Show & Tell: My Hometown

Good evening humble readers!

I have been just a little homesick lately. I miss my folks, and I miss my hometown. So, I thought I would share a bit about it with you.

It's not the town where I was born. I lived there through high school, and again after I left my 'chosen field' (that field that I spent my college money on). Of everywhere I've lived, I have spent the largest amount of time there.

It's the largest city in central British Columbia, an oasis in the middle of a true Canadian desert. Lake Okanagan is ridiculously long (not like I know how long... but I know it goes on forever) and rather skinny. It even has it's own lake monster, Ogopogo, who I happen to actually believe in... at least I believe there's something big down in the depths of that lake.

There are some pretty beaches and gorgeous mountain views. There are still all kinds of cherry and apple orchards on the hills around town, and some of the best wine in the world is made in the valley. A few years ago, there were some incredible wild fires and more than a third of the population of the city was evacuated (my family included).

This time of year the cherry blossoms have faded and the apple blossoms are just starting. The lilacs in my parents old front yard are probably done blooming now. In less than a month it will be getting really, REALLY hot there. It's not unheard of for it to get above 40 degrees Celsius (that's about 104 for my friends south of the 49th parallel) in July and August.

I love my home... this home I've made with my Beloved... I just wish there was a way that I could have it, my job, his job, and my hometown all at the same time.

Ok, so now that I've wallowed just a little, I think you should head on over to Mel's place and check out what the rest of the class is showing this week.

Kreativ Blogger Award

My lovely bloggy-friend, Alana, over at Alana-isms has honoured me with this award.

I'm not sure that I qualify as a creative blogger (mostly I just whine a lot) but I am grateful to have an opportunity to write about some of the things that I love.

So here's how it works:

1. When given the award, you write about seven things that you love.

2. Pass the award to seven bloggers that you love, and be sure to tag them and let them know they've won.

Seven things I love: (in no particular order)

• My Beloved: I never ever thought that I would find a man who would be able to love me with all my foibles. He is sweet, sensitive, and smart (not to mention sexy!). He's even cute when he's snoring on the couch (like now). He raves about my cooking, even on the bad experimental days, and he does the dishes. He longs for babies as much as I do, and understands when I have sad days.

• My Job/Books: Not many people I know who work in retail love their jobs, but I do. I have worked in retail book sales for almost 10 years, and honestly I don't think I could have made it through that long if I didn't love my work. And what's not to love? I get to be around books all day, I get to talk about books all day, I get to work with people who (for the most part) love books, and most of my customers are book lovers too. I get a great discount (which feeds my addiction) and I am exposed to a lot of great titles and authors that I probably wouldn't otherwise have found. Yes, I can gripe about crappy days, like everyone else, but really, give me a crazy Saturday at Christmas-time and I'm in heaven.

• The Colour Red: I have always loved red. My wedding dress had red trim. I carried red tulips. My new glasses are partially red. My hair looks best when it's red. My bedroom is a deep deep (very romantic) red. My couch is red. Sensing a trend yet? It's the colour that I look best in. The only bummer is because of our dress code, I only get to wear red to work in December.

• Broadway Musicals: This love has been a long and slow-to-develop love. I loved watching the old movie musicals when I was a kid (Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, anyone?), but then slowly got away from it in middle school. When I was in college, a friend talked me into watching 'Into the Woods' (the original cast) and I was intrigued. I had the soundtrack, and would occasionally listen to it over the years. Then a few years ago, a friend got involved in musical theater. This around the time of the release of 'Rent' as a movie... and well... let's just say I was a goner. "Wicked", "The Producers", "Hairspray", "Mama Mia", "Sweeney Todd", "Fiddler on the Roof", "Music Man", and "West Side Story" are all on my playlist right now. Guess why I want to go to NYC?

• School Supplies: Hi, my name is Mrs. Gamgee and I'm an addict. I'm addicted to buying pens, pencils, notebooks, markers, paper... anything that could count as school supplies. There's a line in "You've Got Mail" that I love... about bouquets of freshly sharpened pencils. I'm not allowed to shop at an office supply store unaccompanied. I will go nuts and buy a lifetime supply of blue pens. One of my goals in life is to own an old-school fountain pen, the kind where you have to fill it from an ink pot.
  

• Odd Canadian Music: Ok, so this one is on the list because I just found my Captain Tractor cd and I'm totally stoked. There are a lot of great Canadian bands out there that people outside of Canada have never heard of. Most of you have probably heard of Barena.ked La.dies (guess who's heartbroken that they broke up?), but have you heard of Moxy Fruvous (check out "King of Spain") or the aforementioned Captain Tractor ("The Last Saskatchewan Pirate")? Even groups like the Rankin Family, the Irish Rovers, Great Big Sea, and the Irish Decendants... they all fall into that bizarre melting pot that is fabulous Canadian music.
  

• Cooking: I love cooking. I love trying new recipes. I have to differentiate between cooking and baking, though. I am not a big fan of baking. You have to be too exact. Cooking is a release for me. I can be creative and most of the time things turn out (we won't talk about the chicken noodle casserole incident of 2002 or the beef & rice skillet that was just plain ookey from last month). I tend towards mostly mediterranean flavours, although I am hoping to branch out into thai sometime soon.
  

And now for the seven blogs that I love... (so hard to pick just seven)

• Lindsay at Destined to Be An Old Woman With No Regrets: She makes me think. She makes me laugh. And I am living vicariously through her pregnancy!
• Eve at Infertility Rocks!: Sarcastic and spirited, her posts are never dull and always chuckle-inducing. She's bravely considering IVF (check out her RE 'dates') and is open about her worries.
• Liv at Can You Imagine: You can't help but enjoy her peaceful attitude and positive outlook about her upcoming IUI and life on the road to baby.
• Katie at Isn't TTC Supposed To Be Fun?: She's going through a rough time right now, dealing with the loss of one of her babies-to-be. But her hopeful heart shines through her sadness.
• Mr. Shelby at Two Peas Waiting For Our Pod: I've just really started reading his blog after the last couple ICLWs, and it so great to read about the IF journey from a guy's perspective.
• Bunny at Bugaboo Envy: She's out to catch the 'baby flu' that seems to be going around :).
• Country Girl/City Girl: Humour, sarcasm, and the ability to laugh at themselves and those around them... and be serious when it's called for. Totally smurfy!
  

And of course honourable mention would go to Alana!

The Book Challenge - 2009

Kristin over at Dragondreamer's Lair is hosting a reading challenge for 2009. I'm a little late jumping on the bandwagon, but I have tracked the books I've read since February (check out my monthly reading lists).

I tend to read primarily fiction, and lately a lot of teen fiction. I do enjoy a good biography from time to time.

My goal for 2009 is to read 100 books. It's going to be a stretch considering I'm averaging only five books a month right now, but I'm going to work on turning the tv off and spending more time reading.

So, here's my list so far...

• Miscarriage by Henry Learner (January)
• I Can Make You Thin by Paul McKenna (January)
  
• Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir (February)
  
• Princess Diaries Collection by Meg Cabot (February)
• Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (February)
• A Harlequin novel that will remain unnamed (February)
• Sweetness At the Bottom of the Pie by Allen Bradley (February)
• Three Willows by Ann Brashares (March)
• The Hobbit by JRR Tolkein (March)
• Inkheart by Cornelia Funke (March)
• Mutiny on the Bounty by John Boyne (March)
• It Sucked and then I Cried by Heather Armstrong (March)
• Year of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty (April)
• Angels & Demons by Dan Brown (April)
• Shut Up, You're Fine by Andrew Hudgins (April)
• Always Looking Up by Michael J. Fox (April)
• Ride the Wind by Lucia St. Clair Robson (April)
• Eight Little Faces by Kate Gosselin (April)
• Distant Waves by Suzanne Weyn (May)
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (May)
• Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray (May)
• Navigating the Land of If by Melissa Ford (May)

I post my monthly reading lists (with reviews) at the end of each month. My to-read list is over there to the left.

Hobbit-ish Potpurri

Just a collection of ramblings...

Insomnia is a bugger. It hasn't been as bad as that night last week, but I haven't been able to sleep before 2 AM ever since. I think I'm going to break down and take something tonight. I hate wasting my days off feeling like a slug

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Due to a general lack of energy, I have been a very bad ICLW-er this month. But I still have two days, so hopefully I will be able to get caught up.

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I watched the season 5 opener of Jon & Kate last night. I have been a fan of their show for a long time, and I have avoided all the tabloid junk that has been out there lately. I have to say that I am sad for them and for their kids. There is a strong argument that they brought it on themselves, opening their lives to tv like that... I get that. But I also think that they are in the middle of a severe crisis, and having to deal with it in front of the cameras can't be easy. I keep them in my prayers (as dorky as that sounds).

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I have a new story idea percolating. It's been a while since I have done any serious writing, but I think all the teen fiction I have been reading lately has gotten me inspired. I spent some time last night working on some character development and it felt really good.

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I want my new glasses! It's been almost three weeks since I ordered them. I'm going to have to call today and find out what the hold up is.

I hope that everyone is well and that ICLW has been way more productive for everyone else than it has been for me. I also hope that all my friends down south had a wonderful long weekend.

Show & Tell: A Cop-Out and A Grateful Heart

Hello Humble Readers...

(Before I get to my Show & Tell, an update for you. Yes, AF has shown her face. Yes, I feel silly for being sooo hopeful, but am ready to move on to a new cycle with renewed optimism. One interesting trend I've noticed in my last three cycles now... my LP seems to have gained half a day. Odd. It's been making the end of the last couple of tww's rather confusing. I am now going to operate under the assumption that my LP is now 12.5-13 days, which should be a good thing, right?)

Ok, so on to S & T part one... Otherwise known as the part where I cop-out. I have no new pics this week, so I am reverting to some old stand-bys.

My Beloved and I had our engagement pictures taken in the same park where we had our wedding pics taken. Although our engagement was short, we still wanted something to commemorate the time. We had gotten engaged in October (he proposed on a pizza... but that's a story for another time), but the pictures were taken in mid-February.

The first is one of my favourite pictures of my Beloved (ignore the double-chin sitting beside him)... I love his smile and how relaxed he looks.

How did I manage to get such a looker?

The second two pics are of us in the same location... just two months apart.

All through March and the first half of April I was praying for some leaves to pop, so that it would look at least a little like spring in our pictures. The week before our wedding the park took on that lovely shade of pale green and the leaves were on their way.


And now for my homework... it was actually fairly easy for me to pick a Show & Tell post that was more than memorable for me. But before I tell you about the post I need to tell you a little about the author.

A little over a year ago I started posting on a TTC message board that catered particularly to Canadians. I started to get to know people, learn the lingo, and had begun the crazy up and downs of this road. One of the people I got to know through this time was the Steadfast Warrior. We shared the excitement about the prospect of being moms and month after month we cheered on each other and the others on the boards. We both got BFPs last summer, and we both miscarried at around the same time (my first loss, her second).

We had moved from the ttc boards to the pregnancy boards to the miscarraige boards together. We cried on each others shoulders via the internet, supported each other (and others on the same road) as we dealt with the grief and anger. Eventually, we both moved on to trying again.

When I experienced my second loss, she was there. She read my rants. She sent me emails to support and encourage me when I disappeared from the boards. And she encouraged me to blog. She told me about the ALI community, and about the support she received here. And she cheered me on as I picked myself up and started again... and when I started to blog.

At one point, shortly after we lost Olivia, I clicked onto her blog, and it happened to be this post. It made me laugh, as she often does, and it was exactly what I needed. I want to say thank you, Lindsay, for being a friend and a support and a cheerleader. Blessings on you, girl! (and your little bean, too!!)

Ok, so now that the sap-fest is over... head on over to Mel's place and check out what everyone else is showing this week! And don't forget to bring your homework!

The Lament of the Insomniac

Good Evening Humble Readers...

When I was a child, my biological mom would brag about how good a sleeper I was. I would sleep anywhere and everywhere. I slept through the night very early, and was a good napper. (I remember being very upset that I had slept though an animated tv special when I was 5 because my mom didn't want to wake me from my nap.)

As I got a little older, this trend continued. If I was in a moving car for more than 20 minutes, it was common for me to fall asleep (altho, this was more of a defense against motion sickness than anything else, I think).

I can sleep on a plane. I can sleep on a bus. In college, I often slept on the chapel pews (during service). I can sleep with the tv on, with the lights on, and absolutely with my glasses on.

So why couldn't I sleep last night?

Thursday nights are always a bit of a challenge for me because I know that I need to go to sleep early. 5:30 Friday AM comes far too early for a person whose internal alarm clock usually goes off at around 8am.

As per my Thursday usual, I went to bed at around 10 last night, planning on reading for an hour or so. I was still awake when my Beloved came to bed just after midnight. I was still reading, and no where near sleepy at 1:00 AM. (btw, great book Mel! I'm totally loving it!) I forced myself to put the book down and turned off the light.

And I laid there...

And stared at the ceiling...

And tossed and turned...

And fought with the duvet...

And flipped my pillow over to the cool side...

And looked at the clock...

Finally, in the interest of letting my Beloved get a decent night's sleep, I got up and went out to the living room, certain that a little syndicated tv would do the trick.

I watched an entire episode of Numb.ers, and more than half an episode of Hou.se before my eyes finally drifted closed.

They popped open again at 5:15. Two hours of sleep. That's not sleep, it's a nap.

So needless to say, I'm tired. Exhausted. Weary.

I know that there are others out in the world who deal with chronic insomnia, and I truly feel for them. My situation is no where near what my mom deals with on a regular basis. However, I have spent a wasted day at work (got nothing done) and a wasted afternoon/evening at home. And now it's time for bed.

So, good night, humble readers. I will try to be a much better ICLW-er tomorrow.

Oh My Goodness... ICLW Again Already!

Where does the time go?

For those of you who are stopping by for the first time here's my top ten:

10 - the number of books "to read" that are currently on my bedside table
9 - the month of my birthday, also the month of our long awaited trip to NYC (Can you still call it a honeymoon if you have been married for more than two years?)
8 - how old my nephew will be turning in a week
7 - the number of boxes that we haven't yet unpacked (and we moved in here almost a year ago)
6 - the number of parents I have had in my life (yes, my life is the stuff of Jerry Spr.inger's dreams)
5 - the number of new recipes I have to try soon so that I can pass them on to you lovely people
4 - the number of times a day I stare at my FF chart to see if I can will it to say I'm pregnant
3 - the number of countries I have lived in, the number of provinces I have lived in, and the number states I have lived in (did I mention Jerry Spr.inger?)
2 - the number of angels I have in heaven (Emily Hope & Olivia Noelle)
1 - the number of people who can shorten my first name to one syllable and not get a black eye

I am also at the tail end of what has turned out to be a very trying tww. Yesterday morning I was very hopeful, but now I'm just not so sure. The hives have faded a bit, my temp dropped a little this morning, and I'm now getting my usual pre-AF backache.

I'm feeling a bit foolish for being so hopeful, because really... if it did happen this month it could practically count as immaculate conception. I was so sick during my O week that... well, let's just say I'm putting the 'it only takes once' axiom to the test. I will know soon enough, I guess.

Anyway, welcome to my little hobbit-world. I'm glad you've stopped by!

Ummm... I think... Maybe...

I don't have any unequivocal proof, but...

• low grade cramps for the last week
• a slightly tri-phasic chart
• my usual phantom symptoms (mild nausea, fatigue, dizziness)
  
• no real pms symptoms
  

and now today

• hives

With both of my previous pregnancies, I broke out in hives during my luteal phase.

I have tested twice, and both came back bfn, but it is still early. Friday is really the day that I'm expecting AF.

Humble readers, my brain is going in circles. I am hopeful and scared, prayerful and terrified.

It's Finally Here!

I just had to post that I have FINALLY received my copy of "Navigating the Land of IF"! It took forever, but it's now mine, and I can't wait to read it! (I actually started reading a bit while I was at work but forced myself to stop.)

Show & Tell: Anti-Bitterness

A lot of people have been apologizing to me lately.

A co-worker in my office... "I'm sorry. Does the picture of my new niece on my desk bother you?"

A staff-member who's pregnant... "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be talking about my pregnancy."

My Beloved, at a restaurant this week, after pointing out an adorable little one... "I'm sorry. Is it too hard on you to see that?"

I just want to scream at everyone to stop.

Yes, I have lost two babies. Yes, it is something that is still very much a part of my daily life. Yes, I deal with jealousy every day when I see others' babies and pregnancies. Yes, I am envious of the girls who get knocked up without seeming to try. Yes, I have packed away all the reminders of babies in my house. Yes, I am an infertile!

But that doesn't mean that I am bitter 24/7. That doesn't mean that I hate the sight of all babies.

Back in January, February, even March, if you had asked if I was ok with celebrating others' babies and pregnancies, I wouldn't have been able to give you a positive answer. But even in my darkest moments I recognized that my pain and bitterness were just that, mine.

There are fortunate people who get pregnant easily, and carry their babies to term without a whole lot of difficulty. Do I envy them? Yes! Do I hate them or avoid them like the plague? No!

I love babies. I think that pregnant women are beautiful. I rejoice when I hear that a friend in RL or in the blogosphere announce that they have succeeded where I have failed. I love to make stupid faces at the teeny ones who make their way into my store. I coo and make an idiot of myself over babies regularly. Have I said it loud enough? I LOVE BABIES!

I hate being infertile. I hate that it has become a part of my identity in a way that I can't escape. I hate that it has changed my view on something that I had always thought would be so simple for me.

But I hope that I will never be bitter about a baby. Babies are cause for celebration! They are hope, faith and love personified.

I just want one of my own.

(I don't mean this post as a judgement on anyone who is struggleing to feel happy about a friend's baby or pregnancy. Your feelings are yours and are therefore correct for whatever situation you are currently facing.)

I know that this isn't a typical Show & Tell post, but it's where I'm at today. If you want to see a collection of more normal showing and telling, head on over to Mel's and see what the rest of the class is up to.

Oh the Joy of Sound

Well kids, I did it. I went to work today and worked a whole shift. It's my first full shift since May 2nd. Crazy!

I'm exhausted, but it felt good to be out of the house and doing things again. My voice is thrashed again from having to talk so much, but I am seeing (or should I say hearing?) some improvement in other areas...

Yup... My ears have started to pop.

My right ear popped for the first time last night, and let me tell you, I thought I was going to die! (Imagine that obit... 'After a long struggle with the rhino virus, Mrs. Gamgee succumbed to a fatal popping of her right ear...') It felt like someone was driving a hot poker right through my ear drum. After the pain faded, though, the release of pressure was fabulous! My left ear has popped a few times today, which created a few interesting moments with my staff... imagine me clutching the side of my head after sneezing and one of my retiree part-timers staring at the grimace on my face... not easy to explain to a very prim 70 year old lady.

So, I'm on the mend... just in time for the phantom tww symptoms to kick in. *sigh* I KNOW that the odds are very seriously against anything coming of this cycle... but now that we've been given the 'all clear' I hate having to wait! Oh well... Come on AF!

Off to take a nap...

The Craziest Thing I have seen on the Net Yet!

So I came across this in a round about way. I was looking through the stuffed animals on my store's website, looking for any new elephant stuffies... yes, it's an addiction, but I digress.

In my search I came across the strangest stuffie I have ever seen. Check out this company: Giant Microbes. Yes, kids that's correct! Stuffies of bacteria, viruses, and other ookiness. HIV, Hepatitis, Black Death, Ebola, Gangrene, and West Nile are all represented along with the common cold, the Flu, and Herpes. Germs and illnesses, from the common to the deadly. I was honestly never so repulsed and at the same time fascinated!

Oh, and for all my friends in the world of IF... check out the Egg & Sperm stuffies!

So strange!

Hobbit-ish Potpurri

Hello all my humble readers... Just a few odds and ends from the flatland.


The Crud is still making my life unpleasant, although not in a major way. I tried to go to work on Sunday (the first time in a week) and almost fell over from dizziness shortly after I got there. Needless to say, I didn't stay long. I did go to the ER (because there are NO walk in clinics open in this town on Sundays... grrrr), and found out that my blood pressure was through the roof and that what I thought was an ear infection is a blockage in the tubes that run from my ears to my jaw. So, the long and the short of it is that I just get to tough it out until they unblock (doc recommended using a saline nasal spray to attempt to move things along, so far it hasn't helped much). Increased blood pressure was attributed to too much cold medication in a 24 hour period. Fabulous... So, now I'm almost feeling human, albeit a slightly deaf human.

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Went to see the fabulous Dr. U yesterday. After more discussion with the xray tech and some more analysis, he is leaning toward that spot that showed up on my HSG being a polyp rather than scar tissue. For those who are unaware, uterine polyps are generally considered benign, and for all intents and purposes they look like skin tags. He made sure to be very clear that they polyp would not have caused my m/c's... those were blighted ovums. He does want to remove the polyp tho, just in the sake of being thorough... so that we can be sure that it does not play any kind of a role in future pregnancies. He got me set up on the waiting list for a hysteroscopy and went through all the risks associated with the procedure (same as a D&C) and that I get to be sedated but awake the whole time (YIKES!). The last thing he said was that we should keep trying to get pregnant. It may be a couple of months before I get moved up the list, and if I get pregnant, they will just cancel the procedure.

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Spring may actually be arriving here in the arctic north... I actually saw the hint of leaves yesterday and the tulip garden in front of the hospital actually has some shoots. Of course, the weather people are saying that we may actually get some snow tonight. INSANE!

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Petey the PT Cruiser is now hopefully completely healed up from his recent round of repairs. The last couple of months have been brutal on our bottom line because of everything that seemed to go wrong at once with the car. The power steering was the last on the list to fix, and now it's done... maybe I'll be able to get that air conditioner I was hoping for after all.

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My 'OMG You Rock' package was great! Thank you again Shannon! It was wonderful to have something to look forward to on a day that I was really dreading. Thank you Liv for setting it up!

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I'm looking for a recipe for German potato salad. Anyone have a good one? (I'm thinking of one I had a long time ago... really tangy, it had sausage in it too) My beloved is asking for potato salad, but I don't want to make the 'usual'.

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Here's hoping I'm feeling a ton better this weekend. I actually get two days of the three day weekend off! I want to go to a movie (so stoked to see Star Trek!) and spend some time outside.

That's about it for now. I hope everyone is well!

How could you, Bones?

Hello humble readers...

Well, I believe I've turned a corner with the Crud. I'm pooped, tuckered, and generally wiped out, but breathing is much easier today. I am at the point where I'm sure that if my ears would just pop all would be pretty much well. Thank you all so much for your kind words and warm thoughts this week.

So, in my drug induced stupor this week I have spent most of my time curled up on our couch with my fuzzy blankets, multiple boxes of triscuits (to scratch my throat), strawberry popcicles, tissues, and industrial size jugs of OJ. I haven't been able to read because I can't seem to focus on the words on the page (which has also contributed to me being a bad bloggy-friend this week too, so sorry everyone!), so of course I have been watching waaaaay too much tv. Star Trek, Rachel Ray, various home improvement shows, and of course CSI (because it's on EVERYWHERE!) have all filled my hours.

Last night, when I was beginning to feel slightly human again, I got very excited because I realized that I was actually going to get to watch Bones. I have always loved that show, but with my work schedule and the changes in the show's time slot, I haven't gotten to watch it all that often this year. So, I settled into the cushions, ready to enjoy a good and disgusting episode of dead bodies and the sexual tension between Booth and Bones.

The episode started off encouragingly. An extremely decomposed dead body in a wine cask. Fabulously gross! I actually had to turn away a few times. Okay, so cut to the obligatory relationship part of the show... Booth and Bones in Dr. Sweets' office for their weekly therapy session. And what does Bones say? 'I want to have a baby.'

The long and the short of it is... Bones decides she want to have a baby, but doesn't want the baggage of the 'ephemeral emotions' that go with doing things the old fashioned way. She, in her usual tactless, clueless way, tells Booth that she wants to have his baby because he is the ideal breeding partner. They then go through the whole bit about does he want to have a baby but not be the daddy... the whole time assuming that it's a given that she will get pregnant. At one point she even says 'I could be pregnant in a month'.

Not even taking into account that she has only decided that she wants to do this yesterday (in tv-land), apparently she was already able to get in to a fertility specialist, has been ok'd for IVF, had Booth drop off his sample, had it analyzed (28 million, and he was proud... ha! some of my friends' hubbies in the blogosphere can beat that without trying!) and found out that he has good motility. At the rate she was going, I was just waiting for the shot of her walking out of the bathroom at the Jeffersonian with a positive hpt at the end of the show.

Talk about trivializing ART! I was so disgusted! I know that there is an overriding assumption out there that IVF is an 'easy' option, but come on! I have always been so impressed with that tv show... entertaining and yet nasty crime drama... lots of pseudo-science to keep me intrigued... but this just totally irked me! And I've never even gone through IUI or IVF. I was so offended, for myself as an infertile, and for all my friends who struggle month after month with this battle.

Shame on you, Bones! Shame on you!

(yes, I realize that it's just a tv show... but it still really bothered me)

Nothing New to Report

Doctor said: 'It's a cold. Here's a note to stay home for another two days.'

Thermometer said: '100.0' (down from yesterday)

Sinuses said: 'Ha! You thought we were gonna leave you alone???'

Crud Update

Well, so much for thinking that this crap is going away. Sinus congestion is in full swing and the fever is at it's highest so far (still not in scary H1N1 zone tho). I'm going to the doctor tomorrow, at which point, I'm sure he'll tell me that it's just a cold and to deal.

Let me tell you, getting an eye exam when you have a cold is not fun. That puff of air in the eye thing... yikes! And I was so self-conscious... I didn't want the doc to think I was dying.

I did pick a new set of frames (yes, they are partly red, City Girl ;) ) and I'm pretty sure I'll be happy with them. I did a little bit of shopping, including stocking my medicine cabinet with things I haven't had in the house in a year... that hot lemon stuff and some Buckley's (a truly Canadian experience... their slogan is 'it tastes awful but it works'... tastes like liquefied pine needles). Why is it when you're sick, you end up buying stupid stuff? When I got home I found that I had purchased hairspray (which I never use), a two sided stove-top grill/griddle (huh?), gum (which I never chew), and some Ol.ay face product (that I have never seen before).

I now have a couple of hours before I have to go pick up my DH. Maybe I should tell him to call a cab.

Wishful Thinking (othewise known as grasping at straws)

Good evening humble readers...

Well, the crud is moving on, slowly. It feels like my normal pattern for a cold is going in reverse. I'm starting to deal with some sinus congestion (where my colds usually start) and the chest congestion is finally easing (where my colds usually end). At least I think the fever is finally going away.

While it doesn't seem quite related, I was looking back over my charts from the past year and noticed a bit of a pattern. In the past year I have been pregnant twice. In the past year I have had two bouts with the flu/cold/whatever the hell this is. The first go round with the flu... two months later I was pregnant. Second go round with the flu... next month I was pregnant. Do you see the pattern?

So... does that mean that I might just get pregnant this month? Of course, that would necessitate me getting the energy to get off the couch, stop hacking up a lung, and consider shaving my legs. Meh... whatever. My fever has probably cooked my eggie for this month anyway. (would that be poached, fried or scrambled?)

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On a completely different note, I go for my eye exam tomorrow. I have needed new glasses for about two years, but I always had an excuse (the wedding, moving, new job, no benefits, was pregnant). But really, I just hate going and finding out that my eyesight is that crappy. Not to mention, I hate trying to choose a new pair of frames. I can't see what I look like so I have to trust the people who work there, and that's just not really confidence boosting.

Oh well...

I'm off to go find some steel wool to shove in my ears... maybe that will help with the itchiness.

Show & Tell: The Crud Returns

The joys of working in retail... cranky customers, unrealistic expectations from my staff, product that doesn't arrive when it should... and exposure to every germ under the sun. That's right kids, the Crud is back, with a vengeance.

This time it seems to be focusing on my lungs, so the upside is that I don't have a sinus headache. I just have a regular headache. I'm tired, and my voice sounds like I've been chewing on gravel. Somehow, I have to pull it together to go to work at 4. Joys of retail.

Now, before you ask... no I haven't been to Mexico recently, nor around anyone that has recently come back from Mexico. That I know of. Like I said, joys of retail.

I apologize that this show and tell isn't more entertaining, but my brain is on the mushy side right now. Head over to Mel's to check out what the rest of the class is showing.

Book Challenge 2009 Update

Kristin at Dragondreamer's Lair instituted a Book Challenge for 2009. I signed up a little late (in April) and set a goal of 100 books. In ages past, 100 books in a year would not have been a challenge at all, however these days... well, let's just say I'm way behind. I will update here as I finish books. I read mostly fiction, with some biographies and teen titles thrown in for good measure. Check out my monthly reading lists for reviews.

Here's to turning off the tv and openning a good book!

1 - Miscarriage by Henry Learner
2 - I Can Make You Thin by Paul McKenna
3 - Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir
4 - Princess Diaries Collection by Meg Cabot
5 - Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
6 - A Harlequin novel that will remain unnamed
7 - Sweetness At the Bottom of the Pie by Allen Bradley
8 - Three Willows by Ann Brashares
9 - The Hobbit by JRR Tolkein
10 - Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
11 - Mutiny on the Bounty by John Boyne
12 - It Sucked and then I Cried by Heather Armstrong
13 - Year of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty
14 - Angels & Demons by Dan Brown
15 - Shut Up, You're Fine by Andrew Hudgins
16 - Always Looking Up by Michael J. Fox
17 - Ride the Wind by Lucia St. Clair Robson
18 - Eight Little Faces by Kate Gosselin
19 - Distant Waves by Suzanne Weyn
20 - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
21 - Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
22 - Navigating the Land of If by Melissa Ford
23 - Virgin's Secret by Victoria Alexander
24 - Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
25 - Beware A Scot's Revenge by Sabrina Jeffries
26 - Last Summer of You and Me by Anne Brashares
27 - Harry Potter & The Half-blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
28 - Forgotten Garden by Kate Morten
29 - Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Rigler
30 - Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel
31 - Stone Me: the Wit & Wisdom of Keith Richards by Mark Blake
32 - The 19th Wife by David Ebersoff
33 - A Rose for the Crown by Anne Easter Smith
34 - It's Not That I'm Bitter by Gina Barreca
35 - Barrons Dog Bible: Pugs by Dan Rice
36 - Benny & Shrimp by Katarina Mazetti
37 - Julie & Julia by Julie Powell
38 - Bride in the Bargain by Deanne Gist
39 - Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
40 - Galore by David Crummey
41 - The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
42 - New York City Day By Day from Frommers
43 - Love Comes Softly by Jannette Oke
44 - Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
45 - Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
46 - Wed Him Before You Bed Him by Sabrina Jeffries
47 - The Eight by Katherine Neville
48 - Extreme Vinyl Cafe by Stuart Mclean
49 - The Pages In Between by Erin Einhorn
50 - Valley of Horses by Jean Auel
51 - Fire by Kristen Cashore
52 - Christmas Blizzard by Garrison Keilor
53 - New York by Edward Rutherfurd