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So many things to do, so few weekend days!

I had great plans for today. I was going to try new recipe. I was going to organize and rip out all the articles I wanted to save in my many magazines. I was going to clean out my dresser and make a pile for goodwill. I was going to give the dog a bath. I was going to go to the gym. I was going to clean the kitchen. I was going to trim the rose bushes down just a bit more. I was going to fill up my new recipe binder with all my random recipes.

I was going to do a lot of things. Maybe I was a bit too ambitious.

I did make a new recipe out of my crock pot cookbook. It was fantasticly yummy and super easy because it was in the crock pot. Spicy Asian Pork for lettuce wraps. Yum.

I did clean the kitchen, though I must say it was a little half assed. I didn't mop and I didn't take the stove apart to clean the burner catcher thingies.

I didn't make it to the gym but I did check out the exercise offerings on On Demand and found some Biggest Loser options. There was one offered by Bob who I love so I tried it out. Bob kicked my ass. He said he was going to, and he did. He also had us do punches and told us to aim for him, so I did. Felt good to "hit" Bob with a little aggression. The whole time I was doing this, Olivia was of course underfoot. She won't sit on the couch or her bed while I work out, but she gets upset when you step on her. I'm going to have to keep the water bottle in my hand next time and squirt her to keep her out of my way. If I get her enough times maybe that could be considered giving her a bath? Nah, she'll still be stinky.

Other than those three things I did nothing on my list. I won't get to them tomorrow either because it's Super Bowl Sunday! We'll be watching the game at Greg's parents house with the old crew and I'm actually really excited to see them all together in one room. I'm so glad Andy thought of it and made it happen.

I really need three day weekends I think.

The Best Man Has Cancer

I don’t recall the first time I met Greg. I’m sure it was some moment in high school. We were both students at Tigard High School, though he was a year ahead of me. I knew some of his friends and was deeply twitterpated with one of them. Still I don’t remember meeting him there.

The first time I can remember meeting Greg and actually speaking to him was while visiting the now infamous college house of the “G Crew” boys. More about them later…

Greg was visiting the University of Oregon just like I was. Scott and I had just started dating and it was customary for us to make the three hour drive from Portland to Eugene nearly every weekend. Greg was attending school in Corvallis at Oregon State.

Those nights at 1140 Patterson Street were filled with beer, card games, loud music and despite the icky bachelor pad house, some of the best guys you’ll ever meet. We spent many weekends there and I’d have to say that Greg and I were usually the more sober kids. We drank, but for the most part neither of us ended up on the thirty year old shag carpet that hadn’t been vacuumed let alone cleaned since its installation!

There was one night in particular that I remember very clearly. It was special and I’m glad that I was there to witness it. It was I think, the first adult “holy crap we’re growing up” step they would witness and of course it was Greg who would jump into that adulthood ravine first.

He’d bought the ring. He was going to ask Shana to marry him.

The rest of the guys were so far away from making this sort of decision that Greg’s choice stuck out like a sore thumb. Of course I thought it was incredibly romantic and was instantly jealous of Shana, who I’d yet to meet.

He had a plan. He was going to fly down to Mexico where she was studying for the term, pop the question as soon as he got off the plane and they’d live happily ever after.

The other girls at the party and I “oohhed” and “awed” about his plan and toasted him with our fuzzy navel wine coolers.

The next morning all of the visitors sleeping in the basement slowly woke as the sunshine filtered though the small foundation windows. Scott, still half asleep rolled over and very clearly, very loudly said “Yes Erin, it’s two months salary,” as if he was completely disgruntled for having to tell me. He was of course referring to the cost of an engagement ring, but I’d never asked. His subconscious was working overtime. Greg and I both had a good chuckle out of it.

Greg and Shana did get married a year or so later. They were the first in our little crowd to do so. Scott was Greg’s best man and the next year Greg would serve the same role for Scott when he and I married. Shana was also a bridesmaid for me. Greg would recount the “Two Months Salary” story in his toast at our wedding. Our lives would be interwoven for years, vacations to the beach, trips to Seattle, moving them into various apartments and eventually the boys became business partners.

In 2006 our Best Man was diagnosed with cancer. Happily ever after was challenged by Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and today he still fights it.

Last night on my way home from work I was sitting in my car, thinking about Greg and was working to recall some of my memories. I’ve known him so long now that many of them have faded and are harder to picture. So I decided that I needed to write down what I remember, least I forget even one of them. This is the beginning of that task, though I don’t know that it will really be a task. Reliving memories is a trip back in time to some great moments.

A few of those G-Crew boys like to tease me that I remember more about those college days than they do. Not entirely surprising considering the beer consumption in that time. I think that as I begin to work on putting the memories to paper I will actually be writing out the story of the G-Crew. I’m wondering if I should change the names to protect the not so innocent? I’m wondering if they really have any idea about the things I remember?

For now though, I’ll focus on Greg and my many memories with him. Like the time we tried to go crabbing in Newport and our frozen chicken bait floated away. Or maybe the time he and Shana came to visit us in Sherwood when we played Truth or Dare Jenga and Greg ended up wearing Shana’s pajamas on a dare. He was such a good sport. So many memories….

If a container of Half & Half goes missing do you put it's picture on the side of a milk carton?

The half & half went missing at work today. By "missing" I mean someone used the last of it yesterday, threw out the carton and didn't tell anyone. That meant that this morning when I made coffee for the office only the people who drink it black were happy. That's one person out of eight happy. The seven people who were unhappy are big time coffee drinkers.

This coffee travesty has now occurred three times in as many weeks! I have three suspects and I am considering buying a fingerprint kit to get to the bottom of it. I've thought about hiding the half & half but finding a refrigerated hiding spot proves to be difficult. Maybe I should put it in container you can't see through and label it Wheat Germ Carrot Juice. No body would drink that right?

Maybe it sounds petty or trivial, but you don't mess with coffee drinkers. They need it to function, especially when it's cold, wet and dark out in the morning. We live in Oregon, it's always cold, wet and dark!

Lack of coffee set off a case of the grumpies and that spreads faster then yellow fever in 1800's Memphis (did I mention I'm reading a book about the yellow fever?). A grumpy office isn't much fun but does provide all sorts of entertainment. At least we weren't snarking at each other, just snarking in general.

I'll stop and buy more half & half tomorrow on my way to work. I'll buy the biggest damn container I can find and maybe it will last longer then a week! And maybe the email I sent out reminding people to tell me when it was all gone will help the matter...I mentioned that I was snarky today right?

Randoms!

Went to OHSU for the rest of my blood work today. Not one compliment! Dang it. It did start snowing while I was there and it was really snowing as I drove into work. Such a strange winter we're having. I can't remember having this much snow ever. Nothing else exciting to report so I had some fun with this:

I've seen this on a few blogs lately, it seemed fun plus gave me some new ideas for things to accomplish...

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/World
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang/played a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Made a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

I heart compliments

I went to have my day three blood test yesterday. Getting up and heading to the clinic at 9am on a Saturday wasn't my idea of the way to kick start the weekend but it was the only time they could poke me. When I sat down the nurse complimented my veins. I've gotten use to this over the years. The Red Cross loves my veins and always makes a comment when I'm donating, still it's always a little funny to be complimented on something like that.

That compliment is #3 for the baby making process. I think I will keep track of them from now own. Compliments aren't always prevalent and I'll take 'em where I can get 'em!

So in order:
#1 Told that I have a very nicely shaped uterus.
#2 Told that I have youthful ovaries
#3 Told that I have the veins of a phlebotomist's dreams

This of course is a list only someone dealing with IF can admit to having. We've had all this blood work before but it's been a few years and with a new RE we're kind of starting all over.

I go back on Tuesday for more blood work. If I am not complimented on something I may fish for one to see what I get, like maybe I'll talk about how great I am at taking folic acid. I am not above being a sycophant in order to get compliments and or attention. I am an attention whore and I know it.

In other news my evil, crazy best friend has decided that it would be fun to convince me to do a half triathlon. 1/2 mile swim, 3 mile run, 13 mile bike ride. This does not sound like something I would want to do. This involves athleticism and stamina, two things I don't posses. Too bad you can't complete a triathlon just by having youthful ovaries...

I'll have to put A LOT of thought into this. It's been a long time since I did any sort of competitive swimming. I was very good at it, but 1/2 mile with no pool edge to hang onto or push off of seems like a really bad idea. And then that whole bike ride thing....it's gonna have to be the flattest course ever for me not to keel over and die. On the other hand I am grappling with this whole getting healthy thing. I know that if I am lucky enough to get pregnant this year that being in shape will help me in labor (yes I know I'm thinking way too far in the future) and I know that the healthier I am the healthier my child will be. So maybe that should be my motivation?

Did I mention that my bf is evil? She gets these ideas...it's a good thing I like her so much. We have another friend from high school who would also be doing this triathlon so that would be fun...wait, this is nuts, I sound like I'm seriously considering it! No, no, no! I will spend one more month at the gym and see how I feel about this before I even consider this craziness.

Now, I'm off to eat a delicious cupcake that I baked yesterday.

Salad in a tub?

I grew up on fresh salads made from fresh heads of lettuce washed and dried in our own kitchen. I am of the opinion that this makes the best salad, crisp and tasty.

Lately though I've been buying those pre-washed plastic tubs of salad. They are great because you can easily close them up and use the rest later. It's pretty cheap considering what you're getting, and it's just damn easy. I always feel a little guilty about it though. Like I'm cheating and not making salad the way my mother taught me.

And yet, today I saw something that may prevent me from ever buying open, fresh lettuce again. While I was squeezing avocados I noticed a lady a few feet from me drop a head of red leaf on the ground. As she bent to pick it up she accidentally kicked it, then stepped on it, then sneezed. She didn't sneeze directly on it, but she wasn't making a real effort to send her snot in another direction either. Then she put it back in the pile! Ack! I'm not sure my super duper salad spinner has enough umph to get that head of lettuce clean!

So I'm wondering what I would have done in this situation. I know I don't want to put it back on the pile, but where do you put it? Maybe in a bag and hand it to one of the produce worker and explain what happened.

"Hi (pause to look at name tag) Tom. This fell on the ground then got stepped on and sneezed on, you probably don't want to sell it."

But then I suppose the truly right thing to do would be to buy it and toss it as soon as you leave the store, least your uber helpful husband unpacks the groceries before you can explain that you snotted on the lettuce. And then you have to admit to your husband that you stepped on, sneezed on and kicked a defensless head of lettuce and watch him roll his eyes or snicker.

Okay, maybe I've put too much thought into the lettuce debacle?

Vineyard in Winter

Here are the pictures I took a few days ago and blogged about. Sorry it took me so long to get them posted.


Estate Vineyard on a frosty January morning. It was 27° out, a thin layer of ice and a sunrise peaking though the fog. The picture is pretty, but doesn't really do it justice. Every morning the vineyard looks different. I could fill up album after album with photos but this morning in particular was just stunning, all a sparkle with winter.


Sun rising over the trees behind the vineyard. The grass is frozen, coated in the frost that almost looks like sugar. It crunched when I walked on it. This is one of my favorite views on the property. Often times I'll look out the kitchen window while making coffee and see deer, chipmunks or the little quail family . I joke with my co-workers that it's a bit like living in Snow White's world.

I've been contemplating creating a calendar or making note cards with some of the images I've taken. I made a calendar for my mom for Christmas and it was a hit. I think if I practice a bit and have more to pick from I'll have some really good shots that wine lovers would like. Something to think about...might be an answer to my sudden need to be creative.