Actual - $5,353.12
The old floor...
(A fuzzy pic of ...) The new floor!
Monday 30 April 2007
Friday 27 April 2007
I did something rather silly yesterday
On the 'fight or flight' thing with my job, I'm leaning towards fight at this stage. But, I don't do decisions quickly so I'll be at the weighing up stage for a wee bit yet I imagine.
One of the things I'm thinking of is whether working part time would be good. Well, obviously it would be good, but there's quite a bit to factor in really. I'd love to have more time to write, and work on writing projects, but of course financially it would be a hit. Especially when we are wanting to do IVF next year. That $10,000.00 will be a whole lot harder to come up with ...and of course, we can't guarantee that it'd only be one lot of $10,000.00 either. Plus, although I'm at work full time at the moment, between you and me, I'm only working part time anyway really. It's cruisy, just lots of dealing with idiots.
(That reminds me, I have a new pro for the Papakura move - I'll be able to get up later in the morning)
So, as part of the long-winded, painful consideration process, I did a cost exercise of sorts, just out of curiosity, and took a look at how much of my income disappears into the never never (or my wardrobe) as a result of my rampant consumerism, and therefore if I was to pare back said rampant consumerism, how much of an issue the change (drop) in income would really be (aside from the fact of having to pare back my rampant consumerism of course).
So, I printed out all my visa bills from 1st January to date and highlighted all the spending that was simply me buying stuff.
Dumb idea.
I am never doing that again.
Never ever.
Never, ever, ever.
Very dumb idea.
Needless to say the evidence got ripped up into very little pieces and was shoved into the bottom of the paper recycling bag, and I've repressed the memory.
One of the things I'm thinking of is whether working part time would be good. Well, obviously it would be good, but there's quite a bit to factor in really. I'd love to have more time to write, and work on writing projects, but of course financially it would be a hit. Especially when we are wanting to do IVF next year. That $10,000.00 will be a whole lot harder to come up with ...and of course, we can't guarantee that it'd only be one lot of $10,000.00 either. Plus, although I'm at work full time at the moment, between you and me, I'm only working part time anyway really. It's cruisy, just lots of dealing with idiots.
(That reminds me, I have a new pro for the Papakura move - I'll be able to get up later in the morning)
So, as part of the long-winded, painful consideration process, I did a cost exercise of sorts, just out of curiosity, and took a look at how much of my income disappears into the never never (or my wardrobe) as a result of my rampant consumerism, and therefore if I was to pare back said rampant consumerism, how much of an issue the change (drop) in income would really be (aside from the fact of having to pare back my rampant consumerism of course).
So, I printed out all my visa bills from 1st January to date and highlighted all the spending that was simply me buying stuff.
Dumb idea.
I am never doing that again.
Never ever.
Never, ever, ever.
Very dumb idea.
Needless to say the evidence got ripped up into very little pieces and was shoved into the bottom of the paper recycling bag, and I've repressed the memory.
Thursday 26 April 2007
And there you have it ...we're moving!
That's the upshot of the big boss visit of Monday.
We're relocating to Papakura, in pretty short order by the sounds of it. So, significant changes ahead.
As part of adjusting to change, I try to look at the advantages and disadvantages of a situation and go from there.
This is what I have so far:
Advantages
1. It's closer to home and so my travel time and petrol costs will go down slightly.
2. I won't need to go anywhere near a motorway to get to or from work.
Disadvantages
1. It's Papakura
2. I repeat, Papakura.
3. Did I mention, it's Papakura?
OK, ok, serious forseeable disadvantages.
1. Customers who I see now on a regular basis will no longer come into the office. I will lose an estimated 90% of face to face customer contact.
2. Two of my work team who live miles and miles away (Helensville and Henderson) have said that they will now work from home due to the impact of the travel/time factor with a Papakura based office.
3. Our company is incorporating a new production division which will impact on my workload and responsibilities.
4. The location is a depressing looking industrial zone, the offices are a rabbit-warren and it's suffocating. Don't even get me started on the colour of my office which the GM has refused to change at this stage, due to budget constraints (despite most of the rest of the offices being OKed for repainting). It's a reasonble request because it's a dark colour, and there is limited lighting.
5. Getting mail to the post is going to be a pain in the ass. Luckily, at least, we will get mail delivery ala postie to us each day. Banking will have to be by courier.
6. I will no longer be able to indulge in my regular happy-credit visits to Luscious. I won't even be able to find a replacement coffee place as there aren't any. There also aren't even lunch places anywhere near the new office/warehouse/production facility. I usually take a packed lunch anyway, but sometimes it's nice to buy lunch.
7. Shopping will also be far, far away. Not that that really can be considered an issue at the moment. Remember that $2,800.00 car bill we are expecting? That's $2,800.00 plus GST as it turns out. Joy.
8. I will be largely deskbound due to the way the office is set out. If I was having lunch in the cafeteria, I wouldn't be able to see or hear anyone in reception. This also means that if the team want to having morning tea together, which is a regular thing here (daily if we're all in the office), they won't be able to.
9,10,11,12 ... If I stay there and we do IVF in the next year, it is going to be a nightmare due to the need to be at the hospital (Ascot) regularly for scans, blood tests (you can't do these at local labs. They have to be done at a specic location) etc. From Papakura, you can pretty much write off about a half day every time a coconut. From Penrose, it wouldn't be an issue because Ascot is just up the road.
So, I think it's fair to say that as a result of all of this, I'm reviewing my employment opportunities, my goals, my plans, a lot of things. There is something I am looking at at the moment which is very positive, and if it worked out it would also mean I could realise my dream to write. I'll keep you posted. If it doesn't work out, I think I'll be keeping my nose to the ground anyway.
Times, they are a changin'.
We're relocating to Papakura, in pretty short order by the sounds of it. So, significant changes ahead.
As part of adjusting to change, I try to look at the advantages and disadvantages of a situation and go from there.
This is what I have so far:
Advantages
1. It's closer to home and so my travel time and petrol costs will go down slightly.
2. I won't need to go anywhere near a motorway to get to or from work.
Disadvantages
1. It's Papakura
2. I repeat, Papakura.
3. Did I mention, it's Papakura?
OK, ok, serious forseeable disadvantages.
1. Customers who I see now on a regular basis will no longer come into the office. I will lose an estimated 90% of face to face customer contact.
2. Two of my work team who live miles and miles away (Helensville and Henderson) have said that they will now work from home due to the impact of the travel/time factor with a Papakura based office.
3. Our company is incorporating a new production division which will impact on my workload and responsibilities.
4. The location is a depressing looking industrial zone, the offices are a rabbit-warren and it's suffocating. Don't even get me started on the colour of my office which the GM has refused to change at this stage, due to budget constraints (despite most of the rest of the offices being OKed for repainting). It's a reasonble request because it's a dark colour, and there is limited lighting.
5. Getting mail to the post is going to be a pain in the ass. Luckily, at least, we will get mail delivery ala postie to us each day. Banking will have to be by courier.
6. I will no longer be able to indulge in my regular happy-credit visits to Luscious. I won't even be able to find a replacement coffee place as there aren't any. There also aren't even lunch places anywhere near the new office/warehouse/production facility. I usually take a packed lunch anyway, but sometimes it's nice to buy lunch.
7. Shopping will also be far, far away. Not that that really can be considered an issue at the moment. Remember that $2,800.00 car bill we are expecting? That's $2,800.00 plus GST as it turns out. Joy.
8. I will be largely deskbound due to the way the office is set out. If I was having lunch in the cafeteria, I wouldn't be able to see or hear anyone in reception. This also means that if the team want to having morning tea together, which is a regular thing here (daily if we're all in the office), they won't be able to.
9,10,11,12 ... If I stay there and we do IVF in the next year, it is going to be a nightmare due to the need to be at the hospital (Ascot) regularly for scans, blood tests (you can't do these at local labs. They have to be done at a specic location) etc. From Papakura, you can pretty much write off about a half day every time a coconut. From Penrose, it wouldn't be an issue because Ascot is just up the road.
So, I think it's fair to say that as a result of all of this, I'm reviewing my employment opportunities, my goals, my plans, a lot of things. There is something I am looking at at the moment which is very positive, and if it worked out it would also mean I could realise my dream to write. I'll keep you posted. If it doesn't work out, I think I'll be keeping my nose to the ground anyway.
Times, they are a changin'.
Tuesday 24 April 2007
Change is afoot
We have the big bosses in town today. All three of them.
Interesting.
They're here to address the Auckland sales team as a unit and my guess would be that they're going to announce to us that they've made a particularly dopey business decision, so I'll be sitting back with my popcorn and watching the fireworks, that's for sure. One thing I quite enjoy about our team is that there is a definite lack of respect for management (it's a well earned lack of respect, trust me), and it gets really interesting when the sh*t hits the fan. Methinks a truck load of the stuff is going to hit today.
Unfortunately I'm bound by confidentiality, so I can't tell you what I've found out so far (by keeping my flappy ears to the ground and speed-reading legal documents that I've been given to photocopy ...ahem), though I would love to. You know I would.
And on that note, I think I've just successfully written a post which doesn't say a thing, and I'm off to do some work. Or pretend to at least.
Interesting.
They're here to address the Auckland sales team as a unit and my guess would be that they're going to announce to us that they've made a particularly dopey business decision, so I'll be sitting back with my popcorn and watching the fireworks, that's for sure. One thing I quite enjoy about our team is that there is a definite lack of respect for management (it's a well earned lack of respect, trust me), and it gets really interesting when the sh*t hits the fan. Methinks a truck load of the stuff is going to hit today.
Unfortunately I'm bound by confidentiality, so I can't tell you what I've found out so far (by keeping my flappy ears to the ground and speed-reading legal documents that I've been given to photocopy ...ahem), though I would love to. You know I would.
And on that note, I think I've just successfully written a post which doesn't say a thing, and I'm off to do some work. Or pretend to at least.
Monday 23 April 2007
Bollocks. It's Monday.
How was your weekend?
Mine was great - Saturday was a pretty happy-cruisy day, and yesterday I spent ruining the environment.
Yes, me, the little green bean recycling freak, consciously polluted our waterways.
You see, I'd had enough of tripping over the boxes of crap that have been sitting in our bedroom since I emptied the bathroom cupboards out in preparation for the great bathroom redo (of which pics are still conspicuously absent, I know. We've had heaps on in the last couple of weeks, so the finishing touches (ala paint) haven't been, well, finished. I swear that if it's not done by this weekend, pics will go up regardless).
One of the things about 'giving the illusion of space' in the bathroom by putting in a smaller cabinet, is that all the crap from the old cabinet (which was twice the size) was never in a million years going to fit in the new cabinet. So, yesterday, after about 10 minutes of staring intently at the boxes (note - plural) of crap (hoping they would shrink under my withering gaze), then at the inside of the cabinet which would accommodate approximately half a (note - singular) box of crap (hence the withering gaze ...I was hoping to shrink everything so it'd fit), and back again, I decided that the only remedy for it was a spring clean of my years of hoarded crap.
I floated a lot of bad stuff into the environment yesterday ...partial bottles of shampoo and conditioner, almost empty hair products, face care stuff, little perfume samples and old makeup ...all sorts. Then of course there was all the vitamins and old meds which expired about fifty five years ago which all went into the rubbish (I know! I know! Very, very, very bad).
Even the fact that I spent about 2 hours washing out all the bottles meticulously for recycling doesn't make me feel better about it. Captain Planet would kick my ass.
I'm having visions of three-headed fish (with particularly good hair) and pink and purple spotted purple seaweed (with very healthy vitamin B levels) and it's all a bit disturbing.
Mine was great - Saturday was a pretty happy-cruisy day, and yesterday I spent ruining the environment.
Yes, me, the little green bean recycling freak, consciously polluted our waterways.
You see, I'd had enough of tripping over the boxes of crap that have been sitting in our bedroom since I emptied the bathroom cupboards out in preparation for the great bathroom redo (of which pics are still conspicuously absent, I know. We've had heaps on in the last couple of weeks, so the finishing touches (ala paint) haven't been, well, finished. I swear that if it's not done by this weekend, pics will go up regardless).
One of the things about 'giving the illusion of space' in the bathroom by putting in a smaller cabinet, is that all the crap from the old cabinet (which was twice the size) was never in a million years going to fit in the new cabinet. So, yesterday, after about 10 minutes of staring intently at the boxes (note - plural) of crap (hoping they would shrink under my withering gaze), then at the inside of the cabinet which would accommodate approximately half a (note - singular) box of crap (hence the withering gaze ...I was hoping to shrink everything so it'd fit), and back again, I decided that the only remedy for it was a spring clean of my years of hoarded crap.
I floated a lot of bad stuff into the environment yesterday ...partial bottles of shampoo and conditioner, almost empty hair products, face care stuff, little perfume samples and old makeup ...all sorts. Then of course there was all the vitamins and old meds which expired about fifty five years ago which all went into the rubbish (I know! I know! Very, very, very bad).
Even the fact that I spent about 2 hours washing out all the bottles meticulously for recycling doesn't make me feel better about it. Captain Planet would kick my ass.
I'm having visions of three-headed fish (with particularly good hair) and pink and purple spotted purple seaweed (with very healthy vitamin B levels) and it's all a bit disturbing.
Friday 20 April 2007
Ooo ... Here's a thought!
In the last month, we have -
Gone on holiday - Price tag $800.00
Put in a new bathroom - Price tag $5,400.00
Bought a new dining suite - Price tag $2,900.00
Had the car pack a sad - Price tag $2,800.00
It would have to be the suckiest timing in the history of the world if we got pregnant this month, right?
(Yeah, yeah, I know, I'd kick anyone else's ass for suggesting the same thing ...)
Gone on holiday - Price tag $800.00
Put in a new bathroom - Price tag $5,400.00
Bought a new dining suite - Price tag $2,900.00
Had the car pack a sad - Price tag $2,800.00
It would have to be the suckiest timing in the history of the world if we got pregnant this month, right?
(Yeah, yeah, I know, I'd kick anyone else's ass for suggesting the same thing ...)
Aaarrrggghhh! Argh! Argh! Argh!
Over the last week or two, Al's car, which is automatic, has been taking its sweet time to change gear and last night we had a bit of a breath-holding moment when it really packed a sad.
Al rang Subaru this morning, and turns out that the car needs some serious love and kisses from the professionals ...
The bill?
$2,800.00 !!!! Argh!!
Sigh.
Bye bye bonus ...
*waves bye bye mournfully*
Al rang Subaru this morning, and turns out that the car needs some serious love and kisses from the professionals ...
The bill?
$2,800.00 !!!! Argh!!
Sigh.
Bye bye bonus ...
*waves bye bye mournfully*
Well of course it's all about me
I was talking to someone a day or two ago about blogging.
I can't remember how we ended up talking about blogging, but the person, who we'll affectionately call Peter (as in PITA, for Pain In The Ass, which is what he strives to be on a daily basis), asked what blogging is. I told Peter that a blog is an online journal of sorts (the word 'blog' comes from web log. Weblog. Blog) and that blogs are for whatever you want to use them for. For many, including me, it's for journaling whatever you feel like, be it serious or not - that which ails ya, that which amuses ya, that which annoys ya, whatever.
He looks at me and says "That's very self-indulgent behaviour don't you think?"
Uh, yes. I do think.
He seemed surprised that I agreed with his criticism, but after all, isn't each of us the centre of our own universe? Of course we are.
I started this blog because I'm going through something really hard. It's cathartic for me to be able to talk about things, and to be completely frivolous and silly about things that perhaps I'm not really as silly and frivolous about as I may seem, and I do it because it lightens the burden I carry every day just enough for me to keep carrying it as long as I have to. It helps keep that black swirly fog from engulfing me. Without it, I don't know how I would have got through the last few months. It's a life line to the old me ...the me that existed before life got so hard and serious, before the battle began and I realised quite how broken a heart could get. I like that old me, and I'll do whatever I have to to hold onto her.
This blog gives me somewhere safe to explain to people what's going on, and means I don't have to repeat myself. If a friend or family member wants to catch up with us, I send them here usually, because it is unbelievably difficult to have to keep telling people about this. Every time you explain things to someone, you have to delve back into the bad stuff and all the hurt and anger comes back, and it keeps you there long after you're finished telling someone the latest. My blog makes it all easier, and it means that I can keep a smile on my face most of the time, and give other people what they need from me as well without it taking everything I have. I'm not saying it's easy, I'm just saying that it means I can do it.
Yes, I really want others struggling with infertility to be able to read my blog and know that they're not alone in what they struggle with and feel, and maybe something I say on here will give them strength that they may be finding hard to tap into ...but this gets me through it as well.
I have somewhere to celebrate the good days, and words to hide amongst on the bad days.
Just quietly too, since we're taking about the blog ...it amazes me how many of you read this blog, and your emails, texts, messages and the other ways you let me know that you're here, reading, being there for me, means so very, very much. Your love and support make it that much easier to face each day head on and to get through the endless disappointing cycles... having you guys is like curling up on the couch with a hot chocolate, wrapped in a warm blanket on a cold, wet, blowy winter night. Thank you so much.
I can't remember how we ended up talking about blogging, but the person, who we'll affectionately call Peter (as in PITA, for Pain In The Ass, which is what he strives to be on a daily basis), asked what blogging is. I told Peter that a blog is an online journal of sorts (the word 'blog' comes from web log. Weblog. Blog) and that blogs are for whatever you want to use them for. For many, including me, it's for journaling whatever you feel like, be it serious or not - that which ails ya, that which amuses ya, that which annoys ya, whatever.
He looks at me and says "That's very self-indulgent behaviour don't you think?"
Uh, yes. I do think.
He seemed surprised that I agreed with his criticism, but after all, isn't each of us the centre of our own universe? Of course we are.
I started this blog because I'm going through something really hard. It's cathartic for me to be able to talk about things, and to be completely frivolous and silly about things that perhaps I'm not really as silly and frivolous about as I may seem, and I do it because it lightens the burden I carry every day just enough for me to keep carrying it as long as I have to. It helps keep that black swirly fog from engulfing me. Without it, I don't know how I would have got through the last few months. It's a life line to the old me ...the me that existed before life got so hard and serious, before the battle began and I realised quite how broken a heart could get. I like that old me, and I'll do whatever I have to to hold onto her.
This blog gives me somewhere safe to explain to people what's going on, and means I don't have to repeat myself. If a friend or family member wants to catch up with us, I send them here usually, because it is unbelievably difficult to have to keep telling people about this. Every time you explain things to someone, you have to delve back into the bad stuff and all the hurt and anger comes back, and it keeps you there long after you're finished telling someone the latest. My blog makes it all easier, and it means that I can keep a smile on my face most of the time, and give other people what they need from me as well without it taking everything I have. I'm not saying it's easy, I'm just saying that it means I can do it.
Yes, I really want others struggling with infertility to be able to read my blog and know that they're not alone in what they struggle with and feel, and maybe something I say on here will give them strength that they may be finding hard to tap into ...but this gets me through it as well.
I have somewhere to celebrate the good days, and words to hide amongst on the bad days.
Just quietly too, since we're taking about the blog ...it amazes me how many of you read this blog, and your emails, texts, messages and the other ways you let me know that you're here, reading, being there for me, means so very, very much. Your love and support make it that much easier to face each day head on and to get through the endless disappointing cycles... having you guys is like curling up on the couch with a hot chocolate, wrapped in a warm blanket on a cold, wet, blowy winter night. Thank you so much.
Thursday 19 April 2007
The results are in!
Ruth asked me to do this quiz:
http://money.ninemsn.com.au/saving-and-spending/quiz.aspx?quizid=2394
Initially I thought I must have lied because it didn't turn out too badly, but when you actually stop and take a closer look ...
Total Score: 19
17 - 23: I shop because I want or need
You enjoy shopping (yes, yes I do) but there's usually a reason you're on the prowl (I'm shopping?) - gift buying, wardrobe update (quite a bit of both of those), shopping with friends (actually this last one is completely up the shoot. I much prefer to shop by myself).
You can walk past a shop without going inside (true, though usually because I was probably in there the day before), but that doesn't mean you're not checking out windows regularly just in case (can't argue there).
Shopping is most pleasurable for you (All. The. Time.) when you know you can afford it (Oh, and then too), so you do your best to keep the credit card under control - which is not to say that you haven't been known to impulse buy (Who? Me?) and then wait in dread for the bills to arrive (No, see, they're wrong here too. It's not the bills arriving that worries me, it's Al finding them once they have!).
Make sure you keep an eye on your spending - put expensive items on hold for 24 hours before buying them (that way you know you really love it) (Eh? What? 24 hours? That's ages!); ensure you've got the best credit card for your spending patterns (whether that be rewards, low interest, interest-free period) (That I have sorted - we have rewards on our VISA which can be cashed in for vouchers. We put all our spending, including bills and right down to a $4 cup of coffee on the VISA, and then we cash the points in for Jansens vouchers and THAT pays for the puppies' food!); try to save in advance for major purchases (OK. I'll try.).
And there you have it!
http://money.ninemsn.com.au/saving-and-spending/quiz.aspx?quizid=2394
Initially I thought I must have lied because it didn't turn out too badly, but when you actually stop and take a closer look ...
Total Score: 19
17 - 23: I shop because I want or need
You enjoy shopping (yes, yes I do) but there's usually a reason you're on the prowl (I'm shopping?) - gift buying, wardrobe update (quite a bit of both of those), shopping with friends (actually this last one is completely up the shoot. I much prefer to shop by myself).
You can walk past a shop without going inside (true, though usually because I was probably in there the day before), but that doesn't mean you're not checking out windows regularly just in case (can't argue there).
Shopping is most pleasurable for you (All. The. Time.) when you know you can afford it (Oh, and then too), so you do your best to keep the credit card under control - which is not to say that you haven't been known to impulse buy (Who? Me?) and then wait in dread for the bills to arrive (No, see, they're wrong here too. It's not the bills arriving that worries me, it's Al finding them once they have!).
Make sure you keep an eye on your spending - put expensive items on hold for 24 hours before buying them (that way you know you really love it) (Eh? What? 24 hours? That's ages!); ensure you've got the best credit card for your spending patterns (whether that be rewards, low interest, interest-free period) (That I have sorted - we have rewards on our VISA which can be cashed in for vouchers. We put all our spending, including bills and right down to a $4 cup of coffee on the VISA, and then we cash the points in for Jansens vouchers and THAT pays for the puppies' food!); try to save in advance for major purchases (OK. I'll try.).
And there you have it!
Uh oh ...
I have discovered an unanticipated weakness in the Spending Justification System.
Not good.
Long story short(ish), I had a feeling that I had a $50.00 credit on my account at Moochi as part of their customer loyalty program, but I wasn't sure if I'd spent it already. I thought I might buy an accessory with it, if it was there - something little so that I could spend the $50.00 without spending extra, if you're with me. I mean, it's all very well to have a $50.00 credit, but if you use it to buy a $150.00 top, you still have to stump up the other $100.00, which I didn't want to do since I've maxed out my clothing budget for winter.
Aaanyway ...I phoned Moochi to establish whether the $50.00 credit was imaginary or not, and it turned out that I had a $100.00 credit. Eek!! Do you realise how much of my (Al's) money must have gone through their till to have a $100.00 credit sitting there? Oops.
Houston, we have a problem.
This could go one of two ways ...
Either, the husband will do the maths and he'll look at the $100.00 within the context of the customer loyalty program, and then he'll bury me in the backyard.
OR, providing he doesn't read this particular post and start actually thinking about it, it'll all be fine. Puppies and kittens, as Tertia would say.
To my credit though, I did try to explain the problem with the Spending Justification Systems to him last night, but he just couldn't see where the issue was (mind you, he was watching Futurama, so I don't know that he heard anything other than a background wah wah wah from me). He kept saying "But it's bonus money, what are you on about?" and looking at me like I'd grown a second head.
But you guys get it, don't you? You see the flaw?
I'm going to have to fix that flaw, and fix it good.
The future of guilt-free shopping depends on it.
Not good.
Long story short(ish), I had a feeling that I had a $50.00 credit on my account at Moochi as part of their customer loyalty program, but I wasn't sure if I'd spent it already. I thought I might buy an accessory with it, if it was there - something little so that I could spend the $50.00 without spending extra, if you're with me. I mean, it's all very well to have a $50.00 credit, but if you use it to buy a $150.00 top, you still have to stump up the other $100.00, which I didn't want to do since I've maxed out my clothing budget for winter.
Aaanyway ...I phoned Moochi to establish whether the $50.00 credit was imaginary or not, and it turned out that I had a $100.00 credit. Eek!! Do you realise how much of my (Al's) money must have gone through their till to have a $100.00 credit sitting there? Oops.
Houston, we have a problem.
This could go one of two ways ...
Either, the husband will do the maths and he'll look at the $100.00 within the context of the customer loyalty program, and then he'll bury me in the backyard.
OR, providing he doesn't read this particular post and start actually thinking about it, it'll all be fine. Puppies and kittens, as Tertia would say.
To my credit though, I did try to explain the problem with the Spending Justification Systems to him last night, but he just couldn't see where the issue was (mind you, he was watching Futurama, so I don't know that he heard anything other than a background wah wah wah from me). He kept saying "But it's bonus money, what are you on about?" and looking at me like I'd grown a second head.
But you guys get it, don't you? You see the flaw?
I'm going to have to fix that flaw, and fix it good.
The future of guilt-free shopping depends on it.
Wednesday 18 April 2007
Very happy birthday to me!
I got paid my annual bonus yesterday! How's that for timing?
Of course, it's my Christmas bonus, and they haven't half taken their time, but I'm happy to settle for a birthday bonus (just so long as they sort their crap out for this year's bonus).
Overall though, happy joy!
I know you'll be wondering/suspicious, so I am pleased to tell you that I was very well behaved. I saw the happy bank balance yesterday morning, and transferred the whole bonus to our savings account straight away. The whole thing. Cross my heart. Well, pretty much the whole thing. Close enough to the whole thing in a general (extremely large) ballpark kind of way. Sort of ...my bonus, less a dress ...and an extra cardi. You can never have to many cardis, especially at this time of year. Possibly a pair of boots as well... But, otherwise, the whole thing. Absolutely. You can hardly notice the difference ...if you haven't seen the pay slip that is.
No, no, I'm joking - I honestly put my entire bonus, no deductions, into savings. Promise!
And no, I didn't take some out again after I'd put it in. The bonus is still sitting in savings, unmolested, making itself comfortable.
On a completely different note, here's something to ponder/google...
Apples come from an apple tree, lemons from a lemon tree, oranges from an orange tree, plums from a plum tree ...
So why do acorns come from an oak tree?
Of course, it's my Christmas bonus, and they haven't half taken their time, but I'm happy to settle for a birthday bonus (just so long as they sort their crap out for this year's bonus).
Overall though, happy joy!
I know you'll be wondering/suspicious, so I am pleased to tell you that I was very well behaved. I saw the happy bank balance yesterday morning, and transferred the whole bonus to our savings account straight away. The whole thing. Cross my heart. Well, pretty much the whole thing. Close enough to the whole thing in a general (extremely large) ballpark kind of way. Sort of ...my bonus, less a dress ...and an extra cardi. You can never have to many cardis, especially at this time of year. Possibly a pair of boots as well... But, otherwise, the whole thing. Absolutely. You can hardly notice the difference ...if you haven't seen the pay slip that is.
No, no, I'm joking - I honestly put my entire bonus, no deductions, into savings. Promise!
And no, I didn't take some out again after I'd put it in. The bonus is still sitting in savings, unmolested, making itself comfortable.
On a completely different note, here's something to ponder/google...
Apples come from an apple tree, lemons from a lemon tree, oranges from an orange tree, plums from a plum tree ...
So why do acorns come from an oak tree?
Tuesday 17 April 2007
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit
I have discovered religion.
http://www.stitchministry.co.nz
I can almost hear the angels singing.
Yesterday lunchtime I relieved them of a gorgeous merino cardigan (happy birthday to me today!! ...and Victoria Beckham too apparently. I wonder how many presents she got?) in a fab teal colour which I've never worn before (that I can remember anyway), and I'm thinking that I really could make a bit of space on their dress racks, if you know what I mean.
It's not shopping though, so don't be blaspheming* and calling it that. It's religion. I swear.
Everyone, we have entered a whole new level of divine.....ness** in the great Spending Justification System.
Firstly, let's just establish that religion is very important, right? And, you'd have a hard time arguing that Stitch Ministry is not Church because they have confessionals, three of them(apparently there is a lot of sinning to be confessed in this place. I can't imagine why), pews, and stained glass windows even! Sounds like a Church to me.
They have a tithing system too. Granted, it's a little different, but everyone has to change with the times, Churches included, and it's good that they're really embracing modernity. Different is a good thing. How it works is that I give them all Al's money, and in return I am blessed with cool clothes for my generosity in supporting the Ministry.
The sermons are full of good counsel, and their ministers wise. I'd have ended up buying - I mean, tithing and receiving as a reward for my generosity - the wrong sized cardi (apparently the wrap cardi isn't supposed to wrap per se in the traditional way of wrap cardis, go figure, so I had to go down a size), and I also wouldn't have picked a teal coloured one, had they not gently guided me away from the darkness (a black or grey cardi) and into the light (a teal cardi).
And their bibles are updated each season - none of this same-book-for-a-couple-of-thousand-years business!
So, all in all, it is a time of great joy and enlightenment for the Ginger Shopaholic ........Erm ...I mean ...Sister Mary Constance Ginger.
Amen.
And yes, I have lost the plot. Are you only just coming to this now?
* Says me, yes I know. But I swear that this is the last blasphemous post for a bit. I'm getting a bit concerned for my welfare just quietly ... I keep smelling burning, and I think perhaps the only reason I still have my hide is that God can't see through the cloud cover to land a lightening bolt (or ten) accurately.
* * I have no idea if this is even a word.
http://www.stitchministry.co.nz
I can almost hear the angels singing.
Yesterday lunchtime I relieved them of a gorgeous merino cardigan (happy birthday to me today!! ...and Victoria Beckham too apparently. I wonder how many presents she got?) in a fab teal colour which I've never worn before (that I can remember anyway), and I'm thinking that I really could make a bit of space on their dress racks, if you know what I mean.
It's not shopping though, so don't be blaspheming* and calling it that. It's religion. I swear.
Everyone, we have entered a whole new level of divine.....ness** in the great Spending Justification System.
Firstly, let's just establish that religion is very important, right? And, you'd have a hard time arguing that Stitch Ministry is not Church because they have confessionals, three of them(apparently there is a lot of sinning to be confessed in this place. I can't imagine why), pews, and stained glass windows even! Sounds like a Church to me.
They have a tithing system too. Granted, it's a little different, but everyone has to change with the times, Churches included, and it's good that they're really embracing modernity. Different is a good thing. How it works is that I give them all Al's money, and in return I am blessed with cool clothes for my generosity in supporting the Ministry.
The sermons are full of good counsel, and their ministers wise. I'd have ended up buying - I mean, tithing and receiving as a reward for my generosity - the wrong sized cardi (apparently the wrap cardi isn't supposed to wrap per se in the traditional way of wrap cardis, go figure, so I had to go down a size), and I also wouldn't have picked a teal coloured one, had they not gently guided me away from the darkness (a black or grey cardi) and into the light (a teal cardi).
And their bibles are updated each season - none of this same-book-for-a-couple-of-thousand-years business!
So, all in all, it is a time of great joy and enlightenment for the Ginger Shopaholic ........Erm ...I mean ...Sister Mary Constance Ginger.
Amen.
And yes, I have lost the plot. Are you only just coming to this now?
* Says me, yes I know. But I swear that this is the last blasphemous post for a bit. I'm getting a bit concerned for my welfare just quietly ... I keep smelling burning, and I think perhaps the only reason I still have my hide is that God can't see through the cloud cover to land a lightening bolt (or ten) accurately.
* * I have no idea if this is even a word.
Monday 16 April 2007
Two months
It's just over 7 months since I had my endo surgery, and it's back. The pain. I can't believe it's back, and although I am hoping that there is just something putting my body under a bit of stress (eg. the stomach bug I had a few weeks ago) which is in turn causing stress on the scar tissue, and therefore the pain, I have a very bad feeling about it ...
Post-op, months 1 to 3 were completely hideous. The pain was incredible, and the host of other symptoms weren't much better, but of course I was healing. It wasn't what I expected - though perhaps it was a little unrealistic to think that I'd jump off the table after major abdominal surgery and it'd all be tickety boo immediately - but of course my body was going through a healing period after some serious tooling around was done with some rather delicate internal organs. Months 4 and 5 I could tell were an improvement. Month 4 wasn't as horrendous as months 1 to 3, so things were looking up. Month 5 was a marked improvement on month 4, and month 6 rocked. I felt great, I had so little pain it barely registered on the radar and it was fantastic.
Last Thursday, 7 months to the day since my surgery, I went to bed with a wheat sack, and not just because it was blimmin freezing. Friday morning I woke up in pain. Saturday, it came and went, but wasn't too bad (probably thanks to wine, chocolate fish, cake ...and the glass of wine that ended up being tipped down my pants, which was a great distraction ...not to mention that my sister in law captured photographic evidence of me trying to dry my butt with a hair dryer ...funny at the time and funnier in retrospect, though I do sincerely hope that photo doesn't see the light of day because it really did look completely wrong). Sunday, I had an odd hollowed-out-with-a-spoon sensation going on. This morning, I woke up in undeniable pain, and ended up spending quite a long time under the hot water in the shower, resisting the urge to boot the beautiful new shower walls in frustration. I settled for shampooing my hair with a little more violence than normal. Right now, the sharp pain has eased, and is just sitting there, relatively quietly, spiking every little while. It's only day 18 of my cycle ...which means who knows how bad things will be when I get my period? It's not a good sign if it hurts already.
Do I only get 2 months?? I don't know that it was worth it all for just 2 months. At the time I told myself it was all worth it because I'd be pain free once things settled down after the op, and my surgeon told me that within 3 to 6 months post-op I should be pregnant. That was more than worth it. But this? Still unable to conceive, and living with pain again? This is not worth it. Thank goodness that on the eighth day God created VISA so that people would have something to do on the seventh day while they rested ...and, you know ...on the other six days during their lunch breaks.* Retail therapy makes the world go round, quite joyfully in fact! And there's this new store opened not too far from where I work ...
* I'm checking for stray lightening-bolts, just in case that classed as blasphemy, but so far so good.
Post-op, months 1 to 3 were completely hideous. The pain was incredible, and the host of other symptoms weren't much better, but of course I was healing. It wasn't what I expected - though perhaps it was a little unrealistic to think that I'd jump off the table after major abdominal surgery and it'd all be tickety boo immediately - but of course my body was going through a healing period after some serious tooling around was done with some rather delicate internal organs. Months 4 and 5 I could tell were an improvement. Month 4 wasn't as horrendous as months 1 to 3, so things were looking up. Month 5 was a marked improvement on month 4, and month 6 rocked. I felt great, I had so little pain it barely registered on the radar and it was fantastic.
Last Thursday, 7 months to the day since my surgery, I went to bed with a wheat sack, and not just because it was blimmin freezing. Friday morning I woke up in pain. Saturday, it came and went, but wasn't too bad (probably thanks to wine, chocolate fish, cake ...and the glass of wine that ended up being tipped down my pants, which was a great distraction ...not to mention that my sister in law captured photographic evidence of me trying to dry my butt with a hair dryer ...funny at the time and funnier in retrospect, though I do sincerely hope that photo doesn't see the light of day because it really did look completely wrong). Sunday, I had an odd hollowed-out-with-a-spoon sensation going on. This morning, I woke up in undeniable pain, and ended up spending quite a long time under the hot water in the shower, resisting the urge to boot the beautiful new shower walls in frustration. I settled for shampooing my hair with a little more violence than normal. Right now, the sharp pain has eased, and is just sitting there, relatively quietly, spiking every little while. It's only day 18 of my cycle ...which means who knows how bad things will be when I get my period? It's not a good sign if it hurts already.
Do I only get 2 months?? I don't know that it was worth it all for just 2 months. At the time I told myself it was all worth it because I'd be pain free once things settled down after the op, and my surgeon told me that within 3 to 6 months post-op I should be pregnant. That was more than worth it. But this? Still unable to conceive, and living with pain again? This is not worth it. Thank goodness that on the eighth day God created VISA so that people would have something to do on the seventh day while they rested ...and, you know ...on the other six days during their lunch breaks.* Retail therapy makes the world go round, quite joyfully in fact! And there's this new store opened not too far from where I work ...
* I'm checking for stray lightening-bolts, just in case that classed as blasphemy, but so far so good.
Friday 13 April 2007
Working on it
I've been working on a post about infertility for a few days, but it's not coming together well at all. What I have to say is really important to me, and it's something that haunts other infertiles as well, but I'm struggling with it.
I want to help people who haven't experienced infertility to understand infertility, which is really hard because they don't have a scope of reference for understanding. That's not a criticism by the way, it just is.
So many infertiles struggle with the black fog that swirls around their feet, advancing one minute and receding the next, and they think that they're not entitled to the feelings they have, the pain they live with. They fall on their swords so often because what else can you do?
I'm trying to make the two meet in the middle ...but I have a funny feeling that they're not going to.
I want to help people who haven't experienced infertility to understand infertility, which is really hard because they don't have a scope of reference for understanding. That's not a criticism by the way, it just is.
So many infertiles struggle with the black fog that swirls around their feet, advancing one minute and receding the next, and they think that they're not entitled to the feelings they have, the pain they live with. They fall on their swords so often because what else can you do?
I'm trying to make the two meet in the middle ...but I have a funny feeling that they're not going to.
Thursday 12 April 2007
Feeling very grown up today
My car is in the workshop, and I took it there all by myself! I phoned up and arranged for the work to be done, dropped it off yesterday afternoon on my way home from work and picked up a courtesy car. All by myself.
The operative phrase here is 'all by myself' (in case you didn't pick that up all by yourself). How grown up am I organising car things? Normally I make Al do it, or else I ignore it and hope that the red flashing warning light(s) will miraculously go away. Or, I pretend that it's not a warning light at all, but rather it's just that my indicator light has changed colour and fallen down my dashboard a bit.
But, it had to be done. I was getting pissed off, which is very motivating. My central locking has had a nervous breakdown (I know how it feels). Sometimes it locks, sometimes doesn't, sometimes it unlocks, sometimes it doesn't. Usually (98% of the time) the drivers door lock doesn't work at all (although, my car being a complete hussy, it works almost every time if Al does it), so I have to run around to the passenger door and hope that whatever happens will happen universally eg. that all the doors (and most importantly the drivers door) will unlock, not just the passenger door. So far, holding my breath pays off about 60% of the time, although for some reason that seems to be least effective if it's raining. Interesting. You know, it's very hard to keep an encouraging tone whilst trying to convince your car to let you in, please, please, please, if it's pouring with rain.
But, nevermind all that! Because I am sooo brave, as we speak, it's all getting fixed! And, even better, I have mechanical breakdown insurance, so it's getting fixed for the grand total of $100.00 (excess charge). Well, in theory. You know what insurance companies are like ...
Ahhhhyyessss Mrs Walmsley ...I see that you bought our super dooper flash mechanical breakdown insurance, what a clever girl, and that you've had a mechanical breakdown. Oh dear, that's no good at all. Hmmm. Well! we've been contacted by your repairer who has informed us that you'll need five hundred really expensive parts to fix the problem, and we're pleased to inform you that we're are going to cover you for ....three of them! Three! Isn't that great?! Are you alright there Mrs Walmsley? You appear to be choking ... Oh, you'd like to know how we assessed your claim? Certainly. Now, you see there in paragraph 55 on page 693 of the policy how there are 12 lines in the paragraph? Well, if you times twelve by six and then do a little twirl, add two hundred and sixteen and then go and make yourself a coffee, divide by ninety six and then factor in how much we hate parting with our money ...and, oh yes, we musn't forget how many full stops there are in the sentence. That's very important! And, in the end, using our special assessment system, and taking into account my annual bonus too mind, it comes out at three! It's really very simple, and all there in the fine print that we didn't include in the policy...
I probably should refrain from bagging the insurance company before they do their assessment though, shouldn't I? Bad karma and all that. OK, we'll strike the above imaginary conversation with the insurance company from the record temporarily and see how we get on.
Everything crossed everyone please! I'll be [beside myself with joy] quite happy if I only have to pay the $100.00 excess. I mean, obviously I'd prefer to spend $100.00 on something other than car stuff (not a tablecloth though because they're very expensive), but you get that on the big jobs. Plus, only having to pay the excess on the claim will make up for having to listen to Paul Holmes on talk back this morning because the radio in the courtesy car was crap.
Have a loverly day!
The operative phrase here is 'all by myself' (in case you didn't pick that up all by yourself). How grown up am I organising car things? Normally I make Al do it, or else I ignore it and hope that the red flashing warning light(s) will miraculously go away. Or, I pretend that it's not a warning light at all, but rather it's just that my indicator light has changed colour and fallen down my dashboard a bit.
But, it had to be done. I was getting pissed off, which is very motivating. My central locking has had a nervous breakdown (I know how it feels). Sometimes it locks, sometimes doesn't, sometimes it unlocks, sometimes it doesn't. Usually (98% of the time) the drivers door lock doesn't work at all (although, my car being a complete hussy, it works almost every time if Al does it), so I have to run around to the passenger door and hope that whatever happens will happen universally eg. that all the doors (and most importantly the drivers door) will unlock, not just the passenger door. So far, holding my breath pays off about 60% of the time, although for some reason that seems to be least effective if it's raining. Interesting. You know, it's very hard to keep an encouraging tone whilst trying to convince your car to let you in, please, please, please, if it's pouring with rain.
But, nevermind all that! Because I am sooo brave, as we speak, it's all getting fixed! And, even better, I have mechanical breakdown insurance, so it's getting fixed for the grand total of $100.00 (excess charge). Well, in theory. You know what insurance companies are like ...
Ahhhhyyessss Mrs Walmsley ...I see that you bought our super dooper flash mechanical breakdown insurance, what a clever girl, and that you've had a mechanical breakdown. Oh dear, that's no good at all. Hmmm. Well! we've been contacted by your repairer who has informed us that you'll need five hundred really expensive parts to fix the problem, and we're pleased to inform you that we're are going to cover you for ....three of them! Three! Isn't that great?! Are you alright there Mrs Walmsley? You appear to be choking ... Oh, you'd like to know how we assessed your claim? Certainly. Now, you see there in paragraph 55 on page 693 of the policy how there are 12 lines in the paragraph? Well, if you times twelve by six and then do a little twirl, add two hundred and sixteen and then go and make yourself a coffee, divide by ninety six and then factor in how much we hate parting with our money ...and, oh yes, we musn't forget how many full stops there are in the sentence. That's very important! And, in the end, using our special assessment system, and taking into account my annual bonus too mind, it comes out at three! It's really very simple, and all there in the fine print that we didn't include in the policy...
I probably should refrain from bagging the insurance company before they do their assessment though, shouldn't I? Bad karma and all that. OK, we'll strike the above imaginary conversation with the insurance company from the record temporarily and see how we get on.
Everything crossed everyone please! I'll be [beside myself with joy] quite happy if I only have to pay the $100.00 excess. I mean, obviously I'd prefer to spend $100.00 on something other than car stuff (not a tablecloth though because they're very expensive), but you get that on the big jobs. Plus, only having to pay the excess on the claim will make up for having to listen to Paul Holmes on talk back this morning because the radio in the courtesy car was crap.
Have a loverly day!
Wednesday 11 April 2007
300
Very good movie. Unbelievably good (and I'm not just referring to the costuming ...or rather, the lack thereof ...my guess is that those poor bastards were probably glad to see the back of a gym for a bit after filming wrapped up). Then again, we are talking about a movie associated with Frank Miller. Did you see Sin City? I still can't watch anything which has Elijah Wood in it.
And the cinematography was artistic brilliance.
I love when they do movies like that with unknowns too. It's not that you're not expecting anything from them, but there aren't the same expectations (and hype) as if they used, say, Brad Pitt. And, let's face it, Troy? Enough said. Less cheesy Hollywood, more very, very good film. Although they took a bit of artistic licence with the Spartan history stuff (eg. the film Spartans were big on freedom, the real life Spartans were partial to taking the odd, or couple of hundred thousand, slaves from what I've heard), trust me, you won't care.
Obviously, being the type of movie that it is, it has it's moments where you end up watching it through spread fingers (spread wide enough that they don't obstruct your view, mind), and there's a lot of blood (again, it's associated with Frank Miller, it's par for the course), but it is up there as one of the best films I've seen.
If you're interested, see it on the big screen - don't wait for it to come to DVD. It'll still be good on DVD, but seeing it on the big screen will leave you holding your breath.
I was so captivated, I forgot to eat my m&ms.
And the cinematography was artistic brilliance.
I love when they do movies like that with unknowns too. It's not that you're not expecting anything from them, but there aren't the same expectations (and hype) as if they used, say, Brad Pitt. And, let's face it, Troy? Enough said. Less cheesy Hollywood, more very, very good film. Although they took a bit of artistic licence with the Spartan history stuff (eg. the film Spartans were big on freedom, the real life Spartans were partial to taking the odd, or couple of hundred thousand, slaves from what I've heard), trust me, you won't care.
Obviously, being the type of movie that it is, it has it's moments where you end up watching it through spread fingers (spread wide enough that they don't obstruct your view, mind), and there's a lot of blood (again, it's associated with Frank Miller, it's par for the course), but it is up there as one of the best films I've seen.
If you're interested, see it on the big screen - don't wait for it to come to DVD. It'll still be good on DVD, but seeing it on the big screen will leave you holding your breath.
I was so captivated, I forgot to eat my m&ms.
Tuesday 10 April 2007
Interesting assumption, Jackass
I had an interesting experience over the weekend. I'm amused in hindsight, and actually was at the time, but I was rather astonished too I have to say.
I realised on Friday that I'm going to need a tablecloth for the new kitchen table. The wood has a dark stain, and where I have it placed in the kitchen about half the table is sitting in direct sunlight for part of the day (it's by windows, but it's huge so options are limited). Not so good for fading.
Cue a tablecloth hunt. Well, once I'd been online and found out that Art de Vivre, home of the ladle and also gorgeous tablecloths (until this point, the tablecloth was going to be a no-brainer) appears to have shut it's website down (the website that was launched after they shut their retail store down). AAARRGGHH!!!
Sooo, I was in Newmarket on Saturday morning (things to do, a layby to pick up ...Incidentally, I think we've discussed the general merits of layby before, but I discovered a new one at the weekend. It seems that when you layby more than one item, like, say three, six weeks is long enough to forget about one of them. Score!) and popped into a linen shop as I was passing to have a look at their tablecloths.
The shop owner, a man, asks me "Can I help you?"
A good start all in all, except for the inflection he placed on "help". Sort of like he was going to have to clean his shop once he'd ushered me out the door.
"Do you have a range of tablecloths?"
His response?
To stay exactly where he was and say "They're very expensive".
I don't know that my eyebrows have ever ventured that high into my hairline before.
Interesting assumption for someone in the retail business to make ...and, I think it's a safe bet that he didn't know how much I spent on the ladle. Or how much I wasn't going to spend on a tablecloth (or anything else, ever, come to that) in his store.
You have to wonder what prompts such an assumption though. He'd obviously judged me, but on what? My jandals? The scuffed hems on my jeans? That I dared shop in Newmarket without putting any makeup on? My (beloved) cardi that had seen better days? Silly man. Silly, silly man.
Oh, and in case you're wondering ...? Yes, I made him show me the range anyway, and no, they weren't that expensive.
I realised on Friday that I'm going to need a tablecloth for the new kitchen table. The wood has a dark stain, and where I have it placed in the kitchen about half the table is sitting in direct sunlight for part of the day (it's by windows, but it's huge so options are limited). Not so good for fading.
Cue a tablecloth hunt. Well, once I'd been online and found out that Art de Vivre, home of the ladle and also gorgeous tablecloths (until this point, the tablecloth was going to be a no-brainer) appears to have shut it's website down (the website that was launched after they shut their retail store down). AAARRGGHH!!!
Sooo, I was in Newmarket on Saturday morning (things to do, a layby to pick up ...Incidentally, I think we've discussed the general merits of layby before, but I discovered a new one at the weekend. It seems that when you layby more than one item, like, say three, six weeks is long enough to forget about one of them. Score!) and popped into a linen shop as I was passing to have a look at their tablecloths.
The shop owner, a man, asks me "Can I help you?"
A good start all in all, except for the inflection he placed on "help". Sort of like he was going to have to clean his shop once he'd ushered me out the door.
"Do you have a range of tablecloths?"
His response?
To stay exactly where he was and say "They're very expensive".
I don't know that my eyebrows have ever ventured that high into my hairline before.
Interesting assumption for someone in the retail business to make ...and, I think it's a safe bet that he didn't know how much I spent on the ladle. Or how much I wasn't going to spend on a tablecloth (or anything else, ever, come to that) in his store.
You have to wonder what prompts such an assumption though. He'd obviously judged me, but on what? My jandals? The scuffed hems on my jeans? That I dared shop in Newmarket without putting any makeup on? My (beloved) cardi that had seen better days? Silly man. Silly, silly man.
Oh, and in case you're wondering ...? Yes, I made him show me the range anyway, and no, they weren't that expensive.
Monday 9 April 2007
Still deciding
I'm still not sure about the posting. I'm definitely not going the fluff piece route again though.
We have more progress on the bathroom front! We painted the walls yesterday and I can tell already that this new bathroom is going to be such a happy place. Why? Guess what colour the walls are? Chocolate brown. See? Happy place! The only problem is that hanging out in a chocolate brown room for most of yesterday, I ended up eating quite a bit of it as well. Not the room. The thought just kept planting itself, and it's Easter so there is lots of chocolate in the house. Or was. This is the only tricky bit I foresee with the new bathroom. I really don't want another one of those stomach bugs to rid me of chocolate kilos again.
I'm really surprised that painting it such a dark colour hasn't made the room feel small and dark. I thought it might, and I keep going in there to check whether it's gotten small and dark yet. It came off smaller and darker when it had the old white walls. Perhaps it's the polised floors instead of lino? The wooden floors seem to glow. Who knows? No pics yet anyway as we've still got a little bit to do. I was hoping to be finished this weekend, but we've still got all the ...whatever they're called ...the bits at the top of the walls, and along the bottom of the walls? ...to do. They are going to be an absolute nightmare. They're being painted white, and the walls are chocolate brown. I foresee white paint splatters on chocolate walls. Still, it was either that, or chocolate streaks on white top-and-bottom bits, which would be harder to cover up.
I've done my writing thing that I've been working on too. Sort of. I've done and redone it about 3 times, and I'm still glaring at it because it doesn't seem right. The only time anything ever seems to look right first time is when you're a Uni student, it's7am, you've been up all night and drunk an entire tin of really bad instant coffe, and the deadline is 8am. Then, it looks fine.
But I haven't weeded the garden. That's my reward for doing my other stuff. I despise weeding and I really don't know how some people enjoy it. My absolute hate is those horrible weeds that have sort of like bulbs at the bottom, and if you don't get that bit out in one piece fifty five million new weeds grow in it's place. Argh!
And on that rather inane note, I'm off to potter in my bathroom. I have a rather large white streak on one chocolate wall (from the first coat of ceiling paint) to touch up, and a little bit of sanding where my masking up of the wooden finishing strip between the feaux tiles and the painted walls didn't entirely do the trick.
I'll be back tomorrow properly, though I don't feel on form at the moment. I'm not feeling like myself. There's something going on in my head, and I haven't decided yet whether I'm ready to talk to you about it, or even if there's anything to talk about ... and in the meantime I'm fidgety and I'm brooding on it. Something somewhere in my universe is out of whack. Watch this space I guess.
We have more progress on the bathroom front! We painted the walls yesterday and I can tell already that this new bathroom is going to be such a happy place. Why? Guess what colour the walls are? Chocolate brown. See? Happy place! The only problem is that hanging out in a chocolate brown room for most of yesterday, I ended up eating quite a bit of it as well. Not the room. The thought just kept planting itself, and it's Easter so there is lots of chocolate in the house. Or was. This is the only tricky bit I foresee with the new bathroom. I really don't want another one of those stomach bugs to rid me of chocolate kilos again.
I'm really surprised that painting it such a dark colour hasn't made the room feel small and dark. I thought it might, and I keep going in there to check whether it's gotten small and dark yet. It came off smaller and darker when it had the old white walls. Perhaps it's the polised floors instead of lino? The wooden floors seem to glow. Who knows? No pics yet anyway as we've still got a little bit to do. I was hoping to be finished this weekend, but we've still got all the ...whatever they're called ...the bits at the top of the walls, and along the bottom of the walls? ...to do. They are going to be an absolute nightmare. They're being painted white, and the walls are chocolate brown. I foresee white paint splatters on chocolate walls. Still, it was either that, or chocolate streaks on white top-and-bottom bits, which would be harder to cover up.
I've done my writing thing that I've been working on too. Sort of. I've done and redone it about 3 times, and I'm still glaring at it because it doesn't seem right. The only time anything ever seems to look right first time is when you're a Uni student, it's7am, you've been up all night and drunk an entire tin of really bad instant coffe, and the deadline is 8am. Then, it looks fine.
But I haven't weeded the garden. That's my reward for doing my other stuff. I despise weeding and I really don't know how some people enjoy it. My absolute hate is those horrible weeds that have sort of like bulbs at the bottom, and if you don't get that bit out in one piece fifty five million new weeds grow in it's place. Argh!
And on that rather inane note, I'm off to potter in my bathroom. I have a rather large white streak on one chocolate wall (from the first coat of ceiling paint) to touch up, and a little bit of sanding where my masking up of the wooden finishing strip between the feaux tiles and the painted walls didn't entirely do the trick.
I'll be back tomorrow properly, though I don't feel on form at the moment. I'm not feeling like myself. There's something going on in my head, and I haven't decided yet whether I'm ready to talk to you about it, or even if there's anything to talk about ... and in the meantime I'm fidgety and I'm brooding on it. Something somewhere in my universe is out of whack. Watch this space I guess.
Friday 6 April 2007
To post, or not to post
I'm in a quandry, and I've been stewing on it all morning.
Is it the weekend?
I don't do weekends, which you know, but I can't decide if it's a weekend or not. It's Friday, so not the weekend per se, but it is a public holiday 'long weekend' and so possibly, technically, qualifies as a weekend.
So, do I do a post or not? And then, what about Monday? Whatever I decide today must stand for Monday as well.
Oh dear.
What to do ....what to do?
I suppose it was for this general purpose that fluff pieces were invented. Space fillers. Conscience-relieving bone-throwing topics.
A fluff piece would work ....except I don't really do fluff, which adds to the degree of difficulty, and therefore negates the purpose of the fluff piece quite royally. If it's hard, what's the point, right? But then, we all have to make an effort sometimes, don't we? Perhaps today is the day I do my very first fluff piece.
Soooo ....What about Britney Spears and that meltdown, eh?
Ahhh, forget it.
Have a nice weekend!
Is it the weekend?
I don't do weekends, which you know, but I can't decide if it's a weekend or not. It's Friday, so not the weekend per se, but it is a public holiday 'long weekend' and so possibly, technically, qualifies as a weekend.
So, do I do a post or not? And then, what about Monday? Whatever I decide today must stand for Monday as well.
Oh dear.
What to do ....what to do?
I suppose it was for this general purpose that fluff pieces were invented. Space fillers. Conscience-relieving bone-throwing topics.
A fluff piece would work ....except I don't really do fluff, which adds to the degree of difficulty, and therefore negates the purpose of the fluff piece quite royally. If it's hard, what's the point, right? But then, we all have to make an effort sometimes, don't we? Perhaps today is the day I do my very first fluff piece.
Soooo ....What about Britney Spears and that meltdown, eh?
Ahhh, forget it.
Have a nice weekend!
Thursday 5 April 2007
What's brand spankers, gorgeous, and sitting in my kitchen?
A dining suite. We had it delivered yesterday.
Back at the beginning of the year, we thought we'd practice living off Al's salary (I might have told you about this already, so if I'm repeating myself just skip to the next paragraph), and so we made a shopping list of some big ticket items we wanted, and budgeted to pay for these from my salary. So, it's not really living off one salary, it's just that we're being disciplined with mine, and not pissing it against the wall. In theory. So far it's not so bad ...but it is quite lucky that it's only a practice run. Ahem.
On said list of big ticket items was a new dining suite. We had a small 4 seater jobbie, but it was small, and thinking ahead to entertaining and having a family, we thought we'd really like something bigger - a 6 or 8 seater. So, when my brother came up to do the bathroom, he took the old set (cheap labour! plus then we didn't need to muck around trying to sell it), and we were just going to get a new one in due course. Since we've just had a big bill with the bathroom, the plan was that we'd get onto it in a month or two. We have a place where we get all our wooden furniture - their prices are good and their stuff is good quality and really solid.
We were in the general area of the furniture place on Sunday and thought we just go and have a nosey and see what they had, and get a price etc. Except, there was a problem. A big problem. Painted across the entire frontage of our store, in huge red letters, were three words which normally would have set my heart to racing happily, but on this occasion didn't so much. It was more like blind panic. CLOSING DOWN SALE. I love a good sale as much as the next person, but the problem was that we'd obviously missed it and the store had already closed! Aaargh! I still haven't decided whether I was mortified they'd closed down, or mortified that I missed the sale. I almost feel as though they should apologise to us for closing though, either way ...
After that little hitch in our plans we thought we'd better just get an idea of prices elsewhere, and see what else is around, so we could budget on it etc. I had a really specific idea of what I wanted (which always makes for frustrating shopping), and I really didn't think I'd be able to find it. I wanted plain, clean lines. Blocky, 'country' style. No turned legs etc. Wood with a darker stain, but not dark dark. No light wood. Oh dear.
Freedom Furniture was where it all went horribly wrong for the second time. In the true nature of these things, although I didn't expect to find anything there, we did. It was absolutely perfect. As far as furniture goes, there are some things out there which look great when they're brand new, and even better when they're beaten to within an inch of their wee lives. Our leather lounge suite is one of those things. Our dining suite will be another. It'll look great as it ages, and dings will just add character. And believe me, it'll be getting plenty of dings. That's why I was looking for such a specific thing. I made a note of the style etc, and the price (eek! I've had a few price-related heart attacks in my life, but seriously!) which was quite a lot more than we were intending to pay, and that was, in theory, that. Except, I grabbed a salesperson to ask if we could order different fabric for the chair seats. Just out of curiosity. Woops. Big mistake. Huge. The salesperson merrily informed us that the suite was a discontinued line, and that the chairs before us were the last of the lot. No more. Nada. Zip. End of the road. Crap. So we bought it.
My poor, poor budget.
We saved $1,200.00 on the buy, but I still feel a tad ill.
Al has been duly and severely warned too that even though we have a nice big table in the kitchen now, that does not mean that he can cover a greater surface area with junk. You know how these things happen. It's like when you move into a bigger house, and somehow there still isn't room for all your crap. This of course means that I'm going to have to make sure that I don't cover the new table with junk too. I'm very bad at that ... telling him off for things whilst doing the exact same thing myself. Like the broken toe incident of 2005. I kicked one of his steel capped boots which was lying on the kitchen floor as I walked past it (accidentally of course) and broke my little toe (he was size 13-14 boots, so they weigh a ton, and if you kick them, there is no give whatsoever. And the toe was definitely broken, believe me). As I was swearing up a storm at him for leaving his boots lying around, I turned around and tripped over my own shoes which were strewn about behind me. I suppose at least he had the good grace to go down the other end of the house before he weed himself laughing. Probably because I was also in close proximity to the kitchem knives at the time, and I wasn't really in the frame of mind to see the error of my ways.
Anyway! I digress. Or waffle. Or whatever. The point is ....goodness knows. Oh, yes. We have a gorgeous new dining suite, and have therefore knocked off two of our five major planned purchases for this year, plus a holiday, and it's only the beginning of April. Even I don't want to go shopping again for a while!
Back at the beginning of the year, we thought we'd practice living off Al's salary (I might have told you about this already, so if I'm repeating myself just skip to the next paragraph), and so we made a shopping list of some big ticket items we wanted, and budgeted to pay for these from my salary. So, it's not really living off one salary, it's just that we're being disciplined with mine, and not pissing it against the wall. In theory. So far it's not so bad ...but it is quite lucky that it's only a practice run. Ahem.
On said list of big ticket items was a new dining suite. We had a small 4 seater jobbie, but it was small, and thinking ahead to entertaining and having a family, we thought we'd really like something bigger - a 6 or 8 seater. So, when my brother came up to do the bathroom, he took the old set (cheap labour! plus then we didn't need to muck around trying to sell it), and we were just going to get a new one in due course. Since we've just had a big bill with the bathroom, the plan was that we'd get onto it in a month or two. We have a place where we get all our wooden furniture - their prices are good and their stuff is good quality and really solid.
We were in the general area of the furniture place on Sunday and thought we just go and have a nosey and see what they had, and get a price etc. Except, there was a problem. A big problem. Painted across the entire frontage of our store, in huge red letters, were three words which normally would have set my heart to racing happily, but on this occasion didn't so much. It was more like blind panic. CLOSING DOWN SALE. I love a good sale as much as the next person, but the problem was that we'd obviously missed it and the store had already closed! Aaargh! I still haven't decided whether I was mortified they'd closed down, or mortified that I missed the sale. I almost feel as though they should apologise to us for closing though, either way ...
After that little hitch in our plans we thought we'd better just get an idea of prices elsewhere, and see what else is around, so we could budget on it etc. I had a really specific idea of what I wanted (which always makes for frustrating shopping), and I really didn't think I'd be able to find it. I wanted plain, clean lines. Blocky, 'country' style. No turned legs etc. Wood with a darker stain, but not dark dark. No light wood. Oh dear.
Freedom Furniture was where it all went horribly wrong for the second time. In the true nature of these things, although I didn't expect to find anything there, we did. It was absolutely perfect. As far as furniture goes, there are some things out there which look great when they're brand new, and even better when they're beaten to within an inch of their wee lives. Our leather lounge suite is one of those things. Our dining suite will be another. It'll look great as it ages, and dings will just add character. And believe me, it'll be getting plenty of dings. That's why I was looking for such a specific thing. I made a note of the style etc, and the price (eek! I've had a few price-related heart attacks in my life, but seriously!) which was quite a lot more than we were intending to pay, and that was, in theory, that. Except, I grabbed a salesperson to ask if we could order different fabric for the chair seats. Just out of curiosity. Woops. Big mistake. Huge. The salesperson merrily informed us that the suite was a discontinued line, and that the chairs before us were the last of the lot. No more. Nada. Zip. End of the road. Crap. So we bought it.
My poor, poor budget.
We saved $1,200.00 on the buy, but I still feel a tad ill.
Al has been duly and severely warned too that even though we have a nice big table in the kitchen now, that does not mean that he can cover a greater surface area with junk. You know how these things happen. It's like when you move into a bigger house, and somehow there still isn't room for all your crap. This of course means that I'm going to have to make sure that I don't cover the new table with junk too. I'm very bad at that ... telling him off for things whilst doing the exact same thing myself. Like the broken toe incident of 2005. I kicked one of his steel capped boots which was lying on the kitchen floor as I walked past it (accidentally of course) and broke my little toe (he was size 13-14 boots, so they weigh a ton, and if you kick them, there is no give whatsoever. And the toe was definitely broken, believe me). As I was swearing up a storm at him for leaving his boots lying around, I turned around and tripped over my own shoes which were strewn about behind me. I suppose at least he had the good grace to go down the other end of the house before he weed himself laughing. Probably because I was also in close proximity to the kitchem knives at the time, and I wasn't really in the frame of mind to see the error of my ways.
Anyway! I digress. Or waffle. Or whatever. The point is ....goodness knows. Oh, yes. We have a gorgeous new dining suite, and have therefore knocked off two of our five major planned purchases for this year, plus a holiday, and it's only the beginning of April. Even I don't want to go shopping again for a while!
Wednesday 4 April 2007
So, yes, I've been thinking ...
Mulling, I suppose you'd call it.
Initially, when we saw the specialist to discuss fertility treatment, and he said that waiting 2 or 3 years wouldn't matter at all to my fertility, and he thought that it was a good length of time to continue trying to conceive naturally, I was horrified. 2 or 3 years. I'm 28 now. I thought I'll be 31 in 3 years, and the thought panicked me. It panicked me because I always imagined having my children in my twenties, and there isn't that much of my twenties left. I was going to have had 2 by 30, and that would be my family complete. That was the plan. Before the plan got shot to bits of course. I swear, it was like we made the plan, and someone out there painted a bullseye on it.
The specialist was suggesting that we change the goal posts, and that was scarey stuff.
But, the more time I have with these thoughts, things seem to be changing for me. The specialist (we'll call him Dr G shall we? for Dr Graham. It saves me typing out 'the specialist' every time I refer to him) said to me that as far as my fertility, or apparent lack thereof, goes, there is no difference between 28 and 30/31. Not like there is between 28 and 35. Dr G believes that as long as I'm OK, there is no need at all to rush.
I'm not suggesting that we're going to put the brakes on things, and try to avoid a natural pregnancy. We're just going to carry on life as normal. I'm purely thinking about if it comes down to IVF. We could get pregnant naturally in 6 months and it won't be an issue. But, in the meantime I'm musing about what happens at the end of this year if we're still not pregnant and the IVF issue starts to loom large , not if something unexpected happens naturally in the meantime.
The thing is, one cycle of IVF is $10,000.00 thereabouts. $10,000.00 is a lot of money. And if the cycle doesn't work? You may as well have just stood there and flushed the whole lot down the toilet. Can you imagine flushing $10,000.00 down the toilet? Then there would be another cycle, and maybe another one on top of that. You get the picture. It's big dollars. The cost of one cycle - $10,000.00 - would almost get my house finished. I could recarpet, redo the kitchen (the benchtop and cupboard facings), and a few other bits and bobs that I really want done. I'm thinking that we can do those things, and then just come up with the IVF money again a bit later on.
Plus, I'm really happy at the moment. Very content to kick back and enjoy life as it rolls on by. I'm loving the time I get to play with my dogs at the park every day, and the time with Al with no demands other than those of normal life, loving just 'being' for the moment. I'm thinking about maybe taking a big holiday next year (and by big, I don't mean 'normal people' big, like an OE or tour, I just mean going overseas for a week or something ...big for me. My travel thing is a whole other post). A month after seeing Dr G I am just in such a good head space. Things are great. Does that make sense?
I suppose what it all comes down to, is ... I am starting to wonder, is there any need to rush?
No, there's not.
Looking at my beautiful new bathroom (which we're painting this weekend, so stay tuned for pics), I'd really like to get the rest of the house done, and it'd be so nice to have a gorgeous house to rattle around in for a bit. Of course a house doesn't make up for a child, and I'm not suggesting that it can, or will. I'm just thinking that this extra time that Al and I have without a family is a gift of sorts that I could probably enjoy for a little bit longer than I thought I might be able to.
Anywho ...Methinks I'm starting to waffle, so I'll leave it there. Watch this space.
Initially, when we saw the specialist to discuss fertility treatment, and he said that waiting 2 or 3 years wouldn't matter at all to my fertility, and he thought that it was a good length of time to continue trying to conceive naturally, I was horrified. 2 or 3 years. I'm 28 now. I thought I'll be 31 in 3 years, and the thought panicked me. It panicked me because I always imagined having my children in my twenties, and there isn't that much of my twenties left. I was going to have had 2 by 30, and that would be my family complete. That was the plan. Before the plan got shot to bits of course. I swear, it was like we made the plan, and someone out there painted a bullseye on it.
The specialist was suggesting that we change the goal posts, and that was scarey stuff.
But, the more time I have with these thoughts, things seem to be changing for me. The specialist (we'll call him Dr G shall we? for Dr Graham. It saves me typing out 'the specialist' every time I refer to him) said to me that as far as my fertility, or apparent lack thereof, goes, there is no difference between 28 and 30/31. Not like there is between 28 and 35. Dr G believes that as long as I'm OK, there is no need at all to rush.
I'm not suggesting that we're going to put the brakes on things, and try to avoid a natural pregnancy. We're just going to carry on life as normal. I'm purely thinking about if it comes down to IVF. We could get pregnant naturally in 6 months and it won't be an issue. But, in the meantime I'm musing about what happens at the end of this year if we're still not pregnant and the IVF issue starts to loom large , not if something unexpected happens naturally in the meantime.
The thing is, one cycle of IVF is $10,000.00 thereabouts. $10,000.00 is a lot of money. And if the cycle doesn't work? You may as well have just stood there and flushed the whole lot down the toilet. Can you imagine flushing $10,000.00 down the toilet? Then there would be another cycle, and maybe another one on top of that. You get the picture. It's big dollars. The cost of one cycle - $10,000.00 - would almost get my house finished. I could recarpet, redo the kitchen (the benchtop and cupboard facings), and a few other bits and bobs that I really want done. I'm thinking that we can do those things, and then just come up with the IVF money again a bit later on.
Plus, I'm really happy at the moment. Very content to kick back and enjoy life as it rolls on by. I'm loving the time I get to play with my dogs at the park every day, and the time with Al with no demands other than those of normal life, loving just 'being' for the moment. I'm thinking about maybe taking a big holiday next year (and by big, I don't mean 'normal people' big, like an OE or tour, I just mean going overseas for a week or something ...big for me. My travel thing is a whole other post). A month after seeing Dr G I am just in such a good head space. Things are great. Does that make sense?
I suppose what it all comes down to, is ... I am starting to wonder, is there any need to rush?
No, there's not.
Looking at my beautiful new bathroom (which we're painting this weekend, so stay tuned for pics), I'd really like to get the rest of the house done, and it'd be so nice to have a gorgeous house to rattle around in for a bit. Of course a house doesn't make up for a child, and I'm not suggesting that it can, or will. I'm just thinking that this extra time that Al and I have without a family is a gift of sorts that I could probably enjoy for a little bit longer than I thought I might be able to.
Anywho ...Methinks I'm starting to waffle, so I'll leave it there. Watch this space.
Tuesday 3 April 2007
Happiness is a short working week
I've just realised that it's Easter this weekend! (Yes, yes, I know. I'm a little slow on the uptake at the moment) Wooppee! A 4 day week this week, and a 4 day week next week. Bliss!
I'm planning to weed my gardens ...or at the very least the one where the weeds are taller than the miniature fruit trees that are supposed to be growing equally as well. Ahem. And, I have a writing thing that I should have done a couple of weeks ago, but I haven't. Bad me. I'm going to do that this weekend as well. I started working on a draft last weekend ...but it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. It's probably best not to try and write coherently whilst in the grips of a dealthy delerium. It reads a bit like I've been on magic mushrooms.
The long weekend does however vaguely make up for the fact that my birthday (how smooth was that transition?) is about a week later, and I'm getting old. I don't like getting old. I'm just not as quick as I used to be ...I really should have made the birthday plug yesterday when I was talking about that beanie that I didn't get from Beaufoy. (Beaufoy. In Gisborne. Winter White. I can give you their contact number if you like ...? Oh. Woops. Subtlely is the key to hinting. Bollocks) Anyway! Happy Birthday to me! I get a holiday.
And off on a completely different tangent ...yesterday I went and had the bloods done that my specialist ordered. We're looking at my FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) levels this time, which hasn't been done before. Apparently this one is quite important, probably more so, than the CD22/23 bloods to check for (or confirm, really) ovulation. The FSH blood work checks whether my hormone levels are good at the start of my cycle, and therefore that my body has what it needs to create the follicle(s) that will release the egg(s). It's all expected to be very, very normal, it just had to be done so that we have all the information we can get. We'll see.
The very funny thing at the moment (well, perhaps just mildly ironic ...assuming I've used 'ironic' in the correct context, which is usually a little touch and go for me) is that we got a phone call just before we went away confirming our registration for the next Fertility Associates seminar for IVF information etc, which is on 1st May. As it turns out, as of 1st May we're going to be trying to avoid a pregnancy for a couple of months (yes, I know that sounds odd ....as of 1st May ...but it's pretty much how my cycles fall).
It seems strange to be leaping in the other direction with things! But, my brother's wedding is next February, and so we don't want to risk having a baby due around that time - I'd kick myself if I missed his wedding. So, best not to have to worry about it! The timing just seems a little quirky with the seminar and then the break from trying to conceive. Mind you, I also can't help but wonder if I'm starting to back peddle a bit over things (I've started thinking about what the specialist said ...If it comes down to IVF, I'm only 28, what's 2 or 3 years? Really ...in the scheme of things? You know?) ...I have the oddest feeling, which I voiced to Al the other day, that we are going to get to next March, have the money in the bank to start IVF, and I'm going to want to recarpet the house with it instead. Al is, as always, completely supportive of my ever-changeable mind, and just asked if we could do the kitchen bench at the same time (it's pink. You'd want to change it too). Sure! Whatever! The cat would be pissed if we stuck something in her cot anyway.
Of course, in relation to the break from trying to conceive, there will be those among you tempted to say "It'll probably happen now if you're trying to avoid it!". Don't do it. Resist the temptation. My foot will be up your ass before you get to the end of the sentence. In the nicest possible way, of course!
I'm planning to weed my gardens ...or at the very least the one where the weeds are taller than the miniature fruit trees that are supposed to be growing equally as well. Ahem. And, I have a writing thing that I should have done a couple of weeks ago, but I haven't. Bad me. I'm going to do that this weekend as well. I started working on a draft last weekend ...but it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. It's probably best not to try and write coherently whilst in the grips of a dealthy delerium. It reads a bit like I've been on magic mushrooms.
The long weekend does however vaguely make up for the fact that my birthday (how smooth was that transition?) is about a week later, and I'm getting old. I don't like getting old. I'm just not as quick as I used to be ...I really should have made the birthday plug yesterday when I was talking about that beanie that I didn't get from Beaufoy. (Beaufoy. In Gisborne. Winter White. I can give you their contact number if you like ...? Oh. Woops. Subtlely is the key to hinting. Bollocks) Anyway! Happy Birthday to me! I get a holiday.
And off on a completely different tangent ...yesterday I went and had the bloods done that my specialist ordered. We're looking at my FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) levels this time, which hasn't been done before. Apparently this one is quite important, probably more so, than the CD22/23 bloods to check for (or confirm, really) ovulation. The FSH blood work checks whether my hormone levels are good at the start of my cycle, and therefore that my body has what it needs to create the follicle(s) that will release the egg(s). It's all expected to be very, very normal, it just had to be done so that we have all the information we can get. We'll see.
The very funny thing at the moment (well, perhaps just mildly ironic ...assuming I've used 'ironic' in the correct context, which is usually a little touch and go for me) is that we got a phone call just before we went away confirming our registration for the next Fertility Associates seminar for IVF information etc, which is on 1st May. As it turns out, as of 1st May we're going to be trying to avoid a pregnancy for a couple of months (yes, I know that sounds odd ....as of 1st May ...but it's pretty much how my cycles fall).
It seems strange to be leaping in the other direction with things! But, my brother's wedding is next February, and so we don't want to risk having a baby due around that time - I'd kick myself if I missed his wedding. So, best not to have to worry about it! The timing just seems a little quirky with the seminar and then the break from trying to conceive. Mind you, I also can't help but wonder if I'm starting to back peddle a bit over things (I've started thinking about what the specialist said ...If it comes down to IVF, I'm only 28, what's 2 or 3 years? Really ...in the scheme of things? You know?) ...I have the oddest feeling, which I voiced to Al the other day, that we are going to get to next March, have the money in the bank to start IVF, and I'm going to want to recarpet the house with it instead. Al is, as always, completely supportive of my ever-changeable mind, and just asked if we could do the kitchen bench at the same time (it's pink. You'd want to change it too). Sure! Whatever! The cat would be pissed if we stuck something in her cot anyway.
Of course, in relation to the break from trying to conceive, there will be those among you tempted to say "It'll probably happen now if you're trying to avoid it!". Don't do it. Resist the temptation. My foot will be up your ass before you get to the end of the sentence. In the nicest possible way, of course!
Monday 2 April 2007
Back from the brink of disaster
And feeling a little less death-warmed-up and a little more health-on-ice. A subtle difference, but a difference nonetheless. Not so bad all in all, and considering I've been sick for a week. Plus, I got to add something new to my 'experience the unexperienced' list ...several times I threw up so hard, I had chunks lodged up my nose. Now that is puking! (and, even though I haven't eaten carrots since I was about 9 ...well)
It was only a week or so ago too that I was thinking I really had to do something about the extra couple of kilos that seemed to have settled around my butt ...and Voila! Problem solved! I only had to nearly die to do it (really, such a small sacrifice for such quick results), and I can still only eat soup and bread, but, you know, if I was a super model, I'd only be allowed a lettuce leaf every second day and I'd have to puke forever, so really, I'm living it up!
Gisborne was great though and the first couple of days were gorgeous - going to bed early, getting up early, going for long walks, nosing about and eating a lot.
Huge kudos to the following places:
Peel - for a fab bagel with cream cheese and strawberry preserve.
Wharf - for the best creme brulee I have ever [inhaled] savoured in my life. Seriously. I swooned.
Gordon Gecko - for a divine eye fillet steak.
Muir's Bookshop Cafe - for having books and coffee in the same place. Fantastic coffee too! Fall in your cup stuff.
Villaggio - for being muffin heaven (and no I don't mean it's a cafe full of girls who don't know what size jeans they should be wearing). Pumpkin and corn, Spinach, Feta and Pesto, and blackberry and custard ...huge muffins too! Plus, I learned a very valuable lesson about 18 month to 2 year olds and chocolate fish while I was there. If you are having coffee with a group, and said group consists of 18 month to 2 year olds, you can not leave your chocolate fish to enjoy once you've finished, or nearly finished your coffee. Once the little buggers spot a chocolate fish, it's all over. There will be tears, tantrums, and dirty tactics, but you will end up sharing the damn thing with however many of them there are. Still, it's one of those learned-my-lesson-the-first-time things. Won't happen again.
Anyway! I said I was going for the food, and the above were very happy times, well worth noting.
I also found a very cute little boutique, loaded with very cool clothes and things. Cool enough that I can forgive the rather odd name Beaufoy ...Thinking about the name, I feel as though I should understand some great secret but I have no idea what it means, if in fact it means anything at all. I suppose googling it might be helpful (no, it wasn't). It was a very cool store though and had a really good mix of designers - Kingan Jones, Sabine, that sort of thing. And hats! Fabulous hats! I fell head over heels in love with these gorgeous knitted beanies that they had ...very simple, and extremely cool. I tried one on in winter white, but, I was obviously possessed by a demented spirit at the time, because I didn't buy it. Duh.
The other thing I found in Gizzy Vegas is that is is full of gorgeous old houses - huge estates down to little cottages, and most of the ones I saw were beautifully restored. They were all over the place! I fell in love so many times over the course of a couple of days ...and usually our walks ended in Al dragging me home by the ear. I love old houses.
I'm sure there's more, but you should see the stack of paperwork I've walked into at work this morning! I'm actually going to have to go and do something about it. I'm trying to concentrate on my blog (obviously, my top priority), and I can see these piles of paper out the corner of my eye, waving about saying "Look at us! Look at us! See how many of us there are!" which is very distracting. Tragic.
Oh, and there will be pictures of the bathroom too, so never fear! We've polished the wooden floors that were hiding away under the revolting light blue feaux tile (textured) lino floor (no more having to scrub the lino on my hands and knees to get the dirt out of the texture! Wooppee!!) and so the bathroom is only going together properly later this week sometime. We still have to gib and paint the walls as well, but once we've had a divorce over what colour we're going to go with. So hopefully pics will So, pics will come in due course - hopefully in a week or so, or if I can't help myself, you'll get pics with bare gib walls. We'll see how I go!
It was only a week or so ago too that I was thinking I really had to do something about the extra couple of kilos that seemed to have settled around my butt ...and Voila! Problem solved! I only had to nearly die to do it (really, such a small sacrifice for such quick results), and I can still only eat soup and bread, but, you know, if I was a super model, I'd only be allowed a lettuce leaf every second day and I'd have to puke forever, so really, I'm living it up!
Gisborne was great though and the first couple of days were gorgeous - going to bed early, getting up early, going for long walks, nosing about and eating a lot.
Huge kudos to the following places:
Peel - for a fab bagel with cream cheese and strawberry preserve.
Wharf - for the best creme brulee I have ever [inhaled] savoured in my life. Seriously. I swooned.
Gordon Gecko - for a divine eye fillet steak.
Muir's Bookshop Cafe - for having books and coffee in the same place. Fantastic coffee too! Fall in your cup stuff.
Villaggio - for being muffin heaven (and no I don't mean it's a cafe full of girls who don't know what size jeans they should be wearing). Pumpkin and corn, Spinach, Feta and Pesto, and blackberry and custard ...huge muffins too! Plus, I learned a very valuable lesson about 18 month to 2 year olds and chocolate fish while I was there. If you are having coffee with a group, and said group consists of 18 month to 2 year olds, you can not leave your chocolate fish to enjoy once you've finished, or nearly finished your coffee. Once the little buggers spot a chocolate fish, it's all over. There will be tears, tantrums, and dirty tactics, but you will end up sharing the damn thing with however many of them there are. Still, it's one of those learned-my-lesson-the-first-time things. Won't happen again.
Anyway! I said I was going for the food, and the above were very happy times, well worth noting.
I also found a very cute little boutique, loaded with very cool clothes and things. Cool enough that I can forgive the rather odd name Beaufoy ...Thinking about the name, I feel as though I should understand some great secret but I have no idea what it means, if in fact it means anything at all. I suppose googling it might be helpful (no, it wasn't). It was a very cool store though and had a really good mix of designers - Kingan Jones, Sabine, that sort of thing. And hats! Fabulous hats! I fell head over heels in love with these gorgeous knitted beanies that they had ...very simple, and extremely cool. I tried one on in winter white, but, I was obviously possessed by a demented spirit at the time, because I didn't buy it. Duh.
The other thing I found in Gizzy Vegas is that is is full of gorgeous old houses - huge estates down to little cottages, and most of the ones I saw were beautifully restored. They were all over the place! I fell in love so many times over the course of a couple of days ...and usually our walks ended in Al dragging me home by the ear. I love old houses.
I'm sure there's more, but you should see the stack of paperwork I've walked into at work this morning! I'm actually going to have to go and do something about it. I'm trying to concentrate on my blog (obviously, my top priority), and I can see these piles of paper out the corner of my eye, waving about saying "Look at us! Look at us! See how many of us there are!" which is very distracting. Tragic.
Oh, and there will be pictures of the bathroom too, so never fear! We've polished the wooden floors that were hiding away under the revolting light blue feaux tile (textured) lino floor (no more having to scrub the lino on my hands and knees to get the dirt out of the texture! Wooppee!!) and so the bathroom is only going together properly later this week sometime. We still have to gib and paint the walls as well, but once we've had a divorce over what colour we're going to go with. So hopefully pics will So, pics will come in due course - hopefully in a week or so, or if I can't help myself, you'll get pics with bare gib walls. We'll see how I go!
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