I see dead people...

So much to tell you! I have had a great time here in Houston. I leave tomorrow morning and I am sad... but it has been an incredible trip and Mr. D. will be home on the 27th so I think I can make it without him for another week. OK... here is the wrap up...

cd 21 - I am still getting HIGH readings and I used my last stick today... I am done. I am not sure what 12 days of HIGH readings mean... but I doubt it is good. I do not plan to use progesterone this month since I feel doubtful that I ovulated at all... which sucks because I was really stressed about the timing of this trip... whatever... this has been the worst part of my trip.

On Tuesday I had the ultimate day of pampering.

(TIME OUT) Now... I have to say this. I am not a rich girl... most of you know that Mr. D. and I live primarily on my teacher's salary. But this year has brought Mr. D some good fortune in his career and so we have been able to splurge a little on things recently. I feel like I have to say that because I write all the time about not being able to afford my non-insurance paid fertility crap ($450 a month for clomid... $950 a cycle for IUI... or $15,000 for IVF) so I don't want people saying "Wow... she doesn't have money for fertility treatments but she can go to the spa for a day???" I guess if I added up the Pergo floors, the laptop and the spa and all of our Christmas I *might* have been able to afford 2 IUI's but... anyway... I hope you can understand that we are not spending frivolously while not choosing fertility options... In fact a lot of my $$$ recently has gone to pay the $3500 vet bills I had in January. It is just at this point I kind of need the "quick fix" and the "sure thing"... Anyway... I just felt like I have to explain... Try not to judge me... I do want a baby more than anything... I just that Mr. D. and I can't sacrifice everything else that gives us a tiny bit of pleasure to spend on doctors... especially after doing it for 2 years. OK?

Back to the spa... I had hoarded three gift certificates from SpaFnder.com that Mr. D. gave me for Christmas and Valentines Day... and he told me that if I didn't spend them I wouldn't get anymore... So I found a local beautiful spa and spent them on a package!!!! I arrived early and got in my robe and slippers and then was escorted to the steam room... I LOVE steaming! Then I lounged in the "relaxation room' until my time. My first service was something that I have always wanted to do but never would spend the $$$.. A tandem massage with two massage therapists working on me at once. This is an experience that I wish for everyone of you at sometime in your life... it was incredible!!!! The best 45 minutes I have ever spent on the massage table... pure bliss. There is something about having someone do reflexology on your feel while someone else is massaging your shoulders that makes you feel like a real princess... I mean for real... a real princess. My last treatment was a tranquil facial massage... which is 1/2 facial and 1/2 face, sinus, and head massage. It was also incredible. All in all the BEST spa experience I have ever had. For those wondering my total including tip was $180... but remember $150 of that was in gift certificates from presents I never spent so really out of pocket for me it was $30.

Here is a spa girl tip... If you shop at Costco you can by $100 in Spa Finders gift certificates for $80... that saves you even more... That is one reason why Mr. D. is able to give me so many gift certificates! Also Spa Finders is awesome because you can choose from a ton of spas around the country... that is how I was able to use my certificates here in Houston

Tuesday night I saw Mr. D.'s show and then went to the opening night party. The show was fun and all the people in it seem really nice. I am glad he is here with such friendly down to earth people... most are married and have wives or husbands back at home. Ahhhh the life of an actor.

Wednesday we spent the day at the mall... I didn't buy much just a couple of shirts from NY&Co. But that evening while Mr. D. was at work I went to the BODYWORLDS exhibit I told you about. I went all by myself and was nervous that I would be freaked out but I wasn't at all. I LOVED IT!!! IT WAS INCREDIBLE!!!!! First I saw the IMax movie called THE HUMAN BODY and it was great... I was so scared about seeing the pregnancy stuff at BODYWORLDS... but actually abut 50% of this movie was about a pregnant woman's body... It was beautiful.. although I was frustrated at how "natural" and "simplistic" it is for most people. It makes me mad that I am having so much trouble doing something tat "everyone else" just does "naturally". Whatever. Ok... back to the museum. I went in the exhibit and was surprised at how crowded it was at 8 PM on a Thursday night. There were all sorts of people there...from very young (about 3 or 4) to very old.. there was even a group of medical school students there with their professor. I rented the audio tour (which I totally loved) and went through. It was not gross or disturbing in the least. In fact I had to keep reminding myself that these were real people at one time... but it just didn't seem possible. I saw everything... hearts, livers, the nervous system.. the digestive system... all of it close up and personal. I saw what smoking really does to your lungs... If you want to quit smoking... just go to this exhibit.. you will quit once you see what it will do to your body... very icky. There was a healthy breast and a Breast with cancer. I saw ovaries, Fallopian tubes, and the uterus... Penis, testes, and well... Everything... Just laying there in the glass table! I even held a "plastinate" kidney and a liver! The "full body plastinates" were so neat... some were almost beautiful posed in very artistic ways like dancing or in a lovely stretch. Some were humorous... three men playing poker! I was disappointed though... this exhibit did not include the 8 month pregnant woman... and by this time I wanted to see her. I am not sure why... but she isn't on exhibition here. I did see pictures of her and a 5 month pregnant woman in a book (which I purchased because I am now obsessed with this exhibit) and it didn't bother me to see the picture. In fact.. I thought it was actually loving and comforting that the mother and child are together in death forever. I did see a baby at 13 weeks gestation and one at 21 weeks. It was amazing how perfectly formed they were... I feel sadness but for me t was not nearly as disturbing as seeing a baby in a jar of formaldehyde. I loved the entire exhibit... I wished someone was here to see it with me because it is something that you want to talk about for days. I would recommend it to anyone who has the opportunity to go. In fact today I asked Mr. D. if he wanted to become a "plastinate" with me when we die... so that we could tour the world together locked in some loving embrace... uhm... by the look on his face...I don't think that is going to happen.

Here is a museum girl tip - This exhibit in Houston is much cheaper if you go after 5PM... only $15 instead of $22... also add the Human Body IMax to your package and rent the audio tour! The exhibit will take about 1 1/2 hours to go through with the audio tour but would be much quicker if you just walk through and looked. Also... remember the much discussed pregnant woman is not on display here... that seemed to disappoint several of the women there who really wanted to see her.

Today we just went poking around... we went to Ikea and out to lunch and just shopping around town. It was a nice slow day. I really realize how much I love my husband on days like this. I just enjoy hanging out with him and going to Target. He always makes things fun and finds the specialness in everyday junk. (gush...gush...)

Tomorrow I will drive home. I hope you enjoyed this happy post... hopefully I won't fall into depression when I get home to my empty house and busy stressful work week that is waiting for me when I get back. I am sure that it will hit me soon that I busted on the ovulation thing this month... and that the reality of "what do we do next?" stands looming. I am glad I have you friends to keep me company and get me through the rough parts... and I am glad I can share the good stuff too.

This was a good week.