back from the end of the Blogosphere

I have NOT fallen off the face of the earth. I have simply been busy. “Too busy to blog? Even just a little bit??” Yes, too busy to blog even just a little bit. However, things are moving such that the urge to blog cannot be ignored any longer, thus I will offer up an apologetic and nugget-filled update. (Note that I’m not going as far as promising more regular updates…)

more fun with my nostrils

My neti pot has been very patiently waiting for me since last I posted. The other day something transpired that made me take it up again. Actually, “transpire” is a pretty good word choice (if not entirely accurate in its dual meaning.)

You see, once in a while when I’m eating I’ll swallow slightly funny and some food will get stuck at the back of my throat, and it feels like it’s trying to make its way up my nose from the back. It’s not a pleasant feeling by any means, but the food usually dislodges by itself and I think nothing more of it. This past week, however, I was eating some peanut butter and bread and some bread got stuck. It was quite irritating, so I decided to blow my nose. Lo and behold, I managed to blow a chunk of chewed bread out my right nostril. Yeah.

just to cap the week off

Man, what a week it’s been. Monday I get the offer for the permanent position at work – great stuff. But Tuesday was just as good, if not better. Tuesday morning Jannette’s water broke, so after being at work for all of an hour I went home again. Our 3rd child (Carter Timothy) was born at 1:48pm, coming down the chute at a hefty 10lbs and 10oz! I should mention that Jannette did this the way she did both other kids; at home, and totally drug-free. That’s right, at 10lb baby drug free, and without any tears. Yes, I married SuperMommy.

So I got to spend the week at home, including Valentine’s Day (and the brand-new and upcoming Family Day), but it was all tempered by having the stomach flu go through the entire family. Yes, including me. I spent much of Valentine’s Day gingerly moving around and napping. Thankfully the “ab workout” I got was much shorter than what the kids endured.

Now we’re at the end of the week, we’re all healthy again, the kitchen and laundry are almost under control, and both Mom and Carter are doing very well. It’s really been a heck of a week!

literally surpassing a dream

I’ve been pretty quiet on the blogging front lately. We’re expecting our 3rd child just about any second now (or so it’s seemed for the past 3 weeks – due date is later this week) and I’ve been busy helping prep the house for that event. (Homebirth, just like our first two.) Today something happened that just needed to be blogged.

About two or three weeks ago I had a dream. I was standing in my bedroom window talking on the phone to someone who was offering me a job. They told me the salary they were offering, and it was a good 20% more than what I’m making currently, and above the target salary I’ve been struggling to get to for the past 4 years or so. I still remember the feeling that came with that dream; I was so happy, relieved, and excited. That number stuck in my head for a while after that.

Today, that number no longer applies.

MyDruBloDay

Tonight I celebrate my 35th birthday. I’m watching Ocean’s Thirteen and have had two generous White Russians. Thus, it’s MyDruBloDay – My Drunk Blog Day. Whee!

First, thanks to all who responded to my last post about nasal irrigation. I was pleasantly surprised by the largely positive feedback! Once I get the chance, I’ll be salinating my next lavage. And some day I want to see the noodle trick, Kat.

BTW, White Russians are EXCELLENT. Vodka, Kaluha, and cream and/or milk to suit. Yum. It’s the extended family vacation drink of choice. It may not be full of fruit (unlike the daiquiries that I normally favour) but there’s no blender needed, so it’s a nice easy drink to prepare on vacation (or once the kids are safely asleep).

I’m going to get back to my movie (and 3rd drink I just made). Sorry I couldn’t be more effervescently verbose during my rare intoxication, but hey, ’tis my birthday and I’m going to get back to enjoying it. Of course, we’ll see if I’m in any shape to attend church tomorrow, but that’s for tomorrow’s worries.

totally unrelated: working and nostrils

Step right up for two totally unrelated topics, folks!

First, some very encouraging news from work. This past week I e-mailed my boss to tell him that I’ve very much enjoyed the work thus far, and would like to know his timetable for filling the vacant position he has open. Turns out he has TWO vacant positions, has been enjoying my work very much thus far, and to prove it I’ve got interviews with both HR and the engineering manager on Monday. WOO!! Good stuff.

Oh look… a transitional sentence.

Now, I’d like to talk about my nostrils. If you get grossed out easily, stop here. For the rest of you…

were I an offshore counterfeiter…

My kids love the movie Cars. We borrowed the DVD from my parents, and they watched it so much that I felt obligated to buy my parents a new copy, as theirs had become so… uh, well-used.

Of course, with loving the movie comes loving the characters. I’m fairly certain I’m helping put a Disney/Pixar employee’s kid through college, as we are pretty much littered with all the characters, sometimes in multiple copies and/or sizes/formats. It’s not a waste, either – they ALL get played with, for hours at a time sometimes. It’s amazing.

What I do NOT understand is how Pixar decided which characters would be made. Sure, you’ve got Lightning McQueen, Sally, Doc, Mater, Chick Hicks, The King, and so on and so forth, but I think they got some of it all wrong.

resolution ‘08

For the past many years I’ve been making New Year’s resolutions about food. It all started with deciding not to eat French fries anymore in 2001. That worked, so next year it was doughnuts. Then fried chips, then pop, and then chocolate bars. (I seem to be missing a year, or a food item I swore off. Hmmm, I’ll have to consult Jannette – with the better memory – on that one.) Unfortunately, come Hallowe’en I forgot about that, fell off the wagon, and had to renew my resolution not to each chocolate bars again in 2007. Well, this year it stuck, so now I’m resolving to cut out another recreational food that I don’t need.

This year, I’m widening the scope, and will not be eating… (drum roll please)… vending machine food.

off to an interesting start

Welcome to 2008! It’s off to a brisk start, with some interesting developments happening over the holidays.

Not-As-Annual-As-I-Thought No Way In Hell Christmas Fantasy Wish List 2007

Many moons ago I tried starting an annual “No Way In Hell Christmas Fantasy Wish List”. As I never put it in my calendar, I’ve forgotten quite a few times. I remembered this year (just in time), so I thought I’d resurrect this fun tradition and pull out my top ten items I’d put on my NWIHCFWL.

If any of you meme-addicted types out there are reading this, consider that you’ve been “tagged”. I want to read YOURS! Be sure to link back here so I get the pingback to read yours.