The Adventures of Lady P

Today's Adventure: A good day...

2010-01-10T08:26:00.000-08:00

to get back to blogging. Hello, blog world. It's been a long time.

Today's Adventure: Sleep!

2009-08-17T21:09:00.000-07:00

Okay, four months is starting to suck a little less, because now The Kid is four and a half months old. She has figured out how to roll over from her back to her tummy, and this was making her angry. She hasn't quite figured out how to go from tummy to back consistently.

The first few days of last week were really hard. She was teething, learning to roll, not eating very much, not napping at all. You would think all this would exhaust a young child, but she would wake up every few hours at night, roll onto her tummy, then get mad and scream. Poor The Huz, he was getting no sleep, going into work with headaches and, on top of that, he had a huge pitch to give that week.Then on Wednesday night, she finally went to sleep for the night at 10:30 (We start our bedtime routine around 7:30, so you can see what a mess four months has been!). I was totally prepared to just feed her whenever she woke up (instead of trying to soothe her back to sleep), because it seemed to be the only way to get her to go back to sleep. She didn't make a peep all night! I woke up at 7:30am, and I was like, "Thank you, thank you, thank you for a full night's sleep! I got up and peeked in on her, and I could see she was on her tummy. My heart stopped a little - I was afraid she'd suffocated or something and that was why she never woke up in the middle of the night.Turns out she just finally figured out how to make herself comfy. I touched her face to see if she was breathing, and that woke her up (Darn, I had been hoping to catch just a leetle more sleep). Since then I've been alternating putting her down on her back and her belly. I'm also experimenting with a warm towel. The Huz puts a hand towel in the dryer when I start to feed her, and then he puts the warm towel in her crib when I'm ready to put her down. It's a very tricksy maneuver to keep her from waking up during the transfer, and it seems the warm towel helps lessen the shock of going from my warm body to a cold crib.

In a few days, it will be one year since it was 100% confirmed that I was pregnant, the anniversary of my 9 week sonogram. I'm going to try to write out the story of how I found out I was pregnant to commemorate.

Today's Adventure: Four Months

2009-08-12T22:48:00.000-07:00

Just so you know, four months sucks.

Really, really sucks.

I mean, it sucks hard.

It sucks the most of all the months so far.

Sucks.

:(

Today's Adventure: Catch - up

2009-07-28T23:54:00.000-07:00

And then, another month goes by.

Crazy...

The Kid will be four months old on the 30th. Here's what she's been up to lately:

Found her thumb and is sucking/chewing on it. Sometimes she has three fingers from one hand and thumb of her other all in her mouth at the same time.

Found her feet. I went to get her after her nap, and she was laying there with a foot in each hand, looking very pleased with herself. Today, she tried to get one into her mouth, but didn't quite make it.

Laughed, but only a few times. The Huz got her to do it twice, once each on two different days, and I got her to do it twice, both on the same day.

Rolled over, from her stomach to her back. She's actually done this several times, but mostly she just seemed to fall over. Today, she rolled intentionally. She's so so close to rolling from back to stomach, but she can't get her arm out from underneath her.

Gone swimming. The Huz and my brother rigged a floating ring with a canopy so she wouldn't be exposed to too much sun, and we took her to the pool twice over the weekend. She enjoyed it a lot.

Using her voice. She humming and squealing, making monkey sounds and babbling, screaming (not mommy's favorite); just really exploring the range of her voice.

The Kid watches us very intently when we eat, but has no interest in solids yet. She nurses very well, after some struggling at the beginning, and now I'm trying to get more comfortable with nursing in public. Because I have to use a nipple shield, it's a little bit more awkward of a process than just pulling up my shirt and latching her on. I'm learning how to minimize the exposure and how to nurse her in my Moby Wrap. I love this thing! Basically, it's five yards of t-shirt fabric that you wrap around yourself to carry your baby. It comes in very handy at those times when she only wants to be held, and my arms and back are getting tired. It's also very convenient for places where a stroller would be too much of a bulky burden. Like, at Comic Con!! The Huz and I had four-day passes (because he's "in the industry", as they say), so we took The Kid to Preview Night. I thought that it would be the least crowded day, but I was so wrong! It was PACKED. There was no room to be pushing a stroller around the showfloor. Yay for the Moby!

The Kid has her four month checkup this week. I'll fill in her weight, length and percentile afterwards.

Now that the "fourth trimester" is over, we're trying to incorporate The Kid into our lives more. You know, doing the things we normally did when we didn't have a baby, just modified to include her. She's been to birthday parties, weddings, out to eat at restaurants. I'm going to get involved in some mommy groups, if only to find a good babysitter if nothing else, so we can go out without pressing our parents into babysitting duty (They are the BEST babysitters, but slightly inconvenient, since they live 100 miles away). I'm also running out of things to entertain her with on my own!

On the knitting front, my friend C and I went to a Stitch-n-Pitch baseball game, Dodgers v. Astros. Astros killed, 10-2. We got four or five free bags, and I picked up a silk folding case for my Addi Cliks. I worked on my Wicked (I'm about halfway through the shoulder increases), and I taught C how to do a dropstitch, so she started a scarf with some Sugar n Creme I had laying around.

So that's it for now!

Today's Adventure: Early Morning

2009-06-18T04:59:00.000-07:00

It's 5:00 am right now. The diapers are on their second wash now, as we had forgotten to finish them last night. There are only three small lights on: the one over the stove, which I think The Huz turns on as a comfort more than anything else; the lamp on his desk, which glows with just enough light to change a diaper; and the light of my laptop, which bathes my daughter in soft white as she nurses and I browse the Internet. The Huz stays up in the living room for a little while, but he has wisely decided to go back to bed, because he will be on duty later this morning. The Kid has fallen asleep on my lap - she smiles every once in a while in her sleep, and it makes me smile. The refrigerator hums, the wall clock ticks, and The Huz lightly snores in the other room.

I am content.

This is a wonderful adventure.

Today's Adventure: The Kid - 2 1/2 Months

2009-06-16T00:09:00.000-07:00

Here are a few videos and pictures of The Kid:

She is cooing a lot, and she is trying to get things from her hand to her mouth, with varying degrees of success. She loves chewing on cloth.

She smiles at us when we get her out of her crib as if to say, "Oh yeah, I remember you, you're the one with the milk/who wipes my butt." She is following things and people with her eyes, tracking them as they move around her.

She's been camping already and looks incredibly cute when hanging out by the fireside.

She LOVES Sara Watkins' solo album, especially the song, "Long Hot Summer Day" - I kid you not, she can be in the middle of a full-out meltdown, and if I put that song on, or start singing it, she goes silent.

She does NOT like to be laid down when she is enjoying being upright. She has learned how to scream and it is very high-pitched!

She's so stinkin' adorable I can't get over it!

Today's Adventure: Return of the Knitter

2009-06-01T07:41:00.000-07:00

I haven't written anything about knitting in a long time - mostly because I haven't been doing any. I had all this free time on my hands when I wasn't working and I did not use it to do any knitting until the end of my pregnancy. I knit up a burp rag in Sugar'n Cream, and I made a tiny pair of socks for The Kid. I misplaced the socks right after I knit them and didn't find them until a week ago - of course her feet are already too big for them.
So, I'm jumping back onto my knitting bandwagon and knitting up a storm. For my first Mother's Day :) The Huz sent me to one of the LYS nearby (that's Local Yarn Store, for those who don't know - yes, knitting has lingo) and buy whatever I wanted. I bought three skeins of Malabrigo in the Cinnabar colorway. This is a yarn that everyone on Ravelry (an online knitting and crocheting community) just raves about, so I've been wanting to try it out. I must agree, it is a yummy yarn, so I went back a few days later to buy the remaining skeins, in order to make a sweater. Malabrigo is dyed in small batches of like 6-10 skeins, and someone else had bought one or two, so there were only two left. I'm going to make a Wicked sweater, probably with short sleeves since I think I will just skate by with the exact right amount of yarn. I have swatched and cast on and I am on Row 2!

My mom also took me yarn shopping for Mother's Day at her LYS (not that she knits, but it's a yarn store that is local to her, not me). They were even having a Mother's Day sale, so I got four skeins of Elsebeth Lavold Angora in an orangey colorway, six skeins of Berocco Comfort in a variegated pink, and five balls of Monet in a mottled black and pink. The Monet will become a shrug for my mom (happy Mother's Day, you just bought your own present!), the Comfort will be a shrug for me, and the Angora is for me to pet! ;) I haven't yet decided what the Angora is for.

I also took myself yarn shopping for Mother's Day, and picked up some Schaefer Sandra in purple, pink and blue, and a small skein of Ella Rae Bamboo Silk in a pretty turquoise. The Schaefer will also be a shrug/sweater like this one (Ravelry link) I made for Mom, and the Bamboo Silk will become a cowl in some lace pattern I haven't picked yet. I'm thinking fir cone, but maybe something else. I have to wait until the 17" cable comes back from the Denise kit people - the cable broke on another project, so I had to send it back to the manufacturer to replace it - yay, lifetime warranty! I bought the new Addi Click interchangeables, too, and I'm using them on my Malabrigo Wicked - I'll let you know how I like them, but so far, I'm annoyed that the kit doesn't have a 16" cable - I can't start my cowl! :( Okay, I could go buy another circular needle, but that just seems a bit silly when I have two interchangeable kits.

And since Michaels is re-doing their yarn department, I scored three skeins of Lion Brand Cashmere for $.99 a piece, and I picked up a few skeins of their new Impeccable yarn in the Embers and Garden colorways.

As for stash knitting, I made this cute little sweater (Rav link) for a friend's baby, using Sugar'n Cream in Rose and Cream. I think I'll make one for The Kid, too.

The Knitter is back, and she's ready for action! I just have to find the time to do all of this knitting...

(ETA: The tiny socks are made with Koigu KPPPM - thanks for reminding me, Emily!)

Today's Adventure: Mommydom Update

2009-05-13T18:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, so, I suck as a blogger. I'll put in a lot of pictures so it will be worth it.

Here's what happened: I had a baby, see? And if that doesn't warrant a bit of a break from blog obligation, I don't know what does, okay? I know it also obligates me to blog about my new addition eventually. So, I kept meaning to write, and meaning to write, and everyday, more stuff happened that I should have written about, but didn't. And it just kept piling up and piling up. Eventually, it was just too much to write about, and it seemed very daunting, so I'm not gonna. I'm just going to start from right now, six weeks in. She's much more interesting now, anyway. Well, that's a bit of an exaggeration. She still doesn't really do much of anything.

The Huz is NOT a bad blogger - as a matter of fact, he's a very good blogger. He DID write about the birth of our child. I attribute this to the fact that he does not have to feed her from his chest, so he has a little bit more free time. For the thirty-plus hour extravaganza that is the birth of our daughter, The Kid, and an overview of her first two weeks, please go to The Huz's blog, Baby In Progress, or One In The Oven. Here, I'll take you...

Six weeks have gone by since The Kid was born, and they have been the longest six weeks of my life. It feels like she's been here forever. Paul Reiser was right - babies slow down time! Every time we think we have gotten into a rhythm, she changes it up on us. She'll go down for the night at 9:00pm three days in a row, and then, on the fourth, she'll want to eat at 9:00pm. And 10:00pm. And 11:00pm. And 12:00am. She'll sleep for six hours straight three nights in a row, then only sleep three hours the next night- stuff like that.

The Huz and I call each other Mom and Dad instead of Babe and Hon. I don't know what makes us do this.

Breastfeeding has been quite an adventure. I think it will get its very own post. We're also using cloth diapers. That will get it's own post, too.

Today we went to Target, just the two of us. I bought The Kid a size 3 month sleeper. She's already outgrown Newborn.

The Huz had six weeks of paid paternity leave. That was amazing! But he went back to work this week - sad! We miss him during the day. It's hard to get stuff done when The Kid wants to be held, so the extra set of hands was very helpful. The household is my job now, since I am pretty much a stay-at-home-mom, but it all has to fit in between caring for The Kid. Baby steps. Today, lots of things got done - laundry, dishes, stove, emails. Yesterday, not so much - we managed to go for a walk, and that was about it. The Kid is sleeping now, and everyone keeps telling me to sleep when she sleeps, so I think I will go to bed now. I chose one picture for each week, plus a hospital shot, so you can see how she's grown so much already! Nite!

Today's Adventure: Welcome to week 41

2009-03-29T00:04:00.000-07:00

My daughter is a week late.

Grandma keeps saying she will not make or buy The Kid any more presents until she is born, but The Kid knows that Grandma is lying.

Today, Grandma showed up with a quilt and three onesies that she embellished. There is another quilt that should be finished by tomorrow, and some embroidered burp cloths (isn't Grandma cute? She's embroidering burp cloths!)

The Kid is holding out for more stuff - when will it end!?!?

ETA: Apparently, it ended 4 hours later when my water broke! Well, it was the beginning if the end. Can't post now, but I will update the blog soon!

Today's Adventure: Bighorn Was Right!

2009-03-16T17:25:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I had a baby shower. The very first thing my friend Bighorn said to me when I walked in was, "Dear GOD, you are ENORMOUSLY HUGE!!!!" Just the thing you want to hear at 38 weeks pregnant, right?

But he was right!

Trust me, it doesn't look this big from my point of view!

Today's Adventure: Of Cables and Cords

2009-03-10T14:38:00.000-07:00

So remember how I got the transfer cable out of the garage to upload/download/whatever the pictures from my camera to my computer?

I was on Ravelry reading a thread about packing for the hospital when the baby comes. One Raveler mentioned she brought her laptop and camera, but forgot the transfer cable, and so was unable to get the pictures of her darling newborn out into the world until she got home. I thought it was a good idea to pack my transfer cord right away. But I couldn't find it. I thought I put it in the desk drawer I always used to keep it in. But it's not there. It's just gone.

I went to Best Buy to buy a replacement cord. The only cord option I found was some crazy $50 contraption that had adapters for like, 7 different kinds of electronics.

I tried another route - a card reader. I was able to find 2 kinds of those - one for SanDisks and other cards of that nature, and one that can read SanDisks and the micro-tiny memory disks for cell phones. The first was $20 and the second was $15, so I bought the cheaper one.

As I was setting up the card reader, I noticed that the cord for the reader fit directly into my camera. I thought that was cool, then I wouldn't have to worry about taking the SanDisk out of the camera all the time.

Then I was reading that thread again, and another Raveler mentioned that her laptop has a little slot that can read SanDisks, no cord necessary.

Which reminded me that a few weeks ago, as I was fishing my new laptop out from it's spot under the coffee table, something about the size of a SanDisk popped out of the front of it. So I felt around my laptop and popped the little thing out.

It turns out, MY laptop has one of those little slots that can read SanDisks, no cord necessary.

No cord necessary.

Well, at least I didn't buy that crazy $50 thing.

Today's Adventure: Bungalows and Bellies

2009-01-30T14:01:00.000-08:00

Okay, I got my camera cable out of the garage so you can see the most recent pictures of the belly.
But first, you must revel with me that I have such a thing as a garage! The Huz and I moved into a little house in Burbank and it is so cute!! It is tiny - only about 650 sq ft - but it has two bedrooms and a garage and a laundry room with washer and dryer included!!!!! No more saving quarters! I love love love this little house, and I am so glad that we are bringing our baby home to a house rather than an apartment. Granted, we are still renting, but we have no shared walls, or people living above us.

And so, as promised, Week 32 (8 months) belly shots:

Today's Adventure: The Belly of the Beast

2009-01-26T14:12:00.000-08:00

My friend Emily asked for a belly pic, so I will comply with one. The most recent one I have available is from Week 27 (I am now in Week 32). We took some a few days ago but my camera wires are in a box in the garage that I am too lazy right now to get. So enjoy Week 27!

Today's Adventure: Sugar Shock!

2009-01-23T14:54:00.000-08:00

Somewhere between weeks 24 and 28 of your pregnancy, you are supposed to take a glucose tolerance test. It's to check to see if you have developed gestational diabetes. The test involves fasting for at least two hours, drinking a super-sweet beverage, waiting an hour, and then getting your blood drawn.

When I had to do mine, I figured I would go first thing in the morning - get it out of the way, fewer people will be there, I've already been fasting, quick, easy, done.

I left the house before 9:00am (that's first thing in the morning for me, though the lab opens at 7:30), drove seven minutes to the lab, walked in, signed my name on the little check-in sheet, and sat down to wait for them to call me.

And waited...

and waited...

and waited...

and finally, after an hour of sitting and waiting, the lady called my name - to check me in. You see, at this point, it's still as if I had never shown up - you don't exist until you are checked in. The lady looked at my paperwork to see why I was there, and said,"Oh, let me get you the drink while we are checking you in - then your hour-long wait period can start right away." All I could do was smile and say, "Okay,'' but what I'm really thinking is, "Honey, my hour-long wait period started an hour ago, when I walked in the door!"

She comes back with a 10 oz bottle of what looks like lemon-lime soda. "Drink all of this within five minutes, okay?" I pop it open and take a swig - it tastes like lemon-lime soda, but the sweetest, most uncarbonated lemon-lime soda in the world. It's disgusting, and I like sweets. Suddenly, 10 oz seems like a lot of liquid to have to drink in five minutes. Once I'm done, the lady says, "Go have a seat, and come back up here in an hour. Don't go anywhere, because that stuff can make you dizzy."

And boy, does it! It's basically shocking your poor defenseless stomach and bloodstream (which havn't had any sustinance since last night's dinner) and putting your body into a sugar coma. I just closed my eyes, listened to Drew Carey give away Showcase prizes, and waited for another hour to be up.

Then I got my blood drawn, and left to feed my ravenous self and child. Never had a burger tasted so good!

At my last doctor's appointment (no weight gain again this month), they gave me the bad news: I failed my glucose tolerance test. My sugars were measuring at 155, and the cut-off number is 140. So that meant I had to go to the next step - The Three Hour Glucose Tolerance Test.

The three hour test involves fasting for at least 8 hours, getting your blood drawn, drinking the sweet stuff again, waiting an hour, drawing your blood, waiting another hour, drawing your blood, waiting a third hour, and drawing your blood a fourth time. It also involves being at the hospital at 7:30am (even though the lab here doesn't open untill 8:00am), and staying for at least four hours (so much for the three hour test).

So that's what I did today. I got up at 6:30am, which, honestly, wasn't all that difficult because I've been waking up around that time for no reason at all, anyway. I went to the hospital, got all checked in, and waited for the lab technician to show up. She was right on time, so we were able to get started right away. The sugar-drink made me queasy again, but I just closed my eyes and drifted off for a little bit. The lab technician complimented the vein in my left arm, and said she wished everyone had such a prominent vein to stick. The first two blood draws didn't hurt at all, but the second two were a bit painful (because they were all going into basically the same spot, she said).

At 12:02pm I was done. I rushed to my car and to In-N-Out. Now, I know I said before that the burger I ate after the one hour test was the best burger ever. But that was only until this burger came along. It was the best Double-Double in the world! And when I get to the apartment there is a doughnut with pink frosting with my name on it. The Huz bought it for me last night as a treat because I didn't have a great day, but I couldn't eat it because of the test. But I can now!!!

Today's Adventure: Inside my studio

2008-12-17T17:44:00.000-08:00

I've been watching a lot of Inside the Actor's Studio lately. I love the part at the end where James Lipton asks the questionnaire used by his hero Bernard Pivot, so I'm going to answer it.

What is your favorite word? Yes.

What is your least favorite word? Moist. It sounds way too dirty for common every-day usage.

What sound or noise do you love? The Huz's laugh. It is infectious.

What sound or noise do you hate? A child's inconsolable sobbing.

What turns you on? Applause.

What turns you off? Spiders.

What is your favorite curse word? Fuck.

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? I would like to work at Sea World as a dolphin or killer whale trainer.

What profession would you not like to attempt? Grave digger.

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say to you when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Now you know.

Wanna play? Copy and paste on your blog, and put in your own answers. Have fun!

Today's Adventure: Knitting

2008-12-10T18:29:00.000-08:00

My twin brother wants me to teach him how to knit.

This is because he wants to make things that he wanted me to make that I simply have not gotten around to making. For example, he wants a scarf to match this hat:
I made him this hat two Christmases ago, and he wears it pretty much daily. Except for the time when he lost it, and he was very, very sad. He called me, and said, in the most forlorn voice, "Can you make me a new hat? I lost it, and I can't find it!" He found it before I got around to making a new one.

So he wants a scarf to match. I've never known my brother to wear scarves, except when we infrequently went to the mountains to ski/snowboard, or when we went to London in December 1997. Which is why I didn't make a matching scarf in the first place. But he wants one.

I have the perfect idea for a scarf, too. It's going to be an illusion scarf, like this one. See, when you look at the scarf straight on, it's just a normal, striped scarf. But when you look at it from an angle, you can see there's a design on it. So like that. But with skulls, right? And facing the right way, so when you see the skulls they are right side up, not lying on their sides. So awesome! But I need to figure out how to get my original skull design from the hat into a knitter's chart and get the illusion thing to work out. Which takes time. And effort. And yarn. All of which I have right now. Except the effort thing. I'm so lazy!!

But I found a chart! Someone has done my work for me!! Well, most of it - I need to modify it a little to get it to look like my skull, and I'm not doing the crossbones. But I think my brother is getting a scarf (Ravelry link) for Christmas this year!!!!

Today's Adventure: The Scale!

2008-11-18T16:54:00.000-08:00

Between my first and second OB/GYN appointments, I gained two pounds. I thought, "Hey that's not so bad - it's probably just water weight anyway." During the month that followed I proceeded to eat whatever I wanted. I was really craving meat, so The Huz and I ate at In 'N Out Burger up to three times a week! Burgers, fries and cokes - yummy! So when I went in for my third appointment, in October, I was expecting to have gained a bit more than two pounds. When I got on the scale, I was ready to cringe. . . but I weighed exactly the same as last time! I was stoked!

However, I knew I couldn't continue my burger-eating ways. We have been trying to eat at home more often, to save money and to eat more healthfully. My meat craving became less intense, so that helped us cut back to eating burgers only once a week. The baby also decided that she liked fresh fruit a lot, especially apples. I was feeling good about my food choices! When the time came around for my fourth appointment, I had no qualms about the scale. I hopped right on up and even let the nurse balance the scale instead of doing it myself. "Looks like you've gained. . . eight pounds," she said.

WHAT!?!?!?!

Lemme get this straight - I eat crap for a month and don't gain anything. I eat better for a month and gain eight pounds?!

In my heart of hearts, I know this is no big deal at all. I know I'm growing a person - I'm going to gain weight, it happens. But those eight pounds just came out of nowhere! I didn't even see them; they snuck up on me!

In the past three weeks it has become much more physically noticeable that I am "with child." I had bought some t-shirts a while ago that were two sizes too big - now they are fitting just perfectly, but it won't be long before I outgrow them. I have a concert to sing in at the end of the month, and I need to buy a new concert dress.

Everything that used to be in my stomach area before the kid took over is moving upward, so it looks like I'm carrying high, but the baby is actually pretty low. It's all my internal organs that are making me look pregnant! I was at a party last night and a friend put his hand on the upper part of my tummy as if to feel the baby - I didn't have the heart to tell him he was really just touching my stomach, diaphragm, and small intestines!

Today's Adventure: Return Of The Blob!

2008-11-07T18:00:00.000-08:00

Once again, for your viewing pleasure, I give you...

My uterus:And here is Baby Skeletor - or Baby Ghost Rider, take your pick:
And finally, the tell-all photo:Yes, folks, there between my baby's legs, as indicated by the arrow, is nothing. Well, no penis, anyway.

We're having a GIRL!!!!!!!!

Pops and Grandma (my parents) came to the sonogram, as well as The Huz, of course. I had thought it was going to be one of those 3D/4D things, but apparently, I was misinformed. But it was still so cool! She was very active - moving around a lot! At one point she threw her legs up over her head. The doctor thought at first that she might be measuring a little small (more like 17 weeks than 20), but she readjusted herself so he could see that she is exactly right on the money for 20 weeks. She weighs 13 ounces already - almost a pound! We were able to see the four chambers of her heart, and the bloodflow through the heart and umbilical cord. We videotaped it as well.

So now, it's on to picking out a name...

Today's Adventure: Growing a Person As Compared To Planning a Wedding

2008-11-03T16:21:00.000-08:00

The Huz told me that he is bored of my pregnancy.

Well, to be truthful, nothing really eventful has happened lately. But does everything need to be an event?

It's kind of like planning a wedding. We planned our wedding in nine months. We got engaged in June of 2005 and married in March of 2006. We got pregnant in June of 2008 and will give birth in March of 2009. Whoa! I kind of just realized that as I wrote it. Okay, it's a lot like planning a wedding!

Right at the beginning there is the engagement, finding the place for the ceremony/reception, asking people to be in the wedding, trying on dresses, picking colors, showing off the ring and telling everyone how he proposed. All the exciting stuff, right?

Then, there is this lull where nothing really happens. I mean, sure, maybe you have a dress fitting, possibly collect a few names for your address book, and finally make a decision between hydrangeas and roses, but nothing major is going on.

All of the sudden, the wedding is in a month - it's Go Time! There are meetings with caterers, DJ's, coordinators, dresses to be picked up, favors to make, seating arrangements to assign, invitations to assemble, family issues to sort out, prayers to pray so that it doesn't rain on your parade, limos, honeymoon details, etc. It's craziness!

Having a baby is just like that. First, it's the excitement of finding out you're pregnant, telling everyone your wonderful news, making doctor's appointments, seeing the first ultrasound, buying all the books, keeping up to date with the size of your baby as compared to fruit, keeping your breakfast down (for some people), picking names. All the exciting stuff, right?

Then, there is this lull where nothing really happens. I mean, sure, maybe you tour the hospital's maternity ward, possibly collect and reject a few more names for your list, and finally make a decision about finding out the gender of the baby or not, but nothing major is going on.

All of the sudden, the baby is due in a month - it's Go Time! There are classes to take, baby showers to attend, acquiring cribs and swings and other items on which to place your baby's butt, diapers to buy, bags to pack, values to gain (so you can impart some to your child), knitting to do, etc. It's craziness!

Now, in actuality, something is happening. I've been feeling these little movements, kind of like little nudges, in my abdomen. I can see how women confuse them with gas. They feel very similar, but not. Sometimes I have to do a bit of analysis to make sure - okay, that was movement, but that was just gas bubbles. But because they aren't big enough for The Huz to feel, he doesn't really get to be a part of it. So I guess I can see why it might not hold the same fascination for him as it does for me, and it could be "boring."

But we did reorganize our bedroom so that we can start making room for baby. We have a little nook that we decorated with these really cute framed postcards, we hung a lamp, and hung up a onesie that The Huz bought at Target. He saw it and gasped, so I knew we had to buy it. It has the Star Wars logo on it! I think it made him realize that all of the baby's clothes could advertise whatever he wanted - he had many plans in his head for custom made onesies from zazzle.com.

The Huz said tonight that the reorganizing of the room and seeing the improvements we made is making him more excited for the baby, making it more real and closer to actually happening. So hopefully, the boredom is wearing off.

Today's Adventure: Walk, Work and Baby

2008-10-22T18:03:00.000-07:00

Today, I went on a walk to the North Hollywood Library to find a book that I know I own but can't find anywhere. Upon further reflection, I'm pretty sure I gave it to my little brother. Upon even further reflection, he probably doesn't have it anymore.

Oh well, the walk was nice. It was a little warm so I made sure I brought some water with me. All in all, it took me about and hour and ten minutes to get there, discover they didn't have the book I wanted, and get back home.

As for work, I've been doing the Terror Tram on Friday nights. The last two weeks I've had the 5:48-1:30 shift, and it's been tiring. It shouldn't be, because the tour is ridiculously modified and short. But it is. We used to do this bit where we pretend to fall asleep while giving the tour, and I thought it was great, because then it wouldn't matter how much I yawned - it's part of the bit! Management later thought that it looked a bit unprofessional, so they nixed it. It is all I can do NOT to yawn on camera!

The baby has been making me very tired lately. The past few days I've taken two-hour naps in the late afternoon, and today I slept in until mumble-o'clock. As far as I was aware, I'm only making fingerprints this week, so I don't know why the baby is taking all my energy! We had an OB appointment last week - we did not find out the baby's gender. However, on Nov 7 we're getting one of those cool 3D/4D sonograms, and by then I will be at 20 weeks (halfway!) so we should be able to see some genitalia! I can't believe I'm almost halfway done with this pregnancy. It has been relatively easy and symptomless, so other than my tummy getting slightly larger and being able to hear the heartbeat (148 beats/minute and going strong!) I almost can't believe I'm pregnant. I should be able to feels kicks and movement any time now. There have been a few times when I thought I felt something, but there's just no way to tell at this point. I don't really know exactly what I should be feeling - I've never done this before!

Today's Adventure: A Lack of Sleep

2008-10-10T00:02:00.000-07:00

I didn't sleep at all last night. I can't feel the baby moving yet, but I think the baby was up and moving around. Therefore, my body and brain thought they should be awake, too. I didn't get to take a nap today either. Boo!

But you know, this should work out well because I have a shift at Universal tomorrow night. They were not able to find alternative work for me, so I've been on my "medical leave." During the Halloween Horror Nights there is a Terror Tram, which takes an alternate route that doesn't include Earthquake or the Collapsing Bridge. And I am allowed to work it!

So, good news: I have a shift and I can pretend to be a contributing member of society. Bad news: My shift is like, from 6pm to 130am! Yuck!!

I guess I'll stay up for a few more hours and get SUPER tired, then I'll sleep in late and maybe even take another nap! I know I'll have to get to work extra early to deal with costuming. I'm sure that asking for pants in a size larger is going to be an issue! Wish me luck!

In other news, we have an OB appointment next week, and we might be able to find out the gender of the baby!

Today's Adventure: An Apology

2008-10-03T18:04:00.000-07:00

I would like to apologize to my blog, which I have not visited or updated in excess of a month.

I'm sorry.

I will try to be a better blogger.

Love,
Lady P

Today's Adventure: The Blob!

2008-08-21T21:18:00.000-07:00

For your viewing pleasure, I give you -

My uterus!

Okay, so the large black blob on the right is the amniotic sac, and the other blob inside the black blob is the baby blob! I know it's a little blurry but I can see the head and an eye, possibly an arm as well.

We had the ultrasound on Wednesday, my first prenatal appointment. I met my doctor, a lovely British man I'll call Dr. P, because that's his name. He called the baby a rascal when he found the heartbeat! The Huz came with me to the appointment, cuz he's awesome like that. I had to warn him, though, that another man was going to be touching my bits and pieces right in front of him, and that he shouldn't get upset and beat the guy up, because that is the man's job. The Huz took it very well.

The baby is measuring at 8 weeks and 1 day. I calculate that the baby is 9 weeks and 3 days. So this baby is due some where between March 22nd and March 31st. I am really hoping for a March baby, because my and The Huz's birthdays are in March, and so is our anniversary. It would be perfect!

In other news, I have not returned to work yet since the accident. It is not recommended for expectant mothers to ride the Studio Tour, due to the intense shaking of Earthquake, so we're still trying to line up what I will do for work during the pregnancy. If my department can't find anything for me, and there are no openings available in any other department, then I will be placed on a medical leave. I can live with that, I think!

Today's Adventure: Pickles and Ice Cream

2008-08-06T22:43:00.000-07:00

That's right, folks.

I'm going to have a baby!

Holy Crap!

I don't yet know exactly how far along I am, but from my guesstimation, I'll be having this baby sometime around the end of March and the beginning of April.

The kid and I have reached an agreement about morning sickness (not going to happen) and so far, there have been no strange food cravings. But it's early days yet.

Everyone is absolutely thrilled. We drove Home to tell the "grandparents" - my dad had to sit down on the stairs, he was so excited.

The Huz has started a blog about the experience here on Blogger. It's called One In The Oven. Stop by and visit; I think we'll both be writing on there.

What an adventure, huh?

Today's Adventure: Bikes and Time

2008-07-20T21:28:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot about bicycles lately. The Huz and I have decided to try being a single car family. We live within 3-5 miles of my workplaces (except the church in the OC), and we have a very reliable transit system with a stop practically in front of our apartment. So I could bike to TJ's and take the bus/subway to Universal.

I've been looking at a lot of websites, mostly at cruiser-style bikes. I'm so excited to actually get to a bike shop and buy a bike, despite the fact that I probably can't even sit on a bike right now, much less be able to pedal it anywhere.

Healing is a very slow process. When my doctor suggested that I should take three weeks off work and do physical therapy, my first thought was, "Man, it's not really going to take that long, is it?"

It is.

It still hurts to turn over in bed. It hurts/is difficult to breathe if my upper body is not propped up. It hurts to get up. I'm walking without the crutches more and more, but it hurts after a little while, especially if I happen to misstep, or land too hard. I have a funny "pimp limp" and I don't like it. I've been driving a little bit, but I'm still not very comfortable. My body is not 100% ready for the physical action of driving. Plus, I'm slightly paranoid about traffic coming from the left. I keep thinking it shouldn't take this long to get back to normal.

I have my first physical therapy session tomorrow (oops, today - midnight just snuck up on me). I have no idea what to expect. I'm also going to have lunch with my good friend DW, from the Disney Days. DW quit Disneyland recently, and we haven't had a chance to exchange stories yet. Should be a hoot!

Today's Adventure: R.I.P. Cordelia, 10/15/05 - 7/11/08

2008-07-16T22:01:00.000-07:00

Cordelia is my car, so named in honor of Mrs. Cordelia Knott, of Knott's Berry Farm. One day after I had recently purchased my car, a group of us from work went to Knott's Soak City. I ran out of gas right in front of Knott's Berry Farm, and a lovely employee helped me out and got me a gallon of gas. Because every vehicle should have a name, it was then decided that my new 2005 Chevy Classic would be called Cordelia, or Cordy for short.

Last Friday, I killed her.

To be totally fair, it was an accident. I didn't mean to kill her. It just happened. Let's go back...

Friday July 11, 2008 1:06pm

I punched out for lunch and decided to go home to eat. I picked up some McDonald's (I couldn't resist - it's in the same shopping center as Trader Joe's!) and headed home via side streets. I didn't want to wait for stoplights. About a block from my house I had to cross over a major street. I looked to the left, waited, looked to the right, saw my window of opportunity and went for it. And that's when it hit me.

The Ford F150.

It appeared as if from nowhere. By the time I saw it, it was way too late. Afterwards I could see that a parked truck had blocked my view of the Black Beast. I was hit directly on my driver's side door. There was a crunch, a shatter and a quarter turn, and then it was over.

Then there was pain. In my left side and my lower back. Not terrible pain (yet) but I was squashed between the door and the center console, which I couldn't move. Ordinarily, the console can be flipped up to the space between the seats. However at this point there was no "space between the seats." That space was now occupied by my seat.

As I'm noticing that the gear shift and the dashboard have also moved to the right, I notice that the windshield has hundreds of webbed cracks, and I no longer have windows on the left side. The glass from said windows has been sprinkled liberally throughout the car, some of it falling behind me and down the back of my jeans as I reach to take my seatbelt off.

By now the other driver has gotten out of his car and he approaches me. He asks me if I'm okay, and didn't I see him? (What a stupid question, by the way. Do you think that I would have continued forward if I had seen him?) I tell him of course I didn't see him and that I am squashed but pretty much all right. He got on the phone to the police while I thanked Whomever is Up There that The Huz and I had done all the paperwork to put me on his medical insurance a few months before.

The accident happened right next to a construction area where all the guys were on lunch and many of them saw it. One very nice construction guy came up to the car, asked me if I was okay and handed me a water bottle. As I turned my head to speak to him, I could see blood on the door. He sees me notice it and says that I have a lot of cuts on my upper left arm from the flying glass. He went and got me some gauze and another bottle of water.

I spend the next ten minutes trying to get a hold of The Huz, who unbeknownst to me has taken a long lunch with his boss and colleagues. I also call Trader Joe's and let them know I'm probably not coming back to finish my shift today.

The Fire Department arrives and they are very concerned about how to get me out of the vehicle safely. Because they can't move the center console, they can't get me out through the passenger side. They immediately disconnect the car's electricity and put a special cover on the steering wheel in case the airbag decided to deploy. When they ask, I tell them I have no neck pain, but they put a collar on me to be safe and proceed to cut the driver's side door off! Much bending and cutting of metal later, they extricate me from the car and strap me onto a backboard (quite uncomfortable, just so you know).

I am ambulanced to the hospital, I get X-rays, I get a CT Scan, and I am fine. Well not fine, but there are no broken bones, no internal injuries, nothing life-threatening is wrong with me. The Huz got my message and met me after my X-rays. It's like Whoever is Up There knew I still had a lot of stuff to do. In a matter of six hours at the hospital I am free to go about my business, armed only with some crutches and a prescription for ibuprofen. Like I said, nothing broken, but my right leg objected to any weight being put on it. My parents drove up from San Diego right after they heard and got there just in time for me to be released.

I have spent the time since then mostly resting and trying out the leg. It tolerates walking now, but only slightly, and never for too long. The Doc said to use my body every day, get it moving so it remembers how. I have a check-up with my doctor tomorrow to see how I'm doing, and when I should go back to work.

I feel lucky to be alive, and ready for more living. I leave you with photos of my beloved Cordy. So long, my dear. I didn't have you for a very long time, not even three years, but our time together was awesome.

Talk about crunched!

That's the front door on the seat there. You know, the one they CUT OFF!

Cordy is a BIOHAZARD!

Don't forget to grab the Lobster!

Bye, Cordy!

Today's Adventure: Your Lunch Hour Can Be Hazardous to Your Health

2008-07-13T22:59:00.000-07:00

On Friday afternoon, on my way home for lunch, I got in a major car wreck. I am fine, I'm just very badly bruised. All things considered, I'm pretty lucky to be alive. When I go to get my things from my car at the junkyard, I'll take pictures and fill you in on the rest of the story. For now, I'd just like to say a big thank you to everyone who called and prayed and offered to bring me stuff. I'd also like to thank the awesome EMT's and the guys from the fire department who worked so quickly to help me out!

Today's Adventure: The Fourth of July, or Buses and Subways and Trains, Oh My!

2008-07-09T12:06:00.000-07:00

The Huz and I went Home for the Fourth of July weekend. Where we live now is home, but where we are from is Home. Home is in North County San Diego. We love it there, and cannot wait to move back. His parents and my parents live on the same street (which is how we met in the first place...when we were nine and ten).

At any rate, The Huz drove us in his car, which was oh-so-nice of him, considering it's a two hour drive. I knitted on the first sleeve of my Perfect Sweater. I brought my keys with me, so I could let myself in to my parents' house, if necessary.

Well, at one point it was necessary, so I brought my keys into the house with me. My mom got rid of the little shelving unit that stood by the front door (where I usually put my keys), so I put my keys on the counter in the kitchen. And promptly forgot that I ever brought them out in the first place. A fabulous time was had by all. There was barbecue:

There were Wii Tournaments:
There were wonderful family members:
When we left the next evening, The Huz asked me if I had everything - this is a habitual question because I habitually forget stuff - to which I replied, 'yes.' He specifically asked if I had my keys, to which I replied, 'yes.'

I bet you can see where this is going.

The next morning was Sunday, and I sing at a Catholic cathedral in Orange County, so I was up early. As I was preparing to leave, I looked in my purse for my keys. Not there. I looked in the bag of clothes from the trip. Not there. I looked in my knitting bag. Not there. I woke The Huz to get his car key so I could look in his car. Not there. I called my parents' house, and my dad answered after the fourth ring. I totally woke him up. "Sorry to call so early, but are my keys right there on the counter by the phone?" "Yes, they are. I'm going back to bed now."

FFFFFFFF**********************KKKKKKKKK!

I cannot believe I did this. I had to borrow The Huz's car for the whole morning, and he couldn't go anywhere. When I got back from church, The Huz and I discussed my options over lunch at Daphne's. One of my difficulties was that I had to work at Trader Joe's that day as well. The other one was that I didn't know my work schedule for Monday. The Huz offered to drive by himself while I was at work to go get them. How sweet is he? At the end of lunch we decided that I would take the train down that evening after work and my dad would pick me up. There were no more trains available to take me back home after picking up my keys.

I found out that I didn't have to work on Monday, so I could have just gone then, but I was feeling antsy about not having my keys. I took the bus, the subway and the train that night, and my dad picked me up at 11:55pm. On the train I played Mario Party DS with my seatmate. That was fun! I spent the next day hanging out, went shopping with my mom, and I made copies of my car keys - one to keep at my parents', one for the apartment and one for The Huz. Then I took the train, the subway and the bus back home again, to my darling Huz. On the way home I knit some more on my sleeve. I'm almost done with the first set of increases! What an adventure!

Today's adventure: My Civic Duty

2008-06-19T18:51:00.000-07:00

Today, I got called in for jury duty. The summons came to my old address, so I was assigned to a courthouse almost 30 miles away from where I live now. I didn't know until I got there that I could have transferred to another court, because it's supposed to be within 20 miles. They don't mention that on the summons...

Anyway, it was mostly a very boring day, until near the end. I brought some knitting and a book to read. I'm reading "The Nature of Monsters," by Clare Clark, and I'm knitting up a garter-stitch washrag on the bias, in Sugar n Creme cotton in the Midnight Magic colorway. My name was called right away to go with 34 other people to a courtroom (which I was glad for, because the majority of the 150 people in the waiting room voted to watch a movie that I had no desire to see on the ginormous television; and because this guy sitting behind me was text messaging someone, but his keypad volume was very loud, so the "boop boop, beep beep boop" sound was really getting on my nerves!).

I had to wait 10 minutes for an elevator to take me up to the 11th floor, because the stairs are for emergency use only(!). We all finally filed into the courtroom, and they started calling numbers. They selected 18 people (I was not one of them) and asked them to state what they did for a living, how many kids they have, if they were married - that sort of thing. Then the judge gave some admonishments about not talking about the case, not going to the scene and doing your own investigating, blah, blah, blah. The lawyers were then given the opportunity to ask the potential jurors questions, to weed out any jurors they felt would not be impartial, or would not be able to pass judgment on another person.

I happily knitted away on my rag until the bailiff gave me the stink eye, and told me to put it away, and listen. Like I need my hands to listen! That's specifically why I chose that mindless kind of knitting, so I didn't have to pay attention to it, but my hands would still have something to do. You don't mess with the bailiff, though, so I put it away. Here's how far I got: Okay, I don't know why the picture is sideways, but I'll learn how to fix that later, I guess.

We broke for lunch, there was another 10 minute wait for an elevator, and we had an hour and a half to feed ourselves. I went to a Subway really close to the courthouse (not in the safest of neighborhoods, btw). I ate and read, and still had more than half an hour till I was due back, so I went back to the juror waiting room. Not much going on there, and they were watching Transformers - part of which was filmed at Universal Studios, right in the area that burned up. That made me a little sad, so I went up to the courtroom - no 10 minute wait this time.

Once we were let into the room again, they began letting potential jurors go back to the waiting room. Those of us who had not been chosen originally were to be called to fill in the gaps. See, they call up 35 people to get a panel of 18 to narrow down to a panel of 12 plus two alternates. They got down to 12, then called up 6 more, questioned them, excused others, filled in spots, and finally swore in the 12. I had not been called up to this point. There were two extra people who were in the running to be alternates, and then they called up two more people.

I was one of them.

We gave our info, said yes and no in all the right places, but this time, the lawyers did not question us. They spoke with the judge off the record, and then it was decided that I would be Alternate 1 and one of the two extras from earlier would be Alternate 2.

So I have to go back tomorrow at 9:00. I'll get paid $15 per day, plus $ .34 per mile one way (I guess this is where the 7 extra miles helps out). That amounts to $24.18, roughly $4.00 an hour. Half of minimum wage. This trial is expected to last until next Friday. Two of the original 12 tried to weasel out of it after they were sworn in, by saying they couldn't afford to be away from work that long. The judge said they had to stay, because they didn't mention it sooner. One guy starts summer school on Monday; the judge is making him stay, too, but he is kindly starting court at 10:30 to give the guy time to get there after class.

And that's today's adventure!

Edited to add: Verdict made on Monday - Not guilty!

Today's adventure: Return From the Pits of Hell

2008-06-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

Also known as, Las Vegas in June.

Now don't get me wrong - I like Vegas as much as the next girl. In fact, my whole family had a fabulous weekend vacation there this year. In January, when the temperature was livable.

However, this particular trip to Las Vegas was hot and yucky, because A) it was June, and B) we had to go to a funeral. The Huz's grandfather passed away due to problems with his lungs. The Huz's Nana was (of course) very sad, so we spent four days out there visiting with her and keeping her company. Nana's sister Aunt B and her daughter D were already there. BIL and SIL arrived shortly after we did. The Huz's parents and sister even drove from San Diego for the funeral and left within 16 hours of getting there. My MIL is awesome, by the way. She organized an entire service for the funeral (at this particular memorial park, they give you 40 minutes to do whatever you want to do, but they do not provide a minister or anything). There were readings, I sang, The Huz, his brother and mother all shared wonderful memories of Grandpa, and then we all sang Amazing Grace. When we were done, two Navy officers unfurled an American flag, presented it while Taps played, then they re-folded the flag and gave it to Nana. Very moving.

The Huz is sad and out of sorts. He is very glad that Grandpa's illness was not long and drawn out, as they were expecting, but he misses him. He is also very worried about Nana. The Huz's father (Nana's son) died 10 years ago, so he and his brother feel very responsible for the grandparents. The boys tried to convince the grandparents to move closer to family, but they were reluctant to leave their home and friends and the weather (Nana likes the heat!) and the casino buffets. Which is all totally understandable - their lives are there. But now that it's just Nana, we worry more. It would be different if she were two hours away, but she's four and a half hours away. We just can't get to her quickly and without major interruption of life. We've been out there several times since Gramps got ill, sometimes just for a day, because that's all we could afford to do - we can't miss any days of work, especially since I don't get very many!

Erg. So anyway, that was the reason for no posts. Nana does not have the Internet, nor do I think she is one of those grandma's who are good on the computer. We couldn't even "borrow" a neighbor's WiFi.

In other news, I got another (additional) job, and my grandpa begins his first round of treatment today. But those are adventures for another day...

Today's adventure: Fire!

2008-06-02T21:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my job was on fire.

No, really, it was on fire.

Very early Sunday morning, the New York St facades at Universal Studios caught fire. Almost all of the Metropolitan sets are gone, and so is our 30-foot, 13,000-pound buddy, King Kong.

Today on our tours, we took the guests right next to the destruction and let them see first-hand how much damage had been done. I would post a picture, but I can't figure out how to get pictures off my phone and on to my computer. It was very sobering to think how much movie history had just gone up in flames.

Gratefully, there were only a few minor injuries reported; no tour guides or employees, but firemen. Every time my tram passed by the fire station on the lot, we applauded.

In other news, today I got to give a tour for the latest bunch of new hires, and all of the tour guides who trained me. It was a little nerve-wracking when I first found out they would be taking my tour. I wasn't really sure the trainers would want the trainees to see the tour of someone who has barely been there longer than them, but it went great. I hit all of my required information, no stalls, and I only messed up on one small thing - Desperate Housewives takes place in the fictional town of Fairview; I accidentally called it Grandview, which is the fictional town where Ghost Whisperer takes place. Too many -views, in my opinion. But I do feel like I impressed my trainers, and I made a good impression on the newbies.

All in all, a good day.

Today's adventure: A Meme

2008-05-30T21:17:00.000-07:00

Okay, here is a sad-but-true fact: I have always wanted to do a meme on my blog, but I didn't have a blog. Now I do, so I'm going to do the Alphabet Meme, stolen (ahem, borrowed) from Neophyte Knitter.

Accent: I don't think I have one. I live in Southern California, and I don't have a "valley girl" accent or anything. I've also studied dialects in theater classes, and I think mine is pretty much "American English Standard."

Breakfast or no breakfast: Usually not, but I love cereal for a snack.

Chore I don't care for: Cleaning the bath tub.

Dog or cat: I don't have either, but I could have either.

Essential electronics: My cellphone, my computer, and my DVR.

Favorite cologne: Country Apple from Bath and BodyWorks, sadly discontinued.

Gold or silver: Silver.

Handbag I carry most often: Well, it was my awesome seatbelt bag, but now it's a little red bag with Chinese characters on it.

Insomnia: Not really.

Job Title: Studio Tour Guide.

Kids: Not yet, but next year, I hope.

Living arrangements: One bedroom apartment with hardwood floors, which I share with The Huz, Lord P.

Most admirable trait: I can see the silver lining of any dark cloud.

Naughtiest childhood behavior: Messing up my bedroom, and never cleaning it.

Overnight hospital stay: Never.

Phobias: I have arachnophobia.

Quote: "There is no future, there is no past. I live this moment as my last. No day but today." (Jonathan Larsen, Rent)

Reason to smile: The Huz, Lord P.

Siblings: An older brother, a twin brother, and a younger brother.

Time I wake up: Lately, I've been waking up at 6:30 am for no reason whatsoever, but I go back to sleep till about 9:30.

Unusual skill or talent: Nothing unusual, but I can sing pretty well.

Vegetable I refuse to eat: Beets. They taste like dirt.

Worst habit: Nail biting, and not cleaning up after myself.

X-rays: My left arm (twice), my back, my left ankle, and my teeth.

Yummy stuff: Turkey and avocado sandwiches. Cinnamon Buns ice cream.

Zoo animal I like most: Pandas.

Today's adventure: Nothing!

2008-05-28T19:12:00.000-07:00

I am a studio tour guide at Universal Studios. I am not working very much right now, and I have to say, it does not suit me to have nothing to do. When I don't have something to do, I more than likely do nothing.

You know sometimes, when you are bored and have nothing to do, you'll do housework, or go exercise or something like that? But I hate that stuff. It's so hard for me to get motivated to do stuff I don't want to, even if I have nothing else to do. I actually like exercising, it's just hard to get up the gumption to start. I need structure, like an appointment with a trainer, or a class to go to. And I like exercise disguised as fun, like playing tennis, or swimming, or basketball.

And I won't say I did absolutely nothing today. I did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen sink. I made myself take a walk around the block. I knitted on my pillow cover (Ravelry link). This is an older picture - I finished another repeat of the circles. I made dinner - fish sticks, corn, and macaroni and cheese. I keep thinking I might need to get a third job, just to keep me occupied. But summer is beginning, and work is supposed to pick up, since this is peak season. It seems silly to me to get another job when I should be working a lot in a couple of weeks.

I need a new project.

Today's adventure: Thievery!

2008-05-25T22:25:00.000-07:00

My car was broken into today. At church (Is nothing sacred?). They broke my passenger side window, grabbed my purse, and got my phone and wallet along with it. They spent more than $400 in less than two hours. $211 at Ralphs. $77 at Rite-Aid. $8 at Jack-in-the-Box. $110 at a gas station in Garden Grove. And that's only on one card. I had two debit cards and two credit cards.

I hope that they bought fruits and vegetables, baby formula, diapers, and medicine. And a Sirloin Burger Combo. And filled their gas tanks. I hope they go to Target and Michaels and Cost Plus and Starbucks with all my giftcards. I hope they swipe my Pat and Oscar's card when they eat there.

But I want my new purse back. (Photo courtesy of seatbeltbags.com)

Today's Adventure: UCLA

2008-05-23T18:17:00.000-07:00

Today, I met up with my parents and my grandpa at the UCLA School of Dentistry. My grandpa has recently been diagnosed with throat cancer. At first, he was reluctant to go through treatment (he's 81), but after speaking to a radiation and chemotherapy specialist, he has decided to go for it! The doctors said he could be looking at a 100% recovery, which is much better than his original doctor gave us hope for. It's going to be rough on him, but he has tons of support, so he should do great.

The whole family (all seven of his kids, and their kids, and their kids) has really come together over this - even some members that have strayed away, for various and sundry reasons that I don't know. So, it's really cool to see aunts and uncles and cousins that haven't been at family gatherings for a long time. We have lots of big events planned in the next few months, and everyone is going to be there!

Grandpa had to go to the dentist to make sure that his teeth would be able to withstand the radiation - apparently, radiation can advance the decaying process - and to get impressions made of his mouth for the prosthesis he will wear during treatments. He'll have to get one tooth extracted, and then they'll start his treatments. Unfortunately, he'll have to come all the way back up to UCLA to get the tooth taken out. My parents drove from San Diego County to Orange County to pick him up, and drove him up to Los Angeles. Quite a drive! But, the added bonus is that I get to see them, without having to make the two hour drive myself, which is always nice.

We had lunch at BJ's after the appointment. I wanted to invite everyone over to see the new place, but the traffic was already so bad, and they had a long way to go, so we said goodbye, till next time.
And that's today's adventure!

Hello? Is this thing on?

2008-05-21T17:07:00.000-07:00

I think I might have a blog here...!