The end of NaNoBloMo and Something I was right about

This is it. The last day of NaNoBloMo. I had a few hiccups, but I feel successful anyway. At least, way more successful than when I tried to NaNoWriMo last year. I'm not going to try that again until I'm done with my PhD.


Anyways...


So, I'm not a scrapbooker. I will never be a scrapbooker. I've always cited the time and effort that goes into as the reason why, but that's not really true. I have a lot of hobbies and projects that take a lot of time and effort, and that doesn't stop me from doing them. I think the real reason that I will never be a scrapbooker is the effort it takes to get *started* on scrapbooking. All of the tools and pieces and papers and cutouts and embellishments that you have to collect to even get going is way too overwhelming. And, quite frankly, it doesn't seem all that fun. And where would I store that stuff? And getting it all out every time I want to start a project just seems messy.


Not too long ago, I learned about 'digi-scrapping' from my friend Whitney. I thought to myself, "Now THAT I could get into." A project on the computer, with all of the pieces and tools I need stored in my computer... that I can simply access by turning on my computer... that makes it sound WAY more doable and WAY more fun. Whitney shared with me a website (rakscraps.com) that gives you free downloads of "paper" and "embellishments" every month. I've been collecting those for a several months now, but hadn't really played with it very much. I've done some experimenting, but nothing real concrete. This was mostly because pregnancy has made me lazy.


Today, I embarked on my first project. And I was right. It was totally fun. Way more fun than the times I tried real life scrapbooking. And, I'm pretty pleased with the end result. After I finished it and had admired it for awhile, I thought of several things I could have done better, and things I'd like to change... but I didn't want to start all over. Besides, I think its pretty good for my first attempt... and my first completed scrapbook page EVER.




Digi-scrapping has not seen the last of me.

Charlie Brown Style

Our Christmas tree wasn't a grand one when I first bought it. Four Christmases later and its looking a little bit more sad and leans to the left. Isn't that part of the charm, though?

Really, it just makes me happy anyway. Yay! for Christmas!

Thanksgiving Feast, A Review

William and I had a lot of fun preparing our Thanksgiving feast this year. Even though we were just doing it for the two of us, we didn't hold back. Well, I held back a little - all of my dishes were low/no carb. But, it was still a feast for me.

We decided to serve ourselves "courses" this year. We started off with a salad, prepared by William, which was delightful.

Then we moved on to a soup course. I made a butternut squash soup. It was good.

Then we had the feast, of course. William did the turkey and it was just perfect. Juicy all the way through and tasted so yummy. We had some great side dishes - asparagus with a mock hollandaise sauce (made by me), lemon and garlic green beans (made by me), cranberry sauce (made by William), broccoli and cauliflower mash (made and consumed only by me), mashed potatoes and gravy (made and consumed only by William), and stuffing (made and consumed only by William). I did really good at staying away from the high carb dishes--I had a few bites of potatoes and one bite of stuffing. Yay me.

The last course was, of course, dessert. William made a chocolate cheesecake, which I'm sure was to die for. I just didn't partake of it because I knew one bite would just make me sad I couldn't have more. I did make a GREAT no bake pumpkin cream pie. By using splenda and sugar free products I was able to make it fairly low carb and it was really good. ALSO, when we were at Publix Wednesday night picking up a few last minute items, I came across a 'no sugar added' apple pie. I bought it. It was pretty low in carbs, and still pretty good. It made me feel good to be able to eat two kinds of pies. Mind you, I couldn't eat everything all at once, but spacing it out wasn't so bad either.

William is sick, and I'm super pregnant, so by the end of the day we were exhausted. BUT, we had a really good time.

Four Christmases, A Review

As is our tradition on Thanksgiving, we went and saw a movie today. We had a hard time deciding which one to see, because we wanted to see both Australia and Bolt. But then I realized that we were doing it all wrong, and really we should be going to see the latest Christmas movie. So, we went to see Four Christmases.

I was pretty sure I was going to like it, because Mr. Moviephone (who appears regularly on CNN Headline News) hated it. I've never agreed with him on a movie. And, as it turns out, I thought it was really funny. And cute. And Christmas-y. Recommended.

A review of Thanksgiving itself to come later...

'Twas the day before Thanksgiving...

...and I am not really feeling the buzz. This year feels so different than last year. I remember last year before Thanksgiving I was so excited for days before hand. I decorated and prepped and focused all of my thoughts on it. This year I've needed to keep reminding myself that Thanksgiving is this week. I think there are a few obvious reasons for the differences.

1. I'm super pregnant.


2. I'm super tired.


3. The gestational diabetes means that I can't have half the foods I generally look forward to on Thanksgiving.

Don't get me wrong. We've done our shopping and have our turkey. And a friend lent me this cook book, which had some great ideas for recipes that are festive and that I can eat without worrying about it. So, we're gonna have a great meal. I'm just saying I keep forgetting to be excited about it.

Curses

There is good news and bad news.


The good news is that I have a functioning laptop again.


The bad news is that in the after spending the day on computer issues yesterday (between the desktop and laptop), I totally forgot to blog.


Whatever. I'm back dating this post. No one will ever know.

Computer Troubles

So, my laptop has been acting up lately, and I knew I would have to address the issue soon. My plan was to wait until classes were done, and then reformat the laptop before contacting Dell tech support because I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to turn the laptop in (yay! for purchasing that extended warranty!)


Today, I decided that I would reformat our desktop first. That way it will be all pristine and ready for me to use while my laptop is gone. And, wouldn't you know it, since I'd decided to do that today... my laptop chose today to freak out. BEFORE I reformatted, which means BEFORE I had saved everything off of it I wanted. Now, since I knew it has been acting up, I've been back up my files about once a month. But, its been about a month. So, anything special or fun from the last month may be lost. I don't think it is, I'm sure that when I turn my attention to it I'll be able to figure it out... but I didn't today. I just decided to go with my plan and finishing reformatting my desktop. One wants to have at least one working computer.


Anyways, right now I'm on William's laptop. Good thing we have all these computers lying around...

I'm addicted...

...to this game. Seriously, for the last 6 months, I've played it almost every day. That's sick, right?

Canyon Defense Build an ideal defense system and save the inhabitants.

Play this free game now!!

Twilight Movie Review - B+

So after seeing the movie a second time, I realized that I didn't really need to put off reviewing it. My opinion didn't change at all. It was just as enjoyable (VERY enjoyable), but the things that bothered me the first time around still bothered me.


Generally speaking, I really feel like the movie stayed true to the book. The casting was incredible (Bella, and ALL of the Cullens. And Jessica.). There were some changes to the plot, but they mostly made sense to me. No book translates directly onto film, and changes are to be expected. I get irritated with changes when I don't understand the reason behind them (Faramir? Why aren't you letting Frodo go? And who knows what in the world happened to Eragon...), but there was only one thing in this movie that didn't make sense to me, and it was very trivial (more on this below). Either way, if you let yourself get caught up in that, you'll never enjoy a book made from a movie ever. I will say that some of the stuff that was left out is going to have to be explained more in upcoming movies if they plan on sticking as close to the book as they did in this movie. But, it wasn't anything major that can't be worked out.


Some of the cinematography was pretty awkward. And the acting was a bit shaky in parts... in lots of parts. Which is one of the major reasons the movie cannot have an A. But, overall, the actors--especially Kristen Stewart (Bella) and Rob Pattinson (Edward) did well portraying the characters as they are in the book. And seriously, the casting was awesome.


When I first saw the movie, I was thinking that someone who hadn't read the book wouldn't enjoy it at all. But then my brother-in-law went with my sister and really liked it. He had a few questions about things that my sister had to explain, but overall he enjoyed it. Especially a certain scene that involved some baseball...


Okay, I'm going to get more specific from this point on. If you haven't read the books, it will mean serious SPOILERS. If you have read the books, but still want to not know the details of the movie, the same applies.


About some of the changes in the movie: My sister mentioned one to me, that I think is a good example of how easy some of these changes are to explain. She was irritated that Jacob wasn't the one that told Bella the whole story of the vampires. "Why did she have to learn from a book?" But really, having her learn such a crucial piece of information in one conversation makes for a short sequence in a movie. In a book its fine, but dragging it out so that she has to do a bit more research translates to better suspense in film. It has to be a longer process so that viewers can really identify with it, right?


One of the big issues I had going it to it was that I knew about the climbing of the trees and jumping around in the tree tops. This, of course, is not a part of the books and I was worried about how they'd fit that it. I totally got it though. Especially with the lines, "Things like this just don't exist." "They do in my world." Running through the treetops was a way to show the heightened beauty and awe of the world the Cullens lived in. Good call Catherine Hardwicke and Melissa Rosenberg.


I do think the movie could have been a bit longer. They fit in all the important points and plot lines and character development. But I missed some of the more minor nuances. We didn't even get to learn about Jasper's enhanced abilities. We didn't really get a lot of Jasper at all, which I sad about. I did really enjoy the description, "The blond one that looks like he's in pain." Poor Jessica has no idea... I wanted more of Emmet too. And Alice. Especially Alice and her influence over everyone's wardrobe. And I wanted more of Carlisle's background. I think with another 20 minutes these things could have been covered. Of course, they might not have had the budget for it...


Some specific things I really enjoyed:

• The look on Edward's face every time he kissed Bella.


• Robert Pattinson's portrayal of Edward. I'd read beforehand that Stephenie Meyer had given him a copy of what she had written of Midnight Sun before filming, and I think the fact that he incorporated that is evident. I loved it.


• Bella's klutzy moments. I was so pleased when she slipped on the ice.


• Stephenie Meyer's cameo. Even though she didn't say anything, it was just fun to see her in the movie.


• The quick Little Brown and Co. reference while Bella was internet searching.

Some things I really hated:

• The first biology scene when Edward smells Bella for the first time. It was totally overacted and came off comical. Its fine to accept it as a funny scene... but it wasn't meant to be.
• Those STUPID sunglasses. #1. Its not sunny. If it were sunny, Edward, you'd not be walking around outside. #2 They did NOT look good. Alice would NEVER have approved.


• That STUPID converse. I get that its what Bella would do... but its NOT what Alice would do. This is the one change that I hated and did not understand. "Alice lent me the dress." But not shoes?!?! That's not an oversight Alice would make. Tsk Tsk

In other good news, the movie seems to have done well enough in its first couple of days that Summit Entertainment has announced they are officially doing New Moon. Woo Hoo!

Holding Off

I was totally planning on writing a review of Twilight today. But I've decided to hold off... mostly because I'm seeing it again on Saturday, and I have some thoughts that I think might change after I've seen it the second time (which I'm doing tomorrow). I won't say more than that now. I know you'll all be waiting with baited breath...


Anyways, instead of talking about that I'm going to talk about how I finished with my classes this quarter. I spent the better part of this week working on a heinous term paper, which I finally finished yesterday. After another quick glance at it this morning, I turned it in. And that's it. I'm done with all my classes. I've filed all the paperwork for taking the next quarter off... and so now I'm free for the next three months. Mind you, I'll be busy birthing a baby and all that... but I WON'T be doing homework!

Its so exciiiiiiting!!!!

I've just napped, and now I'm headed off to the movie theater!


WOOHOO!

I am staying up late tonight.

I'm staying up late tonight in the hopes that it will help me stay up late tomorrow night. Because tomorrow night I'm going to see the TWILIGHT MOVIE at midnight. WOOHOO!




PS: I will probably post about this topic again tomorrow. And then again on Friday. Don't make fun of me.

My bruised ribs.

Okay, maybe ribs aren't bruised. But on my right side, that area hurts all the time. Or at least most of the time. John has apparently decided that that is a comfy spot for his bum. Sometime I will push on the area and try to massage him down. Then he thinks we're playing a fun game... I push and he pushes back. "Yay, playtime with mommy!" But it hurts mommy.

Seven things

Seven things to do before I die:

1. Write a book


2. Become a really good photographer - like, take classes and stuff


3. Do a tour of Europe... a really long one... visit all the countries


4. Do a tour of Asia... a really long one... visit all the countries


5. Decorate a whole house in Ikea stuff


6. Stay in Cinderella's castle at Disney World


7. Read the entire works of Shakespeare (including all the sonnets, which is where I'm seriously lacking)

Seven things I cannot do:

1. Sleep with the lights on, at night.


2. Watch 'The Grudge' ever, ever again.


3. Throw a frisbee


4. Play the trombone.


5. Forget. I can forgive, but I have the hardest time forgetting.


6. Be taller.


7. Die my hair blond. I just don't think it would work out.

Seven things that attracted me to my spouse:

1. He's really funny.


2. He's really smart.


3. He's a GOOD boy.


4. He makes me feel petite and pretty.


5. He was so easy to date, because he played no games. He just let me know he liked me.


6. He's ambitious.


7. He's a rock star cook.

Seven things I say most often:

1. Hi Babe!


2. Love Jou! (its not a typo, its an inside joke)


3. I love me some...


4. Do we need to record anything tonight? (we are TV junkies)


5. What's the matter with you? (not said when you think it would be, just so you know)


6. Why's it gotta be so hard?


7. That's messed up.

Seven books I love:

1. Portrait of a Lady


2. Twilight Series (series)


3. Wheel of Time Series (series)


4. Harry Potter Series (series)


5. Chronicles of Narnia (series)


6. Lord of the Rings (series)


7. Maternal Thinking

Seven movies I could watch over and over again:

1. Harry Potter (series)


2. Lord of the Rings (series)


3. Dead Poet Society


4. Robin Hood (Kevin Costner)


5. Steel Magnolias


6. Holiday Inn


7. White Christmas

Seven people I'm tagging:

1. Any


2. One


3. Else


4. Who


5. Wants


6. To


7. :-)

Reason # 1253....

why William is my favorite:

Today at church I took it upon myself to invite some friends over for dinner without consulting William first. (They are moving to Chicago on Tuesday, and so it was an emergency.) Nonetheless, he came home and cooked and cleaned in preparation, while I sat on the couch and rested.

Saturday

William and I went to see Quantum of Solace this morning. It was a really, really fun movie. At least as fun as Casino Royale was. It's really fun that these two movies were 'early Bond' stories, so we feel like we're getting all the background. Anyways, good movie.



After wards we went to Barnes&Noble and I bought THIS baby photo album. It was the first one that I found that didn't have something that irritated me. Like frilly bows on baby books for boys, or those stupid pages that have you fill out things like "How I felt when I found out I was pregnant..." (Sorry if you like that kind of thing, I mean no offense). Anyways, this one is just cute and simple with places for the photos and then a place next to each for a short description. I'm gonna start it off with a few of Baby John's ultra sound pictures. Fun, right?

Dear Smoker

I've been thinking about you a lot lately. Its because I see you everywhere.


I've been thinking about what doesn't keep you from smoking. Its not the health risks, because everyone knows you're slowly killing yourself. Its not the stained teeth... or maybe you haven't noticed that in the mirror. Its not second hand smoke slowly killing the people around you (yeah, all the stuff filtered out of your cigarette because its too bad for your lungs... that's going into my lungs. thanks for that). What I don't get is, well... aren't you bothered by the fact that you smell?


I was thinking about this yesterday, when I was driving home from my chiropractor's appointment. It was a hot muggy day, and it felt really nice to have the windows down. But all of the sudden it wasn't so nice because all I could smell was you. I had to roll up my windows. Did I mention it was a hot muggy day? At first I didn't know where you were--and see, it would bother me if someone could smell me before they even saw me. But really, it only took me a second to find you. You were in the passenger seat in the car in front of me. I noticed you because you had your arm hanging out the window with the cigarette in your hand. Apparently you were concerned about filling your own car with smoke. You were not so much concerned about my car. Whatever. I drove behind you for a while hating your arm hanging out the window. And then I saw you flick your cigarette on the ground, and I was even more irritated. And then you turned into the hospital parking lot. I thought that part was ironic. Anyways, I digress...


Driving behind you reminded of how many times I've lived in an apartment above you. In fact, there are two or three of you living down stairs from me right now. You seem concerned about not having your apartment smell too much like smoke. Perhaps your concern is for your furniture. Or maybe its for future residents (I wish the one of you who lived in my apartment before I moved in had been so concerned...). I know that you're concerned because you generally smoke on your balcony. Of course... this means all of the smoke drifts upward into my apartment. This is the reason all of my windows are always closed. You've made my air conditioning bill go up.


Sorry if I seem harsh. I'm sure that you're perfectly nice. You are some of my very good friends. You are some of my family. But, I felt that someone should be honest with you. I think the point of this really, is to make sure that you know that you smell. Other people can smell you. Maybe you've gotten used to it, and you don't notice it. Maybe when you're sitting outside at a restaurant and you light up after dinner it doesn't ruin your appetite. But... maybe it ruins other people's appetites. I'm just saying... you should consider it.

Today's Appointment

I saw the new OB-GYN again this morning. We went over my birth plan - which on my last visit she had asked me to type out and bring in. It went pretty well.

One issue was that I don't want constant fetal monitoring if I don't have to have it, because I want to be able to get up and move around. She said they always recommend constant fetal monitoring, but that if all is going well they will work with me on doing intermittent monitoring.

Another issue was being in whatever position I wanted to be in for delivery. This is important to me because everything I've read says it hurts more if you're forced to lie on your back. I want to have the freedom to move around and find a position that provides me with the most comfort. Her concern is that if I have a really big baby (which can be a side effect of gestational diabetes) then they may need to help "coax" the baby out, and that might require me being on my back. This is a big concern for me, but really, when it comes down to it, if I have a really big baby my whole plan is going down the tubes anyway. At the last ultrasound he measured in the 80th percentile. If he continues to be that big, they won't let me go to full term, at least much past full term, without inducing. I don't blame them - I don't want to birth a 13 lb baby, anyway. I'm so opposed to doing inductions. Not just for the risks they pose (infections, breathing issues, trouble breastfeeding) but also because it just seems kinda rude to force the baby out before he's ready. BUT, if I have to choose between an induction, or an eventual c-section because he's to big to work his way out... obviously I will choose the induction. Also, if I do an induction I'll be abandoning my entire vision for a natural birth. Everything I've heard about pitocin (the drug they generally use for inductions) is the it amps the pain of a normal childbirth a great deal. I'm prepared to go through pain my body is naturally meant to experience. I'm not prepared for supernatural drug induced pain.

I told the doctor that I know my vision may not work out (my vision for this pregnancy has really yet to work out...) and she said the open mindedness is the most important thing for achieving a natural childbirth, and that attitude of accepting change is important. She seems pretty confident I'll end up getting my way. I'm not quite she how an open mind will keep my baby from being too big... but I'm remaining optimistic nonetheless.

The other bad contingency would be if, towards the end of this pregnancy, my blood sugar levels become harder to control. There is another hormonal shift that I'll go through in the next couple of weeks, and it could make it harder to keep my levels under control with my diet alone. If I have to go on insulin, I'm at a much greater risk for having type II diabetes after the baby is born. Under those circumstances, I'd also choose an early induction.

Whatever happens, I feel like its important for me to run through all of the possibilities and to know what I would choose so that I can remain calm in any given situation. At least, thats my goal.

All about me! :-D

• I am ever so pregnant.
• I want to have an early labor.
• I have an MPA.
• I wish the public policy paper I'm in the middle of writing was already done.
• I hate it when people lie.
• I fear the unknown and big life changes.
• I hear Bones... on TV.
• I search drawers. None of mine are organized right now.
• I wonder what life will be like in a year.
• I always look forward to Christmas.
• I’m usually on my laptop.
• I’m not allowed to eat too many carbs right now.
• I dance in my mind.
• I sing in choir at church.
• I never drink alcohol or smoke.
• I rarely shop for clothes. I don't love it.
• I cry more often these days because of the pregnancy hormones.
• I’m not always pleasant to be around.
• I lose pens and pencils.
• I’m confused about the behavior of a loved one.
• I need to be taller... and/or have more room for this baby in my abdomen.
• I should probably not eat pudding for my bed time snack.
• I dream about the day when William and I are no longer in school and have, like, real life.
• I tag anyone else doing NaNoBloMo - in case you need it.

I'm sleepy.

In fact I'm so sleepy, I couldn't find anything in my head to blog about today. So, this post is about how tired I am these days. And about how, if given the chance, I would sleep until 10am everyday. I usually have an energy spurt in the early afternoon. That's when I should blog. I'll try that tomorrow. Go NaNoBloMo!

A tagging

So, I've been tagged on a few things in the last few weeks, and I've saved them up for my NaNoBloMo efforts and days like this... where in I just don't have anything substantial to post about.


The idea was to find the fourth picture in my fourth picture folder. I fudged a bit because my fourth folder only had two pictures and was boring. The fifth folder (titled misc.) has a lot more in it, but the fourth picture was of the child of a friend, and I didn't know how she'd feel about me posting said picture on my blog. So... this is really the fifth picture of the fifth folder. And its of my niece in her Halloween costume this year. She's just too darn cute.

33 Weeks

Even though today is not a real milestone for a concrete reason, 33 weeks has always been kind of a miles stone in my head. I've heard from others and read in places that babies born after at least 33 weeks long generally live. Even if they are not super heathly, they usually pull through. So, its kinda been a milestone in my head throughout this pregnancy - that the chances of something going horribly wrong will significantly decrease at this point. I feel good about that. Even if I came down with serious preeclampsia tomorrow, we're both very likely to pull through.

So, WooHoo! for 33 weeks!

Busy Day

Several of my friends threw me a delightful baby shower today. It's always kinda awkward for me to be the center of attention... you know everything gathers around and gives me presents and stares at me while I open them... But, really, it was very fun. It was a great time with good friends, and I got some great gifts. Some of the cutest stuff ever, really.




This afternoon William and I went to our first FSU game. It was really fun and reminded me how much I love watching live football. Of course, we were in bleacher seats and I was ever so uncomfortable... so we left at half time. It was really fun until then though.

Oh the anticipation!

I keep seeing commercials for this on TV. It gets me ever so excited. LESS THAN TWO WEEKS TO GO!!!!!

My GD journy, continued..

So, I've learned a lot in the past two weeks about diabetes. My sister, who has type II diabetes, and my friends Mish and Jen, who have type I diabetes and have dealt with it in pregnancy, have really been so helpful with helping me to figure out what's going on with me and how to handle it. And my friend Emily even sent me a low carb cookbook, which is really going to help me get through the holiday season without going nuts. And, I might add, I've really been blessed with lots of other friends you have reached out and offered me support. I've really been blessed with the most wonderful friends.

The biggest thing I've learned, which I just began to really figure out recently, is there is just as much danger in not getting enough carbs as there is getting too many carbs. My ex-midwife, bless her heart, is an excellent midwife and knows the business of labor and delivery really well. But, she's not a dietitian - and apparently was WAY off base in telling me to go on the Paleo diet. I believed her because I really believe she knows what she's doing - and she certainly does when it comes to midwifery. But, it had freaked me out about having any carbs and at all, and even when the nice people at the diabetes center told me I could have carbs, I didn't take in nearly as much as they wanted me to. APPARENTLY, this can confuse my body about where to get energy from--which wouldn't be so much of a big deal if I weren't pregnant, because it would just break down fat for energy, and I've got some I can spare, really. But, in pregnancy it can in the long run cause serious harm to my baby. I looked it up this morning (after an email from Mish that made me think I wasn't taking it as seriously as I should) and it can cause, like, brain damage to the fetus and stuff. So, really, I just need to forget everything the midwife said about my diet, and start paying attention to what the nurses and dietitians at the diabetes center are saying.

I actually had an appointment with the diabetes center today, and it went well. Their biggest concern was that I do make sure I'm getting enough carbs - but especially before I go to be at night, so that it will last me and the baby through the night. That's my goal for now.

Yes we can.

There is a lot on my mind this morning, but one thing specifically that I want to post about. Its not just that I'm excited that the Presidential election turned out the way I wanted. Its not just that the guy I've routed for since early 2007 (after I read Audacity of Hope and said "This man needs to be President."). And I know that in previous posts I've talked about race and sexism and how I think voting for someone because of their race is just as racist as NOT voting for someone because of their race. And I don't think Obama ran his campaign based on race, and I really appreciate that. And I don't think he was elected because of his race, and I really appreciate that. But that's what is mostly on my mind this morning. And now that its all said and done, that's what I'm gonna post about. Race.



Relatively, our nation is in its infancy. Compared to other nations of the world - which have been around for thousands and thousands of years - a nation that is just a few centuries old is a baby. But, it has taken some of these other nations thousands of years to take off shackles of discrimination. Yesterday, the voice of the people elected the first African American President of the United States. As McCain said (in his very gracious and very classy concession speech) this an historic event. In fact, many of the other nations of the world recognized this historic event as well. On CNN this morning I saw clips from Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Indonesia... all of them celebrating over our news.


Last night I was thinking about what a monumental event this was for our nation, when my sister shared with me the reaction that my sweet niece had as my sister explained to who Obama was and why it mattered. My niece's reaction was to notice this his skin looked like hers. And all of the sudden it was a monumental event for my family. It became very personal as I thought about what this meant for her and her future.


Whatever side of the line that you are on... Whatever you think about taxes, foreign policy, or the environment... Surely you can feel Proud to be an American today. Hopefully you can believe - even just a little bit - the mantra, "Yes we can!"


If you didn't watch McCain's concession speech or Obama's victory speech, I would recommend them both. You can probably find them on YouTube, right? Both were inspiring with the message that its time to unite and move forward. Just choose to believe in a hope for a better future, and strive to be a part of it. That's the best that we can all hope for.

Blogging, Blah, Blah

So, I'm blogging today, even though I don't really feel like it. In fact, today I seriously considered just deleting this blog all together. Don't get me wrong, I've really enjoyed having a blog. I'm an opinionated person and I've really liked having a place to throw my thoughts on all things into the universe. Of course, this year there has been a grave amount of posts on political things, and herein lies the problem. Recently, these posts have been used against me as fodder for accusations that are baseless and unfair. I don't really want to get into it (it would be wrong to give details on the ordeal given that it involves another person - granted, I'm quite sure this other person will never read my blog again, but whatever. I try to do what's right.), but it just really sucks to be accused of using my thoughts and opinions as weapons or insults. They are just my thoughts and opinions and I've never meant them to be anything more than that. Perhaps I should have avoided posting political things at all. But that seems silly doesn't it? I've made a career out of studying government and politics and its a huge part of my life? Of course I'm going to post about it... Whatever.


So, today I feel like reverting into a shell and protecting myself from such attacks. On the off chance that I change my mind later I don't want to mess up my NaNoBloMo opportunity. So, here's my post for today.


If you haven't voted yet, and you still have time, go vote. It doesn't matter who you vote for. Just participate in democracy.

Sextus Empiricus

I have never seen a more vicious campaign, and I don't mean the candidates. There is so much fear and hate, so many people who are willing to take other people's opinions and propaganda as fact. It reminds me of another time in the history of our world. No, I am not going to go to the Bible or to the Book of Mormon as some have. I am speaking of early modern Europe. Didn't expect that, did you? It is the era credited with the birth of modern science. An era when people decided to stop relying on the wisdom of others (ancient authorities like Aristotle) and decided to start relying on their own experience and learning things for themselves. Hence, the beginning of empiricism and the scientific method. It was a time when people began to study the scriptures for the first time without an intermediary and saw for themselves what the scriptures really said, what they really meant. If not for these brave souls who had the courage to break from thousands of years of tradition, we would not have the science, knowledge, and technology we have today, and we would certainly not have the independent thought and freedom of religion we have today. So in this time of great fear, I remind everyone in the words of Herman Melville, "Ignorance is the parent of fear." Study the facts out for yourselves and make an informed decision based upon your own knowledge and encourage others to do the same. In these trying times, let us unify ourselves in this great freedom we enjoy, choosing our own leaders. Take Luck!

What I'm sick of.

This election. Seriously. And if I have one more person, who does NOT have the facts, tell me that I'm making an immoral choice by voting for Obama, I'm going to scream. Seriously. It will cause early labor.


For the sake of some clarity, Obama is not a baby killer. He supports bans on partial term abortion. He has never voted against one. He has only ever ABSTAINED (voted present) from voting on them when they do not include exclusions for the health of the mother. This is not a convenience or birth control issue. If the mother has serious health concerns or is dying, Obama believes that she has the right to choose between her life or the life of her baby. That's a tough choice, and I don't think that anyone outside of that position has any right to judge what that woman should do.


To further the sake of clarity, if you've looked beyond the sites that just spew propaganda and actually researched Obama's position on the issue, you would have found out that he himself is morally opposed to abortion. He is just also pro-choice and believes in the woman's right to choose.


Frankly, I disagree with him on that point. I wish it was illegal... with the EXCEPTION of rape, incest, or HEALTH OF THE MOTHER.


The latest I've heard is that apparently I'm not only not making the righteous God-fearing choice, but I'm actually somewhat of a Sodomite for not deciding my vote on this issue alone. Never mind the fact that the president actually has very little say over this issue - even if he picks all seven justices of the Supreme Court. (But don't take my word for it, I only have a masters degree in public administration. I haven't finished my PhD yet, so what do I know?) In short, a vote for Obama is not a vote for abortion.


Whatever.


Just so you all know, I voted on Friday. My lot is cast. You can't save me.


So, please, leave me alone.

NaNoBloMo and Halloween and stuff

So, last year I attempted NaNoWriMo. It was fun, but I failed. This year I know I don't have the gumption to even attempt it. So, I had decided I was going to do NaNoBloMo, but totally forgot yesterday. I didn't remember until I saw on a friend's blog that she had started. So, I've already blown it. So, now I'm undecided about doing it at all. We'll see how feel about it tomorrow. (Update: See the post for "November 1st")



Our Halloween costumes:


I don't remember who first showed me this shirt, but they are all over the internet. I was gonna buy one, but they were between $20.00 and $30.00 everywhere I looked. I couldn't see myself spending that much money on a shirt I was going to wear once. Ever. I suppose there is a chance that I might be in my third trimester (I didn't look pregnant until I was nearly in my third trimester) on Halloween some day again... but what are the chances I'll still have that t-shirt? Anyways, I decided to just buy a t-shirt and some fabric paint. That only cost me $8.00. I was hoping people would think it was funny. Mostly I just kept hearing that it was "cute". That was a let down.


William is the one that got all the laughs. He even won a prize in the costume contest. (I was one of the judges, but that had nothing to do with it. I swear.)



You'll notice that we're both wearing our "I voted" stickers. Thats because we, you know, voted. We went to an early voting location and got in line. I was told by the very friendly Nina Richardson that the line was over an hour long, and I that I should go up front and they would probably let me through. And so I did. And they did. And I felt like finally pregnancy worked out for me.



Everyone should go vote.

This is cheating.

It was my sister's idea (She did it first!). Since I forgot about blogging yesterday for NaNoBloMo I'm going to change the date for this post so that it looks like I posted yesterday.


Um, I mean today. On November 1st. Yeah, that's right.


Sorry I totally outed you, Camille. I had nothing else to say in this post.