A Cry For High Speed Trains

Returned from a very nice trip to Atlanta: art museum, botanical garden, well-spent time with family, fun with old friends (and a new baby). It was an excellent trip.

We got to see my my Dad's, Chuck, and Sharon's new home that they had only lived in 2 weeks. They have managed to unpack almost exactly the same amount Rick and I have managed in a year. I can't wait to see our baby in the little tie-dye outfit!

We love and miss our friend Terry. Terry, you get that adult tricycle. I love the idea of you doing your realty business by cargo-bike (or "adult tricycle", which still makes me think of "adult diapers" for some reason).

Dave and Mandy have a beautiful new home that is completely eclipsed by their beautiful new baby.

And then, after all that vacation it gets bookend-ed with airline travel. I hesitate to write this as it is all our own fault. We didn't give ourselves enough time to get to the airport. I wanted to sleep past 6:30 AM, and thought that if everything went perfectly we could manage to make our flight if we awoke at 6:45. Well, after a wrong turn on the way to the airport, AND a line for the ticketing kiosks, AND a long security line, AND a TSA agent who wouldn't escort us to the front (she latest escorted a mother and son through the line which made me want to scream!!!!), well, after all that we made it to our gate with 5 minutes to spare. Except they close the flight at 10 minutes before the departure time. Rick and I were running to the gate (I am 32 weeks pregnant. I shouldn't be running. Again, my own damn fault.) When the gate agent told us we were out of luck I started crying. Audibly. Publicly. Shamelessly. And she could have cared less.

So we made stand-by on the next flight 4 hours later. By that time my crying-mottled face had recovered, and so had our sense of humor. Things we learned:
1) Use google maps for directions to airport. No matter how sure you are or things it is best to have real directions.
2) Always leave extra time to get to the airport. Always. And especially when/if we ever fly with small children.
3) Don't fly with small children.
4) Travel with someone who has the magical ability to be sane when you are crazy and if they feel crazy, wait until you feel sane. Rick is my perfect travel companion.

Wow, here it comes

It's funny what things hit you, and what things don't. Looking at the crib, or the huge pile of baby-oriented goodies we have in our living room, I don't really get overwhelmed by the idea of having a new addition to our family. But this did:
PASSENGER INFORMATION
---------------------
Passenger 1: Helen McSpadden (AAA Adult)
Passenger 2: Richard Todd (AAA Adult)
Passenger 3: Unknown Todd (Infant)

That's our tickets for hopefully going to the IN/IL area at the end of September. For some reason, seeing that (Infant) there, is kinda freaking me out! I guess part of it is the association to travel, and how I worry that this whole baby thing might hamper that in the future.

Off To Hotlanta

Today we depart for a long weekend in Atlanta. Rick and I are really looking forward to seeing my Dad and some long-time friends.

Here's hoping it isn't too much hotter than Virginia, AND hoping that the stinking Carolina wildland fire isn't sending its smoke to Georgia. Yesterday we woke-up to thick grey air outside. Could have been a camp fire in our backyard, but no, North Carolina is blazing and sending smoke to Williamsburg. I thought we left all that behind when we moved east. At least I know Rick isn't going to get a call and need to run out in the middle of the night to do some "extreme gardening" (how sad that I am selfishly happy he isn't a volunteer firefighter anymore).

Peaches

I've realized that for all the wonderful properties a ripe, summer-time peach possesses, it's ability to travel in my messenger bag on my ride to work is not one of them. I think after this, the 3rd time, it has finally sunk in.

Surry

Surry is the county/city/and nuclear power plant across the James River from our home. Rick and I live in the immediate death zone of the power plant. It is somehow comforting that we aren't in the slow, painful radiation poisoning range if something goes wrong. Sunday we headed over to the city of Surry for a real greasy, diner-ish breakfast. I haven't had eggs, hashbrowns, tabasco, and OJ in wayyy too long, and we had heard that the Surry House had a good old-fashioned breakfast.

It is only 10 miles away as the crow flies or the ferry flows (otherwise it is a 60 - 70 mile trip), so we drove our car to the Surry ferry and took the 15 minute ride across the James river. I had never been on a ferry where your car rides along with you so it was a little adventure. One piece of advice: Don't wear a skirt on the ferry and then not expect the breeze to blow your skirt up to your shoulders while you are site seeing on the deck.

Back In The Saddle

I had never heard this story until a older friend told me:
Before over-the-counter pregnancy tests were available rabbits (as in bunnies) were used to determine if you were pregnant. You would still pee in a cup, then your urine would be injected into a rabbit. In the very beginning of this test's use the rabbit would then be killed and its ovaries examined. If they displayed certain characteristics the woman was pregnant. So... you would be told the hopefully happy news with "the rabbit died". Later technicians were able to determine these ovarian changes w/o killing the bunny.
For more... http://www.snopes.com/pregnant/rabbit.asp

Okay, it has been too long. And I have forgotten about 5 things I wanted to blog about, but I am back.

Rick uploaded the new prego photo of me. Oh my. That really is what my belly looks like, but I have started to plateau my weight gain (thank goodness). I also have started swimming laps at our community pool 2 times a week. I feel so weightless in the water, but then I am forced to use the little pool ladders to get out. I have never used those silly ladders before but it is actually impossible for me to push myself (and baby) out of the water. Ugh.

School is going well. Did you know your kidneys are the same size as your heart which is approximately the same size as your closed fist?