Thursday, September 30, 2010

shimmy shake

One of the precursers to a huge headache for me are these "auras" that happen.  I referenced them before, I'm not going to bore you here again.  BUT this post relates to those. :)

I'm in the car, driving home BY MYSELF (I must emphasize this because it NEVER happens).  Ok, so rarely happens, obviously if I was doing it this time.  K.

I look in the rearview mirror and the lights behind me are shaking.  Back and forth, back and forth.  OH Crap, I think.  I'm going to get another headache.  Crap crap crap, I don't have time for this!  I've got my final cake basics class tonight and I can't do it!! 

I continue to look in the rearview mirror, trying to determine how I feel.  Then I notice something. 

Yes, the lights are shaking.  But they're also stopping at regular intervals.  Hmm.

Interesting. 

Then I notice that not only are they stopping at regular intervals, those regular intervals are curiously similar to the beat of the song that I am listening to. 

Apparently, Bust a Move by Young MC really got me going that day as I had it CRANKED in the car since I was all by myself.  And it was loud enough to make my rearview mirror vibrate, not the car headlights behind me.  Woah.  I can't stop giggling about this.  I don't know why.  Little peek into my head today. :)

OMG Did you hear?!?!

I like to think people are geeky in their own fun, chic way.  Geeky is chic, right?  Please?  Um, no seriously, please? 

I'm going to reveal to you one of oh let's say MANY items in my geekiness arsenal.

I live for celebrity gossip.  Maybe live for is too strong, but let's just say I can rattle off useless celeb knowledge left and right.  Because it's SO USEFUL.  I use it in every day conversation, for example:  "Did you see that dude's facial hair?  SOOO a Speidi wannabe.  But why?  Speidi is SO GROSS.  So Fake.  So not RIGHT." 

I'd like to pause here and say that I feel like Elle Woods in her Harvard Law School application video when she uses legal jargon in every day life.  I object!  :)

Anyway, back to the gossip.  I watch E! tv.  I go to tmz.com and pore through People magazine every week.  I'm not a huge fan of some of the other mags as I think they're a little too trashy (yeah, I'll say it.  Some gossip is better class than others.  Whatev.)  I've never watched an episode of Jersey Shore but I know all the names, fave drinks and arrest records.  Hmm.  Let me repeat, this is SOO USEFUL. 

So a couple years back, someone with superior mind-numbing brilliance came up with the idea for celebrity fantasy leagues.  Like fantasy football, but for celebs instead.  Can you say AWESOME?

So we draft a team of celebs and are scored points based on their appearances in magazines.  We can drop the snoozers and pick up the hot ones.  I LOVE it.  My only issue is picking up celebs that I really just don't LIKE.  As in Spencer Pratt (see above reference to Speidi).  And Mariah Carey.  I can't think of any other celebs I really dislike off the top of my head - OH WAIT - Andy Dick and Kathy Griffin.  In equal amounts of dislike.  But you get the gist.  Can I really continue to hate a celeb if they're scoring me points?  Isn't that hypocritical?  Such a fine line, I just don't know.

New season starts next week.  And I'm pumped.  I sat out this past season as I was hugely pregnant and then insanely sleep-deprived with a newborn and I didn't feel that I could dedicate the time and energy needed to completely live up to my celeb league standards.  Though I probably watched more E! on maternity leave than I care to admit.  Ahem.  Yeah. 

Oh, did I mention we drink and have a good time and trash talk while we're doing this league?  I think that makes it a little more acceptable, right? :)

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Ouch

So when I was in high school, I had some migraines every once in a while.  I got some excellent drugs for them but eventually they just stopped.  Yay!  Fast forward 10+ years. 

All of the sudden I had no peripheral vision.  Just black from the centers of my eyes out to the sides.  We're out of town and end up going to a teeny tiny ER.  They have no idea what's going on but they take pictures of my head and give me some uber drugs that I wasn't sure if the drugstore in town would even have.  Eventually went away, but I was basically falling down flat for a day and a half.  I had had a sinus infection and they thought it was related but couldn't give me any more than that.  Um, ok.

Six months later, I get another one.  I'm at work this time though.  I start seeing bright spots at first, and then wavy lines and then it was like I was looking through water.  I could barely even say my name.  My husband comes and takes me to the ER.  They pump me full of drugs and give me migraine medication to take in the future.  This time I've got an ear infection. 

Basically, I start with what they call an ocular migraine and then I get the horrendous backlash headache afterwards.  The ones where you stand up but your head either a) stays put on the couch, or b) zooms up faster than your body and keeps going.  You know, where you have to stand for a minute to get your head back to your body.  Make sense?  The only coincidences for those recent migraines are the antibiotics that I was on for the infections.  So as I continue to get sick, I ask for a z-pack instead of amoxicillin.  I've let my dr know that while I'm not sure I'm allergic to it, I have a bad reaction and it's just easier for all involved if I DON'T have it.

Two weeks ago I start to see spots at work again.  Son of a.  I'm not on any antibiotic or z-pack right now.  What the h?   I turn down all the lights, the auras eventually stop.  I immediately pop some OTC drugs as I have none of the migraine medication with me - hey it'd been like 18 months so I figured I was good to go and not need to carry them with me anymore.  Besides, they knock me on my arse and I had cake decorating class that night and dangit, I wasn't going to miss! 

I leave work, take a nap, am still wobbly by the time cake class starts but I'm able to participate and whatnot. 

Yesterday morning, I'm making biscuits and gravy and all of the sudden it hits me.  I can't see straight.  Feels like I'm looking through water and light headed.  I turn off the lights in the house and keep cooking.  I take some Tylenol and take a nap.  Horrendous headache all day.  What the heck is going on? 

I honestly think it's allergies.  Could that be the case? 

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Wait, hold the phone

I had to run to Target today to get a birthday present for a party that T-Dog is going to tomorrow.  So of course, it ends up an entire lunch-hour-long excursion.  So I find a present and start my wandering aimlessly around.  I peak at the Halloween costumes, brilliantly illuminated by the displays of Christmas lights across the aisle, by the way.  I find costumes for all three boys if I can get them to pin down what they want to be.  (Side note - Buzz Lightyear gets worn at our house every other week or so.  And so I assume that he will want to be Buzz Lightyear for Halloween again this year.  Of course not - he says Woody now.  Crap.  Figures.) 

I keep meandering, picking up toothpicks (for mixing my frosting colors) and some butt paste (for Sam's red bum - and I put the link so you know that's actually what it's called, not just me referring to it as paste that is put on his butt, k?), etc.  Then I remember I should get a card.  So I get to the cards, find one that's somewhat not too childish but not too adult for a 7YO, which is ridiculously hard.  Because does he really care?  Probably not.  Do I care too much?   Probably.  Ugh.

I start to look at other cards because that's the mood I was in.  And I see a whole section on "The Sweetest Day - October 16, 2010".  WTH?  Valentine's Day is in February, what is this Sweetest Day crap?  Never had I heard of it.

I get back to work and google it. 

It's a midwest thing, been around for ages.  I might be becoming more cynical in my old age, or some of DH's opinions are rubbing off on me.  Regardless, I do not see the point.  If it's a day to spread love and cheer, do you really need a card?  Do you really need a card that waxes poetically on your love on this sweetest day to your sweetest person in your sweetest life?  I want to raise the Bullshit card on this one.  I bet Hallmark doesn't make one of those, but I digress. 

People complain that Valentine's Day is too commercial, too orchestrated by the cards, flowers and candy industries.  While I don't necessarily agree, because again, we DO have free will not to buy into the cards, flowers and candy, I totally think this Sweetest Day "holiday" is something that we don't need to be observing.  Maybe I'm a scrooge today. 

Anyway that's my rant for today.  Even my delicious chai tea latte from sbux can't get me to thaw on this one!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Black hole

We built our house in the spring of 2008.  It's a nice house, I really do love it!  BUT there is one room.  In the basement.  Without windows.  Easily closed off and abandoned.  It's our office.  Slash spare room since there's a queen bed in there too.  It's also going to be my "lock the door and shut out the kids when mom needs a minute to get things done" room. 

Right now, it catches everything.  There's a computer desk with our old desktop and printer on it.  There's filing cabinets, empty tubs, an armoire, tubs of decorations, pictures, scrapbooks, etc.  There're pillows, extra bedding, wrapping paper, child-size cots, oh and the queen size bed in the middle of the room. 

My goal is to get this place organized.  First step - I bought a table.  The room is fairly large, and can accomodate quite a bit of furniture.  And if it's cleaned up, it will look a whole lot nicer and be more welcoming (in my head at least).

So this table...I see great things in store for it.  I can visualize sitting there, lovingly wrapping Christmas presents, birthday presents, addressing cards and letters.  It's where I will cut the boys' school pictures down to size to hand out to friends and family.  It's where I can finally get back to scrapbooking the memories of my children and my wedding (yes, I'm THAT far behind).  It's where I will keep all my extra picture frames and doo dads and whatchamacallits that I can't bear to throw out but I have no idea where to put them because I might need them someday and when will I run across that particular thing again?  You know what I mean. 

I brought home this table yesterday after work.  It's in the garage.  I need to clean out this room before I can get my husband to haul it downstairs.  Maybe his brother will help so I don't have to.  That'd be nice.  Anyway.  So I go into the room last night.  Open the door, turn on the light.  Wander to the far corner of the room that has been catching the most....oh let's just call it crap....for the past year.  I touch the bed, I move a chair.  I stare all around.  And then I slowly back out of there and hit the light and slam the door and go running back upstairs. 

I think I'm a little overwhelmed. ;)

Friday, September 17, 2010

Arts and Crafts and Cakes, Oh My!

Lately, I've been feeling the itch.  Hmm, that sounds bad.  Scratch that.  [heh].  Let's start over.

Lately, I've been feeling the urge.  Is that better?  I don't know.  ANYWAY.  The urge to what, you might say?  Please, say it?  So I can go on? 

K thanks. 

I'm somewhat artistic. I like to draw, paint, scrapbook, write stories, do "stuff" with my hands.  And by having 3 kids in 6 years, I'm not able to express myself as artistically as I would like as of late.  We've moved states, built a house, started new jobs, had more kids, etc and my crafting urges have continued to be pushed to the side.  I'm to the point where I *need* to do something.  I've continued to be able to read and love my books, but I need to DO something. 

So what did I do?  I signed up for some cake decorating classes at Michaels.  And I L.O.V.E. them.  I think that some of my love for this is because I get to buy "tools" to do the crafty stuff.  And Michaels keeps giving me 50% off coupons - how am I to resist?   I'm going to need an additional pantry to store all my cake decorating paraphernalia. 

What am I going to do with a cake decorating class?  Well, honestly, probably just make fan-frickin-tabulous cakes for my family and friends.  I'm 32 now (oy) and I have a LOT of cake making years ahead of me.  So far, just one cake down.  By my calculations, I could have 872 *decorated* cakes under my belt before I kick the bucket.  Not to be confused with all the *random cake that I like to make* (and eat, again, oy).  Here's my first creation - hubby's birthday this week.  He wanted yellow cake with chocolate frosting (yes, he's an original type of guy....). 
I know you professional bloggers out there won't appreciate my cell-phone quality picture (because hey, I took it on my cell phone, at class, with decorating crap all around) but here you go!  And guess what - he loved it! :)  

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Don't buy the 5-cheese variety!

I think I have an addictive personality. Perhaps it’s the Irish in me. Or would that be “methinks its ‘cause I’m an Irish lass”? Either way, there you have it.


Now, I don’t have addictions that will get me fired from jobs or thrown in rehab (*cough* Lindsay Lohan *cough cough*). Mine are a lot more domestic. Like reading. I think I’m addicted to reading.

And eating. OH, how I love food. MMM, that could be an addiction right? I’m addicted to Facebook and reading other blogs. I’m addicted to celebrity gossip sites and lately, cookbooks.

Are you noticing a pattern here? I’ve got my addictions. And they’re all very sedentary activities. Son of a biscuit.

I’ve got friends who say things like “I’m addicted to running” or “I’m addicted to the gym.” Um, really? How is that possible?!?? When you have to FORCE yourself to get up and out the door, it’s not like it’s a willing addiction. It’s a battle between your mind (oooh comfy couch) and your body (oooh size 8 – in some cases. Not mine. Hmph. Anyway). And then you see those people out running in the cold and the rain and all I can think of is how happy I am that I am not them at that point in time. And then I start thinking about curling up with a book and a blankie, near a fire (well, when we install a fireplace I guess). And that is bliss to me.

Hmm, where’s that box of Wheat Thins?

On the Road Again!

This past weekend, DH and I took an adults-only mini-vacation for our anniversary. It was a long holiday weekend, so perfect timing. Pawned the three kids off on Grandma and Grandpa and away we went!

Wait, it wasn’t quite that fast.

First I made a list. Yes, I like lists.

First list included headings for me, T-Dogg, Jay-Bird and Secret Agent Sam (no, DH didn’t get a heading – he can pack for himself. Usually. Hmph.). Then the sub-lists began (did I tell you I love lists?).
 Clothes – socks, undies, jammers, pants, shirts, shoes, and hoodies,
 Hygiene products – toothbrushes, toothpaste, wipes, diapers, pullups, Tylenol, motrin, thermometer
 Toys – gotta keep ‘em entertained
 Equipment – stroller, exersaucer, pack-n-play (how does the smallest body get the most equipment!?!?!)
 Food – baby food, formula, bottles, spoons, rice krispie treats for the car ride
 Etc – blankies, burp cloths, bibs, nuks
Some of these of course were not on MY list, but on the ones for the boys. Heh. Anywho. Best part of lists is crossing items off. AmIright?

We pick up the kids early from daycare and school on Friday. We get the car packed. The entire trunk is full of their stuff for A 3-DAY STAY at Grandmas. FULL. Stroller, pack-n-play, and exersaucer take up the most room. Then there’s a box with diapers, wipes, food, bottles, formula, thermometer, pacifiers, spoons, Tylenol, and motrin. And these were just for the baby. Good grief. Throw in the boys’ Elmo and Diego suitcases and we’re stuffed to the gills.

Big boys had their backpacks full of Buzz Lightyear paraphernalia and toys. Just what Grandma needed in her house. Have I mentioned that the car was FULL? And we hadn’t packed our own stuff in there yet. Oh well, guess we’ll stop at home on our way out of town and get ours as well.

Why is traveling with kids (or even just a weekend at grandma’s) such an ordeal? AND I forgot a favorite blankie AND the nose sucker (aspirator)!!! ARGH!

Best part of the trip? How quiet the car was when we left Grandma and Grandpa’s house. Second best part? How loud the car was when I picked them up 3 days later. :)