December 21, 2008 at 4:06 pm · Filed under daily, meme
Wow. It has snowed more in the last week than I can ever remember in the last several years. Usually we get one day of snow, I get to skip out on work for a couple of days, and then all is well again. This year, my agency has closed its door for 5 days straight, and the snow is still coming down, so I’m not sure if it’s going to be open tomorrow either! Right on time for Christmas. It looks like we’ll have a white Christmas again this year. Last year, it snowed a couple of days before Christmas, but the snow stuck around until a bit after Christmas, so technically we had a “white Christmas” last year too. This year beats it though.
My sister is coming into Seattle tonight, but I won’t be able to pick her up because of the road conditions, so she’s going to be taking a flight into Vancouver tomorrow morning, and we’ll go and pick her up in Vancouver together. I’m so excited for her to meet Lily Bean. I wish she lived closer, but we do what we can to stick together.
I managed to make a new header image for the site. Ya like? I figure the summer girl-on-swing layout was getting a little old. I managed to whip this one up in a couple of hours during one of Lily’s nap times. There’s only a bit of time frame during her naps because she doesn’t nap for as long anymore. I missed being able to draw, so I thought I’d try my hand on another illustration for a layout, and voila!
I have a lot more to say, but I will end this for now, with a Sunday meme from Sunday Stealing:
1. What is a nickname a former (or present) lover gave you?
Dave calls me “Pixie,” or “Pix” for short. He is the ONLY person who is allowed to call me this.
2. How do you style your hair? If you just would say “cut” what style is it?
I usually just blow dry it and let it hang. Now, though, I tend to have it in a pony tail or bun, since Lily Bean has figured out she can grab my hair very easily. My hair is currently very long (mid-back) with long layers. Time for a hair cut!
3. What’s your least favorite Christmas song?
Any of the ones that have religious connotations in them. They sort of annoy me. I know “Christ”mas is really a religious holiday, but we don’t celebrate it as such.
4. How many colors are you wearing now?
Two. Light blue and white. I’m wearing light blue and white striped pajama pants, and a white tight tank top.
5. Are you an introvert or extrovert?
I’m generally an introvert but can hold my own pretty well in large groups.
6. What was the last book you read?
Erm. I don’t remember. Geez, it’s been a couple of months. That sucks. I’m currently verrryy sloowwwllly going through “Almost Moon” by Alice Sebold.
7. What’s one piece of fiction that changed your life?
The Secret Garden. It’s my childhood favorite, and it’s the first book that I can remember that made me really, really love reading.
8. If you are attracted to someone who is already in a relationship (or married), what might do you do?
I’d get over it.
9. Is there anything that has made you unhappy recently?
Yeah, a couple of things. One is our financial stress right now, but I know it’s temporary so I’m trying not to worry too much.
10. What’s your favorite dessert?
Orange sherbet. Hands down. And orange julius. Actually, orange julius would come before orange sherbet.
11. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
15 minutes. Heh.
12. Name one website that you visit daily. Why do you read it?
Plurk. Because everyone goes to update there and I get my quick fixes.
13. What was your last job before either you are at home or at another job??
This question is phrased very oddly. Erm, I was a child abuse therapist for a local tribe.
14. Do you like to clean?
Not really, but I clean often because I like a clean house.
15. What was the last song to get stuck in your head?
“Mercy” by Duffy. It’s downright catchy.
16. What’s the last movie you saw?
Stepbrothers. Heh. It was cute.
17. Pirates or Ninjas?
Huh? To do what with?
18. What is your least favorite thing to do that you have to do everyday?
Laundry.
19. Best time of your life?
Being pregnant. It’s the neat capability to be openly, wildly, and freely FAT without worrying about taking any diet pill supplements. Heh.
20. What are you most looking forward to in the coming year?
Some new possibilities.
When’s the last time you ran?
– Ermm… I honestly don’t remember. Wow.
Do your jeans have rips, tears, and holes in them?
– My favorite pair of jeans have rips and tears, but no holes as far as I know.
What are you dreading right now?
– Having to do more paperwork for work.
Do you celebrate 420?
– Nope. But I know lots of people who do. Hehe.
Do you get the full 8 hours of sleep a night?
– Generally, though they’re broken up by pee breaks and binky emergencies from Lily Bean.
If anyone came to your house on your “lazy days” what would ya’ll do?
– Lay around in our pajamas and play video games.
Who last grabbed your ass?
– The husband.
Have you ever been on your school’s track team?
– I tried out in high school, but I think that’s as far as it went.
Do you own a pair of Converse?
– Used to, not anymore.
Did you copy and paste this survey?
– Nope, I’m filling it out on quizopolis.
Do you eat raw cookie dough?
– No. I’ve honestly never tried it.
Have you ever kicked a vending machine?
– Nope. I don’t get violent when I’m frustrated. I curse though!
Don’t you hate it when the radio ruins good songs by playing them over and over?
– YES! Though for me, that threshold is a lot higher because I like songs for a very long time before getting sick of them!
Do you watch Trading Spaces?
– I tried once, but found it a tad boring.
How do you eat oreos?
– I break them in half down the middle and eat the one without the cream first.
Have you ever stayed online for a very long time waiting for someone?
– Yes. Back in the day when Dave and I first started dating.
Are you cocky?
– I don’t think so, but perhaps some would disagree?
Could you live without a computer?
– Probably not. Haha.
Do you wear your shoes in the house?
– No. I hate when people do that in my house.
Who or what sleeps with you?
– My husband and our cat.
At what age did you find out that Santa wasn’t real?
– When I realized that I was daydreaming for Santa to come rescue me and no one came. I don’t exactly recall when I lost my innocence.
How many phones, house phones and cell phones are in your house?
– Four. Two house phones and two cell phones.
What do you do when you’re sad?
– I cry.
Who would you call first if you won the lottery?
– My husband. Then the plotting and planning begin!
Last time you saw your best friend?
– Yesterday, at work! Jenbug!
Are you in high school?
– Nooo.. not for the last 10 years!
What jewelry are you wearing?
– My engagement ring (who doesn’t love engagement rings?), and my wedding ring.
Is anyone on your bad side now?
– Not really.
What’s the first thing you do when you get online?
– I check my emails.
Do you watch Grey’s Anatomy?
– Yes, religiously. I can’t believe that they’re making Izzy crazy. That sucks.
How do most people spell your name?
– The correct way. Though I’ve seen some pretty bizarre ways. Hellen. Halen (wtf?). Halan (huh?).
Would you wear a boy/girlfriends clothes?
– Yes, all the time.
Where do you work?
– In a non-profit agency in B’ham.
What are you doing tomorrow?
– Staying home and doing some paperwork because we’re sort of snowed in.
Is Justin Timberlake becoming the next Michael Jackson?
– I don’t really care. Though I do hope he doesn’t become a creepy dude who “sleeps” with kids.
Favorite name for a girl?
– Lily, of course!
Favorite name for a boy?
– Liam. I always liked Liam.
Will you keep your last name when you get married?
– Nope. I already changed it.
When was the last time you left your house?
– Yesterday, for work.
Do you return your cart?
– I try to.
Do you have a dishwasher?
– We do, but we never use it.
What noise do you hear?
– The dryer going right now.
Would you survive in prison?
– I’d like to think I’m a pretty tough person, and have survived much. Prison, though? I’m not entirely sure.
Who is the youngest in your family?
– My baby sister, Sophie. Unless you mean my current family, in which case it is the Lily Bean.
If all of your friends were going on a road trip, who would most likey overpack?
– Jenbug. Haha. She’s totally anal.
Do you know anyone with the same name as you?
– Not in a long time.
What’s the last thing you purchased?
– Some new binkies for Lily.
Do your siblings ever pay for stuff for you?
– Yeah, we help each other out when possible. We’re all equally poor though.
What brand are your pants right now?
– Right now? I’m wearing Dave’s old pajamas, so I have no idea.
Ever been to Georgia (the state)?
– Yes, but very briefly just passed it.
What irritates you most on the internet?
– When it goes down.
What brand is your digital camera?
– Fujifilm.
Do you watch movies with your parents?
– Sometimes.
What song best describes your life right now?
– Erm. I don’t know. Can’t think of any.
Do you own expensive perfume/cologne?
– I don’t own ANY perfume. I stink naturally. Haha.
Are you taking college classes right now?
– Nope.
Do you like sushi?
– Never tried it.
Do you get your hair cut every month?
– Nope. Who has the time OR the money for that? I ain’t posh.
Do you go online everyday?
– Oh hell yes.
Will you pass this survey on to 5 people?
– No. Hahah.
Yay I get a free day from work! No work today. The office is closing at noon, but I didn’t even make it in because of the snow. No way am I driving into work, 40 minutes away, just to come home at noon again. I’m sure it would take close to an hour to get to work. I’m working on my paperwork from home, so the day is still not wasted, work-wise. Plus, I get to spend that much more time with The Husband and The Lily Bean.
The snow is coming down pretty hard too. I took a short video of it. I don’t know if you can hear it very well, but when I started the video, Dave said: “Are you taking a video for all those people out there who’s never seen snow?”
I said: “Yes. Don’t mock the people who have never seen snow. It’s a big deal, you know.”
Dave: “Oh, I am mocking. MOCKING I AM!!!”
Then I told him to say hi. He instead gave me a grimace from across the room. Heh.
So there ya go. Snow. This is taken from inside our warm warm home, just looking out the window. I had just put the Lily Bean down for her nap, so there’s no baby squeals of happiness in this one, unfortunately. We’re contemplating taking her outside later to enjoy it.
So it did end up snowing on Saturday — pretty much all day, and there was some left over on Sunday. Dave and I had planned to take the Lily Bean outside for her first encounter with snow… buuuttt, it didn’t work out exactly that way. Heh. When Dave went out yesterday morning to get his coffee, I asked him what it was like out there. He said it was butt-freezing cold! The windchill made it something like -15. Goodness. I don’t even understand what “-15″ means! I’m totally California-chick. He said he wouldn’t take out Lily Bean out there if it were up to him, and that kind of discouraged me. So we decided to wait to see if it would get a wee bit warmer before we take her out. The whole day came and went, and every time I looked out, the winds were going at what seemed like a mile a minute. The trees were all windy-like and swaying back and forth here, and we decided that we shouldn’t take her out in that cold. Granted, she’s a Canadian baby and she would get used to it eventually, but yeesh. Maybe next time!
Besides, we were going to make a snowman, and from the looks of it in the front yard, there wasn’t much snow left on the ground to make anything, since the winds were blowing all the snow to and fro. It looked like a blizzard over here. Then I saw Erin’s photos of their day out down in Bellingham, and I was like, “That looks SO MUCH sunnier than over here!” What the heck? And it looked like they got more snow than we did. How does that work, since it’s only half an hour from where we are to Bellingham? So weird.
We saw on the news all these accidents — specifically from Bellingham. They were showcasing some accidents right on Yew St., and it was so weird seeing my work stomping ground on TV. Cars were slipping and sliding and crashing into each other. One police car got out of control on a hill and just went sliding down. A police car! Goodness. I’m so glad we didn’t have to go out anywhere over the weekend. Everyone’s safe and sound at home. So today I’m going to take it really carefully, since I have two appointments in the back roads of Bellingham and Ferndale. I kind of want to cancel. I’m not so good in the snow, what with being a Southern California girl and all. But we need the money. Maybe I’ll just stay home and catch up on all my paperwork. We’ll see what happens.
I need to refill on my multi-vitamins. Specifically for pregnant and nursing mothers. I ran out but don’t have money to get more. Isn’t that sad? Though I guess I’m not complaining too much because they’re like horse supplements to me. They’re giant and I hate swallowing them. It should be another week before I can go get some more, though. In the meantime, I’m trying to eat more healthily and fully so that I can make enough milk for the Beaner.
December 13, 2008 at 10:51 am · Filed under daily, meme
Okay this is the 3rd time I’ve attempted to write a blog on this darn site. I hope this works. If not, I’m giving up for now.
This past week has been pretty crazy. I’ve been working more hours so that we can make more ends meet and not have to struggle so much. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to see the fruits of this labor until after the holiday season (payday isn’t until the end of December), but hey, I’m still looking forward to being able to pay all of our bills on time for next month!
This week, several things happened. Lily Bean turned 5 months old yesterday, we went to dinner with Leaf and Louise (my old supervisor and his wife) on Tuesday night, and yesterday something important happened which I won’t divulge just yet. None of these things are related to each other, though. Heh. I’m glad the week is over, as there have been crisis after crisis at work, and it was just very busy in general. I feel like I’ve neglected our home, but I’m very fortunate to have a stay-at-home hubby who is also willing to do some housework and keep the house generally in good shape while I’m at work. Woo!
(Anyone need more info on coilovers? There ya go.)
Yesterday, it started snowing furiously in Surrey. And by evening, it had all stopped and was washed away by some hard rain. Today, there is hardly any evidence that there was snow at all. Bummer. I kinda want it to snow. It’s so pretty and it gets me in the holiday spirit. I just wish I didn’t also have to be on the road when it happens. Next time it snows (and actually sticks), we’re going to suit Lily Bean up in her snow suit and go out and take pictures. Dave suggested making a snowman in our front yard in her size, and then taking pictures of her beside it to indicate that she is a giant baby next to a regular-sized snowman. I’m game!
I’m waiting for the Lily girl to wake up so I can start my morning routine with her, but in the meantime, I’m doing some things that I’ve been neglecting, such as various house chores and some blogging and paperwork. It’s hard to do any of these things at home when the baby demands so much attention.
Amber introduced me to this Friday Fill-Ins meme and now I’m addicted. They’re neat to fill in.
1. Snow is really awesome, when I’m at home, with nowhere to go, and everyone I know and love are also safe and home with nowhere to go.
2. I’m looking forward to the Christmas holiday this year. My sister is visiting and we’re gonna have oh so much fun together with Lily Bean.
3. Hot chocolate with Bailey’s Irish cream is the best drink for the Christmas season ever! Too bad I can’t have any because I’m breast feeding. Heh. Next year!!
4. One of my favorite old tv shows is Rainbow Brite. I loved watching that cartoon. I’m surprised it hasn’t joined the other old cartoons in making a resurgence back into popular media right now.
5. I’m done with the work week now. Woohoo here comes the weekend.
6. The most enjoyable thing around the holidays is being with the family. This year, it’s extra special because our beautiful Lily Bean is joining us for the first time. It’s her first Christmas ever.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to lounging, lounging, lounging, tomorrow my plans include doing some paperwork for work and having lunch with some of the in-laws and Sunday, I want to do some more lounging around!
December 4, 2008 at 11:56 pm · Filed under interests
I’ve heard of this neat new software called Dragon Naturally Speaking. When it first came out a few years ago, Dave told me about it and we both got really excited. We didn’t get the chance to try it out, but now I’m hearing about it again and it’s just as exciting as when I first learned about it. Not only does it subscribe your recordings, it is also easy to use and has become very dependable.Nowadays, with Dragon Naturally Speaking, it would be so easy to make blogging that much more simple. My top ten wish list for making blogging simpler is (but are not limited to): updating wordpress, widgets that make my website more noticeable and easier to maintain (such as my flickr widgets), Dragon Naturally Speaking (of course), an eye-catching design for all of my blogs (I need to make more web layouts; it’s been a while!), perhaps a new logo for all of my blogs, more time on my hands to blog, more memory for the laptop so that my sites will load faster and more efficiently, advertisement tools to get my blogs out there, and of course, eye-catching and memorable blog posts.
With Dragon Naturally Speaking, hands off blogging would be made that much simpler, and since I can talk faster than I type (which is already pretty fast!), it would make blogging that much faster too. I recommend getting it too. Here are some coupon codes for it if you need them.
The weather is getting really really cold. Days like these make me want to stay home and cuddle up with the husband and the baby and just have hot cocoa and play peekaboo. That sounds like a perfect day. And maybe while she’s napping, have a good book cuddled up by the fire. Or take a nap too.
That sounds even better. Heh.
Work is going well, though I am being kept busy. It feels weird going back to work and being in “work mode.” It feels like my life has changed completely, and yet I’m still doing some of the old things I used to do, like doing therapy work and meeting with clients and going to staff meetings and going to court and all that stuff. It’s not a bad feeling, it’s just a really different feeling. The other day Dave and I were talking to Lily Bean and we told her that once upon a time, not too long ago even, we were on our own before she came into our lives. Neither of us remember what it was like before she came along. Dave concluded that he and I must have just sat in the dark staring at each other because looking back now, life seemed pretty dreary and dark without her. And yet, I remember that at the time, I was happy too. But I can’t imagine being any happier than I am now, if you know what I mean. This current feeling of happiness doesn’t compare to the happiness before her: it was almost like just knowing one side of a coin. Now we know both sides and looking back, that one side feels almost incomplete. How did we not know there was another side to happiness? How did we miss it before?
Things have changed, and yet, some things have not. Going to work, and coming home. I suddenly wear a new hat. The Mommy hat. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
1.) If you knew one of your close friends was cheating on their significant other, would you get involved? (EX: Tell their SO, try to talk to your friend about it, etc) Why or why not?
I think I would. I have. It’s my nature to get involved. I’m not entirely sure why. Probably because I can’t keep my business out of people’s business. Haha! But more likely it’s because I like knowing that my friends walk by the same moral compass as I do, and cheating on their spouse/lover without being honest about it or feeling remorse about it is about as lowly moral as one can get, in my opinion (outside of the whole murder/rape thing, of course). I can understand falling in love with another person, but you can’t lie to the person you’re already with and hide it. It’s so disrespectful to me. I can’t understand how someone would do something like that to another person and not find ways to redeem themselves by being honest or breaking up with one or the other, or even being honest with themselves.
2.) If your SO was cheating on you and one of your close friends knew, would you want them to tell you? Why or why not?
Yes. Definitely. I want to know. I would hate to live in denial.
3.) Have you ever stuffed your bra or underwear to make the size of your breasts or penis seem larger?
Er, no. I have worn padded bras when I was much younger and more self-conscious about myself, though. If that counts?
4.) Would you sleep with a friend’s significant other behind their back if it were guaranteed you’d never be caught?
NO. A strong, resounding no. Outside of the whole “disrespect” factor, dude, I would just HATE to be “the other woman.”
5.) Do you think you are more intelligent than your significant other?
Definitely not. Most days, I think he’s more intelligent than me. Heh.
6.) Do you ever fantasize about cheating on your significant other? Are you ever tempted to really go through with it?
No. What a weird fantasy to have. If one would have that fantasy, it’s about time one seriously think about breaking up. I rather be building steel buildings.
7.) Have you ever had cyber sex, text sex or phone sex with someone other than your significant other during a relationship?
No. A form of cheating.
8.) Would you cheat on your significant other twice monthly for half a year to have all your debt permanently erased?
Er, no? What a strange question. This meme kinda makes me feel icky. I wonder why I’m still answering the questions. O.o
BONUS! Have you ever fantasized about having sex with any blogger friends? Would you be daring enough to reveal five of them?
Considering that pretty much all of my blogger friends are female, no. But still, no, I’ve never fantasized about having sex with any of my blogger friends. Heh.
December 1, 2008 at 9:20 am · Filed under thoughts
Okay, let me take a moment to whine about some stresses. There are a couple of things I’m waiting on, but I’ll only talk about one for now. Finances. This holiday season is very difficult for us. It is so true that people live within their means. When you don’t have money (I would much rather, right now, work part time to spend more time with Lily at home in her formative months than work full time and make more money), the Christmas season is just a tad sad. The pressure to stay in the race with consumerism is hard. I feel the pressure to be able to buy all the things our nieces and nephews want for Christmas. Showing up on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to the family dinner without presents for the nieces and nephews when everyone else is able to give them something would be such a heartbreaking experience for them. We can’t do that. But goodness, we can barely afford to pay all our bills this month. It’s hard on us right now.
Times like these, I can appreciate those who don’t celebrate Christmas. While I love the joy and the togetherness of the holiday, the pressure to buy buy buy and give give give all the material things, especially for little kids, is absolutely ridiculous. When you’re older and you’re a “wise” adult, you see that it’s not what you get for Christmas, it’s the coming together that counts. But kids are brainwashed in our society to believe that Christmas is Santa Claus and Santa Claus is presents. Heck, I remember that as a child, that was what I believed and since our family didn’t celebrate Christmas, I just figured Santa forgot about me every year. It’s a sad way to live for a child.
Christmas is complicated. It’s a confusing holiday, and I think that capitalist consumers and advertisers make it complicated for just this reason: they want to confuse us and brainwash us into thinking that in order to have the lovely “togetherness” that we so desire, we also have to buy buy buy. Lots and lots of toys and gadgets and gizmos that will be forgotten about just a year later, so that we can do it all over again.
When you have money and you can afford it, Christmas isn’t so bad. In fact, it’s actually FUN. I loooove shopping for other people. I love making gifts for people. I love giving people things that I know they would enjoy and love. I love seeing the faces of our nieces and nephews when they open their presents on the eve and the day. I just love all that. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve fallen prey to the Christmas idealism and the consumerism as well. It’s just that… it becomes a lot more transparent when you’re struggling. With the economy down, and people getting laid off, and the Canadian dollar not doing so well, and everything else compounded, sometimes all I want to do during this season is run and hide and sleep it off until January gets here.
Because we all know, there are so many other things we need to pay for, like key man insurance and car payments and electric bills and water and sewer and trash and cable and and and… What do I do with this knowledge that Christmas is a trap? Just grind my teeth, save every single penny we have, and buy buy buy until we drop. Then hope and work towards the next year and hope that it will be easier.
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About
- Helen, 29 years old
- B.C., Canada
- Child & family therapist
- Agnostic Buddhist
- Married to Dave (7/22/07)
- Mother to Lily Bean (7/12/08)
- Left-wing, pro-peace nut
- Semi-hippy wannabe
This site here is basically a bunch of random, semi-daily tidbits whenever I feel like updating.
So there ya go. Snow. This is taken from inside our warm warm home, just looking out the window. I had just put the Lily Bean down for her nap, so there’s no baby squeals of happiness in this one, unfortunately. We’re contemplating taking her outside later to enjoy it.