Yesterday, I went to a local store that has an extensive selection of bed, bath, and home decor items at bargain prices. I *thought* I found an ideal bedding set plus coordinating valances for our new Master Bedroom. But I have been second-guessing myself after looking at it and re-evaluating my taste level.

I asked my contractor, *Do you think this is tacky* and he refused to answer, so I am guessing that yes, the brown with pale green jacquard comforter set looks like a big, fluffy after dinner mint and thus should be returned promptly for a more subtle and modern look.

I was really hoping for a *luxury* look for our bedroom, but I think the relatively small size of the room would be more conducive to something other than a faux-Tuscany-palace decor scheme.

We have a king-size bed and all of our existing bedding (sheets, etc.) are in sage green to ice blue tones. I want to coordinate a bedding set with that. I have decided to change the paint color to a mid-tone taupe/tan color, with all white trim. I think this modern neutral will give me more flexibility in the long run for changing decor.

I am ordering some nice (but not expensive) furniture online. It is in a dark brown stain, with satin nickel hardware. I am only getting two nightstands and a 5-drawer tall chest. We won*t have room for a full-size dresser once the huge bed is in there.

My original thought for a window treatment for our double window was faux-silk unlined drapery panels hung on a decorative bronze curtain rod with clip-on drapery rings, paired with walnut-stained wood blinds. I have a hook-up for inexpensive custom wood blinds, so, thankfully, that is not an issue.

I am going to keep browising around for nice-looking, but washable and affordable bedding; I think once that is in place, everything else will follow more easily.

I am STILL coughing. Constantly. It woke me from sleep again last night. Yeah, I do have some Rx narcotic cough suppressant but it tastes awful, and I wake up with a horrible hangover so I don't find it worthwhile.

At this point, I guess its a case of bronchitis, which I have had in the past. I hope this resolves soon, because its driving me nuts.

I am sure that living in construction with its drywall dust and sawdust flying about is aggravating the situation.

My contractor claims we will be done in 2 weeks.

My money is on beginning of December. I hope that at least my cough is gone by then.

My husband was DETERMINED to buy something - ANYTHING - to avoid taking over my Hoopty II (the 05 Mercury Sable he hates so much.) So...he took the day off and we scanned the used car listings for HOURS, often aruging over the merits and deficits of each.

Finally, I relented and accompanied him to a local Carmax lot to look at a few vehicles they had that fit our price range. Of course we ended up buying something MORE than we wanted to spend, but it was at my prompting that we took this vehicle for a test after testing a more stripped-down economy-type car. I knew that after awhile, my husband would be really unhappy moving DOWN a level so to speak, in terms of a car. It was a very reliable car, but compact, small engine, bumpy ride, etc.

After crusing around in a 99 Monte Carlo Z34 for 7 years, I suspected a move to a putt-putt would have been a rough transition for him. We were at an impasse on finding something we both liked on the lot and then...I spotted it. Safe, good gas mpg, good HP (210), lots of nice perk options...and when we drove it - WOW! SMOOTH ride, awesome acceleration, smooth transmission, whisper-quiet in the cabin. Plus a huge trunk for hauling stuff if it suits him

It was $4k more than we wanted to spend...but I think he really likes his:


2006 Chevy Monte Carlo (Made in Ontario, CANADA. So technically its a CANADIAN car.) Since its his second Monte Carlo, we have dubbed it *The Deuce*

Yes, its sort of a kooky modified muscle car body style but other than that, it gave us the perfect combo of good MPG (31 mpg highway - he tested it out already and its true!) roomy interior, great safety rating, and ballsy engine. We had wanted a Chevy Impala, but could not find a used one in our price range - this is essentially the same vehicle, and it only had 16k miles on it. I think he is really happy with it, so its worth the car payment so I dont hear complaints about the hoopty that I picked out for myself a few years ago...

Within the past month, our hot water heater ($595) and sump pump(s) ($487) have both been replaced due to irreparable breakage of each item. This has been very inopportune, especially with this huge house remodel expenditure. This evening, my husband*s 99 Monte Carlo essentially broke its leg - the right front wheel fell off (not the tire - the whole WHEEL!). Luckily it collapsed not too far from home, although it still took almost an hour for the AAA tow truck to show up.

Tomorrow we decide if a repair is feasible or if the value of it (it has over 120k miles and is over 10 yrs old) warrants a ride to the car graveyard in Bensenville -home of Victory Auto Wreckers. (see below)

During the school year, I only drive once or twice a week. So me having the van for those few trips is no big deal. Hubby can manage in my Sable. But...come summertime...it might be a bit tough; plus I dont want to load up The Rockin Van with a ton of mileage. Well, I will worry about that when the time comes.

Personally, I like the idea of just getting myself some old hoopty that gets better city mileage than The Van. But we don't even have hoopty cash sitting around right now. Perhaps next year, after tax refunds and such...

On top of everything else, our dishwasher is teetering on the edge of failure...but I think that means I need to invest in a dishrack and more towels because it will have to wait.

The good news is that the kiddo seems to be fine.

My health is slowly returning, but I am still hacking, dizzy, running a low-grade fever,and generally not up to par. Things are not as bad as they were on Thurs-Fri but they are not great, either.

Even though someone is here working almost every day, the house project seems to be moving really S L O W L Y. At this point in the project, we should be doing finishing work but they are not even done the drywall yet. I know this is running into December, without a doubt.

The unfortunate thing is that I was hoping to have the store-to-door crate brought back with all of my daughter*s furniture to move her in before snow is sitting on the ground (the put the crate/storage unit on the lawn for loading/unloading). It will seriously suck @$$ if we have to move furniture in the snow.

My Phillies did not win the World Series, but my NU Wildcats upset #4 Iowa and my Eagles are playing the Cowgirls tonight so...pretty good week in sports for me so far.

Now my daughter seems to have come down with this flu, too. She has the hacking cough and sneezing that I started with on Sunday.

This morning, I started throwing up violently - even though I really hadn*t eaten anything besides a few crackers last night. My/our goal is to stay hydrated. Of course, my husband forgot to pickup more ginger ale and gatorade yesterday while at the pharmacy...I have to remind him to do that today.

On top of all the illness crud, the new troublesome next-door property owner had his contractor pull up all of the railroad ties between our driveway and his - even though my husband explicitly told him not to a few months ago. My husband came home from work so hopping mad when he saw that, he called the po-po and filed a report. Bascially, if the guy does NOT replace the ties after his construction work is done, he*s in a heap of trouble. This was just the cap my week needs. *sigh*

I felt so awful yesterday, I called my doctor. I have had a 100.1 fever for the past 2-3 days now, although it goes down with tylenol.

Yesterday, I had a painful dry hacking cough, so he prescribed a narcotic cough syrup to stop the hacking and let me rest. I did sleep pretty well last night (despite the fact that my baseball dreams were shattered) but woke up hacking up...gunk. Green nastiness. So I called in and left another message for the doc per his instructions. I hope he doesn't make me come in to the office- I am unable to drive due to the codeine!  But now I know there is some kind of bronchial infection going on.

The good news for my family? I have completely lost my voice.

I think I got the H1N1.

I already got a shot (killed vaccine) for *regular* flu, so its not that.

I have:

dry, hacking (painful) cough
sore throat
aches
fatigue

CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am wondering if I need to wean myself from fall sports: post-season baseball, hockey, college and NFL football...these are a few of my favorite things BUT the adrenaline from the ups and downs are really starting to wear me down.

I am the type of sports watcher who SCREAMS at the TV. This year, i thought that perhaps tweeting some of my gut-reactions to various plays, calls, and other happenings at game-time would be a healthful channel but it just seems to have ramped-up the heart-pumping, making them linger on a bit longer with the addition of REPLIES to my typed outbursts.

I really started following post-season baseball during the 2004 ALCS Red Sox vs. Yankees. Oh, how I was pulling for the Sox - and of course, they came back from a 3-0 deficit to beat NY and go on to win the World Series.

This year, my hero from that era - Johhny Damon - is now the enemy in a Yankee uniform. [sidebar here - is it me or has he aged significantly in 5 years? Maybe its the loss of his caveman/pirate look. He looks best hairy and scraggly, IMO]

My Philadelphia Eagles have had an uneven season, but today they stepped up and demolished the Giants - a game I would have LOVED to have seen. Sadly for me, it was not aired in the Chicago market, even though the FOX afiliate here merely played re-runs of syndicated cartoons/sitcoms instead of carrying it, likely because the Bears were playing on CBS. Radio is ok if, for example, you are in the car. But tuning in to internet streaming broadcast of a game...that just aint gonna do it for me.

Since the Blackhawks got hot last season, there is now much more game coverage - although this year I noticed that the camerawork when the games are covered by  Comcast Sports has been AWFUL.

I was contemplating re-acquainting myself with basketball and try to watch some Bulls games but I think my circulatory and nervous systems may have had enough for a season...and the season(s) aint even half over yet for football and hockey!

Worst of all, my husband hates sports so I watch either alone or with my daughter, who enjoys it but usually falls asleep during night games.

I also dont like sports bars (not sure why but I despise the atmosphere) so on game day/night, I usually snuggle into the corner of my sofa and wait for the next big play before hurtling whoops and hollers at my unassuming 19-inch old-school TV.

I love costumes and the concept of Halloween, although I am not a horror and gore enthusiast. Many years ago, going out to the dive bars and smoky clubs of Chicago usually involved some sort of costuming ritual, including wacky patterned hosiery/tights, fake eyelashes, red lipstick, and vintage mini-dresses or replicas courtesy of the juniors department. I often remarked that my look in my early 20s was akin to 60s-era mod hooker.

Although it usually looks slapped-together, I think since high school, my outfits have been crafted (albeit, often unsuccessfully) with great forethought and occasional gnashing of teeth. Perhaps 10 years of school uniforms wrecked my comfort level with choosing my own clothing?

These days, when I venture out of the house in public, I sometimes feel that my conscious choice of virtually every item I wear, from a boot cut jean, a sturdy ankle boot, and a cardigan and embellished tee, paired with a wrapped neck scarf and accompanied by an oversized leather pocketbook is *costuming* myself. The *character* that I become is respectable upper-middle-class-housemom.

Before I assumed this role, I played *suburban commuter businesswoman* and donned sober grey suits, tiny gold earrings, and practical pumps, often tying my hair back into a rather conservative chignon.

I think I only break my current role when I go to Atlantic City in the summertime and become 40-something on vacation, looking to get into trouble but not TOO much trouble.

For me, every day is Halloween.