We Got Skillz

So, I previously mentioned that as my Easter/Mother's Day gift, I was getting a new kitchen sink and faucet.  The existing sink was, let's say, adequate.  It was only 6 inches deep.  Combine that with the faucet that provided relatively no clearance and I was pushing it trying to clean my bigger pots and pans in there.  Originally I decided that a new faucet would solve most of my problems, but as we started looking at faucet costs versus replacing the whole thing, it made more sense economically (and aesthetically) to go with the whole replacement.  Not that I minded! 

We purchased the sink and all the necessary components and plumbing tools last weekend and waited for a day when Geoff would be able to install it.  Tuesday night was a good, slow night for us.  Geoff texted a friend of ours to see if he would come help, but he was out of town that night.  So, Geoff looked at me and asked the question, "Think we can do it?" 

Not one to turn down a challenge, I said, "I'm sure we can." 

So, we became plumbers.  With relatively little issue (or bum cracks), we removed the old sink, widened the hole in the counter top, installed the new sink and faucet, and reattached the disposal.  Pretty good, if I do say so myself.

Before:

Shallow, but not overall terrible.

A good shot to show how little clearance I had with that faucet.

After:

Gorgeous.  Big. 

Look at all that clearance!  I can even fill a mop bucket now!

It came with some protective pieces, I love them.



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S. P. R. I. N. G.

S: Sunshine.  Fargo does not have a day in the 10 day forecast with a high below 58 or so.  And some days it's supposed to be in the 70s.  A final goodbye to the long winter we had this year. 

P: Pretty Flowers.  Things just started getting really green around here and the trees are starting to bud.  There's not a lot of color to be found, but I bought some happy Pansies for my walkway up to my door and planted them on Saturday.  Poof, instant happy.

R: Riding.  Geoff and I [gladly] hopped on our bikes this weekend for the first time this year.  We rode somewhere between 30 and 40 miles together on Friday and Saturday and Geoff did another 10 with his scouts Saturday morning.  Our bums are sore, but it's totally worth it.

I: Inching along.  Geoff and I have lots of projects around the house that we want to do this spring and summer, but since things can get expensive really fast, we have to pace ourselves.  First up: I'm getting a new sink and faucet in the kitchen.  We bought the sink and faucet this weekend.  Now it just has to be installed.

N:  Nests.  The birds are out in full force.  They've been around for a month or more now, but they are singing exceedingly glad tidings that the freezing temps have ceased and that they can, again, dig for worms.  We have 6-7 trees on our lot and I'm keeping an eye out for nests to watch our little bird friends grow their families. 

G: Grass.  We are going to be buying a used lawnmower shortly, but the grass has finally reached that fantastic shade of spring green we get out here.  I love opening my blinds wide and looking out at the front and backyard at the quickly growing, happy green grass.

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Dear Louis Pasteur

So, us pregnant ladies owe a lot to good ol' Louis Pasteur.  Without him, I'm pretty sure I'd never be able to drink anything beside water.  And, for anyone who knows me, a life with only water as my liquid is bordering on torture.  I am generally against all liquids with calories in them, but since my pregnancy reading has scared me away from aspartame and the little one growing inside me seems to LOVE orange juice, I have let go of these aspersions for the time being. 

However, all juice is not created equal.  It is suggested to me, again in that stupid pregnancy reading, that I should only drink pasteurized milks and juices to prevent me from getting THE PLAGUE and whatnot (okay, it's actually listeria and salmonella). 

However, not all pasteurization is created equal.  I'm supposed to avoid flash pasteurization (which is done cold to "maintain flavors" but doesn't kill all bacteria).  Due to this distinction, I read a lot of juice labels.  During this time I have found that Pasteurized and Flash Pasteurized are not the only types of pasteurization you will find on a label.  "Gently Pasteurized" was my favorite up until this morning. 

I'm drinking a 12 ounce bottle of milk I picked up at the grocery store on my way to work.  I look down to find that it is "Ultra-Pasteurized."  I'm not sure what it means...but I do know this - I can drink it!

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First. Came. Love.

Then we got married. 

So, that means you know what comes next, right? 

Yes, that's right.  Geoff and I are expecting a little bundle of joy!  And we couldn't think of a better day to share the news than Easter.  On this beautiful day where we remember the sacrifice the Lord made that we may all have eternal life, I can think of nothing better than to have the opportunity to share with you that we get to start our family. 

Here are the "stats" for anyone wondering.  The little one is due November 14th, 2011, which means I am just starting my 12th week of pregnancy.  This makes him or her about the size of a fig and they no longer look like a shrimp, but nearly a person with arms and legs and eyes, ears, mouth and nose.    

Last week Geoff and I had the opportunity to take our first peek at baby Parker, and s/he was perfect.  His or her heartbeat was the greatest sound I've ever heard and we even got to see the little one bouncing around a bit and wiggling its teeny tiny legs. 

I'm doing great so far.  I have had little to no morning sickness, some fatigue, and a few mood swings (although Geoff may feel like that's no different...), and some days where giving up my beloved Diet Mountain Dew and Ibuprofen has been rough, but overall I've felt great.  I hope to be able to say that 6 months from now as well! 

Needless to say, this is why I haven't been a great blogger as of late.  It's hard to blog when you've got something on your mind that you aren't talking about. 

Happy Easter!

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Mystifying.

So, I got an email the other day from "fitday.com." 

How I became subscribed to their emails, I'll never know.  And I'm sure I've asked to be unsubscribed many a time.  It's just hard, you know, because I'm AM subscribed to so much.  And I give out my email address with wild abandon on the interwebs, so I just accept that I am due for a "fitday.com" email from time to time. 

So, this email.  It is entitled "Demystifying the Paleo Diet." 

In brief:

"The Paleolithic, or Paleo, Diet is based on eating foods that our caveman ancestors ate. The idea behind this way of eating is that in the past 10,000 years, our genome has not changed much. However, our diet has and with the addition of processed foods, grains, sugars and dairy products, we have created such diseases as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, auto immune disorders, osteoporosis and heart disease.

The Paleo diet is similar to the way ancient hunter-gatherers ate and encourages the consumption of natural foods in order to achieve great health, vital energy, a lean physique and a long, active life."

 

Really, fad-diet-creating-society.  Really?  You think I'm not smart enough to know that the average age of an adult caveperson at death was probably between 20 and 40 years of age, an age at which the majority of contemporary people are in fine health, regardless of their diet.  And, really, you think I'm not smart enough to know that we cannot speak as to whether they had problems with high blood pressure or diabetes or other ailments because they didn't even have knives, let alone MRIs and Blood Glucose tests?  And their primary concern was probably making it home from a day of hunting with all their limbs intact and food eat?

 

I mean, really?  I'm all for eating natural foods and less processed crap.  But, in order to be like the cavemen? 

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Irrigation Irritation.

We brought Geoff's Nissan out of storage on the 31st of March.  Since then, Geoff has been dying to "take a drive" at every chance available.  Last night he suggested we take a drive out to north Fargo to take a look at the river.  We did this regularly last year during the flood season and find it very interesting to watch streets and sidewalks and street signs disappear into the ever increasing river levels.  The river is at 31.6 feet currently.  Most of the dikes protect the city up to 40 feet.  The estimate is that the river will reach 38.5 feet by Saturday.  Yowza.

ANYway.  So, Geoff and I are out for our drive.  One of our favorite places to check out is called Mickelson Park.  It's actually a complex of little league fields that doubles as river overflow during the "high tide."  So, we're down admiring Lake Mickelson, as it were, when Geoff starts laughing. 

I look at him quizzically when he points and says, "You need to take a picture of that."

I also LOL'd. 

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Ways to be. Inconspicuous.

So, Geoff and I are at the mall.  To look at puppies.  We stop by the mall at least a couple times a month to go to the pet store and admire the sweet little guys (I know, I know, North Dakota is probably the last state in the Union to allow people to put puppies in little plastic cages and let shoppers poke and prod and gawk and ooh and ahh over the inhumanity).  Anyway, the pet store is off in an odd corner of the mall located between the Roger Maris Memorial (again, I know, I know) and a Tuxedo shop. 

So, Geoff and I finish looking at all the tiny, fluffy puppies and we turn to exit the mall.  As we are walking past the tux shop, I am stopped cold.  I'm pretty sure I gasp.  At this:

I'm not sure this photo does it ANY justice.  But...can you see the leaves?  The bark?  The twigs? 

So, all you outdoorsy types. For you next prom, wedding, or barbecue...we've got your tux. 

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