Ernesto Everything

Life in South Florida has become all about Ernesto. Yesterday, we went to Target to look for a play mat for Lexi. The store was packed by crazed Hurricane shoppers and all the bottles of water were already gone. We needed to go grocery shopping, but did not want to wrestle people for basic items. Steve suggested that we go to the ghetto grocery store. Since it is the closest one to our house, we did. You wouldn't believe what a pleasant shopping experience we had (considering the storm). There was even plenty of water. I think we will be going there from now on whenever a cone is aimed at us.

Now, we are just going about our daily activities and watching the cone. Wednesday is looking like a good day to stay in bed and hang out at the house. I am hoping Ernesto goes up the coastline staying just east of Florida and west of the Bahamas. Of course, it has to continue looking like it is coming here to get a day off. So - that is my hurricane wish for the week.

Tags: Tropical Storm Ernesto, Hurricanes

Sacred Times & Friday Gripes

I have come to believe that people who schedule business meetings on Fridays or any kind of meetings after 4 pm during the week are purely evil. It is Friday and I should be able to wear jeans like everyone else, but NO I had to attend a meeting. It is a monthly meeting so there really is no need for it to be on Fridays.

I have to attend another similar type monthly meeting on the third Tuesday of the month and guess what time it is scheduled for. Yep, it is at 4pm in downtown Miami and it never starts on time. That means that I am stuck driving back in the worst traffic ever. I guess I should just be happy that I don't have a Friday meeting at 4pm in downtown Miami.

Enough complaints, the work week is almost over, so time to start feeling great. HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

Tags: Casual Friday, Meetings

Using Body Language

In every company I have worked for, there was always one female employee that seemed to flirt with the boss. By flirting, I mean that these chicks stand too close, act overly interested, strike seductive posses, giggle instead of laugh even at dumb jokes, and generally go overboard when asked to perform a task. I highly doubt the ones I have been around were having an affair with the boss. Their behavior is simply used to get what they want (attention, more money, better office supplies, etc.). The funny thing is that it does work on some level and they get a little farther than they would based on their intelligence or work ability, but they don't have many friends. Whenever I observe one of these interactions, I often wonder why the guys fall for it and what in the chick's past/childhood makes her think that this is the method for getting what she wants.

Tags: body language, work

In Honor of Beef Gravy and Family

Prior to meeting the in-laws, Steve and I tried to give each other a preview of what to expect. I showed him a home video from my mom's wedding (2001). He thought my brothers were high (especially the middle one) on something, but that is just typical Mormon hyper activity that happens at gatherings. I think it comes trying to get attention in a big family, but I'm not an expert on the topic.

Steve warned me by telling me the nicknames his friends had for his family members. His brother was called Goob or Boog backwards, which is short for booger. His dad's nickname was Happy. The strangest one was his mom's. They called her Beef Gravy. He doesn't remember how that one got started other than she made it a lot. The funny thing is that all of those nicknames fit.

When you get sick, like we are, you tend to miss your mom and think about how she used to take care of you. Unfortunately, we can't turn to our mothers to help us get better. My mom lives in California and his mom recently passed away. Since I can still call mine (until she flies out on Thursday), I get advice and sympathy over the phone. I feel sorry for Steve because he isn't able to do that any more.

To help him feel a little of that motherly kindness, we are having beef stew for dinner. This little attempt will not be quite the same. It is the Banquet Crock Pot in a Bag version not the homemade way she used to do it. Besides the fact, that I don't really care for beef stew, I look and feel like I have been hit by a truck. Thank you Banquet for helping with the warm fuzzy hubby family feelings. We will all be better in no time.

Tags: beef gravy, nicknames

Down for the Count

Over the weekend, we spiraled into a black hole of darkness (bronchitis) and I am trying to imagine the light again. When it comes to being sick, Steve is a bit of a hypochondriac who runs right to the doctor at the first sign of illness. I, on the other hand, tend to hold off until I am too weak to drag myself there.

Unfortunately, Lexi and I are suffering from bronchitis, while Steve started antibiotics right away. I know that isn't fair to Lexi. This is something I definitely need to change that about myself. This time though, I blame a lot of it on the weekend. She seemed to be getting better on Thursday and Friday. Saturday was a whole different story. Why does it always happen on the weekend? I don't think Lexi stopped coughing Saturday night, which means that I was up the whole night. Sunday, she was fussier than ever and had chest congestion so we took her to Urgent Care. On Monday, I made a doctor appointment and found out I had it too.

Now, we have a kitchen full of antibiotics. I get the fun task of fighting Lexi every 6 hours to force the elixirs down (three different kinds).

Tags: illness, Urgent Care, bronchitis, elixirs

Disney Mystery Revealed

From time to time, there is often a debate about a Disney Character. That character is Goofy. Some people say he is a dog, but others disagree because Pluto is a dog. It is strange to have one dog that acts like a goofy person and one that acts like a dog together. However, Disney is all about strange things. Lets face it, their number one character of all time is Mickey Mouse (talking mouse) and second in popularity is his best friend Donald the Duck (ok, so he just gibbers). Moving on to the point...

Last weekend, I had the Disney channel on while I was cleaning and Lexi was playing in the family room. During the new Mickey Mouse Club House show, the mystery was revealed. They were looking for Donald's pet chicken (strange idea). He had traded it to a giant for magic beans, which became a bean stock. Of course, Mickey, Goofy and Donald climbed it. When they were sneaking around the giant's house & farm, he woke up. He said, "Fee Fie Fo Fum, I smell the blood of a mouse, duck and dog." See, there you have it. Goofy is just an evolved dog.

I wonder if Walt Disney would have wanted this revealed in such a non-dramatic way. Too late now.

Tags: Disney, Pluto, Dog, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck

Battle Hymn of the Cockroach

Long before I was born and long after I am dead, there will be one species ruling middle earth. I hereby declare that it will be the cockroach. How do I know? In high school, I pondered about their existence while one tried to hold me captive in my bedroom in Katy, Texas.

This is not the first time I had encountered their malicious ways, oh no. Around the age of 10, I had a bedroom in Melbourne, Florida where one introduced me to their wicked sense of humors. It happened one night when the lights went out. I could hear the wings of a single cockroach brushing against various things in the room. This was no ordinary one as it had developed flying skills.

...But it was in Katy, Texas that I realized that they are a highly intelligent species, but have only one priority/goal in life and that is to strike fear in the hearts of human beings everywhere. Imagine what you could accomplish having an incredibly high IQ and only one purpose in life.

However, there is only one way to end their reign and that is to stop letting them get the one thing they want - humans to fear them. As my part to the world, I vow to battle any cockroach I see including the one I just killed. By the way, I think the ones in Miami have either lower IQs or are wimps. It is just too easy to scare them off.

Tags: Battle Hymn, cockroach, IQ, fear

Thursday & Tagged By Anna

It is Thursday and nothing special is going on. Actually, illness is all around me. Steve has now joined Lexi in the not so happy cold with runny nose club. Personally, I am trying to avoid it. I didn't get to have a night to myself last night. As soon as Lexi fell asleep (8:30pm), Steve walked through the door like a zombie. While he was taking a shower, I made soup & a grilled cheese sandwich for him. Come to think of it, I did get the night to myself. Around midnight, Steve was snoring and making so much noise that I decided to go sleep in the guest bedroom.

Here is the very lovely Tag from Anna:

Start 10 sentences with the word, I LOVE...

1. I love...Lexi. I started off with the easiest one.

2. I love...my husband, Steve. I love talking to him, laughing with him, the way he helps with household chores, the way he is overprotective of Lexi and me, the fact that he is more sentimental than I am, and that he is great at apologizing.

3. I love...my nieces and nephews. They are wild and crazy and fun and it doesn't even bother me that they are a little bratty.

4. I love...Thanksgiving. It is a four day weekend with friends, family, and good food. What is there not to love about it? I have lots of fond memories of this holiday.

5. I love...Traveling. I simply can't get enough of it.

6. I love...talking on the phone during a long evening commute. Yes - I talk on the phone and drive (if you call crawling towards home driving).

7. I love...driving over the MacArthur Causeway and seeing the crystal blue water, the cruise ships on the right, and the mansions on the left.

8. I love...little areas like City Place, where you can eat dinner and stroll around afterward. I like less commercialized places better, but I can't think of one off the top of my head.

9. I love...Katy, Texas. The people are so nice, the cost of living is cheap, I have a lot of friends there, there are 2 major airports within an hour (important see #5), there are all the advantages to big city living, etc. I could go on...

10. I love...the Caribbean. I have been thinking about how life is so laid back there.

I guess I'll tag Paige & Issy. **& Mish**

Tags: love, tag

Party for One

After I put Lexi to bed tonight, I will actually have some time to myself because Steve has to work until 10 or 11pm. It has been so long that I don't even know what to do. Should I try to catch up on sleep? Should I watch one of the many movies a co-worker lent me several weeks ago? Should I take a long bath and relax? Should I catch up on phone calls to friends? The options are endless. One thing is for sure; I will not be doing housework or cooking. After another day of juggling a sick baby at work, I am looking forward to a break. Steve will be having loads of fun (yeah right), so why shouldn't I?

Tags: working late, husband, home alone

How Did My Life Become Routine?

Becoming a working mom has taught me the importance of schedules, although I still don't like them. My day consists of:

5:30 am: Wake up to Lexi's hungry cries, make bottle & feed her

5:45 am: Finish feeding Lexi & put her back in bed (most days, she'll go back to sleep). Start making breakfast & lunch for Steve (See, I can be extra nice).

6:00 am: Steve leaves & I hop in the shower & get ready

6:30 am: Start packing the diaper bag and the car with Lexi's stuff for the day & a few things for me.

6:45am: Get Lexi up, dress her, lock up & set the house alarm, and put Lexi in the car

7:00 am: Prepare for crappy commute

7:45 am: Arrive at daycare & drop Lexi off (when traffic is semi-normal)

8:00 am: Arrive at work & eat a snack for breakfast

12:30 pm: Lunch break - eat something quick & go to daycare to visit Lexi

1:15 pm: Drive back to work

5:30 pm: Shut down computer & head back to daycare

5:50 pm: Pick up Lexi from day care

6:30 pm: Arrive back at home, take Lexi inside & unpack car

7:00 pm: Start dinner and a load of laundry, Steve gets home from work most nights (sometimes later)

7:30 pm: Feed Lexi cereal & veg/fruit

8:00 pm: Eat Dinner with Steve

8:30 pm: Give Lexi a bath & put her in bed

9:00 pm: Start cleaning the house, fold laundry

9:30 pm: Get ready for bed

10:00 pm: Go to bed

Twice during the night, wake up to whimpers. I go in Lexi's room and put her pacifier in her mouth, so she'll go right back to sleep.

Sounds too rigid for someone like me, but it does vary a little. Like today, I woke up at 5am and started cleaning the house because our realtor made an appointment to show it. Another big change today is that Lexi is ill (daycare diseases). She will spend the day with me at work.

Suddenly, I am really loving the weekend more than ever for the chance to be a little spontaneous.

Tags: routine, schedules