Interesting
1. "A three-year undercover investigation by the National Fair Housing Alliance found that real estate agents steered whites away from integrated neighborhoods and steered blacks toward predominantly black neighborhoods."
2. "Candidates named Emily O'Brien or Neil McCarthy were much more likely to get calls back from potential employers than applicants named Tamika Williams and Jamal Jackson, even though they had the same credentials, according to a study by the University of Chicago."
Both from CNN.
3. "Lionel Richie remembers when the Commodores "decided to give ourselves Mercedes for Christmas. I walked into a Montgomery, Ala., dealership in blue jeans and T-shirt and said, 'I'd like to buy seven Mercedes.' Looking at me, the guy asked, 'Son, can you get me some proof?' So I had him call the president of Bank of America in Los Angeles. He hung up, and I went from 'Son' to "Mr. Richie, right this way, please.' "
[What stood out to me was the "son."] From the always reliable Page Six.
4. "... also a sign of our times among 20 and 30 somethings is the testimonial of the Border Patrol agent who said she and her family crossed over illegally. She considers herself and her siblings all model citizens contributing productively to this country. She believes by working to capture would-be immigrants at the Border she may be saving a life. Or at least that is how she justifies her chosen job. She does not say what she would have felt to be caught, uh, excuse me, 'rescued' and returned to Mexico, instead of successfully dodging the Border Patrol to one day being able to apply for residency and I imagine now, citizenship. The Theatre of the Absurd, like I said."
The December 12 entry on Ana Castillo's blog.
Not much to add to any of these items. I found them all interesting, especially in combination with odd comments I've overhead in public places recently. Just seems like a lot of racial confusion going on lately.
Tuesday
Monday
Some Odd or Amusing Things (a List)
1. My belly is now fuzzy. I think I’ve forgotten to mention that my former barely perceptible peach fuzz is now longer, darker, and visible to the naked eye. Hormones, I guess?
2. In a related note, the line that stretches from my navel to my pubic area (called the linea negra, I believe) suddenly got darker one day. Now it’s lighter again. Very odd. I assume it will get darker again with time.
3. I did an experiment last night. I couldn’t sleep so I tried to find the baby. I would find an area on my stomach where it felt harder. When I pressed on it, I would feel a strong sense of pressure (this sensitive spot moved and the rest of my stomach felt “normal”). So I would find the baby, press, the baby would move away, I would find the hard spot again, press, move again, press. For some reason this seemed hilarious to me at the time and I laughed loud enough to wake up the dogs (did I mention it was about 1 a.m.?).
4. Roscoe our cat sleeps with us only during the winter. During the summer he likes to do his own thing. Nate has woken up on the very edge of his side of the bed, looked behind me, and found Roscoe sprawled out with his four legs pressing against my back so he can maintain his territory. I lie in the middle, resented on both sides.
5. I am making soap as stocking stuffers this year. Last night Nate helped me. He came us with some crazy combinations and his “pinches” of color powder (what you add to make the soaps different shades) were like half the container. Pretty funny, but he got me to try some things I probably wouldn’t have otherwise.
6. I went to a poetry reading last night that I very much enjoyed and met some nice people. The emcee of the event said he’d been living in Dallas for 23 years and only six or seven years ago began to feel at home. That gave me some hope because I still feel like a tourist after living here two and half years.
7. I drank my first glass of wine on Friday night. I’ve heard conflicting things about alcohol. Don’t drink any; an occasional glass is fine; you never know, so why take a chance; etc. It took me at least an hour to finish my glass. It was lovely. Then the next day I felt horribly guilty and worried I was doing long-lasting damage. I have pregnant friends who largely disregard the list of things you’re supposed to avoid (sushi, soft, non-pasteurized cheese, deli meat, sausage, etc.) and others who are very careful to follow all the rules. I’m in between. I follow the suggestions about 95% of the time, indulge in that goat-cheese and spinach omelet or that one glass of wine because it sounds so good at the time, and then feel guilty afterward. I may need to rethink my strategy.
1. My belly is now fuzzy. I think I’ve forgotten to mention that my former barely perceptible peach fuzz is now longer, darker, and visible to the naked eye. Hormones, I guess?
2. In a related note, the line that stretches from my navel to my pubic area (called the linea negra, I believe) suddenly got darker one day. Now it’s lighter again. Very odd. I assume it will get darker again with time.
3. I did an experiment last night. I couldn’t sleep so I tried to find the baby. I would find an area on my stomach where it felt harder. When I pressed on it, I would feel a strong sense of pressure (this sensitive spot moved and the rest of my stomach felt “normal”). So I would find the baby, press, the baby would move away, I would find the hard spot again, press, move again, press. For some reason this seemed hilarious to me at the time and I laughed loud enough to wake up the dogs (did I mention it was about 1 a.m.?).
4. Roscoe our cat sleeps with us only during the winter. During the summer he likes to do his own thing. Nate has woken up on the very edge of his side of the bed, looked behind me, and found Roscoe sprawled out with his four legs pressing against my back so he can maintain his territory. I lie in the middle, resented on both sides.
5. I am making soap as stocking stuffers this year. Last night Nate helped me. He came us with some crazy combinations and his “pinches” of color powder (what you add to make the soaps different shades) were like half the container. Pretty funny, but he got me to try some things I probably wouldn’t have otherwise.
6. I went to a poetry reading last night that I very much enjoyed and met some nice people. The emcee of the event said he’d been living in Dallas for 23 years and only six or seven years ago began to feel at home. That gave me some hope because I still feel like a tourist after living here two and half years.
7. I drank my first glass of wine on Friday night. I’ve heard conflicting things about alcohol. Don’t drink any; an occasional glass is fine; you never know, so why take a chance; etc. It took me at least an hour to finish my glass. It was lovely. Then the next day I felt horribly guilty and worried I was doing long-lasting damage. I have pregnant friends who largely disregard the list of things you’re supposed to avoid (sushi, soft, non-pasteurized cheese, deli meat, sausage, etc.) and others who are very careful to follow all the rules. I’m in between. I follow the suggestions about 95% of the time, indulge in that goat-cheese and spinach omelet or that one glass of wine because it sounds so good at the time, and then feel guilty afterward. I may need to rethink my strategy.
Friday
Showing (Maybe?)
Last night Nate and I were in the kitchen getting ready for dinner. I was leaning against a counter talking to him and he said, “You’re showing. I can see your belly.” I was wearing a pretty loose shirt, but I think he’s right. It’s funny because when I’ve normally put on a few pounds, I get generally wide all over. I mean, my whole belly, hips, butt, thighs, arms, etc. Right now it’s just my stomach (perhaps that will change with time) sticking out in front.
I am going to a holiday party, so I was trying to figure out what to wear. I tried on a few different outfits and had to retire several pairs of pants. My body is definitely changing. The legs and butt still fit fine (again, another detail that may change with time) but I couldn’t button the waist on several things. Also I noticed I can no longer wear some shirts. I have the unintentional flesh flashing between some critical buttons, if you know what I mean.
So far pregnancy has been interesting. Things are happening that are simply beyond my control. For someone who thinks too much most of the time, having a process that happens wholly in the body, without my input or effort, has been a different experience.
The last couple of nights I’ve suspected I felt the baby moving. My doc and most people would say it’s too early, it was my imagination or gas or digestion or something, but I really do think it’s the baby. It’s happened at night when I’m resting and relaxed, and I feel these odd, fluttering movements. The same area of my stomach where those feelings are coming from also seems harder than everywhere else, like maybe there’s a little munchkin doing the mambo in there. So I don’t know for sure, but it seems like ze baby to moi.
I’ve also been thinking a lot about the baby’s gender. Nate wanted to find out and I didn’t. I’ve mentioned before that Nate is a planner (he wants to know how we should decorate the nursery, what clothes to buy, and someone is making us a baby quilt), but I am not. It’s not so much the surprise factor, I mean, it’s going to be a girl or a boy, right? How much of a surprise can there be really? My attitude is that it’s more a matter of waiting for the proper time. There’s no need to rush things that have their own way and method of unfolding. The snow falls when it falls. The cake is done when it’s done. You find out what you’re having when you have it. I understand that many people don’t agree (including my husband), and I’ve decided to compromise in this particular case because I’ve had dreams about the baby and feel like I know what flavor the munchkin is anyway. I could be wrong. I guess we’ll know in a couple of weeks, if the baby cooperates. My sister and I have a bet going. I’ll let you know who’s taking home the moolah.
Last night Nate and I were in the kitchen getting ready for dinner. I was leaning against a counter talking to him and he said, “You’re showing. I can see your belly.” I was wearing a pretty loose shirt, but I think he’s right. It’s funny because when I’ve normally put on a few pounds, I get generally wide all over. I mean, my whole belly, hips, butt, thighs, arms, etc. Right now it’s just my stomach (perhaps that will change with time) sticking out in front.
I am going to a holiday party, so I was trying to figure out what to wear. I tried on a few different outfits and had to retire several pairs of pants. My body is definitely changing. The legs and butt still fit fine (again, another detail that may change with time) but I couldn’t button the waist on several things. Also I noticed I can no longer wear some shirts. I have the unintentional flesh flashing between some critical buttons, if you know what I mean.
So far pregnancy has been interesting. Things are happening that are simply beyond my control. For someone who thinks too much most of the time, having a process that happens wholly in the body, without my input or effort, has been a different experience.
The last couple of nights I’ve suspected I felt the baby moving. My doc and most people would say it’s too early, it was my imagination or gas or digestion or something, but I really do think it’s the baby. It’s happened at night when I’m resting and relaxed, and I feel these odd, fluttering movements. The same area of my stomach where those feelings are coming from also seems harder than everywhere else, like maybe there’s a little munchkin doing the mambo in there. So I don’t know for sure, but it seems like ze baby to moi.
I’ve also been thinking a lot about the baby’s gender. Nate wanted to find out and I didn’t. I’ve mentioned before that Nate is a planner (he wants to know how we should decorate the nursery, what clothes to buy, and someone is making us a baby quilt), but I am not. It’s not so much the surprise factor, I mean, it’s going to be a girl or a boy, right? How much of a surprise can there be really? My attitude is that it’s more a matter of waiting for the proper time. There’s no need to rush things that have their own way and method of unfolding. The snow falls when it falls. The cake is done when it’s done. You find out what you’re having when you have it. I understand that many people don’t agree (including my husband), and I’ve decided to compromise in this particular case because I’ve had dreams about the baby and feel like I know what flavor the munchkin is anyway. I could be wrong. I guess we’ll know in a couple of weeks, if the baby cooperates. My sister and I have a bet going. I’ll let you know who’s taking home the moolah.
Tuesday
Recovering
I haven’t written in awhile because I got very sick over Thanksgiving. There’s some sort of vicious bird-flu virus going around. I know a lot of people have been sick and this thing stays with you for quite a while (when I went to see him, my doc said he’d been sick for three weeks). I missed four days of work last week. When I finally left my house on Friday, I felt like I’d been underwater, underground, or like I’d been hibernating. The pregnancy probably complicated matters in the sense that I couldn’t take very strong medicine and my immunity is probably lower. All I did was sleep. I couldn’t taste things very well so I didn’t eat much and lost weight, but have regained it all in the last few days so no worries there.
At the beginning of my incubation, I was eating whatever I wanted. I’m now trying to go back to my decent-ish eating habits. It’s not hard for me to eat well, usually, but I think I had that “I’m pregnant” entitlement feeling, like I should be able to eat whatever I wanted. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I would prefer not to get as big as a house. Also, my doc thinks I should try to limit myself to gaining 20-25 pounds. Before I got pregnant, I had some elevated liver enzyme readings, which is a common sign of “fatty liver.” I think this is probably a problem in the West, where we eat too much refined, fatty food, don’t get enough exercise, have high obesity rates, etc. So after the elevated reading, I started working out again and eating better. I eventually lost 18 pounds, which was good, and my liver readings went down. Even though I haven’t gained too much weight so far (six pounds at 15 weeks) I think I need to start paying attention to the quality of my diet because of the liver thing. Apparently, fatty liver can also be a complication of pregnancy.
Anyway, I’ll try not to focus too much on pregnancy and weight talk, since it bores even me sometimes, but it is what’s on my mind a lot lately. The other thing on my mind is queries, queries, queries. I haven’t sent out too many lately since I was sick as a dog, but I have gotten a couple of requests for the full manuscript, which has been an ego boost. Especially one that I received just as I was coming down with my cold. We were looking at our mail after our Thanksgiving trip and I recognized my own SASE. “It’s a rejection,” I told Nate, but when I opened the letter it was a request to send the entire novel. So things are moving along. Wish me luck.
I haven’t written in awhile because I got very sick over Thanksgiving. There’s some sort of vicious bird-flu virus going around. I know a lot of people have been sick and this thing stays with you for quite a while (when I went to see him, my doc said he’d been sick for three weeks). I missed four days of work last week. When I finally left my house on Friday, I felt like I’d been underwater, underground, or like I’d been hibernating. The pregnancy probably complicated matters in the sense that I couldn’t take very strong medicine and my immunity is probably lower. All I did was sleep. I couldn’t taste things very well so I didn’t eat much and lost weight, but have regained it all in the last few days so no worries there.
At the beginning of my incubation, I was eating whatever I wanted. I’m now trying to go back to my decent-ish eating habits. It’s not hard for me to eat well, usually, but I think I had that “I’m pregnant” entitlement feeling, like I should be able to eat whatever I wanted. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I would prefer not to get as big as a house. Also, my doc thinks I should try to limit myself to gaining 20-25 pounds. Before I got pregnant, I had some elevated liver enzyme readings, which is a common sign of “fatty liver.” I think this is probably a problem in the West, where we eat too much refined, fatty food, don’t get enough exercise, have high obesity rates, etc. So after the elevated reading, I started working out again and eating better. I eventually lost 18 pounds, which was good, and my liver readings went down. Even though I haven’t gained too much weight so far (six pounds at 15 weeks) I think I need to start paying attention to the quality of my diet because of the liver thing. Apparently, fatty liver can also be a complication of pregnancy.
Anyway, I’ll try not to focus too much on pregnancy and weight talk, since it bores even me sometimes, but it is what’s on my mind a lot lately. The other thing on my mind is queries, queries, queries. I haven’t sent out too many lately since I was sick as a dog, but I have gotten a couple of requests for the full manuscript, which has been an ego boost. Especially one that I received just as I was coming down with my cold. We were looking at our mail after our Thanksgiving trip and I recognized my own SASE. “It’s a rejection,” I told Nate, but when I opened the letter it was a request to send the entire novel. So things are moving along. Wish me luck.