Updates

So it's been a while, huh? Let's get caught up, shall we? **********

When I last posted, I had been to the doctor that day for a prescription. Turns out, though, that I picked up a little extra with that prescription...the stomach bug. It hit me early Tuesday morning and it was baaaaaad. I missed work Tuesday, Wednesday, and half of Thursday. I think that's the most I've ever missed for being sick. It took quite a few days before I was in the mood to eat again. Suffice it to say, I felt awful.

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Remember the mantle from this post? I got to see it in person in its new home this past weekend. The homeowners eventually plan on updating the innards of the actual fireplace, but for now, I think it all looks pretty snazzy. What do you think?

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This past weekend was my annual get together with my college girlfriends. It was so much fun. Three of the group have just announced that they're pregnant so it was weird fun talking about that. It definitely makes me realize how much we're growing up! I've known these girls for 9 and 1/2 years and I love them so much. Unfortunately, I never got my camera out, but hopefully someone will email me some soon so I can do a recap.

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While I was slumber partying with the girls, Doc was at home with the kids. They are getting to the ages where they are so busy all the time! This weekend, W had a birthday party Saturday afternoon and A had an overnight party that night. It was nice that Doc and W were able to get in some good father and son time Saturday night. I think it was good for them.

The kids turned in their projects for the Academic Fair at school this week. Doc went at lunch today to see them. Here's A with hers:

And W with his:

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Today is Day 15 with no caffeine. The headaches haven't been nearly as bad as I thought they would be, but I sure am sleepy a lot.  I used to spend all day drinking cokes; now I spend all day yawning. Seriously. I probably yawn at least 100 times a day. I just cannot seem to wake up!

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I think Ellen's doing a good job on American Idol. I like that she doesn't just dish out a lot of fluff like Paula used to. She gives her honest opinion about how she feels about the songs but she doesn't a little more nicely than Simon. And, of course, I like to see the jokes she comes up with.

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Next Monday is the finale on The Bachelor. He's gonna pick Vienna and it just kinda makes me sick. What in the world is he thinking?!?!

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Tomorrow is Friday and I'm so glad. The week sure has felt long since I've been sleepy all day every day! :) Doc and I have absolutely nothing planned for the weekend. I don't remember the last time that happened, but I am so excited about it. Hope you're excited about yours too!

So long, caffeine.

I don't know if you know this or not, but I'm addicted to coke. Coca-cola, that is, not cocaine. I love the taste of coke. I love the sound it makes when you open a coke can. I love the smell of the fizz when you pour it in a glass. I love the tingly bubbles on my tongue. I love it from a can, from a bottle, from a glass. To me, coke is so refreshing. It quenches my thirst. This post is really making me want a coke.

But I can't have one. I have not had any caffeine (to drink) since last Wednesday. It's been 5 days since my last caffeinated beverage. Five looooooong days. I actually have a headache right now from my lack of caffeine. Two years ago I gave up drinking sodas for Lent. That was tough, but at least I knew it was only temporary. I could count down the days until I could pop open a can. This time, though, there is no end in sight.

Why?

I have had a lot of anxiety lately. I find myself getting worked up all the time. And last week I had my first full-blown panic attack. I thought I'd had one before, but this one definitely took the cake. I felt like I might die, and it was terrifying. It is something I hope I never experience again.  Because I know there is no stressful event that caused the attack, I started looking at other causes. Turns out, caffeine is a big trigger for panic attacks.

As soon as I learned that, this sign went up on the fridge.

I know quitting cold-turkey is a little extreme, but I feel like weaning myself would be even harder. It's all or none, ya know?

While the absence of the caffeine itself has most definitely been difficult, another hard part of this is trying to find something else to drink that feels refreshing to me.  I know there are plenty of caffeine free sodas, and I'll still drink those. But I feel like I need to find something that doesn't remind me of my beloved coke. I have never been a fan of water. In fact, I'm not sure I could make myself drink the required 8 glasses in one day if I tried. But, that said, I hope that I can eventually get to the point where drinking a glass of water doesn't sound so awful.

Since I'm not to the water-drinking stage yet, Doc was sweet enough to scour the grocery store for several different non-caffeinated, non-carbonated, flavored beverages. Our fridge now has everything from vitamin water to gatorade to sparkling juice.

Surely one of them has to taste as good as coke, right???

I really don't know how long I'll be able to make it without the caffeine. If anything, I can give it up for Lent since that starts this week and then see how I'm feeling when Easter gets here. Maybe by then I'll be addicted to water. Doubt it, but maybe.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Oh, what a good Valentine's weekend it has been! Yesterday, Doc got out early to run some errands and brought home some treats from here:

Just look at all the goodness!

Six different flavors - chocolate, wedding cake, birthday cake, chocolate banana bread, bailey's, brown crisp - all topped with a tall mound of icing! Mmmmm!

Don't worry, we didn't eat them all ourselves. We took them to my parents' house to share. First we all split the wedding cake one. It got gobbled up so quickly I only got one picture!

Next up was the chocolate one. The icing was so delicious, I felt like I was in heaven.

We had to stop there for fear of sugar overload. When Doc and I got home last night, he surprised me with a fancy dinner. I had no idea he had this up his sleeve! He had the bar in our kitchen set for two:

And the meal got started off with delicious crab-tinis:

We discovered this appetizer one night at Ruth's Chris and now we have to order it every time we go. Doc took at stab at making it himself and he did a great job. He bought lump crab meat, tossed it in a vinaigrette, and squeezed in some citrus fruit juices. Deeeee-lish.

For the main course, we had pan-seared and then oven baked filets that were topped with heart-shaped pads of flavored butter. On the side was rice and roasted asparagus. It was all so, so yummy. He really out-did himself.

Today was pretty uneventful, but still very good. We got up early and went for a walk around the neighborhood. Then we headed to church and had lunch at my parents' house afterwards. Dessert was, of course, another round of cupcakes. This time we had the bailey's (awesome!) and the chocolate banana nut.

I'm sad to say that Valentine's day is almost over now. It really has just been so perfect. I love days that I get to spend every minute with Doc, even if we don't do anything at all. Right now, we're snuggled up on the couch watching The Holiday and its starting to snow outside. Maybe we'll get a snow day tomorrow and drag this goodness out one more day! Hey, a girl can hope, right?

Oh, the weather outside is frightful...

As Doc and I were laying in bed last night, he commented that he did not feel prepared for the coming work week. I asked what part he didn't feel prepared for - the next morning in the office or later in the week when he would be traveling. His response was that he just felt like the weekend flew by and he hadn't had time to think about what was in store for this week.

"I don't even know what the weather's supposed to be like tomorrow."

Fast forward to this morning and it turns out that was the understatement of the year. I don't even think the weathermen were prepared for this morning's weather! This is what I saw when I looked out our upstairs window.


"What the...."

Walked downstairs to get a closer look:

That's a lot of unexpected snow! Doc got out early and headed in to work. It took him over an hour to get there. I called my work hotline and at first we were scheduled to open at 10, but now we are officially closed for the day.

SNOW DAY!!!

Unfortunately all of the projects I'd like to work on today are at my parents' house. So I guess I'll have to hold down the couch and watch TV all day. I can think of worse ways to spend a day...

And I'll be able to count on Minnie to keep me company. She doesn't like going out in the snow.

Hope the rest of you are enjoying a snow day too!