PACKING

I hate packing.

More specifically, I absolutely despise packing.

For anyone who knows me well, knows I have spent a good portion of my life relocating and traveling for a living. I am pretty sure that is what drove me over the edge.

After spending a good portion of my professional life traveling around for projects, I started to develop a dislike of the whole hassle that traveling (by air specifically) has become.

Eventually, it snowballed until I reached the point that just the mere thought of having to fight my way through the airport once/twice a week drove me to consider running through the airport security screaming or having some kinda of airport meltdown which would have likely resulted in being placed on the No-Fly list- which would have gotten me out of flying for a living, but would have completely fucked me for vacations.

I can mostly tolerate it now because I get on a plane the least amount possible. I don't think I have been on a plane since last October when we flew to Denver for the Great American Beer Festival.

My dislike of travel has seeped out of actual air travel part and into packing.

Now this is packing for flight or packing for car travel. Even just for a weekend at the beach. I love a car trip, especially if I am on my own at my own pace (I love the time to let your mind wander along as the miles pass), but I detest the act of packing.

Previously, this was something I never thought twice about, like putting on your shoes and socks- just part of the process.

Now, I hate it. I avoid it at all costs for as long as possible. Until the absolute last minute or until it drives me batshit crazy.

I have even developed a little OCD quirk related to it, I refuse to pack until all the laundry is done. All of it. There can't be any clothing left dirty or I can't even think about packing.

Yes, crazy I know. It's a justification- stalling tactic.

The last bit of laundry is in the dryer now. When it comes out, I might start packing. Or I might put it off until tomorrow morning right before we have to head to the airport.

Tomorrow we fly from RDU to JFK and then board an Air Italia flight to Rome. We are scheduled to land in Rome at 7:30am local on my birthday (Sunday).

I have no idea what shade of hell we are going to feel like when we arrive. There are really only two things I really want to do on my birthday: go to the Pantheon and have dinner somewhere after dark that looks out at the Trevi Fountain.

I have 9 days in Rome. There's almost 3 thousand years of history there waiting for me.

All I have to do is pack.

GREAT NEWS FOR THE TRIANGLE

The NC Statewide Smoking Ban passed Tuesday, effective January 2010- WOOT!

 

and

 

Raleigh is #1 Fastest Growing Metro Area in the U.S. and #1 Best U.S. City for Business & Careers..

CAROLINA HURRICANES vs. PITTSBURGH PIRATES ON ICE!

The mayors of Raleigh and Pittsburgh put some hometown delicacies on the line in a wager on the 2009 NHL Eastern Conference Finals Monday.

 

Raleigh is offering up 10 pounds of The Pit's Carolina chopped barbecue and a case of Raleigh-brewed Big Boss beer.

Pittsburgh's countered with Iron City beer, five pounds of Isaly's chipped ham and three dozen cheese and potato pierogies.

UGH! Dear God... Iron City? *shutter*

Big Boss isn't stellar, but it's head and shoulders over Iron City, which might actually be the worst beer ever continuously brewed.

Keep the Iron City- just send the pierogies!

TIME TO GO

I haven't posted much here lately because I have found myself with little to say.

It seems like the news is the same, same GOP, same arguments about torture, abortion, gay rights, honorary degrees, Cheney's drivel, the Catholic Church yada yada yada, blah blah blah.

It's the same stories. The same issues. The same arguments.

Nothing new or exciting and no new or useful information.

It seems the like same articles are being rewritten they all say the same things. There's no new news, it's the same stories sometimes in a new location with a new name, sometimes not, sometimes just re-headlined and added some bullshit information about what the suspects Facebook page says.

I feel the same about a lot of the people around me. I am sick to death of hearing the same complaints. The same complaints by the same people. Shut the fuck up about it, can't you complain about something else? Seriously, I don't want to hear about it or talk about it.

The same people who never have anything remotely new or positive to say. Complaints about random its-your-bed-you-are-laying-in bullshit thinly veiled with sarcasm is not witty. It's mundane and annoying.

I am also getting really tired of hearing men make the same cracks they made when they were 16 like they are still funny. Dumb is not funny. I realize this is what drives the movie industry, but I cannot be alone in requiring a little more than that to justify the use of oxygen.

I am missing adeqate intelligent, witty, educated conversations. Being only sarcastic doesn't do it. I am a fan of sarcasm, don't get me wrong- but like anything else, on its own as the only contribution to the world at large, it is just sad.

Just like the 15 year boy old jokes, when you are 40- it's just really really sad. If that's all you've got the offer the worst, stop wearing your seat belt.

My rising level of disgust with this has been working for at least the last year. It seems to have risen faster since I have been pregnant, I think my hormones are making me a lot less tolerable to general bullshit and complaining.

I think a change in scenery is going to be a big help.

We leave for Rome in 6 days. I cannot wait.

9 days in Rome for my birthday and our anniversary. It's going to be glorious. The archeology and architecture alone could keep me entertained for a solid year. The Pantheon, the Coliseum, Trajan's Market, the Vatican, the necropolis and catacombs, the museums!

What better place for some perspective than the Eternal City?

I am due.

A RARE MOMENT

I had a rare moment of missing California today.

This has happened less than half a dozen times since we escaped from L.A. It seems to be happening more since I have been pregnant.

Those who know me, know that I had very little good to say about Los Angeles; California however, as a whole, minus Los Angeles, I liked very much.

I will always love the Bay. L.A. was more my speed for weather, but my heart and mind belonged in the Bay. I loved the food, the people, and the culture of the Bay. I think I just lived in the wrong part of Cali for me.

This morning I was over in North Raleigh and noticed signs for a Farmer's Market. I asked around and was told that there is one now over in the old Chop House parking lot on Saturdays & Wednesdays!

Jackpot! I have desperately missed the weekly farmers market in Thousand Oaks since we left. It was a pretty big deal. Lots and lots of fresh flowers, tons of fresh fruits & veggies, baked goods, plants, even fresh seafood. It was divine. The stock rotated with the season, obviously lots more were available in the summers than any other season- the trick was to take a large canvas bag (or two) and show up without a list. You buy what looks good.

I shopped here religiously. It spoiled me. This is where my vegetarianism started. With produce like that, why would you need to eat anything else? I still miss it.

About 5 miles from house in NC is a locally owned produce stand that has grown leaps and bounds since we got here. In the off seasons the selection sucks and the veggies & fruit don't look very good. But they have expanded and now offer local canned good, fresh baked bread, eggs, and milk. During the spring through fall, they have lots of fantastic veggies, fruits, plants, flowers, etc. and the prices are really good. Cheaper than the supermarket and not far from the prices in Cali.

I go here once or twice a week during the season. I was planning on hitting this place on the way home, but when I saw the new farmers market signs I figured I hit that one instead.

Armed with my large canvas bag I walked in (I was also surprised to be the only person there with a reusable bag), looked around and thought.. seriously? This is it? There's like 10 tents. And 5 of them were with like soap and misc crap. The few that did have a few fruits and veggies had ridiculously high prices. I couldn't believe it. Higher than the supermarkets and WAY higher than my produce stand.

There was one booth that will bring me back. Local seafood. He had about 10 different things, fresh shrimp, grouper, scallops, shucked oysters, clams, and I can't even remember the rest. He was already out of the shrimp and oysters.. I am going to have to plan on going there early, but now we are talking! Other than that. It was a complete disappointment.

I hope that maybe it picks up momentum and they get additional vendors with more selections and better prices. I'm probably disappointed just because my expectations were unreasonably high based on my experiences in Cali.

I miss the fruit and veggies of Cali. I miss the farmers stands set up on the sides of the roads too.

There are lots of little farmers stands on the sides of the highways heading out the beach, maybe I'll find more of what I am looking for out there.

I'll never ever not miss being able to pull over and buy a quart of the most delicious and perfect strawberries for $2 and a ziplock bag stuffed with fresh almonds for like $4 dollars.

ABSTINENCE AXED

 

Two $100 million programs from his predecessor's budget pushing abstinence only are casualties in President Obama's $3.55 trillion budget proposal.

THE HEALING POWER OF BOJANGLES BISCUITS

Yesterday was my follow up visit with the Doc and to our relief it went went as well it it could possibly have gone. I have been issued a reprieve.

 

The complication found two weeks ago has corrected itself. No more reason to worry and I am back to my normal routine.

I can't even quantify the relieve both Rob and I felt when we got the news.

 

Thank God. I was really starting to have a hard time not doing anything. It had driven me right up against batshit crazy.

 

I came home last night and celebrated Cinco de Mayo by doing some laundry, making my own dinner, and unloading the dishwasher! ... Seriously.  Just because I can.

 

Sad, I know.

 

So our trip is on for sure! At the end of the month to celebrate my birthday and our anniversary, we are off to Rome! I have hardly let myself think about it here lately because I was pretty sure it was going to get cancelled. Now, I am so overwhelmed with excitement that I can barely think of anything else. 

 

It's crazy. I turned 30 in Zurich, Switzerland and now I will be turning 31 in Rome, Italy. 

 

Life is good.  

NOTHING

The past few weeks have been particularly difficult for me. I am on standing doctors orders to do little to nothing.

No cooking, no cleaning, no dog walking, no exercise of any kind, and to try to stay off my feet as much as possible. A possible complication was found during one my ultrasound two weeks ago. I go back this coming Tuesday so if anything has changed.

This absolutely sucks. It's bad enough ever thing else that has gotten knocked off my available list, but now all forms of exercise and I can't even do anything around the house. All I really have left is reading and going out to eat (the few things that I can eat anymore anyways).

So I can eat and sit on my ass. Perfect.

The shittiest thing about this has been that this weekend was the beer festival. I had every intention to go and just hang out, but now I couldn't even go.

Yesterday, I dropped everyone off at the festival and then I went home and took a nap. It was depressing.

I am having a really hard time not doing anything and watching the poor husband work like a slave. He's got all his to do list and all of my too. He never had a chance- it's just too much. He's a trooper though- he does it with a smith.

I just fucking hate this. I don't do nothing well.

and I get to continue to do nothing at least until my next doctors appointment. If things don't change we are going to have to cancel our trip to Rome that is currently scheduled for the end of the month. That would really be the coup de grace.

Now. I get to just continue to sit on my ass and wait.

My Own Personal Hell

I am sitting in front of wall of beer and there's NOTHING I can do about it.