I had a Gee Whiz moment Friday while watching my grandniece, Eli.  She grew tired of the set of toys she played with all day and I went to through the diaper bag to find another toy to entertain her.  I saw this cute little corn cob toy and I took it by the handle and proceeded across the room to give it to my young charge.  I grabbed the corn cob end to give it to Eli and as soon as I squeezed a bit, the corn cob vibrated!  Gee whiz - a corn cob that vibrates!  It's the John Deere Massaging Corn Teether.

It didn't occur to me how funny this was until I was telling Vickie about it Friday night.  We laughed and laughed over the fact that I had my Auntie Karen and Photographer hat on and didn't realize how funny it really was. 

Dang... I need to get me one of these!!  No, not for that...  It's a great little massager for stress relief... oh crap... never mind...  LOL

Gee whiz, it vibrates!Miss Eli and I had a great day together.  We played with toys, she ate lunch of sweet potatoes, we went for a walk around the apartment complex where there is lovely streams and ponds.  The ducks waddled and swam while we enjoyed the fresh air and sunshine.  Her daddy told me that taking her for a walk was a great way to get her to sleep, however, she did not fall asleep.  Rats.  She did take a short nap but she wanted to play more than anything.

It's amazing how much she changes in a week or two.  She is sitting up better and she is a lot more active; she really keeps me on my toes. 

While I tend Eli, I also get the pleasure of spoiling Bella, the Wonder Cat, and two dogs.  I'm allergic to dogs so I can't spoil them as much as I'd like but sometimes they don't care.  If Bella gets attention, they get attention!  Bella is usually a calm kitty but Friday, she was on crack!  Actually, she finally showed me her true personality and she is a hoot!  

Just My Size!She kept jumping up the wall to attack something that wasn't there, sliding and skitting around on the bathroom and kitchen floors, and sneaking up to the dogs and batting them on the heads a few times then running away.  She doesn't have claws so it was more irritating to them than anything and it made me laugh.  She tried to wear my Crocs on her paws and her head (I didn't get a shot of her head in the Croc - darn it!) and then flipping them around the floor.  She really got my attention when she kept trying to climb up my body (tough to do without claws!) until I finally sat down so she could share my lap with Eli. 

Eli was on my left and Bella was on my right and the two of them played a bit, Bella kissed Eli and she tugged on Bella's fur.  Bella buried her face between Eli's arm and body and nuzzled her a bit then she decided to climb my chest, which forced me to lay back in the chair.  She climbed over Eli and nuzzled my neck, then the next thing I knew, she flipped out my first earring hoop and had my second earring (a half carrot diamond!) in her mouth! 

I managed to get the diamond out of her mouth before she swallowed it and I thought she swallowed the other earring until I found it on the floor while looking for the back of the diamond earring.  I have no idea why she did it or how she could see my earrings because my hair covered them. Needless to say, I was a bit freaked but while Eli napped, she cuddled with me and kissed me all over my face so she's forgiven.  What a cat...

When Sara got home, I asked her if Bella was hitting the Nip.  She laughed and said it was normal for her to be hyper.  Bella never gets the Nip because she clearly does not need it!  ;-) 

I was outside for a bit over the weekend and took some photos of the latest blooms in my yard.  There are three daffodil blooms and about ten Forget-Me-Nots out so far.  The blue of the Forget-Me-Nots is so vibrant and I've waited a long time to get a good, clean shot of these.  Thanks to my lovely macro lens, I finally did it! 

Photos are copyrighted and can only be used with the expressed written permission by KJR.  

I wasn't able to attend the Wasatch Camera Club meeting tonight due to me feeling like poo.  My blood sugar dropped to 32 just before lunch today and despite me eating lunch AND a donut, it only got up to 80.  I felt rotten so I went home early to rest and do some work from home.  On the way home, I stopped and got a burrito, thinking the protein would help, which it did - a little.  My blood sugar went up a whole 10 points.  I am reactive hypoglycaemic and I've done well with controlling it by eating small meals five times a day but I don't know what happened yesterday but it hit me hard. 

After spending the evening feeling sorry for myself (LOL), I got a call from my friend, Darlene, who told me that she was bringing home a ribbon for me!  My photo of Eli, named "Sleeping Beauty" won 3rd place!  W00T!!  I'm so happy and excited - and of course, honored!  Darlene is bringing my ribbon to the pool this morning and I'm excited to show it off!  Darlene deserves part of the ribbon for helping me and encouraging me!  Thank you, Darlene!  You ROCK!  

I want to congratulate Darlene on placing 2nd with her photo!  WOOHOO!  We're both winners!   

Here is the photo of the Sleeping Beauty, Eli.  

 

Eli's mommy, Sara, sent me a photo of Eli eating her first veggie, sweet potatoes and to announce her first tooth finally broke through.  How cute is she?! 

I just love this little bug to pieces and it makes me feel good to have an active role in her life.  I love her daddy, Travis, as I would a son and her mommy like a daughter.  They love me for who I am and support me in whatever I do. 

Travis does me proud when plays practical jokes.  Speaking of jokes, I haven't heard how the letter did yet but I imagine Kent will get the letter today *evil grin*

What a slacker I've been in not writing my Gee Whiz posts!  Gee whiz, what's wrong with me?  LOL

1.  It's been an interesting week for the news in Utah.  This first story is about some pranksters who went into a 7-11 with a bag of feces and put it in the microwave, set it for 10 minutes, and walked out.  Needless to say, the shit hit the fan - or should I say, it exploded!  It not only ruined the microwave but it caused $3500 in damage.  The police ask help in finding the pranksters... good luck to them!  We had a lot of laughs about it at work yesterday when we heard about it.  Not even I would go that far but it's funny!  Gee whiz, what a shitty thing to do! 

2.  An ESPN Analyst, Ric Bucher called out the Utah Jazz fans.  He said that Utahans are Mormon and there's nothing to do here and they have to be happy and smiling all the time so the only time they can be vicious is at a Utah Jazz game.  He also said that there is more off-color language than anywhere else.  Click on his name in blue on the link and you can listen to the mp3 file.  Gee whiz, what an ass.

3.  The inner prankster inside me escaped this morning.  A coworker and buddy, Kent, had both his knees replaced last week.  He's doing great and we all miss him because he's a fun guy and likes to joke around.  

We call Kent every day to see how he's doing and to see what he's up to.  He told a couple of guys about an experience he had in the hospital last week.  A woman nurse named Arianna gave Kent a sponge bath and it turns out that Arianna was once a man.  Nothing against her but Kent had everyone cracking up at his reaction (no - not that type of reaction LOL) to her and how embarrassed he was.  A little light went off in my mind this morning as one of the guys was retelling the story. 

I wrote a letter, posing as Arianna, to offer Kent her special sponge bathing services.   The letter looked professional wiht a logo and address.  The address is bogus but the phone number is another coworker's number *snortle*  Below is the letter.

************ 

Arianna’s Magic Fingers
1269 Rubadubdub Cir
Roy, UT 84067
801-XXX-XXXX

Dear Mr. B*,

Greetings!  How are you, my friend?  I hope you remember me; I was your nurse last week at LDS Hospital.  I am known state-wide for my special sponge baths that you enjoyed during your hospital stay. 

Besides working at the hospital, I am available for house calls for a variety of services:

•    Specialty Sponge Baths, includes pure Rocky Mountain spring water, authentic sponge, and gentle aromatic cleansing gel
•    All-over-body massages (I am a licensed masseuse)
•    A variety of personal services, as requested (charges may vary) for your enjoyment
•    High tech methodology and the latest devices for your every desire
•    Portable playground equipment provided for an additional charge and is available for month-to-month rental
•    No job is too big or too small, I love them all!

Health care premiums may cover the majority of the costs of services rendered and my assistant bills insurances at no additional charge.  I look forward to serving you!

Sincerely,

Arianna

************ 

The "playground equipment" is what Kent calls "bedroom furniture."  He will know it's from one of us - or all of us - and that's OK.  We were all laughing and imagining Kent's reaction.  I bought a stamp from the office and mailed it in a plain envelope yesterday.  One of the guys is taking Kent lunch today and we hope the letter will get there so he can see the look on his face.  Oh, to be a fly on the wall...with a video camera to capture his reaction!   

Gee whiz... sometimes I really crack myself up. 

"Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about the one's who don't. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it... "   --Unknown

I received the above from a text message and found it profound.  Friends and those we care about are irreplaceable and precious treasures.

This reminded me of how it is in the workplace, which according to managers and coworkers, that one can always be replaced.  A position can be filled with another, however, the one that filled the position cannot be replaced.  

Recently, a friend (A) who I worked with found another job within the company and relocated to New York.  It was a fantastic opportunity for her and her family and I am happy for them.   

A has a way of making anyone feel at home (in our home away from home) and appreciated. Her sense of humor is a lot like mine (that is a compliment!) and she always supported me in my outside-of-work interests.  She is one of the few people at work who I know I can trust and know our conversations went no further.  There's definitely only one A... and she is missed.

You raaawk, A!   

Once again the season changes to spring, leaving the cold of winter behind as new life rises and breathes for the first time.  The tiny buds come from beneath the snow and reach for the sunshine. 

Last week, as I battled a second round of the cold/bronchitis, which returned with a vengeance Monday night, I found myself restless.  I thought a lot about things in my life that weren't working - or feeling right.  Foremost, I felt a void in what I hoped would last longer, perhaps the rest of my life.  The seasons change, once again and I found myself reaching for sunshine and wanting to put the cold behind me.  The winter was not all bad, I enjoyed the beatiful snow as it fell from the sky and how it sparkled in the sunlight. Perhaps who warmed my heart during the winter will return again in the summer or fall but for now, he needs to grow on his own.

This past winter, I almost fell in love with David, yet the past few weeks, it became apparent that something was wrong.  In the beginning, we spoke for hours about what we want out of a relationship and life.  I felt as if I'd found the man I always wanted.  An epiphany hit and I realized that what he said he wanted and what he was living were two different things. 

He wanted romance - both to give it and receive it but he didn't.  He wanted to give his heart - but it was not ready to give (which is what I sensed was wrong).  I was as more patient than I've ever been but my patience ran out when I realized that he was not ready for a relationship.  I'm setting him free and in doing so, I'm setting myself free.   

I know he came into my life for a reason and one day, that answer will be discovered.  My heart is not broken and I feel blessed that he was in my life.  I wish him well on his journey, but for now I'll flutter along on my own journey.  I'll continue to break through the soil of life... and reach for the sunlight.  This is a positive change and I feel good about it.

In the famous words of Ms. Vickie... Life is good.  Now if I can only set the bronchitis free, I'll be good.  ;-) 

Happy Easter! 

Much happened to me and to those I love recently; some was rough, however, most made me smile.  I'm grateful for the good things and for everyone in my life.

My dear friend, Emma, finished a huge project that she began in December; she wrote a bookazine for children on gardening.  I am immensely proud of her and praise her for all her good and hard work. Congratulations, Emma!  You deserve a huge celebration because you worked so hard and you are an amazing lady. 

A few weeks ago, my dad's neurologist prescribed Aricept for Dad's memory and confusion (it's mostly used for Alzheimer's but also works for Lewy Body Dementia).  The past two weeks, MY DAD, the man I love with all my heart, began to reappear after 18 months of slowly disappearing.  I can see him coming back just by the look on his face as well as his sense of humor. 

Dad cracked me up Saturday night when we got home from my nephew Adam's wedding.  I brought the mail into the house, sorted it, and handed his mail.  Dad got an advertisement from a hearing aid company and he told me to "Trash that," then he waited a couple of seconds then asked me, "Say what?!"  He and I busted out laughing and Mom came in to see what we were laughing so hard about.  He's such a hoot.

My nephew Adam got married on Saturday to a lovely young lady, Shalise.  I'm so happy for them and they're such a beautiful couple.  I'm so proud... my little buddy grew up to be such an incredible young man.  Shalise is sweet and I know she loves Adam very much and he's in good hands.  (click on photos to EMBIGGEN)

They didn't have a traditional reception (YAY - Utah receptions are grueling), instead they had a big dinner for family and close friends.  It was perfect and everyone had a great time.  Taking photos outside was freezing, especially for Shalise!  Here is a photo of Adam, Shalise, my brother J Dee, SIL Patti, all their children, grandchildren, and my parents. 

Besides the wedding, there was exciting news to celebrate.  My cousin Teria and her husband are expecting their second child in September, her little sister, Lindsay, is getting married in August, and my nephew Jason is getting married in September.  Jason is J Dee and Patti's last child at home... at last, they'll have a honeymoon period.  It's great to see them so much in love still.  Patti asked me to take a photo of her and J Dee in front of the Bountiful Temple yesterday and I was honored to.

I got to see and hold cute little Eli and while my hands were full of her, my sister, Susie grabbed my camera and took a photo of Eli and me.  Geez.  That's the last time I leave my camera within her reach!  LOL  I might be persuaded to post it for Wordless Wednesday this week  ;-). 

My friend and partner-in-crime, Linda, is moving to my building at work!  We're both so excited.  We worked in the same building for almost 10 years before my organization moved to our current building, which is across the base (Hill AFB).  We used to play jokes constantly... especially the remote-controlled fart machine.  Ah, those were the days...  and NO - we'll never grow up.  We bring the best out in each other, that's for sure! 

I went spending when I got my tax return and bought a DVD-Recorder/VCR combination and a new camera lens.  The DVD Recorder, I used for dubbing a VHS tape of my family in 1990 and 1991.  I cracked up at most of it but there definitely treasures on the tape.  My late grandma and late SIL, Lisa were in parts... it took me back to that time and it felt as if they're not gone but when the tape was over, it hit me again that they are gone.  BUT - the great things are their memories and the fact that their memories are brought to life again.  I am excited to share them with my family.  I chatted with my niece, Morgan, Saturday, who was only 5 years old when her mom died.  This will be a chance for Morgan to see her mom in action and to hear her voice; she has all sorts of photos but nothing like a video.  It made me feel really good to see the look on Morgan's face when I told her. 

The video that cracked me up royally was my nephew Adam when he was 5, singing a naughty/kids version of the "Popeye the Sailor Man" and the camp song, "Scab Salad,"  while hanging upside down, eyes covered, and a pair of eyes and a nose painted on his chin.  I need to splice it and post it one of these days...............  Adam actually remembers doing it and how much fun we had.  There are more videos to be found and put on DVDs... now to find them! 

The camera lens I bought is a Olympus Zuiko 50mm Macro Telephoto lens and it is ooooo so lovely.  Here are photos of a mini purple calla lily, black jelly beans, tiny water droplets on foil.  I SO love this new lens!!   Now, if the snow would melt off the lawn and flower gardens so the lovely spring flowers can grow.  (The calla lily is in my house)

     

I got through my first time of "teaching" The Leadership Challenge Workshop last week.  My co-teacher said I did well but need to work on my confidence level.  He's right and next time, I should do better.  This week is Interviewing Skills and the Mock Interview is my section and I always have so much fun with it.  I appreciate all your good thoughts my way - it's great having my own cheer leading squad. 

The last thing is a bit sad.  My sexy man hurt his leg (at work - injured it twice) and had surgery on Saturday to reattach the thigh muscle to the bone.  I told him that I was kidding about both of us needing wheelchairs...  Sheesh.  *snicker*  Let your mind go where it will... it made him laugh.  He should be back to work in ten days and will have to wear a brace for a few weeks.  Hmmm... that means behaving.... at work, I mean.   

I wish there was a button to push that will slow life down a bit - the last two weeks have sped by so quickly that I feel that I've missed a lot along the way. 

I don't usually rant about events that happen in my area, however, an event that took place Tuesday deserves some rantage.  There were two high school basketball teams that played at the local Dee Event Center Tuesday and on the way home, some students from Salt Lake were driving home.  A young man (I use that term lightly) saw his girl friend, 17-year-old Alyssa Lopez, in her ex-boyfriend's car (car B), which had three other classmates in the car.

He proceeded to speed up to car B in his car (car A),  and clipped the back of car B, which caused it to spin into oncoming traffic.  The speed limit around this area is 50mph and most everyone goes 55 - 60.  Car B was t-boned on the passenger side and it killed Alyssa and injured four others. Everyone involved - whether they were in car A, B, the oncoming traffic, or those behind the cars, their lives are forever changed all because this kid lost his cool. 

Now, the fact that (most) boys will be boys, they are reckless, and don't control their emotions, but this is ridiculous.  A girl is dead because her boy friend was jealous and over reacted.  There were classmates in his car as well - all innocents.

When I read that charges have not been charged against him (yet), it made me ill.  See the story HERE.  I could go on but there's no use speculating what will happen but I hope justice is served and served well.

Onto other things..........

March is going to be a crazy month for me at work; I am teaching four workshops!  I'll be studying one workshop, which I'll teach three times, all weekend.  I'm nervous but at the same time, I'm excited about the opportunity.  I'm trying to keep the inner stress monkey in check and hopefully I'll be successful.  

I woke up Tuesday night coughing again - lovely.  I've caught yet another cold or the cough I thought I victoriously got rid of decided to say hello again and bring its friends the head and sinus congestion along.  Thanks for that; just what I needed but I'll do my best to beat it again.  Cough syrup, anyone?  

We're finally reaching temps over 20F here in Utah (it's been below zero or near it at night and highs in the teens during the day)! Saturday it reached 35F and it was wonderful; I wondered outside and took photos of the ice cycles hanging off the drain pipes! The sky was such a gorgeous blue, as you can see in the photo below.

Yesterday reached a high of 42F the warm front brought a storm with it, in which they're expecting up to a foot in the valleys and 3 feet in the mountains. Yee haw. I'm not looking forward to the commute but am happy to have warmer temps, it's been so cold and my joints haven't been happy.

I even caught a cold but managed to nip it before it got too bad. The weekend was pretty good; yesterday was Mom's birthday and I cooked dinner and made four pies. My siblings (except Kathy) came over and some of their kids. I have new pics of my cute little grand niece, Eli (who is growing so big!) but they're still on my camera... and may stay there until the weekend because I have a lot of work to catch up on at work and I'm tired just thinking about it all. ;-)

Last week was good but so busy at work due to the Interviewing Skills workshop I'm involved in teaching. I ran the mock interviews and that was so fun; I had a great group of guys and although they learned a lot, we had a lot of laughs too. I was thanked by my coworkers for organizing it so well and the students mentioned how great the mock interviews were on their critiques, which made me feel good.

I'm rambling, aren't I?

OK... have a great day!

The past few months, I have struggled with finding energy to do all I want.  I know a large part of my lack of energy is due to my Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and other auto-immune diseases fatigue, however, I wonder if some of it has to do with not being in school and not having the drive to get more done.  I find that as difficult as it was to adjust to go to go school that it's just as difficult not to go to school. 

Before I had the auto-immune diseases, I did not have a clue about how exhausted one could be.  Back then, being tired was fixed by a 15 minute power nap or sitting down for a bit.  Pain was something I could take an Aleve and it would go away.  Ah, those were the days. 

Since I was diagnosed with RA eight years ago, my eyes were opened to the horror that people who suffer any of the auto-immune disease, such as MS, RA, Crohns, Lupus, UC, and the list goes on.  I never imagined the pain and fatigue I was going to face and it's a good thing I did not know then.  I no longer sympathized but emphasized with others who suffer the same ailments. 

Friday morning, I went to the physical therapy pool and worked out for two hours then had a nice sit in the hot tub.  If I have not mentioned this before, the pool is my Friday morning 'ME TIME" addiction.  I wish I could go every day or better yet, had a pool of my own.  As much as I love the pool, it's a bugger getting out, which I call "reality hitting."  I feel so good in the water, virtually no pain at all; it feels as if I don't have RA. 

As I was sitting in the hot tub, a new lady entered the pool and we said hello to one another.  We talked about why each of us was there and it turns out, we were there for the same reason.  She has RA and is in a lot of pain and is amazed at how wonderful the pool makes her feel.  We exchanged info about medications and other remedies since she's only had RA for a year or so and was grateful for all I told her.  She said that she's so afraid that she's going to be in pain forever and never get relief. 

I fear the same.  However, I am fortunate that Remicade, prednisone (EVIL drug), and Imuran are working well for me.  I'm on a high dose and as of Wednesday, a notch higher, which is one notch away from maximum dose.  In 2003, I was almost in a wheel chair and the medications made it possible for me to live a decent life and for that, I'm eternally grateful.  The medications I take also treat the ulcerative colitis and have given me that part of my life back.  I fear for the future; as well as I am doing now, what if the unthinkable happens?  What if the RA spreads to my organs?  What if I get more auto-immune diseases?  I try to stay focused on here and now but those questions are always in the back of my mind. 

When I was first diagnosed, I was angry at God for yet another hurdle I had to over come and I wanted to know why I was being punished.  I was angry at the world.  I was angry.  I put myself on a pity pot and stayed there until others helped me and that I began to see that having RA was not the end of my life.  I began to say, "There is NO way was I letting my life end at 32."  I struggled for a while longer, had ups and downs, but slowly, more positive thoughts entered my mind.  I learned to allow myself a pity pot day on occasion and get the negativity out because those feelings were hurting me bottled up and setting them free allowed the positive back in.

I believe everything happens for reasons and although I may not be thrilled with the reason I have auto-immune diseases, I am thrilled that I have an incredible support network.  Two main supports are my dear friends Vickie and Dawn and although I wish they did not have the diseases to understand what I go through, I'm grateful to have them in my life.  They know the fatigue I deal with because they face it themselves.  Both ladies are inspirations to me with their positive and kick-ass attitudes; they never let me down and are always there no matter how tired they are.  We usually have a few laughs along with a few tears.

Vickie and I laugh about that fact that when we call and ask how one another is, undoubtedly, "tired" will be the answer for at least one or both of us. When we say "tired," we mean, bone tired, barely have the strength to hold the phone to our ears, tired.  However, the laughter has a magical way of pumping some breath into our lungs and it spreads to the rest of our bodies.

I started this post as an explanation of how tired I am and why I haven't been around to visit much - if at all.  I apologize for that and I am hoping with all my might that my energy will return and I can begin visiting.  Right now, I get home from work, answer my email, eat dinner (which is usually cereal because I'm too tired to cook LOL), shower, then head to bed and watch TV/talk on the phone until I fall asleep.  My weekends are filled with things I don't get done during the week.   It's a vicious cycle... one that I WILL break.

Now to change the subject... 

Most of my day yesterday, I spent getting some photos ready for a competition at the Eccles Community Art Center to be submitted on Friday.  I need help in deciding which four to submit and if it's not too much trouble, could you come back tomorrow and vote for the four you like best to help me decide?  

Speaking of Eccles Community Art Center, I received a letter Saturday announcing that my English/Art teacher bought me a membership for 2008.  Carol-Ann is definitely one teacher I shall never forget; she's more than a teacher, she's my friend.  I called to thank her and we talked for over an hour catching up.  I'm going to attend the open house on February 1 when they'll announce the winners of the black and white photo contest.  I am excited to be a part of this art center and learn more about art and photography.   

Last weekend, my friend Linda and I went to the movie, P.S. I Love You, and while I was waiting for her in the lobby, I noticed this display and couldn't help but giggle about the phallic sillouette.  *snicker*  I snapped a photo (click to EMBIGGEN *snortle*) while getting weird looks from the movie theatre staff... then Linda came out of the restroom and I showed her and we both giggled as we walked to the theatre where our movie was playing.  We are so easily entertained and it's clear what is on our minds. 

We also had some laughs over my new scarf that my aunt got me for Christmas; it is a polyester fluffy scarf that is SO wonderful and silky.  Linda had to feel it (the scarf) and when she did, she said, "Ohhh my... that IS sexy."  Then she went on about moisture... I didn't really follow that.  *snicker* 

P.S.  the movie was wonderful; quite a tear jerker but I loved it.   

Now, there is actually something else the title of this post represents, besides the above two paragraphs.  North Ogden, where I live, got well over 21 inches of snow yesterday.  We got the brunt of the all day storm when Ogden, a short distance away) only got 6 inches.  However, I don't believe that because I had to drive through a good ten inches to run an errand for my parents and a doctor appointment.  No one was going over 25mph... well, that is, no one who stayed on the road!  

This morning was a mess getting to work - the photo to the left is right after I got to work and trudged through the snow to the front door.   There was about six inches but the condition of the road, I thought there was a lot more.  There was an inch+ sheet of ice under the snow.  The drivers that stayed on the road didn't go over 40 mph and at times, no more than 20mph on the freeway.  I was thankful to get to work! 

I left work an hour before my Remicade treatment was scheduled, which is usually a 15 minute drive from work.  Most the traffic lights were covered in snow.  I had to go to one doc's office to get some meds for Dad, which was fun, I almost got stuck in the parking lot.  I did good though, Dad taught me well; I rocked back and forth and got out.  After that, I had 20 minutes to get to my Remicade appointment... I pulled into the hospital parking lot five minutes late but I got a really good parking place.  I tell you - Someone was watching out for me today.  As dangerous as it was out today, it was so beautiful.  See why I love the snow? 

The roads were decent after my doctor appointment - except when I got to North Ogden then it was fun, fun, fun.  I was chatting with Vickie on my phone (using my hands-free!) when I said, "Holy shit.  I gotta gun it because I'm going through two feet of snow," when I turned on the road before my street.  I couldn't go more than 5mph through the twists and turns and she got all the commentary!  I waved to a guy who I thought was a family friend but it wasn't him... but he was cute.  LOL  He must have thought he knew me because he had a big grin on his face. I'm such a dork.

I turned on my street and it was a lot better than the last and I backed in my driveway with no issues... unless you count scraping the pile of snow with my car.  It looked just like someone cut the snow with a knife.  Ah well.  I took my things into the house and went back out with my camera to get some shots of the huge piles of snow around the house.  It was amazing - it's been years since I've seen that much snow at one time.  Now this is a Utah winter.   

The little black thing in the photo on the left is my across-street neighbor's mail box.  The pile of snow in the front is my mailbox. The puffs surrounding the gray siding is a bit of my house's roof. 

After I finished having fun taking photos in the front of the house, I went to the back yard.  I noticed Mom's flowering plums were bent all the way down to the snow level; they're at least 7 feet tall.  Since I still had my boots and coat on, I went out back to rescue the flowering plums.  That sounds simple, huh?  You should know by now that with me, nothing is simple.  More about that in a minute.  On my way out to rescue the plums, I took more photos.  There are descriptions under the photos. 

Snow on the railing of the deck 
Antique plow in garden, 3 feet tall

Cool ice cycles on fitzer
Snow on a garden hoseI made my way down the stairs of the deck, despite the 4 inches of snow on them since my very generous brother cleaned them earlier.  At the bottom of the deck, there was about a foot-wide strip where there was very little snow before I began trudging in the snow so high, it was above my knees.  OK, didn't plan on this, but I had cozy socks on and I figured my legs would be OK for a couple of minutes while setting the flowering plums free from their snow traps.  Uh huh. 

I got about two feet when one foot slid under my other when I hit the pocket of icey snow under the fresh stuff and I had myself a seat made from snow.  As I sat there squatting and unable to find a stable enough place to put my hands so I could get up, my ass and my legs became reallllllly cold and realllllly wet.  I sat there and giggled at my prediciment; only I could get myself into such a position.  Mom was in the kitchen fixing dinner for Dad when I decided to call for help. 

She asked if I left my camera in the house so she could take a photo.  Yeah, that would have been reallllly funny.  ;-)  Luckily, the camera was in my coat pocket, safe and dry.  She pointed out the fact that the barbeque grill was back and to my left a bit then proceeded to tell me, "Why don't you clean off the show from that with the broom in your hand and use that to push yourself up with?"  

Where I fell and trompedMighty fine idea, especially because my knees have been killing me lately and I wasn't about to do a face-first dive if I were to roll over.  Voila.  It worked.  Mom is brilliant.  After that, I made my way to the flowering plums and freed them - minus a few branches.  I only stumbled one more time but luckily the broom broke my fall.  As I made my way back to the deck and back to a warm house where I could get out of my cold and wet jeans and panties to have a nice, HOT shower, I looked back at where I'd been and could only laugh and thought, gee whiz...  now that was fun!

It's been a funky week.  The work week seemed to be longer than a normal week with one day short due to the holiday.  Most of the week was waaaaay below freezing in the single and teen digits.  Brrr.  I could hardly wait for this weekend for it to warm up and give us snow.  today's storm was beautiful and dumped a lot of snow and we're supposed to keep getting snow all week with just a short break between storms.  I'm not complaining because we need the snow and compared to Idaho's snow removal services - Utah rocks.  ;-) 

Snowy days are the best when I can stay home and curl up with a blanket and watch the snow fall.   However, when I looked out the window across the street, I saw a genuine Utah Snow Angel...  and it ruined it for me.  *snortle*  Not really... this is something I got in my email.  What a hoot. 

The tree is one of the lovely sites I saw looking out my window and I had to get dressed (it was a PJ day) in my sweats to go out and take some photos. 

One thing about the snow is that it makes my sexy man, D, busier at work.  He's been in and out of state all week so I haven't been able to talk to him much.  I swear, my patience is getting tested - not with him but with the lack of talking, etc.  No translations on the "etc"... I'll just say, uh hum, gee whiz.

Some of you may have noticed my domain was down for a few days.  Hmmm.  Thanks to Ms. Vickie calling me and telling me that she got the GoDaddy screen from her Google Reader instead of my blog but she could get to my blog via her blogroll (which was the url http://passionsofmyheart.squarespace.com/ not the http://www.passionsofmyheart.com).  Hmmm.  Then it dawned on me that my domain expired so I checked online and sure enough, it expired on Dec 29.  Ooops.  I didn't get any renewal notices but after further investigation, I discovered I used my MSN email address not my gmail.  I confess that I do not check my MSN email but once a month when I get a nasty note saying I haven't checked my email in 30 days.  Ooops. The email is now my gmail email address. 

Then I went to pay the fee for renewal and I could not log into PayPal.  I use PayPal when available since it's safer than having things automatically renew with my debit/credit card.  I ended calling customer service to get my PayPal account straightened out because I was not getting the email to reset my password... which ended up being that I had a PayPal email address blocked but also had one in the safe mail.  Go figure that Hotmail works so well with the blocked emails.  So an hour later, I finally had the renewal paid.  

Can anything in my life be easy?  Apparently not these past funky few days.   

That's it for me for now - I need to get my behind in bed to get some sleep so I'm ready for my long workday and fun drive into work.  I hope you all had  a great weekend and here's hoping this week will be a lot better than last week.  Remember to smile, it makes others wonder what you're up to. 

I come to you live as I am sitting atop my throne of cleansing for my yearly colonoscopy ritual.  The colonoscopy is tomorrow - so ... Merry Christmas to me!  The past five years, I have sat upon this very throne of cleansing but without any creature comforts.  This year is different; I have my laptop atop a television tray, two bottles of water, which I must drink in the three hours to come (which will be repeated once more), and my portable DVD player with “Christmas Vacation” to watch.  The only things missing are my blanket and pillow, and cheap thrills like I get when I sit atop Hula’s throne.  ;-)  The goal of tonight's cleansing is to be cleaner than a whistle... and I'm almost there...

Anyone afraid to get a colonoscopy shouldn’t worry about the procedure itself but the cleansing part.  I have lost my tolerance for lime, lemon, orange, and now peach Jello (part of the clear liquid diet prior to the cleansing).  The Fleet Phospho-soda is nasty and makes me ill; the lemon-ginger flavor is one I will never forget – ever.  It would be better if it were unflavored.  I swear each year that I’m going to write the Fleet company and tell them to give us a choice, perhaps this year, I will.  There are pills available now but my doc wants me to stick to the nasty elixir.  Talk about torture!  Then there’s the drawback of my lower limbs falling asleep while sitting on my throne so long.  Me thinks I should get a cushioned seat for said throne… one of these days.

Mom came downstairs to check on me while I was curled up on my bed – during a cleansing break – and I heard her laugh.  She saw my little setup in my bathroom and cracked up.  I’m happy to be a source of entertainment for someone else besides myself.  ;-)

Gee whiz, that’s enough about this crappy subject.  

The Christmas preparations are underway and almost complete.  I have one more gift to wrap after my sister brings over a gift card for the second part of my niece’s gift.  I have two nieces left who are under the age of 18 – the nieces and nephews over 18 do not get formal gifts from us any longer.  The next things on my to-do list are to make fudge and spicy Chex Mix.  I usually make 10-12 batches of the Chex Mix for family and close neighbors and have my production slim-lined; I use the microwave instead of the oven then use the garage for my quick cooling system.  By the time I’m on my fourth batch, I’m ready to bag the first batch.  The fudge isn’t too difficult and I’m only making two flavors: peanut butter fudge and white chocolate fudge with cranberries, nuts, and orange zest.  Yum.  I’m giving most of it away, which is a good thing for me; less temptation.  

I’m cooking for Christmas Eve; spiral cut ham, baked beans, and sour cream augratin potatoes.  Mom is making her yummy rolls and that is where I’ve cut her off.  She’s really tired lately (since Dad has had more problems) and she’s going to take it easy.  My sisters, Susie and Kathy, niece Elyssa, Mom, Dad, and possibly my brother, Bob and his daughters, Morgan and Heather are having dinner.  Then we’re all going to my brother J Dee’s house for Santa, where we’ll see the rest of my family and the kids and women get to sit on Santa’s lap and the men get to sit on Mrs. Claus’ lap.  It’s always fun but it’s a shame that Santa and Mrs. Claus have to leave so early due to the busy night.  

Christmas morning after breakfast and the festivities, I plan on a nice, long nap.  Unless, of course, if I get an invitation to have some fun under the mistletoe. *wink, wink* I haven’t heard from him yet but I’m guessing no bad news is a good sign and his sister made it through another surgery.  Thank you again for your thoughts and prayers for them.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!  May your lives be filled with love, laughter, and celebration.

Update:  Susan mentioned her niece Kayla in her comment on this post.  Please go over and read about Kayla's next battle.  She is a true inspiration to me and although I think I'm a fighter, I don't think I would fight as hard as she fights.  She's an extraordinary young woman and she reaches for her stars. 

I'm beginning to realize that life does not slow down!  I thought I'd have all sorts of time once I was out of school but now I'm wondering how I ever managed to juggle everything.

Last week was a pretty good week; there were no confrontations, thank heavens.  I did run into the "Lord of the Flies" one morning and I smiled at him and said, "Good morning," and he grumbled back something that resembled the word, "morning."  I figured I'd kill him with kindness if he was going to be a big boob about it all.  

Vickie and I were talking about the problems Dad is having and she remembered something that she researched once for her mother.  After reading the information, I'm 100% sure that Dad does not suffer from Parkinson's but from Lewy Body Dementia (LBD).  LBT includes the low dopamine in the muscles that Parkinson's does, but it also explains everything else that is going on with Dad - past and present.  It explains his severe sensitivity to sedatives, the nasty Requip, and other medications he was given in 2006 when he was so ill. I could start a rant about dad's previous neurologist that let Dad go a year before helping him then prescribed Requip that but I won't ;-) However, I do plan on writing a letter to the bastard now that I know what I know. 

I brought the info on LBD home and showed my parents and Mom remembered that Dad's neurologist mentioned it a few times but she didn't know what it was.  Now we do.  The doctor ordered an oxygen test for Dad to check his readings at night, which we should get today or tomorrow. 

Medicare, being the experts they are *cough, cough*, refused to pay for Dad's night oxygen any more because his readings were "too good."  Figure that one out.  It was working - wow - but working too well??.  The last 90 days since he hasn't had the oxygen, he began to do worse so they're starting there to find out why he's doing so bad right now.  I realize there is a natural progression of this disease, however, I'm not exhausting all the possibilities of things they can do to slow it down yet.  I don't feel it's time to give up and just keep him comfortable.  He's fighting and so are we.   

Friday was filled with fun between my company Christmas luncheon and getting together with my friends, the Motley Crew, for an early dinner.  My friend Linda went as my guest for the luncheon then we did some shopping between the two events.  My friends and I laughed and laughed at dinner, caught up with each other, and exchanged gifts.  We've vowed to get together once a month and it's been great the past few months.  We all used to work in the same building but with job changes, organization moves, and promotions, we're spread out all over now so it's nice to see one another. 

After that, I went home and picked Mom up and we went to Wally World.  We were quite brave since it was crowded but there were no run-ins with rude shoppers.  I was prepared with my sincere "Merry Christmas" line if anyone was rude.  

Saturday, I wrapped most my Christmas gifts and then got the bad news about my special someone's sister.  Thank you again for all your thoughts for him, his sister, and their family.  You are all so wonderful.

We got a surprise visit from my nephew Travis, his wife Sara, and their cute little baby Eli.  She is more adorable than ever and she's smiling now.  Click on photo to embiggen.  I captured this expression just right... she's definitely Travis' daughter - I always tease him when she farts and now, sticks her tongue out.  I held her for a few minutes and she has such a sweet spirit, she amazes me.  Mom and Dad told me that they were amazed at the connection I have with her and I think it's wonderful.  I always had this connection with Travis so it doesn't surprise me.  Sara is wonderful too and it feels as if I've known her all her life too. 

I'm so blessed to have an incredible family and friends.

As cheesy as some of my daily text fortunes are, there are times when one hits home.  This morning, "Friendship is a mirror" arrived to my cell phone and I stopped what I was doing and thought about how true it is.  Friends and friendships are mirrors in many ways, both superficially and deeply. 

Take honesty for example; how can one be honest with his/herself without being honest with his/her friends?  Friends help us see the real us through their actions - if our friends are true friends.  Friends won't hold back any aspects of who they are, if we share of ourselves and make it safe for them to share themselves.  I've had friends who have held back important aspects of themselves and I have to wonder if they were true friends or perhaps I did not make them feel safe enough to share with me.  I wonder if they thought I would judge them, which - if they were truly a friend, I would not.  For friends love and accept true friends for who they are.  I was guilty of withholding information from friends because of my own self-shame and being scared of being rejected, however, thinking back, I think it was more my own low self-esteem that held me back than not feeling safe in divulging that I was far from perfect.

Friends mirror how we treat our families; if we treat our families badly, surely we'll treat friends badly.  Although some family members are out of control and we justify feeling and acting badly towards them, at some point we will undoubtedly treat a friend in the same manner.  I treated my sister in this manner and although I felt justified in "tough love," I should not have called her names and ridicule her as I did.  The truth is, I can have my own devastating circumstances in the blink of an eye.  I had a friend who was involved in drugs and I tried and tried to help her - why didn't I help my sister?  The friend shut me out - but not my sister, she almost begged for my help, through her actions.  I cannot change the past but I can change the future and how I deal with my sister and it will make a difference.  In fact, it is making a difference now.  It's making a difference in how I view people with similar problems and how I try to help because who knows what a difference it can make - no matter how insignificant. 

As Thanksgiving approaches, I am aware of all I have to be thankful for and the thankfulness runs deep.  I know, without a doubt, I would not be where I am today without my friends and family.  They've helped me through the tough times and celebrated the good times.  I am blessed, indeed.   I am thankful to all my friends, far and near. 

Happy Thanksgiving to you all and your loved ones (even if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving)! 

 

 

I should have been suspicious when my friend Linda entered the restaurant with a big box under her arm.  She's a sneaky one (but I must admit, she's my partner-in-crime).  Then a card was passed to everyone at the table except for me - my friends Jackie, Renate, and Sandi kept me entertained so I wouldn't ask to sign the card too or inquire what it was for.  I quickly surmised that the card and the gift were for me, for getting my degree. 

After the waitress took our order and returned with our drinks, Linda handed me the plain-paper wrapped box with a lovely orange ribbon and a white card.  I removed the card and Linda pointed out there was something missing wrapping paper and I looked and there was a large "8 inch" staring me in the face.  The waitress saw it and began to giggle as I turned beet-red.  Having memories of past gifts from my friends flash in my mind, I thought I was in for it again.  We were not at the NCO club as in years past where all sorts of naughty goodies were given for birthday and big occasions, so I hoped that being in a restaurant where families came, my friends would surely not pull another vibrating gift on me.  

After the blood left my face, I grabbed my camera for a photo while I was laughing, then took my chances of opening the gift.  I was pleasantly surprised that it did not vibrate, however, it needed electricity.  They gave me a 8 inch Video Photo Frame!  I could hardly believe my eyes; I'm spoiled. 

Speaking of being spoiled, my friends at work gave me a beautiful jewelry box, which is perfect for two other gifts I received.  Dawn gave me some gorgeous gold and amethyst earrings and Pam (Southernblog) gave me a beautiful silver and black bracelet with a silver heart with initial on it. 

The gifts mean the world to me and I will always treasure them.  I also treasure all the congratulations from all of you too.  I'm not "walking" until June, but I have my official transcripts and my company verified my degree.  My family is waiting until June for the festivities - or so I've been told.  Yesterday, at a family gathering, my aunt told me that someone should throw me a party and I laughed and said, "I'm off the party planning committee, someone else will have to take over." 

Yes, indeed.  The Party Planner Karen is off duty after the two big parties I planned this past year.  Now is MY turn to party! 

Nikki-Ann tagged me... since I usually frown on being tagged, you know she must be a good friend for me to follow through ;-)  The meme rules: pick up the book you are reading, turn to page 161, and divulge the contents of the sixth sentence on that page.

 

I'm reading three books at the moment, 302 Advanced Techniques for Driving a Man Wild in Bed by Olivia St. Claire, The Leadership Challenge by Kouzes and Posner (for work), and The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby.  Now, the question is, which book do I choose; shall I be naughty or nice?  I think I'll be nice and naughty since it's hard for me to behave.

 

Let's face it - I've been reading the 302 book for along time because I can only take so much *snicker* torture at one time.  I'll flip a coin - naughty is tails *snicker* and nice is heads... or wait, should it be the other way around?  So tough to choose. 

 

I read the 302 book and the sentence is something about the right rear corner of a desk which sounds more interesting as is than what the actual sentence is.  The Leadership Challenge sentence is about a manager taking a group out to lunch... perhaps a nooner but I doubt it.  So, that leaves the Photography book.  "Also, if you can get either age group to pose for you, make sure you spend some time talking with them before you start shooting - it can go along way toward loosening them up, which will give you more natural looking poses and expressions (plus, they'll probably let you shot longer after you've built a little rapport).  Sounds a little kinky...

Every year, I look forward to February because it is when my birthday is, but this coming February, I am looking forward to it a bit more than previous years.  Why?  Because it is when one of my favorite TV shows returns.  This show is more than just entertaining, it's addicting.  It leaves many questions and even frustrations at times but it never disappoints where excitement is concerned.

I read the TV Guide's special fall preview and that this TV show was not listed.  I was irritated at best, however, in a smaller article, I saw where LOST, Season 4 would premiere in February 2008, therefore, cutting out the reruns of the episodes during the winter and later in the spring.  I have the semi-perfect solution to the reruns - film more episodes!  However, if they did that, it would take some of the quality writing and filming of the show, which are two of the things I like best.  The other things are the very hot Jack and Sawyer, but I digress. 

As I watched Pushing Daisies last night, I caught the end of a teaser for Lost.  My heartbeat sped up and my blood pressure raised a notch or three.  Oh, how I love DVR because I can rewind if I miss something AND not have to watch irritating commercials, but once again, I digress.  I rewound a bit and watched the teaser with anticipation. 

The teaser was about Lost: the Missing Pieces, which are 13 clips of Lost we haven't seen before that are newly created, not clipped from previous seasons.  Every Monday, there will be another clip released.  Click on the link above and it will take you to the first clip.  Oh... how the writers and producers love to tease and taunt us.  I hate to tell them that it's working. 

From what I gathered, Lost will premiere in 13 weeks, which is on February 6, 2008.  Yeehaw.

I feel a lot of changes coming with achieving my goal of earning my Bachelor's degree - good changes.  However, changes even for the good are scary.  In many ways, it doesn't seem real; I keep wondering what classes I'm going to take next.  Friends ask what I'm going to do with all my free time - that's easy - I'm going to work on learning more about photography and concentrate on writing.  Or whatever I feel like doing. 

I wonder what my future will bring.  I had vision of getting into project control (finances for contracts, etc.) but there are two very competent people in my division that are doing the job already and there's no room for me.  The division manager, who was the best we've had in the 12+ years that I've worked for the company, recently retired.  It was a blow when I got his farewell email that he sent last week.  I'm scared that the new division manager won't know how hard I've worked and he/she won't help me get into the position I want.  My boss is wonderful and he will do what he can.  

There is something else.  I think I've changed my mind about being a project controller.  The work I'm doing for my Hill AFB duties appeals to me; the teaching classes and being a more beneficial part of the team there.  The downside of that is that I won't be making as much money as I would as a project controller.  I love the interaction with the team and students and I would miss that as a project controller.  I'm funded for half time at Hill AFB still so perhaps I can still do both if I apply for a project controller position for the other half of my time but in a different division via telecommuting. I need to make more money - no question about that - but what is more important, doing what I love or doing what I have to do to make more money?  I doubt it would be worth the stress.  There is a chance that I could be promoted to be a teacher full time for Hill AFB but it depends on workload. 

I'm a person who has to know my next move before it happens so this uncertainty is scary, yet at the same time, it's exciting.  I've worked for four long years to get where I am, which took a lot of courage to keep going.  If I can do that, I certainly can face some uncertainty.  Right?  Right.  

Changes in my career are not the only changes, I feel as if I'm changing.  My goals are changing.  It feels great to feel some freedom in chosing what I want to do outside of my career.  I'm following my passions... the passions of my heart.   

Raggedy gave me the The I'm Fabulous Award over the weekend.  She named some Totally fabulous people on her post and now I'd like to point out some now.  You all, of course, are all fabulous.

Steelcowboy is completely fabulous; he is one-of-a-kind, genuine, honest, and down-to-earth guy who has a way of touching lives through his words.  He is a friend to many and deserves recognition and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank him for touching my life and making me want to be a better person.  He is a good friend and I have always enjoyed his sense of humor and his sense for showing kindness when it's needed. 

Deni is another who is completely fabulous; she always thinks of others before herself.  She has a heart of gold and has a brilliant sense of humor.  I have enjoyed not only reading her blog but also getting to know her through emails.  She has become a great friend and I bless the day that I was introduced to her.  She is always there when others need her - no matter what.  Thank you, Deni for your friendship and for all you've done for me.  You are truly special. 

My friend Dave is one heck of a guy.  He has been a friend to me for so long and I appreciate his friendship and always being there.  He's got a brilliant sense of humor and a very sexy yellow Corvette, which is now put away for its winter hibernation, and a genuine, giving heart.  He has a private blog... and I think many people are missing out on him because it is private *uh hum... HINT*  Thank you, Dave - for always being there and for always putting up with my teasing... oh but wait... you give it right back.  ;-) 

A fabulous couple is Colin and his lovely wife, D.  Colin and I met through a friend at work; Colin worked at Hanscom AFB in MA and I work at Hill AFB.  Colin and I were instant friends and his wife, D, is as wonderful as he is.  I first met them face-to-face at Logan Airport in Boston on my way home from England in 2002 and they were as genuine and kind as I knew they would be. 

Then in 2003, I traveled to Hanscom AFB for work and were able to see them again.  The second trip's fun was delayed a bit due to a flight cancellation, otherwise I would have been able to stick my feet in the Atlantic Ocean.  But the next day, Colin and D spoiled me rotten; they took me on a DUCK Tour, to lunch at Dick's Last Resort, and to the Prudential Building Observation Deck.  The Duck Tour was SO much fun, Dick's was a blast (where Colin was named "Big Pig" for stealing some of D's lunch), and the observation deck was incredible.  They gave me memories for a lifetime that day. 

They've since retired and are living the life they dreamed of all their married lives - they're together.  They keep tabs on me and are always there when I need them.  Thank you, Colin and D, for your friendship and all you've given me.  Lub & hugs to both of you!  

I consider myself blessed to have so many incredible and fabulous people in my life - and that means all of you! 

Onto other things, I had a nice weekend - mostly vegging and keeping my leg propped up.  It doesn't like sitting at the computer for long - even though I prop it up.  I can't imagine how hard it will be to go back to work and I think only two weeks is pushing it a bit.  I see the doctor today to get my stitches out and I'll see about extending my time off work by a few days.  

I'm also officially done with school WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!  I'm just impatiently waiting for my grades. If I bit my nails, I'd have ten bloody stumps on my hands.  I'm sure I've got an A in Visual Arts but it's my Music grade I'm worried about (I mixed some things up on the final).  If I get below a 175/260 on the final, I will earn B, and a 3.8975 GPA, which isn't enough for Magna status, however, if I get an A, I will have a 3.816 and Magna Cum Laude status.   Ohhhhhhhhhhhh, the waiting........... I hate waiting!   I emailed my professor last night, begging him to give me my grade on my final) but I have yet to hear from him.  GAH! 

P.S.  Let's hear it for the Colorado Rockies who are one game away from sweeping the Arizona Diamond-Backs for a turn at the World Series.  W00T!  Go Rockies!! They've won 20 out of the last 21 games and they deserve to go to the series! 

P.S.S.  Another of my beloved teams, the Boston Red Sox are playing Cleveland Indians.  Each team has won a game so the next three games are critical and I'm hoping the next three games will be Boston's.  Saturday's game went 11 innings and it was a close game until the 11th when it fell apart and Boston lost (boo). 

If these two teams end up playing in the World Series, it will be hard to choose one team to cheer for so I'll cheer for both and be happy with the team that wins.   

Life is an adventure and the fun never seems to end.  A couple of months ago, my foot doc told me that my calf muscles are too short and they're causing problems with the balls of my feet, which will get worse.  There's a fairly new procedure to lengthen calf muscles and it's not major surgery.  I thought about it and decided I would have it done to help with my current problems as well as prevent future problems. 

I had surgery on my left leg last Tuesday and it went well.  The doc attempted to do it via scope but there was a problem with the scope so he had to cut a larger incision, but it's only three inches (the scope incision is only an inch) and won't cause much delay in healing.  I will spare you the graphic photo of the incision, which I think looks pretty cool, but I know not everyone is fascinated by stitchery when it comes to incisions.  ;-)  Like I was when I had my hysterectomy , I used the mirror in the hospital tray to look at my incision across my lower tummy.  I giggled and thought it looked like a big smile with braces (the staples).  However, morphine makes anything funny.  

This is the larger of the two incisions; the smaller incision is on the outer part of my leg and isn't much to see.   The exciting (NOT) part of the healing, is that I get to wear a big, black, sexay boot for four weeks!  I feel like Darth Vader when I've got it on... now all I need is a light saber.  Gee whiz, I wonder where I could get one.  *snortle*

 I saw the doc on Thursday and he is very happy with how my incisions look and how well I'm doing.  I have my stitches taken out on Oct 15 and he said if I'm doing as well then, I won't have to wear the boot for a full four weeks, but only two weeks.  I shall continue to behave since I'd love to return to work on Oct 16 without the boot.

I will have my right leg done sometime in November or early December.

Onto more fun!  I have two finals this morning; Visual Arts at 8am and Music at 10am.  I can hardly believe it's finals week already.  However, this is just not the term's finals week but MY final week.  These are my last classes before I get my bachelor's.  WOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!  

If you hear a faint WOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOO this week, you'll know that I've completed all my assignments and will be completely done. *shaking my bootay*