Cold Feet.

When I last discussed some of my oddness with you all, there was something that everyone could relate to. I'm searching for someone that has the following problem. I said to Jenn last night I cannot be the only person with this problem.

When we got married I did not have cold feet. I did hyperventilate while walking down the stairs to the ceremony, but that was because I didn't want it to end. I had spent months planning this wedding and I had no idea what to do with all that extra time when it was over. I definitely suffered from PWD (post-wedding depression).

But...that is the only time I didn't want cold feet. I HATE having my feet warm. I hate it.

I hate wearing socks and it takes extremely cold temperatures before I wear them around the house.

I can't sleep with socks on my feet.

Jenn always says she can tell when I am really sick because I'm in bed with my socks on.

I wear Crocs. They come with handy air-holes to keep the breeze alive and well between my toes.

I would like someone to invent the opposite of the Snuggie. A blanket with feet holes cut out.

Or even better...the opposite of a heating pad for me to put at the bottom of the bed where my feet are.

Yesterday I had several problems that highlighted my no warm feet problems.

We went to Costco and Jenn needed new socks. While browsing through the sock choices I saw these super thick woolen monstrosities that would have required a shoe three sizes bigger than your normal size and my feet had a panic attack. They couldn't breathe. They felt suffocated. The idea of someone forcing them upon my tootsies was just....I can't think of a word bad enough. It was bad enough that I removed my Crocs for a moment and put my feet on the cool concrete (ick) just to be able to survive the crisis.

Last night I threw a minor conniption fit because there were no cold feet spots. It was all warm. All warm and touching my feet. It was icky. Part of the problem was that we had house guests and I turned the heat on, because well, it isn't polite to make your guests freeze their buns off just because you don't like the heat. We did open both bedroom windows all the way, but our heater is powerful and that did not solve my hot feet problem.

The lack of cold feet spots sent my legs into a frenzy where they kick and flap around until the covers have been removed from my feet. This is not something that Jenn can sleep through.

I can't begin to think of having the sheets tucked into the bottom of the bed. *Shudder* I'm going to have nightmares tonight even thinking of that.

Oh, and don't get me started on crooked socks. If the toe seam isn't lined up, the whole world hears about it.

Mingo Monday

I'm going to stray a bit. Today's flamingo isn't actually a part of my collection.

Last week I was talking to Brandi and we were talking about school. Brandi is taking Algebra. Brandi and I hate Algebra. Algebra is icky. All math in my book is icky. I can use a calculator to add 2 + 2 and get five. It's true, ask Jenn.

Jenn on the other hand is a math freak. You say algebra, she rattles off the quadratic equation. Freak. She has often pulled out her old textbooks and done math problems FOR FUN!!! She is so weird. People think I am weird, but really, doing math for fun?? Something is seriously wrong with her.

After I left work that day Jenn and I headed over to Ye Ole Local Community College's bookstore to get our books for the new semester. I saw a book that would almost make Algebra worth it (almost):


But, I don't think flamingos can do math.

OXYPHENBUTAZONE or, how I became a boring old fart

Oxyphenbutazone - an anti-inflammatory drug (trade name Tandearil) used to treat arthritis and bursitis.

In the middle of December I was sitting at work being bored to tears when Chris messaged me on Facebook. "Do you want to play Scrabble with me?" That sounds so simple and innocent doesn't it? Oh if only I knew what kind of monster that simple, innocent phrase would create.

Chris beat me twice that day. A week later he tells me that we can continue playing even if we both aren't online together. Then he invited Jenn to play a game with him. One of the nice things about Jenn not working is that she is available for anything at any time of day.

Jenn's current job is to stay up all hours of the night and play Scrabble against people. When Chris is working the night shift, a text will come through on her phone right around 12:30am..."Scrabble?" She also plays my lil brother through all hours of the night. Wednesday night I thought the world may have imploded when our internet was down and Jenn was unable to play.

Now as big of a Scrabble monster as Jenn may be, Chris is worse. If he catches you online and it is your turn he will hound you. Yesterday, as I am slowly coming out of my "ate too much breakfast at our favorite buffet place" coma, I hear Jenn on the phone saying "Are you serious?" I hear her phone close and she says...we are going over to their house to play Scrabble.

So, fun for us is now playing Scrabble. What does Oxyphenbutazone have to do with it? Why that would be the highest scoring word you can play in Scrabble...and it has now become my goal in life to play it. For now, my highest scoring word is quince for 51 points...Oxyphenbutazone can get you 1,780 points.

And, in case you needed to know...Chris won, Lyz second, Jenn third and me fourth. I always get the crappy letters, QYZXVMC is not fair.

(wanna be my friend on Facebook and play Scrabble??? Use my email addy over there on the right to search for me, and let me know you are a blog reader!! Or, if you prefer to play at 2am, you can be Jenn's friend jennmilley at gmail dot com)

The Purpose Driven Anything

One of my favorite bloggers Mrs. Spit (who I found has a Facebook page, so I am starting to believe she actually exists.) posted a very interesting blog this morning. Please go read it before you continue on with reading my blog today.

I wrote a really long comment for her blog, and blogger went and ate it. Mean blogger. But I guess in a way it is good because it gave me something to contemplate and blog about myself.

Purpose Driven. I can't say that I am a very purpose driven kinda gal. I'm going to be literal here and talk about driving. I hate driving. I hate being behind the wheel. But being in the passenger seat thrills me. I love a good road trip. Yes, there is an ultimate destination in mind, so you are driving with a purpose, but the drive doesn't always have to be purposeful.

Lyz and I have often talked about the rules we won't enforce upon our children. Her big one is that she will allow her children to blow bubbles with their straw in their milk. She wasn't allowed to as a kid. Me, I will let my kids dictate our road trips. We used to vacation in northern Michigan and along the drive you would see these billboards. Mystery Spot 120 miles. Mystery Spot 90 miles...etc. I wanted to stop. We never did. If my children see their own version of the Mystery Spot, we will stop for them.

When we drive to Florida every year it is in the dark. We typically leave around 5pm and arrive at our destination around 7am. Jenn is glad we do this in the dark because it means there is less traffic and she can drive a little faster. I am glad we do it in the dark because it means that I can't be tempted by all the billboards.

Oh the billboards. One year I was sick so we ended up making the drive during daylight. The billboards were everywhere. Every five miles there was one for South of the Border. There was one every two miles for a strip club. Neither place was a real draw for me, but the billboards tempted me off my path. While I really wanted to get to Florida in a hurry, the billboards called to me "We won't take long if you stop...you'll be back on the road soon." Yet, we never stopped. What would I really want to see at a seedy strip club? Um, ewww. Even from the highway you could see it wasn't a place I would want to go. Dirty...um ew. And South of the Border, I've been there once, it wasn't for me either. Very cute and kitchy, but dirty and that isn't for me.

But all of this not driving purposely sent my head off on a tangent. The only thing I have been purposely driving for over the last five years is a baby. Yes, there have been detours that have veered me off my path. I'm on one of those distractions now. But I won't be stopped.

We will reach this destination. Right now there is no insurance coverage, and Jenn doesn't have a job, so we've stopped at a rest stop. As with my drives to Florida, I will still reach this destination. I will arrive at "You Are Here". There may be more bridges closed, or tempting billboards along the way, but we will overcome them. We will hold our child someday. Maybe the road will change and we will hold a child that we have adopted rather than created. Maybe the road will change and we will have better insurance to move forward with IVF. I don't know. I can't see that far ahead.

All I do know is that for one thing and one thing alone I am purpose driven. And no road block will stop me.

Mingo Monday

Once upon a time, I don't remember the year, Lyz, Chris, Jenn and I went to Massachusetts for Jenn's little sister's field hockey tournament. On the way home we decided to tour around a little bit. We went to Plymouth and saw the rock which is really more of a pebble in case you want to know. We toured the Mayflower replica and went to the cranberry museum.

Then Chris and Jenn had this brilliant plan to drive to the end of Mass to see the ocean. You know that little tail on Mass? It will be a quick drive they said. Fine. Lyz and I took a nap. A very long nap. And when we woke up, we still weren't there yet. Forever we drove. It was raining. When we finally made it to the end we hopped out of the car, took a picture and hopped back in.

We were hungry so we decided to stop in this cute little town for lunch. We found a cute little pub and went inside. While we were sitting there looking over the menu Chris said "How did we manage to find the one gay bar in this town?"

After eating a yummy lunch we decided to walk around. It was again Chris who noticed. Every building had a P-flag. Every window had a rainbow or some other type of equality sticker in it. We hadn't just found the one gay bar in town, we had found a whole gay town! We had lots of fun walking through the streets looking in all the little shops. Holding hands without feeling guilty.

Anywho, at one of the cute little shops that sells stuff to tourists I came upon a mingo. A very prideful mingo.




And that is the story of the bad lesbians who didn't know P-Town existed.

There aren't plenty more fish in the sea.

Growing up I think we always had a fish tank. I have many memories of that fish tank including one of the fish trying to kill itself by swimming into the glass, cracking the glass and having all of the water pour onto the living room floor. Another memory is of the coolie-loaches (no idea if I spelled that right). The were worm looking fish and I thought they were just too cool. Then they disappeared. No idea where they went. Years, and I am not exaggerating, later we found them. 10 feet away dried up little sardines behind the piano. Interesting.

Jenn and I have a fish tank. I just spent the last half hour going through our flickr account trying to find a good picture of it. I'm at work or I would have simply taken one. But since I can't find one you are just going to have to picture it in your head.

We got these fishes forever ago. Cute little bright fish. It is a small tank, five gallons I think? Or maybe even just two gallons, I don't remember. Anywho. It started with two frogs, a lazy sucker fish (seriously, I've never seen him out of his cave) and 6 fish who we named Bob, Robert, Bobbie, Roberto, Roberta, and Robbie. (Jenn likes the name Bob).

A few months after we got them one passed away. Jenn called me at work all upset because she had to flush it.

Six months after that another was found floating on the surface, I flushed it before Jenn could see it.

Then a good year of happy healthy fishies.

Until one night a few months ago when I was just watching them swim around I was counting them. Two pink....one orange...one yellow. Hmmm, missing and orange, try again. Two pink...one orange...one yellow. Jenn, how many orange fish do you see. Jenn got nose to glass with the tank. ONE!!! Where is the other one?

We checked the filter, the cave, the plants. No missing orange fish. I told Jenn the story of the coolie-loaches and we had a little giggle and moved on.

A couple of weeks later I was watching the fish swim. One orange...one yellow...one pink. Um...Jenn. How many pink fish do you see?

A phone call was placed to Lyz about our strange disappearing fish. Now yes, we are aware that the frogs are known to be aggressive and eat fishies. But these frogs are half the size of the fish. I would expect some guts to be somewhere. We also can't blame our cat who seems to not even realize that the fish exist. Even when placed nose to glass she acts like they are below her and why should she care that they are there?

Three weeks ago Jenn caught me staring at the fish tank. What are you doing???, she asked. Counting our two fish. NO!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sure enough, we are missing another fish.

Three nights ago...I was again staring at the fish tank. Jenn caught my stare and said "They are both there, I just checked an hour ago." No. There is only one orange fish swimming all alone in the tank.

So...I looked at the frogs. They are no bigger than before. Their bellies would be all huge if they ate a whole fish. We would notice.

Do you want to know where we think the fish are? Are you ready for this? I mean, we have told you that we are odd before...so you are not allowed to laugh if you read this theory.

Carlos's cat ate them.

Who is Carlos? Why he is our ghost of course. He likes to play tricks on us. Nice ones. And he would really like it if we could paint our bedroom a lovely sage green. Please. He also has a pet cat, she likes to sleep in bed with us. It must be her that is eating our fish.

Stop looking at me!!

***Warning...too much information is about to be shared, as well as two quite disgusting pictures of my eyeball. Don't say I didn't warn you***

So...I was sick last week. Wicked head cold. Much coughing and sneezing and sniffling was done. Not much nose blowing, as you know I hate blowing my nose. And do you remember what I hate all most as much as nose blowing?

Puking.

So imagine me in bed on Tuesday evening watching American Idol snorting at the silliness and playing on the internet. I sat up and whined. What? Jenn asked. I have that feeling...the one where your mouth fills up with saliva...that one. You want me to get you a trash can. NO!!! I'm going to fight it.

The fight lasted 30 seconds, and I lost, terribly. I spent the next 6 hours racing to and from the bathroom. At 2:30am Jenn came into the bathroom to tell me that she had called in a replacement for work the next day and then screamed.

"What the hell is wrong with your eye?"

I don't know, what? She told me it was all red. Okay, I've been puking for the last forever, of course my eyes are bloodshot. She shook her head and walked away. I stood up from the toilet, took one look in the mirror and tossed my cookies again.

Wanna see?


This morning finds my eye no better, in fact, I believe it to be a little worse.


I got to work this morning and my boss kicked me out of his office. He couldn't look at me. Jenn won't really look me in the eye either. So, the title of this post is a total lie. It should be start looking at me. I'm starting to feel like a bit of a leper.

Someday, I would like to feel better. Between the head cold and the vomiting, I'm getting really tired of being sick.

Farm Show 2009

I grew up just outside of Detroit, Michigan. This week in Detroit is the Auto Show. Car manufactures from around the globe converge in Detroit and show off their newest and greatest automobiles.

I now live in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. This week in Pennsylvania is the Farm Show. Farmers and 4Hers from around the state converge in Harrisburg and show off their newest and greatest animals.

I love both. I love the Auto Show and being able to sit in cars that I will never be able to afford. I love the Farm Show and looking at animals that I never want to be able to afford.

We have lots of fun wandering around looking at the animals. We saw goats and horses and pigs and alpacas and cows (I don't really like cows...long story).

I wish this picture better showed just how large this cow is (can you hear Chris and Jenn yelling it's a STEER!!!???)

We watched a few of the carriages be judged. There were several that were hearses. I didn't like them, they just seemed so sad to me.

But Avery and I picked a favorite and it came in 2nd place! Cinderella's carriage:

We wandered around through all the vendors and sampled some wine:

Rode the carousel:

And showed off to everyone how cute we are:


This year was extra special for Jenn. She was invited to help out Chris and his father with the event they organize-the Obstacle Course. She felt ever so important. She got to help them set the course up, and then while the horses were doing the course, Jenn and Chris would reset the course.

The plywood boards are painted in different designs. The horses don't have depth perception so it appears to be a hole or some other odd thing to them. The object is to have your horses trust you enough to walk over the boards even though they are frightened. I felt kinda bad for the horses, but this is life in good ole farm country. Here is a video of the beginning of the obstacle course to give you a bit of an idea.


Avery got to go down on the course for the last horse and carriage. It was her bribe. I was the official Avery and Delaney watcher, and as long as she was good for all the other horses, she got to go down with everyone else for the last horses.

Everyone had fun. They even spent some time on the course goofing off.

They were doing various dances (the lawnmower, the grocery cart) and even got caught on film doing it. See this is televised. Jenn and I made sure to have the Tivo running so we could watch it when we got home. (Why yes, I do have plans to cut off Chris's middle finger...everytime I get a good picture of him he has his finger up...um, grr!!)

Even my job was done so well that I made it on tv:

(I'm in orange, Joni is to my right, behind me is Roxanne, in front Avery and in my arms Delaney)

Mingo Monday

Are you saving up your pennies?

Do you want or need the a fun and cute mingorific way to start saving?

Have I got the perfect product for you!!




This beautiful mingo-bank was a gift from my friend Felicia. It came from this awesome catalog called What On Earth? It is a very fun catalog. Did you know that I collect catalogs too?? I collect lots of things, but the mingo collection is of course my favorite!

I'm saving up my pennies for Florida!! It is less than a month away YeeHaw!!!

Happy 1st Birthday Blue!!

Last night your momma and I laid in bed looking at all of your things. The cards from all the flowers, your first Christmas card, the cards that were sent in the mail, all of your ultrasound pictures, and your blanket while your bear sat in our laps.

Today we will blow out the candle on your cake. I hope that you are looking down on us, could you send a flicker in the candle to let us know you are there? We will sing happy birthday to you, we are sorry if we cry.

Here is your cake:


Your presents have been given to children who need then more than you right now, we hope you don't mind.

We've missed you for this past year. We know you are here in our hearts, but we sure wish you were here in our home.

Love you,
Mommy

Happy 6th Anniversary Jenn!!

My favorite reading in our wedding ceremony was The Hand Ceremony. I had no idea then how true it would come to be.

As an expression that your hearts are joined together in love-will you please face one another and hold hands, so you may feel the gift that you are to one another. These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day as you promise to love each other from this moment on. These are the hands that will work alongside yours as together you build your future. These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch they will comfort you like no other. These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief wracks your mind. These are are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears away from your eyes, tears of sorrow and tears of joy. These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children. These are the hands that will help you to hold your family as one. These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it. And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.

We met 13 long years ago. I have never met someone with a soul like yours. Thank you for being my rock. Thank you for holding my hand. Thank you for everything. I have no idea where I would be without you. You are my sunshine. My favorite teapot. (did you know I call Jenn my teapot..she's my little teapot short and stout!)

6 years ago: (Jenn would like me to point out her shoes...they are black and white, she also wore black and white Nike socks. She was oh so proud of herself!)

Elissa, Austin, me, Skyler, Jenn, Annabelle, Jim:

My boss preformed the ceremony:


Today, we shall eat cake:

and then head off to the Pennsylvania Farm Show. You know, cause stomping around in poop is how every girl wants to spend her anniversary!! To be honest, I do love me some farm show. I have dreams of someday winning a blue ribbon in some sort of cookie competition, or cake competition or something. I guess maybe a small part of me is a country girl after all. Shh, you didn't hear me say that. I will be back on Tuesday with pictures of the show...I'm sure you are all dying to see them!! (Monday is of course reserved for mingos!!)

I've been buttering you all up...

did you notice?

See, I've posted funny things this week because I knew what this weekend was going to bring. I am trying to stay positive and be happy, but it isn't working as well as I had hoped.

Today is the last day that I will be able to say "A year ago I was pregnant with Blue." Really, I can't even say that. Yesterday was the last day that I was really pregnant with Blue. Today, a year ago, the doctors told us that his heart had stopped beating. And ours did too.

I hold a lot of anger towards the whole thing. I wish they had explained things better. I wish they had let me make a more informed choice. What would I have done different? I'm not 100% sure. Jenn and I would have had a longer conversation about how Blue would have come into the world. I am 100% sure I would have had him cremated. I could have him here with us.

Saved in my files on my work computer is an 18 page letter that I have written to the hospital. 18 pages of how they should handle things in the future. 18 pages of anger, tears, and lessons on how to better communicate. Not only did we lose our son that day, we lost our chance to keep him forever. I had no idea what I was signing up for in "choosing" the D&E. We will never know what his precious face looks like. We will never be able to say we held his hand. Kissed our sons toes. I feel very cheated, not only by his death, but the way it all was handled. I don't ever want to see Dr. A again.

The fact that five days later Jenn had surgery in the same hospital and was treated with more care and sympathy than I was also royally pisses me off. I wasn't even sent home with painkillers. No one warned me about the contractions. No one warned me that my breasts would leak milk. Milk that our son would ever be able to taste. Milk that had no chance of sustaining Blue.

There isn't a hour that goes by that I don't relive the entire thing, more the sounds, the voices. Hearing my doctor not say the words. Hearing myself scream. Scream so loud it still echos through my head. Calling my parents and hearing my dad's pain. Hearing Elissa not believe me. Hearing Lyz talk with a voice that told me she knew before I got to tell her. Hearing Jenn cry next to me in bed, holding my belly and sobbing.

It really is the sounds that haunt me. The nightmares have gone away for the most part. But I don't believe the haunting sounds will ever leave.

Tomorrow we will have a cake. Actually we will have two. One to celebrate Blue's first birthday. One to celebrate our 6th anniversary. Six years ago as I walked down the aisle to meet Jenn, the mother of our future children, I had no idea that five years later we would be mourning the death of our child.

We hurt so much. The letter will probably never be sent. I've never even let Jenn read the contents. I think I've written it more for me. I think that at some point I will print it out and burn it.

Maybe I'll save those ashes. At least we will always have Blue in our hearts.

Let us now discuss food shall we?

Still sick. Still can't figure out how to turn off my nose faucet. That was a delightful image I just put in your head wasn't it?

You all seemed so darn impressed by my weirdness with things I don't like...let us see how you feel about my weird eating habits? K?

I have seven major food rules.

• Food Cannot Touch. Yes, we already discussed this, but I will go into a little further. There is also no layering of food. No, I don't mean no lasagna. But there is this certain family I know that eats baked beans on top of their tuna casserole. Oh My Gosh. Ew. (Side note about my weird foodness--I prefer my baked beans cold.) I don't even really like gravy on my mashed potatoes because you know what happens when the mashed potato wall crumbles? EKKE!! Gravy leaks out and starts running into the other foods. So not okay. **There are exceptions to the food not touching rule, example-Creamed Corn over my Mashed Potatoes. It is a comfort food for me.**
  
• Food must be eaten in a certain order. There is no bite of mashed potatoes, bite of broccoli, bite of mashed potatoes. No. Eat all of the mashed potatoes, then eat all of the broccoli. Jenn first noticed this oddity in me while eating fast food. I either eat all of my burger then my fries, or all of my fries then my burger. I can't dabble in each item, all must go at once. This can get broken down further. If there are multiple items on my plate I save my favorite and least favorite items for last. I eat the favorite, then the least favorite. Why? Because I want the favorite to dance on my tongue. And what if I don't have enough room to clean my plate? Then at least it is the least favorite that gets left behind :)
  
• I can't eat out of the container. If Jenn brings me a bag of potato chips, she also brings me a paper plate or a bowl. I hate eating out of the bag. Your hands get all icky and crummy and gross. It isn't okay. Salsa also follows this category, but chip dip does not. I don't know why. I will have to contemplate that and figure if there is a real reason, or if I am just odd. (I think we already know the answer to that...)
  
• Chips/Crackers. If you give me a plate of potato chips or crackers or such item I divide them up before I eat. All of the broken pieces go on one side and whole pieces on the other. Broken bits get eaten first. Then the whole pieces. This is because I feel bad for the broken parts. They usually get ignored and left behind. No one wants them. They fall to the bottom of the bag and get labeled crumbs. Poor broken chips.
• Peanut butter. Yes, I have already discussed this item also. My dislike for it isn't 100%. There are times when nothing but a yummy peanut butter, jelly and potato chip sandwich will squelch my appetite. But they will be regular potato chips. Not barbecue. (Jenn likes her pbj and chips with bbq chips...ew.) I blame my mother for my peanut butter aversion. She used to torture me as a child and force me to make her peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwiches. Urgh. Even thinking about that has given me the chills.
  
• M&M's. These get divided by color. Then evened out. So...say you have five reds, four blues, six browns, three yellows and four greens okay. Here is how they get eaten. First mouthful is one red and one yellow, therefore making all the numbers even. Then the yellows. There were only two of them. Then the reds or blues...four each. Eaten two at a time. One color then the other. Not two reds, two blues, two reds, two blues. No. Two reds, two reds, two blues, two blues. Then the 6 browns, two at a time. Then the greens last, but still two at a time. I like the greens best...so I save them for last.
• I have texture issues. Peas and Blueberries are disgusting. This isn't to say I don't like the flavor of them. Blueberry pies and poptarts are okay. Split pea soup is okay. But to eat the actual item for me is like eating eyeballs. They pop in your mouth and ...... ick. We already know that I don't like eyeballs very much. I don't like bread, rice or tapioca pudding...weird textures. I do like cottage cheese though. Go figure. (Especially with peaches on top...yum!)

I am now singing...Getting to know you, getting to know all about you...getting to like you...getting to hope you like me....

So...tell me about it. What weird food habits do you hang on to? Do your friends/spouses stare at you while you are eating hoping to catch you fouling up on your "rules"? You can answer in the comments or on your own blog...just leave me a comment here to go read about yours!

(Jenn's Aunt Nancy likes to sit next to me at family functions just to watch my weirdness. When we eat dinner at her house, she has a special divider plate just for me--she loves me!!)

These are a few of my least favorite things...

I'm sick. Sooooo sick. I am a snot bucket. I came home from work Monday and slept on the couch from 4 until 8 when Jenn decided that I would probably be more comfortable sleeping in bed. Then I was wide awake at 3:30am. After moaning loudly several times, Jenn finally got the hint and woke up to keep me company. We stayed up watching stupid television shows until 6 when she decided that I would need a sleeping pill to fall back to sleep, so she fed me breakfast. She rocks. I have not left the bed all day other than to pee. And I have done a lot of peeing today. I did hook up the Wii upstairs for her so she has been playing Animal Crossings all day while I doze off and on.

Thank you Jenn for being here for me. See...this is why you needed to be unemployed this week...to take care of me.

Now, I'm sure you are wondering what this has to do with my least favorite things? And yes, I know you are still wondering why I haven't filled you in on all of my obsessive behaviors, but this cold has brought a whole different post into my head so you get to read about it first!! And it will be brought to you in bullet style, because I haven't utilized that enough lately.

In case you haven't come to this realization already...I am odd. I am really quite peculiar. So, my list of things I don't like/am afraid of is different than you might expect.

• Spiders. Okay, I'll give you that this one is rather normal. I hate them. I cry and freak and throw huge large hissy fits. To make matters worse, every spring and fall our house becomes infested with huge large spiders. Our neighbors must love me. Huge large screams fill the air. If I am home alone when a spider attacks, I cover him with a large cup and slide a piece of cardboard between the floor and the spider (they are too large to climb walls...gag). Then they get placed in the freezer. I can't squish them, it hurts me. That horrible sound...ekke. Example of a spider that has tried to kill me...

***picture of spider removed to protect the innocent***

• Vacuums. I hate them. I blame my mother. Once upon a time I convinced her to purchase this beautiful dark green carpet. We had a white dog. They two did not make a good match. So I had to vacuum every day. Now did that actually happen (the me vacuuming every day, not the carpet part) heck no, but it happened often enough that I not hate vacuums. The poor lobby maid at The Hotel has to start work at 6am so that the lobby is vacuumed before I get in...or else I freak.
• My food touching my other food. Now this is really a bigger can of worms. But the bigger can will have to be opened in yet another post. Anywho, they can't touch. The only exception to this rule is holidays. Well, you have to have all the good stuff on your plate on the first serving, or else you might miss some!!
• Saliva. Really, any bodily fluid is foul in my opinion. I can't share glasses with anyone...ew. Not even straw sharing. Not even two straws in the same glass one being mine and one being someone else's. So gross. I wipe my face off anytime someone kisses me...ew. I about die when people spit while they are talking. The other night I was sitting on the couch between Chris and Avery and she and I were goofing off. For some reason she licked me. I squealed and said you are so lucky I love you and wiped off my hand. Chris thought this was hysterical and the two of them proceeded to try and lick every part of my body that was exposed to air. ARUGHHHHHHHHHH. Wrong!!! Avery thought it was the funniest thing ever and was giggling with delight as she wagged her tongue around on the outside of her mouth. Tongues belong in your mouth peeps. Enough said.
• Blowing my nose. Which is how this post started. I hate it. Most people really hate to vomit. I will vomit a hundred times rather than blow my nose. This also ties in with the above that all bodily fluids are foul. Blowing my nose makes me cry. Then I end up with a Ruldoph nose for three weeks too. Grrr.
• Needles/Blood. Yes, I have been through injectables, but that didn't make me like needles anymore. Blood is again a bodily fluid. Once upon a time Jenn was in the hospital having a baby, I mean kidney stone, and Lyz accidentally pulled Jenn's iv line...this caused the reverse effect, instead of drugs flowing into Jenn, Jenn's blood flowed into the iv. Chris saw this happen and had me out of the little curtained off area in 3.4 seconds. I try very hard not to be bothered by blood, but it doesn't work. When Annabelle had to get stitches in her head (long story, involving and older brother and a baseball bat) I had to leave the room. While my need to comfort Annabelle was huge, the need to not get my own stitches in my head was huger.
• Eyeballs. May also link a little to the bodily fluids fear. I hate the sound of people rubbing their eyeballs, it makes this awful squishing sound. AWFUL. I have the chills right now even thinking about the sound. When I was in 9th grade we had to dissect a cow's eye...oh my gosh. I think I died a little that day.
• Peanut Butter, and the breath. I hate it. Add Dorito breath to that too. It is so disgusting. The night auditor at The Hotel asked me on New Year's Day if I had had my lucky pork and sauerkraut to start the new year...um no, don't really care for pork. "So," he said, "If I took a nice pork loin, slathered it in peanut butter and then rolled it around in Dorito crumbs you'd simply die wouldn't you?" Um, yes. A million deaths caused by a million paper cuts.
  

Okay, as I was imagining this list in my head earlier I swear there were several other things that I wanted to add, but I am at a loss for them right now...must be the new sleeping pill Jenn slipped me. If I think of more I will add them, but not tonight, I have to go work up the courage to blow my nose.

Mingo Monday

For today's installment I present to you the item that made Mingo Monday come to pass.

You can hand me a flamingo from my collection and I can tell you who it came from, or where I bought it without hesitation. Most of my flamingos have even been entered into a log of sorts.

So imagine my surprise one day when I came across a postcard in my craft room (the room where most of the flamingos live) and I had absolutely no freaking idea where it came from. The flamingo drawn on the front of it was simply beautiful too. I thought in my pretty little head that the artist must be spectacular.

Isn't it amazing?


I did what naturally anyone would do, I flipped it over to see who sent to me.

So, again, imagine my surprise to see that it was autographed to me from the artist!!


Now wouldn't you think that I would remember having an artist sign a flamingo object for me?

The artists name is Toby Cisneros. I googled him and found that he is local. (go ahead, point out to me that his website is listed right there on the postcard.) I assume it is a he...don't know though. But still for the life of me I cannot figure out how this postcard came to be in my collection.

The only think I can think is that a former coworker of Jenn's got it for me. He is also a local artist and has shown at the same gallery that Toby has shown in. But I cannot believe that I don't remember it. I would have been giddy as all get out to have an autographed flamingo! I should remember jumping up and down and dancing a grand old happy dance!

I decided that I must take better notes of my flamingo collection. I must take care to know who has given me each and every mingo. I decided that Flamingo Friday sounded like a great place to start. Then I realized it was Saturday and I simply couldn't wait almost an entire week. Belle and I have always called them Mingos, so Mingo Monday just seemed like a better fit, and wasn't a week away!

And if you are reading this, and gave me this here beautious postcard...let me know. I'm sorry that I forgot that you are the wonderful person that gave me this gift.

(An email has been sent to Toby to see if he is selling any of the prints of the flamingo...I think it is simply stunning.)

So...I said there would be alcohol consumed...here is the photographic evidence.

As I said, there were three people over my shoulder waiting because the first shot had been poured...here they are:

(I stayed away from the heavy drinking as I would be the one driving Jenn home)

Then Lyz and I hopped in the car and drove back to my house to pack up the Wii, because what could be more fun that watching Jenn and Chris play Wii while drunk...wanna see?



Jenn even had a special drink just for her:

Two N's and everything!

Louisa stopped by for a shot:


Jenn kidnapped the camera:



There was a mosh-pit, of which I have no pictures because I was in the center of it. Ouch. I have a nice bruise on my right shoulder.

Jenn and Chris had some quality bonding time:


At one point we got locked out of the house. I'm not quite sure how, and I was the sober one.

All in all a good time was had. Jenn has been fed toast and ginger ale and is back to her usual Animal Crossing fun time.

Thank you for all of your wonderful comments of support. This sucks. But we have always had the understanding that everything happens for a reason...so we shall hunt for the next job and see what wonderful doors will open!!

So....I'm not impressed with 2009 so far.

Just in case you were wondering, the banking industry is not the one to be in during this poor economy.

Jenn is again unemployed.

There will be alcohol consumed tonight.

(three people are standing over my shoulder watching me blog, wainting rather impatiently as the first shot as already been poured!)

Happy New Year!!!

I love New Year's Eve...this year more than any other. It is a fresh start. The (pardon me) shitstorm that was 2008 is over, and this new year just has to be better.

I worked until 5:30 making sure everything was under control for the party that The Hotel throws, and then we headed to Jim and Elissa's for dinner and Wii playing. Dinner was very very yummy. Those two make a quite excellent pot roast. Mmmmm.

The have me addicted to a new Wii game and Jenn and I will be out there buying it soon. (But right now we are still too addicted to a different Wii game to get off our lazy butts and buy a new addiction.) I had way too much fun playing that game with Skyler, Austin and Annabelle. Belle made my heart melt by sitting with/on me the entire time. We really need to make a better effort to get out of our house and see our friends, I miss them. I never realize how much I miss someone until I see them again.

And I made a boo-boo. I forgot to bring my camera in. So no pictures of the fun with them :( (Although I am kinda happy that there is no picture of me doing really really badly at the get the ring on the bottle game lol)

The Jim and Elissa family then headed to her momma's house and Jenn and I headed to Lyz's. Chris was working so it was just her and the girls. I was forced to remember my camera there because Elissa had sent Avery's birthday present and a welcome present to Delaney with us, and wanted pictures of them being unwrapped.

Avery unwrapping a really cool dinosaur:


Avery showing Jenn the sweetest little baby ballet slippers!:


Then we spent a bit watching tv and relaxing. We had only intended upon staying until 9 or so...but after a long bit of roller blading:

and watching Delaney sleep:

it was suddenly 11:30 and we figured we should just wait out the half hour and watch the ball drop.

We toasted the new year in style:

(relax, it's sparkling cider, we didn't get the 3 year old drunk)
We put on some silly hats:

And brought in the new year with a bang of fireworks and pots and pans.
(opps, no picture, must have been a little loopy from the sparkling cider)

The year just has to be better. I'm sorry that we have put so much pressure on you 2009, but you have to come through for us. You simply have to.

Happy New Year to you all...may this be everyone's best yet.