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[May. 30th, 2008|07:50 am] |
Thank goodness for antibiotics. I am not in so much pain today, just dizzy and nauseous.
I have been pondering reading styles. I love books. I love words. I love reading. And writing, when it flows. Since I started working on my writing again, I went on a book buying spree.
The reason I don't read as often as I wish I did is because I get totally lost in a book. If I am in a good book (sometimes even a bad book), I don't want to do anything but read it. Nothing gets done while I binge on my book. It's like an addiction. I can't put the book down until it is finished. This was all well and good before I had, you know, responsibilities.
The blessing in disguise of being sick is that I have actually been able to shelve the responsibilities and get some reading done without guilt.
This week, I have read these books:
Specials, by Scott Westerfeld
Undomestic Goddess, by Sophie Kinsella
A Hunger like No Other, Kresley Cole
The Rowan, Anne McCaffrey
Percy and the Olympians - The Lightning Thief, Rick Riordan
Percy and the Olympians is so far the biggest surprise. The premise is that the Greek gods never died and continue on living in the center of Western Civilization, wherever that might be. That center, per the book, is New York City. Mount Olympus has moved to the 600th floor of the Empire State Building. The gods are as petty and promiscuous as ever, and in the present day they continue to have affairs with mortals that result in children who are half god. The hero, twelve-year-old Perseus Jackson, is the son of of one of the Greek gods. He is a child with ADHD and dyslexia who has been kicked out of every school he has ever been in. After being kicked out of his latest school, he learns of his parentage. He and two friends go on a quest to regain Zeus's stolen lightning bolt.
This is one of the top adolescent/quest books I have read in a long time. Percy and the Olympians compares quite favorably with the first Harry Potter book. It clearly benefited from Harry Potter, as it follows the same type of formula and was published in 2005. Instead of Hogwarts, there is Camp Half-Blood. Instead of professors, there are the Greek gods and their associates. Instead of spells, the children have powers related to whichever god was their parent. And the magical artifacts come from the gods. I actually liked it better than the first Harry Potter book-- the writing is tighter and I found Percy to be a more appealing main character than Harry. There are three other Percy Jackson books out there. I am interested to see if they are as well-written. |
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[May. 29th, 2008|03:24 pm] |
I had a sinus infection and took antibiotics May 14. I was well for all of a week. Now I have the worst sinus infection of my life.
Being run-down and sick sucks. I can barely type. Am going to nap. |
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[May. 21st, 2008|10:18 pm] |
Okay, so I guess I am just fickle.
Today I had lunch with my friend, the SALT supervisor and talked about career options. She thought I would be a great fit for the SALT team and that it would def. work with my flex schedule and is going to ping the partner. Now I am interested in work again, even though I was ready to quit yesterday. |
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[May. 20th, 2008|07:54 am] |
Allie has been sick every weekend except two since January when we started her in daycare.
I thought she was recovering yesterday, but she spiked another high fever last night. So I will not be at work today either. I have basically spent my entire time since I started back trying to make up for all the time I miss because she is sick (or I am, since I get all her germs).
People keep telling me it will get better. But when? The doctor told me last month I would have a really healthy 3-year-old. Let me tell you, that is a real comfort right now.
There are a lot of advantages accrued by my being back at work. I tell myself that all time. This one BIG disadvantage is starting to drag me down. I know she is building her immunity and all that jazz, and this is an unavoidable part of childhood, but maybe if we spread out the sicknesses over a longer period of time it wouldn't be so miserable for all involved.
Last week I scheduled a lunch meeting with a supervisor in the SALT group to discuss career options, because I was thinking about switching to SALT. I think she thought I was thinking about quitting. I wasn't, then. But this latest bout of sickness has me thinking about it hard. This is supposed to be the healthiest time of year, and she's already been sick twice this month.
I just don't know what to do. I'm not sure I want to be home 100% all the time, but this unending stream of sickness is just sapping the life out of us. My husband is a zombie today at work because we split getting up last night because we thought I was going to work today.
There has to be a solution that isn't all or nothing. I'm already part-time, I don't see how I could cut down more. On the other hand, I don't know how much longer we can keep living like us. Ugh. |
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[May. 15th, 2008|07:47 pm] |
I started writing again. I have been afraid to say anything lest I jinx my muse, but things are going well. I have about 45,000 words and a pretty good idea of where I'm going. I am toying with starting my own blog (because I write in this one so much these days, ha!), but so far WordPress and I are still making friends.
I'm not sure what's different about the writing this time, but something is different, hopefully better. Well, I guess it depends on how you define better, since I would much rather be writing than working as a tax accountant. That sort of makes it hard to get inspired about going to work in the mornings. If I quit, though, I know I would really miss my co-workers and the professional affirmation. If only there were some way to only work one or two days a week so I could spend my other work day writing and spend the rest of the week with Allie. No, no, it's not as if I want everything. Wait, yes it is!
Little Allie is running now and has 3.5 teeth. She doesn't talk yet, but she points at things and waits for us to tell her what they are. She is obsessed with grabbing people's noses, and if you tell her to stop grabbing your nose, she will grab your mouth instead. She has a real flair for comedic timing and is very kinesthetic. It is so cool to watch her little personality start to unfold. |
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[Mar. 19th, 2008|09:13 am] |
I know this journal has been so neglected as everyday life has been crazy hectic and stressful lately...
But Miss Allie is 1 year old! And she can walk. :)
A few pics from her little 1st birthday bash:
(And I had time to post these pics because she spiked a random fever this morning and can't go to daycare. Again.)
In other news, work is going okay. I enjoy being back, but our house is being neglected and our home projects are stalled and Allie has only been well about two weeks total since January 12. I am counting the days until April 16, when I go down to 3 days a week. Hopefully that will help out a lot. I am glad I decided to go back, though-- I enjoy my coworkers and I am learning a lot. I really am enjoying my promotion. |
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[Jan. 25th, 2008|08:27 pm] |
Yesterday, at long last, Allie turned the corner and is getting her sparkle back after being sick repeatedly since 1/11. She is almost done with her antibiotics for the ear infection, and she slept through the night last night for the first time since I can't remember when. Hallelujah! Today was her best day yet at daycare, and she actually managed a decent nap. The teachers said she was "adjusting." I say, she was finally feeling more like her old spunky self.
I made it through my first full week of work. Although I guess not really since I have 6 hours of work to do tomorrow, maybe more if I have the energy. We are not really in the thick of busy season yet (esp. considering we have six new hires this year that we have to keep busy)... but everyone needs to try and meet their charge hour goals so that no one gets shipped off to other offices this season. I know my first busy season people were sent off in 2 week shifts, and it was a real drain on morale. They're always wanting to ship people from our office because we are better staffed than a lot of other places -- turns out everyone wants to work in our Raleigh office. Our office is a good office. For all of its faults, it is the only place I have ever worked where every single person is a team player. Sometimes I take that for granted, but going back after having been gone for a while, I really appreciate how genuinely well-meaning my co-workers are.
I am trying to be more positive, especially about work. I chose to go back, and if I don't want to be there, I am in the enviable position of being able to tell them to shove off. Sometimes I get carried away focusing on the negative because I am such a naturally critical person (which makes me a good accountant), but it really is more fun to be positive. I went to lunch with my one of my junior colleagues to catch up yesterday, and I practiced my positivity. Each thing she said about work, I responded with something positive about the situation or the person. She was so excited by the things I said, she responded with more positive things. Pretty soon, we were on a positive feedback loop and we had a really happy lunch together. Part of my desire for the positivity is personal, and part of it is that now I am a senior associate. I know that my outlook on work and projects will directly impact the new hires (6 of them!) when they do work for me. I set getting to know them better as one of my performance goals, so I get to take them to lunch in two groups to get to know them better. I plan to practice more positivity at that lunch. I bet the other senior associates will be jealous they didn't set a performance goal of getting to know the new hires when they find out I get to run through two fancy lunches and count it as "people development" on my timesheet. |
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[Jan. 16th, 2008|09:40 pm] |
Why aren't people born with teeth? It seems like evolution would have created people born with teeth by now.
Allie is teething. It is a nightmare. |
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[Jan. 15th, 2008|08:22 pm] |
Allie has been saying "Mom!" and "Mama!" and "Mum!"
Tonight at dinner we were feeding Allie oranges, which she loves. She would eat one, kick her feet, and say "mama!"
I said, "It's like she thinks saying Mama will get her an orange."
G said, "How do you think I taught her to say Mama? I would say Mama as I gave her a piece of food she liked."
All this time, I thought she was saying Mama because she was trying to talk to us (she says "mama" to both of us at this point). Apparently, she was really just asking for something yummy. |
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[Jan. 13th, 2008|10:11 pm] |
One week at daycare = sick baby.
Two days after sick baby = sick mommy.
UGH. Hopefully I can sleep it off. Allie is still sick-- it is just a cold, but it is hard because she doesn't understand why I keep sticking something up her nose. Also, she is not sleeping well (ergo, no one else is either). |
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[Jan. 10th, 2008|10:14 am] |
Allie had her best "day" yet at daycare yesterday. She was there 4 hours. She played, she napped, she ate all her lasagna(!) at lunch. When I went to pick her up, she was a very happy baby. Hopefully today will go as well; she will be there almost five hours today. |
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[Jan. 8th, 2008|08:19 pm] |
I go back to work next Wednesday.
Allie did okay at daycare today. The teachers checked "friendly" as her general disposition for the three hours she was there. When I arrived to pick her up, she saw me immediately and started making a squawking noise. She then proceeded to crawl toward me at top speed, in the process dragging two small toys with her because she did not crawl around them. I felt the guiltiest when she was so happy to see me-- it felt as though she really missed me. Should a nine-and-a-half month old need to miss her mother?
I would feel less guilty if I were going back to work to put food on the table. As it is, I know most of my money will actually go to her daycare, and the rest will go into our retirement account.
We'll see how it goes. It is a lot easier to go back and quit if things fall through than it is to quit first and go back later (at least that is what I keep telling myself!). |
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[Nov. 10th, 2007|10:07 pm] |
Hubby is gone. I hear every noise (and with 5 rabbits in the house, you can never be sure what noise is suspicious and what noise is normal). I can't even lock myself in my bedroom with the phone like I usually would because I would be leaving the baby unprotected. I realize this is crazy, but I am seriously considering finding the pack n' play, assembling it, and then moving the (sleeping) baby to the bedroom, and then locking the door.
Okay, as I typed that, I realized I am being crazy. I should just go to bed and go to sleep.
I hate that I am this paranoid. |
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[Nov. 5th, 2007|02:27 pm] |
Okay. I'm still unwilling to commit officially to NaNo this year, but I have 4200 words so far and a pretty strong concept. Not too bad for starting yesterday. I have been writing during Allie's naps. This means our house is a wreck, since I usually clean during Allie's naps. I have also committed to spending less time on the Internet so that I will have more time to write.
The story has been knocking around for a little while. It would be nice if I could actually get it on paper!
In other news, I return to work part-time on January 14. Looking at daycare sucks. |
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[Nov. 3rd, 2007|12:43 pm] |
So it is probably ridiculous to think that I could possibly fit in Nano this year, particularly considering November has already started. I have never successfully completed it. Something always happens. But still, it tempts me. I think maybe I won't sign up (I can't take a third official failure) unless this is more than a passing whim. Or maybe I'll just try unofficially.
I am going back to work on January 14, part-time. I think. This assumes I can get the daycare mess straightened out. |
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[Oct. 19th, 2007|03:03 pm] |
Good news: It's pouring. We really need this rain.
Bad news: It's pouring. The baby and I haven't been out all day, and it started to pour the moment I grabbed my purse, the baby, and opened the door. I feel trapped. It's Friday, so traffic worsens with each passing minute. Ugh. |
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[Oct. 15th, 2007|10:14 am] |
I realize it seems like my lj is dead. But it is still here!
Allie is up on her hands and knees and rocking. So far she can just go in circles, but I expect crawling any day now. She is eating some solid food 3x per day, but she is still eating all her other meals. So I am feeding her 9x per day, all told. One of our rabbits has developed head tilt, and has to be force-fed 5x daily since last week. Hopefully he will start to show signs of recovery soon. It seems like all I do is feed.
I am shopping for a stroller. I have been shopping for it for weeks. I think the act of shopping is some kind of escape, or I would have bought one by now. In the course of my shopping, I ran across jellyfish.com.
First there were internet communities on listservs. Then IRC. Then social sites & gaming sites. Then social networking sites like Facebook. Now there are communities for shopping?
Jellyfish is an auction/shopping site in which the products being auctioned get cheaper by the second until the quantity sells out. Word on the street is that the average discount is 45%. I went over to check it out... and it is more than an auction site. I think it is an addiction. They have auction "programming" where people tune in for a couple hours to see what is being auctioned (For instance, strollers are today at 1PM, TVs are tomorrow at 7PM). In between items, they have mini game shows where people are randomly selected to play for cash prizes (around $110 this morning). The audience plays along for points that can be used in a monthly competition. Off to the side of the auction, half the screen is taken up by a chat window so you can socialize while you wait for your price. People have avatars and personal pages. You can chat with individual site members if you are list each other as shopping buddies.
Besides auctions, you can also shop through the site and they'll give you half of the commission they receive on products you purchase. If you refer people to the site, you get 1/2 of the commission Jellyfish gets from that person over twelve months (so 1/4 of the total commission).
I am both fascinated and repulsed. I haven't bought anything yet; I've mostly been using it to procrastinate on making squash babyfood. But if you think you might buy something, I'm not so repulsed that I would be upset if you listed me as a referrer [curiousbunny @ gmail.com].
I guess I should go make that squash babyfood. Strollers don't come online until 1PM. |
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[Sep. 19th, 2007|10:20 am] |
I bought twelve boxes of rice cereal for Allie on Amazon for an incredible price. I was so proud of myself.
Allie hates it.
I tasted it. It tastes like cardboard. I guess I too would be offended if someone took my only and favorite food, mixed it with crap, and then tried to spoon it into my mouth.
Onward to sweet potatoes. |
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[Sep. 12th, 2007|08:19 pm] |
I am woefully out of shape. So out of shape I could cry. I haven't down sustained aerobic activity since early in my pregnancy. It is insidious, because hauling Miss Allie and her associated gear everywhere has made me stronger than ever.
I deluded myself into thinking my new-found strength somehow related to be physical fitness. This morning it was a breezy 76, and 20 minutes of brisk walking with the stroller left me pouring sweat and exhausted. 76 is just not hot enough to use heat as an excuse.
On an unrelated note, today was the first day in three days that Miss Allie deigned to go down for a nap. Hallelujah! Yesterday I was having visions of going back to work immediately just be away from the cranky howling. If she hadn't napped today, things could have gotten ugly. |
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