tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24212388812926644442024-02-21T22:45:07.692-08:00The Lost GoatEver seen a lost goat? When a goat thinks it is lost, it runs around in a panic, screaming madly for the herd. I've seen goats step around the barn, lose line of sight on the other goats, and run around like this for fifteen minutes before figuring out the herd is only a few feet away. The herd ignores the panicked goat entirely, unless the lost goat is young enough for its mama to care. As a lost goat, where better to find other goats than on the seemingly endless plain of the blogosphere?The Lost Goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047062069421428331noreply@blogger.comBlogger293125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421238881292664444.post-73356222104167444102012-11-09T09:27:00.000-08:002012-11-09T21:36:42.418-08:00Tamara, and Also Some Sweet Gear<a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/07285540310465422476">Tamara</a>, of<a href="http://booksbikesboomsticks.blogspot.com/"> view from the porch</a> (among other blogs), is facing<a href="http://booksbikesboomsticks.blogspot.com/2012/11/not-real-chatty-or-not-as-chatty-as.html"> basil cell carcinoma</a>. Like most self-employed people, she self-insured, and this is going to make her come up a bit short. The gun-blogging community, including <a href="http://www.agirlandhergun.org/2012/11/09/tam/">A Girl</a> and <a href="http://bayourenaissanceman.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-bleg-for-tamara.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BayouRenaissanceMan+%28Bayou+Renaissance+Man%29">Bayou Renaissance Man</a> are asking people to chip in a bit if they can via the tip jar on her website.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WflSwQGJzC0/UJ0LufG_vrI/AAAAAAAAO4o/7B3va2JPy9o/s1600/Tam%2527s+blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WflSwQGJzC0/UJ0LufG_vrI/AAAAAAAAO4o/7B3va2JPy9o/s320/Tam%2527s+blog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
(Image stolen from BRM)<br />
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I'm going over now to throw in $5, even though I'm unemployed. I don't know Tam personally, but, judging from her writing, she does not have the safety net that I am lucky enough to have.<br />
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If you have a moment, say a prayer for her and<a href="http://booksbikesboomsticks.blogspot.com/2012/11/not-real-chatty-or-not-as-chatty-as.html"> drop by her blog to let her know you did so</a>. <br />
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Also, <a href="http://zercool.blogspot.com/2012/11/something-something-to-something-cancer.html">Newbius</a> and <a href="http://www.lifein3d.net/2012/11/09/once-more-with-feeling/">Life in 3D</a> are doing raffles for those who donate $5 or more. Click through the links to see the sweet gear that you could win.<br />
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Later update: Up your donation to $5.56 and get a chance to<a href="http://www.dragonblasts.com/?p=222"> win a viper holster from Dragon Leatherworks in time for Christmas</a>. Which is super-awesome b/c if you order one on the website today, it won't get here until the middle of January. I am very, very tempted to donate again b/c I would love to give Mr. Goat this holster for Christmas. If only I had a job!<br />
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Even Later Update: For $25, you can enter to win a Diamondback with its own holster. Details <a href="http://oldnfo.blogspot.com/2012/11/raffle-for-tam.html">here</a>.<br />
<br />The Lost Goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047062069421428331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421238881292664444.post-72763510343515756532012-10-24T08:41:00.000-07:002012-10-24T08:41:58.959-07:00I am Worth DefendingA friends of mine posted <a href="http://sodisarmingdarling.tumblr.com/post/34106027759/what-its-like-being-a-teen-girl#notes">this article</a> on facebook yesterday. Entitled "What it's like being a teen girl[sic]," it describes a continuous and rampant pattern of sexual assault that continued through Ms. Wolley's teenage years. She says that this behavior was and is unacceptable, and I agree. But here's where she and I diverge strongly. Her take on the solution:<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Pretty much everything in North American culture tells men and boys that women and girls are there for them. So please, do us some favours. Stop telling us that we have to take self defence. Stop telling us we shouldn’t drink or go out at night or on dates. Stop telling us that we need to be prepared for whatever “boys-be-boys” violations come our ways, because it’s bullshit. We don’t have to accept this or carry it around in silence.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Start talking with men and boys about the messages they’re getting about women and girls. Tell them that they are not entitled to our bodies, no matter what. Talk to them honestly and comprehensively about sexualization and objectification. Stop being afraid to talk about boundaries, sex, and pleasure—leaving that to schools, the Internet, and peers is simply not cutting it. Show them what consent really looks like.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">And this sounds basic, but remind them that we’re, you know, people? We deserve at least that much.</span></div>
In sum, women shouldn't have to modify our behavior, because the predatory men are in the wrong. Instead, we should engage in dialogue with them to show them the right way to behave.<br />
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Here's the problem with this approach: <b>Predators don't give a shit that we're people too.</b> Predators are here to take what they can get from you and they don't care how much they hurt you to get it. In fact, in cases of sexual assault, hurting you is part of the enjoyment they derive from it. So talking to them about our shared humanity isn't going to cut any ice with them.<br />
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However, predators aren't into their own pain, and they take great pains to ascertain whether you are a low risk target or not. So, to decrease your chances of attracting a predator's attention, you want to make yourself into as high-risk a target as possible. Additionally, you want to keep out of places that predators like to hang out. Figuring out how to do this in the backbone of a good self-defense curriculum.<br />
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Is it fair that non-predators (men and women) have to modify their behavior to reduce their chances of being preyed on? Absolutely not. But I think I'm more likely to deter a predator with a force equalizer (the one I have chosen is a <a href="http://www.glock.com/english/glock36.htm">Glock 36</a>) than with an appeal to our shared humanity. <br />
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I never had to live with years of sexual assault, and for that I am truly grateful. I am glad that Ms. Wolley has moved beyond her experiences to acknowledge her self-worth. I hope that she will someday be able to take the next step and see that self-defense is a concrete expression of that worth.<br />
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I am worth it; worth the time and the trouble to defend myself against those who take pleasure in my pain and those for whom my pain is merely a means to an end. My daughter is worth it too; both her time and mine, her attention and thought and work. My son will learn that women are people too, and should be respected accordingly, and he will be given the tools to enforce this with regards to himself as well. I have important and worthy thins to do in this lifetime to prevent sexual assault; I have better things to do with my time than talk to predators.<br />
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If you would like to learn more about self-defense with firearms, a good resource is <a href="http://www.corneredcat.com/">http://www.corneredcat.com/</a><br />
<br />The Lost Goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047062069421428331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421238881292664444.post-60332373705972616302012-10-19T22:32:00.000-07:002012-10-19T22:32:15.442-07:00Resolved: No More Novels Until I Get a Job, So Please Help Me with Book SuggestionsI'm having trouble using my time wisely. Part of the problem is that Football continues to have trouble sleeping at night. Mr. Goat was staying with her at night, and I was supervising during the day, but that was leading to me getting nothing done. So we've changed the schedule and now I sleep next to her on the tatami all night, rather than on my Tempur-Pedic, and try to nap during the day. It's not yet a roaring success, and my tiredness makes it easy for me to succumb to distraction.<br />
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I've always had a thing for trashy novels. When I was twelve or so, my favorite series was Mercedes Lacey's Valdemar series (which starts with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0886773784/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0886773784&linkCode=as2&tag=thlogo-20">Arrows of the Queen</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thlogo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0886773784" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />), and my taste in novels has not improved since then. Let's just say that if you want any advice on good paranormal erotica, I can be your go-to girl. And, with the rise of digital publishing, Amazon has a practically unending stream of authors writing fantasy/sci-fi/paranormal pulp who will give you their first book free. Occasionally, one is really good (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004H1TDB0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004H1TDB0&linkCode=as2&tag=thlogo-20">The Emperor's Edge</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thlogo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B004H1TDB0" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /> is a good example), but mostly I end up with stuff that's just entertaining enough that I don't put it down, but not really a fun read. However, it is an excellent procrastination tool.<br />
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I need to get my life back on track. My house is a wreck, neither Mr. Goat nor I is bringing in any income (unless you count paid surveys), and I'm exhausted all the time. I need to pare things out of my life that suck time and energy, and novels look like low-hanging fruit. I'll miss them, as I am in the habit of reading at least 100 pages of literature a day, but in their place I hope to add more Bible reading (I am only about 75% through my Bible choice for this year, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004MPROXU/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004MPROXU&linkCode=as2&tag=thlogo-20">The Holy Bible, English Standard Version</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thlogo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B004MPROXU" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />) and other inspiring literature ( I am thinking things like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007WRPVHQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007WRPVHQ&linkCode=as2&tag=thlogo-20">Let. It. Go.: How to Stop Running the Show and Start Walking in Faith</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thlogo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B007WRPVHQ" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />, which I have pre-ordered). <br />
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So I am asking for help; do you have any other reading suggestions? They need not be religious, but I am looking for non-fiction that is either helpful with my specific current issues (finding a job, cleaning a house, raising two toddlers, one of which doesn't sleep) or localvore or pf related. The Lost Goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047062069421428331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421238881292664444.post-36996558689007004012012-10-12T09:57:00.001-07:002012-10-12T09:57:35.489-07:00Bar Exam ResultsThe bar exam results from the Louisiana Bar Exam in <a href="http://thelostgoat.blogspot.com/2012/06/whats-going-on-over-here.html">July</a> are up today and I passed. Not a big surprise but will be a big help in the job search.<br />
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Tonight we go to MSY to pick up our au pair. Crossing my fingers that she works out.The Lost Goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047062069421428331noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421238881292664444.post-23267882953899534412012-10-10T20:49:00.002-07:002012-10-10T20:49:35.312-07:00Spoke Too Soon About Life Returning to NormalHave had the most unproductive last couple of days ever. And I have a funeral to go to tomorrow for the mother of a friend. She was 94 and it wasn't unexpected, but it is still hard. Also, the funeral is two hours away, so it will eat my entire day. Friday I don't have child care, and I need to put the finishing touches on stuff for the au pair. But I am going to sleep now so that I can at least try to do all this stuff with a decent amount of rest.The Lost Goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047062069421428331noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421238881292664444.post-24845720717241703032012-10-09T09:36:00.001-07:002012-10-09T09:36:09.367-07:00Life Beginning to Return to NormalLife has been really boring here, and this blog definitely reflects that. My mother-in-law is still here, but Mr. Goat thinks we still need her, and I trust his judgement. Mr. Goat gets better every day. I'm having trouble getting motivated to do anything, even though I have started to have a bit more time. <br />
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My to-do list for today is:<br />
- work out<br />
- consign clothing<br />
- purchase buttons for a coat which lost one<br />
- drop coat and buttons off at the seamstress (I could mend it myself, but I need to actually get it done)<br />
- go to the grocery store<br />
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Doesn't sound like much but I am really having trouble getting started. Hopefully a workout will kick me into shape.The Lost Goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047062069421428331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421238881292664444.post-27620277643155973682012-09-26T22:13:00.000-07:002012-09-26T22:13:01.639-07:00Back Update and Going ForwardMr. Goat's MRI came back as well as could possibly be expected (Yay no surgery!) ... so he will probably be able to lift babies in about a month. I'm trying to figure out what we do in the interim.<br />
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Right now, my mother in law is in town (she lives in College Station, TX, about 6 hours away). She has been sleeping on an air mattress in Monkey's bedroom every other night, and my parents are taking the babies the other nights, mostly. This weekend my parents are having a ginormous three day party, so we'll be doing babies by ourselves all weekend. She is a wonderful human being, but she has spent her entire life in academia, and she has no head whatsoever for efficiency. Also, she has a tendency to mother Mr. Goat like he is about 12, which can cause some friction, especially since she is here on our request, and she is really helping out a lot.<br />
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I need to think of some way to make this work that does not involve my mother in law living here for another month. <br />
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On October 12, we have an au pair arriving from France. I hope that she will be a help, but I expect that the first couple of weeks will be a difficult transition for her. Until then, my brother's fiancee helps out where she can, to the tune of 30-40 hours a week. My parents also help out when they can, which includes taking the babies all night 2 or 3 nights a week.<br />
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So I think I can make it work. I just have to get through the weekend and get a schedule of assistance put together so I know when I can rest.<br />
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On a total tangent, I stopped pumping for Monkey and Football last week, and will be feeding them frozen breast milk for the next month until they reach the one year mark. It is so nice to have my body completely back to myself!The Lost Goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047062069421428331noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421238881292664444.post-31229469239239874842012-09-21T16:20:00.002-07:002012-09-21T16:20:45.713-07:00Implementation Phase OneI talked to my parents and they are going to give me the money. I am incredibly lucky that I can do this, but I sure wish that I didn't have to.<br />
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On Monday Mr. Goat goes in for X-Rays and MRIs and we'll get a better idea of whether we are looking at few more weeks of rest or back surgery in the immediate future. And its open enrollment season, so I have to decide whether to bet for or against back surgery in my plan selection by the end of the month. No pressure:)<br />
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I'm off to take care of babies. No news is good news for the rest of the weekend.The Lost Goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047062069421428331noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421238881292664444.post-13117818823773502522012-09-20T08:01:00.000-07:002012-09-20T08:01:31.539-07:00Some Decisions Made ...After a long, and on my part tearful, conversation with my pastor (there's a job I never want to have to do), I've come to a realization and some decisions:<br />
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Realization: This is legitimately a crisis. The definition if crisis (not literally, but in my book) is something that you can't fix by just working harder, you have to change what you are doing to resolve it.<br />
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Therefore: (1) I need to suck it up and borrow 3 months living expenses from my parents. Hopefully I won't need it all, but that way I am covered until the end of January. I cried about this for a long time, because I am so sad to go back into the cycle of needing to pay down debt; I really thought that this time having a 6 month EF would save me. However, I have health issues that require me to have 9 hours of sleep a night or my whole body breaks down. I cannot possibly take a new job while trying to manage babies and husband without a health breakdown. I have to take the long view here.<br />
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(2) I need to eliminate all unnecessary stress from my life until the crisis passes. For instance, I've been doing Weight Watchers since April (and lost nearly 20 lbs!) but I need to let go of that right now; I just don't have the energy. Someone else is cooking all my meals, so I have no control over what gets fixed, and it will make me crazy to try to eat within my points. I'll just have to lose any weight I gain back after this is over. I am also not attending meetings for any clubs or any other fun things that I could do instead of sleep. I'm giving myself a pass on blogging since I need it for stress relief. I will also keep working out for the same reason.<br />
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(3) As soon as this crisis is over, I have to get a job. Not having any control over our incoming income is driving me crazy. I need to figure out what I want to get a job doing now that my dream job fell through and make that my dream. If that doesn't work, I need to move on and find another dream. I've allowed the perfect to become the enemy of the good in this instance. But this is something to worry about after Mr. Goat can lift babies again, not this week.<br />
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<br />The Lost Goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047062069421428331noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421238881292664444.post-26349195005876234902012-09-18T13:02:00.000-07:002012-09-18T13:02:09.879-07:00Time to Put on the Big Girl PantsIn January this year, I was flying high because, for the first time since I went to law school, I had a positive net worth. In May, I confidently anticipated that I would be able to make<a href="http://thelostgoat.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012-goals.html"> all my financial goals for the year</a>. Then Mr. Goat decided to quit his job, which he hated, and look for part-time work so that he could take care of the babies while I looked for a job. I figured we had six months of expenses saved, Mr. Goat practically had a new job lined up, and we were good to go. <br />
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<b>BOY WAS I WRONG!</b><br />
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First, we overspent in June and July, leaving us only 5 months of living expenses. Then, Mr. Goat's potential job strung him along for two months, and even now don't have the balls to tell him that it just isn't going to happen. (OK, to be fair, the guy he was talking to really wants to hire him, and I think truly believes that somehow a miracle will occur and he will get the authorization to do so. But it's still a PITA). I had an interview and was informed that I was a top candidate for what looked to be a dream job, and then the national organization announced an hiring freeze of indefinite duration last week and I was informed that I would not be hired after all. (Although, once hiring commences again, I should feel free to re-apply). Finally, Mr. Goat ruptured a disc in his back this weekend and, even though we have paid more than $4000 to COBRA, our insurance shows us as not covered, meaning everything will come out of pocket until I can get this straightened out.<br />
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So, in short, I have 6 weeks and one day before I run out of money, Mr. Goat won't be able to lift anything (including babies) for at least two weeks and probably much longer, and will be on pain meds for at least two weeks which make him a zombie and unable to look for a job.<br />
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My assets are first, my parents are helping with childcare, and they previously gifted Mr. Goat and I with an au pair for the year, who will arrive in mid-October. Second, I took the bar exam, and the results come out on October 12, which means that I should be licensed to practice law in Louisiana shortly thereafter. Finally, my mother-in-law, who is retired, should get in today and will stay for an indefinite duration to help with babies as well.<br />
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My options are:<br />
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(1) Borrow money from my parents until Mr. Goat or I gets a job (probably doable by January). I'm lucky enough to have parents who have the resources to help me out if necessary. But I still owe them for the last time they helped me out, and I don't want to borrow more money from them.<br />
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(2) Borrow money from sources other than my parents. Less distasteful than option 1, but silly, as why pay more? And it creates the same problem of putting me further back into the debt hole.<br />
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(3) Try to figure out how to get a job with a paycheck between now and October 31st. This will probably require that I do something less than my dream job, and just take what is available. It will also require me to focus with gazelle-like intensity on finding something, which is pretty hard to do considering that I'll be the primary caregiver for three people for at least the next two weeks.<br />
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(4) ?<br />
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Prayers would be much appreciated.The Lost Goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047062069421428331noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421238881292664444.post-28673600548002374532012-06-27T12:15:00.001-07:002012-06-27T12:15:53.565-07:00What's Going on Over Here?Yeah, it's been six weeks since I posted anything at all. Monkey and Football are growing like weeds, as you'd expect; they turn eight months old tomorrow and she weighs 20.5 lbs and he weighs 18. They are pulling up and making nonsense noises like you wouldn't believe. But they aren't what is keeping me from posting.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/470136_4098629946901_1546569528_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="182" src="http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/470136_4098629946901_1546569528_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Although they are very cute and very distracting!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Basically, Mr. Goat and I have decided to switch tracks. When I got pregnant with the babies, we planned for me to stay home and him to continue full time work, but we've since realized that won't be optimal. So I'm currently studying for the Louisiana bar, preparatory for looking for full time work. Studying 10 hours a day and two babies means I barely read any blogs, much less write them. Also, I currently have the most boring life in the world: wake up, pump, eat breakfast, study for bar, eat lunch, study for bar, pump, study for bar, care for babies, study for bar, eat dinner, try to force myself to study for bar but generally just stare at the WSJ, pump, sleep. Not exactly the source of scintillating blog posts, unless you have the time to tailor them, which I don't.<br />
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The Louisiana Bar Exam is July 23, 25, and 27. I'm going to try to update once a week until then just so that y'all know I'm not dead, but don't hold me to it:) Now that my break time is over, I'm off to ... you guessed it ... study for bar exam.<br />
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<br />The Lost Goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047062069421428331noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421238881292664444.post-78864216840249461952012-05-13T10:52:00.001-07:002012-05-13T10:52:35.965-07:00Explanation of InflationVia <a href="http://www.101centavos.com/2012/05/13/occupy-the-garden-plus-some-links/">101 Centavos</a>, Invest it Wisely has<a href="http://www.investitwisely.com/getting-screwed-out-of-your-hard-earned-capital-how-cds-and-gics-are-rip-offs-for-long-term-investing/comment-page-1/?replytocom=57294#respond"> a great simple explanation of how inflation works</a>. I think: "I should post this on my blog in case anyone else is interested." Then I read the comments, and I am sad. I bonds do not solve the problem of inflation when the government reported rate of inflation is less than the real rate of inflation, plus you are taxed on the 'gains' from the bond. I don't know why inflation seems to be such a difficult concept for people to master.The Lost Goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047062069421428331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421238881292664444.post-45293501513955563952012-03-26T08:31:00.001-07:002012-03-26T08:31:45.890-07:00Absent for illnessMr. Goat is down with the flu. As we don't have a lot of slack in the goatie household right now, I've had to purge all non-essential things from my schedule this week. Back when we are feeling better.The Lost Goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047062069421428331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421238881292664444.post-16790199881288688612012-03-23T23:05:00.001-07:002012-03-23T23:05:42.081-07:00201.2No free ebook today - there just wasn't anything good that I knew about. Next week:)<br />
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I got 3 cute dresses; I'll try to post pics tomorrow. <br />
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Made it to the gym, so I am 4/5 this week!The Lost Goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047062069421428331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421238881292664444.post-72256734629597989432012-03-22T19:46:00.000-07:002012-03-22T19:46:09.044-07:00202.2No working out today as my babysitter had the day off and my stroller did not fit in my car, even folded up:(<br />
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So looking forward to having her back tomorrow. Old Navy is having a sale on dresses and I am thinking I'll get myself something cute if there is anything age-appropriate in the plus sized section.The Lost Goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047062069421428331noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421238881292664444.post-68925876994069180112012-03-21T21:53:00.000-07:002012-03-21T21:53:19.667-07:00202.2I only had 20 min to work out today, so I swam them all. Big mistake; I was so tired that I fell asleep caring for babies at 6pm and my husband told me to go to bed. I woke up at 10 and now I'll have trouble getting good sleep tonight. <br />
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On the plus side, just having worked out every day for the past week and a half, I can swim for 20 min at a go. Now I have to decide what my goal will be for April 9th - I'd like 30 mins of continuous swimming, which I will then maintain through the summer and work on speed. But that would require adding 10 mins in two and a half weeks, which will leave me pretty tired out every evening. I'm still thinking I'll make that my goal; if I can swim 30 mins continuously on the 9th, it will take some of the sting out of not being able to make the 10 pound challenge.The Lost Goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047062069421428331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421238881292664444.post-88508848133709173852012-03-20T20:45:00.000-07:002012-03-20T20:45:55.414-07:00200.8 / 204.8 - First Food for Monkey and Football200.8 was Monday and 204.8 was today. No idea how I can gain four pounds in a day, but I'll probably have the fun of losing at least two of them tomorrow. Worked out both yesterday and today. Wish I had more time to write on this blog, but life keeps me so tired I'm lucky to post this much right now.<br />
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I did want to share that Monkey and Football had their first food today. I am following the <a href="http://www.westonaprice.org/childrens-health/nourishing-a-growing-baby">Westin A. Price guidelines</a>, so their first food was egg yolk, mixed liberally with breast milk. Football has been interested in the spoon for a couple of weeks now, and has happily slurped up breast milk with it. However, she wasn't very interested today; she basically let all the egg stuff drool out while she grinned at me.<br />
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I gave Monkey a spoonful, and as soon as I took it out, he started crying. I worried that he might not like it, but then he grabbed my hand and shoved the spoon back in his mouth:) By the third spoonful he was slurping it off the spoon.<br />
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I only gave them each five spoonfuls, in case they were allergic, but neither of them seems to have had any reactions, so I can give them more tomorrow. On my way to getting done with this whole breastfeeding thing!The Lost Goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047062069421428331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421238881292664444.post-52026977838966281102012-03-18T20:53:00.002-07:002012-03-18T20:53:11.343-07:00201Worked out again today. Did eat sorbet, but it was made from local strawberries, lemons, and blood oranges, so it was kind of nutrient-dense:)The Lost Goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047062069421428331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421238881292664444.post-44042137146963984352012-03-18T15:27:00.001-07:002012-03-18T15:27:00.235-07:00Week in Review - 3/11 - 3/17<b>10 Pound Challenge</b><br />
Highest Daily Weight: 203.6 - Friday<br />
Lowest Daily Weight: 201.2 - Wednesday<br />
Average weight:202.4<br />
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Times Worked Out: 5 gym, 1 stroller<br />
Sugar Eaten: 0<br />
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22 More Days to go!<br />
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<b>2012 Goals</b><br />
These are all pretty much on autopilot. I'm kind of bored of talking bout them, honestly. I've got some big changes planned for this year, which I plan to do a blog post on soon, but it has kind of taken my focus away from this stuff.The Lost Goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047062069421428331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421238881292664444.post-73821600594916231272012-03-17T20:26:00.000-07:002012-03-17T20:26:23.000-07:00201.6Pushed the stroller for 30 min today. Am totally bushed; I think all this exercising is catching up to me. Looking forward to when it will be energizing rather than exhausting.The Lost Goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047062069421428331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421238881292664444.post-74801094832322830812012-03-16T22:03:00.000-07:002012-03-16T22:03:45.614-07:00203.6Worked out five days in a row! This weekend, I'll stroll with babies for my workout. Even though I'm not losing any weight, I am setting myself up to be in better shape when I can start restricting calories.<br />
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Also, I have not eaten any deserts at all, even though my aunt made homemade chocolate chip cookies. 23 days left to go!The Lost Goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047062069421428331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421238881292664444.post-9288929347683231982012-03-16T12:44:00.000-07:002012-03-16T12:44:36.434-07:00Free EBook Friday - Jenny PoxThis week's book:<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003X9775G/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=thlogo-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003X9775G"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B003X9775G&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=thlogo-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thlogo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B003X9775G" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
<div><br />
</div><div>Book it reminds me of:</div><div><div><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0042FZVSA/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=thlogo-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0042FZVSA"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B0042FZVSA&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=thlogo-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thlogo-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0042FZVSA" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div></div><div><br />
</div><div>I loved The Vampire Diaries when I was 13; I enjoyed Jenny Pox as an adult. The story is about teenagers, but the gore factor makes this a late teen to adult book. But who doesn't enjoy a story of a loser in high school who discovers how to use her powers and comes into her own? Yes, it's an angsty, guilty pleasures kind of read, but that's the fun of e-books; no one has to know that you're reading junk:)</div><div><br />
</div><div><span style="background-color: #fff3db; color: #29303b; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">Note: If you can't see the books, turn off AdBlock for this page. Book prices are subject to change quickly; this book was free when this post went up.</span> </div>The Lost Goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047062069421428331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421238881292664444.post-70045433087240263822012-03-16T12:30:00.000-07:002012-03-16T12:30:24.758-07:00202.4Did everything right yesterday.The Lost Goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047062069421428331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421238881292664444.post-18027437800022058462012-03-15T12:31:00.000-07:002012-03-15T12:31:06.522-07:00201.2Got everything done yesterday except the blog post. Of course, I had chicken for dinner, and I'm up 1.2 lbs today. We're having chili for dinner tonight, so maybe I'll lose weight tomorrow:)The Lost Goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047062069421428331noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421238881292664444.post-3319263303258265782012-03-13T22:56:00.000-07:002012-03-13T22:56:43.554-07:00202.4Also worked out today. No sugar. Crab cakes for dinner, though, so not low fat:)The Lost Goathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00047062069421428331noreply@blogger.com0