the big sleep

On Wednesday, I woke up feeling a bit achy and had a bit of a tickle in my throat. These thoughts were interrupted by the morning yelp of Ethan, who refuses to get out of bed until I come and pluck him out. So I got up and we did our morning routine and I dropped him off at school. I wasn't going to work because I was going out the suburbs to see my dad for the day. He recently got a hip replacement and I was going out there to hang out, I had visions of him reciting his memoirs to me, giving me some sort of keen insight into his life resulting in some serious father-daughter bonding. No such luck, instead I was shown where the computer was and explained the intricacies of the world of Gmail and Facebook, where I set him up accounts for both.

On my drive back, I started to get a headache and was feeling a bit nauseous. I went home and took a nap, thinking it would pass. When I awoke, I didn't feel any better, in fact worse. Luckily, Mike was taking Ethan for the night, so after a quick dinner I went to bed somewhere in the neighborhood of 7 pm. And woke up 12 hours later, still feeling a bit off. I was supposed to go to work my last day of my contract job, but I called my supervisor and told her that I wasn't going to be able to make it in. The day consisted of sleeping, lots of sleeping punctuated only by an hour of two of being awake before the headache and chills sent me back to bed.

So it would seem that I have the dreaded flu. Last night, B came home armed with flu medicine and soup for me and did his best to nurse me back to health. This morning, I woke up with less aches but still had the chills and my throat is so swollen, it is difficult to swallow. So, no work today either, I will be finishing up my contract on Monday. Hopefully by then, I will be the picture of health once again.

things that go bump in the night

This past weekend we drove up to Michigan to spend some time with family and friends. First stop, Chelsea, Michigan. Home of the Jiffy baking empire and also one of my favorite people. We arrived Friday evening and as soon as Ethan hit the door, he and my friend's little boy Owen, were like two peas in the pod. It was exhausting just watching them play and interact. Nothing makes me smile quite like these two do, it has been a wonderful thing that they seem to get on so well.

We had a delicious dinner of enchiladas (thank you Mandy). After that the boys bathed and we thought it would be a good idea for these two crazy monkeys to share a bed. Ethan was more ok with it then Owen, at one point Owen said that he just wanted to sleep alone. We tried the experiment for an hour, even setting up a monitor to listen to the two whispering boys. Eventually they were separated, and everyone went to bed.

At 3 am, I was awoken by a bump followed by the familiar bleat of my son. Apparently Ethan had fallen out of bed, but no major injuires to report. I ended up spending the rest of the night with him. Note to self, apparently those bed rails are still required at this age.

Next day, we set out for the place where I grew up for a visit with my brother and Mom. But not without a quickie stop at my favorite donut place, which never disappoints. We met up with my brother and scooted out for some lunch at the Olive Garden, nothing says Valentine's Day like breadsticks and unlimited pasta. Upon our arrival, Ethan got a bloody nose and was sobbing uncontrollably. Yes, I was that mother and he was that crazed child in a public space. The bleeding monster was made all better after his auntie gave him a box of chocolates.

We hung out for a few hours and then returned to Chelsea. At bedtime, I put Ethan in a much more safety-regulated pack and play. After that, we just hung out and had some drinks and played some cards. Very laid back but nice nonetheless to see some familiar faces and get out of the city for the weekend.

happy birthday to you...

Today marks the birthday of two of my favorite people and yes, they are in fact, twins. But the old school kind, when it was still an anomaly and you weren't pumped full of fertility drugs and could birth 8 babies. Anyway, I am getting off subject here, I can remember in 6th grade when Mandy told me that Aimee was her twin sister, I thought that she was lying. It was the first time I had met twins and the fact that they look absolutely nothing alike was suspicious. But alas, I have met their family and have also run some dna tests, they are indeed related, and they are two of my oldest and dearest friends (note: not old as in age, old as in the length of time we have known each other).

Happy birthday ladies. I hope it was a good one.

hello cubicle

So begins my three weeks in corporate america. Thus far in my career, I have been able to completely avoid working for a large corporation, not necessarily on purpose, I have always been slightly curious about them, not unlike my fascination with Escalades, "super" stores and double Big Macs. Begging the question, does size really matter? In this case, yes, this company is so large, not only does it have a corporate campus but the entire city is named after it.

So far, all of my suspicions have been confirmed, lots of beige decor, inspring hr posters on the wall and interesting fashion choices. I have been placed in a far back corner, in their "hotel" section, where freelancers call home. The cubicle is tiny and between the massive chair and the broken metal keyboard table protruding from beneath the desk, it makes for an interesting fit.

The work flow and general pace that I have grown accustomed to is very different from what I am currently experiencing. I have always worked for small firms, which I would liken to a race horse, they are usually run pretty lean, which usually means a lot more work and responsibility and things move fast. I have now reached the conclusion that I have been a sucker all of these years. Perhaps these larger companies are on to something. There appears to be less work, and things seem to move at a remarkably slower pace, granted there seem to be a lot of emails and meeting invites, but did I mention the amazing automated coffee machine and free oatmeal (it's "heart healthy" week) in the cafeteria (note: most places I have worked have had a small busted ass table and dorm size fridge).

There is inevitably a downside. The commute is an hour each way; I used to cry about the commute from Evanston into the city. I find that my inner road rage seems to be rearing it's ugly little head and NPR becomes disappointingly static ridden just outside the city limits. There is also the fact that I have to work on a very pokey PC that doesn't seem to like me, which they actually force me to take home every night. And carrying that, along with a purse, and small child in heels with variable snow and ice conditions, I fear is going to end very badly.

The moral of this story is, is that it is good to experience things outside of your comfort zone. It is good for me to get up and shower before noon and actually apply make up and use my iron for clothes that I haven't worn in months. I do have positive things on the horizon that will hopefully come to fruition for my next blog. So hang tight, things are looking up.

family ties

This past weekend was family-packed. My brother, nephew, and mom came down from Michigan for a weekend visit. There was some belated Christmas gifts exchanged and the boys had a chance to play. My brother and I went and met my dad and his family for an early dinner at Portillo's, which apparently is big in the suburbs, but non-existent in the city. It was good to see everyone and my hot dog was as good as they get. My dad refereed the two boys, at one point, Ethan felt as though Emery wasn't quite doing enough, so decided a running push might get him moving again. This of course did not end well, but at least Ethan is acknowledging Emery as a play mate. Later that night, we went to my mom's side of the family and had more food and good company.

It was nice to see so many familiar faces. I feel lucky to have all of my aunts and uncles in an hour radius (except for one stray aunt in California) from me and think that it is a shame I don't see them more then once a year. I think that it would be nice to see them more often and actually get to know them as an adult. It's funny how an image of someone gets cemented in your brain, I can remember how all of them looked when I was much younger and as the years passed I still think of them in that same way.

Recently, words like cancer and hip replacement are starting to come up and it takes my breath away. How can these people that I have looked up to all of my life possibly be suffering from things that seem so far off still? I realize that I am not a child anymore and that they are not as young either. But I guess it is all the more reason to try to see them more and have Ethan get to know more of his family too.