’s house I would gorge myself on sodas, sweetened cereals, and greasy chips. Delicious.
As an adult, I believe that a large amount of your health and general well bring is connected to diet and exercise, but I do realize that sometimes that isn’t enough. So for the bulk of this year I have spent an absorbent amount of time in doctor’s waiting rooms, taking pills, and hoping that modern medicine would serve up a “quick-fix”. I have a better understanding of why drugs are so heavily consumed in our culture, because it takes little discipline to take a pill. As long as you can ignore the long list of side effects that are sometimes worse than what you were taking the medicine for in the first place. After months of taking the modern medicine route with no success, I have decided to go back to a more natural approach. As of June I am drug free, for the most part.
So tomorrow I have an appointment with an acupuncturist. I am anxious and excited. I went to Wikipedia to read up on the subject. There are opinions on both sides as to the effectiveness of acupuncture, but there are always two sides to every story. Honestly, I don’t love the idea of tiny stainless steel needles which resemble nails, being inserted all over my body, but I am willing to give it a shot. At least the lists of side effects are short (minor bleeding, bruising, and dizziness) and don’t include rectal bleeding.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Lock your doors! Shutter your windows!
About once a month we receive an email update from our neighborhood association. They usually consist of upcoming events such as a Ladies Brunch or Mayoral Candidate's Forum, but the most recent one was titled "Crime Threat" and this is what it said.
"The "GYPSIES" are back! If you don't know who the Gypsies are, they are a group of thieves that travel to various states in the U.S. and enter homes through unlocked doors and steal jewelry and silver and immediately FEDX the stolen goods to New York City."
Now I don't know about you but this conjures up all kinds of images for me. I immediately picture a roving band of dark haired, hippie-clothes-wearing people wondering the streets of our neighborhood in their covered wagon peddling herbal remedies for your ailments, reading your palm and possibly kidnapping your youngest child.
But the email goes on to say,"A woman described as having dark hair, dark complexion, with high cheek bones, wearing a jogging-type suit will enter the home and attempt to remove jewelry or silverware. If confronted by the homeowner, the suspect will say they are looking for their dog."
their dog."
This starts out with the first image that came to my mind, but I guess a modern day gypsy has traded in the flowing skirts, tops, and headscarf for a jogging suit. Even gypsies have to get with the times.
These gypsies apparently think that my neighborhood is comprised of fools. To tell someone who has just cornered them in their home that they are looking for a lost dog. How does a lost dog get inside your home? And what about all those jewels and silverware that resembles your things or the bulging bag on their shoulder. That doesn't raise suspicion?
The email ends with this note: "The Gypsies usually work in groups of two or three. A male will drive a small rental car through the neighborhood while at least one female will walk through the neighborhood casing homes."
Hmmm well I guess a covered wagon, would draw a lot more attention than a rental car. I am not that worried about us getting a visit from these bandits. We have absolutely no silverware and the only jewelry of any value is my wedding ring which is always on my finger. But I wouldn't mind getting a glimpse of these modern day Gypsies. Apparently, fortune-telling wasn't paying the bills.
"The "GYPSIES" are back! If you don't know who the Gypsies are, they are a group of thieves that travel to various states in the U.S. and enter homes through unlocked doors and steal jewelry and silver and immediately FEDX the stolen goods to New York City."
Now I don't know about you but this conjures up all kinds of images for me. I immediately picture a roving band of dark haired, hippie-clothes-wearing people wondering the streets of our neighborhood in their covered wagon peddling herbal remedies for your ailments, reading your palm and possibly kidnapping your youngest child.
But the email goes on to say,"A woman described as having dark hair, dark complexion, with high cheek bones, wearing a jogging-type suit will enter the home and attempt to remove jewelry or silverware. If confronted by the homeowner, the suspect will say they are looking for their dog."
their dog."
This starts out with the first image that came to my mind, but I guess a modern day gypsy has traded in the flowing skirts, tops, and headscarf for a jogging suit. Even gypsies have to get with the times.
These gypsies apparently think that my neighborhood is comprised of fools. To tell someone who has just cornered them in their home that they are looking for a lost dog. How does a lost dog get inside your home? And what about all those jewels and silverware that resembles your things or the bulging bag on their shoulder. That doesn't raise suspicion?
The email ends with this note: "The Gypsies usually work in groups of two or three. A male will drive a small rental car through the neighborhood while at least one female will walk through the neighborhood casing homes."
Hmmm well I guess a covered wagon, would draw a lot more attention than a rental car. I am not that worried about us getting a visit from these bandits. We have absolutely no silverware and the only jewelry of any value is my wedding ring which is always on my finger. But I wouldn't mind getting a glimpse of these modern day Gypsies. Apparently, fortune-telling wasn't paying the bills.
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