03.31.08: One Day Away from April

Dear Friends and Family,

Can it really almost be April? Wow.

The days fly by. The weeks fly by. The months fly by. And, before you know it, the years fly by. And, by default, life flies by. I wonder, will we wake up one day and wonder where all the time went? I have a sneaking suspicion we will.

Saturday, like all Saturdays we're in town, we slept in. But, wait, our weekend started Friday night. Friday night, we went out to pick up the mail and my glasses finally arrived. Yeah! Then, since traffic was bad, we stayed out in the burbs for dinner (Korean) and some impromptu grocery shopping at a Turkish supermarket. We picked up some bulgur, pilaf, pistachios, and Turkish Delight.

Now, back to Saturday. We slept in. And, I'm trying to remember what we did, but we had an amazingly slow start to the day. We headed out to look at window treatments since J.C. Penney was having their annual window treatment sale. And, we found a couple that we liked. But, even with the sale, I was having a little sticker shock. I just don't think they're worth that amount of money. We checked out a sample book to look at the options at home and headed downtown for Earth Hour.


The premise was to turn off all non-essential lights for one hour to remind people of how much extraneous energy we consume. We had turned off all of our electrical and gas usage (minus the two refrigerators, one cordless phone and answering machine, and one dusk to dawn light that doesn't have a switch) before heading out for the day, so we did our part. It was pretty cool.

It was midnight before we got pizza for dinner. So, we crashed pretty hard afterwards. Sunday, got up, got ready, headed out to our favorite bar for breakfast and an F1 race. It was from two weekends ago while we were in Florida, but they were closed last weekend for Easter. It all worked out okay. Then, home to look at more window treatments online. Ultimately, we decided to go the super cheap route and hang some valances from the original mouse house. Total outlay: $0. Cheaper than anything at J.C. Penney, Home Depot, Three Day Blinds, really than anywhere we looked. Hit Target from some odds and ends. Roasted a chicken with acorn squash for dinner. Watched the last couple of minutes of the Kansas/Davidson game. And, turned in for the night.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: My sister's wedding is set for Saturday, September 27th. Fun and games.

January Baby Posts

Dear Friends and Family,

Okay. Here's the way this works. I have secret posts I've been keeping on the whole baby thing. And, as they get declassified, I'll publish them. Essentially, it's the Mouse Freedom of Information Act - where, my poor readers don't really have any rights, but I feel like it's the right thing to do.

They're all under the baby, maybe... label on the right.


Cheers!
mouse

03.28.08: Baby, Not Maybe

Dear Friends and Family,

Okay. So the pregnancy test came back negative. Great. That, we could have overcome.

The fight that ensued. Well, that's another story altogether. Here's my side of it. The dip stick goes in, the dip stick comes out. There's 90 - 180 seconds of hourglass flashing. And, then the results: Pregnant or Not Pregnant.

Although, I can clearly manage to take the test by myself, we've been taking them together. For me, that moment of discovery is a once in a lifetime moment. You don't get that moment ever again. The first time you find out you're expecting. It's important for me to share that moment. There's so many moments in this you don't get to share. This, this is one you do get to share.

And, Mr. mouse, granted half awake, was just not into it. I get it. I get that I get up earlier than he does. But, seriously, halfway through that 90 second window, he wanted to go to the other bathroom to pee. And, I told him explicitly to go before we took the test. So, I essentially told him to hold it until we're done. Then, he's just looking in the mirror and around the bathroom and waiting. And, I'm like, hello, can we focus on the task at hand and look at the flashing dipstick?

Well, we all know how the test results turn out. And, he's all up in arms that I'm so testy in the morning and showers and leaves for work. Frankly, I'm done. I need no more of this stress and uncertainty and trying and failing and waiting and planning. And, frankly, the morning fights suck. And, this isn't the first we've had. In fact, we had one the last time we took a test together.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

I'll be publishing all of the results. On second thought, I'll publish January which is due anyway and sleep on all the rest of this.


Cheers!
mouse

Earth Hour: March 29

Dear Friends and Family,

Sorry. Got distracted reading about Earth Hour, and composters, and garden seeds, and before you knew it, the morning disappeared. And, now, I've gotta hustle to get to work.

Here's the link to info about Earth Hour.

http://www.earthhourus.org/

Cheers!
mouse

Dinner Out with a Friend

Dear Friends and Family,

Our friend from the Bay area flew in last night en route to Jacksonville, FL. We met up for dinner at Turquoise, our favorite Turkish restaurant. And, as usual, the food was criminal. It's so good. Fortunately, I have a day full of walking today so I hope to come out of all of this without too many negative repercussions. Speaking of which, I need to get in super early, so I need to go start getting ready soon.


Cheers!
mouse

03.25.08: Counting Down to Friday

Dear Friends and Family,

Friday is our next pee in a cup day. Which means this week, all week, I'll be anxious and excited at the same time.

I'll be traveling next month, so if the results aren't positive on Friday, we'll be past the window of having a mouse (Chinese calendar wise) and into the year of the cow which isn't nearly as exciting.

And, strange as it may seem, I googled conceive on WebMd to find out info on couples who have trouble conceiving and found the technical term for it: infertility. Duh! Well, there are three tests and I believe it's all good on my end. I say that based on some level of fact. I'm 99% sure I ovulate on a regular basis since I have a regular cycle. And, I had an ultrasound recently, after my sister was diagnosed with endometriosis and and the tubes looked good. The third test is for Mr. mouse and it involves a peek at his sperm under the microscope - sounds pretty painless if it comes to that.

I'm not sure any of the infertility treatment options sound all that appetizing. If it doesn't work the old fashioned way, we may just decide to leave well enough alone and enjoy life, just the two of us.

We'll see what Friday brings.


Cheers!
mouse

03.25.08: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 120

Half way back to normal after vacation. And, it's that time, so I can't complain. Plus, it's Easter, so I'm officially back to 21 points a day, but I'm going to stay on 18 until I get back to goal. Hopefully another week or two does the trick.

If you look at my NOT FOOD column, it tells the story of me fighting (and losing) the battle against the last of winter. I guess if I got through winter with, essentially, zero weight gain, I can't complain. But, let me tell you, the body feels like %$#@! warmed over when you eat junk.

Here's to a better week.

FOOD

egg fried rice; bison fried rice; almonds; rice with rib eye, corn and green beans; soon tofu soup with rice; tangerines; polenta; brown rice sushi; whole wheat pasta with tuna; oranges; Katsu Sushi - mung bean salad; Katsu Sushi - eggplant adeshi; Katsu Sushi - baby clams; Katsu Sushi - grilled tongue; Katsu Sushi - grilled jaw; Katsu Sushi - sushi; Furama - dim sum; grilled snapper with brown rice; dates; egg fried rice with beans; raisins; roasted potatoes with sea scallops; mixed greens with blue cheese

BORDERLINE

bran cereal with lactose free milk; Adobo Grill - guacamole with tortilla chips; Adobo Grill - beef canzuela with corn tortilla; Adobo Grill - chicken tamale

NOT FOOD (13)

brownie; bagel; muffin; oatmeal raisin cookie; white chocolate macadamia cookie; chicken sausage; Whole Foods chocolate truffles; Wildfire - chocolate cake; brown curry with rib eye and rice; Katsu Sushi - red bean ice cream; cheese; tortilla chips; chocolate


Cheers!
mouse

03.24.08: Easter Weekend

Dear Friends and Family,

It was a weekend of eating and catching up on zzz's.

Friday, getting home after a day of snow, I ate some chocolate cake and settled in for an afternoon nap. Mr. mouse woke me for a couple of hours for dinner and basketball. Then, we fell back asleep for the night.

Saturday, we slept in. Mr. mouse went to pick up the mail while I spent the morning cleaning the kitchen. We spent the day running errands and then met up with our friends for dinner at Katsu Sushi. The food was excellent. I've fallen in love with their grilled yellowtail jaw. The meat is so flavorful and so tender. I want to go back and order just that with a bowl of rice.

Sunday, we went to our favorite bar to watch the weekend's F1 race only to find that it was closed for Easter. So, we headed down to Chinatown for some dim sum. Why is Chinese food so high in points?!?! Napped the afternoon away. Then, grilled a snapper for dinner. Another quarter of my slice of chocolate cake from dinner a week and a half ago; a couple of hours of work to catch up; and, you guessed it, it was time for bed.

What a lame weekend. Hopefully, the weather improves and we can start to get out and enjoy the city. Happy Monday, everyone.


Cheers!
mouse

P.S.: It's Snowing

Dear Friends and Family,

It snowed all day yesterday and it snowed last night. Funny, I had a slice of chocolate cake and a chocolate truffle yesterday. I really, really need winter to end.


Cheers!
mouse

Happy Belated Vernal Equinox

Dear Friends and Family,

Unfair. I was saving this post for today, and it turns out it would have been perfect for yesterday.

It's spring!!!

Yes! Yes! Yes! OMG! Finally!

I don't know why, but this past winter really hit me hard. And, I am giddy with thoughts of spring.

This past week, the snow has been steadily melting. And, the first geese have moved back to work. And, the bird's have have been migrating north. And, my spring allergies have started up. And, my craving for all things chocolate has finally subsided.

Sounds like spring cleaning may be an excellent thing to tackle this weekend. Get up early and get organized. Now, it's supposed to turn cold for the weekend, so there's probably no lazing on the hammock quite yet. But, maybe next weekend, if the weather cooperates.


Cheers!
mouse

101 Cookbooks

Dear Friends and Family,

No flashes of brilliance this morning. But, want to share one of the better cooking blogs I've been reading. Lots of gorgeous photos and inspiring recipes.

www.101cookbooks.com

I'm eager to spend some time in the kitchen this weekend. It's almost spring!


Cheers!
mouse

Day 2: Think Food Quality, Not Food Quantity

Dear Friends and Family,

My organic wine should be in the mail, and hopefully, at my post office box when we go to check the mail today. I'm ready to begin pondering "Day" 2 in the 30 Days to a Greener Diet: Think Food Quality, Not Food Quantity.

Here's the thought starters they provide:

1. cut back on over-processed foods
2. splurge on important substitutions
3. reacquaint yourself with your stove

I think I do decently on all three counts. But, there's a couple of things I want to tackle that are linked. How do you tell when you're full? My stomach's a woefully inadequate gauge of my fullness.

I've been trying a trick, somewhat inconsistently. Perhaps now is the time to perfect it. When I eat, I'm woefully efficient. While I'm chewing, my hands are busy queuing up the next bite. So, when the mouth is empty, there's more food ready for it. Instead of prepping the next bite while chewing, I could put down the cutlery, focus on the bite at hand and enjoy it. When the mouth is empty, I could decide on what the next bite is and prep it and deliver it to my mouth and put the cutlery back down. Repeat as needed.

The other thing I could do is after each bite assess, still hungry? full? somewhere in between? Honestly, this one is one I'm not sure I have the patience to tackle. For me, it's just flat out easier to portion it out before hand and not think about it during the meal. You know: 6 oz rice, 2 oz chicken, etc. Ultimately, I think it's important to learn portion control. Maybe, that comes next after learning slow eating.

And, last but not least is food timing. Is it important to have discipline here? I did it for awhile on Weight Watchers. I think it's a good thing, but it takes discipline. I would have a minimum time, call it two hours, between food. So, if I ate at noon and felt hungry at one, I would force myself to wait until two before snacking. That way you don't become a constant eater, but a grazer. And, tied to it was a "kitchen is closed" time, call it eight o'clock. If I'm hungry after that time, I wait until the next morning.

For now, I think I'll tackle slow eating. I could tackle focused eating (e.g. not reading online while eating, not eating at my desk, etc.) but maybe that's for later. Too much distraction guarantees I lose patience with all of this.


Cheers!
mouse

03.18.08: Grapefruit League

Dear Friends and Family,

First the unbelievable, must be salt, depressing, time to get back on track piece. weigh in: 122

Back to glorious vacation.

Friday night, I met up with Mr. mouse at the airport and we flew down to Orlando, Florida, land of the mouse. We landed at a little past midnight and picked up our car (aka the convertible) and headed out for Port Canaveral. There, at 2:09 AM, we watched a "rocket" (really a satellite) get launched into space. So cool!


We drove back up to Orlando and checked into our hotel. Saturday, we drove over to Lakeland, Florida, winter home of the Detroit Tigers, to watch The Yankees vs. The Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium. The weather was perfect. The seats were amazing. The game was close. Just what the doctor ordered to dispel the last of Old Man Winter. We went over to Florida Southern College after the game, where we walked around the Child of Sun, a rather odd name given to one of the largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings.


Back in Orlando, we took a quick dip in the pool and headed out to Vietnam Town for dinner. Sunday, we checked out of our hotel, loaded the bags and headed back down to Cape Canaveral. This time, we drove over to the Kennedy Space Center, to spend the day walking amidst space paraphernalia. Mr. mouse so wanted a picture with the astronaut guy who walks the grounds, and, fortunately, we saw him there, in the afternoon. I have to say, if I could, I'd love to go up in space. It'd be worth the risk, to see the Earth from afar.

From Cape Canaveral, we drove down to the last destination of our itinerary and the real reason for the trip, Vero Beach, winter home of the Brooklyn Dodgers. We checked into a super cute bed and breakfast with fabulous bed linens and cable channel selections (Food TV and Speed Channel) before going down to the beach for a quick walk. Dinner was a little unplanned, but we found a fabulous spot without a wait. I had fried oysters with blue cheese vinaigrette, pecan crusted yellowtail, and sweet potato fries. The food was out of this world. Mr. mouse was having such a good time, he ordered three desserts, an apple strudel, a berry tart and the pastry chef's take on a ring ding. We ate pieces of each and boxed the rest for breakfast.

Which brings us to Monday, and the last game for the Brooklyn Dodgers in Florida before they head to Phoenix next winter for Spring Training 2009. Holman Stadium (along with Marchant Stadium which we visited on Saturday) are two of the iconic Spring Training facilities. And, baseball being what it is, the nostalgia was spread on pretty thick for the game. For me, it was another day of perfect weather, amazing seats, and a close game.


We had to hightail it out of the stadium at the end of the game to get back to Orlando in time for our flight. Fortunately, we didn't hit any construction and made it back to the airport with time to spare for dinner and my second Carvel ice cream treat in two days. Hmmm... Maybe this is why I'm almost four pounds heavier than I was on Friday. Eh... I'll be good this week.

Overall, it was a most relaxing trip. There was a lot of driving as everything was 1-2 hours apart, but, with the convertible, the driving is part of the fun. I'm all stocked up on Vitamin D and counting down the days until spring (this weekend).


Cheers!
mouse

PS: Two other points of interest I forgot to mention. It was really funny watching the dads whip out the stacks of Benjamins to pay for dinner. Who uses cash anymore? And, Mr. mouse bought a new toy, a new camera lens. It rocks.

No Post Today

Gone Fishin'

(back Tuesday, March 18th)

New Morning Transit Entertainment

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm super excited about a website a friend told me about.

www.dailylit.com

You can subscribe to books, and they email you an installment everyday at a specified time. Perfect for my morning and evening commutes. And, it solves the dilemma of not getting the paper or magazines or books since it doesn't generate paper. And, I'm not adding to future landfills with another electronic device.

I ordered The Time Machine. My first installment is due at 6 o'clock this morning. I haven't been this excited since I found out my lovely friends at Google have an SMS account.


Cheers!
mouse

The Chinook and Other Signs of Spring

Dear Friends and Family,

Like Trixie, I'm beginning to feel like there's a light at the end of the tunnel. However, I'm attributing it to the change in seasons - it feels like we've turned the corner on Old Man Winter and the days are definitely longer. We're just over a week away from the spring solstice!

I felt the first signs of spring on our walk home from the train station on March 2nd. The wind had a distinctly warm tone to it that's pleasant and so different from winter wind. I call it the Chinook, even if it's not technically a Chinook wind. It's close enough for me. We've had some colder days since, and some warmer days. But, definitely it's been a mix vs. cold after cold after cold.

And, to top off the goodness, yesterday, at work, I landed the mother of cool projects. I can't write much about it besides to say I'm super excited. And, my posts may go through a stretch where they're written at all hours of the day and/or evening and I'm 110% okay with that.


Cheers!
mouse

Organic Wine

Dear Friends and Family,

I ordered two bottles of organic wine this morning from www.wine.com. They have a nice filter built in to sort by organic wines. Then, I sorted by California, thinking staying within the hemisphere is nice. I selected a red and a wine based on price and ratings.

• 2004 Luna Merlot, $30, rated 93 and 91
• 2006 Grgich Hills Fume Blanc, $30, rated 93 and 91

Knowing my wine consumption rates, that'll last me well into 2008. I'm excited about getting them. It's step 1 on another exciting journey.


Cheers!
mouse

03.12.08: In Search of a Routine

Dear Friends and Family,

We were "supposed to" last night. And, we didn't. We were both so tired, we just fell asleep. Now what? Do we this morning and then Thursday night (essentially try to catch up)? Or do we skip and resume on Thursday (essentially get back on schedule)? Or do we Wednesday and go to Friday (adapt as we go along)? I can't say I have the right answer on any of this. But, one thing we have realized is that waiting until "bed time" doesn't seem to work for us. Frankly, by that point we're just too tired and it's a chore. Guess we need to think of a new way to incorporate into our daily routine.


Cheers!
mouse

03.11.08: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 118

Back at goal and it feels good. How can a single pound make such a psychological difference? I guess if it does, it behooves me to make the effort to get there and stay there. This week will be tough, Mr. mouse and I are going on vacation Saturday, Sunday and Monday. And, then, Tuesday is weigh in day. I should be able to manage. It's only Mr. mouse and me.

I think the hardest for me, if I'm going to be honest, is social eating. I don't want to be "that person" - the one who doesn't eat and makes everyone at the table feel bad about eating. I do eat. I eat enough to sustain me. And, I have treats throughout the week. But, I'm come to terms with the fact that every meal isn't a treat meal. Some are only food meals. People at work are okay with it, which I love. And, Mr. mouse is okay with it, for which I'm forever grateful. And, my friends who know I'm on Weight Watchers are totally supportive.

It's the other people. The people who blissfully go day to day, table to table, without really knowing or caring. I don't want to be the one who rains on their parade or denies them their blissful existence. Maybe I'm afraid of the "confrontation" (which, by the way, has NEVER happened, so I know it's in my head) of bread offered at the dinner table and saying no thanks and having the puzzled look or worse the frown or even worse they say something.

What is wrong with me? I've clearly done it before. And, to succeed, maybe, I have to realize, I'll have to do it again. Yes, that's my realization for the day. I can do. I will do it. It will work.

I think I've covered enough ground. Here's a quick update on the "not food" items of the past week of which there are 13 in number: crepes, Hershey's extra dark chocolate, m&m's, Reese's peanut butter pieces, Kashi granola bar, oatmeal raisin cookie, Trader Joe's bread, Ro*Tel, P.F. Chang's Harvest Spring Roll, P.F. Chang's Mu Shu Chicken, P.F. Chang's fortune cookie, Ted's Montana Grill bison meatloaf, Ted's Montana Grill biscuit.

Okay. Sorry. There's more I want to cover. I found a website with a 30 day plan to a healthier diet.

www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating-plans

I think I'm going to try it and see how it goes. That being said, it's not enough of a priority to do thirty days straight. I'm going to take each day in order and see how it evolves.

Day 1: Pour a Glass of Organic Wine

Okay. That sounds good. But, since I don't normally drink, I'll be on Day 1 for awhile. I'll add it to my shopping list. And, the next time we pour a glass, it'll be organic. But, it might be awhile. If it's more than April 1, which is three weeks away, I may move onto Day 2 without really stressing over Day 1.

Okay. That's definitely enough ground to cover for one day.


Cheers!
mouse

03.10.08: Yawn, Monday

Dear Friends and Family,

How is it March already? Not only is it March, it's almost mid-March. Ugh. I have this sneaking suspicion 2008 is going to fly by as quickly as 2007 did. Stop the madness!

I spent the entire weekend sleeping and I am still tired.

Saturday, we slept in. I got up, had my tea, ate brunch, showered, and then napped until 4 in the afternoon. For dinner, I used the cabbage we had gotten as part of our last crop share to make stuffed cabbage. It wasn't as hard to make as I originally thought. It's low points. And, it fits under the "low meat" option on my food experiments. In addition to keeping an eye out for vegetarian options, I've also decided to look for recipes that are 2 oz or less of meat per serving.

After dinner, we finished off a Scrabble game from our travel Scrabble pack, watched some TV, and went back to sleep.

Sunday, we woke up at a decent hour. I had my tea and then ate brunch (just like Saturday). Then, we spent some time looking at window treatments online before heading out for the day. We bought a garlic press, citrus zester and kitchen shears at Bed Bath and Beyond. Then, we bought a guide book at Borders for our vacation next weekend. Next, we bought a belt (50% off) at the Limited. We struck out on window treatments at Ikea. We ate dinner at Ted's Montana Grill. And, we hit the red bowl bonanza at Target (for our Chinese New Year's Party). We came home and spent the rest of the night looking up tickets, restaurants and hotel info. And, before we knew it, it was midnight.

And, now, I am officially ready for a weekend of napping. Only, it's Monday.


Cheers!
mouse

03.08.08: Annual Exam

Dear Friends and Family,

Mr. mouse and I went in yesterday for my annual exam. And, we met another of the doctors in the office. There are a total of eight of them, and so far, the two we've met are very nice. What's so funny, is that they are so excited for us. I cynically asked Mr. mouse if they see it as a revenue stream, or if they're honestly happy for people trying to have a family.

For so long, I've always thought of children as something bad - that the timing wasn't right, that people would be disappointed, that we would be viewed as irresponsible, that we'd be sacrificing too much. It was all negative.

So, it's taking some adjustment on my part to think of having a child as something anticipated, as something people are joyous about, as something people get excited about, as something people are proud of.

Maybe it's a good thing, the months of trying without conceiving, if it gives me additional perspective and gives me a chance to digest it all.

I've got two follow-up visits. One to get my ovaries scanned since my sister's run in with endometriosis and the the other to get a closer look at a mass that Mr. mouse felt in my right breast. She thinks there's low probability that either of the two tests will show anything of concern, but she figures better safe than sorry.

Well, that's it for now.


Cheers!
mouse

TGI Friday

Dear Friends and Family,

Last night, Mr. mouse dragged me kicking and screaming and moaning and groaning to the gym. I spent an hour lifting. And, not surprisingly, when all was said and done, I'm glad we went. The New Year's rush has finally come and gone. The gym is sane again. And, I felt really good. Plus, my muscle tone has gone to pot, so I need to start doing something again before it all turns to mush.

Semi-vacation day today. Yes!


Cheers!
mouse

Bus Crush Confessions

Dear Friends and Family,

One of my friends was in town yesterday on a business trip. We went out to dinner. And, I am still stuffed. Why, oh why, do I do this to myself? Because the food at dinner was so yummy. And, we were talking and enjoying ourselves. And, today, I pay the piper.

But, enough of my belly aching.

I have a confession to make. I have a bus crush (i.e. there's a guy I think is cute who is my morning pick me up when we're on the same bus). Recently, I've seen him in the building a couple of times. I don't know his name. I don't have any interest in learning his name or his personality or anything of the sort. We've spoken once, when I saw him on the train... our train was running behind, we both glanced at our watches simultaneously and frowned, and I asked "think we're gonna make it?" and he said "I hope so, but it'll be tight." That's the extent of our conversations.

He must be a ton of years younger than me. I'm guessing. But, really, I'm no good at figuring ages out. He fits the stereotypical mouse eye candy profile: tall and thin with a high forehead and long lashes and a generous smile. He's quiet. And, he's always reading good books - not junk fiction or newspapers or magazines. And, he seems like a genuinely nice guy. Maybe he'll be on my bus today.


Cheers!
mouse

Being Jewish vs. Being Christian

Dear Friends and Family,

I had a topic for this morning's post, but, alas, I can't remember it. I've been sitting here for the past hour waiting for inspiration to strike, to no avail. Sorry to leave you high and dry, but there's absolutely nothing coming to mind. Life is that dull and I am that complacent.

Ah. I remember one now. It's not the one, but it'll have to do.

We were leaving dinner Saturday night with Mr. mouse's friends, and the wife leans over and tells me, "I'm not religious or anything like that, but I firmly believe God gives you only what you can handle." (This was in reference to her two darling children who were amazingly well behaved at dinner.) I found this passing comment so comforting and in such stark contrast to a lot of Christian thoughts on God. (She's Jewish.) The Christian God seems so much more capricious and cruel. He tests you and gives you more than you can handle and in his infinite wisdom asks you to have faith in him to get you through.

Now, I'm more Buddhist than anything else. So, hopefully, I'm not offending anyone here. But, I found the dichotomy so interesting. It speaks volumes about the two groups and their approach to life.


Cheers!
mouse

03.04.08: Weekly Weigh In

Dear Friends and Family,

weigh in: 119

It's kinda stupid, the psychological difference a pound can make - the difference between 11X and 12X. I did a little better last week with eating. I ate 18 + flex + 2. I've slowly come to realize, this is a forever thing. There's no "end" in sight. I'll be counting and measuring and doing my shtick forever. There's no eating whatever I want whenever I want however much I want ever. Sigh.

You'd think two years into this I would have "learned" better. But, alas, it's not like I don't like fried chicken and fries now. I just have it in moderation. I wish I could be like those people who lose the taste for the food - who don't like fried chicken anymore or who don't like ice cream anymore. Oh well. I guess that's not my lot in life. Here's to soldiering on.

FOOD

almonds, apricots, asparagus, beef broth, beef short ribs, brown rice, brown sugar, bulgur, butter, canola oil, chicken soup, chicken thighs, corn, corn tortillas, crawfish, egg, egg white, Francesca's Forno - artichokes, Francesca's Forno - mozzarella, Francesca's Forno - prosciutto, homemade hot chocolate, honey orange cake, olive oil, orange, pan chan, pickle, pineapple, potatoes, roast chicken, soy lattes, strawberries, turkey, white rice

BORDERLINE

Amy's - ice cream, beef fajitas, flour tortillas, Mexican rice, refried beans, Bennison's - apple pie, bran cereal, Cali's - grilled chicken banh mi, Cali's - spring roll, chocolate, Francesca's Forno - bread, Francesca's Forno - bread pudding, Francesca's Forno - ice cream, Francesca's Forno - pizza, Ragin Cajun - fried oyster, Ragin Cajun - hush puppies, Tony Mandola's - amaretto martini, Tony Mandola's - bread, Tony Mandola's - broiled oyster, Tony Mandola's - broiled scallops, Tony Mandola's - broiled shrimp, Tony Mandola's - broiled snapper, Tony Mandola's - cerviche, Tony Mandola's - fish taco, Tony Mandola's - fried oyster, Tony Mandola's - tortilla chip

NOT FOOD (8)

chicken sausage, Chili's - mini hamburgers, Kashi granola bar, Korean yogurt, oatmeal raisin cookie, sheet cake, unagi eel, Whole Foods - chocolate truffles


Cheers!
mouse

03.03.08: Yee Haw!

Dear Friends and Family,

We went down to Houston for the weekend, and Mr. mouse couldn't have been happier. He originally wanted to do the crazy Saturday morning flight which would have involved leaving the house at 4 in the morning. Fortunately, sanity prevailed and we slept in another hour.

Our flight down was without incident. And, we drove downtown to watch the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo parade. It's a parade and the last leg of the historic trail rides rolled into one - all the horses and a several covered wagons and floats and marching bands ride through downtown on their way to the rodeo. Afterwards, we headed over to the Vietnamese area for lunch - banh mi and spring rolls, yum. Next, it was time for the headliner event - our friends' baby shower. Considering I had never been to one, I think I managed decently.

After guessing the mom-to-be's waist size, sniffing jars of baby food, and trying to remember the contents of her desk, we opened presents and had cake. Lots of hugs and kisses all around, and we were done. We went eyeglass shopping since the shower was literally right around the block from where I got my last pair of glasses. And, last but not least, we met up with another of Mr. mouse's friends for dinner. Italian Cajun. The fried oysters (I only had one) were, OMG, amazing. Wow! We had Amy's ice cream for dessert and checked into the hotel exhausted.

Sunday, we, thankfully, slept in. We hit Ragin Cajun for lunch because as the sign proclaims "Crawfish Now in Season". And, how can you argue with that? Plus, they're owned by the same people who run the place we went to for dinner so... we ordered six more fried oysters. (This time I had three.) Belly stuffed, we headed out to see The Menil Collection, the permanent collection of John and Dominique Menil.

One space, designed to hold the works of Cy Twombly blew me away. The light came in through a white mesh cloth from the ceiling and it felt like a living breathing element of the art. The walls were white (Venetian plaster as we later learned) and the floor a light colored wood, so the light bounces around like crazy. But, the part that I didn't notice until we spoke with a guide later, is that there are no shadows. It was bright enough to see everything, but it was surreal, as if the light was somehow different, better than the light anywhere else. What umami does to taste, this building did to light. It's was, simply, mind blowing. And, through generous donations, it's free to the public.

A quick stop at the grocery store for some heirloom oranges and we were on our flight back home. And, now, it's Monday.


Cheers!
mouse

02.29.08: Definitely Not Pregnant

Dear Friends and Family,

Okay. There it is. Knowing is better than waiting.

And, the ants going marching two by two, hurrah, hurrah...


Cheers!
mouse

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