As Promised, A Lengthy Update

I'll try to condense this as much as I can, but as you know I like to blabber so if you click away before you get to the end, my feelings won't be the least hurt. :-)

The snow - we got so much snow that I was off of work for 4 DAYS. I took 2/5 off because I didn't know when everything was going to start and the last thing I wanted to be was one of those people you see on the news stuck in 18 miles of traffic and about to pull their hair out. The Federal Government shut down for 4 days and our office follows their schedule when it comes to weather closings. Then it snowed...and snowed...and snowed. We got about 2 feet. BJ and I took turns shoveling since we only had the one shovel. We started Friday night at 10:00pm. We went back out at 10:00am Saturday and then again at 1:00pm. Each time we shoveled about 5-7 inches off the driveway. Our neighbors came outside and were sort of making fun of us because it was still snowing and we were shoveling and wasting our time. HA! They even let us use an old beat up snow shovel because they were just staying all warm and cozy inside while we worked. I went out Sunday morning at 9:00 and finished the last few inches on our driveway. The sun was out and it was melting the last of the slushy ice...we had a black driveway! I was so happy with myself. The neighbors came out and we let them use our shovel since we were DONE. I was inside by 11:30 chilling on the couch and ready to watch a fabulous hockey game. Then of course it snowed like a maniac again on Wednesday...another 8 or so inches to get rid of. BUT...I was able to get out and get another shovel on Tuesday before it started snowing again. I was out there again shoveling on Thursday. Poor BJ had to work which meant poor me had to do snow removal by myself. He can just drive over that stuff but I can't and won't if I don't have to. Plus, I can't be getting my clothes and shoes messed up in the deep snow, not to mention the Little Guy and I don't want to slip on the ice going in and out of the house. So shovel I did.

Getting Sick - Superbowl Sunday we went to the neighbors (since we couldn't drive anywhere else) to watch the game. I started feeling a sore throat...the same kind BJ had the previous week. It was full blown Monday morning. I'm so congested and tired and just plain BLAH. I'm much better now, but I'm still very congested and my voice is still sounding clogged. So I was out there shoveling in the blizzard which didn't help, but it had to get done, you know?

TTC - My body, as you know, is struggling to get back to some sort of normalcy. I had anticipated ovulating on Sunday and doing the deed on Saturday. I even convinced BJ to hold off until Saturday because I was sure that I'd get the positive opk. Have I ever told you how frustrating my body is? I didn't get the positive that I was after in the morning or the afternoon on Saturday. In fact, the line was so light that I thought I wouldn't get a positive until Monday. And that, ladies and gentlemen, would be a "normal" cycle. BJ and I couldn't help ourselves Saturday night...there's something romantic about being dead tired from shoveling snow and cooped up in the house with nothing else to do. And of COURSE I got my positive Sunday afternoon. DRATS. With more shoveling and feeling sick and hanging with the neighbors to watch the Big Game Sunday night and rushing the Little Guy to bed at just after 10:00, we didn't do anything. Bummer. I definitely O'd on Monday which was CD12 and I am happy about that as it's much closer to a regular cycle than I have had in a while. AF is due to show up Tuesday. I had some ovarian cramping/pinching on Sunday leading me to believe that I have a cyst. I also had some similar feelings yesterday on my right ovary. Well, not really my ovary, it was just left (if I'm looking down) of my right ovary. Not sure what that might mean. I'm hoping that it's not a sign of more cysts...like I'm developing more than just one each month. Man, these are times when I really miss being wanded. And who would have thought THAT was possible? I'm actually starting to feel like AF is coming. I'm hoping that she stays away and that we got lucky with a Blizzard Baby but I'm not getting my hopes up too high.

House - BJ and I went looking for curtains Saturday. We returned a pair and headed to JC Penney. We looked around for about 10 minutes and found a pair almost exactly like the original pair that was too short. The don't carry the longer length in stock so they have to be ordered. No biggie. Yeah, right. There was one lady behind the counter and she was busy helping a 96-year old woman pick out a mattress pad from the catalog. The lady had 35 questions. We waited in line for about 15 to 20 minutes. I told BJ that I would come back Monday by myself to order them. We headed to Lowes to get some other things we need/want for the house. We picked out some nice bathroom lights, picked up a bunch of energy saver light bulbs and bought a ceiling fan for our bedroom. I'm so delighted. BJ put the fan up the other day and I really like it. We still can't seem to find one we like for the living room, though. And we still need hardware for the kitchen cabinets. We were done spending money Saturday so that will have to wait another week or two. I went back to JC Penney Monday to order my curtains. I stood in line for another 20 minutes with one person in front of me. UGH. I finally get up there and tell her exactly what I want and get all the info in the computer only to be told...wait for it...they are on BACK ORDER...until MAY 28! Can you believe that? I ordered them anyway because they were on sale and I NEED these curtains...I WANT these curtains...THESE curtains are going to be the death of me. Well, I may have exaggerated that point, but I think you might understand what I mean. Now my mission is to find a new comforter set for our bedroom. The one we have is 3 1/2 years old and very neutral and very bland. I need to dress my bed up a little and now is time to do that. I mentioned before how picky I have realized I am and this is no exception. I will write more about this and our other house issues later...you've suffered enough.

Valentine's Day - BJ and I have never been big on this day. It's a nice day but it also marks the anniversary of his father's death. However, he never fails to get me a small token of something. We didn't make it to the dance we wanted to go to, but in the morning he pulled out 2 envelopes from our kitchen drawer. I gave him the 2 mini-albums that I had made him with family/couple pictures. He really liked his albums and said that it was better than me buying him a card. The cards he gave me were very sweet. One was a bit mushy and let me know how much he needs me in his life. I need to know that sometimes because he is so self-sufficient that I sometimes wonder if he'd really be inconvenienced in any way with my absence or with a stand-in wife. :-) The other card was humorous look at our relationship. And it fit us perfectly. It stated many things that he can "sometimes" be...stubborn, lazy, grumpy, thinks he's the boss etc...and then the thing that he "always" is is in love with me. It made my heart swell. Not just because it was sweet, but because he obviously recognized himself in that card and it gave him an appreciation for what I put up with from him. :-) We chilled together all day and it was very nice to be with him.

That's about all for now...my hands are tired of typing and I'm sure your eyes are hurting from reading. It's nice to be back to a routine but of course now I have over 100 posts to read from all of you. I'm looking forward to it, though...I've missed you!