Life Without Baby

filling the silence in the motherhood discussion

Whiny Wednesday: Love

Anyone who knows me in the real world will tell you that, in person, I am not a gusher.  I’m an enthusiastic sort when the occasion calls for it, but I’m not one for public shows of excessive affection. If I don’t tell you “I love you,” don’t assume I don’t care; it’s not a phrase I toss around lightly and if I say it, I mean it.

 

Like I say, I’m not big on public affection, either physical or verbal.

 

So, I’m not going to tell you, dear readers, that I love you, because I’ve never even met most of you, and “love” just isn’t the right word. What I will tell you though, is how very much I appreciate you and how glad I am that you are in my life.

 

I have been sitting here reading the comments you’ve left on some recent posts and I am touched by your incredible generosity in sharing your hearts with me and with other readers. I am in awe of how you reach out to one another – to people you’ve never even met – and offer words of kindness and encouragement. It is the most wonderful and inspiring thing to watch, and seeing it restores my (sometimes flagging) faith in the human race.

 

As I said, I’m not a gusher, but today I felt the need to gush a little.

 

It is Whiny Wednesday, of course, and even though I don’t personally have anything to whine about today, I hope that my mellow mood won’t deter you from letting rip, should you need to. Whine on!

Whiny Wednesday

Today I’ve had it with Amazon, because even though I know they have my book in stock, it still shows “Temporarily Out of Stock” on their site. I’m assured that this is just a matter of the system catching up to itself, and that people can still order the book, but I’m really annoyed. I keep telling people my book is available, only to have Amazon pretend that it isn’t! Wah!!!

It’s Whiny Wednesday, ladies, and just in the nick of time. Time to let it all hang out and whine away.

Whiny Wednesday: No Running Away

In Time to Lose My “Baby” Fat recently, I mentioned my campaign to get back in shape. As of Monday, I am in training to participate (note I didn’t say “compete”) in a local sprint triathlon. As my bike is in need of repair, I decided I’d look for a spin class until it’s fixed. I Googled my hometown and “Cycle class” and, lo and behold, up popped the fertility clinic where I spent so many fun hours. Apparently “cycle” is a key word there.

Sometimes it seems that you can run (or bike or swim) but you just can’t hide.

It’s Whiny Wednesday. Bring it on, ladies.

Whiny Wednesday

I love the Internet for the breadth and depth of information it provides, and for the opportunity to read so many varying opinions on one subject. But sometimes I just have to walk away.

Case in point, I was doing research for a post and came across the following comment on an article:

“I take care of my parents. My children will take care of me. You want to force my children to take care of you too, meanwhile you arrogantly and selfishly live a much richer life style. Frankly, every GINK I’ve met was an arrogant, self-righteous, elitist. You should apologize for not adding to the future of our race.”

So after I ranted to myself about not expecting anyone else’s kids to take care of me, how our race of almost 7 billion people doesn’t need much adding to, and how narrow-minded this woman was to tar us all with the same “arrogant, self-righteous, elitist” brush, I stomped off and took a long, hot shower.

This woman was clearly on a mission (she posted about half a dozen comments to the same article) and I can’t believe I let her anger get under my skin.

It’s Whiny Wednesday. What’s under your skin today?

Whiny Wednesday

It’s Whiny Wednesday and I’m wet! I know all you people on the East Coast are rolling your eyes and all of you in Europe who are up to your eyeballs in snow are calling me a wimp, but I don’t care. This is my blog and my whine, so I’m complaining that it won’t stop raining!

I realize that Southern California is probably the only place in the world that grinds to a complete standstill every time it rains, but we’re sunshine people; we just don’t like the rain and we’re not equipped for it. The paper in my printer is damp, the wind is whistling through the loose windows in my old house, and my backside has been cold for days!

According to the local paper, our average rainfall for December is 1.09 inches. So far this month we’ve had 5.62 inches and more to come. I know we need the water; I know we’re in a drought, but I need it to stop raining for long enough for me to venture into my (probably sodden) basement to rescue my Christmas decorations so I can decorate my poor naked tree.

Wah! Poor me!

Whiny Wednesday

I am SO glad it’s Wednesday today, because I am in need of a whine.

Last week I was a good human and voluntarily went to my doctor for a physical, fully expecting to be the specimen of perfect health. And largely I was, except that my blood sugar levels were high, not dangerously so, but higher than he liked to see.

“So,” he said, “You need to cut back on those carbs – bread, pasta, rice, desserts, alcohol. But don’t let this ruin your Christmas,” he added. “You can have a treat on Christmas Day.”

Don’t let it ruin your Christmas? Let’s see, I have Bailey’s in the cupboard – my favorite Christmas treat. I had been out that morning and bought everything I need to make little gingerbread muffins to give away (and maybe have one or two for myself.) I’d also planned and shopped for a week’s worth of healthy meals for this week and last night’s selection was – you guessed it – pasta.

So, last night I tossed out my chocolate advent calendar, ate my pasta, had a glass of Bailey’s and went to bed at 8:30 feeling sorry for myself. And today I’m whiny, because I know I Have to change my ways. I have to give up (or at least cut back) and my favorite things, and I just don’t want to. (But I will.)

Whiny Wednesday: Another Exorbitant Airline Fee

Last weekend my husband and I finally settled on our Christmas plans. We are going to take a simple, inexpensive trip to an undisclosed location and just relax, spend time together, and catch up with ourselves. As it’s going to be a home-away-from-home trip, I decided I’d like to take our cat with us. It’s a short flight, we’d be door-to-door in three hours, and it’s better than leaving her alone at home, even with the very best cat-sitter (which my neighbor is.)

I can take my very small cat in the cabin as my one piece of carry-on luggage. Perfect. But this privilege will cost me $200! That’s more than the cost of my own seat, and the cat will be on the floor for most of the flight. In addition, I will also have to pay to check my bag as my cat will be my hand luggage!

I realize this policy is in place to discourage people from traveling with their entire menageries, but right now I am not happy and the only place I can come to whine about this is here to you.

It is Whiny Wednesday. What’s got your goat (or cat or ferret or turtle?)

Whiny Wednesday

It’s Whiny Wednesday and I have two whines today.

The first is that even though I’ve been using the usual Whiny Wednesday image since the dawn of this blog, suddenly my computer has decided it’s no longer a valid image. Whatever. Technology and me…we’re just not getting along lately.

Whine #2 is this: I’m toodling around on the internet last night, doing a bit of research for a new project and, of course, I get distracted. Through a series of “Hmm, that’s interesting” clicks I end up looking at a website offering fertility retreats. Sisters, I have been down this road before. I know how this story ends, and yet I still catch myself thinking, “Hmm, what if…?” 

It’s a sickness, I know. I took my medicine, stood in the corner and said, “Bad Lisa,” and I’m okay now, but really, when is this insanity actually going to end?

Anyway, it’s December 1 – 30 days until the end of another year – and I have a long list of whines I could share, but for now I turn it over to you. Whine on, sisters.

Thanksgiving Safe Zone

Your cousin announces that baby number 8 is on the way. Your Great Aunt Tillie asks when you are going to have kids. Your mother gives you a pointed look when she mentions how lucky her friend Gladys is to have so many grandchildren.

Wanna get away?

In lieu of yesterday’s Whiny Wednesday, I’m offering the Thanksgiving Safe Zone today. If it all gets too much, just come on over and let it all out here.

Someone will be around to hear you, I promise.

Whiny Wednesday: Sleep Deprivation

Not having kids, I thought I’d dodged the whole sleep deprivation thing. I love my sleep, so I dreaded the thought of being woken up several times during the night to tend to someone else’s needs, and then sleeping in a half-dozing state, with one ear open to make sure that the other person was still breathing.

But then I got married. And my husband has decided to become an insomniac–a vocal insomniac. So after an hour or so of his tossing and turning, I am finally going to sleep, only to be woken up at 3 a.m. and told that he can’t sleep (as if it wasn’t evident to me) and that his heart is racing. He then reads to try to fall back to sleep; I snap on a sleep mask, stick my head under the covers, and try to stop worrying that if I go to sleep he will have a heart attack and I won’t know until it’s too late.

So this morning I am tired and consequently whiny. Luckily for me, it’s Whiny Wednesday and I can complain about it to you. Feel free to gripe right back at me.