Right now my current comfort foods are Pillsbury Crescent Rolls and Sunkist Orange Soda. If I can have those every afternoon, life is good. If I don't get them, I am way too distressed, or distraught, or something.
What is the food that takes you to your happy place?
A Boy Gets to Be a Man When a Man is Needed
Chirp...chirp....I roused myself from sleep to figure out where the sound was coming from. Why do the smoke alarm batteries demand to be replaced only at night?
My husband had already left for work, so I got a ladder and streeeetched, but I was still a foot away from the alarm on our eight-foot ceiling.
So I wake up my boy, my boy who is a foot taller than me, and he stumbles downstairs sleepily. He climbs the ladder and reaches for the alarm, tentatively at first, then with more boldness when he realizes that the alarm is not going down without a fight. A screwdriver and some mental cursing later, the alarm falls silent.
He has slain his dragon. He has vanquished his foe. He limps groggily back up the stairs, no longer a boy, but now a man. I am filled with pride.
***
Of course, I know we should change the batteries before they cry out that they need to be changed, but for some reason, marking on my calendar to change the batteries twice a year just feels wrong. What would I become if I scheduled battery changes? I think it would just drain all the life out of me.
My husband had already left for work, so I got a ladder and streeeetched, but I was still a foot away from the alarm on our eight-foot ceiling.
So I wake up my boy, my boy who is a foot taller than me, and he stumbles downstairs sleepily. He climbs the ladder and reaches for the alarm, tentatively at first, then with more boldness when he realizes that the alarm is not going down without a fight. A screwdriver and some mental cursing later, the alarm falls silent.
He has slain his dragon. He has vanquished his foe. He limps groggily back up the stairs, no longer a boy, but now a man. I am filled with pride.
***
Of course, I know we should change the batteries before they cry out that they need to be changed, but for some reason, marking on my calendar to change the batteries twice a year just feels wrong. What would I become if I scheduled battery changes? I think it would just drain all the life out of me.
Sew Happy!
First of all, I loved Happy Feet. I am easily bored by movies, but Happy Feet had me on the edge of my seat.
Second, my mom bought Haley, Annie and me a sewing machine for our early Easter present. I am so excited that I don't even know what to sew first.
So on that note, I am off to sew...!
Second, my mom bought Haley, Annie and me a sewing machine for our early Easter present. I am so excited that I don't even know what to sew first.
So on that note, I am off to sew...!
Materialism
I have added the feature from Amazon.com to my site that will automatically link you to any products I write about here.
Their email said it will "delight" my site's visitors. Hmm...that remains to be seen, but I am doing it to delight myself. I'll be able to see how many things I write about are actually able to be bought and sold.
Maybe it will make me start writing about things that are more meaningful...things money can't buy...but for now I am waiting to see how long it will take before they link up Happy Feet.
Their email said it will "delight" my site's visitors. Hmm...that remains to be seen, but I am doing it to delight myself. I'll be able to see how many things I write about are actually able to be bought and sold.
Maybe it will make me start writing about things that are more meaningful...things money can't buy...but for now I am waiting to see how long it will take before they link up Happy Feet.
My Life Is So Boring...
How boring is it? I am actually counting the days and barely able to contain my excitement waiting for the release of Happy Feet on DVD.
Yes sir, I'll be the first one in line over at Blockbuster.
Yes sir, I'll be the first one in line over at Blockbuster.
Chronic Cough - My Story
My husband mentioned to me that he spoke with someone struggling with an asthma/chronic cough issue, so I wanted to go ahead and share some of my medical history here. Hopefully, it will help someone who is going through the same kind of thing.
1985-1996
I have chronic cough, chronic sore throat, rash, febrile illnesses, bronchitis.
June 1996
Pregnant, I complain to my ob of sinus problems, prescribed Nasonex.
September 1996
Shortness of breath. Sent to ER to check for pulmonary embolism. Doctor says I am perfectly healthy and sends me home.
October 1996
Complain of shortness of breath, coughing. Given pulmonary function test. Test shows perfect lung function. Prescribed albuterol for "asthma."
June 1997
Full work-up with allergy doctor. Found to be mildly allergic to dust, mold, pollen, trees, grass, etc. Pulmonary function test shows perfect lung function.
Prescribed Azmacort, Pulmicort, Rhinocort, Flonase, Singulair. None of the drugs are effective. Prescribed Zithromax for "throat infections" when I complain of shortness of breath and excessive need for Albuterol.
Decide I am an attention-seeking hypochrodriac. Self-esteem plummets to all time low.
Spring 1998
See ear, nose, throat doctor. Treated for "sinus infection" for four months with Zithromax, Augmentin. Sinus xrays show no evidence of infection.
By this time, I am having night sweats, low-grade fever, fatigue and unexplained rash.
Winter 2001
Sore throat, hoarse voice. See new primary care doctor who diagnoses GERD. Try Axid and Prilosec. Voice comes back but cough continues. Try Advair, Flovent, Serevent.
Fall 2004
Coughing up blood. Prescribed Augmentin, Zithromax, Biaxin. Chest xray shows an abnormality it the right upper lobe. CT scan shows lung tumor in the right upper lobe.
Even with diagnosis, no doctor can hear any abnormal sounds when they listen to my lungs with a stethoscope.
Spring 2005
Thoracotomy with right upper lobe lung resection to remove pulmonary mycetoma, or "fungus ball." Surgeon believes the fungus has been growing in a cavity in my lung since childhood.
Today
I use Asmanex, Nasonex, Singulair, Albuterol, Prilosec and Foradil. I still have episodes of shortness of breath and coughing, but they usually resolve quickly.
I will continue to update this as I remember any pertinent details. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions.
1985-1996
I have chronic cough, chronic sore throat, rash, febrile illnesses, bronchitis.
June 1996
Pregnant, I complain to my ob of sinus problems, prescribed Nasonex.
September 1996
Shortness of breath. Sent to ER to check for pulmonary embolism. Doctor says I am perfectly healthy and sends me home.
October 1996
Complain of shortness of breath, coughing. Given pulmonary function test. Test shows perfect lung function. Prescribed albuterol for "asthma."
June 1997
Full work-up with allergy doctor. Found to be mildly allergic to dust, mold, pollen, trees, grass, etc. Pulmonary function test shows perfect lung function.
Prescribed Azmacort, Pulmicort, Rhinocort, Flonase, Singulair. None of the drugs are effective. Prescribed Zithromax for "throat infections" when I complain of shortness of breath and excessive need for Albuterol.
Decide I am an attention-seeking hypochrodriac. Self-esteem plummets to all time low.
Spring 1998
See ear, nose, throat doctor. Treated for "sinus infection" for four months with Zithromax, Augmentin. Sinus xrays show no evidence of infection.
By this time, I am having night sweats, low-grade fever, fatigue and unexplained rash.
Winter 2001
Sore throat, hoarse voice. See new primary care doctor who diagnoses GERD. Try Axid and Prilosec. Voice comes back but cough continues. Try Advair, Flovent, Serevent.
Fall 2004
Coughing up blood. Prescribed Augmentin, Zithromax, Biaxin. Chest xray shows an abnormality it the right upper lobe. CT scan shows lung tumor in the right upper lobe.
Even with diagnosis, no doctor can hear any abnormal sounds when they listen to my lungs with a stethoscope.
Spring 2005
Thoracotomy with right upper lobe lung resection to remove pulmonary mycetoma, or "fungus ball." Surgeon believes the fungus has been growing in a cavity in my lung since childhood.
Today
I use Asmanex, Nasonex, Singulair, Albuterol, Prilosec and Foradil. I still have episodes of shortness of breath and coughing, but they usually resolve quickly.
I will continue to update this as I remember any pertinent details. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions.
Death of a Princess
My doctor said I could stop wearing the boot and go back to a shoe! Yay! He also said that my bone healed way faster than it should have. So being the positive thinker that I am, I immediately researched what hideous disease could cause rapid healing of bone. I didn't see one, so I guess I am a good healer.
However, the doctor did not like my old, reliable Reebok Princess shoes, so I had to go buy shoes with a stiffer sole. I have been wearing Reeboks since I was sixteen years old, so the purchase of my first pair of Nike walking shoes was a significant milestone. I kind of teared up a little bit.
The shoes are alright, though, and I appreciated the extra support they provide.
Here is a photo of Daisy, tasting the new fabric for her dog bed:
However, the doctor did not like my old, reliable Reebok Princess shoes, so I had to go buy shoes with a stiffer sole. I have been wearing Reeboks since I was sixteen years old, so the purchase of my first pair of Nike walking shoes was a significant milestone. I kind of teared up a little bit.
The shoes are alright, though, and I appreciated the extra support they provide.
Here is a photo of Daisy, tasting the new fabric for her dog bed:
Resting...not all it's cracked up to be
I think the lack of exercise is getting to me. I can't sleep at night, and I have an urge to paint the walls purple. (Don't worry, Mom, I didn't do it!) I just have a nervous energy that I can't shake. I miss my walks and all.
I will say that my foot only hurts a bit now, and actually feels better than the other foot. So that is good news. But the doctor said the bones take six weeks to heal, so I still have to be careful, even if it doesn't hurt. I am going to totally obey, because I imagine that the bones popping loose from the screw would feel incredibly awful.
But enough about me...my little nephew is due in just over a month. It goes so quickly when I am not the one who's pregnant!
My father-in-law seems to be doing well. He is responding to treatment, and is on a good pain medication that doesn't make him feel too sick.
Tim is loving his new job. He was sort of forced to take it because his business just wasn't paying the bills this year. But it has turned out to be fun and interesting, and he is getting lots of good attention from the higher ups. The company is supposed to have incredible benefits and insurance and all that we will get next month.
My kids are loving the warm weather and are playing outside as much as I will let them. We are on a homeschool break for now, so we will have a summer session again this year. When it is over 100° F in the summer, they have nothing else to do, and so they are very attentive to lessons.
I want Morgan to read Red Badge of Courage and The Old Man and the Sea this year. And I though I would read Macbeth to them. My friends and I practically memorized it in high school, so I think they might enjoy it.
I will say that my foot only hurts a bit now, and actually feels better than the other foot. So that is good news. But the doctor said the bones take six weeks to heal, so I still have to be careful, even if it doesn't hurt. I am going to totally obey, because I imagine that the bones popping loose from the screw would feel incredibly awful.
But enough about me...my little nephew is due in just over a month. It goes so quickly when I am not the one who's pregnant!
My father-in-law seems to be doing well. He is responding to treatment, and is on a good pain medication that doesn't make him feel too sick.
Tim is loving his new job. He was sort of forced to take it because his business just wasn't paying the bills this year. But it has turned out to be fun and interesting, and he is getting lots of good attention from the higher ups. The company is supposed to have incredible benefits and insurance and all that we will get next month.
My kids are loving the warm weather and are playing outside as much as I will let them. We are on a homeschool break for now, so we will have a summer session again this year. When it is over 100° F in the summer, they have nothing else to do, and so they are very attentive to lessons.
I want Morgan to read Red Badge of Courage and The Old Man and the Sea this year. And I though I would read Macbeth to them. My friends and I practically memorized it in high school, so I think they might enjoy it.
Meaningless Ramblings
I accidentally killed my guppies. I bleached their tank and thought I had put enough de-chlorinator in, but obviously I did not, because when I went back to look, they were dead, dead, dead.
I feel really guilty about it, but fortunately I tend to get over fish deaths fairly quickly. I still have two tetra left. They are in fresh, clean water. I think I am finished with fish for now. The dogs take up enough time, money and energy.
Speaking of which, we haven't walked them in forever. Daisy actually needs to rest, but...oh, I just remember why we didn't walk them today. It was too hot.
It is weird because the fire is in the neighborhood that I used to want to live in. I would drive through and long for the beautiful houses. It never fails. Almost everywhere that I think about living ends up having a terrible fire. I am not going to even think about moving again!
There are a lot of fires here in Southern California, but in Orange County, they usually get them put out quickly. There is not much open land, so they have to hurry if they are going to save the houses. We live in a fairly safe area, though, because we have highways on two sides and a lake on the third side. The fourth side is trees and brush, but a fire would have to burn downhill and burn all of my annoying neighbors houses first, so I am not too worried about it.
Not all of my neighbors are annoying, just the ones to the east. I love my other neighbors. :)
I feel really guilty about it, but fortunately I tend to get over fish deaths fairly quickly. I still have two tetra left. They are in fresh, clean water. I think I am finished with fish for now. The dogs take up enough time, money and energy.
Speaking of which, we haven't walked them in forever. Daisy actually needs to rest, but...oh, I just remember why we didn't walk them today. It was too hot.
It is weird because the fire is in the neighborhood that I used to want to live in. I would drive through and long for the beautiful houses. It never fails. Almost everywhere that I think about living ends up having a terrible fire. I am not going to even think about moving again!
There are a lot of fires here in Southern California, but in Orange County, they usually get them put out quickly. There is not much open land, so they have to hurry if they are going to save the houses. We live in a fairly safe area, though, because we have highways on two sides and a lake on the third side. The fourth side is trees and brush, but a fire would have to burn downhill and burn all of my annoying neighbors houses first, so I am not too worried about it.
Not all of my neighbors are annoying, just the ones to the east. I love my other neighbors. :)
Heat, Wind, Fire
We had a high of 96° F here today. And a forest fire a few miles away. I guess that is the price we pay for having summer in the winter.
So this is the deal. I supposed to rest, but my house is a mess! Not the kind of mess I can ask the kids to clean up, but the kind of mess you get when your house is too small, and you have no place to put things, so you just sort of start moving them around from place to place.
My sister is supposed to give me some books on de-cluttering, and she better hurry.
Tim and I agreed that we were going to stay in this small house forever, so I need to figure something out.
My sister is supposed to give me some books on de-cluttering, and she better hurry.
Tim and I agreed that we were going to stay in this small house forever, so I need to figure something out.
I got a fever, so I had to rush to the doctor to have my foot checked. He said it was not infected, and I probably just have a virus. I didn't think it was infected, but how would I know?
My doctor reiterated that I needed to be resting with my foot up, so I didn't mention cleaning out the garage. I am going to try to rest more and ask for help when I need it, but it is hard. Tim is working two jobs, so I need to depend on the kids for help. They are very good at it, but after awhile, I feel guilty.
Daisy is doing very well recovering from her surgery. We were worried last night when she wouldn't eat, but today she was back to her old self trying to rummage through the trash and jump on the counter. Janie missed her so much while she was gone. She whimpered and looked for her all day. When Daisy came home, Janie was so worried and kept licking her face to try to get her to open her eyes.
The saddest thing was when we took Daisy outside to go potty, and she hid from us. She actually seemed scared of us. Tim had to carry her inside. Poor thing.
We found a wonderful place that only charged us $48 for her spay, so if anyone in Orange County, California needs a wonderfully inexpensive vet, email me for the address.
Well, I am off for now. Annie and I need to go play Solver at Millsberry.com.
My doctor reiterated that I needed to be resting with my foot up, so I didn't mention cleaning out the garage. I am going to try to rest more and ask for help when I need it, but it is hard. Tim is working two jobs, so I need to depend on the kids for help. They are very good at it, but after awhile, I feel guilty.
Daisy is doing very well recovering from her surgery. We were worried last night when she wouldn't eat, but today she was back to her old self trying to rummage through the trash and jump on the counter. Janie missed her so much while she was gone. She whimpered and looked for her all day. When Daisy came home, Janie was so worried and kept licking her face to try to get her to open her eyes.
The saddest thing was when we took Daisy outside to go potty, and she hid from us. She actually seemed scared of us. Tim had to carry her inside. Poor thing.
We found a wonderful place that only charged us $48 for her spay, so if anyone in Orange County, California needs a wonderfully inexpensive vet, email me for the address.
Well, I am off for now. Annie and I need to go play Solver at Millsberry.com.
Daisy Going Under the Knife!
Poor Daisy is getting spayed tomorrow (finally). I feel kind of bad for her, you know, one woman to another, but we cannot risk having puppies.
Actually, I wouldn't mind having puppies, but it would be so hard to give them away. We are only allowed two dogs in this city. It is probably best that we have a limit, because I would probably end up being one of those dog hoarders on Animal Cops.
It will be fun to have a day alone with Janie. She is much more obedient than Daisy, so we can do more things with less chance of disaster.
Actually, I wouldn't mind having puppies, but it would be so hard to give them away. We are only allowed two dogs in this city. It is probably best that we have a limit, because I would probably end up being one of those dog hoarders on Animal Cops.
It will be fun to have a day alone with Janie. She is much more obedient than Daisy, so we can do more things with less chance of disaster.
Okay. I am off the painkillers, so it is safe to post. I kept a notebook by me to write all my vicodin-induced ideas in, so it should be interesting to read what I came up with.
I spent the first part of the week with my foot up, having my kids wait on me hand and foot. But something about walking slowly and doing everything slowly made me notice all of the work that I need to do, so I spent yesterday doing laundry, cleaning the garage, catching up on dishes and trying to fix my kids' computer.
You know, you really take for granted just walking around normally. The dogs were whining this morning, and where before, I would have just run downstairs to let them out, now I had to put my sock on, put my boot on, walk slowly across the room, walk slowly downstairs...
Anyway, I will not take walking for granted again!
Let's see, I also sewed a Pointy Kitty from the Wee Wonderfuls pattern, a teddy bear and a few other little things. I tried to knit, but it made me too drowsy.
Wow, this is really boring...
How about the five reasons why I blog:
After thinking about it all week, I have found that there is only one reason I continue to blog. The people. I love that I have connected with people all over the world. I hope to continue the friendships and continue to make new friends.
And a special thank you to Jess for her kindness to me when I first started blogging. Without her, I probably would have given up by now.
I spent the first part of the week with my foot up, having my kids wait on me hand and foot. But something about walking slowly and doing everything slowly made me notice all of the work that I need to do, so I spent yesterday doing laundry, cleaning the garage, catching up on dishes and trying to fix my kids' computer.
You know, you really take for granted just walking around normally. The dogs were whining this morning, and where before, I would have just run downstairs to let them out, now I had to put my sock on, put my boot on, walk slowly across the room, walk slowly downstairs...
Anyway, I will not take walking for granted again!
Let's see, I also sewed a Pointy Kitty from the Wee Wonderfuls pattern, a teddy bear and a few other little things. I tried to knit, but it made me too drowsy.
Wow, this is really boring...
How about the five reasons why I blog:
After thinking about it all week, I have found that there is only one reason I continue to blog. The people. I love that I have connected with people all over the world. I hope to continue the friendships and continue to make new friends.
And a special thank you to Jess for her kindness to me when I first started blogging. Without her, I probably would have given up by now.
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