Weighing In on the Bailout

Dear Friends and Family,

It's not often I discuss politics or religion or other controversial topics here. But, being I've already written both my senator and my representative about the topic, figure it's fair game to share with friends and family.

I'm damn proud of the House Republicans for having the balls to reject the bailout plan. I think it's bullshit that Wall Street wants a bailout. You made the bed, you sleep in it. The economy may come to a screeching halt, but if that's what it takes to recover in the long run, then that's what it takes. The arrogant, pompous $%^#@! won't learn otherwise. They'll just assume there's another bailout around the corner.

Granted, our investments are in the toilet. That's okay. We'll manage. Like I told a colleague at work, we don't live a fancy lifestyle. I've been poor before, I'm not afraid of being poor again. We don't have car loans, we don't have student loans. We have a very modest house loan which, hopefully, will be paid off in a couple of years at the rate we've been going. And, we have a year's worth of cash in an FDIC insured account.

As far as we're concerned, bring it on!

Okay, now that you all know we're crazy, time to get ready for work.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: BTW, videos like this one do nothing to endear them to me.

09.30.09 (Week 8, Day 4): Follow Up Visit for Subchorionic Bleeding

Dear Friends and Family,

We went in yesterday for the follow-up check-in after last week's subchorionic bleeding incidents. Here's the medical log:

• M: moderate bleeding, like Day 1 of a cycle, spots of red
• T: blobs in blood, like Day 4 of a cycle, BAD cramping
• W: light bleeding, like when you first notice you started, cramping followed by Tylenol
• Th: light spotting
• F: light spotting
• Sat: light bleeding, like Day 5 of a cycle
• Sun: light bleeding, like Day 5 of a cycle
• M: light bleeding, like when you first notice you started

We did another ultrasound at the check-in. Pioneer appears to be doing fine. CRL (crown to rump length) is 1.1 cm and heart beat is 142 beats per minute. Whoopee! I was so scared going in. What a relief to see Pioneer is continuing to grow at a healthy pace. We heard the heart beat. Mr. mouse thinks it sounds like Pac-Man. And, we're down to a single bleeding spot and it's 5mm x 5mm in size.

Nurse left me with same instructions as last time - no exercise, no intercourse, no heavy lifting for a week after the bleeding stops. She's feeling a lot better about the whole situation. Monday, you could tell the amount of blood had her rattled until she saw the ultrasound. And, Tuesday, she was really rattled from the fact that the cramping had gotten so bad and that there were now two bleeding sites. Yesterday afternoon, she had a smile on her face. Guess we continue to soldier on. First ob/gyn appointment is on Friday 10/17.

On a less catastrophic note, the crazy burping, coughing, nausea, queasiness has passed for the morning and I'm feeling better than I have in a long time.


Cheers!
mouse

09.29.08 (Week 8, Day 3): Hanging Tough

Dear Friends and Family,

The parallel conversation:

• it's exhausting being pregnant
• I don't think anyone noticed at the wedding
  
• glad the dress is behind me

The spotting is still there. We go in today for a follow-up visit. Last night was a tough night - lots of burps where I thought I might lose it and toss my cookies. I finally fell asleep exhausted, sitting up, just waiting for it all to pass.


Cheers!
mouse

09.29.08: Wedding Weekend

Dear Friends and Family,

I made it back home and I'm still in one piece...

We drove down on Thursday for the family dinner at PF Chang's.

Friday, we spent the morning with my mom and then my aunt and cousin. Afternoon was the rehearsal at three, followed by an airport run to pick up my dad, my uncle and my other cousin at five, rehearsal dinner at seven and sleep at ten.

Saturday dawned bright and early. Nails, hair, makeup at nine. Then, we hung out at my sister's hotel room waiting for the photographer. We helped my sister dress, sent her off, wolfed down lunch, squeezed me into my dress and shoes, loaded the bouquets into the car and headed over for pictures.

The wedding was beautiful. The reception was a lot of fun. I had the chance to catch up with my cousin and to get to know one of the bridesmaids while Mr. mouse spent the evening taking pictures.

Sunday arrived and we met my parents, uncle and cousin for breakfast. Then, we spent some time walking downtown before loading them into a cab for the airport. We dropped by the museum and the creamery on our way home.

All in all, it was a wonderful weekend. My only question is... why do I get so upset when everyone assumes Mr. mouse is the shuttle bus operator for the weekend? Why are they so helpless?!?!


Cheers!
mouse

Marginally Stressed

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm marginally stressed about going down for the long weekend for my sister's wedding. My family, while having the best of intentions, can sometimes be a comedy of errors. I have to take them in measured doses. And four days of non-stop fun and games may leave me:

• emotionally fraught
• physically exhausted
• financially drained

I know it'll all be worth it in the end. But, there's a piece of me that is wishing it was Monday and I had the weekend behind me and everything. In fact, I'm tempted to take Monday off, but I want to save up the vacation days for later in the year. Mr. mouse and I are taking a real vacation. We don't know when. We don't know where. But, I can't wait.


Cheers!
mouse

PS: Not sure if I'll be writing while gone. If not, have a great weekend!

09.24.08 (Week 7, Day 5): Friends with Dreams

Dear Friends and Family,

I called my college roommate yesterday morning on my way into work. And, she told me she had a dream right before my birthday that I was pregnant. It gets better. Her sister-in-law, who I knew in college, also had a dream that I was pregnant. Now, I would have been a couple of days pregnant by that point, so the dream is amazingly prescient.

I wished I could tell her I was. But, I couldn't. I want to wait a little longer. And, I want to tell my mother first. So, I had to tell her that unfortunately, her dream wasn't true. I could tell she was disappointed. It'll be amazing to be able to tell her in a couple of months and have a great laugh over her dream.


Cheers!
mouse

09.23.08 (Week 7, Day 4): Emergency Visit 2

Dear Friends and Family,

Where to begin? Perhaps, oddly enough, let's begin at the ending. Mr. mouse and I just got home from dinner. I had my prenatal vitamins. Pioneer is doing fine, so far.

Rewind to earlier today...

• cramps so bad I couldn't hold a conversation
• bleeding that included clots and other nasty looking solids
• cramps so bad I couldn't focus on work

Followed by...

• another race to get downtown
• another pelvic exam
• another ultrasound

What does all this mean? More rest, less stress, a follow-up exam on Monday which Mr. mouse needs to schedule. And, for now, just hanging tough and trying to let the body heal. Continued monitoring to see if the cramping and/or bleeding take a turn for the worse. (TMI alert: so far it's been mostly dark brown with just a couple of spots of red yesterday.) No exercise. No intercourse. And, added today, no heavy lifting.

The curious part was at today's ultrasound they noticed two subchorionic bleeding points. Yesterday's ultrasound only picked up one. We don't know if this means I've developed a second bleeding point or if yesterday's ultrasound missed one. And, to top it all off, the nurse practitioner has me binned in the "threatened miscarriage" bucket for insurance purposes. Great.


Cheers!
mouse

July Baby Posts

Dear Friends and Family,

July seems like forever and a quarter ago. To be honest, it and August went by in a blur. And, even if day by day, September dragged by, in totality, I can't believe the month is gone. Hopefully, it means winter will come and go just as quickly and it'll be spring again before we know it.

July posts on right, under baby... maybe.


Cheers!
mouse

09.22.08 (Week 7, Day 3): Emergency Visit

Dear Friends and Family,

What a day. It all started when I went to the bathroom this morning at 10AM and noticed some bleeding. Called the nurse practitioner. Was told to come in. Hopped in the car. Decided to go to the office early. No point hanging out at the house in a panic waiting for my appointment.

The nurse did the physical exam. You could tell she was concerned and bracing for bad news when she told me the bleeding was uterine and heavier than normal. She ordered an ultrasound so they could try and figure out what was going on.

Fortunately, Mr. mouse made it to the office before the ultrasound. Pioneer is doing a-okay. They're about 0.46 cm long with a heart beat of about 130 beats per minute. The nurse thinks some of the blood vessels forming between the placenta and the uterus ruptured and that is what's getting expelled.

She told me no exercise and no intercourse for a week after the bleeding stops. For now, I'm supposed to monitor it. As long as it doesn't get any worse and clears up in 3-4 days, it should be okay.

It was pretty amazing seeing Pioneer on the screen. You could see the heart beat and everything.


Cheers!
mouse

09.22.08: Red Ball Groupies

Dear Friends and Family,

It was a gorgeous weekend! And, we took some time each day to enjoy the weather since fall will be arriving soon. (Wait, it's here today!)

Saturday, we headed down to ITT to see the red ball. Mr. mouse has been following The Red Ball Project the last month while it's been in Chicago. He's become a groupie and people on the project know him and say hi on a regular basis. Strange, but true.

Then, we headed over to the Museum of Contemporary Art to see what they had going on. We serendipitously scored free tickets at the library. It was the last day of the Jeff Koons exhibit. I was a big fan of the chromed steel made to look like balloons. Nicely done.

We did a little shopping. Came home to eat dinner. Then met up with our Turkish friends who were in town for the weekend. Their son is six weeks old and super cute. He's still quiet and spends much of his time sleeping. I guess that's what babies do.

Sunday, we headed over to North Beach to see the red ball. It was a beautiful day. We rode out bikes so parking wasn't an issue. What'd we do after? Oh, we came home and since it had been WAY too long, we hit the gym. Then, we had dinner and watched a combination of the Emmys and Sunday Night Football before turning in for the night.

This is a short week. I'm taking Thursday and Friday off for my sister's wedding.


Cheers!
mouse

09.22.08 (Week 7, Day 3): Indigestion

Dear Friends and Family,

New stages in an attempt to have a baby.

This weekend found three nights of stomach aches (feels like indigestion) followed three mornings of lightheadedness and dizziness. It's much preferred to nausea and/or "morning sickness" which I've been fortunate to avoid. But, still something to watch. I had bad bouts of lightheadedness when I was in my last five pounds of Weight Watchers, so I know when it hits me I need to stop and stand absolutely still until it passes.


Cheers!
mouse

Friday!

Dear Friends and Family,

It's Friday. And, I'm giddy with the thought of not dragging my rear end into the office for a day. I've got a couple of calls this afternoon. But, besides that, it's an excellent opportunity to catch up and relax and not deal with the traffic - it's been hell on wheels this week, literally.

Blissful, joyous, wonderful, Friday. Whoopee!


Cheers!
mouse

09.19.08 (Week 6, Day 7): Week 7

Dear Friends and Family,

All in all, I can't complain. In fact, Tuesday, there were two points in the day when I was HUNGRY. And, neither time did I feel nauseous, just famished. Still tired sometimes. And, beginning to feel like I need a larger bra, but other than that, it's been going well.

Baby
Your embryo makes great strides in size this week, growing to between 0.44 inches and 0.52 inches from crown to rump by the end of the week, or about the size of a small raspberry. Leg buds are starting to look like short fins, and hands and feet have a digital plate where fingers and toes will develop. The heart and lungs are becoming more developed, as are the eyes and nostrils, intestines and appendix. By now the brain and spinal cord are growing from the neural tube.

Mom-to-Be
You're still not "showing," but by now you're really feeling the changes in your body. You still may be experiencing morning sickness and the other symptoms of early pregnancy. Breasts will probably be tingly and tender.

Tip for the Week
To settle a queasy stomach, never let your stomach get empty. Keep snacks on hand around the clock, and eat lots of little meals rather than three big ones. To prevent a drop in blood sugar, include some protein like adding some cheese on crackers.


Cheers!
mouse

Wishing it Was Friday, Desperately

Dear Friends and Family,

I know you must be tired of hearing me moan and groan about work this week. Trust me, I'm tired of it too. It's been super slow at work this week. And, I'm looking forward to the weekend with a vengeance. I'll muscle my way through today and then I'll be one day closer.

Mr. mouse and I had a chance to talk last night. I think we're both in the "it's time to consider a move to another department at work" camp. After two years, that's not a bad thing. Guess I can use part of today looking at openings posted on-line to see if any interest me.


Cheers!
mouse

09.18.08 (Week 6, Day 6): Still Feeling Good

Dear Friends and Family,

Still feeling good. We have our first real appointment on October 3rd (I think it's an ultrasound) and then October 17th (with the doctor). I'm anxious to get the first round of exams and tests done - to know if things are progressing on schedule.


Cheers!
mouse

Mid Year Review

Dear Friends and Family,

Work was marginally better yesterday. I had my mid year performance review. Mostly good stuff. I've got a couple of options for the next year. Stay on my team, recognizing the job has changed significantly from the job I was hired to do, and bone up and maybe be up for a promotion next year, maybe. Or, pack my bags and head into the unknown, and look for opportunities outside of our group which may be a faster path to a promotion.

I'm leaning towards the latter. But, I still reserve the right to leave in December when I hit my two year point and either A) take a year off and do nothing or B) look for opportunities outside of current work.

I think I'm in a good spot right now. I'm leaning towards looking for promotional opportunities now vs. hanging out in my group for another year on the off chance that one may come my way. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.


Cheers!
mouse

09.17.08 (Week 6, Day 5): Halfway through First Trimester

Dear Friends and Family,

Friday, we went in for our first doctor's visit. The nurse practitioner answered a bunch of our questions. And, they drew blood to confirm the pregnancy. We got the call Monday to tell us what we already knew. We're pregnant.

I've still been tired. Still have the frequent urination. Still have the slow digestion. And, the breast tenderness comes and goes. Interestingly enough, yesterday, there were two points when I was hungry, and I mean hungry. And, up until now, when I got hungry I got nauseous. So, I was afraid of being hungry. Well, yesterday, my hunger wasn't accompanied by nausea. Whoopee! Now, I don't have to panic and grab whatever happens to be on hand. I can take the time to find a healthy snack.

Overall, I think I've been really lucky so far. On "bad" days, the physical changes have been no worse than PMS. On "good" days, I don't feel any changes. The ratio of good to bad? Roughly two good for every one bad, although if you had asked me last week, I might have said the reverse. I can't complain. I've seen MUCH worse.


Cheers!
mouse

The Weight of the World...

Dear mouse journal,

I know it's normal to have up days and down days and sometimes you need the down days to remind you of how good the up days are. Yesterday was a doozy at work. In no particular order:

• we have no strategy
• we have no hope of a strategy
• we have no leadership
• we keep hiring more executives
• we're getting no bonus
• we're getting no promotions

QED: company future bleak

In addition to...

• our department is evolving
• non-strategy consultants need not apply
• not a strategy consultant

QED: personal future bleak

And, last but not least...

• on a project with a slippery fish
• her boss defends her to no end
• bitchy email yesterday that almost reduced me to tears

QED: the proverbial straw

Fortunately, two colleagues jumped in to keep me sane. Otherwise, I would have been tempted to walk in today and give my two weeks notice. Instead, I called last night to follow up on the round of interviews I had had earlier last month. I've still got the option open of taking a year off. It's tempting, but for now, I'm still waiting for that sushi to be ready.


mouse

PS: If all that's not enough, I've got bandwidth after the insanity of the last month and I'm getting bored.

09.15.08: Quick Visit with Friends

Dear Friends and Family,

Friday night, Mr. mouse needed to work late at work. I guess I can't complain since he was so supportive when I was stuck late in the office for two weeks. We came home, made dinner and then conked out. Plus, it was a miserable rainy day, so I wasn't motivated to do much at all.

Saturday dawned another rainy day. We sloughed through the rain to run a couple of errands. Then, we called it quits, set up the rain buckets and headed out to the airport. Surprisingly, our flight left on time and we met our old neighbors for dinner Saturday night.

Sunday I woke feeling so refreshed. Had some coffee and a great shower. We had breakfast, a jog around the lake that left me feeling like sh!t and pizza as a consolation prize. I got some work done on the flight back and we had a quiet dinner last night. One of my funny food aversions from last year is back - oddly enough, I'm finding warm cooked meat unappealing. I'd be concerned except I went through the exact same thing last year. Maybe it's a seasonal thing.


Cheers!
mouse

09.15.08 (Week 6, Day 3): Mr. Mouse's Fault

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm feeling like sh!t today and it's Mr. mouse's fault. I wanted to go for a nice walk around the lake yesterday, but no, he bullied me into a run because he thought it'd be "good to get my heart rate up." Well, I made it half way round before succumbing to nausea. I had a second fit of nausea last night. And, now dealing with water retention and a miserable bloating feeling and bad weigh in.

Thanks. Really. This is what I needed. Really.


Cheers!
mouse