Killoggs, meet Lucas. He's 3 days old today. In the hospital he got his first pejorative nickname, "Lucas Mucus", because he's a snotty little baby.

Mommy is kind of traumatized, but in awe and thrilled. Daddy is smitten. Baby is alternately sleeping, pooping, or sucking.

When I get a little more time I will post in my journal about everything we went through. But for now, suffice it to say that the pain is worth it, and all that matters is that this beautiful new person is here, healthy, and happy. Gotta go - I'm leaking milk.

I am going to have a baby today.

Yesterday my water broke, but I didn't go into labor. That is not to say that I'm not having contractions - they got more frequent and painful overnight, just not optimal enough to say I'm in "active" labor. This morning I'm going to the hospital to get medically intervened on, so it is certain that today is the day. They can't let me have broken water but no labor for more than 24 hours - the baby needs the water or he needs to come out. By the evening I expect to be holding my baby boy. A gruesome story is sure to follow once I'm home and recovered.

This post is mostly about pussy.

It's always odd when you gain a new holiday. All week, people have been asking me what I'm going to do for "my first Mother's Day". It's likely I'll do a good bit of nothing, as my husband is working all day (being the chef kinda takes holidays away) and my own mother is a few thousand miles away in Louisiana. I will probably contemplate the nature of motherhood and the nature of this creature in my womb, and hope that his nature is nothing like that of the boy on the news story this morning who got up and shot his mom in the head three times, ostensibly because he resented having to go and get her a card on this, the fakest of fake holidays, the annual celebration of mimosas and Hallmark, of lilies and eggs Benedict. Call your mom today. I haven't even seen my still-developing son yet and I'm already mad at him for not getting me roses.

I'm booking a flight online. I've found that airfare prices vary widely from site to site.
What are your preferred sites for online travel planning? Help me out, Killoggs, I hate getting ripped off.

4-5 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup minced garlic
1/2 jar spaghetti sauce
1 can chopped tomatoes, drained
10 button mushrooms, sliced
1 can chicken broth
1/4 cup red wine
8oz water
Optional: thyme, oregano, parsley
1/2 box capellini or spaghetti

Bring the can of chicken broth to the boil with the water. Season chicken thighs with salt, black pepper, and Tony's. In a large saucepan, brown the chicken on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Add the onions and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook an additional two minutes. Add the red wine and tomatoes. When this boils, add the spaghetti sauce. Roughly shred the chicken once it's cooked thoroughly, using a fork. Add the noodles to the boiling chicken broth and boil about 5-7 minutes, until soft. Drain the noodles and add them to the pan with the sauce and the chicken. Finish with fresh herbs and parmesan cheese, if desired. Serves 4.

No photo available.

StanistGirl23: my child will not have noisemaking toys or obnoxiously colored things
omgwtfs: i googled "baby supplies"
StanistGirl23: supplies
StanistGirl23: pleasant earth tones, and books
StanistGirl23: the most boring baby ever
omgwtfs: hahahaha
StanistGirl23: i'm fuckin serious about the noisemakers, though
StanistGirl23: fuck that shit
StanistGirl23: motherfuckers are loud enough without "my first orchestra"
omgwtfs: http://www.cottonbabies.com/
omgwtfs: hemp diapers
omgwtfs: awesome
StanistGirl23: cloth diapers are the scourge of motherhood
omgwtfs: what is so wrong with cloth diapers?????
StanistGirl23: i will have pampers. lots of pampers.
StanistGirl23: you have to wash them
StanistGirl23: that's what
StanistGirl23: and they leak.
omgwtfswede: what do you think they did before disposables?
StanistGirl23: that's what else.
omgwtfs: http://www.cottonbabies.com/product_info.php?cPath=60&products_id=328
omgwtfs: plz dont get one of those
StanistGirl23: well, i don't live in 1947. i use tampons, too ... do you want me to throw away my cell phone and my refrigerator and my car, and go back to the days of cloth diapers?? fuck that!!! i've earned the right to live well!!!!
omgwtfs: lol
omgwtfs: yeah but landfills
omgwtfs: your baby will generate acres of diapers
StanistGirl23: yeah, well, let some other pc granola mother worry about that
StanistGirl23: i'm not keeping a load of shit-filled cloths sitting around my house
StanistGirl23: i'll just get it a litter box, how abouthat?
omgwtfs: well you have to wash them katie not leave them around the house
omgwtfs: LOL
omgwtfs: i like that idea
omgwtfs: maybe a bird cage?
omgwtfs: just change the newspaper
StanistGirl23: right, so instead of just my laundry, joe's laundry, and all the dirty baby clothes, i'll also go ahead and wash upwards of ten shit-filled cloths every single day
StanistGirl23: yes, they go that much
StanistGirl23: and baby shit is NASTY
omgwtfs: there has to be a better way
StanistGirl23: also, what, do i get a scraper and scrape the poo into the toilet before i put things in the washing machine?
omgwtfs: what if you just threw out the cloth
omgwtfs: you could go get sheets from thrift stores
omgwtfs: and cut them up
StanistGirl23: you're forgetting leakage
omgwtfs: little one foot by one foot squares
omgwtfs: wrap it in tin foil?
omgwtfs: saran wrap?
StanistGirl23: i might as well just save myself the trouble and poo on all my clothes right now
StanistGirl23: diaper rash
omgwtfs: outside the cloth
StanistGirl23: i know, it would seal in all the moisture/humidity
omgwtfs: oh
omgwtfs: hmmm
omgwtfs: dammit
StanistGirl23: plus cloth diapers are stupid expensive
omgwtfs: what is your problem with washing diapers?
StanistGirl23: you want to come be my manny and wash my cloth diapers all day?
StanistGirl23: you're hired.
StanistGirl23: i'll pay you in food.
omgwtfs: http://www.dy-dee.com/
omgwtfs: they can come pick them up
omgwtfs: dont they have services like that?
StanistGirl23: yes
StanistGirl23: for a fee
omgwtfs: but the intarweb says its cheaper
omgwtfs: than buying disposables
StanistGirl23: the intarweb is full of lies
omgwtfs: couldnt joe have the linen service come by?
omgwtfs: drop off 10 napkins?
StanistGirl23: yeah they wouldn't mind
StanistGirl23: foodservice napkins
omgwtfs: he could just bring some home every night
StanistGirl23: which would go right back to cintas with the rest of the foodservice napkins
omgwtfs: yes
StanistGirl23: this is a fun conversation
omgwtfswede: or you could just throw them away
omgwtfswede: i know i'm crying i'm lol'ing so hard
omgwtfswede: i just have a mental pic of this really happy baby in a restaurant napkin with a giant safety pin peeing his pants lol
StanistGirl23: big smile on his face
omgwtfswede: oh yeah
omgwtfswede: even laughing a little
omgwtfswede: "A HA"
StanistGirl23: should get the red checkered kind
omgwtfswede: its not a bad idea
omgwtfswede: cintas wouldnt notice
StanistGirl23: no, it's a really great idea
omgwtfswede: i mean you would just throw the old ones away
omgwtfswede: get some new ones
omgwtfswede: "waste inventory"
StanistGirl23: haha
omgwtfswede: you just dont want to deal with the dirty napkin
StanistGirl23: you're goddamned right i don't
StanistGirl23: i want a year's supply of pampers and a diaper genie
StanistGirl23: i liked the mental image of wrapping the babys ass in saran wrap
omgwtfswede: lol
omgwtfswede: with a giant foodservice roll
StanistGirl23: yep
StanistGirl23: no other way

Last-Chance Beefy Roast

1 angus chuck roast or bottom round, approx. 3lbs.
2 medium onions, cut into large dice
2 yukon gold potatoes, large dice
1 large carrot, large dice
1 14-oz can beef broth
1 1/2 cups red wine (unsalted, please)
4 stalks fresh thyme, stemmed and sliced
1 large bay leaf
1/2 cup vegetable or olive oil
1/4 cup flour
Salt and pepper

Season the roast on both sides. Heat the oil in a cast-iron or large skillet until almost smoking. Brown the roast on all sides. Place the roast, vegetables, and herbs in a dutch oven or crock pot and cover with the beef broth. Drain the excess oil from the pan and, while still hot, add 1/2 cup of the wine to the pan. Add this liquid to the cooking pot. Cover the pot and bring just to the boil, then reduce the heat to a slow simmer. Cook until the roast is falling-apart tender, about 5 hours. Remove the roast to a platter and allow it to rest. Add the cooking liquid to a small saucepan and bring just to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Whisk the flour into 1/2 cup of cold water, then add this to the liquid, thickening it to gravy consistency. Serve with white rice or buttered noodles.

Joe got a flat on the way home last night so I drove him to work this morning. I knew it was going to be pretty with all the snow all over everything so I took the camera. There weren't that many people out, but it seemed like everyone who WAS out had their cameras with them, too. There was an old man by the Potomac with a really old-timey camera, on a tripod, with that accordion-looking thing on it (anyone know what I'm talking about?) I bet his pictures are better than mine.

It was still really dreary and gray when I started out, around 10am:
People had their kids out building snowmen ... adorable



I schlepped over the the WWII memorial, which I haven't visited before. It has a great view of the Lincoln memorial, which is probably much nicer in the spring. Walking back to the car I noticed I had a good view of the president's house:



More in the responses: the Tidal basin, Potomac Park, the sun begins to come out, the Jefferson Memorial, and the sculpture garden (my favorite):

2 medium onions, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and diced
1 habanero chile, seeded and diced
1lb ground beef (Angus chuck is pretty nice)
1lb Angus stew beef, choice beef tips, or tenderloin tails (optional but wonderful)
1 beer of choice
2 cans red kidney beans or "chili beans"
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes with peppers
Chili powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, and hot sauce to taste
Shredded cheddar cheese for serving, if desired

Marinate the beef tips in beer or red wine, balsamic or red wine vinegar, oil, and seasonings for 1-2 hours, if using. Cook the onions in a little oil, 4-5 minutes on medium heat, until translucent, and add the chiles. Stir an additional 2-3 minutes, then add the ground beef. Raise the heat to medium-high and cook 5-10 minutes, until the meat has browned completely. Add half a bottle of beer (drink the other half). Allow the liquid to cook out while you drain the beef tips, if using. Pat them dry, and add to the chili. Season with chili powder, cumin, and a touch of cayenne, remembering that the final product may be seasoned again, and the longer the chili cooks, the spicier it will become. Cook another ten minutes, until the surfaces of the beef tips have browned. Add the canned tomatoes and beans, stirring, and reduce the heat to low. Allow chili to simmer 20 minutes and re-season if necessary.

Serve with tortilla chips or saltines, smothered in cheddar cheese, if that is your preference.

Note: this recipe is not very good without the meat. Meat is precious.

Ingredients:

4 chicken thighs, bone-in
30oz chicken broth
30oz water
1 large carrot, medium dice
2 medium onions, medium dice
3 celery stalks, medium dice
1 small turnip, quartered or tourneed
1 parsnip, peeled and medium dice
4 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs rosemary, roughly picked
1 sprig sage
1/2 cup dill, roughly chopped
2/3 cup parsley, roughly chopped
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup white wine

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, cold
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup chopped parsley

Remove most of the skin from the chicken, leaving a little fat for flavor, and season it with salt and black pepper. In a large wide pot, heat the oil and brown the chicken on both sides. Add the vegetables, season them with salt, and cook until the onions are translucent, about five minutes. Stir occasionally. Add the wine and cook until it has mostly evaporated, about three minutes. Add the broth and water, cover the pot, and bring to a rolling boil. Boil rapidly for three minutes, then reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook the soup, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about half an hour. Remove any herb stems with a slotted spoon or tongs.

While the soup is cooking, mix the dumpling dough. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients and fold in the butter, using a mixer or two knives. The butter should be the size of very small peas and distributed throughout the dry ingredients. Add the water and knead 8 to 10 times. If the dough seems too sticky, add a little more flour. Pinch off a dumpling-sized handful of dough and drop it into the soup - this is your tester dumpling. If it falls apart, add one egg white to the dough and try again. Once you're happy with the dumpling consistency, start adding dumplings to the soup. Poach them in the simmering broth for approximately five minutes, until they're cooked through. Turn off the heat and serve.

Why do I have the flu? I don't remember being around any sick people recently. I guess I was, though. I'm afraid to take OTC cold/flu medicine because of the baby, so I'm drinking tons of water, OJ, and gatorade; eating whatever I can manage (right now it's spicy black bean garden burgers); watching an all-day Roseanne marathon on Oxygen; and waiting for the Redskins game to start. Last night I took two Tylenol to bring down my fever, and it worked for a while, but I'm pretty sure the fever's back now. Fucking asshole flu virus. I forgot how it felt - I really haven't been sick in a couple of years.

Hey mommies, health professionals, and armchair diagnosticators: what do I do with my wonderful flu? Is it safe to take anything? Or do I just sleep it off?

On the Wednesday before Christmas, I found out I was pregnant. I had my suspicions, but they were confirmed on December 21. That night, Joe asked me to marry him. I accepted. Two days later, I flew to Birmingham, Alabama, to spend Christmas with my family. I told them of the engagement, but told only my mother about the baby. They're right proper Southern people, and most of their existence revolves around shielding my grandmother from potentially shocking or scandalous information. My wedding being a shotgun wedding definitely qualifies.

The family is excited for me, though they are somewhat perplexed by my plans to have the wedding here in DC, in February. My mother understands, of course, and I'm sure others have put two and two together, but the reasons remain unspoken. The wedding is going to be pretty small - about 50 people - and we're having the reception at the restaurant where Joe is the executive chef. Joe's family is positively ecstatic, his mother especially, who thought she would never have a grandchild bearing her name.

On Wednesday of this week I bought my wedding dress. It's beautiful. I hope it still fits me six weeks from now. On Thursday, Joe and I went to the Arlington County Courthouse and were married by a justice of the peace with no rings, witnesses, or photos. We did this for insurance purposes. When repeating my vows to him, I misspoke and said that I took him "for Betty or for worse". It was pretty funny.

The reception is planned, but I'm still looking for a church. I like the Episcopal church, and I'm looking for a church because I don't really want to have the ceremony at the restaurant where I used to work, and where Joe still works. It would be weird. So I've been church-shopping for a couple of days now, and apparently if you're not a member of the parish in question, they require a hefty sum.

I have to choose a doctor by Monday, and make an appointment as soon as possible, since by my estimation I am going on eight weeks. Also I need to pick up literature about pregnancy and child rearing. I need to find a realtor and apply for an FHA loan. I need to get my transcript from LSU and enroll in George Mason for the summer semester. There are countless other things I need to do, but for just this small moment, I am going to do nothing. I'm going to sit back and reflect on the situation and rejoice a little bit.

I was getting ready for work and there was a knock on my door. No one ever comes over so I was kind of freaked out. Plus, I had just woken up. I looked out the peephole and there stood these two well-dressed, clean-cut girls. I didn't know what to do, so like a stupid asshole, I opened the door. The blonde one said, "Are you Katie?" I said that I was, again like a stupid asshole. They introduced themselves as Sister Sara and Sister Elizabeth. I didn't think they looked much like nuns, and then I noticed that Sister Elizabeth was holding a Book of Mormon in her hand. I knew I'd fucked up, immediately, but I was curious as to why they knew my name. Sister Sara said, "We've tried to call you a few times, but it's always busy." So they know my phone number, too?? And my address??? Sister Sara proceeded to tell me that "headquarters" had told them I was interested in learning more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and asked if they come in and tell me more about the Book of Mormon. I told them I was just about to leave for work, and then they asked if they could come back some other time. They were so sweet looking, I found myself unable to lie to their faces and tell them that there was no good time for them to ever come back to my house and convert me to their bizarre bigamist religion. For the life of me, all I could do was give them a fake phone number when they asked to verify my contact info, and tell them they could come back on Thursday (when I knew I wasn't going to be home).

I want to know why the Mormons have sent their ninja sisters to terrorize me. I want to know why they know where I live and why they think I want to join their religion. Seriously, the Jehovah's Witnesses usually don't know your name and phone number, they just randomly go door to door. Can I be placed on the Mormon do-not-convert list?? If they come back and I'm here, I'm going to make sure that all the pot pipes, porno, and liquor are in plain view, that I haven't taken out the garbage in a few days, and seriously freak them out with some hardcore blasphemin'.

Fucking mormons. Seriously.

I'm not even sure you can call this a football game. Who is this team, and what have they done with the Tigers? Did aliens come in the night and snatch their skills away? I feel nauseous.

Good thing USC or Texas didn't lose today.

Good thing Kill Bill and Don't Tell Mom, the Babysitter's Dead are on opposite channels.
GACK!!!

i just quoted "beaches". it's because the cold has driven me farther off the deep end.
it's currently 33 degrees in my apartment. last night when i came home from work, the heater would only blow cold air. so i called the emergency maintenance number and a nice man called pedro came to my apartment at midnight and fiddled with the unit outside. after a few bangs and clicks he came back in and said, "well, you should be good to go now. pilot blew out." the heat came on and we began to thaw out. by 2am it was out again. i woke up this morning as joe was leaving for work, around 7 am, as cold as i have ever been in my life. so i called the maintenance line again. they said they'd send someone right over. at 8:30, still cold and un-maintained, i called the rental office. she said she'd send someone right over. it's now 10 am and still nothing. there are icicles in my nose. i'm out of coffee fixins and it's too cold to even take a shower. and this fucking lady keeps telling me someone's coming to thaw me out.

i can't get on with my day until after this is taken care of, and i have a lot to do.
the extent to which this pisses me off is profound.
first joe's car got vandalized in the complex's parking lot. then our toilet ran constantly for a week, loudly. then the drain in the bathtub clogged so badly that two bottles of super-drano wouldn't open it and the building had to call a plumber. now i have no heat during the first freeze of winter. all this for a mere $1035 per month. fucking criminal.

So, I'm going on vacation in September. My man's never been to New Orleans, so we're going to the South for a week. I'm sitting here planning the trip, thinking about what we're going to do while we're down there, and it comes to my attention that there is NOTHING going on. Nada. Do you guys still have shows down there? It looks like the scene's just completely dead. Maybe I'm not looking in the right places. Offbeat.com has exactly one show I would consider seeing that week (Son Volt @HOB). I mean, maybe I'm experiencing the fog of hindsight, but it seems like when I lived in BR/NOLA there were always all these shows going on. Chelsea's has fuck all scheduled for September. Apparently the Shim Sham doesn't exist anymore. Mike fuckin' West doesn't even have a show in New Orleans while we're there - that guy used to play six bars in four days.

So, aside from eating a ton of good food and taking some cool side trips to Avery Island, the Panhandle, and possibly St. Francisville, what the fuck is there to do down there? Locals, help me out here! What's fun to do in the dirty dirty nowadays?

So strange to feel so out of touch with a place I used to know so intimately.

This is MINE NOW.
I purchased it used for $350 at a Guitar Center in Fairfax, VA, two weeks ago.
Stan the guitar salesman was kind enough to let me pay for it in installments, and today I gave him the last of the money. This guitar is mine. No one picked it out for me, no one bought it for me, it wasn't bestowed as a trinket of affection or a bribe or a reward. I found it, I played it, I fell in love with it, and I paid for it. It might be the first big thing I've ever really owned.

Her name is Molly.
And she is very, very beautiful.

... get OUT!

So here's what we did.

My boyfriend and I decided that since we have Saturdays off, we should 'get lost' as often as possible. We wake up early and take care of whatever business we can take care of, this being our only day where the hours of 9am-5pm are not otherwise occupied. So we go to the bank, pay our bills, then pack a change of clothes and hit the road. One of us gets out the roadmap and puts their finger down somewhere that looks interesting, and we go for it.

We took a tour of one of the finest kitchens in the world. out in Little Washington, VA. Unfortunately we didn't take pictures. I don't think they would have liked that, anyway.
That day we met a really crazy woman who didn't go to Old Dominion, a man walking a Great Dane through a farmers' market, and some minnows that probably didn't like us sitting on a big rock in the middle of their stream, skipping stones and making a fuss.

Then we saw a bunny



which was hopping about in a very old church graveyard, and also a notable tree



which was just standing around slightly miffed that it was noteworthy enough to have a big plaque nailed into it.

Another time we went to this place in Maryland where the Potomac empties into the Chesapeake. There's a confederate POW camp and graveyard there, and here's where I'd post the image of the confederate flag flapping in the breeze behind a very tall and rickety stone obelisk. The names of all the soldiers who died there are engraved along the base of the obelisk, and I found some of my ancestors' names there.

Then we found a beach, and I went out onto some rocks



which was really a lot of fun until I stepped on the wrong rock and fell into the bay. Luckily it wasn't deep, and I only got wet up to my ass, but unluckily my ass slid on the very rock slime which caused my feet to slide in the first place, and let me tell you, my shorts were done for the day. It looked like I took the biggest, wettest shit ever, all over myself. So Joey found a cove on the beach behind some reeds and gave me his boxers, which I wore as though they were normal clothing for the remainder of the adventure.


Those are all the adventure photos I can edit right now. We also went to this place outside of Annapolis and ate crabs and alienated old people with our smoking and drinking and cursing and so on. It's only been in the last few trips that we've remembered to bring the camera. So since I've figured out how to post images, killoggs will get more adventure photographs as events transpire.

I like life.