Monday, January 28, 2008

Sushi.



Being pregnant and having cravings for Sushi has left me feeling a bit conflicted. When I felt the urge, I used to just pop into Whole Foods for my quick Sushi fix, but now, I am feeling a little more paranoid than usual, and I am just not sure that the premade, sitting on the shelf, raw fish sushi is my smartest option. (even from Whole Foods!) It really bums me out, and I admit, I have bought the cooked fish variety but, even then, I felt like maybe I should avoid the premade foods section all together. (I have been reading too many pregnancy books, I know..)

Lately, now that I have my appetite back, I have been craving sushi a lot. Believe me, I am more than happy to be past the “baked potatoes only” stage.

I was feeling quite motivated last night and when the craving hit while shopping at Whole Foods, I passed right through the premade Sushi land and headed to the rice and Nori aisle instead. I decided to make my very own sushi, albeit a boring avocado and cucumber roll, but still, it was sushi.

This is definitely something I will do again..it was quite fun. (I was actually giddy, I was so excited) and easy too! (and it cost a heck of a lot less!)


The Move.



I feel like it happened so fast. One day we just started packing casually, the next, I come home to an empty house, cardboard boxes and bubble wrap. I guess this pregnancy thing got me out of all the hard moving, which took place all day while I was at work. Instead, I spent my time packing, unpacking and cleaning. T and I make a pretty good team. In the span on 2 days, we went from not all the way packed, to packed, moved out, moved in, and about 90% unpacked. Phew. And, now, I am exhausted and can definitely feel those pregnancy pinches in my slowly expanding hips.

It is funny to move into a new house, it is almost like opening presents on Christmas morning. Unpacking boxes, trying to find a place for everything…playing house with your furniture and trying to see which way is the best. It reminds me of when I was young, and my room was my very own creative palate. When I needed a change, I would move around my furniture, placing my bed at a different angle, my dresser against a different wall, and I remember feeling like it was a new room. It was exciting again. When that became old and I had exhausted all the possibilities (I think that there were two..) I would add a new hunk to my collage on my back-of-the-door cork board, or I would cement glow in the dark stars all over my ceiling. I remember looking at those stars for hours at night, starting so intensely that they would begin to orbit around each other.

On the Saturday that we moved in, the big Packers and Seahawks game was on, and our new neighbor was having a game watching session with some buddies. I know this is because for some reason, he owns no window coverings at all. I remember thinking that he must be a bachelor or just an exhibitionist. While I was in the kitchen unpacking, I kept noticing a light go on in a little room across the way. I would notice because it was dark in that part of the house, so it was obvious when the light would go on. After a couple times seeing this light go on and off, I realized that I was looking into this guy’s bathroom, with a partially clouded window. I said ‘partially’. So, I could tell when the neighbor and his buddies needed to relieve themselves, AND, whether they were standing, or, ahem, sitting. After about the third time, I felt the need to dig out a curtain rod and curtain of my own, just so I could grant them a little bit of privacy…

A couple weeks and a new roof later, and we are feeling much more settled. It is interesting how I have been noticing things more as a homeowner, whether it is the loose doorknob, the way the hardwood floors are a bit uneven in one place or the fact that our lovely vintage oven doesn’t fit half of my baking sheets..Never did I think twice about these things before, and now, I am thinking, “oh geez, at some point WE need to fix that…and that…and maybe paint this…"

All in all though, our house is like our new creative palate and instead of just changing the furniture around when we need a change, we can actually move a wall or a doorway…for this, we will keep you posted..
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