Friday, February 21, 2014

a link-up, a storm, a bad choice, & a funny picture

First of all- hello to any visitors from Kelly's Korner! Today is her annual (semi-annual?) Show us Your Life: Infertility blog carnival...I always enjoy participating and meeting new friends to commiserate with on this crappy journey. Ha. Normally I do a nice little write-up about my personal infertility 'journey' (lamest terminology ever, but what else can I call it?), but I just can't muster up the energy for that today. I'll give you a quick summary and links instead. My husband and I are 31 (me) and 30 (him) and have been TTC since December 2008. I have stage III endometriosis and he has male factor infertility. We've gone through a (small) variety of infertility treatments, mostly in 2010. In 2012 we each had surgery for our respective issues. In November 2013 we had a failed adoption after three days with our daughter. That pretty much brings us up to speed. We're still figuring out what's next.

I blame my lack of energy (both physical and emotional) on two things today:

1) We had a HUGE FREAKING STORM overnight. Georgia's really going all out this month, I tell ya. Let's count up the weather phenomena she's blessed us with: snow and ice storm, earthquake, gorgeous spring, now a July-esque storm (complete with tornado watch!)...really. Really. During the summer I get used to the storms and can sleep through them. But my February self isn't accustomed to such disturbances and therefore stayed awake for the whole shebang. Delightful! (Also, sorry that this has basically turned into a meteorologist blog (is that even a genre? Wouldn't that be awesome?) the past few weeks. If the weather wasn't so varied and interesting, I wouldn't talk about it so much...promise.)

2) I made the mistake awesome life choice of taking the interval (Tabata-method) class again yesterday. I know, I know. I never learn. I was crying and dry heaving approximately 8 minutes into class, so...you can just imagine how well the following 52 minutes went. Now my whole entire body is broken (please refer to the Pain Map from the last time I whined about this) and I may never be able to move again. IT HURT TO PUT ON MY EYE MAKEUP THIS MORNING. I mean, this is really not okay. Dumb, dumb, dumb. 

Due to my compromised physical and mental state, I'm about to let myself slide and break my own Cardinal Sin: sharing a picture I already posted on Instagram. I hope you can forgive me.


This was my selection for Throwback Thursday on Instagram yesterday (P.S. Any longtime readers of this blog or Allison's blog want to argue that Allison basically invented this phenomenon with her Way Back When-sday? I mean...just saying...we were doing this long before Instagram was invented.). I came across this magnificent picture while visiting my grandparents' house in Texas last week. 

In case it's not perfectly obvious, that is me in red. I'm sitting in my dad's lap. The other four handsome gents are my dad's brothers.

I think this picture is freaking amazing. I was the first child/niece/grandchild in that family and judging by pictures like this...I was worshiped by all. It's hard to know what to focus on first in the picture: the amazing 80s suits? The mustaches? The way my uncle Tim is holding my finger? The fact that I was (gorgeous as) a blonde? Or how about how weird it is that whomever was calling the shots decided that a good photo grouping would be the five brothers and the daughter/niece? And not...say...the wives? Or at least the mother of the baby? I dunno. I can see this particular photo arrangement happening (maybe) if we were all sitting around at Christmas, taking tons of snapshots of different arrangements of people...but to decide to get everyone dressed up and go to Olan Mills for the Family Portrait? Kinda strange. But awesome just the same. Anyway. Do you think this picture and the feelings of adoration heaped upon me (for the 2 years until I was joined by a passel of siblings and cousins) somehow seeped into my psyche and led me to believe, 25 years later, that I should probably start a blog? HA. But maybe.

That's all I've got. It's Friday- YAY. I'm preparing to host the very first (organizational) meeting of my book club this weekend! There's been no actual reading of books yet...we're basically just meeting to discuss forming one, make some guidelines (I guess?), eat snacks, and pick a book to read for our first month! I'm excited...but I also have to clean the house, which is somewhat less exciting. Feel free to give me your best book club advice/book picks if you have any...we're all newbies, so I'm sure we'll take all the help we can get! Have a happy weekend!

29 comments:

  1. THANK YOU for giving credit where credit is due on the WBW/TBT nonsense! Also, this post reminded me that I read your post yesterday on my phone and made a mental note to comment from the lap top but forgot... oopsies. Need to go rectify that now!

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  2. That picture is hilarious, love how you are holding hands with your uncle. Book suggestion! The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty.. great read, and lots for a book club to discuss.

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    1. I've never heard of that book but I looked it up-- looks fascinating! That may be my next read with or without the book club! Thanks!

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  3. Not that this would be good for a book club but I just started reading a book called The Antelope in the Living Room by Melanie Shankle and it is HILARIOUS! It's about marriage in a funny way and anyone married can totally relate I think. Again maybe not for your book club but it is just a good read in general.
    We had portions of that same storm last night but I don't think it was near as bad as what you got..yikes! Glad you are safe and had power to painfully put your make-up on this morning :)

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  4. I am seriously so jealous of the people that get to be in your book club... SO JEALOUS!
    That photo rocks. I think it should be framed in your house.
    And doesn't it feel like everyone, everywhere is talking about the weather.
    One more thing... after a good interval workout I find that putting my hair in a ponytail and sitting down on the toilet (TMI.. I mean the act of actually sitting)... REALLY HURT!

    TGIF

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  5. What is up with the GA weather?!!!!! I LOVE that pic! That is awesome!

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  6. The hand on your dad's shoulder, the expressions on your uncles faces, the suits...too much to take in just one picture. Have you any idea who came up with this brilliant plan?
    Next book club meeting I'm flying in for, just sayin'!

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  7. Ha! That picture is hilarious. Lots of men around was the thing back then.....Full House and My Two Dads. Now that would just be creepy!

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  9. The Glass Castle by Jeanette Wells is a great book! Especially for book clubs!

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    1. I looked that up-- it does look super interesting!! Thanks for the recommendation!

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  10. We got hit by the same storm. It was a tense half hour while we were waiting to see if we'd get blown away by a tornado, but all we got was a lot of rain, thankfully. Have you ever gone blond in your adult life?

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  11. Loving that pic. .. so glad you posted it!!

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  12. This probably doesn't fit the genre of your book club (since I'm guessing it's fiction?), but I am just finishing up _Love Does_ by Bob Goff and cannot recommend it highly enough. It is laugh-til-you-cry funny, challenging, and approachable, and I think there are already group study guides for it. Just throwing it out there :)

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  13. That picture is something else. Heh. God bless the eighties. I'm impressed that you went back to that class! It sounds... just awful, honestly. Hope you heal up fast!

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  14. oh have fun with your new bookclub! i suggest having few rules and lots of wine!

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  15. I just finished Me Before You by Jojo Moyes and loved it! I also second The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty. I think that both of these would have a lot of good discussion.

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  16. oh my. my face is hurting from trying to hold back the laughter from this picture. yes, blonde works for you but....I just can not ever imagine the thought that went into this photo grouping. I feel like I should see this on that Awkward Family Photo thing on Facebook. Any who...sorry about the crappy GA weather. It's windy here and I ran into a huge herd of javelinas and their babies this morning. I had to grow big and yell and clap my hands while trying to maintain a good running pace. At 5am.

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  17. Is it me or does your uncle on the left look a little like Matt? :)

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  18. I was in a book club a few years ago and miss it so much. I agree to have lots of wine and few rules. And I also agree that The Glass Castle is a good book for a book club.

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  19. I love that besides your dad and the man holding your finger - no one looks like they know each other. It looks like everyone was photoshopped in. ;)

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  20. Ha, yes, Allison is totally the TBT inventor! And I do love that pic- very 80s and awesome.

    Not awesome = the fact that your infertility journey has not been wrapped up with a pretty bow yet, particularly a pretty bow on a baby girl's (or boy's if you're into that kind of thing) head!

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  21. The photo. PRICELESS! TGIF.
    Enoy!! The founding of your book-club.

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  22. That gem of a photo makes the rule worth breaking!

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  23. this picture is hilarious!! I needed this laugh tonight!! Thanks girl!!

    waitingforbabybird.com

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  24. Nice fan shot! Glad you decided to share it. ;)

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  25. Our book club meets once a month and whoever is hosting also chooses the book. We've been meeting for long enough now that in June we have a potluck supper together and choose all the books for the following year. Everyone brings two or three suggestions and then the group agrees on one. We've read everything from biographies to fiction. I LOVE my book club.

    I know Camila at Mattornety Life had started an online book club and it kind of fizzled but you should totally start one on your blog! That way we could all have a virtual book club with you.

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  26. Hello!! For a good book club pick I recommend Room or Gone Girl - they will both generate a lot of discussion. Also, that picture. Uh. YES. Why is family lame and never has any pictures like this?? Now I must go trolling. I wish we had cool storms in Colorado. I love a big, dramatic, scare the crap out of me rain storm (as long as there are no tornadoes.)

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