Courtney Schoenfeld

WE'VE MOVED!

2011-05-18T21:38:00.000-04:00

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Something Borrowed

2011-05-14T11:27:00.000-04:00

This weekend I went to see "Something Borrowed." I was really excited about it because it looked cute and had John Krasinski and Kate Hudson in it. I generally like the comedy they do, so I figured I couldn't go wrong. To a certain extent, I was correct. It was funny. It had it's moments. Krasinski was 100%. Hudson understood her role and there couldn't have been a better choice for her part.

I was totally sold with the leading man, Dex, until there was a scene where Rachel and Dex are facing each other. Dex reaches over to move a piece of Rachel's hair, but instead of touching her face it seems like he does everything possible to only touch her hair. He practically had his pinky up. A man in love wants to touch his lover's face. It's intimate. It boggles the mind that such a big mistake could be made. (Also, he has weird hands.)

In addition, Dex is a total yes man. He's afraid of his father at 30 years old. He was too afraid to be with Rachel when he had the chance (twice) and then I'm supposed to buy that she should be with him? No way. He's a total chump. The only reason he was with Darcy in the first place was because she basically told him they were going to be together and he was too much of chump to set her straight.

The bottom line is that I liked the movie. I laughed out loud often. The ending really wasn't what it should have been. I thought I was the only one, but as I exited the theater I heard the other patrons saying the same thing.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T07:08:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a wonderful day with my kids at my grandma's house. I was feeling a tiny bit queasy the whole time, but I felt better than I thought I would.

I can't seem to shake whatever this mess is. I've been on antibiotics for over a week and on Friday the fevers started back up. We were at 102 degrees Friday night. Saturday, I was fever free, but I stayed on the Tylenol. Last night I started having night sweats. I'm not hot. I just wake up covered in moisture. My clothes and sheets are soaked and two inches of my hair near my scalp. It's happening over and over. It's like my sugar is low, but it shouldn't be. I also don't have a fever, so it's not breaking and causing the sweats either. It's not fun.

Today, I am cooking Easter dinner for my husband and my mother. I expect it will be pretty good, but I am not sure what I want for dessert. I know I am making chocolate chip cookies. (Chocolate chips were on sale this week, so I picked some up.)

Alright. This post is over. Some dogs are barking and waking up the baby and I need to clean my house before my mother comes in and freaks out.

The Overnights

2011-04-16T07:33:00.000-04:00

Ever since I began treatment for this ear infection I have not be able to sleep at night. There's a lot of drainage, but I could sleep through that. It's the fevers that keep me up. My body feels like it's burning up all around me. My face feels hard and leathery and very hot. A shower would make me feel better, but I've been showering twice a day as it is.

I know that this is not something I can simply will away. To a certain extent this is my fault anyway for not going to a doctor sooner. I do wish this would go away soon. Between the sleep deprivation and the crankiness that comes with it and the night sweats I feel like I am having menopause, despite being way too young for it.

The Interview

2011-04-14T10:00:00.000-04:00

After the whole shoe debacle, I figured the interview better be good. In standard Courtney form, I got lost on the way there. The man who was interviewing told me to take exit 224. This would have been perfect if I was coming from the South. Unfortunately, I was coming from North of the facility so I needed to take exit 240. This made me late.

I considered just skipping the interview all together, but then I thought I did NOT spend like 5 hours in the mall shopping for shoes for this interview to end up not going. (Also, I remember how upset I got when people failed to show up or even call me when I was expecting them for an interview.) I called the HR department and explained that I missed my exit, apologized profusely, and then soldiered on. I arrived 15 minutes late. Normally, I would have been completely sweaty and freaked out. This time, I was beyond caring.

I walked in, announced my presence, and had a seat. The man who interviewed me came to collect me and I felt very relaxed. He had a very similar interview style to mine, so he didn't bother asking a bunch of ridiculous questions. He simply sat and talked to me. He spent about 45 minutes talking about himself and the company and it was very comfortable. The other 15 minutes I was there were basically me talking about my management style, what makes me comfortable, and why I know I am worth what I am asking for and more.

I think I asked for more money than he could pay for that position, but I know he liked me and he wants to find a place for me in their organization if he can. He'll let me know on Friday afternoon.

Shoe Shopping is not for the Faint of Heart

2011-04-14T07:56:00.000-04:00

Monday, I was forced to endure one of my least favorite activities. I was forced to shoe shop. I had a job interview on Wednesday and I had clothing, thanks to my mother, but not a single pair of dress shoes.

Shoe shopping is something that a lot of other people love. I hear about people having closets full of shoes and I wonder how that can possibly bear the effort required to obtain them. Then I realize that it's just me. For the same reason I have problems purchasing bras and other clothing, I have problems buying shoes. I wear a size ten.

When you walk into the ladies section there are shoes grouped by size and after size eight the groupings get smaller and smaller. When you get to size ten there are a quarter of the amount that they have for size seven. It always seems like they believe that all size tens and above work in circuses or strip clubs. Why do I want an orange flat with a giant orange flower on it? I don't and neither does anyone else.

I was looking for a sensible office shoe. I wanted a black pair of pumps with a two inch heel. I went to the mall because they have many stores that sell shoes and that way Jack and I didn't have to drive all over the city looking. I started at JC Penney because my mother told me they were having a sale. They were having a sale on Summer sandals, which did not help me out. I continued the search there anyway and found one pair that was acceptable, but it was more than I wanted to spend and after I inspected it more thoroughly, cheaply made.

I took the department store tour finding a pair at Payless and then later at Sears. The Payless shoes were 29.99, which is more than I am willing to pay for a shoe from that store. Since I only keep one dress shoe on hand they have to be up to every day wear and no matter what my mother says, Payless shoes are not meant for that. Also, if your feet sweat at all they stink like death.

The shoes at Sears were absolutely perfect. I loved them. Alas, they only had them in nine, ten wide, and eleven. Boxes and Boxes of elevens. I tried on the lone pair of ten wide and they were, of course, too big. I asked if they had any in the back and the lady barely acknowledge me enough to give me the very gruff Wal-mart motto of "Whatever is on the shelf."

I finally left the mall, defeated. I mean, I found a baby baseball cap on clearance and I had been looking for one of those for weeks, but I left shoeless. I was going to attempt to find a Ross or a Marshall's, but as I was pulling away from the mall I saw Peltz. Typically, Peltz is too expensive for me. They have great products, but the cost more than I want to spend. I figured it would be the same as always when I went in. Jack burst into tears the moments we got to the women's shoe section. He wouldn't calm down, which is so rare for him, and I thought I was going to have to leave. The salesperson came over thogh and he set aside his anguish to flirt with her. I then told her exactly what I was looking for and she led me straight to the proper section. She showed me a few that were out of my price range, but then we finally got to a pair that would be perfect. Sexy? No. Functional? Yes. The shoe pictured below, in standard black and not patent leather. It's made by Easy Street and it's called the Career Pump. I also planned to spend $30.00 and they we're $29.99. SCORE!

Weekend Update!

2011-03-21T10:55:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I did one of these weekend updates, so after a weekend that I thoroughly enjoyed I thought I'd type this up.

My weekend began on Thursday. I took Jack to go see my Grandma in Hudson. I rarely get out there, but I just happened to be in the area that morning, so we made the trip. Jack had a good time. My grandma, my aunt Nancy, and my cousin Melissa all got to hold Jack. I got to eat a good plate of food and a big bowl of collard greens. (Everyone, take a moment for the greens. They were delicious.)

After a great time with Grandma, I went to get Annie. We then headed home to begin our preparation for St. Patrick's Day. I invited Sadia and her husband to dinner and so in addition to cooking, I needed to make sure the house looked decent.

Suddenly, it was 7 o'clock and dinner was ready (including my, now famous, Shamrock Cake.) Everyone ate and then we played some video games. I asked Sadia's husband to help me through a part of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. It was then discovered that my son had saved over my game! SERIOUSLY! I was unhappy, but I decided to let him live. It is, after all, only a video game. (Besides, Sadia's husband played and got me just about back to where I was.)

Friday, Annie and I went out for one thing. I stopped by the bank to make a deposit. Guess what?! The bank closed the account I needed to make a deposit to. They're reasponse was "Oops. Let's open another one." I shouldn't have, but in the interest of simplicity, I did. It took an hour and a half. This sucked because I had planned to have Jack at home and playing so that when we went to get Max he would be good on the way home. No dice.

As usual, he was fine on the way there and screeched the whole way home. I was forced to jump off the interstate and into the ghetto at one point because Jack got himself so worked up that he puked all over himself and Max was sure he was choking to death. I didn't care where I was. I was in that mood that if someone had bothered me I would have glared them to death. I get that from my mother.

We pulled over as soon as possible. Jack was removed from his car seat and passed up front. I then asked for his spare clothes that were in the diaper bag. They were handed to me, but they were completely soaked. It turns out that Annie had tossed an improperly closed bottle of water in the diaper bag, upside down. I went with plan b. I found a pair of pants that were stuffed in the side of the diaper bag from some time where Jack was too hot. He went topless, because I didn't have a choice. I used another spare pair of pants from the side pocket to place in the seat under Jack since he had soaked it with spit up. I snuggled Jack and he was laughing and playing. I knew he was physically fine and that when placed in the car seat he would flip out, but there was nothing I could do. We had to get home.

Sure enough, when placed in the seat he went ballistic. Max and Annie got the giggles about it. This drives me insane. I do not understand why Jack being miserable makes them laugh, but they do. They just sit there hysterically giggling. I guess it's nervous laughter, but it makes me feel like a pressure cooker about to explode. Jack's screaming, the kids are laughing, and I am trying to not kill everyone due to an excess of noise and traffic. Luckily, we were half way home and on the interstate. The road side break made the rest of the trip bearable.

Saturday was a very relaxed day. We did nothing. I heated frozen spaghetti sauce from some other time they were here. It was towards the end of the day when James and the kids went into the garage and found the controllers for Buzz Trivia. This was the best possible thing. After dinner, we ALL sat down with our Buzz controllers and played. I won! (I know it's bad to celebrate beating children in an adults trivia game, but I beat My husband too!) I think I will buy the kids a kid version of Buzz Trivia for Easter.

After dinner and Trivia, the kids and I went outside and played with a basketball while we waited for the Super Moon to become visible. It was so much fun. Granted, I accidentally nailed Annie in the face, but she took it like a pro. We walked through our subdivision and looked between the houses and then it was visible. What a sight. It was beautiful. We walked around the entire development and saw it from as many angles as possible.

Sunday, since Max didn't have corned beef and cabbage at his house, I made it again here. It was even better than the first time, I think. The kids had eaten the shamrock cake by this time, but the spirit was still there. Max said that he wished the cabbage was done more, but I hate soggy cabbage.

After we ate, it was time to start taking everyone home. I took Annie home first since I was planning on visiting my mother before taking Max home. While heading to my mother's Jack flipped out again and spit up everything he had ever in his life eaten. Luckily, it was just before we got to Mom's so we just parked, stripped him down, and gave him a bath right away. His car seat needed to be hosed down, but what can you do? It has to air dry and I didn't see that happening in time for us to get home. We just had to put another towel down and hope for the best.

On the way home, Jack slept peacefully. I was grateful because I spent an hour parked on the Courtney Campbell Causeway due to an accident. He was up all through the night, but it was worth it. Nothing is worse than a screaming baby when you can't fix the problem.

Sadia hates my eyeballs. [NSFW]

2011-03-17T10:08:00.000-04:00

DO NOT GOOGLE THIS TERM.

You have been warned.

Sadia: OMG, google blue waffle

Sent at 9:56 AM on Thursday

me: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

NO!

NO! NO! NO! Bad.

Sadia: HAHAHAHA

me: Cannot be unseen.

Sadia: I'm sorry

I had to

me: MY VAGINA! It needs to be held.

Sadia: I'm laughing so hard I'm crying.

me: I'm crying because there is a need for this term.

Oh Great. It's Monday.

2011-03-14T11:33:00.000-04:00

This weekend was wonderful for me. It was our anniversary weekend and the first time we had allowed anyone to babysit Jack.

Saturday night we went to Acropolis Greek Taverna. It is sort of new to our area though I had been to the one in Ybor. My mother came to our house and babysat Jack while we ate and went to Target and that was really nice. I was nervous, but my mother sent me a picture of Jack sleeping in his play pen halfway through our dinner so I was able to relax.

Sunday, we stayed at home and pretty much did nothing. It was comfortable though and I wasn't terribly bored. I wanted to go out and get some strawberries at one point, but it was obvious that my husband was not going to do that, so I opted to relax and see if I could adventure out sometime this week instead. Annika is coming on Thursday, so if we are berry-less at that point then maybe we will have to go Friday morning.

Now that Monday has arrived it's decided to be a pain. Jack woke up at 6am, which would be okay normally. However, in the wake of Daylight Savings Time it was awful. Jack was pretty happy about it though and that helped. It's hard to be mad around a giggling baby.

Jack has fallen asleep repeatedly for about 5 minutes at the absolute longest. His teeth have been bothering him and I know that's what this is about in addition to the mega drool and super snot. I thought that I might be able to get a nap if he took a longer one, but I sat on my bed this morning and was greeted by a popping sound and then a sudden shifting downward. Apparently, I popped out a support beam. There will be no nap for me.

Monday! I'm making the best of you! I've got leftover brownies and a decent attitude.

Recently Watched

2011-03-08T16:35:00.000-05:00

I never used to watch TV, but now that I am home all the time I find my butt in front of the tube more and more.

Today, I watched Stigmata - Marked for Life from the History Channel. (Please don't confuse this with the Patricia Arquette film Stigmata, though I watched that recently also.) Jack watched part of the documentary with me. There was one monk in particular that made Jack giggle and grin every time he was on screen. He was very thoughtful and serious, but Jack found him amusing.

We also watched The Order of Myths which is a documentary about Mardi Gras in Mobile, Alabama which is still segregated. It was a very strange thing to see, but I recommend the film. I was surprised that though both groups claimed that the segregation is by choice, only the white group denied admittance to African Americans in their official functions. This policy even applies to interracial couples, the African American spouse is denied admittance.

My DVD for tomorrow is on Algebra. I'll spare you the details.

The Music That Moves Me

2011-03-08T15:15:00.000-05:00

I am home all the time now.

Correction: I am home with Jack all the time now.

I used to listen to all kinds of music, but Jack only seems to love the music that I sing with. He's not big into rap, mostly because I have a speech impediment and rapping is hard for me, even if I wasn't the honkiest person alive. (I have absolutely zero street cred.)

Jack really seems to enjoy the musical stylings of Glee. I like it also, but it's really easy to sing with since most of it is meant to be sung by a group of people. It's easy to find your place and really belt it out. Jack thinks that is the funniest thing ever. If we dance while I'm singing he thinks that is even better. It seems that his favorite song is "Hello Goodbye" originally by The Beatles.

Even as I play the video now, Jack is kicking his legs like crazy.

Busy Tuesday

2011-03-01T16:24:00.001-05:00

It's been a terribly busy day. I suppose in the scheme of things it was probably a slow day for normal people, but I didn't collect one sewer crystal in Ratchet & Clank today.

Instead, we:

Went to the library for baby time.
Went to the grocery store. (I forgot the cucumbers and bananas somehow.)
Finished the laundry.
Did the dishes.
Worked on my blog for Perky Pet Supply.
Did research for future updates.
Checked every email account I have.
Spent some time on Twitter.

It's been busy, but pleasant. I miss working a real job and having a real paycheck. It's frustrating to not be able to do what I normally can, but I know this is good for me and especially good for Jack.

Casa Tina

2011-02-22T12:50:00.000-05:00

Two weeks ago I had to drive to Dunedin from Riverview because my son forgot his backpack at my house. This is not a short journey. On the way, my little brother Cameron called and decided to join me. This meant we would have an adventure. You can't go out with a dude man, a baby, and myself without having an adventure.

Dunedin is one of my favorite small towns in Central Florida. It's full of beautiful old buildings and quirky fun restaurants. Cameron and I love food, so we decided to cruise around and find something to eat on Main Street. I told him that I was not eating at Kelly's after my last meal there and Cameron agreed. Suddenly, we saw it. There, in all it's quirky Dunedin glory, was Casa Tina.

If you have been to Dunedin at night you could not possibly miss Casa Tina. It's the place with the Cirque style dancer hanging from the ceiling. During the day it has a more laid back feel. It's decorated in a very cool, cluttered, Dia de Los Muertos style. We arrived pre-lunch rush and we were immediately seated by the lovely Heather H. (There are two girls named Heather, we were informed.)

We decided to start with an appetizer. You are provided with complimentary chips and salsa, which were great. (The refill basket is $2.) We ordered Monterrey Nachos in addition. They were crazy good.

I ordered Flutes with one Peep Peep and one Moo Moo. It was yum yum. (Sorry. Check out the menu. They really say "Peep Peep.) Everything was fresh and seasoned perfectly.

Cameron ordered the Mole Poblano. Mole, in case you don't know, is made from chocolate. It's difficult to make, a fact which Cameron could not let go. Every few moments he would moan in delight and say "Do you know how hard it is to make this stuff?!"

For dessert we opted for the plantains. They were coated in corn flakes. I thought Heather H. might be mysterious about it, but she told us flat out that they were corn flakes. They were really good though. The plantains were super sweet, as expected, but the ice cream mellowed it out and it was very good.

Casa Tina is Vegetarian and Vegan friendly. Simply notify your server if this is the case and they will be more than happy to assist you. All of the sauces, rice, and beans are vegetarian friendly.

After our fabulous lunch we walked around Main Street. Cameron took a moment to feed Jack. I know posting this photo is wrong, but it's hysterical and he doesn't read this blog. He was so focused on doing not hurting Jack.

It was incredibly windy, but we strolled through Edgewater Park anyway. Winters in Florida are so rough!

The moral of the story is that you absolutely must visit Casa Tina. They have a very friendly staff and wonderful food.

The Friday Night Knitting Club

2011-01-30T23:40:00.000-05:00

I just finished The Friday Night Knitting Club. It didn't end the way I thought it would or the way I thought it should. It felt like I'd be reading this book forever and then, suddenly, it was finished.

The problem with my type of reading is that since I've used it as an escape tool for so long these characters feel very real and I feel like I have an emotional attachment to them. The few days it takes me to finish the book is just long enough for me to feel bonded with the characters. I'll admit that I cried.

The book itself is very good. It is everything the critics raved about on the cover. The description of New York City seem very accurate to someone who has only seen it in movies. The relationships between the characters are so real that you almost wonder who the author is basing them on. They have an amazing amount of substance.

It's hard to image that Kate Jacobs continued with a series, but she did.

Simply Saturday

2011-01-29T23:00:00.000-05:00

This morning, I slept in until eight. When you have a baby, that's practically a miracle. I spent most of the day taking in The Friday Night Knitting Club and watching movies. We watched Chaos Theory and Falling Down. I enjoyed Chaos Theory an awful lot. Ryan Reynolds starred in this film from 2007 and he just was perfect. There was none of that irritating overacting like in Waiting or The Proposal. Falling Down was sort of the twisted exact opposite of Chaos Theory, so it's strange that we saw them on the same day.

I made a carrot cake this morning. It was really good, especially considering that I'm not a big fan of carrot cake. If you want to check out the recipe the link is here.

I've been visiting the library an awful lot lately. I just finished Wicked Appetite which I loved by Janet Evanovich. I read the majority of her Stephanie Plum books last week. I also borrowed My Custom Van by Michael Ian Black. I can't really get into it. While I find his brand of ridiculously silly comedy amusing in short doses, the essay style is just hard for me to get into. It's kind of like reading the diary of Dwight Schrute on while he's on antidepressants.

I've requested The Flirt by Kathleen Tessaro thanks to my Books-A-Million Book-A-Day calendar. While I don't want to read every book they suggest, two or three of them a week peak my interest, so I go online and have them sent to my local branch.

That's pretty much all that's been going on in my life.

It's over!

2010-12-30T10:13:00.000-05:00

The holiday season is over! I don't count New Year's Eve as part of the holiday season because I don't really celebrate it. I often try to, but it seems like it gets thwarted every time. Last year, we were supposed to celebrate at Busch Gardens with Sadia, but Meg's flight was delayed and we got there really late. It was an incredibly special night for my future husband and me anyway, but New Years wasn't a big deal.

This year, Meg is in Seattle. My New Year's Eve date from last year is now my husband. Jack was born. Every single part of my life has changed. If you think about it, New Years Eve of last year really was the dawn of a new era for me.

I don't have resolutions. I think they are ridiculous. I do have some hopes for this coming year though. I hope that the seeds that we planted this year will continue to be nurtured into something that will be enjoyed later (and I'm not talking about the seeds from my dead tomato plant.) I hope that the decisions I made throughout the year will continue to be the right decisions. I hope that all of my friends will stay healthy or get healthier.

I hope you have a fun and safe New Year's Eve. Have a drink for me. Use a designated driver or call a cab if you need one. (If you have to ask yourself if you need a ride, you do.) Don't forget to stake out your midnight kiss ahead of time and be in position when the ball drops. I'll be living la vida loca at home most likely.

A New Holiday Tradition

2010-12-12T08:57:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, earlier this year I got married. When I got married, I had never met my husband's family and I had never really considered the implications that this union would have on the holiday season. Anyone who knows me knows that no holiday is ever simple. This is probably true for most people, but I have a blended family and that means that I have to work together with all the many members of our different family groups to try and make sure everyone feels that they had the best holiday possible. Getting married added a whole lot more family.

One of the things that has made the holidays doable for me has been the fact that the vast majority of my family lives in Central Florida like me. I can reach the majority of my family in any number of directions in about an hour. My husband is the only member of his family who lives here and that has changed things up a bit. This year, for the first Christmas ever, I'll be away for Christmas. Can we say road trip?

I'm nervous for a number of reasons including and not limited to:

New people that I have to like. When I was married before my husband had a grand total of ONE family member. This is a lot of pressure.
Traveling with a baby who is just over two months old. I'm not sure how to make this work without ruining his sleep schedule.
Introducing my husband to my father. My dad and my grandparents live in North Florida so we get to visit them too, but my father has never met anyone that I dated.
Integrating into the previously mentioned new family. My husband apparently told his family I would help with the cooking. In my family, despite the fact that I am thirty years old, I'm kind of a junior member. By the time I arrive everything is finished and if I do bring anything it's either dessert or drinks. They have the whole routine down and they've been doing it since I was a baby, if not before then.

I'm sure we will figure it all out, but right now it's kind of in the planning stages.

Mall Adventures and National Believe Day

2010-11-30T09:25:00.000-05:00

Today, Jack and I are heading to the Mall to have his picture taken with Santa. I think he'll be alright because he's too little to be afraid. I plan to use the mall's breastfeeding area to feed him right before getting in line. A fully fed Jack is a happy Jack.

I suppose we'll stroll around and look at the newly hung decorations and if our mall has a Macy's we'll stop by. I want to see if they actually have a big red mail box. December 10th is National Believe Day and Macy's is donating $1 for every letter to Santa they receive to the Make a Wish Foundation. If you need some help, they also have celebrity letters for you to check out.

The web site for National believe day is absolutely beautiful. Even if you don't believe, I suggest you stop by and take a look.

Also, for those of you who were wondering I'll be starting up my Santa Can Suck It site again for the holiday season. Just because you believe in Santa, it doesn't mean you have to like it.

Happy Holidays

2010-11-27T08:29:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting here with Max and we are watching A Christmas Story. I've seen this movie about a hundred times. It's the one holiday movie I remember my family religious watching, though there's nothing religious about it. I remember becoming a teenager and finding certain parts of the movie annoying. For instance, when the little brother Randy is eating like "Mommy's little piggy" at the dinner table it was awful. It breaks one of my food rules and grosses me out. (The infraction is against the rule that says food does not touch the outside of the body which the exception of the lips and fingertips when necessary.) As an adult and a parent though, I really understand it more.

My daughter is Randy. She rarely voluntarily eats. It's like waging a war every time food is served. Breakfast is less of a challenge, but I think breakfast food is sweet and can be fun. Also, when Max and Annie are with me I simply ask them what they want for breakfast and them make it. It would be pretty silly of her to ask me for something and then refuse to eat it. (Don't get me wrong. She's done it, but generally she doesn't.)

Courtney Fun Fact: My favorite scene in the movie is when, after putting the soap in Ralphie's mouth, the mother tries the soap herself. Brilliant scene!

We spent Thanksgiving with my Grandmother and some of our family and then we went to my Aunt Rayna's for leftovers yesterday. My favorite thing at Grandma's is the collard greens. I ate a big spoonful. Then I ate a bunch of broccoli cassarole. Normally, this would not be a problem, but poor Jack was in misery yesterday. I'm breastfeeding and apparently one or both of those things that I love so very much gave Jack a terrible case of gas. Yesterday, I sampled a little tiny bit of my aunt's broccoli casserole. I hope it was the collard greens. I can give up one or the other, but to give up both is simply cruel and unusual.

Today, I am making my own turkey dinner. I just love turkey and I don't have a problem eating it repeatedly. I have to make a ham this week too. I love the leftovers.

Dancing With The Stars! AKA Maks and Brandy were robbed.

2010-11-16T23:43:00.000-05:00

Since I'm not working right now and I have time that I absolutely must be sitting on my behind. I've spent much of this time rotting my brain with TV. I've become a fan of Dancing with the Stars. They had me from kicking off the Hoff. My early faves were:

Kyle
Kurt
Margaret
Rick

When Margaret, Rick, and finally Kurt were voted off, I wasn't surprised. I might have been a little surprised about the order in which they were voted off, but honestly I thought the only one who had a chance based on dancing ability was Rick.

I am pleased beyond belief that Kyle has made it to the finals. He's a good dancer. He's incredibly entertaining and gosh darn it, I just like him. He's worked very hard and he deserves to be there.

Jennifer looks wonderful and has mastered not only the technical details, but also exhibits both an artistic aspect and an epic amount of grace for someone who has struggled with injuries the entire series. I love that she's in the final and she absolutely deserves to be there, though my husband insists on calling her Grandma.

We watched the show tonight and when Brandy and Maks stood next to Bristol and Mark I felt so sure that America would have done the right thing. My husband claimed that it would be impossible for Bristol to make it to the finals because her dancing ability was completely lacking in comparison to Brandy. (Granted, She's not Kate Gosselin bad. That woman has all of the grace of a refridgerator.)

I'll be honest. I was not rooting for Brandy at all. I find her appearance off putting and her reactions to the judges drive me crazy. She cries about the most ridiculous things. (Granted, I'm a weeper so I should really shut up.) However, I love Maksim Chmerkovskiy. He is very forceful when he dances. I like that. Also, he's hot. I'll admit it. He's painfully hot. It should be a crime for him to walk around looking like that. As a matter of fact, that's probably why he came to America. He was going to be prosecuted in his own country for extreme hotness. (Sorry. I shoud be ashamed of that last paragraph.)

Imagine my horror and the horror of Maks and Brandy when their names where called. Bristol had the good grace to look apologetic. Mark seemed genuinely overcome with emotion. He managed to look horrified and then remembered he was supposed to be celebrating. Maks looked like he was desperately struggling to not reach over and strangle Bristol and Brandy cried. This time, I could have wept with her. What an absolute freaking tragedy. It's just wrong.

I visited Bristol's DWTS "Meet the Stars" page. There is a comment section and tonight people are furiously lashing out and claiming that she's only in the finals because people voted for her based on their political feeling about her mother. I completely agree with that. However, her fans insist that anyone who thinks that is sad and small minded. WHY DON'T YOU JUST SAY IT? Am I not a real American because I didn't vote for Bristol?

I can only hope that Kyle or Jennifer win the competition. I feel so much sadness that someone, who admittedly tries so hard but dances so poorly, could win this competition.

And... We're back!

2010-10-26T12:43:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I've blogged, but I've got good reasons. On October 16th at 11:25pm, Jackson entered the world. I'd been in pain for about 48 hours, but after going to the hospital on Friday night and being told it was a false alarm I held out when the pain worsened on Saturday. My husband finally had enough and told me to call the doctor. The contractions were about 15 minutes apart at that time. I wanted to wait longer, but my husband had the good sense to insist that I make the call. We left the house shortly thereafter and on the way to the hospital the contractions got MUCH closer together. By the time we arrived at the hospital it seems like they were a lot closer to five minutes apart.

The nurses were all very calm when we arrived. They were prepared for another false alarm. They took me to triage where they started monitoring contractions and they took my measurements. The nurse suddenly became a whole lot less calm when she announced we were 8-9cm. After all those months of waiting, we were kind of surprised to be in the home stretch all of a sudden. I sent my husband to call everyone and then we headed up to labor and delivery. The nurses flooded the room to get everything ready. The person who inserted my IV used the largest needle I have ever seen in my life and could not get it in the original vein she tried. She tried again in another spot and thought she got the needle in. (Unfortunately, she did not, but we didn't find that out until the next day when my hand swelled up and it looked like a golf ball had been inserted underneath my skin.)

The nurses started calmly leaving the room to my confusion. The nurse who seemed to be in charge of my delivery started to walk out and said to call her when it was time to push. I let her know that the time to push was NOW. That sent everyone into a frenzy again and suddenly the doctor was there and saying I should push.

Do you remember that moment in Knocked Up where Alison decides she wants an epidural, but it's too late? I had that moment. It feels like you are on the tip top portion of a roller coaster awaiting the plunge and you suddenly don't want to be on the ride anymore. When we arrived at the hospital it was already too late to give me anything other than an epidural since we were so far along. They had to wait to get my labs back to give me an epidural, but they said they would give me the option at that point. Unfortunately, Jack was not waiting for anyone or anything so he just barreled right along. The cord was around his neck, but the doctor acted like that was normal. He calmly cut the cord, directed me to push again, and after a few pushes he was out.

My husband was like part of the crew with the nurses and doctor. He held my legs back with them and when I wasn't putting my chin to my chest as instructed he moved my head chestward. He was perfect. He watched the entire process and asked me if I wanted to see things as they happened. (The answer is no. I really don't.)

Jack was 8lbs and 11oz. He was 20 and 5/8 inches long. He was born hungry and within a few minutes of being born latched on to me and fed for about 40 minutes. He's got all of his fingers and toes and is everything that we had hoped for.

I feel like I haven't had the time or energy to blog until now, but I feel much better and I am getting used to my sleep pattern being significantly different. In a few weeks, I hope to be able to leave the house on a regular basis, but for now I am alright with being home all the time.

A letter to my STILL unborn son.

2010-10-13T10:01:00.000-04:00

Dear Jack,
   It's your due date. There's no pressure or anything, but Mommy is a fan of being punctual. Also, I made cookies.We've been joined, literally, for 40 weeks now. In the scheme of our lives, this is not long. You won't remember the womb, which is probably a good thing. It's dark in there. You won't remember your birth or the first couple of years you are alive, but I will.

   Your father and I are probably going to take entirely too many pictures of you doing things that will seem mundane later in life, but they're miraculous to us now. We'll have pictures of you covered in your first foods and your first birthday cake, which will totally freak me out, but I'll play along for a few moments before spastically wiping you off. We'll look at and analyze your first and subsequent poos like some ancient tea leaf readers. Your grandmothers, and you've got a lot of them, will ooh, ahh, and coo at your every move.

   You have a brother and sister who are waiting as patiently as a nine and seven year old can. They are thrilled that we've named you Jack. Annie is worried that you'll beat her up later, but you won't. Max is afraid that you'll be annoying. You will be, but it won't be your fault. Little brothers are always in awe of their big brothers, especially because Max is nine and a half years older than you.

   You're going to love it here. We have really amazing food. We live in Florida, but there is a whole world out there that you'll get to explore if you want to. We have animals of all colors, shapes, and sizes that you'll get to see and study. Starting at home there are three cats. They aren't really sure why I've gotten so fat and I can't walk properly. They are mostly upset about my complete lack of lap, but I know they will find you interesting. You guys will have a lot in common. Mostly, they sleep all day and they depend on me to feed them and clean up their poop. I'll be bathing you more and you'll get to sleep in my room for a while. Also, you'll be going with us wherever we go, and they just chill out at home like lazy security guards.

   I hope that this letter in some way inspires you to hit the eject button, but if you don't we're going to do some strong convincing on Monday at 6:30am. Please come sooner. Daddy is not exactly what I would consider a morning person and neither is my mother, who you'll call Mimi. Since they are my support team during your blessed entry, I'd like you to arrive when they have some pep in their step. (I won't lie. You know how I said we had amazing food here? We totally do. If you do come in the morning time, I'm sending Daddy or Mimi to get me breakfast and they are more likely to go get me exactly what I want if you come a tad later in the morning.)

I can't wait to meet you.
Love,
Your mother.

Where is Sarah Jessica Parker when I need her?

2010-10-05T08:26:00.000-04:00

Jack is not coming out. He's very comfortable. I, on the other hand, am very uncomfortable. What we have here, folks, is a failure to launch.

I know Jack isn't due until October 13th. I understand that he'll come when he's ready. I just don't know how much more of this I can take. To a certain extent, it's not even the pregnancy that is driving me crazy. It's the being home alone with very little to do. I'm not really a good housewife candidate.

Here is what a typical day is like for me:

Wake up when my husband's alarm goes off.
Ignore his "go back to sleep" command.
Stay in bed and watch him iron his clothes and head out for work.
Attempt to go back to sleep.
Exit the bedroom, still in jammies, and greet cats.
Make a cup of tea and allow it to steep.
Check email. facebook, and RSS feed while watching my neighbors with a life walk their dogs, go for jogs, and leave for work.
Realize that an hour has passed and I forgot my tea. Start the tea process again.
Take phone calls and texts from my mother and friends where the answer is essentially "NO, I have not have the baby yet."
Remember the tea. (Awesome. Earl Gray, I love you.)
Pace around the house, talk to the cats, and struggle to think of things to do.
Do laundry. We always have at least one load since we have a tiny washer.
Consider making a baked good despite the fact that I probably won't eat it and my husband probably can't eat it.
Take another round of phone calls in which the answer is still "No, I haven't had the baby yet."
Attempt to take nap and fail.
Fold the laundry.
Wait for my husband to get home and sometime watch Dancing with the Stars.

I'm not a whiner, but I can't wait until Jack gets here. I know that the next couple of months will be hard and that I'll basically be begging God to let me sleep just a little, but at least I'll have a focus.

Thoughts on Eddie Long.

2010-09-27T05:03:00.000-04:00

I'll be honest. I'm no fan of Baptist doctrine and I am especially not a fan of mega churches, but I do find the allegations against Eddie Long very sad. Bishop Long has been accused of coercing young men from his church to have various types of sex with him and using his power and money from the church to entice them further and keep them quiet.

He states that the allegations are untrue and that he will fight against them. He really has no choice though. A mega church is a business. Bishop Long is the head of the business and he can't allow anything to get in the way of what his business does. Whether you believe that is making money or saving souls, it doesn't matter. If Bishop Long is innocent and steps down (that way that Roland Martin suggests in his piece on CNN) he appears guilty and weak. If he stays and fights the allegations from the pulpit, he gives his followers some hope. They don't believe that he would stand in front of them and lie about something, fully knowing that the proof would never be able to set him free. One of the men accusing Bishop Long claims to have photographic evidence that should clear this all up.

I think the truth of the matter will be discovered in a relatively short while. If there are photos of the Bishop and his boys in the act then I really don't know why he'd bother to showboat, unless he felt that he could financially satisfy the accuser. If you'll notice, there are no criminal charges being filed. I don't find it very strange to be honest. I think that you'd be hard pressed to find the physical evidence or evidence of any kind that these men were forced to engage with the Bishop.

The fourth lawsuit is very interesting to me. The supposed victim was allegedly showered with gifts like a car and tuition. If that was the case there should be a paper trail of some kind (unless he paid for the car and tuition with cash, of course.) Surely, someone would have noticed the time that the Bishop spent alone in hotel rooms with his young male followers.

It is my experience, from situations I have witnessed within churches where a scandal erupts, that when we have a situation like this that people within the church know. Not the parishioners, but typically the leader in question will have a power circle. This circle excludes his wife. She's given other duties typically in the women's ministry. The power circle is an incredibly small group that believe so strongly in the leader that they unquestioningly follow every order. These are the people that the lawyers need to get to. It won't matter really, even if they do find them the members of this small group will lie on the behalf of the leader because being part of this group gives them a significant amount of implied power. I'd look for one or two couples that are always around, not necessarily high ranking members of the church.

I think the biggest outrage that some people feel is that Bishop Long has long been an outspoken anti-gay leader. He preaches and campaigns that marriage is between a man and a woman and that if you are gay his ministry can cure you. (It is my opinion that by "cure" they mean to humiliate and use fear tactics to shame you into behaving "appropriately".) What does it say about Bishop Long if he's been preaching so strongly about this topic, only to be "struggling" with it himself?

I do not want to hear that it means he is human and we need to forgive him. (Frankly, it's not any of my business to forgive him. He's not harmed me in any way.) I also am not sure that I agree with the fourth suit that claims the church had an obligation to warn these guys. I suspect that even if they allegations are true, that "The Church" had no idea what was going on. "The Church" believes very strongly in mentoring and training up young men to be leaders and I believe that is what people thought was happening. I do not believe the attendees of Baptist churches or Mega Churches are bad people. I think they believe very strongly in the doctrine of the church and that the Mega Church provides a strong sense of community and belonging. The Mega Church is so large that sometimes things that could never fly in a small church, can be easily brushed aside or looked over in this larger environment. I think that the lawyers are targeting "The Church" because what they really want is "The Church's Money."

I also wonder why it took the fourth victim so many years to become disillusioned with the Bishop's message. (I'm not blaming the victim. I just wonder about these things.) If the Bishop's message in the pulpit is "Homosexuality is bad" and his message in the hotel room is "Homosexuality is rad" you'd think it would have brought up some questions a little sooner.

The best way to sum up my feelings on the matter are to say that it would be refreshing to see the Bishop cleared beyond a shadow of a doubt. I don't agree with his message, but I dislike people who use false claims to damage other people even more. I hope that this causes his followers to take a good hard look at what they believe and ask themselves important questions. I hope that if the Bishop is found to have been participating in homosexual acts, that he stops faking his hetero lifestyle or at least finds a way to come to terms with it. I feel terrible for the hard time his family is going through either way and I hope that a resolution of some kind can be reached soon.

At least they're honest.

2010-09-23T09:46:00.000-04:00

I saw this last week and I figured they would change it, but today I was stuck in traffic so I could get a picture for you guys. It totally cracked me up.