How Rude!

One of my favorite lines from TV was when on Full House, Stephanie would say "How Rude!" I think that I should have little recorder on me at all times that plays because I seem to always find away to get the one employee/person who's only goal that day is to avoid helping me any way they can and generally is pretty snobby about it too.

This happened to me yesterday with a bank employee, who's name I sadly don't recall or you'd better believe I'd have it up here! I called a near by branch to discuss an issue I was having with my account. Since my bank is still located in Wisconsin I do all my stuff over the phone or online. It's been working out great, until yesterday when I got "Cranky Pants McGee" on the phone.

I had an issue with my account, a strange check had been written for a strange amount of money, and normally when I click on the check number in my online backing account, it will show me a photo of said check. This way I can see that, yes I actually wrote it out and ohhhh look there's my signature. Well this strange check, and this strange amount of money combined with the fact that there was no image of the check, worried me. As it would and should anyone...

I explained the situation to "Cranky Pants" who was mostly delightful still at this point. After my detailed explanation of why I was worried her response to me was an annoyed "Okay?"

So I tried again, cliff notes version this time. Bear in mind this call to the bank is long distance, so every minute she spends being stupid, it's costing me!

She clicked on her keyboard a second, and said "I'm sorry there's no image available of that check."

Thank you Capitan Obvious.

Once more, this time very carefully I asked the same questions I had been asking "Yes I understand that, that is the problem, I need to know what that check is. Since you guys have the check I would like to know if you can look as I don't remember writing a check for that amount.

"Well ma'am, if you wrote in your check ledger then you would know what it was" she replied.

That one stopped me in my tracks. It took everything I had not to climb through the phone and slap her with my shoe.

Since now I was obviously having to defend myself, and we were no longer actually discussing my bank account I went into a lengthy description about how I don't ever, and I mean EVER write checks. How I use the the online banking to keep track of things and how I just changed my name and shredded my old checks so I didn't have the duplicates.

She clicked on her computer again and the conversation that happened next was probably the most ridiculous conversation I have ever had over $2.00. (Grumpy Pants McGee is in italics, so you can keep things straight)

"Well I can tell you what the check is"

Oh thank GOD!

"Thank you" I said

"For $2.00" she replied

"Excuse me?"

"Yes ma'am it's a $2 fee"

"Since when?"

"Always ma'am"

"Okay, then how come every check in the past that have written shows up on my account no problem and I have never had a fee for those?"

"Ma'am I don't know"

"Is that part of the online checking free? The click on the check number, see the image thing?"

"Yes ma'am"

"Then why are you trying to charge me for something that's free?"

"It's policy Ma'am."

"It's the banks policy to charge me for something free, when I've called because I'm worried about possible fraud on my account?"

"Ma'am you can speak to my manager but it's $2.00, and he will tell you the same thing."

"Will that check ever show up on my account"

"Yes ma'am by the end of the week"

"So why didn't you tell me that instead of trying to charge me for something that's free?"

"You didn't ask ma'am"

AARRRRGGGHHHH!

Is it really that difficult for people to do their job these days! Isn't that what she gets paid for, I don't frickin' work there. Needless to say I called another branch, and was told what check it was 15 minutes later after a little digging. No $2 fee. No sarcasm. No bitchiness

I sure wish I remember her name, I'm in the mood to write a strongly worded letter to her boss.

BFN!

It's another Jargon lesson from Amber! You might need these in following th pursuit of us TTC, should you ever find yourself a bit confused and looking for some help - simply go to the labels on the right, and choose "Jargon"

BFN = Big Fat Negative
BFP - Big Fat Positive
TTC - Trying to conceive
BD - Baby Dance (you can figure out what I mean by that on your own!)
POAS - Pee On A Stick (take a preg. test...duh)
(Hey I don't make them up - I just use them on the chat boards and on here....lol)
AF - "Aunt Flo" (you know, mother natures "gift")

That should get you started.

I know, I'm continually trying to confuse you with, what seems to be almost text message like phrasing on things. Well I assure you, that at least as far as the baby jargon goes, it has been around much longer the then OMG's and AYFKM's of the world (10 point to any NON texter over the age of 30 who can tell me what those are...lol) ..now onto the actual blog...

Well today's blog is called BFN for a reason, it's exactly what I got this morning when I POAS. I know I'm 4 days out yet from testing, but the box says "results 4 days sooner" and to be honest I'm not really good at waiting...not a strong point for me.

So I planned it all out last night, yes it takes planning. See every morning I have to go to the bathroom at about 5 am. (Never fails!) Well...I didn't exactly think that I would be at my highest coordination level at 5 am, and decided that I probably didn't want to attempt to POAS at that time, it would have ended up a POAH....ewww! What was my totally brilliant idea......hold it in.

Yes this is why I don't work for NASA.

I waited until about 8 am when Alex got up and stumbled into the bathroom like I was drunk, fumbled with the package and POAS. I didn't even wait the whole 2 minutes, or whatever the timing is...it was BFN, and I tossed it in the trash. That line is either starting to faintly show up almost instantaneously, or it's not there and won't be unless you draw the damn line on yourself! I climbed back into bed swearing I wouldn't test again unless AF decided not to visit this month. And I certainly wouldn't be holding it in anymore either because I was in a good amount of pain when I got up at 8 am from that zinger of an idea.

All was well until my conscious got the best of me. Go look at the test again, it said. Double check...it said....has anyone found a shut of button for that voice yet...I was trying to sleep!

After 10 minutes of this I got back up, OUCH! pain from holding it in was still there. Walked like Hugh Laurie in House with out his cane to the bathroom. (Hey I could some of that vicodin) and fished the test out of the trash. Still BFN. Gee sure am glad I made the trip for that.

Back to bed. I limped. After washing my hands of course.

Want To See My Pic?

Of course you do....if you don't already stalk or follow my Wedding Blog (and thank you to those who do) you can zip over to Trip To The Altar and check out my professional wedding pictures, they are being added daily and in sets! So keep checking back!

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Tag Your It!

I got "tagged" today by Hwong14 of Holy #$!% We're Engaged! So here you go hun!

4 Things I Did Today

1. Drove Paige to pre-school
2. Went to Dairy Queen for huge ice cream sundaes!
3. Played at the park at White Bear Lake
4. Went to dinner with my husband at one of our local favorites - Bear Town

4 Things On My To Do List

1. Take pregnancy test in 7 days - who would have ever thought that I would bee looking forward to that time of the month and praying that "Aunt Flo" doesn't come!!! This two week wait to test is insane and I have to admit I've tested 2 times already during it....getting a BFN (Big Fat Negative) both times....



2. Finish the thank you cards and continue to kick myself for not writing down a few peoples address'. Sometimes I irritate myself.

3. List a few of Paige's items on ebay for sale and hope that I didn't wait to long to sell them and that I will get a ton of money for the :-)

4. Sleep in tomorrow because after this week, zoloft withdrawals a possibly (and hopeful, but doubtful) pregnancy and being run ragged by my four year old who is with her dad this weekend I DESERVE IT!!!

4 Of My Guiltiest Pleasures

1. People Magazine and I finally got myself a subscription to it! But I don't want to say too much on that because I planned to blog about that tomorrow...


2. Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia Ice Cream. I seriously can. and have eaten an entire pint in one sitting! My favorite part is getting a big huge-mungous cherry chunk! Mmmm they really need to put more in there, even if they just sold it as a limited time offer thing!!!

I have also (totally not pregnant at the time) found it very good to eat with Flamin' Hot Cheeto's, not like ON it but eat a few hot Cheeto's then cool everything off with the ice cream - I know it sounds weird...mmm but you have to try it!


3. Relax Riesling. It's sometimes hard to find but when you do...mmmm. You know how some couples have songs, well Alex and I have a wine! It was one we shared in the early days of our dating and one we continue to enjoy as often as possible!

4. The clearance racks at American Eagle and Gap! I know, lame right. Most people would say "shopping" flat out, but I'm frugal and realistic...so I'm telling the truth! I really do love them, because the only thing better then getting new clothes, is getting that at a deal!!!

4 Random Facts About Me:

1. I am legally blind in one eye, and I have been since I was 10 days old. Even stranger, it took until I was 26 to find out that it was actual legal blindness and could never be changed or fixed. Talk about waiting for a diagnosis!

2. I have been to 13 countries including Russia, Poland, England and Newfoundland.

3. I was in The Mighty Ducks Two and met Joshua Jackson (oh Pacey!) and Aaron Lohr (you won't remember him unless you loved the movie and also saw Newsies...love that movie!) You can see me in the wide screen version of the movies sitting directly behind the hockey players bench on several scenes and when I realized this, in the theater I jumped up and screamed. It was my dream to be on that screen in a movie....and while it's not exactly the extent I hoped for...but it will totally do! Plus...I met PACEY (I was a Dawsons Creek fan, bet you can't tell)

4. My great Aunt Elizabeth Quinlin was the first woman to EVER run her own department store, building it from the ground up and traveling all over the world for materials and items to sell at her high end store The Young Quinlin Store in Minneapolis. The building still stands to this day and it's beautifully restored and part of a great shpoping strip in Mpls!


And now, it's time for me to TAG you! Here's my 4 Blogs I chose to do this as well....so get blogging gals!

The Grundmans

Wedding Poop

The Sunnier Side

I'm No Movie Critic, But.......

Alex and I are members of Netflix, and I totally love it. 3 movies at a time means 1 that Alex likes, 1 I like and 1 for Paige...works out great! The trouble is, now that we don't actually have to pay $5 per rental and risk late fees or "restocking fees" as they now call it, we're a lot less picky about what we watch and basically just try to see everything new that comes out. So sometimes we get all excited about a movie, only to sit there dumbfounded when it's over a little upset we'll never get that 90minuts of our life back. Last night was one of those nights.

We watched 2 movies, one with Paige, called "Another Cinderella Story" staring Selena Gomez, who is also in one of Paige's favorite TV shows Wizards of Waverly Place on Disney. And "Prom Night", a horror flick, because I love my horror flicks!

"Another Cinderella Story" was sadly the best out of the two. I say sadly only because I'm 28 and I shouldn't have liked it as much as I did, and be admitting it publicly for that matter. Now, don't worry, the fact that I am picking a tween-ish aged movie over an adult movie is bothering me a little too. I don't know if it's because I liked the music in it, the fact that I used to dance and wish I had stuck with it long enough to actually not look like Elaine on Seinfeld when I go out on the dance floor these days - or the fact Paige loved it. But it was a good twist on an old favorite and if you have kids around that you can pretend to be watching it with..go for it. What have you go tot lose? Besides that, with the competition that it had last night in Battle of the Netflix Worriors, I think that anyone would have picked this over the Horror movie wannabe that we watched after Paige went to bed.


"Prom Night" was a horrible attempt at a Horror Movie. We were sent the "Unrated Version" which in most cases will be a lot more bloody, ten time more frightening, and totally inappropriate. This had so little blood in it I could have seen more watching "A Baby Story" on Lifetime! Even more importantly, the plot and the means of hiding and disposing of bodies was so not believable that I found myself laughing a few times through it, and having to remind myself I was in fact watching a horror movie. Hello People! I get that Horror movies are meant to scare and not necessarily make sense, and I'm not forensic scientist or doctor but but I would assume that if you stabbed someone over a dozen times...there might be some blood on the killer or the wall??? How much does fake blood really cost a studio anyway?

On a scale of 1-10 I give it a 2, I've seen worse, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. It's rather Suck-ish!

Now I'm not a movie critic, I don't get paid to be rude and annoying. It sure would be great if I did though..man I'd make millions! But I felt that sharing this info with you all was needed...and really - there's only so much a stay at home mom can blog about....Hopefully I find the time to tell you about other movies we watch from time to time...hey maybe I'll get a job with Ebert and Ropert!

Come on Man....Gimmie The Drugs

Those of you who read my other blog Trip To The Altar, will remember that about a month or so before my wedding I started taking Zoloft. It really helped me stay calm, not freak out and panic at everything, and not randomly start killing off members of the wedding party for sport.

It worked out really well, it did it's job and kept me happy, which in turn kept Alex wanting to marry me. Always a bonus. But not as I sit, a month after the wedding, plans of babies in the future, and knowing that I was never going to stay on it for good, I made the decision to stop.

This had all been discussed with my doctor when I went in to be put on The Big Z in the first place. Never once did she make mention of any side effects or things to look out for once I did stop. So I assumed, stupidly, that stopping would be even easier then starting it. And since starting it caused me to feel sick to my stomach and gag at even the though of water, I was looking forward to an easy jump off. Yeah. Wrong-O! It wasn't easy.

About 2 days after I stopped, I woke up with this desire to scream at anyone in my way. I was beyond irritable, constantly tired, dizzy, you name it I had it. At first I thought - YES I'm pregnant! All the symptoms matched. That little fairy tale was ended when I looked up Zoloft Discontinuation Symptoms and realized they too were all like being pregnant.

For days I have been awake and then in such need of a nap that if I don't find a soft surface to sleep on in 60 second, I will simply lay down in the street if I have to. I have morphed to and from the Good Witch to The Wicked ol' Witch more times in one day then can even be counted. And I am pretty sure that if I don't change soon, Alex is going to lock me in our bedroom and move himself downstairs until this transformation is complete.

It feels like it's tapering off, but I'm still completely unaware why this information wasn't given to me when I started taking it in the first place. Maybe the doctors think it's funny...who knows.

Back to "coming down" LOL!

It's Done!

For those of you who do not know, I make photo cards for all occasions and enjoy doing it so much! I just finished making my thank you card for my wedding, so if you were there and like surprises - don't look any further or you'll see it before it arrives at your house.

I felt horrible waiting so long to get them out, but I did have to wait on my photos after all, and I didn't want to annoy my photographer too much wondering where they were. You shouldn't rush the talents of such artists!

Here it is, in all it's glory, complete and being printed as we speak. Now to just address all the envelopes.....sigh.

Follow Me.

I added this "Followers" program to let me know who reads my blog, please add yourself or I'll look lame like I have no friends...lol. You can find it directly on the top of the right hand column, just click "Follow" and that's that.

Thanks everyone!

And The Award For "Stupidity" Goes To....

I've never claimed to be the smartest person in the world, but I would like to think that I have an average amount of common sense. Enough so that I could properly function while getting ready for the day, and realize that there's really no point in grabbing the hot end of a curling iron unless you're just a total moron.

Hi. I'm a total moron!

Now I didn't do it on purpose. I wasn't trying some new age tactic of teaching Paige why you shouldn't grab hot things, although I think I scared her away from curling irons until she's at least 20. I was just under caffeinated and tired from the 4 day battle I have had with my raging hormones that I had forgotten I changed the normal position I have it in on the counter to save Paige from bumping into it while I did her hair for school pictures.

I blindly reached for it and...well you know that sound chicken makes when you first toss it on the skillet....yeah....that happened.

And it couldn't be Good Ol' Lefty, the hand I don't use for anything, at all, ever! No, it had to be my good friend Righty. Which made driving Paige to school interesting, but not nearly as interesting as having to teach my self how to...."clean up" after going to the bathroom.

Today is going to suck I think....but at least you all got a giggle out of it, and that it afterall what I'm here for.

My Daily Fix of The Paranormal

I actually not only bought myself a book yesterday, but I read it last night too. Well, some of it.

For those of you who don't find this feat as extraordinary as I do, well you obviously don't have kids. I don't recall the last time I sat down to read a book that was more then 10 pages and didn't have cartoon ducks going to school, or ponies forming a rock band in it. I got a real, grown up book.

I made sure it was quite possibly the thickest book I could find, over 600 pages. I mean who knows when then next time I can spare $25 for a new book will be, I wasn't taking any chances! It also had to be on a topic I can enjoy at any given moment when I might find time to read. Ghosts and paranormal activity.

Okay so maybe you don't believe in such things, and it really is one of those topics you either believe or you don't and think that anyone who does is a total nut case...which ever you are is fine with me. I believe, as does the majority of my family. We don't wander around with EVP detectors, snapping photos into the darkness and trying to communicate with them (but how cool would it be to do that!?) we simply have had personal experiences and enjoy hearing about others.

The book I picked up, is called Real Ghosts, Restless Spirits, and Haunted Places. It's made up of hundreds of different personal experiences from all over the world, ranging from things like the Amityville Horror, to simple hauntings in homes in Wisconsin in 1876. Each personal account of events is no more then 2 pages long and it makes for great reading for a mom because I can zip through one story and be able to put the book down to do whatever is needed at the time, pick the book back up later and not have to back track to figure out where I left off.

Plus it makes me feel better that there are others out there who share the same experiances as me. Makes me feel less crazy...lol.

Aside from the fact that Halloween is coming and these books were laid out all over the store, I actually went in looking for something on this topic. To be specific a book called Ghosts Caught On Film, Photographs of the Paranormal? as I had recently become interested in the photographed images people "claimed" to be of paranormal activity. I found some of these types of images in a group I stumbled across on Facebook the other night. As most of what is in the group was obviously nothing more then the wild imaginations of less then amature photographers, I wanted to check out this book to see what photos could have been so good they were published. I just basically wanted to flip through it in the store and save myself the trouble of buying it, but they didn't have it.

With the book not on the shelf and being utterly burned out trying to explain to someone why there is a light trail in their photo because of a combination of the light in the area, the night setting they have their camera on and the lack of tri-pod use....I picked the the 600 page book I mentioned before to satisfy my paranormal needs. As for now it and the weekly dose of Paranormal State on A&E is keeping me happy.

I'm so simple it's almost embarrassing...

TTC or Not TTC - That is the Question

For those of you not "hip to the lingo" TTC stands for Trying to Conceive, and it has been a topic of conversation between Mr S and I for sometime.

At first the question was when we would start to try. A year after marriage went to 6 months, which then turned into right away but hopefully before christmas. The it was "were not really trying our hardest but if it happens, great"

I stopped birth control about 2 months before the wedding. Not being controlled by little yellow pills sure is a wonderful freedom. Not to mention, I am pretty sure that they were responsible for the majority of my irrational moments....stupid hormones!

So we went on the honeymoon, sans birth control and "tried". For someone who's had 2 children since she was 17, both "little surprises" I have to admit when I wasn't immediately pregnant simply from the thought of sex, I began to wonder what the hell was wrong with me. Sure I can accidentally get knocked up like a champ but once I actually start trying....

Yeah and ok, it was a week, it's not like we've been plugging away at this (no pun intended) for years like some couples who can't conceive with out a lot of help. So when we weren't pregnant after a week (gasp!) we decided maybe we will wait until the money situation is under control and we know where exactly we might stick a little bundle of joy in this 2 bedroom house.


We were both ok with the idea, for about a day, and then someone started to think....someone who might be writing this blog....that money is never under control, and our house will probably never really be big enough for our family. It's typical, it's life and if we put those stipulations on things well, hell we probably won't ever have any kids!

So the case was reopened. And by reopened I mean that over a beer, after Paige was in bed, out of the clear blue sky and after 15 minutes of silently watching TV I blurted out "I want a baby"
to which Alex happily replied "Ok", almost laughing at me because of the total indecisive front I had put up about this situation only a week before hand.

Now, we know it's not as easy as it seemed to have been for me in the past....but we're going to try, see what happens and I won't be upset when I'm not pregnant...for more then a few hours or as long as it takes for me to snarf down a pint of Ben & Jerrys Cherry Garcia ice cream...;-)

Wish us *Babydust* and let's hope I don't change my mind again....hahaha.

Welcome!

Well, can you believe it - the wedding is over, the honeymoon is over and life is moving right a long. Paige is in school, dance and soccer - she's one busy 4 year old and you can keep up with her at Perfectly Paige, just in case you can't get enough of it here.

Alex is busy with work, he's in Texas this week trying to help them stop messing up the production line. I'm home with Paige running to appointments, the post office, the bank, school and what not. Ah the life of a "Soccer Mom". Anymore things to do and I think I'll be required by law to buy a mini van.

So what's on the agenda for this blog? Well some DIY projects I'm sure, hopefully I'll be blogging about expecting a baby before the year is out, and just life in general. Hopefully this blog will be as popular as the last :0)

See ya soon!