2 posts from December 2007

For Pregnancy Flashback Friday

So I was very blessed in that I had a pretty awesome pregnancy.  I not once got "morning" sickness, I didn't have to wear maternity clothes until well past 20+ weeks, I was put on a strict "one-milkshake-a-day" diet by my ObGyn because I wasn't gaining enough weight (for real!), I didn't have ligament pains or Braxton Hicks contractions or any of that.  I didn't even get one stretch mark.  Don't hate me too much, please. 

But what I did get were cankles.  Seriously fat, ugly swollen Shrek feet.  For reals.  It didn't help that the last trimester of my pregnancy was June-July-August in Southern California -- it was SO hot the summer of 2006, too.  It also didn't help that I was on my feet most of my days at work.  My feet were so swollen some days that I would look down at them literally expecting to see my skin cracking open at the seams.  I was "dentable" -- my coworkers got a great laugh out of poking in my foot with as much pressure as they could -- and then taking bets on how long it would take the dent to subside.  Sometimes it was 30 or more minutes.  It was gross, uncomfortable, painful ... and a little freakish. 

At work I first got special clearance to wear flat shoes (otherwise we were encouraged to wear heels).  Then I got clearance to wear my flat Crocs.  Then I got further clearance to wear my flip-flops, because my feet were to swollen to fit into my clog-Crocs.  THEN my feet got too fat to fit into my beloved Rainbows and so I resorted to wearing slippers around my desk area ... and going barefoot when I was teaching a class.  I also kept a bucket of ice water under my desk and would soak my feet during down time.  People would come by my desk from all over the building to see the freaky swollen feet girl. 

Here's a picture of my feet, when I was about 6 months pregnant (not too much swelling yet, pretty close to normal)

rainbows, pre swell

And here's a picture when I was about 8 months pregnant, on my last day of work.  (Sorry for the crappy picture quality)

rainbows, post swell

A little while ago I posted about me becoming a volunteer at the Sundance Film Festival this year (well, technically next year, since it's in January '08).  I'm getting more and more excited about it.  I only signed up to be part-time, which is committing to a minimum of five 4-hour shifts - but with the unlimited possibility to pick up more.

I have thoroughly read and signed my volunteer agreement and release form:

agreement

I agreed to not take any stalkerazzi photos (at least during the times that I'm working!) like this one:

Jennifer A. at Sundance

I'm hopefully going to be working inside of the retail store located in the Egyptian Theater in Park City (one of the main venues for films and Q&A sessions at the festival):

The Egyptian

I get a free film voucher for every 4 hours that I work ... so that's at least 5 free films.  I've been poring over the entries list trying to decide what I want to see.  I'm extra excited, too, because my Aunt has a house in Park City right off main street, so I have a place to go before and after my shifts.  That's going to come in really handy, too, when I can park in her driveway and not have to fight the festival parking or take a shuttle.  Plus most of my family goes up to the festival at some point -- it's fun to just walk up and down main street looking for celebrities and getting all the free SWAG everyone is giving away.  Now they'll also be able to come visit me!