Land of the Living

Hello?...

Anyone out there?...

I know, I know, it's been a while, and for that I am sorry. Things have been a little hectic around here, and blogging just hasn't been at the forefront of my priority list. The past month has been a doozy, so pull up a chair and enjoy the reasons why I haven't been blogging.

Reason #1: School is whipping my ass. I am taking one class this semester, but the workload is overwhelming. I am currently reading my SEVENTH text book, planning for interviews and focus groups with 3 area schools, and really, really disliking the class as a whole, especially my professor due to rank negativity and supreme narcissism. Yes, it's a joy. The good news is that I am pulling together my artifacts and writing my reflection as part of the admission to candidacy process in order to move on to dissertation. Required artifacts is 5+, and I have 13. Woot! I should defend in May or June.

Reason #2: B bought me a 4gig Gen3 N@no for Valentine's Day. Whenever I have had a free moment, I will download a CD or browse some music and/or audiobooks. I am an apple addict and I am okay with it. B totally despises M@c and I can't believe he even bought it, but I guess my whining go to him and has paid off. I am in love with my new gadget, and combined with my noise-canceling headphones, it was a lifesaver on the plane ride to and from Las Vegas (nice segue, Deb).

Reason #3: I went to Las Vegas a few weeks ago and didn't have as good a time as I wanted because of the company I kept. I have decided that I am a terrible traveling/living companion and should not travel/live with anyone who is not bound to me by blood or law. I can co-exist with others who are not bound to me by blood or law for around 2-3 days as long as I have my own room. Otherwise, it's a bust. I spent a 24/7 week with a school colleague and, by day 3, I was taking my 10 minutes of stolen alone time to call B in a snit. I should be ashamed because my colleague is an incredibly nice, devoutly religious, non-judgmental person. It was just too much contact time with someone who doesn't know the real me. You know, the non-religious, crass, foul-mouthed, foodie who lives for a great meal and is willing to pay for it both literally and figuratively? The laziest person alive, who will also gladly tell you that you have a booger, pick your zit, and offer scathing, judgemental opinions about fashion faux pas on every street corner? Well, the true colors of my personality couldn't shine through for fear of offending or scandalizing the poor woman. It was too much time with a person who is fundamentally different on every level. Personally, I didn't plan to go to the city that never sleeps to find ways to save money, hit the sheets by 10:30, and spend hours walking in order to avoid paying for a cab - but I did. Oh the shows were good and the lights were amazing, but with a crappy hotel, only one really good meal, no privacy to poop, and no opportunity to see any showgirls, real gamblers, or drunk celebrities, I was ready to snap and thanked B profusely for my only escape (See Reason #3).

Reason #5: There is a really good chance that I am going back to Las Vegas with B in June. He's headed out for a conference and my goal is to wipe the slate clean. I plan to eat at good restaurants, gamble a good bit, see some showgirls, and stay at a hotel where the latest update took place in this century. I cannot wait to experience Vegas with B, my soul mate in filth.

Reason #6: Month 21 of LID is approaching on the 27th, and the discouragement and depression about our adoption is a consistently hovering black cloud. What's to say? At least the PTB have finally moved into 2006 - by 4 days. So, I am wondering if this means we should go ahead and renew our paperwork? We have put it off because, really, what's the point? Motivation to pursue anything adoption-wise is at an all-time low. This past weekend we gave C's old twin bed to my niece, Chubs, and ended up cleaning out a significant space in Ruby's to-be nursery. Sadly, doing this neither encouraged nor inspired B and me to begin planning how to decorate her nursery. In truth, we just shifted the Rubbermaid containers, extracted the bed, and shut the door on an almost empty room. A room that will stay that way for at least another year.

Don't know when I'll blog again, but next up will be an in-depth discussion of why I like Wednesdays best of all - just for Walternatives!

Behold the Beauty that is an After-Christmas Sale

Christmas at the Bug house was its usual flurry of presents and family. We had a wonderful time opening and exchanging gifts, learning of my brother and sister-in-law's 4th pregnancy, and eating way too much good food.

As the years go by, B seems to know me better and better. He still needs an Amazon wishlist and still needs some direction, but otherwise he does really well. This year he and C went together to buy my gifts, something that normally doesn't happen. While roaming the mall, C kept insisting that I wanted diamond earrings (I didn't), and that I really needed a pair (I don't, I already have a pair, and very rarely wear earrings anyway). B ignored his gut feeling about the earrings and went ahead and bought a pair. When he came home and emptied his pockets on our dresser, he looked down and saw the earrings I already had lying in the jewelry box. What to do? Well, he gave them to me, along with the receipt and said, "I want to take these back and get something else, but I want you to go with me." Okay. So, along with the return of the ill-fated earrings and my Christmas money from my FIL and my parents, I got this...
for 50% off. Oh, how I love the after-Christmas sales.

P.S. Guess who who ended up with CZ earrings and thinks she's the bomb?

Why I Suck

Here's why I suck...

~I've been a little blue lately. This past week was our 15 month LID aniversary. I keep trying to tell myself that 15 is the halfway point, but it just seems like an endless stretch. The only really good news is that the Review Room is on a roll and has approved up through August DTC. With June, July, and August going through review in around 2 months, I am hoping that referrals start to encompass many more days.

~ Well, obviously the blog has not been updated with any relevant information in months.

~ It took me 2 months to mail out Secret Pal gifts. For one Secret Pal, the exchange had ended Aug 1. Yeah, I mailed it last Thursday.

~I also haven't thanked my SP for my latest gift - a book about mom being great, a drum, a rattle toy, and some pretend rattle keys. If you're reading SP, I think you're the bomb, and thanks for all of the goodies.

~ I can't find my camera cord to download any pictures of my SP gifts. I also received an awesome gift from Shelba today, and would love to display the super cool Icky bib and the Rock Star Pediped shoes. Goddammit. I love them both by the way.

~ I have been crappy sick for 2 weeks. I am finishing my second antibiotic and finally feel a little better. At least I don't sound like Froggy from the Little Rascals anymore.

~ I believe I bought a lemon. I have had my new car since May 7th, and so far I have had a flat tire, two scratches, a leak in the air conditioning, and replaced an inside door panel. Monday we are dropping it off to have another door panel replaced. It's getting old, people.

~ My nephew told me that I am the "coolest aunt ever," and then proceeded to point out my forehead wrinkles. He said they were "really big."

~ I went to see this movie with my friend Caroline today, and I made it through the first hour before hot footing it to the bathroom to puke up my popcorn and coke. The cinematography and editing was sped up, choppy, and basically looked like B's grandpa, who had Parkinson's, made a home movie. My motion sickness hit like a wave and I was gone. I had puke on my shirt, face, and in my hair. No, that's not embarrassing. Smelling like vomit I not only had to slink into the theater to tell Caroline I was leaving, I had to slink through the lobby. It was great. I cried for 20 minutes in the car before driving home to shower and brush my teeth.

Okay that's enough whining.

Here's a funny story...

The other night we (B, C, and me) were having a nice dinner at Rio when this family comes in and sits down in the front of the dining room. The only reason I noticed them was because it was a family with 4 boys.

As we were leaving B said, "Hey look whose here!"

C walked up behind the oldest boy, smiled, and said "Hi."

The boy looked at her from head to toe, turned blood red, and said "Wow, you've...you've changed."

C turned blood red and said, "Um, yeah."

Then they just stood there looking at each other and blushing. It took me a minute to realize that this was P, C's 'boyfriend' from her old school, which she left after second grade. The two of them hadn't seen each other for several years. B made small talk and I walked over to pay. I really didn't want C to see me cracking up at the middle school hormone surge.

A few minutes later, on our way to the car, C went on and on about seeing P; she was giddy with the gush/crush.

Finally she walked ahead of us and B turned to me and said. "What the hell was that? It was just so awkward!"

I started laughing and said, "The look on his face?"

B said, "Yeah, did he not recognize her?"

I said, "No honey, that was the 'Oh! You got your Boobies!' look."

Walking, Riding, and Wiggling

I've been pretty busy lately, and this weekend was no exception. Early Saturday morning, along with several of my coworkers and friends, I walked a mile for breast cancer research. Our state hosted the Susan G Koman Race for the Cure and raised over 75,000.00. Everyone should contribute to this cause; there are 2.3 breast cancer survivors in the United States because Early Detection is the Best Protection! One of those survivors is my friend Caroline's mom, Rose. Last year she found a lump early and was able to be treated with minimal invasion.

Here we are near the finish line, walking for Rose!
L to R: Caroline, Billie, Thea, Mary, & me.

We walked our mile, now walk yours! Support Breast Cancer Research!


Later that day, B and I drove over to the Hyundai dealership and traded in my beloved Sorento for this hot little number.

A 2007 Tucson in Mesa Red.

I loved my Sorento, but 18 MPG highway at 3.09 a gallon was killing me. I spent 120.00 on gas in 2 weeks! It was any easy trade and my MPG went up to 24-25 highway. Bonus! The saleswoman was hilarious, and we rocked out to great 80s tunes while they did our paperwork. Spending big amounts of money stresses me out, and usually I get really grouchy and panicky. This time I ended up with a fever. Weird.

On Sunday we BBQed with my parents and my brother's family, which is always fun. Noah had a good time showing us his wiggly front tooth, and later that evening pulled it out. Check him out!

I am Blaming it on the Chinese

Working from home definitely has it's benefits. I get to do conference calls while wearing my comfy flannel PJs, which is pretty awesome. I also have less distraction, which helps me get things done at my own speed and take lots of breaks to do things like cook and laundry. Well, today was an exception. Our dryer died.

I had a bad feeling this was going to happen soon, because on Sunday it took 2 1/2 hours to dry two king size sheet sets and around 20 pillowcases. Yes, we use that many pillows - not the point here...

When we bought our home, we paid the former owners $300.00 cash to leave all of the appliances. Call us Suckahs!, because the assholes had planned to leave the appliances with the house and basically took our money. We were first-time home buyers, give us a break! The washing machine died during the first year. We were totally broke (thanks to infertility treatment costs), and I bought a cheapo washing machine that has 3 cycles and only rinses on the cold cycle. No bells or whistles, no delicate cycle, no sanitation. Just cold/cold, warm (cold)/cold and hot/cold. At first, the only plus was that it had a liquid fabric softener dispenser. Now, that either completely gums up after about 3 cycles and/or gradually leaks out during the washing, not rinsing phase. ARGH.

So, instead of spending the day in my warm house in my warm flannel PJs, I trudged out to buy a dryer. Only a dryer.

As you can see, I came home with these:













My excuse was: "B, we'll be having a baby soon! We need the sanitizing cycle! We need the 22 towel capacity! We need this for bibs, food stains, shit issues, and general clean baby karma!"
We are now $2500.00 lighter, and have a used washing machine for sale.

Christmas Ramble

So we finally got Christmas under our belts and out of the way. Another year over, and boy howdy am I glad. After a long flight home and all day waiting, C ripped into the gift extravaganza last night like Reuben Studdard at a Golden Corral. She was quite thrilled with her loot. I have a tendency to get a little carried away on the giving, but this year I remained reasonable. Her mom buys the bulk of the toys and we get to do clothing and more sedate items like this and this. I like to do the clothing part, because it takes lots of effort to undo the Stevie Nicks/Bon Jovi look she gets from her other maternal influence. Because of C's genetic lack-o-fashion sense, I put the entire outfit together in a gift box and triple dog dare her to mix and (not) match. Under the tree this year were skinny jeans, babydoll tunics and jailhouse stripes. She was in love.

One thing B knows about me (Kathy if you're reading you'll remember this) is that dolls totally freak me out. C never brings dolls to the house because even she knows how I feel about them. One Christmas she got one of these, and regardless of the price, I let it leave the house and never return. It's probably at the bottom of some yogurt soaked, unopened marker laden toybox with green play-doh matted in it's hair. I don't care. I hate them that much. Even though he loves me and usually respects my quirks and weirdness, B bought Ruby her first doll and put it under the tree. He warned me about it and told me to just suck it up. I was hesitant to open it because I knew I would see the dead eyes staring back at me and I would be sucked into a vortex of fear. I finally conceded after opening everything else. I was so, so happy to see this, my eyes got a little leaky. My man - he knows me well.