SLACKER, AND OTHER FOND DESCRIPTIVES OF MYSELF
Ever since I moved my blog, I’ve been the laziest blogger in town. What’s up with that? It’s not like it’s harder to blog now; I just got out of the habit. My new summer’s resolution is to write more.
That said, however, we’re heading out of town for the weekend so I won’t be back until Monday night. [sheepish grin]
So anyway, happenings of late include … um … gee, I don’t remember. Oh wait, yes I do. Last Saturday the five of us went to see the Houston Dynamo soccer team play the Chicago Fire. Despite the fact that Houston outplayed Chicago, we fell in a heartbreaking 1-0 game. Phooey.
That night I came down with a sore throat. I remember thinking, “that’s not good.” And it wasn’t. Sunday I was sick with a runny nose and sore throat; by Monday it was extremely hard to even get out of bed. I pretty much slept on the couch all day. Today I’m still congested and a little cough-y, but I’m definitely better. I’ll just say this: summer colds suck big ones.
The kidlets are out of school for the summer now. They actually got out yesterday, but today was so busy with errand-running (getting ready for our trip) that the day just flew by. Then this evening we all went to watch hubby play soccer. After a year of dreaming about it, he finally joined an indoor soccer team a few weeks ago. He seems to be enjoying the exercise. At least, I think he is. He looked pretty winded out there. But his soccer skills are still excellent and it was great to watch him play again. Time and exercise will build up his endurance, and I'm sure that eventually he’ll be just like Brian Ching.
Love you, hubby.
Not too much else to report, and I've got to get to bed. We're planning to leave at the crack of dawn.
Happy Memorial Day, everyone. Don't forget to fly your flags with pride. :)
Friday, May 26, 2006
Thursday, May 18, 2006
IN MY INBOX
Got this email from my sister this morning. This is amazing because in order to write this email, she had to type. And to type, she most likely used her actual thumbs - neither of which are 100%, by the way. Or hell, 20%.
Anyway, for those who wonder how a 4'10", 100-lb-soaking-wet girl managed to survive such a horrific accident, maybe now you can see just how tough she is.
Background: One of Tnk's injuries was a crushed right thumb. The doctor had to basically rebuild the joint, then he put three pins in it - one horizontal and two vertical. The thumb has been stuck in a "thumbs up" position for two months. This past week, however, the remaining two pins were finally removed.
And now, her words:
Howdy All!!!
I hope you all are having a great week. I apologize for not writing sooner. I thought I'd send an update.
Tuesday, I got the last 2 pins out. YEAH! When they took the first one out a few weeks ago, it didn't hurt all that bad. So, I decided to skip the pain medications this time. In this decision, I forgot three very important factors. One, I took pain meds the first time. Two, there was only one pin to remove the first time. Three, the first pin was less than 1/2 the length of these two. This was not a shining moment in the making. It went something like this...
Doc: Well, the X-rays look good. Let's get those pins out.
T: Great!
Doc: Did you take a full dose of Vicodin?
T: Nah, I hate being high on those things for 6 hours when it's only going to take 10 minutes to remove the pins.
Doc: Umm...I think we should reschedule this for a time when you can take the meds. It's really going to hurt.
T: I'll be fine, go ahead.
Doc: I really don't want to hurt you.
T: Doc, I survived a direct hit by a Chevy. I'll make it through this.
Doc: OK, then.
Do you see what's coming? Pain, lots and lots and lots of it. The pins came out one at a time and the doc congratulated me on my ability to sit through it. The truth is that I'm pretty sure that he could tell that I was eating my words and asking the Vicodin gods to spare their wrath at my abandonment of them. After the doc's office, sis [not me, by the way; our other sis] took me to lunch where I humbly and gratefully took 1/2 of a tablet.
On the bright side, at hand therapy yesterday, my thumb did bend ever so slightly. YIPPEE!
Smiles from the road to recovery,
Tnk
You guys have no idea how good this email made me feel. Her thumb is still mostly stuck (thus the "ever so slightly" comment), and she still has a considerable amount of pain in both hands, but her attitude is amazing. I am convinced that she will eventually be able to return to work just because she's so motivated.
That's the big news from here. Hope you all had a good week!
Got this email from my sister this morning. This is amazing because in order to write this email, she had to type. And to type, she most likely used her actual thumbs - neither of which are 100%, by the way. Or hell, 20%.
Anyway, for those who wonder how a 4'10", 100-lb-soaking-wet girl managed to survive such a horrific accident, maybe now you can see just how tough she is.
Background: One of Tnk's injuries was a crushed right thumb. The doctor had to basically rebuild the joint, then he put three pins in it - one horizontal and two vertical. The thumb has been stuck in a "thumbs up" position for two months. This past week, however, the remaining two pins were finally removed.
And now, her words:
Howdy All!!!
I hope you all are having a great week. I apologize for not writing sooner. I thought I'd send an update.
Tuesday, I got the last 2 pins out. YEAH! When they took the first one out a few weeks ago, it didn't hurt all that bad. So, I decided to skip the pain medications this time. In this decision, I forgot three very important factors. One, I took pain meds the first time. Two, there was only one pin to remove the first time. Three, the first pin was less than 1/2 the length of these two. This was not a shining moment in the making. It went something like this...
Doc: Well, the X-rays look good. Let's get those pins out.
T: Great!
Doc: Did you take a full dose of Vicodin?
T: Nah, I hate being high on those things for 6 hours when it's only going to take 10 minutes to remove the pins.
Doc: Umm...I think we should reschedule this for a time when you can take the meds. It's really going to hurt.
T: I'll be fine, go ahead.
Doc: I really don't want to hurt you.
T: Doc, I survived a direct hit by a Chevy. I'll make it through this.
Doc: OK, then.
Do you see what's coming? Pain, lots and lots and lots of it. The pins came out one at a time and the doc congratulated me on my ability to sit through it. The truth is that I'm pretty sure that he could tell that I was eating my words and asking the Vicodin gods to spare their wrath at my abandonment of them. After the doc's office, sis [not me, by the way; our other sis] took me to lunch where I humbly and gratefully took 1/2 of a tablet.
On the bright side, at hand therapy yesterday, my thumb did bend ever so slightly. YIPPEE!
Smiles from the road to recovery,
Tnk
You guys have no idea how good this email made me feel. Her thumb is still mostly stuck (thus the "ever so slightly" comment), and she still has a considerable amount of pain in both hands, but her attitude is amazing. I am convinced that she will eventually be able to return to work just because she's so motivated.
That's the big news from here. Hope you all had a good week!
Friday, May 12, 2006
DREAMLAND
The new mattress was delivered yesterday...[sigh]...it's heavenly. We ended up with a Eurotop, which is, I think, almost as cushy as a pillowtop. I can't imagine a softer bed; in fact, I really think that if we'd gotten anything cushier, we'd be sleeping on the Sta-Puf Man.
But underneath the soft, dreamy goodness lies a mattress with enough firmness for hubby, which is a nice compromise if you ask me. Neither of us wanted to get out of bed this morning, and we're looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow.
In other news...
Today Tnk, other sis, and I jumped back into the fray of getting her house put together. This time the work went much more quickly than usual because we had a deadline: my youngest brother, whom I'll call Tree, is going to be attending the police academy starting a week from Monday (different academy than Tnk, btw). As his house is easily 50 miles from the academy, and as Tnk's is only about 5, he asked if he could live at her house during the week for the next few months - starting next weekend. She agreed, but then suddenly realized that her house has no place for him to sleep.
So today we cleared out the room we'd been using as a workroom (formerly Moi's bedroom, y'all...oh, the memories!). We painted all the walls and ceiling, then dragged a bed frame, mattress set, and dresser, from the garage to what has become the new guest room. It looks fabulous in there; much MUCH nicer than when it was my room a hundred years ago. I wish I'd discovered paint as a teenager.
By the way, when I say "we," I mean "other sis and me." Tnk still cannot use her hands for anything significant - having opposable thumbs is, as it turns out, pretty important for most things. When we were putting the bedroom together at the end of the day, I found her in tears trying to do the simple task of putting a fitted sheet on the bed. My heart just bleeds for her. I can't imagine the frustration she must feel on a daily basis.
Today is the two-month anniversary of the accident. Overall, Tnk is doing okay, although admittedly my standards are very low - I'm ecstatic that she's even breathing, much less walking. She is still living with our other sister and has to have help to do most things - wash her hair, cut up her food, dig out her housekeys...you get the gist. She also found out yesterday that her left hand will most likely never bend more than about 80 degrees forward (most people can do much more than that).
Today she loosely tied her shoes for the first time, and she was absolutely beaming when she told me! Can you imagine being 36 years old and having to relearn how to use your hands? It kills me if I think about it too much. I still harbor a ton of anger toward the man who put her in this condition, which is probably normal but still upsetting. So I try to focus on the positive: she's alive, she's breathing, and...she's alive.
I am grateful. I am grateful. I am grateful.
Onward.
Just found out that some of my high school classmates are planning our 20-year reunion. Wait, did I just say 20-year?!? No way are we that old! Well, I don't *feel* that old. Anyway, I'm excited at the prospect of seeing old friends. Maybe I'm weird, but I think it will be fun.
That's about it from here. Bye for now.
The new mattress was delivered yesterday...[sigh]...it's heavenly. We ended up with a Eurotop, which is, I think, almost as cushy as a pillowtop. I can't imagine a softer bed; in fact, I really think that if we'd gotten anything cushier, we'd be sleeping on the Sta-Puf Man.
But underneath the soft, dreamy goodness lies a mattress with enough firmness for hubby, which is a nice compromise if you ask me. Neither of us wanted to get out of bed this morning, and we're looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow.
In other news...
Today Tnk, other sis, and I jumped back into the fray of getting her house put together. This time the work went much more quickly than usual because we had a deadline: my youngest brother, whom I'll call Tree, is going to be attending the police academy starting a week from Monday (different academy than Tnk, btw). As his house is easily 50 miles from the academy, and as Tnk's is only about 5, he asked if he could live at her house during the week for the next few months - starting next weekend. She agreed, but then suddenly realized that her house has no place for him to sleep.
So today we cleared out the room we'd been using as a workroom (formerly Moi's bedroom, y'all...oh, the memories!). We painted all the walls and ceiling, then dragged a bed frame, mattress set, and dresser, from the garage to what has become the new guest room. It looks fabulous in there; much MUCH nicer than when it was my room a hundred years ago. I wish I'd discovered paint as a teenager.
By the way, when I say "we," I mean "other sis and me." Tnk still cannot use her hands for anything significant - having opposable thumbs is, as it turns out, pretty important for most things. When we were putting the bedroom together at the end of the day, I found her in tears trying to do the simple task of putting a fitted sheet on the bed. My heart just bleeds for her. I can't imagine the frustration she must feel on a daily basis.
Today is the two-month anniversary of the accident. Overall, Tnk is doing okay, although admittedly my standards are very low - I'm ecstatic that she's even breathing, much less walking. She is still living with our other sister and has to have help to do most things - wash her hair, cut up her food, dig out her housekeys...you get the gist. She also found out yesterday that her left hand will most likely never bend more than about 80 degrees forward (most people can do much more than that).
Today she loosely tied her shoes for the first time, and she was absolutely beaming when she told me! Can you imagine being 36 years old and having to relearn how to use your hands? It kills me if I think about it too much. I still harbor a ton of anger toward the man who put her in this condition, which is probably normal but still upsetting. So I try to focus on the positive: she's alive, she's breathing, and...she's alive.
I am grateful. I am grateful. I am grateful.
Onward.
Just found out that some of my high school classmates are planning our 20-year reunion. Wait, did I just say 20-year?!? No way are we that old! Well, I don't *feel* that old. Anyway, I'm excited at the prospect of seeing old friends. Maybe I'm weird, but I think it will be fun.
That's about it from here. Bye for now.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
PILLOW TALK
Last night hubby and I dragged the kids out mattress shopping again. (Let me reiterate the fact that kids love mattress shopping. Seriously, y'all.) This time we revisited a store that I'd pre-visited yesterday morning. The store sells only Serta mattress sets, and let me tell you, Serta has some nice products.
After about 45 minutes of rolling around on a dozen or so different mattresses, hubby and I finally found one that we both liked. (I swear I heard a heavenly choir singing "HALLELUJAH, THEY AGREE!") The only problem was the price, which was approximately $400 more than we'd planned to spend. But then the salesguy pointed out that the bed was already on sale for $500 off it's original price; he agreed to take 10% more off; then he reminded us that delivery charges are rebated in full. So with all those discounts, we figured what the heck.
Twenty minutes later, as we were driving home, the realization hit both of us that we'd just shot our mattress budget. Despite the fact that we'd rationalized all the discounts and the fact that this is one smokin' bed, the almighty dollar was laughing at us. "HAHA!" it said. "You think you're such a tightwad, but look at how many of me you just spent! Losers!" Okay, maybe this "dollar" was in my head, or maybe it was just my conscience, but in any event, I was no longer pleased with our purchase.
So today, after hours of stressing over the whole mattress fiasco, I decided to take advantage of Serta's 30-day no-questions-asked return policy and cancel our order. (We don't actually have the bed yet, so no mattressy stuff changed hands.) I marched down to the store and sheepishly asked the salesman - whom I'll hereafter call Joel, as that is his name - if I could look at something a little less expensive. He was the same guy I'd dealt with yesterday, so he was more than accommodating. Actually, I think he was happy I didn't just bail on his commission, but whatever.
I spent about 15 minutes re-deciding on a mattress that hubby and I would both like. I chose one, then went up to the register to tell Joel what I'd decided. He started to ring it up, then said that since he knew how much time hubby and I had anguished over our initial decision last night, would I be willing to consider another offer. I was like, hey, if it's going to save me money, let's hear it! Joel then said that he'd be willing to discount the original mattress set another $100 plus tax, which while not bringing us down to our original budget, sure brought us closer.
Therefore, our new mattress set, which will be delivered Thursday afternoon, has now been discounted thusly:
$500 off original price
10% off sale price
$60 delivery fee refunded
AND - $108.25 more off all that
Hubby was very happy that I'd gone to all that trouble - he said he'd have never had the guts to go back in there and negotiate. (Normally, I'm not that gutsy, either, but I knew how much it was stressing us out, so I think adrenaline played a role here.) We're both thrilled that we'll finally have a good mattress set that will help our back/neck pain.
Now I just can't wait until Thursday!
Last night hubby and I dragged the kids out mattress shopping again. (Let me reiterate the fact that kids love mattress shopping. Seriously, y'all.) This time we revisited a store that I'd pre-visited yesterday morning. The store sells only Serta mattress sets, and let me tell you, Serta has some nice products.
After about 45 minutes of rolling around on a dozen or so different mattresses, hubby and I finally found one that we both liked. (I swear I heard a heavenly choir singing "HALLELUJAH, THEY AGREE!") The only problem was the price, which was approximately $400 more than we'd planned to spend. But then the salesguy pointed out that the bed was already on sale for $500 off it's original price; he agreed to take 10% more off; then he reminded us that delivery charges are rebated in full. So with all those discounts, we figured what the heck.
Twenty minutes later, as we were driving home, the realization hit both of us that we'd just shot our mattress budget. Despite the fact that we'd rationalized all the discounts and the fact that this is one smokin' bed, the almighty dollar was laughing at us. "HAHA!" it said. "You think you're such a tightwad, but look at how many of me you just spent! Losers!" Okay, maybe this "dollar" was in my head, or maybe it was just my conscience, but in any event, I was no longer pleased with our purchase.
So today, after hours of stressing over the whole mattress fiasco, I decided to take advantage of Serta's 30-day no-questions-asked return policy and cancel our order. (We don't actually have the bed yet, so no mattressy stuff changed hands.) I marched down to the store and sheepishly asked the salesman - whom I'll hereafter call Joel, as that is his name - if I could look at something a little less expensive. He was the same guy I'd dealt with yesterday, so he was more than accommodating. Actually, I think he was happy I didn't just bail on his commission, but whatever.
I spent about 15 minutes re-deciding on a mattress that hubby and I would both like. I chose one, then went up to the register to tell Joel what I'd decided. He started to ring it up, then said that since he knew how much time hubby and I had anguished over our initial decision last night, would I be willing to consider another offer. I was like, hey, if it's going to save me money, let's hear it! Joel then said that he'd be willing to discount the original mattress set another $100 plus tax, which while not bringing us down to our original budget, sure brought us closer.
Therefore, our new mattress set, which will be delivered Thursday afternoon, has now been discounted thusly:
$500 off original price
10% off sale price
$60 delivery fee refunded
AND - $108.25 more off all that
Hubby was very happy that I'd gone to all that trouble - he said he'd have never had the guts to go back in there and negotiate. (Normally, I'm not that gutsy, either, but I knew how much it was stressing us out, so I think adrenaline played a role here.) We're both thrilled that we'll finally have a good mattress set that will help our back/neck pain.
Now I just can't wait until Thursday!
Monday, May 08, 2006
GENERAL SUCKITUDE
This past weekend, that is. Saturday I spent in bed and/or on the sofa because I was...what's the word for thirty-miles-beyond-tired? Anyway, I am hoping that it was residual Vicodin making me groggy, and not that I'm anemic or something.
After my latest surprise diagnosis at the doctor's office, I'm afraid of everything now. In particular, I'm afraid I have lupus. Never mind the fact that I have exactly two of the fifteen symptoms of it - I'm tired and had a joint ache! Gah! I'm dying!
At least, that's what my fuzzy and befuddled brain is telling me these days.
Sheesh.
Actually, the doctor did suggest I have bloodwork done to test for lupus. BUT - she only said that because I told her my mother once had it. If I'd not mentioned it, she'd not have even thought of it. In retrospect, I'm surprised she even heard me, as it appeared throughout my visit that she wasn't listening to a word I said. In any event, having bloodwork done is probably not a bad idea. Maybe I'll even go ahead and schedule that mammogram. After all, I'll be 40. Someday. ;)
Breaking news: Hubby and I have decided it's time to buy a new bed, so we spent yesterday afternoon reclining on about 50 different beds in the greater Houston area. (BTW, if you ever need an activity that your kids are guaranteed to enjoy, take them mattress shopping.) We can't exactly agree on what kind of bed we want - hubby wants firmness; I want squishiness; the kids want Tempurpedic, but (a)ew, hubby and I don't like Tempurpedic, and (2) the kids aren't getting new beds anyway, so they don't get a vote. We're torn between two different mattresses at the moment, but I think we're going to make a final decision tonight. One bed is a name-brand, but costs $400 more than the other one, which at the moment feels just as good.
Any input from the peanut gallery? We're about to drop nearly a grand, so suggestions would be most welcomed.
This past weekend, that is. Saturday I spent in bed and/or on the sofa because I was...what's the word for thirty-miles-beyond-tired? Anyway, I am hoping that it was residual Vicodin making me groggy, and not that I'm anemic or something.
After my latest surprise diagnosis at the doctor's office, I'm afraid of everything now. In particular, I'm afraid I have lupus. Never mind the fact that I have exactly two of the fifteen symptoms of it - I'm tired and had a joint ache! Gah! I'm dying!
At least, that's what my fuzzy and befuddled brain is telling me these days.
Sheesh.
Actually, the doctor did suggest I have bloodwork done to test for lupus. BUT - she only said that because I told her my mother once had it. If I'd not mentioned it, she'd not have even thought of it. In retrospect, I'm surprised she even heard me, as it appeared throughout my visit that she wasn't listening to a word I said. In any event, having bloodwork done is probably not a bad idea. Maybe I'll even go ahead and schedule that mammogram. After all, I'll be 40. Someday. ;)
Breaking news: Hubby and I have decided it's time to buy a new bed, so we spent yesterday afternoon reclining on about 50 different beds in the greater Houston area. (BTW, if you ever need an activity that your kids are guaranteed to enjoy, take them mattress shopping.) We can't exactly agree on what kind of bed we want - hubby wants firmness; I want squishiness; the kids want Tempurpedic, but (a)ew, hubby and I don't like Tempurpedic, and (2) the kids aren't getting new beds anyway, so they don't get a vote. We're torn between two different mattresses at the moment, but I think we're going to make a final decision tonight. One bed is a name-brand, but costs $400 more than the other one, which at the moment feels just as good.
Any input from the peanut gallery? We're about to drop nearly a grand, so suggestions would be most welcomed.
Friday, May 05, 2006
DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING
Yesterday I received a letter in the mail from the physician I recently saw for my back pain. In addition to a "this is what's wrong with you" letter that contained a bunch of mumbo jumbo in medical-professional speak, I also received a little form letter. This letter has a bunch of options that physicians can easily check off to let you know lab results - i.e. "Bloodwork normal," "See us for follow-up," etc. You get the drift.
The line they checked off for me originally said, "Your x-rays came back normal." Only they had used a pen to cross off the word "normal," and written in "lower back - mild arthritis; scoliosis" and "upper back - scoliosis."
Er, that was surprising. What was also surprising was the fact neither letter told me what I should do next. Do I need to see the doctor again? Do I need to start taking glucosamine? Do I need to get my affairs in order? (Kidding, but at 2:00 this morning, I'd worked myself up pretty well.) I showed the letters to my sisters, who both came back with the same answer: "What are you supposed to do about it?"
I know, right?
I was going to call the doctor today, but I forgot. I was awake half the night with a little backache and a mind full of "I'm too young to have arthritis." I was so tired today that I slept for over two solid hours this afternoon.
This morning I took Tnk to physical therapy for her hand. She has PT three times a week, for over two hours at a time. Let me tell you, it was hard to stay awake, but at least *I* wasn't being poked and prodded.
Anyway, I'm definitely going to call the doctor on Monday. Hopefully I'll remember.
Yesterday I received a letter in the mail from the physician I recently saw for my back pain. In addition to a "this is what's wrong with you" letter that contained a bunch of mumbo jumbo in medical-professional speak, I also received a little form letter. This letter has a bunch of options that physicians can easily check off to let you know lab results - i.e. "Bloodwork normal," "See us for follow-up," etc. You get the drift.
The line they checked off for me originally said, "Your x-rays came back normal." Only they had used a pen to cross off the word "normal," and written in "lower back - mild arthritis; scoliosis" and "upper back - scoliosis."
Er, that was surprising. What was also surprising was the fact neither letter told me what I should do next. Do I need to see the doctor again? Do I need to start taking glucosamine? Do I need to get my affairs in order? (Kidding, but at 2:00 this morning, I'd worked myself up pretty well.) I showed the letters to my sisters, who both came back with the same answer: "What are you supposed to do about it?"
I know, right?
I was going to call the doctor today, but I forgot. I was awake half the night with a little backache and a mind full of "I'm too young to have arthritis." I was so tired today that I slept for over two solid hours this afternoon.
This morning I took Tnk to physical therapy for her hand. She has PT three times a week, for over two hours at a time. Let me tell you, it was hard to stay awake, but at least *I* wasn't being poked and prodded.
Anyway, I'm definitely going to call the doctor on Monday. Hopefully I'll remember.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
BIG TIME UPDATE. GRAB SOME COFFEE AND HAVE A SEAT.
I can't believe I've been away from my blog for nearly a month. I hope I haven't lost all my cyber friends in my absence. I'll do my best to not let it happen again.
Here we go!
Thursday, April 6th – Went to Payless to buy some new shoes for K. He now officially has bigger feet than I do. He’s twelve years old, for goodness sake. That depresses me.
On the way home from the shoe store, I heard a weird banging sound, which was followed shortly thereafter by a very loud hum. Turns out I’d blown a tire without even running over anything. Leave it to me. Heh.
Morning of Friday, April 7th – Went to Discount Tire to have the tire replaced. I was so happy that I had full replacement coverage on that tire. But upon closer inspection, it turned out that what I really needed were four new tires. Thankfully, the one that had blown out, and its twin on the other side, both had replacement coverage, and thus cost me $14 each. Then I had to buy two new ones for the front. How on earth two $90 tires plus two $14 tires ended up costing $300 is beyond me…fuzzy math, that.
While at Discount Tire, I heard someone call my name. I looked up to see my old (like, since-first-grade old) friend G standing there. We spent the next hour catching up on recent events. During our chat, she invited me to go scrapbooking with her that night, and of course I jumped at the chance.
Evening of Friday, April 7th – G picked me up and drove us to the place where we’d spend the next few hours scrapping. For some reason, I was unhappy with every page I worked on, so I eventually gave up and spent the last hour or so just organizing my stuff. We left the crop at 12:30 a.m. and were driving home when BANG! We were hit by a drunk driver. A 17-year-old drunk driver. Thank God no one was seriously injured – although I did later call my EMTsis and tell her to watch out, because that made two of us three sisters who’d been hit by drunks within a month!
Saturday, April 8th – Hubby, the kids, and I went to watch Houston’s new Major League Soccer team, the Dynamo, play the Kansas City Wizards. In a stunning loss, the Dynamo folded to the Wiz 2-1. But on a high note, we met some really cool ladies who had flown in from San Jose (from whence the Dynamo came) just to watch the game. Ry was wearing a San Jose t-shirt, so we joked that we were going to send him back to California with them.
Sunday, April 9th – Tired from the week’s activity, I stayed in bed until nearly noon. When I did get up, I spent the day doing a little laundry and a lot of grocery shopping (wow, exciting...wonder why I stayed in bed so long?). By evening, I was very grateful for our new tradition of having dinner at the in-laws every Sunday night.
Monday, April 10th – Six more hours of laundry; five hours of ironing; NO sleep last night.
Morning of Tuesday, April 11th – Today I checked out a new dollar store. It had a lot of stuff, but was not as “cool” as Dollar Tree. (Dollar Tree has cheap scrapbooking supplies, so yes, they are cool.) Anyway, while I was at this other store, I picked up a bottle of Lysol and accidentally knocked an openbottle of ammonia on the floor and all over myself. I was soaked from my knees down. I sloshed up to the register and told the cashier what had happened. In spite of the fact that someone had left an open bottle of disinfectant on a shelf, and in spite of my discomfort and the disinfectant-y smell permeating from my jeans and shoes, I was actually pleasant to her. In response, she grunted and turned her back on me. Guess you get what you pay for.
Afternoon of Tuesday, April 11th – Took the canine for her first official vet visit since we adopted her. She was a barking, growling, straining-at-the-leash pain in the rear, even though she didn’t need shots or anything. Goofy dog. Fortunately, she’s perfectly healthy. Yay.
Also today: Happy birthday, J! I hope you had a great day. Love ya!
Wednesday, April 12th – Took Bailey to the groomer for a much-needed bath and haircut. She loved it last time; hated it this time. I reiterate: goofy dog.
Tonight was P’s Seussical Musical performance at school. She had a small singing and dancing part, which was terribly cute. Elementary school shows can be so entertaining.
Thursday, April 13th – Spent the day packing for Florida. The excitement is about to kill me.
Friday, April 14th – Got on a plane for the first time in 5 1/2 years. I wasn't drinking or anything, and I actually boarded willingly! The flight couldn’t have gone more smoothly. If all flights were like that, I’d become a flight attendant.
Yeah right.
Morning and afternoon of Saturday, April 15th – Hubby and I drove two hours south of Ft. Lauderdale to Homestead, where we’d been rudely kicked out by Hurricane Andrew 14 years prior. What we saw there was almost indescribable. Heartbreaking. Emptiness. I couldn’t stop the tears for what was, what is, and what could have been…
Evening of Saturday, April 15th – The reason for our trip to Florida in the first place: Alan Parsons concert. For the record, “Silence and I” – best live song EVER. After the show, we got to go backstage to meet the band and Alan (again). It was great to see them, but we also met some goofy-ass fan club members...geez, people; get a life.
Sunday, April 16th – Celebrated Easter with lunch at Bennigan’s. Later that day I had a backache for no apparent reason, but overall it was a great day. We also went to the beach – Florida has the BEST beaches, by the way - then later went out to dinner. Hubby got lit. He never gets drunk anymore, so it was quite funny to see. He tried to get me to buy a Corona bikini. Yes, the actual beer Corona. Fortunately, *I* was not lit.
Monday, April 17th – Sad to leave Florida, but couldn’t wait to see the kids. Flight back was as nice as the flight out, so apparently I had good flight juju this weekend.
Tuesday, April 18th – Back to the grind. Whee.
Rest of this week – Fairly uneventful. At least, I don’t remember much about it. Same old, same old.
Monday, April 24th – Kids out of school. Agreed to take them down to daddy’s office so they could see it, then we’d all go out to lunch together. But before we left, I took them to the local Donuts and Burgers (yes, that’s the name of it) for breakfast. As I was reaching for my Diet Coke (no donuts for me; good little me), my back spasmed so hard I could not breathe nor speak. Scary, that. We did end up going to lunch with hubby, but it was a long drive for me to make with a pained back. By the time we got back home, I was in misery. Every time I’d try to move, get up, turn around, reach, whatever, I felt what could only be described as a full-blown labor pain contraction. Only I’m not pregnant. I don't think I’ve ever hurt that much.
Tuesday, April 25th – Went to the doctor about my back pain. She did not listen to me at all – told me I had no tolerance for strenuous activities; that the last time I was in their office, it was also for pain (see blog entry “Tennis, Anyone?” – from months and months ago); that she once had muscle spasms when she reached up to get a dish from her cabinet (I was not reaching up – see, she didn’t listen to me). I was ready to read her the riot act, but I was already in tears from the pain. Then she said she was going to prescribe Vicodin and a muscle relaxant, which sounded good to me. So I just waited for the scrips and got out of there. Oh, I also had to have eight X-rays, which was misery in and of itself. But the sweet X-ray tech felt sorry for me because I couldn’t stop crying, and her concern did redeem the medical office somewhat. But I’ll never go back to that doctor again. How hard is it to listen to a patient? I couldn’t fit a word in edgewise over all her "uh huh, uh huhs" and nonsensical chatter.
Wednesday and Thursday, April 26th and 27th – Still in pain, but it’s definitely abating. I even did some grocery shopping on Thursday.
Friday, April 28th – Spent all day doing laundry. All.Day. Of course, I have more to do now, but it was nice while it lasted. And hopefully all that activity won’t re-injure my back.
Saturday, April 29th – Hubby and the boys went camping, so P and I spent the day scrapbooking with hubby’s sister and mother. It was a very good day, and I was exhausted by the end of it. Who knew scrapbooking was so labor intensive?
Sunday, April 30th – P and I went to the dollar store to buy some more scrapbooking supplies (to all scrappers out there: check out your local Dollar Tree. They’ve got great stuff!), then we picked up Sonic for lunch and ate it here at home. Hubby and the boys got home around 3:00, then hubby and I mowed and edged the front lawn. Then we all went to the in-law’s house for dinner. We even watched “Shane,” the old Alan Ladd movie. Got home around 9:30 and put the kids straight to bed.
Monday, May 1st – Played a serious catch-up game with my blog. Even hubby has been nagging me to update it. I hope you’ve all been doing well. As soon as I get a minute, I’m going to catch up on reading your blogs, too!
Tuesday, May 2nd – Had lunch with sisters today. It was nice to see them. Just got back from lunch (Tnk paid the bill, but I said I'd leave the tip). It was really good to sit and visit for awhile. Tnk is doing well - she's healing nicely, although her hands are going to have some serious scarring. But her demeanor was good, and she's motivated to get back to 100%, so I'm optimistic about her recovery. I still get sad, though, when I realize how close we came to losing her. I can't even think about that - it makes me cry every time. In spite of everything, they're my family and I love them.
Good news: The drunk who hit her still sits in jail, and it's been about 50 days since the wreck. Thank God for small favors. Or big ones. This might qualify as a big one.
And Pezzie – I’ve missed you guys, too. :)
I can't believe I've been away from my blog for nearly a month. I hope I haven't lost all my cyber friends in my absence. I'll do my best to not let it happen again.
Here we go!
Thursday, April 6th – Went to Payless to buy some new shoes for K. He now officially has bigger feet than I do. He’s twelve years old, for goodness sake. That depresses me.
On the way home from the shoe store, I heard a weird banging sound, which was followed shortly thereafter by a very loud hum. Turns out I’d blown a tire without even running over anything. Leave it to me. Heh.
Morning of Friday, April 7th – Went to Discount Tire to have the tire replaced. I was so happy that I had full replacement coverage on that tire. But upon closer inspection, it turned out that what I really needed were four new tires. Thankfully, the one that had blown out, and its twin on the other side, both had replacement coverage, and thus cost me $14 each. Then I had to buy two new ones for the front. How on earth two $90 tires plus two $14 tires ended up costing $300 is beyond me…fuzzy math, that.
While at Discount Tire, I heard someone call my name. I looked up to see my old (like, since-first-grade old) friend G standing there. We spent the next hour catching up on recent events. During our chat, she invited me to go scrapbooking with her that night, and of course I jumped at the chance.
Evening of Friday, April 7th – G picked me up and drove us to the place where we’d spend the next few hours scrapping. For some reason, I was unhappy with every page I worked on, so I eventually gave up and spent the last hour or so just organizing my stuff. We left the crop at 12:30 a.m. and were driving home when BANG! We were hit by a drunk driver. A 17-year-old drunk driver. Thank God no one was seriously injured – although I did later call my EMTsis and tell her to watch out, because that made two of us three sisters who’d been hit by drunks within a month!
Saturday, April 8th – Hubby, the kids, and I went to watch Houston’s new Major League Soccer team, the Dynamo, play the Kansas City Wizards. In a stunning loss, the Dynamo folded to the Wiz 2-1. But on a high note, we met some really cool ladies who had flown in from San Jose (from whence the Dynamo came) just to watch the game. Ry was wearing a San Jose t-shirt, so we joked that we were going to send him back to California with them.
Sunday, April 9th – Tired from the week’s activity, I stayed in bed until nearly noon. When I did get up, I spent the day doing a little laundry and a lot of grocery shopping (wow, exciting...wonder why I stayed in bed so long?). By evening, I was very grateful for our new tradition of having dinner at the in-laws every Sunday night.
Monday, April 10th – Six more hours of laundry; five hours of ironing; NO sleep last night.
Morning of Tuesday, April 11th – Today I checked out a new dollar store. It had a lot of stuff, but was not as “cool” as Dollar Tree. (Dollar Tree has cheap scrapbooking supplies, so yes, they are cool.) Anyway, while I was at this other store, I picked up a bottle of Lysol and accidentally knocked an openbottle of ammonia on the floor and all over myself. I was soaked from my knees down. I sloshed up to the register and told the cashier what had happened. In spite of the fact that someone had left an open bottle of disinfectant on a shelf, and in spite of my discomfort and the disinfectant-y smell permeating from my jeans and shoes, I was actually pleasant to her. In response, she grunted and turned her back on me. Guess you get what you pay for.
Afternoon of Tuesday, April 11th – Took the canine for her first official vet visit since we adopted her. She was a barking, growling, straining-at-the-leash pain in the rear, even though she didn’t need shots or anything. Goofy dog. Fortunately, she’s perfectly healthy. Yay.
Also today: Happy birthday, J! I hope you had a great day. Love ya!
Wednesday, April 12th – Took Bailey to the groomer for a much-needed bath and haircut. She loved it last time; hated it this time. I reiterate: goofy dog.
Tonight was P’s Seussical Musical performance at school. She had a small singing and dancing part, which was terribly cute. Elementary school shows can be so entertaining.
Thursday, April 13th – Spent the day packing for Florida. The excitement is about to kill me.
Friday, April 14th – Got on a plane for the first time in 5 1/2 years. I wasn't drinking or anything, and I actually boarded willingly! The flight couldn’t have gone more smoothly. If all flights were like that, I’d become a flight attendant.
Yeah right.
Morning and afternoon of Saturday, April 15th – Hubby and I drove two hours south of Ft. Lauderdale to Homestead, where we’d been rudely kicked out by Hurricane Andrew 14 years prior. What we saw there was almost indescribable. Heartbreaking. Emptiness. I couldn’t stop the tears for what was, what is, and what could have been…
Evening of Saturday, April 15th – The reason for our trip to Florida in the first place: Alan Parsons concert. For the record, “Silence and I” – best live song EVER. After the show, we got to go backstage to meet the band and Alan (again). It was great to see them, but we also met some goofy-ass fan club members...geez, people; get a life.
Sunday, April 16th – Celebrated Easter with lunch at Bennigan’s. Later that day I had a backache for no apparent reason, but overall it was a great day. We also went to the beach – Florida has the BEST beaches, by the way - then later went out to dinner. Hubby got lit. He never gets drunk anymore, so it was quite funny to see. He tried to get me to buy a Corona bikini. Yes, the actual beer Corona. Fortunately, *I* was not lit.
Monday, April 17th – Sad to leave Florida, but couldn’t wait to see the kids. Flight back was as nice as the flight out, so apparently I had good flight juju this weekend.
Tuesday, April 18th – Back to the grind. Whee.
Rest of this week – Fairly uneventful. At least, I don’t remember much about it. Same old, same old.
Monday, April 24th – Kids out of school. Agreed to take them down to daddy’s office so they could see it, then we’d all go out to lunch together. But before we left, I took them to the local Donuts and Burgers (yes, that’s the name of it) for breakfast. As I was reaching for my Diet Coke (no donuts for me; good little me), my back spasmed so hard I could not breathe nor speak. Scary, that. We did end up going to lunch with hubby, but it was a long drive for me to make with a pained back. By the time we got back home, I was in misery. Every time I’d try to move, get up, turn around, reach, whatever, I felt what could only be described as a full-blown labor pain contraction. Only I’m not pregnant. I don't think I’ve ever hurt that much.
Tuesday, April 25th – Went to the doctor about my back pain. She did not listen to me at all – told me I had no tolerance for strenuous activities; that the last time I was in their office, it was also for pain (see blog entry “Tennis, Anyone?” – from months and months ago); that she once had muscle spasms when she reached up to get a dish from her cabinet (I was not reaching up – see, she didn’t listen to me). I was ready to read her the riot act, but I was already in tears from the pain. Then she said she was going to prescribe Vicodin and a muscle relaxant, which sounded good to me. So I just waited for the scrips and got out of there. Oh, I also had to have eight X-rays, which was misery in and of itself. But the sweet X-ray tech felt sorry for me because I couldn’t stop crying, and her concern did redeem the medical office somewhat. But I’ll never go back to that doctor again. How hard is it to listen to a patient? I couldn’t fit a word in edgewise over all her "uh huh, uh huhs" and nonsensical chatter.
Wednesday and Thursday, April 26th and 27th – Still in pain, but it’s definitely abating. I even did some grocery shopping on Thursday.
Friday, April 28th – Spent all day doing laundry. All.Day. Of course, I have more to do now, but it was nice while it lasted. And hopefully all that activity won’t re-injure my back.
Saturday, April 29th – Hubby and the boys went camping, so P and I spent the day scrapbooking with hubby’s sister and mother. It was a very good day, and I was exhausted by the end of it. Who knew scrapbooking was so labor intensive?
Sunday, April 30th – P and I went to the dollar store to buy some more scrapbooking supplies (to all scrappers out there: check out your local Dollar Tree. They’ve got great stuff!), then we picked up Sonic for lunch and ate it here at home. Hubby and the boys got home around 3:00, then hubby and I mowed and edged the front lawn. Then we all went to the in-law’s house for dinner. We even watched “Shane,” the old Alan Ladd movie. Got home around 9:30 and put the kids straight to bed.
Monday, May 1st – Played a serious catch-up game with my blog. Even hubby has been nagging me to update it. I hope you’ve all been doing well. As soon as I get a minute, I’m going to catch up on reading your blogs, too!
Tuesday, May 2nd – Had lunch with sisters today. It was nice to see them. Just got back from lunch (Tnk paid the bill, but I said I'd leave the tip). It was really good to sit and visit for awhile. Tnk is doing well - she's healing nicely, although her hands are going to have some serious scarring. But her demeanor was good, and she's motivated to get back to 100%, so I'm optimistic about her recovery. I still get sad, though, when I realize how close we came to losing her. I can't even think about that - it makes me cry every time. In spite of everything, they're my family and I love them.
Good news: The drunk who hit her still sits in jail, and it's been about 50 days since the wreck. Thank God for small favors. Or big ones. This might qualify as a big one.
And Pezzie – I’ve missed you guys, too. :)
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