The Dog Ate My Homework or Why I Haven't Written in a Month

The Dog Ate My Homework.

I got my backpack stolen.

My mom and dad got in a huge fight last night and the cops came and I couldn't concentrate.

My dog died.
My computer wasn't working.

All classic homework excuses. But, only one was true... My netbook wasn't working.  Why?  I couldn't tell you as I view computers in the same way that I view vacuums.  I don't care how they work, so long as they do. 

But, one day, my netbook stopped working.  It simply powered on & then off.   I then took it to my computer guy who ran a sweep, changed the virus protection etc.  Then, it happened again and again and again.  This past month, my computer guy actually had my netbook more than I did.  Was it a virus?  Nope.  So, he changed the bios - don't ask me what they are because I have no clue.   We then researched the issue & learned that this was not an uncommon problem with netbooks.  The solution ..... to take off the battery, hit the power button for 20 seconds, plug in the a/c adapter & then, once the desktop loaded, to replace the battery.  I have no idea why, but it seemed to have worked.

So, now I'm back ......  I just hope that I didn't upset the computer gods by writing about my tales of woe.

My Ike Baby

Ralphie: Hey Curly, what all happens in a hurricane?

Curly: The wind blows so hard the ocean gets up on its hind legs and walks right across the land.

 

Key Largo (1948)
 
 
Born & raised in Miami Beach, I thought I knew hurricanes.  But, then on September 13, 2008,  I met Ike.   He rocked my world.  
 

• He blew kisses at me from afar - 110 MPH winds.  
• He put rose petals on my bed -  and a tree through my fence.   
• He knocked me up - OK, my husband did.   

 
So, here's to  you Ike.  If it wasn't for you and your gust-ful ways Houston's birthrate wouldn't have spiked in early June & I wouldn't have welcomed the birth of my son.

My Miscarriage & 9/11

Like most people who lived in the Tri-State area, for the week following 9/11, I was in a perpetual state of shock fuelled by non-stop television coverage, by a permanently altered view from my bedroom window and by the knowledge that but for a twist of fate, I would have been on a PATH train entering the World Trade Center at 8:55 am.

On the morning of September 11th, I was in the waiting room of my OBGYN when the first frantic calls came through.  "Are you OK?", my sister asked.  "Where are you?" my mother cried.   Where was I?  I was with my husband waiting for my  second post miscarriage/ D&C consult.   On the morning of September 11th, I woke with the dread of having to confront my declining fertility.  By the afternoon, I realized that it was that decline that quite possibly saved my life .... or at least saved me from some very unpleasant memories.

A collegue of mine who actually made it a habit of getting to work on time, was on the last PATH train before the planes hit.  For his efforts, he was rewarded by the sight of dead bodies - people who jumped in order to escape death by fire.

My 9/11 experience taught me that sometimes good things can come from bad.  Some people might say that everything happens for a reason, but then to believe that I suppose one would have to believe in some sort of devine intervention, which I don't.  I mean, who am I to deserve that.

I Like to Watch

Stare at someone long enough and you risk being called a "gawker" or an "ogler", perhaps even a "peeper". But, I don't care. When it comes to babies, I'm all those words & more.


I'm a late comer to the baby appreciation game. Ask anyone who knew me as a child and they'll tell you that I simply wasn't interested, preferring my four legged "babies" to the two legged kind.  It wasn't until I met my husband that I actually began to even consider having a baby. I was thirty-four when we got married and thirty-six when I decided to start trying. Four years, three miscarriages, three IVFs & 2 IUIs later my daughter was born. When my daughter turned two, we decided to try for another. It would be another four years 12 IUIs and 2 IVFs before I would welcome the birth of my son.

Perhaps that is why I stare at babies. My experience has taught me that a wanted and loved baby is truly a gift.  So, as I write these words, my son is asleep next to me and every now and then, I look up and stare.



    

Video Killed the Radio Star

"Ladies and gentlemen, rock 'n' roll" were the first words spoken on MTV; the first song,  "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles.  MTV's launch notwithstanding,  1981 wasn't exatly a banner year for music.  But, I didn't care.  I was 18 and just glad that disco was finally dead and burried.  By the time the '90's rolled around,  my taste had drifted more towards metal  - Metallica, Def Leopard, Nirvana, Aerosmith , Bush, Green Day ......  In New York, my favorite radio station was K-Rock & when I moved to Houston in 2007, I fell for The Buzz.   I might  have been over 40, but when it came to music, I thought that I'd never grow up.

So, imagine my surprise when, on  my way to Conroe yesterday, I found myself listening to "The Point" and "The Arrow"  - both of which feature an '80's format.  They might call it "classic rock"  but I know that that lable is just a euphemism  for "oldies".  Me - the "girl" with the eternal Peter Pan complex - listening to an oldies station! 

What happened?  When did I become middle aged?  I know that statistically, middle age begins at about 40.  But, who pays attention to statistics?  At 40, I celebrated the birth of my first child.  At 45,  I dreamed of running my first marathon and by the time Ike thundered in, I was running 30 miles a week.   Then just three months ago, at 46, I welcomed the birth of my second child.  Clearly, both my mind and body have been ignoring statistics.

Given the dicotomy of  life, I've decided to table the question.  Am I middle aged?  If so, I'm in good company and despite the sheer exhaustion that I've felt these past few weeks, I feel more powerful than ever.  I've come to realize that the term "middle aged" is meaningless, as it's not our age, but what we do with our time, that defines who we are.

 .  In my mind and in my car, we can't rewind we've gone too far ... 

"Video Killed the Radio Star"

My Niece's LA Bakery

sweetesbakeshop.com

My niece's cupcakes always make me smile. Enjoy!

Caveat: Not for sale in Texas (or any place other than LA)

I Want That

Ask my daughter, "What's mommy's favorite thing to do?" & without missing a beat, she'll tell you, "sleep".  What I wouldn't do for 8 hours of peaceful, uninterrupted sleep...   It's bad enough that my newborn wakes me up every 3 to 4 hours, but I also have a 6 year old that frequently makes her way into our bed.  Is that a hand or a foot that just touched my face?  Why does she need to sleep horizontally?  I'm tired!  I wish that my body didn't crave so much sleep.

A colleague of mine at New York County Defender Services, claimed that she needed only 4 to 5 hours of sleep.  She would go to sleep after midnight and be at the gym by 5.  It is said that Bill Clinton and Martha Stewart also survive on little sleep.  Are they secret nappers?  Did the lack of sleep cause them to make poor judgment calls?

A couple of weeks ago, I read an article in the NY Times entitled: Mutation Tied to Need for Less Sleep Is Discovered.  The article can be found at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/14/health/research/14sleep.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print. 

Abnormal copies of gene DEC2........  
                                                    I WANT THAT!!!!!

What would I do with those extra hours?  Would I be more productive?  Would I work out more?  Would it allow me to spend more time with my family?

I guess I'll never know.  GOOD NIGHT!

New Features & Plans for the Future

As I originally planned this blog to be more than just a vehicle for my musings &/or rants, at the bottom of this blog, you will find some new features.  They include information about:

• Domestic Help
• Volunteer Opportunities
• Maternity Clothes/ Baby Clothes & Supplies
• Things to Do

So, if you have anything related to these items that you want to be included, please let me know.  I'm also looking for ideas for additional tabs.

In the future, as soon as my crack blog/website gurus get around to it, I intend to include articles & cases from around the country that may be of interested to us women ... or at least are of interest to me.

Stay tuned......

First Grade

Like most lawyer-moms, I've raised multi-tasking to an art form.  I'm on Lexis while I'm on the phone.  I work on cross examinations while watching SpongeBob with my 6 year old daughter.  I breastfeed my 12 week old son while I blog.  I think that my son has begun to use my  breast as both a food source & a pacifier - will his future girlfriends/wife curse my name?  Don't know & I don't care so long that he falls asleep soon!!!

Today was my daughter's first day of first grade.  I woke up at 6: 15 & my daughter at 7:00.  I wish that I could say that the morning ran smoothly.  I also wish that the 20 lbs. of baby weight that I'm hanging on to would be gone by the time that I wake up tomorrow.  But, the first wish didn't come true & unless the lipo gods perform an overnight miracle, I doubt the second will come true either.   

Anyway, despite the best intentions, we couldn't get my daughter to eat breakfast and then I couldn't find her hair brush & then .... before we knew it, we were rushing to get out the door.  The rushing then led to my husband & I snapping at each other.  All of which made for a fun morning.

• We both had intended to both walk our daughter into her classroom - Only I got to walk her as my husband had to park the car.  I think that he's still upset that he missed her big girl moment. 
• We had intended to take pictures - We forgot our camera and  I forgot my phone.  Fortunately, a more together mom had offered to take my daughter's picture.  Now, I have to remember to e-mail her so I can get a copy.
• I had intended not to cry - I cried.

Why Blog

As a new mom & fairly recent transplant to Texas, I'm often overwhelmed.

* What are the fun things to do on the weekend because I just can't go to the Children's Museum again!?

* Who knew that the Main Street Theater had a post-Ike hurricane camp?

* Where, at the court house, can I use my breast pump in private?

* Is it really practical for me to work at home while my nanny & 12 week old are in the next room?

My hope is that this blog can serve as a forum for us working Texas Lawyer Moms. So, please feel free to post anything that you feel might be of interest or importance to us all.