On the road, too September 24, 2008

Whew, what a week. I haven’t posted lately due to lots of travel. Joe’s and mine…

 

Last weekend I was lucky enough to join up with Joe in Tampa. It was the conclusion of a three-city, 11-day trip for him. I spent most of my time getting rest at the hotel (some at the pool), reading another novel set in the Elizabethan era (my latest craze), and watching the Sun Devils get beat by No. 3 Georgia.

 

I went to the Friday night Twins-Rays game while Joe worked. It was my first time at Tropicana Field, and all I have to say is: Freakin’ Circus Tent. I will no longer apologize for the Metrodome. It may be smaller and provide better views for a baseball game, but the atmosphere reminds me of a minor league hockey game. Oh, and the fans are WAY into cow bells. Sorry, but wasn’t that a Saturday NIght Live skit that we’ve all had enough of by now??? And no, I’m not bitter about them going from worst to first. Good for them. Just no more cow bell, please.

 

On a positive note, they serve up a great grilled turkey burger at the Trop. Which reminds me, some day I’d like to write a book about the best eats for chicks at MLB ballparks. My pick for No. 1 has to be the Cha-Cha Bowl at AT&T Park in SF. Mmmmm: Jerk chicken goodness with black beans, pineapple salsa, etc.

 

This week I’m in the midst of logging some 600 miles of driving throughout Minnesota, for work… It sounds daunting, but it’s actually been a pretty neat project to see through. I’m producing a video for the organization’s 100th birthday (next year), and the storylines we’ve chosen are taking us to some random (but beautiful) Minnesota cities, from Winona to Windom. Here’s a taste of the route the videographer and I are in the process of taking this week:

 

 

Preggo Stuff:The pregnancy continues to go well. The weekly automated message I subscribe to at www.BabyCenter.com says that at 26 weeks, Baby’s ears are much more developed. He or she can hear us chatting to each other and even recognize our voices. Cool stuff to ponder.

 

As for my size these days… I prefer to think of myself as “radiant.” Large and easily overheated, but oh so radiant (or sweaty, same thing).

Parents’ Weekend September 11, 2008

We took advantage of an opening in Joe’s work/travel schedule last weekend to get together with all three sets of parents. Well, almost everyone. We missed getting to see Joe’s stepmom Jill this time around, but five outta six ain’t bad. 

 

We did dinner Saturday night with Joe’s mom Vicki and stepdad Tom. Of course, yours truly brought the camera and promptly left without taking ANY photos (and without my sunglasses). I’m going to start wearing the camera around my neck pretty soon, among other things.

 

I appreciated Vicki’s comment at dinner about my baby bump: something to the effect of, “Are you sure you’ve got a baby in there?” and that I wasn’t showing that much. Some days I feel as big as a heezy, so that comment was refreshing.

 

We caught up with my parents Sunday a.m. for brunch. I’m totally biased, but aren’t they cute together? My hope is to take these shots of all three sets of ‘rents, then find a great frame for a wall in Baby’s room (so that Baby can start naming all six more quickly by pic):

 

 

My mom, on the other hand, said “Wow, you’ve really popped out since the last time I saw you!” So much for feeling on the small side. In her defense, though, it was because of this red maternity shirt I wore that pretty much SCREAMS “Hi, I’m preggo.” See:

 

 

On Sunday afternoon, Joe’s dad Dave drove up to visit and help out with yard work. We were also lucky enough to see his sis Katelyn, a senior at the U of M this year. Here are the Christensen guys in action, fixing our backyard gate latch (and yes, in case you’re curious, both have been known to cheer for the Gophers on occasion):

 

 

Not much else is new here this week. Mr. C. hits the road again tomorrow morning for an 11-day tour. Work’s going really well for me. The weekends are mostly filled with nursery prep errands, house organizing (downsizing!) and trying to finish registering for baby stuff …  Oh, and watching college football on the new flat screen. What did we ever do B.H.D. (before Hi Def)?

 

Random Preggo Quip: The biggest dilemma for me these days is getting through a workout without having to pee. I’m not joking. I go to the bathroom immediately before beginning my workouts. Not even five minutes into spin class, right when the heart rate is getting to a good place and I’m trying to relax and enjoy the workout… ALL I can think about is how badly I need to pee! I’m sure this will only get worse, but it’s a real dilemma for me right now.

Thumbelina and SF Rewind September 5, 2008

I’d always considered myself extremely coordinated, if not athletic. Until Tuesday. It was a quite a scare at the time, but I can laugh about it now…

 

Walking back from Lori’s Cafe in the rain at lunchtime, carrying my umbrella in one hand and soup-to-go in the other, I did a doozy. I passed a large group and as we all jockeyed our open umbrellas for position, I somehow stepped on the edge of the sidewalk. Where sidewalk ends to meet grass. And completely lost my footing. While wearing cute, chunky-heeled shoes.

 

Baby C is fine. But I did end up with a scraped up (now scabbed) elbow and bruises on my left knee and hip. Talk about scaring the CRAP out of a person. All I have to say is, thank GOD for amniotic fluid. I’m a bit sore but absolutely fine otherwise. And wearing more flats.

 

Back in the ‘Yay Area’

I met Joe in the Bay Area for a long Labor Day weekend. He worked his butt off Thursday through Sunday while I got a maternity massage and shopped (I did feel guilty about that, BUT remember I can’t drink beer right now and he can). It was fantastic to be back, even though the City was hottttttt when I first arrived. Mostly, I couldn’t help thinking how it was my last time in SF (EVER) before becoming a mom. And how any future trips back there would be so different… It was fun to reminisce.

 

I did all of the important things: Caught up with good friends, including Caryn of the wedding day hair (who I hadn’t seen since my wedding day!): 

 

I caught the J-Line to the Mission and ate at Tartine (a place straight from heaven). I then proceeded to MISS catching the J-Line up the hill to Noe Valley, and had to hike up Church Street, the STEEPEST part of the general Dolores Park hilly area. Here’s where I should have caught the J-Line, had I been a few minutes earlier:

 

By hiking it, though, I was able to go at my own pace, stopping to admire views like these: 

 

Before leaving the shops on 24th Street, I waited for the J-Line to take me back down to Union Square (and caught it this time, WOOT!)… but waited while staring right at my old apartment building. That was so weird. Hi, old apartment!

 

I also watched OUTDOOR major league baseball (such a luxury!) under sunny skies with good friend Emmy. For the record, the Twins won when she and I were in the stands:

 

And lastly, but certainly not least…  I was able to grab dinner Sunday night with Joe. It was the only window of time we had for a date on his entire work roadtrip, and we turned it into his belated birthday dinner. Of course, preggo brain forgot to ask someone to snap a pic of us at dinner that night. Oh well…