Keep Out of Direct Sunlight

Revelations

2009-06-02T06:14:57Z

I warn you- this post has way TMI about me in it. The girls won't mind nearly as much, but the guys should probably stop now.

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Now, I have had "pregnancy scares" in the past, and my reactions to them have ranged from panic to fear to thinking it's the end of the world. Not that having a child with Matt would be those things; more along the lines of the timing is all wrong, we can't afford it, and I'm just not ready to be a mother. But this time- it was different.

It started right away with calm acceptance. A simple "ok" in the back of my mind. Then it moved onto excitement, which then lead to confusion. I thought I still wasn't ready. What about my Five Year Rule? But as most of you know, I am a researcher by nature. I research the hell out of...well, everything. And thus the great baby research project began.

The only problem with all of this was that the rational part of me kept screaming, "DUDE! You're NOT pregnant! There's no way in hell it could happen!!!" and the other part of my brain (the louder one, I might add) kept screaming, "WEEEE!!!! BAAABBBBBBBBBBYYY!" Yeah, I'm one fucked up individual, I know. So, in the midst of looking at cribs and good pregnancy books for Matt, I started to analyze all of my thoughts and feelings from the past week. And I've come to a conclusion:

I think I'm finally ready to grow up a little, and to start a family. (Cue the sound clip of Keanu Reeves saying "Woah.")

Matt and I have yet to really sit down and discuss the nitty gritty details of when we're actually going to attempt to spawn, but I think I'm going to stick with my Five Year Rule. There are still a couple of things I want to do before baby makes three:

-Loose weight (that is not an option- it has to be done for mine and the baby's safety)
-Get this house looking like adults live here, as opposed to college students
-Travel (I have the travel bug pretty bad right now)

But instead of being all emotional about it, I'm going to move on. I think I'm going to have a good cry, get my hair cut, buy a cute dress, hug my nephew, and move on.

Just the thought of that makes me smile. :)

See ya 2008

2009-01-02T05:17:16Z

Another year gone, and once again, The Cult has gotten together to celebrate. This year, we have actual photographic evidence!!

First, we have The Many Faces of Mr. Benne:

And a few more:

Happy 2009, bitches!!!

My new favorite quote

2008-12-08T06:57:37Z

"The thing about glitter is if you get it on you, be prepared to have it on you forever. Glitter is the herpes of craft supplies." -Demetri Martin

Damn if it ain't true. I need to make that into a cross stitch sampler, or something.

Throwing in the towel.

2008-12-02T09:35:30Z

So, after 2+ years with Molly, I think I'm finally throwing in the towel, and am looking to find a new home for her. This decision has been a long time coming (well over a year), but Sunday was the straw that broke the camel's back:

Matt and I left Friday to go to Branson for a few days. We have done this several times with Molly, and it has NEVER been an issue. She's such an independent cat that as long as she had food and water, she was happy. Well, Sunday night, I'm sitting on the couch watching tv with a black comforter over my legs. Molly jumps up onto the couch, makes to sit down at my feet, and proceeds to PEE ON THE COMFORTER! She had JUST used the litter box. Before you ask, she has just gotten over an UTI, but I don't think that was it, and frankly, I just don't care anymore.

To be perfectly honest, I don't love her in the slightest. She's destroyed my house, and has never shown an ounce of genuine love or affection towards me. I BEGGED Matt to let me get her, and she was so sweet at the Human Society, but the reason I got her was to have another companion. I was lonely with Matt going to school and working full time, and thought a pet would also aid in keeping my depression and anxiety at bay. I was wrong.

Despite my feelings towards her, I do think she deserves to have a loving home where she would be happy. I just don't think that's with me. She's high maintenance and isn't very affectionate. She's also black, which is another strike for her (black cats are really hard to get adopted).

So, here's where I plead for help. If you know ANYONE at all that would be able to give her a loving home, please let me know. I'll provide everything- bed, litter box, carrier, food, etc. I can't bring myself to take her to a shelter, even if it's a no-kill. The thought of her stuck in a little cage breaks my heart. This hasn't been an easy decision, and the guilt is currently eating me alive. I just don't have the energy to deal with her anymore.

Wow

2008-11-13T08:26:32Z

Never thought I would hear anything like this come from Mr. Crazy himself, but I thought this reflected my thoughts on gay marriage and the horrible Prop 8 that passed in CA.

The girls in teh house are sick

2008-11-11T07:40:55Z

Matt's had to deal with two cranky and sick ladies in the house, and deserves a present for putting up with us.

Me: 3 weeks ago, I got a cold. It was annoying, and my cough was horrible. I was drained and just wanted to sleep. OTC meds did jack squat. Fast forward to Wednesday- I had a little annoying dry cough left over from the cold, but it was quickly dwindling down into nothing. I am in the mood for beef (I haven't really had that much since starting back on meat), so I head over the Lion's Choice- yum! 6 hours later, I suddenly feel like I had been hit by a truck. But my stomach was killing me too, so that's what led me to believe it was some mild food poisoning. The next day, I wake up to all of the classic flu symptoms- stiff, achy, body; headache; mild fever; dry, hacking, cough- you name it. Most of the symptoms have gone away, except for I'm still really tired, I get a headache once a day, and the cough. All in all, I'm going on a whole month of being sick. I have never been this sick for so long. Thankfully I am getting better every day, and the not wanting to eat made me lose 4 pounds!

Molly: Classic UTI symptoms- peeing outside her box, cleaning the little box almost knocks me out with the ammonia smell, not drinking. We've dealt with this before. She's also been itching her ears, which would require the vet to do a LOT of testing (it could be anything from allergies to fluid in the ears to ear mites).

They gave us different antibiotics than the last time she had an UTI, and a couple days of liquid pain meds. I have tried, and simply cannot, give Molly liquid meds. That's officially Matt's job. These new antibiotics, however, are light sensitive, so they can't just go in her food like the other ones did. Oh no, I have to pill her ever 12 hours.

Not a big deal, right?

The first two times, she was great, and we had no issues. I was surprised she wasn't going to be a bigger pain in the ass. She saved it all for today. I did nothing different in my technique, and she went nuts. She actually swiped and hissed at me! I have never been so pissed off at her in my life, and this is the cat who destroyed my leather couch.

Her next pill is going to be in 2 hours, and I think I need a stiff drink. DayQuil and rum is ok together, right?

A teaser....

2008-11-03T06:09:09Z

John and Karen are so cute, it's almost sickening. This has to be one of my favorite pictures from the whole day. It's so nice to work with a couple who are truly affectionate, and aren't nervous in front of the camera. Being friends with them helps a little too. :)

I rented the Canon 24-70 f/2.8L for the day. All in all, I am LOVING this lens. Since it's L-series, it's a little pricey, but it's fast and sharp. I wish there was IS built in, because I have not-so-steady hands, but I can live without it. And it took a little bit to get used to the size and reverse zoom, but I definitely think it's the next lens purchase.

True, true....

2008-10-27T02:24:35Z

OK, remember those Wassup commercials from 8 years ago? Funny at first, then you wanted to stab your ears with knitting needles, just so you didn't have to hear it again? Well, there is great parody, complete with the original guys from the commercial.

It's really funny, in a sad sort of way. And by far one of the best political ads I've seen in a while.

Yay for macro!

2008-10-15T05:16:04Z

I can't wait to get a real macro lens. I see all of these amazing wedding ring shots, and I don't have the equipment to recreate that. Pisses me off. I did, in the mean time, pick up a macro filter that screws onto my favorite lens- my 85mm. Well, a few weeks ago, I got the chance to try it out:

It's honestly the best $20 I've spent. :)

Eventful weekend

2008-10-09T05:31:45Z

It was a pretty busy weekend for me, starting on Thursday. Sara came into town for bridesmaid duty (congrats Jen and Dominic), so I had to pick her up. While she went to Mizzou for 4 years, she's had exposure to the city, so we did a mini sightseeing tour: drove around Forest Park, then headed over to the Central West End, where we had lunch, then picked up some cupcakes from The Cupcakery....seriously, if you've never been there, you're missing out. Best. cupcakes. evar.

Friday was spent hanging out with Jessi at her job. Ended up having dinner with her as well. Made plans for Saturday.

Saturday I headed out to the pumpkin patch with Jessi. Ended up getting 2 huge pumpkins, one medium one (for cooking), and several small weird looking gourds. Also picked up two mums for the front porch. We had lunch there too, which consisted of crappy nachos for me (the only thing that was vegetarian), and a beautiful looking chili dog for Jessi. Then we headed over to the farmer's market, where I went a little crazy on the produce, but it was ok, because it was super cheap. Too bad it's 20 miles away. I don't want to have to do that every week.

Sunday, Matt and I headed to Clayton to pick Sara up from the hotel, and had lunch at Blueberry hill. Stopped by Vintage Vinyl and picked up two cds I've been meaning to get for a while- Whiskey on a Sunday by Flogging Molly and The Whole Fam Damnily by The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band. Rocked out to "Your Cousin's on Cops," ate some ice cream at Cold Stone, then dropped Sara off at the airport.

All in all, a really good weekend. Except for driving around the airport. It sucks ass.

New look!

2008-10-09T01:47:47Z

As you can see, the blog looks a little different. And it's about freaking time! I finally found a template that I liked. I really didn't feel like making something on my own. What can I say- I'm lazy.

I'm still not eating meat. Matt actually brought up a good point the other day- when exactly am I going to start back up? Will it be 4 weeks, or will it be 30 days? I did say a month, so I guess that means 30 days. So, next Wednesday will be my first day eating meat again. I guarantee bacon will be involved somehow.

Speaking of bacon, tomorrow I will be ordering the final ingredients needed for the bacon soap. I still need to figure out what recipe I will be using to make the soap, but apparently demand has grown. I will also be picking up Mt. Dew scent and possibly beer scent. I've got several projects lined up, but I really need to decide what scents I want to make for Christmas presents. I need to make those as soon as possible, so they have plenty of time to cure.

Other than that, life is boring. Oh, I'm working on the Halloween party, but that's about it.

My first (cooking) experience with tofu

2008-09-27T03:57:38Z

So, I finally took the plunge and cooked up some tofu that had I had cooked in vegetarian chicken broth a few days ago. Got out excess moisture, breaded, and pan-fried it. It looked kinda good as I was cooking, so the fear wasn't as bad.

Opinion: It didn't suck. Although the tofu had been marinading for a while, it was still rather bland. There was a slight chicken flavor to it, and although the texture was off, I didn't mind. The breading was it's saving grace. I think I am going to try this again, but try the "chicken" bouillon instead of the broth- that way I can make the chicken flavor more intense.

The best part- I even got Matt to try it! I don't think he'll be wanting to put it on our weekly dinner menu in the future, but it was nice to see him be supportive and try new things. At least he didn't give me the "I'm going to act like a 5 year old and spit it out" look.

Update on the no-meat month

2008-09-19T17:16:54Z

So, I've stopped eating meat, and to be perfectly honest, I'm not missing it yet. The first day was kinda hard- we made pizzas, and Matt had his usual (sausage and bacon). We all know my love for bacon knows no bounds, so I was kinda hurting. Besides that, I haven't been dying for a steak or anything. The difficulty lies in creating a meal that is actually filling, good, and healthy. Coming up with dinner ideas is hard....I'm finding myself wanting to eat the same things over and over (pizza and burritos). I've also been taking my vitamins daily and cutting down on the caffeine. I'm still drinking soda (caffeine free root beer), but one thing at a time people.

So, tonight my dad wants to take the family out to dinner at Red Lobster. Crap. I LOVE seafood, and I don't get to eat it as often as I'd like, and I get to go and eat salad. Super. Matt was sweet and offered to take me to get seafood after this month. :) What a nice husband.

In other news- I'm finally getting my car back! Matt was rear ended last week, and it's taken freaking forever to fix it (they had to replace the bumper). It's not that I have a million places to go, but if you're forced to be at home, then that's when you desperately want to get outside. Also, some higher power is telling me to stop doing a bunch of useless junk and get to cleaning. Seriously- I tried talking to my mom on the house phone, and it kept randomly turning off. Then my PC started acting up, and THEN AT&T sends me a message saying that my data plan isn't compatible with the iPhone 3G, which is really weird considering Matt didn't receive the same message.

So- God, Allah, or whatever's up there- message received.

Going to be known as the girl who makes weird soaps

2008-09-10T05:03:17Z

So, the Clone mentioned caffeinated soap a while back, and I thought it would be an ok idea, until yesterday. I found Mountain Dew fragrance oil, so now caffeinated soap is an AWESOME idea. I am about to purchase it online, as well as the hickory white peppersmoke for the bacon, and the "special brownie" scents. I think it's easy to say that I am turning in the the girl who makes the weird soaps, but I think there's a market for them. :D

In other news, my month of being meat free starts next Monday. I went to Whole Paycheck Foods today, and picked a few things up that I can't get at my local store, like tahini (to make hummus). Also picked up some tofu. I've never really been a big fan of tofu, but I've only ever really had it in miso soup, which I hate. I've never had a tofu steak, but I've done my research, and have learned how to properly prepare it, so we'll see.

Regardless of how this next month goes, I definitely am going to have to cut back on the amount of meat that I eat. I don't need to have meat every.single.day. Matt doesn't either, but I know I won't be able to convince him of that. If I could just get him to branch out and try new things, I might want to cook more often. I guess it's just that I get so bored cooking the same things every week. I see what my mom is going through with my dad (who is honestly a lost cause), and I don't want to end up like that. I don't want to nag him constantly about it, which is what I feel I am doing. Maybe I can get him to try some of the vegetarian meals I'll be making for myself (that aren't pasta)....yeah right!

Tis the season!

2008-09-06T04:04:54Z

Halloween is just around the corner, and this year, I'm turning the party up to 11. We are doing costumes, and the party will be themed. I'm thinking of a morgue/mad scientist lab kinda theme, but I have a running list, complete with costume ideas for both Matt and myself. Poor Matt- he's going to hate this. :D

Sweeney Todd theme- Matt as Sweeney Todd, me as Mrs. Lovett
Witches Den- Matt as warlock, me as witch
Zombie quarantine- Matt as Shaun, me as either Liz or zombie
Morgue/lab- Matt as crazy doctor, me as nurse

This year the party will actually be on Halloween, which is a Friday. I think it'll be a lot of fun, even if parking will suck. Details will be announced later. :D