1. How far along are you? As of today I am at twenty one weeks. Ah, the blissful second trimester. I feel like a moon-worshipping sensual earth goddess. I’m trying to enjoy it as much as I can, because before long I will start feeling like a cross between Jabba the hut and Shamu the whale.

2. When are you due? The estimated due date is November 15th, but I’m really hoping for 11/11/11.

3. Is it a boy or a girl? Probably. Jon and I decided not to know the gender. We’ll know when he or she shows up.

4. Do you have a name picked out? We have a few ideas. Personally I like Lucy for a girl and James for a boy. Those were the first names of my paternal grandmother (Nana) and my maternal grandfather, both of whom I cared for very much. Lucien is another boy name being considered. At some point I’ll make up a list of all the names Jon and I like and after baby arrives we’ll pick the one that suits them best. I guess a lot of people have names decided on way before baby shows up, but that doesn’t make sense to me.

5. Is it yours? Alright no one has actually asked me this one yet, but it was funny right? I couldn’t really think of a fifth question I get asked a lot. If y’all can think of a question about my current condition or future plans go ahead and ask it in the comments.

I am grateful to be a dog person, and have the best dog in the world in my life.

If you are also a dog owner, dog lover, or dog person you will appreciate these two comics. The first is funny, the second heartbreaking. Click on the thumbnails to see the whole comic.

Rob had Bailey at the vet last week, and during the course of conversation they mentioned that just that morning someone called trying to find a home for their German Shepherd Dog. They were a nice old couple who just got her six months ago, but the man was very sick and they didn’t have the time for her. Rob called me right away. I said we’d have to meet her and see. Duh, she’s have to be some kind of frothing she-devil for us not to take her. So our new family member, Tika, came home with us last week and is here to stay. She’s gorgeous, smart, energetic, and clumsy as all hell. I love her to pieces.

Tika is completely enamoured with Bailey.

Sometimes love feels like drowning.

Things I am thankful for:

• Long weekends
• A family that constantly makes me laugh
• A job that’s challenging without being too stressful
• Arizona pomegranate iced tea (I’m seriously addicted)
• Gorgeous fall weather so I can go out and enjoy the picturesque natural beauty that abounds in my province

I’m also thankful for my stylin’ new sweater from Full Tilt Poker (thanks Rob):

Here’s some shots from our walk in Odell Park today:

Good walk Bailey!

Sitz!

Stay...

I can has weenie?

I got to follow this delectable-looking carcass on my way into work this morning.

Quick story: My coworker and buddy, Don, is currently on two weeks of vacation so he can enjoy the New Brunswick hunting season. Among other beasts he intends to slay, he’s going to go after a bear this year. That wouldn’t be very unusual in itself, except he intends to hunt this bear with a black-powder musket. You know the civil war movies where they have to pack powder into the rifle with a long stick, and when it fires it makes a big cloud of smoke? Yeah, that’s what he wants to go hunt a bear with. He says it takes about a minute and a half just to load the gun. I asked him what would happen if he shot a bear with this thing, but didn’t kill it and instead just managed to make it angry? He replied “I’m just going to make damn sure I have a kill shot!” Uhuh, good luck with that!

On Thursday, September 25, students will have the opportunity to represent -name of school omitted- at the “I walked with my Premier and MLAs” event organized by the New Brunswick Provincial Capital Commission.
Approximately 2000 students from schools in Districts 17 and 18 (within the capitcal region) are to meet at the Legistlative Assembly, and walk from there with the government officials across the Old Train Bridge, and return to the starting point. Once there, students will be given a light snack and a commemorative button.
The walk will provide the students with the unique opportunity of meeting with the Premier and other elected officials of our government.

Isn’t it funny that in all the years Jasmin has been in school I never remember anything like this being run, but now that there’s an election happening my kid suddenly has this “opportunity”. Like I’m stupid enough to see this as an opportunity for anyone other than the politicians. How exactly is every child of the 2000 supposed to “meet” with the elected officials at all? It’s a blatant photo opportunity, which they make a very brief mention of later in the note:

Students will need permission to have their pictures taken as this will be a media event.

(emphasis mine)

This whole event is supposed to take from 9AM to 1PM – practically the whole school day. We sat down as a family yesterday and explained what “photo op” meant to Jasmin, and expressed our opinion that this “field trip” was exactly that. We gave her the choice to stay home today, and she is.