Another Year Passes By
2004 had one very sad event and one very happy event for me (and all sorts of things in between). April 30, I lost my beloved cat of 10 years to cancer. That was extremely sad and difficult to handle. I still miss Rishi. Just a month later, I found out I was pregnant (the happy event in case you're wondering). I'm so glad it happened when it did because it gave me something to focus on besides losing my cat.
Christmas was interesting this year. Due to the 8 inches of snow that we received and temperatures in the negatives, our family Christmas parties had to be postponed. James and I had a nice Christmas at home for a change. He completely shocked me with a diamond ring for Christmas. The set up was very clever... the first gift I opened was a deck of cards. The second gift was a couple of pairs of socks with diamond patterns on them. At that point, I was thinking "hmmm... that's odd" but remained grateful. The third gift was an electronic hand-held baseball game. I was really questioning what was going on at that point. The fourth gift was a Greatest Hits of Neil Diamond CD. I don't like Neil Diamond, so this was especially funny. The last gift was very heavy. It contained some books that I recognized from James' collection, but hidden in some newspaper was the little ring box. I never would have guessed! It's a beautiful ring with a half a carat diamond and a white gold band. Thankfully, he remembered that I prefer to wear silver. I gave him an X-box wireless controller, Morrowind game, two sweaters, a book light and a book, a Sherlock Holmes mug, a Jeep keychain, the Scene It boardgame, and some gloves. Santa was very good this year... our last Christmas as "dual income no children" people.
Here we are, about to start 2005. The baby will be here sometime in the next 4 weeks. I expect this year will be quite exciting with the new addition to our family. We are ready!
Thursday, December 09, 2004
Santa Is Truly Magical
At a recent Christmas party, I overheard a woman talking to her daughters about Santa Claus. She said "Santa has to know every language, like French, Spanish, Asian, and European."
If Santa can speak Asian and European, he is truly magical. I wonder if he can also speak Klingon.
At a recent Christmas party, I overheard a woman talking to her daughters about Santa Claus. She said "Santa has to know every language, like French, Spanish, Asian, and European."
If Santa can speak Asian and European, he is truly magical. I wonder if he can also speak Klingon.
Putting Things In Perspective
Like most working people, I get stressed out about my job once in awhile (ok, a lot). I also get irritated with traffic, long lines in stores, slow waiters, and the fact that there is just not enough time in the day to get everything done. Then I feel the baby kick, and I am reminded that the most important thing is this little life growing inside me. That's really all that matters. Funny how the pregnancy hormones really do change your thoughts.
Like most working people, I get stressed out about my job once in awhile (ok, a lot). I also get irritated with traffic, long lines in stores, slow waiters, and the fact that there is just not enough time in the day to get everything done. Then I feel the baby kick, and I am reminded that the most important thing is this little life growing inside me. That's really all that matters. Funny how the pregnancy hormones really do change your thoughts.
Wednesday, December 08, 2004
Instant Karma
John Lennon was shot 24 years ago today. I wonder what musical masterpieces we are missing out on because of his death. I also wonder what bands he would like if he were here now.
I bought a Double Fantasy album at Half Price Books once, and inside the cover I found several newspaper clippings from December 9, 1980. Being a huge John Lennon and Beatles fan, I was thrilled to have these (I was 7 years old when he died... hardly old enough to really understand). Yet another example of when karma worked in my favor.
John Lennon was shot 24 years ago today. I wonder what musical masterpieces we are missing out on because of his death. I also wonder what bands he would like if he were here now.
I bought a Double Fantasy album at Half Price Books once, and inside the cover I found several newspaper clippings from December 9, 1980. Being a huge John Lennon and Beatles fan, I was thrilled to have these (I was 7 years old when he died... hardly old enough to really understand). Yet another example of when karma worked in my favor.
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Chocolate Covered Christmas
Now that the holiday season is here, so are the chocolate covered cherries, candy canes, and gum drops. Yum! Everyone who knows me knows that I have an insatiable sweet tooth. Even though I'm pregnant this season, that probably won't stop me from indulging in every sweet morsel that crosses my path.
I was really excited yesterday when I found a Hershey's Cookies 'n' Mint candy bar at the drug store. This is by far the best candy bar that the USA has ever offered (every candy aficionado knows the UK has far superior candy bars). They stopped making it for a long time, and apparently it's back only for a limited time. James recently found a gigantic Cookies 'n' Mint bar at Bed, Bath, and Beyond of all places. I'm going to have to stock up.
As far as candy bars go, I also like Twix, especially the miniature ones. As I mentioned before, though, the UK turns out the best candy bars of all. Cadbury makes great chocolate. I like the Crunchie. They used to make one called Rum 'n' Butter. I think it was the best candy bar in the world, but of course, they stopped making it.
I'm going to enjoy this sugary season... and after Christmas, the Valentine candy will be out. Woo hoo!
Now that the holiday season is here, so are the chocolate covered cherries, candy canes, and gum drops. Yum! Everyone who knows me knows that I have an insatiable sweet tooth. Even though I'm pregnant this season, that probably won't stop me from indulging in every sweet morsel that crosses my path.
I was really excited yesterday when I found a Hershey's Cookies 'n' Mint candy bar at the drug store. This is by far the best candy bar that the USA has ever offered (every candy aficionado knows the UK has far superior candy bars). They stopped making it for a long time, and apparently it's back only for a limited time. James recently found a gigantic Cookies 'n' Mint bar at Bed, Bath, and Beyond of all places. I'm going to have to stock up.
As far as candy bars go, I also like Twix, especially the miniature ones. As I mentioned before, though, the UK turns out the best candy bars of all. Cadbury makes great chocolate. I like the Crunchie. They used to make one called Rum 'n' Butter. I think it was the best candy bar in the world, but of course, they stopped making it.
I'm going to enjoy this sugary season... and after Christmas, the Valentine candy will be out. Woo hoo!
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
The much anticipated new U2 album hit stores today. I bought the $30 box set, which includes the CD, a DVD, and a small hardcover book. I am quite disappointed that for $30 they could not include the CD jewel case. Instead, you get this cheap piece of cardboard which is too big to fit on a standard CD rack, and the CD will not stay in it. Oh well... my first impression is that the music is awesome!
U2 never disappoints. I even liked their most hated album, "Pop". I have loved them since I first heard "New Year's Day" and "Pride (In the Name of Love)". My mom had the 45 of Pride, and we used to listen to it all the time. I think I still have it.
The much anticipated new U2 album hit stores today. I bought the $30 box set, which includes the CD, a DVD, and a small hardcover book. I am quite disappointed that for $30 they could not include the CD jewel case. Instead, you get this cheap piece of cardboard which is too big to fit on a standard CD rack, and the CD will not stay in it. Oh well... my first impression is that the music is awesome!
U2 never disappoints. I even liked their most hated album, "Pop". I have loved them since I first heard "New Year's Day" and "Pride (In the Name of Love)". My mom had the 45 of Pride, and we used to listen to it all the time. I think I still have it.
Monday, November 15, 2004
Pet Peeves
Most people have a few things that irritate the heck out of them... here are a few of mine:
1. Spitting and littering. Nothing makes my day like driving behind someone who throws some trash or a lit cigarette butt out their car window. What do you think the ash tray is for? Even though my mom, dad, and sister smoke, I have to say that smokers must be the world's most inconsiderate people. Their butts end up everywhere. It's especially nice when someone decides to empty their ash tray in a parking lot. Goes great with the smashed, wet diaper in the next space.
Spitting is just gross. If you have so much saliva and phlegm that you need to spit it on the sidewalk, go to the doctor!
2. Dog crap in my yard. I realize that our grass may get a little on the tall side once in awhile, but that doesn't mean that you should leave your dog's business in it! Not many people in my neighborhood have dogs, so this isn't a huge problem, but it's still annoying when it happens.
3. Rude people. I have worked in Carmel, Indiana for over 6.5 years. It seems to be the place where the "high and mighty" live and congregate. The "Carmelites" are the rudest people I've ever encountered. They rarely say "Thank you" if you hold a door. They butt in front of you in stores without saying "Excuse me". They run you off the road with their compensatory, overly gigantic SUV's. Very annoying.
4. People giving me pregnancy/childbirth advice. If I ask for it that's one thing, but so many people just want to volunteer useless information. I especially dislike the frowns or groans I get when I tell people I am not going to have an epidural. It's not uncommon to forego it, so get over it! They act like I won't be able to handle the pain. Hello? Every pregnancy, childbirth experience, and baby is different, so who are you to tell me what I can handle? Perhaps I will end up getting one if the situation calls for it, but just for fun, how about a smidgeon of support?
Most people have a few things that irritate the heck out of them... here are a few of mine:
1. Spitting and littering. Nothing makes my day like driving behind someone who throws some trash or a lit cigarette butt out their car window. What do you think the ash tray is for? Even though my mom, dad, and sister smoke, I have to say that smokers must be the world's most inconsiderate people. Their butts end up everywhere. It's especially nice when someone decides to empty their ash tray in a parking lot. Goes great with the smashed, wet diaper in the next space.
Spitting is just gross. If you have so much saliva and phlegm that you need to spit it on the sidewalk, go to the doctor!
2. Dog crap in my yard. I realize that our grass may get a little on the tall side once in awhile, but that doesn't mean that you should leave your dog's business in it! Not many people in my neighborhood have dogs, so this isn't a huge problem, but it's still annoying when it happens.
3. Rude people. I have worked in Carmel, Indiana for over 6.5 years. It seems to be the place where the "high and mighty" live and congregate. The "Carmelites" are the rudest people I've ever encountered. They rarely say "Thank you" if you hold a door. They butt in front of you in stores without saying "Excuse me". They run you off the road with their compensatory, overly gigantic SUV's. Very annoying.
4. People giving me pregnancy/childbirth advice. If I ask for it that's one thing, but so many people just want to volunteer useless information. I especially dislike the frowns or groans I get when I tell people I am not going to have an epidural. It's not uncommon to forego it, so get over it! They act like I won't be able to handle the pain. Hello? Every pregnancy, childbirth experience, and baby is different, so who are you to tell me what I can handle? Perhaps I will end up getting one if the situation calls for it, but just for fun, how about a smidgeon of support?
Friday, November 12, 2004
The Greatest Rock Lyric Ever
Even though The Beatles are my favorite band (and U2 is a close second), my favorite rock lyric comes from none other than Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here":
How I wish... how I wish you were here...
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year.
Running over the same old ground. Have we found the same old fears?
Wish you were here.
I just love that passage... if you're familiar with the song, you probably sang the verse in your head as you read it.
Even though The Beatles are my favorite band (and U2 is a close second), my favorite rock lyric comes from none other than Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here":
How I wish... how I wish you were here...
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year.
Running over the same old ground. Have we found the same old fears?
Wish you were here.
I just love that passage... if you're familiar with the song, you probably sang the verse in your head as you read it.
I'm still kickin'... and baby is too
I've been so incredibly busy that I haven't had time to write. Time is marching on... there are less than 12 weeks left in the pregnancy. I can't believe it! I have decided to do the baby's room in Beatrix Potter/Peter Rabbit. I think the illustrations are cute, and they are detailed enough to give the baby something interesting to look at.
She is kicking harder and harder every day now. Each day I look in the mirror and can almost see my belly growing!
I've been so incredibly busy that I haven't had time to write. Time is marching on... there are less than 12 weeks left in the pregnancy. I can't believe it! I have decided to do the baby's room in Beatrix Potter/Peter Rabbit. I think the illustrations are cute, and they are detailed enough to give the baby something interesting to look at.
She is kicking harder and harder every day now. Each day I look in the mirror and can almost see my belly growing!
Monday, October 18, 2004
15 Weeks To Go
Week 24 has been the most uncomfortable of the pregnancy so far. Last Thursday I had pain in my side that became so bad I could not stand up straight. The doctor had me go in for tests, which all came back normal, so they attributed the pain to round ligament stretching. Four days later, I still have the pain. Fortunately, it's not as bad as it was, but I hope it goes away soon. It's hard to keep doing everyday things when you can't bend over, sit down, laugh, or talk without grabbing your side in agony.
Week 24 has been the most uncomfortable of the pregnancy so far. Last Thursday I had pain in my side that became so bad I could not stand up straight. The doctor had me go in for tests, which all came back normal, so they attributed the pain to round ligament stretching. Four days later, I still have the pain. Fortunately, it's not as bad as it was, but I hope it goes away soon. It's hard to keep doing everyday things when you can't bend over, sit down, laugh, or talk without grabbing your side in agony.
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Spiritual Side
Perhaps it's the changing of the seasons, but I'm feeling inspired to write about my spiritual beliefs. I typically don't share these with many people, but since very few people read my blog, I'm not sure how public they'll really be. This blog is really for me anyway. It has taken me a long time to formulate beliefs that make sense to me based on things I've read, my experiences, and learning from other people.
I did not grow up in a church environment. I went to church a handful of times with friends. Perhaps having no religious guidance lead me to alternative beliefs...or maybe I would have come to these conclusions eventually anyway. I am not sure. One thing I am sure of is that I've always felt a strong connection with nature, and I feel far more spiritual walking a forest than sitting in a church. I do love old, decorated cathedrals. Some are so beautiful that you cannot help but feel some sense of spiritualness in them.
Some of my beliefs are Buddhist. Some are derived from Native American beliefs. I can only classify myself as a Pagan. That word has a lot of negative connotations for people, but it simply means "non-Christian". It implies a deeply rooted respect of nature and the god and goddess who created it. Some people think that Pagans practice witchcraft, but that is not necessarily true. While a Wiccan person is classified as a Pagan, a Pagan is not always Wiccan. I am not Wiccan.
I believe in reincarnation. We can choose to return to Earth, and when we do, we can also choose certain challenges that we will face in our lives here. These challenges encourage the growth and progression of our soul. People that we gravitate to on Earth could have known us in previous lives or could be our best friends on the other side.
I also believe in karma. I treat people the same way I want to be treated. I do nice things because they will come back to me. I believe in helping those who are willing to help themselves.
I respect other cultures and religions; however, I do not appreciate other people shoving their religion in my face. I do not judge other people based on their religion, race, or sexual orientation, and I expect to be treated with the same respect and non-judgmental attitude.
I believe it is our duty as humans on Earth to treat animals with respect. Animals are very important to the whole interconnectedness of nature. I believe that they have spirits too. It is important to teach children to love and respect animals and the environment.
I do celebrate Christmas and other typical holidays. Christmas for me is celebrating family and togetherness. Even before Christianity, people decorated pine trees in the winter to show their respect for nature. I acknowledge seasonal events, such as solstices and equinoxes, not by performing rituals, but by thinking about my life and my place in the universe. Sometimes that may involve celebrating with food and drink. As the seasons change and we all become older, it's important to evaluate your existence and think about where you are going, if you are happy, and what you can do to improve your life on Earth. I also acknowledge full moons in the same kind of introspective way. I am fascinated by the moon and how it effects things on Earth. Nature is a delicate balance, and I am always in awe of how it works.
Finally, I believe there is not only a god, but also a goddess. They (or it - they could be one sexless entity) are the creators of all things. When we die, we return to the other side, our true home. I do not know where this place/dimension exists. Scientifically, I don't think anyone can figure that out or it would have been done by now. I also believe in ghosts, or spirits who become trapped here on Earth until they are willing to accept their fate and return home. People on the other side can communicate with us on a subconscious level, which includes our dreams. They can help guide us if we ask for their assistance. Before I became pregnant, I knew I wanted to get pregnant in May. At that time, I asked my family on the other side to send my daughter. I was ready. I became pregnant with a baby girl about one week later. Our subconscious is our link to the other side.
By writing this, I have only outlined what I believe. I have not explained how I came to these conclusions. That would probably result in a book. Sometime I might sit down and attempt to write it.
Perhaps it's the changing of the seasons, but I'm feeling inspired to write about my spiritual beliefs. I typically don't share these with many people, but since very few people read my blog, I'm not sure how public they'll really be. This blog is really for me anyway. It has taken me a long time to formulate beliefs that make sense to me based on things I've read, my experiences, and learning from other people.
I did not grow up in a church environment. I went to church a handful of times with friends. Perhaps having no religious guidance lead me to alternative beliefs...or maybe I would have come to these conclusions eventually anyway. I am not sure. One thing I am sure of is that I've always felt a strong connection with nature, and I feel far more spiritual walking a forest than sitting in a church. I do love old, decorated cathedrals. Some are so beautiful that you cannot help but feel some sense of spiritualness in them.
Some of my beliefs are Buddhist. Some are derived from Native American beliefs. I can only classify myself as a Pagan. That word has a lot of negative connotations for people, but it simply means "non-Christian". It implies a deeply rooted respect of nature and the god and goddess who created it. Some people think that Pagans practice witchcraft, but that is not necessarily true. While a Wiccan person is classified as a Pagan, a Pagan is not always Wiccan. I am not Wiccan.
I believe in reincarnation. We can choose to return to Earth, and when we do, we can also choose certain challenges that we will face in our lives here. These challenges encourage the growth and progression of our soul. People that we gravitate to on Earth could have known us in previous lives or could be our best friends on the other side.
I also believe in karma. I treat people the same way I want to be treated. I do nice things because they will come back to me. I believe in helping those who are willing to help themselves.
I respect other cultures and religions; however, I do not appreciate other people shoving their religion in my face. I do not judge other people based on their religion, race, or sexual orientation, and I expect to be treated with the same respect and non-judgmental attitude.
I believe it is our duty as humans on Earth to treat animals with respect. Animals are very important to the whole interconnectedness of nature. I believe that they have spirits too. It is important to teach children to love and respect animals and the environment.
I do celebrate Christmas and other typical holidays. Christmas for me is celebrating family and togetherness. Even before Christianity, people decorated pine trees in the winter to show their respect for nature. I acknowledge seasonal events, such as solstices and equinoxes, not by performing rituals, but by thinking about my life and my place in the universe. Sometimes that may involve celebrating with food and drink. As the seasons change and we all become older, it's important to evaluate your existence and think about where you are going, if you are happy, and what you can do to improve your life on Earth. I also acknowledge full moons in the same kind of introspective way. I am fascinated by the moon and how it effects things on Earth. Nature is a delicate balance, and I am always in awe of how it works.
Finally, I believe there is not only a god, but also a goddess. They (or it - they could be one sexless entity) are the creators of all things. When we die, we return to the other side, our true home. I do not know where this place/dimension exists. Scientifically, I don't think anyone can figure that out or it would have been done by now. I also believe in ghosts, or spirits who become trapped here on Earth until they are willing to accept their fate and return home. People on the other side can communicate with us on a subconscious level, which includes our dreams. They can help guide us if we ask for their assistance. Before I became pregnant, I knew I wanted to get pregnant in May. At that time, I asked my family on the other side to send my daughter. I was ready. I became pregnant with a baby girl about one week later. Our subconscious is our link to the other side.
By writing this, I have only outlined what I believe. I have not explained how I came to these conclusions. That would probably result in a book. Sometime I might sit down and attempt to write it.
Sunday, October 03, 2004
Another Year Older...
I turn 31 today. I bought myself some new things over the weekend, like a new purse and the new Tears for Fears album. I had been awaiting the release of the album for a long time, and it has been out since 9/14, but I just found out that it was released on Friday. I expected it to be good, but not this good... I LOVE IT! Tears for Fears has proven that they've still got it after all this time.
I turn 31 today. I bought myself some new things over the weekend, like a new purse and the new Tears for Fears album. I had been awaiting the release of the album for a long time, and it has been out since 9/14, but I just found out that it was released on Friday. I expected it to be good, but not this good... I LOVE IT! Tears for Fears has proven that they've still got it after all this time.
Saturday, September 25, 2004
Where did Magical Cat come from?
I used to sing songs to my cat, Rishi. One of my favorites was "Black Betty", but I changed it to "Black Buddy" (his nickname). Because of the mysticism surrounding black cats, I used to think of "Magical Mister Mistoffelees" from the musical Cats when I sang to him. So when I needed a Yahoo name, I thought of it at the spur of the moment.
I really miss Rishi.
I used to sing songs to my cat, Rishi. One of my favorites was "Black Betty", but I changed it to "Black Buddy" (his nickname). Because of the mysticism surrounding black cats, I used to think of "Magical Mister Mistoffelees" from the musical Cats when I sang to him. So when I needed a Yahoo name, I thought of it at the spur of the moment.
I really miss Rishi.
Thursday, September 23, 2004
Autumn Upon Us
I meant to post yesterday, on the Autumnal Equinox, but I didn't get around to it. Fall is my favorite season, and I'm so glad it's here! It never lasts long enough though. Soon the leaves will change and the holidays will be here. I already have some of my Halloween decorations out.
I'm feeling the baby move every day now (and every night). At this stage, the movements are cute because they're just little flutters. Reminds me how small she is even though I feel like my belly is HUGE.
I feel good most of the time, but I do have some trouble sleeping through the night. Perhaps it's my body preparing me to deal with a newborn. I've tried avoiding caffeine, switching sides of the bed with James, and taking sinus medication before bed, but nothing seems to help. I try not to complain too much... I've read about much worse pregnancy related symptoms that I am glad I do not have. Overall, I think being pregnant is fun.
I meant to post yesterday, on the Autumnal Equinox, but I didn't get around to it. Fall is my favorite season, and I'm so glad it's here! It never lasts long enough though. Soon the leaves will change and the holidays will be here. I already have some of my Halloween decorations out.
I'm feeling the baby move every day now (and every night). At this stage, the movements are cute because they're just little flutters. Reminds me how small she is even though I feel like my belly is HUGE.
I feel good most of the time, but I do have some trouble sleeping through the night. Perhaps it's my body preparing me to deal with a newborn. I've tried avoiding caffeine, switching sides of the bed with James, and taking sinus medication before bed, but nothing seems to help. I try not to complain too much... I've read about much worse pregnancy related symptoms that I am glad I do not have. Overall, I think being pregnant is fun.
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
Monday, September 13, 2004
Ultrasound News
James and I had our first ultrasound on September 7. I was amazed by the clarity of the picture. We saw every angle of the baby, including her spine, feet, face, and the top of her head. Yep, I said "her". We are having a girl! We are really excited, and even though the VHS tape of the ultrasound is bit lesser in quality than the actual picture was, that hasn't stopped us from watching the tape several times. Too bad they can't burn it to a high definition DVD.
James and I had our first ultrasound on September 7. I was amazed by the clarity of the picture. We saw every angle of the baby, including her spine, feet, face, and the top of her head. Yep, I said "her". We are having a girl! We are really excited, and even though the VHS tape of the ultrasound is bit lesser in quality than the actual picture was, that hasn't stopped us from watching the tape several times. Too bad they can't burn it to a high definition DVD.
Native Imports
I want to ask people who have a Native American dream catcher hanging from their rearview mirror if they sleep in their cars a lot. It's supposed to hang above your bed and "catch" nightmares. It's pretty sad that the Native American culture is one of the most exploited. If you shop for a dream catcher, some Native American pottery, or a flute, turn the product over. You might see a "Made in China" sticker. Real authentic.
I want to ask people who have a Native American dream catcher hanging from their rearview mirror if they sleep in their cars a lot. It's supposed to hang above your bed and "catch" nightmares. It's pretty sad that the Native American culture is one of the most exploited. If you shop for a dream catcher, some Native American pottery, or a flute, turn the product over. You might see a "Made in China" sticker. Real authentic.
Thursday, September 02, 2004
Work Is Nuts
I have managed not to complain about my job on this blog so far. I think today I am finally feeling motivated to write something about it. I am a web developer/project manager at a company that I've been working at for over 6 years. They have been good to me... I started out in the helpdesk making peanuts, and worked my way up to the world of IT (and perhaps now making walnuts?). I was helpdesk supervisor, then trainer, then writing documents for web sites, then web developer. I learned ASP and SQL (with help from my boss). I am good at what I do. It does not only involve web developing... it's about knowing how to treat your "customers" (other employees), and understanding the business. My boss knows I always put in my 40 hours (at least), so it's no big deal if I'm late or need to leave early. He even said I can work from home after I have my baby. Those are the good things about my job.
Now, the complaints. Everyone has complaints about their job. No job is perfect, and there are some days where my level of frustration knows no bounds. I have to be on call every 4th week. I am on call this week, which happens to include Labor Day weekend. This is the third holiday in a row where I have been on call. I do not get paid for being on call. I do get a cell phone allowance each month in exchange. People call about minor issues. It's supposed to be for emergencies, such as a web site crashing or server outage. Instead I get things like "I can't get into my Email", "How do I get to such-and-such web site", and the inevitable "My PC isn't working right". I got the PC call one night at 3am. These are not emergencies, people! And why are you working at night? Get a life!
I also have to mention pay. I am a female, which automatically means I get less than my male counterparts. Why is that fair? I even have the word "manager" in my title, but that doesn't seem to matter. I have many male friends working in the same field as me. They all make more than I do. One of them makes a full 20k more... it's really frustrating. I wish the job market would pick up. I had three interviews for one web development job. It was more money for less work, and they seemed concerned that I would not be as "challenged" in the new job. THAT'S WHAT I WANTED! I really thought I had it in the bag, but they ended up hiring a man. HMPH! I really hope to someday break into the cashew pay level... that rich, delicious nut seemingly reserved for men and very few women. Until then I will continue at the walnut level... if I'm lucky, maybe next year I'll get pecans.
I have managed not to complain about my job on this blog so far. I think today I am finally feeling motivated to write something about it. I am a web developer/project manager at a company that I've been working at for over 6 years. They have been good to me... I started out in the helpdesk making peanuts, and worked my way up to the world of IT (and perhaps now making walnuts?). I was helpdesk supervisor, then trainer, then writing documents for web sites, then web developer. I learned ASP and SQL (with help from my boss). I am good at what I do. It does not only involve web developing... it's about knowing how to treat your "customers" (other employees), and understanding the business. My boss knows I always put in my 40 hours (at least), so it's no big deal if I'm late or need to leave early. He even said I can work from home after I have my baby. Those are the good things about my job.
Now, the complaints. Everyone has complaints about their job. No job is perfect, and there are some days where my level of frustration knows no bounds. I have to be on call every 4th week. I am on call this week, which happens to include Labor Day weekend. This is the third holiday in a row where I have been on call. I do not get paid for being on call. I do get a cell phone allowance each month in exchange. People call about minor issues. It's supposed to be for emergencies, such as a web site crashing or server outage. Instead I get things like "I can't get into my Email", "How do I get to such-and-such web site", and the inevitable "My PC isn't working right". I got the PC call one night at 3am. These are not emergencies, people! And why are you working at night? Get a life!
I also have to mention pay. I am a female, which automatically means I get less than my male counterparts. Why is that fair? I even have the word "manager" in my title, but that doesn't seem to matter. I have many male friends working in the same field as me. They all make more than I do. One of them makes a full 20k more... it's really frustrating. I wish the job market would pick up. I had three interviews for one web development job. It was more money for less work, and they seemed concerned that I would not be as "challenged" in the new job. THAT'S WHAT I WANTED! I really thought I had it in the bag, but they ended up hiring a man. HMPH! I really hope to someday break into the cashew pay level... that rich, delicious nut seemingly reserved for men and very few women. Until then I will continue at the walnut level... if I'm lucky, maybe next year I'll get pecans.
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
Another Milestone
Today marks the beginning of my 5th month of pregnancy (18 weeks). In just two weeks, I'll be half way through. Time to start preparing the baby's room. We have to relocate our rabbit (and our vacuum cleaner, my Barbie collection, and other miscellaneous stuff), put in new carpet, and put up a blind. Fortunately, the room is already painted a light shade of lavender, so we don't have to paint the walls (was that foresight on my part?).
Today marks the beginning of my 5th month of pregnancy (18 weeks). In just two weeks, I'll be half way through. Time to start preparing the baby's room. We have to relocate our rabbit (and our vacuum cleaner, my Barbie collection, and other miscellaneous stuff), put in new carpet, and put up a blind. Fortunately, the room is already painted a light shade of lavender, so we don't have to paint the walls (was that foresight on my part?).
Thursday, August 26, 2004
First Movement
I felt the baby move for the first time today! As soon as I sat down at my desk this morning, I felt a fluttery muscle spasm feeling. I am almost certain it was the baby. Very exciting!
At my doctor appointment on Tuesday, the nurse clocked the heartbeat at 150 bpm. She had to try 3 times or so because the baby kept moving around. Must be an active one! I have an ultrasound scheduled for September 7. I can't wait...
I felt the baby move for the first time today! As soon as I sat down at my desk this morning, I felt a fluttery muscle spasm feeling. I am almost certain it was the baby. Very exciting!
At my doctor appointment on Tuesday, the nurse clocked the heartbeat at 150 bpm. She had to try 3 times or so because the baby kept moving around. Must be an active one! I have an ultrasound scheduled for September 7. I can't wait...
Friday, August 20, 2004
Ooooo, Witchy Woman
My best friend and my husband have always teased me about being from a family of witches. They don't mean it in a bad way, of course. It's just that my aunts and my mom like to grow herbs and things and make weird stuff. My mom has 5 sisters and 1 brother. Even my uncle has a garden. We always had black cats when I was growing up, which happen to be my favorite type of cat (I recently lost my beloved black kitty of 10 years, Rishi, to cancer). My mom would trim my sister's and my hair by the full moon. I have to admit, I do consult the Farmers' Almanac to find out which moon phases are good for planting flowers or doing other stuff. I also love to look at the full moon. I always acknowledge it and try to gaze upon it if it isn't too cloudy to see. I really think it's just a deep rooted respect for nature that my family has (I wouldn't want it any other way), but I can't seem to shake the witch thing.
When my friend Leslie and I were in Scotland, one of us picked up a book about witches. It seems a brother and sister by the name of Weir were burned at the stake for witchcraft in Scotland. Weir was my grandma's maiden name. This just added to Leslie and James' evidence.
On the 4th of July, James and I headed down to my mom's for a barbecue. My mom had a huge spider in a jar. There are many more things I could list here that have fueled this perception. Will I ever shake this witch image? Probably not. I admit to having Pagan beliefs, but I don't cast spells or make potions. It sounds like fun though.
My best friend and my husband have always teased me about being from a family of witches. They don't mean it in a bad way, of course. It's just that my aunts and my mom like to grow herbs and things and make weird stuff. My mom has 5 sisters and 1 brother. Even my uncle has a garden. We always had black cats when I was growing up, which happen to be my favorite type of cat (I recently lost my beloved black kitty of 10 years, Rishi, to cancer). My mom would trim my sister's and my hair by the full moon. I have to admit, I do consult the Farmers' Almanac to find out which moon phases are good for planting flowers or doing other stuff. I also love to look at the full moon. I always acknowledge it and try to gaze upon it if it isn't too cloudy to see. I really think it's just a deep rooted respect for nature that my family has (I wouldn't want it any other way), but I can't seem to shake the witch thing.
When my friend Leslie and I were in Scotland, one of us picked up a book about witches. It seems a brother and sister by the name of Weir were burned at the stake for witchcraft in Scotland. Weir was my grandma's maiden name. This just added to Leslie and James' evidence.
On the 4th of July, James and I headed down to my mom's for a barbecue. My mom had a huge spider in a jar. There are many more things I could list here that have fueled this perception. Will I ever shake this witch image? Probably not. I admit to having Pagan beliefs, but I don't cast spells or make potions. It sounds like fun though.
No News Is Good News
It's been awhile since I made an update here. I'm in the 16th week of the pregnancy. I should feel the baby move any day now. I feel pretty good right now. I have energy, and the stars and headaches that I experienced in the first trimester are becoming less frequent. We have not started shopping for the baby yet... in fact, we haven't done anything to prepare. We will probably start in the 5th month. That's right around the corner.
Buggy Stuff
Indiana was recently visited by a type of cicada that only comes out every 17 years. Some areas were absolutely covered in them and others only had a few, if any. We only saw one of them in our backyard. I was a little disappointed because I thought they were kind of cool. While cleaning the other day, I found just the wing of one of the cicadas on our stairway. Weird.
I had a spider friend that was living behind my bread box in the kitchen. I find bugs interesting. Like most people, I don't want them in my house, but this spider didn't bother me. He was about the size of nickel (including the legs). It wasn't one of the big hairy ones (it would have been promptly smashed if so). I let it go, thinking maybe it would eat any gnats or flies that came its way (not that we have a problem, mind you). He was there for a few weeks, coming out occasionally while I cooked or washed dishes. Then I saw him crawling in the sink. BIG mistake. I washed him down the drain. If he had stayed in his little space behind the bread box, I would have left him alone. Oh well.
It's been awhile since I made an update here. I'm in the 16th week of the pregnancy. I should feel the baby move any day now. I feel pretty good right now. I have energy, and the stars and headaches that I experienced in the first trimester are becoming less frequent. We have not started shopping for the baby yet... in fact, we haven't done anything to prepare. We will probably start in the 5th month. That's right around the corner.
Buggy Stuff
Indiana was recently visited by a type of cicada that only comes out every 17 years. Some areas were absolutely covered in them and others only had a few, if any. We only saw one of them in our backyard. I was a little disappointed because I thought they were kind of cool. While cleaning the other day, I found just the wing of one of the cicadas on our stairway. Weird.
I had a spider friend that was living behind my bread box in the kitchen. I find bugs interesting. Like most people, I don't want them in my house, but this spider didn't bother me. He was about the size of nickel (including the legs). It wasn't one of the big hairy ones (it would have been promptly smashed if so). I let it go, thinking maybe it would eat any gnats or flies that came its way (not that we have a problem, mind you). He was there for a few weeks, coming out occasionally while I cooked or washed dishes. Then I saw him crawling in the sink. BIG mistake. I washed him down the drain. If he had stayed in his little space behind the bread box, I would have left him alone. Oh well.
Monday, August 02, 2004
Fatness, Here I Come
I am now wearing maternity clothes. I went shopping over the weekend, and bought several shirts, a skirt, and 3 pairs of pants. At first my friend Leslie and I were appalled by the styles, but then we went to a store called Motherhood. They actually have hip maternity clothes... Well, as hip as they can be anyway. I start my 14th week of pregnancy tomorrow, and I could not stand another day in my regular clothes. They were so tight that my circulation was getting cut off. So here I sit in my maternity jeans. They are green and look rather militant. I like them.
I am now wearing maternity clothes. I went shopping over the weekend, and bought several shirts, a skirt, and 3 pairs of pants. At first my friend Leslie and I were appalled by the styles, but then we went to a store called Motherhood. They actually have hip maternity clothes... Well, as hip as they can be anyway. I start my 14th week of pregnancy tomorrow, and I could not stand another day in my regular clothes. They were so tight that my circulation was getting cut off. So here I sit in my maternity jeans. They are green and look rather militant. I like them.
Friday, July 23, 2004
You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry
I think that pregnancy hormones can best be described through a comparison to The Incredible Hulk. For the most part, I am even-keeled. I'm no David Banner, out helping people in need whilst I remain lonely and isolated, but I am fairly happy and laid back (though it doesn't stop me from complaining at work). Piss me off however, and you've got the Hulk on your hands. I've had a few episodes. One was in the car the other day, and one was at work today. I am a web developer, and I was tired of my program being blamed when the real cause of the issue was user error. I felt my face turning red (rather than green) and I wanted to throw something very forcefully. I guess it's the hormones that cause me to fly off of the handle about situations that I would normally handle gracefully. Laura smash!
I think that pregnancy hormones can best be described through a comparison to The Incredible Hulk. For the most part, I am even-keeled. I'm no David Banner, out helping people in need whilst I remain lonely and isolated, but I am fairly happy and laid back (though it doesn't stop me from complaining at work). Piss me off however, and you've got the Hulk on your hands. I've had a few episodes. One was in the car the other day, and one was at work today. I am a web developer, and I was tired of my program being blamed when the real cause of the issue was user error. I felt my face turning red (rather than green) and I wanted to throw something very forcefully. I guess it's the hormones that cause me to fly off of the handle about situations that I would normally handle gracefully. Laura smash!
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
Abandon Every Hope, Ye Who Enter Here
For those online quiz-takers out there, here is a fun one for you. Answer the questions and see which level of Dante's Inferno you fit into. I'm apparently headed for Level 2, which is the lustful level. Hmmm, and I thought for sure I'd be a glutton relaxing in Level 3.
For those online quiz-takers out there, here is a fun one for you. Answer the questions and see which level of Dante's Inferno you fit into. I'm apparently headed for Level 2, which is the lustful level. Hmmm, and I thought for sure I'd be a glutton relaxing in Level 3.
Wednesday, July 14, 2004
Rat's Ass
Where did the expression "I don't give a rat's ass" come from? In Medieval times, did people give a rat ass to someone they cared about as a sign of affection? Did a witch say it when her friend came over to borrow a rat's ass for her enchantment potion? It's just one of those weird expressions that people use all the time, but when you think about it, it doesn't make any sense.
Where did the expression "I don't give a rat's ass" come from? In Medieval times, did people give a rat ass to someone they cared about as a sign of affection? Did a witch say it when her friend came over to borrow a rat's ass for her enchantment potion? It's just one of those weird expressions that people use all the time, but when you think about it, it doesn't make any sense.
Home Improvement
I'm feeling the irresistible pull of home improvement again. It's that feeling you get when you just have to tackle a project. So I'm trying to decide what to do. There are many things in our house to work on... new carpet or hardwood floors downstairs, removing the master bedroom wallpaper, replacing the faulty screen door, covering the cement slab we call a patio with flagstone or a deck, painting the trim... the list goes on and on.
When we first moved into our house (coming up on 4 years ago), my husband, James, and I did not know what we were in for. Every room in the house had ugly, 80's style wallpaper. It's easy enough to walk through and say "yeah, I can re-do that" when you're looking for a house to buy, but we had to change almost every single room in the house. There was even wallpaper in the hallways. So we transformed the house, room by room. With my dad's help, we stripped the wallpaper, sanded the walls, and painted. We put up wallpaper in one room, which is our downstairs 1/2 bath. It is one of my favorite rooms that we have done. Only one room remains wallpapered in an 80's design, and that's our master bedroom. It's the least offensive pattern of the many lovely designs that graced our walls. I won't be able to paint it until I have my baby, but oh well, what's another 6 months of looking at it.
I often wish I had chronicled our projects and created a scrapbook with before and after pictures. I could have saved the wallpaper pieces to show just how stylish the house was before. Here, I will attempt to revisit each project.
Fall 2000
Wow! We are home owners! The first room we tackled is the guest bedroom. It had wide blue and brown striped wallpaper with a border that had birds flying. It looked like a grandfather's bedroom. My dad showed me a process of removing wallpaper using a round scoring tool that makes holes all over the paper and then using a pump up sprayer full of hot water and DIFF. You soak the walls and the paper peels off. It was a bit messy, but it worked. We patched the nail holes in the walls but failed to sand them down, so you can still see the patch marks through the paint. Oh well, we were first timers, so it's ok. We painted the room Finnish Blue. We replaced the red metal mini blinds with white cellular shades. We were impressed with our job, flaws and all.
Winter 2000
On to the next bedroom upstairs. It had been a girl's room and had pastel striped wallpaper with tiny hearts in every pastel color you can think of. Ugh. This wallpaper was perhaps the easiest to remove. I could almost peel it off without using any water or DIFF. I patched the nail holes and sanded them down. I painted the room a light lavender color and put up lace curtains. It looks rather Victorian. I love the room... it currently houses our rabbit, but it will be the baby's room.
Spring 2001
Ah, the downstairs bathroom. Perhaps the most beautiful wallpaper I've ever seen (gag). It had neon criss-crossed stripes with a neon heart border around the mirror. I am not joking. Besides being ugly, it was also extremely stubborn. I think it must have been put up with super glue. No matter how much I scraped and soaked it, it came off in tiny bits that stuck to the floor when I dropped them. In addition to tearing the wallpaper down, which was really fun when I got to the toilet and pedestal sink area, I also decided to take out the white ceramic towel bar and TP holder in favor of a more elegant look. My dad helped me knock these pieces out with a hammer and repair the gaping holes in the dry wall. Dad also helped me hang my replacement wallpaper. It's a scroll design in subtle sage green with a parchment like background. I found a mirror, trash can, and two corner shelves at Pier 1 that have a silver scroll design that matched the wallpaper perfectly. It took me over 2 years to finally hang up the TP holder, but the finished room is awesome.
Summer/Fall 2001
Who puts wallpaper in hallways? That was the question I kept asking myself as I dealt with the most awful of all wallpapers I have encountered. It was a color my dad called "dirty beige". I would say it was the "dusty rose" color so popular in the 80's and it had yellowed over the years. It was in our downstairs hallway, stairwell, and upstairs hallway. The residue this paper left behind was terrible. Most wallpaper glue comes off of the wall with a little dish soap and water, but not this glue. It was like tiny grains of sand super glued to the walls. We had to use sandpaper to sand the walls over and over to get rid of it. We spent hours sanding until the surfaces were smooth enough to paint. We painted them Antique White.
Spring/Summer 2002
Our kitchen and family room are basically one giant room that spans the width of the house. I couldn't wait to tackle these rooms. The wallpaper played tricks with your eyes. It had small greyish diamond shapes, and they would flash when you looked at them. It also had a country blue border in the kitchen and country blue shelves with ducks on them above a planning desk. Those shelves were gone as soon as we moved in, but the holes remained. We had to do a lot of patching in this room, especially when I decided to rip the planning desk out. It left a square of missing linoleum on the floor, so we covered that with a rug until the floor needs to be replaced again. I now have a nice bakers rack where the desk was. We had some difficulty picking out a color since the color would have to go well in the kitchen as well as the family room. We initially were set on purple, but when we brought the paint home and painted some on the wall, it looked like grape Bubble Yum meets Grimace. Back to Lowes. We ended up with Victorian Slate Green. As we painted we joked that it would look like military barracks, but we liked the finished product. It's a dark sage color. I found that red and tan accents go with it very well, so once we hung up some wrought iron candle sconces and art work with red and tan colors, it looked very cozy. Over the last few years, we have replaced each kitchen appliance, so we now have a black stove, refrigerator, and dishwasher. I plan on placing red and tan tile above the kitchen cabinets at some point.
Fall 2002
The entry way (foyer, whatever you want to call it), living room, and dining room are all connected to the stairwell and hallways that we had previously painted Antique White. Before we painted the hallways, you could see three different patterns when you stepped in the door, each of them distinctly different (and ugly). The entry way had a mint green pastel Southwestern print, while the living room and dining room had a pink and light blue flower design. And we musn't forget the dirty beige hallways. Here's the kicker, when we bought the house, one of the "selling points" was that it was professionally decorated. I beg to differ... you may be wondering why we bought the house. We were able to look past the wallpaper and see what it could be. It has an awesome floor to ceiling brick fireplace in the living room, which is a two story room. The house also had nice carpet and parquet flooring. We knew it could be a great house. Anyway...
We removed the wallpaper in the entry way, living room, and dining room. Wow, it looked better already. Since all of these walls were interconnected with the stairwell and hallways, we also painted these rooms Antique White. It really makes the brick fireplace stand out. At this point our downstairs was almost done.
Spring 2003
Only two rooms remain with 80's wallpaper: the master bedroom and bathroom. I decided to do the bathroom first. The wallpaper had a white background with yellow and orange flowers and green foliage. A mint green shower curtain had remained since we moved in. I didn't know what color to use, so I found a shower curtain that I liked and pulled a light blue color out of that. Normally I don't like light blue, but I had seen it in catalogs and thought it might give the bathroom a retro feel. It is 100% improved over what it was, but I'm considering changing it at some point. Our double vanity is quite dated and the bathtub is small, so we may re-do that bathroom again sometime. We'll see.
Summer 2003
One thing had bothered me since we painted our family room and kitchen. The paint lines where the Slate Green met the Antique White in our dining room and hallway doorways were rather sloppy. Yet again, I called upon my dad to help. He helped me pick out wood trim that matched our other trim in the house. He measured and cut the pieces for me. I had fun staining them. Then he hung them up for me. I covered the nails and coated the trim in polyurethane, and it matches our other trim very well. The doorways look finished now, and the dining room looks a little more elegant.
All of those projects took a lot of time and money, not to mention blood, sweat, and tears. Over the last year, we have not started any major projects. To quell our need for home improvement, we have focused on smaller scale projects. I created a flower bed by our patio. We replaced our generic light fixture above the dining room table with a chandelier, and we installed a dimmer switch for it. James installed motion sensing light switches in the garage and upstairs office (which, by the way, was one of the few rooms that didn't have wallpaper, along with the laundry room and guest bathroom). We also replaced our kitchen table.
Soon I will undertake a major project... I feel it coming. Hopefully I can convince James to help me pull up our downstairs carpet and replace it with parquet flooring that will match our hallway. Muwahaha!
I'm feeling the irresistible pull of home improvement again. It's that feeling you get when you just have to tackle a project. So I'm trying to decide what to do. There are many things in our house to work on... new carpet or hardwood floors downstairs, removing the master bedroom wallpaper, replacing the faulty screen door, covering the cement slab we call a patio with flagstone or a deck, painting the trim... the list goes on and on.
When we first moved into our house (coming up on 4 years ago), my husband, James, and I did not know what we were in for. Every room in the house had ugly, 80's style wallpaper. It's easy enough to walk through and say "yeah, I can re-do that" when you're looking for a house to buy, but we had to change almost every single room in the house. There was even wallpaper in the hallways. So we transformed the house, room by room. With my dad's help, we stripped the wallpaper, sanded the walls, and painted. We put up wallpaper in one room, which is our downstairs 1/2 bath. It is one of my favorite rooms that we have done. Only one room remains wallpapered in an 80's design, and that's our master bedroom. It's the least offensive pattern of the many lovely designs that graced our walls. I won't be able to paint it until I have my baby, but oh well, what's another 6 months of looking at it.
I often wish I had chronicled our projects and created a scrapbook with before and after pictures. I could have saved the wallpaper pieces to show just how stylish the house was before. Here, I will attempt to revisit each project.
Fall 2000
Wow! We are home owners! The first room we tackled is the guest bedroom. It had wide blue and brown striped wallpaper with a border that had birds flying. It looked like a grandfather's bedroom. My dad showed me a process of removing wallpaper using a round scoring tool that makes holes all over the paper and then using a pump up sprayer full of hot water and DIFF. You soak the walls and the paper peels off. It was a bit messy, but it worked. We patched the nail holes in the walls but failed to sand them down, so you can still see the patch marks through the paint. Oh well, we were first timers, so it's ok. We painted the room Finnish Blue. We replaced the red metal mini blinds with white cellular shades. We were impressed with our job, flaws and all.
Winter 2000
On to the next bedroom upstairs. It had been a girl's room and had pastel striped wallpaper with tiny hearts in every pastel color you can think of. Ugh. This wallpaper was perhaps the easiest to remove. I could almost peel it off without using any water or DIFF. I patched the nail holes and sanded them down. I painted the room a light lavender color and put up lace curtains. It looks rather Victorian. I love the room... it currently houses our rabbit, but it will be the baby's room.
Spring 2001
Ah, the downstairs bathroom. Perhaps the most beautiful wallpaper I've ever seen (gag). It had neon criss-crossed stripes with a neon heart border around the mirror. I am not joking. Besides being ugly, it was also extremely stubborn. I think it must have been put up with super glue. No matter how much I scraped and soaked it, it came off in tiny bits that stuck to the floor when I dropped them. In addition to tearing the wallpaper down, which was really fun when I got to the toilet and pedestal sink area, I also decided to take out the white ceramic towel bar and TP holder in favor of a more elegant look. My dad helped me knock these pieces out with a hammer and repair the gaping holes in the dry wall. Dad also helped me hang my replacement wallpaper. It's a scroll design in subtle sage green with a parchment like background. I found a mirror, trash can, and two corner shelves at Pier 1 that have a silver scroll design that matched the wallpaper perfectly. It took me over 2 years to finally hang up the TP holder, but the finished room is awesome.
Summer/Fall 2001
Who puts wallpaper in hallways? That was the question I kept asking myself as I dealt with the most awful of all wallpapers I have encountered. It was a color my dad called "dirty beige". I would say it was the "dusty rose" color so popular in the 80's and it had yellowed over the years. It was in our downstairs hallway, stairwell, and upstairs hallway. The residue this paper left behind was terrible. Most wallpaper glue comes off of the wall with a little dish soap and water, but not this glue. It was like tiny grains of sand super glued to the walls. We had to use sandpaper to sand the walls over and over to get rid of it. We spent hours sanding until the surfaces were smooth enough to paint. We painted them Antique White.
Spring/Summer 2002
Our kitchen and family room are basically one giant room that spans the width of the house. I couldn't wait to tackle these rooms. The wallpaper played tricks with your eyes. It had small greyish diamond shapes, and they would flash when you looked at them. It also had a country blue border in the kitchen and country blue shelves with ducks on them above a planning desk. Those shelves were gone as soon as we moved in, but the holes remained. We had to do a lot of patching in this room, especially when I decided to rip the planning desk out. It left a square of missing linoleum on the floor, so we covered that with a rug until the floor needs to be replaced again. I now have a nice bakers rack where the desk was. We had some difficulty picking out a color since the color would have to go well in the kitchen as well as the family room. We initially were set on purple, but when we brought the paint home and painted some on the wall, it looked like grape Bubble Yum meets Grimace. Back to Lowes. We ended up with Victorian Slate Green. As we painted we joked that it would look like military barracks, but we liked the finished product. It's a dark sage color. I found that red and tan accents go with it very well, so once we hung up some wrought iron candle sconces and art work with red and tan colors, it looked very cozy. Over the last few years, we have replaced each kitchen appliance, so we now have a black stove, refrigerator, and dishwasher. I plan on placing red and tan tile above the kitchen cabinets at some point.
Fall 2002
The entry way (foyer, whatever you want to call it), living room, and dining room are all connected to the stairwell and hallways that we had previously painted Antique White. Before we painted the hallways, you could see three different patterns when you stepped in the door, each of them distinctly different (and ugly). The entry way had a mint green pastel Southwestern print, while the living room and dining room had a pink and light blue flower design. And we musn't forget the dirty beige hallways. Here's the kicker, when we bought the house, one of the "selling points" was that it was professionally decorated. I beg to differ... you may be wondering why we bought the house. We were able to look past the wallpaper and see what it could be. It has an awesome floor to ceiling brick fireplace in the living room, which is a two story room. The house also had nice carpet and parquet flooring. We knew it could be a great house. Anyway...
We removed the wallpaper in the entry way, living room, and dining room. Wow, it looked better already. Since all of these walls were interconnected with the stairwell and hallways, we also painted these rooms Antique White. It really makes the brick fireplace stand out. At this point our downstairs was almost done.
Spring 2003
Only two rooms remain with 80's wallpaper: the master bedroom and bathroom. I decided to do the bathroom first. The wallpaper had a white background with yellow and orange flowers and green foliage. A mint green shower curtain had remained since we moved in. I didn't know what color to use, so I found a shower curtain that I liked and pulled a light blue color out of that. Normally I don't like light blue, but I had seen it in catalogs and thought it might give the bathroom a retro feel. It is 100% improved over what it was, but I'm considering changing it at some point. Our double vanity is quite dated and the bathtub is small, so we may re-do that bathroom again sometime. We'll see.
Summer 2003
One thing had bothered me since we painted our family room and kitchen. The paint lines where the Slate Green met the Antique White in our dining room and hallway doorways were rather sloppy. Yet again, I called upon my dad to help. He helped me pick out wood trim that matched our other trim in the house. He measured and cut the pieces for me. I had fun staining them. Then he hung them up for me. I covered the nails and coated the trim in polyurethane, and it matches our other trim very well. The doorways look finished now, and the dining room looks a little more elegant.
All of those projects took a lot of time and money, not to mention blood, sweat, and tears. Over the last year, we have not started any major projects. To quell our need for home improvement, we have focused on smaller scale projects. I created a flower bed by our patio. We replaced our generic light fixture above the dining room table with a chandelier, and we installed a dimmer switch for it. James installed motion sensing light switches in the garage and upstairs office (which, by the way, was one of the few rooms that didn't have wallpaper, along with the laundry room and guest bathroom). We also replaced our kitchen table.
Soon I will undertake a major project... I feel it coming. Hopefully I can convince James to help me pull up our downstairs carpet and replace it with parquet flooring that will match our hallway. Muwahaha!
Friday, July 09, 2004
Freud Would Be Proud
My husband suggested that I start a dream journal. I remember my dreams almost every night. I tend to have very vivid, sometimes psychotic dreams. Some of them are very gory... I remember one where a dog exploded. Before you label me as crazy, know that I definitely believe that dreams are a release of the subconscious mind, and that's not just my Psych degree talking. I internalize stress, and I think it comes out in very strange ways in my dreams. I think this Blog is the perfect place to log my dreams. Perhaps I will post some of the more memorable ones if things get boring, but they probably won't.
Last night I dreamed of a party. I think it was for my own child, but I never actually saw him/her. There were many people there, and I did not recognize many of them. I was cutting tiny little pieces of cake, but I still ran out. These two older women who I didn't recognize were standing there with empty plates looking very disappointed. So I went to Kroger (Why Kroger? I shop at Marsh.) to get another cake. All they had were Halloween cakes, even though it was August. The one I wanted to get was $32. It was a small chocolate cake covered in orange icing and sugar with a black Jack-O-Lantern face on the top.
I can usually pinpoint what is going on in my life and why it caused me to have a certain dream, but I have no idea where that came from.
My husband suggested that I start a dream journal. I remember my dreams almost every night. I tend to have very vivid, sometimes psychotic dreams. Some of them are very gory... I remember one where a dog exploded. Before you label me as crazy, know that I definitely believe that dreams are a release of the subconscious mind, and that's not just my Psych degree talking. I internalize stress, and I think it comes out in very strange ways in my dreams. I think this Blog is the perfect place to log my dreams. Perhaps I will post some of the more memorable ones if things get boring, but they probably won't.
Last night I dreamed of a party. I think it was for my own child, but I never actually saw him/her. There were many people there, and I did not recognize many of them. I was cutting tiny little pieces of cake, but I still ran out. These two older women who I didn't recognize were standing there with empty plates looking very disappointed. So I went to Kroger (Why Kroger? I shop at Marsh.) to get another cake. All they had were Halloween cakes, even though it was August. The one I wanted to get was $32. It was a small chocolate cake covered in orange icing and sugar with a black Jack-O-Lantern face on the top.
I can usually pinpoint what is going on in my life and why it caused me to have a certain dream, but I have no idea where that came from.
Thursday, July 08, 2004
Seeing Stars
I called my doctor yesterday because I had been getting headaches and seeing stars while just sitting at my desk. I can deal with headaches, but I thought seeing stars for no apparent reason might be a problem.
She told me that I am not eating enough. Holy cow, I already thought I was eating plenty. I am supposed to be eating every 2 hours. This scares me because I don't want to gain a bunch of weight just from being pregnant. I'm trying to keep it around 25 - 30 pounds. So, I'm eating fruit or breakfast bars in between meals. Even if I'm not hungry, I'm eating some fruit anyway. So far it seems to work.
I called my doctor yesterday because I had been getting headaches and seeing stars while just sitting at my desk. I can deal with headaches, but I thought seeing stars for no apparent reason might be a problem.
She told me that I am not eating enough. Holy cow, I already thought I was eating plenty. I am supposed to be eating every 2 hours. This scares me because I don't want to gain a bunch of weight just from being pregnant. I'm trying to keep it around 25 - 30 pounds. So, I'm eating fruit or breakfast bars in between meals. Even if I'm not hungry, I'm eating some fruit anyway. So far it seems to work.
Tuesday, July 06, 2004
Fashionable Age
I have ranted on this blog about clothing for women before, and I am about to do it again. Department stores are split into three sub-departments within the women's clothing realm: Juniors, Misses, and Plus Sizes (there is also a sub-sub-department for small people called Petites, but I'm going to leave it out for simplicity). In the Junior section, you find the very small, hip clothing for teenage girls. The Plus Size section houses clothing for the larger woman. The Misses section is for average sized women who have no fashion sense. Here you will find tapered jeans, pants with elastic waists, sweatshirts depicting birdhouses or ducks, wind suits, and school teacher type dresses. Ugh. So where is a picky 30 something woman supposed to find cool clothes that fit?
I used to find clothes at The Gap. They had straight leg and boot cut jeans and cool shirts. I am not sure if they have gone downhill or if I have "grown up" clothing wise because the last few times I went in The Gap, I was not impressed. It was full of bright, ugly halter tops and really short shorts. I personally will never wear a pair of capri pants. We used to call those floods. In The Gap, every pair of pants I picked up were floods. Not for me... so I ventured out to some other stores.
I discovered Eddie Bauer. I love this store. Before I went in, I assumed I would not like their clothes. I thought they were geared towards business people taking leisurely golf outings (you know, pleated khaki shorts and polo shirts). I was wrong... after trying on some jeans and pants, I was hooked. The pants are straight leg and not pleated. I bought my first pair of boot cut jeans at Eddie Bauer, and I love them. You will find a few polo shirts, but if you look past those, they also have some basic shirts that are stylish. They also have nice jackets. I like jean jackets and jackets that resemble army clothes, so this store works for me. I actually bought a pair of shorts in Eddie Bauer without trying them on, and they fit. WOW.
Soon I will have to start wearing maternity clothes. I am hoping I can find some good ones. I'm sure I'll have a post about that too.
I have ranted on this blog about clothing for women before, and I am about to do it again. Department stores are split into three sub-departments within the women's clothing realm: Juniors, Misses, and Plus Sizes (there is also a sub-sub-department for small people called Petites, but I'm going to leave it out for simplicity). In the Junior section, you find the very small, hip clothing for teenage girls. The Plus Size section houses clothing for the larger woman. The Misses section is for average sized women who have no fashion sense. Here you will find tapered jeans, pants with elastic waists, sweatshirts depicting birdhouses or ducks, wind suits, and school teacher type dresses. Ugh. So where is a picky 30 something woman supposed to find cool clothes that fit?
I used to find clothes at The Gap. They had straight leg and boot cut jeans and cool shirts. I am not sure if they have gone downhill or if I have "grown up" clothing wise because the last few times I went in The Gap, I was not impressed. It was full of bright, ugly halter tops and really short shorts. I personally will never wear a pair of capri pants. We used to call those floods. In The Gap, every pair of pants I picked up were floods. Not for me... so I ventured out to some other stores.
I discovered Eddie Bauer. I love this store. Before I went in, I assumed I would not like their clothes. I thought they were geared towards business people taking leisurely golf outings (you know, pleated khaki shorts and polo shirts). I was wrong... after trying on some jeans and pants, I was hooked. The pants are straight leg and not pleated. I bought my first pair of boot cut jeans at Eddie Bauer, and I love them. You will find a few polo shirts, but if you look past those, they also have some basic shirts that are stylish. They also have nice jackets. I like jean jackets and jackets that resemble army clothes, so this store works for me. I actually bought a pair of shorts in Eddie Bauer without trying them on, and they fit. WOW.
Soon I will have to start wearing maternity clothes. I am hoping I can find some good ones. I'm sure I'll have a post about that too.
I Miss You, Starbucks
Since finding out that I'm going to be a mom, I've cut WAY down on caffeine. Coffee happens to be the drink with the most caffeine in it, so I have reluctantly stopped going to Starbucks for my morning fix, and I have been drinking gallons of water in its place. I am limiting myself to one serving of a caffeinated beverage every day, and some days I don't have any. One cup of Starbucks' ultra-powerful coffee is probably the equivalent to a whole pot made at home. I bet they are missing me these days. I might have to stop there later for a decaf latte.
Since finding out that I'm going to be a mom, I've cut WAY down on caffeine. Coffee happens to be the drink with the most caffeine in it, so I have reluctantly stopped going to Starbucks for my morning fix, and I have been drinking gallons of water in its place. I am limiting myself to one serving of a caffeinated beverage every day, and some days I don't have any. One cup of Starbucks' ultra-powerful coffee is probably the equivalent to a whole pot made at home. I bet they are missing me these days. I might have to stop there later for a decaf latte.
Monday, June 28, 2004
Month 3 Begins...
I am about to start the 9th week of pregnancy. I had my first prenatal doctor appointment last Friday. They asked me lots of questions and took some blood for tests. I cannot believe they did not check me out physically. You would think they would want to make sure everything is ok. At least, I would like them to. I go back in 4 weeks.
I have 4 more weeks of nausea to look forward to. I have not actually been sick, but I have been very queasy. Fatigue has been a major issue. I'm tired most of the time. I've been sleeping 10 or more hours at a time. I'll be glad when this phase is over.
I am about to start the 9th week of pregnancy. I had my first prenatal doctor appointment last Friday. They asked me lots of questions and took some blood for tests. I cannot believe they did not check me out physically. You would think they would want to make sure everything is ok. At least, I would like them to. I go back in 4 weeks.
I have 4 more weeks of nausea to look forward to. I have not actually been sick, but I have been very queasy. Fatigue has been a major issue. I'm tired most of the time. I've been sleeping 10 or more hours at a time. I'll be glad when this phase is over.
Monday, June 21, 2004
My hubby and me like to climb up a tree...
Today is our first anniversary. It seems funny to celebrate being married for one year when we are actually in our eighth year of togetherness. We were married in my mom's backyard on the Summer Solstice. My mom lives on 5 acres of forest-like property, so it was a very nice setting. You can view some pictures from the wedding here.
Today is our first anniversary. It seems funny to celebrate being married for one year when we are actually in our eighth year of togetherness. We were married in my mom's backyard on the Summer Solstice. My mom lives on 5 acres of forest-like property, so it was a very nice setting. You can view some pictures from the wedding here.
Monday, June 14, 2004
People Who Make Me Want To Hurl
I have a LAUNCHcast station, and while rating some songs today, I noticed a picture on the banner... at first glance I really thought it was Dee Snider from Twisted Sister. Remember them? Scary make-up? Wild, frizzy hair? Once I realized it was Christina Aguilera, I had to laugh. She looks like a clown! I think it's really sad that teenage girls want to imitate her style. If I have a daughter, I hope the "clown whore from hell" look is OUT by the time she's old enough to wear make-up.
Yikes...
I have a LAUNCHcast station, and while rating some songs today, I noticed a picture on the banner... at first glance I really thought it was Dee Snider from Twisted Sister. Remember them? Scary make-up? Wild, frizzy hair? Once I realized it was Christina Aguilera, I had to laugh. She looks like a clown! I think it's really sad that teenage girls want to imitate her style. If I have a daughter, I hope the "clown whore from hell" look is OUT by the time she's old enough to wear make-up.
Yikes...
Monday, June 07, 2004
Eating For Two, Maybe Three
I found out on May 30 that I'm going to be a mom. It's very exciting! My husband and I actually planned it, and believe it or not, I got pregnant exactly when I wanted to. I want my child to be an Aquarius, so I knew I had to get pregnant in May. I can't believe it worked.
So far, I do not have morning sickness. I've been tired, and I have abdominal cramps, which I guess are due to the growing uterus. I also have this huge-mongous chest. I didn't think that would happen so soon.
I can't wait to find out if it's a boy or a girl. Twins run in my family, so it's quite possible that I'm eating for three.
I found out on May 30 that I'm going to be a mom. It's very exciting! My husband and I actually planned it, and believe it or not, I got pregnant exactly when I wanted to. I want my child to be an Aquarius, so I knew I had to get pregnant in May. I can't believe it worked.
So far, I do not have morning sickness. I've been tired, and I have abdominal cramps, which I guess are due to the growing uterus. I also have this huge-mongous chest. I didn't think that would happen so soon.
I can't wait to find out if it's a boy or a girl. Twins run in my family, so it's quite possible that I'm eating for three.
Monday, May 24, 2004
Makeover-O-Matic
I found a fun, online makeover tool at ivillage. Check out my before and after pictures. Funny! I did several different looks, but this one is my favorite.
I found a fun, online makeover tool at ivillage. Check out my before and after pictures. Funny! I did several different looks, but this one is my favorite.
 |  |
| Before | After |
Friday, May 21, 2004
| Age Project | |
 | I posted this picture on the ageproject web site, where people view pictures at random and try to guess the age of the person in the picture. Out of 569 guesses, my average age is 26. I guess that's not bad for a 30 year old. |
Wednesday, May 19, 2004
A Few Of My Favorite Things...
Music
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens... ahem. I love discussing music with people I meet. My tastes in music vary quite a bit. I like jazz (not the elevator kind), Celtic, some Middle Eastern and Indian, new age, classic rock, alternative (mostly older stuff), and even some really hard stuff now and then. Some of my top favorites are The Beatles (absolute #1), Loreena McKennitt, U2, Tori Amos, The Cult, Sisters Of Mercy, Peter Gabriel, and Sarah McLachlan.
I don't listen to much new stuff, although two of my favorite songs right now are Jet's "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" and Hoobastank's "The Reason". How can a band with such a dumb name come up with such a nice song like "The Reason"? Anyway, my dad always said the music I listened to all sounded the same when I was a teenager, and now I know what he was talking about. I can't tell these so-called "punk rock" bands apart. I didn't think that would ever happen to me. I'm not sure if I'm just getting older and out of touch or if they really do sound alike.
I love to make lists (something I definitely inherited from my mom), so I'll attempt to list my top 10 favorite songs of all time here.
Laura's Top Ten Favorite Songs Of All Time (in no particular order)
1. "Pride (In the Name of Love)" by U2
2. "Let It Be" by The Beatles
3. "Samain Night" by Loreena McKennitt
4. "Head Over Heels" by Tears For Fears
5. "Imagine" by John Lennon
6. "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel
7. "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" by The Police
8. "In God's Country" by U2
9. "Winter" by Tori Amos
10. "Nights in White Satin" by Moody Blues
I have a funny story about number 10, which I will not iterate here. All I need to say is "knights in white satin" and that should be enough.
Movies
Who doesn't love a good movie? My favorite type of movie is a period film, even if the period is fictional, as in the case of "The Lord of the Rings". I especially love the first LOTR movie. I would love to live in Middle Earth... if only it really did exist. I've often thought about which place I would prefer to reside in if I were an elf: Lothlorien or Rivendell. I think I would choose Lothlorien because it is more mysterious. Everyone there seems to be blonde though... I might not fit in.
Another favorite movie of mine is "Gladiator". I love the fight scenes, music, and the story. I saw "Troy" recently, which was very good, but the actor who played Patroclus was just terrible. Some parts of the movie reminded me of "Gladiator", especially the music, which was also done by James Horner. He does great work with Lisa Gerrard's haunting vocals, but it seems like he does the same thing over and over.
Books
I used to be an avid reader, but in the world of the Internet and Nintendo, I don't read nearly as much as I'd like to. My favorite reading material is fiction. I highly enjoy Anne Rice books and the Harry Potter series, both of which my friend Leslie got me into. My husband got me to read "Dune", but I have not finished the series. I also need to finish "The Lord of the Rings" series. So many books, so little time. I do seem to make plenty of time for video games though... my next category.
Video Games
When I was growing up, my dad had video games placed in several stores around the county. I would go with him to collect, and he'd rack up a bunch of credits for me so that I would have something to do while he counted quarters. My favorite game was PacMan... remember how excited everyone was when Ms. PacMan came out, but it was just PacMan with a bow on his head? I also used to play Mario Brothers and The Legend of Zelda on the first Nintendo. I was so proud of myself when I saved the princess on ONE MAN without warping! Wow, I really was a geek (was??). These days, I do own a joystick that has PacMan on it for the sake of nostalgia, but I play more advanced games now.
My husband and I highly enjoy Baldur's Gate. We just solved Baldur's Gate 2 for the X-box. I really love Gauntlet for the GameCube. It's a great stress reliever to run around and kill stuff. It's not very challenging, but I tend to like games that are just fun without the aggravation of doing it over and over. I have a goal of getting every single character (even the secret ones) to level 99. I think I'm halfway there.
I solved Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and now I am working on Sorcerer's Stone. One game that I still load up occasionally is Animal Crossing, which is really for kids, but it's fun anyway. I livened it up by making the animals use profane catch phrases. The game is in "real time" and the time of day and seasons change depending on the time you have set on your GameCube. I played it for about a year, so I pretty much got to see every holiday and special feature in the game.
Miscellaneous
I probably could write a whole section on each of these, but I don't want to bore people to death. Oh wait, no one reads my blog anyway!
Animal: Cat
Colors: Green and Purple
Season: Autumn
Beer: New Castle
Wine: Oliver Soft Red (it's an Indiana thing)
Non-alcoholic drinks: Coffee and Diet Coke
Food: I'll save this one for its own posting. :)
So those are a few of my favorite things.
Music
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens... ahem. I love discussing music with people I meet. My tastes in music vary quite a bit. I like jazz (not the elevator kind), Celtic, some Middle Eastern and Indian, new age, classic rock, alternative (mostly older stuff), and even some really hard stuff now and then. Some of my top favorites are The Beatles (absolute #1), Loreena McKennitt, U2, Tori Amos, The Cult, Sisters Of Mercy, Peter Gabriel, and Sarah McLachlan.
I don't listen to much new stuff, although two of my favorite songs right now are Jet's "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" and Hoobastank's "The Reason". How can a band with such a dumb name come up with such a nice song like "The Reason"? Anyway, my dad always said the music I listened to all sounded the same when I was a teenager, and now I know what he was talking about. I can't tell these so-called "punk rock" bands apart. I didn't think that would ever happen to me. I'm not sure if I'm just getting older and out of touch or if they really do sound alike.
I love to make lists (something I definitely inherited from my mom), so I'll attempt to list my top 10 favorite songs of all time here.
Laura's Top Ten Favorite Songs Of All Time (in no particular order)
1. "Pride (In the Name of Love)" by U2
2. "Let It Be" by The Beatles
3. "Samain Night" by Loreena McKennitt
4. "Head Over Heels" by Tears For Fears
5. "Imagine" by John Lennon
6. "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel
7. "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic" by The Police
8. "In God's Country" by U2
9. "Winter" by Tori Amos
10. "Nights in White Satin" by Moody Blues
I have a funny story about number 10, which I will not iterate here. All I need to say is "knights in white satin" and that should be enough.
Movies
Who doesn't love a good movie? My favorite type of movie is a period film, even if the period is fictional, as in the case of "The Lord of the Rings". I especially love the first LOTR movie. I would love to live in Middle Earth... if only it really did exist. I've often thought about which place I would prefer to reside in if I were an elf: Lothlorien or Rivendell. I think I would choose Lothlorien because it is more mysterious. Everyone there seems to be blonde though... I might not fit in.
Another favorite movie of mine is "Gladiator". I love the fight scenes, music, and the story. I saw "Troy" recently, which was very good, but the actor who played Patroclus was just terrible. Some parts of the movie reminded me of "Gladiator", especially the music, which was also done by James Horner. He does great work with Lisa Gerrard's haunting vocals, but it seems like he does the same thing over and over.
Books
I used to be an avid reader, but in the world of the Internet and Nintendo, I don't read nearly as much as I'd like to. My favorite reading material is fiction. I highly enjoy Anne Rice books and the Harry Potter series, both of which my friend Leslie got me into. My husband got me to read "Dune", but I have not finished the series. I also need to finish "The Lord of the Rings" series. So many books, so little time. I do seem to make plenty of time for video games though... my next category.
Video Games
When I was growing up, my dad had video games placed in several stores around the county. I would go with him to collect, and he'd rack up a bunch of credits for me so that I would have something to do while he counted quarters. My favorite game was PacMan... remember how excited everyone was when Ms. PacMan came out, but it was just PacMan with a bow on his head? I also used to play Mario Brothers and The Legend of Zelda on the first Nintendo. I was so proud of myself when I saved the princess on ONE MAN without warping! Wow, I really was a geek (was??). These days, I do own a joystick that has PacMan on it for the sake of nostalgia, but I play more advanced games now.
My husband and I highly enjoy Baldur's Gate. We just solved Baldur's Gate 2 for the X-box. I really love Gauntlet for the GameCube. It's a great stress reliever to run around and kill stuff. It's not very challenging, but I tend to like games that are just fun without the aggravation of doing it over and over. I have a goal of getting every single character (even the secret ones) to level 99. I think I'm halfway there.
I solved Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and now I am working on Sorcerer's Stone. One game that I still load up occasionally is Animal Crossing, which is really for kids, but it's fun anyway. I livened it up by making the animals use profane catch phrases. The game is in "real time" and the time of day and seasons change depending on the time you have set on your GameCube. I played it for about a year, so I pretty much got to see every holiday and special feature in the game.
Miscellaneous
I probably could write a whole section on each of these, but I don't want to bore people to death. Oh wait, no one reads my blog anyway!
Animal: Cat
Colors: Green and Purple
Season: Autumn
Beer: New Castle
Wine: Oliver Soft Red (it's an Indiana thing)
Non-alcoholic drinks: Coffee and Diet Coke
Food: I'll save this one for its own posting. :)
So those are a few of my favorite things.
Tuesday, May 18, 2004
I Lost My Best Friend
Shortly after I wrote the post below about my beloved Rishi, I took him to the vet for a routine teeth cleaning, and I found out that he had a squamous cell carcinoma in his mouth (cancer). It was completely unexpected, and needless to say, I was heartbroken. After hearing the options for treatment from the vet, I elected not to put my cat through the stress of radiation therapy, especially after I researched the results and they were not very encouraging. Instead, the vet recommended a chemo drug that we could apply transdermally. It was not going to make the tumor go away (unless a miracle occurred), but it might slow the progression of the tumor and enhance the quality of his life.
He was able to eat soft food for awhile. I paid as much attention to him as I could during this time. Fortunately, spring had begun, and he was able to explore the backyard, something he loved to do. When he appeared to be in pain, my husband and I would give him pain medicine. The disease caused him to drool, so I tried to keep him cleaned up by combing him and wiping him down with a wet wash cloth. After a couple of weeks like this, he began to get more and more blood in his drool. I could tell the tumor was getting worse. He appeared to be in pain more often.
Rishi had a ritual that he did almost every night. He would wait for me to get in bed, and then he'd lie on my chest and purr while I petted him. If I stopped petting, he would stick his paw on my cheek or chin, almost like he was petting me. One night, before the situation took a turn for the worse, he was on my chest and started purring loudly, putting his paw on my face, and giving me the hardest cat kisses he had ever done (cat kiss = when they rub their face on you). I can't even count how many times he cat kissed me. It made me really happy. When I look back now, it might of been his way of saying "Thank you" and "It's almost time for me to go".
Shortly after that night, he began hiding in various places in the house. He hid under the bathroom sink, behind the couch, and he especially wanted to hide outside when we let him out in the back yard. He was having trouble eating soft food, and within a day's time, he stopped eating all together. I tried everything I could think of... tuna juice, baby food, cream of chicken soup, but he just could not eat it. On the third day of not eating, the tumor seemed to have stopped him from being able to drink. He was hiding all of the time, and he was obviously in pain. I could not bear to see him like that, and he seemed to be telling me through his actions that he was ready. My husband called the vet, who was gracious enough to drive to our house to help Rishi go to the other side. Rishi passed away April 30 at 6:30 PM. It was the most difficult thing I've ever had to do.
Nothing could have prepared me for how quickly this disease would progress. In just over a month from the diagnosis, I lost my best friend. Rishi was with me for over 10 years, which is a third of my life. He brought me so much happiness and unconditional love during those years. I miss him terribly. I know he's with me in spirit, and some day, when it's my time to go back to the other side, I know he'll be there waiting to give me a big, wet cat kiss.
Shortly after I wrote the post below about my beloved Rishi, I took him to the vet for a routine teeth cleaning, and I found out that he had a squamous cell carcinoma in his mouth (cancer). It was completely unexpected, and needless to say, I was heartbroken. After hearing the options for treatment from the vet, I elected not to put my cat through the stress of radiation therapy, especially after I researched the results and they were not very encouraging. Instead, the vet recommended a chemo drug that we could apply transdermally. It was not going to make the tumor go away (unless a miracle occurred), but it might slow the progression of the tumor and enhance the quality of his life.
He was able to eat soft food for awhile. I paid as much attention to him as I could during this time. Fortunately, spring had begun, and he was able to explore the backyard, something he loved to do. When he appeared to be in pain, my husband and I would give him pain medicine. The disease caused him to drool, so I tried to keep him cleaned up by combing him and wiping him down with a wet wash cloth. After a couple of weeks like this, he began to get more and more blood in his drool. I could tell the tumor was getting worse. He appeared to be in pain more often.
Rishi had a ritual that he did almost every night. He would wait for me to get in bed, and then he'd lie on my chest and purr while I petted him. If I stopped petting, he would stick his paw on my cheek or chin, almost like he was petting me. One night, before the situation took a turn for the worse, he was on my chest and started purring loudly, putting his paw on my face, and giving me the hardest cat kisses he had ever done (cat kiss = when they rub their face on you). I can't even count how many times he cat kissed me. It made me really happy. When I look back now, it might of been his way of saying "Thank you" and "It's almost time for me to go".
Shortly after that night, he began hiding in various places in the house. He hid under the bathroom sink, behind the couch, and he especially wanted to hide outside when we let him out in the back yard. He was having trouble eating soft food, and within a day's time, he stopped eating all together. I tried everything I could think of... tuna juice, baby food, cream of chicken soup, but he just could not eat it. On the third day of not eating, the tumor seemed to have stopped him from being able to drink. He was hiding all of the time, and he was obviously in pain. I could not bear to see him like that, and he seemed to be telling me through his actions that he was ready. My husband called the vet, who was gracious enough to drive to our house to help Rishi go to the other side. Rishi passed away April 30 at 6:30 PM. It was the most difficult thing I've ever had to do.
Nothing could have prepared me for how quickly this disease would progress. In just over a month from the diagnosis, I lost my best friend. Rishi was with me for over 10 years, which is a third of my life. He brought me so much happiness and unconditional love during those years. I miss him terribly. I know he's with me in spirit, and some day, when it's my time to go back to the other side, I know he'll be there waiting to give me a big, wet cat kiss.
Monday, March 22, 2004
| My Sugar Cat | |
 | I have a 10 year old black cat, Rishi, who has been a best friend of mine for awhile. I paid $18 for him when I was a poor college student (I got a discount with my student ID). He was just a kitten then. He went with me from |
Tuesday, March 02, 2004
Open for Business
Welcome to my blog. I have posted two old entries from my previous blog, which was dumped today in favor of a more user friendly URL. I hope to keep this one updated.
Here is a little background, just so you know where I'm coming from...
I'm a 30 something (barely) female web developer from Indiana. I have a BA in Psychology, though like most Gen Xers, I am not using my degree for my job. I am married. We have 2 cats, a rabbit, and some fish. I'm a libra. Ok, I guess that's all you need to know.
Welcome to my blog. I have posted two old entries from my previous blog, which was dumped today in favor of a more user friendly URL. I hope to keep this one updated.
Here is a little background, just so you know where I'm coming from...
I'm a 30 something (barely) female web developer from Indiana. I have a BA in Psychology, though like most Gen Xers, I am not using my degree for my job. I am married. We have 2 cats, a rabbit, and some fish. I'm a libra. Ok, I guess that's all you need to know.
The Incredible Shrinking Ideal
When will the fashion industry come back to Earth and start designing clothes for normal women? It is true that I have grown outward a bit over the years, but I am certain that clothes have gotten smaller. It is not fair that I am an average sized woman, but I open a fashion magazine to see the thinnest 1% of society represented. I might see an outfit I like, but I have to wonder, does it come in a size 12?
Recently I read an article that said sizes 12 and above are considered "plus sizes". Historically, plus sizes have been 16 - 26. If 12 is now a plus size, that means about 80% of women are now wearing plus size clothing and are considered over weight. Most women I know do not want to shop in the plus size section of a store. Come on, we already have self esteem issues. Now we have to be labeled as "plus size"? If the fashion moguls were smart, they would follow my advice: broaden the range of average sizes to include 16 and 18. That way more average size women would fit into the average size clothing. They might just sell more clothes that way.
I realized another shopping annoyance the day I couldn't fit into "junior" clothing anymore. They don't make "cool" clothes for average size women. The fashion powers that be must think that as soon as we develop hips we don't want to dress fashionably anymore. Just pick up a typical department store catalog and flip through the sale items. Juniors get jean shorts, boot cut pants, and form fitting shirts, while the "Misses", a.k.a. normal size women, get cotton coulots and polo shirts. Excuse me if I'd rather go to a concert in my boot cut jeans than stand around on a golf course in my polo shirt.
Of course, I couldn't complain about fashion without mentioning shoes. Since when are women's feet shaped like triangles? I cannot possibly cram my toes into some of the pointy shoes I see for sale. Not only do they expect us to cram our bodies into small clothes, but they also expect our feet to squeeze into narrow shoes. Maybe that's what panty hose are actually designated for... to constrict our feet to the size of little elf feet for our pointy elf shoes. Those will look really good with the polo shirt and white, cotton, pleated front pants when we're teeing up. Atleast we have Dr. Marten, who combines fashion and comfort.
Happy shopping, ladies...
When will the fashion industry come back to Earth and start designing clothes for normal women? It is true that I have grown outward a bit over the years, but I am certain that clothes have gotten smaller. It is not fair that I am an average sized woman, but I open a fashion magazine to see the thinnest 1% of society represented. I might see an outfit I like, but I have to wonder, does it come in a size 12?
Recently I read an article that said sizes 12 and above are considered "plus sizes". Historically, plus sizes have been 16 - 26. If 12 is now a plus size, that means about 80% of women are now wearing plus size clothing and are considered over weight. Most women I know do not want to shop in the plus size section of a store. Come on, we already have self esteem issues. Now we have to be labeled as "plus size"? If the fashion moguls were smart, they would follow my advice: broaden the range of average sizes to include 16 and 18. That way more average size women would fit into the average size clothing. They might just sell more clothes that way.
I realized another shopping annoyance the day I couldn't fit into "junior" clothing anymore. They don't make "cool" clothes for average size women. The fashion powers that be must think that as soon as we develop hips we don't want to dress fashionably anymore. Just pick up a typical department store catalog and flip through the sale items. Juniors get jean shorts, boot cut pants, and form fitting shirts, while the "Misses", a.k.a. normal size women, get cotton coulots and polo shirts. Excuse me if I'd rather go to a concert in my boot cut jeans than stand around on a golf course in my polo shirt.
Of course, I couldn't complain about fashion without mentioning shoes. Since when are women's feet shaped like triangles? I cannot possibly cram my toes into some of the pointy shoes I see for sale. Not only do they expect us to cram our bodies into small clothes, but they also expect our feet to squeeze into narrow shoes. Maybe that's what panty hose are actually designated for... to constrict our feet to the size of little elf feet for our pointy elf shoes. Those will look really good with the polo shirt and white, cotton, pleated front pants when we're teeing up. Atleast we have Dr. Marten, who combines fashion and comfort.
Happy shopping, ladies...
Assalted and Buttered
My poor friend. She decided to catch a flick one afternoon, and arrived with plenty of time to find a decent seat in the theatre. After the movie had already started, a kind gentleman approached her…
”Can you move down?” he asked, with sincere politeness (note the “I’m sorry to bother you” and “please” sentiments).
“Ok, I’ll move because you couldn’t get here on time.” She replied.
She gathered her belongings and proceeded to move over one seat.
The kind gentleman (sporting a mullet, I might add) then proceeded to dump his large tub of butter-soaked popcorn on her and smash the cardboard tub onto her head. Shocked and perhaps a bit shaken, she ran out to the lobby to report this monstrous act to the nearest pimple-faced attendant.
She found a manager and described the incident. The kind gentleman, his wife (girlfriend?), and son (illegitimate?) followed her out of the theatre. The lovely lady then threw a punch at my friend and hit her in the eye.
The respectable family then proceeded to quickly leave the theatre. The manager, after just witnessing a buttery customer get nailed in the face, refused to call the police, but instead offered her a refund of her 50 cent admission price. Yes, 50 cents will make it all better, sir.
My friend, to this day, cannot watch “Kate and Leopold” without thinking about being “assalted and buttered”.
My poor friend. She decided to catch a flick one afternoon, and arrived with plenty of time to find a decent seat in the theatre. After the movie had already started, a kind gentleman approached her…
”Can you move down?” he asked, with sincere politeness (note the “I’m sorry to bother you” and “please” sentiments).
“Ok, I’ll move because you couldn’t get here on time.” She replied.
She gathered her belongings and proceeded to move over one seat.
The kind gentleman (sporting a mullet, I might add) then proceeded to dump his large tub of butter-soaked popcorn on her and smash the cardboard tub onto her head. Shocked and perhaps a bit shaken, she ran out to the lobby to report this monstrous act to the nearest pimple-faced attendant.
She found a manager and described the incident. The kind gentleman, his wife (girlfriend?), and son (illegitimate?) followed her out of the theatre. The lovely lady then threw a punch at my friend and hit her in the eye.
The respectable family then proceeded to quickly leave the theatre. The manager, after just witnessing a buttery customer get nailed in the face, refused to call the police, but instead offered her a refund of her 50 cent admission price. Yes, 50 cents will make it all better, sir.
My friend, to this day, cannot watch “Kate and Leopold” without thinking about being “assalted and buttered”.
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