Blanking...

I was on quite a roll with the posts and then that roll stopped. I'm still not totally motivated to write about anything, but I figure this blog is just as much for memory logging as it is for anything else, so I better keep up with it.

My throat is soooo sore today. Last time it felt like this I ended up with strep - and strep has been going around. Hopefully it's just... something that isn't strep.

I can't even remember what's happened in the past week. I feel like I've lost a lot of things lately - including my memory it seems. The necklace, then my glasses, then the pen that goes with my tablet... I left my wallet in the cart at Heinen's today and drove all the way to work on the weekend before realizing I'd forgotten my laptop and had to go all the way back to get it. Thankfully I've found all these lost things. When I lose something I always try to picture it lost somewhere.... laying there, lost. Never to be found again.

Mmm, yeah still trying to think what happened last week and I'm blanking. Better post next time, I promise. This week is gonna be ker-azy busy, so I'm sure I'll have lots to tell. Tim's mom is planning a surprise for Saturday since Tim's sister is in town and I can't wait to find out what it is!! Wooooooo!

Road Kielbasa.

Yesterday I spent some time with one of my favorite people ever {Emily}. I will cry, cry, cry eight days from now when she leaves for a whole new adventure in Redding, California. But in the meantime I plan to make the most of the time we have left. This included yesterday which entailed some baked bean eating, some Target shopping and a some chit chatting. At the end of my visit, I was invited to eat some kielbasa her dad had made for dinner. It did look delicious so I decided to eat half and bring the other half home in a baggie for Tim. Boy was it good. I think Tim would have enjoyed it to, had I not set it on top of the car as I was getting Jack buckled in and forgotten about it. So if you saw a chunk of kielbasa in a plastic baggie on the road - that was mine. Maybe you even stopped to pick it up. Maybe you even ate it. If you did, I hope it was still good.

Which reminds me - I'm not really sure how my Peach Cobbler tasted because I never ended up trying it. I donated it to my sister's dinner table and saved a smidge for Tim who poured cream on it and ate it all before I could ask for a bite. I think "it was good" was the general consensus from those who indulged. I'm pretty pleased with my efforts considering they were a first attempt, not to mention the issue of the shriveled peaches.

No. 18 - Tea

Lost & Found.

On our wedding day, Tim gave me a necklace made from a bronzed 18th century wax stamp. The stamp is of a rose bush with the words Thy Sweetness Is My Life inscribed around it. He drove a good hour outside of town to get it and a few months after getting married he got the inscription tattooed on his arm. Let's just say the necklace was pretty...irreplaceable. So losing it would not be recommended. Well for almost exactly a month - it was lost. I won't go into a detailed account of all the places I looked for it - multiple times - but it felt like I'd searched everywhere and had almost given up hope. Yesterday I finally uncovered it (in our bedroom, as my hunch had hinted at all along) and the relief and joy was magnificent! Thanks to all who were praying for me to find it - and thanks most of all to God, the Father for restoring something so precious to me.

Today is another sleepy day. Though I've had in mind to use up the peaches in the fridge and make a Peach Cobbler of some sort. Can you make a Cobbler with month old peaches? Well, we'll find out 50 minutes from now according to the recipe. Thank you Andrea for the butter, rolled oats and one egg you contributed to this dessert - Tim & Jack are on their way to collect said ingredients as I type this. Alright, gotta go slice some shriveled peaches. Will share results in next post!

No. 15 - Thread

The Story of Us.

I changed the title of this blog from T&L@home to The Story of Us simply because on some pages the link name looks like "TampLampamphome" which is odd and confusing and just... wrong. In any case, there's a "J" added to the equation now!

Today is a busy day filled with birthday parties, family visits and a Browns game. Tim took Jack to his little brother's baseball game for a little bit which means I'm home alone, basking in the glory of being able to get some things done without interruption. Of course, its so much easier to just sit here, relax and relish in the peacefulness instead of being productive.

Songs for a lazy Saturday Afternoon:

By Your Side - Sade

Throw Me a Rope - KT Tunstall

Falling Slowly - Once Soundtrack

(Yesterday's picture was a cinch compared to the day before! I didn't even have to go in search of it... I was in a hurry to get it done before dinner, and this butterfly gave me a break when he (or she) flew by.)

No. 14 - Monarch

Noodle Bowl Goodness.

I'm totally in love with Trader Joe's 99 cent Rice Noodle Soup Bowls. Ah-mazing. With all-natural, no artificial ingredients (and I mean a short list of real, authentic, simple ingredients) these are so great for lunches! They only take 3 minutes to heat up and are surprisingly delicious. My favorite flavor is Garlic, but today I had a Mushroom one. I think my excitement stems from the fact that this is a packaged food which would typically be filled with evil preservatives and additives. But not these! Finally something I don't have to prepare that I can also feel good about eating :) Did I mention that there's only 2 grams of fat, 2 grams of sugar and 25 grams of carbs per bowl? That's incredible! No this is not a sponsored ad - I'm just that excited about my lunch. So if you live near a Trader Joe's, I suggest you go there with a dollar in your pocket and a hankering for a rice noodle bowl.

You know what else I love? That my baby is starting to return to his happy, mostly content self after fighting a gassy battle the past month or so and leaving behind him a trail of tears and the faint sound of unhappy cries. The only noise he's making now is a rhythmic snore as he sleeps soundly in his car seat. So praise God for that.

I almost gave up on the Project yesterday. We got home late which meant a very late start on photographing something, and the concept for No. 13 was difficult to perfect and beyond a labor of love to complete. I had to make the final adjustments on it late into this afternoon. I think it turned out alright in the end though and, in an odd way, reminds me of an ice cream sundae with a cherry on top.

No 13. - Glass

Myers/Kerney Night

It's become a tradition - or was a tradition - for us to spend our Thursday evenings after band practice with our very near and dear friends, the Kerneys. Back in our hay day-sans child we would visit into the late late hours playing euchre (much to my chagrin at first) and eating delicious food that Rebekah had graciously cooked for us as we laughed and chatted it up. This would all happen amidst my ongoing feud with their disagreeable cat Miles - whom Rebekah still insists is a nice cat. This would mostly play itself out with a sarcastic remark thrown his way or a stink eye glare - all of which he took no notice of, much to my annoyance. And so each Thursday night would go until about two months ago when a certain someone entered the world and life for the Kerneys became rather busy as well.

Tonight, however, officially marks the rebirth of Myers/Kerney night. May it live on for many years to come - bad-tempered cat and all.

No. 12 - Specs

Metroparks.

When I crave beauty in the covering of a canopy of leaves, I come here.

No. 11 - Bridge

London Calling.

I once said that I wouldn't go back to England, even to visit, until it was time to move there indefinitely. I didn't think my heart could endure being reminded of everything I was missing and then have to say goodbye to it all over again.

Today I am SO ready to go back whether it be for a day, a week - whatever! It would be worth every penny of the $1,200 it takes to get there. British blood flows through my veins - it wants to return to its ancestral home.

::sigh:: In the meantime, our little life carries on pleasantly enough. Last night we had our long lost friends Pat & Audrey over for dinner. We missssed them. The deal was that I would clean the apt. (it was a bit of a disaster) if Tim cooked dinner (I was feeling uninspired). And of course his culinary skills won out once more with a delicious meal of Turkey Burgers w/ homemade Garlic Mayo, Muenster Cheese and Sauteed Peppers and Onions as well as homemade french fries (amazing!) and sauteed Yellow Squash & Zucchini sprinkled with Parmesan Cheese. So tasty! I count my blessings that I'm married to a man that can cook with the best of em'.

Afterwards we went to Mitchell's for some ice cream and discussed the social politics and hilarities of Facebook. It's evenings like that with good friends and great conversation that give me every reason to love life in Cleveland - even if our ultimate goal is to fly far far away as soon as possible.

Yesterday's picture was a challenge to capture but worth the end result:

Ask ChaCha.

Two days until the new Ray Lamontagne album is released! I can't wait. I'm listening to it stream on NPR right now as I lay in bed with a tired baby and husband dozing beside me.

Jack got his shots Saturday and we both cried. My protective instincts kicked in as soon as it was "time" and that huge needle headed for his chubby little leg. We both survived quite alright and Jack arrived home with a big band-aid on either thigh and a bottle of children's tylenol to tide him over.

Tonight I had one of my "I need to know" moments when I began pondering how a yarmulke (ya-ma-ka) stays on a man's head if he has short or shaved hair or is bald. I posed it to the group we were with who suggested double sided tape and said I should "Ask ChaCha" to find out for sure. Ask ChaCha, I discovered, is basically a text-in-your-question version of Wikipedia where your query gets catapulted out to the masses for review and response. So what was the answer to my question? "Some use double sided tape. Some use velcro. Some have their yarmulkes fitted to their head before they get one." Of course, this begs the question of where does one go for a yarmulke fitting? Answer me that, ChaCha.

Here's today's picture - if you want to see No. 7 & 8 visit my flickr page here.

No. 9 - Globe

Keys.

Today started off pretty uneventfully. I'm up and ready to go to Jack's doctor's appoint - out the door, car seat clicked in place, diaper bag in front seat and running somewhat ahead of schedule for the first time. I close his unlocked door and then I remember hearing a story on the news recently about someone being mugged when a guy jumped in the back seat of his car at a stop light. So I think, "Hmmm, I'd better be on the safe side and lock the doors." This would have been a great idea had my car keys not been sitting next to the diaper bag on the seat with the car door I had just locked.

Ready, set, freak out! At first I thought about breaking a window, but not wanting to jump to drastic measures I called my sister so she could let me in the house to get my spare car key. Perfect! Except when I realized that my spare key was sitting in Tim's car half an hour away at work. That's when I really started to panic. Praise God that my black (black!!) car was parked in the shade and the temp outside was bearable. At this point Jack had calmed down and resolved himself to the fact that no one was going to comfort or help him so he just sat there looked dejected. Plan B was to call the police who were unsuccessful in opening the door with their little tool. Thankfully, Tim had the wherewithal to leave work even though I said the police were coming to make sure everything was ok - and with him bear the key of freedom.

Jack has fully recovered and is now fast asleep in his swing. Hopefully this won't become some deep-seeded scar in his psyche that manifests itself later in life as a fear of car interiors. He did get out of getting his shots today - so maybe he'll thank me later? Regardless, the incident made me feel like "Worst Mother of the Year." Today totally fulfills August 5th's prophetic entry.

Yesterday's picture is strangely fitting for today's entry. How ironic.

No. 6 - Car Show

No!!!!!!

I left all the milk I pumped yesterday (a whole 12 ounces!) out on the dining room table all night so now its bad. Come on! What a waste! Where is the justice! Breast milk is liquid gold, people! Liquid Gold!

...I have a hard time letting these sorts of things go.

Sleep...mmmm.

So tired today. Tim and I always talk about how we wish we weren't so busy all the time, and yet.... we're the ones making all the plans. Well... maybe 50/50 - we also have a busy extended family that live nearby and include us in their busy plans. I remember taking naps in class during my senior year of high school. In full view of the teacher. How was this allowed!? I'd like to think I had the decency to do so when we were doing individual work or reading.... but I distinctly remember falling asleep during lectures. One time there was even drool running down my desk. I also slept through a lot of my college morning classes - as in, I didn't even bother leaving the comfort of my bed. Somehow I always finished with good grades.... it must have been due to being so well-rested.

Speaking of being tired, I'm beginning to realize I might have bitten off more than I can chew with this photography project. Taking a "good" picture every day is no easy feat, especially since I'm often limited to domestic objects. It's also extremely time consuming. It can take about half an hour to an hour just to find something worth photographing and another hour or two for selecting and editing the photo of choice. When I put my photography goggles on, in search of the perfect picture, I tend to view everything else as a distraction or obstacle between me and said picture, if I even take the time to acknowledge its presence to begin with. Needless to say, Tim and Jack had about 30 minutes of my attention from the time I got home till the time we went to bed. Not good.

So we'll see how far I go with it - I'd like to make it right to the end. But in order to do so I think that's going to involve branching out into new territories - husband and babe in tow so as not to feel completely disconnected by the end of the day.

No. 5 - Q-Tips

Shi.

It all began with a purple coat that I found on sale at the shoe store "Shi" for $20. The retail clerk was really friendly and helpful and all, "You look great in that coat."

I was about 5 months pregnant at the time so she was asking about that and her and Tim were comparing tattoos and yadda yadda somewhere between the purple coat and Tim buying my Sperry Top Siders a few months later she's now our best friend whenever we go in there. We'll even stop in there just to see if she's working so we can say hi.

Last time we were there we promised to bring Jack so she could see him and tonight that's just what we did. As soon as we walked in she recognized us and told another customer "Here are some of my regulars!" and then she got all excited when she saw we had Jack.

I enjoy our exchanges with our Friendly Shoe Salesperson - I'm thinking we should probably find out her name... although I think it might be Rachel. I've even been tempted to cross that "customer/sales clerk" line and say "Let's be friends outside of the store too!" cuz she's all hip and fun and young but that could be creepy and well, let's not ruin the good thing we've got going here with a total stranger.

Tonight's picture had me sweating (literally) as I scrambled to get it snapped before midnight (I did).

No. 4 - Spices

Not Pregnant.

It is HOT in Cleveland these days. Isn't that a new sitcom with Betty White? I can't wait for autumn - the crisp air, the beautiful colors.... and a break from the heat. Not to mention its perfect running weather. I've been meaning to try out my bargain bin workout DVD "Denise Austin's Bounce Back After Baby" - so far I've only managed to get on the elliptical, but hey its a start.

I've been semi-convinced since Friday that I'm pregnant again. Two home pregnancy and one $10 blood test later I'm "Not Pregnant." Thank goodness for that. I can only imagine (or actually no, I can't) what it would be like to have two kids under the age of 1. Not to mention having to face the reactions when we tell people that two months after giving birth to our first child we have another one on the way.

For now, the biggest shock of the whole ordeal is Tim's sudden eagerness to have another baby as soon as possible. What happened to, "We are definitely-no-questions-asked-for-sure-100% only having one child?" Apparently that went out the window with the excitement of another possible addition to the family. I think my body needs a break from the strain of pregnancy. But maybe one day we'll be ready again.... maybe.

No. 3 - Domo

Glitch.

So Project 365 (formerly known as Picture a Day) came to a screeching halt for 24 hours when I realized that the camera I was using was to set to store pictures in a small, web attachment size. This was no good. Should I ever (and I'm sure I will) want to make prints of even one of the 365 I take, they'll be too small to be any good. SO I was pretty deflated and almost threw the project out the window. But then Tim reminded me to be thankful that I found out now - after only two pictures had been taken - rather than fifty pictures from now. And luckily Tomatoes can be easily recreated once the sun hits my window ledge just right.

I went to an allergist the other day in search of answers for my crazy itchy skin and found out that I'm allergic to every grass known to man and especially a grass called.... Timothy. No joke. Apparently I also had a reaction to peanuts and halibut. I'm fine without the fish but can I really give up peanut butter on toast?

And it's that time of year again - Fantasy Football Leagues are a-flourishing. I couldn't give a hoot about any of it, but somehow I got put in the league even after graciously declining the invitation. So I'm making my picks with the help of Tim in between typing. I don't know a thing about football and if I think its far more fun to choose players based on their name or their picture - but there's a small part of me that doesn't want to go totally down in flames, so I tend to go with skill over flair. And that's all the football talk you'll hear from me for a while.

It's turning into a beautiful Sunday evening and I'm beginning to wonder if I took Picture No. 2 too soon:

No. 2 - Sunday Afternoon

No. 1 : Tomatoes

Day 1 of Picture a Day begins with promising results.....

No. 1 - Tomatoes

The Inevitable.

I was just picturing Jack about two years from now... toddling into my bedroom early in the morning before I've quite woken up, bright eyed and bushy tailed and ready for the day, and as he stands there.. eye-level with my pillow, gazing into my face with a concerned look on his face he'll suddenly realize what I've pondered from day one and say, "Who put you in charge? You definitely don't seem qualified to be a mother."

Itchy!

2 dermatologists + >$100 spent on creams and prescriptions = no answers, still itchy

Going to see an allergist tomorrow - hopefully this rash business will get sorted out. In the meantime, it's a constant reminder to be thankful that it's nothing serious and that God is blessing me in so many ways these days.

Today (or tomorrow) I am going to begin a "Picture a Day" project. 1 picture, 365 days. We'll see if I can keep it up.

I have a perty office now.. sharing with my bud Rebekah. We bought a diffuser that ended up making the space smell like orange gum.. or orange-scented household cleaner, depending on how it hits you. We're thinking we'll buy a fish, though experience tells me this will be a lot of work without much pay off.

On the last few discs of Mad Men Season 1 - liking it, except for all the adultery. What's with all these shows making marital infidelity the focus and fascination point? It's sad :(