Ninja Warrior!

This is our new favorite show. G4, which is also the only network showing Arrested Development reruns, has given us this blessed bounty of a supercharged American Gladiator-esque game show from Japan.

This show is awesome. Crazy obstacle courses, earnest narration, and dedicated contestants striving for "TOTAL VICTORY"! Check it out.

The man in this video is a fisherman who trains for the competition on his boat. Mr. Nagano is only the second person in 17 Ninja Warrior tournaments to finish all four stages. One hundred contestants start. Often, only two or three get to the second stage. Often, none get to the last. An American show wouldn't dare make things this hard.

A New Honeycomb Crisis

If any of you read the recent new stories about the disappearing bees, you know that we are in trouble. But you don't know the half of it. One product of those industrious bees has already been affected: Post's Honeycomb Cereal. It has been infused by new triple fiber action. While this may be a godsend to the colon it is a true disappointment to the discerning palate. What was once know as a breakfast treat has now become a breakfast disappointment. I would rather eat a bowl of Flintstones vitamins than this stuff. The texture has changed; from a nice sugar-coated oat cereal, to a now bubbly vitamin infused disaster. It tastes worse than the store generic, and we all know how that can just be off.

I was ready to register my complaint with Post Cereal when I discovered it has been a hot topic. This issues was even manifest in wikipedia. And that is the big time.

So for those cereal aficionados, my recommendation is this: skip past the honeycomb and stock up on honey, after all there is a bee shortage.

The Mystery of Mammilian Ways

I know I have written about this before but I can't stop writing about this. Being pregnant is just plain weird. I am amazed at how strange it is. For something that has been around for millions of years, my mamilian ways facinate me.

The strangest thing I have experienced is the kicking. At first it felt like I was having some sort of muscle spasm tapping. It was weird. I wrote it off as weird pregnancy stomach things. But then the movements turned into more consistant movements and they would move from place to place. The only real way I can describe it to a man, one who will never experience this (for those who want to continue to think I am classy stop reading now): it feels like you are sick with the big D, you can feel movements going in what once was the intestine or stomach area. The only difference is there is no pain, but there is definate movement. Other times it feels like a fish swimming around.

I get her to move when I eat. Last night Seth and I went to Fogo de Chao with my work. It was a meat-a-thon, one of those Brazilian Barbeque places. They brought more meat than I should have eaten, somehow I got it all down. My little girl was freaking out about the meat. She was twirling and kicking with each rib, filet mignon, and garlic roast I tried. She loved it. All night she kept kicking.

Seth and I are still debating the issue of a nursery. We moved into a two bedroom apartment just to have room for a nursery. Now that we have moved though it seems like a waste to get a crib. I don't really see the point right now. They grow out of the crib in 18 months and then into a toddler bed. I am thinking about just getting a Pack and Play and calling it good for a while. I don't know. Any advice would be appreciated.

The other dilemma I am starting to realize is I have no idea what babies need. Not that I lack parenting skills. I was the oldest daughter and had three younger siblings, so I have a little clue what is needed for the care of babies. I just don't know what to buy. For example, should I buy many newborn sized clothes or should I opt for more 3-6 month sized clothes. What if I have a ten pounder, the newborn clothes would only be good for a week. And how many clothes does she need? There are all these darling outfits but I imagine for the first while she will lounge around in pajama-esque and onsie type outfits, and not so much the whole decor. So, I am besides myself...what to buy.

The other thing I find interesting being pregnant is the assumption that all the sudden I am now wiser to the world about what needs to be done. A lot of people assume I now have an understanding into the basics of the parenting world society. I don't. While I have a child in utero, this has not taught me how the parenting world functions. The same thing happened to me when I got married, people thought I understood the grown up world of the marrieds. The funny thing is I can remember feeling the same way as a single person. When a friend would have a child, I would assume they had changed and the way I would interact would change. I think this is why there is an epidemic of marrieds trying to marry off their friends and parents trying to get their married friends to join the parenting life. There is a social gap that exists for a time. I vow narrow that gap, with hard work, maybe.

So, does anyone have advice?