Mr. Lottery

See this guy below?  Well he is "Lottery Rob."  Lottery Rob has had a busy summer promoting a get rich campaign and now his reign will end on Saturday.  But Lottery Rob is a lucky, lucky man and gets to "retire" by throwing out the first pitch for the Chicago White Sox on Saturday!  What a lottery he has hit as well!  His celebrity will end immediately after.  

Sexist Utilities

Lady friends out there...

Do yourself a favor and do your best to have utilities under a man's name if you live with a man.  That is, if you ever think you might change your last name.  

If you do not do this, everyone from your phone service to People's Gas will ask that you fax over your marriage certificate and driver's license when you want to change your last name.  Do not think there is a way around this procedure if you're moving, that would make too much sense.  Your social security number (yes, they already have that) will be attached to the old name and they won't take your word for it that a different name has replaced it.  

I know this may not seem like a big deal but when faxing costs $2 a page at Kinko's this pisses me off.  Besides that, you never had to present a birth certificate to get that cell phone so why must you show proof now?  It seems so invasive!  I should have set these all up in the name "Mickey" and been done with it long ago.  How would they know if this is correct?  They never checked...until now.

GRRRRR.....    

Bumpalicious

Hello!  Happy Monday.  I'm so glad it has been beautiful and rain-free for the last week.  Here's some of our water-induced "decor"...

And then here's a picture of Mrs. Jarcy pregnant.  I swear this bump is bigger in person but thank goodness it doesn't appear too huge.  It does to me but that's just because I have a difficult time with things like strapping my sandles and bending over.  You know, things we all take for granted.  I'm telling you, being pregnant makes me feel like I'm back in my own toddler years!  

Time to pack more.  These free-loading cats have done nothing to contribute unless you count sleeping, begging for food and looking cute.  

Toodles Weirdo.

Yep, we are moving.  Unexpectedly moving.  After a week of water damage cleaning, apartment hunting and money spending, we are leaving this joint for dryer land a mile away.  Our landlord has yet to even stop by and see the damages for himself which seems negligent of one's investment but what are ya gonna do?  He even suggested to us that a move would be best for a woman five months pregnant and, boy, is he correct...every pregnant woman dreams of not only battling changes with her body and entire lifestyle but also uprooting all her and her husband's belongings from a 3rd floor apartment in a week and a half.  What a treat I have been given!  Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to just leave these damaged goods behind but I'm also heartbroken to leave this part of the hood, my lovely apartment and equally lovely neighbors.  Additional change was not something I was particularly rooting for.    

I did, however, begin to experience some pretty dramatic changes that have been positive...baby kicks.  Baby kicks!  BABY KICKS!  Woah, those are like getting unexpectedly goosed.  And Baby Jarcy feels like doing this whenever he or she chooses--right after a meal, while I'm meeting with a leasing agent, as I nod off to sleep, etc. 

I was also told by my doctor that gaining 8 lbs. in one month is a little overboard and will only result in a huge baby that I will need to eject at a later date.  Er, ugh, that wasn't great news.  Let's go back to baby kicks...

BABY KICKS!  BABY KICKS!  BABY K...(chant along with me, please)!   

Doomsday Weekend, I'm Spent.

Hello, the weekend has not been kind.  Let me explain...

Our kitchen sinks won't drain and, therefore, have been inoperable for the last 4 days.  Oh yeah, and they're leaking.  Two plumbers came Friday afternoon, tinkered for over 3 hours and stated, "We're stumped, can't fix it, " before leaving forever.  They said they would call me when another plumber was secured but that hasn't happened.  So I waited all weekend and still we're washing dishes in our bathroom.  The landlord doesn't seem as concerned but he drives a Cadillac and lives in the burbs so he must have more than one kitchen.  

Our landlord is going to give me a full head of gray hair (which may already be the case but I color it and wouldn't know).  Let me explain...

The plumbing issue made the list of reasons, of course, but now we have bigger problems.  You see, he never fixed our roof or gotten the front of the building tuck pointed even though he's known that during rain it leaks into the building and destroying our walls and windows.  Oh yeah, and there must be mold.  Since it's been raining for 3 days straight, we have a steady stream of water on the inside of our windows.  Essentially it's flooding in our 3rd floor apartment.  And as far as we can tell, the plaster and nice wooden window frames are ruined.  My spirit is also a casualty.  Sadly, Mr. Landlord doesn't think it's a big deal.  We're 5 months pregnant and facing a possible move.  

As if buried in water EVERYWHERE in this joint weren't enough, we've had other boo boos.  Let me explain...

My very nice and gently used Krups coffee maker has refused to work.  It won't brew and, let me tell you, I could really have used a good cup of 1/2 caf, 1/2 decaf coffee yesterday.  Why didn't I leave the premise to get a cup?  Refer to the points above and you'll know I've spent the weekend cleaning up water from various entries.  

Anyone have a perfectly nice Chicago apartment with coffee maker for the Jarcy's?  We'd be very appreciative.   

Zoo Baby

I went to the zoo today.  I have a love/hate relationship with zoos, however, the inner conflict never seems to deter me from going to one.  Highlights from the trip--

1. I ate a cheeseburger and soft-serve vanilla ice cream.  One of the most delicious meals I've had ever had.  (Like how the most important factor of the trip was what I ate?  My carnivorous baby-in-the-making has made me this way).
   
2. It was practically desolate so the animals got to lounge about without obnoxious crowds.
   
3. I made/purchased 3 Moldaramas--an elephant, rhinoceros and polar bear.  (Mr. Jarcy's voice is used as a polar bear at this particular zoo somewhere, I didn't hear him.  Maybe it's just on the web now.)
   

I have no pictures to show for this event.  I've taken photos of the animals in the past only to look at them at home and wonder what I'm going to do with action shots of tapirs anyway.  

I'm now off to eat dinner.  With any luck it will involve macaroni and cheese.  Take that meat baby! 

Our Latest Addition

We seem to have acquired a new family member over the course of the last two weeks.  His name is "Ernesto."  (That's what he told me anyway).  As you'll notice he is a squirrel so he's not allowed in the home...yet.  He is quite taken with us--the cats even more so--and I fear it's a matter of time before I go completely loony and let the little dude in.  

No, You Don't Hear The Zoo Lions Roaring, That's My Stomach

I'm in full on nesting mode or at least my friend Xenew thinks so.  (Xenew is the word that pops up when I try to spell her name via text message so it has now stuck.  It's like her space alien name.)  

Sunday I made baba ganoush with eggplants I bought at the Green City farmer's market.  Right now I'm making bread with zucchinis I purchased from there today.  I also purchased tons of blueberries and am pondering the idea of muffins over the weekend.  Tonight I'm going to a Cubs game rain or shine mostly because I simply must have the gooey, terribly bad for you nachos with peppers.  I'm so excited about it, you'd think I'm being awarded a million dollar check instead.  

My life really does revolve around food these days.  The days are determined by what I will eat and when, how my body will take to it, when I can cram in those high-potency prenatal vitamins post meal and what I will be eating the next day.  And while I've never really been one to deprive myself of food or limit my intake, now I most definitely cannot.  This Baby Jarcy demands food every few hours.  Folks from a mile away can hear my stomach if Baby J is not fed.  I'm afraid he/she will go after my spleen or something if not fed on time!  

It's September? Woah.

Hello!  I've been terrible at blogging and here are my reasons--

1. I've been pregnant and dealing with morning sickness.  I won't go into detail, you don't want it.  But still preggo and not so sick now.  WOO HOO!  Seriously, it's like being released from jail after a wrongful conviction...not that I ever want to confirm this theory.
   
2. I've been facebooking.
   
3. I eat as often as the types of wild animals who graze all day long and then sleep for long stretches.  Maybe a gorilla?  As to why I'm behaving this way, refer back to excuse number 1.
   

Toodles!