confession

Maybe I should label this, "The First Confession," as "confession" seems like a useful title for all kinds of posts. I also think a title like that is my subconscious way of providing an honesty check because the temptation to self-glorify is so strong in this medium. In the week since my last post, I was not out doing charity work, I was not reading stories to sick children or doing anything to make my community a better place. I wasn't even doing anything like the yoga I wrote about earlier to improve myself. Sadly, I've mainly just been watching TV. But not just any old TV, such as our former 32-inch, standard definition model. No. Christmas came a bit early for Mr. R and myself. Last Sunday, we bought a 50-inch, HiDef Plasma, and let me tell you that baby rocks.
We've been haggling over the new TV purchase for months, me trying to modest (read cheap) and prevent Mr. R from going over the top, as he usually does on technology purchases, and keep us to a $1000 budget. But Mr. R, being Mr. R, was set on going big. Well, cudos to him because he spent a goodly portion of last Sunday on Craig's List, and he found a 50-incher for $700! Love that man! So, he drove all the way to Euclid, in a snow storm, to fetch it, and it was NIB. Curious, right? The guy swears he bought it from a department store liquidating inventory, but you have to wonder. I checked the bill of sale, just to be sure Mr. R was being straight with me, and I haven't thought about it since.
The picture is so good, although you have to spring for an HD connection from the cable company to really get the benefits, that it almost hurts my eyes. I have this 10-DVD series called Planet Earth, and the photography is incredible! On the new TV, it almost makes me want to cry.
Well, enough with the TV. (But, as far as gifts go, it was also really good for my ego as Mr. R customarily showers me in beautiful clothes that I forbade him from buying this year given my "transitory" shape.) And, the pregnancy is pretty good this week. I've gained 6 pounds since my last visit, which is two too many, but the nurse says I'm still in good shape as I started the journey a bit light in the weight department. It's driving me crazy, though, because I'm trying hard to stay on the pound-per-week plan. No ultrasound at Tuesday's appointment because the doctor was away on a family emergency, but my mom was able to hear the heartbeat, and she volunteered to accompany me on my next visit, with the specialist, where we will learn the sex of the baby. Hopefully, Mr. R will be able to make that one. It just doesn't seem right for my mom to know that before him, but I'm grateful to anyone willing to join me on the trip to Beechwood during rush hour.
And, finally, in a year of evictions and layoffs, Mr. R received a 3% bump, effective immediately. That, combined with the passage of my library's levy, gives us so much for which to be thankful. He works his ass off, but so do many of the folks losing their jobs right now. I don't understand why so much goodness keeps flowing our way . . . I'm just so grateful, more that at any other time in my life.
Thank you, God, for our 50-inch plasma :-)