Good Things Come in Small Packages!

Today has actually been a fairly productive sick day. This morning when I woke up, I let the dogs out, fed them, gave them their medicine, and then lay down to read. I am currently reading Frank McCourt's "Teacher Man." I love his books. He writes so realistically. I also read a new memory makers magazine and then felt bad about the state of my scrapbook table and my lack of recent projects, including my wedding album and the start of a baby album. I can feel myself slipping behind!!

When I finally got motivated I took a bath and got dressed. I ate peanut butter toast and a banana at the recommendation of my OB (since I have been feeling sick) and then I took the dogs for a little walk around town, which is something to walk both of them by myself, but it can be done, especially when they are used to walks now since we have been walking every day since the weekend. I wanted to get a walk in before I got too tired and before it started to rain, since it is already looking overcast this afternoon.

When I got home I rested. I watched a little Tivo, checked my email, and checked the status of the weavette loom... I bought one from a wonderful company on ebay, along with the weavette pattern book, and the loom appears to be manufacturer defective... missing a peg. I emailed pics to the seller this morning to get his take on it. I tried on 6 nursing bras, a maternity swimsuit, 2 pair of nursing/maternity pajamas and a robe, 2 nursing sports bras, and 3 nursing tank tops. I left auction feedback for the various items I tried on, and then I started to feel sleepy.

I ran the dishwasher, picked up the kitchen dishes and garbage, let the dogs outside, cooked a chicken pot pie for lunch, and called 3 daycare facilities to request packets of information so that we can make a decision for this December and get on a waiting list.

I started to feel like a nap, so I went to the post office and grabbed the mail, which included a package- My Coloriffic swap-o-rama package for March- themed in Green and Blue. There were lots of goodies inside, including a hand knit sweater for the baby that is a kimono style that ties on the side. It is so freaking adorable I just want to show it to EVERYONE. Evan loved it when he saw it. He had to untie and re-tie it. It was made and sent by Katie in New Hampshire and I just can't thank her enough!!

So now it's 3:30 and I am wondering what the rest of the day brings. I am pleased that I got some things accomplished that weren't tiring or stressful, and was this productive when I was sick. :)

The Best Things in Life Are Not Free!

Today I am filled with pet peeves. For example, WHY Does a newspaper automatically think that if they print something, I want to read it? Why do they assume that if they print a free newspaper, that I want it tossed out in my yard amidst the dog shit so that I can fish it out and peruse it? I am the new generation. I don't give a shit about news that's two days old and media prejiduced. I can get more news, more unbiased facts, more interesting opinions, from the internet. From Blogs. Not to mention that I can read said newspapers online and save all that paper and those tiptoed steps through the dog shit to get the damn paper. The News Tribune prints a free paper called the Shopper. After the first 2 years of picking the damn thing up off the yard, we called them and asked them to please stop delivering. Well. That would work. Until we got a new paper delivery person (aka child labor) and then it would start all over again. Until the one day that we had my friend Carrie's dog Molly Brown and she went out after that paper boy (of course she has never really BITTEN, she was just defending her poopy yard) and he never came back. It was a miracle. So then, after the Shopper Incident, the Sheffield Bulletin went out of business andbecame "The Prairie Review" which, THANK GOD wasn't thrown on the lawn but delivered for free in a precise and civilized manner via the US Postal Service. This, I appreciated. A clean paper that has small town news and was free. Without the "our town is so wonderful we only print the BEST news and the quaintest of stories" bias that you get elsewhere. And then of course that paper became a "purchase me" paper and then next thing you know there is another free paper, The FOCUS printed out of the same town, with similar news and more typos, and still, miraculously, they manage to deliver it TO MY POST OFFICE BOX for free. I love it. But between these two free papers, the Bureau County Republican decides that they need to make a free paper. And toss it in the yard. Yes. In the Snow. In the rain. In the poop. Does a person who works full time want to spend their precious free hours picking up soiled newspapers from their yard that they didn't even ASK for? Apparently not, as the 34 free papers have piled up in the yard and on the steps. So today I called the Republican to get them to STOP tossing it in my yard. I was polite, until the lady said "We will put in that request and SEE if we can stop the delivery.... (argh) and then got all cranky with me "You're Breaking Up I can't hear you" (from my home phone) and I said very clearly

"THERE ARE THIRTY-FOUR OF YOUR DIRTY PAPERS IN MY YARD AND I BELIEVE IT IS ONLY COMMON SENSE THAT YOUR DELIVERY PERSON STOP THROWING OUT PAPERS ONCE IT BECOMES OBVIOUS THAT NO ONE IS READING THEM. PLEASE MENTION THIS REQUEST BECAUSE IT'S JUST COMMON COURTESY"

Ack

Man I do not feel well today. Sunday night I barely slept. Seriously. Then when I did wake up on Monday I had a headache, and a stuffy nose, and a sore throat. I called into work and went back to bed, I slept till 11:30 and felt better once I got up. Last night I slept well, but woke up at 5am and couldn't get back to sleep. At 6:40 I finally decided to just get up and shower. Now I have the runny nose and the queasy stomach, and what I will refer to as "intestinal stress." Yuk. I am chewing gum and swallowing gallons of water in an attempt to calm myself and my stomach. Yuk. The normal smells of the workplace, which aren't always pleasant, are downright nauseating today. Twice I had to go outside to get some fresh air to stop gagging. Any votes on whether I make it through the day?

A Trip to the Vet

I. Am. So. Lazy.

This morning we took the dogs to the vet. Hadley has been having electric yellow urine and frequent accidents in the house, even when he has just been outside. It's like he can't hold it. They decided to do some bloodwork for potential liver or kidney issues, and Hadley had a spot on his leg shaved (although he has short hair as it is) so that the vet could see his vein and draw blood. Hadley didn't like it but It was pretty cool to see the vet do a blood draw. They got their booster shots and new rabies tags for this year. They were so super psyched to be going for a ride this morning... it was funny how much they barked and Hadley "talked" all the way to Walnut.

On the way home they were so exhausted from all the excitement that they just sat or lay down in the back seat, and we had only been at the vet for 30 minutes. LOL.

Although I had showered in the morning, I changed my clothes again because I was covered in dog hair. Evan fed the beasts so I could go to work. Hadley's blood work should be done in about 24 hours so we will know what we are looking at.

This weekend is looking to be a pretty quiet, around home weekend. Probably some cleaning and some dishes and laundry, and hopefully some good sleep and relaxing will happen.

Happiness Is....

8 boxes of girl scout cookies under my desk!
Did I mention that I was a girl scout for over 10 years? My mom was a leader for years and as a high school student I was a leader's helper and ran a brownie troop, and they eventually became juniors.

Thursday. And I am not Half Nekkid.

This morning when I arrived at work, there was a sesame seed lingering on my chair and it made me hungry. I resisted eating it. LOL. Husband brought me a BIG Roast beef sandwich from Arby's last night for my supper, since I had gotten so busy teaching classes yesterday that I hadn't been able to grab lunch. Luckily I had eaten a late breakfast around 10am or I would have been sick.

Last night I pretty much accomplished nothing. Watched Crossing Jordan and a couple of TLC Specials, the one on Primordial Dwarfism that I have seen three times now, and then the special on the people eating 33,000 calories a day. Yeah. Good TV.

Then of course as is my usual custom, I got super tired until I couldn't prop my eyes open anymore and husband made the bed and I went to sleep. I am really enjoying that I have been able to wake up naturally several times this week, because I go to bed early enough to actually wake up on my own with plenty of time to get ready and go to work. This morning I actually DID my hair for the first time this week and am wearing jewelry. I must be feeling more normal! LOL. I had one OB nurse ask me how I am doing and tell me that I look great. That was nice.

My girl scout cookies are in today, and I keep telling myself that I won't eat an entire box at once. Or even in one day. We will see how that goes. I bought a bunch of them on account of I am pregnant and I want to eat them. LOL.

Have I mentioned here what my FAVORITE Food is now? Burger King Breakfast. The Hamlette Sandwich and Cheesy Tots. I have had it twice now, about once every week and a half. Otherwise it's usually cereal with skim milk. Like Cheerios or Chex or Strawberry Frosted Min Wheats (good fiber; no sodium.) Eating that BK Breafkast is like HEAVEN! But I am trying to watch my salt content (not sure how good I am doing since I ate a Culvers melt with soup once this week and an Arby Roast Beef last night) but I am trying. This weekend I need to total up the amount of food that we lost in the power outages and get insurance reimbursement so that we can refill the fridge and freezers.

Tomorrow is payday THANK GOD because I have lots to pay for and a few ebay auctions that I won. I did buy a weavette loom and a nice instruction and pattern book from a weaving company. I want to start making baby blankets. I can crochet but not follow the pattern, and I can't knit to save my soul because I tighten it up so badly that I break the yarn a few rows in. So the weavette allows you to weave squares that can have patterns and colors and then you attach them together to make a blanket or whatever you want. There are many sizes, and I ordered the 6x6 because it covers more ground. Lots of people have plastic weavette's from the 50's and 60's that they find at thrift shops or garage sales, but they are now making brand new wooden ones with metal pegs. Martha Stewart did a segment in her magazine last year about weaving with the weavette.

I also got seven nursing bras and three nursing tank tops for fairly cheap, and am bidding on a maternity swimsuit that I am going to pay WAYYY too much for, but it's not available anymore and It's the only cute one that I have ever seen that will fit me, and because I plan to be pregnant all summer, and my OB plans to make me swim to fight of Toxemia and get exercise, I figured be prepared and buy one in the winter is probably cheaper than when EVERYONE is looking for them. It's like a tankini but the top is longer and swing style so it covers your belly nicely and looks like a little short dress. It's blue and white gingham with white trim and daisies in the cleavage area. I also bought a pair of NWT Motherhood yoga pants (lounge pants) for $6, so that makes three pair of pants I have that are all comfy.

Evan has been doing a little more belly rubbing lately and often gets good baby ideas. He went to Target last night and when he got home he said "You should see all the cool baby stuff at Target" and I know that he wandered through the aisles. What is amazing is that he didn't buy anything in there. He did buy t-shirts for him and one for me with Mr Rogers on it, but no baby stuff.

I am gearing up for the April Coloriffic swap, the colors are lavender and cream and black. I have a *couple* of things bought already, that I saw and thought were so adorable and fitting. I got my partner's name and I have to say this is the most picky partner I have ever had and I am nervous about meeting her requests. She is very specific about what you don't send to her. She has limited a few crafty things because she already has enough of them. I feel stressed a bit but I am sure I will do fine, and I have a whole month to gather and send. I am thankful that she is in the USA because shipping is KILLER to other countries, for a box that is tiny and costs $3 -4 in the USA, it costs $20 to send to Portugal. And my swap in November cost me an arm and a leg to put together, and to ship, and then it got Lost? I think Customs from the other country stole it. You have to be very careful to not make it look too appealing or sending to another country it will often be stolen in customs. Argh. There should be LAWS or CONSEQUENCES for that! I hope that it will someday turn up, but fittingly enough, I never received my November swap either.

I am on ANOTHER Antibiotic for high White Blood Cells in my urine AGAIN. I would be willing to bet that I just have them all the time. LOL. Maybe it's because I work in healthcare and I am fighting off germs every day.

Well, that's enough literary magic for now. Have a great Thursday.

Shameless Solicitation

You might be old.....

If you carry a pocketbook.

Tidbits

My tummy hurts. Its my own fault. For supper I had a slice of veggie pizza, chips and dip, and cookie dough ice cream. Um yeah. It seemed like a good idea when I cried at the end of Extreme Home Makeover (when I only caught 8 minutes of it) and almost cried when I saw a baby at the Christmas Eve celebration on Girls Next Door.

I loved the season premiere of the Girls Next Door. They brought in a snow machine for the mansion lawn. Bridget got a pink Vaio. My favorite part was when they bought and wrapped bunches of gifts for a family who lost everything in a fire.

This evening I took a two hour nap to get rid of my daily headache.

I made my handmade item for the Color-iffic Swap-o-rama March Swap (blue and green) and packaged it all up to send out. After I sealed the package, I was sitting here and I suddenly remembered that I had a blue bunny that I forgot to include in the package, and some blue rick rack. So I opened the package and added them.

I am currently bidding on a maternity swimsuit that I adore but I am about to pay WAY more than retail for it because it's not available anymore and the ones that you can buy now are UGLY and this one is super cute. And my OB Warned me that I will be SWIMMING and the in-laws have a pool.... and I will be super hot and super pregnant.

Friday night mom and I found baskets that fit the changing table. I also got a down alternative comforter to fit the new bed for $49 (originally $120) and a cute onesie just in case I have a girl.

eBay Newbies SUCK

and ANOTHER Thing! I keep getting outbid on ebay by newbies who sit there as the auction is ending and bid fifteen times in 2 cent increments until they beat me by one penny. it's a good thing eBay keeps identities secret because I would hunt them down in person and do something I can't say on here. That is so frustrating and annoying. There should be an ebay law about it. When I go on to an action that had 2 or 4 bids and at the end there are 18 bids and 13 of them are all the same person bidding 50 cents at a time, I want to hurt them.

Nice Dream

I just had to write this down. I know that I had lots of dreams last night (Thank you new bed and pregnant hormones) but my last one before I woke up was just awesome. In my dream, my midwife did something amazing. At her home, she converted an old red barn into a home birthing room. A large room that was all open. Everything inside was whitewashed. There was a giant bed with a fluffy down comforter and everything was white and lavendar. There were rocking chairs that reclined and birthing balls, and everything was lavendar. It was like going to a spa to give birth. There were roses in a vase that made the whole room perfumed. There were hydrangeas and pillows and flower petals. Wow. There were high small windows around the room so that you could see the trees swaying outside. There was a gazebo outside for the nervous smoking husband and a birth tub in the center of the room that was like a child's swimming pool, with lots of room. It was warm and quiet and darkened. It was amazing.

Of course nowadays I suppose there are some regulations as to what a certified midwife could do without approval, but it was like home birth only perhaps better... because everything was there, including the midwife, and it was so comfortable and shabby chic and you just felt at home, or even better, at a spa.

Where oh where......

Can someone PLEASE tell me where I put the cord that connects my iPod to my computer? It's been WEEKS since I have seen it and I think the evil electronics faeries have stolen it forever. I really really want to sync so I can have my new music and podcasts AND my Deepak Chopra 3 Disc Set to listen to. This is KILLING me! We have looked EVERYWHERE and can't find it.

The History of Sex

What a weekend! It's only Saturday night and I feel like I have accomplished SO MUCH! I am waiting for my pizza and breadsticks to be done, and watching "The History of Sex" on the History Channel. Wow. I am learning ALOT. For example, that male homesexuality traces way back and can be identified in ancient greece and rome. The Sacred Band of Thebes were 150 homesexual couples. They died so that they wouldn't look badly in the eyes of their lovers. What I find amazing is that the homosexual relationship between an older male and a pubescent boy was embraced and considered a rite of passage. And that penetration of the young boy was NOT a part of the experience. The most fascinating is how candidly and normal sex was in their society. It's so interesting. In Egypt, there literally WERE no virgin women. There wasn't even an Egyptian word for virgin. There was no reason to abstain from sex, but they did believe in monogomy and marraige in Egypt, which was not the case in may other cultures. The number of prostitutes and slaves that were used for sex were amazing. But WIVES were not allowed to cheat in most cultures, because they were the property of their husbands, and their reproductive capabilities were also the property of their husbands. Anyone man would have sex with a married woman and got caught, was accused of "theivery" and punished. Augustus of Rome was the first person to make Adultery a Crime. This preluded the rise of Christianity.

What amazes me is that in our culture, we are taught about Greek Gods and Egyptian Culture but all of the sexual details are left out, but sexuality was a HUGE and MAJOR piece of their culture and everyday life. How can you tell the story of Helen of Troy and leave out sexuality and adultery? It's all this jaded storybook tale that we make up to tell our kids and if we don't see specials like this or read on the subject as adults, we don't know any better. I am also amazed by the number of carvings and stone tablets that show sexual acts or genitals. And the fact that we never see any of them. They even say that all the Egyptian chiselings that show a man holding a spear are a metaphor for penetration, because the word for spear is the root of the word that means impregnation. When sexual images were not used, metaphors for sex were used.

The second hour of the show breaks down the EASTERN World and how their take on sex was so much different than the Christianity in the Western World. The Eastern world found a perfect balance between religion and sexuality and believed that one could not exist without the other. I have huge respect for that. The program goes on to discuss taoism and confuscism. Taoism beliefs are centered around longevity of life for men. They discuss having sex without ejaculating, all to prolong your life and become sharper in your senses (on edge, LOL) and if you could have sex with 10 women, or 10 times, and make the woman have an orgasm without ejaculating, you would acheive eternal life. Men chose women who were young, because they hadn't been "tainted" or ruined by giving birth (ouch!) Confuscism believed in prolonging the family. It believed in procreation and having a large family. Women who bore children were very valuable and were the choice of mates. Infant mortality rates were high, so men took to polygamy. Men had their legal wife, and their concubines. The men's job was to keep them from fighting and feeling slighted. Keep everyone happy. One king of ancient China had 121 wives and concubines. He had sexual secretaries that kept extensive records of which wife needed her "needs" addressed. This started the practice of chinese aphrodisiacs. Chinese sex manuals changed to give points on pleasuring women as well as men, because if the women enjoyed sex, they would want to have sex more and would create more children as a result.

Men did frequent brothels in China. Even men with many wives. (For R & R) Brothels were considered an escape from polygamy. Lots of business (not just sexual, but merchants, etc.) was conducted in brothels. Upscale brothels were forums for men to socialize. When men took to brothels, some women took on lovers. But adultery (by women) was punishable by death. They also discussed the eroticism of feet in Chinese Culture. Foot binding was the practice and Chinese men were not ever allowed to see their wives bare feet.

Japanese had their own unique beliefs regarding sex. No original sin. Sexual practices were never looked upon as sin. The Japanese believed that the family was the backbone of life. As long as Japanese men took care of their families and children, they could have as much extramarital sex as they wanted. Japanese women also had multiple lovers and husbands. FINALLY. LOL.

What I didn't know (and they didn't teach us, hell-o!) - Geishas were Prostitutes?!?! How did I miss that! Damn! Prostitution was licensed and regulated. "Licensed Prostitutes." Geishas were considered artists who sang, danced, and had sexual relations with their clients. They originated as the daughters of fallen aristocrats. The show explained that "when a woman wouldn't suffice" men would go to the theater. A Kabuki, where women's roles were played by men, were havens for male prostitutes. They often had affairs with high ranking males like Shoguns and Samauri. Customers who consorted with the boy prostitutes had no repurcussions and were not looked down upon. It was common practice. Prostitutes, Geishas, etc. were common everyday life. It was not hidden. People bought pornographic art and hung it in their homes without shame.

In India, sex and spirituality are tightly interwoven. Hindus used sexual love as a metaphor in their writing and art for their relationship with God. Indian gods are models for Human life. They have wives and pets and children and weapons. In Buddhism, the root of the religion resides in the yoni (vagina.) Therefore the root of enlightenment is in the vagina. This is something that I know something about from yoga and other meditation practices and music. I am fascinated by Buddhism. Many Buddhist Monks and Nuns chose celibacy, instead of enlightenment through the yoni. This is where the Kama Sutra comes into play. The book was written by someone who probably never had sex. It was written more for the men and the elites of society. The last book of the kama sutra deals strictly with penis enlargement and vaginal restriction. The show discusses how, instead of graphically explaining sexual positions in poetry, writers would indicate that the woman was on top by saying that her "garter bells were shaking" and indicates she was on the bottom by saying that her "ankle bells were ringing."

Indian men used parrots to seduce women. They would teach the bird how to say sexual phrases. Men sought women with large breasts, narrow waists, and large hips and thighs. But that didn't have much to do with who they would marry... there were arranged marraiges where child brides (under the age of 12) who moved in with her husband when she reached puberty. The brides lived with their in-laws and became young slaves. There was no sex on the first night of marriage. The longer you wait for the sex, the more potent it was supposed to be. Tantra was the breaking of taboos. It combined several religions and broke many religions laws of society. By eating meat, drinking alcohol, taking drugs, and having ritualized sex, Tantrists believed they could attain enlightenment. many Indian Temples display Tantric sex on their outer walls. Tantric Orgys looked like sexual games of twister. Tantric sex was considered dark and secretive and dangerous. It was often done in dark cemetaries. It was said that there is a Serpent coiled at the base of a persons spine. Tantric sex was supposed to release the serpent and it would slink up to a person's head and they would obtain enlightenment.

So, that's your lesson in sex for the day. Although that's probably enough to last a lifetime.

Everybody Gets Naked

You know, one of the things that I was thinking of this morning while my brain was cranking away.... was posing for Playboy. Not as in "I, Meagan, plan to or want to pose for Playboy."

Let me expand.

I recently (okay a while ago) saw or read something about parents "these days" being especially concerned that their kids who blog or use MySpace will be googled by future employers and then will not be hired based on their internet or personal life activities.

Okay. That made me giggle. It's like "Whoa, we saw some sideboob on the internet and therefore we know that girl isn't (insert employer name here) material!" Um. Okay. Things amaze me.

Actors can be nude in movies. Nude Art is a widely recognized art form. Playboy is a nationally read and recognized magazine. People. Are. Naked. Everyday. Everyone gets undressed at night. Everyone is naked when they shower. People have sex. But if you even talk candidly about sex or nudity or show a little skin, you jeopardize your chance at getting a job? that bugs me.

That's like saying "You have kids. We know you had sex once. That means we can't hire you!" EVERYONE (except the pope) has Sex! Who CARES! People masturbate. People get naked. People wear bikinis. People have a drink or a smoke now and then. Unless you are interviewing for a job at the Vatican**, is there any reason for am employer to google you and look into your personal life to determine if they want to hire you? Isn't THAT Discrimination? You can't refuse to hire me because of my race or sex or marital status but you CAN refuse to hire me based on my personal views or sexual orientation? Hmmm. That bugs me.

What also bugs me is the hypocrisy that is involved. "Mr. Bossman" has sex. with his wife. MAYBE even with a mistress. Maybe he has illegitimate children. Maybe he watches porn. MAYBE He has a subscription to playboy. It's okay for him to do all these things because they are parts of his private life. So one day Mr. Bossman has an interview for a secretary. One candidate is beautiful. She is qualified. Problem is, Mr. Bossman saw her in the January 1999 issue of Playboy. Well. She can't be trusted. She's damn hot but she's not "insert employer name here" material. Hypocrite. He can look at her naked in a magazine but he can't hire her because "being naked in a magazine is wrong."

Same concept.... It's okay for "Ms. Boss" to have sex with younger men and frequent internet chat rooms- but she saw a potential employee's personal website and "we just can't hire someone like that here."

I hate how hypocritical it all is. And then you have the people who aren't internet savvy. "I can't believe you would have a blog, or write anything on the internet." Hmm. Well, "internet hating guy" I can't believe that you cheated on your wife, are raising a son who you THINK is yours, and got a DUI and lost your license in the 80's. Hypocrite. It's like you did your stupid things right out there in the public. And if you think this small town doesn't know 90% of your dirty little secrets, have another drink.

So it really pisses me off that if I have a photo on Flickr of me, 26 years old, On my honeymoon with a drink in my hand.... that might mean that in the future, an employer will google me, find that, and assume that I have a drinking problem. It pisses me off that I might choose to write a post in my blog about having a sex toy party, and that years later an employer might google me, find that on my blog, and decide that I am not worthy of a job with their company.

But, When I think about it, that's the kind of company I would NOT want to work for.

** I am not implying by any means that the Vatican has this strict of employment qualifications. Ahem.

Religion Quiz

Not taking this toooo terribly serious since some chick on the internet just randomly created it. But I wasn't surprised to see Buddhism so high on the list. Um, satanism (and islam) I was a little surprised to see. I don't believe the paganism card though. I think that's because I answered lots of things earth related but answered no to "I don't ever hurt any living creature" because unlike true Buddhists, I eat meat and will squash a bug in no time flat. SO I am gathering that's how Paganism got higher than Buddhism. Or hey, think I am a witch. Who knows. Like I said, Random Web Chick.

You scored as Paganism. Your beliefs are most closely aligned with those of paganism, Wicca, or a similar earth-based religion. You may also follow a Native American religion. Paganism 79% Buddhism 75% agnosticism 63% Islam 58% Satanism 54% Hinduism 38% atheism 29% Christianity 25% Judaism 21% Which religion is the right one for you? (new version) created with QuizFarm.com