Not just New Year's

The year was 1999, and just as Prince foretold, we were partying like it. Y2k was upon us and the world was about to come crashing down because of two digits.

It was New Year's Eve and my boyfriend and I were sick as dogs. We weren't living together at the time. We had gone through a nasty break-up in 1998 and were taking things slow. I had moved back in with my parents to finally finish my business degree. Boyfriend and I were spending New Year's together. I was insisting we stay in bed, he was insisting that we go out, it was the end of the world after all. Under duress I dressed up to go this fancy dinner at this fancy restaurant that Boyfriend had killed himself to get reservations for. On the way over in the car this strange feeling hit my like a wave through my whole body and I thought, "Oh my god, he is going to propose to me tonight". I felt completely sick to my stomach, in addition to the nasty head cold. I didn't say anything to Boyfriend and practically toppled out of the car when the valet opened the door for me.

Dinner was strange, we made small talk, both knowing that we were completely miserable sitting up. Finally I couldn't take the strangeness anymore. I said to Boyfriend, " I got the weirdest feeling in the car that you are going to propose to me". Cool as a cucumber he said, "Baby, I am going to propose to you soon, but not right now". Whew! I was so relieved. While this would have been the perfect setting I was feeling so crappy. I was in no condition to be proposed to. The pressure was off and the conversation picked up and we enjoyed the rest of our meal.

Then desert rolled around. The waiter brought to our table a dozen sterling roses and Boyfriend got on one knee. My stomach went into my throat and he proposed with a diamond pendant necklace. I said yes and we both cried. There was snot everywhere. We finished desert and I headed home with the future Mr. Snarky.

New Year's Eve has a special place in our heart, we always toast to our engagement as well as the new year. I wish all of you a healthy and wonderful 2008.

Night of True Love

It's Friday night, my husband and I return from a matinee movie and a burrito. Our child is with the grandparents, I repeat, child is with the grandparents. A whole night of possibilities lay before us. And what do we do? Us, the able-bodied, child free (for the moment), attention starved for our spouse, big old empty house and a bottle of wine, do with our big evening off?

We help each other flush the others nasal passages in hopes of releasing the massive amounts of snot that has accumulated due to the colds that we collected during the holidays. Not the bodily contact either of us was hoping for. We hope this will eliminate the horrible snoring that we have been torturing each other with the whole week.

Romance is dead on arrival at our house at the moment, better luck next time.

I hope you are having a more exciting evening than we are. I am off to my NyQuil coma.

Back in the office

I am back from the Christmas holiday. It was great, crazy, busy, a roller coaster of events. All I can say is today sitting at my desk at work, I feel drunk, or it could be the head cold that I came down with on Christmas Day. The day that I have been anticipating for months comes and I get sick. Anyways, I can't focus and everything is spinning, I might as well be drunk.

When I am feeling better I will post my favorite moments from Christmas. I hope you and yours had a wonderful one.

I'm Waiting!

I am over here angrily tapping my foot waiting for Friday to get here. I don't understand why this week insists on being as sluggish as a jalopy running on molasses. I am beginning to think that this week does not understand the importance of going quickly, you see I have a four day weekend coming up and the sooner it gets here, the happier I will be. Wednesday and Thursday just seem tedious at this point.

Friday night I have my first school holiday sing a long. I was just as thrilled when I received my first picture frame made out of pasta from my son. I never thought I would be excited about this aspect of parenthood, but I am. And my son really gets Christmas this year, so I am very excited to go through all the motions of Christmas.

Mostly I am looking forward to lounging in my pajamas next to my guys, drinking hot cocoa and watching movies. I will be ushering out this year in comfort and relaxation, thanking my lucky stars for a great year, and hoping for an even better one next year.

Last Woman Standing

It was a sorry sight Saturday morning when I awoke to find my son and husband sick. I sent the husband back to bed as I prepared to bear the brunt of taking care of Drew by myself. I was sadly outgunned when I realized my son had the stomach flu in combination with a head cold. And this was after the flu shot, which I have determined doesn't do shit.

My husband was impressed with my mid-air vomit catching skills. Who knew I was so adept with a plastic container? But I guess when it's fling your body across the room with a container or vomit hitting the carpet, I fling myself across the room. Still, vomit catching is not one of those resume building skills. Nor am I proud to admit that I am good at it.

It was a battle hard fought, I finally got the upper hand about 11pm Saturday night when my son was finally starting to hold down crackers and Pedialyte. My husband had the stomach flu too, but he refused to eat anything. Good strategy I think. In the entirety of our relationship I don't think I have ever seen him puke. Anyways, my guys were feeling better on Sunday, but we took Sunday to rest and recover. Guess who is still tired? However I am thankful it was only the flu.

My Heart Belongs to Bossy

Everything that I was going to post seems trite right now. One of my favorite bloggers had a family emergency this week and as I have grown rather attached to her blog and her family. Even though I have never met them, my heart is hurting for her daughter and her family.

I am Bossy is one of my favorite Blogger's and if I ever get to BlogHer I would follow her around the whole time being in the essence of her awesomeness and brilliance.

My thoughts and prayers are with Bossy's daughter, may you heal fast.

The Company Party

Last night was Mr. Von Snarky's holiday party. My husband works for an online company that runs a 3D Virtual world. I love his company, I love his coworkers and their holiday parties are lovely.

This year it was at a nice restaurant connected to a hotel. The food is always great, the wine flows, and I never feel like an outsider there, they always make me feel like part of the family. A good time was had by all, except my feet. I had a great time, my feet were a downer all night. They were rather pissed off about the cute shoes I put on them and in protest decided to throb all night. I get that my feet prefer orthopedic shoes, but really, a gal has to step it up once and a while.

And a special thank you to my friend Samantha, who babysit Drew last night. Not only did she watch my most precious cargo, she organized my plastic containers. I am so grateful! That was my secret Santa wish, that someone would come along and organize that horrible mess in the cabinet. While it needs to get done it is so low down on the list of things that need to get taken care of. Thank you Samantha! Thank you! You are such a good friend. I am so excited. I will endeavor not to mess it up.

More on Mustard

Thank you Carrie for being so interested in Mustard!

Mustard as it turns out is really easy to make. My love for mustard started last year when a friend of my mother's brought fresh mustard and grilled sausages as an appetizer. I had never tasted mustard so good. The mustard we have has been languishing in our fridge for quite some time.

My friends are all foodies, so I thought they would enjoy so fresh mustard for a gift.

To make mustard, my mother's friend got me this out of print book called, " The Mustard Book". I don't have the authors name at this moment, but it is full of recipes. Basically, you soak mustard seeds for two days in the prescribed vinegar, throw in your spices, then throw the mustard into a food processor until the seeds are broken up and viola! Mustard! I thought mustard making was some mystical process but it is not.

I will post the recipes that I used in a couple days.

Nudey Rudey Strikes Again

I was changing Drew this evening and he was naked from the waste down. He goes up to his mirror in his room, sticks his butt towards the mirror, puts his hands on his butt and says, "Do you like my butt?" I can't help but laugh out loud. To which I reply, " Of course I love your butt, I love everything about you, but we don't go around showing people our bottom and asking them if they like it". He looks at me with his big brown eyes and replies as if he has had a revelation, "Oh!".

Has it really been a week?

It's been a week since I posted and what a week it's been. Monday and Tuesday I was home with a sick kid and bronchitis. Nothing like watching cartoons and wiping your kid from both ends. I find it humorous that I already had a sick kid which I was mopping up snot from, but then the antibiotics give him diarrhea. I just loved that bit of humor. I didn't get much sleep over the weekend and Monday and Tuesday because every time my child makes a noise while sleeping I am hard wired to wake-up.

But the good news is he is on the mend. I am glad too because I don't want him to miss all the cute activities that the preschool has planned. Santa is coming to preschool next week, so I don't have to drag my kid to the mall to see him. Okay, that's a lie, I was never going to stand in line for two hours for my son to have a mental breakdown in some old man's lap. However we will meet the Santa train, and give our gift to a child that needs one, that's my version of Christmas tradition. The railway system that connects the peninsula in the Bay Area stops at every stop and people give their donations to needy kids.

And yesterday I had a Chalazion removed from my eyelid. More stubborn than a stye a Chalazion is a blocked oil duct in an eyelid that can only be removed by extraction. Yesterday was the day that I had my eyelid turned inside out and poked out until it drained its contents. Then with my eye patch, set out into the world. The funny thing about this whole thing is that I had my husband take me because I couldn't drive with the eye patch. Only he was having trouble with the concept of me not being able to drive. Days before I kept reminding him that he had to take me. He was going to work at an Internet cafe while I had my procedure and we were talking about logistics. The conversation went:

Mr. Snarky: "Why don't you just drop me off here and come get me when your done?"
Ava: "Because I won't be able to drive after the procedure"
Mr. Snarky: "Oh yeah. Well, why don't I take the car and you meet me over at the cafe?"
Ava: "Because I will have an eye patch on, and not be able to see. The whole point of you being here with me is because I will not be able to drive"

So I get into the car patched up like a horrible disfigured pirate and he says" Why don't you scoot over and drive while I work". To which I reply, "Mr. Snarky, I have an eye patch. I can't drive". He apologizes "I keep forgetting". Half of my face is covered in gauze and tape and he keeps forgetting?

You would think that being at home for three days this week that my house would be in pristine order, but it's not. It's likes the usual fall out from the week. Which means I can stop torturing myself about it not being clean. Clearly whether we are out of the house or in it, the house is just messy.

Have a good weekend!