Guess who's a bad blogger: Me! Blame it on my job. It has been soo stressful from the very beginning: I have never had so many demands and been under so much pressure in my life, and it never seems to end. I'm just now finally starting to get a grip on what I should be doing (I hope) and trying to be more organized.
But anyway, DH and I are FINALLY taking our next step towards IVF. This Wednesday we have a consultation with a (very highly recommended!) urologist/male reproductive specialist! I'm excited to finally be doing something, but honestly I feel like we have no idea what we're doing. This is just the only place we know where to start since we know DH will need to do the MESA and this Dr. looks like the best one for the job. Still trying to find a [good] RE to see that will collaborate with the urologist, don't know if he will be able to help refer us or if I have to start from scratch on that one. I'm trying to come up with a list of questions we should have for him when we go, so any input from you readers would be helpful! :)
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Thursday, November 4, 2010
What a jerk......
I was searching for something IF related on google, and stumbled across this thread.
Some people are born without vas deferens. Other people are born without hearts.
Some people are born without vas deferens. Other people are born without hearts.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
One year
It was one year ago today that my world was turned upside down.
I remember that it was already a bad day to begin with. A parent came in that morning angry about something and I had to deal with it. Then during my planning period, a teacher aide decided to leave a [very dependent] student (not mine) in my classroom unsupervised. So I had to deal with that. And then deal with the aide getting mad at me for telling him we can't leave students unattended. And with a million other things going wrong at school, I kept telling myself "I can't wait for some good news to put an end to this bad day." I was carrying my cell phone with me all day, anxious for the doctor to call me. After all, SA's can't take that long, and they'd had the whole weekend to review it, so how hard could it be to call me? Oh if I only knew.
I didn't get the call until after the students were gone, thank goodness. I was in another teacher's classroom when the phone rang, and then got all excited getting out a sticky note and pen, thinking I would want to write down some numbers and percentages....
Until he asked, "Would you rather hear an unusual finding over the phone or in person?" Well how are you supposed to wait for that?
"I just wanna know," I said, bracing myself.
"Well...we did the semen anaysis....and there were no sperm found." *shit!* I thought. It hurts. While my tears are welling up the doctor keeps going on with "This is....this is NOT something caused by *being stressed out* or *having a bad day*" Thanks doc, as if I didn't know.
After I got off the phone, I just started bawling uncontrollably. And my colleague (thankfully the ONLY person in the room at the time) tried her best to comfort me. I know she meant well, it just didn't help telling me "Well when [daughter's husband] did it he had nothing...and I mean nothing! But it's because he was taking diabetes medication." She did however convince me to ask my principal for a day off, as I'm usually really hesitant to take a day off unless I'm EXTREMELY sick. But I knew I couldn't handle work the next day, so I did go down to the office, barely able to get the words "I don't think I can come in tomorrow" out of my mouth.
Then getting ready to go home I texted DH, I knew he was waiting to find out. I think I wrote something like "It's pretty bad, but there may be hope." He was in class at the time but stepped out to call me back immediately.
"There's nothing," I said, sobbing.
".........Nothing?" That was so hard to hear the shock in his voice.
When he got home we just cried and cried and cried and cried. That was one of the hardest nights for me. Asleep, I could forget about everything. Dream nice dreams again. But I woke up several times throughout the night. Each time I woke up, reality would instantly hit me again, and I would cry myself back to sleep. I thought how will we ever go on with out lives?
Fast forward one year and what a difference a year has made. We've made such a peace with IF, in a strange way I'm almost thankful for how it has opened our eyes, and brought us closer together. I thought when this "dreaded anniversary" rolled around I would probably have a bad emotional day all over again. But it didn't even phase me. In fact I didn't even realize that today marked 1 year of living with IF (or, knowledge therof) until a few hours ago.
One thing that worries me, though, is if the only reason I feel "ok" with IF is because I'm still clinging to this hope of my dream being fulfilled. The dream of getting to experience pregnancy and giving birth to DH's child. This may sound weird, but sometimes I almost feel like we've "betrayed" our azoo brothers and sisters. Because we got the "good" diagnosis. The obstructive azoo. The supposedly easy fix. There is supposedly still hope for having our own biological child.
I'm getting the fear that this hope I'm clinging to may not be a good thing. I'm afraid I may not be as strong as I think I am. That one day all these hopes may be dashed away, and then I may not be able to swallow my own words of comfort. Looking forward to planning IVF is bringing both excitement and fear in me.
Something good that has changed in one year, is how open DH is willing to be about his diagnosis. Maybe he just thinks it's a cool conversation topic to tell a friend "I'm a mutant" and see how they react. Anyway I think this is great that he has this much peace with it and can make a step closer to advocating for IF awareness, without feeling any shame. Although I don't think it's wise to completely "out" ourselves (i.e. at work, or especially on FB).
I wonder where another year will lead us.
I remember that it was already a bad day to begin with. A parent came in that morning angry about something and I had to deal with it. Then during my planning period, a teacher aide decided to leave a [very dependent] student (not mine) in my classroom unsupervised. So I had to deal with that. And then deal with the aide getting mad at me for telling him we can't leave students unattended. And with a million other things going wrong at school, I kept telling myself "I can't wait for some good news to put an end to this bad day." I was carrying my cell phone with me all day, anxious for the doctor to call me. After all, SA's can't take that long, and they'd had the whole weekend to review it, so how hard could it be to call me? Oh if I only knew.
I didn't get the call until after the students were gone, thank goodness. I was in another teacher's classroom when the phone rang, and then got all excited getting out a sticky note and pen, thinking I would want to write down some numbers and percentages....
Until he asked, "Would you rather hear an unusual finding over the phone or in person?" Well how are you supposed to wait for that?
"I just wanna know," I said, bracing myself.
"Well...we did the semen anaysis....and there were no sperm found." *shit!* I thought. It hurts. While my tears are welling up the doctor keeps going on with "This is....this is NOT something caused by *being stressed out* or *having a bad day*" Thanks doc, as if I didn't know.
After I got off the phone, I just started bawling uncontrollably. And my colleague (thankfully the ONLY person in the room at the time) tried her best to comfort me. I know she meant well, it just didn't help telling me "Well when [daughter's husband] did it he had nothing...and I mean nothing! But it's because he was taking diabetes medication." She did however convince me to ask my principal for a day off, as I'm usually really hesitant to take a day off unless I'm EXTREMELY sick. But I knew I couldn't handle work the next day, so I did go down to the office, barely able to get the words "I don't think I can come in tomorrow" out of my mouth.
Then getting ready to go home I texted DH, I knew he was waiting to find out. I think I wrote something like "It's pretty bad, but there may be hope." He was in class at the time but stepped out to call me back immediately.
"There's nothing," I said, sobbing.
".........Nothing?" That was so hard to hear the shock in his voice.
When he got home we just cried and cried and cried and cried. That was one of the hardest nights for me. Asleep, I could forget about everything. Dream nice dreams again. But I woke up several times throughout the night. Each time I woke up, reality would instantly hit me again, and I would cry myself back to sleep. I thought how will we ever go on with out lives?
Fast forward one year and what a difference a year has made. We've made such a peace with IF, in a strange way I'm almost thankful for how it has opened our eyes, and brought us closer together. I thought when this "dreaded anniversary" rolled around I would probably have a bad emotional day all over again. But it didn't even phase me. In fact I didn't even realize that today marked 1 year of living with IF (or, knowledge therof) until a few hours ago.
One thing that worries me, though, is if the only reason I feel "ok" with IF is because I'm still clinging to this hope of my dream being fulfilled. The dream of getting to experience pregnancy and giving birth to DH's child. This may sound weird, but sometimes I almost feel like we've "betrayed" our azoo brothers and sisters. Because we got the "good" diagnosis. The obstructive azoo. The supposedly easy fix. There is supposedly still hope for having our own biological child.
I'm getting the fear that this hope I'm clinging to may not be a good thing. I'm afraid I may not be as strong as I think I am. That one day all these hopes may be dashed away, and then I may not be able to swallow my own words of comfort. Looking forward to planning IVF is bringing both excitement and fear in me.
Something good that has changed in one year, is how open DH is willing to be about his diagnosis. Maybe he just thinks it's a cool conversation topic to tell a friend "I'm a mutant" and see how they react. Anyway I think this is great that he has this much peace with it and can make a step closer to advocating for IF awareness, without feeling any shame. Although I don't think it's wise to completely "out" ourselves (i.e. at work, or especially on FB).
I wonder where another year will lead us.
Friday, September 3, 2010
PMS is a bitch
That's all there is to it. I don't ever remember it being this bad pre-BC. But seriously, I'm sick of feeling like tearing everyone's head off every time AF approaches. Alanis Morissette to the rescue...maybe...
On top of that I've been having really weird dreams lately. I'll chalk it up to anticipation/anxiety over the new job I'm starting next week, as that is usually the topic of my dreams lately. Like I will show up to work and they tell me my program has to be moved to a different building, which ends of being in the same school I taught at in OK for the last 3 years so I'm feeling like "fuck I'm stuck in this dump again." Or that we had moved back to OK after only 3 months and I'm angry about all the money we wasted.
Then the last couple nights I've had weird baby/TTC- related dreams. First it was that we had a baby girl, but everyone was saying the baby didn't look like us. Then I saw her and even DH and I were questioning if the docs had screwed up. Last night I dreamed I was learning to give myself menopur shots, and when I realized it was too early to be cycling, I was told this was a "practice round." So I kept trying to figure out the needle (which was more like a mechanical pencil) and then realized I was sitting in my classroom with all the students impatiently waiting for me to start a lesson. Weird.
Oh well I wouldn't put too much thought into analyzing my dreams. I'm sure it's just hormones. Seriously, if most of my dreams had any meaning then what a fucked up world this would be.
On top of that I've been having really weird dreams lately. I'll chalk it up to anticipation/anxiety over the new job I'm starting next week, as that is usually the topic of my dreams lately. Like I will show up to work and they tell me my program has to be moved to a different building, which ends of being in the same school I taught at in OK for the last 3 years so I'm feeling like "fuck I'm stuck in this dump again." Or that we had moved back to OK after only 3 months and I'm angry about all the money we wasted.
Then the last couple nights I've had weird baby/TTC- related dreams. First it was that we had a baby girl, but everyone was saying the baby didn't look like us. Then I saw her and even DH and I were questioning if the docs had screwed up. Last night I dreamed I was learning to give myself menopur shots, and when I realized it was too early to be cycling, I was told this was a "practice round." So I kept trying to figure out the needle (which was more like a mechanical pencil) and then realized I was sitting in my classroom with all the students impatiently waiting for me to start a lesson. Weird.
Oh well I wouldn't put too much thought into analyzing my dreams. I'm sure it's just hormones. Seriously, if most of my dreams had any meaning then what a fucked up world this would be.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Choices
This past week has been a bit of an emotional wreck for me. It really sucks to try to plan things out so far in advance when you have so many conflicting priorities, feeling like you're being pulled in so many directions.
Before we even left, a lot of family members were talking to us about planning some get-togethers for Christmas and next summer. We will definitely be going to OK for Christmas, as DH's hectic school schedule won't allow him to go anywhere for Thanksgiving. I was hoping to spend the whole break in OK. Then a couple weeks ago my BIL was trying to convince us to go to Tahoe with them right after Christmas.
[side note: my playlist just started playing "Did you ever have to make up your mind?" by the Lovin Spoonful. How convenient]
Then there is trying to make plans for next summer. My brother had been discussing wanting to go hiking in New Mexico next summer (before it gets TOO hot). I have had my heart and mind set on starting IVF next summer, but felt like DH wasn't quite as *enthusiastic* about it as I am. But I definitely want to spend time with my brother next summer so both things are important to me. I have been contemplating in my mind how on the most convenient way to work out the timing.
Then this past week I started to think about something else that's important to me: visiting DH's parents. It's just crazy that I've been married this long and have never even met my in-laws. Then I started weighing that with IVF, realizing that if we had a successful IVF, it would not be wise to go to Bangladesh while pregnant so we would have to put that off even more. I came to my own conclusion that we should try to go to Bangladesh next summer, even if it meant putting off IVF for a few months or longer.
So this past weekend we went to see our very close friend in San Diego (let's call him K). On the drive down, I brought it up with DH and we talked about it. At first he wasn't sure, then thought about it some more and was on board with planning the trip for next summer. We both started feeling pretty excited about it, but the thought of having to choose one thing over the other was getting me down. Then we got to K's place and his roommate announced there would be company over. Great, I thought. I was not really in the mood for forced socialization with strangers. Then they happened to bring their little reminder of our IF. So upstairs in K's room I just had myself a good cry because life sucks. It's so unfair to have to put so much time and energy (and money) in planning something that most other people can do without much effort. After drying my eyes I went down to socialize and play with the cute cute tiny tot, and I felt a lot better.
The next day DH and I were spending time with K when he brought up the topic of IF. We had a good talk about it and he really helped to put things in perspective for us. Basically helped us to realize that we should seize the opportunity to try IVF while we can. Even when DH talked to his mom that evening, she thought if he had to choose between the two, he should do IVF.
So now we are definitely aiming for IVF next summer. I wouldn't say that DH was not on board before, but that he just didn't seem to be taking it as seriously as I was. Like he had shut off that compartment of thoughts and emotions in his brain. Now I think he officially has "the fever" and is more serious about saving up money for this.
Now we just have to decide what to do about insurance. We already know the insurance through his school won't cover ANYTHING IF-related. I am trying to find out more about what my work insurance will cover - I already know it won't cover IVF (or any of the drugs included with that). But I am trying to find out if it will cover his MESA to see whether or not it would be worth including him on my plan. Too bad when you call the insurance company they have no clue what those procedures are or what they cover.
Before we even left, a lot of family members were talking to us about planning some get-togethers for Christmas and next summer. We will definitely be going to OK for Christmas, as DH's hectic school schedule won't allow him to go anywhere for Thanksgiving. I was hoping to spend the whole break in OK. Then a couple weeks ago my BIL was trying to convince us to go to Tahoe with them right after Christmas.
[side note: my playlist just started playing "Did you ever have to make up your mind?" by the Lovin Spoonful. How convenient]
Then there is trying to make plans for next summer. My brother had been discussing wanting to go hiking in New Mexico next summer (before it gets TOO hot). I have had my heart and mind set on starting IVF next summer, but felt like DH wasn't quite as *enthusiastic* about it as I am. But I definitely want to spend time with my brother next summer so both things are important to me. I have been contemplating in my mind how on the most convenient way to work out the timing.
Then this past week I started to think about something else that's important to me: visiting DH's parents. It's just crazy that I've been married this long and have never even met my in-laws. Then I started weighing that with IVF, realizing that if we had a successful IVF, it would not be wise to go to Bangladesh while pregnant so we would have to put that off even more. I came to my own conclusion that we should try to go to Bangladesh next summer, even if it meant putting off IVF for a few months or longer.
So this past weekend we went to see our very close friend in San Diego (let's call him K). On the drive down, I brought it up with DH and we talked about it. At first he wasn't sure, then thought about it some more and was on board with planning the trip for next summer. We both started feeling pretty excited about it, but the thought of having to choose one thing over the other was getting me down. Then we got to K's place and his roommate announced there would be company over. Great, I thought. I was not really in the mood for forced socialization with strangers. Then they happened to bring their little reminder of our IF. So upstairs in K's room I just had myself a good cry because life sucks. It's so unfair to have to put so much time and energy (and money) in planning something that most other people can do without much effort. After drying my eyes I went down to socialize and play with the cute cute tiny tot, and I felt a lot better.
The next day DH and I were spending time with K when he brought up the topic of IF. We had a good talk about it and he really helped to put things in perspective for us. Basically helped us to realize that we should seize the opportunity to try IVF while we can. Even when DH talked to his mom that evening, she thought if he had to choose between the two, he should do IVF.
So now we are definitely aiming for IVF next summer. I wouldn't say that DH was not on board before, but that he just didn't seem to be taking it as seriously as I was. Like he had shut off that compartment of thoughts and emotions in his brain. Now I think he officially has "the fever" and is more serious about saving up money for this.
Now we just have to decide what to do about insurance. We already know the insurance through his school won't cover ANYTHING IF-related. I am trying to find out more about what my work insurance will cover - I already know it won't cover IVF (or any of the drugs included with that). But I am trying to find out if it will cover his MESA to see whether or not it would be worth including him on my plan. Too bad when you call the insurance company they have no clue what those procedures are or what they cover.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Bibliography of ASSVICE!!!
Here comes a fun post full of the most ridiculous ASSVICE I've gotten from various people within the last year or so. Partly because I'm bored. Partly because I'm a little PMS-y. But mostly because some of this stuff is too hilariously stupid not to share:
First of all, I got a lot of stupid assvice, comments, and questions regarding the move to LA
Source #1: Nosy co-worker
Co-worker: I heard you might be leaving after this year....
Me: Yes. My husband got into grad school in LA so we are moving.
Co-worker: Oh! Well I guess if you wanna stay married, then that's what you gotta do.
Wow. I didn't know a spouse's education/career change was grounds to consider divorce.
Source #2: Sweet little old lady at church
"Don't let the liberals out there getcha."
Good idea. I just know those dang liberals are hiding in the dark alleys, waiting to mug me for more tax money.
I also got the: "Are there any Baptist churches in LA?"
Yes, there are actually Baptists in a city with a population of more than 4 million people. But they all meet in secret underground passageways because they're hiding from the liberals.
Source #3: my mom
I'm telling you, for some one who has never lived here, she says some of the dumbest things sometimes....such as:
"Well you know, everything is mañana in California."
What.....what does that even mean?? Mañana means tomorrow. Everything is tomorrow? What?
Or how about "You mean they let [DH]'s car into California?"
Well actually we had to smuggle DH's perfectly fine honda into a oversized coffin for 24 hours while we crossed the California state border.
I couldn't even tell her about all the cool ethnic restaurants around and eating Cuban food without her making some comment about countries where people rebel against the government......Seriously??? It's just FOOD and your political views are severely warped.
How about ASSVICE on marriage?:
Source #4: rude co-worker (who has been divorced at least 2 or 3 times, gets into a new relationship every year and almost gets married, then calls it off)
"Well if I haven't taught you anything else, you listen to this: You better get a separate bank account only in your name, don't tell anybody you have this, and every month put away $50 dollars into the account. This is for EMERGENCIES, in case you need to get out because [DH] starts beatin' up on you."
What a great idea. Because when I fell in love and took those vows I thought "hmm, now here's a guy I can't trust and who doesn't love me so much that he wouldn't dare to lay a finger on me. But what the heck, I'll marry him anyway cuz I'm lonely." And by the way this tip you call "advice," in the real world is called "financial infidelity" and it's why you can't get your own relationships to work out.
Source #5: big sister (who is very selfish & immature, thinks she's an expert on marriage just because she has a boyfriend, and has made it very clear that she does not want children and pretty much thinks anyone who wants to get pregnant is stupid)
Sister: When you get married, your primarily responsibility is to your husband. That means if your husband had a bad day at work and he comes home and the kids are running around screaming, you send them to their room and take care of your husband first.
Mom: Well you just don't know the cold hard reality
Me: Yeah. What if you have an infant? You can't just "send him to his room"
Sister: OMG! JUST PUT IT IN THE PLAYPEN! HOW HARD IS THAT?!
That's right, stereotypical wives and stay-at-home-moms of the world. You better put down that hungry nursing baby and give your stereotypical breadwinner husband his bottle.
And then, of course, there's our all-time favorite: the getting pregnant/infertility ASSVICE:
Source #6: head midwife at the medical center (this is when I was still living in my world of ignorance is bliss, and was so sure I'd be pregnant any time now so I better start researching my birthing options)
Me: (wrapping up the consultation) BTW do you have any tips on getting pregnant?
Midwife: Well how long have you been trying?
Me: About 5 months.....
Midwife: (all-knowing smirk on face) Just take it easy, relax, don't think too much about it. I guarantee you.
Too bad there was no money-back on that guarantee. But then again it was a free consultation. Still, if I had a dollar for each time I've heard "just relax" I just might have enough money for IVF
Source #7: neurologist (a DOCTOR for crying out loud...keep in mind the whole reason I started seeing him was to get off the meds so I could safely get pregnant, and this conversation was just before we found out about CBAVD)
Neurologist: Are you still trying to get pregnant?
Me: ......we can't get pregnant. My husband doesn't have any sperm. (the end)
Neurologist: Well you know, all is takes is just one to go "SHOOOOOOOOO" (making rocket-ship motion). Well I'll see you back here in 6 months.
Yes, I can see it now in the Twilight Zone: "Hello? Hello? Well I guess I'm the only sperm left." (tail snaps off) "No....that's not fair....there was....SPACE now....there was all the space I needed....THAT'S NOT FAIR!!!!"
And perhaps the most absurd of all:
Source #8: nurse/former co-worker
Nurse: So are you still taking the Depakote?
Me: Oh no, I've been off of that over a year
Nurse: Oh good. So now just watch you'll probably get pregnant before you know it.
Me:.....not exactly...
Nurse: No?
Me: My husband was born without either of his "tubes" so the only possible way we could possibly get pregnant is through in-vitro.
You're a nurse. You understand, right?
Nurse: Ohhh......Well don't be surprised if something happens one day. heehee. I'm telling you I've seen these things happen! hahaha! What's it called? vans defens? I'm telling you I've seen things happen! Cuz it only takes one, JUST ONE! teeheehee! You know cuz it's trapped in there it only takes one it's gonna go crazy! It's gonna go CRAZY I tell you! teeheehee! Just watch, don't be surprised. You're gonna be one of those people on those TV shows that goes "What? How did it happen?" And I'm gonna be laughin and goin "AH HA HA! See I told her!" Just watch it only takes one of em to go crazy and find a way!
.......And I have no words. I guess I just need to hope for a miraculous conception so I can be on Good Morning America....
Well I hope everyone got a good little chuckle or two. People sure say the *darndest* things
Friday, July 30, 2010
Change of scenery
We made it! After 4 days of driving we arrived here in LA on Tuesday.
So let me tell you about our trip:
First off, I am SOOOOO glad we went through a moving company. Packing up everything was a pain but it was worth having all that other weight off our shoulders. Literally. This guy wrapped up my coffee table in a protective blanket and hoisted it over his shoulder and carried it to the truck. Dang, it always took us 2 people to carry that thing. Plus they had everything in the truck in about an hour. Normally it would take DH and I (and our parents) all day to pack it in a U-Haul. And I couldn't imagine DH or myself trying to drive a moving truck across the country. Thank you moving company.
Friday after the movers loaded everything up we spent the rest of the day cleaning, and then went out to eat with my family. My nephew was being silly and of course not understanding that his aunt and uncle were leaving. My little sister said a prayer for us and after she was done my nephew was all "Ca-li-FORN-yah?" He thought it was some silly word. So we're all telling him that aunt & uncle are going far far away to California for a long long time. "NO WAYYY! You can't go!" Then saying goodbye I said I wanted "all the hugs and all the kisses" from him. And he says "No! You have to cry!" That's because he always pretends to be mean to me when I want a hug and he says "No, I don't like you Aunt Ruth," then I pretend to cry and he gives me a hug. Believe me that I shed quite a few real tears this time.
Well Saturday morning after having some breakfast (McD's, bleh I know) we started the drive. But fortunately my big sister saved the day before we got too far. About 45 mins from her place she texted me and even though I hate it when people text/read texts while driving, thank God I decided to look at it. Because I had left my expensive new prescription glasses at her house and would be blind without my contacts if I didn't have my glasses. So we stopped at the next exit and her boyfriend and her drove out to bring me my glasses. *Whew!*
The rest of the day it rained and rained and rained all through the Texas panhandle and New Mexico. I was soooo tired and my eyes were so fatigued from trying to concentrate on the road through the rain all day. I'm so used to trading places with DH when we go driving and I was trying to figure out how to cope and stay awake. My little sis, who was used to driving from Nashville to OKC in one day, suggested those 5 hour energy drinks...Yeah it did NOTHING to keep me awake and alert except make me sick to my stomach. I eventually just had to convince DH I needed a power nap to rest my eyes for about 20 mins, and with that and some hot cappucino I was ready to go. I had originally planned that we should aim for Gallup, NM the first night, but we ended up just staying in Albuquerque. Which is a much nicer view and turns out was a better starting point for our next day's trip. (Guess I need to plan better).
Sunday we headed for Tucson, AZ to visit one of DH's friends he hadn't seen in 5 years. It rained a little bit off and on but not as much as the day before. The scary part though was when we were going west on the I-10 in New Mexico, and then for some reason the border patrol blocked off the highway, forcing everyone to take this little road south directly towards the border. I was like wtf is going on and where are they sending us??? My gps didn't even know where we were and kept showing me roads that didn't exist. But fortunately after 1 1/2 hours of wasted time, we got back to the I-10.
We got to Tucson and DH was really excited to see his friend. So after showering and freshening up at the hotel, we went to the friends place and his roommates cooked up some REALLY good Bangladeshi food. I mean DH cooks really good, but IMO his khichuri is nothing compared to how they made it, so he's got some learning to do. The food was really really delicious, but I knew we would regret eating so much before another long drive the next day.
Monday we left Tucson around 11 and headed to San Diego to stay with another good friend of ours. I checked how the weather would be and of course, it was extremely hot through Arizona. So I wore a tank top and hoochie shorts and was still burning up on the drive. And then when we drove through the mountains just inside of CA, the sign says to turn off the a/c to avoid engine over-heating (but don't avoid human over-heating :P When we finally got to San Diego I got out of the car....and was freezing! Ok maybe not freezing but this Okie is not used to 60 degree weather in July.
So on Tuesday we left San Diego around 11, stopped in San Clemente for lunch and then got to our apt here in LA. Of course it's only been a few days but I am really liking it so far. It's obviously much busier than OKC (duh) but somehow it feels "normal" to me. Now I'm going to give it a little more time before I update you and how the city has met my expectations, but first off I am going to say that driving here came so ridiculously easy to me that it almost put me to sleep and I needed to be stuck in bumper to bumper traffic to wake up (and driving in that is not as hard as I thought). I blame it on DH for trying to scare me into thinking I couldn't drive here after he visited the first time. ("People in Oklahoma can't drive. My friend wrecked both rental cars. You wouldn't know how to drive in LA.") Plus now that I've studied the map quite a bit, I realize that when we came here last year on vacation we were kinda dumb because we were staying in Anaheim and visited UCLA, Santa Monica pier, and Venice Beach on I think 3 different days (or at least there were 3 different driving trips....D'OH!) Now I know better. And I'M the one that has to keep telling DH that he needs to change lanes and watch what he's doing. So much for me not knowing how to drive.
So now we're trying to settle in but sometimes it still feels like only a vacation and I know we're acting like tourists lol. Like the first night after we were exhausted from driving and unloading the cars I was like "we need some In-n-Out" Yum. Then Wednesday after running some errands, we wanted to go to Pothead City Venice Beach. Now I would have just worn my normal clothes, but had a little problem getting some cleaning supplies at the store because I realized too late that the bottle of Drano I was holding was leaking.... So I wanted to go home and change out of my ruined clothes and then thought "Hmm, maybe I should wear this sexy beachy dress." Well that was a bad idea because I didn't have a jacket so I was FREEZING again, plus I had quite a few Marilyn Monroe moments.
Yesterday after we got our new fridge delivered, we went grocery shopping at 3 different places and I'm sure we looked like a couple of crazy happy fools astounded by low prices. Like "Whoa! Look how cheap these strawberries are! Whoa! Look how fresh these vegetables are! Whoa! Look how cheap these steaks are!" And DH is really excited that there's a halal meat grocery just down the street from us.
Ok can you tell we're excited about LA yet?
But I have to make one more mini-pitch for this great little restaurant we went to last night called Little Dhaka. It took us about an hour to drive there in heavy traffic but it was definitely worth it for REAL Bangladeshi food. DH said he heard a lot of good things about it. I read some reviews online and there were some "iffy" reviews, but mostly from people who only know Indian food and were disappointed that it's not the same. (A lot of people think the food should be similar because it's in the same geographic region, but the spices and method of cooking is totally different. Indian food typically uses a lot more yogurt and a lot more "sauce" per meat. Bangladeshi food uses different spices, a lot more onions, and you get much more meat or vegetable than gravy). Oh plus some reviewers complained about plastic silverware, but come on- you don't need silverware for this food-you just eat with your hands! Anyway, it's just a little place and also has a little market for South Asian groceries, but the guy at the counter was very nice and friendly and the food was awesome. DH said the whole place is just like back home. Well even though I don't know what "back home" is like, I guess I've been around Bangladeshi company enough that the place just felt comfortable and normal to me. And the food was just like real homemade Bangladeshi food. Definitely worth the drive out there.
So let me tell you about our trip:
First off, I am SOOOOO glad we went through a moving company. Packing up everything was a pain but it was worth having all that other weight off our shoulders. Literally. This guy wrapped up my coffee table in a protective blanket and hoisted it over his shoulder and carried it to the truck. Dang, it always took us 2 people to carry that thing. Plus they had everything in the truck in about an hour. Normally it would take DH and I (and our parents) all day to pack it in a U-Haul. And I couldn't imagine DH or myself trying to drive a moving truck across the country. Thank you moving company.
Friday after the movers loaded everything up we spent the rest of the day cleaning, and then went out to eat with my family. My nephew was being silly and of course not understanding that his aunt and uncle were leaving. My little sister said a prayer for us and after she was done my nephew was all "Ca-li-FORN-yah?" He thought it was some silly word. So we're all telling him that aunt & uncle are going far far away to California for a long long time. "NO WAYYY! You can't go!" Then saying goodbye I said I wanted "all the hugs and all the kisses" from him. And he says "No! You have to cry!" That's because he always pretends to be mean to me when I want a hug and he says "No, I don't like you Aunt Ruth," then I pretend to cry and he gives me a hug. Believe me that I shed quite a few real tears this time.
Well Saturday morning after having some breakfast (McD's, bleh I know) we started the drive. But fortunately my big sister saved the day before we got too far. About 45 mins from her place she texted me and even though I hate it when people text/read texts while driving, thank God I decided to look at it. Because I had left my expensive new prescription glasses at her house and would be blind without my contacts if I didn't have my glasses. So we stopped at the next exit and her boyfriend and her drove out to bring me my glasses. *Whew!*
The rest of the day it rained and rained and rained all through the Texas panhandle and New Mexico. I was soooo tired and my eyes were so fatigued from trying to concentrate on the road through the rain all day. I'm so used to trading places with DH when we go driving and I was trying to figure out how to cope and stay awake. My little sis, who was used to driving from Nashville to OKC in one day, suggested those 5 hour energy drinks...Yeah it did NOTHING to keep me awake and alert except make me sick to my stomach. I eventually just had to convince DH I needed a power nap to rest my eyes for about 20 mins, and with that and some hot cappucino I was ready to go. I had originally planned that we should aim for Gallup, NM the first night, but we ended up just staying in Albuquerque. Which is a much nicer view and turns out was a better starting point for our next day's trip. (Guess I need to plan better).
Sunday we headed for Tucson, AZ to visit one of DH's friends he hadn't seen in 5 years. It rained a little bit off and on but not as much as the day before. The scary part though was when we were going west on the I-10 in New Mexico, and then for some reason the border patrol blocked off the highway, forcing everyone to take this little road south directly towards the border. I was like wtf is going on and where are they sending us??? My gps didn't even know where we were and kept showing me roads that didn't exist. But fortunately after 1 1/2 hours of wasted time, we got back to the I-10.
We got to Tucson and DH was really excited to see his friend. So after showering and freshening up at the hotel, we went to the friends place and his roommates cooked up some REALLY good Bangladeshi food. I mean DH cooks really good, but IMO his khichuri is nothing compared to how they made it, so he's got some learning to do. The food was really really delicious, but I knew we would regret eating so much before another long drive the next day.
Monday we left Tucson around 11 and headed to San Diego to stay with another good friend of ours. I checked how the weather would be and of course, it was extremely hot through Arizona. So I wore a tank top and hoochie shorts and was still burning up on the drive. And then when we drove through the mountains just inside of CA, the sign says to turn off the a/c to avoid engine over-heating (but don't avoid human over-heating :P When we finally got to San Diego I got out of the car....and was freezing! Ok maybe not freezing but this Okie is not used to 60 degree weather in July.
So on Tuesday we left San Diego around 11, stopped in San Clemente for lunch and then got to our apt here in LA. Of course it's only been a few days but I am really liking it so far. It's obviously much busier than OKC (duh) but somehow it feels "normal" to me. Now I'm going to give it a little more time before I update you and how the city has met my expectations, but first off I am going to say that driving here came so ridiculously easy to me that it almost put me to sleep and I needed to be stuck in bumper to bumper traffic to wake up (and driving in that is not as hard as I thought). I blame it on DH for trying to scare me into thinking I couldn't drive here after he visited the first time. ("People in Oklahoma can't drive. My friend wrecked both rental cars. You wouldn't know how to drive in LA.") Plus now that I've studied the map quite a bit, I realize that when we came here last year on vacation we were kinda dumb because we were staying in Anaheim and visited UCLA, Santa Monica pier, and Venice Beach on I think 3 different days (or at least there were 3 different driving trips....D'OH!) Now I know better. And I'M the one that has to keep telling DH that he needs to change lanes and watch what he's doing. So much for me not knowing how to drive.
So now we're trying to settle in but sometimes it still feels like only a vacation and I know we're acting like tourists lol. Like the first night after we were exhausted from driving and unloading the cars I was like "we need some In-n-Out" Yum. Then Wednesday after running some errands, we wanted to go to Pothead City Venice Beach. Now I would have just worn my normal clothes, but had a little problem getting some cleaning supplies at the store because I realized too late that the bottle of Drano I was holding was leaking.... So I wanted to go home and change out of my ruined clothes and then thought "Hmm, maybe I should wear this sexy beachy dress." Well that was a bad idea because I didn't have a jacket so I was FREEZING again, plus I had quite a few Marilyn Monroe moments.
Yesterday after we got our new fridge delivered, we went grocery shopping at 3 different places and I'm sure we looked like a couple of crazy happy fools astounded by low prices. Like "Whoa! Look how cheap these strawberries are! Whoa! Look how fresh these vegetables are! Whoa! Look how cheap these steaks are!" And DH is really excited that there's a halal meat grocery just down the street from us.
Ok can you tell we're excited about LA yet?
But I have to make one more mini-pitch for this great little restaurant we went to last night called Little Dhaka. It took us about an hour to drive there in heavy traffic but it was definitely worth it for REAL Bangladeshi food. DH said he heard a lot of good things about it. I read some reviews online and there were some "iffy" reviews, but mostly from people who only know Indian food and were disappointed that it's not the same. (A lot of people think the food should be similar because it's in the same geographic region, but the spices and method of cooking is totally different. Indian food typically uses a lot more yogurt and a lot more "sauce" per meat. Bangladeshi food uses different spices, a lot more onions, and you get much more meat or vegetable than gravy). Oh plus some reviewers complained about plastic silverware, but come on- you don't need silverware for this food-you just eat with your hands! Anyway, it's just a little place and also has a little market for South Asian groceries, but the guy at the counter was very nice and friendly and the food was awesome. DH said the whole place is just like back home. Well even though I don't know what "back home" is like, I guess I've been around Bangladeshi company enough that the place just felt comfortable and normal to me. And the food was just like real homemade Bangladeshi food. Definitely worth the drive out there.
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