Boo

12 pounds 4 ounces. I had a big body and a low center of gravity...I was like a baby sumo wrestler. Even after I was born, my mom wasn't 100% convinced she wasn't having twins. She wanted them to make sure there wasn't another one hiding in there.

Probably not a good time to mention this again, particularly if Sugar Britches is within earshot, but I was the biggest baby born in Bradley County, Tennessee in 1974. Insert the requisite apology to my mother here. Sugar Britches weighed in at 7 pounds 4 ounces at birth. She was in the normal range for a newborn, but I got a write-up in the local newspaper when I was born. So, I got than going for me. Not sure if there's even any correlation between the birth weight of the parents and that of a newborn, but...now you know!

Three...It's a magic number. Congratulations Jane.

Congratulations on six weeks of freedom Amierouge.

Welcome aboard Pixie. The withdrawal symptoms are temporary and fleeting. Temporary withdrawal symptoms are a small price to pay for a lifetime of freedom. Take it one day at a time and remember that the one and only incontrovertible rule of a successful quit is this: DON'T SMOKE! It truly is that simple...just don't put anything in your mouth and set it on fire and you're good to go. Congratulations, you've made a great decision for yourself.

Had an office visit with the good doctor this morning. Miss Maddie is in great shape and just about ready to make her big debut. Doc performed an ultrasound and BPP test. The BPP was a prolonged monitoring of Maddie's heart rate. The little gal is well within the healthy range. The ultrasound gave us by far the best look we've gotten of her so far. She's put on some weight weighing in at over five pounds now...she has chubby little cheeks. She has moved into the "head down" position...making her final preparations for the big move. Sugar Britches got the full look over today and passed every test with flying colors. She is experiencing many of the symptoms you would expect from a woman who is thirty-four weeks pregnant (feet and legs swelling, bloating, lower back pain, fatigue, etc) but overall doing good. Understandably, she's ready to get the show on the road and make the transition from pregnant to motherhood. We don't have an appointment scheduled for next week, but starting in two weeks we will have an office visit every week. Only six weeks to go.

This is no laughing matter. That being said...this made me laugh.

Good job Dullyboi. Congratulations.

Legends never really die. The legacy lives on. "I am the architect of rock 'n' roll" --Little Richard

Got back out in the woods this morning. The air was crisp and cool and there wasn't a cloud in the sky...absolutely perfect. Ran out to Laurel Falls and back. We had a good bit of rain yesterday so the falls were roaring today. A good friend of mine once said: "There are three things I can stare at for hours: waterfalls, campfires, and boobs." Wise words...

I've got a couple of lullabies for the little lady. A bit of Elvis at bedtime... Me and Sugar Britches might even break out a duet like Johnny and June...

Don't forget about your mother this weekend.

Cowbell regimen?

Back when I had a satellite dish, I used to watch the international sports station from time-to-time. Watched a few minutes of a cricket game one night. Some guy ran a bit and skipped a ball towards a guy who I'm not sure if he was trying to hit it or just get out of the way. The British announcer believed he "knicked it." There was much debate about whether or not he "knicked it." The guys on the team from Sri Lanka were very agitated by the call. I guess they didn't think he "knicked it." I'm not sure if they ever came to a consensus about whether he "knicked it" or not...I changed the channel. It felt like watching two mules fighting over a turnip...I couldn't have cared less. Give me the Great American Game, the National Pastime...Baseball!

Congratulations Mona.

Congratulations LadyDraga. Celebrate freedom.

Good work AK. Keep marching forward.

Better to have that extra can of WD-40 and not need it than need it and not have it.

Hey.

Congratulations on one month of freedom Mac.

"What next?" I asked. A headline I read today: "Invasive 'Murder Hornet' Spotted in U.S. for First Time" And in the on-deck circle...Sharknado!

Grab a seat and enjoy the ride Lovecollies. You're on a fast-track to freedom now.

Going back and reading some of the early posts I made here puts the process in perspective. I've reached that place of calm normality now, but I had to work through some early chaos to get here. The view from the top made the climb worth the effort.