Mummy Needs a Mocha
Sporadic, that has been the Mum's Box posts as of late. I am consumed with baby information and baby thoughts. I am now beginning my 38th week and the madness has finally set in. For years everyone has been less than kind in accusing me of being crazy but I think I have finally gone over the edge. The mixture of emotions from fear and excitement to pure unadulterated annoyance barrages me constantly and without relenting. This body and mind are no longer sound and unfortunately is no more mine than the baby Jesus. The universe does this balancing act to all women who have decided to embark upon this journey; we are all in the sisterhood of insanity. This has been an easy pregnancy and by no means has it now become difficult to now I have come to the end of my patience. You will all be surprised it has taken me this long to find that end point being the princess and all and the lack of siblings I possess. I have not had a life of waiting for what I want. I am the almost 30-year-old person you know who goes nuts at Christmas and taps every gift under the tree. I love surprises but I don't like knowing there's one waiting in the wings. So far I haven't resorted to scare tactics or old wives tales to get Connor on birthing board. Next week I have my next check-up appointment at 2:20pm. For those of you unfamiliar with my doctor?s office we should be running at least 2 hours late by the time I arrive. I would rather take a poop in the waiting room than have to sit about waiting for another progress report on my cervix. So baby it is time for you to make your appearance. It is a lovely world out here full of mystery, the internet, yummy sweet treats, the furry one and oodles of people who want to smother you in kisses. Come play with us Connor, mummy wants to see her wee one.

Hurricane Charley



Hurricane Charley passed over our little corner of the world Friday August 13th at around 9:30pm. Consequently that's when we lost power but I was not afraid. It seemed like a thunderstorm, which we get here often. It wasn't until the next day that the magnitude of what had happened the night before became clear. We sustained no damage except for the loss of power.



For those of you who don't like in the deep south in August usually the temperature here ALWAYS seems to be in the mid 90's with a heat index of over 100. The heat index takes into consideration the humidity, which also never falls of the radar. I know many of you would think that that's no big deal but with no power you can't run a fan so you just sit around feeling hot and sticky. For the weekend we kept holding out hope that everything would be fixed soon. All meals were eaten out and not much sleep was obtained.



Being 9 months pregnant doesn't ensure a restful nights but I was a woman on the edge by Sunday. My parents were also lacking power and thankfully it came back on Sunday night. So from Sunday until Wednesday we moved in with the folks and there is nothing we could do to repay them for the beautiful air conditioning and countless hours of uninterrupted sleep we obtained. Yesterday while my mother and I were here checking on the cats the power miraculously came on exactly when the wonderful power company said it would.



I am so grateful for the power company, the volunteers from other states that have come to help and the countless small and large businesses that are helping in the relief effort. This weekend was a struggle to find ice and we witnessed the frenzy of people trying to obtain gasoline. There is so much you take for granted when the world runs smoothly.

Mum's Picks from the Toy Box
Top things I have grown to love with almost a fanatical devotion over this pregnancy:
* The West Wing
* Amigo's - my Mexican food fix
* Chewy Sweet Tart's
* My wooden back massager from The Body Shop - thanks Danielle
* Caffeine Free Diet Coke
* BLT Sandwiches
* Hershey Kisses

Damn I Love Me Some Ken



That's all I need to say. I am official addicted to Ken's success on Jeopardy. This will be the time in my life I yell hallelujah for the Mormon's and computer programmers. GO KEN!

Waste Management
It has taken over hour of research and roughly half a dozen calls to figure out where I take my paint cans with PAINT STILL IN THEM! No wonder why people aren't into being green because it's a pain in the ass. So for future reference, collection is at 1 place in the greater Orlando area on Wednesday and Saturday from 8am-5pm. I have spent the weekend doing household stuff and cleaning the yard. The poor sad yard of neglect and broken promises. Hopefully the garage sale on Saturday will be successful. I'm over stressing out about this crap and I would like my house back. Also on the burner are my nursing boards in 2 weeks, which are freaking me out to no end. I may end up pushing them back a week and then I think karma is going to bite my ass and Connor will come early. The perils of being pregnant and trying to get a life started by the end of the year.

Long Story Short
If you ever have to say "to make a long story short" the story is already too long and you will not be able to do anything to fix it.
My week in a nutshell:
* Baby appointment at 8am on Tuesday was canceled, didn't find out until AFTER we arrived
* Bitchy receptionist needed an attitude adjustment
* Saw a grown man who had shit his pants standing under the interstate overpass
* Howard Stern starts on Monday - the messiah has returned to Orlando
* Shaq was traded to Miami and this year is going to be shit for the Lakers
* Bought a gift for Connor
* Sent out baby invitations to my baby shower - YEAH!
* Caught up on family gossip
Well loves you all are up to date so kisses!

Sweet Girl for Prez
Maybe *I* should run for el presidente? It just feels like this year has slim pickings and mostly sad sacks. The unenthusiastic and dull have come out of the woodwork with a slight odor of vegetable soup in the air. Have you ever smelled someone who has a veggie soup like aroma to them? Quite unsettling. Back to my original point that voting this year will be uninspiring to say the least and could possibly cause a rash. My vote this time around will be spent writing someone in whom I would like to be president. Now I know what you are thinking that a write in is like voting for Nader and that's equivalent to throwing your vote away. Well fuck you. Give me someone worth voting for and I'll stick my vote where the sun doesn?t shine for that party?s representative. I however do not see nor can I even begin to imagine that particular scenario ever happening in 2004. So I shall be a voting rebel if you will for 2 cycles in a row. As the world collectively gasps I voted for Nader in the last election and yes I live in Florida. So my swing state swung and I was ridding in the doorknob praying another party would get enough votes so we could have 3 party representation in the 2004 election. No dice. Well that crapshoot was lost but my hope for my vote making a statement has not. I will be writing in my own candidate. A person with honor, integrity, who seems to have grasped the English language and someone I pay attention to when they are mentioned. Vote for whoever you want but don?t' forget that there are more choices than the Sluggish Texan, the Kept Ketchup King or Neurotic Nader. *steps down from cat box*

Spider Mania



Best movie this year, which isn't saying much but I do seem to go to the movies often. Better than the first one and oh my lord I love Tobey Maguire! The special effects, the tight costume and a cameo appearance of Stan Lee all add up to a mixture of lovely goodness. I think in some former life I was a comic book geek of the highest order but in this life I've atoned for those sins and can now have sex with real people. Not only are the fight scenes amazing but also the character development is impressive. Lord help me but I can't wait to see the third installment.

Picture Page
Here are some random pictures I felt it was necessary to post.



She looks amazing now, but I enjoyed her so much more when she was fat.



People spend money on these items. The country is hopelessly doomed.



Thank god they finally buried this poor man. He has more frequent flyer miles than most people in the country and they've all been accrued during the past week. I was growing a little tired of hearing of the greatest love love has ever spawned which luckily culminated in the union of Ronnie and Nancy. In closing I did feel dirty watching Nancy clutch Ronnie's coffin and cry during the closing ceremonies at the library.

Hang Your Head



The 2003-2004 NBA season has come to a close with a fizzle and wrist slitting sadness for us Laker fans. We were defeated soundly, swiftly and without mercy. I'm not sure which game we brought into these finals but it wasn't our "A" game or even our "B" game, it was most assuredly our "S" game. I thank the Pistons for taking pity on my pregnant soul and my blood pressure, which would sky rocket during the game. Nothing has tested my marriage recently than the sheer frustration the Dodd and I have experienced while watching this cluster fuck of a series. Congratulations to Larry Brown for winning his first championship ring. Bill Davidson who is the owner of the Pistons, the Tampa Bay Lightning and some silly WNBA team who have all won their trophies for this year. Is it any surprise this man has enough money to own three sports teams?