So, I found this posting on Craigslist for a treadmill, an ellipsoid and an ab machine all for $100, and thought sweet. I asked if he'd sell separately, he said yes but really wanted to get rid of them all. We offered the guy $70, he accepted. Sweet. So we go borrow a truck and head over. (He said we could come at noon or after 5. He texted me again asking if I could come at noon... He sent this text at 12:40... wha?)
We get there, and the guy is standing at the door, watching. He also asks right away if we have the money. (If you can tell, by now, my sketchball meter is starting to climb just a little.) Anyway, he takes us to where the machines are - outside. And yes, it's been raining here. He goes away for a second, and I hop on them to see how they work. Two are good, but the treadmill has no resistance, so if the battery doesn't come on, it's a waste. Anyway, we just load them all up... or should I say, Jeff and the guy's old mexican plumber struggle to dredge them through the mud for like 30 minutes. They are just squeezing in the ab machine, when some guy walks up and says "What's going on here?" or "Is there a problem here?" something like that. I just assumed he's making convo, but then, no, we find out these machines are all HIS. Not the guy who's trying to sell them to us. (I'm not exaggerating, it took at least a half hour just to hoist the beasts onto the truck.) The two guys start fighting, and then go off in Spanish... and Jeff and I are just standing there, whistling Dixie while we wait for them. Finally Jeff tells them he knows what they're saying and asks them to hurry up and make a decision. It seems to me, like, 3 times they come to a decision, then it just keeps going back and forth, like we aren't even standing there. Finally I said, sorry we will not be giving them 100 bucks, they can take a machine off if they want, but there's no chance for more money, so hop to. After MORE discussion about which machine he wants, we finally get it settled and he picks the heaviest one to be unloaded. I told him he'd have to get it off, and they just rip it off of there and throw it around. (The machine that he kept insisting was worth $3000, by the way. Well, not anymore, buddy.)
The best part about all of this, is that after that ridiculous and illegal interchange, after Jeff breaking his back to get it all, after spending hours cleaning and rearranging a spot for these machines in our spare room... they wouldn't fit through our small 1960 hall and doorways. So, I've got an ellipsoid that now sits in my living room, but by george, I have it and I'm using it!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Alisa
So, here goes. If you're going to brave the whole post, get a snack and settle in-I'm sure it will be a long one.
As you probably know, we were expecting to welcome our second little girl into the world early. Not only was Amelie very early, but I was dilating early as well. Jeff and I were on the ready all the time, always waiting for water to break or contractions to come. I actually started having lots of false labor after that first appointment where she told me I was at 3.5. This lasted for over 2 weeks! I even rushed home from work one day because of it, but alas... nada. Well, I went in for my regular check up on Wed., Feb 3rd at 10:30 am (with my bags in the car, as instructed.) I was at a 4+, about 80%. She then stripped my membranes... but nothing happened. Through the appointment, though, we talked about how things had been going for me, and how far I lived from the hospital. Dr. Brown just kept saying "We don't want any babies being born in cars" and with that, she called down to L&D and got me in for just about 30 minutes from then. We went and got a little lunch at Jeff's mom's and gave Amie lots of kisses before heading back to the hospital. I also got a blessing, as I was apprehensive about having a long, difficult labor since I was being induced at 38.5 weeks. (You'll see those fears were quite unfounded.)
We made it back to the hospital around 1, but between registration and other patients, I wasn't changed and settled in until about 1:30. (And I pre-registered, too! I'd hate to be in labor and check in without having done that.) My sister Mallory arrived about then, too. Dr. Brown had told me that when I got settled in, she wanted me to get the epidural right away or else I probably wouldn't have time if I got the Pitocin first. So, we waited for the anesthesiologist, and I was meanwhile not even feeling contractions or anything. He was in a C-section, and I guess they have to stay the entire time. So we waited and waited and waited and a little after 3, Dr. Brown came in and said to go ahead and start Pitocin since I'd already been there for 2 hours and wasn't even laboring. So, they induced me and she broke my water. I'm serious, the contractions came on almost immediately, and I was NOT happy. Natural childbirth was never a goal of mine! Luckily, the anesthesiologist came in right after that, and I finally got an epidural at 3:30. I don't know why, but this time it was much stronger, and I could not even move my legs - at all!
Things moved pretty quickly after that, though the whole time, things were very calm. It took me under an hour to dilate to 6, then an hour to get from 6 to 9+. Up until then, Alisa's heart rate and everything looked good. Once we got to 9+, and like, 95% effaced, it just wouldn't go that last tiny bit, and Alisa's heart rate started dropping really low during contractions. Dr. Brown came down and upon checking, realized she was facing straight up and probably couldn't move down the canal. She reached her hand up there and turned her to the side, and literally within seconds I was 10/100% and pushing. About 3 or 4 contractions and maybe 8 minutes later, Alisa was born! That was at 5:20. I didn't think I could beat Amelie's quick and easy labor, but we sure did - not even 2 hours. She was 7 pounds 10 ounces and 20 inches long. She has resemblances to Amie, but seems to look like me, actually! She's definitely a louder crier than Amie was, but doesn't cry much. We've been blessed with great babies. So far. :)
Afterward, I didn't even feel like I'd just given birth. For about a day, I felt great! Then the next few days, it got much, much worse before I started feeling better. Still, this recovery has been much kinder to me overall. Two weeks later, I'm already feeling human and going out sometimes. I'm thinking I'll be able to pick up short shifts at work starting the first of March. (Which would be nice, because I've been working up some serious cabin fever!)
Anyway, we're both home and doing great. She's a lovely (sleepy) addition to our family. Amelie loves her, but sometimes loves a little too hard. :) She plays with her baby dolls even more now, wrapping them up in blankets and rocking them. It is quite adorable. Jeff was blessed enough to get 2 weeks off, paid, and that has been the biggest blessing to me! He's going crazy at home, but for me, it has made this time bearable and fun. I'm not completely exhausted 24/7 like I would otherwise be. He goes back to work tomorrow, and for his sake I'm glad, but I will sure miss him being here at 2am. (I may be singing a more tired tune by next week!)
Thank you to everyone who helped with watching Amelie, bringing food and gifts. We love you all!
Waiting...
Still waiting.
Bam, there she was!
Look at her poor black feet.
Sisters meet.
"I'm not sure about this..."
She has a scrunchy face.
It's starting to hit me.
Proud daddy!
Going home outfit.
Oh my cuteness!
Little angel, finally home.
As you probably know, we were expecting to welcome our second little girl into the world early. Not only was Amelie very early, but I was dilating early as well. Jeff and I were on the ready all the time, always waiting for water to break or contractions to come. I actually started having lots of false labor after that first appointment where she told me I was at 3.5. This lasted for over 2 weeks! I even rushed home from work one day because of it, but alas... nada. Well, I went in for my regular check up on Wed., Feb 3rd at 10:30 am (with my bags in the car, as instructed.) I was at a 4+, about 80%. She then stripped my membranes... but nothing happened. Through the appointment, though, we talked about how things had been going for me, and how far I lived from the hospital. Dr. Brown just kept saying "We don't want any babies being born in cars" and with that, she called down to L&D and got me in for just about 30 minutes from then. We went and got a little lunch at Jeff's mom's and gave Amie lots of kisses before heading back to the hospital. I also got a blessing, as I was apprehensive about having a long, difficult labor since I was being induced at 38.5 weeks. (You'll see those fears were quite unfounded.)
We made it back to the hospital around 1, but between registration and other patients, I wasn't changed and settled in until about 1:30. (And I pre-registered, too! I'd hate to be in labor and check in without having done that.) My sister Mallory arrived about then, too. Dr. Brown had told me that when I got settled in, she wanted me to get the epidural right away or else I probably wouldn't have time if I got the Pitocin first. So, we waited for the anesthesiologist, and I was meanwhile not even feeling contractions or anything. He was in a C-section, and I guess they have to stay the entire time. So we waited and waited and waited and a little after 3, Dr. Brown came in and said to go ahead and start Pitocin since I'd already been there for 2 hours and wasn't even laboring. So, they induced me and she broke my water. I'm serious, the contractions came on almost immediately, and I was NOT happy. Natural childbirth was never a goal of mine! Luckily, the anesthesiologist came in right after that, and I finally got an epidural at 3:30. I don't know why, but this time it was much stronger, and I could not even move my legs - at all!
Things moved pretty quickly after that, though the whole time, things were very calm. It took me under an hour to dilate to 6, then an hour to get from 6 to 9+. Up until then, Alisa's heart rate and everything looked good. Once we got to 9+, and like, 95% effaced, it just wouldn't go that last tiny bit, and Alisa's heart rate started dropping really low during contractions. Dr. Brown came down and upon checking, realized she was facing straight up and probably couldn't move down the canal. She reached her hand up there and turned her to the side, and literally within seconds I was 10/100% and pushing. About 3 or 4 contractions and maybe 8 minutes later, Alisa was born! That was at 5:20. I didn't think I could beat Amelie's quick and easy labor, but we sure did - not even 2 hours. She was 7 pounds 10 ounces and 20 inches long. She has resemblances to Amie, but seems to look like me, actually! She's definitely a louder crier than Amie was, but doesn't cry much. We've been blessed with great babies. So far. :)
Afterward, I didn't even feel like I'd just given birth. For about a day, I felt great! Then the next few days, it got much, much worse before I started feeling better. Still, this recovery has been much kinder to me overall. Two weeks later, I'm already feeling human and going out sometimes. I'm thinking I'll be able to pick up short shifts at work starting the first of March. (Which would be nice, because I've been working up some serious cabin fever!)
Anyway, we're both home and doing great. She's a lovely (sleepy) addition to our family. Amelie loves her, but sometimes loves a little too hard. :) She plays with her baby dolls even more now, wrapping them up in blankets and rocking them. It is quite adorable. Jeff was blessed enough to get 2 weeks off, paid, and that has been the biggest blessing to me! He's going crazy at home, but for me, it has made this time bearable and fun. I'm not completely exhausted 24/7 like I would otherwise be. He goes back to work tomorrow, and for his sake I'm glad, but I will sure miss him being here at 2am. (I may be singing a more tired tune by next week!)
Thank you to everyone who helped with watching Amelie, bringing food and gifts. We love you all!
Waiting...
Still waiting.
Bam, there she was!
Look at her poor black feet.
Sisters meet.
"I'm not sure about this..."
She has a scrunchy face.
It's starting to hit me.
Proud daddy!
Going home outfit.
Oh my cuteness!
Little angel, finally home.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Our night with Kyle Korver
I know, I know-I just had a baby and I'm posting about basketball stars before her? I knew if I didn't do it before baby stuff, it would never happen.
For those of you not from Utah, Kyle Korver is one of the Utah Jazz. For those of you who don't watch Jazz basketball, they had been advertising this contest for a long long time-win a night with Kyle Korver. Jeff, offhandedly, sent in a text to enter the contest. Just once. And forgot about it. But of course, he won. That's his luck and everyone else's. We were pretty psyched-we aren't necessarily the world's biggest KK fans, but it'd be cool to meet him, plus it included a limo ride and swanky dinner at Devereaux Mansion. We went at the allotted time (with 24 other couples,) and the limo had taken over the first batch of people-a little more than a third of us. We actually expected lots of girls, but the vast majority were couples or 2 dudes together. We waited our turn and then the driver returned (after circling a few times-he couldn't get the super stretch in the parking lot.) We were about the cutoff to make the next group if he took the same number of people, and there were 4 couples behind us. The driver actually insisted that all of us get in this second trip. It was quite packed, and being 38.5 weeks pregnant, I didn't want to shimmy all the way in, so we asked to be last. This was a huge mistake-by the time everyone else got in, they were already grossly over-full and quite illegally packing the car. I wish I had just been firm about not wanting to get in. Jeff (and 4 other people) sat on the seat by the door and I got on his lap. Ever sat on someone's lap as a full grown adult? Not comfy. Ever done it with a full grown baby in your belly? Not possible. But I did it. I was basically sitting on the door, which was open enough for me to stick all my fingers out of, by the way.
But that was the worst, and once we were there, everything else was great. They had excellent hors d'oeuvres and drinks with a chamber orchestra, then a personal photo with Kyle. He gave me a rose and Jeff an autographed ball. Then we went down to our assigned tables and were with two other couples-an older father-daughter and a grandma-granddaughter. (I felt so bad for the granddaughter. Grandma kept telling the story over and over about how she missed a basketball game and had to run laps the next day for Kyle. She looked pretty embarassed.) Even after hors d'oeuvres, we really put it away. We had an excellent leek chowder type soup, rolls, salad, more rolls, then I had chicken wellington, Jeff filet mignon, with vegs, then they brought us apple pie with ice cream. I couldn't eat it-that's how you know I was super-pregnant. Throughout dinner, Kyle came and sat at each table just to talk for about 15 minutes. Jeff and I both agreed on 2 things-first, he's actually more attractive in person. And second, he's incredibly personable and nice. It was comfortable and entertaining to chat with him. He told us some stories about his family (like knocking out his brother's tooth in a friendly family basketball game and how all his family for like 3 generations or something all have K names) and made us like him, in a totally non-publicity kind of way.
We got instructions on how to access the photos they took, and a limo ride back to our car, and that was it. It was pretty fun and a good way to spend my last night baby-less (unbeknownst to me, that is.)
PS. I was gonna post a picture but, I hate them all so I didn't.
For those of you not from Utah, Kyle Korver is one of the Utah Jazz. For those of you who don't watch Jazz basketball, they had been advertising this contest for a long long time-win a night with Kyle Korver. Jeff, offhandedly, sent in a text to enter the contest. Just once. And forgot about it. But of course, he won. That's his luck and everyone else's. We were pretty psyched-we aren't necessarily the world's biggest KK fans, but it'd be cool to meet him, plus it included a limo ride and swanky dinner at Devereaux Mansion. We went at the allotted time (with 24 other couples,) and the limo had taken over the first batch of people-a little more than a third of us. We actually expected lots of girls, but the vast majority were couples or 2 dudes together. We waited our turn and then the driver returned (after circling a few times-he couldn't get the super stretch in the parking lot.) We were about the cutoff to make the next group if he took the same number of people, and there were 4 couples behind us. The driver actually insisted that all of us get in this second trip. It was quite packed, and being 38.5 weeks pregnant, I didn't want to shimmy all the way in, so we asked to be last. This was a huge mistake-by the time everyone else got in, they were already grossly over-full and quite illegally packing the car. I wish I had just been firm about not wanting to get in. Jeff (and 4 other people) sat on the seat by the door and I got on his lap. Ever sat on someone's lap as a full grown adult? Not comfy. Ever done it with a full grown baby in your belly? Not possible. But I did it. I was basically sitting on the door, which was open enough for me to stick all my fingers out of, by the way.
But that was the worst, and once we were there, everything else was great. They had excellent hors d'oeuvres and drinks with a chamber orchestra, then a personal photo with Kyle. He gave me a rose and Jeff an autographed ball. Then we went down to our assigned tables and were with two other couples-an older father-daughter and a grandma-granddaughter. (I felt so bad for the granddaughter. Grandma kept telling the story over and over about how she missed a basketball game and had to run laps the next day for Kyle. She looked pretty embarassed.) Even after hors d'oeuvres, we really put it away. We had an excellent leek chowder type soup, rolls, salad, more rolls, then I had chicken wellington, Jeff filet mignon, with vegs, then they brought us apple pie with ice cream. I couldn't eat it-that's how you know I was super-pregnant. Throughout dinner, Kyle came and sat at each table just to talk for about 15 minutes. Jeff and I both agreed on 2 things-first, he's actually more attractive in person. And second, he's incredibly personable and nice. It was comfortable and entertaining to chat with him. He told us some stories about his family (like knocking out his brother's tooth in a friendly family basketball game and how all his family for like 3 generations or something all have K names) and made us like him, in a totally non-publicity kind of way.
We got instructions on how to access the photos they took, and a limo ride back to our car, and that was it. It was pretty fun and a good way to spend my last night baby-less (unbeknownst to me, that is.)
PS. I was gonna post a picture but, I hate them all so I didn't.
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