Snapshots From An Unmade Bed

I am still here...really, I am!

...but it has been a little crazy!

I'm just going to blame Claire (although it really isn't her fault)..... we are just having WAY too much fun.

I wanted to really expand but we are off to New York City tomorrow morning for 5 days. I am excited. City decked out in Christmas.

I will do a proper post upon my return to fill you in on the events over Thanksgiving, trip to Oklahoma, a late night out Monday (3am!) and of course there will be photos and stories from our adventure to the Big Apple.

Hope everyone has a great week and see ya next week!

Song of the Day: Sweet Home Alabama

Walk of Shame...

Well, I managed to avoid that hang-your-end-walk-of-shame by a small margin last night, but I have to say it was fun to let loose with friends and I think Claire has a whole new perspective of me *lol*.... Actually, I think she had a good time and enjoyed meeting my friends. Well, I know they enjoyed meeting her and of course teasing me to no end. I can't wait to see the photos that Brian was taking all night!  Anyway -- it is Claire's turn on Saturday -- let's see what sort of birthday trouble we can manage for her!

Thanksgiving celebration looms in the air today and we are being sent home at 2.00. That's great because it means I get that extra time to spend with Claire. My friend Ashley is coming over for a visit and then Claire and I are off with Iliana to visit the Galleria mall. I know you might be thinking, a mall, oh how fun, but they don't have many this size in the UK and it does have some fantastic stores (like Zara). I have to comment that the 3-story high Christmas tree is quite a site to see and I can't believe it feels a lot like Christmas already. There is sure to be coffee and dessert too!

I am looking forward to a little lie in tomorrow and then Claire and I are off to Kris's for a proper Thanksgiving feast and celebration. I am sure she will love her first taste of this holiday tradition. I am looking forward to being stuffed to the hilt with wonderful food, the after lunch lull (OK, nap) and of course game playing that will surely come later on. It is my first proper celebration in 5 years.

Friday Claire and I jump in a car and drive to Ponca City, Oklahoma for a few girly days with Meredith. I am looking forward to this little road trip.

To those celebrating - Happy Thanksgiving. For everyone else...have a great weekend and will be back to report next week.

Happy Birthday to Me!

OK, normally I would be shying away from being in the spotlight on my birthday but this year in particular I have so many reasons to celebrate and here are just a few:

1. My friend Claire arrived from the UK last night and we have a fun-filled 2 weeks ahead (look out Oklahoma & New York).
2. I am spending my birthday with 3 very special friends - Iliana, Shadan & Claire!
3. I am celebrating all over again tomorrow with a host of other wonderful friends and co-workers.
4. Life is good. I am the happiest I have been in quite some time, feeling better and I am no doubt amazingly blessed with terrific friends and family.
5. My mom bought me the coolest Canon (Pixma ip6600) photo printer for my combo birthday/christmas present. I only had time enough yesterday to print one photograph but the quality is amazing. This will provide hours of fun. Thanks Mom!

It has been a great day so far. I received lots of lovely messages and cards (thanks everyone!). I was taken to lunch at one of my favourite Italian restaurants by my office boyfriend *lol* - Patrizio's. My boss sent me a basket of flowers (he wanted to remain anon but I just had to know who sent them). And I was given a wonderful design book by someone I work with (a much younger man) and I think he might have a bit of a crush! =) I am positively glowing today! =)

I think I will close with this great birthday poem I came across.  Thanks everyone for making my day -extra- special. 

A Birthday Poem by Ted Kooser   

Just past dawn, the sun stands
with its heavy red head in a black stanchion of trees,
waiting for someone to come
with his bucket for the foamy white light,
and then a long day in the pasture.
I too spend my days grazing, feasting on every
green moment till darkness calls, and with the others
I walk away into the night,
swinging the little tin bell of my name.   

WOW

What a difference a few days can make! Feeling so much better and I am even more excited about things happening over the next couple of weeks.

Tomorrow night I am off to see a Dallas Stars game with some friends. I have not been to a live ice-hockey match in many years. Go Stars!  Claire is arriving from the UK Sunday night so I need to make sure she has a clean space to come to! Needless to say, it is also time to start moving boxes that have been sitting piled in the spare room so I can set up the sofabed for me!

And then the fun begins:

Monday night Claire will have the chance to meet Iliana and hopefully my friend Shadan as well. I will also be celebrating my birthday but not sure if I want to give way on how many years young I am (wink)! It will be nice to share this evening with great friends.  Tuesday night will be spent celebrating again with friends at The Gingerman and probably dinner somewhere a bit later. I am happy that my friends will have the chance to meet Claire and we can give her a taste of real Southern hospitality. I am blessed to know such great people.

On Thursday, we are heading over to Kris's to celebrate Thanksgiving with her family - another first for Claire. Looking forward to this all day event.   Friday we hop in the car and drive to Oklahoma to visit Meredith.  It will be really great to see her and tour her local hot spots!  I am also looking forward to meeting her adorable little girl - Ally. What a nice girly weekend. We will travel back on Sunday since I have to go back to work on Monday.

On November 30th - Claire and I jet off to New York to spend a few days in The Big Apple. We will be staying with my family in Long Island and commuting in by train. I think being in New York this time of year will be wonderful and the city will be all decked out for Christmas. It is going to be quite chilly as well so I hope Claire is bringing warm clothes! It will also be nice to see my family again.

So, I am not sure how much I will be able to post over the next few weeks but I will definitely have some stories to share soon.

Song of the Day: Photograph by Nickelback

A-OK

Well, I am feeling better today after having to miss a day of work due to feeling like I was on my deathbed Monday night and Tuesday. I called the Doc and said, what is up? I am not supposed to feel even worse than what I was feeling before I took the medication!  He agreed and now I am easing into the meds.

So, at least I know that I am on the road to feeling better and I am just taking it one day at a time!

More soon....

Monday Music

I am feeling Monday a little more than usual. I meant to get so much done yesterday but ended up spending most of it lying down due to the new meds. Ah, the joy!  But I am not gonna dwell...

Music is definitely one of the ways for me to escape when my mind needs to drift away. So, here are a few songs that I am listening to at the moment:

• Come Back Down by Lifehouse
• Consequence by The Notwist
• I Don't Want It by Ween
• I Wish You Love by Rachel Yamagata
• I'd Rather Dance With You by Kings of Convenience
• I'll Be Near You - Ivy
• In the Deep by Bird York
• Sad Songs by Matt Nathanson
• She Knows &  A Million Things by Just Jinger (thanks Claire!)
• The Hardest Part  &  A Message by Coldplay
• The Sound of Settling by Death Cab for Cutie
• Trouble Sleeping by The Perishers

They are pretty indicative of my mood the past few days but good tunes all around.

I also watched a movie yesterday called The House of D. This is David Duchovny's writing and directorial debut. Although I enjoyed it on some level I felt there was something missing. That it wanted to be more than it really was. One of those for a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Weekend Round-Up

It has been a packed weekend.

I finally finished the Time Traveler's Wife. I am glad I read the book because for the most part I did enjoy it. But, I can't say I feel the same love as the masses who have read and thought this was a fantastic book. I don't want to spoil anything for those who have not read it but the things that bothered me most were Clare's constant longing and waiting, Henry never telling her things that maybe he should and then when he finally does it only fuels Clare's longing even more. And towards the end I found some of what happens to Henry just a little bit too much. I am sure that my own personal feelings and experiences are part of why I didn't love this book....but I am satisfied to have known the story of Clare & Henry and time to begin something new.

So, what shall it be... Red Poppies by Alai for the book group discussion in January (I am joining Iliana's foreign authors book group) or something a little lighter - The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc by Loraine Despres? 

Saturday was fun. I spent the day with Iliana and Shadan. It was an all out Girl's Day! After having a quick breakfast we went to "Neath For Wreath" holiday market where over 100 vendors displayed all sorts of fun things. We were all actually pretty reserved on the spending but each walked away with a few nice things. We each bought a beautiful sterling silver ring. Mine definitely has a little 'bling' with the sparkling green stone...but I love it. I also found this beautiful handmade silver-wire and beaded necklace and earring set. It made up for the tough few weeks I have had! Iliana also found the cutest clutch bag. After a few hours though we were ready to escape the crowds and heat -- it was actually 85 degrees yesterday!

We decided to go see 'Shopgirl' and I loved it!  It stayed true to the book and I really liked the way it was filmed. I thought the music also really added atmosphere. I am glad that it is being so well received. I definitely have an interest to read Steve Martin's latest book - The Pleasure of My Company.  We rounded up our day by a trip to Barnes and Noble. We did a bit of browsing and I found something I wanted to get for Meredith. I also got a little something for my friend Helen's birthday next week.  We had something to drink and sat outside and talked for quite a while. At 10pm we decided it was time to make our way to our respective homes.

Today I am doing some cleaning in preparation for Clare's arrival next week and trying to take it a bit easy.

------------

As a side note, I went to see the gastroenterologist on Friday.  I felt immediately at ease and knew that I was in good hands. This means a lot to getting me back on track. His office is in a building near Baylor Hopsital and I still get very anxious when I go anywhere near a hospital, especially after what I went through last year and the number of times before that. I did end up having to go over to the hospital for some blood work and I felt anxious and sad walking through the corridors. The way a hospital smells can conjure up memories I would like to soon forget.

I am back on treatment which at the moment equates to taking 4 different medications or 15 pills a day. They will also be adding a new medication next week after they get back the blood tests to see how well I will metabolise it. It is a pretty serious drug so they really have to monitor it. Let's just say that it is used for transplant patients so they won't reject a new organ. But as an immunosuppresive drug it helps with the inflammtion currently going on. It is also something that I will have to be on long-term. So, by next week I will be taking up to 18 pills a day...what fun!!

I know all of the above is for the best. I know that it means I will feel a lot better soon (other than the drug side effects). I know that I have to keep positive and not let this all get to me.

I know.

But for the first time in the longest time.

I just feel like crying.

Song of the Day: A Long December by Counting Crows

Three Birthdays and a Wedding...

"You say it's your birthday It's my birthday too, yeah They say it's your birthday
We're gonna have a good time...."

November is a month of celebrations!

I will be celebrating Claire’s birthday (Nov 26th) while she is visiting (only a week and a half to go). We are doing it Oklahoma style with Meredith at Eskimo Joe’s. What fun! Also, my Aussie friend Helen is celebrating her day of birth in the UK (Nov 22nd). I can’t be there in person but I will definitely be there in spirit. I have a little package going out to her next week.  And last on that list will be my very own birthday falling on Nov 21st! Plans on what to do are still up in the air but I think it will be a very low-key celebration.

And love is in the air this weekend as my friends Mel & Lou will be taking their vows together on Saturday. It will be a very special event in Brighton, UK! Again, I am sorry to be missing out on what is sure to be a fantastic celebration of all things love. I sent off a little package and card to wish them years of happiness and a beautiful poem titled Love Song by Rilke. Here is a little excerpt:

How shall I hold on to my soul, so that
it does not touch yours? How shall I lift
it gently up over you on to other things?
I would so very much like to tuck it away
among long lost objects in the dark
in some quiet unknown place, somewhere
which remains motionless when your depths resound.

To read the entire poem – click here.

So, raise your glasses everyone and let’s make a toast! *Salute, Brava* (and clinking of glasses)

Song of the Day: Pour mon Ame by Andrea Bocelli.

Jackpot

I heard from the doctor yesterday and the good news is that there isn’t anything unusual other than dilation that is being caused by the flare up which he says definitely needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. I already expected that and so I am off to the gastroenterologist Friday afternoon. Ho-hum. I will be glad when I am back to feeling a bit more like myself although I know the process isn't super quick.

I have a DVD rental that is arriving tomorrow that I am really interested in seeing titled ‘War Photographer.’ It is a documentary that follows photojournalist James Nachtwey into the world’s combat zones as he captures the struggles of those who face incredible adversities. The film is also aided by Christiane Amanpour - Chief International Correspondent CNN, Hans-Hermann Klare - Foreign Editor Stern Magazine, Christiane Breustedt - Editor in Chief Geo Saison Magazine and Des Wright - Reuters cameraman. I am not sure exactly what to expect but I know my fascination with war photographers and will likely walk away with much respect for those in the profession.

James Nachtwey’s photographs are incredible and stay with you long after you have seen them. Be warned, the content is a little dark but tells and shows the truth. If you are interested you can visit his website and online portfolio here.

I stopped in yesterday morning to buy some milk on my way to the office and the guy asked me if I had bought my winning lottery ticket. I can’t remember the last time I bought a ticket. The jackpot is at $225 million. For a buck, I thought I would take a chance. So, am I going to be a winner?

Song of the Day: Lucky by Melissa Etheridge

A good weekend...

I had a lot of fun this weekend.

Friday night I watched two very good films:

Maria Full of Grace - This story about a 17-year-old Colombian girl who risks her freedom and even her life to be a drug mule was pretty gripping and sad. The movie follows her desperate situation in a dead-end job as a worker in a flower factory to the drug-smuggling underworld. Her dangerous undertaking is her last resort when she finds herself unemployed and pregnant. At times the film had a documentary style to it. But this movie is not for the faint of heart.

Saving Face - This movie explores Chinese values and culture, big city life, gay issues and mother-daughter relations in the genre of a romantic comedy. The characters in this film are endearing and fun and made me laugh-out-loud.

Saturday I made my way over the Bookworm Bash in Addison thanks to the tip from Iliana. I walked away with nine books for only $10 so it really was a bargain book buying day and it served a good cause. Not that I need any more books on my shelf but here is what I picked up and all in good condition:

A Prayer for Owen Meaning by John Irving
The Little Friend and The Secret History by Donna Tartt
The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
The Name of the Rose by Umerto Eco
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
Talking to the Dead by Helen Dunmore
The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

Saturday Chuck, Tom and I made our way over to the Vertro Glassblowing Studio and Art Glass Gallery. There were some amazing pieces in the Gallery. We were also able to watch a piece being made in the Studio by Kenji Ito. I had not realised that I was among one of the greats as he is Japan's top glass artist and this was his very first trip to America.. His pieces are stunning and it was incredible to see the amount of work that goes into the making - they take anywhere from 2-3 hours and the glass when it is on the rod weighs about 30 pounds.

They are doing a holiday auction in November which sounds like fun and you can win a piece for free. I also was very happy to find a gift for Mel & Lou who are getting married next weekend in Brighton, UK! =)

Today I went to our company picnic at the Circle R Ranch and I had a lot of fun. First, it was in a beautiful spot in the country where you can do horseback riding, rockclimbing etc. I played in a volleyball tournament and really loved that as I forgotten just how much I enjoy playing. Our team got to the final but we ended up losing by 1 point. Maybe next year! I have a feeling though I will be pretty sore tomorrow.

Back to work tomorrow but I really can't complain.  It is countdown time as Claire will be here in 2 weeks time. One of my map books for NYC came the other day and I have another one on its way - the insiders guide to cool and unusual stuff in the city. We are also there just in time as the tree in Rockefeller Center will be lit on Wednesday November 30th - so it will feel like Christmas.... hurrah!

OK....time to go relax and watch Desperate House Wives & Grey's Anatomy!