Spring is arriving ever so slowly. To date we've only had one day with all house windows happily open.

I've cancelled almost all events this week where I'm around people to spare them the sound of coughing. I went to the doctor; I have a cough; it isn't pneumonia; I need to cough it out.

(Every time I type P-N-E-U-M-O-N-I-A I remember the joy of learning to spell that word in the fourth grade. My head doesn't hold memories of each word I've learned to spell, but it does that one.)

Holiday here. I slept in 'til 5:15 . Set my alarm by mistake but I rarely sleep late enough to hear it so it's a bonus. I'm planning on getting down to the lake tonite to see the fireworks. I'm within walking distance from the dogs' house.

Bill I loved spelling in grade school as it was the one thing I excelled at. I was always the last one or second last one left standing on "spelling bee day". If we missed a word we had to sit down and I hardly ever missed a word.

Hope your cough leaves soon. Warmer weather definitely helps with morale - we've had one day where I could be outside without a coat and I want MORE!

Dagmar

I used to be an excellent speller but because of spell check I seem to have lost it! However, I'm very visual so I never did well in spelling bees. I had to see the word written to know if it was correct. Also used to know tons of phone numbers, now I hardly can remember any. The cost of technology, our memories.

Weather was beautiful this weekend in Fl. Low humidity! A rare thing in Florida.

I'm present.

Good morning all! I am starving since I have an appointment for my physical this morning and I have to be fasting for bloodwork. Sadly my appointment isn't until 10:00 and I get up at 5:30 in the morning. I came in to work a little early to offset the time I'll be missing at the doctor. I really hope they can get a vein today. If they don't get one on the second try I will make them send me to the lab instead. Strange how the lab almost always gets a vein on the first try and the doctor's office typically takes 3-5 attempts. Anyway, I don't even want to think about BMI. I just hope they don't think I'm pregnant because of my big fat belly.

In other news, the weaning process is going well so far. DDs are down to 2 bottles per day and I'm down to pumping 3x/day as of yesterday. It wasn't as uncomfortable as I thought it would be so that's a plus. They are also getting better at drinking their milk from their cups.

Taryl, I hope for your sake it's not twins! I love my girls but my pregnancy was miserable. Or maybe you will be like some of those magical women who can carry two babies to term and still be running around doing everyday things the whole time. When do you go for your first ultrasound to find out? Anyway, I did get hit with terrible morning sickness with my girls, and what I eventually found to be most effective at controlling it was a steady stream of sour gummy life savers all day long. Not exactly on-plan for a diet. Ginger candies worked for a while until I got totally sick of eating them. A friend of mine had hyperemesis gravidarum with both her pregnancies -- basically morning sickness so bad she had to have home IV treatments for months and was in and out of the hospital the entire time. Yuck!

Ah, spelling bees. I won my grade 3 out of 4 years as a youngster (3rd to 6th, I think - would have to ask my mom). I distinctly remember the 5th grade bee - I won it on "wax", believe it or not. My opponent failed to ask about a definition and went with "whacks", no doubt thinking it was impossible to have a 3-letter word that late in the game. Alas, our school system no longer does them, because there's no way for everyone to win.

Bill, around here we're having an outbreak of the "4-week virus" that seems to be 3 cycles of worse/better before it succumbs. Not fun. I hope some good fresh air and sunshine make you better quick!

Dagmar, happy Victoria Day!

silverbirch, !!

Pre-BBQ prep for us. My GF and her kids came over this weekend and they helped us recover the front flower beds, which hadn't seen the light of day for a couple of years, and helped DH catch up on the gardening and other labor tasks. And then DS's friend showed up and he picked up a shovel too. We went from a labor force of 3 to 7 ... and the job went from impossible to dang near complete. It was so successful that we were talking about a "labor commune" for the summer. She needs a deck and help with raking in the fall. We figured that if we all band together and just do it (thanks, Nike), there could be a lot less stress and more time for summer camping. I am feeling lucky, sore, accomplished, and optimistic this morning. It's a lovely way to start the week!

I'm sitting here at the office in a Ralph Lauren brown pinstripe suit, since I'm interviewing someone for a job later this afternoon. Funny how clothes affect us; this suit makes me sit with my spine straighter and my head up, and even makes my movements more formal.

As usual my day has been made chaotic by coworkers who were busy working over the weekend. Sometimes when I come in on Monday, I've got so much email that it feels like I took a vacation, rather than a weekend. Today I'm writing on deadline something about how the elections in India will affect the IT industry. I may be able to do this, as I've got just two other hour-long meetings today besides the interview.

I'm very hopeful for California Chrome running in the Belmont in June, even though lots of horses have won the first two races of the Triple Crown and fallen short over the mile-and-a-half. One of my most thrilling childhood memories is Secretariat "running like a tremendous machine" on that track, pulling away & away & away, and me and my best friend Suzanne screaming deliriously with excitement and falling over ourselves dramatically on the living room carpet, the way girls used to do for Justin Bieber a few years ago. Still the most exciting moment in sports that I can remember. (Granted, I don't watch sports and DEEPLY RESENT my Cablevision bill's monthly sports tariff.)

California Chrome might not win Belmont and might not even run. The controversy of his use of nasal strips might end his chances. Funny how professional athletes can use nasal strips but horses cannot (at least not in New York). It's not a performance enhancing drug even.

I can't believe it's May 19th already! This month (and year) are just flying by.

Add me to the list of spelling bee winners. I won in third grade and went to the school spelling bee only to miss the word "candor". I hadn't heard it at that point in my life and misspelled it. I will never misspell it again. I also used to have an amazing memory for phone numbers-- not really needed now with technology remembering them for us.

Jessica-- I'm sure your doctor won't think you're pregnant! Glad the weaning process is going well. I remember my girls being pretty easy to wean except at bedtimes. They didn't know how to fall asleep without a breast in their mouths.

Glad your cough wasn't anything more serious and good thing you went to the doctor just in case.

Busy day at work for me. It's my last week to see students. I'm no longer checking books out to them so rather than having 15 minutes to read (or whatever) and then 15 minutes to look and check out books, I'll have each class for 30 minutes. It's a little more challenging to plan. I'm attempting some reader's theater with the older students. We'll see how it goes. I also have the local fro yo place coming today with free yogurt/toppings for 5 of my winning classes from our local read-a-thon. It's been quite an ordeal to organize (how many are nut or dairy free, who can't have photos taken, etc) and I hope it goes smoothly. It will be outside our MPR (cafeteria) and I'm sure all of the non winners will somehow think they're entitled. I'll be running back and forth across campus checking on things and we have a huge campus! I'll surely get my steps in today. We are also having a local author come to talk to some of the classes so I want to make sure I go meet her, get some books signed and watch one of her presentations.

I had gotten my Jawbone UP band a couple of weeks ago-- thanks Allison and Shannon for the peer pressure. I really think it's too big as it buzzes to tell me I'm not walking when I am and it counts most of my sleep as deep sleep so I don't think it's counting much of what I do. I had heard they have great customer service so I called yesterday. They're sending a smaller band to try and then I just send back whichever band I don't want. Great customer service so far!

Racing officials just announced that California Chrome will be allowed to use the nasal strips. Hoping for the triple crown!

saef, I envy you, seeing Secretariat win in real time! Wonderful! That race always makes me cry.

But then, in my family we all cry easily at horses. Some sort of "genetic memory"?

Go Chrome!! I recently found out that his regular vet is a friend of a friend of mine - now I am REALLY rooting for him!

I'm enormous. It's ridiculous. Not only did the weight I just lost pile back on, my belly is massive. I'm sick weeks and some change and don't have a prenatal appointment until ten weeks, at the end of June.

I'll take a picture and let you all gave at my enormity. Everyone keeps saying twins, but that is statistically improbable and more likely my body just 'knows' what to do and goes with it earlier and earlier every additional baby.

Bill, that is so great it isn't pneumonia. I've never had it but it looks atrocious.

I couldn't care less about horse races and have never followed them, despite living all my life quite close to the Del Mar tracks. I'm hoping for everyone else who is hoping that the underdog wins in this case, though

Okay, here's me as a whale. It's ridiculous. And excuse the massive size and blurriness.

http://www.giessel.org/~taryl/weight...5_20/image.jpg

Taryl, I think it is true that your body gets bigger faster with each pregnancy. So your body is a pro by now! I'm sure you feel massive but you don't look massive. You just look pregnant and adorable! It will come off again after baby comes, of course, not as fast at it jumps on.