Way overdue

It's been so long, way to long. I am still working on my vacation post--there is so much to cover that it's been a bit time consuming. I promise, it is on it's way. If we are connected on facebook, feel free to check out the pictures. They are amazing--if I do say so myself.

Thanksgiving was wonderful! Eli ended up making it home. He was scheduled on reserve and as luck would have it, he didn't get called. So he flew home. Made it just in time for us to arrive together at his mom's. His mom hosted 16 people! Most were friends of the family. It was terrific. Growing up, my family would just spend it with the 4 of us. It was lovely but I do believe there is something wonderful about opening your home to others outside of your immediate family and sharing the spirit of Thanksgiving. Plus a whole lotta wine that is shared by EVERYONE, kicks up the fun notch as well.

The rest of the weekend was just as wonderful too. We mostly ate and drank ourselves silly. That is my kind of weekend! We opened up a 1000 piece beer puzzle that we some how aquired. It sucked us in on Saturday and Sunday and it is still not finished.

While the weekend was so good, it also was not so good. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I received a call from my mom about my grandpa (her dad). He ended up in the hospital with a tooth infection that had gone bad. So bad that it caused a blood infection. After numerous efforts to give him a fighting chance on Thursday and the remainder of the weekend, it looked like he was going to pull through. He was out of the ICU and in a private room. Eating food and breathing through an oxygen tube through his nose. I called my mom this morning to check in on when he would be discharged. The light-hearted call I had originally intended to have with my mom did not happen. My grandpa was back in the ICU and his kidney's were failing. Mom, her sisters and brother decided this afternoon that all life sustaining support would cease to continue. As far as I know now, they've pulled the feeding tube. My mom's younger sister is flying in tomorrow. I am not sure when the rest of it will be pulled. I am sure it will only be a matter of days or day.

As I am writing this, I feel a pinch of denial. Denial that this is really happening. It was year ago to this week that we were in a similar situation with my dad's dad. He passed away on December 7th. My dad and I've decided that we are starting a petition with the rest of the family members on not dying during the month of December. I really don't think that this is too much to ask for.

This is just way to hard to stomach--I am not sure that my heart has healed enough from last year to say goodbye again.

Give yourself a big hug from me, dear internet.

Beat

It is only Tuesday and this week is just beating me up. I feel like I need two long days to just sleep. I would go to bed now, but E is flying in and I am picking him up at the airport.

Good news around these parts, is that we FINALLY installed a dog door. OMG! This is truly the best invention EVER. Not only am I enjoying it, I know the massive fur ball called Poppy is enjoying her new found freedom to go inside and outside as she pleases. I am not sure why it took us so long to do us. Probably because Eli and I are the two biggest procrastinators on this planet.

Off to SFO...

Celebrating #2!

Happy Anniversary babe! I am beyond happy that you made it home to celebrate with me. Tonight, we reminisced about our wedding day and what a difference another year makes! We continue to grow as individuals and as a couple. I love you babe with all my heart. I loved that we danced to our wedding song. Just incase we get old and forget the words. I have it documented on my blog..



A Love That Will Last"

I want a little something more
Don't want the middle or the one before
I don't desire a complicated past
I want a love that will last

say that you love me
Say I'm the one
Don't kiss and hug me and then try to run
I don't do drama
My tears don't fall fast
I want a love that will last

[Chorus"]
I don't want a just a memory
give me forever
Don't even think about saying good-bye
'Cause I want just one love to be enough
And remain in my heart till I die

So call me romantic
Oh I guess that's so
There's something more that you oughta know
I'll never leave you
So don't even ask
I want a love that will last

Forever
I want a love that will last
I want a love that will last

[Chorus]

So there's just a little more that I need
I wanna share all the air that you breathe
I'm not the kinda girl to complicate the past
I want a love that will last

Forever
I want a love the love that last
Always
I just want a love that will last
Want a love that will last

my dog ate my homework...no make that my dinner and eli's lunches

yes dear internet..my 110lb dog ate 5 beer brats and two large chicken breasts. All of it raw. She even broke one of my everyday dishes in going after the chicken. Our first dish casualty since we've been married.

I swear we feed her. twice a day!

I have a feeling I am going to have one sick doggie on my hands.

Just another day

It's been pretty quiet around these parts. All I've been doing is battling my back issues. I finally got in to see a back doctor, had xrays done and finally got in for my first visit for physical therapy. Everyone seems to have a different point of view on what is wrong with my back. The only good thing is that it isn't something serious that would require surgery. Whew! So today at PT, I got a little massagy and a list of 6 excercises to do to help stretch and stregthen. I am cleared to do cardio as long as there is no pain. Which is good b/c I've taken a hiatus from working out and it is really starting to show. eek! I can't do yoga just yet. Which is a bummer but hopefuly in a month or so, I can pick that up again.

After a summer of sitting on reserve--E finally got a flight schedule this month. That has made a huge difference in how we manage our life now. Which is now done week to week. It makes things a little easier in terms of planning because now we know when he will be home and when he won't.

Other then my back, there is not a whole lot to report.

Have a good weekend!

33 not 83

I know I said in a previous post that I wasn't that excited for my birthday but I didn't realize I would be spending my birthday in bed. Grant it spending a birthday in bed isn't so bad unless you are laid up because your back decided to give out on you.
That is what happened to me.

It all started Monday morning, when I tried to get up from my chair at work to go get coffee with a co-worker. As soon as I stood up, something pulled and my lower back spasmed. Goodness it hurt so bad. I could barely walk or stand up again. Thankfully Eli was home so I called him to come get me. About 45 minutes later, he arrived and found me hugging the wall in my office. I was trying to head to the bathroom but every step I took, my back freaked out. It is funny to picture this in my head now, as I had my arms wrapped around his neck as he held me vertically to walk me out of my office, in the elevator and out the building, into his car.

I have never experienced pain like this before. I'd like to think I had a tiny peak into what contractions are like. I could just feel myself tighten up as my back shot pains down my left leg and up into my upper back. Breathing certainly helped albeit a tiny bit. 2 hours later in the doctor's office, I left with a prescription of muscle relaxers and advil. We got home and Eli put me straight to bed. The cutie that he is, he set me up in communication central. I had my cell phone, his laptop, ice cream bar, ice pack, magazines, and medicine. He had to leave to work sound at the jazz club he occassionly works at. The bummer part about this, is I was supposed to join him at the jazz club after work to start my birthday celebration.

The next morning, we were praying hard that he wouldn't get called into work. He was sitting reserve yesterday and should have left for Chicago yesterday morning. The state that I was in, there was no way he could leave me alone or alone with our 100lb+ dog. Thankfully he did not get called in. Once we woke up, Eli started in on giving me the best birthday celebration as possible. He made me breakfast in bed and even climbed in bed with me to eat. We opened up my bday cards and his 2nd of two gifts. I made him give me the first one early as I was desparate to have it. It was a franklin planner with the 7 habits of highly effective people planning tools. The 2nd gift was a new bike helmet. It is so cute! I hated my old one and could never get it to fit right. This one is perfect!

As the day wore on, it got hot and sunny out and I was bored. So E helped me into my bathing suit and got me all set up on a lounge chair. He went on his errands and brought back a costco pizza--which if have not tried one their pizza's, you definitely should! They are so good and so cheap!

Later that night, we settled on the couch, opened some wine and chilled. Our neighbor came over for a glass of wine. After she left, we both climbed into bed. I slepted good--thanks to the muscle relaxer and a couple of glasses of wine. Eli left this morning for his 4 day trip. I did manage to take a shower and dress all by myself. Tomorrow I am going to tackle my commute and head into the office.

Not exactly how I pictured my 33rd birthday but despite everything, it still was a good one. I had my hubby with me.

I guess I am Country

Would you ever guess that a former city girl now living on the west coast would get into country music? Nope, neither did I. In the last few months, I've stumbled upon a local country station that has the best morning show. EVER! They always managed to put a smile on my face and make me laugh until I am about in tears during my 15 drive to the BART station. In between their antics, I started listening to the music, which of course is all country music. I must be getting old because I love how all the songs are either about having fun in bayou, driving a pickup truck, family and going to church (mind you I am jewish and grew up in an interfaith marriage so I know a lot about church.)
While there are tears from laughing so hard, I find myself shedding a tear or two or three on how touching some of these country songs are. I find that it helps me "keep it real" with all yucky stuff going on right now. Listening to some of these songs helps bring me back to reality. Reality in how important family, the love I have for my husband, religon, the way life can be so simple and so fun. That is what life is all about. Eli will even listen to this station now, because if I drive his car, it is the station that I put on the radio. I don't know if appreciates the songs as much as I do. Now don't get me wrong, I will certainly shake my booty to all the hip hop, top 20, brittnay spears kind of music but when it comes to listening to a radio station my first choice has now become the local country station.

I will leave you with a snippet of my favorite part from my latest favorite song. It's by Brad Paisley. "Waiting On A Woman". I think the reason why I like this part so much is that it reminds me of my granddad who past away last December.So many times, he was waiting my grandmother to get ready for wherever they were headed to and she always looked so pretty. I truly believe he is up in heaven, just waiting for her again.

WAITING ON A WOMAN-Brad Paisley

I've read somewhere statistics show
The man's always the first to go
And that makes sense 'cause I know she won't be ready
So when it finally comes my time
And I get to the other side
I'll find myself a bench, if they've got any
I hope she takes her time, 'cause I don't mind
Waitin' on a woman.

Honey, take your time, cause I don't mind
Waitin' on a woman...