Yah, THAT just happened.

 So, here's what happens when you have construction workers tromping through your house, you come down with a cold/flu thingy and you feel like such poo you want to cry but instead you need a good laugh.

http://www.jibjab.com/view/AWuFJO8ERpmLceLj5CQdOA?utm_campaign=URL+Copy&utm_medium=Share&utm_source=JibJab&cmpid=jj_url

oh, and that.

http://www.jibjab.com/view/-0kqNQj3Tyu3bHjU9K0qWQ?utm_campaign=URL+Copy&utm_medium=Share&utm_source=JibJab&cmpid=jj_url

Probably more update than you're wanting.

Well..I think we need to talk about it.  As much as I don't wanna, it needs to be discussed.  It's only the healthy thing to do. 

Floodageddon happened.  There's been lots of tears from moi.  Lots and lots of tears.  And then lots of Tom Hanks-esque mad laughter while Rob looks on, I'm sure questioning whether or not to run.  But now we're moving forward and thankfully the guys have begun construction today.  In fact, as I type this, I do so to the orchestra of saws, hammers, and other general gnarly dude noises.  It's un-lovely.  Here's some photos of the fallout. 

This is a pic of the hallway with one of the blowers (those were on for a joyless and sucky 8 days of hot loudness where we could feel the moisture being sucked out of our bodies crypt-keeper-style) and our Fluffy Project Superintendent. 

 A view of the Scene Of The Crime AKA the laundry room sink.  Moving along.  (that is now gone and ripped out).  RIP.

 The piano room, directly underneath the laundry room.  Said piano is hidden under that lovely tarp to the right, luckily Rob thought to move it before the water cascaded down on to it.  Do you like the lovely half carpet half concrete look we've got going?  It's a look, that's for sure.  G was pissed his lookout (straight ahead) was taken over by blowers and dehumidifiers.

 This is what it looks like now, this is taken from our bedroom, the one room left untouched upstairs - thank goodness we still have a sanctuary of carpet (what's left of it) and quiet.  I like how the plant is hanging on for dear life.

 The garage door AKA dry wall fallout.  We've become THOSE neighbors. 

 With 5 rooms taken out, we look like freakin' hoarders, we have crap EVERYWHERE until the pack out happens for carpet and flooring redo.  This is in our master bedroom, the entire contents of one linen closet stacked up.  (pillows are next to our bed, not seen in this pic and towels are in the loft).  It's a nice look, dontcha think? 

 Here's our washer and dryer in our loft.  Yep, you heard me.  W/D.  In.  Our.  Loft.  We have no laundry for over a month and THANK GOD our friends and neighbors have been amazing!  We've been doing loads of laundry at friends' houses and God bless my neighbor Lindsey - she even took some of my laundry and did it for me!  I cried I was so touched.  But everybody with your own washers and dryers, go kiss them right now.  Having no laundry sucks.  I know, I know, First World Problems - there's people who do their laundry in leech infested rivers and they call it a day, but I'm still whining.

 What the piano room looks like now.  Notice we set up a towel so G has something to sit on to survey the neighborhood like the old man that he is - he's so pampered.  I like to picture him inwardly yelling at the neighborhood kids like an old man "hey!  Keep it down!"

 This photo slays me - the ultimate in hoarding....if you can't see, that's BOOKS, yes books stacked under our spare bathroom counter, the cabinets are FULL of photos, and there's big pictures stacked along the left side.  The counter top is chock-full of stuff (including, apparently, our fire extinguisher, THAT's handy) and the tub is full of stuff.  Why do I feel like Honey Boo-Boo's family suddenly?

And now, the laundry room - cabinet ripped out.  Most of the insulation gone.  You can actually now see down into the garage (which is ceiling-less).  Aren't you jealous?  A convertible garage is all the rage nowadays. 

So, as if you need more updates, a quick health update since so many have been so lovely to ask.  Our trip was AMAZING and I just took my meds regularly (1-2 every day as opposed to 1-2 a week here at home) which helped take the edge off and let me participate in, well, life.  I still was dizzy every day there, unfortunately, but I was still able to go sightseeing, go on walks, etc  and NEVER had to hang back at the hotel.  It certainly helped that we were in paradise and I never wanted to miss out on anything! Funny enough (and it became a trip joke), I fell asleep EVERYWHERE, a ferry, a bus, even a park bench like a homeless woman one time - but we just laughed it off.  The trip was so incredible, though, and I can't wait to have a break from Floodageddon and be able to post some pics (hopefully soon).

Unfortunately we got home and once I stopped my meds, I realized my symptoms were exactly where they were pre-trip, so we're right back to spinny chair treatments (I've been on twice).  I'm trying hard to stay positive and not get crushed by that realization, and the one positive is this time, I at least have meds to take immediately after a chair treatment so that has warded off the 2-4 day symptom worsening rebound that always happens post-spinny chair.  So that's nice!

Onward and upward.  Much love to everybody for all their support and encouragement, as always, during this vertigo crap and now the new home Floodageddon crap.  Enough already for the Warrenskis!  May 2013 bring us health, a clean house and peace!  xoxo

Well, that just about sums it up...

Came home from our amazing vacation (probably won't get around to posting photos for a while, more on that later) - had about 3 or 4 hours of airplane sleep, was a jet-lagged zombie and was multi-tasking and doing laundry while unpacking and puttering around the house, plugged the laundry room sink to do some handwashing and....promptly forgot about it. Went downstairs to eat/watch TV, promptly fell asleep on the couch, Rob found the whole upstairs flooded about an hour or 2 later.  Now house is demolished, somehow I managed to destroyed 5 rooms - 3 upstairs, a hallway, and 2 downstairs including our garage.  It's a talent, I guess.

We were both so exhausted, stressed out and in total shock.  This about sums up my reaction.

On to happier topics soon, I can't wait to post about our trip - it was incredible!!!!!  G'day mates....

xo coming at you live from Floodageddon. 

G'day mate!!!

Well, we're off!!!!!  I know you'll be super bored without our blog to keep you entertained while we're gone, so here's some shots of adorable Aussie fluffiness Rob has been posting to FB to tide you over...

I just have a feeling being in an amazing place with the absolute love of my life will heal my vertigo once and for all.  I can't wait to update you and I'm sure you'll be inundated by all the photos when we get back!  Love, Bruce and Sheila. 

Showering my sweet friend....

Wait, that sounds weird.  My beautiful friend Lisa is preggers are due in December - over the weekend I went to her baby shower and it was SO LOVELY to honor her and see all of her adorable schwag!!!

I actually only took a few pics with my camera - but before you think I'm slipping in my photographic duties, I took the rest on Lisa's camera, so you'll just have to picture LOADS of adorable girlie stuff.

In the meantime, just be satisfied with our cute mugs.  And how beautiful is that glowing Lisa?

Halloween is on like donkey kong!

I was NOT about to let Halloween pass even though I was dizzy as hell and both Rob and I had colds to boot.  Halloween is my favorite and this stupid vertigo has already robbed me of so much, I wasn't about to let it take away my fave holiday, dang it.  So, Rob was such a trooper and we busted out our old 80's prom costumes from the tacky costume party.  Amazing how a little cold medicine, blue eye shadow and tacky costumes totally transformed our moods.

 

 

 

 And to complete the tackiness?  I had to hold up the dress with clothes pins, hahahaha!  Galileo looks on with total disdain.

I'd forgotten we even had a doggy tuxedo for Galileo courtesy of my Mom - thanks Mom!  It actually was my sweet old dog Hobbes' (from childhood) tux - and just like Hobbes, he went totally limp and paralyzed once we put him in it.  We called him our limo driver, though frankly if he was driving us somewhere, we would have gone nowhere fast.

We had so much fun handing out candy like such dorks - the kids seemed to love our costumes.  I was too distracted to take pics of any of the kiddos but I did take a pic of our neighbors as a Smurf family, how cute are they?  Totes adorbs!!!

LOVE our 'hood

When we got back from NY, our neighborhood had a big old block party, it was sooo much fun!  It was in our cul d sac and we'd hired some taco guys and a bouncy house for the kiddos...it was a blast.  I absolutely love our neighbors and am constantly reminded by how blessed we are to have scored the neighbor jackpot.  Most every evening the kids and parents all congregate in front of our house anyway, and we love going out there to join the ruckus and chat.  I am so incredibly grateful to live where we do - I love our 'hood!!!

Here's some shots from the party...

ROW - the Tomato soup with pasta and basil edition

 Ok, not to be "that girl" but it's still not soup weather in Sandy Eggo - still in the 80's and sunny, but I was craving soup when we both got home from NYC with colds, boo.  I hadn't tried this recipe yet (from my Essential Vegetarian cookbook) and it was delicious!  I admit I'd never made tomato soup from scratch before, just from canned tomatoes, so it was fun to try that out.  Definitely worth the time, it was tasty.

Here's my tips, if anyone's interested.  I used an immersion blender rather than messing with cooling with the soup down and pouring it in batches into an actual blender.  Forget that crap.  It also only calls for a cup of the cooked pasta and I figure, if I already made the whole bag, then the whole bag is going in!  Carb loading!!!  And finally, I added way more fresh basil than it calls for because, let's face it, basil rocks the house.

 The sick soup critic next to me only gave it a "meh", I liked it more than he did.  I'm sure he would have been more stoked if there had been huge chunks of meaty meat.  :)

 I totally forgot to take a pic before I started digging in, so sorry for the gross pic of my half-eaten meal, haha! 

Battery Park and winding down

Ok, enough boo-hoo'in.  After the WTC memorial, I needed a break (and all my mascara was gone anyway) so I wandered through Battery Park and looked at all the gorgeous leaves.  Again, I had so much fun playing with my new camera - I love Liebs! 

The fall colors were GORGEOUS, here's a few of my faves and then I included another slideshow at the end if you want to see all my pics....

 There she is!!!

After Battery Park, I meandered over to City Hall Park - charming!

 If you can't read the bench, it says "humor is a release" - I thought it was great I had a drive by from this little fluffy guy at that exact moment....apparently he agrees.

 If you can't read it, this bench end says "people who go crazy are too sensitive" - hahahahaha!  Pretty sure I shouldn't put this photo up at work, eh?

The end!  Here's my slideshow if interested in more fall pics...