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8.25.2008

8.22.2008

i'm leaving on a jet plane

Finally it's Friday and tonight we get to leave for Cape Cod! 8 days of relaxing, reading (working through the Chronicles of Narnia at the moment), sleeping in, swimming, and just doing whatever we want, only if we want to! I'm obviously a bit excited. Plus the Quads are coming over to visit on Sunday, the first time I'll get to see them since they moved to Boston (a year ago!). This should be a great trip.

I meant to do up some blog entries to automatically pop up while I'm gone, but this week has been so crazy that I haven't even had time to post regular entries... so I did schedule three posts, but they are just cute pictures. Mostly to make me feel better then to actually get coming over. I'm sure I'll have a much more entertaining post when I return.

So I pretty much have to run off again, but two bullets first:
- Dermotologist appt yesterday and I switched from the two creams, a wash, a toner, and an antibotic that I was on to just two (different) creams... so now I'm safe for when we do decide to "make a baby." I'm also freakin thrilled to not have such a crazy routine... although we'll see how my face reacts!
- Found out where the 3-day walk is starting and ending... Willow Grove and Villanova respectively. Kind of neat that its ending by Willy's, and I'm excited to see where else we'll get to walk. I also ordered myself some shirts to wear for the walk... I'll take pictures when I get them.

Okay kids, I'll see you in 9ish days!

8.19.2008

edamame

Crack. Me. Up.



How To Cook and Eat Edamame from blurb on Vimeo

a bit better

I woke up this morning feeling a bit better then yesterday, although I'm definitely still a bit tired, and I definitely have the snuffles (I think from all the dust while working in the guest bedroom). If yesterday is any indiction though, this week will fly by because boy are my days busy lately. Coming here to pound out a post is basically my one moment to breathe between when I arrive at work and when I take the train home... but I'm not complaining because busy is definitely better then bored! I just hope it slows down enough that I can finish everything I need before we leave on friday.

In any case, I finally got around to uploading my pictures last night... so here are a few I wanted to share.

Ro, looking like a cutie patootie at almost 16 weeks (on friday):

Her belly is getting that cute rounded look, so adorable.

Here are some pictures I tried to take of the moon on Saturday night because it was completely full and so damn bright!

But its really hard to take pictures of the moon.
I thought this one was funny thought because the sky almost looks like one of those old picture backgrounds they used for school pictures:

And here are some pictures from last night. We got some work done on the guest bedroom, finished patching the ceiling and fixed the plasterless places on the bottom of the walls where the baseboards were removed:



We will be putting up wainscoting, so it just needed something to make it more stable and so the moldings had something to secure to. Plenty more to do, but we are getting there slowly but surely!!

Well, on that note... time for me to get back to work. Ciao!

8.18.2008

::snore::

I could curl up in a ball and go to sleep right now. Well, maybe not actually sleep, but the trying would be fun. I'm exhausted and sore. It was a good weekend, but long and full. Let's start with friday.

The new view out my window*:

My sweetie pie husband surprised me by stopping by Friday to take me out to lunch! :-) We headed to Tir Na Nog, which I love. It was a great lunch. In addition, he brought me this beauty to stick with my growing collection of office plants:

The whole day was super busy... lots of stuff that popped up that day for me to take care of, so it definitely went fast. I left a little early and we met Ro & Pat for dinner in Media (here). After dinner we headed to ice cream and Ro gave me my b-day gift, some of my perfume. Yummy. I took a few pictures, but of course, forgot my camera at home today... some maybe I can share tomorrow. Then it was home to relax for a bit.

Saturday morning we woke up, got ready and packed, then headed to my parents. They gave me my birthday presents (a home depot gift card, a bottle of wine, some new ear buds for my mp3 player, and a pretty metal hanging decoration with a candle inside). I had a hair appointment next, then headed back to my parents. They left not long after to head to the hotel (my mom's birthday gift, a night away for them at the lovely Hotel Bethlehem). I ate some of the pesto my mom made for my birthday lunch, then we headed out to Premise Maid for some of their incredible ice cream. It was a beautiful day for it! After that we hit up two local wineries: Clover Hill and Vynecrest, both part of the Lehigh Valley Wine Trail. We tasted a few and bought a few at each. After that it was back to my parents place to play with the doggie a bit, and for me to get my walk in.

I wish I had had my camera with me because there is some beautiful beautiful scenery around there. I did snap a few with my cell though. My walk on Saturday was a bit torturous... lots of very steep hills, and large sections with no shade. At one point I walked through the very well to do neighborhood near my parents called The Manor. I'm guessing they called it that because "The Really Bloody Huge Mansion" didn't have the same ring to it... but damn are the houses in there huge.

Here's one of the bigger ones. A view as I'm walking up the hill towards it:

Getting closer...
It's a very impressive house, with a back that looks almost like a castle... rounded turret-type areas, very ornate decorations along the windows, etc.
And yes, that is the back! This is the front:

It also has a five-car garage on the side... and I've heard rumors that the garage has an elevator to a lower level with area for more cars!

After I left The Manor, I headed down hill to a curvy road that winds along a creek and woods. Very pretty.


That was a nice section to walk.

Once I got home Trav and I enjoyed a pizza for dinner with a bottle of sparkling wine we had picked up that day, and watched some Olympics. We stayed up to watch Phelps's last race (a relay)... and it was great to see the US take gold in that too. It was really the first time we stayed up for the Olympics, and it was only until 11:30 by which time we were pooped!!

Unfortunately my sleep wasn't so great that night... with weird dreams, including repeatedly dreaming that there was someone in my parents house and waking up thinking I had heard noise outside the bedroom door. No fun.

Sunday we woke up much earlier then either of us wanted, fed the dog and took here out. Then we just relaxed until my parents got home around 10:30 - 11ish. We hung out for a bit, then headed home. After eating I headed out to do my walk.

That walk was probably the hardest one I've done yet. Not because of distance (though my feet did hurt!!) but because I was already so tired, the last thing I wanted to do was walk. Not to mention that I normally walk with Ro on the weekends, but since we were away that morning, I was walking on my own. It made for a difficult time... mindset is such a big part of the battle. Let's just say that it was so tough for me that when Trav called to tell me he was running out (see below) and asked that I stick the wash in when I get home (since he had meant to do it, but fell asleep and just woken up)... well it actually drove me to tears. Seems so silly now, crying over laundry, but I was just emotionally spent! Its days like that when I just cannot wait for the race to get here, so I can be done with it. So I can be back to walking purely because I enjoy it, and only when I want to. I've written about how glad I am that I chose to do the 3-day, and that is definitely still the case... but some days are so much harder then others, and I will never claim that it is easy.

In any case, it was already about 3 - 3:30 when I got to the park, and with 13 miles to do I didn't get home until about 7:45 (half an hour drive home). In the meantime Trav got a call from his oldest brother who was stopping at Willy's on his way to the Cape... we thought they were stopping today, but apparently they were stopping Sunday. Trav got the call and then called me about it at 5ish, and since we determined it would have been too late if he had waited for me to finish my walk, he just headed over to see his brother for a bit. When I got home I showered, threw on my comfy PJs and threw the wash in before finally settling down with some dinner around 8:30. We were in bed a little after 10... and let me tell you, it was not soon enough. This morning I was still exhausted. My only consolation: 1) I'll be in bed again in less then 9 hours, and 2) I'll be on vacation in less then 5 days! So much sleeping in to look forward to!

At the moment, I kind of feel like this:

Heaven help the person who steps on my toes today... ;-)

And one more just because its cute:

Anyway, this is very long and I have lots of work to finish before this week is out and I can be on vacation. So I'll finish up with one bit of Harry Potter news, then I am out of here. Have a great day!

In Harry Potter news... there is bad news for fans eagerly awaiting the next movie (::raises hand::). Film postponed! The bastards wanted better timing for more money, so they are pushing the movie back to next summer. I'm so bummed.

Harry Potter film pulls vanishing act
Aug. 17, 2008, 2:49 PM EST
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Maybe Harry Potter should have brought a note from his parents saying he would be missing school.

Warner Bros. gave Harry the school year off, announcing last week it was bumping the sixth movie in the series from fall to next summer. But Entertainment Weekly — which shares the studio's parent company, Time Warner Inc. — was unaware, featuring "Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe on the cover of its Aug. 22-29 fall-preview issue.

The magazine leads off the issue with a six-page spread pegged to "Harry Potter and
the Half-Blood Prince," which Warner Bros. on Thursday moved from its Nov. 21 release date to July 17, 2009.

The studio had been considering the date change for three or four weeks, "but it really didn't kind of get on the front burner until sometime within the last seven days," Dan Fellman, Warner Bros. head of distribution, said Sunday.

Entertainment Weekly's "deadline must have been earlier than the decision, than when we started to get serious about making the decision," Fellman said.

An Entertainment Weekly spokeswoman did not immediately return phone and e-mail messages seeking comment.

The magazine's online edition added a preface about the date change to the "Harry Potter" story. It also had a laugh or two about the lack of communication between two Time Warner outfits.

"In an irony sure to set blogger hearts beating giddily, the film graces the cover of EW's new fall preview issue," reads an entry on the magazine's Hollywood Insider blog. "EW and Warner Bros. share a parent company, but they clearly do not share, you know, important ... information."

The blog goes on to joke that the date change will leave Entertainment Weekly "readers in possession of a 'Dewey Beats Truman' collectible." It also notes that British film magazine Empire features Harry Potter on its current cover, though that issue touches on big 2009 releases, as well.

Warner executives said the date change was a business decision and not due to any production delays on "Half-Blood Prince." A recent Writers Guild of America strike had delayed production on some films, leaving a lighter lineup during 2009's busy summer season, Fellman said.

The July 17 release — the same weekend Warner Bros. debuted its blockbuster "The Dark Knight" this summer — offered better box-office potential for "Half-Blood Prince," Fellman said.

The change left a hole in Hollywood's overall schedule for Nov. 21, the week before Thanksgiving, one of the busiest weekends for theaters.

But fantasy fans will not have to do without: A day after "Half-Blood Prince" moved out, Summit Entertainment's vampire romance "Twilight," based on another best-selling series of books, moved in, switched from its scheduled Dec. 12 release to Nov. 21.

I'm not big on the waiting... so this is annoying for sure!
Okay, later all!


*Sorry, all the pictures are cell phone pictures. They are blurry and crappy.

8.15.2008

15th, August

Nothing like a birthday to make one feel loved and appreciated! :-) I've received emails, cards, and phonecalls... and it's only 10:00! I have great friends and great family. Here's one email from the long, funny exchange that my family had going on this morning:

Wray, I thought you might say that your first memory of Megan was when Drew & I traveled to DC to visit you. After dinner we went to see "The Border" at the theater. Unfortunately, I only saw the opening credits and spent the remainder of the time in bathroom and on the floor of the lobby when Drew came out to check on me. As we were driving home, I said you had better pull over, which you did and I proceeded to throw up on the lawn of the Pentagon. One might say that this was Megan's first political statement!
L, M.

Love it.

Yesterday Jan bought me lunch for an early b-day gift (she is in FL today), and told me to spend whatever money I had left on whatever I wanted. I got myself a cute shirt on sale at the Old Navy. I also had an appointment to get a free hand/arm massage and makeup application from Origins. I love that store, and it was very nice and relaxing.
It made for a busy day though, hence no post.

(My makeup did, with and without glasses.)

Tonight we have dinner with Ro & Pat to celebrate, and tomorrow we're heading up to my parents. Other then that, I'll be walking and we'll probably try to work on the room some. It should be a great weekend.

Wednesday night we went to the Home Depot and spend about 2 hours and almost $400 there! Except for floor waxing stuff we should have everything we need to finish the room. Some pictures:

Part of the patching we did Tuesday night.
Some ceiling patching.
Where the baseboards ripped away the plaster... it's like this all around the room, and we got materials to fix that, so that the wainscoting has something to attach to. We did one wall last night, hopefully we'll get the rest done this weekend.

Our 5 gallons of paint, primer, and ceiling paint!
Our wainscoting all stacked up and ready to go... you can also see our ceiling fan and the light attachment for it.

Well, that's about all to report for now. Off to work for me so I can get all my stuff done and take the early train home, get my weekend started a little early! :-)

8.13.2008

Olympics and optimistics... :-)

It's things like this that make me sad the Olympic games are on mostly too late for me to watch. I always loved them, especially the gymnastics and swimming, but especially to see the USA shatter a world record like that in such an amazing pull from behind victory! The anchor on our team was absolutely amazing!

Last night was tiring, but very productive. I walked, we ate dinner, then it was up to the guest bedroom to work. We patched cracks and one big hole in the ceiling (don't ask), and finally got off the last bit of baseboard that we needed to remove. It was on the wall with the radiator, which means it couldn't just be pulled off... no nails had to be cut, the board itself had to be sawed into pieces before it could finally be removed. Tonight we have a big shopping list, then some sanding of said patching. Maybe we'll get around to starting the fixing of the area of wall that was behind the baseboards too. I'm feeling much more optimistic about the whole thing. :-)

8.12.2008

so

So, last night was a bit better on the house repair side of things. We took stock of where we are, what we have, and made a bit of a plan for our "next steps"... then we cleaned up the bottom of the walls a bit where the baseboard removal turned into a partial wall removal because apparentely, old plaster really likes to crumble. Very reasuring.

Tonight we fix some cracks and a hole, and if not tonight, then definitely soon we'll be making a shopping trip for some more repair items. I think our new plan of attack is to repaint the ceiling, change out the light fixture for the ceiling fan, paint the walls, polish up the floors, put up wainscoting. You know what they say about plans, but these seem pretty realistic.

Dinner was also fabu, in case you were wondering. I have a container of this with me for lunch today... and its taking all my willpower not to go eat it right now.

So good. Last night with spinach and sausage.

Yummy.

Today is quiet, but otherwise normal. The boss is coming in late, which makes for a very easy morning. But lots to do, so I better get to it. Have a good one!

8.11.2008

the other side of the storm

We watched our last four movies this weekend... A Might Heart on Thursday, August Rush on Friday, Oldboy on Saturday, and 30 Days of Night on Sunday. I'll review at the end. We had a date with Ro & Pat at Teikoku on Saturday night... ate amazingly delicious food (rock shrimp tempora, kobe beef, duck breast, sushi!) in great company. We also got to see their new car, the babymobile. It's nice. Afterwards, Trav & I stopped at the Dairy Queen for some ice cream treats and officially put ourselves into food comas. So good though. I walked both days, Sunday in a rainstorm (more on that below), and we stopped by the Home Depot for more back bedroom supplies.

The storm... well, Sunday I met with Ro to go walking like normal. We made it about 4/5 of the way through when the storm hit, and with it waves and buckets and sheets of rain. We still had that last mile to go, just to get to the parking lot, so we were drenched. Not just wet, but soaked to the bone... it looked like we had gone swimming in our clothes. We decided to forgo the second loop and call it a day (not a hard choice!). The drivers seat in my car was still wet enough this morning that I had a wet butt to get on the train, so pleasant. In any case, I headed home, peeled off my clothes, took a nice warm shower, and then ate some Chinese food that Trav had picked up for us. Wonton soup and Sesame chicken... yummo. The rest of the day was more of the same weather-wise. Multiple storms rolled through the area... every time you thought it was done you would hear another rumble of thunder in the distance and then more of these huge things would come through:

Thunder, lightning, and at one point (for about an 90minutes)... no power! We played Scrabble by the fading light of the door, and I actually won for the first time in a long time.

We also got this in the end:

A double rainbow!

It's hard to make out (make the picture bigger), but one of the rainbows was a complete one... we could see the full arch from top to bottom. Here's the top:


It was a nice way to end the weekend and the storms. Once the power came back on we watched some X-files, then headed up early.

This weekend was a little rough in terms of the room remodel. I'm feeling overwhelmed and like we bit of more then we can chew. I know we can do this, but its a matter of finding the right balance between what we want to do (tear it all the hell out, wall and ceiling) and what we really can do ourselves, between cost and quality, between doing the big stuff and not being stuck working on this room until the new year! I know we'll find the balance, its just frustrating and overwhelming at the moment. I snuck away to bed for 30 minutes or so Sunday, to just lay there and feel frustrated about it. My boy was so sweet though... he baked up a package of apple cinnamon muffins, and brought me one with a bit of butter and a mug of hot chocolate (with marshmallows, of course). He definitely knows how to make me feel better.

Also, he picked up my big birthday present... a WiiFit!! He's been trying to get one for months, so I'm excited. I'll try to get some pictures of us playing one of these nights, but guest bedroom comes first.

Today he has his next PT appointment, so it will be my turn to cook. And since the high temp today is only supposed to be 74*, something rich and filling is in order. I'm thinking of my Cinnamon-Bacon Carbonara with Sausages on the side and either spinach or peas. It's been a bit since I've made that one so I'm excited. After that, we'll be working on the back bedroom... hopefully with a more upbeat outcome then this weekend! :-) Reviews below, but otherwise, back to work for me. Hope your Mondays go quickly.


Ps. Anyone watching the Olympics? I've seen a few events, but for the most part they are on too late for me. But here are some gorgeous pictures from the opening ceremonies.


::BEGIN SPOILERS::
A Might Heart
Now you know I love me some Angelina, and I thought she was great in this movie as always, but the movie itself was not my fav. Obviously the subject matter, being about a real and very unpleasant event, does not make for a happy-go-lucky watch... but I thought the whole thing just felt very frantic, and was a bit confusing. I lost track of names, there were whole scenes done in Urdu... which while I don't mind languages besides English in movies (which when done right can really add something), having whole scenes with no subtitles can make it hard to concentrate on the movie. I know Trav was losing interest at that point. For documentation purposes, recording what happened with Daniel Pearl was kidnapped, held captive, and then beheaded, this movie served its purpose. But I didn't get much more out of it, which was disappointing.

August Rush
Now after AMH, this movie was such a 180! Even Trav really enjoyed it (which was nice considering this is a bit of a romantic story, chick flick type movie)... especially the music. The music in this movie is wonderful! I really like Lyla and Louis, and the actors who played them, but the stars of this movie were really Freddie Highmore, who played Evan Taylor aka: 'August Rush', he was great, and a diabolical, very real, Wizard played by Robin Williams. This story is a bit cutesy at times... it is about an orphan who uses his music to find his birth parents... but like I said before, the music redeems it 100x. I would see this again.

Oldboy
I don't even know what to say about this one. Its a remake of a very old movie, which we got because it was on a top 10 scariest movies list. It was weird! Very weird! Its follows a Japanese business man who is kidnapped and held for 15 years, then escapes and attempts to get revenge on those who imprisoned him. But the storyline is very winding and convoluted. The rationale for the kidnapping, when its given is far fetched and a bit ridiculous... for me, to the point that it goes beyond "so scary because look at how random violence can be" to "this is completely absurd and so ridiculous to the point of disbelief." And in the end Trav and I could only look at each other and go, "huh?!" If you happen to catch this movie and are a fan of horror/scary/gory movies, watch... but don't go out of your way to pick it up.

30 Days of Night
Trav and I are huge vampire flick fans... and this one had some scary looking previews. The premise was good (vampires descend on an Alaskan town during its month without sun), but the delivery could have been better. I liked it, but didn't love it. It had some scary parts, some feel it in your stomach suspense, but the ending was lacking. Great, the main character sacrificed himself for the woman he loved. But what exactly were the vampires planning to do? They just kind of ran off at the last minute. If you enjoy vampire movies, then you'll probably enjoy this... but don't go into this looking for another Underworld. This one is more about scary makeup, jump out at you surprise, and lots of fake blood then about a good story line.
::END SPOILERS::

8.08.2008

this and that

I spent most of the morning reading this blog... which made me have to stop and deep breathe a few times so that I didn't start bawling. It's sad, but sweet. Abby is a great writer (ps. if you are pregnant, don't read this right now).

I'm also going to share one other thing because after that blog you will probably need some fluff, something funny, and this cracked me up! Although it is rather disconcerting to see Paris Hilton's mouth move and have intellectual things come out!

See more funny videos at Funny or Die


That's all I'm going to say today... Hope you all have a great weekend.

8.07.2008

food and movies

So, its been a while since I've written anything about food here. In the summer, between the heat and humidity, and just not wanting to do a lot or eat too heavily, cooking big lovely meals tends to get shelved temporarily. We've been eating a lot of lighter meals and leftovers, or if we are cooking then its stuff thats from a box or something that can just be microwaved. However, sometimes you just have to cook something from scratch! The body craves a complete dish made with fresh ingredients... its good for body and soul. I've been having that urge for a while now, but seeing as I'm walking a bunch, plus I had that doc appointment on Tuesday, I decided to live through Trav, and suggested an amazing looking chicken recipe for him to cook last night while I was out pounding the pavement. He came through with flying colors.

Chicken Francaise
(from Simple, but Delicious)

4 chicken breasts, skinned and boned and seasoned with garlic salt
1 cup flour
3 eggs, beaten (he used two because that was all we had!)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup wine (dropped this slightly to make up for lack of egg)
3 cloves garlic, pureed
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated (upped this, because, uh... yummy. lol.)

Sauce:
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions:
1. Pound your chicken until 1/4 inch thin. Dip the chicken in the flour then set aside.
2. Make the batter by beating the eggs briskly, then adding in the lemon juice, parsley, wine, garlic, and Parmesan.
3. Coat a heavy skillet with margarine, butter or olive oil and place over medium-high heat.
4. Dip the floured chicken pieces generously in the batter and place in the heated skillet. Cook until golden brown on each side, about 5 minutes each side. Remove chicken from the pan and drain excess oil.
5. Make the wine sauce by melting the margarine in the pan, then stirring in the wine and lemon juice.
6. Return the chicken pieces to the pan, spooning the wine sauce over all and cook 1 minute longer.

This chicken was so lovely and tender and flavorful! My first bite I thought it was a bit lemony... but after that initial flavor surprise, it was just so damn good. The chicken was cooked so nice, the breading was absolutely delish, and the sauce was good on both the chicken and the peas we had to go with our chicken.

This was my dish about 15 minutes later:

:-) It was gooood.

While we enjoyed our fabulous meal, we also enjoyed the next of our movies: The Bucket List. And I mean really really enjoyed it. Even if you don't read my review, know that I really loved this movie and recommend it highly! Tuesday night we had watched Children of Man, and I'll review that one below also.


::START SPOILERS::
Children of Man
I had really high hopes for this one as it was one I had wanted to see for a long time... one I had wanted to see in theatures. I wasn't disappointed, but I don't think it met all my expectations. In COM we are in the future, 2027, when for reasons unknown the population has lost its fertility and can no longer bear children. Anarchy has exploded around the globe, and England is one of the few places of order left. Refugees from around the world flock there in hopes of a better life, but are not welcome in Britain, where they are rounded up and stored in camps or deported. When the youngest citizen of the world dies (at 18), the future seems very bleak indeed. One man, Theo, finds himself in a life or death struggle to save a young woman who has found herself about to have a child. A child is always a blessing, but in this world it is truly miraculous and Kee (the mother) is put in the position of being both the possible savior of humanity, and an outcast, being a refugee. This movie takes a look at the tenuous nature of human existence, at what would happen if we no longer had another generation to worry about or preserve/persevere for. With no children, there is no future... nothing to hope for. The movie is fast paced, with plenty of violence and blood. There is one scene when the police are fighting with the "terrorist" group The Fish (who want to use Kee and her baby to further their political agenda of freeing the refugees), but for a few moments all fighting stops, all is quiet except for the baby crying, while Theo, Kee and the baby walk down the stairs... such is the amazement of all involved at seeing a baby again. It's a pretty powerful scene. The end isn't predictable from the beginning necessarily, but once we hit a certain point, we knew what was going to happen. All in all, I would recommend this movie... it really is good.

The Bucket List
I don't even know where to start on this movie... it is so great, I really loved it. For the most part its a comedy... and a damn good one, Jack Nickelson and Morgan Freedman are a well matched pair... but its also a serious move at the end, and leaves you feeling like you really got something from it. I laughed my ass off, and I cried too. It was sweet, funny, heart-wrenching. Just the fact that the movie ends with both of the main characters being dead tells you that its an unusual movie. And its definitely a must see.
::END SPOILERS::

I also took a quick shot, for prosperity sake, of Trav's ankle.

It's healing up so nicely!! He has his second PT appointment today, which means one step closer to getting his strength and range of movement back.

Well, its time for me to get back to work. Have a great day!

8.06.2008

soo...

I got my IUD out last night. We're not going to try yet, we'll use condoms for a bit... but its a step in that direction, and I'm really happy about it. This is the first time my body has been birth control free (no hormones or foreign bodies) for about 7.5 years. It was a decision we made together too, obviously, and was a pleasant surprise for me that Trav really did want me to get it out.

As for the removal itself, for those of you wondering, it was so much easier then insertion. It only took about 10 minutes from undressing to redressing, and it was just a gentle pull to get it out. It felt weird at the time she was pulling it out (I could feel it coming out), but no pain, and today I feel completely normal.

Now that is probably all I will say about babies for a while because I really don't want it to be obvious when we do start trying (especially if it takes us a bit, who wants that pressure!), and I probably won't "share" when we do get pregnant until the end of the first trimester. Of course, we'll see how long I last.

So, now you know my news. :-)

8.05.2008

glad

I'm already so glad that I decided to do the 3-day. I haven't even done the walk yet, but this whole process has already given me so much. It got me out and moving again. Physically, I'm in the best shape I've been in since high school. I'm at a great weight, and I feel strong and healthy. More then that, its given me time. Time by myself, time with one of my best friends, time to think and just be in the moment, taking everything in. I've learned more about my extended neighborhood in the past few months of walking then I did in all the years before I started to train. When you are walking, you really take things in. You are moving at a slower pace, so life slows down around you and you notice what might otherwise be unobserved. Its given me a chance to see the beautiful around me when sometimes its just easier to see the negatives. Ro & I have shared things with each other that we probably never would have thought that we could share just a year ago. And I've gotten hours and hours to examine this person that is Megan.

For the most part, I'm happy with what I've seen. Sometimes I wonder about my propensity for looking ahead... dreaming so far into the future... not just being satisfied with what I have. In some ways, when you look at individual moments/activities/events/things, I'm great at living in the now. But when it comes to the big pictures, I have a very hard time looking at my whole situation and finding satisfaction. In some ways that can be good, it pushes me to be better always... to work towards my bigger goals, keeps me from being stagnant. But it can also be bad, keeping me from enjoying life 100% when I'm always looking at what I don't have. I wonder if the things I want are really what I want, I like to think they are... but what would happen if I got them all tomorrow? Would I really be completely content then? Or would I find a whole new crop of things to covet? I like to think that I would be content then, but who knows for sure.

Walking has given me a chance to explore all these things. Not necessarily to answer all the questions I raise, but at least to mull them over and come up with a few possible answers... and a chance to figure out which of those answers I want to come to fruition. Once the 3-day is over I certainly won't be walking as much as I do now... both days of the weekend, at least one of those days in the double digits and 4/5 miles two nights a week... but I will certainly keep walking. Perhaps a few nights a week, maybe with my husband in tow (since I won't have to go so far if I don't want to)... hopefully on the weekends with Ro still, since I love our talks so much, but certainly not as far as we walk right now.

This is not to say that it has all been great. There are days when the last thing in the world I want to do is walk. Like this past Sunday, when I was just so damn tired... or any of those 90* days, when it was just so damn hot. But it has definitely been worth it. I'm greatful for all it has given me. Really, its helped me find more of me.

Ten weeks left in training.



Ps. Yesterday Trav had his first PT appointment and it went well. He's going to be going 2-3 times a week, plus he got "homework" to do the other nights (he has to write the alphabet in the air with his foot). In two-ish weeks he'll move from exercises intending to loosen his ankle up and get his movement back, to weighted exercises intending to build the muscles back up. We're feeling very positive about this.

8.04.2008

::blinks, blurry eyed::

This weekend was so long and tiring and fun and tiring and still too short, of course, but did I mention tiring? Friday we ended up putting off the watching of No Country for Old Men because we had some chores to get done that took longer then we thought, and we didn't want to miss the new episodes of Monk and Psych. Trav had to cut back all the weeds etc that were growing outside of our fence, but still technically in our yard back by the little alley that runs behind our house. I went to help, but was only out for maybe 2 minutes and got 16 bug bites! It was ridiculous, you could see all these little black flies on my legs, so Trav sent me inside. Ugh. So he finished the yard, and I did dishes and laundry... scratching all the while! After we decided that the movie would have to wait, we watched an X-files instead... then our shows while playing some more Scrabble (we're real party animals!) before heading to bed around 11:30.

Saturday I had to get my ass up at 5:45 to leave the house by 6 so that I could get to King of Prussia by a little before 7 (with a pit stop for gas... $3.87!! Woo-hoo!) to attend a training walk followed by an expo for the 3-day walk. The expo was pretty neat... got to see one of the tents, get advice on fundraising, and some more info on packing. The training walk beforehand though, well it was supposed to be 10... which was already annoying since their training program said 12 miles for Saturday. Care to follow your own training schedule guys? But, I figured two miles was easy enough to make up... except that there was some lightning in the area, so we ended up now going out for the walk until close to 8 (instead of 7). And at that point they didn't want us to get too far away from the expo location in case the lightning came back... so instead of the 10-mile route, we did a mile loop... over and over and over. And with an hour less, well I only got about 7 miles in. I was a little peeved. I mean, I'm a big girl... I should get some say in what I'm comfortable doing. But anyway, the expo was good, so I'll let it go.

After that I headed home, ate, showered, and then Trav and I headed out to Ro & Pat's (with a quick stop at Spenser's for some naughty gifts first). Trav stayed there with the boys for our friend George's bachelor party, and Ro & I headed out to visit with another girlfriend in West Chester (who's husband was also attending the bachelor party). Their place is really cute and in a GREAT location, just off the main street in West Chester, and an easy walk to tons of restaurants and bars. We relaxed for a bit first, watched PS. I Love You (review below), then headed out to dinner at Teca. I loved this place... lots of entrees to choose from, but also a ton of appetisers and sides, making it easy to do a tappas-style meal, which is what we did. Between the three of use we devoured a 7 cheese plate, a 3 meat plate, an order of Prosciutto & Melone, a plate of curly fries, an order of Olive Ascolane, and an order of bruschette. Plus Kerry & I split a bottle of wine (a very nice Vernaccia). After that we headed to another restaurant/bar down the road where they had a guy playing guitar and singing. So we listened to music and hung out for a bit more. By that time it was almost midnight, and the pregnant woman was about to fall asleep in our booth (I wasn't far behind either!), so we headed back to Kerry & Jeremy's apartment. We were probably in bed by 12:30ish.

Man was I a tired girl the next day! Between the drinking that I don't normally do, the waking up a few times that night to pee, and then waking up for good at 6:30... well I was not too energized. I got maybe 10 hours between friday and saturday nights, when I am definitely a girl that needs her 8 hours a night! Ro & I left a bit after 7 (Kerry is an early riser, so we got to say goodbye first), picked up some donuts and coffee for the boys, and headed back to her place. We ate some and talked to the guys for a bit, then got changed and headed to our walking place around 9:30. I had planned to do 12 miles to make up for all I missed on Saturday, but we were both just so tired that we did 6 and decided that was enough!! One weekend of not meeting my milage won't kill my training, so I just shrugged it off. Plus, its all about listening to your body, and mine was saying a big "No Way!". I'm pretty sure the only reason we made it as far as we did was because Sunday was pretty beautiful weather-wise! A high of 84*, very little (well, relatively) humidity, and a great breeze. Lovely. We headed back to her place, ate some lunch, then I grabbed my boy and he & I headed home. There was no way we were doing anything, so we just settled in with some DVDs. First No Country for Old Men (review below), then about 5 episodes of X-files! We were in bed by 9:30, and I was asleep about 15minutes later and didn't wake once until this morning. I feel a bit better after 9 hours... I think I'll need another good night of sleep before I'm back to 100% though. Luckily Monday is the official day of rest for my walk training, so I'll have a relaxing night tonight.

So that was our weekend! Our long, tiring, but very fun weekend.

As for the movies (skip below if you don't want to read spoilers):

::WARNING - SPOILERS::
PS. I Love You
I previously read, and really enjoyed, this book. It's touching, funny, sweet, sad, and entertaining. The movie is all of those as well. I cracked up, and I definitely cried. I was initially a bit disappointed in a few things that they changed from book to movie (ex. making Holly's family just her, her mom, and her sister - the big family stuff in the book was great and made for entertaining side stories)... but I got used to the differences (another big one being that it was set in the states instead of Ireland), and enjoyed the movie very much. I loved Hilary Swank in this, and Gerard Butler. I also love the character William (played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan), and thought that Harry Connick Jr's Daniel was hilarious. While there are laughs, this is definitely a more sober movie over all... and its definitely a bit of a chick flick! A romantic story about finding yourself and new love after losing your "one true love." If you are in the mood to laugh and cry, I would definitely recommend this movie.

No Country for Old Men
Wow, where to start with this one. When the credits rolled, Trav and I just looked at each other and said, well that was interesting. This is not a movie to watch if you want your story to have a beginning, middle, and nicely wrapped up ending. They do not tie a bow on this one... but they don't really leave you hanging either. If you asked me to tell you the storyline for this movie, I could do that easy enough (man finds money, other men want their money back, hired killer goes after man, man is killed in the end - with plenty in between)... but if you asked me to tell you what this movie is really about, what it is trying to say, well that is a whole different thing. Javier Bardem is amazing in this movie... his character is so evil, just the epitome of violence. Bardem said, "I think the movie speaks of a lack of meaning in violence. I embody violence, I am violence itself in the movie, and there is a man . . . who is trying to understand the meaning of it and at the end there is no meaning." And I think that really sums up the movie. It's a modern day Western, whose meaning is no meaning. See it.
::END SPOILERS::


Well, I should get to work.... but before I run, this weekend also meant the official introduction of the newest Jolie-Pitt babies to the world. :-) You know how much I love this stuff. So here's the picture!
And the news here and here.

Okay, now I'm really going to get back to work.
Have a great day!

8.01.2008

august

So my birthday is in two weeks, and because I'm married to the sweetest man ever, I got two of my (apparently) four gifts last night. He really does spoil me. They came in the mail yesterday, and I think he decided that he had tortured me enough with the "oh, hey hunny, I ordered your birthday present today..." stuff (I'm not great with waiting for stuff when I know about it like that), so my reward would be getting to open them early. Plus, honestly, I think he is very like me in that if I have good news, a cool gift, etc why give it to someone later, when you could in fact, give it to them NOW. For example: my mom's birthday was on a Thursday, I held out until the Tuesday before, when I could wait no longer and I HAD to call her and tell her what her present was. :-) I love the giving... the look on their face (or in that case, the sound of their voice), knowing that they really love what I got them... and I think he's the same way.

So, last night I got 1) more dork gear (aka Harry Potter stuff)! I got a wand sheath, house socks and a house scarf (in gryfindor colors, of course). Love it! :-) And I got 2) Seasons 2 & 3 of the X-files on DVD. I already have all of them 1 - 7 (there are actually 9 season, and maybe i'll eventually get the last two... but they are the ones with doggett instead of mulder, so not my fav!), but only season 1 was the "official" dvds. 2-7 are these asian dubbed dvds, which weren't the best quality, but we were poor college students when he got them and if he bought those instead of the licensed ones then he could afford to buy them all for me. So anyway, we're finally getting around to replacing them as they have gotten pretty bad about skipping around and freezing up. So, two great gifts that definitely show how well my beau knows me!

We also just started a two week free trial of Netf.lix, during which we will be fitting in as many movies as humanly possible. Last night we started with The Simpson movie (sent back today), tonight we'll watch No Country for Old Men, and for this weekend I have Ps. I Love You. The Bucket List is shipping next, and in between, I'm sure we'll be working our way through those two seasons of the X-files! So I'll probably be reviewing lots of movies on here in the next two weeks (although maybe I'll skip a detailed review of the Simpsons movie... if you've seen the show, you know exactly what to expect with the movie)!

Well, time for me to get some work done. I've had a pretty hard time concentrating this week... so I do have a few items I want to check off my to do list before this friday is over with. Have a great weekend!!



Ps. I just realized that I never gave you the update on Cas and her daughter. Well I just heard last weekend that all charges were dropped! She has her girl back! Such great news!!!!