Friday, September 7, 2012

7 Quick Takes Friday: Road Trip Edition



--- 1 ---

I've got some hits from wildly inappropriate and some.... interesting...emails lately.  It started when I saw that I was getting a lot of hits from a certain website, with a perfectly innocent sounding name.  I clicked on the link to see who had linked to my site and... yuck...

Just yuck...  I'm pretty sure I need to go clean out my computer's memory cache now.

I couldn't close the browser quickly enough (and I'm being quite a bit more careful when I check out which blogs are leading to my site!).

And then came an email from a perfectly nice woman asking me to review a product that I can promise I would not be caught dead writing about.

But that's not the worst of it.  I can handle disgusting sites somehow spam linking to me.  I can handle overzealous marketing reps who see a site with the word "woman" in the title, think quickly, "vocation, what's that?  Oh well it's a site for women!  It must be a good fit!" and then send out a wildly inappropriate suggestion for a product review.

Yet the emails I've been receiving from The League of Conversation Voters, gush over Obama until I feel slightly nauseous (you see, I actually read their first two emails because I scanned the title quickly and thought it said "League of Conservative Voters").  They seem pretty certain that Obama is a super hero and would like me to answer survey questions with choices that sound like this: "Are you voting for Obama, who has done more than any other man on earth to combat the evils of pollution?" or "Are you voting for the dastardly duo of Romney and Ryan, who worship Big Oil and plan on destroying our world during their first term in office?"

Those examples are only very slight exaggerations.  I've picked option B, but that's not even much fun since they then send you to another site gushing about Obama's genius.

I guess I'll have to start hitting spam every time I see their name in my inbox.  The emails are too pathetic to be amusing.

--- 2 ---

I saw a meme the other day on a friend's facebook page that tried to draw an analogy between lifejackets and drowning and contraception and pregnancy...

And I wondered if the general publics' view of the world has become so warped that they really see a strong connection between pregnancy and drowning.  I mean is that the link we really see:  If you don't wear a lifejacket you could drown and if you don't use contraception you could become pregnant.

Um... yeah.  In a moment of heroic self control I managed not to comment.  Barely.

--- 3 ---

I just spent 1600 miles in the car, as the only adult, with a two year old and a four year old.  By the end of the trip I'd begun to wish that I'd brought a tape recorder so I could record the Sadie comments along the way, because by now I'm certain that I've forgotten a few.

My favorite was when we were coming in to our motel in North Dakota and the Garmin told us to turn left four times.  Suddenly Sadie's little voice came from the back seat:  "That Woman!  She's bossing us!" I glanced in the rear view mirror and saw a serious little face and her arms crossed across her chest.  When she saw my eyes in the rearview mirror she started to crack up.

In Minnesota we saw a field full of bison.  Sadie immediately began to fret.  After five minutes I finally got her to spill the cause of her worries:  "Mommy, please don't make me ride a buffalo to Montana!"  I'm still not really sure where that idea came from.

And then there was the comment when I pointed out Painted Canyon State Park (or something like that, I'm apparently to exhausted to even google right now, which may be why this post is so rambly) and she said:  "It looks like potatoes."

Yup.  1600 miles.   Let me say that they did not pass quickly, even with occasional moments of cuteness.
--- 4 ---

A large part of the reason that they didn't pass quickly was that the radio programs I kept running across were horrible.  I'd just driven through Chicago when I began hearing a radio talk show host gush about how our nation is, in fact, so much better off than it was four years ago.

Now let me say that the part of Chicago I'd just driven through was probably one of the worst examples of how awesome our nation is supposedly doing, that I've seen during out 24 state run, outside of certain parts of New Orleans that we passed through on our drive westward.

Or maybe it's the fact that the day the beautiful home across the street from us sold for $17,000, another "Sale" sign went up down the street (and in our area that means foreclosure).  And there's a foreclosure on our cross street.  And on the street that backs up to our house.  And then there's the ever growing list of foreclosures that I'm emailed every single day.

From where I'm standing it certainly doesn't look like things are "getting better."  And I'm wondering if the "blame Bush" rhetoric would work for a second term.

--- 5 ---

Wisconsin.  Wisconsin is officially my favorite state of the moment.  It won the summer-trip-contest (an unofficial survey that has taken place entirely in my head) for: Most Beautiful State and Most Polite Drivers.  While the first category might be open for debate, I'm fairly certain that the second category isn't.

There were a couple terrifying drivers zooming through Wisconsin... unfortunately they both has very familiar looking white and blue plates...

--- 6 ---

I did it.  I squeezed into my bridesmaid dress this afternoon AND zipped it up myself.  This was an amazing feat, and I had worried about it for months (the dress didn't fit in the car safely when we left California, and so today was my first chance at trying it on).

Amazingly my baby bump isn't the body part that is causing the "squeezed" verb in the sentence above (as opposed to a much more flattering sentence like:  "I slipped into my bridesmaid dress").  The problem is my rib cage.  It's apparently expanded to make room for my squished lungs (I just read about that in a pregnancy update!).  And the dress doesn't quite leave room for inhaling and exhaling with a pregnancy expanded rib cage.

As long as I don't faint at any point on Saturday, it will be okay.

--- 7 ---

I've reached that point in pregnancy when, after eating three bites of foods, I'm incredibly full.  

Unfortunately I've also reached the point where random strangers ask "how much longer" and then allow their mouths to fall open when they hear the words: "about two months."  

Yet it's totally understandable because I'm shocked that we have that long left too.  I am gigantic right now.  I'm seriously beginning to wonder if we're going to break the 10 lbs mark this time (last two were 9 lbs 4 oz and 9 lbs 1 oz).  

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

15 comments:

  1. Oooh, big babies! Mine have never even broken 7 lbs!

    Enjoy the wedding!

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  2. In Ohio, we think Michigan drivers are the WORST EVER. One of my friends grew up in Michigan, and when she drives you can definitely tell.

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  3. I would have to agree on the Michigan drivers except... I'm not sure they beat Florida's Snowbird Drivers.

    I was afraid when I was walking on the sidewalks because they were so bad... It was terrifying all winter long!

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  4. I confess, I'm a Michigan driver. I get heartburn simply being behind someone going the speed limit. (>.<)

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  5. What?? Michigan drivers are the best drivers in all the world. :)

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  6. You know how people who gush over Obama sound like crazed freaks to you? You sound exactly the same, you're just rooting for the other side. He may not be the savior of the world, but he ain't the devil incarnate either.

    A little bit of restraint would be good on both sides.

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  7. You know how you think that Obama supporters sound stark raving mad and possibly all belong in a loony bin? I'm afraid I have some bad news - you sound exactly the same, you just happen to be rooting for the other team. Obama may not be the savior of the world, but he's not the devil incarnate either. A little bit of restraint on both sides wouldn't go astray. You can't control their rhetoric, but you can control yours.

    Really, you should try it sometime. I've been reading your blog for years and gotten a lot from it, and I'm getting sick to death of you putting down every single person that disagrees with you, just because they disagree with you.

    I'm about to go back to shopping with Garlands of Grace instead of buying your snoods. They might not approve of the Catholic Church, but their behavior is certainly more in line with my Catholic beliefs right now. They've only made one badly thought through comment and I can forgive a mistake.

    I can not wait until this stupid election is over. Perhaps then people can go back to pretending to get along.

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  8. Having just moved to North Carolina, I find that I fly into a rage whenever I'm on the road. HOW these people can be so...so...*bad* is beyond me. No turn signals (not even when merging on a VERY BUSY highway!), no common curtesy, ugh. I miss PA drivers, specifically Pittsburgh ones.

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  9. Thanks for making me cry today Rachel. I'm sorry if I've said things that make you feel like I think that people who disagree with me are "stupid." Most of the people I love are liberals and are bright, loving people who see a different solution to our problems.

    I am passionate about the issue of abortion. And that won't change. Our Church's teachings are clear, and I think the arguments for murdering the unborn are ridiculous.

    But thanks for calling me "stark raving mad." It's just what someone's who's had a tough week on the road alone with a toddler and a preschooler, gigantically pregnant and in pain, loves to hear.

    Feel free to do business wherever it makes you comfortable.

    And I'll continue to be candid, because that is what my blog is... a reflection of my thoughts.

    I wonder, specifically, where I've personally insulted liberals so frequently lately (not politicians, there is a difference).

    God Bless your day. I hope people are kinder to you than you've been here.

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  10. So glad you arrived safely!

    My daughter, who is due around Halloween, is getting the same "When are you due?" questions and bug-eyed looks when she says "8 weeks." Of course, her husband weighed 11 lbs. 6 oz. at birth, so we're thinking her little one will be on the hefty side.

    As to drivers... Massachusetts drivers are the most aggressive I've seen (and I lived there 22 years) and here in my deep South state, they are clueless. Not sure which is worse!

    God bless!

    Marie

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  11. Cam, if you're stark raving mad, then you are in good company :) I'm one of those loonies that also finds abortion on demand abhorrent. Obama may not be the devil incarnate, but many of his policies are truly evil and we, as Christians, have an obligation to out evil when we see it. A little righteous anger is often called for when combatting immorality, and yes, Rachel, Obama is immoral.

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  12. Rachel,
    Apparently the comment about reading her blog for years must be total foolishness. Cam has a past of liberalism for, goodness sake, she used to be a communist! Cam doesn’t even really like Romney he’s just the better of two evils. Even beyond that if you don’t like what Cam has to write or don’t like her comments back at her commencers here’s a hint DON’T READ IT! Don’t come back to her site. That is the really great thing about America (for the moment) you have the freedom to say and do whatever you please and that includes refraining from looking at things that you disagree with, and say whatever you want when you disagree with someone. Just as they have the right not to print whatever they like. Oh and as for you going to Garlands of Grace, Honey go for it. In fact if I were cam I’d NEVER sell you anything again just for saying that. You strike me as one of those liberal, touchy feely, catholics who are not very well catechized and believe that Christ teaches love and tolerance no matter what. Now I might be jumping to conclusions but from your comments I get the feeling my first impression may be correct. Oh and it’s my right to feel that way and my right to express those feelings even if you disagree with me. Just as you had the right to comment on Cam’s blog and she had the right not to post and in fact I think she might have been wise not to post it. I think you have wasted enough of my day and my thoughts.

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  13. Rachel,

    I don't know, Obama enthusiastically supports infanticide and abortion, and is intent on robbing Catholics of their religious liberty. He may not be the devil incarnate but he's a close relative.

    But by all means, if you'd rather support an anti-Catholic bigot than someone who has grave concerns about the direction of our nation, and uses her right of free speech to express her concerns on her own blog, then do go elsewhere.

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  14. Rachel,

    Don't be a jerk.

    Signed,
    A pro-life liberal who still hasn't decided who to vote for.

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  15. CG Burns,

    Hey! I'm another "pro-life liberal who still hasn't decided who to vote for!" :)

    Just thought I'd share.

    SM

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