Memorial Day, May 26--Valley Forge

We started the day with a great breakfast from Morning Glory Diner. It was worth the wait.

We went to Valley Forge on our way home. We had just missed a parade, so we saw the boys coming home on horseback in their wool uniforms. We also saw other boys out and about in various uniforms. Some of them were so young. The movie Taps was filmed here. Remember the scene where the wall gets blown out? You can see where they bricked it back up. Ah, movie magic.

On the way home, Garrett and I also got to visit our first Whole Foods. Such an abundance of healthy food was exciting. Later, we went to Trader Joe's, which is similar. It's not far from our house, so we're thrilled. Plus, that non-alcoholic wine we've been searching for was there. We've not tried it yet...but we will.

Sunday, May 25--University of Pennsylvania

We started our day by walking to the University of Pennsylvania. It's never too early to begin college visits, is it?

Here we are at The Green with Ben Franklin.Ellery was such a good baby--even though she was teething! When she was giggly and playing, Max was fine, but as soon as she made any little noise indicating discomfort, Max started flipping around in there! I think he's in love.We walked to the university, but it's difficult to carry around all this extra weight! So, we took the subway back. Here I am beside subway art. By the way, we got to ride for free because whoever sold tickets left a sign saying to just go through the gate. Very cool.Next, we went to the Reading Terminal Market. It was filled with all sorts of things to eat. They also had flowers and other things for sale. I purchased some natural beeswax candles.

We grabbed salads and sandwiches and had a picnic in Rittenhouse Square. The park was filled with people. The weather was absolutely perfect. It was a great day to wander in and out of shops. We bought Max a couple of books.

Saturday, May 24 Philadelphia

Philadelphia is known as "the city of brotherly love." Did you know it's also the city of about a ba-jillion murals?


Murals were everywhere. And they're beautiful. Not one that we saw was marred by a degenerate's graffiti.





We went to Philly with our friends Alison and Paul and their adorable baby girl Ellery. First we took in some history. Here are the guys by the Liberty Bell.
Next, we took in some local flavor. Lunch consisted of Philly cheesesteaks at Jim's Steaks. Alison learned how to order them before we went. "One provolone with" means one sandwich with provolone cheese and onions. Another popular choice was "one whiz with" which contained cheese whiz. Um, no thanks. The guys ordered us each a sandwich and thought they would be able to finish off ours. No such luck. However, we were lucky enough to get a seat. After we ate, the line for the shop was out the door and around the corner! Here we are before devouring our taste of Philly.

That afternoon we went to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. We enjoyed reliving the Rocky moments. Here's Garrett with the statue outside of the museum. We also saw a cast of Rodin's The Thinker as well as one of van Gogh's famous sunflower paintings. The museum had a special exhibit of Ansel Adams that was spectacular.

After an afternoon rest, we had a delicious dinner at Sahara Grill. My kabobs and the tabouli were so good that they give my dad's competition. The schwarma platter was delish, and the lemonade was yummy, too.

Bellydancing

Last night we met some very nice people from Garrett's office for dinner at Lisa's Turkish Kitchen in Ridgewood, NJ. Not only was the food delicious and the company delightful, but also the entertainment was priceless.

I wish I would have taken my camera.

Garrett was the first to accept an invitation to the dance floor. His enthusiasm was admirable.

Again, I sooo wish I had my camera.

Eventually, Josh, Phil, and Mike shook their moneymakers. I think they could all manage some dancing gigs on the side.

Even I finally gave in and danced a little. The Max and extra twenty-plus pounds that comes with him have made me less than agile, but it was still fun. Emily, the only other gal at the table, managed to graciously avoid the dancing. Smart girl. I could probably learn from her.

"And your next American Idol is..."

That's were my DVR cut it off. Can you frickin' believe it?!

The envelope was in Seacrest's hand.

The two Davids were waiting.

America was waiting.

I was waiting.

And the recording stopped. GRRR! I'd been so faithful this season and this was how I'm repaid? Admittedly, I agreed with Simon that I didn't really care which David won because I like them both (although, Garrett seems to have a serious case of the negative against Archie for some reason). There's something to Cook's gravelly voice and his ability to rock out any song, but there's also something so sweet and true to the tone of Archuletta's vocals.

Sure, I know who won. And...sure, I had only taped it so that I could skip the commercials and by that time I'd caught up to real time. HOWEVER, I'm not smart enough or quick enough to switch the buttons instantly and see it. By the time I was able to get it back to the station, Cook's eye liner was smudging from tears of joy and he was taking the mic to sing.

Hey, at least I got to see him include the whole AI gang in his victory song.

To quote Archuletta, "Gosh" this season was so feel-good.

An accent? Me?

I called to book a room for the HAWK Writing Workshop today. The lady taking my hotel reservation asked, "Where are you from? You have a slight East Coast accent."

Me. An East Coast accent.

Over the years people have often stopped me in our travels to ask if I was from southern California. Personally, I don't think I have much of any accent except when I am super relaxed or emotional.

When I told Garrett at lunch, he laughed diabolically.

I'm gonna have to sprinkle in an occasional "fixin' to" and "ya'll" if I want to maintain my Okie girl sound. 'Cuz if youse guys think I'm going to sound Joisey... fuggedaboudit.

Click here to learn more about America's dialects.

Our Perfect Day

Yesterday was one of the reasons we moved here. It was one of our favorite days that we ever spent in New York City.

The day began in an exciting way as we watched in awe as Max moved around in my belly. We saw him shake me like an earthquake. At one point, he rolled over and we saw his rump then his shoulder slide along my tummy. Then again, we don't know exactly which parts they were, but I felt a definite kinship with the movie Alien.

We rode the train and arrived in time to catch lunch before the show. We went to Langan's, one of our favorite restaurants in the city. Not only is the food tasty, but also the waitresses speak with a charming Irish lilt. Both entice us into returning after all these years. We were in a bit of a time crunch, so we each ordered something less fancy than we usually do. Garrett enjoyed crab cakes while I had a traditional fish and chips. The best thing we've ever had there, though, was fish (snapper?) with carmelized cabbage. Yummy.

For my birthday, Garrett bought us tickets to see November. It's a political spoof on a presidential election. Nathan Lane plays an ultra-conservative president. See... it's funny already, isn't it? Laurie Metcalf is nominated for a Tony for her performance. Dylan Baker, Michael Nichols, and Ethan Phillips shared the stage to create a funny show. After having the picture taken above, we saw Metcalf signing autographs. We had incredible seats and were impressed with the beauty of the Barrymore theatre. It was built in 1928 and holds the glamour of the time. Afterward, we dropped by Starbuck's and spent a few hours in Central Park. From a bench, we watched the people, squirrels, and giant pigeons. We walked a bit before sitting on a rock to watch the children play in the enormous playground. Then we stood in line for the porto-potties--THAT's an experience I never want to repeat. Afterward, we watched a baseball game where the Randy's were kicking Los Cocos' butts, and the latter's catcher, Diablitos, was not a happy camper. Eventually, we moved to another bench and watched the cyclists and carriages and skateboarders.

We wandered to a nearby mall at Columbus Circle. Garrett said the building is where CNN tapes each morning. I was thrilled because they had an Aveda shop and I was able to purchase Rosemary and Mint shampoo and conditioner. I love the smell of that stuff!

Throughout the day, we popped into wine shops to ask them if they carried any non-alcoholic wine. I'd just seen an article about several brands. Really, the only craving I have during pregnancy is for a good red wine. The article seemed fortuitous. Sadly, most of the workers greeted my question with a look implying I was a silly girl who should just go find some grape juice.

We then took a bumpy cab ride to Little Italy. It seems that they have a lot of festivals there in the summer, and we were not disappointed. We ate at Novella's and I still get happy when I think of how tasty it was. We dined alfresco, so we had a good view of everyone at the festival. We also were easy access for the nun who was collecting for St. Anthony. She made her rounds to all the diners. Maybe that was the purpose of the festival??? The tour busses rolled by on a regular basis, and Garrett smiled for the cameras. There were so many flashes, it was like a red carpet shindig. I think Garrett likes the idea of being in so many photo albums. We realized that we'd enjoyed our time past meeting the train, so we made our way to Port Authority Bus Terminal. We'd never caught the bus from NYC to NJ--and it was not easy! When I was almost in tears and had totally given up, Garrett pressed on. Eventually, the guide I'd printed off the internet gave us enough information to find our way. Believe me, we would have asked for help, but the information booths were closed with signs directing us to the other closed information booths.

When we got off the bus, we dodged a few raindrops. Once under the safety of our stoop, the skies unleashed the rain.

It was a good day.

Glamour proofs are done!

The incredibly talented lady doing the design of my book should have received my final proofs this Friday. It feels great to be finished with it on my end. I was surprised at how many things my editors and I missed in the past. My mom volunteered to proof it one last time with me, and I'm grateful she did. Errors would have haunted me. These aren't actual sentences from the novel, but they are examples of my errors.

Why don't you test your knowledge?

1. The man clinched/clenched his teeth.
2. The front of the tractor with its scooper is called a bucket/shovel.


Answers: clenched and bucket.
Who knew? My mom!

Also, I mention a lot of wildlife in the book. Since I have the black thumb in my family it's not a shocker that I had to research a lot. Audobon.org educated me on capitalization. Scissor-tail Flycatcher, Mourning Dove, and Cattle Egret are all capitalized; however, robin and cardinal are not.

Yeah, I know you wanting to know these little grammatical tidbits. You're welcome.

Wednesday, May 14--23 weeks!

I took the bus into the city today to see my friend Stephanie and a show. The beautiful day and fun activities made up for the beginning of the journey. The smells of the perfume in the magazine I was reading and the guy sitting beside me combined with the stop and start motion of the bus to make me wonder if I would have to use my purse as a barf bag. Nausea, be gone!

Once in the city, though, it was a perfect and gorgeous day. We ate lunch alfresco at a little French restaurant. Then we went to a show called Perfect Crime. It's the longest running drama in Broadway history. According to the program, Catherine Russell, the lead, has missed only four shows in 20 years. (We speculated that she must be either one dedicated or incredibly lonely woman.) The show was a good mystery. Max and I didn't exactly like the gunshots much--he jumped around a lot! The men in the show were all impressive. The show is at the tiny Snapple Theatre. It's a cozy, and worthwhile experience.

After the play we went to a bridal boutique. Stephanie is marrying a super-nice guy on 8-8-08 in Paris. Unfortunately, we won't be able to attend because it's only a month from our due date. Still, it was fun to get to help her with her wedding dress. It was one of those afternoons that made me thankful we moved here.

While at the boutique, we observed a bride-to-be having a horrific problem with sizing a dress for her August wedding. Apparently, she'd selected a mermaid style gown several months before. At some point during the engagement she got pregnant. She's currently three months along and one of her breasts alone equaled the size of my belly. She was huge. They were trying to find a different gown and order it in the right size to fit her. None of her friends or family could go with her that day, so Stephanie and I befriended her. My heart hurt for the girl. She was such a sweet thing. Getting married and having a baby should be joyous occasions. I feel so bad for her that the two are getting crammed together with one tainting the pleasure of the other. I hope she has a lovely day.

As for me, I was officially 23 weeks that day. The people at the bridal shop didn't even notice I was pregnant until it came out in conversation. I guess they thought I was just built funny. Hmmm. I'm not really sure how to take that.

Still okay

We went to our second doctor's appointment of the week today. We heard the heartbeat again, which is always a treat. They measured my belly for the first time. Pretty weird. Progress!

I ask lots of questions. I'm pretty sure I embarrass Garrett because of them.

One thing that concerned me was the size of the baby. At 19 weeks, they said the baby was 11 ounces. In the baby books, it said he was supposed to be considerably smaller. When I asked the doc about it today, he said, "That's a big baby." We'll see if gestational diabetes is involved when I go in for the test on June 4. Fingers crossed. Both of my parents said that my brother and I were big babies and that they were, too, so maybe that's all it is. Hope so. As for me, I've already gained almost 20 pounds. Yeah, that's right TWENTY pounds.

Another thing from the books that has disturbed me is that they say to sleep on your left side, not on your back. Well, when I sleep on my left side I wake up in pain. Apparently, my sciatic nerve is A-OK until I try to follow baby book instructions, then it sends electric jolts of pain through my body. Anyway, both doctors this week have told me to sleep however I like. "If you're comfortable, then baby is comfortable." That's such a relief.

I can't believe what a nervous Nelly pregnancy makes me!

Heart-healthy

Today's visit to the pediatric cardiologist was much happier than the one on Garrett's birthday one month ago. Not only was Max active and showing off his moves, but he also cooperated with the ultrasound. Dr. Rhee didn't see any fluid around the heart this time and his valve didn't seem to be leaking. I guess he healed on his own. As a result, we received the thumbs up from the doctor who said she didn't want to see us again. Yea!

Baby Yoga

Max spends a lot of time doing somersaults these days. He should enjoy it while he can because I can tell he's getting bigger and he won't have the room for long!

In addition to his acrobatics, he joined me in yoga yesterday. As I was bent over with the gravity pulling my belly to the ground like a bowl full of jelly, I felt him move. I looked at my stomach, and it looked like I'd swallowed a tennis ball. The ball shape moved back and forth and then disappeared as I felt him stretch out.

That was cool.

Wedding Bells

My brother is getting married!

Yes, to the girl he's dated for so long. Lisa's nieces and nephews have called him Uncle Brett for years. She's in all our holiday photos and is really already part of the family. So, when Max comes along, "Aunt" Lisa will be official.

They may have had a long courtship, but they're engagement will be short. They're getting married in June. I appreciate that they planned a date where I can still fly because I'm thrilled for them and want to be there.

Unlike me, the rest of my family has green thumbs. I, on the other hand, am the only person I know of to massacre a cactus. (Hey, I thought the car would be like a greenhouse and be good for it!) Anyway, they have beautiful yards. They're having a very small wedding in the backyard. It will be lovely.

The Case of the Missing Key

Most of the move went smoothly. We even went so far as to admit to each other that nothing really difficult had happened to throw a wrench in things.




Big mistake.



Along with a zillion other Fords, Garrett's truck was recalled. We didn't have much time when we were home, so we had to cram in time to take it to the dealer. It seemed necessary. I mean, who wants a car that spontaneously combusts, right?



Anyway, when the time came, he couldn't find his key. Anywhere. We looked all over the place. He long ago lost the automatic locker with the car alarm. I think he must have been using his spare because I didn't have one. He didn't have it on a keychain, either. Our growing concern was that I'd thrown the only existing key in the trash or in a random box because the number of random and seemingly homeless keys I discovered while packing was astounding.





Several hours and $65 later, a nice guy from Econolock supplied us with a key.





The next day we found the key under the bed. That's it beside my boxed wedding dress.Keys are like socks in the laundry. Sometimes they have a mind of their own.

When he finally left to go to the dealer, I heard a loud car alarm that lasted a long time. Eventually, it dawned on me that it sounded familiar, so I went outside. There was Garrett's truck with the hood up. I called to him, but he couldn't hear me. Then, just as quickly as the annoying noises had begun, they silenced.

Garrett emerged from behind the truck and marched toward me with a dirty black object in his hand.

All of the tools were packed. The car alarm thingamabob was long gone. So, he did what any red blooded American man would do.

He ripped it out with his bare hands. Grrr.

Moving pics

It felt good to be Oklahoma. This sight greeted me when I stepped outside the morning my parents arrived to help pack. Obviously, it was uplifting.

I think the fun had worn thin by the time I took this picture:

As you can see, many children look at my dad in awe at Christmastime. They think he lives at the North Pole. Usually, his beard is whiter. As so many guys do, he has fun with facial hair. He found some of his old mustache wax that was brown and decided to put it on his mustache and part of his beard. My mom claims that he works hard to become a "town character."

The next day, Garrett arrived and his parents joined us in packing. Here's Don after going on a coffee run:

Here's our moms sifting through the stuff we'd planned to donate:

All in all, it was pretty smooth and our folks really helped.

A Time to Mourn a Sweet Life

I was touched this morning to read that the co-founder of Baskin Robbins ice cream died. He is known for creating such ice cream flavors as Rocky Road, my favorite.

Rocky Road on a sugar cone--now called a junior cone-- from Braum's is my favorite. In high school, I purchased one almost daily. After every play rehearsal or cheerleading practice, I'd head to Braum's. I'd pull up to the drive-through in my big, black supercab, propane-powered pick-up truck. They recognized my voice. If I walked in the door, they'd have it scooped for me by the time I hit the register with my 96 cents.

My passion for the tasty treat began in the first grade. My mom went to England for ten days. While she was away, my dad decided to quit smoking. And this time, his attempt worked. Each day he'd take my brother and me to Braum's. Perhaps it was his reward for getting through the day cigarette-free, but I simply remember it as a good time. I can still see the orange, pink, and brown decor that once filled every store. Each day, I'd order a Rocky Road on a sugar cone.

My freshman year at college, they stopped serving sugar cones and decided to give those huge waffle cones instead. One lady in Norman, OK, tried to argue with me that they'd never sold sugar cones. Puh-lease! I knew what I was talking about. She must have been new. Or an alien. I marched over to the section where cones were sold, grabbed a box that clearly shouted "sugar cones," placed them on the counter and said, "I'd like to buy these and have you stick a scoop of ice cream on top of one of them." She did. Now, they call them junior cones, so I know what to get.

Another year, Braum's briefly changed the way they made their fries. I'd like to think that my letter to the company influenced them to go back to their yummy waffle fries. After all, they did ask if they could use my letter in marketing.

Still, I wonder if my passion for Braum's would be the same if it weren't for Irvine Robbins who created Rocky Road. Thank you, Mr. Robbins, for living the sweet life and sharing it with so many.

Inklings Win Big at OWFI

For you aspiring writers out there, you should check out OWFI. One of my group's favorite aspects of OWFI is the contest. Not only does the conference offer opportunities to network with agents, editors and authors, but it also provides the opportunity for us to make a little cashola. For only $20, a person can enter each of the 33 categories. Good deal, right? Plus, conference attendees get nifty bags like these:The Inklings were able to shake our Hallelujah basket (filled with jingle bells) several times and wear our celebratory tiaras at Saturday night's banquet. Our group scooped up three first place wins, one third place, and several honorable mentions. Good times. Here are three founding members of The Inklings before the ceremony:

Here I am with an award for a series of columns I wrote called "Pregnant Pauses," a humorous and very real take on infertility. I have fodder for more! If I knew the right market, I could definitely have a real column.

OWFI Receives Stormy Welcome to Midwest City

Oklahoma Writers' Federation, Inc. hosted its 40th annual conference at a new location this year where over 399 attendees and various speakers gathered to celebrate. JA Jance was the keynote speaker for Friday night and her humor and storytelling prowess let us all witness just what makes her a best selling author. We also had such big wig authors as AC Crispin and Bob Mayer in addition to top agents and editors. Check out our website for more information. Maybe you'd like to attend next year!

The Sheraton Reed Center in Midwest City is our new home. The fact that the May 3 tornado obliterated the original conference center did not deter us from moving there the same weekend. Storm chasers weren't disappointed. The first night of the conference was interrupted by tornado sirens. Community members as well as conference attendees congregated in the enormous tornado shelter. Marcia Preston, our 2008-2009 president, didn't let a little wind and hail deter her, though. She continued her session in the shelter!

Here is my mom holding some of the hail after it had melted a bit. Most of the hail was golf ball sized. However, at one point they released us to go outside when the sirens went off again. For a brief period of time the hail was enormous. As my mom commented as she retreated to the shelter again, "I'm going inside! It's the size of snowballs!" A lot of cars were damaged.

I miss friends and family in Oklahoma, but the weather is truly awful. My allergies went nuts while there. No wonder. This article from Forbes.com lists Tulsa, OK as the #1 worst place for spring allergy sufferers. Oklahoma City ranks 15. Anyone who has ever been around me during a tornado threat knows that I'm a complete wimp. Returning to NJ was a bit of a relief since Garrett told me that they announced on the news that Oklahoma is the most dangerous state to live in for natural disasters. Eek.