Yesterday, I met Ion.  He is sweet and tiny, and has the longest legs I have ever seen on a baby.  (He looks like his daddy.)  He also makes old man faces.  I was there for an hour, just holding him, and talking with 2.0.  She looks tired, but happy.  Happier than I've ever seen her.  Her parents were also glowing, and 2.0 spouse had a look of giddiness.  I am excited to be with them on this journey. 

Best story?  As I was holding Ion, he scrunched up his face as if he was going to start crying.

Watergirl:  (singsongs) No, no, no.

Ion:  (falls back asleep)

2.0 Mom:  See, she says, "No," and he listens.

2.0:  She says, "No," and everyone listens. 

Watergirl walks down the hall to discuss a proposal with a co-worker.

Business Practice Manager:  Watergirl!  Can you come here please?

Watergirl:  turns around

BPM:  Can you call FedEx and see where these packages are and when we can expect them?  (Hands her printouts of the tracking information printed off of FedEx's website.)

(Note:  Watergirl is an Engineer.  Is in no way responsible for tracking packages.  Also knows it's easier to call FedEx than to explain this.  Calls FedEx.)

WG:  The package is stuck in customs.  FedEx doesn't know when it will be cleared, but they will deliver it the next day.

BPM:  Well, did you ask them if this is normal?  Is there something wrong with the package?  Does it have the wrong documentation on it?

WG:  I didn't ask, but I doubt the person I spoke to knew.

BPM:  Why wouldn't she know?

WG:  Because she's sitting in front of a computer answering phones?

BPM:  We'd better run this by [Cool Boss].

I've decided to start playing Megan's Friday Questions game.

  Load of Whites 
  Originally uploaded by H2O girl.

It seems I'm doing whites.

So, many of y'all don't know this, but some of my friends and I have this yahoo group thing, where we post messages asking for help, advice, prayers, or just to say thanks.  Anyway, someone on the group asked for an update on me this morning, as they had all heard the saga of the MW breakup.  (It was a general update request, as many of us had had things going on.)  When I told everyone that I am doing well, have started dating, and have realized that the "I'm happy being a single career woman," thing I used to have going on was a farce.  (I would like to find someone to spend my life with.  Mind you, I am not settling for just anyone.)  I just recieved a response from Leila, who wrote:

You go girl! I just can’t wait to meet the man you end up choosing since he will have to be something to keep up with you!

Aw, it made me cry, y'all. 

One of my co-workers just told me (we were talking about the aftermath of Katrina) that "Most people who are poor are poor because they're stupid and/or made bad choices." 

I couldn't even argue with him.  What could I say?  I know what I wanted to say, but it wouldn't change his mind. 

From the Divine Megan

1.  Have you ever had a pet? If so, tell me about it (them)

I've had many pets.  When I was little, we had a black standard poodle (Magic), a white cat (Kitty), and a calico cat (Itch).  Then we got a Dalmatian (Sparky).  After Sparky came Marty the cat, and Rocky the dog.  Now I have the boys, Jasper and Orion.  Jasper has no teeth, but claws.  Orion has no claws, but teeth.  Jasper is sweet, loving, and well-behaved.  Orion has an attitude and behaves like a bratty two-year-old. 

2.  What is the quirkiest thing about you? (Thanks Krista!)

That I talk to things.  The boys, other people's dogs, the television, plants, my car. 

3.  Name three things you like about sex? (Thanks Jimbo!)

Only three?  Oh, wait, my family reads this site. 

4.  Have you ever had a lucid dream (i.e. a dream in which you knew you were dreaming)? What did you do in it? (Thanks Krista!)

No. 

5.  What bothers you more: people who are late or people who are early and why? (Thanks Michelle!)

People who are late.  I think it shows a lack of respect for me and my time.  (I am talking about people who are constantly late, not people who run into traffic once in a while.)

6.  What city would you most like to visit and why? (Thanks Michele!)

Currently, I want to visit Galway, Ireland.  It is supposed to be beautiful, friendly, and have a vibrant Irish music scene. 

7.  What are you doing this weekend?

I am going up to visit TRgirl and Randy.  Tomorrow TRgirl and I are going to Petersburg National Battlefield and then out with some of her friends.  Those are the only definite plans we have. 

So, this weekend I went up to see TRgirl and Randy.  They live just south of Richmond.  Friday night we went out for Mexican and then played Mini-Golf.  (I came in second, beating TRgirl.) 

Saturday, Randy went to work early and then had a bachelor's party to go to.  TRgirl and I went to Petersburg National Battlefield.  I wanted to see the Crater, and she indulged me.  (Well, she also wanted to see if it would be a good outing for the  kids she works with.  Answer:  no.)  Anyway, I took pictures.  (Next time:  Tredegar.) 

That night, we went out with 2 of her friends to finish off the bachelorette party for one of them.  We went to the Midway Lounge, which is apparently tradition.  (And there were 2 other bachelorette parties there that night.)  The music was a mix of country, dance, and pop.  We heard Big & Rich, Shania Twain, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Pussycat Dolls, Eminem, and Gwen Stefani.  The bar was smokey and made my eyes hurt, but I had a good time. 

Today, I raided their camping gear.  Randy promised to lend me Under the Banner of Heaven, but couldn't find it.  Proving that he's cool like Matlock.

So, after we went out on Saturday, we got back to TRgirl's house around 0230.  I can never just go to sleep, so I was up until about 0300.  When did I wake up?  0830.  Now, I am way behind in my sleep, and so guess what?  That thing where I have trouble falling asleep?  Is back.  And then last night both boys wanted to sleep on the bed.  (Jasper never sleeps on the bed.)   Jasper on one side, Orion on the other, and me in the middle.  Plus Jasper was stroking me with his tail (he does that), so I finally had to kick him off the bed.  Tonight:  Study, Gilmore Girls, Bed.  And hopefully sleep. 

Yesterday, I left work early and took a nap.  Then I woke up, had dinner, and studied.

But the best part?  The Gilmore Girls premiere.  Please don't let them break up Luke and Lorelai.  Because then I will be pissed. 

Little Matty and I are watching the radar for Hurricane Ophelia.  Something's wrong with the radar, because suddenly the storm disappears. 

WG:  Oh!  She got herself to a nunnery!

LM:  Huh?

WG:  You know, like from Hamlet?

LM:  I thought that was from Macbeth.

WG:  No, Macbeth is "Out damned spot, out I say!  All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand."

(from the hallway, our HR person overhears.)

HR person:  What language is that, young lady?

WG:  Elizabethan English?

I will be permitted to sit for the PE.  Oh, frabjous day!  Calloo!  Callay!

My parents are coming down tonight.  (Must clean.  And buy coffee.  Have no coffee.)  We are going to pick up my Birthday/Christmas present tomorrow.  It's a kayak!  Yay!  Am excited.  However, Mom keeps telling me, "This means there won't be anything under the tree for you on Christmas morning."  Age mom apparently thinks I will be on my birthday:  8.  Age I will actually be on my birthday:  30. 

Sunday, I have a show.  With early ride times (I will have to be at the barn NLT 0730, possibly earlier.  Haven't gotten confirmation yet.)  I was finally able to ride Solie under saddle last night, and we had a good ride.  I also had a whip to keep him bent properly and to get him to go.  I think the show will go well.  I hope the show goes well. 

Do y'all have big plans?

I love Megan for doing this!

1.  Webster's defines success as "favorable or desired outcome" or "the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence". What's your definition of success? 

I think that setting goals an attaining them is one measure of success, but to me the biggest measurement of success is having a loving family and group of friends.  I think that being a good person and making the world just a little bit better is really the most important thing. 

2.  What experiences did you have this week that brought you joy?

My ride last night.  Hanging out with my sister, brother-in-law, and their friends last weekend. 

3.  Did you learn anything this week? Do share!

That the shoes my dad bought me in Maine make my ankle swell. 

4.  What do you believe is true even though you can't prove it? (Thanks Janet!)

That everything will be OK in the end. 

5.  When an atheist swears on a Bible before they testify in court do they have to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth since they don't believe in God?(Thanks Janet!)

They don't have to do that anymore, one can just make an affirmation that they will tell the truth. 

6.  Why do people have crushes on celebrities? Is it because they're handsome or pretty? What about crushes on those who aren't handsome or pretty? Who is your biggest crush and why? Have you ever had a crush on a character a celebrity has played and not the celebrity him or herself? (Thanks Janet!)

I think it's because celebrities are idealized people.  You don't tend to see their flaws.  If it's on a celebrity not handsome or pretty, I think it's the "Hey, that could be me!" aspect.  I don't really have a celebrity crush right now.  Real life is more interesting. 

7.  Yesterday Janet was talking about a fantasy wedding and I wrote a whole story of what her wedding would be like (should she ever decided to get married again!). If you were getting married (or had to do it over again) what would you do?

This is a difficult question for me.  I'd like to get married someday, but I don't really like weddings.  I think I'd like to fly down to St. Thomas, just the two of us, get married on the beach, and honeymoon there. 

8.  Wedding registries: buy from the list or freestyle it? (Thanks Krista!)

I buy from the list.  I don't even have to think about it?  Yay!

9.  The garter find/toss experience: cute or tacky? (Thanks Krista!)

Tacky.  Hate!

Overheard in the hallway at work:

Little Matty:  So how was the riding lesson last night?

WG:  Good.  It was the first time I've ridden Solie under saddle in a few weeks.  I had to use the whip on him to get him to do what I wanted.

LM:  Out of context, this conversation would be very weird.

WG:  How so?

LM:  "I had to use the whip on him to get him to do what I wanted."

  Entering the Arena 
  Originally uploaded by H2O girl.

So this weekend my parents came down.  On Saturday, we went to pick up my kayak.  I am so excited to have it.  Now I just need to get the right saddles for loading it onto my car.  (Note:  my father did provide me with everything I need to transport it.  However, he is used to having my mother around to help him load the boat.  I will be doing it by myself, which is why I would prefer a system like this.)   We then went out to the barn to clean tack and braid Solie’s tail. 

Sunday, I got up very early because I had to be at the barn at 0730 to get ready for the show.  Mom and Dad were still sleeping when I left.  We warmed up at Heather’s, loaded the Old Man into the trailer, and went to the show (the show was at the barn across the street from Heather’s).  We rode our best of the season.  I was told after the first test that Solie needed more energy, so we worked on that for the second.  It was a substantial improvement from the last show, so I was very happy. 

Came home, napped, and went kayaking.  Was very tired today.

Questions!  From Megan, as usual. 

1.  Why are the media so intrusive? Do you think a boycott of tv news would help? (Thanks Janet!)

I think it's because we allow them to be.  People want the sordid details of other people's lives.  And my small boycott of TV news (thanks internet and the BBC) hasn't made one bit of difference. 

2.  What is your favorite restaurant and why? (Thanks Krista!)

Rockford on Glenwood South (that's the trendy/hip area of Raleigh).   Their food is simple, cheap, and they make a killer cosmo (which is not cheap!)

3.  What fast food restaurant are you partial to? (Thanks Krista!)

I'm a bit embarrassed to admit this, but I love Taco Bell. 

4.  What are your standards and rules for tipping? (Thanks Krista!)

I tip pretty well- usually 20%.  I'm not that demanding- I want the person to bring me food and drink refills and generally be personable.  However, if they treat me like they think I won't be a good tipper, I will leave a penny. 

5.  Do you usually order an appetizer and/or dessert? (Thanks Krista!)

I am more likely to order an appetizer, but usually prefer a salad. 

6.  What do you usually order to drink at a restaurant? (Thanks Krista!)

Usually?  Diet Coke (or Pepsi.  I really don't care.) 

7.  How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop?(Thanks Jimbo!)

One, two, three, crunch.  Three. 

8.  If, for some reason, you didn't have to have a job to make money, but just to do something you enjoy and find fulfilling, would you do what you are doing now? Or something else? What? (Thanks Michele!)

I would not be doing what I am doing now.  I would prefer to be doing something with languages, or studying/teaching linguistics.

So, on Friday, I noticed an ad for a small store in Cary in the newspaper.  The ad was for a sale on Danskos.  20% off!  So, I went and bought my brown clogs.  (If you look at the flickr pictures, you'll see some of Orion in the clog box.) 

Saturday, I went out to Merchants Millpond State Park with a friend.  We took his canoe, as we could really only take one boat, and the kayak holds one person.  (Note:  I am totally taking my kayak back out there.  Must find kayaking friends.)  The pond is cool, full of duckweed and lily pads.  You have to paddle around cypress and Tupelo gum trees growing in the water.  I did not see a water moccasin, even though I kind of wanted to.  I didn't bring my camera, because, well, canoes can be tippy (we didn't tip), but will the next time.   We saw many turtles (some brave, some not), several great blue herons (my favorite bird), and a red-shouldered hawk.  It's a long trip out there, and next time I'd like to camp.  Who's in?

So, next week I will be heading to Orlando and then Naples, Florida on a business trip.  I will be gone for three days, and the book I am currently reading (Under the Banner of Heaven by John Krakauer) will surely be finished soon.  So, dear readers, I need book suggestions.  I will read almost anything, except girly books.  Oh how I hated The Bridges of Madison County!  Y'all leave me some suggestions now.

(Confidential to jennaratrix:  What I don't get about the above book?  One of the ten commandments is "Thou shalt not kill", no?  So how do the fundamentalists get around that?)

So, this Saturday, when I went canoeing?  Yea, that was a date.  Another in the long chronicle of "WTF?"

So, he picked me up at my house.  Well, first he had to call me because he could only find the even-numbered buildings, not the odd-numbered ones.  (Note:  My street?  Makes a circle on the end.  "Keep going" was apparently not an option he had considered.)  (He later told me that he didn't turn right like I had said to in the directions because that way looked like it took you toward the pool.  It does, but also towards my building.) 

OK, so he finally finds the house.  When I let him in, Orion, Mr.  Oh-the-door-is-probably-for-me doesn't even get off the couch.  (The guy later tells me he noticed all the cat hair in my house.  a.) I had just cleaned and b.)  I have cats.  Picking on my housekeeping (which borders on the meticulous, actually) is so not the way to impress me.) 

So, the drive up was fine, we chatted, got along.  When we get to the park, dude parks really far away from the boat launch.  (Note:  It is now 1PM.  He hasn't eaten all day; I ate breakfast at 0730.  I had then gone to the grocery store to get stuff to make us sandwiches. )  We launch the boat, start paddling, and he announces, "If we tip, I'm going to freak out."  (The water was dark because the bottom was murky.  The water itself was not actually colored that deeply.)  Me (to self)  "OK.  If we tip, swim far away." 

I told him that I was really getting hungry (Time:  2PM), and suggested we eat.  He did not want to eat in the boat, so we beached on some boggy land and sat on a rotting log to eat.  Much better than in the canoe! 

We paddled around for another 2 hours.  The park was beautiful, and I really enjoyed exploring it.  When we got back, I could not carry the very heavy canoe very far (arm sore!), so he dragged it back.  I dried all of our gear, and then he loaded the boat on top of his Jeep. 

I changed (I do not like sitting around in dirty, wet clothes, so I had brought spares.)  On our way back to the highway, I suggested we stop for dinner.  Him, "I never even thought of that."  When we got into a semi-large town, he decided Hardee's was the place to go (Note:  I did tell him I didn't care.  And at that point, I didn't).  I have never eaten anything but breakfast at Hardee's.  When we went in, he told me what he always ordered, and I said, "I don't eat hamburgers."

He looked at me like I was a moron, and said, "I thought you knew this was a hamburger place."  Me:  "They have chicken."  We got on line, and he said, "You can go ahead," and then stood very far behind me, to make it clear that I was paying my own way.

On the way home, he started telling me about how he sneaks into movies.  At this point, y'all are wondering why I went on a date with a 20-year-old, aren't you?  Ha!  He's 35.  Or possibly 39.  (He never did get his age straight.  Kept telling me different things. )  Anyway, I must have looked at him strangely, because he said, "Have you ever snuck into a movie?" 

WG:  No, that's stealing.
Him:  No it isn't.
WG:  Yes, it is.
Him:  Well, haven't you ever snuck food into the movies?
WG:  Yes.
Him:  It's the same thing.
(Actually, it's not.  If I had ever gone behind the counter and taken the Reese's Pieces, then it's the same thing.  If I didn't bring food, I still wouldn't buy any. )
WG:  No, it isn't. 
Him:  What's stealing is what they charge for tickets. 

I'm fairly certain that going to the movies is an optional activity, and if you don't want to pay the ticket prices, you can wait until the movie comes out on DVD. 

Anyway, I should have known he was cheap at the end of our first date.

Waitress:  Will that be together or separate?
Him:  I don't know.  How much does it cost? 
WG:  Separate, then.

Last night I dreamed that Jenna came to visit and she made my bed.  (I have dreams involving bed-making more than I care to admit.  One caused me to be mad at Phoebs for an entire day.)   And she's not allowed to make the bed anymore, because a.) she moved it so that it was against the wall, which I hate, and b.) she forgot to put the mattress pad on.  (In the dream I was nice and told her, "Thanks!   You didn't have to do that!" even though I was mad that she did it wrong.)

From the lovely Megan, of course.

1. What's for dinner tonight? (Thanks Sky!)   I don't know- I have a date, and he made reservations at a restaurant I wouldn't have chosen (this is a good thing, really.)  Oh, and I have a reasonable expectation that he is going to pay (but I'm still bringing the debit card). 
2. What is the first movie you remember seeing? (Thanks Krista!)   E.T.
3. Are you more likely to stop at an accident or drive by? (Thanks Laura!)   Probably drive by, but I will call it in. 
4. What are you going to be for Halloween?   What was your favorite costume as a child?   I don't know yet.   My mom made me a Holly Hobbie costume when I was little.  I loved that.  I should get the pictures.
5. I hear the stores have Christmas stuff up. What do you think of that?  It is just today starting to feel like fall here.   I don't want to see Christmas stuff yet. 
6. Do you park in the same spot every day?  Yes, all of the early arrivers have our own parking spaces.  Well, in our minds only. 
7. Michelle is in Tennessee home of Elvis. Elvis: Love 'em or leave 'em?   Leave 'em.
8. What is your favorite sport and why? (Thanks Jimbo!)  To participate in, well, clearly it's riding.  It's challenging, relaxing, and there's always something new to learn.  But to watch?  Hockey! 

Today, I had my yearly medical monitoring appointment.  As I was getting in the car to go, I split my jeans right next to the pocket seam.  Of course, I am wearing a thong.  I ran inside to grab my long sweater, and when I got there the nurse saw what had happened and fixed my pants with duct tape.  Which was very nice of her.  And even though the outside of the duct tape is what is against my cheek, it's still sticky.