LOST is Zooming Ahead!

**LOST spoilers ahead. Proceed with Caution**

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I have been non-stop busy since watching the last LOST episode. This is the first moment I've had to sit down and type up my thoughts and notes.

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Let's dive in.

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1) The gal who was a protector of Jacob...her name is Ilana. I am typing that first because I keep forgetting it. She wasn't even in this episode. But I want to be sure that I have her name handy next time I need it.

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2) Jack has a SON! Yowser! His name is David and he is a genius at playing the piano. Why is it that Hurley is having the best luck ever and Jack still seems to be floundering in his life. Haha. I think it has something to do with what Jacob said...Some people can be told what to do and others have to sit and look at the ocean for a while. Jack just doesn't seem capable of taking an easy path. He always has to have some sort of angst going...much of it self-inflicted.

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3) Hubby thinks that Christian, in all time lines, was never on the plane. He questions whether or not the man was even ever really dead. He is racking his brain trying to remember if Jack saw his father's body in the coffin in the first season or if it was just assumed that Christian was in the coffin. Hubby is also thinking of lots of possibilities for if Christian really did die in Australia what might have happened to his body. I have not a clue and am currently too tired to speculate. But if you have a theory I would love to hear it. :)

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4) Claire is CRAZY! Whether she is infected or not, she has definitely been "claimed" by the BSM. I wasn't sure if the BSM was really bad. Some have speculated that it was Jacob who was the baddie on the Island, but I think the BSM lying to Claire about the location of her son and setting her up in such a bad place proves that BSM is the baddie.

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When Claire killed the Other (the one I had wanted to live because he seemed honest and nice), I knew it was coming. I closed my eyes and turned the volume way down, I would have muted it but Hubby didn't want to miss any dialogue. I didn't either, but was willing to sacrifice a small amount of dialogue for not hearing the sounds of the axe landing. YUCK! That was just wrong Claire. And did everyone get a good look at her replacement baby? That thing was Freaky!

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I am concerned about Jin's safety. I'm glad that he told Claire that he lied about Kate. In Claire's current state of mind I think she would not only have killed Kate, but anyone else who had been involved in Aaron's leaving the Island.

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And speaking of Aaron leaving the Island, what is with Claire acting like Aaron was stolen right out from under her nose. The girl walked away from her son. She just left. What were the other castaways supposed to do? Let Aaron lie there in the jungle until the BSM or Polar Bears got him?

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5) I thought it was great that Hurley wrote Jacob's instructions on his forearm. The LOST writers have done a great job keeping their characters true to the character they first gave them. I loved when Hurley was confronted by the "Samurai" and awkwardly told him that he was a candidate and so could go wherever he wanted. Hilarious! And then the Samurai walking away muttering...the Lost writers have such a fun sense of humor.

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6) I am thoroughly enjoying the Jacob character. I love the smirk he got when Hurley asked if he had any ideas about how to get Jack to follow him. That was GREAT! I also enjoyed Jacob revealing to Hurley a bit about how he operates. As Jacob explained, I thought How like life! Sometimes we can be told which direction we ought to take but other times we have to find our path a different way.

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7) There were a few set-ups for later episodes:

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Shannon's inhaler by the caves. I read that she is coming back at some point this season. I don't know which timeline, but since we've already seen Boone and Charlie in Sideways, I figure that she will show up there too. BTW Sideways, I've learned, is the title for the timeline in which the bomb worked and no one goes to the Island.

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The identity of David's Mom, Jack's ex. Now that will be a fun reveal...if the Lost writers deem it relevant to the story.

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And Jacob's plan for everyone else. That lighthouse was Fantastic! Beautiful build, beautiful stones. Hubby and I would have liked to see what the other numbers showed. If we could see Hurley's house or Sayid's. But of course, Jack being Jack, smashed everything before any other secrets could be revealed. That man drives me crazy sometimes! He tried so hard to not be affected that he acts stupidly and impulsively much, much too often.

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Well, that's all I'm going to write tonight. I am exhausted. I know there is lots more that I didn't mention. Sorry. But if you want to write me about it, I'd love to read it. You all know how much I love the theorize about Lost...just not tonight. ;)

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Good Night!! Sweet Dreams!!!

Being Productive

I feel so productive and happy right now. My nails are black and my back is a bit sore, but I am completely HAPPY!! I had such a great day.

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First, I have to apologize to anyone who logged on to the "Transplanting Trees" post. My computer is having serious issues. I had downloaded my pictures using Hubby's laptop and thought I could add the words using my computer. I spent an hour and a half typing up what basically amounted to a as a tutorial for transplanting trees. It was a really great post. And then my computer went funky, closed one page, opened another, and reverted to the picture only post, which it then posted...even though I hadn't pushed the post button. Ey-yah! I was so mad I wanted to throw something or punch a wall. Isn't it great how pregnancy amplifies whatever emotion you are feeling? Haha! Luckily, Hubby knows how to deal with my amplified feelings now and was able to help me calm down. Sheesh! I'm such a mess sometimes. :)

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Anyhoo, the full Transplanting Trees post is forthcoming. I just have to re-type it all using Hubby's laptop (the computer I am using currently). Don't expect it for a few days though.

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So, back to my great day.

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I had an OB appointment this morning. The baby boy is doing great. He is currently head down. Cross your fingers he stays that way. As I was sitting in the waiting room, I noticed a magazine advertising an inside scoop into the current season of LOST. Of course, I immediately grabbed it and started reading. It was a great article. Except it made me feel kind of stupid. Remember all the numbers that I mentioned in the last post...I did NOT make the connection to the numbers Jacob had written and THE numbers. I am going to blame the pregnancy for dulling my mind. Haha!

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After that Mr. J had a visit from his CASA worker. She wanted to observe him in our home...see how he interacted with me and Cakes. I was nervous about having my parenting skills observed and analyzed, but the visit was more like a visit than an observation. Hooray! I had a lovely conversation with the CASA worker while Mr. J, Cakes, and I played. She is a nice and compassionate lady who is honestly looking out for Mr. J's best interest. That makes me happy. The little foster kids need all the people they can to look out for them. I'm thrilled to have such a great advocate for Mr. J.

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This afternoon the weather was idyllic. Big white fluffy clouds. Cool temperatures with a slight breeze. Hubby had brought me home a wonderful surprise last week...a new set of pruners. I am the proud owner of Bypass Pruners for pruning live growth and Anvil Pruners for pruning dry branches. With such a perfect afternoon, I decided to break out the pruners. My hibiscus plants have been in desperate need of some pruning. They grew so quickly the roots couldn't support the weight of the top. It took quite a lot of pruning before they could stand up straight on their own. My kids think they look pitiful and scraggly now. I told them to just wait. Hibiscus grow like crazy and their flowers will bloom again.

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I also pruned my five citrus trees and the plum and peach trees in my backyard. Again, my kids think they look a bit scraggly now. I told them to just wait and watch. I used it as a teaching experience to talk about making choices in life. There are so many ways we can grow and we have to make choices. My kids thought we would only cut off bad or dead branches. They were surprised to see me cutting off healthy branches and new growth. I explained that life works the same way for us. Sometimes there are several good branches, several good opportunities, but we have to make a choice if we want our tree to grow up healthy and balanced. It was great seeing the understanding in my kids' eyes.

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The only bad thing that happened with the pruning is that I forgot to put on latex gloves before I started applying the pruning paint. I ended up with that sticky paint all over my hands. It wouldn't have been that big a deal, except tonight I was attending my first Quilt Group Meeting! Aaack!

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I scrubbed and scrubbed my hands, but the paint would not come off and the stickiness did not lessen. Luckily, I had a stroke of genius. I smeared Bag Balm all over my hands then put latex gloves over them. And off I went to the meeting. My hands were clean and usable and by the end of the meeting the bag balm had worked off most of the pruning paint. Now only the edges of my fingernails are black and all stickiness is gone.

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The quilt meeting was a blast. Four other ladies showed up. Three had sewing machines, one brought all her cutting gear, and I manned the iron. We managed to put together a super cute and super scrappy lap-sized quilt top. One of the ladies took a picture and said she would e-mail it to me. When I get it, I'll post a copy here. The quilt top turned out very well and I felt so happy that I could contribute. Plus it was fun to just get together with a bunch of ladies and just listen to them talk. I grew up with a bunch of ladies around me...mom, aunts, grandma, sisters. I miss just being with a bunch of ladies. It was very, very nice. My heart is satisfied, which is a great feeling. :)

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The final good thing that happened was when I came home Miss Q had finally gotten an Algebraic concept that she has struggled with for the past year. Her new Algebra teacher is amazing. She has so many tricks up her sleeve, so many different ways to teach the math concepts to the kids. When Miss Q doesn't understand, her teacher shows her a different way. The trick that finally helped things click for Miss Q...using different colors to separate the different numbers.

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Instead of writing 4y-5x+9z-10+2x-y+2

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Miss Q now writes 4y-5x+9z-10+2x-y+2

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Isn't that great!!! Just a little color-coding and the girl UNDERSTANDS!!! Hooray!!!

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And that is the end of my day. Except...Hubby has promised to rub my neck for five minutes if I have this typed up and the computer off before he finishes his project. And guess what...I'm done and he's not! Hooray. The pregnant lady is going to get her neck rubbed. :)

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I hope you had a great day too! :)

LOST is looking for a few Good Men

**Lost Spoilers Ahead. Proceed With Caution.**

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Hooray! A good episode! It had tons of information and the story didn't drag at all. I'm so glad. :)

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1) John has the worst luck ever! His van lift getting stuck, falling out of the chair onto the lawn, and the sprinklers coming on was sad to watch. But when Helen comes running out of that pretty house, I was shocked! Didn't she leave him after he chose to find his father? I'm pretty sure that she walked away when John wouldn't let the past go. And then finding out that they are getting married and that she wants to invite his dad, that was crazy. I thought I had heard that wrong. Hubby assures me that I didn't. What was that about? Why in the world would John invite his dad to his wedding? His dad is a nut job that tried to kill him. Or did I just imagine that??? And what is he doing engaged to Helen in the first place? Where did that come from? When did they reconcile? Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled to see Katey Sagal as Helen. I just want all the juicy details. :)

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2) How fun is it that John runs into so many people who were on Oceanic 11. Jack at the lost luggage area. Hurley at his job site. Rose at the temp agency. Ben at school. It was such fun to see how they would have met if the flight hadn't crashed.

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HURLEY: I loved how John, in his stubbornness, parked in a regular spot, then got super annoyed that someone had parked next to him. I loved how Hurley, in classic form, apologized, laughed, and tried to make things better. Hurley is just a great guy.

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ROSE: The woman is awesome! I don't want to jinx her (or Bernard) so I hate to say that she is one of my favorites. (remember how all my favorites end up dying?)

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I love that she is the supervisor. How funny was it that one of the interview questions was "What kind of animal would you describe yourself as?" Hilarious! I love that Rose came in, cut through the bull, and dealt with the problem. Her interaction with John was fantastic. When he stubbornly insisted on a job in construction, I just rolled my eyes thinking Rose might try to coddle him. Nope. She told him to get past the denial and just live. Fantastic!

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BEN: His little rant about the coffee filter just fit his personality so well. I could totally see him like that if he had never been to the Island. He was abrupt and a bit disconcerting, but again, I could totally see him as that if he hadn't gone to the Island.

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3) The clicking of the BSM moving around the jungle is unsettling. It was interesting to get a slice of his viewpoint though, see how he moves around, cuts in and out. I found his movements a bit jarring. When he appeared as Locke and went to cut down the canvas bag, I never imagined that Richard would be in it. I should have seen that coming, but the shape of the bag and the way it was tied made me think more of a Rousseau trap then a prisoner holding cell.

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I thought we would learn more about Richard at this point. Nope. The man is still a mystery. I'm glad he got away from BSM safely and I appreciate that he tried to warn James. The episode that finally reveals some of his back story will be great! (I hope...)

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4) Candidates! What a great twist. It appears that Jacob knew he would eventually need a replacement and so put a plan into action. I wonder though, if the candidates could also be potential replacements for BSM... The remaining candidates are 8-Reyes, 15-Ford, 16-Jarrah, 23-Shepherd, and 42-Kwon. I thought it interesting that BSM doesn't know which Kwon Jacob chose. We know that Jacob touched Jin. Did he touch Sun too? I thought he did... The exclusion of any other females from the candidate list makes me think that Jin is 42-Kwon and not Sun.

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5) I love that James saw right through the BSM's charade. Everyone else just assumed it was Locke. They really didn't know John at all, did they? And the way James knew it wasn't Locke, SWEET! "John was scared, You're not." That was SO COOL!!! Another reason I like James/Sawyer so much. :)

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I also love Sawyer's answer to BSM at the end. BSM asked if James was ready to get off the Island. James response: "Hell yeah." I'm probably jinxing him too, but James has really become one of my favorite characters!

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6) Who is the little boy? When BSM first saw him, he looked creepy standing there with his palms outstretched. Later when BSM and James saw him, he looked like a normal kid. And how fun is it that James can see him, but not Richard. Must be a candidate thing.

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What are the rules? And who can BSM not kill? James? Richard? Or is he referring to Jacob or someone else? BSM was pretty upset with the little kid telling him what to do. He seems intent on finding a way to kill whoever it is.

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7) What is BSM recruiting for? I think this might go back to my theory that BSM is looking for a replacement for himself. In many myths and legends, a magical creature who is trapped can be released if someone else takes their place. Of course, they can never find someone willing to be trapped in their stead, so they usually resort to trickery. It will be interesting to see how this unfolds. Whether James will be the one tricked into taking BSM's place or if another will...

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Of course, BSM did try to recruit Richard first, so that might throw my whole theory right out the window. But this is LOST we're talking about. This show could go any way! :)

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8) Did anyone else laugh when BSM revealed that the most important question was "Why are you on the Island?" That one made me giggle. I thought the question would go existential, but not in regards to the Island. Many people consider the most important questions Why are we Here, Where Did We Come From, and Where are We Going. I've studied philosophy and religion, so I just assumed the most important question would be one of those or a variant. Silly me. I forgot we are in the Lost universe. OF COURSE, the most important question would be Why are you on the Island. ;)

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9) Back to the gang on the beach, Cakes (my two-year-old) chose the moment when the lady Protector (sorry, I can't remember her name) spoke to come into the room laughing because he was supposed to be in bed and thought he was being sneaky. He wasn't. :(

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If I heard correctly, and chances are I didn't, it sounded like she said BSM is stuck in the form of Locke. That's good. Now he won't be able to appear as others...like Christian Shepherd or Ben's daughter.

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10) The eulogy Ben delivered was hilarious. John was a better man than me and I'm sorry I murdered him. Hahahaha!!! Ben was deadpan while delivering the lines, which made it even more hilarious. Then Frank's muttering...cracked me up! I didn't hear all of his mutterings (since Cakes was still trying to break into the room to watch Lost with us), but I heard enough to understand the sentiment. Hahahaha!!

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Well, enough of my rambling. I need to get back to real life. On a baby note, the little guy has decided to stretch himself out as much as possible in utero. It feels like his hands are up in my ribs while his feet are kicking down near my pubic bone. Aaah. The joys of being pregnant. :)

LOST is Biding Its Time...

**LOST Spoilers Ahead. Proceed with caution.**

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This episode was definitely not as action-packed as the premiere. I really felt like the ominous sense of foreboding and doom were missing. The LOST writers seemed to be setting a few things in place for further episodes, building the story-line. While I'm happy they are taking their time to build a really great story, I missed the usual suspense that I feel when watching this show. I also missed the puzzles. I didn't feel like there were any great puzzle pieces revealed or hinted at, no intrigue. The storyline seemed pretty self-explanatory, which is completely un-like LOST. Their storylines are usually so convoluted that I have to take notes to ensure full understanding. And even then, I will spend the next week mulling things over, exploring the possibilities in my mind. This episode, I'm very sorry to say, didn't do any of that for me.

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1) I was really freaked out last episode when I saw who was driving the cab that Kate stole. That cab driver is evil! I just couldn't remember where he fit into the Lost world. I was practically jumping out of my skin trying to restrain my shouts for Kate and Claire to get away from the freaky cab-driver man. Fortunately, Hubby took pity on me. He reminded me that the cab driver was the "Puppet-Master" on Heroes, but in Lost...he's just a cab driver. Phew!

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2) How could Kate miss that Claire was pregnant? Sheesh! Claire is a stick girl with a protruding belly. There are only two options. One: pregnant or Two: Gigantic intestinal tumor. Either way, you should be nice to someone in her condition.

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3) Hubby totally called it when Claire rang the bell at the adoptive parents' house. I thought, with adoptive mom carrying on so, that her husband had died. Hubby insisted that Nope, her husband just left her. WOW! Hubby nailed that!

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I have to say, if Hubby left me I would not be crying and carrying on like that. I would be mad and would be cutting up all of his clothes and taking the rest of his stuff to the Goodwill or the dump. But if Hubby died, I would completely fall apart crying. I was very taken aback by adoptive mom's poor-me attitude. Oh well. Everyone handles trials and tribulations differently.

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4) It was nice that Kate stuck around to help Claire, but kind of creepy. Kate had just held her at gun-point, yelled at her, thrown her out of the cab, and stolen her bag. Then Kate comes back to help, but with a snarky kind of attitude..."Do you want a ride or not?!" she said. WOW! That was a bit hostile. And yet Claire goes with her. I had forgotten what a pushover Claire was at the beginning of the series and was sad to see her back there again. Hopefully, being a mom to Aaron will help her grow a tougher backbone.

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5) Back on the Island...Sayid really didn't seem like himself personality-wise. He was just off a bit. Now somebody please remind me...who shot Sayid? Last I remember he was shot in retribution for trying to kill Young Ben. Anyhoo, Sayid was not his normal self. But I don't want to read too much into this, because none of the Lost characters seemed like themselves. They've all gone through three years of change and we don't yet know the full effects of that.

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6) I wasn't too worried about the contents of the pill. My mother-in-law is currently popping poison pills daily in an attempt to rid her brain of cancer...it's called chemotherapy. YUCK! I figured if the pill was poison, it would work along those lines. But after Jack swallowed the pill and had it beaten back out of him, I'm wondering exactly what the intention of the poison is. I think it is highly plausible that Sayid has been "claimed" by the darkness. And if there is a way to get it out of him, DO IT!

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7) Jack is nuts. He keeps tyring to assert authority of the Others. He thinks he can physically win a fight by taking on several Others at once. He doesn't seem phased by the fact that they have guns. The man has completely lost it. Well, that is assuming he was at one point in control of his mental faculties. And after watching him over these many seasons, it seems like a long shot. ;)

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8) Sawyer was going to ask Juliet to marry him! Oh WOW! That is so wonderful! He even had a ring. That made my heart so happy. Cross your fingers that Sawyer and Juliet run into each other in the other timeline.

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9) Claire has turned into Rousseau. I don't think that needs any further explanation.

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10) Of the two Others who were escorting Jin and Kate, I hope the black man survives. (Sorry, I don't remember his name.) The other Other guy-short, caucasiun-was an idiot. Let me see if I understand correctly, Kate knocked you down three years ago and so now you are going to kill her and Jin because you're little punk self is still embarrassed? If you are this short-tempered, how in the world did you ever end up in a seemingly-superior position over your Other companion. That guy had several things going over you. I am assuming that you were NOT, in fact, superior over him, but were, in reality, just a major jerk on an ego trip. If you survive the gun shot wounds, please seek anger counseling so that you can fully deal with your issues.

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In the meantime, everyone cross your fingers that the decent Other survives. I would like to see more of him...find out what information he knows.

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11) Jack needs to talk to Jin about the darkness. Jin saw the change firsthand with Rousseau's crew. He saw how the men changed and went nuts. Jin could be a voice of reason...if Jack gets over himself long enough to listen.

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And that is it.

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There are plenty of other little things I could discuss, but I have to go meet a Kindergarten bus. :)

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Be sure to let me know what you thought. And also let me know anything you think I missed. I take notes, but even taking notes doesn't guarantee that you'll catch every nuance that the Lost writers throw out.

The Grass is Not Always Greener...

Yesterday was not a fabulous day for my little pregnant self.

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I had a severe headache that turned my whole face into a big grimacing mess. I could only look down. If I looked up at anyone, the headache shot down my neck.

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Braxton-Hicks contractions decided to kick things up a notch. They came on full-force, lasting anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes. Of course everyone knows that Braxton's are just fake contractions and so don't really hurt. Ummm...I think my Braxton's forgot.

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Yesterday was Sunday. Sunday means church. I thought I could make it. I thought that if I just got up and got going I would feel better.

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I was wrong. I just barely muddled through.

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After copying the ward bulletin, the headache hit so hard that I started to tear up. I quickly made my way to the bathroom so no one would see me crying.

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One sister caught me. She asked how I was doing. I gave her my best grimace/smile, told her I was fine, and ducked into the bathroom. The dear woman, who is a trained massage therapist, waited for me outside the bathroom. She firmly told me to follow her, sit down, and relax. She then proceeded to massage my scalp for a few minutes. Not enough to end the headache, but enough to take away the biting edge. It was lovely. More lovely was the fact that she actually took the time to help me. That thought gave me great comfort.

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Later on in Primary I laughed at my silly self while watching another dear sister wrestle with the Sunbeam class. She wasn't their regular teacher. She was a member of the Primary Presidency pinch-hitting when the regular teacher didn't show up.

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(I have to mention...She was dressed to the nines! Every time she got up to chase another Sunbeam down, the seamstress in me marvelled at how beautifully her skirt flared, swirled, and flowed behind her and how well the dress suited her frame.)

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When I first moved from nursery to teaching primary, I thought it would make sense to move me up with the Sunbeam class. After all, I had just taught them for a year. They knew me and I knew them. I thought we would get along swimmingly.

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Sitting in the back of the room with my CTR 7 class who sat reverently, answered respectfully, and payed attention throughout the sharing time, I thanked my Heavenly Father that a wise Primary President put me where she did. As my head pounded and my uterus contracted, I watched as the Sunbeams put their poor substitute through her paces. I was amazed at her fortitude and so glad that it Wasn't Me dealing with those energetic children of God!!

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At the end of church, I rounded up the kids. We were just missing Hubby and Mr. J. After waiting a few minutes, I trudged back into church to see if Hubby was trying to find kids I'd already secured. Nope. He was sitting in his missionary correlation meeting. The same meeting he attends every Sunday after church. In my misery, I had completely forgotten about it. But the dear man took one look at my miserable state, excused himself from the meeting, and drove us all home. I've known men who are not so compassionate as this. I'm grateful my husband IS!

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Once home, I needed to eat something and go to bed. Rose, Anne, and Joe jumped right in cleaning up the kitchen, making lunch, and getting potatoes washed for dinner. Hubby got Cakes and Mr. J changed and settled. It was wonderful! Of course, I still felt horrible, but my heart was light and happy.

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The grass in my yard is very green. Very green indeed! :)

Pregnancy In Review

As this baby gets closer to coming, I have been reflecting on my past pregnancies. Remembering those times makes me a bit nervous for this baby to come. It's also making me more excited.

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Part of the nervousness is linked to the size of my previous babies.

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Rose was my smallest baby. She was born three weeks early. If she had been born a day earlier, she would have been considered premature. Rose weighed 7 lbs., 12 oz. She was 20 1/2 inches long. Her head measured 13 1/4 inches and her chest was 14 inches. That is a pretty big baby for being three weeks early.

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Anne was my biggest baby. She was born three days after her due date. Anne weighed 10 lbs., 1 oz. She was 21 inches long. Her head measured 14 1/2 inches and her chest was 14 1/2 inches. I was a little upset with my OB regarding Anne's size. I had expressed concern that she was going to be a big baby. The OB had assured me that she would be eight pounds at the most. He was quite surprised when she measured so big!

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Joe was a punk baby. He would not settle into position. My OB, the same one I had with Rose & Anne, assured me that when I hit 34 weeks the boy would finally settle down. He did not. Each week as I attended my OB appointments, he had changed position. Head-down to Breech and back again. Two days before Joe was due, my OB performed a version and flipped that boy around so he was in the proper position for birth. That HURT! A LOT! But it's better than having a c-section. Joe was induced two days later (on his due date). He weighed 9 lbs., 7 oz. He was 21 1/2 inches long. His head measured 14 1/2 inches and his chest was 14 1/4. Another big baby for this poor Momma.

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Cakes was born in a town where early inductions were the norm. It was weird! But very convenient for planning. Especially since Hubby was in the middle of graduate school. I had a midwife that time. She thought it best to induce two weeks early to ensure that I not have another gigantic baby. Well, she tried. Cakes weighed 8 lbs., 11 oz. He was 20 1/2 inches long. His head measured 13 3/4 inches and his chest was 13 3/4 inches.

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I'm pretty sure I'm in for at least an 8 pound baby. As my OB nurse so kindly pointed out: "Your pelvis has proven that it can handle a big baby so you shouldn't worry too much."

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Just because the pelvis can handle it doesn't mean the pelvis wants to handle it. ;)

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I've had other women tell me that I should "just get an epidural then I wouldn't have to feel anything." Yeah. That doesn't work. At least not completely. My epidurals have only taken away the severe back labor pains and the severe shooting pains at the top of my uterus. I get to feel everything else, from my belly button down (except the lower back).

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The funny thing about the back labor is I didn't even realize what it was at the time. I just thought all that back pain was part of the labor process, until I gave birth to Cakes and experienced NO back labor. That sure was nice! Labor can be an almost pleasant thing when your lower spine isn't trying to jump out of your back and drag all your guts with it. :)

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Anyhoo, I am on the final count down. Only seven to ten weeks left until this baby comes. That translates into between 49 & 70 days. Yowsers! That is soon!

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Wish me luck! I'm pretty sure I'm going to need it. :)

Valentine's for Grown-Ups

I went to a planning meeting this morning for our Stake's Relief Society Celebration. I am helping with the humanitarian aid room. It is going to be fun!

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On my way home from the meeting, I turned on the radio. As I was scanning through the channels I heard the funniest advertisement. The commercial began by saying that giving flowers or candy to your sweetie fro Valentine's Day is, basically, boring and overdone. Instead, you need to get your sweetie something really special. Something that will let her know just how much you care.

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And just what is that special something they were advertising?

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I thought it would be jewelry or a dinner date.

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Nope.

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The special something to get your Grown-Up sweetheart...A Vermont Teddy Bear!

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That's right. A teddy bear.

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I thought maybe I wasn't understanding the commercial correctly. Maybe the commercial was really telling you to buy a lingerie-style teddy. That type of gift seemed more inline with grown-up tastes to me. I came home and looked the company up online. No misunderstandings on my part. They were advertising actual Teddy Bears. To give to your adult sweetie. Hahaha!

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To their commercial, I respond: I am not five. I am a grown-up woman. A WOMAN!

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In all honesty, I don't ever remember having a teddy bear. A doll, yes. Never a teddy bear. And I received that doll before I entered kindergarten.

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Rose has a teddy bear. She was quite enamored of it for many years. Rose is ten now and yes, the bear still has a special place on her bed. It holds sentimental value for her. But if she received a teddy bear at this point in her life, I think she would be a bit offended by the immaturity of the gift.

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So....if a ten-year old thinks she is too old for a teddy bear gift, do you really think a Grown Woman would be happy to receive one??

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Haha!

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Personally, I'd prefer the candy or flowers. ;)

LOST in Two Directions

Warning: Lost Season Premiere Spoilers Ahead!

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First off, I just have to say...
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WOW!!!

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The LOST season premiere was last night. Two hours of pure fabulous craziness! After watching just the first ten minutes, I could completely understand why no previews or teasers have been given of this season. There was so much going on. The most measly sliver would have given away too much. Oh Wow! It was just phenomenal. I am really looking forward to the rest of this season. Hmm... I wonder how many episodes there are scheduled. I sure hope I don't go into labor during any of the final episodes. Watching LOST requires a person's full attention, and if I'm having severe contractions I will probably end up missing some pertinent Lost information. Thank goodness the episodes are available online. :)

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And now on to my run down:
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1) The final few minutes of last season's finale when Juliet, with her dying breath, hit the bomb and "died", was heart-wrenching for me. As mentioned before, Juliet is one of my favorite characters. I know she is on "V" now and so would only be available for a few episodes, but COME ON!! When I heard her voice, crying out from under the rubble, I thought she might live. And then having her die another tragic death....It was just cruel! If I wasn't so addicted to the show, I might boycott just because they killed off Juliet twice. Aargh!

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2) I love that Sawyer was loyal to Juliet throughout the episode. Many people, me included, thought he would run back to Kate's arms the second he got the chance. I thought, mostly, he would seek comfort from Kate. But he didn't! His heart was broken about Juliet, which kind of broke my heart for him. When Sawyer heard Juliet crying out, he went nuts trying to dig her out, just like a true love would. I was so proud of him! Good job being a loyal companion!

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Did anyone else notice Miles freaked out face after he listened for Juliet's last words? For those who don't remember, Juliet's final words to Sawyer were cut off by her dying. Miles tuned in to discover that her final words would have been, "It worked." Miles freaked out twice here. First time, because he could actually hear Juliet. He seemed very surprised by this. Am I not remembering something? Did Miles lose his abilities at some point last season? I don't remember this happening, but the man looked so surprised that he could actually hear Juliet that I'm left wondering what that was about. Did Juliet say anything else? Are other spirits whispering to Miles? What is going on?!?!

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The second freak out occurred after hearing Juliet's words. Miles' face just seemed off for the rest of the episode. It was so weird. There is something there. I just don't know what yet.

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3) SHUT UP KATE! Man! She was getting on my nerves. First, she tries to get Sawyer to take a break from his frantic search for Juliet. Lay off Kate! The man just lost his love, of course he's frantic. Then later she butts in to tell Jack to quit trying to save Sayid (another of my favorite characters). Excuse me Kate, but Jack only gave Sayid one round of CPR. It wouldn't hurt for him to continue for a few more minutes. I mean really! I know she was supposed to be the voice of reason here, but it seriously got on my nerves that it occurred when Jack and Sawyer were trying to save someone.

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4) The Lost Temple was gorgeous. The structure was reminiscent of the temple ruins found in South America. It was surrounded by a small pond/river thing with stepping stones leading to the entrance. Gorgeous!

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5.) The Black Smoke Monster (BSM) is freaking EVIL! Seeing him played by John Locke is twisted. Terry O'Quinn is doing a great job playing this character. We have known all along that the BSM is a deliverer of his own brand of justice, but seeing it in action in Jacob's home was crazy. Then having John stroll out and apologize to Ben for having to see him like that...Oooh! I got chills down my spine.

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6) Ben chose the BSM even after seeing the destruction he wrought. What is that about? I know Ben has done bad stuff in the past, but wow. His decision to follow the BSM's instructions shocked me. I can't wait to see where that relationship heads.

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7) I loved the flashes back and forth from the Island to the Airplane. If Desmond hadn't been on the plane I would have thought that the Lost writers couldn't make up their mind which way they wanted to end the show, so decided (Choose-your-own-adventure-style) to play it out both ways. I also loved the flash of the Island sunk under the ocean. That was CRAZY! And so Great to see! What an amazing visual!

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It will be great to see how the different story lines play out. The writers really do an amazing job with this story.

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I have to include a side-note. I was listening to an NPR interview of two executives on the show. They talked about how sometimes they will be sitting in the writing room, planning out their stories, when they are overcome with the pure ridiculousness of this show and amazement that anyone is even watching it. Hahaha! They credited the actors for taking the ridiculous stories and playing them with a sincere honesty as the reason why people love the show so much. :)

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8) Again, I don't know if I'm remembering incorrectly, but I thought that Rose and Bernard were not seated together on the plane. It seemed like their seats had been broken up, one up front and one in back. Although I like this version with him having been in the bathroom during the "severe turbulence". I liked seeing Rose and Bernard sitting together, leaning in close and talking. They are such a lovely couple. Their relationship was a definite highlight amidst all the Lost chaos. And BSM was wrong when he said that only John Locke didn't want to leave the Island. Remember the whole Incurable Disease thing that was miraculously cured on the Island? Rose and Bernard wanted to stay too.

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9) What is the black ash that protects people from the BSM? And where can I get some?

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10) And the big question...What did the BSM mean when he stated "I want to go home"? Where is home? Why did he have to leave? Some people have theorized that Jacob and BSM are angels of some type. Is BSM a fallen angel? I don't know that the Lost writers would go in that direction, but they do have a Temple, so it is possible that this will all have a religious twist. Although with all the evidence thus far, and with the BSM losing what looked like a talon when shot, I would vote that the religion would be of an Egyptian sort. It will be so, so interesting to see how that plays out.

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11) And before I end, I have to ask why was Richard in chains the last time the BSM saw him? And why did he knock Richard about then haul him off? There was some major animosity there. That is another storyline that will be interesting to watch.

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On a quilter's note, I did manage to pin-baste half of Cake's quilt while watching the premiere last night. I would have got it all done, but I ran out of curved safety pins. :(

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And this morning when I checked my e-mail, I found this note from my Mom sent at 11:25 pm:

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"hi. the tv show lost was over at 10 pm. you do not have a new blog post up. are you okay?"

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Hahaha!! Yes, Mom! I am okay.

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I went to bed as soon as Lost was over. I needed to get some sleep and digest everything I had just seen. Also, I have several meetings for the Foster kids today, so I wanted to make sure I was well-rested. :)