Good Afternoon Humble Readers!
This is the final Potpurri post of 2009, and honestly, there's not much to say...
AF is kicking my tail. All I want to do is lay here with my heating pad and a box of chocolate nearby.
******
My parents were in town yesterday. It was just a really brief visit, as they were on their way back to K-town after seeing my sister and her family. Thankfully, there was only one baby related comment... about a family friend who hasn't had kids yet either. Like it's a choice we made... gah!
******
My Beloved and I went and saw 'Nine' last night. I will confess that I didn't know much about the storyline, but the fact that it was based on a Broadway show had me pretty excited. The acting was great (Dan.iel Day-Lew.is was superb as a tortured director, and all the women in it were outstanding... who knew that Kat.e Hud.son could sing??) and I fell in love with a couple of the songs (Be Italian and Cinema Italiano), but honestly, I found the storyline depressing and more than a little cliched. I will likely end up owning the movie eventualy, it's not one that is tops on my list. Hopefully Av.atar will be better.
******
Having three days off has been wonderful. I haven't been quite as productive as I had wanted to be, but I'm feeling more rested than I have in quite a while. Tonight will mark the end of the holiday season with the putting away of the decorations, and I'm more than ready to have my house back.
******
Okay... so I just learned something a little frightening from one of my favourite cooking shows. And it is going to cause this hobbit to have to make a confession. I regularly put my wooden spoons in the dishwasher. *GASP* I know, I know, I have probably just horrified all my foodie friends. But, in my defence... it's what my mom always did. I never gave it a thought. So, on the show I just saw they tested wooden spoons for bacteria. The wooden spoons that went through the dishwasher had ridiculously more germs than the ones washed and treated properly. Oy! How did I get to be 35 and not ever hear about this???? I guess I need to throw away my wooden spoons away and get new ones.
******
I have decided that I'm going to skip the grapefruit juice this cycle. For the last two cycles I have had a glass of grapefruit juice everyday, and I have noticed an increase in ewcm. But I'm wondering if it has anything to do with my later ovulation. In the past two years I have never O'd as late as CD17 (I know that's normal for many IFers, but ovulation has never been my issue). The grapefruit juice probably doesn't have anything at all to do with it, but it's the variable that I added in the last two cycles that hasn't been there before. We'll see. At least my LP hasn't changed.
******
I hope that some of you all will stop by tomorrow, as it's my 200th post.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
The Beauty of Winter
Good Evening Humble Readers...
I hope that your 2009 is winding down in a manner that you enjoy, be that mellow and quiet, or filled with people and parties.
Today was the first of three days off for me... IN A ROW! Woohoo!
Without meaning to sound like an elderly relative, I have to tell you... I have been sleeping really really well the last few nights. Normally, I sleep for 3 or 4 hours, and then I'm awake. Wide awake. I end up taking a lot of naps to get through the week. But, since Christmas night, I have slept at least 6 hours a night, and last night I went to bed at 11:30 and I didn't wake up (not even to pee!) until my Beloved turned on the overhead light at 8am! Talk about a mood improver!
Still no AF, but there are a few indicators that she's on her way.
Now, on to the main purpose of this post... We have had an interesting weather phenomenon over the last couple of days. Now, I'm no meteorologist, so I can only comment on what I observe, but this is pretty darn cool (no pun intended).
It doesn't happen all that often, but sometimes, when it's clear and cold we get what seems like a frozen fog. It's like the little bit of heat that the sun gives us at this time of year helps to release just enough moisture from the snow on the ground to create this opaque haze. You see it mostly in the morning or in the late afternoon.
As the temperature drops, the moisture in the air starts to freeze and I'm not kidding, the air actually sparkles. And then you get this... (you may want to look at them in full screen mode to see more of the detail)
That's not snow. It's called hoarfrost. It doesn't fall from the sky. It forms on trees, fences, lampposts, anything that stands still long enough. It can build on itself too, growing for days if the conditions are right. It is absolutely beautiful! Incredibly delicate, you can blow it away like dandelion fluff. It outlines the trees, and makes every single branch, needle, and ripple of the bark stand out. If there was something that I can honestly say I like about the winter on the flatland, it's this. So lovely! (I just wish my photography skills did it justice.)
I hope that you are all warm and cozy in your homes tonight.
I hope that your 2009 is winding down in a manner that you enjoy, be that mellow and quiet, or filled with people and parties.
Today was the first of three days off for me... IN A ROW! Woohoo!
Without meaning to sound like an elderly relative, I have to tell you... I have been sleeping really really well the last few nights. Normally, I sleep for 3 or 4 hours, and then I'm awake. Wide awake. I end up taking a lot of naps to get through the week. But, since Christmas night, I have slept at least 6 hours a night, and last night I went to bed at 11:30 and I didn't wake up (not even to pee!) until my Beloved turned on the overhead light at 8am! Talk about a mood improver!
Still no AF, but there are a few indicators that she's on her way.
Now, on to the main purpose of this post... We have had an interesting weather phenomenon over the last couple of days. Now, I'm no meteorologist, so I can only comment on what I observe, but this is pretty darn cool (no pun intended).
It doesn't happen all that often, but sometimes, when it's clear and cold we get what seems like a frozen fog. It's like the little bit of heat that the sun gives us at this time of year helps to release just enough moisture from the snow on the ground to create this opaque haze. You see it mostly in the morning or in the late afternoon.
As the temperature drops, the moisture in the air starts to freeze and I'm not kidding, the air actually sparkles. And then you get this... (you may want to look at them in full screen mode to see more of the detail)
That's not snow. It's called hoarfrost. It doesn't fall from the sky. It forms on trees, fences, lampposts, anything that stands still long enough. It can build on itself too, growing for days if the conditions are right. It is absolutely beautiful! Incredibly delicate, you can blow it away like dandelion fluff. It outlines the trees, and makes every single branch, needle, and ripple of the bark stand out. If there was something that I can honestly say I like about the winter on the flatland, it's this. So lovely! (I just wish my photography skills did it justice.)
I hope that you are all warm and cozy in your homes tonight.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Post Christmas Blahs...
Good Morning Humble Readers...
Maybe it's the inevitible let down after Christmas. Maybe it's the symptoms of PMS (yes, I'm PMS-ing. Temps tanked, phantom symptoms fading). Maybe it's the crappy couple of days at work I've had (Boxing Week shoppers are the worst! A customer, and I use that term generously, actually reached across the counter and slapped the hand of one of my cashiers yesterday. In what world is that acceptable???).
Whatever it is, I'm feeling blaaaahhhh.
Don't get me wrong, we had a great Christmas. Christmas Eve was busy. We cleaned the house, I cooked & carved a turkey, did a little grocery shopping, I prepped a breakfast casserole (which didn't turn out at all... what a waste), and got my sweet potatoes started. We went to church, and then came home and did our traditional Christmas Eve appetizers and movie (I had to get my Ralphie fix).
Christmas morning was fun. My Beloved really loved his presents (his main gift was a framed print of a picture of the Cal.gary Fl.ames locker room, with his name on one of the jerseys), and yes, humble readers, I got my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer! (Used it on Christmas morning to mix my sweet potatoe casserole)
The drive to my MIL's was nice. Very pretty actually, with a pale blue sky and the fields and trees covered in snow.
Mom C loved her new computer. We had all chipped in to get her something more up to date (her old 'puter didn't have any usb ports and was painfully slow). I ate too much and drank too much wine. I won a round of cards, so now I have a wallet full of dimes.
It really was a good Christmas. I'm just tired, and not looking forward to going to work today. I'm hoping that when I wake up tomorrow morning, AF will have arrived and I can move on to a new cycle, with new hope. This cycle's hope is a little worse for wear.
Maybe it's the inevitible let down after Christmas. Maybe it's the symptoms of PMS (yes, I'm PMS-ing. Temps tanked, phantom symptoms fading). Maybe it's the crappy couple of days at work I've had (Boxing Week shoppers are the worst! A customer, and I use that term generously, actually reached across the counter and slapped the hand of one of my cashiers yesterday. In what world is that acceptable???).
Whatever it is, I'm feeling blaaaahhhh.
Don't get me wrong, we had a great Christmas. Christmas Eve was busy. We cleaned the house, I cooked & carved a turkey, did a little grocery shopping, I prepped a breakfast casserole (which didn't turn out at all... what a waste), and got my sweet potatoes started. We went to church, and then came home and did our traditional Christmas Eve appetizers and movie (I had to get my Ralphie fix).
Christmas morning was fun. My Beloved really loved his presents (his main gift was a framed print of a picture of the Cal.gary Fl.ames locker room, with his name on one of the jerseys), and yes, humble readers, I got my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer! (Used it on Christmas morning to mix my sweet potatoe casserole)
The drive to my MIL's was nice. Very pretty actually, with a pale blue sky and the fields and trees covered in snow.
Mom C loved her new computer. We had all chipped in to get her something more up to date (her old 'puter didn't have any usb ports and was painfully slow). I ate too much and drank too much wine. I won a round of cards, so now I have a wallet full of dimes.
It really was a good Christmas. I'm just tired, and not looking forward to going to work today. I'm hoping that when I wake up tomorrow morning, AF will have arrived and I can move on to a new cycle, with new hope. This cycle's hope is a little worse for wear.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Christmas Meme!
Both Kristin and Alana posted this and I thought it was just far too cute. So, of course, I jumped on board.
Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends. Okay, here's what you're supposed to do, and try not to be a SCROOGE!!! Just copy this entire post. Change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then post this on your blog.
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? As stated in my previous post, I am a wrapping paper gal. For a lot of years I just used plain brown paper and then changed up the colour of ribbon. This year I have some very pretty shiny red paper that says "Ho Ho Ho" all over it.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial all the way! This is one hobbit who doesn't do well with live plants, and real Christmas trees are no exception.
3. When do you put up the tree? Early December, whenever I have a couple of days off together.
4. When do you take the tree down? I'm more inclined to take it down before New Years, but that's a result of working in retail for as long as I have. Growing up, the tree stayed up until Ukranian Christmas (January 6, Epiphany)
5. Do you like eggnog? Absosmurfly. I will confess to thinning it tho. Half nog, half milk.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? My red and white plastic typewriter. Heavens, I loved that thing! I was going to be a reporter, just like my favourite aunt.
7. Hardest person to buy for? My sister's husband.
8. Easiest person to buy for? My Beloved. This year was a bit more challenging, but it usually only takes a few days of serious shopping, and I have him set.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Heck Ya! I collect them. I have 8 different nativity sets/figurines. Watch this space for Show and Tell this week. All about my collection.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? I always have the best intentions, but they never seem to happen. Maybe if I wrote them up in September?
11. Worst Christmas ever? There were a lot of lean Christmases when I was a kid, but I don't remember any really bad ones.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie(s)? For a classic, it has to be White Christmas, which I have yet to watch this year. For fun and our relatively new traditional Christmas Eve fare, "A Christmas Story" with Ralphie and his bb-gun.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I usually try to start mid September. I try to buy a gift or two each paycheck between then and December. This year, I started while we were in New York.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I've thought about it often, but I don't think I've ever actually done it.
15 .Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Homemade potatoe, cheese & bacon (yes bacon, the only time I willingly eat it) perogies! Yummmmmm
16. Lights on the tree? Absolutely, multicoloured. But they CANNOT blink! Blinking is aggravating.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Oh Holy Night and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? The furthest we travel these days for Christmas is down to my MIL's house, about 45 minutes away.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Of course. I remember being five years old and being convinced that I saw Rudolph up in the sky. It turned out to be the radio tower a few blocks away, but I was oh so excited.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? When I was a kid, we were allowed to open one gift Christmas eve, usually new pj's from Grandma, but the rest were in the morning. Now it's all done in the morning, usually before sunrise.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Have I mentioned I work in retail? I could go on and on, but the worst is people who get snarky because they failed to plan and can't find that one thing they are certain we should carry at our store.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? I don't really have a theme. Generally, I don't put gold coloured ornaments on the tree.
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? There has to be turkey... and sweet potatoes... and stuffing... and perogies... and cabbage rolls... and ham... and...
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A Kitchen Aid stand mixer!
Now it's your turn. If you play, please leave me the link so I can read your answers.
Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends. Okay, here's what you're supposed to do, and try not to be a SCROOGE!!! Just copy this entire post. Change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then post this on your blog.
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? As stated in my previous post, I am a wrapping paper gal. For a lot of years I just used plain brown paper and then changed up the colour of ribbon. This year I have some very pretty shiny red paper that says "Ho Ho Ho" all over it.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial all the way! This is one hobbit who doesn't do well with live plants, and real Christmas trees are no exception.
3. When do you put up the tree? Early December, whenever I have a couple of days off together.
4. When do you take the tree down? I'm more inclined to take it down before New Years, but that's a result of working in retail for as long as I have. Growing up, the tree stayed up until Ukranian Christmas (January 6, Epiphany)
5. Do you like eggnog? Absosmurfly. I will confess to thinning it tho. Half nog, half milk.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? My red and white plastic typewriter. Heavens, I loved that thing! I was going to be a reporter, just like my favourite aunt.
7. Hardest person to buy for? My sister's husband.
8. Easiest person to buy for? My Beloved. This year was a bit more challenging, but it usually only takes a few days of serious shopping, and I have him set.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Heck Ya! I collect them. I have 8 different nativity sets/figurines. Watch this space for Show and Tell this week. All about my collection.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? I always have the best intentions, but they never seem to happen. Maybe if I wrote them up in September?
11. Worst Christmas ever? There were a lot of lean Christmases when I was a kid, but I don't remember any really bad ones.
12. Favorite Christmas Movie(s)? For a classic, it has to be White Christmas, which I have yet to watch this year. For fun and our relatively new traditional Christmas Eve fare, "A Christmas Story" with Ralphie and his bb-gun.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I usually try to start mid September. I try to buy a gift or two each paycheck between then and December. This year, I started while we were in New York.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I've thought about it often, but I don't think I've ever actually done it.
15 .Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Homemade potatoe, cheese & bacon (yes bacon, the only time I willingly eat it) perogies! Yummmmmm
16. Lights on the tree? Absolutely, multicoloured. But they CANNOT blink! Blinking is aggravating.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Oh Holy Night and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? The furthest we travel these days for Christmas is down to my MIL's house, about 45 minutes away.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Of course. I remember being five years old and being convinced that I saw Rudolph up in the sky. It turned out to be the radio tower a few blocks away, but I was oh so excited.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? When I was a kid, we were allowed to open one gift Christmas eve, usually new pj's from Grandma, but the rest were in the morning. Now it's all done in the morning, usually before sunrise.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Have I mentioned I work in retail? I could go on and on, but the worst is people who get snarky because they failed to plan and can't find that one thing they are certain we should carry at our store.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? I don't really have a theme. Generally, I don't put gold coloured ornaments on the tree.
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? There has to be turkey... and sweet potatoes... and stuffing... and perogies... and cabbage rolls... and ham... and...
25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A Kitchen Aid stand mixer!
Now it's your turn. If you play, please leave me the link so I can read your answers.
Monday, December 21, 2009
December ICLW... Merry Christmas!
Good Evening Humble Readers! And welcome to all you ICLW-ers who may be encountering my hobbit hole for the first time. I hope you are all having an excellent holiday season.
Thanks so much for all the feedback on my chart. It's still wonky... FF actually moved my crosshairs to CD 14, which is actually a pretty normal day for O for me, but it doesn't fit to what I see on my chart. Temp-wise, anyway. Who knows... I'll start testing sometime around Christmas, and keep testing every other day until I get an answer either way. Funny enough, I'm feeling pretty mellow about this cycle. We'll see what the end of the week brings.
In other news...
I forced myself to stay away from the blogosphere all day today, until my wrapping was done. I have to say that this was not my best year for Christmas wrap. I will admit, when it comes to gift wrapping, I have a tendancy to channel Martha. I'm a perfectionist, and I will usually happily spend several hours tying beautiful bows out of carefully colour coordinated ribbon for all my gifts. I will make sure that I have gift boxes so that wrapping is easier. Normally, I choose my giftwrap early, find the ribbon to go with it, get all my needed tools, pop in a movie and enjoy the process.
But this is not a typical year. I'm running out of time. I've run out of energy.
Today...
four days before Christmas...
I attempted to wrap a baseball cap...
without a box.
Someone please medicate me.
Oh, and if I hear "Santa Baby" one more time, I might move in with the Grin.ch.
Thanks so much for all the feedback on my chart. It's still wonky... FF actually moved my crosshairs to CD 14, which is actually a pretty normal day for O for me, but it doesn't fit to what I see on my chart. Temp-wise, anyway. Who knows... I'll start testing sometime around Christmas, and keep testing every other day until I get an answer either way. Funny enough, I'm feeling pretty mellow about this cycle. We'll see what the end of the week brings.
In other news...
I forced myself to stay away from the blogosphere all day today, until my wrapping was done. I have to say that this was not my best year for Christmas wrap. I will admit, when it comes to gift wrapping, I have a tendancy to channel Martha. I'm a perfectionist, and I will usually happily spend several hours tying beautiful bows out of carefully colour coordinated ribbon for all my gifts. I will make sure that I have gift boxes so that wrapping is easier. Normally, I choose my giftwrap early, find the ribbon to go with it, get all my needed tools, pop in a movie and enjoy the process.
But this is not a typical year. I'm running out of time. I've run out of energy.
Today...
four days before Christmas...
I attempted to wrap a baseball cap...
without a box.
Someone please medicate me.
Oh, and if I hear "Santa Baby" one more time, I might move in with the Grin.ch.
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