1. The world is wide open. Endless possibilities hemming in only by ultimate agenda and short term outcome. It's shockingly easy to get what you want if you know what you want.

2. All age clubs need $5 mil insurance, a lawyer, an accountant, and some form of institutional affiliation just for the sake of insurance.

3. At least one year to run riot. Hmm.

1. I played with one of my dance teacher's fan veils last night AND NOW I AM OBSESSED WITH THEM. (This video, for the curious.) I have no money to spend on shiny things at the moment, at least until payday. And then I really shouldn't drop $100 on a new prop and DVDs to learn it. Especially since I did just drop something like $200 on some new dance clothes and a normal silk veil not that long ago. Fucking expensive ass hobbies.

2. ZOMG DANCE PERFORMANCE IS NEXT THURSDAY. I need to test out my costumes to make sure all the bits fit the way they should and see how long it takes me to change (because I have to change TWICE). And practice doing the cat eye makeup thing from The Hairpin.

3. Next week is going to be so absolutely crazypants busy. What has my life become?

Get use to wearing crazypants.
It makes it more fun when you take them off.

1. I got a TAship for next year! Woohoo! It's been really hard to find TAships this year owing to the loss of some grants etc. Though I'm kind of scared. I've been riding through this PhD on five years of fellowship so I really know nothing about teaching. This is going to be a one-on-one autotutorial sort of class though, which sounds fun, at least in theory. Anyway the TAship is a good one, pays just as well as my fellowship (as well as my astronomical tuition and healthcare) so I'm really relieved.

2. Freaking out about my committee meeting.

3. The cluster is ALWAYS busy. How am I supposed to run programs if all the cores are always occupied?

I am shocked you get health care. What field?

1. I took my one-hour gestational diabetes test this morning. Glad to have knocked that off the to-do list after I felt like the office gave me the run around on when, where and how to do it (they're beginning to annoy me). I better freakin' pass after I bought six boxes of Cadbury Caramel Eggs on clearance yesterday.
2. Is it watermelon season yet? Summer needs to hurry up and get here. I want watermelon.
3. That's all I got.

I'm going to wear a pregnancy belly in sympathy for my friend when we go out, so it's two preggos on the town. I will be the one smoking and drinking.
When you due, proto-mommy? Someone else I know is due in May.

We are going to have the most awesome maternity wear I can get.

July. Good luck finding "awesome" maternity wear.

Yay peacheater! News so exciting, MeCha knew it had to tell us twice!

I'm making it.

1) Tidied up a duplicate comment for a happy person.

2) Think I'm single again. Well, I'm 99.9% sure I am. Bah, 100%

3) My sad guts are starting to allow me to eat again. Hearts, eh?

I am not and have never been pregnant. I have the world's most comfortable sweater that is supposedly maternity wear.

1. I woke up this morning feeling worse than I did yesterday - and yesterday I felt as if I'd eaten a ball of barbed wire. Luckily I was working from home today so I've been able to take it easy, I only set foot outside the door to drag the bins out to the kerb.

2. I've got the post-holiday blues. I want to be on holiday all the time.

3. I've been dating since I got back - two nice men last weekend, and I'm being taken out for lunch on Sunday by a local farmer. I find this dating business terrifying, but I go into the dates with low expectations these days (after several horror dates) that I'm not disappointed if the dates don't pan out.

ethylene, my field is computational biology, but the healthcare is standard for pretty much all fields if you get any sort of financial support here (Cornell). You have to pay extra for dental or vision though. I save all that up for when I go to India.

Thanks sperose!

I actually have a 4. to add -- just found out that two of my friends have had their babies -- one last week and one today! Pretty exciting. These are the first few people I know of with babies so I have no idea how to behave. Am I supposed to be taking over casseroles of food right now? Help!

I've worn maternity clothes. I point it out as well. No one knows the difference.

I am not and have never been pregnant. I have the world's most comfortable sweater that is supposedly maternity wear.

Sorry to hear your news, richat.

1. I actually *am* pregnant, and yeah, awesome maternity wear is an oxymoron. First baby as a direct result of two people meeting on MetaChat, oh yeahhhhh!

2. I really wish I could make chicken soup for all you who are ailing from colds or broken hearts. Poor bunnies.

3. And me, I need some chicken soup too. My office is cold and it's raining and I want a nap.

Recipe for Heartbreak Soup. Read Heartbreak Soup. It's diverting, it is.
I'm guessing this isn't "the one" from years ago?

Thanks folks.

No, this is the first real sorta RELATIONSHIP-Y thing that happened after my marriage ended a few years back. We were kinda great together, but it seems like we've hit a roadblock that is a stopper.

Sorry about the breakup richat :(

I feel like specklet's #1 is WAY COOLER NEWS than mine :-)

Guess that's sort of obvious though! I'm gonna have to get back to Portland now!

I'm making it.

Couture maternity, oo la la! I hope you'll share some pics!

Drapery, supportive paneling, whatthehey--

I'm sure I've said this before but it requires repeating: yay babies! :)

1. I'm going through one of my "don't wanna do anything but read" phases. Which is not good when one is working from home and has Things that must be done by Friday.

2. Hopefully by this time next week I will be out of the operating room for the minor surgery I'm having. The whole no eating after midnight when my surgery is at 1p is distressing. I like eating. And if I focus on the not eating thing, I won't have room for worrying about unlikely but not impossible complications.

3. I did get my act together and gave the pups baths this weekend much to their dismay. I even took the furminator to them -- mostly girl pup as she sheds what seems like her weight in hair every week. The new vacuum sucks up dog hair nicely.

4. Bbq potato chips are just too damn tasty.

Babies! OMG! Congrats, O Speckled one!*

1. My order of The Hunger Games trilogy and the first four books of the Game of Thrones series arrived yesterday. I've already finished the first two books of The Hunger Games. So good!

2. I also have never been pregnant and never will be. As far as I know I have never owned a piece of maternity wear.

3. The mister brought home some Smokey BBQ potato chips that had a bit of spiciness that sneaks up on you. They were awesome.

*You and the handsome Mr.F need to get in here with an official announcement so we can all ooh and ahh!

1. Finally got the last articles (from 1899) I need for a research paper this morning. Research is done - now I just need to write the thing (though if anyone has digitalized versions of the Lutheran or Lutheran Observer from 1894-1900, I'd appreciate them).
2. I really don't know when all my final papers are due. I should get on that.
3. The good thing about having to wake up early two days in a row to read the scripture lessons in Chapel is that I at least get to read the stories consecutively. Luke 3, spread over two days. Not bad, not bad.

1) Taxes are done. Kind of frustrated that I work as hard as I do and *this* is what I have to show for it, but hey, at least I'm getting a sizable refund (it was not too long ago that I owed a pretty significant amount of back-taxes to the Feds and it took a lot of scrimping and diligence to pay that off...ugh. Never again. Self-employment FTL)

2) The end of the semester is nigh, and I'm in a pretty good position to do what I need to do in both of my classes to pull of needed grades. Then, vacation. Sweet, sweet vacation.

3) That's all I got. I'm boring. Work and school. School and work. Blah.

Sorry to hear about that, richat. It's always a bummer.

"Bbq potato chips are just too damn tasty." - Too damn right.

1. Discovered oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies.
2. 2 doctors appointments in 3 days. Nothing major.
3. Bought a bike last week and I am able to go much farther to start than I anticipated. I continue to live under the delusion that I will someday return to work.

Boo breakup, boo post holiday blues, YAY BABIES!
1. Weekend job hasn't killed me: my body may kill me first.
2. Listening to James Taylor right now cause it makes me feel like singing.
3. Catlap.
4. Little Napoleon called and may have future work for me. Dislike him and his toxic atmosphere but I need $ to eat cake. Yeah, mixed up metaphor.

Congrats Specklet & the Don! What whuffleiffic news!

1. Had a nice visit with my mom at her assisted living apartment yesterday. I usually bring lunch, but since it's Passover and my mom's observant (so no pizza -- she loves pizza), we ate in the dining room there. It's pretty nice, a bit like an aging cruise ship, with linen napkins and table cloths and waiters with bowties. Except for the loud outburst from a lady at a nearby table after another lady approached and suggested she was talking too loud (which she was). Unfortunately, the suggestion only made said lady freak and shout louder. I leaned in and told my mom not to worry, I work with temperamental teenagers.

2. I finally ordered two new air conditioners for us (our old ones died), after spending hours online trying to work out the logistics of third floor delivery and window versus portable. I settled on two 8,000 BTU GE window units from Home Depot. They offered free home delivery -- I'm just hoping the third floor won't be a problem (I listed it in the delivery instructions, and I tip well/fingers crossed). I also have to get someone to install the one in the den that overhangs the sidewalk (don't wanna squash our octogenarian landlady while she's feeding her stray cat). I found this Russian guy named Ivan who has good reviews on Yelp who apparently will install window units, so I might give him a call (I know, sounds a bit fishy, but he got lots of great reviews). The bedroom one overhangs the roof, so at least we can put that one in ourselves. I fear we're in for a hot summer.

3. Survivor's on, and Jon brought me cheesesteak, so bye!

Ooo, new ACs! We need another AC this year; we only have one in our bedroom and after suffering last summer, I don't want to have a no-AC living room again.

Right on, Specklet! That news makes me so happy!

Warmest congratulations on the news, Specklet and TheDonF! A new Oregonian!

1. Wife is pretty much demanding to take to to Europe this Sept. for my retirement. How can I refuse?

2. Will retire Sept 30 then work for six more months, "double dipping," while they figure how how to replace me. So next Ap 1 is the real date.

3. Spent all night last night hugging the toilet. . .that phase is gone but still under the weather. Slept for most of the day.

1. (amended) Take ME to Europe, up there.

1. Sorry to hear this, richat :-(

2. Great news, specklet!

3. I'm even more boring than ufez.

1. No *I'm* the most boring!

2. Realised I hadn't officially congratulated Specklet and TheDonF because I guess favoriting the mefi comment in which Specklet alluded to her pregnancy doesn't really count. (or does it, in this day and age? Maybe so!) Regardless, congratulations, you two! Damn, I need to get out to the west coast sooner rather than later.

3. Bummer, richat.

I'm on vacation.

It's pretty rad.

I basically spent today surrounded by smiling and laughing people. That's pretty much all I want in life.

I thought I already posted to this thread but apparently not.

1. Congrats Specklet and TheDonF! I think that makes three of us pregnant Mechazens right now.

2. Got engaged the other night! Woohoo!

3. My mother is in the hospital with ALS-related breathing problems. Not good.

Congrats amro! Wowie.

Man, it never ceases to amaze me how we all ebb and flow. I've seen times here wherein I felt like life was great, and others were not having a great time. Then...I'm having a shitty time, and it always buoys my spirits to see how great things are for other people here.

So, you know, carry on and all that!

Oooh amro congrats on both fronts!

And thanks for all the best wishes, guys!

WHUFFLES FOR ALL!