If we have time, maybe Home Depot

The bathroom project continues.....
I feel like it is taking FOOOORRREEEVVVEEERRR. (Yes, just as Michael "Squints" Paladoris would say it from the Sandlot).
Dave has encountered wiring troubles, drywall troubles, measurement troubles ALL because the previous owners thought they were DIY'ers. Not so much. Here is halfway through--->

And here we are today--->



So, we still have some more to do. I'd like to add this was a small "revision" project. We were simply replacing fixtures, the fan, and the medicine cabinet. We didn't re-tile, add/tear down a wall, or add a window. Again, this seems to be taking us forever.

On a brighter note, here are some highlights to my week:

1. I just received word that my friend Jamie's baby girl, Sophie, will be returning home from Peyton Manning Children's Hospital after a four day stay. She's been having a hard time eating and putting on weight. Thankfully, her G.I. doctor has found the right formula. She is a new woman!

2. Nascar apparently makes shoes. Not just any shoes.....VELCRO. So, if you are experiencing carpal tunnel like I am, and tying your shoes is challenging, you can always lean on Nascar and their fine array of footwear.

3. I made gooey butter cake, a delicacy I haven't treasured since Camp Cherith in 1988. SO GOOD.

No Doughnuts Here

This post will be short and sweet.
It is Paczki Day and I did not have ONE single paczki. This is bogus. Sometimes, southern Indiana SUCKS the big one because NO one here is Polish. Ugh. It is bad enough NOT having a REAL hockey team, everyone obsessing about basketball, and not having a Coney Island within 275 miles. WHATEVER.

My list for today:

Why Indiana Sucks:
1. Read above paragraph.

Highlights:
1. Waffle fries with nachos cheese at dinner.

Lowlights:
1. No paczki.

That is all.

Squishy Fat Fats

I must take the time to make shout-outs to my girlfriends who have hatched babies in the last few months.....

Katie Ketner Rieffenberger
Betsy Rogers Houk
Katrina Lehman Clay
Jamie Vanscoy Rahmany
Michelle Grubb Heinz
Elizabeth Bouwkamp Harman
Debbie Browne Sprague
Anna Westwood Brillhart
Holly Copeland Reine

(You'd think there was a major snow storm when all these babies were conceived......as if there was NOTHING better to do with their time......)

I also must give snaps to those ladies who will be hatching soon......

Melissa Wills Bowles
Whitney Proctor Woodard
Sara Koch (Krauss)
Amanda Nyerges
Megan Spoonamore

As well as all the future mom's to be......
(Kady Becker, this means you. Jack/Cooper/Tucker just texted me, and they want a sibling.)

Pre Paczki Day

A few updates:

Beans went to the vet/dentist today for a teeth cleaning. No cavities!

Jennie and Chris set a date for their wedding: Nov. 19th. Whoo!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To_pSSKyFos

I just got word that my friend Melissa Wills Bowles, fellow Lahserite, will be attending my baby shower in April. Better yet, she is also pregnant with her first boy. Maybe little baby Bowles and baby Norton have a future together.

I now have to go to the o.b. for check ups every two weeks. I guess this means I need to get a nursery together. After all, our baby can't sleep in the garage.

Having no door to the bathroom is not fun.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, is Paczki Day! Happy Fat Tuesday! Whoo hoo. Hopefully someone, somewhere is drinking a 96 ounce margarita for me.

Generosity of Spirit

I had to write about this.....
I get a quick email from a friend mentioning how she would like to purchase a rather large baby gift for my upcoming baby shower. Sometimes I am absolutely silenced (crazy, right) by people and their generous actions. Unbelievable. I had to write about it. When Dave and I got married, we received some beautiful gifts from family and friends. We were so grateful that we had such a wonderful turnout in Fort Wayne. Two gifts stand out---we received $500 from my dad's brother. Whoa. We also received a generous cash gift from a college friend (Note: We had JUST graduated. No one had money or a rockin' job at that point). This is one of those times.

On a side note, I was thinking (during an early afternoon laundry/dusting/cleaning the microwave sessions) about how music has changed so much in the last 15 years. When I was in high school, I could not get enough of Dr. Dre's The Chronic and Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle. By far, two of the best rap albums of all time. I'm sorry folks, I will argue that until the day I die. In the mid to late 90's, we were also introduced to Sublime, Counting Crows, Matchbox 20---all bands that demonstrated real musicality, artistry, and musicianship. I have that feeling all over again---Adele, Mumford and Sons, Avett Brothers, The Dixie Chicks (they never lost it and will always have it and I CANNOT WAIT for their next album when Natalie Maines gets her head together), Lady Gaga, Eminem....


The Grammys were televised a few weeks ago and I can honestly say I enjoyed 97% of the show. I can do without the Black Eyed Peas (Ugh. Fergie is a tranny who happens to be married to a total hottie. What gives?), Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber (ugh ugh), and Kesia (I just threw up in my mouth). This whole music conversation came up at school yesterday with a colleague. We were talking about Dr. Dre's upcoming album release and how I was very excited. We were able to flashback to high school and discuss further how awesome he was and how 50 Cent sucks and how Suge Knight is a thug. I love it. I'm just a white girl from the suburbs. Holler. Anyhoo, I am proud to say that I am a radio enthusiast all over again. For a while there, I'd lost all hope. And yes, I will always love Britney Spears and her terrible extensions.

In parting,
"G's up, hoes down."

#24

There was an interesting article today posted on the Detroit Free Press website about scientific findings related to the deceased Bob Probert's brain. Bob Probert, #24 for the Detroit Red Wings, died tragically of heart failure in the last year. He was named "The Enforcer" because of the minutes he accumulated in the penalty box for fighting. A notorious Red Wing, the people of Detroit loved him. Yes, he had some sharp edges to tune---drinking, partying, lots of cocaine use, deportation, etc.....either way, it was sad when he died. This post is dedicated to Bob "The Enforcer" Probert.

http://www.freep.com/article/20110303/SPORTS05/110303014/Primeau-alarmed-Probert-s-brain-showed-signs-trauma?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

**Note the amazing amount of hockey hair, aka, the Mullet.

Adventures in Chicagoland

This past weekend, I ventured to our friendly neighbor to the northwest, Illinois. Jennie and Chris bought a new house in Woodridge. It is fabulous----not like the ejector pit they lived in before. Thankfully, Chris and Jennie made the "pit" habitable, though not without the rank smells of raccoon dumps every so often, sewage in the backyard, and piles of junk in the basement (because their landlord is a hoarder). Although I was not really able to do much as far as heavy lifting, I was able to bring a warm spirit, my crass sense of humor, and my affinity for all things related to carbohydrates (I made them a sausage-noodle casserole). It was topped off by a visit to IKEA, which is one of the bestest, yes, bestest, places to go shopping. Here is an impromptu list of why IKEA is awesome:
1. Cinnamon rolls.
2. The shopping carts move in every direction because of the wheels' ability to rotate a full 180 degrees.
3. IKEA is located 8 minutes from Jennie's house.
4. Everything at IKEA is cheap. I love it.
5. Again, cinnamon rolls.

I'd like to take a moment to discuss Chicagoland drivers:
While on I-80/94, I noticed that there are a variety of drivers on the road. Some travel super fast, some super slow, some like to read while driving, some seem to be on a totally different planet, and some, well, really suck at driving (those who are slow, texting, not paying attention, have a whole mess of smoke blowing out of their muffler, and can't manage to stay in their own lane). These drivers differ from Indiana drivers because it seems as though Indiana drivers can't take a hint when a person is tailing you in the left lane. For those morons out there, that means "GET THE FUCK INTO THE NEXT LANE." Yes, this is a pet peeve of mine. Excuse the profanity. It really pisses me off. The left lane is for passing. If I ever make it to Congress, that will be my platform: The Left Lane is For Passing. Spread the Word.

I am approaching my 26th week of pregnancy and things are moving along nicely. As mentioned before, Baby Norton kicks a ton. She enjoys all activities related to eating. Therefore, I know she is my daughter. I received my baby shower invitation in the mail that my bestie Adrienne is throwing---a glorious invitation that involved beautiful script, cute graphics, and a wonderful motif. I am very excited and extremely lucky to have such a nice pal in my life that wants to throw me a shower. While I have tried to keep this blog light and funny, I have to take some time to discuss my feelings about being pregnant. I know I am extremely blessed---I am healthy, my unborn baby is healthy, I am employed, Dave is employed, the dogs are healthy, all things are good. There are several people I know that have struggled to conceived, as well as carry a child full term----I understand the pure luck that is involved with this wonderful "experiment." For the record, I am thankful every day. I am thankful for my friends' children, and their incredible insights. I am just thankful. I always think happy thoughts for those moms, soon to be moms, and their children.

Dave started to do a minor renovation project, the bathroom. It needed some updating. Fixtures, shower curtain, better storage, etc. More pictures to come....


Highlights:
1. I had an amazing salami sandwich at Jimmy John's for lunch yesterday. Every Wednesday should be celebrated with salami.
2. I got some great spoiler dish on One Tree Hill. It is the little things in life that make my day.
3. Packzi Day is approaching. (Pune-ch-kee, a.k.a., polish doughnut.) If you don't know what that means, google it.
4. My friend, Betsy, had her baby boy yesterday. He looks super squishy and delicious.

Lowlights:
1. My no-chip manicure is looking not-good.
2. My feet/hands look like sausages every morning.
3. There are still 3 weeks til Spring Break.
4. I am phasing out of my "spaghetti-every-day" period. I'm not sure what this means....