Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol repeated Thursday that sources have told him they expect former Secretary of State Colin Powell will endorse Barack Obama , though the former secretary of state has denied reports that he will speak at the Democratic National Convention.
“We all talk to people who talk to people and there are people close to the Obama campaign in the course of conversations who made clear to me that there was very high level discussions. … The Obama people expect Powell to endorse him,” Kristol told FOX News.
In a FOX News exclusive Wednesday, Kristol, a regular contributor, said inside sources suggested Powell would show up in Denver in the week of Aug. 25 specifically to back the presumptive presidential nominee.
28 August 2008
27 August 2008
Tilted Head Off the Charts
Abby had her 9 month appointment today. She is absolutely great. We crack each other up. She is 70th percentile in weight, 90th in height, and off the charts on head circumference (like her mommy). It's all those brains, of course. She was highly peeved by the vaccination, but got over it immediately and even forgave the nurse -- she is such a jolly old elf. Smile at her, and she's yours. I had so much fun with her, I didn't want to take her back to day care. As luck would have it, she made up for missing her morning nap by falling asleep on the way back in the car. I knew she needed the sleep, so I sat with her in the parking lot. I worked on my blackberry while she snored a little, all tilted head and squidgy toes, and the cool breeze came in the open window and it was total peace. Well, total except for the blackberry. Eventually, I got hungry. I so didn't want to wake her. I ended up driving to a drive-thru (about 4 miles; keep in mind that I was sitting in the day care parking lot, which is within walking distance from my home) just so she could sleep longer. She woke up when we arrived, once again, back in the parking lot, and she beamed at me. She was annoyed and rudely surprised that I intended to leave again, however. I hope she'll forgive me.
I haven't talked lately about my physical condition. I am probably too distracted by presidential politics, and that's probably a good sign.
Anyway, lately I've been feeling pretty good. My back hurts, but not as much. We spent a week at the lake, and the bed was really amazing. I felt the difference in my back immediately upon awakening the first day. Since then, I have done more research and I think what we need is a latex mattress. I've got my finger on the trigger of buying one -- I'll let you know.
Unfortunately, we then spent last weekend at the beach house, with a horrifically crummy mattress, and my back told me about that, too. Luckily, my myopic internist finally gave me some muscle relaxants, which help alleviate the huge back pain. Now it's more like somewhere between 'small' and 'large', without 'huge' figuring in (except, sometimes, at night right before bed and before the medicine starts up).
I've been holding Abby in my arms more. Last night, I even sort-of danced with her (to Sugarland), bopping up and down in one place with her in my arms. What a great feeling. And good exercise! My left hand is still gone. My balance is still not great, and my stamina is nowheresville. I am weak. But I feel like maybe, just maybe, most of this can be addressed by working hard, if slowly, through exercise and perseverance. I guess that's part of the mystery around neurological muscle dysfunction, though -- if there is something neurologically wrong in there, it might make my muscles weak, giving me the impression that I can work out and get stronger, while there's really nothing I can do. In my case, though, I am, in fact, demonstrably stronger now than I was, say, when I started physical therapy. It may be that I'm still nowhere close to where I want to be, but I am starting to believe that I can make it happen, that my body has not forsaken me. I'm going soon to see another neurologist, Richard Restak. He is supposedly a rock star, and I was referred to him by another of my doctors, to give me a second neurological opinion. As long as he doesn't want to stick any needles into me (especially electrified ones), I'm all for it.
Next week I have an endoscopy and colonoscopy scheduled. Hip, hip, hooray. Checking for ulcers and God knows what else. I'm also taking some new pill for weird womanly cycles -- again, who knows what's going on. Probably nothing. I had a biopsy, and it was normal. Whatever.
I need a meditation practice. I am more sure of that than ever. I know how to meditate -- I'm even pretty good at it -- but I'm not good at getting myself to do it. Having the baby and all the other aspects of our crazy life just makes it that much easier to find an excuse.
I've been thinking about it this way, though: before I was married, I felt like all my time was taken up. No time for anything. Then I got married, and made time for my husband and his family and a wedding and a new house. I was sure my time was taken up, no time for anything. Then I got pregnant, and found time to squeeze a baby in there. Surely now, when I feel like all my time is taken up, there is actually still plenty of time to meditate. It's an illusion, this sense of no-time-available. All that's required is to say 'no', sometimes. Especially to TV.
And thus far, all I've done is think about it. I'm going to stop writing right now, and go meditate. (p.s. I lied. I went back up and edited this a bit. Now I'm going to stop, and go meditate.)
I haven't talked lately about my physical condition. I am probably too distracted by presidential politics, and that's probably a good sign.
Anyway, lately I've been feeling pretty good. My back hurts, but not as much. We spent a week at the lake, and the bed was really amazing. I felt the difference in my back immediately upon awakening the first day. Since then, I have done more research and I think what we need is a latex mattress. I've got my finger on the trigger of buying one -- I'll let you know.
Unfortunately, we then spent last weekend at the beach house, with a horrifically crummy mattress, and my back told me about that, too. Luckily, my myopic internist finally gave me some muscle relaxants, which help alleviate the huge back pain. Now it's more like somewhere between 'small' and 'large', without 'huge' figuring in (except, sometimes, at night right before bed and before the medicine starts up).
I've been holding Abby in my arms more. Last night, I even sort-of danced with her (to Sugarland), bopping up and down in one place with her in my arms. What a great feeling. And good exercise! My left hand is still gone. My balance is still not great, and my stamina is nowheresville. I am weak. But I feel like maybe, just maybe, most of this can be addressed by working hard, if slowly, through exercise and perseverance. I guess that's part of the mystery around neurological muscle dysfunction, though -- if there is something neurologically wrong in there, it might make my muscles weak, giving me the impression that I can work out and get stronger, while there's really nothing I can do. In my case, though, I am, in fact, demonstrably stronger now than I was, say, when I started physical therapy. It may be that I'm still nowhere close to where I want to be, but I am starting to believe that I can make it happen, that my body has not forsaken me. I'm going soon to see another neurologist, Richard Restak. He is supposedly a rock star, and I was referred to him by another of my doctors, to give me a second neurological opinion. As long as he doesn't want to stick any needles into me (especially electrified ones), I'm all for it.
Next week I have an endoscopy and colonoscopy scheduled. Hip, hip, hooray. Checking for ulcers and God knows what else. I'm also taking some new pill for weird womanly cycles -- again, who knows what's going on. Probably nothing. I had a biopsy, and it was normal. Whatever.
I need a meditation practice. I am more sure of that than ever. I know how to meditate -- I'm even pretty good at it -- but I'm not good at getting myself to do it. Having the baby and all the other aspects of our crazy life just makes it that much easier to find an excuse.
I've been thinking about it this way, though: before I was married, I felt like all my time was taken up. No time for anything. Then I got married, and made time for my husband and his family and a wedding and a new house. I was sure my time was taken up, no time for anything. Then I got pregnant, and found time to squeeze a baby in there. Surely now, when I feel like all my time is taken up, there is actually still plenty of time to meditate. It's an illusion, this sense of no-time-available. All that's required is to say 'no', sometimes. Especially to TV.
And thus far, all I've done is think about it. I'm going to stop writing right now, and go meditate. (p.s. I lied. I went back up and edited this a bit. Now I'm going to stop, and go meditate.)
25 August 2008
Tagged
My SC pal (see the link to Comer Family Circus, sidebar) tagged me to reveal six quirky things about myself, and then tag 6 more people. Here goes:
1. I am scared of bridges. Always have been. I also hate standing at the edge of something high (like the top of the Empire State Building), and looking down. I would not bungee jump if my life depended on it. On the other hand, I loved piloting an airplane and I loved parasailing. Apparently I implicitly trust air currents more than I trust human engineering. (Ignoring the fact that the plane and the parasail are engineered.)
2. I saw a vision of Jesus once. Sober.
3. Both of my pinky fingers are crooked from having been broken, in separate incidents about 25 years apart.
4. I really love frogs, and I think snakes are pretty cool (though I respect their wildness -- meaning I don't want them in my house, car or sleeping bag).
5. I'm not ticklish, except on my feet.
6. I hate glaciers. I heli-hiked on one, once, and it SUCKED. I was terrified the whole time because they gave us this horrifying pre-hike lecture about crevasses and how if you fell in one, you would most likely die, and then you get out on the ice and you see crevasses EVERYWHERE. I remember thinking, "what the f- am I doing out here??" I wish all those polar bears well, and hope that the ice caps don't shrink and leave them swimming around sadly like in "An Inconvenient Truth," but I loathe glaciers and plan never to set foot on another one.
OK, so I'll notify those who are tagged, and if you don't have a blog, (a) post a comment on this site listing your six things, (b) tag six more people and (c) start a blog! Thanks Nic--
1. I am scared of bridges. Always have been. I also hate standing at the edge of something high (like the top of the Empire State Building), and looking down. I would not bungee jump if my life depended on it. On the other hand, I loved piloting an airplane and I loved parasailing. Apparently I implicitly trust air currents more than I trust human engineering. (Ignoring the fact that the plane and the parasail are engineered.)
2. I saw a vision of Jesus once. Sober.
3. Both of my pinky fingers are crooked from having been broken, in separate incidents about 25 years apart.
4. I really love frogs, and I think snakes are pretty cool (though I respect their wildness -- meaning I don't want them in my house, car or sleeping bag).
5. I'm not ticklish, except on my feet.
6. I hate glaciers. I heli-hiked on one, once, and it SUCKED. I was terrified the whole time because they gave us this horrifying pre-hike lecture about crevasses and how if you fell in one, you would most likely die, and then you get out on the ice and you see crevasses EVERYWHERE. I remember thinking, "what the f- am I doing out here??" I wish all those polar bears well, and hope that the ice caps don't shrink and leave them swimming around sadly like in "An Inconvenient Truth," but I loathe glaciers and plan never to set foot on another one.
OK, so I'll notify those who are tagged, and if you don't have a blog, (a) post a comment on this site listing your six things, (b) tag six more people and (c) start a blog! Thanks Nic--
14 August 2008
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