J.J. ABRAMS

I'm a HUGE fan of his. If his name doesn't ring a bell for you, think ALIAS or LOST. He's the creator of both TV shows. ALIAS is my all-time favorite TV show, and LOST has become a Dawson-family favorite. I'm so looking forward to LOST beginning again - unfortunately we have to wait until January 2009. In the meanwhile, there is a new JJ Abrams show about to debut on Fox...

The show is called FRINGE. David and I watched the pilot episode last night... it was creepy, but so good. The show, in my opinion, is a cross between ALIAS, Heroes, and The X-Files. The show follows an FBI agent who is investigating "the pattern" of abnormal/scary scientific phenomena.

The pilot cost around $10 million to create - and it was worth it. The special effects were incredible (especially for TV). The storyline was easier to follow than ALIAS was and the main character, FBI Agent Dunham, is likable (just like Sydney Bristow). According to one article about the show, "it will focus on brilliant but possibly crazy research scientist Walter Bishop, his estranged son and a female FBI agent who brings them together. Episodes will explore self-contained mysteries of the paranormal, as well as the relationships between the three leads."

The series begins September 9th on Fox.

STRANGER THINGS HAVE HAPPENED...

Yesterday afternoon I was sitting on my front porch reading when two young ladies walking down the street stopped in front of my house. After standing at my steps for a minute or two, one started up the steps and stopped on the landing in front of our porch. I'm sitting right there staring at her and yet she said nothing. She just sipped on her big red drink in a styrofoam cup. After a few minutes, I finally asked her what she's doing there...

She started into a story about how her friend had recently died and she was coming from his funeral. According to her story, this friend had once lived in my house and she used to hang out on my steps/porch with this friend. By the time she repeated bits and pieces of the story to me for the third and fourth time, I noticed that the friend she had been walking with was no where in sight. Not wanting to doubt the crying girl in front of me, but also skeptical about her story, my mind started to think the worst... was she just distracting me so her friends could break into my house from the back? was she looking to get something from me? money? food? an invitation inside? what was her aim?

As the minutes went by, I grew increasingly uncomfortable and decided I was going to go inside (and would be locking my doors and windows). I told her I was going in to make dinner and she walked down my steps and onto the sidewalk. All the while thanking me. When I got inside, it was apparent that no one had broken in or tried to.

So, I ask you... what do you think?

She did cry about the loss of her friend, but she was dressed in tight jeans and an even tighter tank-top. And she said she had come from the funeral - not exactly funeral appropriate clothing (even for the city).

The whole experience freaked me out for two reasons: 1) I was so quick to think that this girl was lying to me and that she was up to no good; and 2) I lacked the ability to show her any compassion. Obviously, my lack of compassion was due to the fact that I thought she was lying to me and was up to no good. Should I have been nicer or more understanding? Maybe she really was in pain and I was so uncomfortable around it. Unfortunately, I found the whole situation unsettling and even this morning feel like she was up to no good. Am I becoming an urban pessimist? I was so unsettled last night that I slept poorly. Hopefully I can get the whole experience out of my mind before I lay down tonight.

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Pictures: several people have asked for an updated picture of my belly. Unfortunately, David left our camera in Taiwan. It is en route back to the States, but until it arrives there will be no pictures. Rest assured, I am large. There is so little room left for my tummy to grow that my rib cage has actually started to expand. I have round ligament pain in my ribs and am sporting swimmers' shoulders again.

THE SUBURBS

For the past two weeks David has been in Taiwan visiting his mother and brother. I decided not to go with him this year - even though I missed out on all the wonderful times being with family and eating delicious Taiwanese food. I had two basic reasons for not wanting to go to Taiwan this year: 1) a 14 hour plane ride during my third trimester sounded uncomfortable (and possibly dangerous); and 2) I feared going into labor in a country where I don't speak or read the language. So I stayed home, in the USA. I did, however, leave DC and spent a fun-filled week in Pittsburgh.

My vacation in Pittsburgh centered around hanging out with friends and family and watching the Olympics. I even attended an Olympic-themed birthday party!

While driving back to DC after a week living in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, it occurred to me that life in the city is different from life in the suburbs. For instance, in the suburbs:

1. you have to drive basically everywhere. I rarely get in my car more than twice a week in DC (I can walk everywhere I need to go or take the train), but at my parents' house I was driving every day. I even had to drive to go for a walk. Sure I could walk around the neighborhood where my parents' live, but in order to get a 4-5 mile walk in I had to drive to the county park nearby.

2. it is so stinking quiet. There were no police sirens, no firetrucks speeding down the street at all hours of the night, no loud neighbors, no helicopters flying overhead, NOTHING. Just silence and the chirping of birds and the squeaks of crickets.

3. it is so stinking dark. I was able to see stars, even full constellations. There was very little light pollution, like we have in DC.

4. animals, such as deer and bunnies, do actually live outside of the zoo. My parents' backyard is home to several bunnies and deer cross the street late at night. There were no rats what-to-speak-of; however, the raccoons are mischievous.

Despite the differences between urban and suburban living, there are wonderful people living in both places. I had a great time in the Pittsburgh area hanging out with my mom and dad as well as my friend, Bethann and her family. I also got to visit with some other friends I haven't spent much time with in years. It was so enjoyable. Upon returning to DC, I was greeted my a friendly neighbor who helped me unload my car. On Saturday, David and I spent nearly an hour outside just talking with and catching up with folks on our street and on Saturday night we got together with friends we haven't seen in several weeks.

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Updates:

Weight gain: I didn't gain a pound between mid-June and mid-July (seriously, I went four weeks and didn't gain any weight). That all changed between mid-July and mid-August... I gained 8 pounds (almost 9 if you want to get technical). I'm definitely feeling BIG. I'm unable to wear my wedding ring and about 75 percent of my shoes.

David: is back from Taiwan and is recovering from jet-lag. He had a wonderful time with his family.

Baby: thankfully is head-down (I was convinced for weeks that he/she was breech). Do take the time to cast your vote - is Baby Dawson a boy or a girl?

My Jetta: earlier this summer my car turned eight. And two weeks ago with just over 63,000 miles I had to put new front brakes on her FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. She's been such a wonderful car!

PART 2: PERSONAL HYGIENE

This morning I was reading my local neighborhood blog by the Prince of Petworth, and what did I find to be the second entry today? You got it... a story about personal hygiene and the disgust of one of my neighbors who sat next to a guy on the train who was cutting his fingernails. Below is the entire entry (edited to remove some vulgar language):

When riding the metro please don’t clip your nails. True story. I’m riding the metro this morning and a guy takes a nail clipper out and starts clipping his nails right in the middle of the train. I was freaking disgusted. So I was inspired by my dad speaking out against litter and decided to say something. Let me just set the scene a bit better.

It was rush hour on the Green line and I was sitting down across the aisle from this guy. This guy was well dressed, had leather luggage, was probably 6 feet tall and 275 pounds. It was a fat 275 pounds but I have no doubt he could’ve crushed me rather easily. But I figure we all have our limits and I couldn’t believe he was clipping his nails right in the middle of the train. So I stare at him with a look of disgust and he stares back at me.

So I say “you know that behavior is generally frowned upon in public spaces.” And he says, rather angrily, “that’s what you think”. And I said, “no, that is what is society thinks”. And he says, “no that is what you think.” And it was pretty much a stalemate at that point. I couldn’t believe that nobody else jumped in on my side. He then continues clipping his nails. And the nails are falling on the floor, it was beyond foul. So I ask the lady next to me if I was out of line. And she said, she would rather not give an opinion. Ok.

Well, am I crazy or is clipping your fingernails on public transport generally frowned upon by society?

I couldn't agree with this guy more. Why is it so hard for people to deal with their personal hygiene at home? What can we do about these problems?!?!