Dear Molly Elizabeth,

Welcome to the world!

You should know that I am so thrilled that not only do I have the most adorable nephew in the world, but I now also have the most adorable niece. I hope you will let me buy you frilly girly things, and that you will be good for your mommy, and play nicely with your brother.

I am so excited to meet you. Happy Birthday, Molly!

Love,

Aunt Caroline

Eeee!

So this is a late announcement, but I wanted to make sure I'd told all the right people before posting this to the Internets and the World (and then I also got a little lazy about posting) and so by now, the few remaining readers of my site have already probably heard this but anyway:

Not quite six years ago, the Patriots emerged victorious in the "Snow Bowl" against the Raiders, the DP held its annual banquet to induct the new board of editors, and I met my future husband. I did not know it at the time, obviously, and there's been a lot that's happened since (graduations, break-ups, a few different shades of hair color) but as it turns out, when I decided "What the heck, why not?" that fateful night, I made a very good choice.

So yes: We're getting married! (Eeee!)

Streaky

I've noticed I'll get in these moods where I'm like, "You know, I should really write more. I'm going to make it a point to make sure I spend at least 10 minutes writing something, anything, before I go to bed each night."

And that sounds all good and well, but then the part of my brain that can't commit to simple projects starts firing off other ideas. "You should also start going to the gym every day. If you just made it a part of your morning routine, you wouldn't miss that little bit of sleep and think how healthy you'd be!"

From there, it spirals out of control.

"Speaking of healthy, you should really start eating more vegetables. At least five servings of fruit and veggies a day. And making your food at home! That would be healthy and save money."

Then I feel compelled to start thinking about other things, like how I should really vacuum more than once a season, and how it really isn't a very wise to just always drop off my laundry at the laundromat and buy my coffee at the deli, even if it is only 80 cents a cup, I should really just start making it at home. Or not drinking it at all. Yeah, no more coffee! No soda, either! I should shop at the farmer's market, too, with reusable bags I brought from home. But there really isn't a farmer's market in our neighborhood and I really hate having to schlep all those groceries home from Union Square or whatever. Maybe I should find a new apartment, one that isn't small but somehow, costs less. Ugh, I will never be able to afford home ownership. Or even a dog. Hmm, I want a dog. If I got a dog, it could be super awesome, and I could write a book about it and how it was awesome and eventually dies in a heartbreaking way, and it will become a MEGA bestseller because everyone loves a good dog story. Yes, I'll write that.

But then I start thinking about how much I have to do and how totally exhausting it all will be and instead I play another game of Spider Solitaire.

Game 4

I never would have imagined I'd be actively rooting for the Red Sox to not win the World Series, but tonight, I have to confess, I kind of am.

No, living in New York (and with a Yankee fan) has not dulled my enthusiasm for the Sox. (Well, OK, perhaps I feel a little less fervent about them than I did on '04, but it's not because all the Yankees have gotten to me. It's because the Red Sox have managed to become a seriously annoying team. I mean, not only can you pay for citizenship in "Red Sox Nation" but they now have a president. Also, there's that unspeakably bad Jimmy Fallon movie.)

Tonight, I have a much more selfish reason for hoping they'll let this one go: money.

Last week, when Jesse decided to go to Colorado to see Game 3, visit some friends and his aunt and uncle, I decided against joining him, since my wallet couldn't really justify the trip and I had some other obligations (work event, birthday party) I couldn't really back out of. But I did agree to help him get tickets when the Rockies put them on their website.

Like eight million other would-be buyers, I failed on Monday, but managed to sneak through on Tuesday afternoon. Except, not for Saturday night's game, as planned, but for Monday night's possible Game 5. As I entered my credit card info, I hesitated briefly, but figured even if Jesse could not use the tickets, we could sell them for some profit. And that turned out to be exactly what happened: Jesse's travel plans were not flexible, but the tickets went for more than twice what I paid when we posted them on StubHub.

I started to get excited thinking about what I'd do with the $700ish in profit I'd be getting -- it would more than cover the Spice Girls tickets I was a bit too eager to buy (um, anyone interested in going to the Feb. 10th show in Newark?) and there'd be some extra for an ipod to replace the one that was so cruelly stolen (along with my wallet) last month.

But all that is for naught if there is no Game 5, which is looking less and less likely as the innings progress.

So, I know this is really selfish, but I don't care. New England fan arrogance has gotten to me and I am more than confident the Sox will win the World Series. (Also, the Pats will be undefeated until next pre-season, and Jonathan Papelbon and Tom Brady can Riverdance together on Comm Ave. Whatever.) So I'm not rooting for them to lose it all. Just one game.

(And, yes, I know by posting this, I am totally tempting fate. But if this entry goes on to spur another amazingly heartbreaking 86-year losing streak, well, it's kind of awesome that I'd have that sort of power, don't you think?)

Quick note

I realize this site is a bit of a mess. My apologies for the down time the past few days. Parenthetical just turned seven (aw, if I'd had a baby instead of a website in the fall of 2000, she'd be in the second grade! And, yes, my website would be a girl.) and I decided to transfer the hosting, which is very boring and not really worth explaining, but anyway, 'tis done. At some point, I am hoping to actually create a new layout of my very own instead of using a template. Also, I will fix the links that disappeared. Oh yeah, and post some new content. But for now, just be glad the thing is up again, OK?

Yay Babies!

Coming Valentine's Day 2008 (approximately)... my new niece!

I feel slightly guilty because I hate that I went into this actively kind of hoping for one over the other, but OK, it's true: I wanted a girl. I want to buy her pretty girly things like the princess costumes that my childhood so sadly lacked (it's true: I'd just wrap my blankie around myself and pretend it was a long, flowing skirt/dress. I think I only liked my blankie because it could simulate princess attire and because Liz had one, so I felt I should too), but I would have been excited if DJ were going to be getting a little brother instead. But that's also kind of irrelevant because it's a girl! (And more importantly, she is healthy and everything looked good.)

More babies!

Yay!

Random Thoughts

For some reason, I feel like I've been hit with a massive case of ADD today. It doesn't help that the office is half empty (Shanah Tova! Let's party like its 5768!) or that I drank a lot of tea this morning in the hopes of banishing this burgeoning cold/allergy attack (not sure which it is; I've been feeling a little sniffly/sore-throat-y for the past few days, and co-workers have been out claiming they've got bad colds, but taking an antihistamine has helped me and I don't feel achy or sick otherwise). I am kind of just bouncing around the office. A few minutes ago, we all crowded around the one computer with sound capabilities (don't ask me why we all are forced to have sound-less computers, we just are) to watch Britney's VMA performance and a sad trill of "Gimme Gimme! Gimme Gimme!" is still running through my head.

It's only Thursday. I need to remind myself there's still Friday to get through, the work week isn't over yet, but this feels very hard to do.

Anyway, random musings:

• Who would you rather have take you shopping: Stacy and Clinton or Tim Gunn and Veronica Webb? I kind of want to say Tim Gunn, because he's awesome, but I also really like What Not To Wear. I don't think I'd want Trinny and Susannah from the original/BBC What Not To Wear taking me out -- I love that they are bitchy and will straight up tell you your tits look saggy in that top, but I'm not sure their fashion wisdom er -- translates. Anyway, I hate all my pants right now and would like it if some reality TV show would descend upon my wardrobe and fix it.


• I've decided I really like licorice. I feel like it makes a good mid-afternoon snack, because it's candy, but it's also kind of healthy (not, like, Twizzlers, but actual black licorice) and has all those medicinal purposes. (side thought: Is the licorice I had after lunch causing my loopy state?)


• Three is the ideal number to complete a short list. I really can't end it on just two, because that's really not a list at all; it's just a pair. Four is really more than necessary and I think at that point, you're really trying people's patience. When writing, I always like to use things in threes: three clauses to a sentence (er, not all sentences, obviously), three bullet points, three adjectives to describe something. It just feels balanced. But sometimes, you really don't have three full thoughts to share, so you end up kind of searching for a third. Like now.

OK: I think 4:50 is close enough to 5 to call it quits for the day. Peace.