I Feel Light

Today has been a fantastic day.  I literally feel like the weight of the world has been lifted from my shoulders.  And even though I know that it may be temporary, it is all good for now.  I will take what I can get and be thankful for it.

LJ has slept until at least 6am for the past three nights.  No screaming.  I believe this is largely due to the fact that we stopped giving him the meds for his nasty cough.

I had some extra time to spend with my family this morning.  And I drank both of my cups of coffee while sitting on the couch, not buzzing around getting ready.

After being on Weight Watchers for only three days, I am down two pounds from my lowest weight.  By lowest weight, I mean that it fluctuates by a few pounds.  And I feel great.

Jax and I are having dinner with some good friends tomorrow night.  Sushi, my favorite.  I plan to enjoy the hell out of it.

When I get home tonight, I plan to play with LJ until I put him in the bed.  Then I'm going to pour some wine and have a nice dinner and relax with my husband.

Life is good y'all.  At least today it is.  And that is all that matters right now.

I hope you all have a great weekend.  Just a heads up, big news coming TWICE next week.  Good, bad, who knows?  You will have to tune in and find out!

Junk And Other Fun Stuff

I am at a complete loss.  Are you seriously telling me that it is ONLY Wednesday?  Wait, it is Wednesday, right?  My brain is on overload.

Good news!  LJ slept all.night.long.  Of course, I should have expected this since Jax was going to get up with him should he turn into the Screaming Banshee Child again.  I literally leapt out of bed at 4:30am because I was sure the fact that he hadn't made a peep meant that he was... well, no need to get morbid on your asses... on a freakin' Wednesday, no less.

The funny thing is that I didn't have my contacts in- because, duh, it was 4:30 in the morning- and I didn't put my glasses on.  And I swear when I walked into his room I didn't see him in his crib.  He was balled up in a corner.  My heart was up in my throat somewhere because I thought my kid was gone.  Yeah, he is 7 months old, so I'm not sure exactly where he would have been.  I don't even pretend like I'm rational at that time of morning.

So, you may be wondering what I've been up to this week.  No?  Okay, well I will tell you anyway.  I gave my work computer a virus.  No need to go into how (it might have been while I was searching for an image for my blog- hence, no pictures today!), but just let it be known that the computer guy told me it is happening to everybody.  He may have been lying, but it made me feel better.

I have also joined Weight Watchers.  It is easy for me because I pretty much eat the same things everyday. 

Fact 1:  I don't drink nearly enough water.  I already knew that.
Fact 2:  It seems that I don't eat enough food, either.  How the hell is that?  I eat.  I love food.  And more importantly, if I'm not eating enough food, then why am I not a skinny little skank bitch like I wanna be?  HUH?  Answer me that!  No, really, I don't think I need the details.

Last but not least, I have something really important to tell y'all.  Unfortunately, it will have to wait.  Can't really divulge too many secrets because HELLO it is the Interwebz and I'm not sure who all is reading this junk*.  Give me a week or two and I promise I will tell.

*Thank you Ke$ha for bringing the word junk back into my life.  I didn't even realized how much I missed it until I found myself referring to my own junk.  Junk= need for Weight Watchers.

Issues: I Haz 'Em

Bear with me.  I heard a therapist on tv say that it was good to talk about your issues.

So, we know that LJ hasn't been sleeping.  Which means that I haven't been sleeping.  Ladies and Gents, we have now completed night number 8 with very little sleep- in max amounts of 2.5 hours before I am jumping out of the bed.  I think I read one time that you start hallucinating after 11 nights of no sleep.  Wonder how that translates to "very little" sleep?

Apparently, for me, it translates into OHMAHGAWDCREEPYNIGHTMARES.  On night 8 of very little sleep, I had two ginormous nightmares that I can remember.  One was so bad that I got out of bed and went to tell Jax every little detail that I could remember.  He rolled his eyes and told me to go back to bed. 

Super Scary Nightmare #1:

Jax and I were in some house, more like a condo really.  Everything was white.  I was reading Twilight and everything that I read was coming true.  Except that it wasn't Twilight.  And someone had poisoned this woman, who was actually in the upstairs of the house/condo thing.  Sidenote:  She looked like Abby from General Hospital if anyone needs a visual.  So anyway, we found out that someone had poisened her and her child.  But the child wasn't there- I hadn't gotten that far in the book yet.  So Jax was telling me to look for the poison because the woman started bleeding from her mouth and we had to figure it out before it spread to her eyes.  But, duh, what do I do when I find it because then I will be poisoned, too?!  So I stopped reading the book, but then it didn't stop!  Holy crap, right?!  And then I woke up.  Thankfully.

Super Scary Nightmare #2:

I was at the beach and noticed that someone was following me.  I realized that he had a gun.  As I crossed the beach access, I sped up because he was far enough behind me that I could duck down behind the dunes and run back to the beach house.  I lost him.  When I got back to the house, the FBI was there.  They told me that Jax and I, along with some of our friends, had been put on a hit list.  These people were like snipers and were totally going to kill us.  So I freaked out because I thought they might go looking for me at my parents' house and kill my Mama and Daddy.  Then these big dogs attacked the FBI guys and I woke up.  The end.

What does it MEAN???  I'm really not into analyzing dreams or anything, but I'm thinking I have two choices:  1.  Go to bed at 7:00pm tonight.  2.  Stop eating spaghetti for dinner (never gonna happen).

No One Wants To Hear It

But y'all, I am tired.  Exhausted.  LJ, as he will henceforth be known because I am too lazy to type out Little J, has been waking up super early and just SCREAMING.  Early, like 3:30.  Last night was better, he didn't start the screaming until 5:00.  And the worst part is that I can't figure out what is wrong.

He just screams and cries.  My guess is teething.  Sometimes numbing his gums helps, sometimes only a bottle will soothe him.  And unfortunately for me, drinking liquor that early is not really acceptable- or feasible since I have to go to work. 

So the screaming continues.  And it just wears me down.  One night is fine, but it has been all week.  So then I feel guilty for feeling sorry for myself, when he is obviously in pain or upset or something.

On top of that, and I refuse to harp on this because y'all on twitter hear it enough, my job situation is overwhelming me.  Not my job, just my situation.

I need to get the next Twilight book fast.  Escapism is key, y'all.

A Weekend in Pictures- Charleston, SC

Our night out in Charleston was utterly divine.  I don't know how else to describe it.  Yes, of course, I missed Little J.  Surprisingly enough, we didn't spend the entire evening talking about him.  It was like a date we would have enjoyed before we were married- before we ever thought about having kids.

The Library at Vendue Inn is an interesting little place.  Although it was converted from an old grain warehouse, the rooms are reminicent of an old house.  Small.  Charming.  Oh yeah, and then there is the Alice in Wonderland factor.  The room where we were seated was at the bottom of a staircase, putting us below street level.  However, up a smaller set of stairs in the same room was a balcony at street level, which held an small two top and overlooked the street.  Looking up towards the high ceilings I noticed a small door.  Again, it was connected to a balcony.  However, this balcony was only a foot wide and about six feet long.  All leading to nowhere.  Very Alice-esque. 

We began our dinner with cocktails.  A dirty martini for Jax and a glass of J Brut for me.  Incidentally, we were not charged for these drinks.  I believe it may have to do with the fact that we waited so long for them.  That fact was long forgotten when we were presented with our appetizer and first wine pairing.

Fried Green Tomato and Crab Cake Stack

The apps were such large portions that I wasn't even hungry when the entree came!  Crab cakes are not my favorite, but the crab was extremely mild.  Jax had the Balsamic Calamari, which were unbelievably good.

Pork Loin Milanese

For the main course, Jax had the Greek Lamb burger.  He felt odd ordering a burger in a fine dining atmosphere, but it was well worth it.  Amazing.  I wished that I had gotten it instead.  My pork loin was a little on the bland side, but not too bad.

Gelato Tree

For dessert, Jax had the Grand Marnier creme brulee.  I ordered the choice of three Gelato.  I was not impressed with the selection, but the result was fantastic.  Eggnog, Esspresso, and Mango.  The mango was my least favorite.  The eggnog was sinful.

The wines were well paired with the meal.  However, I could not even begin to remember what was poured, an unfortunate combination of much alcohol and a "first date" high.

After dinner, we headed to the Market Pavillion rooftop bar.  It is truly one of my favorite places in Charleston.  Phenonenal views, an elegant atmosphere, and the very spot were Jax proposed to me nearly three years ago.

I highly recommend a weekend in Charleston if you've never been.  It is unbelievably romantic, with so much to do, eat, and drink.

Finally, over the Ravenel Bridge and to the Isle of Palms for brunch at Coconut Joe's!

Forgive me if some of the pictures are a little dark.  Those were taken with my BlackBerry.  Come on now... you didn't think I'd haul out the big gun in the middle of such a fine establishment, did you?  But I certainly wanted to!

A Haiku

*Not really because I'm not totally sure what constitutes a Haiku, and I don't feel like Googling it.

If I wrote a Haiku it would be about shoes

Not just any shoes but shoes by Great Loub

Shoes of black and white and red

Shoes that make the other women pout

Check these bitches out

Christian Louboutin

My Christmas present to my Mama because she loves shoes just as much as I do.  Late, but still great.  Enough of the rhyming.  When I figure out what is equivalent to Louboutins in the man world I will totally buy it for my Daddy.  My parents are the best.

Oh, and P.S., I wrote that Haiku myself.  Just in case you couldn't tell.

Wish You Were Here

*Please bear with me because this will be quite personal today and may not make a lot of sense.

So, so you think you can tell
Heaven from Hell,
Blue skys from pain.
Can you tell a green field
From a cold steel rail?
A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?

And did they get you to trade
Your heros for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
And did you exchange
A walk on part in the war
For a lead role in a cage?

How I wish, how I wish you were here.
We're just two lost souls
Swimming in a fish bowl,
Year after year,
Running over the same old ground.
What have we found?
The same old fears.
Wish you were here.

~Pink Floyd

Same song, same liquor, different tears.  I love you, friend!

Since this only makes sense to two people in the world, I will say this to everyone else.  Being a good friend is the hardest and easiest thing in the world.  It will always make you a better person.  Hug your friends every chance you can, whether they think they need it or not.

Have a great weekend, everyone XOXO



Baby Food

Gerber got nothin' on me.  Little J still gets the jarred (actually plastic containered- if that is a word) stuff every now and again because it is easier, but we are trying to make his food.  Daddy Jax is the king of the emersion blender! 

I can't wait until we have fresh blueberries this summer.  We have blueberry bushes in our backyard.  And a pear tree.  And garlic plants... which are weird because I didn't know that they were garlic.  You pull them out of the ground like weeds!  Clearly, I did not grow up in a farm/garden-type environment.  Let's see, what else do we have?  Peaches, tomatoes, cuccumbers, squash (my absolute all time favorite), zucchini (second fave), spinach, snap peas, jalapeno peppers, bell peppers, other kinds of peppers that I don't know what they are, have had watermelon but they didn't turn out too well, and a variety of herbs.

This post really took off in a different direction.  Whatever.  I don't live on a farm or anything, but I do live on a compound.  And I grew up on a plantation.  For real.  Okay, so it is a plantation that was turned into a golf course country club type thing, but it is still a real plantation with a Manor House.  And it is in a long line of old plantations.  Lowcountry SC, y'all!

So, as I was saying, now I live on a compound.  And there is a small garden.  But that is behind my In Law's house.  They live next door.

Wasn't I talking about baby food?  I can't wait for all of those fresh veggies!  I do wish I had a lime tree... that would be super awesome for vodka tonics, vodka sodas (sometimes with cranberry), Crown and ginger, and key lime pie.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is true stream of consciousness that you are witnessing.  You are welcome.  And sometimes I really talk like this.  Some find it irritating, some find it endearing.  Take your pick.  I just reread it and I find it highly annoying, so I apologize.  But I can't delete it.  I've come too far (Harold and Kumar Go To Whitecastle, anyone?)

Next week I will try to post something worth reading instead of having a brain explosion of useless bullshit all over my blog.  I hope you still love me.  Erm, nevermind, I won't get into the awkwardness of telling people you don't know that you love them.  Okay, I'm done.  I promise.

Restaurant Week- The Library at Vendue Inn

Restaurant Week starts this weekend!  Yay!  That means ridiculously low priced, three course meals at many of the fantastic restaurants all over the state.  And our pick is...

The Library at the Vendue Inn.

The menu is as follows:

1st CourseFried Green Tomato & Crab Cake Stack5-Herb Cream & Red Pepper Rouille
Tuscan Calamari
Tossed With a Balsamic Glaze and Chiffonade of Basil

2nd Course
Shrimp & Grits
Bacon Wrapped Pan Seared Shrimp, Jalapeño Cheddar Grits and Orange Horseradish Marmalade
Pan Seared Crab Cakes
Herb-Parmesan Jasmine Rice, Roasted Green Beans & Lemon-Chervil Beurre Blanc
Pork Tenderloin
Roasted Butternut & Apple Wood Smoked Bacon Hash, Collards, Apricot-Jalapeño Chutney
Greek Lamb Burger
All Natural Ground Lamb, Cucumber Salad, Feta Cheese, Rosemary Parmesan French Fries and Garlic Aioli

3rd Course
Bourbon Pecan Chocolate Chip Pie
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Selection of Homemade Gelato
Choose Three of the Daily Offerings

And we are doing the three courses with wine pairings.  AND, as if that weren't enough, we are getting a room downtown so that we don't have to worry about driving all the way home!  How exactly is this possible when we have an almost seven month old?  He is going on a big boy adventure.  My parents are taking him on vacation this weekend.  I'm sad because I will miss him desperately, but I'm excited because Jax and I have a very nice weekend planned, including a visit to one of the rooftop bars with friends after dinner.

Did I mention that I'm going to miss him desperately?  No amounts of fried green tomatoes or wine will change that.  But I am certain that he will have a great weekend and be so excited to see his Mama and Daddy on Sunday.

I will tweet y'all, complete with pics, over the weekend to let you know how I'm holding up.  Anyone want to take bets now on when I crack?  Other than the obvious, when he leaves... oh God, I might just start the tears now!

I've Been Away Because

Of this...

That is not snow, that is ice.  Snow would have been way more fun.  And that is our fire pit.

And this...

PS.  Thank you Liz for the book.  I am FINALLY reading it!



I couldn't get to work yesterday because of the ice storm we had.  Constant sleet for hours.  However, it was the perfect day to snuggle down with coffee and warm jammies and read Twilight.  Obviously, I took care of Little J, but he has been napping well lately and likes to play on this floor with his Daddy.  Awesomesauce.

So I'm approximately 200 pages in and I have one burning question...

When do I decide if I'm Team Edward or Team Jacob?

Do I have to finish the whole book to even be worthy of an opinion?  Is it something that will gradually take over my soul like that ocher eyed, bronze haired, stealth figure captivated the clumsy schoolgirl?  Seriously, I'm so over the word "ocher" and I'm not even halfway through the book. 

I'm not thrilled with it so far, but it is pretty good.  This coming from someone who has only read school books for the last three years- well, until I graduated to "Guess How Much I Love You" and "Where The Wild Things Are."  Good stuff.

So I want to know, since of course we have already established the fact that I'm the last person on the planet to read the series, what Team are you on?  And when do I get my T-Shirt, damn it?!

Detox

I mentioned in an earlier post that I wasn't drinking for a while.  Two weeks, approximately.  Why?  I guess I just felt the need to kind of detox from the holidays and hopefully jump start my weight loss. 

Wine is just empty calories.  Why hasn't someone invented Diet Wine?  We have Diet Coke, Bud Light, and various other low-cal beverages.  Maybe this can be my million dollar idea.  Don't any of you steal it!

Anyway, last night I almost caved.  Three days in, yikes.  Not that I was craving it or anything, but we were having spaghetti.  And what is a good Italian meal without wine?

Well, maybe it was Italian (which is kind of besides the point, I guess).  I actually cooked a spaghetti squash.  Squash and spaghetti are two of my favorite things, so how awesome would it be to combine them?!

Not, really.  The squash was so hard, I swear I thought I was going to lose a digit or slit my wrist or something.  The cooking and scraping out the insides wasn't bad.  Overall, it just didn't really seem worth the trouble.  It isn't like it is hard to do, but it is SO much easier to just throw a handful or whole wheat angel hair pasta in a pot.

I'm getting hungry....

Let's Talk About Weight, Bay-Bee

When I got pregnant I weighed... I was a size... I was a lot smaller than I am now.  Here is the truth, I gained 50 pounds with Little J.  Sometime after the first trimester I lost weight instead of gaining and a certain someone (Mama) plied me with cheesecake and cupcakes and cookies until I became obssessed with sweets.  I mean, I have always loved them, just never really ate a lot of them.

And then, low and behold, around week 29 my body went ape shit crazy and the doc told me I could no longer walk on my treadmill or wash dishes.  The latter did not hurt my feelings AT ALL.  Therefore, I put on way more than I should have- because of the treadmill, not the dishes, duh. 

So now I'm eating better and blah, blah, blah.  I hate to exercise.  There, I said it.  I don't want to do it.  I tried to get myself psyched up for Couch 2 5K, then I got strep throat.  I see it as an omen or something.  I truly think I would rather just not eat than exercise.

The bottom line is that I have a little less than 20 pounds to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight.  I would be super happy with a loss of 10.  I'm not making it a goal for 2011 because.....  Just because.  Losing weight is stressful enough, I don't want to put a time limit on it- though I would like to be comfortable in a bikini this summer.  Woe is me.  What to do?  I'm tired of squeezing into pants that don't fit me.  Buy some new ones, I know.  Fucking boo!

When does the "baby weight" excuse start getting flimsy and just downright ridiculous?  How do you eat a salad when that cheeseburger on tv is staring you down?  Maybe I should just start eating in my bikini....

All Your Base Are Belong To Us still makes me laugh.  I'm a big nerdface. 
On YouTube if you haven't seen it.

*Disclaimer:  I know that you gain weight when you have a baby and I would very willingly do it all over again even if I weighed a glorious 300 pounds.

Me Against The Bandwagon

So, I had this whole idea of what I was going to write for the awesome New Year.  Yay!  And then I started reading other blogs and felt... well, "less than."  Everyone has these grand plans for the year, something for every day, something for every week.  Sorry y'all, I just don't think I can do it.  Just the thought completely overwhelms me.

One thing I did notice, most people are setting goals and not necessarily making resolutions.  I like this.  Somehow it seems more attainable and a lot less like a personal failure if you don't accomplish it.  Or maybe that is what is wrong with society today... setting goals and being okay with not meeting them.  Ah, a post for another day.

Anyway, my plans are going to be on a smaller scale.  And maybe they are selfish.  Maybe I should be planning to do something like creating world peace.  I don't know.  So here goes:

1.  Read 5 books.
2.  Attend a concert or Best of Broadway musical.
3.  Visit somewhere new.
4.  Take Jake to the zoo.
5.  Meet one of my blog friends.
6.  Try 5 new, fairly complicated recipes.
7.  Help Jax re-do our yard, plant flowers, etc.
8.  Finish Little J's baby book.
9.  Organize all of my recipes.
10.  Join a new organization

Okay, some of these need work and will at some point require further detail.  Now for those of you who really know me, you realize that this list is quite ambitious.  The book thing, I can do.  The recipes and concert/musical, easy.  Actually getting out of the house, or out of town, or joining something... yikes.  I'm a total homebody and I am a ROUTINE junky.  Holy hell, please do not disrupt my schedule.  I am a creature of habit and am totally screwed by change.

What do you think?  Do I totally suck or what? 

Okay, so my first book ::drum roll::  Twilight.  Yes, I know I'm light years behind everyone else.  I just want to see what all the fuss is about.  Then I'm thinking about reading Water for Elephants (is that what it is called?) because I've heard good things about it.

If anyone has any suggestions on where to visit, good organizations to join, where I can find a personal assistant who will do this for me, please let me know!

Happy New Year, Y'all! 
*And I haven't forgotten about the weight issue.  I'm saving that for tomorrow, as it will need lots of editing after I get all crazy up in here.

Stomach Bug

Maybe I will have something interesting to talk about tomorrow, but for now I am getting over a nasty stomach bug.  Little J came down with it literally right after the ball dropped on New Years Eve.  Happy 2011!  Ugh.  Poor thing was covered from head to toe in regurgitated sweet potatoes.  It was awful.

Anyway, per the cycle of sickness, I now have his stomach bug.  That said, I am going to dive into a cup of tea (which is replacing my wine for a couple of weeks, long story we can talk about later) and hit the sheets.

I hope you all had a lovely New Year.  Let's talk resolutions, weight, and all kinds of fun stuff tomorrow, mkay?  And, for what it is worth, I tried really hard to upload a nice pic for you to view.  My dang computer sucks.  I'm going to bed now.  Nite nite!