New furniture! (and other fun things)
10/30/2007 08:51:00 AM
So our furniture shopping trip was successful this weekend - we went to American Furniture Warehouse (not realizing everything was on sale - bonus) and found an entire living room set (sofa, loveseat, chair) and a dining room (table, chairs, and buffet/side-table). Best of all, they delivered Monday, just two days after we picked everything out. Double bonus.
The only problem was, we had a ton of stuff that belonged elsewhere (the nursery, for example) in our living room, waiting for the carpet installers to come (they are here as I'm typing this on Tuesday). So we had to move everything out of the living and dining rooms (much of it into the nursery), and today, had to clear out the nursery and the guest room for the carpet guys (good thing I got up early and got it done, they showed up by 8:00am). I have no idea how long it will take them to do this (it can't take that long, can it?), as there are a lot of other things on my list to get done today. However, instead of doing those things (raking leaves before it snows again, early voting, making my halloween costume), what I really want to do is get in the nursery and build the crib and install our closet organizer (which has been taking up space in our garage since our last trip to Home Depot).
I will take pictures of the nursery after we get the carpet and furniture in there, so it might be this weekend at some point. Above, you can see a picture of our new dining room table (set with six chairs, but we got eight for those big dinners). Click on it for some more views and pics of our living room as well.
Next on the agenda will be to hang pictures and do some decorative painting in the nursery. Oh yeah, and finish flooring the stairs and install that bannister. What a PITA. Lord knows when I'll have time to install trim (or money to pay for it)...
So I'm up late finishing up work I have to get done for IBM before packing up my computers and sending them away tomorrow, and I just sent what will probably be my second-last email to my team.
It's weird. I've really disliked working for the bank for some time now (things really just stagnated, and I haven't really felt challenged - in good ways - for a while now), but I've been with them for 5 years. That's longer than I spent in college! (barely)
A week before I started the job, Dana and I went on our first date.
And I feel like I've grown up a lot (a real lot) in these five years. Sure, marriage can do that to a guy (and buying a house, and having a kid will certainly change even more), as well as moving across the country TWICE! But through it all, my team has been there.
We've never really been close, but five years is a long time!
But I'm very much looking forward to my new job. The Steamboat website has just been given a (needed) facelift, and it sounds like I'll be involved in updating the look and feel (sorely needed) of the online reservation system. And the last time I built a website (for my job) intended for external viewers was back BEFORE I went back to school, with Connell. I miss the creativity involved there (not that there wasn't any with the bank, but functionality trumped usability every time). I'm looking forward to learning a new (programming) language. Working with - and meeting - new people. A clean slate. It's scary and exciting. But mostly just exciting.
And the ski pass - and a boss that understands why flexible schedules are needed - are great benefits to which it would be tough to assign a dollar value.
It's kind of sad to say goodbye to the people at the bank, but honestly, I haven't been a part of their lives for more than two years now, and that's a very strange disconnect to say the least, considering I work "with" them every day.
Getting out of the house will be good. A commute (five minutes in a car though it may be) will be nice. Working at home was a fun experiment, but on a full-time basis, it's just tough to maintain momentum; and I've always been exceptional at procrastinating (as here I am at nearly midnight, like I'm cramming for an exam), which has presented challenges.
As good a company as it is, IBM just wasn't the one for me. At least, not working for the bank as a client - and we really weren't given any other option.
Anyway, enough sappy shit - I have a ton to do. In addition to documenting one final application (one I didn't even write! that wasn't documented when I started!), we got our crib today, along with about six other packages (Garretts, you rule). I built the bassinet yesterday, we get our changing table tomorrow.. I need to hunker down and build them!
New carpet is coming for the nursery on Tuesday, and I start work on Wednesday. The final major things I have to get done to the house before this baby comes - floor the stairs and build a bannister - will hopefully get finished in the next couple weeks. And if I can recruit Wes to come help me (re-)install the doors we've bought/removed, then it's just trim and other details.
Well, and then the 1/2 bath and the laundry room. But after those, I think that's it.
Crap, there are so many projects I can't even count them. Ah, well. Brought it on myself.
D and I are going furniture shopping this weekend (Saturday) in Denver. Hopefully we can find something, because 7 hours in the car to go shopping is hardly my idea of a weekend well-spent. But we need furniture for the living room. What's a guy to do?
Later! Sorry for the long, boring post! Just wanted to let it out.
So I've understandably been doing a lot of reading lately about birth and pregnancy and babies, and the best piece of information I've come across so far was quite welcome in my uber sober state. Guinness helps increase milk production in breastfeeding women.
Boo-yah.
So now I know which beverage I will be toasting with whence this child is born. Finally--some good news for a pregnant beer drinker.
Let's see--what else has been going on....I was on call last weekend and work was super busy, but nothing too crazy, no flying kids to Denver or anything. I actually was supposed to have today off, but we need a little office coverage for a couple hours this afternoon, which I have no problem doing. Business is good.
We have City Council and School Board elections going on right now, and early voting started this week. I'm working a full day on November 6th, the date of the general election, so I ran over to the courthouse and voted after dragging me arse out of bed for a 7 am meeting at the hospital. Early voting is sweet. No lines, took me about 5 minutes total to cast my ballot. Can't beat that. Here's hoping the voting machines aren't rigged.
Mark tried to get Rockies World Series tickets yesterday, but with the Rockies' system crashing, no luck. We'll try again today, although to be honest, chances are if he does get tickets, he'll just resell them on EBay. Baby needs new carpet in the nursery.
The kid in my belly is doing just fine--I only have about 4-6 weeks left of this pregnancy gig, and we have another OB appointment on Friday. Kid should probably be around 5 pounds by now. Overall, I'm still feeling well, and really can't complain too much about how things are going. Mark's been awesome about everything, from helping my swollen legs to tying my boots (since I can no longer see my feet) to not getting pissed when I wake up a jazillion (OK, 3-4) times a night to pee. I have to say, though, I am excited to have my normal body back. Soon enough.
OK, I didn't sleep so hot last night, and was up early for a meeting, so I'm going to head back to bed for a little while. MMMM. Bed.
So blogger is crapping out on me right now, and won't let me upload any pictures. But here's what I was going to post. Guess you'll have to wait until next time.
I have today off, which is a godsend as work was really busy the past couple days. There's currently a baby boom in town, which is great for business, but not great for getting home before 7 or 8 at night. Most days it's no big deal, but yesterday I was just completely worn down and it was a struggle to get through the day. Good thing babies are so cute.
33 weeks and 2 days pregnant, about 7 1/2 months for those of you counting at home. We had our baby shower this weekend, which was an absolute blast. Mark's mom and sister came in from Chicago, and my mom came in from Fargo, and it was awesome to be able to show off all the work Mark has done on the house. There's still a lot to do, but actually being able to show people and talk about it made me realize just how dingy this house was before we started the remodel. It's really shaping up.
The baby shower was exactly what I was hoping for--we had it a restaurant in town because we are friends with the owner and our friend Gina used to be a waitress there. It was all decked out in baseball and Cubs decorations, and more than one person commented on how we must be having a boy, but were surprised when I said, no, still don't know, but the kid will certainly be raised a Cubs fan. Although with our location and the current success of the Rockies, I would be OK with he or she cheering for them when the Cubs aren't playing.
So yeah, shower was perfect--lotsa people hanging out drinking and eating, no games were played (I personally hate that about the baby showers I go to--especially if there isn't any beer there), and I think everyone had a good time. We certainly got a bunch of stuff, and Mark and I are now working on filling in the gaps, ordering the final baby gadgets we need (bassinette, baby monitor, diaper bag, etc) because a baby is considered "term" at 37 weeks, which is only 3 1/2 weeks away! Craziness. Kid is moving around all the time, and it's so wild to see my stomach rolling around from the outside. Much to the dismay of Mark's mom, we're still not divulging names, but I got a kick out of Mark telling her if baby's a boy, he will be Al, if a girl, Hillary. Heehee.
So yeah, life is good, work is good, baby is good. It's really turned into baby central around here with all the stuff from the shower and Mark assembling the baby jogger and the little play chair and that sort of thing. It's starting to hit home a lot more, and not surprisingly, making the last few weeks of this pregnancy really tough with all the waiting and preparing. Kid's about 4 1/2 pounds now, I've put on almost 30 pounds, and it's all right in front. Next OB visit is a week from Friday, and I think we start going every two weeks after that. Sweet.
OK, I need to get some errands done today before I can sit on me arse by the fire and read. It's a grey, sleet/snow kinda day today, which is great for doing nothing--
And with Halloween coming up, does anyone have any suggestions on what kind of costume I can make my belly into?
There have been a lot of changes lately in the account I work for (ABN AMRO, it's no secret), including but not limited to the fact that the part of ABN for which I work - LaSalle Bank - has been sold to Bank of America (also public knowledge). At the root of this is the fact that IBM doesn't have a contract with BofA, who purchases other banks and integrates them into its own on a regular basis, and I felt my job might be in jeopardy. Also, it's time for me to get out of the house and back into the world.
Several months ago, I noticed a job posting in our local newspaper for a position with the ski mountain. No, not as a lift operator; they needed a programmer for help maintaining and upgrading their central reservations system (and disparate systems which tie into the central database). After months of putting it off (the position was posted for probably 6 months before I applied), I called HR to find out more about the position, and they encouraged me to apply so I could discuss it with the team. I did, and one phone interview and two real interviews later, they made the offer. Last Wednesday(ish) I accepted, and today I gave my notice to IBM. I spoke with my manager around 10am (MST) and my team immediately after. My last day with Big Blue will be towards the end of the month, and I'll be starting with Steamboat on Halloween (I should plan a grand costume to set expectations from the beginning).
It will be an adjustment, for sure. My primary job will involve using a programming language with which I'm only peripherally familiar, so I've got that hurdle facing me (though I'm confident I can pick it up fairly quickly). Also, the new job comes with a significant pay cut, so Dana and I are having to make budgetary adjustments as well. And with a kid on the way too (and the related expenses), there are a lot of changes coming down the pike at one time. But we're both really excited.
I never made it a big secret that I didn't love working for the bank, but it's been a good, stable job for some time now. But I think it's past time to move on. I'm excited about the changes that working for the mountain will bring (among the benefits: free season pass and flexible working hours on powder days), excited to be working with a new group of people (though I do feel some guilt leaving my team of 5 years behind).
And yes, I know that the photochop at the top of this post is kind of backwards (Steve McQueen should really be riding away from IBM and towards the mountain), but cut me some slack already. It looks good.
So I'm blogging because I took today off, and my current task is to fix the garage door opener (which, I discovered at 4am the other morning, likes to reverse itself for no good reason). Well, in adjusting and repeatedly testing the opener, I have succeeded in overheating it (no big deal, it says so right in the manual), so I have to wait 15 minutes before trying again. I think I've got it this time, though. We'll just have to keep an eye on it. Apparently it will need adjustment "as the weather changes" "throughout the first year". I look forward to that.
Also accomplished this morning - I have framed out (finally) where all the wires are running through one of our closets, and added some crossbeams (there was really no ceiling in the closet) so I can slap some drywall up there and finish the closet. It will be nice to not have insulation falling on us and the smell of coal dust (if you recall, through this closet used to run the flue for the coal furnace, which we removed some time ago). Fixing it up and being able to use it for storage (as a closet!) will be awesome.
I'm also on my fourth (and final!) day of covering the ceiling texture in the nursery. I have to get the dang nursery done before next Friday, when my mom and mother in law come to visit for our baby shower. The first day took about three hours, then the second day I sanded it and skimmed over it again (which took about 4 hours), and yesterday I skimmed over it again thinly to smooth things out (about 2.5 hours). Today it's just sanding smooth, then primer and paint! (Crap, I just realized we don't have the paint for the nursery yet - but we do have it picked out).
Additionally, I have to skim over all the holes in the newly fixed closet and close up the joints between the new wallboard I'm putting up today. Then I'm going to remove the shelves from our other hall closet and get that ready for finishing as well.
The rest of the weekend, I'll be sanding/re-patching/re-sanding the newly fixed closet (it's a slow process), finishing up the nursery (except for carpet - we need to schedule that installation), prime and paint our double closet doors and my office doors, run a switch to the closet door (right now our master closet light just has a pull-cord - I am going to replace it with a switch that turns on the light when you open the door - fancy stuff!), insulate the newly finished closet, hang all the other doors we've removed over the last 6 months, finish painting upstairs, cap our 1/2 wall (and prime and paint the wood for that), install a new light in the nursery, and get all the garbage out of our yard (yes; we are those neighbors).
So we had another of our prenatal classes last night, and decided that one guy in our class looks like Chainsaw from the movie Summer School. Since Mark was the one who really was adamant about this, and I really only remembered Mark Harmon and Kristie Alley from that movie, here is a picture for your enjoyment.
Last night's class was a little weird. They gave us a handout on a bunch of different "laboring positions" and had us practice some of them, which basically came down to the move which looks like a junior high slow dance, and me sitting on chair while Mark rubbed my back. Throw in a little hair band rock ballad and the mood would be set. I brought up Poison, Mark suggested Nine Inch Nails. Our poor child.
Then we proceed to watch a very scary movie that showed a bunch of different women freaking out while in labor. My main impressions from watching this video: 1. More sure than EVER that I want an epidural 2. Why someone would ever want to be filmed while in labor is beyond me. 3. I don't think I will be a noisy person during this process. 4. Many women make sounds like farm animals during contractions.
We also got a nice short book about breast feeding which I've been reading a bit today, and also took a tour of the OB floor, which I found as amusing as the nurses who were working and saw me come through there. It's very interesting to be on the other side of everything.
The prenatal classes have been very good at giving me a better idea about what to expect from labor--all the practical stuff that wasn't taught during my OB rotation in med school. We only have two classes left, which is kinda nice because a 2 hour class does get long towards the end of it.
Looks like things have set up well for my baby shower in a couple weeks. I'm excited because both my mom and Mark's mom and sister are flying in for it. It's also going to be at one of our favorite restaurants in town, made easier because we know the owner and our friend Gina used to work there. Registering for stuff has been a bit crazy though--who knew there were a bazillion different kid things out there? I think we're finally set on that though, which is nice. When Mark and I registered for wedding stuff, to be honest, he picked out most of it while I just sort of agreed. It's been reversed this time around as Mark's been busy with Other Things to Be Described Later. However, Lauren found the best website ever, and I promised Mark that if we do end up having a boy, we'll buy these. So classy.
Mark and I walked a TON today--going to get the mail (which is usually a 30 minute walk from our house to the post office and back) then looking at some furniture downtown, and then back home. I crashed afterwards, and am just trying to wake myself back up again. I'm going to try a different place in town tonight that has prenatal yoga. I was taking a class at the hospital, but it was canceled due to low enrollment. I've heard good things about this other class, so we'll see how it goes. My low back is starting to loudly protest my protuberant belly (with a 3 1/2 pound baby inside) so hopefully yoga will help. Later kids.
So our furniture shopping trip was successful this weekend - we went to American Furniture Warehouse (not realizing everything was on sale - bonus) and found an entire living room set (sofa, loveseat, chair) and a dining room (table, chairs, and buffet/side-table). Best of all, they delivered Monday, just two days after we picked everything out. Double bonus.
So I'm blogging because I took today off, and my current task is to fix the garage door opener (which, I discovered at 4am the other morning, likes to reverse itself for no good reason). Well, in adjusting and repeatedly testing the opener, I have succeeded in overheating it (no big deal, it says so right in the manual), so I have to wait 15 minutes before trying again. I think I've got it this time, though. We'll just have to keep an eye on it. Apparently it will need adjustment "as the weather changes" "throughout the first year". I look forward to that.
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