Ahhhhhhhh!

I watched Project Runway tonight, convinced from the beginning that Uli would be out. Instead, she pulled out a beautiful dress that still looked very “her” without being a repeat of what she’s done again…and again…and again. (Though, I’d die to wear her couture dress — it was gorgeous!)

(spoilers below)

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You’ve probably already noticed that my posts are rather spotty — busy some days, then nothing for a week. This is likely to continue for the next couple of months. The first reason for this is obvious: I’m freakin’ busy. I’m moving in less than two weeks (hooray!), and at the same time, I’m trying to get everything possible done that requires my presence in Colorado Springs.

The second reason is much cooler. In the Before-Mike Era (BME), I often needed a space where I could vent the sorts of thoughts and frustrations that one can’t really share with a toddler. Now, I have this other adult in my life, someone whom I trust, and who provides me with immediate and thoughtful feedback. Which do you think is more rewarding, blogging and perhaps getting two comments, or carrying on an in-depth conversation with an intelligent man who listens and considers what I have to say?

Right. So, as I said, posting will continue to be light and sporadic.

Yet another reason nursing should be encouraged*:

Weight Benefit Seen Even if Mothers Are Obese or Have Diabetes

Sept. 26, 2006 — Breastfed babies are less likely to grow into overweight children than those fed formula, even if their mothers are obese or have diabetes, research confirms.

Exclusively breastfed babies had roughly a 34% reduced risk of being overweight during childhood, compared to children exclusively formula-fed, according to a new analysis of data from a study involving more than 15,000 children

Read the rest here.

*No, this does not mean I think the government should ever dictate or badger women into nursing! But FTLOG, a little support would be nice.

First: News

Nope, not mine this time — I literally mean “the news.” Jim Wallis (Sojourners) and Tony Perkins (Family Research Council) will be on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric this evening to discus the “Moral Direction of our Country.” I’m recording it, and if there’s anything worth talking (or ranting) about, you’ll see it here tomorrow. Or late tonight, since Mike’s coming in late, and I’ll want to keep myself up. Then again, I might just watch Grey’s Anatomy.

Second: Being told who you are

After knocking off one more of the seemingly endless list of wedding to-dos (finding shoes), I emailed Mike with an FYI that the ones I’d picked would be sent to the dress shop for me to try on, and buy them if I like them. He replied, You are so organized. Meanwhile, I keep looking at my to-do list for the next 3 hours and wondering how it will all get done.

Me? Organized? Oh, right. I actually *am* organized. So, how is it, that I’ve spent years playing the familial role of the flighty one who can’t be pinned down? And how is it, then, that even though I KNOW I’m capable of pulling multiple long-eared rodents out of numerous items of headwear, that I still sometimes in my head don’t see myself that way, after years of being told who I’m supposed to be (but am not)? Confused yet?

No answers here…just musing and indulging myself in some serious run-on sentences.

Now, off to cross some more things off my list that might actually pay the bills. I hate that part. That post (work/worth) is still brewing in my head. Someday, I might even get myself *organized* enough (snort) to write it.

I recently wrote a post, Our nation is falling apart. As commenter Stevo has pointed out, there’s very little factual truth in the email I received as a forward (what, am I supposed to be surprised, or something?) and grumbled about in this space.

I still agree with my assessment of (and agreement with) the first portion of the spammail, but that’s something I can’t defend with any academic precision. As for the second portion, I do vaguely recall thinking it odd that some quite conservative-leaning commentary would be coming from a professor in liberal St. Paul, NM. Turns out, it wasn’t:

DISCLAIMER: There is an e-mail floating around the internet dealing with the 2000 Bush/Gore election, remarks of a Scotish philosopher named Alexander Tyler, etc. Part of it is attributed to me. It is entirely BOGUS as to my authorship. I’ve been trying to kill it for 3 years. For details see: http://www.snopes.com/politics/quotes/tyler.asp.

The rest of the snopes article is worth a look, including their evaluation of the accuracy of the demographic data for the counties voting for Bush and for Gore.

For what it’s worth (and to my eternal embarassment), I voted for Bush in 2000. Of course, voting in El Paso County, Colorado, that meant…nothing. Bush would have won here (in both elections) regardless of my ballot. Anyway, I’m just one of the millions of dupes who thought that “compassionate conservatism” might actually mean something.

For more embarassment, I can’t believe I didn’t at least poke through Snopes before responding — this is the sort of mistake a newbie would make! I know better, people. Argh!

Allison,

Happy one-month anniversary of our first email!

Love you,

M

Is that all it’s been? Seriously? Wow — that hardly seems possible.

Since I’m not in the mood to blog any of the deeper topics I’ve had in mind (work and worth, parenting and punishment as examples), I’m going to blatantly steal from a post by Orange at Bitch PhD:

Oprah Winfrey recommends keeping a “grateful journal” in which you “list five things that happened this day that you are grateful for. What it will begin to do is change your perspective of your day and your life. If you can learn to focus on what you have, you will always see that the universe is abundant; you will have more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never have enough.”

1. I’m grateful that I will never date again. It’s almost second nature to add “if everything goes well” or “god willing” or some other disclaimer, but you know what? I’m not going to do it. I’m done, and I’m keeping this one. From the way this relationship works, I’m confident we’ll stay together as long as we’re both alive. And after that, if I’m the one left over, I doubt I’d be able to top him anyway.
2. I’m grateful that my daughter is napping well. That might sound like a little thing, but I’ll tell you, after a few weeks of off-again-on-again travelling, having her in her own room, zonked out to the world is a very. good. thing.
3. I’m grateful for my job. Don’t get me wrong. I actually hate my job (thus the upcoming post topic re: work and worth). I’d like to do nearly anything besides work in the family business. But, working in the family biz has allowed me to be the full-time caregiver for my daughter, and that’s priceless (cue the Mastercard ads).
4. I’m grateful for Monster.com Last night, I was talking about job thoughts and stress with my counselor, and as a lark, I pulled up Monster for Santa Fe. Guess what? I found a listing that had my background written all over it. Of course, I still have to (ahem) apply. And get an interview. And get a job. But it’s good to have a light at the end of the tunnel.
5. I’m grateful for my husband-to-be. I know, I know. That one’s so damned obvious, it’s as if I’m cheating. But this isn’t a repeat of item #1. In that one I’m grateful for something *not* happening, which is nowhere near the same as being grateful for something happening. He’s a beautiful man — seriously one of the best human beings I’ve met, ever. And yet, he seems to think the same of me. Every now and then, I wonder how the heck I snow-jobbed him into that delusion…then I remember that I didn’t. He knows me, not “me.”

Your turn: What makes you feel grateful today?

I was wrong.

Mine is more attractive. No kidding. I’ll keep the one I’ve got, and FOX can keep RSL.

(I’m finally watching the first House episode of season 3 from my DVR.)

…do people survive engagements when they have six months to a year to plan a wedding?

Seriously, I’m loving having a short timeframe in which to do this — otherwise it could consume one’s life!