So....I joined a gym.
And I love it.
I joined because HB is a big fitness nut, and we were looking for some way to increase our time together. I've been on a weight loss program since July, temporarily stalled when I was pregnant. I've lost 20 lbs in total since joining, but knew that sooner or later, I was going to have to introduce some exercise.
I hate exercise.
Have always hated exercise.
Did I mention how surprised I am, therefore, that I love going to the gym?
I never cease to amaze myself!
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Blessed are they....
I've had to tell nine people that I am no longer pregnant this week. Nine people! And those are always the hardest ones to tell, because they get the whole face crumple look going, and then I end up comforting them, doing the "of course, how could you have known?" thing.
Well, part of how perhaps they could tell is that by now, I would have been 18 weeks pregnant. I know I'm overweight, but I did hit the 20 lb loss mark this week. I'm tucking my shirts into my jeans again. I'm into my jeans again! That's a stand alone statement right there. I do not look like a woman who is 18 weeks pregnant right now.
HB's band played this weekend. One of the other guys in the band is married to one of the most delightful, wickedly funny women I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Any time we get together is a fun time - she's one of those dance like no one's watching chicks. I love her. This weekend was no exception. In fact, even though I don't drink, she and I got into Cosmopolitans in fancy martini glasses Friday night. I couldn't figure out what was going on with my tongue Saturday morning as I dragged my arse out of bed at way too early to go to a meeting. First time in years I've had to deal with a hangover. Made me remember why I don't drink actually.
Our Sunday was intended to be a full day of rest. Both of us are exhausted, and had even decided to skip Mass this morning. That plan was waylaid by the hot water heater. It gave up the ghost, but not before leaking all night long. Under the sub floor and stairs and into the rec room where the perpetual guest is currently living. So this morning was spent completely cleaning out the basement, pulling up carpet, and replacing the hot water heater.
Luckily for us, one of the guys that plays in the band with HB is a plumber. In fact, he's a famous plumber. His picture has made the rounds on the internet many times since he decided to do this to his truck.
Anyhow, he came over mid morning and installed the new one for us. We are very fortunate to have friends like him. Now we will need to lay new flooring in the rec room, making it the nicest room in our whole home. Ironically we were just approved for a consolidation loan on Friday, completely clearing up our line of credit and credit cards, so we have room to deal with this issue. As we were mopping up this morning, someone made a reference to Katrina victims, and it knocked it totally into perspective for me. Yes, I'm tired but this is a minor inconvenience that is actually going to result in us finally getting to a renovation we intended to do all the time anyhow. We are blessed with a nice home, good friends, family, health and happiness. Life at Casa Dawgs - I like it. I think I'll keep it.
Well, part of how perhaps they could tell is that by now, I would have been 18 weeks pregnant. I know I'm overweight, but I did hit the 20 lb loss mark this week. I'm tucking my shirts into my jeans again. I'm into my jeans again! That's a stand alone statement right there. I do not look like a woman who is 18 weeks pregnant right now.
HB's band played this weekend. One of the other guys in the band is married to one of the most delightful, wickedly funny women I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Any time we get together is a fun time - she's one of those dance like no one's watching chicks. I love her. This weekend was no exception. In fact, even though I don't drink, she and I got into Cosmopolitans in fancy martini glasses Friday night. I couldn't figure out what was going on with my tongue Saturday morning as I dragged my arse out of bed at way too early to go to a meeting. First time in years I've had to deal with a hangover. Made me remember why I don't drink actually.
Our Sunday was intended to be a full day of rest. Both of us are exhausted, and had even decided to skip Mass this morning. That plan was waylaid by the hot water heater. It gave up the ghost, but not before leaking all night long. Under the sub floor and stairs and into the rec room where the perpetual guest is currently living. So this morning was spent completely cleaning out the basement, pulling up carpet, and replacing the hot water heater.
Luckily for us, one of the guys that plays in the band with HB is a plumber. In fact, he's a famous plumber. His picture has made the rounds on the internet many times since he decided to do this to his truck.
Anyhow, he came over mid morning and installed the new one for us. We are very fortunate to have friends like him. Now we will need to lay new flooring in the rec room, making it the nicest room in our whole home. Ironically we were just approved for a consolidation loan on Friday, completely clearing up our line of credit and credit cards, so we have room to deal with this issue. As we were mopping up this morning, someone made a reference to Katrina victims, and it knocked it totally into perspective for me. Yes, I'm tired but this is a minor inconvenience that is actually going to result in us finally getting to a renovation we intended to do all the time anyhow. We are blessed with a nice home, good friends, family, health and happiness. Life at Casa Dawgs - I like it. I think I'll keep it.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
We will survive.....
anything in this marriage. Of that I am now certain.
We have survived and thrived through:
We have survived and thrived through:
- addiction
- loss of faith
- five miscarriages
- deaths
- physical injuries
- job problems
- weight gain
- weight loss
- family members living with us
- a psycho ex-wife from hell
- blending a family
and now.....painting. In case I have never mentioned it before, HB is a perfectionist. And apparently, much to my shock and surprise, I am not. I am not great at cutting in, rolling, or keeping the coloured paint off the ceiling or trim (picky picky picky people). I am, however, very good at painting closets, which is great because that's where I spent the last hour of our painting excursion. In the walk in with the door closed and my cup of Tim Horton's, sitting on the floor, pretending I was cutting in for the final coat.
And to his credit, when HB told me he couldn't help it, that he had to put on two more coats over my first rolled coat, he said "please don't ever forget that you live with a perfectionist who always ends up pissing and moaning his way into doing all the work himself because no one can live up to my standards, so this is NOT about you, ok?".
He then proceeded to take the blame for every splotch of Sudan Sand that was on the ceiling and/or the baseboard trim. And made me love him even more, if that's possible.
It helps immensely that SIL (I am going to have to nickname her here soon) took the cues this week, packed a bag and went out to their other sister's place for the weekend. We all needed the break from each other.
Now excuse me while I go love up my husband.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Fish and Dawgs
It's been an interesting and sometimes rough few weeks here at Casa Dawg. HB's sister is still living here with us, and it looks like it might be for a while longer. She is taking ownership of an interesting and new franchise here in our area, and just this week, her loans were partially approved.
Her husband and kids are in their home province, but have the house on the market and will likely join her. Not in our basement, mind you!
In the meantime she is here. Although I've often joked that I would love to have a wife, I have to tell you it's highly overrated.
Our schedule is such that we often don't get around to eating supper until about 7 p.m. here. But since she's home, she prepares supper in the early afternoon. Now HB is a teacher so he can manage to get home by 4 or 4:30 if he wants to do so. I, on the other hand, don't technically finish work until 4:30 or 5:00, and then have a 45 minute drive through traffic. I also have at least one, sometimes two, errand stops on the way home, given that we live outside the city and away from most services like grocery, retail, etc.
You get the picture. I get home - the dishes are done, they've both eaten, and whatever she's cooked is sitting cold and dried up for my supper, which I eat alone.
That is just one example. I love her but as someone said in reply to an earlier post about this very topic (remember - she joined us here in August and left to go home for three weeks only), company is a lot like fish. I totally get that now!
We hit the wall over the past few days. I am generally one of the most easy going people you will ever meet, but I turned into Holy Hannah from Hell this week! HB and I had one of the most spectacular fights that will ever be witnessed in this house - complete with slamming doors, yelling, and mucho cursing. The kids were here to witness it. The dawgs were here. And the SIL was here.
It worked itself out, but resurfaced on Monday morning. I was in the shower and not once, but twice, the water went on me. Once due to a toilet flush and once due to a kettle being filled for tea. We have a cardinal rule in this house. Do. Not. Flush. When. The. Shower. Is. Running.
Just Don't.
I thumped and screeched, and when I came downstairs to get my coffee, asked which of them would like to get in the shower next so I could return the favour....and we were off to the races again!
I left the house storming that morning, driving to work mentally pushing pins into the matching brother and sister voodoo dolls I had created. The phone rang. It's HB. Telling me he's sorry, it's out of control, and that he loves me. I begin to cry at the stupidity of it all.
We had dinner alone together Monday night and had a great, healing talk. We are both still grieving, and haven't been allowing ourselves to do so. We haven't allowed ourselves a minute to breathe, let alone grieve.
We have made a pact to one night per week, alone together, as a priority. And I have told him that there are things he has to tell his sister - I know they don't bother him but they do bother me and I can't say them to her. Right or wrong, woosy or whatever - I'm not doing it and he is. And he agrees that he can start by modelling respect for me around here and her - by demonstrating that I have a very important place in his life and in our home, and that she is not the wife.
So it's been a better week, but the road getting here sucked.
In the meantime, Anna Banana is doing well. Training up alright - although she has behaviours we're not used to dealing with as we haven't had to in so long - like chewing. It's just puppy behaviour, but it takes some readjustment. Plus the fact that she's choosing to chew on HB's old running shoes, which does not make her breath the sweetest!
Here she is:
Standing at the door - remember she's 10 months old!
Her husband and kids are in their home province, but have the house on the market and will likely join her. Not in our basement, mind you!
In the meantime she is here. Although I've often joked that I would love to have a wife, I have to tell you it's highly overrated.
Our schedule is such that we often don't get around to eating supper until about 7 p.m. here. But since she's home, she prepares supper in the early afternoon. Now HB is a teacher so he can manage to get home by 4 or 4:30 if he wants to do so. I, on the other hand, don't technically finish work until 4:30 or 5:00, and then have a 45 minute drive through traffic. I also have at least one, sometimes two, errand stops on the way home, given that we live outside the city and away from most services like grocery, retail, etc.
You get the picture. I get home - the dishes are done, they've both eaten, and whatever she's cooked is sitting cold and dried up for my supper, which I eat alone.
That is just one example. I love her but as someone said in reply to an earlier post about this very topic (remember - she joined us here in August and left to go home for three weeks only), company is a lot like fish. I totally get that now!
We hit the wall over the past few days. I am generally one of the most easy going people you will ever meet, but I turned into Holy Hannah from Hell this week! HB and I had one of the most spectacular fights that will ever be witnessed in this house - complete with slamming doors, yelling, and mucho cursing. The kids were here to witness it. The dawgs were here. And the SIL was here.
It worked itself out, but resurfaced on Monday morning. I was in the shower and not once, but twice, the water went on me. Once due to a toilet flush and once due to a kettle being filled for tea. We have a cardinal rule in this house. Do. Not. Flush. When. The. Shower. Is. Running.
Just Don't.
I thumped and screeched, and when I came downstairs to get my coffee, asked which of them would like to get in the shower next so I could return the favour....and we were off to the races again!
I left the house storming that morning, driving to work mentally pushing pins into the matching brother and sister voodoo dolls I had created. The phone rang. It's HB. Telling me he's sorry, it's out of control, and that he loves me. I begin to cry at the stupidity of it all.
We had dinner alone together Monday night and had a great, healing talk. We are both still grieving, and haven't been allowing ourselves to do so. We haven't allowed ourselves a minute to breathe, let alone grieve.
We have made a pact to one night per week, alone together, as a priority. And I have told him that there are things he has to tell his sister - I know they don't bother him but they do bother me and I can't say them to her. Right or wrong, woosy or whatever - I'm not doing it and he is. And he agrees that he can start by modelling respect for me around here and her - by demonstrating that I have a very important place in his life and in our home, and that she is not the wife.
So it's been a better week, but the road getting here sucked.
In the meantime, Anna Banana is doing well. Training up alright - although she has behaviours we're not used to dealing with as we haven't had to in so long - like chewing. It's just puppy behaviour, but it takes some readjustment. Plus the fact that she's choosing to chew on HB's old running shoes, which does not make her breath the sweetest!
Here she is:
Standing at the door - remember she's 10 months old!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
