So among the many things about the American healthcare system that bother me is that there is no way to actually properly financially prepare for anything. You can't know the price of having a baby, for example, because there are so many people involved with individual fees.
Here's what we knew we could expect:
Doctor's fee (prenatal care and delivery): $2100
Hospital stay, 48 hours: $4900 (less if we only stay 24 hours, but if we're preparing, we may as well prepare for the most possible)
Epidural: $2000 (estimate)
So that is what we were looking at. About $9000 IF I get an epidural. About $7000 without. (NOW can you see why it's actually an issue of money to get one or not? It's not like it's a $2000-decision. It's a $2000-MORE-than-what-we're-already-paying decision.)
Only one thing that neither of us had accounted for were other costs that are not included in this. And these are things that you don't expect, necessarily, because no one has told you about them, and no one informs you, "By the way, we're going to do this and it's going to cost you $XXX.XX." They just do it and send you the bill.
Murray called me VERY concerned this week to inform me that we got a bill from Lab Corp for lab work that matched up with the date of my first visit to the doctor. Yes, I remember that they took blood. And yes, I remember that at my most recent visit to the doctor, she told me that all my work came back looking good; everything was positive that was supposed to be positive, and everything was negative that was supposed to be negative.
What Murray was most concerned about was an item on the bill called "Chlamydia Amplification." This cost $131.50. Now for someone who is one hundred percent sure his wife doesn't have any STDs, I'm sure this item came as an absolute shocker for Murray, because why does Chlamydia need to be amplified if you don't have it?? Of course I don't have it, and I explained to Murray that I'm sure this is a test that legally HAS to be done so that STDs don't get transmitted to babies. But still. It does suck to have to pay $131.50 for someone to test you for Chlamydia, which you've done a really good job of avoiding your whole life.
Anyway, the total bill was $616.70.
At my next doctor's appointment, we will have our ultrasound. For that to be done at our doctor's office, we will receive a bill from the ultrasound technician (anywhere between $220 and $400). The ultrasound tech will then send the ultrasound to a center that will view it and study it and send the results to my doctor. And send me a bill for who knows how much. Who knows, because when does anyone ever inform you of how much you can expect to pay, or even ask your permission?
Then there will be other things to expect (but not actually know how much they will cost). Like getting tested for Gestational Diabetes. I am pretty sure it's a separate charge, and guess what. That orange soda is about $60 a bottle. Not kidding. If I come out positive after the first test, I'm not going to ask for a follow-up test where I can spend another $60 on soda. In fact, I'm really just tempted to ask if I can mix my OWN sugar drink with the needed amount of sugar and substitute it for the soda. Let's face it. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be GDS positive again.
(Oh, and by the way, to manage my GDS myself, I will test my blood 4-6 times a day for the last three months of my pregnancy. The test strips cost $1 each, and since this is related to my pregnancy, I don't know that my insurance will help with any of that cost. So I might expect my GDS self-management to cost an extra $300-$400. That's AFTER I got permission from my doctor to manage it myself and forego the biweekly visits to the Diabetes Management Clinic.)
Another thing. I will have to get a shot because my blood is rH negative. How much does that cost?
What about the hospital stay itself? Yes, I know how much the hospital charges for me to stay there. But what tests are done at the hospital that they charge me for separately? How much are they going to charge me for a Tylenol? What are the extra costs that one might incur while staying at the hospital (that again, you're not informed of as they happen; you're only sent the bill afterwards and you realize that that Q-tip cost you $8).
So it's really frustrating. I hope to get together with a friend soon who had a baby last year and also went to my doctor, and paid for everything in cash. I think she's pretty financially organized and I hope that she's got a folder of all her expenses so that I can add it up and get an idea of what we might have to pay for the baby.
Because we have NO CLUE and I think that a system where you can't actually properly financially prepare for service SUCKS.
(And just to let you know so that I don't start getting anonymous donations in the mail, we've saved lots of money and we do have Aflac that will kick in a little help, and we are 100% confident that we have the money to cover everything [and if there are expensive complications, then my insurance will kick in]. It's not that I'm worried that we don't know if we can afford it, it's just that it's frustrating not actually knowing how much something like this will cost us.)
(And just to be clear as well, as a reminder, if you are self employed in Utah there is NO MATERNITY COVERAGE AVAILABLE in any healthcare plan. It's not that we're in this mess because we chose a bad plan. We're in this mess because we chose to start our own business and make our own way in the world.)
(That's why I like to travel lots, so that I can take advantage of the perks of self employment as often as possible to remind myself that I really do actually prefer this.)
Showing posts with label Frivolous Money Spending. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Frivolous Money Spending. Show all posts
Happy Mouse Day!!
I am totally devoted to Apple computers. Did you expect anything less from me? "I'm a PC"? Give me a break. Apple all the way. It makes me feel more secure in my superiority.
I have been pretty sad though about their less-than-mighty mouse. I mean, it was great for the year that it worked. I liked that I could squeeze the sides and that was a button. Of course, they added a right-click (very important, and I think that those who maintain that a right click is unnecessary are whack). And then there's the tiny scroll wheel in the middle of the mouse. Awesome, since it scrolls in all directions. Until, that is, you reach a certain day and the scroll wheel decides to stop scrolling down. LAME. And did you know, using the scroll bars at the sides of your page is not fun, not even one little bit? And don't give me that crap about cleaning off the ball to get it to work again. Believe me. We have THREE mighty mice in our home (count 'em: THREE) and none of the scroll wheels work anymore. And I have definitely tried to clean them all out in every single way listed on the sites and forums.
Well, Apple has invented a new way to get our money (besides the 27-inch iMac, which I don't even want to talk about right now) and that is the new mightier mouse, called the Magic Mouse. I can't really figure out how it works, but I just know it's going to be good! (Because Apple has a history of really good mice. [Note: Not true, because HOW long did it take them to finally add a right click?]) Anyway, it's supposed to arrive today, and basically every truck I hear drive by, or every neighbor that I hear getting out of their car, makes me look up in eager anticipation. PLEASE, FedEx! End the anticipation and deliver my Magic Mouse! I want to scroll down again!
I have been pretty sad though about their less-than-mighty mouse. I mean, it was great for the year that it worked. I liked that I could squeeze the sides and that was a button. Of course, they added a right-click (very important, and I think that those who maintain that a right click is unnecessary are whack). And then there's the tiny scroll wheel in the middle of the mouse. Awesome, since it scrolls in all directions. Until, that is, you reach a certain day and the scroll wheel decides to stop scrolling down. LAME. And did you know, using the scroll bars at the sides of your page is not fun, not even one little bit? And don't give me that crap about cleaning off the ball to get it to work again. Believe me. We have THREE mighty mice in our home (count 'em: THREE) and none of the scroll wheels work anymore. And I have definitely tried to clean them all out in every single way listed on the sites and forums.
Well, Apple has invented a new way to get our money (besides the 27-inch iMac, which I don't even want to talk about right now) and that is the new mightier mouse, called the Magic Mouse. I can't really figure out how it works, but I just know it's going to be good! (Because Apple has a history of really good mice. [Note: Not true, because HOW long did it take them to finally add a right click?]) Anyway, it's supposed to arrive today, and basically every truck I hear drive by, or every neighbor that I hear getting out of their car, makes me look up in eager anticipation. PLEASE, FedEx! End the anticipation and deliver my Magic Mouse! I want to scroll down again!
FYI: Don't Gamble
Just FYI, even though I rationalized our gambling and said it was okay because we set a $1 limit (this may be like drinking near beer or decaf...), the Powers That Be decided to punish us anyway.
Since traveling with Gulliver, I never worry about checking in for our flight 24 hours in advance. (Ironic in context of this story, since in my last post about how much I love Southwest, I said that checking in 24 hours in advance is the closest to gambling I ever come...) We find that it's just fine to board between the A group and the B group. We can always get a row to ourselves, and that's all we care about anyway.
Well, yesterday when it came time for family boarding, I searched frantically for our boarding passes and couldn't find them anywhere. We were sent to customer service, where they reissued our boarding passes while the rest of the plane boarded. We were the very last people on the plane and thus had to sit in the very back seat, in a row with a cocaine addict (so says Murray because the guy continued to sniffle in twos for the duration of our flight), and as it turns out, there is even less room on the back row than in the middle rows because the plane tapers towards the back. Needless to say, it was a very uncomfortable ride home. The guy ahead of me put his seat back (and mine was incapable of going back) which left me with about 1 inch of space between Gulliver's head and his seat back. And Gulliver hit his head and face repeatedly on the seats in front of us. It was miserable (except that at least I was sitting between Murray and the aisle. Murray had to sit between me and the cocaine addict).
We cannot account for our lost boarding passes. My only explanation is that somewhere in the euphoria of winning 26 dollars, they were put down, dropped, or thrown away.
Moral of the story: Don't gamble. Not even $1.
Since traveling with Gulliver, I never worry about checking in for our flight 24 hours in advance. (Ironic in context of this story, since in my last post about how much I love Southwest, I said that checking in 24 hours in advance is the closest to gambling I ever come...) We find that it's just fine to board between the A group and the B group. We can always get a row to ourselves, and that's all we care about anyway.
Well, yesterday when it came time for family boarding, I searched frantically for our boarding passes and couldn't find them anywhere. We were sent to customer service, where they reissued our boarding passes while the rest of the plane boarded. We were the very last people on the plane and thus had to sit in the very back seat, in a row with a cocaine addict (so says Murray because the guy continued to sniffle in twos for the duration of our flight), and as it turns out, there is even less room on the back row than in the middle rows because the plane tapers towards the back. Needless to say, it was a very uncomfortable ride home. The guy ahead of me put his seat back (and mine was incapable of going back) which left me with about 1 inch of space between Gulliver's head and his seat back. And Gulliver hit his head and face repeatedly on the seats in front of us. It was miserable (except that at least I was sitting between Murray and the aisle. Murray had to sit between me and the cocaine addict).
We cannot account for our lost boarding passes. My only explanation is that somewhere in the euphoria of winning 26 dollars, they were put down, dropped, or thrown away.
Moral of the story: Don't gamble. Not even $1.
Boot Camp (or Bye Bye Bunion)
Well, this has been quite the weekend, again. Last week, I finished up as much business as I possibly could, tried to tie every loose end, and Friday I went in for my second foot surgery. I think that going in for it this time was worse than the first time because this time I knew what to expect so I've just been dreading it.
Murray and I got to the hospital and we got to the pre-op room pretty much right away. I definitely wanted Murray to be there just in case the nurse came out to tell me that I was pregnant. But he didn't, so I'm not. My nurse was a burly man in his 50s who looked better suited to the back of a Harley than a hospital, but I didn't mind. He had a very gentle touch while trying to do my IV, except that he couldn't get it, so he had to get another nurse to do it. I didn't hold it against him, though.
(They give you shorts now in the hospital to give you extra coverage. These are one size fits all.)Murray asked me to try to be as aware as possible, without trying to be too aware, as they put me under. Last time, I fell asleep before I got to the operating room and woke up after I was out. So this time, I do remember getting onto the operating table, maybe just a little. I know that Murray and I had discussed cast color previously, and I was stuck on black, but Murray wasn't so sure. So I didn't know what to ask for. I remember the doctor asking me, but then a nurse came in and interrupted and I don't really remember being asked again, but I ended up with a black cast, so I think I may have been asked when I was mostly out of it. I woke up on the operating table as they were bandaging me up, and although I think the cast was the part I was dreading the most, I do remember that when they were putting it on, my thoughts went something like, "Sooooo luxiouriously comfortable!" I also remember fighting the compulsion with every fiber of my being to say, "I have to look professional for my conference." (I'm going to BlogHer in 2 weeks.) But I have a follow-up appointment tomorrow and I wouldn't be even slightly surprised if my doctor asks me about my conference. It may have slipped out at some point.
Since the surgery, I have been recovering at Château In-Laws, which beats Disneyland as the happiest place on earth. I am more than thrilled to have left my home computer at home, and to legitimately tell clients that I will be unavailable to work on their projects until sometime after Wednesday. I feel I gave everyone fair enough warning and now it's time for me to have a break to just focus on getting better.
The funny thing is that I'm not even feeling bad. Not even remotely! My pain level since the surgery has never been higher than 0.5. I'm supposed to be on bed rest, and for the most part I've been honoring that, but I've also gotten on the floor to play with Gulliver. (It seems we should have had this surgery 3 weeks ago since Gulliver is working REALLY HARD right now on crawling and although he hasn't coordinated it all perfectly yet, I think that by the end of these three weeks, he's going to be a little mobile pro!) I've made my very own crock pot orange pork shoulder. I haven't even made my mother-in-law fetch me every single snack. I have been pretty self sufficient, but with a team of helpers nearby to step in at any moment. (Don't ask me if I've bathed yet though---the answer is no.) My father-in-law, bless his heart, even got me a deluxe cupcake because he knows how trendy and delicious they are. Murray has also gotten me special foods, including Fage yogurt (usually too expensive for me to justify) and fresh raspberries.
Yesterday, I watched several hours of TV, including 1.15 Meg Ryan movies. So I am living it up right now. I'm not even going to go home tonight. I'm going to stay here as long as I possibly can!
(THE END)
Assistant
I've decided to hire an assistant. Please read the job description to see if this is a good fit for you. Leave your application and resume in the comments section.
DUTIES
* Do my laundry every day. Fold and put away clothes in my super-organized closets, which you will have organized.
* Cook meals for me and my family. These meals must be nutritious so that we can lose weight, but so delicious that we don't even know we're on a diet. Three meals a day and three snacks a day are required.
* Clean kitchen every day.
* Vacuum every day so that I can feel comfortable putting Gulliver on the floor without fear of the ants carrying him away to their queen.
* Dust. Because I never do this. Ever. Please remember to take down all knick knacks (of which we have plenty) and dust underneath them. Not just around them.
* Clean my bathrooms. I don't want to see one stray hair. (Post pregnancy I'm pretty much going bald, so you'll be required to clean the bathroom several times a day.)
* Do all the businessy and technical stuff involved in my work while I cuddle and snuggle Gulliver and take him for walks.
* Make my bed.
* Take out my dry cleaning.
* Buy my groceries. Remember to keep us to our $300/month food budget.
* Mail the business card samples for friends that I have had sitting at my door for two weeks (or more).
* Straighten any pictures that are off-kilter.
* Set up my TiVo to record really interesting and educational shows.
* Go through all my design blogs and hand-pick the stuff that I'm actually interested in reading.
* Entertain Gulliver while I shower and get ready every day.
COMPENSATION
* $2/day with possible 30% tep (To Ensure Proper Service) at the end of each month, for a possible total of $80/month (you know---as in half of what we pay for our iPhones each month).
DUTIES
* Do my laundry every day. Fold and put away clothes in my super-organized closets, which you will have organized.
* Cook meals for me and my family. These meals must be nutritious so that we can lose weight, but so delicious that we don't even know we're on a diet. Three meals a day and three snacks a day are required.
* Clean kitchen every day.
* Vacuum every day so that I can feel comfortable putting Gulliver on the floor without fear of the ants carrying him away to their queen.
* Dust. Because I never do this. Ever. Please remember to take down all knick knacks (of which we have plenty) and dust underneath them. Not just around them.
* Clean my bathrooms. I don't want to see one stray hair. (Post pregnancy I'm pretty much going bald, so you'll be required to clean the bathroom several times a day.)
* Do all the businessy and technical stuff involved in my work while I cuddle and snuggle Gulliver and take him for walks.
* Make my bed.
* Take out my dry cleaning.
* Buy my groceries. Remember to keep us to our $300/month food budget.
* Mail the business card samples for friends that I have had sitting at my door for two weeks (or more).
* Straighten any pictures that are off-kilter.
* Set up my TiVo to record really interesting and educational shows.
* Go through all my design blogs and hand-pick the stuff that I'm actually interested in reading.
* Entertain Gulliver while I shower and get ready every day.
COMPENSATION
* $2/day with possible 30% tep (To Ensure Proper Service) at the end of each month, for a possible total of $80/month (you know---as in half of what we pay for our iPhones each month).
I once knew a girl named Pandora...
(Murray and I watched Notting Hill recently and I maintain that it is the greatest romantic comedy---my measuring stick of all romantic comedies. And if you don't know the rest of that quote... I'm not going to share it with you here.)
I came home from the Goldsmith Jeweler's red carpet event last night to tell Murray about my whole experience. And to admit that I spent $50 during our "let's be frugal" initiative. (There's lots of initiatives going on in our home right now, like the aforementioned AFFITPBHAS, and the Limit the Family Food Budget to $300 a Month Initiative [LTFFBT$300AMI], and the Let's Do Our Laundry More Than Once A Month Initiative [LDOLMTOAMI].)
So anyhoo, I digress. Last night I attended Goldsmith Jeweler's red carpet event. Let me tell you how this happened. And then I'll tell you what I told Murray. And then I'll tell you what Murray told me. And then I'll tell you about how Murray saw my $50 expense as an excuse to spend $50 himself, which doesn't totally make sense when that means that we've just doubled what we're spending during our time of frugality, but kindof makes sense because Murray doesn't have a cool new bracelet but I do, and he "needed" a pair of new shoes.
Anyhoo, I digress. When I was first invited to the red carpet event, I started immediately planning my outfit. I mean, what do I even have that I can wear to a red carpet event? Because we're not spending money on unnecessary things, and because I didn't need or even "need" a fancy dress, I'd have to piece something together with what I already had, and I was having a hard time doing so. Mercifully, a day or two before the event I received word that it was casual dress. And since it's still "red carpet," that must mean fancy casual, which is great because all my fancy casual clothes are buried deep in the closet where Gulliver can't drool on them.
So I got my fanciest pink ("magenta," Murray corrected me when I asked if I should wear pink or green) silk shirt and my hottest pair of dark jeans and my sexiest pair of clunky orthotic shoes, which are still one of the few pairs of shoes I can wear since my foot surgery, and sometimes people compliment me on them and I think oh my gosh are you smoking crack but I say thank you. (And still thanks to my mom for buying them for me because they are the only pair of shoes I could wear for months and they made my life much, much better, and my jeans cover most of them anyway. And no thanks to my dad who made fun of them the moment I came over to visit in Maryland, because my mom already has at least two pairs of these shoes in different colors and all of a sudden another pair appeared at the front door, and my dad asked "Where did these ugly shoes come from?")
And once I was there, the moment I tried to put a bite of food in my mouth, a chunk of saucy chicken fell from the skewer and all the way down my beautifulpink magenta silk shirt. So yeah. I attended a red carpet event with stains all down the front of my shirt the whole time.
But more about the event. The idea of this evening was to promote Pandora charm bracelets, which are the hot thing in Europe right now and are starting to make their way over to the United States, not unlike the Swine Flu (except that that's coming from our neighbors to the south). But they are unlike the Swine Flu in that you actually want to get one. But like the Swine Flu in that they are clearly contagious. Let me explain.
There were three stations during the evening. The first that I attended was a little group where we got to talk about where men get gift giving right and where they get it wrong, and I got to brag about Murray whose art is the greatest gift he could ever give me. The next stop was the Pandora station where we received our bracelet and got to choose a charm. There were so many to choose from, so this was the station that absolutely took the longest! I chose my charm, but couldn't help but choose two more to buy (enter the $50 expense). At the third station, we were taught a little bit about jewelry repair, and it struck me that I have two pieces of jewelry with sentimental value that need repair. One is a ring that El Senor gave me for a birthday and that I ruined rock climbing, and one is a necklace that was given to me by my host family when I lived in France. So guess who'll be returning to Goldsmith's very soon...
Oh, and speaking of returning to Goldsmith's, did I mention that this is where Murray and I found my ring? And Trevor, who worked with us, recognized me and greeted me by name when I walked in. And I haven't seen him for over a year. So yeah. Major points.
So at the end of the evening, I went back home to tell Murray about my experience. I explained the whole Pandora bracelet thing, telling him that it was actually a cool charm bracelet and I'm surprised at how much I like it. And that it makes gift giving easy for me because if anyone is ever wondering what gift they can get me, they can just get me a new charm for my charm bracelet! I showed him the charms that I chose, and told him that I did spend $50 on two charms. And then he told me that if the charms represented him, me, and Gulliver, he'd be much more likely to approve of the expense. And at the time, they didn't necessarily represent us, but I've since given it some thought and I've realized that I subconsciously chose these charms to represent each of us. And here's how:
1) The hedgehog. The hedgehog is me because it's the closest thing they had to a porcupine and I grew up in Porcupine, Ontario.
2) The fish. The fish is Murray because when I was single, people told me that there were lots of fish in the sea, but what people don't get is that it takes a LOT of work to find the RIGHT fish, and I held out for years till I finally found the ONE fish in the whole sea that was right for me.
3) The flower. The flower, which is between the fish and the hedgehog, represents little Gulliver because he is the fruit of the love that blossoms between me and Murray.
Ta da! There are actually a few things that I love about this bracelet. First of all, it is as simple or as intricate as you want it to be. The bracelet looks great with one charm on it! Or you can just keep piling on the charms! There are so many charms that it's easy to find ones to remind you of great life moments. So you can actually tell a story with your bracelet because everything on there has meaning.
Another thing I love is especially with little animals like mine has, I think this may be a great way to play with kids in church. When I was little, I used to love to play with my grandma's ring and with Mary Moo's necklace that had an apple on it. So I think that this is something nice that I can wear that Gulliver can quietly explore while we're in church when he's a little older.
And another thing I love is that they'll keep developing new charms. Do I see a cicada in the future? Fingers crossed!
So I told Murray all about it, and I think that he actually does think that the bracelet is nice. But he said that it's like opening Pandora's box... And I think he's right. But I'm glad to have opened it!
I was just surprised to find out that a pair of Camper's shoes came out of Pandora's box this morning. Yep. Murray found them and bought them on Ambien. I hope that he doesn't become a midnight-ambien shopper... But I'm glad that he can find something that he is equally excited about.
And now to share with you some Pandora pictures. They kindof make me laugh:
This one I call, "Oh my gosh, I love jewelry and off the shoulder shirts!"
This one I call, "Life has its moments. So many that you're going to have to get a bunch of bracelets and a necklace to fit all the charms you're going to have to buy because without the charms you'll never remember them. And PS you're a bad mom if you don't."
This one is called, "Hey, did I mention that you don't have to limit yourself to one bracelet? Oh and did I mention off the shoulder shirts because they are hot."
And this one I call, "Seriously, you should print this out and redeem this before May 9th, and make Goldsmith your jeweler because I have always been thrilled at their service and products!"
I came home from the Goldsmith Jeweler's red carpet event last night to tell Murray about my whole experience. And to admit that I spent $50 during our "let's be frugal" initiative. (There's lots of initiatives going on in our home right now, like the aforementioned AFFITPBHAS, and the Limit the Family Food Budget to $300 a Month Initiative [LTFFBT$300AMI], and the Let's Do Our Laundry More Than Once A Month Initiative [LDOLMTOAMI].)
So anyhoo, I digress. Last night I attended Goldsmith Jeweler's red carpet event. Let me tell you how this happened. And then I'll tell you what I told Murray. And then I'll tell you what Murray told me. And then I'll tell you about how Murray saw my $50 expense as an excuse to spend $50 himself, which doesn't totally make sense when that means that we've just doubled what we're spending during our time of frugality, but kindof makes sense because Murray doesn't have a cool new bracelet but I do, and he "needed" a pair of new shoes.
Anyhoo, I digress. When I was first invited to the red carpet event, I started immediately planning my outfit. I mean, what do I even have that I can wear to a red carpet event? Because we're not spending money on unnecessary things, and because I didn't need or even "need" a fancy dress, I'd have to piece something together with what I already had, and I was having a hard time doing so. Mercifully, a day or two before the event I received word that it was casual dress. And since it's still "red carpet," that must mean fancy casual, which is great because all my fancy casual clothes are buried deep in the closet where Gulliver can't drool on them.
So I got my fanciest pink ("magenta," Murray corrected me when I asked if I should wear pink or green) silk shirt and my hottest pair of dark jeans and my sexiest pair of clunky orthotic shoes, which are still one of the few pairs of shoes I can wear since my foot surgery, and sometimes people compliment me on them and I think oh my gosh are you smoking crack but I say thank you. (And still thanks to my mom for buying them for me because they are the only pair of shoes I could wear for months and they made my life much, much better, and my jeans cover most of them anyway. And no thanks to my dad who made fun of them the moment I came over to visit in Maryland, because my mom already has at least two pairs of these shoes in different colors and all of a sudden another pair appeared at the front door, and my dad asked "Where did these ugly shoes come from?")
And once I was there, the moment I tried to put a bite of food in my mouth, a chunk of saucy chicken fell from the skewer and all the way down my beautiful
But more about the event. The idea of this evening was to promote Pandora charm bracelets, which are the hot thing in Europe right now and are starting to make their way over to the United States, not unlike the Swine Flu (except that that's coming from our neighbors to the south). But they are unlike the Swine Flu in that you actually want to get one. But like the Swine Flu in that they are clearly contagious. Let me explain.
There were three stations during the evening. The first that I attended was a little group where we got to talk about where men get gift giving right and where they get it wrong, and I got to brag about Murray whose art is the greatest gift he could ever give me. The next stop was the Pandora station where we received our bracelet and got to choose a charm. There were so many to choose from, so this was the station that absolutely took the longest! I chose my charm, but couldn't help but choose two more to buy (enter the $50 expense). At the third station, we were taught a little bit about jewelry repair, and it struck me that I have two pieces of jewelry with sentimental value that need repair. One is a ring that El Senor gave me for a birthday and that I ruined rock climbing, and one is a necklace that was given to me by my host family when I lived in France. So guess who'll be returning to Goldsmith's very soon...
Oh, and speaking of returning to Goldsmith's, did I mention that this is where Murray and I found my ring? And Trevor, who worked with us, recognized me and greeted me by name when I walked in. And I haven't seen him for over a year. So yeah. Major points.
So at the end of the evening, I went back home to tell Murray about my experience. I explained the whole Pandora bracelet thing, telling him that it was actually a cool charm bracelet and I'm surprised at how much I like it. And that it makes gift giving easy for me because if anyone is ever wondering what gift they can get me, they can just get me a new charm for my charm bracelet! I showed him the charms that I chose, and told him that I did spend $50 on two charms. And then he told me that if the charms represented him, me, and Gulliver, he'd be much more likely to approve of the expense. And at the time, they didn't necessarily represent us, but I've since given it some thought and I've realized that I subconsciously chose these charms to represent each of us. And here's how:
1) The hedgehog. The hedgehog is me because it's the closest thing they had to a porcupine and I grew up in Porcupine, Ontario.
2) The fish. The fish is Murray because when I was single, people told me that there were lots of fish in the sea, but what people don't get is that it takes a LOT of work to find the RIGHT fish, and I held out for years till I finally found the ONE fish in the whole sea that was right for me.
3) The flower. The flower, which is between the fish and the hedgehog, represents little Gulliver because he is the fruit of the love that blossoms between me and Murray.
Ta da! There are actually a few things that I love about this bracelet. First of all, it is as simple or as intricate as you want it to be. The bracelet looks great with one charm on it! Or you can just keep piling on the charms! There are so many charms that it's easy to find ones to remind you of great life moments. So you can actually tell a story with your bracelet because everything on there has meaning.
Another thing I love is especially with little animals like mine has, I think this may be a great way to play with kids in church. When I was little, I used to love to play with my grandma's ring and with Mary Moo's necklace that had an apple on it. So I think that this is something nice that I can wear that Gulliver can quietly explore while we're in church when he's a little older.
And another thing I love is that they'll keep developing new charms. Do I see a cicada in the future? Fingers crossed!
So I told Murray all about it, and I think that he actually does think that the bracelet is nice. But he said that it's like opening Pandora's box... And I think he's right. But I'm glad to have opened it!
I was just surprised to find out that a pair of Camper's shoes came out of Pandora's box this morning. Yep. Murray found them and bought them on Ambien. I hope that he doesn't become a midnight-ambien shopper... But I'm glad that he can find something that he is equally excited about.
And now to share with you some Pandora pictures. They kindof make me laugh:
This one I call, "Oh my gosh, I love jewelry and off the shoulder shirts!"
This one I call, "Life has its moments. So many that you're going to have to get a bunch of bracelets and a necklace to fit all the charms you're going to have to buy because without the charms you'll never remember them. And PS you're a bad mom if you don't."
This one is called, "Hey, did I mention that you don't have to limit yourself to one bracelet? Oh and did I mention off the shoulder shirts because they are hot."
And this one I call, "Seriously, you should print this out and redeem this before May 9th, and make Goldsmith your jeweler because I have always been thrilled at their service and products!"
Not Disneyland, Part 2: A Screenplay
[It's 10:00 pm in the Terreno di Amore home. Cicada sits on the couch watching television. Murray comes downstairs towards her. She hears him as he comes.]
Murray: Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. Oh no.
[Cicada fumbles for the remote and pauses her program.]
Cicada: What?
[Murray stumbles into the living room, holding his head.]
Murray: Oh no. Oh no.
Cicada: What happened?
Murray: I sliced my head open on the ledge of my drawing desk. I felt it go in deep. It's going to start bleeding a lot really soon.
Cicada: Oh! Okay. Um... let me help.
[Cicada and Murray go to the kitchen sink. Murray takes his hand away from the wound; two fingers are covered in blood. Cicada takes a paper towel, folds it in quarters, and applies it to the wound.]
Cicada: Should we go to the ER?
Murray: I could hear it slice into my head. I think I'm definitely going to need stitches. It's pretty deep.
Cicada: Okay. You go sit down. I'll call my visiting teacher because she's a nurse and she can tell us if we should go.
[Murray sits down and Cicada calls her visiting teacher.]
Cicada: Hi, Katie?
Katie (sounds groggy): Are you okay? Is everything okay?
Cicada: I'm fine. My husband cut his head on a desk and we were just wondering if we should go to the ER.
Katie: What does it look like?
Cicada: Hm. I haven't really looked at it. Let's see. [Removes paper towel from Murray's head. The wound isn't bleeding too badly.] Oh. It's about 3/4 inch long and the sides aren't touching... We should probably go to the ER, huh?
Katie: I hate to tell people not to go to the ER. Your biggest worry is that it would get infected. Since Instacare is closed, I'd go to the ER. Go to Orem Community because they're much less busy at night.
Cicada: Okay. Should I give him Tylenol or anything?
Katie: Don't give him anything, but you can put ice on it.
Cicada: Okay. Thanks. [Hangs up phone.] Okay, Murray. We do need to go to the ER.
Murray: Okay.
[Cicada gets an ice pack for Murray. Cicada and Murray leave the house together; Murray is wearing a t-shirt, pajama pants, and a nice grey blazer. Cicada is dressed as if she attended a fake funeral earlier in the day, which, in fact, she did.]
[In the car, driving to the hospital, Murray and Cicada begin to joke about their unexpected date to the ER and the events of the evening.]
Cicada: I think that I woke up my visiting teacher. She sounded pretty tired. Oh well. It's her job.
Murray: Do you think that she's ticked that you called?
Cicada: Uh, well, no. I mean, she's my visiting teacher. That's what they're supposed to do is be there to help and be called upon.
Murray: Yeah, but no one ever actually does that.
Cicada: Sure they do! You can ask your visiting teachers and home teachers to do stuff. That's what they're there for!
Murray: Yeah, but it's an unspoken rule that you don't actually ever take them up on their offer to help you if there's anything you need.
Cicada: That's so not true.
Murray: Yes it is. You're not supposed to actually ask them to do anything.
Cicada: I've always asked my visiting teachers or home teachers to do something for me if I needed their help. Like the one time that The Boy sat on my bed and it couldn't support both our weight and it broke. When my home teachers asked if there was anything they could do, I asked if either of them could weld metal. One said he could, and I told him that he could fix my bed for me! I gave him the broken parts and he fixed it! Or there was the time my grandma died and I called my visiting teacher at one in the morning to ask her to drive me and The Boy to the airport at 6:00 that very morning. This is how the system works!
Murray: Yeah, but nobody does that. At least it's not done here in Utah.
Cicada: You are a horrible person.
[The couple pulls up to Orem Community ER. They enter the tiny ER waiting/reception room. A mother with her son are ahead of them in line, checking in.]
Cicada: It's so funny waiting in line in an ER. No one ever seems to be in a big hurry.
Murray: I know! Don't they prioritize by the severity of the injury?
Cicada: Well, yeah, they probably do. But if you're waiting in line, they figure your injury isn't bad enough to warrant immediate care.
[Murray gives Cicada a skeptical look.]
Cicada: Well, it's true! If you had severed your arm, we wouldn't be standing here in line with me holding your severed arm. We'd get in right away.
Murray: I don't know. There's not many people around here.
Cicada: Yeah, but if I were waving around your severed arm, and we were yelling, people would come and help us immediately.
Murray: Oh, I know! You'd get immediate help if you came on an ambulance. You have to come by ambulance.
Cicada: You can drive up to the ER yourself and still get immediate assistance. Haven't you ever watched ER?
Murray: That's a dramatization and I don't watch shows like that.
Cicada: Well, people can just drive up, and they drag their friend's body through the doors and they yell, "Somebody help me! Help me!" If this were a serious injury, we'd be making a lot more noise.
Murray: But that's in places like Chicago.
Cicada: The same stuff happens here in Orem, too. Just on a less frequent basis. If we were making a lot of noise, we'd get service immediately.
[The receptionist finishes with the mother and son, and Murray and Cicada check in. They then go to their seats to wait and watch the Jay Leno show on TV.]
Murray: I hate that guy.
Cicada: Didn't you tell me yesterday that I have a prominent chin, but not a Jay Leno chin?
[Murray and Cicada intermittently watch the Jay Leno show, discuss whether or not they would choose to plastinate Murray's severed arm a la Body Worlds, and laugh about the fact that with Cicada's pregnant belly, everyone should assume that she's the one who needs to be in the ER.]
Cicada: Do you want me to take a picture of your head wound with my iPhone and then you can see it?
Murray: Yeah.
[Cicada takes a picture of Murray's head wound and then shows it to him. The couple laughs about the head wound. Others in the ER begin to get restless and ask when it's going to be their turn to leave. The mother and son are soon called away. Murray and Cicada are left alone in the room with one other ER patron, a plump young lady in her 20s.]
ER Patron: So why are you here?
Murray: I hit my head on the ledge of my desk and cut it open.
ER Patron: I figured you guys would be the first to be called in.
Cicada: Yeah... it's really not that bad. But we were wondering how people are prioritized.
ER Patron: This is a better place to come than Utah Valley Regional, though. The last time I went there, I waited for five hours.
Murray: Wow. This is lots better.
ER Patron: Yeah. [To Cicada:] When are you due?
Cicada: January 4th.
[They talk about the baby for a while until Murray and Cicada are called back to the ER. Back in the ER, a doctor and nurse inspect Murray's wound. They marvel at the amount of hair that has been mashed into the deep cut. They dig out the hair, disinfect the wound, and inject it with numbing agent to prepare for the staples. This is the most painful part, and Murray makes a face that communicates his pain and makes his insensitive wife laugh. The doctor inserts two staples into Murray's head, a la Frankenstein, and tell the couple they are free to leave as soon as they have their discharge/staple care instruction sheets. On their way out of the ER, Cicada generously offers to treat Murray to his copay. She whips out her wallet and pays the receptionist $200.]
Murray: Wow. Two hundred dollars.
Cicada: I know! We're slowly but surely spending all that money that we would have spent if we had decided to go to Disneyland.
Murray: I wouldn't have hurt my head and had to go to the ER if we'd gone to Disneyland. We could have had a wonderful day of fun and adventure at Disneyland for that amount of money.
Cicada: Instead we got to spend an hour in the ER. It's like Adventureland.
Murray: That is not my Fantasyland.
Murray: Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. Oh no.
[Cicada fumbles for the remote and pauses her program.]
Cicada: What?
[Murray stumbles into the living room, holding his head.]
Murray: Oh no. Oh no.
Cicada: What happened?
Murray: I sliced my head open on the ledge of my drawing desk. I felt it go in deep. It's going to start bleeding a lot really soon.
Cicada: Oh! Okay. Um... let me help.
[Cicada and Murray go to the kitchen sink. Murray takes his hand away from the wound; two fingers are covered in blood. Cicada takes a paper towel, folds it in quarters, and applies it to the wound.]
Cicada: Should we go to the ER?
Murray: I could hear it slice into my head. I think I'm definitely going to need stitches. It's pretty deep.
Cicada: Okay. You go sit down. I'll call my visiting teacher because she's a nurse and she can tell us if we should go.
[Murray sits down and Cicada calls her visiting teacher.]
Cicada: Hi, Katie?
Katie (sounds groggy): Are you okay? Is everything okay?
Cicada: I'm fine. My husband cut his head on a desk and we were just wondering if we should go to the ER.
Katie: What does it look like?
Cicada: Hm. I haven't really looked at it. Let's see. [Removes paper towel from Murray's head. The wound isn't bleeding too badly.] Oh. It's about 3/4 inch long and the sides aren't touching... We should probably go to the ER, huh?
Katie: I hate to tell people not to go to the ER. Your biggest worry is that it would get infected. Since Instacare is closed, I'd go to the ER. Go to Orem Community because they're much less busy at night.
Cicada: Okay. Should I give him Tylenol or anything?
Katie: Don't give him anything, but you can put ice on it.
Cicada: Okay. Thanks. [Hangs up phone.] Okay, Murray. We do need to go to the ER.
Murray: Okay.
[Cicada gets an ice pack for Murray. Cicada and Murray leave the house together; Murray is wearing a t-shirt, pajama pants, and a nice grey blazer. Cicada is dressed as if she attended a fake funeral earlier in the day, which, in fact, she did.]
[In the car, driving to the hospital, Murray and Cicada begin to joke about their unexpected date to the ER and the events of the evening.]
Cicada: I think that I woke up my visiting teacher. She sounded pretty tired. Oh well. It's her job.
Murray: Do you think that she's ticked that you called?
Cicada: Uh, well, no. I mean, she's my visiting teacher. That's what they're supposed to do is be there to help and be called upon.
Murray: Yeah, but no one ever actually does that.
Cicada: Sure they do! You can ask your visiting teachers and home teachers to do stuff. That's what they're there for!
Murray: Yeah, but it's an unspoken rule that you don't actually ever take them up on their offer to help you if there's anything you need.
Cicada: That's so not true.
Murray: Yes it is. You're not supposed to actually ask them to do anything.
Cicada: I've always asked my visiting teachers or home teachers to do something for me if I needed their help. Like the one time that The Boy sat on my bed and it couldn't support both our weight and it broke. When my home teachers asked if there was anything they could do, I asked if either of them could weld metal. One said he could, and I told him that he could fix my bed for me! I gave him the broken parts and he fixed it! Or there was the time my grandma died and I called my visiting teacher at one in the morning to ask her to drive me and The Boy to the airport at 6:00 that very morning. This is how the system works!
Murray: Yeah, but nobody does that. At least it's not done here in Utah.
Cicada: You are a horrible person.
[The couple pulls up to Orem Community ER. They enter the tiny ER waiting/reception room. A mother with her son are ahead of them in line, checking in.]
Cicada: It's so funny waiting in line in an ER. No one ever seems to be in a big hurry.
Murray: I know! Don't they prioritize by the severity of the injury?
Cicada: Well, yeah, they probably do. But if you're waiting in line, they figure your injury isn't bad enough to warrant immediate care.
[Murray gives Cicada a skeptical look.]
Cicada: Well, it's true! If you had severed your arm, we wouldn't be standing here in line with me holding your severed arm. We'd get in right away.
Murray: I don't know. There's not many people around here.
Cicada: Yeah, but if I were waving around your severed arm, and we were yelling, people would come and help us immediately.
Murray: Oh, I know! You'd get immediate help if you came on an ambulance. You have to come by ambulance.
Cicada: You can drive up to the ER yourself and still get immediate assistance. Haven't you ever watched ER?
Murray: That's a dramatization and I don't watch shows like that.
Cicada: Well, people can just drive up, and they drag their friend's body through the doors and they yell, "Somebody help me! Help me!" If this were a serious injury, we'd be making a lot more noise.
Murray: But that's in places like Chicago.
Cicada: The same stuff happens here in Orem, too. Just on a less frequent basis. If we were making a lot of noise, we'd get service immediately.
[The receptionist finishes with the mother and son, and Murray and Cicada check in. They then go to their seats to wait and watch the Jay Leno show on TV.]
Murray: I hate that guy.
Cicada: Didn't you tell me yesterday that I have a prominent chin, but not a Jay Leno chin?
[Murray and Cicada intermittently watch the Jay Leno show, discuss whether or not they would choose to plastinate Murray's severed arm a la Body Worlds, and laugh about the fact that with Cicada's pregnant belly, everyone should assume that she's the one who needs to be in the ER.]
Cicada: Do you want me to take a picture of your head wound with my iPhone and then you can see it?
Murray: Yeah.
[Cicada takes a picture of Murray's head wound and then shows it to him. The couple laughs about the head wound. Others in the ER begin to get restless and ask when it's going to be their turn to leave. The mother and son are soon called away. Murray and Cicada are left alone in the room with one other ER patron, a plump young lady in her 20s.]
ER Patron: So why are you here?
Murray: I hit my head on the ledge of my desk and cut it open.
ER Patron: I figured you guys would be the first to be called in.
Cicada: Yeah... it's really not that bad. But we were wondering how people are prioritized.
ER Patron: This is a better place to come than Utah Valley Regional, though. The last time I went there, I waited for five hours.
Murray: Wow. This is lots better.
ER Patron: Yeah. [To Cicada:] When are you due?
Cicada: January 4th.
[They talk about the baby for a while until Murray and Cicada are called back to the ER. Back in the ER, a doctor and nurse inspect Murray's wound. They marvel at the amount of hair that has been mashed into the deep cut. They dig out the hair, disinfect the wound, and inject it with numbing agent to prepare for the staples. This is the most painful part, and Murray makes a face that communicates his pain and makes his insensitive wife laugh. The doctor inserts two staples into Murray's head, a la Frankenstein, and tell the couple they are free to leave as soon as they have their discharge/staple care instruction sheets. On their way out of the ER, Cicada generously offers to treat Murray to his copay. She whips out her wallet and pays the receptionist $200.]
Murray: Wow. Two hundred dollars.
Cicada: I know! We're slowly but surely spending all that money that we would have spent if we had decided to go to Disneyland.
Murray: I wouldn't have hurt my head and had to go to the ER if we'd gone to Disneyland. We could have had a wonderful day of fun and adventure at Disneyland for that amount of money.
Cicada: Instead we got to spend an hour in the ER. It's like Adventureland.
Murray: That is not my Fantasyland.
San Diego trip 2008
This past weekend, Murray and I headed to San Diego for our annual vacation with Switchback. It's too bad that we didn't time it right with Nemesis's honeymoon, because it would have been totally fun to hang out with the Nemeses in San Diego, too.
Here are my vacation highlights:
Lots of travel time in the car with Murray. I love spending time with him and we don't actually get bored with talking to each other in the car for hours on end. Some of our discussions during the trip were... questionable and insightful. We'll leave it at that. We both love that we're married to someone who we can discuss absolutely any taboo subject with. We didn't actually listen to much music; we listened to a lot of The Ricky Gervais Show podcasts, which were great. A few of our discussions centered around whether Karl Pilkington was really for real (Murray insisted that he was and I insisted that he couldn't be) but we eventually reached a mutual understanding that some of the show absolutely is set up, but in general, the ideas and thoughts that Karl Pilkington shares are genuine.
Spending time on the beach. Murray and I got to the beach a little late on Saturday but we enjoyed meandering over there and taking our time. Once we were on the beach, we were able to enjoy ourselves quite a bit. We had assumed that we'd have one more beach visit during the trip, but we didn't, so I'm glad that we made the first one count. And as a pregnant woman, it was nice (really nice) not to have to worry about sucking in my gut the whole time we were there. Phew! My gut is my pride and glory right now!! I let it all hang out. I started rubbing my tummy during the vacation, and I think that helped it to grow some. It also helped other people to know that it was a pregnant gut, not a fat gut.
Spending an evening in Little Italy with Murray and Switchback. We went to an art gallery where both Switchback and Murray impressed the owner with their knowledge (Murray with his art history, and Switchback with her history-history, which gave insight into one of the pieces). We ate at a good restaurant and enjoyed one another's company. Afterwards, Switchback took us to the pier where we looked at street art and almost got run over by rickshaw bicycles. Several times. Switchback is the greatest hostess and tour guide. Unfortunately on this trip, she didn't ever bust out her metal pointer. Next year? Also, I got a restaurant to let us use their bathroom even though we weren't paying customers because I stuck out my tummy, rubbed it, and waddled into the lobby. Perks! Perks!
(I complained that the menu of the restaurant where we ate used Papyrus as its font. After the restaurant, we passed this unique plant that we really liked and seems to be a common graphic design inspiration lately. When we were wondering out loud what it was, a passerby told us it was Papyrus. Who knew?)
Going to the single's ward with Switchback. It was the quietest church I've been to since November 2007. So lovely! But of course then I was reminded, when they announced the FHE wiffleball tournament that silence in Sacrament meeting comes with a very, very high price.
Going to a big band concert in a park where we got to spend more time visiting with Switchback, Switchback's sister and brother-in-law, and Kelly Roxanne. Switchback made a great salad and peach pie for dessert. I took a second piece of pie because I'm pregnant. Perks! Perks! Murray was still in his church clothes because we didn't have time between church, our afternoon activities, and the concert to go home to change. Except I remembered to ask Switchback to bring me some pants, but forgot to have her grab clothes for Murray. So everyone who met us will have just assumed that Murray is a really really righteous person.
Going to Sea World. I kept calling it Marine Land and the Marine Land jingle was in my head all day long. I can get behind a theme park based on aquatic life. I got to feed and pet sting rays and dolphins. It was absolutely worth every penny. Then I had to question whether I made the right decision to become a graphic designer and not a marine biologist, but I wouldn't have found Murray if I'd become a marine biologist, so I know I made the right choice. Marine Land was a great place to go (see? I didn't actually call it Marine Land on purpose just then---proof that advertising works, because the only place I ever heard of as a kid in lots and lots of commercials was Marine Land) as far as theme parks are concerned because I got to sit a lot. We did lots of shows, and the weather was ideal except for during the dolphin show when the sun scorched one side of my neck. Switchback joined us in the evening in time for the sea lion and otter show that makes fun of the other shows. It was really funny and entertaining, and when the otter came running across the stage pushing a cart, acting like a human, I actually had tears well up in my eyes because I could not handle the cuteness. I might be tearing up again just thinking about it.
I could go on and on about Sea World. Lots of it was cheesy, and it's a good thing that I was with Murray who could join me in making fun of all the cheesiness. For the final show, there was no one sitting beside me or Murray on our whole bench. Then a family of a culture that has different personal space perceptions came to sit beside us and the mother literally sat with her whole arm and shoulder pressed up against me. I inched over, and she inched over. So I moved a couple feet over and put my purse on the bench next to me. And then Murray and I laughed a lot.
(This guy was lurking right behind Murray's head and he turned around and jumped---Murray, not the fish.)
Also, Murray and I did something really smart. You know when you agonize over a decision, and in the end you make the wrong decision and then you just keep being bothered by the fact that you made the wrong decision? Well, on Monday Murray and I made the RIGHT decision. Sea World was offering Meal Passes, where you can eat for "free" all day at select Sea World restaurants if you pay $28. I knew that the food prices were going to be high, so we kept debating if this was what we should do. We carefully read the rules of the pass, and it stated that the wrist-band wearer would get one meal for every time he or she went through the line. There was no other limitations. So we bought one meal pass that Murray used. Then we shared every meal that we bought. And it was plenty of food for both of us. So for $28, we ate three meals at an amusement park. It's more expensive than sneaking in your own sandwiches, but I figure we made out pretty well for an amusement park. Plus, we got to split this Shamu cookie.
All in all, it was a great trip, like it always is. And Switchback is the greatest hostess. Of course, having her married, pregnant friend and husband come to stay with her for several days in a house that she shares with roommates could definitely... push her roommates' patience. Next year, we realize that with a baby we definitely can't do the same thing. So we'll go to San Francisco instead and stay with Switchback's mom, Truth. Mothers always love babies, so I'm sure that we'll be welcome when we invite ourselves.
(She's pregnant, too.)
Here are my vacation highlights:
Lots of travel time in the car with Murray. I love spending time with him and we don't actually get bored with talking to each other in the car for hours on end. Some of our discussions during the trip were... questionable and insightful. We'll leave it at that. We both love that we're married to someone who we can discuss absolutely any taboo subject with. We didn't actually listen to much music; we listened to a lot of The Ricky Gervais Show podcasts, which were great. A few of our discussions centered around whether Karl Pilkington was really for real (Murray insisted that he was and I insisted that he couldn't be) but we eventually reached a mutual understanding that some of the show absolutely is set up, but in general, the ideas and thoughts that Karl Pilkington shares are genuine.
Spending time on the beach. Murray and I got to the beach a little late on Saturday but we enjoyed meandering over there and taking our time. Once we were on the beach, we were able to enjoy ourselves quite a bit. We had assumed that we'd have one more beach visit during the trip, but we didn't, so I'm glad that we made the first one count. And as a pregnant woman, it was nice (really nice) not to have to worry about sucking in my gut the whole time we were there. Phew! My gut is my pride and glory right now!! I let it all hang out. I started rubbing my tummy during the vacation, and I think that helped it to grow some. It also helped other people to know that it was a pregnant gut, not a fat gut.
Spending an evening in Little Italy with Murray and Switchback. We went to an art gallery where both Switchback and Murray impressed the owner with their knowledge (Murray with his art history, and Switchback with her history-history, which gave insight into one of the pieces). We ate at a good restaurant and enjoyed one another's company. Afterwards, Switchback took us to the pier where we looked at street art and almost got run over by rickshaw bicycles. Several times. Switchback is the greatest hostess and tour guide. Unfortunately on this trip, she didn't ever bust out her metal pointer. Next year? Also, I got a restaurant to let us use their bathroom even though we weren't paying customers because I stuck out my tummy, rubbed it, and waddled into the lobby. Perks! Perks!
(I complained that the menu of the restaurant where we ate used Papyrus as its font. After the restaurant, we passed this unique plant that we really liked and seems to be a common graphic design inspiration lately. When we were wondering out loud what it was, a passerby told us it was Papyrus. Who knew?)Going to the single's ward with Switchback. It was the quietest church I've been to since November 2007. So lovely! But of course then I was reminded, when they announced the FHE wiffleball tournament that silence in Sacrament meeting comes with a very, very high price.
Going to a big band concert in a park where we got to spend more time visiting with Switchback, Switchback's sister and brother-in-law, and Kelly Roxanne. Switchback made a great salad and peach pie for dessert. I took a second piece of pie because I'm pregnant. Perks! Perks! Murray was still in his church clothes because we didn't have time between church, our afternoon activities, and the concert to go home to change. Except I remembered to ask Switchback to bring me some pants, but forgot to have her grab clothes for Murray. So everyone who met us will have just assumed that Murray is a really really righteous person.
Going to Sea World. I kept calling it Marine Land and the Marine Land jingle was in my head all day long. I can get behind a theme park based on aquatic life. I got to feed and pet sting rays and dolphins. It was absolutely worth every penny. Then I had to question whether I made the right decision to become a graphic designer and not a marine biologist, but I wouldn't have found Murray if I'd become a marine biologist, so I know I made the right choice. Marine Land was a great place to go (see? I didn't actually call it Marine Land on purpose just then---proof that advertising works, because the only place I ever heard of as a kid in lots and lots of commercials was Marine Land) as far as theme parks are concerned because I got to sit a lot. We did lots of shows, and the weather was ideal except for during the dolphin show when the sun scorched one side of my neck. Switchback joined us in the evening in time for the sea lion and otter show that makes fun of the other shows. It was really funny and entertaining, and when the otter came running across the stage pushing a cart, acting like a human, I actually had tears well up in my eyes because I could not handle the cuteness. I might be tearing up again just thinking about it.
I could go on and on about Sea World. Lots of it was cheesy, and it's a good thing that I was with Murray who could join me in making fun of all the cheesiness. For the final show, there was no one sitting beside me or Murray on our whole bench. Then a family of a culture that has different personal space perceptions came to sit beside us and the mother literally sat with her whole arm and shoulder pressed up against me. I inched over, and she inched over. So I moved a couple feet over and put my purse on the bench next to me. And then Murray and I laughed a lot.
(This guy was lurking right behind Murray's head and he turned around and jumped---Murray, not the fish.)Also, Murray and I did something really smart. You know when you agonize over a decision, and in the end you make the wrong decision and then you just keep being bothered by the fact that you made the wrong decision? Well, on Monday Murray and I made the RIGHT decision. Sea World was offering Meal Passes, where you can eat for "free" all day at select Sea World restaurants if you pay $28. I knew that the food prices were going to be high, so we kept debating if this was what we should do. We carefully read the rules of the pass, and it stated that the wrist-band wearer would get one meal for every time he or she went through the line. There was no other limitations. So we bought one meal pass that Murray used. Then we shared every meal that we bought. And it was plenty of food for both of us. So for $28, we ate three meals at an amusement park. It's more expensive than sneaking in your own sandwiches, but I figure we made out pretty well for an amusement park. Plus, we got to split this Shamu cookie.
All in all, it was a great trip, like it always is. And Switchback is the greatest hostess. Of course, having her married, pregnant friend and husband come to stay with her for several days in a house that she shares with roommates could definitely... push her roommates' patience. Next year, we realize that with a baby we definitely can't do the same thing. So we'll go to San Francisco instead and stay with Switchback's mom, Truth. Mothers always love babies, so I'm sure that we'll be welcome when we invite ourselves.
(She's pregnant, too.)Life and Death
Well, we've been talking a lot about new life here on my blog lately. Let's switch it up a little. Let's get morbid.
Sometime after Murray and I got married, we got onto the subject of dying and funerals. And this has sparked a great debate and conversation between us. At times we agree with one another, and at times we don't quite see eye to eye. So let's talk death a little.
What bugs me about the whole dying thing is that a funeral costs a heck of a lot of money. It sounds to me like a heck of a lot more money might be spent on my funeral than was spent on my wedding. And that doesn't really sit right with me.
Now as I go into the details a little bit about money and dying, please remember that really, I'm mostly talking about me dying. I'm not talking about my loved ones. I'm talking about how I would like to be treated when I have died. These are my wishes. If my loved ones have different wishes, I am absolutely happy to accommodate them. But as far as my funeral is concerned, well...
When it comes right down to it, I'd rather be cremated than buried. My religion discourages (but doesn't forbid) cremation, and I'm not quite sure I understand why. I figure that if God can successfully resurrect someone who's been devoured by a shark and pooped out, and then the poop has been devoured by other fish and so on, then He's got to be capable of resurrecting a burn victim, too. And really... is a bunch of ashes that much more difficult than a full skeleton and decomposed flesh? Murray doesn't like the idea of a body burning. I don't think it's any worse than worms, maggots, fungus, etc. (Or sharks.)
In our discussions, however, I have agreed that I can forgo cremation and be buried. BUT, if I'm buried, I don't want a several thousand dollar casket!! What's the point?? The casket can communicate to others how much you love/value the deceased. But should my family have to spend several thousand dollars on something that's going to be buried in the ground just to prove to our neighbors that they loved me? What if at my viewing, they displayed me in a pine box with my dead little hands clutching $5000? Would that have the same effect? Would people know that my family loved me because that's how much money they buried me with?
Rather than an expensive casket, what I would love the most is a pine box painted by Murray. I believe that that shows love and has more meaning than money. Of course, if I died before Murray, he'd really be in no mood to paint a casket with everything else that he has to do for my death. So what we ultimately concluded was that we could get the LIDS to our pine boxes and paint them together! During our lifetime! And then, when we die, they'll be ready to be buried with us. That sounds much better to me than the expensive casket. (By the way, it's okay to toss in some nice pillows and bedding, but let's make them colorful, too, okay? None of this pearly white stuff. Give me some flava.)
Murray and I are responsible people. We have life insurance policies. So no, I hope that it's not a financial burden for little Br8'en and his siblings when the time comes. But I'd rather them not spend all my life insurance money on my funeral. What I would prefer the most, is that the family use that money to go on a family vacation, or if that's too much to coordinate (after we have 10 kids and they each have 10, that's a lot of people to vacation with), at least go out for a really really nice dinner together. That's what I'd rather they spend the money on. Spend time together. Don't spend the money on a wooden box for me to rot in.
This is about as far as Murray and I got in our discussions. Soon after our pine box decision, Murray found out that there are laws about the casket and our homemade pine boxes wouldn't cut it. I was pretty sad about that, but yesterday I heard part of Radio West's discussion about the modern funeral industry. Today I listened to the full audio. It's really, really fascinating! And it turns out that there's a guy in Park City who makes pine boxes up to standard! Now to see if he'll sell us a couple lids for now...
So anyway, I started talking about all of this to my mom this morning, and then she told me the darndest thing I have ever heard. She said that you can be cremated and give your ashes to a company who will turn your earthly remains into...
a...
DIAMOND.
Then, of course, she wondered what the surviving children do with the diamond. Who gets to wear Mom? Or do you set the diamond in a Christmas ornament and take it out once a year? Something to consider.
When it comes right down to it, I believe that the choice of how I am buried and honored should be more up to my actual mourners than me. Sure, I've just stated my preferences (not the diamond---the painted pine box and low-budget funeral), but I'll be dead at that point. I don't want to impose my way of mourning on people who would be uncomfortable with it. So what I think I'll do is just describe what I'd like in my last will and testament, explain why, talk about how it's important to me that more money be spent on family time than on what's being put into the ground, and let them know that they can make their own decisions.
And before I end this whole spiel, I'll add that I really think that a funeral can be a great party. Of course, I totally understand that if I go tomorrow, probably no one would be partying. But if I go at a ripe old age and everyone is expecting it, then I hope my survivors can miss me but celebrate me at the same time, and enjoy spending time with one another. My grandma's funeral a year and a half ago was a great event. I loved spending time with family and friends. We had a fantastic time together. We also cried and were sad that Grandma was gone. And that is the way I really feel it should be.
That being said, if I go before my time, and am eaten by a shark, and then pooped out, and my shark-poop remains are eaten by other fish, I really hope that people can see the humor in that, because what a way to go! (And feel free to catch the shark and have it stuffed and mounted on a wall.)
Sometime after Murray and I got married, we got onto the subject of dying and funerals. And this has sparked a great debate and conversation between us. At times we agree with one another, and at times we don't quite see eye to eye. So let's talk death a little.
What bugs me about the whole dying thing is that a funeral costs a heck of a lot of money. It sounds to me like a heck of a lot more money might be spent on my funeral than was spent on my wedding. And that doesn't really sit right with me.
Now as I go into the details a little bit about money and dying, please remember that really, I'm mostly talking about me dying. I'm not talking about my loved ones. I'm talking about how I would like to be treated when I have died. These are my wishes. If my loved ones have different wishes, I am absolutely happy to accommodate them. But as far as my funeral is concerned, well...
When it comes right down to it, I'd rather be cremated than buried. My religion discourages (but doesn't forbid) cremation, and I'm not quite sure I understand why. I figure that if God can successfully resurrect someone who's been devoured by a shark and pooped out, and then the poop has been devoured by other fish and so on, then He's got to be capable of resurrecting a burn victim, too. And really... is a bunch of ashes that much more difficult than a full skeleton and decomposed flesh? Murray doesn't like the idea of a body burning. I don't think it's any worse than worms, maggots, fungus, etc. (Or sharks.)
In our discussions, however, I have agreed that I can forgo cremation and be buried. BUT, if I'm buried, I don't want a several thousand dollar casket!! What's the point?? The casket can communicate to others how much you love/value the deceased. But should my family have to spend several thousand dollars on something that's going to be buried in the ground just to prove to our neighbors that they loved me? What if at my viewing, they displayed me in a pine box with my dead little hands clutching $5000? Would that have the same effect? Would people know that my family loved me because that's how much money they buried me with?
Rather than an expensive casket, what I would love the most is a pine box painted by Murray. I believe that that shows love and has more meaning than money. Of course, if I died before Murray, he'd really be in no mood to paint a casket with everything else that he has to do for my death. So what we ultimately concluded was that we could get the LIDS to our pine boxes and paint them together! During our lifetime! And then, when we die, they'll be ready to be buried with us. That sounds much better to me than the expensive casket. (By the way, it's okay to toss in some nice pillows and bedding, but let's make them colorful, too, okay? None of this pearly white stuff. Give me some flava.)
Murray and I are responsible people. We have life insurance policies. So no, I hope that it's not a financial burden for little Br8'en and his siblings when the time comes. But I'd rather them not spend all my life insurance money on my funeral. What I would prefer the most, is that the family use that money to go on a family vacation, or if that's too much to coordinate (after we have 10 kids and they each have 10, that's a lot of people to vacation with), at least go out for a really really nice dinner together. That's what I'd rather they spend the money on. Spend time together. Don't spend the money on a wooden box for me to rot in.
This is about as far as Murray and I got in our discussions. Soon after our pine box decision, Murray found out that there are laws about the casket and our homemade pine boxes wouldn't cut it. I was pretty sad about that, but yesterday I heard part of Radio West's discussion about the modern funeral industry. Today I listened to the full audio. It's really, really fascinating! And it turns out that there's a guy in Park City who makes pine boxes up to standard! Now to see if he'll sell us a couple lids for now...
So anyway, I started talking about all of this to my mom this morning, and then she told me the darndest thing I have ever heard. She said that you can be cremated and give your ashes to a company who will turn your earthly remains into...
a...
DIAMOND.
Then, of course, she wondered what the surviving children do with the diamond. Who gets to wear Mom? Or do you set the diamond in a Christmas ornament and take it out once a year? Something to consider.
When it comes right down to it, I believe that the choice of how I am buried and honored should be more up to my actual mourners than me. Sure, I've just stated my preferences (not the diamond---the painted pine box and low-budget funeral), but I'll be dead at that point. I don't want to impose my way of mourning on people who would be uncomfortable with it. So what I think I'll do is just describe what I'd like in my last will and testament, explain why, talk about how it's important to me that more money be spent on family time than on what's being put into the ground, and let them know that they can make their own decisions.
And before I end this whole spiel, I'll add that I really think that a funeral can be a great party. Of course, I totally understand that if I go tomorrow, probably no one would be partying. But if I go at a ripe old age and everyone is expecting it, then I hope my survivors can miss me but celebrate me at the same time, and enjoy spending time with one another. My grandma's funeral a year and a half ago was a great event. I loved spending time with family and friends. We had a fantastic time together. We also cried and were sad that Grandma was gone. And that is the way I really feel it should be.
That being said, if I go before my time, and am eaten by a shark, and then pooped out, and my shark-poop remains are eaten by other fish, I really hope that people can see the humor in that, because what a way to go! (And feel free to catch the shark and have it stuffed and mounted on a wall.)
New Additions
So we have a new addition to our family. Already!
This weekend Murray and El Senor and I went to the Mac Store and got a Mac Powerbook. We decided that I should have the ability to be mobile, so hooray for new mobility! Of course, we'll be sharing the computer.
This week, we also received another special treat in the mail. Our new flash drives. We each got one. These are the smallest flash drives I have ever seen. And they hold 8 gigs. So Murray and I can put them in our wallets and keep our portfolios and any other important documents with us at all times. We rock.
This weekend Murray and El Senor and I went to the Mac Store and got a Mac Powerbook. We decided that I should have the ability to be mobile, so hooray for new mobility! Of course, we'll be sharing the computer.
This week, we also received another special treat in the mail. Our new flash drives. We each got one. These are the smallest flash drives I have ever seen. And they hold 8 gigs. So Murray and I can put them in our wallets and keep our portfolios and any other important documents with us at all times. We rock.
Cicada Day!
In case you forgot how spoiled I am, how about this?
Sometime last year, I was working on a Hungarian calendar at work. I found out that in Hungary, they have name days, meaning that every day of the year is assigned a couple of names. When it's your name day, people are expected to treat you like it's your birthday all over again. Cards, flowers, treats, gifts, you name it. The article I read specifically stressed the employee-boss relationship. If it's your boss's name day, you'd better remember to bring a card.
Well, I found out that I had my very own Hungarian name day! Who knew that my name was used in Hungarian as well. (I know that it means Apple in Hungarian, so basically the Hungarians beat Gwyneth Paltrow to the punch). No one else in the office had a name day, so I happily gloated to them all that they'd have to bring me cards and treats and stuff (even though I wasn't actually their boss). I also programmed it into my cell phone to remind me.
A couple nights ago, my cell phone reminded me about my name day (at midnight, which made me really mad and means that I'm going to have to get Steve Jobs on the phone PRONTO to let him know how I feel about iPhones sending out reminders at MIDNIGHT). And then I forgot again.
When Murray asked me this morning if I knew what day it was, I had to think a bit before I remembered that it was my name day. He sat dramatically in front of our armoire, and opened a drawer, aaaaaaaaand....
it was empty.
But THEN he opened a second drawer, aaaaaaaaaaand...
he pulled out a bag of peanut butter lindor balls, aaaaaaaaaaand...
a really cute maternity skirt that is sparkley and comfy, aaaaaaaaaaaaaand...
a really cute maternity shirt. And they are just exactly what I would have picked out for myself.
And so now you had better be thinking that Murray is the sweetest man on the earth, because who else would do that?? I don't deserve his goodness or his spoilingness. I really can't believe he got me chocolate and a whole new outfit. The best thing about the outfit is that it's as comfy as sweats, but it actually looks professional, which comes in handy for today, when I'm meeting with my professional crush, Sarah Jane.
I am very sorry for the rest of you women out there who can't possibly be married to the sweetest man on earth because I already have him.
Sometime last year, I was working on a Hungarian calendar at work. I found out that in Hungary, they have name days, meaning that every day of the year is assigned a couple of names. When it's your name day, people are expected to treat you like it's your birthday all over again. Cards, flowers, treats, gifts, you name it. The article I read specifically stressed the employee-boss relationship. If it's your boss's name day, you'd better remember to bring a card.
Well, I found out that I had my very own Hungarian name day! Who knew that my name was used in Hungarian as well. (I know that it means Apple in Hungarian, so basically the Hungarians beat Gwyneth Paltrow to the punch). No one else in the office had a name day, so I happily gloated to them all that they'd have to bring me cards and treats and stuff (even though I wasn't actually their boss). I also programmed it into my cell phone to remind me.
A couple nights ago, my cell phone reminded me about my name day (at midnight, which made me really mad and means that I'm going to have to get Steve Jobs on the phone PRONTO to let him know how I feel about iPhones sending out reminders at MIDNIGHT). And then I forgot again.
When Murray asked me this morning if I knew what day it was, I had to think a bit before I remembered that it was my name day. He sat dramatically in front of our armoire, and opened a drawer, aaaaaaaaand....
it was empty.
But THEN he opened a second drawer, aaaaaaaaaaand...
he pulled out a bag of peanut butter lindor balls, aaaaaaaaaaand...
a really cute maternity skirt that is sparkley and comfy, aaaaaaaaaaaaaand...
a really cute maternity shirt. And they are just exactly what I would have picked out for myself.
And so now you had better be thinking that Murray is the sweetest man on the earth, because who else would do that?? I don't deserve his goodness or his spoilingness. I really can't believe he got me chocolate and a whole new outfit. The best thing about the outfit is that it's as comfy as sweats, but it actually looks professional, which comes in handy for today, when I'm meeting with my professional crush, Sarah Jane.
I am very sorry for the rest of you women out there who can't possibly be married to the sweetest man on earth because I already have him.
Don't Mess with Canada. Part Un.
A picture book story of our trip to Canada. Here's a quick run-down so that you know what our trip to Canada was like:
DAY 1ish
12:00 a.m.: Arrive in Buffalo.
12:30 a.m.: Cross the border.
2:00 a.m.: Go to Tim Horton's.
2:30 a.m.: Go to bed at Grandpa's house.
11:00 a.m.: Get on the road to head to Timmins.
12:00ish p.m.: Arrive at Weber's for lunch.
3:30 p.m.: Drive through North Bay, home of the Quintriplets.
5:00 p.m.: Temagami for ice cream at the Busy Bee, where Dad had pickerel at the chip stand.
8:00 p.m.: Drop off Grandpa at Scotty and Myrtle's in Matheson.
9:30 p.m.: Arrive at Auntie B's and Uncle J's in Timmins!
DAY 2
7:30 a.m.: Leave for Cochrane to take Polar Bear Express to Moosonee.
8:30 a.m.: Arrive in Cochrane and pay $100 each for the Polar Bear Express (a train).
9:00 a.m.: Leave from Cochrane. (We were supposed to get to Moosonee by about 2:00, and have three hours there to take a canoe trip around the James Bay.)
4:00 p.m.: Arrive in Moosonee, with only one hour to spend there.
4:20 p.m.: Dip feet in Moose River.
4:40 p.m.: Buy groceries for return trip to Cochrane.
5:00 p.m.: Barely get on train in time to go home.
12:00 a.m.: Arrive in Cochrane.
1:00 a.m.: Arrive at home.
Stopping at Webers, the ultimate train-turned-into-a-burger-joint restaurant.
Murray, driving the burger train.
[We had to stop at Webers. It's an essential childhood memory.]
Murray at the Arctic Watershed.
As we pulled into Timmins, we saw a young bull moose with beautiful, velvet antlers to the side of the road. We pulled off the road to get a good look at him and he got a good look at us, too. He was so curious that he just stayed to watch us, which allowed Murray to take many, many beautiful pictures of him, worthy of National Geographic. Until, of course, the moose ran away, and we realized that I had left the camera on different light settings, and all we could see in the moose pictures was black nothingness. This is what Murray was able to tease out of the files in Photoshop. We imagine we'll have the same experience with camera trouble when we have our perfect opportunity to shoot Sasquatch.
DAY 2: On our way to Moosonee.
Just a few remarks before we get into these pictures so that you can fully appreciate them. The day we left to come to Canada, my mom left a voice mail on my phone. I listened to it and then had Murray listen to it. She detailed what a trip to Moosonee would entail. She listed the Polar Bear Express (a train that takes you to Moosonee because there are no roads), a $100 expense, in addition to $20 canoe rides and other fun Moosonee adventures. We'd have three hours in Moosonee. Murray listened to the message and said, "That polar bear thing sounds expensive, but I'm okay with everything else." That was funny to anyone from Timmins, because we all know that "the polar bear thing" is the essential train that you must take to get to Moosonee. So all the other stuff wouldn't happen unless we spent that money.
So we splurged. Why? Because when Murray and I were dating, we went to San Diego, CA, and to Ocean City, NJ, successfully hitting the West and East Coasts of the continent. Well, if we went to Moosonee, we'd be able to get to the James Bay, essentially hitting a "North shore" of the continent. Then we'd head down to Texas and swim in the Gulf of Mexico, adding a south shore to our list. All in under a year. What would you pay for bragging rights to such a feat?
What we didn't know is that the train would be slow. Very slow. In fact, we were crawling along to Moosonee at an average speed of 25 miles an hour. That turned our five-hour trip up into a seven-hour trip up. Which meant that we had just spent $100 each to be able to spend 1 hour in Moosonee. Suddenly the trip wasn't feeling quite worth it........
(Moosonee is the big red dot.)
(Notice the big smiles? It's the beginning of the trip.)
This is Auntie B, who is about to win the world record for hours traveled for a visiting teaching visit. There is a church member in Moosonee who was waiting for us. She had arranged the canoe trips for us.
This is at about hour six of the five-hour journey. We spent the time enjoying one another's company and getting to know one another really, really, really well.
When we arrived in Moosonee, the church member was still waiting for us at the station (she'd been waiting for two hours). We no longer had time for the canoe rides or the lunch that she had prepared for us. We did have time to run to the Moose River, where Murray and I were the only ones anxious to get our feet in the water. While we were soaking our feet in the waters of the north, Auntie B conducted her visiting teaching visit.
Murray and me, sinking into the Moose River.
Enjoying the frigid waters of the North, and not quite willing to go swimming. (There wasn't enough time, of course!)
Murray, getting on his shoes again.
Mom, documenting.
On the ride back now, you see that I went a little crazy. Fifteen hours of travel would make you go crazy, too.
Whenever we talked about feelings, Dad would conveniently fall asleep.
THIS CONCLUDES PART UN OF THE DON'T MESS WITH CANADA SERIES.
DAY 1ish
12:00 a.m.: Arrive in Buffalo.
12:30 a.m.: Cross the border.
2:00 a.m.: Go to Tim Horton's.
2:30 a.m.: Go to bed at Grandpa's house.
11:00 a.m.: Get on the road to head to Timmins.
12:00ish p.m.: Arrive at Weber's for lunch.
3:30 p.m.: Drive through North Bay, home of the Quintriplets.
5:00 p.m.: Temagami for ice cream at the Busy Bee, where Dad had pickerel at the chip stand.
8:00 p.m.: Drop off Grandpa at Scotty and Myrtle's in Matheson.
9:30 p.m.: Arrive at Auntie B's and Uncle J's in Timmins!
DAY 2
7:30 a.m.: Leave for Cochrane to take Polar Bear Express to Moosonee.
8:30 a.m.: Arrive in Cochrane and pay $100 each for the Polar Bear Express (a train).
9:00 a.m.: Leave from Cochrane. (We were supposed to get to Moosonee by about 2:00, and have three hours there to take a canoe trip around the James Bay.)
4:00 p.m.: Arrive in Moosonee, with only one hour to spend there.
4:20 p.m.: Dip feet in Moose River.
4:40 p.m.: Buy groceries for return trip to Cochrane.
5:00 p.m.: Barely get on train in time to go home.
12:00 a.m.: Arrive in Cochrane.
1:00 a.m.: Arrive at home.
Stopping at Webers, the ultimate train-turned-into-a-burger-joint restaurant.
Murray, driving the burger train.[We had to stop at Webers. It's an essential childhood memory.]
At Temagami. We found out we can buy our own island with a house for just under a million dollars. Now we have a goal to work towards.
Murray at the Arctic Watershed.
As we pulled into Timmins, we saw a young bull moose with beautiful, velvet antlers to the side of the road. We pulled off the road to get a good look at him and he got a good look at us, too. He was so curious that he just stayed to watch us, which allowed Murray to take many, many beautiful pictures of him, worthy of National Geographic. Until, of course, the moose ran away, and we realized that I had left the camera on different light settings, and all we could see in the moose pictures was black nothingness. This is what Murray was able to tease out of the files in Photoshop. We imagine we'll have the same experience with camera trouble when we have our perfect opportunity to shoot Sasquatch.DAY 2: On our way to Moosonee.
Just a few remarks before we get into these pictures so that you can fully appreciate them. The day we left to come to Canada, my mom left a voice mail on my phone. I listened to it and then had Murray listen to it. She detailed what a trip to Moosonee would entail. She listed the Polar Bear Express (a train that takes you to Moosonee because there are no roads), a $100 expense, in addition to $20 canoe rides and other fun Moosonee adventures. We'd have three hours in Moosonee. Murray listened to the message and said, "That polar bear thing sounds expensive, but I'm okay with everything else." That was funny to anyone from Timmins, because we all know that "the polar bear thing" is the essential train that you must take to get to Moosonee. So all the other stuff wouldn't happen unless we spent that money.
So we splurged. Why? Because when Murray and I were dating, we went to San Diego, CA, and to Ocean City, NJ, successfully hitting the West and East Coasts of the continent. Well, if we went to Moosonee, we'd be able to get to the James Bay, essentially hitting a "North shore" of the continent. Then we'd head down to Texas and swim in the Gulf of Mexico, adding a south shore to our list. All in under a year. What would you pay for bragging rights to such a feat?
What we didn't know is that the train would be slow. Very slow. In fact, we were crawling along to Moosonee at an average speed of 25 miles an hour. That turned our five-hour trip up into a seven-hour trip up. Which meant that we had just spent $100 each to be able to spend 1 hour in Moosonee. Suddenly the trip wasn't feeling quite worth it........
(Moosonee is the big red dot.)
(Notice the big smiles? It's the beginning of the trip.)
This is Auntie B, who is about to win the world record for hours traveled for a visiting teaching visit. There is a church member in Moosonee who was waiting for us. She had arranged the canoe trips for us.
This is at about hour six of the five-hour journey. We spent the time enjoying one another's company and getting to know one another really, really, really well.
When we arrived in Moosonee, the church member was still waiting for us at the station (she'd been waiting for two hours). We no longer had time for the canoe rides or the lunch that she had prepared for us. We did have time to run to the Moose River, where Murray and I were the only ones anxious to get our feet in the water. While we were soaking our feet in the waters of the north, Auntie B conducted her visiting teaching visit.
Murray and me, sinking into the Moose River.
Enjoying the frigid waters of the North, and not quite willing to go swimming. (There wasn't enough time, of course!)
Murray, getting on his shoes again.
Mom, documenting.
On the ride back now, you see that I went a little crazy. Fifteen hours of travel would make you go crazy, too.
Whenever we talked about feelings, Dad would conveniently fall asleep.In case you're all wondering, the next day, Auntie B and Dad worked together to get us a full refund on our money. So now we definitely feel that it was worth our money (and time) to take this trip. In fact, we all agree that the train ride to and from Moosonee was one of the greatest moments (really, really long moments) of our Canada trip. We really all did enjoy one another's company, and enjoyed the humor of the situation.
THIS CONCLUDES PART UN OF THE DON'T MESS WITH CANADA SERIES.
Hollywood Video is the Mafia
This is my conversation that I just had with the high school kid working at Hollywood video, as best as I can remember it.
Kid: Phone number please?
Me: [Murray's phone number]
Kid: Murray Terreno di Amore?
Me: Yes.
Kid: Cicada Terreno di Amore?
Me: Yes.
Kid: This shows you have a late fee. Would you like to pay that now?
Me: Yes. [Pause] But what if I said no? How many times am I allowed to say no?
Kid: Uh... technically they don't tell us that. And actually, even when someone's account comes up as "DO NOT RENT TO THIS PERSON" we still rent to them. So basically we'll rent to you no matter what.
Me: Hmm. I'll pay the fee.
Kid: [Rings me up for my movies and my late fee.] Would you like to buy damage protection on these movies for 25 cents each?
Me: No.
Kid: It means that if they come back damaged, you don't have to pay to replace them.
Me: I don't want to pay it.
Kid: Okay. What would you say if I just charge you 50 cents damage protection for all three movies?
Me: Not gonna pay it. I mean, what, it's 20 bucks if I damage the movie? I just have to pay 20 bucks to replace it?
Kid: Yeah, so wouldn't you rather pay 50 cents to protect yourself than 20 bucks?
Me: I don't want to buy the protection. Boy, they sure do tell you to do this, though, don't they?
Kid: Yeah. We have to do it. They keep track. And if I don't meet my weekly quota, I could lose my job.
Me: You're kidding.
Kid: Well, I wouldn't lose my job because my boss is really nice and he wouldn't do that. But his boss really gets on his back, and he could lose his job if we aren't meeting our quotas.
Me: Well, if it helps you meet your quota, then I'll pay the 50 cents.
Kid: No, no. That's okay. I'm not going to charge you for it.
Me: I mean, how can they prove it anyway? How can they prove that I damaged the movie?
Kid: If it's damaged, they'll bring up the name of the last person who rented it.
Me: I'd say, "It didn't work that well for me, either, but I was able to get past the rough parts."
Kid: They'd make you pay anyway. It's a horrible company.
[With my powers of negotiation, they wouldn't. But I didn't go into that.]
Me: What's your name:
Kid: William. [Name changed for protection.]
Me: William, next time I come in, I'm going to buy the protection, only to help you reach your quota and keep your job.
Kid: That's really nice of you. In fact, it's so nice of you that I'm going to ring you up for a free movie, and in my own way I can stick it to the company.
Me: You stick it to them. And thank you. That's really nice.
So basically, William will be my go-to guy at Hollywood from now on. Until he loses his job that is, because people get wise to the whole "Hollywood would like to offer you its protection" scam.
Kid: Phone number please?
Me: [Murray's phone number]
Kid: Murray Terreno di Amore?
Me: Yes.
Kid: Cicada Terreno di Amore?
Me: Yes.
Kid: This shows you have a late fee. Would you like to pay that now?
Me: Yes. [Pause] But what if I said no? How many times am I allowed to say no?
Kid: Uh... technically they don't tell us that. And actually, even when someone's account comes up as "DO NOT RENT TO THIS PERSON" we still rent to them. So basically we'll rent to you no matter what.
Me: Hmm. I'll pay the fee.
Kid: [Rings me up for my movies and my late fee.] Would you like to buy damage protection on these movies for 25 cents each?
Me: No.
Kid: It means that if they come back damaged, you don't have to pay to replace them.
Me: I don't want to pay it.
Kid: Okay. What would you say if I just charge you 50 cents damage protection for all three movies?
Me: Not gonna pay it. I mean, what, it's 20 bucks if I damage the movie? I just have to pay 20 bucks to replace it?
Kid: Yeah, so wouldn't you rather pay 50 cents to protect yourself than 20 bucks?
Me: I don't want to buy the protection. Boy, they sure do tell you to do this, though, don't they?
Kid: Yeah. We have to do it. They keep track. And if I don't meet my weekly quota, I could lose my job.
Me: You're kidding.
Kid: Well, I wouldn't lose my job because my boss is really nice and he wouldn't do that. But his boss really gets on his back, and he could lose his job if we aren't meeting our quotas.
Me: Well, if it helps you meet your quota, then I'll pay the 50 cents.
Kid: No, no. That's okay. I'm not going to charge you for it.
Me: I mean, how can they prove it anyway? How can they prove that I damaged the movie?
Kid: If it's damaged, they'll bring up the name of the last person who rented it.
Me: I'd say, "It didn't work that well for me, either, but I was able to get past the rough parts."
Kid: They'd make you pay anyway. It's a horrible company.
[With my powers of negotiation, they wouldn't. But I didn't go into that.]
Me: What's your name:
Kid: William. [Name changed for protection.]
Me: William, next time I come in, I'm going to buy the protection, only to help you reach your quota and keep your job.
Kid: That's really nice of you. In fact, it's so nice of you that I'm going to ring you up for a free movie, and in my own way I can stick it to the company.
Me: You stick it to them. And thank you. That's really nice.
So basically, William will be my go-to guy at Hollywood from now on. Until he loses his job that is, because people get wise to the whole "Hollywood would like to offer you its protection" scam.
Baby Naps
So all my pregnancy books say that during your first trimester, you have no energy. I don't know if this is just power of suggestion for me, but I'm certainly finding it to be true. On days when I don't have to work, I average about two naps. Today I only had one, but I also had a lot of collapsing in front of the television.
By the way, we've been watching Planet Earth, which we bought for the kids because we're really great parents that way. And we'll enjoy it in the meantime.
What else did we buy for the baby? Well, so far, we've bought this:
(a mobile for over the crib---this was Murray's gift to me for Mother's Day along with some maternity jeans)
(Murray is an artist as you all know, but you have to know that he's also passionate about other artists and art history. So we couldn't resist buying these books...)
(You've already seen Leland the Lion. We actually bought him before we knew that we were expecting a baby.)
(These are two rattles. Daltongirl is going to knit me lots more.)
(We didn't buy this, but an investigator from my mission gave it to me. We'll hang it up as room decor until the little one is big enough to fit it.)
(I couldn't resist this rolling toy from Ikea. It opens its mouth as you pull it along.)
(And finally, this is more for me and Murray. It's a print of Brian Kershisnik's The Nativity, which we saw on our second date. We don't want a completely secular home, but we're also pretty picky about art. We want the art in our home to reflect our tastes and our values. This piece has sentimental value, and is also really visually appealing to us. Yay!)
By the way, we've been watching Planet Earth, which we bought for the kids because we're really great parents that way. And we'll enjoy it in the meantime.
What else did we buy for the baby? Well, so far, we've bought this:
(a mobile for over the crib---this was Murray's gift to me for Mother's Day along with some maternity jeans)
(Murray is an artist as you all know, but you have to know that he's also passionate about other artists and art history. So we couldn't resist buying these books...)
(You've already seen Leland the Lion. We actually bought him before we knew that we were expecting a baby.)
(These are two rattles. Daltongirl is going to knit me lots more.)
(We didn't buy this, but an investigator from my mission gave it to me. We'll hang it up as room decor until the little one is big enough to fit it.)
(I couldn't resist this rolling toy from Ikea. It opens its mouth as you pull it along.)
(And finally, this is more for me and Murray. It's a print of Brian Kershisnik's The Nativity, which we saw on our second date. We don't want a completely secular home, but we're also pretty picky about art. We want the art in our home to reflect our tastes and our values. This piece has sentimental value, and is also really visually appealing to us. Yay!)
Sewers Needed Immediately!
A while ago when I was living with El Senor, I was out driving one evening. I just needed to be out of the house (I'd been sick for a couple days and cooped up inside). I started driving to Target but realized that if I went to Target, I'd spend money. I also realized that my friend Sidsel lived on the way to Target, and it would be much more fun and economical to go and pay her a visit. So I did, and she introduced me to my destiny.
She had an Amy Butler pattern for a nappy bag (diaper bag) and although neither of us needed a diaper bag, we both loved the pattern. So we decided to make it together that weekend. (And the finished product led me to get into the work that I'm currently doing, and the work that I would like to continue doing, so thanks, Sidsel!) Of course, once we counted up all the money we had to spend on fabric and supplies (and all the money that I have subsequently spent on Amy Butler products) I certainly wouldn't say that I saved money by visiting Sidsel that day...
Neither Sidsel nor I was an avid seamstress, but we both enjoyed sewing, and we found that it was much easier and much more entertaining to work on the project together. We each had our own sewing machine and we each would take turns reading the directions for what was next. In fact, we thought it was so funny that one of us would pull ahead and take the lead, then get behind and let the other person pull ahead and take the lead, and that it was much like geese flying in formation, where the lead switches out every now and then. We even started calling each other "goose."
Well, due to her selfish nature, Sidsel moved to Ohio for her husband's med school, which has left me without a sewing goose.
In June, Murray and I are going to Texas, and while I'm excited for the new experience, I'm not excited for the heat. I've decided that the only way I'll survive is by wearing lightweight cotton skirts, so I need to make at least two before I go. Does anyone want to be my sewing goose? I have Amy Butler's Barcelona Skirts patterns. We could even go fabric shopping together if you like! Here's the details:
1) You need your own sewing machine. I would like to do this at my house, but if you write a good enough essay, I might be convinced to take my sewing machine over to your house.
2) We'll need to do this on a Saturday or Wednesday by June 7th.
3) You don't have to be the same size as me. My mom told me how I can cut multiple sizes out of the same pattern.
I also would like to make these lounge pants for when I start working from home (after my trip to Texas). I don't have Amy Butler's pattern, but I could get it by buying her In Stitches book. If you don't want to do skirts but do want to do pajama pants, let me know and we'll arrange a sewing date.
She had an Amy Butler pattern for a nappy bag (diaper bag) and although neither of us needed a diaper bag, we both loved the pattern. So we decided to make it together that weekend. (And the finished product led me to get into the work that I'm currently doing, and the work that I would like to continue doing, so thanks, Sidsel!) Of course, once we counted up all the money we had to spend on fabric and supplies (and all the money that I have subsequently spent on Amy Butler products) I certainly wouldn't say that I saved money by visiting Sidsel that day...
Neither Sidsel nor I was an avid seamstress, but we both enjoyed sewing, and we found that it was much easier and much more entertaining to work on the project together. We each had our own sewing machine and we each would take turns reading the directions for what was next. In fact, we thought it was so funny that one of us would pull ahead and take the lead, then get behind and let the other person pull ahead and take the lead, and that it was much like geese flying in formation, where the lead switches out every now and then. We even started calling each other "goose."
Well, due to her selfish nature, Sidsel moved to Ohio for her husband's med school, which has left me without a sewing goose.
In June, Murray and I are going to Texas, and while I'm excited for the new experience, I'm not excited for the heat. I've decided that the only way I'll survive is by wearing lightweight cotton skirts, so I need to make at least two before I go. Does anyone want to be my sewing goose? I have Amy Butler's Barcelona Skirts patterns. We could even go fabric shopping together if you like! Here's the details:
1) You need your own sewing machine. I would like to do this at my house, but if you write a good enough essay, I might be convinced to take my sewing machine over to your house.
2) We'll need to do this on a Saturday or Wednesday by June 7th.
3) You don't have to be the same size as me. My mom told me how I can cut multiple sizes out of the same pattern.
I also would like to make these lounge pants for when I start working from home (after my trip to Texas). I don't have Amy Butler's pattern, but I could get it by buying her In Stitches book. If you don't want to do skirts but do want to do pajama pants, let me know and we'll arrange a sewing date.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)