It's my body and I'll cry if I want too!

Haven't felt much like writing anything recently.

Haven't been around much either.

The other day I read someone's blog and it mentioned some bad news. As she wrote, "if one wishes to share the ups in one's life, then one must also share the downs".

I have told of some things. Such as the house situation, my southern BFF moving away, being in 'lockdown', to name a few.

But this time, it's a little more personal.

...and for some it might be Too Much Information!!

So, here goes...

I'm not ovulating.

Due to all the stress that happened with the house last year, I stopped ovulating.

We found this out back in March. We had been 'trying' since November.

You see, Geordie was a 'first try'. Our second pregnancy was also a 'first try' but we miscarried (Nov/06) at what we thought was 8 weeks but it was actually 6. By the time we could try again we had decided to put it 'on hold' and move back to Canada.

Then everything with the house happened.

Once we figured out that we would be stuck here for a bit we decided to start trying again.

No go.

Went to the doctor and found that I was not ovulating.

I just finished up five cycles of clomid (2 to figure out the dose and then 3 with the 'correct' dose), where the medication only worked once. We found out on Thursday that my last cycle of it did not work. The office quickly put us in for an appointment Friday morning.

So now I'm on other medication AND another 3 cycles of clomid. If this does not work the next step is a fertility specialist. Which really, right now is NOT an option.

I was all for three years between my children, we are now working on five... or more!

I also wanted to be finished by 30! I'm turning 32 next month!

Geordie can not be an only child!! His personality is so in need of a sibling!!

In my bubble...none of this would have happened!!


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Sunday Song #10

I am not a big country fan...at all!! But I used to love this song when I was a child...

Thursday Thirteen #11

Here are 13 things that have kept me away from this thing in the past week...


1) Getting the house ready. Still some painting to do.

2) Putting the house up...yes, house is now truly for sale... but does that really mean anything in this economy?!?

3) Getting ready for Autumnfest, which is next weekend.

4) Catching up on Weeds and Tudors.

5) Thinking...no comments! and trying to make decisions!

6) Looking for jobs.

7) Addicted to MLS - even more than normal!

8) Olympics.

9) Trying to get our grocery bill down.

10) Knitting...I have so many projects that I've been putting off. Mainly because it's too hot in the summer to knit here and with the cooler temperatures (finally) I'm able too!

11) Trying not to be bitter and mean.

12) Nagging Callum

13) Trying to ignore the gunshots and the damn election...that is still going on!!

So, not really all that exciting! Here's hoping after this weekend all will be in place...and after Tuesday when the cleaning lady comes the house will be super amounts of presentable!

Sunday Song #9

Thursday Thirteen #10

Here are 13 confessions...

1) I am a SAHM with a cleaning lady.
- she comes every 2 weeks, does bathrooms, the floors and dusting. We pay for this by not eating out. I prefer to cook over clean, so our one night a week of pizza is gone; instead, I never touch a vacuum!

2) I still love Joey McIntyre - when we lived in Toronto, I was studying for an exam, it was 3:00, exam was at 6:00. I found out Joey was to be on MuchMusic, that day! I was going!! Called a friend to join me, no go! (I know that Roberta is still regretting that one!). Went down by myself for the 5:00 show and met him. He's even better looking in person. Got to the exam just after 6:00 and I passed it!

HE HUGGED ME!!!!
I'm 20 sleeps away from the concert! EEEEEEEE!!!!



3) I enjoy annoying people.
- I can bug Callum until he's blue in the face. It is so much fun to me! I do it to others as well. That's when you know you're a friend...when I bug the living tar out of you! ;)

4) People falling is the funniest thing to me.
- this is a genetic thing. My mother also finds this funny and we have found that Geordie does as well. Last Christmas when we were home, Callum and Geordie were waiting at a stop light, a guy walking on the sidewalk slipped on some ice...Geordie laughed his head off. He was 3!

5) I can't wait to see HSM3.
- I have watched the others too many times. Go Zach!!

6) After washing my hands I always dry them on my husbands bath towel.

7) I put vinegar on BBQ chips.
-I know! Weird! It makes them soggie but if you put just the right amount you can still eat them with your fingers. If you use too much, you need to use a fork. Don't knock it till you try it! It brings out the taste of the BBQ!

8) I do this when I have a bad cold. It works!







9) I eat pizza with a fork and knife.
- even back in 'the day' when we would be at pizza corner after a night downtown.

10) I had a pass to The Palace during University...and I used it! Back then it was just the 'ol Palace

11) I ALWAYS lift my feet when going over train tracks. It's good luck...Nan says so!

12) 10 years a go during my first undergrad degree I passed a class and I don't know how!
-The grades were 50% term paper, 30% written exam, and 20% take home exam. Everything was due on exam day. The night before I started studying and writing the papers. I did not get very far. The next day when I went into the exam the Prof asked me where my papers were. I told him that I put the term paper under the door of his 'other' office (he had 2) and that I will pass in the take home portion of the exam by the end of the night (he was one of those by midnight types).
When I finished the exam, I walked out of the room and didn't care! It was my last exam of the year and I really didn't want to have to go and write those things. So, I didn't!
Marks came back...lets do the math, the most I would have received would have been 30% IF I had done well on the written exam.
I get my mark... B+


13) See this pot...

It has chili in it.

I took this picture this morning.

The chili was made back in May, possibly April.

I'm afraid to open it!

I used to have a life...seriously!

A couple of years a go Geordie and I had an 8 hour layover in Toronto when we were going home for Christmas. He would have been 2 months shy of 3 years.

So, I rented a car and we checked out the city. I showed Geordie where we used to live, pre-Geordie and where I used to work.

When showing where we lived...

Geordie: "You live here?"
Me: "Yes, Daddy and I used to live here."
Geordie: "...but what about me?"
Me: "you were not born yet, it was just Mummy and Daddy"
Geordie: "huh?!?"

When showing where I used to work...

Geordie: "You?!? Work?!?! But what about me? What do I do? I know, I'll stay with Grandad. We play together"
Me: "No Geordie, I used to work there when it was just me and Daddy"
Geordie: "huh?!? Where was I?"
Me: "You were not born yet."
Geordie: "You and Daddy without me?!?!"

Yes...can you believe it?!?! Well, the other day I found that the apple really doesn't fall far from the tree!

Callum: "I checked out your Thursday Thirteen today. I thought it was a little weird."
Me: "How's that?"
Callum: "I've never even heard of some of those movies! Howard the Duck?!?"
Me: "The boys and I killed that movie when we were young!"
Callum: "Well, I've never seen it with you!"
Me: "You do realize I had a life before you, right?!?!"
Callum: "huh?!?!"

*Please ignore fashion in both pictures. They are old pictures. Both before everyone had a digital! Although, I think my brothers still secretly put on pajamas with feet when they are alone! ;)

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I ditched my husband and son for roller coasters!

Yesterday I spent 10 hours away from my house with 5 other ladies...

and we went to SIX FLAGS!

We all had a ball!!!

It was so much fun, and so tiring, and so nauseating...

but it was GREAT!

We went on every single roller coaster...I think!

Some more than once!

There were times that I thought I would die!

There were times when I lead everyone in prayer!
YES!! ME!!

But we survived it all, giggling and screaming the whole way!

Would you believe that not one picture was taken?!?!

So, here are some pictures of what I came home too...


Here's a closer look...

Usually the only thing(s) on my counter is the knife block and the paper towels.

Do you think that this is the equivalent to your dog peeing in the corner or eating your slipper when you leave them?

Well, off to clean the kitchen!

When I can finally get up. Am I ever sore!!

How was your weekend?

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Sunday Song #8

I love these Sunday Songs.
As I said before I can spend hours on youtube watching/listening to videos.
I'm starting to find it hard to pick just one song!

This week I've been listening to the new Oasis album. Verdicts still out. It always takes me a little bit to warm up to something. Sloan's Between the Bridges pretty much the only exception!

So, here is my all time favourite Oasis song! I love it! Unfortunately it's not the best recording. Usually Liam sings it. Callum introduced me to this song when we were going out as a couple of the lyrics reminded him of me!

Specifically, "she's in a family full of eccentrics. she does things I never expected..."

Yes, my child eats salad!!

Remember the Chef-Boy-Ar-Dee incident?!?

Or better yet, the lunchables incident?!?

Those aren't the only ones!!

Geordie has now refused those packaged cheese & crackers and frozen pizza pocket type thingies.



-this is the lunchable that Geordie will eat!
Once in awhile he will ask for the pre-packaged one that 'all the dudes at school have' but once we remind him that he thought it was yucky he says, "oh yeah, I just forgot. I like Mummy's lunchables".







Would you believe that he also asks for salad?!?

Seriously! Loves it!

The other day he asked for me to make it for his school lunch.

Seriously!!


Here is what was in today's lunch!

Sorry about the photo, Geordie took it and it was my only one!

Geordie calls them 'my pizza pockets'.

...this was before they go in the toaster oven. I heat them up, making the cheese melt the night before and he eats them cold the next day.






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The other day, Geordie was doing the 'this little piggy' rhyme.

Now, we are unsure if he is just making it 'his own' or if this is possibly what they say at his nursery school...

"This little piggy went to Walmart
This little piggy stayed home..."

Sometimes Geordie comes home saying different 'things' and we try and pretend that it didn't really happen.

Our motto is, 'anything that they do to him at this age we can reverse!'

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Thursday Thirteen #9

Movies I have seen more times than I care to count...not including animation!

Grease



The Goonies



Spaceballs



Can't Buy Me Love



Howard the Duck



The Sound of Music



Wizard of Oz



That Thing You Do!



Dirty Dancing



Porky's
We used to sneak this one from my friend Leslie's parents stash whenever we slept over. We had parts memorized!



Sixteen Candles



Footloose




A Hard Day's Night

I can't believe I had to stop at 13! There are still so many more!

I love racing, I love racing...maybe if I say it enough it will take! ;)

Did you know that we're having a little bit of a gas shortage in the south/east?!?

Last Monday when trying to get gas I had to go to 3 stations. Then on Thursday when we were driving to VIRginia we stopped in Concord, N.C. for supper as well as gas. Got the supper, couldn't find the gas! All the gas stations were out.

As it is Concord...home of Lowe's Motor Speedway one gas station had racing fuel. So, that's what we got at $2.00 more a gallon (putting it around the same price as they pay in Canada for regular gas!).

As we were driving along we noticed that those gas stations with gas had line ups that went out to the exits. The rest of the gas stations had bags over their handles.

Yesterday, Callum had to go to 5 different stations to get gas. They say that this is going to be going on until the holiday in a couple of weeks.

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It was a great weekend for Callum and Geordie. They really enjoyed themselves at the racetrack. It had been six months since Geordie had been to a track, that's the longest he has ever gone! Really, it's 1/9 of his life!

Yes, those are Geordie's own pair of mechanic gloves!

We could not get over the change in him. All he wanted to do was watch the races. It was quite funny, and possibly a little tiresome for Grannie. Luckily we stayed at the track and in the morning he could just sit outside our room and watch the races...as they start at 8 AM!!!

Guess, who does not enjoy that bit!??!

The Wright Team!

Callum and Geordie driving off into the sunset...well to the garage!!

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As you may guess, racing isn't exactly my 'bag'...but it is my husbands! Not just his but his whole family. Callum was to his first race when he was 6 weeks old...so was Geordie. So, while we've been living down here every couple of months we will be found at a racetrack for the weekend, sometimes monthly!

What do I do? Well, this weekend I read and did about 50 Sudoku puzzles! I will get food once in awhile and I stay with Geordie while everyone else is on the track but that's about it.

Do I feel guilty for doing nothing?!? At first...YES! but not so much anymore. There really isn't anything for me to do. Everyone has their set jobs now...including Geordie.

So, I just make sure that I have a good book and possibly some other things to entertain me. Geordie has learned 'track etiquette' and is quite easy to manage, pretty much all day long now! Yup, from 8 or 9 in the morning until the 7 o'clock dinner in the evening...we're there! For 3 days in a row!

So, that's my 'give'...the racetrack! Years a go when I was playing Callum had to go to all of my games/concerts/practices. That was my 'take'. Years to come will probably see both 'hobbies' happening at the same time. There will be a hell of a lot of 'give and take' there!

For now, I'm more than willing to deal with long weekends with my in-laws and loud cars! ;)


What do you 'give' for your spouse?
Better yet, what do you 'take'?

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Sunday Song #7

I know, I know, it's Monday but I was unable to get to a computer this weekend!

During the weekend I came across one of 'the greats'!

Yes, my friends, The Goonies!

Little useless tip of info...The actor who played Lawrence 'Chunk' Cohen is now an entertainment lawyer.

Love that movie! Love this song too...

I don't care what anyone says, Josh Brolin in sweats with short-shorts on top is perfectly A-O-K in my books!

Here's the question; do you think it's a cult or a classic?

Thursday Thirteen #8

My first degree is in music and I have an Advanced Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Music Education (first of all my M.I.L. makes me say the whole thing! AND early childhood in Canada is from birth, not age 5 like it is down here!). I had also started my MMusEd. at UofT but felt that it wasn't for me.

There have been over 30 bands, orchestras, groups that I have had my name on the roster (in other words, played more that once). Many others where I just stepped in for a bit.

A friend from University recently wrote about this topic, and I thought I would today...

The Prime Minister of Canada has really put his foot in his mouth lately concerning the arts, where he wants to make cuts;

"I think when ordinary, working people come home, turn on the TV and see … a bunch of people at a rich gala all subsidized by the taxpayers, claiming their subsidies aren't high enough when they know the subsidies have actually gone up, I'm not sure that's something that resonates with ordinary people."

So...today I will list 13 things that ordinary people do daily that have to do with the Arts!

1) Watch a television program

2) Listen to the radio

3) read a book, the paper

4) hum

5) whistle

6) tap your foot

7) doodle

8) use furniture

9) go to a website

10) take a picture

11) go to a movie

12) clothes

13) the design of the house you live, the building you work in, the car you drive

All these things have to do with THE ARTS! Do they not?!?

So, really, how is it that 'ordinary people' do not have a connection to the arts?


- goodness, I didn't mean to be 'ranty' this week.

Can you righfully criticize another countries health care system?

I can!

Why?

Because I have lived in two countries that have two totally different health care systems!

Which one do I prefer?

USA
Where we have now lived for 4 years, 11 months and 1 day

-or-

Canada
Our home and native land, where we were born and raised

We work for a Canadian company and we have one of the best health care programs in the US. Well, that's what we are told!

When we arrived we were a little over five months pregnant. Let me tell you...a little stressful changing doctors as well as systems!

We would pay out so much money each paycheck (on top of the insurance payments) to go towards the hospital bills; a lot like a layaway plan or one might say, just like TAXES!

Anyway, what was great was that I went to the doctors office, I had three doctors looking after me. It was for sure that I would have one of MY doctors, that I had been seeing, delivering my baby.

What was also great was everything was done in that one office. Blood tests, in one room, ultrasound in another. I remember, a week before Geordie was born asking the doctor if he was in the right position. She looked at me and said, "let's go check!". To the ultrasound room we went (ten steps away...tops!).

Since then for the most part things have been okay. We were having some problems with bills being paid from the provider but that was due to Callum's HR department not knowing how to do their job.

Then, back in the spring, this happened?!?


Do you know how much this cost us?!?!

FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS

yes, $500.00

In Canada, we would have left the hospital and never had to deal with it again! Here, we have to come up with $400 (we had already paid the $100 co-pay) right now to pay it!
As we're trying to get the hell out of dodge (ie. sell the house, leave this country owing nothing as well as money to leave it with)...$400 is quite a sum! Well, really, it's quite a bit at any time!

Here's the thing...the whole ER experience was just as long as it would have been in Canada, possibly a bit longer because we had to deal with the whole money thing.

That blows that whole 'you wait forever with universal health care'!

When going to the doctor, you also wait just as long here in the States as you do in Canada.

Yes, there are waiting lists in Canada for various tests and operations but there are also openings left for emergency cases.

Here, in the US, money is taken out of our paycheck by Callum's employer and goes to the insurance company. The insurance company then only pays for a percentage of the bills, we have to pay the rest. I'm not even going to go into the fine print of things...I have heard people in the medical field have problems understanding the system. Now, the 'rest' that we pay, only is so much per year. It's something like after $2000 the insurance company steps in and takes over 100% of the bill.

In Canada, taxes are taken from your paycheck. You do not have to 'top off' any medical bills after that.

What I think people do not understand is that in this country you are paying out, just as much (sometimes I think more) as what Canadians do with Universal Health Care. Difference being... everyone has health care in Canada! AND you don't have surprise bills popping up!

So, I do believe in Universal Health Care?!? Yes, maybe for the most part because that's what I grew up with but it's also because I think it makes sense!

With that being said, I do think that there are some things that Canada can do to make it better. I'm all for a two tier system (basic health care for all, and a private sector for those who want to pay more). I also like the idea of the co-pay. Paying $5 dollars when you go to the doctor is not much to ask. Maybe $25 when you go to the ER. Might make people think about if they really have to go!

Sorry, I am going to get a little hypocritical here as I am a firm believer in the separation of church and state! But one thing that I really do not understand, specifically down here in south (a.k.a. The Bible Belt) where they are all wild about WWJD and they seem to be the most against Universal Health Care!

Seriously...What Would Jesus Do?!?

I think that Jesus would be all for Universal Health Care...don't you?

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Sunday Song #6

Geordie picked this one! This has been his choice hit of the summer.

There's just something about hearing a four year old voice sing, "we were smoking funny things...sippin' whiskey out the bottle, not thinking 'bout tomorrow"!



This is the best part...

Geordie can distinguish that the song comes from this one...





Genius I say...genius! ;)

A new pet...and other findings!

Geordie and Callum found a new pet to join Steve and Baby Geordie. The poor thing probably had no idea that hanging out on our porch could mean death to freedom.

So, without further ado... here's Ivan!

I was unable to get a good picture of him as I refuse to go too close to these pets of ours! Here's an example...

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More great thoughts by Callum, talking about getting away with things...

Callum; "Mummy stuck with tricks that were tried and true so she didn't get caught much. I was more of an innovator, which meant that I got caught a lot!

Geordie; "I get caught" *with big smile on face*

Callum; "But that's because you're an innovator"

Geordie; "Just like you!"

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Picture it; dinner table, talking, ALL THREE OF US ARE THERE. I just said something that Callum agrees with...

Callum; "f@#*in-eh!"

Total silence. Callum and I are looking at each other trying not to laugh.

Geordie; "I heard that!"

Callum; "you didn't hear anything"

Geordie; "Yes, I did. I heard what you say. You say, f@#*in-eh!"

The next day when Geordie and I were driving home after his nursery school...

Geordie; "Today I was with Carson, and Morgan and Dude and we had a big secret"

Me; "What was the secret?"

Geordie; "I can't tell you, it was bad words."

*quickly dialing Callum's number as Morgan's mother works with Callum*

We later found out that they were saying things like 'tree head' and 'car head'.

I didn't bother asking!

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Both of our mother's are huge backseat drivers. Truthfully, I don't know how the Dad's deal with it! ...and yes, they are both known to read this!!

Well, this backseat driver takes the cake!

Please note that this is a professional former F1 driver who is on a closed circuit. Do not try this at home! ;)

Thursday Thirteen #7

Here are 13 GREAT things said by George W Bush...

1) "I cut the taxes on everybody. I didn't cut them. The Congress cut them. I asked them to cut them."

2) "I'm also not very analytical. You know I don't spend a lot of time thinking about myself, about why I do things."

3) You know, one of the hardest parts of my job is to connect Iraq to the war on terror."

4) "We stand for things."

5) "I know what I believe. I will continue to articulate what I believe and what I believe - I believe what I believe is right."

6) "I'm the master of low expectations."

7) "See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda."

8) "It's amazing I won. I was running against peace, prosperity, and incumbency."

9) "Rarely is the question asked:
'Is our children learning?'"

10) "Then I went for a run with the other dog and just walked. And I started thinking about a lot of things. I was able to - I can't remember what it was. Oh, the inaugural speech, started thinking through that."

11) "I've coined new words, like 'misunderstanding' and Hispanically.'"

12) "You can fool some of the people all the time, and those are the ones you want to
concentrate on."

13) "It would be a mistake for the United States Senate to allow any kind of human cloning to come out of that chamber"

Back on the wagon...

Remember that list that I did a while back?

Well, I am still working on it! Honestly!

It is taking me longer than what I thought it would. That's nothing new! I'm a huge 'no concept of time' type of person and tend to be VERY optimistic with time. Which drives Callum batty!

Here is what I have done...

Running; I had started a running program...then I went home and 'pressed pause'.
Back on it now, just about to go after I finish this! I have found a couple of 5K's around here for this fall and still plan on doing one of them.

Organizing/de-cluttering; I actually did not stop doing this even though I did not update y'all. Before going back home Callum and I did the spare bedroom and laundry room. While home I did most of my parents kitchen...yes, they finally said goodbye to George Foreman! This past weekend we did our bedroom. It's about 95% done. You will not see before pictures of that room because it was THAT BAD!

By this weekend we will finish our bedroom and then on to the last room. A bedroom that has boxes and boxes and boxes and boxes of books.

Then we're again starting the process to get back to our home and native land and putting the house on the market.
So please pray, chant, talk to your angels, think good thoughts, etc... for us to get the hell out of here!

Welcome to My Etsy Shop!

www.hemsgems.etsy.com

-Rainbow Fluorite and sterling silver bracelet.

-Taqua nut and sterling silver earrings.

- Freshwater pearls, Swarovski crystal and sterling silver earrings.

- Coral and sterling silver earrings.

It's just the start of it. There is much more that I need to get on. I also will be doing a craft fair at the end of October in Atlanta.

Still working on the going green! I am getting better at using less water and I finally believe that you do not need a different cleaner for every mess, room or surface. I am down to 2! I would be down to 1 but I like them both too much!

As for the exclamation points...you will notice that I have cut back hugely on them.

I will still use them! They are a need for me! I have just cut down, eg. before I would have put 5 ! in the last sentence, now I put just one!

I have put in to start volunteering at the American Cancer Society. Just waiting to hear back.


So, as you can see I am still working on my list. Just trying to get back into the swing of things since being back home. Making things even worse is that I've had a horrible headache since last Wednesday which has put me a little out of commission. It's probably the change in air pressure but secretly I think I'm allergic to west GA!


What have you been up too?
Have you worked on your list?

Why can't I post?

Back in the belt...

Got in last night. Had a great trip home. Trying to get everything back in order, clean out fridge, groceries, catch up on my shows, unpack, etc...

This morning, Callum went back to work and Geordie went back to school. There he goes with his new 'packpack' from Nana & Grandad. Geordie loves that there are 'Canadian maple leafs' all over it! He was very excited. Didn't even want to eat breakfast here, wanted to eat it on the way.

Once back to normal life I will be around to visit!

A LOT going on in the coming weeks... I'll keep you posted!


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