just another monday

I don't think I've ever actually worked at a company where we got MLK Day off. Maybe it's a tech thing? So here I am at work. Don't gloat, it's rude.

I'm super-annoyed because I discovered that the Buffy DVDs have copy protection. I'm still pondering ways to get around this. Insert froth-mouthed rant about evil illogical production companies here.

Other than that, yesterday was a good day. I sat around on the sofa all day, accomplishing my so-called "goal" of watching a bunch of TV (i.e., clearing a bunch of stuff off the TiVo). I even did some reading. Late afternoon, I experimented with pouring Hershey's Syrup on strawberries. The trick is to pour fast and then bite fast before the syrup has a chance to drip/slide off. Then I took a shower. Woo. That was my exciting day.

I knew I shouldn't have been stingy and bought the cheapo dial-type bathroom scale. I should have just coughed up the extra cash to go digital. I totally can't trust my scale any more. Yesterday it claimed I had lost six pounds since the previous day. Is that even physically possible without having, like, a huge tumor removed? I swear. I guess I'll have to get my ass back to Target and get a digital scale. Grump.

I still haven't finished watching the SNL hosted by Al Gore, from back in December when I was away. I watched about half an hour of it and was cracking up, especially during the skit with the West Wing cast. "Well, he did win the popular vote." LOL! I'm going to have to transfer it to a tape and make my mom watch it. And possibly save it for posterity. Al Gore doing a Trent Lott impersonation was just too damn funny.

Ginny Heinlein RIP

Just heard that Virginia Heinlein, widow of Robert, died this past Saturday after having been hospitalized since Thanksgiving.

Well, maybe you don't care, but it makes me sad. She was, from everything I hear, a very nice lady, and a great inspiration for RAH in their many years of marriage. She was also a regular poster on alt.fan.heinlein even as recently as last November -- some fourteen years after his death -- which I think is pretty cool, keeping contact with the fans and so forth.

I remember the day Heinlein died and how sad I was. Say what you will about him and his work, but he was a formative influence on me and my science-fiction fandom, and it affected me strongly when he died. I feel some of that again now.

cravings

(Now that I am pretty sure I've told The News to every RL friend who might be reading my LJ, I can stop friends-locking my pregnancy-related posts. This is my first public pregnancy post! Whee! I feel so free! ;) )

This whole cravings thing is not turning out the way I expected. When I think cravings, I think of something that hits you unawares while you're just sitting there minding your own business. Suddenly, out of the blue, you find yourself thinking, "I MUST have some ____ now!!" But that's not how it has been with me, at least thus far. For the past few weeks it's just that I'm very suggestible. I see something in the grocery store, or on TV, or someone mentions something in conversation, and suddenly I go "Yeah! That's what I want!" And then I obsess about it until I get hold of some.

The first time, it was egg noodles. I dunno why (well, obviously; I dunno why any of them) but there I was in the pasta aisle, and I saw the egg noodles and suddenly I knew that regular old spaghetti or elbows were not going to cut it. I had to have egg noodles! So I bought them and they've been my staple for a week or so now. And since then, similar things have happened with several other food items. (It also really doesn't help when I read the pregnancy chat-boards and the other women are all, "Today I baked a cake and ate the whole thing!" Augh! Must...Not...Bake!!!)

I was telling this to a coworker today and lunch and he said, "so it's not cravings at all, you're just super-suggestible. I could say 'so I went to Foxwoods [casino] yesterday' and you'd jump in your car." Heh, which was ironic that he chose that example since I actually am planning a trip to Foxwoods with some friends ... but anyway I told him no, it's not like that, it's only with food. I mean, I don't want anyone getting any ideas that they can make me do their will all of a sudden. ;)

I also have not had any meat cravings, yet, thank goodness *knock wood*. I have heard from some vegetarians who say they had to eat meat during pregnancy because the cravings just wouldn't leave them alone. I really hope that doesn't happen to me, because I don't think it would be good for me -- either physically or psychologically. I've been a vegetarian more than half my life by now, about fifteen years at my best estimate.

In other pregnancy news, my breasts are getting at least a little less painful at last, but I still don't seem to be showing -- although I do get lines across my tummy from my clothing, and I think I'm finally starting to gain a little weight (although, see previous post re: unreliability of my bathroom scale). If this sort-of-cravings thing keeps up, I oughta start packing on the pounds pretty soon, because it only seems to happen with high-fat items. ;)

And that's the gestational update for the day. Just be glad I'm not telling you about all the fun gastrointestinal symptoms. ;)