Saturday, November 10, 2012
Back to your lives citizens!
Hello from Hilliard! Dang! It's been a while! We're here in Hilliard, Ohio. We live in the same town and ward as Jason's sister, Rachel. In fact, it's about a mile and a half door to door. Jason is working for an insurance company as a contractor right now, but we're hoping that he'll be able to find a salaried position soon. We're adjusting to life in Ohio, it has been a little easier for some of us than for others.
Boo started school in October, yes, October is a bit late, but for the program that he is in, he had to go through quite a few tests and a home visit and such. But he's in preschool and he goes four days a week. It's been a wonderful change! He talks more so he doesn't get so frustrated, if you ask him a question, he will answer you most of the time. And his self control is getting better, he follows directions better than he used to, home life with him is so much better!
In other news, I turned the big 3-0 just a week ago! I was jokingly calling it "the first anniversary of my 29th birthday". But it truly was a joke, since I don't really care if people know that I'm 30. I'm still younger than Jason and when I wear my glasses (and since I have braces), I look like I'm 15. Adjusting to life in Ohio has been a bit harder for me than I expected. It's hard being back east after living out west for the last ten years! I've had my own way of doing things and Jason and I had our way making our little family function (somewhat dysfuntionally from time to time, but then, whose life doesn't have a little dysfunction once in a while?) and now, we have to re-figure all of that out! Now that we're a little more settled, with our stuff instead of borrowing from Jason's sister and now having most of what we got rid of in the move replaced, things are calming down.
Now on to other matters. I will remind you that I am a REGISTERED Democrat, however, I have not always been. I went through what I've decided amounted to an existential crisis, starting when I was about 20 years old...so back in the day! :) I went through a rather extensive period of intense soul searching, and that included spiritual and political opinions.
I went through a period of time when I didn't want anything to do with the church that I had been raised in my entire life. I had decided I was going to be a Baptist, they just seemed more open minded than the Mormons that I was surrounded by at the time. I had even started meeting with the Pastor of a local Baptist church and getting ready to convert, I ended up not going through with it, because of various things but the whole experience led me to ask questions of myself and I needed to sort things out for myself instead of just be told what to believe. I asked quite a few questions and on a number of different levels, I already knew the answers. I needed to figure out who I was, why I'm here, and what my beliefs were and are. I knew that I'm a child of God and I'm here to be tested in order to return to the presence of Him again, but I also needed to decide who I was as a human being. That seemed to be harder than the spiritual part!
Both of my parents are Republicans and so I just assumed that I was too! No. It took me a while and some studying to realize this, but I am a Democrat. I am for a small military, but anti-war. I am Pro-choice, I do think that those with more should help those with less and those who make more money should pay more in taxes. However, I will say that if you donate that money to help those who need it, and that allows for you to pay less in taxes, then good on ya! I am also for marriage equality and income equality. The issue that I had with realizing all of this was that, due to some of the opinions of the people I was surrounded by at the time, I had difficulty reconciling my political self with my spiritual self. Then I remembered that one of the teachings of the Mormon church is of Free Agency, I have to right and the ability to make choices for my life. I am not forced to believe or feel one way or another. This has been a great thing to remember over the years. You can rant and rave at me and I will listen but in the end, I will make my own choices.
Now, that said, I have some potentially harsh words for the remainder of this post...brace yourselves...you ready? Okay, here we go!
My issue with the recent election cycle (speaking as a voter in the great state of Ohio, and for at least this election, a key battleground state, thank HEAVENS that's over!) was that it seemed that there were some people who were really trying to force their religious beliefs down our collective throats. Things like supporting candidates who would like to see Roe v. Wade repealed and have no exceptions for cases of rape or incest, thus FORCING a woman to potentially carry her rapist's baby. Now, another bit of religious information. Something else we are taught in the Mormon church is that before we came to earth we were presented two plans. One by Christ in which we would be able to exercise our agency and be given CHOICE and hope that we would make the right choices, but if we made the wrong choice and did not repent, then we would have to live with the consequences of that wrong choice. The other plan was that of Satan in which we would be FORCED to choose the right...there would not be opposition and thus no need to have consequences since we would only have one direction to go. Now, while I would hope that a woman would carry a baby to term and place it for adoption no matter the circumstances, I am certainly not going to stop them from exercising their CHOICE, and I do not believe that anyone has that right to tell a person what to do with their own body. They have their agency and it should be respected! Also, the fact that the Majority stood up and made a CHOICE as to the President of this country should be respected and not belittled in any way!
Something else that was bothering me, a few of my friends on FB were posting about their displeasure about the outcome of the election. I hate to break it to you but President Obama is our President and he is our duly elected leader TWICE, not appointed once and elected once. That's fine if you don't agree with the majority, but please do NOT tear down the decisions of the majority for making that choice. More religion coming at you: we, as Mormons have these things called "The Articles of Faith" which are really just short passages that summarize what we believe. One, the 12th one (there are 13)says this: "We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law."
So that's fine if you don't agree with him, but you still have to respect the office.
And finally, just a little thing. Maybe some people just haven't studied other religions or maybe they have but only superficially, or maybe they went a little deeper and just didn't have the benefit of an awesome Seminary teacher (sorry, another Mormon thing!) like I did when my mom was my teacher. But I also grew very tired of people over this election cycle, and also the previous one, for that matter going on, and ooonnn, and ooooooonnnnnnn about "Obama's father was a Muslim so he's a Muslim." Or, "he quoted the Koran and he speaks of his Muslim relatives, so he must be Muslim..." Well, first things first. Traditionally, religion follows through the mother, whatever the mother is, the baby is. Mother is Christian, baby is Christian. Mother is Jewish, baby is Jewish. Mother is...well, you get the idea! And, as to quoting from a book other than the Bible therefore you must belong to that faith, well, then I must be a Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Tibetan Buddhist, since I have quoted at least once from the texts used by the first three religions listed there, and I've read "The Tibetan Book of the Dead" and have quoted His Holiness the Dalai Lama (that is his proper title). I believe that to be a well-rounded person, you need to understand where other people are coming from and what has shaped who they are!
Alright, I know that was a little all over the place and took on a decidedly political tone, and I'm not going to pretend that I am not THRILLED to bits and pieces that President Obama was re-elected, though I'm sorry so many seemed so depressed by Romney's loss. But, I hope that we will be able to find common ground once again and work together to heal the divisions in our nation, and hopefully, we'll remember that we are human beings and citizens of this country and we have a whole host of wonderful liberties that other governments do not allow their citizens!
I'm looking forward to the Holiday season and celebrating with family and friends! I hope this finds everyone happy and healthy! We'll talk again soon! TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!
--Meredith:)
Monday, August 6, 2012
Running, News, Politics and General Thoughts on Life!
Hello from Michigan!
So, we've officially left Reno. We rolled out of town on July 16 and arrived at my parent's house on Friday July 20. That was a L...O...N...G drive across this surprisingly vast country (it doesn't look that big in a map book!)! Nebraska is NOT a fun state to drive across! Very flat and very boring! But we made it!
As of right now, our house in Reno is in Escrow to close on August 24! Not much to say about that! Conventional sales go much faster than short sales! It's nice! Maybe that was why I got the distinct feeling that we were supposed to go through with buying the house in the first place, we were supposed to do the hard work of waiting for a short sale to go through so that we could turn around and provide someone else with an easy home buying experience!
News events that I've been thinking about lately (since I'm done packing, unpacking and repacking for a long enough time that I can think about these things!!). First, the guy who opened fire on Sikh Temple during Sunday service. The police have started revealing some details about the gunman. He was in the military (I forget which branch) but was dishonorably discharged and used to front a "white supremacist heavy metal band"...Somehow, the latter bit of information didn't surprise me. I find it sad that there are still people out there who still think that because someone worships differently than you do means that they must be evil and need to be removed! This country is a melting pot, and it's what makes this country so wonderful! Sadly, there are still some people out there trying to sour the pot.
Another news event that I've been thinking about...The Chick-Fil-A dust-up. I know I'm a little late to the game since the actual protests have come and gone. From what I understand, the owner of the company stated that he believes that marriage should be between a man and a woman. That's fine if he believes that the religious definition of marriage is that it is a union between one man and one woman. My issue is that there are quite a few people who are trying to outlaw same sex unions based on their religious beliefs, and that's fine if your religion doesn't allow same sex marriage, mine doesn't, and that's fine. But the thing with outlawing versus legalizing same sex unions is that people are NOT asking churches to recognize these Unions, they are asking the government, but many people don't understand that these two things have been/are/and should remain separate. The fact is, members of the LGBT community are NOT trying to "destroy the family" in fact, many of these wonderful people are trying to have a family of their own and in some states you can't do that without being in a legal union! All these people who are in love and want to be together want is A PIECE OF PAPER!! And with that piece of paper they want the rights afforded hetero couples when they get that same piece of paper! Things like parental rights, and survivor benefits! I don't fully understand why people have a problem with other people wanting the same rights as everyone else, purely based on just whom they choose to share their lives with!
So, this is more of a news and politics post...I haven't done much running since moving, I've gone running twice, hopefully, tonight I can go out for a run again! The kids and I are heading down to Ohio on Wednesday to see Jason and so I can go to the Orthodontist, and we can start figuring out where we want to live!
Anyway, still settling into life in Michigan, as best we can, anyway...since we're still in a state of what I've decided to call "locational upheaval"!
I think that's all! TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!
--MS:)
Thursday, June 28, 2012
A shorter chapter than we thought...
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Clarification
In relation to my previous post about Ann Romney and the comments made about her.
Ms. Rosen was not saying that a stay at home mom doesn't work, or that somehow being a stay at home mom is less work. What she was saying is that Mrs. Romney has not had to make that decision of should she stay home and potentially have ends not meet or should she go to work and be able to guarantee that her children have a roof over their heads, food on the table, shoes on their feet and hopefully go to college, with the help of grants and loans...
Ms. Rosen's comments were really just highlighting the fact that (assumed) GOP Nominee Romney and Mrs. Romney are out of touch with the average, middle class American family, which is true. Both Mr. and Mrs. Romney come from money and (though I can't say for certain) probably weren't under a mountain of student debt after they both graduated from Harvard... While President Obama did graduate from Harvard Law School, he went to community college for two years before completing his undergrad work at a 4 year University, and STILL came out of school with a mountain of student debt.
Mrs. Romney however is the wife of a former executive and former governor...how many of them are struggling to put food on the table and how many have to tell their kids, "sorry, we'd like to help you with college, but we just don't have the money"?? So, in that respect, Ms. Rosen was dead on, Mr. and Mrs. Romney really have no idea what it's like to have to make these tough choices that the average American family makes every single day!
So, I understand how Ms. Rosen's comments could be misinterpreted by some people, I also agree with what she said in that Mr. Romney is not right for this country when he has no clue what it's like to be middle class.
Alright, NOW that's all!
TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!
Ms. Rosen was not saying that a stay at home mom doesn't work, or that somehow being a stay at home mom is less work. What she was saying is that Mrs. Romney has not had to make that decision of should she stay home and potentially have ends not meet or should she go to work and be able to guarantee that her children have a roof over their heads, food on the table, shoes on their feet and hopefully go to college, with the help of grants and loans...
Ms. Rosen's comments were really just highlighting the fact that (assumed) GOP Nominee Romney and Mrs. Romney are out of touch with the average, middle class American family, which is true. Both Mr. and Mrs. Romney come from money and (though I can't say for certain) probably weren't under a mountain of student debt after they both graduated from Harvard... While President Obama did graduate from Harvard Law School, he went to community college for two years before completing his undergrad work at a 4 year University, and STILL came out of school with a mountain of student debt.
Mrs. Romney however is the wife of a former executive and former governor...how many of them are struggling to put food on the table and how many have to tell their kids, "sorry, we'd like to help you with college, but we just don't have the money"?? So, in that respect, Ms. Rosen was dead on, Mr. and Mrs. Romney really have no idea what it's like to have to make these tough choices that the average American family makes every single day!
So, I understand how Ms. Rosen's comments could be misinterpreted by some people, I also agree with what she said in that Mr. Romney is not right for this country when he has no clue what it's like to be middle class.
Alright, NOW that's all!
TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!
Training, Kids, Politics and Feminism in the 21st century
Hello from Reno!
Alright, first things first, TRAINING. It's going pretty well, I'm currently taking a little break from the long distances, I've been feeling a little burned out, just feeling like I have to run instead of WANTING to run...I've found that taking a short break helps to alleviate that burned out feeling. I'm currently running at between an 8:30 and a 10 minute mile.
Next, KIDS. The kids are getting bigger, Scarlett is talking more and more, sadly, she's learned the word "No", happily, she doesn't use it very often...yet. We are still working on potty training with Boo, he goes potty on the toilet, but he hasn't made the leap to telling us when he needs to go. Practice is progress! Also, he went for an assessment at a local Montessori school to see what level he would be and if he's ready for school. It went pretty well, he ran around like a crazy person, but that was mostly due to it being a new place that needed exploring. He did get into a little trouble when he threw a box with latches on it, he wanted it opened and didn't understand how the latches worked, so he threw the box on the ground, since in the rest of his sphere of understanding, if you throw something on the ground, it opens!
Finally, POLITICS and Feminism in the 21st CENTURY. Again, I am a registered Democrat, I believe that President Obama is a good man and a good president, he has done a very good job with the giant crap sandwich that he was given and done well despite other politicians' insistence on putting a pickle on that giant crap sandwich!
I don't agree with ALL things Democrat, though. For example, the remarks made by Ms. Hilary Rosen regarding Ann Romney. She made remarks to the effect that Mrs. Romney "hasn't worked a day in her life". Well, as the mother of just one boy, (I can't begin/don't want to imagine what it's like with FIVE, I can tell you that it's WORK!! And I don't know if it's the same with all boys, but with mine, it's both intense physical work, and mental work! With all the bending and lifting and pulling and holding in bear hugs, I am physically exhausted at the end of the day! Mentally, it's a lot of work, having to stay ten steps ahead of a child whose mind is a sponge, and figures things out VERY quickly!
As for staying at home to raise her children, rather than go out in the work force, I will tell you that unlike women of just a couple of generations ago, Mrs. Romney most likely took the counsel of her church leaders and her own desire to be there for her children into consideration and made that decision on her own!
For a long time the Feminist movement was about women getting BACK out of the kitchen after getting sent back home after men came home from WWII, and saying, "I did it before! Why can't I do it now that the husbands have returned?!?" There were still a large portion of women who stayed home with their children, though not always by choice. Then, it seemed that the pendulum swung the other way when women who stayed home and maintained a house and cared for their children day in and day out were portrayed as not having a brain or as being lazy not doing any work all day. Now, it seems that, with the exception of Ms. Rosen, people understand that women generally choose their own paths in life. Although, there are women who don't have the luxury (and I recognize that I am very fortunate to have a husband who works so I don't HAVE to, and I'm sure Mrs. Romney recognizes that she too, is very fortunate to have the life she does) of being able to choose whether they work outside the home or not. I know several of these women and I'm sure a lot of them would give anything to be able to stay home with their children.
I'm sure there will be a correction/clarification will be coming shortly from Ms. Rosen, but understand that she is just a very loud, less evolved voice among millions of other Democratic voters who do not believe as she does. Just as we (Democratic voters) understand that the entire Republican party does not necessarily believe as the nuts in the Tea Party.
That's all! Hope everyone is well!
TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!
Alright, first things first, TRAINING. It's going pretty well, I'm currently taking a little break from the long distances, I've been feeling a little burned out, just feeling like I have to run instead of WANTING to run...I've found that taking a short break helps to alleviate that burned out feeling. I'm currently running at between an 8:30 and a 10 minute mile.
Next, KIDS. The kids are getting bigger, Scarlett is talking more and more, sadly, she's learned the word "No", happily, she doesn't use it very often...yet. We are still working on potty training with Boo, he goes potty on the toilet, but he hasn't made the leap to telling us when he needs to go. Practice is progress! Also, he went for an assessment at a local Montessori school to see what level he would be and if he's ready for school. It went pretty well, he ran around like a crazy person, but that was mostly due to it being a new place that needed exploring. He did get into a little trouble when he threw a box with latches on it, he wanted it opened and didn't understand how the latches worked, so he threw the box on the ground, since in the rest of his sphere of understanding, if you throw something on the ground, it opens!
Finally, POLITICS and Feminism in the 21st CENTURY. Again, I am a registered Democrat, I believe that President Obama is a good man and a good president, he has done a very good job with the giant crap sandwich that he was given and done well despite other politicians' insistence on putting a pickle on that giant crap sandwich!
I don't agree with ALL things Democrat, though. For example, the remarks made by Ms. Hilary Rosen regarding Ann Romney. She made remarks to the effect that Mrs. Romney "hasn't worked a day in her life". Well, as the mother of just one boy, (I can't begin/don't want to imagine what it's like with FIVE, I can tell you that it's WORK!! And I don't know if it's the same with all boys, but with mine, it's both intense physical work, and mental work! With all the bending and lifting and pulling and holding in bear hugs, I am physically exhausted at the end of the day! Mentally, it's a lot of work, having to stay ten steps ahead of a child whose mind is a sponge, and figures things out VERY quickly!
As for staying at home to raise her children, rather than go out in the work force, I will tell you that unlike women of just a couple of generations ago, Mrs. Romney most likely took the counsel of her church leaders and her own desire to be there for her children into consideration and made that decision on her own!
For a long time the Feminist movement was about women getting BACK out of the kitchen after getting sent back home after men came home from WWII, and saying, "I did it before! Why can't I do it now that the husbands have returned?!?" There were still a large portion of women who stayed home with their children, though not always by choice. Then, it seemed that the pendulum swung the other way when women who stayed home and maintained a house and cared for their children day in and day out were portrayed as not having a brain or as being lazy not doing any work all day. Now, it seems that, with the exception of Ms. Rosen, people understand that women generally choose their own paths in life. Although, there are women who don't have the luxury (and I recognize that I am very fortunate to have a husband who works so I don't HAVE to, and I'm sure Mrs. Romney recognizes that she too, is very fortunate to have the life she does) of being able to choose whether they work outside the home or not. I know several of these women and I'm sure a lot of them would give anything to be able to stay home with their children.
I'm sure there will be a correction/clarification will be coming shortly from Ms. Rosen, but understand that she is just a very loud, less evolved voice among millions of other Democratic voters who do not believe as she does. Just as we (Democratic voters) understand that the entire Republican party does not necessarily believe as the nuts in the Tea Party.
That's all! Hope everyone is well!
TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
My Favorite Things Recipes!!
I went to an activity for church on Tuesday night where the theme was "Our Favorite Things" so I chose the recipes that I usually make for my birthday or other very special occasions!
Chicken With Artichoke Hearts
3-4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1/4 c. Butter
1 4oz can of whole mushrooms (button mushrooms)
2 medium onions-thinly sliced
2 cans quartered artichoke hearts (NOT marinated, just in brine)
1/2 tsp. thyme (ground or leaves, it doesn't matter)
1/2 tsp. sweet basil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 bouillon cube
Cut chicken into bite size pieces brown slowly in butter. Drain mushrooms and reserve liquid. Add onions, artichokes (with liquid), mushrooms and seasonings. Dissolve bouillon cube in mushroom liquid and pour over chicken mixture. Cook for 5 minutes serve over rice with Sour Cream Sauce
Sour Cream Sauce
1 c. Sour Cream
2 Tbls. Chopped Parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 Tbls. Lemon Juice
Stir!
Some quick notes:
I don't reserve the mushroom liquid and dissolve the bouillon cube, I just put it all in the pot together and simmer it just a touch longer to dissolve the bouillon.
And I use Calrose rice, sticky rice, it's just a preference thing...and I have served it with a side Caesar salad.
Fettuccine with Chicken and Zucchini
Saute garlic with 2-3 chicken breasts (cut into bite-size pieces)and 2-3 small zucchini in real butter--about 4 Tbls. Saute until chicken is no longer pink and lightly browned. Set aside.
First you make a roux, which is equal parts flour and butter (I generally use 3 Tbls of each). Then add a pint (16oz) of sour cream and a pint of half and half (stir frequently to avoid curdling). Sprinkle with liberal amounts of Parmesan and Romano cheeses. Add chicken to sauce and pour over a 1 lb. package of cooked Fettuccine noodles. Toss together and ENJOY!
Korean Marinated Steak
1 Scored Flank Steak
3 T. Sesame seeds
2 T. Cooking oil
1/2 c. Soy Sauce
2 cloves of garlic, Crushed (I use minced)
1/2 t. black pepper
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 bunch green onions, chopped
Place steak in a ziploc bag. Mix up remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour in bag with the steak and put in the refrigerator for 3 hours(minimum)-overnight. Broil about 5-7 minutes per side.
Apple Oatmeal Crisp
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 6 cups apples - peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.) Lightly grease a 9x13 pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, oats, flour and butter. Mix until crumbly. Place half of crumb mixture in pan. Spread the apples evenly over crumb mixture. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and top with remaining crumb mixture.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown.
My Notes: If you don’t want quite so much, cut the recipe in half and use an 8 inch square pan. Also, with the mixture that you place at the bottom of the pan, lightly press it into the pan. As for what kind of apples to use, I like Fuji, because they are sweet and tart and they stay a little crunchy after baking.
Chicken With Artichoke Hearts
3-4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
1/4 c. Butter
1 4oz can of whole mushrooms (button mushrooms)
2 medium onions-thinly sliced
2 cans quartered artichoke hearts (NOT marinated, just in brine)
1/2 tsp. thyme (ground or leaves, it doesn't matter)
1/2 tsp. sweet basil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 bouillon cube
Cut chicken into bite size pieces brown slowly in butter. Drain mushrooms and reserve liquid. Add onions, artichokes (with liquid), mushrooms and seasonings. Dissolve bouillon cube in mushroom liquid and pour over chicken mixture. Cook for 5 minutes serve over rice with Sour Cream Sauce
Sour Cream Sauce
1 c. Sour Cream
2 Tbls. Chopped Parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 Tbls. Lemon Juice
Stir!
Some quick notes:
I don't reserve the mushroom liquid and dissolve the bouillon cube, I just put it all in the pot together and simmer it just a touch longer to dissolve the bouillon.
And I use Calrose rice, sticky rice, it's just a preference thing...and I have served it with a side Caesar salad.
Fettuccine with Chicken and Zucchini
Saute garlic with 2-3 chicken breasts (cut into bite-size pieces)and 2-3 small zucchini in real butter--about 4 Tbls. Saute until chicken is no longer pink and lightly browned. Set aside.
First you make a roux, which is equal parts flour and butter (I generally use 3 Tbls of each). Then add a pint (16oz) of sour cream and a pint of half and half (stir frequently to avoid curdling). Sprinkle with liberal amounts of Parmesan and Romano cheeses. Add chicken to sauce and pour over a 1 lb. package of cooked Fettuccine noodles. Toss together and ENJOY!
Korean Marinated Steak
1 Scored Flank Steak
3 T. Sesame seeds
2 T. Cooking oil
1/2 c. Soy Sauce
2 cloves of garlic, Crushed (I use minced)
1/2 t. black pepper
1/2 t. ground ginger
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 bunch green onions, chopped
Place steak in a ziploc bag. Mix up remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour in bag with the steak and put in the refrigerator for 3 hours(minimum)-overnight. Broil about 5-7 minutes per side.
Apple Oatmeal Crisp
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 6 cups apples - peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.) Lightly grease a 9x13 pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, oats, flour and butter. Mix until crumbly. Place half of crumb mixture in pan. Spread the apples evenly over crumb mixture. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and top with remaining crumb mixture.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown.
My Notes: If you don’t want quite so much, cut the recipe in half and use an 8 inch square pan. Also, with the mixture that you place at the bottom of the pan, lightly press it into the pan. As for what kind of apples to use, I like Fuji, because they are sweet and tart and they stay a little crunchy after baking.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Soap Box
Hello from Reno!
First, some very exciting news! The Reno-Tahoe Odyssey is coming up in June, and I am running in it! I will be part of a 12 member team that will be running a relay that totals 178 miles! YAY!! Second, Jason and I are buying a house, we just opened escrow a couple of days ago and we are set to close on March 29th! It's a perfect house for our family at this point in our lives! A nice (fully fenced) yard that the kids can go and play in, and lots of USABLE space...our last house was full of completely useless space!
Okay, now up onto my soap box I climb! Some things you need to know about me: I am a REGISTERED Democrat. I tried to believe what the Republican Party believes but it just didn't mesh with my own personal convictions. I believe it is the responsibility of those with more to help those with less, and to work to lift them up so that they can improve their circumstances, not just for themselves but for their children. Next, I am pro-choice, I firmly believe in a woman's right to choose what is right for her body and her family. However, if I get pregnant, I believe that that child is being sent by God to our family for a reason, so to terminate a pregnancy is not the choice that I would make for my body and my family, but if that is the choice you are making, I certainly won't stop you, however, I will talk to you and make sure you have considered other options.
Now, the final thing. There has been a big dust up in the news about the Susan G. Komen Foundation cutting its funding to Planned Parenthood. I cannot reasonably support an organization that is willing to play politics with the lives of women they are supposed to be protecting! The money the Komen Foundation provides to Planned Parenthood is used for a variety of different things. This includes breast exams (to detect breast cancer, you know, the disease that the Komen Foundation is working to cure!), but also, tests like PAP smears to detect other cancers, and I'm sure the money is also used to provide low income women with contraception and help (like counseling) when they have nowhere else to go!
And now, after the hellfire of public opinion has opened their eyes, the Komen Foundation has changed its mind and has decided to once again help in funding Planned Parenthood. This is not, as I saw one person phrase it, "caving to the liberals", it is DOING WHAT IS RIGHT! So if doing what is right is "caving to the liberals" then I'm glad they "caved"!
Now, if you read this and get offended, that's your right! I don't care if you agree with me, I do care that you do what you need to in order to come to your own conclusions and decide what you personally believe, don't just follow what you think people want you to follow!
TTFN! Ta Ta For Now
--MS:)--
First, some very exciting news! The Reno-Tahoe Odyssey is coming up in June, and I am running in it! I will be part of a 12 member team that will be running a relay that totals 178 miles! YAY!! Second, Jason and I are buying a house, we just opened escrow a couple of days ago and we are set to close on March 29th! It's a perfect house for our family at this point in our lives! A nice (fully fenced) yard that the kids can go and play in, and lots of USABLE space...our last house was full of completely useless space!
Okay, now up onto my soap box I climb! Some things you need to know about me: I am a REGISTERED Democrat. I tried to believe what the Republican Party believes but it just didn't mesh with my own personal convictions. I believe it is the responsibility of those with more to help those with less, and to work to lift them up so that they can improve their circumstances, not just for themselves but for their children. Next, I am pro-choice, I firmly believe in a woman's right to choose what is right for her body and her family. However, if I get pregnant, I believe that that child is being sent by God to our family for a reason, so to terminate a pregnancy is not the choice that I would make for my body and my family, but if that is the choice you are making, I certainly won't stop you, however, I will talk to you and make sure you have considered other options.
Now, the final thing. There has been a big dust up in the news about the Susan G. Komen Foundation cutting its funding to Planned Parenthood. I cannot reasonably support an organization that is willing to play politics with the lives of women they are supposed to be protecting! The money the Komen Foundation provides to Planned Parenthood is used for a variety of different things. This includes breast exams (to detect breast cancer, you know, the disease that the Komen Foundation is working to cure!), but also, tests like PAP smears to detect other cancers, and I'm sure the money is also used to provide low income women with contraception and help (like counseling) when they have nowhere else to go!
And now, after the hellfire of public opinion has opened their eyes, the Komen Foundation has changed its mind and has decided to once again help in funding Planned Parenthood. This is not, as I saw one person phrase it, "caving to the liberals", it is DOING WHAT IS RIGHT! So if doing what is right is "caving to the liberals" then I'm glad they "caved"!
Now, if you read this and get offended, that's your right! I don't care if you agree with me, I do care that you do what you need to in order to come to your own conclusions and decide what you personally believe, don't just follow what you think people want you to follow!
TTFN! Ta Ta For Now
--MS:)--
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Happy New Year (and then some)!!
Happy New Year from Reno!
Sorry to say, our year hasn't been super eventful! No babies born this year! And before too many people get excited, there won't be any born this year either! Anyway, we're still in Reno, as you can tell from the opening of this post! We still love it! In fact, we came to realize over Christmas, while we were visiting family in Michigan that Reno really is a small town! To us, even Troy, Michigan, which is about 45 minutes north of Detroit, is a big city!
We had a great Christmas, we went to Michigan to see both families! That was a whole mess of food and a whole lot of running back and forth! I got to go running with my dad twice, he sure is fast for an old man! I kept up with him the best I could, but then he'd come up with some kind of second wind and just continued to become a smaller and smaller dot on the horizon!
Boo got to play with all of his cousins over Christmas! He had such a good time, and he is talking more now, and much better than before! That always happens when we come home from seeing family! There are just more people talking to him and more people for him to talk to!
Scarlett is a whole year old now, and she walks just about everywhere! She started walking shortly after she turned 11 months old! And she's just gotten better and better at it! She still just has two teeth, though. Some more are just under the gums about to pop through, but as far as clearly visible teeth, she still has just the two! She also started talking here and there! She started saying KiKi (kitty cat) since my parents have cats. She also started saying Dinosaur Train (Boo got a whole mess of Dinosaur train toys for Christmas, from both Santa and Mommy and Daddy!) and apple. But since she is only starting talking, all animals are KiKis (strangely, they all say "woof", since she also spent some time around her cousin's dog!), and all fruit is an apple!
Boo was entertaining people on the plane to Michigan! The very nice gentleman sitting next to us in particular. And when we landed in Dallas the man turned his phone on and the screen lit up with "Verizon 4G LTE" and Boo saw it and read it out loud. This man then looked at me with a look that said, "Did he just read that?!" and all I could do was look at him with a look that said, "Yes, he did, and yes, I am that screwed!" Long story short, Boo does read a handful of words, I am now counting down the days to when he's in elementary school and reading "Lord of the Rings" or "Dune"! I just can't believe how gosh darn smart he is! He understands so much and is so cute about it! I am amazed at how big he's gotten even though he'll always be my sweet little baby boy!
Christmas was good, LOTS of food, LOTS of family, LOTS of fun and LOTS of love! We're glad we got to see so much of our family!
We hope you all had a wonderful Holiday season and a wonderful beginning to 2012!
May you have a healthy and prosperous year!
TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Scarlett had a Birthday!!
I have a few friends who aren't on Facebook...so here are the pictures of Scarlett's Very First Birthday! And a couple from Halloween!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Reflection Time!
Hello from Reno!
Well, like I said, it's "Reflection Time"! This time last year I was still pregnant with my second baby! Now that baby is nearly a year old! I can't believe how fast time has flown! Boo is getting older, bigger, and SMARTER! He knows the alphabet VERY well, and spells EVERYTHING! He also counts very well! He reads a small handful of words as well! I just can't get over how smart he is! He's also quite a challenge from time to time, mostly with listening, he pushes boundaries that have been in place since he was a tiny baby! I continue to hope that he gets easier! The big hope is that as his language skills continue to grow and evolve, so will his abilities to reason.
We have lived in Reno for a little more than a year and we love it more and more every day! We are in the midst of fall, in fact, thanks to some fairly strong wind a couple of days ago, the trees that are closest to us have lost most of their leaves! Soon we'll have snow! We have discovered that we are small town kind of people...at least now we are! We lived in Salem, OR for a year and at the time it was too small a town. Then we lived in Las Vegas for seven very. long. years. And that was too big, we're like the Goldie Locks of residence! Reno is just right!
Some things have changed in recent months, I am experiencing my teen years all over again! I got braces back in August to correct my mid-line so that I don't have a tooth in the middle of my mouth! With any luck, I will be out of the braces by next Christmas! So, because I'm in braces and can't eat some of my favorite foods (mostly candy, specifically, sticky, gooey candy) I took it upon myself to join a gym and start getting in shape for some road races that I want to run next year! So, now I'm training for the Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Half-Marathon. Reno also has a Marathon and Half-Marathon, so I might run that one, and there is also another race in the Reno Tahoe area called "The Odyssey" that is 178 miles that is run as a team relay, hopefully, I can find a team that will have me, and I can run that one as well!
As far as training and running goes, it's going well, I am running at just over a 10 minute mile, in fact just yesterday (11/7/11) I ran three miles in 30:36! I have never run that fast in my life! Seattle ought to be awesome! I'm also looking forward to running with my dad at Christmas and actually keeping up with him!
I think that's all for now! I hope everything is going well for everyone! TTFN, Ta Ta For Now!
--MS:)--
Well, like I said, it's "Reflection Time"! This time last year I was still pregnant with my second baby! Now that baby is nearly a year old! I can't believe how fast time has flown! Boo is getting older, bigger, and SMARTER! He knows the alphabet VERY well, and spells EVERYTHING! He also counts very well! He reads a small handful of words as well! I just can't get over how smart he is! He's also quite a challenge from time to time, mostly with listening, he pushes boundaries that have been in place since he was a tiny baby! I continue to hope that he gets easier! The big hope is that as his language skills continue to grow and evolve, so will his abilities to reason.
We have lived in Reno for a little more than a year and we love it more and more every day! We are in the midst of fall, in fact, thanks to some fairly strong wind a couple of days ago, the trees that are closest to us have lost most of their leaves! Soon we'll have snow! We have discovered that we are small town kind of people...at least now we are! We lived in Salem, OR for a year and at the time it was too small a town. Then we lived in Las Vegas for seven very. long. years. And that was too big, we're like the Goldie Locks of residence! Reno is just right!
Some things have changed in recent months, I am experiencing my teen years all over again! I got braces back in August to correct my mid-line so that I don't have a tooth in the middle of my mouth! With any luck, I will be out of the braces by next Christmas! So, because I'm in braces and can't eat some of my favorite foods (mostly candy, specifically, sticky, gooey candy) I took it upon myself to join a gym and start getting in shape for some road races that I want to run next year! So, now I'm training for the Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Half-Marathon. Reno also has a Marathon and Half-Marathon, so I might run that one, and there is also another race in the Reno Tahoe area called "The Odyssey" that is 178 miles that is run as a team relay, hopefully, I can find a team that will have me, and I can run that one as well!
As far as training and running goes, it's going well, I am running at just over a 10 minute mile, in fact just yesterday (11/7/11) I ran three miles in 30:36! I have never run that fast in my life! Seattle ought to be awesome! I'm also looking forward to running with my dad at Christmas and actually keeping up with him!
I think that's all for now! I hope everything is going well for everyone! TTFN, Ta Ta For Now!
--MS:)--
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Yummy yummy yummy I've got love in my tummy!
Here are the "recipes" that I have been posting about on Facebook! They were pretty much improvised, I'm more of an exact measurement kind of person...I don't much care for recipes that go by the "I don't know, until it looks right" type cooking.
Bean Dip
1- 8oz brick of cream cheese, softened
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can whole sweet kernel corn, drained
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 small can diced jalapeno peppers
1 1/2 tsp. dark chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 1/2 tsp. salt or to taste
cayenne pepper to taste- but I think I used about a teaspoon and a half...
Combine ingredients in a mixing bowl, stir them all together, serve with tortilla chips...I served the dip warm, it was a little strange cold...
Fajita Marinade
4 Anaheim peppers, seeded, and cut into smaller pieces
1/2 an onion
3 Tablespoons of Minced Garlic
1 3/4 tsp. salt
some lime juice
Use either chicken or beef cut up into strips...Place the ingredients for the marinade in a blender or food processor and blend well (I used a blender and set it to puree) Place the cut up meat in a gallon size resealable bag and pour the marinade over the meat. Refrigerate for 24 hours, I did it for two days...
Then cook the meat anyway you want...I put mine in the oven at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes. Top with any desired toppings (guacamole, sour cream, shredded lettuce, whatever you like.) And ENJOY!
Bean Dip
1- 8oz brick of cream cheese, softened
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can whole sweet kernel corn, drained
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 small can diced jalapeno peppers
1 1/2 tsp. dark chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 1/2 tsp. salt or to taste
cayenne pepper to taste- but I think I used about a teaspoon and a half...
Combine ingredients in a mixing bowl, stir them all together, serve with tortilla chips...I served the dip warm, it was a little strange cold...
Fajita Marinade
4 Anaheim peppers, seeded, and cut into smaller pieces
1/2 an onion
3 Tablespoons of Minced Garlic
1 3/4 tsp. salt
some lime juice
Use either chicken or beef cut up into strips...Place the ingredients for the marinade in a blender or food processor and blend well (I used a blender and set it to puree) Place the cut up meat in a gallon size resealable bag and pour the marinade over the meat. Refrigerate for 24 hours, I did it for two days...
Then cook the meat anyway you want...I put mine in the oven at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes. Top with any desired toppings (guacamole, sour cream, shredded lettuce, whatever you like.) And ENJOY!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Happy New Year!
Hello from Reno!
I hope everyone had a lovely Holiday season! Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, or Festivus...And I hope everyone had a safe and happy new year! I can tell you that I had a pretty good Christmas and New Year's. Mostly because our beautiful baby girl made her debut! So far Boo is a wonderful big brother, he pretty much ignores her until she starts fussing and then he wonders what is making that noise and then once in a while he tries to comfort her...in his slightly overly aggressive two and a half year old way...it's cute but also a little frightening at the same time!
So as I mentioned before, our beautiful baby girl finally made her much anticipated debut! We ended up doing a repeat c-section, since I wasn't able to convince my body to go into labor on its own! This time the c-section and the recovery went much better than the first time around, I think it also has to do with the fact that I knew what to expect this time. The only thing was that I could still feel and move my arms once the spinal took effect, and that freaked me out since I couldn't feel or move them when I had Boo...My doctor did a very good job, it was quick and easy and he even held up our little girl so that (in theory) I could see her over the drape. However, all I ended up being able to see was her hand. One other difference that I seemed to notice was that Jason wasn't allowed to come in until they had made the initial incision, for some reason I remember him being there the entire time, like just after the drape was put up with Boo. After a little tugging and pulling and a minor freak out on my part, our beautiful Scarlett Yvaine Secrest was born into the world at 8:05am on Wednesday December 8th! We decided on the name Scarlett because I really liked Gone with the Wind, and that Scarlett was very dramatic and our Scarlett came into the world in a very dramatic fashion, screaming her head off! She was a very healthy 7 pounds and 4 ounces and 19 inches long. One other thing that was different about this delivery was that from the operating room I was taken to recovery and Scarlett was taken to the nursery not to our room, and it was a couple of hours before she was brought to me, but on the plus side, the nurses and doctors in the nursery did NOT give her formula, with Boo, the nursery staff gave him formula because "his blood sugar was low" and looking back on it, I think they were just trying to get him to calm down...
Also, this time instead of the postpartum nurse coming in and saying "it's time for your percoset", they came in and asked what my pain level was on a scale of one to ten, then asked if I wanted one or two percoset, so as a result, I was much more lucid and I remember much more of my daughter's first three days of life. Another thing was that I got scolded a little for letting her nurse for 40 minutes on one side, in my defense, I had just had some percoset, and I kept falling asleep!
My mom was able to come out the day that Scarlett was born, and help with taking care of Boo and she got to meet her very first granddaughter when she was just brand new! Then, just 8 days later, in an effort to have people around to help me, I flew back to Michigan with my mom to finish up my recovery and enjoy the holidays with my family and my husband's family!
We also had Miss Scarlett blessed/dedicated while we were in Michigan! I would post pictures of that day, but we weren't able to assemble everyone in one shot to do the pictures, so in a few weeks, Jason, Boo, Scarlett and I are going to have pictures done and I will post those.
So far, this being a mom of two thing is going well! Boo really does have ways of getting attention, he climbs up in my lap when he wants attention from his mommy! Miss Scarlett is much more vocal than Boo was at the same age, she definitely lets her mommy know when she's ticked off! Getting places does take a little longer, and a little more planning, but it can be done!!
Again I hope everyone had a wonderful end to 2010 and a terrific beginning to 2011! Enjoy every minute! I think that's all for now!
TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!
--MS:)--
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Countdown to baby, Christmas, and the New Year!
Hello again from Reno!
The Countdown is on! As I mentioned previously, we have decided on a scheduled repeat c-section but if I happen to go into labor before December 8th on my own, then we will go ahead with a VBAC delivery...Although, it doesn't really look like the deck is stacked in my favor, at my most recent office visit, my doctor checked me and at 38 weeks and a couple of days, I wasn't even a full centimeter dilated and I'm not even a little bit effaced...Little miss has dropped quite a bit, in fact she has dropped so much that I have a tendency to feel like I'm walking with a bowling ball between my knees...that being said, she simply has not dropped enough to cause the kind of pressure it would take to make me dilate...DANG!
I'm not giving up hope all together on the VBAC front...according to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, even women who have had as many as two Cesarean sections should be afforded the chance to at least ATTEMPT a VBAC...
With the birth of our little girl just a couple of days away, I can't help but feel that I am not even a little bit prepared for her arrival! I was talking to my dad and he had some good insight, maybe the reason I felt so prepared when Boo was born was that I didn't have a 2 and a half year old to occupy so much of my attention...and I hadn't just moved, and so on and so forth...Also, I don't have an entire room set up for her, since I know I can't get around very quickly after a c-section, she will be sleeping in our room for a while, in a bassinet, and then once she is sleeping through the night, she will be moved into the same room as her brother...It's kind of crazy to think that Boo is going to be a big brother!!
After eight years of being married and not decorating AT ALL for Christmas, my very favorite holiday of the entire year, I finally decided that we needed something to bring out the Christmas spirit, especially with what is essentially a Christmas baby on her way! So I bought a very small (3 feet tall) artificial tree, even though I pretty much have my pick of places to go to get a real tree, neither Jason nor I really want to take care of a real tree, not this year anyway...I also used some of my birthday money to buy a fresh-cut evergreen wreath and I put that on our front door, it smells so good! I must have looked like a crazy person at Costco practically climbing into the bin and smelling for the best smelling wreath! We even have some bells on the doorknob on our front door, I remember having a decoration with bells on it on our front door when I was growing up, and I needed something with bells! I haven't done any baking just yet this year, maybe as we get closer to Christmas!
I'm excited to see what the new year has in store for us as our family grows and we learn to be a family of four instead of just three! My hope is that I can be a good mother to both of my children, I worry that all of my attention will go to the new baby and Boo will just get left out in the cold! I'm pretty sure that is an irrational fear since Boo has his ways of getting attention from me!
I think that is all for now, I will be sure to post in a few days after Little Miss makes her official arrival! I hope everyone is well!
TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!
--MS:)--
Sunday, November 28, 2010
A few people have requested pictures be posted!
Even though most if not all of my blog followers are also my friends on facebook, I have a few friends who are not on facebook and want to see some more recent pictures...
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Baby Update!
Hello from Reno!
So, I know I just posted a few days ago, but I thought I would give you another update! I'm now about 36 weeks pregnant, 3 and a half weeks to go! I can make it! I swear I can! The reason I say I have 3 and a half weeks to go is because of what we've opted to do delivery wise...
I would like to attempt a VBAC, and I've been able to convince my doctor that I can do it! However, it turns out that it is one of those "if all the stars align" type deals...Also, I might just change doctors after the birth of this child, mostly because I don't really like the size of the practice that my doctor is with, there are about 11 doctors in the group! So, anyway, according to this practice and their policy, the following things need to happen for me to do a VBAC: My doctor needs to be the one on-call, I have to go into labor on my own (they won't induce for a VBAC), and I have to go into labor by 40 weeks...meaning, I have to have this little girl on or before my due date which is December 14th, otherwise they will do a c-section anyway...
In doing a little bit of thinking, I realized that genetically speaking, the odds are not in my favor. My mother did not have a single one of her babies on or before their due date, her record was 15 days past her due date, that was me! I just didn't feel like being born in October! And my mother's other children who have given birth have gone past their due dates as well. So, what we've decided to do, it to just schedule the section for December 8th and if I happen to go into labor on my own before that, cool! If not, oh well...
Also, I'm working on getting things ready for little miss to make her debut! That silly nesting instinct has hit me pretty hard, I cleaned the apartment for several hours today, and I still feel like it's not clean enough!
Anyway, I think that's all, I hope all is well with everyone!
TTFN!! Ta Ta For Now!
--MS:)--
So, I know I just posted a few days ago, but I thought I would give you another update! I'm now about 36 weeks pregnant, 3 and a half weeks to go! I can make it! I swear I can! The reason I say I have 3 and a half weeks to go is because of what we've opted to do delivery wise...
I would like to attempt a VBAC, and I've been able to convince my doctor that I can do it! However, it turns out that it is one of those "if all the stars align" type deals...Also, I might just change doctors after the birth of this child, mostly because I don't really like the size of the practice that my doctor is with, there are about 11 doctors in the group! So, anyway, according to this practice and their policy, the following things need to happen for me to do a VBAC: My doctor needs to be the one on-call, I have to go into labor on my own (they won't induce for a VBAC), and I have to go into labor by 40 weeks...meaning, I have to have this little girl on or before my due date which is December 14th, otherwise they will do a c-section anyway...
In doing a little bit of thinking, I realized that genetically speaking, the odds are not in my favor. My mother did not have a single one of her babies on or before their due date, her record was 15 days past her due date, that was me! I just didn't feel like being born in October! And my mother's other children who have given birth have gone past their due dates as well. So, what we've decided to do, it to just schedule the section for December 8th and if I happen to go into labor on my own before that, cool! If not, oh well...
Also, I'm working on getting things ready for little miss to make her debut! That silly nesting instinct has hit me pretty hard, I cleaned the apartment for several hours today, and I still feel like it's not clean enough!
Anyway, I think that's all, I hope all is well with everyone!
TTFN!! Ta Ta For Now!
--MS:)--
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Post Election and Other Observations
Hello again from Reno!
Starting with news: I'm only about 4 weeks out from having this little girl! I think she's getting to the over it phase...she's just done being stuck in my belly! More good news! Jason is now working directly for the company that he was contracting for when we initially moved up here! So it looks like this whole Reno thing is going to be pretty long term...Sorry to our Vegas friends, but it looks like we're not coming back anytime soon! Also, we've just accepted an offer on our house, now we just have to wait for the bank to approve it and we'll be good to go! YIPPEE!!
Less than awesome news: I ended up having to go and repeat my one hour glucose screen because my results from my previous doctor's office were never sent...UGH!! So like an idiot I scheduled the repeat test for November 1st...for those of you keeping score, that is the day after Halloween! And what did I do on Halloween? The same thing I've done since I discovered the magic of Halloween, I stayed up late binging on candy! So I wasn't fasting and I hadn't really had much water to drink, so my test came back elevated...I didn't fail outright, but it was higher than normal, so now I have to do the three hour test! Whatever!
Now, on to the actual title of this blog post. First, post-election stuff. Unless you live under a rock, a very large rock, you all know we recently had mid-term elections. As predicted, the Republican party regained control of the House of Representatives and the Democratic party retained control of the Senate. I refuse to refer to the two major parties in this country as "the Republicans" and "the Democrats"...this is not the Hatfield's and the McCoy's, as much as many people would like to think differently. The whole "it's us against them" mentality. There is a lot of noise about not compromising...very much "It's our way or the highway!" Now, maybe I'm the only one who actually attended and listened in Government and Civics, but I'm fairly certain that compromise was one reason that we fought for our independence, we didn't want to have to bend to the will of one person or one group of people. Compromise is a major component of a working Democracy.
I don't usually get very political on the Internet, but I have to say that I have been interested in politics for pretty close to as long as I can remember. I turned ten years old on Election day in 1992, and when people asked me what I wanted for my birthday, I would tell them to go vote! My opinion is, if you're not going to exercise your right to vote, then you have no room to complain about the state of affairs in this country!
Okay, that's my political rant, now on to other observations. I have taken notice of my driving practices...I semi-jokingly tell people that I have a real problem with road rage...like I said, SEMI-joking...I get really annoyed when people do stupid stuff, like speed up to get in front of me, cut me off and then slow down to under the speed limit! That's another thing, I don't really like sticking to speed limits. People! They're not serious when the sign says 65, they mean more like 72...Also, apparently, having a lead foot is genetic, and genetics can't really be cured. Another thing, I learned to drive in Detroit where silly things like using one's turn signal and observing the speed limit are really just gentle suggestions...I can say with great certainty, that if you get on the freeway in and around Detroit and do the speed limit, you will encounter numerous people with a broken horn but fully functional fingers, if you catch my drift. I'm pretty sure that if I had learned to drive somewhere else, really anywhere else, I would not have these attitudes about driving! My motto is "Drive it like you stole it!"
Next observation, I like to do what I call "Sociological experiments" when I'm out and about. One that I used to do was to see how often I carded for any particular purpose when I was by myself versus when I'm out with Jason. In case you don't know, Jason is 11 years older than I am and you can clearly see that he is older than 21. I found that I would get carded every single time when I was alone, but only about a quarter of the time when I was with Jason.
Funny story about looking, or more accurately, not looking my age. It was still census time, and census workers were going door to door. One day, one of these census workers came to my door. I opened the front door and this very sweet woman said, "Hi! I'm so and so with the United States census. Is your mom home?" And I answered, "Well, ma'am, I am the mom...so, yes, I'm home..." She then followed up with, "Oh my goodness! I'm sorry! I thought you were a teenager!" In her defense, I didn't have ANY make-up on, I was wearing my glasses and I did not style my hair that day, and when wear or don't do those things, I do look MUCH younger than I am!
Anyway, on with another observation that follows the line of sociological experiments. I do not wear my engagement ring and wedding band when I take a shower, I don't want to get them tangled in my hair and I don't want all the soap crud to get in under the diamond in my engagement ring. Because I take them off when I take a shower, I don't always remember to put them back on when I get out of the shower. Sometimes, I end up going out without them on. And now with a two year old son and clearly pregnant belly, I get one of two reactions from people when they see my son and that I am clearly expecting another, and they come from complete opposite ends of the spectrum. I either get a reaction of "Oh! How wonderful! When are you due??" Or, I get people who refuse to make eye contact with me but are clearly disgusted with the fact that I am pregnant again and I'm not married...the conclusion of these experiments, people are very strange...
Anyway, we're getting ready for this baby girl to make her debut, and Boo is getting bigger and talks ALL THE TIME!! I feel for my mother now, I'm wildly surprised that she maintained any degree of sanity through our childhoods, especially when we were going through our "repeating phase"...by that I mean, repeating ourselves until she or really anybody answered us back!
Okay then, I think that's everything for now! I hope everyone is doing well!
TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!
--MS:)--
Starting with news: I'm only about 4 weeks out from having this little girl! I think she's getting to the over it phase...she's just done being stuck in my belly! More good news! Jason is now working directly for the company that he was contracting for when we initially moved up here! So it looks like this whole Reno thing is going to be pretty long term...Sorry to our Vegas friends, but it looks like we're not coming back anytime soon! Also, we've just accepted an offer on our house, now we just have to wait for the bank to approve it and we'll be good to go! YIPPEE!!
Less than awesome news: I ended up having to go and repeat my one hour glucose screen because my results from my previous doctor's office were never sent...UGH!! So like an idiot I scheduled the repeat test for November 1st...for those of you keeping score, that is the day after Halloween! And what did I do on Halloween? The same thing I've done since I discovered the magic of Halloween, I stayed up late binging on candy! So I wasn't fasting and I hadn't really had much water to drink, so my test came back elevated...I didn't fail outright, but it was higher than normal, so now I have to do the three hour test! Whatever!
Now, on to the actual title of this blog post. First, post-election stuff. Unless you live under a rock, a very large rock, you all know we recently had mid-term elections. As predicted, the Republican party regained control of the House of Representatives and the Democratic party retained control of the Senate. I refuse to refer to the two major parties in this country as "the Republicans" and "the Democrats"...this is not the Hatfield's and the McCoy's, as much as many people would like to think differently. The whole "it's us against them" mentality. There is a lot of noise about not compromising...very much "It's our way or the highway!" Now, maybe I'm the only one who actually attended and listened in Government and Civics, but I'm fairly certain that compromise was one reason that we fought for our independence, we didn't want to have to bend to the will of one person or one group of people. Compromise is a major component of a working Democracy.
I don't usually get very political on the Internet, but I have to say that I have been interested in politics for pretty close to as long as I can remember. I turned ten years old on Election day in 1992, and when people asked me what I wanted for my birthday, I would tell them to go vote! My opinion is, if you're not going to exercise your right to vote, then you have no room to complain about the state of affairs in this country!
Okay, that's my political rant, now on to other observations. I have taken notice of my driving practices...I semi-jokingly tell people that I have a real problem with road rage...like I said, SEMI-joking...I get really annoyed when people do stupid stuff, like speed up to get in front of me, cut me off and then slow down to under the speed limit! That's another thing, I don't really like sticking to speed limits. People! They're not serious when the sign says 65, they mean more like 72...Also, apparently, having a lead foot is genetic, and genetics can't really be cured. Another thing, I learned to drive in Detroit where silly things like using one's turn signal and observing the speed limit are really just gentle suggestions...I can say with great certainty, that if you get on the freeway in and around Detroit and do the speed limit, you will encounter numerous people with a broken horn but fully functional fingers, if you catch my drift. I'm pretty sure that if I had learned to drive somewhere else, really anywhere else, I would not have these attitudes about driving! My motto is "Drive it like you stole it!"
Next observation, I like to do what I call "Sociological experiments" when I'm out and about. One that I used to do was to see how often I carded for any particular purpose when I was by myself versus when I'm out with Jason. In case you don't know, Jason is 11 years older than I am and you can clearly see that he is older than 21. I found that I would get carded every single time when I was alone, but only about a quarter of the time when I was with Jason.
Funny story about looking, or more accurately, not looking my age. It was still census time, and census workers were going door to door. One day, one of these census workers came to my door. I opened the front door and this very sweet woman said, "Hi! I'm so and so with the United States census. Is your mom home?" And I answered, "Well, ma'am, I am the mom...so, yes, I'm home..." She then followed up with, "Oh my goodness! I'm sorry! I thought you were a teenager!" In her defense, I didn't have ANY make-up on, I was wearing my glasses and I did not style my hair that day, and when wear or don't do those things, I do look MUCH younger than I am!
Anyway, on with another observation that follows the line of sociological experiments. I do not wear my engagement ring and wedding band when I take a shower, I don't want to get them tangled in my hair and I don't want all the soap crud to get in under the diamond in my engagement ring. Because I take them off when I take a shower, I don't always remember to put them back on when I get out of the shower. Sometimes, I end up going out without them on. And now with a two year old son and clearly pregnant belly, I get one of two reactions from people when they see my son and that I am clearly expecting another, and they come from complete opposite ends of the spectrum. I either get a reaction of "Oh! How wonderful! When are you due??" Or, I get people who refuse to make eye contact with me but are clearly disgusted with the fact that I am pregnant again and I'm not married...the conclusion of these experiments, people are very strange...
Anyway, we're getting ready for this baby girl to make her debut, and Boo is getting bigger and talks ALL THE TIME!! I feel for my mother now, I'm wildly surprised that she maintained any degree of sanity through our childhoods, especially when we were going through our "repeating phase"...by that I mean, repeating ourselves until she or really anybody answered us back!
Okay then, I think that's everything for now! I hope everyone is doing well!
TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!
--MS:)--
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Driving in Reno and other fun!
Hello again from Reno!
Let's get started on this super awesome update! That might be a bit of an exaggeration but I don't really care!
For starters, pregnancy stuff. I'm now a little over 32 weeks pregnant and it's going well, she is VERY active lately! I've discovered that she really likes hot apple cider! She is different from her brother in that she freaks out for only a few minutes when Jason comes home at the end of the day, Boo would freak out and keep moving for a couple of hours when Jason would come home at the end of the day! And to this day, Boo turns into a major spaz as soon as Jason walks through the door!
Now, OB/GYN stuff...Ugh! My current doctor almost made me go for a repeat glucose tolerance test because I suspect they were requesting that my previous doctor's office FAX them my results...so when I called my previous doctor's office, I asked if they even had the results, yes they did and they could MAIL them but could not FAX them! So then I called my current doctor's office, and according to their person in medical records, my glucose test results had been mailed to them and added to my current records! YAY!! No repeat of the one hour glucose test! For those of you who have not experienced one, they aren't bad, but they certainly aren't fun! You drink this icky stuff that tastes like flat soda and is LOADED with sugar, and then you wait an hour and they do a blood draw to see if your body processed the sugar the way it was supposed to! I don't have gestational diabetes and I knew that without even taking the stupid test in the first place! WHATEVER!!
Now on to other Reno stuff! Last weekend, we took Boo to an actual pumpkin patch for the very first time! It was fun! It was actually about an hour south of us, just past Carson City...It was fun until Boo decided he was done and had himself a major meltdown! Luckily, we were able to get a couple of pumpkins and a couple of other things before we had to leave! I'll post pictures soon!
And finally, yet another reason why I am really liking Reno! The DMV here was a BREEZE to get through! Unlike in Henderson, where the DMV might as well change it's name to the Henderson Monument to Inefficiency! I had to go today to both change the address on my license, and while I was there, renew my license, and we were in and out in under 40 minutes, that included waiting in line to get a new picture taken! And one other awesome bit, when you walk in the door, there is a person there that you explain why you're there and she directs you to the proper line...Again unlike in Henderson, where you walk in and you stand in a line that is about 8000 people long, just to get to the information desk to explain to them why you are there and then get your number and wait for your number to be called! Today, I walked in, got in line, got my number, and sat down...when I sat down they were just calling up G455. My number was G462! It was AWESOME!! AND it was during what could be considered lunch time! I would tell you all that you all need to move to Reno just for the DMV, but then that would hose up the works for me...and ordinarily, I'm not a selfish person, but when it comes to having to go to the DMV and haul my child(ren) with me, I am very selfish!
I think that's about all! I hope everyone is doing well!
TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!
--MS:)--
Let's get started on this super awesome update! That might be a bit of an exaggeration but I don't really care!
For starters, pregnancy stuff. I'm now a little over 32 weeks pregnant and it's going well, she is VERY active lately! I've discovered that she really likes hot apple cider! She is different from her brother in that she freaks out for only a few minutes when Jason comes home at the end of the day, Boo would freak out and keep moving for a couple of hours when Jason would come home at the end of the day! And to this day, Boo turns into a major spaz as soon as Jason walks through the door!
Now, OB/GYN stuff...Ugh! My current doctor almost made me go for a repeat glucose tolerance test because I suspect they were requesting that my previous doctor's office FAX them my results...so when I called my previous doctor's office, I asked if they even had the results, yes they did and they could MAIL them but could not FAX them! So then I called my current doctor's office, and according to their person in medical records, my glucose test results had been mailed to them and added to my current records! YAY!! No repeat of the one hour glucose test! For those of you who have not experienced one, they aren't bad, but they certainly aren't fun! You drink this icky stuff that tastes like flat soda and is LOADED with sugar, and then you wait an hour and they do a blood draw to see if your body processed the sugar the way it was supposed to! I don't have gestational diabetes and I knew that without even taking the stupid test in the first place! WHATEVER!!
Now on to other Reno stuff! Last weekend, we took Boo to an actual pumpkin patch for the very first time! It was fun! It was actually about an hour south of us, just past Carson City...It was fun until Boo decided he was done and had himself a major meltdown! Luckily, we were able to get a couple of pumpkins and a couple of other things before we had to leave! I'll post pictures soon!
And finally, yet another reason why I am really liking Reno! The DMV here was a BREEZE to get through! Unlike in Henderson, where the DMV might as well change it's name to the Henderson Monument to Inefficiency! I had to go today to both change the address on my license, and while I was there, renew my license, and we were in and out in under 40 minutes, that included waiting in line to get a new picture taken! And one other awesome bit, when you walk in the door, there is a person there that you explain why you're there and she directs you to the proper line...Again unlike in Henderson, where you walk in and you stand in a line that is about 8000 people long, just to get to the information desk to explain to them why you are there and then get your number and wait for your number to be called! Today, I walked in, got in line, got my number, and sat down...when I sat down they were just calling up G455. My number was G462! It was AWESOME!! AND it was during what could be considered lunch time! I would tell you all that you all need to move to Reno just for the DMV, but then that would hose up the works for me...and ordinarily, I'm not a selfish person, but when it comes to having to go to the DMV and haul my child(ren) with me, I am very selfish!
I think that's about all! I hope everyone is doing well!
TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!
--MS:)--
Monday, September 27, 2010
Feeling Whiny!
Hi Again All!
I'm really sorry, but I'm feeling really whiny and I don't really have anybody to piss and moan to other than those of you here in the blogosphere! So, again very sorry, but just go with it for a few minutes!
First, pregnancy gripes! When I was pregnant with Daemon (Boo, he goes by his nickname, which is Boo), it was really a very easy pregnancy...I was only moderately sick from about week 8 to week 12...and I only lost about 3 pounds and I didn't really have all the other crap that usually comes with being pregnant! And I only had some heartburn...
Well, this time, pregnancy has been COMPLETELY different!! And I understand that every pregnancy is different and a unique experience every time, but a little bit of similarity would be nice other than every time it ends with a baby being born...
This time, I was sick 24/7 from about week 7 to week 16...I ended up losing between 10 and 11 pounds. And it took several weeks to gain that weight back...and I haven't really gained much above what I weighed when I was first pregnant...
Now I'm to the point in the pregnancy when it's just uncomfortable to move, or sit or lay down...just uncomfortable...And I also have heartburn a little too often for my liking, I've started carrying a bottle of Tums with me everywhere I go! And I keep a bag of peppermint candy in the car when I can't get to the Tums...Oh! And I forgot the best part of this...Little Miss likes to make me eat spicy food...nice hot salsa and such...but then the kicker is that all that spicy food gives me killer heartburn, and the more I try to resist the spicy food craving, the more I want to eat!! Yet another no win situation...She's also up really high thus making it difficult to breathe quite often! Long story short, this has not been a particularly fun pregnancy!
And finally, I'm getting tired of picking up after people all day long! I am working on it with Boo...he's getting better, if I phrase it as "Boo get it!" then sometimes he will pick up his toys or whatever, but he's two, so I can't really expect a whole lot! I think most of this is just that I'm just generally tired, and lonely and wishing I had the ability to just hop on a private jet whenever I wanted so I could go and see my friends! Don't get me wrong, I've met some really cool people since we've been here, but it's still hard to pick up and move and try to make friends and find your way around simultaneously...
So, yeah, sorry about that little whine-fest I just needed to get that out! Hoping the next time won't be such a downer!
Anyway, I hope everyone is doing well! TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!
--MS:)--
I'm really sorry, but I'm feeling really whiny and I don't really have anybody to piss and moan to other than those of you here in the blogosphere! So, again very sorry, but just go with it for a few minutes!
First, pregnancy gripes! When I was pregnant with Daemon (Boo, he goes by his nickname, which is Boo), it was really a very easy pregnancy...I was only moderately sick from about week 8 to week 12...and I only lost about 3 pounds and I didn't really have all the other crap that usually comes with being pregnant! And I only had some heartburn...
Well, this time, pregnancy has been COMPLETELY different!! And I understand that every pregnancy is different and a unique experience every time, but a little bit of similarity would be nice other than every time it ends with a baby being born...
This time, I was sick 24/7 from about week 7 to week 16...I ended up losing between 10 and 11 pounds. And it took several weeks to gain that weight back...and I haven't really gained much above what I weighed when I was first pregnant...
Now I'm to the point in the pregnancy when it's just uncomfortable to move, or sit or lay down...just uncomfortable...And I also have heartburn a little too often for my liking, I've started carrying a bottle of Tums with me everywhere I go! And I keep a bag of peppermint candy in the car when I can't get to the Tums...Oh! And I forgot the best part of this...Little Miss likes to make me eat spicy food...nice hot salsa and such...but then the kicker is that all that spicy food gives me killer heartburn, and the more I try to resist the spicy food craving, the more I want to eat!! Yet another no win situation...She's also up really high thus making it difficult to breathe quite often! Long story short, this has not been a particularly fun pregnancy!
And finally, I'm getting tired of picking up after people all day long! I am working on it with Boo...he's getting better, if I phrase it as "Boo get it!" then sometimes he will pick up his toys or whatever, but he's two, so I can't really expect a whole lot! I think most of this is just that I'm just generally tired, and lonely and wishing I had the ability to just hop on a private jet whenever I wanted so I could go and see my friends! Don't get me wrong, I've met some really cool people since we've been here, but it's still hard to pick up and move and try to make friends and find your way around simultaneously...
So, yeah, sorry about that little whine-fest I just needed to get that out! Hoping the next time won't be such a downer!
Anyway, I hope everyone is doing well! TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!
--MS:)--
Friday, September 10, 2010
Randomness
Hi again from Reno!!
This is going to be a nice scatter brained post of just some randomness that has been swimming around in my head!!
First, awesomeness around Reno! Today I decided I should finally get on the ball and try to find an OB so that I don't just have to go into the woods somewhere and bite down on a branch when this baby comes! I know I wouldn't have had to, but I also didn't want to be at the mercy of whatever random resident happened to be on call at the hospital! Anyway, so I called the doctor's office and they needed my records from my previous doctor and wanted to know if I had a preference as to what doctor takes me on as a patient...so I decided it would be faster (ended up not so much faster) and cheaper (that part worked out) to just take my packet of medical records up to the office. Well, the office is in Downtown Reno, so I got to see the "Reno: The biggest little city..." sign! Very exciting! Also, I drove by this antique shop called "Somewhere in Time". I love that movie so I thought it was a really neat name for an antique shop! Then I saw the most awesome name for a bar and grill not far from the river in Downtown Reno! It was called "Amendment 21"! AWESOME!! For those of you who don't know, we're going to have a quick US Constitution lesson...the 21st Amendment was the one that repealed prohibition, thus allowing for a place like "Amendment 21" to even exist today! And the final bit of Reno awesomeness for the day, I saw a guy hauling gear for the "Great Reno Balloon Races". I just thought it was cool, and maybe I've seen "The Wizard of Oz" a couple too many times, but I don't even understand how you would race hot air balloons...
Now on to less awesome stuff about Reno...first of all there is currently massive amounts of road construction going on, thus making it difficult to get places in a reasonable amount of time in some parts of the city! And if I weren't so freaked out by just driving around and exploring, it probably wouldn't be such a big deal...sadly, I have this totally irrational fear that I will get lost and never be able to find my way back!
So, like I said before, I dropped off my medical records to the doctor's office I would like to start going to...by the way, I have an appointment with one of the doctor's next Wednesday! And I decided to mention that I am interested in at least attempting a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean, get it?! It's an acronym!) and the girl at the front desk of a practice called "OBGYN Associates" didn't know what "VBAC" was short for...so either she just answers phones and just doesn't concern herself with real patient relations, OR Nevada doctors just don't do very many VBAC procedures...I can't tell which!
Next, I was at Babies R Us yesterday just kind of looking at what my options were as far as a double stroller...and once I was done looking at all of that stuff, I found myself wandering around the "after pregnancy" aisle...nursing pads and whatnot...and I happened to see this thing that you wrap around your hips to bring them back to their pre-baby postition...and here's the thing that made me decide that it is a stupid product...it's this one kind that has been designed by Dennis Quaid's wife...and yes Dennis Quaid and his wife have twins...but he's the kicker, SHE didn't CARRY or BIRTH those babies!! She has NO IDEA the kind of changes your body undergoes when pregnant and after birth!! I might be convinced to buy a product like that from a person like Michelle Duggar or even Heidi Klum, but not some chick who has never been pregnant!! As far as I'm concerned that ranks right up there with a man giving me nursing advice!!
And finally, I was looking at my latest issue of People Magazine, yes I read it and I like it!! And on the cover is this teen couple who was on that show "Teen Mom" on MTV, and they made the very mature decision to place their baby for adoption. The headline on the cover was "We miss our baby". Now, call me crazy, I'm pretty sure you'd have to have ice water running in your veins to NOT miss a child that you carried and got to know over the course of a pregnancy and then give it to another family! I just thought it was a stupid headline...of course they miss their baby! It's only natural!
Alright, hopefully my next post won't be so very random! I hope everyone is doing well! TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!!
--MS:)--
This is going to be a nice scatter brained post of just some randomness that has been swimming around in my head!!
First, awesomeness around Reno! Today I decided I should finally get on the ball and try to find an OB so that I don't just have to go into the woods somewhere and bite down on a branch when this baby comes! I know I wouldn't have had to, but I also didn't want to be at the mercy of whatever random resident happened to be on call at the hospital! Anyway, so I called the doctor's office and they needed my records from my previous doctor and wanted to know if I had a preference as to what doctor takes me on as a patient...so I decided it would be faster (ended up not so much faster) and cheaper (that part worked out) to just take my packet of medical records up to the office. Well, the office is in Downtown Reno, so I got to see the "Reno: The biggest little city..." sign! Very exciting! Also, I drove by this antique shop called "Somewhere in Time". I love that movie so I thought it was a really neat name for an antique shop! Then I saw the most awesome name for a bar and grill not far from the river in Downtown Reno! It was called "Amendment 21"! AWESOME!! For those of you who don't know, we're going to have a quick US Constitution lesson...the 21st Amendment was the one that repealed prohibition, thus allowing for a place like "Amendment 21" to even exist today! And the final bit of Reno awesomeness for the day, I saw a guy hauling gear for the "Great Reno Balloon Races". I just thought it was cool, and maybe I've seen "The Wizard of Oz" a couple too many times, but I don't even understand how you would race hot air balloons...
Now on to less awesome stuff about Reno...first of all there is currently massive amounts of road construction going on, thus making it difficult to get places in a reasonable amount of time in some parts of the city! And if I weren't so freaked out by just driving around and exploring, it probably wouldn't be such a big deal...sadly, I have this totally irrational fear that I will get lost and never be able to find my way back!
So, like I said before, I dropped off my medical records to the doctor's office I would like to start going to...by the way, I have an appointment with one of the doctor's next Wednesday! And I decided to mention that I am interested in at least attempting a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean, get it?! It's an acronym!) and the girl at the front desk of a practice called "OBGYN Associates" didn't know what "VBAC" was short for...so either she just answers phones and just doesn't concern herself with real patient relations, OR Nevada doctors just don't do very many VBAC procedures...I can't tell which!
Next, I was at Babies R Us yesterday just kind of looking at what my options were as far as a double stroller...and once I was done looking at all of that stuff, I found myself wandering around the "after pregnancy" aisle...nursing pads and whatnot...and I happened to see this thing that you wrap around your hips to bring them back to their pre-baby postition...and here's the thing that made me decide that it is a stupid product...it's this one kind that has been designed by Dennis Quaid's wife...and yes Dennis Quaid and his wife have twins...but he's the kicker, SHE didn't CARRY or BIRTH those babies!! She has NO IDEA the kind of changes your body undergoes when pregnant and after birth!! I might be convinced to buy a product like that from a person like Michelle Duggar or even Heidi Klum, but not some chick who has never been pregnant!! As far as I'm concerned that ranks right up there with a man giving me nursing advice!!
And finally, I was looking at my latest issue of People Magazine, yes I read it and I like it!! And on the cover is this teen couple who was on that show "Teen Mom" on MTV, and they made the very mature decision to place their baby for adoption. The headline on the cover was "We miss our baby". Now, call me crazy, I'm pretty sure you'd have to have ice water running in your veins to NOT miss a child that you carried and got to know over the course of a pregnancy and then give it to another family! I just thought it was a stupid headline...of course they miss their baby! It's only natural!
Alright, hopefully my next post won't be so very random! I hope everyone is doing well! TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!!
--MS:)--
Thursday, September 2, 2010
New Chapter, same book!
HOLY COW!! It's been a long, long time! Seven whole months!! Okay, let's play a little game of catch up!
For starters, Daemon is going to be a big brother! This December, we're expecting a little girl, her name is still to be determined! That is simply because we named Daemon before he was even born and it took me a good two weeks or so to be convinced that his name was in fact Daemon...but then he got a nickname and now he still doesn't look like his name is Daemon, he looks like "Boo"! I don't think there is a win in this one for me!
After the news that we are expanding our little family unit, it was a pretty slow spring and early summer...I had to give up running for the most part, now the only running I do is after Boo when he tries to be all independent! Also, with this pregnancy, this little girl apparently thought that mommy needed to lose a few pounds! She made me SOOOO sick! I lost about 10 pounds, and it took a few weeks to gain it back and I have yet to gain much more! I look like I'm smuggling a basketball!
Later in the summer, Jason decided it was time for a change, career wise...and combined with some less than desirable political issues at his former employer, he dedicated himself to finding a new job. As of right now, he is working in a contract to hire position for a company called PerTrac. It is out of the gaming industry, and yet still in Nevada, I know, CRAZY!! He is dealing more with financial institutions now, in fact they have pretty regular meetings with their offices in New York and London.
Along with the new job, came a move of what could be considered epic proportions for a pregnant mommy with a two year old. Jason's new job is in Reno, NV...also known as "The biggest little city". It really is! It totally has the feel of a small town, what with all the open space in and around the city! By the way, not a super fun drive, Vegas to Reno...it's a whole lot of nothing...until you get to a little town called Fallon, which has a Wal-Mart AND corn fields!! People here are super polite and they drive less aggressively than I'm used to! Although that has helped as I have been trying to learn my way around this week! But, I have found Starbucks, Target, Wal-Mart and a few grocery stores, I might just be able to do this! Now, I just need to find a doctor!
One of the super cool things I've seen since being here, I was at Wal-Mart and I saw a whole bunch of hippie-type people and they all seemed to know each other and they were all stocking up on camping supplies so I figured it was either a hippie convention in Reno, or the apocalypse was coming soon and it was hitting in Reno! Jason had also taken notice of the large number of rented campers we had seen on our drive from Vegas...so finally I had had enough of wondering what the hell was going on and saw a couple checking stuff off of their list, so I walked up and asked what was up. In fact, what I actually said was, "There are a lot of people who look like they are going camping and you all seem to know each other, what's the deal?" They are all going to this festival called "Burning Man". For those of you not in the know, Burning Man is like a post-modern, techno, pagan Woodstock where they light this 45 foot guy on fire! It's out in the middle of the desert without any modern conveniences, hence the mass quantities of camping supplies! And I'm not exaggerating when I say MASS quantities, I saw people with 3 and 4 carts trailing behind them!
Anyway, that's about all, we're pulling the apartment together, we've got it just about unpacked...hopefully we'll get it all done by this weekend! We are really liking Reno, we LOVE the weather here, and like I said the people have been very polite, and it's much more laid back than Vegas, that might take a little getting used to! But I'm sure I'll manage!
Stay tuned for more updates from Reno! TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!
--MS:)--
For starters, Daemon is going to be a big brother! This December, we're expecting a little girl, her name is still to be determined! That is simply because we named Daemon before he was even born and it took me a good two weeks or so to be convinced that his name was in fact Daemon...but then he got a nickname and now he still doesn't look like his name is Daemon, he looks like "Boo"! I don't think there is a win in this one for me!
After the news that we are expanding our little family unit, it was a pretty slow spring and early summer...I had to give up running for the most part, now the only running I do is after Boo when he tries to be all independent! Also, with this pregnancy, this little girl apparently thought that mommy needed to lose a few pounds! She made me SOOOO sick! I lost about 10 pounds, and it took a few weeks to gain it back and I have yet to gain much more! I look like I'm smuggling a basketball!
Later in the summer, Jason decided it was time for a change, career wise...and combined with some less than desirable political issues at his former employer, he dedicated himself to finding a new job. As of right now, he is working in a contract to hire position for a company called PerTrac. It is out of the gaming industry, and yet still in Nevada, I know, CRAZY!! He is dealing more with financial institutions now, in fact they have pretty regular meetings with their offices in New York and London.
Along with the new job, came a move of what could be considered epic proportions for a pregnant mommy with a two year old. Jason's new job is in Reno, NV...also known as "The biggest little city". It really is! It totally has the feel of a small town, what with all the open space in and around the city! By the way, not a super fun drive, Vegas to Reno...it's a whole lot of nothing...until you get to a little town called Fallon, which has a Wal-Mart AND corn fields!! People here are super polite and they drive less aggressively than I'm used to! Although that has helped as I have been trying to learn my way around this week! But, I have found Starbucks, Target, Wal-Mart and a few grocery stores, I might just be able to do this! Now, I just need to find a doctor!
One of the super cool things I've seen since being here, I was at Wal-Mart and I saw a whole bunch of hippie-type people and they all seemed to know each other and they were all stocking up on camping supplies so I figured it was either a hippie convention in Reno, or the apocalypse was coming soon and it was hitting in Reno! Jason had also taken notice of the large number of rented campers we had seen on our drive from Vegas...so finally I had had enough of wondering what the hell was going on and saw a couple checking stuff off of their list, so I walked up and asked what was up. In fact, what I actually said was, "There are a lot of people who look like they are going camping and you all seem to know each other, what's the deal?" They are all going to this festival called "Burning Man". For those of you not in the know, Burning Man is like a post-modern, techno, pagan Woodstock where they light this 45 foot guy on fire! It's out in the middle of the desert without any modern conveniences, hence the mass quantities of camping supplies! And I'm not exaggerating when I say MASS quantities, I saw people with 3 and 4 carts trailing behind them!
Anyway, that's about all, we're pulling the apartment together, we've got it just about unpacked...hopefully we'll get it all done by this weekend! We are really liking Reno, we LOVE the weather here, and like I said the people have been very polite, and it's much more laid back than Vegas, that might take a little getting used to! But I'm sure I'll manage!
Stay tuned for more updates from Reno! TTFN! Ta Ta For Now!
--MS:)--
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