Homemade Bulgur

Dear Friends and Family,

We first had bulgur in Turkey. And, I like it enough to make it regularly at home now. It's like couscous, but couscous is semolina wheat and bulgur is durum wheat.

2 tbs olive oil (30 grams)
1 3/4 cups bulgur
3 cups plus 2 tbs broth or water
salt

1. Heat the olive oil in a pan.
2. Sauté bulgur 3-5 minutes.
3. Add broth/water. Bring to boil.
4. Reduce heat to low. Cover.
5. Cook 15-20 minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed.
6. Turn off heat. Put a paper towel between pot and lid.
7. Let stand 5-10 minutes.
8. Salt to taste

Serves 4. (4.5 Weight Watchers points)

Sometimes I garnish with a little chopped parsley. Sometimes I add paprika and/or cinnamon to the bulgur. It's flexible.

Key words: Middle Eastern, core, vegetarian, vegan, carbohydrate


Cheers!
mouse

02.29.08: Still Not Pregnant

Dear Friends and Family,

Day 32. And, I'm beginning to get a little anxious. We took another test this morning since it's the end of my window and of my patience. Still reads - Not Pregnant. Well, um, now what? I guess we wait until sometime next week and test again. Seriously, what's our other option?

I have my annual exam next Friday. I guess I check again on Tuesday - halfway between now and then.


Cheers!
mouse

Budget Update - February

Dear Friends and Family,

February was a surprisingly easy month. Well, I take that back. I went over by $30, so I'm not sure I deserve any pats on the back quite yet. But, I spent $260 on clothes, $25 on gifts in the office, and $20 in charitable contributions. Given that, February was a surprisingly easy month.

Unfortunately, there's a reason it was so easy. No haircut. That's $125 I saved. Since I get my haircut every six weeks, there are months without one. I can't imagine switching hair cutters. I've been with mine for over 10 years now. But, he was $35 when I started. And, now, well, not so much. It's all choices I make. I guess.

March will be tough. It's a five week month. And, I'll have to rein in the spending from February. This is good. I feel like I'm learning financial discipline. And, I'm not sure if I feel like I'm missing anything I've given up.

Description	Amount
Outlet Shopping - clothes	260.23
Gym	62.00
Lunches at Work	43.88
Wax	40.00
Train Pass	31.50
Junior Achievement contributions	20.00
Work - misc (gifts, etc.)	24.99
Taxi	17.00
Weight Watchers	16.95
Water brush	9.99
Snacks, Coffee, Soda, etc.	8.07
Magazine	4.99
Toothbrush Holder	4.36
Tip	2.00
Shared Ride Home	-15.00
Total	$530.96

Cheers!
mouse

In the Time of Apricots

Dear Friends and Family,

Our friend who spent some time in Cairo told us a phrase the other day that stuck with me. We had bought some apricots at the grocery store on Saturday. (I've been in love with fresh apricots since our trip to Turkey.) And, he told us about a saying they have in Egypt that I'm sure will lose something in the translation.

In the time of apricots, it means when something happens when the chances of it happening are super slim. He said they have this saying because apricots are available for such a short time period, they're ephemeral. I like that. And, I have to say, I love the apricots I have right now. I've got it on my list to re-stock tonight. They might just become an "it's almost spring" tradition.


Cheers!
mouse

02.27.08: Not Pregnant

Dear Friends and Family,

We got up this morning to take the home pregnancy test together. According to the stick, we're "not pregnant." I guess I can expect my monthly guest sometime in the next two or three days. If not, then we test again.


Cheers!
mouse

02.26.08: Any Day Now...

Dear Friends and Family,

Sometime between yesterday and Friday is my scheduled "start date" for my next monthly cycle. Which means Saturday is our scheduled pee-in-a-cup date. I guess it's an anxious waiting game, again.

Honestly, with all the work stress, I'm not sure there's ever a good time. But, in a perfect world, it would be next month - so I can get through the calendar year and align maternity leave and the holidays. But, Murphy's Law says it won't align perfectly. It'll be what it'll be.

And, I have a strange feeling it'll be this month. I know it's my mind playing tricks on me, but, I can't shake the feeling. We'll see.

Today, tomorrow, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Four more days until we test. Although, to be honest, I'll be tempted to test tomorrow, my expected start date based on my approximate-at-best math. Maybe I will test tomorrow. Then, if we can always test again on Saturday.

We'll see how I feel tomorrow.


Cheers!
mouse

02.26.08: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 120

I'm so glad you're here to keep me honest because this was a rough week, eating wise. I had a trip to Boston mid-week that included dinner out with a friend. Then, as you know, over the weekend, we had friends over on Friday and Sunday and went over to a friends' place on Saturday. Oh, to think, Saturday morning, I was 117.

Obviously, another week to try to do better. At a minimum, I've got to stay under 120 which is my two pound cap.

FOOD

almonds, apricots, asparagus, banana, beef broth, block cheese, bulgur, butter, champagne, chicken fried rice, corn tortillas, egg whites, grouper, Haagen Dazs vanilla ice cream, homemade dal, honey orange cake, Michael's aioli, Michael's fish stew, Michael's fruit tart, Michael's stuffed dates, olive oil, pasta, pineapple, pistachios, popcorn, potatoes, roast chicken, strawberries, sushi, whipped cream, white rice, wine

BORDERLINE

Alliance cupcake, baguette, Bennison's apple pie, bran cereal, lactose free milk, Petit Robert lamb shank, Petit Robert macaroons, Petit Robert navy beans, Petit Robert potato leek soup, Petit Robert sausage link, Piece pizza, pretzels, Z Square chickpea burger, Z Square french fries

NOT FOOD (14)

Au Bon Pain turkey sandwich, Costco bluberry muffin, Costco croissant, english muffin, garden burger, Kashi granola bar, Lay's Baked potato chips, mandoo*, Oscar Mayer turkey, rotel, tortilla chips, Trader Joe's bread, water crackers, Whole Foods chocolate truffles


Cheers!
mouse

02.25.08: Weekend with Friends

Dear Friends and Family,

Our weekend was filled with friends - going over and having them over.

Friday night, we had a colleague and his girlfriend over to play mah-jong. They arrived at seven. We ate dinner. And, started play around nine. We played two winds which took us until almost one. I made a tactical error on one hand in waiting for a tile that was all out. But, all-in-all, it was great to break out the set and stretch the mind.

Saturday, we slept in. And, attempted a lemon honey cake for dinner with friends. What an complete and utter failure. We headed out, instead, to our favorite bakery and picked up a half dozen cupcakes. Saturday night, we headed over to our friends' house for dinner with a former colleague and his wife. It was another fun night, but another late night. Which means...

Sunday, we slept in. But, it was sunny and warm. We had just enough time for a walk to get in some air and some exercise. We walked downtown to a store Mr. mouse was curious to see and walked part of the way back. It was about 90 minutes of walking in total - not a ton, but not bad. We average about 3 mph, which would mean we covered just under five miles. Sunday night, we threw a chicken into the oven and made some bulgur and had our friends over for the Oscars.

And, now, it's Monday. And, another work week is upon us.


Cheers!
mouse

A Stretch and a Sigh

Dear Friends and Family,

After a week of seeming hell, I'm doing much better.

1. It's Friday.
2. It's 20° out.
3. I've been out of the office two days, effectively.
4. I haven't had to commute for two days.
5. I was beyond productive on the road.

I'll take the early bus home this afternoon. I'll sleep in tomorrow. Life will be good again, until the next bump in the road that is life.


Cheers!
mouse

02.21.08: Tenderness

Dear Friends and Family,

Well. We did everything we were "supposed to do" for the month. May the hypochondriac games begin! These mind games are the toughest part of "trying".

I've been feeling a little puffy and bloated and out of sorts. And, I've had some crazy chocolate cravings. And, last night, after I took my bra off, I felt some fullness and tenderness in my breasts. And, I'm not due to "start" for another week or so. So, it's a little early for water gain.

Which makes me wonder. Are we? And, when I wonder, I feel a certain level of terror. My god, what have we gotten ourselves into? I think I'm reacting to the crazy, insanely difficult pregnancy my missing co-worker was going through. Who in their right mind would want to be that miserable? I need to see more examples of shiny, happy pregnancies and shiny, happy babies.


Cheers!
mouse

Total Lunar Eclipse

Dear Friends and Family,

I met up with a friend for dinner last night. We were insanely early for our dinner reservation. So, we went for a walk down Commonwealth Avenue. And, I remarked on how beautiful the moon was. It was perfectly round and full and bright and white.

Then, after dinner, back at the hotel room, I finished my email and logged out and read an article about a total lunar eclipse. And, I looked out the window. And, lo and behold, it was almost gone. Actually, I found out later, it was just coming back.

Still, it was good to watch it. As an added bonus, the eclipse plus an excellent dinner with a good friend did much to lift my spirits.


Cheers!
mouse

The Bleakest Hour

Dear Friends and Family,

Another whine and cheese post about me being down. Sorry to drag you through the quagmire that is my life now.

It's damn cold out. By my calculations, this should be the last bad one (sub 20° without the wind chill, if you want MY official definition of cold, sub 5° without the wind + wind, qualifies as damn cold) before winter breaks. It should be, but it might not be. It needs to be. I feel like I'm losing my mind.

Work has turned more political. There's a lot of jockeying going on. And, frankly, I'm not enjoying that right now. We're supposed to be super busy on this super important project. But, really, I feel like a pawn being played between a couple of disinterested players. I hope the situation rights itself soon because when it's not fun, it ceases to be something I'm interested in and merely becomes work.

Hormones. When they hit, they hit with a vengeance. And, it's "that" week. So, whatever I'm feeling, it's magnified by the fact that my body takes my mind on a roller coaster loop-de-loop spinning teacup whirlwind this time of the month. And, it, frankly, sucks.

The commute. Here was my typical week. Mon, I would take mass trans. Tues, I would take mass trans. Wed, Mr. mouse and I would carpool. We would go out to dinner after work. Thurs, would be more mass trans. And, Fri, I'd work from home. Lately, Mr. mouse's Wed meetings have been canceled, so I've been doing the mass trans thing on Wed. And, because of a bunch of random reasons, I've ended up in the office on Fridays. That takes it from three days of mass transit to five. That, plus the fact that it's been fraught with problems recently, has added to my stress.

I miss my friend. Sometimes work was harder for having to work with her, but, I miss having someone to talk to and the days seem longer in the office without her. Morale's been lower on the team, but it's not palpable. It's more subliminal and subconscious. And, I haven't gotten accustomed to not having her in the office.

And, that, my friends, is five reasons why I'm feeling down and out today. Hopefully, if I can make it through today, the worst of the weather will be behind us. Then, if I can make it through the next week, the worst of the hormones will be over and done with as well. Then, I'm tackling three things and not five. And, it won't seem as insurmountable.


Cheers!
mouse

02.19.08: Weekly Weigh In # 105

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 118 or 119

Depending upon the scale and the weigh in day, it's between those two numbers and that's way better than the 121 I reported last week. Guess what?!?! It's my 2 year anniversary on Weight Watchers! Needless to say, I'm very satisfied with the results and will continue on maintenance, at least for the foreseeable future.

Also on my list of wellness updates, after effectively a 2-3 month hiatus, we hit the gym again last night. I noticed I had slowly been losing my muscle tone and my core strength, so I decided to get back in the routine. Tonight, if all goes to plan, yoga and a quick jog.

What'd I eat this past week?

FOOD

almonds, banana, Burger King side salad, homemade dal, homemade polenta with tilapia and tomato sauce, oatmeal with maple syrup, orange juice, pineapple, roast chicken with sweet potatoes and parsnips, roast chicken tacos, strawberries, yogurt

BORDERLINE

cereal with lactose free milk, cereal, Chinese: drunken chicken, Chinese: beef chow fun, Chinese: stir fried vegetables, Chinese: fish congee, homemade pork fried rice, homemade sloppy joe with polenta (aka tamale pie), homemade sloppy joe with rice, Piece mushroom artichoke meatball pizza, Spring desserts (3)

NOT FOOD (11)

Burger King whopper jr, homemade banana ice cream, homemade chicken sausage fried rice, homemade turkey and cheese sandwich with Lay's Baked potato chips, homemade turkey and cheese sandwich with Orville Redenbacher's microwave popcorn, Hop Haus bison burger with mushrooms, Hop Haus french fries, Hop Haus salmon burger, Java City soy hot chocolate (total waste of points, it was lukewarm and not yummy), Kashi granola bar, m&m cookies


Cheers!
mouse

02.18.08: Let's Go Somewhere, Not

Dear Friends and Family,

After a stressful week, we toyed with an impromptu trip to raise our spirits. My trip requirements were: someplace new, sunny, warmer than here, direct flight and hotel points. Unfortunately, such said place didn't exist. It was raining in a good portion of the Western Hemisphere and the places that weren't raining that Mr. mouse came up with were California, New York and London. Frankly, and not to sound spoiled, but I will, I just wasn't that excited.

So, we stayed home. Saturday, we went to the park and the zoo and the outlet mall - all good opportunities to get some sun. Then, Sunday, we ran a couple of errands and bought item #2 of our Christmas gift:

TiVo HD

It has an HD tuner in the box, so we can hook it up to our rabbit ears. We also set up our receiver and our sub woofer and three speakers. So, I'm not sure what this does to our electrical usage. I'm pretty sure it'll go up. I'm not sure by how much. We'll see.

The other thing I did on Sunday was go through an Italian cookbook I had for inspiration. I found a bunch of vegetarian dishes that I want to try now that I've "mastered" polenta. I think next on my list is minestrone soup. With a good hunk of bread and a vegetable dish on the side, it could be a meal. I've focused on bean dishes, like dal, because the vegetable and carb dishes are more familiar. Outside of eggs, milk, soy, and nuts, beans are the easiest form of protein out there if you're looking for meat alternatives.

And, now it's Monday. Let the stress begin.


Cheers!
mouse

Homemade Dal

Dear Friends and Family,

We made our own dal a couple of weeks ago, but the consistency was all wrong and it was too bland for my taste buds. Since I had some time today, I decided to try making another batch.

1 tbs olive oil (15 grams)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt (3 grams)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbs fresh ginger, grated
1/2 tsp turmeric (3 grams)
1 tsp cumin (6 grams)
1/2 tsp pepper (3 grams)
4 cups water (960 grams)
1 cup dry mung beans (230 grams)
salt

1. Rinse the mung beans, pick out any stones.
2. Heat olive oil. Sauté onions and salt until translucent.
3. Add garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin and pepper.
4. Cook 2-3 minutes.
5. Add enough water to de-glaze pan.
6. Add lentils and rest of water.
7. Bring to boil. Simmer, partially covered, 30-35 minutes.
8. Salt to taste, about 1 tsp more.

Serves 4. (4 Weight Watchers points)

I'll warn you. It's got bite. If you want, reduce the turmeric, cumin, garlic and ginger by half.

Key words: Indian, core, vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, anti-inflammatory, protein


Cheers!
mouse

Homemade Polenta

Dear Friends and Family,

We made our own polenta this week and it was SO easy, I was stunned. We had been buying packaged polenta forever under the assumption that polenta is like risotto, a ton of work measuring and stirring and everything. But, it isn't. And, the homemade stuff is all natural, no preservative, goodness. It's a great, low point alternative to pasta. And, for the gluten-free, it's got that going for it as well.

1 cup water (240 grams)
¼ cup cornmeal (50 grams)
salt

1. In a COVERED saucepan, heat water until boiling.
2. Pour in cornmeal, in a thin stream, whisking constantly.
3. Reduce to simmer, stir and cook to desired consistency.
4. Salt to taste.

Serves 1. (3 Weight Watchers points)

I cooked it for an additional 1 or 2 minutes. You can stir in olive oil, cheese, butter, etc. if you want, during the last couple of minutes of cooking. I think it tastes delicious without any additions. I drizzle a little olive oil on top and add whatever pasta topping sounds good. This week we had tilapia in tomato sauce.

Key words: Italian, core, vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, carbohydrate


Cheers!
mouse

Stress Squared

Dear Friends and Family,

Yesterday morning I was stressed about the winter and my effed-up commute and my new work-assignment-from-hell that goes until the end of March. Today, I get to add two more straws onto the camel's back.

I found out a close colleague and friend is leaving the group. And, it not 100% voluntary. And, she's upset, and in shock, and angry and frustrated and a whole bunch of things. And, she needs a friend. And, I want to be that friend. And, I should be that friend. And, I will be that friend. But, frankly, the timing couldn't suck more.

Because...

Guess who gets to pick up her workload? With zero transition time? Moi, of course. And my old work? Still there. And my new work? Still there. I swear, I may take up smoking at the rate the month is unfolding.

I need to take a moment to regroup and center and not lose it. And, I need to dive deep and find that reservoir of strength I know I can draw from. And, I may need to revisit my Top 3 to make room for work, recognizing that the work-life balance is going to suck for the next 46 days. And, trust me, I'm counting down, every single day.

Fun and games.


Cheers!
mouse

Winter Blues II

Dear Friends and Family,

Add to the lack of light and the lack of warmth, a new job assignment from now until March 31 that's high stress. You'd think I'd be dying for spring. Guess what? You'd be right.

But, my friends, that's not enough. My commute has been effed up beyond belief. Here is a log of my last two weeks.

Yesterday, snow, 2 hours and 20 minutes to get home. The day before, COLD COLD COLD, as in 0° with a wind chill of -18° on the train platform COLD. The day before, I worked from home. The day before, accident on highway, 2 hours and 45 minutes to get home. The day before, snow, 2 hours and 30 minutes including an hour wait for the bus. The day before, slow train, fast bus, 40 stranded commuters, I took a cab into work. The day before, snow, as far as I can recall, the commute was okay. The day before, I worked from home. The day before, snow, 3 hours and 15 minutes to get home, after giving up on the bus and then driving in the snow.

So, by my careful count, 1 of my past 7 commutes over the past two weeks has been incident free. OMFG! And, it's supposed to be bad the rest of the week. And, I need to drive for these crap morning meetings. And, that's less sunlight and less sleep and more stress and Fridays in the office and I'm gonna lose it if I'm not careful.

We've seriously toyed with a corporate apartment or an extended stay hotel to put an end to this madness. Mr. mouse can take the train in. And, I can offload a lot of commute stress and just cope with job stress. We'll see how next week goes. But, I for one, am DONE, D-O-N-E, DONE with winter and the cold and the God forsaken snow and the miserable 5-6 hours of my life each day lost to commuting. And, please, please, please, someone, make it spring now, please. I'll be good. I promise.

Each day brings me one day closer to my goal. And, Mr. mouse, he's such a trooper. We'll pull through this one way or another. I've been through worse.


Cheers!
mouse

2008 Mouse Pad Plan - Financially Speaking

Dear Friends and Family,

We're fortunate enough to not live paycheck to paycheck.

Which leads to the age old question of what to do with the extra money. We've done the obvious - fully fund the 401k, fully fund the IRA, save up a decent rainy day fund (should be completed this year), and put aside for our taxes.

Then, we send over a scary amount each month to our financial planner. That's called starting late and trying to catch up on building up our retirement nest egg. And, it's a good thing.

And, that leaves us with just enough left to wonder what to do with the extra. Should be enjoy ourselves and lead a lusher lifestyle? Should we save even more for retirement? Should we donate it to a worthy cause? Should we pay down the house?

Our planner would say we should save it. It's a better return than paying down the mortgage, has more flexibility, and will make retirement come sooner rather than later.

We could just spend more - on ourselves or on a charity. But, I'm not there yet.

What I want to do is pay down the house. Call it irrational because it is. But, there's something about owning your home free and clear. No mortgage, no rent, only taxes and our monthly assessment. That would be wonderful.

But, in times like these, with work uncertain and everything, it's hard to send an extra amount each month. What if in October I want the money and it's locked away and I can only tap into it with a home equity loan? Well, that would blow.

After some careful math this weekend, here's what we ultimately decided to do. Instead of paying extra each month, we're going to put that extra in a money market account - auto transfer to keep ourselves honest. And, then, at the end of the year we're going to send a big check and do the whole loan modification option again. Then, 2009, our mortgage payment shrinks yet again. And, we do the same thing over again in December 2009 with another chunk of saved up money.

It costs $250 to modify the loan, and there's the hassle of paperwork. But, ultimately, you save about $2K each year in interest and the paperwork is worth the yearly flexibility.

So, that's our plan. We'll see how it works this year.


Cheers!
mouse

02.12.08: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 121

Wow. I was doing so good until Friday.

Then, I had an ounce of pistachios and we went out for Turkish for dinner. And, our friends were delayed. So, I had a glass of wine (2 points) and waited. And, then got hungry. And, then got famished. So, when the food arrived and it was delicious, I ate. And, then I ate some more. And, then, just in case, I had some extra. And, it was worth it. And, when I got on the scale Saturday morning, I was no worse for the wear.

Then, I worked all day Saturday. And, on Sunday, I wanted a treat. So, I made blueberry pancakes. And, used up a lot of points on carbs. But, again, seemed no worse for the wear when I got on the scale Monday morning.

Then, yesterday, a co-worker and I went out to lunch. And, it was churrascaria-style. And, I ate a reasonable amount. But, when I got home, I had an ounce of almonds and then dinner. And, when all was said and done for the week, I had used my 18 points, and my 5 flex and then 5 additional flex per day. Yikes. No good mouse.

Well, here's my theory. I think the winter's getting to me. There's the lack of light which has always been bad. And, now, with trying to be green, it's cold, all the time. And, I'm just not coping with it well. All of the other "sacrifices" have been rather painless, even the budget. But, the winter thermostat thing, it's killing me. I might have to turn it back up a couple of degrees to make it the last six weeks until spring.

I will do better this week. I must do better this week. I may cheat on the thermostat, if it allows me to do better this week. I can do better this week.

FOOD

almonds, amaretto, banana, blackened catfish, blueberries, blueberry pancakes, bok choy, brown rice, carrots, coffee, dal, fish tacos, mixed greens, nigiri sushi, orange, pistachios, roast chicken, roast potatoes, spicy Korean soup with chicken, egg white and rice noodles, white rice, wine

BORDERLINE

cereal with lactose free milk, homemade sloppy joe, pork fried rice, Churrascaria buffet salad, Churrascaria french fries basket, Churrascaria meats, Spring ice cream sandwich, Spring rice pudding, Spring sorbet, soy cappuccino, Turkish bread, Turkish hummus, Turkish baba ghanoush, Turkish lamachun, Turkish rice pilaf, Turkish kebabs, Turkish baklava, and last but not least, Turkish tavuk gogsu (chicken custard dessert) with Turkish tea

NOT FOOD

chicken sausage, chocolate fondue with strawberries, bananas, pound cake and pretzels, dark chocolate squares, Edy's Apple Pie Ice Cream, frank and beans, French onion soup, paczki (Polish donut - Mardi Gras tradition of Mr. mouse's from his Motor City days), panettone, Werther's hard candy

Clearly my problems this week were eating out and cleaning out the fridge. Here's to a better week this week.


Cheers!
mouse

Sister Update

Dear Friends and Family,

Had a chance to talk with my sister last night:

• Surgery went well. It wasn't cancer.
• It was endometriosis...
• (uterine lining growing outside the uterus)
• Now, she's on a mission.
• Two kids or probably more. ASAP.
• (as in yesterday)
• She getting married later this year,
• to a guy she started dating last fall,
• a couple of months after her divorce.

How can two sisters be more different?

More to come, I'm sure.


Cheers!
mouse

02.11.08: Quick Weekend

Dear Friends and Family,

Before I get started on the weekend, how is it already mid-February?!?! By my count, we're already 12.5% way (give or take a couple of days) through the year. OMG!

Okay. Back to slow ramp on a Monday morning.

Friday, I was working on a big ole doc for work when shazam, blue screen, corrupted file, fraught mouse. What can you do? Open Word. New document. Start from scratch and hope it goes faster the second time round.

Friday night, we met up with my Turkish friends for dinner. They're expecting. And, it was so good seeing them because she's doing amazing. My one colleague at work is getting by. But, it's been a downer watching her. Her pregnancy has zapped a lot of her energy. Well, I gorged on food at dinner; it was so good; it was worth it.

Saturday, I spent the day working more or less. I took a break here and there to do some small errands around the house and give myself a mental break. But, essentially, it was a work day. Oh, and, I also napped around 5 o'clock. I love afternoon naps. After my nap, I had a nice hot cup of coffee to wake up. And, then, I got into a groove and punched out my document. Sent it off. 2 o'clock (in the morning) and it was time for bed. But, it felt so good to be done.

Sunday, I slept in. Blueberry pancakes with maple syrup for breakfast. Yum! Then, I was lazing around and enjoying the sun. But, Mr. mouse was anxious to go out. So, we bundled up (it was 0° outside) and went shopping. We stopped by two camping stores looking for a brush for my Sigg bottles. No luck. (Note to self, buy Sigg stock, short Nalgene stock.) Then, we went to Ann Taylor Loft to try on some new pants. My old pants were getting a little baggy even if my weight's stabilized. So, I decided to try on the 0P pants. They're a little snugger than I'd like in a perfect world. But, they do fit better than my 2P's. And, they were on sale, so I bought two pairs for $80.

We hit the supermarket next. And, on a whim, I threw a packet of corn tortillas in the cart. Got home. Opened the fridge to look at dinner options, and decided to make fish tacos for dinner. Mr. mouse made a quick batter of corn starch, chili powder and beer. He cut up some tilapia, coated it with egg white, tossed it in the batter and then onto a hot pan with a drizzle of canola oil. I diced up some onions and jalapeños, cut some avocado chunks and lime wedges, spooned up some Rotel and some salsa. Mr. mouse heated up the corn tortillas. I cleaned some mixed greens for a side salad. And, voilà, dinner was served. It was so yummy. And, minus the beer which you can sub in club soda, was gluten free, for those of you who track flour intake.

Then, we played a game of Stratego which I completely fumbled. And, a game of Pass the Pigs which I won by sheer luck. And, a game of Golf on the Wii which Mr. mouse won easily. And, last but not least, Practice Bowling, which I lucked out on big time. Then, it was time for bed.


Cheers!
mouse

My Imperfect Alarm Clock

Dear Friends and Family,

I've had an emotionally and physically exhausting week. Between the lack of sleep and a brutal commute, I've been barely getting by all week and counting the days until the weekend and the promise of sleep.

So, Mr. mouse decided to let me sleep in this morning. On any normal Friday, that wouldn't be a problem. But, today, I have a ton of work to do. And, deeper down, I don't like it when he makes that decision for me. That's not his call to make. I decide when I wake up and when I sleep. Just like I decide what I eat and what I wear. I don't like it when he oversteps his bounds, especially on deciding my wake up time.

It disrupts my morning routine in too many ways - I wake up disjointed, so right off the bat it's no good. I need to rethink my day. Bad. I don't have that relaxed feeling of time in the morning. More bad. The first thing that needs to go is my time for tea and slow waking. Great. The second thing that needs to go is my time for blogging. And, hence you end up with a garbage entry post. And, third, the morning is my time to think grand thoughts and dream big dreams. And, poof, it's gone. And, I'm diving into the day. And, somehow, he did me a favor. Wunderbar.


Cheers!
mouse

Surprise House Guest

Dear Friends and Family,

We had a surprise house guest last night. Our friend, CAR, was headed back from France. But, with the weather we had last night, she missed her connection and then the later flights canceled.

We went out for sushi. And, then, over to Spring for dessert. We came back pretty early and turned in pretty early. I was beat from a bunch of consecutive late nights. And, CAR was coming off a trans-Atlantic flight. We all needed our Zzz's.

CAR is thinking green and sustainable too. But, on a much bigger scale than me. There's trying to change a lot to one household's impact on the environment (i.e. us and our action plan). Then there's trying to change a little to many households' impact on the environment (e.g. through better design). For now, I'll continue to do the little things I can to make the world a better place.

Maybe one day, some day, when I'm ready for my next big change, I'll think about I want to do different, career-wise. Sadly, it's probably about 6-8 years from now. But, you never know, things can change all the time. Maybe it'll be sooner rather than later. We'll see.


Cheers!
mouse

Doing My Civic Duty

Dear Friends and Family,

For the first time, caught up in the fervor that is Election Year 2008, I voted in the primary elections. So, who did I vote for? And, more importantly, why?

As a social liberal, fiscal conservative, W. and I have very little in common. In fact, in 2004, upon waking in November to another four years, I debated moving to Canada. So, here I am, four years later, wanting to (and feeling obliged to) take a more participatory role in what is, essentially, my largest civic duty, voting. Not that I didn't vote in 2004, but I waited until November before taking any real part in the process.

First question: Democrat or Republican? Ask me when I first started voting and I probably would have said Republican. Since then, I've evolved and so has the party. And, when asked last night, I said Democrat.

Ballot in hand, I had the much tougher second question: Clinton or Obama? And, my colleague summed it up so succinctly. Your heart says Obama. Your head says Clinton. Change. Yes. Experience. Yes. Dynasty. No. Abstain Votes. No. What's a girl to do? I can't say I'm educated enough to see any substantive difference in policy. So, I followed my head and a tiny bit of my heart (I still love the thought of a female president as a role model for the young girls in our country) and cast a vote for HRC.

We'll see how it all unfolds as the relentless primary race continues on.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: Met up with an old work colleague last night. She was in town on business. I love her. She's so solid. If I could work with her again, I would, in an instant. She gets so much done and is so consistent. It was refreshing to see her again.

02.05.08: On the Baby Making Train, Again

Dear Friends and Family,

Another month, another ovulation window, another try at baby.

I've spent a lot of time fretting about the impact this will have on work. In my head, I know it shouldn't have any impact whatsoever. In my heart and gut, I can't get over all of my fears and worries about seen and unseen biases in the work environment. I can't help but wonder if having Small will impact my career.

It's tough. But, for now, I'm still willing to take the leap of faith and try. This will definitely be one of those one step at a time things. Otherwise, it'll overwhelm me.


Cheers!
mouse

02.05.08: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 120

Wow. That's tough to write. Two weeks, four pounds. Time to get back under control. First, there was the Chinese New Year party weekend - with prep food, party food and post party food. Then, there was LA. And, late dinners and bad breakfasts and agency snacking. And, there was the four days of non-stop grazing and eating junk, knowing that Tuesday it'd be time to pay the piper.

I had a notion (when planning maintenance out last year) of using Lent as a time to go back on the 18 points a day routine, as a time to remind myself of the good habits Weight Watchers teaches and as a time to remind myself that denial is sometimes a good thing. And, fortunately, Lent starts tomorrow, which means I start today.


Cheers!
mouse

02.04.08: The Wonderful Feeling of Clean

Dear Friends and Family,

We didn't do a ton this weekend.

We spent Saturday doing the last of the clean up from the party. And, Sunday, I had time to do a deep clean on the floors. There's our normal cleaning routine which involves a Swiffer mop and several of those micro-fiber cloths. And, there's our deep cleaning routine which involves busting out the Hoover Floor Mate, Method wood cleaner, moving furniture around, and the power scrub. I love the power scrub. The end result is a lovely almond smell and utterly beautiful feeling floors.

I have to confess, we don't clean as often as we could. Normally, it's been a battle just keeping the place organized. It's nice to have reached a point where I can spend time on cleaning and not just organizing. Honestly, it's a never ending battle but one I continue to soldier on in the hopes of one day winning the war. Back to yesterday, the waste "water" that the vacuum picked up was absolutely filthy. There's grey and dirty, and then there's black and filthy. Ours was the latter. I might use my March living and dining room clean up time to do another deep clean on the floor.

1. I love the feeling of clean floors.
2. I hope the water is less dirty the next time around.

And, that, was the highlight of my weekend.

We played Scrabble Saturday night. But, that got it's own post. I tried a new lentil recipe, but that's a later post. And, we watched the game last night which I enjoyed more than I thought I would.


Cheers!
mouse

New High Score

Dear Friends and Family,

Just scored my personal best in Scrabble: 471

Compliments of:

• jaws (triple word score)
• latinos (bingo)
• annually (bingo)
• qat (triple letter on the Q)
• kilo (double letter on the K, double word)
• tirades (bingo)
• both blanks
• and all four esses

I need to go cheer up Mr. mouse.


Cheers!
mouse

Winter Wonderland

Dear Friends and Family,

It started snowing yesterday morning. And, it snowed on and off until just before lunch today. It made traffic a mess, but I love the winter look and feel of snow. Plus, snow usually means it's not as cold out which is also a good thing.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: It's been getting brighter earlier and staying brighter later. This morning, I was able to read the scale without turning on the lights.

02.01.08: The Baby To Do List

Dear Friends and Family,

Time to revisit the list from October.

1. doctor's appointment: annual check up
2. pick an ob/gyn, schedule appointment
3. new vitamin routine/prenatals
4. buy books, read up on what to expect
5. regular sex life, not this 1-2 times a month thing
6. normal work life, manage working late communications
7. exercise routine, I own this one
8. Weight Watchers maintenance, I own this one
9. low refined sugar diet SKIP
10. conceive by 4/21/08

We're making progress against the list. I thought we were half way through, but apparently we need to go back and do step #2 again. Nice. I guess it is what it is. We've got three more months. According to the doctor, 30% of couples conceive within that time frame. We'll see.


Cheers!
mouse

02.01.08: Back to Square One, Almost

Dear Friends and Family,

I got a call from the doctor's office yesterday. The test for the genetic disorder came back negative. And, I tested positive for chicken pox anti-bodies. Yeah!

I asked to be transferred over to scheduling so I could schedule my annual exam, as requested during our pre-conception counseling visit. And, there I learned that our doctor doesn't normally schedule appointments on Fridays, my preferred day for scheduling appointments.

What a pain in the @$$. I felt like the pre-conception counseling session was a complete waste of our time and our insurance dollars. Now, I need to have another one with another doctor and it's on my dime. I was so pissed.

And, Mr. mouse's attitude got me going as well. He's like... how many visits can there be? What's the big deal? Can't you do Thursdays? And, I'm like, no, I have a job - a job I enjoy and a job I'm doing well in. I don't want to ef the whole thing up just to have a baby. I don't want to be taking Thursdays off left and right to go to the doctor.

And, there's the crux of this. I feel like I need to make the trade-off between work and baby. And, Mr. mouse doesn't need to. And, it's beginning already. And, we're not even pregnant yet.

And, he's being very laissez faire about the whole thing. I need him to be more excited, more into it, more enthused. Why is it I'm the one doing all the crazy math and tracking and getting frustrated when we're not having sex at the right time of the month? Why is this all on me?

I'm almost ready to call it quits. I'm really not all that jazzed about all of this right now.


Cheers!
mouse

Massive Catch Up Post

Dear Friends and Family,

Just need to catch up on the million and one little things that make life interesting.

1. weigh in: 121. Get out of town. From five days worth of eating? Time to start counting again. Today. New approach obviously doesn't work.
2. January budget: $465.45 ($105 haircut, $85 water bottles, $62 gym, $59 coin sets, $55 napkins, $26 train pass, $17 Weight Watchers, $15 OM Yoga intermediate, $12 taxi, $11 lunch at work, $11 Amos' stocking stuffer, $7 coffee at work, $2 parking)
3. Action Item #7: Paperless statements for American Express. Less paper is a good thing.
4. Action Item #8: Paperless statements for Master Card. Ditto above.
5. Action Item #9: Bought napkins for the home. Nicer than "paper" and they're reusable.
6. Action Item #10: Bought water bottles. They're metal, so none of the leaching controversy.
7. overall health: excellent. Still have blacking out in the morning. Great.
8. cholesterol: doing better. HDL: 50. Up from 41. Still want to get it over 60.

Phew. I think I'm all caught up. A week and a half's worth of posts in one. Sorry for the data dump. It's almost Friday!


Cheers!
mouse

Taking a Break

Dear Friends and Family,

I've been bad. I feel like I've fallen off of the Weight Watchers wagon the past five days. I haven't logged my points. I'm relatively certain I can't have strayed too far in that short a time, but, I feel like I've lost my commitment to my wellness. Or, maybe, I'm ready for something new.

I've debated a new approach. I know, relatively speaking, what my food should look like. What if, after my daily weigh in, I eat accordingly without counting points? Would I be able to maintain? I might try it the rest of this week. And see what next Tuesday's weigh in is.

Sorry, not much more on my mind. I'm drawing a blank here.


Cheers!
mouse

01.29.08: Weekly "Weigh In"

Dear Friends and Family,

weekly weigh in: 116-120

On the road for work. I was 118 when I weighed in yesterday morning. But, I know a lot of that was weekend/party snacking. Then, yesterday was a mix of fruit, Denny's, coffee, m&m's, more fruit and sushi. So, I'm not sure if it helped or hurt the numbers. I'll try to eat healthier today. And, I'll get back on the scale on Thursday when I return home. Food post, etc. to return next week.

On a positive note, after two and a half weeks of working through stomach stuff, I'm finally feeling better. 100% better. Yeah!


Cheers!
mouse

01.27.08: Pre-Conception Counseling

Dear Friends and Family,

Mr. mouse and I went in Friday afternoon for a visit with an ob/gyn for "pre-conception counseling." Basically, not a lot of new news.

• They took 2 vials of blood. One to check for some genetic disorder. One to check for chicken pox anti-bodies.
• They gave us a bunch of samples of pre-natal vitamins. After comparing them to my current vitamins, I've decided to continue taking my Canyon Ranch until we conceive. Then we'll make the switch to pre-natals.
• We should "try" for six months. Then check back in.
• They'll do a gestational diabetes test early on me since type II runs in the family.
• I need to schedule an annual exam. I'm due.

Cheers!
mouse

01.27.08: Chinese New Year Party

Dear Friends and Family,

Another year, another rocking Chinese New Year's party.

We had about 50 people over Saturday night for an evening of festivity. Our neighbors from the mouse house flew in Friday and spent the day downtown. We got Due for dinner and then spent the evening doing some basic prep for the party. One of the funniest moments was when we were trying to get some table legs we bought to work on a table top we owned. About halfway through our trials and tribulations, Mr. mouse remembered that we have the matching table top in our basement. And, would you believe it had pre-drilled holes to boot? How funny is that?!?!

Saturday. Mr. mouse and the Dad hit Chinatown for some last minute groceries while the Mom, the Daughter and I hung the decorations and organized the mouse pad. We got everything done with time to spare. It was so good having help and feeling done. We settled in to watch the lava lamp and predict the time of our first guest arrivals. 5:15 was the magic number. I won the bet - by guessing that one of my work colleagues would be the first to show.

50 people is just about a perfect number. It's enough to feel like a party, but not so many that I'm running around like a chicken with her head cut off. I get to spend a decent amount of time with each of the guests which is nice.

• There was no drama this year. This is weird.
• It was a light beer and red wine kind of crowd.
• The women from old work like to cuddle.
• This intrigues/fascinates all of the men at the party.
• One of the analysts from my work tried to make a move on one of my friends from old work.
• We all intervened, as girlfriends should.
• One of the analysts from Mr. mouse's work is a member of the clean plate club.
• Except, he was trying to apply it to vodka bottles.
• We all intervened, as hosts should.
• The Dad took some awesome pictures.

And, that about sums up the party. Here's to welcoming in the year of the Rat, sometime in February.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: My cup for the evening: 1 shot @ 1 AM with whoever wants to join me.

PPS: 6AM flight tomorrow morning. Hence the Sunday evening post.

mouse, the Sherpa

Dear Friends and Family,

It was -4° yesterday morning. What'd I wear to work?

• underwear and bra
• wool socks
• black pants
• beige turtleneck sweater
• black dress socks (socks#2)
• ski pants (pants #2)
• red v-neck sweater (sweater #2)

With me so far? Okay, onto outerwear.

• boots
• scarf
• coat
• hat
• gloves
• coat #2 (the brown coat)
• hood (aka hat #2)
• gloves #2

I couldn't find my red scarf, so I was missing scarf #2. The layers kept me warm. But, I must have looked like a round, brown ball. My cube mate said I looked like a Sherpa.


Cheers!
mouse

01.24.08: Enjoying Life

Dear Friends and Family,

I feel a little guilty writing this. But, January's been kinda nice. I'm 95% certain we're not pregnant. And, as a result, I can eat what I want (e.g. sushi) and drink I want (e.g. coffee) and have sex when we want (vs. when the calendar tells us we should) and take medication when I want (e.g. Advil) and not have to worry and ponder and calculate and everything.

I've seen morning sickness firsthand. And, it's not a pretty picture. And, having had a bout of vomiting recently with the stomach flu thing, I'm not sure I want to experience it on a continual basis.

It's just been kinda nice to be carefree and me and not have baby in the foreground loop this month. Maybe we've been approaching this all wrong.


Cheers!
mouse

Personal-Professional Boundaries

Dear Friends and Family,

I had an incident yesterday that I think might cause me some angst in the future. Someone I know, at work, is having problems. And, I'm not sure how or where to draw the line between friend and colleague.

Some things I am absolutely clear on. If I tell someone I won't repeat something told to me in confidence, I won't. That's my integrity on the line. And, if I give advice, I give it whole heartedly without thinking of what it means for the network externalities. Sometimes it's what they want to hear, sometimes it isn't. I'm not one to mince words to say what I think someone wants to hear, but what I think someone needs to hear. Hey, if you want hugs and kisses and a sympathetic shoulder, they're available in aisle two.

But, sometimes, I want to plug my fingers in my ears and babble and not hear. Sometimes, I want to just put my head down and focus on me and my priorities. Sometimes, I just want to be selfish and look after #1.

But, then, I remember, there are times I needed a friend. And, my friends have never let me down. And, I remember, by helping, it makes them feel better, and that's important to overall karma and creating a positive environment. And, I remember, I should feel honored to be someone that someone trusts, that someone values as a friend.

And, there is my quandary. Work is easy when it's just work. Life is easy when it's just life. When the two overlap, the intersection is a tricky balance. We're not automatons that come in and do a job. We're people. But, we are paid to do a job. And, that's work.

Hopefully, time will provide clarity for all of us.


Cheers!
mouse

Customer Service Bonanza

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm drawing a blank on what to write about. We turned in early last night, so we didn't do a much party prep last night as we should have. So, Mr. mouse is up and about in the kitchen which might be throwing a kink into my morning routine. I can do a routine update on more things I'm doing against my Living Green Action Plan. Or, I can write about my January Wish List. Or, I can write about party prep. Choices. Choices. Clearly, it's time for a Life in General Update.

Okay. Status check on life. Overall, I'd give it high marks. Mr. mouse and I are very happy living together. We're enjoying work. We're enjoying non-work. We're enjoying settling into the mouse pad together. We're enjoying going through stuff and organizing. We're enjoying putting money away for retirement. We're enjoying the little things that make each day unique. And, there I have it. I know what I'm going to write about.

Mr. mouse had the most awesome day yesterday. He went to get the registration sticker for his car and there was no line at the place. He walked right in and walked right up and got his sticker and was in and out in next to no time. Then, later in the day, he got a call from my auto-pay device people to say that they had looked at the statement and were removing the fines. No problem. Then, later in the day, he got a call from the cell phone company, about an email he had submitted about an error in his bill on text messaging. They called to resolve it.

So, in 24 hours, three different, niggling, random, oh-bother, more-trouble-than-it's-worth issues got resolved for us. I'm convinced there's karma in this world. And, when you're good, eventually, good things happen to you. Sometimes it's not immediate. But, when it happens, it's so rewarding.


Cheers!
mouse

01.22.08: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 117

Still not feeling back to 100%, but essentially had a normal week. I ate 21 points a day + 35 flex with the exception of last Tuesday, when I was sick. Last Tuesday, I got down and kept down 14 points. Close enough for government work.

This week, I think I need to focus on eating in. Our fridge is getting full of random pieces of this and that and leftovers from here and there. I hate having food go bad. So, this is as good a week as any to stay on top of that.

Did I mention how much I love having a clean house?

FOOD

almonds, beef short ribs, bok choy, brown rice, canola oil, chicken stock, cinnamon, cocoa, corn starch, egg, ground beef, homemade egg bread, honeydew, miso paste, mixed greens, mushrooms, oatmeal raisin cookie, olive oil, pasta, peanut butter, potato, salmon, soy cappuccino, sugar, sushi, tomatoes, vanilla, whole wheat pasta

BORDERLINE

bran cereal, bread, chicken marsala, jam*, kim chee, lactose free milk, pasta bolognese, pizza, shrimp tempura, soy sauce, steamed mussels, sushi rolls, tofu

NOT FOOD (12)

baked beans, chinese cake with frosting, chinese curry beef pastry, Diet Coke, garden burger, Hebrew National 97% fat free hot dog*, Kashi lunch, mandoo*, Nestle Crunch, Quaker Oats Instant Express Oatmeal*, shu mai, udon


Cheers!
mouse

01.21.08: Blissfully Clean House

Dear Friends and Family,

It was brutally cold this weekend, so there were no temptations to distract us from my mission - to get the house clean and ready for the party. Ah, I cannot describe the bliss of sitting here knowing that each and every room (not including the basement) is both organized and clean, at once. We usually do a rolling cleaning routine, focusing on one room at a time. But, this time, it's the whole house at once. Sigh. I'm so happy.

Saturday, Mr. mouse went shopping with a friend to get some groceries for the party. I stayed home to do some organization. Actually, that was the key to this whole endeavor working - we completely disassociated organization from cleaning. We got the house minus the living room organized on Saturday. Saturday night, we headed out to Chinatown to pick up decorations for the party. And, got another expired registration ticket. It's enough to make a saint cuss.

Sunday, we tackled the papers in the living room. And, we found, of all things, our registration papers that need to be paid on Mr. mouse's car (%^$#@!), an ipod gift card we bought last Christmas that wasn't properly authorized at the story (double %^$#@!) and our house warming gift from our realtor for a local restaurant that has since closed (triple %^$#@!). We also called in for my car fines. I need to fax in some paperwork to show I have the auto-pay device. Fun. Fun. Fun.

I guess that's the hazard of getting organized. It reminds you of the pain of being disorganized. On a positive note, now that we've gotten this far, I hope to quickly bounce back house-wise from the party - give the place a thorough cleaning the weekend after the party. And, then, maintain. And, tackle the basement.

I love a clean house.


Cheers!
mouse

Electricity Tracking: January 2008

Dear Friends and Family,

electricity usage: 614 kWh

Down from December of last year, up from November of this past year. We spent a week at home between Christmas and New Years enjoying the house and ourselves, so it's only to be expected. And, we installed our NAS which is on 24/7. And, the second fridge is 95% empty now, so it's working super hard to stay cold.

I'm curious to see how 2008 will play out. At a minimum, I want each month to be lower than its corresponding month in 2007. And, in an ideal world, I figure out how to get down to 450 kWh per month.

Countering all of this planning is my realization that I've over complicated my life. I maintain a lot of notes on excel because I'm not a paper all over the house kinda gal. And, I have one spread sheet for cleaning tracking, one for budget tracking, one for ovulation tracking, one for idea tracking, one for weather tracking, one for retirement contributions tracking, one for mortgage tracking, one for when I got sick tracking, and last but not least one for weight tracking. Wow, that's a lot of tracking. That's a lot to stay on top of.

I've decided to stop the madness. Close all of the sheets. Open them as needed. The only one that'll remain open is the budget one. All the rest of them can and will leave the foreground loop. I feel better already.


Cheers!
mouse

Tickets and Fines and More Stuff to Do

Dear Friends and Family,

It's been a fun week for us, vehicular fines-wise. Mr. mouse got a ticket for an expired registration last Thursday. And, I received a letter in the mail, over the weekend, with $100 in fines for going through the auto-pay lane on the tollways without an auto-pay device. If either of us was guilty of the crime we'd supposedly committed, we'd be okay with paying, but we're not.

Mr. mouse and I sent in our registration payments together. I got my sticker, he didn't get his. I have an auto-pay device. If I didn't, I'd be racking up $20 a week in fines for much more than the $100 they sent me a bill for. So, now, we've both got to take the time and effort to figure out what the %$#@! we've got to do to fix both of these situations.

I've got a simple solution. Sell my car. I take the train three days a week to work. I work from home one day. Mr. mouse and I carpool one day. We don't need two cars. That way, his car wouldn't be on the streets collecting tickets and my car wouldn't be using the alternate auto-pay device that's harder to provide backup info on (EZ-Pass vs I-PASS). Then, both of these situations wouldn't have occurred.

That might be on our to do list post party.

1. Sell my car.
2. Unplug the extra fridge.
3. Research tankless hot water heaters.
4. Taxes.
5. Finish data transfers.

It's good we don't have anything planned for February.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: Still felt crummy yesterday afternoon. But, hopefully today goes without incident.

01.16.08: January Effectively Gone

Dear Friends and Family,

We gave it the old college try, for one night, before I got sick, in case I had a 28 day cycle which is unlikely, but, possible. And, then I got sick. And, then I took a boatload of not-for-pregnant women medicines. And, we just kinda decided no for the rest of January. Maybe February.


Cheers!
mouse

01.16.08: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 117

For those of you who have been following the unfolding GI tract drama, I'm feeling a lot better today. I slept through the night last night without any incidents waking me. And, it looks like the lower tract is now functioning per design. Yeah!

Nothing like being sick for three days straight to sort out the couple of pounds I put on over the holidays. I'm sure I'll gain some of it back with getting re-hydrated, so the 117 number is temporary at best.

Where'd I land points wise? I missed 15 points one day and I had 6 flex left at the end of the week. I had 21 points allocated for the week, so effectively, I ate 21 + 14 flex. Definitely not great, but not bad for a week of being sick.

FOOD

almonds, apples, bananas, basil, beef broth, beef short ribs, block cheese, bok choy, brown rice, bulgur, butter, canola oil, caramel sauce, carrots, chicken breast, chicken stock, chicken thighs, chocolate sauce, club soda, egg, egg whites, espresso, garlic, ginger, homemade whole wheat bread, honey, jalapeño peppers, maple syrup, mushrooms, mustard, napa cabbage, olive oil, onions, orange juice, pan chan, parsley, rice wine vinegar, sashimi, sea bass, sesame seeds, shallots, sugar, sun dried tomatoes, sushi, sweet potatoes, tea, tomatoes, Vosges chocolate, white rice

BORDERLINE

bibimbap, bran cereal, bread, cookies, creamsicle ice cream*, hot cocoa, ice cream sandwich, jam*, kim chee, lactose free milk, pizza, sushi rolls, Vietnamese spring rolls

NOT FOOD (11)

Diet Coke, Diet Ginger Ale, Gatorade, Ginger Ale, Kashi granola bar, Korean yogurt, Lean Cuisine*, mandoo, mayonnaise, viactiv calcium chew, Whal Myung Su


Cheers!
mouse

Upper Digestive Tract: Done, Lower: Work in Progress

Dear Friends and Family,

The vomiting, nausea and burps are gone. And, has been replaced by bloating, cramping, churning and diarrhea. Lovely. I have to say, I can't recall a worse case, ever. Beautiful.

I'm not sure I'm headed into work today. I think I'll try to spare everyone and work from home. I'm also going to wait until I feel better to weigh in. No point taking a weight measurement that means nothing to nobody.


Cheers!
mouse

01.14.08: Catching Up on My Zzz's

Dear Friends and Family,

Trixie came out for the weekend. Her father (not biological, but father figure growing up) passed away last week and the service was this weekend. She flew in on Friday and stayed until Sunday. It was good to have an opportunity to catch up with her while she was here even if the circumstances bringing her here were less than ideal.

Friday night we went out to Shikago for dinner. Had a round of sushi rolls, tuna tartare, and Thai shrimp. Then, we had nigiri and Vietnamese spring rolls. Then, we headed over to Spring for dessert. Apparently, we met the whole staff New Year's Eve, but I didn't recall any of it. We ordered two desserts, but three came out. The ice cream sandwiches were amazing. And, the miniature cookies were darling. And, the granita with rice pudding, pure crack. It's criminal, really, to get your customers hooked like that. And, there was a lemon, thyme, chocolate concoction that was pure heaven. I have to say, it's an easy place to fall in love with.

Saturday, we had a lazy omelette breakfast together before Trixie headed out to the service. I slept the afternoon while Mr. mouse spent time organizing and cleaning and doing errands. We had dinner in - Chilean sea bass with herb butter; napa cabbage; and sweet potato chips with maple syrup. I made myself a banana split dessert to get some potassium in. And, we played Scrabble to close out the evening. Trixie got Ms. Jordan's vang on the board which was hilarious. And, I discovered keef for my final word - which was fortunate because I needed to blow the K before the game ended.

Saturday night, the fun and games began. I woke in the middle of the night feeling a litany of symptoms that included fever, nausea, diarrhea, queasiness, dizziness, etc. You name it, I had it. Oh, let's not forget headache, stomachache and cold sweat. Mr. mouse made a concoction of orange juice and sugar. I threw up most of it back up along with my dinner, in phases throughout the night. And, I was tossing and turning and moaning and groaning. It wasn't a pretty sight.

Mr. mouse and Trixie had breakfast, before he dropped her off somewhere. He ran some errands while I slept the morning away. I made it down to the couch by around noon. And, slept there until close to six. We had a simple dinner of chicken broth, baguette and jam before going back upstairs. I took a virtual pharmacopoeia of OTC drugs to calm my stomach before finally falling asleep again.

And, here I am, still feeling a little queasy, but headed into work for the day. Hope to have better news for you tomorrow.


Cheers!
mouse

Mr. mouse, My Hero

Dear Friends and Family,

I had my yearly doctor's appointment this morning. And, because they draw blood for cholesterol and glucose measurement, you can't eat from midnight the night before. Well, I drove downtown, and there was no parking. And, I was cold and lost and hungry and well not in good shape. And, falling apart at the seams, I texted Mr. mouse. After a couple of back and forth exchanges, I told him I'd be okay and settled in for the appointment. Always focus on what you can control and let go of what you can't. That's my mantra.

Well, I came out from the appointment and signed up for the lab to get blood drawn. And, there's Mr. mouse. (He has the same doctor, so he knows where it's located.) And, he brought me lunch - chicken Caesar salad, no cheese, no dressing. He picked out the croûtons and peeled and added an apple. God bless him. Then, he got the car while I had my blood drawn and drove me to the highway entrance - giving me enough time to scarf down my lunch and precluding me from getting lost.

And, this, my friends, is why he occupies an exclusive spot in my heart.


Cheers!
mouse

RBK Custom Shoes

Dear Friends and Family,

They're here. And, no, I'm not talking Poltergeist circa 1982. I'm talking about my new shoes! A friend gave me a card for a free pair of custom RBK (aka Reebok) shoes. So, I went on their site and made me a pair.

I got the inspiration for the red on orange while we were down in South Africa. And, I added the yellow to give it a little punch. I think my friend's right. Once you go custom, there's no going back.


Cheers!
mouse

01.10.08: Time to Start Trying Again

Dear Friends and Family,

It's that time again. We're entering into our third month of the trying game. I'm glad it didn't happen right away. And, I'm still a little scared of the life changing impact if it does happen. But, I figure that's all part of this experience.

To be honest, I'm not sure I can process what all this will mean for our lives. But, I'm pretty sure those are typical thoughts that go through many people's heads. Or maybe, they don't. And, I'm not approaching this the right way. I'm not sure.

Well, here's to trying.


Cheers!
mouse

Action Item #6: Pass on the Red Eye

Dear Friends and Family,

I've been doing this for a couple of months, but haven't had a chance to write about it. I've decided to forgo the free paper every morning. It's available in a little red dispenser and it provided entertainment on my commute and kept me kinda sorta up-to-date in a skewed kinda way. Then, I realized how much paper I was consuming in my morning entertainment consumption and decided to pass on the Red Eye. It was tough the first couple of weeks, but, now, I don't miss it.

2008 Action Plan

1. 12.20.07: I conducted a power usage audit.
2. 12.26.07: I donated my VCR.
3. 12.26.07: I put the Wii and Wii TV on a power strip.
4. 01.05.08: I put the radio and ipod on a power strip.
5. 01.05.08: I signed up for paperless bank statements.
6. 01.07.08: I eliminated my daily morning paper.

Cheers!
mouse

Action Item #5: Sign Up for Paperless Bank Statements

Dear Friends and Family,

This one is a tough one. But, I'm going to try it. Hopefully, it turns out to be less painful in practice than it is in theory. I signed up for paperless bank statements. We can still see everything online. But, I won't get a statement in the mail each month going forward.

I've categorized living green into a couple of buckets to help me think about ways to live better. There's electricity, gas (home), water, paper, gas (car), food, supply chain, and waste. This action item would fit into the paper reduction category. Waste isn't really a category, but it's a important clue. If there's stuff leaving the house as garbage to go into a landfill, how can we prevent it from coming into the house in the first place?

2008 Action Plan

1. 12.20.07: I conducted a power usage audit.
2. 12.26.07: I donated my VCR.
3. 12.26.07: I put the Wii and Wii TV on a power strip.
4. 01.05.08: I put the radio and ipod on a power strip.
5. 01.05.08: I signed up for paperless bank statements.

Cheers!
mouse

Action Item #4: Put Radio and iPod on Power Strip

Dear Friends and Family,

And, now that I'm on the power strip kick, I put the old radio and the old ipod in the living room on a power strip. They fit into the high power leakage, very low regular monthly usage category that makes a strip make sense. The only other item that might benefit from a power strip is our printer. Fortunately, that's the limit. I can do three without feeling like I have power strips all over the house.

2008 Action Plan

1. 12.20.07: I conducted a power usage audit.
2. 12.26.07: I donated my VCR.
3. 12.26.07: I put the Wii and Wii TV on a power strip.
4. 01.05.08: I put the radio and ipod on a power strip.

Cheers!
mouse

Budget Update - December

Dear Friends and Family,

If November was tough, December was ridiculous. It was a five week month (which I made the executive decision to shorten to a four week month), there are a lot of holiday chip ins at work, there's the end of year tip for my hair cutter, Mr. mouse spent $66.51 on socks and underwear for me (13% of my budget right there!) and when he ordered the Kill a Watt Meter, he got next day shipping which tacked on another $20 to my budget unexpectedly. But, in the end, I made it.

I switched to a four week month not to make the budget (I would have made the five week budget), but because that way, my budgetary months align with my travel months making both calendars easier to track. Really, this is all a voluntary thing, so it all comes down to what I'm comfortable with, after all.

There's a list of things, that after careful consideration, I decided not to count. There's my multi-vitamins. The folic acid and omega 3s make them my current proxy for prenatal vitamins. And, I decided not to count anything I need to do for Small in my budget. When the time comes, she'll get her own budget. For now, it's just not that important. I also didn't include some tea we bought. I was torn, because we bought it in a boutique, but I don't normally include food items unless it's prepared food. So, I didn't count it. Glasses and contacts - seems a little weird to count something medically required. Maybe, some day in the future I will. And, last but not least, my toothbrush heads. Didn't count them. I don't count toothpaste, detergent, etc. so figured I wouldn't count tooth brush heads either. I've tried to be precise, but I could go crazy doing this.

I think this whole exercise is a good thing. It's really helped me curtail excess unnecessary spending and helped me focus on what's important to me. It helps me build torwards retirement and reduces my carbon footprint. So, for now, I'll continue with my tracking exercise.

Description	Amount
Haircut & Tip	125.00
Michael Kors Scarf (buyer's remorse)	75.78
Socks and Underwear (Mr. mouse bought it for me)	66.51
Gym	62.00
Train Pass	39.40
Kill a Watt Meter	38.96
Sweater, Banana Republic	35.79
Work - misc (gifts, etc.)	34.80
Tailoring	20.00
Weight Watchers	16.95
Lotion	8.96
Snacks, Coffee, Soda, etc.	8.72
Ice Cream Maker (sale)	-20.00
Sweater (gift card credit)	-27.53
Total	$485.34

Cheers!
mouse

01.08.08: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 119

After a two week hiatus, the weekly weigh in post is back. In case you're wondering why I skipped on the report out, it wasn't that my weight was ballooning for two weeks and I was ashamed to report it. It was prioritizing Christmas and New Years messages for the holidays.

Not a lot of new news here. Detox was good. Eating out was high in sodium. Given my blood pressure and pulse, I'm not sure why I care. But, I guess I'm bullied into caring by the health junkie articles I read. I did succumb to the diet sodas yesterday. I desperately needed the caffeine. On the quest for real food, the "food" was lower thanks to three days on detox, but most of it was outside of the house - meaning it was a proactive decision on my part, not just me emptying out the fridge, pantry and freezer.

FOOD

anchovies, apple, apple cider, apricots, avocado, basil, beef broth, beef short ribs, bok choy, brown rice, butter, canola oil, carrots, chicken breast, chicken thighs, chocolate sauce, clementines, cinnamon, cloves, club soda, coffee, dates, egg, egg whites, garlic, ginger, homemade whole wheat bread, honey, mixed greens, mushrooms, napa cabbage, nutmeg, oatmeal, olive oil, onions, pan chan, peanut butter, plums, Ry Krisp crackers, salmon, scallions, sea bass, sesame seeds, steak, stew meat, tea, tomatoes, tuna fish, turkey broth, vegetable stock, Vosges chocolate, whole wheat pasta

BORDERLINE

bread, cream of butternut squash soup, duck liver pate, garbanzo bean spread, kim chee, lentil soup, lactose free milk, polenta, sauteed mixed seafood and potatoes

NOT FOOD (12)

Diet Coke, Diet Mountain Dew, dumplings, fries, gummy fruit, hamburger, ice cream*, Kashi granola bar, meat loaf, panettone, rice cakes, Whal Myung Su


Cheers!
mouse

01.07.08: Organizing and Decluttering

Dear Friends and Family,

Good morning! Wow, it's rough being up at 4:30 in the morning after two weeks on a later time schedule. The weekend was amazing. And, I feel so much better now after that crazy fall and everything last week.

Saturday. Mr. mouse headed out to check for mail while I spent the morning cleaning and organizing at home. He came back with part 1 of our Christmas gift. It had arrived a couple of days early! Introducing the latest member of our electronic support team:

The Netgear ReadyNAS NV+

We spent Saturday hooking it up to our network and downloading all of our pictures and files onto it. My computer is now essentially a client. Mr. mouse has to finish his computer which has the bulk of the media. It feels so good. It's like finding an extra closet in the house that's larger than your current closet and has a spare copy of every piece of clothing you own, to boot, in case you lose or ruin something. Only, it's even better, because it's your important stuff, not just a new pair of jeans or something. Yes!

Saturday, we continued down our cleaning, organizing and de-cluttering path. I finished off our hang out area (which is officially a dining room) and our master bedroom. It feels so good when the house is organized and looking decent. I can't wait until this weekend, when we take our tree down to have it mulched. I love our tree, but it's time.

Sunday, I got up early and spent some time organizing the kitchen. Mr. mouse went out to mail off some letters, bills, gifts, and a bag we borrowed from our neighbors in Texas. And, he called to say it was beautiful out. Our high yesterday was 60°! Well, organizing can wait. You don't waste a 60° day when you get one on the weekend in January!

We got on our walking shoes, grabbed the camera, and went out for a nice three hour jaunt. Oh, it felt good to stretch the legs and get some mileage in. It was just under eight miles in total. (We grabbed a cab for a mile of boring stuff on the way home.) Got home, folded some laundry, loaded the dishwasher, finished organizing the kitchen, paid our bills and it was time for bed.


Cheers!
mouse

Detox: Day 3

Dear Friends and Family,

Three days of detox. Headaches gone. Definitely time well spent. What's my plan for today? 22 points, 6 cups water.

Breakfast (5 points)

• 1 cup water
• 2 cups tea
• 1/2 cup Quaker oats
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 oz dates
• cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves

Lunch (7.5 points)

• 12 oz club soda
• 3/4 cup polenta
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 5 oz onions
• 14 gm olive oil
• 4 oz tomatoes
• 2 oz roast chicken meat
• 1 oz avocado

Snack (2 points)

• 1.5 cups water
• 1 cup skim milk

Dinner (7.5 points)

• water (didn't measure since I hit my six cup goal)
• 6 oz mixed greens
• 5.3 oz strip steak

If it sounds like a weird conglomeration of foods, here's the translation. For breakfast, I had oatmeal with dates, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. For lunch, I had polenta with chicken tomato ragu and carmelized onions. Mr. mouse was making guacamole, so I snagged a piece of avocado while I was cooking. For dinner, I had a steak salad.


Cheers!
mouse

Detox: Day 2

Dear Friends and Family,

I did another day on 22 points, eating only core foods, only real food, and meeting all 8 of the Good Health Guidelines. And, I'm feeling a little tired this morning, but I'm also feeling a lot better. I skipped on the 10 PM ibuprofen and although my head hurts a little this morning, I'm going to wait until 10 this morning before deciding if I'm going to take another dose.

I'm down to 118.0 pounds from 119.5 pounds a feeling a lot less puffy. I'm 99.9% certain I've been losing mostly water weight, and that's exactly what I needed. I think I'll stay one more day on this routine and then go back to my normal 22 points a day routine for the rest of the week.

Breakfast (4.5 points)

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 cup coffee
• 3 egg whites
• 2 shiitake mushrooms
• 1 tsp canola oil
• 4 leaves basil
• 2 medium clementines
• 1 small apricot

Lunch (6 points)

• 2 cups water
• 6 oz brown rice
• 3 oz kim chee
• 2 oz roast chicken thigh
• 1 medium apple

Snack (2 points)

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup skim milk

Dinner (6.5 points)

• water (didn't measure since I hit my six cup goal)
• 6 oz brown rice
• 3 oz steamed sea bass
• 1 tsp canola oil
• soy sauce, ginger, scallions
• 6 oz bok choy
• chicken broth, garlic
• 3 oz kim chee

After Dinner Snack (3 points)

• pomegranate tea
• 2.5 oz fresh dates

It sounds extreme when I write about my constraints. But, when I look at the daily menu, it doesn't look very extreme at all. I guess it goes to show, it's not that hard to eat healthy if you try.


Cheers!
mouse

Detox: Day 1

Dear Friends and Family,

Step by step, I'm re-grounding myself in the basics of Weight Watchers to get back to feeling normal after the holidays and the fall, especially the fall. Yesterday, I ate 22 points, all food (vs. "food"), all core foods and it felt amazing. Actually, I was stunned at how thirsty I felt.

Breakfast (2.5 points)

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 cup coffee
• 5 oz apricots

Lunch (8.5 points)

• 1.5 cups water
• 3 oz whole wheat pasta
• 3 oz chopped tomatoes
• 3 oz mushrooms
• 3 oz tuna
• 3 oz mixed greens
• 14 grams olive oil

Snack (2 points)

• 1.5 cups water
• 1 cup skim milk

Dinner (9 points)

• 12 fl oz club soda
• 6 oz brown rice
• 3 oz roast chicken breast
• 2 oz roast chicken thigh
• 4.5 oz napa cabbage

After Dinner Snack (0 points)

• cinnamon tea

It was a little tricky, getting in all of my fruits and veggies. And, getting in my 60 grams of protein. And, staying on top of my liquid count. But, all-in-all, it was worth it. I shot up to 121.5 on Wednesday with the IV at the hospital and the burger and fries and I was back down to 119.5 this morning. Today, my extra challenge is to repeat the good eating and drinking, but do it all from the fridge and not the freezer and pantry. Our fridge is getting a little too full and needs a little inventory management. Fortunately, there's lots of roast chicken and skim milk for protein.


Cheers!
mouse

Action Item #3: Put Wii on Power Strip

Dear Friends and Family,

I know. I know. I specifically called out the power strip thing as nonsense when I started this whole endeavor. And, here I am, putting the Wii and its TV on a power strip. I did a quick double check on it after donating the VCR and it's good for another 10 kWh per month reduction in electrical usage. That's still a 2% reduction at our current run rate. I'll take it.

I just realized, I should set a goal for ourselves. Goals are good. For now, I'll set a goal of 450 kWh per month. That's my first 10% goal.

2008 Action Plan

1. 12.20.07: I conducted a power usage audit.
2. 12.26.07: I donated my VCR.
3. 12.26.07: I put the Wii and Wii TV on a power strip.

Cheers!
mouse

Action Item #2: Donate VCR

Dear Friends and Family,

I donated our 9 kWh per month VCR. I know. I know. It's still in the ecosystem so net global kWh usage will still be the same as soon as the new owners plug the VCR back in. I'm not sure I how I feel about that. But, since I knew my parents were going to get a VCR from someone, I figured it might as well be me.

2008 Action Plan

1. 12.20.07: I conducted a power usage audit.
2. 12.26.07: I donated my VCR.

Cheers!
mouse

Diagnosis: Syncope

Dear Friends and Family,

Still wasn't feeling well yesterday after my fall on Tuesday, so I went to the hospital. And, the official diagnosis was syncope. It took them about 15 seconds to diagnose me and then about 4 hours to test and release me. My CAT scan looked okay so I guess I didn't do any permanent damage to the old noggin. And, the EKG looked good so I guess they were able to rule out heart conditions as one of potential causes. Which leaves me with take ibuprofen/acetaminophen every 6 hours until the swelling (in the head and on the body) goes down.

Other things to think about:

1. getting up slowly from bed
2. staying hydrated
3. keeping the electrolytes and salts up
4. getting enough iron and potassium
5. going cold turkey on the alcohol
6. sleeping in a cooler room

All things that are good for my health in general. Apparently, syncope can get worse as you get older and can get worse if you get pregnant. I guess I'd better get my act together and figure it out now.

So, after getting a burger and fries last night for dinner, I'm going uber-detox today. I'm eating only food (no "food") and I'm getting my 8 Good Health Guidelines in. Then, I'll take it a day at a time from there.


Cheers!
mouse

Recapping and Looking Forward

Dear Friends and Family,

We went out for the traditional Korean New Year's dinner. And, Mr. mouse is napping on the couch now. I think I feel well enough to attempt my year wrap up and look ahead.

Scratch that. My head ended up hurting pretty bad last night so I saved my post as a draft, placed an ice pack on the base of my skull and took two Tylenol. Hopefully, I have better luck this morning.

Wow! 2007 went quicker than I ever thought possible. We didn't "accomplish" "much" by our standard yardstick. We didn't sell any houses. We didn't move jobs. We didn't make any major life changes. But, it was a perfect year for little things. And, after multiple years of big things, I'm 110% okay with a year of little things.

baby... maybe
Well, we made the decision to give this a try. And, so far it's been a process of trial and error. The main issue has been trying to predict my overall cycle length. I'm bi-modal, 28 days or 32 days making ovulation a moving target. I guess we'll continue down the path we're on unless something changes. For now, it is what it is.

clutter diet
Fortunately, we have had the time to tackle some of this during 2007. The main living areas are 80+% of the way there. There always still more to do. The big areas still left to tackle are the basement and the garage. They've become catch alls for everything we haven't had the time to organize. My budget does a lot of manage this since I get "credit" for everything I sell (like my ice cream maker) and I'm not as tempted to buy new things.

eating out/food finds/wellness
I'm about two months away from my two year anniversary with Weight Watchers. And, I have to say, I'm very satisfied with the results. I might begin playing with core this year as the point counting thing is getting a little old. Part of this is point counting is at it's most onerous during the holidays when there's a lot of atypical eating. January will be better for that. But, if we do become pregnant, then, I think I'll want the structure of points to manage the weight gain to a healthy level. I'm not sure I trust myself with gauging the difference between real hunger and pregnancy craving since I've never been down this path before.

green is good
This has been a good thing to add to our list. I'm pretty sure there's still a ton we can do to continue making a difference. It'll be small changes throughout 2008. You'll be on the journey with me as I continue to try and reduce my impact on the environment and to reduce, reuse and recycle.

money matters/make your mark
This has been another good thing to add to our list. We made our retirement savings goal last year. Woot! And, we're one month shy of our rainy day fund goal. That fund gives us a one year cushion if something goes south for Mr. mouse and me simultaneously. I know that's a pretty conservative amount, but, it helps me sleep at night, and that's all that ultimately matters. This budget thing helps a ton on this front since it really sharply curtails my spending to, realistically, where it needs to be.

And, this ties into make your mark, how? Well, we have 10 years left for active retirement savings at our current trend. And, realistically, I think I can get that down to eight years. The big question is, can we get it down to six? Maybe. This will be a good year for learning that since it's our first year of normal savings. Once we hit our retirement savings goals, which is also a moving target if you want me to be completely honest, then, both of us have a lot more flexibility in the work we do. It's got to put food on the table and cover our benefits, but, besides that, not much else. I like what I do and so does Mr. mouse, but, I wonder what my "next career" will hold for me. I have a feeling it'll be radically different and that's why money matters is tied to make your mark.

mouse house/mouse pad
Fix the roof. Must fix the roof. This year's big project is to take apart the deck and redo the roof. I think we've agreed to not replace the deck until we know what the long term plan is for the roof. We may go solar. We may go green roof. We may replace the deck. But, it'll be resealed this year, regardless. This is getting ridiculous.

That all being said, I love the mouse pad. I love its location. I love its layout. I love that all of our stuff is in one place. I love that it's our home. I love all of the visitors we get. I'm very happy with it all. I've got a lot of mental plans on things we want to do with the place to make it even more us, but, that's all still in the planning phase.

Top 3
What's on my Top 3 list?

• baby... maybe
• green is good
• money matters

Seems like a good list for now. Once I get a better handle on the budget, I'll be able to replace #3 with a new one.

transitions/work
Well. I like my job. I love my group. I just wish the company wasn't falling apart at the seams. I'm glad I made the move. I've made lots of friends, six of whom I would consider good friends that I'd keep in close touch even if either of us switched work.

travel
Ah. It's been so good to have our weekends back to be able to take advantage of this. We got to visit a lot of places that we'd been putting off because of the mouse house work. And, now, we have another whole year ahead of us. I'm giddy with the thought of another long vacation. And, of staying on our regular travel cycle. It's a good mix of time at home and time with friends.

And, that, my friends, is my recap of 2007 and, more so, my look ahead into 2008. Wow, you're a trooper if you've made it this far into my post and deserve a hearty congratulations for sticking with it and caring that much about me.


Cheers!
mouse

New Year's Resolution

Dear Friends and Family,

It's ten minutes to three and I've just gotten out of bed. We went out for a quick cocktail that turned into two cocktails, two appetizers, two desserts, one more cocktail, and then free-for-all champagne and dancing.

I got up this morning and made it as far as the bathroom before resolving to... and that's where Mr. mouse found me, passed out cold, unsure which body part took the brunt of the fall. He heard two loud thunks followed by one monster thunk. I don't remember any of it. I tried to get up. I passsed out again. I realized I've been here before. This is what happened the last time when I donated blood.

I finished up in the bathroom and made it back into bed. Mr. mouse got me a cold compress for my neck/chest which helped when I passed out in February. I slept. I drank a bowl of soup. I slept some more. And, here I am.

My new year's resolution: no more than 1 glass of wine or 1 cocktail a day. I'm tempted to say no more alcohol. But, I'm not sure if that'll stick. I'll just take it a day at a time and see how it goes.


Cheers!
mouse