WTF???

Uh....can someone please explain this to me??!!

Vinatieri Goes to Indy??!!! I am at a loss for words....so I will just post a blurb from the article that broke the disturbing news....

Vinatieri, who twice hit winning kicks in the Super Bowl for the Patriots, replaces former Pro Bowl kicker Mike Vanderjagt. The deal was announced on the team's Web site, though terms weren't immediately available. Messages left with the Patriots and agents for Vinatieri weren't immediately returned.

The Patriots allowed Vinatieri to test free agency rather than putting a franchise designation on him, which would have cost the team $3 million next season

First Johnny Damon goes to the Yankmes and now this??!!! Apparently the Pats don't need the most clutch kicker in the league....ARGHHHHHHHH*!!!!

*That is me screaming really loud and pulling my hair out.

Updates in Pop Culture:

Say Goodbye to Chef, he has quit the kitchen. No more Chocolate Salty Balls.

Issac Hayes the voice of South Park's Chef has quit. His reason - outraged by an episode on Scientology; he said that it went too far. So singing about sucking his chocolate salty balls is OK, but picking on Tom Cruise and his crazy cult is not.

Tomorrow marks the start of the 10th season for the politically charged cartoon about four boys from South Park, CO. You can believe that creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are not going to let a little something like this stop them:

One thing's for certain--the duo appear to have Scientology in their sights after a rerun of "Trapped in the Closet" was yanked from Comedy Central's schedule last week, sparking rumors that, who was caricaturized in the episode, was behind the change in lineup.

Though the actor's camp denied his involvement, Stone and Parker responded to the scheduling change with cryptic words.

"So, Scientology, you may have won THIS battle, but the million-year war for earth has just begun!" the self-described "servants of the dark lord Xenu" said last week in a statement. "Temporarily anozinizing our episode will NOT stop us from keeping Thetans forever trapped in your pitiful man-bodies."

Watch the Return of Chef tomorrow night on Comedy Central 9pm.

It's A Boy!

Today we found out that our baby is a BOY baby! We had our ultrasound today and were able to see the hands, spine, heart chambers, legs, toes - you name it. It was really quite cool. All measurements were in normal range and as of this moment his head is on the smaller side!

Almost halfway there! Summer will be here before we know it!

You know what really grinds my gears?*

Now that I am going to be a mother I find myself noticing other mothers and their actions; something I never really gave much thought until now. Last night the Doc and I were out at the Super China Buffet (yes I know super exciting) and because Philadelphia is a very unhealthy city you can find a smoking section in almost every restaurant. Apparently they are working on it but I highly doubt it will pass anytime soon. But I digress.

So what grinded my gears last night – two girls walked into the Super China Buffet no more than my age with a little infant all cute in her infant carrier and they walked straight to the smoking section. UGHHH! I was furious. How can any mother do that to their child? Just because you have the nasty habit doesn’t mean that you need to subject your poor baby to it.

*A Peter Griffinism from Stewie Griffin - The Untold Story

18 Weeks and Getting Bigger:

So as you can see from the picture to the left - I am getting fat! Well I suppose fat isn't the right word but I can't think of a better one.

Our latest milestone - I was able to hear the heart beating at my last doctor appointment. It was very cool to hear and according to the Doctor it was 150 beats per minute (which I was told was average). I asked the Doctor if it was faster than normal so I could help make a guess on the sex. The old wives tale states that the faster the heart rate is the more likely the baby is a girl. My male doctor felt that was sexist because it makes boys out to be lazy with remote controls in their hands. Hmmmmmmm.

The guessing game will be officially over on March 14th! That is the day of the ultrasound that will hopefully confirm boy or girl. I guess if he or she has crossed legs then we'll just have to poke my belly until we are able to get the good view! So if you have a guess - make it now!

10 LONG...I Mean WONDERFUL Years!

On this day 10 years ago began the saga of The Doc and the Princess. It seems weird to think that it has really been that long. What a great adventure it has been and I look forward to the next 10 years!

I'm listening
Music in the bedroom
Laughter in the hall
Dive into the ocean
Singing by the fire
Running through the forest
And standing in the wind
In rolling canyons

I will not take these things for granted

The Nursery - Phase 1

We are now in phase one of the soon to be baby's room. We went to Home Depot on Saturday and purchased our paint. We (or more like the Doc - but I helped a little) finished the first coat that afternoon and the second coat on Monday. We are really happy with the color choice.

The color is by Behr and called Scotland Road. It is not what you would call a conventional nursery color, however, we want the room to look as normal as possible for when we sell the house in a couple years. We are keeping the trim white and will eventually rip the carpet out and install a pergo floor, which will all take place in the next phase. Since we still have plenty of time before baby arrives we are able to take our time!

P. Sohpie's Baby Story - Week 16

I have been pregnant now for 16 weeks and now that it seems more real to me here are some things that have come to my attention:

(1) Now that my belly has "popped" a little bit making my pregnancy noticeable - people have no qualms about touching and or placing their hands on my stomach. If they don't touch it - they stare and make comments such as - "oh your belly is starting to poke out", "aw look at the pregnant belly" or “wearing a skirt today – pants getting a little tight?” or if they don’t know my news it’s the infamous is she pregnant or just eating to many Twinkies stare.

(2) Since announcing my pregnancy at work I am not allowed to do anything myself. My co-workers won’t let me carry anything that may weigh more than a cardboard box. My husband, the Doc, on the other hand feels much differently. He has no problem with me walking four blocks home carrying groceries or the laundry basket up the stairs. He says that it’ll toughen me up for the labor delivery and doesn’t want me to have any new learned behaviors.

(3) I don’t think the Doc and I are mature enough to raise a child. How can two people who watch The Family Guy or South Park be mature enough to raise a child? And don’t even get me started on my serious problem with the “F” word. My supervisor enjoys pointing out my trash mouth at work and telling me that my baby can hear me.

(4) Although I don’t insist that the Doc run out in the middle of the night for ice cream and pickles, I have been known to whine incessantly about other things. For example, “Honey can you do this for me” or “Honey will you rub my back it hurts”. Most of the time I am my usually sane pre-pregnant self – but in my defense pregnancy hormones can wreak havoc in an otherwise normal woman. I had a moment a week ago where I flipped my lid and told the Doc he doesn’t care about the baby like I do because he didn’t get emotional when looking at the baby stuff I bought for Ben and Robyn.

(5) Now that we are in the midst of the second trimester, more and more I am thinking about the fact that this being inside me eventually has to come out of me. Women of all ages who have had babies love to tell the horror stories of labor and delivery. My favorite is the one my mother-in-law tells me about giving birth to my husband. How he weighed almost 10 lbs and because they grossly underestimated his birth weight, well let’s just say she was under prepared.

That's the story for now - more postings to come as we prepare for the baby to enter the world!

And the Mother of the Year Award Goes To:

Britney Spears...

The infamous pop star was photographed driving down the street with her infant son in her lap. Apparently it has gotten the interest of child services and the police were dispatched to her home.

Rather than take responsibility for her actions she lashed out at the paparazzi.

"Today, I had a horrifying, frightful encounter with the paparazzi while I was with my baby," Spears said. "...I was terrified that this time the physically aggressive paparazzi would put both me and my baby in danger. I instinctively took measures to get my baby and me out of harm's way."

"I love my child and would do anything to protect him."

The article stated she was waiting for her bodyguard and while waiting took the infant out of his car seat. A photographer approached the vehicle (peacefully according to the photography company) and when the bodyguard returned she speed off infant still in lap.

No charges were filed - I guess that's what happens when your filthy stinking rich. If it were you or me - we'd probably be facing some sort of fine/charges. But remember being a celebrity is real hard so we need to cut them these breaks....

The "AFA" at it Again:

Who are they attacking now? NBC.

NBC has released that Britney Spears will appear as a guest on Will & Grace; a show famous for their celebrity cameos. According to the press release she is to play a religious conservative TV Personality. She will host a show with Jack that features a cooking segment called “Cruci-fixin’s”. Call me crazy – but that’s a pretty clever play on words if you ask me. This is the second time in less than a month that NBC has been in the hot seat with the religious right group American Family Association. Apparently The Book of Daniel was a little much for them. I never saw the show and in hindsight I wish I had, however, I don’t watch NBC that much, mostly because Scrubs is the only good show.

Tupelo, Mississippi-based group, whose protests helped lead to the cancellation of the network's The Book of Daniel, was ready to call for a boycott of NBC, saying the Spears-fronted episode "mocks the crucifixion of Christ" and "further denigrates Christianity" because the show airs the night before Good Friday. The AFA is urging its supporters to contact NBC affiliates and demand they not broadcast it.

Thanks AFA I am so glad that I have you around to keep me protected from all the very bad things in the world. There is a war going on, um hello…don’t see you too worried about that. I mean we should ban the news while we’re at it. Obviously they don’t watch Action News out of Philadelphia; where the first 10 minutes are stories about shootings, robberies and corruption. I don’t see you knocking on their door trying to shut them down. God forbid you mention Jesus on a television show, they are right there to put a stop to that. Don't get me wrong, I am all for the AFA’s rights to their opinions but should the rest of us suffer the loss of a show because they have deemed it inappropriate. Here’s a solution - get rid of your television, and if you don’t want to do that then turn it off.

And you wonder why I don't go to church.

The Miracle of Life:

Introducing P. Baby. The Doc and I are excited to officially announce to all the world the upcoming arrival of the newest member of our family, which 13 weeks ago consisted of me, the Doc and our two kitty cats Trot and Drew.

This is the first of many pictures to come of our little one. Sunday marked 13 weeks and as you can see from the picture on the left - we have left tadpole phase and entered baby phase.

I have been pregnant now for 13 weeks and honestly I don't feel any different. If I didn't have that picture above I would probably think it was a dream. It's not your typical movie pregnancy where the woman runs to the bathroom to vomit every five minutes. Thankfully that symptom passed me by. When I run to the bathroom every five minutes it is because I have to pee for the twentieth time that day.

August 8th seems like such a long ways away, 189 to be exact*, but I am sure it will be here before we know it.

*Baby countdown compliments of The P. Bride!

The Secret to the BEST Chocolate Chip Cookie:

The secret to baking the best chocolate chip cookie* is not the recipe but how the cookie is baked. If you want to make the best chocolate chip cookies go to the store and purchase a pizza stone. I recommend the Large Round Stone by The Pampered Chef, not only does it make the best cookies but it also makes the best pizza. The reason that the stoneware is better than your run of the mill cookie sheet is the way it heats the food. Once the stone is hot it will bake your cookies evenly. Another trick is to use a cookie scoop so that the cookies are virtually the same size. What is nice about the stoneware is that it is guaranteed never to chip, crack or break. Lastly even though I stated above that it wasn't in the recipe; I recommend the Nestle Toll House recipe. I find that they have the best chocolate chips and the recipe is on the back of the bag. Stick with Semi-sweet vs. Milk chocolate - they taste better. Well the cat is out of the bag - but I know my secret is safe with you! Go ahead and try it - I know you won't be disappointed!

*This "secret" also works for any other type of cookie you like to bake - I am also a big fan of the oatmeal chocolate chip cookie.

Traffic Lights:

The traffic lights in this city are effed up. Our favorite Chinese food restaurant is not even a mile away from our house and it can take up to 20 minutes to get there because of the traffic lights. There are about seven intersections with traffic lights once we get onto Girard Street and because this is a city of stupid people, the lights are not synced. The light is red at your intersection and all the other lights are green but by the time you get a green - the others are red. Our favorite is the Berks Street intersection. There is no oncoming traffic from the side streets due to the one ways (which is another weird thing in this city - one way streets change direction) however the light will always turn red as you approach. It does this to vex us but really it's for the walk signal - for all the pedestrians that are never there. You would think that they would have a button and if there was a pedestrian that wished to cross the street they could push the effin' button and then the light would change.

He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich:

The above are lyrics from the famous 80's song Down Under by Men at Work. Now the real question that is on everyone's mind is what the eff is a Vegemite Sandwich? Well since I have no life and the Doc is playing x-box, I took it upon myself to research that very question.

What is Vegemite? "A Vegemite sandwich to an Australian kid is the equivalent of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to an American kid - but the taste is QUITE different!"*

Vegemite is a yeast extract product made from leftover beer brewer's yeast extract along with various spices and vegetable additives. Sounds yummy doesn't it! According to my research it's an acquired taste but it is something that Australian children are raised on from birth.

This is the history of the birth of Vegemite. The idea was formed by a man named Fred Walker who wanted a new yeast product to sell with his cheese. The product was created by the chief scientist at the cheese company Dr. Cyril P. Callister, blending the brewer's yeast with celery, onion, salt and some other "secret" ingredients to give it the paste like consistency. My guess is that the "secret" ingredients are secret for a reason. A national contest to name the product offered 50 pounds to the winner. The name "Vegemite" was finally chosen from the entries by Fred's daughter Sheilah .

It took a while for Vegemite to take off, it even went through a name change. Walker joined forces with Kraft foods, changed the name back to Vegemite and started a marketing scheme to get every Australian a jar. Thanks to a special coupon where you would receive a free jar with any purchase of Walker Cheese, you will find a jar of Vegemite in nine out of ten pantries in Australia. It's like the American Express Card for the Australian...you know, don't leave home without it.

*Vegemite information made possible by Linda Stradley, author and creator of What's Cooking America

I just can't get enough:

I feel better that I am not alone on my feelings towards Peyton Manning and the piss poor officiating. The Doc, who is a big fan of Page 2 on ESPN, read this to me - I just had to share.

Click here for a good read.

P. Sophie's NFL Recap:

It was a topsy turvey weekend in the NFL. So strange plays, calls and upsets. I guess that is why football is so exciting. Here are my thoughts in a nutshell:

First of all I have to say that I am underwhelmed by the piss poor referees in the playoff games. It's as if they decided to hire Pee Wee league referees. The first bad call of the weekend came when they called Asante Samuel on a bull shit pass interference call. Watching the replays if a flag was going to be thrown it should’ve been offensive pass interference but I wouldn’t have even called that.

Coach Bill Belichick said Sunday there were "very questionable calls" and that he was "surprised that was the playoff crew" of officials, but didn't blame the loss on those calls.

Belichick is right not to blame the officials for the loss the Patriots couldn’t keep hold of the ball the entire game. You’re not going to win a playoff game when you turn the ball over 500 times. I lost count after Troy Brown dropped the punt. However, it didn’t help moral when calls are being blown such as that.

The second bull shit call of the weekend was in the Pittsburg/Indy game. Troy Polamalu dove for an amazing pick that would have pretty much sealed the deal for the Steelers. But Dungy challenged and somehow the interception was overturned. That official must have left his glasses at home because there is no other explanation for that call to be overturned.

All-Pro safety Troy Polamalu's diving interception of Peyton Manning's throw at the Pittsburgh 48 with 5:26. But when he got up to run and fumbled the ball, then recovered, Colts coach Tony Dungy challenged. Somehow, despite a dozen replays showing Polamalu's catch, the call was overturned by referee Pete Morelli.

"I know they wanted Indy to win this game; the whole world loves Peyton Manning," linebacker Joey Porter said. "But come on, man, don't take the game away from us like that."

Porter, I couldn’t have said it better myself. The whole world does love Peyton Manning. The Steelers stopped any chance for a colts win with huge sack (the fifth of the game) with little over a minute to go - game over right. Well not exactly. The colts still had three time outs but Big Ben just kneel. Instead they hand the ball off to Bettis who fumbles and it’s run back to the Indy 42 – it looked like it may go all the way until Big Ben saved the day with a huge tackle.

It’s one more chance for the great Peyton Manning. He gets his team in field goal range – although a long field goal 46 yards – to send them into OT. Thank goodness for home field advantage and since the Colts play in a Dome a 46 yard field goal is a cake walk. Well not quite. Vaderjagt – Wide Right.

Then the cameras show Dungy mouth “he missed” and they showed Cower mouth “he missed” and so on. It was disbelief all over again for the Colts fans who along with the all the NFL pundits said the Colts were going all the way – this was their year. However, those of us who have watched Peyton Manning choke every year in the playoffs – knew it was inevitable.

It was a huge upset that I for one was happy to see. Not that I am a fan of the Steelers because I am not. In fact I find their fans annoying with their stupid “Terrible Towels” but I hate the hype that surrounds the Colts & Peyton every year more. I lost more respect for the beloved Peyton Manning after his press conference. Sure he must be extremely frustrated, but you don’t play the blame game like he did. Stating, “I don’t want to be a bad teammate but there were definitely some protection issues”. Come on Peyton – I saw some of your passes – they were off the mark. Maybe you’re somewhat to blame too…

In other recaps the Seahawks beat the Redskins w/o MVP running back Sean Alexander and Carolina won it second straight game on the road beating the Bears. Well off to the NFC and AFC Championship games – my Super Bowl predictions:

Denver vs. Carolina

Rockin' Robyn:

Today my little sister is 23. I was going to call her when my cellphone rang. It was my sister calling me on her birthday. She called me because she went on my blog and didn't see a birthday shout out. So Robyn - here it is:

Happy Birthday to You,
Happy Birthday to You,
Happy Birthday Dear Robyn,
Happy Birthday to You....And Many More!

Finally a Reason to Watch:

The Oscar's. Jon Stewart has been announced as this years host of the 78th Annual Academy Awards this March 5th. I don't usually watch since they are long and most of the time boring. But this year I shall make an exception. I think even the Doc may take time out of his busy schedule to see what Stewart can come up with for this big event. Good Luck Jon - it will probably be the best Oscar's yet!

Thanks a Lot NBC

Scrubs fifth season premiere was Tuesday. Two episodes; funny as hell and the Doc and I almost missed it. We knew it was to start sometime in January, but we had no idea when. Why? Because NBC advertises the hell out of The Office and My Name is Earl and NOT Scrubs. Not that those other shows aren't funny (I mean I wouldn't know I don't watch them) but come on. I know I don't watch a lot of NBC anymore but I figured I would've seen something flipping through stations. Thanks to the Orange Bowl the Doc noticed it on our Direct TV guide.

That was a close one - check it out if you haven't - it's by far the BEST show on TV EVER!

It's tough beating the boys all the time:

So I recently won the "Park Football League" aka PFL Fantasy Football Drew Box. It’s the third year in a row competing in the Super Bowl, second year in a row as champion. I lost the first year to the Doc - that was back when Jamal Lewis wasn't a drug dealer.

I should mention that I am the only female in the league or so I thought until I crushed the competition (again) and defended my title as champion. I was in another league that my supervisor at work got me to join. Again I was the only female and not knowing any one other than my supervisor I got a lot of trash talk from the guys. I ended up in third place in that league and proved myself as a knowledgeable fantasy footballer. Yes, it’s true; I don’t just choose a player because he looks hot in the tight pants.

So today I would like to gloat and celebrate my triumphant victory as reigning champion. Better luck next year boys!