102 posts tagged “life”
Same Old: didn't get enough sleep last night (or any of the nights in recent memory). I stayed up way, way, way too late making gifts. The good part was that I created stuff and I liked that. Bad thing was that I was up so late and as much as I try my stuff always has small mistakes that make it known that it is not made by a professional or a really great crafter. However, I am happy with the results. Pictures to come.
New: We have something new in the driveway. More on this later, but we brought it home Saturday evening. It is not new (though practically), but new to us (it was a rental). While B does not seem totally enamored with his decision, he is releived to have finally completed this search, and thus to have that part of his life back. He still plans on selling the Z, but perhaps no longer the Porsche. "Minivan" has been mentioned several times, but then he says, "It meets all of our requirements." It is a really pretty blue.
New: I am sitting in a new seat at work again. It is the mass move around time for the development folks for our product. Work on the next release is beginning, and all but one of us writers have been placed on development teams. While writers and testers don't work in the same way that others in development work, it was thought that all would benefit from writers being incorporated in the teams. We'll see. I am concerned about a number aspects of this, but hopefully I will surprise myself. I am on an enhancement team with five others, one of whom is from my old product group. I was second lowest seniority wise, but I still got a seat next to the windows, and with a view of windows where the blinds are hardly ever shut. It is in a two-pack rather than the middle seat of a three-pack that I has been my lot the majority of my time with the company.
My fertility monitor showed two bars out of three this morning. That indicates high fertility, or an optimal time for baby making before ovulation. I should be elated, no? I was... EIGHT days ago when it first showed up (it feels like so much longer ago)! I'd jumped from low fertility, or one bar, to peak fertility, or three bars with an egg, overnight for several months, and then last month went without ovulating at all. So it made me really happy to see the two bars last week; I was almost giddy.
Now those two bars seem to mock me. Day 18 and on high fertility. I've had cycles as short as 20 days (as long as 45 too, but that is much more rare.) I am thinking I will be going from high fertility right into my period this month - how's that for optimistic? Of course this is all attributed to my age and the hormones rushing through it.
I can't seem to gauge my body either. I feel pain in my ovaries but it doesn't seem to correlate to anything - not the monitor, not my temperature (I finally got on the whole charting band wagon), certainly not to finding out I am pregnant. My acne seems constant these days so is not so much a harbinger of ovulating or my period. And sore breasts, they don't seem to indicate anything either.
Speaking of charting, I've now done it for a little over two months. I am better at it than I thought I would be, but that isn't saying much. This month, right at a crucial point, I failed to write down the temps I took. I remembered to take my temp - good first step - then failed to chart it. Uhg! Two days in a row! The days preceding a huge jump in temperature then a huge dive in temp. I think my charts are indicating I a problem, but then there are holes in the charts that make reading them not so easy. Charting is as nerve wracking as I thought it would be, but also interesting.
Another day is starting... will it be high fertility or the golden egg?
The scene: T's bedroom as he climbs into his Dad's lap and I turn out the light and prepare to leave.
T:: I want a sister so I can rock all the time.
B:: Why do you want a sister?
T:: So I can rock all the time.
B:: Why would you rock all the time?
T:: Because she would be in my bed and I wouldn't have any where to sleep.
B:: Oh. She would have her own bed. Would you like her to be in here or somewhere else?
T:: Here! But where would she go?
B:: We would find room for another bed in here.
T:: OK. Mommy you have to make a sister!
M:: OK, I'll work on it.
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T and I went to Kroger after I picked him up from school. They have a large tree with presents under it - unwrapped toys. T begged to look at it when we were there on Monday, so today we went by so that he could tell me what we should put on his list for Santa.
First up, some Fisher Price Imaginext Lost Legends (??) Dinosaurs with people. The ones they had were both Triceratops. "I want both triceratops! The skeleton and the regular." [edit: I was wrong about them being triceratops]
Next, he studied and wanted a frog game, and then he spied some Hot Wheels Big Rig Racers. He held one tight while he looked at other toys. Then he spied some Disney Barbie type dolls. "I want that fairy," he said with a little bit of awe in his voice as he pointed to a Disney princess doll. "But look they have an Ariel mermaid," I said. He stared at her. "I want Ariel! I want to take her home now." It took a lot to pry the box from his hands. (Ariel has joined Sydney as his story mommy when he requests mermaid stories, though yesterday he said he was done with mermaid stories and only wanted fairey stories)
"If you could only get one, which would you get, Ariel or the Big Rig?" T thought for a long time and looked at both toys. "Ariel," was the answer. (BTW Wednesday at Target he wanted me to go down the doll isle where he pointed out a Barbie 'in underwear' (bikini swim suit) that he wanted - to go along with the dinos and super heros he pointed out.)
We turned the corner where there were a lot of car racing toys - Hot Wheels things that shot the cars out to race down track or fly through the air and through hoops of 'fire'. He wanted several. Again I asked either or, this time these cars vs the dinosaurs. The cars won.
I put T back in the cart and we started back down the aisle. He was a little upset. "Santa is never going to come!" he pouted.
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I have put it off so now must go... on the way home, after drinking a small container of Horizon Organic Vanilla milk (which I got him cause he was getting very cranky - a sure sign of hunger) T threw up all over himself and the car seat. All the cloths that we had kept in the car for such purposes had been used so I had nothing to clean him up with. "Do you want me to stop of just hurry you home?" I asked. "Get me home," he wailed.
After a bath he was fine.
'Just' came back from a craft show (must go back tomorrow as I didn't make it through all and it is worth it to try). Very interesting but I was greeted differently by the folks showing than I sometimes am. Pretty sure it was my outfit. A comment from one of the food purveyors sealed the thought, "I like what you are wearing; very great colors, I mean I like how you put that together."
I saw this outfit yesterday on Amanda's SoulaMama blog and it inspired me this morning (which also reminds me of this outfit from Betz White that I love - I want I want Frye boots! And this skirt that I have been thinking about). I finally took scissors to my 2004 ON orange wool sweater I accidentally shrank last year, stuck it back together with my dahlia pin from Oregon, pulled out tights from high school (yes, I have one pair from high school - quite amazing!!), added the $11 Old Navy t-shirt skirt I got this summer (with slip from 1994), Ann Taylor boots from 2004, and topped it with the suede jacket from Italy (circa 1997), and frayed rayon scarf I made in 2004 to create this outfit:
Was it the last piece of pumpkin pie? The home whipped cream? The dressing eaten at lunch? Was it a virus?
Whatever it was it laid me low Wednesday. Vomiting and diarrhea at 3:15 am or so (after rocking Tommy from 1:30 - 2 when he woke from a nightmare), then again at 6:15. I called in sick, got T dressed, then slept on and off until 11:15 when I got a call from work. I did a few things for work, then crashed in bed again - my hands fell asleep very strangely while typing an email so that I could barely type. By 3:30 I got up and lounged on the coach. First food at 9:30 at night still turned my stomach.
Today has been better. No vomiting, no diarrhea, though my stomach has been noisy. One piece toast w/ peanut butter, two crunchy granola bars, three pita points, two cups ginger tea, one cup decaf coffee with milk and honey, some water. I'm cruising for a dehydration headache...
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I lost at least four pounds - that's one way to lose without dieting and exercise!
I'm working on my grocery list while I try not to fall asleep. Today was the big company pig out where we all brought in Thanksgiving goodies to feast on. It was quite a lot of food...Anyway, this is the big grocery list that hopefully won't over stuff my fridge (um, yay, there is no room now.) I had to reference two recipes that are standbys for leftovers. One day of leftovers is about all B can do, so those recipes make nice meals that use up the bits and pieces that haven't been eaten yet:
- From Cooking Light magazine - Jack Quasadillas with Cranberry Salsa
- From Sunset magazine - Turkey Chowder
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Edit... next day... fridge is not overstuffed! The turkey is in the basement in the cooler with a little ice. Hopefully it will thaw slowly that way. Fingers crossed no one gets sick!!!!
Have not planned out my cooking timeline and am feeling a tad anxious about it. Though I am making simple things, knowing when exactly I need to be making everything would be helpful! I also don't have a fully formed thought on what we are having - despite having done the main shopping last night.
I think I still need to get a few herbs - sage and thyme - and celery as what I have I discovered had to mostly be thrown away. Anyway, I got an email from Martha Stewart's Everyday food and will contemplate these recipes:
- Apple Stuffing
- Simple Stuffing
- Roasted Harvest Vegetable (carrots, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash)
- Roasted Carrots and Parsnips
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Roast Turkey with Sage and Roasted Turkey
First off, B is OK. And the woman and child in the car that plowed into him are also OK. However, this really sux!
Due to where it was, one block a way from a major hospital and very close to the busy interstate, one firetruck, two ambulances, two police, and another paramedic were at the scene in five minutes or less. At least four witnesses, including a homeless man, stuck around to vouch that B was not at fault.
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Edit: B's photos taken at the wrecker location. The JEEP was officially totalled
My Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor and acupuncturist said to me a couple weeks ago, "You have beautiful hair. You know in Chinese medicine it is believed that it takes lots of blood to keep long hair looking nice." I have a bit of a blood deficiency issue something my previous acupuncturist mentioned many times (he had me eating octopus and wanted me to eat more red meat, and no popcorn or other drying things.) I'd been thinking about cutting my hair for a couple of weeks, but getting my period Thursday and it being very manageable blood wise, was the signal to go for it. I emailed Wendy on Friday and got a Saturday appointment. (Any local folks want a referral to Great stylist let me know.)
Saturday while T napped I headed out. I had sort of warned B that I was cutting it short, but hadn't shared with him the photo I'd sent Wendy. It's perhaps a good thing I wore my glasses to the cut so I couldn't really tell all that was going on (remember I can only see the big E on the eye chart w/o my glasses) other than tons of hair hitting the floor...
Sunday, after my shower and the ends getting wet, my hair was less swingy having picked up a bit more moisture. On the way to church T and I got into a 'thing' and he demanded that I make my hair straight again. I shot back he would need to learn how to use a hair dryer and round brush or get used to it. It is funny the things he picks up on to try and get his way when he is feeling out of control.
Anyway, the cut is cute and a big change. It is a little wedged in back so that my hand goes 'shwoop' right off the hair when I pull on it. If you have ever gone from long to short hair you'll understand the feeling of your hands leaving hair where there used to be some. Here's hoping I get more blood out of this, but if not it is still cute. Good reactions from folks so far.
Oh, and not that you can tell much from this photo, but I cut T's hair too. B said his hair was getting too shaggy.
[Edit: B sent me links about hair being dead and not requiring blood etc. I had forgotten that, but think there is something to said for TCM and acupuncture so whether it is blood or something else I am not concerned. Today Dr. Kang said that it takes many nutrients, not blood.]
Halloween used to be a big deal in my company. A young software company we used to have lots of parties, cake and ice cream once a month to celebrate birthdays, ultimate Frisbee Thursdays, etc. A couple things happened. People got older and more have kids = less time for Frisbee. We didn't get the new product out early enough and started bleeding money so we were purchased. Our new company (complete merger and loss of our name sure to come in January) is a little less 'free' with the parties. So along with open email, "no" all office emails, no announcements of when people leave etc, no one is dressed today.
There has been a sign in the break room announcing the countdown to Halloween (written backwards) which lead me to believe it would be a underground thing. I guess it is so underground that you can't tell... Could be that since we have clients in until 1pm the freaks will come out later, but we'll see.
Just in case, I have two ideas I can do pretty quickly; one suggested by my friend Melanie, one I read on a blog (can't remember or I would totally give credit - I think it was actually a comment on a blog.) The blog suggestion: Ceiling fan = word ceiling on chest, wave pom-poms. I have to make the pom-poms, but I have a couple of plastic bags I can cut into strips and tape to a pencil. The other idea is to be Julia Child. I wore a button down and have the sleeves rolled up. I wore more conservative jewelry (couldn't find my button clip on earrings) of gold 'bamboo' hoops and gold chain necklace wrapped three times around my neck.I brought a wine glass, a wooden spoon, one of my aprons, and my Julia's Kitchen Wisdom book. My hair is totally wrong and I'm not sure I can do the voice, but maybe I can just smile and drink 'wine'.
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Apparently there are six of us... I'm now wearing my apron and have my 'wine' - Bon Apetit!
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Listening to this and this and more on my Pandora Station http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmYT79tPvLg
