Stacey does not have Bird Flu

eunice_eunice @ 2009-11-21T12:13:00

2009-11-21T18:13:36Z

Also I had a dream last night that a childhood crush came to my door with a coffee can, collecting for the "Injured Wrestler's Fund," dressed in a blue and gold singlet, all orangey-tanned and beefy. However, this is not much of a stretch, as he looks like that now, and is a pro wrestler. I'm sort of glad the love remained unrequited.

eunice_eunice @ 2009-11-20T21:48:00

2009-11-21T03:48:14Z

a writer friend came over and had noodle soup with Frenchie, baby and me tonight, and he reminded me that progress is made incrementally, so I came to the comp to make some small small increment of progress. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand then I dicked around on fb for a while, and now here I am.

Ok, srsly, writing ...

sleep before waking

2009-11-18T16:57:14Z

I suspect that my dreams have always been this bizarre, but I continue to surprise myself with what's been going on behind my eyes when I'm frequently woken up in the night.

For ex) last night I dreamed I was helping people move. Friend #1 had rented a bus, which she had filled with records, Friend #2 (who lives in a quite nice house, in real life) was delighted to be moving into a grimy basement apartment with no door, and my parents wanted me to help move their cardboard store displays (which they used as dressers) and mannequin collection, paying special attention to those dressed as the 3 musketeers.

Basically what I'm saying is that I REALLY REALLY don't want to go back to my old job

2009-11-13T05:25:40Z

soooooooo, there's a job listed now that sounds pretty close to ideal, however it would likely want me to start before the end of my paid mat. leave (I have until the end of May).

So do I apply and forgo up to 6 months of paid mat leave (more likely 5 ... maybe I could negotiate to 4?) or hope that another 3 day a week job with a lot of flexibility working in something more arts, that I actually have a shot at getting comes up? (I also am still in the running for a government job I applied for 1.5 years ago, less appealing overall but lots more $$$). Ugh.

Why didn't I just win the lotto like in that dream I had? (I dreamt the neighbors won the 50 million, and we won 1 million. I could live with that.)

In other news, I have the appetite of a teenage boy these days. MORE FOOD PLS. Also, I made 4 baby ring slings. I'm getting better at it, things are going faster and more smoothly. Perhaps that will turn into an empire.

eunice_eunice @ 2009-11-03T10:14:00

2009-11-03T17:46:19Z

ok, lj friends, I thought it might be time to do a real post, in addition to the paroxysm of self-pity from the other day.

She managed to roll over from her back to her front yesterday, a milestone that might make it slightly harder to keep her safe and change her poo pants. She raspberries everything these days, showing an early gift for mockery and comedic timing.

ex) my sister is willfully useless in the kitchen, but thought she'd help my mom by making the icing for one of the 25 desserts my mom had frozen for a family reunion. She read the recipe wrong and made the cake batter by accident. The cake turned out delicious, so my mom said "Erika, you could be a pastry chef!" cue Edie, big raspberry.

Aaaand I've been taking a distance ed course, that's going well, I'm still slogging along on my same goddamn mother fucking manuscript, but mostly I just fantasize about how if I get it published it might be more reasonable not to go back to work - even if the book doesn't make any $. UGH! My old job was the worst even before all my favorite co-workers quit or got fired (the last few have done so since I left for mat leave). I'm hoping not to go back there no matter what the circumstances. I'd srsly rather work in a call centre if it comes to that.

AAAAAaaaand, I've started making baby ring slings for selling. I hope to have a bunch made for a xmas craft sale coming up.

eunice_eunice @ 2009-11-01T10:23:00

2009-11-01T16:25:07Z

it might be lack of sleep, (after a long stretch of 7-9 hour nights, Edie has been back to 5 hr tops, but usually 4, and often 3 or even 2 ugh ugh uuuuuuuuuuuuuugh for a couple of weeks) but I'm feeling pretty melancholy lately.

I think one of the things I've learned is that no matter how much I change or my life changes, my role in my family will likely never change. This translates to: my sister and brother will always get more attention and assistance than me, for a variety of (probably valid) reasons. This also translates to: having a baby at around the same time as both of them means I don't really feel like I've been getting as much attention, or help, or really even interest in my baby.

I think I want to move away. But more really, I just want to get over it, and also get over all of my various resentments towards my family.

eunice_eunice @ 2009-10-20T17:40:00

2009-10-20T22:51:08Z

well lj friends, I have not posted in a while. I think it's because my days seem fairly unchanging, but really probably less so than when I had an office job.

blogress

2009-07-13T13:22:34Z

2. 500 situps every night for a month (1/30)
I started this yesterday in an effort to reestablish strong abdominals – after pregnancy, one is very susceptible to back injury. It will be more like ‘500 throughout the day,’ however, as I rarely do anything without interruption these days, and I’m not strong enough to do 500 in a row anyway. I do various types of situps: crunches, obliques, lower ab lifts, but I’m going to try to work up to more challenging types, like the v-sit type. (maybe 50 of them were that type today, but I can only do about 10/15 of those in a row now).

36. Make a stained glass mirror
Done June 09 as a prize for Stacey’s social. Used dark reds and oranges, plus little bits of mirror.

38. Paint small bookshelf terra cotta I decided that this piece of furniture was too much of a hunk of junk to make it worthwhile, however, in the fall I instead washed, sanded, painted and replaced the handles of an armoire that my parents salvaged from the basement of their rental property. It turned out really nice, it looks like a much better quality piece than it actually is, and it now houses Frenchie’s many, many t-shirts and underpants, as his dresser is now Edie’s, with a borrowed wooden top that turns it into a change table for the time being.

82. Make 2 skirts for me (2/2) – I made a pair of maternity pants out of the tweedy brown fabric I was going to make a skirt out of. They turned out ok. I used my own pattern, but they’re basically just pajama pants with a tube at the top. I might make another skirt anyway, but I'm counting this.

July ’09 - I made an olive green twill knee length skirt with a slight flare. I made the pattern, basically just minor adaptations of the standard straight skirt block in my new post-pregnancy size. My mom sewed the hem for me last week while I fed Edie.

85. Make a denim beach blanket
92. Sew something for baby Talia

I made a denim beach blanket for baby Talia last week, with a couple of embroidered squares. It was a quick project (other than the embroidery, which I did over xmas break) and it turned out really cute. My mom bought me a stack of pre-cut denim squares from the MCC. Those clever Mennos cut these for quilters such as ourselves out of donated jeans that are not wearable. I have enough to make several picnic/ beach blankets, so I will probably make some for other babies, as all these birthday parties are bleeding me dry anyway.

97. Make wedding photo books - I've been working on this one at a friend's house, but I feel it will never, ever be completed if left to me. But the lovely friend who's computer I've been using offered to do 'anything I need' to help me after Edie's arrival, so I asked her if finishing the album for me would qualify as something 'needed' post-Edie. She is not working this summer, so was happy to comply, as she is very sweet, and loves making these albums. She did another friend's wedding album, and some fantastic trip albums for herself, she has quite the eye for it, so I'm pleased.

I've been surprised how many minor tasks I manage to get done between breastfeeding and other Edie things. (not so much on this list, but just keeping the house tidier and increasingly more organized by degrees - being home all the time helps too) I think the sense that I have only a few minutes all the time has helped me reduce the procrastination somewhat. Although Edie will be awake more at some point.

more things to do when you're in labour, as it progresses

2009-06-26T15:49:45Z

-call your doula, say you think you might be ready to go to the hospital
-experience contractions on all 4s on your kitchen floor
-hang out on the porch, wait for your doula
-stroll around the park with your doula and Frenchie
-watch Frenchie taking pictures of the cats with his phone to show you later when you are in labour
-think about trying to scare the high school kids into using contraception
-get well wishes from a mom hanging out with her daughter in the park
-go to the hospital
-get admitted
-suspect the admissions nurse of racism for the way she is treating an aboriginal patient who is annoyed by how long she's been waiting to be admitted

-experience contractions:
--walking the halls
--going up and down stairs
--on all 4s
--leaning over the bed
--kneeling on the bed, leaning over the raised back
--arms around Frenchie's neck, like a slowdance
--leaning over the birth ball
--sitting on the birth ball and rocking
--in a squat, because although painful, it supposedly helps bring the baby down
--while rocking out to all sorts of ridiculous music on the Ipod (esp. the Wil.i.am jam 'I got it from my mama')
--in the shower (2 showers!)
--in the bath (lovely room, like a spa)

-get checked for dilation, find that things are not getting anywhere fast (I was > 24 hours at 4 cm), however the baby is dropping to lower 'stations'
-get told by a douchebag med resident he wants watch your birth, because he has to watch 6 as part of his residency, while having a contraction on all 4s on the floor, enjoy doula's snappy response "Is that a question?"
-drink juice, eat popsicles
-vomit (this is common in labour 'transition')
-get forced to take syntocinin (an artificial hormone that starts or increases labour, intensifies and increases frequency of contractions) because your water has been broken, cry because of this
-get monitors (monitoring your contractions and the baby) strapped to you and adjusted during almost every contraction, as they are rarely capturing anything
-get a lovely rose from your doula, to focus on during labour, with a card telling you you are strong and an inspiration ... so sweet and encouraging
-get forced to take IV antibiotics because of length of time since water was broken
-get forced to have a monitor put up your vagina into the baby's head due to the ineffectiveness of the other monitors, also cry because of this
-continue having contractions in most of the positions listed above, except in shower and bath (no longer an option due to IV)

-get lovingly massaged and encouraged during every contraction througout by Frenchie and/or doula
-smell essential oils of bergamot, lime and fir
-sprinkle essential oils on pillows to change hospital smell in room

-get to 5 cm dilation after about 35 hours of labour
-get encouraged to think about 'pain relief options,' eventually decide to take fentanyl, a morphine-related drug, sometime Friday evening, press the button of the machine repeatedly, like you are already a severe addict out, even though the drug only dispenses at a controlled rate
-gag a lot as a side effect of the drug, some vomiting
-finally get to 9 cm
-get drug button taken away
-have unbelievably strong contractions, feel like the baby is going to explode out your back or ass, end every contraction with the word 'fuck'
-have very clear thoughts of 'how do families with more than one child exist?'
-get onto the bed, have contractions while Dr. pushes the 'lip' of my cervix back to allow the baby's head to emerge
-get told that the baby has 'lots of curly hair, enough for a barrette if it's a girl - or a boy'
-get INSPIRED, remembering that in the birth vids, after the head is appearing, it's like 3 more contractions
-push like a motherfucker while screaming
-get encouraged to hold breath and use scream energy for pushing
-refuse to touch head once it's out
-push a few more times

-BABY!
-ask the sex
-get beautiful baby put on chest, get told to check sex yourself
-cry, experience joy and disbelief that she's here and she's a GIRL!
-ask the weight, Frenchie guesses exactly right before the scale arrives, 7 lbs 6 oz

-have wonderful, amazing doula cut the baby's cord once the pulsing stops
-tell Dr. and doula you do NOT want to birth the placenta, but you have to, and it feels good
-get told your placenta is big, and take a look at it - weird
-get your stomach pushed on to expel any blood clots, etc - ouch
-get local anesthetic and stitches in the perineum

-decide with Frenchie immediately that she is an Edie
-have Frenchie call both sets of parents, even though it's 3 am, Saturday morning, 41 hours after your water broke
-love the baby so much
-nurse the baby Edie, cry with happiness and relief

things to do while you're in labour

2009-06-11T20:59:43Z

-make lots of calls
-make potato soup
-take the emerging seed heads out of your rhubarb
-take the compost out
-do a couple loads of laundry
-vacuum
-sit on your porch and rock
-walk around the block a couple times
-eat lots of stuff
-make lots of raspberry leaf tea and drink it
-send your sister shopping for things you forgot
-smooch your cats
-take a bunch of showers
-put all sorts of random stuff in your bag to take to the hospital
-send some emails
-pee repeatedly
-don't answer the calls from weirdos (who calls an coworker (in her case on both home and cell repeatedly) or cousin they've never called before/ never see because they hear they're in labour? I got one of each of those - ummm, what would you like? Like you might be aware, I'm in labour) (the coworker emailed since - she had advice for me. Much appreciated.)
-time your contractions/ get sick of timing your contractions
-update your livejournal

Frenchie's list:
-get beer
-go to bank (whoops, better make a deposit so we don't miss mortgage payment, we're super organized)
-wash the van
-get food

Sooooooooooooo, basically, I went to the doctor this morning, and she gave me an internal exam, and she was just telling me that "my membranes are bulging" and whoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooosh my water broke all over her exam table ... it was crazy .... we're not talking about a slow leak people. It was a massive flood. So dramatic! I then drove myself home, and the above list about covers the time since ...

eunice_eunice @ 2009-04-27T12:39:00

2009-04-27T18:10:00Z

so I decided today was a 'not go to work' kind of day. I had to fill in for the admin assistant on Wed-Thurs ... and I suspected she wouldn't be back today, so I decided they could run the show with ZERO of the bilingual people who tell them daily that more bilingual people are needed for today.

Also, since my class is ended, I have had more time to work on writing. My manuscript is over 200 pages now, and I've got the first 3 chapters/ 60 pages roughly edited. I'm working to my mat leave deadline! Mat leave starts May 29. But even though I usually have only 1, 2 max, courses at a time, I have been taking them continuously for a while, and it feels weird not to have any looming obligation/ deadlines from them. It's kind of jumpstarted some progress for me on the manuscript. That and really dialing down the social life and other activities (ie being too lazy to do housework/ home improvements, and feeling justified due to parasitic being inside).

The baby moves like crazy now. This morning s/he kicked me and Frenchie could feel it through my ribcage. And the baby feels really large, based on how I can feel movement in various parts of my body at once. Like it feels like the baby is kicking in my inner asshole and liver at once. But the Dr. says s/he's head down, so I guess that would be punching my inner asshole. And parts are increasingly identifiable, or at least more confidently suspected. Like, I can often feel the back, or what I think is a knee, or a row of tiny bumps that I think are the toes, or a movement that must be the arm. And I can see shapes happening through my skin. It's all very weird and interesting to me.

But actually the baby moves a lot less than previously, like no more somersaulting (thankfully, that feels like vertigo) but the movements are increasingly strong.

This disturbs my sleep a little, also I find I need to pee in the night, so I have had the return of super vivid pregnancy dreams (that I remember in the morning) of the first trimester. Last night I did a dream drunk (also a theme of a few 1st trimester dreams), where I went to a stagette and had several beers and I wasn't sure who had my baby, and woke up feeling guilty about it. Over it now.

eunice_eunice @ 2009-04-18T12:45:00

2009-04-18T18:03:36Z

inspired by firedoor

here is a partial list of names I call the cats:

Leonard: Lenny, Baby Lenny, Monsieur Lechat, Len-len, Baby Lion, Sugarlips, Dumdum, Meowser

Erikat: Erikitty, Erikitten, Sugar, Little Tiger, Chairman Meow, Meowmeow, My beauty

the least plausible bit of wisdom I have received from the voices of parenting experience comes from my sister-in-law who posted her cats on a classified website as giveaways soon after her daughter was born, that I would no longer want my cats around, as I'd resent their hair getting on my baby's things. (brother-in-law did not allow them to be given away, she continues to feed and resent them).

Both of the cats like to snuggle up to me during my long vigils on the couch, usually, curled up on the pillow that's half supporting my giant belly and I'm already enjoying the cat/ baby interaction ... if the cats are there, the baby tends to kick them (I think of it as in utero patting, as I feel the baby is genetically programmed to love the cats) although one time Erikat was alarmed enough by it to run away.

Ok, now I'm going to go visit my friend in St. Adolphe ... she is within the ring dyke, thus unlikely to be smote by the water. She is also going to be so kind as to lend me a bunch of stuff for this future baby ... due to my superior skills in borrowing and having an acquisitive family and buying 2nd hand and receiving gifts, I may not have to buy a single thing. Also because I don't think it matters how you dress an infant.

I've been watching the TV a lot lately

2009-03-18T05:41:11Z

And I've noticed all the same old shitty diet ads have a new line:

This diet will save you money!

That's right folks, you're poor because you're fat. You eat wrong. Buy this food programme, your money problems, along with, as always, your self-esteem problems, relationship problems and all the impediments to you becoming 'the real you' with 'the body you deserve and have always wanted' will melt away along with the pounds.

oh, the economic downturn is just another marketing device.

eunice_eunice @ 2009-03-11T10:40:00

2009-03-11T17:26:36Z

on holidays. This weather is keeping me in the house, which is fine, I have lots of important things to do. (haha, IMPORTANT). Although I did walk for a minor errand today. Some sunlight is good for me. But I'm having round ligament pain (like having stitches in your sides) for the past couple of days, as my midsection ligaments and muscles adjust to the increasing weight of my belly. Nothing serious by any means, but I see why pregnant women are always pressing into their bellies (other than to feel the kicking). So short walks are better.

important things, for example:
my main focus for this week is working on my manuscript. I am now at 185 pages/ 56,000+ words. My goal for the week is 70,000 words. I have made myself a spreadsheet with daily word goals based on a goal of 60K, 70K and 75K and thus far have not QUITE been making even the low targets, perhaps because I have been distracting myself with things like making spreadsheets, napping, stretching, cat-polishing and reading. Oh well. Progress is progress, and I can never write as much as I want. My other ms-related goal for the week is to send it to 2 writer friends (who've kindly offered to read and comment and recommend publishers) by the weekend.

Other tasks:
I emptied and cleaned out all the drawers in my sewing machine. My grandma gave me the machine a while ago, and I had just left all her stuff in the drawers, but now I used both of our collections of adorable tins and, more practically, clear plastic boxes left from xmas chocolates. This is the tip of the iceberg insofar as the amount of sewing crap I actually have, but again, progress. It thrills me to open all the tiny drawers and see the functional organization.

And yesterday I made a basic maternity skirt pattern (I basically just copied a denim skirt I have), and worked on a pair of pants. The pants seem really cute so far - they are a tweedy textured brown, wide legged, with a triangular back yoke - the back was cut too short to adequately house the entire majesty of my ass, but I think it will be a nice design detail. Aaaand the waistband will be a sexy 8-10 inch wide band of 2-way stretch jersey (more like 4" in the back).

So this afternoon, I'm going to start rooting in my fabric stash for the spring skirt I need. I have some grey stuff in mind, but who knows what wonders those rubbermaid totes hold???

this post is not marked urgent

2009-03-02T07:19:00Z

Good-bye February! We've had some good times, but frankly, we should have ended it a long time ago.

I spent time in the out-of-doors Friday and Saturday. It was so sunny both days, I was kind of dazzled. I feel like the end of winter is really, oh yes it really is. Refreshing. I also made 2 meals of breakfast food Saturday, delicious.

I'm now in my 6th month of pregnancy. This is closing in on the 3rd trimester. Also, not this week, but the week after, I am taking holidays and staying hoooooooome. I have things to do at home, people.

I'm having garden fantasies. I want to make a rebar avenue, that is, an arch made of rebar that I can grow beans on. Or peas or both. And raised beds, a better (larger, sturdier) trellis and some hanging baskets. And a rain barrel on my downspout for irrigation. This might not all happen this year, as I will be more pregnant, but I feel good now, and I might have extra time off work .... SO IT MIGHT. I also dream of a brick cold frame, but that will be next year.

xoxxooxoxoxoxoxoxox winter's almost over xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxox

blogress, weekends, gestating, cake

2009-02-21T21:39:48Z

I had a houseguest last weekend, which was very nice. She came in especially to see the debut of a friend's band, the Bushtits - it was a great show!

Furthermore, the 2nd bathroom is COMPLETED. O what a feeling!
~~29. Finish the 2nd floor bathroom~~
The only outstanding item is the radiator - as the bathroom was created out of a larger room, the radiator in there is much larger than required. Although it's very cozy, it's going to be moved to the new bedroom, and Frenchie has stripped and repainted a smaller rad that his Uncle salvaged from another house he was tiling. But that can't be done until it's warm enough to cut the heat off to the house for a while without freezing the rad pipes. But I love the new washroom - it's been set aside for that purpose (with just a toilet) until we had the $ to continue the project (for about 3 years!!!) so it's nice to finally be living in that space. I have yet to use the shower, but Frenchie did today.

In other triumphs of house, I got a floor steamer from my parents to clean the hardwoods. Since I normally only vacuum, this has made the floors appreciably cleaner. This, people, is what's become an excellent gift in my opinion. A FLOOR STEAMER.

This week the baby started getting big enough that their movements can be felt from the outside. Frenchie and my mom have both felt it. We also had a meeting with the doula, which was very interesting, and also reassuring, as I feel I'll have some measure of ctrl over the process through her involvement. Also, she has agreed to take my sister as a client with a much reduced rate, as my sister wasn't sure she could afford it, as she won't be working for a long time, and her partner can't work in Canada (they plan to stay here 6 months).

Now I'm going to stroll around in the sunshine, and then the river path, and then over to the little grocery to buy some supplies to make myself a cake. I am going to have white cake with vanilla butter icing. Delicious. Maybe some soup supplies too ... I'm thinking black bean, Nicaraguan style, with a poached egg in it. SURPRISE! MORE PROTEIN! But my soup might be dictated by what's available at the little grocery.

on pregnancy and task lists

2009-02-11T04:08:05Z

As gestating babies are always compared to vegetables or fruit, I am pleased to inform you that my fetus is now the size of a butternut squash. I can feel it moving, which is weird and kind of disarming - like, there's something in there, it's alive, and it's moving of it's own volition. Frankly, it makes me a little nauseous at times, which is apparently normal, but I was starting to wonder if it was anxiety or something. That may be a part of it, but it's also likely due in part to my internal organs all being moved up as my uterus grows, which makes my stomach queasy.

I am alarmed to think that I have close to 4 more months of steady growth, yeesh! I feel like my body has changed so much, my centre of balance has changed, that there's so much weight on my front, and that my stomach is as stretched as it possibly could be. It's a scary prospect to lose control over one's body.

I have been using Google tasks, as recommended by pinkmerengue and finding it actually seems to have helped me get some things done. In any case, it helps me break some things up and get them done. And keep track of work stuff. 16 more weeks of work people, really 15, because this week's half over.

23. Have a date with Frenchie once a month (3/33)
I’ve had lots of dates with Frenchie, but I haven’t really been keeping track. So I’m counting the day we played hooky from work and went for lunch at the Times Change (so good) and then to see The Reader, and the time we drove to Riding Mountain and spent the night at Elkhorn (so nice). Also, one evening that we went to Deen’s for dinner and then for a walk, notable because we made extra dark, super the worst jokes that evening, so it's remembered as a romantic date.

29. Finish the 2nd floor bathroom
So very close to done, it’s amazing. I deserve very little of the credit for this.

40. Organize the hoooooooooouse
It got worse, then it got better. I think this one might be a lifelong initiative.

49. Accept last minute invitations from the Frenchies … sometimes
I’ve done at least 2 of these. But there are limits, people. There are usually 3 invitations a week between the 2 families, and I do have other obligations / interests that I like to pursue. Last week there were 5 invitations, and I accepted 4. GAH! (This week I’m 1 for 3.)

50. Volunteer at Klinic for 400 hours (4/100 shifts)
This one is on hiatus for now. But I’ll be back.

57. Finish writing 2 novels (0/2)
I’m at 170 pages/ 52,000+ words on the first one. The second one is not advancing at this point.

70. Read at least 20 fiction books (4/20)
Lately, I’ve read A Student of Weather by Elizabeth Hay.

94. Get a pixie cut
I cut my hair pretty short, not like a traditional pixie, but bebe_labouche says it’s nouveau pixie, so I’m counting it.

95. Give myself monthly pedis (5/33)
so I soak and pumice my feet, then lotion up and put on cotton socks. Feels nice! Keeps my feet from hardening into hooves.

97. Make wedding photo books
I started looking at the 4,000 photos that I have to choose from and have probably cut them down by about half. This will take a while.

98. Wedding thank you cards, oh my god
I have finally written and sent these. Good.

99. Pay back Erika
I’ve made one payment of significant size. If I can do 3 more about like that, I will be done, but I expect it will be slower. Ideally, I would like this to be done before I go on mat leave , which will be a challenge.

Joining the late resolutions club

2009-01-15T01:59:02Z

I resolve to:
1. Enjoy my changing shape, and be amused by my weight gain, especially if it should prove to be excessive by some standard. Also, any time anyone gives me any flak about it, drink gravy in front of them and do a little dance as a tribute to stitchtowhere . I fucking love gravy, and the baby LOVES salt.

2. Start getting more regular exercise, especially the cootercises and squats that will help with the squeezing out of the alleged baby. I usually do a lot of walking, but I'm not terribly cold hardy, so I've been wimping out in this atrocious weather, and feeling lethargic or cranky as a result.

I got the following message on the facebook from a shitty cousin who grew up down the street:

"Glad to see you're keeping it real back in the Peg (I have a laugh each time I see post something - not because of the content - relax - just that your so passionate about these things). Some things never change do they ?( PS - I agree so please don't blast me back with flyers)."

Ummm, condescending ass much? We haven't spoken in like 2 years.

Sigh. I some of you think it's awesome to have the billion cousins I have, but all it really means is you have to go to a lot of weddings (and socials!), also, pretend to congratulate them when they get business degrees, expensive cars, jobs with multinationals or into sororities.

Frenchie's talking about taking a project manager course in order to get a more supervisory role at work, and also because he would like to get a job in some kind of development in some other country, which I would love. This is also good so that my future child(ren) can possibly get away from their many, many cousins for some period in their lives. Maybe their cousins will be nicer, those that already exist are pretty cute.

I do appreciate some of my cousins, but growing up some of them undermined my self-esteem. Like, I think half of them felt obligated to tell me regularly that they found me weird - I grew up with 15 of them in the city and we usually had family gatherings 5 times a year, not to mention the good times at the lake in the summer. So it's just interesting that this asshat felt the need to reach out and minimize from Australia (where he works as an accountant for a brokerage firm and sails for a hobby, as he married a very rich woman). Of course I am aware that sailing is much, much cooler that being interested in politics or books.

Recently, another cousin told Frenchie that my grandpa asks Frenchie for help with small projects around his house is because he considers French Canadians to be only good for manual labour. I'm pretty sure that the real reason is that Frenchie's pretty good at that kind of thing, also respectful and reliable when Grandpa makes these requests, BUT WHATEVER. This cousin said this when Frenchie was at my aunt, his mother's house, helping with something my cousin was too lazy or useless to do for her.

(ok, ok, I do love my cousins - some of them are super, super funny, and one of them is a really close friend, and a couple of the younger ones seem like they're becoming super interesting people. And I have amused myself, even with the dickheads, quite a lot over the years. But sometimes they make me feel really alienated and demoralized.)

eunice_eunice @ 2009-01-04T18:42:00

2009-01-05T00:45:28Z

Do I REALLY have to go to work tomorrow? Despite having had a nice long break, with a mix of productivity, sloth, spending time with great people and eating lots and lots, my attitude (loathing) towards my job remains unchanged.

There are some changes coming up in the office, however, losing a beloved & amusing coworker for one that talks about spa days and shoes a lot, and refers to the north end as "the 'hood" (and locks the doors on her sunfire as she drives through) as an office mate - . Also, I'm getting a new supervisor, which could be good or bad, as my current supervisor's lack of attention (and consequent lack of progress on any projects) is, I feel, the source of much of my current apathy/ malaise.

But I just took a look at the calendar, and I need to last just 21 weeks, if I plan to go on maternity leave at the end of May, which sounds like a good time to me. I also have a week of holidays in there, so 20 weeks. I can last 20 weeks without telling anyone they're full of shit, can't I? I have a bunch of sick days left too, everyone there treats me like pregnancy is an affliction, so I suppose I can just call in pregnant.

eunice_eunice @ 2009-01-01T14:23:00

2009-01-01T20:29:55Z

Broccoli / Potato / Mushroom / Cheddar soup
I've made this soup a few times and am writing it from memory, so I recommend tasting and tweaking as you go along. I've tried it with various herbs, it all seems to work ok.

3 TBsp butter

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 litre of water (4 cups)

3 carrots, chopped

3 large or 5 medium russet potatoes, diced (skin on)

2 heads of broccoli, cut-up, separate florets from stems

2 TBsp of sea salt

2 cups milk

3 cups sliced mushrooms

1 cup old cheddar cheese, grated

1 tsp dried or 3 tsp fresh dill (optional)

¼ cup parsley (optional)

Melt butter over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until translucent. Add water, broccoli stems, carrots, potatoes and salt. Bring to simmer, cook, stirring occasionally for about 20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender (test with fork).

Remove soup from heat and let cool for 15 minutes. Add milk. Use immersion blender to puree the soup.

Put soup back on low to medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms and broccoli florets and dill. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add cheese, stirring constantly until melted. Add parsley. Remove from heat. Freezes well.

eunice_eunice @ 2008-12-30T22:03:00

2008-12-31T04:47:03Z

well, a day later than I said it would be 'satisfactory' I finished priming the hall.

Yesterday I was pleasantly distracted by a trip to Home Depot and the Falafel Place with a couple of luminaries, as it turned out I didn't have all the gear I needed, so no painting got done - I did some course reading to soften the failed productivity blow a little.

The hall was constructed from 2 closets and has funny walls and contains 3 doors, a hatch, and 2 little nooks that will be turned into closets, it took longer than expected, like 4 hours of painting, because there was little option to use the roller, so I'm very pleased with myself that got it done, and got to my CanPalNet meeting in time, even managed to sneak in a delicious pub dinner with Frenchie. I have to wear a crazy Darth Vader mask on account of my delicate condition, so I do have to take 'deep breath' breaks at my open window every now and then, and I wondered if I was getting oxygen deprived, as I listened to Beyonce's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it)" about 10 times in a row towards the end.

Plans for CanPal's Saturday rally advance typically, the Israelis are killing the Palestinians in Gaza at astoundingly high rates, but it's still kind of the same old tragedy (or Israel's right to "self-defense") to many, so hopefully we can engage people.

Relative to the near-coma of the previous 48 hours, I felt like a dynamo today, tomorrow's goal is to paint the ceilings in the hall & the landing/ over the stairs (Frenchie primed all that already.) I'm hoping to have those same walls painted this weekend, also, so that's looking plausible. Then there's still the matter of painting the bathroom, new bedroom and woodwork/ doors/ trim but they're not ready yet/ we don't have trim paint.

But the progress in the renovations has been amazing, Frenchie's been working like a man possessed, like putting in baseboards until 1 a.m. the other night, and I am feeling hopeful that we will have this done by mid-January, and I'll be able to put the house back together again soon. I am tired of the mess of the renovations, also of tripping over the overflow furniture crammed into my room when I get up to pee multiple times in the night, and excited for the new bathroom to be fully operational. Also, the spare room is crammed with other junk, meaning no sleepover guests or downstairs naps. I like to read & nap in the spare room bed.

The plumber/ Frenchie's uncle will have to come back when it's a little warmer, so he can switch radiators - currently the bathroom has a huge one, and the bedroom has none, so the bedroom gets the huge one, and Uncle has scammed a smaller one from another project, which Frenchie has been stripping, and will be painting silver - that will eventually go into the bathroom. The heat will have to be turned off for a few hours for this to be accomplished, however, so this is not a great week for that. We also finally received our taps for the bathroom. Progress on multiple fronts, people.

eunice_eunice @ 2008-12-29T10:30:00

2008-12-29T17:02:31Z

well people,
I am happy that the holidays are over, and it was moderately less hectic than it has been for at least the last 4-5 years.

(Since I got mixed up with Frenchie and had the 2 large local families issue.) This was mainly due to a combination of a little extra $, some time off, and better scheduling of the events. (Also I didn't try to host a million events, and I srsly downsized any hostessing I did.) But I was in big crowds for a bunch of days in a row, so yesterday I went ultra lazy and didn't really talk to people, only cats, and spent the day reading, napping, watching the telly and eating leftover soup and chocolates. I read a chapter for a correspondence course, I might actually get an assignment in early for once in my life! Look at me, I'm a mature student!!! But I might not.

I've decided that soup is the perfect thing to make for a crowd - I made 2 kinds of soup last week, told as bunch of out of town people that I'd been hoping to see (and some locals) to stop by. I made a about 6 litres of split pea with ham (using the xmas hambone bequeathed to me by Frenchie's mom) and like 8 (at least) of broccoli potato cheddar mushroom. I will post the recipe, which I made up, after one more test run. This is much easier than having a brunch, esp due to timing - soup stays hot for hours in that quantity, and leftovers freeze. Next year I will invite a bunch more people I think - I could have fed like 10 more people.

And now I have the week off! I got a big darth vader mask from my bro, so I'm going to figure out how to put the filters in and paint the upstairs without causing birth defects. So far, just the odd little hall made out of 2 former closets is ready to be painted, so it's not that daunting a project - or it shouldn't be. It's a hallway with 3 doors, however, so it will require a lot of taping. First I have to prime the whole thing and the woodwork though. In fact, if I just do that today, I would consider it satisfactory progress.

eunice_eunice @ 2008-12-19T17:47:00

2008-12-20T02:14:04Z

so I xmassed so hard at the mall today that I nearly fainted. I actually had to sit on the floor in front of the taco time with my head in my knees. This could be because I was laden like a pack mule, had little sleep last, got up early in the morning and had a deep tissue massage,
and it was an hour later than I usually eat lunch.

But a veggie burrito put me to rights again, and I ran into some nuns I know, my sister-in-law and niece (on Frenchie's side), and then later my aunt (on my side).

Then I went and babysat my nephew for a while, now I'm home watching the news and raging against the museum of human rights. I just changed into something to go out and visit friends and see music tonight, and was surprised to note that I my stomach sticks out past my lovely lady lumps, and many of my shirts are tooooooo short, making me vulnerable to waist drafts. It took me like 15 tries to find something to wear. I am comfortably dressed now.

Going out then.

soup-related

2008-12-10T20:54:19Z

One thing that's making my day better is knowing that my dinner is well on it's way - I put chicken & bean tacos in the crockpot this morning. I am a domestic champion. I also invented a delicious soup Sunday, which I ate about 17 bowls of from Sun-Tues. And that's probably not an exaggeration. I was really into it. I'm big on the 2-stage soup, that is, cooking a bunch of veggies and herbs together first, (in water or broth or whatever I'm using), then pureeing it with an immersion blender, then adding whatever grains or beans i want (or precooking those in the ricecooker), and other veggies to be the stars. SOUP!

Good broth veggies: garlic, onions, roots & squashes, brocoli stems, tomatoes, and any veggies looking a bit questionable.
Good star veggies: broccoli, cauliflower, mushooms.
(peppers can go either way)
Things to add when it's still hot, but heat is off: parsley, spinach.

This formula brings magic for me. Of course there's a lot of other things you can add, like ginger, or peanut butter, or cheese, or meat, depending on your mood. I would not add all of those things in one soup, oh no. I also like to add leftover coffee (for tomatoey soups) or wine, to make for a richer flavour sometimes. And I invariably add lots of sea salt. How I love salt.

And that is all I have to say about soup for the moment.

Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth

2008-12-08T04:52:32Z

sooooooooooooooo, last year, my sister got married in Nov, I got married in Feb. and my bro got married in July. She planned her wedding in 2 weeks, mine was 6 months and my bro's about a year in the making. Which means we all got engaged within weeks.

This summer, my brother and his partner are expecting in May, I'm squeezing one out in June, and my sister just called: July 27th for her.

On the off chance that anyone knows my sister, please keep this news to yourself, as although she lives in the Solomon Islands currently, she's not quite ready for Winnipeg to know.

In fact, she seems somewhat unwilling to accept that she IS pregnant. hahahahahah She was also like 'what's this cosmic connection we have' as we were both using the same form of birth control that failed (our brother and partner did this intentionally)

So she's going to come back to Canada to have the baby I do believe. How interesting ...........we're both alarmed by our Catholic mother's voodoo powers right about now, or as we call it, 'Mom's oogedy-boogedy.'
ba