Friday ** This Friday came quickly, thankfully. I'm sure the weekend will zoom by even more quickly. I missed a concert last night because I couldn't bring myself to pay $22 for a smoke-filled hour of music (if I was lucky). We weren't even positive about what time it started though the firmest answer seemed to be 8:00. But with me falling asleep at 9:00 every night, pushing it on a Thursday night just wasn't a good idea to me. I'm bummed that I missed the concert, and missed a chance to spend time with my brother, Mason and Mike. But I did fall asleep at 8:45. Perhaps my decision was a good one. Tomorrow night it's a party, but this one starts at 5:00. I should be safe.

Hope you all have a fabulous evening and weekend. Be good to one another. Have a better day than today, even if today is good.
Posted 2:15 PM by Kerry O.

Moving on ** Six years ago, in the early summer of 1996, I moved in with one of my best friends. She was a new friend to me, but my best friend's oldest friend, with whom she'd recently been reunited. Well, we decided when I moved back from Seattle, we simply had to be roommates. That was an interesting time for both of us. In the span of a year, I learned enough for five. Right after we moved in, we decided one silly afternoon that we needed a bonding experience. So we drove down the street in the summer heat, and subjected ourselves to the torture konwn as navel piercing. Yep, we put cold hard metal rings in our belly buttons. We were so proud of ourselves. Mine was never quite straight, by the way, but I had the cooler jewelry so it was all right.

That year, I got my first professional job, dated several - ahem - interesting people, learned about living with another person, explored the glories of personal financial crisis, and had both the time of my life, and the most awful experiences of my life. I also lost a friend. That roommate and I are not friends anymore. Those of you who know me IRL know I have a not-so-nice nickname for her. I burned her, but she burned me too. What started as a dream situation, and blossomed into that wonderful young adult college experience I never thought I'd get, turned into a bundle of major resentments, some of which I carry today.

I moved out of that apartment the following spring. I kept paying rent for an apartment I didn't live in until early summer, and then I was free. In July, I met my husband. Why? Because I was living at home and insisted on getting out of the house once in a while and going to the coffee shop I used to frequent in my high school and pre-Seattle days. Joe was my friend's brother, and I would probably have never met him had things worked out differently.

A couple of days ago, I took the belly button ring out. I'd tried a couple of weeks ago and couldn't get it. This time I really tried, with tools and all, and it worked. At first, it was weird - that thing's been in there for 6 years. It really had become a part of me. Now? A few days later, I see it as stunningly therapeutic. It's glaringly symbolic of the changes my life has seen and the person I was becoming the person I am. I don't think I'll ever put it back in. My only body adornment now is the unique tattoo on my back, which matches the unique tattoo on my husband's arm. I'm euphoric about this, and with my acceptance of this place in my life.
Posted 9:45 AM by Kerry O.

Miraculous gender-bending baby ** Congratulations again to Sarah and Dermot whose baby girl was confirmed today by ultrasound to be a boy! Gotta love those mysterious hiding boy parts. Thank goodness they double-checked or Baby Boy Mc would've been looking dapper in his pink dresses.
Posted 12:03 PM by Kerry O.

Makin' Room for Baby ** Yeah, so my regular pants don't fit so well anymore. And my dresses still work, but not if my chest keeps expanding at this rate. So I'm starting to shop for maternity clothes. This is a bizarre concept for me, because I don't really need them yet. I'm in that in-between stage where the old clothes don't quite fit right, but maternity clothes definitely won't fit right. I could probably buy clothes another size bigger since I'll probably need them post-baby anyway, but I don't know. I wish I could stay like I am right now, and wake up in 2 months with a big belly overnight. Then I could just buy maternity clothes and be done with it. :-)
Posted 11:50 AM by Kerry O.

Adam Ant ** He's in the news again, this time for impersonating a cowboy. But I think the most impressive part would have to be him throwing a car alternator through a pub window. Neat-o.
Posted 9:32 AM by Kerry O.

Already?! ** A girl at work who hasn't really seen me in a couple of weeks just said to me, "Oh, look! You have a little belly!" Ugh. I want that to be cute, but I just feel fat. Can't suck that belly in anymore and it's annoying me. I'm not even 10 weeks, and I haven't gained a pound, you're not supposed to notice my belly!
Posted 9:48 AM by Kerry O.