Vacation is like minutes away! Okay, maybe not minutes. We still have loose ends like getting the brother in law (aka house sitter) the lowdown of the house routine, figuring out what to pack, printing out all the paperwork, cleaning the house, paying bills (which I SHOULD be doing right now instead of yapping with you), etc. It's funny though, even though I have a big list of things that need to be done I am not stressed out about it like we were last year. Man, last year we were big bucket of nerves.

Maybe it's because we have one round trip flight and are staying in one place in one city...that will give us time to really get to know the place and explore and most importantly....relax.

This past weekend was great. On Saturday Tim went garage sailing me around the neighborhood (it was the annual neighborhood garage sales). We found a brand new jigsaw, a three drawer dresser that only needs a new paint job, a poached egg kit, and a pastry cutter. We were done by 10 because Tim had to take Pluto off for his meet and greet at Petsmart. He loves going -- and I love that he goes because other people can give him the oodles of attention he so desperately desires. He's been on restricted exercise because his leg is acting up again. For the last couple of weeks, just as he is about to be all better he goes and fucks it up by running around in the back yard. I swear, dogs have no sense at all. :P

The rest of the afternoon was watching a movie for me while I pitted a big bowl of cherries with a bobby pin. It wasn't that hard at all! Later on we made a cherry pie, and Jen's Cherry Bounce:

Ingredients:
2 quarts of fresh cherries
2 cups of sugar
1 quart of liquor (choice of Brandy, whisky, or vodka)
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tsp almond extract (optional)

Combine the liquor, vanilla, sugar and almond extract in a sealable container. Stir until dissolved. Put cherries in the mixture and then seal the container. Make sure the seal is tight or it will get contaminated. Shake it every month and it should be ready by Thanksgiving. ( 4-6 months).

My aunt says that she never pits the cherries anymore, but you can pit them. The cherries will absorb more alcohol if they are pitted. If you pit them, you can also use the boozed up cherries to make chocolate covered cherry cordials for Christmas.

We decided instead of putting all our cherries one liqueur, that we would do half and half. So we ended up making half of it with Brandy and the other half with Vodka. We can't wait to see how they taste around Christmas time. I think I am going to make cherry cordials too...why not? We debated long and hard about whether or not the containers needed to be canned. Like that airtight...but after researching other recipes we decided that wasn't necessary and the lids just needed to be tight. This is alcohol we are talking about here, not water. Anyway, we had to buy the mason jars for this project but since they are sold by 12 -- we have a whole bunch extra. You know what that means, right? It means some very special people will be getting those recipes in a jar thing from me, like they sell at craft shows. :D I am excited about this.

Most of Saturday night was watching a miniseries about angels on Abcfamily called Fallen. It was actually pretty good. Though Tim felt that the ending could have been done a little better, especially if it's a miniseries to see if people want a series out of it....which we think was the case.

On Sunday, we got up bright and early and went out to breakfast with our friend Oliver at the Original Pancake House in Monona. It was a nice morning, and we totally beat the rush crowd.

After that, we were picked up by Sigrid and Matt and headed off to the State Fair for the first time (for me). We walked around for 5 hours eating crappy food, looking at all sorts of live stock and ventured into a exposition center chock full of amazing inventions for sale! I didn't get to linger there because my companions were under the impression that it was all crap. :P We all had cream puffs and I decided upon completing it...that it isn't for me. It's not sweet enough, it's too much dairy and it's too blah. Give me a cream horn any day. By the time we got home we were exhausted! We took long naps and then watched the rest of Fallen, and made pesto with pasta for dinner and then crashed early.

Last but not least (I'm falling asleep at the keyboard here -- it must be the thunderstorm....)...

Bacon Bit 26 Week update!

• we are now in double digit land
• I can't wearing my rings anymore. I have alway been susceptible to swelling in my hands, but now with the Bit and the heat it's almost instantaneous.
• Bacon Bit loves music -- whenever there is loud music, there is movement galore.
• I got my first bloody nose on Sunday where blood dripped out ... it didn't last long though.
• My hips and public bones hurt. The latter part, especially today...I goes away if I walk for awhile...but I am hoping it's not a permanent fixture.
• Gums still bleed, and flossing = gushing gums. It's sort of disgusting how much it bleeds.
• Appetite is still less than it was pre pregnancy.
  
• I think weight gain is about 5 pounds (by my scale)-- we'll see this Friday at my doctor's appointment when I also get to have my gestational diabetes test. Which I sincerely hope I pass with flying colors.
  
• I noticed that my hair has been producing less grease than usual. It's tough because it's always been the perfect indicator of when I need to take a shower. Now that it looks pretty good for a lot longer ... I have to be more vigilant about remembering to take showers.
  
• No stretch marks let.
• I have a linea nigra! It's faint but it's there....
• I honestly don't feel like I am that huge. I wonder when that will change. It sort of feels like the belly that I have has always been there. Maybe because the change has been so gradual. Of course that is all poised to change in the next few weeks where the books says I am I supposed to get a 1/2 inch wider every week.
• I am starting to appreciate naps again and have been indulging almost every day. I mean why not? I can right? So I should.
• Still get a headache about once a week. Thankfully I have an awesome eye mask, HeadOn, coke classic and tylenol to see me through the really tough times. Mostly I am glad that combinations of this still work. I really feel for the women who don't have anything work.

Enough for tonight. I didn't pay a single bill. :( But I am all ready to do that tomorrow. I did go through the mail bin after all...and cleaned 1/2 the kitchen -- that's gotta count for something.