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My Words in Flight
2007-03-23 21:09:00
Though I'm not a great golfer myself -- I doubt many people are at my level of experience...I think I've played twice -- I've actually written a couple different golf articles for different magazines. One, published around this time last year, was for a great startup magazine called Wine Adventure, that I'm pretty sure heaved a valiant last breath last summer. Too bad...it was a fun magazine, and I loved writing for the editor there. More recently, I've been anticipating the publication of Continental's April in-flight magazine, for which I wrote a couple more golf-related pieces. I received my issue in the mail today and tore into it, eager for the small thrill that seeing my name in print always brings. Unfortunately, it seems they ran out of pages for one of the pieces -- the one with most of the actual, uh, words -- and were able to print just the product roundup I did. Maybe it's a good thing, though...the editor says that my piece is slated for a future issue, so now I ...
More About: Word , Words , Light , Flight

Cheers, baby!
2007-03-20 16:28:00
A long while ago, I posted a link to a very controversial post at the Women Wine Critics' Board about pregnant women and wine. While that article took a pretty firm stance that the ocassional drink was okay for a woman expecting a child after the first trimester, many readers took exception to that position, which you'll see if you read the comments following the posting. I don't think there's any debating that heavy drinking during pregnancy is a very irresponsible idea, and I don't think anyone's contesting the studies that initially produced results naming a condition now widely known as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. However, there seems to be some debate around whether it's acceptable for a pregnant woman to enjoy a glass of wine once or twice a week, as evidenced by this article at the New York Times. I've already said that I still enjoy an ocassional glass of wine, but have found that a few sips usually sates whatever desire I'm feeling for some vino. I've also noticed tha...
More About: Baby , Cheer

The Waiting...
2007-03-20 14:02:00
Is definitely the hardest part. Our landlord (friends of ours, actually) must be out of town or else just not sure how to respond to my message about our potential doggy. And I'm going nuts. I would rather they just tell us "no" than have to spend days imagining the little guy here in the very near future... I thought that getting the hubby on board would be my biggest dog-getting hurdle (it's only taken about 5 years...), but now this. Send out some cosmic karma for me, eh? I'm trying SO hard not to call them every half hour just to get an answer... I'm trying to be an adult. WHY WON'T THEY CALL? poop.
More About: Waiting , Wait

Dog Update
2007-03-18 14:32:00
We met the doggies yesterday! The scene was utter chaos, however, with seven dogs of many breeds running around. There was no chance that hubby's allergies weren't going to pop up. However, he was impressed with the temperment and behavior of even the youngest doodles, and while he doesn't love their wavy coats, we left with him saying that it might be a good idea to bring one home for a few days for a trial in more controlled circumstances. The puppies are all black, and I held two of them at two different points, and had ZERO dog fur on me when I put them back down. They really are pretty much non-shed, which is one of the things the breeder told me. The breeder seems extremely knowledgeable, and is willing to give us a "trial weekend," so -- if our landlord agrees -- we'll give that a shot next weekend! I was happy all day yesterday, remembering the adorable little black puppy face that I got to hold for a few minutes. Stay tuned... 
More About: Update

A Sidenote...
2007-03-18 14:30:00
I will continue the dog saga in a moment, but first I have to recommend a movie that we just saw, thanks to our Netflix recommendations: The Boondock Saints. If, like my dad, you can't stand movies that use the F-word regularly as a verb, adjective, noun and expletive, this might not be for you... But, if you don't mind some shooting and cursing, this is a pretty clever and surprising movie. Willem DaFoe steals the film as a really outrageous organized crime investigator for the federal government, and the irish brothers who the story centers around are completely loveable. I had never heard of this movie before, but thought it was extremely well done.
More About: Note , Side

Dognundrum continues...
2007-03-16 13:39:00
Yesterday I finally decided that I did NOT need to pursue this dog thing now. No matter how much I want it. If the hubby doesn't want it just as much, maybe it just isn't a good plan. But then he emailed from work and said that he'd sniff check a goldendoodle puppy if I want, to see if his crazy allergies act up. I had emailed a breeder during my earlier frenzy, and she called last night... needless to say, we are going to "sniff check" puppies this weekend. The dilemma remains:PROS:1) Great tempered little friend to keep me company2) Fulfillment of a lifelong desire3) The paws, the ears, the wittle nose!4) Guardian to accompany me on runs and be around when hubby is away5) Friend for baby (once baby is old enough to register that we have a doggy)CONS: 1) The allergies (which could be stricken from the list after the sniff check)2) The 'sponsibility (but we're about to have the kid anyway, so I figure an increase in this area is inevitable)3) The cost (dogs aren't ch...
More About: Drum , Conti

To Dog or Not to Dog?
2007-03-15 13:36:00
Man... my whole grown-up life I've wanted to get a dog. I grew up with a golden retriever, and when we headed out to college, my parents averted the empty nest by bringing home an Australian shepherd, who was probably the smartest dog I've ever seen. He passed recently, and they got Aussie number two, who is a little more bullheaded than number one was...but still a pretty good little guy. Since I've been on my own, I've dreamed about getting a dog of my own. It was an utter impossibility through most of my adult life, due to living conditions -- though I'll admit, I considered getting a dog even when I lived in New York City. About the time I was getting really serious with my husband (then my husband-to-be), I had moved into a little beachhouse with a yard and was preparing to finally bring home a puppy of my own. That was when my prince charming informed me that he has horriffic allergies to most things with fur. I did not get a dog. I got a husband instead. In the years sin...
More About: To Do

A Burst of Sunshine
2007-03-13 20:30:00
FINALLY, the temperature has been above 40 degrees for two consecutive days here in the middle of nowhere! I don't really mind living here, but if the weather's gonna stink all the time, then there's even LESS to do. I spend too much time at Target as it is. (When we first drove into our new "town" the fact that there was a Target was the one thing that kept me from breaking down in tears over the complete lack of...uh...anything here. I LOVE that store.) But back to the point -- I left yoga this morning wearing nothing but a tank top! (well, and yoga pants and some shoes, too...and the proper undergarments...but I think we're getting away from the point altogether now...) It was WARM! I hear murmurs among those nasty weather people on television that it is supposed to become "wintry" again this weekend, but I have seen them make dreadfully inaccurate forecasts in the past, and I am holding out hope that they'll be wrong again this time. I'm looking foward ...
More About: Sunshine , Shine , Burst , Shin

I'm all famous and stuff...
2007-03-06 23:10:00
Okay, not really. But this is still cool... if you happen to live in Atlanta, pick up a copy of this Atlanta Sports and Fitness Magazine for me! Check out my contributors bio!
More About: Stuff , Famous

My Online Life
2007-03-05 22:30:00
I think I'm spending too much of my life in front of a computer. I guess many writers might feel this way, but I have some scary evidence suggesting that I need to, like, go outside or something... I woke up from a nap an hour or so ago (HEY, I'm making a whole person inside me here...it's tiring and sometimes I take naps in the middle of the day. Quit 'cher judging.) Anyway, I had a particularly lucid dream in which I had a long conversation with a friend about how the grass is always greener -- she was bemoaning her full time job, feeling stuck and too busy while I was pointing out that many days I scan job listings just because sometimes it seems it might be easier to sit in an office again, surrounded by imposed structure rather than spending my days beating myself up for never doing quite enough, never being motivated enough, never working hard enough... you get the point. Anyway, we were having this conversation BY EMAIL!!! In the dream, I actually typed my thoughts out an...
More About: Life , Online , Line

The Bottom Line about Wine
2007-03-04 15:38:00
My two faithful readers may have noticed that I haven't been writing much about wine lately. In fact, I stopped writing for Wine Sediments altogether. It isn't that my love for wine has shrunk... actually, my obsession has grown to ridiculous proportions lately. I think the reason is two-fold. For one thing, Maryland is a no ship state. (See my post about this upsetting fact.) So I had to discontinue all my wine club memberships and can no longer order wine online, which was one of my favorite pasttimes (much to the husband's dismay...) So the wine fridge is looking pretty sparse at this point. Secondly, they say you aren't supposed to drink much when you're knocked up, and that's what I am. While I'm beyond thrilled to learn that my body is actually capable of making a whole new human being inside of it, and simultaneously terrified about being totally responsible for that life once it arrives, I don't like being told that I can't do stuff. And so far, I've cancelled an a...
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