I've caught up on all my television and so I've gone nuts adding Season Passes from the Discovery Channel. I'm already addicted to The Deadliest Catch. Who knows, I might eat a famous crab when I visit Alaska in June.

I'm ashamed at how disappointed I was that David Cook didn't sing Solitary Man last night. But then, I was really pissed at the cover Nip/Tuck promos were using of Wicked Games earlier this year. Wow, that was a leap of logic right there. I've decided that David can make it up to me by singing Jane's Addiction's version of Sympathy for the Devil next week.

I'm really not positive why I made this post, and I'm even less sure how to end it. I think I used up all my brainpower on a thoughtful response to P@'s post on free will. If I can invoke string theory in a blog comment, that should entitle me to a free pass in the actual posting department.

I am no longer having fun on this project I'm working on at work. The change in my rountine is stressing me out, and the only thing I'm enjoying about it is the extended motorcycle commute time. Except that it keeps raining.

A baby picture a day keeps the gloom away:

I played in a kickball tournament yesterday. My nose is burnt and my quads hurt. Ah, what am I bitching about, I had an awesome time and it was for charity. I haven't played kickball since grade school. I used to be pretty awesome at it...if I remember correctly, I was usually one of the first girls picked for teams. I would still be pretty good, I think, if other people's catching skills were a little worse. More often than not, I'd put too much air under it, and someone would catch it for an out.

I met some cool people, and I think a couple of them just about have me talked into joining the Jaycees. My social circle has kinda attritioned down to Josh and Chelsea, and I need to expand my horizons. I may wait until they're gone to "replace" them, though. Making new friends makes me nervous.

Wow, does he look like a W______! (Amanda's last name.)

I got to talk to Em a little bit. They're all exhausted, but well and happy. I got to hear Hayden - he was cooing a little bit. So adorable! She says he has Matt's dimple (and his feet, so I'll definitely have to redo the booties) and Lew's nose. He has a little bit of hair, and blue-grey eyes, for now. He's been sleeping most of his life already, but she says he's just a good-natured, happy baby.

At 4:41 this morning (Alaskan Time Zone) Hayden Matthew was born. 8 1/2 lbs., 21 1/2 inches. Mom and Baby are doing well, although the rest of us don't have pictures yet. (He's less than an hour old, so can't exactly complain.)

Keep your eye on Alaskan Sweetheart for those pictures. ;)

I'm an Aunt!

Doing nothing is absolutely fantastic. I got all caught up on TV, knitted a sock, enjoyed some sunshine (while it wasn't raining), and hung out with friends. The only things I didn't get done were outside things, like cleaning my truck, yardwork, and tidying the garage, aside from taking cans back ($15 worth - there were a lot of cans in my gargage). I can save those things for days when it's not raining...

Em's card shower was a success - she was really pleased to get all those well-wishes from home, and she might have cried a little bit when she got the christening gown I made.



Speaking of, last I knew, contractions were eight minutes apart. Baby imminent!

I took yesterday off and spent eight hours cleaning my house. I still have a bunch of organizational stuff to do, like filing and sorting, but I can now see the bottom of my sinks and I'm ecstatic. I even washed the windows. Plus, cleaning house? Beaucoup calories burned. I've submitted my 8.00% weight-loss as my final weigh-in at work. I'd better at least place. I'll find out tomorrow.

It also turns out my burgeoning niche practice in gambling professionals has been nipped in the bud. I got final word from someone who should know that internet gambling is indeed illegal in Iowa. I'm trying to pull together some names of lawyers this guy can talk to, but shit. Can you imagine thinking what you're doing is perfectly okay, and then finding out you could be in big trouble? I don't think anyone's been prosecuted for it, since it would be super easy to find people who've been doing it. If you watch the tournaments on TV, lots of people qualified through online qualifying tournaments. If they're a resident of a state in which internet gambling is illegal...

I have Jean Valjean in my head: "One Day More!"

Less than a week to go! I've made all my appointments: I'm going to the chiro, and getting my hair done, and finally going to get a massage. This will be my first massage ever, and I've been talking about doing it for so long, I'm suprised I finally made the appointment. I'm going to use my Christmas money from Dad (lick my fork!). With some left over, of course, but what better way to use gift money than to splurge on something you wouldn't normally do for yourself?

We're almost to the point of working on extensions exclusively. There are a few to push out the door, but I'm getting almost giddy. I think we're going to do the same thing as we did last year on the 15th. We're bringing in lunch (I'm going off my diet for the day), and then we'll go play pool at the Billiards club and then to Graze for appetizer/supper and martinis.

Oh, and since I posted last, I've lost a total of 11 pounds. I've decided to keep going with my plan, even after the 15th. My new goal is have my BMI in "normal" range by my birthday, which is only another 5 pounds, so completely doable. I've been getting a lot of compliments from people who haven't seen me in a while; they can really tell a difference, especially in my face. It's be nice if they could see a difference in my butt, but it's probably a lot more PC to compliment my face as opposed to my ass, so I think I can deal.

Hi! I'm alive! And I feel suprisingly good for this time of year. Must be the food, because I surely haven't been getting enough exercise and rest. Usually we're slowing down a little bit at this point, but not this year. Somehow we're super-far behind. I won't get too much of a chance to slow down afterwards, either, because I'm scheduled out of the office the next three weeks after the 15th. The first two weeks is an interesting job revising the accounting policies and procedures manuals for a large company, and I think that will be fun. The third week is an audit, though, and with the total reworking of the audit methodology this year, I'm really nervous. They're still trying to get someone else to replace me as the in-charge on that one. Company policy is in my favor on that front, so I'm hoping it works out.

I'm planning on taking the rest of next week off. I've got a huge list of things that have been postponed, and I'm really looking forward to getting done. Foremost on that list is cleaning my house. I've never looked forward to cleaning my house so much in my life. The dust and grime have built up, and I'm just disgusted at the filth I'm living in. (I'm pretty sure I'm exaggerating, because I've seen other people's houses in worse shape, but my standards are a little higher than most. Probably.)

I did get my motorcycle out yesterday. Dad and Mom came up to see me, and Dad helped me learn how to change the oil and such. Here's us trying to get the battery back in:



And warming up the oil for draining:



I love the end of tax season. I've got senioritis, or the end of tax season equivalent. Taxitis? April 15th-itis? April 15th is like graduating: a big party, and then a huge sigh of relief that all that work is done, and looking forward to a little goof-off time before having to go back to work again.

While I wasn't updating, I did finish a book that I want to link to anyway, just because I enjoyed it: Fledgling, by Octavia E. Butler. It's a little of the vampire lore I've been devouring lately, but there's quite a bit of social commentary mixed in, from racism to relationships to genetic experimentation. Good read. I'm now on to Aaron Burr, and I'm really looking forward to reading this biography, given my somewhat irrational dislike of Alexander Hamilton. We'll see how my opinion changes with this new dimension of knowledge.