Uff da

!

which is Norwegian for "whew!" only with more spin.

The kids are outside running around singing loopy and annoying songs. It's OK. They are outside doing it. If they were in, the top of my head would have exploded off already.

I actually was in two conference calls today, one from 8:30 to 9:50 and the 2nd from 11 to 12:45. I'm tired from so much listening. Also from so much beating my head against the same brick walls. I have to give major props to the lead engineer, because he really put the reins on boss guy today. Plus, there was great news -- the graphic designer, who is the lead engineer's brother (this is a very nepotistic little group I have stumbled upon), lives one town over. Seriously! This is so great, because if I can get together with him, I'm sure we could hammer out a fantastic website in very short order. Being in the same time zone -- practically in the same town -- should be extremely helpful.

So, I'm hopeful.

A busy morning for tomorrow but then things open up... although I have another conference call scheduled for 6PM Sunday. It works for all of them on the East Coast, so it's fine with me. Also, since it's scheduled so late for them, it shouldn't go too long. I don't want to be up too late watching the latest Sopranos off the TiVO. Also, I think 24 is being broadcast on Sunday because Tuesday was the President's press conference. I have to look into that and make sure it will be recorded. Will Keifer shoot Chappelle and fulfill the dreams of so many viewers over the years? Too many shades of Keifer "shooting" Nina back in season one, but there are some twists here. We'll see. 24 is I think the only regular network show I actually watch!

DH was going to go out tonight and watch the ballgame but now he has changed his mind and is coming home instead. That's really nice but I was planning on taking the kids out and now I don't know what to do! Hee. I'll figure out something, I'm sure.

I could use a nap about now. I wonder, if I lay down, would I fall asleep? I have so much trouble sleeping at night now without the Ambien, I don't even know if I can sleep other times without it now.

Between conference calls today I made oatmeal cookie bars with both chocolate chips and raisins. They're too dry, alas. Maybe dunked in milk they would be OK. Or crumpled up and eaten like granola, that could be OK, too. The taste is good though. I lc'd the recipe and was just off on my conversions, I'm not sure what I was thinking, I put in twice the oat flour and vital wheat gluten I should have! That's what I get for trying to be quick. But still, they're very filling and nutritious. Too high in carbs for all the people on the forum, who would be horrified about all those oats (3 cups), raisins and chocolate chips, but for me, eh. I'm not going to worry about it.

At least my digestion seems to have slowed down a little in the past few days. I have been taking the fiber capsules and they do help. A little. Not a whole heck of a lot, but some. That was one thing that was funny when I saw my g/e doc earlier in the week. He'd get halfway through a recommendation, and I'd just cut him off, "tried that, didn't work", then he'd move on to the next one, same thing. I knocked off everything he had to offer and that's when he gave up and said he would schedule the colonoscopy. I don't want this test -- I really don't want to go through the prep -- but I also feel like I really need it. When I had IBS before it was nothing like this. There may be some IBS at work here but I don't think so. I don't have abdominal pain... I have a rapid transit digestion system, and that's just not normal. Also, I don't have a problem with different foods, at least not that I've identified. With the IBS, I remember being really sensitive to fatty foods. I've had chicken wings for dinner 3 times in the past couple of weeks and they don't phase me any more or less than anything else. Just remembered, if I eat a huge salad that seems to speed things up a bit more, but that's the only thing.

I am going to take this time to go and knock off another column for LCL, so I can concentrate on my freelance work for the rest of the month. Of course as soon as I start, I know the kids will come in and start hounding me, but here I go!