So, chances are that I'm back. That is, unless Scribble miraculously makes some kind of change and all the people there decide to change their "holier than thou" attitudes. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I am Soooo glad that I didn't buy a subscription there because even if I had paid the $30 or $40, I'd probably still be leaving, one way or another. At most, I'm going to make sure that I add my entries here first (like I originally intended to do) and then bring them over to Scribble later.

So, on with the mundane... I mentioned that there was an issue with Jeff's car. Well there were several, actually, ranging from routine maintenance that was overdue to repairs that we probably should've had done nearly a year ago. First, he was overdue for his 60,000-mile tune-up and service which includes oil change, tire rotation, new spark plugs, A/C recharge and a ton of other stuff. They found that he was leaking oil onto his spark plugs so something was fried there and needed replacing. He also had a blown coolant gasket and a torn serpentine belt. Luckily they replaced the belt for free (well, he paid for the part only) because it just happened to be on the way to getting to the gasket which was a rather complicated and expensive procedure. A word to the wise: don't mix coolant types--I guess it forms a gel and will damage the gaskets. Maybe this is common knowledge, but I had no idea. This problem comes up if you go to say, get an oil change, at different places and they all top off your coolant, all with different brands. Bad news. He also had a crack in his right tail light and the bulb was blown AND one of the wires was fried (probably because the cover was cracked and water was seeping in, we guess--he's been without a tail light for some time now). Oh, yeah... And his windshield has a crack in it. We haven't fixed that yet but Saturn gave Jeff the number of a place that will knock 40% off the price if he tells them that Saturn referred him. Originally, we planned to use the income tax return to take care of everything. Well, we're still using it, but we'll end up still paying something like $60, I think, out of pocket plus whatever the windshield costs. That doesn't even take into consideration that MY car is due for an oil change and the 60K tune-up. Debt is a wonderful thing.

What else? Oh yeah, the biological clock thing... Well, we're still going strong. Everything's still on schedule. I figure we'll take the next year to prepare physically, mentally and financially and hopefully be in good shape by winter. We're trying really hard to get in the habit of eating less junk food. I've also been exercising faithfully 3 times a week for 20+ minutes to try to drop some "vanity pounds" (--I hate that expression... I'll go into that another time), so that I can not only afford to gain baby weight in the future but also just be healthier all around when it comes time to get pregnant and hopefully recover more quickly. I've decided that once I finish the can of coffee I've just bought that this will be the beginning of me giving up caffiene (or cutting back, at least). However, that one's a double-edged sword. I had really cut back on my coffee/caffeine nearly a year ago when I went on evenings at work and didn't have to get up with the roosters. I was down to just an occasional cup, mostly just based on random cravings. Now, in an effort to get rid of the coffee, I've pretty much rekindled my morning caffiene addiction. I see a few headaches in my future. Also I've taken a HUGE step for me in the effort to prepare. I finally found a doctor and made an appointment for one of those lovely annual exams that I've been avoiding forever. I'm wondering if I should look forwart to a lecture about how I should've been seeing a gynecologist for the past 6 years? Well, anyway... My appointment is in 3 weeks and we'll find out then if everything looks like it's in good working order.

That's about it, guys. See what you've been missing out on? There's no place like home.

Au revoir.

Before And After

Would I get a discount if I birthed the baby in the store? - 5/16/05
The end is near? - 5/13/05
The progession of me - 5/10/05
Cleaning update - 5/7/05
Pre-nesting - 5/7/05