And They Entered The Ark Two By Two...

It is still raining..  I'm getting ready to Google plans for building and ark!!  Me and the Hubs were out shopping last night and I bought the most wonderful flannel comfy pants!  They're (get this..)  purple leopard print!  Today is a good day for wearing purple leopard print comfy pants!  It's cold, rainy and windy..  I'm just sitting here with my cuppa french roast watching all the leaves dance in the wind in the back yard.  I have been wrapping up a few loose ends around here, and other than that I'm just doing some research and watching golf - yes, in my purple leopard print comfy pants..

I have found a new Rheumatologist and I am so thrilled about that!!  Ernestine (One ringydingy, two ringydingy) can take her nasally, whining voice and make some other arthritis patient miserable - I have hit the wall, and I ain't goin' back.  Keep your fingers crossed, and say a few extra prayers that the new Rheumatologist will work out.  He's somewhat closer to home, is in the Aetna network, and so far the staff seems very polite and helpful!  That is always a good thing! 

On the Hannibal (C-RAP) front..  I was given a new mask last week - a much smaller one. I think He was playing pranks on the Hubs last night!!  Perhaps this new mask is a wee bit too small..  It just blew off my face!!  There was a large ripping sound (his account..) - which was the Velcro ripping apart - a blow to the back of his head, and a HUGE blast of cold air on his neck!  He jumped out of bed because it woke him up from a deep sleep - He didn't know what happened!  I wish I had a camera to catch the look on his face!  We laughed about it and then went back to the old uber-large mask for the night.  I have a call in for Lori to hopefully get this straightened out once and for all!

I've included some photos that I have been promising to post from our Vegas trip.  These are only a small (very small) sampling of the photos!  I tend to get carried away with the camera. 

Have a wonderful day today!!

...Until next time!

Gum, Bums and Mums - Pass the Rum...

So whaddya think of the new "Boo-Blog"??  I got to thinking about the many years the kids would "decorate" our house for Halloween and thought I would tap that Martha Stewart in me and do a little decorating of my own.  Oh, I've already done the house..  A few corn stalks, pumpkins from a local farm - you know, the boring stuff.  He's not old enough this year, but I think next year I'll let the Grand Angel do all the decorating next year!  I have tons of things stored away in the attic..  He'll have a blast!  Maybe for this year I'll rake a huge pile of leaves and let him go at it!  It's a plan...

We don't have children come to the house for Halloween - we're too far off the beaten path..  But it's not from lack of trying though!  In the past fourteen years that we've lived here out in the Twilight Zone, we've had exactly two - count 'em, TWO children stop by for candy.  I still buy tons of candy and gum each year with the hopes that this might be the year we get some ghoulish visitors - Hubs usually eats whatever is left after I make stash bags for my own adult "kids"!  Anyway, I have the house lit up all welcome-like, decorations up, no kids, nada, not a one.....  Kinda has a Charlie Brown kind of feel, doesn't it?   We live about 3 miles out of "town" if you can call it that.  "Town" consists of two city blocks with one flashing red light at the intersection.  Most of the children in this area trick-or-treat there, and the Volunteer Fire Dept usually has a party for them after they're done terrorizing the neighborhood in their wonderfully cute little costumes.. I took the kids there when they were younger and had some of the most sinfully terrific candy apples on the planet!  That made spending several hours in a Fire Hall with what seemed like hundreds of sugar rushed kids worth it!

So today wasn't quite as serene and introspective as yesterday was..  No deep thought, no "time to enjoy", no Starbucks..  I spent my day trying to stay out of the way (read hide) from two overly boisterous plumbers who came to do some much needed work around here.  They're both very nice men who do very good work and we really do appreciate them - but they are also rather...  uhm..   how shall I say this... they are rather "robust" and they're both guilty of the dreadful "plumbers crack"....  I think I just heard a collective "ewwwwwwwww!!" from out in blog-land!  We have five bathrooms in a very old house - so they're here often.  Today, we replaced two commodes, two cabinet sinks, one shower stall and a clothes washer hose.  We have been systematically redoing all the bathrooms in this money pit over the past few years..  After this, there will only be the powder room in the basement left - then we're done..  Yes, ALL the shitters - I mean "commodes" - will be spankin' brand new!  No more handle jiggling!!  Wow....  It's funny how when we reach a certain age our "excitement" priority changes...  When does this happen??????  And, NO, we did not take our old commodes and use them as fall mum planters!  Yes, those folks do exist and I can drive you past a few if you're interested in a road trip! 

Have you ever tried to stand there and listen intently to a salesman try to sell a commode with a straight face??  

Until next time!

Time....

It rained today.  Don't you just love the smell of the fallen leaves when it rains?  There isn't a cozier smell than the wet leaves covering the grass.  Why people feel the need to rake them up to remove them is beyond me.  I enjoyed raking the leaves when the children were younger - just to let them jump in the huge pile of leaves and swim around in them!  After that we would put out the halloween decorations - spiders, webs, tombstones, zombies, you name it, it was in our yard!  There was the year the boys decided to take every one of the Hub's flannel shirts and sweat shirts, stuffed them with leaves to make them look like bodies were crawling out of the graves which the tombstones had marked.  That year we had a population of 15 bodies rising out of tombs in the circle in our front yard!  Needless to say, the Hubs wasn't too thrilled at seeing half of his entire casual wardrobe splayed across the grass like that! He went along with it though - gave him an excuse to buy more Steeler-wear!  I don't "decorate" as much for halloween these days - because I'm the one who has to take that stuff down, and you haven't lived until you've tried to rip those awful spider webs out of 35 trees - especially after they've gotten wet!  I do put a few things out though.  We have a  field across the road which a local farmer rents and grows corn.  Usually I go over there and cut down stalks to put around the property.  I always feel like I'm stealing them though - and usually call him to let him know I'm taking them - neurotic?  You decide...

My friend, Sr. Marian came by after my Grand Angel went home - busy day today.  I love how she puts life and all its intricacies into perspective for me.  She stopped over for dinner before this evenings Scripture Study class, and I was so thrilled that she decided to join us for class!  Anyway, we spent a wonderful couple of hours together before class enjoying some Starbucks and a nice light dinner.  We promised to get together again next month for another "proper tea"!  I think I'll surprise her with some homemade scones to have with our tea....  Now to find a recipe for scones!

In the many topics we discussed during our time together, I mentioned to Sr. Marian my set back and disappointment in the news that the lap band process may take longer than I had originally planned..  Her response?  "Perhaps it is because you need to slow down, see the big picture, plan for and absorb the changes you will ultimately have to make.  Use this time to completely prepare and educate yourself, your husband, your family for the life changes that need to and will occur.  This time should be a time of education, acceptance, preparedness and prayer."  Wow.. She really nailed it there.  When we were together last month, She asked me to compile a list of reasons why I wanted to go through this proceedure. We read through that list and she told me that it was "good" but it wasn't quite enough..  I gave her a list that closely resembled my "Top Ten List".  She suggested that I try to dig a little deeper.  Try to answer the deeper questions; "why" and "for whom" and for that matter "how"... Oh, she's tough!  She suggested that this time of waiting may turn out to be a good time to dig deeper into my list and to grow deeper into my journey..  What an incredible woman she is, and I am blessed that she is such a special part of my life...

Yes, it was a busy day today - but a very good day.  I got to spend time with my Grand Angel, time with Sr. Marian, and time with dear friends enjoying Scripture.  Me and the Hubs even enjoyed some time together tonight over a couple of martinis and Ryder Cup specials on The Golf Channel!  "Time" like this doesn't happen everyday, but when it does, I embrace every blessed second!

   Until next time! 

A Good Weekend...

What a terrific weekend it was!  We went our Baby's football game, it was homecoming,  and campus was decorated beautifully - fall flowers were in full bloom everywhere!  The leaves are turning much quicker further north which only added to the beauty of the place..  The weather was crisp and cool - a little overcast, but that's autumn for ya!  And winds off Lake Erie really let us know that autumn is truly here to stay!  We attended the game with all our "Crazies", and the Lakers won!!  They won BIG, too!  41-0!  I have the blisters on my right hand from ringing my cowbell!  Sunday, we lit our first fire of the season and enjoyed watching our Steelers win - switching back and forth between the football game and the Fed-Ex cup!  Now that's what I call a good weekend..  The golf pic that I made in Las Vegas didn't win, but that's OK..  I didn't lose my shirt!

I've given some thought to all this Lap Band stuff..  In an earlier post - way earlier - I wrote that I decided to put it all in God's hands..  And part of that means that I have to trust.  Yes, I am disappointed - very disappointed in the news that I received from the Surgeon that this process is going to be longer than I hoped..  I'm funny that way.  When I set out to do something, I am the type of person who wants it done - now.  Not next Tuesday, but now.  And I don't stop until it's completed either..  I suppose I just need to do some readjusting here.  Maybe it is my thinking that needs to be readjusted, maybe it's my attitude.  I don't know..   Looking at the big picture though, much needs to change in my life, and I am the only one who can change it.  But "where and how do I begin?" that's the question..  Once again, more questions than answers....

Welp, I'm off to play with my Grand Angel, I'll write more later..  Happy Monday to you!

Until next time!

The Long and Winding Road...

Well I've had my first visit with the Bariatric Surgeon yesterday.  It went quite well..  The staff were all very professional, courteous, smiling, and get this - NICE!!  After so many years of dealing with "Ernestine" at the Rheumatologist office I was at a loss..  Stunned actually...  Oh Yes Virginia, Physicians Staff CAN be polite, professional, kind, courteous and NICE!  The appointment went well.  I had no wait, and went right into the examining room.  After all the preliminary stuff..  height, weight, measurements, yadda, yadda..  Me and the Hubs met Dr. Ali.  He took considerable time with us to explain the various procedures, what to expect, what pre-surgery and post surgery would be like, and he let us play with the little lap band he had for demonstration !  Like a child, I sat there for a time filling and unfilling this thing!  It's a good tension reliever watching those little bubble things expand and contract!  He told me he thought I would be a very good candidate for the procedure, then dropped the bombshell..  I will have to do the six months of Physician supervised weight loss.......  Six months.  After all this research, learning, talking, reading and exploring, I come to learn that it won't happen for at least six months..  The floor dropped out from under me..  Up to that point I was euphoric with expectation.  The staff, the Dr - it was "happening"!  I left the appointment feeling as though my puppy just ran away from home - I wanted it to happen NOW..  Well, perhaps not "now", but you get the gist of it... 

I'll take the weekend and just digest it all.. (sorry about that, I couldn't help it!)  I am sure the questions in my head are going to be swirling and swirling all over again.  But, the good thing is that I'm on way to watch my Baby play their first home game.  I'll put this lap band stuff aside for now and just enjoy the festivities! 

So, with that I'm going to don my green and white, get out my pom and my cow bell and cheer until my throat is raw!  Have a wonderful Saturday!

Until next time!

Ramblings, Mumblings and Musings...

**GEEK ALERT**  Today was the first day back of Music Ministry practice!  I was pretty excited about getting back into it and have been anxious to being the new season - I've been working on the October Liturgy for quite some time now. It is always gratifying to hear it sung at rehearsal..  Planning the liturgy is something I really enjoy doing..  I have been trying so hard to get through all the dull, head numbing paperwork these past few days so that I could get to what I love doing.  But, it didn't happen that way and I had to wait till today to do it.  I guess it all worked out for the best though - I've been able to spend today watching the rain, sipping Starbucks, reading and planning 5 weeks of liturgy!   To many, what I do may not seem very exciting and glamorous..  But to a liturgist it is a wonderful way to spend a rainy early autumn afternoon!!  Not to worry though, I've tucked my pocket protector and my colored pens away for the night..   Siggghhhhh..  Until the end of the month, actually....  Then I can begin my plans for Advent and Christmas!!

I am thoroughly distressed over the fact that my "shift" key on the right hand side is broken, stuck, doesn't work, dead as a door nail, useless as ti... uhm..well, it just doesn't work..  I never realized how much I used the shift key!  It's miserable having to learn how to type all over again - my hands just don't seem to know what to do!   Not sure what to do about it, but I'll figure something out - will be on my "to do" list for next week...   But if you notice right handed words aren't capitalized, now you know the reason why! 

So I didn't get to upload any pictures today from our Vegas trip...  I will do it, I promise!  I guess I got so wrapped up today in my mounds of laundry and my liturgy that I didn't give it a second thought.  Hopefully soon.. 

The Hubs is planning for our first home game of the year this Saturday.  It's Homecoming and Alumni weekend.  We're planning a HUGE tail gate and have involved all the players families!  Should be lots of fun!!  Go Lakers!!!  The last I mentioned, they lost to Kutztown, but won the CW Post game last weekend!  So they're 2 and 1 for the season so far!!  Get the face paint out - we're finally coming HOME!!

Well, that's about it for today..  Not much happened, and that is always a good thing!  I'm getting ready to hit the sack, but before I go, please keep Lynne  from "Girl, Banded" in your thoughts and prayers...  She was banded today!!  Way to go Lynne!!  We're all thinking about you, praying for you and hoping for all the BEST in the world for you!!!

Until next time!!

Mounds of Papers to Mounds of Laundry!

OK, so I am done thinkin' for one day.  It took me the entire afternoon to fill out the seventeen pages of information that the Bariatric Surgeon needs from me for this Friday....  I've been thinkin' so much today that my head is numb!!  I think they know everything about me now except my bra size and how many teeth I have!  Those questions will be a part of the next packet that I receive - Section 2B of Parts A and C..  My last dental visit and the age in which I had my wisdom teeth out (I was sixteen, if that matters).  I believe that, like the preoperative diet we're required to do, they put us through this just to see if we're determined to see this thing through - if we have the guts and will power to "get the job done"!  They figure that if we complete all the required paperwork, hoops and side roads throughout this ordeal, that we've got the guts to go the distance!  Sounds like Basic Training, doesn't it??  I'm just curious as to how many have given up on page 12??? 

Sooooo, tonight was Scripture Study class...  Ahhh, there's nothing like relieving the tension of filling out mind numbing medical forms than delving into the simplicity of the Old Testament!!  Just a little sarcasm here!  Actually, it was very good for me to attend class tonight - just to get out and breathe the fresh air!!  It was absolutely gorgeous outside, and I was glad to be out!!  Class went very well, too!  I thought that with being out of class for two weeks I would be woefully behind, but I was able to get back into the swing of things quickly! 

The leaves are really beginning to turn..  It smells great outside too!  Fresh and crisp.  I made a nice cup of Starbucks to take to class with me and it really filled the spot - and picked me up!  Nothing like a nice, hot Starbucks!  Gotta Luv It!!  Yeah, I'm an addict...  Wait!  Do I have to add that to the "Personality Disorder" pages of my medical forms???? 

Well, tomorrow is laundry day...  UGH....  But, I will try to post a few pictures while my delicates are tumbling!  Good night and happy dreams!!

Until next time!

Thinkin.. Thinkin.. My Head Hurts!

I've had time on my hands these past few weeks to really think about my life..  Where I've come from, where things are going - all that heavy stuff..  I've always been a "large" girl, tall with large bone structure..  My height covered a lot of sins.  I'm not freakishly tall at 5'8.5", but tall enough that in the past I've been able to camouflage my "largess" with clothes that "accentuate the positive"..  Well, not so much anymore..  Thinking back, I took advantage of the fact that I was able to "carry" my weight.  Which is why I feel such horendous shame of seeing myself in pictures now - Rather than carrying, I've seemed to have clumsily dropped the whole kit and kaboodle!  How did this happen??  When did this happen??  Weight is a sneaky thing...  It seems that one minute I'm excited and thrilled at the gorgeous outfit I bought which I believe looks absolutely amazing - then I look at myself in a full length mirror or in a photograph and the shock is overwhelming.  The sight of me vastly different than the photo of myself in my head - Weight is very hurtful, very sneaky.....

I guess much of this thinkin' comes from the fact that I need to fill out a "weight history" form for my Dr. appointment on Friday.  I am having to face some stark and unpleasant facts which have been so much easier to deal with tucked away in a file in the back basement of my brain.  So, I will give you the brief synopsis of some of the answers I've given..  Weight at birth, 7lb 8oz - normal little girl..  Weight through grade school - well, I really don't know that exact answer to that one, but I do know that I was the tallest kid in the class - THE tallest..  I was "full" but not chubby..  Weight at graduation, 150lbs.  Weight at wedding, 150lbs.  First child, I gained (shaking my head in shame here) 70lbs - I ate for "two" and then some..  Second child, 20lbs.  I never lost all the baby weight and packed it on from there out.  When I was 35 I went on a strict 1000 calorie a day diet and lost 50 pounds - but eventually gained back 75.  Over the years I've tried Dexatrim, Weight Watchers, Alli, and every other over the counter quick fix I could spend my hard earned cash on.  Either I didn't like the food, wasn't disciplined enough, or the meds made me nuts - I always gave up. 

So, that is where I am now..  "Obese"..  Isn't that an ugly word??  "Obese"..  Worse than that is "Morbidly Obese"..  I think smart folks must stay up long nights figuring out the most horrid ways to medically describe various conditions.  Well, I am "obese", teetering on being "morbidly obese".  What does that mean.......  That means that I can't control my Rheumatiod Arthritis, my blood sugar is creeping higher and higher - along with my cholesterol.  I get out of breath while spending time with my GrandAngel.  And, I am single handedly sending pharmaceutical reps to the Caribbean year after year.  But "why"..  Do I eat when I am anxious?  Depressed? Happy? Hungry? Not Hungry?  - More questions from the questionnaire...  My answer is "all of the above" and or "none of the above"!  I eat.  Simple as that, I eat.  I eat when I'm hungry, I eat when I'm not hungry..  If I enjoy something I eat it.  I like my martini's my wine, my food..  "Portion Control"?  nada..  "Careful Chewing"?? not so much..  I'm not an emotional eater..  In fact I am an emotional "non" eater!  When I get overly emotional I don't eat - anything - until the crisis has passed (probably not a good thing either - but it's me..)  I'm guessing that my file going to be in the "Bizarre Cases" - under "B",  I just know it!

I thank you for helping me sort this whole thing out.  I can't say that I'm not more confused now then before I opened that dern packet - but it's gotta be done.  So that is my afternoon so far..  Getting all this stuff in order for Friday.  I'll keep you posted!  If you hear a primal scream coming from the general direction of Pennsylvania, not to worry - it's just me getting through this stuff!!  Have a GREAT afternoon!!

Until next time!

Back To Normal - Whatever "Normal" Is..

Oh my, I am still feeling sleepy from our whirlwind week!!  It all started last weekend with a trip across the state to watch our Baby's football game in Kutztown.  They lost...  He was pretty bummed out about it, but he's young - this too shall pass...  We stayed over in Kutztown then drove home to re-pack for our trip to Vegas.  Off to the airport, then off to Vegas!  I'm beginning to feel like a jet setter at this point!  We had a wonderful time in Vegas then flew home to re-pack again for the Hub's Diaconate weekend in Erie.  He is in his first year of study to become a Deacon in our Diocese, so we attended classes and formation once a month during the school year.  I call it the "Deacon Reserves"...  I haven't slept in my own bed for the last 10 days!!  And, I think it will take months to get the "hotel smell" out of all the clothes I wore over that time period!  Speaking of clothes, I don't even want to think about the mound of laundry that is waiting for me in my laundry room!!   When I finish that mound I will begin doing the winter clothes for the college guy!  He sent home his summer things - which he thankfully cleaned himself - and I'm going to take him his winter things...   It's his gift!  A bag full of clean smelling winter clothes!  After that, he's on his own...

We had our GrandAngel yesterday and last night!  What a way to come home - to see his smiling face and have him wrap his little arms around my neck!!  Now THAT'S a welcome home!!  Of course I brought him home bags of goodies from everywhere I went and we spent the morning playing with all his new things!  He's napping right now - and I think Grammy needs a nap too!

So, the countdown begins....  Friday is the official day of my meeting with the Bariatric Surgeon.  Thursday I need to get all the CRAP crap taken care of, then Friday we'll be driving to Erie to meet with Dr. Ali.  I'm really anxious to get this show on the road.  I am reading all the blogs and have been so encouraged by everyone, now I'm anxious to begin the journey.  I know it's just the beginning, but it all has to start with a first step, right?? 

Well, I need to run errands and take the GrandAngel home...  So, with that I will just say.....
....Until next time!

What Happens in Vegas...

What a glorious trip we had - and I am so happy that I went!  You;ll be happy to know that I didn't have do the "wife thing" - thank heavens!! 
The Real Housewives of the Firm seemed to already have their plans set in stone, and I already had mine booked, paid for and confirmed - so our paths didn't cross that much!  Which is why I had such a glorious time!!

I admit that unfortunately I did lose in the casinos...  I had my wad of cash searing a hole in the pocket of my jeans...  We carefully and methodically  cased the joint searching for that one particular one armed bandit that would yield to us the big bucks - the one that produces the bells and whistles that go off when "the big one" happens!  I didn't realize that there were private rooms for us "high rollers" or we would have gone there first... So, me and the Hubs found our machine..  A poker machine..  We peeled away our cash and proceeded to play...  We played for about an hour and lost every blasted cent of that five dollars we put into the machine!  Oh well..  The highlight of the gambling experience was... well (thinking hard)..  we did get free drinks while we were losing our shirts at penny poker!!  Nothing like a free martini!!  That is always a good thing!  We placed a few sports bets as well - to make our Vegas experience go on long after we left!

My first day there was spent finding my way around our hotel..  We stayed at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino, and the place is bigger than our county seat!!  Holy CRAP!  It took me an hour just to find a coffee - there were three (count them T-H-R-E-E) Starbucks at the hotel, and it still took me an hour!!  After getting my bearings at the hotel I ventured out onto the Strip!  What a wonderful walk that was!!  I did a little shopping, took lots of pictures, and had lunch!!  After that, I took Amanda's wonderful advice and had a facial at the hotel spa - thank YOU Amanda!!!!  The facial was well worth the time it took me to FIND the damn spa!

The next day I took a trip to the Hoover Dam and to the Grand Canyon..  Oh Mercy, what a trip that was!!  I would do it again in a heart beat!!  I took some wonderful pictures of the Grand Canyon and will post more of them tomorrow when I have more time to upload them from my camera...  I so enjoyed that day trip!!  I went alone, and I think that is a really nice way to see the sights!  It is easy to get lost in the vastness of the scenery - a good time for meditation and getting back to myself.  And I did what I want, when i wanted to do it as well!  I was on my own time schedule.  I could stay at a particular place as long or as short as I liked.  At the end of the trip I was able to do some shopping at the Hopi Village then came back to join the Hubs for a dinner at the MGM Hotel - I ate....  ready for this??  I ate..  Lobster Pot Pie!!  Oh my heavens....  it was to DIE for!!  And get this, it wasn't in a heavy cream based broth, but a light fish based broth, with lots of veggies and very little "pie" - so I didn't feel as though I was the pig of Vegas after eating such a treat!

The third day I got to watch a closed circuit interview that the Hubs and all 5000 other partners and principals of the firm got to see live - an interview with Presidents Clinton and GW Bush!  What a wonderful experience that was - watching these two powerful men speak so candidly and openly about their time in the White House to the folks in the firm.  The Hubs was in the second row and saw the whole thing, Presidents Bush and Clinton were right THERE in front of him!!  For security reasons, the spouses had to sit in a ballroom watching it on closed circuit television.  I didn't mind though - I am just glad I was able to see it!  I am not sure what every one's political tendencies are, but they are both very interesting, intelligent and engaging men, and surprisingly they are very good friends to boot!  After that, me and the Hubs had the rest of the day to ourselves!  We rented a car and just spent the whole day exploring Las Vegas!!  That evening we enjoyed attending "Tony and Tina's Wedding" at Planet Hollywood, then cigars and martini's at "Casa Fuente" in Caesars Palace - yes, I had a cigar!

All in all I will tell you that Vegas is a den of excess!  I ate too damn much, drank too damn much, spent too damn much and got too damn much sun - and I had a damn good time doing it, too!!  But, you know what they say - "What happens in Vegas.....!"

Until next time!!

Viva Las Vegas!

The whirlwind begins!  We're getting ready to leave for our Baby's football game in Kutztown, then it is off to Vegas!  Yes, I am very excited about Vegas and will work my hardest to avoid the "wife thing" - I promise!

I'm getting all blushy here too - My martini buddy and friend Amanda from "Life of a (hopeful) loser" has given me an award!!  My very FIRST award!!  Thank you Amanda!!!  I'm holding it now like an Oscar, close to my heart saying " You LIKE me, you REALLY like me!"..  Seriously, I thank you Amanda - you're a special Lady and you've  really made my day!

A short update - antibiotics are clearing up my Igor eye, and Hannibal gets to STAY HOME while we're in Vegas - Good for him, too (and good for ME)!!  He needs a good time out after this last episode!!

So, have a GREAT weekend and week!  We'll share a cup of Starbucks and Vegas stories when we get home!!

Until next time!

Fight Night Round 1

Oh mercy, things do happen in pairs don't they...   Rhetorical question I know, but I find that happens to me more often than not.  I was in a self imposed funk yesterday and it didn't end with a bright, sunshiny, new morning...  It seems Hannibal has more up his (sleeve) hose than I had earlier thought!  Ever since I got the damn CRAP, I've been waking up very refreshed, but with mildly swollen eyes.  Not terribly awful, but bad enough to have to put cold compression on them for a short time every morning..  I've spoken with others who have sleep apnea and was assured that this is a common side effect of the CRAP treatment..  This morning however, I woke up to my eyes completely swollen shut and I looked as though Hannibal cold cocked me in my sleep!!  They're so very red - almost purple!  I'm a sight to behold..  I'm going to look absolutely stunning in Vegas, won't I... The "Real Housewives of The Firm" will just love it - can just feel their glee and whispers as I type!!  I'm being really sarcastic here, and it's not very becoming..  It just seems to go on and on and on, doesn't it??  Never ending!  Sheeeeesh!  I know I am sounding like a whiner, I apologize for that, and I'm not really liking myself as a whiner either...  Getting on with it.... I get on the phone with the respiratory folks who delivered this damn CRAP! "Now what???"  They said the tech would call me later that day..  Not having the energy, desire, or appetite to call the Rheumatologist's office, I just made myself a Starbucks, soaked my eyes, and did my laundry..

End of story??  Nooooo..  The Respiratory Tech calls back around 3ish and tells me to "Cease using the equipment immediately (wasn't using it at that particular moment, but... ok...  besides, who uses the word 'cease' in everyday conversation???) and call my Doctor as soon as I get off the phone"..  Remember what I said yesterday??  "Call the Doctor" is NEVER a good thing...  So, even without energy, desire, or appetite for these calls I proceed to call the PHP.  I need to see them tomorrow morning.  The good news? (always a silver lining somewhere) I will just get my prescriptions for my RA from the PCP - I'll deal with Ernestine when I get back from Vegas - she's annoying and bossy but has never used the word "cease" in conversation - yet...

Ok..  It's going to get fixed tomorrow so I can cease my whining beginning now...  And, Hannibal has gone into "time out" for his antics this past week - he's a naughty one, isn't he!!  And not a good kind of naughty either!!  So, with that I will cease writing this blog for tonight and wish ALL of you a happy TGIF!!

Until next time!

Heaven Help Me, NOT Ernestine!

I'm in a funk today..  I know the reason, and I know I'm blowing everything out of proportion, but I'm miserable none-the-less.  I enjoyed a very lovely evening and day with my GrandAngel - he is the joy of life itself!  A true miracle!  We had breakfast and lunch together, we "talked", read books, went outside, watched "Wonder Pets" and "Yo Gabba-Gabba" (his favorite) together, and just had a grand time!!  The trouble started while I was taking him home..  I guess am being a little dramatic here..  it wasn't "trouble" - how about HUGE "annoyance"..  

First I called the Bariatric Center about tonights Support Group Meeting.  I was told that I am not officially registered for tonights meeting because I haven't had my initial visit with the surgeon yet..  I "could" attend if I wished to attend, but it is "better" they say "to have met the Dr and get those things lined up properly.. "  Siggghhhh, OK - So, me and my trusty notebook are  dressed up with nowhere to go.  No sooner did I hang up with the Bariatric Center, my pharmacy called me - I was actually on my way to the pharmacy when they called.  They were calling to let me know that they have not yet received my refill order for the standing prescriptions I need to take for my RA - which is now over due...  Hmmmmmm...  wondering "WHY???????"  Their advice, "call the Dr..."   When they say "Call the Dr" it's NEVER a good thing....... Sighhhhhhh.....The dread is building here..  Calling my Rheumatologist's office is as painful as having your eyes plucked out with eyebrow tweezers!   I love my Rheumatologist, but the hospital she's affiliated with has the most miserable, cantankerous, bitchy, wicked witch of the north, horrid excuses of "professional" women I have EVER seen work behind a desk...  Siggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...  I once brought this to the attention of Dr Y, my Rheumatologist, but she told me that unfortunately she isn't the one who put them there, the hospital has placed them, and since they're a part of the research, teaching aspect of the hospital their office is staffed with hospital employees...  Sooo, I proceed to the next level of this mystery - the mystery of WHY AREN'T MY DRUGS HERE - WHERE I LIVE - WHEN I NEED THEM??????   I call the office and a woman whose voice sounds eerily like Lily Tomlin as Ernestine (One ringy dingy..  two ringy dingy...) answers the phone...  "May I help You??"  I am half expecting her to ask "Is this the party to whom I am speaking?"  So I proceed to tell her my dilemma..  Now I'm on hold.... First I am hearing that snappy music that is always played while you're on hold...  Then  I hear about all the "latest techniques and treatments for Rheumatoid Arthritis..."  So where are my  $%$# - ing DRUGS????? I yell into the phone! Yes, I confess, I swore during those excruciating little infomercials, forgive me....  Ernestine gets back on the phone and proceeds to explain to me that I have not been into the office since February and that my prescriptions will NOT be refilled until I make an appointment..  WHAT??????  So I calmly explain to her that I would love to schedule an appointment for a date in late September, early October (the trip to Vegas, remember?)  She said she will have my prescriptions then - when I come in...  I ask to speak with my Rheumatologist..  "She is currently unavailable"..  When will she be "available?"  "One day next week..."  Silence..............  At this point I told her I would call back tomorrow. 

Some way, Some how, it all came crashing in on me..  This RA stuff, CRAP, Primary Care Physicians, LAP Band, blood tests, seminars, the fact that I'm FAT,  - ALL of it - every last pound of it...  And I just sat in my car in front of the pharmacy and teared up...  So, I did what any depressed woman would do in a situation like this, I went to the mall.  I drove to the mall with tears streaming down my cheeks and got a manicure and bought a few things that I needed for the trip to Vegas.  The Hubs made us dinner tonight, and double martini's - God Bless his soul, he always knows when things just aren't going well with me...   I guess after almost 30 years together, he's learned how to interpret the language of my "nothings wrong..." kinda moods.. 

I guess I could blame it on hormones...  Uhhhh..  well, I can't.  But, I'm in a mood today that's my story - and I am sticking to it!  I guess I'll call everyone tomorrow and get things all sorted out before we leave for our trip.  It will work out, as the Hubs says... 

So, it was a chicken soup, chick wrap and double martini kind of night..  I did get my nails done though, and that's always a good thing.... 

Until next time!

Happy Labor Day - Part 2

What a lovely time we had golfing!  The weather was cool - a bit chilly actually!  I golfed dreadfully, and I loved every second of it too!  I was a little tight today - just as I thought I would be - but after a few snap, crackle, and pops, I was ready to roll!  Couldn't putt though....  The greens were as dry and hard as a sidewalk and I just couldn't get the feel of them today - Oh well, there's always next time!  I got some exercise today.. I tried walking as much as I could on the course. It felt good, but I pooped out at about the 15th hole and finished the round in the cart.. I scrambled though and shot 2 less on the back nine than I did on the front. Either way, it was wonderful being out and just moving today! I needed that!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!!  We sure did!  Our friend J spent the day making homemade sauce out of our homegrown tomatoes!  What a lovely surprise that was!  To come home from golf and find dinner prepared, the wine breathing and a friend with martinis in hand waiting for us!!  Oh mercy!  What did I ever do to deserve that!!  It was soooo nice to just relax and talk about deep things... and not so deep..............  Yeah, we can be as shallow as the rest of them!

Now that Labor Day is past us, it's time for Autumn to come.  I put my white and pink purse away - (yes, I had a white and pink purse, what of it???  It was a Kathy Bag!) and got out the really cool brown one I recently bought ( I won't give up my white flip-flops though - not until it SNOWS!) - It's a Mom thing..  My Mother was always very particular and precise about these sorts of things..  White purse, belts and shoes go away now until Memorial Day..  It's funny how these things stick with me.  White purses, and purses on the floor..  Oh, you've never heard about purses on the floor??  I could write an entire blog about my "Motherisms"..  Never put a purse on the floor - "A purse on the floor is ALWAYS empty!"..  If you want money in your purse, do NOT put it on the floor!  Perhaps instead of writing an entire blog of "Motherisms", I think I shall pass along her "pearls of wisdom" as the situation warrants..  You're going to get them as I did - so brace yourself!  Speaking of "Motherisms", I told you that I am hearing her voice from the great beyond telling me how "seedy" I've been looking lately - that I need a haircut!  Well, Gina is coming for "lunch and a cut" tomorrow afternoon - Should be fun!!  It's my turn to do the lunch thing, and I'm still not sure what to make..  I'll come up with something...  I'm looking forward to it though!  After Gina is through shearing all my wild and crazy hair off, I am getting my GrandAngel!  How is THAT for a terrific afternoon?!?!

So, with that I shall say good night - I'm going to need ALL the rest I can get before my GrandAngel comes!!
Until next time!!

Happy Labor Day!

It's a good day to get out and golf today!!  The sun is shining, it's nice and cool, and I haven't golfed in such a long time - I'm ready!  It's going to take awhile in this cool weather to get these creaking bones swinging a golf club again - but I'll persevere, don't you worry!

We had a great birthday dinner for our 21 year old "Baby" yesterday!  I was completely exhausted by the time everyone left and slept like a champ - it was a good exhausted though!   A friend from Nicaragua brought us three different samples of Nicaraguan coffee to try - oh mercy, is that coffee good!! It was a two load evening (two loads of dishes in the dishwasher!).. 

I've been demoted in rank these days.. Here is the photo of the Hub's new love interest!  She comes complete with deep sexy voice that talks to him, and cushy seats that cuddle his tush!  I am so thrilled for him!  He's really enjoying his new baby!

I wish everyone a Happy Labor Day!!  We've earned this day to throw frisbees,  relax, enjoy our family, and eat hot dogs!  So, grab a cold one of choice, get that grill started and most of all, enjoy!! 

Until next time!

Rain...

We've got our first taste of autumn today..  I am sure it won't last long though - we're due for several hot days again next week.  The leaves are just beginning to turn yellow and fall, and it is cool today - in the 60's.  I noticed the leaves yesterday.  Just a few... but it's beginning..  The clouds are silver and gray, and feels like a sweater day..  A good day to curl up with a hot Starbucks and read a good book...

I hate being out in the rain.  I like the rain, but not being out in it.  I'm a sunshine person.  Perhaps "hate" is too strong of a word, "dislike" is more like it.  The rain isn't too thrilled with me either lately.  My joints tighten up when it is cool and rainy..  So I guess you can say the feelings between us are mutual.  But I love when the weather becomes cooler and the sky is a palate of silvers and gray.  I like hearing the rain on the roof, watching the drops slide down the glass on the windows..  when the drops make tiny circles on the surface of the pond, and the smell - ohhhh the smell after a good rain is better than anything that is bottled..  All my windows are open wide right now - the house is FREEZING, and it smells great!  I'll just put on my golf slippers, dig out a warm sweater and enjoy the smell for awhile....

Hannibal (CRAP) Update!!  (cue to organ music)  The Scene:  It is the middle of the night, the house is dark and still..   all that could be heard through the house is the soft droning tune of Hannibal humming in the background....  The Hubs gets up for a drink of water, and shakes me awake!  Can you imagine??  He scared the bajeezus out of me!!  It seemed that Hannibal sought this night to strike his revenge, and his revenge was ALMOST brilliantly executed - his devious plan was foiled at the last moment by my Knight in Shining Armour....  He's onto me!  How did he find out about my plotting his demise??  Sometime during the night, while I was at my most vulnerable, I had somehow gotten the tube from the mask wrapped around my throat!!  He attempted to strangle me in my sleep!!  I will have to be more cautious with this one..  He's a crafty one..  (dramatic organ music fades as we ride into the sunset....)

Enjoy your weekend!!
...Until next time

Happy TGIF!

Nothing new to report from here on the home front - and, that's a very good thing!  That usually means all is quiet and going along nicely!  I DID get a little dramatic in that the last post I wrote, didn't I.. But watching the chicks grow up does that to me, gets me all teary, all mooshie inside..  It's a "Mom thing"..  Warning Alert! I'll be ok now until my oldest chick has his birthday in March - then I'll get all mooshie again!

I have been working on the new site for our Parish.  The old one is nice, but it's time for a change.  It's been consuming my time these past few days - but the good thing is, I get to check in on my wonderful Bandettes and read their blogs when I need a break from the site!  I do learn so much from them, and I love being a little part of their lives!  Thank you so much my Bandettes and my friends for sharing your journey with me - and your life!!

Does anyone have exciting plans for the long weekend??  I'm still not sure what we're doing yet.  I would love to get out and golf, but I hear the weather isn't going to cooperate with me.  We're having a small get-together with family and some friends on Sunday for Chick #2's birthday - but that's about it.  Oh!  And I didn't tell you!  The Hubs is getting a new Truck!  It will be ready either today or tomorrow!  He's so excited about it, too!  I swear we watched the DVD from the dealership about 8 times already!  I will post a picture when he gets it.  I guess that's something good that came out of my "Friday the 13th Episode" - He gets the truck he was wanting to get sooner than he thought he would get it!  Maybe now he'll quit calling me "The Wrecking Ball"........................

I think I'll get my lab work done next week before we go to Vegas.  It's going to be a busy week, I can see it already!  Tuesday I am finally getting my hair done - I hear a voice in my head from Mother calling me from the great beyond.......  "You're looking seedy - get that hair cut!" - something she said quite often while I was growing up!  Wednesday I'm going to the Bariatric support group meeting (yeah!!) - the first of the three that I need to attend as a requirement for Lap Band surgery.  So, thursday will probably be lab work day.  Friday will be pack day, Saturday will be an away - and I mean a very away football game on the other side of the state ..   After the game, we fly out to Las Vegas..   So, I suppose I should just enjoy this quiet, rainey, weekend that we're going to have, and save up some much needed energy!  I'm gonna need it!

Ok, break's over - back to the site!  Have a wonderful TGIF!! 
...Until next time!

We're On The Island Of Misfit Toys...

"Damnmation" 150lbs of pure Luuv! 
He believes he's a lap dog

O Mercy!  It's hot here...  In the 90's and so humid..  I have so little energy in this humidity - I feel as though it takes all effort just to do the simple things that need to be done!  Which is why nothing has gotten done!  Actually, I take that back - I did get a lot done these past few days.  But not without huge effort on my part!  Yesterday, "Hellfire and Damnation" our two dogs (not their real names, their names have been changed to protect the innocent - but these are names I've given them since this last little fiasco.. Well, it's better than what I called them earlier - "*&#^$#%#@&#;!!!!") Anyway, they decided to co-conspire and together enjoyed a lovely smorgasbord out of our kitchen garbage container yesterday afternoon.  Garbage was everywhere!!  - which leads to my cleaning the rugs in the dining room...  And you can't have nice, clean, rugs in one room and not in the others - so, it turned out to be a summer cleaning project...  They're usually good dogs, but just get a little mischievous sometimes.............. 

"Hellfire"
Her name says it all!

You see, we live on the "Island of Misfit Toys" - "Damnation" is a mixed breed of German Shorthair and Blue Ticked Coon Hound.  Till this day I can't see how his two parents.........  well, talk about a mismatch!  Anyway, the German Shorthair in him wants so much to hunt and point as a bird dog points - but the Coon Hound in him wants to hunt with his nose..  So, we've got the best chipmunk and racoon pointer in the county!  "Hellfire", on the other hand is pure Brittany - papers 'n all!  She comes from some of the best bird hunting stock in the world - french royalty have hunted with dogs from her bloodlines...  The Hubs takes her out, works with her and she points the birds beautifully - magazing cover beautiful!!  Then the gun goes off....  She's gone.....   Back to the house....  She is gun shy!!  So, add them to an 18 year old blind cat and you have the menagerie that lives in our home!

So, together they decide to spread and roll around in day old spaghetti sauce and coffee grounds!  ALL over the tan rugs in our dining room..  You just can't imagine what it, what THEY looked like! And all the while the cat just sits on the stairs all smug like with that blank stare on his puss face that pretty much says to me "Hey Lady, don't look at me, I'm blind remember?!?" So, the rugs get cleaned, the dogs get bathed (I'm sure the cat LOVED that!) and that's a day in the life at this crazy place I call home!

No, I've never felt that "empty nest" syndrome - I still have three "kids" still at home!!

Until next time!