General Flotsom from work...

I have come to the conclusion that Hot Pockets are not food… In fact, they are less than not food, if only because at least the not food of Totino’s Pizza rolls or Totino’s $0.99 pizzas taste good. These do not taste so good – also, they look NOTHING like the pic on the box – false advertising, damn it.

Why am I eating them, then? It was the lesser of the two evils (though I’m still wondering on that one, too). It was either hot dogs from 7-11, or Hot Pockets… I chose something which was frozen, and made by someone other than 7-11. I should have simply brought a slice of leftover lasagna with me for dinner. I think I will do that tomorrow.

Today was my dental appointment. The dentist simply did a “welcome” visit with me, looking over my teeth and generally commenting on the state of things. Apparently, my teeth are in really good shape, considering I haven’t had a cleaning since I was 18. I have apparently one small visible cavity, which they’re mildly concerned about, and then I need a cleaning (duh). So, I have an appointment in December for a cleaning, and then in January for the cavity. And after that, we will wait for Elizabeth to be born and then set up for x-rays to find out if anything else is amiss.

I’d say I was underwhelmed with one of my co-workers, but that would be implying that at one point I was even whelmed. I guess I’m just getting old and tired of office drama B.S. I don’t feel like listening to how many times someone got drunk, or threw up, or did whatever, or flirted, or got busy… I just don’t care. I especially don’t want to hear about it while I’m trying to take calls, and can’t hear anyone on my line because of how loud the talking of inconsequential stuff is getting. I also don’t like being the only one taking calls because one of the said drama-llamas has decided that they’re going to sit in an aux code forever because they don’t want to take calls. However, I hear through the grape vine that, since I brought it up to the trainer, she’s going to be keeping a very close eye on this person – and as this person has been called on the carpet before for the same crap, it will eventually cause something to happen. We’ll see.

Elizabeth is being especially active lately. We’ve taken to playing games. She’s been kicking like crazy, and has gotten good (and strong) enough to actually move my hand when she kicks. So, when she does, I poke back just where she kicked. Normally this is followed by yet another kick, which is followed by me poking back again. And so forth. She apparently finds this to be a really fun game, because if I don’t follow through with the poking, she kicks several times in a row. I believe we’re going to have a very active child.

So far, we’ve received a lovely night light from an old friend of my in SF, and a baby bath and onesies from a friend of ours in New Jersey, a huge amount of clothing from our friend in SE PDX, and just today an infant to toddler feeding chair from my aunt in CA. We’re slowly getting everything together as we get a little closer to the event. I’m needing to seriously sit down and do sewing for the baby’s room, and get the windows sealed for the winter… So much to do, and I just get so tired lately. *sigh*

~M

Zombie Apocalypse...

Considering the full moon this morning, I should have known that my day was going to be filled, *filled* I say, with the drooling morons of America - or at least those of the local PacNW.

So far today, I've had someone call in and get sarcastic with me when I asked if she wanted a clinic (I was clarifying, folks - it's what you do for good customer service - deal!), at least 15 people repeat themselves 3-4 times before getting it through their head that they still need to provide me with a patient's name prior to me transferring them up to the nurse's station, and I then was *a-hem* blessed with doing confirmation calls (honestly, those wouldn't be so bad, except that after about an hour, my voice tends to get monotone from repeating the same thing, and I'm desperate to keep awake).

I'm so looking forward to getting home and taking a nap with the cat.

~M

Feeling better...

I am definitely feeling better from last night. I can only say that it must have been total fatigue from walking so much and being up so early with very little sleep the night before. The heaviness and overall feeling of being pulled down and forward is no longer there, and I don't have the muscle spasms that I was having.

So - new lesson learned: Don't wake up early and then go "hiking" for a mile... BAD for me.

Jazzy, also, is feeling better. She got *lots* and *lots* of lap loves today, first from me, then from Fred, and then from our friend, the Hippie Hamster of Doom, who is visiting for a few days. Though she's still suffering from an upper respiratory infection, she is doing much better than before. She's not sneezing overly much, and her eyes are wide and bright with curiosity and interest, rather than with trepidation.


This is her snuggling up to the Hippie Hamster of Doom. At this point, she comfy enough to be off the lap completely, and is starting to simply be one with the couch.


Apparently, afterwards, she decided that she wanted to explore a bit, and found the pillow and blanket stash behind the couch. She happily ensconsed herself there, being comfortable enough to have everyone still see her, but feel protected with all the walls around her.

According to Fred, she's still so happy that she purrs when you talk to her, which is adorable. She's not eating much (if at all), and we both think it's due to the Clavamox, which is probably causing a bit of tummy discomfort - not to mention that her head-cold is probably stuffing up her nose enough to not be abe to smell the food at all, which would make it difficult to taste anything. Poor baby.

We have an appointment with the vet tomorrow to have Jazzy checked over. If she hasn't eaten anything or used the box by then, I'll bring it up to them and see what they say. I don't want her be overly stressed by being sick and not eating or drinking anything. It's not good for her at all, and I want to make sure that she's ok.

The only unfortunate part about tomorrow's vet visit is that we will have to brave 3 busses there, and 3 busses back, the poor baby. She's just gotten to a point of being comfy, and now I have to box her back up and head out again. *chuckle* Hopefully she will forgive me, though.

~M

No karaoke for me...

I have officially decided that there will be no karaoke for me tonight. I'm just not up to it.

Currently, I'm feeling odd - physically (the mental oddity continues, as usual). My main concern is that it feels as though someone has tied two ropes to my insides: one is pulling my lower abdomen forward, and the other is pulling my cervix down. My abdominal muscles have been twitchy and achy all day as well...

So - I'm going to go home and relax, and hope that it's just fatigue. I don't want to have to go in or be poked or prodded unless I really *need* to. If it's just fatigue (which honestly, after walking a good mile today, possibly a bit more), then it can be easily solved by laying down at home and sleeping well. If it's NOT, then the laying down can't *hurt*, and I can deal with a phone call to the doctor on call in the comfort of my own home.

In any case, I'm going to try and NOT fall asleep for the last 1.5 hrs of my shift... whoot...

~M

New baby!

We have a new baby. Her name is Jazzy, and she's a sweet little fuzzy tortoiseshell cat. I will have a few pics of her up in a few days, once she's feeling better and more calm.

Apparently, her most recent owners abandoned her when they moved away from the neighborhood. She'd been an outside cat for some time, and their neighbor, a kindly lady, fed her and tried to acclaimate her to a house to make her a bit more adoptable. Unfortunately, she couldn't keep poor Jazzy, as she already had one cat who was not interested in sharing the home. So, she brought Jazzy to the Oregon Humane Society.

Jazzy was brought into the little room to meet us, and she immediately snuggled up next to my thigh. Neither Fred nor I moved, but we talked softly to her and gently petted her. The next thing we knew, she'd crawled over and into Fred's lap, deciding that he smelled good. He snuggled with her for a while, and then put her onto the bench. We decided that, as we had no idea how she would react, we would try a loud noise to see how she reacted. A loud clap sent her under the bench, but when Fred reached down to pet her again, she was open to it.

She came over to me, deciding that I was another interesting human who could be loving, and I got "elevator butt" almost immediately. She then moved over to my other foot and collapsed in a happy puddle as I got a hand onto her belly and rubbed it, purring up a storm. We knew right then that we'd been adopted, so we proceeded on with the adoption process.

A bag of cat food, some cans of same, and a small bag of tartar control treats, we headed back home, the proud owners of Jazzy. Fred dropped off downtown to head back home, since I would have gotten home just in time to turn right back around and head back to work.

Currently, Jazzy is ensconsed in our bathroom, a little shy but open to exploring. Apparently she loves the brush, and is getting used to being pampered by Fred. We aren't sure whether she's litter-box trained, but we figure we can fix that if it needs to be. She's on clavamox for a puncture wound on her hind left thigh (seems to be healing nicely), and she has a cold that has her sneezing with some discharge. However, she's Feline Leukemia and Feline HIV negative - both things which could have seriously set back her recovery. I'm quite certain she will quickly acclimate to her new home, and I *know* she's a welcome addition to our family.

~M

OMLA and FMLA woes...

So, I would be more upset about the whole thing if I didn't *know*, in the back of my head, that all of this information was posted somewhere publicly, for general consumption...

I'm talking, of course, about the Medical and Family Leave Act... Here in the Great NW, we have TWO to choose from, depending on whether you're 6 months into the job or 12 months into the job.

If you're only 6 months, you only qualify for the OMLA (that's the state one). If you're 12 months in the job, then you qualify for both the OMLA and the FMLA (that's the federal one). If you haven't yet reached your 6 months with the company, then you don't get diddly, regardless.

On the upshot, you get a set guaranteed amount of time off, based on need and situation - for instance, if you are having a baby, have reached your 6 months, and you've given sufficient notice to your company that you're going to be having a baby, you can have up to 12 weeks off under OMLA. You can also qualify for an additional 12 weeks off, if proven medically necessary by your doctor OR if a qualifying situation comes up within the next 9 months subsequent to the first 12 weeks. If you've hit the 12 month deal, then you are qualified for both OMLA and FMLA, which normally end up running concurrently (why, I don't know... I'd think it would be consecutive, but what do *I* know). Again, you can qualify for an additional 12 weeks for *either* of the programs, depending on the situation.

Now, here's the interesting part... You can have the time off, but you'll only get paid for it if you have the vacation and sick leave... During that period, you'll still have your normal coverage of health insurance, too. HOWEVER... Once you're out of sick and vacation leave, your health insurance stops as well, and you have to pay for COBRA during the rest of the time you're out, in order to have anything covered. You can apply for short-term disability, but you'll still have to pay for COBRA, as it's not "officially" earned money.

So - it looks as though I will not have the 12 weeks off that was originally planned. We just won't be able to afford it. I will try and get 3 weeks off, but then I'm going to have to go back to work, because there's no way I'll be able to get the money for everything AND for COBRA payments - and there's no way I'll have the vacation or sick time accrued to cover anything more than that. *sigh*

~M

Is it Friday yet?

Well, technically, I suppose it is. But for me, it's only my Wednesday. Two more days at work after tonight, and then I'll get two days of pseudo-rest (we call it that, since I'll most likely be cleaning the house some more...).

I have found that setting aside one day a week for serious cleaning is actually doing something for the apartment. I'm feeling better about the overall look of the place, even though I know there's loads more to do. That's ok, because I know that I can do most of it.

Wrenched my back Monday, which meant that for the rest of this week, I've been off the heavier lifting. Fred helped me with laundry (I *adore him, have I mentioned that?), and I mostly sat around with a heat pack trying to stretch things out. It's mostly better, but I'm going to be more careful from this point forward, I think... I don't feel like being out of action for so long in between days off.

As I mentioned, the sewing machine came, and last night I sewed bunnies. Cute little stuffed baby bunnies. I love my sewing machine. I'm so glad that I hadn't splurged on it prior to getting a divorce from the ex, as I know he would have completely destroyed it in a matter of weeks. While it's fairly sturdy and has all metal gears (a major requirement for me), my old one had no electronics to it, and this one does. So, definitely something to be reading the manual about as I get down to some serious sewing.

Meanwhile, I'm looking for someone to take the old sewing machine off my hands. It needs a good cleaning and a tune-up, and some correct-sized bobbins, but other than that, it works great. I just really needed an upgrade to something that was going to be a little heftier. Which I got. So - if you'd like a free (yes, FREE) sewing machine, and you live in the area (you get to pick it up), let me know. I'll be glad to hand it over.

Got paid today, and even with the overdraft fees and the lack of 8 hours (the phone time-keeping system yet AGAIN let me down... Does this at least once a month - I almost think it's a conspiracy), I still have about $200 after paying all my bills. Granted, I paid half the rent to the household account (will be paying the other half on my next check, which should be a bit more uber), but still... Should be work-withable. Means that we should be able to get a new pet very soon... Need to see how Fred feels about heading to the Humane Society tomorrow morning EARLY.

~M

It Hath Arrived!!

This morning started unhappily to the sound of my phone ringing. Apparently no one had told the poor scheduler at the perinatology clinic that I'd already been informed of my appointment tomorrow. *sigh*

I decided it was definitely time to wake up, as I'd gotten about 8 hours of sleep, and needed to get chores done for the day.

First order of business, getting the table padded and covered for my sewing. This was an interesting bit of fighting, as the press-board table was *just* tough enough to require me getting a hammer, and then refusing to accept the flat-topped push-pins that I was trying to get through both the fabric and it about 20% of the time.

Lots of grunting, swearing, general name-calling and squashing of the baby later, there was a knock at the door. I was afraid it was the downstairs neighbor, complaining about the noise.

Nope - it was the UPS guy, bringing me my new baby! Yay! My sewing machine has made it. So far, it has been really simple to set up, and easy to get set up. I may have to place a small flat cutting board just under it to make sure it sits flat on the padding of the table while it's still new, but it's here, and it's all mine. *rubs hands together* Now I am free to run rampant with the boxes of fabric that I have unearthed! Bwa ha ha ha ha!!!!! (insert Terry Pratchett quote here "Five exclaimation points? I mean, really - a sure sign of someone who wears his underpants on his head".)

Now I need to get the rest of the room set up and going. I really need to get the person over here that's going to be taking my elizabethan dresses out of my way, as well as a box of scrap fabric and the bag of boys garb. I also need to get the toys that Speedboy no longer plays with over to Goodwill asap, so I'm no longer tripping on it.

Also, now that I have hanging files and a filing cabinet, I need to go through the house and collect all the random paperwork that I have been filing a la Vimes (He had a clean desk - this was because he piled everything on the floor next to the walls) and get them into a semblance of order. I am predicting in a month or so, I shall be organized - be afraid, be VERY afraid...

Today will be a fairly laid back day - I have two things off my list of chores done, already (the table and putting away the rest of the sewing machines/iron). I need to do laundry (again), clean the front room, take out the garbage in the back room, and bring all the paperwork I can find into the office...

Tomorrow is going to start out EARLY! I have a 9am ultrasound appointment, then I will go home and make hanging files, sort some of the paperwork, and make stuffed baby bunnies (I will show pics of what on EARTH I'm talking about once the first one is done).

Yet another nice realization of having a padded table to sew on: It's wide enough to do pattern cutting on, without being on the floor anymore. NO MORE HURTING KNEES OR BACK!!! Lil - if you're suddenly in the mood to sew, let me know and bring over your stuff - I'll be glad to let you borrow this luscious decadence. Tee Hee!

Oh, and speaking of the luscious Lilith, after talking with her recently, I've figured out what to get Lyse for Christmas. I think she will really enjoy it.

~M

Hey buddy, can ya s'paradigm?

I couldn't resist that particular pun... It was a fairly popular one in the late 70's sci-fi fan circle...

True, however, I am looking to drum up a bit of donation money to help get us a new cat. We have found two possible babies at the local Oregon Humane Society. I am leaning more toward one than the other, but that's mostly because of the strange idea that some people don't like being dictated to about where to keep their pet. Tusker is a declawed baby who needs to be an indoor-only pet, and an only cat. This, for us, is not an issue. Any pet we have is going to be indoor-only, so there isn't a question of that - also, we can only have 1 cat, so again, not an issue. The fact that the poor baby had been declawed is just another reason to reign down tons of love onto her. Cookie is the other baby we are looking at. She would be more of a challange, from what I understand - if only because she would be quite skittish with loud noises and new people. I'm certain we could, eventually, train her and calm her out of that, but it will take lots of love and affection, as well as patience.

Either way, the adoption cost, which includes (per their website) "a certificate for a free health examination by a participating vet, first vaccines (cats and dogs), spay/neuter surgery, a 24PetWatch microchip, ID tag, collar, leash (for dogs), and an informational booklet. Adopters also receive one month of pet health care insurance. Cats, rabbits, and pocket pets (rodents) also include a carrier to safely transport your pet home.", is $55 for either of them.

If you would like to help us gain a new member of our family (before our newest member actually makes an appearance outside my belly), please let me know.

~M

Another One Bites The Dust!

I finished the blanket for my co-worker's new grandbaby. It's a "Mama & Baby Snuggle" blankie, which means that both mom and baby can fit into it at the same time. Really nice during cold winter and early spring mornings (which we are known for having here), and can be used later as a toddler blanket, then lap blanket as baby grows older.


Most of the blanket - my phone just doesn't get that wide - tee hee... It's about 5' long by 3.5 or 4' wide, and really snuggly.


Here's a close-up of the stitch, as well as the border I did. I'm actually very proud of this, as this is the first time I've worked a border on a piece. I like it a lot, and will have to remember to do that in the future, as I like the look of it.


And this is what happens when my hobby gets the better of me. I'm thinking I will keep going with these, and possibly offer them to sell at work.

I'm going to be working on some other stuff in the meantime - a few little baby bunny stuffed animals. I will be taking pics of those as well. I need to get more gingham in order to make more of them - currently I only have two pieces of fabric, a plain soft blue, and a tan printed fabric with darker tan kitty footprints on it.

~M

Oh sigh...

So, I just barely get over one cold, and another one hits me... I really wish people at work would not think "Gee, I'm not throwing up, so I must not be sick anymore - never mind that I still have a high fever." Stupid people.

I took Sunday off so I could again be sick at home and hopefully recover faster. I seem to be, but it's still kind of iffy.

Tuesday was the ultrasound appointment - you know, the one that I had to make because Elizabeth wasn't cooperating and kept moving around... Yeah, that one...

Well, I got there and immediately got under the belly probe - and wouldn't you know it - the little turtle decided not to wake up... AT ALL! She had wedged herself into my pelvic bone, with little feet propped into my cervix, and her head into my hip joint on the right side. She wouldn't move at all, and the radiology tech (same one as last time) and I just looked at one another and laughed.

I ended up being turned almost completely upside down to try and roll her out, since jiggling my belly vigerously wouldn't work. She finally did roll out of the hip, but she kept her feet tucked into my cervix, the little impling.

We spent another hour and 20 minutes or so trying to get her to roll over and move into the best positions to get photos... All we got was her looking vaguely annoyed, and moving one hand, then rolling over and ignoring us.

At one point, in order to get a clear picture of the feet, they had to do a vag ultrasound. She has long toes, I'll say that much. And we got a good look of her folding herself in half, her little knees pressed up to her nose. Long legs, too, from the look of her - not going to take much after me, bone-wise.

We went back for another round of abdominal scans, but still couldn't wake her up at all. There are two more things they need to check for, so I'm to go back in next Tuesday morning for (hopefully) a final ultrasound.

Of course, as soon as I got home, she woke up and started kicking. *sigh*

~M

Today's adventures!

We got up at 8am this morning to head out to the 56th Annual Greek Festival, over in NE PDX. I have tried to go every year, ever since I found out we had one. I love me some lamb and Gyros! Not to mention the delicious pastries and wonderful music that always ends up playing there.

Upon arriving at around 11am, we were lucky enough to find ourselves early - this meant no elbowing through the crowds like last year, and meant that we were able to really enjoy ourselves in both eating and browsing through their little shop area within the church rectory. We walked in, I pulled out money to get our "talents" (that's what the greek currancy is called), and then we were presented with this little gem of a sign:

The most amusing part is that the Greek Orthodox Church was thought of (at least, by me) to be fairly tea-totalling...

And then, the most luscious smells began to waft over to us, and Fred and I had to go investigate:

I loves me some lamb... Unfortunately, we missed out on the lamb as I had to be at work by 2:45pm and the dinner didn't even start until 1pm. *sigh* However, that is something to keep in mind for next year - I may simply have to take the day off so I can head over and have me some lamb dinner. Yum...

Afterwards, Fred and I headed back downtown, and he and I parted ways - me to go to work, and him to head over to Michaels to pick up yarn for me, and then home... Apparently to reek havoc on the front room and kitchen. His corner, for the first time in months, is clean. I was horribly startled by the picture. I'm going to do what's left on Monday, and work on the bedrooms as well.

Oh - and I ordered my sewing machine. I'm hoping it will be here in a few weeks. I'm so excited!

~M

Yell OPA! and do something fun this weekend!

56th Annual Greek Festival!
3131 NE Glisan (You can take the # 19 from downtown and save your parking sanity!)

October 5, 6, 7
10am to 10pm Friday and Saturday
Noon to 8pm on Sunday

Authentic Greek Dinners:
Adults: $12.00
Seniors 65-plus: $10.00
Children under 12: $6.00
Prices apply all hours, all days

Dinner tickets are available at the information booth or at the door. Talents are one dollar each.

Combination Plate on Friday and Saturday, 11am to 8pm:
Dolmathes, pastitsio, keflethes, green beans yiahni, salad, bread, beverage, and dessert

Vegetarian Plate (available every day):
Spanakopita, green beans yiahni, salata, bread, beverage and dessert

Kota Riganati on Sunday, noon to 8pm:
Half roasted chicken with with lemon, manestra, green beans yiahni, salata, bread, beverage, and dessert

Cooking Demonstrations:
Learn to make Greek dishes and desserts from Chrisoula and George Papas, authors of "The Art of Greek Cooking", Saturday and Sunday only, 1:00. Admission: three talents.

Agora/Monasteraki:
Imported crafts and gifts from Greece: Rugs, Décor, Textiles, Ethnic Jewelry, Hand Knit Sweaters, Fisherman Hats and T-shirts.

Fine Gold and Silver Jewelry:
Traditional, Byzantine, and more designs imported from Greece.

Deli:
Gourment Imports: fine cheeses, olives, olive oil, pastas, herbs and spices, preserves, nuts, and more.

Children's Corner:
10:00pm-8:00pm Friday
Noon to 8:00pm Saturday and Sunday.
Activities: face painting, gold "medals", ivy wreaths, coloring, games, puppet shows, and more! Admission: two talents.

Kafenion Prices
Assorted Pastries 2 talents or 2 for 3 talents
Loukoumades 2 talents (small), 3 talents (large)
American Coffee 1 talent
Greek Coffee 2 talents
Frappe (iced Greek coffee) 3 talents
Sodas and Bottled Water 1 talent

Taverna Prices
Feta Dip, Hummus, and Vegetables 5 talents
Cheese and Olive Sampler 4 talents
Greek Pasta Salad and Bread 5 talents
Village Salad and Bread 5 talents
Gyro 4 talents
Sausage 3 talents
Souvlaki 4 talents
Spanakopita 3 talents
Tropita 3 talents
Beer Micro Brew 5 talents
Domestic Beer 4 talents
Wine 4 talents
O'Douls non-alcoholic beer 2 talents
Soda and Water 1 talent

A La Carte (Served in Outside Tents)
Lamb
Lamb tickets are available at the talent booth 7 talents

Deli
Feta Dip and Vegetables 4 talents
Greek Village Salad and Bread 4 talents
Cheese and Olive Sampler 4 talents
Greek Pasta Salad and Bread 4 talents

Pre-packaged Pastries
Package of 6 $7.00
Package of 8 $9.00
Combination (variety of 7) $8.00
Bougasta (package of 2) $3.00
Diples (package of 2) $5.00
Karithopita $3.00
Koulourakia $5.00 per dozen
Paximadia $7.00 per dozen
Tsoureki (sweetened bread) $7.00

Raffle

$1.00 donation per ticket.
Grand Prize: Choice of 2 round trip tickets to Greece or Hawaii (some restrictions apply)
2nd Prize: 42-inch Plamsa Color TV
3rd Prize: 3 days/2 nights at The Inn at Spanish Head - Oregon Coast, Lincoln City, Oregon
4th Prize: Apple iPod, 60 GB color screen

Ethos Bookstore: Located in the church hall. Books, icons, music.

Greek Folk Dance Schedule

Friday 5:00pm, 5:45pm, 6:30pm, and 8:00pm

Saturday 1:00pm, 2:30pm, 3:00pm, 4:00pm, 4:45pm, 5:30pm, 7:00pm, and 8:00pm

Sunday 1:00pm, 2:30pm, 3:00pm, 4:00pm, 4:30pm, and 5:30pm

Performances take place on the 31st Avenue dance stage. Performance times noted in bold take place in the dining room.

Tours and Presentations of the Church

12:00 noon Guided tour
1:00pm Video - "Beginnings"
2:00pm Guided Tour
3:00pm Video - "Byzantium"
4:00pm Guided Tour
5:00pm Video - "A Hidden Treasure"
6:00pm Daily Vespers
7:00pm Questions and Answers Session

Sunday Services
8:45am Orthros (Matins)
10:00am Divine Liturgy
6:00pm Vespers

Visitors, please observe and respect a strict code of conduct in the sanctuary, our place of worship. No food, drinks, chewing gum, or loud talking.

Thank you.

Guide to Greek Pastries:

Baklava
Delicately thin pastry leaves (filo) spread with butter and filled with a walnut/spice mixture and topped with syrup.

Bougatsa
A custard type filling in filo. Topped with honey, cinnamon and powdered sugar.

Diples
A delicate butter and egg pastry deep-fried and dipped in honey. Sprinkled with spices and nuts.

Kadaifi
Kadaifi dough with butter, chopped walnuts, cinnamon and cloves, topped with a honey syrup.

Karithopita
Spiced walnut honey cake.

Koulourakia
An all butter and egg braided cookie. Not overly sweet and good with coffee.

Spiced Orange Koulourakia
A braided cookie make with pure vegetable shortening and spices.

Kourabiethes
An all-butter and egg yolk shortbread-type cookie flavored with brandy and dusted heavily with powdered sugar.

Melomakarona
An orange-flavored cookie spiced with cinnamon. Dipped in honey and sprinkled with nuts.

Pasta Flora
An all-butter cookie with an apricot filling.

Paximadia
Choose one of the five flavors of this Greek biscuit: lemon, orange, amaretto, anise, or chocolate.

Rolla
Rolled filo with walnuts and spice mixture, topped with honey syrup and chocolate.

Tsoureki
Braided sweet bread, make with eggs, milk, sugar, and butter.

Back in the saddle... sort of...

Well, the dental visit wasn't as horrendous as it could have been. Luckily, I only had 3 or 4 panic attacks, and didn't once strike out at the dentist.

The molar I'd been having issues with for the last 15 years or so finally was removed. It had been determined to deteriorate to this point from just prior to graduating high school, regardless of what my dentist or I did to try and save it. So, there it is - or rather, was. It's out, at least, so I don't have to deal with it any longer.

I'm on Children's liquid Tylenol for most pain management, with Motrin 800's for more extreme pain issues, and Vicodin for those times I have been smacked in the face repeatedly and am in such pain that I can barely breathe...

The good news is, other than the pain meds, the visit didn't cost me anything - and I was put into an urgent appointment within 24 hrs of calling, and was in and out of the office within an hour and a half. Not bad. I still have my "welcome" visit on the 26th, which I will keep, since I do need to take better care of myself - and with dental coverage like this I have *no* excuse not to.

In other news, Elizabeth is kicking up a storm... She's horribly unimpressed with the current soft-foods diet I'm on, and doesn't like the lack of calories coming her way. *chuckle* And she lets me know it. She also wakes up at 3am, with Daddy, and doesn't let me go to sleep until around 4:30. *sigh* She kicked me in the lower pelvis twice this morning, HARD, and then the bladder - guaranteeing that I got up immediately.

Tomorrow morning Fred and I are going to the Greek festival. I'm expecting to be *much* improved by tomorrow, and should be off most of the soft foods - and even if I'm not, I'm going to go for some baklava and gyros anyway. I've been good for two days with taking care of my mouth, and I deserve to be, carefully, rewarded. It may take me an hour to eat one, but I'm going to go for it, darn it. I wanna have my gyros at the greek festival. It's probably a good thing I have pain meds.

~M

I'm in pain, pain pain....

Yes, two posts in a day... I had to, since this had nothing do with the prior post, and vice versa.

I'm in massive pain. In fact, in so much pain that I can barely move the left side of my face. Why? Because of the tooth (or possibly teeth) that have decided to mutiny and won't allow me to wait until the 26th for my "welcome" visit to my dentist's office.

Have I mentioned I have a loathing fear of dentists? I mean, a serious, deep abiding phobia of them... but I'm in so much pain, that I'm willing to brave them to get rid of the pain and quit being on pain meds that won't touch it unless I O.D. on them - which isn't good for the baby...

I ended up having to call in to work today because I would have ended up huddled under my desk crying from how much pain I'm in. I currently am not doing as bad, if only because I haven't actually been talking or moving my mouth in any way at all.

The good news, I've passed my 6 month anniversary as of yesterday. The bad news, I have to deal with this crap today... I don't wanna! BUT - I am tired of not sleeping until I'm so exhausted that I pass out...

Here's hoping that they fix it the first time.

~M

Re-defining when to go...

So, Lanius did a post yesterday about when to let go of a relationship... I thought it such a great topic that I decided to follow it with my own thoughts on the subject, since I've had such a plethora of relationship woes in my past... Mostly with one person (scary).

First of all, GOOD relationships, as a whole, should involve a lot of three things: Communication, communication, communication. Without it, there will be misunderstandings, angry words, fights about absolutely nothing, mistrust, and general mayhem and dischord, until the whole things melts into oblivion, leaving both sides to wonder what in Odin's name happened.

Strictly speaking from my own personal experience, getting into a relationship when you're young is probably not the best thing in the world - unless both people are looking to grow together... I know, there are exceptions to this. I've met them. I'm amazed by them, honestly. Then again, these people have known one another since grade school and have grown up together understanding what and where their foibles came from. Makes it a bit easier once romance is added to the mix, if only because they've seen their significant other at both their best and their worst - before they got rose-tinted glasses.

Still and yet, the majority of those who enter into a romantic or serious relationship at a young age end up (eventually) getting hurt because one person will grow toward maturity while the other one doesn't - or they grow at different rates and it just doesn't mesh well.

That's not to say that no one should date until you're 30. On the contrary, go ahead, date to your heart's content. Just don't have serious expectations of walking down the aisle, or staying with this person for more than a few months. Rare it is to have high school sweethearts stay together past graduation, and get married, and STAY married... (Yeah, the piece on the news yesterday about the couple having their 80th anniversary? There's a reason it was on the news - it's RARE, people).

There's also the issues of when to call it off. Is it something big that they're doing? Or is it something that honestly, really, while it bugs the hell out of you at times, is something that is live-withable? It's a matter of picking your battles and defining what is important to you, as an individual. Just because you're in a relationship doesn't negate the fact that you are still an individual, needing specific things that your significant other may or may not need.

In my world, there are a few simple rules that dictate whether to go after the situation with a vengeance or whether to simply let it go and not sweat it:

1. Hurting anyone, even ones-self, on purpose, whether physically, mentally or emotionally - yeah, that's gonna be a battle.

2. Constant belittling of someone, unconsciously - yeah, that's gonna be a battle, too.

3. Drinking or eating the last of something and not putting it on the list for shopping - nope, not going to be a big deal. I can look, too.

4. Using the last of the shampoo and not replacing it and/or not tossing the empty bottle - nope, not going to be a big deal. I am capable of throwing stuff away.

5. Being nasty to the family pet, for no apparent reason - yeah, that's gonna be a battle.

It's not always so black and white in the world, but you get the idea - if it's something that either of you were either capable of doing yourself but didn't, or either of you have been guilty of doing in the past (eating the last ho-ho and not putting it on the list being one of them), then chances are, it's probably not worth it to fight or bicker about it until you both throw up your hands and quit the relationship. I mean, honestly - it's a ho-ho, folks, metaphore or not. Let's get real, here.

On the other hand, if your significant other constantly puts you, your friends, your family, your pet or themselves into dangerous or even life-threatening situations, then yeah, it's time for a reckoning. No one has the right to do that to another living creature (We aren't talking getting meat from an animal for food - we'll save that arguement for another day). I don't care if it's drugs, alcohol, physical abuse, mental abuse, emotional abuse... Whatever. I don't care. No one has the right to do that and then expect that the next morning, everything will be ok and happy and shiny. Because it won't be.

I know - I was in an emotionally and mentally abusive relationship for 10 years. TEN!! And I'm a reasonably intelligent person - most times (I don't wanna hear it, Lil. Giggle)... I made excuses, blamed myself for his shortcomings, and generally did everything I could to make the situation better without actually addressing the issue. Why? Because I was afraid of being alone. He had brainwashed me so well into thinking I could never find anyone who would "love" me the way that he did, and no one else besides him wanted me - I was terrified of never finding anyone else.

Frankly, he was both right and wrong... Once I was free of him, I didn't find another person who "loved" me the way that he did. And thank the ever-loving Gods for it. I also found a number of people who did want me, regardless of what I'd been through, what kind of emotional or mental wreck I was, or how I looked. And I thank the ever-loving Gods for that, too.

How did I get free of him? Well, I had a lot of help from friends, and it was a two year process of me growing up and away from him while he mentally stagnated and either ignored me or continued to try and verbally tear me down... Once I did do something (I packed up his things and told him to get out), he was all of a sudden all over me, trying to "make up" for all the things he had done in the past, etc, etc... I refused to listen to him, and through all of it, I found something that had been lost in those 10 years... myself.

The bottom line is, you pick your own battles in your relationship, regardless of whether they be big ones or small. The trick is to figure out what's big and what isn't, and what's important and what's not. I won't lie - Fred and I have things that we don't always agree about. But we look at each of them in turn and decide whether it's big enough to confront or not. Is it something that could potentially destroy us or is it something that we can learn to live with?

Either way, while we may mention something in passing to friends as an occasional annoyance, it's not something that will make or break the relationship. It's just one of those things that we learn to live with because we're here for the long run - people aren't perfect, but we can learn to live with one anothers imperfections if they aren't going to harm us.

~M