The Upside

Well, I've been sick for about two and a half weeks now.  Madness, I know!  You may remember how I caught a head cold just after my birthday?  I did the usual, saw the doctor, got the antibiotics and drank the fluids.  Within a couple of days I was feeling better, stellar even.  I was back to normal, feeling like my old self for about 3 days then...BOOM!  Horribly terrible nasty sickness hit me like a train.  So much worse than the time before.  I might say that I elevated (in the worst possible way) from being a Death Popsicle to being a Death Slushie.  Everything hurt, I couldn't breathe, and I was completely useless.  Time for doctors visit round two.  This time around I had an infection in my year and the nastiness in my head warranted what the doctor called "a very strong antibiotic".  I didn't know there was such a thing!  Oh, but there is and it comes with a long list of possible side effects...scary ones like death and tendon tearing.  TENDON TEARING!?!?  WTF?!  Luckily the only side effects I experience were sweating, nausea, headaches and horrible dreams...mainly about my tendons tearing!  So I spent pretty much all weekend, Friday through Sunday, in bed or on the couch, do nothing but being miserable.

So, what's the upside to all this?  Well, I am starting to feeling slightly human again.  So, yay!  But even more so, all weekend long that terribly adorable fiance of mine took care of me.  To an extreme.  He brought me water.  He went out and got me cheese fries from PRC when nothing else sounded good.  He made me dangerously good brownies and homemade soft pretzels.  He closed all the curtains, that we normally keep open, in the bedroom when I had a migraine and offered to go get me one of those she-she sleeping masks to block out the light.  He moved off the big sofa, to the loveseat, when I wanted to lay down and spread out and take a nap.   He did the dishes and cleaned the litter box.  And gave that stinky dog of ours a bath. Yeah, he's pretty much the best thing ever!  But not just when I'm sick, he's like that all the time.  And I'm so lucky to have him, all the time.  But especially when I'm a sad useless blob of sickness.  Thank you Antoine, for being awesome.  The end.

On the Verge

My birthday was last week, and for my birthday Antoine got me a variety of goodies...a new lens for my camera, Phoenix socks (with howling wolves on them) and, in Antoine's true giving fashion, his cold.  I started to feel that oh-so-familiar sick feeling yesterday.  You know how you can taste that sick taste in your mouth before you actually get a cold!?  Yeah, that.  But I can't hate on Antoine too much, he did make me a huge pot of soup last night to sustain me throughout the week while he was in Phoenix.  Onion soup, yum!  And today I don't feel completely miserable...not completely.  Although, I have this sneaking suspicion that come tomorrow I will be flailing around in the uncomfortable world of death popsicleness.  Come on, you know it...where you can't breathe, it hurts to move your head, and everything tastes like kleenex.  Yep, that's what I call being a death popsicle.  So, unless by some miracle the vitamin C I've been popping like they're candy cures me, I fully expect to make a trip to the doctor for some antibiotics and spend the entire day laying on the couch, drinking fluids and expelling phlegm. 

Stay tuned though, once I'm feeling slightly normal again I've got some exciting posts to share with you all!  Until, I cough and hack up crap in your general direction.  Good day!

Big News!!

So, I've got some very big news to share with you all.  Well, it might now be new news to you if you're a facebook or twitter friend, but oh well, just act like it is, okay!?  My big mountain of awesome news?  Oh, you know, Antoine proposed!!  And I naturally said yes, because I ain't no fool!

Sit on down, get comfy and I'll tell you all the story of surprise and jubilation...

It happened on Monday.  Monday December 19th.  I was home sick from work with a cold, but by the afternoon I was feeling a little more lifelike.  Antoine was out running some errands.  I was home in my pjs, crocheting on the couch with the Cheese-man by my side, popping cough drops like nobody's business.

Exhibit A

Antoine came home and was acting a little funny.  But that's normal, were we have a tendency to be weirdos sometimes (shh, don't tell the normal people).  Plus, I was kind of in the zone with the scarf I was working on.  Do-do-do-do-do.  (That's me in the crocheting zone, by the way!)  So, Antoine asks me to come into the dining room.  I'm like, "yeah, yeah, let me finish this row!"  (Silly person! Pay attention. Big things are about to happen!)  So I walk in and he points to the chalkboard wall, where he has written "Will You Marry Me!?".  I look stunned and turn back to him and he's on his knee saying he loves me and will I marry him!  I can't really remember what I said next, besides yes...then I proceeded to hug him a million times and say "But I'm sick!  And I'm in my pajamas!?"  Like that matters!

Sparkly custom-made ring based on a 1930s design. I am in love! 

So, now I call my boyfriend my fiance, which feels weird but awesome.  I'd say Antoine is going to make an honest lady out of me, but I don't think that's really possible (I would never and will never describe myself as "a lady"!).  I am beyond excited!  But I'm still in that phase of giggly, fluttery nervousness right now, and it feels strange to have a ring on my finger (I never wear rings).  Especially one so sparkly!  But it feels strange in the best way possible!  I can't stop staring at my finger.  Antoine can't stop staring at my finger.  It's delightful!

So, anticipate some engagement/wedding talk on here.  I cannot deny that it's going to be on the brain, so, consider yourself forewarned! 

Merry Christmas to me indeed!!

Soup Weather

It's getting a bit chilly nowadays...well, except for that silly warm spell we had earlier this week!  WTF?  It's December, I want snow!  Not rain and 60 degree weather.  Come on! Also, it's that time of the year when people get sick (I blame the fluctuation in temperature)!  Case in point...me.  Currently I am of the "death popsicle" state where I look and sound like a walking plague of nasty germs.  But have no fear, I am a relatively self-aware walking germ...carrying my box of Puffs (with lotion) under on arm and my hand sanitizer in the other.  It's not a pretty sight, but at least I'm trying not to spread my germs to my coworkers.  Piss me off though, and I'll spit in your coffee!  Muwhahahaha! 

Wait.  What was I talking about!?  Oh yeah, 'tis the season of cold weather and illness, which means it's that time of the year that lends itself beautifully to a nice big bowl of soup.  And these days, having dated a fella of Vietnamese decent for several years now, it's not surprising that my soup of choice is pho.  Pho (fyi, it's not pronounced "fo", more like "fa") is a Vietnamese soup traditionally made with beef, rice noodles, a anise infused broth and add-ins such as Thai basil, lime, bean sprouts, and hoisin sauce.  While the beef version (pho bo) is probably the most popular, my favorite is the chicken version (pho ga).  And while Antoine's mom makes a mean pot of pho ga, she doesn't make it often since it typically takes most of the day to make it.  So, when either Antoine or I are in the mood for some pho or banh mi (a Vietnamese sandwich traditionally made with grilled pork, pate, or a selection of coldcuts (read: head cheese...YUCK!  Btw, they have a chicken version as well) we hit up Pho Lang Thang, a fairly new and wildly popular Vietnamese restaurant in Findlay Market.  You've seen me blog about Pho Lang Thang before, because it's a nice local place producing, in my opinion, some pretty tasty Vietnamese food (not as good as A's mom, but still mighty tasty!).  Last Friday, Antoine picked me up from work and we headed over to Pho Lang Thang.  Lunch time and weekends can get kind of busy, but if you go around 5pm on a Friday it's really quiet...

Mmm, I love Vietnamese ice coffee!  I mean, how could you not...it's got sweetened condensed milk in it!  YUM!

Handsome.

Black Friday (plus Etsy coupon code!)

I can't help myself, but I love the crazy that is Black Friday!  I love the wacko old ladies who'll run you down for a good deal.  I love the waking up at a ridiculous hour just to get an extra 30% off a sweater.  It's my personal dose of holiday ridiculousness...and I'm going to put it in a pipe and smoke that shit up!  Lucky for me, Antoine loves it too!  We don't even have anything we need to get this year really, only a couple of things we want to keep an eye out for, but we can't resist waking up at a god-awful time and taking part in the craziness.  Laugh all you want.  Go ahead, judge me!  Frankly I would personally judge you if you didn't look down on me just a little!  But let me also ask you this, is there any other time of the year when you can openly run into someone with your cart and they don't give a shit because it's not the first time it's happened that morning!?  Yeah, that's what I thought.  Oh Black Friday, you tug on my sadistic, rotten heart strings.

In other news...in honor of the most bat-shit crazy day of the year I've got an extra special deal for you; 15% off my Etsy Shop!  Just enter the coupon code BLACKFRIDAYDEAL when you check out and you will get 15% off your order.  This offer is valid today through December 2nd.  Enjoy!

Weekend Hijacker

I have to say, I'm not in the best of moods at the moment.  One reason could be that it's Monday morning and I've been up since 4:45am.  But I think the real culprit is my lack of a good weekend.  Friday was good, pizza and tv time in the evening.  But Saturday, not so much.  Saturday was piss-poor (besides a good long chat with my lovely, amazing HLP).  I woke up feeling like puke.  I was in a fog and I couldn't breathe out of my nose.  As the day progressed, it only got worse.  Soon there was a headache, which grew and mutated into a horrible migraine.  It was not pretty...thrashing, groaning, tortuous pains.  And with that, my Saturday disappeared.

By Sunday the migraine was gone, but then the errand running began and before I knew it the day was over.  I do not enjoy weekends that play out like this...probably as much as you don't enjoy reading about my stupid excuse of a weekend.  Oh well, here we are.  And it's Monday.  I hope it goes by quickly for you all!

So Sorry, Uncle Albert

If you're not familiar with the music of Paul McCartney, then that reference of awesomeness was totally lost on you.  Sorry you're a loser!

Anyway, I just want to apologize for being such a blogging slacker lately.  It's been an entire week since I last blogged (eek!) and there's just no excuse.  Well, except that I'm still getting over being sick, trying to spend time with the fella when he's in town, going to Indy to celebrate my HLP's birth, making a slightly involved present for said HLP's birthday, dealing with a pooping cat (and we're not talking about in the litterbox), cleaning the house, etc.  No, I haven't been preoccupied or anything [insert sarcasm].  Things are starting to die down now, so please bare with me as I play a little ketchup (oops, wrong kind!).

Now, let me take you on a little journey through time.  Remember a couple weekends ago when Antoine and I, in the midst of our little plague that's been going on for a month now, drove down to Asheville for a Bright Eyes concert?  Well, in my slackerness I never gave you the full scoop that I promised. So, here it is...we left bright an early Saturday morning with boxes of Puffs, Delsym, and Rx decongestant in tow.  Our first goal was to make it to Lexington around 8am to have breakfast at Doodles.  We were successful and made it there just as they were opening, therefore missing the rush.  Breakfast was delicious and energized us for the drive ahead.  Unfortunately, the weather was miserable.  It rained pretty much the entire drive down to Asheville.  But, luckily we made it to Asheville before 3pm (goal number two), giving us plenty of time to rest and refresh ourselves before dinner and the concert that night.

We had made reservations at this adorable little bed and breakfast/hotel called the Princess Ann Hotel, thanks to my awesome sister and brother-in-law who gave us a bnb.com gift certificate for Xmas. This was only my second time staying in a bed and breakfast, although the first time shouldn't count since it was a sub-par bnb in England where my HLP and I managed to break a bed (but that's another story for another time!).  The Princess Ann was lovely.  Unlike most bed and breakfasts that only have a handful of rooms, PAH offers the feel and personality of a bed and breakfast with the capacity of a small boutique hotel. 

We got the most basic of rooms, a one bedroom deluxe, but we found it very spacious and inviting.

It had all those little personal touches that comes with a bed and breakfast experience, including tasty biscotti, chocolate truffles, bottles of water, afternoon wine and hors d'oeuvres, and a delicious breakfast the next morning.

They even provided wine glasses and a wine bottle opener if you intended to have a romantic/relaxing night in.

A nice little sitting area to relax and peruse through travel brochures of Asheville.

It was definitely a warm and welcoming stay, I only wish we could have stayed longer.

After we checked into the hotel and explored all the niceties of our room we took a little nap and freshened up before we headed out for dinner.  PAH is only a couple minutes drive from downtown or a 20 minute walk, but since it was raining we decided to drive.  We had already decided to go to Early Girl Eatery for dinner (we like to use websites like Urbanspoon to scope out possible restaurants in advance).  Early Girl specializes in Southern style comfort food and utilizes fresh local ingredients.  In addition to their permanent menu they have a selection of specials that changes daily.  Our meal was excellent and very reasonable considering the quality of ingredients being used (actually, I was a little shocked...I was expecting it to be much pricier than it was).

With bellies full of burgers, meatloaf sandwiches and delicious fries, we wandered around downtown for a bit.  It would have been delightful if it'd hadn't been raining and we could find the pharmacy we were looking for (I was running out of tissues).  But still, it was nice to explore a little bit and kill time before the show (which was only a block or two away from Early Girl Eatery).  Finally, the doors opened and we made our way inside the Civic Center.  I bought a t-shirt and we found our seats and waited for the show to start.  The opener was Cursive, who I've listened to before, but not religiously.  This is going to sound strange, but I think I prefer them recorded.  I just wasn't crazy about their live show.  It was good, but nothing spectacular.  It could be though, that I was sick and reserving all my energy and excitement for Bright Eyes.

Now, I've been a Bright Eyes fan since my sophomore year of college.  I remember as soon as I heard Conor's cracking, emotional voice I was hooked.  There was something about the raw emotion behind the lyrics and vocals that just hooked into that sappy, naive heart of mine.  I get why people don't like them (or Conor Oberst specifically), it's definitely not for everyone.  I have many friends who have the urge to rib out their hair when a song of theirs comes on...luckily, that's not the case with Antoine.  While he's not as wild about them as I am (he doesn't have the history), he was more than eager to come to Asheville with me and see the last Bright Eyes concert I would ever experience, since this is their final tour.  He didn't know all the songs they played, but he smiled widely at me as I sang along to my favorites and swayed back and forth.  I was in heaven.  For two and a half hours I ignored that my nose wouldn't stop running, that I was coughing up a lung, and that I was completely exhausted.  In those couple of hours I absorbed the condensed version of 16 years worth of music, music that, while I was in college, made me cry, laugh and long for something more, someone to love.  Through all the dark, rough times (and the good times too) you have songs/music that get you through it all...that describes how you're feeling and what you want for your future, even though it doesn't seem remotely possible at the time.  That's Bright Eyes for me.  And I'm glad I got to see them one last time and I'm glad it was now, when I'm where I want to be in life, surrounded by love, sharing a life with the most wonderful person. 

So, yeah, it was a pretty great weekend...

In the Blink of an Eye...

Sometimes the weekends just don't last long enough, this was surely one of those weekends.  Despite being sick (again!), Antoine and I woke up bright and early Saturday morning to make our way to Asheville, NC.  We had tickets to a show I was very excited to see (but more on that later) and reservations to a cute little BnB for the night (more on that later too).  The drive was over six hours, and probably closer to seven with all the stopping, and despite the rain it was quite nice.  We listened to music and enjoyed each others company.  But, in the blink of an eye...*POOF*...the weekend was over.  And we were back home and Antoine was packing his suitcase for Chicago.  I would have liked one more day...just one!  I don't think that's too much to ask for, do you?

I hope you all had lovely, albeit rainy, weekend!  I'll catch you later.  Hopefully by tomorrow I will no longer be a walking head cold carrying her box of Puffs, jar of Carmex and bag of Echinacea cough drops.  I'm not that hopeful though!

*Also, Happy Birthday to one of my most favoritest people in the world, my HLP, Amanda!  I like your face, it makes me happy!  I love you!  Thanks for being born and being my friend, despite the fact that I hate doing dishes and I've, on more than one occasion, made you watch America's Next Top Model against your will!

What the F#@k...

I'm sick again!  The death popsicle has returned.  Although I am feeling a tad bit better today, yesterday wasn't pretty.  Hacking all day at work to the point where my voice went a little froggy.  Then I spent the evening on the couch with Cheese, shivering uncontrollably under my heated blanket, drifting in and out of unconsciousness.  All I could manage was a handful of cereal for dinner (no wonder I felt like I was going to faint this morning).  I am seriously over this whole sick thing!  Sure, it's nice to have a couple days off, vegging in front of the tv, but when you've used up most of sick time and you've got a fun trip to Asheville, NC planned this weekend it's just not cool anymore!

Also, I'm kind of pissed.  I had this long list of things I wanted to get done before Antoine comes home tonight from Chicago, but I haven't made any progress!  The house is not clean.  There's still dishes piled up in the sink!  I didn't do any laundry, or put any clean clothes away.  I did give Cheese a bath, but that's about it!  Grrrr!  I'm ready to be done this sickness so I can actually feel human again.

The End of One Thing

I have finally emerged from my cocoon of fuzzyheadedness and can now think semi-coherent thoughts. Woot! Now, back to business...

Sunday was my last shift at Sbux. I opened, as I usually do. But since the shift that I usually opened with on Sundays (my friend Jess) had recently transferred to another store, I was left to work my last shift at Sbux with my boss, the store manager. Fine. I don't hate her like some people do at the store. Sure, she's not the best boss/manager in the world...but she's ok. We went about our open, setting things up and whatnot. We were ridiculously slow for a Sunday, but that was okay with me since I wasn't feeling well!

Then, at 8am, when the third morning person showed up I was surprised to see one of our male employees who am not particularly fond of (not because he's a guy, but because he's a young, arrogant guy who talks too loudly and thinks he's the shit when he's really not!). See, I was disappointed because I had been expecting to see the bright, shining face of my friend Liz (but apparently her and the Douche had to switch schedules for some reason). She was basically my equal, my clone at Sbux. We both had the same skill set, we made drinks with the same accuracy and speed and we both cleaned like mad women. I was somewhat anal-retentive when it came to cleaning the bar...and so was Liz; therefore we had a mutual appreciation for the others thoroughness! Only difference between the two of us, she's so ridiculously adorable it makes you sick (seriously, she's one of those young girls who can roll out of bed and without even trying look absolutely flawless) and she swears like a sailor (a very dirty, vulgar sailor). So yeah, I was a little bummed by the line up. The dude was being majorly annoying and barely anyone was coming in to distract me from his endless chattering!

But, on the plus side, while I was on one of my ten minute breaks one of the sweetest and loveliest ladies that works in the morning, Amy, came in to bring me a card, some tulips, and give me a big hug goodbye! All of a sudden I was feeling thousands of times better and I was able to tune out the nonsense coming from the 19 year old annoyance a couple feet away from me. As my shift was coming to an end I looked down at the very end of the line near our retail section and saw a familiar face. Another friend with gifts to wish me farewell. This time it was Vanessa, my closest friend at Sbux who I closed with two days during the week, every week, since probably November! We have the same sense of humor and since she started at Sbux, Vanessa and I have been pretty good friends! She had brought me a box of cupcakes she had decorated herself (she works part time at a local bakery) with frosting bows and edible gold dust, all tied together with a balloon. Don't ask me why the balloon said "It's A Girl" (that's Vanessa for you), but everyone got a kick out of it, including me! Vanessa's goodbye gifts and hugs made a somewhat sour last day a little more meaningful.

While I'm glad to be done with Sbux, to only have one job...I'll still miss it! But while it feels weird not to have to go there anymore, not to see the regulars, or my dear friends...it's been nice to just be home (especially since I've been so ill lately). Monday was the first Monday in what seems like forever that I didn't go to Sbux to work after my day job. And since I always worked Mondays and Wednesdays, tonight will probably feel just as weird. It's a strange feeling to quit something that you've been doing every week for over three years. It's strange to not have to go to that job that you've had for so long, to see those faces that you saw several times a week. I guess it's a bittersweet feeling. I know I will come to like it, especially when the weather gets nice and I can spend quality time outside with Antoine or Cheese or friends, but right now it feels like there's a slight emptiness inside me. Like I've lost a little bit of something that's been my routine for the last three years.

And while I love my day job, Sbux put me in close contact with people my own age who were on the same level I was. At the library, everyone is older than me by about ten years, except for the students (but I'm technically their superior, so it's not the same). I'm someone who doesn't make friends easily. I'm not one to start up a conversation with people, even if I want to, but at Sbux I had to come out of my shell a little bit. Where at the library I can be the recluse you know and love (hell, I work in a flippin' basement...we're basically the hermits of the library down here), Sbux made me be more social! It compelled me to gossip (in a store of almost all women), it forced me to make small talk, and the people there were, for the most part, social people who wanted to get to know me. Instead of coworkers, most of the people at Sbux were friends! When I started dating Antoine I remember going into Sbux and telling people like Amy and my boss about it. In fact, I remember working at Sbux the morning of my first date with Antoine...and telling those who were working how nervous I was, but also how excited. I will miss the memories I had there, but I won't miss the people...because I've made a pact to myself and with others like Vanessa and Amy that this isn't the last they will see of me! Just because I'm not longer working there doesn't mean I have to say goodbye completely! I've made such good friends over the years that that is just not an option.

So, goodbye second job! Hello, free time to appreciate the things I care about: Antoine, our house, our creatures, beautiful weather (when it comes) and all the great friends that I have!

And the Death Popsicle Continues To Be...

Sorry folks, I'm still feeling all kinds of icky! Right now I've got the energy of a turtle...or maybe that's being too ambitious. I'll talk at you later, when I don't feel like death.

And the Death Popsicle Lives...

...well, sort of! Okay, not really!

I had every intention of giving you a real, quality post today...but I just don't have it in me! I'm battling a nasty head cold thingy that is leaving me feeling all kinds of miserable. Hopefully tomorrow I'll have the energy to give you something to actually read. Until then, stay well my friends!

Hello Again...

Hi there! It's been a while, hasn't it? I'm back from a very long and exhausting Xmas holiday. The craziness began about a week ago when my car decided to commit suicide on me...i.e. smoke coming out from under the hood while I was driving to Sbux. (It still has not been revived and Antoine and I are now down to one car...but we're making it work). Then, I got sick...read: head cold, gushing snot, all around discomfort. And while it was nice to have a couple of days off from my real job I, unfortunately, spent those days attempting to clean/prepare for my parents arrival! Xmas Eve Eve was a fun-filled (note: sarcasm) day of non-stop cleaning. Xmas Eve morning was the mad dash to get the house in tip-top shape for the parental visit, attempting to finish all the bits and bobs that we hadn't cleaned/tidied the day before. Then, my parents had to go and stress us out further and show up nearly 3 hours early. THEN, my parents brought their two dogs into our 2 bedroom house and we experienced the shear madness of having two puppies and a yappy Miniature Pinscher in a not-nearly-big-enough space.

In order to make the weekend bearable we made several trips to the dog park! Oh, how I love that flippin' dog park! It's good times! It's my personal savior...turning a rumbustious puppy into a docile, exhausted pile of snoring fur! My parents had never been and their new puppy Lacey hasn't been around many people and Cheese had been the first dog she'd met (outside of their MinPin)...so, it was interesting to see both what my parents thought of it and how the dogs interacted! I think it was an all around success. A little cold, but a triumph nonetheless! Here's some shots from the dog park...

Lacey, my parents' 3 month old great dane...and, of course, the Cheese-man!

Cheese chewing on a stick and playing with an adorable Bull Terrier!

Byron, my parents' Miniature Pinscher, froze like a little popsicle at the dog park, but he loved running around and chasing the big dogs!

I found it very difficult to get many good pictures of Lacey because she was constantly moving around, mainly because she was afraid of most of the other dogs!

Lacey watching as Byron and a stylish little Pug become acquainted!

In the end, it was a good holiday. Not the most relaxing, but it was nice to be with family. Also, I think Cheese really enjoyed his first Xmas...he got far too many toys and rawhides! And he's still recovering from all the puppy wrestling...he's been sleeping nonstop since Sunday. The house has been pretty quiet...delightful so!

Sickness and Frozen Yogurt (not related)...

I apologize for my absence from posting recently, I've been rather busy at work and, what with two jobs, rather busy outside of work attempting to find sanity and have a normal life (not as easy as it sounds). And during my 2 day hiatus I've been in the process of getting sick...yet again. Nothing says summer like a head cold, don't ya know!? So, as of late, my main focus has been trying to stay awake. Even when I don't have any drugs (the over-the-counter kind) in my system my head still wants to slam onto the desk and drift into unconsciousness. I just don't get it!

On the plus side, I got free frozen yogurt last night, which is always good! There's this awesome little frozen yogurt chain in Cincinnati (and now Columbus) called Yagoot, and I just love it!

Yagoot frozen yogurt is tasty and 99% fat free! Added bonus, they've got a great selection of fresh fruits (about nine types) and different toppings (cap'n crunch, vanilla wafers, chocolate chips, yogurt chips, granola, etc.) that you can get loaded on top! And the fact that they're super generous with their toppings makes it even better. But the most awesome thing about Yagoot is that if you sign up for their special offers and promotions (at the bottom of this page) they'll email you with a certificate for a free small yogurt with one topping every time they have a new flavor come out (which is about 2 or 3 times a year)! It's a pretty sweet deal (hahaha, get it!?).

Anyway...last night they reintroduced their mango frozen yogurt (pictured above, courtesy of Yagoot), which they'll feature throughout the summer, and Antoine and I headed over to Rookwood for our free frozen yogurt. It was crazy busy, but we expected that! But the girls at Yagoot can hold their own and the line went fairly quickly! Antoine went first and got his small mango yogurt with strawberries on top. I opted to pay an extra $.50 so I could have two toppings...strawberry and vanilla wafers (delicious).

The mango is probably my second favorite of all their flavors I've tried! The first is, hands down, the strawberry (but then, I'm a strawberry kind of girl). Fortunately for me they always have strawberry and plain yogurt on tap, and then an additional seasonal flavor. Other seasonal flavors have included banana, pomegranate, and pumpkin. I've liked them all, although I was totally wild about the pumpkin or the plain. I really think they need to come out with a blueberry yogurt, that would be so delicious!

As far as options go, it's not just cups of yogurt and toppings! They've got a selection of creative alternatives, such as the Saylor, which is basically a yogurt float with red creme soda. Every time we venture into yagoot I always say that I want to try the Saylor, but then I am always distracted by the loveliness that is their Whirled Famous Shake! Their shake consists of your yogurt of choice and then three toppings all blended together with just a tad of milk. I generally get strawberry yogurt (surprise, surprise!) with blueberries, bananas and cap'n crunch (or strawberries, depending on how I'm feeling that day)...it's so freaking delicious! Mmmm, I want one right now!! I highly recommend you try one...or at the very least, check out Yagoot's website, and sign up for their promotions! But don't wait until a new flavor comes out to try Yagoot (if you haven't already)...GO NOW! Run! It's yummy deliciousness will be there, waiting for you!

**Update: I have now tried the Saylor! It was yummy, but I'm sticking with the Whirled Famous Shake...it makes me swoon!

Kindness and Karma Week

Yesterday I read a post by a fellow blogger that really inspired me, so I decided to share it with you. She (the Grumbles) explained how recently she's been in a funk, feeling worried about all the pressure and anxiety life puts on her...letting the bad stuff get the best of her. Then she watched this video (and I think you should watch it too) and realized the insignificance of all that worry and anxiety and how letting it consume her wasn't going to do anything to improve her mood. When we have so many wonderful things in our lives (family, friends, love, a home, etc.) should we really be focusing on the negatives? Her answer was no...and so she put an end to her funk then and there and decided to focus on what she could do to not only lift herself up, but also lift those around her up as well. So, she challenged her readers to join her in this little experiment and participate in Kindness and Karma Week (her own little invention/experiment)...

The reason why her post was particularly compelling to me is because up until this weekend I've felt a little lost, a little disconnected, and a little over-worked. I believe the prime cause of my funk was my string of illnesses for the past 2 months. Being sick seems to take you away from yourself and your life, make you more exhausted, and make everything seem just a little off. And while I was aware that things were off, I wasn't exactly sure how to fix it. Yet this weekend everything seemed to fall into place. I was starting to feel human again and any disconnection I felt in my home, with work, and with Antoine seemed to mend itself. Still, even though everything is peachy keen right know I know that it would only make things better to stay conscious and aware of all those amazing things in my life and let them be my focus rather than the negative stuff. So, I'm going to take a note from the Grumbles and do my part (for myself and others) during Kindness and Karma week!

I figure I'll do whatever I have to to bring myself and those around me a little more joy! I'll set aside any bad feelings about having two jobs, my lack of sleep, kitty hairballs on my comforter, or aggravating coworkers and instead I'll focus on what I can do to make those bad feelings go away. Whether that's an extra hug, a little love note, a deep breath, a milkshake, or a phone call. Already, this very morning, I can sense the universe is testing me! The morning was a little rocky, I overslept, found out there was nothing to pack for lunch, and the cat was vomiting as I was trying to leave, but I have to just shake it off. Instead of focusing on all that stuff I'll be conscious of the fact that I still made it to work on time (showered and everything), that even though I have to work tonight I'll have Wednesday and Thursday night off with Antoine, that after tonight I don't have to work again until Saturday and that I've got some fun little projects/events in store for this week! So, I'm letting the kindness and the karma take control of me this week and I think only good can come from it! And I hope you'll join me...even if in your own small way.

Here's a brief list of some things I have in mind to bring myself a little joy this week:

-Dojo gelato for dessert Wednesday night

-try my hand at some cooking...

-caramelized onion and prosciutto pizza (a PW recipe) - for dinner Wednesday or Thursday night

-set up plans for a pedicure with the girls

-spend mucho quality time with Antoine

-eat dinner out on the patio with Antoine

-some kitty snuggling

-work on my two books I'm currently making

You will notice that I have not listed anything that I plan on doing to bring a little joy to others. Some of the "others" I plan on doing things for read this blog...it wouldn't be any fun to let them know what's in store, would it? No, it wouldn't! So, that is all for now! I'll definitely keep you posted on my progress with Kindness and Karma week! Take care!

One Option I Didn't Consider...

Well, it's no suprise that after a month or so of sickness I'm still sick. I'm still battling the runny nose and cough of my upper respiratory infection, and now my back pain has gotten progressively worse. This past weekend I traveled north to visit my parents. And during the entire weekend my back was bothering me so I took it easy. I sat in the recliner and alternated ice and heat on my back. It didn't help. And now this morning I woke up at 2am in such severe pain that I could barely move. Looks like I'll be making another trip to urgent care today to figure out what's going on with my back.

You may recall my post last week entitled Conspiracy Theories, in which I went over all the possible causes of my sickness. It occured to me that I left out one possibility from the list...a curse! Possibly some sort of weirdo voodoo curse like the one in the Serpent and the Rainbow. Although, to the best of my knowledge, I was never buried alive and resurrected. Maybe it's a curse a la Practical Magic? Although I don't know what Nicole Kidman or Sandra Bullock would have against me!? I have never said anything but nice things about the two of them, especially Bullock, I think she's a mighty fine actress and a very pretty lady! Perhaps Damien from the Omen is tormenting me with his evil demonic powers!? I wouldn't put it past him, he's a creepy little kid! We'll go with Damien...it seems more probable to me that the Anti-christ might be visiting Cincinnati and out to get me! I mean, even the devil needs some Graeter's ice cream every once in a while, and while visiting why not torture a couple of unsuspecting mortals!! I'm onto you Damien! I'll sick my cat on you if you don't watch out! [Note that if the anti-christ were in fact trying to torture me, I think the warning statement "I"m onto you" and a threat of an attack from the most sissiest of all cats (Gui) wouldn't do shit!]

Conspiracy Theories...

...on why I keep getting sick.

Now, I might be the only one here, but I loved that movie Conspiracy Theory with Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts. You know, that one where Mel Gibson plays a lovable psychopath (much like real Mel Gibson, but perhaps more lovable because truth be told real Mel Gibson isn't all that lovable, just offensive) who thinks the spooks are out to get him. While totally implausible and wacky I thought it was a "good" film. Anyway, I'm starting to identify with Jerry, Mel Gibson's character in the movie. No, I'm not in love with an attractive woman from the D.A.'s office. No, I don't have a sudden urge to bite Patrick Stewart's nose off. But I do feel like something fishy is going on!

I've been sick for nearly a month. First, general not feeling well, stomach aches, body aches, head aches...all the aches. Then, there was the dreaded Viral Meningitis (dun dun dun). Then after that I may or may not have had walking pneumonia. Then there was the horrible back pain that kept me awake half the night, which hasn't completely gone away. Now, the mucus, the phlem, the post-nasal drip and the coughing that no over the counter medicine has seemed to help (which I now have antibiotics for). Sure all this illness could be a lack of sleep and an effect of being overworked, but I think there may be more behind this. Let's survey the possible explanations...

• A series of unfornuate events brought on by weather change, lack of sleep and exhaustion from having two jobs. HA! It just seems too obvious!
• Sometime at the beginning of March aliens beemed me up into their spaceship, injected me with some funky disease, and then erased my memory before returning me home. Damn aliens!
• Same thing but change "aliens" to "Russians" and change "spaceship" to "weird, tacky club/experiment facility". Damn Russians!
• That jerk Buddy (aka one of the "evil cats from hell") is slowly poisoning me while I'm sleepying because he knows he's my least favorite of the cats. Buddy, you're such a bastard!
• In an attempt to prove to the people of the US that we need universal health care, Obama has infected me with 7 different diseases to prove his point. Come on Obama! If you're going to infect someone to prove your point infect G.W. (or maybe you already have!?)
• In an attempt to prove that Obama is crazy, the Republicans have injected me with some sort of super disease that universal health care cannot fight! Damn you Republicans!
• Puffs/Kleenex is starting a world wide conspiracy to secretly contaminate their tissues with toxic bacteria and viruses so that their customers get sick and then are forced to buy more tissues. Thus boosting their sales in this poor economy. Damnit Kleenex, I hate you! Puffs, I'll admit, I feel a little betray...but I still love you because you're so soft on my nose!
• A world wide conspiracy has begun involving the fans of Twilight. Tired of being constantly mocked by their Sparkles-the-vampire-hating-peers Twilight fanatics have organized a mass plot against those who unabashedly ridicule their beloved vampire books and movies. Hahaha, Twilight lovers the joke is on you! Soon you will find out that half of your dreamy New Moon cast (including Sparkles and that obnoxious waif) have also been afflicted, as they are in fact ashamed to be starring in such excrement and consequently put down the movie/book to their friends every chance they get! DAMN YOU SPARKLES LOVERS!!!
• Or it may just be bad luck! Although that's not nearly as amusing, so let's not go with that!

Whatever the explanation...I hope this upper respiratory infection is the last of it! I want to start feeling better so I can enjoy this great weather we are having!

Damned Viruses!

I just want some freaking anti-biotics already! So, here's the scoop...I hate viruses! Well, obviously! But now I know (and knowing is half the battle, right?) that I hate viruses more than other forms of sickness...i.e. bacteria caused sickness! Here's a breakdown of just why viruses suck so much:

1.) They suck! Not just that, they super suck! They suck the life out of you. They suck the energy out of you. They suck your soul out like a vacuum cleaner sucks up a hamster. (Wow, now I kind of feel weird having said "suck" that much. Oh well!)

2.) There ain't shit you can do about it! If you get something caused by bacteria, say as a upper respiratory infection...[BOOM] Z-Pak! If you get a virus, umm, say viral meningitis...[BOOM] NOTHING! You're told to go home and rest and treat the symptoms if you can! Gee, thanks doctor! (Please be aware that I realize it is not the doctors fault, I'm just frustrated!)

So by this point, you might be scratching your head wondering where the hell I'm going with this OR your jaw might have dropped to your desk because I just blew your mind! Either way, I think I've pretty much made it clear that viruses suck and my recent bout with viral meningitis was less than pleasant. Well, here's a new bullet point to add to the rant...I think I might have pneumonia. I've been having trouble breathing for the last couple days, then last night I noticed obvious and sharp pain in my lungs that affected my breathing and my ability to do my Sbux chores. I talked to my mom, who's had pneumonia many a times (pretty much everyone in my immediate family has) and she said that's what it sounded like. Bummer!

Now, there's something you need to know about me...I'm an idiot! And being an idiot, sometimes I very stupidly will check WebMD when I'm not feeling well! Now, for those non-idiots reading who don't know the suggestive powers of WedMD, let me explain...it's evil! Yes, it's informative and [can be] helpful, but it has a way of making a person with a bladder infection think they've got some rare disease with a high occurrence of sudden death! It's happened to me several times, I'll admit it! But this time, I went in being practical, not paranoid, and [most importantly] I didn't use the symptom checker (i.e. "the evil death spawn of anxiety"). Instead I just read the overview for pneumonia (I know, so practical and non-hypochondriac of me). I was not suprised when a couple of the symptoms seemed familiar, and then I read that there's two types of pneumonia: that caused by bacteria and that of the (DUN DUN DUN!) viral persuasion. And surprise, surprise, suprise...for those poor suckers who have the viral kind (which is most likely what I have, if I have it, considering I just had a nasty virus)...no anti-biotics...just rest! Swell! Damn you virus, you suck! The end!

She Has Emerged

I can happily report that I am no longer a death popsicle (that's my favorite little phrase for when I feel utterly inhuman) and I'm on my way to feeling half-way normal again! I'm finally back to work, after a week of being exiled to the couch. And while I'm still a little wobbly, I'm positive that each day gets better! I'm even hoping that by Wednesday evening I'll feel up to doing a little bit of gardening prep-work with Antoine! Here's hoping!

Happy Monday folks!

Viral Meningitis: A Tale of Woe

BEWARE READERS!!! This is not a tale for the faint at heart! You will derive no pleasure from this post, instead, I hope to educate my fair readers and scare with you my tale of sickness in the hope that you may never experience such horror.

Monday: I found out that Antoine had the dreaded disease (aka Viral Meningitis). Soon I started experiencing symptoms. First is was a headache followed shortly by some dull neck pain.

Tuesday: I awoke with an earth-shattering headache and some intense neck pain (notice the change from the night before). That evening the diarrhea struck (I know, this is more than you wanted to know, but I must report the facts)...and with it the horrible stomach cramps. Now, I don't consider myself a baby when it comes to pain, but MAN those cramps were killers! They've got to be what contractions must feel like!

Wednesday: By 2am Antoine was running to the store to get me some Imodium, which helped slightly. My Wednesday was dominated by trips to the bathroom and naps on the couch waking up with said neckpain and said headache. I thought that was going to be the worst day...I was wrong!

Thursday: I woke up with nausea and of course, diarrhea. The naesea was so bad I sat on the floor of the bathroom at 5 am, Guillermo curled up at my feet, hugging the toilet. But luckily nothing came from the nausea, just an inability to eat or drink anything. My neck pain became worse, as did my headache and dehydration. At this point, Antoine and I decided it was time for me to make my visit to urgent care, to make sure this wasn't worse than I thought. At urgent care I received the same diagnosis as Antoine with the addition of a prescription for an anti-nausea medicine. That evening, while the nausea vanished, a new symptom appeared...chest pain. My chest tightened and it became difficult to inhale. I could only sleep sitting up and I barely talked at this point. I was sure Thursday was going to be the worst day...I was SO wrong!

Friday: When I woke up I felt a little less horrible than I had on Thursday. There was still the headache, the neckpain, the aches & pains, and the diahheria, but the chest pain and neausea had lessened. I was still pretty dehydrated and weak. Then in the afternoon, the vomiting began. Now, by this time I had pretty much nothing left in my stomach (due to the diahheria) except water and bile...so that's what came up! This was by far the worst I have EVER felt in my life! I was [this] close to asking Antoine to take me to the hospital. I could barely talk or walk! I didn't physically have the energy to lift my head half the time! It wasn't pretty.

Saturday: I woke up feeling the tiniest bit human! And hungry! At 4am Antoine made me toast (another reason I love him...I asked him if he could make me toast and he did!). I think today finally isn't going to be the worst day EVER and that's something to celebrate! Now watch, I've probably jinxed myself, but I hope not!

So there's the story of my sickness! I hope that it will serve as a reminder for you. The next time you hear someone say, "I have viral meningitis", you run screaming! And if that infected person is your partner, then at least don't kiss them or eat/drink after them! Lesson learned!

It was a horrible, horrible experience that was only made better by calls from my mom and dad, emails from my best friend, a care package from my sis (the movie Up with a smiley face balloon tied to it...how awesome is she!?), and the nursing and love of Antoine! Thank you all for your caring!!