Meeting meat

After about 20 years of being a vegetarian, as you know, I'm now eating red meat. I was planning on neither eating nor cooking it at home. However, I love to cook and decided I should add some meat dishes to my repetior.

In order to do this, I had to actually stop at the meat counter...something I don't ever give a second thought to. The man behind the counter asked me what I needed...."errr, serve this person first" I said, and pointed to my left at the woman who had just walked up. I think I looked like a deer in headlights, which is a funny analogy seeing as I was probably staring at venison. I had gone to the store knowing what I needed, but while the animal of choice was there, it's rump wasn't.

Thank goodness (yet again) for technology...and my Blackberry. I im'd my Mum from the pre-prepared food isle. By now I'd walked away from the meat counter because I was sure they were sick of looking at me and my cluelessness and I was getting fed up saying "no, you can go before me". She explained, after realizing while I food shop most days, it's NEVER EVER been for red meat and that I could buy a beef instead of lamb. I went back with my head held high, told a different meat man what I wanted, paid and left. Crisis averted.

Then there's my dog, who thinks this is the best thing that's ever happened to him. He's not a begging dog, thankfully, because he's never had anything to beg me for! Now there's actual meat in the house...not like he doesn't get some form of it every day, but this is real, there's A LOT of it and boy it smells great. I was cooking last night and his head kept poking around the kitchen door, just in case I had extra to give him, or something fell on the floor (he doesn't care about the 3 second rule). I, of course kept out a little bit of meat and gave it to him when I was finished.

I gotta say, the dish is actually quite tasty.

Sliding Doors

You remember the movie with Gwyneth Paltrow....Your fate is decided by the decisions you make. If you take five minutes extra to get ready one morning and you miss the train, on the next one, the one you never catch, is the man/woman of your dreams. It's a lame analogy I know, but you get the idea.

I'm telling you this because I spoke to my friend yesterday morning, the one whose house sitter/co worker od'd. I asked her how the girl was and if there were any repercussions. This was her response...

"She's ok and YES, of course there were. You know I don't understand why she chose to do it. I understand being upset over a guy (they found out after that the girl had had an argument with her boyfriend), but c'mon it wasn't her house, or her prescription pills. My boyfriend feels responsible because they were his, even though we all keep telling him he shouldn't. She's 30, not 18 and old enough to make wise choices, or so we thought.

Now, her job is in jeopardy, she will probably have ongoing health problems, her boyfriend wants nothing to do with her and she has to go to a psychologist EVERY week. If she misses a week, they will make her go to a facility. It was a split second decision, well, not split second because she had to find the pills, but it was a decision she made that had dire consequences. I don't think she really meant to kill herself, just ease whatever pain she was in emotionally, but she's affected not only her life, but the lives of many other people. This fact, she did not take into consideration as she swallowed the multitude of pretty colored pills."

Every day every one of us has choices we must make, some more difficult than others....do I want peanut butter or honey on my toast? Should I fill up with gas here where it's a gazillion dollars or wait to see what the price is down the road (where it ends up being 20 cents more)? To things that are really life changing...should we get married? Should we have a baby? Should I take the job with the cute boss, or the one with all the benefits? I'm upset, maybe I'll take these pills....you get the jist.

A lot of thought went into my decision to get pregnant (which better happen soon). I know the final outcome...I'll have a baby. I'm well aware that it won't be the easiest thing I've done, but it's something I've wanted for a very long time. One of my brothers, while he supports my decision, tried to talk me out of it. Funnily enough he's been the only one out of my family and all my friends and while I listened to what he had to say, and don't disagree with most of it, there are more positives than negatives.

So, maybe if I wouldn't have had that relationship with that guy a few years ago, I might have met someone else whom I would have married and had kids with, but we can't change the past, so you have to look forward and learn from the choices you made.

I'm Baaaack

I've been quite under the weather since my return to the US. As you know I got sick the last week of my vacation, which SUCKED BIG TIME. I had to say good bye to my grandmother from the other side of the room and couldn't see my nephew or niece, nor any of my friends...

Oh well...shit happens and now I've moved on.

Everything was a ok when I got home. Needless to say my dog was more than excited when I walked in the front door on Sunday night. He then proceeded to not let me out of his sight for the following 24 hours.

I dropped by the fertility clinic on Monday to let them know I was back and I'd be seeing them in a couple of weeks.

I'm finally feeling somewhat normal, which is a bonus seeing as this weekend is Memorial Day weekend....the unofficial start of summer and I would like to go out an enjoy the gorgeous weather they have predicted.

A funny thing happened today, but I"ll go back to the beginning of the story so it makes sense...

When I was in Sydney, I was set up on a blind date. A friend of a friend knew a guy whom she wanted to introduce me to, so she organized a group dinner to make it easier. Dinner was fun and we met again for coffee a few days later.

Here's the funny part...I was talking to a customer this afternoon, who said to me "you came up in conversation the other night." Ummm, ok. "apparently you were set up with Jim Brown (we'll call him that for anonimity purposes). How'd it go?" Errr, how did this get from Sydney to here and where is the link??? She went on to tell me friends had come for dinner and somehow the store I run had come up in conversation. Both women shop there and know me. The guy (who was the guest) is someone I've known for many years and know a lot of the same people. Somehow a connection was made from the store conversation and he, knowing the brother of my blind date, told everyone about the "set up". Funny just how small the world really is.

Sidebar...the guy actually lives in the US and was on vacation in Australia.

Since my last post...

I've contracted strep and have been battling a fever and throat that feels like I've swallowed razor blades. It's either due to stress, or eating meat, I'm not sure which.

I've been seeing a Chinese acupuncturist the past couple of weeks who told me, amongst other things, that my body is too cold and I should eat red meat...something I haven't done in about 20 years. At the moment, I'll do almost anything to get pregnant, so a carnivore I've become. It took me about a week to be able to actually put a piece of meat in my mouth and it was disguised as something with lots of tomato sauce...not so bad...I can do this.

Then there's my friend who came back from what sounded like a fun vacation with her boyfriend. She had let one of her co workers house sit while they were gone to water the plants and feed the fish. They arrived home to find the co worker gone and her front door wide open. Was she stolen? Nothing was missing. What the hell happened?

She started calling around and finally found the phone number to the co worker's boyfriend whom she had met a few times, so he had no qualms telling her his girlfriend had over dosed and was now in the hospital...GREAT.

She had started texing her boyfriend the other night and he thought they sounded weird, so he called 000 (911 for the US readers). He followed not far behind and someone, evidently, forgot to close the door, or turn off any lights. Fortunately, fish are unable to run away. Needless to say, there were a couple of stressful days.

What did she OD on, you ask...Well, my friend's boyfriend had knee surgery a couple of months ago. That's why they had gone on vacation now, it had been postponed from March and they had waited until it was 100% better so they could enjoy themselves. He had been prescribed painkillers that he had filled, but hadn't actually taken and were still in the medicine cabinet...vicodin, oxycodone, I'm not sure if there was anything else. She found them though and had her own "special" party.

My week of sagas does not end there...

I received an email at 2am a couple of nights ago from one of the girls at work saying the girl I employed before I left, the one I've known for ages and has always been reliable, had not turned up for work that day and did I know where to find her as her cell phone went straight to voice mail. The last I'd heard from her, she was at my place looking after my dog...YAY.

She was eventually located in the hospital with a kidney thing that she'd contrated the night before and doesn't know when and if she's coming back to work....double yay.

This has been an interesting week to say the least...

Mother's Day

It's great to be able to celebrate the day with my Mum and grandmother especially seeing as I live SO far away and hopefully next year I'll be a part of this club.

We were out having a fun family lunch when I got a text message from my friend who now has my dog..."I'm going to be thrown out of the apartment by my boyfriend. Ollie can't stay here any longer, what should I do?" I looked at the time where she is and it was 11pm on Saturday night...ummm, well, not sure. Had she let me know a couple of hours earlier, I could have called around, but not at that hour. I suggested seeing as she had the key to my apartment, she take him there (she lives two minutes from me) and I figure out something for tomorrow. This is rather stressful for me.

I'm sure you're all thinking "he's a dog, send him to be boarded", which is now what I'm going to have to do, but I've never had to board him before and doing it from the other side of the world is not easy. Although he IS a dog, he's quirky and VERY much a momma's boy, seeing as he's always with me...this was not part of my vacation plan and yet another test, although I'm not sure why (yet again).

PLEASE stop testing me....

I know I said I'd write more yesterday, but I was with one of my best friend's salons having my hair colored and cut and got my period. Wasn't in a blogging frame fo mind after that.

This was NOT my plan and now I'm going to have to take the month off because for some reason, unbeknownst to me, both my GP and Gynocologist happen to be away the whole time I'm here. I was scrambling yesterday afternoon to find a Dr to go to today to give me a blood test, and also making call after call to see if anyone knew of a fertility Dr who would Rx me Clomid and do all the preliminary stuff so that I could be inseminated the morning after I get home, I realized it was stoopid.

A. This is supposed to be a vacation and I would end up spending most of it at the Dr

B. I would have to FIND a Dr to do it, so this should probably be A. and therefore spend today on the phone looking.

C. I called my fertility clinic at home last night and spoke to one of the nurses and told her my dilemma. We counted the days back from when I arrive home and it doesn't work anyway. I would ovulate a couple of days prior.

D. Therefore, my only option would be to do the whole thing here, so I would have to go through steps A and B AND have to have new sperm sent from the US.

I've waited this long, what's one more month.

G'day (I'm not a fan of the word)

Here I am in what should be sunny Sydney. It was yesterday when I arrived, which apparently was very exciting for everyone because last week was freezing (Sydney freezing, not NE America freezing) and it rained constantly for the two weeks prior...oh and my arrival was exciting for all and sundry also.

My plane got in at 8am and Mum was there to greet me. First thing I did when we got home was shower. I'm such a germophobe and the thought of plane/airport germs skeeves me out. The flight, apart from being incredibly long, was incident free and I got to catch up on all the movies I hadn't seen...No Country For Old Men, Atonement (I cried buckets at the end. The man sitting next to me mucsh have thought I was crazy), Gone Baby Gone, The Kite Runner (more tissues please) and 27 Dresses (needed a light fluffy one so there would be no more crying). I cannot sleep on planes, no matter whether I'm cramped on a coach seat, or lying flat in biz, CANNOT sleep...it's infuriating. Couldn't take anything either, just in case I am pregnant.

See, I hadn't forgotten, just waiting it out alothough today I feel like I'm going to get my period, which would suck, but I have a plan for while I'm here, if that ends up being the case. I called my gynocologist who I see when I'm here, to find out he's away, probably at Angie and Brad's wedding, or something (haha). He was my plan A, so I had to then devise plan B. Today I have to call the Dr who sees his patients when he's unavailable and beg his to see me this week...maybe, if I get my period...well, I'll call and speak to his receptionist and hear what she has to say.

I saw my grandmother yesterday. I was very happy that she recognized me straight away...she IS about to turn 98, and I haven't seen her in a year. I also got to see my nephew and niece. My nephew and I IM and email to catch up, but my niece is too young for that. She's one very cute, wacky chick. When I saw her last year, she was only 18 months old and the only way she knows me is from when she hears her parents or mine talk about me, or when I send her clothes. I brought her lots of nail polish from Priti and today we are having pedis and she's getting rainbow toes. She won't show me her clothes because for some reason, one none of us understand, she thinks I'm going to take the ones I've given her, back. I asked her why I she wouldn't show them to me and she said "because I want to keep them" So sad/cute/puzzling.

I'll add to this later today....

It's May and it's FREEZING

I've just finished packing. I had to wait until the 11th hour because if I would have done it while my dog, Ollie was here, he would have had an anxiety attack. Not to say he hasn't been sick for a week, but it would have been worse, much worse. I've had him at the vet twice since Monday and still there is nothing wrong with him. I'm sure he understands me and has been listening to everyone wishing me a great trip, or asking how long the flight is (LONG). He decided if he is really sick, I wont go (WRONG). I had the vet give me medication and special-diet food and took him to my friend's house. They have his brother, and know the eccentricities of the breed, of which there are many.

I have no idea what to pack...well, I do, the same clothes as I've been wearing here. This sucks because I was all ready for some warm weather. It was gorgeous here last week and then over the weekend the cold returned. Everyone's in denial and braving flip flops and light long sleeve tops in 50 degree weather, including moi. So, I've packed a bit of everything and too many things I won't wear. I figure I'll shop if I need something...who am I fooling, I'll shop anyway. What's with that? Why do we females always over pack? It's a rhetorical question. I'm well aware of the answer...I, like you, have no idea what I'm going to want to wear on any specific day and what looked great on you two days ago, you would now not been seen in public in.

I'm working tomorrow and leaving straight from there to go to the airport, so I have to have my apartment in order, like clean out the fridge so I don't come home to moldy experiments.

Enjoy your weekend, my next post will be from Sydney.