La Petite Chic

The Other Side

I survived!!  All without the second half of the sedative too, as advised by my dentist since the first dose made me so ill.  Relatively speaking, this step in the process was A LOT easier than the first several steps.  I don't have any swelling or bruising on my cheek and I awoke pain free this morning.  HOORAY!!  I still have ugly and irritating stitches to deal with, but hey, I'll take it. 

Jon and I drove down to Ocean City after my procedure yesterday afternoon, as my parents are down here all weekend with their local Ravens Roost (a sort of fan group for Baltimore Ravens fans).  I feel kind of guilty that I'm off of work even though I'm feeling fine, but my dentist told me that I probably wouldn't feel well enough to go in today.  Oh well!  My aunt and uncle are down here with their Roost chapter so it looks to be a fun weekend of hanging out with everyone.

We're heading off to breakfast because I need some food on my belly to take all of the ridiculous antibiotics and others meds that I've been prescribed.  I certainly don't want a repeat of yesterday morning's nausea episode!  Happy Friday to all! :)

La La Land

I've been trying to write this post for the last hour, but good gracious, I feel drunk and words aren't coming easily.  I'm having my dental implant surgery this afternoon and the sedation medicine they have me on does not play around.

I started the pills last night so Jon had to drive me in to work today due to the sedative nature of the drug.  I slept the whole ride in and now I can barely keep my head off my desk.  The dentist told me I would be able to function normally at work up until my appointment, but I beg to differ.

Drowsiness isn't even the worst of it.  I feel dizzy and wobbly and really sick to my stomach.  I've already thrown up once and I'm expecting more to follow.  I really hope I don't become that girl who throws up in the trashcan at her desk. 

I'm usually a trooper when it comes to feeling ill, except that is, when it comes to nausea.  I become a crumpled, blubbering baby at the first sign of heaving.  <This paragraph was interrupted by a sudden run to the bathroom where I upchucked my Kashi apple-cinnamon oatmeal.  Lovely.>  The physical thing that frightens me the most about pregnancy, even more than stretch marks and saggy skin, is the morning sickness.  It scares the ever-living daylight out of me to have three straight (or even more!) months of constant sickness.  I can't even imagine the horror.

Going back to the dental work, this is the second to last round in this long journey. Remember, it all started here, then it went here, where it then progressed to here.  My poor tooth was extracted at my last visit (now that was a pleasant experience) and now it's healed enough to finally do the sinus augmentation and place the implant.  They're actually lifting my freaking sinus to make room for the bone graft accompanying the implant.  It's like my mouth is a freak show!  Once all of that heals (about 3 to 6 months), then I'll finally be ready for the shiny, new tooth. 

All I've gotta say is it better be pretty!

A Little Bit of Life

Time sure does fly when you're having fun (or commuting) and honestly, living my life hasn't left much time for writing about my life.  Summer is normally a busy time of year for us, but last week was especially crazy with the holiday. 

It all started on Thursday when I finally got my summer highlights done.  It had been over a year since I last had my highlights done, so my poor hair was in dire need of a little bit of summer brightening, not to mention a trim.  To give you an idea of my day, it went something like this:

5:30 AM -- Rise and shine
6:15 AM -- Leave for work
7:45 AM -- Arrive at work
4:00 PM -- Head for home
6:30 PM -- Supposed to be starting my hair appointment, still in traffic
6:45 PM -- Finally arrive at my destination (the salon) 2¾ hours later
9:15 PM -- Leave hair salon
9:30 PM -- Arrive at home and wolf down some left-overs for dinner
10:00 PM -- SLEEP

To say that traffic was a bit of a nasty bitch last week would be an understatement.  Jonathan drove in with me one day and asked in incredulous horror, "Is it like this everyday?"  Well, not that bad, but yes, most evenings it takes me two hours to get home, make it three if it's Friday.  I can make it in to work in about 1½ hours, but it's been averaging about two hours lately.  I really hope that the Memorial Day holiday had something to do with it because I always thought that traffic lessened in the summer.  We shall see.  In any case, I hope to be done with commuting by the end of July.  My fingers are crossed very tightly that my clearance will come through quickly and easily.

On Friday, I had the wonderful opportunity through work to participate in a home build with Habitat for Humanity.  I spent most of my day hanging plywood on the side of a house while dangling off of four stories of scaffolding.  Not only was it a very rewarding experience, but I also had the chance to learn that I'm much better with heights than I give myself credit for.  In some areas of the house, the scaffolding didn't quite extend to the end of the wall, so I was literally hanging off the scaffolding, legs wrapped around the poles, while hammering nails and drilling screws into the plywood.  It was a lot of fun, but I have to admit I was relieved when it was time to go because it was hard work and it was terrifically hot that day, close to 90°.

I'm bringing sexy back...

The fun continued into Friday night when we met up with our good friends Allison and Ryan to see Kenny Chesney in concert.  I always kind of figured that the core of his fan base is teenage and twenty-something girls, but I was way off base...the cougars totally love him!  The weather was beautiful and Kenny put on a great show, strutting around and flexing his muscles.  It was actually pretty funny how often he flexed. 

We didn't slow down a bit on Saturday.  There were errands to run during the day and then we went to downtown Annapolis to meet up with my friend Steve, who is stationed in San Francisco with the Coast Guard.  We stayed out until 2:00 AM, longer than we've lasted in a long time!  When we finally woke up the next morning, Jon mumbled, "I'm too old for this."  Sadly, I would have to agree!

Sunday found us helping my parents with yard work, clearing out their backyard which is mostly wooded.  It was tough work, but at least I can say I came out of the weekend with a tan, albeit with a few bug bites and blisters as well.  And finally, on Monday we visited several new home communities to get an idea of what is out there.  If we want to build a new home, starting in the next month or so will put us in our time frame of moving out and actually buying in September.  Unfortunately, a community we fell in love with a few months ago just sold out of all their home sites so we'll need to find somewhere else that we love equally as much.  We found a gorgeous community just across the Bay Bridge that has views of the Chesapeake Bay, but we'll need to decide if we want to make that drive to work every day.  The actual mileage wouldn't be very far from my parents nor our new jobs, but traffic tends to be a bear in the summer due to people heading to the beach.  Still, it's on our list.

Phew!  That's what I was up to last weekend!  Taking a cue from one of my favorite food bloggers (actually, one of the first blogs I followed as well), I'm going to start looking back at where I was a year ago in my posts.  Kind of neat way to remember where I've been.

Last year, I returned to the country I called home for four years of my life.

Magical Omelettes

Otherwise known as omelettes in a bag.  I do indeed think they're quite magical and I've taken to calling them as such, so feel free to follow suit.  My mom told us about these magical omelettes a few months ago (I think she watched it on Paula Deen) and Jon was reminded of them while researching easy breakfast foods for camping. 

For each omelette, you will need:

• 2 eggs
• 1 quart sized freezer bag
• various add-ins, such as shredded cheese, chopped onions, tomatoes, ham, mushrooms, etc...

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.  You will need enough water to cover the bags and a pot large enough to hold several bags without them touching the sides.  We used a large crab pot (stock pot) and cooked about 4 omelettes at a time.

While the water is coming to a boil, crack 2 eggs into a freezer bag.  Smoosh the bag until the eggs are thoroughly "beaten", then add any toppings you like.  Again, smoosh the bag to mix the ingredients then seal the bag, making sure to get all of the air out. 

Drop the bag into the pot of boiling water, but be sure the bag doesn't touch the side of the pot as this will make it melt.  Boil for about 5-10 minutes until the omelette is cooked to your liking.  Remove the bag from the pot with tongs then let cool for about a minute before opening the bag and sliding the omelette onto a plate. 

Voilá!

Like I mentioned, we cooked our omelettes in a pot over a campfire and they turned out great!  They were a big hit and everyone was amazed at how easy they were to make and how they taste like the real deal.  Minus the time it took to get the water boiling over the campfire, they were a cinch to make because we had all of our ingredients pre-chopped and ready to go.  The only thing I would do differently is to cook the onions and peppers just a bit before adding them in, but they were still cooked and soft without doing that.  I just tend to like the taste of sautéed veggies better.

I think these magical omelettes would be wonderful at an early morning tailgate or a sleepover where you have many mouths to feed in a short amount of time.  Plus, it's fun to let your guests get involved with the smooshing and ingredient add-ins.  Enjoy!

Fabulous Find Friday - Garage Sale Edition

I'm a true Virgo in every way except when it comes to practicality.  Rather, I find myself to be fanciful and frivolous and, honestly, a wee bit ridiculous when it comes to some things.  My longing for red toe shoes is the perfect example. Do I dance en pointe?  No.  Hell, I barely know the basic positions and my ass certainly isn't that flexible.  Jon is afraid I'll hurt myself so I don't think I'll ever find those under the Christmas tree.

Then there's the ice luge mold, which I can't take full responsibility for because Jon totally encouraged me to buy it.  We may not have our own freezer, but we have an ice luge mold, folks!  And if you come to Jon's graduation party (which I have yet to plan or invite anyone to), it will be making an appearance!

But I'm not here to talk about pretty toe shoes or ways to simultaneously freeze your tongue and get drunk.  I'm here to talk about beach cruisers.  I've longed for one ever since watching that scene in Wedding Crashers where Rachel McAdams' and Owen Wilson's characters go on a bike ride to the beach.  My family used to rent them during our beach vacations to Ocean City, MD and ride them on the boardwalk amidst some of my favorite smells in the world: warm sand and cold ocean, cocoa butter and coconut, Thrasher's fries with vinegar, Candy Kitchen salt water taffy and fudge...I could go on and on.

Beach cruisers are so feminine and charming and darling, much like I aspire to be.  Never mind that they're not practical; I certainly don't have aspirations to be the next Lance Armstrong.  I just want a lovely little bike to take riding on beautiful days.  So Jon and I made a deal many months ago that a beach cruiser would be my "Yay, we have a house!" present.  Jon would get a new grill and I would get a pretty, little beach cruiser.  Good deal, if you ask me.

That is until I found a vintage beach cruiser at a garage sale last Saturday.  For $15.  Fifteen whole dollars.  And it's pink!  We bought it from a cute retired Air Force couple and the lady said she hadn't rode it in years.  From some quick Googling, I figure it's from the seventies or eighties. I took it right in to the bike shop for a tune-up which ended up costing more than the bike itself, but that's okay because it's in perfect condition and I adore it! 

I named her Pinky Flaminky.

She even has sweet fenders!

 

I bought her a shiny chrome bell so that I can tring-a-ling-ding to my heart's content.

 

P.S.  Since so many of you have inquired, I'll be sharing the instructions on how to make your very own magical omelettes in my next post. :)

Fun With Campfires

Let me premise this post with a statement: Jon and I are not campers in the traditional sense.  We don't do tents and we don't do hiking boots and we don't start our own fires from scratch.  We're more of the cabin, flip flops and fire starter-using kind of campers and we're okay with that.  (Though I've been swearing up and down for years that I could totally win Survivor because it's always the small, skinny girls that go far.  'Course their huge boobs might also be a factor, but I'm just saying, I could totally rock Survivor if given the opportunity).

Anyhow, our friends Allison and Ryan invited us to go camping with a group of their friends at the beautiful and historic Harpers Ferry.  They mentioned cabins and beers and s'mores and we said, "We're in!"  Save for a few run-ins with large, buzzing insects and some rainy weather on Sunday, we all had a blast and promised to make it an annual tradition.  All photos below are courtesy of the lovely Allison.

What better way to spend a Friday night then by playing flip cup by the light of the fire?

Jon and I were in charge of breakfast on Saturday morning and we made omelettes in baggies over the campfire.  Yes, eggs + baggies + fires = omelettes.  Did I just blow your mind?  They're magical omelettes!

We went on a short hike on the riverbank which led us into the town of Harpers Ferry.  The town itself actually sits on cliffs above the river(s).

Saturday night started out innocently enough...(and yeah, no makeup, I must really love you guys)

But a few rounds of beer pong and flip cup later, Jon and I were up to our old routine of rodeos and goofiness.

Any night that ends with warm, ooey-gooey delicious s'mores (just look at the perfect toast on that marshmallow!) is pretty close to heaven in my eyes.

I think I'll wait until tomorrow to share my super, secret best-ever garage sale find with y'all since I loaded you down with photos in this post.  It's totally worth the wait, I promise.

Oh, Hello Blog

I don't think I've ever gone a whole week without blogging, save during vacation, and I have to admit, the longer you go without, the easier it is to consider just calling the whole blogging thing off.  But then I think about the friendships I've made and the thought of sharing pictures of our new home (once we have one) and our baby (again, once we have one) and those things are enough to shake that idea off all together.

So, thank you for bearing with me during this period of transition.  I realize I haven't just been absent from my own blog, but there comes a point when you just have to hit "Mark All As Read" and continue on with life and that's exactly what I did this morning.  If I missed some huge announcement, please oblige me and leave it in the comments or send me an e-mail.  I would hate to be the last to know some big, exciting news.  (Though I did catch your "I'm engaged!" post, Katelin, and I'm thrilled for you!)

I still owe you pictures from camping 2 weekends ago and I have new pictures to share, as well, of what might possibly be my best garage sale purchase ever.  I've had quite a lot of fabulous garage sale purchases in my life, so that should just let you know the extent of the awesomeness.  I'll give you a hint until I get around to uploading the pictures: it's pink and it rings and no, it's not a cell phone.

Lastly, my previous post kind of alluded to great things being in store for me and lo, it's already happening!  I had two (yes, two!) job interviews last week and they both went amazingly well.  So amazing, in fact, that it came down to me actually making the decision between the two.  The first position is for the federal government and I'm not sure I can go into much more detail than that, but trust me, it's an incredible opportunity.  The second is actually for the same university that I interviewed with at the beginning of April, and again, it's a great opportunity. 

Both of them would be a promotion and both of them would be in a comfortable commuting distance so it really came down to factors like salary and stability and opportunity, and most importantly, what just felt right.  I picked the first.  The kicker?  I won't be starting for at least 3 months since it requires an extensive background investigation and security clearance, but regardless, I am thrilled and excited and relieved to have found such a perfect-for-me position.  True, I'll be doing the crappy commute for three more months, but at least there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

To all my mom friends out there, including the furbaby mommies (because hey, we clean up poop and puke too!), I hope you had a lovely Mother's Day.  Jon and I made donations in our mom's names for two worthy causes and spent Sunday at the ballpark with my mom and dad.  Last year, before we even thought about selling the condo, we bought season tickets for all of the Sunday home games for my beloved O's and are really enjoying them.  Nothing quite beats sitting in the sun with a jumbo ballpark hotdog and a cold beer while watching my favorite team play, especially when surrounded by family.  And the great thing about loving a team that's not exactly the best team?  You can get great seats for not a lot of money! 

Here's a view from our seats (taken with my iPhone):

Ahh, Camden Yards.  One of my favorite places in the whole world.

The First Things to Go

When waking at 5:30 AM to leave the house by 6:15 AM to get to work by 7:30 AM, you quickly learn to prioritize your time and certain things fall by the wayside.  Such as...

• Updating your blog
• Shaving your legs every day
• Blow drying your hair
• Reading blogs
• Clothes that require ironing
• Accessorizing your outfits
• Twitter
• Magazine reading
• Watching shows past 10:00 PM
• Yeah, BLOGGING

It's all worth it though because I have a feeling that really great things are in store for me.  Have you ever had the urge to just fast forward through a couple of months of your life because you know that amazing things await?  I kind of feel like that right now, although I would never want to wish away any amount of time (especially summertime!) because it's all so precious.  This time in our lives is truly special and I'm enjoying spending time with my parents, but I just can't help but be excited for what's to come.

P.S.  Stay tuned for a recap of our camping trip to Harpers Ferry last weekend.  I can't promise it will be tomorrow, but I'll try :)