West Coast Slush

We had a snow day yesterday!!!!!

And Gilly called at lunchtime from over the Rockies to say that it was -50 (I think this is with the wind chill factored in). What do you say when you hear it is that damn cold??? I guess a few laughs exploded, and I am pretty glad that we are on in this side of the of the Rockies! Although Nej has blogged about some outrageous cold too. Unreal. I just don't have a program for cold that, er, cold for lack of a better term. From the coast, you can always use the "yeah, but you have a dry cold and we have a wet cold" but really, what the fuck does that really mean??? Once the mercury drops below a certain point it is damn cold, you need layers, and really, why leave the house?? Oh yeah. I guess the world doesn't stop for a few minutes just because of a little winter weather, does it?

This morning the drive in to work was ... interesting. It took about a 1/2 hour to get down the hill from my place. There was a line up of cars waiting to go down the worst part of the hill, and then one car per lane would skid to the bottom (ok, not that bad, but close. I think our city got caught with their pants down in some areas, because by the time they plowed some of the hills, all they did was compact the snow in to a 2 inch thick layer of ice - at which time the snow would have been easier to deal with). It was amusing to watch until it was my turn and then I drove down the hill with my heart pumping, got to the bottom, drove a few hundred metres, and in typical west coast fashion, the conditions improved drastically.

Of course now I am trying to concentrate on work. I am failing miserably.

Things I am learning.

Completely random thoughts that spring to mind.

When you have a baby, you need to get a humidifier to help out those nights where your kids' nose is completely stuffed up and there isn't a damn thing you can do for it.

Lanolin is good for chapped lips and red noses.

Those damn goldfish crackers are a godsend when you have kids.

Take people's advice under consideration, but truly, stay true to yourself and try out new stuff, even if you aren't sure it is a good fit for you.

I can't believe how the paparrazzi chase BS. And how she invites it. What a crazy life. I could not imagine. What a car wreck. But what does this say about society that this kind of a career option is appealing??? I don't get the attention, or why the common folk are so enthralled by the different 'falls from grace' so to speak. When it is a woman, it seems to attract so much more attention.

Sinus headaches really suck. So do ear infections, even if you don't have the intense pain, all the popping and hollowness gets old really quickly.

Bath tub toys rule.

Shop with coupons and watch your bill like a hawk. Advocate for yourself.

It's ok to grow up and not be all wild and crazy and going out all hours of the day and night at the drop of a hat. An old friend is in town, and well, the plans I have heard about don't really fit where we are at. I feel bad, but, it's hard to be excited to see someone when you have a hard enough time making it to work in the morning, and your last weekend was pretty crappy and you are just looking forward to laying low and getting your own life (health) back on track again so you can go back to work again. I guess the real part that gets you about growing up is that you can't really throw everything to wind on a whim, or if you do, you pay for it in ways you just didn't before.

I have been a big sickie.

I am really glad that this month of January is just about ready to come to a close.

We’ve all been sick. I don’t think I have been this sick in YEARS. Brandon has also been cutting his last teeth, so we have had a few dodgy days where I wasn’t sure if we were coming or going, or what was up.

I think everything came to a head last weekend. Friday was the shits. Brandon was really upset with the teething, and I left him too long in a wet nappy (that went over well… NOT) and once I changed him I had a whole new, happy baby. I was also feeling terrible; I have an ear infection, fighting a cold and flu, and have felt miserable. To top it off, I got to do 5 presentations this week and travel between locations not at the top of my game – half the time I could barely hear myself speak! Once I made the official decision I wasn’t going anywhere on Friday night, Brandon promptly puked all over me. Front and back. In to the shower we went. Then he would only catnap for about 20 minutes at a time, sending my stress levels up higher and higher, wondering about whether or not I needed to take Brandon in to the hospital to be checked out. I went through my mental checklist, and figured it was a combination of a nasty cold (which we all have) and teething, gave him some Tylenol, and crossed my fingers.

Then, miraculously he slept. Saturday morning looked far different than Friday, and by the time that Monday rolled around, we had a great day. It made up for the rest of the days. Sunday we cleaned the house, so I didn’t have to rush around like a mad woman making things right, we hung out, and Brandon had a proper nap, we got out for a walk, and just enjoyed each other. It was so different than how the weekend started out.

Today I was on the road again to another location, and it went well. Lots of presentations, lots of talking and drop in appointments, which is good. I went to massage therapy, and it was great, but must have released a lot of toxins and crap back in to my system because I was heading south pretty quickly when I got home. I needed a hot bath (I was feeling chilled) and time to head off to bed. I haven’t been up past 9pm for the last days. It makes me feel lame. I haven’t even been reading before bed, and my appetite has been terrible – true signs that I have been crook.

the nightly juggle.

It is a challenge some nights learning how to manage and entertain Brandon and get dinner on the go.

Some nights are easier than others, and I am learning how to make some simpler meals too. I am also really trying to clean up after myself, and make sure that all the dishes are done that night, so we don't have a daunting mess to avoid in the morning. I am a messy cook. I wish I could say I was one of those cooks that always cleaned up as they went (I try, it works for a while...) but it seems I sacrifice a perfect kitchen for great tasting food. Not always a bad compromise, just a pain in the ass when you are really tired and all you want to do is drag your sorry ass in to bed and you KNOW you should really do something about the wreckage from dinner. I am trying. I guess it is one of my unresolutions. Bah. It is really about making my life easier, and trying to figure out how and what responsibilities get juggled at night time between Ken and I and getting our dude fed, washed up, calmed down, and asleep.

I am learning about having those cheddar fishies handy, or a bowl full of cheerios nearby, that and some juice. Hell, those cheerios take the edge off of my hunger and make me a much easier person to deal with. I am trying to relax more, and not be in such a panic to get dinner happening. It wasn't really working because as soon as I got in to the nitty gritty part of the meal, Brandon's jedi sense kicked in and he became high maintenance for the moment, crying, or wanting to play with pots and pans, and be taken over to check out the plants, or the real fish, or anything but chilling in his high chair or playing on the floor near my feet. It is a real learning experience, especially since things shift so quickly when your kids are young. What works one week may not work the next.

At least the teething has subsided... I think all of his teeth have at least some white showing through the gums, and his ear infection is better... and dammit. I just realized I forgot all about his antibiotics for the night. Oops. My cold is getting there, my ears still clog up, and I just don't feel right in the head (did I ever?).

I am reading one book at work right now (another autobiography, and I think that if I thought that Running with Scissors was an education in how other people live, this one is even more so, The Glass Castle) which is just a real page turner, and an older suspense novel from a writer I normally like - I am finding that it just dragging a little and I am finding it more of a slog... it isn't bad, just not a page turner like the last few I have been reading (The Thin Dark Line). I am also attempting to knit myself a hat, and it seems like I keep making it too big, or I am getting the yarn all twisted up, but I am starting again for the third time. Hopefully that is the charm for me.

Our weather has been bipolar too. Snow, then a big melt, and then torrential rains. Then maybe a break in the clouds, then snow. Then rain. Sloppy mess everywhere. Rain. Some mixed rain and snow, then some wind. I just roll with it. I am definitely looking forward to spring, longer days, and not so much rain so I can get out more in it. In winter you really do feel like you hunker down because we really haven't had a lot of chances to get out in nature...

If you have a spare moment...

A friend pointed me in the direction of some amusement if you have a spare moment or two.

Makes the 'Bucks in downtown Vancouver located directly across the street from each other seem tame in comparison to how many there are in Mahattan. I guess this Mark fellow decided to see if he could hit all 171 'Bucks locations in a day. You will have to check it out to see if he was successful...

really good intentions

I have meant to sit down and post something more than a few times in the last few weeks.

Something always seems to come up.

Christmas was magical - it was really good. The house has been chaos on and off for the last few weeks... before Christmas it was cleaning and organizing and getting things right, and then after it was trying to clean up needles and take down our tree, and find new homes for all our cool loot.

Then came NYE. A hot water valve went in one bathroom, and the next day a cold water pipe burst in the wall in our kitchen. Needless to say, you have no idea how much water you use until your direct access to it is cut. Nothing like almost being in tears when your water is back on and you can flush the toilet again....

Brandon has also been cutting some teeth and it seems that since we got off pretty easy with the last few teeth, the teething with this go around has sucked. To top it off, we are all sick in the house. I am used to not getting a good night's sleep, but between the teething and this shitty cold/cough we all have, sleep has been in fits and starts, and I am like a zombie during the day - definitely not flying at my normal self. Getting back to work yesterday was almost a relief, but today I am going to try to get him a doc's appointment, so it is not going to be a full day. It is one thing when I am sick (or when Ken is sick) but it is different when it is your kid - they are so small, and you are so aware of what they are or are not eating. Brandon is still taking lots of fluids, his appetite sucks, his mood is pretty good, but he is definitely clingy. We were up last night so many times I think I just resigned myself to the fact that tonight Ken and I would switch off and I would attempt to grab a good night's sleep. Hopefully it is just a nasty cold and not something worse for our little guy.

It has not all been colds, lack of water, and Christmas celebrations. The time off from work was great. It helped me realize the low level stress of changing jobs and getting used to the new personalities, and just being back at work and having Brandon in daycare. We also went to the island, and got to spend a great day with Brandon - playing tourists and eating seafood, visiting some old friends, and hooking up with family. We really needed a quiet getaway, and the saturday was all ours. We found a cabin in the woods to stay in, and it was perfect. Just what we needed - it even included a horse drawn carriage ride!

I haven't been able to reach out and get in contact with a few people I have meant too. With Brandon (and the rest of us) being sick, and then having no water for a few days, and then all the holiday events, good intentions went down the drain. I meant to do the penguin plunge and was all excited to start up that tradition again, but that got shelved as Ken got to learn rudimentary plumbing with my dad. I did manage to have a helluva great conversation with Nej (which, thank you for bringing it up too, we both know we loiter on each other's blogs to reach out and touch fingers when life doesn't always give us the chance to call, etc) and those good intentions have had me trying to give her another call.. and that hasn't happened. I want to hook up with Betty too. Damn if that is impossible to organize this week. And some calls too. Maybe this weekend for catch ups???

So this has become a great big ramble. Thank gawd for coffee, it is fueling this morning for me. And TGIF, even though it is a really short week, I am grateful it is friday. I am dreaming of a beach holiday (who knows what will transpire) because it is a good distraction. I could ramble on and on and on and on... but alas. I should get some work done.