TMI

If you are guy, you may want to stop reading now.

I actually started my period today! It has been 67 days since my last one (and no I was never pregnant). I have an appointment for a new ob/gyn in April (there was no openings before then). I am so happy that my body is showing at least this sign that it is working. In January I did a round of clomid 50 mg, but obviously it didn't work. I am annoyed because I don't even know if I ovulated at all because my previous gyno didn't monitor that. I will push for that this time.

This is a great tool for tracking your menstrual cycles. It looks pretty, and is very easy to use; then it predicts when you will ovulate.

I feel cheated

I got a few more books at the library the other day. I haven't read them all yet, but I wanted to mention these two books.

From This Day by Nora Roberts. Okay, I have read a lot of Nora Roberts but this was so crappy. I didn't realize until I started reading it that it is one of her earlier books, published the year I was born. The guy basically infers that he will force himself on this girl if she doesn't open up to him, but that is supposed to make him strong and attractive; but I just thought he was a douche. Then he tells her that they are getting married, not asks, tells. But there was no sex in the entire book! That is just crazy. I don't know when she changed her mind to thinking sex before marriage is okay, but I'm sure glad she did, or I would never read another of her romance novels.

The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen. I LOVE this author. This is only the second book she has written, but I will read anything she comes out with for the rest of my life. Her books are magical. I absolutely adored her first book Garden Spells. Amber, you will love these books. Read them now! The Sugar Queen is about a girl, Josey, in her late twenties who is taking care of her mother (who treats her like shit). She hides junk food and romance novels in her closet and is in love with her mailman. Until one day a women she barely knows, Della Lee, show up in her closet and won't leave. Della Lee helps Josey come out of her shell and change her life. I know that kind of sounds like many other "chick lit" novels, but this is not like that; this story is very original. They mention that Josey is just this side of plump, but that is not a big part of the story, she doesn't hate herself and lose weight, and then get the guy (I hate that). She just discovers what was already there.

he can actually play a guitar!

Brad is playing a show tonight if you want to come. Hope to see you there!

in which I cry a lot

Brad was having problems with his asthma yesterday so he stayed home from work. His inhaler had just run out the night before. I told him to call Target to get it refilled and then I would pick it up after work. But he messaged me back that he couldn't talk enough to call Target. I called him right away because I didn't understand what he meant; he was having such a hard time breathing that he could barely talk in full sentences. I freaked out. Remember in that Sex in the City episode where Big is going to have heart surgery and Carrie would just start crying when she tried to talk about it. That was me. I went to the bathroom and balled my eyes out. I left work (after barely being able to ask to leave without crying more) and picked up his inhaler and brought it to him and cried some more right after he used his inhaler and was almost instantly better. I was just so scared. Of course he wasn't scared and said it happens sometimes. I had to remind him that it has never been that bad since we've been together and that has been four+ years.

Of course later that night he felt well enough to have a cigarette. Don't get me started on that.

In which I limp all around San Francisco

My foot has been hurting for awhile, more specifically my heel. When I get out of bed I am limping for a while, if I walk for long distances I start limping. I finally figured out that I most likely have plantar fasciitis. You know what made me figure it out? This awesome ad that I saw in the Sky Mall catalog on the flight to San Francisco in October (I totally want this by the way!)

But what I just realized today (yes, I am stupid) is that wearing tennis shoes, or more supportive shoes helps. So as I have been walking around for the last few months in my flimsy converse shoes and flats with no arch support, that was probably making it worse. I was just being stubborn. Now I need to find some pretty shoes that actually have arch support. Any ideas?

Books

Things I have read in the last couple of weeks:

Amazing Grace by Megan Shull This book was so cute and made me want to move to Alaska. Is there a greater complement?

Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin. This is by the same author as Elswhere, which was also such an original story. This was very good, but I didn't really feel that connected to the characters.

Empress of the World by Sara Ryan About a girl falling in love with another girl for the first time.

True Betrayals by Nora Roberts. Girl meets boy, there is some drama, they fall in love. Is there really a need for me to describe this?

Lovers and Dreamers by Nora Roberts. Or this?

Irish Born by Nora Roberts. Or this?

Gabriel's Angel by Nora Roberts. Or this?

First Impressions by Nora Roberts. Or this?

Blue Smoke by Nora Roberts. Or This?

As the World Burns: 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Stay in Denial by Derrick Jensen (Author), Stephanie McMillan (Illustrator) This graphic novel was depressing. One of the reasons I gave up soda.

The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer. I love this. This is a companion book to Life As We Knew It. It is about the same event (the moon getting hit with a metor and the aftermath) through the eyes of a teen in a totally different situation.

Wolf Tales by Kate Douglas. Yes this is werewolf erotica, yes it is as bad (and good) as it sounds.

Money

One of our goals this year is to save money; we need to buy a new car, and want to buy a laptop. I am not one of those people who always gets new cars; but if we have a kid at some point, I don't think they will want to be strapped in the bed of my truck. Hopefully after getting a new car I will not have to get another one for ten years.

Here are some of the things we are changing and how much it will save us:
Canceled Sirius radio :sob: $14/month
Changed Netflix from four at time to two at a time: $10/month
Canceled gym membership :joy: $20/month
Stop eating out as much. This will save at least $100/month

After one year, that should save us around $1728. Also I have stopped drinking soda, that is not really for saving money, more my health and the environment; but it can't hurt. If I get water every time we go out instead of soda, that should save some money. $1700 is not that much, but it will feel so good to have actual money in our savings account.