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?  

Thank you, Nate and Dawn for calling me to let me know my site was down - I had no idea!  Also, thank you to those who emailed me. 

Turns out there was an issue with my debit card expiring and *cough, cough* I neglected to update it on my billing info for my SquareSpace account.  Gee whiz, definitely a *duh* on my part. I was in bed most the weekend with a cough/cold, so I wasn't online all that much and wasn't very good at checking all my email.   I thought the warning went to my junk mail and missed it, but upon further investigation, I found it hidden between two other messages I was waiting to answer.

I'm feeling mucho better today that I went to work and felt so good that I went out with my sexy man *grin*  Gee whiz... what a guy. 

Yesterday I received the news that a good friend of mine died; she and I knew one another since 7th grade, when my life became fuller because of her.  Suzanne Orton, 40, died last Tuesday, February 12, 2008,  peacefully at her home, according to the obituary.  When "at home" is mentioned in obituaries, most the time it means by the person's own hand, however, I refuse to believe she did anything to cause her death.  I feel it in my heart and soul. 

In our early 20's, Suzy was plagued with trauma from her childhood, such trauma that she developed multiple personality disorder.  Within five years, she took control of the MPD and no longer needed medication.  She had a strong faith in God and she forgave her abuser, which gave her the power to overcome it all.  I kept in touch with Suzy, usually via Christmas cards and the occasional phone call and/or email.  I am proud to call her friend and she helped me through one of the toughest times in my life, for which I will be forever grateful. 

I carry all the memories and laughter in my heart; she had such a way about her, she could always make me laugh.   

 

Suzy was a friend like no other,
She was kind, cheerful, and true to another.

Suzy had a true inner strength,
A strength she shared at length.

She was full of life and laughter,
Her antics had me laughing for hours after.

Suzy’s heart was filled with empathy and compassion,
It was no secret that those she loved were her passion.

She listened with her heart and soul,
And in her company, I was never alone.

She was there when I needed a friend,
And soon, she had me laughing, again and again.

Not matter what she went through in her younger years,
She fought hard to overcome her pain and fears.

Suzy had an incredible spirit, which glowed from within,
That spirit still shines today, for it will never end.

Suzy will be remembered for her Christ-like ways,
A true inspiration to me, then, now, and always.

I will carry her memory within my heart,
Now that she is safe, loved, and at peace in His loving arms. 

Rest in peace, my friend; I love you with all my heart,
Karen
 

It's a good thing I went to my doc today because the cellulites (skin infection) isn't the only issue.  The numbness and swelling of my foot and ankle area is a type of thrombosis.  Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) is when a major vein has a blockage/blood clot and I had that in 2003.  This time, it's a thrombosis of the smaller veins where blood flow isn't getting through the smaller veins as it should and it causes pain, numbness, and swelling. 

My blood protime (thickness/thinness of my blood) was a little low (thick) when tested last week so that's most likely the cause.  The only thing other than the blood thinners I'm already on is compression.  By compression, I mean the sexy Ted-hose.  Ack.  I have to wear them until I'm done with the antibiotics or longer if the symptoms return.  I have to get my protime tested again in two weeks so that will gage if the dose of coumadin needs to be increased/decreased. 

My doc wasn't surprised the ER doc didn't catch this because he didn't know me like my doc knows me and my history and it's a good thing the ER doc made it a point for me to see my doc today.  My doc was a bit upset that the ER doc and/or the radiologist on duty did not listen to the tech who did my ultrasound because she told me that area was "sluggish" for blood flow. 

I think the world of my doc and I owe him my life because he saved it a time or two.  He's so good with Dad and Mom too so I wanted to do something for him as a "you're appreciated" gesture.  He grew up in a small town in Idaho and his grandpa was a Forest Ranger in the Big Springs, Idaho area and my doc used to go on his runs with him and he loved it up there.  I gave him one of my photos of the old railroad bridge at Big Springs and he was so thrilled and he knew exactly where it was and he has stood there many times.  It really made his day.  He always tells me I make his day by coming in anyway but this time was extra special, and that makes me feel good.   

Friday morning I was so excited to tend my grandniece, Eli. I arrived early because traffic was nice for a change and it gave me a chance to visit with Travis and Sara before they had to leave for work. Eli and I got along fine, which I had no doubt about. I'm not one to change poopy diapers - never have - and I almost always throw up LOL However, a baby who is nursed is manageable, which is good because she had THREE poopy diapers. I did not even gag - GO Auntie Karen. There was a casualty of the cutest Eeyore outfit due to one of the diaper issues, but everything else was fine. She smiled a lot and squealed a lot too, which is a new thing. She didn't nap much, only 30 minutes then 45 minutes. I took my small camera with me that takes videos as well and here is one of the cutest while she was in her swing.



The bridal open house for my niece-to-be, Shalise, went well and we had a nice time visiting with family and friends. She is such a sweet lady and I know she and Adam will be so happy. We laughed about the fact that although Adam is living in their new house and has virtually nothing, he cannot use all the gifts until they're married and Shalise moves in. *evil grin*

I also had reports to complete for work on Friday and I managed to get them all done; I did three while watching Eli and then finished them after the open house... I was up until 2am but that was fine because I knew I could sleep in since D had such a late night.

My weekend didn't turn out as I expected it to. My sexy man worked 23.5 hours Friday, starting at 5am and not getting home until 3:30am Saturday. He called me at 11pm Friday night, on his way home, to tell me about his day and it was a rough one and he was really hurting. He thought he might be able to move by Saturday afternoon but he was in bed still when I called to check on him about 3pm. Poor guy. So, we planned for today, however, I had to cancel because something that was bothersome since Friday was a lot worse so I ended up going to the ER. I thought it was a blood clot due to discoloration of my calf, numbness on top of my foot, and a lot of pain that was different than RA pain. After spending about five hours there and having an ultrasound and blood tests, the news was no blood clot (whew) but cellulites, which is a skin infection. This is the third I've had since my fall back in Sept. The doc put me on more antibiotics and gave me some stronger pain pills and sent me home. I have to stay off of it as much as possible but I should be OK to go to work - I just have to keep it elevated while I'm sitting. David was relieved it wasn't a blood clot but when I told him how serious the infection is, he's worried about me. I will call my doc tomorrow and make an appt for Tuesday to make sure it's not spreading - if it is, it may mean hospitalization and/or IV antibiotics.

So... that was my weekend! How was yours?

I want to thank Merle, who gave me the Cheer Me Up Award.  I'm honored to receive this award from Merle because she always cheers me up.  I'd like to pass this award on to many special people in my life who always cheer me up.  I certainly don't want to leave anyone out so I will name a few who are always there for me when I need to be cheered up.  Vickie, Dawn, Hula, Raggedy, Margaret, Vickie B., Suzanne, Theresa, Annie, Emma, Sally, my cuz Hoss, Dave C., Michael (Big Orange), Dr. Mike, Rayne, Andrea, Pam B, Pam (Siamese), Princess Roo, Susan, Dyane, Skunk, Kirsi, and many more.  Please forgive me not linking to everyone - Blogrolling is down as I write this. 

It's so great that the weekend has arrived; it's been a long and busy week but it had its highlights.  I attended a workshop at work, "Crucial Confrontations" and I learned a lot and will use it in the future.  I was home sick on Wednesday with a tummy virus and luckily it only lasted a day.  

My nephew Travis called me this evening and asked what I am doing tomorrow (Friday).  I'm working from home but it's just light computer work so he asked if I could drive down to Salt Lake and watch little Eli for the day.  That's a big YES!!  I'm so excited to hold her and take lots of photos.  I also get to spend time with the kitty, Bella.  I'm hoping the big dogs are in their kennels; they're good dogs but they're a handful.  One is a Boxer and the other is a mix, like a small German Shepard. They also asked me to babysit on Valentine's Day and I think I should be able to since my sexy man will probably have to work. 

Tomorrow night is my niece-to-be, Shalise's, bridal open house (she's marrying my nephew Adam in March).  So, gee whiz, I'll be on the run all day and into the evening - as well as working on my reports for work. 

Saturday I will see my sexy man... and perhaps even Sunday, depending on his son's plans.  Gee whiz, I'm just a little excited............... and I'll leave it at that.  *snicker*  

Have a wonderful weekend!!   

Yesterday, we woke up to a foot of snow! While my mom, brother, nephew, and I were out clearing off the driveway, sidewalks, etc., another four inches fell in about an hour. We had fun and a lot of laughs, thanks to Adam throwing snow off my carport and onto his dad.






Mom is 5'4" and the snowbank is almost as tall as she is.


A little bit of my brother's truck from the other side of the snowbank.
This was before we cleared the front sidewalk... lots of snow!


We got a foot of snow over night and another four inches in the hour we were out there... and it snowed all day and some of the night with more snow coming today and every-other day this week. I know spring will come eventually! I'm still not complaining about the snow... I'm still loving it but my body thinks otherwise ;-)

Thank you all for the birthday wishes - I had a really nice birthday weekend!

My friend Linda and I had a plan.  I wanted two kittens and we planned to visit the animal shelters on our outing today in celebration of my birthday (Saturday).  The plan was to find the kittens, adopt them, and bring them home and tell Mom they were a gift and I could not return them.  That will show Mom, I thought, I am going to get two kittens and I don't care what fits she throws. 

Mom doesn't want another thing that she has to take care of since Dad needs a lot of care.  To be honest, I thought she was unreasonable because the kittens would be in my basement with me.  She would not have to take care of them. 

The more I thought about it, I had to laugh at my deviousness.  I even planned to take my kitty-carrier to Linda and tell Mom it was for her dog for an upcoming vet visit.  

The closer today came, more lies in my head built up, thinking I would tell a lie to cover up a lie.  Devious?  Yes, but also selfish and a liar. 

I began to feel a darkness that surrounded my thoughts of having two wonderful kitties and decided that was not what I want.  I don't want to make Mom miserable and add more to her already full plate; I love her too much to do that to her.  I also love myself and I did not like the person that was emerging with lie after lie - even if the lies were in my head.  I no longer laughed at how devious I was because my actions would hurt my mom and I couldn't go through with it. It's amazing how one can grow from something that never happened, just by looking within and not liking what one sees. 

When I get my kitties, I want it to be a really happy time and not have anything foreshadowing it.  I know I made the right decision and my conscience is clearer and lighter.  It's not the right time... not yet. 

I had a great day today with Linda - we had brunch then went to the mall while waiting for the movie to start and then we saw, I Am Legend.  Wow, what an intense movie but it was good.  Wil Smith did an excellent job; I swear, the man keeps getting better.   After the movie, we me the rest of the Motley Crew and had a nice early dinner. 

Plans for tomorrow are spending the day with my sexy man and then the family gathering for ice cream and cake tomorrow evening.  I'm thinking this will be the best birthday yet :-)  

Have a wonderful weekend - and let's hear it for the Groundhog tomorrow and hoping he won't see his shadow.