The Wayback Machine - http://web.archive.org/web/20021122005916/http://www.livejournal.com:80/users/malacat/
LiveJournal for Anne.

View:User Info.
View:Friends.
View:Calendar.
View:Website (Malacat.com).
View:Memories.
You're looking at the latest 20 entries. Missed some entries? Then simply jump back 20 entries.

Sunday, November 10th, 2002

Subject:Well, what do you think?
Time:6:45 pm.
I have no idea the appropriate wording for this kind of stuff, so here is my draft:

The XXX’s are having a baby!

In just 6-10 weeks we expect the (hopefully on-time) delivery of

Maxwell Nicholas XXX

Since we now live up here in the Almost Frozen North of Oregon, and so many of our friends and loved ones are in California, we have decided not to have an “in person” baby shower. Instead, we are having a “virtual” baby shower.

Please don’t feel under any obligation to get anything for us, we are happy just to share the upcoming birth of our child with you. However, if feel you just *must* get something, here are some guidelines:

We are registered at the following places:

www.target.com (under Anne XXX)
www.babiesrus.com Registry #XXX

Or, you can send something (especially your good wishes and baby care tips) to us directly.

Theme: Bears (Polar Bears, Teddy Bears, Little Bear…etc) We don’t really like Winnie the Pooh, so try to avoid the big yellow honey thief and all his poorly drawn friends if possible.

Clothing: If you would like to purchase some clothing, we gladly accept second hand or re-sale clothing…in fact we prefer it. We do ask that you not buy *new* brand name items (Baby Gap, Old Navy, Guess Baby…etc) because they tend to be overpriced anyway and let’s face it, chances are good that the adorable $50 sleeper you bought us will soon be stained with baby fluids and rendered unusable by the third washing. Right now we have a bunch of 3-6 month clothes, but no newborn outfits.

Diapers: We are using a diaper service, so diapers are covered.

Books: Books are always welcome!!!

Thank you for all your good wishes and support!

-Anne and Ron (and Max)
Comments: Read 1 or Add Your Own.

Friday, September 20th, 2002

Subject:A scary day
Time:1:04 pm.
So today on my way to work, some kid on his way to orientation at PSU rear ended me in the tunnel right before the Market Street exit. After I rushed to the Dr.'s office to make sure the placenta hasn't ruptured and killed my baby, I'm on "bedrest" for the rest of day.

The heartbeat sounds fine, but I'm still waiting on the lab results to make sure my blood hasn't mixed with the baby's, which would be a sign that the placenta has detached from the uterine wall and my baby will die.

I'm a little freaked right now, but I hope everything will turn out ok. My back hurts like hell and I'm waiting for the codeine prescription to be filled.

In other news, Sandy should be at the hospital prepping for her c-section. I haven't called her today to tell her about the accident, I figure she has plenty going on right now.
Comments: Read 9 or Add Your Own.

Wednesday, September 18th, 2002

Subject:It's a....
Time:12:31 pm.
Mood: weird.
BOY!!!!!

Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!Elated! Terrified!
Comments: Read 10 or Add Your Own.

Wednesday, August 28th, 2002

Subject:more news...
Time:9:42 pm.
Babbie, Rons mom's dog apparently died of kennel cough in April. She just told us tonight.
Comments: Add Your Own.

Subject:Ashley and Miranda
Time:9:36 pm.
Mood:disgusted.
So I just read an article in the Oregonian
http://www.oregonlive.com/special/girls/index.ssf?/xml/story.ssf/html_standard.xsl?/base/front_page/103027651545542.xml

Both girls were previously molested by father figures.

They never had a chance.


The men who molested they are just as guilty as thier killers.
Comments: Add Your Own.

Monday, August 19th, 2002

Subject:YAY!!!
Time:9:51 pm.
http://www.malacat.com

is finally ready (well sort of)

Check it out!

What do you think?
Comments: Read 1 or Add Your Own.

Monday, August 12th, 2002

Subject:New Sehkmet Statue Found
Time:7:58 pm.
http://www.arabia.com/afp/news/mideast/article/english/0,10846,264846,00.html
Comments: Read 1 or Add Your Own.

Subject:Camping
Time:5:48 pm.
Mood: tired.
Well, I'm back from camping.

We got off to a late start with Ron picking me up from work around 6:30. Luckily, we made great time and made it to the campground at about 8:15pm.

Ron insisted he needed no help with setting up the tent, so I set up the camp chairs and unloaded the truck. The truck was unloaded long before the tent was set up, so I tried to set up the propane lamp. Although there were only four separate parts to the lamp, it was deceptively difficult to assemble. Ron finished the tent before I finished the assembly of the accursed lamp, managing to bang the “heat shield” the wrong direction a few times before snorting in exasperation. Ron came over and promptly told me I was doing it all wrong. “Oh really?” I replied…and in a fit of pride assembled the lamp correctly in under 3 minutes. The last bit was to attach the propane tank. We screwed it into the base of the lamp and were rewarded by a soft hissing noise.
“I think it has a leak” Ron said.
I sighed “It doesn’t have a leak.”
“I think it does.”
“You’re being ridiculous. Here, give me a match and I’ll light it myself.” A small fireball and the instantaneous removal of all the hair on my right hand and I was forced to concur with Ron about the leak.

The second propane tank (which Ron lit as I was going nowhere near a propane tank with a match ever again) did not a have a leak and we soon had a floodlight in the campsite.
At around 10pm the campfire was roaring and the shish-kabobs were sizzling on the grill. They were quite tasty.

The campsite had a kind of port-a-potty/ditch kind of set up in a little outhouse. Now, I freely admit that I have some small fear of these kinds of set-ups. There is something about looking down in the dark pit filled with other people’s leavings and (possible mutants waiting to snatch you in your most vulnerable moment) that makes me not want to sit down on top of it. Maybe I just have an active imagination, or maybe I’ve just seen too many X-files episodes, but I truly believe that there is no one who stumbled into dark, unlit and smelly porta-potty (or gods forbid, an actual latrine while serving some kind of military service or something) and hasn’t thought the same thing. And if you didn’t before…well, you will now. So as it happened, Ron and I went to the outhouse after dinner. There was already someone in the women’s room, so we went the other side of the outhouse and flipped open the lid. Waiting for us was a huge striped spider gracefully suspended in the exact center of the pit. Ron tried to squirt it with the water bottle, which is probably a much nicer substance to pour on the spider than the gift it would have gotten from some drunken male camper. The thing was completely fearless; it didn’t budge until we were pouring water directly on it. It then lazily crawled up to the back of the toilet seat and disappeared. Ron asked if I wanted to use the restroom and I’m not sure what my answer was but likely it included the words “no way” and “hell.” For the rest of the weekend, I took my chances peeing in the woods.

I have to admit, the Oregon landscape has a wooded splendor that I have never seen in California, with seemingly ancient woods and glades around every turn. There are vast lakes hidden 10 miles from the highway and unspoiled glens where deer must congregate in the pre-dawn hours only minutes from abandoned airstrips. Our campsite was no exception. We set up our tent about 20 feet from the bank of a bubbling little stream. The site had the look of old growth with fallen logs, salmonberry brambles and cat-tail moss covering the most of the trees. We also found an interesting plant called Devils Club that took me almost two days to identify. It’s a wicked looking thing, with spikes all up its trunk and on the top and bottom of the leaves. It has a bright bunch of red berries on the top. Turns out this wicked plant has been used by native peoples for everything for returning menstruation to tuberculosis. The berries are inedible for humans but apparently bears love them. We took the full trees as a good sign no bears had by recently.

The rest of the weekend was pretty uneventful, and very relaxing. By Sunday I was so relaxed I didn’t even do my frantic repacking and we rattled out of the campsite around noon.

I didn’t have any morning sickness or any other pregnancy symptoms. As soon as we returned to civilization, I started getting sick and had to take the next day (today) off from a headache and nausea.

I should have just stayed in the woods.
Comments: Add Your Own.

Friday, August 9th, 2002

Subject:Camping Camping Camping
Time:8:14 am.
Mood: hopeful.
Soon I will be out in the woods, wahaaha!

I can't wait.

On another note, I'm sorry to all my friends that I haven't been answering my email, I'm just so tired when I get home from work it's all I can do to just eat dinner and to bed by 9:30. I'll respond to everyone when I get back from camping on Sun.
Comments: Read 1 or Add Your Own.

Sunday, August 4th, 2002

Subject:Camping!
Time:6:33 pm.
Mood: excited.
So we are finally going camping next weekend and the weekend after next. Going to Camp Creek and Tollgate up on Mount Hood. If only I could stop constantly throwing up, life would be great :-)

We got a kick ass tent that we ahem...broke in in the living room today.

In other news, we will be working the Shrewsberry Ren Faire http://www.shrewfaire.com/in early Sept. The only thing that sucks about that is that I will be working on Sandy's due date! Argh. Well, if she has the baby that weekend, I'll just have to go down to the Bay Area next weekend.
Comments: Add Your Own.

Subject:Camping!
Time:6:33 pm.
Mood: excited.
So we are finally going camping next weekend and the weekend after next. Going to Camp Creek and Tollgate up on Mount Hood. If only I could stop constantly throwing up, life would be great :-)

We got a kick ass tent that we ahem...broke in in the living room today.

In other news, we will be working the Shrewsberry Ren Faire http://www.shrewfaire.com/in early Sept. The only thing that sucks about that is that I will be working on Sandy's due date! Argh. Well, if she has the baby that weekend, I'll just have to go down to the Bay Area next weekend.
Comments: Read 1 or Add Your Own.

Thursday, August 1st, 2002

Subject:so
Time:7:09 pm.
Ron had an "informal" interview with a company in Atlanta, GA.

The south...ugh.
Comments: Read 3 or Add Your Own.

Tuesday, July 30th, 2002

Subject:I'm Back
Time:4:01 pm.
Mood: listless.
Well, I survived New York. It was great, but I'm so exhaused. Here's a quick rundown of the trip--I'll more details later

Times are approximate

Thursday, July 25
9:20am-9:40pm-Travel (ala free southwest ticket)
10pm EST-arrive in Long Island
10:20-check into hotel
midnight-Sleep

Friday, July 26
8:30am awake
11:00am-to the laundrymat to wash Mom's clothes
1:05pm-Ronkonama train station to New York
4:00pm-arrive NYC
4:10-THE SUBWAY to West Side
4:30-Arrive at Hotel
HOTEL is a HOLE
4:31-Frantic calls to other hotels to find room
4:40-check out of Hotel-subway to Times Square
5:10-arrive time square
5:15-check into times square Courtyard Marriott
5:30-pick up Tickets to AIDA
6:00-dinner at Liskeys in times square
7:45-10:30(?)-AIDA
10:50-Hotel

Saturday, July 27
8:00am-breakfast
9:00am-shopping at Times Square, Mom goes to pick up Grandma
11:00am-return to hotel, go to sleep
1:50pm-Me, Mom, Grandma take bus to pier-take circle line tours
2:30-5:30-water tour around Manhattan-saw Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Wall Street, WTC, etc...
6:30-Empire State Building
8:30-Dinner
9:00-sleep (not by choice)

Sunday, July 28
8:00am-wake up
9:00am-breakfast at a gresy spoon type place
9:30-lose Mom-wander streets of New York with Grandma
10:00-find Mom
10:20-bus to WTC
11:00-2:00-WTC
2:00-3:00-lost on Subway
3:00-4:00-Somehow end up in Soho; shopping on Canal Street; lunch at amazing Italian Resturant
4:00-4:30-Subway
4:30:5:30-Shopping in times square; witness Islamic Jhiad protest; walk two blocks, witness Prayer Meeting; buy more luggage for crap purchased;
5:30-6:00-packing, subway to Penn Station;
6:15-8:00-train to Long Island (alone)
8:15-arrive at hotel in Long Island
8:20-order room service
8:25-realize door does not lock in room
8:40-moved to new room
9:00-eat dinner
11:00-bed

Monday, July 29
5:15-wake up
5:27-arrive at airport
7:20am(est) to 4:10(pst)-travel
6:10pm HOME
6:11pm-Hayfever kicks in
Comments: Add Your Own.

Wednesday, July 24th, 2002

Subject:New York Baby!!!!
Time:9:30 pm.
By this time tomorrow, I'll be in the Big Apple!!!!!

Be back on the 30th

Ciao!
Comments: Read 1 or Add Your Own.

Thursday, July 11th, 2002

Subject:...and what to do with the rest of my life
Time:8:32 pm.
You know I read on Bella's journal "why did I get a Creative Writing Degree?" She doesn't even realize how lucky she is to have had a dream...at least she went for it.

My gen ed is basically done, and now I think that I don't really want to pursue a paralegal degree. It's not what I want to do anyway.
Comments: Read 5 or Add Your Own.

Tuesday, July 9th, 2002

Subject:Well then
Time:9:04 pm.
Mood: happy.
After speaking to someone whom I didn't want to just "spring it on," I can now officially announce that I am indeed pregnant.

I went to the doctor today and we heard the heartbeat!! The dr. said it was rare to hear the heartbeat at only 12 weeks, but it was so strong and steady!!

Now the freakiness truly begins.
Comments: Read 12 or Add Your Own.

Monday, July 8th, 2002

Subject:It's dangerous to go down this road...
Time:7:40 pm.
Mood: lonely.
But I really do miss the bay. I miss living in the ghetto with Sandy and co. I miss getting up at 6 on Saturday morning and driving down to the San Leandro Marina and walking the track...or even just staring at the temporary mudflats that will be covered by high tide. I always imagined that island, only 300 yards or so out during low tide, to be the perfect place for initiation. Tent + supplies + high tide=magical experience. I remember my own initation so clearly...blindfolded, being led down a cliff in a white shift. I remember feeling the asphalt give way to sand under my bare feet, and the white hot LA sand giving way to the cool brown of sand loved by ocean. I still remember the vision I had that day, and how the prestiess said I kept spinnning around when I was talking to the quarters. I didn't even know I was doing that. I remember the cool ocean on my face as I knelt in the sea, washing my face 3 times with the briney water.

Perhaps this is why I am so drawn to the sea...her pull is still strong for me here...even in this land of trees and mountains.

I miss the undine of moss beach...with her seaweed smile beckoning the unsuspecting from the distillery, playing calm until your back is turned.

I miss the chaotic grace of Pescadero who's monthly low tide showed me wildness even in the urban bay...scuttling crabs, starfish and pink eels gracefully cutting the water.

I want my child raised here, among my own people.
Comments: Read 3 or Add Your Own.

Thursday, June 20th, 2002

Subject:I suppose I will have to go back tomorrow
Time:4:21 pm.
Mood: irritated.
Well, my day and 1/2 sabbatical from work has nice, and I suppose I will have to go back before they fire me. Sigh. I'm totally burned out, tired of doing 4 jobs for crap pay. Can't I just go back to 3? This sucks. I've never burned out so quickly so fast before. Maybe I'm just tired of being walked on by owners who only concern themselves with $$$ and pay really low wages but are then irate when the company doesn't do well. Why don't I just start my own company? I know how to do it. Because I'm already 25k in the hole and I don't want to start out by owing another 30k for the loan. Because who the hell knows when, if and where Ron will get another job.

Because I'm a wuss, that's why. I suck.


In other news, I got an A in History despite writing most of my essays at 6am on the day they were due.

(Yay!)
Comments: Read 3 or Add Your Own.

Monday, June 17th, 2002

Subject:So
Time:7:13 pm.
Mood: content.
Well, I bought a new laptop but it won't get here until the 24th. It only cost around $1700, so it was great to come in under budget. Of course, it was $1700 over my general budget :-(

I'm going to go down the repair shop and see if they can repair the keyboard. If they can, Ron will get the machine to do with as he will.

I'm still feeling a bit woozy, but thanks to soda and crackers, life is not so bad (thanks Aset!)

I spent the weekend driving up and down the Oregon Coast and it was wonderful. We left around 11am on Sat and got to Newport. We spent the night at the Hallmark Inn right on the beach. We walked down to the beach and walked about a mile down the way. There were random jellyfish washing up on the beach, so I had to watch my feet. The water was freezing but invigorating. Right before we returned to the hotel, we drew a 15 ft pentacle in the sand. Later that night we saw someone messing with it and we thought he was trying to destroy it. Turns out he was just making it bigger :-). When I woke up the next morning, there was a big cross with some writing on it (we didn't go down to see what it said). But the pentacle was still there.
We spent the night watching the "outdoor channel," which was basically a continual ad for different hunting supplies and segments of hunters killing deer, turkey, and other assorted cute woodland creaturs.

On Sunday we started out at about 9am and headed up the coast on the 101. We went to Haystack Rock and up through about 5 million tiny coastal towns. While eating lunch in one of the aforementioned tiny coastal towns, we read an ad that there were historical re-enactions of the Lewis and Clark expedition at Fort Clatsop, so of course up to Astoria we went!

After a long day of exploring, we returned home to pissy cats and laundry.

It was a wonderful weekend :-)
Comments: Add Your Own.

Tuesday, June 11th, 2002

Subject:urgh
Time:7:41 am.
So my laptop is dead. I guess it's just as well, I would have felt really bad selling it to a friend and then have it crap out.

I worshiped the porcelin god yesterday morning and today looks like more of the same. Fun.
Comments: Read 4 or Add Your Own.

LiveJournal for Anne.

View:User Info.
View:Friends.
View:Calendar.
View:Website (Malacat.com).
View:Memories.
You're looking at the latest 20 entries. Missed some entries? Then simply jump back 20 entries.