Bed fellows

Did you know that when you buy a king size bed in the UK you actually get an American queen?  Hmmm.  Well, this is what we did when we bought our first bed. Eight years ago .
 And yes it was too small for us but at the time we thought "cozy" and "sweet" and we didn't mind that much that there was no way to sleep in it without our bodies touching in at least one spot.

Cut to present day and two kids with a newfound need to climb into said bed in the wee hours.  So now, instead of our sleeping arrangement just being annoying, it is borderline dangerous (last night I dislocated my shoulder making room for the fourth body.  And once Jack had to grab onto my neck skin to keep from falling out).  I can't believe they are more comfortable with this than they are in their own beds.  I certainly am not.

Uncle.

Love,
Kristen

A Welcome Warning

 There are some warning labels that are just annoying or overkill, I rarely even notice them or read them.  For some reason, when I made reservations to go to Employees Only in New York, I looked at the menus online and saw this at the bottom:

I've never worried about eating things raw or uncooked in my life.  For some reason this struck me.  When something jumps out at you....heed the advice.

Unfortunately, I had the "made tableside" tartare with a raw egg on top.  Not many hours later, I like Dummy in Barthelona (for Rick),  had full blown twirlies.  I don't know if any of you have ever had food poisoning...it is VIOLENT.  One has to stay actively seated on the toilet whilst filling trash cans with Gatorade you can't keep down.

The upside:  I lost 5 lbs that didn't come back.  In fact, I am down 8lbs now.

Thank you Employees Only.  You jump started my diet.

Love,
Katie

Travel Tuesdays: Rx

Vegas, 2012

The summer of my junior year in college I took a little European backpack trip.  At the last minute my mom gave me some Immodium to pack and at the time I thought it was silly.  Cut to me in a shared bathroom of a cheap hotel in Barthelona* with a gunshot case of the twirlies.  I thought I would die right there on the dirty tile floor.  Then I remembered the Immodium.  I crawled back to my room and took two.  When I say that stuff saved my life that night I am not being dramatic.  Which brings me to the Never Ever Travel Without list.  Mine is short.

Immodium.  See above.
Advil.  Seems obvious but I have probably spent hundreds at airports and hotel shops on this stuff and on a recent girls trip to Miami I was the only one carrying.  My stash lasted a day and a half.  Why does everyone forget Advil?
Gas X.  Also saved me in Vail one summer.  I almost jumped out of a moving car to make the pain stop.  When you feel like someone is stabbing you in the back take Gas X.
Pepcid ac.  Saved me in Turks and Caicos when I thought I had a bleeding spleen tumor (I saw a doctor and everything) but I really just had a bad tummy.
Calcium, Magnesium and Vitamin D.  Sometimes I have trouble sleeping when I'm traveling.  Whether it is the time change or adrenaline or the pressure to get extra sleep.  Who knows.  But this magical cocktail from my acupuncturist sorts me out.  Also Melatonin for that extra punch to the face that is insomnia.

The thing is I almost never need any of this in my regular life.  And its prob all expired.  But I fear pack it anyway.  Am I missing anything?  Except maybe I shouldn't travel?

Love,
Kristen

*That's for you, Rick

One Isn't the Loneliest Number

My sister Amy came home, got in bed at the end of a hideous day and said,

"Dear Lord, thank you for my bed and that I don't have to share it with a man that would judge me for the time I spend in it."

Well said sister...well said.

Love,

Katie

Dog rights

Growing up we always had dogs.  And I never had a problem demanding things from them.  Love, affection, obedience.  But now that we have one of our own I feel kind of guilty for putting all of my dog love needs on him.  Like maybe I'm taking advantage of the fact that I'm the human and the boss of him.  For example I will wake him up to snuggle.  Or I will make him sit for a hug when he just wants to play.  I have been known to hold him bodily in my lap until he gives up trying to get away.  And I'm getting a read that he doesn't enjoy this lovefest as much as I do.  Do I back off?  Or do I love on him until he bites me?  Am I breaking his spirit with my neediness?

Love,
Kristen

Does this upset you? It upsets me.

In my quest to become less sarcastic and more earnest like my friend Wendy who's humor and straightforwardness I admire greatly, I did not call this post "Wow how did you fit all of those dishes in there? #superefficient #skills"

I am obsessed with organization and efficiency.  I want to know the best place to put the wooden spoon or the cheese grater or the guest bedding.  I want to know how to store my Halloween decorations so I can find them next year.  Or where to put my marriage license.  I think about this stuff all. The. Time.  And the sad bit is that I am HORRIBLE at it.  I will order twelve different sized storage bins and then get paralyzed by my options and end up putting everything in Hefty bags.  When I got my P-Touch (the universal symbol for anal retentive) I thought it made sense to put it in my china cabinet (?) and then couldn't find it for six months.  I will look for a copy of my living will and instead find every utility bill from 2003.  And so on.

I just have backwards-itis when it comes to organization and it kills me.  But even I know that this is the worst possible way you could load that dishwasher.

Love,
Kristen

PS.  I took them all out and reloaded approx thirty more dirty things.

Don't hate me because I look like I hate you

I don't know what it says about me that I think about my facial expression when I am out in public.  That I want to appear pleasant and easy going and approachable.  I'm not super out going but I am friendly and it occurs to me that if I won't make eye contact with people at least I can look like I would be nice to you if you said hello.  Because I would!

Anyway I have a friend who is the sweetest thing on the planet but she always has Bitchy Resting Face* and people who don't know her just assume she is a grumpy hater.  And I have defended her on a number of occasions because it's something that people notice and mention to me.  That is just how her face looks, I say.  She is as sweet as the day is long.

Do I tell her?  I think that would just make her self conscious..?

Love,
Kristen

*Maisy has it too