I've finally done it. I've become a violent sleeper. Anyone who has ever shared a bed with me knows that it's no picnic, but I don't recall inflicting any lasting damage. Until now. I gave Todd a black eye in my sleep last week. Still mostly-asleep, I had propped myself up on my elbow to rotate my pillow to the fluffier and cooler side. Since Todd likes to sleep nice and close to me, he had his head right behind mine at the time. With the rotating process complete, I flopped back down, whacking the side of his face with my head. I must have come down pretty hard, because for the next week, poor Todd had a bruise, and I had a pretty good goose egg.
I've heard scarier stories about people punching their spouses or hitting them with pillows and things, but I never expected it to happen to me. I know my habits of kicking, tossing and turning, stealing pillows, and sticking my feet in other people's faces make me an annoying bedmate, but until now, I'd never injured anyone!
In other news, we thought maybe the stork had come early when we heard crying outside our window yesterday morning. We couldn't figure out where it was coming from. We didn't see anyone out the window, so we got dressed and investigated. Outside, we found a toddler wailing in the bushes, huddled against our front wall. She was in pajamas, barefoot, and clutching her doll. She could just walk, but couldn't yet tell us her name or where she lived. We know most of our neighbors now, but we don't know all their kids. So we walked around with her, knocking on doors until another neighbor saw us and told us who she was. It turns out she had escaped from the house right across the street. When we knocked, her mom opened the door looking panicked. Apparently, this little mischief maker had just learned a new trick: operating doorknobs. She had started letting herself out and wandering around by herself. A few nights earlier, her mom found her up the street in the middle of the night!
Our experience gave us a peek of the adventures of parenthood! I'm sure our little one will get herself into all kinds of trouble when she comes. :) I can't wait to find out what...
Friday, October 24, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Broken Meters and Tuna Sandwiches
I'm going to tell everyone all about what's happening right this very second. It's 9:42. I'm eating a tunafish sandwich. It's edible, but not nearly as good as the killer tuna Mom makes. Yeah, I know it's a little weird so early in the morning, but I didn't get breakfast! Officer #32 is patrolling in lots 82 and 74, meter #14 is broken, and somebody has a flat tire. It's still pretty cool outside, but I have the air conditioning on. I thought I wouldn't have hot flashes for another 30 years or so! Ted and Geri are talking about an officer that ran into a bus the other day. The bus didn't hit him...he rode into a moving bus! I think that almost beats the time I ran into a stop sign. That had to be the most effective stop sign I've ever encountered. :)
Alright, I'll stop boring everyone now. It's sometimes difficult for me to comprehend, but I do realize that not a whole lot of people care about broken meters and tuna fish.
Alright, I'll stop boring everyone now. It's sometimes difficult for me to comprehend, but I do realize that not a whole lot of people care about broken meters and tuna fish.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Laundry Day Dangers
I'm sitting here at work struggling to breathe. I took my uniform, including the maternity pants I bought for work, home to be washed and forgot to bring them back today. So I had to squeeze into my old pants that were into my locker. I did managed to wrestle the button together, but now it's rather difficult to move. It will probably be uncomfortable enough that I'll be sure to remember them tomorrow!
There's not much else to tell you today, except that the word "pencil" derives for the Latin word "penicillus," which means "little tail." Also, good news for Jessica: you cannot get lead poisoning by getting stabbed by a pencil. You can, however, get a permanent black mark on your nose. Fascinating information courtesy of: http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/Features/Lists/?article=20ThingsPencils>1=27004
There's not much else to tell you today, except that the word "pencil" derives for the Latin word "penicillus," which means "little tail." Also, good news for Jessica: you cannot get lead poisoning by getting stabbed by a pencil. You can, however, get a permanent black mark on your nose. Fascinating information courtesy of: http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/Features/Lists/?article=20ThingsPencils>1=27004
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Break Out the Pink!
Ok, I'm guessing that there is at least a 95% chance that my baby's excited grandma-to-be has already told you, but just in case she overlooked anyone...it's a girl! I would have updated sooner, but I was pondering posting some of the ultrasound pictures. But that was taking way to much effort to figure out, and the only time I ever update is at work, so I gave up on that idea. So that's my excuse.
The ultrasound was really fun to see. It looks like we're going to have a really wiggly baby. She was rolling all around and grabbing her feet, and sucking her thumb. It took the technician nearly an hour to determine the sex of the baby. She was being a little shy and had scrunched herself up into only about half of her available space.
I am feeling her kick now, which is neat. Except that the other night I watched the show "Fringe" on Fox about a genetically mutated guy with messed up growth hormones who gets a girl pregnant. She has a super accelerated pregnancy and gives birth about an hour after getting pregnant. The baby then grew so fast it killed her during labor and went on to become an old man and die four hours later. The whole show was the stuff of nightmares for someone who actually is pregnant.
We haven't thought of any names yet. I'm afraid I've never been known for decisiveness. I'm thinking maybe I'll let Jessica name my kids after all. I'm sure she'll pick a good biblical name...like "Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz Argyle."
The ultrasound was really fun to see. It looks like we're going to have a really wiggly baby. She was rolling all around and grabbing her feet, and sucking her thumb. It took the technician nearly an hour to determine the sex of the baby. She was being a little shy and had scrunched herself up into only about half of her available space.
I am feeling her kick now, which is neat. Except that the other night I watched the show "Fringe" on Fox about a genetically mutated guy with messed up growth hormones who gets a girl pregnant. She has a super accelerated pregnancy and gives birth about an hour after getting pregnant. The baby then grew so fast it killed her during labor and went on to become an old man and die four hours later. The whole show was the stuff of nightmares for someone who actually is pregnant.
We haven't thought of any names yet. I'm afraid I've never been known for decisiveness. I'm thinking maybe I'll let Jessica name my kids after all. I'm sure she'll pick a good biblical name...like "Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz Argyle."
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Tag Tidbits
Ok, Jessica tagged me so I'm going to seize the opportunity to share more about my wonderful life with everyone.
4 Places I've lived:
1. The good ol' house on Michigan Avenue. The basement may be a meat locker, but the rest is quite cozy and enjoyable.
2. I enjoyed the very, um, diverse atmosphere in room 101 at Utah State, where we mysteriously discovered beer in the fridge and where my roommate swallowed a live goldfish.
3. Todd and I took advantage of his parents' mission to live in their house. It was great, except for the decorations, which weren't exactly my thing, but which were too much trouble to take down and store.
4. A charming little duplex, whose only drawback is a landlord who likes to fix things but isn't very good at it.
4 Shows I watch:
1. The Red Green Show
2. Red Dwarf
3. Doctor Who
4. (Insert your favorite PBS show here)
(Can you tell we don't have cable at my house?)
4 Jobs I've had:
1. Warehouse Slave where I got very dirty
2. Warehouse Slave where I got very glittery
3. "Sandwich Artist/Teryaki Rice Bowl Maker"
4. Parking Nazi
4 Places I've visited:
1. Washington, DC
2. Mexico
3. New York
4. Hawaii
4 Favorite Foods:
1. Taco salad
2. Tuna sandwiches
3. Grilled Cheese sandwiches
4. Cinnamon rolls
(This one may be slightly skewed by my random cravings for things like sour cream)
4 Places I Would Rather Be:
1. Out in the awesome weather today
2. On the beach
3. Somewhere with a kitty cat
4. Umm, I can't think of any more. I guess I'm just such a content person.
4 Things I'm Looking Forward To:
1. Painting my belly like a pumpkin on Halloween
2. Finding out if the baby is a boy or a girl (tomorrow!)
3. Christmas
4. No longer having to pay the university for anything like Todd's tuition and my parking permit.
4 Things I Do in My Spare Time:
1. This
2. Puzzles (number, word, jigsaw...)
3. Sleep (I do that a lot lately)
4. Play games
4 Favorite Things To Do With My Family:
1. Talk politics (Ok, so I don't really contribute much to these discussions, but it is entertaining to listen to all the arguing) Actually, just talking to my family is pretty fun because usually several conversations are going on at the same time.
2. Games
3. Fun Family Traditions like egg-breaking and gingerbread house making
4. Well, gosh, what wouldn't be my favorite activity when it involves the Fun Family?
I'm sure you will all sleep better tonight knowing a little more about Claire.
4 Places I've lived:
1. The good ol' house on Michigan Avenue. The basement may be a meat locker, but the rest is quite cozy and enjoyable.
2. I enjoyed the very, um, diverse atmosphere in room 101 at Utah State, where we mysteriously discovered beer in the fridge and where my roommate swallowed a live goldfish.
3. Todd and I took advantage of his parents' mission to live in their house. It was great, except for the decorations, which weren't exactly my thing, but which were too much trouble to take down and store.
4. A charming little duplex, whose only drawback is a landlord who likes to fix things but isn't very good at it.
4 Shows I watch:
1. The Red Green Show
2. Red Dwarf
3. Doctor Who
4. (Insert your favorite PBS show here)
(Can you tell we don't have cable at my house?)
4 Jobs I've had:
1. Warehouse Slave where I got very dirty
2. Warehouse Slave where I got very glittery
3. "Sandwich Artist/Teryaki Rice Bowl Maker"
4. Parking Nazi
4 Places I've visited:
1. Washington, DC
2. Mexico
3. New York
4. Hawaii
4 Favorite Foods:
1. Taco salad
2. Tuna sandwiches
3. Grilled Cheese sandwiches
4. Cinnamon rolls
(This one may be slightly skewed by my random cravings for things like sour cream)
4 Places I Would Rather Be:
1. Out in the awesome weather today
2. On the beach
3. Somewhere with a kitty cat
4. Umm, I can't think of any more. I guess I'm just such a content person.
4 Things I'm Looking Forward To:
1. Painting my belly like a pumpkin on Halloween
2. Finding out if the baby is a boy or a girl (tomorrow!)
3. Christmas
4. No longer having to pay the university for anything like Todd's tuition and my parking permit.
4 Things I Do in My Spare Time:
1. This
2. Puzzles (number, word, jigsaw...)
3. Sleep (I do that a lot lately)
4. Play games
4 Favorite Things To Do With My Family:
1. Talk politics (Ok, so I don't really contribute much to these discussions, but it is entertaining to listen to all the arguing) Actually, just talking to my family is pretty fun because usually several conversations are going on at the same time.
2. Games
3. Fun Family Traditions like egg-breaking and gingerbread house making
4. Well, gosh, what wouldn't be my favorite activity when it involves the Fun Family?
I'm sure you will all sleep better tonight knowing a little more about Claire.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Sour Cream and Roosters
I've been informed that some people miss me when I don't update my blog. I'm glad to hear it. It's always nice to know that I'm loved. I don't really have much to say today, so I guess I'll just have to talk about random stuff that's happened.
Yesterday I had this incredible craving for sour cream. Nothing else, just sour cream. It was a real dilemma because I didn't have anything to eat with the sour cream, and I felt really silly eating sour cream by itself. Ah, pregnancy. Gotta love it.
On Tuesday, Todd was trying to think of ideas for activities for his young men's class. Trying to be helpful and think of a service project idea, I suggested that they put together hygiene kits. His response? "They're not THAT bad...they come pretty clean on Sundays..." I had a good laugh about that. The young men may be a little smelly sometimes, but I think the poor, homeless, and disaster victims probably need it more.
In the work world, Commuter Services is finally recovering from its summer crisis. Enough officers have been hired to replace the ones who left, and we finally have the handheld computers up and running to write tickets with. It's a good thing, too. Fall semester has started and it's a lot busier with all the people who don't know how to park. I've decided to stay in this job until I have the baby. My supervisor has agreed to keep me in the dispatch office and only sends me out when I volunteer. That can be pretty fun because I get to drive a little golf cart around instead of a bike. Me and those carts aren't always a good combination, though. The first time I ever drove one, nobody told me how to use it. I had to ask one of the maintenance guys, who looked at me like I was an idiot. Then I drove it into a banister. I've also crashed into a parking attendant's booth and forgotten that a golf cart doesn't have the same clearance as a bike when going off curbs. But I'm happy to report that I have yet to kill myself or anyone else.
In closing, I just want to pass on another fascinating tidbit from the internet. According to the Mythbuster's website, a farmer in Colorado beheaded one of his roosters in 1945. Mike the rooster then went on to live for 18 more months without a head. He survived because part of it's brain stem remained intact, while a blot clot stopped the bleeding. The farmer fed it food and water with an eyedropper into its gullet. It eventually choked to death in a hotel room. So now you know.
Yesterday I had this incredible craving for sour cream. Nothing else, just sour cream. It was a real dilemma because I didn't have anything to eat with the sour cream, and I felt really silly eating sour cream by itself. Ah, pregnancy. Gotta love it.
On Tuesday, Todd was trying to think of ideas for activities for his young men's class. Trying to be helpful and think of a service project idea, I suggested that they put together hygiene kits. His response? "They're not THAT bad...they come pretty clean on Sundays..." I had a good laugh about that. The young men may be a little smelly sometimes, but I think the poor, homeless, and disaster victims probably need it more.
In the work world, Commuter Services is finally recovering from its summer crisis. Enough officers have been hired to replace the ones who left, and we finally have the handheld computers up and running to write tickets with. It's a good thing, too. Fall semester has started and it's a lot busier with all the people who don't know how to park. I've decided to stay in this job until I have the baby. My supervisor has agreed to keep me in the dispatch office and only sends me out when I volunteer. That can be pretty fun because I get to drive a little golf cart around instead of a bike. Me and those carts aren't always a good combination, though. The first time I ever drove one, nobody told me how to use it. I had to ask one of the maintenance guys, who looked at me like I was an idiot. Then I drove it into a banister. I've also crashed into a parking attendant's booth and forgotten that a golf cart doesn't have the same clearance as a bike when going off curbs. But I'm happy to report that I have yet to kill myself or anyone else.
In closing, I just want to pass on another fascinating tidbit from the internet. According to the Mythbuster's website, a farmer in Colorado beheaded one of his roosters in 1945. Mike the rooster then went on to live for 18 more months without a head. He survived because part of it's brain stem remained intact, while a blot clot stopped the bleeding. The farmer fed it food and water with an eyedropper into its gullet. It eventually choked to death in a hotel room. So now you know.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Olympic Sports
I know I promised I would, but I've decided not to bore everyone with a travellogue today. I know you just don't hear enough of them in testimony meetings anymore, but maybe you'll still get to when you're visiting teaching. Instead, I think I'm going to jump on the bandwagon and talk about the Olympics. After all, it only lasts two weeks every four years. I have to seize blog topics while I've got them. I'm also going to mix it up by including more "fascinating things Claire learned online while having nothing better to do at work." Try to contain your excitement.
Todd and I were pondering the other day how women's beach volleyball could be an olympic sport, while cricket is notoriously missing from the list. Well today I stumbled upon the answer. It turns out that cricket, croquet, golf, lacrosse, rugby, polo, and tug of war all used to be in the Olympics prior to 1924.
Now why anyone would want to do away with a fine sport like croquet is a mystery to me, but apparently a sport has to meet certain standards. A sport needs an association or governing body to qualify. It also needs to be popular in 75 countries for men's summer sports, 40 countries for women's summer sports, and 25 countries for winter sports. Unfortunately for all football fans, I don't think anyone plays that except for in the United States. I must admit I'm not too devastated about that. Anyway, I would recommend reading this column. In addition to being educational, it's also pretty entertaining.
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/Features/Columns/Default.aspx?article=olympics
Well, I guess I'm done talking for the day. Work decided to be busy for once!
Todd and I were pondering the other day how women's beach volleyball could be an olympic sport, while cricket is notoriously missing from the list. Well today I stumbled upon the answer. It turns out that cricket, croquet, golf, lacrosse, rugby, polo, and tug of war all used to be in the Olympics prior to 1924.
Now why anyone would want to do away with a fine sport like croquet is a mystery to me, but apparently a sport has to meet certain standards. A sport needs an association or governing body to qualify. It also needs to be popular in 75 countries for men's summer sports, 40 countries for women's summer sports, and 25 countries for winter sports. Unfortunately for all football fans, I don't think anyone plays that except for in the United States. I must admit I'm not too devastated about that. Anyway, I would recommend reading this column. In addition to being educational, it's also pretty entertaining.
http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/Features/Columns/Default.aspx?article=olympics
Well, I guess I'm done talking for the day. Work decided to be busy for once!
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