B, B and Little b

Things b says

2012-01-15T17:39:00.000-05:00

I've decided to start a series of entries on things that b says (and things that b does) that I love.

Whenever we say surprise she says "no bajs!" (which means no poop).

"Surprise! No Bajs!"

Be careful what you ask for

2012-01-06T20:01:00.008-05:00

Right now we are living in corporate housing while waiting for our house renovation to be completed. Looking for anything to help entertain and keep b occupied, B asked b to put his dirty socks in the bathroom (toaletten in Swedish). She shook her head yes and walked to the bathroom. We were quiet listening to her help out her pappa. Suddenly we heard the toilet seat bang shut. b had put B's socks in the toilet. When she came back into the living room she looked so proud of herself. She should be! My smart girl ;-)

Bea - 17 months

2011-11-30T19:30:00.001-05:00

b talks all the time now. Her vocabulary is so large I can't create an adequate list. She loves to say Maya, Lilla Emelia (lilllill emillia), Olive (Ah-lum), Bajs (when she has a dirty diaper), up, mamma'sh (mamma's), pappa'sh (pappa's), pants, poon (spoon), mer tack.

She is constantly talking about her family and naming them (Mormor, Bass(FarMor), Pop, Grammy, Oompah, Lala, Titi, Kori, Jaimie, Ica, Dea, M'issa, Donny, Sharon (She doesn't say Eric or FarFar yet...).

B and I like to call her our little wildling. She will climb, and jump from anything we will let her. The other day she was diving head first off the couch into Lala's lap. She likes to dive over our legs. In the elevator, she holds on to the railing and tries to climb the walls. She successfully climbs B's legs when he holds her hands and does backward flips.

One of her favorite things to do is to stand on a stool and help us or copy us. When ever we are cooking, she is there asking to go up. Then she will stir in bowls, play in the water at the sink filling containers or "washing" the potatoes. In the bathroom, she "shaves" with the bladeless razor while B shaves, and puts on eye makeup with a closed mascara while I put on my eyebrow gel and eyeliner.

She's been putting her socks on by herself for a while now. Sometimes she screams when a sock gets stuck on a toe, but she's usually successful on her own. She recently started putting on her pants by herself. She gets both legs in the correct hole and tries to pull them up. She has trouble pulling them up past her butt, but she sure does try.

She is obsessed with Pippi Longstocking. In fact, she was Pippi for Halloween. Every night she begs for Pippi. At first we gave into most requests. Now B and I are trying to limit the amount she views. We read the Pippi book, sing the Pippi songs. And when we are done with a sing she claps and cheers "YAAAAY!"

I love my little girl. She's awesome.

A little too quiet

2011-09-22T07:55:00.002-04:00

This morning, B & I were getting ready for work when I realized that things were a little too quiet in the house. Normally, b is playing with her toys, running around making a lot of noise, and generally demanding a lot of attention from us. When I started searching for her, she wasn't in any of her usual places. When I finally checked in her bedroom I found her sitting in her nursing chair with the boppy around her waist. To complete the picture, I gave her her baby doll to play with.

Family Halloween Costumes?

2011-09-07T11:56:00.005-04:00

Today is September 7th. that means I only have 1 month and 24 days to figure out and execute a family costume plan for Halloween 2011. Last year, b was only 4 1/2 months old so I let things slide. A friend gave us a Bee costume so we put her in that and called it good. This year I want to do something fun for the whole family. Here are a few of my ideas:

Harry Potter (b), Ron (B) and Hermione (me)
Super Heros (Superman, Superwoman, Wonderwoman?)
A Family of Garden Gnomes
Charlie Brown, Lucy & Peppermint Patty
Dorthy, Scarecrow and Lion
Pack of Crayola crayons

Any other ideas?

b's milestones

2011-09-02T18:32:00.003-04:00

I haven't been very good at keeping a record of a lot of b's firsts, so I thought I'd write down a few of the big ones while I'm thinking of it.

rolled over: 8 weeks

crawled: 7 months + 2 days

walked: 9 months + 2 days

A little better at walking - 10 months

b's words - 14 Months

2011-09-02T14:10:00.003-04:00

b is now 14 months and she is saying lots of words. Just the other day she was reading her book with mormor when she says "triangle". Do 14 month olds say triangle? Apparently this one does. Here are a few of her other words:

More
Milk
Mamma
Pappa
Hi
Hello
Bye
Hejda
tractor
triangle
yellow
keys
shoes
all done
book (pronounced bom)
Ball (pronounced bom)
banana (pronounced bom)
kick
meow
woof
ding ding
brrrrrmmmmm (sound that the tractor makes)
uh oh
mormor (grandma)
oompah (grandpa)
cheese

Her signs are:
milk
more
again
diaper
bath
swim
book
good
eat
drink
shoes
cheese

Pumping frustration

2011-01-13T12:48:00.000-05:00

Days like today when after I had to throw away 4 oz of milk in the morning because it had gone bad, it took me 45 minutes to pump 3 oz of milk are really really hard. Time to try and eat my lunch in 10 minutes.

My daughter, the future opera star?

2010-12-07T17:58:00.000-05:00

We went to a party on Saturday night. Little b was a charmer all day, but she really let loose when she got to play with her friend G. It is so much fun now that she is interested in other babies!

Please sir, could I have some more?

2010-12-03T17:10:00.000-05:00

B and I hadn't planned on giving the littlest b any real food until after the holidays, but she just seemed ready. Every time she saw us eat something ourselves, she was super interested, and it almost seemed like she was sad to not be getting to put more new stuff in her mouth too. Here is a quick little video of the second time we fed her rice cereal.

Swim or Crawl

2010-12-02T16:30:00.002-05:00

OH MY GOODNESS!!! My little girl is getting so big so quickly. She's even trying to crawl already! Part of my loves seeing her learn new things and watching her as she develops her own little personality. The other part of me wishes she would stay a tiny tiny baby forever (minus the sleep issues).

She's here!!!

2010-07-25T15:19:00.000-04:00

Wow, this post is super late. Our little girl (we'll call her the littlest b or little b) arrived on June 14th at 10:59am. She weighed 7lbs 5 oz and was 21 inches long. B and I are so excited to have her join us and have really enjoyed our last 6 weeks with her (WOW! 6 weeks already!!!).

Any guesses?

2010-06-10T14:21:00.000-04:00

I think everyone knows that Batman is scheduled to join us on June 14th. However, there are still a lot of things that no one knows: Name, birth time, weight, etc. Does anyone care to take a few guesses?

Take a stab at guessing the following. Also, since we don't have a name picked out yet any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Name:
Time of birth:
Weight:
Length:
Eye color:
Hair color:

Uncomfortable in my own skin

2010-06-10T14:17:00.000-04:00

I must admit, except for my first trimester migraines and my heart palpitations I have been fairly lucky during this pregnancy. Up until the last few days, I was relatively comfortable the majority of the time. Yes, I had basic pregnancy complaints (edema, swelling, constant trips to the bathroom, etc) plus my share of special to me discomforts (see above migraines and heart palpitations) but I was really doing fairly well. For the last 4 weeks I've been walking between 4-8 miles almost every single day. I've been cooking and eating healthier for the last 9 months than I have in a long long time. Unfortunately, now that I am in the final stretch of this pregnancy (4 days to go!!) I am extremely uncomfortable all the time. I won't bore myself by running through the my list of discomforts because I'm not alone, most women go through this. But man oh man I just needed to take a moment to complain and say - I'm tired of being uncomfortable.

5 days to go

2010-06-09T22:41:00.000-04:00

It's been a very very long time since I've updated this blog. With 5 days to go until Batman makes her arrival, I'm not sure how much more I will update about the pregnancy. I do plan to upload a few more pictures of the belly so you can see how much she's grown in the last few weeks... soon. I swear!

The last few weeks have been pretty rough. My body is no longer cooperating with me and I am very very uncomfortable all the time. B's been pretty uncomfortable too, and no it's not couvade syndrome. Rather, B has been doing the 100 push ups in 6 weeks program! He was all set to complete the 6 week program before Batman arrived but between his getting both a stomach flu and a nasty cold in the last 5 weeks he probably won't get to 100 push ups before Monday. Depending on whether or not he still participates in the program in the next two weeks I definitely think he will reach his goal by the end of June. I'm crossing my fingers for him!

Baby Bump - 37 weeks

2010-05-26T14:48:00.005-04:00

Just a quick update with a picture of the belly at 37 weeks. Where has the time gone?

All dressed up!

2010-05-15T14:50:00.000-04:00

B and I went to a friends wedding. We got all dressed up for the occasion. The wedding was absolutely stunning. Unfortunately, being 36 weeks pregnant left me a bit tired and I unfortunately had to leave before the night was over (I made it to 10pm!) Here are a few pictures from the day.

The newly married couple!

Beautiful centerpiece!

He's so handsome!

Yup, there's the Belly at 36 weeks!

Baby Bump - 34 weeks

2010-05-05T18:46:00.000-04:00

Oh my goodness! When did this happen? It's as if I exploded this week! Looks like she is gaining weight now! (I am using lots of exclamation points today!!!)

Ignore the hair in the picture above. It was very windy when I was walking home from work.

Wiggling Squirmy Girl

2010-04-30T13:29:00.000-04:00

I mentioned the other day that I spend a lot of time watching my belly to see Batman wiggling around in there. For those of you who are interested in seeing her move, go behind this cut to see two short videos of my belly.

This first video she doesn't start wiggling until about half way through.

In this video she only wiggles for a few seconds and then all you get is my boring stomach.

Enjoy! I know I do :-)

Swedish lambs wool baby sack

2010-04-29T16:49:00.003-04:00

B's mom sent us this beautiful lambswool baby sack which she used when B and his two siblings were babies. I had never seen a baby sack like this before she sent it to us, but B and I are planning on using it for Batman once she is born. The only problem is I'm not 100% sure how it can/should be used. Is it like a moses basket? Should it be used as a travel bed? Can it be used in lieu of a bassinet? Any advice on how exactly this baby sack should be used is much appreciated!

Isn't it beautiful?

The sack when it is open

The sack when it is closed

Baby Bump - 33 weeks

2010-04-28T20:11:00.000-04:00

It's been so long since I've updated that I don't know where to start. Is this picture enough? They say a picture is worth a thousand words...

OK, so here is a brief update: Next Friday is my last day at work before I start my maternity leave. Assuming Batman cooperates, I'll have 5 weeks off from work before she is due so that I can take care of things like getting a crib, washing her clothes, picking up some diapers ... you know, the basics. Plus, I'll be spending some of that time taking care of myself. I have lunch with friends, yoga, acupuncture, a pedicure, and hopefully a massage on my agenda.

How about some stats:

How far along?: 33 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 23 pounds

Stretch marks?: Not yet, but we shall see. The last week I've felt like my skin is about to pop.

Sleep: Pretty good. I usually make it until about 5am before nature calls. Some nights I get up 2 or three times, but that is not the norm. Also, her movement doesn't wake me up in the night.

Best moment this week: After napping all day on Saturday Batman started to get wiggle crazy! I love feeling her squirming around in there and watching my belly wiggle. She is active enough these days that if a friend puts their hand on my belly they will get to feel her before too long.

Worst moment this week: The back pain! It was so bad yesterday I thought I was going to cry. Luckily, I found a way to lie so that B could rub my back to make it feel better.

Movement: All the time. So much more this week!

Belly button in or out?: Still in. B thinks it will pop, but I think it's too deep for that to happen. We will see.

What I miss: Sushi, Deli sandwiches, Beer, cold white wine when we are BBQing, being able to go up stairs/walk fast without being out of breath.

What I am looking forward to: Meeting our little Persson, my mom coming to town next weekend, the wonderful party my family and friends are planning to celebrate the arrival of our little Persson, starting maternity leave!

Baby Bump - 29 weeks

2010-04-04T21:57:00.000-04:00

I'm 29 weeks pregnant and I think I definitely look pregnant now. But don't take my word for it. Here is a picture of me at 29 weeks.

Tea Party - Take Two

2010-03-31T11:19:00.002-04:00

Tea was such a success last week that we decided to go all out and do a REAL tea party with the girls. I woke up on Sunday at 6:30am to get myself up to the Bronx to meet the family.

This was a big day for the girls because it was their first time taking a subway in the city! During our ride from the Bronx to 72nd street they got to witness two subway preachers and a flute player. The girls gave him some change because they enjoyed the music.

When we finally got to Alice's Tea Cup, there was a long wait for a table so we stopped by Central Park for a bit. On the way to the park the girls tried on some shades. They were pretty awesome!

At the park, the girls had fun running and climbing on the giant rocks. So did I and auntie T.

When we finally got our table at Alice's, I think we all agreed that it was worth the wait. The scone flavors were Buttermilk, Ham & Cheese, Pumpkin, Raspberry Chocolate and Mixed Berry. The girls had the "Wee Tea", but there was nothing wee about it!

I think the girls enjoyed the scones as well as their grilled cheese a peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!

All in all, I'd say the Tea Party was a success! Look at the refined ladies enjoying their tea (and notice the little fingers in the air).

But don't worry, this was supposed to be a fun day, so it wasn't all rules and refinement!

Of course the day's activities weren't over after the tea party! T had the brilliant idea that we should continue the day of "culture" by taking the girls to Little Shop of Crafts for some art.

We were a little enthusiastic when getting the paint and we had a minor accident.

Luckily, the paint was water based and rinsed right out! After such a long day, I was exhausted. After an afternoon nap, I still went to bed early that night. Looks like I wasn't the only one who was exhausted!

Thanks T, L and nieces! I had a great time on Sunday!!

Tea anyone?

2010-03-20T20:10:00.000-04:00

B and I went up to the Bronx today to spend the day with my sister, my father, and my two nieces. The day was off to a perfect start. It was in the 70's and we met with the family at the Van Cortland Park to play Frisbee and to run around with the girls. After that, we went back to T's apartment for a tea party! The nieces decided the menu which included Tea, fruit punch (aka fruit punched by B), donuts (chocolate and powdered), fig newtons, marshmallows and ice-cream sundaes.

After tea, we retreated to T's bedroom and the nieces decided that we needed to put on a performance. We got dressed up and did a little dance for Dad and B. It was a lot of fun. Thanks everyone for a great day!

Baby Bump - 27 weeks

2010-03-19T10:07:00.002-04:00

I'm feeling pretty proud of myself right now! B took this picture of me this morning and it's already up! No two week delay for a change.

Now to compare. Below is my belly at 19 weeks.

And my belly below is at 27 weeks.

Baby Bump - 25 weeks

2010-03-18T09:39:00.001-04:00

OK, so I am 2 weeks behind again in posting pictures of my belly. Here are two from week 25 (I am now week 27).

This is what I see when I look down at my tummy. I feel like I'm huge, but I guess other people think I look like a normal 25 week pregnant woman.

Here I am how everyone else sees me. Ignore the poor lighting. B and I were in Jamaica and getting ready to go out for dinner.

And here is B. He wants to show off his Belly too!

Eating for two

2010-03-17T19:47:00.001-04:00

I have been making a huge effort to eat healthier for the last 27 weeks. While I have been doing fairly well with this, it is sometimes not the easiest thing to do, particularly when I'm tired. Tonight, B planned a lovely dinner for us. We had herb breaded tilapia, oven baked sweet potatoes, and corn bread muffins. It was all super tasty! Thanks so much B for making me and our little batman a healthy dinner!

Mmmm, herb breaded tilapia!!! TASTY!

Which was even better because we ate it on the porch on this fine 68 degree evening!

And even though B isn't a huge fan of fish, he was also happy with his meal and the setting.

Strawberry onsie!

2010-03-15T23:22:00.001-04:00

One of my co-workers gave us a super cute strawberry onsie today. Thank you Yvette!!

Interesting to me, maybe not to you.

2010-03-12T12:21:00.002-05:00

I find it interesting that when I am very active the baby likes to settle very high in my belly. However, when I am being super lazy or sedentary she sits real low. I wonder why that is. Is she like sugar in a cup of water that floats to the top when you stir it up and sinks to the bottom when you let is sit?

Reminder to self: Take care of yourself

2010-02-09T16:03:00.001-05:00

The last few weeks have been ~~horribly overwhelming~~ rather hectic. It is very very easy to be sucked into the pressure at work and to forget to take care of myself. While for my own sanity I need to stick with my dramatic pronouncement yesterday that I am not making any social plans any time in the near future, I do need to start making my doctors appointments a priority again. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done because I have gotten used to my reduced schedule of doctors appointments and because I no longer have a part-time schedule at work. However, it is important enough to make it happen regardless of the discomfort it might cause in my work schedule.

To Do List:

Acupuncture for baby well being, my hearing, back pain and anxiety.
General practitioner - for annual check up and for my racing heart, dizziness, other general complaints.
Monthly OB/GYN appointment to check up on the baby
ENT to discuss and check my hearing, discuss my balance, determine how my changes in circumstances might affect my hearing and balance
Hearing aid dispensory - FIX MY BROKEN HEARING AID --- It has been broken for more than a month now and it sucks!
Find a way to start fitting exercise back into my schedule. It was one of the things that helped my balance the most (aside from occupational therapy).

Now that I've just put my medical record out there on the internet ... lets see if I listen to myself. I've already made my first acupuncture appointment for this week.

Drastic measures

2010-02-08T18:51:00.002-05:00

OK, so this is going to sound overly dramatic... but I think that I am at the point where I need to stop making any social plans because odds are that I am going to have to cancel them anyways due to work anyways. Yes, when I am able to get together with people as planned I have a great time, however, because of my current work situation from the moment someone asks me to make plans with them up until 30 minutes before we are supposed to get together I have HUGE amounts of anxiety because I'm not sure if I'm going to have to cancel.

Some people feel comfortable just making plans and cancelling if they have to, but I'm not one of those people. I agonize over whether I am going to have to cancel. As a result, what is already a bad situation at work becomes unbearable when I have to cancel my personal plans.

I think that the only option I have at this point in order to keep my sanity is to just stop making any type of long term plan. Please feel free to email/call/text to make plans for that same day, but I can make any plans ahead of time until I figure out a way to deal with how I've been feeling.

Things just aren't working for me the way they are right now.

It's a Girl!!!!

2010-02-06T18:29:00.000-05:00

B and I were very very happy/excited to find out that we are having a little girl! Only 19 more weeks until she is born!

Baby Bump - 21 weeks

2010-02-05T16:56:00.002-05:00

Since my last picture was so out of date I promised a picture update and here it is! This is a picture from week 21. I am officially past the half way point. So excited!! In other news, I can sometimes actually see the baby kick. Prety cool!

Wow, my belly has grown quite a bit in the last two weeks!

Kicking

2010-02-03T09:30:00.000-05:00

Last night was very exciting, B got to feel the baby kick for the first time!

Celebrity Math - Not so gaga about this

2010-02-02T10:06:00.003-05:00

Inspired by JCrew Math over at the blog Pudding and the Post-Fab Princess, here is a little celebrity math for you today.

Marily Manson in that famous and creepy picture

plus

Tinkerbell

What was Lady Gaga thinking? Why in the world would she want to do this to her self. It makes me uncomfortable everytime I look at this. I need to avert my eyes.

Can you tell I am trying to surf away my funk? I will get back to work now.

Blarg - not a good day

2010-02-02T09:47:00.000-05:00

Today is not a good day. I'm tired. I'm feeling overwhelmed. Its just not a good day today. It makes me think of that book that I read when I was younger, "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day".

Baby Bump at 19 weeks

2010-02-01T12:23:00.000-05:00

I've gotten a lot of requests to post a picture of my belly so here I am at 19 weeks.

This picture was taken two weeks ago (camera difficulties kept me from posting until now). I'll update with a more recent picture soon.

20 weeks pregnant and Nesting already!

2010-01-30T08:55:00.001-05:00

Image obtained here

My nesting instincts have almost kicked in. I'm not currently doing anything about it, but my mind is racing and I WANT to do something about it, and I want to do it NOW! I want to buy a bassinet, to pick paint colors (but that can wait until after we find out the gender), to turn the guest room into the nursery, to start getting rid of all the crap that is laying around the apartment, to clean clean clean, to move the extra chairs in the loft to where they belong, to start cooking and freezing meals. Maybe the first logical step would be for me to let the list maker in me loose.

On the bright side, we FINALLY got rid of our dead and shedding christmas tree on Wednesday night. January 27th isn't too long to keep the christmas tree is it?

Emotional Rollercoaster

2010-01-28T15:49:00.000-05:00

I'm a little embarassed to admit that I naively assumed at the beggining of my pregnancy that I'd be one of those women who did not get all emotional while pregnant. I don't generally cry in sad sad movies (the scene in "My Girl" when Zelda breaks down didn't even get a sniffle from me) or where most other normal people normally cry. In the past my tears have generally been reserved for times when I had been feeling overwhelmed and/or stressed out. However, in the last week or two I have entered bizzaro world where I am getting wheepy over silly things, where things that would normally only make me a little upset or frustrated take me to the boiling point, and where a tiny bit of stress sends me over the edge. The waterworks have turned into a daily thing for me. In fact, I've had to switch to waterproof mascara recently, and that stuff is hard to wash off at night.

In other pregnacy related news, B and I will go on our "babymoon" in 4 weeks. I must say, since we finally decided to take the vacation, the countdown has really taken the edge off the severity of my mood swings. Now we just have to plan and book the trip. I should be getting my renewed passport (with my new married name) in the mail any day now so our options won't be limited to domestic travel.

"Tay inna win" - Nell

2010-01-25T09:48:00.003-05:00

It really creeps me out how when it is really windy in NYC, you can hear the high rises creaking as they sway in the wind.

Speaking of swaying in the wind, this reminds me of the scene from the movie Nell where Nell, played by Jodie Foster, does her spinning dance while calling out "tay inna win'" (tree in the wind). Thats how I feel right now, like I'm a tay inna win (I'm on the 34th floor of a NYC highrise).

Crazy Pregnant Woman

2010-01-24T10:37:00.000-05:00

I'm now 19 weeks (almost 20) pregnant, and I thought that I was going to manage to make it through this pregnancy with minimal craziness. Up until this point, I had managed to remain fairly sane and rational (with the exception of a few episodes while we had lots of company staying with us in November, December, and January) but I now think that I am officially suffering from pregnacy related crazy.

Despite the fact that I recently swore off starbucks because they raised the price of a venti tea from $2 to $3, I was there this morning for my fix. The barista working the register inquired whether I found the new tea different (it is now loose leaf tea). I told her no, and she informed me that some people found it to be stronger. I told her that that isn't necessarily a good thing because some people choose tea over coffee so that they can have a beverage with less caffeine. She smuggly informed me that this was a bad strategy because tea has more caffeine than coffee. Now, normally a misleading statement like that would have just rolled off me. Yes, pound for pound, tea has more caffeine than coffee, however, you use significantly less tea leaf to make a cup of tea than you use coffee bean to make a cup of coffee. Therefore, a cup of tea has less caffeine in it than a cup of coffee. Normally, this internal knowledge would have been enough and I would have just ignored the barista and walked away. But no! Pregnant me wanted to rip this womans head off. I was barely able to contain myself as I told her why her statement was false, and had to stomp away before I made a scene.

Leaving Starbucks I immediately realized how unreasonable I was... but it didn't make me any less furious with the woman. Yup, I've got the pregancy crazies!

Image taken from: http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t80/1kojax1/crazy-guy.jpg

http://www.myspace.com/princeofdaie

This pretty much sums it up

2010-01-15T12:56:00.002-05:00

I am trying not to complain too much about how I'm feeling during this pregnancy (particularly now that the migraines and headaches have subsided a LOT), however, this cartoon pretty much sums up how I've been feeling lately.

Surprise, I'm Pregnant!

2010-01-03T16:12:00.002-05:00

Yup, to the surprise of almost everyone we know, I am pregnant. B and I are expecting our first child on June 15, 2010. Needless to say, we are very excited!

Yuletide Stress

2009-12-18T12:37:00.000-05:00

I love the holidays, and this year Christmas is going to be particularly enjoyable because the family is coming to stay with us! I love spending time with my family, and I also love hosting (and the control that comes with it), but I have been having trouble getting myself ready for the holidays this year. I have been particularly exhausted lately, so nothing on my to do list is getting done. Today is the18th of December, and that means I only have four days to get my butt into christmas gear. Oh my! Can I do it? Definitely not up to my normal standards. If I manage to get a nice big burst of energy, I think I can at least get the big ticket items taken care of before the family arrives on Wednesday.

And out pops the list maker in me. Below is my BIG TICKET ITEM to do list.

Christmas shopping (Nope, I have not bought a SINGLE gift yet)
Buy a christmas tree (put on the lights)
Buy christmas ornaments
Grocery shop for company & Christmas Dinner
Buy 1 airmattress, 1 blanket, 1 duvet cover
Fix leaky airmatress OR buy a replacement
Reserve parking for my sister in our building

If I'm not able to manage anything other than the items on this list, everything will be OK.

Cross your fingers for me that I don't need a 3 hour nap this weekend!

Gimme a break, gimme a break: Vacation Planning (or the kit kat song)

2009-12-15T13:09:00.002-05:00

B and I want to take a much needed vacation in February. We haven't been on a vacation together in about a year (not counting trips to see family or overnight camping trips of course), which is really odd for us. We're the type of couple that generally goes on at least two, possibly three vacations every year. Unfortunately, my hearing loss and 5 weeks off from work on disability made me reluctant to request any vacation. Then B started his new job in July didn't feel like he could request a real vacation for a little while. Now it's December, and I'm just ITCHING to get myself out of the area.

The Options:

adventure vacation vs. warm & relaxing vacation (I am leaning towards an all inclusive with some adventure options)
local destion (driving) vs. getting away (flying)
Forida vs. Mexico vs. Jamaica vs. New Mexico (I don't know where I got that from, I just felt compelled to write it).

What to do... what to do? Anyone have any fabulous but reasonably priced ideas for us?

To Relax?

or Adventure?

Bagels with cream cheese

2009-11-01T19:43:00.002-05:00

B and I probably used to eat bagels at least 4 times a week for the first 4 years that we lived in NYC. Sometimes for breakfast, sometimes lunch. Even growing up, it was a tradition in my family to get a dozen or two of Breggers bagels and a variety of creamcheeses for breakfast every Sunday. I loved them! For some reason B and I just stopped eating them. I haven't had a bagel in 2 years until this morning. We went for Brunch at a friends house and they served bagels with cream cheese (along with a variety of other fixings including home made cheese blintzes). OMG. It was so good. I think my love for bagels and cream cheese has been reignited. I've been thinking about them all day. I even asked B if we could have them for dinner tonight. Alas, he said no (don't worry, he cooked a lovely dinner of pasta with meat sauce instead).

Social, lazy and active

2009-10-26T14:06:00.001-04:00

This weekend B and I managed to achieve what I think is the perfect combination of social, lazy, and active.

Friday we went to a dinner party at S&K's place which was a lot of fun. I had some difficulty due to the noise level and the number of different conversations going at the same time ... but hopefully no one minded when I zoned out or just took a minute to myself.

Saturday B and I woke up and went for Breakfast. I came home and promptly went back to the bedroom to lie down for a minute. 4 hours later, I woke up feeling refreshed. The last few weeks at work have been very busy and have taken their toll. I guess Saturday was the first day I paid for the recent long hours.

Sunday we woke up relatively early (8:30?) and were out the door at 9:10. We drove up to the Catskills to go hiking at the Minnewaska State Park. We took it easy during the hike and simply hiked (instead of running) for a change. We spent 4 hours hiking in the park and enjoying the folliage. Except for a 1 mile hike through a stream (literally trying to not walk in the water but failing) it was a lovely hike with beautiful weather and views. After hiking, we drove to a local farm for apple cider donuts and hot apple cider. TASTY. I hope to get another farm fresh applecider donut before the season is over.

I'm still a bit run down from the hike yesterday, but I'd have to say it was a pretty great weekend!

15 again

2009-09-07T19:34:00.004-04:00

My dad is moving out of the house that he's lived in since I was 12 years old, and he recently gave me a box that had been up in his attic since 1996 - when I went to college and Mom moved to Tennessee. In this box of goodies I found my diary from 1994. Oh the things I wrote....

Anyways, I was leafing through the diary and a scrap of paper floated out from the back of the diary. Apparently, in 1994 I was as much of a list maker as I am now. I had made a list of "Ideas for a Date". For those of you who need a few ideas for your own date night, and for those of you who are simply curious, here it is:

Bowling
Movies
Miniature Golf
Museum (hahahahha)
Rent a movie
Park
Picnic
Amusement park
Dinner
A Party
Roller skating
Ice skating
Swimming
Water park, sprinkler, Slip & Slide
Bike riding
Tie dying
See a play
Cafe Lena (hmmm, I don't remember this cafe)
Baseball
Basketball
Volleyball
Badminton
Tennis
Football
Play in the rain or mud
Climb a tree
Dancing - but where?

I am still chuckling (yes, even after reading it three times). This is good stuff. Ahh, the things that run through our head when we are 15.

Sugar addiction

2009-09-03T08:47:00.002-04:00

I have a problem. I'm addicted to sugar. It seems as though all I think about these days are cookies from the Treats Truck (specifically the Peanut Butter Jamwich) and Scones from Alice's Tea Cup. I am constantly checking to see where the Treats Truck is parked, and I've started calling Alice's Tea Cup to find out what their scones of the day are at all three locations -- just in case I decide to get scones after work I'll know which locations has the flavors I like best. It's a sickness I tell you. Just to make you all salivate, here are the flavors for today at all three locations:

64th St- Pumpkin, Buttermilk, Ham & Cheese, Pimento Goat cheese, Lemon blueberry, black tea fruit tea infused with chocolate chips.
81st St - Pumpkin, Buttermilk, Ham & Cheese, chocolate butterscotch, pear walnut

73rd St - Pumpkin, Buttermilk, Ham & Cheese, blackberry cream cheese, cinnamon vanilla, strawberry chocolate.

Sugar .... Goooooood.

Itsy bitsy

2009-08-30T10:42:00.001-04:00

A while ago, I wrote about my quest to find a bathing suit. I tried on several occations to find something that looked good, or at least not dowdy on me. For a while, I thought I was never going to succeed - but then I ventured back to Linda's and let the ladies at the store just put me in anything in my size. I am proud to say that I was victorious, and walked out of the store with this little lovely number.

I am pleased to say that even though its an itsy bitsy teenie weenie polka dot bikini, I feel very comfortable in it. I am so happy I found this early enough in the summer that I will actually get to go swimming in it.

Y I love YA

2009-08-29T07:01:00.002-04:00

These days, it seems all I want to do is read YA (Young Adult) novels. I don't know what it is about them, but I LOVE them. It started with me revisiting a few favorites from high school, but then I started branching out -- reading new books recommended by friends and on websites. Lately, I've found myself browsing the YA section of the bookstore for what is new and popular so I can borrow the latest YA books from the library. I think I need to start a list of what I'm reading and enjoying in the world of YA on my library blog.

Click here to check it out. Right now I just list a few good reads, but I plan to update it with book reviews and recommended authors.

Actively kicking my butt, one squat at a time

2009-08-28T10:52:00.003-04:00

I bought a Wii and Wii Active about a month ago and have been using it periodically to supplement my workouts at the gym. Yesterday, I used Wii active with my mom. We did lots of squats, some inline skating, boxing, etc. All day yesterday, my legs were a little fatigued but not bad. This morning, they were even more tired. Now, about 24 hours after finishing a 45 minute wii active work out my legs are SORE. Every step brings a little twinge of discomfort. My thighs, butt, back, and arms are all sore - but a good sore. The kind of sore that lets you know you actually worked out and did something good for yourself.

For anyone who is looking for a workout program or just something to supplement their already existing workout program, I highly recommend wii active. The programs have a good balance of cardio and strength training, and the programs are varied enough to keep you from getting bored. Sometimes it is hard to get the positioning of the nunchucks just right, but with a little practice you will zip through the exercises.

Sweet Dreams

2009-08-27T18:36:00.003-04:00

I will be having sweet dreams for the next few days about a restaurant B and I went to with Swati and Kabir a few days ago. The restaurant is called Suenos, a Mexican restaurant on 17th street owned by the chef Sue Torres. We started the evening off with Tequilla and Sangrita, which is a spicey/salty tomato based chaser (read - super tastey). Kabir and Swati learned about Sangrita while vacationing in Mexico last summer and introduced it to us. For anyone who likes to try new drinks, I highly recommend this one.

After we moved to the table, we poured over the menu for a long time, trying to decide what to order. We ended up deciding on the make your own tacos. It was a little pricey, but mmmmmmmmm, so good. Lets put it this way, it was good enough for Kabir to declare Suenos the best Mexican food in NYC. Before the tacos arrived, we received piping hot corn bread with a black bean dip, then salads with dried appricots, pumpkin seeds, and goat cheese. Then the tacos arrived, and we went to town. I don't know how I managed, but somehow I stuffed 4 1/2 tacos into my stomach. 1 steak, 1 chicken, 1 tuna, and 1 1/2 pork, all on various types of tortillas and tostadas. And of course, being a woman with two stomachs - one for the meal and one for the dessert, I polished off the churros and tres leches that followed the huge meal.

To top off this excellent evening of food and friends, the chef-owner Sue Torres came by our table several times during the course of the evening, delivering a few of the food items, an assortment of super hot peppers, taking the time to chat with us, and even bringing Kabir another lime when he asked for it.

Thanks Swati and Kabir for a great spur of the moment evening. And thanks Ducky for the recommendation!

Earning Adult Points

2009-08-26T09:01:00.001-04:00

B and I are the proud owners of our very first car (yay for earning adult points). We've been together since 1999, but have always lived in cities so we've never really needed a car before. Since we moved to NJ a few months ago, we've wanted to branch out of city life. We want to go hiking and camping more often, grocery shopping at the big grocery store, apple picking, visiting family, going on spur of the moment adventures, etc. Which lead us to buying our 2002 Jetta on Monday evening. After a month of scouring ads, riding the train to parts of NJ unknown, and test driving cars -- where actual ownership was questionable, we finally found a car that we love. After a little negotiating, the price was finally right. Two days later, cashiers check in hand, the exchange was made. The next morning we left the apartment at 7:30 to get the title transferred and the car registered. Hopefully we'll take the car for its first drive in the next few days.

An exercise in exercising

2009-08-19T15:20:00.002-04:00

My arms feel like they are going to fall off. In fact, they are shaking so violently as I type this, that I am very thankful for spell check. Why are my arms so tired? Because I've finally, after two years of an extreme sedentary lifestyle, started exercising again. Today, I went to "Club Strength" at New York Sports Club ("NYSC"). The description for this class says that it is "suitable for all fitness levels" but I wish to disagree. This class is suitable for anyone who doesn't mind feeling like they are going to die while doing squats. This is my second time going to this class. The first time, my legs were so fatigued I could not walk down the stairs. Literally.

Hopefully in a few weeks my hard work will pay off and I'll be in better shape than I am now. I'd cross my fingers, but they are too tired.

Icky Sticky boat ride

2009-07-30T09:27:00.000-04:00

Now that B is working in JC and is no longer my commuting buddy in the morning, I'm starting to explore alternative commuting routes. When I take the Path train from Exchange Place to the World Trade Center and then north to Times Square, it takes me 45 minutes to get to work (door to door).

Today I experimented with the NY Waterway Ferry from Paulus Hook to 39th street. The walk to the boat was 5 minutes shorter than my walk to the Path, and then the boat ride was only 15-20 minutes long. However, afterwards I had to get on their shuttle bus and ride it to Times Square. Door to do this trip took 60 minutes. Plus, it cost $2 more than my normal route.

Even though I won't be taking this route on a regular basis, it was a really fun trip. The boat travels up the hudson river to Pier 79, making a quick stop in Weehawkin on the way. It was a very novel experience. Plus, everyone on the boat got a seat (which often doesn't happen on the path and the subways). The only thing that wasn't great about the actual boat ride was the weather today. It's hot and humid (78 degrees - 85% humidity), and my skirt was sticking to my legs by the end of the trip.

I would love to try this trip again sometime on a crisp sunny day.

Hear ye hear ye!

2009-07-11T11:08:00.001-04:00

I haven't really posted much about my hearing problems here, but now that I have an update I might as well. Back in February I suffered from Sudden Hearing Loss. When it first happened, my hearing was completely gone. After lots of acupuncture, lots of pills, and three steroid injections into my eardrum, I've regained somewhere between 50-75% of my hearing (The amount I can hear varies daily and depending on the setting I'm in -- it is very difficult to hear when there is background noise such as air conditioning, vacuum cleaner, wind, chatter, etc... it is much easier to hear when it is pin silent).

To help cope with the hearing loss, I've gotten a hearing aid. At first, I thought it was great. I really noticed an improvement in my hearing with its help. Unfortunately, it seems as though my hearing changes fairly regularly (a symptom that my hearing loss might possibly be due to an auto-immune problem). Therefore, some days the hearing aid is a great help, while on other days it feels like it does nothing. The last few days it has felt as though my aid isn't helping me at all. Right now, I don't even know why I'm wearing it... I wonder, is my hearing getting worse? Or is my hearing aid not working? I sure hope its the aid not working :-(

Lee Child - book sigining in NYC

2009-07-10T14:08:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited. Lee Child (Author of the Jack Reacher Books) is going to be in NYC signing books on July 16th. Depending on whether or not I'm working, I so want to be there!

July 16, 2009
6:30 PM
Madison Square Reads
Madison Square Park
23rd Street & 5th Avenue, in front of the Farrugut monument
New York, NY 10010
Borders to provide books available for purchase.
www.madisonsquarepark.org

To see if he will stop by your home town, check this out: http://www.leechild.com/appearances.php

Ahhh, vacation

2009-07-09T06:23:00.009-04:00

My week in Sweden is going entirely too fast. I've had a great time so far. For those who are curious, here is a quick recap:

Thursday - Flew from Newark Airport to Stockholm Airport

Friday - Arrived at 12:00 in Stockholm. Spent 6 hours walking in the airport and drinking a beer on the side walk while waiting for our plane to Kristianstad. Upon arrival, we had dinner with the family before going to bed.

Saturday - We went to the lake and spent the day in the sun and in the water with Ulrica, cousin Jenny, Lasse, their daughter Linnea. Afterwards, we went to the store for some ice-cream and also picked up some wild boar jerky (this particular store also sells alligator jerky, bear jerky, ostrich jerky, and a large assortment of exotic dried meat). The jerky wasn't very good, but at least it was memorable. Later that night, Ulrica and Andreas had a joint birthday party in Andrea's barn up at Norragarden. It felt very "Anne of Green Gables". The barn was lined with picnic tables which were decorated with candles and wild flowers. The barn walls were covered with leaves to make the barn more festive and Christmas lights were hung from the rafters for light (it got dark around 10pm). Andreas set up his speakers, and we all hooked up our ipods for some music. We had tacos, wine, and lots of beer. It was a nice night.

Sunday - It rained most of the day. We played cards on the porch, and ate tacos (take 2) with Farmor and family for dinner. Later, B and I went to Kristianstad with B's friend Mattias to watch Transformers 2. I surprisingly enjoyed the movie. It was definitely better than #1. Maybe I enjoyed it because I went in with low expectations.

Monday - B and I took the ATV out for a ride. I was enlisted to pick up some stuff left in one of the fields, and managed to get the ATV up to 60 KPH on the way home. It was fun! I hope to do it again. Later, B went to a soccer game with his dad, while Ulrica went to Kristianstad with some friends for a concert. I stayed home and went for a long walk in the rain, took a nap, and read my book. It was gooooood.

Tuesday - B and I went for a long bike ride. I showed him a few places I had discovered during my walk on Monday, he showed me a few places he had never taken me before. We stopped at his cousin Emma's place and visited with her, Henke, and their two kids: Moa and Elize. Then we had waffles with jam and cream at a historic park (I'll have to get the name from him later). Later, B went fishing with his friend Jimmy while I stayed home.

Wednesday - I went for my birthday massage (cranio sacral therapy - Ulrica knows me very well - THANK YOU ULRICA!). This was followed by lunch with Farmor, B and Ulrica at the local Gasthus. The day was finished up with a trip to Hastvadamarknad, a local fair with booths and games, etc...

I can't wait to see what Thursday and Friday have in store for us.

Sookie Stackhouse & Reacher

2009-07-07T13:19:00.002-04:00

For anyone that is paying attention, I ended up buying the first Charlaine Harris book: Dead Until Dark. I think it is a fun and fast read and I'm really enjoying it. I plan on buying the whole series for my e-reader as soon as I finish the first book. I also picked up "Gone Tomorrow" by Lee Child. I haven't started it yet, but I haven't yet been disappointed by one of the Reacher books.

Which book to buy?

2009-07-01T08:00:00.003-04:00

I am getting ready to start packing and picking up last minute items for my trip to Sweden. Before I start actually packing, I like to make lists. A major hole in my list is which books I'll pack. I normally have a list a mile long of books that I want to read, but for some reason nothing on that list is popping out at me right now. I want something light and fun. Maybe a little adventure and intriguge, YA or Chicklit. I can't decide.

I have been debating whether to start the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris, but I'm feeling a little tired of vampires. What to do, what to do...

Worst case scenario, I'll stick with my standbys: Lee Childs, Vince Flynn, John Grisham, and Linda Howard.

Peanuty goodness

2009-06-30T16:45:00.005-04:00

Growing up, my Grandfather always had a jar of dry roasted peanuts around. I also almost always received a jar of those dry roasted legumes as a part of my birthday present. To this day, no peanut out there holds a candle to the dry roasted peanut in my heart. Not coctail peanuts, raw, or honey roasted. Not even those new fangled flavors like heat, or sweet and crunchy.

I just bought a giant jar of dry roasted peanuts today for my flight to Sweden on Thursday. This may seem odd to most people because they serve peanuts on most flights, but they only ever serve honey roasted peanuts on airplanes, and they are just not the same. Also, you have to prepare for that all too often event where pretzles are served instead of peanuts. This pretzle phenomenon has recently become the norm, and I don't understand it. Are peanuts that much more expensive than pretzles? I guess when you are buying millions of 1 ounce bags, those pennies add up quickly.

Speaking of peanuts on planes, last year on our flight back from Sweden the crew didn't serve any peanut products during the flight because of an individual with a peanut allergy. The allergy was so severe, that they even requested that no one on the plane eat anything containing peanuts in it! I can't imagine making my way through life being that allergic to peanuts. It has to be impossible!!!

TGIF

2009-06-26T12:43:00.003-04:00

I am oh so happy it's Friday. I have a bunch of fun stuff on the calendar this weekend, but I don't think it is so much that I will be overwhelmed. Tonight, I will hopefully be able to do something alone with B since I've barely seen him this week. Tomorrow, we have a picnic in Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx with my Dad, Paula, Tauren, Jaimie, and Kori (possibly Eric and Sharon too, but I'm not sure). Sunday afternoon I go for a massage at the Swedish Institute, and Sunday night I go into the city again to do a sleep study.

A few things that B and I would love to fit into the weekend, but won't stress over if we cant: IKEA trip to buy a bookshelf, Buy a car, Grocery Shop and cook food for the week (and to freeze), and go to the gym. Of this list, the two that I'm most intersted in doing are buying a bookshelf (We can't finish unpacking until we have a place to put some of this stuff) and going to the gym (it needs to happen people!!).

Too much of a good thing

2009-06-23T10:23:00.004-04:00

After working in a law firm for two years, I have forgotten how to relax*. It is so bad that on Saturday, B had to impose quiet time on me, and litterally had to hold me down on the couch to force me to stop for a minute (he did this very nicely by calling it "cuddling", but he still didn't let me get up).

This morning, I arrived at work at 8:00am, finished up some pending work and suddenly had some unexpected free time. Instead of just enjoying this free time, I started a second new blog: A Blog for Family Recipes!

Then, I got another assignment... finished it... and promptly wrote this entry. Yeah, I need to work on relaxing. My first instinct to tackle this relaxation issue(see, even my verbage refuses to relax) is to do yoga, accupuncture, therapy, etc... but isn't that counter intuitive? Shouldn't I be taking more OFF my plate instead of putting more on it in order to relax?

* Side bar to note: My doctor believes that is possible that one of the reasons that I lost my hearing in my left ear was due to my bodies inability to ramp down and relax. The theory is that the constant stress (even when sleeping) makes my body believe that it is constantly under attack. When attacked, the body may decide to not supply blood to certain areas of the body. Normally, the feet and the hands get shafted. Sometimes the blood vessel in your ear gets shafted, leading to hearing loss. Combine this with some possible auto-immune issues and you've got me.

I'm in love

2009-06-21T09:15:00.003-04:00

I just bought a new bra, and I'm in love. It fits sooooo perfectly, and does everything it's supposed to do without making me bulletproof. It's called the Simone Perele Andora. It was a bit expensive, but oh.so. worth it.

Now a song:

Lovin' you is easy cause you're beautiful
Wearing you, is all i wanna do
Lovin' you is more than just a dream come true
And everything that i do you help me feel so good
La la la la la la la... do do do do do

No one else can make me feel
The support that you bring
Stay with me while we grow old

And I'll wear you each day in springtime
Cause wearin' you has made my chest so beautiful
And every day my life is filled with support from you

Wearin' you i feel support through and through
And every time that I wear you
I'm more in love with you
La la la la la la la... do do do do do

Sleepy

2009-06-20T20:51:00.003-04:00

Because I've been working so many hours lately, and because my body has been having a lot of trouble dealing with it, B has been trying to get me to sleep as much as I can whenever I can. Last night I went to bed around 10:30. B woke up at 7:00 but had to stay in bed until after 8am. I didn't realize this, but apparently he is unable to get out of the bed without waking me up. He can lie in the bed with me for a good hour, tossing and turning and I am like that wine glass on the temperpedic bed: I do not stir. However, whenever he gets out of bed, even if he softly sneaks out without even jostling the bed, I am awake and ready to go in minutes. Turns out I have trouble sleeping unless he is there in the bed with me. I think it's romantic. I think B might find it frustrating.

Not much to update

2009-06-18T20:34:00.002-04:00

Not much to update around here. I've been working around the clock so not much is going on with my social life.

Tomorrow I need to be on a 7:00am train to Philadelphia for work. I am going to a local company to do some due diligence. While due diligence isn't my favorite task, I always get to learn something interesting about the company I'm diligencing and the way it works.

Adventures in bathing suit shopping.

2009-06-15T09:10:00.000-04:00

I need a new bathing suit. My old one was moldy, so I threw it away (I forgot to unpack it from a plastic bag after a vacation last year). I ordered one online, but when it arrived it looked like an old ladies bathing suit. Online it looked very pretty: black body, with a white and black pattern top. When it arrived, it was crazy animal print with beading. I am NOT wearing that in public.

Back to the drawing board...

Packed Sunday

2009-06-14T08:27:00.002-04:00

It's Sunday, and my plate is full. On the agenda for today is a haircut (if I can get an appointment), a massage at the Swedish Institute Massage Clinic, laundry, a trip to the gym, return my old lady bathing suit, and lots and lots of homework. I hope I can get everything done. I tend to schedule more than I can fit into a day.

I wonder what B will do while I'm running around all day...

Gaming

2009-06-13T18:56:00.005-04:00

B and I went a little gaming console crazy recently... He bought a PS3, I bought a Wii. They both arrived on Friday. It was awesome.

We've been driving on PS3 and playing wii sports all day (well, all day after we got home from attempting to hike (it started to rain on our way up to the hiking spot) and hitting up Friendly's). I can't wait to get Wii active and either guitar hero or some rock band game. I think lots of good times will be had with our new gaming systems.

Saturday hiking and house party

2009-06-13T09:52:00.003-04:00

Today, B and I are going hiking with two friends, Jacob & Marianne who live across the street. We're going up to Cold Springs for a 5 mile hike. I'd say that's just about perfect for a Saturday morning. Hopefully it won't rain, but even if it does it I'm sure it will still be fun (I like being outside in the rain).

Tonight, we're going to a friends (Angelica and Dave) apartment for their house party. It's amazing, B and Angelica used to go to junior high together in Sweden. Years and years later, she moves in to an apartment a block and a half away from our old apartment in Brooklyn Heights. It truly is a small world.

Mrs. B.P.

2009-06-10T20:18:00.001-04:00

B and I have been together for about 10 years, and have been married for a little over 7 years now. When we first got married, we decided that the time wasn't right for me to change my name. With all the paperwork for B's greencard and for our new apartment, etc... I just couldn't stomach the idea of another set of paperwork to officially change my last name to his. Plus, I was attached to my name. It has a ring to it. It just sounds good. However, I've decided that I'm ready to change my last name so that we are now B&B P instead of BGH and BP. I'm glad that I waited all these years until I felt ready. Now feels good, it feels right.

Salad crush

2009-06-10T20:13:00.001-04:00

I love the signature salad that they make at Cosi's. I love it so much that I am a regular there (2-5 times a week). One of the guys that works the night shift mans the bread station, but fills in on the salad lines has a little bit of a crush on me (I swear, I'm not being vain - he really does). This means that he tries to be super nice when ever I come in and is always trying to add all sorts of extras onto my salad, even when I ask him not too. Extra cheese, extra dressing, extra extra extra. It is a really nice gesture, but doesn't he know that those of us who are eating a salad for dinner are probably working really hard to not gain weight.

Book heaven

2009-06-10T15:42:00.000-04:00

My bestfriend Ducky has been writing a book for quite some time now. As a surprise for my 31st book, she completed it and gave me an electronic copy to read on my e-reader. Let me just say that I am in book heaven. I wish I didn't have real life obligations so I could just read and read and read. I am enjoying myself so much, and I know I'll enjoy it that all over again when it is published and I can read the bound version again.

As an additional surprise, she named one of the minor walk on characters after me. I can't wait to find out if my namesake is a good guy or a bad guy. B. Badillo, it will be great!

I am so proud of Ducky, and thoroughly impressed by her writing and editing abilities. Congrats Duck! I can't wait for the next step!

Vegas bound

2009-06-09T22:25:00.000-04:00

Our two friends S & K are going to Vegas on July 31st and they have asked us to join them. B took me to Vegas last year for my birthday, we had a great time. I didn't love the time spent in the casinos, but the out door activities and the pool were pretty cool. If we join our friends (which I hope we can), I hope to do a spa treatment and an outdoor activity like RVing in the mountains. Yeah, that would be cool.

Maybe we can convince them to go to club getaway with us instead...

Rain rain go away

2009-06-09T13:08:00.000-04:00

Last night B and I were woken at 3am by a rather violent thunder storm. B informed me this morning that I was very protective of him when I was roused by the thunder and lightening, almost like when Joey tries to save Ross (or the sandwich) in an episode of friends. I do recall rubbing his back to make sure he was alright, but I don't recall sacrificing my body to keep him from being struck by lightning.

It's been raining all day and while I would like for it stop or at least slow down to a sprinkle, better it rain during the work week than on the weekend. My new bathingsuit should arrive in the mail this week, and B and I will order chairs for our balcony for delivery this weekend, so I am hoping for good weekend weather. Ahhh, thoughts of the weekend on the balcony and poolside will carry me through this work week.

New Jersey!

2009-06-08T11:43:00.000-04:00

B and I just moved to NJ, Jersey City to be specific. We love our new apartment and are happy with the laid back vibe of our new neighborhood. Hopefully we are ending a cycle of moving every 12 months. I think we are ready to settle down.

That being said, we are looking forward to the advantages that come with no longer living in one of NYC's boroughs. B and I plan on buying a car in the near future so that we can escape on the weekends to go hiking, camping, etc... It will be good. I never thought I'd live in New Jersey, or god forbid, that I'd be excited about living in NJ, but here it is, 2009 and I am.