Friday, October 24, 2008

You Should Be Allowed to Vote

You got 15/15 questions correct. Generally speaking, you’re very well informed. If you vote this election, you’ll know exactly who (and what) you’ll be voting for. You’re likely to have strong opinions, and you have the facts to back them up.

[via Thinkling Bill]

I asked Beau if I could tell this tale on him. He doesn’t think it’ll be funny to anyone but us, but we’ll see.

We both wear Breathe Right strips on our noses at night. I, because of my pregnancy congestion. He, because of his general nighttime congestion. With Beau there are two factors to consider: 1) he thinks it is wasteful not to try to reuse the strips, so he tries to reuse and 2) he often has his head under a pillow at times in the night. So over the past couple of weeks, when Beau has awoken he has found the strip to be anywhere but on his nose. Once he found it on his underwear. Once I found it stuck to the comforter. This morning he said, “Guess where the nose strip ended up?” I had no clue. “On my forehead.”

I busted out laughing.

“That’s not the best part, though,” he continued. “I woke up at one point and it was on my finger, so I put it back on my nose.”

I continued to laugh hard enough that I started to cry. That’s priceless.

On my own night weirdness front, my dreams continue to be bizarre. The other night I dreamed that Beau and I were good friends with Todd and Sarah Palin. In the dream we were just hanging out with them. Then last night I dreamed that Sarah Palin and I were hanging on the Straight Talk Express bus, but we never talked politics. We talked about babies, just mom to mom. It was great.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

You can read the whole thing here.

FWIW, I agree with him and I look forward to dressing up my kids and taking them out to get candy for me.

I read through Daniel early this summer. I’ve always loved the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (or Rack, Shack and Benny to you Veggie Tales fans).

Anyway, when I first got the Shane & Shane Pages CD, I thought the song Burn Us Up was sort of weird. Who would do a song about S, M, and A? But after several listens, I think it may be one of my favorite songs on the album, not just for the story it tells but because musically it’s a very cool song. It is the Song of the Day.

Burn Us Up
by Shane & Shane

There were three before the king.
There were three who wouldn’t bow to him.
For when you heard the music play and you were standing you would burn.
They looked at him and said…

Burn us up. Burn us up. Burn us up.
Oh, king won’t you burn us in the furnace your desire.
We give up. We give up. We give up.
Oh, king won’t you burn us in the furnace your desire.
Oh won’t you throw us in the fire.

The king enraged at what they said.
Sent the three away to find their death.
The palace stopped in unbelief when the guilty raised their hands to sing…

Burn us up. Burn us up. Burn us up.
Oh, king won’t you burn us in the furnace your desire.
We give up. We give up. We give up.
Oh, king won’t you burn us in the furnace your desire.
Oh won’t you throw us in the fire.

You are able to deliver from the fire of affliction!
It’s the declaration of my Lord!
You’re not an image of gold!
You’re the God of Old.
You have made us. Come and save us. We are yours!
But even if you don’t we will burn.

So burn us up in the furnace of your desire.

Beau and my mother confirmed that they have access to the blog now. However, my Dad can’t access it from work now.

Let me know if something seems wonky to you, please.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

1. Still no word on the house. We had to counter offer - best and final - we assume because the other offer was the same as ours. So we upped our offer by $6K thinking that the other folks will have upped by $5K.

[UPDATE 4:00pm]: Beau called our realtor. Our realtor had called the seller/bank and was told that a decision would be made late today or early tomorrow AM. He got the impression from the conversation that the two offers were very close, but that maybe we edged them out. But we’ll find out when we find out either way.

2. It is so aggravating that Gmail access here is so spotty. I can get in with no problems at random times during the day and not at all other times.

3. It turns out that Verizon FIOS users can’t get to my blog lately. I’m working on a solution with my host, but since I can’t get into my email the process has halted because I don’t have the link to the trouble ticket handy. The technician talked about migrating to a new server location, which means the blog will be down for the time that takes.

[UPDATE 4:00pm]: The lovely tech person helping me with the FIOS issue, which I believe must be a DC area thing only, will be migrating my blog to a new server overnight. Who knows how long it will take to resolve, but let it be known that your access may be spotting for a bit.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

The latest pregnancy update is posted at Ticklish Giggles.

There’s also an update at Whiny Complaints from yesterday.

Now that I’m listening to music in my car again (audiobooks are on hold for a while - I need music right now), I’ve been playing Shane & Shane‘s Pages CD. I heart S&S and I’m grateful to our worship leader for introducing them to me way back when.

Today’s Song of the Day is Vision of You. I really love the line in the chorus that says, “May the vision of You be the death of me.”

The whole album is fantastic - not a single bad song on it, imho. Go buy.

Vision of You
by Shane and Shane

Come meet us, King Jesus.
Oh wind of change blow through this temple.
Sweet spirit of God, come and mend our hearts.
For all we have are songs. Unless you come.

Awaken whats inside of me.
Tune my heart to all You are in me.
Even though you’re here, God come.
May the vision of You be the death of me.
and even though You’ve given everything.
Jesus come!

Come free us, King Jesus.
Its the only way that freedom is given.
From you and you alone in the work You’ve already done.
All we have are songs, unless You come.

Awaken whats inside of me.
Tune my heart to all You are in me.
Even though you’re here, God come.
May the vision of You be the death of me.
and even though You’ve given everything.
Jesus come!

Here we are, Lord, in this place.
Crying out for Your embrace.
To hear Your voice more than songs.

Awaken whats inside of me.
Tune my heart to all You are in me.
Even though you’re here, God come.
May the vision of You be the death of me.
and even though You’ve given everything.
Jesus come!

Monday, October 20, 2008

I was planning to work at home on Friday, but I just learned that The Director is coming to the office on Friday so I want to be here.

It’s been ages since I last saw him. We miss him greatly around here.

Beau found a house that was just listed over the weekend. We went to look at it yesterday afternoon and we’re meeting with our realtor to make an offer sometime today.

It’s a cute little colonial that is listed as a 6 bed/3 bath, but it’s really a 4 bed/4 bath with two rooms on the main floor that could be bedrooms. The 4 full baths are cool, although I’d really be happier with a half bath on the main floor. We talked about maybe reverting it back to a half bath at some point. The kitchen is quite large, but lacks cabinets/counters. However, there is great potential for a large island or peninsula and we think we’ll break into a side wall to make the back “bedroom” a connecting dining room. Or we’ll make that a study/den for Beau and break into the wall that separates the living room from the front “bedroom” to make that a larger space. There is a good sized laundry room on the main floor. No basement.

Upstairs are the 4 bedrooms and 3 full baths. The master has it’s own bathroom. Across the hall from that room is the room we’ll make into the nursery. Next to that room is a bedroom with bathroom that we’ll make into a guest room/Jen’s office and I’ll probably use that bathroom. Then across from the guest room is Jesse’s room. The bedrooms aren’t tiny, but they aren’t huge either. They’re workable.

What’s great is that it is pretty much move in ready - just needs some light cleaning and paint. We will need to buy a washer/dryer and maybe a new frig, but everything else looks great.

There’s a nice shed in the side/backyard that will be great for storage and maybe a work room for Beau. There’s not much backyard, instead it has two large side yards because it is a corner lot and the house is placed facing the corner rather than one side. It does have a front porch. There is plenty of room to add a garage if we want to at some point, but none of the other houses on the street have garages, so I’m not sure we would want to do that. Plus, we don’t plan to be in this house for more than 5 years anyway.

Beau took a good picture that I’ll post as soon as we download it from the camera.

[UPDATE 2:30pm]: Docs are all signed and getting sent to the seller by our realtor. Beau will email the house pic if Jesse goes down for an afternoon nap.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Awesome.

Thank you for your service. Welcome home.

[via prof chaos]

My apologies.

I have plently to say on the election, but I’m muzzled by the Hatch Act when I blog from work, which is where I do my blogging these days since I’m so done in by the end of a work day that I don’t bother to go anywhere but to bed when I get home. Thank you, run on sentence.

I love Peggy Noonan, but I disagree with this column. I’m disappointed to hear and read the dismissal of Gov. Palin’s down home personality and speech. Noonan doesn’t get that this is what people are flocking to her rallies for - she is not a wonk or part of the party intelligensia or the good ole boy network in Washington. This is why she resonates with regular people. Show me in the Constitution where a politician is required to speak in so high falutin’ a manner to be qualified to run for any public office. I don’t believe it impacts her effectiveness as a Governor and I don’t believe that it will impact her effectiveness as Vice President. I have no problem with being called “Mom or Dad” instead of “Mother or Father” in speeches. I don’t see it as dumbing down. I am Mom. My mother is Mom. It’s as good a term as mother, imho. Anyway, my 2 cents.

I don’t understand the Fang tribe on Survivor. Two weeks in a row the majority talked about ousting the people who most threaten them and yet they vote out someone else. I think the lack of food is affecting their brains as much as their brawn. That said, it was cool that they had the experience with the elephant that hangs out near their camp.

I really want to go see Quantum of Solace in the theater when it comes out.

How ‘bout them Red Sox?

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

and the Speaks’ couple is usually awake. I don’t know what’s going on, but one or the other of us wakes up at about 3am every night. This wakes up the other. It’s frustrating.

In other news…

Today is my parents’ wedding anniversary. They are a true model of a couple that have a great marriage - through the trials of my Dad’s Navy career, many moves across the country and to/from England, and dealing with two mostly obedient if headstrong daughters, they have stuck with each other with much love and a steady faith in the Lord whom they serve. Thanks for showing us your great example, Mom and Dad. I hope you enjoy your night out! Love you!!!

I had a terrible couple of days sans Zofran. Long story short, my Rx ran out and I couldn’t get a refill without my doc’s authorization. Monday being a holiday meant that didn’t happen until Tuesday. At least I didn’t get the pills until yesterday because when I called the pharmacy on Monday afternoon/evening to check the status they said it still wasn’t filled. So I spent Monday and yesterday in bed feeling as nauseous as when this all started. I’m still completely dependent on the Zofran to keep me feeling normal and functional. Also very frustrating.

That said, the rest of the weekend was enjoyable. Jesse was adorable with his new obsession with Goodnight Moon or as he calls it “MoMoMoom.” Beau showed him the real moon on Saturday night and now takes him outside to say goodnight to the moon before bedtime. So sweet.

Church was great. I finally had my rotation on worship team and it was so much fun to be singing again. It helped that the guest worship leader was awesome and put together a great set of songs. We were told by many people that they really felt led into true worship, which was our prayer all weekend.

FIOS is great, although the new channel line-up is still confusing me at times. I spent all day Monday watching the DIY Sweat Equity marathon. Love that show. I also watched a couple of episodes of Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style and I think I prefer it over What Not to Wear. He gives better advice on what is essential for a good wardrobe, although they don’t leave the person with much in the wardrobe since they don’t have a huge spending spree like on WNTW. And I love that while Gunn has that hoity-toity accent, he seems to genuinely like each person they makeover regardless of their social status. He’s not the snob you’d expect from listening to him.

In other TV news, I haven’t been watching this season of The Amazing Race. After the initial episode I’ve been meh about it. I watched Batman Begins for the 3rd time on Sunday night instead and probably had a more enjoyable time. I am loving this season of Dancing with the Stars, though.

OK, need to get back to work. Happy Wednesday, people.

Friday, October 10, 2008

I was told to expect the FIOS technician between 8 and noon. He arrived at 8:15am. Awesome.

He is currently in the back working on installing their boxes to the house and then the work inside will begin. No internet at some point, but I’m working from home so I’ll report progress later.

[10:20am]: We have internet! Woo!

He’s hooking up the cable boxes now. It is all very exciting and now we need to save for an HD TV.

Thursday, October 09, 2008

Again, I cannot access Gmail this morning. I get a 404 page, so there is definitely something going on. It’s frustrating.

Dad, I wanted to email you about your former employee - he pled guilty yesterday, is cooperating with the feds to find the kingpin, and will get a minimum of 5 years and I’m guessing will be deported upon release. Apparently he had 80Gb of data on his home computer, but his ISP turned him in because he tapped into a known sketchy IP address that was on a watch list.

From the Mommy Files, Beau and I were talking about the Duggar family and I said that as much as I love being a mom, if we were 20 years younger and I didn’t get so sick when pregnant I’d totally be up for having 4-5 kids. Not 18, but a nice large brood of kids. That said, I’m thrilled with our 1.3 children because I never expected to have any children at this age. I adore Jesse and I’m falling more in love with the little lemon in my belly every day. Thank you, Lord, for this unexpected blessing.

Nutella = French Vanilla Coffeemate + coffee (decaf) = deliciousness. And it’s way cheaper than *$.

I’ve got a case of the Thursdays.