#febphotoaday Week One and Then Some
Last month I did a photo-a-day challenge and (of course) didn't save any of the pictures (other than the LG pictures.) This month I'm participating in the challenge again and decided to blog my pictures so those of you who don't follow me on Instagram (my username there is, shocker, homesweetsarah) can see my pics. Of course now February is almost over, but whatever, it's been a surprisingly busy month (another round of the sickness, my birthday, etc. etc.) Anyway! Here's week one (plus a couple extra) of the challenge. I'll catch up on weeks two through four, oh, sometime in May, probably.
First, The Prompts:
Day 1- My view today
Day 2 - Words
Newspaper clippings collecting -- it's all a part of the job!
Day 3 - Hands
Day 4 - A stranger
Day 5 - 10am
Or 9:45am, as I was probably working on my ujjaiy breathing at 10am
Day 6 - Dinner
Quinoa blackbean burgers with homemade guac and salad with blue cheese
Day 7 - Button
The button I press to escape the building when I'm working late
Day 8 - Sun
Day 9 - Front door
I think this was the original front door of the state Capitol...Maybe?
Day 10 - Self portrait
Good god, the iPh0ne's front camera function is AWFUL
Easy as…
I stole this from Sara who stole it from K who stole it from one Ms. Jive Turkey.
A. Age: 29-in-5-daaaaaays.
B. Bed size: Cal King.
C. Chore that you hate: Emptying the compost bin and then cleaning it. Also, dealing with garbage of any kind.
D. Dogs: None. Maybe one day, when LG is old enough to deal with its shits. (See above re: garbage, my hatred of.)
E. Essential start to your day: COFFEE. Also, going into LG's room to gently wake her up, which is...Basically never, as she's usually already awake. I swear she wakes up at 5am and just LAYS THERE, staring at the ceiling.
F. Favorite color: Green.
G. Gold or silver: Both.
H. Height: 5' 7".
I. Instruments that you play: Zero.
J. Job title: Communications Director.
K. Kids: The one and only Cheeks McGee.
L. Live: Northern California.
M. Mother's name: Caren, or Queen Caren, as she's known here in the comments.
N. Nicknames: Sar-Bear.
O. Overnight hospital stays: Just once, for birthin' ol' Cheeks.
P. Pet peeves: THERE ARE SO MANY. Getting trapped into conversations I don't want to be in, people who do my crossword puzzle IN PENCIL, people who keep their animals off the leash when I'm walking around the 'hood with LG (Jive Turkey really captured my feelings to a T with her thoughts on this), and people who try to beat me to the door going into work. I don't know why this bothers me, but it does. We'll all get in the building, dude. Chill.
Q. Quote from a movie: "What would you say if I told you I haven't seen Evil Dead 2, yet?"
R: Right or left handed: Right.
S: Siblings: None, some halves, some in-laws -- my answer depends on my mood.
T: Travel favorite: What's travel? I haven't been on a vacation in for damn ever. But let's say Europe.
U. Underwear: Victoria's Secret "The Lacie." Best ever.
V. Vegetable(s) you hate: Sweet potatoes/yams. No, not even the way you make them that surely EVERYONE, even sweet potato-haters, loves. Not even that way.
W. What makes you run late: Finalizing my ensemblè, when LG poops unexpectedly.
X. X-rays you've had: Jaw, teeth.
Y. Yummy food that you make: Pizza, enchiladas, lasagna, big salads (seriously!), chicken tortilla soup, Thanksgiving.
Z. Zoo animal: Giraffes!
Your turn! (And leave me a link to your post if you do this!)
Odds and ends and baby cheeks for your viewing (and my munching-on) pleasure
I was sick this week -- sicker than I've been in a long-ass time. I worked a total of about five hours and spent the rest of the time on the couch, trying to nap, but wishing I could just claw my face off instead.
I spent the greater part of Friday morning draining my tear ducts of all their fluids as I bawled my way through both Country Strong (wasn't expecting that ending) and Temple Grandin (Claire Danes, man) but I luckily felt human again yesterday, so I was able to go to a friend's house for a ladies' night.
Of course, when I came home, it appeared I'd passed the sickness on to both Chris and LG, so that sucks. Little lady, who looked cheerful and delightful yesterday...
...Slept from 6pm last night to 9am this morning...
---And then took a nap in the crook of my arm (that never happens!) this morning....
...And then took a real nap in her crib.
She's up now and in much better spirits, so I'm hoping she's on the mend. My scientific analysis is that since she's an eighth my size, she'll get over this cold in an eighth the time. Right? Right.
In news completely unrelated to this, I decided to not drink until my birthday (thankfully in February and not, like, in December.) It's been almost two weeks and it's been surprisingly easy, although I think a lot of that probably had to do with the sickness this past week. (Although damn, I bet a shot of whiskey could have helped with the congestion.)
I also finished The Marriage Plot, the first book-book I've read in a long time. (I read a lot of James Patterson, but I'm not sure his count as book-books, since they all have the same plot, not to mention, they're not even written by him anymore.) Anyway, so I finished a book, which makes me feel all studios and shit, and I am now starting in on The Hunger Games.
As I mentioned in my 2011 recap, I am not good with big sweeping goals or resolutions, but smaller ones seem to be my jam (says the girl who hasn't even yet completed the first small goal she set for herself) and I'm hoping to, like, improve upon some areas of my life via these small, manageable goals, rather than big, impossible ones that make me want to give them the finger.
And now that I've taken this blog into some unfamiliar self-help territory, I'm going to go make my fifth cup of tea of the day and munch on some baby cheekage:
It’s Friiiiiiiiiiiday
It's Friday, work sucks weekend woo-hoo, and the start of a three-day weekend for a lucky few of us.
After the holidays and guests, going back work and then more guests, I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend...
...Lunch with my grandparents (The GGPs, as we call them) tomorrow...
...Yoga, a mani/pedi, and much-needed eyebrow maintenance on Sunday, followed by the Golden Globes and tamale pie (recipe from a coworker; I'll report back) Sunday night...
...Then who knows what on Monday, but I suspect it will involve a lot of LG and I catching up on our Real Housewives. Girls gotta watch their STORIES, am I right?
A few outtakes from our daily pictures, which I send to Chris in the mornings. I usually look like a total fool, making funny faces to get LG to smile, but more recently I've just been to trying to get her to not steal my phone and shove it in her mouth. So. It's fun.
What do you have planned this weekend? I hope you enjoy it!
2011: The Year o’ Birthing
As the title (blatantly) suggests, 2011 was The Year o' Birthing. This is further showcased below, as almost every one of my answers is "my baby!" or "giving birth!" or "my cute baby!" and for that I'm sorry. Maybe next year something more interesting will happen (doubtful.)
1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
I birthed a baby!
2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
No-ish and no. I didn't really make resolutions, but I did have some goals I wanted to achieve and I achieved exactly none of them. I have found I'm just not someone who responds well to people (even myself) telling me what to do. So, one day at a time, no pressure, I'm a delicate flower, etc.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
I'm pretty close to myself, so yes.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Nope.
5. What countries did you visit?
None.
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you didn't have in 2011?
Last year I said I wanted a new kitchen. I'd still like this. Other than that, I'd like a piece of art. Like real adult art and shit. Also some new clothes.
7. What dates from 2011 will be etched upon your memory, and why?
April 20th. LG's (and my dad's!) birthday. I don't think it will ever NOT amaze me that I was due in mid-May, my water broke April 17th, and LG held on until April 20th. Her timing, it's impeccable.
8. What was your biggest achievement of this year?
Do you want to take a guess?
9. What was your biggest failure?
I don't fail. Failure is for losers.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
*I hope she doesn't talk about her birth again*
(Nope.)
11. What was the best thing you bought?
A plane ticket to Austin.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
I always call Chris out for being wonderful and awesome, and that was no different this year, however, a special shout-out goes to LG for being the coolest baby. I really dig that chick.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Nobody's. Cool people all around this year.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Mortgage, probably.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Other than the obvious BABY!, I was very excited to attend The Blathering and meet some of my people from inside the computer.
16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
This stupid country song Chris likes to play over and over about a dad taking his daughter fishing. WEEP!
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: A) happier or sadder? B) thinner or fatter? C) richer or poorer?
A) Happier.
B) Thinner! Fatter. (Ed. note: I just looked back through pictures from December 2010 and it appears I was actually skinnier than I am now. So! I look 5 months pregnant right now. Tremendous!)
C) Poorer. Daycare's expensive.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
I wish I'd gotten more spa treatments.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
I wish I'd spent less time feeling like I should want to stay home with LG even though I know I don't want to.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
At home, the three of us, watching 24 hours of A Christmas Story and eating ourselves silly.
21. Did you fall in love with 2011?
No. I mean, it was awesome, but it didn't buy me diamonds or anything.
22. What was your favorite TV program?
Homeland. Are you guys watching this? SO GOOD. Claire Danes, the Emmy is coming for you.
(P.S. Does anyone else wonder if the Showtime parties are at all awkward with Claire Danes and Mary Louise Parker both (likely) in attendance? "Oh, hey, about that Billy Crudup thing, yeah...")
23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Haters gon' hate. No, I actually don't hate anyone new this year. But hey, there's always next year! 2012: The Year o' Hate.
24. What was the best book you read?
Umm, I read two books this year. One was James Patterson. The other one was better. (Little Chapel on the River.)
25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Always a day late, I'm loving Florence Welch.
26. What did you want and get?
I wanted a baby and I got one. I also wanted some other thing to work out and it did. (Vague, sorry.)
27. What did you want and not get?
A brand new wardrobe full of clothes that fit perfectly and don't require me to hitch 'em up every three seconds.
28. What was your favorite film of 2011?
Did I...did I even watch a movie this year?
29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
We went to Sonoma for lunch and the champagnery afterwards. 28.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
ONE billion dollars. Yeah, same answer every year, but it's true. You know what would be satisfying for NEXT year, though? If we could pay off Chris's school loan and my car.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2011?
Jeggings and scarves make the lady.
32. What kept you sane?
Chris, for everything; LG, for when I got all stressed and needed to refocus; champagne, for everything; and Twitter, for parenting, especially during the #midnightfeedingclub. It was always nice to have another poor sap who was awake and feeding a baby at 3am.
33. What political issue stirred you the most?
Hotel sheets.
34. Who did you miss?
I missed LG every weekday from around 9am until I got home at 6pm.
But sometimes I got to take her to work with me and that was fun. We are very important business ladies, see?
("Step into my office."
"Why?"
"Because you're fucking fired!")
35. Who was the best new person you met?
You know who.
36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
You're doing everything perfectly right.
37. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"The party don't start till I walk in." -- Ke$ha
Times, they are a-changing
There used to be a time in my life when the perfect weekend was judged by how much going out and partying I did.
Before heading out to the bars, I'd spend 45 minutes perched on the floor in front of my mirrored closet, drawing the perfect smokey-eye.
I'd painstakingly straighten my hair and pack a smaller bag with all the essentials: Gum, lip gloss, ID, debit card, done and done, let's do this thang.
Then I'd go out, have too many G&Ts, and go to sleep just so, so that my makeup would still be perfect when I woke up to go to hangover brunch the next morning.
Nowadays, the perfect weekend is judged by whether or not I have to put in contacts and put on makeup. Glasses and a bare face all weekend? Then the weekend was a success.
(Of course, you know I still rock the smokey-eye Monday through Friday. Except now I make sure to remove my makeup every night before bed.)
(Oh, and this weekend was a perfect one.)
First world problems
My car unlock clicker do-dad has stopped working and I practically break my thumb every time I try to open my car door. I've tried changing the battery and the problem persists, so that's obviously not the issue. Every morning I walk out to my car, lugging 20 pounds of baby, her bag of stuff, and my bag of stuff and then I sit there while I *click click click* until I finally give up, plop LG and all our shit on the ground, walk around to my side of the car, unlock it manually, then walk back to the passenger side where I practically break my back trying to get her into the backseat. Once I finally get in the driver's seat -- hopefully I haven't banged my head against the car door jamb, as that seems to be happening with regularity these days -- I'm sweating and, due to too much vigorous movement, my pants have practically fallen down...
...Which brings me to this: I have no pants. My jeggings (my beloved jeggings!) are getting droopy, both pairs of my leggings are droopy AND have holes in the butt, and the pants I recently ordered from Old Navy don't fit. And not because they're too big.
I left my travel-sized face wash in the bathroom in Austin. It was Kiehl's and it was FREE and while I didn't love it, it was the only nice travel face wash I ever had and I only got to use it twice before leaving it a tired stupor at the Hyatt at 6am.
The newspaper reprinted last Sunday's crossword puzzle this Sunday and never fixed the mistake. I look forward to very little on Mondays, the crossword puzzle being at the top of the list.
What are your first world problems these days?
We’ll always have the Internet
I went away (alone! without my baby!) to Austin this past weekend to meet some of my Internet besties.
Normally before a trip, I plan! plan! plan!
How am I getting from the airport to the hotel?
How am I checking into the hotel?
I need to buy a new outfit and new shoes!
And most importantly, jewelry! What accessories should I pack OMG now I need to buy something new again!
This trip was not like this. I sat in the airport bar before my flight, reading the newest issue of Better Homes & Gardens, drinking my Ramona-approved Pinot Grigio, knowing that on the other side, someone(s) would pick me up from the airport.
And someone(s) did.
I knew I'd have a place to stay, thanks to people who plan much more in advance than I do and who let me crash in their room.
I didn't have to buy any new clothes, because, well, there was no time and money, but more importantly because when you have the awesome personal stylists I have, they tell you that what you already have is perfect. And they don't lie.
And speaking of those personal stylists, I didn't have to buy any new jewelry, either, because when you room next to them, you just have to show up at their door and ask, "Okay, what am I wearing?" (i.e.: What am I stealing from you for the night?)
The thing about meeting your Internet friends, awesome as it is, is that the time spent is always much, much too short. Brunch is never long enough. A dinner is never long enough. And, it turns out, a weekend (or in my case, less than 36 hours OMG I AM STILL SO TIRED) isn't long enough either.
But lucky for us, because we already know so much about one another, we can totally cut the getting-to-know-you bullshit and dive right into the real-life stuff.
And even though we only see each other once a year, we have the Internet to keep us in touch (daily, hourly) until the next time.
Until next time, LADIES!
Working out the work and workout
I'm in sort of a weird place and it's bothering me, so I'm gonna get all 2007 and write my feelings about it.
I've been back to work for a little over two months and things are fine, truly; nothing to report either way about that. I like my job and it provides stellar healthcare and while I miss my kid (all day, but usually pretty hardcore around 2pm), work is good.
What's NOT good is the working out. From the time LG was about three weeks old, I started working out again, mostly doing the Shred and/or Bethenny's yoga DVD and/or going on walks (LG was silent on our walks! Or, she was silent to ME when I put my music on. Same diff.)
I did this mostly for my sanity, as I'm one of those weirdos who starts to freak out if she doesn't workout. I'm not a hardcore worker-outer, mind you. I just feel better when I DO something.
Anyway, the (re)start of work has put me in this weird place where I want to workout, but I also want to spend time with my child (imagine that) and it's been hard finding the right balance between the two.
See, I get home from work around 6pm and if I go on a quick workout, I can be home around 6:45pm. The problem, though, is that LG goes to bed sometime between 7pm and 7:45pm, which means if I workout, my time with her is very limited.
Not to mention, working out after work causes us to eat dinner around 7:30pm or 8pm and when you go to bed at 9pm, that's too damn late for dinner.
I know the answer is to just drag myself out of bed and workout before work, which is actually when I prefer to workout, but DAMN. I'm tired.
All this whining aside, I've been doing the Couch to 5k program and will be completing it this week. I was a little skeptical of the program; if you'd have told me eight weeks ago I could run three miles straight two months from then, I'd have laughed at you.
But, I started the program to give myself a workout I could complete in 30 minutes and I've done just that.
Regardless, I still feel this pressure to find the time to do what I want to do (workout, hang with LG and Chris) and what I need to do (workout, hang with LG and Chris.) But hey, at least my wants and needs align, right? Could be worse, I suppose.
In other news, I bought jeggings this weekend and they're fabulous. So at least I've got a roof over my head, food on the table in front of the TV, and jeggs.
Ancient accent vlog
Jumping on the bandwagon with the accent vlog.
If you want to play along, then...
Say these words:
Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught
And answer these questions:
What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?
What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?
What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?
What do you call gym shoes?
What do you say to address a group of people?
What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?
What do you call your grandparents?
What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?
What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?
What is the thing you use to change the TV channel?
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