Ohhhhh, People...

...Am I ever sick. I have the killer death flu. Yesterday I didn't even go downstairs. I haven't eaten anything since Monday night. I threw up more times in a row yesterday than ever before. I was too scared to even take ibuprofen. Bedroom, bathroom, bedroom, bathroom - all day long. I'm not even sitting up right now! This is my last sick day of the year already. Everyone send a request to the universe that this stops being a house of plague. Please? Thank you.

Camera Non Obscura

These are some samples I just took with the new camera.

Superstar!

My aunt Sarah is going to be okay. She's awake but still has neck and shoulder pain, so they're keeping her in the hospital for observation. They airlifted her because her airbag didn't deploy and she was bleeding from the mouth, so they were afraid that...you know. But she's (relatively) fine.

The C.D. did okay in surgery - feeling sucky but recovering. So all's good on that front.

The UPS guy just came and went next door. Where's my friggin' camera?

Six Minutes...

It's a song we used to sing back in the day. I don't know the words, so I mumble something about "jiggy-fresh".

Love is good, fledgling business is good, the honey's mom's angiogram came back okay. The C.D. is having surgery today, so everyone send her good vibes.

My camera should be here tomorrow! Everyone is giving me GREAT advice. Did I say all this already?

I will change the subject so as not to be tedious. Talked to both my parents this morning - everything is good. My dad has a name for his ranch and is getting everything together for when his baby bison come. They won't be cute and little, but they'll be shaggy. My circle of friends are all pretty much having the circle of fortune go their way. Now, if spring would just come and the polar ice caps would stop melting...

Slinky Link

http://anfoirfela.blogspot.com/

Going swimmingly so far. "Everything's coming up Milhouse!" One of my portfolio-ees is an event planner...we're going to put our heads together and throw business to each other. And my girl Amy totally has my back on the bustin' business cards!

A New Business

I just started a wedding photography business. I downloaded the new business kit, I have volunteers for my portfolio, I ordered a camera, and I'm getting some business cards. I'm in shock, and I'm sure you all will be too! But I really did it.

I posted on the local section of the Knot offering free photography services. I thought, if I get a good response, I'll get the camera. I got three responses in five minutes! Everything seems to be coming together really well, but don't worry: I know it's a long, hard road to owning a successful business. But I think I'm on the right track!

The Work Mentor wants to have lunch with me and the honey this weekend to discuss what I need to do. Wish me luck and send me advice!

Also, I wanted to call it "Your Perfect Day", but that name's taken. Give me some good ideas, y'all!

EEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

No I'm not engaged. BUT MY CAR LOAN IS PAID OFF! I just called to get my payoff information, and the girl said they put the title in the mail yesterday!!!! Now I can start saving for a new car.

They said I could MAYBE get a car loan if my debt management person wrote a letter saying it was okay for me to get a car loan. But it's not guaranteed. Hopefully Julio can hold off till then, or something else will happen.

I sent a manuscript into a publisher today. Wish me luck!

Also, I e-filed all our returns online, sucking it up and paying the $15 per return 'cause I didn't want to wait. We are getting some moolah back! All will be saved, of course. My direct deposit is on its way.

Moo is good. Love is good. Dog is good. House is good. Jobs are good. Now we need our health to be good.

PLUS

Erika would have an easier time getting there. Not to mention Shells.

I was dreaming about Valentine's Day jewelry last night, and the honey interrupted my desire for a half-aquamarine, half-sapphire by saying, "Well, I was thinking something carbon." I was like shut up, you were not. And he was like, "Yes. Some high-end Kingsford."

Ass.

Plus...

...Can you imagine what an awesome, grand cake Auntie could make if she didn't have to worry about towing it any further than the backyard? It could be big as the house!

PLUS we'd be able to leave from O'Hare instead of a smaller airport for our honeymoon. Saves moolah!

Gone Till November

This is Jamaica. I want to go there. Shells wants to go there. We want me to get married on Sunday and then she could get married on Monday. But the honey refuses to run away and wants a big party here. Neither me nor any already-married person can convince him that a big party is not the way to go. I don't even want to do it here - I want Chi or Lake Geneva or anywhere else - there's just no place magical enough here. So I just can't get excited about having a crap reception here, or spending $25K on a only-slightly-less-crappy one. I want a reception by the woods where it smells like Lake Geneva, or in Chicagoland with the ceremony at the Northwestern chapel where my parents and grandparents had theirs. Or in Miami at Vizcaya. Or in Jamaica at the Grand Lido Negril. Or on Catalina Island in California. Anywhere but here - I don't even want the art museum OR the botanical gardens. There's just no place here that's exactly right. Why have a bougie country club when I've tasted the Grand Geneva? What I'd really like is to have it on the old tennis courts by my grandparents' (long-since-sold) summer home. Or in my Auntie's backyard by the pine trees. Or in a country club on Lake Michigan. There are older things here than there, but everything seems falsely patinated with age and authority here - pot metal with a brass finish.

Woof.

I feel gross. My ribs still hurt, and my tummy feels acidy. I know my health could be so much worse, but all this stuff that is plaguing us is getting irritating!

Quiet, good day so far. My nose is a little out of joint for no particular reason, but other than that all is good. Work smooth. Dad home from Denver. Shells sending me cute texts. Puppy doing his usual Monday sleep-all-day thing.

The tree still isn't taken down, but I made progress on it yesterday. I also shoveled the back porch and took out some trash. It was the first "strenuous" activity I've done since I fell. I know that the x-rays came back clean, but I'm all paranoid since my ribs still hurt. Not a lot, but a little. How long does it take to get over a fall?

Jodi, I'm Thinking of You

Gah! I don't think we can move to Saskatchewan if I can't even handle Ohio's weather! Although you make it sound awesome, what with the cows in your backyard.



I guess we will be sticking around the house today. This is all just in the last hour.

You Know What's Weird?

How people are always the same. Like me. I think that I'm making headway, that the thing I've wanted for so long is going to happen soon. And then no. But I keep talking about it and making a fool of myself. I just can't help it. I think, keep quiet! But I never can.

I'm like a certain ne'er-do-well uncle I have. I get all excited about something and talk about it to anyone who won't walk away, and I wonder why people don't take me seriously when I bring up the next big thing that never comes to fruition.

The definition of insanity, according to the honey, is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. That would be me, I guess.

Okay, Maybe Not

The cops were at the house across the alley from 8:30 until noon. The hoopties are still there, but it's been quiet since they busted in. Again, glad to get rid of drug dealers from the neighborhood.

Life is pretty good - I guess it's all a matter of outlook? Two days ago I felt like everything was up in the air, but now I feel like it's "full of possibility". But I could still use some more money. I have art ideas, I'm still trying to convince the honey to run away to Jamaica, and I talked to my friend Shells on the phone today. Plus it's the weekend! And I can work on taking down the Christmas tree...I'm all white trash on the inside, I guess.

Today's Special

A cop came to our house this morning asking about the new drug dealers. When I was leaving for work, they were entering the house by force. The honey will keep me posted, and I will keep you posted too. Hooray getting rid of drug dealers!

I'll Help Myself

I had a crappy day yesterday - just was feeling like an ass. Not accomplishing my goals, feeling like a bad employee, etc. The honey had a bad day yesterday too. So we went to our favorite Mexican restaurant and enjoyed a tasty, nose-run-inducing round of yumminess. I sighed in satisfaction as we were paying our bill, and the girl smiled. She understands: I'll bet everyone does that when they leave there! We felt like real people again. We talked about the cars, and how we're not using my refund to get a massage chair, and running away together to Jamaica or Mexico. It was a nice dinner. Then we cuddled with the puppy and went to bed early. I had an apocalyptic nightmare, but my body didn't hurt when I woke up, so I counted it as good sleep.

My dad made me homesick for Denver yesterday. The hotel he's staying at is right by where I used to live, and he could see the theater where the honey and I had our second date from his room. I definitely don't want to live in Denver again, but it's nice to drive past all our firsts. The honey was like, "You're forgetting an important first that we have here - our first house!" And I was like, "AND our first dog!" But if it were warm out, you can bet I'd be wanting to experience our first I Love You spot: good ol' Artists Point. Since it's snowy, though, I'm content here.

Let's Have a Talk

I figured I should try to hash some of this out, so you won't worry too much about me flying to the far sides of the political spectrum.

I am pro-choice. I do not believe abortions should be illegal. I do not believe that underage girls should have to get permission. I do believe they should have to log a certain number of hours with a counselor at the office.

I want a flat tax. I would say I want a use tax, but since almost all our money goes right back out when it comes in, that would be bad for us.

I believe in welfare, but it should be limited to a number of total years per person. The honey has a great theory: you have X number of years to be on welfare, in which time you can go through college or be looking for a job. Then, once you have accumulated your total hours, no more money for you.

I love things like the New Deal, but I don't think the government has done a very good job of responsible stewardship of social programs. So I think we might have to dump some of them.

I vote against school tax levies here. The school system here misuses their funding horribly and cannot really be called an education system - it is really more of a federally-subsidized daycare center. If I lived in CR again, I would be happy to contribute to the school system.

I vote FOR bond issues. 'Specially since they go to help fix our sewer system in the ghetto.

I believe in legalizing drugs. If people could buy and sell drugs legally, the crackheads would crack themselves to death, and fewer women would be made into examples for being with the wrong guy. Since the legal system often cannot hold the drug kingpin, they jail his wife or girlfriend instead.

I am pro-smoker's rights. I hate the smell of stale cigarette smoke, but I don't think smokers are criminals, no matter what the anti-smoking people say.

I got a gun for Christmas. I do not hunt, although I'm pretty sure I could kill a turkey. They're so ugly and tasty! I could never kill a squirrel, deer, or pheasant. I believe that an armed society is a polite society. And if it's me or the guy whose barrelling up my stairs in a drug-induced rage at 3 AM, it's gonna be him. If you want to read an interesting discussion on this topic, go to Pajiba and read the Runaway Jury post.

I voted for Nader in my first presidential election.

I am pro-gay marriage. But we do need to worry about the unintended consequences of how we word the laws - no one wants a grown man to be able to marry a five-year-old.

I do not think the Ten Commandments belong in a hall of government. Not like they follow them anyway.

I believe in a strong police force. I call the cops on hookers.

I believe that the war in Iraq is based on a lie, but I agree with Scott Adams that it was important to take Saddam Hussein out of commission. Read the Dilbert Blog for more on this.

I am an isolationist. I'm glad we've been helping everybody, but we don't always have to step in and do something. Sometimes other countries need to work things out on their own.

And that's about it. Feel free to discuss, but don't be mean. I'm fragile.

An Avalanche of Consciousness

I am turning into a Republican. I don't know how this happened. But it's weird.

I am tired of living and working in bad neighborhoods. Other people's irresponsibility is affecting my life.

Everything is so up in the air right now, and it's driving me crazy. My horoscope is giving me bad news I already knew, I want to spend my (as yet undeposited) federal refund but I'm scared to, I feel like the honey and I are in a holding pattern, and I'm too bogged down to work on things that would change my life, like my novel and my art. Yes, I have a novel. No, I'm not just saying that to sound impressive. But if I don't keep working on it, it will never get done.

I'm still in yesterday's cranky mood. I don't know why.

But the good news is that my dad is going to Denver to look at buffalo calves today. He says they'll be 350 lbs. by the time he gets them in the spring, which is a bummer. I like baby animals much better than yearlings, and baby bison are so shaggy and ugly-cute. Now I miss Colorado. Except for the fact that we haven't had one real snow yet this year, and they've had barrelfuls.

Leave me alone. Hey, where are you going? That about sums up my mood today. Sure it will be better soon, but for right now I'm still all bejiggety.

Why, God, WHY?

Top Wedding Trends for 2007

The Knot

(I have highlighted all the ideas in this article that I've been considering for years.)

Want your wedding to be the most stylish celebration of the year? Keep every element of your nuptials -- from the hottest color combos to sweeping displays of delicious desserts -- on the cutting edge with these top wedding trends of 2007.

Trend 1: A Crush on Orange
It's not just for fall celebrations -- orange is the hottest hue for weddings in every season and in every shade (from creamy peach to burnt sienna). Pair it with espresso for a modern, formal tone, while orange, raspberry, and kiwi is the perfect palette for a laid-back beach wedding. There's no denying its versatility: See chic orange cakes, bouquets, and bridesmaid dresses.
Other hot colors for 2007: aqua and aubergine.

Trend 2: All Herald the Trumpet Skirt
The fit-and-flare trumpet gown continues to be the silhouette of the moment. Brides love the look of a slim shape teamed with the exaggerated bell of a skirt -- we love it for the kick of drama it adds to the altar and the dance floor. Whether it's made of lace, taffeta, or luxe silk satin, this sexy, feminine shape provides a runway-ready look for the stylish bride. Along with embellished belts, black accents, and oversized floral details, trumpet skirts are among the freshest looks for fashion-forward brides.

Trend 3: It's All About Italy
Destination weddings are hotter than ever, and Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' castle wedding near Rome highlighted what many couples already knew -- with its exquisite cuisine and storied architecture, Italy is the perfect place to host an unforgettable celebration. Even more, a recent poll of Knotties revealed that Italy boasts three of the top four most romantic cities (Venice, Rome, and Florence), as well as two of the most romantic countryside destinations (Tuscany and Lake Como). Check out our destination weddings guide for Italian resorts, planning tips, and regional rules for tying the knot in the land of amore.

Trend 4: Cocktail Hour Takes Center Stage
Brides and grooms are constantly thinking of new ways to wow their guests, and every event during the wedding day presents a new opportunity to impress. Last year saw a boom in over-the-top after-parties, weddings in 2007 are focusing more on the cocktail hour than ever before. Couples are serving signature cocktails, bite-sized hors d'oeuvres on elaborate displays (like sushi served on beds of bamboo), and keeping guests entertained with live music that sets the mood (like a sophisticated jazz trio or a festive mariachi band).

Trend 5: Decadent Dessert Buffets
Wedding cake is a given, but many brides and grooms are opting to have their cake and a buffet-style selection of more delicious desserts. Dessert tables -- often called Viennese tables -- can be stocked with everything from chocolate truffles and Key lime pie to mousses and chocolate fondue. Consider filling in with secret family recipes and childhood indulgences like Oreos or grandma's famous gingerbread cookies.

Trend 6: Monumental Honeymoons
Sipping a cocktail while lounging on the beach will never lose its charm, but some newlyweds are using their honeymoon to see some of the most awe-inspiring sights on earth. Hiking through the ruins at Machu Picchu, rafting in the Grand Canyon, and strolling along a section of the Great Wall of China are all are prime activities for honeymooners with a sense of adventure.

More Hot Trends
The Mini-moon: The mini-moon -- a mid-engagement getaway (think 6 months before the wedding date) to take a break from planning -- is becoming more and more popular. Whether it's a ski weekend in Vail or lounging by the beach in Southern California, couples are stealing away from the stress -- and mandating a 48-hour freeze on wedding talk.

Destination Showers and Bachelorette Bashes: For a while, last blast trips to Vegas and Miami were solely for the guys. But now the gals are getting in on the getaway action, traveling with all of their close friends for fun-filled prewedding weekends by the beach, on the town, or to learn something new -- like surfing!

Unique Ring Settings: Like Christina Aguilera's latticework diamond setting (which gives the stone its height), it's no longer just about the solitaire with side stones. Pave diamonds have lent more creativity, and we're seeing a lot of one-of-a-kind designs. Vintage remains the rage, and white metals remain white hot.

Seeing Green: Eco-conscious couples are spending a lot of time and money planning weddings that reflect their environmentally friendly lifestyles. They're using recycled paper and minimizing the amount of paper used for invites, place cards, and programs; creating centerpieces with pesticide-free flowers and potted plants (that can be planted in the yard, postwedding); and serving organic and vegetarian menus.

Seriously, God, if you're not going to give me an outlet for my trend-forecasting talents, will you take it away? It's just too painful to have a great idea, not be able to fulfill it, and then a year later it's everywhere.

La la Poop

Happy and bummed both.

We went and test-drove an Escape last night, and I really liked it! But it was $17K used. That would be about $310 a month for five years. Yikes! Plus, I really liked the girl I was dealing with at the dealership. But we won't be buying a car there, unfortunately. It's conveniently located halfway between home and work, but they filled us full of BS. First, every car in there had a terrible paint job. Like even I could see how awful it was, and I only know auto-painting by osmosis. Second, the weirdo that was filling in for our salesperson told us they never sell cars that are pieced together. And yet, the right front door was a different color than the rest of the car. Really only one reason that happens...Third, the interior was trashed when you consider that it only had 30,000 miles on it. Frayed seats, etc. FOURTH, the car reeked like mildew - flood car what? It smelled like Fabreze at first, then mildew, then baby vomit? Not good. When we got back from the test-drive, the guy was filling us full of more BS. I asked him about the history of the car, and he said it was bought at a Ford auction (!!!!!) So it's a pretty new car with low miles that reeks like a wet basement and you don't know where it came from. That's what I am hearing. Of course, the honey acted as my pit bull, playing bad cop. Then I was forced to play good cop. I don't wanna be the good cop! I just wanna do the dance as painlessly as possible and get a good deal without having to snarl epithets. But no. Fortunately, we were of one mind about that particular vehicle - it's not a good deal, no matter how cheap they could make it. But we really liked the way the Escape felt. So maybe somewhere else?

I e-filed yesterday...did I say that already? The honey and I want to buy an iJoy massage chair with my money, and save his for the roof fund. His car is still in the shop, needing more repairs than previously thought. Julio, don't fail us now! (My biggest fear is that both our cars will crap out at the same time, right now, when we don't have anything saved up to buy something else.)

My back is getting better, work is going pretty well, and everything's good at home. Yet I'm strangely cranky...I think it's because so much is up in the air right now, and I hate when things are out of control. But I'm sure as soon as I eat lunch I'll be sunny as a June day.

This Camera Sucks

I am now eating the last of the honey's Christmas pizza. Never let it be said that tasty food isn't a good present in THIS house!

My hair looks fantastic. And I'm working on setting my hairdresser up with the honey's brother.

I am posting this ugly-ass pic of me from the free camera I got when we ordered office supplies at work so you can see that now I don't have two-tone hair anymore. It is much blonder than it looks in the picture. I'm posting some other pics, too, but there'll be a meaningful discussion at the bottom of the page, so scroll down.





Mmmm. Sunday-morning-licious.













My Christmas elephants. You can really see how much this camera stinks in this picture.











This tote is another free gift from the office supplies store. It reeks like plastic, but I think it's really cute. It's brown, in case you can't tell in this 1.3 MP picture...this thing is like the camera on a camera phone.




One of the books I got with Christmas gift cards. It's neat.











The other book I ordered. This one's really neat. It's before the flood.













Okay, meaningful post time. I had a GREAT breakthrough dream last night. See, I have this recurring nightmare that me and several other "kids" are being held hostage in a house, and I have to escape through the woods to get help. In all the years I've been having this dream, I always escape on my own (barefoot), but I have never seen whether I make it to the neighbor's house and rescue the other kids. Last night, I dreamt that the kids all escaped one by one, Great Escape-style. I was the last one. Then the woman captor in my dream committed suicide because she was all alone.

That was Part I. I woke up and fell back asleep, and this is where it went from there: the honey and I were living in the house from the nightmare, and we were having a dinner party to impress the honey's CO (he was a naval officer, but they weren't Navy). It was a total disaster. I couldn't find anything, I didn't know how to make normal-people coffee (the honey likes his so strong it leaves a black residue in the cup), just a disaster. Not impressive at all. Then someone's toddler kept trying to open the kitchen door to the dining room to let the embarrassing animals out that we were trying to keep from running amok during the dinner party. I took her into the back part of the house to a storage/laundry area to spank her in private. There I saw the woman captor who had committed suicide, walking into a storage room that had all her precious "things" that had made her so greedy and closed-off from others during her life. They were beautiful, wonderful, meaningful things, but they were still just things and not worth obsessing over. I said to her, "No, hey, don't go in there. They're not important." And she said, "Yes, they're my things!" She walked (floated) among them, touching them and fretting over them like Mrs. Danvers in Rebecca. I woke up realizing that things don't matter as long as you have people you love around you. Even the most beautiful antique won't hold you when you cry, and the most expensive crystal won't celebrate your joys with you. I felt really free! Free from the obsession with things to line my nest. And when I woke up, I realized that the honey and I are making our own traditions together, with things we choose, not things that have been in the family for a million years. Like he has a set of toile dishes from one of his grandmothers. They're in a box upstairs. We have dishes that we love that we bought together at IKEA. They're cheap and worthless and they're AWESOME.

Also, I'm trying to get the honey to run away and get married in Jamaica instead of having a big to-do here. We could totally afford it with my parents' wedding money, and I'd even have enough left over for the dress I want! And rings. And a week at an all-inclusive super-nice resort with 24-hour room service. Not that food's important to us at all.

AND we've found some of the cars I want eventually that will be within our price range when my savings go a little further. The car sales place sends me e-mails when they get the cars I want. Now I just gotta test-drive them and see if I really want them.

AND! Erika just sent some good news:

Okay. So I got a letter about SSI today. They owe me/David $8.849.25! This money can't be used for food, clothing, or shelter, so basically it has to be a savings account for his future or to pay any medical or educational costs that he has. They are going to give us $179 a month for food, clothing, shelter, ect starting Feb. 1. I am a little overwhelmed and confused, but overall feeling as though I have won the lottery. That's almost a year's pay for me! (I do, wish, though, that I could spend part of the lump sum on 2 family vacations--one to visit Jennie and one to visit Laura.) In other news, I gave David his birthday present early. He LOVES his new kitchen. Pictures to follow.

We needed a little miracle and got one. Erika needed a big miracle and got one!

A Little Miracle

The honey's parents sent us our Christmas present - some money! The honey bought pizza with part of his share, and I am going to get a much-needed trim and partial highlights. I woke up this morning at 4:30 and couldn't get back to sleep. It's not even seven now. I feel really guilty spending this money, but I am starting not to have a hairstyle anymore - it's a mop. I got the perm last summer and I've only had one trim done since then...it's time.

I tried to go test-drive the Escape last night. They close early on Friday nights. But whaddaya whaddaya. I watched "Ace of Cakes" this morning, and then a fantastic "This Old House". The dog keeps growling at the rain dripping down the gutters, and the new drug dealers across the alley. Tell me where two young guys are going in casual clothing at five in the morning for half an hour? They drive a big ol' hoopty '80s Cadillac that's two-tone and won't ever start on the first try. And they slam the car doors. Their rug monkeys were running up and down the alley till all hours last night. Even though we're on the quieter side of the house now, it's still bothersome. I really thought we were making progress! Sometimes I think the owner of the houses across the alley rents to drug dealers on purpose. First it was those meth-heads that sold mattresses out of their side yard and grew pot in their bathtub. Then it was some quiet people with a funny young kid. Then it was the people who tried to sell my dad a "German Shepherd" puppy (it was really a pit bull). They also used to leave their pit bull dam outside and she was so skinny I thought they'd moved away and abandoned her. Then there was no one there for a while, and now it's these foos. People keep driving up to the house, and they tell them to pull around to the side. They also stand out on the porch like foreman at a warehouse at the end of break. But wouldn't you think that if you were a drug dealer you wouldn't let people come to your house? Isn't that just asking for trouble? Oh well. The honey's going to say something to a friend whose brother is a cop in our patrol district.

Hope you have a great Saturday. I will keep you posted on the status of my hair!

*Good* News and Good News

The *good* news is that the honey's car needs a new fuel pump. We almost have enough money to pay for it, if we use his attendance bonus and all of his gas/tobacco/roof savings money for this pay period. He filled his tank before his car broke down, and the mechanic had to drain the gas tank. Boo! wasting money. Also, if he had replaced it himself the last time his car broke down, we wouldn't be talking about this right now!

The good news is that all the current bills are paid, I have a savings plan that feels ironclad, I may go test-drive an Escape tonight, and we are both over the flu. (I think.) My back is hurting less, but still not up to top speed. I thought I wanted to cut my hair short again, but apparently my subconscious doesn't want that. I dreamt last night that it was boy-short again, and then while I was brushing it I turned into a boy! So it's nice to hear input from my inner self before I do something drastic.

And our bosses aren't mad that we've had such bad attendance this year. Hooray good bosses!

(Have you seen that commercial? "BOO! Creepy foot doctor!" "Hooray beer!")

Good Grief.

Now I have the flu - the honey had it on Monday. We are NOT having a healthy year so far. Here is what's happened to us in the last month:

The honey's car has now been in the shop twice. It also died twice in the middle of traffic and was able to be restarted again.

My car has been in the shop once. Soon it will need a new CV boot and a new transmission. Hence the savings program.

I fell down the stairs. I missed a full day of work, as did the honey (I couldn't even reach up onto my bedside table for ibuprofen). Then I missed another couple hours to go to the doctor for that.

The honey stayed home Monday with the flu. It is a very particular symptom set, so when I had the same zany things happen to me this morning, I knew I'd caught this evil bug from him. Since his car's in the shop and his boss sent someone out in his place, he stayed home to take care of car stuff and he took me home from work when the plan was that he would bring me some Pepto tablets. Two didn't even touch the stomach yuck.

So please pray for us, or do whatever you do when you need help from the universe. We and our cars are not doing so hot. Please. We need your help. I know it's not major catastrophes and illnesses, but our attendance has been horrible so far this year! I've used up 2/5 of my sick days already!

Ack.

I have a very bad song stuck in my head. I don't know how it got there. And it's not bad like as in sucky music, it's bad like as in inappropriate for a polite young lady to be singing.

Working on my taxes...still need student loan interest and my W2s, but I can't wait to get them done and out of the way! Also, the form for energy improvements hasn't come out yet, and they're saying it should be out by Feb. 1st. Ack! I want these suckas done NOW!

Back still hurts, but it seems like it will be a lighter duty day at work today. Like it's ever really hard. We're still looking for a warm, cheap vacation in paradise for Christmas, and I've got my peeps on it. I'm amazed at how many travel agencies still exist! They have some good bargains. Unfortunately, the flight schedules aren't out for Christmas yet, so we can't really know how much it will cost until sometime in February. Not like we have the cash ready to go, but you know me: I like to get everything all planned out WAY ahead of time.

In that spirit and the threading theme of this post, I am off to look at cars that will be in my price range that have warranties, for when Julio kicks it. Ta!

New Profile Pic

Here is my new profile pic. Now I don't wanna hear anyone else say I look mad! I love this picture - it's about six years old. Crazy! But then when I was looking at it just now, I see that you can also see the infamous McDannell nose in this picture. When my cousin Ben was a baby, he used to use Grampa Mac's nose to regain his balance when he was standing on Grampa's lap. My nose looks like a button nose from head on, but when I turn people are like "Daaaaaaaaammmmmmnnnn!" Just kidding.

Shopping Addiction Workshop

This is what I resisted buying this morning:





I really wanted to buy $95 worth of makeup to get this train case filled with goodies, but I know I can't. I tried to think of a way, and I couldn't come up with one. Then I was going to e-mail my mom, my dad, and the honey and ask for pets for not buying it. And I realized: Sooner or later I'm going to have to do it because I know it's the best financial thing to do, not because I'll get praised for it. I need a new transmission or a new car. I am saving for that. I can't throw a bunch of money away on makeup I probably won't use to get some free stuff, especially since I could probably buy a nice train case for $30 at most. I imagined myself tossing the train case into the car and going on a glamorous trip. But if I buy this, I won't have a car to toss it into! So don't pet me, please; I didn't post about this for you to do that. I know I'm getting better.

Slamma-Jamma!

My mom stood up for herself against a bully today, my Auntie Barb chatted with me while I drove to work, my dog smells better than he has in weeks, my honey has almost cleaned the entire house and everything in it, I'm not badly damaged from my fall, my dad is supposed to have this week off work, I'm clearing off my desk and getting things done, and I opened a new account today to save for a new transmission or a new car, whichever is deemed to be the better choice. Probably won't get to go somewhere warm for Christmas, but it's important to save.

Also made some progress on the shopping addiction today. Will try to write more later.

More News!

My x-rays came back clear. My other tests looked good. The doctor says I probably just bruised the muscles, and if it starts to hurt worse again, I should call. But I will live.

Some News

We got a Christmas present in the mail on Friday: some lebkuchen and other fun stuff from Barbara! The honey ate all the lebkuchen but two - I guess he liked them...She also sent the recipe and an article about Christmas in the Amanas. For those of you not familiar, the Amana Colonies are a settlement in eastern Iowa that still carry on some of the fun traditions of their ancestors. It is a Lutheran Inspirationist settlement - looks a little like Amish, but is definitely different. They have traditional German restaurants, and there are bakeries, candy shops, a woolen mill, and a great furniture and clock store. And they are, of course, the home of Amana appliances. Can you tell that I miss Iowa? Last time I was there, we went to Amana for a little while and got some chocolates, but we were exhausted from so much catching up that we had to go take naps!

Also, Ashton Kutcher is from Homestead Amana.

I am going to the doctor today. My pain is better, but it's kind of stabby in the back and hot in the front, right on my ribs. A little scary. But I'm sure I'm fine. The C.D. gave such good advice, and we had a follow-up chat yesterday about it. She was worried that she should have told me to go directly to the ER. But I'm glad I didn't - the regular doctor is cheaper, and I don't think I could have gotten in the car to go and sit at the emergency room anyway. Yuck! I will keep you posted about my continuing old-lady injury.

This morning I was like, "I know! I'll wear my clogs!" Then I remembered that the honey threw them away. Augh!

Warm Puppy, Garden Catalog, and Sleeping In

Slept in this morning. Took a leisurely shower, hung out with the honey, and watched TV. Radar and I lounged with my Grandma Mac's ugly black afghan that makes me sooooo happy because it feels like a hug from her. I got a garden catalog in the mail, and I have a $10 gift certificate for it! Now the honey is taking a shower in preparation of a drive and a trip to Target ('cause my gift cards are burnin' a hole). I've said it before and I'll say it again: life is good. Viva weekends!

Mr. DeLeo! Where Are You?!

The honey got a meat slicer for Christmas. Yesterday he just couldn't stand to wait for the roast to cook in the crock pot, so he took it out and sliced it for sandwiches. It was good. But all we had was beef and mayo (the horseradish sauce he has just doesn't have any depth to it). It needed something. It needed provolone. And not just any provolone - it needed the kind of hard, tart provolone that I only ever tasted in one place. DeLeo's Deli in Estes Park, Colorado. (Home of the famous "Overlook" Hotel from The Shining.)














I used to go to Estes Park all the time with my friend, and we discovered Mr. DeLeo's deli in the little mall/theatre. Everything he makes is sooooo good. I learned to love prosciutto at his deli. And he has this provolone that isn't like that bland, soft stuff you get at Subway...it makes the corners of your jaw ache with its tartness. It is amazing. So I looked him up and called him, and he's going to send me some provolone. He also told me how to save the drippings from a roast for au jus or to use for Yorkshire pudding or popovers. I gave him my Apple Custard pie recipe and some great restaurants in Chicago for when his son is back at school there.

My day is definitely better now.

Ow.

Back still hurts, but it's not gonna kill me. I am wearing a truss, of sorts, to help keep my back straight because it hurts worst when I twist to the left. The house is a pit, it's rainy (but warm!) outside, and I'm feeling down in the dumps. Natural to feel that way, I suppose, but I could use a mood booster right about now. Anybody got any good news for me?

Friggnfraggngrassafrassn!

That's me grumbling as I lie here in bed like an idiot. I swear, I'm clumsier than Lucy and Ethel, Bridget Jones, Rob Petrie, and all Sandra Bullock's movie characters combined. I once sprained my ankle badly enough that the doctor recommended x-rays to make sure it wasn't broken. How, you ask? By getting up off of the classy mattress-on-the-floor to turn off the alarm clock. Fabulous.

I've also fallen off my clogs in many situations. Once when I was working at the Denny's in Boulder, I nearly dropped a huge tray full of Grand Slams onto a three-top visiting from one of the Carolinas. I also fell off my clogs one day and one of my bra straps broke. I had to work the rest of my shift feeling like Tarzan's girlfriend under my blue Oxford.

Last night I was taking the trash out to the back alley. We had just returned from a frustrating and expensive trip to the mechanic. The honey's car died in the middle of rush hour traffic on our way to the mechanic's, and my car brought nothing but ominous news. He replaced one CV boot and shaft and both rear brakes and rotors, but the other front CV boot is old and narsty, and the tranny is...well used. He said it'd probably make it for a while if I'm gentle on it, but this means that all my savings is going to have to start going to the car down-payment fund instead of the roof fund or the all-inclusive resort vacation at Christmas fund. Bummer.

So I'm takin' out the trash. After that I have to empty the dishwasher and try to get ahold of my friend Tessa to let her know that she doesn't have to give me a ride to work in the morning. (My hand signals were atrocious yesterday afternoon.) She's having all kinds of phone problems, so I have been trying to get Ryan's cell number from any of their respective family members that I could find in the White Pages. Finally, after the disaster, my honey finds Ryan's cell number in the paper bomb that is the office/bedroom. It's the wrong one, but I leave a VM anyway.

So here's what happened. I had taken out all the trash - all the boxes, all the bags, everything except one lone box from my $30 side table from the Bombay Outlet. So I grab it off the back porch and head back down the steps. WHOOP! My legs fly out from under me, my back hits the edge of one of the stairs and I hear it pop, and I fall on the ground. I can't get up - the wind's knocked out of me, and my whole torso hurts from back to front. My back muscles and abs are cramping like crazy, and I feel like I've done a million crunches. My cell phone is NOT in my coat pocket. So I start to yell for the honey. Some punks are walking down the alley, right on the other side of the fence from me, but they don't even break stride. I scream for the honey a few times, and he comes outside. I think I said, "I need help. I can't get up." He says, "Where are you?" I say, "On the ground." He comes down the stairs and feels my feet to make sure I'm not paralyzed. He asks where my one shoe is. I cried, "It came off when I fell!" The box is also lying on the ground. I can't stand - it makes me dizzy and queasy - so I crawl on hands and knees into the house, groaning and crying at the pain. It hurts worst when I twist my body left to propel myself forward. The dog comes running into the kitchen and starts kissing my face. He gets all tangled in my hair and now my glasses are covered in tears AND dog slobber. I crawl to the living room and work myself up onto the couch. I can't lay flat because that hurts my back, but when I try to arch a little my stomach cramps up and my legs shudder. My teeth are chattering because of the pain.

The honey gets me out of my coat and scarf, and then out of my brand new shirt so he can inspect me for damage. I am not broken anywhere. He puts Icy-Hot on my back and gets me a big tee shirt and some pillows. While my ibuprofen is kicking in, he goes into the kitchen to smoke a cigarette. Apparently, finding your girlfriend collapsed on the ground and saying that she heard her back crack is somewhat stressful. So I work myself into the fetal position, and then eventually sit up. It feels best to prop my back straight with my arms locked down on the couch as braces, but that makes my abs work. We work it out and I lie down on the couch with my head on the arm and a pillow under my back. The dog is allowed to come into the room. He kisses my face from the floor for a while, but then climbs onto me from down by my feet and stands mountain-goat style as he licks my face. He gets in trouble.

I call my dad's girlfriend for a second opinion and to make sure there isn't any type of back-trauma warning signs we don't know about. She seconds the honey's opinion that I won't be able to work on Thursday and says it'll probably hurt worst when I wake up in the morning. Gah! I had been hoping for a miracle recovery that would let us both go to work. The honey calls in, forfeiting his first-quarter attendance bonus, because I'm scared I'll need something during the day and no one will be here to help me. In the back of my mind, visions of firefighters breaking down our front door so EMTs can get to me are dancing through my head. Not that I'm a hypochondriac or anything - I hardly ever get badly injured, so I always think I'm dying when I do.

We did Icy-Hot, ibuprofen, pillows, and the heating pad for treatment. I had to sleep on my back. Yuck. Neither of us went to work today. It's afternoon, and I'm worried that this won't pass soon enough for me to go back to work tomorrow. This sucks! I hate it! I had stuff to do today! Grrrrr. But at least I wasn't seriously hurt. I DID, however, land in poop. Dog poop on my only winter coat, dog poop on my new jeans, dog poop on my soft leather gloves. Poop.

The honey threw out the clogs.

My Little "Sister" Is All Grown Up!

When my friend Jenny and I were little, we used to tell people that we were sisters and that we had the same name because our dad wanted a brunette Jennifer and our mom wanted a blonde Jennifer. We honestly thought grownups believed us. (I also thought my mom couldn't see me under the table if I put my head up so I couldn't see her.)

Now my little "sister" is all grown up! She got married, moved away, got a job at a great big firm, got her CPA license, and now has bought a house! I think it has lots of potential, and I bet they'll have it looking great in no time. Here are some pics:

These are from an e-mail my dad sent to me. It was called "This didn't have to happen!" but I prefer "Variations on a Theme".

Stuff I Bought, Stuff I Got

Since I don't have my camera, this isn't all of it. But it's some of the cute, funny, or gorgeous stuff. Auntie Barb, send me my camera please! I'm desperate and I'm out of extra cash to buy a new one.

Half price at my aunties' favorite Christmas store! So pretty - these phone pics don't do these things justice.

I bought this, too. So cute!



Next year's wrapping paper. Tone-on-tone coppery gold, and cream with rustic green snowflakes. Plus lots of cream and gold ribbon! And our new Orka-reminiscent tree skirt. Down to $15 from $50!




Love, strength, prosperity, and peace coasters from Sarah. On my new $30 side table for the other end of the couch!



Pretty, pretty Christmas ornaments. There are four total like this. A wonderful gift.











God, this bright pink Aruba bag makes me happy! Almost all our Christmas presents fit into it. Can't wait to go to the beach! Or shopping some day with this huge thing!







From my aunt's best friend. Even prettier in person!




My "cousins", the dogs, think I'm a drama queen. They were forgiven for this gift as soon as I opened my girly ornaments.







Yummy! But I'm not sure I like the implication of all these messages...

Lots more wonderful stuff, but I'm too cheap to e-mail it all to myself from my phone. I'm trying to be good!

On Resolutions

Happy 2007! We had a great time at our friends' house last night. Everyone was laughing, chatting, and drinking. Except me - I was just laughing and chatting. It's good to be the sober driver when you like the friends regardless of your state of being.

I was just looking at MSN.com, and there are a bunch of articles about New Year's Resolutions. Now, I have never really been a resolution person myself. But I started feeling like a weirdo that I wasn't making any resolutions this year, because it seems like everyone else is. I was thinking, though - I almost never make New Year's resolutions. And I'm already naturally doing the one that I think is really important - living in the moment. Last night, as we were all hanging out and having a good time, I wasn't thinking about getting home. I was just having fun being where I was. That's something I have always had a hard time with. Either I'm idealizing the past, or busily planning the future. With the house, that's what used to help me not get so discouraged that I wanted to just sell it for scrap and move back into an apartment. But now I don't need to do that - I know it will get fixed up, and it will get fixed right. So I can just enjoy it the way it is, unfinished floors and all.

I have always found that inspiration strikes but cannot be forced. I think it's the same way with changing your outlook on life - it just happens when you need it to happen, and forcing yourself to try to think up ways to be better isn't necessarily the route to personal success, no matter how proactive it makes you feel. Enjoy today, and let your thoughts and your future path just wash over you and point you in your right direction.