jaysaint Getting it all down on paper…

Alden threw up ON my dinner tonight.

Four jobs I have had in my life
magazine editor, manicurist, NFL mascot, freelance writer

Four movies I would watch over and over
Princess Bride, A Life Less Ordinary, Grease, Raiders of the Lost Ark

Four places I have lived
NYC, DC, Atlanta, Cincinnati

Four TV shows that I watch
Lost, House, Mythbusters, Good Eats

Four places I have been
Pompeii, Isle of Skye, Providenciales (Turks & Caicos), Cub Run (Kentucky)

Four people who e-mail me regularly
Sarah, Damon, Mom, Facebook

Four of my favorite foods
stuffed artichokes, hearts of palm, sushi tuna, goat cheese, lemony olives (I stole an extra slot)

Four places I would rather be right now
Cub Run, Manchester, Tucson, any far shore

Four things I am looking forward to this year
Alden’s first words (maybe), some sort of vacation, a chance to improve our living conditions, at least one good surprise

Four favorite authors
Mark Helprin, Bill Bryson, Edward Rutherford, Robert Graves

An update and a thanks for all the comforting comments of my “OMG MY KID IS SICK SOMEBODY HELP ME?!?!111” post from yesterday. If it didn’t read quite that way on the page, trust me that it did in my head.

Today he was down to a respectable 99.9 before I left for work. According to Damon he’s still screamy and clinging like a monkey. But I feel we are moving in the right direction. The doctor says he has a stomach virus that’s been going around. I guess she means going around the eastern seaboard because he hasn’t been in the ‘hood lately.

Here’s a thoroughly unoriginal observation of a new mother: It bemuses me to get coated in vomit and feel nothing but relief because I know it means he likely feels better. I mean, really. I’d like my mommy badge now.

Also, I’d like everyone to know that he did just fine with the $50 and the cab. I mean, it’s not like we didn’t call the car service to come get him right outside our courtyard.

Alden is 4 months and 1 week old. This morning his temperature was 102.2. He has a wet cough, some vomiting and diarrhea.

He’s at the doctor right now while I am at work winning the horrible mother of the year award. I’m sure the doctor will take care of everything, but in the meantime I’d love to hear that this is not as big a deal as it feels like. Or, the truth, if that’s not it.

There have been a few times lately when someone has started to tell me about a stroke of happy luck or fun, and then stopped. I understand that. But really and truly I have a vampiric desire to hear that stuff. It renews me when I hear good news, large or small, coming from someone I like. So, if you had a particularly delicious dinner, a romantic date, a great shopping deal, an adorable kid moment, anything, anything… bring it!