*Disclaimer*

Please read before opening the following two posts.

I am readily willing to admit that I am over using the italics, bold, and capitalization functions in the following two posts. I also overuse the !!!exclamation point!!!

Consider it part of my pregnancy. As I share my little adventures (Here I go AGAIN!!!) I will occasionally be more emotionally attached to certain memories, like cereal and ice scrapers.

There is no explanation for this, so, as a collective blogging community, let's work together and hope this doesn't continue for another 6 months until little Schlomo or Bertha Jo arrives.
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The BEST day EVER!!!

Be Prepared for the awesomeness to come...

Sunday was a really warm day. It was like 51 degrees. In December, in Chicago, you just can't beat that. There was a little rain, but nothing a good wiper blade couldn't handle.

Anyway, I should know better seeing that I'm from here, but it got cold Sunday night.

Really cold.

But don't worry. It kept raining. And then icing.

I wake up on Monday morning for seminary and remember that I'm driving. Oh man, I'll need to make sure I leave early so I can scrape my car. I bet it's going to be just covered!

So in my mind, I'm having this dialogue: "Self, you better hurry.", "I know, Self, I'm going to give myself 10 extra minutes to scrape my car.", "Good thing, Self, because you're probably going to need it", "Self, don't be such a pessimist, you'll be fine with 10 minutes. It's not like someone dipped your car in ice and then froze it like an ice cube".

I walk outside and practically fell on my face. The parking lot is covered in a certifiably skate-able sheet of ice. I get to my car and I look at the windows. "Self, I think you are totally screwed", "Self, that doesn't help right now. How 'bout we open the stupid door and turn on the defroster?"

It takes me the 1st 5 minutes of my extra 10 minutes to OPEN THE DOOR. I turn on my car and let the defrosters start working. Has anyone else noticed the futility of blowing barely warm air on a piece of glass that is covered in almost 3/16 of an inch of ice?

So I start scraping. I realize my lame-o scraper from Utah (where they get normal snow) isn't going to cut it, but I don't have any other options. I'm hardly making a dent and after another 15 minutes (5:40) I have 4 inches of visibility on the drivers side only. Awesome.

I call the other teacher that I carpool with. Her car is in a nice dry garage. Can she drive today? TJ says yes, because she's awesome. I turn off my car and go inside. I can't believe that this is happening. we are SO totally late. TJ calls me back at about 5:45-5:47. Her garage door won't open. It's frozen shut. She has a clean car, but she can't get into it.

I go and start scraping again. By 6:00 (BTW, we start seminary at 6) I have 12 inches of visibility on my side and 5 inches on the passenger side. Good enough. I go and pick up 2 students and TJ. We get to church at 6:20 and some students have already come and gone. It's a sad day.

Hilariously enough. That's not even the best of it. As we are driving to seminary. We're talking about how those dumb seminary teachers should have cancelled seminary, and that we are never going to get there when out of nowhere, my windshield cracks.

Yep. starboard to port in two swift pops. It's taken me till today to write this post because if I wrote it yesterday I would have used words that would STILL get me in trouble with my Mom. And NO ONE wants to make her mad. (j/k mom) :)

So, as a recap, the best day ever included a car shaped ice cube. three stooges like antics, and a broken windshield. And it's not even 6:30am.
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Lots of goings on.

Okay, so I'm probably going to have to post something like a million entries. I've been tagged 3 times, and I've had some very interesting happenings in the last few days.

Okay (this is no the most eventful happening, but it is certainly on the forefront of my mind).

So I eat cereal for breakfast. This is a fairly recent change from my normal breakfast intake of...air. So I have purchased a few options. I have an old box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch that I absolutely can NOT touch (more on that later), a box of honey nut cheerios, and a brand new box of flavorless bran flakes. All good choices.

I had bran flakes yesterday so I was feeling pretty fiberful, and thought I'd indulge in a big bowl of yummy honey covered oat rings. I got my milk, my bowl, my spoon and my cereal. I said my prayer, because I don't like soggy cereal, and what if my prayer is long!?

I then open that glorious box of cereal to find...Cinnamon Toast Crunch!!!!!! Oh, the horror!

Here's the problem. Due my particular condition, I have a rather strong aversion to things, like bean soup, and oatmeal, but most of all CINNAMON! I can't stand the smell or even thinking of it. *spine shudder*

Remember, I have seminary so it's like 5:15 and I yell DH's name in vain! HE must have done this!! The EVIL FIEND!! (OK, so maybe I'm a little hormonal) He comes running thinking that I've fallen to my death on the kitchen floor and then I feel bad. I tell him to go back to bed and that he wasn't supposed to hear that.

I then settle for bran flakes, day 2.
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teeth

So, remember this post?

Well, the filling just fell out. How's that for awesome? Now I have a giant hole on the side of my tooth and absolutely no contact between my two teeth. It sure makes food fun to eat. I invariably save some for later.

Luckily, my appointment isn't for like another week. *sarcasm*
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hmmm....

So I don't really know how to approach this topic. It requires some delicacy and forethought, neither of which are core competencies for me.

This happened,



Then this happened,



and then this happened,

and then finally, this happened...


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Bankruptcy...

Big news at the office...

Yep. Tribune Co., and almost all of it's subsidiaries, is filing for bankruptcy. Chapter 11 to be exact. That means we have a crapload of debt and a really poor way of managing it.

Thusly, we were given the option to file for bankruptcy or post our Q4 ad sales and have our debt to profit ration exceed the allowable limit set forth by our many creditors.

Needless to say, it has been a very busy afternoon. I'm very tired from all the conversations that I've had with vendors and contractors trying to calm them down. No one is losing their job and no one will be defaulting on payments (hopefully...), it's just a mell of a hess.
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Tagged

Okay, so I've mostly been putting this off, because I don't think that I have any fun pictures on any computer that I use. I finally found this one and thought is was pretty good, so here you go. BTW, no 4th folder anything, I'm lucky I have a "photos" folder let alone anything organized inside it.

This is DH and I at the Thanksgiving Point gardens back in May. Obviously the sun is in our eyes, hence the goofy expression on DH's face and the mildly annoyed expression on mine.

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Dear CTA...an open letter

Dear CTA,

I want to tell you how much I love you. For 2 dollars I can go practically anywhere and at practically any time.

You are so great. Your drivers almost always know where they're going and your suggested, but not quite accurate, schedule always keeps me guessing.

I have to say though, today was a bad day. I hopped on your 151 to Union Station thinking to myself, "what luck! I only had to wait a few minutes and I even got a seat!" Then you disappointed me CTA, your bus crapped out in the middle of Michigan Ave., only two blocks from where I was picked up.

I would have had a picture to show you, but it was so cold there was no way I was stopping. Besides, I needed to find a new bus to get me to the train station. You see, CTA, I have a head cold. A very nasty one, that required me to leave work early. It was so nice of you to accommodate my needs on the quick pick-up, but to then dash my hopes of a speedy trip two blocks down was abominable.

I would like to propose a solution. We are in this together and so we MUST work this out. How about you check your buses on a consistent basis for things like working batteries, and even alternators, and I'll not look for alternative transportation.

Deal?

All my love,

Rae
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scheduling

So, being that I'm a little behind the times, I just figured out how to schedule posts.

Seriously, this is awesome. I wrote this yesterday. I am that cool.
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Pizza

Do you ever have those days?



I got home on Monday, DH had class and wouldn't be home until long after I went to sleep. I didn't feel like cooking and there was no food in the house (i.e. nothing I thought I wanted to eat).

So I ordered pizza. In general, I don't like pizza, it's greasy, cheesy, and heavy. Most pizza places are dark, serve root beer and beer, and all their appetizers (veggies included) are batter dipped and fried.

Often DH has to do something extraordinarily nice for me to even consider the thought of eating pizza. So you can imagine how DH felt when he got home and saw a pizza box with pizza still in it and he didn't suggest that it be purchased.

It's like I'm compromising my morals.

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He Won One

So Saturday Morning, we were in the car on the way to my parents house. It's pretty much what we do on Saturdays.

We were driving along as we normally do, and DH decided to take a different road than we normally took. Right as he was turning he asked me if I thought it was a good idea. I told him, "No, this road is longer than the other one, it will take us longer to get there". To which he replied, "Why didn't you say something sooner?"

Often this is how our driving conversations go. To most it would be sad, but it's just normal for us.

So anyway, we were talking about other things and he explained why he picked the road he did (he just can't let things go...) and he started talking about speed limits, and traffic and it actually made sense. I looked at him and said, "That makes sense, I rescind my previous comment" - because that's how we talk to each other.

To which he replied the following...












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Working from home

Have you ever had one of those morning?

The alarm went off, and I was having the seriously most WEIRDEST dream ever! (I know, bad grammar - I'm trying to prove a point!!) I didn't even eat anything weird last night, but there were people in my dream that I didn't even remember I forgot.

DH was moving around a lot last night too so I kept dreaming in this half awake/half asleep daze. I start moving and get reading for work and seminary. Everything seems to be normal. I'm driving this week and I'm actually on time (shocker).

The goofy part comes in when I get home. There are a LOT of people at the train station outside our window...too many, in fact. I turn on the news and, yep. The trains are delayed.

I decide to make myself some breakfast. As I'm stirring my cream of wheat, I think about my day and realize every meeting I have is on the phone. I can do this anywhere! Gosh, those pajamas sure look comfy.
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My 3 Saviors

So I passed out on the bus today.

Yep. I'm just standing there minding my own business when it feels like my internal body temperature just jumped about 800 degrees. I start peeling off my scarf and unzipping my coat. I put my mp3 player away and try to keep my knees bent.

It's not working, lights are looking really bright and everything seems "over-developed". My peripheral vision is fading to black so I finally turn to the man standing next to me and I say, "excuse me, I'm about to pass out, can you help me?"

My voice sounds tinny and then there is just a jumbling of words all around me. The bus has stopped. We are at an actual bus stop. I feel hands and arms around me as I am unceremoniously shoved off the bus and made to sit down on my new bright red coat.

I slowly realize that there are still 3 people around me. They are asking if I'm okay. One of them is running to the nearest store to get juice and water, another is hailing a cab. After 5 minutes, I can thank them for their help. After another 5, the cab shows up. I am personally mortified at this point and they then offer to pay for my cab. I have no cash, so I accept.

As I'm walking to the cab, we finally introduce ourselves. So to my Saviors of the day, Jeff, Juliana, and Brandy...Thanks.
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Cute...Overload!

Baah! I Love tiny dogs!!



Anyway, I thought this was hilarious. Get it? A Dachshund? That's where the name "hot dog" came from?

Does anyone else besides me appreciate the humor of this?

You can find more awesome-ness here.
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So Tired

So, in honor of Veteran's day, there was no seminary.

I still planned a lesson last night, made DH buy ribbon for an object lesson on his way home from class, and then I woke up early, showered, dressed, and walked down to the lobby of my building. I waited there for 15 minutes before I realized...we don't have seminary today.

I was a little frustrated with myself. :) Now I'm super tired and can't get out of the funk I picked up from my confusion this morning. I just need a good nap and maybe a book.

My boss probably won't mind, right? It's not like I'm paid to work or anything...
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...For Amy

So this post is for my friend Amy (AD from here on out)..

AD - I've sent you emails, but I have the sneaking suspicion that they are not getting to you. It may be that I can't type to save my life, or I have the wrong address or something equally silly. I'm posting my email address so that you can invite me on your own, since I can't seem to get my act together...

rachelmossferguson@gmail dot com

You're great. Thanks for dealing with my technical ineptitude. :)
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Copper-Bopper

This is what my mom calls the dog. The dog that loves me best...:)






As you can see, Copper loves her costume. It's a black t-shirt (very slimming) with a spider cape attached at the collar and then a hat that conveniently covers ears with a giant spider on top.

By the look of pure joy on her face, you can tell she's glad that I'm there...making her put on a stupid costume...that doesn't really fit...
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Numb

So I had another dentist's appointment today.

Has anyone ever tried to put make-up on when your face is numb up to your eyeballs? Applying concealer required a whole new skill set...
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He-larious

So I forgot that I had like this hugely important vendor meeting today, so what did I wear to an office that no longer has a dress code?

Yep. Jeans and a cotton v-neck gap sweater in orange...seriously. I had my hair in a ponytail and next to no make-up on. It was not pretty.

So I did a quick search and figured out when the nearest Ann Taylor opened (10am, perfect for an 11:30) meeting and I found the closest sales person and told them I needed an ensemble.

It was fantastic, 20 minutes later I had a glorious pair of wool slacks, a synthetic blend plum colored sweater and a creamy undershirt. I looked professional (except for the shoes, but I hit a payless on the way back and got a cute pair of kitten heels in a goldish cream.

I fixed my ponytail, put on some make-up from my emergency work stash, and off I went.

Anyway, as I was racing to Ann Taylor I saw this guy walking along Michigan. Now I get it, we all have to have a place to put important things and sometimes pockets are just not big enough. Besides, what better way to show your manly-ness than with a camouflage fannypack!




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The infamous cord

A-ha! I found the mini-usb to usb cable to connect my card reader to my computer and I "stole" it back. I'm pretty sure since DH never reads this blog, he'll never know it was me who went into his super secret hiding place and took out like the only white cord there...

So does anyone else always want to spell cord with and h, i.e. chord? As in chord for music? Maybe it's just me and my musical geekiness (I did play 3 instruments in jr. high)

Anyway, this will probably mean tons more posts with lots of pictures (hopefully).

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