Speaking of shopping: Stuff for the Resident Alien

Lately people have been asking me what colors I'm using for the Resident Alien's room. The truth is, since we plan on moving out of the condo sooner rather than later, we're going with neutral colors throughout the house, allowing potential buyers the opportunity to picture themselves in our space. For this reason, the Resident Alien's room will most likely be a nice, calm, plain cream color, at least on the walls. But that doesn't mean the rest of the R.A.'s stuff will be, well, for lack of a better word, boring. To start, we bought a cool rug. (See pic above.) I've collected pics of stuff we've purchased for the lil' guy so far to prove we don't totally suck just because we aren't going with a theme in our kid's room.

Hästens bed

Darr and I did a little shopping this past weekend and part of that included a trip to the new Hästens store in Seattle. We aren't really in the market for a new mattress, having recently purchased a Tempur-Pedic, but there was a nice duvet cover in the window we wanted to check out. Once in the store we got sucked into a demonstration by a salesperson I'll call Chip, because that is his name. Chip had Darr and I lying down on bed after bed, on our backs and on our sides, with soft, goose down-filled pillows and with anatomical pillows, with our eyes open and with our eyes closed. The man even touched our feet. What I learned? That there is such a thing as a $49,000 bed. I also learned that I wouldn't ever pay that much for a bed, even if it is (as advertised) "the most exclusive bed in the world". I'd rather buy this.

News: Holy crap, I saw it move!

Yeah, so I'm lying on the bed this evening reading the book The No-Cry Sleep Solution when a weird thing happened. Not only did I feel the Resident Alien performing acrobatics in my belly, I saw my belly move, slight bumps and dips caused by no discernible body part (although I hear later I'll be able to determine whether it is an elbow, a foot or the like). Being pregnant and growing a human is incredibly weird.

Happy anniversary!

2 years and counting...

Cousin Autzen and a toy named Shark

Many thanks to Brother Nick and Megan for watching after Beauty the wonder dog while Darr and I made our way up north to visit downtown Canada for the weekend. Beaut apparently enjoyed herself even though we heard reports she was rather stiff in the morning from being beat upon by the rapidly growing Cousin Autzen. He's a playful little pup and Beaut's old and crotchety but they appear to have fun despite their differences.
Photos courtesy of Aunt Megan

Committee for the Defense of Authentic Camembert

This is a committee I could join. Maybe when I'm finished with law school I can become a lobbyist for them and help keep the world filled with raw milk cheese. If you find the fate of Camembert cheese interesting, click here for the NY Times article.

My favorite line: “There’s a completely different sensation with raw milk Camembert,” Mr. Boddaert said. “A different odor, a different taste, a different color. Industrial Camembert is a horror, a horror!” -- ("The horror, the horror!" is from Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, one of my all time favorite books. That this guy likens industrialized cheese to the savagery of the human condition is humorous to me.)

Just beautiful

Congratulations to Paul Potts for his outstanding performance of Nessun Dorma and his eventual win on Britain's Got Talent. Watch this clip even if you aren't an opera fan. This guy is amazing.

The Clintons meet the Sopranos

Drivers' Ten Commandments

I thought it was a joke but it's all over the news, the Vatican released a list of ten commandments for drivers. Why the Pope settled on this topic to address I have no idea but here they are:

1. You shall not kill.
2. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.
3. Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.
4. Be charitable and help your neighbor in need, especially victims of accidents.
5. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.
6. Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.
7. Support the families of accident victims.
8. Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness.
9. On the road, protect the more vulnerable party.
10. Feel responsible toward others.
    

Division of labor

Christie: I'm pretty sure I can make our kid a spelling bee champion.
Darren: We just need to make our kid into a nice, normal, well-balanced individual.
Christie: Who can spell.
Darren: Who can spell.
Christie: I can take spelling if you take math.
Darren: I can take math.
Christie: I can do the easy stuff and maybe even compound frac--
Darren: Compound fractions!
Christie: Yeah, and division and multiplication and stuff.
Darren: I always wanted a wife who could do compound fractions.
Christie: Well, you got one.

It does make a difference

With the coming arrival of the Resident Alien we knew we'd have to upgrade the old digital camera ("old" meaning we bought it last year) and now we have. Darren got the new Nikon D40x 10.2 MP Digital SLR camera for Father's Day. I spent a lot of time reviewing articles on the differences between the Canon Rebel Series and the Nikon D Series. There isn't much. They are comparable with slight differences that don't mean much to me because I don't know anything about real photography. I did notice when viewing the various photo galleries of each camera online that I consistently gravitated toward the Nikon pics, but I also have a few friends that recommend the Rebel, which left me thinking more info was needed before making a decision. So, a few weekends ago we headed to Pro Photo Supply to check out the wares and get some assistance from one of the professionals behind the counter who actually knows 1) how to use a camera and b. what all of the photography lingo means. After a fairly lengthy discussion, we narrowed the choices to the Nikon D40x and the Nikon D80. There are a lot of similarities between the two models. For Darr and I, it came down to which camera felt better in our hands and which offered us the easy accessibility to navigate the various options and controls. We chose the D40x, the more compact and user-friendly novice photographer option. (At least, that's how I'm describing it.) We couldn't be happier. First of all, neither of us are particularly skilled when it comes to visualizing the shot and understanding angles and the like. Yet, in just a few short weeks of random shooting (approximately 550 pics), we have managed to take some shots that we're totally pleased with. Buying the body by itself and springing the extra cash (we paid the same amount for the lens that we did for the camera body) for the AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 18-200mm lens was worth it. I doubt we would have been as successful as we feel we were without the vibration reduction that is built into the lens. (Apparently both Darr and I are shaky people.) The goal is to work with the camera a lot between now and the arrival of the R.A. so we'll better understand things like lighting and focusing and, well, all those other things that make pictures good. Nikon has a solid marketing campaign right now with their D Series - You can check out photos taken by regular folks using the D40 by clicking here. And here are some shots we found after downloading the first batch from our new toy.

Mabel on the cat structure in the living room at night. The light comes from the standing lamp that is inches away from where she sleeps. She so likes the heat, we often find her paws resting on the lampshade.

Beauty the wonder dog in the backyard at Bobby and Jyla's new house in Sherwood.

Ellie in what is transitioning into the Resident Alien's room. The natural light comes from the west-facing window.

A closeup of Gavin's face after he enjoyed his first birthday cake.

Birthday balloons.

Beauty with ears up.

Beauty with ears down.

Ellie lounges in our bed before we get there to kick her out.

Mabel in her cat bed by the sliding glass doors in our living room.

Mike and Jessica, Jyla and Bobby's friends and guests at Gavin's first birthday party. Yeah, they are both insanely photogenic, lucky bastards.

This is Darr's dad, Jim, with Gavin. Notice the water droplet the camera caught.

Toy elephant in a box on a shelf.

Introducing Aunt Tan

Congratulations to my best friend, Tan, who officially joined the ranks of aunts around the world on Sunday, June 10, 2007, when her sister, Melissa (a.k.a. Mo) gave birth to her first baby, Jackson Lee. Lil' Jackson weighed in at 7lbs, 12oz and was 20 1/2 inches long. Mom, pops and baby are reportedly all doing well.

What's ultra cool about this P.L.I.K. member? I've know Mo her entire life. So, yes, I feel old. But also, I remember meeting Melissa shortly after she was brought home from the hospital all tiny and cute and full of baby goodness. I occasionally babysat Mo and Kassie when Tan got a job up at the Elks Lodge and was unavailable. Mo, Darr, and I had a kickass water fight in the house I was sharing with friends in the mid-90s when Darr and I were just starting our relationship. (Note: Those kitchen faucets with the hose attachments are perfect for in-the-house water fights.) I've watched her grow from being one of the world's cutest babies into the stunningly gorgeous young woman she is today. And now, she's a mom. Congratulations, Mo!

Photo courtesy of Aunt Tan

The return of the morning sickness

I'm well into the second trimester, the so called "golden period" of the pregnancy because many of the unpleasant side effects of the first trimester like morning sickness are supposed to have subsided, and for the last two days I have puked in the morning. Not just 'felt sort of nauseous and like I was going to puke', oh no, actual vomit came up and out and it is gross and now I'm pretty pissed off. To top that off, my newly developed back pain was so reminiscent of a UTI experience from years past that I went to the hospital on Sunday night where I was treated to a ride in a wheelchair (this was fucking humiliating) and poked and prodded only to determine that, yep!, it's just regular pregnancy related backache. Wow. Pregnancy sure is fun. <insert sarcasm here>

I feel like writing lists

Things to Buy Before the Resident Alien Arrives
crib sheets
waterproof mattress pad
mobile
sheet savers
infant car seat
stroller
diaper bag
sling
crib
mattress
changing table
laundry hamper
diaper pail
diaper pail liners
baby monitor
thermometer
breast pump
breast milk bottles/storage bags
nursing pads (what the hell are these?)
nursing bras
burping cloths
bottles
bottle nipple brush
bottle drying rack
dishwasher basket
baby record book
baby album
growth chart

Things to Buy After the Resident Alien Arrives
bumper
snack containers
humidifier/vaporizer
teething gel
extra bottle nipples/caps
bibs
splat mat
soft tip spoons
baby dishes
training cups

Things to Buy When the Resident Alien is 16
car
driving lessons
life insurance policy (for the R.A.)
crash helmet
extra "oh shit" handle for the passenger seat


Many thanks to Sara for her help creating the first two lists.

Accountability

Perhaps it is unfair of me to find glee from the recent incarceration of Ms. Hilton but I'm going to anyway. Hopefully she learns the lesson that you have to a) read what you sign and 2. follow the laws of this country or deal with the consequences of your actions*. At least she turned herself in after getting all dolled up for the MTV Music Awards and won't have a bad mug shot posted on this site like these stars did:
And in other jail news, Lewis "Scooter" Libby got 30 months, 30 months!, for lying and obstructing justice in the C.I.A. leak investigation. Will the judge make him start serving his time right away? Let's hope so. His lawyers are filing an appeal and there is always the possibility that President Bush will pardon Libby.


*This means not blaming your publicist, manager, lawyer, the barista at the local Starbucks, makeup artist, hair stylist or anyone else for actions you did or did not do.

Y2K bug encounter

I found a Y2K bug on the Qwest web site when paying my bill online last night.Note the due date for the current amount due.

Brought to you by iTunes

Latest music downloads:

1. Home / Sheryl Crow
2. Heaven Knows / Taylor Hicks
   
3. What I've Done / Linkin Park
4. Over It / Katharine McPhee
   
5. Once in a Lifetime / Keith Urban
6. Falling or Flying / Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
7. Trouble / Ray LaMontagne
8. World Spins Madly On / The Weepies
9. Waiting On the World to Change / John Mayer
   

Apple's Photo Booth inspires the monthly banner

Darr and I took this shot, along with many others, the first time we fired up Photo Booth on Molly (i.e., my MacBook). Of course, to reach the appropriate size for the banner we had to crop out a lot but you can still see our distorted features, which we hope you'll find as amusing as we did. Happy June!