Hobbit-ish Potpurri: Oh My Aching...

Hey Humble Readers...

Thank you so much for your words of encouragement on my last post.  I managed to get out for my walk yesterday (bigger bandage on my blisters) and actually got 6km in, plus I did my squats and abs & arms workout.  And by bedtime last night I could hardly walk.  LOL.  My... well, my glutes were aching.  Still are today, so I skipped my walk this morning and did a bunch of housework and grocery shopping instead.  Didn't get all my steps in, but I'm okay with that.  I also found a tip for stretching my new shoes, which I did today.  Tomorrow will be the test. 

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I meant to post this yesterday, but the day got away from me.  The winner in my giveaway associated with my interview with J.R. Vikse is Good Timing!  (Had my Beloved do the 'pick a number' thing.)  I'll be in touch soon GT, to arrange for you to get your copy of The Lazy Postman.  The second part of my interview with J.R. will be posted during September's ICLW. 

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So, other than a to do list a mile long for tomorrow morning (including packing), I'm feeling very ready for this trip.  I know it's just a couple of hours down the highway and only for the weekend, but I'm almost as excited as I was when we went to NYC.  Almost.  We agreed that we are only going to eat at restaurants that we don't have at home... little local places mostly.  Actually, most of the ones we've chosen have been featured on You Gotta Eat Here (the Canadian version of Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives).  And we have a few fun adventures planned that I'm looking forward to telling you all about next week.  My MIL will get here in the early afternoon tomorrow and then we are off!  Hooray!

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Pinterest find of the week:  Ok, actually I found this one a while ago, but I only implemented it about a month ago.  Instead of using shaving foam or soap when you shave your legs, use baby oil.  This is genius!  My legs feel so soft!  I add a step, using a sugar scrub on my legs first, then the baby oil.  I find that I don't have to shave as often, and the baby oil is also supposed to make your blade last longer. 

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Tomorrow, Friday, is my Beloved's birthday.  I am so very blessed to have him in my life.  He's a wonderful husband, an amazing father, and my best friend.  This trip is partly to celebrate his birthday, and I also have a big dinner planned for next week, the menu for which is a surprise for him so I'll have to tell you all about it later, just in case he pops on here. 

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Well, I'm off to bed.  I want to get a walk in tomorrow morning, and it's going to be a busy day.  Have a great long weekend everyone!

Sunday Night Chit Chat: Hockey Widow

Hey Humble Readers...

How's your weekend been?  Ours was nice... a trip to Little Town Down South to visit MIL, some shopping (I got new shoes!  Woohoo), and some quiet family time.  Lots of rain.  We did, however, get a chance to go to the park for a little while between showers. 

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My Beloved loves hockey and football (CFL).  I am not a fan of the NHL.  If I'm going to watch hockey it will be international or junior level.  Thankfully, he doesn't feel the need to watch every game every week.  It also helps that 'his' team (Calgary Flames) haven't been doing so well the last few years.  But now that we're down to the semi-finals, I'm officially a hockey widow.  Is it just me, or does it seem ridiculous that they're still playing hockey in June?  And then football starts in July.  *sigh*

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If you're driving through central Alberta anytime soon, you might want to avoid driving in the Shire.  This past winter was murder on our roadways, and with all the rain we've had recently the city crews haven't been able to get out to work on the potholes.  Our back lane is especially bad as we share it with a strip mall and the delivery trucks have torn the crap out of the alley (unpaved).  The entrance to our parking lot is marked by a pothole that is more than a foot deep. 

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I've been contacted by one of my bio-aunts, and she wants to come and see us.  I haven't responded yet.  I would like to see her, but every time I get in touch with someone from my bio-family all hell breaks loose.  The phone calls and harassment begins again from my bio-mom and bio-sister.  I just don't know if I'm ready to face that right now. 

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My Beloved and I are taking a mini-holiday on Labour Day weekend.  I know it's still a long way away, but I'm excited about it.  We aren't going far, just down the highway to Big City To The South, for the weekend.  MIL is coming here to stay with the wee-lings, and we managed to get a great deal on a nice hotel room for the weekend.  It will be our first overnight trip (together) away from the wee-lings.  I love my children, and I'm I excited to have a chance to get away from them for a while. 

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On to tonight's chit chat.  Here's what I'm...

Reading... The Winter Palace by Eva Stachniak.  This book is really good.  I know next to nothing about Russian history, so this is a learning experience for me too.  All about an orphan girl, a ward of the crown, who is trained to be a spy in the court of Catherine the Great.  Very reminiscent of Philippa Gregory's Tudor series.  I'm loving it.  Next in the queue is The Art of Racing In The Rain by Garth Stein.

Watching... not really watching anything.  My Beloved is surfing back and forth between the hockey game and Mythbusters.

Listening To... while I'm not listening to anything other than the tv right now, I have recently found a very old favourite and I've been listening to him on my walks in the morning.  Chris De Burgh... the guy who sang Lady In Red.  He's got a ton of great 'story songs' like The Traveller, Spanish Train, and Patricia the Stripper.  Very nostalgic for me.

Happy I accomplished this week... I joined www.fatsecret.com ages ago, but this week I founded a challenge.  A 30 Day Squat Challenge.  I found the layout of the challenge on Pinterest, and there are now 115 people signed up to squat along with me this month.  It's killer on the legs of course, but it's actually fun too.

Looking forward to next week...  Crafting with the girls on Thursday.  Working on some Christmas gifts.  I already have my mom's and my MIL's Christmas gifts done (except for the frames). 

Thankful for this week... The sun, when it shines. 

***Bonus Question*** If you could only eat ONE FOOD for the rest of your life, what would it be?  Would you believe me if I said roasted broccoli?  I love that stuff!  I could eat it all day long. 

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This was posted as a part of Carla's Sunday Night Chit Chat.  Click over to see what the others are chatting about tonight, and join in on the fun!

Sunday Night Chit Chat: Recovery Mode

Hey Humble Readers...

We made it safely home last night around 7pm, after a little over 12 hours of driving. Thankfully, Ginny only got carsick once, and that was just about an hour into the trip.  My mom followed us in her car, and went on to the big city to the north of us to spend a few days with my sister, before heading to Winter-peg to visit some more family.  She just wasn't quite ready to face not having GG to look after on a daily basis, so traveling will keep her busy.  The highlight of the journey was when we had stopped at the mid point of the trip to gas up and have lunch, and my mom locked her keys in her car at the gas pump.  Oy!

Today has been all about recovering from our trip.  Laundry, grocery shopping, and washing all the mud off the car (the pass was really slushy and mucky).  The wee-lings, who had been struggling with sleep while we were at Mom's, slept for more than 12 hours last night!  It was after eight o'clock this morning before we heard a peep from them.  Miraculous!

Ginny with her cousins Felix & Oscar

Onto the Chit-Chat...

Here's what I'm

Reading - I just started "The Book Thief".  It's a different sort of book than what I usually read, but I'm enjoying it immensely.

Watching - Probably just going to clear up some room on the dvr.  I love the Oscars, but this year I didn't get to see the majority of the movies, and I'm not able to do my usual Oscar night dinner of appies and snacks, so I'm just not feeling it.

Listening to - The wee-lings go crazy for the dogs in 101 Dalmations.

Cooking/Baking - Because it's been such a busy day, I didn't want anything too involved, so I'm making my Lazy Sausage Casserole.  It's so yummy, with lots of veggies.  Here's the recipe if you're interested.

Happy I accomplished this week - I managed to speak at GG's memorial, which I wasn't sure I'd be able to do.  I cooked almost every meal while we were in K-town (saving my mom the stress of cooking for a horde).  And I washed the car today. 

Looking forward to next week - Actually, I'm more hoping than looking forward to something... our mortgage is up for renewal, and I'm hoping that we'll be able to get a better interest rate (appointment on Tuesday).  Other than that, I'm just planning on getting into a normal routine again, and starting my spring cleaning.

Thankful for this week - Safe travels, children who travel moderately well (carsickness notwithstanding), and for the privilege of having known my Grandma. 

**Bonus Question** What item is currently at the *TOP* of your wish list right now?  Well, the big ticket item would be a bedroom set for my Beloved and I (we have no head board, and my Beloved uses a laundry basket for a dresser).  I really love the Hemnes set from Ikea, but the closest Ikea is a fair jaunt away, and the pieces wouldn't fit in Tilly the Toyota anyway.  The smaller ticket item, and far more attainable, is a decent shoe rack.  I'm so sick of all our shoes being all over the floor in our entryway. 

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This was posted as a part of Carla's Sunday Night Chit Chat.  Pop over and check out what others are chatting about tonight! 

Her Mother's Daughter

Hey Humble Readers,

We arrived in K-town safely, even though the snowy roads were genuinely un-fun. We left at 4:30 in the morning, and thankfully the wee-lings slept for the first few hours. 

However, we discovered that my wee sweet girl has inherited an unfortunate trait of mine. 

Ginny gets car-sick. 

Ginny got car-sick.

FIVE TIMES. 

I'm totally bummed for the poor girl.  We attempted to employ the wonder drug grav.ol to no avail.  She just kept on puking.  We are going to have to look into ginger and other alternatives.  Any input?

As soon as she was out of the car, bathed, and the center of Mama's attention, she was feeling much better.  Are we surprised?

Is This Thing On?

Howdy Humble Readers...

I hope you're all doing well, whatever your mid-July is bringing you. 

We're happily ensconced in the sunshine and summer breezes in K-town.  Things here are actually going pretty good for the most part, considering all the family drama we've had over the last couple of months.  I'm still kind of waiting fo the other shoe to drop, tho.  We'll see what comes. 

Ginny is so not liking the pool, and Pippin is being spoiled rotten by his Mama and his Auntie. 

Pippin also got to meet a very important person... his GG! 

Don't forget, there's still a couple of days left on the giveaway below.  If you have wee-lings in your life, the hats that she makes are absolutely adorable!

The Journey Out of Crazy Town

Hey Humble Readers....  (if any of you are still out there)

I know it's been a while.  The last you heard from this intrepid hobbit, I was just getting home from the ER after a terrible bout of stomach flu. Much has happened in the interim, but suffice it to say, I feel like we are coming back to normal.  At least our brand of normal around here.  Let me give you the run down... (hope you're prepared for a long story)

The Wretched Stomach Flu

Ginny came down with the nasty bug around the 12th or 13th of December.  Vomiting, diarrhea, the works.  For her, it lasted about 24 hours... with a few little straggling pukey sessions that lingered into the second day.  We had a recovery day, and went for doctor appointments for both she an I... her well-baby check up and blood work results for me.  Both were anticlimactic, botched test results for me and a cursory check over for the wee girl. 

That night, sometime just after midnight, I woke up with a horrible pain in my stomach.  I got up and assumed that I would be spending some time in the bathroom with my usual IBS issues.  An hour or so later, I started puking.  And puking.  And puking.  It lasted for close to twelve hours.  I couldn't keep anything down, not even water.  I started to get a little freaked out, and I begged my Beloved to stay home from work because I was in no condition to look after Ginny.  It was around noon, after a particularly ugly round of vomiting that I decided to call our healtlink hotline.  I gave the nurse all my info (pregnant, diabetic, stomach flu, etc) and she was adamant that I go to the ER. 

Another 6 hours, lots of needle sticks, and two bags of IV fluids later I was on my way home, feeling like I had been run over by a Mack truck.  My MIL came the next day to help look after Ginny so that I could rest.  She made soup, gave Ginny a bath, and basically ran things for the day, while I laid on the couch like a lump.  (Sadly, she ended up catching the vile, wretched bug.  Since that point, no less than 8 members of our extended family have had it, altho none of them ended up in the hospital thankfully!)

The Continuing Plumbing Saga

The Hobbit-hole has some issues.  It's small.  It's old-ish.   The front north corner of the building is slightly lower than the rest due to a settling foundation after a major flood at the building next door.  But the pressing issue this year has been our plumbing.  You may recall, if you have a good memory, that we had to have the kitchen taps worked on last year.  Then came the hot water tap in our tub.  A temporary fix, followed by an expensive replacement.  Then the aging hot water tank started acting up.  Two days after the stomach flu/ER fiasco the pilot light went out on the tank.  We called a plumber, and he got it restarted but strongly recommended getting the tank replaced.  We knew it was due soon (the tank was pushing 20 years old), but were hoping to hold out until tax refund time.  NO SUCH LUCK!

The next day, I had no hot water for my shower.  It had now been 3 days since my last hot shower.  Hobbits don't deal well with repeated exposure to icy water.  My Beloved and I bit the bullet and called the plumber.  They got us on the schedule for the next day, and they came in and with relatively little fuss (and a big check that I had to sign) they swapped old for new, and I had the promise of hot water... UNTIL...

The Carbon Monoxide Scare

The guy who was doing the install on our hot water tank was just finishing up.  I had just written the check.  The plumber was doing one final check on the tank when he noticed something odd.  Where the furnace and hot water tank exhaust should have been venting, it was backdrafting.  As in venting back into our furnace room.  As in carbon monoxide was filling the space.  Pardon the expression, but WTF!?!?!  If I believed in karma, I would be of the opinion that I really pissed someone off in a former life.  Plumber-dude immediately shut down both the new hot water tank and the furnace... in December... on the frozen flatland. 

Two days and five furnace specialists later, the problem/mystery was solved.  It turns out that one of the downstairs units in our building had the furnace replaced, and the asshat who did it managed to hook that furnace up to our chimney (again I say, WTF!?).  He then ran an exhaust hose from that furnace, through our chimney to the roof, and then capped it, effectively blocking the path for our furnace exhaust.  Our furnace was venting into the wall between our unit and the one next door.  Sounds like a great idea, huh?  The particularly fun bit was when the owner of the unit with the furnace in question decided to drag her feet for half a day before she would come and let the furnace guys into her unit to check it out (her exact words to my Beloved were "how do you know it's coming from my unit?  What proof do you have?"). 

Travels with a Toddler

Two days after the whole furnace fiasco, we were heading out to fly to K-town to spend the holidays with my family.  Ginny has flown before, and she did well, sleeping through the whole journey.  This time, no such luck.  Plus it wasn't a direct flight... we had to fly through Vancouver, so add an extra hour to our flying time.  Less than 15 minutes into the flight, she somehow managed to wet through her diaper, onesie, jeans and my shirt (she hasn't had a major leak like that since she was in cloth diapers!).  I wasn't prepared for it, and we had no change of clothes for her in the diaper bag.  So, I got to sit on a plane with a very wet, very fussy baby soaking me. 

Then, on the descent into Vancouver, Ginny started to have some issues.  And when I say some, I mean major issues.  She became 'that' baby on the plane.  The one every traveler dreads.  The screaming, snotty, pee-soaked, red in the face baby.  Oh, and did I mention that I really had to pee?  The Halfling 2.0 decided that would be a good time to line dance on my bladder.  And we had to change planes... kind of.  We had to get off the plane in Vancouver, with all our carry ons and a very upset baby, only to get right back on it 10 minutes later.  The only upside was that I had a moment to go pee. 

The flight from Vancouver to K-town was considerably quieter (thank you Tyl.enol), but that was the last quiet time we got for a while.  Apparently, Ginny is going through a phase where change is a very bad thing.  Sleeping in a strange play pen, in a strange room, sharing said room with Mommy and Daddy... all added up to very little sleep for 10 days.  Other than that, it was a great trip, and I'm glad we went.  The flight home was much less traumatic, and significantly shorter as we had a direct flight.  Ginny didn't sleep on the plane, but we weren't even out of the airport parking lot before she was out cold.  She slept for the two hour drive from Big City to the South to our little city. 

I'm now in that post-trip recovery mode.  I'm feeling like I'm coming down with a bit of a cold.  I've unpacked two out of three suitcases, and hopefully tomorrow I will have the energy to do the third suitcase and start to take down all our Christmas decorations. 

Oh yeah, and I have a little thing called an ultrasound tomorrow afternoon!  Yippee!

Hobbit-ish Potpurri: Vacation & Bloggity Summer Camp Edition

Howdy Humble Readers...

The Gamgee clan is home from K-town and we're all feeling the effects of the day after vacation.  I'm just a slug today, Ginny has been fussing pretty much non-stop (although that could be at least partly attributed to teething, too), and my poor Beloved is back at work.  We drove 11 hours yesterday, and Ginny did pretty well for about 2/3 of the trip.  My shoulder is killing me today from having to reach back into the back seat to let her hang on to or suck my finger for 3+ hours.

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Before I give you all a run down of our vacation or answer today's Summer Camp question, I have to put this out there.  Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows, Part 2.  If you haven't seen it yet, kindly skip down to the next section, 'kay?  I need to give my opinion...   Honestly, I was disappointed.  Yes, I cried... twice.  One of which was a point where I have never cried while reading the book.  Once for Snape and once for Harry.  The best I can say about the movie is that it was good... but it could have been so much better.  I really feel that they sacrificed important parts of the story in order to add in big over the top battle scenes.  If you've seen it, what did you think?

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Calliope, at Creating Motherhood, our fearless camp director has asked today, "What did you want to be when you grew up? Why and/or how did that change over time?"  Hmmmm... good one.  I'm not sure about when I was very little, but I distinctly recall wanting to be an astronaut or a sculptor when I was nine.  Both of those things faded as I learned that my artwork never turned out as I imagined it in my head, and as I lost ability/interest in math and science that would be essential to an astronaut.  It was shortly after I moved on from elementary school that the desire to write began to take root in my mind and heart.  I still hope to some day grow up to be a writer.

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Vacation was great... busy but great.  Ginny did amazingly well on the journey out to K-town, and we were very intentional about stopping often to let her out of the car seat.  The week was spent visiting family, hanging out on the deck drinking wine with my Mom, watching all the kids in the pool, and enjoying a lot of good food.  Mom's potato salad, Mom & I made ribs, and we had a meal of things from my favourite butcher shop (steak, stuffed mushrooms & zucchini, twice baked taters).  We visited G.G. (my grandma) in the nursing home and saw a few of my favourite home-type places.  Went to a couple of movies, did some shopping... and my ever adventurous Beloved spent a couple of days helping my Dad and BIL with some renovation work on Mom & Dad's house.  Ginny went in the pool for the first time, which met with mixed reviews from the wee girl.  And we got portraits taken of all four of the grandkids together.  Like I said... busy!  Pics will be posted in a couple of days with Ginny's 8 month update.

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I'm excited about this week's 'On the Nightstand' post.  I've read some great books in the last couple of weeks and I can't wait to share them with you.

Overdue Post #1 - Our Trip to Kelowna

Hey Humble Readers!

I'm planning on doing a few posts that are long overdue, starting with the most recent and working backwards.  I want to get these posts finished and out there, so that I have them to remember. 
So, the trip last week was fabulous and far too short.  We flew out on Friday, the 4th, and Ginny is an airplane super star!  Granted it's a short flight, only about an hour, but she slept the whole way there and back with nary a peep out of her.  When the plane took off I was praying that the pressure changes wouldn't hurt her ears too much, and all she did was suck on my finger.  Not even a whimper.

My mom met us at the airport, along with Zman (my former-foster-step-nephew) who is the sweetest 16 year old boy out there.  He was so excited to meet his new little cousin.  He wanted to take her out of the car seat right away, but we talked him into waiting until we got home.  Sadly, I didn't get any pics of the two of them together, and we didn't see him again while we were out there.  But he was just so into holding her and making her smile, it was awesome.

The week was a lot of visiting and going out for brunches and lunches with family.  These pics are from brunch when Ginevra met my Grandma & Grandpa F (Dad's parents). 

Mama & Ginny havin' brunch

Great-Grandma Dodo & Ginny

Great-Grandpa Won & Ginny (don't listen to his tall tales baby girl)

Papa & Ginny

When my parents moved a couple of years ago, they got rid of all the baby stuff they had from when Oscar & Felix (my sister's kids) were wee, so we had to improvise where Ginny would sleep.  The laundry basket worked double duty as a bed and as a bouncy chair (when padded with a pillow). 

Maxin' and relaxin'

My mom threw a little baby shower for us, so that more people could get to meet Ginevra.  It was just a little get together, but everyone was so generous and so incredibly taken with Ginny.  My favourite moment was when my cousins D & H met her.  I came into the family when they were preschoolers, and now they're all grown up and ooh-ing over my little girl. 

Ginny and her cousin D

Mom and Dad babysat one evening so that my Beloved and I could go out.  We had a nice casual dinner and went to a movie (the Kings Speech - totally rocked!!!).  For the first hour that we were away from her, I felt a little panicky, even though I knew that she would be just fine with my parents.  After that, I seemed to be able to mellow out and enjoy myself.

Ginny with Auntie J, and cousins D & H

Mom and I cooked a ton of good food together, something that I miss tremendously.  We made ribs & chicken in our homemade bbq sauce, I taught her how to make my chicken curry with quinoa and she showed me a great new cake recipe.  We drank some really good wine.  Man I miss having her close by.

Overall, it was a quick and uneventful trip, but I'm so glad that we got to go.  I know some day they'll live closer to us, but for now we have to cherish the brief times we get to spend together.

We're Outta Here

Hey Humble Readers...

I really shouldn't be blogging just now, as I have laundry, dishes, and packing to do... not to mention a baby to bathe!  But I just wanted to pop on and let you all know that we'll be away until February 13th.  I hope you all have a great week, and when I get back I have pics and video to post of Ginevra's baptism. 

Can I tell you how excited I am for our wee girl to meet my grandparents?  Yippee!

Be good, stay safe, and have a smurftastic week!

I'm Baaaack

Good Evening Humble Readers...

My Beloved and I have just returned to our stifling hobbit-hole, and the suitcase hasn't been unpacked yet.  11 hours in the car (including meal and pee stops) is enough to break anyone's spirit.  The trip was good, and I will post pics and an update tomorrow. 

I just wanted to say I will be jumping on the ICLW bandwagon tomorrow, and getting caught up with you.  I have loved reading your comments over the last week and I can't wait to answer your questions (if you haven't asked me any yet, please do!). 

Hobbit-ish Potpurri: On the Road

Good Afternoon Humble Readers...

I hope that you are all enjoying your weekend.  As I write this we are in the midst of a major thunder storm with hail, but when you read it, I will be on the road with my Beloved.  We will be driving the most beautiful highway in the world (in my hobbit-ish opinion), through the mountains, heading toward my Mom's fabulous cooking and real summertime weather.

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I'm hoping that we get to stop a few times on the drive.  There are some great places to visit between here and K-town.  I'm especially hoping to have some pictures of the Enchanted Forest for you when we return.

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Thank you to everyone who gave great suggestions on how to deal with my 24 hour urine collection.  I ended up doing a variation on Kristen's cooler idea (as the only cooler we own is a big one and would have been far more conspicuous.  I ended up taking a tote bag with several containers, ziploc bags, and a frozen water bottle in a plastic bag.  I also sort of limited my water intake, so I only ended up having to pee once while I was at work.  I made up all for the lack of H2O when I got home, and ended up peeing all night.

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There were a couple of very funny moments that came out of the whole pee collecting situation.  First, yesterday at 4:00am I got up to pee and went to find the collection jugs.  My Beloved, in an effort to be thorough when he was cleaning up the kitchen, saw a plain paper bag on the counter.  He didn't look inside.  He just threw it out.  As in the dumpster behind our condo building.  So, at 4:00am, I'm having what can only be called a meltdown because I can't find the jugs or the bag (with the lab requisition in it) and I am visualizing having to put off our trip just so I could pee in the damn jugs that I would have to replace.  Keep in mind I wasn't really awake, and I was fully over the edge.  My poor Beloved, had to get dressed and go dumpster diving in the middle of the night.  Have I mentioned how much I love him?  The other funny moment was a dream that I had this morning... in my dream I had overslept, and was rushing to get my sample to the lab.  I ended up getting lost in the hospital, and I was running around for hours (and was very late for work) carrying a bunch of vials of pee, asking people to help me find the lab.  Goofy!

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We had a scary moment at work the other day.  A little boy, about 3 years old, was in the kids section, and collapsed.  I don't know exactly what happened, but we ended up needing to call the paramedics.  The little boy was unconscious for a moment or two, but then when he came to he was screaming and crying.  The EMTs were pretty sure that he was going to be okay, but took him to the hospital for a full exam.  It was a stressful half hour, that's for sure.

Hobbit-ish Potpurri: Week 9 Zzzzzzzz

Good Morning Humble Readers...

Your friendly neighbourhood hobbit is living in a fog these days.  I'm so exhausted that I can barely function.  As I sit here, I can barely keep my eyes open.  Sleep has gotten a bit better tho, I'm sleeping most of the night in bed, thanks to my new body pillow. 

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The wierd dreams have continued, with scary overtones.  Most recently I had a long rather convoluted nightmare about being at an airport (why all the traveling?) and being robbed of $15K while going through security.  And that was just the beginning... there was a weird dance club for little people (ie people with dwarfism) and I ended up being chased by a balrog (the fire monster from the mines of Moria... Lord of the Rings). 

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Is it possible to have sciatica this early?  A couple of times I have fallen asleep on my left side, and when I wake up I'm in agony. 

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In other news, my Beloved has demonstrated a new level of handy-manliness.  Keep in mind that he is an accountant, who is at his best in front of a computer working with numbers.  About a month ago, I bought a new shower head, but hadn't gotten around to changing it yet.  This past weekend, while I was at work, he not only went to the hardware store and got the pipe tape we needed, but actually did a great job changing it out.  I'm VERY impressed.

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I still can't get my halfling-ticker thing to correct itself.  It always changes on Thursday evening, but my new week doesn't start until Monday.  Hmmmm....

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We've decided that we are going home to K-town for a week in July.  I'm excited because I haven't been home in more than two years, but I'm not looking forward to the drive or being there at the hottest time of the year.  Mom and Dad have a pool now, so I might see if I can find a jumbo extra huge swim suit so I can just float for the week.  We had planned to go out there this month, but Mom and Dad are going to be in Vegas during the week we were able to take off.  So, in just over a week we will be havig a stay-cation.  Going to get some stuff done around the house and maybe go on a couple little road trips.  Oh, and we get to have Sunny the Pug for a few days. 

A Little Slice of Heaven (aka NYC Food)

Good Morning Humble Readers!

(cycle update: I'm 10dpo, dealing with phantom symptoms, and in an effort to keep distracted, I'm going to try to post all of our NYC stuff this week)

When we left for New York, my Beloved and I made a pact that we weren't going to eat anywhere that we could eat at home. No fast food chains, no Sta.rb.ucks, no restaurants we could frequent at home. Not even going into a Tim Ho.rto.ns to celebrate the fact that the Timbit nation has infiltrated the U.S.

In the past, when my Beloved has traveled, food hasn't been a big part of the experience. When he was in China he ate at an A & W, and when he was in London he never once had a pub lunch. He just looked at food as something he needed between tours and historic sites.

While I didn't take pictures of every meal we ate, I did take quite a few. I can honestly say that there was only a couple of meals I regretted, mostly because they were too common. Yes, we did eat at a Red Lobster and at a TGI Fridays (but we don't have those here, so...), but other than that I really wanted to focus on trying new things.

So without further ado, here is our 10 days of good eats:

• La Reggia - the restaurant in our hotel. We ate there the first night and the last. The first night we both had Veal Canneloni with tomato and beschamel sauces. So good! The last night we had some basic pasta (linguini w/ sausage, rigatoni bolognese) but we had antipasto as a starter... I have discovered that I'm not a big fan of anchovies, and I still don't like olives or strong cheeses.
  
• Southwest NY - where my Beloved took me for my birthday dinner. Located down in the World Financial Center, right across from Ground Zero. My Beloved had the cedar planked salmon with green beans and corn pudding (which he swears was incredible) and I had the mojo marinated skirt steak with chimichurri, crispy onions and ancho mashed potoatoes. Amazing! We shared a brownie sundae for dessert... and Terwilliger wanted to get in on it too. (You'll hear more about Terwilliger's adventures soon!)
• Shelley's - a self-described wine and oyster bar, we had neither wine nor oysters. I had an incredible hamburger with gruyere (who knew I liked that) and spicy mustard (a new favourite). My Beloved had a traditional reuben sandwich. The fries were great too!
  
• Grotta Azzurra Ristorante - A great teeny place in Little Italy. We were just walking down Mulberry Street recovering from the smells of having just wandered past a seafood market in China Town, when we stopped to check out the menu. We ended up being seated at a great table practically outside, and had some of the best garlic bread I have ever eaten. My beloved had penne pomodoro with chicken marsala and I had rigatoni alla vodka and pork scallopini. The vodka sauce was like nothing I have ever had before. It was a mountain of food! We finished by sharing a ginormous bowl of spumoni. Yumm!


• Angelo's Pizzaria - right next door to the Ed Sullivan Theater, we had lunch there before we went to the Late Show. My first taste of New York pizza did not disappoint. Thin and crispy crust, italian sausage, fabulous tomatoe sauce, fresh basil... mmmmmmm!


• Ellen's Stardust Diner - the food was mediocre but the atmosphere was fabulous! I had the sliders and my Beloved had the Dean Martin (spaghetti with meatballs). All the wait-staff were in 1950's style costumes and sang! One guy actually walked across the back of our booth while he was playing his harmonica.


• Otto Enoteca - Mario's fabulous pizzaria and tapas restaurant. I was so excited just to be there. My beloved had the Rigatoni con Sausage & Escarolle and I had the Vongole pizza. I have never had a pizza with whole clams on it before, but it looked amazing and tasted just as good. I also snuck a bit of my Beloveds pasta and have decided that I have to figure out how to make it because I MUST eat that again someday! For dessert we each ordered a three flavour tasting of gelato. My Beloved kept it kind of tame with two types of chocolate and creme fraise gelatos. I had pistachio, dark chocolate and the aforementioned olive oil gelato. I don't know if I will ever have anything that compares with again in my lifetime. Sooooo good!


• Stage Deli - Ok, so it's kitchy (it's the place where all the sandwiches are named after celebrities), but it was fun and the food was pretty good, albeit old school. I had a Ben Stiller (hot roast beef sandwich and mashed potatoes) and my Beloved had a chicken cutlet with mashed potatoes. It was fun.


• Mesa Grill - Bobby Flay's restaurant in the Flatiron district. We ended up meeting some fellow foodies who were taking pictures of their food too. We got a few laughs out of sharing our food adventures so far. We got to sit right by the window, which was fun right up until I started wearing my lunch. My Beloved had the Cuban burger (I can't remember what made it cuban... I think there was ham on it...) and I had the Pressed Roast Pork sandwich. Both were fabulous, and we each got different kinds of fries. We walked out of there full, mouths on fire from the spices, and me covered in the sauce from my sandwich.


• Zocalos - a mexican restaurant in Grand Central Terminal. Great salsa! My Beloved had Enchiladas con Pollo and I had Pescadoro alla Plancha (tilapia with a vegetable ragout on top made of mushrooms, carrots, and zuchini). Both very yummy and not as spicy as expected. My only complaint about this restaurant was that they charged for soda refills. It was fun to watch the people running to catch their trains tho.


• (I can't remember the name) - This was where we ate during the On Location tour. It was the pizza place featured in the MIB movies. The pizza was great even though I burned my tongue. I wish I would have had one of their calzones tho... they looked great!


• Yankee Stadium - Ok, so it was beyond totally overpriced, but the fries and the sausages with peppers and onions were to die for. The fries... they were crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, perfectly seasoned... man oh man. (maybe it was just the fact that they were hot and I was freezing?)


• Bagel Bar - My first and only 'real' New York bagel. It wasn't until after I had ordered my salami and cheddar on an everything bagel that I saw that they had lox. Gah! I never did get my bagel with lox, but the sandwich was great! I have to say, that of all the sandwich-y places we went to, this place had the nicest staff!


• L'Allegria - Ok, I thought that place in Little Italy was teeny, but this place was miniscule! Maybe 15 tables. For as small as it was, they sure were busy! The servers were run off their feet. My Beloved had the pasta fagioli soup, osso buco (with some sort of a balsamic reduction and portobello mushrooms) and I had the lobster ravioli in a creamy lobster tomatoe sauce. Both were absolutely incredibly! I tried some of his osso buco and it totally just melted in my mouth!

There were other meals in there too... our hotel had a great free hot breakfast that we had most mornings, hot dogs from vendors, pretzels from vendors, and coffee from a donut place that we don't have here on the flatland.

With all that we ate, I'm surprised that I didn't come home a blimp!

Gone Fishin'!

Ok, so my Beloved and I aren't actually fishing. But I won't be around for a while. I hope all of you have a very (re)productive couple of weeks, take care of each other and know that I will be thinking about you guys and praying for you (especially my expectant-bloggy friends who are approaching their due dates).

While I'm away, I'll be missing a couple of important dates on the calendar. First up, my b-day! I won't be turning eleventy-one, only 35. I'm sorry but I won't be hosting a true hobbit style birthday, I'll be busy being lost on the streets of Manhattan. Second, my blogoversary... a year of posts, of hopes, of tears, of giggles... I can't believe it's been a year!

Sign up for Blogger Bingo and ICLW! Two great ways to get to know other bloggers! I'll be back for Show & Tell on September 30th.

How Lame Am I?

I apologize Humble Readers... I haven't posted since last Show & Tell.

The thing is, there hasn't been much going on. I don't want to be any more pedantic than I have been... going on and on about how excited I am about "THE VACATION" (and yes, that's how it looks in my mind... all caps).

There is a goofy little story that I'm saving for S & T this week, but other than that, I've been working, obsessing about the trip, and that's about it.

AF kinda messed with me a bit, not following her usual pattern, but she's now packed her bags and I feel human again.

Oh yeah... and we got tickets to Letterman! TICKETS TO LETTERMAN! Woohoo!

Only one more shift at work... 72 hours or so until we leave!

Show & Tell: Travel Preparations

Good morning humble readers... and welcome to my Show & Tell for this week! For those of you who might be new to this, Show & Tell is wasted on elementary school kids, so once a week we all take the opportunity to show off whatever we feel like... If you want to know more, make sure to stop by Mel's place. And while you're there, check out what the rest of the class is showing! Everyone is welcome to join in on the fun!

So... we are now a week away from our big trip! Guess who is super excited? Yup, that would be me! However, in true hobbit form, I am a bit anxious as well, so I have reverted to one of my main coping mechanisms... lists. I have lists of things to do in NYC and lists of things to do before we go. I have finished most of the things on my "before" list and these pictures are the result of that.

Here's a rundown of what you are seeing:

• Our groovy new red luggage. I chose red so that it would stand out, but discovered on our recent trip to Prince George that I'm not the only one who thought that red would be unique.
• My new, much smaller new purse. Perfect size for the camera, a few essentials and a friend named Terwilliger.
• Our passports. I'm so glad that mine finally arrived!
• Our travel books. Bringing them along for reference.
• Our groovy luggage tags. Due to the aforementioned un-uniqueness of our luggage, I found some hopefully unique luggage tags.
• Our vitamins, et al. Like any good infertile, I can't leave home without my vitamins. The larger boxes are mine, and the smaller is my Beloved's
• My awesome travel journal. I couldn't believe it when I found this. Statue of Liberty embossed on the front, NYC taxicab embossed on the back.
• Various travel essentials. A map of NYC, a money belt for my Beloved to wear, luggage lock, and some aromatherapy oils. (I refuse to waste one day of this trip dealing with a headache or insomnia... peppermint for headaches and lavendar for sleep)
• And last but not least... introducing Terwilliger Tidewater Turtle, Traveller at Large. He's going to be having some adventures and is looking forward to sharing them when he gets back.

Lessons Learned During The Break

Good Evening Humble Readers...

It's been a crazy week. My Beloved and I thank you so much for all your support. Each day brings it's own challenges, but we and Mom C, and the rest of the family are making it through.

In the midst of all this, time has flown... and I can officially say that our ttc break is over. Granted, I'm on the downward slope toward AF, but as soon as she's packed her bags, we are back to the baby-making, or my favourite new ttc abbreviation... GOF (goal oriented f.... well, you get the idea).

While it wasn't intentional when we booked our trip way back in February, the timing is impeccable. Prime baby making time falls right in the middle of our trip.

Honestly, I feel like we've been on a break since the m/c in January, with all the testing and procedures. I am trying not to put a lot of pressure on either of us, but I'm ready for this to happen soon.

To that end, we have made a few decisions. First up, if we are not pregnant by Christmas, then we are going to push for more intensive testing. And if we do get pregnant, and the unbearable should happen again, then we obviously will be looking at our options. One thing we absolutely agree on is that IVF is not for us. We may consider IUI, but that is still uncertain. Tentatively, we have set next summer as when we will start talking seriously about adoption.

This break time has taught me a few things... or perhaps reminded me of things I knew before ttc and m/c's overtook my life.

• I love my Beloved more than I could ever thought possible.
• I have reserves of strength that I didn't know were there
• I can survive heartbreak
• Patience really is a virtue.

and...

• My (blankety blank) boobs hurt during my lp EVERY (blankety blank) time, so I will not fall for that old bait and switch trick that my cycle plays on me!
• AF can arrive without me pee-ing on a stick first!

So, off we go... and who knows? Maybe we'll come home from NYC with an extra special souvenir.

Please Continue -

to pray and send good thoughts. We are currently waiting to hear if we are flying or driving to Prince George. If we are driving, it will take most of the night to get there.

Dad has been unresponsive all day, and the neurologist thinks that more damage has been done overnight.

I won't be posting for the next few days.

Stay well everyone!

Show &Tell: My Favourite Picture of Me

Do you have a favourite picture of yourself? Maybe a picture with a beloved family member, or one where you look especially good? My favourite picture of myself is almost 20 years old. Actually, now that I think about it, it's from 19 years ago this month. It serves as my mental image of myself. (That sounds only slightly pathetic.)

In the picture I'm only 15 years old. I have horribly frizzy permed hair and my glasses are huge enough to rival Sally Jesse Raphael (anyone remember her?). I'm wearing an acid wash denim jacket covered in New Kids on the Block graffiti. And it's really not the best quality picture either, sort of grainy and not really in focus.

That's what's wrong with it.

What's right with it? My smile. I remember I was laughing my ass off (and it was a significantly smaller ass than I have now). I don't have any other pictures of me where I look so... happy. Don't get me wrong, I love my wedding pics, but they fall into the romantic category. This one gets the prize for pure joy.

Here's the story: When I was 15 years old I was privileged enough to participate in a foreign exchange program. I had always wanted to go to Germany, to see my grandmother's homeland. When I was in grade 9 I began to take German in school, and through my teacher I found out about the program. My exchange partner came to Canada in August and left in November. I went to Germany in April and came home in July. Let me tell you, traveling that far from home, for that long, when you're only 15 is a very daunting experience.

This particular school year was the 1989-90 school year. Pop quiz... what major world event happened in October of 1989? That's right kids... the Berlin Wall opened. It was the beginning of the end of the cold war.

As I said, I arrived in Germany (still West Germany at that point) in mid-April, and got settled in with my host family. About a week after, all the Canadian exchange students got to travel to Berlin for a week. One of the first sites we visited during our time in that beautiful city was the Wall and Checkpoint Charlie (the Allied border crossing into East Berlin).

That day was a roller coaster of emotions, even for a 15 year old. Standing in what they called the 'Dead Zone', the narrow strip of ground between the East and West sides of the city, it was the first time I had ever truly been humbled by history.

Along the Wall were several panhandlers/entrepreneurs out to make a little cash. For a small fee you could borrow their hammer and chisel to try to chip off your own piece of the Wall. That's where the above picture came from. I was trying with all my might to chip off even a tiny piece on my own, but it just wasn't happening. In the end, I ended up buying one of my most cherished keepsakes from one of those entrepreneurs... my own piece of history.

Now don't forget to stop by Mel's place and check out what the rest of the class is showing this week!