I used to buy underwear

I have harbored a seceret Martha Stewart inside of me. Gads!

I scoffed at scrapbooking, I poked fun of people who shopped at hobby stores, I tossed aside ANYTHING that wreaked of 'home made' or 'home spun' CRAFTS.

My sister recently blogged about wanting to be 18 again. It got me thinking about my younger days as well and how much my interests have changed! Even as recent as 5 years ago, I would NEVER have had any interest in any of the things that interest me now...

I have found myself watching quite a bit of HGTV, and Food Network.
I find decorative pillows a worthwhile investment
I bought a decorative red throw to place at the edge of the bed, just a bit askew...why? I don't know.
I sent out Christmas cards to those I had listed in the address book
I have an organized address book
I have an address file in Excel
I organized the spice cabinet
I have a spice cabinet
I worry that guests may come over and the bathroom will be messy
I worry that burglers will enter the house and steal my Dyson vacuum
I have at LEAST two kinds of jelly/preserve in the house
I am a firm believer in 4 piles of laundry - whites, mediums (this is a highly overlooked pile but a requirement for any launderer who considers him/herself experts), darks, and DRY CLEAN ONLY!

And the warm and fuzzy feelings the holiday brings each year made me put together a holiday baked goods basket which I arranged and packaged myself with cookies and other goodies I made myself.

I find all of this quite amusing and a bit alarming considering I used to go out and buy new underwear to avoid doing the laundry!

Narnia

I had such expectations for this film - I'd heard such good things about this film - could it be the next Harry Potter? Would it surpass Harry Potter? Oh, such delicious anticipation!

What a downer! Alex and I went to go see this film - actually paid $9.50 for tix to seet his film. I should have waited till it came out on DVD.

It was not at all what I'd expected. The story line felt forced, rushed, and choppy, and the actors were 'stiff' at best. Best part of the film? The animals and the White Witch. They were fortunately delightful to watch on film as they seemed three dimensional, unlike the lion, Peter, and Susan.

I've been told many times how these tales were childhood favorites for many people. From seeing the film only, I cannot imagine how and why. I will need/like to read the book. I'm sure I will completely understand how these tales became a part of childhood through the books.

As for any threats in surpassing Harry Potter - film wise, no contest! Harry Potter is much more a layered and interesting film than Narnia.

With different direction, screen writing,and editing, it could have been something wonderful!

Things I did in the car...

Yesterday, Mother Nature decided to dump a lot of snow in the Chicago land area.

This made my commute home from work not only interesting, but 3 hours long.

I made an attempt to use my time wisely/productively (because otherwise I would have gone insane, jumped out of my car, run down the length of all the other cars stuck on the road, bang on their windows furiously screaming, "If Pluto's a dog, what the hell is Goofy?!").

1) Called an old friend
2) Called Alex to complain about how I was stuck on the road
3) Listened to Charlie Brown Christmas CD twice
4) Thought about doing anything else besides being stuck on the road
5) Memorized the license plate in front of me
6) Judged Christmas decorations on other people's houses
7) Contemplated walking home
8) Read a Chapter of Steven Hawking's 'A Brief History of the Universe'
9) Contemplated what my options would be if I had to pee really bad
10) Cleaned out the inside of the armrest, side door pockets, the sunglass holder, cup holder (front and back)

I'm buying a sled and keeping it in my trunk....next time, I'm abandoning my car and going sledding for a few hours.

inconvenience

I have a zit behind my right ear...right where my glasses wrap around my ear...it is very painful when I accidentally graze it as I'm pushing my hair behind my ear...ouch. Who gets a zit right there behind your ear?!?!?!?! Stupid me, that's who.

The List

These are in no particular order, nor have they been given any particular thought as to whether someone will actually oblige me with said gift(s)...it is simply and most elegently....just a list:

1) Hugs and kisses from Ellie on Christmas Day
2) Coach purse (the one I saw at the Coach store down town during my bachlorette sleep over excursion)
3) Travel Make-up case & assorted make-up brushes from Sephora
4) Eye glass strap/holder (you know that thing you wear around your neck...librarians wear them)
5) Winter coat (J.Crew peacoat, red)
6) Oprah 20th Anniversary DVD
7) Cook books (baking!)
8) Subscription to Vogue (1 year)0
9) Savings Account
10) Facial

This Week in the News....

26 days till Christmas. Woo Hoo!

I think I may have inadvertantly agreed to play seceret santa to someone at work during the 12 days of Christmas....dag!

I love my over-sized, ugly, baggy, extremely casual flannel lined khakis from J.Crew (they are super warm).

I cannot eat till after 3pm tomorrow - getting blood drawn to check cholestrol, and was told to fast till then.

Have thought about writing again.

I have rediscovered blush.

Have thought about painting faces again, but am afraid they will stare back at me. :-)

Can hardly wait

It's that time of year....the anticipation of food, fun, and family (and in that order).

The Maidy's will be hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year and trying a couple of new/different dishes and methods of cooking. This year, I plan to help out with preparing the meal...last year was spent cleaning, my favorite past time.


The Thanks List:
Alex's pasta sauce....oh, and Alex
Ellie talk (nooooodles, moy-moy, hammer-head)
Handy brother-in-law
Funny sister
Crazy mother
J.Crew alterations
The job (yes, I mean it)
Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa)
Clive Owen (sooo hot!)
People who don't fart in elevators
Co-workers who do not talk about their antique wicker plant holders
Flying 'stand by'
My health
Our house
Harry Potter
Nellie & Newt

Longer Than I Thought

1) Nicotine sobriety - 35 days, feels like 35 months
2) Trip to Dallas/Ft. Worth for work - was 4 days, felt like 4 weeks
3) Ellie visits - been one week, feels like forever
4) Last time I saw my in-laws - 6 months ago, feels like 6 years
5) Being married - been 6 months, feels like forever (tee hee hee)
6) The last time I fit into a size 8 jean - no, we're not going there...cause it goes along with the last time I was at the gym. Sigh.

The Annoying One-Upper

In everyone's professional life, there is that one person whom all other co-worker's are measured against, whether that is good or bad.

In this case, I can't really call it a good or bad co-worker, but more the annoying co-worker. And I think those who are annoying are the worst of them all. I can handle a mean, cranky, deliriously grouchy monkey of a person....you just avoid this person and for the most part, this person will avoid you too.

However, the annoying person is someone whom you cannot escape...you will have to hear every one of their innane comments, stories, opinions...etc. on every single subject they deem important.

For instance - I am not a collector of furniture made out of wicker. This doesn't stop the annoying co-worker from bringing in pictures of he 'antique' wicker plant holder/furniture to show me. There are many problems with this....

1) There is no such thing as 'antique' wicker - they are either old or new...IT'S WICKER FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!
2) Wicker is not REAL furniture
3) Plant holders are NOT furniture
4) I made myself clear to this co-worker I know nothing, have no interest, and do not know anyone who would pay real money to buy what she considered 'antique' wicker furniture/plant holder.

This co-worker also insists on discussing her views/ideas/beliefs related to homeopathic cures for common colds, headaches, sleepiness...etc.

I take an advil when I have a headache. But I do not push or advertise or rant on my soap box my preference(s) in ridding myself of headaches.

Also, I can never just make a comment about ANYTHING without having to endure her life time experience on whatever the subject matter happens to be at that time - what ever it is that I've had, she's had worse. If I found a great sale on something, she's done better! This Annoying co-worker has now turned into the 'One-Upper'....you know who they are.....they've always got a story 10 times more horrific, fantastic, mystic, or just plain better than the one you've just shared with people (even if the One-Upper wasn't the intended listener to your stories). If you had a niece/nephew who caught a strange or terrible cold, they've seen worse, and they proceed to tell you FROM THE BEGINNING on how that illness came about for themselves or their kids/niece/nephew. Argh!

There are many shared moments between my boss and I where we are looking at each other with the equal amount of pain and pure exhaustion from having listened to this person's rant all day on just about everything under the sun.

Today, I finally pulled my CD holder out of my car to bring up to my desk...so I can attempt to drown out what I don't want or need to hear.

The Stork Project

I guess it's been quite apparent to those who spend enough time around me to notice something....I'm nesting.

I have this sudden urge to clean, to clear out, to re-arrange...etc. It's enough to give me goose bumps with joy and glee!

When I thought about my new tendencies, I realized this isn't something that just came over me out of blue...it's been steadily gaining power and control over me.

It all started when Alex and I moved into our condo two years ago. It started with painting the walls a warm, comfy cozy color, then getting matching comfy, cozy duvets for the comforter, then actually making homemade meals, then buying a sturdy, roomy, child seat friendly car, quit smoking....and on and on the list goes.

Very sneakly of mother nature to creep up on you, little by little, one task after another, making it seem like nothing to the person actually completing the tasks.

Baby Jake

EJ had her baby Friday morning - 11:25am, Jacob Tae Young Buzzard was born by C-section, and welcomed by ecstatic parents, family and friends.

He's beautiful...really. He's got one dimple on his right cheek, squeaks before he cries, and when he does cry, boy, does he have a set of lungs on him! Jeesh!

He's also a big baby...8lbs. 8oz., 21 inches long. He'll play football I think.

Alex and I have wanted to venture down parenthood lane for a while now, but seeing baby Jake cuddled warm and safe in his parents' arms makes us wish we started earlier!

At the End of the Universe is a Place....

Work has been quite stressful lately, so to get my bearings back and release some stress, I went to the one place I knew I'd be understood, welcomed, and encouraged to be myself...I went to the mall.

I had always found peace there, a kind of spiritual reward as I took in the first breath of recirculated mall air. Memories are indeed connected to sense of smell.

Shoes, purses, Starbuck's, J.Crew, Ann Taylor, the Field's cosmetic's counter, and last but not least, Sephora, oh my!

I had not been to the mall, shopping for myself, in what seemed like ages! It was good to be back, by myself, without having to consider stores someone else wanted to venture to, without having to watch how much time I spent in one store, over one area, over one pair of jeans...etc. It was just me...imagine what a 6 year old would feel at Disney World, having the park mostly to herself (the mall was not at all crowded) and multiply that by a 100 times...that was me!

"I'm BACK!" I thought and immediately headed to my favorite stores. This is where things get depressing. The Gap must be pandering to 10 year olds. EVERYTHING was 'Ultra Low Rise'. What?!?! Why bother wearing pants at all if you're gonna wear it THAT low!? I picked up some sweaters that initially looked cute when nicely folded and stacked on the display tables...but when I reached out for a size 'L' and unfolded the sweater...OMG, it could not have been more than an 'M' at best. I moved onto the jeans...the Gap always has good, affordable jeans that fit me. Not today.

They've changed their jeans! Instead of the gazillion style of Gap jeans I'm used to (low rise, boot cut, reverse fit, original, slim fit...etc), they now only have 3 types of jeans. Curvy. Original. Straight.

Curvy - these are for normal women who actually HAVE hips. I do not.
Original - these might as well be called the 'mom' jeans. I'm not into super low rise jeans or anything, but these buttons came up over the belly button!
Straight - Ultra Low Rise...enough said.

I stopped in at J.Crew, tried on four pants...Ultra Low Rise...funny, they didn't seem so low hanging on the rack.

On my way out, I spotted two teenage girls walking side by side, both on their cell phones, toting Express shopping bags, wearing the ultra low rise jeans which showed off their tight abs which were barely covered by what seemed like half sized hoodies they wore as a shirt. Also they were wearing way too much make-up...is blue eye shadow and sparkle lip gloss back? Gak!!!

I stopped in at Sephora...I always find something there! I love lingering by the perfume area and test everything (on the test strips of course)! Bulgari, Kenzo, Gucci, Versace, Dolce & Gabana, and a curious scent from Stella McCartney...which I decided I liked, but was way too expensive, would rather buy something for the house instead, like groceries, and...WAIT A MINUTE! Oh my gosh, was that like a mature thought?

I realized something....not only could you take the girl out of the mall...but you COULD ALSO take the mall out of the girl! All signs pointed to...the place at the end of the Universe!

I left the mall with only one purchase...grey herring bone dress pants for work. Ack!!!

Victrola

Eebee-jeebee's

Hives! Hives! Hives!

Had them all over my torso yesterday afternoon. I was reacting to some kind of allergy!

After a call to my doctor's office and consideration of what I'd done, eaten, and wore yesterday, there were two possible culprits - my turtleneck or my Wellbutrin pills.

Considering I've been taking the Wellbutrin pills for over three weeks, I feel safe in letting that go as a cause for my reaction. If I were allergic to anything in it to the extent of how my body reacted to it yesterday, it would have happened within the first few days of taking the full dosage.

I'm afrad it may just have been the turtleneck I wore yesterday. It had been sitting on my closet shelf since early March of this year. I can't remember whether I washed it before putting it away for the season or not. What horrible things are living in my closet? But if it was something in the closet, and it had gotten to my turtleneck, wouldn't it have gotten everything else in my closet too? I've worn other things from my closet on a regular basis.

So then is it localized to my turtleneck? Doesn't make much sense, but to be safe, I am dry cleaning/laundering everything on that shelf. I am also cleaning it out! I still have a ton more stuff to give away or just toss.

I will be on antihistamines for the next couple of days while continuing to take Wellbutrin. On the third day, I was told to stop taking the antihistamine and only take Wellbutrin. If the hives come back at that point, we can follow the direction that it may be Wellbutrin that is causing my reaction and come up with a resolution. If the hives do not come back, then indeed it was my turtleneck.

It's all kind of gross to think about something getting on my turtlenecks and causing hives on me! Yuck!

Cat Cage

Nellie and Newt continue their on again, off again peace talks in Maidy-land.
















Ambassador Ellie from the Roxbury Estate, shortly after crossing the DMZ to help with peace talks.
















The Ambassador making progress.

Day 6

Oh my gosh, I'm on day 6 of the no smoking business. Honestly, I didn't think I'd make it through day 1! Something to be said about the happy pills my doctor gave me.

My attempt to quit somking cold turkey last time was horrible. I'm a pretty cranky person as it is (just ask my family and friends), but to have the added the stress of quitting cigarettes made me psychotic.

Alex and I were at Panera, grabbing dinner. The girl who prepared my tray of smoked turkey on wheat and cup of soup did a sloppy job. When we reached our table, I looked down at my tray and realized the soup had gotten all over the sandwich, the napkins, the utensils, everything! Alex asked if I wanted a new tray altogether. I said no, but he did insist on getting me new utensils and napkins. I complained and whined throughout dinner. Then suddenly I snapped at him...."stop looking at my sandwich!" It was all too much. I picked up a pack of cigarettes on the way home and was back to normal soon thereafter.

This time around, I feel different. Maybe it's the pills, maybe it's because I have a different goal in mind other than quitting just the for quitting sake. I'm glad I've hung on this long. But the stakes become bigger and bigger the longer you go without one. Going one day before giving in and lighting up is one thing, but let's say you go an entire month and in a moment of weakness, light up again. That's a bigger waste of time and effort. The pressure of maintaining one's non-smoking decision looms heavier and heavier over one's head.

And about becoming a non-smoker/ex-smoker...this is something I will spend quite a bit of time trying to get used to. I still can't believe I've made it through a week.

It felt weird getting into my car and driving to work this Monday. This is when I usually have a smoke. It felt weird after my lunch while I sat at my desk instead of being outside for an after lunch smoke. I had to put gas in my car today. It was weird being at the gas station and only filling up on gas and not walking into the station for a pack of smokes.

So how have I been filling my time instead of smoking? I clean more. I cook more. And once I finally get rid of this cold, I'll be running again. I wonder how much better I will feel during my next run. Hehehe.

Ellie's Gift

May God have mercy on my soul....Ellie gave me a cold over the weekend while she was over.

Sinuses still clogged, nose hurting from blowing it too much, and now, it appears my voice may go away as well. Sigh.

Good-bye to an old friend

Not many people think of a pack of cigarettes as their 'friend', but I certainly did...for many years now. It's seen me through three serious relationships, three cars, three schools, five jobs, and four homes.

Today, I said good-bye to this friend. The remaining cigarettes, as well as the lighter were tossed into the trash.

An immense amount of anxiety and fear set in. The real possibility of failing, with or without the pills my doctor gave me to help me quit, sunk into the pit of my stomach like a 200 pound rock.

Was I cut out for this non-smoking business? It seemed to me that you are 'meant' to be a smoker, or non-smoker...kind of like you either love golf or see absolutely no point in the activity (no, it's not a sport), or Coke vs. Pepsi. I always saw myself as a smoker.

But as my life changed dramatically this year, I began to see myself fulfilling other roles other than a smoker. First and foremost, I saw myself being a mother.

But even that wonderful prospect did not manage to erase the doubts. I could feel a panic, a kind of screaming brewing from deep within and making it's way up through my throat.

What would I do during my commute into work tomorrow? What would I do after the stressful daily conference call? What will I do after lunch? What will I do around 3pm when I need to break up the afternoon? How else would I reward myself while driving home after work? What would I do after dinner? What would I do right before bed time?

Man! Had I really incorporated cigarettes into every aspect of my day? Every single event, task, or passage of time in my day included a cigarette. I'd adjusted my route home from work to fit picking up a pack of cigarettes, I'd endured rain, snow and Chicago winters coming into my car to have a smoke on my way to work or back home even when my fingers turned blue from the cold or pruny from the rain water. I'd endured terrible chest colds every November-a result of smoking.

I had to work very hard to manage my finances every month, however I'd easily manage to budget enough to buy a pack of cigarettes. RIDICULOUS. It had to end.

So, for taking preventative measures physically, I will be munching on carrot sticks for a while, and taking the pills my doctor prescribed for me. Mentally, I will be thinking about all the irritating and annoying things I had to endure as a smoker. I will also be thinking of baby names.

Will I cheat? will I give in? Only time will tell. I have to think in terms of taking it hour by hour, sucking up as much support as I can from my friends and family, telling everyone at work, and lastly, keep my eyes on the prize...motherhood.

Also, I have a funny picture of Alex I will be taking to work with me...to look at when I start feeling anxious. The picture makes me laugh and is a great distraction (recently he went to get his hair cut, and the stylist cut his bangs un-evenly).

I Plead Stupid

Who would leave money out in the open for anyone to take? Me!

I had lunch at Big Bowl today with a co-worker. She had cash, I didn't, so I charged the whole meal on my debit card and the co-worker gave me her portion of the bill in cash. Perfect, right? Nope.

I left it at the table. Don't ask why I didn't put it in my wallet immediately upon receipt of said funds. It just didn't happen.

I didn't realize till I made my way out of the house for a quick trip to the store, and to deposit a refund check at the bank (refund check for the monitor we bought two months ago...man they're slow!).

Store - With my purchase already scanned through the self check-out station and placed neatly in the bag, I dig into my wallet expecting $15 in cash for my $12.37 purchase. My head starts reeling...did I take the cash from the table? I had no memory. Maybe I'd grabbed it and just put in my purse. Of course, I couldn't check my purse because it was at home. I'd only walked out with my wallet. Argh. I pay with my debit card.

Next was the trip to the bank to deposit the refund check - envelope deposit. I pull up to the machine, grab a deposit envelope and automatically reach for my purse which is usually on the passenger seat, but which is now at home, possibly with $15 from lunch in it. Okay, now I'm mad. I have no pen to write anything on my deposit envelope! No pen in the car either. Dag!

Upon arriving back at home, I dig through my purse. No money. Taking a HUGE leap of faith, I call Big Bowl. Maybe our waiter is an upright, honest, hard working American who'd turned in the cash thinking the owner of said money would realize her dumb over- sight and call for her money later that evening....

Sadly, our waiter saw an opportunity, authored by a sometimes empty headed customer, and made off with a $15 'tip'.

When Clinton was President

I'm pretty bad when it comes to things I should do and make good practice of as to prevent further injury or suffering to myself and others.

Eye exams are one of them.

The last time I had an eye exam, Clinton was President and a show called "Melrose Place" was all the rage. Sadness (the show, I mean)!

I'm lazy, I admit it. Instead of wearing the glasses I was prescribed those many years ago, I opted to squint, neck extended, mouth slightly open in that dumb "who's doin' what now?" look, attempting to read a road sign as two cars jam on their breaks to avoid impact as I'd unwittingly drove through a red light.

Well, now my job requires me to read very small, very fine print on a daily basis (one marketing gibberish after another - sigh) and it has taken a toll on my eyes. I guess I first recognized a problem while reading the last Harry Potter book. My eyes felt like they were going to cross. Even as I lay in bed at night to go to bed, I could feel my eyes trying to cross.

Two weeks ago, while I was at home, watching TV from my couch, which has always been a more than comfortable distance for me, I felt a 'zinging' sensation between my forehead. I thought it may have been from lack of sleep, so I took at nap. The problem didn't go away. All of a sudden, I could no longer follow the characters moving across the screen from left to right without that zinging sensation happening again, and now, I had a slight headache.

I ponder about why this is happening (I'm not that brite) and after a few minutes, I decide to put on my glasses (I'm cursing the marketing gibberish I've been auditing under my breath). Ta-Da!

Of course, it wasn't a 20/20 kind of view even with the glasses. The lenses are scratched up, and seeing better doesn't mean seeing well.

I have an eye exam tonight. I may come back with bi-focals....pray for me....

UPDATE:
My vision is crap. Even as I am typing this I can 'just' make out the letters on teh screen. Sigh. My left eye seems to be the problem. I've been asked to come back two months from now as a follow up for my left eye.

Let's put it this way...if my right eye could see 10 feet ahead of me without the aid of glasses, my left eye could see half that and 'just' be able to make out letters.

I have not picked out my new frames. I still need to some shopping around. Might be fun to do during lunch tomorrow! Hehehe.

Cat News Network

It's a fragile truce in the Maidy-land these past three days. Negotiations have failed, and the two debating sides refuse to concede to any conditions less than impossible.

Holding fast to the Northwest corner of the Maidy territory is Her Highness, Nellie - the tuxedo cat. Though slightly injured from Saturday's front line battle, she continues to recover - the recovery apparently being fueled by her outrage and anger from the losing battle that took place. When asked if the loss had affected her mental health and pride, she replied, "It is a smaller portion of Maidy-land, but it's rich in resources. I have the master bedroom, the bed, the laundry basket, two closets and the bathroom sink. The opposition has more space, but all he has is a couch and a few more windows...it's like Russia...big but useless."

The bathroom sink has been a thorn in the side of peace talk efforts for the past two years. Both sides claim they have exclusive rights to the sink, whether it is occupied all day or for five minutes by the rightful owner.

"It was an honest mistake." commented the opposition, Maidy-land's 'Operation Door Jam' director Newton Francis, who controls the Southeast territory.

The battle ensued early the morning of 9/10 as an un-named third party (most likely a large, lumbering species of human) sounded a false alarm in the ever important Agriculture region where both sides have heavy and strong interests and investments. Reacting to the alarm, and what appeared to be an attack by Her Highness to seize control of the shared area, the director struck back, full speed.

"I would like for things to get back to normal, but when hostilities are thrown at me, I'm going to throw it right back - sink or no sink!"

Talks broke down again last night after only 3 minutes as Her Highness spat at the director's tepid apology. The two sides engaged in a stare down, both still very cautious and on edge.

Despite last night's dismal results, the Prime Minister, and the Head of Affairs of Maidy-land will resume negotiations tonight. If there is one thing Her Highness and the director can agree on, are the skills and competence of the two officials. Their election to the position and status in the government has and still is highly criticized as they were tied to the Agricultural scandal during the 2004 Thanksgiving season (then the Maidy-Park Administration).

"They were giving our resources away in the name of foreign aid, and NONE came to us, the citizens of Maidy-land...who have to purr, beg and use the cat box for those resources." Her Highness has been quoted over the months following the scandal. "I'll leave a 'gift' just outside the cat box every now and then these days...as a way of protest and keep them on their toes."

"They're plundering resources." the director accused during last year's vaccination. "Who's to say they won't go as far as to sell off our precious Agricultural resources in the name of what they call hospitality? And they'll probably give it away to some country that doesn't even need it! Like the Lim's - who I might add, has been helping themselves by the handfuls!"

The Approach

It's September already. Labor Day has come and gone.

It seems just yesterday I was dreading summer and having to wear shorts. And now, we're only one month away from the holiday season kick off (yes, I consider Halloween a holiday, it's one of my favorite two holidays -the other is Christmas).

So what did I do this summer? Did I actually honeymoon in Rome, Italy? Was there a trip to Marietta, OH? My goodness, Ellie is 2 years old! Did I really get married? :-)

In a way, I wish I had the summer back...to do things I said I was going to do but didn't get around to (there are so many things) and in a way I'm glad Fall is approaching with cooler weather, colorful trees, and new sweaters and boots to add to my collection from last year.

Time is a funny thing.

I'm getting better! Oh No!

Just for kicks, I jogged the longer way today.

I started jogging right out of the front door and kept going till I made a full 1.20 mile circle around our neighborhood. I should be happy and proud right? Nope.

I wasn't even out of breath. Actually, the entire jog was rather comfortable if you can imagine that!

What is going on? My legs didn't ache, my back didn't hurt, my ankles (which are usually the first part of the body to start complaining and yelling at me) were relaxed and comfortable as well.

In fact, the whole jog seemed to pass by in a blur! I was in the home stretch before I knew it.

I didn't get a work out today! I didn't burn any fat! My body, somehow feakishly 'adjusted' to my daily jogging, which I only just started last Saturday.

Does this mean I need to run further, longer, or even worse, speed up? Gads! I was just getting used to the pace!

Picture Day

I have to wake an hour earlier tomorrow morning. I have to put on make up and 'fix' my hair.

I will be getting a new driver's license with my married name.
Yes, I will lie when they ask me if I'm still the same weight as what is reflected on my license currently...but I will be an organ donor, so that will counter act the 'badness' of the lie.

Also, I discovered (by getting a ticket) my license plate sticker expired in April. Sigh.


UPDATE 1:
Cannot go today - work abounds! Will have to go tomorrow.

UPDATE 2:
Dragged my sorry butt to the DMV and got a new license, I also got it renewed (don't have to go back till 2010!).
I have a new DL# now...it starts with M. Without going into too much detail, what should have been a 40 minute process took 1.5 hours. The DMV does not accept debit cards as payment. Sigh.

Weeeee!

Every time I visit Ellie we always have fun. Wany and Jae are so lucky they get to interact with her on a daily basis.

Today, I paid a well over due visit (hadn't seen her in almost a week, if it wasn't technically a full week, it sure felt like it). My sister had planned on taking Ellie out for a walk, so I was in luck!

Wany and Jae recently purchased a wagon for Ellie. Apparently she gets tired after a block and wants to be picked up. Tired or not, I think it's cute when you see a little kid riding through the neighborhood in a little red wagon.

Ellie insisted she walk 3/4 of a block before asking to be picked up. We put her inside her wagon and walked to a near by park.

We placed her in a toddler swing and off she went...WEEEEE! She liked the swing, and she liked going higher and higher too. She even started pumping her tiny little legs to keep the momentum of the swing! How do kids automatically know what to do on a swing? I wish I'd brought a camera!

She played on the slide too, climbing up and sliding down with Wany the first few times, then quickly wanting to slide down by herself while holding Wany's hand. So cute!

After a while, it was obvious it was near her bed time. She started putting her head down while on the swing a second time around. We sat her in her red wagon and walked back home. By the time we got home, Ellie was slouched, holding onto her toy lamb, reclining against the big fat pillow Wany placed inside the wagon.

Happy Birthday Ellie Belly!

Wardrobe Malfunction

The Belly turns two on the 15th. Her party is tomorrow afternoon. Alex and I went gift shopping. We make our usual visit to Baby Gap/ Gap Kids.

We browse around for a few minutes. Nothing catches my eye. Alex points out a really cute top on display. I grab it and take a look. Initally, I wasn't so thrilled about the color, but after a few minutes, I could totally picture the top on Ellie and looking really cute and original!

"Alex! Good eye, this top is cute!" I tell him holding the item in front of me at eye level.
"Thanks sweetie, but it's not a top. It's a dress." he says with much confidence.

I stare at him, my eyes emoting something to the effect of, "are you kidding me? did your brain just shrink?" Instead, I said, "What are you talking about?"
"It's meant to be worn as a summer dress, to come down just above her knees." he explains calmly and totally straight faced.

I started laughing at him. "You are such a dork, this is a top. The bottom of this SHIRT will hit an inch below the top of her diaper."
"You're the dork, that's a dress." he insisted.

I funble with the top to examine the tag, in search for anything that would confirm the article in my hand is indeed a top. The tag/label gave away nohting. I sigh, shake my head at Alex and start walking to another display area. I'd decided I wasn't going to have an 'uncomfortable couple' moment at the Gap over an opinion of his that was cleary a gross oversight. I decide to let it go. I decide that the day Ellie wears this TOP, he will realize his error.

"Fine, let's go ask the sales clerk about it." he said, unwilling to let it go.
"No, I'm not gonna look stupid asking the sales clerk if this is a top or a dress, when it is totally obvious that it is a top."
"Go ask...you afraid I'm right?" he pressed.

I can't help it. I love proving him wrong. I decide to ask.

"Excuse me..." I say to the clerk, then look back at Alex who is now standing five steps behind me because he can already sense the situation will not be in his favor. "Is this a top or a dress? 'Cause for some reason, he thinks this is a dress, and I've been telling him this is so obviously a top."

The sales clerk smiled. She grinned in Alex's direction with pity. "Yeah, that's a top."

I make a gloating remark (something along the lines of, 'I told you, I'm right, I'm always right') as we walk away from the sales clerk who now can't stop laughing.

I look forward to the days when we have kids of our own, but God help our daughter the day Alex puts a large T-shirt on her, masking tape around the waist as a belt and sends her off to kindergarten.

Mark my words, it will happen, as inevitable as the ocean tides coming in and out, or that indigestion after Thanksgiving dinner, there will be a wardrobe malfunction authored by Alex for our kids.

Name Game

Well, it's official. My legal name has been changed to my married name. My maiden name is no more.

I feel kind of sad in a way....and maybe it's dumb for me to feel sad about it, but the way I see it, my mother is the only Park left in our immediate family now. Strange concept.

Now the wonderful task of getting the rest of my stuff in order begins...banks, credit cards, bills and other misc. things. I'm sure there will be SOMETHING I miss along the way and won't think about having changed till I come across that bridge.

Can a man take the wife's name? I wish I'd thougth about this earlier and given it more consideration. I mean, there are two boys in Alex's family, I'm sure it wouldn't have killed his parents to have Alex take my name! Right?! They'd still have one left!

Wild Home Owner

As a follow up to 'ground control'.....

The landscapers recently paid us a visit. Alex was home to converse with the nice man about the weeds that had been growing out of control in the landscaped area. He asked if the nice man and his crew could take care of the problem for us. He did a great job! Everything was out and gone. Our front walk never looked so good!

I guess the nice man noticed a hint of irritation in Alex's tone while they began the conversation. The nice man felt it necessary to share a tid bid of information with us about why everyone else's flower beds, front walks, shrubs and bushes looked so nice compared to our neglected part of the lot.

The previous owner(s) instructed the landscaping company to not touch anything around our unit.

I couldn't believe it! Why the hell not? Who would intentionally want queen ann's lace, and weeds growing in their plant beds? And what we thought was regular ground cover turned out to be a kind of weed as well (yes, they were pulled out).

Having cleared up the issue, we are hoping our once beautiful leafy green shrubs will come back full force now that it does not have to compete with ANYTHING ELSE in it's plant bed.

Also, we are hoping the family of chipmunks will move onto someone else's pastures now that their grounc cover and food supply are gone.

Ground Control

I am not sure if I should cry or jump out onto what used to be a nice landscaped patio and start digging up the ground.

This summer, we have noticed quite a bit of weeds and other uninvited plants around our patio and front walk area. We've had wild daisies, and some other plant/weed that seems to sprout tall with tiny little white blossoms. Growing on top of the mulch under our once beautiful light green shrub is a round leafed annoyance which I will call the ugly red headed step kids of the lettuce family.

This season in particular, Alex and I have been more diligent in pulling out the daisies and the cluster of white blossoms whenever we've seen them. The daisies are no more. They have not returned since we pulled them a couple of months ago. However, the tall plant with the tiny white blossoms and the round leafed 'lettuce' thing continues to come back in other places, and, I noticed today we have a medium sized cluster of what looks like clovers with dark pink/purple flowers at the top. It is maybe six inches tall from the mulch.

But wait, it gets worse! I found what appears to be an underground entrance on one side of the front walk. It is about 2-3 inches in diameter. I fear the worst. The cats and I have seen a small chipmunk sized creature on our patio from time to time. Could they be burrowing under our front walk? Could that explain why all of a sudden we've seen a variety of unintended plants around our shrubs and bushes?

It's WAR! Our borders will be patrolled at ANY cost! And our condo association will hear about the 'chipmunks'.

In the meantime, anyone out there have any helpful advise/cures for my woes???

He Who Must Not Be Named

The saddest page ever (well, at least for now) of any book series...page 652.

I am finished with book 6 of Harry Potter.

I seriously do not know what it is about this series that has captured my undivided attention, has grasped my full and most serious attention...all I know is that when I walk away from a chapter, or as with tonight, the book itself, I am still living the scenes of its words in my head and dreaming about the next and final Harry Potter adventure.

Do not worry. I will not give anything away. I've been the victim of ignorant, cruel fellow 'readers' giving away the goodies before one can discover them on their own. I refuse to be added to that shameful, horrible list of offenders.

The only regret I have regarding book 6 is that it took me five days to read it! I most confidently believe I would have finished in three days had I not been gainfully employed, being pursuaded to go to work, or taken the time to to engage in such trivial activities as going to the bathroom, or eating or even sleeping for that matter.

In any case, I am relieved and anxious at the same time.

I am relieved I no longer have to avert my attention to articles that might tempt me which include interviews and reviews from those who finished the book and may 'accidentally' give something away. I am relieved that a certain amount of craziness in me can fade away again for the time being.

However, I am anxious to get to the next book. The next book however, will probably not publish and give joy to the public till a few years from now. The author has inconveniently and without thought to the fans of Harry Potter, given birth to a child, who no less requires much of her attention. Who knows when she'll start writing again.

Page 536

I'm a little more than a hundred pages away from finishing the 6th Harry Potter book I obtained last Friday...midnight. Hehehe!

I'm in love with this book now. Everything makes sense...all the way back from the very first book. I shall refrain from writing anything more about the book now as Alex has not finished it or has gotten as far as I have.

I WILL FINISH TONIGHT. Can't wait!

12

I was reading the How Not To Guy's blog about his misspellings and other such gramatical errors in his blog. I personally think when the story is good, you forgive (or don't see at all) the errors altogether, and his blogs are pretty damn funny and true.

But the whole spelling subject brought back a memory I seldom recollect intentionally. It was the Spring of 1984...when I was a fifith grader. Every year, the school held a spelling bee contest within each grade. This particular year and grade of my scholastic career, I'd decided to enter the contest. Don't know what made me take the leap of faith.

The 1st round started out with almost everyone in the class. I guess as you get older, you become more confident in your abilities. Anyway, it started out with about 16 kids. One by one, we were all given easy words to spell in the first round. As the rounds got higher, so did the level of difficulty with a peppering of an out of place easy word every now and then. By the time we'd reached round 2, it was myself and two other kids at the go. I began to get nervous. Considering I had volunteered into the contest on a whim (this is where it all started, my inclination to do things on a whim through out my life), I was more than happy that I'd gone this far. But now I was beginning to think that I was actually smarter than I'd thought! I'd even beat out Kristin and Andy, the two smartest kids in the class!

Oh! Wouldn't my mother be happy when she learned I'd been the spelling champion of the class! Then maybe she'd cut me some slack when it came to piano practice and let me watch TV instead (I'd started piano because it was fun and I enjoyed it, but as with all things that perk a child's interest with the most purest of intents and desires, my mother ruined it for me by making it her life's goal to create a phenom).

I let myself become excited. My palms were sweaty, my breathing irratic, and my face began to feel hot. My toes curled inside my shoes in anticipation of my next word. What would it be?

"Your word, Miss Park, is twelve..."

Oh super! Oh luck! Oh fortune had smiled upon me this day! I'd lucked out and gotten one of the out of place easy words for this round! God wanted me to be a speller. Fantastic.

"Twelve." I repeated, sweaty hands clasped behind me. "T - W - E- L..." then it happened. I blanked out. I'd forgotten where I was in the word. Was I in the middle? The end? Had I already said E? Did I say W yet? My nerves got the better of me at that moment. I was no longer sure what was coming out of my mouth. How embarassing! Everyone was staring at me and waiting...I could hear them snickering at me for hesitating, for taking so long to spell such a simple word! I wanted to get out of the room. I wanted to disappear for a day from everyone. My brain raced, thinking about how kids would treat me after this, after whatever was going to happen to me, I thought about how embarassing it would be to lose in this round to a word I KNEW how to spell but I couldn't get my thoughts straight, I couldn't get the right letters out of my mouth. I froze. The longer I thought, the quieter the class room became. I had to end this, one way or the other, and end it quickly.

"...E - V - E"

"T-W-E-L-E-V-E is incorrect." My teacher's voice responded. "Please sit down, you did a good job, you should be proud."

How could I have missed that word?!?!?!?

From that point on for the next two weeks, my mind swirled with nothing but things that had something to do with 12. There were 12 months in a year, 12 eggs in a carton, 12 days of Christmas, 12 doughnuts in a doughnut box, a dozen of this, a dozen of that...they all floated inside my head like giant bubbles of disappointment.

On the 3rd week, I discovered Rubic's Cube...and I never looked back.

Hello? Social Security?

The instructions say it will take 8-13 minutes to read through the instructions on how to fill out a change of name for my SSN card. 8-13 minutes? Did they sit a bunch of yahoos around a conference table and time how long it took them to read it? 13 minutes is rather random. Anyway, I digress...

It took me 20 minutes to get through the whole thing (the first time). I make no excuses. I'm not terribly intuitive when it comes to these form thing-a-ma-jigs. All of a sudden I turn into a three year old.

Despite myself, I completed the form. I was happy for two seconds. During the 3rd second, I realized that since I was not born in the US, I needed to provide another piece of documentation...either my passport or naturalization document. I chose the passport. Okay, I thought, I got through this....I am done, right? Wrong.

I had to mail this request for name change on my SSN, so I needed an address to send it to. You'd think it would just be one, all inclusive office of SS Administration, but that is not the case. Apparently, there's a SS office in Elgin, right next to the Casino (sigh...shaking of head...sigh). I called the SS hot line to get the address. I'm done, right? Wrong.

I needed something to put the documents in so I could mail it to the SS office next to the casino. I panic ('cause I'm really good at panicking for no good reason when the solution has not dawned on me yet). Fortunately, my ability to quickly send myself into a tizzy (panic) is complimented by my random, but detailed memory. I do have manilla envelopes! They are in the small closet next to my not yet dry cleaned wedding dress and veil... on the floor, right side, next to telescope lenses I no longer use. I put the documents inside the envelope. I'm done, right? Wrong.

How much postage do I adhere? For regualr letters, $0.37 does the trick. However, how much postage do you adhere to a 9x12 flat envelope? At least a dollar's worth...right? Hmmm. Well, I'm not going to figure this out or 'guestimate' this one. I'd hate to find my envelope returned or even worse, traveling somewhere in the mail system with important documents I'll never get back. I decide to play this one safe.

Alex will take it to the post office tomorrow and stamp the exact amount needed to ensure my request will be received safely.

I'm done.

Scary List

Alex and I reached a milestone in our marriage yestserday. We have great news.

WE ATE PORK CHOPS FOR DINNER.

For many years, I have avoided eating pork and some pork products - not due to any real medical condition (well, if you consisder mental illness medical, then I guess it was medical), but becaue I had at some point during my college years decided pork and pork products made me break out in itchy red splotchies all over.

I'm open to the fact that my very first 'break out' could have been caused by something else, some other outside element I failed to consider, however, the splotchies were real, my experience was real and it happened on more than a few occassions thereafter when I'd been opened minded and consumed pork. From that point on, I had determined in my mind I was allergic to pork and pork products (even though I ate sausage & pepperoni pizza without any issues).

About a week ago, we took a Maidy/Buzzard trip to Marietta OH for the 4th of July holiday. We were offered BLT's for lunch.

I took the plunge. I didn't want to be a fickle/picky guest, and also, I remembered that I had not broken out or died two Christmas' ago when Alex prepared a ham for Christmas dinner. Quite the oppposite, I remembered enjoying the honey ham.

I'd decided soggy bacon, or fatty tasting bacon, come hell or high water, I would be gracious and eat what was offered me. To my pleasant surprise, the bacon was made to order in the microwave - crisp and delicious. it did not taste fatty. It tasted great. This experience lead me to comment over this past weekend to Alex that I may be open to trying some more pork in the near future.

My family and friends just smirked when they heard i'd eaten real pork and liked it (just like they'd always told me I would and that I did NOT suffer from swine allergies).

I gathered a lot of courage from my recent experience with pork. I can knock pork off the 'scary' list. Of course, there's still the squeemish feeling I get in the pit of my being for other 'scary' list foods....like bloody steaks (yuck!) or Alex's runny eggs.

Wall Space

Here's a shot of our newly 'shelved' wall, and a shot of the spice drawers we bought in Marietta. Yes, I do realize no one else will find this remotely interesting, but it's my damn blog and I'll do what I want.

Did you know?

Did you know....?
The smell of cake does not wake up Alex (even though he is the reason I started baking one...sigh)? You can see Alex dozing in the background.


Did you know....?
Going to bed does not mean physically getting into bed...it means lounging on the couch, having turned to the ESPN channel, volume turned up WAY too loud, then only watching five minutes of baseball highlights, having fallen asleep on the couch while clutching the remote refusing to get into bed even though one would be more comfortable sleeping in bed, as that is what beds are for...eh hem!?


Did you know....?
Taking out the trash is answering, "yes" to your wife asking, "since you're going out for cake ingredients (yes, the same cake mentioned above), will you grab the kitchen trash on your way out?" and then 15 seconds later walking out the front door instead of walking out through the garage door where she has placed the kitchen trash, neatly tied?

Did you know....?
Doing dishes does not actually require the removal of chocolate (or other sticky, greasy, gooey food remants) splotched on the side of the plate?


Did you know....?
Did you know that as Alex is ready to pour himself a mug of coffee before leaving for work tomorrow morning he will find there is no coffee, and the reason for no coffee is because he fell asleep on the couch the night before despite my logical request for him to get into bed? Well, I'll make the coffee tonight...since I need some too.

Belly Ache

"I want one!" was Alex's desperate whisper to me when I'd entered the room......

It was Sunday afternoon at the Maidy's. We put together a little BBQ for my sister's birthday which meant our beloved Ellie-Belly would be joining us (my niece).

We love every chance we get to see her, but even more, we love having her over. She brightens up our cozy place quite a bit. We're very lucky that she loves playing with her Uncle 'Boo' (Alex). I guess to her, Alex is very funny (funny looking maybe...hmmm).

Alex and Ellie were in the computer room...don't know what they were chatting about, or if he was trying to show her how to load a program on the computer, or show her how to create her own web page using HTML. I went in to ask Alex something while Ellie was darting back out to her parents in the livingroom. Before I could utter my question ("would you like to eat the fruit and whip cream now?") he turned to me and whispered, "I want one!", and pointed to Ellie as she'd just turned the corner out of the room. "You just want another play mate around the house!" I accused him lightly, to which he smiled widely.

I can't wait to have a family, a little Alex or little me...just a little something to make us a bit immortal, that we 're not here on this planet for a short time for no reason, that our life has more purpose....eh-hem...sorry. I'll stop now.

Edgar

We have a family of bunny rabbits living under our patio bushes.

We discovered a baby bunny the other day...well, actually, Nellie and Newt discovered him first.

Whenever the bunny shows up on the patio, our cats' ears go low, their gaze turns into laser beam concentration, and they crouch down as low as they can go.

I got worried when I saw Nellie take this position because it was exactly what happened right before the great 'Pee-Off and Fight' the cats had a couple of days before we left for Rome. We had to separate them for 1.5 days. Something startled Newt and he associated the fear and anxiousness with Nellie and began attacking her.

So here was Nellie, crouching low like a fat tiger, ears back, eyes not breaking from her focus no matter how much noise I tried to make to distract her. I decide to find out what has captured her audience. I was afraid of what I would see. Newt's friend the skunk? A giant racoon? Or even worse, a rat or possum! Argh!

I slowly parted a layer of our verticle blinds and followed Nellie's eyes onto the patio concrete. A bunny! Phew!

He was very small and very cute, looked cute enough to bring into the house and raise myself if I wasn't afraid of wild animals (yes, even the ones that live in our subdivision are considered wild to me). But of all the 'guests' we've had around or on our patio, this one was the most welcomed.

Once Edgar discovered he was being eyed by two cats and a human from behind the glass door, he scurried back under the bushes, his cute tail bounding off out of sight.

I hope to see him again soon. Maybe I'll leave a carrot out for them....hmmm, wonder what kinds of bugs that would attract...maybe I won't.

Ode to Suction

I did it! I have a Dyson Vacuum...what a wonderful machine.

Despite it's cost, despite my initial skeptisism on yet another household item that claimed to change my life, I took the big leap of faith and bought one yesterday at Best Buy. It's the mid-range version, but still very powerful compared to conventional vacuum power that's out there right now. And mind you, I did not just go out and get one flippantly with one swift ponder of the machine. I'd been eyeing the Dyson since the first commercial lept out at me from my TV screen.

You see, for me, cleaning around the house is therapy and to have clumsily rummaged through the house with a vacuum that merely swooshed the dirt and cat litter behind itself and onto my feet was a horrible experience. On a good day, our old vacuum would suck up Nellie tumbleweed (balls of fur left on the carpet where ever Nellie had been situated for 2 minutes or longer). There were also days when I'd just pick up a bigger piece of debris myself and dump it in the trash. The filter in our old vacuum was hopelessly clogged, and no matter how often I would clean out the container, or how many hours I'd spend trying to unclog/flush out the filter, it was all to no avail. There was also the vacuum odor whenever I used it. I once thought about sprinkling lemon zest on the floor and running the vacuum over it to see if it might 'freshen' things up. I didn't of course for fear of compromising the rickety gadget even more.

I needed a better clean! I could not wait any longer.

We brought the Dyson home and Alex put it together. He had it assembled in two minutes (this in itself is amazing as we typically spend hours on anything that needs assembly of any kind with the usual sprinkling of curses every few minutes and the usual 'extra' screws, bolts and pieces).

We were amazed at how much sense the owners manual made (it may have been written at the 3rd grade level). We were amazed at how every thing we tried in the manual actually worked, and quite easily and effortlessly. We surmised immediately that a machine that is made correctly and well, is easy to operate and maintain. For instance, we couldn't figure out where the lever to release the vacuum from the upright position was located. We reference the owners manual. All you have to do is put your foot on the front part of the vacuum and it's magically released from its upright position.

Although Alex had vacuum earlier in the day, we decide to do a test run of our new machine. Even though I knew how badly our old vacuum worked, and anticipated to see debris the old machine left behind, we were still amazed at it's power! It was as if we'd never vacuum at all before the Dyson.

Unloading the dirt container was easy and amazing. It was amazing to actually feel the weight of the debris as it landed in the plastic bag I held underneath...another cool thing, the dirt container opening is at the bottom, so the debris just falls out when emptying. My hands need never touch the debris. It felt as though the machine pushed all the debris so tightly together that it formed a solid out of it.

I'm glad the only dilema we have now is what to do with the old vacuum.

Plasma

I love popping zits.

I do not pop zits at anywhere but home, unless they become so huge that NOT popping them would do more harm than good (e.g. scaring co-workers as they walk pass my cube in horror at the workplace). Today, sitting in our usual client conference call, I was checking on a zit that formed two days ago. I just rubbed my index finger on the darn thing to see if it was ready to explode or if it should be left alone. When I had checked this morning, it was the same size as the night before...small and just red.

The darn thing exploded. I don't believe any of my co-workers saw the explosion, I don't believe they did because if they had, a harsh gasp would have eminated from all three of them as they scurry to the door.

There is no tissue to be found in the conference room. Dang! I had to use my hand. Oh my gosh! All the blood! So much blood! It was as if the zit had a bloody nose! I guess it was ready to pop. I spent the next five minutes in the ladies room assessing the damage and what I could do to make it stop. 4 tissues did the trick.

I'm the only 33 year old I know who still gets zits on a regular basis. Dang!

Fiumicino!

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...it was the summer of my foot's discontent.

Hahaha, just kidding. Depsite my badly formed feet, we had a lot of fun in Rome. It's dirty, noisey, polluted (what place isn't at this point), and it was HOT, but I am thankful.

I am thankful to have been given the chance to see history, beauty, the birth place of civilization, to have stood on grounds once walked on by Roman Emporers, soldiers, citizens, to have drunk from the same crystal clear water fountains popes of many hundres of years ago drank from, and finally, thankful to gaze upon the brush strokes of Michaelangelo...to have gazed upon that ceiling the way he did long ago to check his work, then climb back up on his scaffoldiing to continue this awesome labor of love. How absolutely fantastic it was! And this was just the touristy sights!

Everywhere we walked in Rome, something appealed to our fancy. Office buildings, churches, their wonderful piazzas and numerous fountains were sights to see unto themselves. We took hundreds of pictures. Around almost every corner, there was something we wanted to capture. Even at our hotel. The hotel had a resident cat, who we named Francesca. She came to greet us in the mornings and the evenings almost every night. She was sweet. We've got pictures of her! We even took pictures of traffic!

Roman traffic moves quite differently than Chicago traffic. First of all, they are not guided by traffic signals. With the exception of a few traffic lights, 95% of Roman traffic is self guided, meaning you turn when there's an opportunity. If you're not aggressive, one can sit there waiting to turn or move forward for hours. This is also the way people cross streets as well. You cross when there's an opportunity - and the opportunity must be self created, otherwise, you could wait to cross for half an hour. Cars, Vespas and people move and use the same space of the road. Side walks are unheard of in Rome for the most part. With the exception of a few side walks along the major shopping district, we didn't see many elsewhere. Space is at a premium in Rome, so parking can get a bit tricky. There are cars double and triple parked along the sides of the roads. How one would get out of such a spot is beyond me.

Gelato is awesome. We ate it every day, some days multiple times a day. It cannot be compared to anything here in the states. IT IS NOT ICE CREAM. It's was one of the most purest experience I had in Rome (with the exception of the Sistine Chapel). I don't know if I'll ever be able to eat regular ice cream again (I probably will though).

I am so glad I did Rome. I am so glad that I will have this to share with our children, that we have pictures to look back on and remember that a long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, when Alex and I were once young and vibrant and not confined to our wheelchair drinking dinner through a straw at 4 in the afternoon, we had been at the birth place of civilization. We had walked along the steps of kings and queens, therefore having made ourselves a part of history already thousands of years young.

Back from the dirtiest place on earth! (but had a GREAT TIME!)

Back from Rome.....currently at work trying not to work...but I really must. Sigh.
Will be traveling for business till Wednesday, then busy with family the rest of the week.
Will write more then.

Project - Packing for Rome

Alex and I will be leaving for Rome in two more days.

We are very excited and looking forward to it all. But we find ourselves (as we usually do) short on time for last minute things. Why does there always seem to be an immense amount of 'to do's' right before one leaves for vacation?

Of course, I know that as soon as we get there, we'll realize we didn't need any of the items we brought with us, and need a host of items we either didn't think to bring or decided against bringing. For instance, we bought a hand sanitizer. It's a gel that you rub all over your hands for when you can't wash your hands the conventional way with water and soap. Hmmm...will we really need this? It's anyone's guess. Alex will probably use his because deep down inside he's the 12 year old boy who buys a box of cereal just for the special toy inside (Star Wars Lite Saber cereal spoon) and doesn't finish the cereal. Sigh....shaking of head....sigh. He's prone to purchase and/or use things just because...

I've decided to put a list of items we are taking to Rome. Upon our return from Rome, I will go back to said list and see how many of the items we really used. It will come in handy for future trips and what to pack. Hopefully, I will not become the victim of history repeating itself.

The Maidy Gallery

One of these days, I will learn to post photos on my blog. That day may be sooner than later if Alex has anything to do with it.

We got our wedding photo proof book yesterday. We were both very excited to see the photos. We sat in the car and reviewed the entire book before heading to my sister's house. The photos are great, even though in the journalistsic shots, my mouth is always gaping open because I'm laughing so hard. Gads.

We have till Aug. 23rd to put our album together. We also have a DVD with our photos in it, but I think that we have to wait a year for.

I can't wait to have the finished product in hand! I'm not quite sure why some couples take a long time to put it together. Hehehe.

Inadvertent Lifestyle

Third day in a row without my glasses.

I'm still finding it harder to see the computer screen without them, but I am seeing them nonetheless. I think it's true what I've heard about glasses-that they make your eyes dependent on them and therefore, get worse as time goes by. I didn't start really wearing them till I got to PSA because of the amount of proofing and auditing required in my position.

This past weekend, I inadvertently left my glasses in the car and every day since Monday, I keep forgetting to take them out. My car is outside, I can easily go out to the parking lot and grab them, but why make a solitary trip to the car just for those glasses when I can grab them the next time I have a need to get to the car? Hehehe. This way, I figure I can inadvertently train my eyes to become stronger.

Confessions of the Nutritionally Challenged

I was having a good day yesterday. I was eating very well (healthy).
I had a sandwich, fruit and a human sized portion of ravioli. I even ate the banana I brought to work to have a snack instead of hitting the vending machine.

Alex and I discussed dinner plans. We decided on grilled chicken, very healthy, and very tasty (yes, Alex is the one who attempts cooking in our household).

As is our usual custom on Monday nights, we watch 24 after dinner....but it wasn't quite 8pm yet and we were just flipping through channels when, behold! An ice cream commerical comes on and Alex flips out. Alex is a BIG proponent of dessert and is always asking me to make him cookies. Anyway, this commerical is about Dove ice cream, and now it comes with Dove's chocolate ganache (chocolate mousse) on top of the ice cream. He screams he wants it, and heck, when have I ever passed up an opportunity to eat chocolate.

I'd been good all day, following good sense, and that good sense also told me that in moderation, ice cream wasn't going to be an enemy.

Are you kidding? Ice cream is my best friend! Make a long story short, I ate more than my share of the ice cream. The ganache was delectable, the ice cream under it even more silky and creamy and heavenly.....eh hem...sorry.

I can't help who I am....a chocolate lover, a junk food junkie at heart. Today, I am going for a run...so I can eat some ice cream.

The Swedish Chef

French toast is hard to make - especially if you're Alexander Maidy.

Sunday morning, I got a craving for french toast. I would have made them myself, but Alex jumped in and said he'd do it. I asked him if he knew how...he said he'd look it up on the net. This is when I should have known it would end up being traumatic.

A few minutes later, Alex walked into the kitchen with a piece of paper and started taking out the bowls and things he needed. A minute later I hear, "Damn it!" He'd dropped an egg on the floor (we'd just had the kitchen treated for ants and he dropped a raw egg on the floor! Argh!). I ask if he needs help. "No!" was his stern reply.

A few more minutes later, I hear the whisk going, and milk being put back in the fridge. Everything sounds like he has things under control. Then I hear a string of curses (which I will not repeat) coming from his mouth at the top of his lungs. I think about whether or not I want to enter the kitchen and see what has taken place. While I'm thinking about this on the couch, he says, "Don't come in here...just leave me alone!" Leave him alone? What had I done to him??? Now I want to go and see what's taken place in the kitchen cause a) I'm upset he's yelling at me, and b) I'm frightened because he's yelling.

I go and check out the scene. The bowl in upside down, a pale yellow liquid mixture is all over the floor by the sink. The whisk is on the floor next to the bowl. And Alex is trying to grab up the mixture with a paper towel. I begin to think about the egg mixture on the floor, the ants, the hours of disinfecting, how we're running out of paper towels...etc.

His face turns red when he sees my reaction to the scene and he screams, "just get out of here and leave me alone!"

Newt comes in to investigate as all cats do at the most inopportune time. He gets some on his front paw. Alex picks him up and shoves him the other way.

I walk away from the scene knowing I'll have to go back and clean the area again....because Alex does the 'visual' clean cleaning, which means if you can't see it, then it's clean. The only comment I make before walking away from the scene is for him to use the antibacterial wipes.

40 minutes later, he's on his last piece of french toast on the pan. He's calmer now, and I walk up to him and smile. I put my arms around him and he smiles back.

"Thank you for making the french toast." It was really good too.

Stinky MacFadden

I have not showered in two days...I know, pretty gross. But it's not my fault! Alex didn't get me up in the morning on tiime. He overslept and let me sleep till 7:45am! And I had a 9am meeting at work, which takes me 45 minutes to get to! So I pull on some clothes (they were washed last night, and folded neatlyl on our chair), brush my teeth, put my hair in a pony tail and rush out the door.

Amazingly, traffic today was not bad at all. I got to work in about 35 minutes or so. Had plenty of time for the 9am meeting.

Then at lunch time, I'd planned on getting a burrito bowl for lunch and bring it back to work so I could read my book and eat lunch together when I realize....no wallet. It wasn't till I got in the car I realized it was missing. I decide to trek back home and get the darn thing and skip lunch if I had to....I can't drive without my license!

Then I realize my gas is almost empty. I know I can't make it all the way home. Crap! I call Alex to meet me half way from work and home at a gas station. As soon as I pull into the gas station, my gas light comes on. Wow!

So I meet Alex, get gas in my car, get lunch (drive thru) and head back to work. Then my boss asks me if I want to go on a press run with a co-worker, a field trip of sorts, which I love! And...I get to leave the office at 3:30pm and go straight home from the vendor. Pretty cool huh?

Notice that all the good things start happening after I see Alex...my good luck charm! Hehehe.

Continuity

Someone at work keeps calling me Mrs. Maidy.

The first time I heard it, it sounded completely foreign...and this co-worker had to repeat it with emphasis two more times before I realized that I was being addressed (sorry Alex!).

When I'd finally realized they were talking to me, I wasn't sure how to respond. Should I be the happy, bubbly, my life is complete kind of newly-wed? Or should I try to make the single and in their 30's women at the office not so 'single' with a sarcastic response? Or better yet, should I not react?

"Mrs. Maidy!" the co-worker calls again.
My eye brows automatically knit the 'angry brow' shape, and I turn in my chair to face them and reply, "I'M STILL TAYLOR!"...then go back to my spreadsheet in my happy-land.

I'm sure I will get used to being called Mrs. Maidy (come on! It's just bound to happen), but I think my reaction today was more a reaction to an annoying co-worker.

Also, if one more person asks me, "so do you feel married?" I'm going to ask them, "Do you feel like being punched in the head?"

There is so much pressure to appear still excited, and giddy, and dorkish! I'm beginning to wonder if this is a pre-requisite for a newly wed. Dang!

I'm happy and at peace...I married the man I love, so leave me alone and talk to me about lazy clients, bad hair days, and quark files again...PLEASE.

Death to the Queen!

Pavement ants. Apparently, there are different kinds of pests for the household. We've been visited by one such kind called the Pavement Ant. These are common among homes built on grey slab foundation (according to our on-line research) and hang around places where there is water (e.g. we have some around our toilet, which in itself is not a good sign as this could mean our toilet is an issue as well, or under the fridge, anywhere there is condensation).

At this time, they are just on the floor in two specific areas - bathroom toilet, and under our stove, which makes sense because the two spaces share one common wall. Argh! I just want to be rid of them.

We are having someone come in and professionally treat the inside of our home. The good thing is, it will not only kill ants, but everything else too (except termites - which we DO NOT have)! Alex rattled off some names, but I can't remember them now nor do I care to. I am just glad that it takes care of everything else too. The occasional spider I can deal with which is to have Alex kill it. But ants? Argh!

Sprays just kill the intruders. Ant bait apparently has a shelf life. The people coming to treat the house will visit the house 4 times within a year which include the initial visit, then three additional visits to treat the outside of the house. there is also a 24 hour hot line to call if we see any more intruders, at which point they will come and treat the house again at no cost. We will have a year long guarantee of some sort.

The main focus Saturday will be to kill the queen of the colony. No more eggs, no more pests. Thank goodness we have caught it early. I'm looking forward to a summer spent in peace knowing our home is pest free.

I HATE BUGS! Just ask EJ about how many time we changed rooms at the hotel in the Bahamas.

Mystery Virus

It's like being at the hospital around here at the office lately.

My co-worker, Wendy, came back from Vegas with a terrible cough and cold. She left last Tuesday night to Vegas on vacation. This morning, she came back with a hacking cough! Gads.

Jim and John...other co-workers on my project team have all been sick the last week and a half. Jim had a cold and has been blowing his nose frequently (just getting over it) and John got diagnosed with something like walking pneumonia! I've had the hacking cough and pneumonia in the past and they are not good. For me, they tend to last longer or get worse because I am a smoker. When I've had it, I've been up all night without sleep because lying down made me cough to no end. Not even codine helped. I had to go in for antibiotics last time (October). Poor Alex hardly got any sleep because he could still hear me coughing up a lung in the livingroom!

I'm going to try to stay healthy this week. I'm going to get enough sleep and try not to catch whatever these people here have caught.

And yes, I am quitting smoking when I get back from Rome. This is for health reasons as well as in preparation for something special (hopefully) to begin next year...January.

Adventures with Gut Marty

So now that the wedding planning is over, it's time to start planning for the honeymoon...the trip to Rome. It is only a few short weeks away (2 I think).

Back in January, Alex and I discussed what our next big item purchases would be after the wedding and agreed a dish washer and digital camera had to be next. We would tackle the dishwasher first.

You see, Alex is not a believer in the pre-rinse ritual when loading dishes. I mean, why in the world would anyone want to 'wash' the dishes so that they can 'wash' the dishes in a machine that is supposed to 'wash' the dishes FOR you? I can see this point. However, rules and practices governing the use of a dish washer says to pre-rinse...remove food solid food down your disposal before placing item to be washed in the dish washer.

Alex decided to skip this part, and in a matter of six months from the day we moved into our new home, he broke the dishwasher. There were one too many coffee beans and other things which I don't care to think about that clogged up our machine. Pools of water began collecting inside the washer. I can tell you I was a little more than upset, espeically since two weeks prior to the break down, I'd caught him not pre-rinsing and strongly advised he start doing so or that the machine will break. This isn't the first time I'd 'advised' him on something where he has not followed and another financial loss ensued....there was that other time...I digress.

This past Friday we walked into Best Buy as our first place to start our search. We were met by Marty...the world's largest gut. This was not just a fat person with a bigger than average stomach. This was a gut! His gut started from his chin all the way down to his knees. I am NOT exaggerating. I'm positive it took Alex every energy from every cell in his body not to bust out laughing when he approached us.

I begin to tell Gut Marty what we are looking for (yes, I am the initiator in these situations in the marriage). I also point out to him a couple of machines that we thought may suit our needs. Instantly Gut Marty begins his 'schpeel' on why the higher and more expensive models clean better and are quieter. My ears tune out when people do this to me (talk about crap I did not ask information about).

He talks about sanitizing mode, quiet feature, load capacity...blah, blah, blah. I know that the water does not need to be 500 degrees to sanitize. I also know that load capacity is a non-issue if you load and wash dishes every day. As for the quiet feature...our old dish washer isn't a quiet model but it's never kept me awake or prevented me from talking on the phone with anyone due to loud noise.

Gut Marty realizes he is not going to talk me into a higher model. So he starts in on what a great deal the ones we were looking would be. So then I ask him about all the other possible costs...delivery, removal of old washer, installation, warranties...etc. I wince when Gut Marty goes into all the extras. Then he says he can cut our delivery charge in half if we buy the model that day. I'm upset now because it becomes clear to me that they are using delivery as a profit generating tool on machines that are already marked up for profit. Yes, I'm aware businesses need to make money and all, but this place was going to charge me for everything that needed to be done, like removal of the old dish washer.

We thank Gut Marty for all his 'information' and leave the appliances area. We walk over to the digital camera section and purchase a camera for our honeymoon in Rome. The dishwasher will have to wait till July...to be purchased elsewhere.

Do You Feel Married?

No.

What is marriage supposed to feel like anyway? Should it feel different than being engaged? Hmmm. I guess it's a personal observation. Everyone keeps asking me if I feel married. Did they?

But no, I do not FEEL married. I am happy. I am relieved the wedding day has come and gone. I am excited about our trip to Rome in three weeks. I am very greatful for my family (new and old). I am thankful God gave me the life I have. I am two pounds lighter since the wedding day (angry brows). I am finally going to use the sunless tanning service Wany got me last year for my birthday (the certificate expires 5/27). I am going to cut my long nails as I no longer need them to look pretty. I am going back to life as usual....

April 29th 2005

IT DID NOT RAIN! Hoooray!

Alex and I were ever so greatful that it didn't rain. We both agreed that it must have been our request to my dad to keep the rain from falling if possible. Hehehe.

However, the day did not go without incident. Hmmm...I guess I should start out in chronilogical order:

1) We got lost going to Cantigny Park for photos. The directions we printed out lead us right to a dead end. It didn't make it any better that we had three cars following our car....once, we made a wrong turn and decided to pull into a parking lot and back out on the road. 3 out of the four cars manuvered just fine. My mother must have taken a tour of the parking lot as she took 10 minutes to get back out. We waited for her on the side of the road. Eventually, our wonderful photographer (Jessica) got us to the park. Alex and I are not doing Google directions ever again.

2) After the photos at Cantigny, we realized we'd forgotten to grab our marriage license at the house. We decide to send his parents to the house to pick it up. This creates confusion as now, people are trying to coordinate who should ride with whom and to where, and what roads to take (cause we got lost getting there, we were also going to be lost on the return). Long story short...only one car should have gone back to the house...not three.

3) Late clergy. An hour late! I wasn't a nervous bride till our clergy got caught in traffic, without a cell phone. We were very close to calling EJ's father in at the last minute. Argh. Once the clergy arrived, everything else fell into place.

Everyone had a good time and the food was all eaten up which is always a good sign! Our vows were beautiful, and no, we did not cry.

We got some beautiful pictures as well...and those were just taken by the family. Can't wait to see the professional ones!

Change in Plans

Past brides have told me that no matter what I do to make sure the day goes exactly as planned and perfect in every detail, that it was not possible. I didn't believe them to be honest. I thought, "oh, you guys just didn't plan right!"

Rev. Mary will be going into surgery this week, an outpatient procedure since she said if it's done early this week that she'll be able to perform our ceremony as planned. If not, then she will be sending a replacement officiant...another Rev. Mary. I got very upset at first and started making rude comments about Rev. Mary 1. Then I got my head back and decided I was not going to get this bother me.

Our centerpieces died. We had originally picked up some Rosemary topiary. Rosemary is a traditional wedding element back in the old days, so I thought it would be nice to incorporate it as a centerpiece. We bought them three weeks ago. They got watered too much and began dying. My mother and I found an alternate plant (Eugenia) which is very nice and a lot less trouble to take care of.

The weather is supposed to be in the high 60's, and sunny. We were expecting in the mid 70's and partly sunny. There isn't much I can do about the weather, but we had hoped that Chicago would continue to receive good weather consider the past two weekends. Of course this past weekend, it even snowed! Not going to lose sleep over it.

I'm not sure if I should feel lucky that I've only experienced the scenarios above so far. I mean, it could have been much worse, right? Right. That's what I keep telling myself.

Electric Facial

My face is peeling. I had a facial Saturday morning. I got an enzyme exfoliation, cucumber mask, black heads squeezed out (yes, all 200 of them!) and got my pimples zapped with electricity (don't worry, very mild procedure).

So now my face is peeling. I think it's trying to get rid of the layer of skin that was handled Saturday. Thank goodness I did the facial a week before the big day, otherwise, I would have had flaky peeling skin on my wedding day! Gads.

Alex would have married me anyway, right? Hehehehe!

The Ugly Crying Truth

Alex was a mess when he started writing his vows about a month and a half ago. He went back and forth with different lines, sentiments and the likes, during which, he teared on more than a few ocassions.

He's a sap, a hopeless romantic...he embraces love and everything that comes with it. His capacity for such things are endless. I guess you can say, he is emotionally aware. I love this about Alex.

I on the other hand, am a different story. I'm more of a realist if such a thing exists (reality is relative). Sappy, mushy, fluffy things make me uncomfortable as it brings a certain sense of hoakiness (sp?) to it all, like it's too over the top, forced, unnatural, eerie and soap opera-ish.

I finished the first draft of my vows weeks ago. I did not struggle to hold back the tears while I wrote it. I focused on making every line, every word, every meaning factual and concise. It is very important for me that the moment is honest, and captures my thoughts accurately.

Last night, as Alex and I discussed our wedding favors, a strange sensation took over me. I heard his voice speaking, but I couldn't make out the sound. I saw his lips moving, but I could not read them. I was just looking over at him and thought, "My God! I'm going to marry him next week! We are getting married next Friday. We are really making this official".

A lump the size of a grapefruit welled up in my throat. How strange. My eyes felt full. My lips curved in a great big smile. I started to laugh and cry at the same time. Alex started laughing too. I wanted to resist, to fight the urge....then I realized it was no use. Alex hugged me...and assured me it is okay to be emotional. it's not a bad thing.

I WILL be that bride (despite my resistence) turned into a sobbing, sappy mush of a human being in front of family and friends. I'll probably gag, and try to catch my breath, kind of the way kids do when they have been crying hard and can't catch their breath. I'll probably do the ugly cry because I will be trying NOT to cry. Gads.

Tasks

We've knocked off two more items from our 'to do' list.

We picked up the materials we need to create our wedding program and the material to create the wedding favor holders (cones).

Alex is dropping off the vases at the florist today. Full payment for their services will be made Friday afternoon.

MomMoms arrives on Sunday, but we will not see her till Monday night. So we need to make sure our 'to dos' are done over the weekend as I have a feeling next week should just be reserved for relaxing and just letting the event soak in.

I hope all goes well.

Happily Fitted

I'm not as discusting as I thought I'd be at this weight (no, I'm not going to publish how much I weigh...its on a need to know basis), or I'm finally picking up on the notion that when I buy things that are the right size, the clothing, and the person wearing it looks so much better! I look more like me.

The alterations will be done by Friday/Saturday, so I go back and try it on. My mother will be coming with me. I think she talked the alterations lady into making me a shawl too. Argh.

We changed the position of the straps, shortened the waist, and the hem just up front. Once all the pins were in place, the dress and me looked 60% better.

Well, one thing off the 'to do' list.

12 Days Away

12 days till the big day.

Had a slumber party with the girls on Saturday. What great fun it was! And we ate so much. There is still left over cake in the fridge which I am going to have to find a way of disposing. Maybe Alex will eat the whole thing before I can think about it again. I will be taking good care not to eat fattening foods till the 29th.

I can't wait for the wedding day to come and go...not because I dread it or anything, but because I am tired of planning. I thought having a smaller wedding would afford great comfort and ease during planning and the days before, but it has proved no such luck. Gads. Having a smaller wedding does not exclude having to do all the things that come with a bigger wedding. There have been a few times when I've wondered if Alex and I should have had the bigger wedding...to feel more like all our hard work and planning had paid off. Hmmmm.

I just hope everything goes over well, that there will be no rain, that it will be partly cloudy/overcast (apparently photos come out better when there isn't any harsh shadowing due to a sunny day), and that no one makes an ass of themselves.

I can't wait to be married. I can't wait for all the anticipation to be over with so Alex and I can go back to normal again.

Grooming

My beautiful tuxedo cat (she's black and white and is colored like she's wearing a tux over a white shirt) Nellie needs a professional grooming...regularly.

She's getting more clumps of matted hair in her older age (she's 8 years old) and she isn't a fan of being combed or having people handle her too much. She will let me handle her, but she's got limits to that too.

I cut some of her matted hair last night. I realized this morning that I'd cut too short in two places on her right side. There was a patch of dried blood on both sites like she'd lightly skinned the area. I almost cried. I felt so bad.

Because she's also over weight, she can no longer get to all the areas she used to when she was a younger kitty. So she's neglecting her duties as well.

I cannot give her any more hair cuts. I'm not good at it, and I'm sure the professionals will do a better job. All I can do is start brushing her regularly several times a day. Argh. She's so high maintainence...she's luckly she's cute and sweet (big circle eyes).

Non-PC Guide to Dieting

* Buy a scale
* Weigh yourself every day, twice a day (after morning pee and before bedtime)
* Cabbage Soup - this really works people! It creates BMs and gets rid of bloating! And since you're weighing yourself daily, you'll notice a drop in numbers rather quickly. It's not meant to be used throughout a diet, but you can consume this any time in your diet...or even when you're not dieting. Call me a weirdo but I actually liked this soup...tasted like kim-chee soup.
* Buy clothing one size smaller than what you wear now. You'll MAKE yourself fit into them. When I got bigger, I bought bigger, and bigger, and bigger...etc till I grew out of my normal clothes for good. DON'T buy bigger if you feel you've put on a few pounds. Stick with the clothing you have and get yourself comfortable in them again.
* Drink coffee/teas. Caffeine can be a good thing when you're dieting as it raises your body temperature, and wakes you up.
* Buy heels! They make you look and feel sexier, taller, and newer!