Sunday

Today I woke up to a cold, gray day. You know the kind--where the light that comes in through the windows is at the same time very clear and almost dark. I don't know why, but I love days like this. Maybe it's because when I was growing up, my Mom would always say how wonderful it was to be in a nice, warm, cozy house when the weather outside was terrible. I, like her, also love laying in bed and night and listening to the wind howling outdoors--it makes me feel so snug in bed.

So, I got out of bed, had a little breakfast and got to work on dinner. I decided to use my crock-pot to make Chicken and Dumplings (Bart's favorite) instead of waiting until dinnertime to cook because I wanted the whole apartment to smell like boiling chicken and onions. Because, clearly, the delicious smell of food cooking is the only thing that can make a wonderful cold, gray day even better!

I have spent the rest of my day on the couch watching PBS' The Agatha Christie Code which was AMAZING! It discussed her writing style and experts and scientists agree that it seems she actually was able to hypnotize her readers with her words enough to put them into a sort of trance--the kind where you think you've only been reading for ten minutes, but look up and see it's been an hour. But I digress.... Anyway, they are also having a mini-marathon of her stories that have been made into movies. I've just watched The Blue Hyacinth and I'm now settling into Murder on the Orient Express!

Isn't it the most wonderful feeling when everything about your day just falls into place? It isn't often that I have a truly exceptional day like this and I don't intend to waste it!

Things I'm Loving...

I haven't done one of these posts in a while, so I thought it was about time I put some of my favorite things up here.


This was one of the best mystery novels I've read in a long time--and another of my B&N Bargain books. It's set England during the mid-twenties (I looooove period novels) and there are thrills on every page. "It is the story of an aristocratic family, a house, a mysterious death and a vanishing way of life, told by a woman who witnessed it all and kept a secret for a lifetime." Love, betrayal, murder, lies, secrets--this book has it all!



People might think PBS stinks, but I LOVE it! Masterpiece Theatre and Masterpiece Mystery are my absolute favorite things to watch. Why? Because nearly all of the films are PERIOD films!!! What's great about Masterpiece Theatre? British period films from my favorite novels, like Pride and Prejudice (not the crappy and completely tainted Keira Knightly version), Emma, and Tess of the d'Urbervilles. And the best thing about Masterpiece Mystery? Eighty percent of the films shown are Agatha Christie's stories. If you like murder-mysteries, you must read Agatha Christie. She is still known as one of the literary world's best crime novelists.



Just tell me what is not to love about $2.99 bottles of wine that actually taste good. And organic and exciting/exotic foods that are super cheap--who doesn't want that? There is so much great food to try and the prices are so great that I never feel guilty about buying something just to taste it.


I couldn't find a picture of my favorite sushi restaurant, Sushi Para II, but I did find this photo of some of their sushi. I could literally sit there all day long and order plate after plate of deliciously prepared sushi--which is, in fact, what I do when we go out to eat there. Why? Four words, people: All. You. Can. Eat. For $18. AND it's BYOB. I swear these people cringe when they see me walk in the door.



Bart and I won this game at this Christmas' "White Elephant" Christmas party with the Student Association. It doesn't look like much, but it is a game that we CANNOT stop playing. It's super easy to play, and since all we need are the dice, paper and a pen, we can play it in bed or on the floor with Roscoe running around (because, apparently, the only thing he isn't interested in chewing on are the dice).

Now, if only I could be playing Farkle with Bart, stuffing my face with sushi (but not sharing with Bart, because, come on, it's sushi), while watching Masterpiece Mystery and eating some Trader Joe's snacks, then ending the night with The House at Riverton, life would be just about perfect!

Feelin' Good

Things are kind of going down the toilet around here:

1. One of my co-workers is going out of her way to make my life miserable. Too bad she doesn't get paid based on how big of a butthead she is.

2. I hardly get to spend any time with Bart (we basically just sleep in the same bed now) because he is constantly studying for the Board exams he will take in mid-March. Our weekends are gone, too, because he is at school from 8:30am-9:30pm at super expensive review sessions and test-taking tutorials. I live for the day after Boards.

3. I have two redbox DVD's that I rented TWO WEEKS AGO that I still haven't returned, so I will now be charged $30 when I finally do return them. So much for saving myself money. Sigh. (Thank you, broken wrist).

4. The doctors can't decide if my wrist is broken or not. The fracture is on one x-ray, but not the other, etc. so I have to keep going to tons of appointments and getting more x-rays. I'm terrified to see what my bills are going to be like.

5. I haven't been grocery shopping in over a month. For. Serious. So, don't get sick with the flu and a sinus infection and then break your wrist because you'll end up paying through the nose for take-out, or live on chip crumbs and oatmeal.

But you know what, people? I am feeling GOOD! I am just a few days in to this Bible study and it is already fueling me and uplifting me in ways I had certainly not expected! Last night, Bart even read the day's verses and we talked about them before we fell asleep. It was wonderful because it helped us open up to each other and connect in our few moments together. I am also feeling more peace at work, even with my HORRIBLE co-worker being her HORRIBLE self. How can I even express how amazing that is?

Bible Study.

I know, two blogs in ONE day--you lucky, lucky people!

Anyway, I am going to participate in an online Bible study through a blog I have been following, Raising Redheads. I am SUPER excited about it, mainly because we will be going at a nice, slow pace--which is great for a beginner like me! We will be studying only two lines of scripture each day using the S.O.A.P method: Scripture-we write down the day's scripture in our journal; Observation-we write down what the scripture means/its significance; Application-we apply it to daily life, and then we end with a Prayer!

I can't wait to begin familiarizing myself with the scriptures. It's something I've been wanting to do for some time now, but I just didn't know how. And the best part? Thanks to this journal-style studying, I'll always be able to look back to where I began in this spiritual journey and see how much I've grown!

Ow, My Wrist and Other Adventures at the ER

You've all heard that I broke my wrist this past Tuesday. Here is the tragic story:

I was on my way to the "El" when I slipped. You know how some sidewalks are elevated and have a super steep ramp thing to the street? Well that is what I slipped on. Just two blocks from my apartment. Because it was covered in...BLACK ICE! No one had salted. No one had sanded. And I went down like a sack of potatoes. Cartoon-style. You know, flailing arms, feet flying and face appropriately set into a mixture of surprise and horror.

Suddenly sitting on my butt with my legs in the street, I had initially thought that the only thing hurt was my pride. By the time I stood up and crossed the street (ever so carefully!), I was covered in sweat and felt like I was going to vomit. That's when I knew that I was hurt.

I called Bart, who was about to take a test, to tell him the news. He wanted me to try and get to work/school so I could have it looked at by the M.D. at the clinic and so he could see me after his test. Neither of us knew how hurt I was since nothing was swollen at that point. Anyway, I got on the train--standing room only--annnnd started to pass out from the pain. A very nice man saw me start to get wobbly and gave me his seat. This was about the time I figured that I couldn't make it to work and that I was going to have to get to a hospital.

A very nice cab driver got me to the ER super fast, which was good since I was trying not to cry from the pain. The triage nurse right away had to help me pull my engagement and wedding rings off because the swelling in my wrist and fingers was getting so bad. Talk about painful!! After that, I found a seat in the waiting area where I made friends with a crying girl who had her arm in a sling and with a lady in a wheelchair whose kneecap skin was hanging onto her leg by a string. They, too, were victims of the black ice.

In the next two hours, I had x-rays taken and was processed. I finally got a sling and an ice pack (which did nothing to help with the pain) and I watched the waiting room fill up with people clutching body parts and/or limping up to the counter. A middle aged woman sat across from me and just sobbed and sobbed while holding her wrist. The lady next to her had fallen and broken her shoulder. Cab after cab came to the doors dropping off injured people who had fallen on the ice.

FINALLY, I was taken up to a bed (along with kneecap skin lady), was given a Vicodin, and had more tests done. I had an EKG because I had fainted. Since my heart looked normal, they decided that I should take a pregnancy test, you know, just in case. Well. That was just going to be the cherry on top of a really fantastic day. So, I peed in the cup, handed it over to Barb, my nurse, and waited. And waited. AND. WAITED. At this point, I had almost completely forgotten about my wrist because I was certain I was pregnant and the nurse was waiting for Bart to arrive before she told me. Folks, I don't know the last time I prayed so hard.

And God must have heard my fervent prayers, because an hour later, another nurse asked my nurse, Barb, if I had taken the test. Then she said the four most beautiful words I heard that day: "Yup. It was negative." Phew! Barb wrapped up my wrist and hand (all the way to the elbow) in cotton, molded a plaster splint to my wrist, and then wrapped me all up in ACE bandages, after which I went to sleep. Then Bart, having missed alllllll the excitement, finally arrived and brought me home and put me to bed. Let this be a lesson to you all to WALK CAREFULLY.

I got my first blog award from a very talented blogger, Stacy at Life as I see it. What an honor!

I'm supposed to pass this award on to 15 other bloggers that I enjoy. I don't really follow too many personal blogs, but I'll see what I can do! I'm also supposed to write seven (hopefully interesting) facts about myself. Here goes!

1. I love pickles. And I mean LOVE with a capital L. I eat them nearly every day and even drink the juice. In fact, I'm eating pickles right now! Anyway, I can't help myself. I eat them along with pretzels, saltine crackers and popcorn. It makes me wonder what kinds of food combinations I'll eat when I'm pregnant. Ha!

2. I still sleep with my stuffed animal (and blankie). Every. Single. Night. His name is Stuffins and he probably my second most prized possession. I would never give him up for anything, even though I know it's super childish to still need him. But I'm lucky Bart is willing to share our bed!

3. I have a (hopefully not weird) fascination with pregnant women. They all look so beautiful with their big bellies/little bumps! It's the most amazing thing that a woman's body can grow another life inside of it, right under her heart! We won't even get into how excited and anxious I am to be pregnant and become a mom (A LOT)!

4. I require a lot of sleep to be able to function. I need at least 9 hours every night, and, honestly, life would be grand if I could catch a nap at around 2 every afternoon.

5. I'm not a huge fan of candy. I really only eat it when I'm on my period. I think I don't care for it too much because I have always preferred salty/savory foods.

6. I have monkey toes. Literally. And I can't believe I'm admitting this. I can spread them out like the fingers on my hand. And I can use them to pick up a dime off of a wood floor. Gross, I know.

7. Every night, I watch at least one episode of either Everybody Loves Raymond or The Golden Girls. My two favorite shows, EVER.

And--here are the blogs I wish to award!

My Soul Sings

The Sphors Are Multiplying

A Little Bit of Sunshine

...Told you the list would be short! The other blogs I follow are all great, but I don't know the bloggers personally. And they don't follow my blog, so they wouldn't know that they'd been awarded anyway. I do, however, recommend each one!

Home Alone--Chicago Style!

Tonight marks the first time Bart and I have been apart since we got married. It's also the first time I've had to be alone in this apartment--yikes! Bart had to go to an American Optometry Student Association Board meeting in St. Louis since he's is the Trustee for his school. I can't tell you how much I miss him and how frightened I am to be left alone here.

All I can think about is the crime rate in the city. I used to feel safe since we live on the third floor (who wants to climb five flights of stairs to rob someone, anyway??), but a co-worker, who also lives on the third floor of her building, told me that she was robbed twice!. And you know what? I don't even have a bat or a golf club here to defend myself with. It looks like I'm going to have to sleep with my biggest kitchen knife next to my bed for a little comfort. Wouldn't it be nice if I was creative enough to come up with do-it-yourself bad-guy catcher stuff like Macaulay Caulkin? Sadly, we've put all our ornaments away and I don't own matchbox cars.

On the other hand, though, I think it will be really great for us to have some time apart. Like I said in an earlier blog, Bart and I have been spending waaaay too much time together. I mean, I love being with the guy, but it is so hard not to get on each others nerves when we are together constantly. So tonight when I got out of work, I came home, changed, and went to the grocery store to get some junk food (which I'll regret come Sunday...) and TWO DVD's from the redbox!! And there is Period (like time period, people) movie marathon on Ovation this weekend, which I will be watching in full with zero grumbling from my darling husband! I'm a wild woman, I know.