tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75882329890697523052012-01-27T14:16:25.965-05:00Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.comBlogger2721100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-16499055013961506242012-01-23T21:02:00.002-05:002012-01-23T21:21:24.804-05:00

So. Rhys is seven months old. And I am a mere three days and change from being 32. This makes no sense to me. That I am 32 years old. That I have lived 32 years and done so little with them. That I have lost more good friends than I've made, that I've let so many people and opportunities slip past me that I cling to the ones I have left with what I am not afraid to admit is a bit of

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I haven't forsaken y'all. Just haven't had a moment. Rhys has been dealing with some stuff, which means of course EVERYONE has been dealing with some stuff, (he's very egalitarian that way), and finding the time to brush my teeth has been wicked difficult, to say nothing of writing blog posts. I have them written in my head, but unfortunately the technology to suck them out of my head and onto

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On our last day in the hospital, while I was enjoying the effects of post-partum hormone craziness and hooked up to an EKG and a bag of IV fluids, the baby photographer trotted into our room to take Rhys' photographs.Sandy, crazed with the pride of new fatherhood, bought everything she showed him. If she'd offered to sell him a bridge in Brooklyn he'd have signed on enthusiastically. Couldn't

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so I'm trying to process and get through all the little bits and pieces of labor & delivery stuff left on my phone before I start talking about the past four months and/or laying the groundwork for my eventual insanity plea. And I came across this little gem and knew I couldn't live a moment more without sharing it with all of you. Which was, naturally, my intention when taking the video in the

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-48537074863503881832011-09-13T13:32:00.001-04:002011-09-13T13:33:44.185-04:00

Please excuse the football block Sandy was forced to employ in order to keep Nanook from climbing into the carseat with Rhys...

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-13967941597792324622011-08-26T09:43:00.011-04:002011-09-10T14:46:46.101-04:00

I'd just given birth to a baby that is *probably* not the Antichrist, (although with an earthquake on the east coast this past week, and a once-in-a-lifetime Hurricane of Doom headed towards us this weekend, I'd say the jury is still out on that one), and had been wheeled past the L&D nurses' station (to a round of applause from all the nurses) and up to the postpartum ward on the fifth floor.But

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-41411678155555171782011-06-27T20:53:00.011-04:002011-07-04T11:57:47.793-04:00

Just when you thought I'd tapped out the market on hideous ear worms...When last we were discussing the process, I'd just lost a certain something that begins with M and ends with Plug - around 3 or 4 in the morning of the 19th. That's usually a good indicator of some amount of dilation beginning in the cervix, but a woman can walk around for days or weeks after losing her plug. So I was trying

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-91663308479488279032011-06-26T12:01:00.001-04:002011-06-26T12:03:20.294-04:00

A very quick update - I went into labor the afternoon of the 19th, completely justifying the title of my previous post. Was enough in labor by 5 the next morning to go the hospital - delivered Rhys at 6:04 that evening.Birth story IS coming, I promise. I just have to upload the photographs. (I know, right? Terrifying. Even for me.) Anyway - just a note to say, holy crap - I'm a parent.

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39 weeks on the nose, (I roll over to a new week every Sunday), and I woke up this morning around 2 a.m. with unpleasant cramping sensations in my enormous baby gut. I lay in bed for a while, psyching myself out of getting excited about it because I hate disappointment and I know it's very common for women to believe they're in labor when they are anything but. "Vanessa," I said (to myself), "

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-326443416114767812011-06-16T08:53:00.002-04:002011-06-16T09:14:48.573-04:00

First off, I am completely and utterly ecstatic to report that Pooka has been feeling MUCH better. There were two or three days where he did nothing but eat, drink, sleep and defecate. He ran a fever intermittently, and displayed so little of his normal joie de vivre that I experienced miserable crushing despair. I was so worried about his fever, which kept coming back at night although not

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-29944530198653626592011-06-13T07:54:00.002-04:002011-06-13T08:56:47.071-04:00

I hasten to assure y'all that it isn't finished yet. It really SHOULD be, but it isn't. But it's ALMOST finished. And that means I'm not utterly ashamed to show you photographs of Rhys' room. Which will, since I'm going to shoot for breastfeeding, also be my room for the first month he's home. Sandy's not so happy about that, (wouldn't most husbands be thrilled not to have to wake up in the

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-20430544911772455262011-06-11T13:28:00.006-04:002011-06-11T15:12:52.396-04:00

Yeah - my size is no longer funny. It's profoundly sad.At my 37 week appointment with Dr. G, I told him that I didn't expect to have dilated at all the previous week, as I'd been under a fair amount of stress and I had a feeling I'd given myself a bit of a set-back in terms of progress. Well known fact - stress can delay labor.Dr. G said we'd see, and then went about the extremely fun process

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-18141648577242081032011-06-01T12:25:00.006-04:002011-06-01T15:59:48.306-04:00

"Your cervix is softening nicely!"Oh god. Oh god Dr. G - it's 8:45 in the morning and you're, (forgive the expression), up to your elbow in my girly bits. Could we please refrain from saying things like that to one another right now? Because to be honest, I'm very busy staring at the ceiling tiles and pretending to be on a beach in Biarritz and it is hard to imagine a beach boy saying

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-41633841867045618942011-05-25T13:56:00.003-04:002011-05-25T15:06:55.949-04:00

That's not actually true. Today is lovely and sunny. For once. But I DID have my baby shower this past weekend. Before we get into that, let's talk about a few other pregnancy-related items, while they are fresh in my mind, (and heavy on my bladder).Third Trimester Nonsense:In a lot of ways, the third trimester has thus far been like a scaled-down version of the first trimester. Symptoms of the

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-18124297317982585922011-05-17T16:17:00.002-04:002011-05-17T16:30:55.257-04:00

Well...I have definitively NOT eaten the peaches which you were saving in the ice box. Because I can't eat anything. Because the hideous taste in my mouth which has been hanging out and poisoning my eating experiences since last Tuesday is still going strong.I've lost about 5 lbs in the past week - more than likely all water weight but it's still disconcerting. Aaaaaand I keep having

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-68381480118747297302011-05-14T09:17:00.003-04:002011-05-14T10:16:43.517-04:00

Nanook takes his baby-incubating duties very seriously.This past Tuesday, I was home alone for much of the day - trying to get a bunch of things done because we've got folks coming to stay with us for my baby shower. So I took the dogs for a long walk in the morning to tire them out so they'd be sleepy and I could work around them. I didn't intend to take them for as long a walk as I did, but

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-14823272437053738492011-05-10T09:45:00.003-04:002011-05-10T09:56:34.373-04:00

Our Ideal Birth: The MusicalOur doula asked us to present her with our ideal birth scenario for class last night. Out of nowhere this total lunatic showed up to sing us his. Pay no attention to the fact that we act like we all know him and call him by name.Lyrics:This is called "our ideal birth"We're in bed the night your water breaksIt's really wet and darkBut the epic flood of birthing juice

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-69579686995113727132011-05-04T14:44:00.005-04:002011-05-10T10:26:11.203-04:00

I'm 32 weeks pregnant, y'all. I have 8...weeks...to go. 10, if Rhys decides to be fashionably late.Each week brings new "Pregnancy Firsts" - for example, this week I discovered that I could lift my belly with my hands. Prior to this there wasn't really enough overhang to do any lifting, but now, I can lift it. Also, jiggle it. Like a bowl full of jelly. It's the little things, okay?

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-75110621174013830202011-04-28T17:51:00.010-04:002011-04-29T13:44:55.545-04:00

Sunday morning I woke up after a night of fruitlessly struggling with the bug netting, to a dawn chorus provided by the Mexican version of a Grackle. They had a call that sounded remarkably like a car alarm. And regardless of where they were ACTUALLY roosting and calling, it sounded like they were doing it about 5 inches from my ear canal. Bastards.Getting up, it was obvious I'd be spending

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-42136533048671064042011-04-26T11:25:00.003-04:002011-04-26T11:38:49.921-04:00

1. I require a Sassy Gay Friend.2. Pregnancy is turning me into a whiny, whiny, WHINY little B&%$#. Not stupid, just whiny.3. It is entirely possible that at any moment I will snap, like a twig, and terrible things will occur that will lead to me delivering poor Rhys in jail.

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-72847935563516994952011-04-20T10:18:00.004-04:002011-04-20T11:26:55.602-04:00

Babymoons, for those of you unfamiliar with the concept, are vacations taken during the second trimester by the burgeoning preggo and her mate - typically under the assumption that vacations, relaxation and travel will all be difficult to accomplish once the baby has escaped out into the oxygen and started screaming at you.With that being the case, it will probably surprise you to discover that

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When I make myself a cup of loose leaf black tea, and I take the strainer out and look into the mug and see the inky blackness of the tea...well. This immediately pops into my head. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Only, obviously, some adjustments must be mentally made. "Aaaaaah, tea. Are you not the most delicious of beverages?""Truly, master.""And are you not black and full of flavor?""Black as

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-71949762305264651182011-04-16T22:17:00.005-04:002011-04-16T22:34:59.525-04:00

Picture me, going into the pantry to find something to nosh on...then, upon leaving the pantry, reaching up and pulling the drawstring to turn off the overhead light.The drawstring is one of those ceiling fan pull chain thingies that has the little metal clamps that attach one length of pull chain to another length of pull chain. Like so:Now, perhaps two months ago, perhaps longer, the little

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-85789290305686332792011-04-15T09:59:00.003-04:002011-04-15T10:28:45.163-04:00

This post is all about my Birth Plan. So brace yourselves.For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, Birth Plans are a sheet of paper you turn in to the Labor and Delivery nurses, and your doctor, prior to the birth of your child. They list what your hopes and demands are for your "birthing experience." Websites that helpfully offer "suggestions" on what to put on your Birth Plan list

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-1762436473537504092011-03-22T09:59:00.006-04:002011-04-03T17:44:42.129-04:00

This, again, won't be a funny post. Sorry y'all. You guys might remember reading the post I wrote entitled: "Crossing the Fear Threshold." Or you might not. Evidently, there's been a study done recently by the University of Rochester that discovered long term effects of miscarriage - evidence of long-lasting depression and anxiety, even after the birth of a healthy child. I don't have a

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-40822362447816944962011-03-15T16:56:00.003-04:002011-03-15T17:42:18.674-04:00

Dear people of the world - most especially those who come into contact with me or the other pregnant people I love:Unless, (and this is important), UNLESS you are speaking to the pregnant person in question directly about how fantastic they look pregnant, then common courtesy behooves you NOT TO TALK ABOUT PREGNANCY SIZE OR WEIGHT GAIN whatsoever. Ever. In the pregnant person's hearing or

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Would still be a Bob.Now that Bob can HEAR us, (all 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea), Sandy and I have been trying out his possible names on him. We don't want to give him an identity crisis by calling him Bob up until birth and then suddenly expecting him to adjust to having a brand new name. Sandy got really excited by the whole prospect of naming Bob, and spent many long, (and utterly pointless)

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-55976937769383271552011-02-21T17:43:00.007-05:002011-02-22T18:56:55.607-05:00

What, you may be wondering, is a photograph of the back of my master bathroom's toilet tank doing on my blog?And what's the deal with the oil diffuser and all those packets of matches?I have two words for you, my pigeons: Pregnancy Gas.* But, while that is indeed moderately humiliating, it is not the topic of today's blog post. Or at least, it is not the SOLE topic. Today's blog post is

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The secret is to get 'em when they're half-asleep, and vulnerable to suggestion...

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-22763179700141950572011-02-16T09:42:00.003-05:002011-02-16T10:27:36.243-05:00

The fetus formerly known as Bob, (and now known as a collection of different names which he is trying on for size), was given a glowing report of good health by both of his OBs - his heartbeat is kicking right along and his weight was estimated at 13 ounces, pretty much spot on where he's supposed to be.I am also in fine fettle, introducing myself to the receptionist this morning, when she asked

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-62090942154253558712011-02-11T09:38:00.008-05:002011-02-11T10:56:44.855-05:00

At our 12 week ultrasound appointment, the ultrasound technician turned to me and said, "are you going to be finding out the sex?""Ugh." I said. "Yes." It had been a matter of some debate. Not between Sandy and I, we were both totally Gung-Ho-To-Know, as it were, but amongst our friends, family, confidants...* Everyone had an opinion. (Everyone usually does.) Most vocal in her feelings was

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Just when you thought labor pains were the worst thing you had to look forward to during delivery...*As Bob continues to grow, (and, coincidentally, so do I), and we edge over the ridgepole of the mid-mark of this pregnancy and towards the steeply slanting downhill descent of the third trimester and eventual labor - the focus of my entire being has sharpened to one goal: avoiding unnecessary

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-65559175458725598622011-02-07T10:31:00.001-05:002011-02-07T10:33:16.009-05:00

Alright you guys - the poll has closed. Here are the numbers:Boy: 39% of respondents believe I'm having a boyGirl: 50% of respondents believe I'm having a girlBaby X: 10% of respondents believe I'm giving birth to a hermaphroditeWe'll see who's right...

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-88449032455705584662011-02-07T08:33:00.004-05:002011-02-07T08:37:32.445-05:00

As far as I know. We haven't clapped eyes on Bob in 4 weeks, but I'm pretty sure he or she is still in there. Either that, or I'm a total pig who eats two breakfasts a day for NO REASON.Doesn't bear thinking about.Also, I have crossed the 140 lb threshold. Aaaaaaaaugh?We have our second big ultrasound today. First big ultrasound was the nuchal fold screening at twelve weeks. This is our 20

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-80662784782756302062011-01-28T10:21:00.001-05:002011-01-28T10:23:05.540-05:00

Feel free to guess which of these birds is me.

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31 years old.Yeah. Yeah I know.My mom sent me a text message last night that just read: "I was 11 years younger than you are now, when I gave birth to you."Way to twist the knife, mom. On the other hand, I think she was just getting revenge for me writing on Facebook:"Tomorrow I turn 31. I will officially be older than my mother has ever admitted to being."

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I know I have already waxed furious on the many symptoms of pregnancy that no one ever mentions until you're pregnant - and I wasn't nearly as in depth as I could have been on some of the stranger symptoms, (like all the weird things your digestion does, or the gas!! Ye gods, the gas!!!) But there are other aspects of being pregnant that are just as obnoxious as the physical symptoms. For

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-86105941542025392602011-01-24T16:03:00.003-05:002011-01-24T16:10:08.753-05:00

Someone just found my blog by using the search phrase:"Did God create zebras on the fifth day?"And the answer, of course, is - it depends on which god you're talking about. Poseidon is the Greek god credited with creating the Zebra, and they said the Zebra was one of his early experiments with horse-kind, so yeah - it's totally possible he made them on the fifth day...Meanwhile, according the

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I know. Not my best work.Anyway - we left off at the 9 week ultrasound, where there was still a heartbeat! Hurrah! For those of you who have never had an ultrasound in the first trimester, what you see is a peanut floating silently, still, with a rapidly vibrating bit located somewhere on it, and that is the heart. We'd had LOTS of ultrasounds by 9 weeks, so I was used to seeing the slowly

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This won't be a funny post, sorry y'all!It could be that I am unique, but I have a feeling I'm not. If you've ever miscarried, you never really lose that fear. Every time you go for an ultrasound you wonder if this time something will be wrong. Maybe this is especially true for me because we had a heartbeat one week, and no heartbeat the next. You want to be able to trust that the heartbeat

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-5959039278012627982011-01-19T09:43:00.004-05:002011-01-19T10:03:34.023-05:00

Voila le Bob! On November 10th we had another ultrasound. I was a fabulous 7 weeks and a few days pregnant, and the little peanut you see before you in the ultrasound snapshot measured 8 weeks long. Wait. What???Up until the 7th week, Bob had measured just about exactly correct for his or her age. So to suddenly see him jump four days in growth was a little disconcerting. I wasn't worried

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-58472218210545455282011-01-17T16:35:00.008-05:002011-01-17T17:43:21.598-05:00

Stephanie J - this one is for you...If you are a woman, chances are you've had a pelvic exam before. If you are a woman like me, chances are that every time you have to go in to see the OB/GYN you spend three hours in the shower preparing for it like you're going on a date with Brad Pitt.* But unless you're a woman who has been pregnant, especially a woman who has been pregnant with a possible

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According to my pharmacy records I switched to the suppository version of the progesterone replacement drug Prometrium on November 9th, 2010.I remember that I didn't get it immediately, though, because Dr. G initially prescribed a suppository ointment, and evidently that version of the drug is super expensive, and my insurance refused to pay for it because pregnancy support is not one of the

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-26750727554498367542011-01-14T16:42:00.005-05:002011-01-14T18:19:42.713-05:00

Every time I go into my OB's sonogram room, I am confronted by this poster of women giving birth in a water tub, au natural. And every time I freaking see it, it renews my determination to have as unnatural a birth as humanly possible. Seriously, tell me those women look happy. Go ahead. Tell me they look like they're really gung ho about the fact that they're floating in a tub, without pain

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-64447457411832410102011-01-13T08:43:00.006-05:002011-01-13T10:30:31.494-05:00

In the interest of full disclosure, (and I do mean fairly FULL, so if you're easily squicked out by personal details please do not continue to read this blog post), and in the interest of total recall, (because my brain lately has had more in common with cottage cheese than a functioning bioelectrical memory storage unit), I'll be writing down everything I can remember about the first three

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-62826338817487747412011-01-04T10:15:00.002-05:002011-01-04T10:19:52.555-05:00

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-58430732114140616462011-01-03T20:26:00.005-05:002011-01-17T13:46:26.742-05:00

Readers of Nanook and Pooka's blog are already aware of this, but for those of you who do not read the dogs' blog as well as mine - I am pregnant. Again. We are all keeping our fingers crossed that I stay that way for the requisite 40 weeks.At the moment, I'm 15 weeks and change along. Which brings me to the point behind the title of this post.I'm waiting to quicken. Between 16 and 18 weeks

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-1675995040834645662010-12-17T09:44:00.004-05:002010-12-17T13:09:42.101-05:00

I don't know how many of you look at my sidebar and trawl through the various recommended links I have provided...but if you've never gone and visited my good buddy Johnny Virgil's blog, 15 Minute Lunch, you are missing out. The man is a comedic genius. Some of his favorites include:Better Add a Little Baking SodaAsk Me No QuestionsHelpful HintsPlanet WitlessMr. Cleanand, of course The Infamous

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-77744765271203192622010-11-19T08:25:00.006-05:002010-11-19T11:52:05.488-05:00

Dear people who send Sandy and me cards in the mail.Please, please learn the difference between the possessive case, and a plural noun. If, for example, you wish to send your letter to both Sandy and me, you would write:The Mulherens55 Fifty Five WayEtc.You would not write: The Mulheren's, unless you consider Sandy to be the head of a Scottish Clan, and you are referring to him as The Mulheren,

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-57089661966730539272010-11-02T10:07:00.003-04:002010-11-02T11:07:56.528-04:00

When Sandy and I graduated from college in 2002, we took a very special trip together to celebrate. We traveled to Norway, to visit my family there. And this trip was lovely, (apart from flying there in the worst possible seats on the plane, the 1/2 day layover in Amsterdam where we slept on benches, and the fact that we thought we'd be camping so we brought a tent and huge backpacking packs

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-83201597696765374572010-10-26T10:10:00.002-04:002010-10-26T10:15:33.502-04:00

To finish my Africa travelogue asap. It's been an absurdly long time in the making, and I'm sorry - but the truth is the next post is about stuff that is not funny at all, (Soweto, apartheid, Mandela in Johannesburg), and Cape Town, which was very funny indeed, and I haven't been sure I was capable of the right emotional balance, with myself still very emotionally unstable after all the events

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-88500210924022464002010-10-22T10:01:00.003-04:002010-10-22T10:39:22.330-04:00

So, we safely traveled to Bancroft, Ontario for NewfStock! For the pictures and stories from the weekend, please feel free to visit the boys' blog here, and here. There's one more day of posting to do, but I just haven't gotten to it yet. Sandy was able to raise the most pledge money for Newf Friends, which was awesome! So he received a very nice blanket as a prize. Thank you to everyone who

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-53019274331437549162010-09-07T11:02:00.005-04:002010-09-07T11:37:55.943-04:00

In a little over a week, Sandy, the dogs, and I will be traveling to Bancroft, Ontario to help raise much-needed funds for Newf Friends Rescue - a group dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming abandoned and abused Newfoundland Dogs. With the economy in the absolute toilet, pets are the first to suffer as folks tighten their financial belts - and this is especially true of very LARGE

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-45004677017758602272010-08-31T15:15:00.003-04:002010-08-31T15:28:33.168-04:00

You will find me, abjectly apologizing for my utter and complete uselessness as a blogger, and vowing solemnly to no longer let the minutia of daily life prevent me from spending the better part of my mornings devoted to making my keyboard go "clickety clickety." Although, in fairness to myself, it has been one serious bitch of a summer, and I have had lots of things on my mind.But dear lord, I

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-74234565385436709742010-08-18T09:28:00.003-04:002010-08-18T09:32:53.825-04:00

The Garden Party was a success, (as such things are measured). Many ridiculous and fabulous hats were circulating, having drinks, complimenting one another, and bidding on the silent auction items.I, too, was a ridiculous hat.My Silent Auction co-chair Ali and IBehind us you can see people eye-balling the silent auction items. Go team!

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-67312005282051044282010-07-13T16:37:00.002-04:002010-07-13T16:45:16.093-04:00

of my death have been greatly exaggerated. Okay that's totally not true. I doubt anyone actually thought I was deceased. But I MIGHT AS WELL HAVE BEEN, based upon the amount I've bothered to contribute to the world lately.Okay sure, there's the Monmouth County Historical Association Garden Party, of which I have been ostensibly partially responsible for - specifically the Silent Auction, and

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-85146338735835671892010-05-21T08:26:00.002-04:002010-05-21T11:05:35.911-04:00

Once off the Ra Ikane, we took the van back to the hotel to change our clothes quickly, and then we were back on the van again and headed to Victoria Falls. We were told to change our clothes because we were going to get wet - so we all got into shorts and flip flops. By the time we arrived at the park, it was full dark and the moon was climbing the sky. Unfortunately, the sky was no longer

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-83766142482407673742010-05-20T11:29:00.006-04:002010-05-20T17:58:55.553-04:00

You have to laugh. Because you'll cry your eyes out, if you don't.Because whoever writes the script for my life loves infusing it with tragedy and comedy in equal measures, yesterday happened.In the morning, we went for our second ultrasound. The first ultrasound had been a week prior, and showed a strong heartbeat on an embryo two weeks too small for the date I was 100% sure of, and a blood

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-49976840528998565312010-05-18T10:51:00.004-04:002010-05-18T11:51:26.601-04:00

When last we left off in Africa, we'd just barely made it across the Zimbabwe border and to our helicopter tour of the Victoria Falls. Our next stop was the Ra Ikane riverboat, which would take us for a cruise on the Zambezi above the falls. To be honest, I think ALL of us would have preferred to skip this little exercise. We were all exhausted, we hadn't eaten lunch, and we'd spent the day

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-17244277266523983282010-05-18T08:56:00.002-04:002010-05-18T09:11:05.080-04:00

Having a public blog means you cannot control who does, and who does not, look at your life and pick it apart. And by and large I've always been totally okay with that - 99% of the folks I have met through this process, I've become friends with. Like attracts like, and most people who don't agree with me, or who think the entire idea of blogging is silly, don't bother to come back for a second

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-86930978486094769792010-04-28T19:18:00.004-04:002010-04-28T20:09:44.772-04:00

I've been so busy outside I have no time for the INSIDE, and let's face it - the sort of people who sit outside in the middle of a glorious spring day and type on their laptops deserve to have their face rubbed in a patch of forsythia. Just my opinion. If you're going to be OUTSIDE, then BE outside. So. I've weeded and fertilized the herb beds. I've also replaced all the plants that didn't

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-7923172391763192712010-04-04T22:47:00.003-04:002010-04-04T22:49:49.947-04:00

But for real. Lee Dewyze = a young Rodney Dangerfield. Here's a side by side.You F*ing know I'm right.

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-39734932358233331762010-03-24T21:06:00.007-04:002010-03-24T21:59:48.534-04:00

And for that matter, who decided stinking Katie Stevens ought to have a solo? It's results night, and the group number was as painfully lip synced and auto-tuned as ever. Argh, I hate results night. The Ford commercials are usually horrifying, the group number is ALWAYS horrifying...the Ford commercial this week involved the Idols all dumping balls into a fountain and then jumping in. Andrew

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-78744115792909988742010-03-23T20:16:00.012-04:002010-03-23T22:00:50.776-04:00

After more ridiculous staging and camera mugging, the top 11 take the stage. With, god help us, Miley Cyrus as mentor.Lee Dewyze kicks it off. And, I gotta be honest, I'm with Simon on this one. I thought Lee looked like Rodney Dangerfield stomping around on that stage. The horn section totally took over that song. Paige is up, and she was just given some huge ring by a member of the

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-1662754551668772692010-03-09T19:50:00.002-05:002010-03-09T19:51:18.103-05:00

I'm afraid I won't be live blogging tonight's performances. I just don't have the energy. And it's hard to treat it like something important after all the events of this past weekend/week's beginning. *sigh*I'll be back though. No worries.

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-80619196610592953782010-03-05T11:16:00.005-05:002010-03-05T12:13:28.592-05:00

Watching the American Idol results show now. For a lot of reasons, I didn't watch it last night. Reason #1: Amazon came through for me with a new release by Anne Bishop, and I couldn't wait, so I ditched tv for the night.Reason # 2: Danny F*ing Gokey - I refused to tune in while he was on. Now at least I can fast-forward through his performance, and so I'll be able to respect myself in the

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-6767901933566586222010-03-03T19:57:00.026-05:002010-03-03T22:17:41.123-05:00

The word on the street is, Crystal Bowersox WILL compete tonight, released from the hospital, etc etc. We're at T-Minus 2 minutes and counting until the girls take the stage.Live blog is in the house.Based on the lineup Bowersox is once again in the pimp position. Unheard of! She's singing last two weeks in a row?! Or is possible they did it that way so that Ryan could snag her for a heart to

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-69495870193492156412010-03-02T20:26:00.014-05:002010-03-02T22:07:44.817-05:00

Right! Back from the makeup event (post for another day!) and ready to go. Fakest "let's hear it for Crystal" ever. Everyone, the guys are performing tonight instead of the girls because Crystal Bowersox is in the hospital.Michael Lynche's jump and point was terrifying. Actually, everyone's camera mugging was terrifying except for Lee Dewyze, who just looks like a guy who's trying to make a

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-90436003339354451382010-03-02T17:07:00.002-05:002010-03-02T17:12:23.454-05:00

But tonight's Idol blog will be perforce delayed. I'm attending the Give Me Liberty cocktail event at a local MAC store.Yeah, you read that right. I've got a thing for outrageous makeup, okay? Also, they are serving scones, and wherever there are scones, there shall you find ME.I think they might also be serving Tanqueray. Please see above comment about scones.I'm recording the performances (

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-84980515780432980022010-02-24T19:58:00.026-05:002010-03-01T13:58:38.402-05:00

Simon called Lady Gaga the most relevant recording artist of this moment in time, so it seemed appropriate to quote her for the title of this, Season 9's second live Idol blog...Boys boys boys!And we're on. And Ryan just said, "separate the men from the boys," and it was lame. But not quite as lame as his, "THIS...is American...Simon stop talking."I was already afraid of Michael Lynche (sp).

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-62141394560543932322010-02-23T19:44:00.071-05:002010-02-23T22:13:04.943-05:00

Alright y'all. 15 minutes before the girls take the stage! ARE WE READY? (I actually yelled that outloud and Sandy muttered "no." He sounded really depressed.) Don't worry Sandy, it's only 14 weeks until the end of the season!Yaaaaaay!3.2.1...cue Ryan.Huh. His hair has looked better. Maybe it was the lighting. Think someone short-tied him. That's similar to short-sheeting only with a tie.

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-33580477276151590812010-02-23T16:37:00.001-05:002010-02-23T16:38:14.687-05:00

I've watched all the Idolatry videos, and I think I'm ready. Ready, I say. To begin Live Blogging Idol tonight.You asked for it, ladies. And I'm delivering.

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-26543034388500037932010-02-01T10:59:00.002-05:002010-02-01T11:10:47.258-05:00

Oh sure, I might have rocked out all over that mountain, but Killington had the last laugh on me...A brief history of events:Sunday - drive home late night with the girls, get dropped off at home. Go to bed.Monday - bring bag up to bedroom and unpack. Leave bag on chest at foot of bed.Tuesday - wake up with giant freaking welt on side of right knee. Sandy wakes up with giant freaking welt on

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-8051835895640512812010-01-27T16:47:00.003-05:002010-01-27T16:48:54.853-05:00

Well. There's a lot I could say about last weekend's trip to Killington with The Girls. But I won't. I'll let this video summarize it for me. This, my peeps, is my friend Meg. Love her.Note - Not Safe For Work or Young Children.

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-68176854452859907342010-01-11T12:19:00.003-05:002010-01-12T09:12:03.764-05:00

Anyone who has ever studied philosophy, or physics and the mechanics of sound waves, has heard the old saw: "If a tree falls in the forest, and there is no one to hear it, does it make a sound?" Originally proposed by the Irish philosopher George Berkeley, whose theory of subjective idealism was clearly read and loved by the people responsible for Neon Genesis Evangelion, (for REAL), the phrase

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-80017693808001318332010-01-06T15:38:00.009-05:002010-01-07T09:26:55.585-05:00

I don't think I've discussed this on the blog yet, so let's have a lovely little camp fire talk about my new jaw implant, shall we?**Note: I haven't had much sleep in the past 48 hours, thanks to the Christmas Plague cough, so I'm pretty close to insane, at this moment. Insane, but exhausted. So forgive me if this post gets away from me.**Right. When I was of the age when childhood teeth make

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-27076897399838415822010-01-06T10:31:00.008-05:002010-01-06T13:33:10.686-05:00

On our way out of the park for the last time, I swiveled in my seat and took a picture of the entrance sign. It was a way of saying goodbye to the Chobe National Park. We'd already checked out and packed up first thing that morning, so all that was left was to drive to the Zimbabwe border crossing, where we would pass through immigrations, and meet up with our A&K escorts. From there, we'd

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-68636372271114110042010-01-05T09:35:00.003-05:002010-01-05T11:22:15.916-05:00

Our final morning at Chobe Chilwero, Gavin got us up and at 'em early - he wanted us to have the experience that so many people come to this portion of Botswana for; elephants. We'd seen LOTS of elephants already during our stays at Stanley's Camp, Chief's Camp, and Chobe Chilwero, but Gavin wanted us in the middle of herd migrating down from the mountains to the river to drink. So breakfast

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-77565290486007224232010-01-04T20:09:00.005-05:002010-01-04T21:09:26.395-05:00

Am suffering through a dreadful case of the blahs. Getting this enormous house ready for Christmas provides its own special brand of excitement, (read: blank staring terror), which I got to experience for the very first time this year. I went to the attic in early December, and brought down all the boxes of christmas ornaments and decorations. I carefully sorted all of the ornaments out and

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-46666404110906302802010-01-02T09:35:00.008-05:002010-01-02T22:11:17.957-05:00

We ate lunch, which was, as always, delicious - at Chobe Chilwero.Following the usual course of events, we then encamped for a bit, walking about the camp, going to our various "tents" to change clothes or camera batteries, (always bearing in mind Gavin's warning - "keep your batteries charged. If we happen upon cheetahs mating, and suddenly your camera goes dead, no one is going to feel sorry

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-16153084386083146812009-11-25T17:59:00.001-05:002009-11-26T10:44:59.815-05:00

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-9374896629078222922009-11-22T14:53:00.003-05:002009-11-23T10:12:50.333-05:00

Another morning dawned over the rather glorious although seriously bloated Chobe River, and after breakfast we all gathered by the jeeps.We would be taking two vehicles into the Nature Reserve for the morning, in the hopes of finding some elephants, and then after lunch we'd be going out again onto the river on the little flat-bottomed boats as we'd done the previous afternoon.We hadn't gone very

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-52290046606851698932009-11-20T13:10:00.002-05:002009-11-20T13:11:00.103-05:00

Would you guys believe me if I told you I'd ex-laxed myself on purpose? Part science experiment, and part necessity.Let's just say this morning has been...interesting.

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-52970157015050900092009-11-18T13:33:00.002-05:002009-11-18T13:37:36.726-05:00

At this very second, I'm planted in the kitchen at the breakfast table. I smell faintly of horse, since I rode both the palomino and the chestnut this morning. (Roy and Diablo, respectively). Still wearing my jods. I have just devoured some pizza with blue cheese dipping sauce, and I've got an entire pot of Darjeeling wrapped in a tea towel waiting on me. And I'm uploading the photographs

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-54351721162614177932009-11-03T07:34:00.004-05:002009-11-03T07:49:18.915-05:00

Let us discuss for a second Halloween. Important things you need to know about it include:1. It is my favorite holiday2. I like to have costume parties3. I REALLY like to throw costume parties4. I really, REALLY love Halloween.This brings us to a rather obvious conclusion. Halloween was upcoming, and thus, I planned a party. This time, however, I enlisted the aid of Ali Delaney, of Stella

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-5741249282271837642009-10-28T14:27:00.001-04:002009-10-28T14:29:01.408-04:00

I suck! We're planning this massive halloween party and it's just been too overwhelming for me to handle anything but the party planning, eating, and sleeping.I promise to return, and soon!

Nessa, Nanook and Pookahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12454080363207458241noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7588232989069752305.post-11101015241350513392009-09-24T10:15:00.003-04:002009-11-21T09:06:05.234-05:00

You know how that saying goes, of course. I went to see a doctor about the cruds that I was rocking last week, and discovered that, in fact, my personal puddle hygiene or lack thereof had not had the least influence on me. I had two middle ear infections, and a sinus infection. And evidently I'd left them alone long enough for them to firmly establish themselves, and give me a fever. The

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So I haven't been feeling well for about a week. Sore throat, weak limbs, general unhappiness. Then along came a giant nor'easter that dumped an outrageous amount of sand onto Sea Bright, NJ. Stay with me, and I'll explain why this is relevant. My husband, Sandy, works as a manager for a private beach club in Sea Bright during the summers. The season was almost over when the nor'easter hit -

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I've got a mess of Africa content still to go, but I hope you'll forgive me for interrupting myself in order to bring you my reaction to last night's stunning Idol announcement: Ellen Degeneres will be replacing Paula Abdul on American Idol.... ! ...That's all I've got. I have no idea how I feel. My first reaction was "noooooooooo!!!!" but I didn't have any good REASON for it, I just didn't

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Just a quick note to let anyone out there who reads my blog and desperately misses Michael Slezak the way I do:Since Idolatry won't be back until January, they're going to do a little program called Réalité instead. And of course, there's a trailer.http://popwatch.ew.com/2009/09/03/realite-reality-show-extravaganza/Whoo!

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After lunch at Chobe Chilwero Lodge, we got back into the vehicles and drove the short distance out into the park, and then down to the riverbank, where our boats were waiting to take us out onto the Chobe (also known as the Kwando or Cuando) River. The Kwando River has its start in the central plateau of Angola. It flows southeast, forming the border of Zambia, and travels through a number of

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You guys can't even imagine how long I've been working on this entry. And it's not even a long entry! Or complicated! I just keep getting interrupted. Sorry...anyway, here goes:In the late morning of our seventh day in Africa, we left the lions, and the Okavanga Delta, behind and boarded the puddle jumper for the short flight to the Chobe river, and Chobe Chilwero Lodge, where we meant to

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I wrote this thing down, basically exactly as it happened, forever and a half ago. That IS how it happened. I was lying there on the cusp of wakefulness early one morning, and some neuron misfired and the below is what resulted. And it still has the power to make me laugh so hard I am in danger of embarrassing myself in public. Some of you will probably have already seen it on my facebook

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Sorry guys. I had really good intentions but one of my brothers-in-law is getting married today, and the past few days have been a bit of a zoo of preparation. I thought perhaps TOMORROW I could blog, but evidently there's some kind of brunch given in honor of the by-this-time-tomorrow happy couple, so there goes my day once again. Seriously though, I fully intend to finish the Africa blog

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And only a month late, at that...Sorry y'all.  Things were pretty intense there for a while on the hospitality front, to say nothing of the continuing saga of The Move.  Trust me, it earned the capital letters.  However, my house guests departed for home today - they will be missed.  It DOES mean though that I will have a wee bit more time to devote to writing my small things down here, once I've

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A week ago, Sandy came home from a moving run to our old house to tell me that there was a message on the answering machine for me from Karoly Toth; the Russian Queen breeder.  My bees were ready.Long-term readers of the blog here will recall that last year I had two hives of Italian bees whose queens I named, (oddly), Nefertiti and Nefertari.  They had a wonderful spring living at the show home,

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Should be up sometime tomorrow.  Until then, enjoy this photo of me priming my smoker.  That *ought* to mean something naughty, but it doesn't.Kiss kiss,Nes

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Once again, this is going to be photo-heavy; but there will be photos I won't end up using so please feel free to click this link here and see all the ones I chose to upload.  Now then, where were we?  Oh yes.  When last we left our heroine, (me), she was suffering from an abused bladder and a surfeit of lions. Well, "suffering," is perhaps not the most accurate of descriptions - but the

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Spot the lioness!Before I really get into this post - there's a LOT of photographs for this day, because a lot happened. I've narrowed them down to 150 pictures for this post, but even that is way too many, so for those of you who would like to see ALL the pictures, please feel free to click on this link right here. Note also, halfway through the album you'll see the events repeat - Sandy's

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sorry y'all - I'll try to get back into the swing of Blogging asap - but the packing is really kind of owning me, at the moment!  Anyway, just didn't want you to think I was ignoring you!Kiss kiss,Nes

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