New Year's and Beyond

Work, home, flu, repeat (throw in hand foot and mouth disease, oh joy). It's been a doozy of a year. I sometimes wonder why my immunity is low. I have a great husband, a nice home, a terrific job. Then I remember that we also have an unexpected one-year-old (not that we didn't expect her to make it to one year, more that she was unexpected and everything has pretty much followed from there), lost a home, lost a business, live with my mother, pay student loans... So, as I say, it's been a bit overwhelming.

So this year, I'm going back to what works--hiking, traveling, enjoying time with family (yes, even my mother), and time with my friends. Denise is coming to visit in a couple of weeks and Marcy and I are taking the kids to Second Saturday downtown. I'm also going to start going to Monday's Meet Me at Maynard's regularly. Anyone who wants to join us, feel free.

A happy and healthy new year to us all.

Good Morning

When did I turn into this morning person? I should be asleep since Crabby Abby is knocked out again. Instead I find myself doing dishes and planning the day. A big part of the planning involves washing all robes/shirts/dresses that have suspicious glistening spots near the shoulder. Bedtime is generally 9 PM, although last night I not only stayed up until nearly eleven, I also had some tequila and made popcorn. When did this become a good time?

Eh, life is good but this getting old thing is really throwing me a curve ball.

So Much For Heartless

Maybe it's good. Maybe having a heart is a good thing. But having a baby with a fever stinks. And I don't just mean that she stinks. I mean it's heartbreaking. Boo.

More Stuff about Boobs

As you may have noticed, I'm pretty adamant about breastfeeding. What I didn't know was, when you sign up for this ride, there's no easy way off. I thought I had mastitis before because of a 24 hour achy, miserable fever day. Today, I've learned, maybe that was a 24-hour flu, because now...now I am experiencing pain. Pain that seeps into the ribs and up into the teeth. All this from waiting to pump until 3:30 in the morning.

I still know this is the best for the kiddo. I know it is less expensive and I don't take part of the $4 billion annual taxpayer subsidy we call WIC (a good program gone awry), but I will say again, this is not easy.

Part of the problem now is finding information about weaning. All the information assumes that you are either one of the people that goes immediately to formula or you will breastfeed until your kid is darn good and ready, even if that is years from now. Is that the norm? It's not for me. I need to sleep through the night. I NEED it. And I need to do it without feeling like I took a body blow from Bruce Lee.

When Good Credit Unions Go Bad

I should have seen it coming. Things have been slowly changing for years, but today, Silver State Schools Credit Union, you really ticked me off. When you sold your branded credit cards and my interest rate nearly doubled, I simply closed the card and moved on. When you made sure I couldn't add money to my IRA without sending you a letter each time, I (yes, I know this is bad) simply stopped contributing.

But today, my weekly automatic student loan payment, which should go out on Monday, was taken out before my paycheck was deposited. Your response? Sorry for the inconvenience, thank you for the 29 dollars, and don't let the door hit you in the ass, because we're locking it behind you and won't be back until Tuesday. Your money-scamming, underhandedness in this reminds me of why I don't bank with banks. I thought you were different. Maybe we're just growing apart. Now I see you love money more. Will money help you when I go? Probably, but I still think it stinks.

January, I Hardly Knew Ye.

January is almost over and I don't know where it went!

I started back to work last week and it wasn't nearly as traumatic as I thought it might be--until someone brought their baby into work and I nearly ran out of the building and home to my Abby. Last week was also the first time I've been sick in months, so that wasn't a great way to start work, but other than a cough, I'm feeling better now.

Happy New Year

My goodness tempus fugit! (cliches sound better in Latin). I'm still doing some research on the big post I have coming, so in the meantime: Happy New Year to everyone. Personally, this means some new job opportunities and getting everything together for a job I really want that doesn't start until August.

It also means Abby is growing like a weed. I look at her and wonder what she will do, and think, and be. And I worry about helping her along the way to be a good person. It's a terrifying responsibility. Plenty of people turn out alright that had bad childhoods, but how much easier it is if you have love and support along the way. I applaud all of you who do this on purpose, or who take your accidental responsibility seriously. Abby has also made me realize how much my parents love me. I don't think you can have a good idea of what your parents would do for you until you feel the same way.

There are a grocery sack of lemons demanding attention, so I'll leave it there. Some thoughts on the assignment of blame regarding the shootings in Tucson will be forthcoming and hopefully while it is still relevant.