My Keys - Oh, Where Are My Keys?

While it's not unusual that I misplace my keys, it is unusual to search for them in front of an audience. I'm in the lab reception area at the hospital. I've searched my bag, purse, and pockets and now I'm proceeding to entertain everyone in the room by emptying the contents of my bag onto the reception area table. "I know they must be here - bear with me just a moment." I don't want to get out into the parking lot to find that I need to come back into the hospital and retrace my steps in the search for them.

Where are they?!

I shake my bag to listen for the familiar soft clinking sound they make. Nothing.

Let's see. I remember parking, getting out of the van. Did I lock it? Hope so, but I don't recall specifically. Then I sat and waited in the chair nearest the Tim Horton's in one of BC Women's Hospital reception areas, writing in my notebook while keeping an eye open for someone to come and fetch me for my introduction to the CHILD Study. Still can't picture having my keys. I had been startled when approached by a very young man who introduced himself as Michael, I quickly gathered my things and we chatted as we wove our way through the maze of hallways to the study's offices. Did the keys fall out of my bag in my hurry to gather my things?

After reviewing the details and expectations of participating in the study, I signed the consent forms and Michael gave me the official "welcome to the study" schpeal. I asked, smiling and making gestures of fireworks exploding, if I could expect streamers and confetti. Good thing Michael had a sense of humour. We tried to plough through as many questionnaires as possible in the time we had before heading down to the lab to draw some blood. Such questions! What vitamins or herbal supplements did I take before I was expecting, and what am I taking now that I am expecting? How stressed or out-of-control versus in-control do I feel? What foods had I been craving or eating that are different than my usual pre-pregnancy choices? What did I consider to be my position in society? At the lab I waited for my turn to give my blood sample; Michael didn't miss the opportunity to continue the questionnaire quest. We began filling out another very in-depth questionnaire about my diet. After two vials of blood were taken, I returned to the lab reception area and Michael handed me a large envelope stuffed with more questionnaires to complete and mail back to the hospital.

I'm slightly embarrassed by the sight of my personal things heaped on the table in front of me. I feel quite abandoned by my senses. Funny, none of the questionnaires asked how scatter-brained I feel.  WHERE ARE MY KEYS? Finally, in a last-ditch effort I turn my bag upside down over the table. Clunk. They tumble out onto the pile of my belongings on the table. Thank goodness, what a relief!

As Michael guides me back to the Tim Horton's I wonder if I'm being compared to other mothers in the study. After unlocking the van and climbing in, I laugh. Poor Michael, so polite and accommodating, I don't think he knew what to do while I was hunting for my keys. I'll bet he didn't know what he was getting into when he decided to participate in the administration side of the study. Dealing with expectant moms day in and day out I'm sure has its challenges and bizarre moments.

New Computer Conquered!!

Well, after struggling all day with various installation issues I've finally got the new computer up and running, with all the super important programs operating correctly. We'll decommission the old computer soon, then it might take to flying through the air before its final trip to the recycling depot.

Glitch #1: Parallel ports not supported with new systems. I can't believe that I'm so out of touch with printers that I didn't know the cables have all changed. They're no longer the clunky parallel ports of old, but a new sleek USB style. This was the one area that I had thought Ian, the computer guy, had fallen asleep at the switch with. How could he assume we didn't use a printer? Of course he did, he just assumed that we had one that had been made after the dinosaur age. Oh well, time to go buy a new one I suppose.

Glitch #2: Front USB port won't recognize memory stick. A few months ago I bought a memory stick thinking that it was the way to go as far as a movable, stable media for file storage. When I plugged it into the front of the new CPU tower the computer refused to even recognize it. Snotty computer! So, I chatted online with the manufacturer's tech person and was informed that the stick wouldn't work in the front, I would have to use it in one of the back ports instead. Arg. The setup of my computer center isn't exactly conducive to reaching behind the tower to fiddle with a memory stick and get it into an available USB port. I have to actually slide the tower out of the little cubby hole and squeeze my hand in behind to connect the memory stick. Joy. As I said to the tech guy "at least I'm able to access some of my key files from the old system."

Glitch #3: Quickbooks 2007 wouldn't open in Windows 7. As we had already put out a lot of money for the new computer, printer and a printer cable, I really didn't want to have to purchase a new version of Quickbooks. And I certainly didn't want the added nightmare of trying to import an older version's data into the new version or worse yet, re-enter a lot of information. So when the program wouldn't open after downloading the updates, restarting the computer and logging in as the administrator, I persevered in trying to troubleshoot the problem. I must give Quickbooks credit though, their troubleshooting guide did get the program working. Surprising, considering I'm sure they would rather me purchase a newer version of their software than continue to plod on with an old version.

So, all in all, I think I did relatively well in my quest to get the new system up and running in a reasonable amount of time. I'm pleased that I was able to manage with the little hiccups that came along. We've even picked up a new printer already (on sale!) and I should be able to do some invoicing for Daryle before the weekend is out. Now if only I could figure out where to store the computer box for 3 years for warranty purposes.

Attacking My Garden - Quite Literally

No patience for aphids, mildew, weeds. That almost sums up my feelings in the garden these days. They've all GOT TO GO!! Now. Not in five minutes - now.

Until today, I had a couple of different varieties of miniature roses. One of which didn't seem to have any level of resistance to mildew or aphids. At one point a week or two ago, I made an effort to move all ladybugs found in the garden over to the offending plant. Aren't ladybugs supposed to devour whole families of aphids in their entirety? The ones I relocated didn't seem to like the veritable buffet in front of them - they just flew away. After a couple of unsuccessful ladybug relocation sessions and a treatment or two of soapy water and removal of the most badly affected branches and leaves, a decision needed to be made. Should the offending miniature roses be removed or should I plan another method of attack? Didn't take long to make a decision and take action. In no time I had lopped off the top 90% of the bush. If it lived, great. If not, too bad - I don't want plants that attract disease and pests anyway. I will happily accommodate ornamental plants and vegetables that thrive in my garden and I have no particular desire to coddle sensitive garden divas.

So, after lopping off most of the mini rose, I held it up high, torch-like, taking it to the garden waste recycle bin. Truly, there was a small sense of victory. Death to aphids! Take that mildew! Ha! What offending plant was next?

Aaah. Buttercups. I despise buttercups. Foamy pink kneeling pad in hand I began my crawl across the lawn, hunting for and removing buttercups. Not that it took much time to hunt down my prey. At a quick glance, the lawn didn't look too bad, but upon closer inspection the dark green patches with tentacle-like arms reaching out to strangle the weak and pathetic excuse for grass betray lurking buttercup colonies. A quick jab, twist and pull. One down, 1,893 to go.

I have the good fortune to have a son who is relentless in his desire to keep his little wheelbarrow full. He's constantly appearing at my side looking for another load of weeds to take to the bin. It certainly speeds things along, as I don't have to take a break to walk the bucket over to the bin myself. We make quite a team: I crawl along the ground attacking weeds while he visits every few minutes with his trusty turtle wheelbarrow.

In the back garden I don't mind looking a little I'm on the edge of sanity, but in the front yard I do try to look a little more respectable. My kit will be a little more organized and I won't be caught wearing green socks, blue yoga pants and a shocking pink t-shirt. Not all at the same time at least. I'm sure the neighbours already think I'm a little on the loony side, I don't need to give them proof.

Date Night

What to do? I'm not sure. However, I do know that Daryle and I need to spend some time together. I've made arrangements with my sister to watch Daniel. But,  then what?

Hopefully I'll be home a little early this evening. I'll quickly whip up dinner, feed Daniel, then send him downstairs to visit with his Auntie. We're pinching pennies at the moment, so I need to think of something inexpensive or even free. Maybe we'll just go for a walk or go have coffee and desert somewhere.

Many years ago, we never had a problem trying to figure out something to do together. We'd go for a drive, watch a movie, meet with friends, walk on the beach and so on. Why am I so stumped? It could be that I'm so sleep deprived that my brain's just in survival mode - not in creative/romantic couple mode. Am I ever in that frame of mind these days? Nope. Hence the need for date night.

Let's see. I could pick up a favourite snack for each of us, 3 Muskateers chocolate bar for Daryle, Hawkins Cheesies for me, then we could go for a drive down to White Rock and take a walk along the beach and out along the pier. Perhaps even stop for an ice cream on the way back. Should bring back some nice memories and give us plenty of time to chat without a lot of distractions.

My Computer is Beginning to Sprout Wings

Really. It will need them when I either hurl it out the window or over the side of the Alex Fraser Bridge. Something is wrong with it - seriously wrong. After about 10 minutes of operating it restarts with no warning. No opportunity to save what you're working on, complete an online transaction or simply close any open programs. Black. The screen turns black.

So, I contacted my trusty computer guy - Ian. He's fantastic. I think we'll just turf our old computer and get a new one with all the new bells and whistles. Or at the very least, doesn't restart every few minutes. He's given me a quote for two different systems. I'll have to do a little bit of research to determine which will be my best option, but I think I'll go with the one that has twice as much memory as the other. Just need to verify compatibility issues for some of my programs.

In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled if you're in the Delta area and be careful driving under the Alex Fraser Bridge. There may be a computer headed your way.

An Interesting Invitation

I've been invited to participate in an allergy study being conducted across Canada. As I've always been interested in allergies and how they seem to be increasingly impacting our population, I'm a very willing participant. Interestingly, the study is that it will be throwing genetics into the equation - cooool. I almost wish I could be more involved other than just being a participant, but at least I'll be involved on the periphery.

The study will be tracking me and our expected wee one over the next six years. I'll be meeting periodically with members of the study team, they'll conduct a home visit after the little one arrives and samples will be taken at pre-determined intervals. Our diet, lifestyle, stress levels, etc. will all be recorded as well as, of course, our health status.

The purpose of the study as stated in the information package: The main purpose of the CHILD (Canadian Healthy Infant Logitudinal Development) Study is to learn about how the living environments of children interact with their genetic make-up to affect their health and development.

So, if there are no health issues with the wee one, such as an abnormal ultrasound, or if it decides to enter the world before 35 weeks gestation, we'll be one of 5,000 families participating in the CHILD Study across Canada.

I can hardly wait to hear what the results of the study will be.

Was That It?

Really, was that IT? The weekend? It went by in a blink. So much for my to-do list and many plans.

I didn't feel great on Saturday. So I mostly read a book and every now and then did some things around the house. Overall I didn't do too badly: got the dishes done, laundry washed, folded and put away, made a loaf of bread, planned menues and made a grocery list for the upcoming week, and managed to have a really good read as well. Actually, aside from folding and putting the laundry away I felt like I was feeding machines throughout the day. Washer and drier, dishwasher, bread machine and so on. Thank God for machines of efficiency.

On Friday, I had promised Daniel that we would make a loaf of bread together on Saturday. So, for the first time since we've moved into the house, I dug out our bread machine. We had a blast putting the ingredients into the machine - only a bit of flour ended up all over the counter and kettle. After the machine had warmed up, it began mixing and kneading the ingredients. I don't think the machine is feeling well however. It sounded like: whun, whun , whun, whuuuuuuuuunnn, then a big pause as though it were trying to gather strength, whun, whun, whun... "Is the bread machine dying Mommy?" "Perhaps, Sweetie, let's wait and see what happens." The machine trudged noisily on and managed to churn out a loaf of bread. The house smelled sooo good. Before bed Daniel and I shared a slice of his freshly baked bread - yummy.

Daryle worked on a friend's brakes for a few hours on Saturday, then he headed into the back yard to do some work on the playground. I don't know where he gets the energy from. I could barely manage to saunter down to the lower grassy level just to chat to him.

I had much more energy on Sunday. I got out into the garden for quite a while, deadheading, weeding and a little watering. I'm fortunate that this year most of my plants are well-established and don't need much coddling. The lilies and daylilies don't mind being neglected along with the bleeding heart, false phlox, Egyptian onions, chives, oregano, mint, parsley, bachelor's buttons, azaleas, etc. The only plants I ended up watering were the newly sprouted pear or apple tree, leeks, carrots, beans, and newly planted forget-me-nots.

As I puttered in the garden, Daryle was busy with Daniel's playground. He got the swing beam and a-frame assembly up and swings attached, attached the slide and also the ladder. I was thrilled to watch Daniel finally play on his lovely playground. I'll have to make a special card for the grandparents with a photo of Daniel playing. In the evening Daryle told me he wished he'd built the playground earlier. I told him not to beat himself up about it - I'm just glad that he'll be able to get some use out of it for at least a couple more years.

As the weekend wound down, I again vanished into my book. When my parents gave it to me at Christmas I wondered what they'd been thinking. A murder mystery? Me? They're going to give me nightmares. However, after ploughing through several period dramas since the holidays, I finally picked up Louise Penny's "The Brutal Telling" and have since been completely absorbed. The author will be at the Sechelt Writers' Festival this year - I'll be making a point to attend their lecture.

Things to do this weekend

I'm just in the middle of making my usual Things to Do List. Well, not quite my usual list. This one isn't written in old English caligraphy. I love to take my time writing a beautiful list on Saturday mornings over a cup of tea.

So far this is what I've got:

• Shopping
• Menu for next week
• Grocery list
• Weeding
• Laundry
• Make change table pad
• Get quote for new cushions for deck chairs
• Take Daniel to the playground
• Look at cost of fabric for making new covers for deck chair cushions
• Oil deck chairs
• Drop off wedding rings for resizing and get claws checked
• Make loaf of bread with Daniel
• Visit with Sylvia

Hmm. Sounds like I've got a lot planned, hope the weekend can stand up to my demands.

Perhaps I'll copy my list out in my usual fashion. "To Do Lists" are always more appealing when they're pretty.

Daniel's New Digs

For a few months now Daniel's needed to move into a big-boy bed. After several years of using his crib converted to a day bed, his feet were finally touching the end slats. Poor thing. So, having received his new furniture (unassembled and in sealed boxes) about a month ago and a weekend of yucky weather on the horizon, Daryle began assembling.

As each piece was completed, Daniel would go up to it and give it a hug. The piece de resistance was, of course, the bed. However, there was no point in assembling it until we had purchased a mattress and bedding for it. So, in the middle of one of the downpours on Sunday, we traipsed off on our shopping excursion.

At one of the local big-box stores the three of us stood in front of a wall of children's bedding. "Choose whichever sheets you like the most." I think Daniel grew a little bit with the responsibility of choosing his own bedding. So many to choose from: plain blue, patterned blue with white, sports themed, Cars movie characters, Thomas the Tank Engine, Spiderman, NHL players and team logos, etc. And if one were to look a foot or two over to the left there were Dora, Barbie, and everything pink. Yikes! In my head I'm thinking "Please Daniel, don't choose one of those, but if you do - so be it." After a couple of minutes he reached for the NHL sheet set. NHL? Hockey? Are you my child? Okay, I guess NHL it is. I didn't know he even liked hockey. New sheets in hand we leave the store and head over to another store to buy a mattress.

After Daniel had hurled himself onto all the twin sized mattresses on display, we chose one and loaded it into the van (thank goodness we'd had the forethought to remove the back set of seats before heading out shopping).

On Tuesday, Daryle finished assembling the bed and put a few of Daniel's stuffies and trinkets in the headboard. Then we both went to pick Daniel up from daycare. The look on his face was priceless when he saw his new furniture all set up in his room! He took a running jump and pounced on his new bed. He didn't even want to leave his bed to come and eat dinner. After dinner Daryle finished juggling the old furniture out and the new furniture in and I shifted the contents from the armoire to the new dresser. I made his bed with his NHL sheets and a beautiful quilt my mother had made for him. A quick purge of toys and clothes and the room had an entirely new big-boy look.

Daniel was happy enough to pass along many toys to the baby or to donate them to charity. The tiny bedroom almost looks spacious with so much stuff removed and the new furniture in place. There's much more space for Daniel to play with his cars and he has easier access to his easel, table and bookcase.

Welcome to your new digs Daniel!