Mush brain

About twice a year I get together with a couple of friends who used to work with me. We enjoy some drinks and nachos and catch up on our relationships and general gossip. We had a date set up for last week. That date got postponed since one of us was putting an offer in on a condo. The make up date was last night. I forgot to go. Total mush brain.

Around 6:45 my cell phone rang. I shuffled off the couch to grab it. One of the gals was calling me to find out where I was. I was completely clueless! The conversation must have been a little bit odd for her, because I'm sure my voice had an air of 'Wow. We hardly ever talk on the phone. I wonder why you are calling me.', and she was probably thinking 'Wow. What's up with 2D Girl? She sounds totally clueless.'.

Previously pregnant friends had warned me how they parked their cars incorrectly and been towed (twice!), locked keys in their car with the car running, and even locked themselves out of their homes, etc, etc. Earlier this week I was feeling so proud of not having locked myself out of the house, or gone the wrong direction on the subway, or missed a date with hubby.

I've felt a bit down ever since that call last night. I missed out on the gossipy fun! I completely stood up my gal pals! I have MUSH BRAIN!

This ain't no April Fool's...Are you sitting down?!

Hubby and I are having a baby! We have safely entered our 2nd trimester and are starting to spread the good news. We've been sitting on our news since week 4. It hasn't been easy, especially for Ms. Tendency-To-Be-An-Open-Book herself - moi! Babe is due to arrive on October 11.

I feel quite lucky regarding my 1st trimester symptoms. I haven't experienced any real nausea and no puking at all. Hubby and I are equally surprised by this, since I have been a puker all my life. I even puke when my menstrual cycle turns up as a monstrual cycle. The biggest changes I've had to handle have been exhaustion (falling asleep right after dinner), crazy hunger, super sensitive smelling, and digestive upset (gas, gas, heartburn, gas, heartburn, constipation). No one ever told me about the digestive funkiness pregnant women face. It's a little wacky.

We had our first ultrasound this afternoon. We got to see the kid in its warm watery home. We had a good look at its profile and could clearly see its little up-turned baby nose! Two arms, two legs, a beating heart at a healthy rate, and a spine. It is currently curled up on the left side of my uterus. Lyndsey, the technician, tappity-tapped the wand on my belly and the babe did a little break dancing move from its hips! Cool!

If you are interested, I recommend the following preggers reads: Bear With Me by Diane Flacks (local Torontonian!) and From the Hips by Rebecca Odes and Ceridwen Morris.

More updates will surely come - stay tuned!

Vacation report

We arrived home yesterday from our 6 day adventure in San Fran. SF rocks! We both loved it!

Here are a few highlights...

A peaceful walk in Muir Woods



A shared lunch at Moishe Pippic's on Hayes. Holy cow, was it amazing! We earned it, having walked 4 miles from our hotel exploring the city.




The historic streetcars are actually quite charming, although noisy. We took this streetcar from the Castro back to our hotel near 3rd and Market(same day as the 4 mile walk).




High-end Mexican dinner at Maya on 2nd Street




Alcatraz! I know, I know, I'm surprised that I liked it as much as I did. The audio tour that leads you through the Cell House is really, really good! The Eucalyptus tree was in bloom on the island and it smelled wonderful!





We also were completely spoiled by Marvin's cousin and aunt. We enjoyed a few meals with them in San Bruno and SF. Here we are at Hunan Home's on Jackson in SF.




After dinner Cousin J took us on a two hour car tour around some SF neighbourhoods we hadn't reached yet, including the Coit Tower. Wonderful views of the city!





On our last day, we were lucky to share time with our lovely friend from Toronto! It was her birthday the next day and she was in SF coincidentally overlapping our trip.




I don't have a photo of our hotel, but I can't say enough good things about the Galleria Park Hotel (a Joie de Vivre hotel). The room was cozy, but comfortable with lovely linens, a wonderful deep tub and shower, and modern EQ 3 type furniture. Within 5 minutes of settling into our room the Guest Services staff called to inquire if the room was satisfactory. An hour later a small bottle of wine, four chocolate mints, and a handwritten note welcoming us to the hotel arrived at our door. Lovely!

Vacation... aaaaaahhhh!

As usual, the week leading up to my vacation was a bit stressful. I usually wait too long to take my next vacation and this time was no different. I try to jam too many client appointments in before I leave and this time I've done the same thing for the week I get back. Now that my vacation is here, I've had a little sigh of relief.

This early Spring vacation is starting with a nice weekend with Hubby and a mix of friend and family visits, as well as prep for our six day trip to San Francisco. San Francisco! I can't wait! We are planning on taking some City Guided tours and a trip to Muir Woods. I'm also looking forward to doing as the locals do at a cafe or park.

Crochet & Cookies

I'm feeling a bit more excited about crochet again. For awhile there, I just didn't feel like picking up a hook and doing anything. I was able to finish a couple of projects that were sitting around here. Here are a couple of photos:


This is a piggie I made for K's third birthday. It was a hit!




Here's an infant blanket that I made for K's new brother. My first project without a pattern! I'm still working on some fine details and want to make it larger before sending it to a magazine in hopes of publishing.





Here is a detail of a scarf I made for S. He told me he's had a lot of compliments!

Right now I am finishing up yet another baby cardigan. Lots of friends with buns in the oven! I can't do a blanket for every girlfriend, but I feel babies and new moms need handmade things, so little cardigans it is!

I also need to concentrate on a spider web cardigan for MezzoDiva. She's working on a great summer tank for me. I started her cardigan in the Fall and of course thought that I had a ton of time before Spring arrived. Even though the Winter from Hell is only just now retreating, I've hardly picked up the project!

Cookie Challenge update!! Finally! Along with not being interested in crochet, I haven't been motivated to bake either. So much for the Cookie Challenge. Last weekend I finally put the apron on and baked two different batches.

Cookie number 5: Orange Oaties



Easy & fast!
Great orange flavour!
Chewy, not crispy (thumbs down for me when it comes to thin cookies).
Low fat (thumbs up for those who care about this).
A little bit too sweet for me.
The gals at work really liked them.

I think if I made these again, I would add some toasted almond slivers.


Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies



Again, easy & fast!
Great chocolate flavour!
Good combination of soft cookie texture and oat crunchiness.
A little bit crumbly, but not so much that it is really messy for eating.
Just the right amount of sweetness for me.

I put chocolate chips in the thumbprint centre instead of chocolate spread as the recipe asked for. Next time I will add a nut to the chips. Chocolate spread would be great if there is already some in the house. I would make these babies again!


Other news: In about 9 days, Hubby and I will be on a plane for San Francisco! I can't wait! I'll be meeting Hubby's 86 year old aunt for the first time. Hubby and I will be doing some free walking tours in the city, lots of eating, a little shopping and possibly driving to see the Muir Woods.

Computer off

I've been absent from blogland lately. I haven't been interested in turning on my computer. I think this is the first time in about two and half weeks that I've even touched it. I checked my email while I'm at work and I've avoided the two laptops that sit in our living room everyday (Hubby's and our music laptop).

I've helped out my sis the last two weekends. She just bought a new, bigger house and I've been helping her paint. It's been a little bit fun, actually. I noticed how well we worked together today hanging her son's wallpaper border. I dare say it feels good to notice how we can get something done together and do it well.

An old friend I met years ago when I lived in Calgary has found me on Facebook. I love Crackbook for that! I'd lost touch with her when she settled in England. I'd had her sister's address in Richmond Hill and then lost that some years ago. I always regretted not being in touch with her. She found me last week and now we are chatting back and forth as if no time has passed.

Hubby and I had been very snuggly lately. I am LOVING having him home! It rocks my world to eat breakfast together everyday and sleep beside each other every night. I'm a lucky, lucky gal!

We are planning a wee trip to San Fran for the end of the month. I can't wait!

What's new?

Well, the past two weeks have been interesting! Here's a re-cap:

Hubby came home from Winnipeg for good. Ya!

We spent about $2000 to fix our chimney/furnace room exhaust issue. We discovered the rather dangersous issue when Hubby tried to have a post-airplane hot shower and ended up with a post-airplane cold shower. 4 days and a few line of credit cheques later, we have an unplugged chimney and could have our gas turned back on. Thank goodness it wasn't minus 25 outside that week.

Just after Hubby came home, I left for a four day work retreat. It was sort of nice to get leave domestic chaos behind me and let Hubby deal with it. After months and months of holding down the fort on my own, I happily passed the torch.

Applied for a job, went for the interview, was offered the job and turned it down. It's nice to be wanted and be able to say no. It was reassuring to me that if I ever need to find other work, the Universe will provide.

Feeling a bit better

You may know that I was struck down with the nasty flu and then a cold/phlegm thing. Just wanted to let people know that I'm feeling better.

I'm also less in the dumps. Since I got sick and stayed home from work for three days, I used up my tolerance for being at home alone (re: Hubby being away). By the time the weekend came, I was in the dumps big time.

Back at work on Monday, I was feeling like my ol' self by 10am. Nothing like dealing with the problems of other people to get your head screwed on straight.

Avoidance 101

Blogging, reading blogs, calling your friends and family on Skype, landlines, and cells, are all great ways to avoid sorting out the dreaded home office.

Blanket idea

I'm thinking of making a patch-work type baby blanket. Scraps of yarn made into squares of various stitches, sewn together in a pleasing design. I'm sort of excited about using up some scraps, choosing stitches, and laying out the design. I'm 100% not excited about the assembly. I really don't like sewing things together. Likely I will use single crochet to assemble them - less painful for me.

Stay tuned.

Other projects on the go:

black slouchy beret (on hold, not inspired to finish it)
toy pig
MezzoDiva's cardigan (spider web pattern)
baby cardigan (12 month size)

3:10 to Yuma

I finally saw 3:10 to Yuma! (refer to More about movies below) I flew to Winnipeg to visit Hubby on Friday. Air Canada has a great entertainment system that allows every customer to watch exactly what she wants on her own private screen. I was sitting in the middle seat right behind Business Class, so my screen was hidden in the arm of my chair, not on the back of the seat in front of me. The stewardess had to help me find my screen, so I got started on the movie a little bit late.

I watched 2/3 of the movie on the way to Winnipeg and the last 1/3 on the way home. Oh my, how I love westerns! I haven't been a particular fan of Russell Crowe before now, but he sure is a bit hubba-hubba in 3:10!

Good looking pizza

I made this pizza last night and it looked so good I had to take a picture! It tasted almost as good as it looked. It was missing just a little something... garlic? Goat cheese? Just one more ingredient would have made it perfect.

Pottery class therapy update

There was lots of laughing tonight at pottery class. It got my mind off things for a few hours. I have been missing my pottery friend who died a year ago this month. By the end of class he was on my mind and i was teetering on feeling down again. He was a risk taker in class and in life in some ways. He wasn't afraid to try something new. So, I shall stretch myself and try a couple of new techniques on some mugs. I don't want to go bigger and better. I just want my mugs to look different than they look now.

(I'm a little bit surprised how often my thoughts drift to him. I knew I would miss him. I knew it. I guess I just didn't know exactly how much I would miss him. It's a lot. A lot.)

little down

I'm feeling a little bit down tonight. Nothing is really wrong, but a couple of things in my life are a tad bit 'off' right now. That little bit 'off' makes it difficult to sleep. Lack of sleep makes it harder to get through the day.

I miss Hubby. He's very stressed right now and I'm worried about him. I feel helpless. There is nothing I can actually do to help him with the problem he is facing. I can only listen and support.

Maybe a little pottery class therapy will give me a boost.

More about movies

I just realized that I've probably missed my last chance to see 3:10 to Yuma on the big screen! It was playing at the Bloor Cinema last week. I must have been snoozing, 'cause I missed by two days! Crap! I'm really into Westerns and I have no idea how I didn't get my act together to see this on the big screen.

I'll be seeing Before The Devil Knows You're Dead on Friday. I love, love, love, Philip Seymour Hoffman. I might make it a Philip Seymour Hoffman weekend; he's in at least two other movies in the theatres now.

Hubby and I watched Fargo again last week. I'd forgotten how great that movie is. I love Margie.

I just saw, for the first time, To Sir, with Love on Sunday. I really dig Sidney Poitier and I can't resist the 60s music. I give it a thumbs up. (If my Hubby is reading this, he's rolling his eyes in disbelief that I haven't seen this movie before now. He believes that I am a bit retarded in the pop culture areas of my life.)

Holiday movies I saw: Atonement - great music and cinematography, but a wee bit slow for me; I am Legend - I loved it and really appreciated how Will Smith's character flutters on the edge of insanity. (Hubby was less enthusiastic about it.) I think there was one other movie we saw, but I just can't remember right now.

80 year old plumbing

Just before the holidays, our basement tenant told us about a not-so-pleasant smell that had started burping up from his toilet. Yuck! Around Dec 23 we thought we could smell a super bad fart up in our master bedroom. Neither of us had let one rip. Where did that smell come from? We suspected it was the burping toilet sending its strong fumes up the heating vents.

By Dec 26 I had discovered two small messes on the floor of the basement shower. Sewage back-up! We made a call pronto! On Dec 27 two strong Russians were digging under our porch.








They dug about 7 feet down to reach the old clay trap for our very old house. At a certain point they asked us to flush all the toilets twice. We went outside to check out the flow in the hole under our porch. One of the guys said, 'It was like Niagara Falls! It was really backed up in there!'. I said, 'Ya, but the American side, not the Canadian side.' We all laughed.

And then I wrote a cheque for almost $2800.

Hubby was a bit down about the whole thing initially, but before long we both acknowledged that it was the best of a worse case scenario. At least it didn't flood our basement.

Lots o' stuff

As promised, here is a mish-mash of updates and interesting tidbits.

Here's me cutting a delicious carrot cake I made for a Girls' Night at S's home in November.



Here are some of the carrot cake fans:



And another big fan:



She also likes Scooby-Do books and Spider Man! She's so cool! I dig her!

On a trip to Montreal earlier this year, I started working on creating a baby blanket pattern. I found the Catherine Wheel design in a book of trims and patterns. Here is a shot of the gauge swatch for the blanket.



Here's a picture of Hubby and our friends waiting for our Porter Air flight to Montreal.


I feel like I'm putting my neck out a bit admitting that we took Porter Air. I am only slightly ashamed to admit that it was pure luxury and I would do it again in a second. In the picture above we are sitting in the self-serve kitchenette in the Porter Air lounge with its unlimited and complimentary snacks and bevies. These are no cheapie snacks either - espresso, cappuccino, juices, trail mix, and quite yummy cookies.

They even served lunch on the plane with your choice of wine or beer! I was so excited that I took a couple of pictures! Here is lunch container:



Here is what was inside!



Hubby and I shared our sandwiches for a little variety. It was all delicious!

So, the Catherine Wheel baby blanket was born on our little adventure to Montreal. Here is the finished product and a detail shot:





This lovely green blanket has a happy home in Winnipeg with the scrumptious little daughter of my childhood friend.

Special thanks to my Knitomatic SnB gals for good feedback on this blanket. After searching and thinking and searching and thinking about the border, I took Haley's advice and went with a simple single and double crochets. Leona also gave me good advice about the tension and hook size. The second attempt at this pattern has been crocheted with Hook size I rather than H. (I haven't yet photographed the second blanket).

You may recall the beginnings of my turtle baby project. Here he is!



This critter was just sent to a sweet little Ladybug in Calgary whom I hope to meet someday.

There is more to tell, but my bed beckons. Plumbing stories can wait.

Lazy blogger

I've been a lazy, lazy blogger. I thought I would get some done over the holidays, but Hubby was home without his own laptop, so I had to relinquish all rights to my laptop since laptop = lifeline for Hubby's work situ. I read the New York Times and caught up on some crochet projects instead of blogging.

This wee entry is just to say 'stay tuned' for a HUGE entry coming this weekend. I have tons o' pics of crochet, friends, plumbing issues, and other fun stuff!

I like movies!

I like movies! I don't go out a lot to see movies in the theatre, but I do watch them on Hubby's super cable pacakage at home.

Movies I've seen lately:

You've Got Mail - I've probably watched this movie about 20 times. I used to own a VHS copy. For me, it's a girlie romantic movie I can 'watch' while I clean or bake. Last night it was on one of the super cable channels. I'd forgotten how romantic it is. I even cried a little at the end.

Terms of Endearment - Complete tear jerker. A full box of kleenex tear jerker. Also watched on the super cable. I love it.

Miss Potter - Surprisingly a sweet and inspiring movie. Also a bit of a tear jerker because of the twist of fate that Beatrix experiences.

New Waterford Girl - Love this Canadian movie! I stayed home in my pjs on Monday and watched this instead of going out to a weekly gathering. I found out afterward that there was a birthday cake and gift waiting for me at the gathering - oops!

Margot at the Wedding - I saw this at Canada Square. Nicole Kidman, Jack Black (LOVE Jack!), and Jennifer Jason Leigh. The story is so well written, acted, and so completely twisted that it made me uncomfortable. Great movie, but I don't think I could watch it again. Other movies I hold in this category: Seven and Boys Don't Cry.

No Country For Old Men - I can't say enough about the Coen bros! Love 'em! I saw this with Hubby in Winnipeg recently.

American Gangster - I liked it, but I don't think I would see it again. I also saw this with Hubby on an earlier trip to The Peg.

I'm looking forward to watching more over the holidays. Any suggestions?

Handkerchief

I use handkerchiefs. If you haven't figured it out already, 2D Girl has one eye. The other eye is artificial. My right eye socket, the one with the prosthesis, has always been a bit snotty and runny. In order to save some trees, I switched from tissues to handkerchiefs several years ago. I have some plain old white ones, but mostly I use some tie-dyed, funkified handkerchiefs to make things interesting. I always carry one in my left pocket.

I ended up on a bus this morning on my way to work. I usually walk or ride my bike, but it was just too icy and windy. I can't afford to fall and break my arm just before the holidays - I have too many cookies to bake!

I digress. I was lucky to get one of the last seats and like most Torontonians, I sat my butt down and stared straight ahead. As the journey dragged on, I noticed the man sitting to my left (my seeing side). I glanced over and something caught my eye - a huge drip of fluid on the tip of his nose. I realized that he must not have any tissues and I wondered why he didn't just surreptisiously wipe the drip on his sleeve. He just sat there and let the drip get bigger and bigger. By the time it reached his lip, I had clued in that he may not be in the best of health (general and otherwise). I reached into my pocket, pulled out my clean hankie and offered it to him. He wiped his nose and we had a brief conversation about how he was feeling a bit better today and that he got new boots just in time for the snow.

I'm happy my hankie has found another home.