Outta Jo, Onto You

Poppy's Keeping Me Busy

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 12:50:00 +0000

So much of what I do and think about these days is related to Poppy. I would guess that's not surprising, but it's still a bit overwhelming to this first time momma-to-be. If I'm not laying still and hoping to feel her squirm (SO FUN), I'm worrying about finishing the baby registry (coming soon, I swear), or stressing about my maternity leave and how we're going to work all that out (should I have joined daycare waiting lists two years ago?!), or dreaming about our desired move to Chicagoland...

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A Friday Afternoon Laugh

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 21:35:00 +0000

A couple of people have asked, so I thought I'd let you know... After all of our research on babywearing, we ended up buying a Kozy Carrier mei tai in brown with a "Waverly"-patterned pocket on the front (thanks, MetroMinis!). There are a bunch of reasons we went with this one over the variety of other possibilities, but that's not the point of this post. The point of this post is simply to show you a picture of Tony carrying a 21 lb. watermelon in the mei tai. He says he needs practice; I...

[To see the full post, and accompanying photos and video, click through to my blog at http://www.outtajo.com]

Oh, right... my birthday!

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 01:28:00 +0000

T sent me an email yesterday laying out his week and what he's got planned. For Thursday, he listed some school thing he has to do in Jersey (?) and said he might not be home until after 10. I got annoyed and wrote back saying, "Really? We need to do BBQ shopping for Saturday. I thought you'd be home that night to help!" [We're throwing a celebratory BBQ in honor of T's birthday and graduation this weekend.] He calls me a few minutes later and says, "You dumb ass - Thursday is your birthday. I...

[To see the full post, and accompanying photos and video, click through to my blog at http://www.outtajo.com]

Dr. George Tiller

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Sun, 31 May 2009 22:43:00 +0000

I am saddened and disgusted by the news of Dr. George Tiller's murder this morning. Taking another person's life is never an appropriate response to any perceived injustice. And the further irony that these far-from-mainstream lunatics who threaten the lives of abortion providers still self-identify as "pro-life" simply makes me want to throw up. Nobody likes abortion. Nobody is pro-abortion. But just because the idea of abortion may make you uncomfortable, this doesn't mean that it's not a...

[To see the full post, and accompanying photos and video, click through to my blog at http://www.outtajo.com]

Poppy's a Contortionist

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Sun, 31 May 2009 12:29:00 +0000

This is the weirdest BabyCenter picture yet. In every other weekly drawing, the baby looks normal and relatively comfortable. Week 19, though? Yep, she's a pretzel. WTF? :) In other news, things continue to go well. Our next prenatal appointment is tomorrow morning, followed by the big anatomy scan a week from Wednesday. Things are rolling right along...

[To see the full post, and accompanying photos and video, click through to my blog at http://www.outtajo.com]

Why Poppy?

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Sat, 23 May 2009 18:58:00 +0000

T and I have long wanted to start a family, but the timing was never right. We were newly eloped married, joining Peace Corps, transitioning to New York, in grad school, etc. But just because we weren't actively trying all those years, doesn't mean we weren't talking about it. It must have been at least 7 years ago when T first told me he wanted to name our firstborn Thelonious... and I promptly vetoed it. It was 6 years ago that I had a job with pregnant and parenting teenagers (and their...

[To see the full post, and accompanying photos and video, click through to my blog at http://www.outtajo.com]

There's a Reason My Blog Died

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Sun, 10 May 2009 22:57:00 +0000

I've spent the last three months exhausted and only recently have been able to stay up past 8 p.m. Forgive me for neglecting my blog in the meantime -- I promise to be better from here on out! For anyone not yet in the know, yesterday marked 16 weeks for Poppy and I. More to come shortly, but right now my bladder is screaming and my stomach is grumbling... as usual. The next 24 weeks are gonna be fuuuuuuun. Oh, and Happy Mother's Day to all the mommies of the world!

[To see the full post, and accompanying photos and video, click through to my blog at http://www.outtajo.com]

Shut This Airport Nightmare Down

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 17:20:00 +0000

I composed a letter to the New York Times this morning in response to Bob Herbert's most recent column, Flying Blind in Chicago, published March 13. The column is bland and full of blind assertions with no verifiable backing, and frankly, I found it damn near offensive. The letter I composed is below -- let's see if they bother publishing it. Bob Herbert claims that because the economy is hurting, Illinois should rush an airport project that is unnecessary and will destroy the very area...

[To see the full post, and accompanying photos and video, click through to my blog at http://www.outtajo.com]

For All the Ladies of the World

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 03:07:00 +0000

I almost forgot -- Happy Women's Day, ladies!

[To see the full post, and accompanying photos and video, click through to my blog at http://www.outtajo.com]

No Comment Necessary

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:46:00 +0000

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Holy Moley!

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 02:31:00 +0000

In addition to my long-term blanket project, I'm starting another new project that requires me to do things I've never done before. Namely - make holes in my knitting. On purpose. I was smart for once and rather than trying to dive right into the (somewhat large) project without first doing a swatch, I grabbed some random yarn and decided to make a practice square first. It's a good thing I did, too, because I had to frog it at least 6 times in the process. But I think I've got it now! The...

[To see the full post, and accompanying photos and video, click through to my blog at http://www.outtajo.com]

49 Squares

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:31:00 +0000

Lately, I've been thinking about starting some new knitting projects. I've been knitting on and off (mostly off) for about 2 years, but am still very much a beginner. I can cast on, knit, purl, and bind off... and that's about it. The vital skill I'm really in need of is fixing mistakes, but I'm slowly but surely getting better at it. After all, it sucks giving up on half a dozen odd projects over a single dropped stitch in each. That gets old - fast. A while back, I picked up a book called...

[To see the full post, and accompanying photos and video, click through to my blog at http://www.outtajo.com]

Lately

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 02:37:00 +0000

I would say I haven't been blogging because I've been busy lately, but the truth is - I haven't. And it feels great! Below are a couple of photos and a brief recap in the exhausting life of Jo. Thursday, I spent the evening watching Tool Academy on VH1. Yes, Tool Academy. And you know what? It's embarrassingly addictive. Of course, I'm torn on whether -- as a self-identified feminist -- it's something I should be watching. The feminist blogosphere seems torn as well (pro vs. con). So, uh,...

[To see the full post, and accompanying photos and video, click through to my blog at http://www.outtajo.com]

25 Random Things

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 03:37:00 +0000

This meme has been going around Facebook like wildfire and I'm really enjoying it. Here are my 25 things. Share some random facts about yourself in the comments... My favorite pudding is pistachio, despite its neon green appearance. I subscribe to more magazines than I have time to read in any given month. I have never lost a hula hoop contest. I've lived in 4 states and on two continents... so far. I was married at 22 and think the only reason I'm still happily married is mostly...

[To see the full post, and accompanying photos and video, click through to my blog at http://www.outtajo.com]

I'm a Reading Machine

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 01:05:00 +0000

I wrapped my fourth book of 2009 on the subway this morning. Considering I've got a year-long goal of getting through 30, I'd say I'm doing all right. Trying to get through the final chapter of American Wife last night in bed. Instead, I quickly fell asleep (by no fault of the book). Of course, there are always the reviews I pledged I'd keep up with as well. On that front, I'm not doing so well. I've only got 1 done and am already 3 behind. Whoops! I thought about writing up all three...

[To see the full post, and accompanying photos and video, click through to my blog at http://www.outtajo.com]

Feminist Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 01:27:00 +0000

So I did make the soup I mentioned earlier (and it's delicious!), but I also made more cupcakes and those are way more fun to take photos of :) Project 365 on Flickr I blared Ani's angriest tunes while I baked. It made me feel less pathetic on a Saturday night. I mean, I'm not even 30 and don't yet have children. C'mon, people! Does anyone want to lend me their kids for a day or two? I've been on a cupcake bender and really need someone to feed them all to. [Recipe, minus the Oreos this...

[To see the full post, and accompanying photos and video, click through to my blog at http://www.outtajo.com]

A New Obsession

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:47:00 +0000

A friend of mine recently introduced me to the world of vegan cupcakes and I can not get enough. I actually hesitate to publicly post that I love vegan cupcakes, if only because it has the potential to ruin some future "aha!" moments. What are "aha!" moments? It's when you feed a die-hard omnivore something, wait for them to say, "Omg, this is amazing!" and then you spring on them, "Aha! It's veg*an!" My Cookies & Cream Cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World The surprise...

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Yes We Did... but We're Not Done Yet

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 01:50:00 +0000

Jay Smooth over at Ill Doctrine always knows how to say it best. Watch the video below for his thoughts on Obama's election to the presidency and what it means for our progress as a country. A recap of our weekend in D.C. -- and attendance at President Obama's swearing-in -- coming soon. Just not tonight. I'm tired and still need to unpack. p.s. President Obama - seriously, how great does that sound? :-D

[To see the full post, and accompanying photos and video, click through to my blog at http://www.outtajo.com]

Ms. and Mr. G Go To Washington

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 02:43:00 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, I emailed my Congressional rep and tossed my name into her lottery for a ticket to Obama's inauguration and swearing-in. And to my surprise, my name was pulled and I was offered a ticket! But, yes, I was offered one ticket, not two. So, feeling sad, I called T at work to tell him the mixed good/bad news and he replied, "What? Great! You should definitely go. I'd go without yo… I mean, um…" So, knowing he'd ditch me without a second though, I decided to ditch him :) Not...

[To see the full post, and accompanying photos and video, click through to my blog at http://www.outtajo.com]

#1 Three Cups of Tea

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:22:00 +0000

I've been wanting to read Three Cups of Tea for some time, based primarily on recommendations from friends, and was excited to unwrap it on Christmas morning. In summary, the book tells the true story of Greg Mortenson, a mountain climber who stumbles across a small village in the Pakistani mountains while completing a dangerous descent from a major climb. Mortenson is sick, exhausted, and in need of care, and the village provides him everything he needs, even though he is the first foreigner...

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Booksworms Make Better Lovers

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:04:00 +0000

I pledged to read 30 books in 2009 and I'm off to a good start! So far, I've had one great one and one rather lousy one. I started to read Salt recently, but got bored 15 pages in so I've put it officially "on hold." I see that my "on hold" list is getting rather long and I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing - are the books not that captivating or do I just have no attention span? Meh. I'll get back to them eventually. Often, I just have to be in the right mood for a book to...

[To see the full post, and accompanying photos and video, click through to my blog at http://www.outtajo.com]

Down Time with My Boys

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 03:04:00 +0000

I finished my second book of the year tonight - Paint It Black, a Christmas gift from my sister-in-law. And I have to say, it's hard to beat a lazy Sunday evening curled up on the couch with a book, a fuzzy little cat, and a partner to cuddle with.

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Project 365 - Attempt 3... 4?

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 05:01:00 +0000

So I'm trying it again - my Project 365. Inspired by a friend, I attempted it last year, and did pretty well until the final weeks of grad school ate my brain and I pretty much threw in the towel. I made a short attempt to revive it in August. And then, I think, again in October or November. But there's just something about a fresh new year that provides the perfect chance to... try yet again. So far, I'm 10 days in and doing all right. My photos haven't been the most exciting things ever,...

[To see the full post, and accompanying photos and video, click through to my blog at http://www.outtajo.com]

SCORE!

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 03:07:00 +0000

I feel like Charlie Bucket! Dear Friend, Thank you for expressing interest in attending the Swearing-In of the 44th President of the United States. An unprecedented number of people are expected to travel to Washington, DC for this historic event. It's an honor to help provide New Yorkers with the opportunity to attend. I am pleased to inform you that your name has been chosen through a lottery to receive one (1) ticket to the Inauguration on January 20, 2009. Please confirm receipt of this...

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You're Not in Portland Anymore

noreply@blogger.com (Jo) — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:08:00 +0000

Christmas came, Christmas went. T and I went home, as usual, drove about a thousand miles, and still didn't manage to see half the people we would've liked to spend time with. We saw most of our bazillions of nieces and nephews who drooled, spat, puked, and laughed. We got some thoughtful gifts and hope we gave equally good ones. We took lots of photos (soon to be uploaded, I promise). And by December 29, we were both so worn out that our teensy NYC apartment was starting to sound like a...

[To see the full post, and accompanying photos and video, click through to my blog at http://www.outtajo.com]