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.