Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Humbling Experience (in more ways than one)

I've recently decided to boost my German proficiency. After not speaking it in any way, shape or form for 14 years, I've managed to forget quite a bit. Sooooo, I've started reading Welt Online thinking it would be easy-reading enough that I wouldn't be completely lost.

There was an online quiz today on the good ole' USA. I thought that surely I'd know the answers to any USA questions asked of Germans. Right? Right? Well, maybe not so much, LOL. Out of 25 questions, I got 17 right. To be completely fair, I did miss a couple because I did not understand what they were asking (note to self 'Opfer' is not German for 'opera' it actually means 'victim').

The so nice comment from Welt Online:

Sie haben 17 Fragen korrekt beantwortet.
US-Präsident können Sie als Deutscher zwar nicht werden - aber den Job haben schon Leute gemacht, die das Land schlechter kannten.

Roughly translated (I think): You got 17 right.
Since you're German, you can't be President - but others who know less have held the job.

*ouch*

Just for fun, I went back and re-did the quiz and got them all right (wanted to see what the message would be, LOL).

Sie haben 25 Fragen korrekt beantwortet.
Sind Sie vielleicht Amerikaner? Jedenfalls kennen Sie sich mit den USA so richtig gut aus - Glückwunsch!

Roughly translated: You got 25 right.
Are you an American? Anyway you know a lot about the USA - congratulations (or something to that effect)!

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Go check out Bananas & Toddlers

A lovely PIM is battling breast cancer. I certainly hope her quilt gives her some comfort.

Check out the story behind the quilt here.

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Fun with the Wheezers

Arriving home from visiting with co-worker whose son passed, I walked into pandemonium:

S. sitting in the timeout spot: He put me in time-out for NO REASON. I got a color change for NO REASON. *all said while wailing away*

Me: So, L. how was your day?

L.: I had a blue day *code for good day*

Me: Oh, that's nice. S. sounds sad.

L.: No. S. not sad, S. in trouble!

S.: I'm not in trouble, YOU'RE in trouble.

L.: Not in trouble.

S.: YOU'RE in trouble!

L.: NOT in trouble!

S.: YOU'RE in trouble!!!!

L.: NOT IN TROUBLE!!!!!

Me *laughing at this point*: Mr. W. can we run away from home now?

Gloomy, gloomy day

Went to the funeral of a former co-worker this morning... He retired almost 4 years ago, but he was so very helpful to me the 6 years we worked together. A very kind man devoted to his church's youth, volley ball and M&Ms. He assured me he could taste the difference in each color M&M. Of course, he also once tried to convince me I broke our mainframe.

Mr. W. knew him just about his entire life due to church connections.

Can we please have a do-over for May?

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

What...

What do you say to a man when he tells you he's relieved that he will be able to have an open casket for his son?

What do you say when he shows you the newspaper article, tells you that it was a horrific crash and says that they haven't seen their son, yet?

What do you say when he tells you how fortunate they were to have had their son for 25 years?

I stopped by their house yesterday evening and brought a bunch of paper goods (plates, napkins, tissues, etc.) after my mother suggested that those would be handy. I'm both glad I went and really wish I hadn't gone. The funeral will be Friday...

Monday, May 05, 2008

How...

How does a person keep breathing after his/her child has stopped?

There is a very kind and generous spirited man who works in my department. We've done Toastmasters together and are both involved with CPCU Society.

His son was killed in a wreck yesterday. Head-on collision with a truck...

Edited to add: Please, please, please wear your seatbelts. This kid may have been okay if he hadn't been thrown from the vehicle.

Sunday, May 04, 2008

Unusual problem

Ugh... I'm still breastfeeding baby A., and it's going quite well. In fact, it's going a little too well. I am way over-producing in the milk department. This morning, I had to pump off a good 7 ounces worth of milk in order to relieve the pressure. Then this evening, I pumped off another 6 ounces. I'm still pretty full, but I need to hold off pumping any more since that just makes the problem worse.

This wouldn't be a distressing problem if things were a little more 'even.' Those extra ounces? All came from the same breast. The other one is showing all the signs of drying up. *sigh* I would so like to match, but I haven't found a good way to pad my bra.

I figure I have two choices: Figure out how to effectively pad my bra on the lagging side or try to stimulate milk production on that side. I really don't feel like working that hard. It's been nice being lazy with only one or two pump sessions during the day at work. Far cry from when I religiously pumped three times a day every day during the work day.

I don't know why I've been so 'blessed' with milk production this go around. I've never suffered from under supply issues. This go around, though, my body is trying to feed an army. Too bad I can't donate the milk. Thanks to living in Europe at the wrong time, I am no longer eligible to donate blood, milk, marrow, etc. etc. etc. here in the US.

There are milk banks that provide donated human milk for preemies and other babies in desperate need of the special qualities that only human breastmilk can provide. It's an interesting process with a screening process similar to blood donation. But again, I'm not eligible to donate...

Saturday, May 03, 2008

New Toy(s)

I am writing this using our very old computer, but looking at our very new monitor. We've gone from 17" CRT to 22" flat panel. What a difference (and what a lot of room on our computer desk)!

Now all I need to do is get the computer my parents left with us up and running. Since it is only a couple yeras old (vs 6 years on our old computer), I think it'll have a driver that will actually take advantage of the 1680 by 1050 resolution. I'm stuck using 1280 by 1024 on the old machine, so things are a little bit stretched out and there wasn't a driver to be found that would let me upgrade.

Next on my agenda is to get high speed internet access. Limping along on dial-up was livable when using a piece of junk machine. However, it's going to be really, really frustrating once we're working on the newer pc.

So, Mom & Dad. Thank you! And our cable company thanks you, too.

Friday, May 02, 2008

Funnines for the day

1. Driving to daycare this morning, I followed a new sedan occupied by 3 senior citizens. The bumper sticker read: Eat Rice! Potatoes make your butt BIG

2. I am wearing the same nursing bras I had when L. was a baby. It is time to go a-shopping. The one I'm wearing today squeaks every time I move my left arm. Seriously, I can make 'armpit noises' on demand.

Thursday, May 01, 2008

Offended

This is mostly a rant, I've just got to let this out before I come apart on some unsuspecting soul...
To each and every person who has implied or will imply that Mr. W. and I are anything less than delighted that our third child had the audacity to actually be a GIRL... Back off!!!!! I am getting royally cheesed that ninety percent of the people we know have responded to our wonderful, beautiful, delightful, healthy little girl by asking if we're going to try again for a boy.

Normally, when people say stupid things or imply that I am somehow inferior, stupid, wrong, etc., I let it go. It's just not worth the energy to respond to others' hurtfulness. But, when you ask me if I'm going to keep having babies in order to get a 'desired' gender, you are no longer insulting me! You are implying that my daughter is somehow unwanted, and I can't stand that. It is hurtful to my daughters. Yes, all three of them can be hurt by your stupid questions.

I am in my mid-thirties and Mr. W. is in his forties. Do you realize how fortunate we are that we conceived naturally and easily, and I delivered a beautiful, healthy baby? Do you? How on earth can you respond to our children with anything other than happiness for us? You know something else? I am DELIGHTED our third child is a girl. We have a pretty good grasp on what it means to raise a girl. Raising a boy frightens me a big.

I've heard people asked my grandmother (one of three girls) why she wasn't a boy. That hurt her, and I will NOT permit my daughters to be hurt that way.

Oh, I'm just so angry right now! We've been getting the comments since we first announced we were expecting. Would you believe I received condolences from a couple people when I told them that the u/s showed a healthy girl? Condolences! One induh!vidual mentioned it several times, even after I told her in no uncertain terms that I was nothing but delighted. We attended a birthday party last weekend, and one particularly bad-mannered busybody asked not only me, but also Mr. W. if we were going to keep trying for a boy! In front of my girls!!!! GRRRRR!!!!