I am re-reading "The World According to Garp". The last time I read it I was about twelve years old. I had a cat named Garp who had gotten stuck under a neighbour's house and the two guys who lived there were helping me call the cat out. One guy was musing about what it must look like, three faces peering in at poor Garp. The other guy said,
"Yeah, the world according to Garp!"

After explaining to me why that was so witty, I read the book. I certainly have a different view about Jenny Fields now than I did back then.
I did not name the cat - he was given to me, fully grown, by another neighbour. He was dark black and very muscular. A very cool cat.

For a long time afterwards I was convinced that it was better to adopt a full grown animal than have to go through the pressure of raising a small kitten or puppy. I even felt that way about children. I mean, it's the first couple of years of one's life, the ones with no concrete memories, that can be the most scarring. Wouldn't it be so much easier to raise a child starting at age, say, five?

I know what you are thinking, I certainly wouldn't want a five year old child trying to squeeze through my pelvis - nevermind try to carry that sucker to term.

You're right, I wouldn't.

ugh.

There were just two reps here from a large publishing company and zowee! was that ever a boring meeting.

Perhaps I don't understand all that was said, perhaps a lot of it didn't pertain to me but whatever it was, I know that I definitely don't want to be a rep for a publisher - it's basically a sales job. yuck

I'm just not a sales kind of person. How can they tell a professor that your textbook will better serve students than some other textbook. How do they know which direction that prof will teach the course? They certainly don't seem interested in finding that kind of information out.
They just seemed to be so "we're going to do this better..." and "we're a better company for this..."
- like catty people slagging the competition but not making any definite statement about anything.

hmmmm, sounds a lot like a politician type job. I suppose I won't make a good one of those either.
Hey, at least I'm narrowing the list down.

There is a weblog that I read called loobylu and she is pregnant and due at about the same time as I am. It's very interesting to read - not only about the pregnancy but also about her life.
Especially her blog today - I completely agree. The difference I find between the person I am and the person I think I should be seems to make me stop and weigh my priorities every now and then.

The bookstore is getting busier and busier. The rudeness factor has bumped up a notch as well. I am very happy during trying times like these that I no longer work at the front desk. I am now one of those people who get called in from the behind the glass wall if something is going wrong. It is quite funny for Finn (the guy who works the front desk now) to go back and bring a waddling pregnant lady in to deal with an irate student (or their parent).

(I'm not quite waddling yet - only when I'm stiff - but I thought it would be funnier to picture it that way...)

Last night was the lantern festival, Luminara, here in Victoria. It was beautiful and of course, I forgot to bring my camera.

What? You ask? How could camera-happy Ada forget to bring her camera? Ah well, I suppose pregnancy does strange strange things to one's mind.

Believe it or not, I actually read somewhere that one's brain size actually decreases during pregnancy - but plumps back up again after birth.
Of course, no one has bothered to explain why thinner brain cells actually affect things like memory and therefore, absent-mindedness so I'm a little skeptic about this little, very over-used fact of "preggo-brain".

"And one can argue that the pain involved grants an aura of exclusivity to what from the outside can appear to be a privileged fellowship. But what is even more convincing to me is that labor is one of the few experiences through which women have truly become heroic. Men have war; women have childbirth. And with all heroic enterprises, the greater the challenge, the greater the feat ... If we acknowledge that the pain of labor is like any other pain, without any symbolic weight and with even a brief respite between contractions, then we no longer have to fear labor as the trial of our womanhood."

--Author Celina Spiegel

The days are cooling off and I am feeling so much better.
I like the heat but these days certain parts of my body connect to other parts of my body and create a little haven for sweat that it not the most pleasant experience.

speaking of sweat...

My brother, whose birthday it was the other day, is moving to Toronto - which is smok'in hot right now - and is throwing himself a going away party on a yacht in Vancouver.

nothing like living in style eh?

An old friend called me out of the blue today and I wasn't really sure how to react.

We all have these friends - you know, the ones that you make an effort to keep in touch with but feel like you are doing all the work?

Well, about 10 months ago, I finally stopped the effort and today I hear from her again. Not a big deal I suppose, except that the conversation with her after such a long absence seemed quite strained. She seemed to disregard the time span and the amount of changes that have taken place in our lives.

We are very different people now but I don't think this is much of a factor for her. Is it strange for it to be a factor for me?

Obviously, I am hurt by the lack of friendship reciprocation. The apology was hard to accept.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BECHARA!!

I think I may have found an organization that I feel I can truly support. I would love to work for the Near East Foundation someday.
Perhaps after this schooling is done, I can do some kind of internship with them.

I wonder if I am doing too different of a program right now?
Perhaps I should be centering more towards a specific project management type of diploma or Master's degree?
I am thinking of taking a course in September in that subject but I am oscillating between doing a core course, "The Political and Governmental Environment" and this "Project Management" elective. I am quite certain that I can't do both and have a baby in September...

MUCH better day today...

It is amazing how much better you feel once you've been heard and can put things into a little larger perspective...

On the positive front:

1.) I am proud to report that apparently I am the only 7 month pregnant person that can do "Downward Facing Dog" with any success in our yoga centre (or maybe I'm the only one psycho enough to keep doing it...)
2.) My arms are starting to change shape from all this yoga! Kinda Madonna-esque, so I am sure that after the baby is born my abdominals will look Madonna-esque as well. (haha)
3.) I feel great
4.) My friend Naomi is coming to visit for a couple of days in August
5.) My older brother is getting married
6.) I live 2 blocks from the ocean and can smell the sea from my bedroom
7.) My husband is not only amazingly good-looking but incredibly smart and caring as well.
8.) I really like my job
9.) It's a beautiful day and the weekend looks even better!
10.) I'm going to plant flowers and herbs all weekend and go to markets and see friends.

There are days when I just wake up in a bad mood.

Today is one of those days.
... (but I have my reasons)

Yesterday I left work to go to a going away party for a friend of mine but in fact, it was a surprise baby shower!!!!

I've never had a surprise party thrown for me before! Of course, it was a little strange being the center of attention like that but it was so nice of them to do so much!

We were given a baby bath and a whole schwack of adorably soft baby hats and clothes and towels and things. Also, a baby grooming kit (man, I sound like the little one's a pet of somekind!).
Looking at those baby finger nail clippers, I sure am nervous about that task ahead!

Here's a strange feeling....

I could not seem to take deep breaths all morning and early afternoon. There was a sharp pain in my chest every time I breathed deep.

Nevertheless, I was able to walk the 6km to work today and I was never short of breath - even up that bloody hill past the college.
It's a different kind of breathing problem than decreased lung capacity.

I dunno, I'm sure I'm fine. It's just that when you are pregnant you analyze every little thing that happens with your body - checking and double checking that the baby is fine.

The baby seems fine, moving like crazy...

What a great idea:
Random Excess Memory Project

I have always been interested in memories that pop up whenever I see, smell, hear or feel something familiar.
D must think I'm a little bonkers during those times when we are having a conversation and I'll bring up something mid-sentence and completely unrelated that has been triggered by a little memory trigger.

Well, he has kindly called me "eccentric" but I would be more inclined to venture into the short attention span explanation of things. I just kinda "go with the flow" of my brain at times. I'm lucky to be married to such an understanding and interested guy.

So, just to celebrate how proud I am of my body - and as my friend Laura has told me, to mortify my future child - I have decided to create a belly mask of my beautiful pregnant body.

I am planning on asking D if he will paint it after it has dried and is ready for decoration. I have only seen one belly mask not on the net and that belonged to my friend Esa. It was beautiful - especially because I hardly got to see her during her pregnancy.

I love looking at pictures of my Mother when she was pregnant. Unfortunately there are not very many of them. D and I have been taking some photos of me but having a 3-D mask will be so special - esp if D paints it as well.

Here's as example of what I'm talking about:

I am soooooo glad I live by the ocean and can enjoy the nice soft ocean breeze coming off the water to cool down my sweltering heater of a body. I feel so sorry for those poor creatures who do not have a large body of cold water anywhere near them.

Sorry I have been away so long. D and I went to a wedding in Edmonton, Alberta. D was one of the groomsmen and he looked mighty hugh-grant-in-4-weddings-and-a-funeral-like in his tux (which is a good thing in my books as long as he can change into his sexy shorts later).

The wedding was for a good friend of ours who I met on the same night I met D. After D and my first date, D called Grant (the recent groom) and told him all about me and how great I was (sigh). Grant popped the tape out of the recorder and kept the message. He then brought it to our wedding a year and 8 months later and played it during the dinner. It was so romantic. I was overwhelmed.
I sure know how to pick them eh?

I also had the chance while in Edmonton to see some old friends like Charity and Jenn and my sister Thuraya and finally her styl'n fiancee Joshua. It was so nice to see everyone. I miss them.