I Love Steely Dan, but… November 9, 2009

I dislike pretentious, poetry reading, expensive eyeglass & beret wearing, holier than thou jazz/rock fans that only get out around other human beings three other times a year and who own their own cappuccino machines and think they’re better than everyone else. If you completely agree- give me a shout-out in the comments. If you wondering what the hell I’m talking about, keep reading…

 

My dad and I went to an impromptu concert that we just found out about less than 48 hours before the show started last night. If you’ve never heard of Steely Dan, they’re a rock/jazz band that started back in the 70’s. I can remember listening to them on our way up to “the cabin” all throughout my childhood and have really never stopped liking them. They kind of calm me down. Usually. Unless I’m at the concert I just paid $60 for and some jackass (description of this type of jackass is explained in first paragraph) leans over, puts his hand in my face and yells at my dad and I to stop talking. Well I’m sorry Mr. I-Wear-My-Black-Shirt-2-Sizes-Smaller-Than-Simon-Cowell-And-Like-To-Act-Like-God, my dad was just asking me something about the damn band we are currently watching, but I’m so very sorry we disturbed you seeing that you are the only person watching this concert that really matters. I must have forgotten. Again, I’m so sorry.

 

I walked into the concert feeling like “okay, I’m not a jazzy geeky type that gets wine at a concert in a plastic cup just so I can say I’m drinking wine, but I can still fit in with this crowd…sorta”. I walked out feeling happy that I’m not one of “them”. By the way that guy yelled at two other groups of people throughout the night…for talking. He should go to a Vikings game to gain perspective. Walking out of a Vikes game, you’re usually feeling pretty good if your clothes are dry and don’t smell like beer, someone in your group or near your seats didn’t get into a fight with a drunk 23 year old dude wearing a Helga hat and your ears aren’t ringing too bad.

 

It never ceases to amaze me when people go out in public and can’t stand being around other people. Don’t get me wrong, I get totally annoyed (more now than ever) at all the little things I notice when I’m in a crowd. However, I don’t pretend that I am the ruler of the universe and whatever I say goes and start yelling at everyone that is pissing me off at the time. Sometimes, scratch that- Most of the time, you just need to suck it up and grow thicker skin.

 

Well, at least the concert was pretty damn good. I guess that’s my rant for the day. Ahhh…I feel better.

Ruts Suck November 5, 2009

Well I guess I like to state things that are completely obvious and everyone already knows- but I’ve been in a blogging rut for quite a while. I’m not sure if it’s a lack of inspiration or just a lack of motivation. It’s not like I haven’t had things going on that I could blog about. And I do miss it, but not as much as I used to when I would take breaks or have a few “off” posts. Not to sound all self-important and full of myself, but I know that I have picked up blog followers along the way since I started this thing and I’ve sort of abandoned you guys in a way…so for that I’m sorry and I’m going to make an honest effort to jump back in and hopefully find my voice again.

 

Okay, enough of all that. One of the reasons I haven’t felt like blogging lately is because there’s been a lot of family drama going on. I don’t really want to get into it on here too much, it mainly involves my dad and we’re going to family counseling with my mom and also Todd is joining us too. There are way too many details to ever be discussed in writing so that someone could understand, but neither my mom, nor my aunt, nor myself or Todd has a very good relationship with my dad due to choices he makes and his priorities. I’m not sure if counseling is going to work, it’s hopeful that we’re all going but it’s going to be a lot of work and my dad can only change if he wants to change and right now that’s a pretty tall order. At this point I’m cautiously optimistic, so we’ll see.

 

The baby and I are doing well, it still feels weird calling myself a “we” sometimes. Sometimes it still doesn’t feel real. I think I probably fall into the average category as far as a first time mother’s emotions go. I’m excited, but at the same tired scared about a multitude of things. Labor (duh), not being able to control things when we do get to the hospital and having to leave it in the doctor’s and a higher power’s hands, if I’m going have postpartum depression or not, how the baby is going to change our lives, what they will grow up to be like, what I will do when they are screaming and I want to throw them out the car window, etc. But it’s an adventure and I do like challenges, although at the same time I fear change. But I know that anxiety about all this stuff is normal and I have to have faith that things will work out and Todd and I will do our best. I need to keep reminding myself that life is supposed to be a roller coaster and that I’m never going to be able to control everything. In my perfect world, that of course would be the case…but as you know this is not my perfect world. And that’s okay, I know it’s not anyone’s.

 

On another optimistic note, at this point so far I haven’t crumbled under the pressure of all the things that we need to do yet before April. Key word there being yet. Overall I feel pretty good about things I guess. We got a good deal (many of you are shocked I’m sure) on the furniture for the nursery and a few weekends ago my mom, aunt and I picked up a sort of gender neutral bedding set and put everything together. Todd and I also registered at Babies R Us- he had an absolute blast…am I losing my touch in the sarcasm department or do you think I still have it?

 

Well I think that’s it for now. I don’t want to spill all the beans…I’m going to need other things to blog & bitch about in the coming weeks so if you’ve still been checking in- keep it up!

12 Week Update September 24, 2009

Nothing really new or exciting to report, which is actually a good thing these days.

 

We had our 12 week checkup yesterday where we met our new doctor for the first time and I absolutely love her. She’s super nice and easy going, plus when I pulled out my list of questions (of course I would have a list, you all know me by now) she was patient and didn’t make me feel rushed or like my questions were dumb at all! And trust me- that’s a big challenge with me sometimes.

 

Anyways, Todd got to see what I thought was his very first pap smear until he awkwardly announced that he thinks he remembers going with an ex girlfriend about 10 years ago. That was fun. We also got to hear the baby’s heart beat for the first time, which is strong and healthy! We both got our flu shots and so far everything is going great. I’ve also gained two pounds so far. So that’s about it. Sorry I don’t have anything more interesting to blog about, but I just wanted to give everyone an update!

BEST.WEBSITE.EVER. September 21, 2009

peopleofwalmart.com

 

Just go. Now!!!

Baby Stuff + Cranky Pregnant Lady + Football + Ethics = Unclever Post Title September 16, 2009

Do you guys have any idea how much crap new parents have to buy for their first baby? Half of these things I had no idea what they were before I was pregnant. So I’m looking through everything we’ll need and I was thinking things like “what the hell is a diaper genie?” “layette?” “what do you need a diaper stacker for?” If there is anyone out there who IS NOT a parent yet and can answer these questions- if you’re out there please don’t talk to me, you’re going to make me feel stupid. Of course being the anal & overly organized quack that I am I have a color coded list of everything we’ll need separated by category followed by columns of whether we’re going to register for it or get it ourselves, etc. But that doesn’t mean I have the slightest clue what over half of the items actually do.

 

I also thought you all should know that I’ve become increasingly cranky. I’ve always been a slightly more cranky individual than average, but now with my hormones all jumbled up…watch out. And besides my hormones, constantly being nauseous, fatigued and constipated is enough to make anyone slightly more cranky that usual. TMI, but whatever. I’m pregnant now, I get to talk about all my bodily functions. Excited aren’t you? That was a rhetorical question by the way.

 

In something not pregnancy related (wow, who knew I could write about something else?!), who’s excited for football season starting? Obviously asking me that question is a waste of perfectly good oxygen. I will say that I am more excited than usual not just for football, but for the Vikings season (yes I am one of the ones that thinks Favre at least gives them a much better shot)…I’m just not excited about waddling to the dome on Sundays in November & December when it will inevitably feel like Iceland around here.

 

And on another note, I have very ironic plans for this weekend. First of all, we’re going to go see the new movie “The Informant” which is based on a true story of an ADM executive (my company is an affiliate of ADM and we work very closely with them on a daily basis) who blows the whistle on other ADM executives who were price fixing food products in the early 90’s. However the ADM exec turned informant then proceeds to make over $9 million off of the same price fixing all while helping the FBI. Matt Damon is in it and from the previews it looks like they made kind of a dry topic pretty funny. The irony in that is that the next morning I plan on taking my 4-hour ethics course that I have to take now that I have my broker’s license. The movie and watching what happens to the main character is probably all the “ethics” training I’ll really need, but I guess I don’t make the rules. Although I should.