Foo For You!

Is someone getting the best of you?

Fun Time With Celebrities!

This is the funniest shit I have seen in ages! Man, I wish that Britney interview had gone down like that!

No Screech, I will not "Save Your House". Look man, it's called financial responsibility. I can't help it if you spent all of your "Saved By The Bell" money on hookers and blow-I don't see Mark Paul Gosselar or Mario Lopez hittin' me up for dough. Why don't you take the money you're spending on promoting your cause online and use it towards your mortgage? Makes sense to me!

Hilary Duff Is Chaste: Look girlie, if you're really "saving yourself", more power to ya. However, last time I checked anal and oral are also defined as "sex". Oh, and handjobs count, too, so does "dry humping" with your panties on. I knew chicks in high school who got pregnant that way! PS: Eat something, will ya?!

Hey Pete, do us all a favor and OD already, would you? You're obviously not interested in rehab, and we're not amused by your antics anymore.

Dear Lindsay Lohan:

Unless you are in a movie that requires it as some sort of lame plot point, or are auditioning for a part in a revival of "West Side Story", dance-off's are for losers. Really, what do you think you're trying to prove? Oh, look at me! I can shake my ass better than you! Ohhhh...I'm so scared of you now! You're so hard! Just FYI...

xo,

Nat

Food For Thought....

Now, get off your ass, get informed, and get out there and VOTE!!

And, while you're at it, check out this site-interesting reading.

Happy Anniversary, Baby

Eight years ago today, you made your wife.

You've made me so happy, been so supportive, and shown me what unconditional love really is.

I love you, honey. Thank you for marrying me.

Not The Most Conventional Romantic

Jake has never been a "traditional" romantic. Which, despite my ever-loving romantic heart, doesn't bother me. However, he does have his moments-for instance:

* The time he surprised me by sending flowers to my office for my birthday-the first time ever in our relationship that he's done that.

* The time he woke me up at 3 am on Valentine's Day with a dozen roses and a mushy card.

* The time he made reservations-reservations, people!!-to one of the oldest, fanciest restaurants in D.C.; a place with a dress code! for V-Day. Oh, be still my beating heart! Sure, we double-dated with my BIL and his wife, but the $150 dinner was one of the most memorable moments in my life.

* Earlier that same day, we had gone ice skating on The Mall, in the sculpture garden; also one of the most memorable moments of my life. *sigh*

But, to truly prove my point that my husband is the least traditonally romantic man in the world, I present to you his idea of a great "wedding song":

"We're In This Together"

I've become impossible

holding on to when

when everything seemed to matter more

the two of us

all used and beaten up

watching fate as it flow down the path we

have chose

you and me

we're in this together now

none of them can stop us now

we will make it through somehow

you and me

if the world should break in two

until the very end of me

until the very end of you

awake to the sound as they peel apart the skin

they pick and they pull

trying to get their fingers in

well they've got to kill what we've found

well they've got to hate what we fear

well they've got to make it go away

well they've got to make it disappear

the farther I fall I'm beside you

as lost as I get I will find you

the deeper the wound I'm inside you

for ever and ever I'm a part of

you and me

we're in this together now

none of them can stop us now

we will make it through somehow

you and me

if the world should break in two

until the very end of me

until the very end of you

all that we were is gone we have to hold on

all that we were is gone we have to hold on

when all our hope is gone we have to hold on

all that we were is gone but we can hold on

you and me

we're in this together now

none of them can stop us now

we will make it through somehow

you and me

even after everything you're the queen and I'm the king

nothing else means anything

(music and lyrics by Trent Reznor)

Sweet, isn't it?

Don't Like Liberals?

Oh What A Feeling!

I had one of "those" dreams last night. You know the ones-the pregnancy dreams. The ones that usually leave an infertile woman bereft, and in an ill mood for the rest of the day. The ones that make you never want to wake up, because the dream is so wonderful.

However, I am excited to report that instead of feeling down today, I'm actually happy and peaceful. That is a significant change for me, and gives me hope that this "happy mode" of mine is around to stay.

The dream itself was wonderful, but weird, as dreams usually are. I was in a Wal*Mart-type store, looking for some clothes, when my best friend asked me why I wasn't looking in the maternity section, since regular clothes wouldn't fit anymore. It was then that I suddenly "remembered" that I was indeed pregnant! I looked down at my body in awe and saw that I must have lost a significant amount of weight prior to conceiving, because even my pregnant body was smaller overall than what I am now. I wandered over to the baby furniture to price cribs, and Jake met me over there. We both looked at each other in amazement and let out a shriek of joy because it hit us that we were going to finally be parents. It was so sweet and wonderful to have that feeling of love and joy wash over us. I also knew for some reason, that we were having a boy, which is odd only because I had a different dream the other night that I was holding my newborn son.

All in all I am greatly encouraged that I can find a peace in these images, that I no longer wake up crying and asking "why me". I feel so positive at the moment that these dreams will become a reality sooner rather than later. I don't know how or why I feel that way, but I just hope that the "intuition" is correct. Guess I'll just have to wait and see-and for the first time, I'm looking forward to it.

The Devil In Disguise

Well, it is 06-06-06 you know!!

Stepping Out Into The Sun

I know I have been extremely remiss in posting to this blog, but it is for a good reason. No, unfortunately, I'm not pregnant, however I am.....happy. Well and truly happy with my life right now.

For so long, I have allowed infertility to rule my every waking thought. For seven years my inability to bear a child has consumed me, made me less of a person. I couldn't truly enjoy my life and all there was in it. There was always a bitterness that tinged whatever joy I could find. I hated how the blackness of my depression would creep up on me at the most unexpected times. I forgot who I used to be.

No longer. Since our vacation, I have slowly begun to find myself again-the me I was so long ago, before this baby race began. I find myself able to hear about a friend's pregnancy without wincing, to watch happy families together without that tug in my heart, to make love to my husband without thinking about sperm counts, ovulation, temperatures. There is definitely a freedom in letting go and finding yourself. I keep myself busy with activities with my family and friends, and find myself planning for the future, without automatically including children in that equation.

That's not to say that I'm giving up on being a mother-not by any means. I fully intend to have children someday. However, I've let go of it being the sole purpose in my life. I'm still trying to figure out what to do with myself now, and as I take these tottering steps towards that future, I am filled with a hope I've never felt before.

So, you ask, where does that leave this blog? Well, I'm just going to shift gears for awhile and post about whatever's in my head at the moment, and lately, that's been politics. So, you may find that I'm taking a completely different direction then what you had expected. However, this blog is, and always has been, a form of catharsis for me-and I've got a lot on my mind, other than infertility, that I need to get out.

Now, I will eventually get around to doing those detailed vacation posts, but suffice it to say we had an absolutely marvelous time, and yes, Kellie, I did get my Papaw's knife back, I'm happy to report.

Until next post, I wish you all the peace and joy you can find in your life.......

Motivation

Is what I don't have alot of these days. I know you've all been waiting for the next installment of my vacation posts, and honestly, everyday I mean to post them, but either something comes up, or I just don't have it in me to sit and type for about an hour or so. I'm really sorry about that, and since I have nothing better to do at work tomorrow (don't tell my boss that!), I'll find time to put up the next vacation post.

So, until then, I'll see you later-I've got laundry to do!

I Had To Walk Up A Hill!! Barefoot!! In The Snow!! (Also known as: Vacation Post, Part Deux)

So, where was I?

Oh yeah-when we last left off, Jake and I were on our way from the Meteor Crater in Winslow, AZ to Flagstaff, AZ, where we planned to stay before visiting the Grand Canyon the following day. Well, the further up the mountain we went, the worse the snow became, thanks to a horrendous storm that was barreling down on us. By the time we reached Flagstaff, there was already a good 4-6 inches on the ground, and it was still coming down. The roads weren't too bad, as long as you were careful, and we stopped at the motel we would be staying in for the night. After unloading everything from the car and putting it in the room, I cranked up the heat (it was cold!) and we decided to see if we could find a Wal*Mart to get a couple of things I forgot to bring with us, along with some dinner. Well, we didn't find the Wal*Mart, because we took a wrong turn and ended up in the old "Route 66" part of Flagstaff. We ended up stopping at a Family*Dollar and made our purchases as quickly as possible, since it was after dark, and a sports car and slick roads do not mix well. Well, by the time we got back to the room, it was STILL cold!! I figured out that the heater was broken, and after switching rooms, we settled in for the evening and the snow kept falling while we slumbered.

The next morning, Jake comes barging into the room with breakfast from downstairs and announces that we'll be lucky to get out of there because he'd been up since 5 am (it was 8 by this time) and despite brushing the snow off the car then, it was now covered with another almost 4 inches, on top of what had been falling all night. There were also cars stuck at both the entrance and exit to the motel, and who knows when they'd get unstuck, and the manager was downstairs, cursing in a foreign language-panic was rampant. Trust me, it was a very dramatic moment. To make things worse, I was on my period and very emotional, so when I started to become weepy at the prospect of being stuck in Flagstaff for the rest of my vacation, Jake snapped at me, only making things worse. We went downstairs with my determination to dig us out, (damn it!!) and for me to eat breakfast while there was still any left. Jake at least had the foresight to turn our car around at 5 am, and park backwards in the space, to make it easier to get out. So, we proceeded to use the motel's snow shovel and got to digging! The snow was between 8-24 inches, depending on where the drifts were. But, by golly, we dug, and we got that car clear!! I'd already packed everything up to make for a quick exit, and we rushed downstairs with our bags, throwing them haphazardly into the back of the car. But before leaving I took these three photos from our room to prove how bad it got. Despite all of our hard work, we still weren't sure if we'd actually be able to make it out of the parking lot. I give total credit to Jake's driving skills for getting us out of there. Needless to say, we decided that the Grand Canyon trip was a bust. There was no way we'd safely make it up there.

However, this was not to be the end of our drama. Once on the freeway, the snow was still falling, and everyone was driving 20 mph down the mountain, in the middle of the road. Cars and trucks were off the road, where they had slid before coming to a stop. The trees and ground were covered, and the wind started picking up-blowing the snow even harder. It was a tense ride, but the further we descended down the mountain, the better the driving conditions became. Unfortunately, after we were about an hour away from the motel, I remembered that I had lent Jake my beloved (deceased) Papaw's pocket knife to open something with, and I didn't recall him giving it back. He said he had left it on the night stand, thinking I'd see it. Well, I didn't, and that meant that we had left it behind in our rush to flee the area before more snow could fall. I immediately burst into hysterical sobs, as this was the only physical thing I had left of my Papaw, and I was so mad at Jake I couldn't see straight. I finally came to my senses enough to call the motel and ask that if they found it, could they please hang on to it, until we came back through on our way home? The manager said he would, but my phone died from a bad cell area before I could give him my cell number. All we could do is cross our fingers, and hope the maid found it and turned it in. Since there was nothing we could do, we resolved to enjoy the rest of our vacation, and continued on to.......

Vegas, baby!!! VEGAS!!!!

(to be continued.......)

Inappropriate Wedding Reception Songs

So, I was ruminating about nonsensical things, and I was thinking "What are some really inappropriate songs that I've heard at weddings?" Now, I'm not just talking about sexually-themed songs, but songs that may have the theme of "love" to them, but don't apply to the newly-wed. Here are some examples I've come up with (listed below), and I want all of you to reply to this-adding your own selections. Let's see what we can come up with! Bonus points if you've actually heard these at a wedding!!

1. "The Dance" by Garth Brooks (this song is about a couple that broke up, stupid!!)

2. "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion (Um, don't you remember that Jack DIED at the end?! Is that the thought you want to enter wedded bliss with?)

3. "I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton/Whitney Houston (A good-bye song from a hooker, in the Dolly Parton version)

4. "You Shook Me All Night Long" by AC/DC (While I LOVE this song, I don't exactly want the image it conjures in the head of my parents before I head off for my wedding night...ewwww)

5. "I Know" by Jude (A song about a relationship with a lonely guy and an emotionally/physically insecure woman. It's a gorgeous song, but I thought it was an interesting "first dance" choice for my brother-in-law and his wife)

Technical Difficulties *Updated*

***Ok, apparantly I'm an HTML idiot. I managed to fix the problem myself, thanks to some help on the Blogger forums. I was trying to upload a video of Prince's "When Doves Cry" for the "Tuesday Goodness" post. Well, I guess something was wrong w/the html or the link was too long for IE, and it not only caused my sidebar to drop to the bottom, but it made it so I couldn't even delete my posts. However, when I went into edit mode, and deleted the "blank box" that was in the posts, then republished-voila!! It worked! Not only could I delete my posts, but my sidebar was back on the side! Oh well, at least it's fixed now. I'm leaving this post up, in case any other Blogger user has a similar problem.***

I'm having Blogger issues with my posts (hence the 2 blank "Tuesday Goodness" posts below), so until the tech support people get back to me, installment #2 of my vacation adventures will have to wait.

In the meantime, I will try to do a funny post to keep you occupied.

Thanks for understanding!

The Long Awaited Vacation Post (Part I)

So, about my vacation--other than a couple of snags, it was everything I'd wanted it to be and more. Here are some of the highlights:


We started off heading west on I-40, going through western Oklahoma, the Texas Panhandle, and the New Mexico desert, before stopping for the night at a HoJo in Albuquerque. The room had a king sized bed, something Jake and I are not used to sleeping on, as we have a full size at home. Seeing as how we like to cuddle in our sleep, more than half the bed went to waste.

The next morning, we headed off to our next destination: Flagstaff, AZ, with a quick stop at the meteor crater in Winslow. Jake has always wanted to see the crater, ever since he saw "Starman" as a kid. First, we had to cross the Navajo reservation in NM. What a beautiful part of the country! We definitely felt we were in the "State of Enchantment". As we headed into the mountains, the temperature began to fall, as did the snow. By the time we reached this point, it was really coming down. Being the anal-retentive planner that I am, I was already expecting this and had prepared thusly by ensuring our coats were within easy reach, and that we had a blanket and supplies, "just in case". The roads were still pretty good at this point, and since we were descending down the mountain into Arizona, they only improved as we went along.


Considering that it is essentially a big hole in the ground, the Meteor Crater is, quite simply, an amazing sight to behold. To think that a giant piece of rock fell out of the sky from space to come hurtling down and slam into the Earth is an astounding thought. My photos of the Crater do not do it justice. The sheer enormity of its size is intimidating, and makes you leery of any other such catastrophes occurring in our lifetime. While we were at the Crater, a massive storm system was bearing down on us from the West, whipping up the wind and blowing snow everywhere. We were freezing our collective asses off while admiring the view, although it was completely worth it. For any of you considering checking out this natural wonder, I highly recommend that you do, however, please note that there is a charge to get in. We had to pay $15/person for the adult rate. Jake was slightly griping about the price, but I reminded him that this is the National Park Service we're talking about, and this poor, under-funded agency needs all the money it can get. All in all, despite the cold and the price, it was a great little stop along our way, and I would definitely go there again.

Next up: Flagstaff! Or: How The Heck Do We Dig Ourselves Out Of This Snow?!!

Programming Note...

Sorry, folks. As my good friend, Kellie, reminded me, I had promised a vacation update (with photos!) upon my return. Well, I've been back almost 2 weeks now, and have yet to fulfill that promise.

My work and personal life has been quite hectic these past 2 weeks, and I'm just now getting to upload some of my vacation photos (you can see them in my flickr account), but I promise (cross my heart, etc.) to have an update and photos up by Sunday. I have so much to share-stories, laughs, harrowing adventures-you won't want to miss it!

See you Sunday!

Vacation's All I Ever Wanted....

....vacation have to get away!!!!! (Don't you just love the Go-Go's?!)

As of tomorrow night, Jake and I are embarking on a 10 day road trip out west to see such sights as:

*The Grand Canyon!*

*Las Vegas!*

*Santa Barbara!*

AND...

*San Francisco!*

Exciting, no?

This is will be our first "real" vacation (visiting relatives so does not count) in the 8 years since our honeymoon trip to Disney World. Needless to say, we desperately need this downtime together. However, since we don't own a laptop, I will be unplugged from the world wide web for the duration of our trip, and cannot update you with tidbits from the road. However, I promise to post stories and pictures upon my return. In the meantime, if any of you is harboring "Aunt Flo" at your house, could you send her my way? She's 4 days late for her arrival, and according to Mr. Evil Pee Stick (whom I christened yesterday), there is no reason within my uterus (like, say, an embryo-ha, ha, ha...oh how funny!) for the delay. My fear is that she'll show up on the road, and with her will be her evil sister: Excruciating Cramps, and I'll have to seriously sedate myself in order to tolerate the pain. Oh Endo, what a bane to my existence you are! Just wait, I'll lap' you off this year-so there!

Anyway, so any good thoughts you could send our way for a safe trip, and minimal pain for me would be appreciated. See you on the flipside!

A Chance To Make A Difference

I was just reading this week's issue of People magazine, and came across an article about the Millennium Promise project run by Dr. Jeffrey Sachs. The goal of the project, in conjunction with the UN, is to end worldwide poverty by 2025.

The program is trying to elminate poverty one village at a time. To some, this may be a lofty goal, but when you read about a 6 year old boy who died of a severe case of malaria for lack of a medicine that would cost only $1.20 per person, you may change your mind.

The plight of Africa is one that haunts me. In this world of prosperity for so many, it is an overwhelming tradgedy that Africans are dying by the thousands every day. Not only from the AIDS epidemic, but from the simplest of diseases, like malaria, and from lack of food and clean water-all things we take for granted every day. It breaks my heart to read these stories. I feel so helpless, yet there is something simple I, and you, can do. The Project is asking for a $50 annual donation to help reach its goal of $300,000 a year for the 5 years it will take to lift a village of 5,000 out of poverty. Now, I don't know about you, but I can blow $50 on one trip to Wal-Mart or Target, just on useless junk. $50 is not too much to ask to save the lives of thousands, in my opinion, and I will gladly give it. I know there are so many homeless and impoverished people here in America that we should all help as well, but at least here in the US we have social programs that (while terribly underfunded) are in place to begin the process of giving a hand up to those in need. I fully advocate helping the poor in America-I was once homeless in my childhood- and will definitely post more on that later, but this story struck a chord in me that I can't ignore.

I encourage all of you to pick up a copy of this week's People (with Sheryl Crow on the cover), and read the story for yourself. If you find yourself as moved as I was, please visit the Millennium Promise site here and contribute if you are able.

I leave you with my favorite quote: "Be the change you wish to see in the world." ~ Mahatma Ghandi, and a wish for a better tomorrow.

Bigger Than A BJ

As some of you may now know, the AP has released a video showing that the President knew damn well the scope of devastation that would occur in the wake of Katrina a full 24 hours before the hurricane hit. What astonishes me is not that this incompetent, bumbling fool did nothing, (because hey, if America coming under terrorist attack didn't provoke him into action, then why would a natural disaster?) but that everyone isn't screaming for his head, the way they did Clinton's. All Clinton did was get a blow job from an intern-he didn't allow his extremely poor judgment contribute to the deaths and devastation of thousands of innocent lives.

How much longer are we going to allow this man, and his Administration drag America down into an abyss of shame, inaptitude, and fear? When will someone stand up and hold him accountable for his actions? Why is receiving sexual gratification (albeit inappropriately) from an intern worse than this? If Clinton had acted in the same egotistical, reckless manner that Bush has displayed, then I would've been one of the first to call for his head on a platter (and this is coming from someone who loves me some Bill).

I encourage each of you out there to contact your Senators and Members of Congress and tell them that America won't stand for this any more! Tell them to make Bush accountable for his (in)actions, the way they held Clinton accountable for his. By not speaking out, and standing by idly, we are giving Bush permission to continue down this destructive path for the remainder of his term. America, let's grow some BALLS and do the right thing!

Happiness Is Low Approval Rating

This made my otherwise blah day bright. Ahhh... *smile*

Is everyone waking up yet? Do you finally get what "we" (and by "we" I mean the "dreaded Liberals") have been saying about this moron for the past 6 years?

Remember folks, mid-term elections are this November! Cast your vote and let your voice be heard! Every vote counts and you can help turn the tide of our country, and undo all the bad that's been done.





(Thanks to erinberry for the link!)

Dear South Dakota:

(image courtesty of: PerezHilton.com)