March 08, 2014
OUT WITH A WHIMPER
I truly thought that this blog would end with me having a second baby. I thought I'd win. I thought I'd birth a baby and then drop the microphone, yell PEACE OUT, and exit stage.
But the blog went out with a whimper instead of a bang.
We are good, a year later. Content. Finding silver linings in not having interrupted sleep most nights and being done with diapers and bibs and sippy cups. Trying to figure out how to prevent Little Emperor Syndrome.
BabyGrok just turned 4 last week.
And life goes on.
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And another act begins. May it be happy.
Posted by: Amritas at March 15, 2014 09:58 AM (dd7T7)
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Sarah, instead of going out with a whimper, why not join us as one of our Authors in <a href="http://www.aleksandreia.com"><b>Alexandria</b></a>? This invitation has been extended to you by email as well.
In addition to posting on anything you wish, as you desire, you may of course mirror posts you've already written from here or elsewhere to gain a different or additional audience or for any other reason that appeals to you.
If you think you might be interested, contact me through Alexandria or by return email via this comment and I'll forward our formal invitations for you to look over and return if you decide to proceed.
Come contribute your perspectives and opinions to the ongoing conversations there or, even better, start some new - and different - ones of your own.
I look forward to hearing from you.
H. M. Stuart
Alexandria
Posted by: HMS at March 15, 2014 07:54 PM (blfLK)
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I've been following your blog for a long time. I'm glad you have found peace. Thanks for a final update.
Posted by: Stephanie at March 26, 2014 08:33 PM (hPQPz)
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February 17, 2013
BACKDATED POST
I realized that I had forgotten to post something here about mindblowing information I learned before I did the IVF. I backdated the post for the sake of chronology. The post from January is
here.
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How are you doing? Please know that so many people care.
Posted by: Amy at February 28, 2013 06:34 PM (MRKBy)
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May 02, 2011
A HECK OF A WEEKEND
Last night was our last night with my husband in his hotel room.
OK, I haven't blogged in a while, I need to back up.
My husband changed functional areas again. He just left for new training. He'll be TDY for three months. So BabyGrok and I drove with him and stayed a while in his temporary lodging.
And we made a detour for the Milblogs Conference. BabyGrok was a real hit with SecDef Rumsfeld.
So anyway (man, there is a lot of backstory to gloss over when you only blog monthly), the whole family was sharing a hotel room. We tried to be super quiet with BabyGrok in the room, so we'd shut off our cell phones when she went to bed.
This morning my husband left for PT at 4:45. He woke me to say a final goodbye. I looked at my phone to see the clock and noticed I had missed two phonecalls in the middle of the night, one from AWTM and one from my mother.
I can't tell you how my heart plummeted into my stomach. I thought for sure one of the SpouseBUZZ authors was dead. It seemed an eternity until I got to my voicemail. First message was AWTM; all she said was, "Are you sleeping? It's time to
bake a cake!" So I knew it was good news; some dictator had just bit the dust! I figured it was Qaddafi. Then my mom's message explained the rest.
And it was 4:45, so I could either 1) jump up and check the news or 2) stay quietly in bed and keep BabyGrok sleeping. I chose the latter.
I missed the jubilation and excitement on Facebook. It was fun to read my friends all wondering why I wasn't partaking in history.
So today was the day to bake the cake in bin Laden's dishonor.
Yes, that cake is made of bacon. Up yours, Osama.
So it was a heck of a weekend: Milblog Conference, saying goodbye to my husband, and then the news of the decade.
Plus there was cake.
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February 11, 2011
BABY GROK WANTS TO BLOG
Posted by: Sarah at
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I'm surprised she didn't contribute to this post.
Posted by: Amritas at February 11, 2011 01:53 PM (5a7nS)
Posted by: Patrick Chester at February 15, 2011 03:15 AM (zl17B)
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Watch out! I lost four keyboards that way. Sigh.
Posted by: Lane at February 18, 2011 09:57 PM (u8biq)
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January 10, 2011
ONE OF THOSE POSTS I HATE
I've been busy chasing after the baby. I've also discovered it's hard to use the computer when she can crawl over and start slapping the keyboard.
Plus I just don't have anything good to say.
I hate posts where bloggers explain why they're not blogging...
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It's nice to see your name go by on my feed-reader anyway =).
Posted by: Lucy at January 11, 2011 12:15 AM (ryRVK)
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What a cutie
Posted by: Lissa at January 11, 2011 06:54 AM (geun6)
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she can crawl over and start slapping the keyboardShe could be a guest blogger.
Glad to see you back!
Posted by: Amritas at January 11, 2011 04:34 PM (5a7nS)
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Any blog post with a picture like that is worth posting. Absolutely adorable.
Posted by: SciFiJim at January 14, 2011 11:23 AM (jel0m)
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I agree with Jim. The photo is totally worth it!
Enjoy her....
Posted by: Amy at January 18, 2011 05:30 PM (hDF8H)
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October 03, 2010
IF THIS WERE FACEBOOK
If this were Facebook, my status would read:
Sarah Grok wants to keep blogging, but when she realizes she spent the baby's entire morning nap and part of the afternoon one writing the previous post, she kinda wants to throw up.
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Why? I don't think you did anything wrong.
Posted by: Amritas at October 04, 2010 01:33 PM (5a7nS)
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September 03, 2010
OH WAIT, I THOUGHT OF SOMETHING
Just this morning, I thought of something I wanted to blog. I told my husband, "Shoot, if I keep blogging, this is exactly what I'd say..."
I have been looking into educational books for my kiddo and I was intrigued by the
"Who Was" series. They are way above her level for now, but I was investigating them to see if they have a PC agenda or if they're good biographies for her to read someday. And I noticed something funny about the list of books. Here are some of the people they cover:
Albert Einstein
Queen Elizabeth
Mark Twain
George Washington
Sacagawea
Leonardo da Vinci
Neil Armstrong
Mozart
Hellen Keller
Barack Obama
One of these things is not like the other.
What on earth is in the Barack Obama book? I mean really...how does he possibly stack up to Edison and da Vinci? The only presidents in this series are Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Kennedy, Reagan, and...Obama? Wow, that's some prestigious company he keeps. Especially since there is no benefit of hindsight whatsoever. The book was published before he'd even finished his first year as president!
I'd really love to know what's in the Obama book. Once upon a time there was a boy who lived in Indonesia and Hawaii and then went to law school and then was a community organizer and then a senator and then president.
The only thing the man has done is
get elected. And triple the already-too-awful national debt.
And somehow that stacks up to Mozart and Helen Keller.
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*stands and applauds loudly*
Posted by: Amber at September 04, 2010 12:58 AM (ZGOWU)
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RAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCCCCCCCIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He's the Precedent of the United States! The Lightworker! The first President to place global opinion ahead of what's best for America!
A book about teh one would be easy to write:
America's Best Golf Courses and Vacation spots: 38 Places to stay in under two years" By The Empty Suit, The First Wookie, and Hairplugs McPlagiarist.
Posted by: Chuck at September 04, 2010 07:37 AM (0iBcg)
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He single-handedly absolved America of her racist, RACIST history and, um, advanced us into the post-partisan . . . I mean, exiled corruption from Washington . . . I mean, brought worldwide respect back to . . . um . . .
chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaange . . .
Posted by: Lissa at September 04, 2010 11:49 AM (mgjM7)
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The Obama book is the only book in the series that belongs. The rest must go. Where are the books on Pelosi, the Clintons, Carter, Kerry, and Kennedy (Ted, of course)? Don't let your child grow up Democrat-deficient!
Posted by: kevin at September 04, 2010 12:44 PM (hBtE2)
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Sarah - I've had to resort to writing stories for my kids about subjects I think they should know about but that there aren't readily available in engaging age-appropriate books.
Now, I definitely want my kids to know about George Washington Carver, but I also want them to know about George Custer. I want them to know about Maximilian Kolbe as well as Martin Luther King, Jr. And while I understand that some people are considered "must know" and others are "if you have some extra time", that's not the way I teach my kids. So, we had to pick and choose amongst things rather than grab full sets.
I just found a book called The Dangerous Book of Heroes by the same people that wrote The Dangerous Book for Boys. It's awesome. It even includes the women of the SOE! The Dangerous Book for Boys and The Daring Book for Girls have also been wonderful resources for both our boy and our girls. And Mom and Dad, quite frankly.
We also like Tales from Shakespeare, and A Child's History of the World (from the Calvert Curriculum, which is cheaper through the Sonlight website).
And all of my kids learned to read using Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. It's an AWESOME resource!
Posted by: airforcewife at September 04, 2010 07:26 PM (uE3SA)
Posted by: david foster at September 04, 2010 08:45 PM (Gis4X)
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I've written a number of posts "reviewing" various children's books. Some I like, others, I don't. I do write these from the conservative POV, and a "what you should know" on some of them, like those PC/Leftist indoctrination things you worry about. You can find them
here. I have done both picture books and chapter books (to include some 'young adult', not just children's stuff).
Posted by: Miss Ladybug at September 05, 2010 12:40 AM (4xYAD)
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Thank you David! I'll show those to my second daughter, who is particularly interested in the subject.
Also - in addition to having dogs named Ike and Mamie, we named our cat Virginia Hall. You'd be surprised how many people don't "get" Ike and Mamie. Pretty much no one "gets" Virginia Hall. We've stopped explaining.
Posted by: airforcewife at September 05, 2010 10:32 AM (uE3SA)
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Well, Hellen Keller & Barack Obama, are both deaf and blind.
Posted by: tim at September 07, 2010 11:41 AM (vb4Ci)
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There are a whole bunch of children's books out about Obama, too, written around the time of his election. They are disgustingly obsequious and they read like train wrecks; you can't pull your eyes away from them!
Posted by: Deltasierra at September 09, 2010 10:16 PM (u2K2X)
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What crap.
And you can add "un-deserving Pulitzer prize winner" to that list as well.
Posted by: Sara at September 16, 2010 08:12 PM (tz27a)
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September 02, 2010
YOU HAD TO KNOW IT WAS COMING
Yesterday was my baby's six month birthday.
Motherhood has, in many ways, been exactly what I expected. It's tiring, it's grueling, and it's repetitive. It takes up every minute of your day and every thought in your head. Much of my free time is unfortunately devoted to researching problems: annoyingly short naps, night waking, nursing strikes, etc. Other moments are spent researching more fun things, like baby food recipes and age-appropriate toys. But thankfully, at six months, there is indeed free time. I do get about four or five hours to myself every day.
I just have to prioritize those hours.
Half that time is spent with my husband in the evening. I still get to knit and wind down before bedtime, which these days is 9:30. The other half is during the day, and it gets split between research, housework, and relaxing.
And while blogging used to be one of my favorite hobbies, it's just not at the top of my priority list anymore. I barely make time to follow the news, much less form an opinion on it.
It should come as no shock to you -- seeing as I have written only 30 posts in the past six months -- that this blog is winding to a close. And the thing is, I hate when blogs peter out. I never know if I should keep checking in on Rachel Lucas or if she's done. I hate that.
So I was all ready to write this post last night and close up shop...and I checked my email first. And there was an email from a lurker who said she misses me...
And I took pause.
The only thing keeping me here anymore is all of you. All the people I've met and the sharing of ideas I've made a tiny contribution to over the years. I hate to not share anymore.
It's quite painful for me to quit.
Even moreso after I went back and read
this post and its comments.
I was very ready to hang up my hat yesterday. At peace with it even. But now that it comes time to do it, I can't quite bring myself to it.
But I also hate to leave this blog hanging too...
I have to sleep on it.
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Hrmpf.
Based on your title in my bloglines, I expected a different kind of announcement, LOL!
I hope that you decide to keep blogging, even if only sporadically. I'm betting in six months you'll be back blogging away more regularly again.
Posted by: Heather at September 02, 2010 07:21 PM (pP752)
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I would understand if you closed your blog, but I have a selfish hope that you don't. I've always enjoyed reading your thoughts... maybe you could just declare a temporary moratorium on blogging and revisit the issue in a few months?
Posted by: Sespi at September 02, 2010 07:52 PM (glwpe)
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Babies grow and change and multiply and require an amazing amount of attention. But I'm going to urge you not to retire this, unless you really, really have to see the ending. It's an enormous amount of thought, effort, and putting yourself out-thereness. If I can name one thing that motherhood made me, it's more introverted. Mainly only meaning that I now much more than before derive my energy from myself. So on the one hand, blogging is you, your head, your thoughts, your post topics, your words, on the other hand, it's a lot of controversy to invite into an already sleep deprived and crazy making lifestyle.
So may the force be with you. But I tend to think an all or nothing approach is the wrong road. Life is fluid - the next six months with look completely different than the last. When L.E. turned 7 months I realized I had a completely different life going. And I needed to get some activities, STAT. You may wake up dying to talk to people about some political or worldly development in just a few short weeks, and unless you have a very different play group than I did, the other mom's at baby playdates might not really want to hear your deep opinions on the matter. Or even worse, they might judge your baby!
Posted by: Lane at September 02, 2010 08:12 PM (u8biq)
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Sarah, she's beautiful! And, like Heather, I thought there was an announcement of a different kind.
I can fully understand that you can't give the blog the attention that you used to, but just as I still have Rachel in my feed list, I'll keep this one there too, for the day that you find you have some time on your hands & want to share your thoughts (and cute baby pics!)
Whatever you decide will be the right thing. Take care, and give those baby toes a kiss for me!
Posted by: Toni at September 02, 2010 09:03 PM (OoGre)
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Do not make me find you irl on facebook. Because I HATE facebook and I'd much rather read your blog. Even if you don't blog very often. That being said, I totally understand about blogging not being top priority anymore. I've had those sorts of thoughts about closing up shop, but it's the connection that always makes me stay (at least for the time being). Whatever you decide, I wish you all the best.
Posted by: dutchgirl at September 02, 2010 11:26 PM (IuAGt)
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Sarah, I'm not you and don't know what's best for you. I only know that I don't want to see this blog go. I agree with Lane. No one knows where you'll be six months from now. You could leave this blog up as a potential outlet. I'm willing to wait, and I doubt I'm alone.
Posted by: Amritas at September 02, 2010 11:49 PM (hBtE2)
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Nah, don't hang it up. It's ok that you don't have the same time to devote to it now...you may be surprised...that time could come back. As Rusty got older I found I had more time for things like blogging. Now that I'm starting to work again and am pregnant I don't have as much time again, but the blog is always there. I'm thankful for it. I don't ever want to close up shop...and I hope you don't either! Stick around!!!
Posted by: stacy at September 03, 2010 12:19 AM (oubiR)
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*teehee* BabyGrok has no hair!! *kiss kiss*
Me, I've got your blog linked in my sidebar, so I can tell when you update. Once every couple months is just fine!
Posted by: Lissa at September 03, 2010 05:59 AM (mgjM7)
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Sarah, I have missed your posts, but assumed you were enjoying your little one. I hope you don't stop blogging, but honestly, you have to do what is best for your family. If you do decide to "close up shop" I wish you many years of happiness - It's been great getting to know you over the years, even if we'll probably never get the chance to meet "in real life"
Wishing you all the best!
Keri
Posted by: keri at September 03, 2010 09:15 AM (Tb2Kh)
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Sarah,
I like it that you are busy with life but I would appreciate a little post now and then with the all the baby milestones.
I feel like I know you after all you've shared with us ,but I know you are a private person.
And I still check Rachel some to see if she's back.
I have you in RSS feed so if you post I will see it. Not begging, just saying. ;D
Posted by: Ruth H at September 03, 2010 11:19 AM (KLwh4)
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Sorry for the crazy sentence in that post, my comment panel doesn't show me where the cursor is, guess I should be more careful. Or use Internet Explorer.
Posted by: Ruth H at September 03, 2010 11:20 AM (KLwh4)
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Joining with other lurkers in hoping you don't hang it up completely!
Posted by: Pat in MN at September 03, 2010 01:52 PM (1fuE/)
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No need to quit...and no need to feel you have to post with any particular frequency. Just keep the blog up & throw up a post whenever you feel like it, even if it's just twice a year.
If we clap enough for Tinker Bell, maybe she'll stay around..
Posted by: david foster at September 04, 2010 05:53 PM (Gis4X)
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NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Don't go!!!
Posted by: Stephanie at September 04, 2010 11:45 PM (ccH8C)
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I'd *still* miss you if you quit. I do miss your posts, now. But I also totally get not having time to blog.
And, happy 6-month birthday to the Grok family. =)
Posted by: Lucy at September 06, 2010 01:28 PM (IDfv2)
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Exactly what Sespi said! I'd understand, but would miss you...time changes everything
Posted by: Connie at September 07, 2010 05:35 PM (L6nIP)
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For what it's worth - I do enjoying reading your blog! Even if it is just a blog post here and there
Posted by: Tootie at September 21, 2010 05:27 PM (hc4/D)
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Thanks for sticking around ... Even if it's only sporadic.
Posted by: Darla at September 26, 2010 03:19 AM (t/qhR)
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March 29, 2010
I READ A BLOG
I read The Corner today.
For the first time in a month.
I thought my life of watching TV, knitting, and reading blogs would integrate easily with a baby. It's not like I'm some big-shot career woman, right? I could still do my hobbies while she naps.
It's proving far harder to do that than I ever imagined.
She's developed a bit of a projectile vomiting issue. The cure is to be upright all the time. That is not conducive to setting her down.
I am currently typing with her over my shoulder. I have learned to do many things one-handed.
It's a lot of work. A LOT. I am in awe of the mothers who've gone before me.
But I read a blog today. Maybe I can learn to squeeze my old life in between my new life at times.
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Certainly eventually it gets easier, right?
Posted by: Sara at March 29, 2010 08:13 PM (Z8H9d)
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yes, it's different. Yes, it's taking some adjustment......but don't you just LOVE IT!!!!
Eventually you'll get into a new rythm. Then she'll become mobile and it will change again. You'll learn to roll with the punches and adapt quickly. And smell her fuzzy, sweet little head! Isn't she heavenly?
Posted by: sharona at March 29, 2010 09:45 PM (BeRta)
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This is why I am such a fan of interweb phones. I don't hardly ever comment on blogs but I can at least read some stuff while feeding and holding in the dark. At anytime really.
And I hadn't read The Corner at all today and I guess there is some ta-ta brouhaha. Jeez.
I hope you get in a groove that works (or at least feel acceptance for the non-groove if that is the case). And most especially I hope her tummy settles down and that stops. It is no fun getting yakked on and it is even worse getting used to smelling like eau de spit up.
Posted by: wifeunit at March 29, 2010 10:17 PM (4B1kO)
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As my wife Tracey will post as soon as she reads this, Acid Reflux. It is a common cause of projectile vomiting in babies. Diagnosing it can be tricky as babies are noticeably reticent to open up around doctors.
Posted by: Tracey at March 29, 2010 10:57 PM (x+F0t)
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I changed the info to me, but I guess that preview blanked it out so now it looks like I'm married to myself.
Posted by: Brian at March 29, 2010 10:58 PM (x+F0t)
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Agree on the reflux, zantac worked with the girl-child.
As for learning to use a laptop one-handed, congrats, you've mastered the same skill as every pubescent teen boy since al gore invented the internets.
Finally, if you only have time in your day to read one blog, I fully expect you will make it mine. I will forgive this transgression, this time, as I attribute it to being baby crazy until your hormones can re-stabilize; pray you do not make this mistake again.
But trust me on the zantac.
Posted by: Chuck at March 29, 2010 11:31 PM (bMH2g)
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I also had projectile-vomiting issues as a baby. Mine stemmed from using hand-me-down bottles; Mom didn't know my aunt had used them for cereal and therefore cut larger holes in the nipples. I would suck down the bottle in no time flat and then promptly spew it at the nearest wall. I don't suppose Baby Grok could have the same problem?
Posted by: Lissa at March 30, 2010 04:58 AM (mgjM7)
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Lissa -- She's not using bottles, but let's just say that she's treating breastfeeding like a college beer chugging contest. I know that's part of the problem... We are working on fixing it together.
Posted by: Sarah at March 30, 2010 09:07 AM (gWUle)
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Do you have a baby carrier? Those would help hold her upright without requiring both hands all the time. I couldn't do anything without them! My favorites:
http://www.babyhawk.com/
http://www.ergobabycarrier.com/
http://www.mobywrap.com/
http://www.mayawrap.com/
These are all safe and awesome for newborns on up.
Posted by: Tara at March 30, 2010 09:20 AM (jxIjw)
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Tara -- I do have a Moby and a ring sling, but she wants to be over my shoulder to relieve gas pressure. She's not as comfy on my chest/belly right now.
Posted by: Sarah at March 30, 2010 10:55 AM (gWUle)
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When beer foams at the tap, there's usually too much pressure in the line, or the tap/line is dirty.
Since I assume you wash your boobs, try to turn down the pressure in the system. It may help to bleed off tap pressure prior to pouring.
Just a thought. And no, It doesn't make sense.
Posted by: Chuck at March 30, 2010 04:34 PM (bMH2g)
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I think what Chuck is trying to say is to pump a little of the foremilk out (by hand or with a pump) and achieve letdown (if you can) before she latches on. Forceful letdown and sugary foremilk can cause all sorts of digestive issues. Ian used to choke, even with nursing shields, because my letdown was so strong. Then he would arch and scream because of the bubbles it caused immediately in his little tummy . . . It was pretty horrid.
That's just one factor, though. Reflux from some digestive disagreement and/or being overfull can cause the same issues. There are numerous other reasons.
Invest in burp cloths and bibs. Receiving blankets make really great large burp cloths for spit-uppy babies.
Good luck! You'll see this through!
Posted by: Deltasierra at March 30, 2010 07:23 PM (/Mv9b)
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March 06, 2010
WASTED
I could just cry...I was working on an enormous blog post while baby was catching some sleep...and I went to save the draft and accidentally hit the back arrow in the browser and lost the whole thing.
And it was a post about how every minute in the day is precious and can't be wasted because there's too much to do.
Seriously, I could just cry.
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(patting you on the shoulder) I think we've all done that...
Posted by: MaryIndiana at March 06, 2010 11:11 AM (PJFBu)
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Exhaustion will do that to you. Maybe you should just take a nap when she does. We all value you posts but you need to take care of yourself. We can wait. (easy to say as I check your site every single time I sit down at the computer.)
Have fun with the baby, relax when she does and get back to us when your can.
Posted by: Ruth H at March 06, 2010 11:34 AM (YpblU)
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I agree with Ruth. I did not listen when people told me to nap when baby napped. I wound up literally sick from exhaustion. The computer will still be there, none of us is going anywhere, laundry will wait, the vacuum won't run away.
Enjoy this time with baby.
Posted by: Amber at March 06, 2010 12:39 PM (jCj2f)
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I wind up doing some of my longer posts in Word and then paste them over because of just that... Â Then I get lazy and forget and the blog eats one and then I start the cautious plan all over again.
You do realize that you could put up a close up picture of BabyGrok's toes and everyone here would love you all that much more for it. Â Baby toes are 11 on the cute meter.
If we could incorporate smell-o-vision and get the new baby smell on the blog, you'd have more hits than Glenn Reynolds.
I'm going to go see if there's a smell-o-vision plug in out there. Â I'll make Chuck's blog smell like bacon while I'm at it. Â
Posted by: Code Monkey at March 06, 2010 12:41 PM (9AuQG)
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*giggles @ codemonkey*
BabyGrock better have a bazzilion toes 'cuz everyone here is going into hormornal overdrive to nibble baby toes!
And, jealous, oh hell yes, so YOU have to nibble toes for us!
Bacon smell? Cover his ass (Chucks) in bacon! Will smell much better, I'm sure, and preserve his ass . Why didn't he think of that a-for he got blowed up? ;-)
Posted by: jw at March 06, 2010 02:48 PM (spEu4)
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February 13, 2010
BACK PORCH UPDATE
Jonah's
back porch is more impressive, but I had to laugh at the meme when my mom took this one of my backyard this morning. We've got a few inches piled up.
And here's Ol' Dirty Charles, exhausted after playing in the snow...
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February 10, 2010
SURFACING
I'm still here. I have ideas for posts. But typing is a pain in the neck when you're supposed to be lying flat on your side. I did manage to write
Perspective, Revisited on SpouseBUZZ. And that's about it. I've been reading The Corner still, but even reading and scrolling sucks while lying down. My kingdom for a Netbook right about now.
Anyway, a link about what a bag Obama is:
Turnabout Is (Hilarious) Fair Play
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I hope we didn't jinx you by telling you all our old horror stories of being ready but overdue;D We should have been more encouraging.
When I had my last baby 49 years ago on the 19th, it was the only birth that I had my water break on it's own. When it did I was very excited and anxious but by the time we got to the hospital I was just eager to see whether it was a boy or girl. It was the easiest birth I had and he was so beautiful the nurses took him around and showed him to the other patients.
There were only TWO babies in the hospital, a small one of the Eastern Shore of Virginia. They waited till around the first of February for their New Year's baby.
Thanks for letting us know how you are doing. I hope the next post is a birth announcement and it is sent out by Daddy.
Posted by: Ruth H at February 10, 2010 11:29 PM (KLwh4)
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Ruth, at this point I would be happy to be overdue. Or just due. But this early stuff bothers me. I feel like I'm fighting nature by trying to avoid gravity and ignore contractions.
Posted by: Sarah at February 10, 2010 11:47 PM (gWUle)
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I too am happy you are there, just laying on your side and waiting. Crossing my fingers (and knees) you remain there till your husband gets home.
Posted by: Trudy at February 11, 2010 09:11 AM (Gp4FX)
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Thanks for keeping us posted. I've been and will be thinking of you (all), and praying.
Posted by: Lucy at February 11, 2010 12:08 PM (YNvUz)
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That happened to me with my first baby. I had her two weeks early after six weeks of contractions, but only 10 days of what you seem to be going through. She was tiny but wonderful. Now she is six inches taller than me and still wonderful.
It will all be okay and worth it, but I know that isn't going to keep you from being anxious about it. All my sisters and I are praying for you. We think we have an in with the Big Guy.
Posted by: Ruth H at February 11, 2010 12:36 PM (19vzx)
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Ask Chuck if you can borrow his Dragon software...
Posted by: Miss Ladybug at February 11, 2010 11:00 PM (vqKnu)
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Sarah, I am glad you're still cooking. I had 2 friends deliver this week, both on Wednesday (in the snowstorms here) and both were girls. I was thinking of you and hoping you too werent in labor. Will your mom be able to stay a few weeks w/you? I hope so. Take care
Posted by: Keri at February 12, 2010 09:05 AM (dtvJC)
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January 17, 2010
THE SHOWER
It's a little embarrassing for me to put this up because it's blatant self-promotion, but here goes...
The Girl has always liked the
post I wrote where I said my life is like one of the characters in an episode of
My Name Is Earl:
Earl goes to do right by the guy he locked in a truck and finds the guy
dead in his apartment. Earl decides the way to make amends is to throw
the man a funeral since he can't seem to find anyone else to do it.
This guy doesn't seem to have had any friends at all. No one knows
anything about him. Earl throws a lame funeral and goes to clean the
man's apartment out. He bumps the computer and finds dozens of IM
screens from the man's online friends.
Turns out the guy's Real Life was all online. He didn't have any close
friends in Camden County, but he had a vibrant social life in online
poker, blogs, and chat rooms. All his online friends came to his second
funeral and sent the man off in style.
My husband turned to me and said, "Oh, honey, he's just like you!" I just nodded because of the lump in my throat.
Only instead of a funeral, she said she'd like to throw me a baby shower this way. Sniff.
If you'd be interested in participating, The Girl set up an email account to organize the virtual shindig. Email her at babygrokshower -at- yahoo.com and she'll fill you in on the details.
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We did this for a friend and it turned out really well.
NOT self promotion. A chance for people to do something nice for you. It feels better than to give than to receive and you just gave us the chance to do so.
Posted by: Amber at January 18, 2010 02:36 PM (+ovkX)
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Amber -- Thank you. I have been feeling funny about this post all day long, but you made me feel better about it. I think it's so touching that any of you care...
Posted by: Sarah at January 18, 2010 03:50 PM (gWUle)
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And might I remind you, dear Sarah, that if you do not give us direction, we will run amok! So this is actually a very polite amd constructive way to acknowledge our desire to do something and make it at least potentially useful!
And thanks to The Girl for doing this!!!!
Posted by: jck at January 18, 2010 08:55 PM (d6k/G)
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Oh, I was hoping something like this would come together! Not that I'm against running amok, but I think jck is right.
Posted by: dutchgirl at January 20, 2010 07:00 PM (Yg8bq)
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January 03, 2010
BORN IN JUST THE RIGHT YEAR
Our power was out for an hour this morning, and I had a random thought once it came back on. It's a good thing I was in college when I was. I spent the majority of my free time without high-speed internet until I was a senior. After that, I read lots of books for fun in grad school because we only had dial-up. And I discovered blogs about three months after I graduated.
How would I have gotten any homework done if there had been blogs when I was in school?
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I've noticed a lot of people seem to be at work when they blog or comment. I've wondered just how badly that has affected productivity. I'm at home and I know it has a big impact on my productivity, i.e. dishes can wait; laundry can wait; supper can wait, I've got very important things to read and write here. Lucky I have no babies, they can't wait.
Posted by: Ruth H at January 03, 2010 01:53 PM (JFseb)
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Sarah,
I managed to blog, comment, and be a professor at the same time. You and I first 'met' during this period. It helped that my office had no Internet connection and I couldn't blog or comment while in the classroom.
Would I have gotten into blogging in the 90s? I don't think so. I ignored politics during that decade which was far more pleasant than
the awful Oughties. I wasn't passionate about the Clintons. I didn't like them, but I didn't think they were going to bring about the end of the world either. I actually started an apolitical blog in 2000 (before I had even heard of the term 'blog') but took it down almost immediately.
Then came 9/11, though a whole year passed before I discovered the blogosphere through
James Hudnall. I had been too busy teaching in 2001-02 to take note of the outside world. I wanted to forget the jihadis and move on. The trouble is that they won't forget us infidels. Not long after Christmas 2009, Kurt Westergaard (what a name, sounding like guard of the West!)
was nearly killed. My eyes are as open as the gates to the West. When will those gates be shut?
Posted by: Amritas at January 03, 2010 04:57 PM (ke9P1)
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I used to blog *while* teaching class. It's what group project time and pop quizzes are for.
I still can't believe how we ever got along without tivo/dvr's.
Posted by: Chuck Z at January 03, 2010 08:32 PM (bMH2g)
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Chuck Z,
I couldn't blog in class because (1) I walked to campus and didn't want to take my laptop with me and (2) my philosophy was that any activity that didn't require me shouldn't have been in the classroom.
I still have no TiVo or DVR!
Posted by: Amritas at January 03, 2010 10:16 PM (ke9P1)
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Chris and I were talking about this the other day. Between facebook, texting and blogs, I don't know how I would have got any schoolwork done in college! I was a computer science major - thank goodness I didn't have all those distractions to keep me from my work! I didn't buy my first cellphone until I graduated college and got a job. That makes me sound and feel like an old fogey!
Posted by: Jen D at January 04, 2010 12:33 AM (h8XAc)
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I've noticed a lot of people seem to be at work when they blog or
comment. I've wondered just how badly that has affected productivity.Depends on the job. I work as a help desk analyst, so I read blogs in-between calls. As soon as the phone rings I answer it, either resolve the problem or get a ticket opened to the correct group that can resolve it and read while I wait for a new call.
I must admit I do find myself losing track of time at home...
Posted by: Patrick Chester at January 04, 2010 04:21 AM (RezbN)
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December 21, 2009
A HARBINGER
In order to give you enough time to change your bookmarks, I am announcing now that I am not renewing my tryingtogrok.com domain for 2010. The old site will still be at
tryingtogrok.mu.nu and this one is at
tryingtogrok.new.mu.nu. I have given up on getting Pixy to help me redirect the site, and am letting it lapse. That gives you readers until the beginning of January to change your links or bookmarks.
And it may portend a bigger change down the road.
I started blogging six years ago, when I was feeling very alone and alienated from my college friend group. I needed an outlet to speak my own mind and work through what I believed. I needed somewhere to
cash those chips. Along the way, I met many wonderful people who shared my worldview, or at least enough of it that we had common ground. My Real Life and my Blog Life started to blend and then tip, and now I'm at the point where I have a mere handful of real life friends and the majority of my connections are with other bloggers or readers.
And I am happy and fulfilled.
And now my blog just doesn't serve as the outlet I once needed it for. If I want to gripe about taxes or guns or health care, I can pick up the phone and call my blog friends. Or I can bang out an email to the person I think will grok. I am no longer alone, and I no longer feel the driving urge to add my two cents to the news, at least not like I did back in 2003.
Being on the internet is my #1 hobby. I spend more time here than I do knitting each day. And while I loathe when people act like having a baby will never again allow them to have a moment to themselves, I am not naive enough to think that once I have a newborn in the house, my hobby time won't be drastically reduced. And frankly, I can't see myself devoting an hour and a half to writing a
blog post about Afghanistan, especially not when it only garners two comments from readers. I feel like I will get more satisfaction out of using that time to call a friend and talk about it instead. Or just reading to keep up on current events, instead of writing
. Blogging has begun to feel very one-sided to me in recent months, like I'm shouting into a canyon, and it's just probably not going to be at the top of my hobby list anymore.
I also have become increasingly self-aware that I am, as Mary Katharine Ham
once said, trying to "avoid being crushed under the weight of [my] own narcissism, banality, and plain old stupidity." The more time I invest in writing posts and get no or little feedback, the more jaded I become. And I don't like feeling like my banal little opinions and ideas are worth anyone else's time. To me, there's nothing more embarrassing than writing a long and time-consuming blog post that I think will set the internet on fire, only to have it sit there with no comments at all. Except, of course, the embarrassment of realizing that I have put myself on this pedestal where I expect people to actually care what my opinions are.
It is a narcissistic hobby, and I don't like the person I am when I inwardly grouse that my post on foreign policy
obviously deserves more comments than that other blogger's post on her weekend trip to the beach.
I'm starting to feel that I've gotten all the good things out of blogging already and that all that's left for me is the narcissism and crushing banality.
But I hate when bloggers just drift away. If I'm in, I'm in, and if I'm out, there will be fanfare and a set date and you'll know it. And I would be out for good, not letting the site sit here so I can randomly post every few months. I am not making any decisions today, just letting you know that I feel like blogging is bringing me diminishing returns. And that I am considering ending my run here on this site after baby arrives, for a variety of reasons.
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I do hope you continue to blog! I'm one of those who reads your blog but (almost) never comments. Not because I don't care about what you've written--I do, and I generally couldn't agree more! But I'm stealing time to read your and other blogs, and just can't justify taking more time to write a meaningful comment. Be assured that I do appreciate your writing, and would be very sorry if you quit.
Posted by: Pat in MN at December 21, 2009 10:53 AM (fkHnE)
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I've been following your baby bump on the Spouse buzz site, and just found this one. I'm sure that once the little one arrives you will have your hands full and the only thing you will be wanting in your spare time will be sleep..not going to the computer to let all of us know how tired you are. One of these days you will look back at this time and wonder how it flew by so fast. Celebrate the little things and enjoy these moments.
Posted by: Laura, A Military Mom at December 21, 2009 10:56 AM (oLHZ3)
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A dearth of comments causes every blogger, at one time or another, to consider the benefits of blogicide. The stranger than fiction part of blogging (at least as far as I've noticed) is that the more banal, trite, ill-conceived, or just plain simple the post, the more comments it garners.
I've written 5,000 word posts that get a couple comments, and I've written a single paragraph that will get 20. I don't have any idea where the mean is, nor do I understand the formula for what makes a post comment-worthy. Somtimes I see blogging simply as a solipsistic exercise. Heck, when I started blogging, it was because I felt I was screaming into the void elsewhere.
Sometimes what I read here just makes me think--and while thinking, I tend not to comment, because I've yet to arrive at a logical (or absurd) conclusion.
Don't fall victim to the comments left by others. It isn't vanity or narcissism to enjoy feedback on your thoughts--I think it's one of the reasons humans learned to speak (well, that and the pursuit of women.) The genius is not in the agreement or disagreement to an opinion or thought that you've had; rather, it lies in the thought itself.
Posted by: Chuck Z at December 21, 2009 10:56 AM (bMH2g)
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As someone whose read/comment ratio is near 5000/1, I would like to say that just because you don't receive feedback doesn't mean you haven't had an effect.
I don't want to stray too far, but in response to Chuck Z, I'd say (from my own perspective at least) a long, obviously well-thought-out post on a serious matter seems to require a like response, whereas a post about a "weekend trip to the beach", or a (seemingly) off-the-cuff paragraph is much easier to respond to. Less hard to follow, so to speak.
Ultimately though, you blog for you not for us. If you aren't being served by it, then use the time to do something which does benefit you. I for one would interpret your silent blog as a sign that your life is more fulfilling, now that you are no longer in need of this outlet. I am much less concerned about what I might lose than what you have gained.
I'll be reading as long as you're writing.
Posted by: Mob at December 21, 2009 11:41 AM (8c34o)
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Your blog seems to have helped you when you needed it to. Now you have different priorities. Still, we, your peripheral virtual friends who have prayed with you over the years, would like to see a baby picture or two once in a while.
My heartfelt best wishes for you and yours this Christmas season, and many more.
Posted by: Glenmore at December 21, 2009 12:31 PM (h/mwe)
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Sarah, I think you're one of the best and most interesting bloggers out there, and hope you will continue with whatever time allocation makes sense for you.
Also, I'm not sure that "number of commenets" is a good indicator of post quality or reader interest level. Sometimes, a post is just so perfectly crafted that it's difficult to find anything to add...
Posted by: david foster at December 21, 2009 01:03 PM (uWlpq)
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I have been reading your blog every day almost immediately after you started it in 2003. It is one of a handful of blogs that I've been reading for six or more years. You have continuously made me think, even during periods when I haven't commented. I would be very sad to see your blog end.
I agree with the others above about comments. There are many blogs and online columns without comments. The absence of comments doesn't stop those authors from writing. My blog has never had comments. Blogging can serve a number of purposes. For me, it is a challenge to try to express myself intelligibly. I think writing in public requires more care than speaking on the phone or a casual email. That care can lead to a better understanding of your own ideas. More grokking. Which is what this blog has always been about ...
Posted by: Amritas at December 21, 2009 05:53 PM (dWG01)
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Oh man...Sarah! I am one of those started out as a reader and happily got to meet you and now call my self a friend,even if it is casual one.
You so often express what I am thinking (OR WOULD if I read what you are reading) so beautifully that I often do not feel like I can say anything meaningful,so I don't.....now I feel sort of bad.
Only sort of because I know you know I value this blog.....
Do what you need to do,but TTG does.. DOES... matter....
Posted by: MaryIndiana at December 21, 2009 07:58 PM (kEAL4)
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It sounds like this will be too little to late, but here it goes...
I have never posted before, but read your blog almost daily. I found your blog about a year ago, and while I never comment, your posts always make me think long after I have shut the computer.
You and your family come first, so do what you need to do with your blog. But don't let the lack of comments make you think that you are "shouting into a canyon" that is empty. I am in that canyon, listening every time you write.
Stephanie in Nova Scotia
Posted by: Stephanie at December 21, 2009 08:23 PM (ccH8C)
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Like the other commenters above who mention never commenting, I ... I lurk. Bad habit, perhaps. But I remember finding your site in 2003, when my now hubby (and then only internet friend(!)) was deployed in Iraq, and learning more about his life.
You see, I'd made the mistake of not grilling him about every little detail of army and specifically national guard life before he went over, and I was living in Canada, too, so I had very very little idea what was happeningto/for him. It's much easier to write the promised weekly letter when you know what's happening on the other end and he ... is still not a letter writer.
Since then I've followed along, and sent plenty of good wishes your way, without wanting to interfere. You were plenty busy already.
So for all those years, thank you.
Posted by: Eowyn at December 21, 2009 08:41 PM (f1QhX)
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K, Sarah, I have a plan. Â I'm going to set you up with permissions on Chuck's blog and I'll post pictures of cute animals and you can post baby pics. Â He'll never know what hit him...
If you decide to quit, I'll miss reading your thoughts. Â But the cool thing will be knowing that it's what you've decided is right for you and that's all that matters.
Posted by: Code Monkey at December 21, 2009 09:24 PM (GN0tT)
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Hubby and I read you every day but never comment. I am a SAHM and love that you keep me up to date on the latest political goings-on without my spending hours on the web. I understand that your time will no longer be your own and too hope that you will keep us updated!
Posted by: Tracey at December 21, 2009 10:58 PM (x+F0t)
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Another "I'll be reading as long as you're writing." vote.
I can't remember how it was that I found your blog, but it's been an enjoyable year. I really enjoy your take on politics, I appreciate that you love and support a military man, and have followed your baby journey, heart in throat.
I very rarely comment, as I feel a bit like a party crasher, but read you very regularly.
That said, you have a lot on your plate, and it's only going to get busier for you. If you do continue to blog, I will gratefully read (and perhaps even comment.), but if you do decide to hang it up, I will put my selfishness aside and wish you and yours the absolute best.
Thanks, either way.
Nicki
Posted by: Nicki Magnuson at December 22, 2009 02:51 AM (fqQct)
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I agree with everything that has been said already. I read you every day. My lack of commenting is often that I feel the effort you have put forth in writing requires some thoughtful research before responding. Or that I agree with what has been said and I could not have put it better. On the occasions I have disagreed I have tried to be more thoughtful in my phrasing than I was at one time.
You are not shouting into an empty canyon. There are a lot of of here who are listening. Reading you has given me strength to stand behind my own opinions out in the real world. My 'real world' includes a set of friends who are 98% liberal Democrats who look at me like I've just carved and eaten a live baby when I say that I'm a conservative. People who dismiss my beliefs by telling me I'm really a Libertarian not a Republican. Yes it's rude of them, but there are people I've known for 20 years or so and that is their way of dealing with how the world has changed and how it has changed us all. It is not worth me arguing at a dinner party (like last week when I thought a friend was literally going to reach across the table and smack me upside the head when I said that I think George Bush has some redeeming qualities as a President and a human being - if looks could kill)
I know that new real life you will have soon is more important than this blog. And I am so happy for you both. But I hope you continue to write. Our country needs the voices of the new Conservatives out there on the web. Your voice has always been thoughtful, reasonable and well researched. Your blog has substance and gravitas. Much needed qualities in a world where most people are more interested in celebrity train wrecks.
I will be reading as long as you continue to write. I hope you continue to do so.
Posted by: Mare at December 22, 2009 07:41 AM (HUa8I)
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Sarah,
I would be sad to see you go. I don't comment often so that I don't end up looking like (being?) some kind of blog stalker--and for some of the reasons others have already mentioned. But I read, and I appreciate the time you put into your posts. They get me thinking, and start discussions in my group of "in real life" friends. I'd miss you.
Posted by: Lucy at December 22, 2009 12:45 PM (YNvUz)
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Well, I'm gonna put on my big girl pants and wish you well in whatever you decide to do...
That said, my vote is very much that I will keep reading as long as you keep writing. You have provided much insight to me on politics, self-realization, and constancy of purpose. I don't recall how I came upon your blog years back, but I do remember that I was struck by how you were able to tackle tough topics with honesty. And along the way you have shared humor, despair and joy - what a gift you have given us.
As a commenter who de-lurked some time back, I still find it hard to find comments worth expressing on your best posts. So I slink back to lurking... I do not think you shout into a canyon, but instead, you communicate to the more distant neighbors in your gulch. At least that is what I hope I am.
My best to you always.
Posted by: jck at December 22, 2009 01:14 PM (d6k/G)
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You were one of my first blog 'friends' when I started blogging, Sarah, like you, in response to a feeling of being alone. . . . I was finishing my dissertation. If my reader showed a new post by you - it was the first one read! I rarely would leave a comment, though, as we hadn't exactly been introduced. Every now and again, though, I would.
I know what you mean about comments. . . . One likes to think that the writing isn't just for the feedback. Here's some feedback for you, though: I have greatly valued your insight and the news items I may not have seen otherwise, if not for you! I have also become very fond of you, your husband and your expected daughter. I've cried for you and prayed for you and I hope and pray that you will be blessed in all that you do - and be a blessing to many! (in whatever way seems best to you)
Posted by: prophet at December 22, 2009 02:59 PM (+wPI3)
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I never comment because I'm technically challenged on this blog site - was worried my email would show up somewhere and I like my privacy. Whenever I tried and it asked for "Mail" I chickened out. I don't see email's posted, so I'll de-lurk for this once.
Do what you love and it will sustain you. If it depletes you, then - in my book, its not worth it. I know you know that already - I don't mean to preach - just share.
Congratulations on getting pregnant - and am I ever jealous of your ultrasounds. The Army paid for absolutely none for me - as my kid was born in 1992 and it was not included in routine pregnancies then. The Army used to not pay for an epidural, either. Horror stories at FT Bragg. Now I'm sounding old. By my second child, I did get one picture - because I had a small complication with my cervix and I qualified as a bit higher risk, I guess.
So, the up side of starting off high risk means, perhaps, cool ultrasounds and what a start to a baby/memory book those are!
Your knitting is adorable. If you choose to stop posting here, I hope you will continue at SpouseBuzz and you can also show your knitting at Ravelry
Happy knitting and mommyhood to you!
AWIV (Army Wife in Virginia)
Posted by: awiv at December 22, 2009 08:22 PM (Fq5g7)
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OK, now I feel better about not writing much since Ivan Sigovich was born. =)
I rarely comment anywhere. One of the disadvantages of the web journal format over earlier common methods of online discourse (e.g. the bulletin board system, Usenet newsgroups, discussion fora) is that it tends to isolate us into our own little yards. Sites like LiveJournal combat this tendency by aggregating people into social groups, making it easy to find friends by interest and keep up with their writing, but it's still very isolating at times, especially if (like me) you insist on having an independent, unnetworked blog.
(It should be noted that group blogs such as SpouseBuzz fall somewhere in between--a happy medium?)
Things like RSS readers make it easier to keep up with my sites of interest, but make it that much less interactive, since I'm not even loading the original page.
What was my point?
Oh yeah. You're (obviously) not as isolated as it sometimes feels. But I totally get the idea that there isn't going to be much room or need in your life for this outlet.
I would urge you, however, not to hang up the line entirely. Keep that login and password handy for the occasional cute baby story and/or picture, and just in case the muse whacks you over the head again.
I write once a month, maybe, lately. But I will keep renewing the domain (although I may change systems), in part because I have a small (and occasionally fanatical) following, but mostly because I know I will deploy again in a year or two, and I guarantee I will have things that need saying via unofficial channels.
The baby has dropped something of vital importance outside of the crib. He was repeating "Uh oh" a few moments ago, and has now graduated to soft crying. I'd better go check on that.
Sig
Posted by: Sig at December 23, 2009 12:04 AM (/Mv9b)
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Sarah - I totally get this. I quit "issues" blogging about two years ago, but when I was blogging, I could spend hours researching and writing a post, meticulously embedding relevant links, etc., only to have one comment. But throw up a dumb photo of a protester outside of Walter Reed and the comments came flying in. That was certainly discouraging.
I agree with Chuck that you can't judge a blog, or appreciation for your "work" because yes, often it is work, on the basis of comments. But as a blogger, when you write substantive posts on matters which are important to you, you do enjoy the feedback readers provide. The conversational nature of blogging and the relationship between blogger and reader is interesting, and fun.
I'll admit that there are many, many times I miss having a place to cash my chips, but I also understand that life gets hectic, priorities shift and sometimes there's not room for everything we'd like to fit into our lives. You have to do what's best for you and your family.
If you hang it up, your voice will truly be missed. You are one of the most thoughtful and intelligent bloggers out there. Whatever you decide, I'm just happy that we're able to see each other several times a year and I can use those opportunities to talk to you about current events. I'll take what I can get.....
Posted by: Andi at December 23, 2009 07:50 AM (KV0dW)
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Not sure how my paragraph breaks disappeared.....
Posted by: Andi at December 23, 2009 07:52 AM (KV0dW)
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Hey there. I've been meaning to call you and stupid life has gotten in the way ; ) So a few things for us to discuss later. 1) let''s talk about your IT needs and what is/is not going on with the redirection 2) your blog kicks ass 3) let's talk about your IT tracking and how much harder it is for even me to remember new.mu.nu not to mention what it would do to your google page rank - should you care 4) don't forget sometimes with a baby in the house the only time to talk/hash out intelligent thoughts are well after the appropriate time to dial up a friend for a chat 5) why do you think there are so many mommy-bloggers in the universe - it's still good to have an outlet and especially one that already feels like a home 6) people are shy! even those who appear extroverted. Not to mention the fact that it's daunting to jump into a high level political conversation with an expert 7) I still believe in magic. and fate.
all said, I fully support any decision you make. But I encourage you at a minimum, to keep the tryingtogrok domain in your name. dude. really. it's 9.95 or less. I know you're cheap ; ) but let's chat and I'll give you more reasons why you should.
Posted by: Lane at December 24, 2009 12:20 AM (PGU9C)
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Lane -- Well, then I've been doing something wrong for six years, because I pay $30 per year for the domain...
I will call you soon.
Posted by: Sarah at December 24, 2009 08:11 AM (gWUle)
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Please keep us updated ... and if your email changes I'd love to have it if you do drift away! Trivial or not trivial comments be damned ... your support in both the mil and infertility world has been highly appreciated and valued! You are one of three friends I have met online that can not only understand what I'm going through but have none just the right bits to say to keep me on my feet and from totally destructing on my boy. Thank you again! (And I love the narcissm quote, was watching Julie and Julia movie last night and was totally reminded of that same rant. Was realizing I either needed to buck up with a point to my blog or perhaps shut up all together as well. Interesting jaded point we all come too ... the entire synopsis of your thing.)
:;hugs:: hope to meet you someday!
Posted by: Darla at December 26, 2009 11:10 AM (XvIN7)
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November 30, 2009
SLOW NEWS WEEK
All's well that
ends well in Honduras. Good for them.
(Slow news week, eh? A short list of things I don't care about: Tiger Woods, White House party crashers, the recordings from Flight 188, Christmas shopping tips, and everything else that's been on the news since Thanksgiving.)
Posted by: Sarah at
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Well, I am a little interested in the White House party crashers, but only in as much as it had the potential for a nasty security situation. I don't care who the president happens to be, the Secret Service, et al (realizing they aren't the only ones involved - ahem, social staff, ahem...) should have a better handle on such things. Next time, it might not just be a couple of ladder-climbers looking to hob-nob with the rich, famous & powerful....
Posted by: Miss Ladybug at November 30, 2009 07:30 PM (vqKnu)
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What about Christmas Cookies. I'm not ready for Christmas yet but Cookies? Yeah, I need to start making some. I think I will start with old fashioned molasses like my grandmother used to make. ::wanders off in pursuit of flour::
Posted by: Lemon Stand at November 30, 2009 08:09 PM (pwdPs)
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Lemon -- I bought ingredients to make some this week and mail to my husband's team. My favorite:
Terminator cookies.
Posted by: Sarah at November 30, 2009 08:51 PM (gWUle)
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Miss Ladybug,
When I first heard about the party crashers, I thought,
leaky security! You and I were on exactly the same page.
I was going to write Sarah a letter called "Why People Care about the Crashers and Why People
Should Care". You just made the argument for the latter. As for the former, I think it's because people are fascinated with status-seeking, and party-crashing is a way to break social barriers - a shortcut to the top.
I don't care about any of the other stuff Sarah mentioned. Not even Honduras. I know that's cold, but if Obama hadn't behaved ... a certain way, I wouldn't even know what had happened. Sadly, something horrible could happen in Honduras tomorrow, next month, whenever and hardly any non-Hondurans in the US, including me, would notice as long as Obama wasn't involved. How many Americans can find Honduras on a map? I couldn't; I know it's in Central America, but that's the extent of my limited knowledge.
I am not proud of my ignorance. But it reflects my priorities. I am an American nationalist, not a global affairs expert. This doesn't mean I know nothing about the outside world. On the contrary, I have devoted my life to studying other languages and cultures. I am hesitant to take a stand about Honduras because I am all too aware of how the media can oversimplify and distort what's happening far away. Consider this: if they can't even accurately depict what's happening in this country, how can be they be remotely right about alien nations, especially when they don't speak the language? And those do speak the language may not be very perceptive or may have their own agenda. Be skeptical.
What do I think should have been in the news recently?
My top story would have been Climategate which Sarah nicely covered in
her next post. A story about
global warming should surely take precedence over whatever happened between Tiger Woods and his wife.
On the domestic political front, what do people here think about Huckabee and clemency? Can he run in 2012 after
what happened in Lakewood?
Anyone have any other suggestions for important but (relatively) ignored news stories?
Posted by: Amritas at December 01, 2009 06:05 PM (+nV09)
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November 24, 2009
SARAH PALIN BOOK SIGNING
When the book tour stop was announced in my town,
Lorie Byrd contacted me and asked if I planned to go see Sarah Palin. I really hadn't considered it at all: standing in line for hours didn't seem like a fun idea while six months pregnant. And I'm not really an "autograph person"; I'd rather hear someone's ideas than just shake her hand. They had said Palin would not give a speech, and I didn't see much point in just getting her to scribble in a book with a sharpie. (Sorry, that's how I see autographs.) But I thought it could be fun to see Lorie, and we were on the same page that if it was too much of a zoo, we wouldn't wait all day in line.
Lorie decided that maybe one of her friends in high places could get us a better deal. She contacted a big-time blogger who checked into it. I had no illusions whatsoever that we would get special treatment, and we just headed to the signing like everyone else. But on the drive there, we got a call from Andrew, one of the organizers for the event. Amazingly enough, he gave us the VIP treatment. We got special seats within the inner circle of velvet ropes to watch the preparations and festivities. The staff was working hard and really efficiently. And Andrew even brought fatty fat me donuts.
When Sarah Palin arrived, we were the first people she greeted: me, Lorie, and another blogger from
Conservatives4Palin. Yay for the perks of new media!
They got the ball rolling right away and she started signing books. The staffers moved everyone through efficiently and briskly, yet Sarah Palin had this amazing way of making you feel like you weren't rushed. She shook everyone's hands, asked people their names, held babies, and really made each person feel like the most special person in line. All while the staff moved like clockwork around her to hustle as many people through the line as possible. It was impressive.
We sat for a bit from our VIP chairs, trying to catch a photo of Palin in between fans. It wasn't easy. Lorie and I laughed and showed each other all of our blurry and bad photos. I only had one that was even remotely OK.
The staff then put Lorie and me into the line. They told Palin we were bloggers and that my husband is in Afghanistan. She said to tell him that she loves him for what he does, and then she pointed at my belly and asked how I was doing. She was as charming as can be.
Lorie's motto is "it doesn't hurt to ask," so she had asked if there was someone else from Palin's entourage we could briefly interview for our blogs. After we got our books signed, the staff showed up with Sarah Palin's father for us to chat with. Lorie asked him how the tour was going so far, but he had just flown in to join the tour the night before. He was super nice. I asked how his grandson was doing after his deployment, and we chatted a bit about how hot it gets in Iraq and about my husband being in Afghanistan. It was so nice of Mr. Heath to spend a few minutes with us. He was delightful as well.
I still can't believe Lorie had the guts to get us access. I am an absolute nobody, but we got treated so well and like real VIPs. And Sarah Palin is an genius at making everyone around her feel special and appreciated. She really made it feel like
she was the one who was lucky to meet all 4,000 of us, and not the other way around. Now that's charisma.
I had a good time, and I'm glad Lorie is the type of gal who's a go-getter, otherwise I never would've had the day I had. And a special thanks to Andrew for treating a couple of bloggers like VIPs.
Further reading:
Lorie's post
Posted by: Sarah at
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I've been waiting to read this story, and it's even better than I expected! You are a VIP and you deserve VIP treatment. But you are
not "fatty fat"!
I never understood the big deal about autographs, so I wouldn't have gone if I had the chance. I too think ideas are more important than hand-shaking. Nonetheless, I'm glad you did. Not just a moment with Sarah Palin herself, but a few minutes with her father!
I too have difficulty taking photos when I most need to. I wish I had a video camera strapped to my head so I could search the footage for usable stills later. Then again, I'd look pretty silly ... though I already do without the camera.
Posted by: Amritas at November 24, 2009 02:27 PM (+nV09)
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Thankyou and your husband for you service and your selfishness for our country. I am glad to see that my faith in Palin is not misplaced. from your post it seems Gov Palin treated you and all 4500 people there with the respect and dignity that american citizens deserve. I think Palin understands that we are not subjects but citizens of the greatest country in the world.
Posted by: unseen at November 24, 2009 05:35 PM (aVGmX)
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oops should be selflessness....
Posted by: unseen at November 24, 2009 05:37 PM (aVGmX)
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I'm not a big autograph fan myself. I just wanted to meet the governor and shake her hand and look into her eyes. Sarah said she liked my shirt which had the American Flag on it and said "the price of freedom is not free".
It is certainly one of the more memorable experiences in my life. I have been telling everybody about it.
Posted by: Bill Morgan at November 24, 2009 10:41 PM (tww4r)
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I hear you re. autographs. I would just like the chance to meet her (I already have her autograph from a thank you card I received back in February anyway).
Cool that you have a chance to talk with her Dad. I live in Des Moines, IA and hope to get up to her book signing in Sioux City (wish it were closer though).
Posted by: Shane Vander Hart at November 24, 2009 11:23 PM (ul+TO)
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Just wanted to say that it was a pleasure meeting you and Lorie on Monday.
Looks like one of the other editors at C4P
linked the two of yours posts about the book signing earlier today.
BTW, where's the rest of those doughnuts anyhow?
Sinistar
www.conservatives4palin.com
Posted by: Sinistar at November 25, 2009 12:51 AM (XGG0V)
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Good for Lorie!
My version of her motto is: If you don't ask, you don't get.
Posted by: Rob at November 25, 2009 12:28 PM (TtKVL)
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I am so jealous in a good way. I got the book several days early (thanks careless stock boy at Marsh!) and considered going up to her book stop in Noblesville. But like you,not an autograph person. Plus, I knew it would be a mad house. Plus, the whole...work thing!
What was funny to me was that a couple came into the office to sign their Wills and started arguing about the best time to go up to see the Gov. and just general strategy. They were in the conference room and the wife said "You make me miss my chance to meet Sarah and I will be a widow and and an heiress and a criminal all at ONCE!"
Posted by: MaryIndiana at November 25, 2009 09:13 PM (CYug5)
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What a neat experience!!
Have you finished her book? If so, I'm interested to hear what you thought of it.
Posted by: Tootie at December 05, 2009 11:31 PM (E6IKW)
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STATUS UPDATE
How I would write it on Facebook, if I posted such thoughts as these on Facebook:
Sarah is enjoying a bit of schadenfreude that the folks at Sadly, No are
getting belittled.
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Sarah,this makes me very happy as well. Their obsession with you has been strange to say the least. So to see Andrew take treat them so dismissively....fab-u-lous.
Posted by: MaryIndiana at November 24, 2009 11:45 AM (CYug5)
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October 03, 2009
PLAYING SPACEMAN
I'm leaving today to check off some more states on my
list. I'm headed to visit my grandparents for a week. They have dial-up, so I probably won't be around much.
I plan to ask my grandmother umpteen more questions about birthing and raising 13 children in the 1950s and 60s.
(Rats, I can't embed
this.)
Posted by: Sarah at
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Next week she tells them to go play in the street....
Posted by: Pamela at October 04, 2009 12:49 AM (RTpvv)
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Sarah, this is not a comment on your last entry, but rather for me to provide the address of a blog I just found (and which I assume your husband is aware of) but on the off chance he doesn't thought it would be of interest to him. Hope all is well with you both. Regards, Rosie
http://blog.freerangeinternational.com/?p=2189
Posted by: Rosie at October 04, 2009 09:30 PM (7pPiG)
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Hi Sarah, I'm a lurker on your site. I love your perspective on things. I hope I can trouble you and your other readers for a favor.
I have a friend in VA who runs a small dog cat and horse rescue and also does military pet fosters as needed. She is participating in an on-line contest trying to raise funds for spay/neutering in her area. http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/shelterchallenge.faces?siteId=3
Lost Fantasy Stables Animal and Rescue Inc. in VA
the site recalls last vote for folks. You have to id an animal to confirm vote ie lion,tiger, dog, mouse.
Thanks for adding to the votes.
Posted by: Teresa VanHove at October 06, 2009 07:02 PM (dkExz)
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Hope you enjoy your jaunt around the states! And don't quiz your grandma too hard! (Unless you get smart and brew a pot of tea to quench her soon to be parched palate from sharing all the important details with you! )
Posted by: Darla at October 11, 2009 06:24 AM (uIZoj)
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September 27, 2009
I GOT THE COOKIE
SpouseBUZZ Live is going well, as usual. It was nice to see each other, and we're all very relieved that we didn't have to deliver WifeUnit's baby. She was supposed to come this weekend and instead decided to stay home and deliver a preemie. Holy cow. I wonder who is bigger, the baby or
his ewok?
I also got a very touching gift this weekend.
FbL attended the event to represent Soldiers' Angels, and she brought me a blogging inside joke gift, one that first puzzled me but then sunk in.
She brought be a big bag of
cookies...
And it made me sniffle a little.
Leaving for home soon. Tomorrow is my last day of work.
Posted by: Sarah at
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Don't cry when you eat the cookies. They're more edible than
medals!
Save some for after work tomorrow. You deserve them!
Posted by: Amritas at September 27, 2009 04:33 PM (h9KHg)
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They made us put it in a BioHazard ziploc bag but his Ewok is remaining close by his head and keeping him safe.
Posted by: wifeunit at September 27, 2009 08:57 PM (45B2o)
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I'm so glad it touched you. I knew it was a bit offbeat and I couldn't tell 100% from your reaction. I'm glad the message came through.
Posted by: FbL at September 27, 2009 09:18 PM (HyNTm)
Posted by: David Boxenhorn at September 30, 2009 03:38 AM (We7y9)
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