grrr

Just because you have a child doesn't mean that your time is any more valuable than mine. So 'parent time' does not exist on a 3:1 ratio. I'm busy too.

Overwhelmed

Does anyone else feel overwhelmed and under impressed by the state of the world, including their bodies?

Here's a list: Humans are destroying the planet, assholes are harming animals, government is controlling women's bodies (to the point of murder) and I need to work on a smaller ass, sort out the Celiac bullshit, and get a decent fucking period.

Yeah, I'm feeling it today. *sigh*

Ambition

As soon as I placed the waxing strip against my skin, I began to wonder if I hadn't been overly ambitious when I decided to wax my bikini line myself this morning. I thought we would be going somewhere with a pool, so it was, clearly, a necessary chore. As I reminded myself that the end sometimes justifies the means, I recalled that the last time I did this, and the only successful time I'd done it myself in over twenty years of 'management', I only used half of a strip. But it was too late for that, now. Much much too late.

In the end, not a horrible effort. I did do both sides this time. (The first time I tried to do it myself, out of girlish embarrassment, I only got halfway through the process. Well, I'll round-up to half-way.) There is some very minor bruising, and a tiny bit of tenderness where some skin came off. I didn't go for a pre-pubescent look, so normal activities can continue... you know, like wearing clothes, and such.

All told: Success!

Cough cough, sniff sniff

I'm still sick. It's the third weekend in a row that I've been sick. It sucks.

The first one, was not like this at all. But I'll post about that soon. This time I've got a sinus thing and chest thing going on. Usually I'm cured in a week. Not this time.

But! Never fear! It's not going to stop me from making jam today. 1. Because I'm not so sick that I'll be coughing or sniffling into the jam. 2. I'm splitting a bucket - a big bucket - of pre-cut & hulled strawberries with Tou Tou. It's basically going to be the easiest frickin' jam session ever.

I'd better get those jars out of the garage now. I want to be prepared as possible to get going once our house showing is over.

Yoga

Did my first yoga class in ages tonight. I've been sticking to Pilates the last couple of years, but decided to return to my roots. :o)

1. Easiest yoga class ever.

2. Don't wear a regular bra to yoga, even if it's an easy class. Under wires have no place at yoga, and just bruise your boobies. Nobody wants bruised boobies.

My head hurts

My friend had been posting for a couple of weeks about these migraines he'd been having. Apparently, he thought they were from Pepsi Max. Everyone (including me, because I'm basically an expert on cleanses and withdrawal from food items, although my caffeine withdrawal knowledge is all second-hand) was making recommendations. You know, drink plenty of water,ween off it with green tea first, try these smoothies, blah blah blah.

Nothing was working for him, and then he posted that he decided to go to the hospital (since his partner is a GP, I allowed myself a bit of more serious concern). So, hours and an MRI later, he's been diagnosed with a mass in his head. Decisions will be made tomorrow, but I'm so freaking upset/sad/weepy/disillusioned/angry/self-pitying.

Okay, let me be clear, no, 100%, this is not about me. Well, this blog is, but this event is not. That said, when something so shit balls happens, and it's happening to a friend that you admire and love, it feels like it is kinda about you. It's about the potential struggle and challenges that are bound to happen. About how you want to be there, holding their hand for every difficulty, but since that could be weird, and slightly impractical, you have to try to use words to articulate that you'd bring them a casserole, or a Dairy Queen cake with, 'Superjob' written on it, or maybe even a pie.

This is also when I feel like this shit isn't fair. I feel like I'm not ready for friends to go through this. I'm not ready for this at all. I resent disease/sickness, because I've already seen enough. I also resent that it's been ages since I last saw him & his family, and the guilt that comes with that knowledge.

So yeah, I know this isn't about me, but it's about a part of me that's my friend. And for now, I set aside my own fears, and we focus on his. Stay strong buddy, we're thinking of you & sending loads of hugs & squishes. You have a lot of responsibility; I'm expecting an amazing recovery. xo

Make it so.

Yesterday we met with our fertility specialist.

Basically it went like this (please note, I am paraphrasing portions):

Me: we had planned for this most recent try to be our last time, but I feel cheated from the first go because of the ovarian hyper stimulation, so I don't feel like my body was at 100% effort. When I talked to the nurse, she said there was a problem with my lining, and we should have a meeting with you.

MD: You're crazy to stop. You have amazing embryos. We just need to get the lining under control. Also - have you considered a surrogate?

Us: But it's tough emotionally for us.

MD: You have fantastic eggs. Don't stop. Let's do this plan... (blah, blah, blah & details).

Me: I'm no quitter, and I'm a sucker for punishment! Let's get on the hell-ride of a roller coaster again!

G: Uh oh.

*later*
Me: G, I feel guilty about reneging on our 'last try' promise, but I also feel guilty about not giving you babies. I think my guilt about no babies is more than going back on my promise, so that's that.

G: I don't resent you. Believe me.

Me: Trust no one!

*even later*
Me: You don't think we'll ever buy a boat, do you?
G: Not now.
Me: Well, I have a plan. Let's sell the house, buy a different house, buy a boat, take the extra time to fix it up, and then next summer year, we'll leave on our adventure.
G: (Oh no, what do I do? That's a great idea, but my automatic response is to dismiss her suggestions.) (With a smile) That might work!

And joy abounds.

Traveling Green

This is a pretty exciting find!

As someone who's been traveling and mostly staying in hotels this last week, it's been interesting to note how few hotels in California have a separate bin for recycling in rooms, and generally how much waste is created with disposable items.

Now there's this: http://www.greenkeyglobal.com/default.asp

You can search the site to find hotels that have committed to not be jerks and want to do more than just put a sign up asking you to not use a billion towels.

Whoo hoo!

Can't sleep

Today's the big testing day, so my body wanted to be up in time to get to my blood work appointment 4 hours later.

Did a pee test this morning - it's a negative. Logged on to Facebook and the first fecking picture I see is an ultrasound of a baby.

Must give up my Facebook account, I think.

Day 9 of 12 Day Wait

Have been having some spotting for the last few days. I've been kind of panicky and a bit nervous, but of course, trying to stay positive.

But, thanks to Google and the Internets, I'm feeling a lot better now. It seems almost everyone doing the endometrin suppositories has pink on their plasticky thing and some spotting to go with it.

Here we go!

Round 2 - it's like a season finale over here!

We're going in for our last go at getting knocked up tomorrow. Here's hoping it works. I think they're going to plop two embryos in, we'll hang out for a bit, we'll probably have some dosa, I'll head to work, and then we wait 10 days or so.

It's awesome that the time is finally here, but a bit scary too. I mean, c'mon - we've agreed that this is our last go, so after this, our lives will be greatly influenced by either being pregnant, or not.

We have plans for either scenario, which I feel good about. It's good to have a plan!

So yeah - crazy/nerve racking/exciting but I think the exciting wins for now.

Round 2 - Begins!

Once you have frozen embryos, the process is a bit different.

I've been on estrogen since Day 1 - Period Day 1, that is. The first week is 2 x day, the second week 3 x day. It's easy, because it's just pill, so you can take it anywhere; it's hard, because you're supposed to take it at the same times. It's been over two weeks, and I'm still surprised when the alarm goes off! While Estrace is no Puregon and whatever else I took to brew my millions of eggs, it still totally messes with you: weight gain, emotional sensitivity, and because of my psoriatic arthritis, increased joint pain. I will not miss taking this Estrace, but I think I stay on it for 10 weeks, if this works out.

Anyway, the timeline is this: tomorrow, I go in for my first ultrasound. They'll decide if the lining is good to go. I start Endometrin, after the ultrasound, and also take that for a million weeks. If the lining's not great, we'll do Monday next week.

So, 16 or 17 days from now we'll know if I can do some baby clothes shopping in California, or if I'll be drinking my face off, eating soft cheeses, and going in the hot tub every night.

Wish us luck!

Bloody Fail

Awesome. I can get a nose bleed, but not my period. #fail

Bistro 72, Surrey

Had an amazing meal this evening at Bistro 72.

They accommodated my celiac ness, as well as my vegetarianism, and fungi-freeness as well, with grace & special meal making.

We had way too much food: nachos, beet salad, fries, roasted pepper, chips, and chocolate pâté. A few delicious drinks, and notable service, and we are happy diners!

Yay!

Plan-et

See what I did there? It's a pun. Cause we're starting to plan it. Nailed it!

In keeping our options open, G & I have started looking at boats. He's getting The Spice Necklace, or whatever the follow-up to, An Embarrassment of Mangoes, is called.

We may just end up traveling the world, with our cats in life jackets, and with me learning to eat fish, or at the very least, meat of some sort.

I'd have a tan! And sea-sickness, but word on the street, or ocean, as it were, is you get over that, and, as mentioned previously, I would also have highlights.

Bliss.

Belle's

Holy gluten-free tasty awesome, probably super high fat, but I don't care, so please don't tell me that kind of shiz, deliciousness in the form of edible treats!

Where's this you ask? The corner of 140th and 32nd Ave in South Surrey.

This girl ain't lying!

Another White One

If I don't eat knocked up this time, I'm totally getting highlights.

I Think I Get It

I think today I finally understood why people spend bazillions of dollars on trying to get pregnant. Another friend (so five this year & six, two years ago) is pregnant. We are, of course, beyond delighted for them, and once again, feeling lots of self pity for ourselves. I am unfortunately & have been told illogically, overwhelmed with guilt.

And that's when it hit me. We have loads of embryos, why don't we just keep trying until we get pregnant, or run out?

I know I've said I'd never do the whole brewing eggs business again, since I still haven't recovered and it was super horrible and shitty and basically an f'ing nightmare, but... BUT... It's not going to be too bad to plop the eggs back in. I just have to take some drugs, endometrin & progesterone, and then spread'em wide... Okay, the whole 'through the cervix' thing sucks, there is that. But overall, not so bad.

And that folks, is why you set limits. And maybe decide to break them. Here's hoping we don't have to.

Basically.

The best movie ever. Basically.

A Sleep Infographic

Turns out, I love infographics.

Get health and fitness tips at Greatist.com

Expect the Worst, Hope for the Best

Yesterday and the day before I had a tiny bit of spotting. Of course it was a niggling, cause when you've tried to get pregnant for a gazillion years, that's what happens. Truthfully, I wasn't too worried, because, according to the Google Answer Machine, this is decently common. Today I've started spotting more. Now I am less not-worried/disappointed/sad.

Gluten-Free brown rice Rice Krispie Squares

Did you know that these are now called Rice Krispie Treats? Also! The recipe has changed! Since it's been a while since I made what is truly a specialty of mine, I thought I'd double-check the website. *sigh* they don't even add vanilla? What has the world come to?!

You can tell these aren't the regular Rice Krispies, but they aren't far enough off that it will either matter or taste weird. You can still give them to people you like. I promise.

I melt about 1/4 of butter, then a bag of marshmallows, add about a teaspoon of vanilla to the melty mix, and then pour in Rice Krispies until it's at the ratio you like. I prefer gooey over crisp, so I stop with the cereal when it still looks like there's a tiny bit too much on the marshmallow side. Because it's not.

Transfer to a buttered (lightly) square/rectangular or whatever shape you like, dish, cool, cut, enjoy!

Yay!

I finally get to leave the house. We're going to go to TJ's and Black Pearl.

In other news - measuring your pee sucks.

Gluten-Free Sophie's Cosmic Cafe

Whoo hoo!

Sure, I wanted Eggs Benny at Sophie's today, but I do love me some omelette, so it wasn't a great sadness to order & eat that business.

When I said no to the amazing & delicious Sophie's bread, our waitress offered me some GF toast instead. Yes, please!

I'm pretty sure it's just your standard loaf of Udi's, so it didn't blow my mind, but having the option did. And they had raspberry jam already at my table, which rocked. Love you, Sophie's!

No Unibrows, Please

Hopefully, in just over 37 weeks, we'll be able to say that this is it's first picture.

W00t!

Transfer Day

7 years ago today, my mom passed away. Today, we're doing the egg transfer.

Egg Out

They retrieved 33 (!) eggs today. Should be a couple of good ones in there. :o)

Will know the final count of good ones tomorrow. In the meantime, I need to take tomorrow and Tuesday off work and there's to be no working out for a month. Boo hiss.

Go time!

Sitting in the recliner, heating blanket & wooly socks on, waiting to get de-egged. A nurse mentioned hatching, and I loved it!

Day 10

Best IVF video EVER! Turns out I've got some OHSS going on. We're going to do the egg retrieval tomorrow morning, and hopefully plop a couple of eggs in on Wednesday or Friday. W00t!

I'm a bad person

How wrong is it that as a guy waked by in a backwards leather beret, I thought: ugh, he shouldn't have children. In my defence, he also had a horrid gotee & and leather jacket.

Day 6

G gets gold stars for making me lunch, bringing me a hot water bottle, an extra blanket & a kitten.

I get a NI for taking too much medication today. Honestly, I am so tired, I'm surprised that's the worst thing that's happened.

In other news, have I mentioned the boulders in my belly? And the freakish amount of mucus? And the sharp shooting pain? Consider them mentioned.

Day 5

Aliens, of Aliens fame have invaded my body. Or else I'm becoming the queen Alien. I am brewing eggs like they're going out of style. They may take over my body like worms & then I'll explode.

Ultrasound and more blood work tomorrow.

Day 3 Later

The rage is building.

Salt

Could I just put salt on my tongue? Is that gross?

TJ's Polenta

Last night we finally broke into the Trader Joe's Creamy Polenta. It's a handily prepared, frozen meal that's gluten-free. It was pretty close to as easy at it gets. You just dump it into a skillet/pan, heat up and it's ready to go. It was decently tasty. You could tell it wasn't homemade, but considering that wasn't going to happen, we pulled through. The texture was good, and it wasn't overwhelmingly creamy sauced. Also - there were peas in it! And I like peas. I would buy this again.

Day 3

This morning it feels like my ovaries are being wish-boned from my uterus.

I could still happily lay in bed all day and have the occasional weep-fest, but I'm way too full of hunger for that kind of business. That and I'm helping G run cables today. I wonder how that's going to go.

Day 2

You know how there's a side-effect called, 'general malaise'. I have that.

The injections are going well. It's the sharp cramping, bloating and 'sensitivity' that's difficult.

Went to bed early last night, but didn't have a great sleep. It's gonna be hard dragging my butt to Pilates this morning.

Rage level: so far, low. Could definitely lie in bed and cry my face off though.

Day 1 - later

Honeymoon's over. Starting to feel 'full' and full of grumpiness. Is it PMS, or side-effects?

Rage level: beginning to feel the brewing of irritation.

Flax 4 Life Muffins

You can get these muffins at some Whole Foods, but we get ours at Fred Meyer in 'Merica. They are gluten-free (obviously) but have some good flavours. Our favourite is the chocolate chip; you feel like you're having a bit of a treat. Warning: they do have a load of calories, so don't be thinking you're going to have this and then a second breakfast. Since they are jam-packed with flax (as the name suggests) and you'll be so full, you probably won't even entertain those second breakfast thoughts anyway. Despite the high calories, I would definitely recommend chomping on these muffins. Microwave them for 25-30 secs, and feel free to store them in the freezer. 2nd Warning: these will regulate the shit out of well, your shit. Say goodbye to any fibre issues you may have had. That's a good thing though, right?

Day 1

This morning was our first injection in preparation for IVF. Gerry had put the menopur in the fridge last night, so it was a bit cold and stingy going in, and I ended up breaking one of the Q caps. In the past, this probably would have thrown me off. Not so much now. I just googled if it's okay to have kept it in the fridge, consensus seems to be it's fine, and I'll just get another Q cap later. Meh, no biggy. For the record, and because I may hate him by the end of this week and may need the reminder, Gerry's been lovely & supportive. We're both excited, not just because the odds are slightly in our favour this time, but because we're going to either be doing this, or closing this door, so that we can jump out the open window. Day 1: So far, so good. Rage level: none

Christmas Strata Gluten-Free Style

This year we used Udi's gluten-free bread for the traditional Christmas Strata. There had been a bit of grumbling (panic) from Gerry about how we would be able to have a proper Christmas without the strata.

The gluten-free bread turned out quite well. It's firmer, so it stayed together well, and cut easily.

Christmas Boxes

At TekBusters, we give some homemade cookies to each of the businesses that have monthly contracts. This year, mostly because I've found out I'm celiac, I thought I might make boxes of various caramels. I've made one tonight, and if I make two kinds tomorrow, and three on Tuesday, by Wednesday I'll be finished, which is very exciting. And as is becoming tradition (how many time does it take to be a tradition?) Erin's coming over on Saturday, and we will (of course) be making cookies. I mean, it is Christmas after all. Moral of the story - if you are dairy-free, you're screwed.

Cleanse Day 2 - Smoothie 1 Million

Just kidding, it's not been so bad. Gerry quit at lunch today, but I've been hanging in there... despite the sour soothers, roasted nuts, and chips looking so f'ing delicious today. I don't eat a lot of salt in my daily diet, but day-amn I could totally lick a salt block right now.

Cleanse Day 1 - Meal 1

The first smoothie on Day 1.

G - it's getting a bit better, but it's um... Um... Not for me.

U - yum! This tastes awesome. Like a sandwich.

Laziza

Also known as 'that place where you asked for the gluten-free menu, and they basically brought back the regular menu but with gluten-free written on it.'

The food was delicious, the service attentive, the atmosphere trendy, but not try-hard trendy.

Of note: while 75% of the menu is veggie, them eat selections (according to almost everyone else at our table) was yummy!

Verdict: total success. Great find, Ang Hold!

2 ingredient pancakes

Today I tested the 2 ingredient pancake recipe that my friend, Lola, told me about. Since I've recently been diagnosed with Celiac, I have decided that I will rock the shiz out of Gluten-Free Living. Yeah, I said it. Now back to the pancakes. This is what I did: Smashed one ripe banana Whisked 2 eggs Added a 'pinch' (or accidentally a heaping teaspoon) of cinnamon to the banana Combine both bowls. Heat a pan on medium, melt a little bit of coconut oil, pour in some mixture, let the edges 'dry' you know, like pancakes, and eventually flip it to cook the other side. Add a little bit of maple syrup and go! Here's what I'll do for the ingredients next time: Smash 2 ripe bananas Whisk 1 egg Add a pinch of cinnamon (Maybe add a few chunks of apple) Procede as above. The pancakes were quite good, and with the coconut oil and maple syrup, I definitely give it a thumbs up. The mixture was a little bit eggy for my taste, but more banana will cure that!

UEFA 2012

I'm finally watching today's game of Germany vs Greece. I didn't realize there was a lot of political chest puffing to go with it. I mean, I know Germany's bailing out Greece, but I didn't realize that had made its way to football. I did want to point out that when the Greek player ran into the German goalie, the just tapped hands and there wasn't any, 'oh my eye!' business that usually happens with football. Well done (so far) Greece and Germany!

am I old?

If you can't believe Wheel of Fortune isn't on because of some basketball thingamajig, does this mean you're old?

Turns out...

...I, in typical Canadian fashion, bitch about the weather all of the freakin' time. Well, except for when it's lovely and warm. Lately, like the last couple of years, it hasn't been like that at all. So, in typical, if you don't like something, do something about it fashion, I am going to Vegas next week. Yes, I am leaving B.C. For Vegas in June. And I'm going to love every sweaty minute of it. While there, we'll be meeting up with Jeffy & friends, Damien, and probably my aunt and uncle. Wade may make an appearance from the San Francisco Bay Area, but that is unconfirmed speculation at this point. In summary: the weather blows in B.C. right now, I'm heading to Vegas for sunshine! Roll on the end of the week!

the power of awesome

Burn the libraries down - kids can learned stuff on there oan. Let's just say, I love me some pro-readin' trickery!

fleas/nipples

as i was sitting, scratching nalla's belly today, i suddenly remembered how, when we first got her, i was scratching her belly and freaked out because i thought she had fleas. turns out they were her nipples. oops. in my defence, i'd never had a girl cat before.

welcome to the family, iTampon

SAWEET! in celebration of the upcoming full moon, i got an iPad today. huzzah!
extra awesome is that you can rent books from the library, and download the classics for free. yahoo!

summer goes on and on

as hockey season starts, we're going to give the Canucks some time to warm up. while they're doing that, we're off to Cabos San Lucus!

we're going to stay at: Royal Solaris Los Cabos and hopefully get to enjoy some SCUBA diving and lots of sun! whoo hoo!

Canuck Pucks

for last night's game (meh - it certainly wasn't great, but I do believe that a loss is a loss, and it's gonna be better to write that one off and bounce back for Wednesday) I made these:


I got the idea from the Fort Nucks website, and decided to modify (of course) and try my hand at these tasty treats.

Basically, I made two chocolate cakes (I just ended up throwing the extra one in the freezer) and then crumbled the cake in the mixer, added about a cup of pre-made chocolate icing (which I don't normally do, but I was going for easy since we were already doing loads of other stuff) and then mixed it up again, formed them into puck-ish shapes and threw them in the freezer for a bit. After I melted half of the chocolate chips the recipe called for, I dipped the top half of the pucks into the chocolate and put them back in the fridge. Once the chocolate hardened a bit, I decorated them. I should have let them dry between icing colours, but the game had already started, so that wasn't really an option.

In the end - super tasty, easy to make chocolate Canucks puck cake success!

round 4

well, it's only been since 1994 that we've seen this show. i for one, am ready to see this team finish the post-season in the same way they finished the regular season: on top.

i've been to a few games now, including game 5 of the last round, and let me tell you, the Canucks are playing well and with Manny potentially coming back into the line-up, things are looking good.

normally i'd want a sweep, but since i don't have tickets until game 5, and it is the Stanley Cup finals, I'm not going to hold my breath on that one.

finish strong, Canucks! Canada is cheering for you!

must crochet a beard for tonight's game

etsy playoff beard

it shouldn't be too hard to make. i just need to get some playoff beard yarn. do i join the ginger beard club? perhaps!!

watch for me at the game tonight. go canucks go!

'tis the season

ah, it's that time of year. the flowers are blooming, the vegetable garden is planted, it's warm enough for a drink on the patio, as long as it's not raining, and the Canucks are down to do-or-die.

this year, more than ever, was supposed to be the year. the first two games played out as planned, and though the third was a bit rough, we were still on track. then came game 4, which could have made it a sweep. and wouldn't that have just been showing it to those damn Blackhawks? and game 5 followed. it was scary and depressing.

game 6 started off right, except for a couple of assists by schneider... assists to the Blackhawks that is. a game rife with uncalled penalties, cheers and moans of disbelief. a game that the Canucks showed up for, but still somehow lost. and now the city, the provice, and i do say, even the country is waiting for game 7. it will either be followed with tears of joy, and bitter upset.

i'm hoping for tears of joy. in fact, i think i'm going to sign up for season tickets first thing tomorrow (they're closed on holidays)... sure, i won't get through for years, but i'll be ready, hoping to have a good view of the 2011 Stanley Cup Champions banner that will be hung from the rafters.

a letter to the annoying american girl

Dear Annoying American Girl,
You were sitting behind me at the Canucks game, and I really wish you hadn't been. Unfortunately, your lack of knowledge and ability to read did not stop you from voicing your opinion on basically everything.

Here are some tips that may help prevent fists/drinks/too buttery popcorn from flying in your face at the next game you go to:

1. The guy from Michigan? He's not number 23.
2. There isn't anyone (hot or not) on the team named Bee-es-ka.
3. The crowd isn't saying, 'Boooo' every time Luongo makes a save.
4. The crowd *is* booing the icing being waved off.
5. I don't really care about your friend's room mate who stole from her and is apparently doing coke. Also, just because she's doing coke, it doesn't not stand to reason that the whole Canucks team is doing crack. That's not sound logic.

I encourage people who don't know anything about hockey to go to games. I'm not an expert, but I do know that at some point during the game, it would be nice for the people around you if you just spoke your load opinions a little bit softer, or even took a break for a breath.

Yours truly,
Ursula Hoefer

pumpkin carving!

gerry and i carved pumpkins tonight!




gerry's is the pumpkin carriage.




mine is a bird in a cage.

i'm on a boat muthafuckah!

saturday we sailing. since we'd had the camping fail, we were pretty okay with the idea to head out to the bay when claude suggested it.

well, gerry was more okay with it than me, since i have mostly had the experience of feeling ill on the boat. armed with my 'quease ease' aromatherapy, since all the gravol does is conk me out, so while i don't feel like barfing, i do feel like sleeping, i decided to suck it up and enjoy the perfect weather, and excellent company.

i did still feel ill, but it wasn't as bad as other times, and i wasn't as tired after sailing, because i avoided the gravol.

if there's a co-op near you, and you're interested in sailing, i'd suggest joining it. then, if like me, you love being on the water, and the idea of sailing is awesome, but in the end it makes you want to vomit, you haven't lost nearly as much money as you would have buying a boat. also, unless you're retired, or so rich that you don't have to show up to work everyday, it's hard to get out enough to justify having a boat. just sayin'.

camping fail

we've been working tonnes. heaps of weekends and most evenings. gerry and i were looking forward to camping (without work or computers) for ages. wednesday night, i got home, gerry packed up the escape, and i packed my bag with at least three books, a swimsuit, shorts, and sunscreen. YAY! we were going camping. that evening, after an hour or so wait at the border, we had burritos and drove on pack seattle where we spent the night.

the next day we drove to oregon, we got all the groceries we needed for 3 days camping, and extra batteries for the flashlights. then it started to rain. which was fine, i mean, really - we live in BC... we were prepared for rain. but, then it was really really raining. we got to the campsite and decided we'd better put a tarp up as quickly as possible, to help create a bit of a dry spot. by the time we got the tarp up, there were puddles in our site, and the tarp was so full of water, cups of water were pouring over the edge.

we decided we'd leave the tarp up, go grab a warm drink and wait for the rain to let up. as we were driving out of the campsite, the rain got worse, and we decided we'd just pack up our stuff and head home. and so we did.

we were home by 1 a.m. and the next day, kept the no computers rule, cooked everything on the barbeque, and read and hung out.

it was kind of like camping... but the bed was more comfortable, and there wasn't a line-up for the showers.

happy wedding shower, alicia!

today was alicia's wedding shower. so rachel, becca and i met at rachel's to prepare for the shower early, then we all (angela and alicia met us there) went for manis and pedis, and then we fished stuff up at the house and had the shower.

in what is now a tradition, the shower was a strawberry social theme. there were foods that didn't have anything to do with strawberries - a cheese platter, some chips, and hmm... maybe there was something else. in the world of strawberries, there was strawberry soup, scones with strawberry jam, whipped cream, and some strawberries on top, strawberry-raspberry tartlettes, and some chocolate dipped strawberries. hellz yeah.

we played three games, guess who i am/famous couples style, wedding pictionary, and wedding game of things. good times, yo!

the main gift, and if i may be so bold as to suggest that more people should do this for wedding showers, was a collection of money to spend on a weekend away/honeymoon for alicia and andy. there were a couple of other gifts, so she had something to open, a kitchenaid food processor (i have one, and it's AWESOME) and a beautiful wooden piece, and a platter - just a few things.

long day, but great shower. and thank god i *finally* got that pedicure i've been needing.

v-town calling

today, on the one day this month that i should have been able to sleep-in, gerry and i got up at 6am and went to the island. why in the world would i do that? because i am an idiot. oh, and i wanted to pick up the side board that i bought from julie, and gerry wanted to visit his cousins.

so we got up, dragged our asses to the ferry and managed to get on the 8am to V-town. We had a lovely brunch with miss julie, and loaded in the sideboard without a problem and then headed for his cousin's place.

we went for a little walk to a coffee shop, where i had a nice steamed soy, and gerry talked to his cousin's kid about nerd things, which the kid LOVED, and then we tried to make the 3 o'clock ferry back. we missed it, by like 10 minutes.

it was lovely weather, and despite my insane tiredness and grumpiness, i had a nice day.

pupusas

i'm pretty much getting to be an expert at making pupusas. they are a salvadorian food - mesa flour stuffed with cheese and refried beans. they're basically awesome, easy to make, cheap, and super delish.

but now i'm so full of beans, and salsa that we bought at the mesican place in bellingham that i feel ill. oh wait - maybe that's just because the canucks lost again tonight. *sigh* at least it was a good game.

VW Up! Lite

ohmygosh, ohmygosh!



how much fun would this be? did someone say 70 mpg? and it's meant to be released this year? i'm pretty much going to be one of the first to test drive this. huzzah!

name that tune

tonight we spent the evening at the pub with our new best friends. :o)

we had some extra seats around us and invited some people who were standing to sit with us. SUCCESS!

they were super fun and we started the bar cheering with us, and then we played name that tune after the gloriousness that we will call canada beating slovakia.

all in all, another great olympic party. :o)

canada vs usa // women's hockey

what an awesome game!

the canadian women did us proud.

it was exciting and well played. kudos to the americans for putting up a good fight.

whoot!

canada vs usa // men's hockey

exciting, gripping game - both teams played amazingly well. i do think that canada played better. the problem is that miller out goalied us.

but i have faith! canada can for sure beat germany, and then we just need to beat russia. that's all.

i'm looking forward to going to the gold medal game, and watching canada win!

olympic reviews

Irish House - went around noon, got through the line in about 10 minutes. If we go again, will get Gerry to bring his passport because then we can skip the queue completely. Great place to go if you just want to drink and watch the games. Food's decent, as long as you don't get the potatoes poached in roasted chicken fat; they call them fries.

Canada House - 14 million? What the what? There are a bunch of tvs for kids to play with, a torch you would have to stand in a THIRD line up to hold, a bobsleigh, and mounties. That's it. No really, that's it. At least you can walk over to the LiveCity that has tvs and booze.

Manitoba House - At least it didn't cost 14 million and there are pics of polar bears.

Cauldron - worth seeing.

gold fever

in case you didn't know - the Olympics are in town.

if someone asked me if i wanted the Olympics here, i would have said no. but since they're here, and i can't do anything about it - i'm embracing it, and trying to go to events, and take advantage of free stuff.

i've compared it (gerry's heard this one before) to someone inviting you to a party that you can't afford to go to, and then somehow, they're having the party at your house, and it's costing you loads of money that should be going to pay for your medication or something essential like that. since the party's at your house, and you're paying for it, you might as well join in.

on that note, gerry and i went to surrey's holland park. we saw the rcmp musical horse ride; we watched canada's first gold medal won in canada, and celebrated as a community. it was good fun, with the exception of councillor gill acting like a total wanabee big shot. p.s. if you are blocking everyone's photos and grabbing your friends, saying crap like: oh, you're my family tonight, people won't like you. including me. and i will be forced to blog about you and how annoying and inconsiderate you are. so yeah, overall, great night, other than councillor gill.

we'll try to head downtown this weekend, and peak into some of those country houses - apparently Irish House (the Irish have 3 athletes here) is where the party's at.

work photo

today at work i got an email requesting that i (among a few others) let the guy who takes the pictures and puts them online know when i'm feeling particularly attractive so he can come around and take a picture for the online photo album.

i decided i'd send a wedding pic and see if that would fly. amazingly, he decided that, despite expecting emails complaining of favouritism, he would put it up. i now have the hottest picture in all of health link. :o)

hexmas card debate

i usually send out christmas cards. i like to get the unicef cards and send a bit of a note if i have time.

i feel like this year i do *want* to send out cards, but after the wedding and thank you cards, i'm wondering if i can get away with skipping them. what's the protocol on this? i guess i should just google it.

most people who know me, know that i do not like to do christmas shiz until after my birthday. this used to afford plenty of time to sort everything out, presents & cards, but lately i feel like i could really get started in the summer! leaving everything to the month before christmas is not doing anything for my organization or stress. but what about my birthday? do i skip the specialness? should i start to have a half-birthday so that i can really celebrate, without the christmas issue?

hawt

Yay housewarming party!

Great turn out and super fun. I am disappointed that Jeffy not only asked for an invite, but RSVP'd as a yes and then didn't bother to fly out from Ontario. Other than that, totally fun. Too much wine, too much food.

computer repair surrey / white rock / vancouver

TekBusters

Just in case anyone in the Surrey / White Rock / Langley / Vancouver area is looking for someone honest and trustworthy to fix their computer, buy a new one, set up a server or network.

Oh, and Gerry has a fun Irish accent too! Everybody wins!

our jack o' lanterns

we had a heap of trick-or-treaters last night. i actually started to get worried that we might run out of chocolate because gerry was giving out hand fulls of it.

in the end, we didn't run out, and we got lots of compliments on our jack-o'lanterns. commented on the most? gerry's brain one below on the right. but the one on the left (the big one is being eaten by the cannibalistic little ones) won the carving contest at work on friday. okay, so it was the only one entered, still... it's a winner.


ian and julie came over to play some games and eat some babequed food - since our barbeque just got hooked up (whoot!). good times all around.

back

i had a great day today. not one of those basking in the sun, reading and drinking a drink kind of days, but one of those: totally moving forward days.

one of my sisters is almost divorced - like super close. which is all over town exciting. the pre-trial sorted out some shiz for the estate and her, and now she is soon to be a divorcée. yahoo! (he is a dick, and not in the good way, so it's okay to be super-stoked).

also, got my hallowe'en costume sorted out (if you know me, you may know that i don't really get into dressing up for hallowe'en). we're going to a charity event on wednesday, so i needed something. so that's a huge relief.

we picked up some tools today at rona so i can carve the guts out of some pumpkins. now i just need to get some pumpkins. :o) i've got plans for an awesome pumpkin for the contest at work, and then i also want to have some pumpkins along out front porch. i suspect we're going to get a heap of kids because the neighbourhood is rife with them.

for my jewelry making project, i ordered some stuff online and hope to be ready to go on a mad jewelry making frenzy in a week or so. next year, i will be better prepared (she says every year).

and finally, gerry and i got to go to a movie! we haven't see one in a while, and we love going to see them, so it was a nice (if super late) treat. couples retreat was good. and it made me so crazy to get to jamaica! must work extra hard so i can get all of my projects done before we leave.

new blog - a year of pies

Follow me making 52 pies this year!

http://ayearofpies.blogspot.com/

another run

on monday, i had the best run yet.

4 minutes run x 5 with 1 minute walks in between.

oh, and i tried on pants that haven't fit me in ages, and while a bit tight, i actually got them on. whoot.

WAG taste test

just had the taste test for the veggie wedding option at the WAG.

OMG, so yum!

wedding wedding wedding

well, everything is coming together splendidly.

we have a schedule for the wedding day - ceremony's at 3.30 - you should have already received your email.

we have 2 honeymoons booked - and, if you can believe it, our travel agent has arranged for us to have business class flights, for free! it was supposed to be a surprise, but i guess she copied that part of the confirmation.

picked out wedding day jewelry after meeting up with Kari yesterday, and picked up some paper for wedding stuff in china town.

we are going for the taste test/final planning today and we are just going to sort out a few other things.

yay!

it's exactly one month away! okay, must prepare for the WAG... and have a shower. soooo sweaty.

hoefer on homes

we're renovating our bathroom. when i say we, i really do mean it.

gerry's been in charge of most of the stuff, but i've picked out and purchased all of the stuff, including a new toilet and backsplash thingy for the shower. i've also helped out with the painting - which i haven't done since yvonne and i got kicked off of it at my apartment in kits. apparently our skills weren't up to scratch. whatevs.

the bathtub guy is coming on tuesday morning (as long as the power being turned off from 10-11 doesn't make him reschedule). until then, i'll be showering at rachel's, as i did tonight, after the father day feast.

at least the toilet's back together now. and really, worse case scenerio, i could shower at work.

and so it continues (2)

i forgot, i also got a t-shirt for free

and so it continues

today i bought:
a shower backsplash
new taps
a toilet
paint
primer
glue
some cement product for the backsplash

for free, i got:
three free eyelashes

today i ..

got a massage
got my hair did
got a trial run of make-up done
helped gerry bottle beer
became a twit
ate one bagel, one boca burger, a smoothie, cheese and crackers. yup, i'm hungry.

run like the wind

for some crazy reason, i woke up one day and told gerry we should go for a run. for some other crazy reason, he took me seriously, and made me go.

we were on a pretty good roll there, for a while. i say 'we' not because gerry's learning to run or anything like that, but because i would not be running if gerry didn't 'make' me. by 'make' i do mostly mean that. :o)

i did get sick, so the running stopped for a bit, but i think i'm going to get back on it. mostly because alma, aka the devil, is going on vacation for like 3 weeks so then i won't be doing weights and stuff as much. instead, i am going to take the opportunity to really focus on running. i do hate it, but i guess i might as well do it. and it's not like my ass is getting any smaller on its own. unfortunately. it's somewhat depressing to know that i can just fit back into a skirt that was too big for me when i left for ireland. well, at least it's not too small anymore.

a catholic education

some time ago, gerry and i were laying in bed, and as usual, i was feeling around my body for abnormalities. i have a lot of things wrong with me, so i usually find something of interest.

this time it was below the left side of my rib cage. obviously i made gerry feel my yet unidentified 'issue'. he decided it was my extra rib. i seriously laughed at him. now, i'm no expert in biology, but i'm pretty sure i had the highest mark in my bi 11 class, so i felt confident enough to laugh again. he defended himself by saying that women have an extra rib on one side, and then decided that maybe it was the other way around.

here is a synopsis of the rest:

i 'kindly' explained to him that that was a bible story and a lie.
he said it's what they were taught at school.
i laughed again.
he googled it.
i remain victorious.

canada:1
ireland:0

dear sister

please do not call me to wish me a happy mother's day. i know what day it is, thanks.

ursula

to catch a kid

today gerry and i went for a run. i was extra sucky today because of my chest cold. surprisingly, that makes it extra hard to run. who knew?

*but* joy of joys! on the way home, just after some stretching, gerry said, 'A lamb'. obviously this was confusing to me, but as soon as a lamb was mentioned i got super excited! there, ahead of us was a baby goat! and it was sooooo cute! it was jumping around, trying to get away from this guy who was trying to catch him. so we helped the guy catch him (gerry more than me, to be honest). the goat was very fast, and sneaky! it was so much fun, especially since the guy managed to wrangled the baby after it had been cornered.

what a great day and so exciting - i hope this bodes well for the rest of the day!!!

go canucks go!!!

i was all by myself

gerry's living it up in LA this weekend - Mike Got Spiked are playing at Whisky A Go Go on friday. Mike Got Spiked are gerry's friends in a band from ireland. they've been traveling around the US for *ages* now, and are looking for a record deal.

basically, he's going to have a rockin' time going to fancy parties and hanging out with celebs while i'm sweat shopping away and living the commute. woe is me.

oh wait, i get to watch two play off games, and have plans to hang out with friends and even go sailing on saturday.

no rest for the wicked.

timeshare scams

i guess i entered my name in to win some stuff at a restaurant or somewhere like that because we got a call from a timeshare place in lynden, asking if we wanting to come to a tour/presentation thing. obviously, my initial reaction was, 'heck no!' but they lured me in with the promise of a gift certificate for free gas and a free trip. we knew it was probably a scam but thought we'd check it out in case at least the gas part was true.

so off we went.

here's the thing with timeshare. if you work the system, and have good enough properties, you can make it work for you. *but* you really do have to work the system. i am not interested in timeshare, and am especially not interested in RCI - possibly because i worked there, and mostly had to deal with customers who were confused about why they 'can't get a week in the UK on anything other than a canalboat' and why they have to go to florida, the canaries, or if they're lucky, costa del sol every year.

as well as that, the rates for exchange are crazy and then there's the maintenance fees, and of course the initial payment, oh and the cost of being a member so that you can do the exchange. so, as long as you know that, you have nothing to complain about. the problem is that the people selling the timeshare do not tell you that. our 'tour guide' really tried some moves on us, and they were exactly what people would complain to me about when they were trying to book a holiday.

anyway, no, i'm not interested in timeshare, and yes the gift certificates were bunk. there are a lot of hoops to jump through, and a lot of taxes and service fees to sort through before you see the cost of the 'free' stuff they give you.

also, while the suites seemed okay there, they weren't worth thousands of dollars for one week a year and what the heck is there to do in lynden?

moral of the story? don't expect the free gifts to be free or gifts if you get asked to a timeshare presentation in lynden. great links resorts and their gifts are a total scam. well done to Don, who tried his best moves on us, and made us laugh all the way home. his 'thing' was asking the manager for extra special rates and stuff for us. oh boy... thanks for the laughs, great links.

i don't know you, but i love you

today we were at london drugs and they had roombas on sale. we're talking supersale. 140 buckaroos sale. how could we resist? ruby is charging. we have 15 days to test her out and if she doesn't work as well as we would like, she will go back to the coal mine, i mean shop.

i will post my review.

my peeps

on friday, i julie came over for a n evening of foods, buffy (with gerry, while i did laundry) and some scrab action. good times. we met up with nicole for brunch and had a good gossip fest about my old work. oh, and the brunch was delicious!! YUMMY! guess i should blog about the cafe on eating out white rock.

saturday i got to watch the canucks beat the avalanche. it was a pretty boring game, but they did win, so now they've clinched the NW division title.

saturday night rachel, danielle and ian came over and we chatted, ate some food (i made pizza, and have to say, i was really impressed with the dough recipe i used. super easy) and had a quiet but nice evening.

now i have to work and then get ready for easter dinner at the stewart house! whoot!

found it!

last night gerry set up a surprise easter egg mystery hunt for me! how fun and surprising! also, how silly of him to think i would be able to wait until morning once i knew there were eggs hidden around the house and a big puzzle to solve at the end.

get it?

sent the invites today. well, most of them. please ignore the poor cutting. the time will be decided a bit later on.

Movie Review: The Watchmen

i thought this movie was boring and that it sucked. i also (oddly) didn't like that some people in the audience were laughing through the rape scene. oh, and that it's 3 hours of my life that i will not get back.

barf

today seymour barfed in gerry's office. twice. gerry doesn't know about it yet. :o)

i think poor seymour is sick-sick. he's getting old, and he's like an old man walking around the house, sleeping more than usual, and whining more than ever.

maybe he needs extra squishes.

a stitch in time

apparently (and maybe one of my doctor colleagues can comment on this) they don't give stitches anymore. they just tape that shiz up. well, i suspect the hole in my belly could have used some more tape, or a couple of stitches. it's not looking so hot to be honest... but it is kind of cool.

i am recovering well, despite some paranoia about the quack doctor not taking out enough infected organs. it's just that i still have some pain where my appendix was. gerry has interpreted this as meaning that i think i have more than one appendix, so in case anyone one else gets that idea, it's wrong. i just have some jabbing pain once in a while and it makes me think there's still some stuff going on. maybe if they'd shown me the CT scan.

anyway, yeah. i'm fine. working lots and working on wedding stuff. the invites are almost done, we just need some addresses to finish it up. and we have a meeting with the florist, the DJ and the restaurant this week. whoot!

my new job as a web officer starts in april. hopefully i like it and hopefully then it will be extended to a long-term position. i love the title, cause it sounds tough. however, the truth is that i will be working with two branches of a government health service. not so tough, but possibly super fun because the job is really diverse, and working with two departments means that i'll never be bored. whoot!

in fact, i can't believe my current job is ending soon. we'll be finished the project at the end of the month. i kind of hope i get a bit of OT before that, cause the $$ would be sweet. :o)

sam waterson really sells it

robot insurance

hurtin' for certain

i'm still sore. it's true. i thought i'd be healed by now, to be honest. but i really am not. i took some potatoes out of the oven, turned over the veggie dogs and picked up a paper from the floor. i'm exhausted. seriously.

oh, and i have a phantom pain where my appendix used to be. and a weird belly button to boot. i may post photos at a later date.

what happened?

well, here's the scoop (while i'm still lucid, ie. before i get into the T3 for the day):

tuesday morning, i woke up with a pain in my lower right hand abdomen. gerry suggested that i had pulled a muscle working out the day before. later that day, i had a nice little veggie dog vom... which in fact, was less fun than it sounds, partly because they were spicy chili dogs. the whole day was full of sharp pains, so i was a bit out of it, but managed through.

that night, i started having trouble catching my breath. i chock it down to being a bit anxious about the pain (it is Dr. Ursula, in case you've forgotten). anyway, i couldn't sleep because i couldn't breathe, so gerry was like: okay, this is nonsense. we're going to the hospital. now. i couldn't even argue, so i knew i was sick.

we got in fairly quickly. the doctor felt i probably had appendicitis. which is what Julie and i were discussing that afternoon... when i was saying that what i had probably wasn't contagious, but she may want to reconsider her visit... especially since i'd barfed.

anyway, the doctor wanted to keep me overnight, but i started to cry when she that, so she let me go home. with T3 and the promise that if i barfed again, got a fever, or the pain got worse i would come back and that i wouldn't eat or drink anything in the meantime (in case it was appendicitis and they had to operate on me). i quickly promised and went home. i was still tossing around the idea that it could be something else too... indigestion, blocked bowel, kidney stone... anything that would not require an operation.

the CT scan the next morning showed that it was appendicitis and things were quickly arranged for an operation that evening. the surgeon was an ass, but everyone else at the hospital was lovely. the nurses, the other doctors, the anesthesiologist. i was pretty nervous about the whole thing, so in fact, it was probably a good thing that it happened so quickly. i didn't even get a choice of if i wanted to be put to sleep, it was just like: sign here. blah blah blah (apparently when you're on morphine this is how people sound).

so i went to sleep. woke up (thank you, jeebus) a couple hours later, with a dry sore throat (breathing tube) and pain in my belly. the next morning i got to go home. it's better to suffer at home despite having kind nurses at the call of a button.

i'm still very sore. very very sore. and tired. and on liquids for now. but i've had visitors, and gerry's being very good to me. now i will sleep.