David and Goliath

Rob is 6'10". David is not.
- posted by Connie @ 8/28/2008 09:49:00 AM 0 comments

 
Happy 1st Birthday David!

Prince David turns one today. That is all. Thank you.
Pictures!
- posted by Connie @ 3/25/2008 03:05:00 PM 2 comments

 
In case you ever wanted to know
Carr water crackers store very precisely into an empty cylindrical container of Sunsweet "Ones". Hmm. Yeah. I really need to get out more. Which will be difficult, since I no longer need to anymore.
- posted by Connie @ 3/17/2008 11:01:00 AM 0 comments

 
Single serving desserts
This burst of popularity with offering single serving desserts is alright by me. Piedmont Grocery, which is nearly across the street from where I live, has offered this for a while now - fresh desserts in the refrigerated section, but stores like Trader Joe's and Safeway are really getting into the business of frozen gourmet dessert offerings and they are fabulous!

Trader Joe's has one of my favorite desserts, the molten lava cake, which is basically chocolate cake that houses inside of it melty warm fudgy chocolate sauce that flows out when you break it with your fork. It is amazing served warm with ice cream, and I happily shell out 10 bucks for this sinful stuff at your typical nice restaurant that will offer this. TJ's has it for around 3 or 4 bucks. FOR A 2-PACK. Friggin ridiculously cheap. And it's really good. Their panna cotta is amazing too. All you have to do to prepare it (as opposed to baking, as with the lava cake), is thaw it in the fridge for 3 hours, then serve. You invert it onto the plate, where you'll discover that there are blueberries and mangoes on top! Safeway has a molten lava cake in their "Select" line of foods and I recently tried it. Verdict? Amazing. Maybe even better than Trader Joe's! The cake is more delicate and fluffy. It is also in the 3 to 4 buck range for a 2-pack.

If I was served any one of these desserts at a restaurant in a blind taste test (a la Folgers' Instant Coffee commercials circa early 1980's) and then charged 8 to 10 bucks for it, I would not in any way be disappointed.

Anyone else wondering why I still can't manage to shed the last 15 pounds of my pregnancy weight gain (she says as her son is about to turn 1 year old in a week...)
- posted by Connie @ 3/16/2008 05:24:00 PM 0 comments

 
Online grocery delivery. I never have to leave the house again.
There are some things that I often wonder to myself why I haven't started sooner, like online grocery delivery, or yelping...I think for the latter, I had been doing so much ridiculously detailed reviewing on amazon, or on this site, that I was soooo over it before yelp was even twinkle in the creator's eye, and the former was perhaps sullied in my mind's eye after the collapse of webvan, a company I never tried and have regretted bitterly. That regret has probably made me be very wary of trying Safeway.com, lest I get addicted to something that may go away right at the moment that I find it indispensable to my life. It's oddly funny that I didn't exercise the same caution with amazon, which is absolutely essential to my life in a way that I don't want to live in a world that doesn't have it...yet they were the one company that in the reigning years of fuckedcompany.com seemed the one "least likely to succeed". Funny how things turn out.

Anyway, now that I can no longer be as extravagant with my shopping habits (Trader Joe's for this, Andronico's for that, Safeway for this, Berkeley Bowl for that...etc), I've found myself going to Safeway more and more for staple items, and since their "O" (as in Organics) brand is really doing it right with baby and other foods, it's just become practical to choose them as my one-stop-shop. But. But. How I hate shopping. Even though it's only one store, I have to go there every week, spend anywhere between 100 and 150 bucks, and it's an utterly painful, surprisingly disappointing time, every time. It's crowded, it's very time-consuming, it's dirty...and I have to bring the baby with me.

I tried Safeway.com for the first time on...drum roll...this very day. How embarrassing, I know, that I waited this long to have someone else do the work of bringing 100 bucks' worth of groceries right to my door for 10 bucks (but the first delivery was the sweet sweet price of nothing). Suffice it to say that I feel that I never need to leave my house again. True, I had to commit to a 2 hour delivery window (normally 13 bucks) and must resign myself to a 4 hour delivery window (because I'm a cheap bastard who only wants to pay $10), and also true that they don't have real-time inventory availability at the point of internet sale (meaning, I didn't find out that the 16 bottles of mineral water that was my main purpose of choosing online delivery was out of stock until they came to my door to inform me, along with the balance of my groceries that were in stock), and still also true that some items had to be substituted...all told, it was an extremely pleasant experience that I'm thrilled exists and now wish I had tried during the 30 days after David's birth that I voluntarily did not leave the house. This is highly compatible with my distaste for wearing pants, a habit and trait that my child is warming up to very quickly.
- posted by Connie @ 3/16/2008 05:20:00 PM 0 comments

 
Contemplation at my child's 10 months
David is now 10 months old, and at times, I have to stop and take stock of all that has happened since his birth to marvel at how far I've come (and shudder at how much more there is to come).

Now that he can crawl quite efficiently, I consider him beyond the helpless phase of his newborn days, when he was subject to the whims of his caretakers as to when he would move from "here" to "there". Now, if he wants to be "there", he can get his own ass there, whether he should be there or not. I wouldn't quite call him independent; perhaps "slightly beyond dependent" is more accurate. Still, it amazes me that he has reached even this stage when I consider the days of car rides or diaper changes that could not be accomplished without fits of screaming (usually by the baby, sometimes by me along with him in order to cope).

Yes, it is amazing to me that Eugene and I have kept a baby not only alive, but (seemingly) happy as well. But...

On the flip side of the shiny happy coin of new-parent, foggy-eyed "bliss", if you were to ask me what one thing I miss the most about my former life since having a baby, it would be difficult for me to give you one answer because I'd be quick to rattle off a list of things, like "the ability to go have a drink after work for an hour", or "the ability to watch a movie at the theatre", or "the ability to respond to an evite right when I receive it rather than having to check and double check with 3 different support systems" or "the ability to go to the gym whenever I want to" or "the ability to not have to spend all of my free time doing dishes/laundry/cleaning/cooking, all of which have increased exponentially" because it seems silly now that I've written it all out because even I can look at the list and say, "well, why don't you?" The answer is that I've come to realize that what I truly miss is the ability to be spontaneous. I don't like knowing where I'll be 2 weeks from now at 3:30pm because of something I RSVP'd for 2 months ago. I want to say "sure, I'll go have a drink with you at 6pm" when it's 5:53pm, or announcing to my boss that I just bought a ticket to Hawaii so note that I'll be gone from tomorrow for a week. There are of course, many cool things going on in my life that I wouldn't trade for anything, but the baby definitely makes it nearly impossible to be spontaneous with the energy and time that you have remaining at the end of the day. I think the only way you can continue a life of spontaneity after having a child is to have a full-time backup babysitter, like grandparents that live nearby who wouldn't mind being left with the baby at a moment's notice, but alas, this is not a reality for us.

I don't miss my old life too terribly, but now I fully understand why new parents encourage their friends to join their lifestyle (of getting married, popping out a kid or two), because I'd give my right arm to have a close friend going through the first-baby experience with me right now as it's happening.
- posted by Connie @ 1/30/2008 03:58:00 PM 2 comments

 
Hey!

- posted by Connie @ 12/08/2007 11:04:00 AM 2 comments

 
What I don't give thanks for
With the passing of Thanksgiving, so did David's 8th month of life. And oh, so many milestones have been reached. For example, he is now officially forward facing in his childseat! I don't want to hear any comments from naysayers about how he has to be 1 year old before doing such a change. He is 23 pounds for crying out loud. Plus, he hated facing backward, so there you go. (Ah, the internet, great for so many things, but terrible for parenting advice or encouragement when it comes to making up your own rules out of necessity. So, I'm saying it now, I'm saying it loud, I'm saying it proud: He is forward-facing in his car seat! And we celebrated.) We will not feel guilty that he is not yet a year old since he already surpasses the more important factor of the weight minimum.

He also started eating meat for the first time 2 nights ago when he had "Chicken and Rice Dinner" (thank you Gerber!) He was in daycare yesterday so I don't know what occurred of the aftermath (in case you don't understand, I'm talking about poo), but last night he had "Beef and Vegetable Dinner" (thank you Gerber, once again!) and since I'm home with him today, I can say he officially lost his innocence. I once commented right here on this very blog about how the days of breastfed-milk yellow poo were over once formula started, and even mentioned how disgusting formula poo was after that transition. I'm here to now announce that his new poo, thanks to a well-rounded diet of meat and other disgusting things that we all eat regularly (and in my case unapologetically), is absolutely horrid. I'm talking about a log, folks. And some stuff after that, too. It was so disgusting that the only thing I can think to compare it to that could do it any justice is...well, adult poop!

Welcome to a new chapter in your life, Baby David!
- posted by Connie @ 11/28/2007 04:19:00 PM 0 comments

 
When the pond looks like an ocean, I don't need to know about the guppies that just swam by
Is there a bigger joke than the "Friendster Schoolmates Update" email? I get these emails more frequently than seems proper (I suppose I could turn them off, but then what would be the fun in that?), and it gives me a notification that a random sample of 10 people who also went to UC Berkeley have updated their profiles recently. As if that's the same thing as getting a "Schoolmate Update" from my elementary school that informs me that Joe Chen and Jeremy Smith have updated their profiles (hint: these are people I actually did go to school with from K - 4) and I would actually give a damn, and only maybe, at that.

Getting an email that lets me know that a random 10 people from UC Berkeley have updated their profiles is akin to getting an email notifying me that 10 fellow taxpayers in Alameda County bought a cup of coffee at Starbucks sometime this week. Or that 10 fellow drivers in California experienced road rage in the past week. Especially helpful is the fact that it's first name only. It's like I'm supposed to say "Ohhh, Jennifer with no included pic from UC Berkeley! I know her! She received a new testimonial! Good for her!"
- posted by Connie @ 11/15/2007 02:49:00 PM 0 comments

 
Truly "Baby Huey"
We snapped some pictures of David at his 6 month check-up and didn't look them over until now...and in this particular picture, he looks ENORMOUS!!! We almost died laughing. I mean, he's big, sure, but this picture makes him look like a sumo wrestler! No photoshopping or alteration done.


- posted by Connie @ 10/08/2007 01:35:00 PM 3 comments

 
Another reason to love Costco
It's not for the obvious reasons that I particularly love Costco, though the obvious ones are good, too. The generous return policy, the 1.50 hot dog with soda, the fact that I always have at home 60 extra rolls of toilet paper and 4 extra spools of floss at any given point in time. Sure, those reasons are understood and universal for the typical Costco shopper.

But to me, it's the hidden gems that I really enjoy. The things that have always been there, but delight me when I accidentally discover them. Like the ATM machine at the store exit. It looks like any other ATM machine that you see dozens of throughout your day. But, let's just say you needed to get some cash out and you're nowhere near your bank. You've been in a situation like this. You're a Bank of America customer and you only see Wells Fargo ATMs as far as the eye can see or vice versa. You are forced to do the unthinkable, and before you know it, you've been charged almost 5 or 6 dollars after fees in both directions to take out your own money. Well, much the way Costco drives down prices by forcing their suppliers to cut costs, so it goes with their ATM's as well. They probably got some ATM agreement that allowed them to set a limit on the fee, which is currently a lovely 75 cents on any withdrawal. If you get charged a fee from your bank, then the 75 additional doesn't hurt too badly. For me, it's almost nothing because my bank never initiates a charge, but I must pay any ATM fees that the other bank charges. Considering I've paid $3 in Arbuckle at a bank called Umpqua, 75 cents seems practically free.
- posted by Connie @ 10/07/2007 09:13:00 PM 0 comments

 
PC LOAD LETTER for flash sites
You know that scene in Office Space where they are kicking the CRAP (I'm trying to curb my cursing) out of the printer? (M Bolton: "PC Load Letter? What the fuck does that mean?" <-- curse curbing doesn't count if I'm quoting someone) They take it out to a field and just start going crazy on it, like a gang-banger getting initiated? If I could take all the websites in the world that are Flash-based, and somehow morph them into some physical form, THAT is what I'd do to them. I'd be the guy who, after the group decides that they're done with their destruction, breaks away from them and starts running back to get in a few more punches and kicks.

So much pointless form, absolutely no function. Why can't they be banned?!
- posted by Connie @ 10/04/2007 01:27:00 PM 1 comments

 
David is 6 months old today
It really seems like just yesterday that I had no idea how to make this little butterball stop crying. This non-interactive, fleshy, yellow blob of poo and drool. People gushed at how in love I must be with my new baby. Huh? How do I have time to fall in love with him? I'm too busy trying to make him stop crying. And when he's not crying, I'm busy resting. Truth be told, it took me 4 months to truly bond with the little man to the extent of all the cliches of mother-infant love. And now, here we are, 2 months later, to exactly 6 months after he exited the warmth and safety of my belly.

And what milestones we've reached, even as recently as 3 days ago, when we noticed the unmistakable ridges of the peak of a new tooth (bottom left), explaining away the fussiness of the past several weeks! The same night, he slept through the night, and I don't mean the medical definition of 5 to 6 hours. I'm talking about the real-life, what-matters-to-most-people definition: 8:30pm to 6:30am. I had heard of these babies that slept through the night, babies that belonged to people that I actually know, but I swear that I could not comprehend how such a thing could exist. As far as I was concerned, these babies were as mythical as unicorns. So, imagine my surprise when I woke up at 6:30am on a Sunday morning, totally refreshed after having the first 8 hour stretch of uninterrupted sleep in about 9 months (I didn't sleep well my final trimester), energized, my mood light and spirited, and with the full realization that David had accomplished this important and seemingly impossible step. When I went into his room, he was already up, looking around, not already crying as he usually is when he wakes, and positively giggly when he saw me. That's called a good night's sleep, for both of us!

He's eating (when I say eating, I mean slopping around his face and clothes) sweet peas, green beans, sweet potatoes and rice cereal along with 4 feedings of formula.

He still loves to play with his toes.

He still loves to squeal with delight.

He isn't so jazzed about the exersaucer anymore, and he has all but outgrown the swing (not in size, but in interest).

He now doesn't drop items in his grasp so much has chuck them across the room, unaware of his strength. It's more that he's doing an involuntary jerky movement, and, while the toy is caught in his grasp, he lets go as he jerks another movement in an unintentionally perfectly timed moment.

He is about 21 pounds now, which is pretty heavy for a 6 month old, in fact all but one infant carrier goes up to 22 pounds, and that is supposed to last him (in theory) for the entirety of the first year of life. Thank goodness we bought the infant car seat that goes to 30 pounds, you know the one.

He is now in size 4 diapers, which has a range of 22 - 37 pounds. Usually babies don't progress this quickly through diaper sizes, so I don't know what is going on with the little guy. For a while, I actually thought that the diaper size indicated how many months old the baby is, because he was in size 1 until he was 2 months old, at which time he switched to 2, then when he was 3 months old, size 3. He stayed in size 3's until he was about 5 months, which was when that pattern broke. I was once told that I couldn't possibly buy too many diapers in any particular size, since it'll take a long time to outgrow any size. I'm glad I didn't follow that advice. Had I done so, I would have more excess size 2's and 3's than I'd know what to do with. Come to think of it, I'm glad I didn't follow a lot of advice, since David's growth is far from average.

I want to take this opportunity to do a special shout-out to Costco, without which we would have certainly been bankrupt. People kept telling me after I stopped breastfeeding (after 4 months) how expensive formula is. And I already know how expensive diapers are. Costco has made both of these expenses totally bearable. If you can find powdered formula for cheaper than 38 cents per ounce, then you are one smart shopper!

I have to say the best thing about my day is in the early morning: I drop him into the exersaucer, I leave the room to shower and get ready for work, and at the end of those 10 minutes that he is in his own world of toys that surround him, I come back in the room and he realizes in a split-second that I was gone and now back, and he breaks into this radiant near-giggly huge smile that tugs so intensely at the strings of the heart I didn't even know I had. More than that, it makes me think that, as with most babies a few months older than David, once his separation anxiety is fully developed, I'll have a hard time figuring out if it's his or mine.


- posted by Connie @ 9/25/2007 10:14:00 AM 3 comments

 
When you're a return queen, you appreciate all the tips you can get
So, I'm a retailer's worst nightmare. I love to return items, especially from places like Costco and Target. I'm not an abuser of return policies by any means, in fact, most of the items I return are unopened and can be turned right back around and sold again. It's just that, when companies have generous return policies, I tend to buy first, think later, and possibly (usually) return later.

This led to a buying craze that necessitated an organization system for my receipts. I have an envelope labeled "Target", another one labeled "Costco", "Babies R Us", "Home Depot", etc., and all the receipts within each envelope are stacked in chronological order. It's a sickness, I know.

At one point, I actually had piles of things that needed to be returned to one store or another (that was during the range of time between when I was a bit incapacitated with too big a fetus in my womb and when I was a bit incapacitated with that syndrome known as "Having a Newborn") because it had accumulated and I had zero time to do leisurely returns here and there spread out over time, as was my usual m.o. By then, it became almost impossible to decipher items on the receipt (Costco and Target in particular have extremely cryptic item descriptions on their receipts, often words that are nowhere on the product itself. Consequently, I didn't know which receipt to bring with me when returning any specific item.

Well, for Target items in particular, I just discovered a new trick. On the receipt itself, ignore the text description entirely, and go to target.com and look up the numeric code in the left column on the receipt. Voila -- it maps instantly to the mystery item! As crazy as I was with returns before, this new trick may grant me license to become even crazier!
- posted by Connie @ 9/05/2007 05:11:00 PM 2 comments

 
Apparently there is a downside to sweet televisions
So, since buying a sweet-ass huge LCD TV with 1080p (that currently, nothing is broadcast in, and I don't have a DVD player that supports that resolution, but I digress) in March, I have discovered a few hidden channels that were previously not available when I lacked a digital tuner. There are quite a few channels that are broadcast in HD, and, from time to time, I'll be on the hunt for a channel that is in HD when I don't feel like viewing grainy TV. After doing this, I've decided something: I really don't care for HDTV. Thanks, but I don't really need to see the pores on Denzel Washington's nose. It's not appealing, and it's actually quite distracting. Or? The singer that was belting it out onstage on some PBS music showcase channel? Did NOT need to see the cellulite on her arms. Yikes.
- posted by Connie @ 8/31/2007 11:50:00 AM 2 comments

 
If this is not the definition of a classic, I don't know what is
Movie: Grandma's Boy. Yes, I give credit to Herm for recommending this to me. He and I rarely see eye to eye on movies (he actually LIKED Anger Management, while I had to go to anger management therapy for being so angry at that movie's very existence), but when we do agree, the harmony can be felt 'round the world. I'm not usually into stoner movies, and perhaps my affinity for this movie could be due to the fact that it centers around gaming nerds (not that I am one, but I am a tester at least in a different sense), but whatever the reason is for me loving this movie cannot be precisely explained. One thing's for sure: it's got that quoteability factor which I adore so much in movies. (e.g. "I'm thinking about getting metal legs. It's a risky operation, but it'll be worth it." hehhehhe)
- posted by Connie @ 8/26/2007 09:25:00 AM 0 comments

 
A treasure hidden in plain sight
Hello? Why have I never been inside Cliff's Variety before today? I can't even count how many times I've been in and around the Castro district, and somehow it has always escaped both my notice and visit. In fact, I would not have ever known about it were it not for a baby product that can only be found there within a 50 mile radius (according to the manufacturer's website). I came for an item that took me 2 minutes to find. I could have spent hours in there, but, alas, the lunch hour is only so long. It is technically a hardware store, but they also carry everyday things that you need, and occasional items that you really don't need. According to their website, they have "everything from tiaras to tape measures". According to my visit, it's true.
- posted by Connie @ 8/22/2007 06:59:00 PM 0 comments

 
While I'm down here, why not kick me?
What is the worst thing that can happen while you are running around like a chicken with its head cut off on your first day back at work after a 5+ month maternity leave, frantically trying to remember passwords, decipher old acronyms, and get reacquainted with all your coworkers? This, on a day that started off dropping off your crying 4 month old at daycare? I mean, THE WORST thing that can happen, after having to CALL IN SICK on the actual day you were SUPPOSED to come back to work but didn't because you were in the emergency room until 5am that morning getting pumped full of meds and fluids intravenously because you had been violently vomiting the whole day prior? I'll tell you what. Getting your period unexpectedly at noon, that's what. For the first time since June 8. OF LAST YEAR. Yes, that's right. It had to happen today. Because it's me. And these things happen to me.
- posted by Connie @ 8/14/2007 08:46:00 PM 3 comments

 
I don't know if it's holy...
...but it's definitely shit.

That's a shameless quote-bite off of Dirty Jobs (the batcave guano cleaning one), but it is also the line that came to mind when I was changing a diaper today. Incidentally, between Eugene and me, we have changed over 2000 diapers, so shit does not faze us one bit. Truth be told, the ammonia of the pee-pee diapers puts me off more than the poopy diapers. Until today, anyway. David recently became a formula baby after four months of exclusive breastfeeding. That's another discussion for another time, but the hallmark of such a change, other than a dish drying rack full of a ton of bottles, is that the once yellow mustard-colored, sesame seed-textured, neutral-smelling poo of his salad days has morphed into a tofu-textured, tan-colored mush that smells like animal flesh that has been left to rot for two weeks. Talk about getting the evil out! I almost puked trying to change a diaper just now!
- posted by Connie @ 8/09/2007 03:07:00 PM 1 comments

 
Shout-out to the ladies at Westfield Topanga Bare Escentuals and Nordstrom cosmetics
During my visit to L.A., I go to the mall to save my sanity. I don't buy anything other than Pinkberry, although lately I've defected to Bare Naked Yogurt, since it's really and truly yogurt (if you can imagine that). I go to the mall because it's very loud in terms of white noise, it's full of visual stimuli that is basically the highest standard of eye-candy that David could possibly imagine or ask for, and I go there for the women at Bare Escentuals Cosmetics, and the Nodstrom cosmetics counter. The women who work at these 2 places are phenomenal. They love my baby and they treat him like a king. I went into BE the other day to buy a simple 14 dollar lip gloss, and walked away an hour later with about 50 dollars' worth of babysitting. They (especially Henga and Prell) giggled and screamed and cooed while I flipped through receipts in my wallet, returned some text messages, and just got some impromptu relaxation done. They begged me to come back soon so they can play with him again and many of them offered to babysit. I said I'd do them one better and leave him at BE and that I'd come back tomorrow to pick him up. They laughed. I didn't. Okay, maybe a little.
- posted by Connie @ 8/06/2007 12:51:00 PM 0 comments

 
I have a fussy baby
The Sears Attachment Parenting books would call it a "High Need Child". They amusingly (but realistically) go on to say that he will go from being a high-need baby to a high-need toddler to a high-need child to a high-need teenager. But they also endearingly conclude that he will eventually become a very confident adult with a high sensitivity to others' needs, as theirs were met well during development.

Whatever you want to call it, my child is the kind of child who will cry even when his diaper is dry, tummy full, and gas expelled. He needs to be constantly held, rocked, bounced, and often only in my or papa's arms. When I want to go grocery shopping, he won't just sit mellowly in his stroller or car seat. So, in the middle of aisle 8, when I'm trying to decide between strawberry or boysenberry jam, he starts whimpering and crying, so I'm forced to hold him while dealing with the shopping basket and the stroller. My favorite thing is when well-meaning women (usually older ones) will witness this sight and as they walk by, they'll whisper "Awwww, he's hungry." Wow, lady! Thanks!! All this time he was crying and crying and of course! He's hungry! That makes complete sense, since I fed him 30 minutes ago! Where would I be without their advice? Or more importantly, where would I be if I heeded their advice? I'd be the mother of a 300 pound four month-old, that's where I'd be.

People who don't spend a whole lot of time with him will often catch him in a good window, when he's being pretty mellow (or I'm holding him the whole time, so they see him in a cheerful mood). I'll complain to them how hard it is to deal with so much fussiness and they say "Oh, that's ok, that's what babies do, they cry." I say, "No, they don't!" I must be at Babies R Us every other day and the baby section of Target on the days I'm not at Babies R Us, and run into 25 babies minimally at each place. Never, not a once, have I seen a baby cry. They are usually asleep, or just playing with their stroller toys and most of them are younger than David's 4 months. So, crying? That's not what babies do. It's what apparently ONLY DAVID DOES. ALL THE TIME.
- posted by Connie @ 7/31/2007 01:49:00 PM 1 comments

 
Big Boy clothes!

Looking like a jaunty golfer in his spiffy little preppy shirt. A rather stunned one, anyway.
- posted by Connie @ 6/29/2007 10:49:00 AM 1 comments

 
Hard to say

He may LOOK just like Papa, but I'm trying to think who his grouchy attitude reminds me of...hmmmm...that one may take me all day to think about. I'll get back to you.
- posted by Connie @ 6/29/2007 10:43:00 AM 1 comments

 
My grandma, pictured with her offspring's offspring's offspring
David's only living great-grandparent. And great is an understatement -- that woman is amazing.


- posted by Connie @ 6/12/2007 12:43:00 AM 1 comments

 
Feeling drunk from power and nauseated by unbridled freedom
The power of the baby swing (oft-criticized as a 'substitute parent', probably by non-parents) is one not to be abused, but alas, I have. At first I resisted, and up until yesterday, never used it more than once a week or so. Today, I've used it 4, maybe 5 times. Yes! That's right! In one day! Yes, I'd rather rock my baby to sleep in a swing so that I can do luxurious activities like eat, shower, brush my teeth, etc. If I didn't, he'd be his usual cranky self, crying all the way to the nap he fights until it's a new cycle altogether that renders said nap completely irrelevant and mama totally insane.

I feel unstoppable now that I've gotten over my resistance to employing the power of the swing whenever I damn well feel like it.

This picture is a rare moment of CWA (Contentment While Awake), made possible by the swing.


- posted by Connie @ 5/04/2007 09:37:00 PM 2 comments

 
Maybe it's the sleep deprivation, or the hours on end of Discovery Channel
Reruns and reruns of The Deadliest Catch and Dirty Jobs during some seriously foggy new-mommy moments have allowed my crush on Mike Rowe to reach a new level. He's now visiting me in my dreams as my new boyfriend. Rarely do I dream (or remember them when I do) and still more rarely do I dream within context about someone I actually adore in real life. This must be a sign. There is no one wittier, quicker, funnier, hotter or sexy-voiced than you on TV or anywhere! (other than my dear husband, if he's reading this...) Mike!! Call me!!!
- posted by Connie @ 4/07/2007 01:55:00 PM 2 comments

 
Nothing ever really made sense until this very moment

- posted by Connie @ 4/04/2007 02:28:00 PM 4 comments

 
I take it back
Just experienced a nearly sleepless night full of 30 second long contractions (which aren't even close to the worst that I get to look forward to) and I decided that in my last posting, I was just kidding. He can stay in here as long as he wants to. Contractions are for the birds, man. Owwwww.
- posted by Connie @ 3/21/2007 12:09:00 PM 2 comments

 
I'm busy baking a future pain in the ass
So big I am. So swollen, so tired... for entertainment, Thao or Amee will roll me onto my back to see me do a rolly-polly bug impression. He's four days late, with no evidence of any intent to exit. The only babies I've given birth to lately are brown boneless ones. I can tell he's gonna be a pain in his mama's ass already! Come out, come out, wherever you are!! Actually, I don't really mind that he's taking his sweet ass time. I just don't want to be induced, which is imminent. Ain't nothin' pretty about labor, but induction is far worse. **Fat Bastard's Voice** GET OUTTA MAH BELLAYYY!!!
- posted by Connie @ 3/20/2007 05:43:00 PM 2 comments

 
The world loves pregnant women
Well, the entire world doesn't love pregnant women, I have to admit, since I was often not offered a BART seat on a crowded train while I was visibly third-trimester preggo. However, those few asstard-led situations aside, I have to say that the world loves pregnant women. As I reflected on all the positive things I was going to miss about being pregnant, among them was how much attention I get from the most unlikely people. Even strangers get so excited over my pregnancy -- even the young kid working at the member services at Costco, offering me crazy tips on how to bring about labor, my sister's coworkers asking how I'm doing (I've never met them), even POST OFFICE EMPLOYEES (no joke) have gone out of their way to be extra-courteous when I went in to mail something off to an ebay buyer. I'm spending this week furiously going about trying to get all my errands done before I pop so that I can take advantage of such great service. You'd think why not take it easy, since, after I pop, I'll have this precious little infant who will surely win over the very same people who were tickled by my pregnancy enough to give me special treatment? But I took a step further back and noticed that the world does not like the non-pregnant mothers quite as much as the mothers-to-be. If you are toting an infant, toddler, child, or anything other than a fetus packed in your belly, the world does not give you any special treatment. I guess there is something about the fragility of a pregnant woman, and the packed potential of hope that lies within the womb that makes the world so protective, curious, and full of concern and care. It's sad to think that it will all end in a few days, but it'll be worth it to get my figure back (someday). Oh, and to see what the lil bugger looks like.
- posted by Connie @ 3/14/2007 11:42:00 PM 0 comments

 
DO NOT USE AMAZON.COM GIFT REGISTRY
I have been sorely disappointed with Amazon.com's gift registry. Though I'm generally considered an Amazon.com whore/evangelizer/groupie for all other aspects of their site, I can say without any hesitation that their gift registry has been frustrating. I made the decision to use their site for my gift registry because it supported multiple merchants, and I wanted to make things easier on my friends. But now I know it is best to just have separate registries at different stores, however flawed their systems may be, and work that angle. (Plus if you use Target or Babies R Us, at least returns are easier, since you never really know what you'll actually use).

Where to start? Sometimes an item does not get marked as purchased, even though someone did in fact gift something. Oh how I wish the flaws ended there.

Another problem is that from the time that you add something to the registry to the time that someone actually purchases that item, the status of that item could change. For example, I added a play yard to my registry at a time when it was available and ready to ship. This play yard is used as a bassinet (and I planned on using that feature) until the baby exceeds 15 pounds (though the play yard itself can be used beyond that). Anyway, when our friend bought it for us, the status of that item had changed to "Available to ship June 15". He didn't notice that detail, nor did we expect him to, but Amazon.com let him purchase it anyway. Did Amazon.com notify us at all that the status of this item had changed? No. It did let us know that he purchased it, but had I not caught that detail, we would have received that item when the baby was beyond 3 months old, which would have made the bassinet feature practically useless (not to mention we'd be without a play yard for at least 3 entire months).

The final problem with the registry is that you cannot choose who fulfills the order. I'm so tired of Amazon using other merchants to fulfill orders, especially when those merchants are BAD. Like RightStart.com. Those fucking bastards are the ones who were chosen to fulfill an order for a product that was 29.99 when I first registered the item. Then when our friend bought it for us, Amazon.com somehow chose RightStart.com to fulfill the order at a price of 44.99 (to give you an idea of how dishonest that is, the MSRP for this item is 39.99. THE MSRP!!! Who charges more than what the manufacturer suggests?!), and they tacked on a whopping 11 bucks for shipping. After tax, it came out to a total of $60 for our dear friend. He doesn't have an eye for detail nor much concern for his wallet, so he didn't notice nor care, but I did. Especially because the whole basis for me adding that item (other than its necessity) was the price!!! It was supposed to be 29.99 without tax and with free shipping. I think the whole system is designed so that Amazon can give little favors to their smaller brand merchants, and because of the whole delicate nature of gift registries, they figure they can get away with deceiving a few customers because no one would really notice or follow-up (except the truly neurotic like me).

The worst aspect of all of this is that it creates circumstances whereby both the merchant and Amazon.com can drop accountability for the whole thing because they can play the whole "Ask your mom"/"ask your father" game, until it wears out the customer. I demanded that Amazon (not RightStart, even though they are despicable, too) refund my friend the shipping cost, plus the difference in base price, AND take responsibility for shipping back the item, because it was all their error and deception that caused it all, but they refused. What bastards.

All of this could have been avoided if they would allow you to choose the merchant that will fulfill the order, set a maximum price for the item, and have an email notification system for when items go out of stock (or magically rise 100% above the original price).
- posted by Connie @ 3/09/2007 06:29:00 PM 2 comments

 
Prairies and Hot Flashes
The best part of my maternity leave, other than the random contractions and crushing weight of fetus on organs action, is watching old episodes of Little House on the Prairie mid-morning. Eugene and I are reliving our childhood watching these precious episodes. It's interesting how little of the detail we remember, like some of the side characters, and the lines that got muttered subtly. I guess when you watch anything as a kid, you weren't meant to pick up on certain things. Charles Ingalls was one fair and wholesome man, though, I tell you what. He won't tolerate bigotry or mistreatment of anyone, and he spoke to women and men with the same amount of respect...and this was in the late 1800's! I don't even see people acting like that now, when supposedly there is more equality.

The worst part is that quite recently I got to experience yet another joyous symptom of pregnancy: hot flashes. Honest to goodness hot flashes. I was lying in bed watching tv and suddenly I just threw the covers off and ran inside the closet, where it was cool and dark. Eugene was laughing at me, like "what are you doing?" I explained that I felt like I had an internal temperature of about 300 degrees. He felt my forehead and I felt fine. He said I was acting like a dog or a cat, and was surprised I didn't wrap myself around the toilet instead of going into the closet. Ha ha. Then he towelled me down with a cold wet washcloth and turned on the ceiling fan. I didn't start feeling normal again for at least 10 minutes. Menopause should be a fucking blast.
- posted by Connie @ 3/08/2007 03:02:00 PM 2 comments

 
Launderus Orgasmicus
I just got the best present ever. A washer and dryer!!! Not just a washer and dryer, but free plumbing, installation, venting, etc. by a certain handyman I slept with for favors. And not just any washer, but a front loader. The thing is tiny, but holds 2.9 cubic feet. Not bad for such a tiny footprint. It fits into the impossibly small closet that was once the coat closet by the front door. It spins at 1200 rpm's at high-spin!!! Front loaders are so humpably wonderful. Clothes are practically dry by the time the cycle's done.

Before I first bought my own place, I vowed that I would never purchase a house or condo that lacked in-unit laundry facilities. But the market being what it was at the time, and me not wanting to live in Stockton or Tracy just to get a modern unit with all the amenities I wanted, I got practical and bought the Oakland condo that I loved at first sight, despite its one shortcoming.

Now that this newly installed amenity is here and functional, I feel like this is the place I always wanted it to be. It wasn't even fully stacked or installed into the closet yesterday (see picture on left of my first wash...it is now installed into the closet shown behind it), but it was hooked up, so imagine me, doing loads and loads of laundry with this washer sticking out of the closet. I just couldn't help myself. It was soooo gooooood. Best laundry I've ever done. I could heat up lunch in the kitchen, and walk over to check on laundry in 10 short footsteps! I actually ran out of clothes to wash today. That has never happened to me before. But that's good, because now I can start washing baby clothes, blankets and towels. Apparently, that's what good mothers do - they wash new clothes before putting them on their precious babies.
- posted by Connie @ 2/24/2007 04:22:00 PM 0 comments

 
5 more weeks
Today marks the t minus 5 week point for the estimated date of delivery. The image you see to the left is what he looked like 15 weeks ago. That is him actually sucking his thumb during the ultrasound. People have said this is a good sign that he is a self-soother.

As I'm readying myself for the delivery, I can't help but realize how conflicting my thoughts are about D-day. On the one hand, I am ECSTATIC that I'll regain control of my urinating schedule (anything less frequent than every 10 minutes will be just fine, thank you) and I won't have all the insanely uncomfortable physical pain of carrying all this extra weight and getting my organs kicked around constantly. But on the other hand, I realize that, once out, this is something that will be with me for a minimum of 18 years (maximum if he's an asshole). It's not something I can give back to a pet adoption agency (though I can faultlessly give him up to a fire station or hospital within 72 hours...hmmm), or stick back in my womb once he's getting to be too much to bear...it's the biggest responsibility of my life. Kinda makes the labor seem like it'll be the easiest part. But I'll keep you posted on how unbearable it ends up being. You know I will.

So, the crib has been purchased and assembled. Floors all re-done to remove the nasty-ass carpeting that still held remnants of old dog urine among other frightening toxins I care not to think about, walls painted, nursery decorated, washer/dryer hookups installed, washer/dryer ordered, bathroom remodel completed (no thanks to Herm), new furniture put together and being enjoyed, sweet LCD TV ordered (okay, that one's for us, not the baby), and ceiling fans/central lighting installed in all rooms. All labor and assembly performed by the hubby. I think we're ready to pretend we're ready.
- posted by Connie @ 2/09/2007 04:53:00 PM 1 comments

 
I'm going to board a plane on Wednesday
and Amee had this to say in an email:
"hey, do you have to drain your amniotic sac to 3 ounces before you board?"
- posted by Connie @ 12/07/2006 03:06:00 PM 2 comments

 
Wedding pictures, courtesy of Thao and Herm
Here are some pictures from the wedding. More to come later.

Pre-Ceremony and Ceremony

Reception

After-party
- posted by Connie @ 11/29/2006 09:20:00 PM 6 comments

 
They're getting a little older

- posted by Connie @ 11/29/2006 05:31:00 PM 2 comments

 
Last blog for a while
The next 8 days will be spent looking back on all my days as a single woman, as well as planning for the craziest event of my life, showcasing my talent for mimicking an ivory snowman in front of 500 Koreans. Ah, let the games begin.

I leave you with a ridiculously cute pic of a 2 week old puppy, one of four that Eugene's Jindo dog gave birth to. Bask in the furry squishable adorableness.
- posted by Connie @ 11/17/2006 02:33:00 PM 0 comments

 
A conversation with my sister
Connie: So, did you know that when you are pregnant you get like, craaaazy super duper horny? Like, in ways you didn't even think possible?
Jes: Actually, I was aware of that.
<< long pause >>
Jes: And you neither need to confirm nor deny that for me.
- posted by Connie @ 11/06/2006 12:33:00 PM 0 comments

 
I can't believe I'm creating a penis
That's how Amee put it. Thao put it like this: "A boy? What do we do with one of those?" Mike put it like this: Blue socks! Dina put it like this: "omg it's got a penis!" Meghan put it like this: 3 legs! And Steve put it like this: "You finally (in a manner of speaking) grew some balls"

I'm having a boy! Coolest part of the ultrasound was when it showed him sucking on his thumb. Amee said he could've been picking his nose. That would truly make him his mother's son.
- posted by Connie @ 11/02/2006 02:35:00 PM 1 comments

 
Signs I'm becoming a mother
1. Navel ring removed today in anticipation of "The Great Stretch". Now no one will mistake me for a teenager... *sigh*
2. Top sites visited daily: BabyCenter.com, Amazon.com Baby section, Gap Maternity. Former top sites visited (and currently haven't visited in months): engadget, gizmodo, Amazon.com electronics section, techbargains.com
3. Mirror in bathroom used to have reminder notes to self in dry erase pen like: shave legs, tweeze, buy more makeup remover. Now it reads: think of baby names, formulate birth plan, buy maternity pillow
- posted by Connie @ 10/27/2006 02:36:00 PM 0 comments

 
Expertise is defined as having a 50% success rate of predictive ability
I love how during my first trimester, everyone was an expert about nausea and what that meant for the gender of my baby. Now, during my second trimester, everyone is an expert about how high the baby is sitting on my stomach and what meant for the gender of my baby. Even my brazilian waxing technician (I'm sure there is a better term for this) told me about a Chinese birth gender predictor (99% accuracy rate, she claimed), and she's not even Asian.

What it all boils down to is that pretty much everyone thinks they know what the gender of my baby is based on whether I vomited, how frequent it was, how nauseous I was ("when you get really sick and feel miserable, they claim that a baby girl is stealing her mother's beauty", for example), and a whole host of other factors that basically make them draw these outrageous conclusions that have a staggering failure rate of 50%. Incidentally, they also have an amazing success rate of 50%.
- posted by Connie @ 10/19/2006 12:30:00 AM 1 comments

 
This is a very good week, and it's only Wednesday!
On Monday, I got my very first charity seat. I was on MUNI, coming back from a doctor's appointment, and, being the 38L, it was crowded as usual. A very 3rd trimester preggo was in front of me, so this man immediately got out of the way to let her sit down. I couldn't compete with that. I'm just starting my 2nd trimester, and really, let's face it, I could pass as someone who had a few too many slices of pizza last night. But, I was holding a book called "The Birth Book" with a picture of a newborn, and I didn't realize that this crucial prop helped this other man realize (after about 2 minutes of me trying to remain standing through a bumpy ride) to offer me his seat! It was awesome. Too bad people on BART are still so clueless about offering pregnant women a seat. It's freakin tiring having your sense of balance totally way off, and just those few extra pounds really take a toll. Thank you, random tall MUNI guy with the suit and iPod!!

On Tuesday, I got a gift card in the mail to "A Pea in the Pod". I'm not a huge spender, and if any of you are familiar with that store, you'd know that it ain't for the miserly. Luckily it's good at Motherhood/Maternity stores, too. The person who sent it said that she can't hang out with me if I'm not looking hot in my pregnancy. So, I'll do it for her. Thanks Kim!!

Today, I got to eat Sibby's cupcakes for the first time. These delectable goodies were delivered to my work by my favorite Noudle Brain. Thanks Nou!! I was first introduced to the idea of these cupcakes by Steve, who bought them for Wendy's 30th birthday. I couldn't make it to the party due to nausea and general first trimester yuckiness, so I had to miss seeing my favorite FOB turn 30 and these yummy treats.

My advice to you guys is, when boarding any public transit, wear a preggo suit, and at all other times, announce to all your friends that you are pregnant!!!
- posted by Connie @ 10/18/2006 12:13:00 PM 2 comments

 
TGI Herm Friday! A lunchtime convo
Connie: Oh God, Herm, don't let me turn into one of those moms who get a "easier to manage" hairstyle and then just never goes back.
Herm: Oh, do people do that?
Connie: Yeah, you just don't notice 'cause Bahdurz (nickname for his mom) has gorgeous hair and really keeps her look together even way after kids are grown and gone. But lots of people do it.
Herm: So they don't have to bother with it?
Connie: Yeah.
<< short pause, during which Herm looks genuinely perturbed. >>
Herm: Well, if I ever get married, I'm going to have it in my prenup that I will have the right to divorce her and she gets nothing if she chops off all her hair after the first baby.
Connie: << speechless >>
Herm: I'm up to about 55 pages in my preliminary prenup as it is, thanks for the headsup about that point.
Connie: Herm, you have been single too long.
- posted by Connie @ 9/29/2006 03:01:00 PM 0 comments

 
On being laid out to pasture
Yesterday marked the 6 year anniversary of my employment with my current company. Nothing earth-shattering to report. I got bumped up to another rung of vacation time accrual, which is nice, and couldn't come at a better time. But mainly, though I'm only 30, I feel much much older.
- posted by Connie @ 9/29/2006 12:24:00 PM 0 comments

 
Not quasicrazy...nope, this one's all-out crazy

I saw this last week on MadTV and just about died laughing. I hope you enjoy it, too.
- posted by Connie @ 9/21/2006 05:34:00 PM 1 comments

 
I have a parasite. And it's growing.


I wish I could tell you that this is a glamorous tale of Terry the Tapeworm, but my parasite is more like the shape and size of a jumbo shrimp. It is a mini-me. Well, a mini-me and mini-Eugene. What I'm trying to say is: we're going to be parents in March!

Granted, it was a little ahead of schedule of the life plan, but we're making all the necessary changes to welcome Stewie (no, that is not its name nor is it any indication of gender -- more a way of describing how much pain the fetus causes me through nausea, etc, à la Stewie to Lois) into this crazy world.

Major milestones: Officially entered 2nd trimester. Fetal heartbeat very audible, strong and fast. Nausea subsided greatly. No cravings yet. Way fatter than I need to be or should be.

I'm not enjoying pregnancy, in fact it's fair to say that I hate being pregnant. Please don't confuse this with me hating the baby because obviously that's not what I'm saying. Food doesn't taste good to me anymore. For a month, I couldn't look at, touch, smell, or think about meat. Yuck. And even now, while I'm not nauseated, I still look at food as a chore, not something that is savory or scrumptious. It's like I have no taste buds, but must still eat to survive. I'm narcoleptic. No kidding. I pass out every day at work at about 2pm. I can't do anything anymore. I tried to go see the musical Urinetown last Thursday and passed out after intermission. Ask Herm. His poor shoulder bore all the weight of my head through the whole 2nd half. I haven't drank coffee in 3 months. IN THREE MONTHS. None of my old clothes fit me, and I'm constantly shopping for more clothes that my fat ass can fit inside. I pee constantly. I have to wake up 3 times in the middle of the night to relieve myself and it's still not good enough. If that isn't enough to keep me from a good night's sleep, I have vivid dreams. I mean REALLY VIVID dreams. They are sometimes very intense, nerve-wracking, and anxiety-driven. I wake up stiff and freaked out. Usually I would enjoy having crazy dreams, but not now, when I really want to sleep continuously for 8 hours. I can't drink, but Eugene lets me have sips of his wine, beer, port, or even scotch while we're out eating. He allows sips of alcohol but forbids coffee. I says to him, "any doctor would think you are insane for not doing the OPPOSITE." He says, "All I know is that when I drink, I'm okay, but I have one cup of coffee and that shit fucks me up!" Fair enough. Whatever. There is a scene in Gilmore Girls where Lorelai always hops into Rory's bed on her birthday (around midnight) and regales her with literally a play-by-play of the night she went into labor, starting with the minute it started, and not ending until every last detail is covered (it is an annual tradition). I plan to have something similar with Stewie, except it'll be one week long, and we'll only cover the pregnancy gripes. Happy preggo women can go fuck themselves.

The only thing that keeps me going is thinking about what features the baby will have. I hope it gets Farm Boy's fingers (mine are short like carneys'). I hope it has a blue butt. I hope it has a long body like his. I hope it has his skin. And I hope it has my charming personality. ha ha.

When my ob's assistant asked me what the ethnicity of both parents were (for this form she was filling out), she marveled that a 100% Korean baby is getting rarer by the day. I believe it.

Between you and me, though, I think I'm going to give birth to a pizza, which would still be cute.
- posted by Connie @ 9/20/2006 04:15:00 PM 3 comments

 
Honky Tonk Girl
The most interesting thing that I've discovered during my blogging hiatus (yes, I really am this boring): Josh Hartnett is the younger version of Tommy Lee Jones. Those with a good eye for these things could probably have seen this resemblance already, but I had to see 'Coal Miner's Daughter' to see the connection. I wish I knew about that movie sooner. And I really would never have known about it at all were it not for a very lazy day in which I meandered over to enough junk web sites to land me onto a really great one...one of AFI's many lists. This one is "100 Years...100 Cheers: 100 Most Inspiring Films Of All Time." And Coal Miner's Daughter is number 70. What possessed me to explore #70 first I'll never know. This is the extraordinary story of Loretta Lynn. And I'm just amazed at the triple threat that the actress who portrayed her (Sissy Spacek) was: 1) Uncanny physical resemblance, 2) Impressive acting, 3) Did her own singing, and her voice was amazing.

There are so many great and artful films and moments in film that happened before my generation's time. Things are so new and newfangled and so very "now" that I worry that a lot of cultural gems and references will pass me by. I'm glad this one didn't.
- posted by Connie @ 9/19/2006 08:11:00 PM 0 comments

 
No way that I'm the first one to ponder this
Why is it that Hostess Chocolate Cupcakes (the ones with the squiggly white ribbon of frosting) are always so dry and flavorless, and Ding Dongs (the chocolate covered hockey puck shaped ones) are consistently moist and yummy? Every once in a while, that ribbon sucks me in, and I'm filled with regret. But today, I went back to the old tried-n-true, understated, underappreciated Ding Dong and it was a little party in my mouth.
- posted by Connie @ 8/17/2006 02:56:00 PM 2 comments

 
Being married is awesome
Or so I'm forced to assume, purely from the point of view of an outside observer, and of one who loves gadgets.

Consider these 2 examples of close friends of mine who USED their poor spouses to advance their own acquisition of exotic gadgets. To think, the victimized spouses DIDN'T EVEN MIND!!! See? Being married must be fucking great!!!

1. Subject: John
He is the resident luddite here at work. He hasn't had a cell phone in all of the 6 years that I had worked with him. Finally he caves last month and buys one, because his new role at work has made it almost impossible to work without a phone. He goes to Costco and buys 2 RAZR's, one for himself and one for his wife. (The birth of either of his kids was not reason enough to get even an emergency cell phone; suddenly now he has a freakin RAZR.)

We all congratulate him, probably even more heartily than when he announced the birth of his kids, and all was well. For a week anyway. I get a text message from a mutual coworker who was travelling with John at the time, and he reports that he lost his cell phone. ALREADY. So, he asks if I've got a spare junky Verizon phone lying around that he can use. And I do. So I arrange for him to get this phone when he gets back from his business trip. I see him the following Monday, and give him the phone. Come the following day, he comes into work with a RAZR. Huh? He goes, "oh, that phone you gave me was for ::wife::, and she gave me her RAZR." More like you took it from her, and she didn't mind. Either way, my mind was blown away at how easy it was for him to get access to a RAZR so quickly after having lost one.

2. Subject: Nou
Not a luddite, but was in need of a new phone. I suggested a RAZR, and she had been considering it already. I told her all the reasons why I want to dry hump my phone, so she considered it even harder. So, she shops online a bit, considers her options, wondering how she will acquire this phone when her contract still has about 6 more months to go. Then she notices that her husband's account (which is linked to hers, but does not mirror her account features) is out of contract, so he's due for a new phone whenever he wants. Her husband, not being a gadget freak and could probably hold onto a phone for 10 years and not even notice, was none the wiser and could have cared less if he did know what she was up to. 7 clicks later, she's able to arrange to receive the phone as his new phone and then just map the new phone to her old number, and she's on her way to RAZR bliss.

If/when I ever get married, my expectations for gadget acquisition and/or replacement are so high that I better not get disappointed!! I'll consider you two personally responsible!
- posted by Connie @ 8/09/2006 07:37:00 AM 1 comments

 
You'll find me in the dictionary under "broke down"
About 4 months ago, I finally got my hands on a RAZR phone (V3c, put out by Verizon Wireless). I didn't think that would happen, but with the urging of certain technophiles who are determined to keep me poor, my interest was kindled, then the full-blown obsession began, developed, and terminated in the acquisition of one fine specimen.

All of my earlier gripes of the Verizon UI takeover (link) have become very real for me. What I hadn't anticipated was how much of a memory hog it would be. It makes the response time for all inputs painfully slow and it makes the otherwise elegant phone quite a dog. Even if you don't consider the input to recognition time, it takes a long time to "think" about any given function. Once you send a text message, it takes quite a long time for the phone to return to standby, for example. If you want to go to camera mode, it takes a helluva long time for it to get to picture-taking ready state. God forbid you have to save a photo in between shots; you can say goodbye to your second photo subject matter because by the time it gets to the right state, the action will have long since passed.

With the help of Steve, my phone was flashed to an earlier firmware version that for some reason slipped through the greedy little asscracks of Verizon Wireless, and was released with full, uncrippled Bluetooth functionality. My phone came with version .03, while the version it now has is .02. (I upgraded the firmware to .04, which, if you started off with full Bluetooth functionality, the updated firmware did not much with it, so, whew! The change was very subtle but there is an ever so slight performance improvement.) I still have yet to try PIM and DUN, but OBEX file transfers are so freakin sweet, and my new Plantronics Discovery 640 works like a charm when paired with this RAZR. (I've since sold the Plantronics Discovery, not because the device itself sucks, but because bluetooth headsets in general suck. There is a LONG way to go before they can become a true replacement for corded headsets. Too much background noise, too much echoing for the other person...issues, man.)

I also bought a knockoff of the Hulger, but unfortunately the adapter didn't work with my phone, and they are hard to come by. I finally found a 2.5mm to EMU adapter, but that connection was really weak. The quality of sound degraded so badly that it wasn't worth it. Now, I'm stuck between having to choose a bluetooth (read: sucky) headset, or using an adapter for existing corded headsets (read: sucky). How to choose?

The phone itself is a beauty, I have to admit. I find it sexier than I had even imagined I would, though oddly I've seen it so many times in pictures and in the flesh. I guess it's different once it's all mine. The way that it fits so streamlined in my pockets is something I didn't realize I would appreciate to this degree and, funnily enough, would now require of any future phone that has the privilege of being owned by yours truly.

Functionally, as a phone, it works very well. All sounds are clear, in both directions, and it's surprisingly comfortable to hold and use. The software could use some help, but I'm sure it has to do with the sloppy integration of two completely different UIs.

I think at this point, the only thing I wish I could have is a reliable hands-free solution. Good thing I don't chat much on the phone or this would be a terrible nuisance to live with. When you see my RAZR-shaped tumor on the side of my cheek, you'll know I've pretty much given up the fight.
- posted by Connie @ 8/08/2006 03:27:00 PM 0 comments

 
Sometimes I wish...
...that there would be this odd evolutionary reversal, and we'd get our tails back. Yeah, that's right, just start growing right back out of our tailbones. I look at cats' tails and especially dogs' tails with nothing but wonder and envy, fascinated by the variations of its displays, and mesmerized by the implications of what they are feeling based on these.

How cool would it be if people could just tell that we were scared, upset, angry, annoyed, or just sheepish, based on the condition and display of our tail? There would be no need to talk about these things, and people could just have this keen sense of awareness and compassion and just know, beyond intuition, using the evidence of our tails' displays, exactly when we needed to be silently comforted, or just left alone, or needed cheering up. Sometimes we need a way to wordlessly display our emotions more than to find a way to talk about it, and all too often, we can't even really find adequate ways to describe how we are feeling, but the tail...the tail tells all, and the tail never lies.

Prehensile functionality would not be required, but sure would be an added bonus so that I can still hold my book while grabbing on to a support rail on BART with my tail. Ah, if only...
- posted by Connie @ 7/13/2006 10:49:00 AM 3 comments

 
Shockingly, still good enough for some
It still alarms me to this day how many people are willing to put up with how shitty Cingular service is. As a Verizon customer, it annoys me to talk to Cingular customers who snd lk ths al th tm (and that's on a good day). The dropped calls still plague most customers, and I personally find it irritating to try to have conversations with them (and it's always so obvious when you're talking to a Cingular customer). In this day and age, many people use their cell phones as their primary communication tool, and the degree to which some people will pay for and put up with EXTREMELY sub-par service is a mystery to me.

The disparity is so great and apparent to me that whenever I find out that someone is a Verizon customer, something about that choice reveals to me that that person does not put up with shitty service and it oddly makes me respect them more.

I never thought I'd say this, but I believe that Sprint has even surpassed Cingular in terms of quality.
- posted by Connie @ 7/11/2006 09:29:00 AM 4 comments

 
The irresistibility of the Dark Side
Yes, I saw Star Wars (Episodes IV, V and VI) for the first time over the past week. The first time. You read it correctly. Give me a break. I was 2 when the original came out. 5 when Empire came out. And 8 when Return of the Jedi came out (which I actually saw in the theatre with my dad, but hardly remember at all). There just wasn't ever a good time to sit down and watch them. A certain someone chastised me for loving Family Guy when a quarter of all of his references are Star Wars based...implied that I couldn't truly be a fan of Seth Macfarlane if I don't at least watch his life's inspiration. So there. I did it. Anyway, this is not the point of my post. I just mentioned it to legitimize my reference to the Dark Side in my title.

The Dark Side that I refer to is that I finally crossed over to the Dark Side of the PDA world. I bought, for the first time, a Pocket PC. I had been a firm believer in the Palm OS for about 5 years. I used the Palm Vx and the Tungsten E religiously until I could stand it no longer. Now my calendar refuses to sync, and I'm tired of reading message board suggestions that simply don't work. Interestingly, for a largely proprietary product like the Palm brand, it has always remained the cheapest option for PDA's in any given class. I was very surprised to see the very high pricing struct