Monthly Archives: December 2008

Looking back-2008

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* Note: I find that as I travel, I spend more time with everybody around me than the computer. At work, I am isolated with my computer and often have time to write out my thoughts. This has led to my dearth of postings, but work is back again and I am here posting.

Dec 30, 2008

One more day left in 2008. And what do I think about this year? This has been a good year. A very good year.  So here’s a bullet recap of the year, as I remember it:

  • My baby, Soleil, finished Kindergarten. This was the child that Jay and I fought hard for. The child that this needle phobic woman stabbed herself with gonatropians on an airplane for. And she finished her first year in school. She is learning how to control herself and her anger, she is far more polite than I ever thought and she cares about her friends.
  • Luna started to come into her own. I know, she’s always had her own personality, but the transformation between ages 3 and 4 and then again between 4 and 5 is remarkable. We have a better idea of who she is and what to expect from her. We’re still taking bets on how old she will be when we have to bail her out of jail. Feel free to toss your hat in the ring on this one.
  • I traveled to Florida and while with some amazing friends, I plunged in an got my ear pierced again. (needle phobic, remember?) I love these women and can’t wait to see them again.
  • Jay went on the nastiest medicine short of chemo. We had to strongly prevent pregnancy and be very careful with any sign of an infection with him. After several months, it was decided to remove him from this medicine. I am glad. It is almost out of his system. He also got off of steroids, which were making him very angry with out him realizing this.
  • Jay and I got a much needed break by going to a meeting in Marseilles, France. It was wonderful to not have to deal with anyone else’s issues but my own.
  • I got to meet Johnny Downtothis. Great guy!
  • My depression deepened and I went into a very nasty funk. After several months, Jay and I worked together on a treatment plan. I am starting to work on relaxing, dealing with life and accepting that I will have this disease of clinical depression my whole life. This is one of the hardest things I have dealt with, harder than infertility, which is something I never thought I would say.
  • My friendship with Crazy H has suffered, but I think that may be okay. I needed time away from her drama and the narcissism.
  • My friendship with Becky feels stronger, but I still don’t know how to talk to her about Corey, even though it’s been 9 years since he died.
  • We got new neighbors this year. Our crazy single woman next door who painted everything purple left, replaced with a young couple who just had their first child. Our nice couple across the street left, but was replaced by a family with 2 girls who are now great friends with our girls.
  • Luna discovered that she is not immortal, and even worse, Mom is not immortal. This has led to several late night crying fits of momma not ever leaving her. (I’m only momma when she is upset)
  • Soleil discovered she loves violin and wants to play hockey. Luna wants to play guitar and be a figure skater. I suspect that music fits Soleil better and figure skating fits Luna better.
  • Jay had a great clear colonoscopy with minimal scarring found. For Crohn’s patients, this is great news!
  • I decided to finally write a book. I’m still only 12,000 words in, but I like it so far.
  • Jay has been moving up in science circles, even though he doubts his own abilities. He has been nominated for a BIG committee, and we will find out soon if he gets it. While it is a ton more work, it would be an amazing honor. Even if he doesn’t get it, just being nominated is huge.
  • Facebook has allowed me to connect more with people I like, including some bloggers that I love to read, but they don’t blog much anymore. The nice thing about facebook is that a 2 minute sentence can tell alot when you don’t have much time to blog.
  • We decided to take our money out of the financial markets to invest in our kitchen in September (well, some of it). I am glad we did.
  • My sister is losing her job and I don’t know how to help her. She’s really that lower middle class that you hear on the news who never can get ahead. I wish I could do more for her.
  • Life is good. 2008 was good. We are healthish, we are happy, Jay and I have 2 wonderful girls and we have friends and family who love us.

May you reflect on 2008 and find that you had a good year too.

 

Back home

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Wow, who knew how busy one could be for several days in Buffalo?

Anyway, we are home and unpacking. The kitchen is doing great. We should have a mircowave, stove, WORKING SINK and dishwasher by evening tomorrow (Yippie!) More photos later!

 

More later, Have a fever and sinus infection 

Tales from the deep (and more kitchen photos because I know that’s why you’re here)

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Well, this has been fun! NOT!

It’s not the kitchen. Despite two snafus, it is going well. I’ll describe that later. It’s the other parts of life.

 

  • I still have a great deal of pain with my neck and shoulder. I will see a REAL doctor the last week of December.
  • Jay developed a large (5-6" diameter) abscess which is getting drained today. It showed up suddenly and with his immune system being compromised, nobody wants to take chances with it.
  • Snow. I blame Sparky. They had a delayed opening in my town yesterday for 3-4 inches of snow. Hello? You people would NEVER survive Buffalo. Wimps.
  • Tomorrow, a large storm is forcasted: 6-12 inches in most places and 12-18 in the south towns. We are "North and West". We may dodge the bullet this time.
  • Last year, a similar storm trapped me in traffic for 4 hours. I will be telecommuting tomorrow.

But really, you don’t want to hear my bitching and moaning, You Want Photos of my Kitchen!

Day 4: The FLOOR

 

Day 5: (Monday) NOTHING! Snafu #1 The corner cabinet that was supposed to arrive in CT was not there when the truck arrived at 2 pm to pick it up. Poor guy had to go out on Tuesday morning at 5 am to get it.

Day 6: The Cabinets arrive!

 

 

 

Day 7: Fixed SNAFU #2: the pantry is 1 size smaller than in the plans. We talked to the designer and ended up adding a broom closet. This will be added in 2-3 weeks when it comes in from the cabinet company.

Uppers started, Doors placed, Island put together, but not attached yet.

 

 

 

Rain rain go Away (and more kitchen)

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Like the rest of the east coast, we are DRENCHED. Ugh. Our neighbor across the street called in the fire department this morning to help her pump out her basement. The guys down the street are pumping out their house. It is wet here!

So despite the rain, we are surviving. I bring you days 2 & 3 of the kitchen. Today we should have the floor installed, but he hasn’t shown up yet, so… I might email and ask about that!

Note how they kindly reconnected the stove for us so we can actually use it!

Day 2: Rough electrical (for under cabinet lighting)- set up wires
for all new items cleared out old switches and plumbing Removed giant
drain pipe under sink, removed heating vent that was IN the pantry, moved the gas pipe for the stove and put in an ice maker line for future consideration.


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Day 3: Rough plastering.


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ETA: The flooring guys is here!

Kitchen-Day 1 Before * and after

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photos from day 1. (and T-1) Sorry they are so dark. I blame Jay!

Looking towards the main counter
 

 

From the dining room

 

So called "eat in" area
 

 

Same location as photo 2 

 

The main counter where the sink goes 

 

* Okay- You may be saying WHAT? the original looks pretty dark good. Yes, it looked good BUT it didn’t function. Nasty cabinets that had been resurfaced. New counter. Shelves with oil soaked in them and smells of spices. Doors that fell off and the cabinets opened to one another. Icky!

No title- because I can’t think of one

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Yeah- the wit is dead, or in hibernation.

a few updates in bullet form:

  • Went to the chiropractor Friday afternoon. Turns out he DISLOCATED my bicep tendon on Tuesday. Yes, Gross. And when he put it back, I nearly passed out from the pain. I fired him this morning. My neck/shoulder is now tense. My bicep muscles are achy, most likely from the strain of being out of place. I am in pain and pissed.
  • Awoke to the sound of a dumpster being dropped in our driveway. On Saturday afternoon, we got an email that they could start demolition on the kitchen Tuesday (today!!!!) Yippie! We used Saturday night and Sunday to finish the clean up of the kitchen.
  • Soleil and Luna decided to experiment Saturday evening. We let them have dinner while watching a movie downstairs. We use the gas fireplace enclosure to warm the area. They flicked milk onto the fireplace because "it sizzled!". It took a few tries to get the truth out of them. And it took a good glass scraper to clean up the burnt milk on the enclosure glass.
  • Busy work week. So I will try to keep up and post demo photos.Smiley

 

Too much too little too late- Your invite to my bitch fest

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I feel like there is always too much to do. Right now I feel swamped. Between home and work and kids, and kitchen (which got DELAYED AGAIN! to the 11th now) and what I want to do and what I have to do, damn, there’s no time left.

I think the kitchen delays are getting me. We finally have everything purchased. We have someone looking at our current dishwasher tonight. She can pick it up once it is out next week. I have most of the cabinets emptied. I showed some people the before photos and they kept saying how beautiful the current kitchen is. The previous owners had it refaced and a new counter put in. So it looks nice. And when we bought the house, we loved the kitchen. After working in there for a few months, we discovered the flaws. After being in it for almost 6 years? We are ready for it to go.

 Jay’s computer had an aneurysm this week. Took it to the mac store at the mall. They gave it a new hard disk. But they put on Tiger OS instead of Leopard OS. He had to go back. Then he found the backup disk was dead. After much talking, we got it working again. He restored and the disk(backup) died for good. He’s been yelling some nasty things at his disks. It makes me anxious. I hate that feeling.

My shoulder hurts ever since the chiropractor "fixed" my neck on Tuesday. I have to call and let him know. It feels out of place.

I want a weekend alone. Anyone up to coming to Boston and staying at a hotel with me? just for a weekend? we could do spas and massage and things like that? No? Ah, well reality has to settle in soon.