sniffly mama

i must have hormones in overdrive, because lately everything but EVERYTHING is making me weepy. here's a partial list:

-anything on tv having to do with animals, especially escape to chimp eden
-speeches by barack obama
-cuddle time with the biscuit (little does he know...so fleeting)
-any and all public protest, especially those having to do with the sean bell trial (his fiancee was arrested during the protest....what a strong woman.)
-all shows featuring babies, delivery, birth
-even my childbirth books! they're instructional books, for crying out loud!

this week has been stressful. family health issues, no time for nothin', work drama with the nasty lady (whom i refused to work with again....and with my insistence was actually heard and accepted by the booker for the job. crazy.)

the apartment hunt has begun in earnest with an email sent to our peeps, and trying to get an idea of what's out there on craigslist. i am not really looking forward to a long, drawn-out search-- which, hopefully, can be avoided--, but as our basement has flooded AGAIN this week (broken hot water heater, promptly repaired) and the little black ants continue to march along our kitchen counters and bathroom vanity, i look forward to a day with no pests, new appliances, and room for baby.

apologies for the lack of photos...i have two from "bump watch 2008" on the way.

and a p.s. on my new apartment 'tude

i almost forgot that i would like to share my thoughts on our apartment situation:

while i have been quite dismayed by the piles (literally, piles) of mouse droppings, the cracks where walls meet floors, the wobbly front gate and crooked front door of our abode.... upon perusing the craigslist apartment listings, i have discovered that for the amount of space we have in the neighborhood where we live, even despite our recent and sizeable rent increase, the dub and i are STILL paying a monthly rent that is waaaay under market value. like anywhere between $250 and $400 per month under market value.

to this i say, "let me furnish and improve upon our space with these massive savings that have been cast before me"! i figure this allows me a monthly sum of $200/month to put towards beautifying our space. FLOR tiles? why not? we can take 'em with us when we leave! wall art? again! an investment! poppytalk has examples galore of affordable art!

i can see it now:






i see the addition of the indoor lap pool as completely within my space and budgetary constraints.


also, i am still all ears for any green, non-chemical, and somewhat cruelty-free methods of dealing with our mouse problem, so please leave a comment with any suggestions. so far i have heard only of kitty litter ("used" kitty litter...clearly this doesn't work as we still have both a litter box and mice in our basement), moth balls, and peppermint oil. soon our house will be smelling of my nana's closet and a winter wonderland. mmm....old lady scent....

to bring you some holiday cheer...

this is the best thing ever.

i would give anything to embed it into this blog, so if anyone knows the code, pass it along!

i could use some holiday cheer, to be honest. i have been feeling "blah" since upon our return to new york. i think it has to do with-- despite woobie "the destroyer" and one less mouse in our house-- the suspicion that there are many more hiding in the walls, scurrying around. i am discovering mouse poop in abundance now that my eyes are prone to look for it. it disturbs me. it's along the wall near our bed (on my side), on the carpet in the bathroom, but mostly in the corners of our kitchen, on the shelves. it smells like a guinea pig's cage in there. no joke.

the more i hole up in our apartment, the more i notice its flaws, and the mice are just the tip of the iceberg. i haven't dragged myself to the gym in a couple of weeks. my last haircut was, to put it kindly, not so good. i am majorly disappointed in what i have to show for my work, and i fear for the winter months.

and not to get too personal, but has it ever made you more annoyed when your complaints are followed by less commiseration and more problem-solving? i need commiseration, people! i know how to solve the problem...that's not the point. i know that i need to shower, to clean, to drag myself outside and do the crap-ton of christmas shopping that lies ahead or atleast try to make a dent in my never-ending to-do list. but somehow, it's 4:43 PM, dark outside, and here i sit--in my pajamas.

sigh.