La Bambina

Kylie and Becky - leaving the hospital.


I got to see my friend Becky yesterday and her beautiful baby girl Kylie Faith who was born April 10th - a mere 1 day after my guesstimate of April 9. (I picked that date because it's sister Cindo's bday)

A few of us from work met Becky at Fazoli's on SE 14th for lunch. And there she was with her new little tiny person. I say tiny because gee - at 3 weeks she's still not as big as Amy and Jud were at birth.

And believe it or not, I held her for like 15 minutes! I don't usually hold babies who aren't related to me by blood. They don't fit into my arms right. But Kylie fit fine. She did sleep the whole time. She's got tiny feminine little features, and every once in a while she twitched. Finally, my arm gave out and I had to turn her back over to her proud mama.

Seeing Becky made me miss having her at work. But I can live with giving her up for a good cause - her being a stay at home mommy for a few weeks. As long as she lets me hold the baby a few more times!

Shoppin' with Debbie

I was dress shopping with Debbie today. Remind me to shop with a fat chick next time. Jeez she's so fit and trim. I felt like a flabby fanny next to her. Probably cuz I am flabby.

I spend my time blogging rather than working out. It's all for you my fine readers! (right - it's because my ass is so lazy). We were in Dress Barn, and she pulled those size 6 dresses over her head, and her buff arms bulged and and her trim waist looked fine. I drooled with envy. Not enough to get up from this computer and work out though. She works hard to get that figure.

So she found her dream dress and a cute top at the first store. I didn't. I tried on a moomoo (is that how you spell that?) - needed flipflops and a drink with an umbrella to go with it. Ugleee. The other two were ixnay as well. Deb had them hold her cute clothes and we went off to see what else was out there.

We stopped at Steinmart. Nothing there was worth getting naked over. So we were off across the street to the mall. We hit Younkers. I tried a few dresses on in the ladies section. Deb was feeling the pressure to "get Leslie a dress". No luck there, but I remember across, behind the purses there was a whole dress section. We headed there.

There were tons to choose from! Once we each secured a dressing room we were off to the races. I tried on 5, but the one I found on the "Day Dress" rack 30% off was the winner! They only had size 10 and 14 though, so I need to get it altered - or adjusted as Paul calls it. Ahhh it feels good to have one purchase down - 1 to go for the Alvillar wedding.

Date night - P&L

My honey just left. He was here for date night. Visitation I call it. Whatever we call it, it was def good to see him.

When I spoke to him last night, he sounded mucho stressed due to work issues. Those damn farmers. I asked him if there was anyone in particular he'd like me to take out. As in murder. Oh I could hide a body. Yessiree. I do not want my honey stroking out due to worrying about some f'ing farmer who is pissed about a terrace.

Paul and I are too much alike you see. We can allow imperfection by others. They can "screw up" or be at the center of conflict. Not us! We have to be perfect and liked and respected by all. I worried about him not sleeping well - and having nobody to say "snap out of it" "your job will not care about you". Even though I know it wouldn't do much good.

So he took off (gasp) early - co-workers even commented! The guy works like 50 hour weeks routinely while getting paid only for 40. Gee that makes sense. I guarantee nobody else does that in his line of work. The bosses don't.

And we met at Joan's and headed to Ramsey Subaru to check out the cars. He heard tell of my frettership regarding Jud and his itty bitty car. So we're considering having Jud drive the Jeep and Paul could get a new car. Yeah I know $$. Can't really afford it until Jud graduates, but if Jud got smashed flat on the Interstate in that little car I'd be beside myself! It's only money, right?!?

We test drove a couple new Outbacks. And we're thinking it over.

I took him to HuHot for supper - the Mongolian joint where you pile a bunch of meat (if you swing that way) veggies, fruit, noodles into a bowl along with a recipe of sauce you whip up yourself according to their recipes. Paul hadn't been there before - when I suggested it, he asked me what it was. I went all un-PC, and did my great (in my own mind) Chinese accent. "Mistah you gonnah likkee you see!"

It was nice to have an evening meal not by myself. Then we did a lil shopping - just fun walking around with him - my lover, instead of all by my lonesome. A nice night.

Clouds

Along with fretting on the way up here, I noticed the cool cloud formations. It was a gorgeous sunny a.m. with one dark cloud on the horizon with a hole in the middle - the sun stream through with those God-like rays streaming out.

Why do we thing of God when we see things like that? Is it because we've seen art that portrays God and Jesus along with sun rays? Or do we still think of heaven as being above and from the sun? Those visions also make me think of my boy Patrick.

Watching the sun rise and set never gets old. When we were in Florida last month, we ran into a guy in the elevator with his fancy camera with a long lens. He had been on the beach photographing the sunset. I asked if it was a good one - he answered that it wasn't as good as the night before - evidently he took pics of it every night.

If one watches the beach at Marco you can see the groups gathering to watch the sunset. And we just sat in McFee's deck to watch a chilly sunset last Saturday night. But gorgeous nonetheless.

Something about it is reassuring. Time passes - we're still here. Sigh.

My fretter

I ran my fretter up to 60 mph along with my Subaru this a.m. while driving to Des Moines. I tried to listen to a book, but I needed to think - so I put on my Mary Chapin Carpenter CD, followed by Bob Seger. Good artists to fret by.

I was fretting about my baby boy driving his elderly little car (a 1997 Saturn S2) across Iowa. That's a bad stretch of Interstate 80 - there are a lot of wrecks. That's a little car with not a lot of airbags and safety equipment. I am worried about my baby.

Hmmm what else did I fret about? My brain juices were certainly flowing. A parent's right to fret is not to be denied. I recently joined a Facebook group called something like - "if you hurt my daughter, know that I know how to hide a body."

Infidels!

I spent much of church thinking about infidelity. (I told you before about my penchant for daydreaming about life in general during mass - it's my time to think about life).

Last night we went to Casa (the local Mexican joint) with McKims after their golf game. Later, we stopped by Bobbie and Jeff's for a nightcap or 4 to watch the sun go down on their deck. It was gorgeous! And a bit chilly - Bobbie had to break out the fleece blankies her mom, Grace, made for the whole fam damily one year for Christmas. I got Jeff's cowboy model - extra long.

Idle chat of course turned to gossip. Diana goes to coffee weekly and gets the local gossip, so we heard about a couple couples who had strayed from the family bed. Nobody we're close to - anybody I've ever done anything with. But people we see - at work, or at church.

One couple - the people from church - I had just wondered about to Paul. Why wasn't the husband with the wife and two girls at church lately? It pains me that people will risk throwing away their beautiful family for a fling. What's it really about? And this wife travels!?!?

The other tidbit I heard was about a young woman who stood by her husband through his cancer treatment and while she was in labor, he was texting his girlfriend. And this is all in small Creston, Iowa. It's ugly people. I think that instead of worrying so much about not allowing same sex marriages, those people should come up with ways to strengthen all marriages to prevent these types of breakdowns.

I trust Pablo and always have - but traveling does leave each one of you alone, to your own devices several nights a week. Should I worry more? Should he?

In Florida this year sister Cindo asked me if I thought our dad, who traveled something like 35 years ever had women on the side. I told her I really didn't want to think about it. Mom said some pretty awful things about dad through the years, when she was feeling mean - but that was one thing she never brought up. Thank God!

Do people go into marriage thinking the whole fidelity thing is optional? And are there ways besides sex that people are unfaithful to each other? Can marriages recover from affairs? Or are the affairs simply the result of marriages that were too screwed up to last to begin with? Are some people (mostly men) biologically set to want to screw everything in sight? Is it asking too much for them to have just one partner?

I'm perfectly happy with just one partner. I realize I'm past my peak years now - so that probably helps. But I was never tempted to stray. Pablo the Poolboy and I are pretty evenly matched - when it comes to the bedroom (children avert your eyes). And that is important! And mattress related things don't always start in the bedroom - especially when you have babies and little kids. Those are the kinds of things a couple has to work through - before one gets all frustrated and looks outside the marriage for relief.

Ahhh. I coulda been a counselor. Or not - probably not enough empathy. Last night ended up with some laughs - some of our conversations should be recorded - so convoluted. Gotta love old friends.

Feeling clean

The grandmas




Early gabbing - McKims house is big and beautiful - perfect for events like this!




Gift opening

Sharon, L, Joanie, Diana - the hostesses

Bailey Miller, Kristina McFee - bridey

After the shower I mean. Diana, Joan, Sharon and I hosted a bridal shower for Kristina McFee today at D's house. We planned it all via email - technology at its finest. We pulled it off anyway. It seemed to go swell - good food, lots of chatting, I mixed up drinks and the kids got some nice gifts, which Krissy opened and displayed for all. Sharon's daughter Amanda and granddaughter Olivia (nearly 2) were there - always nice to see them. Livvie is getting big!

Krissy is Kristina McFee - someone I've known since she was around two, when I met her mommy Bobbie at sorority - Beta Sigma Phi, Zeta Iota Chapter. Bobbie and I were new pledges together and found out we had daughters who were similar age. Those daughters so started having play dates together when their mommys did. And the daddys found they were both farm boys who also had a lot in common. The two families have been hanging out ever since.

When Amy's brother Jud was born, Amy stayed all night at McFee's house. And Kimmy and Jud grew used to being stalked by the older siblings during mutual play dates. And viceversa. The four children spent lots of time together through the years. Many Sundays found us gathering together for an evening meal - Jeff, Bobbie, Paul and I would enjoy a cocktail and conversation while the children played.

I made an egg casserole that got a lil overdone while I was busy whipping up BMs (no - not bowel movements or Bobbie McFees) bloody marys with store bought BM mix and some of Joan's home canned bloody mary mix. I added Worcestershire and that hot red stuff. And pepper. I made the first one a little strong - so I had to drink that one myself. I must have made about twelve of those things.

People spread out and at at the dining room table and on the deck at the tables set there. It was sunny, and decent out of the chilly wind. I think everyone had a nice time. More of my buddies got to meet my roomie Joan - like Nancy. I talk about each of them to each other (in a nice way of course) so it's nice that they finally met!

By the time presents were opened, it was nearly noon. People started to take off - Bobbie's mom asked about Amy, which was nice of her. I talked to Bobbie's sis-in-law Brenda about her wiener dog, who sounds like a lil larger clone of Odie.

I gave Kristina a hug before she left - heck it's like she's a niece of mine too! Wedding is coming up quick - June 5. Pablo promised to fly Amy in for it - after all she's Amy's earliest buddy. And Jud should be home. Gonna be some fun!

So now I'm vegging the rest of today. Paul shot a turkey this a.m. and he waxed his Jeep. Testosterone s/b practically dripping off him!