Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope that everyone who celebrates has a wonderful Thanksgiving and a fruitful Black Friday if you are braving or taming the crowds.

Never thought I would see this again...

Scarey thing is that it is lower than the panic price on 9/11.

Top Chef Ramblings

* Yikes, I knew that ostrich eggs are big but that was one big yolk. However, I don't think I will be eating one anytime soon if it tastes like glue.

* Editors note: Thank you for the not so obvious editing of this weeks episode. Last week I knew who was leaving before seeing the kitchen just by how cocky that person was acting.

* Jeffery looks a lot like the actor that plays Chase on House. So much so, I have done a few double takes. Plus... I could of sworn he had an accent this week. Hmmm...

* Ariane should have gone home last night

* Radhika is a local chef, umm, I guess I missed that but I have to say that I like her. Not sure why.

Giving myself some time to digest

The past few weeks have been filled with many things... good and bad. I needed to take some time to digest them and I still am working my way through right now.

I was/am depressed. Not really sure that I still am but I think that the Provera really kicked up the sad/down feelings both while taking it and then while waiting for/during AF. Beyond that, there are other reasons to feel this way. I do feel isolated and I do feel inadequate. My profession has slowed down tremendously and right now the only people that are getting a lot of work are those that are desperate/stupid enough to work for peanuts. We are a licensed profession. We shouldn't have to reduce our fees by 50-75% to compete for work. I can't do that... and I won't do that so needless to say work as been slow.

You would think that this might be a good thing after a few crazy years of feeling like I was working all the time with few breaks and maybe it still will turn out that way. But, instead of getting loads of things accomplished, I have pretty much been mellowing out on the couch or in front of the computer. This gives me an awful lot of time to think and dwell on what might have been vs. what is. Too much time really. Thankfully this week has been a bit busier and I have turned my computer time into looking for alternate ways to earn some money. I found a really interesting part time job opportunity but I haven't finished my resume yet since we don't seem to have any word processing programs on any of the computers we own. I tried to use the library computer and well... they didn't have any templates and the version of word was completely foreign to me. Not a good thing- sounds like I should update some of my skills too during this down time. But I need to get cracking on that, I found a free resume writer on line so maybe that will work.

I'm still digesting the adoption seminar but I will say that it went fine. No need to be a nervous wreck. It reminded me of part of the reason that I chose my field of study in college and well... again, I need to digest.

It's funny... today really put into perspective that adage that a watched pot never boils. I was just hanging out for most of the day but the moment I left my phone inside and went outside to do some yard work all heck broke loose. So, I am off to finish getting ready for my appointments tomorrow, work on my resume, and finish the never ending loads of laundry that seem to live in our house.

Hope it was/is a wonderful Hump day!

Today

I am nauseated I am so nervous but DH seems fine. We leave at 115ish so I am hoping that by then I will have calmed down. This is why I don't get excited about doing new things. I panic too much.

DH is so excited about the new game he got from Gamefly for the Wii. Guess we will be adding Legend of Zelda to his Christmas list.

Okay... I'm off to make some tea.

Go ahead...

I'm down, so go ahead and kick me life. Nothing major but enough to get my blood boiling and my stomach rolling. More money that needs to be spent when not a lot is coming in. I am really starting to think that maybe I am not in the place that I should be right now. I don't know how to fix it. I have discovered that I have managed to completely isolate myself over the past 5 years. I don't even know who I can put down for references on anything... a job application, a pet adoption form, or a child adoption form. i talk to people but I am not really close to anyone these days....

How did this happen and how do I fix it?

Yep...

All the recent previews prove that their foreshadowing was correct and that Dr. Green treated the new chiefs child years ago. Anthony Edwards is on RR today so I have to make the decision if I am going to watch that show before or after the episode. Just to be honest, my hormones were so wacky last night that I was bawling each time I saw the preview for tonights show. DH was cracking up because it would last longer if he paused the commerical. He can be sooo mean sometimes ;)

I have vowed to stop whining but I have to tell you... the back cramps I had this summer when my hip muscle was messed up were more easily dealt with than this. The pressure just kills. I just deleted a very nasty self deprecating comment on my tolerance and birth. I really do need to be nicer to myself.

Have a happy day.

Ugh...

Provera worked. Yay me. If I hadn't of taken it, it probably would have been over by now but oh well. AF is here and hurting more than usual over the past few months. Lovely.

Even though it stinks like the Hillside Landfill that my niece started having full on seizures today, I am slightly thankful that I can stay home and curl up on my own couch tonight instead of babysitting.

Blech...

Ok.......

Please tell me to breathe....

I just preregistered us for an adoption agency seminar for Sunday. As in this Sunday.

Okay, I need to quit panicking already. It is 5 days away.

MMMmmmm....

I just made some tasty mashed potatoes. I used russet potatoes with the skins on but I really prefer either the golden or red ones for mashed. I added a stalk of fennel and 3 small branches of fennel fronds, chopped and a 1/4 block of 10oz frozen spinach. I salted the water that I cooked all that in but didn't add salt when I was finished.

I mashed the veggies together with a splash of milk, some butter, a tsp of roasted garlic,some chopped green onions, and a handful of grated parmasean cheese. I added some more green onions on top of each serving. I will probably sprinkle some black pepper on the leftovers but Yummy!

I still have a few stalks of left over fennel and need to figure out what else to do with it but this was a very green way to get to eat mashed potatoes :) I was originally going to add some carrots but didn't this time. I think they would make them sweeter. I think cauliflower would be a good choice too to smash this way.

Oh yea... and I remembered why I don't buy shake and bake. Whoops.

Oh My word...

I am so glad I made the decision to skip the Atlanta version of the Real Housewives. Yes... I did watch Orange County, part of New York but wowzers.

I was just sitting here with the tv on in the background and it happens to be this show. I don't know which is worse, the blond sitting in the car with a huge glass of white wine and then driving away, the fact that she seriously thinks she can sing yet it is edited to make her sound bad, or the fact that she just spelled cat with a K.

Okay.. rant over. There really needs to be a limit Bravo.

My ER Prediction

Yes, I will admit, I have hung in there until the end. There are few shows that have gone on longer than I was satisfied with and this is definitely one of them but since I liked many of the characters over the years, I hung on. Even now that in the final season, 2 main people have left. But, I have having a hard time with the upcoming previews that show Mark Green coming back for an episode. How the heck are they going to pull a dr, dead for 6 seasons at least now... back in?

My prediction is that Angela Bassett's character has been at County before and that someone she loved, died there. My guess is that Dr. Green was the dr that helped her person.

I am not sure when that episode airs but I really can't imagine how they are going to do it any other way. There are only 2 original characters left, Haleigh and Morganstern. Everyone else is new and Jerry was the desk clerk when Mark died. I don't think Frank was there yet but he might have been. If so, that might be another way to do it is that Frank has another heart attack and sees Dr Green when he is dying.

Anyone else still watching this show? Have any thoughts?