Bob's New Lament

It's also my new lament.

WTF!? Why are we hearing about a green Christmas yet again!!

See, Bob and I get to host Christmas once every three years. This year it's our year (and boy do I need to get cracking but that's for another post) and we are hearing that snow will probably not be in the forecast.

3 years ago there was no snow. In fact, it was a beautiful balmy day that had us wearing T-shirts outdoors. Green, green, green.

The last 2 years have been white in the extreme. Bob and I have traveled in some seriously bad weather but hey, it's Christmas and I'll turn will come around again.

Bah.

Maybe new tradition this year. Christmas day swim. Too bad we closed the pool already.

Ah well.

Happy Thanksgiving to all our American Friends! I wish you all great heath and comfort and try not to head out shopping on that black Friday day (or maybe it's another colour) - just stay safe!

How Time Flies!

Sorry!

I've been a touch busy and by busy I mean I procrastinated all week while trying to write up Mini-poll results.

Bad Cindy.

They should be out next week sometime.

Okay, so where were we?

Right.

I'm all good. NyQuil is worth every dime let me tell ya. I didn't feel great Friday but by Sunday morning right as rain. Yay!

Tuesday (I think it was Tues or maybe Wed) I went and stood in the public line up for the H1N1 shot. It was finally opened to everyone. Bout friggin' time. Meanwhile, the people in the line were the elderly and kids. So, where you people been for the 3 weeks you could have had the line to yourself!? It was an 1 1/2 wait but I brought a book and people were envious of my intelligence for not showing up with nothing but the clothes on my back. Duh.

For those wanting to know the book - Blaze of Memory by Nalini Singh (haven't had time to get back to it but I have enjoyed the start!)

The rest of the week is a bit of a blur.

So get this. I'm now addicted to the treadmill. I can't go a night without getting on the damn thing. I was up to 50 minutes every night.

Now, last night I kinda hurt myself. See, I walk on the treadmill in the dark.

No!! I can explain!

The room the treadmill is in has had it's shades removed (BOB!!!!) and if I put on the light during the night people can see in. Normally no big deal except my neighbour comes home at all different hours of the night so I don't want anyone seeing me in my sweaty clothes with my droopy pony-tail. Yes. I know the world doesn't revolve around me but hey, people don't need a mental imagine of me sweating to whatever I got playing on my iPod.

So yeah, the dark. The only light in the room is from my iPod and I'll flash it at the information board every once in a while to see how long I've been on or what my speed is.

Well, last night I was doing the speed of the treadmill by touch. I would push the 'speed up' button twice which should have meant I was at a comfortable 2.8. So I'm walking along.

And I'm walking.

And I'm puffing.

Okay, I don't normally sweat like this!?

I feel faint.

And I'm walking.

Finally I flash the light on the information panel to check the time and I've just hit 30 minutes - OMG, I'm dying.

I then notice the speed.

Ooops.

I had been hoofin' it at 3 for like 10 minutes (I haven't walked at 3 yet since starting because I get exhausted faster)

I take it back to 2.8 only my legs feel like rubber.

Gah.

I made it to 42 minutes before I had to stop.

I don't like to feel like puking after exercising so last night was not a big win for me.

Tonight I've been avoiding the room.

Nuts.

I'll get on the treadmill after I post this.

The bad news is Bob is sick. Yep. Thursday night he woke up and told me he throat felt horrible.

Now. If it had been me, NyQuil. No question.

Bob insisted he had to go to work on Friday. (I love him but seriously, dumbass)

So no NyQuil for Bobby.

Friday night he's not feeling so great but it's not going to keep him down.

Saturday.

I knew he was feeling really bad when he crawled back to bed at 10am. He slept till 1pm. He then crawled back in a 4pm.

I feel bad for him but hey, NyQuil. I'm just saying.

Oh and H1N1 shot.

Bob's not sure he wants the shot.

Boo-yah baby. Being sick sucks! I'll take the damn shot and be glad of it.

Meanwhile, the rest of my family is waiting to see if I'll grow fins or something.

Hope you are all well!!

*sigh* Off to walk on the treadmill.

Update: Bob is feeling much better after I drugged him up. Sunday he spent renovating in the room next to our bed. Where I was trying to sleep with sledgehammering, saws and drills going off for hours. But I'm glad he's feeling better! I did get on the treadmill and I did again tonight - actually hit 58 minutes. Killer shocked.

Alive and Well

Yep. All good here at Smith central.

Superfluous pic of kitten - you're welcome.

Bob has been on vacation since Wednesday hence the radio silence. It's Sunday early morning and I've finally got a minute to myself.

Get this, went to Toronto on Thursday without any anxiety. It was like Anxiety forgot I existed.

Anxiety however, showed up on Friday night.

Showy bugger.

Basically Friday 1am I get a sore throat and a booming headache - also, I've been achy all week but I assumed it was from the treadmill (yep, I'm trying out daily exercise). I get it in my head that I now have the flu and pull my Hail Mary pass with a ginormous swig of NyQuil.

Friday best bud and son are coming out and Bob is not home. Usually no problem but because I have it in my head that the 'flu' might be in my body, I have anxiety about going out for dinner. I gulped down 2 anxiety pills and made it through. Couple of 'dizzy' moments but I didn't run screaming from the restaurant and hey, that's a win.

Bob's in full demo mode.

Best bud posted on her Facebook on Friday that it was 'random acts of kindness day' - when she got to the door I told her her random act of kindness was to NOT say 'OMG, you LIVE here!?

Kids would love it here. You can spell stuff on the furniture. Every single piece.

I felt bad that I didn't dust before best bud came over but oy, am I ever glad I didn't waste the energy. I woke up to more drywall dust as Bob carved out new doors. *cough, hack, cough*

I vacuumed on Tuesday and the house looks like it was last cleaned in the 80s.

The kitten doesn't know what to make of the big guy lugging stuff all through the house. For Emma, it's all old news. For me, it's just getting old.

Let's see, what else?

Right. I've been walking on the treadmill 5 days a week (I haven't made it to every day) and can do 40 minutes now without puking up a lung. The other night I did 50 minutes but I paid for it the next day.

I sleep better, I have more energy when I'm up and about and maybe it's keeping me healthy.

I'm also taking a multi-vitamin, Vitamin D and Vitamin C every morning. For the first week or two my body just laid it back out. Now I think some of it is getting absorbed into the blood stream.

So yeah. I'm trying to take some good care of myself because the winter months can slay me. I've decided they aren't allowed to take me out anymore!

On Monday I'm hoping to get to Nalini Singh's latest. (I returned the Anthology after Wendy let me know it was a re-print - just another reason for me to dislike trade backs.)

Oh! Final note.

If you buy gift certificates for peeps, keep the receipt and give it with the GC. Discovered one of my birthday GC for 25$ for books was never activated. Bob and my mom always give me the receipts but there was a desk move in between my B-day and now so I lost them.

Out 25 bucks!! Super sucks!

Bob couldn't figure out how someone could 'steal' the GC money because it would be in the computer. Simple slight of hand with another card I'm sure. Or, one of my friends pulled a 'ooops' and didn't load the card.

Okay, off to play a bit longer before hitting the sack.

Tempt Me At Twilight by Lisa Kleypas

I haven't been hopping around blogland much but I don't recall seeing too many people talking about this book.

I'm loving it!!

I have the last few chapters to read but I can't see where it can go wrong. Unless the H/H die then I'm all good.

Harry is such a SOB and I love him! I think he's giving Sebastian a run for his money but then I never read the book where Sebastian was the villain.

I love it when you get characters that just don't fit any expectations.

Harry isn't a hero although I can't help but get all mushy about him now. I do think there is more that we could have known. He's not exactly forthcoming even in his own thoughts. He just knows what he wants and grabs it.

I would have liked to see him thinking about his hobby while working through something. I think there is a lot assumed about who he is (and I don't doubt he's every thing imparted) but it's not shown in his thoughts or actions for the most part. I think people who have active minds can't help but get distracted by seeing something new or interesting to them.

I guess it's just that Poppy is the new and shiny.

I can't wait to get to Beatrix's story although I imagine Leo will get his HEA before she does.

Okay, I didn't see the time creeping up on me and bedtime is calling!

But I can definitely call this one a KEEPER, KEEPER, KEEPER, KEEPER, KEEPER!!!

For Tara Marie

For Tara Marie - thanks so much for sharing the things that make your tummy go south. I know it's no fun to talk about but I'm so glad you told me something I can actually look at and have tested in the future.

Every time I eat right now I think of you. I know. I'm a huge goof.

So here is a virtual hug because the real hug would be something that would make you squirm.

The 30 second mark where you start to pat my back in that 'there there way' and wonder if I'm going to let go. The three minute mark where you check your watch and think 'Good Gravy' and by the seven minute mark you would just relax into it and continue on with whatever you were doing before I tackle hugged you.

I would let go on minute 10 because after that, it would be awkward.

Like seriously.

Foiled Again!

I have such plans that spiral about in my brain that when reality strikes, I'm sufficiently depleted.

Doc's appointment was today. I was ready to embark on a food allergy quest. What in the world are the foods that wreak such havoc on my tummy. I was going to discover the little monsters that could destroy my digestive system for weeks on end and banish them from my diet.

Mission was a disaster.

Apparently there is no 'basis' of food allergies - there is no set of criminals they can check for and eliminate. Nope.

Food Allergists are there for the extreme food allergies. The ones where life and death are concerned.

Okay, from what I understand, if I had broken out in hives they could have had somewhere to start but because the only thing that is happening is in the tummy, there are no tests that can really help.

Sure, lactose intolerance testing. Been there, done that. I was told I wasn't lactose intolerant. I still won't drink milk to this day. I even tried lactose free milk and forget it. So basically my Doc asked what would change with a lactose intolerance test and my response was nothing. Whether it's positive or negative, I know I can't drink milk. I know real cream (and more and more that edible oil stuff called Cool Whip) can cause such pain that fainting has become a very real possibility.

But then, where does Pizza Hut pizza fit in? Can't eat a piece of that stuff without destroying the digestive system for months. That said, I can eat pizza from other places without any harm (discovered this by being out at friends and having pizza brought in - not wanting to upset the hosts, I ate a piece of pizza and knew in a few hours I would be in major trouble. Only I wasn't.)

Discovered cashews can cause some trouble but I have to eat many of them at one time and it's not the horror show that real cream creates.

Still, I know to avoid these things now.

That damn salad dressing there in the summer that created the hell that followed? Haven't the foggiest notion why I had the gut reaction I did - brutal just touches on the pain.

It turns out I can't identify only one thing and allergists need that 'one thing' to test. I understand what the doc said, long story and all that but basically, my tummy will react to food however it feels.

So that pretty landscape I built in my brain, the one where I know what it is that will cause me such hardship has crumbled.

I'm blind again.

And so the tummy has played it's trump card.

I Bought Books!

I'm easily swayed by other readers. Actually, it doesn't take much to get me to buy a book. Heck, Rosie hasn't even reviewed it yet but she used my favourite descriptor - dark!

So Bob can blam-thank Rosie!

Ava Gray - never heard of her but I love her first name. I'm not trying to be a snot - just hadn't heard her name before but she's also Ann Aguirre who I haven't read yet either.

Anyways, Rosie mentioned the book on her blog and how she thought it was great and oh by the way, it's dark but great.

I clicked over to Chapters from her blog.

I'm that easy.

Huh, look at that - I think it's a paranormal! Awesome. It also looks like it'll be the first in a series. No comment.


Since I mentioned this book earlier in the week I'm thinking you won't be surprised that I ordered Blaze of Memory by Nalini Singh.

What I didn't know was an Anthology called An Enchanted Season was also due November 3rd and oh look! Singh is in that one too!

I love when that happens.

And I can't remember now who it was that told me Elizabeth Hoyt has a new title out on the 3rd also. Had to get that!

To Desire a Devil by Hoyt added to order.

That's it for the book order. I hope it shows up this week but we'll see.

As to life - I managed to get my Health Card renewed (it expired on my birthday over 2 months ago - Bad Cindy) AND applied for a passport this morning.

It's amazing the stuff I can get done during 'normal' business hours.

Bob's away until tomorrow night which is normally fine but for some reason my anxiety has kicked it up a notch. I will decide to do something and then hesitate and then avoid.

Avoidance is not a good way to deal with anxiety.

Still, I gave myself a pass today. Sure I went and did a bunch of stuff in the city and didn't bat an eyelash. Went to call my mother to ask her to lunch and hung up before the dialing finished. Whoops. Not sure where that anxiety nugget was hiding but I let it win for today.

On a completely different note I haven't heard Boo from my Gorgeous Cousin. Bob thinks she's mad at us. I'm trying not to think at all.

Crap. Just realized as I was typing that sentence, that not thinking about it is typical avoidance. Double Crap.

I tell ya what, let's end on the fun of opening up the mailbox to find a box of brand new shiny books.

Yeah, that works.