i n • p u r s u i t

So, I don't know if I've talked on here before about how Mike and I are going all hippie. We've started buying our meat from a local farm. We rarely every drink coca-cola. I'm trying to watch out for high fructose corn syrup. We're trying to eat healthier, organic, and local. We've watched Food Inc. , Food Matters , and King Corn . All of which I highly recommend, by the way. King Corn is probably the most entertaining of all three. The other day, I watched a trailer for Forks Over Knives . Mike had posted it on his twitter account. Well, he comes home that evening and says that he thinks, maybe, he'd like to go vegetarian. ... ... Did I hear that right? I did. I wasn't too crazy about it at first. But I jumped on board and it's been pretty fun so far. So far as in, we're on Day 5. We're going to stick with this for a month, and then, who knows, maybe we'll like it so much it stays. We'll still eat fish. But, being raise...

Mike and I recently started going to a chiropractor. I was kind of nervous at first because I think it's kind of scary to have someone messing with your spine. Then, we went to this session thing where he told us all about the ways that chiropractic can help us. And I went from being nervous to skeptical. We've been going for exactly three weeks today, and I'm still skeptical. Three weeks, by the way, has been the initial appointment/consultation, the second appointment/information session/first adjustment and seven adjustments since then (we go 3x/week for the first 6 weeks) I'm less and less skeptical the more I attend, but I'm not a 100% believer. So far, though, I've got to say that I really like it. The doctor and all the staff are really wonderful. The other day, I had a neck adjustment. I'm not nervous about going to the chiropractor anymore, but the neck adjustments still have me a little squeamish. The doctor knows this and tells me things lik...

You may have guessed this, but we're still at the hotel. We won't get to leave until Sunday. This is kind of a bummer because I would so much rather be in Bangladesh instead of stranded in a hotel in Holtsville. However, when we watch the news and see travelers sleeping on cots in European airports, we feel very blessed that we got stranded in America. Because we're at an Indian run hotel, we've been getting Indian cuisine for our meals--except breakfast. And this isn't the kind of Indian cuisine I order in Greenville. This stuff is not made to accommodate Americans (because, now, I think, the Americans in our party are down to 2 or 3) which means it's SPICY! Our first meal, I ordered a quesadilla because the Indian food was very spicy and I told them I just couldn't do it. For lunch today, they made some penne vodka along with the Indian food, so I had some of that. And for dinner today? Saag ! Saag is my favorite Indian dish and I told the cook how muc...

Have I told you yet about the canker sore from Hell? Oh, I am so not exaggerating. This canker sore it the WORST I have ever had, and whoo boy have I had some doozies. I would even rather a cold sore than this! I have a canker sore on my uvula! On my uvula? Are you kidding me? How did that happen? It hurts like where it came from--especially while eating or drinking. I've found that eating soft warm food is okay, but anything else, especially cold, acidic or crunchy is super painful. I thought I'd eat a yogurt with my lunch today. Nope! Pasta or rice is what I've had for dinner the past two nights, and those work just fine. Sore throat spray and ibuprofen don't do much for it, though I'm still popping ibuprofen like a mad woman. Actually, the sore throat spray was pretty much useless. I'm planning on getting some good pain meds before I leave for Bangladesh tomorrow. Thank goodness! Any advice would be appreciated!

Before tonight, I cannot recall the last time I actually made Mike a really yummy dinner. I mean something other than the staples of spaghetti (and garlic bread!), chicken & rice, etc. I think it was when Marco & Michelle came over for stuffed chicken. So tonight, I made something from my Rachel Ray magazine: Sliced Steak and Mushrooms with Warm Potato Salad. To your right is a picture of what it looks like in the magazine but not quite what it looked like on our plates--almost though. It was super easy to make and it was quite tasty too! But what was really sliced was MY FINGER ! I was slicing the steak, minding my own business--but apparently not minding enough--when I cut my finger. The first thing I did was gasp really loudly and wrap my finger in the closest towel--which was, of course, covered in bits of scallions, mustard, olive oil, etc. Anyway, once the crisis was averted (I won't embarrass myself by telling you how much I freaked out), the finishing touches were p...

The past two days at work (Wednesday and today) have been a total learning experience. Just when I thought I knew everything there is to know about caring for children (ha-ha) I realize that I've never taken care of a really sick kid before. You know, when it's coming out from both ends and it's all you can do to just gag and pray you don't throw up. A really sick kid. Who's too sick to do much of anything but lay on the couch all morning and take a nap all afternoon. Who is hotter that dad's hottest beef jerky ("hotter than hell...even the devil won't eat it") and keeps crying because "my belly hurts!" A really sick kid. Who is standing on the couch alternately crying and laying her head down because her caregiver is running around trying to clean up, change her own clothes, and get her in the bathtub before the mess gets worse. (My pants are still in the dryer.) A really sick kid. Who needs to get in the bath tub to rinse off because...

I skipped yesterday. I apologize to anyone who checks my blogs as I religiously check theirs. If I do this, then you are probably: MilwaukeeGirl , TokyoPink , Missy , Esin , or FileGirl . Anyway. I think I'm going to start obsessively reading more blogs. ( If think that your blog is really cool, then leave me the link. I want to read it.) The huge list to the right simply isn't huge enough. Mostly because no one posts as chronically as my sister. Or as she used to a few weeks ago. I don't know what her problem is...maybe she got a social life or something and is now too good to blog a gazillion times a day. (Love you, Lou!!!) I went to a wedding yesterday at the Gassaway Mansion . It was very sweet. The bride was so beautiful. The food was good too, that's what Mike will tell you. After the wedding, Mike and I hung out at his place. He watched DIV II basketball ( March Madness didn't start until 4:05pm). I did homework. More logarithms...mmmm. ln(4x-2) - ln4 = -ln...

I'm well now. Completely better except for my throat and all the coughing. Unfortunately, I've passed it on to my love. Yes, I've repaid the one who took care of me while I was sick by transferring my illness to him. How gracious of me. We're in his living room, right now, on this plush couch of his that is, most likely, our mutually favorite place to be. I even gave him a Valentine's Day card with a couple sitting on a couch. How apt. He's lying down, sleeping at one end. I'm sitting at the other, my legs extended. I thought he was sleeping, and he reached over and took my foot and held it. Just so he could hold a part of me. His leg next to me just twitched. And I realized that there is something very intimate about knowing a person so fully that you know their behaviors when the sleep. ♥Tiffany♥

There is only one way to describe the effects of an expectorant. Gross. Sure "productive," but gross. ♥Tiffany♥

I'm feeling yucky. Ugh. I couldn't sleep all night long. I think, maybe, I got a total of an our of sleep all night. So annoying. The only thing that has been helping my cough is this yucky medicine that Mike gave me. Why does medicine have to be gross? I put on a movie and hoped that I could fall asleep in front of that...but no. Bridget Jones' Diary: The Edge of Reason is actually a very annoying movie. I don't know why I didn't realize this before. The interactions between Marc and Bridget are really frustrating. The Thai prison scenes, though, are fully excellent. ♥Tiffany♥

I went running yesterday morning. I ran for 1.2 miles. I have since decided that this was a bad idea because it was a Tuesday and days that begin with T are my gym days. And I don't particularly want to go to the gym after I went running that morning. So I think I'll run on MWF (if I wake up early enough) and go to the gym on TT. If I skip running, that's okay. Because it's free. The gym is not. I went running around my block and around the next block down. Which just happens to be where my old church is. You know, the church from when I used to be Catholic. Well, I called Fr. Chris after my run because I needed to talk to him. I owed it to him. As my friend, as my priest, I should have never dropped off the face of the earth without so much as a "so long, and thanks for all the fish." We met after school for about an hour and a half. When I arrived at St. Mary's, my brother and my father were there. "What are you doing here?" I asked. "What...

So, I went to th orthodontist last Thursday and I came out looking like the girl from Finding Nemo. No, not really, but I do have RUBBER BANDS. Oh, the horror. Not so bad, actually, because I only have one. I think it's to adjust my bite, but I'm not really sure. I got terrified when Jamie started talking about rubber bands because I once had a friend that had her mouth practically rubber banded shut. I have some AWESOME news though. My braces are coming off in about six months. Isn't that wonderful? Mike has never known me without braces. He says it will be like a whole new girlfriend. Isn't that sweet? ♥Tiffany♥

So I had a doctor's appointment today. Finally, after having it rescheduled three times because of weather, school, and bad timing! Well guess what I got? Two perscriptions. 1 for massage therapy (providing that Tricare covers it) and 1 for muscle relaxers. Crazy. I have awful stress and knots and stuff in my back. People have told me to try Aleve and Ibuprofen, but that never really does anything. So I'm going for the big stuff. ♥Tiffany♥

My eye hurts and I think I've got pink-eye. So try not to touch me. But just so you know, I'm washing my hands like there is no tomorrow. Is it safe to take care of toddlers when you have pink eye? I hope this clears up because it's gross and I miss Alex and Lauren. ♥Tiffany p.s. I'm having mint chocolate chip ice cream for breakfast

Being sick is just about no fun at all. And I'm sick. Ugh. I'm so glad I had today off. Feel free to send me some uplifting messages/comments/etc. Or, you know, bring me some chicken soup....mmm... Why chicken soup, though? I wonder why sick people always get chicken soup. Why not vegetable soup? Or broccoli and cheese soup? (Aside to Mary: Cheese soup! I love cheese soup! Can I have your cheese soup, Mulder?)

I ended up getting a dry socket from my wisdom teeth and it sucks big time. OUCH. So, I've been living at my parent's house. I've been here for five days now. For christmas I got: Miss A pocket knife Undomestic Goddess by Sophia Kinsella Modern Girl's Guide to Life by Jane Buckingham The Life Aquatic with Steve Zizzou Walk the Line Soundtrack Chargers Jewelry Leather coat [the one from Wilson's that I wanted] Spoon from Chicago Set of chefmate knives in a wooden block Romeo + Juliet [the new one w/ DiCaprio & Danes] Moulin Rouge One Fine Day Fuzzy socks Actually, I think some of that stuff was birthday presents but the days right before Christmas are all kinda in a blur 'cause I slept through them. Until I ran out of purcocet!!! Oh, I really feel that three Aleve I took wearing off ouch...