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I Wanna Be A Cowgirl

It appears as though just this past week I’ve crossed over from the “Honey, lay off the pasta” to the “Wow! She’s pregnant!” looks in public. I’ve also become extremely conscious of the decreased muscle tone in my arms and the second chin forming itself on my face. I’m starting to not-so-much like this part.

However, instead of french fries and Snickers bars, I’ve made an effort to eat a little better during the day. I still eat when I’m hungry (which is, um, ALWAYS), but I try a healthier snack instead of heading for the Cheese Puffs. If I’m being honest, the healthier snack doesn’t always cut it and the Cheese Puffs make their way into my mouth. Usually I have no idea how this happens.

Anyway - today Cass and I had a fabulous lunch at Nieman Marcus (seated among the most annoying ladies-that-lunch types that make my skin crawl just by breathing) and I chose a fresh turkey wrap with avocado, baby greens, and low-fat ranch dressing. The side dishes were fruit - which I ate all of - and real potato chips - which I barely touched. I was making an effort.

Tonight when I got home, after sitting in horrendous for-no-reason traffic, I asked EHH if he wanted to go for a walk. He agreed. I found some comfortable work-out type clothes that fit (one being his T-shirt) and we set out to walk around our neighborhood and spend some time with each other without a TV or laptop in front of us. The weather was cool, the neighborhood was quiet, we held hands and chatted. I even made it up the big hill without whining or asking him to carry me. I was making an effort.

We got back to the house after about twenty minutes and I sat down on the couch in the living room with a full glass of water and lifted my shirt up over my belly to see if Blinkie wanted to put on a show for me and dance around in there. She didn’t, but while poking at her and then waiting and watching, I saw something black start crawling towards my belly button. I immediately thought it was a spider and grabbed it in an attempt to squish it between my fingers. It was too quick and started crawling up my arm at which time I realized… it was a tick.

I haven’t shared in detail on this blog about my battle(s) with Lyme Disease that almost crippled me in high school and of which I still suffer long-term effects. Trust me when I tell you that my friends and family out there reading right now, cringed when they read the last line of the last paragraph.

I screamed, EHH came running in from the kitchen, saw the look on my face and immediately came to my side. I said (loudly), “Tick! There’s a tick on me!”. He saw it right away and grabbed it and ran out on the deck.

“KILL IT! YOU HAVE TO KILL IT!”

He obliged. Though it wasn’t an easy task. Those fuckers are fast.

When he came back inside, he found me sitting on the couch wearing nothing but a look of terror and threatening to burn my clothes in the fireplace.

He suggested I start with a shower and perhaps I’d feel better after that.

Which I did. And I do.

But that’s the end of walks outside around the neighborhood. I’ll be headed to the High School track next time. Although that requires a drive. Which will wind up being an excuse not go…

Tick. It was most likely the end of The Effort.

It seems like the entire blogosphere that saw Dooce on the Today Show today agrees on two points:

1. Kathie-Lee is a total retard
and
2. Dooce wasn’t exactly given a fair amount of time or asked the right questions in a way that would give her the opportunity to educate viewers on exactly what Mommy blogging is about.

I went back and watched the clip a few times. I made EHH watch it too. And my husband, who has never read Dooce.com or even visited her site unless I send him a link and say, “YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS DOG WITH A TV REMOTE ON HIS HEAD!”, paused the video at one point, looked at me and said, “You can almost hear her {Dooce} thinking, ‘I’m so much smarter than these two’.”

This was after he decided she was totally hot.

Anyway.

There was a lot that was wrong with the interview in my opinion. I can’t wait to see if Dooce addresses any of it on her site in the coming days. The bottom line is that the two morons running it led it in the direction they wanted it to be led in - a negative one. I honestly believe that if anyone with a brain had done the interview, Heather’s thoughts (ones that represent the whole of the blogosphere) would’ve been acknowledged.

But while we’re talking about The Today Show and brains…

I have to say that I’ve always been a fan of the show. I’ve watched for years. I come from an NBC family. I’ve watched NBC news, NBC soaps, and mostly NBC Prime-Time my whole life. Growing up in New York, Chuck Scarborough felt like an extended family member. He was the reason for my pursuing journalism in college. Well. Him and the weather reporters that got to stand outside in these awesome jackets during blizzards and hurricanes. I wanted to be them too. But maybe it was just because of their cool jackets.

When I went to college I started out as a journalism major. I had one bad teacher and I changed my major to PR, but I never let go of my dream of one day working in television. I idolized anchors. I felt like their presence made such a mark and had such an impact on regular people. One of my sorority sisters got a job as Gabe Pressman’s intern our senior year. I was so jealous. I wanted to work at NBC so bad that I would’ve emptied Tom Brokaw’s trash just to be able to be there; among what was, at the time, real talent. Real intelligence. Greatness. By the time I graduated, I decided I wanted to be Katie Couric when I grew up and I totally had the biggest crush on Matt Lauer.

My love for the show grew and grew. My alarm would go off at 7 and my first thought would be that I had to watch Matt and Katie. I remember so many pieces that each of them have done over the years. I had such great respect for all of them; the NBC family, well they were my family too.

And then Katie announces she’s leaving. And while this did look like an opportunity of a lifetime for her, I knew I wouldn’t be going with her. I don’t watch CBS. It’s not my network. I watched Brokaw. I watch Brian Williams (Well. I have to. You know, considering that we’re dating and all. Even though he doesn’t know it.). I couldn’t leave them to watch her on CBS. And apparently, a lot of other people felt the same way.

I thought the show did great the summer it was just Matt and Ann. Ann used to annoy me with her super sensitivity, but she seemed to improve that summer. She started to take a stand. She started to have an opinion.

And then they brought in Meredith.

From the moment she flubbed the opening line on her first day on the show, it started to go downhill. Her quirks, her inappropriateness. It was so different from Katie’s super professionalism. Her movements, so awkward. Her lame ad-libbed lines. Matt’s consistent shake of his head or how he’s visibly uncomfortable more than a few times during one show. It’s just not the same. She’s not a fit. Not with him and not with the shows format.

A year goes by and while it becomes more and more obvious that Matt can’t stand Meredith, the show claims that ratings have never been higher. They expand into a fourth hour. Adorable, lovable, and SMART Natalie Morales does a great job in the later parts of the show. Then they work in Hoda, who I could really take or leave. She’s okay, but clearly no genius and I can’t really figure out where her value add is, but whatever. If I’m still watching, I’m hardly paying attention by then anyway.

But no one could’ve expected the Kathie-Lee bomb that was dropped in April. My initial thought? They’re trying to kill it. They’re literally trying to kill the most respected news program on TV.

And as a person? As a mother? Even as a TV talk-show personality? I have nothing against Kathie-Lee. She’s gone through a lot in her marriage and in her career. Scandal. Rumors. Bad publicity. I don’t wish that kind of stuff on anyone. But the Today Show? She doesn’t belong! And that’s really it. She does NOT belong. She shouldn’t be lumped in with the talent levels of Matt and Ann and even the jolly weatherman, Al!

While talking to Cass today on IM, she brought up how perhaps bringing in Kathie-Lee was some way to elevate Meredith. And she has a real point. Both of them belong interviewing B-list celebrities and or hanging out on the red carpet. Neither of them fit into news anchor categories. Ten years ago, I can’t imagine one of them being my inspiration. Could you? Would they be your idols if you wanted to be a professional broadcast journalist?

There’s my rant. There’s my opinion. I know these clowns didn’t get to where they are by being disliked so I’m sure there’s a few of you out there that love one or both of them. And that’s fine. This is just where I fall. And after reading a lot of the perspectives of many other bloggers out there today after the Dooce interview, I can see I’m not alone.

I made a decision.

I will write no matter what. Write no matter who’s listening - if there’s anyone even left out there. Just. Write.

Here I am.

Writing.

So….

Um…

How are y’all?

Really? I didn’t know that!

No. I haven’t read that yet. I’m really behind.

Like REALLY behind.

No. Like my reader is at 1000+. I have no idea what’s going on out there.

Did I miss anything huge?

Shit. How huge?

Okay. I’ll go read that now.

Yeah. Things are good here.

Staying busy. A little too busy.

Blinkie’s fine. My 24 week appointment went well.

I feel great most of the time. They were right about this 2nd trimester being a breeze.

Yeah, I’ve heard it gets worse after this.

Seriously though. My only complaint is that sometimes my hands go numb.

Yeah. That and I panic like a freak every time I wake up in the night on my back instead of my side.

Because of that one thing I read.

Did you read that too? That thing about the vein? And how it cuts off the blood?

So yeah. Two in the morning and I’m all, OMG! She’s not getting any blood. I’m not getting any blood. NO ONE’S GETTING BLOOD! ROLL OVER YOU FOOL!

Panic.

What do you think? Is it that big of a deal?

It still freaks me out though.

Yep. Still eating grapefruits. L & R sent an entire case up from Florida. They are so fantastically yummy.

Yes. I said a case.

Well. A couple weeks ago I think.

I have two left.

I know, but they’re SO. GOOD.

I guess I could be eating ice cream instead, but I just loves me the grapefruit!

What else.

Hmmm.

Mmmmm.

Yeah Ohhkay. Well. I guess that’s it for now.

I know. Pretty pathetic. But it’s been great catching up.

I’ll be back tomorrow.

OH - and yeah. You heard about that?

That LFM painted Blinkie’s nursery this weekend and we surprised EHH when he got home from Boston with our own little While You Were Out special?

Hmm. Yeah. Sorry you heard it through the grapevine.

I know. I should’ve blogged about it.

Blog. Yeah. I did have one of those.

Okay! I’m sorry! But LOOK! There’s a VIDEO! And the only thing you have to suffer through is my hideous laugh.

Actually? Just turn off the sound. Because then you won’t have to listen to EHH curse either. Purely out of mere shock. Totally NSFW.

Happy now? Forgive me?

Good. I hope we can still be friends. I have missed you guys.

No, really. I totally have.

Aww. Shucks.

You’re too sweet.

Aww. K. See you tomorrow.

This should hold you over while I try to figure out why I’m not into blogging. I have a lot of things to write about, but I can’t seem to find the patience or the consecutive minutes needed to compose something that isn’t filled with sarcasm, disdain, and general misery.

So here. Have some 23 week bump.

Exhibit A: The First Thing in the Morning Bump

Exhibit B: The After French Toast, Grapefruit, and Chocolate Milk Bump

(We stripped wallpaper in the nursery bathroom this weekend. Complete photo set and commentary on Flickr to come.)

• communication skills - zefrank
  I missed this class in school. It was a great refresher course.