I suppose I should mention a few of the special moments of 2008. I guess it would be fitting.
1. Skiing Snowbird with beautiful sun, empty slopes, and just one of the best days of skiing ever. The day it was snowing really hard at Canyons when we were with Nora, James, and Sidney also was incredible fun.
2. California visit is always good, but I really liked it when Jake kept calling Mike "That Guy".
3. Getting swarmed by black flies in the Adirondacks. The hiking and mountain biking were good, but what a time for me to get a flat!
4. Watching Michael Phelps win his eighth gold medal in Bejing while in a packed bar in Newport with the whole place cheering for a swim event (as if it was the super bowl).
5. Jumping off the platforms with Mike and Pat in Beaverton. It has been years since I did that!
6. Camping at Mirror Lake with Pat, Lhes, and Joshua. "Who wants to go down to the lake and sing?" turned into, "I do not like camping". Excellent planetarium sky that night too.
7. Climbing the south sister, because it was worth the pain.
8. Jim's whirlwind graduation and state track meet. Whoah!
9. Kowloon's and hanging with the Colemans in general. Always a good time!
10. Baby W
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
In a New York state of mind
Today I met Mike at his new office in the city, and we wandered around midtown amidst the holiday bustle of the city. We bounced around the crowds at Rockefeller Center, wandered into the Waldorf-Astoria,looked at the fancy window displays (Saks featured a snowflake named "Mike"), wandered around the NY public library, and hung out in Bryant Park for a spell. The city is always festive for the holidays. Mike taught me how to get to the train from his office in less than 5 minutes. Everything was a zoo (including Grand Central-go figure!). The Christmas tree was really cool in the public library. I took some close up shots, but the tree was full of birds of all variety everywhere you looked.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Back from Beantown
Mike and I spent the last couple of days with Ann and Kevin and his family in Peabody. It was fun to see everyone, and everyone had fun with all the steamers and lobsters yesterday (except me, but I do not want to push it!).
Thursday, December 25, 2008
The Namesake
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Yanet ist gerfallen...
I had a moment of clumsiness today. They say when you are pregnant that you get clumsy, but being naturally clumsy I am not sure if this was business as usual. I was walking down the steps of my last client's house, and I slipped. I just landed and slid down a step on my arse. I was not hurt at all, but it was loud and embarrassing.
I was hyper this weekend. I was able to stay up past 10:30, and was going strong on 8 hours of sleep. I keep thinking that my energy level is bouncing back. I was hyper yesterday. The crash occured last night when I slept 10 hours and overslept. Thank God my 9 o'clock patient had cancelled!
I was hyper this weekend. I was able to stay up past 10:30, and was going strong on 8 hours of sleep. I keep thinking that my energy level is bouncing back. I was hyper yesterday. The crash occured last night when I slept 10 hours and overslept. Thank God my 9 o'clock patient had cancelled!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Weekend Part 2
Well, we got another ski in this AM. This time at Rockefeller. It went well, so I can cross country ski for the time being (although the snow is about to melt).
Mike and I were discussing Baby W's possible future talents. Then it occured to us that Baby W could inherit our worst traits. This is what we would get.
A kid with poor balance and eyesight, goofy joints, lacking rhythm and memory, poor guitar skills, can't swim, can't run, can't get tan. If it is a girl, she will get Mike's beefy legs. The boy would get my goofy Caraher build.
Mike and I were discussing Baby W's possible future talents. Then it occured to us that Baby W could inherit our worst traits. This is what we would get.
A kid with poor balance and eyesight, goofy joints, lacking rhythm and memory, poor guitar skills, can't swim, can't run, can't get tan. If it is a girl, she will get Mike's beefy legs. The boy would get my goofy Caraher build.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Winter Wonderland
It's beginning to look a lot like......
Well, we got about 8-10 inches out here yesterday. There is more on the way tommorrow, but they think it will turn to rain eventually. Last night we went to see Aimee Mann's Christmas show in Tarrytown. It was pretty silly, but it was good to get out of the house. Mike has been really bored since I am so lifeless at night. When the music got loud, baby W started spazzing out. So I am sure that baby W can hear. You know it is your generation when they did covers of the Grinch and Heat Miser/Cold Miser.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Fridays
Well it is officially a snow day. All the schools are closed, but a flake has not touched the ground yet. It really sounds like we are getting slammed though. Mike and I have tickets to Aimee Mann tonight, so hopefully it is not a nightmare getting to the show.
Last night was our last guitar class. Actually the last class was last week, but our teacher told us to come on down(because he was not doing anything). We definately got our money's worth in that class. It is supposed to be an hour, but he always runs over for 15-20 minutes. That extra time about kills me since I am not too good at night, but it is fun nonetheless. He is a fun teacher, and we are improving. I need to practice more though. We are debating about the next round of classes. They start in February, and it is OK if we do not finish them as far as I am concerned. Then Mike brought up the point it may be hard for me to play with my belly out to my feet. That could really be amusing eh? This is the first class we have had that was intermediate and everyone had about the same amount of skill. That is really cool since other times we took intermediate the skill range was all over the map.
Otherwise, I guess I should clean up this joint, organize our financial info (getting ready for mortgage!), and get a workout in before it gets too messy out there. Mike was saying it was the worst kind of storm where you show up to work, and it is impossible to get home. I advised him to bring his rubbbers along. Do you remember rubbers? He said they were selling them at Grand Central along with the umbrellas, etc. The trains should be OK. That is much better then driving in the storms. I only have to go 2 miles to get him (although 2 miles in White Plains can be annoying!).
Last night was our last guitar class. Actually the last class was last week, but our teacher told us to come on down(because he was not doing anything). We definately got our money's worth in that class. It is supposed to be an hour, but he always runs over for 15-20 minutes. That extra time about kills me since I am not too good at night, but it is fun nonetheless. He is a fun teacher, and we are improving. I need to practice more though. We are debating about the next round of classes. They start in February, and it is OK if we do not finish them as far as I am concerned. Then Mike brought up the point it may be hard for me to play with my belly out to my feet. That could really be amusing eh? This is the first class we have had that was intermediate and everyone had about the same amount of skill. That is really cool since other times we took intermediate the skill range was all over the map.
Otherwise, I guess I should clean up this joint, organize our financial info (getting ready for mortgage!), and get a workout in before it gets too messy out there. Mike was saying it was the worst kind of storm where you show up to work, and it is impossible to get home. I advised him to bring his rubbbers along. Do you remember rubbers? He said they were selling them at Grand Central along with the umbrellas, etc. The trains should be OK. That is much better then driving in the storms. I only have to go 2 miles to get him (although 2 miles in White Plains can be annoying!).
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Snow Day
Here is the first of my 2 predicted snowfalls tommorrow. 6-12 inches! The first real storm in 2 years and I am not supposed to ski. Maybe I could try to do north county trail since it is flat.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Heroes
1. Been lazy about commenting on Heroes lately. I tend to fall asleep as soon as it is over.
2. That was not the last of Siler I am sure.
3. How predictable was Claire and Noah Bennett running from the fireball?
4. Where the hell did Peter get a vial?
5. Mohinder should have been dead 10 times over. They need to off his stupid arse.
6. Does Angela Petrelli have powers too?
2. That was not the last of Siler I am sure.
3. How predictable was Claire and Noah Bennett running from the fireball?
4. Where the hell did Peter get a vial?
5. Mohinder should have been dead 10 times over. They need to off his stupid arse.
6. Does Angela Petrelli have powers too?
Saving Face
I keep getting invited to join Facebook, but I could not see the point. Now I got a more convincing invitation from Alissa. She said there were a ton of our teammates from college on there. So it may be time to get on there, especially since I will soon be spending more time at home.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
odds and ends
Things have been quiet around here. Christmas shopping was over last weekend for the first time ever. I was not feeling well, so we decided to get our shopping done. Mike and I are not doing gifts for each other this year since we are about to embark on massive spending. We never really do Christmas gifts in a big way anyways. It always turns out that I get something during the year that is expensive, and I decide it will be my Christmas and Birthday present.
We did go to Toys R Us last night, because we decided to buy toys for a drive at the Y. It was one of those where you pick an ornament off the tree and buy a toy for a kid. I took the 3 year-old girl, and Mike picked the 8 year-old boy. I waited for him to shop since I had the feeling that he wanted to pick out the present himself. He took a long time deciding what to get for his kid. His analysis was thoughtful though. He got some Star Wars Lego sets, but needed to make sure that he got both good guys and bad to battle it out. I would not have thought of that. I made a comment that he would have a lot of fun if we had a boy, and he said he was willing to play Barbies too. So I was glad that I waited.
The baby is very Caraher. I realized last night both my parents are morning people, and Mike's are night owls. The last couple of days I have been getting up due to spastic kicking and other martial arts moves that peak from 5:30-7:30.
This was the first week that Mike commuted to the city for his job. It was a mostly dark and super rainy week. We had a Nor'easter roll through Wed-Fri morning. He is sad that he has to get up and hour earlier. He got stuck on the train Wed night due to a signal problem and missed his eye appointment. We also have to battle the daily annoying traffic through White Plains to the train station. White Plains is a confusing place to drive when you do not know your way around. So as a result, our route is cluttered with indecisive drivers pulling crazy maneuvers. We live near the mall, and most people doing there do not know their way at all. There are a bunch of spots along the route where people are always parking in traffic lanes. It drives me frickin' crazy. You can get a ticket driving around for nothing, and God forbid you go over one minute on your meter there, but go ahead and block a major lane of traffic while you sit on your cell phone in the car jackass! I do not get it. One of the major areas for this is right near the train station, but Mike thinks since it is right in front of a church they will not harass the God fearing jackasses who park under signs that say, "No Parking Anytime". Phewwww!!! I think Mike is more tempted to buy the house where he can walk to the train in Harrison.
We did go to Toys R Us last night, because we decided to buy toys for a drive at the Y. It was one of those where you pick an ornament off the tree and buy a toy for a kid. I took the 3 year-old girl, and Mike picked the 8 year-old boy. I waited for him to shop since I had the feeling that he wanted to pick out the present himself. He took a long time deciding what to get for his kid. His analysis was thoughtful though. He got some Star Wars Lego sets, but needed to make sure that he got both good guys and bad to battle it out. I would not have thought of that. I made a comment that he would have a lot of fun if we had a boy, and he said he was willing to play Barbies too. So I was glad that I waited.
The baby is very Caraher. I realized last night both my parents are morning people, and Mike's are night owls. The last couple of days I have been getting up due to spastic kicking and other martial arts moves that peak from 5:30-7:30.
This was the first week that Mike commuted to the city for his job. It was a mostly dark and super rainy week. We had a Nor'easter roll through Wed-Fri morning. He is sad that he has to get up and hour earlier. He got stuck on the train Wed night due to a signal problem and missed his eye appointment. We also have to battle the daily annoying traffic through White Plains to the train station. White Plains is a confusing place to drive when you do not know your way around. So as a result, our route is cluttered with indecisive drivers pulling crazy maneuvers. We live near the mall, and most people doing there do not know their way at all. There are a bunch of spots along the route where people are always parking in traffic lanes. It drives me frickin' crazy. You can get a ticket driving around for nothing, and God forbid you go over one minute on your meter there, but go ahead and block a major lane of traffic while you sit on your cell phone in the car jackass! I do not get it. One of the major areas for this is right near the train station, but Mike thinks since it is right in front of a church they will not harass the God fearing jackasses who park under signs that say, "No Parking Anytime". Phewwww!!! I think Mike is more tempted to buy the house where he can walk to the train in Harrison.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
The Evidence Gap - The Pain May Be Real, but the Scan Is Deceiving - NYTimes.com
The Evidence Gap - The Pain May Be Real, but the Scan Is Deceiving - NYTimes.com I knew about the back findings already from back in my ortho days, but it is a good article for everyone to know.
Monday, December 08, 2008
Crystal Belly
So far, the majority of people who feel compelled to tell me the sex of Baby W have nearly all (I think one said boy) told me I am having a girl. I do not know why.
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Get me a Chicken, bah baw!
I tried to get the article up here, but it was not in the online version of the Times for some reason. Anyways, I guess it is getting fashionable in some of the suburbs north of us to get some chickens (roosters are not allowed in the zoning). So suburban livestock is getting the green light. I wonder if Mike can get the Alpacas that he dreamed of? Maybe if we decided to move to Bedford.
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Bodysnatchers
Of course I am fighting a cold as we speak, 'tis the season.
Thanksgiving was a fun time. We got out to Detroit and made some rounds. I felt as if I gained a ton of weight from the eating and sitting, and my suspicions were confirmed at my doctor's appointment yesterday. I had my record one month weight gain of 10 friggin' pounds! I can not blame it on swollen ankles. Here's to doctor's appointments following lazy and long holidays eh? At least my blood pressure and sugars were normal. When we watch NCAA football, Mike likes to comment when he is the same height and weight of the Div 1 players. Soon I will be joining him. He still has a few pounds on me. So it is time to get disciplined again. My stomach has expanded quite a bit as of late, but Mike pointed out that I have a long way to go. I can easily see my toes after all. It is just amazing that your body can morph so quickly into something else without splitting your skin and incredible pain. The wonders of nature.
I went to my work party on Thurs night (probably also did not help my weigh in). I am rethinking my delusion of working until March 30 after talking to my other therapist friends. Although I do like to support my delusions (they are delusions after all).
I am not going to deliver at the five-star hospital. The info I got from my doctor originally said she was affiliated with Greenwich, but she is not anymore. I know people who said they liked White Plains, so there I go. I really like the doctors in the practice I go to now, and that is the most important. So no candlelight dinner the night before with the surf n' turf. It is just as well since I am sure I will not be able (or in the mood) to eat anyways. It also lessens the chance of pooping on the table.
So sorry about the lack of posts, and I think I need to make some soup now!
Thanksgiving was a fun time. We got out to Detroit and made some rounds. I felt as if I gained a ton of weight from the eating and sitting, and my suspicions were confirmed at my doctor's appointment yesterday. I had my record one month weight gain of 10 friggin' pounds! I can not blame it on swollen ankles. Here's to doctor's appointments following lazy and long holidays eh? At least my blood pressure and sugars were normal. When we watch NCAA football, Mike likes to comment when he is the same height and weight of the Div 1 players. Soon I will be joining him. He still has a few pounds on me. So it is time to get disciplined again. My stomach has expanded quite a bit as of late, but Mike pointed out that I have a long way to go. I can easily see my toes after all. It is just amazing that your body can morph so quickly into something else without splitting your skin and incredible pain. The wonders of nature.
I went to my work party on Thurs night (probably also did not help my weigh in). I am rethinking my delusion of working until March 30 after talking to my other therapist friends. Although I do like to support my delusions (they are delusions after all).
I am not going to deliver at the five-star hospital. The info I got from my doctor originally said she was affiliated with Greenwich, but she is not anymore. I know people who said they liked White Plains, so there I go. I really like the doctors in the practice I go to now, and that is the most important. So no candlelight dinner the night before with the surf n' turf. It is just as well since I am sure I will not be able (or in the mood) to eat anyways. It also lessens the chance of pooping on the table.
So sorry about the lack of posts, and I think I need to make some soup now!
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
prehistoric
I bought some cheese yesterday, and the label said it was "cave aged". What makes aging it in a cave so special anyways?
Friday, November 21, 2008
Medium
When I have macaroni and cottage cheese for lunch while washing it down with Apricot nectar, and I channeling Grandma?
Human Kindness
It is interesting how nice everyone is to me right now. I better not get used to it since it will not last forever.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
It's a ...............
Monday, November 17, 2008
Mike and the Mechanics
Well, tonight the car is fixed. The total car repair took about 2 weeks with intensive work last weekend, a little work this weekend and a couple of hours after work. We saved some cash so it is good that Mike has some skillz when it comes to engines at least.
I originally suspected that the gas was bad since the car immediately acted up after I filled the gas tank. It was idling rough and almost stalling at lights. So we figured that was the first most likely event, but we knew it could also be a coincidence.
The other weekend, Mike spent hours in the rain trying to siphon some of the gas. I filled it with 14 gallons. You never realize how huge a gas tank is until you realize the largest gas cans hold 5 gallons. They are pretty damn big. Of course that ended up being really complicated. You can not simply put it in where you fill up and suck it out. He had to take the wheel off and get to the tank some other way. Then he could not get my tire back on since for some reason my shocks relaxed a bit on the jack. Nothing was simple.
Then Mike bought an engine code thingy. Mike knew back from his Ford days how to do this stuff. It was saying one of the sensors was bad. We went all over Westchester to get the right sensor, and after we replaced it the car was still messed up. Then he decided it must be the EGR valve. We had to order it, and that took a few days. Mike brought it home Sat night and soon realized it was wrong. So he made a trip to the store yesterday and spent time with the guys there figuring out how to get it right. He kept taking the valve out to take with him to the store. We also did some pretty unscientific testing to determine if the valve was screwed up (Mike called it the suck and blow test). So the moment of truth....
Tonight we picked up the valve, and it looked just like our valve! He put it in (he is an expert by now on that part!), and it appears the car is working again. Hooray!
So Mike may have another career to fall back on if this finance stuff does not work out. I am sure he would not have to commute to the city either! Now I have to clean out all of my crap out of his car. My car is like a crazy rolling toy chest!
Mike asked me a weird question when he got home tonight. He asked if his car was running OK today (we swapped cars since I have to make a lot of stops all day). He then told me he filled the car last night from the gas he siphoned out of my car. So I think my gas will not go to waste! I love how he did not tell me about it! I would have been freaking out about his car, and he could have said, "Oh yeah, I put some of that bad gas into it last night".
I originally suspected that the gas was bad since the car immediately acted up after I filled the gas tank. It was idling rough and almost stalling at lights. So we figured that was the first most likely event, but we knew it could also be a coincidence.
The other weekend, Mike spent hours in the rain trying to siphon some of the gas. I filled it with 14 gallons. You never realize how huge a gas tank is until you realize the largest gas cans hold 5 gallons. They are pretty damn big. Of course that ended up being really complicated. You can not simply put it in where you fill up and suck it out. He had to take the wheel off and get to the tank some other way. Then he could not get my tire back on since for some reason my shocks relaxed a bit on the jack. Nothing was simple.
Then Mike bought an engine code thingy. Mike knew back from his Ford days how to do this stuff. It was saying one of the sensors was bad. We went all over Westchester to get the right sensor, and after we replaced it the car was still messed up. Then he decided it must be the EGR valve. We had to order it, and that took a few days. Mike brought it home Sat night and soon realized it was wrong. So he made a trip to the store yesterday and spent time with the guys there figuring out how to get it right. He kept taking the valve out to take with him to the store. We also did some pretty unscientific testing to determine if the valve was screwed up (Mike called it the suck and blow test). So the moment of truth....
Tonight we picked up the valve, and it looked just like our valve! He put it in (he is an expert by now on that part!), and it appears the car is working again. Hooray!
So Mike may have another career to fall back on if this finance stuff does not work out. I am sure he would not have to commute to the city either! Now I have to clean out all of my crap out of his car. My car is like a crazy rolling toy chest!
Mike asked me a weird question when he got home tonight. He asked if his car was running OK today (we swapped cars since I have to make a lot of stops all day). He then told me he filled the car last night from the gas he siphoned out of my car. So I think my gas will not go to waste! I love how he did not tell me about it! I would have been freaking out about his car, and he could have said, "Oh yeah, I put some of that bad gas into it last night".
Sunday, November 16, 2008
I be growin'
I have been in a little denial about my expanding shape. I wear a lot of low rise jeans and yoga pants paired with Old Navy long shirts. No maternity clothes for me so far. I went to dinner last night, and I discovered that I do not fit well in some of my clothes. They fit but either the shirts get too short or look weird. My biggest issue is finding a suit that will fit me in a few months. I have been searching around for a solution. Everyone told me just buy bigger speedos, but that is easier said than done. I am running out of sizes already. The only maternity suits they have are not suitable for actually swimming (even the ones that Speedo makes!). I even found a discussion thread from some triathletes complaining about it. A lot suggested tankinis, but I do not want to offend other Y members with my big ole', super white belly.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Relocation
Last night Mike told me a house down the street was for sale. He planned on going for a late night walk to find out which one. Turns out it is across the street and over 2 houses on the ravine. It is one of the houses that I wanted to go on the market actually. So we will be at the open house this weekend, and this could result in the world's easiest move. Who needs a truck since it is all downhill.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
And now for something completely different.....
I was oddly reassured this weekend. Mike and I were at an open house, and the owner started chatting Mike up. I was touring the house, and he disappeared. He was talking to some lady, but it turned out to be the owner. Mike likes to give me a hard time about how often I change topics when I speak. Well, we met the champion this weekend, and it was not me!
Re-productive
My energy level is really sapped. I have to get 9 hours of sleep or I am a wreck. I feel really good otherwise. I am good for nothing at night, and Mike has had a lot of time to himself to surf the internet and watch stuff on TV that I do not like! As a result, I have been fairly productive when I am awake after work since I know my hours are numbered! I feel good in the AM which does not jive with Mike.
I continue to entertain my current delusions:
1. The next 22 weeks will be just like it has been for the last 2-3 weeks, just bigger.
2. I will work until the bitter end.
3. I will work out a plan with Mike covering until 2 AM, and I get the wee hours so we both get some sleep. Sounds really good on paper!
I continue to entertain my current delusions:
1. The next 22 weeks will be just like it has been for the last 2-3 weeks, just bigger.
2. I will work until the bitter end.
3. I will work out a plan with Mike covering until 2 AM, and I get the wee hours so we both get some sleep. Sounds really good on paper!
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Spartans' progress isn't award worthy | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press
Spartans' progress isn't award worthy | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press
One of the dumbest articles I have read in a while. As a long suffering Spartan it is nice to have a winning season for once, even though it was ugly at times.
One of the dumbest articles I have read in a while. As a long suffering Spartan it is nice to have a winning season for once, even though it was ugly at times.
Skype?
Anyone have Skype out there? We are thinking about signing up, but we wanted to know if anyone else was out there doing it.
Bad Carma
My car is getting a beating lately. First it was my ding that nobody fessed up to doing, now I am afraid my engine got damaged by a tank of bad gas. I filled up my car on Thursday, and immediately the car was running rough on idle and almost stalling out when I had to stop. Mike spent the day yesterday siphoning out about 11 gallons out of my tank with the hope that we could fill it and get a better mix of gas going. Hopefully it was just water in there. Today he is reading diagnostic codes to see what is going on with the engine. Just the thing we need to be worrying about right now!
Monday, November 03, 2008
Nursery Rhymes
Mike's mom wrote out a German nursery rhyme last night since I thought I could use it this week with one of my kiddos. She wrote out the first 4 lines, but I looked up the whole thing on line. I am pretty good with the first 2 lines, but I get a little fuzzy on 3-4. It is about a baker making good cake (and what you need to bake it).
Bakke, bakke, Kuchen,
Der Bäkker hat gerufen!
Wer will gute Kuchen bakken,
Der muß haben sieben Sachen:
Eier und Schmalz,
Butter und Salz,
Milch und Mehl,
Safran macht den Kuchen gelh:
Schieb in den Ofen rein.
Bakke, bakke, Kuchen,
Der Bäkker hat gerufen!
Wer will gute Kuchen bakken,
Der muß haben sieben Sachen:
Eier und Schmalz,
Butter und Salz,
Milch und Mehl,
Safran macht den Kuchen gelh:
Schieb in den Ofen rein.
We butter the bread with butter - Alle meine Entchen
Here is another German nursery rhyme we found on Youtube. I think Pat may approve of this one.
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Bring me a bucket...
Sorry I have been so bad about posting. Hopefully I will find some time and energy to put something up her once in a while.
I started coming down with a cold on Thurs night, and I was off yesterday. I had to stick close to home anyways since I had to do a 24 hour urine collection. Since I had to collect it all day, doing home care and working in a school is not ideal (especially since I had to keep my output in the fridge). Could you imagine that request? They give you this big ole' container and you have to pee in it for 24 hours. This now becomes more challenging since I am now making nighttime runs to the bathroom. You can not sit and go into this container, so I had to go nearly like a man. I started to wonder how full I would get the container, and if the lab personnel would be appalled at my output. Mike asked to borrow the container to see if he could beat my output. I was happy to just go normally when it was done. When I went to the lab this AM, I had to put the container in a big ole' biohazard bag. On the check in counter there is a tray for specimins, but I figured that they really did not want me to leave it there! So hopefully I do not have to repeat that experience. I bet they just take out a syring and draw out 5 ccs of it.
The spartan game was fun today. They just make me too damn nervous. The showed the swimmers practicing outside at the IM west during the game which was a blast from the past. I got some MSU swag for the future Spartan from Anita last weekend when we went to watch the UM-MSU game with them. Out of fairness for Mike, there was UM swag too, but I do not plan on using the outfits. So if you see UM gear on the little one, Mike was responsible.
I started coming down with a cold on Thurs night, and I was off yesterday. I had to stick close to home anyways since I had to do a 24 hour urine collection. Since I had to collect it all day, doing home care and working in a school is not ideal (especially since I had to keep my output in the fridge). Could you imagine that request? They give you this big ole' container and you have to pee in it for 24 hours. This now becomes more challenging since I am now making nighttime runs to the bathroom. You can not sit and go into this container, so I had to go nearly like a man. I started to wonder how full I would get the container, and if the lab personnel would be appalled at my output. Mike asked to borrow the container to see if he could beat my output. I was happy to just go normally when it was done. When I went to the lab this AM, I had to put the container in a big ole' biohazard bag. On the check in counter there is a tray for specimins, but I figured that they really did not want me to leave it there! So hopefully I do not have to repeat that experience. I bet they just take out a syring and draw out 5 ccs of it.
The spartan game was fun today. They just make me too damn nervous. The showed the swimmers practicing outside at the IM west during the game which was a blast from the past. I got some MSU swag for the future Spartan from Anita last weekend when we went to watch the UM-MSU game with them. Out of fairness for Mike, there was UM swag too, but I do not plan on using the outfits. So if you see UM gear on the little one, Mike was responsible.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Prediction
I am convinced we will have the snowiest winter in recent memory since I will not be able to ski. The snow is starting already! Mike actually mentioned it last night, but he did not want to tell me what he was thinking. Believe me, the thought has occured to me.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Bleedin' Gums W
Good Lord, some of these symptoms are so friggin' weird. I read about the bleedin' gums, and it started today! So now you can call me a gaggin', bleedin' gums, trainwreck!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Some important research.....
Popular New York Baby Names, 2007 - City Room Blog - NYTimes.com
I suppose I should find out what is cool around these parts!
I suppose I should find out what is cool around these parts!
RastaMike
Mike has never liked reggae. Our guitar teacher has us working on Bob Marley's Redemption Song, and he is digging some reggae for the first time.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Heroes
1. I knew Hiro could not kill Ando.
2. So I guess Adam is no more?
3. I thought the speedster would save Nathan and the Nikki look alike.
4. Mr. Petrelli is quite a bad ass.
5. How come Nathan did not heal his mother? He saved Nathan's ass a bunch of times.
2. So I guess Adam is no more?
3. I thought the speedster would save Nathan and the Nikki look alike.
4. Mr. Petrelli is quite a bad ass.
5. How come Nathan did not heal his mother? He saved Nathan's ass a bunch of times.
Friday, October 17, 2008
A new quest
Flying squirrel experience remains vivid | lohud.com | The Journal News
I need to see one of these now.
I need to see one of these now.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Heroes
1. Sounds like Deja-vu when they are trying to stop things from blowing up again.
2. KC was right about the Mohinder turning into the fly (or something close).
3. I am confused about Hiro. I thought the speedster and the Haitian got his half of the formula.
4. What happened to Nathan's original wife?
5. Is present Peter going to screw everything up?
6. Why did'nt they bring the Haitian when they rounded up Peter? They could have prevented Siler's explosion.
2. KC was right about the Mohinder turning into the fly (or something close).
3. I am confused about Hiro. I thought the speedster and the Haitian got his half of the formula.
4. What happened to Nathan's original wife?
5. Is present Peter going to screw everything up?
6. Why did'nt they bring the Haitian when they rounded up Peter? They could have prevented Siler's explosion.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
This is news?
Mandarich admits steroid use in TV interview - NYTimes.com
I used to see him in the training room, and he was disturbingly and freakishly big.
I used to see him in the training room, and he was disturbingly and freakishly big.
Monday, September 29, 2008
You heard it here first
Mike would make a brilliant political strategist. We were talking about how there was an initial Sarah Palin love in, but things are not looking too hot anymore. I have held back on my politics here :)
If she proves to be too much of a liability, Mike thinks she will "resign" for family reasons close to the election. Then the republicans will bring in somebody else close to the election. Then at election time the new candidate will have a lot of love and excitement. There will not be the time to pick them apart. My replacement pick is Bobby Jindahl from Louisiana. So you heard it here first!
If she proves to be too much of a liability, Mike thinks she will "resign" for family reasons close to the election. Then the republicans will bring in somebody else close to the election. Then at election time the new candidate will have a lot of love and excitement. There will not be the time to pick them apart. My replacement pick is Bobby Jindahl from Louisiana. So you heard it here first!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
PC
Last night, we went to see Paula Cole at a little theater in Mamaroneck. The place was really tiny, and we were about 10 feet from the stage. She was as amazing as I remembered. I guess she has been out of the biz for about 8 years, so it is a comeback of sorts. It was an acoustic show which was really fun too. We got to watch the guitarist do his thing. It is funny that I love her live, but her albums are not among my favorites. She is still one angry chick! I forgot that she can beat-box.
I just love shows at tiny venues!
I just love shows at tiny venues!
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Pixillate This!
This morning, Mike and I were watching a Dirty Jobs (Best of Animals). Most of the animal jobs involved artificial insemination. One of the other random jobs was a dog groomer. When they were grooming the dogs, they blurred the genitals (including the anus). Like how offensive is it to see a dog's anus? I am sure everyone has seen them and can handle it without calling the FCC. Then they moved on to the horses. They blurred the horse penis, but they provided a clear shot of the mare's equipment. Why was it OK to see the mare's equipment, but the stud's stuff was blurred? I think she was exploited!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
The sky is falling!!!
This financial crisis has meant long days in the office for Mike.
The situation is scary enough that we moved a large amount of cash out of a money market account with a good rating. If the money market blows up, it is not insured by the FDIC, so we decided to move it into our bank account (It is a substantial part of our down payment for our house. He figures if there is a run on the bank, he wants to be the first in line! Good ratings are just not enough anymore with all of the big firms jumping into the real estate debacle. I just do not know what to think about it.
On the one hand, the companies went wild with risky and sketchy investments. Why should we have to bail them out for their indiscretion?
On the other hand, it would be catastrophic for the US economy.
So I do not know what the answer really is, but hopefully it can work itself out.
Now for something completely different!
I dreamed that I went back to the old house on Beverly, and the people living there let me in. It was partially renovated, so some original stuff that we had was there (kitchen), but other parts were different. The house had sections with cathedral ceilings (family room), and the upstairs was huge. I was suprised that they kept it partially the way we had it.
The situation is scary enough that we moved a large amount of cash out of a money market account with a good rating. If the money market blows up, it is not insured by the FDIC, so we decided to move it into our bank account (It is a substantial part of our down payment for our house. He figures if there is a run on the bank, he wants to be the first in line! Good ratings are just not enough anymore with all of the big firms jumping into the real estate debacle. I just do not know what to think about it.
On the one hand, the companies went wild with risky and sketchy investments. Why should we have to bail them out for their indiscretion?
On the other hand, it would be catastrophic for the US economy.
So I do not know what the answer really is, but hopefully it can work itself out.
Now for something completely different!
I dreamed that I went back to the old house on Beverly, and the people living there let me in. It was partially renovated, so some original stuff that we had was there (kitchen), but other parts were different. The house had sections with cathedral ceilings (family room), and the upstairs was huge. I was suprised that they kept it partially the way we had it.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
TV Party Tonight!
Mike and I decided all we are going to do this week is lie around and watch TV. I can not believe Heroes went on for 2 hours last night. The jury is out if the show is back to original form.
1. Is future Peter evil and present Peter good?
2. Mohinder is still a dumbass.
3. So is Hiro
4. How come Mr. Bennett walked out of Elle's power surge if it got Siler?
5. Is it me or is every dead character back? I thought the crying girl was offed.
1. Is future Peter evil and present Peter good?
2. Mohinder is still a dumbass.
3. So is Hiro
4. How come Mr. Bennett walked out of Elle's power surge if it got Siler?
5. Is it me or is every dead character back? I thought the crying girl was offed.
Monday, September 22, 2008
For the community
This weekend, Mike and I volunteered at a local triathlon. We put in a couple of hours on Sat, and yesterday we put in about 51/2 hours. Mike was on the bike transition, and I was assigned to the finish line. The event had 1,100 people entered, so it was not trivial. We both did not want to do body marking. My only concern about the finish line is that the crew often removes the timing chips from people's ankles. Before I bought my own soft strap, the velcro would always leave me bleeding. I packed some latex gloves with me in case I ended up with that duty. I think they reuse the straps, and that is pretty gross.
It is funny when you are wearing a crew T shirt. People assume you have all the magical answers. Mike got a lot of requests for directions to the city. Some of these questions are not a problem. Many others were not answerable. Here are some samples:
1. What is the average run time?
2. Has number 1288 finished?
3. How many people have finished so far?
4. (A woman who arrived to the bikes 20 minutes after race start)Where is body marking?
I reported to my station, and I was assigned to be the backup timer. I was stressed about that, because it was a ton of responsibility. I just wanted light responsibility. I suppose it may be that I was one of the only adults on the finish line team. So my job was to write numbers and the time as finishers came in case the champion chips did not work. While waiting for the pros to finish, so uptight dude ran through the finish gates and told me, "There is some gravel when you are running up to the town park. It may be a safety issue." To be honest, I did not see any bloodied finishers so I think it was fine. What did he want me to do honestly? All I have to say is that thankfully they did not need many of my back up times. Many finishers were wearing their numbers backwards, or the numbers would flip up and you can not read them. Another lady helped me by calling numbers so I could write them without having to look up too much. There would be big groups of people finishing simultaneously, and that is pretty impossible to get them all down. Then they gave us 2 numbers to look out for since the competitors lost their chips. Somehow I manage to see them both and give them times. I only saw the one man since his kids ran the last 100 feet with him and had his number written on their shirts too. So it was fun despite the stress!
It is funny when you are wearing a crew T shirt. People assume you have all the magical answers. Mike got a lot of requests for directions to the city. Some of these questions are not a problem. Many others were not answerable. Here are some samples:
1. What is the average run time?
2. Has number 1288 finished?
3. How many people have finished so far?
4. (A woman who arrived to the bikes 20 minutes after race start)Where is body marking?
I reported to my station, and I was assigned to be the backup timer. I was stressed about that, because it was a ton of responsibility. I just wanted light responsibility. I suppose it may be that I was one of the only adults on the finish line team. So my job was to write numbers and the time as finishers came in case the champion chips did not work. While waiting for the pros to finish, so uptight dude ran through the finish gates and told me, "There is some gravel when you are running up to the town park. It may be a safety issue." To be honest, I did not see any bloodied finishers so I think it was fine. What did he want me to do honestly? All I have to say is that thankfully they did not need many of my back up times. Many finishers were wearing their numbers backwards, or the numbers would flip up and you can not read them. Another lady helped me by calling numbers so I could write them without having to look up too much. There would be big groups of people finishing simultaneously, and that is pretty impossible to get them all down. Then they gave us 2 numbers to look out for since the competitors lost their chips. Somehow I manage to see them both and give them times. I only saw the one man since his kids ran the last 100 feet with him and had his number written on their shirts too. So it was fun despite the stress!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Near New York Harbor, the Song of Whales - NYTimes.com
Near New York Harbor, the Song of Whales - NYTimes.com
I think I will get alarmed when something really large bumps into me at Jones Beach! This may also explain Mike's reluctance to do swims or triathlons in that area (besides sharks).
I think I will get alarmed when something really large bumps into me at Jones Beach! This may also explain Mike's reluctance to do swims or triathlons in that area (besides sharks).
Friday, September 19, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Dream analysis
Last night, I had 2 weird dreams that I remembered. One was a an early dream where I was a member of the US basketball team. We were playing in a game for the Olympics, and I was running an offensive pattern with the team. I was wide open, but nobody would pass the ball to me. It really bothered me.
This AM before I woke up, I had another dream that I was in Manhattan. I was looking out the window at my friend's apt, and I saw somebody setting up their tent on the side of a hill (the people were backpacking). I commented that it could not be legal to camping in the city, and somebody else told me that a lot of people camp in Manhattan and started telling me about where the good places to go were. What do I know?
This AM before I woke up, I had another dream that I was in Manhattan. I was looking out the window at my friend's apt, and I saw somebody setting up their tent on the side of a hill (the people were backpacking). I commented that it could not be legal to camping in the city, and somebody else told me that a lot of people camp in Manhattan and started telling me about where the good places to go were. What do I know?
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
Ghetto Fabulous
For the second time, some a-hole dinged my car and did not leave me a note. All I know is that the car was white as evidenced by the white paint left behind. I do not have collision, so this one's coming out of my pocket. I may actually have to fix this one. The funny thing is that I would feel much better if I did something stupid and dinged the car. I know which car is officially the city car now!
Monday, September 08, 2008
New Diagnosis
Mike decided that he has "swim splints".
He used flippers for a lot of his swim yesterday since the pool chemicals were really bad at the Y this weekend, and his eyeballs swell up. He is now sore on his shins where you would have shin splints, but he is sure it is from the fins. Oh, maybe he should call them "fin splints".
Sunday, September 07, 2008
Friday, September 05, 2008
For the Brain, Remembering Is Like Reliving - NYTimes.com
For the Brain, Remembering Is Like Reliving - NYTimes.com
Mike always tells me when I am remembering something from a long time ago, I tend to get as angry or happy as if it just happened. This may be why.
Mike always tells me when I am remembering something from a long time ago, I tend to get as angry or happy as if it just happened. This may be why.
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Western Wrap UP
Mike and I crashed after our hike and hiked out with our packs to the trailhead the next morning. Thank God it was a moderate hike out! It still felt pretty bad and our packs still felt pretty heavy even though we ate most of the food. The forest out was so nice and it smelled really good.
We headed back to Portland. East of the Cascades, it is desert and it resembles Jackson. There is a lot of brown grass and scrub. It was really hot too. Mike kept asking when we were going to be back in Oregon. We stopped by Mt Hood and watched some snowboarders on the way. It was really nice to get a shower since I was offending myself.
Sat was our last day. We took Shua to the park and swam with the family. It was fun and we needed to move a little bit. Pat, Mike, and I decided to try the diving platforms. I have not been on a 10 meter since college, but I used to do it all of the time. The 5 and 7 meter were open, so Mike and Pat headed up there immediately. Pat went right off which suprised me since he is not a fan of heights. I ran up to the 5, and it suprised me that the 5 seemed so high. I got a mental block on the 7 meter. I finally got so annoyed about it that I sucked it up and went off. It was not bad and I am glad I was not a total chicken in my old age. Mike and Pat were suggesting that I sing the fight song first like I used to in the old days to get me going! It was also fun to catch the Spartans with another fan since there are none near us!
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Oh my achin' legs
We conquered South Sister. We knew it would be a painful day. We hiked 9 miles round trip which is not so bad, but we ended up climbing 4,000 feet to do it. To add insult to injury, the majority of the climbing was at the end. There is a false summit, and it was a little disheartening to see the real summit looming above. The summit push took an hour, and it was straight up a steep ridge that cut across closer to the top. I noticed coming down when I was low that you can see the trail to the top from camp, and I would not have believed you if you told me that is where I would be climbing! The climbing was also tough, because the trail was soft with lava rock. It ended up being forgiving coming down, almost like sliding down sand.
We had perfect weather on the top, warm and calm winds. We were up there for almost 2 hours. You end up on the volcano's rim on the top which is filled with snow. The view was amazing at 10,300 something feet. It took a while to capture the other sisters without clouds covering their tops. It was the best lunch spot ever. It was a long day and totally worth it. We were happy that we camped at the lake and did not have to pack out after the climb.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
What a Moraine!
Mike and I headed off to the Cascades near Bend, and we went backcountry camping and mountain climbing. We camped at a lake called Moraine Lake which is at the base of South Sister. There are three volcanoes right next to eachother called the sisters. South is inactive, and you are able to hike up it without any technical climbing. So we committed to the world of hurt and used Moraine Lake as a base camp. Many of the other people camping at the lake did the same.
The ascent into Moraine Lake was easy and beautiful. Most of the hike was in Lodgepole forest and you walked along about 7 waterfalls. It smelled so good in there! As we were walking, we encountered a massive section of lava rock which is weird when you are hiking in a magical forest. We got a spot that overlooked the lake and it was picture perfect.
A moraine is a pile of rock that glaciers push when they advance, and the large ridge across from our campsite was the moraine. I have never seen such a large moraine before. The mountain with the red top is South Siser by the way.
Monday, September 01, 2008
Oregon part 2
We hung out with the family until Monday afternoon, and then we set off. Mike and I did not have a set plan so we found ourselves wandering to the coast. We figured the weather was clear so we should take advantage of that. We drove along the coast south and just made scenic stops. The beaches were beautiful and we watched the pelicans, seals, and whales. I actually was able to spot whales while we were driving on Monday which is a new one. The ocean was fairly flat with light winds so that aided my spotting ability. There are state parks lining the coast one after the other.
On Tues we headed off to try 2 hikes we found in a book we borrowed from Pat. One hike was in the Cape Arago State Park in Coos Bay. The trail skirted cliffs high above the dramatic coastline. There is a section across from a rocky outcropping that hosts hundreds of seals and sea lions. They are about 1/2 mile away, but you can smell them and hear them barking. You look at the rocks, and they are totally covered with marine mammals.
Our other hike was in the Oregon Dunes Nat'l Recreation Area. The area is along the coast for 50 miles. We found a hike that is in a section closed to dune buggys. It was pretty dramatic and amazing. I had Tea in the Sahara stuck in my mind when we were walking there. You had to pay attention to the route on this hike! The trail led to an empty beach. It was beautiful, but we did have to make it back before night. There were these forests that we crossed to get into the beach that were very tight like jungle (it reminded me of Costa Rica). Mike was overcome at one point, but I was able to get him out.
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