tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84321029654022813452024-03-12T19:31:50.950-04:00Life, Love, and What I AteSteviehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14544641851425448475noreply@blogger.comBlogger215125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432102965402281345.post-208820790267293402012-03-20T15:04:00.000-04:002012-03-20T15:04:52.618-04:00WHERE THE EFF IS SPRING?Because 73 does not feel like spring. Or March. And it's lovely outside but in my office it's a hotbox and I am so cranky. Also I'm bored because I'm really caught up here and I have read all of the internet today!<br />
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Things are going well. Sometimes I still feel stressed about what's left to do at home (I guess because I have busy weeknights this week), but it's really in fine shape. We still have to go to Ikea for bedroom furniture, and it may get a little crowded in there but it'll fit, and I need the living room curtains to arrive and I have to decorate with photos and stuff a little more, but it's almost there. Somehow it seems like I need to clean the floors every other day, but I think this weekend I'll do a big vacuum/mop/scrub to the floors (there are some spots behind the radiator that no one should ever have to see) and then spot mop for another week or two until I do that again. It seems to collect dust more than my last apartment for some reason, but it's a boy with boy hairs and the Target reviews online did say the new towels were "linty," so what can you do. Oh, and I need to figure out how to clean off old grease spots on the stove and the stove hood. (PEOPLE ARE DISGUSTING.) I've tried all of my cleaning products and elbow grease and there's still some that won't budge. Any cleaning hints would be appreciated!<br />
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I had a fun weekend of Homeland marathon and Greek food at home with Hike on Friday, helping Schmillie look at Astoria apartments on Saturday then the girlfriends came over for some drinks at my place (my first in-person visitors!) and then we went out for St. Patty's and I got very drunk. Which was very fun, but I also managed to pull something in my back (it's been sensitive with all the moving/cleaning/lifting I've been doing, and I just pushed it too far somehow), so the past few days have been painful but it seems mostly better today, finally. Sunday I slept, laid around, and ate Chinese food. And then last night I cooked Five Alarm Chili for us and for Harpie dinner, which will be tomorrow night. Our theme is our astrological signs, so I had to make an appetizer that represented my Sagittariusness, so I figured the chili would work for my fire sign that loves travel and adventure (it's got Mexican flavors) as well as curiosity, since I sort of made it up as I went with some scant guidance as far as ingredients. I'm going to serve it in small portions in little corn tortilla cups (if those work when I bake them in a muffin tin tonight) and just some cheese and crema and green onion on top. I'm pumped! Plus we'll be eating a few meals out of the pot, too, so it was worth the effort. I put laundry off until Thursday, since tonight I get my haircut (and I'm super excited about it though I'm not doing anything different), and tomorrow night I'll be with my fellow zodiacs.<br />
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I took out my cartilage earring on Sunday, too! It had been suddenly bothering me lately when I slept on that side (I think it was rubbing the strap from my eye mask), and then I was thinking it's probably time I moved on from that look anyway, as I am 30 and it didn't mean much to me anymore. I'd had it for 10 years! So it's out, and I have the hole still but it'll hopefully close up. It's not noticeable anyway. Besides I still have three holes in my left earlobe, so I'm not too square. I feel the same, guys.<br />
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Um, Hike still hasn't slept at home. It just never seems like the right time! He'll be done with class late and then I want to feed him and then we're both tired and he doesn't want to have to schlep his stuff home, and so whatever, we'll see how this plays out. I don't want to worry about it.<br />
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OH I FORGOT THE MOST EXCITING PART. Schmillie found a very cute, quirky, HER apartment on Saturday and she just found out today that she got it. It's like less than 10 minutes from my apartment! It's going to be great! She has always lived an hour away (at least) so this will be so fun to have a new neighborhood friend and I'm so going to push the "drop-by" neighbor type of relationship. That would make me very happy. (Just like Friends, right?) Now we just need some male friends in the area to balance things out.<br />
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In weight news, I am feeling slimmer and my clothes are fitting more loosely, though I tried to weigh myself this morning and it hadn't moved, which was confusing. I blame my slopey bathroom floor. Also I'm sure I've been burning calories with all of the cleaning and stuff, so maybe I added muscle weight? Anyway, I feel good so I just have to keep eating fairly well and enjoying myself. I definitely need to lower my stress/anxiety levels, so let's just relax and let it happen, right? :) Ha, I'll try. OH CRAP but I do have to be in a swimsuit in a month for Schmate's Bachelorette Trip to Miami...but with all girls, I suppose, so it's not as nerve wracking. <br />
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SUMMER IS HERE, basically. We only had one good snowstorm! I'm grieving the winter that never was.Steviehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14544641851425448475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432102965402281345.post-38304075793427038232012-03-13T15:12:00.000-04:002012-03-13T15:12:48.754-04:00Emerging Like a ButterflyAnd I'm back. Whew, the move was crazy. Well, the actual move was great and smooth and only took 2 1/2 hours, but then Time Warner didn't show, one of the new apartment's windows wouldn't stay closed, and an outlet didn't work. After a lot of bother, this was all resolved last Tuesday. I stayed home from work and the contractors came in the morning to fix all the windows (they lock now, too!) and the outlet and then TW came later on. It was very productive. OH and I was in great shape the Friday night before the move, so Hike and I drove to Ikea on LI and bought the couch, so they delivered it on Sunday night. It made the weekend a lot easier to not have to plan around an Ikea trip on Sunday.<br />
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It's been frustrating that while the new place appeared relatively clean, it was obvious that the previous tenants weren't <em>that</em> clean, so I had to wipe down all the shelves before putting anything on them, and really scrub the shit out of the top of the kitchen cabinets and the bathroom (lots of bleach there). I mean, I'm happy to have it clean to start with, but it's taking longer and it's a lot of work. The past two weekends I've pushed myself pretty hard, but finally I can sort of see the end of the to-do list. Last night I did a ton of laundry, which was our regular stuff plus all the rags and the old towels and the new towels (so we could use them) and one of the new floor mats and the living room pillow covers, etc. Tonight I need to clean up the kitchen table area, which has been sort of my junk area while I straightened everything else, and I need to put the bathroom together with the right shower liner length/width (cross your fingers, this is my fourth try), but maybe I can be sort of done after that? Or at least not work so hard for a few days. We'll still have to hang any decorations and buy bedroom furniture, but things will slow down.<br />
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I am really having fun using my new kitchen stuff and having pretty bathroom stuff and all that. I realize these are things people usually register for, but I needed some of it now, and some of it I just decided that I have the extra money for and I want to live like a grown-up, you know? I've been pretty frugal for a long time, so I'm allowed to have nice dishes (that I got on clearance) or whatever. I can't wait for someone to come visit me now! No one's seen it yet, though only recently would I have even wanted them to. Still, it definitely feels like home. It's just so comfortable to have my/our own place. Well, it's ours and he's been there every night, but I think I should insist on at least one night a week alone, right? It's only fair, since he hasn't officially moved in (or paid rent yet). But the co-habitation has been pretty peaceful and nice, once things settled down from the move. For a few days it was rough -- I was all business and he was gone, then would come home and need to "relax" and I'd get really angry that he wasn't doing more or anticipating what needed to be done, but that phase has mostly passed, and he was helpful when I directly asked him to do something. Now it's nice to know that even when I work hard all day (office work then house work and cooking dinner) I will be able to fall asleep with my head on his chest while he plays with my hair. It's those little things.<br />
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I've been so focused on the settling in that I now feel like I'm emerging from a cave or something, and I'm excited to get back to a normal life. It was actually a quiet few weeks socially, which worked out well for me to hole up. This past weekend we did have some friend time on Friday night (his friends who I enjoy very much) and then family time on Saturday night (Zipcar!), and I'm starting to re-assimilate into society again, thank goodness. Plus this warm weather is making me want to sit outside and brunch or drink or drunch! <br />
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Next time I'll tell you about our pet adventures (or at least in theory -- we don't really have one yet.) Let's just say I'm starting to have very warm feelings about a pigeon.Steviehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14544641851425448475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432102965402281345.post-50241008904014504712012-02-24T16:02:00.000-05:002012-02-24T16:02:31.811-05:00ThingsShmauren is visiting this weekend from Boston! Tonight we're meeting at Sweet Afton in Astoria to catch up, meet her new (to us) beau, and bring all the boys along. Tomorrow night there are more festivities planned in Manhattan at some of our favorite old haunts, and I wasn't sure if I could go due to packing plans, but I think I'm in decent shape so after putting some time in during the day, I should be able to head out again. Hike will probably stay home to study tomorrow, but that's fiiine. Girl time-ish! And then I can go home sort of early (maybe?) and see him later in the evening. Exciting! I think Sunday is unplanned, so probably I'll be packing and maybe we'll see some family -- tbd.<br />
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So everything worked out OK with the car, though it is totaled. He is going to get a nice settlement check from the insurance company and bank that puppy, so we'll sign up for Zipcar for the foreseeable future. We don't need the car too often -- mostly for trips to LI to see the family and the rare weekends away, so Zipcar makes more sense economically right now. Plus, how fun to try a different car each time! And it looks like we'll still have the insurance-covered rental through next weekend, so I can use the car to move with (thank god.) I was very worried about that, since I plan to drive over some fragile things, all my hanging clothes, and drive over to meet the movers on the other end and let them in. <br />
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I've packed a few boxes each weeknight this week, except for last night which was book club. (We Talked About Kevin a lot.) I'm nearly to the point where I can't pack more until a day or two before we go, so that's under control. I was a little nervous because we're having issues setting up Time Warner since the current tenants' hadn't cancelled it, and now they have but for Feb 29 (they're supposed to leave tomorrow?) so we can't officially put in our order until then, which means we may not get an installation as early as we wanted, but OH WELL. I mean, I'm annoyed, but at this point it's not worth worrying about. If I have to miss some work, I will -- especially since I'm not taking any time off to move.<br />
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I should be low-stress, which I am, part of the time. I'm also just super excited to go! Oh, last weekend (I will get into that shortly) I had a few moments of trepidation and wondering if I was doing the right thing, but as soon as we got back home, the roommate was up to her usual nagging, moving my stuff around in the shower, laughing obnoxiously at everything on tv, etc., so I was like GET ME OUTTA HEEEERE. It's so time.<br />
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The weekend in Amish Country was nice! Very rural and relaxing. We got in on Saturday afternoon, and our room had a really nice shower with two shower heads and a fireplace and a canopied bed and a porch swing, and it was nice and cozy. We christened it right away (ahem) then had some snacks in the room (complimentary) then he researched restaurants and I got pretty and we went to a lovely Italian place. We did get into a fight at dinner (as usual) because somehow we cannot talk about the future without fighting now, but it got resolved. It seems when I try to broach the topic of "how can we make this an exciting thing and not a fight fest?" it seems like I am criticizing, and so then he gets mad? I don't really get it. I'm not asking him to propose right now, but I am asking him to stop telling me one timeline and then pushing it back, and also to stop being so MEAN about the thing. Or you know, be more sensitive to the fact that I compromised on living together and I want this to be something to look forward to. Whatever, it seems better since then. Somehow everything I was saying on the topic sounded like pressure to him, which I don't understand. But it's better.<br />
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Sunday we drove around the towns and looked at farms and tried to find a market (but the Amish won't sell on a Sunday) and had lunch at an old brewery then did an Amish buggy ride and bought a Christmas ornament souvenir and then went to a fantastic <a href="http://www.devonseafood.com/">seafood restaurant</a> (go to one if you have one near you!) and then back for some romance. Romance has been tough with his school schedule and our winter blahs and everything lately, so I'm really happy we were all crazy for each other again. PLUS HE'S GOT A NEW TECHNIQUE. I won't elaborate, but it was very thrilling. And then I also had a dream orgasm for the first time! Anyway, it was good. Then Monday we stopped at a few markets and a chocolate store on our way out of town, and we had an uneventful drive home. It was nice to get away, but it went so quickly. <br />
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So that's what's going on, folks. Oh, apparently moving in together is a huge deal and he just wants to get through that first (um, meant in a less negative way than that sounded) and I've obviously not given it enough thought because I'm moving in first, anyway, and I'm thinking about all the details of setting up an apartment. But yeah, I need to reflect on stuff like that more instead of being all "next challenge, please!" But really, I'll have time once I'm settled in. And I'm not going to change my mind, but just sort of see the significance or WHATEVER. I do know I'm not ready to be engaged yet, and we're not ready together yet, so I think things are fine as they are right now. I need to stop checking off items on my life to-do list, as always.<br />
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Happy weekends!Steviehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14544641851425448475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432102965402281345.post-72815822826941974112012-02-17T16:56:00.000-05:002012-02-17T16:56:44.823-05:00This Day Needs to End AlreadySo it's 4:53 pm and I am SO READY for a three-day weekend, especially one that involves traveling to Amish Country tomorrow. I've never been to Amish Country! Plus I love driving in the country, plus I can't wait to get away with my honey (and hopefully get along SPLENDIDLY), plus our <a href="http://www.cornwallinnpa.com/washington-suite.htm">room</a> features a porch swing and a fireplace! And apparently a wrought-iron shower gate. Plus it's sunny out and it's so hot in my office that my roses are wilting and god, this was the longest week ever. Hope you all enjoy your weekends! I will bring you back something antique, like a shoe buckle!Steviehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14544641851425448475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432102965402281345.post-10102277635624480242012-02-15T16:30:00.000-05:002012-02-15T16:30:43.866-05:00Not Dead YetWow, again, keeping up with this is getting difficult! But hey, I'm back to being a little slow at work again, and there are so many things to talk about. Get ready, world.<br />
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Let's do major topic summaries, shall we?<br />
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Love: Things are pretty good! Hike and I are still learning how to fight, but it's getting better, and we really only have big ones when we're both tired at the same time and short on patience. It's new to me that he feels I get cold and distant in an argument, because I never would have thought of myself that way, but I admit that it's true that I want to win at any cost, plus I want to protect myself, so I sort of get really rational and act superior. I'm working on that. He, of course, gets angry and <em>ir</em>rational<em> </em>and I hate that, so it's a process. Surprisingly (or not), he responds better when I just yell whatever I'm thinking (i.e. "You're being retarded and I don't understand why!") -- he'll get calm again. We obviously come from different fighting camps, and it's an interesting process. <br />
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But in BIG LOVE NEWS (or whatever), we signed a lease together! I was feeling ready to leave my roommate situation and soon, so we started looking in late January for March 1. There are not a lot of options for March 1 that early, but we saw a few and really liked one of them, so we moved quickly. It was actually supposed to be a Feb 15 move-in, and we were asking the owner if we could delay, but turns out the current tenants' move-out got delayed so March 1 was perfect. It's still in Astoria, but on a different subway stop (the one where I wanted to be) and less than a 3 minute walk to the train. It's on an avenue, so it's a busier section, but the apartment is cute and laid out really nicely, with a separate eat-in kitchen and a linen closet. Also only one clothes closet in the living room, but hey, that's NY. We'll just buy an Ikea wardrobe. So the plan is that I'll move March 3 (Saturday) and he'll join me probably June 1, when the Spring semester of school (his MBA) is finished. He can't really handle doing it during school, both time-wise and stress-wise. I like it because I can sort of experience living alone for awhile (even though he'll be around quite a bit) before I never do again (in theory, at least.) I'm currently going crazy with online ordering of things like shower curtains, kitchen tools, etc., but it's fun. I've also just started packing books and things, and after this weekend, I'll really get down to it. I can't wait to set up a place just how I want it, without someone moving my shampoo because she thinks there's a better spot for it or whatever. I'll be FREEEEEEE.<br />
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Oh, and this weekend we're going away to Cornwall, PA for a B&B celebration of Valentine's Day. Yesterday Hike had a dozen roses and chocolate delivered to me at work, then we had a nice dinner and he gave me a book about Downton Abbey. :) We did get into a small disagreement at the end of dinner because I wanted to talk about how it hurts me when he keeps telling me our engagement timeline and then changing it, and I thought we could handle talking about it positively and without a problem, but then he lost his patience and said I wouldn't let it go. I said he should practice active listening so I know he understands. Anyway, we resolved it rather quickly but WHY CAN WE NOT CELEBRATE SOMETHING WITHOUT HAVING AN ISSUE? Also, related, why can I not talk about what's on my mind all the time? Blahhhhh but it's all fine now. He understands and said it won't happen again. Whatever, I just want it to be an exciting topic and not such a crappy one. It's not that I'm saying "propose now!" I'm just saying "stop pushing it back four times please." That doesn't make me feel very desired. Despite your promises to the contrary.<br />
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So...oh right, so I changed my mind on the "I want to be engaged before we live together," because it was adding so much pressure and deadliney-feelings to the whole thing. Also, I'm sort of OK not being engaged yet. I feel like I want to work some of our communication issues out first. And obviously it's not really a fun topic right now anyway, so I just want to ease off of that. One thing at a time. He thinks the summer will be a good time for him to get it together with proposing, so we'll see what happens. I'm fine with waiting right now. And scene.<br />
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Weight: I'm casually doing Weight Watchers, and I also made some big changes to my "everyday" meals. No more cereal for breakfast, and instead I'm having one hard-boiled egg and some cottage cheese with fruit. I am also eating almonds instead of granola/Special K bars. I was feeling like I wanted to cut out some of the processed carbs, and it (along with fewer splurges) has made a bit of difference. I'm down around 5 lbs, give or take, but it's going very slowly. I feel like part of it is the "turning 30" curse, and most of it is my social eating and sweet tooth temptations. Still, it's a journey and it's going OK. I read a book called "The Petite Advantage" which had some good information about weight and health for petite ladies, and one thing I liked is that the author was very anti-cardio. He says you should move as much as possible, but long cardio stretches really only cause you to hunch over, hurt your body and eat more afterwards. He's big on strength training because of the long, lean muscles and the longer caloric afterburn. So I bought some over-the-door "gravity straps" and want to do his strength-training plan, but I've only done it about once so far (in the past month.) It seems like the nights where I have time, I just feel so exhausted when I get home. Or I am doing moving stuff or Hike stuff or whatever. Part of that is the winter laziness, and part is lack of motivation. Oh, and being ill, which I'll get to shortly. But I know it'll come along, and I'm not giving up on it. Plus, it's cheaper than a gym membership. I'm also taking Vitamin D supplements now because those are supposed to help me not want to be in bed all day, every day in the winter. We'll see, it's only been a week on those.<br />
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Health: I've had a reoccuring case of pink eye this winter. I have never had it in my LIFE, and have no idea where it came from this time, but it started about January 9. I went to the doctor, got on eye drops, went back for a follow-up a week later, she said it's better and I can wean off the drops, and then the following week I'd wake up with it again. This has happened twice more since the first appearance. Finally the doctor sent me to a specialist, who I like better but basically just added more medicine (an ointment I have to put ON MY EYEBALLS before bed). I saw her today for my follow-up and she says I'm better, and she's going to wean me off medicine, and she still wants to see me again in three weeks. So this time I won't take any risks with eye creams or concealer (the last doctor told me I could just wipe off the top of the pot, but NEVER AGAIN) and I'm using washcloths for only one day, etc. Obviously I've been through about four mascaras, though it's usually only that last weekend before the re-appearance that I've used any makeup. I'm tired of looking like I have the Spanish flu!<br />
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I think that hits all of the recent news. I'll try to be better about posting, and shorter, for those who don't feel like reading a book. I'm just so LETHARGIC with this stupid winter. I need a snowstorm to perk me up!Steviehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14544641851425448475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432102965402281345.post-7393216983189583512011-11-14T15:44:00.001-05:002011-11-14T15:45:06.572-05:00So That HappenedMy life is full of Famous Last Words, you know? I had so much fun with Schmillie (as well as free shots and new friends) that I was home around 3:00 am on Saturday...ish. (I don't remember, guys.) Which also meant I kept telling Hike all night that I wanted to stay longer, and that maybe I wouldn't be home to cook him dinner, and maybe later again, etc. etc. so finally I was like Yeah, you should sleep at home because this party train is going to be delayed. Which he was mostly fine with, once I called him to check in... I wondered why he had so much 'tude at the time, but to be fair, I do need to be realistic about my "home eta" when I plan these things, as this is not the first time I've done that to him. And as I also discovered the next day, he bought me flowers to surprise me for Friday night and so yeah, he had to wait to give them to me until Saturday night. Oops. But still aww!<br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div>So right, I slept in until noon on Saturday, then of course needed Mexican food and had lost my voice by screaming/drinking/smoking so many cigarettes on Friday, so I ordered tacos & enchiladas online. I ate half of the food, then basically was in and out of sleep all afternoon while catching up on the new Top Chef. Finally I didn't feel like puking in the evening, so I showered, ran to the grocery store to stock up on supplies for my big plan-ahead cooking (which would now have to be delayed, since I obviously didn't get to it on Saturday), then home for Hike to pick me up and we went to a Spanish/Peruvian place on Steinway. The food was pretty good, and it was fun to try a new place with this coupon he had from Yelp. I probably wouldn't go back but we love exploring restaurants, and we had really nice date conversation. We went back home to watch the American with G. Cloon, and other than G. Cloon's beauty, that movie is terrible. It was so slow and boring, and I guess supposed to represent the monotony of trade professions (ammunications maker, prostitute) but GOD DAMN IT stop trying to be meaningful by being sparse! I hate that. We gave up on it around midnight since we were getting sleepy anyway, but finished it last night. Do not recommend.<br />
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Sunday we were up early despite our best efforts, then I made breakfast, then we had a fight because he was reading some wrestling blog on the computer while I made breakfast, but I thought he HAD to study, and I was like why am I serving you while you're relaxing? Which is a terrible attitude but one I'm fighting with this school thing. I know he needs a mental break now and then, but from my perspective, while studying he always has the tv on (muted) and is flipping around to webpages and it seems like LOTS O' BREAKS. I realize that's dangerous to assume, plus his style seems to be working since he's getting good grades, but when both of our lives have to center around his studying schedule, I have some bitterness. It's not great, and I'm working on it, and he's working on not reacting so strongly when I do criticize him (which is when the cycle begins) but ugh. Anyway, that happened. Then we had to leave for his high school friend's second baby's christening on Long Island, and we finally sort of made up in the car on the way there. The service was at 1:30 pm and there were like 8 babies and they were all crying plus everyone in the pews was talking and this guy near us kept his BLUETOOTH in the entire time like a total asshole, so right, it wasn't a very meaningful service from where we were sitting. But then we went to a steakhouse for lunch ON THEM! It was really good, and I know I went over my extra points, but sometimes that is going to happen. (It would have been ideal to not have DRANK THEM ALL on Friday, then eaten them with my hangover, but oh well.)<br />
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We came home exhausted around 6:30, and he went back to the books/football on mute while I (instead of being bored with football) decided to cook those meals I'd been planning on. Well, the Taco Chicken Chili had been in the crockpot all day while we were gone, but I made these WW Red Velvet Cupcakes (3 pts) which I was nervous about but turned out quite good! (They're for tonight's Harpie dinner.) Then I made the Buffalo Chicken Lasagna, which seems like it'll be good and still really spicy even though I bought Extra Mild Wing Sauce, but I'm annoyed because it went up to 10 pts per serving because I couldn't find non-fat ricotta (just part skim) and I think that's it... the recipe says it's 7 pts per, but when I entered it into the WW Recipe Building it gave me the 10 value. So we'll deal with that....though now that I'm remembering I have 29 points per day, that seems OK. I was working in the kitchen pretty much all of last night, which wasn't so relaxing, but at least I'd laid around all day on Saturday. Plus, now I have about 18 dinners ready to go for the next few weeks!<br />
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And today I'm sort of sleepy and still have the voice of a drag queen, but tonight will be a fun Harpie dinner and tomorrow night I'll be at home with Hike. Though I do still have to do laundry... so I think there won't be as many gym trips this week, but as I said before, I'll go when I can. Oh, and the scale I ordered arrived! I tried it after lunch (shoes off) and I was still at 153, but we'll see where I am naked first thing in the morning. (TWSS?) I probably will wait until next week to start my official weekly weight reporting program, so I can be consistent with it, but you know how I love data.<br />
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Today's food:<br />
B - apple, cereal, milk - 5<br />
L - turkey sammy, string cheese, special k, orange - 7<br />
D - TBD, but I know Kate is making a wild mushroom ravioli...<br />
S - yogurt with blueberries<br />
TOTAL - hopefully not too highSteviehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14544641851425448475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432102965402281345.post-59433522899766270122011-11-11T15:25:00.000-05:002011-11-11T15:25:52.666-05:00TGIAlmost Happy HourSo I haven't had drinks in awhile...like drinks where I could get a wee buzz, so I'm very excited to be meeting Schmillie for happy hour tonight. I have all of my flexi points for the week (49!) left for this weekend, so that's enough for some beers and hopefully enough left over for some other bigger meals -- date night is tomorrow, and then we have a reception after a Christening on Sunday. I'm going to do my best to stay inbounds. I do think the reception is at a steakhouse, so I should be able to order smart and still get me some steak! Just a small one, though.<br />
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Tomorrow was going to be bowling, but I called the bowling alley to reserve a lane and it's INSANE -- they don't have open bowling except from 12 noon - 2:00 pm. And tonight only after 11:30 pm. And not on Sundays until later in the month. Is this normal? It's all taken up with leagues and stuff, which I get, but shouldn't they also allow customers to come in? Why would you sell a Groupon that one can barely use unless you happen to not have a day job? I e-mailed Groupon to try and get my money back, and we'll be doing something else tomorrow. Blerg.<br />
<br />
My plan for daytime tomorrow is to make some WW-appropriate dinners and freeze them in portions for us. I'm going to try Buffalo Chicken Lasagne and a Taco Chicken Chili in the Crockpot. I know they're both chicken, but that's OK, right? They'll be staggered/not every night anyway. It should last us at least two weeks, too. Plus I'm going to make dessert for Harpie dinner on Monday -- and it has to be red. I'm not going to OUT IT yet, though, but I was able to get a healthier recipe on a traditional favorite, and I'm hoping they taste as good while being guilt-free!<br />
<br />
I have been talking to the receptionist about WW lately, and it's great to have someone to nerd out with, plus she JUST gave me her WW online password so I can totally user their tools, like the Recipe Builder! I've never paid for it so I'm super pumped to see all the fun gadgets. And to see how many points some of my traditional favorite recipes are...like the Rachel Ray Creamy Chicken Chili. Mmm.<br />
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OHHH and last night I found Edy's Pumpkin Ice Cream on sale and I had to buy it for a treat. I was expecting to save it but I forgot to eat my homemade granola bar after work so I had a ton of extra points so I had a cup of it after dinner -- so good! And I forgot to bring a granola bar TODAY, annoyingly, so I need to make sure not to get too drunk. I may eat more Special K bars, which I keep at work.<br />
<br />
Happy weekend, friends!<br />
<br />
Today's food:<br />
B - apple, cereal, milk - 4<br />
L - turkey bagel sandwich, string cheese, orange, special k - 7<br />
D - TBD<br />
S - yogurt with blueberries, beer, tbd - 3+<br />
TOTAL - we'll seeSteviehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14544641851425448475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432102965402281345.post-74996215727008097392011-11-10T16:30:00.000-05:002011-11-10T16:30:26.301-05:00But Not That HabitI realized I haven't checked in on the smoking front yet -- I'm not smoking. I mean, I had one stressful day two weekends ago where I bought a pack and smoked, and then stopped again when the pack was gone. I am still using the lozenges occasionally, but I really don't think about it anymore unless I'm drinking or feeling extremely upset/emotional. And neither of those things happen very often, so I think we're in the clear. And I'm not going to worry about a few social drinking cigs, either.<br />
<br />
Tonight is also my night/weekend off from the gym (well, maybe I'll go Saturday.) I'm going to Skype with Britch, then see my honey again. I'm so smitten this week, and I'm just enjoying it. ALSO I woke up at 5 am to pee this morning and I couldn't fall back asleep until after 7, and I had brief but scary rat dreams, and then the alarm went off. So I'm sleepy. I finally sat up, drank some milk and watched an episode of Good Eats on demand, then fell right asleep after. I really need to make myself stop trying and get up and drink some milk in the future, instead of waiting for 90 minutes first. My brain was just all over the place! <br />
<br />
Concerns: When we moved into this apartment, we had to put down 2 months' security deposit. Now that years have passed, I'm afraid my dickbag landlord will fight me on that -- I mean, I will withhold my last month's rent for one of those payments, but I won't be able to give two months' notice of moving, so he'll basically have to write me a check for the other part of it. And I have a feeling this will be a fight. Should I remind him that we have that two months' security deposit now to lay some groundwork? Casually, like "oh, did the new tenants have to pay two months' security deposit, too?" Ha. Also, what if we can't find an apartment we like or Hike's too busy with school to come look and I find the perfect one and have to decide ON THE SPOT BY MYSELF? So I'm getting to talk to Britch finally but what about how I'm still kind of upset that I went to all that expense and effort to go to/be in her wedding and then she hermits on me right afterwards with no appreciation for it. How do I handle that when we talk tonight? What should I bring to his Dad's house for the Friday-after-Thanksgiving awkward-fest? And that's all I can remember right now but there were so many worries at 5 am, dudes.<br />
<br />
And in other news, I'm considering the IUD because I like the idea of not taking hormones and I'm curious as to how/who I am naturally after ten years on the Pill, plus now on 50 extra mg for my acne. Plus, it sounds possibly easier/cheaper/more convenient and I could hopefully have fewer mood swings/strong emotional reactions, but hey, maybe I'd have more? Plus it could be a long adjustment period (6 months sometimes) with lots o' cramps and bleeding and my acne might come back with a vengeance (seriously, when I brought it up with my mom, her first question was What about your acne? and her second was Are you still smoking? So at least she was concerned about my health EVENTUALLY.) I don't know if I should do the copper one or the Mirena (which releases some localized hormones) and I was talking to Hike about it and I said that they're good for three years, which seemed fine because we wouldn't want to have babies before then, and he was like Well, we might. So now mentally I'm all BABIES? YOU WANT BABIES RIGHT AWAY? in very manic way, like it's exciting and also terrifying and I didn't get that far in my "in the next few years" daydreams. Now there's a timeframe, people. He just said that he does think about it a lot and in context of his age and stuff, and he'd like to start our family on the sooner side, and I was like OH, ok... I didn't realize, but I'm amenable. (I didn't visibly freak out, don't worry.) I mean, I'd be all for it, as long as we could afford the little thing. And maybe not live in an apartment...and maybe we should try a dog first...but who knows. Obviously there are other bridges before that bridge, but that was a surprising conversation. And he's going to read up more on the IUD to give me his informed opinion, but he loves the idea of no artificial hormones. <br />
<br />
Oh and I got my haircut at lunch and I LOVE this feeling. So light and swingy and soft and healthy! Remind me to get a haircut more often than 3x a year, ok?<br />
<br />
And that's what's rolling around in here today. Adieu!<br />
Today's eats:<br />
B - Cereal, Milk, Apple - 5<br />
L - Turkey sammy, orange, string cheese, Special K bar - 7<br />
D - Taco Bake (7?), ff sour cream, roasted apples & squash & turnips & onions - 8<br />
S - yogurt, pumpkin pudding, homemade granola bar - 8.5<br />
TOTAL - 28.5, so .5 under but I have to look up that taco bake recipe at home.Steviehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14544641851425448475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432102965402281345.post-47136574352384485872011-11-09T14:48:00.002-05:002011-11-09T14:54:57.287-05:00Back in the HabitWell, so far, so good. I had a few Girl Scout Cookies at lunch today, but I have the point room for them. This PointsPlus thing is pretty awesome so far -- I haven't been able to eat my full day's allotment for the past two days, but I'm only shy by 1 or 2 points, so don't worry, I'm not starving myself. I'm probably underestimating the amount of milk I have daily, so that'll even it out. (Milk in coffee, tea, cereal, etc. but I only count 1 cup.)<br />
<br />
I did 30 minutes on the bike last night, and I'll go again tonight and do 40, but then tomorrow I'm going to Skype with Britch after work and then Hike will come over, so no gym, WHICH IS FINE. Laaaiiiiid back.<br />
<br />
It'll be good to talk to Britch again. We haven't communicated very much at all since August, when I saw her for her wedding, and it's not like we got to talk a lot then, anyway. She's had a lot going on and I've been trying to be patient, but I though I was losing her for awhile though today we just hashed it out and it seems like she's been a bit reclusive, but it had nothing to do with our friendship. I was really sad and worried about it, but I think things are going to get better again. <br />
<br />
Hike and I had some really productive conversations last night, so I'm feeling very optimistic that we'll make progress on our "how to fight" problem. He's also admitting that with all of his stress and multi-tasking with school and work and his home business, he's not been the best boyfriend lately, and he's going to do better, which helps me. I mean, he's not like mean or awful or anything, he's just not been as thoughtful as he used to be and I look forward to that returning a little. I hope it can happen. I've been trying to be very supportive but I have gotten a little impatient, too, and I'm glad he's recognizing that sometimes the focus needs to be on me.<br />
<br />
Plus we've got like five dates booked because of Groupon-type deals! This Saturday we'll use a bowling groupon and that should be a fun and different actvity -- something we've never done together. And we have movies, restaurants, etc. He said that he wants me to always have something to look forward to, like some specific plans, and so far that's working out well.<br />
<br />
When it's good, it's so good, friends. (And when it's bad, it's awful.) Ah well, today I'm going to bask in the good. Also I have been on a bit of a shopping kick this fall, as I've needed new boots due to the wearing out of my work brown boots and my black ones. I bought <a href="http://www.kohls.com/upgrade/webstore/product_page.jsp?PRODUCT<>prd_id=845524892756125&crosssell=true">these</a> brown ones from Kohl's, these black ones for casual-wearing from Zappos.com: <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1ZpBxqfuPm0/TrraQGktaKI/AAAAAAAAAPI/fgk4TFWLAF8/s1600/1632997-p-2x.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ida="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1ZpBxqfuPm0/TrraQGktaKI/AAAAAAAAAPI/fgk4TFWLAF8/s320/1632997-p-2x.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>And I've just tried <a href="http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/g-by-guess-shoes-vachela-boots?ID=592073&PseudoCat=se-xx-xx-xx.esn_results">these</a> from Macy's, but they were too small in my normal size, so I'm sending them back for a half-size up. These are a bit of a crazy purchase but come on, they're so hot.<br />
<br />
FUN SHOPPING. And I got some clothes, but those will be more fun once I lose some poundage. And finally, I got a good deal on <a href="http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/tools-of-the-trade-cookright-hard-anodized-12-piece-cookware-set?ID=286748&CategoryID=7631&LinkType=#fn=SPECIAL_OFFERS%3DClearance/Closeout%26sp%3D1%26spc%3D3%26ruleId%3D18%26slotId%3D1">pots & pans & stuff</a> that I'll need for when we have our own kitchen, since most of the cookware is currently my roommate's. They arrived today, and though the box is probably too big for me to take home, I want to! But I'm going to make myself wait to use them until I have a new apartment. I don't want Roommate getting her mitts on them!<br />
<br />
Oh, and I bought these flannel sheets from Overstock.com for the new Queen bed so we'd be cozy this winter. We already put them on when the temperatures dipped recently, and they're sooooft.<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d_uphmva5OY/TrraUZoFmyI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/Q6qKixVUhjI/s1600/P13193178a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ida="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-d_uphmva5OY/TrraUZoFmyI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/Q6qKixVUhjI/s1600/P13193178a.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I think that's all the purchases I can brag about for now, but I am so ready to nest in a new place. I still look at apartments pretty frequently on Craigslist, though it's difficult for me to look and not act, and I don't think it'll be time to act until the new year. But I do like knowing what's out there and in what price range.</div><br />
I also need to ramble to you about how I'm contemplating switching from hormonal birth control (aka the Pill) to an IUD. But that'll be another day. Happy Hump Day!<br />
<br />
Oh, and I'm going to plan my meals because it helps me to have it written somewhere!<br />
B - apple, cereal, milk - 5<br />
L - Bagel thin with turkey, LT, honey mustard; string cheese; orange; 4 cookies - 10<br />
D - butternut squash ravioli, tomato sauce, veg - 6<br />
S - yogurt with blueberries, homemade granola bar, pumpkin pudding - 8.5<br />
TOTAL - 29.5 (so today I'll be .5 over but I will earn activity points, so it's ok)Steviehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14544641851425448475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432102965402281345.post-12184723639924287952011-11-08T16:58:00.000-05:002011-11-08T16:58:00.726-05:00What's up, Shorty?This will be brief, but as I'm beginning my grand return to the world of Weight Watchers (starting yesterday), I figured I should also begin my grand return to accountability. <br />
<br />
First off, I threw out my scale in the bed bug panic of 2011, and I'd sort of been lax about diet (there are so many treats to eat) and just trying to walk a lot so that I could have a healthy, active lifestyle. Guess what. I can't! It's not enough -- at least, not when you combine relaxed diet and exercise. I have felt bigger, and my clothes have felt tighter, though I was hoping some of that was from the high-heat drying, but at Hike's mom's house this past weekend, I noticed her scale and was curious. GASP. It's high, folks. It was like 153 pounds high. <br />
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I've also noticed my insecurity about my weight causing some unnecessary sensitivity with Hike, and the worst of that crested recently, too. We were talking about why we argue/misunderstand each other, and the issues I've been having with not being happy with myself, and I asked if he even noticed my weight change, and he said "You want me to be honest, right? I could see it a little in your stomach, but that's only because you pointed it out a few times." SO WHAT THE MAGAZINES TELL US IS TRUE, LADIES: If you draw attention to your insecurities, those spacey boys will notice what they did not notice before. SO WE MUST STOP TALKING ABOUT IT. I even consider myself pretty decent at this, like I'm not a complainer and I'm generally satisfied with my reflection, but yikes, it's so easy to fall into this mud puddle, huh?<br />
<br />
So perfect storm time, since the receptionist at work has been talking about going back on WW and she was telling me how great the PointsPlus system is (which I'd previously refused to follow). I investigated it and was hooked -- it's like the same game but updated! New rules, new values, new puzzles! I can also eat about what I usually eat on a normal weekday, but I'll be more mindful at dinner and then on weekends I'll have to clean up my act a bit. I also returned to the gym last night, and rode the bike for 30 minutes and felt good. Unfortunately my membership expires on November 30, so I'll have to try to sweet-talk my way into a 6-month renewal or something, since I won't be living in my apartment for another whole year and this gym is so ghetto, the only draw is that it's around the corner. Anyway, we'll figure that out at the end of the month.<br />
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I'm looking forward to feeling comfortable in my clothes again (literally and figuratively) as well as comfortable getting my tummy rubbed by Hike. And the best part (well, one of them) is that I can still eat my <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCsQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.superfoodsrx.com%2Fkitchen%2Fpumpkin%2Fpattys-pumpkin-pudding.html&ei=KKS5TvCYIar6sQK-wYiZCA&usg=AFQjCNFGttNxcv9_DL6FnnQ9Km8d0jqwdg&sig2=VQwTzcCsdZFwZBu_ADKQ5w">Superfoods Pumpkin Pudding</a>! It's pretty low points, especially since I use Splenda for baking instead of sugar. (And by the way, when I first found this recipe, Patty had no claim over it, so I refuse to acknowledge her name in the title. F that B.)<br />
<br />
And that's about it here. Still trying to stay patient and happy with the stress of Hike's very full schedule and my own supportive role, plus trying to manage a social life while maximizing my time with him. We are constantly making progress but I do get discouraged when we have a particularly bickery week, like last week. At least we were able to be "intimate" (ahem) twice over the weekend, and it had been a full week before that -- which I know puts me on edge! So now I feel better and I'm very excited about this WW+ plan. I am tracking my food on my phone app, too, so I won't be getting too detailed here, but my main weekday food will consist of:<br />
<br />
B - cereal, coffee, milk, apple<br />
L - turkey or chicken sandwich on a Sandwich Thin or a Bagel Thin (the Everything ones are delish!) with lettuce, tomato, honey mustard; light string cheese; fruit; special K bar with chocolate<br />
D - varies<br />
S - yogurt with fruit in the afternoon; pumpkin pudding or something similar and sweet after dinner<br />
<br />
Here we go! Oh, right, and I have to buy a scale -- it's clear I work best with hard data. (Yes, that is what she said.)Steviehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14544641851425448475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432102965402281345.post-71179341562340170572011-09-28T16:23:00.000-04:002011-09-28T16:23:15.977-04:00Slogging AlongThat what it feels like I'm doing after all this gross warm humid weather lately. We had such a brief, shining week of Fall, and now it's hot and uncomfortable again. Though this weekend should be cooler, and I can bring out the hoodies again, thank goodness. <br />
<br />
What a week! As I've now become quite comfortable spending most of my weeknights at home, I really pushed the envelope with Harpie dinner on Monday night in Brooklyn (theme: Johnny Appleseed) and then a concert last night with Schmeather. We saw <a href="http://www.theheadandtheheart.com/">The Head and the Heart</a> at The Bowery Ballroom, and they were excellent, but they didn't go on until about 11:15, after two opening bands, and so I got home at about 1:15 am. The opening bands were kind of boring -- actually we only went up to the main room for the second one -- so as much as I love seeing fantastic live music, I think I may have to not go on weeknights anymore. Or now that I'm typing this out, maybe I'll just be really picky about it, since today isn't as hard to survive as I thought it would be.<br />
<br />
ANYWAY, I am very much looking forward to a night at home tonight. I have to pick up the veggies after work, and then Hike will be coming over at some point, but before then I can probably get in some couch and DVR time... and it'll be nice to go to sleep before midnight (I hope, at least.) <br />
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I need to start re-incorporating the gym or some sort of activity into my life, since after a month of letting myself go/eat whatever, I am feeling the results. My clothes are all tight (which could partially be due to high heat drying, but who knows), my tummy is big (I swear I'm pregnant while having my period, because it feels so firm. Is that possible?), and I am feeling decidedly dumpy and unsexy. (Well, except that Hike and I are sexting right now, so I'm still looking forward to it -- just with the lights out.) Um I guess I also have my extremely light period right now, which could be contributing. Now, is it light because I'm pregnant or because I'm now taking more hormones (a light dose) for my acne? Probably the latter. Oh, and I've also decided that I need to start dressing more like a grown-up, so I've spent a lot of money online shopping recently. I know I won't keep it all, but I can at least perk up my wardrobe a bit. And it doesn't help that I'm totally sick of all my summer clothing options.<br />
<br />
There's not much news. The weekends have been full of homework (him); puttering around the house baking, cooking, cleaning, reading (me); visiting the family on Sunday and doing our laundry (me) while he studies more (him); and my weeks have been made up of things like book club, walking home from work (last week, when we had some gloriously cooler days), and catching up on all the new fall television. Last weekend I had time on Saturday to borrow his car and visit Schmillie in Brooklyn for the afternoon, then head to Trader Joe's in Rego Park to stock up on pantry items. I'm cooking more dinners, but I enjoy it. I feel like I'm contributing what I can do to his overwhelming school schedule now. I also have started making homemade granola bars for him to throw in his bag to eat during class, since he gets so hungry and wasn't bringing anything, plus he likes natural, healthy stuff. It feels good to support him in that way, and I'm lucky that he appreciates it. It's how I'm showing love. (Barf, amiright?)<br />
<br />
We've had some serious talks about the future recently, so I'm very happy with where we are and what's to come. And we've gotten much better at arguing. The fights do still happen, but usually we can head them off at the pass -- and we're learning how to balance his schoolwork with time together, plus I'm nagging him less to be more organized as he's making a good system for himself. I'm feeling optimistic about this thing. And the one-year anniversary of our first date is coming up on October 13, so it feels like a big milestone. I'm excited!<br />
<br />
And that's the story, morning glories. I feel like I'm getting so repetitive, but hey, consistency is the salt of life.Steviehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14544641851425448475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432102965402281345.post-24663046172568765982011-09-20T10:43:00.000-04:002011-09-20T10:43:13.083-04:00Tit BitsThere was a lot of serious future talk with Hike this weekend, which was mostly really nice, but until I have a chance to write it up for you, I'll leave you with these two gems.<br />
<br />
-He asked me if I'd be able to be patient with the kids, and he was only half-kidding. YES FINE I'm not that patient normally, but I'd be better with my own kids, I think/hope! :) I said well, that's why I have you anyway, and he said that I'd be spending more time with them. So I mean, it's a positive that he's thinking like this, but not so great that he's worried about my patience level. I'm sure it's because I've been on his back about schoolwork, but he's getting into the swing of being organized and I'm calming down. Really! I am great with children that are not annoying.<br />
<br />
-He also asked me if we could make cheese from my (future) breast milk. I said we could sure try!Steviehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14544641851425448475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432102965402281345.post-91807979784298424932011-09-14T15:29:00.001-04:002011-09-14T15:31:33.431-04:00HomebodyingIt feels like ages have gone by. Aren't we all excited for Fall? There's a certain crispness to the air, especially in the evenings, and I know my mood is improving. It helps that so far things are now bug-free, and I had a nice Scottish break, and I'm feeling rather caught up in my life (as in, no huge to-do list at the moment.) <br />
<br />
So a quick trip rundown for you. The beginning part in London was a little stressful, with nine people in one apartment and lots of luggage to be buried under, but once we escaped to the Scottish hills I felt so relaxed and at one with nature. I loved the view out of our lodge, too! The best part of the whole wedding was the Scottish dancing, though, called Céilidh (prounounced kay-lee). There were set steps that the band would teach us and then call out, and our new friend (aka the groom's friend from home) Kevin asked me to dance the first dance so he taught me the steps, too -- it was so fun and twirly! Like that scene in Titanic when they're dancing in steerage. Plus it was the first time a boy has ever asked me to dance! (Obviously it wasn't anything scandalous, don't worry.) Kevin and I danced like four of them together, and in between those I danced with Jude (the girl groomsman) for one, a girl named Haley, and with a 10-year-old Scottish boy , and with one of the best men John (he was so drunk I just pushed him around the twirls. I'm glad he didn't puke on me.) And though I drank all day, I didn't feel particularly drunk OR hungover the next day because of all the exercise. :) It was thrilling.<br />
<br />
On the flight home, I started coughing, and felt pretty under the weather that first weekend back, but I felt better by Tuesday, I just haven't been able to shake the cough (even now). I finally called the doctor today to make an appointment for tomorrow, since just when I thought it was getting better yesterday, it's gotten a bit worse. Might as well make sure I don't have the Contagion, especially since people at work are refusing to sit next to me now. And this past Monday night I had a sudden and sharp pain in my right ankle, and it's a bit swollen. I think a summer of mostly wearing flip flops has caught up to me! I wore sneakers to work today and kept them on, and it's already feeling a ton better. I just feel like I'm falling apart in general, but hey, when do I not?<br />
<br />
I haven't smoked since the Saturday after I returned from the UK. I knew I wouldn't be able to re-quit before then, since we'd be drinking and smoking a ton there, but now that I'm home and having trouble breathing anyway, it hasn't been so bad. That means it's been 11 days -- almost two weeks! I'm sucking on the nicotine lozenges plus Cepacol throat lozenges, sometimes both at once (one in each cheek), and it's not been as hard as expected. I'm sure hard times will come, but for now, I don't think about it too much. Shoot, except now I am. MOVING ON.<br />
<br />
Hike started his MBA classes while I was gone, and he's got two on Monday evenings, two on Wednesday evenings, and one from 9 - 1 on Saturdays. It's a lot, and he has a lot of reading and homework to do, but I think he's getting it down. In the beginning I was worried about his organizational level, especially since I am The Queen of being organized and also Very Bossy, so we were bickering a bit, but it seems like he's getting into the swing of things and I'm trying to step back a little, too. (He likes my help and advice, but obviously I need to be nice about it.) It is still stressful, but hopefully we can figure out a workable lifestyle for the next few years. I think we're close now, actually. <br />
<br />
I've also started casually looking at one-bedroom apartment listings in Astoria. After traveling and having my own bathroom for a blessed four days in Scotland, I just sort of came home and craved more space for myself. I knew I wanted to move sometime this winter anyway, but now I'm considering moving out sooner and then Hike would join me when he's ready and able and when we're ready to be engaged. At first I was hesitant to proceed this way since I don't want him to feel like he's moving in to MY home, but on the other hand, it'd be good for me to live alone for awhile, plus he'll be there a ton anyway (he's already at my place a lot as it is), and I doubt he'd be as sensitive about moving into my place than if the situation were reversed. He likes this plan because it means we're progressing but it gives him a little flexibility to figure out his timing, too. So now the question is, when? <br />
<br />
I went to one open house on Monday, but the kitchen was just on a wall in the LR and I need it in a separate room so that I don't stink up the main room with garlic/cooking smells plus make all that noise of washing dishes, etc. I am going to another one tomorrow night, and Hike may come with me so we can start feeling things out together (though he likes my taste, as he's said), but if I like it, I'm still in a tight spot. My roommate's Dad isn't doing very well health-wise, and she was planning on going to visit him in Florida for a few weeks at the beginning of October. After over five years together, I'd feel like a dick if I surprised her by announcing my intention to move out in 15 days while she was already planning to travel. So that's a consideration -- but I still think it's OK to look at places. I'm just half scared I'll like one, you know? But also THRILLED about the concept.<br />
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OH, and just to vent for a minute -- I'm looking mainly on Craigslist, since how else do we find apartments nowadays? Sometimes I'll go to a realtor's site from their Craigslist posting and find other options, but I still hate the whole broker's fee situation. Anyway, there are so many posts for Astoria that don't say WHERE the place is in the neighborhood, or they'll say an avenue but not the street. This makes a HUGE difference, so obviously I'm not going to respond to them since I feel like they're trying to pull some bullshit, but what if they're stupid and I'm missing a good apartment? Ugh, I guess when I'm looking more seriously I can investigate those further, but come on. We want to be somewhere between 30th and 36th Aves, and Crescent and 37th Streets, so work with us, Craigslisters.<br />
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And finally, I just bought my first Christmas present today. I guess it could be a one-year anniversary present for Hike, but it doesn't seem very romantic. HOT TIP -- you can buy Always Sunny in Philadelphia seasons 1-5 PLUS the Christmas Special on Amazon for like $48. Buy it for someone special in your life. You're welcome.Steviehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14544641851425448475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432102965402281345.post-53230302437492647752011-08-25T15:23:00.000-04:002011-08-25T15:23:45.685-04:00Bon VivageI think I made that word combination up? But it works.<br />
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Hello and goodbye, lovers! Today, finally, I leave for my grand UK adventure. Yes, it's rainy here, but the hurricane hasn't hit yet so I should be OK for my 11 pm departure. I'm sad that Hike can't join me, but I'm still very much looking forward to some fun high-school-friend times, some party times, and some quiet, relaxing alone times on the Scottish moors. I just wish it were already time to go! I'm even excited for the airplane and the airplane food (it's so organized, and it's a surprise!) and my new travel pillow and landing in London and navigating my way to Britch's neighborhood.<br />
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So right, I land tomorrow at 11 am in London, the Hen Party is tomorrow night, Saturday night we may do a movie night, Sunday we take the train north to Glasgow, Scotland and stay in a hotel, we move to the <a href="http://www.culcreuch-castle-hotel.com/">castle</a> grounds on Monday (I'm staying in a lodge with my two other best high school friends, who are married to each other), Tuesday night is the rehearsal dinner, Wednesday is the wedding, and then Thursday I can recover and Friday morning I take the train to Edinburgh to catch my flight home through Amsterdam. Whew! It sounds busy but also has some down time, which I'm very pleased with.<br />
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Bug-wise, things seem good at home. I'm mostly unpacked, we've gone a week since the new company sprayed, and we haven't had any issue yet. I did find one long-dead bb in the bottom of a shoe that had the heel cap missing (a sandal!) so that freaked me out because it was in my closet on the floor, and that was the first I'd found in the closet area, but nothing else has shown up. I also sprinkled <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth">Diatomaceous Earth</a> around the corners and floorboards and everywhere last night, so I feel extra defended.<br />
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Now I can just run away and not worry about my apartment for a week! And poor Hike has his first class on Saturday morning, ugh, but it'll be good for him to get the MBA started so he can stop being so anxious, not knowing what to expect. And it'll be fall and then winter before you know it, and I love those seasons, and we already bought our Xmas tickets (I'll go home from Xmas to New Year's, he'll come for New Year's) and I'm just very much in love. I hope that Hurricane Irene doesn't sweep him away while I'm gone, and without a phone! It's back to the 2000s with calling cards for me!<br />
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Anyway, enjoy your distaster weekend, friends, and I'll fill you in when I return.<br />
Steviehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14544641851425448475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432102965402281345.post-53918275263823843452011-08-11T12:10:00.000-04:002011-08-11T12:10:59.915-04:00Much Like the Economy...My mental state is very in flux. So on Tuesday, my roommate gets bites -- 7 of them, to be precise. They appear to be bed bug bites. She has started washing/cleaning thoroughly, but is busy at her job and only last night called the crappy exterminator we've had, who can't come until Friday or Saturday. So I asked her to call more today, but she's decidedly less urgent about this than I am. I'm just very worried they'll re-spread to my room/side of the apartment, and while it's been safe so far, I don't want to tempt anything! And also, what if I have to wash all of my belongings again? I will, but goddamn, this is awful. And it's worse because so far no exterminator is scheduled and that drives me batty. (Roommate said to me "I'm not as freaked out about this as you are." THAT IS NOT OK. YOU SHOULD BE FREAKED OUT.) Obviously they somehow migrated to her end of the apartment, though it's been a month since I discovered them in my room, and it's all so confusing. Plus, she had a ton of bites at one time, but why did it just suddenly happen? Her room was sprayed twice of the three times that mine was, and while she didn't wash/bag all of her things, shouldn't the sprays have killed any eggies that were around? Obviously they were hiding, but it feels like a neverending problem and I'm having some rough moments (and some optimistic moments, too.) I just hope she has called another exterminator by now. I'm going to harass her.<br />
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Otherwise, today is a beautiful day, I'm planning on sleeping at Hike's tonight in order to be less tempting to any bugs in my apartment (though so far, so good), and I made some Saturday "drunch" plans with my neighborhood girls, plus Hike already made plans for our Saturday night, which you know I love. We'll do dinner and a movie in Astoria (seeing Captain America), but it's nice to have an actual date planned, you know? And I THINK/HOPE I can Skype with Britch tonight. I haven't talked to her in SO LONG and I leave in like two weeks to see her in England (hopefully the riots will be over) and I can't wait! The idea of running away for a week is very appealing, too, though I will miss Hike dreadfully.<br />
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OH, we planned our winter holidays yesterday. It began because he was looking at his vacation schedule for work, which he has to use by the end of the year, and he's trying to take time off when he can maximize it for completing schoolwork. I asked if he was going to come home with me for New Year's again, and so he looked into it and planned the long weekend for when he'll come to meet me there (after Christmas). I was a bit whiney about it, in the "I would have hoped you'd think of that yourself, since for our relationship to move forward, don't you need to spend some more time with my parents?" way, by which I meant "You'll want to ask my dad for permission to marry me ASAP, right???" But it was fine, once I mentioned it (and he was like "Oh yes, I want to do that, I just wasn't thinking about it and you hadn't told me your plans to go home, either...") he got right into the planning and looking up airfare, so I calmed down. Plus, then the BB World War II news hit, so I was distracted.<br />
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To top off my bad day yesterday, I volunteered to get the veggies for Roommate so she could go buy a steamer and a box spring cover, etc., and on my walk down Crescent, I passed Mex. I mean, I am always afraid of going that way because of that reason, and wouldn't you know, I get myself calmed down and am walking and there he is. Looking either already drunk or hungover, and making a really sullen face and not looking at me, so we passed like ships in the night. I think I rolled my eyes (like, of course I have to see you today) but he didn't acknowledge me, though he would have surely seen me. It's fine, I don't want to talk to him, but it's so strange to know someone intimately for two years (or at least know part of them) and then totally not acknowledge them on the street. I'M SO MUCH BETTER OFF.<br />
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And finally, in good news, I got my bracelet from Hike repaired and back yesterday by a great jeweler on 47th -- he only charged me $20, he fixed the broken place and another spot that looked weak, and he cleaned it, in 24 hours! Amazing. So now I get to admire it on my wrist again and think of him, aww. Ok, back to being bored at work. Enjoy the blue skies!Steviehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14544641851425448475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432102965402281345.post-73816745655936699662011-08-08T13:51:00.000-04:002011-08-08T13:51:58.506-04:00KetchupHola amigos! Ha ha, just kidding, I hate Spanish.<br />
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Well, life goes on. I'm surviving life post-apocolyptic bug problem, and it's getting a bit better every day. Unfortunately last night my downstairs neighbors found two alive bed bugs in their living room, which is below my bedroom. They hadn't had any bites or any in the bed, so we're hoping it's just a few stragglers that escaped from my poison-filled walls. They had the exterminator come this morning, and he's coming twice more, though he doesn't think he needs to do my apartment again. I'm thinking of buying this <span>Diatomaceous Earth stuff and shoring up the walls of my room to prevent re-entry. Why not? And I haven't had any more problems, thank goodness. My bed is an island fortress (so far.)</span><br />
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So this past weekend was a nice one. Friday Hike and I just chilled at his place, beat that video game we'd been playing, and hung out. Saturday morning he headed out to Atlantic City for another boys' party for his friend's 30th birthday. I want him to go and have fun and have man time, but I do get slightly worried about, I don't know, STRIPPERZ and hoes and stuff. But I trust him very much, so I try to banish those thoughts. (I was just reflecting on that this weekend -- how far I've come from a year ago as far as trusting a man. I really found the right one after the last fiasco.) So I kept the car and off they went, and I spent the rest of my Saturday cleaning, doing laundry, and baking some sugar-free cookies for his Grandma's 92nd birthday party on Sunday. (She's diabetic.) I enjoyed myself very much! Oh, and I walked up to Steinway to buy her a brooch from one of those costume jewelry stores, and wrapped it all up pretty and signed the card from us. I felt very wifely. <br />
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Sunday (after texting with Mom and calls with his sister-in-law), I drove to Flushing to pick up Grandma and then we headed out to Huntington to his mom's house. I helped with some food prep and hung out with the family friends and a girl cousin I'd not met before who was very friendly, and I did his laundry in the basement (I didn't mind because it gave me an escape every once in awhile) and then the boys (he and his brother) finally arrived at about 4 pm, and we ate steaks and chicken and salad and all sorts of good stuff. Then when it was time for dessert, we had a million things -- peach pie, blueberry tart, my cookies (they were a hit! The biscotti was very good, if I say so myself.), ice cream cake, this grape/walnut/cream cheese concoction, etc. I ate so much that I got a tummy ache, but it was all delicious and I was happy to have Hike back. He looked so cute and was being very sweet, so I felt appreciated for what I'd done to help celebrate. (He said he met me at the perfect time, which was a new one, and made me feel great.)<br />
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So I drove us home, since he was worn out and I love driving, and that was about it for the weekend! This week I still have some errand-y things to accomplish, such as getting my Christmas present bracelet fixed (finally), bringing home the rug I ordered for my room, buying some slimming underwear for my bridesmaid dress, etc. Tomorrow we're seeing our free Tuesday movie, and this one will be Cowboys & Aliens, so it should be fun. I leave in two weeks and three days for London/Scotland, so I should start thinking about packing and planning for that, too! I am getting very excited, though I plan on traveling with lots of garbage bags to stay as bug-free as possible. <br />
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One good side effect of this stress is that I've lost some weight. I have no idea how much, since I threw out the scale, but my clothes are fitting better, so that feels good. It's probably partially due to my smoking again (I don't know how to handle stress without it yet), but I'll take what I can get. In a week or so, or maybe right after my trip, I'll re-quit. (I know a few of my friends will be smoking there, so maybe that's too tough to stop beforehand.) <br />
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It's been a fun/crazy/fast summer, and it feels like it's starting to wrap up, but I did get in a good visit with Schmauren last weekend at the beer garden in Astoria, plus a nice trip to Vermont and I'll be international before it's over. I'm also feeling very happy about my relationship, so I'm excited to see how that grows in the fall and winter, and plus, you know how much I love autumn and the winter holidays! Steviehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14544641851425448475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432102965402281345.post-9417033510631539682011-07-27T14:41:00.000-04:002011-07-27T14:41:41.162-04:00Vermont Catch-upSo let's talk about that weekend trip, shall we? Vermont was lovely. When we drove up, we left around 3:30 pm so of course got stuck in traffic all through Connecticut, but it was OK, we made it in around 10 pm and had a bottle of wine and a cheese tray waiting in our room. The inn was adorable, but of course there were some gnats buzzing around and the door was hard to close since it was over 100 years old and creaky, but it was OK. I liberally sprayed bug spray and we settled in for bed.<br />
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Saturday we were up for our complimentary breakfast (I had oatmeal with fresh fruit and Vermont maple syrup!) and we made our plan for the day. The canoeing turned out to be on a lake, not a river, so it was less appealing to me, and it seemed hard to combine with other things (because of the location and rental was for a whole day) so we decided to go to the state park and hike. (Ha, hike, yes.) We had half of our packed picnic sandwiches beforehand, then took the Scenic Overlook Trail, which was deserted so just us for the whole thing. It was steep with a big payoff view at the end, and so beautiful and fun. We were spotting wildlife, swatting bugs, jumping over muddy creeks, and I loved it. Then we decided to hike a separate trail to the waterfall, since I wanted to see it, but that was a bit longer, so all told we hiked for about 6 miles and 4-5 hours and I enjoyed it all but it wore us out! When we got back to the car area we ate the rest of our picnic on a picnic table overlooking the river. And rested. Then on the way back to the inn we stopped in little towns, bought a Christmas ornament souvenir, checked out houses for sale (in a wishing way), looked at old cemeteries to find the oldest gravestone, etc. It was ideal. We even saw a wedding letting out of a church, and the big fat bride waved to us (from next to her tall skinny husband in a cowboy hat!) Then it was back to the inn for some resting before dinner at the inn's restaurant. It was delicious but mellow, as we were so worn out! We didn't stay up for beers in the tavern but headed to bed on the early side. <br />
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Sunday morning we had breakfast there again, then checked out and drove through Bennington to explore more of the Vermont countryside, which was so idyllic. I then showed him Bennington College's campus, where I'd spent time a few years in a row with my girlfriends, as one of them is an alumnus. We stopped for lunch in town, then drove back through Albany, stopping at a roadside stand for fresh raspberries and raspberry jam. We also stopped to check out the old camp Hike's family used to attend every summer, Shapanack. It's closed now and all decrepit and overgrown, but sort of romantic in its own way, as a ghost of Catskills glory past. We took lots of photos to share with his family, and we stopped for ice cream at the go-cart place, and then finally headed back the city and were mercifully spared more traffic.<br />
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All in all, it was so peaceful and relaxing and felt like a real break from the city. We barely turned the tv on in our room, which I really appreciated. Once the shit hit the fan on Monday, all I wanted to do was run back to Vermont and leave the city for good. I'm now more in the temperate area of that wish (I could do suburbia now, though), but we talked about how nice it would be to have a summer place up there. Oh, some day. I'd love it.Steviehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14544641851425448475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432102965402281345.post-12737874403016265042011-07-26T15:37:00.000-04:002011-07-26T15:37:29.659-04:00Vampires are So In Right NowWell, I'm still alive. I have good news and bad news, interfriends. Turns out my mysterious, terrifying bug bites were indeed caused by bed bugs, aka my worst nightmare. The Monday after we came home from Vermont, I lifted my bed skirt (dirty) to check the tape around the mattress-cover zipper, and I saw some tiny dead baby bugs stuck to it...as if they were trying to escape from the zipper. And I recognized the body shape from my internet research. I promptly called my landlord, who helped me drag the mattress and box spring outside, and began bagging up my possessions. The landlord had called his exterminator friend, who came on Tuesday morning for my first treatment, and then I began washing everything I own in hottt water and drying it on high heat. (I ruined fewer things than I thought I would!)<br />
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I did find one live bug under the bed on a canvas bag, and then after the exterminator's second visit, I found one dead bug on the floor and one in an empty dresser drawer, which scares me, since I didn't throw out the furniture, he just sprayed it. This morning was my third (and what should be final) visit from the exterminator, and since the second visit I've been unpacking all of my possessions again (per his instruction), and I haven't found any more evidence. I'm feeling more encouraged now that I sort of have a bedroom again, but you can imagine why I couldn't talk about it for awhile.<br />
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So for the first week, after one exterminator visit, I slept on my couch, swaddled like a Muslim. (I didn't know how far they'd spread.) My roommate was away on vacation, so I had to call her with the news on Wednesday, but thankfully she was calm and helpful and even offered to let me sleep in her bed while she was gone. I stayed on the couch, though, just in case. I never was bit, and never saw anything there or in my roommate's bed upon inspection, so I think they were just in my box spring and surrounding area. (The mattress cover didn't have dead babies under the tape, even.) There were some tears in the vinyl box spring cover, probably caused by my underbed storage bins, so that would explain their access. Our whole apartment was treated twice (my room thrice), so now everything should be dead or scared away. The dresser does worry me, like I said, but he sprayed it and I only found one dead one, and I'll be careful with clothes, plus the bed will be well-guarded, so hopefully that doesn't lead to a re-infestation... more hopefully, it was just that one, trying to run for his life.<br />
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After my second visit, the exterminator came to inspect and spray at Hike's apartment. He hadn't had any problems and we didn't find anything in my paranoid inspections, but we wanted to be sure. After that clearance, I started sleeping over there so I could stay in a real bed and not get woken up by my roommate's odd hours. <br />
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So now, after today's third visit, I need to buy a new bed. And protectors, of course, and I won't use any comforter or bedskirt for awhile -- just a mattress pad over the expensive mattress/box spring protectors, light-colored sheets (to easily spot blood smears) and a fleece blanket (easily washable.) Tonight we're going to check out Macy's, since they have a great sale on, and they seem to offer good financing and delivery options. I just have to make sure that the new mattress will be protected from the old mattresses they pick up in that same truck. Ugh, so many details. It's been very overwhelming. And so frustrating because my bites didn't really match the descriptions/photos online. I'm taking comfort in some facts, though -- bed bugs feed once every 7-10 days, which was about the frequency of my bites, so I can't have had too many feasting on me or it would've happened more often. I also don't think they could get through my foam mattress topper, so my theory is that they were living in the box spring and just walking up to my exposed arms at night, since they didn't bite me anywhere that was under covers. In short, it seems/I hope it wasn't too many bugs and that we got it early enough to wipe it out totally.<br />
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So yeah, I'm very grateful for Hike, who helped me finish washing everything I own on that Tuesday, and who has been really kind and supportive and generous by sharing his tiny room with me. He also bought me a recent Groupon for a facial and massage at my favorite Astoria spa as a "reward" for surviving this. So nice! (I'm saving it until I feel like the crisis has passed a bit.) We're looking at beds together, and I think we're going to get a queen, so that it's big enough and adult enough and we can use it for many years, since we'd like to be getting engaged/living together within a year. So on that front, I was ready for an upgrade anyway, and the sale is really great so I don't feel too terrible about spending the money. It ended up that getting infested was cheaper than I thought, though fully exhausting and stressful, with the living out of plastic bags and moving clothes from a clean bag to me to a dirty bag (all sealed) after wearing. Then washing. I didn't even use a bath towel for a week, since I'd put them away and didn't know where they were. I had a hand-towel and then mostly air dried...while cooking. It was slightly dangerous.<br />
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But now I am a mostly normally functioning person again...just very cautious, and will be for awhile. Please don't be afraid of me or my apartment, as I promise, I'm policing everything very carefully. At least I reacted so strongly to the bites that (unless my body suddenly adjusts to it) I will know if I get another one, BUT I HOPE TO GOD I DO NOT. I've had two mosquito bites over these few weeks that freaked the hell out of me, but they behaved totally like mosquito bites and weren't so itchy, so they can't have been the BBs. (Riiiight?) I bet there will shortly be a specialty for therapists that's something like "post-infestation fallout management," as this experience is still fucking with my head. Anyway, that's why I've been so quiet. I will hope to entertain you more in short order, but I wanted to explain (and vent) first. Thanks for your kind words as I was dealing with this, and hey, I survived my worst nightmare (that didn't involve a death!)Steviehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14544641851425448475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432102965402281345.post-24736550404574394342011-07-08T12:10:00.000-04:002011-07-08T12:10:36.501-04:00West Dover, West Dover, Send Stevie Right OverIn a few hours Hike & I will be on the road for our weekend minibreak to West Dover, Vermont, which is in the southwest quadrant of the state (according to Google maps.) I can't wait! As my confirmation e-mail says:<br />
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"Your Historic Getaway Escape Kit includes 2 nights stay for 2, breakfast for 2 each morning, a $50 credit towards one dinner in our restaurant, a wine and cheese tray delivered to your room, 50% off a kayak, canoe or bike rental, a picnic lunch and trail map to local swimming holes and an artist’s tour of Skip Morrow’s gallery. At the inn you will receive a packet with all the details, maps and info you need to enjoy your amazing deal!"<br />
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This is the inn:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qe_ndjPtlWc/ThcqBr9aeHI/AAAAAAAAANw/mCKPfdEJsVw/s1600/framed1_summerwdi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" m$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Qe_ndjPtlWc/ThcqBr9aeHI/AAAAAAAAANw/mCKPfdEJsVw/s320/framed1_summerwdi.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
And this is our room:<br />
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And this is the forecast:<br />
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We'll head out once Hike gets the all-clear to leave work (banks are so stuffy) and then we'll run back to Astoria to pick up our stuff and the car, and then hit the WIDE OPEN ROAD (after NYC traffic, that is.) I hope it's romantic and outdoorsy and relaxing. Don't worry, I've packed bug spray -- this week I have another bad few on my arm, too, so I know better now than to risk getting eaten. But we decided we want to canoe (instead of biking or kayaking) since that's the activity we'll have the least opportunity to do here, and I'd love to hike (ha, with Hike) and swim and eat and read. I may never come back!<br />
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Geez, think I should manage my expectations? Oh well. Happy weekend, everyone!Steviehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14544641851425448475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432102965402281345.post-25693628959994880482011-07-06T13:55:00.000-04:002011-07-06T13:55:27.967-04:00Seriously, Cootie?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3Uj-zbPIzLI/ThShEfN2AmI/AAAAAAAAANs/rN-WupHm5V0/s1600/IMG_20110706_100643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" m$="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3Uj-zbPIzLI/ThShEfN2AmI/AAAAAAAAANs/rN-WupHm5V0/s320/IMG_20110706_100643.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
This is on my hip...which has been covered at all times (except in the shower), as far as I know. I mean, my underpants cover it, even when I'm asleep! (You can see the lovely imprint from the waistband of today's boyshorts.) So I'm confused, still, as to what is biting me and why I'm only recently reacting this way. Is it a radioactive spider??Steviehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14544641851425448475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432102965402281345.post-35523696235161235492011-07-05T16:51:00.000-04:002011-07-05T16:51:29.546-04:00Weekends and BookendsWell, I was very quiet last week, and at this point, I can't remember/won't bore you with details about the weekend before this one. But this one! Was nice and long and relaxing.<br />
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Friday I snuck out of work at 4:30 to meet Schmillie and see Bad Teacher. I thought it'd be dumb funny and Jason Siegel was in it and how wrong could that go? But oh, so wrong. And you guys, I know I'm supposed to be all up in Justin Timberlake's jock or whatever, but NO. He's just so asexual to me. Yuck. And so there's a really creepy "love" scene (or rather, "dryhump" scene) and it only makes him more revolting. Anyway, the movie was bad but we got through it together, then wandered a bit to Banana Republic, and it was a lovely night, and I bought a soft sweater on sale, and then heard some lovely opera in the Union Square subway station before getting home to relax and watch True Blood. Hike came over after the Mets/Yankees game (he went with friends to CitiField) and then to bed.<br />
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Saturday he left, and I was terribly PMS-cranky and took a two-hour nap and then went to the gym and met up with Hike and his friend Yoshi for dinner and UFC watching, yawn. But it was nice to be out and have some beers. Sunday we went to church with his Grandma, then back to her house for family dinner in the afternoon (and doing his laundry), and his mom brought me a white jacket that she bought but didn't fit her right, so now I have a white casual jacket. She wears petites so basically can hand things down to me, and this is something I'd wear to work and not too mom-ish, so good! Sunday night we just stayed in at his place, cooked dinner, and played our video game.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And then Monday we picked up his friend Yoshi and headed out to Long Beach, where we met up with his bro and sis-in-law plus some other of their friends. It was so pretty -- the cloud cover had cleared by the time we got there, and the water was cool but totally comfortable, which meant I could go in to cool off every 20 minutes (as I need to when I'm hot!) It was fun and we stayed about two hours, which was the limit on his parking spot, and he tried to move the car but couldn't find another spot so we just gave up and came home. It was for the best, though, as we beat the return traffic and had time to relax and shower before meeting Yoshi again for dinner on Broadway in Astoria. We sat in the back garden of a Thai place and I had a pink drink and it was relaxing. Then home to hold a two-week old baby! One of my roommate's friend's just had her and they were over for dinner, so I nabbed the baby and sat in the quiet living room to hold her for awhile while she slept. Adorable. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now it's Tuesday already! I can't wait for this weekend's Vermont trip. I hope it's entirely relaxing and outdoorsy and loving and rejuvinating. And until then, I'll gym it tonight, go to softball tomorrow (and Hike may come over after), then get my nails did on Thursday (and I need an eyebrow wax really bad -- they're caterpillars), and then we leave early afternoon on Friday.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">OH and I'm re-reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Forever-Novel-Pete-Hamill/dp/0316735698">Forever</a>. I love this book. It starts out in Celtic Ireland, which I've always enjoyed learning about, and then is set in various Manhattan time periods, so it's the best kind of historical fiction. It's also getting me (more) psyched to watch the New York documentary that I bought Hike for his birthday. We have less movie time lately, but I hope we can break that puppy open soon. Anyway, I'll finish the book this week and then I can bring <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Super-Sad-True-Love-Story/dp/1400066409">our new book club pick</a> to Vermont. Ahh, summer reading, I love you.</div>Steviehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14544641851425448475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432102965402281345.post-13644419475021417352011-07-05T16:18:00.000-04:002011-07-05T16:18:43.875-04:00Why I Am No Longer a Career GirlI'm having a mini-anger attack at some news that just appeared on my Facebook feed. Apparently the publishing company for whom I worked for five years just recently signed a partnership deal with Joseph Gordon-Levitt's website/movement HitRECord. This was an idea I brought up about five years ago, when I worked mainly under the company's entertainment publishing arm, and JGL was just starting this project. He'd also just done Brick (so this was around 2005), and I did a lot of research and reaching out to his people, and the Executive Editor was vaguely interested, but not enough to bite, so he eventually passed on the idea.<br />
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And now, the new entertainment division has partnered with HitRECord. And I am sure my initial pursuit has been forgotten, and someone thinks it's their fantastic idea, and they've now paid much more than they would've in 2006. Yes, it was too early then, but we would've been on board before it got expensive (i.e. before 500 Days of Summer and Inception.)<br />
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All that to say, after one giant Fuck You, Your Ideas Are Worthless Amidst our Large Corporate Machinery in the form of a laying off (with generous severance, thankyouverymuch forced union membership), things like this both anger me at what I could've brought into the publishing world if ever given enough power and also make me grateful that I no longer am at the mercy of someone else's ignorance or opinion. I've lost the power to influence culture, but I've also gained the freedom to cultivate my own tastes and not feel so desperate for the next big thing. Instead, I can marinate in my current obsession(s) and actually enjoy them, instead of trying to monetize them.<br />
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It still stings, though, to matter so little professionally. So I literally have no upwardly-mobile interest at this point. I want to do my work and find it relatively interesting, but more importantly, I want to life a full and rewarding private life. I wouldn't mind earning a salary on which I can live comfortably in the suburbs, but I don't want to climb to the top of any org chart. It costs too much.Steviehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14544641851425448475noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432102965402281345.post-16413264090253271542011-06-23T15:00:00.000-04:002011-06-23T15:00:32.293-04:00Bomb PopThis morning I set off the bug bomb (aka "fogger") in my bedroom! I'm so nervous and excited. I hope when I get home that it didn't ruin any of my possessions and that I can feel like I'm actively taking action against my enemy. Even if he's already dead, as he's been pretty quiet for awhile. We will prevail!Steviehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14544641851425448475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432102965402281345.post-59272834115819433012011-06-22T12:34:00.001-04:002011-07-05T16:33:23.433-04:00This Does Not Bode WellAND IN OTHER NEWS, yesterday I lost one of my favorite earrings AND the bracelet that Hike gave me for Christmas broke at one of the hinges.<br />
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(Note that's flipped on its side/underside, so not the pretty view.) Can anybody recommend a good jewelry repair place, possibly in midtown? He bought it at Macy's on Long Island at the Roosevelt Field mall, and I called to see if there was any warranty business, but they were iffy. They suggested we bring it in with the receipt and they could maybe exchange it if they still have a similar one, but since it's not fine jewely (la ti da) and outside of the 30-day return window, we'd have to see. So I guess the first step is him trying to locate the receipt (it doesn't bode well) and then if not, I'll get it repaired, if that's even possible. If they have to just re-attach a clasp and I'd lose those two stones, that would work and still fit. But I'm sad! He's sad too, actually. Maybe I shouldn't have worn it everyday but I liked it! And I told him that this was why I can't have nice things, and he smiled and said he'd keep that in mind. Oops.Steviehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14544641851425448475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432102965402281345.post-60026181541211042252011-06-22T12:28:00.000-04:002011-06-22T12:28:17.849-04:00Co-PayolaSo I had my dermatologist appointment this morning, and there were highs & lows. <br />
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First, as I don't have any insane bite reactions at the moment (knock on wood), I showed pictures of the last two and I showed the healing ones on my right wrist. She said they looked like spider bites, and that I should call an exterminator. I said we'd had one come by in early May, and she just sort of shrugged. She did verify that they didn't look like bed bug bites, but other than that, she just prescribed some stronger topical cream for if I get another one.<br />
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Secondly, she looked at my body for moles/freckles, and said everything looked fine but that I should wear sunscreen in my moisturizer as I'm freckling a lot on my face, and I should also wear sunscreen when I wear tank tops, as my shoulders and upper back have a lot of freckles. Now, I think they're cute, but fine.<br />
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And thirdly, we talked about my acne, which as you know, has been a constant struggle. I'm off the Proactiv and using Dermalogica's MediBac line, which somehow feels more adult, but I still have a few zits. She prescribed an oral medication that will give me more of an ingredient that's already in my Yasmin (I forget what it's called) and that I need to help control my hormonal breakouts. She also gave me samples and a prescription for a topical acne cream, so I'll give it all a shot. It'd be nice to have pretty skin!<br />
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I did like her, and she wants to see me in 6 weeks to check on the acne, though I'm not too eager to pay another $50 co-pay (my insurance sucks), but I feel like an adult now that I have a dermatologist. You know how I love doctors. (Maybe I can justify the co-pay since I won't be going to the gyno twice a year now?)Steviehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14544641851425448475noreply@blogger.com1