6 month well

Today Mitchell had his 6 month well visit with his pediatrician. He weighed in at 18lbs. 10 oz. and he's 26 inches long. I was relieved to find that he's in the 50th % for height, because it's no secret that one of his parents is a little on the short side (I told Jay he shouldn't be self conscious about it though, a lot of guys aren't 6 ft.)... Doc said everything looks great and we can begin to give him meats now rather than just fruits and veggies, although I'm not sure he'll like anything more than he likes his sweet peas. We also had to get some vaccinations this month, which always worries me because of the bad rap they've gotten. But, his doctor assures me that they are necessary and safe for my boy. I did make sure that he only received vaccines that were mercury free, which gave me some peace of mind.
All in all, it was a good visit and our sweet pea continues to do very well!

The Perfect Job

When I was in high school, I had the perfect job. I worked for a man named Bob who owned a gourmet food distributing company. I was referred to him by my computer teacher, Mr. Lucier. It was in his class that I successfully typed 53 wpm, without using the home row. I did data entry for the company that he ran out of his home after school and on weekends. I generally worked 8-10 hrs. per week and I made $8/hr. I made up my own schedule and went in when it was convenient for me. Bob was a really nice guy; I saw him at a restaurant a couple of years ago and he bought my friends and I a round of drinks. He was a great boss.

Two summers ago I had my second opportunity at what I would consider the perfect job (I consider teaching to be a career and not a job, so that doesn't really count). I worked at the Splash Pad at the YMCA in SC checking in members. I sat at a picnic table outside the park with a tent and a fan and smiled as the guests scanned their cards. The summer heat could be brutal, but I would stroll on over to the water for refreshment and then continue reading whatever book I was in the middle of.

The other day I thought I had found my third opportunity to have the perfect job (I am currently looking for part time work a few nights a week and one weekend day). I saw an add in the paper that a park in Worcester was looking for an "appointment setter". The description was vague, but I thought that setting appointments sounded like a very nice job and a park would be a great place to work. So I called to set up a time to meet with the manager. "Oh yes, I'm very familiar with the park" I told him on the phone, because I didn't want to sound ignorant. After our conversation I proceeded to google the park name and up came the web page.

This is when I discovered that the park was actually a cemetery.
I nervously called both Kelly and Jay who convinced me to call back and get a little more information before going to the meeting we had set up for the following day. This is when I found out that my perfect job consisted of calling people (from the "park" at night mind you) who had already purchased plots, in order to set up appointments for them to visit the park for new information.

I decided to cancel the meeting and I hung up the phone, realizing that my third attempt at the perfect job was unsuccessful. I'm hopeful though. I have been pretty lucky so far and I think I can still type 53 wpm, which must impress someone out there....right?

The moose story

Today Remy and I were taking a walk at Moore State Park and there wasn't anyone else around. It was totally quiet and peaceful; the trees were blanketed in snow and the waterfall was being powered by a loud rush of water that created a song you might hear on one of those CD's comprised of songs heard in nature. And as we were walking I wondered what I would do if I saw a bear. Remy would surely chase it. He's been known to go after animals that he's no contest for, like skunks and deer. Once he went after a baby otter and the mother almost took his head off.

Would I try to run from the bear? Would I hide, or maybe play dead? I have no idea... but then I was reminded of the time I was driving on Rt. 31 in Holden and I saw two moose (or is it meese?). They came out of nowhere and gingerly crossed the road as if it were totally normal for them to be doing so. I was awestruck and really glad I hit my brakes when I did.

I've proudly told the moose story to all sorts of people. I hold onto it like a badge and take it out whenever the timing seems right. I wish I had taken a picture of it so I could remember it more clearly, but I think I'll just blog about it so that it can live in my memory (and yours) forever. Or at least until the day the internet gets overcrowded because of people writing pointless stories like the time they got chased by a bear...

Missing SC

I thought I should write a tribute to South Carolina. After living there for two years, I now have a greater appreciation for southern living and some of the great people we met there. Here are just a few of the things I miss about SC:

-Filson Bluff and the great neighbors we had there. I miss our walks around the loop and life on the end of the cul-de-sac.
-wearing cropped pants and sandals until November and letting my big winter jacket collect dust in the closet since the weather there is amazing all year round.
-eating cinnamon ice cream with m&m's from Marble slab (at least once a week)
- Enjoying brownies and Idol with the Dickson family and playing with Owen, Noah and Hannah
-Eastlake community church and the friends we met there
-playing a game of Yuker with Adam and Angela after another great meal
-going to the duck pond with Remy
-Panera lunch dates with Marie Claude (2nd block prep was the best...)
-Irmo High and the good laughs I had with some of the best students ever
-Charles- the cashier from Publix who was the most genuine and nice employee Jason and I have ever encountered.
-BBQ ribs and chicken wings that easily knocked a northerners socks off
-Friday walks at the Congaree
-trips to Charleston where the horse and carriage rides never got old
-hanging out with JD in our first house, talking about all the things we were enjoying about life in SC (many of which are mentioned above...and some of which we have yet to discover)

aficionado

Dear Blog Readers,

I'd love to write more, but the Patriots are on. It doesn't matter that Kel and I are actually watching a design show. We're from New England and we're proud fans. Oh, and when they win,we're buying t-shirts...

Confession

I'd just like to point out that this is my fourth day of blogging in a row. Impressive huh? I also realized that some of my previous blogs are rather long, so this one will be to the point. I need to be honest and tell you (how many of you are there?) that I have ulterior motives. Besides keeping in touch, I am writing this blog because after 20 days I just might, might, be able to make money blogging. If you want more info. let me know and I'll let you in on it.

Who Needs Sleep?

If you know me well, you know that I like my sleep. I've been called a narcoleptic on more than one occasion, but really, I just happen to be quite good at falling asleep. I've been known to close my eyes and be out within thirty seconds, no lie.

I'm not one of those people who can sleep in until two PM, or even noon, on a Saturday. But I do (did) love waking up around nine, taking the Rem dog for a walk, having breakfast, and then falling back asleep until...whenever.

I'm a great napper too. Not one of those who should avoid naps for fear of waking up too groggy afterwards. Whether it's one of those twenty minute power naps, or a synapse-connecting three hour nap, I can bounce back in a matter of minutes.

In high school my mother would frequently try to get ahold of me at Kayleen's house, where I'd be many afternoons, and whoever answered the phone would let her know I was sleeping again.  But who could blame me? They had the most plush, welcoming, white leather couches in the world. I still think about those couches.

Avi used to get frustrated because we would spend a considerable amount of time picking out the perfect movie for our sleepover, she would leave the room to grab blankets and popcorn, and upon returning I would already be asleep. Sometimes though, I made it to the opening scene.

Once when we were in college, I stopped in Ally's room for a visit. She wasn't there at the time, so I laid down on the futon just for a minute, assuming she would be back soon. Fifteen minutes later she retuned from the shower and entered the room.  I awoke suddenly and sat up quickly, wondering where I was and how long I had been there, which scared the hell out of her.

I've been known to sleep a good twelve hours, and not even when I'm sick. I know most people are only supposed to need eight hours of sleep, but I'm convinced I need more than the average person.
I have a few more good stories about sleep, but this could go on for a long time. I'm sorry if I exhausted the subject (yes, that pun was most definatly intended). I'm only reminiscing because in six months, I haven't had one full night of sleep. But you know what, it doesn't bother me all that much. All he has to do is give me one of those big gummy smiles at four AM, and I forget that I ever cared about sleep at all...

Sucker

Well folks, I've done it again. It's kind of like that time I got a scratch ticket in the mail (It came in one of those valupack envelopes that has coupons for slipper socks and new windows) that said I had won ten thousand dollars. I was in junior high at the time and I ran all the way to my gram's house down the street to show off my new winnings, but she wasn't home. I don't actually remember who broke the news to me that it was a scam, but I'll never forget the disappointment I felt when I realized that I hadn't actually won anything at all. As a matter of fact, I still have that ticket somewhere amongst all sorts of other memorabilia and I'm willing to dig it out for proof. I think I've hung on to it as a reminder that you can't always accept everything at face value.

Today a postcard came in the mail saying that a local gym is doing a fitness study and is looking for volunteers for a 21 day program. You better believe I called up to schedule my first appointment and get ready to take advantage of some free gym time while also contributing to the greater good of the fitness world. I couldn't wait to spread the news and let some family members know that I am now part of an official study. However, after I blurted out the reason for my excited state they looked at me pathetically and said "honey, you've fallen for a marketing scheme..." All of a sudden I was back in junior high with the ten thousand dollar ticket in my hand, running up the street to gram's with a naivety that would follow me home.

Don't tell your English teacher

Well here we go, my first official blog. I created the site in October and meant to begin writing then, but I put it off. However, now it's 2008 and I plan to keep in touch better and this is one way I'll do it. Of course, all of you lovely people who I want to keep in touch with will have to read this, so I'll try to make you come back asking for more...

Right now Jason and I are hanging out at the folks house (we plan to be in our own place soon now that our SC house has been rented, and we would love to have you for dinner once that happens) and I'm thinking about taking Mitchell to library hour tomorrow morning. He's a big fan of the songs, books, and hanging out with his friends. He's been going since he was three months old, so we're hoping that he'll have some impressive social skills and a love for books. Which reminds me that I'm supposed to be reading the book Rebecca for my book club and I haven't picked it up yet. I will have to do it tomorrow.

I'm not usually interested in this particular type of book. Last time I was supposed to read Emma for a book club I ended up reading the spark notes instead. Jason said that was very "high school" of me. However, I may have known more about the characters' relationships, plots and subplots than anyone in the group! So for all of my friends who happen to be procrastinators too, I reccomend that you check out sparknotes.com. Yes, even as a teacher I am promoting the use of spark notes. Just don't tell your English teacher I said so, and don't you dare use an online translator when passing in a Spanish paper.