Windzdae

Stephen: "It's really warm outside! 33 degrees! We should open up the windows!"

He's home from work since he's going in Saturday. Playing Battlefield. I love it when he's home and enjoying himself!

I'm getting ready to head off to the grocery store. Lost is tonight! My sister and I talked about having iChat going while we watch tonight's episode, but I don't know if that is still the plan. 

Mom sent me a link discussing freelance writing/editing/proofreading opportunities. I'm looking into this further, since it appears ideal for me. Good way to get my writing out there, build a reputation, make some money, and still remain flexible and available for other things.

Weekend plans

Stephen is working tomorrow since he took Wednesday off. He's taking the new car, just for fun. We took it for a spin this evening; it felt so much like when we were dating in the old Ford "Exploder". We haven't taken any pictures of the new wheels yet since it snowed today. Snapshots will be posted at some point for those of you who want to see. I'm heading to Whole Foods with Chris and Kim in the morning, then doing laundry. Oh joy (about the laundry). We weighed in again today. I am disconcerted to learn I actually gained 2/10 of a pound this week. ??!! Stephen's is melting off, as predicted; I am so proud of him! But, WTheck? I am absolutely shocked I didn't lose a thing, especially when I compare what I ate to what Stephen ate... then again, we have vastly different metabolisms. Apparently my system is WAY more sensitive. I will be manipulating a few variables in the coming days to eek out better results next week.

S 12.2
M 7.4

A good find and a bad find

Stephen skipped out on work yesterday to spend the day with me car-hunting.  After five hours of wading through cars along Ft. Crook Road, we were shown a 2005 Chevy Trailblazer, charcoal color, that had just arrived on the lot to be shown the next morning, and was not yet detailed. We decided it shall join our 4 1/2 year old battered creampuff tomorrow and be our camping/vacation/in-town vehicle. ;-) We also stumbled across a 2003 Chevy Trailblazer EXT that we kept in our back pocket a long time, and was a real consideration because of its price, but in the end the 2005 was newer, cheaper, and suited our needs a little bit better- though the roominess and extra seating of the EXT would have been really awesome. We also test drove a 2006 Saturn Vue, which we did like, but the price wasn't where it needed to be to hook us. So that is that; we have two cars again!

I made Mom's beef and barley soup last night for supper. As I was enjoying a hearty bowl and watching the premiere of Lost, I sipped on an ice cold glass milk. The meal was great, but the milk, well... it had a unique aftertaste. I couldn't quite place it. I took several whiffs, but the odor was wholesome... I thought, maybe it tastes this way because it is skim? In spite of these thoughts, I continued to enjoy the milk, until I had downed more than 3/4 of the glass. It was at this point that I convinced myself it was necessary to actually peer down into my beverage recepticle. Little white floaty thingys drifted atop the surface, and these little white floaty thingys clung to glass where the milk was absent. 

Chunks of milk. 

NAAAAAAAASSSSTTTTY. 

It was later discovered that the milk was not spoiled after all (shouldn't have been... was a brand new gallon), but it was the kind you "shake" before pouring to disperse its "cream top". It says so on the label. Who ever heard of milk that you needed to shake before drinking??? That is just... wrong. I really don't want to drink it, but I would feel convicted pouring that whole stinkin' gallon down the sink. It was not cheap. Would you drink chunky milk knowing it was not spoiled? Would you be able to reconcile the two without the inclination to urp?

Macs, soup, an oath

Today was the Big Day for our country. One president said farewell, another took the oath. From these eyes Obama is neither here or there; they are (and have been) poised his way, ready to witness his administration so I can finally decide what kind of man he really is. 

I dvr'd the inauguration so I can watch it later this evening. I happened to sleep through today (what a sorry excuse to miss it live!), but I've just been exhausted lately. Slept some of last night, woke up for a couple hours, and then slept hard like I was sick until just an hour ago.

Plans changed this last weekend. Luke and Kim did not come up due to some family health issues, so instead we went down to KC to help Mom and Stan pick out and play with their new Macbook. Mom is hopelessly in love, and squealed every time a cool feature was discovered. She made a lovely beef barley soup, and it did not lack many compliments! 

We did get to have lunch with Luke and Kim on the way back home. Stephen and I were waiting in the restaurant lobby for them. As soon as they came into view, a surge of happiness went through me. I missed them a lot! Lunch was wonderful and long!

Beef Barley Soup

(6 cans) 3 cans of beef broth  

(2 cans) 1 can of chicken broth 

(2 C) 1 C water 

(1 C) 1/2 C pearl barley 

1 bayleaf 

simmer ~ 30 min 

While broth is simmering, add 2# cut up beef to 1-2 T canola oil, diced onion, 3 finely diced cloves of garlic, pepper, sea salt; in a frying pan, brown at med heat; drain. 

(6-10) 5 carrots, sliced 

(3-4) 2 stalks celery, sliced small

Add meat to broth & veggies; large pinch of thyme; simmer until desired tenderness. 

Week One

S 7.5

M 7.6

No more monkeys jumping on the bed.

It is icy cold outside, -4 right now. Yikes! Stephen actually had to wear a jacket today and the car coughed and sputtered before it started. Our windows must not be well insulated because we had ice on the inside of our sill. Howie and Zoe spent some time at our bedroom window this morning, but did not take advantage of the perfect popsicle. If I was a cat, I would sure take a few licks!

We arrived at the clinic ten minutes early and went to the window to receive our paper work. The receptionist informed us our appt was yesterday. I was not a happy camper. I had double-checked twice over the phone when I made the appt, and I was very very careful to write down the right day. It was the clinic's fault, not mine, but I had to control my boiling consternation because there was no point arguing whose fault it was. They were more than gracious to make room for us, so it worked out fine in the end.

So Stephen's bp is still a bit high, but much lower than it was! Yes! He is on water pills and will go back in 6 weeks to see where he's at. 

The doc took a look at the red rash on my elbow and was baffled. She promptly wrote a referral to an area dermatologist and believes a biopsy is in order. 

I gave a urine sample for the pt, and it was negative, so I have a week's worth of Provera to get me going again. I took the first pill tonight, but began having second thoughts... it just didn't sit quite right in me. The ladies on this PCOS board that I frequent are wonderful to talk to about the emotions, processes, and problems with this disease, and when I shared this month's cycle, they recommended I wait. Even though the chance is slim, I still might be pregnant due to a late ovulation and the stick hasn't picked it up yet. So... I'm waiting another week or so and retesting. It feels a bit excessive and silly, but I'd much rather be safe than sorry. **sigh** my body is quite frustrating at times.

Luke and Kim will be coming over tomorrow night for a weekend visit! I am so excited to see them, it has been so long!! Stephen mentioned something about us going and seeing Mall Cop (is that what it's called??) with what's-his-face--- Kevin James. Maybe we'll even pull Guitar Hero out too, for old times sake. We've had problems with the toilet in the guest bathroom slowly regurgitating its contents after a flush, so our maintenance guy came by today and snaked it... we'll find out this weekend if the problem is resolved! ;-)

Appointments and health goals

Stephen and I have physicals Thursday morning with a Dr. Rothlisberger. Kim recommended her to us. It will be a relief to finally get Stephen's bp issues under control, get my skin checked out, and get advice/support for our weight loss adventure. I am 13 days late and took 3 hpts; they are all negative but I am hoping we will have time Thursday morning to do a blood test just be absolutely sure. If I am late, it is 3 or 4 days at the max, so weeks is rather unusual for me. 

My next task is to find a good gynecologist in the area. I really hate to close my eyes and drop my finger in the yellow pages, but it appears that is what I'll have to do for lack of recommendations. I need my annual exam, but I also want tailored advice on how I can handle my PCOS most efficiently, (hopefully without meds) We aren't necessarily looking to get pregnant, though that would be great; I just want to get healthy and working right inside and out, and I don't want a bunch of chemicals and hormones pumped into my body to do this. 

Tomorrow I'm making a trip to the grocery store. We wiped out our fresh fruit supply and our veggies are quite low ***CLAPS HANDS*** go us! I made a yummy minestrone soup last night, and it was quite delish. Well... I thought so. I get the feeling Stephen is desperately missing cheeseburgers, but he is doing awesome in spite of his cravings!

Restocking

What was left after getting rid of the "bad" stuff. :-o

The food we freecycled

The only not-so-good stuff we kept (but it is pushed way in the back of the pantry!)

Everything we threw away. Shame.

After tonight's (last night's?) big grocery run in the snow by myself with a slow and chatty teen cashier and bagger.

I need some sort of multi-tiered countertop wire/wood basket for my potatoes, onions, and other produce. 

The new changes were instituted for our first meal. We had a big grilled chicken salad piled with lots of veggies, and fresh cherries and boiled new potatoes on the side. I made a salad dressing that was interesting and good in its own way, with poppy seeds, dijon mustard, light mayo, milk, Splenda, salt and pepper. We have a ton of nuts, beans, and seeds around here which we are both excited about. Stephen is a nut-freak, and beans are literally the perfect food. 

Though I am excited about the changes I feel out of my element because we have many new ingredients (at least to our household) that I don't know how to use just yet. It doesn't flow naturally to bake with wheat germ or flaxseeds. I love red cabbage, but what do I do with it beside chop it in salads or boil it? It'll all come in time I'm sure. I can't wait to experiment, though poor Stephen is at my mercy. >:}

New Year, New Leaf, New Life

I joined an online support forum for PCOSers a few days ago, and have spent many hours browsing the forum and researching PCOS diets and natural remedies. I finally found a diet that suits our needs, not just for our short-term need to drop pounds, but to maintain balanced and healthy bodies for life: the Glycemic Index diet. We are using Rick Gallop's book Living the G.I. Diet as a guide, and will probably use an Insulin Resistance diet book in conjunction (insulin resistance is quite common in women with PCOS). The glycemic index is commonly associated with diabetics, this is true, but the foundation of the plan really is common sense nutrition when you think about... eat tons of fruit and veggies,  lean protein, whole grains, and bypass sugar, and saturated and trans-fats. That's about all it is. 

We are really excited, though kind of apprehensive/nervous. We've attempted lifestyle changes in the past and they fell through. However, unlike the last few times, we are both eager to change and are committed to helping the other, as well being committed individually. It will take about 14 months for me to get to my target weight (which shows how much I have to lose with out giving out a number :o!) By my 26th birthday, I should be there. Stephen will be weighed and measured this morning, so stay tuned for his goal date. :-)

Edit 1/9/08 5:15pm: We measured Stephen this morning and figured he will probably be at his ideal weight by New Year's 2010, though this is assuming weight will practically melt off him like it has in the past. 

;-)

Sidebar rant: cell phones

I'm rather quiet and thoughtful (as in "prone to think/analyze", not thoughtful as in "caring" [though Stephen insists that I am-- whatever]). Being such, I tend to notice patterns of speech and rhythms of conversations. For example, I can often predict my husband's response to any given stimulus. He is by nature silly, spontaneous, and quite literal in his speech, but knowing this even his spontaneity is predictable simply by determining the most spontaneous, literal, silliest response to any given stimulus. I say: I'm sitting on the computer. He responds: it is usually not a good idea to sit ON the computer, how about sit on a chair instead. Not the most creative example, but see what I mean? 

So tonight Chris, Kim, and Stephen are chatting away, and I am sitting back and observing the flow of conversation, and it occurred to me, not for the first time, that conversations can't help but revert back to cell phones. I'm not kidding you, pretty much anytime we are in a casual conversation environment, cell phones are brought up... what they look like, how durable they are, what features they have, what model people will get next, ringtones, text messaging plans, the list goes on infinitely. Not only are cell phones brought up, but they are always out, accessible, displayed in hand, and even used during the conversation. Even when we are talking about something completely different (in tonight's instance, dirty feet and showering) the conversation is interrupted to say something about a cell phone. Seriously, sit back and observe conversations if you don't believe me. 

It is interesting that cell phones are such a raving conversation piece. I mean, we don't sit around and talk about the latest tvs or MP3 players as often or as passionately as we do cell phones. Is this a manifestation of our archaic need for a security item? It is ironic, because cell phones are communication devices supposedly meant to make our lives easier and to help us keep in touch with our business contacts and loved ones... it is a means to communicate information of all types. I wonder how much of the time we use our cell phones to talk about our cell phones? For employees of the cell phone industry, who must communicate information about cell phones to do fulfill their job requirements, using cell phones to talk about cell phones is sensible and necessary, but for the rest of us? Why do we spend so much conversation time talking about the very item we are using to talk to people? Do we not have much else to talk about? (Just putting the question out there... I am not accusing people of having dull lives)

Do cell phones really make life easier? We have to remember to keep them charged and to take them with us when we venture out the front door. We have to pay for them and the time racked up with them against our ear. We have to be mindful of what time, day, and place we use our cell phone, if God forbid we do not get good reception or we have to pay even more money. And, it breaks. It is dropped in toilets, ran over by cars, stuck in places they shouldn't. Sometimes the phone isn't put together right and it doesn't work at all... and then you have to take out time and gas money to visit your local provider to find out why. I mean really, is it worth all these complication to be accessible to the world at any place and time? And... do we even want to be accessible 24/7?

I realize this rant (which I know I said I wouldn't do on this blog, but oh well) appears anti-everything my husband works for, and this is certainly not meant to undermine the cellular industry (we appreciate them, by all means!!). I just find this seemingly trivial quite perplexing, and I believe it points to an underlying cultural ideological thread that is... less than ideal. I'm sure we've all heard it said that we are at one of the loneliest times in our history, even though we have in our fingertips unprecedented boundless communication devices. If we can virtually speak to anyone, anywhere, then why are we so lonely? My hunch is, we know and have access to our means of communication, but we are ignorant/ill-equipped on how to communicate at the most fundamental level. We can talk all day about cell phones, computers, cars, who has this, and I want that, but really, these items are often filler conversation, substitutions for more substantial meaningful topics that are just too icky-gooey-messy to get into; that require too much elbow grease and vulnerability to get from heart to lips. Just a hunch.

Alfredo-yo

Kim and Chris had us over this evening for fettuccine alfredo. Homemade noodles and everything, yum! We watched their wedding video, and it occurred to me that I should make a DVD out of our many VHS-C wedding tapes, since I'll have that equipment out anyway to work on Kristi and Erika's graduation DVDs. Yeah, I still haven't started on those. 

Mom, can you and/or Erika start rounding up photos and video so I can take it home next time we come down?

Another holiday season came and went

The Knittels just jumped off the euphoric cliff and are splat back in drab winter. Blek. Onward up the slow, slow ascent to Holidays 2009.

I think this year the Christmas excitement climaxed prematurely, about the time I was sprinkling candy pieces on fresh-from-the microwave almond bark. As for the actual "event" it just didn't feel like Christmas. Ah well. It was still very enjoyable to see family.

Stephen and I met my parentals in Mound City to do the Erika-exchange and pizza last Sunday, and embarked on one of the most enjoyable weeks of the whole year. Nothing in life is all that interesting/wonderful/satisfying unless you have the right people to do it with, and one of my "people" is my sister. She makes everything great. Yeah, we didn't get out too often or do anything super-special, but just having her around and getting to share my and Stephen's little corner of the world with her really made my year. We don't have that time much anymore, so this was really special. 

Stan and Mom came out Wednesday and we had a little New Year's celebration right here in our apartment. I made shrimp boil and attempted my yummy cheese fondue that turned out less than perfect. Mom brought homemade lefsa. We played Jenga and laughed at Mom's expressions and "oh-no!"'s and then played Buzzword. By this time, the hour hand was nearing its zenith and we were less than enthused. We rung in the New Year by taking a picture at about 11:58, grabbing our cheapy party favors and pathetically blew them from our 2nd story balcony. We then came back in and took another picture at 12:01ish. Soon after, we settled on the couch and watched some show about torture machines over the ages. When the three older ones shuffled off to bed, my sister and I dug in and watched Lost until the wee hours of the morning, a ritual we practiced every night following her initial hazing with episode 1.01. I must say that I am extremely pleased with my careful strategizing. I made a scoffer into believer... I knew it was possible to convert her when she confessed that she wished she was able to watch Lost when it came out in 2004. HEHE. My work here is done. 

So my sister was supposed to go home Thursday, but we all agreed two more days were in order. However, Saturday Jack Frost wizzed all over the roads, so she had to stay until Sunday. My sister was cool with that and so was I... one more night! I exchanged my sister for an empty car yesterday afternoon and came home glum and teary. It all sunk in... the holidays are over and so is my sister's visit. The house was tree-less, light-less, garland-less (thanks to my awesome hubby!). My sister's clutter of belongings left a void, and so did her footy-pajama'd self. :-( Today she texted me to let me know she was watching Lost. I watched the same episode she was to feel somewhat closer to her. It was better than nothing, but not the same.