Packing Up a Life
You probably already know, either from Facebook or real life, that I'm relocating about 2 hours from Philadelphia. Except one reader who likely didn't know and is probably doing a happy dance now. You're welcome.
At any rate. So the last time I packed up and moved, I didn't have any kids. It is decidedly more difficult to pack with children. You know that part of packing where like everything is sort of all over the place? Yeah, it's hard to child-proof that pile of crap. So everything must go into boxes immediately. And those boxes must be out of reach of little people. Which, when you're living in 1100 square feet, is not easy. I've only just started and the movers come in a week.
I don't know how much I'll post between now and then. Maybe a lot. Maybe not at all. But once I'm settled in the new place, I will. I promise.
I'm going to really miss this town.
Labels: Living, random
More With the Sad
A couple of posts ago, I wrote about Ron's friend who has terminal cancer. Ron and a group of his friends went to visit this friend this past weekend. All the guys were pretty nervous about it, because none would it, but this was essentially a visit to say goodbye while Bob was still well enough to be at home and have a beer.
The situation with Bob has clearly gotten to Ron. I mean, he's avoided it. Avoided talking about it. Avoided dealing with it. So, I was really proud of him for going to visit Bob because I wasn't sure he would. Although, I was sure he'd regret NOT visiting him. Just like he regrets not checking in on
Battle, even though he didn't actually know Battle was dying.
As part of Ron's job, he deals with death all the time (okay, maybe not
all the time, but often enough to be pretty much unphased by it), but as one might imagine, it's different when the person dying is someone you know. Someone who used to be your drinking buddy. Someone your age.
Bob had a frank, sidebar conversation with Ron, presumably because he thought Ron could handle--more so than the other friends--the topic of death. Ron said he seems at peace with all but two things: that his nearly-three year old son will forget him and that his wife (who is younger than me) will allow this to define the rest of her life and won't pursue new happiness.
I just can't imagine.
Labels: friends, random
Glamour
Lately, I've been all about making lists of beauty products I need to purchase in the coming weeks. Why? Well, I suppose I assume I'll be looking like a train wreck post-baby, and what better way to cheer oneself up than with new, shiny beauty products, right?
I need to get
Moroccan Oil from my hair stylist next week. So pricey and I only use it once every couple of weeks, instead of every day like my stylist would prefer, but man, my hair loves the stuff.
I seem to have run out of all three of my fragrances simultaneously:
Romance,
Coco, and
No. 5. I wonder if I should try something new? Or just replace some of my old ones?
Makeup products. From Clinque I need
concealer,
a brow pencil,
lip pencil,
lipstick (actually, I don't
need this per se, but a new shade always perks me up),
eye shadow (Colour Surge Soft Shimmer in Desert Sun--my all time fave) and
"All About the Eyes" cream (this isn't actually makeup, but whatever). Who knew I used so much makeup? That's not even the half of it. So I'll be spending a ton of cash on beauty products. Thank God Douglas is having a
20% off sale next week.
Also, I might hit Duross and Langel for one of their
eye creams, because HEY, when you're in your mid-30s with two (2!) kids, you can NEVER have enough eye cream.
Labels: Living, money, random, style, winter of my discontent
Random Thoughts
So, it appears my last post was 6 weeks ago. Interesting. I'm not trying
not to post. But with two blogs, a
Facebook account and a barely-used Twitter account, something had to give I suppose. Also? I work full-time, have a family and enjoy interacting with humans occasionally. So I haven't really made time to post but here's a series of things that have been on my mind:
- Rolo amazes me. He engages in pretend-play now. He changes his teddy bear's diaper. He feeds him crackers. I overhear him lecturing his stuffed monkeys in his crib "You no do that. 'Kay?" Pretend play is something he couldn't have wrapped his head around a couple of months ago. He still can't wrap his head around Halloween. Or Christmas. I try to explain these things, talk about costumes and Trick-or-Treat and Santa, but I think it's something he's going to have to see to understand. He's also in the "Why?" phase which is adorable and maddening at the same time. I can take the first 3-4 "whys?" but after that it gets ridiculous.
- Ron has a couple of head hunters and will start job-hunting soon, even though it's too early to tell if he'll finish his fellowship this June. Might not finish until next June. Might have no choice but to continue fellowship until next June because the job market for physicians blows right now. The head hunters are like "Ha, ha, you sort of missed the boat here buddy! Job market tanked about 6 months ago." Between the economy (doctors aren't retiring on time) and this talk of health care reform (which scares hospitals shitless), places aren't hiring or expanding practices the way they normally would. Mostly, hospitals seem to be maintaining a status quo, cutting back even, waiting to see what fall out comes from any health care reform. Thank you, Mr. Obama! In theory, yeah, I'd love for everyone to have access to health care, although I'm not sure it's a God-given or constitutional-given right. But in reality, for me, for my family, this health care reform is going to screw us over. Two years of graduate school, four of medical school, seven (or eight) years of formal training, $250k in loans and my husband won't be able to get a job? Yeah, call me bitter. I'm not looking to be a millionaire here, I'm just hoping to avoid bankruptcy.
- We took a trip to Burlington, VT last weekend. I had been there before, twice, in college. Still an interesting town, although it wasn't as I remembered it. Or maybe I'm just older. The seven hour car ride up was fine, even for Rolo. We only stopped once. But two is a hard age to travel with. Too big for a pack-n-play, too small for a real bed. Not content to sit in a stroller for more than 5 minutes. It was a logistical disaster, despite my planning. There was fun though: stuffing a bear at the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory, petting animals at Shelburne Farms, checking out scarecrows that are on every street corner up there, discovering that Pizzeria Uno has a kid's "make-your-own" pizza that we could leave the problematic cheese off of. Good times.
- I'm just about seven months pregnant and have given just about zero thought to this impending arrival. I haven't opened a book, thought about names, gotten any clothes. Nothing other than talking to Rolo about a little brother or sister and prepare him for the end of the world as he knows it. Good times.
- Also, if you can, try not to plan for being hugely pregnant in winter. I was due with Rolo in August and everyone was like "August?!? Oh it'll be so hot, you're going to be so miserable." Actually, it was fine. What's not fine are the sweaters and outerwear one must resort to when pregnant in the fall and winter. It's atrocious. Exhibit A. Exhibit B. This isn't too bad. Oh wait, that's $275. Ahem.
- I've decided I like my neighborhood. Or at least I like my local Starbucks, Whole Foods, day care area.
So that's what's going on for now. More to come. Eventually.
Labels: random, Rolo, winter of my discontent
Untitled
You know, I haven't been writing much recently and I find I don't have much interesting to say here. Blame that on Facebook. I can only handle so many mediums at a time.
Labels: random
Pirates Vow Revenge
When I was a kid, I really didn't think I'd grow up and wind up watching pirates on TV. Like on-the-news-TV.
But here we are.
I love this. I just love that the pirates--people who illegally seized ships, hold people hostage, and demanded ransom--are vowing revenge. Clearly, these pirates have been wronged. I mean, people should be allowed to steal and blackmail without consequences, right?
Labels: random, society
Missing The Person You Fell In Love With
I saw this
article on CNN and I knew before reading it what it was about. That made me a little sad. But this story, or some similiar verison of it, is what happens when you have children. I have a good marriage, and in many ways I am closer to my husband now than I was two years ago. There's much good, but I'd be lying if I told you something didn't catch in the back of my throat a little bit when I've looked at him and thought "He must miss the person he married."
Labels: baby, Living, parenting, random
Heart On My Sleeve
I watched an episode of
CSI last night. Or, more correctly, I stopped watching an episode of
CSI last night once I started to cry.
There was an incident, a shooting with many casualties. A man, anguished, held his dead child, refusing to let the medical examiners take him. A CSI agent explaining what the man already knew, that his son was no longer with him, and promising the man they would take good care of his son. Regardless, the man did not want to let go.
I've seen that moment in real life, the moment when a parent has to hand over their dead child, knowing they'll never hold him again. No matter if you believe in God, or heaven, you still don't want to let go.
I turned off the television and prayed for the thousandth time that I never have to be near that moment again.
Labels: Living, random
New Desk!
I (finally) purchased
this desk after months of admiring it. I opted for the "Click & Pick Up" option where you essentially purchase the item online and then just pick it up at the store to save on shipping. Or in my case, purchase it online and then have Ron pick it up at the store.
Note to self: next time, find out how much item weighs before making husband pick it up solo.
Labels: random, shopping
Compassionate Friends
On Sunday is the
Worldwide Candle Lighting for families who have lost children. All over the world candles will be lit at 7p.m. local time, creating 24 hours of continuous light. We'll be going Sunday night to support Ron's sister.
If you know of someone who has lost a child, pass this on.
Labels: random
Holiday or Not
My mother, she seems to be having a hard time with the fact we had Thanksgiving at our place. Or maybe she's just having a hard time with the holidays in general. I have my moments when I still get angry at her. It's easier to do that, get angry. But I know, without knowing, that there is something else there. I suspect that her mind and her heart are not well; one literally, one figuratively. So getting angry is much like kicking a puppy. I should know better.
*******
Ron may stop to get a Christmas tree tonight. I look around our apartment and it doesn't look very Christmas-y. More decorating to be done. The tree will likely only have ornaments higher than 3 feet from the ground. Or they'll all have to be plastic ornaments on the lower 3 feet. Curious toddler about.
*******
On Wednesday, Ron took Rolo to his parents house for an overnight visit so that I could go to my holiday party last night. So yesterday morning, I slept until 7, took my time getting showered, made-up and dressed, and drank coffee on the couch. It was peaceful, easy, and a reminder of the mornings in my old life. Although I did not do any stretching. I used to stretch every morning. Now I do not. Even when I have the time to do so.
*******
I have never been one to make New Year's resolutions and yet. Yet, I find some voice inside my head saying: "
Starting January 1st, I'll start stretching again. And in January, I'll start taking a yoga class. In January, I'll enroll Rolo in a music class. Starting January 1st, we're going to eat healthier around here. In fact, starting January 1st, we're going to all start eating together as a family. Can you imagine how much healthier we'd be eating if we all ate what Rolo ate? Starting January 1st..."*******
Rolo is sick. Fever, coughing. Trying to decide whether it's worthy of a doctor's visit.
*******
Work has been busy lately. Stressful, but maybe in a good way. I expected to fall on my face during a presentation the other day, but I held my own, even when I got grilled with crazy questions. I got high-fives from my team when I was done. Funny, how at age 33, high-fives can still make my day.
*******
I'm not sure why, but it doesn't feel like Christmas to me.
Labels: i like stories, random
A New Perspective on Blogs
Thanks, Jen.
Labels: random
9/11
I find it absurd that police in Nowheresville, Massachusetts
are demanding September 11th off when NYPD don't get it as a holiday. I'm not opposed to September 11th eventually being a holiday per se, but the idea that it would begin in Massachusetts is completely ridiculous.
Labels: random, society
Random Thoughts
I'm putting this here for no other reason than I want to be able to look back and see if I was right. And no, I'm not pregnant.
Since Rolo was born, I've felt that if we had another child, it will be another boy. We have a girl named picked out and in a way, I think I always envisioned having a boy and a girl. But it will be another boy. He will be named for his father, and he will have brown squinty eyes, dark skin and darker hair. In other words, he would look Italian, unlike my little Irish-looking Rolo. And so there would be Rolo and a new baby, brothers who look nothing alike. It always strikes me, when siblings look nothing alike, with different eye and hair color. Both my parents had light hair, skin and blue eyes. My brother and I don't think we look very similar but the reality is you can only look but so different when your parents have similar features to each other. Not the case with Ron and I.
Other random premonitions? That pregnancy number #2 wouldn't be nearly as pleasant as #1. While I loved being pregnant, my body was in good shape when I got pregnant. I've suffered from all sorts of bizarro aches and pains since then. And I can only imagine that being pregnant when you have nothing else to think about is a lot nicer than being pregnant while chasing a toddler around. This is my main argument for waiting to have a kid until Rolo is older. Plus, I'm probably due for some morning sickness or something.
Also, Rolo was an excellent baby. He was sick a lot but he had a great temperament. very pleasant. Good sleeper, good eater. I likely won't be as lucky next time. Whenever next time might be. Sometime in the next 5 years.
What do you think the next five years holds for you?
Labels: preggo, random, Rolo
More on Sarah
In case you thought I hadn't noticed, I'm aware that Sarah Palin has sounded like someone with a lobotomy during recent interviews. I can't say for sure, but she'd probably do a bit better if the McCain campaign would just let her speak, but I think they're keeping her on a short leash.
Her debate was okay, although you could tell she was nervous. Not as good as her speech at the convention. Joe Biden, who's typically a total windbag, did a really good job too.
Anyway, the way Palin pronounces "Ameer-i-can" (over and over again) gets on my nerves and yet I can't stop mimicking her.
Labels: i like stories, random
And I'm Heart-Broken
But
they'll likely be divorced in a year.
Labels: random
Fall Trip
At the risk of sounding redundant, I really love this weather. Time to start planning the annual fall trip. Because it's, um, two weeks away.
Labels: random, vacation
Weather
You know, I'm totally dreading the thought of winter, the short daylight hours, being holed up for months because it's too cold to take the kid out just for fun. But that aside, I have to say I'm really enjoying this fall-like weather. I mean it's glorious. And there's something comforting about putting on a light sweater for the first time in months.
Labels: Living, random
An Open Letter
Dear Universe,
Stop conspiring to get me to have another kid.
Thank you,
DJ Heavy D
Labels: random
Back!
So we're back from our trip to nowhere. Which really wound up being some time in Maryland. We used the trailer, down by the river, as our base and made day trips to Baltimore and Annapolis. Which, by the way, LOVED Annapolis. Not a large town, but very cute. Lots of cute stores, which meant shopping.
And speaking of shopping, my feet still are messed up since the ol' baby-o and so I've resigned myself to the fact that I'm a sneaker and
Aerosoles kind of girl. I got
these in black and
these, also in black (what else?).
These are next on my "to buy" list once they go on sale.
Tomorrow, I'm getting a hair cut and having dinner with friends. It's a good week.
Labels: Living, random, vacation
