Not quite according to plan

Okay, so I didn't get around to doing any of the meme stuff I thought I would. Things in my "real life" have been a little hectic. Add to that the "technical difficulties" surrounding the ezboards that I frequent, and I haven't gotten much done. Sorry! I'll either catch up over the weekend or early next week. Hope all of you have a fantastic weekend! Atlanta Stitching GTG, here I come!!! :-D

A Movie Meme!

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Erica for pointing me to a meme (list of thoughts or questions to ponder in your blog) on my most favorite subject: MOVIES! If I find one on Disney, I'll be in heaven. Starting tomorrow, I'll try to get caught up on all of his questions (they're all way fun). I'll do probably one a day until I'm caught up, then I'll most likely continue going foward on a weekly basis. So much fun!

New Movie Musings are up

It's been forever since I wrote new Movie Musings (first week of June, IIRC), and even longer since I posted a link from here.  I'll try to remember in the future, assuming there are many/any future musings once the baby comes.  We'll see.  You can read the entire Movie Musings newsletter (which includes all of the below, plus some extra "what's up with the muse" stuff), or you can skip straight to the individual one(s) you want to read:
* Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
* Spider-Man 2
* King Arthur
* I, Robot

The Friday Five - from 07/23/2004

Seeing as I can't sleep at the moment, I thought I would actually jump into this as so many of my blogging friends (see sidebar) have. I'll catch up from last week and do my best to play along every week going forward (though probably on Mondays, not Fridays). I'll also start on the stitching question of the week next week. So, without further ado, The Friday Five:
1) who was your favorite band/musican when you were younger?
I don't know that I ever really had a favorite.   Most any 80s "hair band" would suffice.  I guess I'll go with Bon Jovi.
2) why?
Something about their music just spoke to me.  Unlike most of the rest of the hair bands of the era, this one stuck.
3) are they still your favorite/one of your favorites? 
Yes, that's why I chose them as a favorite.
4) what is your favorite of their songs? 
"Livin' On a Prayer" is still one of my favories; I smile each time I hear it.
5) are there any specific lyrics you hold dear?
From "Bed of Roses"
About all of the things that I long to believe
About love and the truth and what you mean to me
And the truth is baby you're all that I need

The ABCs of Erin

I snitched this from someone's blog quite a while ago (Suz, I think) and got it about half done before saving it as a draft. I had completely forgotten until I saw it in Erica's blog. So here it is, a little more about me.

Act your age? Usually. Actually, I think I've finally grown into my age.  I've always been "wise beyond my years."
Born on what day of the week? Saturday
Chore you hate? Chores! LOL Um, dishes.
Dad's name? Mark
Essential makeup item? None! Rarely wear it.
Favorite actor? Oh man, just one? Ed Harris
Gold or silver? Gold
Hometown? Brunswick, GA (born in Riverdale, GA)
Instruments you play? piano, flute/piccolo, handbells
Job? none at the moment, besides parasitic host (i.e. mommy-to-be) ; occupation (when employed): Industrial Engineer
Kids? 4 of the feline variety (see sidebar), one of the human male variety on the way (due Oct 7)
Living arrangements? Married, single family home
Mom's name? Rita
Need? for this pregnancy to be over! LOL
Overnight hospital stays? Too many! Two sets of child ear tubes, knee surgery, gallbladder removal, plus a couple of nights spent in the ER with kidney stones (but not admitted); soon to be again after giving birth
Phobias? Bugs, particularly roaches/palmetto bugs
Quote you like? Serious: "We live in a universe, not a multiverse. Among other things, this means that science, engineering, the search for justice, the search for beauty, and the search for holiness are interrelated." Fun: "I am disinclined to acquiesce to your request."
Religious affiliation? Raised Baptist, currently practicing Methodist
Siblings? One younger brother, Jacob, whom I adore
Time you wake up? Between 9 and 10 (the only advantage to being unemployed)
Unique talent? None really, except the woven cording I can make
Veggie you like? Bleck! Um, butter beans cooked with hamhocks, or green beans
Worst habit? Clutter/pack rat syndrome
X-rays you've had? Again, too many. My nose after getting hit in the face with a line drive during T-ball, my chest to check for pneumonia (turned out to be whooping cough), my knee when I dislocated it, and tons for each kidney stone I've had (both traditional and CAT scans) ; plus standard dental x-rays
Yummy food you make? Chicken with Dried Beef, Annette's Macaroni and Cheese
Zodiac Sign? Leo

I have the bestest brother!

Check out what my brother gave me for my birthday: my very own domain!  Check me out at http://www.eringaston.com  He moved all of my code over for me and everything (pages, pictures, backgrounds, all of it!).  Thank you Boo-boo!

Now I can *really* play around with coding and pretend like I know what I'm doing.  LOL

Happy Birthday to Me

Unfortunately, I am still up (trouble sleeping).  But today is my 28th birthday.  Technically, I don't think it will be official until almost 5 pm, but close enough.  LOL  No big plans, though.  I think dinner at The Cheesecake Factory is about the only thing I even want.  My grandparents sent me some money, and I honestly can't think of anything to spend it on.  (I am expressly forbidden to spend it on the baby.  I have to buy something for *me.*)  Probably some books or DVDs.  Who knows.   I'm sure I'll come up with something.  If nothing else, I'll save it to buy something nice to wear for our first set of portraits after the baby arrives.  :-)

Buy stock in Charmin

This whole post carries a minor TMI (too much information) alert, and a definite *rant* warning.

To all who like to invest in stock, you should buy Charmin now.  Or whoever their parent company is.  Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the stereotypical need to urinate constantly has finally hit this pregnant lady.  And it's awful!!  I used to go 6-8 hours (sometimes more) without needing to find a restroom, and I *never* had to get up at night.  Even after getting pregnant, I thought visiting the facilities every 4 hours was a little much, but not unmanageable, and maybe once during the night.  But now, I am literally getting up to go every 60-90 minutes, and it is driving me batty!  Even at night, this goes on.  It's a wonder my husband is getting any sleep (and I know many nights, between the bathroom and my simply being unable to find a comfortable position, he really isn't getting much sleep).  And I've got 11 more weeks of this?!  I'm not sure if I can cope.  Oh, and buying stock in Tums is probably not a bad idea either.  I've had heartburn off and on fairly regularly over the past 7 months, most usually at night.  For the past few days, it has been almost constant!  Ugh.  I just hope I have an esophagus left by the time it's all over.

Yes, the baby has a website

I've been emailed this question a few times over the last week, so I thought I would post it here for good measure.  The baby's website is officially up and running.  Pretty much all that is currently there are the monthly updates I send out.  I imagine it will be much more "hopping" once he actually arrives (well, assuming I have the time, that is, ha ha).  Don't feel compelled to visit or read if you're not really interested.  I just know some are, so I wanted to let you know it was there.  If you want to receive the monthly updates via email, just drop me a line (you can use the email link in the left "star" box).  But again, don't feel like you have to.  I'm not trying to drum up interest.  I already send it to 45 people, but it's easy to add you if you want.  (Am I being wishy-washy enough for you?)
 
Oh, and it's a Geocities free site, so that means pop-up adds and limited hits per day.  So if you can't access it right away, try back in a few hours or a couple of days later.  One of the prices you pay for a free site.  Maybe when I rejoin the ranks of the employed, I'll actually spring for my very own domain and ad-free hosting.  We'll see.

I have taken the final step

Yes folks, I have officially stepped wholely, totally, and completely into the world of pregnancy. How was I not there before, you ask? Simple. I was still "making due" with regular clothes. But no more, they're just too uncomfortable.

I now have maternity clothes.

Not sure how I feel about that (besides much more comfortable! LOL). There just isn't much selection out there for plus-sized ladies, and when you combine that with the fact that I am not willing to spend $30 for a top or $50 on a skirt or pair of pants, my options become severely limited. To make matters worse, summer clothes are on "seasonal clearance" right now, so finding things in my size becomes even more complicated. How can shorts be "out of season"?! It's the middle of JULY!!! Hello, anyone home in the retail market? It's 95 degrees outside. What the heck makes you think that I'm going to want to even try on (much less buy) a sweater right now?

I figure it will balance out soon enough, though. Every season, the clothes for the next season come out earlier and earlier. Bathing suites used to be in stores in March, then February. I usually see them out around mid-January now. Give it a couple of years, and they'll be out before Thanksgiving. Follow that trend, and eventually, they'll loop back on themselves and all will be right again. I'm just not sure I can wait that long.