Ringing the Bell, Baby!

How I Started My Day.....I got to ring the NASDAQ opening bell. Woo-Hoo!

Let the online holiday shopping begin!

Be A Good Cookie

I read a touching story in Cookie magazine this month ( don't ask me WHEN I find time for magazines...you can guess where my library is these days. Let's just say it's not a comfy armchair, more like a hard porcelain seat...). A family was faced with the devastating news that their 2 1/2 year old has a rare pediatric cancer. During their search for treatment they found that less than 10% of all cancer research and dollars are dedicated to specific pediatric cancers. Most of these cancers do not affect adults and are unique to children.

They decided that they would do something to help. Being marketers by profession they decided to bake cookies and sell them, donating all proceeds to pediatric cancer research. Today, 2 years later their son is cancer free and they have raised half a million dollars to research and treat similar cancers.

You can go to their web site and buy cookies as gifts this holiday season. 75% of the cost of all cookies is donated. This is a tax deductable gift (but ask your Accountant, don't take my word for it).

You can also bake your own cookies and hold a bake sale at school, work or wherever. They will give you signs and whatever you need to promote your sale. After your sale you send them the proceeds which they then use for cancer research.

Such a simple idea. Such a great idea! Check out their site and read all about them. Cookies For Kids Cancer.

Brothers and Such

Two announcements that I have been meaning to make:

CONGRATULATIONS ERNIE!

For winning the 2008 Henry Mancini Award for Emerging Film and TV Composer by the ASCAP Foundation. You are so awesome and we are all so proud of you!

CONGRATULATIONS BRYAN AND SAM!

For getting engaged and I can't wait for your wedding in December.

>>>>>>

Holiday time fast approaches. My, my, my...I just can't understand where the time goes.

Mama is back at work. Working hard and glad for it. Especially in these times that are so difficult for so many. I just read that Google is laying off 10,000 people. That is a little too close to home for me. If Google gets hit that means my industry is not insulated from this economic downturn. So far, only one client has had to pull their advertising. We are keeping our fingers crossed.

Business travel has been difficult for me as I have to lug the Medela Pump in Style with me everywhere I go. Silas is allergic (or has a sensitivity) to milk and we have not found a formula that he can tolerate yet. So I pump in my office. I pump at airports, restaurants and in the bathrooms of Fortune 500 companies. I never thought I would be THAT woman. But there you have it. I am.

The big boys are, well, BIG. I can't believe how they are really boys now and not babies at all. They are loud and rough and full of energy. I mean exploding with the stuff. They don't even sit still when they sleep. I oftentimes bump into one or the other of them in the hallway when I make my midnight trip to the loo. One or both of them are often found sleeping on the floor of thei bedroom (the fact that I removed their beds doesn't help that fact, but that's another post) or sleeping on the couch in their room. Sometimes Waylon will be on the floor in MY room when I get up to feed the baby at 3am.

Speech therapy is going well and both boys know a good number of words now. Reminding them to use their words has become another part time job. Tantrums have died down some but we are definitely still in the terrible 2s.

Silas is a cool little dude. He is so mellow - except when daddy has him. When he is with mama he is all smiles and bubbles. When he is with dada he is a screaming ball of spitfire. No idea why. Really. Just something about Ernie that sets him off. I think he can smell the terror on Ernie when I leave for work in the morning and he plays off of that.

All in all, we feel very blessed this Thanksgiving season. I want to thank all of you who have helped us make it through yet another year of fun and mayhem here in CT. We are looking forward to continuing along the same lines for years to come. Sort of a restless abandon, ALL THE TIME. Nothing like living on the edge.....I am doing my best not to jump.

P.S. new pics on the Adzentoivich Boys blog (link in sidebar)

We're All Surviving!

Well, it's been 8 weeks and we are all still here. Woo hoo! Only 3 1/2 more weeks of maternity leave. Boo-hoo!

Silas - Growing Fast!

These photos are from 5 weeks.

Well, Silas is 7 weeks old this week. Boy does time fly! I spent most of the last 7 weeks convalescing in and out of the hospital. There seemed to be one complication after another...

But I won't bore you with the details. Let's just suffice it to say that Yes, you can catch nasty infections from the hospital - even when you weren't sick to begin with. Five rounds of antibiotics later......here we are at 7 weeks!

Silas is a great baby. Sleeps like a champ. No colic. Very happy. Likes to "talk" and laugh all the time. Very different than his twin brothers - but in their defense they were 5 weeks premature and he was almost a week and a half late. So he was technically born "older" than they were. He also holds his head up almost all the time, can roll over from tummy to back and likes to "stand" on mommy's lap!

We have been having issues with diarreah and spitting up - well, Silas has, not me - we think it may be due to all of the anitbiotics his food source has ingested (that would be me). So he has been taking probiotics for the past five days in hopes of regulating his system. Other than that - he has been a dream!

The big brothers love the little guy. Vladimir likes to make sure the Calming Vibrations chair is always switched to "On" when Silas is in it. And Vlad also likes to pull the cord on the toy that makes music so Silas has something to listen to. Very cute. Waylon likes to look at Silas and makes sure he comes with us wherever we go.

Silas

He's Here

11:37 am
8lbs 7 oz
19.5 inches
Silas Wolfram Adzentoivich
Mother and baby are doing fine. Pictures and details to follow.

Due Date +6

Scheduled the c-section. It will be Thursday at 10:30am. Assuming, of course, that things don't happen on their own before then.

Not exactly what I had in mind - but as I learned from my last birthing experience, as long as everyone comes out alright in the end, everything else is just small stuff.

Looking forward to meeting my son! FINALLY.

Due Date +5

Yep. Still here.

I woke up at 3:00am and never went back to sleep. Was sure I was in "Early Labor" as it's called. Thought I was having the whole lower abdoninal and around the back contractions. Like 5 or 6 an hour. Thing is, once I got up and out of bed and started the day, seems like things have calmed down. Why does this happen every day? Maybe if I just stay in bed all day I will go into labor?

Got the Red Raspberry Leaf tea yesterday. So now I am on that and the Evening Primrose Oil. Let's hope these contractions are focused properly now.

I really shouldn't say that nothing is happening since I got out of bed. It could be that it just seemed more exciting in the middle of the night while in the light of day it is just sort of whatever. I am trying to keep positive. Next doctor's appointment is tomorrow at 8am.

Hopefully I won't need to keep that appoinement!

Due Date +4

Well, made it through another night. Is that good or bad? I don't know.

Did I mention that I have a whopping case of SCIATICA?!?! Yeouch!! ("An important thing to understand is that sciatica is a symptom of a problem — of something compressing or irritating the nerve roots that comprise the sciatic nerve" ---really? hmmmm...wonder what that something could be?) .

If any of you could see me "walking" right now you would ROTFLYAO! And to make matters worse, child 1 and his cohort child 2 decided to wake up at 3:30am and wouldn't go back to sleep if MAMA left the room. This prompted me to "sleep" on the Lilliputian-sized IKEA couch in their bedroom. Did I mention that I am suffering from siatica? And how about trying to go down the stairs to breakfast this morning? Almost didn't happen.

Grandmother leaves for home this afternoon. Her prediction is that I will go into labor while she is en route. If only we were that lucky! Unfortunately, after 3 1/2 months hanging out with us she will not be here for the birth of child #3.

My next stop is to Mrs. Green's market to buy some Red Raspberry Leaf tea. Supposed to "focus" the contractions to make them actually do something other than be annoying. Just like me to have contractions that suffer from ADHD....

Due Date +Three

Nothing to report but a wicked case of sciatica from all of the walking I've been doing.....

Due Date +Two

So, this morning I woke up and stripped our bed and the boys beds. Folded a load of laundry. Put a second load in the wash. Baked a slew of summer savory biscuits (no idea what Summer Savory is, some sort of herb we got from the CSA last week) and two pans of Zucchini Bread. Do you think this could be "nesting"? Hmmm...I do hope so.

Doc appointment today at 3:00.

Still waiting. It can't be long now. Can it?

UPDATE: At doctor's office the nurse (who used to be a doula) recommended I try Evening Primrose Oil. So off I went to CVS to get some. So far I have taken two capsules - 1000 mg each. I also went for a loooooonng walk in the neighborhood after the boys went to sleep. Let's hope this does the trick!

1 Day Overdue

Well follks, yesterday was the BIG DAY. Yep. It came and went. And nothing. Due date, schmoo date is all I have to say.

Still working. Still sitting here with my laptop. Still surfing real estate listings (which could become dangerous if I spend too many more days like this!). Waiting.

The two existing Adzentoivich Boys have been super-clingy to me the past week. I wonder if this means that they know something I don't? Could there be inter-womb communication going on with their little brother? Some sort of weird twin to newborn telepathy? I can only hope. For the past 4 or 5 days neither of them will go anywhere without MAMA. They would rather sit with me while I work on the computer than to play outside with Grandma or DADA. They have always been very happy to spend time with me but this has been ridiculous. Bath time won't go down unless I am in the bathroom to watch (of course it is quite difficult to lean over the tub and assist with the actual bathing at this stage of the game). And only MAMA is allowed to apply powder and diapers before bed. Please tell me this is all because they know that labor is fast approaching. Some sort of animal survival instinct. They want to preserve their MAMA.

Hmmmmm.....maybe I will do some research. I am, afterall, sitting at my laptop looking to kill some time....

Update

The update is...there is no update.

No change since my doctor's visit last week.

We sit and we wait.

The suspense is KILLING me!! This baby is going to be gigantic by the time he decides to be born...a month ago he was already 7 pounds!

Still Waiting

Yes, T minus two days until the "official" due date of baby boy #3. We are still in the holding pattern waiting for clearance.

Next doctor appointment scheduled for tomorrow morning. Will post update.

In the meantime, we greatly anticipate the first REAL contraction.....

Baby Watch

Still on high alert over here. Baby watch is in full swing. And I have to say I do not like it one little bit.

My due date is exactly one week from today. I was ready for this baby to make his entrance a month ago!

The boys were born at 35 1/2 weeks, so I never got this far. I also wasn't sitting around waiting to go into labor because I was in preterm labor for two months before they were born. We were doing everything we could at the time to stop the labor.

Now I just sit. And I wait. And wait. I have contractions every now and again. As I have since about 5 months along. But honestly they aren't too big of a deal. I am waiting for the REAL DEAL to begin. I don't like not knowing. This whole idea of it all being out of my control does not bode well with me. In case you don't know me too well, I like to be the one in charge.

But...as you quickly learn when you become a parent....it is very seldom that you are really the one in charge. These little people have a way of making your entire life bend to their will. Very powerful creatures....

So we wait. And Wait. and wait......

Quick Update

Hello Readers. Are there any of you left out there? I can no longer call myself a Blogger, and I am sorry for that. Maybe somehow, someday....

But in the meantime, a few updates.

• Baby #3 is finally head down and ready to go! He was breech the entire pregnancy. I resorted to Chinese Medicine and something called Moxibustion which is basically lighting this sort of cigar sized incense below the outside tip of your left little toe for 20 minutes twice a day. Following each incense burning session you get down on your hands and knees and do a modified version of downward dog for 10 minutes.

• I also did some other posture exercises which included putting my butt up on a stack of ten pillows and laying on my back so that all of the blood rushed to my head for 20 minutes twice per day.

• And the last thing we did to get this boy to flip upside down was to put the iPod headphones on the lowest part of my belly with the volume down low (this is actually when I think he flipped). The baby has to flip over to get is ears closer to the sound. I am not kidding.

All of these were doctor recommended measures. And they worked! Baby Boy #3 flipped upside down at 36 weeks and 2 days. This was after my doctor and all of his staff told me that it was unlikely that he would flip and we were discussing things like external versions and c-sections. Now I am looking forward (?) to a nice normal labor and birthing experience. Nothing like the last time. Please keep your fingers crossed and send me some really good energy...

• My last day in the office at work is this Friday because - well, hey! - I am three weeks away from my due date. And I have a suspicion that I am not going to make it all the way to July 9th before this little guy decides to join our family. I will be working from home beginning next Monday until the blessed event!

• My Yahoo email no longer works. I think it may have been hacked. My password is no longer valid. This sucks big time because things like my bank and credit card statements are sent to this address. Not to mention my Victoria's Secret specials! Man. It sucks. So if you would please send your own email address of choice to my Gmail account I would appreciate it. My Gmail address is the same as my Yahoo address only with gmail.com instead of yahoo.com at the end (duh!). And if you don't know my Yahoo address then that's OK - I probably don't know you anyway!

• My lovely Mother in Law has now been living with us for 2 1/2 months and nobody has killed anyone. She has been a huge help with the boys and the house as I have gotten bigger and more tired. Father In Law was also here for 3 weeks in May. He and husband tore apart our back porch and build a new one out of stone. Beautiful work. Someday, if I ever upload the pics from my camera, I will post some images of that for your amazement.

• My boys are big kids now - or so it seems. They still aren't speaking much that is intelligible, but they are getting there. They have both had hearing tests and they passed with flying colors. It seems they are just taking their sweet time with the language thing. We had to get them new toddler beds today because their convertible cribs don't work when your kdis are climbers...these boys were climbing up on the sides of the toddler bed/crib to get on top of the dresser in their room. The dresser is about 4 1/2 feet tall! this is not acceptable. So we got them toddler beds with low footboards. Hopefully they will be able to reach the top of the dresser but not get on top of it. We'll see....

And now my boss just called me to her office so it is adios again. Ciao!

I am sorry. This has absolutely nothing to do with anything. I just thought it was SO FREAKIN FUNNY I had to post it. This is not a doctored photo - this was issued by the State Department and syndicated by the AP. And in case you don't recognize them without their make-up...this is a picture of KISS with Condoleza Rice.

Priceless...

From left are, Tommy Thayer, Paul Stanley, Secretary Rice, Gene Simmons and Eric Singer

Meme Update

OK. So here is the story.

When I wrote my things I thought one was a lie - but it turns out they are all true. The sad thing is, I didn't know that. My husband had to tell me!

1. Yes - I did have fire engine red stripes in my hair back in oh, I'd say 1999/2000 or 2001? Those were the dotcom days and the days of Epoch Entertainment when I was a drum-n-bass promoter. Fun times. Now, if you ask my hubby, he will say they were magenta, not red....but he has been known to be a tad color blind.
2. Yes - I have been to Portugal multiple times. We went to Lisbon twice, then travelled down the West Coast to the Algarve once and on another trip wen to the Portugese island of Madeira. It is one of the most beautiful countries I have even enjoyed. And back then, I guess it was back in 2001/2003 ish, they were not part of the EU and so the US dollar exchange rate to the Escudo allowed us to travel in style. Those were the days.
3. Yes - I did pierce my nose. However, it lasted only about a month. You see, I desperatly wanted a little diamond stud and I attempted to swap it out Mother's Day weekend before I went home to see my mom. I knew she would object to the piercing, but at least if it was a cute little diamond it would be less offensive than the stark steel ball they used to pierce it with. This was probably sometime around 2002...the hole closed up in hours as I tried to put the new stud in. I never was able to open it back up. I ended up giving the little diamond to my cousin Natalie who is studying marine biology in New Zeland as we speak.
4. Yes - I have a huge scar on my knee from a High School ski trip accident. That would be back in 1987. There is a long stupid story behind that one I assure you. Let's just say there was a gondola involved and some bad judgement on my part. Stupid kids.
5. Yes - I did swim with the Polar Bears Club in Coney Island on New Years Day. In fact, that was one of my very first blog posts. That is a very good memory. I hope to do it again someday.
6. Yes - I did read a book besides Good Night Moon (available on books.google.com) since the beginning of the year. This is the one I thought was a lie. I completely forgot that I read A Thousand Splendid Suns back in January. Lord knows where I found the time. I completely forgot I read it - Ernie had to convince me that it was true. So, Josette, in my mind, you are the winner :-) And now that I am able to recall that I read it, let me recommend it emphatically. It is an excellent novel. I think I may have liked it better than The Kite Runner.

So, Josette is the winner sort of, but not really. I am sorry I am suffering from pregnant brain and twin mommy brain all at once. I did not start out this meme with the intent to lie to my friends and family....though I am really surprise none of you believed that I had been to Portugal...

Anne's Meme

OK so I've been tagged by Anne (see link in right column - I am too lazy to grab the URL and embed it here, sorry!) to do this meme. Hers is pretty funny. And I haven't been writing much at all lately so, why the heck not!?

OK. So I am going to list 5 things - or was it 6? - about myself that are non-important and silly, or what have you. One of these things is NOT TRUE. You have to guess which one is the lie. Then please post your pick in the comments section. The winner gets a prize (or so Anne says). When I see what she gives out as a prize then I will let you all know what I am giving away. I don't want to be an over or under-gifter ya' know.

List below.

1. I once dyed my hair fire engine red stripes.
2. I have a four inch scar on my knee where a ski once sliced through it
3. I have been to Portugal more than once
4. My nose used to be pierced
5. I once jumped into the Atlantic Ocean on January 1st with the Polar Bears Club

and for good measure...

6. I have read a book this year (other than Good Night Moon, etc.)

Happy April Fools Day 2008

Why I love Google:

If you have a Gmail account you may have seen the "new feature" announced today...gotta love those crazy Googlers

Baby Update - Half Way There !

Yes, lest you all forget that I am expecting another son...

(quick update on yesterday's post...the washing machine is a Whirlpool not a Maytag and it is SO COOL!)

So, this little guy (just one this time 'round) has made himself known. Recently I have been feeling the jabs, pokes and flips of the newest Adzentoivich-to-be. Of course these were few and far between for the past couple of weeks, but now I can say they are pretty regular. There he goes right now!

And yesterday morning, when I lay in bed awake at 5am (no not to feed my goats, you have to read Anne's blog for those stories) because one of the boys in the next room decided 5am was a great time to play with his talking, singing, migraine-inducing doggie....I noticed a hard little lump protruding from my belly. Baby Butt!!!! Now this is exciting. If you have never experiences a tush, foot or fist pushing up through your abdominal wall you are really missing something big. All of a sudden it became a reality that there is, in fact, another living Adzentoivich boy in there - and he will be joining us sooner than we can imagine!

Way cool.

So, I compared my current one baby-belly to pictures of my two-baby belly from 2006. Guess what? Same size. So, I can't say that I became so HUMONGOUS because I was carrying twins. It looks like this time around I am on track to be just as rotund. And the funny thing is, I have gained about the same amount of weight as I did at the same time in the last pregnancy. Which, really, is almost nothing. Like 6 or 7 pounds. Needless to say I was no twig when we began this adventure. But still. It just all goes to the belly. Unbelievable.

I won't gross you all out again with belly pictures like I did the last time. I promise. But I do, however, have a pretty cool 3D ultrasound pic of Baby X (that's what we're calling him as that is the next letter in the alphabet after his brother's names). He looks just like his older siblings.......when I get to my home computer I will post it (you see, I am on my work laptop at the moment. Shhhh).

All the Latest

So. On Sunday, race day, I turned to my son Waylon and asked..."Are you going to be good and let mommy watch the race today? At least the end?" and he looked me square in the eye and shook his head an emphatic "No".

And he wasn't kidding. I didn't see one lick of the race. I did get to see some of the stuff leading up to it. All of the old race cars going around the track and footage from the beach days and past champions. It brought a tear to my eye thinking of Grandpa down there all those years ago. And about how, in 1973, I was there with my parents and Grandparents because my dad was going to get to drive his cousin's car (which didn't actually happen, long story). It was really a walk down memory lane for me. Very emotional.

Well, I have to admit it wasn't all Waylon's fault that I didn't get to see the race. Vladimir had a hand in it too.

No, really. I am kidding.

It goes something like this.

We generate a lot of dirty clothing at our house. Especially since the boys now play outside and their diapers have the huge challenge of containing liter upon liter of fluid overnight without bursting...

So, with my work schedule I don't typically get to the laundry until the weekend. This weekend was no exception.

On Saturday we found a new playground and took the boys to play for an hour or so. Then we went to Target or the Grocery Store or somewhere. We weren't home long enough for me to make a dent in the dirty pile before it was time for dinner, bath and bed (the kids' routine, not my own).

I figured it would be OK since, with President's Day, I had a three day weekend to deal with the clothes. I managed to get two loads into the wash before bed. One made it into the dryer and the other was doomed to mustiness as I galantly went to bed without drying it. I knew the boys had one more clean pair of PJs if I needed them in a pinch.

Sunday - late morning. I go down to the basement to put the wet clothes into the dryer and add another load to the wash - in an attempt to get the laundry settled before race time.

The laundry in the washing machine was sitting in a full basket of water. It didn't drain.

I turned the little knobby thing trying to get the basket to spin but nothing happened. Finally I finagled something in such a way so as to make the basket move around a little.

Task accomplished.

An hour or so later husband goes into the basement for something unrelated to dirty clothes. I ask him to please put the wash into the dryer. He reports to me that the wash is still sitting in water.

Huh?

30 minutes later he comes upstairs to tell me the washing machine is broken.

Great.

No washing machine and two 18 month olds do not a happy or clean smelling household make.

After several calls to Father In Law to confirm that the machine was in fact broken, Husband decides that it may be the timer that needs replacing. He then shuffles through the multiple phone books in our house and calls all three of the appliance repair stores within 30 miles. None are open on Sunday. It is the suburbs so I don't know what he was expecting.

So, race is starting....

We all pile into the minivan and head to Home Depot to look at wahsing machines. Not to BUY one mind you. But rather to LOOK at them and decide which one, if the timer cannot be replaced, would I like to have? They all seem the same to me. And since when is the washing maching "Mine"?

Water in.

Suds.

Spin.

Water out.

Clothes clean.

What do I know about front loaders, HE detergent and steam cleaning?

We pick out one that seems to be not too expensive. That is the deciding criteria.

Get home. Race in progress. Dinner time. Followed by bath time. Followed by tantrum (not mine, my child's. I swear). Followed by lengthy going to bed process.....

FINALLY I make my way downstairs and say out loud, pouting, "Might as well turn on the TV and watch the last few laps" to which husband replies...

"Oh. It's over"

"How do you know?!" incredulous,

"I watched the end while you were in the bathroom doing bathtime. Want to know who won?"

"No."

But I do know who won. I didn't watch one minute. And I have the entire thing on my DVR (twice, for some reason. How does it record the same thing, at the same time, twice????) - and I will never watch it. Who has time?

So, my new plan is to organize a family trip to Florida for Speed Week in 2018 when all of my boys will be old enough to enjoy and remember. Their Grandpa is going to come along too, and hopefully Uncle Bryan. I want my sons to someday watch the 100th running of the Daytona 500 with a tear in their eyes as they think back to the year we all went together...that's the Wood family legacy.

And in the end we ended up with a new front loading Maytag washing machine that was neither one of the ones we saw at Home Depot nor the least expensive we could find....and it was just delivered this afternoon.

I just got a phone call from husband...

"Your new washing machine is here"

"great."

"You have to read the manual. It is the size of a phone book"

"Awesome"

But how bad can it be? At least I hope to get through enough of it to run a load of wash before morning. The boys may have to sleep one more night in sweat pants and hoodies....but they'll survive.

Daytona 500

Yes. It is that time of year again. The Daytona 500 is this Sunday. I am so excited. It is the 50th Anniversary. 50 years. It makes me think of my Grandpa down at the beach in Daytona at the very beginning. And my dad and his buddies building race cars in our garage at all hours of the night for the race on Saturday. It is sooo in my blood. I get emotional at this time every year. This is my heritage.

It makes me a little bit melancholoy to see all of the big corporate changes happening to the sport. Now the name is the Sprint Cup. Changed from the Nextel Cup the past two years. Before that it had been the Winston Cup for decades. It seems the tradition keeps slippin further and further away. And then there are the cars themselves. Now they are all the same. Boring. And the corporate sponsopship has moved from the likes of Skoal Bandit to Bank of America. Sad.

And the guys themselves? The drivers? All pretty boys groomed for the cameras. Corporate spokespeople first and red neck race drivers second. It seems to take away some of the raw spirit of the sport. The authenticity.

Heck - NASCAR made the front page of the NY Times today. Unheard of!

All of that being said - I am still a supporter and am all fired up for the big race. I hope someday all of my brood of boys will be able to enjoy with me.

Promotion News!

Here is some non-baby, non-twin-related news. Amidst the craziness of my at-home life of a harried new mom to twins (who happens to be pregnant), I managed to get myself a shiny new job title! Horray for me. I am going to take a second to pat myself on the back for a moment.

Ah...that felt good. Thank you.

My brand spanking new title is (drum roll, please)Account Director.

Finally moving up the ranks of middle management. Yay for me.

Husband is, of course, very happy though still pushing for VP status....

BOYS!

Yes, another boy. We are having another boy. It's a boy. Just one boy. So that will bring us to a total of THREE boys. Yes, we are very excited. Ernie is jumping for joy. He is building his "clone army"...

Vladimir Learns to Blow His Nose

Not to be outdone by his brother - Vladimir soon learned how to blow his nose. He also mastered the concept of recycling, using the same tissue more than once!

Fuel Economy = Big Bucks?

Here is whay I read today in an article about the North American Auto Show in Detroit:

Every automaker has given a glimpse over the past two days of its strategies for dealing with tougher U.S. fuel economy regulations, rising oil prices and a surge of global warming rules around the globe. While Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. have pledged new hybrids, General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC have touted a variety of approaches. Ford Motor Co. has bet big on a single technology.

But in interviews with the Free Press, Detroit executives said the technical hurdles to meeting a 35-m.p.g. standard by 2020 were less difficult than getting customers to accept the changes and extra costs that come along with the goal.

GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz told reporters at the show that the new U.S. rules would cost the industry $5,000 to $7,000 per vehicle, with much higher costs possible for some models.

Yeah...right.

Funny that I own a 2001 Hyundai Accent, 4-cylinder, hatchback that STILL gets more than 30 MPG. Know what I paid for it NEW? $9,700. Does Hyundai know something that Ford and GM don't about fuel technology? Is my car made out of some super light material with a hyper-aerodynamic design? I think not. Maybe the technology in my car cost Hyundai $7,000 and the rest of the car only cost them $2,500? Maybe.

You can get a brand new Hyundai Accent for $10,700 - list prince - and the MPGs listed on the web site are 33. This is with NO Hybrid technology, mind you. Just good, efficient design.

So how come it is going to take another 12 years for the American automakers to catch up to the Koreans? It is such a joke. Just another excuse to jack up car prices and stick it to the American consumer while continuing to support our dependence on foreign oil while harming our environment.

Greed - priceless.

Waylon Learns to Blow His Nose

Happy New Year

Yes...I know I am late. Sorry. I have been finding it increasingly difficult to get to the blog these days. I don't think I can really be called a blogger anymore.

So, a couple of things that you all most likely already know.

1. I am pregnant. Again. No, it is not twins again. This time there is only one, and yes, I am sure. However the interesting thing is that the doctor says it began as two...identical yolk sacs seperated by a membrane. One developed and the other didn't. So - we came very close to another set of identical twins. Weird, isn't it? I wonder if this new baby will feel all of it's life like somebody or something is mising? This newest addition to the Adzentoivich clan is due to arrive July 9th or thereabouts. So I don't know if we will be able to hold the Second Annual AdStock at the end of August. But I will keep you posted.

2. I don't know if there is a number two. Hmmmm. Well, my grandfather just turned 90 and we are having a big wingdig this weekend for him. That's pretty impressive I think.

3. Ernie got himself a nice shiny new Mac laptop. You know, the cool little white kind? I am having a little bit of computer envy.

4. I had a birthday.

The Adzentoivich Super Twins are doing swell. Big. Real big. They weigh 27 pounds and then some...each. Almost three feet tall. They don't sleep in cribs anymore. They are in their toddler beds, or the floor, or the IKEA couch, wherever. But the point is they are sleeping better. Yes, Waylon climbed head first out of his crib and that was the end of the cribs. They love playing Landscaper's Challenge outside since the weather has been mild. Vladimir digs in the garden, removing leaves to the grassy part of the yard, while Waylon moves the bricks that form the garden "wall" border from place to place around the patio. I haven't seen their master plan yet but I am sure it must be quite crafty.

That's it really. I am just working and trying to eat large amounts of protein to grow another Super Baby. This proves a little bit of a challenge as every time I eat in the presence of the Wonder Twins they end up consuming at least 2/3 of my cereal, sandwich, ice cream, pie, cheese, enchalada...you get the picture. So I have to hoard my food at the office or late night (like 9pm!) after they have gone to sleep.