Blogosaurus

3 Day What?

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:18:00 +0000

I'm sure this isn't news to anyone, but the company 3 Day Blinds should really be renamed "3 Day Blinds (if you pay us $150 extra)".

Question on Unlocking Phones

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 01:25:00 +0000

Ok, people out there who are cell-phone savvy: I need to know how I can make sure my phone will work when we go to the UK.

I have a Motorola Razr V3. I called T-Mobile and told them I wanted to unlock my phone. They sent me an email with the unlocking code and the following instruction: "Before you start, you must have a foreign (non T-Mobile) SIM card entered into the handset."

I want to test this out before we travel (prob in a few months). Can I buy a SIM card here and try it? If so, where would I buy it, what would I buy?

Where the Hell is Matt? At Yahoo!

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:22:00 +0000

Matt Harding, of the website Where the Hell is Matt?, recently paid a visit to the Yahoo! campus. For those who haven't heard of him, Matt travels around the world and does a goofy dance in various locales. He often dances with the locals. This year's video is excellent, be sure and check it out.

I wanted to be in on the fun so I went down with Jack and had lunch with Chris, and then took part in the dancing on the green outside the cafeteria. They just posted the video on the Yahoo! blog. Matt danced all over campus and the part we were in is very brief, right at the end of the video. You can't really see us, but we're standing in the circle at the top left of the Y.

UPDATE: There's a photo of us on Flickr right before the dancing started. We're just to the right of the white light post. In fact that's Jack's diaper bag next to the post.. :) Thanks Mom for finding us!

I Fought the Curl, and the Curl Won

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 22:13:00 +0000

For 36 years, I've wished for straight hair. I've been going to the same hairdresser for nearly 10 years, and every time I have him blow-dry it straight. All day I say "I love my hair!" and the next time I take a shower, when the straightness gives way to the huge hair that's always been my nemesis, I shed silent tears.

Ok, I don't really cry, but I do wish it could be straight all the time.

My hairdresser's moving out of the state, so I decided to finally try going to someone new. She was all about the curl, so I let her loose. I have to say: I like it! The big question is, will I be able to make it look that way on my own? I think I'll have a good chance at it: she just put some product in and twirled the hair into ringlets and let it air-dry. Never too old to try something new, right?

Too Much Star Trek

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy) — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:19:00 +0000

Last night I had a dream about a time travel machine. William Shatner was there and when I asked him where he wanted to go, he said "Montreal World Expo, 1933." (I don't believe there was such a thing..) Anyway, he can go ANYWHERE in the entire history of the world and that's where he picks? Bo-ring.

Steve, Say It Ain't So

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 06:03:00 +0000

Barenaked Ladies singer and guitarist Steven Page faces a cocaine possession charge after his arrest while visiting two woman at their suburban Syracuse apartment.

Nooooooo!

Snark

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:17:00 +0000

I seem to be getting snarkier in my old age, or maybe it's just the sleep deprivation, but I find myself saying things out loud I would normally keep to myself.

Example #1
I'm at the pharmacy, carrying Jack in the sling. The pharmacist looks over and says sternly, "Make sure you cover that baby up in the sun!" I say, "Actually, I like to leave him in the sun for 5 hours a day, to get as much sun as possible!" I say it with a big friendly smile though so she just looks confused.

What is with people and their fear of sun & babies? I mean if they took one look at Jack it's pretty clear how pale he is; obviously he's not sitting in the sun all day. And even if I were the type of person to do that, is her admonishing me really going to change my ways? Look, if I'm dangling Jack over an open sewer grate or something, you can speak up, but otherwise.. zip it.

Example #2
It's noon on a Saturday. I'm feeding Jack upstairs, Chris is in the shower. Doorbell rings. I ignore it, figuring it's just UPS or something. It rings again. Knocking. Thinking it must be urgent, I rush downstairs carrying Jack who's now crying since his feeding has been interrupted. I open the door, and it's the Mormons.

"Hello, we're from the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints," one woman says.
"I'm an atheist."
"Can we leave you some literature?"
"No. Can I give you some literature on being an atheist?"

They didn't want any, which I suppose is just as well since I'm out.

Grumpy old lady! That's what I am!

Dreamgirls: The Review

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 05:12:00 +0000

Too much singing.

Song Meme

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 06:16:00 +0000

1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
Impossible

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Workin� for MCA

WHAT IS LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Fever

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Take Me Home

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Thank Misery

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
None of Your Business

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
I U She

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Full of Grace

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Brokeback Mountain Score 3

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Whipping Boy

WHAT SONG WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR WEDDING?
Iko Iko

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Superwise

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST??
Hell Yes

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
I Only Have Eyes for You

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Here Today and Yesterday

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Sister Christian

I need a checkup; and can you recommend a good restaurant?

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:20:00 +0000

I have been feeling a little unwell recently and started thinking I need to find a new regular doctor. I haven't seen a regular doctor since December 2005, when I cracked my head on the bathroom floor. Since then I've just seen my OB/GYN.

I had a doctor I really liked for a while but she moved into private practice. I looked her up today and she's now in a "concierge" group, which means she'll be your doctor 24/7 with access to her cell phone and email, with same-day appointments and no waiting time! It only costs $4000 a year.

Her website says she left her old practice to be able to give highly personalized care to her patients. I can believe it.. it drives me crazy how they schedule appointments in 15 minute blocks. When has that ever been enough time?

Is this the future of health care? The rich people get to pay for excellent medical care, and the not-so-rich get shafted?

Sweet Dish: The Review

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:21:00 +0000

This weekend my friend Lisa took me to Sweet Dish, a candy store in the Marina district of San Francisco.

Those of you who know me know I'm a candy fiend. I've loved candy since I was a kid, when I would eat all of my Halloween candy within the first few days of getting it, and then search the house for the candy my sister would hide and forget about.

I'm very particular about my candy. I love hard candy, and have grown to love chocolate as an adult. When Lisa suggested we visit the store, how could I refuse?

The setting: the store is not very big; it's narrow and deep. The walls are lined with colorful jars of all types of candy (heavier on the non-chocolate kind). There is a very good selection and I liked the look of the displays.

The method: here is where the store loses points with me. Most of the candy in jars was only available in little pre-packaged bags under the jars; you could not simply open each jar and take out what you wanted. (Now, it's possible you could ask for smaller portions from the staff, but to me that takes away all the fun. I'm not going to ask the staff to pick out two pieces of 20 different types.)

I understand why candy stores do this: it cuts down on stealing, and keeps people's grubby paws off the candy. But one of the signs of a great candy store is the pick-and-mix method: letting you get all different types of candy, and being able to try something new without getting stuck with a whole bag of something you don't want.

The service: I was looking for some gummy sour type of candy for a friend but didn't see what I was looking for. They had a lot of soft sour candies, but none of them seemed to be what I was looking for. I asked a staff member which ones were gummy sours, and he said they were all gummy! No no no no, my friend, there is a huge difference in texture! (Perhaps technically they're all gummy in that they're soft, but I am talking about the difference between sour patch kids and gummy bear sours. If you can't tell the difference, you are no candy freak!)

The purchase: I managed to restrain myself somewhat. Prices were high, so I didn't want to go overboard. I got: mint chip caramels; celestial sour stars; and violet cremes. The verdict: all very tasty.

They had a lot of imported candy (like Yorkie Bars--It's Not For Girls!) and there were lots of additional things I'd love to try.

Overall, I give a thumbs up for selection and presentation, but a thumbs down for the fact you can't pick-and-mix. Also it's not cheap, so not the kind of place a kid with their dollar allowance is likely to find happiness.

Final verdict: I'd go back.

Pool Safety

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 02:16:00 +0000

I'm all for teaching your kids how to be safe in the pool, but this seems a bit extreme:

As a parent of three children, Tracie Muldrow views herself as the first line of defense - and she takes that role seriously.

"Every year, when they don't expect it, I dunk my kids into the pool," says the Danville pool owner, whose children are 12, 9 and 5 years old. "I pick some time when they are fully dressed, when they don't expect it, and I push them into the pool.

"Kids should know how to react if they fall into the water by accident - which is how many drownings occur," she says. "And kids should know how to get out of the pool without using the stairs."

Her children don't necessarily jump for joy when Mom shoves them into the water, but their irritation doesn't deter Muldrow, who proclaims: "My kids are water safe."

I can only imagine what other lessons this Pink Panther-esque technique teaches.. like, your mother is out to get you; always wear a swimsuit under your clothes; trust no one!

Barenaked Ladies: Snack Time

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 21:44:00 +0000

On Thursday I went to the local Barnes and Noble to meet the Barenaked Ladies. They were there promoting their new children's album, Snack Time. We got there too late to see them perform (they only allowed a certain number of people on the second floor) but I stuck around for the signing portion.

I asked Ed if there was a deeper meaning to the song When I Fall. He said "There's always a deeper meaning!" He said it was about a lot of family stuff.

I told Steve how much I liked the song When You Dream and that I liked to sing it to my new son.

I've seen them lots of times in concert but never had the chance to meet them. Very cool.

Indiana Jones: SPOILERS!!

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 03:10:00 +0000

Chris and I got to see the new Indy movie this past Saturday (thanks Cindy for babysitting!) Before I comment on the new movie, here are some thoughts on the first three films:

Raiders of the Lost Ark: Clearly the best of the bunch. This is one of the most flawless movies ever made. Indiana Jones is the role Harrison Ford was born to play. The storyline is tight, the action scenes awesome, and the female lead is (mostly) a strong, interesting character. What more can I say?

Temple of Doom: Most people rate this as the worst of the three, but it's actually my second favorite. It's true, Kate Capshaw's character is hideous and if we could excise her from the movie it would be so much better. But this movie has a lot of great stuff, mainly in the action scenes: the bucket of ice covering the diamond, the liferaft falling out of the plane onto the snow, the mine car, and best of all the bridge scene. You will go to Pankot, and you will bring back Shiva Linga!

Last Crusade: This one didn't have the offensiveness of Kate Capshaw, but it didn't have a lot of great stuff, either. Frankly I was BORED during certain scenes, such as the long exposition when Donovan is explaining the holy grail setup. The lead female character was boring. Sean Connery and River Phoenix were distractions from the real Indiana Jones. I do enjoy the parts once they're in the temple, like the optical illusion bridge and the whole choosing the cup sequence.

Ok, so now my thoughts on the new one (SPOILERS!!!!): well, first of all it's colored by the fact it was the first time Chris and I were out of the house alone together in a couple of months, so that alone was fabulous. I had VERY low expectations. Overall I enjoyed the movie, but it had a lot of dumb parts as well, and I don't expect it to be something I'd like to watch over and over like the first one. It was a lot of fun to see Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones again, and I'm so glad they brought Karen Allen back, even if all she did the whole time was grin like crazy as if to say "I'm SO HAPPY I'm in the movie!"

That being said.. space aliens??? Come on, Steven! I kept expecting the theme from Close Encounters to start up. And I didn't care for Shia LaBeouf. I also thought the crystal skull was very cheesy. It might have been appropriate if John Hurt had one of the crystal skulls burst out of his abdomen..

Anyway, a fairly fluffy film, but I still enjoyed it immensely and will no doubt forget all about it soon.

New Camera

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy) — Sat, 31 May 2008 06:19:00 +0000

We recently got a new camera: a Canon Rebel XSi. I was a little wary of getting an SLR because I didn't want to have to learn to use all the fancy settings for aperture and lighting and blah de blah just to take a picture, but I was up and running with this camera within 5 minutes. I just put it on automatic mode and it already takes better pictures than our old one.

I love it. It's gotten me excited about taking photos again, like when I got my first digital camera 10 years ago. We've been taking tons of pictures. I think one of the reasons it's so fun to use is the lack of shutter lag--it really does make a difference.

It's definitely a lot more to lug around, but we've really been enjoying it.

Baby Blogosaurus

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy) — Tue, 27 May 2008 23:22:00 +0000

I have finally started my baby blog: Baby Blogosaurus. I'll be writing about things related to Jack, my labor & delivery, breastfeeding, baby products, etc. Not that I'll never mention Jack on my regular blog, but I know not everyone's interested in reading about that stuff.

I am trying out Word Press to see if I like the features more than Blogger. Unfortunately you can't map it to a domain like you can with Blogger so I have to use their URL for now (babyblogosaurus.wordpress.com).

Whew

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy) — Tue, 20 May 2008 19:18:00 +0000

What a week. Last Monday I took Jack to the pediatrician and the doctor was concerned about his head growth. (He went from 25th percentile to 50th in 2 weeks.. that plus the fact his skull plates haven't all fused possibly meant excess fluid.) So, he sent us to Stanford for a head ultrasound on Thursday.

I spent four days freaking out that Jack had hydrocephalus, trying not to Google too much. Thankfully, we found out Friday Jack is fine--all is normal in there.

It kind of puts thing in perspective. Not to downplay the difficulties we've had with breastfeeding and infections, but in the long run those are minor blips.

Yesterday was a milestone--I took Jack to the grocery store! Woo hoo! I put him in the sling and he was fine the whole time.

Saturday I went to my book club meeting, and Jack stayed home with Chris. It was wonderful to be out and about having grown-up discussions and tasty food. When I got home no one was there.. Chris and Jack were having an outing at the hardware store. I think Chris is hoping Jack will be able to help with home improvement projects by the time he's 1.

As always, latest pictures are up at Flickr.

The Latest

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy) — Fri, 09 May 2008 00:49:00 +0000

One of these days I intend to make a new blog for the baby stuff, since I know my (millions) of readers don't all want to hear about it, but for now it all goes here.

Jack is one month old today, and weighs in at 8 1/2 pounds. He's gaining weight at a steady pace. He's still pretty happy and mellow.

WARNING: More breastfeeding talk ahead.

We've had a pretty rough time with breastfeeding; Jack has still had the problem of not getting enough from me. But, it looks like we may be turning a corner! Our visit to the lactation center today showed he's doing much better. I am crossing my fingers it's not a fluke and he'll continue to improve. He and I are also both battling infections, so it's drug city around here. I can't wait to stop taking so many damn pills.

Still not getting much sleep, but I am hopeful with breastfeeding getting easier each feeding will take less time (so I won't have to pump and wash everything so often) and I'll be able to get more time sleeping.

Chris goes back to work next week. I can't say enough about how wonderful he has been this whole month, taking fantastic care of Jack, and of me. He's always there for me during my meltdowns and rallies my spirits to keep me going. There's just no way I could have survived this month without him.

We've had some fun too, going out to lunch with Jack for the first time and going on a picnic. Slowly starting to emerge back into the world again. Lots more photos at Flickr.

He's Full of Surprises

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy) — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 03:13:00 +0000

Today Chris did something that, in the nine years I've known him, he has never done.

He baked cookies!

Chocolate chip. They are tasty.

It's nice to know after 5 years of marriage your spouse can still surprise you...

13 days

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:48:00 +0000

Jack is 13 days old today. Our lives have been pared down to eating, feeding, and sleeping (sometimes).

So far he's a pretty mellow baby. He doesn't spend a lot of timing crying--mostly just when we change his diaper or take his clothes on and off.

WARNING: breastfeeding talk ahead.

The biggest issue is still breastfeeding.. I'm not making enough milk yet and he isn't a totally efficient eater. He spends a lot of time eating but doesn't get that much in. So, I am continuing to pump as well, and Chris (or my mom or Cindy) gives him a bottle of pumped milk, and sometimes a little formula. It means each feeding takes a while.

We've been seeing a lactation consultant and she is wonderful. We've been making some progress. I hope soon I'll be able to stop the pumping and bottle feeding.

The good news is, he's gaining weight! He's healthy and happy right now which is the most important thing.

I've been enjoying not being pregnant any more.. taking scalding hot showers, eating a lot of feta cheese, and being able to lie down comfortably.

We have a ton more pictures but I just haven't had time to sort through them and upload them. Soon I hope.

Heeeeeere's Jack!

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 17:14:00 +0000

Introducing John Philip Pearl Leggetter. (Philip and Pearl are middle names.) We'll call him Jack.

He was born at 10:30 AM on Thursday, April 10th weighing in at 7 pounds 10 ounces.

I went into labor around 3 AM Wednesday morning. We came home on Saturday.

Since then it's been a little crazy! He lost a pound within the first few days, so since then we've been on an intense feeding schedule. We're all still learning, but Jack is gaining again and doing fine.

My parents and sister have been here a lot, thankfully. Chris has been completely awesome.

More photos on Flickr.

ATA

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 04:34:00 +0000

We had booked a vacation to Hawaii in January, but had to cancel. We had to re-use the flight credit by December, plus pay $200 in change fees. We were flying ATA, which as most of you know, recently went bankrupt.

I just called our credit card company, and they're refunding us the full credit amount!

So I have to say, ATA going bankrupt actually worked in our favor... wow.

In other news: no baby yet. My official due date is April 15th. Any day now! I am both excited and scared to death.

Walkies

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 21:30:00 +0000

Today I went for a walk at the nearby (hilly) cross country course--first time in, oh, about 9 months. Now that I'm in my 38th week the doctor said it was ok.

It was so nice to be outside. I saw a rabbit and a couple of deer.

I walked very slowly. I'm pretty darn out of shape now. Can't wait to get back into exercise.

Privacy

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 21:11:00 +0000

Dearie me, I keep meaning to post more but just never seem to get around to it.

Here are a few links I've been thinking about recently, around the issue of governments (and corporations) and privacy. I'm a firm believer that we should fear the government and do our best to keep our private lives out of the hands of government and corporations. Obviously we can't do that 100%; what interests me is where the balance lies. It boggles my mind when I hear people say "What's the big deal about being videotaped / monitored / fingerprinted; I'm not breaking any laws." Well, not YET you're not.. but wait until something you do every day becomes illegal, or more likely, you have something you don't want the whole world to know about and it suddenly becomes public record.

The links:

Court ruling limits employment drug testing: The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled that employers cannot require job candidates to be screened for drugs and alcohol (unless job performance "may pose a great danger to the public"). This was about a woman who refused a drug and alcohol test for her part-time job at the library.

I think this is great. Look, if someone is doing drugs / getting drunk and it's impacting their job performance, then fine. Fire 'em. But do the same if they stay up every night playing video games and can't function at work, or if they do nothing all day but sit at their desk and stare out the window. Pre-emptive drug testing is an unnecessary violation of people's privacy. (And it's not like I have a personal stake in this.. I don't even drink alcohol.)

Pacifist Cal State teacher gets job back: I was glad to see this follow-up after a Quaker woman was fired for refusing to sign a state-required loyalty oath. She had wanted the word "nonviolently" inserted before "support defend the US and California constitutions" and wanted to change "swear" to "affirm". She filed a grievance and the chancellor's office eventually agreed to add "Signing the oath does not carry with it any obligation or requirement that public employees bear arms or otherwise engage in violence," which she was ok with signing.

I'm glad to see this change was made, but I still believe these loyalty oaths are silly. I had to sign one when I was a student at UCSD and took a job doing data entry at the library. Why on earth should that require me to sign a loyalty oath? It's ridiculous.

Fingertip biometrics at Disney turnstiles: the Mouse does its bit for the police state: I agreed completely with Cory Doctorow's post about Disneyworld's policy of taking every park entrant's fingertip to prevent people from re-selling their tickets. (Apparently you can decline and use your ID instead, but not all the employees are aware of this.) Once again, another over-the-top security measure. Some of the comments made about the post say "If you don't like it, don't go," but Doctorow's more important point is how we're indoctrinating kids to view this kind of thing as no big deal. Why shouldn't Disney have your biometric info on file? I haven't done anything wrong! This is scary stuff.

Scotland Yard wants DNA samples from 5-year-olds in case they grow up to be criminals: This one's even scarier. "As reported in The Guardian: Gary Pugh, director of forensic sciences at Scotland Yard, says primary school children should be eligible for the DNA database if they exhibit behaviour indicating they may become criminals in later life. " I can't believe someone is seriously proposing this. So much for "innocent until proven guilty". Imagine if your 5-year-old was deemed a "criminal risk" and had his prints put on file. Good luck getting into a good school / getting a good job / traveling to another country.

Ok people.. if you agree with me, do your part and refuse to participate in silly security measures. If someone asks for your SSN or address, find out if it's absolutely necessary. (I refused to give my address at my local pharmacy when I was getting a refund--they already have all my info on file, why do they need it again? At first she said it wouldn't be processed if I didn't give it to her, but eventually she relented.) When you're leaving a store like Best Buy and they ask for your receipt / to search your bag AFTER you've already paid, just say "no".

A lot of people think these things are no big deal, why make a fuss? But in my view, they are all moving us towards a society in which companies and the government have all your private info, and we simply accept it. When someone asks you to pee in a cup for a drug test, hand over your bags to be searched, or give them your health history, are you just going to say "sure, why not?" You won't care, until the information is used against you.

I'm not even going to get into the TSA... that's a rant for another time.

Push It

noreply@blogger.com (Cathy) — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 23:26:00 +0000

I told Chris the song I want played during labor & delivery is Salt 'N Pepa's Push It. "Oh baby baby.. push it real good! ... Better make it fast or I'm gonna get pissed!" Seems appropriate.

Anyway I am apparently not the first person to have this idea because they played it during an episode of the reality TV show "Scott Baio is 46... and Pregnant". For those not familiar with the show (as I'm sure you all are), Scott Baio played Chachi on the 1970s sitcom Happy Days. This is his 2nd reality show, following "Scott Baio is 45.. and Single." At the end of that one, his girlfriend announces she's pregnant and he decides to marry her.

In the followup series, he attempts to accept the realities of baby and marriage but doesn't do a very good job. He always talks about how his life will be completely over when the baby arrives. He'll never see his friends again, never have time to himself, never play golf. Um, dude? Who are you playing golf with right now--your friends with kids!

Anyway it's very annoying. I am a strong believer that not everyone should have kids--if you don't want to, don't. It's not like the world's population is in decline.

Push it!