Dipsy doodle

I don't know why it's called a dipsy doodle, it just is. And she loves it.

yes we can

I'm hijacking the blog. Sorry Rich. I just want to be able to remember this. Fireworks are going off in the neighborhood. Gee just called in tears of happiness.



I was undecided early in the year. As a woman's college graduate, I felt I should be supporting Hilary. But yet. And then I saw this video. Yes we can. Not because Wil.I.Am or John Legend or Kate Walsh say so, but because of Barack Obama's words in a concession speech.

My favorite link of today - I Didn't Vote for Obama Today.

And, just a challenge - do you know all the past presidents of the United States in order? I sure don't.

McCain is giving a very nice concession speech. And reminds me of the McCain I might have voted for. Not the McCain that's been campaigning these past months.

Hopefully not TMI

But the blog is the perfect place for baby update, right? Well, 37 week appointment today. Baby is still measuring big, cervix is tightly closed, and he's riding high with no signs of dropping. Exactly the same as with Elizabeth. Doctor looked me in the eye and said, ok, so you know this baby is not coming through this pelvis, right?

I've had that feeling all along. 20 days.

nice football players?

Somehow with NaBloPoMo, recent posts have been more about me than the Sweetpea. So just a short blurb today.

Between Halloween, a football trip to Charlottesville, and daylight savings, we had quite the interrupted weekend of sleep. Saturday night, Rich and I were, what else, watching a college football game when she popped awake - wide awake - at 10 pm. She wanted a drink, so for the first time ever we let her come downstairs and sit with us for 30 minutes or so to let her finish some milk and get a little drowsier before putting her back down.

So she cuddled between us, chatty and happy, and watched some football. Mommy, did that man get hurt? And indeed, there was an injury on a play. I explained that, and she asked if tackling hurt players, so I tried to explain they wore pads and big uniforms and to watch, when they were tackled they got right back up. And then I started some play-by-play with her - see, the man is about to get the ball, now he's going to throw it, and that man will get tackled.....

The whistle blew, and players stepped out of formation. She said, what happened?

I explained they called a time out.

Oh, she said. Were they not being very nice?

The Return

We had a whole list of possibilities lined up for today's post - Halloween, football, a few funny sayings - but a string of coincidences led to joyous news for us today.

In May, we were devastated when our favorite restaurant, Louisiana Express, closed. I'd been going since I moved here in 1993, and had introduced Rich to the delights of this semi-dive hole in the wall place. I used to live pretty close, and there was a period of time when we went almost weekly - the first and only place we've ever been regulars. It might have helped we always got the same thing - me, crawfish etouffee and a Crimson Voodoo and Rich, blackened london broil and Blackened Voodoo. And no green onions sprinkled on for garnish. The brunches were awesome (me - poached eggs Sardou, Rich, Po'Mans breakfast), and our annual Mardi Gras party was not finished until the big gathering the next morning rehashing all the gory details from the party. We knew the place was in trouble last winter when they lost their liquor license, but we, and they, held on until May.

We'd heard on various blogs that our favorite waiter Carlos and the chef were trying to re-open and were scouting locations, but hadn't heard anything in months, and I was constantly moaning about missing the place. We've tried to curtail dining out recently and yet Louisiana Express's reasonable prices would have still fit in our budget - not weekly, but still regularly.

So, the coincidences:
- Last week we got an e-mail from Hard Times with a deal this week on 4.99 chili. Awesome, we thought, we'll get takeout chili on Friday.
- Called Friday, special was just on eat in. So we decided ok, we'll go out Sunday night.
- Hard Times has a variety of locations, and it's a toss up if we go to Arlington or Bethesda. We decided Bethesda.
- We can never remember the right street in Bethesda, so we turned down one street, nope, not right, turned the corner on another, hmm, not right either.
- On my side, I notice a sign - grand opening, Louisiana Kitchen. Hmmm. There is something familiar about the font......
- I crane my head and body all the way around (not an easy feat at 37 weeks) and Rich drives past - Hey, I think that's Carlos in the window!
- Rich lets me out to investigate. I look at the menu posted outside. OMG, it's identical to Louisiana Express's. I rush in. There behind the bar - Carlos! Who greets me like an old friend, asks about Elizabeth, notices the pregnancy, we chat about them opening. I say, you have no idea how excited I am! Couple at the bar laughs and says them too. Carlos gives me a takeout menu, and I say we'll be back!
- I walk out arms raised in victory. Climb in car, and Rich says, we don't have to go to Hard Times, you know.
- D'oh. We don't. We HAVE to go to Louisiana Kitchen.

Yes. We had our usuals. Sadly there's no more Blackened Voodoo to be had (ever since Katrina - though Crimson has been hard to find for a long time). But Rich had an Abita TurboDog, so he was happy.

Louisiana Kitchen. Yum.

We'll be back.

NaBloPoMo

Happy National Blog Posting Month!

30 posts, 30 days. Made a little bit difficult by a big life change due near the end of the month, but between Rich and me, we should be able to do it. And maybe I can configure my iphone to be able to post from the hospital? (hospital food = still bad). I think one of the tricks of NaBloPoMo is not to be boring. Along those lines, my mom's group friends (see blogroll on the right) have decided to include a little friendly competition.

I would post some Halloween pics, but R and E are off to UVA today for the Miami game, while I get the day to myself. My goal - to have a little fun, declutter a little, and just relax. Halloween was a wee bit exhausting for this 8.5 month pregnant 40-year old.

Happy Halloween!!!

Elizabeth has become a huge fan of trick-or-treating. Probably has something to do with her complete addiction to candy and chocolate. And she hit the trifecta today. Party at Luchy's in the morning. Trick or treat at Daddy's work in the afternoon (which she's been asking about for over a week). And hitting the neighborhood at night.

Here's our little cowgirl with Mommy who decided to stick it at home and dish out the goods to the kids.


And our little cowgirl again getting ready to hit the block with Elvis.

This was one tired little girl after today. Especially walking our block.

But she learned a new trick at Daddy's office. Daddy's building has 6 floors. After the 1st two, there were only a handful of offices giving out candy. So we went to the 6th floor and worked our way down. The woman in the first office we visited went ga-ga over E's costume (the pony was a pretty big hit). E said "Trick or Treat" took her piece of candy and said "Thank You."

Then the woman says, "Would your horsey like one too?"

E's face absolutely light up. And a light bulb lit up over her head. And I'm not talking figuratively here. A friggin light bulb appeared and lit up over her little head!

"YES!!!"

We go to the next office. And the routine changes:

"Trick or Treat!"
"Oh what a cute little cowgirl. Are you a sheriff? Here you go."
"Thank you." (* pause *) "Can I have one for my horsey?"
"Oh, why sure!"
(* grin *) "Thank you!"

And that's how my little Sweetpea got double the candy at Daddy's office. I'm going to let her negotiate all of my deals from now on.

- Rich