Wordy Wednesday

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Overall Impression: I had no idea...
I love historical fiction and this was everything I wanted in a book and more. Set in England just after WWII this book is told through a series of letters. The characters are so real without being sterotyped and the situations they lived through completely shocked me. It's a perfect combination of realism and the humor we use to get through the hard times.
Would I Read it Again: Yes, I may even buy this one.


Girls In Trucks by Katie Crouch
Overall Impression: Sterotypical helpless Southern female
So I totally know where Katie Crouch wanted to take this. But it just seemed to fall a little short. It follows the teen and young adult years of a Southern woman. I appreciate that she has flaws but her total helplessness wore me down. I had a hard time feeling sorry for her after her one millionth self defeating decision. I would totally read another book by her but I did not love this one.
Would I Read it Again: No

Lazy Sunday

Wordy Wednesday

Look, I'm keeping it up!



My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
Overall Impression: Oh my god (but in a good way)
So this is my book club book this month and, wow. I was hesitant to read it but once I started this monster I could NOT put it down. It's about a family going through the illness of a child and how it effects everyone. Jodi Picoult wrote from everyone's perspective from a 40 something mother to a 16 year old boy. The book really made me grateful for my families health but also questions just how strong I would be in a crisis. I highly recommend it.
Would I read it again: Yes, no question. I just have to be in the right mood to read a very emotional book.





A Boy Named Shel by Lisa Rogak
Overall Impression: I am so ignorant sometimes
So some of my favorite books growing up were A Light in the Attic and Where the Sidewalk Ends. I had NO idea how much other Shel Silverstein created. He got his start drawing cartoons for the army which turned into drawing cartoons for Playboy. He lived in the original Chicago mansion and was friends with Hef his whole life. He wrote country, pop and folk songs, plays, short stories, more cartoons along with his other children's books including The Giving Tree. He was hard working and a genius. I loved learning more about him.
Would I read it again: Maybe. I didn't love the author's style but I would read more bios of him.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

*Fair Warning: Title is my extra cliche'd way of tying together 3 completely unrelated thoughts*

The Good:
The inauguration was amazing. I watched CNN.com all morning and then listened to public radio the rest of the day (nerd alert!). I am completely caught up in all the hopefulness and joy this new president inspires in people. I shed some tears and clapped when the oath was official. I got chills during the speech. I am ready to work hard and make this country great again.

Also, I am still surprised at the ignorance of a small but vocal section of the country. I've done my share of trash talking but I have always directed it to specific actions (ie the poor handling of international politics) NOT a person's physical characteristics. This part isn't good but I had to mention it because it makes me crazy!

The Bad:
I made applesauce last night in an attempt to use up the nasty red apples that came in various fruit baskets we got over the holidays. It was surprisingly easy and delicious. The bad was after I put it in the blender to get rid of the last chunks. Instead of lifting the whole pitcher out and pouring it easily into the gladware, I somehow unscrewed only the glass part and the applesauce flowed lava-like onto the blender and counter. Luckily I had just cleaned the counters so I just scraped it all into the container and hoped for the best.

The Ugly:
After 4 months of excuses I finally bit the bullet and joined a gym again. I really enjoyed it in Cincy but due to lack of money and extra laziness I never got back in to it. So last night I sweated my way through an embarrasingly short workout. Ugh, thank godness I am not trying to pick any guys up. I don't think the bright red face, sweating and panting look is hot right now.

Is It Just Me?

Why is it that traveling over the weekend always wears me out? We had a super fun weekend with some friends of ours from college but it was more a "drink some wine, play cards and talk" fun rather than "get crazy drunk-stay up late" fun. We were more casual partly because they live in the sticks (their house is beautiful but seriously 20 miles from ANYWHERE), partly because they have a 6 month old baby (squee!!) and partly because we are officially old.

On the drive home yesterday in the driving rain I was getting super sleepy. The Captain and I spent the entire evening catching up on TV shows instead of getting ready for the week. Don't get me wrong, it was one of the most fun weekends I've had in ages, but man, it wore me out.

I'm blaming the tiredness on the fact that I am wearing a stained shirt at work. I'm so horrified I will probably go out and lunch and buy a new shirt. I have no idea how I missed the big drops of coffee (?) all down the arm but it looks very fancy with my short sleeve sweater. Everytime I type (almost all day) I see those gross brown stains staring at me. How embarassing.

Wordy Wednesday-Inagural Edition

*Just pretend this was posted yesterday to make the title work*

In an effort to get out of this blogging slump/writers block that I seem to have, I'm trying to have an unofficial theme of the day. I know, what a nerd. Let me push up my coke bottle glasses with the tape and shock everyone with the news that I love to read. I read every night before bed and a lot of times at lunch and weekend mornings and while I'm waiting in line and...you get the point. So my plan in to review whatever books I'm reading. I warn you I read a lot of trash (chick-lit, paperback mysteries) but I try to stretch myself sometimes. If this if fun and I don't forget I'll try to make it a weekly thing. Of course I love to hear book suggestions too so comment away!

The Thin Place by Kathryn Davis
Overall Impression: What?
This was a short book and I had read some reviews so it seemed like a good holiday read. I finished this book feeling like I had missed about 4 crucial chapters. I love that each chapter is told from a different character's point of view (even dogs) but the story felt really disjointed and I never really got the point. I'll give it the benefit of the doubt that I just missed some deeper meaning.
Would I read it again: No

The Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chavalier
Overall Impression: Wow.
Again, a short paperback. I got this at my bookclub's holiday book swap and it got lots of positive reviews. I really enjoyed all parts of this book. It was an amazing glimpse into a short part of one girl's life. The historical descriptions of the city, house and clothes made this even better. Also, the social stigma of going from daughter of respected artisan to daughter of poor artisan to servant to the next stage of her life (I won't spoil it) makes me glad to live where and when I do.
Would I read it again: Yes

Village Affairs by Cassandra Chan
Overall Impression: fun and cute, if you like English mystery novels a la Dorothy Sayers, you will like this
I warned you that I read fluff and this is fluff at it's finest. As a anglophile I loved the descriptions of the country side, village church and local pubs along with the admittedly sterotypical characters. The mystery was intriguing without being impossible to solve and kept my interest.
Would I read it again: Yes, once enough time has passed for me to forget "who dunnit"

New Start, New Year

So um yeah, I've been away for a long time now. I was kind of holiday crazy, out of the groove of blogging, out of town every weekend. But also, now that's it's been a year, I've been trying to figure out what I want from this little blog. When I started last January it was because I'd been reading so many great blogs and wanted to be part of the mysterious "blog-o-sphere". Also, the Captain was many states away and I wanted to keep him up to date on my daily boring minutia. Now that I can tell him my long boring stories over dinner I'm less inclined to do the type-y thing every day.

I also didn't really put my blog out there for everyone so I don't have a lot of readers (I think). Now I won't lie, I sometimes wish I got more comments. But on the other hand I'm super bad about lurking and get performance anxiety when commenting that it will be lame, a repeat of what everyone else said, etc. Also, I'm horrible about remembering to email people back.

So I've been debating about telling people about this blog in real life. Not that I'm not proud of it, but it would change the "diaryness" of the blog and make it more about entertaining people. I love getting compliments but I feel like I would lose the "inner" of the inner monologue. Being able to work through my depression earlier this year was amazing. If I knew my mom (and horror of horrors, my in-laws) read this I know I would censor myself.

So to make a long and boring story (don't you feel sorry for the Captain now) shorter, I've just been thinking. I've sent the link to my sisters who I know won't judge. And some friends who also have blogs. But I think that will be all for right now. I'm also going to try to be a much better commenter on the blogs I read.

For right now, this blog will keep being my "Secret Public Journal" (title totally stolen from Mike Birbiglia).

I will not stress about posting every day but I will enjoy the only truly creative outlet in my life. I will not stress about the mediocre writing, spelling and grammer mistakes but keep believing that practice make perfect, or better at least.
I will add some damn pictures already!
I will comment more on other blogs, thanking the people for making me laugh or think about the world

And since I am constantly changing my mind this may all change next week. And I'm ok with that.

5 Things Making Me Happy Today

Hi internet! This has been a really good week for really no reason at all. Since I spend the majority of my time complaining I figured I should balance out my karma with some goodwill.

1. The sun is shining. It's still cold, but warmer than yesterday. The sky is a beautiful blue with no gray clouds threatening rain.

2. I work close enough to Captain Awesome that we can have lunch together. There's nothing that perks me up more than an hour with my handsome BFF. An hour of laughing and a hot sandwich is a good thing. And you should see how cute he looks in a toboggan.

3. It's almost the holidays! As stressed and cranky as I act, I really love Thanksgiving and Christmas. I am able to relax, take time off work, shop, EAT and spend time with my two families. Although we're scaling back our gifts this year due to the economy, I still can't wait to decorate.

4. I had two really fun girl's nights this week. One was a group of women who like to eat and hang out so we ate a delicious meal (with dessert) and met some new friends. Including one woman who moved from Vermont to here as a challenge to herself. She doesn't know anyone here but she wanted to shake her life up a little. Now that's bravery.
I also had a book club meeting and I had picked the book. It's always a little scary doing that since you want everyone else to like it. They did and the food was amazing. Yum, hummus and falafal.

5. Tonight I don't have plans so the Captain and I are cooking and snuggling in to catch up on the TiVo and each other's lives.

What's making you happy today?

Bragging?

It's cold here. I know some of you poor souls in the North have been cold for months and now have snow. But we just dropped below freezing and I'm not adjusted yet. That's why I live in the South. After sprinting from my car to the building, wrapped in my coat, scarf and gloves with my mug of hot chocolate, another employee and I were commenting on the cold. He turns to me and says with a straight face "Well I don't turn my heat on until January so I'm used to the cold."

I think I just stared, slack-jawed at him. Had this been someone I knew better (or really even liked at all) I would have laughed. People, I know it's a tough economic times. I know we're tightening belts and all that. But living with no heat? That's like camping to me. Why not just save money by selling your house and buy a fancy four room LL Bean tent. He explained that he just wears a lot of layers in the house and sleeps with 4 (!) blankets on his bed. And yes, he has room mates, who I guess have gone along with this "wilderness adventure" plan.

Now I understand there are truely needy people, even in my town, who can't afford heat. I understand that when choosing between comfort and eating, they choose food. But when you have a job, own a house, and have roommates to help pay 1/2 the bills, why no heat? I just can't wrap my mind around this. Also, I have made a big mental note to NEVER visit him without my parka and long johns. Weird.

Domestic Goddess

Yep, still no DC update. But listen to how house-wifey I was last night! On Sunday Captain Awesome and his dad chain sawed down 4 HUGE (and hideous) bushes around our house. They were working really hard and the piles of branches and leaves are taller than me. I was busy lounging under a blanket and eating some pretzels with Nutella. I felt kind of guilty but not enough to actually get up.

So last night I got home earlier than I expected and I decided to try and be helpful. I raked 1/2 the front yard and picked up an entire trash can full of pinecones, sticks, bark, etc. Then I made white chicken chili (from scratch) and cheddar biscuits (from a bag-love me some Bisquick) so that when the Captain got home, dinner was ready and waiting. The chili was a little spicier than I planned but it was perfect for a blustery night. We ate and watched some TV while I put some CD's on my iPod.
**Big Thank You to my baby sis who patiently answered my stupid questions like "how do I turn this thing on?". Even though she sprained her ankle and was just trying to relax.**

Yesterday, the Baking Blonde put up a recipe for Chewy Ginger Cookies with Cinnamon Chips. Two of the Captain's favorite dessert ingredients are ginger and cinnamon so I just had to try them. For some reason no grocery in my town stocks the cinnamon chips but in my usual cooking style I just threw some extra stuff in and hoped for the best. They were AWESOME and everything I wanted for a blah Monday night.

So when do I get my tiara and golden apron?

Sugar and Spice Vs Snips and Snails

Growing up in a house with 4 females and 2 males I have a very woman-centric point of view. My dad and brother were nice (or smart) enough to let us do most of the talking. As a confirmed girly-girl I was never around that many boys growing up. After marrying the Captain I am constantly surprised by all the "Guy Stuff" I was never privy to. There are rules about where to stand in the men's room. (Always leave a space and no talking-even when washing hands) There are drinking guidelines, driving rules. There is a whole noogie, dead-leg, tortoure-in-the-name-of-fun culture I was completely oblivious to. I mean, I saw boys playing pencil wars on the bus in elementary school but I never realized how serious it was. Also, I was probably too self absorbed trying to find the best seat to think about it. Every conversation I have with the Captain reveals a little more about this testoterone fueled childhood that I guess everyone else was aware of.

Of course that means he is forced to hear interested (read: boring) stories about a fight started by one friend not sharing her candy on the bus or the great "silent treatement of 87". Hearing all these stories of the psychological torture we as females put each other through, I think he's glad he got away with a punch in the arm and an Indian burn.

Hitting the Spot

Whew! The last three weeks have been a whirlwind of parties, traveling, working, eating, being with friends and enjoying myself. Sorry blog friends.

You know how sometimes you'll have a desire or craving for something but you can't always have it? As a dessert freak, sometimes I'll crave a delicious piece of chocolate cake or ice cream. I'll go out, get said sugary treat, and when I sit down to eat it, it's just not as good. (Did you like how many commas I just used?) The anticipation just can't match the real thing. I think the same applies to Senior prom, New Year's Eve and Graduation Day. You're under so much pressure to HAVE FUN that you just can't match up the movie-like image that you've created for yourself.

But sometimes, if you're lucky, you'll find an amazing pumpkin cookie receipe that satisfies your sweet tooth. Or a handsome man with champagne and a funny movie that helps cuddle the New Year in. That satisfaction keeps us going through the let downs or dry chocolate cakes in life.

Last weekend was one of my best "hitting the spot" moments. My two sisters and I went to Washington DC for my sister A's birthday. We laughed the entire car ride up, met some crazy people, tried new food and drinks, acted like tourists and then laughed some more. It was perfect. I've been feeling so disconnected ever since the move in June, it was amazing to be able to sit around with the people who I've laughed with, fought with, cried with and loved my entire life and just be me. I came home with aching legs, a suitcase full of clothes I didn't wear and memories.
Also, to dinner and a clean house, great job Captain Awesome!!!

The weekend was better than a million pieces of chocolate cake.

I have been working on a full post with pictures of us being goons and yes, eating cake, that I will someday get posted.

One of the Downsides of Working with All Men

I got my hair highlighted yesterday for the first time since I've worked here. I think it looks really different. I haven't gotten one comment on it. Does that mean they don't like it? Am I reading too much into the silence? How much credit should I give the male mind?

PS. I love it.

Space Filler

I actually have tons to write about but of course, now that I'm busy I have no time to blog. I promise a weekend update soon but until then I'm borrowing this fun survey from Erin

A Little About Us-The basic facts:

Who is your significant other? Captain Awesome aka Adam

How long have you been together? We started dating in 1999 but have been married since 2002

Dating/Engaged/Married? Married

How old is your S.O.? 28 (pushing 30 as he likes to say)

What’s his/her middle name? Joseph

Who eats more? He eats bigger portions than me. In fact I usually order something I know he likes at a restaurant so he can help me finish it. But I eat more dessert than he does.

Who says “I love you” first? The first time, I don't really know. But we used to IM a lot so it was probably an IM "I love you"

Who weighs more? Captain Awesome

Who sings better? Hmm, I like to think I have a good voice but the Captain loves to make up songs about whatever we're doing. So his songs are funnier.

Who’s older? The Captain by 3 months and 2 days

Who’s smarter? The Captain, no question. Although sometimes I can pull some useless knowledge out of nowhere. And I know more about cooking.

Whose temper is worse? Probably me. But we take turns being in bad moods.

Who does the laundry? Me, it's one of the few chores I enjoy, plus I hate the way The Captain folds clothes.

Who does the dishes? Whoever doesn't cook. Since I cook more, he does more dishes.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Me, but we switch sides depending on the room since I don't sleep closest to the door.

Whose feet are bigger? The Captain, size 12 wide. Sneakers are made for my hubby.

Whose hair is longer? Mine. The Captain cuts his own hair with clippers. But his grows faster.

Who’s better with the computer? The Captain knows more about fixing stuff so I guess him.

Who mows the lawn? Now that we have a riding lawn mower with a cup holder, he does.

Who pays the bills? He does. When we got married I asked him to take on that chore and it kind of stuck.

Who cooks dinner? We try to cook together but I'm usually the main chef. We plan our meals together so we both know what's coming up. Then it's a matter of who wants to and who's lazier.

Who drives when you are together? The Captain claims he can't get comfortable when he's not driving and since he usually knows where he's going it works out. That means I get to DJ!

Who pays when you go out to dinner? Since we have joint accounts it doesn't really matter but the waiter usually hands him the check.

Who’s the most stubborn? Me, no question. The Captain is pretty easy going but if he does have an opinion he can be pretty hard headed. I remembering one time he threatened to sleep on the floor since I wouldn't do what he wanted.

Who is the first one to admit when they’re wrong? Neither of us!

Whose parents do you see more? His because we live in the same town. We see mine about once a month.

Who named your cats? Our first cat (Kitty Boy) The Captain named. Our second cat came with the name Swiss but she has A LOT of nicknames (Miss, Missy, Moo, Mooberry Muffin, etc). Our third cat we named together after a road in NC (Zingo) because it fit his crazy personality.

Who kisses who first? I think usually me.

Who asked who out? The Captain called me first but I invited myself over to look at bowling shirts (I know, lame.)

Who’s more sensitive? Me times a million

Who’s taller? He is. I forget how tall he is until I see pictures of us and I look like I'm standing in a hole.

Who has more friends? I'm not sure. He has a big group of friends he doesn't see as much. I have a good group in town.

Who has more siblings? He does, but only by 1. I have two sisters and a brother. He has two half sisters and two half brother.

Who wears the pants in the relationship? We like to say we each wear a leg of the pants. I lead on a lot of the day-to-day stuff and he leads on the bigger long-term stuff. Although I'm bossier.

Is There Such a Thing as Non-Crazy Family

My extended family is just plain huge. My mom is one of 8 siblings who are all married and most have kids. She has tons of cousins, aunts, in-laws, out-laws, etc. My dad's family is not that big but they're there. On the Captain's side his father's family is also huge. We're surrounded by relatives.

My immediate family is large-ish especially with the Captain and my bro-in-law but we're all pretty close. I talk to my parents a couple times a week. My sisters and I have marathon phone sessions and love to spend time together. I love my brother but we're just not that close. I think part of it was I went to college when he was in middle school so I missed the fun being friends years. Then when I moved back to my home town he was in college and living his life. We're 5 years apart and haven't meshed our lives together. He's a super genius and in a really hard graduate program so I understand he's busy. I know that we'll get to a point in our lives when we will be closer.

My sisters and I are always blown away by how secretive my mom's family is. There is always some gossip or story that we can't tell one or more family member. Just recently her younger sister and only brother had scary health issues. Instead of getting them out in the open and having your family gather around you and support you, they decided to keep it quiet and deal with it privately. These were not little things like a broken finger. These were big ones, including cancer. Of course, being a family (and a gossipy one at that) people are finding out and spreading the story.

This way of handling illness or bad news is making my head explode. Maybe I'm just enough of a drama queen that I would want everyone catering to me and feeling bad for me if I was in trouble. Or maybe, I know that my family would be the ones I would want to lean on when I was facing permanent injury or death. I know my siblings would make me laugh and hold my hair when I puked. I know I could call them any time for advice, to gossip (we're one of those families too) or just to get out some frustrations. We weren't always sunshine and rainbows. We had our fights and hated each other. But I can't imagine keeping big secrets from them. And I hope I never do.

Huh??

I know I've mentioned before how conservative and, for lack of a better word, redneck my employers are. I don't agree with some of their views on the world and conversation has been tricky around this election but otherwise we co-exist in harmony.

One of the owners is a single guy in his mid to late 30's. He is a huge hunter and has been talking about hunting season for months now. He goes out drinking almost every night with his buddies. They have a group of younger (not gross younger, in their 20's) women who hang out with them for free drinks. His friends come over at closing time any night of the week if they can't drive home since he lives close to their regular bar. Basically he is wilder at 36 than I was at 21.

We were talking about our weekend plans and I mentioned going to the beer fest. It's an afternoon festival at a park where there are bands and beer. Fun but not a wild time. My boss looks me in the eye and says "I'm too old for that wild time." I was so surprised I couldn't think of anything to say. I guess day time drinking is much wilder than night drinking?

Two Weeks in Five Paragraphs

Hi strangers! Once again I've been neglecting my poor little blog. I wish I could say I've been busy having great adventures but really I just kind of got lost in the real world day to day minutiae.

We had a great time at our friend's wedding and the weekend of being pulled in different directions by our families wasn't as bad as I thought. I know, no one's shocked. I spend a good amount of time with my family and then we got almost everyone together for brunch on Sunday. Five of the Captain's fmily plus three from mine plus us equals a fun brunch. Unfortunately I picked up a cold and Sunday my throat was killing me. I was sick for about 4 days when I couldn't really do anything but blow my nose and attempt to sleep sitting straight up.

I'm still trying to find a job and getting more frustrated by it. I signed up with another temp agency and they've gone MIA on me. I email my contact every week and every week I get a reply that she's "sending out my information" I'm sure the horrible economy isn't helping but come on, I'm educated and young, just give me a chance! I've been filling out applications at the mall to get some extra money for the holidays so hopefully one of those will pan out. And I won't spend all my extra money at the mall. I really can't complain because I do HAVE a job and I have a wonderful husband who supports me.

We've got a couple big things coming up like the Beer festival this weekend. One of the Captain's friends is coming down and we've lined up our driver so we can avoid finding parking. (And avoid a dui) He's a great guy but pretty quiet. He and the Captain will probably do some guy exploring so I won't be "hostessing" all weekend. I've got a new recipe for pumpkin pancakes and plan to dazzle him with my abilities.

The weekend after that is my in-law's 25th anniversary. My sister-in-law and her Grandmother are planning a surprise party for them. My experience in catering and event planning is tripping me up since I feel like they're making some mistakes and making things harder than necessary but I am not in charge. I have offered to help with anything and have not been taken up on it so I'm going to go with the flow if it kills me. I'm very disappointed because I feel like we could make this party great and stay in our limited budget but I'm still the "in-law" and can't really throw my weight around. I've expressed my feelings to the Captain and he agrees with them but all his suggestions have been pushed aside also. I think it will be a last minute scramble but in the end I'm sure my in-laws will not be worried about the fact that there's no glasses for wine and just appreciate the gesture.

All in all I'm still meeting new people here and trying new things. The house is starting to feel like home and I don't get lost every time I leave my house. I've got plans, it's fall and life is pretty good.

A Little Bit of Nothing

I really wanted to write all last week but I could find a good time to sit down and actually be creative and amusing or even just not boring. I wrote about 14 drafts about my work nemesis who I really dislike (maybe even hate) but it came across as all mean and crabby instead of funny. Also I think he has a slight, miniscule menatal disability and I felt too bad about writing a stupid blog post.

SO, you get a list of all the stuff that's rattling around in my mind. On to the bullet points!!

• There are very few Starbucks in Wilmington because right before the Starbucks craze a smart business person started Port City Java which is like Starbucks but locally owned. BUT neither of these fine establishments are anywhere near my work out in the middle of nowhere. I curse not being able to run quickly to get my pumpkin latte. But I think my ass and my wallet and silently glad. Today I shut those bastards up by getting the sickly sweet gas station "cappochino".
• I mentioned how unhappy I was with my last haircut and last night I tried somewhere new. I loved the stylist (a "straight" guy) and was happy how he made intelligent suggestions without forcing anything on me. I love the haircut but he cut me some wispy bangs along with my side swept bangs that I don't know about. Also, at the ripe old age of 28 I am pulling more gray hairs than I care to think about. The next person who tells me that redheads don't go gray is getting a kick in the neck.
• Three cheers for Fall TV. Blah blah blah going to the beach, spending time gazing into the Captain's eyes, enjoying nature. Bring on Ugly Betty and the Gossip Girl!
• I applied with a temp agency since my "temporary" job I took to get me through the summer is slowly sucking the life out of me. Now I'm trying to figure out when to give notice so I have minimum "no job" time.
• I'm hosting a surprise anniversary party for my in-laws in October. The house is no where near ready to have 40 people over. I'm slightly freaking out but also reveling in the pressure of a deadline. My list of "must do's" is getting longer and the Captain is getting scared by my casual mention of replacing the countertops and painting every room in the house.
• We're going to a wedding in Raleigh this weekend. My in-laws are also going to this wedding. I feel like all weekend I'm going to be pulled between my parents, the in-laws, friends and other obligations. Awesome.
• Also at this wedding will be two new babies. I am SO happy for the parents and waiting to have a baby was the smart decision based on our financial situation but I still feel a little sick about it.
• I'm finally starting to meet people in Wilmington and have joined a couple "Girls Night Out" groups. We're having dinner on Thursday and in two weeks we're going to see an 80's cover band! Woo Hoo!
• IT'S FALL!!!!! Good-bye sweating during my walk from the house to my car, good-bye having to blind people with the whiteness of my legs. Hello pumpkin everything! Hello sweaters! Hello red and gold leaves! Hello cool breezes!

Emergency

If you've been reading this site for more than a week you know I'm a crazy cat lady. I don't have kids but my kitties are our babies. There were 4 kids in my family so our pets were low key like fish, lizards, hamsters, etc. My mom had enough to deal with and we all have allergies. I didn't discover my love for cats until I was married and The Captain talked me into getting just one. Three cats later I'm hooked.

On Thursday night I noticed my youngest cat (who is usually bouncing off the walls) was pretty lethargic but I didn't really do anything about it. On Friday he didn't meet me at the door and I found him nestled in my sweatshirts on the top shelf of the closet. He didn't eat much Friday. Saturday we were keeping an eye on him but he didn't move from one spot all day. We decided to take him to the emergency vet Saturday night after two days of not eating. Also, he looked weird, if that makes sense.

The Captain was really calm and awesome. He held Zingo in the car, for 45 minutes in the waiting room and then once we finally got to see the doctor. Anyone with cats knows they do not like being held for too long so that was just another confirmation he was sick. The Captain started to get pissed when several dogs were admitted before us. One had a broken leg and one had a bloody ear so we understood they needed to be seen first, but it was still frustrating.

Finally we saw the Doctor and he gave the usual "it could be a virus or he could be dying, it will be 1 million dollars to find out." So we waited some more while we heard Zingo crying while blood was taken and FREAK OUT during the x-ray. After we signed away our first child we got the results of "hmm" They decided he didn't have a UTI which is apparently common for male cats (and fatal). So they tried to give him some fluids since he was dehydrated.

One bite on the hand for a vet tech, one bite on the shoulder for me and no fluids later they sent us home with some antibiotics and a syringe to force feed him water.

I don't know if the virus ran it's course or the antibiotics helped but he is back to his usual chasing, crazy self. And I look like I've been bitten by a very tiny vampire.

Not Making the Connection

For the last couple days I've had an actual stomach ache. I'm trying to think back to the last time I had a real stomach ache and all I can think of is maybe after gorging myself last Christmas? I mean I get the monthly "scraping of the uterus" pain. I had plenty of the "too much gin/vodka/substitute whatever" sickness but that's not really pain, more just nausea. *Wow this is a classy post* And then there's the intestinal pain that I'm sure other people get but not me, because ladies never have that. Stop laughing Captain Awesome.

But the ache, it just kind of sucks and makes me sit funny. And wear more elastic waist shorts than are ever necessary. I cooked on Wednesday night so I assumed I had somehow managed to poison myself. But last night we had safe boring Turkey Tacos so I've ruled that out. I did cook those but they're so fool proof there's no way to taint them. I haven't had much dairy and I've been drinking water so I'm kind of stumped.

Today my boss decided that he was having hot dogs for lunch and that he would treat the whole office (the other 3 of us) to hot dogs, onion rings, etc. I love hot dogs and I never turn down onion rings so 30 minutes later I was munching on a chili dog with cheese. I think I may have solved the mystery.

Of course it won't stop me from going to the bar tonight. Maybe if I drink lots of beer I can cleanse my system? Of get drunk enough to not notice. Either way, I'll feel better.