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Sugar and spice and everything nice...

It's now a mere 26 days until BK2's due date. Considering it's only friends (and a few select family members) who read 'My e-Soapbox', I feel that I can be open with you and trust that you'll allow BD and I to share our news of BK2's gender ourselves.

That being said, BB1 is going to have a BB2! The new little one is healthy, and an active little bugger. We're both over the moon and I certainly wouldn't change anything.

I've always dreamt of having 3 children. In fact, a psychic once told me that I would have two boys and one girl (she revealed this when I was pregnant with BB1). I'm getting older, and my body is physically drained from all the pregnancies (in the past 4 years I've been pregnant at least once each year). I really think that this may be it for us. A wise friend did share with me that making that decision at 36.5 weeks gestation probably isn't wise - thanks, Lisa! Anyhow, am I okay with only boys? With only two children? I've long had dreams in my mind of having a daughter. Of her and I being close, shopping together, and even the inevitable drifting apart phase during the teen years. Then there's the coming together afterwards, the close bond, the friendship...But wait. None of that is guaranteed. One tidbit of info consistent across the Mommy-board is that you will always have more in common with one child than another...that's natural. Just because you have a daughter, doesn't mean it's going to be sugar and spice and everything nice, right? And who's to say that a mother can't have that same bond, that same close relationship/friendship with her son(s)?

Additionally, say BD and I tried for a third for the sake of a potentially having a girl, what would happen if we had another boy? Keep trying again? I can say right now, from my heart, that if we were to try for a third, it's because we want another child, and we would be happy with whatever we were lucky enough to create together.

Here are two of my favourite quotes on sons:

"We've begun to raise daughters more like sons... but few have the courage to raise our sons more like our daughters. " ~Gloria Steinem

"You don't raise heroes, you raise sons. And if you treat them like sons, they'll turn out to be heroes, even if it's just in your own eyes." ~Walter M. Schirra, Sr.

In closing, I still can't stress enough how happy and blessed we feel/are. Two boys! It's going to be an adventure, a wild ride, and we truly feel our family is complete. Plus, I won't have to share my tiara ;)

Tragic Endings, New Beginnings, and Hangovers...

It is indeed the end of an era. Regardless of how you felt about Michael Jackson, there is no denying the man was a virtuoso. When I first learned about his death last Thursday, I simply thought, "Ok, I guess this is just another one of life's 'where were you when' moments," and moved on from there. After a couple of days of retrospective, however, I believe that the entertainment world has truly lost one of the greats. The man was a genius, and as it usually works with genius types, all of their eggs tend to be in one basket. For MJ, he was an amazing performer/musician. His true self/weird self really only came out into the public eye in the 90's. I don't believe that he molested any children, but I do believe that he was eccentric enough to believe that spending time with young kids would somehow help preserve his own youth through osmosis. I also believe that the MJ that everyone used to love died a long, long time ago. I feel terribly for his family, and especially for his children. I never had the good fortune to see him for a live performance, but as a little girl I certainly danced and sang the hell out of his songs. Yesterday me and BB1 (and BK2 by default) spent a solid hour dancing around the main floor of our home to every MJ hit from 'ABC-123' through to 'Scream' as our personal tribute (Goes w/o saying, but BD was out all morning, which is the only way I was actually able to blast Michael Jackson tunes). As previously stated, we've lost one of the biggest entertainers in history - hopefully he'll now find the peace that was constantly eluding him.

So, I'm kind of in crunch time now. In 7 weeks, BK2 will be making his/her appearance. I honestly don't know where the time went. I'm mildly freaked out and stoked. I've been so focused on BB1, that I never really had time to think about being pregnant or the implications thereof. So, yeah...another human will be joining our fam...and soon! I'm super excited, and much more confident this time around, but also wondering how I could possibly have enough love in me to love another person? Most of my friends have 2+ children and say that the only people who wonder that are those with only one kid. Fair enough. Growing up an only child, I never had to share my Mum's attention (or my grandparents' for that matter), or share toys, or anything really. This is going to be a completely different dynamic. I am psyched.

BD and I went to a movie this afternoon. I'd already seen 'The Hangover" but couldn't wait to see it again. Initially, I didn't even want to see it the first time simply because I thought it would be humour a-la-Superbad, which I thought was - ahem - super bad. Going in with low expectations made the movie the funniest fucking thing I've seen in a long time. Go see it; you won't be disappointed. Or maybe you will be. That would suck.

The Only Unsinkable Ship Is...

The past few days I've been run ragged. Pair that with the typical 3rd trimester lovelies, and that's pretty much where I'm at today. Correction; That's where I was today. On my way home from work, I stopped, as I always do, to pick up the mail. Flyers, bills, junk mail, and...gasp! What's this? A hand-written, cardstock envelope addressed to me! When I got home and opened it, I was moved to tears. 

My BFF, sent me an amazing card with the most beautiful message contained within...and the card was sent just to let me know she's thinking of me. It should be noted that we've been trying to get ahold of one another for weeks and weeks - with no success. We've been friends for about 16 years now, seen each other through pretty much everything from pets dying (poor Max and Sparky) to our own weddings...we've fought, gotten over it; made up dance routines to bad music (John Mellencamp song at Senior Auction, anyone?!), and would always raid one another's closets (one of the best perks about being the same size!!). 

Is any of this unique? Hardly...women the world over have close friendships that last a lifetime. There still remains a uniqueness, however, which lies in the unmatched bond experienced by each woman in her individual friendship. True friendship truly is a gift. I can count on one hand  my true friends...the people that are there for me on a moment's notice, and I them. For that, I am forever blessed.

To close, I'm going to "steal" the poem from the card that I got today, and dedicate right back to A.McC...and also send it to A.B, L.S., J.S., and K.R.:

This is What I See When I Look At You...

I see a remarkable woman

with a kind heart

who is beautiful in every sense

of the word...

When I look at you...

I see a smile that lights up

the room

and laughter that is truly contagious

I see strength and wisdom

beyone anything I have ever known

I see love - pure and true

compassion and thoughtfulness

I see a woman who walks

through this world with gentleness

and grace

I admire you for all that you are

and for all that you do

You are everything wonderful

in this world

and if I had just one wish it would be

that you could see what I see

when I look at you.

Thanks for being amazing A.McC!! Love you!

Actually, I don't remember asking for your opinion...

I'm now in week 25 of my pregnancy, and things are still going well (Yay! One more week until I'm home-free in my own mind...); So well, in fact, that I'm still running. With BB1, I did nothing. No exaggeration. Zip. I sat on my ass and ate, and read, and slept and worked. No exercise. Why I'm still surprised at my 50+ lb. weight gain, I'll never understand. This time around, I figured that pregnancy doesn't have to be a time where you hibernate and do nothing physical (especially for those of us who lead quite active lifestyles). I've been running since week 13, and am really enjoying myself. Sure, I get the odd stare, but don't think too much of it. Until last week.

I was running on one of the trails near our home when I was approached two 50-something-year-old women. One of them eyed me tip to toe, and said to the other (in a loud disgusted tone), "That's just SICK." I've been stewing over this for almost one week. Still running regularly, but stewing nonetheless. Trying to figure out the perfect comeback. Here's what I've come up with:

1. "Fuck you."

2. "You're sick. Go lose some weight, fatty."

3. "My Obstetrician has no issues with my running, so save your Google MD for someone else."

4. "Jealous?"

5. "Fuck you."

These "concerned citizens" need to mind their own beeswax. I'm participating in an upcoming 5K in 12 days. If you happen to be a spectator (at this 5K, or anywhere else), be nice. If you don't have anything nice to say, zip it. To anyone who is pregnant and still running...you go, mama!! Listen to your bod, and do what feels good.

The Birds and the Bees have gotten v. complicated...

I was warned. Emphatically warned, in fact. Lindsay, my amazing hair stylist laid it all out for me last Saturday. Her warnings only intrigued me. I mean, how much could "the talk" have really changed since I was a tween? I queued up last Thursday's Oprah, and got my answer within the first 2 minutes of the show.

"So, have you all talked to your kids about sex? How about oral sex? How about masturbation and vibrators?" 

PARDON???

The collective jaw of the audience dropped. Apparently, no talk is too early - but it still can be age-appropriate. Dr. Laura Berman was on the show that day, and she offered very sage, intelligent advise to parents. This particular posting isn't going to be a regurgitation of the advice she offered, but more, I guess about digesting the "new" information presented.

There was a panel of 14-15 year-old girls on the show talking about what they knew, or knew of. Apparently, oral sex is prevalent in the junior high set. It's viewed as no big deal, the "new" goodbye kiss, and girls think it's ok to do because you can't get pregnant. Are you familiar with rainbow parties? Go Google it, and come back. I'll wait...Crazy, no? I think about when I was in junior high/high school. What if some of the guys had presented it to a group of us as a fun thing to do? I can tell you right now, we would have laughed at their sorry asses. I can only speak to the experiences of my peers/girls in my close circle of friends. Maybe we were prudes, or maybe we're just super old now, and the times have drastically changed. I do know that oral sex, rainbow parties and sexting would not have been options. Sure there were always one or two school sluts that probably would have happily obliged, but for those things to be mainstream, non-intimate acts performed solely on guys in hopes that he'll like you afterwards? No chance. 

What happens to our self-assured, boldly confident 8 and 9 year-old daughters when they hit their teens? Why do they suddenly abandon their self-worth and self respect? Has it always been like this? Maybe my girlfriends were the exception. I mean, if someone's boyfriend, or a guy made an inappropriate comment/started spreading a rumour about one of us, that poor guy wouldn't know what hit him. He would be confronted by the entire group, in the hallway, and ripped to shreds before we'd all walk off laughing. There was a study done recently by Dove, and it identified that girls with low self-esteem participate in harmful and destructive behaviours including eating disorders, cutting themselves, bullying, smoking, drinking, and various "activities" with boys. What I find sad about this is that these girls are not comfortable talking to their mothers, aren't finding solace in their female friendships, and essentially can only deal by either hurting themselves or others. With the exception of the cutting example, our group of friends has dealt, at one time or another, with the various behaviours listed. We all loved each other enough to be able to say, "Hey what's up? Why are you doing this to yourself?" We girls looked out for one another, and still do. Why the younger set are abandoning one another to get the guy...sigh...I don't get it. 

Whether raising a boy or a girl, you've got your work cut out for you. Mistakes are always made along the way, but if nothing else, knowledge is always power. Let's band together and do our best to raise a new generation of confident, smart, knowledgeable, well-adjusted, and caring kids who will hopefully do the same.

C'mon; You know you love these...

60 Things You Possibly Didn’t Know About Me [But Now You Do]

1. What is in the back seat of your car right now? A car seat and reusable grocery bags.

2. When was the last time you threw up?Ummm... March 20, 2009. I love being pregnant. I love being pregnant. I love being pregnant. Nope - still don't believe it.

3. What's your favorite curse word? Jesus-Christ-Shit-Motherfucker (saved for special occasions only).

4. Name 3 people who made you smile today? Angus, Elayne, Crystal

5. What were you doing at 8 am this morning?Brewing tea and checking my work e-mail.

6. What were you doing 30 minutes ago? Trying to get my Supervisor to agree with a decision I'd made.

7. Have you ever been to a strip club? Yes

8. What is the last thing you said aloud? Are you fucking kidding me? Keep me posted!

9. When is your birthday?02-09

10. What is the best ice cream flavor? Rainbow Sherbet (I consider it ice-cream)

11. What was the last thing you had to drink? Water
12. What are you wearing right now? Black turtleneck, khakis, red pennyloafers

13. What is the last thing you ate? Salmon with a side of mushroom barley

14. Have you bought any new clothing items this week? No...Lent is over in less than 2 weeks, though :)

15. When was the last time you ran? Tuesday, March 31, 2009.

16. What's the last sporting event you watched? NCAA Michigan win.

17. What's the last sport you played? Ulti

18. Who is the last person you sent a comment/message on myspace? Considering I have no MySpace account...no one!

19. Ever go camping? Yes.

20.Do you have a tan?No. I look like mashed potatoes. But summer's almost here :)

21.Have you ever lost anything down a toilet? Poop?

22.What is your guilty pleasure? People.com, gofugyourself.com, chews sour gum, Britney Spears, Easter Cream Eggs, regular Pepsi

23.Do you use smiley faces on the computer a lot?:) Yup

24. Do you drink your soda from a straw? Yep...it's all about protecting my teeth!

27. What are you doing tomorrow? Work, run, go to the park with Angus, window shop on-line, sleep :)

28. Where is your mom right now? At work, getting ready to get her summer car out of storage and getting her hair 'did.

29. Look to your left, what do you see? A policy contract with a client that I really don't enjoy working with, a picture of me and Ryan on our CB bike trip, picture of Angus, picture of Marley.

30. What color is your watch?Silver w/ a brown face.

31. What do you think of when you think of Australia? Corey & Amanda, bitches!!

32. Ever ridden on a roller coaster? Yep.

33. What is your birthstone? Amethyst

34. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive through? Drive-thru

35. What is your favorite number?13

36. Do you have a dog? Yes

37. Last person you talked to on the phone? Ryan

38. Have you met anyone famous? Rob Schneider, Curtis Joseph, Bono touched my hand...so, close enough!

39. Any plans today? I'm busy working - can't you tell?!

40. How many provinces have you lived in? 3: NL, ON, NS - spent enough time in QC throughout my life to count as #4, but I won't.

41. Ever go to university? Carleton, Class of '99. Go Ravens!!

42. Where are you right now? At the office *sigh*

43. Biggest annoyance in your life right now? The fact that I'm not on tour with my #1 best-selling novel.

44. Last song listened to? "Swagga' Like Us" - T.I., L'il Wayne, Kanye West, and Jay-Z

46. Are you allergic to anything? Penicillin (although, I think I'm growing out of it)

47. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time? My black Steve Madden 4-inch heels

48. Taste in your mouth right now? Water

49. Are you jealous of anyone? Nope...

50. Is anyone jealous of you? I seriously doubt it.

51. Do you love anyone? Yes. Very much.

52. Do any of your friends have children? Yes.

53. Do you eat healthy? I try to...but fail quite often.

54. What do you usually do during the day? Work.

55. Do you hate anyone right now? No.

58. Do you own any big sunglasses? Yes.

59. Have you ever been to Six Flags? No.

60. How did you get one of your scars?Camping in Colorado when I was 11, I tripped over a jagged tree stump and skinned my ankle. Damn scar is still there.

...The sweetest melody is the one we haven't heard.

Indeed it is...and this album is nothing like we've ever heard. I've been waiting for this day for more than four years. "No Line on the Horizon" dropped today, and B-D bought and burned me the CD from iTunes this morning before I left for work (I gave up non-essential shopping for Lent, and wasn't sure how I was going to get the music...so muchas gracias, te amo!!). I've listened to the album 5 times already, and each time it gets better. I'm going to generalize by saying that if you didn't like "Zooropa" you probably won't like "NLOTH". The album is largely experimental, and inventive. As a music fan, there's nothing more boring to me than an album that has the exact same sound as the one before (or the one before that). In listening to any of the 11 tracks, it's very apparent that it's U2...Edge's guitar is so distinct...Bono's voice is still damn sexy...and Clayton's bass continues to be to U2 what flour is to any delicious cookie recipe: necessary, and wouldn't be right without it. There are some distinct differences, however. A huge surprise is Larry Mullen's presence on each track. His abilities on the drums are phenomenal, but they've managed to kind of blend or get lost in the background in previous albums. In "NLOTH" he's in the driver's seat. I never thought I'd say that he outplays Edge, but it's true. Right after Bono, Mullen makes this album. Right now, my favourite track on the album is a toss-up between "Magnificent" (I've been doing the oh-so-subtle 'desk-dance' all morning to this track...you know bobbing head, white man's overbite, shoulders shrugging), "I'll go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" and "Unknown Caller". They're all very different songs, but each are so raw with emotion both musically and lyrically. Is this my favourite U2 album? As far as I'm concerned, no album will ever touch "Achtung Baby", U2 or not. "NLOTH" is an amazing, challenging, beautiful album. Definitely the best one I've heard in a while. Bono is quoted in an interview as saying, "If we're going to make an album, it's very important to us that every song on the album is a "10." I think the reason people aren't buying albums is a lot of times they only get one or two good songs. For us, every song had to be extraordinary, and special, and unique, and the whole had to be better than the sum of its parts. You'll have to decide if we achieved that, but that's what we were attempting."

Mission accomplished boys! Now go get your own copy...legally.

You down wit' CBC? Yeah, you know me...

CBC, how can I explain it? I'll take you frame by frame it, to have y'all jumpin', shall we singin' it.. 

I'll admit it. I used to be a hater. Anything that looked remotely like a Canadian production (music was the one exception) was automatically written off as crap. Where certain nights were reserved by default for certain shows (i.e. Wednesday nights for 90210 and P.O.F., and Thursday nights for Friends and Survivor), time was never blocked off for, say, Corner Gas. To that same point, I've never heard excited water cooler talk focus around the latest episodes of "Anne of Avonlea" or "Durham County". 

CBC must have fired the old boys' club and brought in some fresh minds, because as of late, my PVR records 3 shows weekly off of the CBC. The kicker? They're actually Canadian productions! 'The Hour', 'Being Erica', and 'The Week the Women Went' are three shows that have made CBC entertaining, funny and actually watchable (no it's not a real word). I'm pretty sure Strombo can turn anything he touches into gold, so no surprise with 'The Hour.' 'Being Erica' is targeting my generation, and gender. It's about a woman in her early 30s who had "such potential" in school secondary and post, and all of a sudden, she's 31-ish, single, working in a call centre and living at home (well, in the pilot, anyway), and wondering where she took a wrong turn and where the time went. 'The Week The Women Went' is actually not that great, but it's a guilty pleasure. Basically, as the title indicates, all the women in a small town are sent to a resort/spa for a week, and the men are left to handle everything. The reason this works in a small town (and I can say this because I actually did live in Smalltown, Onatrio between the ages of 12 - 17) is because most guys who grow up in a small town are hicks who are babied and have no clue on how to run a house, take care of kids full-time, or basically do anything domestic. If they do know how to do it, they play their dumb card so that they can get out of it. Interestingly, the more populated the city, the less you actually see this behaviour. Which is why, I'm assuming, both installments of this show have been filmed in small-town Canada. Anyhow, like I said, it's a guilty pleasure, and v. predictable, but also extremely entertaining. 

In closing, hats off to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on finally breathing some new (and unexpected!) life into its programming. 

It's Not Me, It's You.

Ah, yes. The line I would have loved to have used on a few choice occasions over the course of my 33 years. Lily Allen has titled her sophomore album by that same phrase. If you're at all familiar with her debut, "Alright, Still", you already know how fitting this new title really is. In listening to the tracks, it's glaringly apparent that she has maintained her reign as 'funniest Brit pop star." The 3rd track, "Not Fair", is excellent. In a nutshell, it's a 'Dear John' to her boyfriend who measures up in every way...except for one. Ladies, we've all had one of those types in our  past - I defy you to listen to the track and not laugh your asses off. "F**k You" is a another goodbye letter...this time to G-Dubya. Love it. Give the album a listen - you won't be disappointed.

In other news, Salma Hayek has been in the hot seat for breast feeding.  She was on a UN mission to Sierra Leone, and there was a malnourished baby boy whose mother could no longer produce milk. Miss Salma started breast feeding the baby without giving it a second thought. Good for her. Would I do it? No way. I breast fed BB1 until he was almost 11 months, which is too long according to some, and not long enough according to others. I could give a rat's ass about people's opinions on my breast feeding habits/choices for my son. Similarly, the fact that Salma Hayek is still feeding her 15-month-old little girl via breast is completely her business. The fact that she directly fed someone who was not her baby, to me, is just...gross, for lack of a better word. I realize I'm in the minority in feeling this way. According to abcnews.com, millions of women passionate about the cause shared their views, many saying that the were moved to tears by Hayek's generosity. In some cultures, cross-feeding is common. What confuses me is that breast feeding is not only just a mechanism of feeding your baby, but it's also a bonding time. If women were all meant to all breast feed, we'd all be lactating 24/7. I am aware that in Sierra Leone, you can't just pop over to the local grocery store to buy formula, so cross-feeding is probably more widely practiced there. I respect the unique culture and rituals of different countries around the the world, but that doesn't mean that it's something that I would personally do.

Only three weeks, 1 day and 11 .5 hours until the new U2 disc "No Line on the Horizon" drops. Get on your boots!

Untitled.

I'm sure by now you've all learned the outcome of the Penny Boudreau case. Earlier today, she pleaded guilty to murdering her 12-year-old daughter. She claims that she did it because her boyfriend gave her an ultimatum of choosing between either him or her daughter in order to save the relationship; Ms. Boudreau opted for the guy. As a mother, actually, as a normal human being, I cannot imagine murdering your own child. As a child, your  parents, especially your mother, is the one person you can always count on, the one you trust implicitly, the one who will always be there for you. I simply cannot imagine what her daughter, Karissa, was thinking in her final moments of life as her mother had her pinned to the ground and was strangling her to death with twine. I don't think that the Court should have accepted Penny Boudreau's guilty plea. I believe that the case should have gone to trial, because she absolutely would have been found guilty of murder in the first degree. She is a poor excuse for a human being, and a woman who should never have had the privilege of motherhood. I feel an immense amount of hatred toward Penny Boudreau, both from the standpoint of a mother myself, and as a daughter. I can't imagine the amount of pain Karissa must have felt at home. I know first-hand what it feels like to be a young girl living in a home where a step-parent has made it blatantly obvious that you're not wanted. She must have felt that every day. For the boyfriend to even present the "me or your daughter" choice, is ridiculous. What's perhaps even more ridiculous is that the mother didn't kick his ass out. 

I know that everyone's situation is different, but I've said many times to B-D, that if things were ever to end between us, I would, without a doubt, fly solo until all the children were grown and out of the house. Like I said, everyone has a different experience, but for those of us who have had traumatic step-parent involvement, it's tough to imagine putting our own children in those same situations where the potential for a repeating pattern is even remotely possible. Going to bed in a home where you're not 100% accepted is absolutely heartbreaking. Hopefully for Karissa, she had that acceptance elsewhere, like with other family members or close friends and their families. Ultimately, it's there and through those support networks that you can rise above your "step"-raising.

Unfortunately, for poor Karissa, she'll never have the opportunity to overcome, to grow, to move on, to create her own life. For that, I hope Penny Boudreau lives hell on Earth for the rest of her life.

Time-Defining News...

This past Tuesday was unforgettable. It marked the inauguration of the first black president of the United States of America (and the first competent President in 2 terms), Barack Obama. Those of you who know me, know that I've been on the Obama Obandwagon for some time now...so Tuesday was a day I won't ever forget. Even BB1 (on my prompting, of course) was running around saying, "Bama, Bama, Bama" for most of Tuesday night. I will forever remember Tuesday, January 20, 2009; What I was doing (working, but watching the inauguration in a large meeting room at work), what I was wearing (black skinny pants, black and grey colour-block wrap, and knee-high flat boots overtop of my pants), and the weather (damn cold!). 

This monumental event got me thinking about all past events that have occurred in my lifetime where I can place myself, and what I was doing at the moment that they occurred. 

Caveat nit-pickers: Just because I may have left out an event that was very important or world-changing between the years of 1976 - 2009 does NOT mean I did not/do not deem it important. It simply means that I cannot place myself specifically when it happened. 

I'll start with the earliest event and work my way forward...

1. January 28, 1986, The Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster

This was my first memory of disaster. I can picture the video of the shuttle exploding vividly, but more disturbing to me, rather than that image, was that Christa McAuliffe had died. As a little girl, I remember being horrified at the fact that she had 2 kids at home - I had nightmares for weeks thinking of my own Mother's mortality. I actually still have the front page of The Ottawa Citizen from that date.

2. November 9, 1989, The Collapse of the Berlin Wall

I remember watching this with my grandparents, who are Eastern-Euro immigrants. They were speechless. I was trying to gauge how happy these people were to finally be free to pass between East and West Germany, and that their country was finally reunited...but honestly, I just didn't "get" it. Of course, I understand now, as an adult, but I remember being puzzled that the wall was allowed to go up in the first place.

3. December 6, 1989, Ecole Polytechnique Massacre

I had religion right after lunch that day. It was freezing, and snowing outside. As we took our seats in class, our normally chipper and jovial religion/music/English teacher walked in, and somberly talked to us about what had happened, and fielded ANY questions we had about it, about how we felt, and I remember her saying that we could cry about it, too. That last 10 or 20 minutes of class were spent with the lights off, and her leading us in silent prayer.

4. January 16, 1991, Operation Desert Storm

I was at home extremely sick with the flu that entire week, and I think my little 13-inch black & white television was on the entire time. I would doze in and out of sleep and wonder whether or not this conflict was even real. Considering that the Operation was successful in the expulsion of Iraqi troops from Kuwait, it was fantastic to have been able to witness (albeit, thousands of miles away, watching t.v., tucked safely into my waterbed).

5. April 8, 1994, Kurt Cobain is found dead at age 27

I had just gotten home from Track practice, and was on the phone with a friend of mine who said, "So Kurt Cobain, eh?" I had no idea what he was talking about and assumed he was talking about In Utero because he knew how much I loved the album. He went on to explain that he was found by an electrician and there was a suicide note. I was shocked. I was angry. I remember hearing that once Frances Bean was born, he went out and bought a Volvo because it was the safest car on the road. What a fucking hypocrite...why bother? I remember thinking on my 27th (many, many years after 1994) birthday that it was crazy that he was in such a dark place that the only way out was death...I was in such a different mindset. Maybe he would have been happier working 9-5  at a 3rd-party benefits administration company as a Customer Service Representative?

6. June 17, 1994, O.J. Simpson Low-Speed chase in White Bronco

A bunch of us were at a house party. We were drinking our faces off, and the music was blaring, and everyone was having a good time. Someone switched on the television, and soon after, the music died, people stopped drinking, and we were glued to the screen. We were incredulous that the Po-Po couldn't/wouldn't catch the Bronco considering it was traveling so slowly. I believe that this was the first sensationalized news story that I can remember. No the date of the verdict is not on my list. Don't remember that date at all.

7. August 31, 1997, Princess Diana dies in a Car Crash in Paris

It was the morning after my step-sister's bachelorette party. We (a bunch of girls) woke up in our hotel suite, and turned on the television, and every station was carrying the story. She had been in a car accident in the Pont d'Alumet tunnel in Paris, France, and had died hours later. The news stations kept playing that surveillance tape of her a Dodi Al-Fayed coming out of the revolving doors, and rushing into the back seat of their black Benz. It looked strange to see footage of her mere minutes before that fatal accident.

8. Tuesday, April 20, 1999, Columbine High School Massacre

This is the first of 2 stories on this list that scared me because I thought a member of family was a victim. My favourite Aunt, Uncle and cousins lived not far from where the massacre took place. I knew my older cousin was no longer in high school at that time, but I wasn't so sure about the younger one. I called my Mom and was crying asking her if Tif had been a student at that school. She said no, and then a bunch of other things that I don't remember (I think she said she had already started college)...I was just so relieved that my family wasn't affected directly. It pains me to think of how many frantic calls were placed that didn't end with cries of relief.

9. December 31, 1999, Y2K

As always, another New Year's Eve lunch bag letdown. I spent it at a party in the basement of a church (no, it wasn't a religious party...just happened to be in a church), with an ex-boyfriend I dumped soon after and a group of friends (his friends) that I no longer talk to. What's that chorus from that Prince song..."Tonight we're Gonna party like it's 1999."? Must've been the worst fucking party EVER. Maybe Prince was warning potential party go-ers not to go. If you ever get a call from me saying that "I'm partying like it's 1999"...DON'T COME OVER. THE PARTY SUCKS.

10. September 11, 2001, Bombing of the Twin Towers

This is the second of 2 stories when I thought a family member was a victim. The day started off memorably beautiful. I was up at sunrise, and went for a walk. I stopped by a Tim's on the way home, and drank my tea on a park bench admiring the Ottawa River. I got home (and no joke...) I remember thinking that the day could not get any better, and was walking around with a smile on my face. I got a cryptic call from a friend saying, "Turn on the television. Bye." So I did, and that's when I saw the footage of the first plane hit the  North Tower. I was paralyzed. Minutes later, the second plane hit the South tower. I called my Mom, crying and asking if our cousin (who was working out of one of the Towers at that time) was okay. She didn't know. Our entire family was trying to get in touch with Maria, but with no luck. My Mom came over to my place later that day and we just cried and cried. My Grandmother called saying that Maria had phoned her and was okay. She was on a golf course all day somewhere in Kentucky with clients.

10. December 26, 2004, Asian Tsunami

Rightly or wrongly, I have never been afraid of the water. When I saw video images of the waves hitting the beach, I was petrified. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I've been sitting here for 5 minutes trying to figure out what else to say about it, and cannot. 

11. January 16, 2009, Miracle on the Hudson

Everything about this story is miraculous! What are the chances of hitting a flock of Canadian Geese (I don't think it's common, but maybe I'm wrong)? What are the chances that Cpt. C.B. Sullenberger would successfully land an Airbus A320 in water? What are the chances that everyone on board would escape with their lives? The photo of everyone standing on the wings of the aircraft is unbelievable. 

If I had to define my life by way of World news, the previous 12 entries (The Obama Inauguration wasn't numbered, but would be #12) would be it. I wonder what the next 12 entries will be?

 

...Baby One More Time

First off, no, that's not me. Secondly, yes, it's applicable! Me and B-D are expecting our second baby in August 2009. To save you the rough work in your head, I'm 9 weeks along. If you know me well, you know that we have had much difficulties with past pregnancies (R.I.P. always, Harrison), but have also been enormously blessed with BB1. I'm ready and willing to share our news, even at this early stage.

We went to our first ultrasound today, and all went as well as possible. The techie took the measurements, showed us the heart, the top of Baby, the bottom and then sent us on our way. This time 'round, I've been nauseous 24 hours each day, and exhausted. Very different from the other pregnancies, but I'm honestly not complaining...well, not too much anyway. 

We're just thrilled at the prospect that our babies will be 22 months apart. I don't know any siblings that close in age who do not have close relationships as well. We will find out the baby's gender as soon as it's visible on a future ultasound...I'm far too practical to not find out. Some people think that it's spoiling a suprise - perhaps one of the few surprises that we have in this lifetime. To that, I say hogwash. It's a surprise whether you find out at 14 weeks or 40 weeks. Completely individual decision, right? 

As I mentioned, this pregnancy has been completely different than the previous 6...I will keep you posted along the way. My goal for this pregnancy (besides producing a healthy, happy baby, of course)? To not gain 50 pounds. I think that was one of the most shocking things when BB1 was born. I couldn't believe he only weighed 5 lb. 15 oz...After gaining the weight I did, I was expecting double that. 

I'm not alone with being pregnant, either. To date, my step-sister, my old roommate, 2 co-workers, and 2 friends of family are currently expecting. I actually read a headline from USA Today indicating that in 2007, there was a huge baby boom. Well, to be accurate, they called it a 'boomlet' because the last baby boom ended in the 60s. Kind of interesting.

As a side note...how amazing are all the movies in release right now?? I am dying to see them all. "Slumdog Millionaire"...go see it. Actually, read the book first. "Q&A" by Vikas Swarup. It's raw, heartbreaking, and hilarious. I also read the short story "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It's a good story...only 20 pages, so I'm not sure why the film's running time is 2 hours 47 minutes...hopefully it doesn't drag. I also read "Twighlight" over Christmas. Wow! I would have looooooved it as a young teen. I definitely want to check out the movie. Finally, you know how much I adore Mr. DiCaprio (I did almost buy a Geo Metro, you know...BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...oh God, did I really just pull up the Geonardo DiMetrio joke from high school?!?!), and so Revolutionary Road is top of the list for me right now.

Well, thanks for stopping by, it was great writing to you:) Hugs and kisses...