Project This!

This has been a very exciting week at work! Ever since John McCain trashed the museum during the debates on Tuesday, the local and national media has been everywhere. We held a press conference on Wednesday and it was like a debate in itself. The reporters were asking really hard questions like "why do you even need a new projector" and "doesn't $3 million seem like too much money?" Yikes!

First of all, we are hardly asking for a new "overhead projector." For those of you that didn't see the debate, check out this clip with McCain's comments and a news station's response. (Don't worry, the clip is only a minute and a half long.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ullQiM5Tmg


What has been really cool, is that despite our worries, people from all over the country have been calling and emailing to stick up for us! Our phones are ringing off the hook. Even more, an NBC science blog started telling its readers to send us money so we wouldn't need an earmark. Overnight money started flooding in from all over the country!

Here is a link to that blog in case you're curious:

http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/10/08/1518907.aspx


One of my Republican friends said "look, John McCain is already doing good things for America!" What a loser! But it has been really touching to see all of these people that have never heard of us, and clearly will never visit the us, willing to part with their money just to tell us they don't think our museum is "a bunch of pork." Oink oink, McCain!

Tag, I'm It

I got tagged by my friend Jon today. So although we are engaged in a political argument at the moment, I figured we are pretty much always in a political argument, so I might as well participate. I hope you find some of this random information interesting!

Here are the rules:
1.Post the rules on your blog
2.Write 6 random things about yourself
3.Tag 6 people at the end of your post
4.If you are tagged, just do it, and pass the tag along!

1. I am totally superstitious and it sometimes gets ridiculous. For example, tonight I was making garlic bread and cut 5 pieces for me, and 5 for Russ. I was going to make 3 for Josie but realized that would mean 13 pieces of bread- unacceptable. So I cut 14 and figured Russ could eat the extra. Now that is random.

2. I am afraid that if I talk about something scary, it will happen to me. Again, sort of in the superstition vein. But I am deathly afraid of worst-case-scenarios, and if I start talking about something that scares me- especially if I'm joking about it- I am afraid karma will make it happen to me. I would give some examples, but then I would be afraid it would happen to me.

3. I am fascinated by weird actors that are secretly amazing singers. For example, I love Kevin Spacey. I heard him singing some old 40's music on a movie soundtrack once and fell in love with the way his voice sounds. Another example is Jon Lovitz. He is a really great singer, who knew?

4. When I was growing up my Mom never let me eat pickles because they were too salty. So now I consider a pickle to be the world's greatest secret treat.

5. If I could start my life over and learn any talent, it would be to play the violin. I think it sounds so beautiful. Josie's quarter-Grandma Sharon is a professional violinist and it is awesome to listen to her play. I wish I could do that!

6. I have never had any athletic talent whatsoever, despite my best efforts. I love watching sports and I think its exciting to see athletes being really aggressive and pulling off difficult plays. If I could be great at any sport, it would be volleyball. It always looked really fun, but whenever I tried to play it I was scared of getting hit by the ball.

So there. Does it get any more random than that? And since I don't really know anyone with a blog except Heather, Heather-- you're tagged!

No really, it was that bad

I was killing time waiting for Russ to be done with homework so we could watch our new obsession, Dexter (love it! But more on that later), when I came across some SNL clips making fun of Sarah Palin's CBS interview with Katie Couric. As I was watching them, I couldn't help thinking they must be being hard on Palin. Yes, she scares me, but no one can sound that ridiculous. So I decided to check it out the interview for myself. See the clip I found on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nokTjEdaUGg

And here is all I have to say: Yes, it really was that bad.

COME ON! Didn't we all have a good laugh a year ago when that Miss Teen USA contestant couldn't answer the question about maps? Am I wrong, or are we dealing with a 42 year old Miss Teen Frickin Alabama?

I am so frustrated that Sarah Palin has even had 2 people stand up and say she is qualified to be our potential President. People have told me "I like that she's not a typical politician, you can tell she is for the people." Which people- the ones that lived on earth with the dinosaurs 6000 years ago? Or us, the ones that have brains that clearly have not adapted much since then. Haven't we been through enough embarrassment with Bush for the last 8 years? Must we have this pandering to the female vote slapped in our face and worse, maybe even succeed?

Please see the equally infuriating article about John McCain as he reacted to the backlash from Palin's interview:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080929/ts_alt_afp/usvotepalin

Yes, this article states that even some Republicans are asking for her to step down. Now I think I should stop this rant or my Republican friends will never forgive me. After all, some of them have told me they think Sarah Palin is "a kick!" (She loves Moose Stew! Isn't that adorable? Ahh!!!!) All I can say is I officially can not wait until October 2nd's Vice Presidential debate. Bring it, Biden!

My favorite food groups-- candy, candy canes, candy corn and syrup

Yes, that's right folks! Bring on the ice cream because I'm going all out- Elf-style- and eating nothing but sugar to celebrate passing my diabetes test!

For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, I got gestational diabetes when pregnant with Josie. This time around the doctor's are being really cautious and testing me way earlier and more often. My doctor predicted I would be diabetic as early as 13 weeks, so I had my test yesterday. (For those of you doing the math, I put it off for a week because I was trying to avoid it... I know, I know...) After the test I spent the whole afternoon miserable at the site of any lone potato chip or noodle and loathing the return of my depressing carb-less diabetic diet.

But great news came today when I learned I passed my test with flying colors! Now its nothing but cookies for another 3 months until I have to take it again. Here's hoping I can be diabetes free at least through Christmas!

Rock 'N Roll

A few cool pictures from this weekend-- Josie learning to play the "guitar"

Two things to ignore

1) Its a Barney guitar 2) Russ clearly hasn't combed her hair in weeks!

Dad gets in on the action. What a couple of hippies!

As I sheepishly return to my blog...

Every time I have taken a long hiatus from blogging I imagine all these catchy titles to get all 4 of you who read this to love me again and forget that I am the worst for barely blogging. But I won't try to be cute, I'll just get to the point. I have not been blogging lately because I have been busy with a much bigger project--- growing a baby!

That's right folks, Oops I did it again. Russ and I are expecting Baby #2 on March 25 and we are so excited! It has been a very interesting 14 weeks so far as I have done nothing but lay dying on the couch and Russ has done pretty much everything else imaginable. In fact, as I write this Russ and Josie are hanging in Sycamore and "giving me a break." I have a feeling he chose an escape because he can't take my psychotic mood swings and pregnancy rage, but I'll try to focus on the positive.

Also now that Fall is in full swing, Russ is back to the books and working on two classes for his Masters. This means that I will hopefully have more time to update everyone on the riveting details in the life of Gmax, even if they are completely non-riveting.

So with that, I hope you all will pencil March 25 on your calendar as my new favorite date and I will keep you updated on the progress of Russ or Gena Jr. as we move along!

Lincoln Park Zoo and Johnsons, too!

It has been a non-stop fun factory for the Johnson family! We've had friends visiting, my 29th birthday, and some excellent dessert. But an even more special treat came yesterday when we went to the Lincoln Park Zoo.

One perk of my job is getting invitations to special events at other Chicago destinations. So, when we were invited to a family event at the Lincoln Park Zoo we were all about it! There was one stipulation- the event was for Legislators, so I had to attend with my co-worker, a 40-something lobbyist and known to be a bit of a Debbie Downer. But I was worth it for the free parking, free food, and free run of the zoo that was closed for all but about 100 Illinois politicians-- and us!

One of the most memorable thing was going to see the Polar Bears. Josie was running down the path to get there like a mad woman screaming "Polar Bears! I'm coming!!!" We arrived just in time for the animal feeding. A totally unglamorous experience, the feeders basically threw chopped fish over the fence for the bears to scavenge. At one point, a grody bloody fish landed on one of the bears and blood and guts got all over its white fur. Sick! Luckily Josie was distracted at that moment by one of the other Polar Bears dropping a giant deuce. Josie yelled out "Mommy, that bear is going poop on the potty! What a big boy!"

At one point we passed a table of volunteers showing off some kind of crazy alligator purse. Turns out it was illegal (was it the alligator head that gave that away?), and they told us about all the other random things, including that purse and their full table of other stuff, police are constantly confiscating at O'Hare airport. They had a huge stash of things including a rhino horn, some boots made from the fur of endangered animals, and other creepy stuff. Who knew Chicago was a hotbed for that kind of thing?

Before we went home, we made a final stop at the carousel. We were the only ones there, so there was no line-- again, awesome! The guy let Josie walk around the entire carousel to pick out her favorite animal to ride. But of all the choices, she picked a red bench! Basically the handicapped seat! And so Russ, Josie, my random lobbyist co-worker, and I sat on the bench together and rode around. Not quite the youthful abandon I'd been expecting. When it was done, Josie said she wanted to go again, so I had grand hopes for round two. But after walking around and inspecting every animal again, she came back to the bench! The lamest! I guess you can't predict what's exciting to a two-year old...

Finally it was time to go home. On our way out, we found a mother bunny and 5 tiny baby bunnies playing on the sidewalk. Josie was totally psyched! (And lets be honest- I was psyched. Baby bunnies are the cutest!) We were watching them and at one point it seemed like Josie was going to pick one up. That's when the lobbyist said "Josie, you don't want to touch the baby bunnies. If you touch them, your scent will get on it, and when it goes back to its nest the mother will eat it."
AH!!!!!!!

Good one. Thank you for that. Hey lobbyist, look over there! I think I see Obama!

All in all it was the best free entertainment we'd had in a while. I can't wait to go back!