Texafornian??

Ever since Spike and I found out that we are going to have a baby, we have made some minor adjustments in our life here in Maine.  We've been figuring out the things that we'll do with our son when he's old enough.  We can't wait to take him to the park, zoo, museums, etc. and expose him to all good things Maine.  One thing I'm not too keen on doing just yet is giving him Whoopie Pies.  It's just sugar piled on top of sugar with more sugar.  A blueberry pie I can get with.  Apple picking I can get with.  Whoopie Pies I cannot.

Something else I can get with?  Traveling and taking him to new and exciting places that we've never been to or love visiting.  Take for instance California...San Francisco and San Diego in particular.  Those are two of our favorite cities.  Spike and I had the privilege of honeymooning in San Diego and living in San Francisco for a year before we moved to Maine.  Last week we went back to San Francisco to vacation in the city that has a stronghold on our hearts.  We did everything that we didn't get a chance to do while we lived there, and a few other things that we had to do again.

We visited the Museum of Modern Art and the Asian Art Museum, got a killer burrito in Mission district, got to have amazing German food with my cousin, see and stay with some of our best friends, take a hike in the Berkeley Hills overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge and bay, and finally, have dinner at our favorite restaurant of all time.  This trip was about doing what we wanted to do and really enjoying the city in a different way.  I was sad to leave the bay area and come back to Maine where it was much cooler and a bit rainy, but it was great to get back into my own bed.

Hands down the best burrito I've ever had.  El Farolito at 24th and Mission.

Vases at the Asian Art Museum.

Inspriation Point looks out onto the bay and Golden Gate Bridge.

E Tutto Qua at Broadway and Columbus...the best Italian food ever.

Spike in a graffiti covered alley.

Drumroll, Please!!

Monday, Spike and I went get an ultrasound of the baby.  After going into the wrong building and getting a long explanation of how to cross the street by a security guard, we made it to the right office.  We walked back into the room where the tech had me sit down in a chair that I would compare to a dentist's chair, but more comfortable.  She proceeded to recline the chair, but with sterile paper and my body on top of faux leather it was making A LOT of noise.  And the recline wasn't really very fast either.  It just sounded like one big...well you know.  Not that we were nervous about anything, but it seemed to lighten the mood when I wondered aloud if the chair could make a little more noise.

And then it all started.  It was the most surreal thing I think I've ever experienced.  I say that because this pregnancy has been so normal (no sickness, no crazy hormonal stuff) that it's almost like I can't believe I'm growing a human being inside me.  But I am!  As soon as she found the baby, the spine was as clear as day.  A bright white spotted line along the back.  A beautiful sight!  And the head. And the little legs.  And the tiny arms.  There's no way for me to describe it except as awe inspiring.  The tech began taking measurements of the head, heart, and kidneys.  However, the baby was in the position that it made it hard to get the last shot of the heart she needed.  She tried jiggling the device on my stomach, having me turn on my left side and then my right.  This baby was being so stubborn...ornery as we described it.

After walking up and down the hall a few times, rubbing my stomach, hopping little hops, and giving this baby a "heart to heart," the picture the tech needed was finally achieved.  By this time the big question had been answered.  Was this baby a boy or girl?  As soon as the legs came into view, the truth was told...it wass a boy!  I had a feeling beginning about a month or two ago that this was going to be a boy.  I don't know why, but nearly everyone on my side of the family (or at least the women anyway) predicted this little one was a boy as well.  We are completely overjoyed and excited.  Now for the next step, a name...we have nothing yet.

I'll be posting a few of the pictures of the ultrasound as soon as I can get them scanned.  Of the black and white (not 3D) ultrasound pictures I've seen in the past, these are actually recognizable.  You can make out his nose and lips on one and an arm near his face in another.  So there it is...Spike has a drummer for his next band!

It's Been Too Long

I know it's been too long since I've written anything.  I've had a lot on my plate the last few months.  First of all, I should say that Spike and I are expecting our first baby in late August.  That's enough for a "get out of jail free card" on the blog, right?  Second, winter here has lasted MUCH longer than any of us expected and we haven't done that much.  I guess last year when we arrived in March it was chilly, but I don't remember it being this chilly!  We had so much snow this winter that there's still some in the backyard just waiting to melt.  That's insane.  And we had a day when the high was 68 and it's still not all gone!  That's when you know it's been cold.

I always kind of figured that we would have a baby while we were living in Maine.  The joke was that the first words out of the baby's mouth would be something like, "Waa, ma.  Waa."  No exclamation point, no real feeling to the cry...just "Waa."  The pregnancy has been going well.  I never had morning sickness, I've been gaining weight steadily, exercising, and eating voraciously.  Just don't tell me that I'm eating for two...if I had another person growing inside me with the appetite that I've had, I'd be scared.  I just eat about the same amount at meals and have sensible snacks throughout the day to supplement the hunger that comes around every few hours.

The next big step is finding out if the baby is a girl or boy.  I have a hunch about what it will be, but I'd like to take a poll.  What do you think?  Take the survey at the top right of this page.  I don't get feedback on who specifically votes which way, but I think it would be a fun way to see if you're right in the end.  And I promise I'll have some more things to talk about Maine once it starts to warm up a little more!

It's Wintah...in Maine!

As a Native Texan, winters were something I always dreaded.  I wasn't used to the 40-50 degree weather, and I prayed for a snow day at least every time the meteorologist said it was going to drop below 32.  Alas, that didn't happen very often.  Try about once every four years in Houston.  Dallas provided us with more snow/ice days - about once a year right around Valentine's Day.  Texas isn't capable of handling the snow or ice so they just ended up canceling school, and most people got the day off from work.  It's too dangerous to get out there...almost like Californians driving in the rain.

All that seems to be a distant memory these days.  The average temps around here the last few weeks have barely even pushed above freezing.  Getting out there isn't as easy as one might think.  Sure, they plow the roads and salt and sand them, but they can't keep up with a heavy snow storm.  So what is a heavy snow storm then?  Before we left for Christmas there was 4 inches of snow on the ground and that was a "dusting."  To be honest, they all seem like heavy snow storms to me, and we should all stay home from work instead of going out on the roads.  The snow looks so much prettier when you're at home and not at work.

To be fair, this season has been much worse than winters Maine has experienced in the past few years.  I'm not sure of the total inches we've had so far, but I think it's already surpassed the average for the whole season.  Everyone keeps saying, "Just wait til February" meaning that it will only get worse.  Well I'll tell you what.  You can take your February and keep it because I want no part of it!  I'm sick of snow.  I'm sick of having to bundle up when I go outside.  I'm sick of having to struggle to get up our hill of a driveway just to get in the garage.  I'm sick of having sand and snow stuck to shoes, and consequently, in the house.

BUT!!!  It sure does beat the heat.

The path from the back porch to the driveway...see the angle of the car?  I wasn't lying about the hill!

Our street

The neighborhood

The park that had tulips last spring (Blog: April Showers Have Brought May Flowers)

Check out how tall that snow bank is...and how buried the Stop sign is

The Whole Enchilarda

I've already discussed in a blog from last year how Maine isn't going to be garnering any spots on the "spiciest places to eat tour" anytime soon.  And one of the reasons is because the Mexican food up here is virtually non-existant.  Oh sure, Thai and Indian food have the corner on spice market, but there's something to be said about a really good salsa that kind of sets your mouth on fire and dares you to come back for more.

I think Spike and I have tried about three "Mexican" (and I use the term very loosely) restaurants around town, and only one of them deserves going back again and again - El Rayo.  It's in an old gas station with more outdoor seating than is available than inside.  So you can understand why this place would be packed in the summer.  We've been quite a bit since we've moved to Portland, and it hits that spot even if it's not always super spicy.  Trying something new is always in order when we go and we're not usually disappointed.  I've tried the chilequilles, the Mexico City corn on the cob (exceptionally good), tacos, quesadillas, rice and bean bowls...the list goes on.  EXCEPT!!! they have no enchiladas on the menu, which is disappointing, but I guess it's not that kind of restaurant.   

But the whole reason I'm here pouring out my thoughts is because today at work they were serving "Enchilardas" for lunch.  That's right, enchiladas with an R.  Of course, it's just the woman behind the sneeze glass who writes the day's offerings on the chalk board and doesn't know how to spell the word.  I feel that's what we're working with here in New England: Restaurants that don't serve enchiladas and people that can't spell it.


That's why I just have to accept that the best Mexican food is in El Paso and I can only have it about once a year when we see Spike's family.   

Festive Sweater Fest 2010

What do you get when you gather a group of people who have crazy aunts and grandmas with "beautiful" sweaters that they loaned/gave you to go to a Christmas party?

Festive Sweater Fest, that's what.

Yes, there are ugly sweater parties popping up all over the country during this season, and we decided to jump on the bandwagon too.  These kind of parties have given us a new way to celebrate Christmas without having to spend a lot of money.  If you can dig through your or your relatives' closets to find these gems, you could be in for a treat.  Prizes are often offered, and we weren't going to let our guests down.  Trader Joe's, a type of Whole Foods specialty food store for those of you who aren't in the know, just opened here in town about a month ago.  People are nuts over this place so we decided that a $10 gift card to Trader Joe's was in order...worth way more than most of the sweaters.  Can you guess who won?

Joanna is in a winter wonderland and Amber is the Cat Lady

Michelle was into bunnies, Lauren looked lovely in snowflakes, and Brad's too short teddy bear sweater was perfect. 

My sweater was intricately crocheted and Spike pulled off Liz Claiborne quite well if I do say so myself!

Warren pinned a stocking on and Sabrina had bears as part of her ensemble.

Tyler, Mark, and Spike laughing about how ridiculous they look...or maybe something else.
Tyler's sweater had a walrus and polar bear among others and Mark was decked out in moose and trees.

Amber with her straight-laced man Mike in a gingerbread and plaid get-up.  The glasses are totally classic!

Run for Your Life...or Warmth

That's me in the gray vest!

Thanksgiving Day I ran my first race.  Some friends from work convinced me to run with them, and being easily persuaded I agreed.  I've been running more since late summer and was ready to put all the days of training at Back Cove to the test.  This was the Portland Thanksgiving Day 4 Miler.  Granted, I'd never run non-stop for 4 miles before and I knew I wouldn't be able to do it this day, but I still thought it would be fun.

My friends and I met up at one of their apartments to stretch and warm up.  We had bananas (lots of potassium for muscles) and cranberry bread for sustenance to carry us through the race.  I had one banana and half a slice of the bread.  There is a reason I'm telling you this...keep reading.  We walked down to the start line with 2,000 of our closest friends.  And some of these people were a little too hardcore for me.  I saw quite a few running in their shorts and t-shirts, which is fine for a spring day run, but it was 31 degrees outside!  Really though, once the race began my attire was perfect.  The most important thing to me was to keep my core and ears warm.  The legs and arms were going to be moving enough that I didn't need extra layers.

About 3 times I had to stop running to regain energy that was zapped on those hills, and there were plenty of them.  Luckily, the planner of the race had the decency to make the final stretch downhill.  My friend Elizabeth and I began to pick up the pace to finish strong.  We were nearly sprinting when we crossed the finish line and I almost got sick.  I just kept thinking, "Please, please don't let me throw up in front of all these people!!"  Luckily I was able to keep my composure, but I guess the lesson was to only eat half a banana in the future!

I love that cities all across the country have a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning.  It makes eating all that food easier to justify.  And our Thanksgiving had lobster.  Yeah, I'll go ahead and rub it in.  It was sooooooo good.  How else are you supposed to celebrate the holiday in Maine?