Last Blog Post as a Single Woman

Well peeps, Hanna or not - Sheridan and I are headed to The Bahamas on Monday to get hitched. It might be a rainy wedding, but I figure it's like Charlotte's wedding on Sex and the City - "the worse the wedding, the better the marriage". hahaha No matter if we have to get married inside in the middle of a hurricane, it doesn't change how much we love each other, and want to marry each other. So take THAT, Hanna!!! ;)

Meanwhile, I'll be sure to post when we get back and give all the scoop, plus pictures!

But I do have some commentary before I go:

1. The DNC convention has left me inspired and excited!! Hillary's "Twin Cities" joke made my week (it makes sense that McCain and Bush are meeting in the Twin Cities this week, since it's hard to tell them apart), as did the comment by Barney Smith of Marion, Indiana - "I need a president that puts Barney Smith before Smith Barney". Classic!!! Can't wait to see how the Republican convention goes and what they have to say that might be meaningful other than "Barack Obama is going to raise your taxes!!!" - zzzzzzzzzz. I would like to see them make some good points, even though I hope McCain loses miserably in this election.

2. There's been a lot of criticism this week about Sarah Palin, McCain's running mate choice - that if she was chosen to help garner the vote of Clinton's pantsuit army, it was a bad idea since she's so opposed to reproductive rights; that she only has 2 years of experience as a governor of a state that has a smaller population than the city in which I live right now; and that she isn't even sure what a VP does... but here's MY criticism. Ready? GIRLFRIEND NEEDS A NEW HAIRDO!!! That ponytail flop thing with the butterfly clip and bangs was tragic even in 1990... When is Jose Ebert coming to the rescue?

OK, that's it from command central. I'll see y'all when I get back from the Caribbean!

Love, Mer The Single Girl

p.s. Let's hope Gustav escapes my friends and family in Houston!!!!!!!!!! Bug off, Swedish nuisance!

Tropical Storm Hanna

Everyone cross your fingers that this stupid storm bypasses The Bahamas and that it doesn't completely ruin our wedding and honeymoon next week. It's not looking good... :( Everyone do a reverse rain dance for us!!!

HANNA, GO AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE????????

Mer

Indiana

So my future sister-in-law, Carolyn, is getting married to Sheridan's brother, Matt, on New Year's Eve in Indianapolis. I'm going to be too enormous to attend by then, but I went out to IN for the bachelorette party this past weekend to join in on the celebration. We had about 10 girls from different points in Carolyn's life - college, childhood, work, and new sisters-in-law - and had a great time at her family's lake house, lounging, eating, drinking, and game-playing. It was a really fun mini-vacation and I think the bride had a really great time.

Some pics for your viewing pleasure. And yes, I know - they're huge. I'm really pregnant, so gimme a break!!!

Mer xo

UPDATE On The Job Front

Well folks - new development! So on Thursday of last week, I had decided to accept the offer with Ning, but when I called Cisco (www.cisco.com) to decline their offer, they sweetened the pot so much that I had no choice but to accept that offer.

So in the end, the Cisco opportunity is going to offer me benefits, paid vacation, long term stability, and a couple of other perks that are really, really important. I start that new job after I get back from our "weddingmoon" - on Monday, September 8th.

So............... I have two more weeks of vacation left! Yeeeeehaw! I feel bag for reneging on Ning, but for me, the Cisco gig is just the right fit. Thanks to everyone for hearing me through this crazy time professionally (and personally, but that's beside the point...) - I couldn't have done it without the support of my friends and family.

And now that I have the job wrapped up, I can start concentrating on my WEDDING to the man of my dreams!!! It's in 10 days from today!!! And we leave for The Bahamas next Monday!!! Woooooooooooo hooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! The countdown has begun...

Love, Mer

The Mer Show Gets Back to WORK!

Well, the vacation is officially over. Monday morning, bright and early, I get back to work. I have been VERY lucky to land a couple of really great opportunities, and I have chosen to join the recruiting team at Ning, a social networking platform that is definitely going places! It's located in Palo Alto, CA, and is headed by an incredibly bright CEO named Gina Bianchini, and has a unique way of approaching the social networking space. A huge bonus with this job is that my new boss is really cool - she has so much positive energy, and I like her a lot going into this (unlike the rude tyrant I worked for at my last company). Yay!!

So with that, I'm heading to Indianapolis for my future sister-in-law's bachelorette party today, and then get back Sunday night - just in time to start my new jobsky. No rest for the wicked!

Thanks for all your support and encouragement through my job searching process - my friends and family have been so great and I really appreciate it!

Meanwhile, have a super duper weekend! Love, Mer

p.s. New company - www.ning.com CHECK IT OUT!

Our New Toaster Oven

OMG, we just got our first wedding gift and it's... a toaster! How traditional is that? One of Sheridan's friends sent us the Black and Decker model off our registry, and I can't wait to make some toast where it's only toasted on one side - my favorite! And leftovers? Fuhgetaboutit! Simple pleasures...

A toaster as a first gift... this marriage is gonna last! ;)

Love, Mer

Stroller Practice

He's getting ready!!! :)

MY HERO - NASTIA LIUKIN!!!

Nastia Liukin is decidedly not anything like Mary Lou Retton - she's more like a Nadia Comeneci... but man, she is my kind of gymnast!!! She's so elegant and graceful, and more like a ballerina than a powerhouse athlete; it's so refreshing to see artistic gymnastics once again! Nastia put on a stellar performance and made it look so easy... beautiful under pressure, and made ridiculously difficult routines look like a cakewalk.

I am disappointed for Shawn Johnson, since she went into the Olympics expecting to win, and with much media pressure to do so, but she did her best, and that landed her a silver medal. But an American 1, 2 finish - OMG, how exciting!!!!!

I cried. Could be the progesterone coursing through my veins, but I was really blown over with emotion at the end of watching the DVR recording of the women's all-around final. I'm serious - I CRIED! Not much phases me these days after everything I've been through the last few years, but the Olympics has brought me several tear-filled moments this summer... it's ridiculous!

Anyway, congratulations to Nastia Liukin on her fabulous gold medal win, and to Shawn Johnson, as well, for her also brilliant performance and silver medal.

Love, Mer

Thoughts On Olympic Gymnastics

As a former competitive gymnast, of course my favorite part of the summer Olympics is the gymnastics - specifically, the women's gymnastics events. I was explaining to Sheridan last night that for me, Olympic gymnastics is sort of equatable to a European being excited about the World Cup, or a football nut seeing their favorite team compete in the Super Bowl. :)

This year, our team of female gymnasts went to Beijing primed and ready to conquer the gold medal. In the end, we won the silver medal, which is AWESOME, but there were some serious complications along the way - Chellsie Memmel and Samantha Peczik injured themselves IN Beijing right after arrival, and Alicia Sacramone just didn't do her best as the go-to girl.

Poor Alicia is getting thrown under the bus badly for her mistakes in the team finals - she fell on beam and floor (eek!). As if she's not beating herself up enough, Marta Karolyi and some other media outlets are saying that if she hadn't broken her concentration (which was the fault of the event organizers - I disagree), they would have won. I hate for Alicia that Marta is bringing even more focus to her mistakes on a world stage... as if she's not beating herself up enough! Well, in the off chance that Alicia Sacramone reads my blog - girl, I think you're a badass and you should keep your chin high, because you really did do a great job.

Competitive gymnastics is brutal - injuries, pressure, sacrifices, and so much more. When I think of everything these young women have gone through to get to this point, I am in awe. I feel honored that I got to participate in this sport, even in a small way, at a much more novice level... I bet people all over the world feel the same way when watching their favorite sport, that they did as a kid. It's sort of cool that all of us, all over the globe, can share that.

Anyway, I can't wait to watch the men's and women's event finals over the next few days. Should be exciting and inspiring!!

Love, Mer

Denver and San Diego

Sheridan and I have done a lot of traveling this summer - Dallas, Seattle, Denver, Lake Tahoe, San Diego, and next weekend Sheridan's heading to Reno while I head to Indianapolis for bachelor/ette parties! Whew - it's been a fun summer!!!

Here's a few pics from Denver and San Diego. We went to Denver to visit Sheridan's brother and family - Brandon, Sarah, and Michael - and I visited San Diego this weekend while Sheridan had his bachelor party Saturday night.

Unfortunately, there's no pictures from that event... which is probably best, since I heard stories of ripped clothing, vomiting, and dancers! Now THAT'S a proper bachelor party - good job, baby!!!! :)

Love, Mer

Bump Watch

Well, I'm, at 13 weeks now and still not showing! I have a little bit of an almost-bump, but I'm pretty sure that's more from just not working out in the last 2 months and eating tons of pizza and steak... :) But my chest sure is multiplying at a rapid rate, that's for sure!!!! I'm going to look like a retired porn star soon...

I had another ultrasound last Thursday and things went GREAT!! The Peanut looks really healthy and is growing on track. He's about 7 cm or 3 inches long, and has some long, skinny legs growing in there... he obviously gets that from his dad, not me with my Mary Lou Retton thunder thighs!! We still don't know for sure if it's a male or female, but I'd still bet $1000000000000000 that it's a boy.

Should we start a pool? I will probably know soon... Leave a comment if you'd like in on the guessing game!

Love, Mer

First Day of Temporary Retirement

So............. it's my first day of unemployment, since my contract with Affymetrix ended Friday. The last 3 times I've been unemployed, I was in San Diego and 2 of those times it was summertime and I spent a good majority of my time at the beach (or pool) with a cocktail in hand. (Does that mean I've found myself in this predicament 3 summers in a row? Wow, I'm incredibly unlucky, but at least drinking made the day go by faster. This time, no luck there...) I spent my time at the beach or with friends who either worked nights or were also homebound during the day. This time, I don't really know too many people here in San Jose, and don't really have any regular spots yet, so I'm going to have to get creative with my time. I think this is going to be my to do list today. What do you think?

1. Update profile on Linked In and check the job boards, return a couple of professional phone calls. CHECK - done.

2. Make and eat breakfast. CHECK - done.

3. Shower and get dressed. Need to do that.

4. Run to Target to pick up soap for the bathroom, try not to buy anything else.

5. Do some grocery shopping and make Sheridan dinner like a good housewife. Let's see, what doesn't nauseate me today??

6. Perhaps hit the gym if the baby allows me any energy today.

OK, that looks like a pretty healthy list!! Maybe tomorrow will be cleaning day and maybe catching up with my long distance friends who are also not working, or perhaps if I'm lucky, I'll have an interview lined up! Wish me luck.

Off to start my exciting day!! Love, Mer

UPDATE: I bought my bridal veil this morning and am wearing it around the house this afternoon. I am GETTING MARRIED IN ONE MONTH FROM TODAY!!!!!!!! WOW!!!!!

New Pics of Bacisaurus Rex

"Life is good". Baci Hall