Symptoms: lethargy, poor vocabulary, occasional paralysis, occasional mania

The amazing (and great to work with, if you’re looking for a photographer) Randyl Neilson took portraits of several staff members of the UVU Review for an upcoming orientation issue, and I love the photos he took of me and Grady so much, I had to post them here. You can find him on facebook, too.

Obviously an outtake, but I still like it. I’m so happy I had my favorite yarns with me.

The book is James Baldwin‘s Another Country, which I’m reading for a second time. It’s fantastic the second time through.

Oh, I love her smile. She’s such a great 9-month-old.

I’m incredibly awkward in front of a camera – Randyl did a great job with the nervous unweildy poses.

I love this one. If I ever write a mega-pretentious femininist-mysticism-conspiracy-theory book, this will be on the jacket. Or a book about yarn. That’s probably more realistic.

Note: Bubbles taste bad, and they feel weird in your lungs and they make your eyes very … not sad or in pain, just confused.

And a bottle of beer. Sorry mom! (By mom I mean mom/Jennie/Dani.)

On another note, today sucks. Yesterday sucked. Two nights ago sucked. I probably won’t blog about it, because I’d be embarrassed. But will I embroider about it? Of course I will.

Grady loves to swim!

Miss Grady has never been much of a water baby, but today we got into an actual pool, and she loved it! Well, she wasn’t smiling, but she wasn’t screaming either. And there was definite kicking and splashing. She was at least mildly in favor of it.

And yes, she is wearing a bikini. The part of me that idolizes Naomi Wolf is disgusted by the fact that I bought Grady a bikini. But then the part who can’t help but cuddle her when she’s asleep and embroiders pictures of her is so blinded by the sheer cuteness of that belly poking out under that little rosetted top that I lose all sense of reason. Plus, it was $4 cheaper than any of the one-pieces. I wonder what older-Grady will think when she sees how I’ve dressed her. I’m sorry? You’re welcome? I love you.

Anyway, we were in the pool today because we are on a bit of a vacation – one that I think I’ve alluded to several times but not directly mentioned. We’re at the Utah Shakespearean Festival for my 8th time (and Grady’s 2nd, if you count fetuses) with a friend/co-worker from this amazing newspaper. So far I haven’t seen any of the plays, but tomorrow I’m going to catch Macbeth. And guess who’s in it? TONY AMENDOLA. I know, right? Your mind was just blown.