I got tagged by the uber-cool Meri-ann! I'm not sure how I got lucky enough to get noticed by such an awesome blogger, but I'm very grateful she took notice of my little blog. Here are my responses to the tag:
7 things I'd like to do before I die:
1. Hear my child call me mom
2. Love my body
3. Open a rescue shelter for animals (cats, dogs, goats, pigs, horses, anything that needs rehab or a home.)
4. Marry DH (again) in Las Vegas by an Elvis impersonator. Seriously. It sounds like a fun way to recommit to each other.
5. Sell a piece of artwork or publish a book
6. Market one of my ideas/inventions. (Sounds hokey, I know, but I've got a few product ideas for disabled people. Wouldn't make a million bucks, but would probably pay for an ivf cycle.)
7. Shave my head so my hair was as short as a 3 year old boy. DH says I need an angular face for that. Maybe when I'm 65.
7 things I can't do:
1. Eat meat without feeling guilty or sad about the death of an animal
2. Keep a hairstyle for the whole day. By afternoon, hair is in a ponytail or off my face with a funky barrette.
3. See roadkill without saying a prayer
4. Let my fingernails grow. When they get too long, it feels like my fingertips can't breathe (By the way, I know that's weird)
5. Touch cotton balls- they give me the creeps, especially the squeak they make when torn apart. Really, there is a sound. Go to your bathroom and try it, just make sure I'm far away and occupied.
6. Sleep a whole night without waking up DH for a chat. He's such a good sport about this. He answers questions and makes comments on my musings when I can't sleep.
7. Get a tattoo. I'm too afraid of the pain, but I'd love one.
7 things that attracted me to my husband:
1. His voice (deep, southern drawl)
2. His intelligence, he's really smart, almost too smart for his own good
3. His sense of adventure (past and current hobbies: ice climbing, hiking, rock climbing, flying)
4. He is a great cook and bakes bread from scratch- no bread machine
5. He's an "old soul"
6. His willingness to dance with me even though he couldn't find the beat if it slapped him in the face
7. He often looked (looks) at me in a dreamy way, like I'm an angel. (Guess the hair hides the horns.)
7 books (or series of books) that I love:
1. Outlander series by Diana Galbaldon, I'm on book 4 out of 6 and am actually nervous about finishing the series. I'll miss the characters when I'm done. Hated the first 100 pages, am now addicted.
2. Harry Potter
3. No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander MaCall Smith
4. All vegetarian cookbooks
5. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
6. The Prophet by Khalil Gibran
7. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
7 Movies I'd watch over and over:
1. When Harry Met Sally
2. Sixteen Candles
3. Say Anything
4. Rebecca by Alfred Hitchcock
5. Gaslight with Ingrid Bergman
6. Freaky Friday (the original with Jodi Foster)
7. The Sound of Music
7 people I'd like to tag:
This one is rather difficult for me because I'm supposed to list bloggers here and those tagged bloggers are supposed to do their own list. Well, the problem is, I don't think many other bloggers read my blog. So, instead I'll list some great blogs that I read with the hopes that you'll go check out some of the sites. (And if any bloggers are out there, PLEASE leave a comment and your address, I'd love to pop in and see your stuff.)
1. Dee at Chasing China
2. Vanessa at Twisted Ovaries
3. Stella at Better Than a Soap Opera
4. Meg at Journey to the Center
5. Flicka at the Vacant Uterus
6. Juliana at Positive Chaos
7. Yorkchic at Yorkshire Life
There you go people, more things than you ever wanted to know about me.
Don't forget to pop in and catch a few other bloggers. And anyone else itchin' to blog, come on in, the waters warm!
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
The Eagle Has Landed
We went flying on Saturday. It wasn't too bad. Turns out DH is a much better pilot than driver. At least I think he is. I don't know enough about flying to know what to complain about or be afraid of. Strangely enough, on the way home, DH had to slam on the brakes several times to avoid hitting the car in front of us. This is what it sounded like (remember he's a southern boy.)
Me: Gosh, are you watching the guy in front of you, you've slammed on the brakes 3 times in five minutes?
DH: Ah'm drivin' purfect
Me: I wouldn't call slamming on the brakes perfect
DH: Weel, it's purfect enough
My question is, what is "perfect enough?" And what does "perfect enough" flying look like? Hopefully, I won't have to find out for a very long time. Sigh.
The flight itself was uneventful. I was tense but didn't let it show. The night before, we had a disagreement and he said, "Ah cain't fly with ya if ya keep actin' scared 'cause ya get mean when ya git scared." I envisioned us going down in a blaze of glory with him shouting, "Ah should have niver got ya up here, yur too tense!" So, I steeled my emotions and acted cool as a cucumber. DH commented on my great attitude more than once. We've decided to fly again soon so I can continue to get used to it. DH is over the moon. But he knows he owes me big-time. Now, I'm racking my brain trying to think of what that little excursion was worth. Diamonds come to mind. He made me a baked potato and called us even. We'll just see about that.
Here are a few pictures of our excursion. I've included one of myself. I don't think it really looks like me. At least, I hope it doesn't.
Me: Gosh, are you watching the guy in front of you, you've slammed on the brakes 3 times in five minutes?
DH: Ah'm drivin' purfect
Me: I wouldn't call slamming on the brakes perfect
DH: Weel, it's purfect enough
My question is, what is "perfect enough?" And what does "perfect enough" flying look like? Hopefully, I won't have to find out for a very long time. Sigh.
The flight itself was uneventful. I was tense but didn't let it show. The night before, we had a disagreement and he said, "Ah cain't fly with ya if ya keep actin' scared 'cause ya get mean when ya git scared." I envisioned us going down in a blaze of glory with him shouting, "Ah should have niver got ya up here, yur too tense!" So, I steeled my emotions and acted cool as a cucumber. DH commented on my great attitude more than once. We've decided to fly again soon so I can continue to get used to it. DH is over the moon. But he knows he owes me big-time. Now, I'm racking my brain trying to think of what that little excursion was worth. Diamonds come to mind. He made me a baked potato and called us even. We'll just see about that.
Here are a few pictures of our excursion. I've included one of myself. I don't think it really looks like me. At least, I hope it doesn't.
Friday, June 16, 2006
Technology: Too Much of a Good Thing
I was offline this week due to difficulties with my cable connection. Difficulties meaning, our neighbors who moved out this week, cancelled their cable so the technician that came to cut their line, cut ours instead. Apparently, attention to detail is not a job requirement with Comcast Chicago. The cable company, in it's endless wisdom kept telling me there was an outage in my neighborhood so they couldn't send anyone to my house. I was told to wait it out while they fixed the problem remotely. This was hard to swallow considering I told the company from the beginning I saw someone on the pole outside CUTTING MY WIRE.
Anyway, I'm back and more than a little embarrassed at the level of discomfort I felt being unplugged for so long. We had no cable TV, no internet access and no house telephone. I felt like a pilgrim, except for the fact that I got many loads of laundry done and none of it entailed soap with lye, hand-wringing or even breaking a sweat. Not very colonial of me, huh?
I guess I just have to accept that I'm a slave to convenience products. In fact, a few years ago when our microwave broke we high-tailed it to Home Depot so fast you'd think I was in labor. I wasn't of course, just in fear of labor, as in, actually cooking something instead of just heating it up. We do cook a bit around here, we are not totally lazy, but when those frozen Taquitos call, I've gotta answer and I'm not waiting for the oven to heat up when the microwave takes a mere 45 seconds. I'm lazy when I'm hungry, so sue me.
To celebrate being back in the world of keyboards and remote controls, DH and I are going out to dinner and a movie tonight. It may be my last hurrah because tomorrow morning...
I'm going flying.
The plane is fixed, weather looks good and I'm out of excuses. DH and I are taking our maiden voyage with him behind the wheel. Is there a wheel in an airplane? I think he steers with something, but I'm not sure it's circular. Blast, it's all so confusing and annoying. How can I be in control of the situation without even knowing what to call the darn things? What should I say, "Hey buddy, keep your hands at 10:00 and 2:00 on that wheel-like thingy that steers the plane." No one has power when using the word - thingy. Sigh.
Nervous? Who's nervous? Not me. I always write a farewell letter to my family and friends before an outing with DH. (By the way, it's in the top right drawer of my bedside table. Tell my dogs I love them them and don't put my cat in a shelter, he's too delicate.)
Those that live in the Midwestern part of the U.S., if you see a small white plane flying a little too low tomorrow morning,
be afraid,
be very afraid
and then run.
I'll take my camera and snap a few pics to share with you so you can see the craziness I call my life.
Anyway, I'm back and more than a little embarrassed at the level of discomfort I felt being unplugged for so long. We had no cable TV, no internet access and no house telephone. I felt like a pilgrim, except for the fact that I got many loads of laundry done and none of it entailed soap with lye, hand-wringing or even breaking a sweat. Not very colonial of me, huh?
I guess I just have to accept that I'm a slave to convenience products. In fact, a few years ago when our microwave broke we high-tailed it to Home Depot so fast you'd think I was in labor. I wasn't of course, just in fear of labor, as in, actually cooking something instead of just heating it up. We do cook a bit around here, we are not totally lazy, but when those frozen Taquitos call, I've gotta answer and I'm not waiting for the oven to heat up when the microwave takes a mere 45 seconds. I'm lazy when I'm hungry, so sue me.
To celebrate being back in the world of keyboards and remote controls, DH and I are going out to dinner and a movie tonight. It may be my last hurrah because tomorrow morning...
I'm going flying.
The plane is fixed, weather looks good and I'm out of excuses. DH and I are taking our maiden voyage with him behind the wheel. Is there a wheel in an airplane? I think he steers with something, but I'm not sure it's circular. Blast, it's all so confusing and annoying. How can I be in control of the situation without even knowing what to call the darn things? What should I say, "Hey buddy, keep your hands at 10:00 and 2:00 on that wheel-like thingy that steers the plane." No one has power when using the word - thingy. Sigh.
Nervous? Who's nervous? Not me. I always write a farewell letter to my family and friends before an outing with DH. (By the way, it's in the top right drawer of my bedside table. Tell my dogs I love them them and don't put my cat in a shelter, he's too delicate.)
Those that live in the Midwestern part of the U.S., if you see a small white plane flying a little too low tomorrow morning,
be afraid,
be very afraid
and then run.
I'll take my camera and snap a few pics to share with you so you can see the craziness I call my life.
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Dodged a Bullet
My DH is an adventurer at heart. He is a low-level adrenaline junkie. His hobbies have included ice climbing, rocking climbing, hiking and most recently- flying. DH became a pilot about 2 years ago. He pours countless dollars and hours into this new diversion. I can't really blame him. As I pursued our dream of having a child, he pursued his dream of flying. I'm glad at least one of realized our dream.
I'm proud of DH. He has his instrument rating which means he can fly in bad weather with no visibility, just using his instruments. He is also very close to getting his commercial pilot rating which means he could fly freight or banners over a ballgame. I hope he does the latter, but those jobs are apparently hard to come by.
As I've established, DH is a safe, qualified pilot, yet I've never flown with him. Many of our friends have gone up, but I'm chicken. He has been pestering me lately to fly. I've always been able to avoid it with excuses about doctor appointments and added stress. I'm out of excuses. I'm not cycling, not pregnant, I think I have to do it. I have to fly with him. It's his passion, if we don't share the experience, we will grow apart instead of together. I know this and I hate it.
As a wife, it is difficult to believe my husband can fly an airplane better than he can drive a car. He admits, he's a bad driver but swears he is a good pilot. Hmmm, I'm hoping that since there are no pedestrians in the clouds I'll be less inclined to be a backseat driver (pilot.) Do birds count? We are sharing the sky with them. Who has the right of way? I must look into that before take-off.
Today was the day, we planned on going flying in the morning and having a picnic lunch on an airstrip not too far from home. But, as the title of this post states, I dodged a bullet. The plane is in the shop, no flying for us. One of these days though, I'm going to be up there, white-knuckled and barely breathing. Oh, the things you do for love.
I'm proud of DH. He has his instrument rating which means he can fly in bad weather with no visibility, just using his instruments. He is also very close to getting his commercial pilot rating which means he could fly freight or banners over a ballgame. I hope he does the latter, but those jobs are apparently hard to come by.
As I've established, DH is a safe, qualified pilot, yet I've never flown with him. Many of our friends have gone up, but I'm chicken. He has been pestering me lately to fly. I've always been able to avoid it with excuses about doctor appointments and added stress. I'm out of excuses. I'm not cycling, not pregnant, I think I have to do it. I have to fly with him. It's his passion, if we don't share the experience, we will grow apart instead of together. I know this and I hate it.
As a wife, it is difficult to believe my husband can fly an airplane better than he can drive a car. He admits, he's a bad driver but swears he is a good pilot. Hmmm, I'm hoping that since there are no pedestrians in the clouds I'll be less inclined to be a backseat driver (pilot.) Do birds count? We are sharing the sky with them. Who has the right of way? I must look into that before take-off.
Today was the day, we planned on going flying in the morning and having a picnic lunch on an airstrip not too far from home. But, as the title of this post states, I dodged a bullet. The plane is in the shop, no flying for us. One of these days though, I'm going to be up there, white-knuckled and barely breathing. Oh, the things you do for love.
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
If You Can't Say Something Nice...
Summer is the season to unwind and relax. I've done my best to follow these guidelines but a few thoughts keep plaguing me so I thought I'd share them with you in an effort to get them out of my head.
First off, I need to lose weight. I'm very uncomfortable with my body. I suppose these feelings may come from my experience of my body's betrayal via infertility, blah, blah, blah. No dime-store psycho analysis needed here. It's obvious, my body's a mess, not even a fixer-upper, probably just a lemon. Never going to work properly, would trade it in for a more reliable model if I ever got the chance. And since we're onto this stellar metaphor, let me add, I've got so much junk in my trunk (ahem, a big booty) I'm not allowed to walk down streets with signs that say, No Oversize Loads. Yeah, I'm no fan of my bod these days.
These feelings have become somewhat exaggerated since last weekend when a matronly woman from church pulled me aside and in her best, motherly voice said,
"I can tell you have gained weight. I can see it. You must lose this weight."
I was speechless, mostly because we were in church and four letter words (besides God's Will) are frowned upon. So, I've been dwelling on my extra pounds and planning ways to cut calories and be more active. On a positive note, I've been riding my bike and walking to stores and places that I would normally drive. I've even considered getting of these. I haven't bought it yet, not quite sure I want to completely jump ship and go from normal urban gal to Super Urban Gal, through rain, sleet, snow and dark of night- always pushing the grocery cart. Nope that's not me, not yet.
Okay, this post has me practically winded, everything is out of shape, including my typing fingers. I'll tell you more about what weighs on my mind later. Now, off to plan ways to avoid matronly advice, better known in the IF world as- assvice.
First off, I need to lose weight. I'm very uncomfortable with my body. I suppose these feelings may come from my experience of my body's betrayal via infertility, blah, blah, blah. No dime-store psycho analysis needed here. It's obvious, my body's a mess, not even a fixer-upper, probably just a lemon. Never going to work properly, would trade it in for a more reliable model if I ever got the chance. And since we're onto this stellar metaphor, let me add, I've got so much junk in my trunk (ahem, a big booty) I'm not allowed to walk down streets with signs that say, No Oversize Loads. Yeah, I'm no fan of my bod these days.
These feelings have become somewhat exaggerated since last weekend when a matronly woman from church pulled me aside and in her best, motherly voice said,
"I can tell you have gained weight. I can see it. You must lose this weight."
I was speechless, mostly because we were in church and four letter words (besides God's Will) are frowned upon. So, I've been dwelling on my extra pounds and planning ways to cut calories and be more active. On a positive note, I've been riding my bike and walking to stores and places that I would normally drive. I've even considered getting of these. I haven't bought it yet, not quite sure I want to completely jump ship and go from normal urban gal to Super Urban Gal, through rain, sleet, snow and dark of night- always pushing the grocery cart. Nope that's not me, not yet.
Okay, this post has me practically winded, everything is out of shape, including my typing fingers. I'll tell you more about what weighs on my mind later. Now, off to plan ways to avoid matronly advice, better known in the IF world as- assvice.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Ovulation: An Exercise in Futility
I'm ovulating. The sticks don't lie. I've used so many home pregnancy tests and ovulation predictor kits that I'm developing weird muscles in my legs and arms from assuming the position trying to catch FMU (first morning urine.) The muscles used in that morning feat of physical fitness are rather odd, not often used. Funny how I'm totally squishy and out of shape from all the hormones yet I can hold a squat better than a five year-old frying a bug on the sidewalk with a magnifier.
I'm not sure how I feel about ovulating. In a way, I'm always hopeful that this is the month I'll get pregnant. But when I allow myself to think about the years of cycles exactly like this one that ended up with nothing, I feel daunted. I still wake up in the morning feeling normal, looking forward to the day, then I remember- I can't have children. Life washes over me like a tidal wave and I suddenly lose the energy to get out of bed. It is still unbelievable to me that I can't have children. I wonder if the shock will ever wear off.
Summer Update:
Rode my bike to the grocery store and Blockbuster today. Yesterday, I changed the tires on my lovely Schwinn and she rode like a dream. I tried to stay out of the way of the serious cyclist. A few gave me wry looks. I held my head high and tried to get this picture out of my head.
I'm not sure how I feel about ovulating. In a way, I'm always hopeful that this is the month I'll get pregnant. But when I allow myself to think about the years of cycles exactly like this one that ended up with nothing, I feel daunted. I still wake up in the morning feeling normal, looking forward to the day, then I remember- I can't have children. Life washes over me like a tidal wave and I suddenly lose the energy to get out of bed. It is still unbelievable to me that I can't have children. I wonder if the shock will ever wear off.
Summer Update:
Rode my bike to the grocery store and Blockbuster today. Yesterday, I changed the tires on my lovely Schwinn and she rode like a dream. I tried to stay out of the way of the serious cyclist. A few gave me wry looks. I held my head high and tried to get this picture out of my head.
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