Yesterday was rather traumatic!

So, as we all know, I have no human children.  But I do have furkids.

Yesterday was Misty's yearly teeth cleaning.  You know how it goes with dogs: they go in, get knocked out, and the teeth cleaned and all.

Well, this was a bit more involved.

So, at 6:45, I leave my house, this happy puppy in tow.  We get to Banfield at 7am, where I check her in.  I leave and cry in my car.  (Her panicked howling was too much to take.

9:30: I get a call from the Vet.  Misty is SO freaked out that they are afraid they might not be able to knock her out.

11:30:  I call them, to see how she is.  They moved her to a kennel in a quiet corner.

2:30: the vet calls me.  She has 2 broken teeth that fell out, plus a back one that rotted out.  Apparently she was too enthusiastic with a rawhide chewie and broke her teeth.  So the jaw was cleaned up, and her microchip was put in.

4:30: We start a reception for a lecture the department sponsored.  We cleaned it up and at 5:40 I sprinted across campus to get my car.

6pm: try to pick up the Spousal Equivelent, but the traffic was AWFUL.  So I went on to Banfield on my own.

6:45: the 10 minute drive took 45 minutes.  But this was the sight that waited for me:  (It's an old picture, but the happy puppy was the same)  Misty was drugged, tired, but ok!

7:20: we get home, and the Chinese food arrives.

What am I doing today?  Laundry and a nap!


And maybe re-reading Allegiant... because this happened:

I think I might also make a fantasy Christmas List.  Itso storage cubes (to eventually replace my dresser), A new Tervis Tumbler and Water Bottle and the Handbag of Holding are at the top of my list!

Yesterday... a day I'd like to forget.

Yesterday was day 1 of my monthly fun time.  Except the time is not so fun.  The hormones seriously screw with me, and bring out some serious anxiety.  (But thankfully it only happens for a day or so out of the month)

I got to work, I was already rather rattled.  In the afternoon, I went to training.

Right away, I knew I shouldn't be there.  I was already agitated.  Then they asked me to pantomime something...  I was done.  I grabbed my stuff and left.

I got back to the office, and the boss called.  It was something that was rather a big deal, and I needed to find the file.  I had issues breathing, and for a moment, my brain was running too fast to be able to read.  I asked for a moment, and explained that impending anxiety attack, and found the file... but it was scary.

So after this fun, I took Misty to the Vet to get some shots, which is always stressful.

After the pain and suffering of the day, I sat down and finished Allegiant.

I won't discuss the book now... I have a friend that is still reading it.  I'll do a review later!

Monday....

Unfortunately, it's Monday...

And, I must tell you... it's been a strange weekend.

Friday started with a lecture series, and a HUGE reception.  It ended with a phone call, major miscommunication and me feeling absolutely awful about it.

Saturday saw me still sore from being on my feet all day on Friday... so I went out and ran 5 miles.  Well, it was like 25% running and 75% walking... I clocked in at 1:17.  A little better.

So, I was exhausted, and couldn't nap.  Why?  Because my brain kept going over and over the mess that work was on Friday, and how to fix it.

This meant that after getting to a Halloween party, I fell asleep sitting up.  So we went home early.

Sunday, I didn't do anything... except make plans...

Oh!  yes!  I have plans!!  but I can't talk about it...

Today was hectic from the moment that I got in the office, until just a little bit ago.

I need a nap!

I don't have a maternal bone in my body

Well.... when it comes to infants and all...

I have a very good friend that had a baby.  Like, today.  Had a baby.

Which is an amazing and awe inspiring thing!

And the kid is incredibly cute.  Seriously!

And what did I think when I saw some pictures?

I can't imagine why anyone would want to do that.

I know!  It's a terrible thought.  And I felt simply awful for even thinking it!  And I honestly respect parents!  I have nothing against people that want to have babies.  I have many friends that have babies!  And I LOVE their babies!  (And will freely hand the babies back when they cry!)

I just don't think I want to be responsible for someone that small (for more than a few minutes).  I've talked about adoption before, but now I know for sure... I want them older.

I don't know why that makes me feel like an awful human being....

Tuesday Night.. a comedy of errors

From MY perspective:

10pm:  *fell asleep*

1:30am:  *Wake up*  *Freak out that the Spousal Equivelent is on the computer so it MUST be 5:30am!!*  *Realize the time.

5am:  *alarm goes off*

What the Spousal Equivalent experienced:

1am:
Me: *I start poking him, while asleep*  What are you doing?
SE: sleeping....
Me: *poking some more, still asleep* What are you doing?
SE: I'm sleeping..
Me: *more poking, yes, still sleeping*  What are you doing??
SE:  SLEEPING!!!  *He gets up to use the bathroom and play computer games.

1:40am:  *SE goes back to bed, resetting his alarm to go off at 5:20am*

4:30am:
Misty:  *sits ON the SE's head*
Meryl:  *sits on the SE's chest*
SE:  Go back to sleep!

5am:
Me:  *my alarm goes off*  Honey!  Why aren't you up?
SE: I'm sleeping in until 5:20....

Poor poor man.... Apparently I was subconsciously sabotaging sleep!

The haves and the have nots

At the Weight Watcher meeting on Tuesday, we were discussing exercise and activity.  The subject of the Christmas Town Dash came up, which it does often, since a bunch of us are running.

Then it happened.  The mention that someone's trainer thought that we should join a gym (because apparently I can't exercise on my own or something).  I inquired how much was this reasonably priced gym.  Just under $50.  A month.

That's half my gas or grocery budget.

Then I realized.  To this woman $50 a month isn't a big sum.

To me, it's huge.

(Heck, I've budgeted and budgeted to get the gear I need for this race, and can only afford my shoes.  I'm praying for enough to buy cold weather running pants!)

I run into this talk every day.  Offhanded remarks about travel, and why I don't travel more.  Family assuming that we can afford two plane tickets.  

I read somewhere that wealthy don't realize that they are.. wealthy.  Maybe that's where the disconnect is.  If you've always had the money, you can't fathom how people can't.

So no gym for me.  But I've saved $45 for my new sneakers.

And now may forgo other running gear, since my bras have decided to fall apart.

What, do they think I'm made of money??

It's that time of year again.

I came home to the annual "renew your apartment lease" notice.

I hate this time of year.  it proves to me how incredibly trapped we are.

We moved into this apartment in 2009.  This December will be the 4th time that we'll have renewed this lease.

Do we want to stay around here?  Oh hell no.  I'm dying for living in a place where the toilets work properly, and the front door leads to the outside, not a hall.  But we really can't afford to move.

• Credit checks.  Ours are frightening.  And I'd hate to find a place that I love, and pay hundreds of dollars just to be denied because of the credit.
• The pets.  If we stay another year, the have to replace the carpeting, and most likely we won't have to pay for it when we move.
• First, last, deposit and all.  That's a lot of money.  Money that we don't have anymore.  Though, I think I'm going to squirrel that money away for next year... maybe next year....

We have debt, bills, and only one car.  The Spousal Equivalent and I work on opposite ends of the Peninsula.  We'd have to stay on this end of town to make it work.

Maybe next year.

Maybe I'll win the lottery.

Maybe...

Adventures in Exercising

Well folks, this weekend was supremely crappy.  It started raining on Wednesday and didn't really stop until... just now.  I got lazy, since I really didn't want to run in the rain.  (And since the dog really didn't want to go outside for walkies.)

What I did end up doing was playing with the new Just Dance game that we got.  I like aspects of the sweat mode better (Being able to choose your playlist?  Genius!)

Best new songs:


(This one is just crazy!)






I have a feeling that JD 2014 will become my off-running-day work out!

Now, back to running.  Most of the weekend was a bust in the running department.  But Saturday the boss and I got up and did the 5 mile bike trail at Newport News Park.  We didn't run it, we speed walked it.  At 1:34 it wasn't a bad time for our first try.

I tried to run this morning, but only got to the halfway mark before my legs were screaming at me.  I need new sneakers.  But there's a problem.  they can be EXPENSIVE!  So while I was looking at some moderately expensive running sneakers online:  Like these, and these and these and these and these and these and these.... you get the picture.  All I can afford are these.  Which is kind of sad.

Oh well, onward and upward.

Potty Emergency, part 2

And the saga continues!!

So yesterday morning, after successfully using said potty earlier, I took a shower.

While I was in there, I heard it.  Glug... glug...

So I give the toilet a test flush when I get out.  Thankfully there was nothing in the bowl but water, because it overflowed all over the floor.
So I left work early, and told the office of my issue... again....

They sent over the maintenance guy, that proclaimed that the issue wasn't inside the house.  It was the plumbing underneath.  (I could have told him that!)  So they call for the plumber.. again.

Plumber shows up just as I'm about to head out to choir.  I'm the new music librarian, so I need to be there to hand out the music.  They finish, just before I get back.

I'm left with a dinner that's getting cold, a bathtub full of sewer-water soaked towels and bath mats.  A bathroom floor that also was overflown on.   I somehow managed to clean all of that, eat dinner and wash dishes before Glee was on.

Glee made me cry.  I knew it would.

All I cna say of this week is:

A.) I'm so glad it's Friday

and

B.) I need a margarita.

Potty Emergency!!

So this was me last night:



Why?

Because yet again, our toilet ceased to work.

The water would not go down the hole....



As we all know, this happens to us from time to time.  But last night brought extra fun....

So, early yesterday morning I realized that there was an issue.  I called the office at 9am.

Got home at 5:30, told them again... the water doesn't go down the hole....

7:30: the water is coming back UP the hole.. and into the tub.  I call the emergency line.. And promptly have a panic attack.

8:30: The plumbers come!  Yay!

Fast forward to 6:30am today.  (Now mind you, we've all used the facilities, and I've even scrubbed the bowl.)  The toilet starts to gurgle while I shower.   So I give a test flush....

Clean water comes up and all over the floor.

and I bang my head against the wall....

Add to that, Misty NOT wanting anything to do with the outside.  It's raining out, you know...

Can it be the weekend already?

Sunday..... Domain of the Domestic Goddess

I try to keep Sundays open for catch up.  To do all of those things that I haven't time to do all week.  Today I have managed to:

• I did day three of the Couch to 5K, then decided to go back to the beginning. 
• Went grocery shopping, to two stores (I even made a list!  And managed to only buy 1 thing that wasn't on it!)  Unfortunatley, my grocery budget is blown for the week.
• Put the groceries away
• wash, dry, fold and mostly put away three loads of laundry
• getting dinner mostly made (waiting for the Spousal Equivalent to say he's on his way home before I put in the pasta)
• empty, then refill the dishwasher.
• Portion out my yogurt (Do you know how much you save by buying the large 32oz. tub and using small reusable containers), only to discover that it was so inexpensive because I got regular yogurt, not
  
  Greek yogurt.  
• Caught Misty being cute:  (She was soaking up the freshly dried warm)
• I even decided what I wanted to do for my birthday this year.  (Run the race, lunch at Cheeseburger in Paradise, and an afternoon at Christmas Town.)

Tomorrow starts another work week.  

I only wish I had some wine.....  wine would make this perfect!

This new training regimen is going to be spendy!

After week one of Couch to 5k, I have learned two things.

1. I need to back up and do that week again.  I don't feel comfortable moving on yet.
2. I need new sneakers.

Actually, I've found a variety of things that I need.....  depending on the current weather..

For warm weather running I would like one of these.... since I use my iPhone for the work out.

For cold weather, The list get's weirder....  I currently have these WONDERFUL carpi length yoga pants, have have zippered pockets.  You know, for my phone and inhaler.  Can I find those longer?  Nope.    I'd also love one of these, since I like having my mouth covered when it's cold out.

Will I get any of these things?

Probably not....

Except new sneakers.  I think those are the only things that I really need.  Everything else I can make do with.

Well, I did it!

Yesterday, emails flew around the building.  So I did it.

I signed up for the ChristmasTown Dash.

I'm going to run it with my office manager and the Admin downstairs.  Go team James Blair Hall!

In celebration, I got up this morning and did the first day of Couch to 5K.  It wasn't awful!

I even got in to see the Chiropractor this morning.  I need to try to make it in once a pay cycle.  I was definitely out of whack!

Speaking of out of whack, my whole schedule was out of whack yesterday.  I left work a bit early, and got a call on my way home.  The power is out.  So instead of laundry, dishes and making dinner.... we hit the road to brake the lack of traffic lights... to go to Taco Bell.

But....

Actually, we saw the power come back on as we were driving to the Taco Bell.  But it was too late.  We already made up our minds!  

Unfortunately dishes and laundry are still undone.

It's 9am, and today is already full of fail....

So yesterday, I all but decided that I was going to run that race in Christmas Town.

So I downloaded the Couch to 5K app, so I can train.

Well, today was complete and utter fail.  First, somehow the clock paused during the warm up.  Then after running for a bit, I realized that it was set for week 9....  and not week 1 day 1.  And since I didn't have yet another 20 minutes to spend.. I gave up for the day.

I was cold, and my head was pounding.  Actually, I've had this headache for the last two weeks.

So I decided to find the darn co pay somewhere, and call the chiropractor.  (In the past, chiropractic care helps my headaches a lot!)

They are closed on Tuesdays.

Well, this means that I'm going to be starting everything tomorrow.

Tomorrow I'm going to get up early and actually do the first day of the Couch to 5K.

Tomorrow I'll hopefully get into the chiropractor

And tomorrow I go to get a mammogram.