A ... pause

"Live right now, just be yourself.
It doesn't matter if it's good enough
For someone else."

-- The Middle, Jimmy Eat World



WHERE IS THE SUN-SENTINEL'S PULITZER???

I just thought I'd chime in: I'm very disappointed. With all the weird shit going on in Florida, and all the worthy stuff the SS covered so well, I find it hard to believe. There really is no other place like South Florida, as I'm more acutely aware of now that I'm no longer there.

Maybe next year. I repeat one of my favorite editor's sentiments: Hopefully it's not for hurricane coverage.



House-hunting often reminds me of Florida. Not only because everything I love is out of my price range, but because some of the suburbs look remarkably like certain parts of Florida. Joe and I walked through some of Sewickley today, and it was so much like Stuart, with charming homes in the alleyways and a main street full of shops. Everything is in bloom and the weather is perfect now, so it's the best of everything -- if you can overlook that the nearest beach is Lake Erie and it's a three-hour drive away.

We've also looked at some of the new development, which also reminds me of Florida, in a bad way: It's all NEW.

I guess there's something to be said for being the first to live in a house, but I don't think that guarantees that nothing is wrong with it, that there are no hidden problems. But I am keeping an open mind. There are a couple more considerations now....

I was buckling Zoe into her car seat after dinner tonight, and I guess Joe was watching me. He was shaking his head. "What???" I asked.

"You don't have long at work."

UGH. I knew that a week ago, and I can't even say I've been in denial of how big I've gotten.

I am thinking about telling my boss this week: I'm pregnant.

Then I'll think about telling my dad. In the meantime I'll continue avoiding him. Good thing we work opposite shifts.

Every day's a new day

"I'm 33 for a moment..."

-- 100 Years, Five for Fighting


I tried my hand at homemade spaghetti this weekend, and ....

I ate it too. It was actually edible, if not good.

I haven't cooked in a couple of months maybe. All this home-shopping got me down, so I took a weekend off. Joe and I put 150 miles on my car in less than two days, barely getting out of town, mostly shopping and a little sightseeing and roaming about.

I was still attracted to for-sale signs... I couldn't entirely let go.

I have so much to do tomorrow: finishing up taxes, following up on appointments. Oh, and work. Filling in for a coworker. The perfect distraction. I have a lot more on my plate than homemade pasta.

April showers

"Memories of winter are dragged in the hallway,
A trail of salt and the slag melting snow,
And she said, 'All my life I have loved you the same;
Watch where you're walking, you're dragging that shit in again.'"

-- Eighty Eight, The Affordable Floors



On the way to school yesterday, Zoe insisted she wanted snow. Ain't happening, I told her. It's over, and we get good weather now until next winter, and she can ride her bike after school since it will be light out now with daylight saving time. I even went so far as to tell her about fun with water balloons.

Twenty-four hours later, when she looked out the window this morning, she told me, "It's not enough snow." Yep. There was snow out there, all right. Not enough for Zoe, apparently.

I got here in November. I spent Thanksgiving in Pittsburgh. I'm almost certain I saw snow before the month was out, if I didn't experience a crash course in how to get the stuff off my car without getting it into my shoes and down the inside of my coat.

It's April now. IT SNOWED LAST NIGHT. I'm not a math whiz, but even I can figure out that for six of the 12 months of whatever it is Pittsburgh calls seasons, IT SNOWED.

This just ain't right.


But an even bigger shocker today: Katie Couric changed jobs! Who the hell saw that coming.

And, shit, it took the networks long enough to get around to interviewing Art Buchwald. I'm sure some producer said, "That guy's still fucking alive??" This has "Tuesdays with Morrie" written all over it. Wonder who's doing the novel.