October

Have I mentioned that October is my favorite month?

Here’s why.  Last weekend I was trotting about the beach in a bikini shooting pictures and frolicking in general.  This past weekend I wore sweaters and knee high boots, lit some candles, and watched scary movies while sipping on mulled wine.  (A quarter inch in the bottom of the mug, don’t worry.)  No other month in the year is this predictably delicious.  It makes me want to buy root vegetables, which I did yesterday.  Only in October will you catch me buying a rutebega.  *It’s for a pot pie.

Oh, our weekend was just wonderful, and as such makes for uninteresting reading.  Feel free to stop reading now, unless you’re related to me.  Then you’re obligated, I’m afraid, and there will be a test.  Friday night I dragged a reluctant husband to the mall, something I can accomplish maybe twice a year, which is about how often I go myself anyway.  I needed him to get me a new phone, as my previous mobile did the splits after 2.5 years of faithful service (the Professor is the primary on our plan, they needed his presence).  As part of my genius plan, we got  the phone first, so later when I took him to Rack Room Shoes to find me some flats that won’t ache my pregnant joints, he was happily occupied for an hour reading through the manual, playing with the controls, and programming things.  There were no theatrical sighs, no eye rolls, no melodramatic swoops of the arm to glance very obviously at the watch for my benefit.  We were both quite content, and I walked out of there with clearance brown boots, flat, scrunchy (perfect I’m told for hiding the cankles that are in my future), and flat black shoes for work.  We went to just one more store – a maternity shop, where I bought a really cute skirt and lamented the fact that I can’t be pregnant and wear my wonderful new wardrobe forever.  Three stores is the dividing line between tolerant, mildly uncomfortable Professor, and head spinning homicidal Professor, and anyway the mall was about to close, so we headed home.  He only groused once or twice about the money we spent (which was a gift, by the way, for the express purpose of purchasing maternity outfits, so I though I would escape the miserly grumbling altogether, but he just. can’t. resist.  Yes I love you darling, but not your evil twin, Thrifty MacDrivemawyfecrazy.)

Saturday morning, I had kitty snuggle time.  She came in at 5:30 am and stretched out on my legs, using my little baby belly as her pillow.  She lay like that, snoozily purring, for over an hour.  So cozy and warm.  I love it when she purrs on my belly, I feel like the baby can hear it and finds it soothing.  Since the arrival of the pup, Bella has been a more aloof and grumpy cat, but still sometimes in the morning I remember how much I love my “first born,” and what joy and peace she brings to my life.

An hour later, when the Schmitt hopped off my legs and left me chilly, I leapt out of bed, sans nausea for the first time in THREE MONTHS.  Oh god, it was a glorious day.  I did not feel pregnant.  I scrubbed the house for 6 hours, while the Professor finished the chain link part of our fence, and then started to prepare for Scary Movie Night 2007.  Amanda brought her bigger t.v. over from her house, and we hooked it up in the front room, then put on Young Frankenstein while finishing up the meal preparations.  There was black bean soup with dollops of sour cream, ham biscuits, a salad with green apples, walnuts, and gorgonzola cheese, and mulled wine.  For dessert, Manda made zucchini nut bread.  We had 3 couples over, and we all snuggled onto couches, chairs, and cushions, and watched The Thing.  Virgil got spoiled like you wouldn’t believe, I was so happy for him.  And though most of the others hadn’t met each other before, we all had a great time together.  After everyone left, the Professor, Amanda and I watched Carrie, and then stumbled wide eyed and wired to bed at around – get this – one oclock in the morning.  I am so not pregnant anymore.  Except I guess I still am, because nothing has happened to indicate that I’m not except that I don’t fall asleep like one drugged at 8:00, and I don’t feel sick.  This.  Is good.

Sunday was more hectic.  I got up too late, got dressed too fast, and rushed up to the faux Italian playplace to prepare for our Fall Fun Day.  Although attendance was down, I think people had fun, but I was there from 10am to 5:30 pm absolutely run off my feet.  Despite the help, support, and frequent admonishments to SIT DOWN from my assistant Rose, I nearly passed out from exhaustion.  OK, I’m pregnant again.  I rushed  on the hour drive home, desperate to flop on something soft and not move again until Monday morning.  We ate – oh, just guess what we ate for dinner?  Yes, that would be pizza – but I did have a large salad with it.  The Professor made me eat the salad first, so I would fill up on nutrients and we would not have a 3 legged 7 fingered baby with pepperoni where its eyes should be.  Then we watched The Shining, which I watch every Halloween, and then we went to bed and slept fitfully.  Too many scary movies.

This morning, 6:30 came crashing down on me like a plane falling out of the sky.  I’m taking my Monday slow and easy.  When I arrived at work this morning, Rose and I looked at each other with heavy-lidded, bruised-looking eyes, and we both said – We should’ve taken today off.  There won’t be a lot accomplished in HR today.  I wish I had stayed home – I could have slept long, baked the lasagna and the pot pie and the remainder of the zucchini nut bread batter (which are all going to be gifts for people who have given me baby stuff), written the Thank You Cards FOR MY BIRTHDAY PRESENT WHICH WAS GIVEN TO ME TWO (2) MONTHS AGO.  Instead, I’m here, accomplishing little but showing my face, which is sometimes all corporate needs to see.

One final thing.  Due to the influence of Mocha Momma, a blogger I greatly enjoy, I have joined a little contest thing called NaBloPoMo, which stands for National Blog Posting Month.  November is the month, and the rule is you must write a post every single day of the month including Saturdays and Sundays.  I only foresee problems during Thanksgiving – otherwise, I’m up for the challenge.  I’m looking up some fun creative writing topics to do, so we don’t end up with a play by play of my frequently boring life.  At least not every single day.  Meantime, thanks for reading this far.  Family – here is the test I mentioned.  Email me your scores please, I’ll get them down in the gradebook and send you your midterm grades shortly.

1. What is the name of the Professor’s evil twin?

2. What root vegetable did RG buy in a fit of fall feeling?

3. Name 2 of the 3 scary movies we’ve watched in the past four days.

4. How long has it been since RG’s birthday, and how many thank you cards has she written?

5. For extra credit, please submit an interesting blog creative writing project for RG to tackle.