Wtf

I have a pet peeve when it comes to the correct usage of certain words. You know, there/their/they're, etc.

So tell me, does this look right? I'm thinking about sending an email to the radio station to tell them what fucking idiots they are.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Happy Monday

There's nothing like starting a Monday off by spilling burning hot coffee all over your hands. I can't decide what's worse, the burning of my hands or the fact that I just spilled about $1 worth of a $4 coffee.

The coolest wine bottle ever.

Cheers Holly!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

My husband loves me this much

Everytime we go to my sister's house, he always goes with her to the meat market. I think it's become their "thing". My sister reminded me of this lovely picture that Jack took and sent to me while he was there last time. It's a little blurry, but you get the point.

Srsly

If I wanted to convert my family, would I let Kelsey eat this?

Men and their meat

There are few things outside of my family that I am passionate about. One of the things I feel very strongly about is my vegetarianism. I've been a vegetarian for over a year. At first, I would still cook meat for the rest of the family. That didn't last long. While I will buy meat, I won't cook it. Sometimes I plan meals where Jack and cook and throw meat in it. Sometimes I don't. I'm very contentious about making a well balanced meal even without the meat. Since I'm usually the one that cooks, I have to make sure that Will and Kelsey are getting the protein and other nutrients they need. It's surprisingly easy...if I'm not lazy about it.

Over the last six months or so, I've toyed with the idea of becoming vegan. I really don't think I'd be able to do that b/c it's that much harder to plan meals, go out to restaurants, and buy food. I buy almost all organic dairy products. We add the word "happy" in front of all our dairy products b/c I buy cage free, vegetarian fed, "happy animal" products. It can be more expensive, but as it's something I feel strongly about, that is not an issue for me.

I have never, ever tried to get any of my family to go vegetarian. Ever. I've never asked Jack to stop eating meat. I've never told Will or Kelsey that they're not having more meat. Not only would I have a revolt, but it's a personal choice and I'm not going to force it on anyone. So the fact that Jack and I got in a heated discussion in the organic section at the grocery store last night, boggles the mind.

While some people think that cutting out meat will make you lose a ton of weight, that's incorrect. Not eating meat means that you will probably eat more cheese, pasta, etc. I try to limit my intake of those things, but it is difficult. At the store last night, I got some dairy-free cream "cheese" and mentioned that I'd like to go vegan in some things. For both health reasons and personal beliefs. I swear to God, you would have thought that I told Jack that he was never having another steak in his life. I still get steamed when I think about it. I have never asked him to go vegetarian, yet he basically tells me that he accepts my food weirdness, but there is no way in hell he's going vegan. Excuse me. Have I ever asked you at any time to give up meat? No, I haven't.

I was also told that I'm going over the top w/ not wanting to use animal-tested products. Hello? If I start donating money to PETA and making our kids watch the videos posted on their site, I would give him permission to tell me that I'm over the top. Hello, one of my best friends does testing on animals to cure diseases. You'll never see me boycotting in front of her building.

After that, I tried to get him to buy some steaks for himself and the kids and he wouldn't. Hey, I tried.

Grocery Shopping

There is little in life that I despise more than grocery shopping. I hate it. I hate making the list that you have to make or you spend twice as much w/ only half of what you really needed. I hate bagging the produce. I hate the little brats that run around like maniacs b/c their mom's aren't paying attention to what they're doing. I hate taking the groceries out of the cart at the check-out stand. I hate putting the groceries in the car and I hate unloading them when I get home.

I pretty much hate everything about it.

The only thing that makes it a little bit bearable is when I go without kids. Sometimes I like having Jack along, sometimes I'd rather not. Since I've hurt my back, I can't really lift the bags of groceries, therefore I can't go by myself. So when I would have been able to go by myself on Saturday, I couldn't. It's really been a pain in the arse.

So today after I go to my physical therapy appointment, I get to go grocery shopping w/ Jack. My mother has kindly agreed to pick up the kids so we can get through the shopping faster. I really should be making a list, but I decided to blog about why I hate grocery shopping instead.

I am not a procrastinator.

Why I love fall

Jack & his glass

Jack and I have been married for about 9 years (he's the older man). In our entire marriage, he has been the glass half-full type of person to my glass half-empty.

He's gone and changed on me. So to compensate, I have to be the half-full person. Which doesn't work very well for me.

So what happened Jack? Too much fighting terrorism? Saving the world six times just too much for you?

You know I love you. That's why I am going to tell you what you told me when I was sick as hell w/ our Princess (aka Cheeks): Get over it.

Better and Better

My mom just sent me this picture taken from her kitchen window.

Srsly

It's 2:48 and I just got home from picking the kids up from school. It's 40 degrees (F) outside.

If you hear a loud sound, it's me sobbing.

The Dentist & Cheeks

Whenever we have a dentist appointment to take the kids to, I always remember the five hellish days following Cheeks' birth. Since she was my 2nd, I was raring to go and wanted to get out of the hospital as soon as they would let us go. I had gotten the ok from my doctor, all we needed was the Pediatrician to sign off that Cheeks was good to go.

But he didn't.

When listening to her heart, he heard a murmur which means a ton of tests and a visit from the Pediatric Cardiologist who would look at the ultrasounds and determine the course of action. I had major post-partum w/ Cheeks and didn't take it well when I was told that my daughter had a hole in her heart. I didn't care how small it is. It's a hole. In her heart. And at that time, it was somehow my fault. It was the medication I took when I was too sick to get out of bed. I missed my pre-natal vitamins one too many times.

To this day, I thank God for her Pediatrician. When we took her in two days after we got home, he gave Jack and I the best advice I've ever gotten (aside from taping her mouth shut). He told us not to treat her like she was fragile b/c she wasn't. He eased my fears and made me realize that this was not anything that had to do w/ me. It just was what it was. It wasn't something that was going to affect her life at all. Well, except in one small way.

The dentist.

For the four years that he was her Pediatrician (until we moved), he was adamant about the fact that she get anti-biotics before any dental procedure. Though it was unlikely, there was a small chance that she could get an infection in her heart and die. Okay then. So we were religious about it. Even when the dentist told us that she didn't need it (wtf?), we still did it.

Then, less than a year ago, we were told that the American Heart Association came out with new research that says antibiotics aren't needed. This wasn't taken well. So we called her old Pediatrician even though it had been two years since he'd seen her. He confirmed what Cheeks' doctor, cardiologist, and dentist said. So we don't give her antibiotics anymore.

Still, anytime she has a dental appointment, I think about those five days and how terrifying they were. This morning when I was brushing her hair (it was a sneak attack), I was thinking about those days and told myself that no matter how hard it gets with her, no matter how much I want to ship her off to my sister's house, we are so lucky to have her.

Winter has arrived

I've been saying that winter is coming since August. Winter is not something I look forward to. I've been dreading winter since June.














Do you see that SNOWFLAKE in the picture?? There's a 40% chance of rain/light snow. It's mother-bleeping OCTOBER!

Winter has arrived. Kill me now.

It's a man thing

Jack and I own three cars. I have a 4Runner, Jack has a Tacoma, and we have a Honda Civic that is my commuter. About a year ago when gas prices started going up, we decided to get a commuter. It gets about 40mpg (when I drive it as instructed by His Highness). 40mpg is waaay better than the barely 20mpg I get in my 4Runner. Unfortunately, I'm trading mpg for luxury and comfort. Anything is more comfortable than the Civic. A bicycle is more comfortable.

Since I hurt my back (finally found out it's a disc), I haven't been driving the Civic b/c it's that uncomfortable. I was driving the 4Runner for awhile, then I realized that Jack's truck is actually more comfortable. So for the past two weeks, I've been driving the truck. Jack usually drives whatever vehicle is convenient. For example, yesterday we left at the same time, so he took the 4Runner. Today, I work from home, so since his truck was blocking the 4Runner in, he took the car.

I get the kids off to school on Tuesday b/c I work from home. So Jack tells us goodbye and about 10 minutes later, I follow the kids outside where they're getting their bikes ready. And who hasn't left yet? Jack hasn't left yet. In fact, the Civic wouldn't start b/c the battery was dead (we haven't driven it for about 3 weeks).

A little back story is in order here to get the full impact. My aunt taught me to drive a 5-speed in her VW Rabbit when I was 16. To say it wasn't a very reliable car is an understatement. I can't even remember how many times I had to ask strangers to push the car so I could pop the clutch. Needless to say, by the end of that summer, I was an expert at popping the clutch.

Jack knows this b/c my aunt and I reminisce from time to time, laughing, b/c now it's funny. So this morning when the car wouldn't start, instead of coming to get me, he tried to push the car, jump in, then pop the clutch. All by himself. After that was unsuccessful, he told himself the reason that it didn't work is b/c you can't pop the clutch while in reverse. Conveniently forgetting that the last time this happened, that's exactly how we started it. Again, instead of coming to get me, he gets out the jumper cables and a spare battery and gets the car started.

Because Jack is a stickler for being on time to work and he was already late as it was, I decided that it must be a man thing. Right Jack?

Bleeping Road Work in Boise

This is a picture of what I was looking at this morning on my way to work. Notice that I'm under a bridge. I hate being stopped under (or on) bridges. Like if there's something I'm scared of, that's it. The point is, there was no need for me to be stuck under the bridge (or in what is referred to as "traffic" here). [side note: Jack, you really need to do some inside cleaning.]

There is one freeway that goes into Downtown Boise. Instead of doing any road work AT NIGHT (wtf), they pretend they're going to do it in the morning. So what do they do? They setup signs starting 6 miles ahead of the actual lane closure. SIX MILES!

So you have all these people getting out of the left lane when there is no bleeping need to get out of the left lane b/c it doesn't close for six bleeping miles. Bleep! That 2nd picture is pretty good considering I just pointed and clicked.

So I was stuck in traffic when there was no need to be stuck in traffic. Then when I got to the actual lane closure, guess what? No bleeping workers! Yep, that's right. So bleep you Idaho Department of Transportation.