Bingo & Beer at the Brew-Ha-Ha

A couple co-workers and I went to We Gotta Bingo last night at the Lowry Theatre. It's an interactive comdey along the lines of Tony & Tina's Wedding. We had a good time and I had some personal laughs as the premise of the show surrounds two St. Paul parishes being forced to consolidate at the Archbishop's request. My parish is in the exact same boat (except we don't have to physically combine the church.... yet). The perspective protrayed in the show is quite obviously over the top but based on what I have experienced with the discussions between our two parishes - not as far off as some might think. I kept thinking to myself that it would be wonderfully healthy fun for all the parish members of our combining churches to go and get a dose of humor about what we are trying to do. However, it could backfire on me...

The food was fantastic (catered in by either Cosetta's or Pazzaluna), some of the best lasagna I have ever had and the space was nice, a bit loud but that was part of the show. The polka band covering bands from Blondie to Outkast was one of the highlights for me. Nothing like seeing a 60 year old woman singing 'Hey Ya' by Outkast. This was also when 'Father Duncan' asked me to get up and shake it with him. Pretty funny to watch a pregnany lady and a priest shaking their goods.

All and all it was a good time had by all (especially the table of drunk ladies next to us!).

Bigger and bigger

Belly shots from March 17th.

81' and snow on the ground

Crazy weather we are having. We hit over 80' today. I can't remember the last time we were this warm this early. I went for a walk after work and had a smile when I noticed some neighbors still have some snow on their lawns, mostly in areas where there is quite a bit of shade or where the snow was piled very, very high. We went for a walk yesterday around Como. There was still quite a bit of ice on the lake but it appeared to be very thin. Some were in 'chunks' for lack of a better term. They looked like very tiny icebergs and sounded like wind chimes when they ran into each other.

The ducks were everywhere! I saw three male mallards perched on top of a neighbors roof, it was the first time I had seen this particular perch. Tabitha is currently sitting in the window staring outside at the wildlife (it's night and I've got the lights off so she can see further). She is loving the warm weather and seeing the birds zooming around the yard.

Activity

Baby girl was busy last night when we laid down for bed. I was wiped out earlier in the eve and fell asleep while watching Mythbusters. As I began to read before turning out the lights she started moving like mad. This time I could feel her kick/hit on the outside. I told Pete to sit down quickly. He looked at me like I was mad until he saw I had my hands on my belly and said with some excitement, "Is she moving?". I nodded and told him where to put his hand. And of course she stopped moving. We tried again a couple of times until I told Pete to just stay there for a bit and she would start again. Finally after a few minutes he felt her kick. He stayed there for a bit longer and felt about three more kicks. He was pretty excited to feel that and said he imagines her in her little 'bubble' flailing about trying to make an escape. Considering how much I move when I sleep I think baby girl might just be emulating her mother.

Batwoman? Superwoman?

Ahh...my nephews can always make me laugh. They are both getting to an age where they kind of understand that I am having a baby. Below is some of the fun we had this past week with the boys.

My sister called on Monday to find out how the ultrasound went and if we had any indication of the sex. I shared the good news which she passed onto her sons Alex (4)and Ryan (2). Alex immediately began asking if he could talk to me. He got on the phone and said,"Aunt Holly, can you name her..um..Batwoman?" Alex is a HUGE superhero fan and has as many superhero costumes as some little girls have princess dresses. I told him Uncle Pete and I would add it to the list of names we have in mind and asked him if he had any other suggestions. "How about Spiderman, I mean Spiderwoman? Or Superwoman? She could be Wonder Woman".

"Hmmm, Wonder Woman, I hadn't thought of that. I like that one."

"Yeah, but we wouldn't want her to dress like her", he said in his serious Alex tone. At this point I had to maintain my control and not start laughing, lest he think I am laughing at him.

"Yeah, Alex," I responded, "you're right, we wouldn't want her to dress that way." I love that he says this - the innocence. I'll have to remind him of this when he is 16 and sneaking Playboy into the house.


We saw the boys on Saturday and initiated baby Whitcomb into the family zerbert (or raspberry) game. Ryan gave my belly a zerbert and ran away giggling hysterically. "Can the baby hear what we are saying?" asked Alex. "Yes, the baby can hear you. Cousin Whitcomb is going to know your voice when he/she enters the world", I responded. Alex's eyes got wide and his mouth formed an 'O' - he thought that was so cool. Ryan proceeded to walk back to give my belly another zerbert but instead of giving one he got really, really close and whispered loudly, "zzeerbeerrt".

Later, Alex asked if he could listen to my belly in the hopes he could hear the baby inside. He laid his little head on my belly for about a minute. I asked if he heard anything and he sat up and responded matter-of-factly, 'No'. "Maybe next time", I said.

At that point Ryan began asking if he could see the baby. "Can I see the baby?" "Can you show me the baby?" "Can I look down your throat?". We had to explain it doesn't quite work that way. He went on to ask "How does the baby come out?". "Does it come out of your mouth? Out of your stomach?" Hmmm... I'm not touching that one. The good thing about a 2 year old is he can easily be distracted so we began talking about something else and dropped that topic quick!

Introducing Ms. Baby Whitcomb

The first countdown

Only 4 more days until we learn if we are having 'baby girl' or 'baby boy'. I've been feeling girl for the last couple of weeks. Any thoughts out there? KMD, are your psychic abilitites kicking in? Any guesses?

Supporting the US economy

Well, we knew it had to happen eventually. This is what happens when one purchases a 20+ year old house with the original water heater and furnace. Last night around 10:30pm as we were settling into bed the carbon monoxide detector sprang to life and shouted it's alerting bleats from the lower level. The alarm went off earlier this year but that was a result of exhaust from the car settling into the lower level (our bathroom vents into the garage and hence the garage vents into the house). This time we had both been home for a few hours so that was not the cause of the alarm.

Full disclosure: I have grown even more paranoid since becoming pregnant. I flipped out.

We placed a call to Xcel to have a tech come out and look at the furnace. Of course, they staff lightly for such late night calls and it took the guy 2 hours to finally get to the house. He left by 1:00 AM and said our levels weren't that high but that we might want open the windows for a bit to clear out the current levels, 'limit the use' of the furnace and have someone come out ASAP today. I turned the heat way down b/c my paranoia had yet to abate, despite his reassurance that we would be OK. There are reasons doctors tell pregnant women to quit smoking - carbon monoxide being one of them. I did a quick look online while the tech was checking things out (note to self - stay off the internet when ultra-paranoid) and read some semi-scary info about low-birth weight and other factors resulting from carbon monoxide in the womb.

When the heat kicked on at 5:00 AM this morning I jumped out of bed and turned it down again (we have it pre-programmed). And again when I got up about an hour later. I didn't sleep too well, worried about how this is impacting baby Whitcomb.

As I was heading out the door for work Pete expressed the thought that all we would be doing today is spending money. The carpet installers are coming in to lay the carpet for the baby's room and we know we have to shovel out the dough for a new furnace. The silver lining in all this is we have a very good friend who owns his own HVAC business. I just talked to Pete and JR is already at the house measuring for a new heat blaster. Just knowing JR will advise us like he was looking/buying for his house makes me feel better about going home.

Doing my part today to keep the US economy going.

Week 19

Nearly half way there!

The babe is as large as a small zuke. He/she has been swimming around like mad the last week. I have put my hand on my belly to see if it can be felt externally but so far it seems to be only on the inside. Next week at this time we should know if we are having baby boy Whitcomb or baby girl Whitcomb, provided he/she isn't curled up in a fashion that will not allow us to see. I'm not looking forward to the 32 oz of water I have to drink beginning at 6am but it will only be for an hour.

Apparently the babe can hear things going on around it (outside of the blood coursing through my veins). It will learn to recognize my voice and according to babycenter.com, the heart rate drops when the babe hears its mother's voice. Pretty cool. I guess I better stop swearing now, eh?

I'm still able to wear some of my pre-preggers shirts but most of them are sitting on the floor in the baby's room. We're getting new carpet installed in there on Thursday afternoon so I have to come up with some sort of plan. I am looking forward to getting the crap out of there soon, I am willing to park my car outside all spring if it means I can clean out the room and get the crib and such in place. So much to do - seems like so little time!

College drinking and pregnancy

I never would have guessed it. My college drinking days just helped me deal with a pregnancy issue. I ate a late lunch today due to meetings and as a result found myself scarfing down my strawberries/vanilla yogurt combo. As I ran out the door to run some quick errands as my lunch hour I started to feel a bit odd. I wasn't sure what was happening to me. Suddenly I realized it was the dreaded heartburn. I should count my blessings that I have made it 18.5 weeks into my pregnancy with no heartburn, eh? Around week 14 I picked up some Tums at Target which have been languishing in the bathroom cupboard. (Note to self: pack them in my purse tomorrow.) I didn't really have time to run home and pick up the Tums and started to wonder how I would make it through the rest of the work day with this discomfort. Then it dawned on me!! The last time I had heartburn was college. We were at the bar, doing shots of buttery nipples (a combo of Butterscotch Schnapps & Baileys Irish Cream). Since we didn't have any Tums on hand at the bar (go figure) someone had the bright idea of chewing gum, specifically minty gum (spearmint, peppermint, wintergreen, etc). That seemed to help relieve the sensation to some degree. So, I grabbed the mints out of my purse and popped a couple in my mouth. By the time I pulled back into the parking lot at work the worst of the discomfort had passed.

Who would have thought those college experiences would come in handy at this point in my life. These are things I should remember when my kid calls me from the bar some day, right? That he/she might be learning a valuable lesson in life. Yeah right....

Not my building

Thank goodness this didn't happen in my building. I understand the challenges with overpopulation but still can't come to bring myself to condone thinning the herd. I had a hard time late last year when they closed off the priory near our house because the snipers were on the ground taking out the deer. We have many deer in our back yard and while it is frustrating when they eat the corn I have planted... they are such a cool beast to see tracking through the snow and frolicking in our yard.

Something is moving

I'm thinking it is the kid. Seems like since Wednesday I've had more 'activity' in my belly. On Wednesday I felt something like a bubble move across the middle of the inside of my belly. People have told me that it might feel like gas, another said it felt like a paint brush brushing inside of her belly. While I'm not sure if the kid is jumping around and stretching in there I know this is not gas. It's pretty cool.

Every once in a while I feel what seems like little kicks (I know they aren't but it's hard to describe) in my lower belly. This morning I threw some classical music in my backpack and the headphones and had the baby listen to some music while I worked.

Our ultrasound is slated for March 19th at 7am. We will be finding out what we are having since we are both planners. 17 days until we know if it is Baby Girl Whitcomb or Baby Boy Whitcomb!

Too close to work

I experienced the reverse effect of living so close to work today. While 364 days out of the year I am blessed with a 5 minute commute (10-15 door to door) and hardly any 'traffic' to speak of...today I had no excuse to not make it into work today because of the snow. My boss jokes that I could actually walk to work if the roads weren't clear. I am looking at a very lightly populated parking lot.

BOOKS for the snowstorm

Per Carrie

In the list of books below, bold the ones you’ve read, italicize the ones you want to read, cross out the ones you won’t touch with a ten-foot pole, put a cross (+) in front of the ones on your book shelf, and asterisk (*) the ones you’ve never heard of.

1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. +The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. +The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. +The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L. M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. *A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. *A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling)
17. *Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. +The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban(Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. +The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. +The Catcher in the Rye (J. D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. *The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. +I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. +Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. +Bible (parts of it)
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. +Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. +She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
64. +Interview with the Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. *Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. +One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. +Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. *The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
81. *Not Wanted On the Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down (Richard Adams)
87. +Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. *The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. *Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. *Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. *In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. +The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S. E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)


I'm amazed at the number of books on the list that I haven't read. Yikes! And I consider myself a reader. I guess brain candy doesn't really fit on this list (i.e. the rest of the S. King novels I have read like the entire Gunslinger series).

What a difference a month makes

January 14, 2007


February 20, 2007


Pete's sympathy belly - Feb 20

Winter is back

Shots from the west side of our house in the basement. We have a split level so the window is about half way up the wall. Gotta love drifting snow!

Can't tell how much snow we got due to the drifting but it was at least 6 inches. I was insnae and drove to Mpls for a friends bachelorette last night. What is normally a 25 minute drive was closer to 45 minutes since no one could see the lanes and 94 was snow covered. Luckily I didn't see any accidents.

Am I really suffering?

This year I decided to give up chips for lent. All chips. In the past I have focused on a specific kind of chip, usually based on an obsession of sorts (one year it was Pringles Light - yum). My latest obsession has been Cheez-Its. The baked cheesy saturated fat goodness that calls to me every time I even consider walking near Vendo-Land. This is a very hard thing to avoid since the women's bathroom is right near Vendo-Land and while the pregnancy bathroom breaks haven't yet gotten out of control I know it will in the near term. This year I fear that if I do not give up all sorts of chips I will find myself replacing my beloved Cheez-Its with something else (Baked Lays, Fritos, Cheetoes, etc.). Cold turkey on the chips. Pete couldn't come up with anything he wanted to give up but finally settled on ice cream. One year he gave up coffee - the year I was working at the coffee shop. He would come and smell my hair after I got off shift and ask me what beans I measured out before leaving. I swear I felt him salivating some times on top of my head. Last year he gave up chewing tobacco (whoo-hoo!). Those really are his two major dependencies so he was left trying to find something he felt would be an actual sacrifice. We have decided that during this time of roller coaster pregnancy hormones it might not be the best decision to have him give up coffee again. He was hard enough to deal with the first go around.

We took some pictures of my belly this week which I will post this weekend. Sometimes it feels huge but when I look at the clothing I got from my sister and Robin I realize I am nowhere near huge yet. I have gained just over 10 pounds (cripes!) so I know I have a long way to go. I can also tell you where quite a bit of that weight has landed. Made an emergency trip to Victoria's Secret this week and found myself making a purchase on some goods I never thought I would see myself wearing. Needless to say the hubby is pleased by this by-product of pregnancy. And they will only continue to grow!

We had spring for a few days this week - glorious 40 degree weather. We lost nearly all of our snow and it was wonderful to smell the earth again. There is something about everything being covered for several months and the smell of the thaw. Earlier this week I saw 5 male cardinals sitting on the deck eating some seeds we had thrown out earlier in the winter. They were so excited and chirp, chirp, chirping away. But, as any good Minnesota native knows, spring isn't really here until after state hockey and basketball tourneys. And we're under a winter storm watch at the moment. Rain, ice and snow - perhaps 8 inches by the end of the weekend. Oh well... I know we need the rain/snow because we are so behind so I'm going to grin and bear it and patiently wait for spring.

Is she or isn't she?

Twice this weekend I heard "well I wondered but didn't want to say anything" when I mentioned to people that I was preggers. I'm showing a bit but unless you already know one would assume it is just me getting lazy and not exercising. Both of the people I heard this from hadn't seen me in several months/years so I'm not surprised they didn't want to say anything for fear that I would kill them. My weight obsession is well known in my circle of friends and no one wants to be the person to ask me if I am preggers without having a good idea that is the case.

My biggest issue is the 'other area' weight gain. If I could keep everything in the front of me I would be just fine but I gotta say, I'm not liking the extra weight that is finding its way to my hips and butt. Pete says it's all there to help me in the end, without it I couldn't handle pregnancy. I say that's bullshit and he is just trying to make me feel better. Needless to say I worked out last week and started lifting again (nothing too heavy so don't worry!).

I was also very surprised this weekend by how tired I was with the business of the weekend. My friend Jen got married on Saturday and I was one of the personal attendants. I was running around helping her pre-ceremony and pinning what seemed like a million corsages on people. I danced for quite a while at the reception but started to get a wee bit worried about the babe towards 11pm. I realized that I was dancing like I wasn't preggers. Jumping around and generally getting down (to the best of my ability). Was I doing any damage to the babe? Was he/she getting knocked about in the womb? I'm sure the babe was OK but nonetheless, it made me sit down and calm down. Pete wasn't with me (don't get me started on why he wasn't there) so I headed home by myself trying to repeat "everything is OK, everything is OK" over and over. I left the door open so Tabitha could come sleep with me, hoping it would help calm me down. I woke up on Sunday sore, tired and feeling like I was hungover. Knowing I didn't have anything with alcohol in it I came to the conclusion that I was dehydrated and started slamming water.

Interesting new development: my sense of smell is getting stronger and stronger. No aversions yet (which I hear is very common) but everything is much more potent.

Happy Valentine's Day

I have been munching on Dove chocolate the last couple of weeks at work. Deadly habit. Here are some of my favorite sayings I have found.

Be a little mysterious.

Trust with your heart, not your head.

Make someone melt today.

Chocolate always loves you back. (AMEN!!)

Have a great Valentine's Day!

The Weekend

My hubby was gone this weekend, he was off on his snowmobile somewhere in eastern WI, western MI. So Tabitha and I had a girls weekend. Whenever he leaves for a long weekend, Tabby and I spend serious quality time together - and she gets to sleep in our bed (she is otherwise banned from the bedroom, bathroom, baby's room, kitchen, because of his issue with cat hair - like he doesn't shed...). Anyway, not so when it is just her and me.

We spent the time watching TV, reading on the couch and taking naps. All around very nice and relaxing.

Attended a benefit on Saturday night for an old co-worker's husband who was recently diagnosed with ALS. Earlier I had met with another old co-worker/friend at the gallery where her wedding will be held (I am shooting the wedding) and she asked if I wanted to go. Having never been to a benefit I thought, why the heck not. They are holding a benefit because for many years he was a private business owner but he sold the business in 2005 because it wasn't profitable and started to look for work in corporate America. He wasn't having the best of luck and several months later we learned he has ALS. The company she works for is small (20 people) so the benefits are OK, not great. Needless to say, things are very tight and they are having trouble covering medical expenses for his treatment.

We didn't do the dinner ($150/plate) but donated some money for the raffle and toured the silent auction. Over 250 people (!) RSVP'd yes for dinner - and all the food was donated so the money is going straight to the family. As with all the money generated from the silent auction. They had some pretty amazing stuff in the auction so I am sure it generated some bidding wars. I had my camera on hand from earlier so I snapped a few shots and am sending them to my old co-worker (along with a donation to the family). I sure hope it all turned out well for them.

It was overwhelming to see the number of people who came out to support this great couple. It makes me teary just thinking about it all. We left when everyone sat down to dinner and I have to admit, part of me was relieved. I don't know how well I would have handled the speeches and the emotion that I knew would come later on. I wear my heart on my sleeve without having pregnancy hormones coursing through my system - I can only imagine how much of a weeper I would have been had we stayed much longer. I know it is hard for my friend and it just makes my heart hurt to think about what lies ahead for her, her husband and three kids. My thoughts and prayers are with them.

All the more reason...

to have cots placed strategically around the office. Napping article from Yahoo.

Am I getting old?

I used to watch the Grammys. I used to know who most of the bands/people were when they got on stage. I have noticed over the last several years that I have no desire to watch this award show. One would think with my past obsession with music and my dream of owning my own music club I would be a bit more interested. But I'm not. We flipped over to the show once or twice - I was about to flip the channel back to Discovery Channel when I saw the Dixie Chicks get up to receive the award for Not Ready to Make Nice. I mentioned to Pete that Greg Louris had written a song for them on this album and thought maybe it was him walking up with the girls. While it wasn't Greg, it was another wonderful Minneapolis man - Dan Wilson. I was so happy to see him up there - my Minneapolis pride was bursting! And of course, I had to explain to my music-illiterate husband the previous Dan Wilson outings and the shows I went to at First-Ave.

So, I'm not sure if this is a sign that I am getting old or if it has more to do with the fact that the Grammy Awards don't really focus on my type of music. You don't see a lot of small venue, bar bands make it to the Grammys. And when they do, people tend to assume they have sold out (think Soul Asylum). And I'm OK with that.

Chattering teeth

I wasn't going to do it. I swore I wouldn't post anything about the subzero weather. But I can't take it anymore! Every year I ask myself why in heaven's name I live in this tundra. I don't mind a little cold weather - it's when every morning for several days in a row start below zero. I'm a baby, I know.

The hardest part for me is walking into work. I live only a couple miles from my office so my car is just warm enough by the time I park it. I also work for a very large company (10,000 or so people on the main campus) so parking lots fill up quickly. The walk to the main doors is the worst. I'm not sure if it is how the wind whips around the buildings or what exactly creates this vortex of cold but it is wicked - the so cold your eyes water type of walk.

Yesterday we got a wee bit of snow and it is so cold in our garage that the snow on top of my car did not melt yet. Yikes. Today we're expected to get to a whopping 10' - it's going to feel like a heat wave compared to the -10 I drove in this morning.

Impatiently waiting for spring.

Dash away those Monday blues

Can we tell I'm bored yet? I've not posted in several days and this is post #4 today. Whew. Just found this fun on Sarillia. I've been playing around with my name. Holly alone doesn't work (not enough to work with) but my first name and maiden name make up some great combos, not to mention when I throw in my middle name. I might have to add in my confirmation name just for giggles. Next I will check the potential baby names in the mix just to be sure we don't set the kid up for failure.

My personal favorites:
CHILLER PHONY
CRONY HELL HIP,
PRICY HELL HON,
RICH HELP ONLY,
CHIRPY HELL NO (I feel like there should be a question here - Chirpy? Hell No)


See what your name can be here.

Defy Gravity!

It's slow today. I've been zooming around reading news items and other blogs to keep me entertained. Found this interesting article on the Wonder Spot on Yahoo.

I didn't have the chance to go ~ have you ever gone? Is it a trip?

Growing out of my pants

Last weekend I went out to see if there were any maternity pants/jeans out there I could begin to wear now through the end of the pregnancy. I don't want to spend a lot of money on clothing that I will wear for a mere 9 months. Heck, I still have pants that I bought 4 years ago that I wear (yes, I know, someday you WILL see me on TLC's What Not to Wear).

My sister gave me all of her maternity clothing which has been a big help. This way I don't have to go out and buy a lot of casual work clothing. She had her babies in the summer as well so her clothing choices align perfectly with our due date. However, she is a half a foot taller so I need to shorten everything. Even the one pair I bought are too long (the story of my life). Mom came up on Saturday to help me shorten my pants. I am not much of a seamstress. The stretchy material kept bunching up on me and I quickly became frustrated. Thank goodness I have a mother with the patience of a saint. I think I should be good as long as I find a couple of skirts for the warmer summer months.

One tip I have for any mom who can swing it ~ borrow as many items as you can from friends, family or go to the Goodwill if you don't have any issues with wearing pre-worn clothing. I went to a hip store that I would love to afford but am unwilling to pay $105 for a pair of jeans. I am obviously not their target customer as I refuse to pay that much for a pair of jeans that I will wear for years, much less 9 months. No way. I have to pay for new carpet, paint, diapers, college degrees, who knows how much other stuff in the next 18 years. I'll save my money and go buy a pair of $14.99 jeans on sale at Old Navy thank you.

Big Game

We ordered a pizza (sausage and green olive) from our favorite neighborhood pizzaria and settled in to watch the game. I made it through most of the game last night, below are some thoughts:

• I was surprised that on the first play of the game Indy couldn't cover Devin Hester. One would think that the kickoff coverage team would have worked on nothing else for the past two weeks than to cover that man. I thought the game was going to swing in Chicago's favor at that point since I wasn't sure how Indy would handle the rain.
• The number of turnovers in the first half felt very reminiscent of the Saints game against the Bears (which the Bears dominated in the end).
• Brian Urlacher is the heart of the Bears defense. I swear I could feel his energy through the television set.
• Where in the world was Rex Grossman? In the third quarter it felt like he hadn't even been on the field. Most of this game from the wise decision not to throw the ball down field very often due to the weather but it felt like he was a non-issue in the game. Which proved to be accurate in the end.
• I wouldn't call myself a Prince fan per se, but I do like him. I thought he did a great halftime show, one of the few I have actually stayed to watch. Pete mentioned at one point that it looked like he was actually having fun and enjoying himself. Always the showman, he didn't let the rain get him down.
• The commercials were OK but nothing stellar. Does one department of CBS have to pay another department of CBS for all the advertising they did during the Superbowl? Are they the filler when spots are left open because not everyone wants to pay $2.6MM to have a 30 second spot? My personal favorite was the animated Coke commercial. I know it isn't on any 'best ad' list but I liked the message of the commercial and I liked the animation.

I crashed not long after the Colts intercepted Grossman in the fourth resulting in the 82-yard touchdown. Pete woke me up with a few seconds left in the game so I could see the celebration begin. I was glad to see Tony Dungy win ~ I believe he deserved to win based on his character and he is a bright spot in the NFL. I wish there were more coaches like Tony & Lovie, the type who seem to show their players that respect gets you farther than idiocy. However, Lovie did let Tank Johnson back on the field...

The war of the virgule

My boss is, shall I say, particular about the use of grammar and punctuation in written documents. Perhaps it comes from his military background, perhaps his years in procurement with the US Navy, perhaps he is just a grammar and/or punctuation fanatic. The result, nonetheless, is the same - we feel like we are turning in a paper to our English teacher in high school and expect to get things back marked up with the horrid red pen (in reality he doesn't use a red pen).

Back in October he asked me if I knew what a comma was and when it should be used. I said, "I don't pause in my life so no, I don't know...". Kidding, of course. Correct punctuation is not the first thing on my mind when I am attempting to create a workbook on a topic for which I have knowledge. I blew it off and trudged along in my workbook.

He also has a tendency to use words and phrases that aren't typically used in our day to day conversations. Case in point - the use of the word virgule.

Early this month he shot me an email asking me if I thought it would be a good idea to put together a "style guide" for our department (there are SIX of us btw). A procedure had come across his desk, written by a team member that contained several slashes. My first step upon reviewing the email was to search Wikipedia for the word virgule. My naive Minnesota born brain had not heard of this word before. Upon review I learned that it is commonly referred to as a diagonal, slash, or slash mark and is used to between two words to suggest they are alternatives. It is also used in fractions, for typographical purposes and in poetry. His case is it cannot be used as a replacement for the phrase "and/or". My first question ~ why in the hell didn't he just use the word slash? Second question ~ why do we need a frickin' style guide for SIX people? Third question ~ how were we using it incorrectly?

This debate has spawned quite the war. Three members of the team are hotly contesting that we are using it appropriately when we refer to our company's customers as retailers/distributors/wholesalers/commercial customers. All of the terms are used interchangeably depending upon the business unit. We view this listing as alternatives that may be used within the company. He does not agree. This spiraled into a debate on whether one uses one space after a period before beginning the next sentence or two. My boss contends two, the rest of us content one. Any thoughts from the peanut gallery?

I doubt this will go away quietly. My coworker drafted an email last week that our boss basically rewrote and in which he used the word "promulgated". Promulgated, really? Can't we just use the word enacted? Or in this case, more appropriately published? Don't get me wrong, as a voracious reader and crossword fanatic I find it fun to learn new words. However, I don't expect others to share that same fascination and know when communicating with people at varying levels in an organization that I am better received if I don't treat them like idiots.

We're getting to the point where we don't put a lot of effort into writing anything anymore because we expect it to be ripped apart and changed. It's frustrating and somewhat demeaning. I imagine we are being overly sensitive about the whole thing and it has more to do with other issues which I cannot get into at this time but it interesting to me that the simple use of a slash has blossomed into this war.

Makes me think about the wars we've had in the world and what really spawned them. Perhaps someone got pissed off about the use of a virgule.

AFC vs. NFC

I blew the picks on this weekends games but I am glad that I did.

Colts vs. Pats
I was glued to the TV last night watching the Colts/Pats game (what a game, eh?). I met Tony Dungy in the Tampa Bay airport many years ago. He was sitting in coach in the same row as me on the other side of the plane. I started chatting with him as we were exiting the plane ~ he is a very approachable man and was very, very, very nice. He had been up in northern Minnesota that week fishing with some old friends from his Coordinator days with the Vikes. Ever since then I have been a Dungy fan. I respect his style and his quiet manner when dealing with all the madness of coaching in the NFL.

I am also a Manning fan (jumped on that band-wagon long ago). He strikes me as a down to earth player and I respect his ability to read the field and drive the team. And he's good at making fun of himself.

I had a bit of a push-pull yesterday as I was cheering for the Colts. On one side of the field was Maroney. I watched him develop and grow over the last two years while he played for Minnesota. On the other, is Ben Utecht who was a great TE with Minnesota. Maroney had a crap game and Utecht was hurt in the 3rd (?) with a hyper-extended knee. It was a tough one for me.

Bears vs. Saints
I didn't watch this game but listed on the radio. Was the entire first half just a whole mess of turnovers? Couldn't anyone hang onto the ball? It's hard when you are listening to the radio to get a sense of what is happening on the field so I have to cut both sides some slack. I didn't get to see what happened in the last quarter but heard that it began to get pretty touch and go with the weather. Was that what saved the Bears? (Another reason why MN needs to have an outdoor stadium damnit)

I know I should be cheering for the Bears come Superbowl Sunday as they are from our division and my dad always taught me to cheer for teams from our division if we are knocked out (does not apply to Green Bay however ~ that's a whole other story). But I can't do it. My second favorite team is Indy.

Go COLTS!!!

Sounds

Official due date: August 5, 2007.

We heard the heartbeat today. Kind of a whoosing sound and all of a sudden the thump-thump-thump comes through and moves off. Apparently my little babe has plenty of room so she/he is swimming all around. It's hard for me to imagine that something 2 inches long has that much room to swim around in there...but what do I know? Heartbeat is around 170 beats/minute. That's my heart rate when I typically do cardio~my babe is working out!

All checks out with the doctor and things are progressing as they should. I asked about weight gain and she said I should expect to come in around 25 lbs. That makes me feel better, after having read I was supposed to gain only 15 lbs. Like hell.

We talked about doing a test to determine if the babe has Downs Syndrome and/or other issues. It's a new test, not an amnio, that has significantly less risk of miscarriage. I'm somewhat ambivelant. I wouldn't abort the child even if I knew she/he was diagnosed with Downs Syndrome so I'm debating on whether or not this is something I should consider. Pete is in the same boat.

I freaked a bit when we got home. I picked up Tabitha and all of a sudden I was hit with the overwhelmingness of it all. Man alive. Life will never, ever, ever be the same. What the hell are we doing? Am I up for this? I have enough trouble being a step mom how in the world am I going to handle this 24/7???

Wait on the weight

I am dreading gaining weight with the pregnancy. I have always paid attention to (read have been obsessed) by my weight. Up until the last five years I have had a pretty easy time keeping weight off. The combination of my metabolism slowing down and my lack of exercise (which I know impacts my metabolism) has caused me some angst the last couple of years.

I stepped on the scale last week and it showed that I have already gained five pounds. Shit. That is what I was trying to lose before getting pregnant. How large am I going to get? I did a survey online entering my height and it calculated that I should only gain about 15 lbs. Double shit. I am 1/3 of the way to that mark and I'm still in the first trimester. how the hell large am I going to get?

I am hesitating on buying new clothing because I want to have the motivation to lose weight after having the baby. I'm at the in-between stage where maternity clothing doesn't fit yet but I can't fit into my non-preggers clothing. Instead I can just buy pants/skirts that are 1-2 sizes larger than normal. Yeah...that's motivating. I went to Hot Mama on Grand last week and picked up a Bella Band which I hope will help me hold on for a few more weeks. Last night I got back onto the elliptical and did a quick workout. And - I didn't have any ice cream. Maybe if I just don't act like a glutton I will gain only the weight needed.

When I look at myself I don't feel like I look big. It isn't until I put on my pants or step onto the scale. I know that I will have to gain weight to have a healthy baby but I am dreadfully afraid of not being able to lose it. I will be going back to work after my leave expires so there isn't the option of staying at home and carrying the baby to-and-fro to help with the weight loss. I know many working mom's have lost their baby weight but were they 34 when they had their child? I'm seriously thinking about asking for a membership to a weight loss program for my birthday next year as a way to get me motivated.

Urgh.

Observe the ticker

As some insightful blog reader has already noted, I have posted a ticker at the top of the page. Yes, it is true, the Whitcomb brood is expanding. This will be grandchild number 9 on the Whitcomb side and grandchild number 4 (including Jordan) on the Pichner side. Estimated due date is the beginning of August. I head to my first OB exam in a couple of weeks so I hope to have more concrete information. Thus far it has consisted of my reading books, articles and websites. I have been really blessed with NO morning sickness or any other adverse reactions (not even a weird craviing to speak of - unless you count wanting to eat all the time), other than wanting to sleep all the time and not sleeping well at night. All very normal I hear.

So far I can still fit into most of my clothing, although I have to admit I was pushing the limit on some prior to having this excuse! We've already picked out paint colors for the baby's room (I have to tell you - that whole phrase kinda freaks me out) and Pete started sanding down the walls yesterday. We're going with green/yellow, sky blue and lucky clover. Since I am not a fan of pink I know that even if we are having a girl I was not going to princess out the room.

I vow to share as much as I can about this experience while keeping some of the more 'intimate' or 'sensitive' things to myself. As my friend J has already commented, good friends and all, she does not want to hear everything just yet. More news and pictures to come!

At one with the Universe

I started my new yoga class last night. I switched to a different studio because of the type of a specific type of yoga I wanted to partake in for a while. Previously I have taken a class through a local community college which is taught by a woman who also does cranio-sacral therapy. It's Iyengar which I really dig because it really makes you listen to your body and focus on the balance of your breath with your pose. I also liked this class as our instructor holds a relaxation session for 10-15 minutes at the end of each session and works with us to move into a meditative state.

The class I am taking now is Hatha based and taught by a woman who I learned is a breast cancer survivor. She, like most yoga instructors I know, seems to be so balanced emotionally and even physically (they flow when they move).

It was great energy last night. The room was super cold when we came in last night so we started doing some chi-kong to bring us into center with the universe and help warm ourselves up. It was really cool, we did a move where we were standing with feet hip width apart and moving our arms back and forth from the shoulder sockets with fingers splayed, palms facing the chest. We brought our hands close together but did not touch fingers and then moved them apart, back and forth 9 times. And you could fell the energy between your hands as they moved back and forth - amazing to me what we can sense if we let our minds go from the other crap that follows us around during the day and just let it check in with our bodies.

I need to find a way to do this everyday. Whenever I leave class I always feel more refreshed and peaceful. Something I need more and more of as life gets more complicated.

I CAVED!

I couldn't resist them. I saw them as I was warming up my lunch. I initially resisted and walked away with my healthy cod and long grain rice. However, they hauntingly called my name from upstairs, through the glass with the floresent lights shinning so brightly on their case. I tried in vain to think about other options, but to no avail. All I could think of was their salty, cheesy goodness.

Damn Cheez-it's got me again.

What happened to Big 10 football?

I didn't even go downstairs to watch the game last night. On my way home from yoga I heard Florida score and had a bad feeling about the game (plus after four games this past weekend I am a bit fatigued). Flipped on the mac when I got home and couldn't believe my eyes. Just before the half and the score was 34-14. Something isn't right, I thought. Who is injured? What in the world is happening? Opened up YahooSports this morning and the headline reads: "Buckeyes fail to bring the passion". I ask, did THE Ohio State players even show up on the field? They were held to 82 yards and Smith was 4-14. What the...???

As a Gopher football season ticket holder I am accustomed to losses, but I never expected to see Ohio State fall this badly. Coupled with Michigan's loss to USC and the fact that out of the 6 teams from the Big Ten to head to bowl games only Wisconsin won. Crazy. Is our division really what it used to be? I think not. We have four programs in the division with fairly reputable records in the last 15 years (OSU, Michigan, Iowa and Wisconsin). After that it's a toss up from year to year.

I knew that our division was a bit cushy this year but I would have thought the BSC masters would have determined the same things and given Ohio and Michigan the credit, only if they thought they could beat the USC's and Florida's of the world. Hmm... that idea of divisional playoffs does sound appealing.

On a selfish note, does this have any impact on recruiting for MN? Can we get a head coach who wants to not only come to a school with a poor record and slow moving program but also a division that captures only one bowl game? I was hoping that some of the appeal of coaching at MN would be the chance to go up against the Michigan and OSU's of the world, but I fear that carrot has gone by the wayside.

Oh well, as my boss, the Notre Dame fan says: There is always next year. Or the year after.

Lame

I have been so lame the last several days. I'm not sure if all the holiday hula-ba-loo wore me out or what but I have been lazy. Of course, I am starting my third book in the last four days so I have been somewhat productive in that respect.

I was supposed to head to First Ave with the kids on Friday night for the Tapes 'N Tapes show but since it didn't start until 9pm I flaked. I haven't been to a show in a couple of months so one would think I would be itching to head out for some excitement but no... I was reading and sleeping on the couch by 7pm. How lame.

To cap things off I didn't even leave the house on NYE. Jordan had a pal over for a few hours, Pete's only excursion out of the house that eve was to run Jordan's pal home. At least I made it to midnight (due in large part to the 5 cat naps I took that evening). Pete however, did not make it. He crashed about 11:30pm and struggled to make it upstairs! I heard the fireworks and was in bed reading again at midnight. What a way to bring in the New Year!!

I know why I am so tired these days (explanation to come later) but it is so amazing how uninterested I am in doing things. January is not my favorite time of the year, I don't dig the cold weather and being outside just doesn't get me moving. We did go for an hour long walk yesterday to take in some of the snow sights. It's like I just want to hibernate until spring. So much for being the hearty Minnesotan!

Plastic Bag Overload

During my quest for anything entertaining today I found an interesting post on the Readymade blog. We typically use plastic bags as our trash bags in bathrooms and bedrooms but we have more than we need. Since we don't have a dog and the kitty litter tends to fall through the holes in many of the bags we're always looking for other means for use. This is by far the most creative I've seen!

Must Keep Eyes Open

This week is dragging. Like many people I am working this week while most are off enjoying the time with family, relaxing or cleaning up after the holidays. Every year I have the debate with myself - do I waste vacation time to escape the slowness of the last week in the year?

I am lucky to have a couple coworkers with me this week. However, I have nothing, nothing, nothing due. And no motivation to start anything else. My eyes are burning from hitting as many sites as possible (from different types of olive oil to neopets to yahoo games). My radio station isn't coming in very well either so I feel as though I am stuck in the cube of neverending boringness.

I am breaking up the day by reading the book our boss gave the team to read: The Seven Signs of Ethical Collapse. Instead of instilling ethical behavior in me it makes me want to run screaming for the non-Corporate life. Depressing that people would take these actions and behave so selfishly (lots of discussion 'bout WorldCom, Tyco, HealthSouth, etc).

Urgh. I am anti-work today.

Future Vikings Player?

Jake with his Moore jersey.

Boys and their toys

Couple of photos of my sister's boys from our Christmas gathering on Saturday.

Alex opening his Robin costume from Aunt Holly, Uncle Pete and Cousin Jordan





Ryan with his gift from Grandpa Jim P & Gamma

Holiday Sights

Our Christmas Lights after an icy rain


Our tree in the morning before dawn

It's a rebuilding year, right?

In years past the need to beat Green Bay has been strong. I spent most of my college years surrounded by Packer fans since many of my college roomies were from WI. We turned those games into bets for beer, head shaving and the like. I have since calmed down quite a bit but a loss like the one last night still leaves me dissappointed and frustrated.

I realize we have a new coach, a rookie quarterback and that the weather was hostile in Green Bay (when isn't it??) but really, we looked horrible. Not only did we fail to develop any sort of offense but the 'zone defense' wasn't exactly spot on. Although Antione Winfield once again showed the rest of the team how to actually play football. Granted, without a solid receiving core we have some issues but it's not like we don't have other play makers on the team. I don't expect MN teams to win every year and be fantasic all the time but his season has been really disappointing. I'm hoping next year pans out to be a team that can perform above 500 - and can beat Green Bay at least once.

Full disclosure - After feeling extremely frustrated during the first quarter I fell asleep off and on for the rest of the game.

Little Chef's

Ryan helping mom




Alex making cookies

6 days to go!

Only six more days until the holiday is upon us. At our house it really is an extended holiday, as is the norm I suppose. I headed to my parent's on Sunday to help frost cookies with my family (including the nephews). Pictures of this fun to be posted later tonight! Pete decided to stay home and relax. Too much family makes this boy a wee bit edgy and with what we have in store for this weekend he thought it best to sit and watch the Vikings lose yet another game.

This year we start celebrating on Saturday at my sister's house. Between the cookies we made on Sunday and the batch I am hauling from our house we will be full of butter and sugar! What a way to start the family filled weekend. The next day we will head to my in-laws for some serious noise time, whoops, I mean family time. With all eight grandchildren in attendance it can get a little crazy, especially when there are gifts to unwrap. Christmas Eve mass rounds out that day. The next day we head to the extended Whitcomb family gathering. One thing they don't prepare you for in couplehood is the constant juggling of family gatherings. If we go here, where do we need to go next year? And both Pete & I are pretty tight with our families so it makes it a bit of challenge. Oh well, this is a problem I should complain about????

I'll make sure to take a plethora of photos for posting after the weekend. There's nothing like pictures of kids with huge grins on their faces.

Pews

Pete & I headed to our church this morning to help with some cleaning. An attempt to keep costs in line. After about 3.5 hours and who knows how many pews later we left the church in a mad dash to reach the post office smelling like Murphy Oil Soap. I never realized how dirty our pews were until this morning. Our church is over 125 years old and our parish is about 1200 people. When you think about all the traffic that has gone through that place... I doubt I will look at pews the same again.

Only one more gift to purchase for the Christmas season. Still no snow on the ground. Just over a week way from Christmas and not a touch of white, unless you count the 'ski' hills. I read about Honda's new hydrogen car this morning (coming in 2008) and started to seriously think about buying one when my beloved Corolla finally kicks the bucket. The Honda isn't priced yet though so I fear it would be some serious sticker shock. But the idea of not emitting anything but water is tempting. I am shocked at how easily people I work with toss recycleable items in the trash, mostly soda cans and bottles. I understand some people think I am odd for picking through the trash but seriously, how hard is it to walk 25 yards to the recycling bin??? Yeesh. No one is that busy at his/her desk to get up and take care of it, think of it as an excuse to get away from your desk for a couple of minutes. I would like to leave this world in good condition for my children and extended family. I am saddened when I see trash piles heaped and little in the recycling bins. I know I have ranted about this topic before so I'll step off my soap box and give it a rest.

One thing I love

My job can be tedious from time to time. I have content experts I work with but for the most part I work by myself drafting training materials and synthesizing information. But today, I got to do something I love. Present. There are few things in my life that give the same level of energy as getting up in front of a crowd of people and educating them on a topic. I love, love, love it. It's like a high. And I don't get to do it nearly as much as I would like. Granted, once the session is done, it feels a lot like coming down off a high. I am tired, a little out of it and hoping for the next fix. Which looks like it will come on Monday!

I have been told that public speaking is often a person's biggest fear. This boggles my mind, not that I think people who feel that way are wrong, just that even when I am nervous, once I get going in the session, everything else goes away. Whatever I was worried about disappears. I don't see what is happening behind me, only with the people in front of me and on my presentation.

Oh well, back to my dreary desk with no windows. Can't wait to experience the high again on Monday.

Has it really been that long?

Omigosh. I just realized how long it has been since I logged on... time has flown the last couple of weeks, although nothing really exciting is happening. Just the general business of life. Most of my photo shoots for the holidays wrapped up the first week in December. It was pretty fun to have to lug my gear around for the last few weeks and spend some time with friends. You'll have to check out the whitcombcreative site soon as I hope to add some new material.

Holiday cards were created and sent out. Jordan thinks we're mad to make our cards every year but despite all the work, Pete and I enjoy making them as you can be sure no one else has a card like this one. We just ordered our client cards last night and this year we are using one of my recent photos of a holiday ornament. Hopefully this will drum up a bit of new business for both of us.

My insomnia seems to have returned but my asthma has lessened. According to my doctor, he doesn't know if one leads to the other... Urgh. Last night was a particularly rough night. If I get angry I'm pretty much done for and I was pissed when I woke up at 4am. I know it just makes it worse, it's like I can't shut off the switch in my brain, even when I try to distract myself by thinking of spaces where I feel peace. I just don't know how long I can last with only 5 hours of sleep at night.

I am itching to be done with school. Only one more class left. This time I swear I am not going back. I admit I might take a art class here or there but I am not paying another dime for a 14 week course.

We still don't have any snow in the Twin Cities. Seems so odd to be driving to work in the rain on December 12th. Hopefully this will turn out to be a white Christmas.

The Human Body

We know so little about ourselves don't we. And I don't mean emotionally (that's a whole other post for another day). I mean doctor's and medical specialists still know relatively little about why our body reacts to certain things. While in a stats class in grad school my prof illustrated risk analysis by discussing how doctor's have to assess conditions of their patients and make decisions about what might be the potential issue and hence a course of action. Because we are such complex beings, our prof said that often times the doctor is really looking at 5 different things and trying to determine which is the best course of action. And then, take into consideration that many human beings have a hard time describing what the ailment looks/feels like.

This has all come back to me as I have been battling a 'breathing issue' for the last year and a half. I often yawn excessively and can't take a deep breath. I know I have experienced this two other times in my life but in both instances the issue didn't last more than 2 weeks. I finally went to see a doctor in June of 2005. After chest xrays, a TB test (family members are carriers), a pulmonary test and a quick lesson in diaphragmatic breathing they told me they didn't know what was wrong. So I dealt with it, spent the last 12+ months trying to work on my breathing and finally went in to see a new doctor in September. She sent me to a lung specialist (who is actually my insomnia doctor too). This is where it gets interesting. All preliminary tests come back normal, oxygen in blood is fine. I even ran the TC 10 Mile and didn't have a problem. Some of this I attribute to the fact that I have been learning how to live like this for nearly 2 years... Anyway, my doctor decided to do an asthma test since that and allergies are the two things left to check of the list - before they decide it is psychosomatic. I did the asthma test the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and got the call yesterday on results. Turns out I have asthma but it is non-specific. And they want to see me again in six months.

Non-specific, eh? Can't tell what causes it, could it be the environment?, food?, stress? Who knows?!?! My hubby isn't too happy with them waiting for another six months to see me again. He's concerned because he sees how this affects me when it gets really bad (I do tend to get lethargic and very, very edgy). I don't know how I feel about it. Yes, I would like some answers but I also realize how little we know about how our body works. And sometimes I feel that western medicine does stop short when they don't take into consideration how the mind is such a powerful force.

I guess I will just continue to try and find the balance in my life and hope for the best!

Thunderstorms

Lightening, Thunder and Rain. On November 28th in Minnesota. And there are still people out there who don't believe global warming is a hoax. Come up here and let me tell you this isn't normal.

I've been tagged!

Per Carrie

1. What is your dream vacation?
Heading to a warm beach and sitting with a bunch of brain candy books beside me.
2. First music album you owned?
INXS
3. Song you sing in the shower?
I usually daydream in the shower or plan for the days events in my head. Pretty lame I know...
4. First dream job when you were a child?
Lawyer
5. Worst job you've ever had?
Hmmm...some of my past employers might read this. I plead the 5th.
6. Favorite spice?
Can Basil be a spice? Otherwise, ginger is another favorite.
7. Old TV show you wish you had on DVD?
Fantasy Island. I never go to see it as a kid.
8. Favorite game to play?
Monopoly
9. Least favorite color?
neon anything (amen Carrie - I'm with ya!)
10. Worst song ever?
Just one? How about anything by Mariah Carey?

Day Two

Yesterday was my first day without the beloved java bean. I had an asthma test yesterday so I couldn't drink any coffee prior to the exam. Since we are hoping to have a child in the not too distant future I thought I might as well get it over with and deal with the headaches now. Pete thinks I'm crazy, that I should have eased myself off my addiction, but much like when I quit smoking, if I don't do it full board I will slip back into the habit. I'm a cold turkey kind of quitter.

So far this morning it doesn't seem too horrible for Day Two. However, it hasn't really hit me and I expect by 9am I will be dealing with a headache and considering running to the cafeteria to get a tall non-fat vanilla latte. Hmmm...doesn't that sound good?

On a totally unrelated matter... If anyone needs any more proof that global warming is really a problem need not look any further. How many of us living in this great state, remember heading into the last weekend in November with NO snow on the ground. Granted, there was snow down south two weeks ago but that has since disappeared. How am I to get in the holiday spirit without any snow on the ground? Mind you, I am not a huge fan of the winter dragging on but I fear we will have a brown holiday season. As a native Minnesotan that doesn't sit too well with me...especially when I consider the underlying cause of the weather changes. It blows my mind that I just saw yet another car manufacturer (out of where, Detroit did you say??) put out their 'largest vehicle yet'. Pulease. Why, why, why do we need to drive automobiles that emit that much pollution and burn up that many resources?? Full disclosure here: my husband owns an SUV. Which I hope we can get rid of soon. He says he needs is for hauling 'stuff'. Yet, when we have to haul anything larger than 3x3 we have to rent a trailer. Hmmm... but he needs it for camping. I've seen small vehicles packed well enough to take all your gear camping and then some.

OK. Now that I've gotten that out of my system. I hope everyone has a delightful Thanksgiving holiday and all those traveling have a safe trip.

You want me to pay how much?

Cars. How I wish I could control public transit and make it go where I wanted to on my whim. The damage on my lovely auto will run nearly $1200. Turns out my starter was staying on and eventually melted the wiring harness, not to mentioned drained the brand-spanking new battery. Not what I wanted to hear before heading into the gift buying season. Hopefully this will take care of any issues, my ride will be fully functional and it will last another five years. Urgh.

On a more positive note, I entered five photos into a salon last night. My organization 'supports' a camera club that meets once a month. Last night was the second meeting I attended.

This is only the second time I have ever had my work judged. I am sensitive about my work. I don't have the highest level of confidence and always feel like a fraud. It was a big step for me to take in my work and let it be judged by 15 virtual strangers. Two of my photos were 'selected' and I was happy to feel myself responding positively to the feedback the group provided on the other three. I could see where they were going.

AND my name was drawn out of the hat for a month long 'showing' of my work in one of our buildings. I need to present 6 photos and 3 will be selected. They have already 'chosen' one, a personal family favorite I displayed last night. It's very exciting and validating. Instead of being scared about showing my work I hopethis will build my confidence, help me become both technically strong and more creative/free in my work. Then I can leave corporate America forever!!

Smoke & Movies

So, my car has been acting up quite a bit as of late. It doesn't want to start all the time and this morning it was really making a stink about moving out of the garage. It made some sort of noise that even brought Pete out of the house into the garage for a looksee (or a hearsee in this case). He wasn't sure what it was so asked that I let him know if it quit by the time I got to work. It made the rattling noise all the way to work, which is luckily only 2.5 miles. I parked the car and it continued to 'sputter'. I have never experienced this before. So, of course I called my omniscient husband to get his advice. After turning the car on and off a couple of times it started smoking. At first I thought it was just the heat that comes off cars. And then I got out - as fast as I could. Grabbed my purse and keys and got away from the car. The thing was SMOKING!! And it smelled like an electrical fire. All I could think of was a movie scene where the dumb chick was standing near her car when it exploded. OK. I admit I tend to overdramatize things but seriously... if you have never seen an electrical fire in your car wouldn't you move too?

In the meantime, someone who was going to park near me moved his car. Because of the impending explosion in the car? Who knows, he was the least of my worries this morning. What irks me the most is that I have quite a bit of money left to pay off on this wonderful 1999 automobile. Hopefully the 3 year extended warranty I bought at the time of purchase will cover this business. I really don't want to buy another car with the debt hanging over my head. Maybe we'll just have to get used to driving one automobile. Only working 2.5 miles from home I could figure out a way to get up and walk to work every morning. Sounds like I should be able to do it anyway, why have I been driving? Because I overschedule myself like a madwoman and have something going on nearly every night of the week.

Hmmm...maybe it's a sign I should stop driving so much. It's been an exciting morning to say the least!

Only in the Midwest

The difference between these photos is 10 miles. Only in the Midwest can you go from nearly 80' on Wednesday to 6-12 inches of snow. Took these on my way to my parent's house on Saturday.

Wheel of Fortune

Per Carrie

You are The Wheel of Fortune

Good fortune and happiness but sometimes a species of
intoxication with success

The Wheel of Fortune is all about big things, luck, change, fortune. Almost always good fortune. You are lucky in all things that you do and happy with the things that come to you. Be careful that success does not go to your head however. Sometimes luck can change.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Ghosts and Goblins

We had nearly 100 trick or treaters last night! I know we would have hit over 100 if we hadn't RUN OUT OF CANDY. I had a sinking feeling at 7pm when I started to see the bottom of the candy bowl and by 7:45 I was handing out less and less as the kids came to the door. Pete had the idea of counting this year so we could gauge how many to expect for next year. We are, apparently, a destination neighborhood for families. We're off main roads and have many cul-de-sacs so it's perfect for trick/treating.

Our first kids came around 5:45 and were the boys from across the street. I love these two as they remind me a lot of my sister's boys. I'm glad they were our first guests this year. We saw some good costumes and many with their jackets on as it was very cold for the little ones. Pete's favorite: snowmobiler (of course). Holly's favorite: Native American princess (she was adorable!!).

I can't wait until next year!

Crafty Carvers

We had a great day yesterday. The weather was beautiful! Although we were inside for most of the day. Over twenty pumpkins were carved by the family. Mostly by the kids. Adults spend most of the time helping the kids cut off the top and clean out the guts. Then we pick through and pull out the seeds for baking. This year we didn't have enough time to bake the seeds due to the delicious dinner and homemade bundt cake. Yummy!

Manual Labor

We're off to help clean up the church grounds today. To help keep costs down they have asked for volunteers to rake, weed, lay down mulch and who knows what else. Considering how long it has taken me to get my gardens ready for the snow/frozen tundra we could be there for a while.

Jordan is coming with us today and isn't looking forward to this one bit. I was thinking the other day as I raked some leaves that she has lived her life in a townhome (at her mom's) - where someone else takes care of the lawn/snow removal. Until we moved into our house, she never had then chance to do any type work. I swore I would never say this but here I go. When I was her age... I was mowing the lawn, raking the leaves, etc. And for Pete, he bailed hay and worked for his buddy's uncle making 3 bucks an hour hauling cement blocks. Ahhh....character. Should be good experience for her, eh? Are we the bad parents? Probably, but neither Pete or I feel you can learn a whole lot from sitting on your tush in front of the TV. Poor kid.

I am actually looking forward to it. I like seeing the 'progress' from cleaning up gardens and preparing for spring/fall. I'm sure that will wear off after a few hours of work and my hands/back and shoulders will be sore tomorrow but it's a good king of sore.

Tomorrow is pumpkin carving day at my in-laws. I'll be sure to take many photos of the kids in various stages of carving :)

Heavy Lids and Old Age

Boy am I feeling old this morning. The show last night was fantastic. The Hold Steady played to a sold out audience and I can attest to the fact that it made them happy. The lead singer, originally from the Twin Cities, was just stoked to have sold out a venue he began going to 20 years ago. As a Twin Cities music fan I understand. How cool would it be to think of yourself with bands like The Replacements, Husker Du, Soul Asylum, The Jayhawks and Atmosphere, just to name a few. I really am blessed to live in a city with a music scene that continues to generate creative tunes. Ahh... as the girls of That Dog sing... Minnneeaapolis, Minnneeapolis.

Nonetheless, as I move on in years one thing has become increasingly apparent. My bed time is early!! I typically head to bed somewhere between 10pm & 11pm. Last night the show ended at 12:45am. I am a bit tired this morning. Getting home at 1:30am and rising at 6am...(yawn)...my eyes are burning and I didn't even drink! At least I have learned that a hangover at work is no fun. Ok, it took me a while to learn that one :)

It was great to be back at the venue. I started going to shows there in 1991 when I started college. I've seen some great acts (Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Fishbone, Primus, Sugar, The Pixies, The Jayhawks), renovations, fights (one last night too), many a drunk patron (many last night) all within the dark black walls with black and white tiled floors. What's not to love about First Ave? I'm waxing nostalgic for my days of youth when I would go see shows once, if not twice, a week. Yes, I've slowed down and have different priorities. But last night reminded me of one of the reasons WHY I love living in this city and how much I enjoy punk rock music.

Free of Firewalls

I have really been dragging today. Not sure if it was the glass of wine last night or the lack of work on my desk but I can't seem to wake up for the life of me. I'm having one of those days where I am REALLY unmotivated and all that sounds good is a nice long nap. (yawn)

Plans for the evening include an opportunity to see one heckuva good band at First Ave. I'm meeting up with some pals to see The Hold Steady. If you haven't checked them out I highly recommend them. For those of you from the Twin Cities you know the lead singer from his days with Lifter Puller.

Did a photo shoot for my friend Jenny's business on Sunday. She is hoping to have a spread in Working Mother later this year. She has had quite the year and I hope this pans out for her as it would be great national press for her business. She just launched it recently (Pete is doing the design work) so keep your fingers crossed! And who knows, you might see Pete and I in a magazine along with some of the others who have helped get this business going. Will keep you posted!

Little Red

As promised....

Flakes

Fall always seems to short. The leaves blow off the trees far too early, leaving only the bare branches to stare at for the next several months. Ahhh...Counting the days to spring. I realized today as I watch the snow fly that I forgot to put the scraper in my car. I just didn't want to admit that we would see snow this soon.

It's not that I don't enjoy the snow. As a hardy Minnesotan, I have been reared to appreciate the opportunity to make snow angels and towering snow forts that last for days when the temps work in your favor. I think if I didn't have to drive in the snow I might look forward to the falling temps and precipitation. Remember when we looked forward to making piles of snow and disturbing the smooth white cover to make a snow-family? Heck, I remember in college when the Halloween blizzard hit what fun we had walking down the deserted streets of Minneapolis with 31 inches of snow on the ground, making snowpeople outside our dorm and letting all the other 'worries' go by the wayside while we enjoyed the chance to take advantage of the time.

As an adult I find myself hunkering down and eating far, far too much (which I also do in the summer, BTW), reading tons of books and generally not poking my face out of my house unless I really have to go somewhere.

My husband, on the other hand, feels the opposite. Since he is his own personal heater, he LOVES the cold weather and can't wait to get on his snowmobile to travel from point to point. While I have attempted to join him and some of our good friends and family in this activity it just doesn't do it for me. The bouncing around, worrying about going to the bathroom, much less the fact that I don't drive like a maniac. Nope, give me my hot apple cider and a book and you can tool away on that gas guzzling, oil burning machine. I'll see you when you get back.

Shifting Gears

After becoming quite addicted to reading blogs friends I have decided to shift gears adjust the focus this blog. It initially started out as a platform to share my photography attempts, but since Pete developed our website I find that I direct interested clients there. So... since I have friends both near and far with whom I like to keep in contact, I'm going to move the direction of this forum to updates on the family and such.

Welcome to the new and improved blog!!

I wish with the inaugural post for this fashion I had more to say. The Whitcomb house continues to be a flurry of activity. I recently bought a new set of lights to help build my photography business. With the holidays approaching I've booked quite a few sessions with existing clients. My prices are quite low so that makes me attractive and I'm willing to come to clients homes when kids are involved - also a big selling point since sometimes those little ones can be a challenge. Hopefully gas prices will continue to stay low or I'm going to have to reconsider my pricing structure :)

Jordan got a cool haircut and color done in the not too distant past. Since she is with us this weekend I'll try to snap a few photos and post them so you may see her in her red-headed glory. She looks quite good in her Minnesota Gopher gear.

This year she passed me in both height and shoe size. It went by so fast I didn't even get to borrow any of her shoes! She still has the metabolism I dream of and can fit into all the clothing I pass her way (as long as it isn't pastel!). Urgh. The curses of getting old. I wish for the days when I could eat anything I desired and not gain any weight. Despite training and running the Twin Cities 10 mile I didn't drop any weight. Seems like in order to keep up with my metabolism I need to be moving ALL the time. Kinda hard to do when you have a job that requires you to be on the computer for 6 out of the 8 hours. Oh well.

Time flies when you are finishing up your degree. It has taken me six whole years to complete my masters and I can't believe I am done. No more papers, no more group presentations, no more weekend work with people who I become extremely close to in a 14 week period... I don't think it will seem real until I walk up and receive my temporary diploma. I didn't want for undergraduate and this has taken me a lllloooonnnngggg time to complete so I am going to milk it for all it is worth and celebrate again on Saturday!

I honestly don't know what to do with all the extra time. Perhaps I will finally focus my energy on the photography business and see if I can make a go at it. At least as a side business. Follow in the footsteps of my friends Carrie and Kim who hold down jobs while fulfilling the creative need through their art.

New Site

Great news! Pete created his website. He had the great idea of sharing a site and tested his web publishing skills.

It's not built with flash so no bells and whistles (how very Pete, eh?). Check it out at Whitcomb Creative.

Evening Sky

Fall 2005

Some B&Ws