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The part of this election that frightens me is that people seem to listen to the propaganda of one party to talk them out of voting for the other without verifying facts.

The Democrats have a reasonable stance on gun control. Keep your guns - I assume you bought them legally and could pass a basic background check, know how to use them safely, and keep them away from children? Democrats just want to enforce those basics. http://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/Democratic_Party_Gun_Control.htm. Just enough control to prevent the Virginia Tech style tragedies, and hopefully a few of the police funerals that have taken place in my city this year.

As for taxes and redistributing wealth, the Dems only want to raise taxes only on incomes over $250k. We have to pay for the past 8 years of war and keep this country running somehow. But over the past 60 years or so, even the super-rich have fared better under Democratic presidents because of the greater economic expansion. So if history holds for the future, the rich will have as much money either way - either pay less taxes and make less, or make more and pay more so it works out EVEN for them. Meanwhile, everyone else has done better under Dems and worse under the GOP.

I used to be really moderate. I used to have trouble deciding who to vote for. But I live in a major city now, where people tear open my trash looking for edible food because they are hungry. Where I've seen a family sleeping under a comforter together on a warm exhaust grate because they've lost their home. We need to do more to take care of our neighbors and compassion for others shouldn't depend on how much you've earned or been given.

If you don't agree with me, please take the time to research party platforms before you make your decision.

Isn't it just weird how much Terry looks like Chuck Todd from MSNBC? I've taken to greeting Todd's image on television as if it actually is my sweet, wonderful husband.

It's freaky, right?

The first week, everything was great. But then it got flaky. One week, we got the NY Times instead of the Inquirer. One week, we didn't get the comics or the Arts & Entertainment sections. Most weeks, we don't get the Saturday supplement on Saturday at all and have to request redelivery on Sunday. I did that yesterday, in fact. What did I get this morning? Last Sunday's paper!

I've come to think that this is the real problem confronting newspapers in America. It's not TV and the internet. It's the incredible difficulty of dropping the correct bag over the correct gate on a regular basis so that all your customers don't cancel their service!

First, what's a key buddy, you ask? That's easy. It's the person or persons in your life that have your spare house keys in event of a lock out scenario. It's not bad to also have a car key buddy, but you can probably have a spare car key inside your house and be just fine. Unless you're me and you're out grocery shopping with a tired Jack and you're tired, too.* But I digress...

It's important to have a key buddy. Being locked out of your house on a rainy day isn't something you want to do. Plus, you keep the phone books with the numbers of locksmiths inside the house. In fact, it's important to have two key buddies, I think. Here's why:

Usually, Terry is my key buddy. 99% of the time, it's fine, as we rarely travel far from home apart. But this week, Terry's a-conferencing in Washington, DC and I'm home with the wee tot on my own. We all went to the train station together, and Terry locked the doors while I strapped the kiddo in. He asked "Are you sure you have house keys?" and I said "Yes," because I had keys before I picked Jack up. I must have dropped them. Because when Jack and I got home, I no longer had house keys.

I tried calling Terry. But it was 5 minutes after his train left and he wasn't answering. I looked around and thought about the house. We always lock the deadbolts, so credit carding in wasn't going to work. The front window is the only one on the first floor and it was definitely latched shut. Our bedroom window was open, but on the second floor. I'd need a ladder. A tall ladder. The upstairs neighbors had a normal height ladder, if I remembered correctly. They had workmen at the house who had another typical 6-ft ladder on their truck. I needed more. Thankfully, I remembered Kris talking about a cool ladder she had for painting the high ceilings in her house. I gave her a call. We weighed the options - ladder and possible cutting through screen window vs. locksmith. She put the ladder, a few tools, and a phone book in her car and came over. We'd try the ladder first, and then resort to a locksmith if that didn't work out. The ladder was the perfect height to reach the window and the screen was easily lifted from the outside, so there was no need for property damage. I scurried in (which was apparently funny, because the screen closed on my feet and I got stuck for a minute) and grabbed my keys and the spare keys on the way back out. Kris is my new backup key buddy.

Make sure you have a key buddy! Or two even!

*I closed my keys in the trunk one day while shopping in S. Philly. Actually, it was my whole purse, so my cell phone too. I assessed the situation and realized that my back seats fold down, so I could get into the trunk, because the car was already open. It was stressful, but ultimately easier to fix than this weekend's fiasco.

I finaly replaced the filter and the water tastes great. Even after a day in my steel bottle. Lesson learned: take that little filter meter on top seriously. When it says it's done, it's done.

Well, for one, Guyot Designs has been out of their Commuter style bottle for ages and that's what I'd been eyeing previously. It has such a nice shape, but it wasn't to be, I guess.

I considered the Sigg bottles, to the point of handling them in the store and not being able to choose one before I decided to think on it more. But self-knowledge won out there - for starters, the idea that it would dent if I dropped it horrified me, and not because I don't know what's in that epoxy liner and if it could crack. I like things to look pretty and new for as long as possible and I would probably get depressed the first time I nicked my beautiful bottle. Secondly, it looked hard to clean, which is a problem. I often like to drink flavored water, which means the bottle needs to be really washable. Old officemates might remember me trying to clean my Nalgene with a stick and a paper towel to get the Crystal Light residue out. That would be near-impossible with a Sigg. I checked their website for cleaning instructions and apparently, you're supposed to clean it every so often with special tablets that they sell. No, thank you.

I didn't really consider other plastic bottles and I don't know why. I know Nalgene makes some non-polycarbonate products and plenty of other people make plastic water bottles, too. I probably already own a couple from mountain biking and going to the gym. But for inexplicable reasons, I was fixated on getting a metal bottle.

So, my Klean Kanteen and I seem to be a good match. I got a polka-dot Built NY sleeve to go with it, so I can insulate myself from the cold touch and sweating that occurs when I fill it, plus it looks pretty. With the sleeve on, the bottle is a little big for my stroller cup holder, but the sleeve has a loop at the top that I can hook to the stroller instead. I keep forgetting to try it in the car, but I expect it is either a little big to fit, or a very tight fit with the sleeve. My car has small cup holders.

I got a sports cap and a flat cap for my bottle. It came with the sports cap, which is handy probably for walking. I find that to make it work well, you have to make sure that the little vent nub is pointing up, so air can enter the bottle while water comes out. And keeping it a little looser is helpful for flow as well. But, even with those tricks, I drink much more from the bottle at a time when I have the unrestricted access of the flat cap. Yes, it makes a little metal-on-metal noise when it's being opened and closed. I've been meaning to see if a little olive oil or other lubricant around the rim would help that. It doesn't bother me much though.

The bottle has a sturdy feel to it and it's not too heavy. I have the 27 oz size, which weighs 8oz. Add 27oz of water (a pint's a pound the world around) and it comes to 35oz, which I think is probably close to the weight of a large, full Nalgene. The mouth is a good size for drinking and wide enough that I can work a bottle brush in there and scrub it clean.

The only real downside I see is that there is a little metallic taste when drinking. But I don't think it's the water that tastes, as I didn't notice it until I switched to the flat cap. Pouring the water into a glass, I don't notice the taste either. So, I think it's the result of my tongue touching the metal bottle when I drink. I'm trying to keep my tongue out of the way and see if that helps. There may also be a bit of a taste because it's time to replace my water filter cartridge. I know Philly has a really good water supply; people keep telling me. But I think the water has an odd taste to it, and sometimes a smell, too. I suspect old pipes. But I digress.

Overall, I'm happy with it. I'm going to keep using my Klean Kanteen and use my Nalgene bottles to store things like spare change and straws.

But I quickly realized that it's not. Not even for a baby who only gets milk. In one case, his milk is cold or maybe somewhat reheated, in the other it's body temperature warm. Skin feels better than silicone. Food always tastes better when it's fresh. Plus, I think he likes having me around. I am his mom, after all.

So I've tried to think of my own food in the same way. It should taste good. It should be a proper temperature and fully cooked. It should be presented well. If possible, it should be shared with good company. And it should be what we really want, and not what's closest or easiest. Good food is worth waiting for, at least a little bit.

Today, I was running out to do errands and being that it was late afternoon, I was hungry. As I was putting my things in the stroller, I found an open package of peanut butter crackers. I ate one. It was stale. It didn't taste really bad, but it wasn't particularly good either. I considered the last one, then threw it out. It's what Jack would do.

The answer I sought was amidst a long FAQ of questions about meat safety in the fridge, freezer and at room temperature (yes, by the way, for up to 3 months). But browsing through, I learned a few other things about food safety, too. I realized this is the sort of knowledge that I am often lacking. So I'm adding this to my bookmarks. And maybe cleaning out my fridge.

The search is really good too, so if you don't feel like randomly browsing for info, try searching for something specific, like "tomato sauce" and find out when you should throw away that half used jar.

Today I noticed that Tiny Choices mentioned in a recent post. "Okay, that's it," I say. I had gone so far as to look at my fridge recently with a flashlight to see that the coils are not on the back. They must be on the bottom. That's good. Then I don't have to move anything. I'm not supposed to move anything heavy.

So I went to the kitchen, and I took the kick plate off the bottom of the fridge. I found this:

I'm thinking, "Is this the right place? All I see is dust. Well, that probably shouldn't be there anyway." So I took the vacuum and sucked it out. This was the long part of the process, because I had to find where on the vacuum the crevice tool was and lie down on the floor. It still only took a couple of minutes.

And look at what was behind the dust!

Wow! I bet my fridge likes me now.

If you're going to be an extremely pregnant woman who doesn't have the energy to do much and doesn't move around easily, tv is very important. Things got a lot more interesting in my little world when the fall programming schedule started. Here's my score so far:

Returning from last year:
How I Met Your Mother
Heroes
House
Law & Order: SVU
30 Rock
The Office
Scrubs
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Stargate Atlantis
Law & Order

Picked up during summer reruns:
Cold Case - it's set it Philly! Cool! And I like the mystery of each episode.

New series that made the first list:
Chuck - this was a surprise, but we caught an early preview on TiVo and really liked it.
Journeyman - engaging from the first episode.
Back to You - I'm not sure what I like, or why I like it, but it's not a bad way to spend a half hour.
Dirty Sexy Money - another surprise. It grabbed me right away, enough that I told Terry to watch it.

New series that have passed probation (decided they were ok by episode 3):
Bionic Woman - it was rough going for the first episode or two, but it seems to have evened out
Life - I'm not as sure of this as Terry is. The main character annoys me sometimes, but is great other times.

New series still on probation:
Big Bang Theory - Yeah, it's really stupid. I should cut it, but I really want to like it. It's relying too hard on stereotypes though. Extending probation for 2-3 more weeks.
Pushing Daisies - I wasn't wowed by the premiere, but I haven't watched episode 2 yet.
Private Practice - I don't watch Grey's, so this was a weird choice. But I'm happy to see Amy Brenneman on TV again. I may keep this as a guilty pleasure that I watch alone.
Big Shots - I put it on the possibles list because I like Josh Malina. But his character is a horrible person. Of the four main characters, I hate two and like two. Probation extended.
Women's Murder Club - it hasn't started yet, so this means nothing really.

Already cut:
Reaper - I could barely make it through one episode. I don't get why this is supposed to be so great.

Still waiting for:
The Return of Jezebel James - Amy Sherman-Palladino's new show that Fox has yet to premiere.

It's a lot of TV when you list it all out like that...but let's recall that I'm a pregnant woman without a job (more on that later), so I have a lot of time...and more importantly, two TiVos!

We ended up taking our Target gift certificates and buying a stainless steel can from simplehuman. It's shiny, easy to clean, has a separate basket so the bag doesn't show on the outside of the container. There's even a carry handle on the back in case you need to pick it up and move it.

But the features aren't the coolest part. The best part is the customer service. Twice in the past year I've had little problems with my trash can. Both are arguably our fault, for not being particularly gentle with the can. One might argue "It's a trash can!" But no argument has come up. Both problems have been promptly addressed with replacement parts after emailing customer service and describing what's wrong. Our particular trash can is warrantied for 5 years (some are 10) for problems that occur during normal use. That seems like a long time.

So check out simplehuman. They make more than just trash cans and everything has smart design features with an attention to detail. Plus, their customer service is really great, a noteworthy trait in our modern times!

We found out Friday morning via ultrasound. They said he looked healthy overall and was the proper size, maybe a little big for the date. It's no guarantee, because there are things that don't show up on ultrasound, but it looks like things are going pretty well overall on the inside, despite my often not feeling well still on the outside. I guess the inside is actually the important part though!

But I have another good excuse: I'm pregnant! I'm due November 24th, so right now, I am currently 12 weeks and 5 days along. I'm doing...okay. So far, the baby seems to be in great shape. We had an ultrasound at 9 weeks and saw a good heartbeat and exactly-on-target growth. The bad news is, I'm pretty sick. Morning sickness is a misnomer. I feel queasy all day, especially at night, and it's hard to control. I've been throwing up on a regular basis. I get a lot of headaches and I'm tired, too.

It's hard to explain how exactly this all feels, as even female doctors say that they didn't fully understand until they experienced it themselves. Here's my best analogy: Imagine a bad hangover. Now imagine feeling that way for 7 straight weeks and counting. That's pretty much how I feel. Only hangover foods aren't the lifeline they once were.

It's supposed to get better soon, and then I should be a relatively happy pregnant lady. Until then, how long do you think I can live on Wawa milkshakes? :)

Every thing's more fun than a barrel of monkeys! Hee!

Where are we going to go? Mt. Airy, of course. It's where all the cool kids want to live 'someday.'

Of course, it's not that easy. We can't just pack up and go. Well, we could, but not if we want to get the full value of selling our house. So this spring will not only be cleaning season, but remodeling season.

Our shopping list: 1 new deck and 1 or 2 new bathrooms. It's going to be busy, tiring, and messy. I'm a little worried about it, because this is our first house, and I've never planned such big projects before. Thankfully, our realtor, whom we have kept in touch with since buying the house, is quite excited about the prospect of selling it, so he's going to offer advice. Just as soon as we clean up enough to have him over...

I'm still completely scared about the prospect though. Upgrades, coordinating selling and buying so we don't end up homeless, putting stuff in storage, getting a new mortgage. Much though I think my tv-based education on real estate will help, I don't know how prepared I am.

So I need to keep an eye on my goal. Will that be enough? Only time can tell!