October 27, 2011 · 10:29 am

Frightful weekend!

As it turned out, last weekend ended up being our weekend to participate in fun and special Halloween things! The local historical park just down the road from us has an annual Fright Night. Our calendars have never meshed in the past to allow us to attend, so we usually ended up attending Knott’s Scary Farm or Universal Studio’s Halloween thing on a different weekend in October. Plus, I didn’t figure the local event would be all that impressive. This year, we happened to be available, so I lowered my expectations for the event and ended up being pleasantly surprised.

True, it wasn’t nearly as scary as the "professional" places, but they did have creepy, scary people roaming around. Their attempts to scare me always make me laugh at them anyway, so I got lots of laughs. They also REALLY did a lot of work with their Halloween lights (which were everywhere) and creepy sound boxes and frightful decorations dangling around.

The old schoolhouse, lit up with Halloween lights:

Weird (headless) bride and groom on the steps of the church:

Lots of Halloween lights everywhere:

On Saturday, the same place had a family event, so we invited the family over for a BBQ and then headed down the hill. The decorations were still up, but the scary-creepy people were gone and the freaky sound boxes were turned off. They had a craft area for the kids, local vendors who were giving away swag, games, a little pumpkin patch, kid friendly mazes, a costume parade, storytelling time, and kid friendly characters, many of whom were handing out candy. Captain Jack Sparrow even showed up to take pictures and hand out candy!

All in all, I think it was really well done and I actually did end up being impressed!

The schoolhouse the next day, not so scary! And Harry Potter was inside talking to the people who were wandering through.
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Captain Jack showed up. I have no idea who that kid is, I just wanted a picture of Captain Jack and his side kick!

I had purchased tickets through Groupon for one of the Queen Mary’s scary nights… and Sunday was the night. So off we headed for that! I was a little intimidated when we got to the area and the line to enter the parking lot was just ridiculous. Then the line to exchange the voucher for a ticket was ridiculous… more ridiculous, even, than getting into Disneyland on a busy summer day. At one point while we were waiting in one of those lines, I told Tony, "This event better not suck once we get in, because THAT would REALLY suck!" I know, I have a gift of phrasing things, don’t I?

Fortunately, the event was really fun and cool. There were a ton of people there and, as a result, the lines for the mazes sucked, but I never felt claustrophobic like I did at Knott’s Scary Farm that one year. However, if we do the event again (which we likely will), I think it would be worth it to spring the extra dough for the front of the line pass. But — they had live DJ’s in a couple different areas, one welcoming you into the entrance maze and one who entertained the line for another maze, along with some really cool pyrotechnics. They had a ton of creepy, scary zombie people who were really talented… better than the ones at Knott’s Scary Farm, I thought. One guy slid about 15 feet, sparks coming up off his knees, and stopped within inches of me! My response to him? "Whoa! That was cool!" He just stared at me. ha

We only had time to do a couple of mazes, and one of those went through the alleged haunted pool area of the Queen Mary. The whole thing was just a cool experience.

Queen Mary:

The “welcoming” DJ:

The haunted pool area:

Fortunately, the Groupon deal I purchased includes a day pass that we can use anytime through December 2012. I’m really looking forward to going back for that! This week it’s just been back to the usual… almost the weekend again!

(I’m trying out the post-by-email feature with this blog post. Hopefully it displays correctly…)

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Filed under Entertainment can be Cheap, I did something Special

October 17, 2011 · 10:01 pm

Living Life.

On my way home from work one day last week, my car sputtered when I took off from a start. Those dratted traffic monitor lights on the freeway on ramp only make people sit in frustration before they can get on the crowded freeway and sit in frustration longer… and I totally blamed the sputtering on that, even though I knew deep down it was something more. It did it again when I was driving home from dinner later that evening and I figured it was probably the spark plugs. I took it in the shop the next morning and the tech was able to get the check engine light to come on and pull the code: spark plugs.

So they replaced them, test drove it, and it ran like a champ… for them. Except the next morning, it sputtered again when I drove it. But I couldn’t get it to duplicate when I took the tech for a drive. Of course not. He told me to try and get the check engine light to come on so they could pull the code. Made sense, rather than chasing some random problem, to try and get a specific diagnostic code. The next day came and it got worse and worse. Stop and go traffic in a sputtering car is a hoot. I finally got the check engine light to come on — yay me! They pulled the code and it said “misfiring.” Well, duh. I could have told them that. Anyway, the saga finally ended (so far) when they replaced one of the ignition wires which was testing with high resistance. They are original equipment to the car, and I guess a car who’s nearly 10 years old does need this kind of maintenance.

Don’t you just love the car talk? Anyway, so I now have my car back, minus some $$ and time and inconveniences to my husband, his dad (we borrowed his car) and myself.

Then, another day this week, I plugged my primary external hard drive into my computer after using it somewhere else. It decided that it needed to run a check disk and, in the course of it, converted several folders to files that are now not accessible. According to what I’ve read, Microsoft just decided that they were going to be lazy and didn’t want to create an unconversion option, and I found an enormous three page step-by-step fix for it, but … really? Fortunately (if there’s a “fortunate” part of it), although it converted quite a few folders, my loss is only about three weeks worth of stuff because I back up my crap on a monthly basis.

Then, the day I left my car in the shop, we all played musical cars. My husband drove his dad’s truck to work and I drove my husband’s car. That morning I took a corner in his car at the speed I would normally take it in my car, but failed to factor in the fact that an SUV drives a bit different than a sports car. As a result, my lunch bag went tumbling top over bottom in the back seat. It wouldn’t normally be an issue, except in the mornings I put my travel mug of coffee in there for the ride so I can savor it when I get to work. I just knew it was dumping all over the inside of the bag. I grabbed it, righted it, and checked. As it turns out, the suction of the heat of the coffee had created a such a strong vacuum that it sealed that mug so tight that only a drip came out.

I thought to myself, “Well, it looks like things are turning around… a bit of luck!”

If you’re looking for it, sometimes the smallest thing or just an hour in time can make all the difference in the world.

Also, I finally used my “coupons” from the deal I bought a couple weeks ago at Whole Foods market. One of the gems I found there were a novelty grape called Holiday grapes. Good heavens, but those things are amazing. I highly recommend them if you’re looking for a special food treat for yourself!

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Filed under Life Encompasses Me

October 2, 2011 · 9:15 pm

Change of Seasons.

In our part of the world, I know fall is coming when Halloween City posts classified ad after classified ad for seasonal help in all surrounding cities. Who knew there were so many Halloween City stores? I didn’t.

Also, my HOA sends out notification that they’ll only be heating one pool in our community until October 31st. This year it’s the “upper” pool, which is good I suppose, since that nasty marijuana smell seems to be an intermittently regular visitor at the “lower” pool. So annoying.

Wonderful spice scented candles make their appearance in the stores, along with weird Autumn figures and freaky Halloween decorations, who stand at the end of aisles and stare vacantly at you as you pass them by.

Also, the days are warm but the nights are crisp and cool. Which always makes me want to bake cookies, but not enough to turn the oven on during the day. Quite a conundrum. So I usually end up mixing up the dough and storing it in the fridge or freezer until it cools off for reals.

During my “modified swimming” this weekend, there have been monarch butterflies fluttering around the upper pool. They are so pretty and I could happily watch them flit about all day, dramatic colors and carefree wind carried whimsies.

Beautiful butterflies, beautiful weather, in the sun swims, desire to create things in my oven — simple things I’m celebrating and giving thanks for tonight.

Praying for the safe travels of those I hold close to me (my husband and mom), on separate road trips, but traveling long journeys.

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Filed under Daily Journeys:, Longbits

September 24, 2011 · 1:08 pm

Quick Update.

After some extensive monitoring and testing and ultrasounds and a visit with the high risk neonatal doctor, I was cleared off of bedrest and authorized to return to work on Friday.

They also cleared us to go to the mountains (with lots of rest breaks, hydration, etc., etc., and knowing where the closest L&D unit is just in case). That’s where we are now (the mountains, not the L&D unit). We had a wonderful morning spent at our favorite breakfast restaurant and a visit to our favorite candy store, I am currently eating a frozen banana and we’re sitting outside of McDonald’s using their WIFI.

We are calling this a Babymoon. ha

Seriously, thank you for all your prayers and your comments encouraging me — meant so much to me… I have a follow up appointment with the high risk doctors next week and we’re praying that all continues to be stable. Baby still has a lot of development to do and we would definitely prefer that he do it inside as opposed to in the NICU.

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Filed under Kid Quest

September 19, 2011 · 7:34 pm

Oh, Bed, How I’ve Missed Thee!

As if my uninterrupted 9 to 10 hour stretches of sleep on the weekend, and the drooling kind of sleep I do on weeknights aren’t enough — yes, pregnant women everywhere hate me for that — I am now assigned to bed rest. Again. 24/7 hours of bed for this week! Hate away, you haters, I have other, for more dramatic pregnancy inconveniences that make up for my Camel Bladder of Steel that allow me those marathon sleep nights.

You may recall I was diagnosed with a low lying placenta? Yes? Why don’t you recall that? Do YOU have pregnancy brain? Why is everyone around me suffering from pregnancy brain? ANYWAY, so when I bled last night and this morning, I consoled myself with, “Oh, it’s just that bothersome low lying placenta…” went to sleep last night, work this morning and called my doctor. That consolation didn’t work so well when they called back in less than two hours and said, “How fast can you get here?” I was glad to learn, so I know you’ll be glad to learn, that the placenta is no longer low lying and has moved up! Far, far away from my cervix. Hooray!

My cervix, apparently feeling lonely from the disappearing placenta, has decided to shorten into a zone that my doctor feels is “not an emergency, don’t freak out, but you’re on bed rest as of now, you’ll need to see a high risk neo-natal specialist, and come in for electronic fetal monitoring.” Basically, it’s way too early for my cervix to be shortening like this.

So, just out of curiosity, I innocently decided to verify what my doctor said and plugged in my cervical length, how pregnant I am and went off to the land of Dr. Google freak-out. Oh, when will I ever learn (oh, oh, let me answer — never?)? STAY AWAY FROM DR. GOOGLE!

I figure most of you guys have been around my blog long enough that I can ask a personal favor of you… so, let’s get REALLY personal, shall we? If you think of it, would you mind sending up a prayer for my cervix?

We (my cervix, Baby, me, and my husband) would greatly appreciate it.

(Off topic: Seriously, doesn’t this kid have the cutest nose ever?)

14 Comments

Filed under I Worry A lot, Kid Quest

September 16, 2011 · 7:14 pm

Week of Weird.

The weird weather has continued in these parts, with a dramatic thunder and lightning storm on Saturday morning and then sun in the afternoon — as if all the morning weather drama never happened. I had chosen to sleep in that morning, and Tony, who was on his way back from the gym and was quite relieved to see that I wasn’t lap swimming at the time. Since the lightning sounded like it cracked something about 10 feet from our house (I was awake after that, for sure, although we didn’t see anything amiss), I decided it might be best to delay my swim to later that afternoon when the sun came out.

We decided to spend last Saturday morning driving around and running errands together. There are some pretty, tree-lined roads in the back part of our county and the roads curve around each other. Somewhat maddening if you’re used to a grid-like city pattern of roads, but beautiful in a simple way if you’re just out for a drive together on a rainy Saturday morning with your heads stuck out the windows of your car like a pair of oxygen deprived dogs inhaling the fresh smell of just rained on earth!

I’m not a huge follower of things like LivingSocial or Groupon, but occasionally they have a pretty good deal… like super cheap movie tickets and that awesome Amazon deal back in January. I was pretty excited when this week they had a pay $10, get $20 to spend at Whole Foods. There’s a Whole Foods pretty close to my work place (meaning I can zip over there on my lunch hour and be back at work with time to spare), and they do have bins (we all know about my affection for bin food, right?), so I was pretty tickled to get in on that deal. I love when I catch deals for things that I love.

It’s quarterly audit time at work, which means the outside auditors have come in and are sitting in the work spaces near me. As usual, the one closest to me is sick with a cold (or something, it’s always something). She sits over there and complains about how she doesn’t feel well, all the while sneezing, coughing and sniffling her nose. As usual, my immune system holds out for a week and then succumbs. It’s so frustrating to me. I’ve made mention the last two times this happened to my co-worker about this maddening pattern, but this time I made a bit of a bigger deal over it. So, they moved the ill culprit two desks over — which is great! But sadly it was too little, too late. The bug had already started settling into my immune system. I lost some pay this week because I went home sick… the whole thing just frustrates me (in case I haven’t mentioned that, like, 12 times).

This week, in case you didn’t know, there was a full moon. Or a harvest moon, the farmers call it. Or in our house, the Crazy-Ass Cat Week.

Our two alpha cats hate each other all the time, although the one just can’t comprehend the constant hate of the other and is constantly sticking his face in the other one’s face to be sure, or mosies by him, or just gets in his general vicinity when there are other, faster paths to his destination he could take. He always gets swiped or hissed at. So, lately, when he does that, I’ve taken to saying to him, “Slasher, Tug still hates you!” Slasher then looks at me with an aggrieved look on his face and goes on his way. But this week, and all weeks with a full moon, the hate is taken to an all new level with constant late night yowling, growling and feline yodeling. The hate, it’s really quite impressive.

I’m looking forward to the weekend as if it’s a reset button. To my health and to our cats’ sanity. Here’s to a new us next week!

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Filed under Health/Endo, Kid Substitutes, Life Encompasses Me, Money Hump Building

September 8, 2011 · 8:36 pm

Not a Quality Post.

The news in these parts is the hot, hot weather this week and the weird rain storms we had for Labor Day weekend. The rain storms were great for me and my lap swimming — no one but me swims in the rain. My theory is, I’m already wet, what difference does it make if it comes from the sky or the pool?

This week, the temperature has been up over 100° at our house during the day. We live inland, and I work coastal, which means that on my drive home I can literally feel the temperature rise the closer I get to home.

I’ve even started aggressively seeking out shady parking spots at work and weighing the risk of bird crap against having a hot car that takes 5 minutes to cool down at the end of the day, even with the top dropped. The risk of bird crap is winning.

On one particularly hot day with higher than normal humidity, we decided to just run the air conditioning all night. That decision was a big deal for us, because I’m totally cheap and hate giving away one more cent than I should to utility companies. I slept fine that night, but poor Tony was miserable… apparently, our thermostat is one of those “smart” ones that requires programming. It programmed itself to turn up to 85° at midnight, and Tony woke up in a pool of sweat. So much for our splurging, oops.

Now that we’ve thoroughly discussed the weather, I can share some weird, randomness… always fun. We went to Walmart the other day and we parked next to this car. The woman who drove this car has an extreme affection for all things Stitch related. She had Stitch dolls for occasions I didn’t even know they made Stitch dolls for, like Easter, for example. I was really impressed and might have had just a touch of Stitch envy.

We had family over for a Labor Day BBQ and pool fun (had it all to ourselves because of the wonky weather). When everyone came back from the pool, I kept thinking there was a creepy Super Hero waiting and watching us by our front door. But it wasn’t, nope. Just a strange stacking of pool towels.

Also, because it was really, really good? California Pizza Kitchen’s tiramisu. Doesn’t that just scream cardiac arrest? ha

18 Comments

Filed under I have Family, Mermaid Envy, Weird is Fun

September 1, 2011 · 7:06 pm

Blogabilities – Week of 08/28/2011

* Time in the mountains is the best thing ever… still so happy about our anniversary trip up there two weeks ago. I don’t think I’ll ever grow tired of the little routines we do up there. From our special breakfast, to wandering through town, to driving past the donkey’s house, to buying peanuts for the squirrels and birds at the General Store. Our most recent visit, though, in honor of our anniversary, we added a little jaunt over to the start of our Mile Long Wedding Aisle. Remember, we were married on top of Castle Rock…

* Coupons for free car maintenance. I received a letter in the mail from a dealership that I’d gone to exactly one time. I had a great experience there that one time, except that I asked them to match the “family” price I’d been getting at another dealership and they came in $5 over. So I never went back. For some reason, though, they mailed me a coupon for free oil and filter changes through December of 2012. That’s, like, 5 free oil changes. I used one of them last week, so I guess they’ve now made up that $5 charge I was miffed over. Plus, they have free WIFI in their waiting area.

* I love discovering which plant of mine is blooming… and this week it was my Canna lily plant. The blooms last but a short time, but WOWZA are they colorful and so dramatic!

* A leaf the same color as my car. Does this mean the seasons are getting ready to change?

* My car’s odometer changed to 100,000 miles this morning — and I MISSED SEEING IT HAPPEN! Gah!

* Got this as change from the local gas station. When was the last time YOU saw a $2 bill in circulation?

* Discovering an unread book in my garage. I’m not sure why I didn’t read this book when I bought it, but it’s been owned by me since at least February of 2005 (according to the random receipt I stuffed in the first page as a bookmark for when I did get around to reading it). I’m finding it to be peaceful, funny and an easy read — enjoying it immensely. Link This is the only book of this author’s that I’ve read and now I’m thinking I may have to find and read all them! Y’all know I’m an obsessive author reader, right?

* Tuesday morning during my lap swim session, I had just started my kickboarding set of laps and the sun had just barely started to lighten the sky. For those laps, I remove my swim goggles and usually close my eyes and relax into the movement. I did so Tuesday morning and opened them as I reached the opposite end of the pool to see a bobcat had slipped through the fence, presumably to drink at his “waterhole” and he was just as startled to see me as I was him. His eyes were wide, his ears attentive and the fur on his back was floofed up. My hand had just reached out to grasp the edge of the pool, but I stopped moving when I saw him, and waited to see what he would do… 5 feet from me. Our eyes looked into each others, steadily, evaluating intentions. He backed up, opened his mouth like he was hissing (I wear earplugs), turned and went back through the fence. I thought maybe I was crazy and had imagined it. Although, we do live near a natural preserve and there is a strip of “natural” land that comes down from that preserve which borders our community, but still. So, I searched pictures of bobcats, that cat was definitely a bobcat. Also, apparently there are sightings of bobcats in our area a few times a year, so I guess maybe I’m not crazy. But, wow. Talk about a wake up to my morning!

* Blessed to have a three day weekend coming up.

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Filed under Best Husband, Blogabilities

August 28, 2011 · 8:31 pm

Something Special.

Yesterday, a Saturday, my alarm went off at 4:45am. It was no mistake, I had set my alarm for that time. On a Saturday. I rolled out of bed and put my swimsuit on, drove up the hill to the “upper pool.” As I slipped into the water, chilly at first as always, I swam my first lap and finished it with a backstroke. The moon was off to my left and a flash shot through the sky directly overhead.

A shooting star.

Instead of wishing upon the star, I used it as a reminder to pray for those who I know are struggling right now. There are so many. Wishes are hopeful, but prayer is action.

Forty minutes later I finished my swim and started my stretching routine, something that has become almost as important to me as the swim in the last couple of years. I carry my tension in my neck and shoulders, so if someone were watching me stretch, I probably look very strange to them at that point in time. I finished my neck and shoulders and moved on to stretch my hamstrings and calves. I looked up to the trees above the restrooms and saw a hummingbird dart into the open arms and waiting cloak of leaves of a tree that is at least 50 feet tall. Seconds later, a swarm of hummingbirds, at least 20, maybe 30, followed the first one in. I blinked, tilted my head. I’ve never seen that many hummingbirds in one grouping and I know they’re territorial, but there is no doubt — indeed, they were what they were. Three or four stragglers darted to join the party a minute later. I smiled.

That was, hands down, one of the best stretching sessions I’ve ever had. What a way to start the day!

Not long after that, we were on the road to Disneyland for the “Walk in Walt’s Footsteps” tour of Disneyland. I didn’t even know such a tour existed until recently, and given our love for Disneyland, decided it might be a nice anniversary gift to ourselves.

But first! We rode in a horse drawn streetcart down Main Street — pulled by a Clydesdale named Danny! I even took a video of it, if you want to watch. You can be thankful that I turned the video off seconds before Danny pooped. The reason you can be thankful for that is because we were in the first bench seat and had an awesome view of the whole occurrence. (Click to see video.)

Now, back to the “Walk in Walt’s Footsteps” tour.

One of the most comprehensive reviews I found about the tour is here (link). On our tour, our guide was really good about finding shade and places for us to sit while she shared her narrative of the various places — it was one of the hottest days so far this summer. So hot, in fact, that around 11:15 am she obtained permission from her supervisor to remove her hat (kind of a big deal in Disneyland)! She was also personable and sweet. I kept thinking she reminded me of someone, with her proper posture and enunciation, and I finally placed it when one of the characters walked by: Mary Poppins! She didn’t LOOK like Mary Poppins, but she had that kind of demeanor. It was kind of cool.

One of the highlights of the tour for us was hanging out in the side path alongside the castle for shade (it’s kind of a short tunnel) heading into Fantasyland and, who knew, but a ton of the characters and Disney Band pass through that tunnel at 11:30 am for a show in front of the Castle — and we were right there!

We left Disneyland around 1:30pm (after they served us lunch and gave us a commemorative pin) and we felt as if we learned several new things about Disneyland, saw a couple behind-the-scenes places we hadn’t seen before AND had fun. If you want something the “normal” guest doesn’t do, and want to learn a lot of stuff about Walt Disney and Disneyland’s history, it’s definitely a tour I would recommend. Great value for the money spent.

The takeaway impression I was left with, through many of the stories that were weaved throughout the tour about Walt Disney was, that no matter how weird or strange or crazy your goal or vision might be, or the amount of time or even the amount of money it may take to get you there, or how complicated or badly things may appear to be going, or how many setbacks or judgments you face, if you focus on that goal and never give up — realizing that you may have to get creative about how you go about it — you will ultimately find a way a way to make your dream come true.
(Click to view larger size…)

Because some goals and dreams are simply *that good* that they shouldn’t ever be given up.

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Filed under Best Husband, I did something Special, I Stimulate the Economy, I'm Never too Old to Learn

August 18, 2011 · 9:20 pm

Blogabilities – Week of 08/14/2011

* I went to Costco today and at check-out, the cashier applied a coupon (which I didn’t supply him with) for $2 off one of my items. In fact, I didn’t even know he’d done it until I was already back at work reviewing my receipt. That was really nice of him. So, I give a virtual “thank you” to cashiers who are kind to their customers, even when the customer is oblivious to their kindness.

* I found out this week that a friend of mine and his wife are expecting after an 8 year battle with infertility. I am truly speechless with joy for him and his wife. They have worked so hard for this. With a long, long road ahead of them, every time they cross my mind I pray that the road they’re facing will be smooth and enjoyable. So much I want to say, but … speechless. It really made my week when he shared their news with me!

* On the pet front, all the fish seem healthy for now. The bird is moulting, so she’s just a little bit cranky. The cats? Well, we discovered tonight that one of them has diarrhea with blood. We’re not sure if it’s just a weird thing, like maybe one of them ate something he shouldn’t have and he’ll be OK after a couple days or what. So we’re just observing for now.

* We went to Disneyland on Tuesday night. We got Tony a “Happy Birthday” pin (it was Wednesday) and also a “Happy Anniversary” pin (coming up on Saturday). It was fun, although I totally think the Buzz Lightyear ride is rigged. Otherwise, how to explain the HUGE gap in points?

* No glamorous sunrises to go with my sunrise swims this week. It’s been really foggy in the mornings, which brings the gift of really fresh smelling air and makes the pool feel warmer once I’m in. I continue to revel in my outdoor swims (vs. indoor). *happy sigh*

* A mountain trip is on the agenda for this weekend. Really looking forward to that.

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Filed under Blogabilities, I have Friends, Kid Substitutes, Mermaid Envy