Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Carefree Days of Yesterday

Yesterday I was riding my bike back to work after teaching an afternoon yoga class. I was relaxed and carefree, still in the afterglow of a peaceful chivasana as I careened down the hill with the remnants of the morning rainfall splashing up my calves and the middle of my back. La-dee-dahhhhh...

All of a sudden, a car climbed up around the hilly corner towards me, going at a good clip. I was turning the corner at the same time, also at good clip. Pumping my brakes lightly so I wouldn't go ass-over-teakettle as I swerved closer to the inside, I could feel my back end start to fishtail out behind me. Panicking, I unclipped from my pedals and proceeded to throw the bike in front of me down the hill! The bike skidded down as I hit the pavement, clear of the passing car.

The bike was fine, and I was fine, mostly. The driver of the car leaned out the window to check on me as I yelled "SAFE!" jokingly. My sacrum had taken a bit of a pounding and my hand and elbow were sore as a result of my FOOSH (Fall-On-Out-Stretched-Hand). No blood, rips or tears were evident, aside from the scrapes on my shiny new wedding band.

But I was shaken, badly. Just the day before I was reading my "What to Expect When You're Expecting" book and I was laughing because it warned against bicycling in traffic or during sub-par weather conditions. I thought "AS IF I'm going to stop biking to work, why don't I just curl up in a corner for the next 7 months?"

But when I sat down and thought about it (on the pavement, hurting and embarassed), I realized that there are some things a little more important than saving bus fare or keeping up my regular routine. And there's nothing lame about ditching my normal training schedule. Hell, I get winded taking the stairs right now.

So this morning I took the bus on a day that I would normally bike. Instead, I'm looking into taking my pre/post-natal specialization in October, which will allow me to teach perinatal classes while I'm perinatal. It just seems like a better fit for my newly-expanding waistline.

Monday, August 29, 2005

The Joys of Motherhood...

Omigod. If I have to take one more trip to the bathroom this morning, I swear to God I'm going to FREAK OUT. Drink lots of water. Drink lots of milk. Listen to the raindrops slipslop against the window pane.



Peeing for two? Yeah right, it feels like 4 or 5 little guys must be trapped in my uterus, all taking turns bouncing off my bladder. Boing, boing, boing! It's like the Bouncy Castle in there. I visualize them rebounding off my bladder and high-fiving each other as they pass, "That was a good one!", "Nice air!"



I'm going to have to log hours against Pee-Time on my progress report this week. Maybe I can request to have my cubicle moved closer to the washroom? I've considered sleeping in the tub, so my three-times-a-night call of nature requires less of a commute.



How am I going to get through a meeting? A catheter?

Monday, August 22, 2005

Newlyweds... and other news

Well, it's done! We're hitched!

Saturday was amazing. I only have a few pictures from the ceremony so a BIG post will have to wait. That and I have to pack for our honeymoon.

Jason and I got together on an island called Valdes, located in the Gulf Islands between Vancouver Island and the mainland. The cabin, owned by family friends, was one that Jason's family used to visit when they were little kids. Those friends were at the wedding and offered up the use of it for our honeymoon. What could be more perfect and romantic than that?


Our honeymoon destination... Posted by Picasa

Jason visited Valdes for eight days on his own and didn't see a single soul for the entire time. It is where he decided to ask me to marry him.

I look forward to being deserted on this island for a week with him! I look forward to lying naked on the rocks and soaking up some rays, playing fetch with the dog and doing yoga in the morning sunshine. Jason is taking his paint supplies and me my knitting, we've got a stash of delicious gourmet treats to share and of course some nice wine.


Bella, hanging out beachside... Posted by Picasa

Alas, no wine for me. I forgot that I haven't told you yet, but I'm pregnant! It's still very very early - going on 7 weeks. But we can't keep it to ourselves, we're so happy! Between Jason, me and our mothers, the entire wedding knew by the end of the night. And we figure if things don't work out, we'd need the support of our friends anyways. But our fingers are crossed and I'm popping my prenatal vitamins with reckless abandon!

Haven't told work yet though. Shhh, mum's the word there!

Crazy timing though. I found out the Monday before the wedding. You see, we had been trying for a few months and I had taken a test the week before and it came out negative. Ladies, you MUST MUST take those tests first thing in the morning! Then I went on my stagette... Anyhow my nurse friends have assured me that I did not harm my baby that early on with my vodka Slurpee, so that is a load off my mind! But the following Monday, things still weren't quite right and I took another. At 5:30am before going to teach my step class, while still rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. That little blue + opened 'em pretty quickly!

You can imagine how quickly our wedding took a backseat! Crazy timing indeed.

But we are so so happy!

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

Three-Ring Circus

Why did I think that working up to Friday wouldn't be such a big deal?



For the entire week, my work phone has been ringing off the hook. Last minute dress alterations, hair appointments, band meetings, family pow-wows... you name it! Whatever happened to our small simple wedding in the back yard?



So I've decided to take tomorrow and Friday off. Normally I wouldn't feel so guilty about the company paying me to organize my social affairs, but the number of phonecalls and interruptions is really quite astounding. Maybe all the honesty and goodness bestowed upon my future hubby is rubbing off on me?



My sister and mom are coming in tomorrow morning - I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to meet my new little niece! Karen and I have been talking a lot, almost every day now, and it's so weird to hear her talking to Ashley when I still haven't met her! So that is exciting. Then there's the pedicure party tomorrow night and the endless cooking on Friday... so many things to do. Pick up my dress. Get my ring buffed. Get the flowers. Pick up the keg. Chill the wine. The list is crazy.



I'm planning a hotel "care package" for the two of us... lox and bagels with cream cheese for breakfast, grapes and strawberries, maybe mimosas... we're staying at an apartment-hotel on the seawall, so we can have a lush breakfast in bed, then go for a stroll in the morning before we face the hubbub of friends and relatives before they leave town.



It occurred to me. I wonder how many people actually have sex on their wedding nights? Wouldn't you be completely bagged?



Just a thought.



Next week we are planning to go surfing on the Oregon Coast for a week of honeymooning. There is a killer surf spot outside of Cannon Beach called Oswald West - I've camped there twice now and have been so happy. We're taking the dog and our bikes to the walk-in site, then we can do day-trips from there with her, along the gorgeous coastline. So relaxing!



Exciting times! The next time you hear from me, I'll be Mrs. Camp!

Friday, August 12, 2005

Vodka Slurpee - Tales from my Stagette

It's 4:45pm on a Thursday and I'm sitting in a meeting room with my manager and another senior co-worker. We're in the home stretch of a 3 hr meeting about project plan estimates and I am ready to nod off. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a tall female breeze past the window... it's Lisa! She stands imposingly in front of the window - two big blond ponytails flaring off the top of her head - and taps the glass mouthing the words "WE WANT YOU". My co-workers look up in confusion, but I know that my stagette has just begun.

She pops in - "Are you going to need her much longer?" Setting a giant multi-coloured Slurpee in front of me that she instructs me to start drinking NOW, Lisa saunters back out to wait the 10 minutes requested by my boss. I can now see more of my girlfriends, Annalise and Jenn, milling outside the meeting room - I love that my girlfriends just barge into my workspace and take over, too funny! As the meeting drags on, I take a tentative pull from the Slurpee. EGAD!!!! Can anyone else smell the liquor in this thing? What have they in store for me?

I find out quickly enough. Waiting in my cubicle is an old 70's wedding dress, courtesy of Jenn's mom, complete with a veil and a BAD GIRL wand. A shot glass on beads around my neck, a bib covered in ex-boyfriend's names asking "WHO'S MY DADDY?" and a few candy necklaces and I am ready for action!

Better start drinking the Slurpee. Liquid courage!

Hmmm, where's a great place to get drunk, get guys to eat candy off your neck and have a good time? Why, PLAYLAND, of course!

We get into the park and there are kids and parents everywhere. The greasy carnies that the girls had envisioned devouring candies from my neck were replaced by peach-fuzzed 17yr-olds... luckily there were lots of security guards and such to harass. One nipple-ringed dad was having a little too good a time with the candy part, I think he left marks! The head of security even agreed to handcuff me for a kiss on the cheek. The innocent-looking 16yr-old Karen - "Oh my gosh, you actually brought alcohol to Playland???" - did a wonderful job on my airbrushed Grim Reaper tattoo!

The BAD GIRL wand was a great weapon used to smack bums. Especially after the water bottle I take a swig from is filled with straight vodka. Baaaaaaaaaaaaad Andrea!

The rides were a gas, especially the one Andrea and I went on together. Bumper cars, rollercoasters... the last one left me a little queasy - time to exit the park! Off to Toby's for some good ol' fashioned liquor mixing - Tequila, vodka, Baileys, Sambuca... Andrea passes me a prepackaged shot glass full of unknown candy-coloured liquid, she's got a stash of them in her purse! After a few rounds of natchos, it's decided that I must go back out to the fray and get rid of the rest of my candy necklaces...

The last thing I remember is Jason peeling my contact lenses off my eyeballs close to 1am. I can't believe I'm actually at work today. Good thing I have the Grim Reaper to keep me company, that tattoo sure has staying power!

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

Advice...

Here's the scoop.

Jason and I have no "song". A while back, we were sitting in the truck trying to decide what to use for our "first dance" and Jason says (in his best Gene Simmons impersonation) "LIIIIIICK IT UP!"... not a minute later, the song actually came on the radio!



If that isn't a sign, what is?

Not a chance (even though I know the words).

So we decided to use a David Gray song that we both like. Sitting in the truck, we often belt out the lyrics together... or at least what we thought were the lyrics. You see, in this day and age, who looks at CD covers anymore?

What I thought was

"This here's lovin', it'll laaaaaaaaaaaast..."

is actually

"This year's love had better laaaaaaaaaaaast..."

Hmmm, maybe not the best first dance song? But we really like it!

Do you think anyone will notice? The guy has an accent, you can barely tell...

Monday, August 8, 2005

Why I love my friends...

I am a very lucky girl. A while back I posted about wanting a bridal shower, and how I wasn't really sure if I would have one. My matron of honour (sister Karen) lives in Fort McMurray - a bazillion miles from here - and neither of my two oldest friends, Jen and Amanda, actually live in Vancouver. I didn't honestly think that anyone else would want to put up with the hassle of corralling my assortment of friends for a hen party!

Little did I know that I was to be lucky enough to have four parties... yes, FOUR! One of them is a pedicure party that I put on myself, so my sister and mom would have a chance to meet some of my Vancouver friends a few days before the wedding. But the other three were a complete and delightful surprise!

First of all, the ladies at work - all 12 of us - usually get together for showers, etc. But with our head of HR, "chief party planner", on mat leave, I had my doubts. Last Thursday one of the women had asked me to lunch. As I headed down to her car to meet her, I saw the gaggle of women in the elevator. As I rushed to join, one of them yelled out "It's full!" as they shut the doors! As my spidey senses tingled, I tried to feign ignorance on the drive to a Greek restaurant that Christina's husband had "recommended". Of course as we drove up, I saw Tanya struggling with her crutches to beat me inside the restaurant, so cute! The cat was out of the bag, but I didn't care. I love having the women at work come together for things like this - it's what makes us GIRLS!!! During a great lunch, free of "talking shop", I found out about how Alison is volunteering at a post-partum depression group, about how Fiona's husband published another concerto and saw pictures of Marilou's song graduating high school. Afterwards they gave me a gift certificate for a wonderful spa. Spa visits are something that my practical side rarely lets me enjoy, so I'm going to savour this one!

Secondly, I have a group of ladies that I get together with on a fairly regular basis - Wendy, Lisa and Jenn. We all used to work together and decided, after our office was shut down, that we still wanted to stay in contact. We call ourselves the "Stitch n' Bitchers" since when we started, we were actually supposed to make things during our visits. It never really came out that way - instead we gab and try not to spit food while talking since we are usually filling our faces!

Anyways, the ring-leader Lisa - who is also my wedding photographer - emailed me to set up a Sunday brunch and S&B photo shoot for her portfolio. I had a hunch that something was up when Jason asked for Jenn's (the hostess') number... but I had no idea that waiting for me were 11 of my dearest girlfriends including Amanda, from Victoria, and Kylie, from Calgary. These girls don't even know one another and when I get there, they are chatting like old friends! I was shocked and didn't know quite how to react when I turned around and Jordan and Lisa (from my step class) were standing there, nearly blending into the wall! And Deb, 7 months pregnant coming around the corner with Casey and Wendy... so amazing. Andrea, my future big sis, showed up with delicious mushroom poo-poos and a new friend Rachel in tow, cool!


Photo-chick! Posted by Picasa

Lisa was snapping photos while we sat around a sumptuous potluck feast and I went around the room telling a little story about each friend. A sweet and caring group, not to mention successful! Stories about triathlon PBs, quilting prowess, world travels, writing marvels, swimming... such an elite collection of women and people that I am proud and lucky to have in my life. Close to the end, they gave me a HUGE gift certificate to spend on shoes (I LOVE SHOES), along with some champagne and a beautiful silver necklace (I'm like a crow, I LOVE SHINY THINGS)... but most cherished of all was a scrapbook that they all contributed a page to. Years worth of memories with Amanda, heartfelt wishes from Jenn and Jordan, Wendy's quilting page, Casey's welcome advice. Even Patti who couldn't be there put a page in.

Lisa's funny poem - that I still can't get through without crying:

"... So next on the list is making a little Camp, and when Callie is running a tri nine months pregnant, she surely will cramp.

So you pace around impatiently as you try and conceive, all you really want is to get that sweet maternity leave..."


The scrapbook! Posted by Picasa

I got pretty choked up as I went through it! I was quite sad that my friend Jen was unable to make it, but this morning I woke up to a FedEx package full of lacy underthings and a funny card from her! I can hardly wait to see her the night before my wedding! She helped me pick out my dress and has given me a lot of really good advice, I wish she still lived here!!

Finally, I have a stagette on Thursday but it's not a surprise... or maybe there's yet another surprise waiting for me?

Friday, August 5, 2005

Bridezilla!

I'm ashamed of what I've become.

The clock is ticking and I'm getting married in two weeks. TWO WEEKS!!! There is still so much to do, and very little time to do it in. I don't even have time to blog!

Staying focussed at work is a joke.

My boss: Um, Hi Callie... did you manage to get that switch working at the double data rate?

Me: Hmm, no. [phone ringing in background - hairstylist] I've been trying to get in touch with the vendor, but he seems to be MIA. [email from stepmother-in-law pops into Inbox]

My boss: Do you think you might have something by the end of today?

Me: Well, I have to leave a little early [even though I came in late, and am leaving to go to a spa] so maybe tomorrow morning...

[phone starts ringing again - liquor store with my missing wine order]

Me: Um, do you mind if I get that? [sheepish grin]

The sad truth is that I work with mostly men, and while this might be a bit of a hasty generalization, I doubt that any of them ever had to go for hair consultations or eyebrow shapings before their big day! Well, at least not in their day, they are all over 40. I think the man-spa craze is pretty recent!

Jason and I have planned a good portion of the wedding together and are mostly enjoying ourselves. Not only that, but we're very appreciative of the help we're getting from Jason's sister Andrea (Best Woman and pseudo-MC) and Melina, Jason's step-mom (aka Wedding Planner Goddess)...

But when 2 cases of your wine is missing, your seamstress is holding your dress hostage, you haven't finished your vows, you have no "song", your mother is virtually impossible to get a hold of...

And the etiquette? Don't even get me started. With divorced in-laws, how do you get a set of family photos or say a thank-you speech without hurting someone's feelings or violating some unwritten rule? I stick my foot in my mouth at the best of times, this will be a true test!!!

I guess all I can do is concentrate on not falling down the stairs that make up my "aisle". Just in case though, I'm going to get some nice panties so that I still look nice with my crinoline over my head.