Now Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Program (Almost)

Shew - I'm done. Loved participating in ICLW week and I've found so many great new blogs to follow. On the downside, I'm behind on some of my favorite blogs and, well, ahem, actual posts of my own.

For those not familiar, ICLW has an "Iron Commenter" status you receive if you go to every blog on the list and leave a comment on at least one posting. This is not as easy as it sounds, especially if you are like me and make sure you read an entire post. Some very long. Usually the great ones. God forbid you feel the need to flip around on a blog to find "just the right post". Yea, I did that a couple of times.

But I did it. Posted a comment (or two or three) on every single one of them. Yay for me! It's a little thing, but sometimes completing a task like this makes me feel awesome. Just think: I had an extra 44 minutes to spare before the midnight deadline. For some reason I'm having vague flashbacks of college...

Today's readings:

1. It Is What It Is (Or Is It?): Pain and Discomfort
2. Growing Griswolds: I am officially cray-cray
3. 1000 Oceans: our little squiggly & welcome iclw
4. Breathe Gently: The weekly run-down: 19
5. Dear Finley: The Sad Mother
6. Life of an Army Wife: Written Off Part 2
7. The 2 Week Wait: Me- Failure
8. The Barreness: Detachable Penis
9. Patience is Not My Virtue: More Bloody Bloodwork
10. Carney Exploits: The IVF Consult
11. Waiting For Baby: BF
12. Survive and Thrive (This site was hacked and thus unable to leave a comment. This makes me angry, but I will make sure to go back and read it when it's available.
13. Life with Roozle: Roozle's Plate
14. Dancing My Way Through Life, Loss, and Books: Catching Up
15. Feeling Beachie: A Long Road Ahead
16. Stirrup Queens: It’s Totally Cool to be Baby Crazy*… If You’re Fertile

Slacker, Community Peeps, 10 Second Rant, & ICLW

I confess. Super Slacker on the post reads today. Mostly because I didn't get home from a meeting with some local community folks (and then dinner) until almost 10pm.

The short of it involves them asking us to be a "named plaintiff" against a big box store that wants to move in right next to me. They need someone who lives close and I don't think you can get much closer than we are. Did we acquiesce? Damn straight. My quality of life goes down the tubes if the stupid mass retailer moves in. So much for me liking my privacy (both as a named plaintiff and/or if they move in.) Le sigh.

It probably doesn't help that I missed taking my supplements most of last week and now that I am taking them again, I have to deal with side effects. Rage Balls with your side of DHEA anyone? Hopefully it will pass quickly. While I have that going on, I'm going to use it as an excuse to go into a 10 second rant on something that drove me bonkers last week. 

10 Second Rant:
I am not a grammar Nazi. I swear I'm not. If you want to know the truth, I'm fully aware that my own grammar isn't that fabulous most of the time. But I hate - really, really hate - when someone's is awful. (If someone is disabled, from another country, uneducated, or similar then they totally get a pass.) There are blogs I can't read anymore because of the writing. Not minor things, but things that make you want to poke your eyes out.

I want to read the story, not try and decipher the jumbled up mess. Maybe it's because of my ADD, but when it's a jumbled mess, it's HARD for me to read. In the end, I just don't read them; it's too frustrating.

And I'm willing to bet, at least a quarter bet, that I am not the only one. That actually makes me a pretty crappy and judgmental person, but I can't help myself at times. I wish I could. This is the part where if I was smart I would erase this whooooolllleeeee section. 

End Rant

If you are visiting from ICLW then
A.) Sorry you had to see that rant. I'm not normally like that I swear. Ok, maybe sometimes.
B.) What took you so long? (LOL Just kidding) and
C.) You might want to start HERE instead for a tiny blurb about me and better posts to read. Except you are at the end of this one already so you might as well stay here.

Today's Readings:

1. (Still) Trying to Conceive: Languages
2. Hobbit-ish Thoughts and Ramblings: Sunday Night Chit-Chat Recovery Mode
3. Crazycatladywantsbaby: I Must be Stupid - TMI Post
4. Bébé Suisse: What does a girl have to do to buy a Doppler around these parts?
5. Follow Every Rainbow (nope - need permission. :-(  )
6. Team Harries Beat Infertility: Willingness to Wait
7. Tesseract: Eighteen Years
8. Thought Provoking Moments: Well, Well, Well
9. Genuine Greavu: the "A" Word
10. the misadventures of missohkay: When World's Collide
11. My Fertility Blog: And Then There's Good News

Daily Readings and a Teaser

Have a bunch to write, but I'm too tired. If I hadn't challenged myself to read all the blogs participating in IComLeavWe at Stirrup Queens, then I probably would have written some today and yesterday. Shrug. A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do.

If you're new and want to learn a few quick things about me, my post from yesterday will help with that. (See how lazy I am today?) Have to say, despite my whining, I really do enjoy discovering all these new blogs. 2 more days! By Friday I should have test results from our surro, and dare I say a real blog post? Mayhaps. Stay tuned.

(P.S. I need to remember to write a rant on the book Gone Girl. There's some IVF stuff in there as part of the story line that made me want to throw my book against the wall. Until I remember that my book was a Nook.)

Today's Readings:
(I'm kicking myself for not keeping a side list of my favorites. Maybe next month.)

1. Home Grown Love: Surviving the Holidays
2. for all the things we hope for: The path to knowing
3. Waffle-Wednesday: Night if the Living Oblivious
4. A Daily Miracle: Double Digits and Braxton Hicks
5. Simple|South: I Like a Good Challenge
6. Gonna Do It For Baby: Thanksgiving Announcement
7. Believing in June: What I don't Believe About Infertility
8. Dreaming of Dimples: 4 years 
9. Life in Little Hispaniola: So What Do You Eat Anyway (Part 1 of 3)
10. Our Work of A.R.T.: Welcome ICLW!!!
11. Three Quarters Full: In His Own Time
12. Pollination Chronicles: ICLW, FET, and a 2ww.
13. Arete Aspirations: 21 December 2012
14. Our Journey Through this Lovely Life: Nope. Nada. Nothing. Negative.
15. Ready for My Bundle: Friday Night at the ER...
16. Welcome to the Road: Waiting...Again...
17. Things Couldn't be Better: You have died of dysentery

ICLW Readings and a 10 Second blurb About Me

Quick blurb about me for our ICLW gang from over at Stirrup Queens.

I turned 40 in April and was married 2 years ago in March to a wonderful man whom I adore (usually). My husband is originally from India and I am half Swedish/half American mutt (originally from south FL, but living in Atlanta since my teenage years.) From a previous short-lived marriage, I have a fantastic, 20 year old son.

Due to a surgery I had 4-5 years ago, I can not carry a baby. My now-husband and I discussed this when we first met - and talked about having a surrogate if/when the time came. It kills me how naive we were back then. No real knowledge of the "biological clock" and what we did know we stupidly didn't think really applied to us. We've been through 2 IVF cycles with surrogates in India. First one failed, the second one was a chemical pregnancy. We will give it one more go (either here or India) with my eggs and then we will have to see what we see.

Post of mine that may be of interest (since this one isn't) if you are participating in ICLW Week:
What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist, or the dusky dusk (Courage, going to India alone for IVF.)
Special Lady Cocktails ([Mostly] self-Rxd supplements and feeling ridiculous.)
Another Option (A new, amazing surrogate option presents itself.)
Failed Again (Finding out we had a chemical pregnancy.)


Blogs I read today (from ICLW):

1. Dreaming of Dimples: 4 years
2. Pepibebe: Sweet Dreams
3. FrozenOJs Concentrated Life: 30 Days of Thanks: Day 21
4. Emma in Mommyland: What is a "Rainbow Baby"?
5. It's the Journey: Furbabies
6. Who is this "Fertile Myrtle"?: First Appointment for Removal
7. One Day at a Time: Infertility Etiquette
8. The Buggy List: The bewbs are back 
9. Comatised: Scum Bustin Makes Me Feel Good (comments not allowed)
10. My (In)fertile Confessions: ICLW
11. Sweet Dreams are Made of This: Dear Birthmother Letter
12. We Three Crabs: Friendship
13. IUI to Roux-en_Y to??: ICLW, OB Update, 25 Weeks
14. Life is Simple, it's Just Not Easy: November ICLW :)
15. A Virtual Hobby Story and Coffee Haus: How Campus Racism is a Post-Election Reality
16. Unexplained Rantings: Expectations
17. Creating a Family: Creating Embryos Specifically to Donate/Sell
18. A Bliss Filled Life: Life Before the Bliss
19. Wandering Wonderment: IComLeavWe Intro
20. A Glamorous Mommy Life: My Story Part 1

Blogs I read from yesterday. Yes, you may notice I did the ole "start from the bottom" with regards to the ICLW list. Actually, I started randomly and then decided to try for Iron Commenter status.  THEN I started at the bottom. Then I read a few of my regular blogs. Below is list of what I can remember I read. 

1. Gypsy Mama’s Misconceptions
2. If You Don’t Stand For Something
3. Upper Middle Mom: So Thankful
4. Old Lady and No Baby: Decisions, Decisions & You Want Me to Stick it Where? & First Blog
5. Journey to the Finishline: From First to Second (&ICLW)
6. Life As I Know It: Giving Gifts
7. InDueTime
8. Scrambled Eggs
9. finding the peace to the puzzle: A New Beginning
10. The Quest for the Golden Egg: Still Stuck and Still Tired
11. Compromised Fertility
12. Things Couldn’t Be Better: November ICLW
13. Enjoying the Course
14. IVF Over 40: A Confession
15. Rasta Less Traveled: 7 Months 
16. My Fertility Blog: For Those of You Who Are Pregnant & Sad News & Today is Another Day
17. Tandoori Viking: Eye Candy :)
18. 10 Miles Uphill in the Snow: Swallow Study Results
19. What Am I?: Enjoying It & I Am Thankful & Sick Again
20. Stupid Stork: Acting
21. Stirrup Queens: 419 Friday Blog Round Up

I've Been MIA, but Still Here

I've been MIA for a little bit. Sorry about that. Nothing life shattering, but just a few things I'm not ready to blog about yet. My new job and prepping for Thanksgiving has left me a bit behind as well. Not only with blogging, but with my favorite past time of reading other's blogs. And well, to be perfectly honest, I've had baby showers and friend's babies that I've had to embrace. No break downs - internal or external - yay for me!

Meanwhile, I know it's IComLeavWe week! (Ok, the weeks half over - better late than never.) Welcome welcome welcome. I realized this morning that most people participating inn ICLW would probably stop at the first post unless directed otherwise, so I'm listing some of my more interesting posts in the last few months (though feel free to stop at my spur of the moment, last- blog-post: 'Ode to Chai' tribute, check out the side bar, or search for tags.)

These aren't in any particular order. Next month I'll try and put this up BEFORE ICLW starts. Here's some of my favs in the last few months.

What makes the elephant charge his tusk in the misty mist, or the dusky dusk (Courage, going to India alone for IVF.)
Special Lady Cocktails ([Mostly] self-Rxd supplements and feeling ridiculous.)
Another Option (A new, amazing surrogate option presents itself.)
Failed Again (Finding out we had a chemical pregnancy.)

Thanks again to Stirrup Queen for all she does and for organizing ICLW. If you are not already familiar with her blog and are in this horrible Land of IF (infertility), I highly advise you to check out her website. She organizes TONS of blogs on the subject and has a weekly breakdown of favs every Friday.


Oh yea! HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!

Don't Forget the Biscuits: Ode to Chai

From: http://www.crazyfortea.com/howtomakechaitea.html

My first introduction to chai was through my now-husband-then-boyfriend. Given the fact that I've heard the comment "would you like a little coffee in your milk?" on more than one occasion  it's no surprise that I instantly fell in love with this wondrous drink: chai - otherwise known as "Indian tea".*  With it's high caffeine content a novice has to be careful of his/her consumption, but it's still my favorite drink. I just can't drink it as often as I would like.

Imagine my surprise, after having traditional every day chai (sometimes several times a day when my Indian in-laws visited), when I ordered my first Starbucks chai. Not. The. Same. Thing. It was like autumn had taken all her baking spices and threw up in my milk steeped tea. Which I suppose is fine if you are expecting it and haven't had it the normal way 100+ times, but not so much if you are used to it less spicy. Kind of funny when you stop and think that a US way of doing something is more spicy than the average Indian way. (Not to be confused with chai masala - which by definition is spicy tea.)

Let me point out - there are a TON of ways to make chai and in my experience even the same family can argue over whose is better  (naturally) - but it still isn't going to stop and make you wonder if there is pumpkin pie floating around in the saucepan. You still taste the TEA. That's kinda the main focus: tea and milk.

Let me also point out that you should never call it chai tea. It's a little on the redundant side. If you want to get technical, I believe that chai is the plant and tea is the product, but blah blah blah blah blah - yea just don't call it chai tea. Most people in the know will just tell you it's like saying "tea tea". There's a recipe floating around on pinterest that not only calls it chai tea, but also included powdered creamer in it's list of horrendous ingredients. I'd post a link, but the lady seems nice enough and people like her version. Who am I to go all internet cray-cray and be like "HOW DARE YOU!!!!" as if I've been drinking it since birth.

This post really was just an excuse for me to post an internet recipe for chai I like. So here is the basic recipe I follow. And no, I don't like this recipe simply because she agrees with a bunch of what I have written here. I like it because this is very similar to what we make here at home, and what we most encounter over in India. We usually add around 4-5 crushed cardamon pods for 2 large mugs of chai. Sometimes we use ginger and every ONCE IN AWHILE we use nutmeg INSTEAD. We also add our sugar later as to not boil too much off, but that's something new we are doing so we can add less sugar.

And don't forget the biscuits. Because my father-in-law would be disappointed with you and he is a very nice man. Definitely don't forget the biscuits.


*In certain parts of India when I ask for chai, I am served English tea. I'm fairly certain it's because I am caucasian  because it never happens to my husband, but I've learned to specify "Indian tea" when I want my beloved chai. 

** Disclosure: If you are going through IVF treatments, then you are supposed to limit your caffeine. That might be hard to do once you drink chai a few times, so don't say I didn't warn you. 

Creme de la Creme

I love reading all of the blogs on my current roster, but I'm always interested in reading more. Have a great blog? Or maybe just a post you dug down deep within and want to share? Add it to the list here.

Get your submission in for 2012 ASAP. The deadline is December 15th. Personally I just picked one on the fly, because I tend to forget easily and knew if I didn't submit right away then it wasn't going to happen. What are you waiting for? Do it! You started a blog - now share it with others. 

BTW, if you are not already familiar with Stirrup Queens, I highly recommend it. You can get a good highlight of other blogs that are available that may offer great advice on something that you are dealing with. Melissa has organized all the different blogs into "rooms" that you can find here. Here is an image connected to her site to give you an idea of the different rooms (though if you click on the link you can get a MUCH better idea of the level of granularity that goes into each room.