Friday, July 30, 2010

Bye Bye Meds

Over the last week my subconscious kept telling me that since we are going to start trying for a baby next month that it is time for me to get off my antidepressants. The thought has nagged and nagged me, until finally I called the doctor's office the other day and made my appointment for next Tuesday.

When I went on them a year ago my plan was to stay on them until I found out I was pregnant. Well, that was the plan as long as my IUD came out in February and we were right back at trying for a baby. We all know that didn't happen. I was so glad I was still on them back then, and decided to stay on them until after my surgery and up until we got pregnant again. Apparently though, my subconscious has other plans and has decided I should go off them now, before we even start trying.

Over the past year, I was nervous about the day I started to wean off. They really did help even me out and keep me sane. But as my doctor says, once the brain figures out how to do these things on its own, the meds aren't necessary any more. We hope that will be the case with me.

I have never been on any medication for so long in my life. Having said that, I feel pretty confident that all of my neurons and receptors are fully capable of doing their jobs without the aid of my meds anymore. I am no longer nervous to go off of them, but excited because its time. They have done their job and served their purpose, and I am ready to be free of them. I am actually pretty excited.

I guess over the next month we will see how I do. I'm ready to lose the crutch and start running on my own again.

Monday, July 26, 2010

A Case of the Mondays

I really enjoyed doing my post last week entitled, "A Case of the Mondays" and have decided to try to do a weekly post, complete with To Do list from work. Without further ado, I present you with this week's Case of the Mondays.

To Do:

This morning I woke up to my usual Frank Sinatra ballad and hearing about how I'm just too marvelous for words. I valiantly fought off sleep, and swung my feet over the bed while I rubbed my eyes and wondered how in the world it was Monday already. I had just fought the workweek battle and just barely obtained my weekend reward, and already it was being snatched from me.

I blundered through my morning routine of washing my face, getting partially dressed, putting on makeup, battling my hair, and finishing getting dressed. Apparently DH and the Munchkin were having the same kind of morning because we all stumbled out the door at 8:00. Have I mentioned I'm supposed to be at my desk at 8:00? Oops.

Fifteen minutes after leaving the house, I was tip-toeing past my PM's office door, hoping he wouldn't see I was late. I sat down at my desk, booted up the old computer, and got my morning under way. Before I knew it, it was time for my weekly team meeting. Into the conference room I strode with notebook in hand. The meeting started... and then it kept going... and going... and going. I was so hungry. I hadn't eaten yet. It felt like eons had passed. I wanted to doodle on my notepad, but this meeting is small and intimate, so it would be too obvious I wasn't really listening if I did. Instead, I jotted down the things I really needed to this week. Before I knew it, it was time for my next meeting, and I got to leave my current meeting before it was over.

On my way to the next meeting I snagged a cereal bar from my desk cabinet and glided down the hall with a coworker to the oober fun meeting of the day. The one where Gary, my arch nemesis is supposed to be present. Shortly after I was seated, the fun began. I looked around the conference room, and then quickly began to jot down my other To Do items for the week, such as invest in Fo.cus Fac.tor and avoid Gary.

Gary.

Where was Gary? I stopped doodling to look around. The jerk was no where to be seen. Inside I laughed evilly. It was MY turn to give HIM hell for not being there this week. I wrung my evil hands and thought of how I could ride HIS @$$ for not being there.

Almost as quickly as it began, the meeting was disbanding, and I was free to begin my work week.

Now if only I could concentrate.... I sure could use a bottle of Fo.cus Fac.tor.

Somehow I made it through the day. It helped a great deal that I was able to go to lunch with two of my best friends as well as hit the office supply store when the network my documents are saved on went down and caused my software to crash.

By the end of the day there was only one thing I had forgotten to do: Invest in Fo.cus Fac.tor. Tomorrow is another day.


And yes, the snake in the picture is my depiction of Gary, and I am on the left with a gigantic club....

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Awkwaaard

Tonight I was talking to my dad on Sk.ype and I proudly told him I had gotten my grandmother's (his mother's) ring back from the jeweler. I asked if he wanted to see it, and he said sure, so I pointed the webcam at the Munchkin and ran upstairs to retrieve the ring. I came back and held it up in front of the lens, but the camera was having a hard time focusing on it, so I kept trying it at different angles and distances. I finally told my dad it was about as good as it was going to get, and asked if he could see it well enough. He said he could, and then he said, "That looks like grandma's ring all right."

All of a sudden, I had this sinking and awkward feeling in my stomach.

Me: She wore it for a long time, didn't she?
Dad: Yes, she did.
Me: Is it weird for you to see me with it, and wearing it?

I had never thought about the fact that my wearing my dad's mother's ring could possibly be awkward for him. The ring that his mother wore as she held him tight all those years, soothed him, baked and cooked for him. All of a sudden, it wasn't on her finger anymore, it was on mine.

When I had dropped the ring off to be repaired the first time, I called my dad as I was driving away from the mall to tell him.

Me (excited): So I just dropped grandma's ring off. They are going to fix the bottom and set it with white topaz. I thought the topaz would be significant because of grandma and grandpa living near and mining at Topaz Mountain.
Dad (not upset, but inquisitive): Why would you do that?
Me (bewildered): I told you I was going to when you gave it to me. I thought it would be nice to restore it.
Dad: What are you going to do with it when you get it back?
Me: Wear it. Why? Does that bother you?
Dad: No.

He didn't seem to dislike the idea, so I just figured my dad was being a man, who didn't care much for sentimentality like I do. When I got the ring back the first time, I took a picture with my phone and sent it to him. He never replied, which isn't an indication of anything, he rarely replies to my texts these days because he has Parkinsons, which makes his hands shake, which in turn makes it hard to hit the little keys on the touch screen accurately. I did call him that night, and he said the ring was beautiful.

But even then, I didn't think about my wearing the ring from his perspective. The one of the little boy who had seen his mother wear that ring for many years.

I asked if he was okay with my wearing it, or if it was too weird to him. He assured me he was, and that it wasn't, but I still felt weird. Weird enough to not wear it? No way. That ring is gorgeous, and I just put some time and money into restoring it so that it could be appreciated again for the first time in years. Do you know how much I love showing it off and telling people it was my grandma's engagement/wedding ring?

Honestly, I think my dad really is okay with it. I think it just might have been a jolt initially and might have stirred up some memories for him. But I know he sees the ring the way I do, as something that can be passed down and treasured for generations. His mother lives on with that ring, and I am so honored to wear it and think of her often, and I do.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

She's Home

Here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for. The unveiling of my grandma's engagement ring. She was due back from the jewelers yesterday, and around 2:30, I got the call that she was back and I could come pick her up. It took everything I had to keep from speeding from the office to the jewelry store.

Here she is, in all her renewed glory!


I probably spent more repairing this ring than it is monetarily worth, but I don't care. The sentimental value of it goes way beyond a price tag to me. This is an heirloom that will be passed onto my daughter one day, and then hopefully passed onto her children. The fact that none of my dad's sisters wanted this ring because it was broken and the diamonds had been removed is still gobsmacking to me. It was totally their loss.

This beautiful piece of my grandparent's past has been repaired with a piece of my past, and will now be proudly worn on my finger for years to come. I had it sized so that hopefully when I get pregnant next time around I will be able to wear it when my own wedding ring becomes to small.

It is beautiful and priceless, and am so happy and proud to be its new owner.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Fantastic News!

If you want to hear how my sonohystrogram went today, check out this post! :D

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Sharing a Favorite

When DH and I first moved to Texas a couple and a half years ago, we visited an art and framing store to find new picture frames for our wedding pictures. They had been in cherry wood frames in our last two places of residence, but the wood scheme of the room they were going into in the new house was maple. While we were looking around, I came across this print by Karen Dupre and instantly fell in love with it.


What is it exactly that I love about this painting? Is it the color scheme? Definitely. I love the browns, golds, and blacks and the way they all just go together. But what I really love is the composition. A million words could not describe what I see and get from this picture.

No matter what era you put this woman in, her clothes and jewelry tell us she is classy, stylish, wealthy. I love her coat, and the way it wraps around her and frames her figure as if it was made just for her. I love the way her black hat comes down over her face that even though you can't see all of it, you know she is beautiful. You know her expression would be one of contentment. She is fulfilled. She hasn't a care in the world, and even if she does, she doesn't care.

Perhaps what I love best is that the title of the painting is, "Time to Shop." The woman in the picture is taking her jaguar shopping with her. The cat is proudly wearing a diamond studded collar that matches his mistresses necklace as he majestically pads down the street next to her. This painting is so artistically done, you would think this was something you would see every day, as if it is a common occurrence to take your pet jaguar shopping with you and no one minds or freaks out at the sight of the massive cat.

This painting just sucks me in. I could stare at it for hours. It is soothing in a way.

While I was looking for the image to upload to this post, I found out that the artist is rather famous. She has many paintings, and there are some I love just as much as this one. There is one in particular that I would like to own, and one day when I purchase it, I will do a post all about it too.

Monday, July 19, 2010

A Case of the Mondays

To Do:


Oh yes, this is actually my To Do list at work for this week.

I woke up this morning and dragged my groggy butt to work. I didn't get to sleep until around 12:30 last night, as the Munchkin has her second case of daycare-induced pink eye in a week, so I was up soothing a crying toddler a few times during the night.

As soon as my butt met my desk chair this morning, it was all I could do to keep from falling asleep. I reached under my desk and grabbed my last two frappuchinos, cursing that they weren't already cold. With fraps in arm, I grabbed my water cup, hair brush, and straightening iron. That's right, I do my hair at work. I just can't get myself up that extra 10 minutes early to do it at home.

My weekly team meeting had been cancelled, due to my PM being out of the office today, but never fear, an even more boring, gruelling, and long meeting stood ready to take its place. Better yet, that meeting happened to be with one of the three people in this world I can't stand (those three people are Gary [from work - not his real name], BIL, and Crazy Dog Lady - in that order). Gary rode my @$$ all last week because I missed the Monday morning meeting due to my need to be home with a daughter who was sporting pink eye and a fever. I made it a point to give him "The Look" as soon as I sat down. "See you jerk, I'm here. Eat that."

As the meeting coordinator droned on, it was all I could do to stay awake. I was so glad I had gone to Ein.stiens and grabbed bagels for J and I before I got sucked into the meeting void. All I could think about was how I was going to make it through the day. To help keep myself conscious, I tried to think of funny things. The first thing that came to mind is the new Kr.aft Mac-N-Cheese commercial that makes me laugh my butt off every time I see it.

The commercial is set at a modern family Independence Day-type party setting where Thomas Jefferson is present. The hostess asks Thomas to taste her mac-n-cheese. He does and then proceeds to throw a fit, claiming she stole his recipe. He stomps over to a table covered in food dishes with a bunch of balloons tethered to it, and in a he rage pops one of the balloons with a fork and then kicks over the table. Its hilarious. I couldn't find it on yo.utube, or I'd point you in the right direction.

That commercial is the reason not stealing Thomas Jefferson's recipe is on my To Do list. It is currently a work in progress. Happily, however, I was able to check off the items: Make it to lunch; and Get through Monday. That's about all I was able to check off though. Oh well, at least I made it!

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Look!

Look what my husband and I saw in our front yard this morning as we were heading to work. Okay, he wasn't IN our front yard, but he was in the grassy, green open space next to our yard. DH tried to get some pictures of him, but he was far enough away they didn't turn out that great.


Can you tell what he is? No? Look at this one then.


Still no? Then here, look at this one!


Yeah, that's a coyote. IN MY FRONT YARD!!!!

I was so glad the dogs were inside for the day. I have heard that coyotes roam these parts, and a coworker has encountered them face-to-face when he was out walking his dog at night once, but this is the first time I have seen one not in a zoo setting, and it was right by my house!

He was cute and all, but he had better stay the deuce away from my baby, dogs, and yard. Otherwise he won't think I am so cute.

I kind of felt bad for him cause the guy obviously had some serious flea issues. I wished he was friendly so I could take care of him, but I know better.

Just stay away little dude. Let's admire each other from a distance, okay?

I have now come across a bobcat and a coyote near my house, and I don't live in the woods people!

Monday, July 12, 2010

Ring-a-Ding

So if you missed (or chose not to read) my (long) post below, I will give you a quick back story as to what is going on with my grandma's ring.

Blah blah blah, the jeweler sucked and lied to me, blah blah blah, I didn't get what I expected or was told I was getting, blah blah blah, I got mad and took my business elsewhere.

Somewhere in between all of the blah, blah, blahs above, the jeweler did not repair my ring by reshanking it (i.e., making the band the same thickness all of the way around), so when I got it back they had only soldered the bottom of the ring together where it had worn thin and broke, instead of reshanking it, which is what they told me they would do.

Rather than be really freaking upset that they didn't do what they said, I looked for a low-cost solution, which happened to be in my cedar chest in the form of a promise ring from my high school sweetheart, and my first love. I said to myself, says I, "What better purpose for that silly gold band than to repair my grandma's engagement ring!" By jove! Two very special and important rings coming together as one!

Friday afternoon I decided I was done with the mom and pop ring shops. That company really screwed everyone else over who doesn't operate under a big name. I ended up calling Za.les and asking them how much it would cost to use one ring to save the other. The quote was almost twice as high as the mom and pop shop, but I didn't care. Sometimes it is just worth it to pay a little more and get exactly what you expect and get treated with respect in the meantime.

Tonight my ring is on its way to be repaired. By Friday I will know if one part of my life can be used to save a part of my grandparent's life. Two things that were already precious in their own right will be joined together to become even more sentimental and precious.

One day, that ring will be passed on to my daughter, who was there to witness the handing over of the rings today.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

The PMS Avenger

Have you ever had those weeks where you feel like you are the PMS Avenger? I am in one right now, and I am begging to take this cape off and pass it onto the next gal because I have had enough! I am so tired of the need to boil over just to get what is right and fair. I am tired of feeling like each day this week has been given to me in a giant suppository format. I really want this week to end.

Remember how I told you all I was getting my grandma's ring repaired? Well I took it in 3 weeks ago and told them exactly what I wanted. The bottom of the band had been worn thin, and so had broken. All of the stones had been removed and put into a new ring. I asked the guy (known as batman from here on out) if he could not only repair the bottom, but if he could also make it the same thickness as the rest of the ring, to which he said they could. So he wrote up the bill, I paid, and handed over the ring. He told me it would be back in a week.

A week later I excitedly went to get my ring. I couldn't wait to see it! I got there only to be informed it was not back yet, but that they would have batman call their jeweler and call me back. He never called me back. This same scenario was repeated two more times over the next week, making my ring TWO weeks late. Three times I was told batman would call me, and he never did.

Over this past weekend I decided I would march in there first thing Tuesday morning and demand my money and ring back. I was so angry. But when I got to work that day, I saw I had missed a call. The message was 7 seconds long (no joke). It was batman telling me my ring was back. So I excitedly jumped in the car and went to get it.

When it was unwrapped from the tissue paper and handed to me I was so amazed. It was gorgeous! It turned out so beautiful, and it gleamed like a whole new ring. I put it on and left the store, but just outside the door I looked at the bottom of the band. It had not been made to match the thickness of the rest of the band. It was just as skimpy as when I took it in.

I was fuming, and I knew I had better walk away rather than go back because I knew I would say things I would regret. That and I am not confrontational. After I got back to work and showed J, she got me all riled up and I called the jeweler to tell them I wasn't happy.

Guess what I was told? He said he would leave batman a message, who wasn't working that day, and he would call me back the next day. All of a sudden, I grew a pair. I told him I had been told that three times before and batman never called back. I told him I was extremely unhappy with my experience because of that and the fact that it had taken 3 times as long as they said it would. He told me I would have to take it up with batman. What a spineless moron.

I went into the store the next day the second they opened and demanded batman tell me what exactly I paid for. He told me he thought I only wanted to repair the bottom of the ring. I shoved it in his face and said, "Look at this! This is so flimsy it is going to break again in 5 minutes. Why would I ask you to only solder it together? What good is that to me? I can't wear this!" The jerk actually told me that if I wanted to make the bottom the same thickness as the rest of the ring it would cost me more. Freaking up yours batman!

The upside to this story is I have a gold band from the first guy I ever loved. We bought one for each other just before we graduated from high school as promise rings. It has sat unused and mostly unseen in my cedar chest since we broke up 13 years ago. What better purpose for it than to repair my grandma's ring?! How cool is it that the ring from my first love is going to be put together with the ring from my grandma's one true love? (No, DH has no idea where my gold band came from and never will.)

As if all of that wasn't bad enough, I had to fight with my insurance company the next day over the fact that they have not been applying my payments to my out-of-pocket correctly or for the correct amounts. They are hundreds of dollars off, in their favor of course. So I have more than met my requirements for the year, yet they choose to ignore hundreds of dollars I have already paid so that I can keep helping them pay their share.

Insurance lady, if you took my call this week, I'm sorry my husband ripped you a new one.

THEN, I got an email from my BIL today. (For those of you new to the blog, the B does not stand for "brother." Feel free to insert the B expletive of your choice.) We haven't talked in 5 months, and she sends me the nastiest email about my other blog and something she took out of context so that she could use it against me. I replied and ripped her a new one, and then I ripped her another new one, and then I ripped her another new one, and then I hit "Send."

I spent all day fighting with her, which always gets my blood absolutely boiling. Then at the end of it we decided to put all of it behind us and move on, so I apologized for my part... she didn't. Rather, she turned it around and tried to make it sound like I should have apologized... for ALL of it. When I pointed out the fact that her email was in fact meant the way she said it and prompted her for an apology, she simply said, "Let's just put this behind us, OK?"

I DON'T THINK SO!!!

I emailed her just before I started writing this blog post and told her she owed me an apology, and that if she wanted to put all of this behind us, she had to show me some respect by doing so first. I'm not her stinking door mat. She can't manipulate me into thinking she didn't owe me an apology.

At any rate, I am exhausted from all of my PMS avenging this week, and I just want it to be over. I seriously can't wait to see what waits for me tomorrow. If I have to wear this cape again, I will, but beware if you are the one facing my wrath!

Friday, July 2, 2010

Spoiled

First of all I want to say I have every intention of catching up on every post I have missed from Jill in her recent series of posts. I will be doing that this weekend, and then commenting like crazy. Just know that is coming up and that I haven't forgotten you Jill!

Lately the Munchkin and I have been getting spoiled, and we're both loving it.

Today I went for my first ever pedicure. That's right, I'm 31 and have never had a pedi before. Don't ask me how that is possible. I've only ever had one manicure in my life before too. I guess I would rather squander my money on other things like peanut butter M&M.s, music, food, or something else stupid. *insert big stupid grin* I do have to say I really enjoyed the pedi and being pampered. I went with my friend J who was going to get her nails done. Since she was going to be a while (she was getting a new full set), I opted for the "Deluxe" pedi. That's the one where they rub your legs down and put your feet in paraffin. It was pretty dang sweet. At the end of it they painted my toe nails, and for $5 extra I had them paint a design on my big toes, which turned out awesome. I really enjoyed the experience, but at the end of the day, I can't say it was completely worth the price. It was great for a one-time thing, and for an intro to pedi's, but I think next time I will opt for the less expensive option.

When I told DH I was going for a pedi with J, he told me it was a good thing my new allowance started on Wednesday of this week, rather than Monday, which is how it will be going forward. I laughed and said, yep, it was a good thing. I think he was relieved when I got home and said I wouldn't be getting pedi's very often. Honestly, I have a massage membership to Ma.ssage. E.vy, and I would rather spend my money getting a full body rub down. Speaking of which, I really need to go use my free massages. I think I have about 9 or 10 now. :D

As for the Munchkin, a friend of ours from church gave us a free toddler Pl.ay Sc.hool slide and picnic table. The guy has four daughters, and the youngest is around 4 or 5, so needless to say, they have all outgrown toddler playground equipment. We were more than happy to take it off his hands, and the Munchkin LOVES it. In the past week she has gotten a pool, a tree swing, a toddler slide, and a toddler picnic table. She might be too young to know what it feels like to be spoiled, but her mama sure feels it for her.

I took pictures this week of her and I in our pool and Sadie dog in her pool, as well as pictures of the Munchkin playing on her new playground equipment, but I can't find the stupid camera cable to download the pictures. Grrr! I took pictures just for you gals! I'll have to find it this weekend and upload them later.

Hopefully my sweet blog friend Hannah will be spoiled too and receive a BFP soon. She had two embies transfered this past Thursday. If you can spare a minute, hope over to her blog and send her some love and prayers as she battles the angst of the dreaded TWW.

I hope those of you in the US have a safe and happy Independence Day this Sunday. Be sure to exercise caution and safety when lighting fireworks, and always remember to point the tanks that shoot firecrackers away from your face. :p