Cookie Monster and Lost

When I'm at work, but not actually focused on my job, here are the kinds of things that happen:

Andrea and I were at lunch the other day. And Pat (the office admin) brought cookies and brownies to lunch – the Lofthouse super soft cookies with lots of frosting. Andrea exclaimed over the cookies, saying, “C is for Cookie! That’s good enough for me!”

I reminded her, “A cookie is a sometimes food. You know you cannot have them all the time.”

To which she replied, “You are right. A cookie for breakfast with my coffee. A cookie after lunch. And a cookie at three o’clock as a snack is not all the time. It is only sometimes.”

“Yes,” I nodded, “You are right. All the time is really a lot of time. A cookie for breakfast, after lunch, and as a snack is only three times in one day, which is certainly not ALL the time. To eat cookies ALL the time means you would have to eat cookies continuously, 24 hours a day.”

“You are right!” she said, and bit into a cookie.

Suddenly it seemed like Cookie Monster might not have such a bad deal after all.


Or a thought like this one pops up:

What if the people on the island on LOST had to repopulate the Earth? (Aside - David and I just started Season Two - no spoilers please!! I’m not saying I think this is a plot of the show, I was just thinking about it.) There are 43 people on the Island now. Assume there are roughly equal numbers of men and women. Because so many of them are strangers, if they had to repopulate the planet, could they? Is there enough genetic diversity? Or does the whole 6-degrees-of-separation thing that LOST has going on get in the way?

One thing's for sure. The new Earth would have some beautiful people. I've never seen such a collection of "normal yet supermodel-esque" genes. Really, what are the chances that 43 good looking people survive a plane crash? I don't think their lives are so rough... At least they have some pretty faces to look at while hiding from Smoky the Man Eating Monster and the Others.

Basement Pictures Day 2 and 3

I came home and saw this on our kitchen wall, in the alcove leading out to the backyard/basement. David had warned me they needed "access" to some pipes in order to "vent our downstairs bathroom". I didn't really know what that meant. These holes are bigger than my palm. After seeing those, I almost didn't go downstairs... But I did.

This is the sight that greeted me at the bottom of the steps. A quick turn to my right revealed our laundry room, which now looks like this:

That's the sump pump (I think) to stop the groundwater seepage.

This is the overhead sewer (to stop the storm water). Note the cutout rectangle in the drywall behind the pipework. That is our bathroom.

Or, rather, that was our bathroom.

I am trying very hard not to hyperventilate. I am still praying all this works.

And I am praying the plumbers will clean up after themselves.

Pics of the basement!

Hi all. Sorry I haven't posted. Internet at home is on the fritz. Here are some shots from Day One:

These two show the laundry room, where the majority of the work is being done. It was originally unfinished... but to see this is a little unnerving.

You can see here they've dug a trench (in which pipes will go to reroute storm water seepage)... The trench goes ALL the way around the basement.

This last picture shows the sump pump wells. Hard to imagine pits that deep are being dug below our home!!!

Using Panera's free Wi-Fi. Gotta run or I'll be late for work!!!

The Prep Work

(Warning to Oma:
no comments about me writing a downer post, okay? I figure this is important.)


And so it begins. Last night David started hauling stuff up from the basement so that we (or rather, our plumbers) can start work on Monday morning. This is what things looked like after about two hours of work. There's still a ton of stuff down there. If I can, I'll take some before pictures, so you can see what's going on. We - or rather, D and some friends - have to take everything out. It all goes. And then shelves are coming down, tile is coming up, and we lose our 2nd bathroom. While they're at it, moldy mildewy drywall is coming down, too. We're basically taking our (partially) finished basement, gutting it... and hopefully, starting from scratch.

Please, please pray for us. First, pray that this project actually resolves our problem. I'd love to never see another damp spot in our basement - but I suppose I could still be content if said puddles only appear near our sump pump well once in a great while (like, say, when a monsoon hits Wheaton). Please also pray for us. Stress levels are high. I want to be focusing on Baby Girl and celebrating her coming, and D would like to be focusing on finishing the album and getting it out. But the house... THE HOUSE... is taking over. Pray that we would stay patient, and work together on all these things as much as possible.

Again, thank goodness the Lord has provided for us financially in this. And thank goodness it hasn't rained in a week.

I'm going to be late for work if I don't go now.

Being Preggers

I noticed something on Sunday at church: My belly gets me lots of attention.

Case in point: I decided to wear a maternity dress to church the other day because we are finally having some spring weather here. Over 10 people commented on how I looked (I just did a count in my head.) - and those were people I knew. But what was fascinating to me yesterday was that three women I did not know walked up to me, introduced themselves, and chatted with me about being preggers. Go figure.

Here are some of my favorite comments from Sunday. To my gentler readers - please don't be offended. And please remember I was at church...

"Oh, now you look cute. I imagine those dresses are more comfortable than pants?" (Now? Now? Just what does that mean?)
"Well, look at you! You don't look too uncomfortable or sore or anything." (No, not right now, but you should see me try to get out of bed in the morning.)
"You can't even tell you're pregnant from behind!" (Hmm... people contemplating my behind...)
"Oh, you just wait. You'll gain weight, especially in your chest! When I was pregnant, my boobs started at my collarbone! My husband loved it! (Your collarbone? Really??)
"You know, you don't look like you're getting it too bad!" (Like a bad case of the chicken pox, or what?)
"You don't know me. But I just have to tell you, I've loved watching your belly grow." (Uh... gee... thanks.)
Rub rub, pat pat. "Oh my GOSH! I had no idea you were pregnant!" (Yes, but I've talked with you at least five times since I found out I was pregnant. Just what did I look like before?)
"Be careful how much pink you let your daughter wear - my daughter is a pink-hater now!" (?)

It's the weirdest thing. I mean, I'm teasing, I know, but I think I appreciate it. Still, it sort of makes me marvel at how little attention I was paid before the belly appeared. I mean, everyone knows David. And so, if anyone met me, the first comment of comprehension/connection usually was, "Oh, your husband David is up front! I love his voice (violin playing, worship...etc.)." When I finally got involved in the Children's Ministry at church I established a bit of a face for myself. But the belly by far takes the cake. Suddenly it feels like everyone has their eyes on me.

And the ironic thing is, I'll probably miss all the attention after she's born.

PS 25 weeks and counting.