Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Wednesday Workday? Speaking of fun, Happy Birthday Paige. My baby sister turns 18 today. Yes, she is still a baby in my eyes & always will be.
This morning, I had a meeting in Key Largo. When most people think of the Florida Keys, they don't think of meetings. Frankly, I don't either. I had a nice little relaxing drive down there. It only took me about 45 minutes, so I was about 30 minutes early. There is only one lane in & one lane out so judging traffic and time is never easy. Fortunately for me, the building happened to be in the middle of a shopping center. I spent about 20 minutes looking through some outlet stores and ended up buying 3 pairs of baby girl pjs. How fun right? After that, I had to force myself to go to the boring meeting. When it was over, the last thing I wanted to do was go to work. I wanted to go swimming in the ocean, but life isn't always fun.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Big Hearts Spoil Us
This morning, I woke up extra early concerned about money issues. I started thinking about all the big purchases we want to make for the baby in the next few months. I also wondered how we would manage paying for daycare & other baby expenses that will come along. Don't ask me why I sometimes get paranoid early in the morning, but I do. Believe me, I'd rather sleep. I haven't been worried about it much. For the most part, I think things will work out & they definitely should. Today for some reason, it was bothering me. Anyway, I spent an hour or so thinking about this and then it was time to get up.
When I got to work, other things occupied my mind and as usual life goes on. Then, the president of the company & his wife told me that they want to put $1,000 towards the baby's nursery. I couldn't believe it. They are always so generous and this is absolutely wonderful. What big hearts they have. Miss Baby is already being spoiled & so are we.
Monday, August 29, 2005
It's A Girl!
I just got back from the ultrasound & had to post this. By the way, I thought it was going be a girl. Steve is very excited too. He also enjoyed seeing all the different body parts & listening to the heartbeat. He had a happy look of shock on his face throughout the whole appointment. Unfortunately, no matter how hard the tech pressed on my stomach (very hard), miss baby refused to give us a good face shot. What can I expect? I asked her to be an exhibitionist for the day & she was more interested in showing that than her face! I guess we better watch out for the teenage years.
Hurricane Surprise
Thursday right before 5pm, we heard that Hurricane Katrina had shifted south and would affect Miami more than originally thought. We all left work & drove home in the drastically changing conditions. Some of the intersection signals were already out, which is a bad thing in a city where people don't follow rules. I made it home safe & sound though & began watching the news with Steve. Not only had the storm dipped south, but seemed to have a new south western route. Moments later, the winds were howling and the flood rains were coming down. By 7pm, our power was out. I gathered up flashlights and lit candles, while Steve found his hand-held battery powered tv. We watched for a while, but decided sleep was a better idea. We curled up on the couch, because the wind and rain was pounding harder on the bedroom windows.
The eye ended up passing right over us and we got over 12" of rain that night. In the morning, we woke up to discover that our street was flooded. The water came half way up our driveway. We also had a few palm limbs (frans) that had fallen off of our trees. In the house, we found a pool of water in our guest bedroom. There was no water damage though, so I cleaned it up quickly. We still didn't have power and soon discovered that our cell phones and telephones weren't working. Steve couldn't get service on his and my battery was dead. As for the land lines, both of our phones need power to work. I guess we should have thought of that before and bought an old fashioned one.
Later on, the water in the front subsided so we ventured out. Most of the houses in our neighborhood are missing quite a few roof shingles, fences are down & trees are everywhere (even on top of cars and houses). We drove over to our friend, Amanda's house and saw that a big tree in her yard had fallen. Fortunately, it didn't land on the house or in the road. She decided to join us on our little venture and we found a bagel place that was open. We didn't need to eat there, but it felt good to be out.
That evening, we were sitting in our hot house wondering when the electricity would be back on. The news announced that about 650,000 homes in Miami had lost power and that they were hoping to get the majority of those reasons fixed by Tuesday. We started complaining about how hot it was going to be & that the food in our refrigerator was going to go bad. All of the sudden, ours popped back on. We were so lucky. I immediately called Amanda & invited her stay with us. She has been with us ever since.
Our cable is out (not complaining), so we had a relaxing weekend watching DVDs & hanging out in the a/c. By the way, many of the grocery stores still don't have power & their food has been destroyed. I called the doctor first thing this morning to make sure the ultrasound is still on & I am happy to report it IS!
I've Been Tagged
Emily tagged me on her site, so here is a list of things you can know more about me too...
7 things I plan to do before I die
1. Pop out a few kids (hopefully)
2. Travel to Morocco
3. Take a long trip to Turkey, Greece, & Egypt
4. Go on a cruise along the Alaskan Coast
5. Fluently speak another language, not just chopped up things is several languages
6. Make a nice little nest egg
7. Retire somewhere outside of the US, but near a great international airport
7 things I can do
1. Stay calm in situations when others are nervous
2. Not let myself get overstressed about much
3. Bake bread, pizza dough, rolls, etc. from scratch
4. Cook
5. Do laundry (only chore I don't mind)
6. Put together an amazing proposal
7. Get excited about almost all changes in life
7 things I cannot do
1. Mop the floor (is can't & hate the same thing?)
2. Survive all day in the sun - stupid neon skin
3. Listen to the same boring conversations over & over & over (hear that people at work?)
4. Drive slow - especially on the highway
5. Sit quietly by when people do things that I think are wrong. I voice my opinion & then they can go ahead & do whatever they decide, but I have to be heard.
6. Wait patiently until the birth of my child to find out if it is a boy or girl
7. Pull-ups - incredibly weak arms
7 things that attract me to my husband
1. His friendliness & people skills
2. His sensitivity
3. His talent as a handyman
4. His ability to say he is sorry - 100 times better than me
5. The fact that he is always calm when I am mad
6. His open-mindedness
7. His love of people and kids
7 things that I say most often
1. Is it 5 o'clock yet? -at work-
2. It is Saint Check Day - payday
3. I just want a day off
4. I'm in the mood for salad (LOVE Ranch dressing)
5. Let's go out to eat
6. I can't wait for ... (always looking ahead)
7. We have a lot to do before the baby comes
7 celebrity crushes
This is tough b/c I don't really get crushes, but I'll list a few I think are good looking
1. Hector from the Troy movie with Brad Pitt
2. The real Gigolo from Deuce Bigalo
3. Antonio Banderas
4. Nobody else comes to mind
7 people I want to do this
1. Annette
2. Tiffany
3. Paige
4. Few others with blogs read this on a daily basis, but the rest can e-mail me
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Bulging Belly
I decided to share a belly shot with you so you can giggle at the bulge. It isn't a mountain yet, but it popped out pretty quickly and has been growing a little each week. BTW, Monday is the BIG ultrasound. We are getting very excited! Hopefully, the baby is an exhibitionist (ok - just this once). We want to see everything.
Boredom Reigns
Oh Where, oh Where has the Excitement Gone? For the last few weeks, the feeling of boredom has taken over. Not so much in my personal life, but definitely at work. I have been in this small company for a little over 3 years. My philosophy is that 2 - 3 years in a company is good. After that, it is time to move on. However, that is not how it is going to be with this company. I'm currently planning to be in this place for a lot longer than that - maybe even the rest of my career. I'll admit that my salary is good, the benefits are good, this is exactly the type of work that I want to do, and the people are nice. It just feels so monotonous. Even the conversations with everyone seem like they have been deja vu-ed to death.
I am not blaming anyone. I know it is me. I tend to get bored of things quickly. Plus, I have only had maybe 2 days off this year. I am trying to stock-pile my time off for maternity leave. That is probably the main reason I am desperately hoping that Hurricane Katrina shuts down the city tomorrow. Schools are already closed in all of South Florida. The government offices in Broward are closed today. I was starting to get excited until my boss said that he thinks that it is heading off north & we'll have a normal working day. He is always like this. Fortunately, the 11am advisory is still showing that it will hit just north of us. That means a shut down. Come on Katrina!!!
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Promising Hurricane
Once again, we have a hurricane headed for Florida (Katrina). Ok, it is a tiny little weak one, but it is something. This time, the track is in the Ft Lauderdale/West Palm Beach Area. Unfortunately, I'm not as excited as I usually get. We probably will get Friday off, but Steve has been in a pissy mood lately. It is a lot more fun to be around him when he isn't. Hopefully, he'll snap out of it before then and it will be a fun 3-day weekend. Hey, we'll get two 3-day weekends in a row. SCORE!
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Dad Back in the Hospital
I've waited a few days to post this, but my dad is back in the hospital. Actually, he went in on Thursday. He was running a fever, so his wife took him back it. They discovered that he has pneumonia. I don't think that he was ever in the hospital before his brain cancer was discovered. Now, it seems like they can't keep him away. Unfortunately, this stay has caused him to miss his appointment with the internist doc. He was supposed to be getting tested for Celiac Disease. He has been suffering from a lot of the symptoms lately, even in the hospital. I guess they'll have to reschedule.
Monday, August 22, 2005
Too Sexy
I just saw a little BMW with a vanity plate that said, "Too Sexy." I got a little laugh out of it. Does the girl really believe that she is too sexy? If so, who is she comparing herself too - all of us? That seems a bit snotty if you ask me. I guess there is a remote possibility that her message is similar to the Moral Police in Saudi Arabia - everything is too sexy and needs to be covered.
Speaking of the Moral Police, for the first time in my life I actually have to deal with cleavage. I've always been small chested, not flat, but small enough that it takes a push-up bra for anything exciting. Suddenly, pregnancy has made me bust out (hahaha, funny pun).
Since this is a new thing, I am not use to the consequences. I am not talking about men flirting or anything. It is a clothes issue for me. I have never had to try on a shirt to see if it would be too tight across my chest or too revealing. A few days ago after several hours of wearing a dress, I noticed that my bosoms were practically saying peek-a-boob to the world. I had to keep adjusting the top of the wrap dress. Of course, my husband wouldn't have tipped me off to this fact because he thinks it is great.
After that incident, I have vowed to start wearing tank tops under things, so that maybe a little cleavage shows but never again such a view. No more Too Sexy for me!
Semi-Socialites
Steve & I had a little run of social activities, which in Miami, is rare for us since we only have a few friends. Thursday night, we had dinner with a couple from Steve's work. They invited us over for wine (water for me) & tons of Middle Eastern appetizers. We were there for three hours of talking and laughing.
Friday, we went to watch the Marlins beat the Dodgers. Actually, that wasn't entirely social. We went by ourselves, but Steve was given great tickets from a guy at work. It is always exciting to be at a game where your team wins.
Saturday, Steve's aunt was in town for work. We drove up to Hollywood and had dinner with her. It was fun to catch up and talk about the future. We also laughed about her rental car (a Jag). She came in at mid-night & the rental car company didn't have the car she reserved, so they gave her a choice of the Jag or a Hummer. Of course, she picked the sporty Jaguar with leather seats. What a great way to zip around Florida!
Sunday, we had invited a friend over for dinner, so we cooked a big meal. Unfortunately, she got stuck at work so we enjoyed the food by ourselves. I guess that means we are back to our normal routine, which is probably a good thing since Steve starts school on Wednesday.
Friday, August 19, 2005
Played a Great Trick
I have a little confession to make. This afternoon, I played a trick that turned out better than expected. About an hour ago, I sent the Vice Pres of my company a text message from the Pres that said "If there is nothing pressing, send everyone home early." He always plays tricks on people, so I was just getting him back. I fully intended on confessing when he announced it. However, instead of announcing it, he went around to each person & said HE was going to let us go home early - like he is being so nice. So, how can I confess to that? hahaha - THANKS! Now, I have an evil method for leaving early. HELP: The temptation to use it will be strong!
Lil Sis Heading Off to College
Back in the late 80s, when my bangs were spiked a mile high and I had braces, the dynamics of our family was drastically changed with a new addition. My little sister, Paige, was born. She spent most of her life being spoiled, teased, protected, and bossed by her teenage siblings. That isn't exactly a fun way to live life, but her positive attitude, desire to please, and tender feelings often got her exactly what she wanted.
Years passed, siblings moving on to new lives and our parents getting divorced left her alone with mom. Sometimes, she enjoyed the freedom of very few eyes watching her, but overall she has been the easiest teenager of all times. Tomorrow, it is now her turn to leave the nest. She'll be heading off half way across the country to Sam Houston State University in Texas. Knowing her, she will be shedding many tears and missing mom like crazy. I guess my parents kept having kids hoping for a sentimental one and it took 5 tries.
Well, my little sister is definitely growing up. Given the fact that I was 14 when she was born, this day makes me feel REALLY old. She doesn't have to worry though; I will always see her as the little one, who needs lots of advice (the bossy kind). Isn't that the role of the older sister?
BTW - Paige - if you read this, you should know that if you would have sent me a copy of the graduation pictures I keep hearing about, I wouldn't have posted an old baby picture...
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Things a Bit Brighter on the Cancer Home Front
Last night, for the first time since the whole cancer ordeal started (for my dad & my mother-in-law) we got some good news. My mother-in-law went in yesterday to have a cat scan of her chest done. She is half-way through chemo and the tumors in her lungs have been significantly reduced. So, the goal to prolong and improve her quality of life is working. They didn't scan the rest of the tumors in her body, because these are the most life threatening. They also took her off one of the medications that was causing nerve damage.
After her news, I heard that my dad is doing much better because of his gamma knife surgery last week. He only manages to stay awake 20 - 30 minutes at a time and is having a lot of difficulty feeling and controlling the left side of his body, but improvements have been made. Through the radiation and surgery, the doctors were able to get rid of most of the tumors in his brain. They are going to give him a break from treatments and surgeries, until it starts getting bad again. They predict that will be in 7 - 12 months.
Of course, I realize that things are not completely rosy, but both of them were given a very grim diagnosis. Without treatment (which might not even work), they would both be dead within a year. Now that the treatments seem to be effective, they have a bit more time to smell the flowers.
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Blog Becomes a Journal - Sort Of
Two months ago, I read an article about a woman in her late 30s whose mother is suffering from advanced dementia. She realized that she hadn't spent much time getting to know her mother. Of course, she knew her personality and things we all know about our moms, but she hadn't asked her any questions about her childhood, what it felt like raising kids, life ambitions, etc. She asked her father many questions, but he couldn't remember too many things and couldn't answer other questions (see how well men listen?).
This article really struck home. All my life, my dad has pounded it into our heads to keep a journal. He writes in his like clock work, but honestly this never inspired me. For some reason, he prefers to keep it dry. He simply states facts & events without elaborating by adding emotions or thoughts - boring!
My opinions on journals dramatically changed right after college. We went to visit my Great Aunt & Uncle, who are really into family history and genealogy. My Great Uncle handed me a typed copy of my Grandma's journal (mom's mom). The time frame was over a period of a few months right after her first husband (the love of her life) died in WWII. I think I read it all night. She described her love for him, deep depression, weight loss, lack of motivation, and the only thing that kept her going, which was her daughter (my aunt). It was amazing to share a moment in her life 5 years after she had passed away. I had always considered us close, but she never spoke of that time in detail. I guess the passing of time and the fact that my grandfather was horrible caused that chapter to be closed in her life.
By this age, I realize that wanting to do something & getting around to doing it on a regular basis are not the same thing. After reading that article, I decided to use my blog as a somewhat of a journal - it is the closest I'll ever come to keeping one. At the end of every month, I print out my entries & put them in a binder. Obviously, I am not documenting every moment or event like my father does, but hopefully adding some of the interesting parts, my random bizarre thoughts, and a bit of my personality. For future generations: sorry, but this will just have to do... & yes I know I am totally crazy!
Monday, August 15, 2005
Moments of Pregnancy Panic
Like all pregnant women, I've had my moments of panic. These are times when I worry about how the pregnancy is going and even if it is still viable. I've noticed for me, it increases the longer I haven't been to the doctor. The one month visits and ultrasounds would seemingly calm the nerves, but it has been 3 weeks. The end of last week, people at work commented about the fact that my appetite hasn't increased and that I'm not craving sweets. After that, I started thinking about all of the symptoms I haven't experienced (thing's I am not wishing for) and I started to wonder what is going on and then I panicked a little.
Later, I spoke to my mom. I didn't mention to her that I was nervous. However, I did tell her that I am very glad that I have more ultrasounds than the average preg woman, especially my sister-in-laws who do not plan to have any. I told my mom that it may be fine for care-free mothers-to-be in their early 20s, but I'm in my 30s and getting pregnant didn't come easily in the first place. Do you want to know what my mom said? --"Plus, being in your 30s means that your risks are higher." Thanks MOM!
Saturday morning, I took a moment to think about all of the symptoms I am suffering from like shortness of breath and exhaustion. I also noticed that my belly is popping out a bit more than last week. I'm not so worried about it now, but it is nice knowing that I'll be seeing the doctor on Thursday. Perhaps, I should just buy a fetal heartbeat monitor & stop the insanity.
Friday, August 12, 2005
In-Laws' 40th Anniversary
Forty years ago today, George & Sue (my in-laws) went to a shopping center where the justice of the peace was located. They bought rings from a jeweler in the same center and then got married.
That was their wedding, but I think one of the most interesting stories is how they met. Sue was engaged to a guy in the military and George was semi-engaged to one of her friends. Being that Sue's boyfriend had been deployed, she had nothing to do on that particular Friday (or Saturday) night. Her friend insisted that she go out to a dance club with them. Sue sat alone during several songs while George danced with his semi- fiance. Like a good friend would do, her friend asked George to dance with Sue. While they were out on the dance floor, the magic happened. They instantly knew they had found the love of their lives. Breaking it to the others wasn't quite so easy, but they managed.
To this day, they are still quite a site to behold on the dance floor. I seriously think they could compete in ballroom dancing competitions. They will celebrate the last 40 years by driving up the Coast for a weekend getaway. Hopefully, they will find a nice little place for another romantic dance.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Check Out A New Blog!
I just got an e-mail from my best friend from Jr. High to High School about her new blog. I am totally thrilled & can't wait to finally be able to catch up and stay current with what is going on in her life. Yeah Annette! I am adding a link to her blog under linkages on the right. You can also check it out by clicking here: lifeiswhathappened
Celiac Drama
In April/May, my dad's sister sent me an e-mail asking if I know of anyone in the family who has Celiac Disease. She was sure that she had it and remembered a cousin who might have it. She was also sure that her mom had it, but she had never been tested. I had never heard of it before, so she sent me a link (the one I'm providing - not the best site but it's ok) and I read about the disease. After reading it and seeing a lot of my dad's problems listed, I sent him an e-mail telling him to get checked out. He gave me a bizarre response and a few days later ended up in the hospital with brain cancer. I also mentioned it to one of my brothers and sent him the website. I thought about it, but not much after that.
Last week, I called my brother & was totally shocked by the research he had done on Celiac Disease. My brother is the father of 3 (& 1 one the way), has his own busy company, does most of the housework & cooking at home, is totally involved in church, and does just about any adventurous activity you can imagine. Besides being crazy busy, he doesn't worry about much, so I didn't expect that from him. Apparently, people with Celiac Disease have a 50 - 60% increased chance of getting cancer. My brother had many of the symptoms (which usually start showing up between ages 30 - 50), so he changed his diet. He said he suddenly felt better than he ever had. Changing your diet for Celiac is NOT an easy thing to do. Celiac sufferers are allergic to gluten which is in practically everything, but most notably wheat, rye, and barley. Somehow this disease blocks nutrients and minerals from being absorbed by the body. You can imagine what that leads to... No wonder my father & his family are so skinny.
My brother is 100% sure that my father has it. He contacted my step-mother and she is taking him in to be tested next week. For once in my life, I am happy not to have inherited the skinny genes from my father's side. I realize that it could manifest itself soon and that I should get the simple blood test to find out. However, I LOVE everything that I would have to give up especially bread & cereal. That would be tragic... Now that motherhood is on the way, I owe it to the next generation to find out. ...maybe after pregnancy, let me at least enjoy eating the only things that have been appealing.
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Downfall of the Old Maids' Club
My freshman year of college, I developed a close relationship with three other girls that would stand the test of time. We went to a school in a very boring area, which encouraged a lot of talking, getting to know each other, and complaining. We didn't spend a lot of time dating, in fact very little. When someone did have a date we were too excited & teased them a lot, which never happened to me. I turned into the Queen of non-dating. The prospect of becoming Old Maids was probably one of the main topics of discussion. We tried to dream up the exciting lives we would lead should that be our fate. It wasn't only talk, I am sure that all of us were at least a little afraid it might come to pass.
The first one to get booted out of the club was Nicole (about 12 years ago). In the photo, she is the cute blonde with purple flowers on her dress. None of us were surprised that she was snapped up quickly. She is probably one of the most perfect wives/mothers ever. Just look at her - 4 kids & she is still gorgeous. There was no doubt this was her destiny, so we were all thrilled for her.
Tricia was next (about 6 months after Nicole). She is the one in the white shirt. To be honest, I really didn't want to see her go. She always had a bit of a spark/wild side in her and we were afraid she would lose that. Every 18 - 20 year old knows that marriage & motherhood make you boring and old fashioned, right? ...but she had made her decision. Now, she has 3 beautiful daughters and still a wild spirit. It just takes her a little longer to conjure it up.
Many, many, many years passed. In fact, it was an entire decade later before I would get kicked out of the club. I had a chance to do some world traveling and live in a few exotic places (not as much as I'd have liked to). Sometimes, wild Tricia would confess that she was jealous of me. Then sometimes, I would confess that I was a bit jealous of her, but not that often. Despite it not being in my plan for that year, I fell madly in love - hook, line, & sinker. When I told them that I was engaged, they all vowed to come to my wedding. That was such a wonderful surprise and it was great to catch up on old times.
Unfortunately, it can be fairly lonely being the last one in the Old Maids' Club. Yoko struggled with it a little, but she was also having a blast living in Manhattan. That is the perfect place to live for a hot single girl - just watch Sex in the City & you'll know. In spite of the fun (maybe because of the fun), she found her love. His name is John. -John & Yoko, cute right? She always hated being referred to Yoko Ono, but suddenly love has made it romantic & funny. She shared her engagement news with me on Saturday night. I am thrilled. She is hoping to schedule the wedding before the end of the year. Looks like I'll be traveling with my big prego belly.
...& thus ends the era of the Old Maids' Club... Sad, but true.
Monday, August 08, 2005
Continuing Cancer Saga (Dad)
My dad is back in the hospital this week. Don't worry - it wasn't an emergency; this has been part of the plan for a while. His treatment plan after the brain surgeries included radiation followed by more surgery using a gamma knife. Apparently, the gamma knife is very precise and can zap the tumors without damaging the surrounding tissue. Within the next few days, he should have 1 - 3 sessions of mind zapping. It shouldn't be that bad for him since he already has a flap in his skull for easy access. This is probably one of his best chances for getting rid of most of the cancer, so it is a good thing. Plus, it should be less emotionally traumatizing to him too because they are only planning to keep him there about 4 days.
I don't have any deep or emotional thoughts to add to this. It is definitely on my mind & I am anxious to hear the results. I guess part of me feels that it isn't really happening. Another part of me is tired of all of the bad news and wants to believe there is nothing to worry about. Hopefully, I'm right about there not being anything to worry about (at least this week).
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Morikami Museum & Old Friends
A couple of weeks ago, I got an e-mail from an old college friend. I haven't seen her or her husband in 9 years, which is something I shouldn't admit (it certainly hasn't been that long since I graduated). They are currently living in Orlando, but were planning a little trip to South Florida to visit the Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens. Steve & I have never heard of the place and it is fairly close to where Steve grew up. Anyway, they wanted to know if we could meet them for lunch. We had a nice time. The food was great and so was the walk around the gardens - even though it was dreadfully HOT. It is definitely a little gem to know about.
I enjoyed catching up with them, but the best part was seeing their adorable little girl. She is by far the most well behaved two year old I've ever seen, despite the fact that she was sweating buckets, hungry at one point, and very tired. We even went into the gift shop & she didn't throw a fit about wanting anything. I think I need to learn parenting skills from them b/c I can tell you that my kids are going to be a handful! Then again, I have always liked a challenge.
Blog Comments Working
Another thanks to Em for helping me with the comments section. This blog transformation has been a whole lot easier than I had imagined. Unfortunately, I don't know how to get all of the comments back that were left before. Oh well... For those of you interested in adding some spice to your blog, here were the links Em gave me. Blogskin: http://www.blogskins.com/ and for the comments section: http://www.haloscan.com. Now everyone can leave comments, not just Blogger members. Happy Blogging....
Friday, August 05, 2005
Party in the Office
We tricked Steve into coming into the office this afternoon, so we could celebrate his birthday. I wanted to share the photo with you because I think it is the first one with my growing belly in it.
Much Better Blog
I have to give a HUGE thanks to Emily (http://princessandjohnsy.blogspot.com/) for the blogskin tip. This site is now much more my style than the one I tried yesterday. I still have some editting to do, but it is coming along. I also have to figure out how to link the comments. Sorry, it isn't working for now. Anyway, most of you still e-mail me rather than leaving your comments on the site. So, it wasn't my top priority.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Trying A New Background
I don't really like using the Blogger templates because they are stale & boring. Unfortunately, I haven't invested any time in learning how to create one myself. I have to admit that I am a lazy blogger. - Sorry
Having said all that, my boredom with Blogger has inspired me to try yet another template. This one looks like it is made for a gay science-fiction loving guy and doesn't fit my personality, but it is more interesting than my last one. I'll probably change it soon.
Thoughts on Divorce
Before I start, I am not considering divorce. The topic has popped up with many different people this past week and I have been thinking about the topic.
Last weekend, one of Steve's very good friends confided in me the reason for her very recent divorce. Several months ago, she discovered that her husband had been seeing someone else on the side for about a month. They had been together for about 9 years, married the last 6. Unfortunately, these things happen at times, but she said something else that really caught my attention. She said she was raised to believe that there are only two reasons for divorce: 1. physical abuse & 2. adultery. Then, she said for the last few years she found herself depressed and wishing he would cheat on her so she could divorce him. -What a powerful statement.
I'll be the first to admit that I am definitely not anti-divorce. In fact, I believe divorce is a great option for anyone who is extremely unhappy about their marriage. This depression can be caused by the two reasons above or many other things. I figure that we only live for about 70 - 90 years, why should 30+ years be spent in extreme suffering? Marriage is a tough decision and should be taken very seriously, but life is about learning from mistakes and moving on.
I was raised to believe that marriage is sacred and divorce is bad. In fact, I remember my parents having a family discussion to let us know that they will NEVER get divorced (yeah right). To be honest, I was disappointed when they said that. That was the verbal message pounded into my head, but another one came through loud & clear. Almost my whole life I wished my parents would get divorced. Yes, kids know when things just aren't right. My mom has two siblings and my dad has four. Out of all of them, only my mom's brother is happily married. The others are either divorced or are great candidates for it. On top of that, I absolutely would not want the kind of marriage both sets of grandparents had. Lets just say that when you spend most of your marriage praying that your husband will die so you can get out of it, there is a HUGE problem. All this and I am supposed to believe that divorce is BAD?
I know that in the US, divorce has become very common. I don't think it should be done at the drop of a hat because you're "bored" or "fell out of love." All long term relationships involve work. If kids are involved, there is even more reason to work out your differences. However, if you are way beyond that, take the time to consider divorce, especially when the first two reasons apply. I know many people who are trying to overlook even those reasons. I write this because I don't want to feel sorry for another person who feels trapped in a living hell.
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Try to Enjoy this Week
Next Monday, August 8th, two things that I dread all summer are happening. One is the start of the school year. For someone who doesn't have any children in school, you would think this doesn't matter, but it DOES. My morning commute will be a nightmare. In the summer, it takes be about 20 - 30 minutes to get to work. Next week, I'll be looking at 45 - 60 minutes. When there is an accident, it is anyone's guess how long it will take. Steve will be suffering more than me, but he has the option of taking the Metrorail, which will actually cut his time down significantly.
The other dreaded event is the start of football season. The Miami Dolphins have their first pre-season game on Monday. Don't get me wrong, I like sports a lot more than most women. I enjoy watching the games and can name more players than most guys in my office, but football season isn't fun when you're married to one of the BIGGEST sports fans of all time. Football is his favorite sport, so I basically become a Sports Widow for the next few months. His mind is occupied by statistics, injuries, competition, and basically all things football. Even our tv and radios seem to get stuck on sports. It is the one time of the year that he becomes a reading maniac and can't keep his hands off the newspaper and magazines.
Maybe I should get together with other women and create an anonymous sports fanatic group. I'll have Steve start, "Hi, I'm Steve and I am a football loving FREAK." I don't want to stomp it out all together, but can't we have a bit of a normal life during the season? I'll take Tuesdays through Thursdays when there aren't any games on. On those days, he can listen to talk radio during his commute. He can also watch 30 minutes of ESPN. Other than that, I want normal conversations.---Is that too much to ask for? With him, the answer is Yes!
He'll proably completely forget I am pregnant. I wonder if he'll even notice that my belly is getting bigger and that fatherhood is approaching. I just realized that I am due the beginning of February. The last ultrasound showed January 27th. That could be horrible. I better not go into labor during the Superbowl, or I'll have to drive myself to the hospital.
Ok - he is not nearly this bad, but he does have a pretty bad Sports addiction.
Monday, August 01, 2005
Steve's B-Day Celebration
Steve's birthday was on Saturday, so we went to West Palm Beach to celebrate with a bunch of his old friends. We all met at Bone Fish Grill, which is an outdoor sports bar type place. It was a fun night of discussing old times and the latest gossip. Of course, I didn't know a lot of the people the gossip was about, but I heard some outrageously entertaining stories. I'll have to share a few later for kicks. We actually took a few photos though, so I thought I would quickly post one of us.
my name
Husband:
Steve
Baby: Lexi (born Jan 26th)
This blog is like a journal for me. It is also a way for my friends to keep tabs on me.
For people who don't know me, I come from a big family (3 brothers & 1 sister). We moved around a LOT, so I am not really from one particular place. I like to call Katy, Texas my home though.
Recent news, my Dad & Mother-in-Law were diagnosed with Terminal Cancer in April/May of 2005. My dad passed away 5-Dec-05 .
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