A Letter, Bluegrass, and Other Stuff

Dear Ute:



Since it's been a while since you've had a pep talk, I thought maybe this would help. I realize that you're used to carelessly dumping eggs all over the place, and you're probably not too keen on housing some tiny, squirmy person who will stretch you to sizes you've never been. I get that. I do.



However much I understand that, I need you to understand that this is important to me. And it should be important to you because that's why you're here. It's why you fvcking exist. So, I've been pretty nice about this for the last seven months, but I'm beginning to lose my patience, which wasn't that great to begin with.



I've given you everything you need to make this happen. I'm taking my vitamins. I'm taking EPO so you don't turn yourself inside out at the end of every month when you throw your stupid temper-tantrums. I'm exercising and eating better and trying to keep us both healthy.



Perhaps it's WonderSperm's fault? Perhaps you need to do a better job of showing them where to go.



Whatever the case, if you continue to give me these beautiful temps without a BFP, I'm going to lose my mind, and there's no telling what will happen from there.



Love,

Lainie





So there's that. And the whole temp thing is making me feel crazy. It should have dropped today. But it didn't. And yet, another BFN.



Honestly, I wouldn't sweat it that much, but something is terribly wrong with my back. Normally when this happens I just take ibuprofen every four hours for a week or so, which brings down the inflammation and allows everything to heal. But I can't take ibuprofen. Okay. I could take it, but at the end of seven months TTC I'm just not going to risk it.



I went to the chiropractor yesterday, and I go back again tomorrow, but at this point I'm almost wishing I'd start my period just so I could take some ibuprofen. If that doesn't explain how much pain I'm in, I don't know what else would.



So let's see. Other news... I'm not charting the next cycle (assuming there is one). We'll be in Winfield at the bluegrass festival during O time, and there's no way I'll be able to get accurate temps there. So I'm taking a month off.



I feel a little anxious about no knowing when I ovulate or when to expect my period, but at the same time I think it will be nice to have nothing really concrete to obsess over. Added bonus: if this cycle (as in the one that is quite possibly almost over) is a bust, then we have a shot at making an honest-to-God Winfield baby. Incredibly nerdy of me, I know, but it just seems so awesome. Then again, I've had a reason it would be awesome every. single. time. But this is especially so.



Some of you probably don't quite understand what I'm talking about when I talk about the festival. So let me tell you.



This is a huge deal. People travel all over the world to come to it. The National Championship Flatpicking contest is held here. About 35,000 people attend every year. I'm not sure what the number of people camping is, but it's a lot. If I had to guess, I'd say probably close to 5,000 which could be an underestimate. It's hard to say because it's a lot of fairground/campground, and it's packed tent-to-tent with people. And most of us are only out at night.



So what do we do?



The Friday before the festival actually starts is Landrush Day. It's the day they finally allow people to snag their campsites. People with campers/RVs have been lined up for about a month prior, and the official line-up started yesterday. I haven't been to Landrush day, though, because I always have to work, and we have a friend with a camper who saves a spot for us. I hear it is insane, and also lots and lots of fun.



The campgrounds are a strange and awesome place. Camps are named and decorated. People have had the same spots for years. Bikes strung with Christmas lights hang from trees. Giant, seventies-style spoon and fork sets can be found in trees, also. There are painted buses. Old, old campers that have been restored/remodeled, or painted with murals. During the day, I like to walk around and snap pictures of everyone's camps.



But what we go for is the music. BoyWonder and I don't really listen to the radio much, with the exception of NPR. So for us, Winfield is where we come to hear all our favorite bands in one place, and it's also where we find new favorites. Well, that's my favorite part. Since BoyWonder can play several instruments (guitar, mandolin, bass, banjo, and ukulele... and I'm forgetting something), this is what he's around for.



So... A day in the life?



Sleep is kind of random, and it depends on the weather. For me, I generally am up and moving by nine every morning. The port-a-potty trucks are what wake me up (more on this later).



So, people get up and randomly stumble out of their tents when they smell food/coffee. We eat, and depending on who is at camp that morning, we may start drinking then. Morning is a good time to hit the official areas of the festival, because it's not super hot out yet, and it's not packed full of people. We'll go to the official areas when we're hungry between camp meals, and then we wander the campgrounds and take pictures of camps, and we always take pictures of the schedules for the unofficial stages (which are the only stages we frequent).



I prefer to nap in the afternoon when possible. Last year I slept through most of the festival, though. I was exhausted, and feeling antisocial. So usually, if BoyWonder will allow me to, I'll sleep for several hours and wake up close to dark.



Dark is when everything fun happens. We start really drinking. The music really starts. People will wander from camp to camp for jam sessions. There are street jams: people who are wandering the main roads of the camping area with their instruments. This is the coolest thing, and every single year I'm upset that we don't have a lens that will take awesome pictures in super-low light. Street jams are made up of anyone walking with their instruments, and they'll include all kinds of people. It's not uncommon to end up in a jam with members of several of your favorite bands. Sometimes it will be insane, like thirty people jamming at a time, with fifty or sixty people watching.



So we drink and we street jam and we wander to the unofficial stages when one of our favorite bands are playing. Like I said, sleep is random. I just sleep when I'm tired, and it annoys the hell out of BoyWonder. I'm not too concerned, though.



So about the port-a-potties. They're only safe to use at certain times of the day. I generally try to not use them after about 1AM. By this time, they're almost completely full, and have a combination of piss/shit/possibly vomit all over the insides and you can't even see in there in the dark. Not worth it at all. So you wait until morning, when you hear the cleaning trucks roll through. My preferred method is to listen until they're close, and go into one they've just cleaned out. Word to the wise: If you need to poop at Winfield, this is the time to do it. Everything is clean and most of the people in our area are still asleep.



I would go into showering, but this year I have a friend living in Winfield who has graciously offered us the use of her bathroom as needed.

So basically, multiply all this every day for a week, and throw in all kinds of insanity, plus some really good food and some bronchitis from breathing campfire smoke, and that, my friends, is Winfield, to me.