Random Friday Musings

Happy Friday! Hurray for a surprise day off - I thought I had to work, but thanks to Mrs. ESPN, I asked my boss and he told me we were off. So, yay! I've got some errands to run, and then I'm having lunch with Temerity Jane & Penny, and I might treat myself to a pedicure. Not to mention, I have about 20 games of Draw Something to keep up with.


- Today is roomie move-out day! And I feel a little bad putting the exclamation point in, but I'm ready to have our house back to ourselves. By the end of this weekend, we'll hopefully get quite a few things scratched off the list - we'll have an actual guest bedroom in the 3rd room, Dan has "paint stripes on craft room walls" as mission #1 on his to-do list, and we'll take care of some of storage issues since Dan can move some of his stuff back into bedroom #3.

- On the way to work the other day, I saw just a random beat-up Camry with a crooked sign that read "Hurry Transportation" on it. No phone number or anything, but it struck me that it was some kind of self-employed taxi service. And I admit, I judge books by covers sometimes. The guy driving was not someone I'd want to be trapped in the back seat with. Not to mention, he had no sense of urgency. I'm not sure "Hurry" anything was appropriate for this guy's business. It just all struck me as odd.

- Not long ago, my coworker C told the nail-clipping co-irker to stop trimming his nails in his cubicle. He called it "disturbing" and something that should be done at home. Well, C was out yesterday, so Clipper figured it would be okay. Not so much, because I just happened to grow a pair yesterday and sent Clipper an IM asking him to save the nail clipping for home and that it's really not appropriate to do in an office. He shot back, "I thought I was safe with C out of the office." I responded, "no, C being gone doesn't make it okay." So he told me he'd be more "careful." Careful? WTF? No. I... er, WE, actually... are trying to politely tell this disheveled doofus loser that what he's doing at work is inappropriate for the setting and he's clearly not getting it. And because he talks to his wife (who I hear looks like Tammy Faye Baker) 70 times a day, I'm sure this would have come up. If my husband told me he'd been called out by multiple people for doing that at work, I'd be mortified. But I guess performing acts of grooming and hygiene in close public spaces is the kind of ship they're running. Freaking weirdos.

- Today is a local radio station's Big Red Easter Keg Hunt. They hide 98 kegs around the city and one is worth $5,000. Usually, there's a concert the night of, and anyone who finds a keg brings theirs to find out if they're a winner, but this year, it's just some thing at an arcade. Anyway, every year I get all hyped up thinking I'm going to go find a keg. And then I get lazy. There are clues, but I figure by the time I get there, it'll be gone. Two years ago I did go out and drive around in my pajamas for about 12 minutes, but I got over it pretty quickly. I wish someone would just hide a keg in my yard and call it a day.

- My in-laws flew to MD to see my brother- and sister-in-law yesterday. Dan slept through his alarm and was about 45 minutes late picking them up to get them to the airport. Still, they made their flight... barely. That's good, because I know Dan would have felt awful. I would, however, like to apologize to any passengers who had to listen to my father-in-law complain and stuff for five hours.

- Happy Birthday to my sweet friend, Kathy! She's the one who sent me the beautiful print a little while ago. I hope you have a fabulous time in Boston!


I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! We're not really Easter celebraters (aside from indulging in Cadbury Mini Eggs), but I know many of you are, so I hope it's special for you and your families :)

Drawestin: Seriously Brilliant Digital Art

There used to be a time that I was pretty obsessed with a fun little game called Words With Friends. And then people kind of just stopped playing as much because something better came along. And that something is Draw Something. It's basically playing pictionary with 40 of your closest friends on your phone. It's incredibly awesome. It's hilarious because depending on how far along you are in earning points, you have to make do with the colors you have and sometimes you end up with blue grass and red eyes.

The problem for me is that I don't have an iPhone, and playing on my rinky dink little LG phone (I love LG phones, but the Draw Something capability is lacking) is crappy. The battery can't support the huge draw on power, and the size of the download means I can keep exactly 15 texts or 2.6 pictures on my phone at once. Lame. So I deleted it. And I've missed it so. I've been watching the Android market for a Kindle Fire version and there still isn't one (WTF, Android market/Amazon?). BUT. Yesterday, I found instructions for downloading it as an outside app and we.are.back.in.business! Only problem - I can only play when I'm at home or where I can get Wifi. Oh well, better than nothing.

Anyway, Amanda and Hutch are having this awesome link-up of your best Draw Something screen shots. Because I don't have screen shot on the Kindle, I'm limited to being able to share the only two shots of brilliant work that have been saved and posted by others.

First, I present to you pretty much one of the very first pictures I ever had to guess, drawn by Temerity Jane:



I didn't freaking guess this one and she'll never ever let me live it down. It's Tupac. Obviously. Except to me at the time. My excuse: "I thought he was a Blood." ::hangs head in shame::

And then there's this, drawn by yours truly for a friend:


Also obvious... Carmelo (Anthony). I didn't know what team he plays for or what color jerseys that team would wear. All I know is that he's brown (and yes, I used yellow when I had to draw that Jeremy Lin guy), his name sounds like Caramello, and that's like a Rolo. Brilliant.

Amanda and Hutch are hosting their link-up called Drawestin all through April as a feature of their conglomeration #AwesomeAustin. I honestly don't know if I have an SN on Draw Something because I sign on through Facebook, but you can email me with your SN and I'll find you to play. You can also play with Amanda (AmandaAustin) and Hutch (AwesomeHutch). And if you Tweet it, use the hashtags #AwesomeAustin and #Drawestin

Free Your Mind Monday

It's time for another thrilling installment of the 50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind...


41. If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today? Do I have a limit? I'd visit my immediate family - my parents and sister, of course. And my grandparents. And I'd spend the bulk of my time with my husband. As for my friends, I would take the time to call and text them. I'd hope they would understand that with such a short timeline, a personal visit wouldn't be feasible.

42. Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous? No.

43. What is the difference between being alive and truly living? Being alive is biological - eating, breathing, sleeping. Truly living is doing what makes you happy and fulfilled.

44. When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right? It totally depends on the decision at hand. I make a lot of decisions based on the information that is presented, but I do also account for gut feelings. There is no universal answer to this for everyone.

45. If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake? Because some mistakes are too costly, even with a lesson learned. And some lessons I don’t care to have to learn from a mistake.

Crossing things off the list...

Whew, what a week! It was awesome, and I got to cross a couple things off various lists. I also did some fun things that aren't on the list.

First, last week during my 51 hour trip to New Jersey, I took care of #78 on my 101 in 1001 and met Shana! She came up to my hotel room and then we went over to a cute Italian restaurant across the street that her friend recommended. It was delicious. I had this amazing melt-in-your-mouth filet mignon. After dinner, during which we had a great conversation the whole time, we went back to my hotel and chatted some more. She even got to meet Mrs. ESPN (who scared the crap out of me with a sneak-up) catch a glimpse of The Clipper. When she had to leave, it felt like far too soon - it's amazing how just interacting through blogs, Twitter, and email can make you feel like you really know someone and be completely comfortable with them. The only pic of the meeting is one she took of me, and you know what I look like, but you can check out Shana's blog for my cheesy smile. It was truly awesome meeting you, Shana, and I hope to see you again soon!

Next, Dan woke up yesterday with some awful back pain. Not good... at all. But the good thing that came out of it is that his mom and I were able to open him up to the idea of buying a new bed. A little ahead of schedule, but the timing works. Our roommate moves out next weekend and my family (parents, sister, and brother-in-law) are visiting the 13th through the 15th, so having an extra bed will really work. We got a fabulous deal on a king-sized nice firm memory foam bed with cool gel. Also exciting about getting a new bed: bedding. We have great bedding that we LOVE for winter (and purchased in king size in anticipation of this purchase), but a down comforter just doesn't work in Arizona in the summer. We don't have anything but said winter bedding in a king size, so we needed something. So I spent some lia sophia money on summer bedding - t-shirt sheets at Dan's request, and a lightweight quilt in colors that match the overall color scheme of the master bedroom.

Also, I did a Pinterest product yesterday. My lovely friend, Kathy and I are both planning on putting together a display of monograms, and I had found a really cute yarn-wrapped monogram from Etsy that I decided to try out. So I got a cardboard K from Joann Fabrics which I wrapped with a thick cream yarn. I also used a tutorial I found on Pinterest to make rolled fabric flowers that I used to embelish it. I'll probably add a couple more fabric flowers or some other cute findings, but you get the idea. This one will probably end of in the craft room, seeing as how the purple will fit my theme. Oh, and speaking of the craft room, we pencil-lined the stripes, so the next step is taping and finally painting. I keep saying I hope for next week, but I'm really hoping we can get going on it so we can finish by the time my family visits. Anyway, here's my K:

Cute, right?

We also did a couple other house projects today. We purchased window screen kits and sun-blocking screen for our windows and Dan put them together. They block 80% of sunlight, and in an Arizona summer, that can make a huge difference on both comfort and power bills. I also gardened - we bought some seeds and I planted zinnias, marigolds, and some other kind of flower in little planters Dan made with bricks from the yard that the previous owners left. I'm sure they probably won't survive very long with the heat, but I'm curious to see if I can get them to grow.

So it was a super busy few days, but so incredibly productive and fun. Tomorrow, it's back to the grind, but for now, I'm enjoying the finale of Worst Cooks in America and hanging out with Dan and the pups.

Free Your Mind Monday

It's time for the next installment of Free Your Mind Monday. Thankfully, these questions aren't as lame as last week's.

36. Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil? Yes. By whatever design you believe in, we were all given a moral compass, and I believe we know what is right and wrong without having to be told which is which.

37. If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job? Yes, but only because I’d use the money to get myself into a job I love. I'd find a way to have my own business of some sort or use the money to pay bills that this job pays for while I pursue a dream.

38. Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing? I would absolutely rather be spending more time and effort doing something I love than do half the work when I feel only "meh" about it.

39. Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before? Sometimes, in some ways. Mondays seem to always feel the same. There is a lot of life that is consistent, but that's not necessarily bad. I know that today, like most days, I'll go home, make dinner, eat with Dan, chat about our day, cuddle the pups, and kiss them all before I fall asleep. There's nothing wrong with any of that. There are, however, mundane things about every day life that make it feel repetitive in a boring way, but that's life.

40. When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in? Dating Dan, honestly. He was so very different than anyone else I’d ever dated, yet I just had such a connection with him. I couldn't put my finger on what had me so drawn to him, but I followed my gut and my heart and it was the best thing I've ever done. I had so many thoughts about the guy I should be with, and on paper, Dan wasn't many of them. I'd glad I threw away my list and allowed myself to love who I love.

Happy (?) Monday, everyone! We had a great weekend in Tucson celebrating my mom's birthday. We had a fun dinner out, watched (er, I slept through) a movie, went antique store shopping, and just hung out. It was great. Yesterday when we got home, Dan actually agreed to go see The Hunger Games with me and it.was.awesome! Loved it. I thought they did a great job with the adaptation, and I can't wait for the other movies. Even better, Dan can't wait. He actually liked it and asked me in the car on the way home what happens in the next book.

So, I was reading Amanda's blog this morning and she recounted this hilarious conversation she had with her husband, and I thought I'd share a funny little conversation Dan and I had in the car. To set the scene, we were driving to Tucson and we were south of Phoenix in an area that's just an expanse of desert as far as the eye can see. I'm sure you all picture Arizona as nothing but desert anyway, so you're probably wondering why I would tell you there's desert in Arizona, because duh, right? Anyway, desert. And in the middle of this desert stands one single horse, which I glanced during an anti-motion sickness break from Angry Birds Space. So I got all excited and was like, "ooooh, a horse!"

Dan: Yeah, it's probably a wild horse

Me: What, there are no wild horses in Arizona!

Dan: Yes there are, there are a ton near Lake Pleasant and we've seen wild donkeys near Scott and Melissa's

Me: But that's like an hour from here

Dan: I'm telling you, they're out there. They roam.

Me: But, wouldn't all the wild horses have been rounded up and claimed by now? Is that a dumb question?


Yeah, apparently, I think there was some arbitrary time at which point the horses should have all been round up and taken in by someone somewhere. Anyway, it might have been funnier if you were there, because these kinds of conversations usually are, but it was definitely one of my Jessica Simpson "is this chicken what I have, or is this fish?" moments. And speaking of Jessica Simpson and horses, WTF is she gestating? A pony? She's been pregnant for like a year by now.

Okay, I'm done with the randomness for now. I'll be back later to free my mind.

Random Musings Friday

Hurray for Friday! What an exciting Friday it is, too, but I'll get into that in a second. Okay, or now....

- It's HUNGER GAMES DAY! I'm not one of those crazy fans who's read all the articles and reviews and brings arrows to the midnight showing (seriously), but I am excited to see this fabulous trilogy brought to the big screen. As such, Dan thinks I'm crazy. Imagine if I went to the theater dressed as a District 12-er. He'd really think I'd lost it. Anyway, I'm not sure when I'll get to see it exactly, but I'm really looking forward to it.

- Also exciting? Angry Birds Space. You may or may not know this about me, but I kind of have a serious love for Angry Birds. It's completely addicting. I've beaten the original version twice (which is probably nothing compared to the super nerds who post the how-to videos I rely on), along with Rio and Seasons (which continues to be updated, if you're not in the know). And now, they've introduced Angry Birds Space. All your favorite little characters with a sci-fi look and battling not only pigs, but gravitational fields and laws of physics. Awesome. Dan and I both sat in silence yesterday and played for over an hour. Bonding at its best.

- Speaking of Dan, he's got a serious case of the man cold. Like, I could have sworn I was sleeping next to a snarly bear last night.

- Also speaking of Dan, he's a serious keeper. I had a therapy appointment Wednesday that we'd hoped he could join me for. However, he got stuck on a job and couldn't make it. He felt bad, and made it up to me with a blooming bouquet of pink calla lillies, a copy of Cosmo (which he hates and I'll tell you why in a minute), a yummy dinner made by him, and an ice cold bubbly Sprite Zero on my night stand when we went to bed. As for why Dan hates Cosmo, here's an example of a conversation that exemplifies why he thinks it's all a bunch of baloney:

Me: "So, I decoded our hand-holding style. It turns out you're not that in to me."
Dan: "Where the hell did you read that?"
Me: "That Cosmo you bought me."
Dan: "Ugh"

- It's my Momma's birthday weekend! Happy Birthday, Momma! We're headed to Tucson tomorrow, where my mom and my friend Rachel are hostessing a lia sophia party. I'm super excited about it, and looking forward to spending time with my parents.

- Also exciting and related to birthdays, Clover and I are babysitting Mrs. ESPN's girls tonight. Since we have to go to Morristown next week during her husband and youngest daughter's birthday, she's taking Mr. ESPN out for dinner tonight and I get to hang out with Chatty and Bia. And Clover gets to come - I think I'll leave most of the child-caring up to her ;)

I thought I had more.... hmmmm. I might end up coming back to edit if I think of other stuff to talk about. Hope y'all have a great Friday!

EDIT: OH! I remember now. It relates to The Hunger Games. So supposedly, the trilogy was written and marketed to teens, similar to Twilight (which I haven't read and won't comment on, although 40 -year-old women being enamored with Edward Cullen weirds me out to a level I can't describe in words). I am absolutely shocked and amazed by this. The whole premise of the trilogy, entertaining and addicting novels aside, is horrifying. Kids killing kids, often with incredibly graphic description, is not a subject I could ever consider to be appropriate for children. If I had a 13-year-old, he or she would NOT be allowed to read these books or see the movies. There are just too many complex and twisted themes going on that I simply don't find acceptable for a young adult to read. I seriously side-eye and judge parents who are letting their children get in on this hype. I've said it before and I'll say it again, just because the trilogy features teen characters does not make it FOR teens.

And I will now step off my soap box.

House-iversary

I didn't mention it here, but I did on Facebook. We passed a milestone coming up on two weeks ago: the anniversary of buying and moving into our house! It's crazy how fast the year went by. It's also crazy how much we've done, and how much we've still got to do. Here's a quick rundown of our list of projects (crossed out = complete) since our move-in date of March 11, 2011.

Last updated 4/9/12

Living Room:
- Buy a new couch
- Art on the walls
- Replace entryway lighting fixture
- Install doggie door
- Replace porch door
- Refinish fireplace and mantle
- Wood floors (although Young House Love is making me think seriously about cork)
- Gallery wall

Kitchen:
- Paint
- Install fan
- Replace countertops
- Replace appliances - technically, we haven't replaced the fridge yet. There's a part that needs to be fixed and then it can be replaced.
- Refinish cabinets
- Replace sink - oh how I love my granite composite super-deep sink
- Replace overhead icky lighting with can or track lights
- Get art for walls
- Chalkboard menu
- Decorative apron hanger - it's kind of done, just haven't hung it yet
- Get a bigger kitchen table
- New: install base cabinets and countertop for workspace on back wall

Bathrooms:
- Paint
- Replace countertops and sinks
- Replace lighting
- Remove shower doors for curtains
- Replace large mirrors for single mirrors over each sink
- Monogram letters (master bath)

Master bedroom:
- Paint - oh, how I want to cross this off. Still not done though
- Buy a king-sized bed Completed 4/1/12
- Make headboard

Nursery/Guest Bedroom 1/Craftroom
- Paint Completed 4/8/12
- Build desk/storage
- Paint dresser
- Make pillows for futon
- Closet storage
- Replace closet doors with curtains
- Decorate/art

Guest Bedroom 2 (currently occupied by roommate until April 6th)
- Put our current bed here when we get our king-sized bed Completed 4/6/12
- Decorate
- Paint?

Yard
- Remove trees and shrubs that offend Dan in any way
- Install awning on front porch and in backyard to shield master bedroom windows
- Remove built-in brick grill
- Buy patio furniture - unfortunately I went the cheap route, so we'll be in the market for something sturdier again
- Plant flowers in front of porch wall

House/Garage
- Exterior and motion-sensored lighting
- Paint house - the paint has been purchased, it's just a matter of doing it
- Install front security door
- New house numbers
- Install floor-boards in over-garage attic for additional storage
- Install sun-blocking screens on East- and West-facing windows


Phew! I'm tired all over again just thinking about it all. It's really exciting to see how much we've done to make our house our home. Can't wait for what the next year brings!

Free Your Mind Monday

I don't like this set of questions, so don't be shocked by my absurdly short answers:

31. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive? I think when we were planning our wedding and getting married. Everything was so exciting and fun, and had so much meaning. We were just so happy and in love and wanted to make everything meaningful.

32. If not now, then when? When the time is right. What kind of question is this?

33. If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose? What is "it," exactly. Because that changes the what I have to lose part of it. I don't like this question either. Next!

34. Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever? Often. It’s part of why I married him.

35. Why do religions that support love cause so many wars? Because they all believe they’re right and fight over details, all while failing to see that the big picture they’re all viewing is the same.

Hopefully next week's questions are more fun.

Show Us Your Life: Infertility

I'd already posted once today and then saw that Kelly's Korner is featuring infertility stories in her Show Us Your Life series today. So, if you're coming here from there, welcome! This isn't an infertility blog - it's about our life since we got engaged, and infertility just happens to be a part of it.

Our story (the short version): my husband, Dan, and I started trying for our first child in April 2010, when we'd been married 6 months. I charted my temps to know my cycle and time our trying to the best of our ability. We had no luck in the first 12 months, which made us eligible for infertility testing. What they found is a progesterone deficiency with me as well as issues with my husband. We later got further info that I've kept private here (if you're dealing with MFI, though, and would like to email me about it, I'm happy to elaborate in private) that made treatment much more difficult. We were told we could try IUI, but that IVF with ICSI would be our best bet. Even for IUI, we'd need a vast improvement and that private little issue I mentioned makes improvement a costly balancing act (for us, due to insurance) and unlikely that IUI would truly be successful.

After weighing our options, chances, and costs, we decided that we were going to walk away from trying to conceive. We're not open to IVF (this was discussed even prior to our first RE appointment), and adoption just isn't for us (though it's wonderful for families who choose that route - we're not anti-adoption in general). So we've chosen to be childfree and make the most of our marriage and life together. We're not risk takers, and the low rates of success made the high costs hard to justify. It's not an easy decision to make, but we're confident it was the right decision for us. We're just thankful to be on the same page.

So technically, we're not going through infertility (treatment), yet we live it every day. We experience the same heartache and feelings of inadequacy that couples going through treatment cycles do. I go to therapy to deal with that stuff, and my husband, friends, and family are incredibly supportive. I identify strongly as "infertile" and hope to someday work to raise awareness and support for couples facing similarly difficult decisions.

To see my posts regarding infertility, click HERE

For some reading on choosing childfree living after infertility, check out Sweet Grapes by Jean and Michael Carter