Results ** So I finally got a call back from my doctor. The verdict? My blood tests were fine, there was nothing alarming, and nothing abnormal. That means the problem is still my brain-to-ovaries communication path. That means Clomid. I'm very happy with this. I don't care who you are or what might or might not be "wrong" with you, but whenever you have blood drawn and tests run, the nerves start working overtime. I didn't expect them to find anything wrong, but I was so afraid they would. Knowing the problem is what we thought it was, and it's probably something we can overcome, is good news. So there we go. I'm calling for the Clomid today, in case Aunt Flo comes to visit this weekend (she's still not here...) and I need to start taking it. Cross your fingers for a little one on the way by the end of summer. That's my goal.

Meanwhile, 3 of my net friends sound like they're actively progressing towards holding their little ones for the first time. They'll probably all deliver on the same day - wouldn't that be funny?
Posted 8:31 AM by Kerry O.

Annoying ** I was supposed to have my blood work results Wednesday. Today is Thursday. Thursday is not Wednesday. I've had to leave a message with the nurse, and I really want her to call me back so I know if I need to start panicking or not.
Posted 11:15 AM by Kerry O.

Blame Canada ** I like Canada. I like Canadians. Please don't start a war with them. They're nice people.
Posted 10:14 AM by Kerry O.

Teaching ** Second-grade little girl to Joe, yesterday: "Teacher! Teacher! [Boy's name] out there said... said... said the 'F-word!'" Joe to little girl, after some thought: "Well, I didn't hear him say it, so I'll listen and if he does it again, I'll take care of it." Little girl looks blankly at Joe for a few seconds, then says: "You're not a real teacher, are you?"
Posted 9:32 AM by Kerry O.

Better ** My mood is improving. Positive thinking will do that to you.
Posted 10:10 AM by Kerry O.

I can see the destiny you sold, turned into a shining band of gold ** The sky matches my mood today. I am trying so hard not to show everyone around me what a cranky, pissy, bitter mood I'm in today. I must say, I'm doing quite well. Everyone's being very friendly, and not showing any sign that they see how unpleasant I feel. Maybe that will snap me out of it. Joe's first day of substitute teaching is today. That is a very good thing! We got into a screaming, crying fight last night (on my part, of course). That is not a very good thing! I think I'm PMS-ing for the first time in 4 months, or at least my hormones are out of whack on this Provera. I hope that's all it is. I don't want to feel like I did last night for a long, long time.
Posted 8:14 AM by Kerry O.

Sick ** I know in my mind I live in a fantasy world of my own making. It's not pure fiction, just slightly... altered. :-) In other words, I hold out futile hope that things in the "real" world aren't really as bad as they seem. Then, from nowhere, reality slaps me in the face with another disgusting display of yet something else being very very wrong indeed. Riding the elevators up to work this morning, I noted that there was a strange area of the wood paneling ground down through the layers, in a roughly round area of about 6 inches in diameter. It looked tacky, and I thought, "Why in the world would Prudential allow someone to do that? Damn construction people." Now, when I started here last July, I was next door in "Paradise 1." This building was a foundation. It opened to us I think in early September or late August. It's brand-new. So, about an hour and a half later, my friend wants to go downstairs for a breather. We ride in a different elevator, and it has the same weird worn-out spot, about 6 inches in diameter, in the same spot. What the --? I asked my friend, "Did you see this? What is that all about? I saw it in the other elevator." She looks at the other person in the elevator, then back at me and said, "I'll tell you about that later." Um, okay. We walk outside, where we're alone, and she proceeds to tell me...

"Remember the Fire Drill last week [Thursday]? Well, when we were coming back up in the elevator, there were about 3 of us, and the fire drill notice that had been taped inside the elevator came loose and fell off. Beneath it, someone had carved, hard, into the wood 'KKK.' There was a black man standing next to me, and the look on his face was awful. It turns out the other elevator, the one we were just in, had a swastika. All of them had something. They had to grind them out."

Sick. Truly sick. Can you imagine what it must have felt like for that man to see that, and know that someone in this building did it? It makes me feel disgusted and embarrassed to think that someone could do that. Fortunately, someone reported it to the Ethics Line, and security made sure it was remedied quickly. But I personally think they should leave the elevators scarred as a reminder of how scarring something like that can really be.
Posted 11:38 AM by Kerry O.

Weekend fun ** Well, I had a very productive - and lazy weekend. Friday evening, a couple of friends at our house turned into a party. I fell asleep on the couch while some of our friends ended up playing board games until 3 a.m.! Saturday morning, Joe and Mom and I went to AZ Mills, and found perfect slipcovers at the JC Penny outlet store. They look like these, in brick red. We found pretty silver embossed satin pillows at Ross for $5.99, so we have 4 of those for accent on the 2 sofas.

Then I spent the rest of the day while Joe was at work, folding and tucking the slipcovers, and re-doing most of the master bedroom. I dismantled and removed our old bed, and constructed the new simple bedframe. I put the wood and mattress on it, rolled it over to sit on the wall under the other window, and moved all the furniture around to support the new look. I had to move 57 boxes of baseball cards (slight exaggeration) into a neat stack in the corner of the office, and suddenly our bedroom looks HUGE! I had no idea how much the former layout and bed frame minimized the space in there. I'm still adjusting to sleeping in a different place, and even the puppy slept most of the night on the floor because she was so confused.

So yesterday morning was just for laundry and dishes, and then I sat around with Chris all day while he played Simpsons Road Rage. It was nice to relax and enjoy a WARM (it was 100 yesterday), lazy Sunday afternoon completely guilt-free!
Posted 9:49 AM by Kerry O.

Friday Five - So Very Late **
1. What is your favorite restaurant and why? Pre-Celiac, it was probably Pizzeria Bianco, though waiting 2 hours for dinner usually sucked. Now, I'd have to say Havana Cafe or Carlos O'Briens.

2. What fast food restaurant are you partial to? Super-fast food, probably Taco Bell. My options are kind of limited. Pseudo-fast-food, I'd much prefer Baja Fresh or Chipotle.

3. What are your standards and rules for tipping? Starting at 15%, I generally work my way up for better service. If the service is generally good, or I'm a regular (like Carlos O'Briens), I pretty much go for 20% and round up to make an even bill (i.e. $16.10, I'll leave $20.00). If someone stinks, I might lower it to 10%, but I will usuallyl feel guilty about it. All those years as a waitress have tainted me.

4. Do you usually order an appetizer and/or dessert? No. Most of the time people we eat with, especially my step-sister and her husband, will order an appetizer, but I know better. I simply get too full. Besides, most of the time it's fried/battered stuff, which I can't eat. If it's a special occasion, everyone else is doing it, and we have plenty of time, I might order dessert. But then usually only for sharing.

5. What do you usually order to drink at a restaurant? Depends on the time of day and type of restaurant. Lunch it's usually iced tea. If I haven't had any soda that day, I might get a Dr. Pepper. Dinner at a restaurant with a bar, it's often a margarita or glass of wine, or more iced tea.
Posted 8:44 AM by Kerry O.