Where the Hell is Global Warming Now??

I don't have much to write today, being that its Christmas Eve and we'll be heading out soon. I have a ton of stuff I have to do before we make our way, so I just wanted to do a quick check in with my small band of loyal readers. This is pretty much what I have to say:

HOLY SHIT IT'S COLD OUTSIDE! (And as a side note, when will all this snow from hell end? [As a side side note, can snow come from hell?? Isn't that completely counter-intuitive?]). We have about 15 or more inches on the ground right now, and Brian, poor, Brian (who is sick with a cold) is out blowing snow for literally the 10th or so time since last Friday. He's blowing snow almost as much as he's blowing his nose. The company who comes to plow our subdivision blocks the end of our driveway every single time, so we keep having to go back out and dig it out. ARRGGH! But, I almost have some sympathy for the guy at this point, because the snow mounds are so high, there's almost no place to put the crap anymore. Make it stop!

And the cold, oh the cold. As I said above, HOLY SHIT IT'S COLD OUTSIDE! As I said to loyal reader A the other day, I am currently refusing to go outside for fear that I will immediately freeze so cold that scientists will find my body hundreds of years from now, unthaw me, and tell me that civilization as I know it is over. If that happened, my greatest fear would be that the world I would wake up in would be like the movie "Idiocracy." (If you haven't seen it, go ahead, with the warning that its not that great of a movie, but it completely illustrates my fears of what the world is coming to as far as the dumbing down of our society.) Although, if the world doesn't turn into the movie "Idiocracy," maybe the medical community several hundred years from now could tell me what the hell is wrong with my uterus, which would be a bonus.

Anyway, I won't be writing for several days at least. We're heading up to Brian's parents today, staying until tomorrow and coming home tomorrow evening. We'll be home for less than a day probably, and then heading up to my parents' to have Christmas with my family on Saturday, and Brian is going to hunt at my Mom's this weekend. He is very excited.

Have a great Christmas everyone! Be grateful for everything you have! I'm trying to have that as my motto lately, and it helps put things into perspective. :)

My Weekend in Sauga-my-tuck and Other Developments

So, after having the D&C on Thursday, I really needed to get out of town for a few days. My friends KLo and KMu in South Bend had called me earlier in the week, asking me if I wanted to go to Sauga-my-tuck (as its called by KLo) for a spa weekend this past weekend. Dr. Thai (my OB) said it was fine to go, as long as I didn't overdo it, and actually said it would be good to get out and relax. So, Friday afternoon, I took off and headed over to Saugatuck to meet KLo and Steph (the 4th member of the party). KMu had a bar association dinner to attend and couldn't join us until later that night (boo--cause it's not a party until KMu arrives).

The three of us headed off to Phil's, which is a local hangout. Dinner was very tasty, we had these really good portabella mushroom fries for an appetizer, and my lake perch was outstanding. After dinner, we shopped in a few stores, and went back to our rooms. The girls had made arrangements to stay at the spa for the weekend. It's called Bella Vita Spa & Suites. It's a full service spa with 4 guest rooms that are really cool. KMu arrived at 11:30 on Friday and we were up till all hours talking about all sorts of things, everything in the world really, except for babies, thank god. (KLo and Steph are single, and KMu is married, but has no babies on the near horizon).

Saturday morning we got up and had brunch at Pumpernickel's, another local eatery that serves all their breakfasts in cast iron skillets, which was interesting. We then went back to the spa to start our treatments. I got a Signature Facial, 50 minute massage, and a Chocolate Decadence Pedicure (yes, you read that correctly). I now have pretty cranberry colored toes, and the memory of having warm, delicious chocolaty stuff being smeared all over my feet. The next time we go (and there WILL be a next time), I plan on getting the chocolate body wrap, so that I can experience having my ENTIRE BODY smeared in warm, delicious chocolaty stuff.

Saturday evening we went to Everyday People cafe in Douglas for dinner. Dinner was tasty, but I have to say the dessert caught my attention. KLo ordered Creme Brulee Pastries, and Steph ordered the Homemade S'More (graham cracker crust, chocolate ganache, peanut butter ganache, and a homemade marshmallow, all layered together, with the marshmallow toasted at your table by the server). KMu and I sampled off both, and HOLY CRAP, they may have just been the best dessert I've ever tasted. Then, we came back to the Suites and watched "It's a Wonderful Life" on TV (which KLo and Steph had never seen, and KMu and I kept having to reassure KLo that it really was a Wonderful Life at the end). Sunday morning we got up, had brunch again, shopped a little bit, and took off back home. A good time was had by all, and I can't wait to go back.

In other developments, just so everyone knows, the D&C did go well on Thursday and I feel fine. I have to say I would highly recommend Providence Park. The operation was efficient, and the staff was so nice. When I was in pre-op, the nurses saw me crying my eyes out and immediately came over and asked me what was the matter, and when I explained, they hugged me and said they'd much rather have me there on a different floor (ie, maternity). The surgery went fine, and the chaplain came over after and talked to us about the losses, etc, and he was very nice. It was interesting--in my post-op information, there were two form letters I could sign and send out asking marketing companies to not send baby related things to our house, as we've experienced a recent loss. Needless to say, I put those in the mail today, as I cannot handle having that crap come to the house right now.

Also, this afternoon, I had to go for my weekly blood draw at the doctor's office (they have to make sure my hcg levels come down to zero). While I was waiting for my lab sheet, the receptionist asks me if I'm in a hurry, because Dr. Thai wants to squeeze me in for an appointment. I said that was fine, but I was a little freaked out, because that just doesn't happen very often. But, it was fine, Dr. Thai just wanted to talk to me for a few minutes and give me a complete report of all the tests I've had run for when I go to a specialist. She also had the pathology report back already from the lab from Thursday, and without going into long, boring detail, it was interesting, and she told me she is very interested to get the genetic report (could take up to 6 weeks). From the way she said that, I think she believes it will show genetic abnormality. I can accept that, and actually, I think it would give me a little comfort.

Thank you for reading and caring, everyone. I am finally in the Christmas spirit, so Merry Christmas!

Recurrent Miscarriage

I haven't posted in a while, and by the title of this blog, I'm sure you can all guess why. Yes, it is true, I am having yet another miscarriage. This makes 3 in a row, and Brian and I are now officially classified as suffering from "recurrent miscarriage." This is something that 1% or less of couples ever suffer from, and is defined as having 3 miscarriages in a row.

We found out for sure last Wednesday (day before Thanksgiving) that this pregnancy wasn't viable. Improper growth, and loss of fetal heart tones that had been detected 2 weeks earlier. Apparently, progesterone and baby aspirin didn't help me as they seem to help others. We ended up staying home from Thanksgiving, as I didn't know what was going to happen when, and I also, quite honestly, would have a hard time being around certain family members who can't seem to STOP having children when they should, when Brian and I can't seem to have one to save our lives.

So, we are currently in a waiting game. I've not yet actually "lost" the pregnancy, and honestly, I just wish I would. I just want this nightmare over with, I'm not at work right now (although I found out there are no deps this month anyway, so I wouldn't be working in any case). My OB has said she'd give me two weeks (its been 1 week today), and then I have to have a D&C, which I am terrified of. As much as it hurts physically to lose the pregnancy naturally, emotionally, I do not relish the thought of having an invasive medical procedure that would feel way too much like having an abortion.

My OB also wants me to see a Reproductive Endocrinologist, but also admitted to me that she doesn't know what they'll do for me, because all the tests they can do (as far as she knows) have already been run. And from what I can tell from my research, she's correct. But I guess I'm willing to go and see what a specialist has to say. But if they tell me that all they can do is monitor me every week if I decide to try again, I don't know what I'll do about that. I do not know how many times I can put myself through this. Honestly, with this one, I'm not really even crying, I feel cried out. Also, emotionally right now I am more pissed off and frustrated than anything else. And that's the thing--going through all this is making me not even excited to try again, not even excited anymore to "have" a baby. And I don't want to feel that way. I think I may be ready to get off the roller coaster, at least for awhile, depending on what a specialist says. I think Brian is somewhat disappointed to hear that from me, but he has to know that no matter how hard this is on him, its 100 times harder on me.

So, I just wanted to get this piece of information out there, so people know what's going on with us and why we may be acting weird for awhile yet. And why we may need some time. Although right now we are taking it day by day, depending on how I feel.

Thanks for reading, everybody.

Our Country's Financial Woes

Even though the election is over, there is so much going on right now with this country from a financial standpoint. I had to comment on the latest development--this Big 3 Bailout.

Okay, first of all, what GM, Ford, and Chrysler are asking for is not a "bailout." They are asking for a loan from the federal government. A loan implies repayment, unlike the financial system bailout. There are actual terms of repayment being discussed and the auto companies are very open to speaking about.

Next, I have to get this off my chest. On principle, I am totally against this sort of government assistance for any business. In general, I think if businesses are badly run, they should fail. And I'll be the first to say, the Big 3 have been some of the worst run businesses in this country for a very long time. And they have themselves to blame for that--for a long time, they put out crappy product that didn't appeal to buyers, yet still had the arrogance to think that they deserved to continue to have total market domination. Sorry, that's not how it works. Also, the UAW bears a HUGE portion of the blame for this. For many years as well, they've refused to give wage and benefits concessions, even as market conditions demanded it. They've continued to think that people who put bolts in holes all day deserve to make $30 an hour. Well, I'm sorry, I have a law degree, and I don't make $30 an hour. The auto industry created a false standard of living for a great many people in this country who have no education (i.e. line workers) for a long time. Now, the shit is hitting the fan. And I say this as the step-daughter, granddaughter, and daughter-in-law of UAW member GM workers. But something has to give.

Okay, in light of what I just said, it pains me to say that the government MUST give these bridge loans to the Big 3. Some are advocating that they go into bankruptcy. That would be an absolute disaster. Who the hell would buy a vehicle from a company in bankruptcy? I predict that if the Big 3 went into bankruptcy, any one of them, their sales would fall to at least half of what it is now, which are already in the toilet due to the economy.

Many Republican Senators are refusing to give the Big 3 the money. What they don't understand are the steps the Big 3 have actually taken recently to return to profitability. I know from speaking with my step father and others all the changes that have made in these plants. These new plants are efficient. What 3,000 people used to do, 300 now do. And I have personal experience with the fact that GM (I can't personally speak to Ford or Chrysler) is putting out some damn good product now. I LOVE my Saturn Aura. It's a fantastic car. Also, the Chevy Malibu is THE BEST mid-size sedan right now, beating all that Japanese crap that people think is so great.

Another thing these Senators, and people in other parts of the country, don't understand is that if the Big 3 go away, 3 MILLION jobs would be immediately lost, many right here in Michigan. Our unemployment rate is already 9.3%, 3 points higher than national average. If those 3 million jobs are lost, that unemployment rate could be double that. Those are depression level numbers. Also, 1 in 10 jobs in the entire nation are linked to the auto industry. Bye bye millions more jobs. Plus all the small businesses that would die in the area of these plants because the auto workers are gone, and all the tax revenue gone from cities that have plants in them. Holy crap, the idea is frightening.

As I said, saying these things go against my strongly held beliefs that the government should stay the hell out of these matters. But I do not want literally two-thirds of the people I know to lose their jobs, and I want my family members pensions to be secure. So these bridge loans MUST happen for the good of the Mid-West and the country as a whole.

Not Looking Forward to Winter

So, Monday morning was an absolute traffic debacle. And no one saw it coming. This leaves me absolutely dreading the winter driving months.

I had to work on Monday morning, so I got up at my usual time of 7 and I leave the house at 8:45 to get to my 10 o'clock dep in plenty of time (I like to have plenty of time in the morning, plus feel guilty about sleeping much later than that during the week). I get up, look out the window, and say, "Oh crap." There was about an inch or two of snow on the ground. This did not bode well. Brian hears me (having for once gotten up and going before me, as he was getting ready to be a big bad hunter) and says, "Oh the roads are fine." The subdivision roads looked okay, so I was hoping he was right. I turn on the news and immediately am hit with the news that the road crews were NOT out with salt, because the snow fall was unexpected, so the roads were NOT fine, in fact, they were absolutely terrible. The Channel 4 traffic girl tells me to leave 2 to 3 times my normal travel time to make it to my destination. So, I eat breakfast as fast as I can, barely shower and leave at 8 am.

As I'm driving down Hacker Road, things seems fine, so, I again am hoping the weather people are totally overreacting. I get on the highway and within 2 miles am at a dead stop. Not because the roads are bad, mind you. The road conditions were FINE. I turned on my XM Detroit traffic and listen to the reports. Apparently, the problem was that the bridges, overpasses and highway ramps were totally frozen, causing all sorts of accidents and closures and back ups. So, I proceed to drive all the way to Southfield at an average speed of about 25 miles an hour. It totally sucked, but at least I didn't feel like my life was in danger. It was just sloooooow. I finally made it to my destination after an hour and 40 minutes. That is an hour longer than usual.

That nightmare has made me very fearful of this winter driving season, especially in light of the fact that the road crews are cutting way back this year on manpower and salt usage for budgetary reasons. It was all over the news tonight. So, this winter, I will be prepared to make my hour and 40 minute trek to Southfield on a regular basis. Thanks Old Man Winter.

Socialism...Beginning in January

So, I need not post very long, but suffice it to say that I am extremely disappointed, but not surprised, over last night's election. Basically, my feelings are that President Obama will take this country in the WRONG direction--higher taxes, more government dependence, and sitting down and appeasing terrorists and crazies. Here is a short rundown of my basic fears.

1) Obama wants to sit down with the president of Iran and talk with him. That crazy bastard wants to blow us up. He is so nuts, he denies the Holocaust and thinks we are Zionist sympathizers. Sitting down with him is like the Allies appeasing Hitler before World War II. That turned out well.

2) Raising taxes. People think, oh a social safety net is great--it's like Europe, nobody is poor. Well, I've been to Europe, and it's a great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there. EVERYONE is mildly poor, because everyone pays 50% taxes to subsidize people who choose jobs that make next to nothing. There is no spirit that if you work hard you can get ahead, so people don't bother. Well, no thanks. Brian and I worked hard to get where we are, had $80,000 of student loans between the two of us. We chose to do that. To hell with everybody else who didn't make that choice, and then whines about it. I am ready to start stuffing our mattresses with money to keep it out of the government's hands.

3) Obama wants to make it nearly impossible for law abiding people to buy a weapon, and wants to put a 500% tax on ammunition. Goodbye 2nd Amendment. What those crazy anti-gun people don't realize that if you outlaw guns, the only people who will have guns are outlaws. Screw that. Brian is going to stockpile some weapons, and ammo. Watch out coming to our house.

So, there is the short version of my thoughts. I am scared. Very scared that my way of life is going to get flushed down the toilet.

Fall is Here

I haven't had a chance to blog in 2 weeks, I've been so busy. We went out of town twice (to Notre Dame for a football game, and then to Mt. Pleasant for a football game), I've been working like mad, and so has Brian, and on days we were actually home, we've had many parties and gatherings to attend. The past month or so has been busier than this summer, which is unusual. All of a sudden, it's nearly Halloween, and I find I've done no decorating or anything. At least I managed to get some candy for Friday.

Suddenly, overnight, it's become fall. I was on the couch a few days ago, and looked out to picture window behind me, and suddenly realized that enough leaves had fallen that I could see the house behind us (which is normally camouflaged by woods and leaves). There is some color left, but not much. Brian put away the patio set for the year, and the birds are leaving in droves. Pretty soon, there will be enough bare woods behind us that Brian will be able to see his deer friends any time he wants (every time he is gone now, one of his first questions to me is, "Did you see our friends today?"). Also, now its bow season, and probably half the things out of his mouth involve hunting or wanting to go hunting.

Seriously, the man is obsessed. He reminds me of that "Friends" episode where Monica walked in on Chandler watching porn and he quickly turned the channel to Shark Week, but she could tell what he had been doing, so she thought he was turned on by sharks. But for Brian, it's deer porn. He will lay in bed for hours on Saturday and Sunday and watch the Man Channel (Maximum Adventure--its on our DirecTV). They play nothing but shows that show people going after the big bucks or various other critters. He actually sent me a picture today via email of a big buck from Iowa, a 28 pointer, which admittedly is huge, but, honestly, like I care. Hunting makes him happy, so its all good with me, but seriously, I do not want to know how to gut a deer. I understand it must be done, and I appreciate that, but quit telling me how long it takes, what to do with certain body parts, etc. Enough already!

So, that's been my fall so far. Missing the leaves change and hearing about nothing but bows, guns, and guts. And now to me, it feels so cold. Brian is currently in Bismarck, North Dakota, and could not be any happier that it was 11 degrees there this morning. And I was complaining about 30. Yikes. I hope that is not on the way here any time soon.

Things That Make Me Happy

In light of the fact that I've been frustrated lately with things that are out of my control (i.e. family stuff, elections, the stupidity of other people), I've decided to focus on the positive. Brian and I have a really great life in many ways, so here is a list of things that make me happy.

1) Miss A, frequent reader extraordinaire, having her baby late Saturday afternoon. The Hunt family welcomed Olivia May at 5:30 Saturday afternoon. She was 8 pounds 13 oz, 22 inches long, and, from what I hear, is doing great. I spoke to A Saturday night and she sounded great (for having just had an almost 9 pound baby come out of her body). I can't wait to meet her, and she is very lucky, having been born to wonderful people who will be fantastic parents.

2) Nice massages. I had one yesterday and the lady beat the hell out of me. I am sore today, but in a good way. She worked on my neck, shoulders, and upper back a lot, as that is where I carry my stress and worries (see above statement about being frustrated). I have decided to have a massage every couple months to help deal with stress. More evidence is mounting that regular massages promote health and well being. I'm all for that.

3) My cat. I know that may sound silly to those of you who aren't pet people, or cat people, but Jack (Jackylls, as Brian and I have dubbed him) is such a sweet boy (except when he's biting Brian's ankles). Sunday morning when I was managing to sleep in a bit, he clearly wanted me to get up. He climbed all over me and stuck his cold, wet nose all over my face and nudged me like, "Get up, get up! You're supposed to be up!" I love it when he does that, and he breathes on me and almost purrs and is so happy. He's a good boy.

4) Going to Central/Western weekend up in Mount Pleasant this weekend. My aunt and uncle invited Brian and I awhile back. They are Central alums, I am a Western Alum, and Brian is along for the ride. Also, we're seeing Ron White at Soaring Eagle casino Friday, so Brian and I can finally make up for that awful night in February where we went to East Lansing to see Ron White and realized we went on the wrong day. The show had been the night before and we wasted 90 bucks. So Friday we will be vindicated! He better be funny and the game better be good. It would purely be a bonus if we won money at the casino!

Soooo Busy Lately

So, I've not had a chance to blog in depth lately, and I still don't but thought I'd say I haven't dropped off the face of the planet. I have been so busy with work, my part time has moved to full time and then some. Which is nice, because I like money (I get paid by the hour), but I've barely had a chance to sleep, breathe, or exercise in a week and half. I'm just doing deposition after deposition, and working on writing projects too! I'm pretty tired. I'm hoping that this weekend, when Brian is gone hunting, I can just relax on my own, watch a movie, and hopefully go see J&C and little baby O. I haven't seen them since we visited in the hospital and I desperately want to!

The other cool thing that happened was that last weekend we went to a football game in Notre Dame. It was tremendous fun. We went down late on Friday, and made it to my friend K-Lo's (great law school buddy, was in our wedding) at about 10 pm. Got up the next morning and went to the game with K-Lo's great friends KMu and PMu, whom I met last summer working in South Bend. They are awesome. We had a great time, and the 5 of us went out to dinner Saturday, and Brian, K-Lo and PMu ate more sushi than I could imagine 3 people eating. KMu and I skipped that, neither of us cares to eat raw fish. We ate at K-Lo's favorite place, which is this Korean hole in the wall that also does sushi. By the time we left, we all smelled of fish and Kimchee (Korean sauerkraut). But the food was good. On Sunday, we all had breakfast at K-Lo's and laughs were had by all. Then we came home and I worked more. Busy!

So that's why I haven't posted in over a week! Now, I'm waiting for next weekend, which is the Central Western game up in Mt. Pleasant with my aunt and uncle and also we are still waiting for my friend and reader A to have her baby! Come on baby H! It's time to come out!

Babies Babies Everywhere!

So, we are in the middle of a baby boom! Several of our friends are pregnant or are having babies shortly. And one has already arrived!

Our very good friends Jeff and Candace had baby Oliver very early on Thursday morning. He was 9 lbs 9 oz and was 22 inches long (yes, you read that correctly). Brian and I went to visit the hospital Friday and everyone was doing well (well, Candace was doing about as well as she could be doing, considering she gave birth the normal way to a baby that large!). Jeff and Candace are both clearly in love with their baby boy. Oliver is the first boy born on Candace's side of the family in 45 years, so the Larson side of the family is extra thrilled!

Next, my friend and frequent reader April is due to pop in a week with her baby girl. She and her hubby are keeping the name secret, but on her own blog she has given clues as to the name. I vote for Samantha or Wendy, but the name that seems to have the most votes is Olivia, which is a beautiful name and sounds great with their last name, Hunt (and if that is the name, I have to admit I'm relieved because it's not one Brian and I had picked for our future kids!). The person who wins the name game gets one of the first phone calls when the baby comes. I'd love a phone call Miss A!

Finally, my good friend Ruth who lives in San Jose has told me that she is pregnant with her second baby. She is due in March and she and her hubby have wanted to get pregnant again for awhile, so I'm so happy for Ruth and Jon! Their little boy Nathan will be 4 in January and I'm sure he'll be a great big brother!

Congrats to all!

I Didn't Know I Was Watching Porn!

Okay, so this blog post actually has very little to do with porn, but I thought it would be a catchy title. What this post is about is the fact that Brian and I have someone got sucked into a bunch of new TV shows, despite the fact that every year we promise not to. But this year, there are some really good shows on!

One show we've been watching is on Tuesdays on Fox and it's called "Fringe." It's about a female FBI agent who's called upon to investigate strange phenomena. (Sounds familiar right?) Well, her partners in crime are this old scientist guy who's own work from the 70's and 80's might be the cause of all this. He's been in a mental institution for 17 years, and she needs his help. The only way to get him out of the loony bin is for his estranged genius son to check him out and be his guardian. And the estranged genius son is played by none other than Pacey, Joshua Jackson! It's been on twice so far, and it's pretty good. It's produced by JJ Abrahms, who does "LOST" (which comes back in early 2009, BTW). So, it should be good. Everything he does generally is good and successful. (Hopefully, including the new Star Trek movie coming out in May 2009!) I hope it lasts, as I feel like it can fill my sci-fi void.

Okay, so the other new show we've been watching is where the porno comes in. It's called "True Blood" and it's on HBO on Sunday nights. It's the story of a telepathic waitress in Louisiana who meets and gets involved with a vampire named Bill. Yes, I said vampire. The premise behind this show is that the Japanese have perfected synthetic blood, so vampires have "come out of the coffin" (haha) and are now living among us out in the open. Because they can buy this synthetic blood right from the store in six packs like beer (even flavored by blood type), they no longer need to feed on humans for survival (although it appears that some still like to, i.e., the bad ones). The porn comes in because, thus far, it has been pretty sexually explicit, way more than I expected. I mean, tying people up, videotaping, etc. I guess I should have realized, it is on HBO. Most of that so far has centered around the main female character's brother, who is a real horndog and kind of gross, but in a comic way in that he means no harm. I'm sure as the show progresses, the two main characters will go in that direction, as it's clear they're developing a romance. But I hope the show isn't as explicit with them as it's been with other characters. I think I'd get grossed out. As the show progresses, I'm not sure if I'm going to like it long term. I've never really been into vampire lore, and I don't like violence very much, and I also think that the show will get more violent as it progresses. There is already a murder mystery in progress. So we'll see if this show is long term viewing.

That's what been going on with us! Just watching too much TV. And my work has gone from 0 to 60, so all of a sudden, I'm very busy! It's a little overwhelming. Right now I'm just chilling, watching the always fun "13 Going on 30" on FX, and I should get up and go exercise. Blah!

Wii Fit-ting

Most of you already know that Brian and I got a Nintendo Wii back in January. I really like the system; it's really easy to use and has games that I am actually interested in playing. There have been several hugely popular games to come out for the Wii: Wii Play (that we don't have), Guitar Hero (that we do have), Rock Band (we also have and it sort of sucks for the Wii, there are very few songs), and soon, Guitar Hero World Tour (which is pretty much like Rock Band, but with more songs and tons of downloadables. We will be getting it and probably getting rid of Rock Band). But, thus far, my favorite thing for the Wii is Wii Fit.

Wii Fits are very hard to find. We finally snagged ourselves one about a week ago after months of trying (it was supposed to be my birthday present). For those who don't know, Wii Fit is a game that contains many different exercises and it acts as your personal trainer. You use the Mii (your avatar) that you've already created, and you give it your date of birth, and height. The balance board portion of the game (a white thing you stand on while exercising) weighs you and calculates your BMI. That portion is frightening because it really tells you the truth about how fat you are. The other frightening part is that your Mii changes depending on your BMI. For example, Brian and I's Mii's are both sort of puffy and round because WE are both sort of puffy and round.

So, you begin working out with the Wii Fit. You can select your own personal trainer (a guy or a girl) and do exercises in 4 categories: Yoga, Balance Games, Aerobics, and Strength Training. Some of the exercises are a lot harder than others, which obviously depends on your current fitness level and things that you already do. For example, I have been doing yoga on a weekly basis for months now, so that portion is easier for me, but certain poses are still challenging. The aerobics portion is easier too, because I do kickboxing and jogging. But the balance games and strength training are evil, because I am not strong, nor do I have good balance. And it's cool, its almost like virtual reality. You can ski jump, hula hoop, hit soccer balls with your head, and all sorts of other stuff.

When you're done working out (or whenever you want really), you can do the Wii Body Test. What it does is measure your balance, stability, and center of gravity, which it claims are the real test of fitness. Which makes sense if you think about it. The Wii is always telling you to improve your posture, which is linked to balance, etc. After it's done testing you, it gives you your Wii Fit Age, which, if you are fit, should be below your real age. Mine has teetered above and below my real age, averaging about at my real age. So, I guess that's okay. But I really want it to tell me I'm 20 again!

Well, that's my take on the Wii Fit. I better go now and spend some time on it, because it calls you out if you don't work out every day!

Short Political Statements

I am extremely glad to be able to report that Kwame Kilpatrick is finally GONE! This news makes me sooooo happy. That man has been damaging the city, region, and state for a long time now (not just the months this current scandal has been going on). He needed to go years ago, but unfortunately, the people of the City re-elected him two years ago. That goes to show that some people don't know what's good for them.

In case you don't know the details, this morning Kwame plead guilty to two felony counts of obstruction of justice in regards to the perjury case against him. In return for pleading guilty, he's resigning as Mayor (effective September 18th), surrendering his law license, serving 4 months in jail (beginning October 28th), with 5 years of probation after that. During his probation, he cannot run for or hold public office. Also, he has to make A MILLION dollars of restitution by the end of that 5 year period. He also plead no-contest in the assault case against him, which is basically a plea of guilty without saying you're guilty. Funny, huh?

Further, Chief of Police Ella Bully-Cummings resigned today, as she was one of his cronies and knew she would be losing a job anyway. As of this writing, Chief Counsel Sharon McPhail (also a Kwame-crony) had also tendered her resignation. I expect in the coming weeks, many high level city officials will be out of a job, either voluntarily or involuntarily when the head of City Council, Ken Cockrel, Jr., takes over the job (as is the chain of command under the city charter). Cockrel has never cared for Kwame, which makes me automatically like him. Honestly, I do like what I've seen of Cockrel, and hope that for whatever time he is in charge, some good things can happen. (He's in charge until there's a special election, but since the regular election is only in November 2009, they might just let him do the job for a year to settle things down.)

The second thing I'd like to discuss is Sarah Palin. None of the things I've heard in the media since she was selected as McCain's running mate have swayed me in the least. So she's a big conservative and her daughter's pregnant? So? It happens in all sorts of families. At least she and her boyfriend seem to want to do the right thing. If Sarah was a pro-choice, an abortion may have been procured and it would have been hushed under the rug. Now, I'm not saying either option is right or wrong. Do I think 17 is too young to have a baby and get married? In 99% of cases, YES. But it's not for me to decide or judge. It's a family matter. Quit criticizing and picking on poor Bristol, she's got enough to worry about!

Also, Sarah cannot seem to catch a break on the whole mommy-work thing. Now, everyone is saying she couldn't do the job of VP effectively because "her family is falling apart," "she has a special needs child she should be paying more attention to," etc. Boy, it's funny, but if she had put her career on hold to be with her family, these crazy liberals (and I do say the crazy ones, because I myself am pretty liberal on social issues) would tell her she was wasting her life and could do more than JUST raise children. Listen, as a country, if we want equality for women, then we have to accept and support the life choices that ALL WOMEN make, not just the ones we agree with politically. I honestly don't know if I will ever find a job or career that is where I fit in. Does that mean my life is wasted and unproductive? According to these same people, yes (only they twist their argument when it comes to Sarah). The whole point of feminism SHOULD BE that women now have the choice whether to work, not work, have kids, not to have kids, or any combination thereof. However, that doesn't seem to be what most people who call themselves feminists believe anymore. Tragic.

Sarah Palin Rocks My World

So, I am so excited about John McCain's choice of running mate. Alaska governor Sarah Palin is awesome! I had heard her name floated around several months ago in the Veep-stakes, and looked her up, and was immediately impressed by what I read. I literally jumped for joy when I heard she was his choice and I think Brian is in love with another woman. Here is a rundown of all the cool things about her:

1) She has cleaned up corruption, both outside her party and inside it. She doesn't care who you are, if you are dirty, she will tear you up. She's extremely honest and scrupulous.
2) She is fiscally conservative, i.e., is not going to tax the hell out of my (but mostly Brian's) hard earned money to turn around and give entitlements and handouts to people who don't deserve it. Barack Obama's tax plan basically wants to penalize people like Brian and I (and many of our friends) who worked our butts off to get educated and make a good living. To hell with that!
3) She is not a lawyer, or other career-politician type. She has a bachelor's in journalism from the University of Idaho! (Way to go journalism majors--shout out to A!) She worked as a sportscaster for a while, was a commercial fisherman, and did other jobs as well, before being elected to city council, mayor, and governor. And to the Democrats, who are demeaning her experience being mayor of a small town--small towns are the backbone of this country. FUCK YOU. (Excuse my language.)
4) She was a high school basketball star in her hometown who was called "Sarah Barracuda" for having ovaries of steel and playing on a broken foot in the state championship game. She was also in the Miss Alaska pageant to earn scholarship money for college.
5) Her dad is a teacher and her mom was the school secretary--normal upbringing! She and her dad used to go hunt moose before school started. She's a lifetime NRA member (perhaps Brian's second favorite thing about her, behind the fiscal conservatism).
6) She is a mother of five, married to her high school sweetheart for 20 years. Her oldest child is in the Army, going to Iraq in a few weeks, and her youngest is a 4 month old baby with Down's Syndrome. Wow.

Okay, so I'm not saying I agree with everything about her. In my heart, I am a bit more liberal, but the modern Democratic party has lost my vote due to factor #2, listed above. Quit taking my money to pay for people who don't want to work! The things about her that I don't agree with are: 1) She is against gay marriage. On the whole, I would say, let gay people get married. I believe it would create stability in families. Also, allowing gay people to marry in no way diminishes my marriage, so what do I care? 2) Most importantly, she is EXTREMELY pro-life, whereas I am pro-choice. While that is an important issue to me, I cannot cast my vote based on that issue alone. Life is not that simple. And I do respect her immensely for choosing not to terminate her last pregnancy and having her baby with Down's Syndrome. Clearly, she is not hypocritical in her beliefs. She is what she seems.

Also, apparently, there is some potential scandal brewing. In Alaska, people are alleging that she fired an administrator in the State Police for refusing to fire her ex-brother in law, a trooper who was having a nasty custody dispute with her sister. She denies it and the investigation is on going. If that's the worst they can find on her, she's still the cleanest politician out there. Her approval rating in Alaska is over 80%. She must be doing many things right!

So, in short, my vote in November will go to McCain/Palin! Who's got a woman on the ticket now bitches! Also, I want to tell people that I've fixed the blog so anyone can comment, not just those with a blogger id, like my friend A. So, please leave comments, I'd love to read them! Just click on Comments at the bottom of the entry, and choose "Anonymous."

Nervous Nellie!

First, I'd like to thank my friend and frequent reader A, who has already commented to me that she likes the new layout of the blog! Thanks A! After she upgraded her blog, and seeing several other blogs I read change layout recently, I thought it was time for a change. I found this template, which I feel is actually Michigan-y and pretty. It reminds me of my wedding (coolest day ever) on Mackinac Island, with our wedding cake being shaped like a lighthouse. Hope everyone likes it.

Second, on to the real purpose of this post. I am nervous about a few work related things lately. The firm I am working for gave me a real project last week, a research and writing thing, the likes of which I basically haven't done in a year and a half. I've finished it a couple days early and am going to send it to the partner later this afternoon. I have a bad feeling it's not good, or it won't be what they wanted, or it's not up to snuff. I don't know what to do about that--the project itself was fairly straightforward and simple. I guess I'm worried I OVER simplified it and didn't do enough. I just want them to be satisfied with it as a first draft. Honestly, I'm sure it's fine, but I always have this nagging feeling that my work isn't good enough, and by extension, I'm not good enough. Both places I worked as a "real lawyer" (i.e. in the office, full time) I feel didn't give me enough feedback for me to really know if I suck or am halfway decent as a lawyer. So me, being the eternal pessimist, always feel like I'm not good enough. I feel like everything that's ever happened to me is because I suck at my job, and hence, that's why I've not been searching for a full time job all that hard over the past year and a half. I fee like I'm just going to get burned again. Ugh.

The other thing I'm worrying about is playing softball tomorrow! You might wonder, why is she playing softball tomorrow and why is she worried about it? Well, I'm playing softball at the annual firm picnic. I'm worried about going to this outing when I really don't know anybody because I don't work in the office. That's why I'm turning in the assignment late this afternoon--hopefully the partner who assigned it will not have had a chance to read it when I see him tomorrow. If they hate it, I'd much rather get bad news via email (hearing that you suck always comes easier in writing, as opposed to in person). Also, I'm just plain worried about embarrassing myself playing ball! I haven't played since I was a kid. I have very little athletic ability and cannot even keep coordinated in kickboxing class. I've been making my lovely husband, who plays every week on his team in the summer and into the fall, practice with me. We've been throwing and catching, hitting, and fielding. I've been okay, but I'll never be Jennie Finch, or even my friends A or K, who were both pretty darn good players in high school. I just hope I don't fall on my butt or blow a huge play that loses my team the game or something! Aaagh!

Say Hello to My Little Friend

So, about a week ago Brian said I needed a new toy. Keep in mind, I think I have the only husband on the planet who says I need to spend more money on myself. He has been wanting to get a new phone, as his Treo was completely crapping out--failing to sync properly, keys were dying, Windows Mobile was crashing, etc. He was sick of it, and I was sick of hearing him complain.

He decided he wanted an I-phone. For him, it makes sense, that's a business tool. I said, "For me, honey, that would be entirely useless. My flip phone is fine." Well, he disagreed. You see, he's been trying to get me a Wii-Fit since my birthday (2 months ago now!) and cannot get his hands on one. So, to make it up for me, he decided I needed a new phone. I am now the proud owner of a 16G 3G I-phone.

We got them on Friday of last week. For about 2 days, all I could do was play with it. And I must say, it's pretty freaking cool. But now, I've realized it's much more work than my old phone! I have to sync it up with my computer, manage my contacts, manage my music (I decided not to put my whole I-pod library on the thing, so what you do is import playlists). Also, we can't figure out how to sync up the photos I've taken with the phone onto my computer without copying them (i.e., I end up with 2 sets of identical photos on the phone). Brian is in his element with this stuff. For me, it's just frustrating, because it never works the way you want it to. I think technology should just be able to read my mind and do exactly what I want, when I want it. If it doesn't, then I'm not interested. Although, I must say, the I-phone is about as close to that as I've ever seen. And it is wicked fast. But maybe, just maybe, I don't really need to check my email tonight at Brian's softball game, or get on the internet to check the weather in Timbuktu. Maybe all this technology stuff is going a little to far. I can't get him off his damn computer to begin with. I think pretty soon, he's just going to want to get his cell phone implanted in his head or something so he's never without it, yet doesn't have to carry it around. Maybe we don't need to be plugged in 24-7. Maybe humans weren't meant to live that way. Maybe we all need to take a step back and lead a bit simpler lives.

Maybe we should just all be Amish. But, I hate Brian's beard (all married Amish men wear beards) and I'm sure I'd get sick of dark colored dresses, bonnets, and no shaving my legs pretty quickly. What a dilemma....

Two People I am Sick Of

Michael Phelps and Kwame Kilpatrick. I know, probably not the names you were expecting to read. And, granted, they are very different people, but I am sick of them for the same reason....they are EVERYWHERE.

Kwame-gate has been going on awhile now. The whole things makes me both laugh at the stupidity of the people of Detroit for re-electing him, and cringe, because he had such promise and he's thrown it all away. He's let his political power go to his head; he thinks he's untouchable. I don't give a crap about his affair with Christine Beatty--what some REALLY STUPID people fail to realize is that the perjury case is not about sex for Christ's sake. It's about LYING UNDER OATH. Rule one of our legal system--when you are sworn in to testify--you don't lie. Apparently only Kwame, Bill Clinton, and a few other people in the world don't realize this. Also, who the hell does he think he is, assaulting two sheriff's deputies, one with physical deeds, the other with horrible racial slurs? As I said, he thinks he's untouchable, that's who he thinks he is. Well, he is not, and he needs to go NOW.

As for Michael Phelps, I am probably in the minority of people who have this feeling that I'm TOTALLY and UTTERLY sick of him. He is not the only freaking person competing for our country at the Olympics! The media, especially the media around here, sure treats him like he is. The local media is always saying, "Michigan's own Michael Phelps," but honestly, he's not a Michigander! He swims here, yeah, but he was born and lived in Maryland his whole life, except the last four years. And, as soon as these games are over, he has stated he's going back to Maryland. I understand and agree that he is a tremendous athlete (even in my mind, perhaps the best ever, not just for his sport), but he is not God. Quit kissing his ass so much! I bet he's got a huge ego from everyone sucking up to him ever since he started swimming because he's so good. Quit giving him so much attention! Tell me about some of the other athletes in other events!

So sayeth my rant and rave.

Life Happenings..

Lots of little things going on lately, thought I'd do an another life update!

1) Reproductive stuff--all of my test results have now come back. They found absolutely nothing, which is both good news and (to me) bad news. At least if they find something, it can be treated and you can have some reassurance that this won't happen again. Brian was even tested for a few things, and everything came back fine. So, all they can really do for me is to give me progesterone supplements (the effectiveness of which is medically controversial) and baby aspirin, of all things. Also, I have to get this stuff through a special compound pharmacy that does not take insurance, which is pretty inconvenient. Hopefully, it works.

2) Work stuff--I've been off work again for the last two weeks since deps went into summer vacation. They should start up again next week. Also, the firm I'm doing the work for says they're happy with me, and want me to start doing more work for them, both asbestos and non-asbestos related. They even are putting my picture and bio up on their website! This other work is stuff, that with training, I should be able to do from home a lot, so that is great! It hasn't started yet, so we'll see how it works out.

3) Movies--since seeing the X-Files movie, Brian and I have seen "Step-Brothers" and "Pineapple Express." Both were raunchy R-rated comedies that, at least in my mind, somewhat failed to live up to the hype. They were both decent, and Brian actually liked "Pineapple Express" pretty well (I think it's because he could relate to ALL the pot jokes). But for me, I would have been happy to wait until they were rentals!

4) Baby Showers--I went to C's last weekend, and it was very nice. I helped write down the gifts, and she thanked me later for my "thoroughness." I probably wrote too much! My friend and frequent reader A's is coming up next weekend. It is "Cat in the Hat" themed, which my mother thinks is very cool and is excited to attend with me. I wrapped part of her gift tonight, but I need more paper!

5) Brian's annual camping excursion--he is finally gone camping with the boys for the year. I have to admit, I'm glad it's here so it can be over. For a good two weeks before, its all I hear about, and then we have to go get all the food because Brian has cooked it all for the last few years (except last year, and there were complaints all around). So, finally life can get back to normal.

Great! There's the update! I'm off to watch the finale of "So You Think You Can Dance," which my friend K-Lo got me hooked on last year!

I Missed My Friends Mulder and Scully

So, I've previously discussed my great teenage love of Pete Sampras. But those who know me know the real truth: that the Great Pete comes in a distant second to my love of all things Mulder and Scully.

It's sad to say, but "The X-Files" was a major component of my life throughout high school and college. I've seen every episode numerous times, and can still amaze Brian with my thoroughly useless knowledge of the content of the episodes. He and I can be watching something totally unrelated and he'll say an actor looks familiar, and I can say, "Oh he guest starred on the X-Files episode...." and name the episode, what season it was in, what the character's name was, and everything else. It is really kind of pathetic. When you are a fan of a show to that depth, you feel as though you know the characters as real people. (Sometimes I can understand how someone who's totally unhinged can think they know an actor or something.) So, last night, when Brian took me to see the movie, "The X-Files: I Want to Believe," I felt like I was visiting old friends whom I haven't seen in a while. I was curious what's up with them.

I don't want to ruin the movie for anyone who hasn't seen it, but I will say a few things. Scully is still gorgeous in that super-smart chick way (yeah smart chicks!), Mulder is still hot (to me anyway, even though Duchovny is nearing 50), Skinner makes a brief appearance (I was soooo happy), and even their baby William is briefly mentioned (but not discussed further, bummer). Mulder and Scully have apparently been living together as a couple since they went on the run in the show's finale, and it shows. And I mean that in a good way. Some reviews have stated that they thought the chemistry was lacking between our two heroes, but I disagree. The chemistry is just different. Because Mulder and Scully have been in a long term relationship at this point, the repressed sexual chemistry is gone. They are now two people who admittedly love each other like crazy, and are disagreeing on what direction their lives are going to take. As I said to Brian last night, he and I surely have different chemistry than we did when we started dating. But that doesn't mean it's not there.

The movie itself was okay/pretty good. I will agree with some people who thought it wasn't as suspenseful as it could have been. Along the way, the viewers were given clues as to what was happening that, on the show itself, we would have never been given, thus lessening the suspense level. It was still a very interesting story focusing on faith, psychic abilities, and some other super duper creepy stuff I won't reveal. All in all, I was very happy to see the movie. No matter what, I will always love Mulder and Scully.

Vacation Part Two: Salzburg, Hitler's House, and Munich

Well, we are home from our whirlwind adventures. And boy, are we tired! We got home last night, and could barely make it until 10 pm and crashed. And then we proceeded to wake up at about 6 this morning, due to the time change (that was noon for us). We are both exhausted today. Anyway, we had a great time, and its fun seeing all this neat stuff, but its also stressful being away from home in a foreign land where you don't speak the language, or eat that type of food all the time, and can't buy tampons if you need them at 10 at night because everything is closed (I speak from experience--they don't believe in being open past 8). Brian was in heaven with fried meat, spatzl and beer 12 times a day, but quite frankly, I feel kind of gross and am looking forward to regularly having fruits and vegetables in my diet again. Germany and Austria are a cardiologists nightmare. +2 pounds in 10 days is all I have to say (and I've been having trouble fitting into my pants as it is).

Picture explanation:

Picture one is of the fortress in Salzburg, Austria, looking up from the bottom of the city. Salzburg is an absolutely gorgeous city, the birthplace of Mozart, and has awesome chocolates. Definitely my favorite place we went on the trip. I would definitely go back. I just wish it hadn't rained half the time we were there!

Picture two is of the Eagle's Nest in Obersalzburg, Austria. This is the site of the summer home of Adolf Hitler. The house isn't actually there anymore; the building you can see in the picture was a workspace or something, and is now a restaurant. To get there, you have to drive high up in the Alps, park your car, pay $30 Euro, take a 20 minute bus ride up the side of the mountain (where I thought we were going to tumble over and die), then take an elevator up even further, and then you see....a really great view over the Alps. Brian was disappointed that Hitler's house is gone, but some really good plotting to kill over 6 million Jews, Gypsies, Catholics, political opponents, and generally anyone who didn't agree with the psychotic windbag took place where we ate lunch! A lot of the history is gone, as the people are obviously really ashamed of what took place in the area.

Picture three is one of me pretending to drink a huge mug of beer at the Hofbrauhaus in Munich. This is a really cool place, an extremely old biergarten where Hitler (there he is again) gave a big speech. For those who like beer, its brews are second to none. Also has good food and the best atmosphere. You sit at big long tables with people you don't know, family style. Great way to meet people. It is absolute chaos. We went there 2 nights in a row and had a great time, except for me almost getting into a fight the second night while pointing out to a fellow American that he was a total jackass and was the reason people hated American tourists.

I also want to say that we spent Thursday at the Dachau Concentration Camp. Pictures were allowed and Brian took a few, but it feels weird to post one there. At least 200,000 people were imprisoned and tortured there from 1933 until 1945, and over 42,000 died. After seeing what I saw, I firmly believe that anyone who denies the Holocaust is a complete whackjob (not that I didn't think that before, this only reinforced my belief). And according to Brian, this was a more "sterile" camp, they've removed a lot of things, and the most graphic things we viewed were in the documentary they showed us. It was a very moving experience, and something everyone should see with their own eyes.

Back to work tomorrow!

Vacation Part One: Czech Republic and Vienna

Vacation is going great! Driving around in Europe is fun, even if gas is around 8 bucks a gallon. The speed limits are crazy high, if there is one at all. Brian is having too much fun. It scares the hell out of me, to be honest.

A brief explanation of these pictures:

Number one is of one of the many churches in one of the many squares in Prague. Prague is beautiful and nice, but, it has changed a lot, according to Brian. He was here about 12 years ago, and it is much more generic and SUPER expensive, like many other parts of Europe. Plus, despite, being part of the EU, they still use their own money, the Czech Crown. The exchange rate is about 15 to 1, so trying to do the math is weird and it is super easy to get ripped off, which we did in a restaurant the first night until we figured it out. A crappy dinner ended up costing us well over $100. Yikes. But, even a cheap dinner cost $50 or $75 (pretty standard in tourist towns in Europe). But, one our second night there, we had a great dinner in a restaurant called U Flecku that brewed their own 13% beer. Brian was thrilled.

The second picture is the Bone Church in Kutna Hora, Czech Republic. That is Brian standing next to the real bones of dead people. This whole place is decorated in these bones. It is really creepy. The Ossuary is the common grave of about 40,000 people, many of whom died in wars or of the plague hundreds of years ago. Brian thought it was really cool; I was creeped out. I needed to get out of there after about a half an hour.

The third photos is of me standing at the top of the Gloriette at Schombrunn Palace in Vienna. The palace and the city are behind me. This is a gorgeous palace that used to belong to the Hapsburg family, of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. We got to go through a ton of rooms, but they didn't allow pictures. We really enjoyed it, but agreed that we'd be miserable living there!

Watch out for another post with pics from Salzburg and Munich right after we get back!

Goin' on Vacation

Holy smokes, we leave for our vacation tomorrow. I can't believe it, it's come so fast! For those who don't know, we're going to Prague, Vienna, Salzburg, and Munich. I am so excited. I've never been to the continent before, just the UK. Not sure what to expect, although I did fine in Chile on our honeymoon, and that was much more foreign of a culture than Europe. Many people in Europe speak English (although Brian speaks a little German), and as long as you say "Thank you" a lot, they won't brand you a rude American tourist. And, being quiet helps too. No loud talk on cell phones! (And Brian's phone works there, so theoretically, we could use it!)

Anyway, I have most of my clothes laid out, the rest to be laid out today. Brian will do the same and he'll pack them up. We have to leave the house tomorrow around 2:30 or 3:00 in the afternoon, so I can hit the gym, come home and shower and have lunch, and have time left before I have to go. We've been making ourselves get up early the past few days to help pre-adjust to the time change. The places we are going are 6 hours ahead. But we have to land Thursday morning in Munich, get our rental car and drive to Prague, on very little sleep, so that will be a rough day. The rest should be fine! We planned our own itinerary; Brian is an experienced enough traveler that we felt confident doing that, and he got his International Driving Permit, which was recommended for where we were going.

So, that's about all I have to say! I hope everybody's Fourth of July holiday went well, ours was great. We're taking my computer on the trip and will load pictures off the camera several times to save them, so there might be a post on vacation with some pics!

Short Update

Nothing huge is going on right now, but I thought I'd give a bit of an update of smaller things that are going on here!

1) I've not worked much in the last half of June. Just a few days here and there, and actually none at all last week or this coming week. I've been told the deps will pick back up again in August or so. I don't mind. It's not so bad being off in the summer, but I like getting paid!

2) We have FINALLY gotten a few things done around here decor-wise that I've been wanting to do. The living room and dining room are painted (tan with red accents), the deck is cleaned and stained (so nice to sit on), we've hung a few pictures in the family room and dining room (have a few more to do in other rooms) and got a rug and a bench with coat hooks for the foyer (that has been driving me crazy for the entire time we've lived here). I finally feel like it's our house and it's the way I want it to look!

3) 8 of my 10 tests have come back from the doctor. They are all normal, which is good, according to Brian. I actually kind of wish they'd find something, and then I'd have a reason for why this has happened. Several people have told me that that's a wrong attitude and I agree with them in my head, but it's hard to reconcile in my heart. Just waiting for 2 more on me and the tissue testing for the fetus. I hope that all comes back before we leave on vacation. I think I want a consult with a reproductive endocrinologist just to have a second opinion. Another set of eyes on someone's file is always a good thing.

4) Speaking of our vacation, we leave in 10 days!! Whoo-hoo!!

I Feel Old

Brian and I are going on vacation in abut 2 and a half weeks. We are super excited, we got a great deal to go to Europe, mostly on points, which is great. We'll be spending 10 days in Prague, Vienna, Salzburg, and Munich. Fantastic. Anyway, I realized we needed to do something about Jack the cat while we were gone. I called our cat sitter who watched him when we were gone in Hawaii, but she was already double booked. "Oh, crap," I said to myself, "what are we going to do?" I didn't want to board him again, because when we went on our honeymoon, that was so hard for him. And I felt badly about asking either Holly or Candace to come out several times to check on him, water him, etc.

Last weekend, Brian says to me, "What about Grant?" Grant is my younger brother, who is almost 16 (in about 6 weeks). Brian though maybe he'd like to come stay at the house while we're gone. "Great solution to the problem," I thought to myself. I was sure he'd like the money. But then I realized, HOLY CRAP, GRANT IS OLD ENOUGH TO HOUSE SIT BY HIMSELF. I feel so flipping old.

Grant was born when I was 13. And I hated him as a baby--he ruined my life. I was the youngest kid until then, and then this squalling little thing came into the house And then Travis, the baby (who's now about 5'6" and 140 lbs), came 16 months later. By then, I was used to having my life ruined. But man, it freaked me out to realize that the little baby whose diaper I changed and who peed on me in Meijer was old enough to house sit. Not only was he old enough to house sit, he's old enough to have one of his buddies drive him down, he doesn't need Mom to do it. Also, he can mow the lawn while we're gone!

So, he's going to come and do that. We've got good stuff for a teenager to do, we've got the Wii and satellite TV and stuff. Also, I'm sure he'll want to get back into his running routine (cross country starts soon), and this is a good neighborhood and area to run in. He's going to come down for a day in the next two weeks so we can show him where everything is. So, I'm really glad that that whole situation is going to work out.

But, gosh, not only is Grant actually growing up, my cousin Kayla had her graduation party yesterday, and she is going to State in the fall. It's so weird, because I distinctly remember when she was born--I remember Uncle Mark calling the house and me running across the yard to tell my mom (she was at the neighbor's) and picker bushes cutting up my feet. Crazy that she's leaving for college in the fall. My very young aunt and uncle (not even 50) will pretty much be empty nesters in a few months (Cory still lives at home, but goes to OCC and works a bunch, so he pretty much does his own thing).

I feel so old at 29!

Brighter Times

I am beginning to really feel better. I was at the doctor today, and everything looks good. I'm not looking forward to tomorrow, though. I have to go to the lab in the morning and have 10 vials of blood drawn for 10 different tests to check for common and uncommon cause of miscarriage. I will tolerate having all this blood drawn (one of my least tolerable things) so we can try to get to the bottom of this issue. I have to go in the morning because 2 of the tests the doctor is running are chromosome tests on me, and they have to be done and picked up by noon for immediate shipment. I'm very glad these tests are being done, but the doctor told me that, honestly, she doesn't expect to find anything. She thinks that because I'm young and healthy, she has a feeling that I'm one of these unlucky folks for which they can't find a reason. But at least we'll look.

We did talk about the progesterone issue, which is something I've found in my own personal research. When I was tested last fall during the first miscarriage, my level was 3.8, which by my research is quite low. The doctor agreed that it's low, but it's one of those issues that the medical community can't agree on. Is the level low because I was miscarrying, or was I miscarrying because the level was low? I asked about progesterone supplements for when we try again (providing that no other issue is found). The doctor said she's not a "strong believer" in it, but she certainly prescribes it for people because it doesn't hurt anything. So, when the time comes, I'll be going on that. So, that's what my status is right now. I just want this blood drawn so the tests can start coming back.

Also, my birthday was Friday, and it was good. I'm mentioning this so I can give a shout out to my friend A, who is a frequent reader of this blog and sent me the most awesome birthday card ever that I received today and was exactly what I needed. It is homemade and tells a story of me being a hottie, and everyone from Sawyer from LOST to Matt Damon wanting me. AND it has a picture of Pete Sampras on the cover. A is awesome and creative, and I love it. I have really good friends.

In Mourning

I think many people would be surprised that I am writing this and would not do it if they were in the same situation. However, I deal best with things by talking about them, so here goes.

Friday I suffered my second pregnancy loss in under a year. I am devastated by this. Everything was going along fine with this pregnancy, in stark contrast to the one last fall. At seven weeks, Brian and I went to our first doctor's appointment and saw the heartbeat easily on ultrasound. We felt extremely encouraged, as once you see a fetal heartbeat on ultrasound, there is a less than 10% chance of loss. Well, apparently I am in that crap 10%.

Thursday I had a little spotting, which is not unusual. I called the doctor's office for reassurance, which they provided. However, I woke up Friday, and it was worse and I was beginning to have a little cramping. I was 9 weeks and 5 days. I went to work, but while on break, made a doctor appointment for the afternoon, because I wanted to be checked. I called work and said they needed to get somebody to cover for the afternoon, because I was having an emergency. I split as soon as I could.

I came home and grabbed Brian and by the time we were leaving for the appointment it was getting worse. We made it to the doctor and I was in quite a lot of pain, but it wasn't even as bad as it was last fall. By this point, I knew what was going on. I was expecting to have an ultrasound and be told the fetus wasn't viable and that I would miscarry over the weekend or something. It took about two days of agony last time. Well, this happened so fast, I actually miscarried at the doctor's office, after only an hour or two of severe cramping. I was hysterical and devastated. (I pretty much still am.)

I can take comfort in the fact that at least Brian was with me and not on the road. I could not have been through that by myself. Also, because I was at the doctor's office, they were able to save everything for testing. Because this has happened to me twice now back to back, they are also going to start testing me to see if I have some discernible issue. I hope they can find something, either treatable or not. I cannot deal with this much more.

This one is harder emotionally than last fall for this reason. It's apparent from the ultrasounds I had last fall that that pregnancy never developed normally. It never had a heartbeat. This one was going along fine, and its heart was beating; it was living inside me. I feel like my body did something to kill it. My only consolation is that it's widely believed that a fetus cannot feel pain until about 6-7 months, so at least my little baby didn't suffer.

The last thing I would say is a lesson for people who have never gone through this. Please DO NOT ask people when they are having children. We get that question from well-meaning but ignorant people, and its starting to wear thin. It's a very hurtful question for people like us who have suffered pregnancy losses, or people who have trouble conceiving. Just don't ask it--you have no idea what people are going through behind their closed doors.

Runnin' Down a Dream

Saturday night was a big night. Brian took me to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the Palace. I love Tom Petty. "Full Moon Fever" came out when I was 10 and it was the first album I have in my consciousness. What I mean is that I remember when that record came out, I remember it as a whole album, not just a song or two. I know all the words to every song on it, and I think it is one of the best records ever. And Tom Petty is one of the best recording artists ever. So I was very excited for Saturday.

We went to the show with my parents, which, to some, may sound lame, but my mom has good taste in music, so she appreciated being asked. We had dinner with them at a very good Mexican restaurant in Lake Orion called Sagebrush Cantina. If you are ever over there and have the chance to go, eat there. It was absolutely delicious food. After dinner, we drove the 6 miles to the Palace and got ready to watch the opening act.

Steve Winwood was the "special guest", and he was very good, I must say. However, it was the longest opening act I've ever seen. He played for an hour! Usually the opener lasts no longer than 30-45 minutes. Then, the freakin' intermission was 50 minutes. So, it was almost 10 p.m. by the time Tom took the stage.

But it was worth the wait. He sounded great, and did tons of classic songs. He did four off "Full Moon Fever," the big 4 as I call them: "Runnin' Down a Dream," "Free Fallin'," "I Won't Back Down," and "Face in the Crowd." He did old songs like "Refugee," "American Girl," and "The Waiting." He did newer stuff like "Mary Jane's Last Dance" and a couple off the "Wildflowers" album. He even did a Traveling Wilburys tune. (For those who don't know, the Traveling Wilburys was a supergroup consisting of Petty, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Bob Dylan, and Roy Orbison.) He played for about an hour and 20-25 minutes, and then did a 2 song encore. Very enjoyable evening.

So, overall, my humble review of the show was that it was great. But I would have liked 3 slight changes: 1) 15 minutes less Steve Winwood (even though he was great too) 2) 15 minutes more Tom Petty and 3) less intermission!