And It Was All Yellow

So here is some continued house progress. Yesterday, the outside crew primed the exterior, and today they came back and painted. Looks pretty darn good, I think. It looks like it was always part of the house. Also yesterday, the inside crew put down the hardwood floor. They are going to have to let it acclimate to the house for a few days, and they will stain it on Monday when I am in the hospital because it is apparently stinky. I thought the trim would go up today, but I don't think anything happened inside. Maybe tomorrow.

Tomorrow is my final doctor's appointment before the Peanut comes. I would be kinda glad if they decided to admit me tomorrow, except that my doctor is on vacation, so I need to wait until Monday if I want her to do the delivery. I can't believe it is only 5 days away.

I just realized that if the Mavs/Suns series goes to Game 7, it will probably be on Monday night. Does anyone know? I guess I can check the internet. If so, I will have to make sure the Peanut comes before tip-off. Then we can all watch Game 7 as a family. Too bad I don't have any Mavs-wear for the baby. She's a big Josh Howard fan.

Kev's car is supposed to be done tomorrow or Friday, but I'm not gonna hold my breath. Those turkeys have been stringing us along for months. I think they should just give us a new car at this point. I'd like a sage-colored Passat wagon or Suburu Outback, please.

The Sprayer

This morning as I was leaving to go celebrate Memorial Day with my family in Garland, the construction crew was arriving. I didn't expect them to work today, since it is a holiday and all. But there they were. They worked yesterday too, even though it was Sunday. I said to one guy, "You're working today?" He didn't speak much English, but he replied, "Yes, I am the sprayer." Um, OK. So when I got home from celebrating, I saw that the sprayer had been very hard at work, spraying the walls with texture. The sheetrock crew was back too. These guys really work hard. They work so hard that I'm not really even mad at them for breaking the curtain rod in my bedroom. If I wasn't so pregnant, I would make them a cake or pie or something. Anyway, the room is looking good and more importantly, nearing completion.

Speaking of pie, my mom made the best Memorial Day fruit pie today. She got the recipe from a recent Martha show...it is on the Martha Stewart website and it is called mixed berry slab pie or something like that. It is GREAT, and we had home-made ice cream to go with it. I recommend this pie for your next gathering, especially since berries are in season and so delicious. My mom said it was easy to make.

One week from today, the Peanut will arrive. It is very hard to believe. I am trying not to freak out, and so far I am doing a good job. We will see how I feel next Sunday, though.

The Home Stretch

Well, if I was going to bet the trifecta, I think I'd go with this:

1. Kev's car
2. Peanut
3. Room finished

I don't think my belly button is going to pop out, and it sadly seems very unlikely that LarryFeathers will ever blog again. The ridiculous auto shop finally received the part from Germany, and the car could be ready today. The room is still scheduled for completion on June 9, and the baby is still scheduled for June 5. I am officially 38 weeks pregnant, and I am finally feeling like someone who is 38 weeks pregnant. There are all kinds of new weird little pains and sensations, and I am uncomfortable more often than not. That's OK though. I have felt great most of the time up to this point, so I can't complain. The computer is misbehaving now, so time to stop blogging. Have a good holiday weekend.

UPDATE: Well, the turkeys at the garage now tell us Thursday or Friday on the car, and the Peanut is acting like she wants to come out, so I think it'll be neck and neck between those two at the finish line. I'd still bet on the room completion to show. We have sheetrockers here now...pictures to come soon.

Fixing a Hole

Behind the plastic-covered bed, there used to be a window. They patched up the hole today, and this is what my bedroom looked like when I got home. There is dust everywhere, and my usual path to the bathroom, which I have memorized and follow many times nightly in the dark, is completely blocked. It will all be worth the inconvenience in the end though. Glad things are moving along.

Padded Room

They did the insulation today. Looks kinda better from the outside, huh? Sheetrock tomorrow I think.

Hot Hot Heat

It's hot already. It makes me sad that I won't be able to take the Peanut out for a decent stroll until probably at least October. Once again, I will not embrace the heat. But since nobody likes a complainer, I will try not to dwell on it in this blog. As a sign that I mean what I say, here are some good things about summer:

1. Berries
2. No school zones
3. Baseball

Well, that's all I've got.

Question

Can I rub my own belly for good luck, or does it only work for people outside the shirt?

(See two blogs down if confused)

More on the House

So, the outside is now pretty much done, except for painting the siding. I think this means we can probably call Dish to come out and put the satellite back up soon. That will be great...we'll be able to watch the Mavs/Suns series, which can't possibly be as exciting as the series with San Antonio, but should be good nonetheless. By the way, if you missed that San Antonio series, you missed some of the best basketball in the history of basketball. It was pretty amazing. Anyway, our house has passed the inspections for electrical and HVAC, and we are supposed get the framing inspected today. If we complete that trifecta and get another green card, we should be getting sheet rock on Friday or Saturday and then hardwoods installed Monday. That just leaves trim and painting and finishing out the closet. I'll try to get a decent picture of the inside soon.

Separated at Birth?

Me and Buddha.

Teachers

In 7th grade I had a math teacher named Mr. Mezzles. His name was pronounced like "measles." He was very mean, and I think he had a chip on his shoulder because of his name and because he was very short and bearded, so he looked like a troll.

In high school, there was a teacher named Mrs. English. She taught English. My English teacher was named Mrs. French. There was also a teacher named Miss Spell, but she taught Physics. She was sorta crazy, and always wore socks and sandals. My French teachers were named Madame Parrot, Madame Moula, and Monsieur Tanton. Madame Moula, in spite of her name, appeared to be very poor. Monsieur Tanton was nice, but ALWAYS had sweat rings, even in winter. Years later when I was a substitute teacher at my high school, I was shocked one day in the teacher's lounge to discover that Madame Moula and Monsieur Tanton were smokers. I don't know why this was shocking.

What's More Annoying?

The Snuggle Fabric Softener Bear or the helpful paperclip pop-up on Microsoft Word?

Pioneer Days

I never could have made it as a pioneer. I like having all mod cons. As you know, we haven't had TV for a few weeks. Not THAT big of a deal, biggest whip is not being able to watch basketball. But on Friday, things got worse. The computer crashed, so we were without internet all weekend. The computer is now mostly repaired, but we are still not using the internet because we don't have an anti-virus loaded yet. So, no TV, no internet. All weekend, I had no idea what was happening in the world. I had no idea of the weather report. No email. No bloggability. Plus, inside our house were the many mosquitos let in by the construction crew, so we were fighting bugs all weekend. I think we killed most of them. Kev is a skilled mosquito killer. Anyway, I'm glad I'm not a pioneer.

So, sorry if you have commented or emailed and gotten no reply, that's why, and I'm sorry. I am at work now, and hope to get to some email and blogging before my client arrives.

And when we can use the internet at home again, I'll put up a few pictures of addition progress. Estimated finish date: June 9.

P= 14 days!

Back View / Side View

It looks like some electrical stuff was done today too. Things are progressing. Noise isn't too bad. Worst part is mosquitos are getting in. I just got bit right under my eye.

Me-oh My-oh

Yesterday I made a big ol' pot of Jambalaya. I should have maybe made it a little spicier, but it was still good and reminded me of being in New Orleans. New Orleans has some of the best food ever. Kev must have liked it, because he took this picture. Anyway, if you have never had Jambalaya, you should make some. It is really fun and easy to make. It is so good that the great Hank Williams Sr. even wrote a song about it.
The only thing I didn't like was that this time I had to take the tails off the shrimp myself. Usually the fishmonger has already done that gruesome task for me. It is almost worse than cleaning chicken.
We are going to have it again tomorrow night, and freeze the rest for the days ahead when I am too tired to cook.

Speaking of which:

P=19 days...

Roof

It's beginning to look a lot like a real roof. Maybe shingles today?

Touchdown Arthur Jefferson!!!!!

Well, last night we were up until midnight listening to the great Mark Followill and his over-excited call of the Mavs game in a scary and stressful OT victory over the Spurs. Sometimes Followill gets so excited that you can't understand a word he says, and it takes a few seconds to figure out what actually happened. But that's OK. Especially when the alternative is listening to the Frankensteinian Glowing-haired repetative Bill Walton and his ABC crew. They are terrible. Anyway, it was a great game, and it puts the Mavs up 3-1 in the series. They are certainly proving themselves.

In other sports news, Triple-A Sacramento's Tim Rall has not played in a while, and I was worried, but as it turns out, he's on the DL. I can't find out any info on his injury, so maybe Marty can help us out. I am just glad whatever it is hasn't gotten him sent back to Midland, at least as far as I can tell.

And the 1st-place Rangers FINALLY beat the Yankees.

There is your sports for today.

Palo Pinto Circus

We now live under the Big Top.
But I think we are a little closer to having a roof.

Mother's Day Flowers

Use your imagination. Is it just me, or do those flowers look like big ol' owl eyes?

The Horses are on the Track

The following is a list of things that should maybe happen during the next few weeks, but we don't know the timing or order. Which comes first? Place your bets!

1. The Peanut will arrive.
2. My belly button will go from innie to outie.
3. The guys will finish our addition.
4. Kev will get his car back from the ridiculous garage.
5. LarryFeathers will blog.

The weekend was good. We went to the lake for a Mother's Day picnic with my mom and dad and LarryF. I thought it was fun because the weather was great and I even got to play a little smash-ball. Last night, Kev beat me at Stratego and then we played with Lincoln Logs (much more my speed than Stratego). AND the Mavs won game three on Saturday.

Now the builders are here, and it's about to get loud, so I am heading out. Maybe we will have a roof when I get home.

Countdown to Peanut - 21 days

Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters

We have very little roof left. I fear critters may invade. Will be glad when roof work is done.

Busy Weekend Ahead

I am at my office, and I have rarely been so happy to come to work. It is SO loud at my house today. They are doing roof work, and whatever they were up to this morning was making the whole house shake. I have a client coming over this afternoon, so it may not be an easy session. We'll see how it goes.

Tonight, I think we are going to the movies. You know what that means: BBQ chicken wrap! Woo hoo! Then, tomorrow morning, we are going to a class at the hospital to learn, as Kev says, how to "operate the baby." We will learn infant safety and CPR, plus bathing and caring for newborns and stuff like that. I think it will be a good class. Tomorrow night, I am going to Larry Feathers' house to watch the TIVOed season finale of the Office, which I missed because we have no TV. Then, the 3rd game of the Mavs/Spurs series is on, so I will stay over there and watch that. Sunday is Mother's Day, and we are all going on a picnic. I am looking forward to being outside. It is supposed to be cool out.

So, not a lot of down time, but staying busy is good. Countdown to Peanut: 25 Days.

Moving Right Along

Continued progress on the room. Thankfully the air is cooler and the rain has stopped. Work on the roof starts soon.

Sad/Happy Blog

As I type this, our Dish is coming down. No more TV for us. Glad I got to see the Mav's game last night.

On a happier note, berries are back in season, and they are delightful!

We Have a Wall!

This is the progress so far. It is all blurry because I could not keep the lens from fogging up due to exreme humidity.

Noisy Day on Palo Pinto

I've got to hand it to the builders. They are really working hard. I feel sorry for them, because it is REALLY hot and humid today. I'm actually kinda worried about the one guy who appears to be about 80 years old. We now have a floor. It looks like a big stage. It makes me want to get out my tap shoes. I'll go out and take a picture after the guys leave so I can put it here on the blog. Anyway, whatever they are working on today is making a lot of noise. The lady next door who has a day-care center in her house is probably not having much luck with nap-time.

Meanwhile, I am working hard to get all my proverbial ducks in a row before the arrival of the Peanut. I have a long list, and I've been checking things off, but it's wearing me out. Kev has been working hard too, assembling various baby accessories like pack-n-plays and bouncey seats and strollers. We've been practicing how to use all that stuff...it is more complicated than you might think.

Tonight is game 2 of the Spurs/Mavs series, and I still have confidence in the Mavericks in spite of Sunday's loss. I am making chicken marsala for dinner, which is a big step for me, as I've had a strong aversion to it through most of my pregnancy. We'll see how it goes.

Countdown to Peanut = 27 days.

Boo!

I am working on a list of people to haunt if I am ever a ghost. I won't hurt anyone, just play tricks on them. Here is what I have so far:

1. Rush Guy: I will steal all his Rush CDs and replace them with Celine Dion, John Denver, and Kenny G. Then I will set his radio to the smooth jazz station and make it come on really loud in the middle of the night every night. I will re-string his guitar backwards. Then I will get a ghost friend with some technical skills to make his amp only go to volume level one.
2. Elizabeth Newman (builder of McMansions): I will hide one shoe from every pair she owns. I will replace her hairspray with something that smells bad. I will gather up all the Elizabeth Newman signs and put them in her yard.
3. Rachel Ray: I will hide her giant salad tongs and put green dye in her toothpaste.

That's all I have so far. And then when I finish all that, I will go to good people's houses and do nice things for them, like doing their laundry or baking them some key lime pie or brownies.

The Daytona Beach Incident

Last night, I was awake for a long time in the middle of the night. These days, I wake up a lot, but I can usually go back to sleep. Not last night. There was a big loud storm, and I was up for two or three hours. I tried to hypnotize myself back to sleep, but it didn't work, so I finally gave up and decided to let stream of consiousness take over and see what would happen. Stream of consiousness can take you to strange and unexpected places, and last night, for no reason I can think of, it took me to a trip to Florida I took when I was 5 or 6 years old. My grandparents frequented Florida, and this particular time, my aunt, uncle, and two cousins joined them and I was invited along. My family didn't go because my brother was too little, and I guess my parents had to work. I don't remember a whole lot about the trip, but here is what I DO remember:

We rented a house a couple of blocks from the beach. The house was very weird to me because instead of grass, the whole yard was rocks. The house also had a waterbed, which I thought was SO cool, but I didn't get to sleep on it. I am pretty sure I slept on the couch in the living room. One day, we went to the beach, which I don't really remember. Now, I need to tell you that when I was a little kid, I had really good hair. It was long and sort of wavy and thick and soft. This was, of course, many years before I was struck by lightning, turning my hair to frizzfrocks, which has only been out-done by my current pregnancy-induced hay-head. But that's another story. Upon returning from the beach, my good kid hair was full of tangles because of the wind and salt-water. My Aunt Sarah decided to comb the tangles out. This part, I remember well. The conversation went something like this:

OW!
Hold still, Tara.
OW!
Hold still, Tara.
You're hurting me!
Hold still!
OW!
Patty's (my mom) gonna kill me if we have to cut your hair.
I want my mom!
Hold still!
OW!

This went on for at least half an hour, as those were some pretty stubborn tangles, and my aunt didn't have the good tangle-getting-out skills that my mom had. She was pulling and yanking and cussing and it really really hurt. I was not happy.

The next day, it was time to go to the beach again. It was then that I was informed I would be wearing my grandma's shower cap, so that any subsequent tangles could be avoided. Even at my young age, I knew this was a serious fashion no-no, but I was just a kid and did what I was told. Somewhere there are photos of me on the beach in a shower cap. It was SO humiliating. After that, I decided I wanted to go home, and I made a lot of noise about it, demanding that we must cut the trip short and return to Indiana, where people didn't force other people to wear ridiculous headgear in public places. I didn't get my way, and I am pretty sure that may behavior caused my grandpa to stop speaking to me for several hours. Later that night, we made up and watched the Major League Baseball All-Star game together, rooting for the National League because we were Reds fans. That is my best memory from the trip.

We also went to Disney, but to be honest, it didn't make much of an impression on me. All I can remember is my cousin Curt whining to go on Space Mountain over and over again. I think he got his way, too.

Hypnosis at the Dallas Palace

So, after our big day of bird-spotting on Sunday, we had to get home and get ready to go to Kev's work party at Southfork Ranch. I hadn't been there since I was a kid. My grandma Kelly and I think my great aunt Mary were in town once in the 80's, and we took them to Southfork to watch them filming some of the outside scenes of Dallas, which was in it's hey-day at the time. It was kinda cool, and we got a few autographs, but on the other hand, it was kinda boring, because they had to do take after take of the same scene, and it was really hot, and we had to be very still and quiet. Somewhere, I still have a photo I took of "Sue-Ellen" with my Kodak Disc camera. Remember those?

Anyway, Sunday night, Kev and I arrived at Southfork ready for an evening of fajitas and hypnosis. The ranch looks pretty much the same. Now, they do tours of Ewing Mansion, and host events like proms and work parties. Our party was in the Dallas Palace, which we got to by passing Miss Ellie's Deli and then parading ourselves through the gift shop, which sells mostly high-end lady's western-wear - colorful skirts and vests with lots of fringe and bolo medallions - as well as cowboy hats and leather accessories.

There were several round tables set up and ready, and after a short time designated for engaging in co-worker small talk, they opened up the fajita buffet and we got food. There was only one guy at our table prepared to volunteer for the hypnosis show, which didn't bode well for the hypnotist since he had 14 chairs ready up on the stage. I kept trying to get Kev to volunteer, but he said he was too much of a skeptic, and he didn't want to get up there and have it not work.

We ate our fajitas, which were pretty good, and then the company president got up to introduce the Master Hypnotist and start the show. The Hypnotist gave a little introduction, actually a pretty dang long introduction, explaining hypnosis, debunking some myths, and describing how he had used hypnosis to do many miraculous things, like solving crimes and stopping smoking and curing fears and so forth. He got my attention when he told of a lady in Oklahoma City that he had hypnotized, and how she delivered shortly thereafter a ten-pound baby with no anesthesia and no pain. Then he started asking for volunteers. Up went the one guy from our table, and a couple of other people, and then the poor hypnotist had to really start cajoling the crowd. He promised that if we were hypnotized, it would be like having 8 hours of solid peaceful restful sleep, and that we would also sleep well that night, and be more relaxed than ever, etc. All the while, Kev is nudging me and trying to force my hand up, and I'm saying "no way" because I am shy and 8 months pregnant and don't want to be on any stage in front of 100 people. But the poor guy was having a hard time getting volunteers (keep in mind this is a room full of very rational-thinking engineers) and the next thing I knew, I was headed up to the stage. After all, it has been months since I have had 8 solid hours of restful sleep, and I could use it.

I figured I would be super-easy to hypnotize. I am able to put myself in deep relaxation at yoga all the time, and I have a very active visual imagination. So I got up there, and he started the show (he finally got his 14 volunteers), and I'll be damned if I couldn't relax at all. When all was said and done, he only hypnotized 3 of the 14 people, and the rest of us had to leave the stage. I think under different circumstances, it would have worked, but here is my theory about why I didn't get hypnotized:

• I was nervous in front of all those people. I kept thinking that with an audience that big, there was probably at least one person looking at me. I don't like people looking at me.
• The chair was uncomfortable. I kept figiting around.
• The chairs were too close together. I was sitting between the company president and another guy, and their shoulders and arms kept touching mine, and I don't like that either.
• I had just enjoyed a delicious sopapilla, which was causing the Peanut to kick frantically with joy.

So, the guy went through his routine, and my heart was beating really fast and I was NOT getting sleepy and my eyelids were NOT getting heavy and I was starting to panic, thinking "It's not working! What do I do, what do I do?!" which made it worse. Then he told us we were going to forget our names, and he went along asking us one at a time what our name was, and I was happy to discover that 10 others besides me still knew good and well what our names were. We were then asked to join the audience, and the show proceeded with the three people who forgot their names. It was pretty entertaining, and I was glad to be in the audience, because those three had to act pretty silly, and it was all video-taped, so people are going to watch it later.

So, that's the story of how I didn't get hypnotized at the Dallas Palace. I would try it again, though. But not in front of an audience.

PS. When we got home, it was after 10pm, and guess who was at it. Rush guy. He is just about the worst guy ever.

Porch Time / Rooftop Beatles

On Saturday, the weather was sunny and delightfully cool, so we spent a lot of time on our porch. Unfortunately, the view from the porch (left) includes a large dumpster full of dirt and the McMansion across the street. But it was still a pleasant place to spend a Saturday. We ate breakfast out there, and lunch. And then we decided to play some Canasta. So, I got the cards, and Kev put on some Canasta-playing music (the great Herbie Hinkle) and we began our game. However, while Kev was inside putting on the CD, the Rush guy arrived home from his loser job and I feared we were in for it. Sure enough, Herbie Hinkle was soon drowned out by the screeching diddly-diddly-diddly of WAY too loud Rush songs (the same three or four as usual). It was truly a beating. His landlord, who lives downstairs, was outside, and she did not appear to be bothered by the noise in the least, which is a very bad sign. Then she began to mow her lawn, and I was never happier to hear a mower. However, even the mower did not overpower the loud and obnoxiously poor Alex Lifeson impression coming from above. After sticking it out for three hands of Canasta, we finally went inside.

That night, after Kev's soccer game, we decided to go out somewhere. We ended up at The Public House, a rooftop patio on Lower Greenville that is shared by three different restaurant/bars. It was pretty cool, because there is an actual view of downtown from up there. I'll take the camera next time. On the roof next door, there is a little three-sided house/stage, and performing that night was A Hard Night's Day, which is a local Beatles cover band that has been around Dallas for years, but that I had never seen. They were actually pretty good. They wore Beatley-looking suits and everything. The best part was a little old man in the crowd who did some elaborate and indescribable dance moves with lots of spinning and occasional arm flourishes. It was very entertaining.

Rooftop dining is where it's at when the weather is good.

This is a Painted Bunting.

Spotting the Bird

Just when you think Dallas is void of any and all natural beauty, along comes the Cedar Ridge Preserve. It has actually been there all along, previously known as the Dallas Nature Center, but we have just never been there. Until Sunday, that is. It was a really nice day, so we decided to go check it out and do a little hiking. There is Kev at the start of the Cattail Pond Trail (click to enlarge). Before we started the hike, we talked to a bird man who told us that first Painted Buntings of the season had been seen on that trail that weekend. I was excited, as I haven't seen one before, and they are really pretty and colorful birds. But I didn't think we had a chance at all to spot one, because I don't know their habits or their song, and you guys know how my luck has been with owls. (I am still having the dreams, by the way). Anyway, as we were walking along, there at the top of a tree as if posing for us, was my first Painted Bunting in all its colorful glory. We actually spotted two of them. They were too far away to get a picture, but I will get one off the internet and put it on here so you can see how pretty they are.
Here's me at Cattail Pond. Betcha can't even tell I am 8 months pregnant!

Here is a cool butterfly that we saw. There were tons of butterflies and dragonflies on the trail.
Cactus Flower. So pretty.

So, if you are looking for something to do on a nice day, I recommend going to Cedar Ridge Preserve. You will have a nice hike and see some cool birds, and it is very peaceful and serene.

Construction (or Destruction?)

Here is the progress on our addition so far. Sadly, the guys took the cool Bobcat truck away before I could take a picture. At the moment, a building inspector is here, and any further progress depends on his report. As you can see, we still have our satellite. It will probably be removed just in time for the next series of the Mavs play-offs.

Sports Update

Update to the Update:

MAVS WIN! Bring on the Spurs/Kings!

Tim Rall had a great outing last night for the Sacramento team...He pitched 2 and 2/3, giving up no runs or hits, and struck out 3. Way to go, Tim!

Please see LarryFeathers in the comments for more sports.

Well, it looks like the Mavs should be moving along to the next series, as they are up 3 games to none against Memphis in the first round. What a game on Saturday! I hope some of you watched it. I almost feel sorry for the Grizzlies after that one. (Their coach looks like the Nazi guy from the Blues Brothers, by the way.) Game four is tonight, and if the Mavs win, they will face either the Spurs or Kings in the next round. Bleach, you should pay attention to the Mavericks, not because of us all, but because they are great, and with the exception of their ridiculous owner, they are a bunch of really good guys. No thugs on this team.

Now for a little news on the Official Minor League Baseball Player of the LRHS, the great Tim Rall: The deceptive Long Island Leftie started off the season in Midland, playing Double-A ball for the Oakland organization. His stats looked really good, and it appears he has been moved up to Triple-A, which is not only a good move baseball-wise, but also location-wise, as Sacramento is about a million times better than Midland. If any of you have ever been to Midland, you know what a horrible place it is, only slightly better than its sister city, Odessa, which may be the worst place in Texas. So I hope Tim gets to stay in California in spite of a rough start. I have gotten all my info from minorleaguebaseball.com, so some of it might be inaccurate or not quite up-to-date. Maybe we can get an update from our reporter in the field, Marty. He is very inside.

The Stars were a real disappointment.

Somehow, the Rangers are in first place in spite of being not very good.

And there is your sports update.

Coming Attractions

Coming soon to the LRHS:

• Hypnosis at the Dallas Palace
• Porch Time
• Rooftop Beatles
• Spotting the Bird
• Sports Update

And, by request, a photo-journal of construction.

But this morning, I have no time to blog. Please check back later...