Laid up

Yesterday we traveled up to Chelmsford for my cousin's daughter's first birthday. How are we old enough to be getting married and having children?

Kallie opening her gifts with mom and dad.

Kallie had a great time and my gift was a big hit. I got her a toy picnic basket with fake food that plays music. She was not pleased with how long it took for me to get the toy out of the packaging. Why do they make toys so difficult to open? There were at least four zip ties that I had to cut through. Once she had her toy in hand she was happy again.

Time for cake

Taking a selfie

I was feeling a little under the weather due to a few too many beers the night before. It was rough but I had no one to blame but myself. My aunt gave me some ginger ale to help settle my stomach and I think it might have set off my IC (interstitial cystitis). When I got home I had terrible pelvic pain and could feel everything spasming. It was so bad I was almost in tears. Ginger can be a trigger and I think this brand of ginger ale had a lot of concentrated ginger. I was supposed to meet up with friends in my home town on Saturday night but I had to cancel. I'm still upset about that but considering I couldn't move with out being in terrible pain I had no choice but to spend the night laid up on the couch.

Bosco has been keeping me company and Derek has been checking in with me to see if I need anything. What I really need is a new bladder. Hopefully the worst has passed.

Nurse kitty

Here's Kallie enjoying a picnic at 4 a.m. I'm sure mom was thrilled with the early picnic time. Take note blog readers; picnic baskets are big with one year old's.

Colds and winter birthdays are the worst

I've been a miserable sneezy mess all week. I felt it coming on early last week and I was hoping it was just allergies but no, it's a cold. Blast you winter! I had been planning on getting my license renewed but I believe they need a new photo from me and I don't want to look like Rudolph on my license. Who came up with the idea of your license expiring on your birthday? Happy birthday you have to go to the DMV sucker!

I knew I had to be a good girl and rest up so I stayed in all weekend which is very rare for me. I didn't leave the apartment except for a trip to the corner store. I read my book, I watched Pride & Prejudice and the new PBS drama Mercy Street, I took naps, I made myself pancakes, I stared out the window at the snow. I get bored pretty easily when stuck inside but I tried to make the best of it.

Saturday night I really want a glass of wine or a beer but I knew that would be a bad idea. The wine and the beer will be there when I'm better. I probably wouldn't have been able to really taste it and that's what I was craving, the taste, so no point in drinking when you can't even taste it.

I'm starting to feel better today. As much as I hate getting sick at least I got it out of the way before my birthday party next weekend. Last year Derek was sick for my party and the year before it was me. We're aiming for no one being sick this year.

I wish I had a summer birthday. You don't have to worry about snowstorms, colds or the Super Bowl interrupting your birthday plans. One year I'm going to go somewhere tropical on my birthday so I can see what it's like to have a "summer" birthday. It's good to have goals.

Consumption update

My cough is improving but not gone. I'm still telling people I have consumption. My boss said "what is this, the 1800s?" In my body, yes. Derek keeps making me boiled water with thyme. It tastes pretty gross but since I can't take cough medicine this is what I gotta do. I was also watching Forensic Files so the thought crossed my mind that maybe he's trying to kill me. It does seem to be helping though.

Other happenings:

We're still apartment hunting *sighs dramatically*.

Velo binding is a real bitch to get off!

Sushi Sunday and fashion swap

We hit a little speed bump with Sushi Sunday. Our usual sushi place, 'O' Yummy, was closed! Luckily we found another sushi place and Sushi Sunday was saved. Derek even got some Sukiyaki.

I went to a fashion swap in this morning and I told myself I would not leave with more than I brought but that didn't happen. Everyone brought some really good stuff, I couldn't resist!

This is only a small part of the swap, there was so much more.

I think this is my favorite item that I got at the swap. The jacket fits me perfectly and I can't wait to wear it to work.

I'm recovering from some type of chest cold/bronchitis which I suppose is good news because that means my sore throat was not from reflux! I also got my yearly zit today (see photo above). I'm lucky that I rarely get zits so when I do I joke that it's my "yearly zit".

And now it's time for the Walking Dead season finale.

The guessing game

It's time to play what is causing Ginny's sore throat? Is it (a) acid reflux or (b) the beginning of a cold? I'm trying to think back to any offending food I might have eaten and I'm giving all my recently sick co-workers the side eye. Colds spread like the plague in my office.

I'm leaning more towards this being a cold and I'll tell you why: my birthday is Wednesday and it's pretty much a tradition that I will be sick on my birthday. The last couple of years I remember having miserable colds around my birthday. If it's a cold I just want to get it over with now before my birthday party on Saturday. I'll also be keeping my diet as heartburn friendly as possible in case it is my reflux. I'm too young to have a stomach this old.

I need to shovel my car out when I get home from work today so I'm sure that will help the situation greatly if this is indeed a cold. Please feel free to light a Lady of Guadalupe candle for me so I will be fully recovered for my birthday party on Saturday.

Juan Pablo is pretty much the worst Bachelor ever. This post was written with a lot of VapoRub.

I'm blogging while inhaling the lovely fumes of Vicks VapoRub. It's also my 30th birthday!! I had plans to go out tonight with Derek but instead he will be making me soup and I will be resting on the couch. My birthday bash with all my friends is on Saturday so I better rest up.

I didn't do much yesterday except sleep and go through a whole box of tissues but I did watch the bachelor and oh boy do I have a few things to say.

Juan Pablo is the worst Bachelor in the history of the show. He seemed like a nice guy but he manipulates the woman on the show and uses his daughter as an excuse for anything he feels uncomfortable with.

At one point he said that he wouldn't kiss anymore girls because he was afraid of what his daughter would think. First of all his daughter is 4 so why would she be watching this show? Second of all he continues to kiss the women he wants to kiss and then tells any woman he doesn't want to kiss he can't because of his daughter. Literally right after he tells a woman he can't kiss her because of his daughter he makes out with another girl because "can't resist her".

The worst was last night's episode when Claire snuck off to his room in Vietnam and asked him to go swimming in the ocean at 4 a.m. Juan Pablo agreed without a second thought. The next day he regrets this and says they "went too far". He then has a talk with Claire and uses his daughter as an excuse and makes her feel guilty claiming once again that he has to think about what his daughter will see. How about you admit that you feel guilty but that it's not her fault because you willing participated!

If he picks another woman at the end beside Claire how will she feel that they got it on in the ocean? Pretty pissed off I'm going to guess. And there is no doubt that they had sex that night from Claire's comments alone.

I'm not a big fan of Claire but she did not deserve the guilt he was laying on her.

I won't even get into his remarks about having a gay bachelor. That was a huge strike one in my book.

I would also like to point out that Derek walked by while I was watching and said "wait is that Juan Pablo? I thought he was Spanish?" I said that he is Spanish. Derek does not believe me but this also adds to my theory that the Bachelor producers picked the whitest Spanish guy they could find.

Ok back to looking up all the uses for Vicks VapoRub. Does it really work for pimples?

A room with not much of a view.

My lovely view from my apartment - a brick wall. The birds like to build nests on the fire escape though so that keeps Bosco happy.

I finally gave in last night and admitted that I have a cold. Instead of going to my friend Ashley's birthday party I curled up in bed with the kitties and Devil in the White City (a sidewalk find). I fell asleep with the tv on and woke up to Steve Guttenberg on a total gym infomercial. I always wondered what happened to him and now we know. He's exercising with Chuck Norris.

I hate staying in on a Friday night but it was nice to wake up early and not have to rush around getting ready for work.

One of us is winning at life.

Jay Z has a 5 million dollar watch.

I have a sore throat and leftover pizza.

One of us is winning at life. I'll let you decide.

I've been drinking lots of tea with honey and when I'm sick of tea I just squeeze the honey right into my mouth. I can't be bothered with spoons right now.