So Now We Know....

Well, it's no secret anymore .....not that it ever was really...but I am having a baby. I am having it. I am the condo so I am saying "I" am having it. I will carry it and deliver it. Dan, he is what we call..."The Semper Fidelis" so he steps aside.
At the moment his job is to just do what he does and every so often make supper for me. But I have everything covered.
So far so good. It's all coming together . I am in my 14th week. OFFICIALLY in my 4th month. I have had NO morning sickness, just pure fatigue. Tired all the time. This may pass or it may not, but whatever comes out of this I am pretty excited....Dan is too. This whole thing was a true shock. We (I ) had no idea that I was pregnant. I was never sick...but for some reason God found us fitting to be parents and has given us this baby to raise. We don't know yet if it is a boy or a girl..we will find out in the middle of October. Dan wants a girl and I guess I can honestly say I would like one too, but I will be happy and completely into having a boy too...so whatever God wants for us...We are working on picking names... I would like to stick w/ family names, because they are easy and no one can complain about it..."you can't name a baby this or that " don't like hearing it. I would absolutely name my daughter Lhotse (one of my favorite names...after the Lhotse Face on Mount Everest..but no one would understand... if you TRULY know me you would understand.)
We are discussing how we want to raise the baby too....really working on understanding on what each other thinks about different things....I am NOT interested in being this child's friend...Not even until it's like 30...I am interested in being it's mother. I am not fond of parents who forget and give up on parenting and focus on friendship...you re asking for trouble down the road....
I had my parents to look back on and how they were with my sister and I. I had Molly and Brian and Curt and Becky and Ellen and Ron to show me beautiful marriages and wonderful child rearing.. I look back on those days and can clearly remember how they did it and can gleam from it all. This is My child. Dan and I. We will make up our mind on what to do. I could care less if you agree....I may not agree w/ how you do it, but I would never judge you on it...you do it your way and we'll do it our way.
It's the same w/ being pregnant. Everyone has all this stuff to tell you.... Do this, Do that, I had this, I did that...guess what. everyone is different. Each pregnancy is different. Even if you are having your second or third or fourth or first kid...it's never the same. This is all the beauty of it. I don't take to much advice. In fact I have stoped asking or even listening to some people. If I have a question I save it for the Doctor, or someone who has been in the SAME EXACT POSITION as me...40 and pregnant....I feel this way because I need to experience it. Not you, ME....I am the condo and have no control over my body now. I have given it over... like my life.
I gave it over, and you know what. It's all good. Giving it up and over and no control is way better, than fighting or fidgeting or wondering...I am letting this roll and am SOOOOO happy about being chosen for this child's condo... SO Now We Know....we know we can do this and we are good enough people to have this baby. Now we know....

Winner...

When I was a kid.. I was maybe 12 years old would be safe guess....and I am sure it was a weekend night, which meant mom was working... she suggested that I go to see the Cohasset Youth Theatre Production of "Mary Poppins" she said "the Birmann kid's are in it and Brenda's friend Abby directed it, after Angela will pick you up." So I went.
It was at Cohasset town hall. Not a real stage. The audience sat on the floor, mostly kids and it was a cute local children's production. Micheal Birmann was the bank teller...Tina was the mother (I think) and Brenda was like the assistant director. I don't know if she was even in it.
The Birmann's use to be neighbours of our when we were young. Then they moved to Cohasset, the next town over..to a cool OLD crickity house a stones throw from one of the best beaches in New England. If you don't live there you don't know about it...in fact even those that do live there don't know about it...SO good family friends.. my parents were the three Birmann kids God Parents..you know. They were more my sisters age, but all in all, they were a nice group to be with growing up....
So back to the show....when I got to the play, I bought a ticket and they told me to keep the stub. It had a number on it and there is a drawing during intermission. It was a hand written number so it wasn't like one of these professional ticket stubs with like 25 different numbers on it. This was a low budget youth production and it was good. I find a place to cop a squat on the floor and the show started.... Very entertaining I must say. I was there by myself. I knew no one, on the floor, only in the cast, so I enjoyed it. During intermission they had the drawing...Brenda and Abby stood upfront and showed the prized. there may have been five or six and they were nothing special to the average Joe, but to the kids it was heaven... LARGE Candy bars. the big ones. the jumbo size ones. back then they could have cost, like $1.50 which to a child candy purchaser THAT was a lot of money (since regular candy bars were like 5 cents or 10 cents)
SO they called numbers and kids got up and got their candy, and to my surprise. Abby called my number.. I was shocked. I got up and Brenda saw it was me and said "yeah, Missy." It was great. I was sooo excited, it was a Nestle Crunch Bar. Naturally I opened it during the second part of the show and shared it with a few kids around me....but I won something..it was great...

The other day, I think I had a gross lunch. It really didn't settle to well with me, so I was laying in bed trying to pass the nausea w/o acting on the nausea...flipping channels waiting for Oprah to come on and my phone rang. a New York number, so I was sure it was the car insurance place trying to sell me road side assistance AGAIN....
"hello."
"Hi, I am looking for Missy Williams.." her voice was very pleasant...and since she asked for 'Missy' I thought it was someone that my sister gave my name to to do her nails....
"This is Missy."
"Hi Missy, my name is Mary Lenore from Bop Star Baby. Your name was given to me from 'Pregnancy & Newborn magazine' and you won the great gift.. a Bop Star Baby basket...."
"I won the gift basket? Really...?"
"yes, I am the ........" and she went on. we had such a nice conversation. Well long story LONGER.. but Once I got off the phone w/ her I looked in august issue and saw that the gift basket is worth over $800. of gifts. I also checked her web site and she is the lady that designs baskets for the stars babies...This is a great gift. a car seat and much much more... She said she likes to personalize the baskets so I will call her back in Oct when we find out what we are having,and then she will send it along.
You know what... my husband was SOOOOO excited. We don't have a lot or want a lot. We just want this baby that is growing in my belly. We are blessed to have this winning. very blessed.
I was SOOO excited.....It was like winning a Nestle Crunch Candy Bar. It's been years since that play and that candy bar, but I remember the feeling of winning.....Sure I won some swim races and track races and softball games.
But it's always the unexpected win that feels the best...A candy bar or a baby gift basket...they were both unexpected wins....a winner...

Lots To Catch Up On...

So it has been a while since I posted...I will catch you up on some things that have been on my mind lately.....
I am coloring my hair as we speak. I am at the point of sitting blogging while the hair color sets into my scalp... my full head of hair is twisted on top of my head in a pin knot with smelly hair color. Dark Brown has been my color of choice. As i approach 40 this upcoming weekend, the grey in my hair is endless...I mean endless... I would LOVE to be all grey... yes I would.. I think it is beautiful... But my hair is long and it would take a long time to grow grey... which reminds me I am also going to cut my hair soon...
SO I let the hair color sink in while I blog.

1. I am over Jon and Kate plus 8. I am over the nonsense. I am OVER her hair style, Come on cut it or grow it. But no more. I wonder is she THAT famous that she needs two body guards?
But really enough already, it's like Lindsey Lohan and Paris Hilton...ENOUGH..

2. I don't care WHO you are but there is always some kind of dysfunction in your family. Yes there is and if you don't want to admit it then that's fine, but just know others see it...I have this cousin, growing up who really thought he was WAY better than his family. He was well educated. Harvard educated actually.(which is great, I love Harvard..dabbled there a little myself) and when we would have family holidays and dinners or celebrations, he pouted because he did not want to be there. He hated being with his family. He as beyond them. He married a nice educated woman and they had two kids.They would come to family parties but didn't like it and he would sit alone and make it known that he wanted nothing to do with the low life's of the family...which was all the rest of us...Whatever. Now I have not seen this person in years... I mean Years.. and it's fine, but I had the same experience a few weeks ago...not with him but someone else....You know what. If you don't want to be a part of the family ....then don't. Then just don't come. Because sooner or later you will stop being asked to participate And according to you that is fine... I will share one last comment on this topic though.. My oldest brother was killed in a car accident in 1976...It's been thirty some odd years since he passed, and you know what
he's gone. I have wished for thirty some odd years that I would do ANYTHING to have two minutes in the arms of my brother. When they are gone, they are gone... no getting them back.

3. Ask my opinion and I will tell you EXACTLY how I feel. I am now 40, it is my rite of passage to be honest and I will. If you disagree with me, that is fine. I don't care...but don't be offended with me or anyone else who gives you an honest opinion and it's not what you want to hear. You asked an OPINION, which we are all entitled to have and that's it.....When I ask people and they don't agree with me, it's fine, I don't explain or defend myself unless they want me to, but I am not hurt. I stepped into it by asking. I am learning from that person...(read my Through The Door blog) Open yourself up to friends, family and others who will not always agree...it's the way it is. You choose your life and it's fine with me, and I choose mine. You may not agree, but all of these things are what makes the world go around. Remember God made us in his own image...and look how different we are. Love that...

4.I bought the movie 'Pretty in Pink' today at wal mart for 5 bucks. LOVE this movie...Brat pack stuff you cannot beat. I remember the first time I saw it too. I really was not crazy about it. I was dating Chris Ricci, my first (serious) boyfriend and we saw the movie. We saw a lot of people from school there too, like Jamie O'Neil and Kendra something...her sister. I remember after I stated I didn't like it. But I love it and got use to it as time went on. In fact, my junior prom, I took TD Carpenter and he dressed like Duckie Dale from the movie. That was cool. If it were on TV, I would put the clicker down and watch the movie. Perfectly produces high school growing pains. EVERYONE can relate.

5. I took the Bravotv.com quiz on what New Jersey housewife I was. My friend at work told me to take it. She was Caroline...I could have guessed for her. She is far more matriarchal than I... My result was that I was Jaceline. Eh okay w/ that. As long as I was not Danielle. My husband wanted to know why I was not the sexy hot tempered Italian Teresa...and I said I didn't like to shop... Love NJ housewives cannot wait to see the reunion show tonight and Thursday...

6.Glad to see RUNS HOUSE back on tv. For all of you christian friends and family out there, You should watch this show. It may not be like the Duggers (who I adore) but MTV really can come up with a famous well balanced family and put them on TV. Don't overlook Rev Run and his messages. It's all good and centered around GOD...
I think I am done.

Junkie...

This past Sunday the Tony Awards aired on TV. I LOVE live musical theatre. To me it doesn't get much better than a brilliant Broadway voice that can bring me to the brink of tears. Usually a mans voice.
I grew up with an appreciation of musical theatre. It is how I spent my jr.high and high school stints, as well as my summers in Hingham...Different plays and companies. I was always had a supporting roll. I liked that. Never really wanted the lime lite. I liked back stage too. I would have loved to learn the real way to direct a musical from my high school teacher. The man had nothing but brilliance for choosing the right musical for the talent of the year.
Summer Theatre was also fun. It was a way of spending the summer screwing around with out getting into trouble. The plays and people, the fun we would have. Then when you were asked to work on the Adult shows....you know the plays that only two teens were cast in and the rest were all twenty something plus talent...this was serious business too...these guys in their mind WERE Broadway material and could not understand why they could not make it in the Big Apple...THAT was brilliant because of the cat fights, and how this person should not have this role and that person can't sing or dance as well as I can and blah...but when a drama club member was asked to work backstage on the plays, it WAS big time. You were someone...
Yeah, so each year a handful of us would work back stage and have a great time, cause now we were hanging with the biggies.....
. I loved drama in High school though. President of the Drama club my senior year. Thespian Society troupe #1982 and for some strange reason I was awarded Best Female Thespian...hmmm but all in all, the Drama Club and it's people is what kept me going in High School...
I did not pursue Drama or Theatre after high School. I traveled with Up With People for a year in 1989. That was more good will ambassador stuff and less, much less theatre stuff. So throughout the years I did try to keep up on this musical and that one. Living in Boston it was easy...living in DC was easy too, cause lots of show came and went. But living in Naples, there really is not much around. When shows come here, they are REALLY expensive. The stage at the Phil is so small that you don't get the full effect and the shows stay for three days. They don't camp out like in the bigger cities. Naples doesn't give people a chance to scrape up the money yo see a show...but that's okay
It's why I have the Tony Awards. Every year I watch a small portion of it, the opening numbers and then move on the Gene Simmons Family Jewels, but I get a chance to see and hear what is a new on Broadway. I get a chance tos ee Angela Landsbury win Another Tony for yet another brilliant piece of work. I get to see more and more "famous"people work on stage and develop themselves as "ACTORS" eight shows a week...it's not as easy as TV or movies. I get to see..people living their dream and doing EXACTLY what they love to do...
Yeah, I am still a theatre Junkie...

Housewives....

"The Real Housewives of....."

I have to give Bravo TV snaps for some of the best reality shows out there... "Project Runway", "Top Chef", "Blow Out" which aired a few years ago with the egotistical Jonathan Anton..(mesmerizing), "The Millionaire Matchmaker" and the one about the Personal trainer Jackie which I cannot remember the name of... The is also "My life on the D-List" with whats her name.. and there was a small show about Paula Abdul which I think she needs to watch and then apologise for.. Poor thing... Anyway, another reality that I enjoy is "The Kardashians"... That show is like a bad train wreck that you just cannot keep your eyes off of... but I cannot give snaps to Bravo TV for that one. "The Kardashians" is all E and Ryan Seacrest....

Yes! okay Yes! I am a reality TV network junkie... some of these show are good and some of them really keep me in check of who I am... I can't help it...But let me get ONE thing straight...

I am a "The Hills" junkie.... it all started with MTV and the creation of "Laguna Beach" introducing us to Lauren Conrad and her high school friends.....(oh, poor Missi, she is a forty year old woman watching these kid shows....) Yeah I am and yeah I love them... It's been so hard to find good TV since "Friends", "Cheers", "Will and Grace", "CSI"...so I have to settle for TV and I settle for reality TV....Dan settles for "The Family Guy", I settle for the Best of the best... next to "The Hills"...

"The Real Housewives of....." It all started with "The Real Housewives of Orange County"

not a bad intro to the show. A bunch of wealthy women, married, some divorced, some are stay at home "moms" if you will, some are business women making their own cash and most have had boob jobs that would make me question the diploma of their plastic surgeon.... but al in all you watch six or seven women intertwine their lives with each other.. all overly sensitive and blond and driving killer cars, spoiling their kids to the point of, their kids end up in rehab....or jail...or having a really hard time finding a job....or graduating from high school....

Moving on... After a few seasons of "Orange county" Bravo smartened up and moved production to New York...."The Real Housewives of New York City." LOVE IT. maybe I am from the Boston area and seem to relate more to the city ladies than I do the beach ladies, even though I live in Naples FL... maybe it's because New Yorkers wear black a lot and I do tooo....

These women are HILARIOUS....there are so many insults and bickering and whining it is brilliant. I have my favourites, but I won't share them....I will say these women do a lot of charity work and I think it's great, but HOLY COW are they all a trip.....

After New York then came the Real Housewives of Atlanta....this was not a good season. I could not make heads or tails of any of these women. I couldn't catch on and had an interest in only a few stories, but it was not gripping and compelling as the others.. I think it was the white girl that threw me off.....

NOW...it looks like we have struck GOLD with the newest posse of Housewives and that is NEW JERSEY....How friggin' brilliant is Bravo for coming up with the idea of New Jersey....This is going to be great. The only bad thing is... These women will give the Italian heritage a bad name....because "Italians" are not like this...ONLY "American Italians" so when they say...."I'm an Italian" I wonder if they have ever been to Italy. It looks like we will have lots of bling and lots of cat fights and lots of back stabbing......what more could anyone possibly want on TV?

Let me break it all down for you into why I actually like this show.....it's so easy... It puts me into so much perspective on my little life and how incredible normal I am. I have often wondered that if I had all the money and cars and big houses and a husband with high money jobs and wads of cash, could I have possibly turned into these women... YES I could have and I know it to be a fact because it happened to a friend and she....well I will stop there, but I have a good little life and with the exception of the charity work some of these women do, I really do not envy them at all...so I see a group of chicks making complete arses of themselves because they have lots of money....I see it at the hotel all the time... money doesn't buy happiness and it CERTAINLY doesn't buy CLASS....

I am a housewife....and I love it.....

An Indulgence.. That Is Not Food...

I have a nail tech license... I love it. I love to do pedicures... It's funny to because I never liked anyone to touch my feet. Feet to me were gross and yucky and the idea of having my feet touched was horrid.
I am also not one for the indulgence of having a manicure or pedicure. I also found that indulgence a true indulgence. there is more I can do with my money than spend it on myself with something so ridiculous than myself. This is how I felt...sometimes, well most of the time I still do.

Anyway last year I went to school to become a licensed professional in the Nail business. It was great. In school believe it or not, you have to use your brain, so this was good for me because as stated in an earlier blog, using my brain at work is not something that I do to much...it's just not needed. So I learned all about fungus, anatomy, nail growth you know the entire gamut that goes along with the profession of toes and fillangies...

So I work at a hotel that is deemed five star/ five diamond by some companies that do a hotel survey...and would love to work in the spa there doing Pedi's and Mani's. I would love to be trained. I would love to 'engage with they guests' in the salon. How exciting, and how exciting for them to have an English speaking woman sitting across from them doing their nails that they could actually understand...incredible. No jobs available at the moment so we stay in retail...

BUT, so excitement....my private clients are great. Comfort of their own homes or girls parties or vacationers. Birthday parties for kids. I am telling you it is fun.

Some people even send me home with dinner. They want me to stay for lunch. They bake me cookies, tech me Italian. I become their sounding board, their masseur for their feet and legs. I make them feel pretty and take them away, out of the real world. Out of the humdrum life that they may lead and put them someplace else. I love it...I never thought that my days as a bartender would come in handy... (if you were ever a bartender than you would know just what I was talking about.)

I wanted to post a picture of one of my favorite clients....Gave her a Mani and Pedi one time and she was so excited she almost jumped out of her own skin to have hot pink nails and toes.

It was the most enjoyable client I have ever had.

If I could do her nails every day I would.. We had so much fun. I look forward to many more. I hope she does too....

He Got A Hair Cut....

We had to do it... we had to... Miles went to the groomer today and got a "Puppy Cut" as they say....
We have been putting it off for the longest time because we wanted to save money... at the old house, we would bath him in the drop sink in the garage...but the new house doesn't have a drop sink...(yet) so we had to get him cut...
He has so many snarls and he has SO much hair. He has a real thick undercoat so it's hard to even just brush him....
I drop him off and tell the kind lady, "here is what we would like, keep his little beard a little full, we like stuff around his ears, to make him look cute, but please do what you think would be best for him..."
Well, they did what is best for him and gave him a short cut, and a fluffy tail... we hate his tail fluffy when no other part of him is fluffy...so now our "precious little Miles" looks like a dingo or a hyena from "The Lion King". We both knew that we would not like it even before I picked him up...call it intuition. So to make up for it we were ready for him to come home with all of his toys ready for playing and lots of love and treats...to ease the blow... I am not sure if it was for him or for us....(probably for us)
So as we are laughing and commenting on "our precious little Miles' puppy cut...Dan looked at Miles and said..."Aw it's okay, little fella. I've had some really bad hair cuts back in the day.One time I even stayed home from school for three days because of a bad haircut...I still love you..." and it got me thinking... what a nice thing to say to "our precious little Miles" because it's true. He did have some bad haircuts and I did too. Like when I was thirteen, with a short perm. Thinking that it was awesome...please...but see all in all, Miles will have this cut for such a short time before his hair grows back, and we have vowed ONE MORE TIME... to brush him everyday and take care of his coat so we will not have to put him through the trauma of the groomer again...(once again, not sure if He's traumatized or US....probably us more than him.)
So we live with a dingo for awhile... It could be worse...
But he got a hair cut....