Surprise!

Yup. Xmas is coming & there are all sorts of surprises in the works... this is what you'd get if I were to write about it all...

So, I've called ___________ about the ________ for _________, but they haven't called back yet. Also, the ________ for _________ is a bit irritating because _________. But it's fine really, & the _________ for _______ is really going to rock. And I know _____ is going to dig the ______.

.

In other surprise news, it's Coreen's birthday today! And we're going to Tubby Dog, then Dairy Queen to celebrate. She recently surprised the hell out of Sarah & I (& Pat too) by being genuinely pregnant, & not just pulling our leg. I know, we are idiots. It only took how many weeks for us to figure out that she really really was & really really meant it? At any rate, the babe is due in mid June or so, to be oo-ed & ah-ed over by his (admittedly dense) aunties.

.

And what else is surprising... as I drove to the mall & back today, I kept squinting at the sun & the sky & the snow on the ground, & feeling vaguely surprised by the dazzle of it all.

.

While I'm logged in & working remotely, I occasionally turn my computer program into Russian. This is always an (unpleasant) surprise. Dosvedanya, my arse.

.

And... um. That's really all I've got. There's still a tiny amount of ice cream in the freezer, which is a bit of a shock, but not really when you look at the giant bowl of peanut m&ms on the coffee table.* The m&m's are so much more instant gratification.

Well, I'm going to go & keep on keepin' on. You too, eh?

*-the man's fault. Had to do with the Grey Cup, will explain more later.

Live Blogging Coverage of the Grey Cup. And whatever else I’m watching.

2:00 pm – Amoryn goes down for her nap. I turn to channel 43, CSI. Then I turn to 209, pre-game coverage. As I suspected, there’s been a murder, & the Riders & the Bombers are going to be playing in a while.

3:10 pm – I wake up from my nap. There’s been another murder in Las Vegas. The hype is increasing for the game, which is still featuring the Riders & the Bombers. Weirdly enough, the Riders seem to be favored. I’m trying not to take it as a bad omen.

3:50 pm – Game is almost ready to go. Introduced both teams & the refs. The jig is almost up for Karl, who had to kill the girl, because she was going to call the cops, then Karl would’ve been fingered for murdering buddy in the slum building.

3:58 pm – Karl’s wife tells him to leave. Not bad timing – just before the cops arrive. National anthem is being sung in both languages – I could swear the one word was going to be tabernac, but it was tabernuuusomething else.

4:00 pm – marching band exits, team captains & premiers make their way to center field. Karl gave himself up to save his family. Out in the desert, they’ve found something suspicious… a body! Murder again. Saskatchewan will receive the start. Amoryn should likely be waking up soon – but she had a short, restless night & a small morning nap, so I’ll give her another 15 minutes. Ooo, So You Think You Can Dance is on too. Maybe after CSI has wrapped up for the day I’ll watch that & the game…

4:13 pm – noticed cell phone is on silent and I missed three texts – two pics of a very happy man in green, & an invitation for brekky with Coreen L No score yet, 11:54 left in the first. I’ve seen the SYTYCD, back to CSI. They’ve ID’d the body.

4:58 pm – Well. The murder is quite strange. My daughter is quite funny. The game is at WPG 5, SSK 0, 9:09 2nd Qtr.

5:25 pm – Amoryn’s had her bottle, the game is tied at 7, almost half-time. And… there’s been a murder! A body in a chimney! Dun-dun-dunnnnn…. Another mystery: what to have for supper.

6:07 pm – A murder, but I know who dunnit. I also know what Amoryn had for supper, & the score – SSK10, WPG7. And I’m going to find out where some studs in the wall are… so that I can mount the baby gate.

6:48 pm – Lower baby gate – installed. Upstairs baby gate – marked & mulling. The pony wall is 3/4” out over about 18”. Not square, and not looking too stable for the square gate. I think we’re going to need to shim it…. The game is still underway, 4th Qtr just beginning, SSK 16, WPG 14. I can practically feel the man’s nerves from here… For the flip side, since I know that the second murder was an arranged suicide, I think we’re going to opt for the Wedding Planner. And soon, we’ll be opting for a sleeper & a bottle.

7:20 pm – Am’s getting some air on her bum; there’s less than three minutes in the game, & the score is 23-18 for Saskatchewan! OMG! Also, Sarah will be here shortly with the pizza. Also exciting.

7:32 pm – 6 seconds! It’s our game! We won! It’s ours! YEAHAAAOOOOOOOGORIDERS!!! Also, now Amoryn can change out of her “S” onesie & into her sleeper for her bottle & then bedtime.

Busy Week

So, we survived the Fat weekend, & I think by Thursday I finally recovered from my sugar hangover.

Of course, last night Sar & I walked to the gas station & bought three kinds of Ben & Jerry's ice cream - although she took one of them home. (But my folks were here! And we needed dessert!)

And the man went to Florida today.

This means that I'm left alone - unsupervised - with the ice cream. (Amoryn does not qualify as a supervisor of ice cream yet. She has to be big enough to eat it first.)

So, to try & distract myself, I'm watching the CFL Western Semifinal.

Yes, I am thinking about ice cream very much, thank you.

And Amoryn is thinking about bedtime... loudly. Stay tuned to see what develops!

Oh yeah, baby, it's all about the action.

Hott oven action, to be precise. It's the annual Get Fat weekend, wherein Sar & I bake our arses off. I don't know why, but the Fat Weekend makes me want to use spam email descriptions... h0tt 0ven acti0n... d1rty spatulas l00k1ng for 1c1ng... r0ll y0ur d0ugh thinNER...

.

Or to Martha-isms... It's a good thing, a very good thing.

.

Day One: A slow start, although Am was up at 7:30... Sar made a triple batch of gingerbread dough last night, & I rolled & baked 2/3rds of it this morning. Sar, Kathy & their baking supplies & Kitchen-Aid rolled in around noon or so. I made spinach artichoke dip, which I was disappointed in, Sar made gingersnap dough, which is still chilling, I made cheesy crunchies, Sar made chocolate chip cookies & a shortbread thing, I made mushroom caps (also disappointing), Sar made a tasty chorizo sausage sauce for supper, and we all made a mess while we decorated cookies & tried to build gingerbread houses. The "we" included a houseful of fun guests. The cookies are splendid, & it will be criminal to eat them & destroy such lovely little creations. They ranged from the motivational to the comical to the artistic. (Scatalogical will likely be visited tomorrow when Brian & Adam lay hands on the icing tubes.) The gingerbread houses weren't a raving success due to icing issues, but I persevered, and created a tableau I've named "Post Apocalyptic Vignette". The houses will improve because we're planning to try the royal icing. We watched Hot Fuzz after supper, & it was awesome. Yarrp.

.

Not the most productive day ever, but Sarah & I both agreed that it was very fun & relaxing. Stay tuned for day two, featuring a lot more cookies, some phyllo mini-quiches, icing, & fun!!

.

(On Monday or Tuesday, I'll post complete fat weekend images.)

.

I'm beat like egg whites, & off for an early bed. It'll be a batter day tomorrow! (Yolk, yolk, yolk.) (You know I'm tired when I indulge my taste for awful puns.)

It's Friday!

And I am feeling so much better today. More balanced. Still tired, but not blue.

Part of an email Sarah sent me yesterday inspired this whimsy in my head...

Perking interviewer in pink:"Hi! You're tuned in to Myth Information News, with the hottest gossip on the gods & goddesses! I'm Pippin, & I'm here today interviewing the fabulous Thelxiepeia, one of the Sirens. She's well known for many things, ranging from luring sailors to their doom to... luring sailors to their doom! Hi Thelxiepeia!"

Thelxiepeia:"Hi Sparky. You can just call me Thelxy."

Pip:"Thelxy, we're hear today to hear about your take on motherhood - tell us about it!"

T:"Well, I never really thought that much about it. But I was chatting with Tethys one day, & she really illuminated how much having Oceanids to love & nurture really gave her life meaning. And then I saw Odysseus and some of his sailors go by... and I thought why not give it a try? So, about six months ago, I had a little nymph of my own." (beams)

Pip:"So, Sirens don't have to be..." (delicate pause)

T:(laughing) "No, no - no celibacy. We're not Vestals!"

Pip:(chuckle)"So, now that you're grounded for a while..."

T:"Yes, until the little one grows wings & gills...."

Pip:"How are you finding things? Are you bored? Do you miss the drama? The excitement?"

T:"Well, you know, I sort of do. All those sailors shrieking & the ships hull's breaking up... it was a cracking good time. But there's always another ship to sink, and this is wonderful too. There's nothing like listening to my little nymph trying to learn to sing - she's so sweet! She'll only be this small once, you know."

Pip: (nodding) "True! They don't stay wee forever! So how was labour? Your figure looks fantastic. Miracle crash diet? Surgery?"

T:"No, no, not at all... actually, little known fact: sirens lay eggs. So really, the whole experience has been a marvel. No work at all."

Pip:"Fabulous! Lucky you!... And I hear that you're planning on returning to work... when? And do you worry about your career at all?"

T:"Well, as I mentioned, I have to wait for my nymph to grow wings & gills. So it'll be a little while yet. Honestly, I was concerned about keeping my skills up while I was grounded with the little one... but as it turns out, I am using my talents quite a bit, just to get my little nymph to eat her broccoli! I'm going to be back, & better than ever when I return. Sailors fearing death have nothing on a child refusing her veg."

Pip:(trilling laughter)"Well, that's fabulous! We're so glad to hear it, & I think I speak for all of Ancient Greece when I say that I hope things keep going super & that you're back on the ship-wreck beat in no time!"

T:"Thanks Pippin, it's been a treat to speak with you & Myth Information News... it's one of my favorite shows."

Pip:"Fabulous!!!"

(fade to commercial)

Thrusday Blues

I woke up today feeling blue. It’s just intensified as the morning has gone on – although it’s still only 7:44 am. I think it’s a post-work hang-over. It’s because I didn’t sleep well. I’m wondering how selfish & self-absorbed I really am. I’m tired. I had found a comfortable spot, a balance that I loved with Amoryn & the man, & now I’ve introduced something new, and the apple cart is all wobbling around & the apples, they are jostling one another, instead of laying snug in their smug stacks. Damn those smug apples.

I went to the office yesterday; I left at 10:30 or so, & got home at 6. Sarah’s sister has been babysitting this week, and she’s fantastic – Amoryn adores her; they play together all day. She took some of the cutest pictures of Am yesterday! (I'll post them later.)

I think that makes me feel blue too. Even if I weren’t working, I still wouldn’t have spent an hour playing with Amoryn while she was in her Jumperoo – it just wouldn’t occur to me. There would be laundry, supper, dishes, vacuuming, bookkeeping… all the endless detritus that can expand almost infinitely to fill up life. We do play, & I read to her, & she “helps” me get supper ready – or at least, she drops the soup ladle I giver her out of her high chair while I make supper, but when she’s happy playing by herself, I’ve always just left her be. It’s never occurred to me that she might be really happy if I played with her then… and that makes me feel bad. Irrational, but true.*

And so now, with returning to work – and only 10 hours a week – I feel all unbalanced & like I’m ignoring the good things in my life. Which is ridiculous, I know; my brain knows that I’ll adjust to the balance; & I’ll feel good about working, & I won’t lay awake in the night, trying to slow the whirling dervish of my brain. My gut though, is in a knot. My heart needs a snuggle with Amoryn. It’s almost time for her to wake up. Maybe I’ll say to hell with trying to keep the house up for the man; and I’ll spend more time specifically playing with my girl. Yes, we all need to eat; but anybody can do the dishes. And clean the bathrooms. And once I clear the man on the new vacuum, he can use that too.

Enough maudlin! I’m going to go look at the new lolcats ( http://icanhascheezburger.com/ ) & then wake my girl up. Mamma needs some baby time. And even getting this out of my head makes me feel better. Thanks, Internet, you're the best listener.

*-In no way any kind of critique of Kathy! She's super! Don't you bad mouth my temporary babysitter! She rocks!

Happy Halloween!

For Halloween Amoryn was Sir Winston Churchill. It was adorable.She did get tired of the cigar-bink, but other than that was happy.

Too happy - I was hoping for a scowl, which really increases the likeness. Speaking of scowls, this year's harvest of Jack O'Lanterns are fairly sanguine - L-R we have the creations of Pat, Isaac, Michelle, & myself.

(Mine is a cyclops. A girl cyclops. Just so you know.)

.

For Halloween evening, I was Carmen Miranda. Pat was... sort of scary. Hard rockin' Rider fan dude? Overwhelming? Who can say. At any rate, those pics are still in the camera, so here's another photo of Churchill, because really, Pat was scary, & everybody knows what I look like in a Carmen Miranda costume.

And yes, Churchill really did have a rainbow colored hedgehog. It was magical & it whispered secrets of governance to him & he kept it in his pants pocket and THAT'S why he looked so grumpy all the time. True story.