that one scene from Alien (Aliens? you know the one.)
being at a boxing match with really bad seats
lightning behind clouds, at night, far away
the dancing toaster in Ghostbusters II (this is the best analogy i've got so far)
having to wait and wait and wait while an orchestra warms up
every cartoon ever in which someone ate something that didn't agree with them
spaghetti sauce that is boiling very very slowly
when the dogs are worried by one's being behind the shower curtain

and, oh, god, i had the glucose blood test this morning, and have vowed to never give the child sugar. (only maybe not really.) Holy shit, did it ever throw a party.

Labels: baby

is that i've already done nearly all of them.

1. Lower your thermostat. Buy a programmable thermostat. Check. (see: BUY A SWEATER, NOOB.)

2. Reuse your water bottle. Avoid buying bottled water. In fact, reuse everything at least once, especially plastics. Check.

3. Check out your bathroom. Use low-flow faucets, showerheads, and toilets. Check, for the things over which i have control.

4. Start a compost in your back yard or on your rooftop. No back yard or rooftop access. Tiny, efficient kitchen with no extra room ... this is about impossible.

5. Buy foods locally. Check out Eat Local Challenge and FoodRoutes to get started. Buy locally made products and locally produced services. Mostly check. Actually it's really cool that in the EU they have a law saying all the food has stamps on it of where it's from.

6. Buy in season. Check. (As if i even had the option to buy out of season around here, hah.)

7. Buy compact fluorescent light bulbs. You'll find more on energy-efficient products and practices at Energy Star. Check.

8. Turn off lights and electronics when you leave the room. Unplug your cell phone charger from the wall when not using it. Turn off energy strips and surge protectors when not in use (especially overnight). Check.

9. Recycle your newspapers. Check.

10. Car pool. Connect with other commuters at eRideShare. No car. Check.

11. Consider a car sharing service like Zipcar. No car. Check.

12. Ride a bike. Everything is in walking distance. Check.

13. Walk, jog, or run. Check.

14. Go to your local library instead of buying new books. Check.

15. At holidays and birthdays, give your family and friends the gift of saving the earth. Donate to their favorite environmental group, foundation, or organization. ehhh, not so much with the check; but not so many birthdays, either?

16. Get off junk mail lists. GreenDimes can get you started. They’ll even plant a tree for you! Check.

17. Buy products that use recyclable materials whenever possible. Check. And actually the recycled toilet paper is not so bad here.

18. If you use plastic grocery bags, recycle them for doggie poop bags or for small trashcan liners. Don't use 'em.

19. Bring your own bags to the grocery store. Given a choice between plastic and paper, opt for paper. Check.

20. Buy locally. Find farmers’ markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food near you at LocalHarvest. Mostly check.

21. Consider organic cleaning products like vinegar, borax, and baking soda. Kinda check.

22. If you have a baby, consider using cloth diapers. To sign up for a diaper service to do the dirty work, check out the National Association of Diaper Services. Check.

23. Consider buying a fuel-efficient car or a hybrid. No car.

24. Landscape with native plants. Check out the article on the EPA website. No lawn.

25. Opt into a clean energy program. Check out the Green Power Network at the US Department of Energy. Check.

26. Go paperless. Consider reading your newspaper and magazine subscriptions online. Switch to electronic banking and credit card payment, too. Check.

27. Teach kids about the environment. Planing on it. Check.

28. Take your batteries to a recycling center. Earth 911 gives you the scoop. Check.

29. Turn your car off if you’re going to be idle for more than one minute. No car. Check.

30. Do full loads of laundry and set the rinse cycle to “cold.” Check.

31. Recycle. If you’re not at home, take the extra steps, (literally), to find that recycling can. Check.

32. Reuse. Plastic food containers make good crayon and marker holders. Use padded envelops more than once. Buy your toddler or preschooler’s clothes from a thrift shop and give away those that don’t fit to friends. Goodwill or the Salvation Army can help. Check.

33. Limit the length of your showers. Even better, take a “navy shower,” shutting off the water while soaping up and shampooing. I am not willing to do this.

34. Don’t run the water when brushing your teeth. Learn about water scarcity. Check.

35. Wash towels after several uses. I ... wait. Several? Maybe i'm not as clean as, um, these other people. Check.

36. Purchase one case of water and provide clean water to 24 people (for over twenty years). This does not appear to be a relevant "way to green my house." Stricken as irrelevant

37. Give away your goods and find new ones at FreeCycle. Check.

38. Recycle your technology. Dell, Hewlett Packard, Apple, and IBM, among others, offer recycling programs. Check.

39. Go zero! Log on to the Conservation Fund’s Carbon Zero Calculator and in less than five minutes, you can measure and then offset your carbon dioxide emissions by planting trees. Planting trees where, exactly? In my floor lamp? See: apartment. Check.

40. Put your money where your mouth is—invest in green investments. Web sites like Co-op America's National Green Pages™ can help. Check.

41. Learn about threats to ocean life and help Greenpeace take action. Fuck Greenpeace, i'm a biochemist. But i keep track of which fish to eat. Check.

42. Whenever you can, try using green cleaning products. Check out Cheap, Clean, and Green. Check.

43. Find your local watershed and learn how to protect it. um, the Alps? Check.

44. Build a greener home. Apartment. Check.

45. Opt for eco-friendly and holistic health products. Check.

46. Good to the last drop. Switch to fair trade coffee. Fair trade, or organic-shade-grown, seeing as how it doesn't come with both? Half-check.

47. Go paperless at work. Distribute company information and post company material online. Check.

48. Eliminate junk mail at work. For no fee, the EcoLogical Mail Coalition will eliminate the junk that former employees receive at work. Check.

49. Plant a forest and feed a family while you’re at it. Bleah, not my house.

50. Shop smart. Choose eco-smart products. Check.

i have eleven hundred photos on flickr.

Four of them have my belly.

i am now, as of friday, officially in the third trimester.

we have to assemble the crib, pick a stroller, and learn how to say "dirty diaper" in ASL. Woot ... um ...

and, i have a sinus infection, and i reserve the right to be grouchy, towards anyone, at any time.

Labels: media

so at lunch, at work. Many people are on vacation so it's a small group: four of us, all partnered, all women, two with kids, and me, and one without. And for whatever reason they are all talking about how awful their husbands are: they never clean, never cook, never help, they drive like bats out of hell, they leave the seat up, they smell funny, they don't listen, they can't vaccuum properly, they take too long to get ready (as. if.), they never talk, they don't interact with the kids, i don't know what all. they're each one-upping the next. trying to convince each other that they've got a lock on misery. Both the ones with kids regretted having them ("you're stuck now, haha"). and, why would you do that to yourself? deliberately focusing on all the things that piss you off? and, focusing on things that actually matter, not just a sock on the floor, and telling the women you work with about it instead of your husband? (and, also, for fuck's sake, don't tell the pregnant lady you wish you hadn't had kids. That may be worse than saying i'm fat. Which i am fucking NOT, in this place that we call Reality, bienvenue, thanks.) This was not the art of complaining; this was not snarkily festive, this was not humorous, this was not light-hearted sitcom banter. this was desperate, chronic, pathetic. and they all wanted to win, to be the Most Pitiable, like it was a little gold trophy they could take home and start fights with. is there supposed to be some way that i can make this person i've never met hear you better? and eventually they notice i'm sitting there all quiet, and ask, and i say, No, mine cleans, and he cooks when i tell him to, and i've seen him change diapers, et c., and they sort of look at me weird, and go back to bitching. And while i like to beat myself up for not marring more of a feminist ... well ... maybe he won't admit to being third-wave, but mine cleans. And is, you know, a rational human being. And also completely awesome, but that's not even the same plane of experience.

and then later they asked - since one of the people on vacation is on honeymoon, finally, after a ten year relationship where they eventually decided to get married, but getting married is not the most common thing for people who aren't trying to get green cards (or whatever) here, apparently, so anyway, the topic came up - they asked why we got married, since we didn't need to, at the time, to live in the same country.

(Sometimes it is just like the states. Sometimes it is like time travel to another galaxy: A Connecticuit Yankee in The Dark Ages of Still No Proper Lettuce. But did you know, if you cohabitate for two years in canada, you get common-law? Why am i not canadian?)

Labels: people

can one be a partially attached parent? a peninsula, maybe? wetlands island? is it possible to have a marshy, mangrovey relationship? or would being tidewatery make more problems than it solved?

Labels: baby, reflection

Click here to view my gift list on WhatToGive.com

i feel like an extortionist.

Labels: emptor

so yesterday i am in the drugstore. i am being hit on by a young black man who i wasn't rude enough to make not follow me in, though i sort of hoped he wouldn't. we are the only customers. Really i should get hemorrhoid cream (which theoretically, being pregnant, i will need sooner or later, though at this point, it's all pretty much later on average, i guess, though sooner for me in terms of Time Remaining) or super-powerful dandruff shampoo (which i'm not allowed to use anyway, i checked, and there are nasty things in it, but still, and plus, i had two delicious pieces of california roll last night, which i am allowed to eat seeing as how they include (1) cooked (2) imitation crab sticks, and they were incredible even though i think they used actual pickles insted of cucumber but i am so starved for sushi i SO DON'T CARE) or something really awful to not be hit on, but i am lazy and get dog treats instead of thinking about it, which doesn't work and he keeps hitting on me. Young black man has a plastic bag with beer in it; i have a giant (GIANT) and very lumpy purse. The cashier is very rude to him and accuses him of stealing things. Cashier is not having a particularly bad day; she's as nice to me and my broken-ass German as she always is.

today i am in the same drugstore. same cashier. Not being hit on (though, clearly, i am an utter MILF). i am the only customer again. Still with a giant purse into which i could easily toss half the store. not only does the cashier not come out from the little windowless office to watch me poke through the shelves aimlessly, she mentions that there is cheaper toilet paper on sale in the other aisle when i go to check out (we'll see if it's scratchy/absorbent/et c), and i have to point out that she forgot to ring up my eye pencil after watching me run around with the thing in my hand to get the other bag of toilet paper.

Labels: people, vienna

Things i have already organized:
Baby backpack (hello Ergo), Camera, Classical or lullaby music, Food source (hello self), Car Seat & Car Seat Head Support, Diaper bag, Diapers, Crib, mattress, bedding, some clothes,

Things i should really work on prior to arrival:
Stroller (which accepts pre-acquired car seat and has sunshade and basket and rain cover), Newborn-size/adjustable pouch/sling?, baby home health care incl. thermometer, teeny tiny nail scissors, first aid kit, baby medicine (remember: heard good things about the ones that come in strips like candy vs. the liquid ones), Diaper pail and bags?, Desitin, Baby powder, Baby wipes, mattress pad for us, Moses basket (unless baby can just sleep in pre-acquired car seat? Possibly not, but research this or DIY - but then apparently some get reflux and sleep lots better in inclined car seats anyway, so there's no telling), Dresser with possible convertible changing-table top (E149 at IKEA), Another clothes hamper (E3.99 at IKEA), Comfy chair and footrest/storage ottoman (replaces glider, nursing pillow, nursing stool - approximately E200 at IKEA for both), Washcloths and hoodie towels, breast pads and Lansinoh, Night light, baby shampoo and soap and lotion,

Things i should probably acquire sooner or later:
baby monitor for taking trash out, showers, et c., possibly a safety gate or two, cabinet locks, pack-n-play, more Clothes incl. hats, tiny socks (Robeez are really cute), mittens, bibs, Sleepsacks, mattress pad for crib, more bedding, recieving blankets, crib-mobile, More storage, Colorful books, breast pump/bottles/dishwasher rack, baby kitchen (later) incl. spoons, plastic bowls, plastic sippy cups, bibs, Toys for home and crib and stroller and bath, Crib mirror, Those frozen things for teething on, ...

Things that we can try to avoid acquiring:
Extra stroller, Stroller bag, "Portable Feeding Seats" (plural), "Gift sets", "Personalized gifts", "Baby book or journal" (hello Blogger and Flickr Pro), Extra books (hello Internets), "Bath Accessories", Bath tub (um, i have a bath tub and a sink, so ... thanks?), High Chair (feeding baby on floor = sheer genius), bottle sterilizer, bottle warmer, burp cloths and lap pads that are not also cloth diapers, all-new nursery coordinating window treatments, rug, and accessories, spare car seat base ("for 2nd car", haha, very funny), Auto Mirror ("for car", haha, very funny), Play yard sheets, {stationary entertainer, walker, bouncer seat, jumper, swing, and gym} that are not all-in-one, humidifier, wipe warmer, "Homecoming Outfit" (are you fucking kidding me? Besides, we have an Aggie onesie already), 3-6 month snowsuit (they're not serious about that one, are they? because, um, Blankets? and, Can't walk yet, so Probably Not In the Snow?), what is a Sleep Positioner? ... for that matter, is a Sleep Positioner something other than the insides of a car seat on full recline?, Changing pads that are not also cloth diapers/recieving blankets/something else, ...

Labels: baby, emptor

from M:

If you want a quick google maps tour of the neighborhood, go to maps.google.com and type "kleistgasse wien austria." switch to hybrid or satellite and zoom in as far as you can - the arrows in the wrong spot, but whatever.

Drag S, and youll see our park. The blue thing is a swimming pool for kids, S of that is the railrod tracks, and if you follow them to where they disappear to the SW, youll see a rectangular concrete place. The city has two concrete ping-pong tables here:) S of that (SSW) is a largish building, its a nice little restaurant/cafe...we take the dogs there every once in a while and sit and watch people and munch on pretty good food. If you follow the path from the restaurant WSW youll come to a big street (actually a big bus/train station). On the S side of the path, just adjacent to the street are two of the fenced in dog zones where we take the dogs (you can barely see the line that divides it in half).

Follow the big rd N until you run into another big street (more park on the right side, its really nice). Cross the big street and on the right side is palace Belvedere, which is pretty magnificent (there are pictures of it on liz's blog linked somewhere).

At the N end of Belvedere is the street Rennweg. Some Austrian once remarked that "The Balkans begin at Rennweg". If you follow it NW you get lost in the inner city. Follow SE until you get to a large intersection. Rennweg continues sort of on the N side (this intersection is Fasangasse, and if you followed the cross street S, youd get to our favorite italian place). Our favorite grocery store is just a little ways further down Rennweg, S side, a big grey bldg just past a wide side street. If you now head directly S, youre back at our apt.

Now, follow the Rd in front of our park to the E (this rd is the gurtel, it circles around the whole inner city and is fairly famous as being the "red light" street, though theres only 1 brothel I can think of where we usually walk). Follow the Rd as it curves to the S and then head NE on the cross st. The big green area is not a park, but a place that will be developed, but they apparently will begin development next year (which theyve said every year for like 10 now i guess). Follow this Rd until you get to the X intersection. If you go straight W from the center of this intersection, youll see a parking lot. The shiny bldg just to the SE is Intercell, where liz works. The bldg opposite the parking lot is the unviersity, and the GMI is like the second bldg NE of the university. The walk to and from work is just over 15 minutes.

Labels: internet, vienna

Is it particularly incongruous, or even oppositional, that i have feministing and the fug girls both linked next to each other? awesome.

i saw two people today that each looked very much like (different) friends of mine. Finding people who look like friends accidentally happens often for me when i move to a new place, so in and of itself, this is not the most interesting thing ever: but they each looked like much older versions of my friends. One of them had aged very well, and the other one had aged very badly.

yeah, i dunno either.

Labels: people

*not very factual on motorcycles either

:anmut: :annika: :chin: :dooce: :ewok mama: :food: :little frog school: :lj: :longform: :low odysseys: :natalya: :rich: :salon: :slate: :this is how: :unique yn:



archived: labels
09.03 10.03 11.03 12.03 01.04 02.04 03.04 04.04 05.04 06.04 07.04 08.04 09.04 10.04 11.04 12.04 01.05 02.05 03.05 04.05 05.05 06.05 07.05 08.05 09.05 10.05 11.05 12.05 01.06 02.06 03.06 04.06 05.06 06.06 07.06 08.06 09.06 10.06 11.06 12.06 01.07 02.07 03.07 04.07 05.07 06.07 07.07 08.07 09.07 10.07 11.07 12.07 01.08 02.08 03.08 04.08 05.08 06.08 07.08 08.08 09.08 10.08 11.08 12.08 01.09 02.09 03.09 04.09 05.09 06.09 07.09 08.09 09.09 10.09 11.09 12.09 01.10 02.10 03.10 04.10 05.10 06.10 07.10 08.10 09.10 10.10 11.10 12.10 01.11 02.11 03.11 04.11 05.11 06.11 07.11 08.11 09.11 10.11 11.11 12.11 01.12 02.12 03.12 04.12 05.12 06.12 07.12 08.12 09.12 10.12 11.12 12.12 01.13 02.13 03.13 04.13 05.13 06.13 07.13 08.13 09.13 10.13 11.13 12.13 01.14 02.14 03.14 04.14 05.14 06.14 07.14 08.14 09.14 10.14 11.14 12.14 01.15 02.15 03.15 04.15  







5821321