False labor

Very exciting hour or so this morning (5:30-6:30) when I thought I was starting labor. And by "exciting," I mean vaguely queasy, uncomfortable, anxious and slightly painful. Still, somewhat disappointing when it turned out to be a false alarm.

On the other hand, I do feel like I'm sitting on a bowling ball now. Yesterday, the baby was "not well-applied" (which I later mistranslated as "not well-seated," e.g., as a valve is seated); I wonder if he's dropped down a bit? Also, I'm still a bit queasy.

I hate to jump to conclusions and then be disappointed again, but I do wonder if the 'blackberry cure' is working. :)

Tentative plans for tomorrow

1. Blackberry pie is made.

2. Someone Else will cook the turkey breast.

3. Someone Else will scrub and cut up the potatoes. I will boil and mash them. (The belly makes it hard to get close to the sink and counter to scrub and chop.)

4. Stuffing out of a bag, augmented with fresh onions and celery, probably Dear Spouse preparing it.

5. Nana will make squash, possibly tonight.

6. Gravy out of jars.

7. Peas in a steamer bag optional.

I am totally okay with this. My Big Thing is the pie, honestly. The only other thing that could say "Thansgiving" louder is grandpa's homemade sage stuffing, and dear grandpa isn't around anymore to make it (and I haven't hit upon the right trick to making it yet). I am just psyched about having a low-stress, pleasant family meal in my own home.

Questions for discussion

Required background: Thomas and the Magic Railroad. Approximately 182 times.

1a. After Mr. Conductor slices open Pinchy's hydraulic line, who repairs it?
1b. Why would they?

2. Similarly, why does Sir Topham Hatt employ a known violent sociopath like Diesel 10?

3a. Is there a timeline for Diesel 10's attack on Lady that makes any sense at all?
3b. If the attack occurred on the island of Sodor, why didn't the Conductor or Controller follow up on the missing engine and the boy who was entrusted with her?
3c. If the attack occurred on or near Muffle Mountain, how did Diesel 10 return to Sodor? (Recall that Diesel 10 did not know the location of the magic railroad.)

4. What sort of maniac leaves cryptic clues for fellow family members faced with extinction due to a shortage of their magic dust? How about plain English instructions?

5. How does Mr. Conductor manage to get lost on the way to the windmill? A railroad track goes right by it.

6. Why is it really necessary for Mutt to put Lily on the wrong train? She does meet Junior in Shining Time, but nothing comes of it until she meets him again the next day anyway.

7a. Were the Conductors genetically engineered as Lady's dependent parasites, to ensure that she would always have caretakers motivated to see to her?
7b. Is it possible the previous Conductor's failure to follow up with Burnett Stone (the boy in 3b) was a purposeful effort to exterminate his family rather than force them to endure unending slavery under Sir Hatt?
7c. How was this concealed from Sir Hatt?