It's Been an Interesting Christmas.

I hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas and that Santa was nice to you all. So what did I get this year for Christmas?

The stomach flu.

Have you ever sat on the toilet and threw up in the bathtub? I have.
Have you ever pooped yourself three times in one day? I have.
I spent the wee hours of Sunday morning in the Emergency room getting an IV of fluids since I couldn't keep anything in me including water or pedialyte. It was ever so much fun. I normally wouldn't have gone to the ER, I would have toughed it out. This year however I felt that I had to go because of my other Christmas present....

I'm pregnant.

I know! We're pretty excited. And to think we did this one all by ourselves. We stopped all fertility treatments in June. I kinda feel like I should ask for a refund, but I just don't care anymore. I'm only 8 weeks along so it's pretty early, but I think the last few weeks of keeping a secret have been KILLING my mother.

So that's it.

What did you get for Christmas?

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.....

I hope everyone has a wonderful, and safe Christmas. And in a few days when I've come off my holiday high I will tell you all about the most awesomest Christmas present I got this year!

Totally Random

Today I'm feeling kinda random and can't really pull it together to post about one thing so here's a hodge podge of what's on my mind:

• I spent a large portion of yesterday trying to remember the names of the Chippettes. All I could think of was Jeannette and Eleanor. I finally had to google it to come up with Brittany.
• I finally got motivated to purchase and wrap almost all of my Christmas presents. How awesome am I?
• I REEEAAAALLLLLLY want to take a nap right now.
• Just as suddenly as the kitties started fighting to the death they stopped. It makes me nervous. Like they're plotting something.
• While watching the Vampire Diaries last night I became very aware of how much Ian Sommerhalder looks like a young Rob Lowe.

Rob
Ian

Am I the only one who's noticed this?

So yeah, that's all I've got. Is anyone else finding it hard to focus this time of year?

Weather Alert!!

For the last two days everyone has been readying themselves. It's on all the newscasts, and it's what everyone is talking about.

It is going to snow! In Northwest Indiana! In December!

I know, it's amazing. Every year people get all aflutter. Like it doesn't snow the same time every year. They're always surprised. And can't possibly remember what it's like to drive in that snow. I'm always stuck behind the one person who is braking constantly while others are flying by at 90 mph like there's no reason to slow down.

What does snow mean to me? It means that I have to get up extra early in the mornings. Something I'm not a fan of as sleeping is my #1 hobby. Also? With this snow comes frigid temps. The temperature tomorrow is supposed to be 0. That's not even a degree. It's like the anti degree. With the windchill it will be negative degrees.

That means I'm going to have to dig out my insulated coat and finish knitting that scarf I started this summer. I should probably go do that now.

Witchy Tendencies

Have I mentioned before that I'm a witch?

Because apparently I am.

We have a girl at work who was pregnant and due on Nov 30th. I've been taking this new migraine medication and it is giving me whacked, vivid dreams. So on the 22nd I had this dream that my co-worker was sleeping over at my house. Cuz sure, that could happen. In the middle of the night she wakes me up claiming to have wet the bed. I went into the room and pulled back the blankets and felt the sheets (which were bright blue jersey material by the way, I know crazy vivid). I told her that no, she didn't wet the bed her water broke. I then said that I'd drive her to the hospital, but first we'd have to call work to tell them I'd be late. Next thing I know we're walking down this alley with a tall wooden fence to a car I don't recognize and I drive her to the hospital. Crazy, right?

I went in to work the next morning convinced that she was going to have her baby. Everyone was like " Sure Sarah" and rolling their eyes. Later that day as I was doing my 11am rounds, my boss called me to tell me that she had gone into labor.
How awesome is that?

Unfortunately, now I'm nervous that all of my wacky dreams are going to come true. Like the one where Spiderman was cheating on me with a threesome that I walked into. I was mad at him all day for that one. He thinks I'm losing my mind. He may be right.

Santa and His Pissed Off Elf

This is the picture on my Christmas Card this year:

If this doesn't put me in the Holiday Spirit I don't know what will!

In Need of Some Holiday Cheer

I can't believe it's December 1st. What the heck? Where did the year go? Between my trip to the Bahamas and the virus of death (still have that wonderful cough btw) October was a blur. November was spent trying to catch up and working my behind off. And now it's December. And the Christmas season. I usually love Christmas. It's my most favoritest of the non-candy holidays.

On December first, I usually have all my Christmas cards addressed and mailed. By now I am usually almost done with my Christmas shopping or at least have ideas as to what I'm getting everyone.

This year?

I got nothin'.

I have exactly two presents purchased. I'm completely uninspired. I don't know if it's the fact that money's tight this year, or that Spiderman will probably lose his job any day now, but I'm just not feeling it this year. I've been wandering aimlessly around stores looking for ideas but coming up short.

This year?

I feel like hibernating.

Pulling on my warm flannel Little-house-on-the-prairie nightgown and reading/sleeping/hiding all winter long. I'm sure once things get rolling the spirit will catch on. But right now? Not so much.

What do you do to get in the Holiday Spirit?

Weekend Funny

Check out this New Moon Spoof that Spiderman sent me. It's pretty funny.
And yes, that is Superman.

Twilight Cycles from Brandon Routh

It will keep you busy while I'm spending the weekend shopping, and getting out my Christmas stuff.

10 Reasons Girls will like New Moon

***Contains no spoilers as I don't want to ruin anything for you.***

1. New Moon very closely followed the book...almost to a fault.
2. Taylor Lautner without a shirt.
3. Girls like sparkly things and Vampires are sparkly.
4. Every gal secretly wishes that she'd be involved in a love triangle. Admit it.
5. A soaking wet Taylor Lautner without a shirt.
6. The wolf special effects were really awesome. They were pretty life-like.
7. The scene where Bella, Jacob and Mike go to the movies is highly entertaining. Those of you who saw the movie know to what I'm referring to.
8. I enjoyed meeting the Volturi. They were perfectly cast in my opinion.
9. The courtyard scene was exactly as it was in my imagination.
10. Did I mention Taylor? Shirtless? For most of the movie?

New Moon Will Have to Wait A Little Bit

Like many of my fellow Twilight junkies, I can't wait to see New Moon. Unfortunately, I'm working 12 hour shifts and won't be able to find time until Sunday. To tide me over I went to Jen Lancaster's site and read her version of New Moon.

Go there now. It's Hil-arious! If you're not already reading her blog, you should start.

Cat Fights

This is the face of evil, apparently.Tim is 12 years old. My other cat Peter just turned 4 on Tuesday. For the four years we've had both kitties they have gotten along. They play together, lay together and clean each other. They get along great. Or got along great. A week ago they decided that they hate each other with the fire of a thousand suns. Mostly it's Tim attacking Peter. Usually when he's eating. And then Peter spends the day hiding under our bed or in the closet growling and hissing whenever Tim walks near.

I called the vet even though neither kitty seems sick. She suggested buying this spray called Feliway that releases pheromones that calm kitties. It's not working. She also suggested separating them. Have you ever tried to separate two kitties? We lock one of them at a time up in a bathroom while the other has free reign in the house. The isolated kitty then loses his mind. Banging on the door, moaning and crying incessantly.

Under supervision, the kitties are allowed to be together. They warily sniff each other and lay near each other. Then something sets them off and it's yowling, fighting, chasing, and Peter under the bed again.

I'm at my wits end.

What should I do? Has anyone had an experience like this before?
Do they EVER get over it?

Babyland

Tomorrow I have to go to a baby shower so today I had to go here: The enemy of all infertile women.

For expectant mothers and pretty much everyone else, it's a place to ohhhh and ahhhh over carseats, high chairs, tiny jumpers, and the world's smallest socks (how are their feet that tiny?) For me, it's a kin to torture. It makes me want to stick sharp objects in my eyes.

Repeatedly.

I have had to go to here three times in the last two months. Every time is a mixture of emotions. I mean, of course I'm happy for the soon-to-be parents, but it always reminds me of what I don't have. May never have. And it makes me sad. And a little jealous. I've gotten to hate showers. I've been to over a dozen in the last 2 years. I hate trying to put on a forced overly happy face to convince those who know what I'm going through that I'm alright. It's extremely self centered of me, I know. But it hurts my pride to see the way people look at me when they find out I can't get pregnant. With that uncomfortable pity on their faces. Then they inevitably will pat my hand and say some condescending, bullshit platitude that is designed to make themselves feel better, and me feel like shit.

It'll happen when it's supposed to.

Just relax, and try not to think about it.

Have you tried....(insert an odd suggestion that is usually TMI)?

Do I sound bitter? It's not meant to sound bitter. Just to convey my dislike of showers. If I didn't like my new friend so much, I wouldn't even go. It's her shower. So I'll put on my cute outfit and forced smile, eat finger foods and cake, and play lame baby shower games. I'll even fawn over the little socks and hooded towels with duckies on them (they are pretty cute).
Because I'm that kind of friend.

Awesome New Stuff

This past weekend I got several new things that make me happy. My Aunt was getting rid of this cabinet:It was my great grandmother's and she didn't have room in her house anymore. Isn't it cute? I put it in my dining room and plan on making it my new bar. See all the alcohol on the top shelf? Well I'm going to get more.

But most importantly, Carson's had a sale this weekend.
ON BOOTS!
Now I don't know if any of you remember my boot quest from last winter, but I never did find a pair that fit me or that I liked. Well, no more. Not only did I find a pair that I liked, but I got TWO pairs! I couldn't decide between the black pair or the tan pair. Since they were on sale, and I know I will wear the shit out of them, I got both! They are super comfy. Aren't they beautiful? Don't you love them?

Cubs Cheat Death!

Strange thing happened to me today. We were coding a patient, this frail little 84 year old man. So frail that his ribs crunched when I was doing compressions. We coded him for 20 minutes and he was basically already in the light. The nurse left the room to speak to the family and let them know of the status. No matter what she said to the family they just didn't get it. They insisted that she come back into the room and shout "Go Cubs!" into his ear. They were absolutely 100% convinced that hearing that would make him come back to life.

And shocked when it didn't.

People are strange.

Lazy vs Crazy

I am lazy.
Sometimes I wish I had superpowers or a helper monkey just so I don't have to get things for myself. I firmly believe in the laws of motion that say that a body in motion will stay in motion and a body at rest will stay at rest (you know, unless acted on by a force which in my case is usually Spiderman being all "get it yourself, lazy") The lazy? it usually works for me. But....
I am also crazy.
Hello? Is this your first time here? I can be a loony, neurotic mess! So what am I currently obsessing about? Every year like many women, I become lax with shaving once the cold weather comes. I don't shave my legs every day. I tell myself "hey an extra layer of warmth is a good thing!" ( I also say this about extra helpings of cake) It's mostly because I allow myself to be lazy.
But every so often the crazy takes over. What if I'm in an accident? What if they have to cut off my clothes??? And see my hairy legs??? What if I DIE in my sleep? And have to be buried with stubble????

Am I the only one who worries about this?

Which one do you lean towards...the crazy....or the lazy?

Timeline of a Flu

Saturday/Sunday: Worked with sick coworker and other sickies known as "patients".

Monday: Woke up with cough but in denial. Ran errands and went to see a movie. Body aches so bad that can't get comfortable. Make and eat large quantities of Jello.

Tuesday: Looked so much like death warmed over that Spiderman called off work. Spent the entire day watching Season 3 of Weeds and eating Jello and Mrs. Grass soup. Also? Theraflu tastes like ass.

Wednesday: Did not shower or get out of bed. Smelled like a sweaty cat. Kitties agreed. Tried to eat real food in the form of a grilled cheese sandwich. Bad idea.

Thursday: Showered and went to the store to replenish supply of soup and Jello. Came home and took a much needed nap.

Friday: Woke up and felt more like a normal person. Showered. Finished Halloween costume. Started to get restless and stir crazy.

Saturday: Killed any remaining virus with large quantities of alcohol.

Today: Back to work. Only the cough remains.

Happy Halloween!

From Snow White and Dr. McNinja

I'm Alive...Just Barely

This week I have had the flu. And it's kicking my ass.
More when I'm better.

I Feel like Some Tagalongs Don't You?

Is it just me or does this little girl look kinda evil?

Costume Prep.

This is what a "helper kitty" looks like when you are trying to cut out the pattern for your Halloween costume.Yesterday I purchased the material to start making my costume. $2 a yard...not bad. Let's hope I can finish it before Halloween!

Any guesses to what I'm going to be?

What Lazy People Eat For Dinner

Spiderman plays beanbags every Monday night with some of his work friends. I, in turn, usually work a 12 hour shift. When I get home I'm tired. And lazy. And don't want to cook for just myself. I usually end up eating some interesting things. Here's tonight's menu.

a peanut butter sandwich (no jelly cuz jelly's gross)
roasted red pepper hummus on crackers
a granny smith apple.

I know.
Nothing like a nutritious dinner.

Bahama Mama

My trip to the Bahamas can be summed up in one word. Hot Like really hot. Record temperatures. High 90's every day. Muggy, sticky, surface of the sun hot. So hot that the ocean and pool stopped being refreshing almost immediately after entering them.

Despite the temperatures, the resort was gorgeous.

There were island kitties living at the resort that Spiderman and I quickly befriended. So much so that Spiderman wanted to buy cat food at the grocery store. This one was our favorite.
We named her Petera.....don't ask. I'm pretty sure she wanted to come home with us.
Here is a picture of the most annoying steel drummer in the history of the world. He would play the same few bars of melody over. And over. And over. It was torture. We had to leave.

Thankfully there was lots of Rum. Spiderman was in heaven. The food in the restaurants in Port Lacaya was fabulous! We had seafood of all kinds. There were even Mexican and Italian fusion places. I will definitely miss eating out every night. The evenings cooled off enough for us to put clothes on.

Most of our time was spent here.

It was just so damn hot!
But relaxing. I slept an average of 10-12 hours every night. I think it was a heat coma. I would also occasionally nap on the lounge chairs. I'm not very good at relaxing. I get stir crazy with nothing to do. Laying by the pool, I read 3 books. It was awesome.

I just kept rotating. Pool. Lounge chair. Pool. Lounge chair.

Beach. Lounge chair. It was so relaxing. I highly recommend it. I mean where else can you wake up in the morning to this?

I think next time we'll go after November. When it's a little cooler.

I'm sure it will be just as relaxing.

I'm Back..........

And when I've gotten more settled in I'll tell you all about it!

TMI Alert: Talking About Yeast Infections

When I first entered the blogging world I never knew so many cool people were on the web! One of the first blogs I discovered was Melanie's blog and I've enjoyed reading it for several years now. She's getting ready to do the 3Day Breast Cancer walk and I'm SO proud of her for it! I'm also excited she's agreed to guest post for me today. Thanks Mel!

Hi! This is Melanie from Mel, A Dramatic Mommy. Sarah is so brave to let me take over her blog! After this, I’m sure she’ll never offer again. I’ve had this post in my draft folder for while now. I debated posting it, but I consider this a public service announcement since this is information I didn’t know and I’m sure many others don’t either.

Yeast infections suck. I don’t think there’s any debate about that. Earlier this summer I had the worst YI I’ve ever had. Without going into too much detail, it went beyond discomfort into full on pain.

In my opinion, when it comes to treating a YI, I think the cure is almost as bad as the disease. There’s nothing more humiliating than having your significant other walk in on you with your knees in the air. But, that could just be me. Anyway, I bought one of the one-day doses, even though the package says they can actually take three days to work. And it didn’t.

I was miserable but not wanting to keep buying the kits over and over, and I wondered if there wasn’t a more holistic approach I could take. Google to the rescue! Who knew the cure was already in my pantry?

Yep, apple cider vinegar. I read through all the comments on this post, and it seemed that more people than not said it worked for them, and really, what did I have to lose?

I followed the recommendations to add some to a tub filled with just enough water to cover, um, my girl parts and soaked for half and hour. Some people added half a cup, others a full cup of vinegar, some added two. I erred on the side of caution with a full cup. And you know what? It worked. I felt some relief later that evening and the next morning it was even better.

I did have to soak two more nights, and it absolutely stinks to high heaven (I took a shower right after being careful not to scrub the area and letting the soapy water run down then wash away). But it only cost me a few dollars and possibly saved a trip to the doctor.

This was definitely a learning experience for me. I don’t think writing a prescription or taking a pill is the answer to everything. Herbs, aromatherapy and other botanicals have been around a lot longer than western medicine. From now on, I’ll take a little time to research other options before automatically heading for the drug store.

Tuesday Table Topics

Today's guest blogger is Shannon from Welcome to the Nuthouse. She's a more recent blogging buddy who I bonded with over our joint loves of Jane Austen and Gerard Butler. **Sigh** There I go....thinking of Gerard again.....anyways, if you haven't been by her blog yet, GO! She's hysterical and her girls are adorable!

Being a self-proclaimed Jane Austen-addict, I've always wondered what it would be like to live during England's Regency Era. The etiquette of the day fascinates me. As does the fashion:




Breeches? Cravats? Waistcoats?

Yes, please!

However, in truth, I'd just want to visit Regency England... not live during that time. After a day or two (or probably just after a few hours!) of adhering to the strict social protocols, I'd be more than ready to return back to the 21st Century! Not to mention back to the land of air conditioning, Coca-Cola, and cable TV.

what historical time period would you like to visit?

SPF- Have a Great Time!

As of Saturday I am officially in the Bahamas! YEA!!!! I've arranged for a few guest posts while I'm away hanging by the resort pool. The first of my guest bloggers is my mother. She gets to be first cuz she's my mom and all. She started her blog shortly after I showed her mine, and we've been addicted ever since! Go on over sometime and check hers out. Mom, I appreciate the guest post....and watching my kitties!

I am like a bookmark, a bookmark in the spine of a fascinating and funny novel, otherwise known as Spoonful of Sarah. Here the heroine has paused slightly and checked into a fancy condo in the sunny Bahamas with her husband to celebrate, to relax and to lie in the warm sun. I am jealous of the vaca, but as her mom, I'm keeping my thumb on her "place" until she gets home. (That and I'm feeding the cats!) I don’t have a fancy picture on the part where I mark. I don’t have one of those perky little dangling tassels. I just have a bit of advice for our heroine. Wear sunscreen. Lots of it. I’ve known Sarah almost all of her life…scratch that, all of her life. Born early in the morning on a February day, she had the thickest patch of dark wild hair and the slightly yellow skin of a newborn infant with jaundice. She resembled an Eskimo baby. The “tan” quickly faded and she smiled sweetly through her fair skin.

Did I say fair? Reader’s listen up, she is the whitest white person I’ve ever seen. She’s even whiter than the whitest Michael J. was when he was at his whitest. Skin like porcelain, her likeness is that of Snow White sans the dwarves. Seriously, the last time I saw her with anything resembling a tan, was when she was seven and that tan was earned in carefully measured doses of sun over the course of the entire summer.

Mom's worry. I know she’s packed SPF in the highest of numbers, I only hope she uses it wisely. Seriously, those of us back here in the Midwest where autumn is swooping in to capture our rays, will quietly await your return my dear. Hoping to hear of good times and nary a sunburn!
Hurry back!

To Kindle or Not to Kindle

It is no secret that I love to read. I've talked about my addiction to fiction on the pages of this blog before. How I crave a good book where I can get lost in the story. How I will read anything I can get my hands on. My biggest dilemma for my upcoming vacation is which books from my teetering pile should I bring with me.

I also love gadgets. Things with buttons. As a kid I would walk through the aisles of the electronics departments pressing buttons on all the phones, stereos and TV's. I love my IPod, bluetooth, Wii, cell phone, even my electric can opener (It's the gizmo and it's pretty cool).

So as a book and gadget lover, I'm intrigued by the Kindle.

I don't know much about it, and don't really know anyone who has one. On one hand, I think it would be pretty cool to always have a book available and to be able to download anything I want to read. On the other hand, I will miss some of the things that I love about reading.

I love books. In college I used to work at Borders and most of my paycheck went back to the store. I love the size of books (quality paperback is my favorite medium). I love the smell and feel of books. I especially love library books that have the plastic covers on them. Something about the crinkle reminds me of the school librarian reading to us; every so often turning it to show us the pictures. I would miss the joy of going to the bookstore. Searching the stacks for hours, reading covers, deciding on the right ones.

So my questions to you are: Would you get a Kindle? Do you know anyone that has one and do they like it?

Boring Day

My life is so exciting. Here's a little taste of my day so far:

9AM Woke up after 11 hours of sleep (I know you're jealous of my sleeping prowess)

9:15 Watched The Cutting Edge while eating leftover rolls from dinner last night.

10:30 Facebook stalked my new friend. Hope she accepts. Checked my email.

11AM Threw in my 3rd load of laundry for the day.

12:20PM Watched a little bit of Fight Club while munching on taquitos with Spiderman who is home for lunch.

1PM Went to the grocery store to get snacks for Grey's Anatomy tonight.

2:30 Logged on to Twitter.....This is not getting my house cleaned.

3PM Gave in and cleaned my bathrooms.

Now Writing this post and thinking of taking a nap for the migraine that is forming right at the base of my skull. And then maybe? I'll vacuum.

That's my life. Who's jealous?

It's Conversations Like These That Are Going To Get Him Killed

Me: So are you going to fix that hole before Thursday, like you promised?

Spiderman: What hole?

Me: Pointing You know, the great big hole in the entryway?

Spiderman: No one can even see it.

Me: You can see it if you come in the garage door and up those stairs. Then it's eye level.

Spiderman: But no one uses that door.

Me: I do. Every. Day. And seeing that hole is making me crazy!!!

Spiderman: Yeah, like that's what's doing it.

A Friday Funny

I say this on Happy Hour Sue's blog and I laughed my ass off!

Happy Friday!!!

Big Project.

I haven't posted pics of my home improvements in a while because I've finally taken on the challenge of my entryway/living room/dining room/kitchen. What makes this a challenge? This area is open concept with connecting rooms and cathedral ceilings. Otherwise known as a huge pain-in-the-ass to paint. Especially if you don't own a ladder. And hate to paint. But the entire house was painted with flat paint when we moved in and the walls are all marked up. This has been slowly driving me insane.

Because this is such a huge endeavor, I decided to paint a small area at a time. I started painting my entryway and the stairways (I have a bi level). Then I painted my hallway. Today I painted one wall in my living room. Well, most of it. I have the worst balance ever, and I should not be anywhere near a ladder. I currently have a nice unbroken neck and would like to keep it that way. So here is as far as I've gotten today.
Is it really obvious where I stopped? It will have to stay this way until I can get Spiderman to get on the ladder. He hates painting even more than I do. One Sunday while I was working, he got out the ladder and painted the higher part of the wall for my entryway.
His "help" resulted in this:

A hole in the wall. Where his foot slipped off the ladder and into the wall. When I called home to see about his progress, he promised that it would be patched before I even got home.

That was a month ago.

He has since promised that it will be fixed before next Thursday as I am having people over to watch the premiere of Grey's Anatomy (squeeee!!!). I hope, for his sake, that happens.... I'm sure he'd hate to sleep in the tub.

Sorry I've Been Busy.

So, yeah. I've been MIA for a little bit. I've been working some overtime and haven't felt like doing anything but vegging out when I get home.

Why am I working overtime? I've got a vacation to save $$ for! Spiderman and I haven't been on a vacation since our honeymoon three years ago. We went to Mexico. Shortly after we got home, we started saving for a house. All our money went towards that. None for a vacation. Then we entered the wonderful world of infertility treatments which is VERY costly. Again, no money for a vacation.

So that brings us to a few months ago. I was still bumming about the baby failure and debt that went along with it when Spiderman got an email from one of his friends. They have a time-share that they cannot use because his wife is pregnant and is due shortly with their first child. For once being childless has a bonus! We were able to book 7 days in the Bahamas for relatively free. We got our passports, and found unbelievably cheap plane tickets. I didn't want to mention it until everything was in place, but IT. IS! We leave on October 3rd (the week of our 3rd anniversary). CAN YOU TELL THAT I'M EXCITED!!!!

Because we'll be gone the whole week, and I'm thinking that I won't bring my laptop with, I am looking for volunteers to guest post for me.

Any takers?

This Is Why Nurses Hate Me....

Nurse: Could you come to Mr. So-and-so's room for a minute? I think he might be dead.

Me: Is he breathing?

Nurse: I don't know.

Me: Does he have a pulse?

Nurse: I don't know.

Me: Ummm........Isn't that the first day of nursing school? Dead vs Alive?

I can't believe she makes more money than I do!!!

Guess What Came in the Mail?

I'm going to totally be an international traveller now. I hope they stamp it. I've heard that they don't always do that.
Spiderman's still hasn't come yet. I will go without him.

Prime Time Sarah

Today is the first of September. Can you believe it? Where did the summer go? I'm not really complaining much because I LOVE the fall. The cooler temperatures, the changing leaves, and my favorite: the new television season.

All summer long I patiently wait. Ok, so not very patiently, but I do wait. It seems like there's nothing on TV the entire summer! It's agony. This year seems to have so many new drama's and comedy's and less reality that I'm excited. So here's an example of some of this fall's TV that I'm anticipating.

1. The new seasons of both Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice. They ended with some awesome cliff hangers last spring and I can't wait to see what happens!
2. The Office. In the finale we found out that my favorite couple Pam and Jim are having a baby. How cute is that? I look forward to a wedding this fall.
3. Medium is moving to CBS. I may have to follow it. And end my grudge against the network for cancelling Moonlight. Especially since they have a new show starring my Moonlight man called Three Rivers. About organ transplant dr's. Looks interesting.
4. Two words. Melrose. Place. Did anyone else miss the original?
5. New episodes of House and Hero's.
6. Other new shows like Cougar Town, Eastwick (wonder if it's like the movie?) and Flash Forward all seem like something I'd give a chance.
7. I'm on the fence about the Vampire Diaries. I mean, I liked Twilight, and LOVE True Blood, but I think this one might be a bit much. I might be getting a little vamp'd out.

All in all, I think my DVR is going to be a very busy girl this year.

What shows new and old are you looking forward to this fall?

I Saw This on a Hallmark Card

Why I Work ( a short story)

I like food.

The end.

Guess What? I'm Crazy.

I'm an obsess-er. Sometimes I get worked up about something and I obsess and worry and lose sleep over it. Sometimes it's something big, but most often it's something stupid and trivial and it's not a big deal to anyone else.... but it is to me. I take things personally. I get embarrassed and mortified at the thought of ever having done anything that would be remotely considered wrong (especially if it's work related) and I become crazed. Even months, years, later I need only think about it again and the cycle continues.

So why am I telling you this?

Because a little thing happened at work today. More of an annoyance. To anyone else but me probably. But can I let it go? NO. Here I sit obsessing about how I can be better. How I can avoid bad situations in the future. Beating myself up. I'm type A. I have to be perfect. If it happened to someone else, I would probably cut them some slack. But myself? NO.

I wish I could get my brain to shut off. Maybe I have OCD or something.

Do you ever find yourself obsessing about situations in which you were wrong? How do you let go and move on?

I Feel Like Shopping....

To coincide with the cooler temperatures this weekend I rejoiced in the arrival of the new L.L.Bean catalogue. It's like they knew I would be craving fall clothes. Well played L.L.Bean. Well played.

As I flipped through the glossy pages of the catalogue, I desperately needed clothes for my imaginary life. You know, the one in which I need an evening gown for when I meet the queen. Or walk the red carpet. Because quite honestly? Half the time I wear scrubs and the other half I wear yoga pants or PJ's .

But I REALLY could see myself wearing this

It's a fleece lined hoodie. How comfy does that sound? I'm always cold and this would keep me nice and toasty. I'd wear the shit out of it. It comes in solid colors too, but I'm digging the stripes. Here's the dilemma: Do I like the pink/navy....
Or the navy/green? Which one should I buy?
And for my love of footwear we have these wellies.

How flippin' cute are they? I could see myself puttering around my garden (if I had a real one). They'd also be perfect for wandering around the English country side. Which I am prone to do. In my head. I could probably find a knock off pair at Target though and these are a little pricey.

Seriously though. I do have a love of boots. And I'm still on the lookout for a pair.

What do you think of these? They're suede.


I think I may be liking these fringed ones a little more though. I don't know why.

I am a total sweater girl. I have TONS of them. I especially love cardigans. And this one in pomegranate is adorable! It has a waffle-like texture.

Wouldn't it be cute to wear with jeans and the fringed boots when I go to the pumpkin patch or apple picking at County Line Orchard?
Or this Cardigan with the same jean/boot combo.

Love it!!

And then this sweater? I can't really think of where exactly I'd wear this, other than on a trip to Scotland, because doesn't it seem perfect?

With the plaid skirt and all? This one I probably wouldn't wear in real life though. Not really a big fan of the hunting dogs on a sweater. And finally, there's this jacket.

I love jackets almost as much as I love boots and this one just seems sassy. I love the greenish color.

So tell me, what are some of your favorites? Do you think I absolutely HAVE to have any of these?

I Love A Clean House!

When I woke up this morning the temperature dropped to 72 degrees. It feels like fall weather. Have I mentioned I LOVE fall weather? I opened up all the windows in the house to air it out. After several months of sweltering heat and constantly running the air conditioning the air feels kind of stale.

With the windows open I felt like cleaning. All the bathrooms have been scrubbed, the floors mopped, the carpets vacuumed, laundry washed and folded, and every surface dusted. I've got a pot of beef vegetable soup simmering on the stove and homemade bread fresh from the oven.

Does it get any better than this?

I think I'll make a cup of tea and curl up with a book.

Weekend Wedding

For the past few days I've been fighting the headcold from hell. Today is by far the worst day. Why is it I always seem to get a cold just in time for my off days?
Because of my Dayquil hazed brain today I'm going to forgo a real post and just put up pictures of the wedding we went to in Indy this past weekend.

The bride (Spiderman's cousin) and groom.

The reception was a lot of fun and went into the wee hours of the morning. Not everyone could party that long.

My in-laws.
Spiderman and his brother and sister. I don't know why those boys always insist on making faces in every single picture they take.

It took a lot of convincing to get this picture where he wasn't making some awful face that made him look retarded.
Overall it was an awesome time and I may have drank way more than I had intended. Do you think that's what contributed to my cold?

That or all the sickies I see every day at work.

I'm Boring

The most interesting things that have happened to me lately:

1. My father ended up in the ER with early stages of Congestive Heart Failure...But he's okay now.
2. I painted my hallway...finally.
3. I read the first book in the True Blood series. In one day. I'm now hooked.
4. I went out for dinner with my new friend last night. I forgot how much I miss female company!

That's all I've got. What's new with you?

Winner and G.I. Joe

Ok.
So I went to Random.org and let them pick a winner for my Free Stuff Friday.
The number it came up with was.....3!
That means that the winner is Misti! I know Misti IRL so this will save on postage. I'll get that bag to you ASAP!

So what else is new?
I went to see G.I. Joe today. The review I read was awful, but I tend to think that movie reviewers in general are pretentious. I think they secretly hate all movies. I mean, what the heck did they expect going to see a movie, based on a cartoon, called G.I.Joe? Shakespeare? Ummm....I don't think so. You should go expecting stuff to get blown the hell up and lots of ass kicking and special effects. Which there was.

My experience was enhanced by the little guy sitting behind me. He was about 5 or 6 years old and his raw enthusiasm was contagious. His exclamations of Awesome! and Suckers! along with double thumbs up and fist pumping were cracking me up.

That, I think, is a far better review than some stodgy old movie critic could ever supply.

Too Tired.

I know you are probably waiting to hear the winner of my free stuff friday....but after working 12 hours today I'm kinda beat.
I'll post it tomorrow.

I See Dead People

I have a habit of finding dead people.

I mean, I work in a hospital and all so it's not like it's that unusual. I don't find them at the grocery store or hanging around my neighborhood or anything.

Because that would be weird.

Last week I found 2 people dead. One of the patients was alive when I first saw them. I assessed them (respiration's, pulse, breath sounds) and put them on a breathing treatment. I left the room to check on another patient and when I came back 10 minutes later....dead. He was a Do Not Resuscitate.

Another time I had a patient that I put on this machine we have called The Vest. It fits around the chest, inflates, and vibrates. The shaking will loosen any snot they have in their lungs so that the patient can then cough it up. I put my patient on it (who was still chatting with me, by the way) set the timer, and left the room. The patient was flipping through the channels on the TV. When I returned? Dead. Another DNR patient.

Once, while making my rounds first thing in the morning, I walked into my patient's room. The curtains were drawn and the patient was sleeping with the covers tucked up around her chin. Not wanting to wake her I started a nebulizer treatment gently placing it on her face. I then went to take her pulse. There wasn't one. I listened for breathing or a heart beat. None. She was dead. And getting part of a treatment. The best part? When I went to the nurses' station to tell them? They already knew. Usually they put a sign on the door letting us know not to go in the room. The bodies stay in their room until someone from the morgue can come and get them. These nurses were too lazy to put up a sign and were watching the reactions of the different people who were coming out. My coworkers? They are awesome.

It is the nature of my job to be around death. I try really hard not to take it personally. Especially when I have days like my day of 4 code blue's. Sometimes I feel like I'm a shit magnet. If you have an iffy patient who looks like they might code? Assign me that floor. Through no fault of my own, my mere presence on the floor will make them code.

Apparently I'm the Angel of Death. Or just REALLY unlucky.

Free Stuff Friday!

Everyone Loves Free Stuff right? Today I'm offering this:
What's cool about these bags is that for every one purchased, they donate 100% of the profits to charity's. Which Charity's? The Children's House at Johns Hopkins and Believe in Tomorrow Children's foundation.

I happen to have one of these bags in chocolate brown (Spiderman's company represents them) and will send it to one of you lucky readers.

So how do you win one? Leave a comment here telling me what kind of charities you support. In a week I'll announce the winner.

And if you don't win? You should still go here and buy one because, hey, it's for charity!

Wordless Wednesday

I am just warm blooded furniture to them.

My Brain is Feeling Random.

I have so many things floating around in my head so this is going to be a totally random post.

• I have a new friend. His name is Shaun. He came over today and fixed the drain of my kitchen sink that has been stopped up since THURSDAY! You really can't put a price on being able to wash your pots and pans and run your dishwasher. Oh wait! You can. It's $250.
• I know you all are wondering what I bought at Ikea a few weeks ago. I bought these: I purchased 4 of them to replace the dining chair that was broken at Spiderman's 30th Birthday party. Broken chair + drunk men = bonfire. In my driveway.
  I know
• Also on my vacation I went to Shipshewana. At the flea market there, I found this cute table for my entryway.

Don't the Amish make cute furniture? I'm debating painting it black to match my dining chairs.

• This past weekend my sister and mother and I had a garage sale. At my mothers because no one really ever wants to have one of those at their own house. It's a lot of clean up. Here are some of the highlights.
  

Notice my sister wrote "Good Deal" at the bottom of the sign. Thanks Abbie. We never would have figured out what a deal an entire set of pots and pans (with lids) was for $7.50 if you hadn't added that! A+ for your marketing skills.

My niece set up a lemonade stand because the day was stiflingly hot. Most of her patrons were my sister.

Yeah...... my mom apparently bought the two of us matching blouses. That we both sold.

This one was my favorite. Notice the tag: Bag of Knives?? My mother just threw some random knives in a bag and sold it. Go figure. I always wonder about the people who buy my old crap. And whoever buys this? We should probably be afraid of. But by having this garage sale I did find a place to get rid of some of my old books. So there's that.

• Apparently, according to a new study I will have a harder time recovering from a spinal injury because I don't like blue M&M's. I'm sorry. They're just wrong.

And Finally,

• In 4-6 weeks I will be able to leave the country at a moment's notice any time I want.

I know it was random, but I can't help it. My brain feels scattered today.