Between my windows and the wind

This little piece of metal is what holds the plywood onto our windows and protects them from 100+ winds.

Hurricane preparations

So, we all know to put the yard decorations away, stock up on water, candles available,etc, but what about the other prep that no one tells us about?

Laundry - there is a chance power can be out for 2 weeks. Do you have enough clean clothes to make it through that time frame? No air conditioning + dirty clothes = stinky people who you will be in close contact with for awhile.
Dishes - run the dishwasher before the power goes out. Again, who wants to to be responsible for that full dishwasher of dishes that has been fermenting for a day or two.
Books- no TV, no power; how are you going to keep yourself entertained?
Pictures - the before pictures so that the insurance company believes you when you submit claims afterword.
Jewelry - time to put on all your jewels in case the roof blows off and you need to leave in a hurry. Better to be prepared and looking like a princess than leaving your precious jewels behind.
Alcohol - It's a perfect time to have a block party. Your food is defrosting anyway, so turn on the grill and lets make it a celebration. I suggest making hurricanes.

Another storm coming this way

Ah, the hurricane season is on us full force and we have yet another storm headed our way. Will it hit us? How hard? Will there be power? If it is out, how long? Will the shelves be empty for weeks like they were after Katrina and Rita?
We're prepared, as we have been since the beginning of the season. Now we just wait and see.

UPDATE: Looks like we are going to get hit with a category 3 or 4 storm, which means wind damage and power outages for our neck of the woods. We'll be doing our last minute preparation, so posting will probably be suspended for a bit. I'll update when I can.

Beach Day

We went to the beach on Labor Day. With the incoming hurricane, it was deserted. We went for the waves that the turbulent surf had created. It is great for body surfing.
As a precaution, the volleyball nets had all been removed from their posts. This picture just caught my eye.

Results

We got to the doctor's office today, 20 minutes early. As we waited our turn, I "admired" the decor - orange, green, purple, with furniture covered in triangles and swirls. I guess they choose the decor to distract the children. Shortly I hear "J's mom" . Assuming they need my insurance information, I arrive at the desk, digging through my purse for my insurance card. "We have you scheduled for September 19th at 11:20" What?!? "But I wrote down the time when I made the appointment on my schedule at work, my time off request, and my calendar at home..are you sure?" "Yes ma'am, I don't see any notes saying there was a reschedule...who did you speak with when you made the appointment?" We discuss a bit more, she goes to get the nurse who I spoke with at the time when I made the appointment. She comes out, remembers making the appointment but not changing the date to the 3rd. At this point, I can't take any more of the stress. We've waited months, I'm in knots and feeling desperate. We are so close to an answer and I'm being told we have to wait 2 more weeks...my shoulders drop, my eyes start to well-up with tears. As I reach for a tissue, the nurse tells me to wait, she'll see if we can some how or another to be fit in.
They were able to fit us in after about an hour, which is pretty good considering the wait for this place. The doctor was very through in her questioning of J's condition and our family history. She heard my concerns, took the time to research possible contraindications that J's medications could be having on his body, and just really listened.
J's numbers are not "high enough" to warrant medication at this point, and although we have to go a liver panel function test, the doctor thinks right now we have to continue the wait and see attitude with one change - fish oil. It may be the "miracle pill" we're looking for. In three months when we go back for more testing we'll see if it worked.
So for now, we're done. I have a sense of semi-relief, but also feel completely exhausted right now. I hadn't realized how stressed I was until after the appointment. Now I need a nap, to recuperate from it all. Then it's up again to schedule the next round of tests...and to take some fish oil pills (the odorless type, for those who are curious).

We see the doctor today

Today's the day. In 10 hours we get to finally see the specialist for J and hopefully get some answers. I honestly have no idea what they are going to do or if they can do anything at all. J is going to see a GI specialist and he's been ill for the last few days, which may or may not negate any tests they do. I should probably reschedule the appointment, but we've waited so long, I just need some answers. I'll update later once we get back from the doctor's office. I should sleep sometime today so I can be well rested and alert for his appointment.

Neither rain, nor wind, nor sleet, nor...

J's appointment with his specialist is almost upon us, at which we will hopefully get some answers to his medical problems. It's been on our minds constantly, mine and J's. We're both nervous about it, J because of the testing he is going to endure, me because of the possibilities of the results. I've got my work schedule rearranged and already informed the school J will leaving early.We've waited over a month for this day and nothing is going to stop us from going....

Hmm,what's that on the horizon? Wind, rain....oh a hurricane, due to land the day before his appointment. Argh. Even though the likelihood of it hitting us is low, the hospitals around here tend to cancel all non-emergency appointments for the day prior the storm, the day of the storm, and the day after. If we have to wait another month, I will truly be upset.

Quote of the day

Another flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance.

-- Kurt Vonnegut

Bathroom ettiquette

Modern technology has greatly accelerated the decline in etiquette in society. Case in point: I was at the airport today and went into the ladies room. As I walked in, I overheard someone conversing, to whom I don't know, since it was a one-sided conversation. It was coming from one of the stalls...the stall that also had quite an odor coming from it. I freshened up, and the woman was still talking on her phone, while she was on the toilet.
I don't know what she was saying, since it was not English, but the tone of voice she was using was a conversational tone, not one of panic, anger, or sadness. What is so important to discuss that it can not wait until you are out of the bathroom? The person on the other side of that conversation had to be able to hear the flushing toilets, the hand dryer, and the other noises that go along with using bathroom stall. I wonder if she would invite that person into the bathroom with her in a face-to-face situation, since that is essentially what she was doing here.
So, am I old-fashioned in being affronted by this action? Is it appropriate to talk on the phone while using the toilet?

Gold in 2016

J has finally found a sport he enjoys, one that he has a desire to pursue: gymnastics. After his first class, he has been a wealth of information on the topic - the different forms, different equipment, how chalk benefits you when you're on the rings. It's quite exciting to see his excitement.
The gym he is attending is the same one 2 of our current Olympic team have attended, so I know he will get good instruction. We didn't search for that particular gym, it just happens to be the one closest to us.
He has a "competition" (in house testing of skills) tonight that he is looking forward to attending; he has already asked me "do you think I could go to the Olympics?". My answer? "To reach the Olympics you must be dedicated and persevere, you give up a lot to reach that goal, but you can work towards that goal. Anything is possible."

Quote of the Day

To do anything in this world worth doing, we must not stand back shivering and thinking of the cold and danger, but jump in, and scramble through as well as we can.

Sydney Smith (1771 - 1845)

Deadly water hazards

We were hit with hard news yesterday - our scout leader had his 17 month old son die in a tragic drowning accident. It seems they returned from a day at church, put the child to bed and the mom lay down for a quick nap herself. When she awoke later in the evening, she checked on her child who was missing from bed. It seems the little one wandered into the bathroom and turned on the water to the bath. It is a recessed tub, so once he got in he could not get out and subsequently drowned.
I can not fathom the guilt mom must be feeling, nor the absolute despair she must be experiencing. To lose your child in such a sudden way (any way for that matter) is heart rending. As a parent, you can't help but reflect on what you would do if this happened to your own family. How would your marriage suffer? Would the guilt tear the relationship apart? What about the siblings, will they blame themselves?
It's funny (in an odd way), I know of several families who lost young children to disease or accident. Each of these families are very religious, with their beliefs being that their God is a kind and loving god. How do they maintain their faith when it seems that God is against them, that he seems to be a cruel vengeful god?

Medical update

We finally got our appointment with the specialist - September 3.
The "triage nurse" at the specialist office didn't have our paperwork (faxing tends to cause misplaced paperwork) but agreed that we could not wait on it to come through before scheduling J's appointment; the high triglycerides are a serious concern in someone J's age. She also has us on the cancellation list, so that if someone can't make their appointment we can get a call to come in.
We probably will get a call in August since Hubby is gone the whole month and I'll be forced to deal with it on my own.

Back from vacation

We just got back from visiting family in KY and I've decide I want to move there. There are hills, there's greenery, and their traffic is laughable. Of course, the other positive, there is family there. My dear sister-in-law and her hubby where kind enough to play tour guide to us while we were there, putting up with the chaos of us and my father-in-law and his wife too. They are used to just the two of them, so I am sure they were happy to have their peace and quiet back once we all left.
We weren't sure how the trip was going to go since we arrived near midnight, got the rental car, and got pulled over within minutes. Seems are driving triggered the suspicions of the local airport police. We were lost, so when she came to the car window asking if we needed some help I immediately spoke up and asked for directions. Hey, I wanted to get some sleep! Much to hubby's dismay, I also took a picture of him and her together, to start our vacation photo album off just right ...hehe.
Although we saw many sights, we were happy just hanging around the sister-in-law's house. J discovered fossils in her back yard and spent hours digging and cleaning them. I think the toughest part of the trip for him was deciding which ones to take back (the 500+lb slab had to stay).
On the last day of the trip, hubby lost his glasses -he was not happy! We had gone to a water park and he was putting stuff away in a locker when he heard them fall, but he could not find them. We all searched, high and low, for them but they were gone. I even had the attendant open the locker beneath ours to see if they had somehow or another fallen in there. It's as though there was a black hole in the back of the locker, sucking in all matter, never to be seen again.
Luckily, that was the only downside to the trip. We made it back safe and sound and I even had the forethought to schedule a few more days off from work so that I might have a "vacation from my vacation" so that I could rest up before heading back to work.

Mysterious Palm

See that plant? The palm-like growth? It mysteriously appeared in my front yard at the beginning of the summer. I have no idea what it is, or how big it will get. I'm thinking it may have originated from a seed sent from my mother-in-law to my son as a souvenir from her vacation to Jamaica. The child insists he did not plant it there, however I do recall him asking me at some point if I thought it could still grow.
It has already grown about three feet, as you can see if it is going to get large, its placement is not ideal - it would be blocking my front door. So, can someone help me identify it? You may not be able to tell from the pictures, but it also has sharp teeth-like thorny growths along the edges of the stalks of the "leaves".

Part II, J's results

As I mentioned, we did the second blood draw on Monday and waited for the results, which would be at the doctor's office by Tuesday.
10am, Tuesday morning. I called from work and left a message for the nurse to call me at my work number with the results. I reminded my fellow coworkers that I was expecting a call, they would ask for J's mom, so they would be asking for me under a different last name. No problem, they all understood how important it was for me to get this call. So I went about my business, waiting, working, waiting.
3:00 pm, Tuesday afternoon. I had yet to hear from them. I know from working in a clinic most test results are reported back to the patients immediately after lunch, before the office opens up again. It is a planned time for the office to catch up on paperwork, and this office is no exception. I called again, stressing that I wanted to hear back from the nurse, even if the results were not in, so I would not be worrying over them. I then left my home number for them to contact me and said they could even leave a message on the machine if need be. No phone call ever came.

8 am, Wednesday morning. I leave a message again telling them I really would like to hear from someone. No phone call.

2pm. Wednesday afternoon. I call again. I ask the answering service when does the nurse normally return phone calls. I am told "between patients". Since I've about lost my patience, I snarkly reply, "So, they've not had a break from seeing patients since yesterday morning?". The answering service lets me know that they will send another message.

2:30 pm. I finally get my call back. The nurse starts telling me that his numbers are a bit high, and that the doctor would like to have him retested in 6 months. I stop her, asking for the acutal numbers. She then suggest a fasting blood test. Argh! I tell her it is a fasting, and a retake. I then ask, "Did the Dr. actually review the lab work, since he is the one that ordered the retest because of those high numbers. Did he really take the time to look at the chart?" At this point she back peddles a little and says she will have the doctor look at them again and will call me tomorrow with his response. I honestly do not think that the doctor had looked at the test results, I think she was giving me a standard response. Why do I say this? Well....

1:30 pm, Thursday. The nurse calls me back and informs me that after reviewing his results, and the results from the last few tests plus his chart, the doctor is recommending we see a GI specialist. We have some concern about liver functions. They are doing the referral paperwork to day and will send it to the specialist today. I am to await a phone call from that office.

So we are waiting. I do know referrals can take some time to go through. So I'll wait until next Thursday before I start calling and harassing the doctor's office again. If need be, I may just sit in the waiting room, until the paperwork is done. This is my son's health, it is something I take seriously. I will not allow someone elses incompetence to jeopardize his well being.

J 's doctor visit, part I

J went for his annual check-up last Friday, and several things have me thinking it is time for a new doctor's office for him.
Let me back track to the scheduling of the appointment. One thing I like to do is get the blood work which I know will be requested done before the appointment, so that we do not have to schedule a follow-up visit. When I called to make the appointment, I mentioned this along with the fact that it was J's 10 year old well child visit. The scheduler asked me when his birthday is (July 4) and then could not get it through her head that even though he was not technically 10 yet, we still needed to book the appointment. She kept saying things like "so this is for his 9 year old appointment". Even after I explained that my insurance covers it, she still said "well, I'm making a note that you are the one asking for this appointment." The same thing happened with the blood work...she would not believe me that he had to get it done before the appointment (even though his chart has the order in it).
I got the results of his blood work before our appointment, with the results being high and not what was expected. When I expressed concern, the nurse said we should try again with a fasting blood test...but that was what we just had done! When I pointed that out to her, she suggested my son must have drunk soda before the test. One, he is not allowed to drink soda except special occasions, and two, he understood perfectly well what "fasting" entailed and was not going to put himself through the torture of more needles for a snack.
At the doctor's office, I expressed my concern and the doctor says the same thing, that we should get a fasting test. Exasperated, I point out that it was a fasting test, that the numbers are off the wall and that family history has me concerned for my son's health.
To give the doctor credit, he stopped, took the time to really review this year's and last year's results and apologized and thanked me for making him slow down to review what was in front of him. He agreed that the results were screwy and that it might be a lab error, so he ordered the blood work to be done again. He finished his exam, left, and we waited for the nurse to return with a vaccination for J.
And we waited...and waited..the doctor came back in, asked if we had been seen, went back out, chewed out his nurse (I could hear him), came in again, apologized for the wait and had the nurse come in.
Now, J had had the blood drawn on his left arm and wanted to have the vaccination in his right arm since the other one had already been traumatized. When he asked the nurse if he could do this, she said no, it has to be in the let arm. What?!? Both J and I asked at the same time "why?"(it is intramuscular, the arm choice does not matter).
The nurse got flustered, couldn't really give an answer and had to go confirm with someone that it was indeed OK to have the vaccination in either arm. After getting the vaccination in the arm of his choice, we were off, to return Monday for more blood work.
The blood draw was fine, it was getting the results that cause some trouble... (to be continued)

Hubby's work

I've never mentioned what hubby does for his job, since it is a security-sensitive job. However, I will say that he works to help stop the scum of the world from causing harm to the innocents of the world. His name is Clark Kent and he often wears a red cape....
Seriously, his job does expose him to some of the seedier sides of our dear state. Usually I don't know what he is doing (security reasons) but I sometimes get to find out later. Our normal dinner conversations will go something like this.
Me: How was your day?
Hubby: Busy (and that is all I get)

I might get a the response of "It was really interesting...I wish I could tell you". Hubby also will ask things like "did you see the news today?" (the answer is always no, but then I know whatever he was doing has become public knowledge and I can at least read the news article on-line to get an inkling of what he has been involved in).
Today, I do know where he is headed. I also know that if he "succeeds" at his job today it will be a very sad day for him, because it involves children, very young children, and he won't be able to save them.
Hubby has always been a serious man, reserved and quiet. Since he started his superman job, he has become more withdrawn. His job does not allow him to discuss the details with me, his confidante. I often wonder what kind of pressure that has a person, and just how much can a human being absorb before it effects his soul in a negative manner. It has changed him already, to be more cynical of our society and to lose a bit of faith in humanity. I just hope it doesn't change him too much.
I do know that when he comes home today, he will look at his son and probably give him a hug.
J-man, being 9, won't appreciate it since he won't know what his dad will have witnessed today. I'll be hugging hubby - he'll need it.

Locker room etiquette

Jman had a field trip at daycare today, so I had just enough time to go to the local YMCA to work out before I had to pick him up. As I was coming from work, I had to get changed completely once I was there. I walked into the woman's locker room, started to get changed, and noticed that there were several children in there as well. There were 3 girls and 2 boys...boys that appeared to be older than the "5 or younger" age limit which is allowed in the woman's locker room.
So, I asked them how old they were and one of the girl's told me that the boy's were 5 and 10 years old, and that their mother was getting changed (on the "wet" side of the locker room). I mentioned that they should let their mother know that they were too old for this locker room, but that there was a family locker room they could use.
I was waiting, and waiting for the mother to come out, since I was not going to get undressed in front of a prepubescent boy. The mother finally came out (she was not finished changing), and I started to mention to her that there is a family changing room right next to this one, since the boys were too old to be in here. She interrupts me to tell me she speaks English..OK...I again say there is the family dressing room next door...she interrupts again to tell me she can read English. Great, if only she could understand it and follow the rules. As I try to continue to talk to her, and ask her to have her son go at least go into the closed off area so he is not staring at everyone.. she goes off on me. She tells me I can change in the toilet stalls...no I don't think so. I mention again the family dressing room. She has the audacity to say that she does not want get undressed in from of him, and that is the way the room is set up . What? So it is OK for me to get undressed in front of him? I finally have had enough and go to get one of the staff.
At the same time, I run into another friend of mine. So, the staff member gets ahead of me a bit as I'm explaining to my friend that she may not wish to get changed into her swimwear just yet since the dressing room has some older boys in there.
I walk in and hear the staff member explaining the rules to this woman. The woman starts saying how she does not want to leave them alone while she gets changed, but obviously "she", meaning me, "who doesn't have children wouldn't understand". I replied, I do have a child, and he's a boy too. The staff member, who was quicker to the point, mentioned that the YMCA offers daycare (free) for this purpose. The woman makes a snide comment that she'll be sure to keep the boys out when "that woman" is in here. The staff member responded with, "well, it is all the time...they are not allowed in here at all".
It's funny, I probably would not have involved the staff if the woman had just acknowledged that I had a right to feel uncomfortable with her 10 year old boy in the locker room. If she had said something like"I didn't realize anyone else was in here..." or "I didn't know there was a family room" or "let me gather our stuff, we're all done here". Instead, she wanted to insist that she didn't have to follow the rules and she thought that if she confronted me I would back down. I don't think so. The rules (which, by the way, are printed in big letters on a placard in the locker room) are there for a reason.

Grocery shopping

As everyone knows, grocery shopping is more expensive now than it has been in decades. Used to be that we could buy a weeks worth of groceries and it would cost $70; now, it costs $140. Every penny counts and I strive to make my money last. Every once and awhile I do manage to find some bargains, yesterday's shopping trip being one of them. My bill originally came to $134.00. After all my coupons - $80.90! Woohoo! I had some super coupons worth $5 and $7 off, plus some awesome deals.
As an example, my grocery store does "convenience packaging" for dinners which will contain all the ingredients to make a well balance meal, ie. a raw pork roast, fresh carrots, potatoes, celery, and onions. This package can easily feed a family of 4. I don't normally buy them since they're over priced; however, yesterday was a different story. I found a package that had been marked down to just $2.99 (it's freshness date was today) and I had a coupon for $2 off any meat purchase. Our meal last night cost us a grand total of $.99! Try finding that on the McDonald's value menu!
My family laughs at me when I cut coupons, but hubby admitted last night, there is a reason why I do the grocery shopping.

In a rut

It's that time of year, the time where I feel a need for change. In the past, this would have meant us moving (hubby's job had us on the go all the time). We're not moving, but I still feel like something different. Since we've been in this house almost 5 years, it is time for an update. Seems like we are here to stay, so we might as well some of our personality to the house. So, for the first time ever, I've got a list, a "honey do" list.
change the three bathrooms light fixtures and mirror
repaint bedroom
add crown molding throughout the house
add beadboard to bedroom walls
redecorate J's room with his input
build patio off back of house
replace kitchen counters with marble kitchen countertops
make raised garden beds

OK, the list is not going to get done this summer (our economic stimulus check is not that big), but we have one. It reminds me of the list folks always had taped to the closet door in our back hallway, taped there so Dad would always see it on his way out the door. As kids we would joke that if the list ever got finished, my folks would have to move. 30 odd years later, the list is still there at their house,they are not going anywhere; I'm hoping the same happens here.

A thought....

As I was rushing around this morning at my son's school, trying to accomplish 15 things in 4 minutes, all before the fire drill was set to go, I realized I was having one of those mornings, one where I wished I could be done with the day right then and there.
I mentioned this to a fellow mom, as we exited the building, fire alarms wailing, and she said something that made me pull up short and really listen.
She said " When you're having one of those days where nothing is going right and your rushing everywhere, slow down. It is all going to happen anyway, you might as well catch your breath and take your time."

Phone call from school

I came home from work today and saw that the answering machine light was blinking. The first message I hear..."Hello J's mom, this is the ----, Vice-principal at the elementary school and I have J here in the office with me....
The thoughts "What? He took his medication today...what did he do?" quickly rush through my head. This is not the way I want to end my day....

"..This is a good phone call ...we are calling you to let you know that J acted in an exemplary manner today, he went out of his way to help a fellow student with a broken arm....." and it goes on in some detail with a description of how helpful he had been.

A good phone call home? How odd...but a nice surprise. We all try our best to raise our children to be kind considerate beings, but honestly, how often do we see the results? To hear it from another person, someone not related to you (because we all know family can be biased) always manages to brighten my day. It's proof I am raising him right! :)

Mother's Day

Mother's Day is right around the corner and it always make me stop to think about Mom and what she has given me in my life. Growing up, it was mom who was the disciplinarian (Dad worked 3 jobs at times, so he was not home). She is the one who stood up for us when teachers were not being fair. I remember in 3rd grade my mom going to school to complain about my handwriting grade. I was a bit of a perfectionist back then, and always worked towards getting straight A's every year. I had gotten a B, but none of the papers I brought home had been less than A's. I was rather upset about this, so Mom took it up with the teacher - sure enough, she had made a mistake and had transposed my grade with some other student's.
Don't get me wrong, Mom was not one of those moms who thought her children were always right, she just believed that it was her job to support us in our decisions. If we made bad choices, she let us fall on our faces if need be so we could learn important life lessons. School science fair projects were our responsibility - she did not help us with them (unless it meant driving to the library). If we procrastinated, we faced the consequences. My brother was always well aware of these...he spent many a last minute finishing a project. He still had to do house chores and responsibilities, after all, it was not the family's fault that he did not budget his time and the garbage still had to go out, dishes still needed to be done, etc.
She taught us to take responsibility, that if we saw something that was not right, instead of complaining we needed to step and make the change. When we were younger, the street I lived on was often used as a shortcut for city trucks to go to the landfill. They would go 40mph on a street that had a 20 mph speed limit, a street that was a rural road, it was narrow, had hairpin curves, and many children played on it. No trucks were supposed to use this road, but they were and nothing was being done about it since the truckers were in cahoots with the mayor.
So, mom took action. She circulated a petition to get our street closed to nonresidential traffic, she called the local press and staged a protest. The protest consisted mainly of my mom, we children and a few neighbors. It got some attention and the ball rolling. Yet things stalled and dragged on for years. Mom never gave up, and after years of complaining, they finally closed the road to trucks. Perseverance.....something she taught us and demonstrated to us.

Quote of the day

When you come to the edge of all the light you know
And are about to step off
into the darkness of the unknown,
Faith is knowing one of two things will happen . . .
There will be something solid to stand on,
Or you will be taught how to fly.

WDYB

As I've mentioned in the past, Jman is involved in scouting. A few weekends ago he had his Webelos Do Your Best competition/camping outing. This outing gives the different scouts from across our district a chance to shine, to show off their camping skills, and a few other things as well. They are judged on their campsite (safety aspects, neatness, creativity in set-up, etc), their den flags, and on their den yell. It is like the Superbowl of cub scouts.
Jman had been looking forward to going with his dad for this fun-filled weekend. Hubby had even scheduled off for the Friday they were to leave so that they could get an early start...only Hubby decided to stop in at work to tie up some loose ends..then the phone rang as he was walking out the door. I think everyone can guess where this is leading....Hubby ended up getting called into work that night, which left Jman without his camping buddy and me to break the news to him.
So, Jman came home from school, tossed his backpack on a chair, looked around and asked "Where's Dad?"
When I explained to him that his dad was not going to be able to take him camping that night, J's face dropped. The disappointment was written across his face. I tried to brighten it up for him a bit, explaining that dad would be able to come to the campsite tomorrow and that I would be able to take him instead. This did not brighten his mood much, although when I mentioned that I was ready to go as soon as he changed out of his school clothes he did perk up a bit. After all, if he had to wait for his dad, it would have been hours before they could go.
So off we went. When we arrived at the campsite, I told Jman that he was going to be completely responsible for our tent, since I had never set it up before. It was quite comical watching him, and 2 of his buddies try to set up the tent. None of them were quite tall enough to attach the poles and clips together at the top, they didn't realize that the poles and clips were color coded, and J spent the first 15 minutes using the directions for the rain cover as the directions for the set-up of the tent. With a little help from me, they were finally able to get it up.
Then it was time to get the water. Jman volunteered to be quartermaster for the camp, which meant he had to lug the water from one of the 2 spigots in camp...all which were at least 1000m away! Poor soul, he had to get enough water for cooking, cleaning, washing dishes, and for the fire patrol. Normally there would be at least another scout to help, but he was coming the next morning, leaving J in the lurch. So, I stepped up to help my boy, after all, they are not allowed to leave the immediate campsite without a buddy and this buddy had strong muscles good for carrying buckets of water!
By the time camp was set up, dinner was served, clean-up was done, and schedules were distributed for the next day, it 10pm and time for bed. Jman and I headed to the tent. We both were amazed at how clear the sky was and how many stars we could see - we could even see mars. As we were pointing out the constellations in the sky, we saw a shooting star go by, a first for both of us. It was a nice ending to our day.

Sadness

Forgive me for not posting...I have plenty to say, but am currently surrounded by sea of sadness. Within this past 2 week, I've had quite a bit of negative news around me. Two folks I know died from complications of cancer - a caring mother of teenagers and an 12 year old brilliant little girl. I also found out that one of the kindest women who works at the college with me is having to take a leave of absence to treat breast cancer while my cubicle sharing co-worker (and friend) received a phone call this morning with the news that her father has stomach cancer. What made it tougher was that she turned to me for answers (due to my medical background and my knowledge of cancer from personal experiences), and the information she had to share with me was not positive. How do you tell your friend that her father sounds like he is terminal? Obviously, I didn't, but my face probably gave something away. She even said to my boss, "the first thing through my mind when my mother told me was to ask Dawn so I would know what was going on..what to expect".
So forgive me. I do have some wonderful scouting camping stories to share, but right now, I just can't.

dinner guest

My neighbor and I often call each other if one can not meet our children at the bus stop, with the other one bringing the children to her house. Recently, my neighbor's 7 year old came over because his mom was at the hospital with one of the other children. He was going to stay through dinner, which is not usual. So when I spoke with his mom, I asked if she thought he would eat the plain chicken cutlets (which I was making with him in mind), couscous, and edamame. She assured me that he was a good eater and would definitely eat it all.
So, we sat down for dinner, Jman, neighbor boy, and myself. As we eat, neighbor boy starts complaining that the chicken doesn't taste good, that his chicken is "wet", that it is going to make him throw-up. He keeps saying that, while my son insists that neighbor boy is crazy, that this meal "is actually good, unlike some of mom's food". I start to worry that maybe he got a piece that was not cooked completely, so I check it out. Nope, cooked perfectly, moist and tender. Then I realize what the problem is -neighbor boy often eats processed chicken nuggets as he meal. He doesn't know what non-processed food tastes like!
Well, we finish dinner, the boys go to play, then bam!....he throws up. Come to find out, his brother was sick the week before with the very same thing. It wasn't my food, it was a virus!

Taxes

Would someone please finish my taxes for me? I have them sitting on my table, 90% of the way completed, yet I can not motivate myself to finish them. The deadline is fast approaching and they need to be done since, for the first time ever, we owe taxes this year. That's probably why I am reluctant to complete them. If I had money coming back to me, they would have been done as soon as my tax documents where in my hands. As it is now, I am procrastinating on paying back my "interest free loan" from the government....hehe

Thank you's

It's getting to the time of year when I like to send a little note of thanks to the teachers who have made a difference in J's school year. Usually they are pretty worn out by now and I figure they can use the boost.
J hates school, but when pressed, he'll admit that a few of his teachers are too bad. His current favorite is his art teacher. When I asked why, he said it was because Mr. Art "always encourages me, he's nice". J comes home excited about whatever art project he is working on - this is from the boy who says he is not artistic at all- and goes into detail describing it to me. Any time a teacher can make school seem positive for J is someone who deserves some recognition.

Dentist

I took J to the dentist for his semi-annual teeth cleaning. As the hygienist was cleaning his teeth, she mentioned that he had to work harder at it since he had some plaque build-up, etc. She started suggesting that I should be cleaning his teeth (I disagree - he is 9 1/2 y.o., old enough to do his own dental cleaning). She asked both of us how often he brushes his teeth; my reply was morning and night and his was morning and night as well, "except, I haven't really been brushing them lately, not in the morning at least". My jaw dropped and an expression of disbelief crossed my face. I heard the dental hygienist in the next cubicle over start to laugh as ours said, "at least he is honest about his brushing, unlike some adults who come in here". She asked him if he had the materials to floss his teeth, which he answered yes, then thought better than to ask him if he actually flossed. She could see the answer in his teeth and did not think I should hear spoken what the answer was, since we all knew what it would be.

dusty

--looks around blog, notices thick layer of dust covering all the letters..gets out dust cloth and starts wiping away the grime--

I am coming back, I promise

Quote of the Day

Why should we worry about what others think of us; do we have more confidence in their opinions than we do in our own?

- Brigham Young

Quote of the Day

Each time someone stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope.

- Robert F. Kennedy

Food Network

I have a new addiction...it's food network. We've only had cable a few months now, and I find myself drawn to the food network, especially Everyday Italian with Giada. I think it is because the recipes are ones I love, ones I have tasted before but didn't necessarily know how to make. My husband laughs at me and asks me who this"Giada" is that is keeping me away from him. I tell him it is for his own good - my menus are being invigorated, with new recipes and ideas. Even my son, Mr. Picky himself thinks the recipes all sound delicious.
My other favorite on that network is Iron Chef. Again, it gives new ideas to common ingredients.

Maybe the world won't be so bad...

The other day, Jman and I were watching the news, when a promo flashed up about an upcoming story, a story covering why grand jury panels in Houston are predominately white.

Jman (remember, he is 9 1/2 years old) turned to me and asked "What do they mean when they say white?" My son has not been exposed to color bias?!? You mean, he might actually grow up in a society that judges people on their ability and not their skin color? I was overjoyed that he did not understand why/what the color of a person's skin had to do with jury selection.
Then I thought about it...when I ask him to describe his friends or classmates, the color of their skin never comes into the description. Hair color, yes; skin color, no. This could be due to the fact that he has every shade of brown in his class, plus yellows and whites. How could you classify any of them into groups? What shade would differentiate one person from another when grouping? I wish many adults thought the way he does.

Vacation thoughts

The weather outside is beautiful - 75 degrees and sunny. It has my mind wandering to summer vacation and where we should go. Last year we went to Disney World and had a blast. This year, we are up for anything - backwoods to seascapes, posh to perilous. The only requirement is that it is in the U.S. (have to support the economy - especially since we'll be using the check we receive from the "economic stimulus"bill that just passed the Senate and House).

Now I just need idea - anyone have a few to spare?

Job search

So, like Kil, I may lose my job in the near future (April to be more exact) - the college I work with may choose not to renew the contract my company has with them. I've been thinking about it a lot lately, since one of my colleagues is driving me bonkers and it is a escape mechanism for me to dream of a future of which he is not a part.
But what would I do? My life has taken so many twists and turns that I have experienced many different job paths. I am not living up to my potential, but do not know how to get there (I believe my potential includes winning a Nobel Prize. I have a lot of work ahead of me).

Winter doldrums

Raise you hand if you are ready for winter to be over....

I've hit the mid-winter blahs; since I'm not allowed to stay in bed all day, I need something to keep me going until spring. Any suggestions?

Love your body

We recently got cable, and I have been exploring the many channels now available for my enjoyment. Once show that caught my eye was "How to Look Good Naked" with Carson Kressley.
I thought it was going to be a show on how to "fix" problem spots and how to apply makeup, etc. It isn't - it is a show to "fix" how real women view themselves. I've watched two episodes, and it is amazing how skewed the women's views of their bodies are. Carson teaches them how to respect who they are, how to play up their attributes, how to love themselves. The fact that he is able to convince them to pose naked at the end of the show can give you an inclination as to how far they have come in accepting their bodies.

Holiday Travels

We made it back, safe and sound, from the visit to my sister's house. It was a nice trip, without too much excitement. My nephew does have a knack of injuring himself - every morning he would have a new scrape, bruise, cut, etc. which would seem to mysteriously appear. Of course, he is a bit of a monkey, and the flying leaps off the back of the couch could be one explanation for a bruise or two.
While visiting, we traveled to the Mexico border. If you were to form an impression from that border town alone, you would say that Mexico is a country of pharmacies, liquor stores, and trinket shops. While there, we had children coming up to us to see if we wanted our shoes shined. One child first offered a shoeshine for $10, then $20 (going up in price after I said no), then $1. My sister was talking to one of the boy, he was but one year older than my son and was working to help support his family. I tried to use this as a life lesson for my son....he did not listen too well.
Our only excitement was as we crossed back into the US. As of right now, you do not need a passport to get into the states. I had my license for me and the "child find" ID card for Josh (definitely not a legal ID). The border guard asks me where I was born, which really made no sense since it is not listed on my license, and then asked Jman his name. Jman was not paying attention, so I nudged him to answer the woman, which he did. She then asked "who is this woman?". Jman looked at me, then turned to the border patrol and said "I don't know". ARGHHH!!! At that point border patrol looked back at him and said, "if you don't know, then you will be staying in Mexico". He quickly answered her after that. I was ready to choke him - he just did not understand the seriousness of the border. Needless to say, we had quite a discussion after that about when it is OK to joke around and when you need to be serious.

Essay

As you are well aware of from past posts, Jman hates writing and normally does not finish his assignments on time. This assignment he did finish on time at school (a miracle in itself), and his teacher thought I should read a copy of it (it was a benchmark test essay, so the original could not come home). I've copied it verbatim, spelling errors and all. I believe the topic was "Where is your favorite place to go?"

J's response:

"My favorite place to go is home esspecaly after a long day at school or a bad camping trip. The reason is, you always know that somebody or something is waiting for you at home. If you're out in the cold for awhile it is always relaxing to warm up by the fire. It's just great knowing there is a room made just for you to rest in. But after any long dreary day there is no place better than home."

It warms the cockles of my heart.

Cold morning, warm hands

When we bought our car, the salesman couldn't help but push every extra feature that our car had, one of the being heated seats. We poo-pa'd him about it, saying we live in Texas it is always warm

Today it is 39 (cold by our standards) and my butt is nice and toasty. My hands too since the steering wheels heats up as well.

Vacation

Woohoo - I get to go visit my sister after Christmas! We finally both have vacation time at the same time. I can't wait to see her and my nephew. Jman is excited too - he's been mentioning for several weeks how we need to go see the little guy.
It is a relatively short visit - 4 days- but that should be enough time for us to catch up but not get on each others nerves. Plus, I'll be able to show hubby and Jman some of the prime tourist spots while we are there.

Lovely Locks

In the last few months, Jman decided to grow his hair long (much to the chagrin of his father). In the past he has had a "high and tight" military style haircut, which was easy to care for, no work at all. With the longer hair we've had to be on his case, reminding him that he actually has to brush his hair now that it is longer than an inch.
When I woke him this morning, I casually tousled his hair and noticed that it felt very oily. So I asked him if he was shampooing his hair or if he was using bar soap to clean it (he's done this in the past). He assured me that he was using the shampoo in his shower. My next question, "are you getting a good lather?", since he sometimes rushes his hair washing. His answer was no. OK. I told him to get out of bed and I would show him how to get a good lather. As we are soaking his head, he mentions that he did not realize he has to WET his hair first. What?!?!? He's been showering with no help for 5 years, has he never washed his hair in this time?
After his shower tonight, I checked his hair again - still not clean. What the heck is going on? Why is his shampoo not lathering? I inspect the bottle (who's label has come off) and notice that it is conditioner. When he last ran out of shampoo, whenever that may have been, he grabbed a bottle of conditioner from my vanity. Luckily, after careful questioning, we determined that it was not that long ago when he did this. We got a new bottle of shampoo out - his hair is squeaky clean now.

Holidays

This time of year usually I'm in a grinchy mood - I don't want to decorate or shop, bake or go to holiday parties...however...this year is different. I am so excited about Christmas, I'm in the mood to celebrate. I don't know why, since nothing is different. Well, I am to appreciate the beauty of the holiday more this year due to the trials and tribulations of this past year. The peaceful spirit of Christmas is filling my soul, and the excitement of it is too! Maybe because I can take a step back this year and really observe those around me. My son's joy and excitement is always to see...nine year olds are so sweet when they are in awe.
Hopefully I will continue this good cheer through the season. We shall see.

Thanksgiving food

Thanksgiving is almost here and that means lots of yummy food. We'll be at a friends house, traditional Texans, and our meal will reflect the blend of cultures.
They'll be antipasto, perhaps eggplant parmigiana, artichoke bake, broccoli salad, butternut squash, turnips and carrots (if hubby has his way), mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cornbread stuffing, regular turkey stuffing, cranberry sauce, ham, turkey, pumpkin pie and lemon meringue pie.
Can you guess who is making what?

How's it going?

Hi there, how's it going? I'm finally able to come back to the world of blogger now that the fall festival is over. I went to bed at 9pm last night and didn't get up until 8am this morning. I needed the rest - I calculated that in the 48 hours before I had slept a total of 8 hours while the other 40 were literally spent on my feet. Woowee those were long hours for poor feet...they were swollen to twice their normal size and covered with blisters.
The festival itself went off quite well - at least that's what folks tell me. I was running around so much that I didn't get a chance to enjoy it. I was even manning the cotton candy machine for awhile - talk about a funny sight: short little ol' me standing next to a whirling dervish of a machine that was shooting threads of crystallized sugar into the air. I had one fellow look at me, look at me again with a slight tilt of his head, then comment that I was "all pink and sparkly".
At least it is done. All that is left are the letters to our sponsors and donors. Piece of cake.

Quote of the day

Be extra kind to people you see
because everyone is fighting some
kind of battle.

Happy Halloween

The costume that J-man is wearing is the same type of costume which frightened him terribly when he was 2 years old. He ran into older kids on the street and they made the costume "bleed" - he took one look at them, one look at me, and started bawling. Once we got home, he did not want me to open the door for any trick-or-treaters.
Now he is out scaring other kids....

Camping favorites

So, each member of Jman's scout den have an assignment for their pack paper to write a paragraph about their favorite thing about camping. He's going to write about roasting marshmallows. I thought I would write a paragraph about my favorite thing.
Waking up, just past sunrise, I zip open the tent,the cool mist still clings to the ground. All that can be heard are the birds and a squirrel or two. There is a scent in the air of dry decomposing leaves, and moist earth, and one more scent - the bitter acrid scent of coffee cooking over the warming morning fire. That first sip, scalding the roof of my mouth..I truly enjoy that part of camping.. and the fact that hubby gets up first to make it!

Doctor's visits

I got to spend all day (8:30 am - 3:30pm) at several doctors' offices today. Lucky me. Well, the first was a dentist (my teeth are good - no cavities or gingivitis) which was relatively quick, although the dental assistant was already saying how she had to work until 7pm and was not going to do any extra work...I feel bad for her clients at the end of the day.
Then off to the gynecologist - men, stop reading here - where I spent the rest of the day getting several parts of my body prodded, scanned and squashed. Unfortunately, chronic pain that I have been experiencing in my lower right quadrant was determined not to be the ovarian cyst I thought it was. In fact, the doctor said she could feel no inflammation...this was during the exam as I was crawling backwards off the table in pain. An ultrasound revealed nothing as well...so that leaves me with pain without a reason. I liked it better when I thought it was a cyst - it had a reason for existing...now it is a mystery.
Once I get all my test results back, we'll determine what the next step will be. I just love waiting for test results...

I finally said "no more"

I finally said "no more" to this fall festival thing. I got together with the PTO presidents and explained that I was unable to physically and mentally make it happen, that I was more than willing to continue helping out, but that I could not manage the whole thing by myself, not if they expected to have anything at the festival.

I tell you, once I spoke up I felt much better. This certainly was not worth my health. I know my limitations, I am not superwoman; but I also am not a quitter. It was very difficult to step up and say "I can't do it". However, they were very understanding about it and immediately stepped up to ask what they could do. I think the fact that my physical appearance gave its own story was a helpful tool .

fall festival

My son's school is having a fall festival, something I was roped into chairing. An event that normally takes months to plan, I get 1 month to plan it. It has so overwhelmed me that it is making me ill. Folks at work have sent me home early, because I look so bad. I've lost weight, my appetite, and have a knot in my stomach that effects me as soon as I think about going home.
I have no problem helping with it, but trying to organize it is beyond me - I am so over my head it is not funny.
The festival is Nov. 10 and I probably won't be blogging much until after that date - I won't have forgotten you, I will just be incredibly busy.

Come and gone

Well, our visitors came this weekend, without too much chaos; although one did miss his flight going out - the time had been changed from when he originally booked the flight. So, when he logged on iSunday morning to print his boarding pass for the afternoon, he was told that his plane was leaving in less than an hour and that he couldn't print his pass. This posed a wee bit of a problem, since with no traffic and breaking several speed limits, we live over a 1/2 hour from the airport. Luckily, we were able to get him on his way on a new flight without too much delay.

My father-in-law was not able to make it at all - his sciatic nerve was causing him trouble. He couldn't possibly sit for 4 hours on a plane. Well, he could but then he would not have been able to get off the plane and airlines frown upon that.

While our guests were here, we took in a ball game. My son has been to one other professional ball game, but that was 2 years ago and he was not interested at all. This year was a different story. once he figured out which team he wanted to root for, he was able to enjoy himself. The only problem he had was that the security guard kept standing in his line of vision of the big screen so Jman could not see the replays. I kept reminding him that if he watched the field, he would not have to see the replays - he is so used to seeing games televised that he had trouble with the concept that the game was right in front of him and that he did not need to watch it on a screen.

Although it was a "rushed" visit, it was good to see the family. I loved watching Jman bound with his great-uncle. Jman sees him maybe once every 2 years, so anytime together is precious time.

Visitors

Hmm...I've noticed something...it seems every time we have visitors due to arrive, hubby goes out of town the week before their arrival date. Now, I am sure it is not on purpose, since he does not set the date of the events he attends and the relatives don't contact us asking which dates they would like to come ( they contact us with the dates they are coming, and ask "is that OK?"); but it is an odd coincidence.
Our visitors are coming next weekend and hubby left today for his week long trip. This drives me crazy. I still have to work, but I also have to put the house into "visiting" status, which means: finally clearing those piles of papers that are on the tables, going through stacks of books, really noticing that Jman's toys have spread into every room and need to be picked up, getting new towels and sheets since ours have become rather worn since the last visit 3 years ago.
I also have to figure out where everyone will stay - instead of one at a time, the relatives come in groups. So father-in-law gets our bed (it's a sleep number one, so it will be good for his back), uncle gets the extra comfy futon (we bought it as an "extra bed for company"), cousin gets Jman's bed, and we sleep on the floor, which means finding an air mattress without a hole in it (seems that every time we bring out the mattress the day company visits, it has a hole - I'm testing it early this time).
Since they don't all come in at the same time on Friday (this includes hubby), I have to figure out how to pick them up and how to be home for the bus for Jman. There also happens to be a company luncheon that same day, partly being held in my honor, so I need to attend that too.
Plus I'll have to have a special dinner waiting for them...sigh...I'm tired just thinking about it all.

It will be nice to see everyone, I just hope I can relax long enough to enjoy seeing them!

Fall is here

Hooray! Fall has come to the central south of the US, which still means temps. in the low 90's but the air has dried out! Whoopee!!! We just spent the afternoon on a nice bike ride/run to the the park. I love this time of year (although I would like it better if our leaves changed colors). This is the time of year where I am most thankful for living here and for living in general. My mood perks up and I am impossibly cheerful - which tends to get on the nerves of some family members and coworkers..heheh.

Go-Karts

J-man and I went to race go-karts tonight; it was a blast. I wasn't sure how he would react - he does not like loud noises, and you have to admit that 5-10 lawnmower sized engines being raced does produce a bit of racket. Luckily, we were not on the adult track, but on the "junior" track. It was just 3 of us - the other person being one of my young co-workers who wanted an excuse to go to the race track.
J-man has never driven any vehicle before, so I was unsure as to if he would enjoy it. He went out of the starting block a little hesitantly, but got up his courage and maintained a steady speed for the whole race, getting stuck only once, and that time on a sharp turn. My co-worker and I raced around him and we could see the huge smile through the over-sized helmet he was wearing.
I'm glad I was able to be the "fun" parent tonight, that my son is still willing to share this kind of adventure with me.

Cancer

One of the events in my life that has thrown me for a loop is that my identical twin sister was just diagnosed with cervical cancer, and not the type caused by the HPV virus. It looks as though they will be able to treat it, but still...there are several reasons why this struck me hard, some selfish, some more obvious than others.
First, she is my sister, my twin. She is not allowed to get sick - I need her to stay alive so that if I need an organ transplant, I can have one of hers! Seriously, she's been through a lot and to have to go through this, it is not fair. Her medical insurance will not cover the surgery, since she has already exhausted it for the year due to other problems, so she will be in a financial bind, which, again, is not fair.
Second, she is a single mom with an almost-three-year-old. If something happens to her, I will have custody of him. How could I summarize her life for him? How would I ever be able to truly describe his mother? My point of view of our childhood is one of nemisises fighting each other - my memories are certainly slanted.
Plus, her son has a multitude of health problems, some of which they are still trying to get to the bottom of - would I be able to care for him sufficiently?
Third, she is my identical twin, we have the same genetic make-up and therefore suffer from the same ailments - is cancer in my near future too? True, this give me a "heads-up", but I'm not sure if I really can appreciate it. I think it's made me more paranoid than anything else - is that low grade fever I've had for the past week just a virus...or something else? My stress levels have increased, so I'm certainly not a pleasant person to be around, especially at work when dealing with one of my "smackazoid" co-workers. I recognize that I should not bring my personal problems to work with me, but I can't help it.
OK, enough self-pity for now. There are others who are not as lucky as we are, and do not have a support system to rely on. It's just tough to shake off the sadness.

Bad things come in threes

Sorry I have been negligent in my posting; my life has been preoccupied with a series of less-than-positive events. I may go into them at a later date, at this point I'm just trying to wrap my head around them.

One of the less serious ones is Jman's cholesterol. He had his yearly check-up, and my dear 9 year old's cholesterol levels are back through the roof. He has a history of high cholesterol but we had had them decreasing, and our hopes were that he would "grow out" of the bad cholesterol. Unfortunately, this is not true. His fasting Cholesterol levels: 211; TRI 66, LDL 139, HDL 59. Not good. Of course, the nurse spouts off about diet - but we've already changed our diets, eat leafy greens, fiberous foods, and lots of chicken. I'm at a loss as to why his levels increased this year. I don't want him on medication, but I also don't want him to have plaque-filled arteries as well.

Quote of the day

People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.

- Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

First day of school

J-man starts 4th grade today, and I have to admit, I didn't want him to go. I know that he is nervous about the 4th grade, since this year the focus is on writing, and he has a difficult time getting the creative stories he dreams up out of his head and onto the paper. His face telegraphs a look of resignation, of hopelessness, when he talks about the 4th grade. How I wish I could change that look. I've tried encouragement, I've tried just being his sounding block. Unfortunately, he has a mental block, which will not break, one that is stopping him from reaching his full potential. He believes he can not write; therefore, he is unable to write. Yet his imagination is wonderful - when he speaks his stories, they are full of detail and wonder.
We'll see how everything goes today. Hopefully his teacher will make a good impression. We haven't met her yet - she was out on "Meet the teacher" night. She had a legitimate excuse, but I would have felt better if I could have voiced my concerns for J to her.

Quote of the day

Planning is an unnatural process; it is much more fun to do something. The nicest thing about not planning is that failure comes as a complete surprise, rather than being preceded by a period of worry and depression.
(Sir John Harvey-Jones)

The truth about lasik

As promised, my experience with Lasik surgery. I won't go into detail as to what goes on in the pre-surgery appointments, other than they measure your eyes 3 different ways in order to ensure that the surgery is a success - they check cornea thickness, plot the shape of your eye and measure how far it dilates in an attempt to prevent the dreaded "halo" side effect. At this point I also received several pages of notes to read and sign off on, which basically explained all the possible complications and how I was messing with my eyes and that sight loss was a possibility (or at least this is what I got out of it).

3 days prior to the surgery, I started antibiotic eye drops to kill any germs that might be lurking in my eyes. This was the one medication I had to purchase, that was not part of the package. The doctor said no generic substitutions, so it did cost me $35. The day of surgery, I was told not to wear any make-up or perfume. The perfume fumes could alter the laser, which would be bad. The make-up could get into my newly operated on eyes. Right before I left for the doctor's office, I was to thoroughly scrub my face and use special eyelid scrubbing cloths to get rid of any dirt or debris.
As a note, at this time my anxiety level was starting to mount, as I HATE having anything near my eyes, one of the reasons I have worn glasses for 25 years.

Hubby, Jman and I drove to the doctor's office where I was quickly seen. The assistant briefed me on what I needed to do for after-care, giving me my little pouch containing steroid drops, artificial tears, sunglasses, tape and another copy of instructions on how often to use the medications. There were also 2 Valium, one for now and one for later. I took my Valium, she scrubbed my eyes again, put anesthetic drops in my eyes, put a surgery cap on my head and booties on my feet and lead me blindly to the laser room.

The laser room actually consisted of a seating area and another room with the actual laser in it. I waited in the seating room for a bit with 2 others (the doctor had 16 surgeries scheduled for that day), where we chatted nervously. It seems that the folks who wore contacts were not as nervous as I. The Valium was not kicking in as quickly as I had hoped; either that, or I had extremely high expectations for it.

Finally it was my turn. I was lead wobbling (guess the Valium was working) to the laser room, chatting nervously the entire time. I laid down on the table, with looks the same as an X-ray table, with lots of equipment to the side. The assistant put a cushion block under my knees, to make me more comfortable, and covered me with a blanket, since the room is kept very cold due to the heat coming off the machine. Then the doctor spoke to me, explaining what would happen. Their was an assistant there to literally hold my hand the entire time.

Then the hard part came - the assistants needed to put plastic shields in both my top lid and bottom lid to hold open my eye. The hands reaching toward my eyes started to spike my anxiety, and I started to panic a bit. At this point, hand holding woman calmed me down. The plastic shields did hurt as they were placed, but the worst was the speculum they used to push down and hold my eyeball in place. OWWWWWWW. This all took about 2 minutes, but it felt like an eternity. At this point I was thinking that maybe I did not want this surgery so much. They started up the laser and it hurt...not at all...it was like looking at twinkling lights on a Christmas tree. So easy.
The same thing was done to the left eye, although I didn't mind the shields as much when they put them in. In fact, the pain of the speculum surprised me since I had already forgotten about it from the first eye.
Once they finished, they had me sit up and read the clock-and I could! Amazingly, my vision was already better. Plastic shields were taped over my eyes to protect them and I was led back to a dark examining room. 15 minutes later the doctor came back to check on my progress. He wanted me to open my right eye first, but I couldn't - it just refused to move. I got the left one open, tears streaming down my face (a side effect that was expected) and finally got the right one open. Everything looked good.
Hubby drove us home, me in the front seat covering my face, whispering to them to stop talking, turn off the radio, just get me home. I believe that my nervous system was a bit overwhelmed at about this point and I could not tolerate any more external stimulation. It was very similar to my reaction to light and sound when I have a migraine.
We got home, I took the Valium, and slept the rest of the night. Well, I woke up once at 10pm to find Jman still awake in his room (hubby had to go back to work). I put him to bed then went back to bed myself.
The next day, I painfully pried off the eyeshields (the tape had stuck quite well to my skin, should have used baby oil to remove it) and drove myself the 45 minutes to the doctors. That's right, my eyesight was OK enough for me to drive, to see license plates clearly, to read road signs. I will admit that my eyes were tired by the time I got there, but still, I could see.

And that is about it. I had severe halos the first day post-op, but they have been slowly decreasing as has the dry eye syndrome. My next appointment is this Friday, where I shall see just exactly what my vision is. I truly think it is 20/20, but we shall see.

eyes have it

I went through with it, and I can see. The surgery itself is not painful, but the prep was. I currently am seeing words clearly with a soft light glow around all light sources (think of the photography studios attempt at romantic pictures or how television will sometimes do flashbacks). My eyes are tired and a bit light sensitive. The valium they provided was much needed. I no longer can see extreme details at 2 inches from my face - as the doctor explained it, that was called near sightedness, now I have normal sight. I will go into detail on the actual procedure at a later point in time, right now my eyes squinch up at the thought of it.
Good point of all this, besides the eyesight, no cooking for 2 days (particles could irritate my eyes0, no yard work for 2 weeks, and no lifting anything heavy for 2 weeks either.

the Talk

Yesterday I had just returned from helping a friend, when hubby came down the stairs, slumped into a chair and said "I talked to him, I did it, I had the talk".

The talk....the one that every parent knows they have to have but is reluctant to give, not because we think the child shouldn't have the information, but because he might ask a question we are not ready to answer.

J man is 9, and the youngest in his class. He rides the school bus, so we know he has had exposure to the topic, but we didn't know what he had heard and how accurate it was. So, hubby decided that before J enters 4th grade and notices how some of the girls are starting to look different that he had better have some indication as to what is going on.

I was not privy to the conversation, but it seems that J said that there were a few things that hubby said that he did not know about already. He didn't have any questions now, but I hope this opens up a dialogue and that he won't be afraid or embarrassed to ask us anything later on when the questions do come to him.

Although J was ready for the talk I don't think hubby was. I think I saw some new grey hairs too.

It's on for Thursday!

My surgery is scheduled for this upcoming Thursday, at 3 pm. Am I nervous? A wee bit, after all it is something that will affect my eyesight, either good or bad. I have a whole list of prep work to do before the operation (ie. antibiotic drops for the eyes a few days before surgery to clean out any nasty germs that are hiding, eyelid scrubbers, etc). Along with the pre-operation preparation there are rules for the day of surgery. I can not wear perfume or hairspray because the laser is sensitive that the fumes that emanate from them could through it off. I offered to not wear deodorant either, but was told they would rather I not come stinky!

Eyes

Tomorrow I find out whether or not I qualify for eye surgery - I'm a bit nervous. I've pinned my hopes to getting the surgery, but am a bit frightened about the actual surgery. It's not the results of the surgery, but the actual surgery that has me in a tizzy. I just don't know if I can physical take having my eyes held open as a laser slices the cornea. I won't put contacts in my eye, so the thought of having anything foreign in my eye makes my heart race. If I do get to go through with it, I'll ask for a sedative,

UPDATE: Looks like I am a good candidate. The doctor had me wear contacts for a day to see if my eyes dried out (a good indication for the possibility of that as a long time side-effect from the surgery). They didn't! I have one more appointment to go to before the actual surgery. I could have new sight within the next three weeks!

Wonder if it is on sale?

I was doing some grocery shopping today, when I noticed a little boy (4-6yo) that was away from his parents, behaving suspiciously. I soon found out why- I watched him give his older sister (8-9 yo) a devilish look, then pull an extra large wad of gum out of his mouth , and finally watched him fling it onto a shelf. He did not tuck it under the shelf, no, he threw it right next to the green olives. He then walked back to his mother.
So what did I do, you ask? I went over to the mother, simply stated, "Do you realize your son just threw a wad of gum onto the shelves?" Mom quickly replied that she did not and turned to talk to child. I walked off, but was still in the aisle with the offending gum.....where I was the only one for the next 5 minutes. She did not make her child clean it up nor did she clean it up herself! What is wrong with people today? Is there no personal responsibility? What kind of lesson does this teach the child?

5 questions

Awhile ago, envoyette said she wanted to ask all her favorite blog visitors 5 questions (I may be paraphrasing a bit), but wanted to know who would actually answer them. I said I would and she finally had a moment to spare and was able to get them to me. So here they are:

1. What is your earliest childhood memory?
This is a tough one for me - my memories are categorized by moves, so they are blocks of years. I would have to say one of my earliest datable ones was my 1st day of kindergarten. I recall being separated from my twin, being directed to the classroom on the left while she went to the right.

2. What is your favorite food dish to eat?
I have so many favorites, but I think it would be stuffed zucchini flowers. This might be because hubby is the only who ever prepares them and we only had them in Italy. I don't know any local markets around here that sell zucchini blossoms.

3. Your favorite song?
This one is an easy one for me - "You're My Home" by Billy Joel. It is "our"song and it just describes my feelings for hubby completely.

4. Who do you love most?
This is not a fair question - there are different types of love. I love my son unconditionally. but I also love hubby completely. Since I could choose my love for hubby, I would say I love him most.

5. What would you change in your past if you could?
This is a tough question. I would love to know what my life would be like if I never had J; however, I don't want to change that part of my life.
I don't think I would change anything. The decisions I've made in my life are ones I can stand by proudly. Any embarrassing moments I've had have made me a stronger person. I have no moments (that I can recall) that I look back upon and wish that I had done something differently.

Rain

Looks like it is going to rain today...again...just like the last three weeks. It is getting a bit tiresome. We've done absolutely no swimming this summer - the pools are constantly being closed because of thunder. That and the fact that the sun does not want to reveal itself to us anymore.
I had to mow my lawn today, since all the wet has made it look like a jungle. Plus, the mosquitoes love long grass and they've grown mean from lack of food. We had to rid them of their hiding places. Unfortunately, the ground is so wet that there are puddles in my grass, so it was like taking a shower as I mowed and edged (yes, I know you are not supposed to mow wet grass for a variety of reasons, but I chose to ignore common sense today).
It is not exactly neat (one reason why you don't mow wet grass) but at least it is short.

Birthday Boy

Did I ever mention that J's birthday is on the 4th of July? So every year we have a difficult time planning a party, since his friends are all out of town. We always manage to do something special, but not many come. I guess he has gotten used to this, since when I asked him what he wanted to do for his birthday, he simply stated that he wanted to "go to T & M's place to play with T's Wii (which is video console for those of you who do not know)" and "do you think maybe we can build lego's too?" "Uh...sure son...but don't you want to do anything else?" "Maybe we can go swimming too?"
Talk about easy to please. As far as what he wants for his birthday, it is a repeat of what he has wanted for the last 4 years: Bionicles, Legos, Pokemon stuff, and cash. He did mention that he wanted his own Wii or Nintendo ds, but that "that is just a crazy idea, mom". He knows how much they cost and believes that we would never spend that much on his gift. However, probably will get one for him, since he isn't haven't a "party" which would normally run us more than what they cost.

There is a vast world of work out there in this country, where at least 111 million people are employed in this country alone - many of whom are bored out of their minds. All day long.

Richard Nelson Bolles

I got a promotion at work and now everyone is commenting on how happy I seem. It's not that I'm happy for no reason, I'm happy because I get to learn something new, I get to challenge my brain a bit....it could also be because my new work area is in an area with piped in music, and I like to move with the music during the day. Whatever, at least there is a smile on my face.

Waking up

There are morning people and there are night people. I am a morning person - I love the newness of the day and I feel like I can get so much done when I get a head start on the day. This is good, since my job has me come in earlier in the summer.

The boy, on the other hand, is a night owl. He would rather not see daylight until at least 10am (unless it is Saturday, then he miraculously wakes up before dawn to watch his cartoons). This does not do us any good when I trying to get out of the house before 7 am. Today would be a good example of this - look at the time I post this.
He is a grouch too.

Pearls

The first night we got to Disneyworld, we decided to go to downtown Disney, which is mostly shops with varying themes, all which are destined to separate the tourist from his money. My dear boy J was swayed by many a store or booth, 2 catching his eyes the most. The first was the Lego shop. In fact, we were visiting downtown to specifically go to this shop; since when I was making the vacation plans I shot down the idea of going to Legoland in CA and substituted Disneyworld with the promise of the Lego store visit.
Being that this was the first day of vacation, we warned J not to spend all his money, since we could always come back another day. Plus, he might see something in one of the other parks that he could only get at Disneyworld, so he should save his money "just in case". Well, he did get a limited edition Lego toy that we have never seen in the stores around here, but he also wanted to go to another shop - the pearl shop. He insists that we return to it, that it has to be today, that we can not wait another day, risking not coming back.
There is a reason for this: on Mother's Day he wanted to give me a single pearl necklace, but due to circumstances beyond his control, he was unable to do this. So, when we passed the booth that had people shucking oysters to look for a pearl, he was intrigued. When I told him that they could set the pearl into a piece of jewelry, his eyes lit up. He insisted that we stop back at this booth so that he could get a pearl - he "just had to do it". I explained to him that this would come out of his souvenir money, but he was OK with that, he wanted to get me my pearl necklace.
Who am I to argue with the sweet thoughts of my son - I planned on letting him "buy" me the pearl and setting, but not actually take it out of his trip money.
So, we go through the whole process of picking an oyster, having the women give the story behind how the pearl is formed, picking the pearl out of the meat, cleaning it in salt, measuring it...now it is time to pick a setting for it. I look at J and ask him if he wants to put it in a necklace setting. He looks at me while rolling the pearl in his hand, asking if he has to or if he can keep it separate.

"Sure you can keep it separate, but I thought you wanted to make a necklace with it?" I say.
Looking at me with his sweet, open face, he says, "Hmm, I think I want to think about it, I might want to keep the pearl for myself."

Hmmprh...I guess little boys can't stay sweet for too long at a time...you better believe that money came out of his vacation spending money!

We stayed in the '90's, home of computer diskettes and laptops:

There were three pools at the hotel - we had no desire to use any of them, since our days were so full of adventure, by the time we came back we ready for bed.

The hotel itself was nothing great - hubby referred to it as "Disney's version of Motel 6". The room had two beds and a little table at which to sit. However, it served our purposes: clean with free transportation to all the parks. Plus, the maid service was willing to be silly. Each day we came back, we found J-man's collection of toys rearranged in some interesting manner or another:

"All hail Super Pokey"

Disneyworld

What a great trip we had to Disneyworld. We decided to fly down and stay at one of the resorts located in the area, so we chose the Pop Century resort. It is a themed hotel, based on the last century. The buildings were designed to look like "themes" from each decade. The 50's had the jukebox:

Back

We're back from vacationing at Disneyworld and boy, do I have stories to share -which will have to wait until tomorrow - I'm beat! Now if only the luggage would come back from its vacation!