Compliments of Jerm's blog...
Two Names You Go By? Angie and Mama... depending on where I'm at, of course, and who's addressing me.
Two things you are wearing right now? Khaki maternity pants and a marroon maternity shirt. I'm about sick of maternity clothes, btw.
Two of your favorite things? Like Jerm, I don't want to label people as things, so I will refrain from saying "my kids" and instead... I'd have to say my Sharpie markers and my books. Yes, I'm a geek.
Two things you want very badly at the moment? More money to get my son his prescriptions and paid time off for maternity leave.
Two favorite pets you have or had? My dog, Mags, from back when I was in high school, and my cat, Rowdy, that I had to give up a couple of years ago. (I hate you, David.)
Two people you hope will fill this out? Umm... I don't know who has yet, but I guess I'd say Carrie and Sneff.
Two things you did last night? Strung beads into a necklace and washed a load of laundry. Oh, the fun.
Two things you ate last night? Chicken legs and egg noodles. That wasn't it, that was just two of the ingredients in Vikki's rockin' casserole.
Two people you last talked to? Linda Vela and Tommy Tompkins (fellow secretary and my boss)
Two things you are doing tomorrow? Driving to work (maybe) and pecking away on the computer (for sure)
Two of farthest trips taken in the last 5 years? Konawa, Oklahoma and Killeen, Texas. I don't get out much.
Two favorite beverages? Breve Cafe Latte and iced herbal tea
12 June 2008
06 June 2008
Very Briefly
This is a real news story?
(AP) WASHINGTON - At least one member of Congress has his knickers in a twist over the subject of... panties.
In a debate about the way detainees are treated at Guantanamo Bay, California Republican Dana Rohrabacher argued that it's not torture to make suspected terrorists wear women's underwear on their heads.
Rohrabacher was taking issue with FBI complaints about inappropriate and potentially illegal tactics used to get al-Qaida detainees to talk. He said interrogation-by-panties was more akin to "hazing," not torture.
He mentioned the word "panties" eight times during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing.
Massachusetts Democrat Bill Delahunt pointedly told Rohrabacher that the issue went beyond panties, saying interrogators were also seen physically abusing detainees.
Rohrabacher declared he would never apologize for someone putting panties on the head of a 9-11 terrorist.
(AP) WASHINGTON - At least one member of Congress has his knickers in a twist over the subject of... panties.
In a debate about the way detainees are treated at Guantanamo Bay, California Republican Dana Rohrabacher argued that it's not torture to make suspected terrorists wear women's underwear on their heads.
Rohrabacher was taking issue with FBI complaints about inappropriate and potentially illegal tactics used to get al-Qaida detainees to talk. He said interrogation-by-panties was more akin to "hazing," not torture.
He mentioned the word "panties" eight times during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing.
Massachusetts Democrat Bill Delahunt pointedly told Rohrabacher that the issue went beyond panties, saying interrogators were also seen physically abusing detainees.
Rohrabacher declared he would never apologize for someone putting panties on the head of a 9-11 terrorist.
05 June 2008
Questions for the Adults Amongst Us?
((From James Goodman's Myspace bulletin... which by the way, the original survey was missing a few numbered questions. So I added my own. I'm weird like that.))
(Meant to be completed by those out of high school) Tired of all of those surveys made up by high school kids? 'Have you ever kissed someone?' 'Missed someone?' 'Told someone you loved them?' 'Drank alcohol?' 'What was your last text?'
Here are 50 questions for the people who are a little more "mature"...
1.What bill do you hate paying the most?
My car insurance.It's so much!!! I hate it that they hold your credit score against you - insurance is not given on a credit basis, so what difference does it make if the spousal unit has screwed up my credit??
2.Where was the last place you had a romantic dinner?
I don't recall the last time I had a romantic dinner. I'm not kidding.
3.Last time you puked from drinking?
Probably New Year's, ringing in 2007. I was pregnant this last New Year's so I didn't drink.
4.When is the last time you got drunk and danced on a bar?
Honestly, I have NEVER done this.
5.Name of your first grade teacher?
I don't recall. I think that was the year I was in the smart-kids' program... we had super-bright children from different grade levels who worked at little round tables with different teachers who sort of guided them to learn rather than strictly teaching.
6.What do you really want to be doing right now?
I really want to be at home, asleep. Resting. Gathering energy for the impending birth of this child.
7.What did you want to be when you were growing up?
At various times, I wanted to be a graphic artist, a lawyer, a teacher, a rock star and a spaceship pilot.
8.How many colleges did you attend?
Two or three. I'm not done yet.
9.What made you decide to wear the shirt you have on right now?
It's comfy. Has short sleeves. Most of my maternity work-appropriate shirts are long-sleeved and it's hot right now.
10.GAS PRICES?
Eating me a new asshole and ruining the close-held love I've always had for my purty red truck.
11.Where would you move if you could live anywhere?
The southern coast of Spain along the Mediterranean. I'd send pictures to my ex every week just to make him seethe with jealousy.
12.First thought when the alarm went off this morning?
Fuck. Already????
13.Last thought before going to sleep last night?
Please Gabbi, go to sleep....
14.Favorite style of underwear?
Hi-cut bikini
15.Favorite style of underwear for the opposite sex?
Depends on the guy. Some guys absolutely should NOT wear briefs.*shudder*
16.What errand/chore do you despise?
Doing the dishes.
17.If you didn't have to work, would you volunteer?
Yes, definitely.
18.Get up early or sleep in?
Sleep in. Oh wait, I have little kids, boodles of them. So I don't EVER get that chance.
19.What is your favorite cartoon character?
Wile E.Coyote
20.Do you read the Bible?
Nope. If I want fiction, I pick up a novel that is more entertaining than that one.
21.Did you get anything in your stocking last Christmas?
Yeah, I put a couple of things in there so my kids wouldn't think I'd been bad and Santa had skipped me. On the other hand... their dad got absolutely nothing, bwahahahahaha!!!!
22.When did you first start feeling old?
About five years ago.
23.Have you ever ridden a train?
Only the Tarantula train (restored old-west steamer) from Grapevine to Ft. Worth and back.
24.Your favorite lunch meat?
Roast beef
25.Favorite kind of coffee?
Either Starbuck's Verona blend or 100% Colombian
26.How do you prefer your eggs to be cooked?
Usually scrambled, but sometimes over-medium
27.Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual?
It's overrated. You can be "married" without having the Christianized, legalized ritual that involves signing contracts and promising to be with someone till you DIE. Marriage, to me, is a state of mind, rather than a contractual arrangement. Or, at least, it should be.
28.Where did you go last time you took an airline flight?
I don't even remember the last flight I took... I think it was from Pittsburgh to Oklahoma City, but I am not sure.
29.Favorite guilty pleasure?
Hmmmm.... That's a tough one... going out to a nice restaurant for a steak dinner, I suppose, though it's been so long since THAT'S happened, it really would be a treat!
30.Who gave you your last massage?
My best-friend's step-daughter, Breena. She gives neck and back rubs, but damn does she get a little rough sometimes.
31.What's your favorite alcoholic drink?
Cold Corona with lime. I stay away from liquor.
32.Cowboys or Indians?
They are Native Americans, thank you very much!!!!
33.Cops or Robbers?
Cops, for sure
34.Who from high school would you like to run into?
Not really anyone, but there's a guy from Air Force tech school I wish I could find.
35.What radio station is your car radio tuned to right now?
102.1 The Edge
36.Movies or Documentaries?
Movies.
37.The Cosby Show or the Simpsons?
When I was pre-teen, the Cosby Show. When I was jr. High and above, the Simpsons.
38.Worst relationship mistake that you wish you could take back?
Oh, lord, I am NOT going there.
39.Do you like the person who sits directly across from you at work?
Yes, I do.
40.How long have you had your current job?
Exactly one year on June 19th.
41.What famous person(s) would you like to have dinner with?
Someone funny, I don't know who... or Johnny Depp (drool)
42.What famous person would you like to sleep with?
See the second half of the above answer!!!
43.Have you ever had to use a fire extinguisher for its intended purpose?
Only once in the kitchen...
44.Last book you read for real?
"As opposed to just pretending to read?" Heheh... Well, I am reading Timeline by Michael Crighton for the umpteenth time, currently, because there wasn't anything else on the shelf. (Hey James, send me something of yours... Like, something YOU wrote!!!)
45.What is the last book you recommended to a friend?
Mists of Avalon
46.Strangest place you have ever brushed your teeth?
Under the spigot at an outdoor campsite
47.Have you ever woke up in a strange place and had no idea how you got there?
Well, I woke up fully clothed in an empty bathtub with no recollection of why I chose that place to pass out. That's as strange as it got.
48.If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be?
I’d be a mega-successful writer and that would be my full-time job. <--I am going to stick with James' answer. Adding "rich" to "mega-successful."
49.At this point in your life would you rather start a new career or a new relationship?
Career. I don't want a relationship right now.
50.Just how OLD are you?
Not nearly as old as I feel most days.
(Meant to be completed by those out of high school) Tired of all of those surveys made up by high school kids? 'Have you ever kissed someone?' 'Missed someone?' 'Told someone you loved them?' 'Drank alcohol?' 'What was your last text?'
Here are 50 questions for the people who are a little more "mature"...
1.What bill do you hate paying the most?
My car insurance.It's so much!!! I hate it that they hold your credit score against you - insurance is not given on a credit basis, so what difference does it make if the spousal unit has screwed up my credit??
2.Where was the last place you had a romantic dinner?
I don't recall the last time I had a romantic dinner. I'm not kidding.
3.Last time you puked from drinking?
Probably New Year's, ringing in 2007. I was pregnant this last New Year's so I didn't drink.
4.When is the last time you got drunk and danced on a bar?
Honestly, I have NEVER done this.
5.Name of your first grade teacher?
I don't recall. I think that was the year I was in the smart-kids' program... we had super-bright children from different grade levels who worked at little round tables with different teachers who sort of guided them to learn rather than strictly teaching.
6.What do you really want to be doing right now?
I really want to be at home, asleep. Resting. Gathering energy for the impending birth of this child.
7.What did you want to be when you were growing up?
At various times, I wanted to be a graphic artist, a lawyer, a teacher, a rock star and a spaceship pilot.
8.How many colleges did you attend?
Two or three. I'm not done yet.
9.What made you decide to wear the shirt you have on right now?
It's comfy. Has short sleeves. Most of my maternity work-appropriate shirts are long-sleeved and it's hot right now.
10.GAS PRICES?
Eating me a new asshole and ruining the close-held love I've always had for my purty red truck.
11.Where would you move if you could live anywhere?
The southern coast of Spain along the Mediterranean. I'd send pictures to my ex every week just to make him seethe with jealousy.
12.First thought when the alarm went off this morning?
Fuck. Already????
13.Last thought before going to sleep last night?
Please Gabbi, go to sleep....
14.Favorite style of underwear?
Hi-cut bikini
15.Favorite style of underwear for the opposite sex?
Depends on the guy. Some guys absolutely should NOT wear briefs.*shudder*
16.What errand/chore do you despise?
Doing the dishes.
17.If you didn't have to work, would you volunteer?
Yes, definitely.
18.Get up early or sleep in?
Sleep in. Oh wait, I have little kids, boodles of them. So I don't EVER get that chance.
19.What is your favorite cartoon character?
Wile E.Coyote
20.Do you read the Bible?
Nope. If I want fiction, I pick up a novel that is more entertaining than that one.
21.Did you get anything in your stocking last Christmas?
Yeah, I put a couple of things in there so my kids wouldn't think I'd been bad and Santa had skipped me. On the other hand... their dad got absolutely nothing, bwahahahahaha!!!!
22.When did you first start feeling old?
About five years ago.
23.Have you ever ridden a train?
Only the Tarantula train (restored old-west steamer) from Grapevine to Ft. Worth and back.
24.Your favorite lunch meat?
Roast beef
25.Favorite kind of coffee?
Either Starbuck's Verona blend or 100% Colombian
26.How do you prefer your eggs to be cooked?
Usually scrambled, but sometimes over-medium
27.Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual?
It's overrated. You can be "married" without having the Christianized, legalized ritual that involves signing contracts and promising to be with someone till you DIE. Marriage, to me, is a state of mind, rather than a contractual arrangement. Or, at least, it should be.
28.Where did you go last time you took an airline flight?
I don't even remember the last flight I took... I think it was from Pittsburgh to Oklahoma City, but I am not sure.
29.Favorite guilty pleasure?
Hmmmm.... That's a tough one... going out to a nice restaurant for a steak dinner, I suppose, though it's been so long since THAT'S happened, it really would be a treat!
30.Who gave you your last massage?
My best-friend's step-daughter, Breena. She gives neck and back rubs, but damn does she get a little rough sometimes.
31.What's your favorite alcoholic drink?
Cold Corona with lime. I stay away from liquor.
32.Cowboys or Indians?
They are Native Americans, thank you very much!!!!
33.Cops or Robbers?
Cops, for sure
34.Who from high school would you like to run into?
Not really anyone, but there's a guy from Air Force tech school I wish I could find.
35.What radio station is your car radio tuned to right now?
102.1 The Edge
36.Movies or Documentaries?
Movies.
37.The Cosby Show or the Simpsons?
When I was pre-teen, the Cosby Show. When I was jr. High and above, the Simpsons.
38.Worst relationship mistake that you wish you could take back?
Oh, lord, I am NOT going there.
39.Do you like the person who sits directly across from you at work?
Yes, I do.
40.How long have you had your current job?
Exactly one year on June 19th.
41.What famous person(s) would you like to have dinner with?
Someone funny, I don't know who... or Johnny Depp (drool)
42.What famous person would you like to sleep with?
See the second half of the above answer!!!
43.Have you ever had to use a fire extinguisher for its intended purpose?
Only once in the kitchen...
44.Last book you read for real?
"As opposed to just pretending to read?" Heheh... Well, I am reading Timeline by Michael Crighton for the umpteenth time, currently, because there wasn't anything else on the shelf. (Hey James, send me something of yours... Like, something YOU wrote!!!)
45.What is the last book you recommended to a friend?
Mists of Avalon
46.Strangest place you have ever brushed your teeth?
Under the spigot at an outdoor campsite
47.Have you ever woke up in a strange place and had no idea how you got there?
Well, I woke up fully clothed in an empty bathtub with no recollection of why I chose that place to pass out. That's as strange as it got.
48.If you could change one thing about your life, what would it be?
I’d be a mega-successful writer and that would be my full-time job. <--I am going to stick with James' answer. Adding "rich" to "mega-successful."
49.At this point in your life would you rather start a new career or a new relationship?
Career. I don't want a relationship right now.
50.Just how OLD are you?
Not nearly as old as I feel most days.
29 May 2008
Mmmm, hungry....
Of course this comes from nurse-midwives...
Clinical Guideline Backs Food & Drink During Labor
Imagine training for the longest, hardest triathlon of your life. Physically and emotionally demanding, exhausting, draining, yet ultimately rewarding. You take care of yourself in the months leading up to this event, yet you aren't expected to be able to hydrate and/or nourish yourself DURING the event itself. (I know, triathletes don't eat during the marathon, but they drink and they have an intake of nurtrients.)
Labor is kinda like that. You're really working. It is hard, hard work, too. You utilize all your muscles and put your entire body and soul into the effort. It lasts a long time (in many cases). Regardless of how well you've prepared for this event, denying your body the basic nourishment it requires to keep up the strength you need and allowing only intravenous hydration is sheer torture.
My last hospital birth was cruel in this regard. They brought me in for induction on a Monday morning. I was instructed not to eat for the 12 hours preceeding my admission. So the last meal I had was at approximately 6pm Sunday night. (I was nine months pregnant, very hungry to begin with!) I was induced but the induction didn't take because, quite simply, she wasn't quite ready to be born (I was 37 weeks along). So I laid there in the hospital, being allowed nothing but ice chips and the saline IV, for 27 hours. Add the 13 hours that I hadn't eaten before being brought in, plus the long sleepless night wracked with painful contractions, and yet they expected me to have the energy to push out a 6lb, 8oz baby.
I did it. Only because the night before, I made my husband smuggle a 12-inch Subway Club (extra olives) in to my hospital room. I threatened him with increasingly gory forms of torture followed by a long, drawn-out death, if he didn't. I was still REALLY hungry. And of course, when she was born, it was a full two hours before the hospital served "lunch" (all I remember is that it tasted horrible, was quite cold and there wasn't enough of it). I never, ever understood why a laboring woman couldn't have sustenance to carry her through... because there's a less-than 3% chance she could require general anesthesia??
So... if I go out to eat, I should not drive home immediately because there's a chance I could get into a car crash that requires me to be rushed into surgery. And if I had just eaten, I might aspirate during surgery. Now that makes no sense and no one would recommend it. But it is, essentially, what's expected of birthing situations.
The midwives know - you can't deprive a laboring mother of food and drink and expect her to handle the situation well. Doctors... well, they seem to be way behind the rest in coming to such realizations. However, "Clinical Guidelines" or not, I doubt hospitals will begin allowing moms to eat after admission, because it's just not the way they think.
I'm so glad to be having another homebirth.
Clinical Guideline Backs Food & Drink During Labor
Imagine training for the longest, hardest triathlon of your life. Physically and emotionally demanding, exhausting, draining, yet ultimately rewarding. You take care of yourself in the months leading up to this event, yet you aren't expected to be able to hydrate and/or nourish yourself DURING the event itself. (I know, triathletes don't eat during the marathon, but they drink and they have an intake of nurtrients.)
Labor is kinda like that. You're really working. It is hard, hard work, too. You utilize all your muscles and put your entire body and soul into the effort. It lasts a long time (in many cases). Regardless of how well you've prepared for this event, denying your body the basic nourishment it requires to keep up the strength you need and allowing only intravenous hydration is sheer torture.
My last hospital birth was cruel in this regard. They brought me in for induction on a Monday morning. I was instructed not to eat for the 12 hours preceeding my admission. So the last meal I had was at approximately 6pm Sunday night. (I was nine months pregnant, very hungry to begin with!) I was induced but the induction didn't take because, quite simply, she wasn't quite ready to be born (I was 37 weeks along). So I laid there in the hospital, being allowed nothing but ice chips and the saline IV, for 27 hours. Add the 13 hours that I hadn't eaten before being brought in, plus the long sleepless night wracked with painful contractions, and yet they expected me to have the energy to push out a 6lb, 8oz baby.
I did it. Only because the night before, I made my husband smuggle a 12-inch Subway Club (extra olives) in to my hospital room. I threatened him with increasingly gory forms of torture followed by a long, drawn-out death, if he didn't. I was still REALLY hungry. And of course, when she was born, it was a full two hours before the hospital served "lunch" (all I remember is that it tasted horrible, was quite cold and there wasn't enough of it). I never, ever understood why a laboring woman couldn't have sustenance to carry her through... because there's a less-than 3% chance she could require general anesthesia??
So... if I go out to eat, I should not drive home immediately because there's a chance I could get into a car crash that requires me to be rushed into surgery. And if I had just eaten, I might aspirate during surgery. Now that makes no sense and no one would recommend it. But it is, essentially, what's expected of birthing situations.
The midwives know - you can't deprive a laboring mother of food and drink and expect her to handle the situation well. Doctors... well, they seem to be way behind the rest in coming to such realizations. However, "Clinical Guidelines" or not, I doubt hospitals will begin allowing moms to eat after admission, because it's just not the way they think.
I'm so glad to be having another homebirth.
22 May 2008
02 May 2008
55 More Words
Here we go again! Two Friday 55's in a row... I am on some kind of roll.
Within the cramped walls, I blandly recite sins to the bored, faceless entity behind the screen. I am sentenced to prayer, a penance easily accomplished. I leave church following confession feeling lightweight, buoyed by forgiveness not truly earned. My soul safe for another week, I live as I choose, unencumbered by guilt or personal accountability.
Within the cramped walls, I blandly recite sins to the bored, faceless entity behind the screen. I am sentenced to prayer, a penance easily accomplished. I leave church following confession feeling lightweight, buoyed by forgiveness not truly earned. My soul safe for another week, I live as I choose, unencumbered by guilt or personal accountability.
25 April 2008
Friday 55
A story in 55 words exactly, to celebrate the coming weekend... I won't be driving anywhere, that's for sure.
Arriving at the station, there’s a deal! I swipe my card, recalling when I thought, “That’s the most I’ve ever paid…” That price was $3.17, and I glare at the sign: now 4 replaces 3. Those nostalgic days of yore existed only three months ago; my elation fades as my paycheck drains into the tank.
Arriving at the station, there’s a deal! I swipe my card, recalling when I thought, “That’s the most I’ve ever paid…” That price was $3.17, and I glare at the sign: now 4 replaces 3. Those nostalgic days of yore existed only three months ago; my elation fades as my paycheck drains into the tank.
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