How Good Could They Be?

Inspired by Miss F's post yesterday about shoes and heels, I took a peek in my own closet to see what was there. While I have a generous shoe collection (yet very modest, by most female standards), I realize that I wear the same 3 or 4 pairs most of the time, and the others sit there and collect dust, no matter how much I loved them when I bought them.

In reviewing the quantity of shoes, the question of quality....and price....also struck me. I always see beautiful shoes in store windows -- Pradas, Jimmy Choos ($960 above), Kate Spades, Gucci, Dior, Weitzman and on and on -- at outrageous prices, and I wonder how good could they be, and who is it that buys these shoes? Because while I admire them, I never purchase them. In fact, the most I've ever spent on a pair of shoes is probably $150 on a rare, rare occassion, and that's because somebody talked me into it. (and I've worn them twice in a year.)

I always remember the 'Sex and the City' episode where Carrie laments the fact that she has no money in her savings account, but she has $40,000 worth of shoes in her closet......

Which got me to wondering....What does the average woman spend on a pair of shoes?

Yoga, Baby

I have just discovered that my gym has a pre-natal yoga class on the schedule tomorrow morning. It says you don't need to have a 'baby on board' to participate, so I think I'll go, not say anything and just dare someone to ask me about it. LOL

I've been keeping up my gym workout regimen (with doctors' approval), but I've been wanting to add a yoga class, and this sounds like a good opportunity to join in.

Don't Tell, Don't Tell

Earlier this week, I spilled the beans on my "news" to my blog (and anyone who happens to read it), and I told the lady at the maternity clothing store yesterday, but I am having a really hard time finding the right time to tell people who actually know me. And I'm not sure why.

I guess the shock has still not worn off. And truthfully (right or wrong), I'm feeling a little embarrassed that while I'm perceived by friends and colleagues as someone who is generally in control of her life, this one got away from me big time. And I found out I'm not really in control. So while I am still seeking to find humor in all that.....believe me, the irony is infinite.....I've not yet found a good way to spring the news on others.

Also, I feel like people will be looking at me like 'what is someone your age doing having a baby?'.....And while it shouldn't matter what other people think, it is quite a different reaction than I would get if I were 25. And it's a bit unfair....it's my first baby, and why shouldn't I be allowed to be as excited about it as someone who is 25? But I feel like people will dampen that excitement with a different reaction, which is so not fair.

I am very pleased with my OBGYN so far. Other than making sure I was aware of some of the stats on older mother births, she treated me as if I were 25 with my first baby. I didn't feel at all like an 'older mom' in there, and I was very pleased by that.

But the other thing is that I still feel it's early and something could happen. The doctor told me that miscarriage is only about a 5% chance after we've seen and heard the heartbeat (as we did on Monday), but I'm still skiddish about getting completely attached to the idea and spreading the news far and wide. Maybe I'm just overly cautious, but right now it feels better to keep it to myself (and the few who know) than it does to shout it to the rafters.

Maybe that will change shortly. I'm starting to get more used to the idea now.

Africam

This is cool. It's a webcam pointed at a watering hole somewhere in the wilds of Africa. If you watch for a while, you'll see all manner of wildlife coming to it for a drink. Yesterday, elephants and wildebeests. It's pretty neat!

http://www.wavelit.com/popup/playerAfricam.asp#

Turn your speakers on to get the whole experience!

Surprise Package

Following up on my earlier post re: The Joke Is On Me.....I'm ready to spill the beans, even though I'm not yet having a knee-slapping good time. Not just yet. I am, at least, starting to catch my breath finally, and I've been afraid to write this down, because writing it down and/or telling people makes it real. But, okay....here goes. It was confirmed today.



i am preggers.

Knocked up. Bun in the Oven. The Rabbit Died. Yes, all of it. And there is nobody more shocked than me and my husband. We thought we were way past all that. The odds against it at my age are really, really high. Maybe we should have purchased a lottery ticket that night instead. :)

At any rate, now I have to rethink my entire life and halt all the momentum that was headed in the other direction. I have real estate issues, insurance issues, lifestyle issues and pure shock to deal with. And my poor husband just turned 50. He is more stunned than I am, if that's possible.

But today, I saw and heard the tiniest little heartbeat just thumping away. Yes, God does have a brilliant sense of humor, and I believe He has a plan. I sure hope so, because I don't. At least not yet.

I never wanted to be a mom, but it looks like I will be in November. Go figure. Time to think about life in a whole new way. And maybe that's the biggest gift of all.

Home Again

Took a break from the blog this weekend, as I had things to do. We shut down the house in Florida and headed back to Texas on Saturday. We'd been there for six weeks straight, and that's the longest we'd been away from the house in Dallas.

Got home, and despite our lengthy absence, all seems well. Still pouring through the mail (most of which is junk), dusting the furniture and compiling a list of to-do's to catch up things around here, but even though we were gone for over a month, looks like nothing crashed and burned while we were out of town.

Thankfully, the weather has warmed up here and it's Spring outside. The brown grass has given way to green, and the pansies in my front garden are spilling over the Austin stone surrounding them. Looks like we may have new baby ducks in the lake, always fun to watch.

I have a very important meeting this afternoon, and after that meeting, I may be able to talk more about my earlier post....the one where I've said the joke's on me. Should be an interesting session today, and I'm looking forward to getting some answers.

I am working on Easter plans, trying to get the siblings and family together to attend Easter Mass at the cathedral together in East Dallas and then go to my favorite little wine bistro for Easter brunch. My sister and her family are in, but my brother and his family can't make it. They plan to be in San Antonio that day instead. Wish my parents could make it, but they are not up to the trip from South Texas, unfortunately.

Dancing with the Divorcee

Last night was the first installment of this season's "Dancing with the Stars". Now this show is so incredibly cheesy, but for some reason, everybody's watching it (including me). I think it must be the beautiful dancing, the glamorous outfits, etc. We'd all like to think if they can figure out how to dance like that, we can, too.

Anyway, I haven't been able to decide what's going to happen to Heather Mills on this show. On the one hand, I keep thinking people will toss her immediately due to her nasty McCartney issues. On the other hand, the morbid curiosity to see if her leg will go flying off may keep her on the show from week to week. I hear there are actually websites taking odds on how long before the leg comes off. (Are we a sick society or what?)

But last night, I encountered a third option (and the one she is hoping for). I genuinely got the feeling that people will keep her on because they admire her courage and determination to show people that they can overcome a handicap and do whatever they want. When she finished dancing, she got a pretty big ovation, like people were finding all that really "amazing" and deserving of praise.

While it's hard to argue with that aspect of it, I can't help but think because it is Heather Mills, that whole angle is a bunch of bunk, and she is using it all for self-promotion. She bills herself as a 'Charity Organizer' or something like that (as opposed to gold digger divorcee). And I'm having a hard time giving her the benefit of the doubt.

In the meanwhile, my husband's critique is that her performance is just "too wooden". He thinks he's a funny guy. :)

In some related irony, perhaps fitting, Heather's score from the the three judges was 6-6-6. Hmmm.....

A Little Comic Relief

For all you fellow DC fans out there, if you haven't seen this, go to the link below and watch it. He's shamelessly teasing us now. :) Hilarious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCJ--Wrhx38

Looks Like the Joke is on Me

God has a huge, massive, mammoth sense of humor. He's quite the jokester, really. More on that later, after I start laughing along with Him. And that might take a couple of days, but I'm working on it.

Trying to Kick the Habit

No, not smoking.

Every day in London, around 5pm, we sat down and had tea (or cappucino) and scones. Now every day in Florida, around 5pm, we crank up the cappucinos (and try to substitute something for scones because we just can't make them here like they do there.)

This is a bad, bad habit. Eating plan being totally dessimated. Must figure out a way to kick this habit. Fast. :)