Kimmie Kay's Victory Garden

Adventures in raw

2010-06-03T13:08:00.000-06:00

Ok - so where I last left off...I was doing a cleanse in preparation for my 32nd Birthday. It went fine...until I got strep throat. When I emailed my "coaches" their main advice was to do another cleanse after I was off the antibiotics. I said "uhm, that's more $$ than I want to spend" and they said "nothing".

So - then I happened onto a cleanse by a woman here in Boulder, Eloise Nelson, and it looked actually pretty good. I bought the book from her and started the cleanse on Wednesday. It's a mostly vegan and raw cleanse...which is different for me. So far - the 3 recipes that I've made out of her book have been really pretty tasty. Oh, the shakes that I have for breakfast in the morning are...interesting. The texture is...interesting. But - they're bearable and they're mostly fresh fruit, spinach and then some Chia seeds and hemp protein powder. The downside of this cleanse is it was somewhat $$ to get the products - but they will hopefully last the entire cleanse. The upside is I think this is a nutritional cleanse as well as fiber...and I'm having REAL food and not pellets and chocolate over-processed "what the hell is in this" shakes.

So - I'll let you know the updates. Otherwise I'm just full of stress and that's awesome. I seem to have broken the damn on an unhealthy Etsy addiction. Ohhhh....handmade goods...

Sidelined by Strep...wah wah waaaaah.

2010-05-21T08:57:00.000-06:00

So - disappointingly - I have had to stall on the end of the cleanse. I've been doing shake days for this week...but as far as weight loss I think it's stalled out. I'm down 8 lbs - which I really need to look at as a positive thing. I was just hoping for more.

I got strep this week. I woke up Tuesday with a terrible burning in my throat. I thought immediately that it was strep - so I went to Urgent Care and got a test...and then went to Walgreens for the antibiotics. The 1st day was pretty awful but I felt better on day 2.

I talked to my coaches - and they told me that while I'm on an antibiotic I'm not really supposed to do the juice part of the cleanse. So, like I said, I've done shake days and today is day 11.

After I finish the antibiotics- I plan to do 2 more shake days and then 2 cleanse days so I can finish the product. Hopefully I'll get more results. We'll see!

Cleanse - Days 5, 6, 7

2010-05-17T09:20:00.000-06:00

I've made it halfway! I've completed my first two pre-cleanse days, my two juice days, and now I'm on my third shake day of 5. I have to make it to Friday - which means two more juice days, but I think I'm doing ok right now. John compared it this morning to SlimFast...which I guess is somewhat correct in the replacing two meals with a "shake"...hopefully this Isagenix stuff is a bit healthier?

I am happy with results so far. Sure - I'd like to have dropped 20 lbs the first day - but that's not realistic. I am happy with the ~6lbs that I've dropped and I hope I get in a few more before this is over. My energy is ok. I really wanted to nap all day yesterday - not sure if that's just because I needed sleep or if I was overly tired

Saturday was nice with the return to shakes and food. I was mostly good at the Farmer's Market - but chef Deb made polenta and seeing as it was gluten-free, I had to have some. So - I substituted it as my mid-morning "snack" instead of freaking out about eating a DELICIOUS polenta with butter and parmesean, and tasty greens on top of it. Yum. I had my shakes in the morning and at noon so I could eat dinner with John...which didn't exactly happen due to his construction project. Ah well - things happen. I made us a healthier version of Chipotle's burrito bowl - used brown rice, probably less salt and less cheese and sour cream. It was o.k. If I were really cooking and not trying to be super healthy - I think I would have kicked in a few more things to make it tastier.

Sunday was a normal, mostly schedule following day. I had my meal at lunch - and I made a delicious omlette with applewood smoked chevre, sauteed local spinach (purple and green!), garlic and tomato. It was deeeeelicious. The shakes were fine and the snacks were fine. My bloodsugar dropped on Sunday afternoon - but overall it was just fine.

One of the things I've been appreciating from the fast is how it is helping me appreciate the little food that I'm eating right now. I have a plan to head to Whole Foods for lunch to make a big and healthy salad for myself. Yum.

So - today, so far:

7:00 - Shake and accelerator capsule, isaflush and water
7:30 - iced passion tea from *$ (no sweeteners - doesn't need it!)
9:30 - 1 Snack & 2 nuts, water

Cleanse Day 4 - day 2 of juice

2010-05-14T12:13:00.000-06:00

Let me begin with: Hi, Jackie! Glad someone is reading this!!

Day 3 ended ok. I was drained of energy and I sooooooo wanted to eat. Having to feed Ada-Ruth was torture. Her meatloaf looked like the most delicious food ever made...even though I knew it wasn't. I had my juice - which seems to be better diluted- and my wafers and went to bed earlyish.

Day 4 - I may feel better than I did yesterday. I followed my Friday ritual of getting Starbucks - but I opted for an iced-non-sweetened Passion tea. No chemicals - just some herbal tea over ice. It was good.

7am - Juice & water, accelerator cap and fiber stuff
8:30 - Snack & H20
10:45 - late due to a meeting - snack & H20
12:00 - late due to meeting - Juice & water

In positive news, I'm down 4.5 lbs! Woooooo. And supposedly the 2nd day of the cleanse is supposed to be very "cleansing"...

Day 3 - the real cleanse begins

2010-05-13T15:12:00.000-06:00

So today is my 1st day on the "Cleanse for Life" juice and day without food. Actually - I have my Isagenix "Snacks" to munch on...redefining "snack" to mean "tablet" or possibly "pellet" and "munch" to mean - savoring an oversized-Necco wafer. It kind of tastes like Astronaut Ice Cream (of which, I am a big fan).

I have had 2 of the juice doses so far. I have another at 4. The juice is...not so great. But - the "cleanse coach" told me it will start to taste better.

I keep thinking about food and the food I want to have when I'm done with this stinking thing - but I guess that's really counter to what I'm supposed to be thinking about. I'm supposed to be thinking healthy thoughts - not about how I'd really like to have food...any food. The soup my co-worker ate today at lunch smelled like the best french onion soup ever...she said it was only ok.

So here is the journal thus far.
7am - 4 oz juice, fiber supplement, metabolism accelerator, water, tea
8:30 - snack, water (DYING of hunger)
10:00 - snack, water (still dying)
11:30 - 4 oz juice, water (yup, not satisfying)
1:00 - snack, water, metabolism accelerator (hungry hippo am i)
2:30 - snack, water (oh -snack was totally what I needed. Oh wait)
3:10 - dying of hunger...only 50 minutes until my next 4 oz of juice. Whoooo.

But - so far I am down about 3 lbs and besides hunger, I don't feel too bad. And, it's nice knowing that I'm doing something good for my body...flushing out toxins and bringing in the good nutrients. Good stuff. Still - I can't wait for next Friday (the last day of my 11 day cleanse...)

Cleanse me - Day 2

2010-05-12T16:53:00.000-06:00

Day 2 -

I have that undercurrent of hunger that just doesn't go away. But - I'm doing ok. I worked from home today - not sure if that was good or bad but it was nice to be home. I also realized that I had read the paperwork wrong - my "snacks" are 2 almonds + a small snack - so I'm had more robust snacks today. Yea!

Also - as far as weight - I was down 2 lbs this morning. There is a lot of water going in/coming out - so who knows if it is real or water weight. Still kind of nice.

730 am - shake & water
10am - 2 almonds & water
1130 - peanut butter and fiber supplement & water
115 - lunch (mexican bowl with spinach and chicken) & water
2:45 - tea
318 - 1/2 apple, 3 small almonds
4:15 - hungry and wanting another snack. Will get one when I get off of this call.
4:45 - celery and 2 almonds.

I'll be having another shake tonight. I'm about to go get a pedicure. I need it - and it should take my mind off of food? :)

Tomorrow is the all-juice day. I'm a little worried about how it will go - no real food - all juice but some snacks. We'll see...

Cleanse me - Day 1

2010-05-12T16:11:00.000-06:00

I am doing a "nutritional cleanse" for the next couple weeks. Some may wonder why I'm trying to add stress - but I'm feeling good about this. With my birthday in a couple weeks, I want to start the next year of my life healthier and more active.

I want to journal this - but don't really want to use Facebook so I think I'll use my Victory Garden Blog. :)

So I'm in day 1. Here is what's happened so far:
6am- Wake up, weigh in & measure. SO not happy with weight and measurements.
7am - Chocolate shake thing, fiber supplement, accelerator. The shake was really thick - almost too thick. I feel good afterwards.
730am - I've switched to herbal tea for now and feel pretty good. Not missing my caffiene too much.
8:30am- water
9:00am - water
10am - hungry. I can have 2 almonds (2??!?!) so I have 2 almonds and a "snack" provided by them. I also have lots of water
11am - hungry. I have 2 more almonds and more water
11:55 - leaving to have my "meal" of the day - I'm about to go to Whole Foods to make a nice salad from their beautiful salad bar.
1:15 - Salad. It was huge and yet I was still somewhat hungry
2:30 - 2 nuts and water
4:00 - 2 nuts
6:15 - shake
7:30 - 2 chocolate almonds (whoops!)

End of day - feeling ok just a bit hungry.

Helen, Harriet, Clementine, ClaraBell and two others...

2010-03-28T10:30:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the chicks! They're sleeping right now...so not too much excitement yet.

Lessons thus far

2010-03-27T07:54:00.000-06:00

Gardening is a very Zen activity. You can't really control anything, your patience is rewarded and hope for certain results should be abandoned.

Practical lessons thus far:
-Growing lamps need to be VERY close to the seedlings. Too far away and the seedlings get leggy. Leggy, in the world of seedlings, is bad
-It doesn't matter what the seed packets say - the "time to germination" will just depend so don't get frustrated when the 5-7 day germinating eggplants take 14 days
-When you first plant seeds - it can seem like you're planting waaaay too many. When they begin to sprout - it doesn't seem like enough.
-You have to be close to the seedlings. They need a lot of care and watering (literally) or they shrivel up. This can happen overnight.

We get the chicks tonight or tomorrow morning. We build garden boxes today. Exciting stuff!

Seeds and chicks

2010-03-20T17:46:00.001-06:00

Hello. Yes, it's been a while. You're looking good - keep up the good work. I've changed the name of the blog. Moving on.

In a new chapter of our life - we're taking on a Victory Garden. Our suburban-farm will be comprised of a vegetable garden, herb garden, some fruit and a chicken coop with 4 layers.

I've felt compelled to learn how to make food out of dirt and little pebble-like things called "seeds". I'm not sure how good we'll be at this. I'd say that John has a closer heridatary link to farming but I seem to have more of an interest in learning how to plant seeds and pray the buggars turn into plants. Last week I planted a flat of heirloom vegetables and a flat of tomatoes (13 heirloom varieties). So far - after a week of waiting - about 5 plants have popped out of the soil - leaving about 90% of them unmoved and me worrying that I've planted bum seeds. This new hobby requires a lot of patience and reading the fine print on heirloom seed packages.

The other major component of our farm will be four egg-laying hens. We're really excited about the chickens. We can only have four because Longmont requires that a) you have a permit for Urban Hens and b) that you can only have 4 living in a coop 6 feet from your house and from your property line. Sooo...4 chickens it is. Since John grew up working for McMurray Chicken hatchery - he had a pretty clear idea of the rare birds he wanted to get. No Rhode Island Reds or CXRs for him...we're getting beautiful heirloom birds. Next Sunday we will become the proud owners of two Light Brahmas, one Silver Laced Wyandotte and an Auracana. They will lay brown eggs and the Auracana will lay blue and green ones. We get them as 2 day old chicks...so egg producing won't actually begin until September or so. We've got names picked...stay tuned.

The S-W family continues to do well. Ada-Ruth is the light of our lives and has been growing like a weed. The past 2 weeks have been a bit rough - she's had her 1st ER visit, 1st ear infection, 1st hospital stay, 1st IV, 1st diagnosis of pneumonia and 1st bout with thrush. She comes off of her antibiotic tomorrow and she's feeling much better. John and I are both battling some un-diagnosed malase...hopefully we'll all begin Spring feeling healthy. I know one thing for sure - I am ready for Winter to be over.

Last but not least - just in case you've been looking into career options during these economically difficult times...consider chicken sexing. Enjoy. Part 1 and Part 2.

Returning to work? When the hell did that happen?

2009-01-22T12:01:00.006-06:00

So - I'm sitting here in wrist braces and a baby wrap with a snuggly, wiggly little baby inside. She is waking up off and on and reminds me how quickly I need to get stuff done when she's sleeping - because she could be awake and hungry at any moment. I am trying my hardest to fully appreciate these moments - because in less than 2 weeks I return to the work world again.

I think like any new mom, I have very mixed emotions about this return. I won't be able to sleep in until 8am and wake up to my smiling baby girl. But, at the same time, I'll be back in Adult-land - speaking and thinking like a grown-up, not cooing and wiping spit-up. I am nervous about this return. I'm much heavier than when I got pregnant - so clothing options may have me returning to maternity clothes (ugh). I will be commuting from my home north of Denver to the "Tech Center" which is south of town (ugh). The client and project sound very promising - and it is actual Change work - just like I've always wanted. So...we'll see. I'm cautiously optimistic, excited twinged with sadness...it is somewhat like that feeling I had when I'd return to school after a holiday or summer break - but this time it's somewhat less jubliant.

I really enjoy the questions from people asking "Oh, are you returning to work?" as if this is a choice I have. Yes - I'm going back. Not exactly a choice right now. After a move, maternity leave and all of the joys of homeownership (the most recent joy being termites....eeeeek) - I really have to return to work. I don't know what I'd be doing if I did have more of a choice - yes I'd still go back- but would I be trying to do something part time? Humm...not sure.

I'm incredibly lucky that my little Ada-Ruth will be cared for by people who care about her. I know this makes it easier. Mom will be here a couple days a week. John will be here on Fridays (or Mondays?) and it looks like our doula Abby will care for Ada-Ruth a couple days a week as well. We are blessed to have options.

I have so much I need to do - write thank-yous (it's embarassing at this point how far behind and how many we need to write), start yoga again, finish organizing the home office, finish appealing the insurance company, lose 50 lbs, understand taxes, write my birth story...it's overwhelming. And, not all of it will be finished when I return to work. This is a good lesson in letting go and non-attachment. I wish I could delay a return to work (and stop Ada-Ruth from growing so quickly) until just a couple of those were finished and put to rest. But - well - I can't. I have felt myself get a touch panicky recently - and I'm just having to let it go. Ok- I'm not the best at writing thank-yous. Emily Post would make an example out of me. There are people who write thank-yous as soon as they recieve gifts. Yes- they're superior letter writers - but I have to let go the feeling that they're better than me. They're human, too. Right? I can't let unwritten thank-yous keep me up at night- especially when my baby girl is sleeping!

I don't know. I don't have answers. I just have a lot of rambling observations and questions. Yeesh.

Nourish US - our new family recipe blog

2008-12-26T12:32:00.001-06:00

Dear Family and Friends -

Here is a Christmas present for you all from me and my dear cousin Meliors.

Nourish Us, a new blog at http://nourishus.blogspot.com/ is a gift for all members of our far flung extended families to have a place to share family recipes, stories and photos. We hope that it will help family members stay connected, ensure that family memories and pictures are shared and recorded, and provide many delicious dishes for us to remember or try.

This was designed as a space to post and find favorite recipes. It was inspired by our maternal grandparents - Ada Ruth and Jess Kellerman - who shared a love of cooking and large meals shared by family and friends alike. Their house rule was one visit you were company, but on the second visit you became family. (Being family also meant you had to do dishes...but that was an easy price to pay after enjoying a delicious meal at their table).

We would love to have you post to this website to share your favorite heirloom or new favorite recipes. You can either send me or Meliors your recipes and we will post them. Or - if you would like to post recipes yourselves - let us know and we'll add you as an author for the blog.

Please keep in mind - we are still working out some of the setting-up kinks across our different time zones (with me here in Colorado and Meliors in Melbourne, Australia). However...please hop on board and send us your recipes! Also - please send this to family or friends who I've missed or who you think would enjoy the blog!!

Meliors and I hope that this will be such a lively family meeting place that eventually we can plan fun activies like a virtual family reunion dinner, where we nominate a dish or menu to all cook on the same day, then each share our photos and stories - it could be the next best thing to sitting down to eat around the same table.

Lots of love, and Merry Christmas!!

Kimberly & Meliors

She's perfect

2008-12-03T23:06:00.005-06:00

Ruth Lorraine arrived on November 7th at 5:14pm. While she was "late" or past the due-date guesstimate...when she decided it was time to be born she came pretty quickly.

She was 7lbs 13.5 oz, 19.5 inches at birth. It is almost a month later and she's 9lbs 2oz and 21.5 inches. So, she's growing!

Ada-Ruth Lorraine is named after both John and my maternal grandmothers - Ada Ruth was my dear grandma and Lorraine is John's feisty and wonderful grandma who lives in Wisconsin.

We are very lucky and feel very blessed. This past month we've been able to introduce her to both sets of grandparents, her uncles and aunt...and we look forward to Ada-Ruth meeting many more people who love her. The outpouring of love from our friends and family has been overwhelming and heartwarming and we thank everyone for the warm thoughts, cute gifts, prayers and love you've been sending our way. We all appreciate it.

And now...I have to go feed the baby...:)

Chaz's new digs

2008-10-24T10:29:00.004-06:00

October 24, 2008: No Chaz yet. However, as consolation prizes the Carpal tunnel and heartburn are still here. Sleep seemingly wisened up and has not really been around (at least at night) for many weeks. Wheee!

So...since I'm just sitting here waiting...I've resorted to taking photos of the crib.

Here is the beautiful crib! Uncle and Aunt-to-be David and Melissa gave the baby the crib and mattress - and we're excited to start using it!!

Babyclothes!

These are gifts from the great-grandparents. The (very dusty) cradle was made for me by my Grandpa Kellerman when I was a baby. My mom and dad have saved it and I'm very proud our baby will be able to use the cradle as well. We'll be using this cradle on the main level for baby naps. And, the white blanket with color strips was made for the baby by John's grandma Lorraine.

The baby has a 3rd bed...it is the co-sleeper in our bedroom. Chaz will be spending nights next to us so the initial wakings, feedings and comforting is easier on all of us. We have also learned that having the baby sleep in the same room as the parents may teach the baby better breathing patterns and regulation possibly preventing SIDS. So, it seems to be good all around!

Last but not least, here is the view out of Chaz's window.

In the distance are the mountains - with Meeker and Longs clearly visible. I think it is the best view from inside the house. Only the best for our baby.

Ouch, ouch, ouch...that hurts

2008-10-15T21:06:00.002-06:00

Ok- so no one told me that I could get carpal tunnel. I was expecting the swelling, the sleeplessness, the strange emotions, the strong need to "nest", the food cravings...but I wasn't expecting any carpal tunnel nonsense. For about the past 2 weeks - I no longer wake up with leg cramps because I wake up with hand and arm cramps. What the heck?

Now, I don't mean to complain too much. I have been really blessed so far with this whole pregnancy thing. But, I now understand why the last couple weeks are not so much fun. Movement is restricted, food is unappealing, sleep is difficult...ah well. The joys of mother-to-be-hood. I'm in the home stretch and I'm ready for the baby to come home. The nursery is painted, crib is put together, linens and clothing is washed and hanging, bag is packed...now we need a baby and many sleepless nights.

Today I was treated to a baby shower lunch by my fellow women co-workers here in the Denver office. We had a great time- I need to get the pictures back and I will post. The lunch was wonderful and the cake was spectacular! I also got some lovely gifts to help welcome Chaz. It was so sweet of the ladies to host a lunch for me & babe- and made me feel very special, especially when these ladies have only known me for a couple months. Thanks to Melissa S, Melissa L (aka cake goddess), Karen, Melanie & Jenn - not to mention all the guys who stayed back in the office (understandably...for it was a very estrogen heavy lunch). Again- it was a really fun time - I was really touched.

So...now my time is taken up with working from home, creating "to-do before baby" lists, doing my prenatal exercizes and trying to convince Chaz that this week is as good as any for Chaz to join us. I'm trying to use some logical reasoning: the sooner Chaz arrives, the easier it will be on everyone involved in the labor process; Chaz's daddy is REALLY tall...so...it's ok if Chaz wants to come out a little bit early; once Chaz arrives, there are SO many gifts Chaz will get to enjoy all to her/himself; the middle of October allows Chaz to have a birthday party and also take credit for Halloween...instead of having to blend them into one event; um...and if Chaz comes in the next week or so then I don't have to buy any more pregnancy clothes...cause I got nothing to wear when the weather dips under 50 degrees. So...send your "induction" vibes along to the little one - we're ready to go. Hopefully Chaz is, too.

I'll try to post again before the big day and I don't mean the election... :)

It's all about baby Chaz...

2008-09-21T17:42:00.002-06:00

We're at 34 weeks and counting. Today is all about baby - so it is only appropriate that I post a little bit about the little one. Besides, it's about time I post something!

The baby is growing - I can tell because I have started to feel like a beached whale. Moving around has become more and more difficult. The heartburn, backaches and restless sleeping aren't much fun. I hear that the heartburn will go away as the baby drops...which should be happening very soon.

And...today has been all about the baby.

First- we had a photographer over this morning for a maternity session. We had a lot of fun and laughs...and she's already posted a few of her favorite shots - take a look at them here. They look great. I can't wait to see them all. I am having a bit of difficulty accepting how large my face looks...but knowing that this is "baby fat" and that it will go away after Chaz joins us does help. *sigh*

Second- we went to our birth class and learned all about the "transition" period and the second stage of labor. We talked about and practiced labor positions. We talked about how vaccinations are good and bad. We talked about local produce and farmer's markets. Good times.

Third- we met with Abby- our labor doula. We talked about the pregnancy and how we've been doing, how I'm feeling, what we're hoping for in the birth, etc. More good times. We really like Abby and I feel she's going to be a great coach and support for us while I endeavor to deliver little Chaz.

Tomorrow we go in to Mountain Midwifery, where we are going to deliver, for a checkup. I'm looking forward to meeting another of their 4 midwives and hearing Chaz's heart beat on the doppler. That's just the best sound in the world - I can't wait.

So- in the next 6 or so weeks...we have to put together a nursery, pack a bag for delivery, buy all of the stuff we're supposed to buy for the baby (onesies galore, diapers (!!!), little hats and socks...so cute), drink a lot of raspberry leaf tea, do my Kegels, sqats and pelvic tilts...and just get ready for this baby who will be here sooner than we realize. Nevermind the continued need to unpack, hang art, wash and put away clothing, organize paperwork...yikes. Bottom line is...baby will be here whether that stuff gets done or not!

Exciting times ahead! We'll be keeping you posted. :)

Dwell meets Fine Homebuilding...

2008-08-15T07:40:00.015-06:00

Here is a post with photos. The original MLS listing for our home stated it was "Dwell meets Fine Homebuilding." After an inspection and a much closer look...maybe it is a bit of an exaggeration. (I won't get into the HVAC issues...) However - I'm hoping you'll enjoy the photos. Last night we were both struck with some disbelief that the home we wanted (and don't have to do any work to immediately) is the one we actually bought!

As soon as we get out stuff moved in (hopefully Monday) we'll start taking photos with our stuff. These were photos from the original listing. I will also begin to investigate the other hilarious claim that was in the original listing..."The large corner lot is VERY private with lots a mature landscaping and laced with edible treats." Edible treats??

Front:

The front railing part of a wrap-around deck. It's kind of a widow's walk meets deck- with more width and decking in the back. There will be major changes in the front - we're contemplating how to landscape instead of having the circular driveway in front.

Living Room:

Here is the sunken living room - this is in the front of the house. The fireplace is a wood burning fireplace - and it opens to both sides of the wall. The dining room is in the back of the 1st photo. John thinks we will need a flat-screen to hang on the limestone wall...funny coming from a guy who didn't have a TV in his apartment just 4 years ago.

Sitting Room/Kitchen

Ok- the fireplace you see behind the chair- that is the other side to the living room's fireplace. The floorplan on this level is one big open circle (or donut) around this center stone wall. While you can't see through the middle of it - it does at least remind me of Wright organic architecture - very open and I could run laps around the floor.

Sunroom/Backyard:

Here is the sunroom. Right now it is empty - we will probably have a table both in the sunroom/3 seasons porch/solarium (haven't decided quite what to call it yet...) and outside on the patio. The backyard shot are the sunroom windows.

We'll be posting additional photos as we get them...for now the only work "we're" planning to do is paint the nursery. Now we have to decide which bedroom is the nursery...

We have a winner!

2008-08-14T16:42:00.004-06:00

Hello, Folks!

Quick status to bring everyone up to date:
-We drove from Chicago to Colorado
-We arrived safely with few mishaps
-We are staying in a Residence in here in Longmont
-We found a house
-We found a place to deliver our baby
-We're doing pretty o.k.

So, this afternoon, John and I just threw all caution to the wind...and closed on a house here in Longmont, CO. We may take possession tonight or tomorrow...but without furniture until Monday. No phone until next Thursday. But we have electric, gas, trash, recycling, water and sewage set and ready to go tomorrow.

So- we're pretty excited here in Longmont. The above picture is our new kitchen. I'll probably be posting more photos soon.

As for settling into Colorado - it takes about 15 minutes to drive around our new town...probably less time than it took me to drive around Roger's Park. There is one movie theater, no Whole Foods, a handful of Pedi/Mani shops...and thank god there is a Chili's. And, it now has our home - Villa S-W West.

We hope everyone is doing well. We'll be sending out address and phone info soon!

Just a couple things are stressin' me out

2008-08-08T05:33:00.004-06:00

We are in Colorado. Exhausted but in relatively good spirits...considering our adventures in the past 24/48 hours. I'm still on Chicago time and I only have 5,000,000 things to think about right now...

The final days spent in Chicago were so wonderful and bittersweet. I watched all of our stuff get handled and packed - very strange to have all of our stuff there with us and yet not be able to use or touch any of it. It was heartbreaking to leave the city. We packed up our remaining items on Wednesday morning, did a final walk through (or 12) through the condo, saw Venus and almost lost it completely...and then we drove from our place down to the Robie House and then back up out of the city. I am pretty sure I'm dehydrated from the crying...and I'm still in disbelief that I won't be jaunting around Chicagoland within a couple days.

We arrived safely in Colorado with no incidents. Sadly, though, last night my iPod looked REALLY good to someone who was walking by our car on my parent's street...so they broke in and grabbed it. So - now this morning John and Dad took the Volvo to a glass place to fix the broken driver-side window before we head up to Longmont this afternoon. It was strangely reminiscent of my 1st night in Chicago - my first and only break in while I lived in Chicago. 8 years and one burglary...not so bad odds. I guess it was a good reminder that crime lurks even in the relative saftey of Colorado Springs. Ah well.

And then...this morning...Tycho saw an open door to the free world- and went leaping outside. This led to about 15 minutes of agonizing stress (that felt like an hour) for all of us humans as Tycho thought we were all playing the best game in the world - keep away from Mom and Dad. John followed him as he sprinted around my parent's neighborhood. He gave me quite a good scare...and I want to beat him mercilessly...but know that won't help anything. So- we now know that Tycho is a flight risk with the door open. And I'm a bit more dehydrated after the scare that he gave me. What a friggin jerk. Lesson learned - Tycho will be spending a lot of time on the leash and in the crate during our move-in process in Longmont.

Lastly- the house. It looks like we've come to an agreement with the seller. This was only after the seller refused our counter and basically said we were making stuff up to get a credit, offered us $1000 to mitigate about $20k in home repairs, relisted the house as "Active" while we were still UNDER CONTRACT...but it looks like they are finally realizing we weren't BS-ing them and they're ready to move. We should close on the 14th assuming there are no other dramas to speak of.

So- there are a few things stressing me out right now. I still need to figure out issues regarding staffing, driving, hospital & midwife. I am hoping that we've had our adventures and now we can settle into some peace and quiet while we finish closing, moving and getting to know our new home.

Please, please, please keep us in your thoughts and prayers at this time. While we're ok...it's been pretty stressful and crazy. We truly appreciate all of your thoughts and good energy right now - we can certainly use it.

Much love,
Kimberly (& John) (& Chaz) (& the pooches)

It's about that time...

2008-08-04T07:01:00.002-06:00

I am sitting on my couch and I am actively practicing denial. I'll be gone from Chicago in three short days. There is so much I have yet to do and see and explore here...and sadly those adventures will have to wait until I visit my adopted hometown again.

On the bright side- this has been a great last few weeks in Chicago. My mom has been here visiting for over a week now - she was here taking care of me while John was in Colorado. It's been lovely having her here - and it illustrates how much I need to find a wife to take care of John and myself. I saw a couple plays - including Superior Donuts at the Steppenwolf. I can't say enough good things about that show. The weather has been pretty good, work wasn't bad...all in all it's been a good time. And now I have to leave.

This past weekend a handful of my friends threw me a baby shower. A huge thank you to Chandra, Patricia, Steffie, Jackie and Betsey! We had a great turn out - though I missed everyone who wasn't able to be here. We received many lovely and heartfelt gifts including three handmade blankets, lots of clothing, books galore and the best breast pump ever. :) I can't wait to use them all with Chaz. It was overwhelming how much love was swirling in the room with us...I had a wonderful time. That evening we had a going away party - also a wonderful time had by all.

I have tons more details to type...but sadly and scarily - the movers just showed up. Yikes yikes yikes.

Please keep all of us in your thoughts and prayers!!!

This is my 'Dependence Day

2008-07-04T16:28:00.006-06:00

Happy Birthday, America! Here are the 20 week photos of Chaz - finally scanned today. We're spending our 4th eating BLTs and watching the John Adams miniseries. Hope everyone is enjoying their holiday!

Huge...tracts of land

2008-07-02T09:26:00.001-06:00

Hello there.

Here's how things are shaping up...

John and I will be on a househunting trip next week. We'll be looking at Longmont. Keep fingers crossed.

We had an openhouse and were underwhelmed by the number of visitors. The weather wasn't that great...and I don't think people are in an open-house sort of mood these days. Keep fingers crossed.

I am growing along with the baby. Stretch marks have begun to appear with a vengeance. I am also being kicked a lot.

John is moving to CO at the end of the month. My ma is coming to stay with me to make sure I keep eating and maybe to help me pack (?) and do things around the condo as we prepare to move west.

And, lastly, seems as if there will be a baby shower thrown for the baby and myself August 2nd, as well as a "Going away" party...should be a good time. I'm pretty excited for the festivities. Sad to be leaving. We won't be outta here until probably August 7th - when the movers load up our stuff.

Crazy how fast it is all moving...

T-minus 20 weeks...and counting

2008-06-21T17:03:00.003-06:00

Here are the things we found out at our 20 week sonogram -

Baby S-W (heretofore referred to as Chaz) is doing very, very well
Chaz has a little nose and big feet
Chaz is currently hanging out upside down
Chaz has a great looking spine! (I was fascinated with the spine - way to go Baby S-W)
If you don't want to find out the sex of the baby, the technician gets real quiet towards the end...

So- it was a very successful trip with 5 photos...that I need to scan and post. And, I have pictures of me and my growth - but I don't have cords to connect the gadgets to the computer...hopefully this week I'll be able to take care of posting some photos.

We are now past week 21...19ish to go. I have about 30,000 books to read, a condo to sell, a move to make, a house to buy...and I need a pedicure. Job stuff will come in time - thankfully we both have employment on the other side - we're just not sure when John's will begin.

We also took the time to do a baby registry...and I think registering for a baby was much more exhausting than wedding registry. At least with wedding registry- everything is a known quantity. You should get 10 placesettings...you need a few changes of good sheets...you shouldn't register for toilet paper. But with a baby - it is all brand spanking new. How many bottles do we need? No idea. What kind of stroller? Not sure. Anal or ear thermometer? Yikes. It's all so new and unfamiliar - very exhausting. We also decided to hold off on everything to give ourselves the chance for some Consumer Report research to pick the best car seat, stroller, baby bouncer seat, breast pump, et cetera. Good stuff.

The other observation we had is - babies get gendered assigned sooooo early. It seemed to me that once we know the sex - all choices are being made for you on what they'll like. No one waits to ask the baby what they want. Everything was either blue or pink - and tons of baseballs for boys and butterflies for girls. Not really that many choices for the "we're not finding out" crowd. Don't get me wrong - we love green and yellow...it just limits your options. Though, I can't say if we knew the sex we'd have a different set of clothing or bedding - John isn't thrilled with the sports bedding/clothing motifs and I've never been a big butterfly person. Ah well.

Also, little Chaz has started to kick. It's not a really obvious feeling. More of a displaced digestion feeling...at first it is unsettling but I'm getting used to a few kicks every couple hours. Usually at 6pm at work when Chaz is thinking "let's go home" or after meals that have garlic. Chaz is currently saying hi...probably poking me to go make dinner. Good idea, Chaz, good idea.

So this is 30

2008-05-29T10:48:00.005-06:00

For the past few years, when people ask me what I do for a living, I reply that I am a Change Management professional. Personally, this is a good thing- because this year is now officially the year of "Change." During the course of this year, I'm weathering a ton of changes - from changes as small as new glasses to changes as large as becoming a mother (look out October!). And last Friday, I marked "Turning 30" off my change list. I am officially 30.

With this latest change, I thought a new title would be appropriate for the blog - something that better reflects where I am right now in my personal life. Little Miss Pregnant seemed to capture it best - especially with the rate my belly is growing these days.

The past week has been a great one. As announced, the 30th birthday was celebrated at Moody's Pub. I had a great time celebrating - the highlight was when my "table" (which took up half the restaurant) began serenading me with "Happy Birthday" and it caused the entire restaurant to sing along. That, my friends, was pretty cool. I took a few polaroids of the event, and fewer digital pics...but I'll try to scan and upload on my flickr - you may have to check back later. Thanks to everyone who showed and we missed those of you who weren't able to make it.

Also on my Birthday: John's new job was confirmed. It still has to be rubber-stamped by the powers that be in Alberquerque...but John is employed in Colorado! Yea! Now we have to sell the condo...and, fitting of the busy day, we had our 1st showing on my Birthday. No call backs yet...but we're forumlating a new strategy for the MLS. I'm planning on surviving yet one more Chicago summer and heading to CO sometime in August...and I'm very hopeful our Condo sale will fall in line with this plan. Again- keep your fingers crossed.

So - in the parade of "things to do before I leave Chicago" we went to the Chicago Botanic Garden this past weekend and had a great time walking and gathering inspiration for future gardens. We still need to hit up the Chicago Architecture Boat Tour, Taliesin East, the Shedd...maybe even the Leather Museum. Who knows. Let me know if you have suggestions.

One step closer....

2008-05-15T18:00:00.001-06:00

Just keep sending your good vibes, positive thoughts & prayers... we're one step closer to Colorado.

May Flowering

2008-05-10T08:27:00.006-06:00

Things are pretty good here in Southern-Weberville. We were on vacation last weekend to the Smokies of Tennessee so we could celebrate the wedding of my friend Andrea to her beau Dana. It was a beautiful ceremony and a very fun time. I reconnected with her family, met many extended family members and tons of friends- it was a great time had by all. I felt honored to be her guest and her Matron of Honor. She did get a bit of a deal out of it since I was carrying a little "Fetus of Honor" as well. :) While in TN we got to visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Biltmore....all the while we stayed in Cosby, TN - "Moonshine Capital of the World." Good times...if you stay away from unmarked mason jars.

Back in Chicagoland - here we are at the beginning of week 16 - almost 4 months of being knocked up. I am still feeling pretty good - occasional nausea, not as tired, sleeping somewhat better. I've had 2 doctor appointments get canceled on me this week, so I am a bit irritable having expected to again hear the baby's heartbeat and instead getting "the doctor had something come up...we have to reschedule..." Grrr.

In condo news...the condo is now officially on the market. Whoo hoo. Please send out your good real estate vibes into the universe, send up a prayer, send over a buyer...anything. We think the place will show well - we just need to get some showings. So...send some good thoughts our way.

And, I turn 30 in less than two weeks. It is kind of freaky, kind of exciting, kind of a non-issue. However, I'm planning to try and get people together for dinner at Moody's on my birthday in the outdoor Beer Garden. Moody's is one of my favorite Chicago haunts...the menu has about 4 items on it - which is perfect because their burgers are about as far as you need to go. So- if you're in Chicago on Friday, May 23rd - come on down for a burger and a beer (or soda if you're me).

Now I'm off to clean and garden. Hope the baby pitches in...

And the ClearBlue Easy said...

2008-04-27T11:49:00.004-06:00

I have mentally composed this email a half dozen times, but finally today - 6 months from the predicted "due date" I am finally writing to share our big news...John and I are expecting a baby on or around October 28th, 2008! So...I am officially preggo, knocked up, with child, in the family way, the bun is in the oven and we are proud parents-to-be.

So I figure the best way to tell everyone (pardon the mass email) how we're doing is to answer commonly asked questions...and here goes:

Q: How are you feeling?
A: All said and done, I am feeling great. I get tired. I get very cranky and light headed if I haven't eaten. However, I have been thankfully free of morning sickness, I've just had all day nausea especially when I don't eat. I feel very lucky and am trying not to take it for granted.

Q: Was it planned?
A: Yes, John and I decided to start in January of this year. We maybe didn't realize it would go so quickly. Again- we feel very blessed.

Q: Are you showing?
A: I was showing in week 8. I had to buy all new pants. It's been...an interesting time for me clothing wise. I'm now wearing 100% maternity clothing. (Hint for the Ladies- getting pregnant is a good way to get a whole new wardrobe if you're tired with your current clothing choices...)

Q: Are you still moving to Colorado? (Alternative Question: What? You're moving to Colorado?!?!)
A: Yep! We are still planning on packing up and heading west...sometime this year...before the baby is born. We just have to sell the Condo. So, there are a few things we have to do...and we both understand how bad the market is. We're staying very optimistic and positive. We are planning to relocate to a town somewhere between Denver and Boulder. (That's about all I can say w/o getting too emotional...I'm very happy to move back to CO...VERY sad to leave my Chicago...)

Q: So, do you have jobs for when you move?
A: Yes and no. John has a few good leads on fire jobs and so we're staying positive. I will be able to transfer to Denver with my company - so I'm very excited to have that opportunity.

Q: Do you know if it is a boy or a girl?
A: While I have a feeling for what the baby is...as far as sonograms - it is a bit to early to know. I'm only 13.5 weeks/3 months into this process. Week 20 seems to be the magical time when many questions can be answered. However, John does not want to find out while I do. So, I am going to respect my husband's crazy desire to be surprised and not find out.

Q: Have you seen/heard the baby yet?
A: I have had 3 sonograms and have heard the baby through a doppler heart monitor. The first sonogram was waaay too early to see the baby. The second one at 8 weeks revealed a cross between a tadpole and a baby. The last one at 12 weeks was amazing. We got to see the baby jumping and moving around. It also looked more human. The baby moved and jumped so much the technician got a bit frustrated. John and I both noted that this is obviously our child - stubborn and a pain in the ass...but very cute. The sonogram tech wished us much luck in the future.

Q: Have you felt the baby yet?
A: Again, it is too "early" but I have begun to feel the "gas bubbles" that is supposedly the baby kicking and moving around. Sometimes it wakes me up. I think it is an active little buggar.

Q: Any names picked out?
A: Yep - we have names for both a boy and a girl. Right now we call the baby either "Baby" or "Chaz" (ok John calls the baby Chaz) but no other nicknames have surfaced yet.

Q: Any weird cravings?
A: The weirdest things for me is I am hungry in the middle of the night - so I usually have a bowl of cereal around 2am. Otherwise, desire for food has just intensified (Especially for milk, red meat, all kinds of fruit and cherry-flavored candy). The only aversion so far is chicken- but that's not consistent.

Q: Are you excited?
A: EXTREMELY!

Q: Is John excited?
A: Yes - of course John is excited. He is also being a very supportive husband and is being very nice to me. He makes me pancakes or cheeseburgers, tells me I look beautiful and not fat, he's reading parenting books and he even brings me candy when I ask him to.

Q: What about your parents/John's parents - are they excited?
A: This is perhaps the funniest question of them all because the answer is also "of course." My mom has recently emailed indicating pictures and news of the baby is now more important than news about us. My mother-in-law has sent me some great maternity clothing and fun books. My dad carries a laminated copy of the 1st sonogram picture in his wallet. My father-in-law is refinishing a high chair and sent us news of this invention...just in case it is a boy. So, yes, each of them is excited.

Q: Do the dogs know?
A: I think they know something is up. They are both very sweet with me - Tycho (the boxer) is extra cuddly with me these days. Sometimes he rests his head on my tummy. It is very endearing.

I think I've exhausted most of the frequently asked questions. My apologies for not getting out the word quicker and for not being able to tell all of you individually. I do hope this email finds each of you well and enjoying the spring time.

Much love,
Kimberly, John & Future Baby Southern-Weber

Extreme Home Makeover, Chez S-W Edition

2008-01-21T08:42:00.000-06:00

We're nearing completion of the changes to the condo. It's our own little version of my Reality TV guilty pleasure. Below I've posted some pics of the before and after - I think we've made some great changes to the place and I hope it sells quickly and for our desired price! My fingers are crossed.

Kitchen - Before
This was previously my most used/least enjoyed room. It was cramped and very closed it. It took no time for the room to overheat and then no one wanted to hang with me. When we moved in the appliances were caked with some unknown brown gummy substance, left behind by the previous owners for our enjoyment. I used lots of elbow grease in cleaning it - but it never felt like mine.

View from the entrance:

View from the door:

Kitchen - After
Now this room I can't get enough of. I'd move the bed in here if it could fit a California King. We replaced the wall with a breakfast bar, installed new granite countertops, bought all new GE Stainless Steel Appliances anout the wall and removed a pocket door, replaceWe replaced the crappy counters with black granite, painted it a lovely green. The opened wall has completely changed the feel of the kitchen. No more overheating, and it now flows with the rest of the condo. I am typing this from the breakfast bar- which is a convenient place to work or eat all of my meals.

View from the breakfast bar:

View from the door (we're waiting for cabinet doors under the breakfast bar):

View of the Fridge/Oven:

And then the Master Bathroom...

Master Bath - Before:
This bathroom was the epitome of an "eye sore." The color was overwhelmingly bad. While it was original tile from the 50's...the salmon pink was just not cutting it. The vanity had been "updated" probably in the 70's...it didn't quite match the tile and was generally awful. Look for yourself...

The vanity was slightly newer than the tile, but probably more hideous.

Master Bath - After:
We love subway tile. So we replaced the 50's salmon pink with a cleaner look of white subway tile. We changed the vanity and updated the cabinets adding more storage space..and overall I am quite happy with how this bathroom turned out. Now we just need to get new towels.

View from the door:

New cabinets!

Lovely vanity with the apron front sink...

So there you have it people. We have redone our kitchen and bath. Now we need to box up a lot of crap we don't use, clean the condo and finally put it on the market. Keep your fingers crossed...I'll try to keep you posted on the progress.

merriment

2008-01-01T20:21:00.000-06:00

HAPPY 2008!

It's been a fun winter season - with plenty of time at home and with family. We've had a Thanksgiving feast, a Christmas party, a Drake alumni event, a Christmas in Chicago, a "tweener" weekend in Wisconsin and a very relaxed welcome to 2008. Looking back on the past month+ of activity - it feels like one big extended return to childhood. Ok, childhood with a few perks...but it has been a fun month. I'm sad to see it end as it has been a very happy time for me and the family.

Here are some pictures chronicling our adventures.

Our work "Holiday" Party. Ole!

Drake Alumni Event...Sara and Stephanie came in for the weekend
- and we enjoyed a really fun dinner and comedy event. However -
the best part of the weekend was seeing my Drake girls. (note: Sara left Des Moines to come to Chicago for a Drake alumni event...there was no end to jokes about that).

If this doesn't capture "laid back Christmas" (carhart's and a santa's hat)...I don't know what does.

Wisconsin...how we love you. In our trek up to Wisconsin, we were able got to see John's ma and pa, as well as spending time with John's cousin Jim, his sons Jeff & Carl, his lovely grandma Lorraine, the always engaging Uncle Bob and his incredible hostess of an aunt Ann. I wish there would have been more time for snowshoeing and snowshoes... but alas we have to return to the world of being an adult. One of the best experiences was having Tycho off leash and enjoying the big wide world, without leaving us too far behind.

Here is a shot of me in Natarajasana (Dancer pose). I can't explain how balanced, free and strong I feel in this pose - and I hope to carry this feeling with me throughout 2008. Balancing in snowshoes was pretty fun.

Here is little Tycho, pooped after so much snow and running.

And, while no photos were taken this morning, we had an awesome laugh-fest of a brunch with the lovely, charming and beautiful Chandra & Venus. Life is made so much richer having these wonderful women in our life.

So - again, I wish everyone a very happy 2008. May this new year be filled with love, life, strength and joy.

Anniversaries of a sort

2007-11-14T21:08:00.001-06:00

Today marks 7 years since I started at my 1st big-time employer. It is an interesting anniversary of sorts. I'm now 2 jobs away and probably happier career wise than I've ever been. It just took a few years of...major frustration...to earn some stripes and create the kind of career that started making me happy. Mostly. Still, I can reflect on my time in big 5 with a lot of fondness and humor. And, it helps me look forward to where I want to go...I still have a lot ahead of me. Also, I've made a month and a half with the current company. And I'm loving it. Yea! It makes life much happier to actually enjoy your work AND employer.

Another anniversary is John's bday. Tomorrow he'll be 37. This weekend his mom came out to Chicago to surprise him for his 37th birthday. We had a great time surprising John by going out to his cousin Laura & Chad's house for the dinner/night. John didn't have any idea his mom was going to be there - so the surprise part was a success. We had a fun time - and John's godparents were there, too, which was very fun. This is Emma and myself spending time with the dogs. Emma was great learning how to make the pups sit/lay down/shake/high five. She loves animals - which clearly shows in how much she loves spending time with Ella & Tycho. Barb also enjoyed seeing the granddogs. I'm pretty sure she enjoyed her time with us, too, though I feel bad because we drug her to about 10 hardware stores looking for the perfect lighting fixtures. Barb was a trooper and we had a great time. Barb also helped advise on the wall color (Ralph Lauren's Linconshire Olive) and on my choice of fingernail polish (OPI's "Romeo and Joliet" looks too black). It was a bonding and educational time.

The other chaos in my life right now- renovating the condo and LSAT class- both seem to be at a peak. The kitchen is completely impassable as we're waiting for the stain/finish to dry on the floor. The wall between the kitchen and dining room was demolished and a hole is sitting there waiting to be filled with cabinetry and a granite breakfast bar. It actually looks really great - I can't wait for it to all come together. We should get appliances on Friday and granite on Saturday! Yea! Order returns! My oven currently is sitting next to the front door...and the fridge is in the dining room. It's just a mess. Don't even get me started on the master bath- cause it's not pretty. It's one big war zone. Suffice it to say that concrete/tile technique of the mid 20th century is...quite...thick...and hard to remove. I look forward to the pretty finished bathroom I have pictured in my head... (Gracias a Marco, Luis y Juan por todo el trabajo).

LSAT prep goes fine- I am delaying until February. I plan to study more (ha?) and take the class over again to reinforce all of the theory. I have found I love the logic games, hate the logical reasoning...and I get very tired by 10pm. I am old.

Tonight I skipped the 2nd half of the class (it was a "jam" session and not an actual lesson...) and did a couple things in anticipation of John's bday...and now I'm sitting in the guest bedroom spending with the dogs. This room is now their doggie jail until the condo is complete. Tycho is pacing around- Ella is sitting under me and is shivering. Ah, dogs. Update: now Tycho is chewing on Ella's front legs....now he's making some sort of head shaking maneuver. now he is boxing. now he's eating fish food. Now he's trying to get in my lap. Back to chewing Ella.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. I may post again soon- my parents will be in town for a couple nights, with brother in tow. Should be a good turkey day for all parties involved...as long as I actually have a real kitchen in time. Stay tuned.

PS- thanks again to Barb for the weekend...and for the photos. You were so fun to have here...and you've made my blog more interesting thanks to the pics.

Shelfari Sucks

2007-10-14T08:02:00.000-06:00

See below for the text of an email I sent out to all of my contacts in my gmail account. (If you are reading this, you probably got this email...). I joined Shelfari and thought I was inviting a few friends to the site. It has a feature similar to Linkedin that allows you to see all of the contacts you have already in the site. Except, when you invite those friends, you will also invite ALL of the contacts in your email box unless you catch it.

I am incredibly frustrated and also embarrassed I fell for it AND it sent to all of my email contacts. All of them. Business, friends, frenimies, Amazon.com customer service...AGHHH. How very frustrating.

------------------------------------------

Good morning,

I apologize for the emails you may have received inviting you to join "Shelfari" from me. I received an invitation earlier this week and joined with the intent to invite a few of my friends with whom I discuss books. Instead, Shelfari invited all of my email contacts.

Shelfari offers a "friend friend" service which imports your email address book to a) determine who else of your email contacts is on Shelfari and b) help you invite those who aren't. This is similar to other networking sites, so I took them up on this. It found a couple of my friends who were signed up and I clicked on the "invite friends" button before realizing it had imported my entire gmail address book and it was sending to ANY and ALL of my email contacts.

At the time I was embarrassed and horrified. I do not appreciate random forwards or invites, I don't believe anyone does. I consoled myself thinking "No terrible harm done, one email is generally forgettable and perhaps I'll reconnect with some people."

Then yesterday, it came to my attention that a "friendly reminder" was sent on my behalf for anyone who had not signed up for the service. Shelfari began to spam on my behalf. I am personally mortified. I had no idea they would begin to spam ALL of the contacts in my email.

Therefore, I write this email as an apology and a warning. I apologize for the emails from Shelfari. It was not my intent to spam, and hopefully this will be the last email on the subject. If you do sign up for Shelfari, do not choose the "find friend" option without "deselecting all." This was a sneaky trick on Shelfari's part and I fell for it. Please google "Shelfari spam" for more information if you are interested.

Again, my apologies.

Regards,

Kimberly

FYI: To protect yourself and prevent any future Shelfari invitations, go to http://www.shelfari.com/actions/emailoptout.aspx .

We'll make great pets

2007-10-06T10:34:00.000-06:00

Many of you are familiar with my two beloved dogs Tycho and Ella. I have posted a couple times about my freakish and lovely goldfish. I have recently added 18 pets to my condo. 17 of them are fish and one of them is a vacuum cleaner.

The 17 fish are community tropical fish- some betas, a pleco, a flying fox and some tetras. They are very cool and I love them. I picked them up last week and have been watching them every night which very quickly puts me to sleep. They are a lively bunch but peaceful, and I don't believe anyone is eating anyone else, which is very important.

The vacuum cleaner is Roomba. I love Roomba. If I ever become a professional athlete, I would court Roomba's sponsorship. If you want a pet but don't want the mess of a dog or cat, get a Roomba! I got Roomba thanks to my friend Emily- who was extolling the virtues of her Roomba which she bought off of woot.com. She emailed me a couple weeks ago saying Roomba was on Woot...so I emailed John to confer about buying one. We bought one. And now, I don't have to vacuum anymore. Instead, I turn on Roomba and he* does it for me. So, right now, Roomba is cleaning my dining room. Yea! I love robots!

As for me & life...this week was stressful but ended well. My job is awesome. I am so glad to be out of G and into consulting again. Seriously. I couldn't be happier working for a client, having the satisfaction that I'm doing good work for them and then getting feedback that I am delivering what they want from me. Yea to consulting.!

The LSAT prep is going well. I should be studying right now, but I spilled water all over my lesson 1 and 2 books. So- I'm letting it dry a bit and then back to logic. The class is really breaking my brain and how I tend to think- so I find myself doing this:

If you are Ella, you hate Roomba.
If you are Roomba, you hate dirt.
Therefore, if you are Ella, you hate dirt.

This doesn't actually work because Ella loves dirt and rolling in it...but according to the LSAT logic...I think this is correct...at least I hope.

John is in CO- things are going well for him...more on that front later. I should go check on Roomba - it is beeping at me. And I should go check on Ella. She hates Roomba so she is sequestered in the back bedroom. Otherwise she chases and bites Roomba...funny to watch, not so efficient for cleaning my floors.

-kksw

*This is very important. Emily is of the firm belief that Roombas have genders, and hers is male. After watching mine a couple times...I have to agree.

I'm writing posts. Readers, where'dya go?

2007-09-24T20:20:00.000-06:00

So, I've been posting like a madwoman. Especially compared to the first few months of this blog. But...I'm guessing from lack the of traffic, comments from friends, emails from family and paparazzi outside my door that I have an audience of maybe 2. And that would be me checking my own witticisms at work when I'm bored and Courtney. Hi Courtney! Miss you!

So - a coupla comments tonight. Firstly, Baptiste Yoga nearly killed me tonight. I didn't realize I could sweat quite that much. I need to replenish, replenish, replenish. I may not pee for a week.

Secondly, check this: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.11/sixwords.html. Lifting directly from the article "Hemingway once wrote a story in just six words ("For sale: baby shoes, never worn.") and is said to have called it his best work." So Wired asked a bunch of authors to do the same. I am now trying to come up with a story for the title of my goodbye email. (See ya later, I'm outta heeeerrreeee...Woman returns to mountains, less oxygen...Yes, I'd leave regardless, shouldn't you?...Don't love a job, love yourself....)

Thirdly, things going on at work are really...crazy...and just goes to show how little you can trust corporations. I learned this lesson less than a year after I started working as a corporate stevedore when my beloved company laid off most of my friends, and this was less than a month after 9/11. I know I am about to start working for yet another corporation, albeit this one is much smaller. However, my suspicions are confirmed, you can only trust yourself in the corporate world and you should never, ever sacrifice yourself or time with family for a money making machine. The machine doesn't care. Ever.

I'd like to close this on a happy note...with a little shout out to Boxer Rebound. If it wasn't for the wonderful people at Boxer Rebound, we wouldn't have our sweet, handsome boy Tycho.

If you are in Chicagoland, Illinois or southern Wisconsin, and you're considering a dog, or know someone who is considering a dog - please check them out. They will match a dog with your living situation, with your personality, with the personalities of your other pets and possibly with the personalities of the other pets you are considering. They have hearts of gold and are saints to do the work they do. Personally speaking, my life was pretty good before but has become incredibly enriched with my boxer boy.

Just look how HANDSOME he is! (Not to mention goofy, lovable, patient, stubborn, hilarious...just the best!)

Have a great rest of your week. Oh, and Happy Autumn!

Outside looking in?

2007-09-23T20:14:00.000-06:00

Just finished watching The Devil and Daniel Johnston a fascinating documentary about an outsider artist/musical genius (?) plagued with mental illness and unrequited love...which has me thinking again about outsider art and what makes a person an outsider or an insider in the art and music world...and also checking out Daniel on iTunes...the most interesting cover of his music was performed by the Eels...quite fitting. E gives it the best of his gravely, haunting voice. In fact, as I was watching the movie, I kept coming up with different artists I wanted to hear covering his music. Don't get me wrong, Daniel does a fine job...but his voice can get a bit...tiring...even it is part of his genius.

So, then, outsider art...had me thinking about late greats like Wesley Willis and Henry Darger (both Chicagoans) who were appreciated more after their deaths than before. I was browsing the Daniel Johnston website and was looking at the art, half serious about purchasing just based on how much his art may appreciate in the future. But then...do I like it enough to hang on my walls? Is it art?

It's just an interesting question - one that I know there are phds and curators and collectors will all "answer"...what is art, what makes it outsider, and how is talent really defined...or does talent have to even be there for it to be art? What gives it that edge that helps it leap from drawing on notebook paper to $1200 masterpiece. What makes someone like Willis, Darger, Johnston or Tiny Tim an acceptable commodity?

Anyway...after some time on iTunes listening while contemplating outsider musicians...I would recommend checking out the "Outsider Music" collection on iTunes...and introducing yourself to my new favorite - the Langley School Music Project. Super surreal to hear them singing Space Oddity...

And, speaking of outside...we had a building yard sale this weekend! We sat outside for 2 days selling all of our crap at crazy discount prices. John and I made enough to pay for a movie and 2 dinners this weekend. 25% of proceeds were donated to our building...we raised over $100...enough to pay our electric bill for a month. Thanks to the neighbors who participated for making it a success. We're looking to return again in a month to sell some of John's outsider art he keeps housed in Indiana...and by outsider art I mean t-shirts and old frying pans...and maybe this little hooligan....

Secret Obsession

2007-09-19T19:08:00.000-06:00

My Sunday morning ritual is...get up, get dogs out, begin tea ceremony and then shuffle in to the office to check Postsecret which is updated every Sunday. John likes to make fun of me because of this obsession, but personally I find it to be a comforting ritual. I'm not the only person in the world with secrets and also that my secrets aren't that uncommon. (Don't ask what they are, then they wouldn't be secrets.)

So - I have also enjoyed this page LolKitties (or something like that). I love the phrasing...and how each of the kitties has some sort of odd accent...at least when I read it out loud to myself.

So- some genius put THIS together! Ta-Dah! http://lolsecretz.blogspot.com/ Brilliant!!

Enjoy.

Also - I just made the connection that the singing telegram girl in the movie Clue is also in the Go-Gos. Go figure.

Cha-Cha-Cha-Changes

2007-09-17T21:47:00.000-06:00

Hi. I realize that no one will really be reading this because I haven't updated since June. Embarrassing. So, I will write to my imaginary audience, much like I used to DJ for an imaginary audience when I was a college radio DJ at Drake. However, we were not radio DJs because our station was on the TV...and hence why no one listened to us...it's not like we were VJs playing videos...and no one wants to turn on the TV to listen to college...um...radio.

Anyway, there are a lot of changes going on in my life...and I thought I might as well record them somewhere...I hope you (imaginary audience) are sitting down. And that you have provisions...this is a long post.

Here goes...

a) "Cha-Cha-Cha-Changes" is how I entitled my farewell email when I left the big bad Big 5 consulting firm (Big A) and started working for the big bad MRO supplier company (Big G). I may steal it again as I'm leaving the big bad MRO supplier company for a small, hopefully good local consulting firm (Smallish S). I start October 1...but that doesn't mean I'm not spending time reading up on my new client- located in downtown Chicago!

b) John and I have decided to move. We've chosen the Boulder, CO area. John has an interview the first couple weeks in October...and knock on wood he will knock them dead...or better put knock socks off...or something. Regardless, next spring we'll be loading up our possessions and dogs...after having successfully sold the condo (hopeful thinking)...and we will go west. This will hopefully lead to much less stress and much more time at home...

3) Eventually, I will be going back to school...probably Law School. I went to the LSAC Forum this week - a college fair for Law Schools (on crack). It was crazy. People in suits, resumes flying, bullshit all over and a general feeling of pandemonium. I start my LSAT class on September 29th (2 days before I begin a new job...can I do it all?? Stay tuned and be patient..I'll probably post again in Septovember.

iv) John "went green" and bought a Prius. Wheee. The car is completely silent, doesn't need a key and shifts thru a joystick. It's crazy. I have also ordered a new car...I don't know quite what we're thinking...except both of our cars needed to be replaced. My therapist told me not to worry...just to think "it's ok...the money will be there."

e) Tycho has mange again. He also has an ear infection. We medicate twice a day which is lovely. He's also managed to eat half of a rotisserie chicken, a slab of french Boucheron goat cheese (with plastic wrap) and half of my lemon meringue tart (that happened tonight. i am still bitter).

f) Ella is a trooper. She is fine.

g) The fish are not so fine. Only Hari (the celestial) survives. I lost Steve Zizzou & Lil Elvis/Pricilla back in August (fittingly Lil Elvis died on the 30th anniversary of the King's passing). Yesterday, Pabst went to join her fellow goldies. Hari was lonely, so we brought home Mr Sprinkles...Sprink is a calico fantail. We're letting the big tank sit empty for a while...then we'll probably get some neons and other less emotionally involved fish. Don't laugh...goldfish are really...personable.

8) I think that is all the news that is fit to type. Except maybe I could talk about all the time I'm spending on celebrity gossip sites...or conspiracy theory sites...but I don't need your pity.

8.5b) I won a gift basket this weekend when I was at Ravinia with my darling hubby and my dear friends Chandra & Venus to celebrate Chandra's birthday and see the beautiful and talented Emmy Lou Harris. There was a raffle sponsored by a new Westin that just opened in the area...I signed up...and won a Heavenly Robe, 2 Heavenly towels and some Heavenly bath product. Heavenly! The Starwood gods shone upon me. I am most excited for the robe. (again, I need no pity).

Thanks for listening. Until Octobuary...

Post

2007-06-03T08:37:00.000-06:00

My friend Jackie told me this past week that I was a bad blogger. She said she didn't want to be rude or anything, but she was checking in on me thru the blog...and I haven't updated my blog in way too long. So...she's right. Here is an update...

Something I really enjoy is a good postcard. I should be better about sending them...and I'm not- but getting a postcard in the mail is about the best thing ever. It means, to me, someone cared enough to stop looking at the beautiful surroundings on their vacation, or saw a postcard stand at Borders...or whatever- and just wanted to drop a "hello" note that is generally free of any negative connotations. Postcards usually have no anger, no guilt trips, no "hey, i've got incurable TB," no "You're awful- wish you were here." It's just a nice unabashed way to say "hi." My friend Jen Hopper has sent some awesome postcards, Venus is a queen of postcard sending, John has started sending me postcards from his fires (sometimes the location of the fire and the postcard don't match...but that adds to the mystique). I think my love of the postcard started with my Grandma. I remember having a photo album with some photos and postcards in it...and me being so proud of it her telling me that she liked postcards a lot, too. I remember wanting to send her one...but, sadly, I don't remember actually doing it.

So- speaking of postcards, one of my Sunday morning habits is to check PostSecret.com as it is updated weekly with new postcards that have secrets on them. There isn't an archive of the new postcards- so you have to catch them while they're available. The secrets vary from the extremely happy to the extremely tragic...and they're always an interesting read. Today one of the postcards really hit home. It was a woman in a yoga position...the card said "I purposely do poses incorrectly in my yoga class so my teacher will reposition me. Otherwise I would never have any human contact. I miss being touched." Ok - so I do get touched on a regular basis - John, hugs from friends, my dogs (not human, close enough). However...having felt and now missing those helpful nudges in Yoga class...making the pose better, connecting with another human being. I miss that, too. I've been doing a good bit of yoga at home...by myself. It is a great class led by instructors at YogaToday.com where they post a NEW yoga class EVERY DAY for FREE. I love the setting (Jackson Hole, WY), I love the classes and I love the challenge. What I'm missing is that human contact/instruction... *sigh* So- this postcard...hopefully will inspire me back into actual classes with actual people. It's hard though...I hate being self conscious in front of other yoginis.

And, speaking of postcards...my dear cousin Meliors has started an art happening/project that I plan to take part in today. I am not supposed to post about it BEFORE I complete the project - so this is a teaser. Courtney has already beaten me to the punch...so I have some catching up to do. However, as Jackie pointed out, I'm a terrible blogger...so it may be July before you get the update. Keep your fingers crossed...and I'll try to update on this project before too long.

Why I hate fire

2007-05-07T20:45:00.000-06:00

So, Global Warming is causing our planet to die a very untimely death. You can watch Al Gore's Oscar-winner, you can read about it in the Economist...or hell the Wall Street Journal...you can feel it when it hits 85 degrees in early May. However, the way that I experience the pain of global warming is as the wife of a Wildland Firefighter.

I never really knew I'd be so well versed in fire. As a former Coloradan, I was at least aware of wildfire because we're a semi-arid climate and fire is always a threat. Forest Fires and the fire danger that Smokey talks about- always top of mind, especially in the Summer when you go camping or hiking or you're just driving in the mountains.

Well, now as an Illinoiseian...I wouldn't really care as much about wildland fire, except I married into it. And...it seems to be closing in on us. This past week, John went to the UP to fight a Fire called the Baraga Bump fire. It wasn't that big of a deal...they got it contained quickly...and I foolishly hoped he'd get sent home. No deal. Now he is in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) and he's fighting the "Ham Lake Fire." Check this out for more news and info about wildland firefighting: http://www.inciweb.org/.

Both of the fires John has been on this year are far from here. So, we all have a false sense of security. However, I'd like to remind everyone of a very baaaad night in Chicago and Wisconsin history. No, not the night Chicago died...but when we burned. October 8, 1871 was a bad night for Chicago when a cow (or a drunk) started a fire and everything burned down. That is why we have so many frickin fire hydrants taking up valuable parking real estate. However, just north of here in Peshtigo, Wisconsin an even deadlier fire started the same night. Conditions were windy and dry (similar to the weather here...and in the upper US). I could retell the story, but that is not my point. My point is...I think we may start to see Wildland fire creep closer and closer to our metropolitan areas if we continue to have the experience ever-worsening drought conditions. And why is it so dry? Because of global warming. We're all screwed. Thankfully I live close to a lake.

But that isn't why I hate fire. Fire can be really great for our forests and prairies. I hate fire because it takes my husband away for weeks at a time and plops him in the middle of the wilderness with no cellphone coverage. So, as I sit here and type and try to ignore the whining of my boy dog...I curse global warming for making this fire season start so early and with such a bang.

P.S. Please keep the safety of John and all the firefighters in your thoughts...it's a risky business.

terrible fertility

2007-04-09T19:46:00.000-06:00

Right...I am terrible. I haven't posted in over a month. I have an infant blog that has been languishing without much attention. Occasionally, I will look at my blog and think "I need to update...I have no witty links or photos to post" and I hang my head in shame...I'm a terrible blogger.

But- I do have interesting news. Sadly...I had to euthanize a fish...and then my goldfish had babies...twice! I am new to the world of amateur aquarium hobbism...but everyone I have told about my goldfish babies have a small aneurism and usually ask "are you sure it isn't guppies?" No! My goldfish are very fertile and frisky!

Here is the story...my favorite Goldfish (Klaus) had a swimbladder problem, which meant she swam upside down all of the time...it was tragically funny, but she was still healthy and eating, and obstensibly enjoying life. Well, then she got an open sore on her belly, and she wasn't eating or enjoying life...so we decided to send her to the big pond and end her suffering. It was pretty heartbreaking to lose her. Klaus was a great fish, named after one of my favorite Wilem Dafoe characters. Well, not 3 days after we lost Klaus...I was looking at the tank and thought I was seeing some floaties...and they turned out to be BABY fish! Crazy. Goldfish Fry? Can they be real? Well, they are. And there are 8.

So, to save the babies, we moved the remaining big fish into a smaller tank. Then we moved the big fish back. And, then, last night...what did I see...but goldfish eggs in the small tank! So...this means that the one male, Steve, has been very prolific...and the ladies (Pabst, Pricilla or Hari) have fallen victim to his lady-fish killer ways.

I will keep you all posted on the fish developments. And by you all I mean perhaps the one or two who might maybe be checking my blog because they've got nothing else to do. Maybe I will put photos up at some point...exciting.

I have stories of Easter and our dogs enjoying Wisconsin, tales of eating my weight in sugar, a deepening of my yoga practice...and how much work sucks. REALLY sucks. But, I'm mostly excited about the baby fish. I know. I'm a geek. It's fine. I'm learning to be content with my inner fish-geek. :)

Fish Fridays

2007-03-02T16:05:00.000-06:00

Happy Friday, everyone. I seem to have just wasted a vacation day just laying on the couch and sleeping. Originally J and I were supposed to travel up to Madison and then on to Rib Lake, WI to take part in the Timm's Hi ll Trudge. However, we are wimps and when we heard about the potential "blizzards" forecast ed for upper WI...we opted out of adventure and exercise...and decided to stay home. But, a weekend of adventure is still in store as my friend Steffie who was joining us for the snowshoeing will be instead joining us in Chicago for a pedicure/Art Institute/Spanikopita filled weekend. Yea!

J still went up to Madison today (he had an interview...keep fingers crossed), so I stayed here to catch up on life. I should have worked as I have a million change plans to write...but I didn't. Instead, I spent time with the puppies and the fish.

Background: In September of 2005, I set up a 37 gallon aquarium in my apartment. My friend Venus helped me get set up and educated on the art of owning fancy goldfish. I selected 5 baby goldfish for my tank, with plans to bring 2 or 3 more into the tank. These goldfish were tiny. They were the size of a quarter. They were so cute. One looked like Elvis. Two had huge read Brain-heads. One had pom-poms over her eyes. And the smallest, she could only look upwards. And, no one expected them all to survive. At least, that's the feeling I got when they warned me not to name them...yet. (But I did...Lil Elvis, Girl, Steve Zizzou, Klaus and Hari)

Now it is March 2007 and I think it is safe to say all 5 are still living and swimming. They inhabit a total of 92 gallons in the condo after we added a tank so they could spread out...and each goldfish is the size of a small fillet. I remember as a kid, whenever we'd go to a fancy restaurant with an aquarium (I always thought it was fancy if there was an aquarium), invariably there would be an Oscar the size or a dinner plate...bleakly oblivious to his surroundings and the fact that all the jokesters entering the restaurant would point at him and say "Look, it's dinner. Har har." Now I live with 5 of these creatures, and thankfully for them I don't eat fish.

They have been through some harrowing events...first the move to the condo. Then being left alone for 5 days in an unconditioned condo in July. Then the power outage in August. 2 of them actually were upside down... but I brought them back to life. Unfortunately for Lil' Elvis, he lost his sideburns and became Lil' Priscilla.

So, Fish Friday takes on a very different meaning for me than it would my Catholic friends...I've been cleaning the tanks, watching the fish float and bump around the tank, and contemplating why goldfish create such copious amounts of waste. It's been productive and relaxing. As Venus says, it's very meditative to give your tanks a good cleaning. Ok, she may not say it exactly like that...but, however she says it, she's right.

February Dreamin'

2007-02-27T20:05:00.000-06:00

I've been in a big movie watching mood recently...and have finished off some real gems recently (e.g. The Queen, Elizabeth I, The Departed). Over the course of the weekend, John and I started The Science of Sleep by Michel Gondry. Gondry has directed many amazing music videos as well as a coupla my favorite films (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and also Dave Chappelle's Block Party.)

Anyway...The Science of Sleep was not only a beautiful movie, but it really messes with one's dream sequencing. Especially if you fall asleep while watching the movie...it may screw you up for days. And, seriously, when you finish the movie...you have no idea where you are between reality and dreams...John said "Everything seems so dreamlike right now..."

There is something about Gondry films that are so lovely and simple, but with certain devastating heartbreak lurking in the corners. It's that feeling you get when life is so sublime and perfect, and then you realize it's not real but you're in a very realistic dream. That sad in-between moment when you want nothing more than the dream to keep going even though you know it's incredibly fleeting. (Usually that moment occurs for me at 4:45 and I languish in the bittersweet pre-dawn quiet for a couple minutes before the damn alarm goes off.)

The movie has done two things to me. First, I'm already a very active and prolific dreamer...and the movie only intensified my dreamworld for the past couple nights. Second, I've been thinking and rethinking some of my favorite movies that mix dreams and reality...including Waking Life, the aforementioned Eternal Sunshine, Neverending Story, Labrynth (aka David Bowie in hotpants), Akira Kurosawa's Dreams, Eraserhead, Run Lola Run and more recently Pan's Labrynth (AMAZING!). I would recommend any and all of these movies, especially if you're looking for some interesting fodder to dream about.

g'nite.

Early spring on the tundra?

2007-02-24T10:36:00.000-06:00

What a beautiful image of my fair city found on msnbc.com this morning. The groundhog may have predicted an early spring, but personally I predict a lot of weather chaos. Maybe general chaos will be status quo for the next couple years, and that's really what this blog will cover. I am no genius, I'm only moderately clever, I'm opinionated but lazy, and I am not starting this to chronicle a particularly brave or exciting feat. This will be more a journal of chaos made somewhat palatable by pretty pics and occassional witticisms. At least, that is my hope.

Today, John and I were going to see Bodyworlds 2 at the Museum of Science and Industry with his cousin Laura and her family...but predicted blizzard activity has postponed our plans. So, instead, we're considering our musuem options here in Rogers Park or Evanston. And...that is how we happened upon this happy place. Not exactly the MSI, but still interesting and in our own back yard.

Tomorrow, if we're snowed in, I might have to relive my New Year's soup extravaganza by making some Tomato Bisque. Nothing better than a complicated soup to make the time pass.

Dog update: Tycho and Ella are both doing great. We took them to a dog park today, had a small incident with a rat dog and his rat owner...but the kids wore themselves out playing and being goofballs. When we returned home after so much activity, fed the kids, settled down...and then Tycho promptly peed on the hall carpet. Joy.

wait for it...

2007-02-23T08:21:00.000-06:00

as much for myself as for anyone else...i plan to get el blog soon. until then, just think of this as a big empty apartment with so many possibilities. I'll try to get a futon in soon.