Welcome to My World!!

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From A Small Town, In The Midwest, United States
My favorite quote...We all live in hiding. In one way or another each of us conceal pieces of ourselves from the rest of the world. Some people hide because their lives depend on it. Others because they don't like being seen. And then there are those special cases, the ones who hide because they just want someone to care enough to look for them...Which one are you?

Monday, August 31, 2009

I love my snooze button a little too much

Okay...as you all know I have several problems in my life, but my most pressing problem is the inability to wake up in the morning! LOL I just cannot seem to get my butt out of bed! I'm sure you are thinking, 'j'lynn, take your arse to bed earlier and you wouldn't have this problem.' That would make total sense, but even when I go to bed early (I mean, really early) I cannot seem to get up in the AM!

This morning I got out of bed at 6:40am! YIKES! I should be leaving my house by 7:10am at the absolute latest just to make it to my office on time. Instead I leave closer to 7:40am and run approximately 10-20 mins late on average after driving 85mph to get there! Apparently my addiction to sugar has re-evolved in to a an addiction for the snooze button! My goodness I have even been resetting my alarms (yes there is more than one!) after hitting snooze for 30-60 mins.

Talk about needing motivation...I need motivation to get my butt out of bed!!! Any suggestions to help with my problem is greatly appreciated!!

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Motivation

is such a problem for me. Especially when it comes to homework...ugh.

Now that I'm back in school my weekends become focused around my homework. Or at least they are suppose to be! My aunt (the most wonderful person in the world!) takes my munchkin usually from Friday night through Sunday night so I can focus on all of my homework. So then it is usually just me at home. Most times we will have dinner together Friday night so I can spend a little time with the munchkin and then they go to her house for the weekend.

This weekend was a little different since munchkin has been with her at my mom's since Thursday before I came home from work. The original plan in my head was that he would be with her Thursday through Saturday late afternoon, then with me while she attended a family friend's wedding (which I opted out of for various reasons) and she would get him again Sunday morning or late Saturday night, whichever worked out best. Then my aunt said she would just take him with her to the wedding, which I was okay with. Of course the weekend plan started to unravel when I was began having computer issues.

We decided that Saturday morning the three of us would venture all the way up to the Apple Store (about an hour away) and then do a nice lunch and pay the new swingset off so they can deliver it next weekend. We would return home and they would leave and I would have the remainder of my weekend to myself for homework. We had to move early to get in to the apple store as soon as they opened because I couldn't secure an appointment with their genius bar.

We were scheduled to leave my house at 8:30am, but since I had stayed up until 2am writing my man (18 down, 4 to go!) I got up 40 mins late and we left about 20 mins late. Of course the swingset place wasn't open when we stopped in, so that was moved to the back of the list! Off to the Apple Store we go!! We walk in about 6 mins before they open and I had to fight to get seen. Of course my worry was that I wouldn't be able to be seen, I would have to drop off my computer and/or come back another weekend. After demanding a "loaner" when I was told my only options were to come back on Monday (yeah right...are you open after 11pm Mr. Apple Store Worker because that is when I could pencil YOU in on my Monday!) or leave it for someone to look at in 72 hours I was miraculously fit in within 10 mins. Funny how that works! Of course I didn't tell Mr. Apple Store Worker that my aunt and I were already prepared in case I had to buy a new computer! hehe

One new (and free) battery later (thank you Extended Apple Care Protection Plan!!), some air to the keyboard and a replaced plastic spring under my #4 key I was done and still the owner of a single macbook! Of course I was sucked in to spending some extra money in there...a portable hard drive to back my computer up on (this was too close of a scary call in my book plus it isn't like my car and computer are immune to being stolen); more icleaner to wipe off munchkin's finger prints from my shine computer parts; and the new Mac OS X Snow Leopard operating system. So a little over an hour later, we were off to my favorite Italian restaurant in close proximity to the Apple Store! I of course enjoyed sharing my chocolate zuccotto cake with my aunt again...yummy, yummy, yummy! Then back to pay off the swingset and finally arriving back home around 2:30pm.

They left and I decided to load my new operating software...well, 3.5 hours later after loading it, backing up my computer and discovering that the system does not have any drives for my particular printer and I had to reload the drives for the prior system, which was going to take another 2 hours according to the clock of this download I opted to take a nap. Kind of hoping that I would have a repeat of last Saturday night, I laid down at 6pm. This time I only slept for 1.5 hours and then I was awake. I came out, checked my download and spent another hour getting that bug worked out of my computer! The entire time knowing I have a shit load of homework to do, but not being motivated to do it!

Since I had received an email earlier in the afternoon that my student loan check had been processed and put in the mail on Thursday or Friday, I opted to run out for some dinner and a mail run around 10pm. I had to go to the bank anyways to pay Chica for watching the munchkin for the last week of his summer, so it was a win-win! Of course my check wasn't there, but it was okay. Then I came home, ate, watched the local news, and then decided to finally do a little homework! Don't you just love the fact that I opted to start homework around 11pm?! LOL

After totally finishing my Pre-trial Lit homework, I started on my PR reading around 2:30am. Since Chapter 1 should have been completed a week ago and it is filled with philosophy after 30 mins I was out like a light! Hopefully the last 7 pages in Chapter 1 don't put me to sleep like a baby again this morning!! Why can't I get motivated earlier and much easier?!? Ugh...

Alright...since my man called and woke me up about an hour ago and I've started a load of laundry plus bored you all with my update I'm off to take a nap...er...I mean read the rest of Chapter 1, then on to Chapter 2, and Chapter 3....and so on and so on....

Saturday, August 29, 2009

RIP Sen. Kennedy

Days ago we learned of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's passing. We knew it was coming, but the morning it was announced as breaking news as I was getting ready for work I was shocked at how fast it had happened. Yes, he has had cancer and been battling it for 16 months, but I guess I expected some sort of pre-warning that "this" was it. Similar to what we were given just weeks ago when his sister, Eunice, passed.

I knew I wasn't going to be home this morning to watch the funeral coverage (yes, I am in to that) so I decided to set up TIVO to record it and watch it after I returned home. Of course it went longer than I recorded and I wasn't even able to see Pres. Obama's eulogy. Now I sit here and watch the graveside services and so many memories come back to me...the loss of my own grandparents (my Nana and my Papa) and what I feel is a loss of such a great generation.

Many years ago (okay, maybe 5) I wondered what would happen as we continue to lose the WWII generation. I do not know if it is the closeness I had with my grandparents and my loss of them, but I have always considered their generation as the greatest generation that ever lived. I feel that we...my generation...do not live up to the challenges that we have been given. I am often saddened, because I do not feel that we have continued to live up to their expectations. With this week's passing of Teddy Kennedy, it feels so much closer to me that one day we will wake up and realize what we have done and not done and what we have missed after it is too late...

And as I sat here listening to the 21 gun salute and the playing of Taps, with tears streaming down my checks, I pledge to you Nana and Papa that I will continue to live up to your expectations of me and hope that I can one day be as proud of my generation as I am of yours, because I am still in awe of yours.

Thank you, Sen. Kennedy for all you have done for us and for all that your family has gave and continues to give to us. You were and are still awe inspiring and one of my heros. RIP Sen. Kennedy...

Thursday, August 27, 2009

A few things on the side

Side Note #1:
We got out of class tonight almost 2 hours early! Hollar!! Thanks Prof. Wine! So knowing I was coming home to an empty house (the munchkin and aunt is staying at mom & dad's until Saturday morning!) I decided to treat myself to a Holy Moly!! I haven't had one in months! So I swung by and picked it up and even said no to the extra BBQ sauce I normally get and I didn't eat the chips & salsa that come with it. I have to confess something...it wasn't nearly as good as I remember. Which is a good thing. In the past I would be already craving another one right now and tonight...not so much. I'm so happy with this turn of events.

Side Note #2:
While I was at work today after lunch I was washing my hands in our restroom and I noticed something. My left front tooth looked longer than normal! WTH?!? So I spent the afternoon researching online to see what is going on. Am I developing something new? Am I imagining things now? Is my gum receding? But would it just be on one tooth? Has it always been this way and I've never noticed before? Of course after I noticed this my tooth ached, it felt different than any of my other teeth to my tongue. Ugh...thank god my regular dental appointment is only 8 days away! Of course if I get more crazy scary news in 8 days I'll don't know what I'll do. Of course, since I've already hit rock bottom...I'll deal with it and move on and add more changes to my apparent crappy life!

Side Note #3:
My apologies for all of the posts lately, but I know with my upcoming schedule I won't find as much time to blog so I wanted to make sure I gave y'all some posts to read...so don't feel compelled to read them all at once. ;) Plus obviously I have a ton of stuff going on, so I have a lot to say!

One down, fourteen to go

Weeks that is! I'm so happy to have had made it through the first week of classes. I think this is one of the worst weeks ever in school. So much stress, so many unknowns, so many risks, so much anxiety...you experience this the first week and those last two weeks (finals). But you keep going to get from that first week to that last. One week at a time...

I have determined that it is going to be a lot of work this semester. I'm pretty used to reading a lot during the semester and then cramming during finals. This time it is going to be a lot less reading, a lot more drafting of pleadings and discovery documents, and presentations during the semester and only one final to cram for! But I discovered something today...these 3 classes (LFP-Small Firms; LFP-Litigation & Pre-trial Litigation) with all that I will be doing will be super great experience for me! I'm so glad that I'm taking these classes before I do a clinic and certainly before I graduate and start practicing!!

Now don't think I won't be bitching ALOT over these classes and the work I have to do, but know that I will remember that at some point I was happy I opted to take these classes and I will be happy again that I've taken them, but that probably won't happen again for another 14+ weeks!

A Panic Attack?

So tonight (Wednesday night...sorry, this will post as Thursday, so I wanted to clarify!) I had to go to my LFP-Small Firms class. After the whole Monday night incident I have been petrified about this damn class. It was so bad that when I got to school @ 4:45pm today I sat in my car checking my blood sugar. I was shaky, felt horrible, was sweating, and had a racing heartbeat. I thought maybe my numbers were crashing...um, no. I was having a wee bit of a panic attack about my 8pm class! YIKES!

I raced inside, read some stuff I printed out and wrote 2 pages of notes before my 6pm class to help get prepared for my 8pm class! I even sent my LSBFF a frantic text at some point telling her I thought I was going to have a panic attack.

Class started at 8pm and MyMormonGirl and I looked at one another and both agreed that Prof. L looked mean. At some point my panic attack shifted and worked for me instead of against me. I raised my hand to contribute more in this one fear-filled class than I have in the last 3 years combined! I rocked this fucker!!!!!!!!! To the point that after class Prof. L asked me where I worked and how long I've been a paralegal and when I told him where I worked and that I've been a paralegal since 1998 he said, "That explains it. We've got us a ringer!" Holy shit!!!!

I'm loving on Prof. L right now! Even though he gave us an extra assignment (to write a Legal Memorandum) for the week!

Yes, I rock!!! LOL

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

My Personal Crime Watch Wednesday

Dani, I borrowed your blog post title and made it my own...it just fit so perfect for this update of mine (hope you don't mind!).

Yesterday there was another family court hearing involving my x-s-i-l about the boys. It was scheduled for 3:15pm. A few minutes before I received a picture text from my bro...it was my x-s-i-l being escorted in to the court room. The message read "Gotta love x-s-i-l in schackels and stripes!" Yes, she was being escorted to the court room by a Sheriff's Deputy from the county jail! Apparently she is hitting her rock bottom as she has been charged with possession of cannibus and cocaine less than 50 grams with intent to deliver.

In less than 9 months she has went from a productive mom of two, attending school with the support of my whole family to this, with a swing thru here. Way to go x-s-i-l!! You should be proud... (yes, I need that sarcasm font pronto!)

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

My first free night

Tuesdays will now be my free night this semester as I don't have any classes that night during the week. Of course I spent the entire night shopping! Not for fun stuff either...

I left work at 4:30pm and made my way to Sam's Club, then on to my salon to pick up 2 items for 15% off each (woo-hoo!), and on to my meat market for lunch meat! I went to the bank so I can pay Chica this week for the munchkin and then a trip home to drop off my frozen foods and my meat. Then on to Wal-marts I go, followed up with a quick jaunt in to Staples and then the large haul at Meijers! Just when I thought I was done having loaded up my Escape twice for the night I remembered I had to go to Wal-Green's for my allergy pills! I made my way through my front door again at 10pm tonight.

So much for a first free night...

Monday, August 24, 2009

Those damn shelves

at school are about to drive me insane!

JT: I was going to take that LFP Small Firms class too until I saw the syllabus.
j'lynn: The syllabus?
JT: Yes. There is a writing assignment every class.
j'lynn: Where did you get said syllabus?
JT: On Prof. L's shelf.
j'lynn: He has a shelf?
JT: Yeah, he has two packets on his shelf.
j'lynn: The syllabus?
JT: That class is a lot of work. I dropped it the second I saw it.
j'lynn: Those stupid shelves.
JT: Yeah, there is even a writing assignment due this Wednesday.
j'lynn: WHAT?
JT: You have an assignment in that class that is due this week.
j'lynn: More than reading?
JT: Yup. One of the writing assignments.
j'lynn: In the syllabus?
JT: Yeah.
j'lynn: On his shelf?
JT: Didn't you get it?
j'lynn: No! Guess I better get one.
JT: Yeah, the syllabus is on his shelf.

Good gracious! A writing assignment? In his syllabus? On his shelf? Due in 48 hours? What have I gotten myself into? I hate those stupid damn shelves that no one looks at! No one other than JT...great!

Catching up...one thing at a time.

So, from that great big long list of to-do items here, I only have the following to follow up on in the next few days:

  • Grocery shopping, which will be done tomorrow night since I don't have any classes
  • Doing laundry...I just have to fold and put away!
  • Getting the munchkin in the after school program...I left a message on Friday and will call again tomorrow.
  • File all of my papers, which are still being neglected, but are at least thought of a lot more these days!
  • The meal plan is a work in progress so this is an every day thing, but so far so good!
  • Write my man...I'm now 9 envelopes behind. DOUBLE YIKES!
  • Continuing to strive to GET MY SHIT TOGETHER!
I'm so proud of me! Yay me!!!!! :) Now I have to write out bills tomorrow too...I hate that part! Negative is never a pretty number, regardless of what anyone every says!


Day One

Well, here it is...day one of the Fall 2009 semester! I hate this every semester. I'm not excited over it. I think I stopped getting excited over starting a new school year when I was a teen!

My 6pm class was canceled and now there appears to be a momentum with the profs for that class to move the start time up to 5:30pm...whatev! Of course my 8pm class is still on and since you get an extra .1 added to your final grad for attending all classes I'm sitting here with about 2 hours to kill!

Of course I have stuff to do...I should be reading for that 8pm class, but I'm not there yet. I need one more week to get my shit together to be ready for class. So instead I'm sitting in an empty room that I found on the second floor, eating grapes, realizing I forgot my peanut butter cup (not Reeses, but a cup of actual peanut butter to go with my sliced apple) in my car, hoping it isn't totally melted in this heat, feeling like I cannot breathe... Why does that happen? In the last 4 years I've became a nervous nelly over everything. Maybe law school does that to you...make you petrified as to what is behind that next corner or through that doorway and make you feel so out of place that you want to scream. Maybe it is just me!

I see these people who look like they have it all together and I feel like when people look at me I've got things falling out of my arms, papers flying every where, too many things to carry, spilling water or pop or whatever everywhere! I sometimes feel like everyone can see right through me and see a flashing neon light screaming, "Hey...if you thought she was wacky before now she is here with diabetes, so it only gets better!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA" I know they cannot see it and I've only told my LSBFF (Law School-BFF) about my diagnosis, but I'm feeling pretty vulnerable today walking these halls, carrying my lunchbox packed with fruit, a ham sandwich and a small bag of measured out doritos! And all I want to do is scarf down some of that bag of candy the rep from Kaplan handed me...I won't though. Well, I don't think I will. There was a Nature's Valley Peanut Butter bar in the bag...if only I could spread it on my apple!

Alright...to calm my nerves I'm going to flip a coin to see if I read for class or if I write my man. Either/or....

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Story Lines

Okay...last post for the day...I promise! LOL

I just have to say, Kudos to ArmyWives for embarking on a story line about Type II Diabetes! Way to go y'all!! I love this show for so many reasons!! :)

Flirting with my phone

Thursday night/Friday morning apparently someone texted me and I replied with only a blank response, which I'm assuming was in my rush to stop my phone from ringing. The person texted back but apparently I passed out again because I didn't notice it until my alarm went off. So in a fit of irritation at some stranger texting me twice at 1:36am I wanted to wake them up like they had done me, so at 6:30am I texted back, twice.

After a few texts back and forth I discovered it was some 26 year old single guy who thought I was in the booth behind him at the bar the night before. He had a bet with his buddy that the buddy couldn't get the girl's # and somehow my cell # was the number given. Nice.... Of course there was a ton of flirting that when back and forth in our over 100 texts between 8:30am and about 2pm.

I was up front with this guy and actually said from one of the first texts that I was married...I didn't want to explain the whole situation and just felt like that was the easiest way. Apparently that didn't slow him down at all...he went on about how this wasn't the last time we would talk and then when he figured I was done with lunch he inquired if he could be my dessert... YIKES!!

Needless to say, I didn't respond to that...I asked him how he knew I was done with lunch. Needless to say, the texts slowed significantly and then stopped. Nothing calms a man like refusing to respond whether or not he can be your dessert...

Now the icky part comes...me telling my man about this youngun' hitting on me! LOL Of course, the flirting wasn't technically with me...just my phone and phony words! Men....

Why I Hate DirectTV!

There are multiple reasons why of late I hate DirectTV:

  1. You can no longer keep a movie bought through PPV for as long as you want! It automatically deletes w/i 24 hours.
  2. My "reward" for being a faithful customer for 5+ years is Showtime free for 12 months. My mom's "reward" for being a faithful customer for 2 years was 24 coupons for free movies to be used in 12 months and my former neighbor's "reward" for being a faithful customer for 18 months was 18 coupons for free movies. Excuse me, where are my free coupons throughout the last 5+ years?
  3. Whenever I have a problem they send someone out who "fixes" my box, which is over five years old. When my mom had a problem, they gave her all new equipment...her equipment was less than 2 years old!
  4. Whenever I seem to want to watch something particular there is a "storm" somewhere that the satellite runs through and my picture is choppy the entire program. How many storms do we have? Apparently, in the last several weeks we have a storm every night...somewhere in the path of the satellites.
I have to add to this post as to why I hate my phone and the phone system my man has to call through. My man has called me twice today. The first time around 9:30am today my phone dropped the call! My phone never drops a call! Ugh.... The second time he called which was around noon today the system never released the call so I'm yelling into my phone "Hello?" and was never greeted with the lady saying, "This is a call from the MDOC..." Double Ugh... Guess Verizon & CBS are in the path of a storm too...now I just need DirectTV to get in that same path when I want to watch Drop Dead Gorgeous and ArmyWives tonight! Ugh...technology blows sometimes!

PS: Yes, I'm still up and still working on my "to-do" list. Laundry is done...now I just need to fold it and put it away! I've picked up the house, went through my bag and mail and am in the middle of getting my school stuff organized! I'm totally caught up on my TIVO backlog and am hopeful to get my papers filed, organize the munchkin's school stuff and put a meal plan together. Maybe I'll get my letter to my man done tonight too, along with my homework and then the rest I will accomplish tomorrow since it involves calling businesses! Yay me!!!!

Tired was an understatement

I was up very early Saturday morning to work on my ever growing 'to-do' list. I got up the same time I do for work...well, actually I set the alarm like I do for work and didn't get up any earlier just like I do for work!

I rushed the munchkin out of bed to make it to the dealer by 7:30am. I got my oil change and in the rain I had to pull apart the back end to dig my wheel lock package out of where the jack is stored. Why did we (my car guy & I) decide it was a good idea to put them in there. Apparently we didn't think about having to have my tires rotated! Needless to say, they aren't going back there. So with an oil change and my tires rotated, we ran thru McDonalds for his hotcakes and my sausage biscuit and my $2 glass of ice water! The bitch taking the order made me pay a $1 for my water and then because she refused to put it in a sweet tea cup so it wouldn't sweat in my car I had to buy a sweet tea so I could pour that out and put my water in it. Then I get up to the 2nd window and the nice girl asks if I want my water in a sweet tea cup and I said yes, so $2 later I left with a sweet tea and ice water in a sweet tea cup. Of course thankfully I had to drop my munchkin off at the aunts for the rest of the weekend so I left the sweet tea there so I wouldn't drink it! I didn't even consider drinking it at the time, but if I had to keep it with me I would have. It has been almost 2 months since I've had a sweet tea and since I was addicted for over a year it could have been a 32oz. mistake!

After dropping the munchkin off I went and got my hair done, then I met back up with him and my aunt and purchased his new play set, which will be here on 9/6/09! Then we went for lunch and I went to my 2nd salon of the day to get my nails redone, my facial and waxed. I then returned home and was so sleepy so I laid down on the bed at 4:30pm for a little nap. I remember waking up at 7:30pm to go potty and I remember thinking I'll just lay back down for a few minutes and then get up and start laundry and pick up the house and grab some dinner. Well, I woke up again and it was 1:30am!! So much for a little nap!!! So obviously I also knocked off "Get some sleep" from my to-do list too!

If I thought that I would have slept for a few more hours I would have just rolled over and done jut that, but I just had a feeling that I would just lay there for hours, so I got up! I ran out at 2:00am to grab a meatball sub and discovered that the subway by my house is the drop in for everyone post-drinking at the bar! What happened to Taco Bell being the place to go?! Have I gotten that old?! Has it been that long since I've been out drinking that it has switched from Taco Bell to Subway?!?

I came back and started catching up on my TIVO backlog while I ate my sub and caught up on my blog reading! I just started some laundry. I don't know how much I will get done before I'm tempting to go back to bed, but at least I'm still working on my to-do list! LOL

Hopefully y'all didn't sleep your Saturday night away like I did! (But I won't lie...it was great!!)

Friday, August 21, 2009

One Long Week...

Ever since I returned on Monday, it has been a long week. I've gotten very little sleep and am just totally exhausted. I feel like I'm being pulled in a hundred different directions. My summer technically ends this weekend because I have homework to do already (thank you law professors!) and class starts Monday.

I tend to be pretty anal and try to remain organized, but this whole summer has been total chaos for me. I haven't organized anything...I'm not ready for classes to start or anything. Hell, I don't even think I've completed a batch of laundry in a week yet this summer! Now I have several things that have piled up that I need to deal with and the worst part is that I don't have a motivation or desire to get them all done!

Here are some of the things I need to accomplish this weekend (and Monday):
  • Oil change
  • Get my hair did (highlights and a cut)
  • Buy a new play set for the munchkin
  • Get my nails repainted (they are starting to chip from 9 days ago and I want them to match my still beautiful toes for the first week of classes!)
  • Facial
  • Waxing (my unibrow & hairy lip)
  • Grocery shopping
  • Picking up the house
  • Doing laundry
  • Getting my school stuff organized
  • Getting the munchkin in the after school program
  • Organize munchkin's school stuff
  • Go thru my bag of papers/mail because I've been collecting it for almost 2 weeks without going through it
  • File all of my papers, which I've neglected since December!
  • Put a meal plan together...what I'll eat and when since I'll be gone from the house from 7am thru 11pm several days a week
  • Call my doctor's office about that damn bill that I keep getting and my outstanding requests for referrals
  • Call my park management (again) about the abandoned property next to me and the window the hooligans opened and crawl through to destroy the home...and my leaking mailbox (ugh!)
  • Catch up on my TIVO backlog
  • Write my man since I'm about 7 letters/envelopes behind (YIKES! Sorry baby!)
  • Get some sleep
  • and just basically GET MY SHIT TOGETHER!
Oh yeah...and I need to buy our tickets to the state fair too! I'm tired just looking at this partial "to do" list. Now I'm going to have a bowl of ice cream to help deal with this list! Yes, I know it won't really "help" but I'll feel better and since it is no-sugar-added (i.e. as sugar free as it is gonna get!) I'm still okay with my numbers!

Have a great weekend y'all!

Thursday, August 20, 2009

...Sunday is the hardest day of the week

I almost always hate Sundays. They bring sadness almost every week. The only time that they don't is when I have Monday off! LOL Sundays are even worse when I'm back in school because not only does it signify going back to work, but it also signifies going back to class. But the worst Sunday now is the Sunday when I have to say goodbye to my man...

This past Sunday I woke up later than I wanted and I had to make a stop to Walgreens for my allergy pills before I went for my visit, so I rushed and got ready and raced off to breakfast. I ran thru Walgreens to get my pills and then raced to see my guy. I made up enough time that I arrived at the same time I did the morning before. This time I wasn't the first one in. I saw a woman walking across the street and the parking lot making her way in to the prison. I fought hard to make it to the door before she did, but I was about 6 feet behind her. I thought it was still okay, because I would be the 2nd person in. Boy...was I wrong! I was shocked when I walked in to the waiting room and saw 3 other people already in there. I was visitor #5. My anxiety had definitely increased!

Somehow it all worked out because I was the second person called in to the visiting room. We were able to secure seats next to a fan in the back and begin our visit! It was crazy hot again, so hot that the CO finally opened the windows, which are only 1 foot by 2 foot. In the afternoon while we were playing cards my back and legs were starting to cramp up so I moved my chair from being parallel to his chair to almost facing him. In order to accommodate the lack of space my man's left knee was between my two knees. They overlapped by less than 3 inches. There was nothing sexual about it and nothing devious either, but the CO came over and yelled at us to separate and for me to move my chair back to facing her instead of my man. I felt like a schmuck! I was already emotional and this wasn't helping matters... We weren't doing anything wrong! We weren't touching one another in an inappropriate manner, we weren't passing contraband...we were playing uno and I was trying to relieve some of the cramps in my back and legs! Ugh....

I fought back tears the majority of the day and with my guy telling me how he never wants to do anything to ever lose me again was not helping my emotional roller coaster either. But I held it together and when the CO called time at 7:50pm I was proud of myself and wondered if I could make it through our goodbye without tears. When we embraced and kissed, I stopped thinking, hearing, everything except feeling. It was one of those kisses/makeout sessions that always leads to more (wink, wink), so it stirred up so many things inside me. And when it finally ended and we hugged again and my man whispered to me that I had done good and he was so proud of me, the tears started and I couldn't get them to stop...I stole 4 more quick kisses (totally against the rules of one kiss and one hug at the start of a visit and one each at the end of the visit) and made my way to the door. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to turn around and wave goodbye to my man before I walked through the second set of doors. It was so bad that when I had to show my hand to the CO in the control room and hand him my paper to be scanned I choked out a "thank you" to him on a bunch more tears.

I didn't want to walk through the next set of doors without seeing my guy, so I mentally gave myself a slap in the face, pulled it together and turned around to mouth, "I love you" and blow him a kiss and give him a wave bye before I walked through that second set of doors. Like I said, Sunday is the hardest day of the week!

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Just Another Saturday Night

As my recap continues let's step back to Saturday...

I set my alarm for 6:30am, because there is a lot I have to get done before I set off for my visit! Of course I didn't get up until after 7am, but that just makes it a normal morning for me. I got ready and left the room. I had to stop to the gas station and then on to the restaurant for a wonderful omelet! Thank goodness your food is there in a flash because by the time I sat down I only had 25 mins to eat and hit the road.

I try and leave no later than 9:10am to make it there by 9:30am. You cannot sign in for a visit before 9:30am, but you want to be there first so you get called first, processed first, called back to the visiting room first and get first choice of seats! I was so happy to walk in and realize that I was the first one there for visits!! I was processed and then about 20 minutes later I was called back to see my man. :)

We knew it was going to be a hot one so we opted for a seat by a fan. We spent the next several hours holding hands and talking. Then in the mid afternoon we began playing Uno! When I first thought of spending 10 hours in a prison visiting room when he was sent to this latest facility I couldn't imagine how we would make it and what we would do for that entire time. What all would we talk about since we talk almost daily for the allotted 15 mins and still write letters to one another all the time. But this is the second weekend I've visited and each time those 10 hours fly by!

Before either of us realize it, it is already after 7pm...we know we have less than an hour to go and that is when the sadness begins. Yes, we have another 10 hours together on Sunday, but you know that is it so the sadness starts on Saturday...

Once the CO (Correctional Officer) calls time, we pick up our table, get our papers and his ID and start to say good-bye for the night. The kiss and embrace is what you wait for all day and when it happens it is always amazing! Once we start, we don't want to stop, but after we both moan into the kiss we know for both of our sakes, we must. We say good-bye for the night and I walk back through those doors and leave my man with a smile and blowing him a kiss until the next morning.

I walk to my car quickly and head back to town and hit the restaurant again. I have dinner and then head back to the room. I am completely exhausted every Saturday night when I visit because of sitting for 10 hours combined with the level of emotions that we go through during our visits. But I cannot sleep so I start reading a book and finally drift off to sleep sometime after 1am...half excited for the next day's visit, but also half not wanting it to come because I know this is it for another 2-3 months.

It was so hot Saturday when we had our one (and only) bathroom break both my new panties and new jeans (a size smaller then what I have been wearing!) were damp. You are stuck in this room that seats 80 people that only has 3 house fans and 4 doors open. They rarely open the windows. The suspicion is because they want you to leave quickly, so they make it miserable for us. I find it ironic that us 80 people have 3 little fans and the 1 CO has 2! What MDOC has not figured out is that we are determined and aren't going anywhere!

Unlike the visiting room at the prior place, this one gets packed! I would estimate that each time I visit there is an average of 65 people in the room.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Going Back in Time...

Let me recap my trip for you...one day at a time! :) Let's go back to Friday. As you well know, I left my office at exactly at noon. I did my 10-15 minute "death march" to my car. Of course in the big park I have to walk along to get to my car garage another weekend festival was starting. This time it was the African Festival. I always love walking by watching these festivals and seeing all of the people that have made their way to our fair city to celebrate...

I made my way to my car and made my way out of the garage and then came to a complete and total stop for about another 5-10 minutes. What was the hold up? I started looking around. Then I start hearing something...drums. Just as my confusion peaked I saw what was delaying my trip to my man...a Jamaican Marching Band!! Well...you don't see that everyday...

Then I was on my way!! Only to notice that I had 100 miles to go before Empty (not East). Five hours later, one stop for gas and another stop for an Emergency Potty Break I was entering those walls. I have no idea how many times I've entered these same type of walls, but each time I am scared to death! I get the shakes, the sweats, and stomach cramps. There are very specific rules for visitors, but once I go through the next two sets of doors and I see my guy all of those nerves melt and then when we embrace and kiss they all come back for all sorts of different reasons...hehe

We spent the next 3.25 hours talking. It felt like we were only together about 35 minutes when time was called and we were able to embrace and kiss again and say a short good-bye until the next morning.

On to the hotel I go, which of course had to have problems that lasted all weekend. Every time I tried to enter my room I had to go back to the front desk and have the keys fixed to get in the room. Once I hauled everything in the room I looked around and saw something was missing...the frig and the microwave. I reported that to the front desk since I didn't want that coming up on the credit card! If I am springing for a frig and microwave, I want it new and a bit larger than a hotel set.

I made a trip to the local restaurant where I picked up a new nickname over the weekend, "The Diet Coke and Water Girl." After getting a quick dinner, I went back to the room, unpacked and got ready for bed. I was exhausted. I was asleep in minutes, dreamy, remembering those embraces and kisses we shared just hours earlier and excited to do it again the next day...

BTW, kudos to Sonics for carrying 3 different types of diet drinks! It just made me love Sonics even more!

Monday, August 17, 2009

I have returned

So before I left work on Friday I decided to set up posts to publish over the weekend while I was visiting my man. I drafted a post for Saturday and that worked out, then I drafted a post for Sunday, but couldn't get that one to set up to be posted on time (so I authorized it to post after I returned home), so I decided not to draft a post for today because I was so pissed that Sunday's post wasn't working! So I have nothing for today other than....I'M HOME! LOL

It was another great weekend of visits, which I will update when I get a chance to in the coming days...of course when I checked my email I had 72 new emails at home and at least 30 at work. I have taken those numbers down to 3 personal emails to deal with tomorrow and 23 to deal with when I return to work tomorrow too! Nothing worse than over 100 emails to deal with when you return home and the only thing you really want to do is get back in your car and go back to where you came from...

Until tomorrow...good night y'all!

Sunday, August 16, 2009

That's not a party, that's their TV

The other night I came home late after having dinner with my LSBFF and when I walked in the door my aunt said to me, "Obviously your neighbors are having a party. I hope they don't wake munchkin." My response was, "They aren't having a party, that is their TV you are hearing." She was shocked because she could hear all of these voices inside my house, with my windows shut and the central air on!


Here was my little aunt laying on my couch and for hours thought the neighbor's house was invaded with all of these loud talkers! Nope, just invaded with a little TV!


As for my other neighbors on the other side 3 spaces down, but with no home between us, they moved out at the end of July. Their house remains vacant and apparently Thursday night some local children decided it would be a nice place to play. Someone moved the steps so they could climb through a window. They went through, opened several windows, did other ungodly things (I'm sure) in there, and left. Too bad they left the windows open, because this bitch of a neighbor observed the open windows and called the park managers Friday morning to report it. I certainly don't need my little boy watching other little boys misbehaving, regardless of how little they are or aren't! Of course I told the manager, "I swear to God, it is like living in the Wild West." She already knows I hate where I live since I call every so often to say I'm selling and moving...too bad I can't sell it because I would be gone so fast it would be lightening fast!

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Updating a few items...

As a few people have told me, I don't do so well with updating after my crisis, so let me see if I can update everyone on a few things.



As for the situation that arose for a test that was never done...I have resolved the problem on my own with topical treatment. My aunt consulted with another nurse who worked for a specialist in that area, got the directions from her and said lets give it a week and see where we go! Well, we went all the way to the bank baby! It resolved the problem and I've been symptom free for a whole month!



As for the freak out, I have a set schedule for classes this semester starting in 10 days and I'm okay with it. It isn't perfect, but it isn't horrible either. I will have 4 classes, 10 credit hours. I will go to class on Mondays from 6p-9:25p, Wednesdays from 6-9:50pm, and Thursdays from 6-8:45pm with Tuesdays off! So like I said, not perfect, but not horrible either. And the really good thing is...only 1 final this semester. I'm sure that will mean more work during the semester, but only 1 final to prepare for!



As for the question of whether it was the flu or the pills...it was the pills! The doctor had me get off the pills for 3-4 days and the problem went away, so I talked with him last Saturday and he cut my dose in half of those pills and put me on a different pill to add to my diabetic regiment. I went from the girl who took only a birth control pill 6 months ago to a girl who is taking multiple pills...ugh, talk about feeling old. It was bad enough before because I would carry tons of pills with me in my purse and may be nicknamed the "walking pharmacy" to certain people now I actually feel like a walking pharmacy between all of my pills and blood checks. For christ's sake...I have 3 machines now to check my blood! I only have 10 fingers y'all! Anywho...the problem was solved and I'm really glad, but I must admit...that pseduo-flu helped with that immediate weight loss jump! ;)



Okay, for the big update...after being a basket case for days over the impromptu phone call from the new girl at my doc's office I went to see him a week ago. He explained things to me that helped me calm down a lot...especially after my 3rd phone call to his office and the new girl telling me my test results were over 2,000 and the internet said anything over 300 meant chronic kidney damage! The medication he called in is a high blood pressure medication; however, it is used to treat other things one of which is protecting one's kidneys when they are a diabetic. Basically, being a diabetic it is all interrelated and it affects like everything in your body! So, if you don't keep your blood sugars under control, you can damage your kidneys. So he ran the test to see if I was running albumin in my system and since I am he followed up with a second blood test which came back good that tells him that my kidneys are okay, but they they need to be protected a little. So...he called in the medication that protects them, which is also a medication for high-blood pressure. Of course, after crying in his office and carrying on for a few days, I felt tons better!! So things aren't always what they seem. I'm now on high blood pressure medication, but my blood pressure has been good since I started getting my blood sugar under control, so it isn't for my high blood pressure...it is to only protect my kidneys. And I need so little of it that I have to cut the pills in half!



So now I'm on 2 diabetic medications and they seem to be doing okay...my numbers are a little higher in the morning than I like and I wish I could increase my original meds but after 5 days in the bathroom...I'm going to wait it out. I am also on a high blood pressure medicine to keep my kidneys healthy! And in the last week, I haven't cried...wait...opps, yes I did, so with the exception of this little slip-up on Tuesday...this week over my diabetes.



Oh yeah...and my munchkin is doing well. He went to the doctor on Thursday as a follow to his ER visit and he is doing great! Actually the doctor told him he was the toughest kid he knows. Too bad that doesn't flow down to home, because on a semi-daily basis my munchkin reminds me that I have a sensitive son! Thank the aunt for that one!



As for my x-sil, no update yet, but they don't go back to court until the 25th, so we shall see then. As for my uncle, well, his health problems continue and he has now been laid off work since he has been off on medical for quite sometime. My aunt, not his wife, and I fear for him daily and wish he would go and see another cardiologist, but he hasn't done it yet. He scares me all the time with his problems and to be perfectly honest...even though there is no blood between us, he is part of the reason that I'm trying to become a healthier person...I don't want to be where he is at his age.



Did I miss updating anything y'all? Please tell me if I did! :) Sometimes once things are "settled" I move on in my head forgetting that others didn't! LOL

Friday, August 14, 2009

Polished and ready to go...

Well y'all, I am at 60 mins and counting before I leave to go and see my man! Woo-hoo! I did the mani and pedi Wednesday night and was previously waxed and facial 2 weeks ago, so I'm polished and ready to go! The bags were packed this morning, they are in the car, the call has been received making sure I was still coming (he is too cute!), and now I sit at my desk and watch the clock go tick-tock-tick-tock so I can bust out at 12:00pm exactly! High noon I believe it is called!

I hope everyone has as great as a weekend as I anticipate having and since I won't return home until Monday evening and I'm not taking my computer I will "talk" with y'all next week sometime!

Hugs & love out to my peeps....tick-tock-tick-tock...56 mins till blast off now!

Thursday, August 13, 2009

I need boy-shorts too

I'm preparing to go and see my man. I actually leave in 13 hours. I'm working 4 hours tomorrow and then leave straight from there. I should actually be packing instead of searching the internet, but I cannot help myself. Since I had to throw one of my 3 pairs of jeans out last Friday I had to stop and pick up a pair or two (or 4) of new jeans last night. And then it happened....I found boy shorts in my size!!!! If you aren't challenged by being plus-sized you probably wouldn't understand the difficulty of this task!

I have heard about boy shorts, seen boy shorts and feel in love with boy shorts only to be sadden every time I went shopping for new underwear because my stores never had boy shorts. But alas...the time has come and finally I get to buy boy shorts. I was so excited to get up this morning and put a pair of new underwear on...my boy shorts. Then it happened...the bottom fell out of my excitement when I tried to insert my daily pantyliner in my boy shorts...NOTHING STICKS TO THEM!

WTF?!?

Absolutely nothing seems to stick to my new boy shorts. Apparently, when you have something that is 95% nylon & 5% spandex nothing sticks to it. I cannot go without my pantyliner...I've been wearing them for almost 20 years!! I feel totally naked without one! I spent the day in my boy shorts with a non stuck pantyliner in place and loved the feel of my new panties, but not the fear that my pantyliner might be falling out.

I've came up with a little plan to see if I could make it work with double sided fabric tape. Yes, I've became desperate to make my boy shorts work, but I have also started searching for plus-size cotton boy shorts as I hate the thought of having to tape my pantyliner in every morning! But I also hate the idea of giving up my boy shorts too...

No need to worry though...I shall overcome this obstacle too!

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Ice Cream is being served and it isn't even 10am

As you all know, I love me some hump day, but when the first email came out this morning at work reminding us that today is "Vision & Values Day" and then the third email saying, "Ice Cream is being served" I instantly became sad. I used to love these days...filled with Ice Cream Snickers Bars, Dove Ice Cream Bars, Drumsticks, Ice Cream Sandwiches. All of which are totally delicious and since the kitchen containing these treats is less than 10 feet from my office, it was always easy to sneak in for seconds or thirds or whatever...

Today was the first one since being diagnosed, so I was sad and fearful. I knew if I just stayed out of there I would be okay. Plus I had packed myself a lunch box filled with snacks today...banana, apple with peanut butter, carrotts with ranch (lite) dressing, sugar-free pudding, nacho chips, and grapes. But I had not packed enough ice for my water to last a total of 9 hours! So I decided to go in for ice and kept saying to myself (in my head, of course!), "You can do this. Just don't think about it. Think about you and your health. You can do this. Just don't look at them. In and out, in and out!" I entered the kitchen and saw all of the empty boxes stacked up, which included all of my old favorites, so I just repeated my manta until I saw it...PhillySwirl Sugar Free Sticks!!!!!! Vanilla creme swirled with orange, cherry or rasberry. Then I wondered how they would taste and what the carbs were in them. I began to investigate: 14 calories, 0 fat, 4 total carbohydrates with no sugars. So I grabbed one, raced back to my office 10 feet away and opened it up...IT WAS DELCIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm glad I needed ice and found this wonderful treat. It has been added to my shopping list too. I would like to say I am patting myself on my back, but I won't do that until our freezer is empty again, because I still remain only 10 steps away from that Dove Ice Cream bar...

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Nutritionist

Tonight was my appointment with the diabetic nutritionist. It went well. She continually told me to pat myself on the back for the changes I've made thus far. She thinks I've done a wonderful job by making some major changes in my life since my diagnosis on July 2nd. She gave me additional ideas as to how to tweek what I'm doing now and then as those things become closer to second nature to do more and more.

Of course I became emotional during our meeting. It is like I cannot talk about my situation on a deeper level without becoming emotional. I never really thought about it until tonight, but I just cannot keep it together. I cried with the diabetic nurse, with my doctor as recently as Saturday, several times discussing this with my aunt and my man, and now tonight. Maybe it is because I never saw this coming or maybe because I feel like a failure that I allowed this to happen. And combine that with the fact that I am pretty scared with what seems to be happening with me and my body.

I am proud of myself for the changes that I've made and I remember that each day. It helps to get me through the next day to continue to make those changes and attempt to make more and more each day. And every day I am amazed at the struggles we all overcome and mine remains my diagnosis. But to all of those out there dealing with struggles...please remember to pat yourself on your back today. I know I will remember to do it again tomorrow.

Hugs to all my friends who struggle everyday...

Monday, August 10, 2009

Just one more thing

That appeared to my mantra at work today!

I worked 10 hours today so I was very glad that I took lunch with my co-worker and had my delicious Turkey & Bacon wrap. This wouldn't have happened if I wouldn't have opened my inter-office mail this afternoon and found 6+ new files. Then the kicker came when I had to turn in my mid-year numbers to my boss and we were both shocked that I had handled almost 200 files in the last 7.5 months. Of course I'm sure that I will top 350 before the end of the year. Watch out PIPs...I expect great marks at the end of the year! And as I got ready to leave at 7pm, I emailed my co-worker and said I predict that I'm going to need another lunch tomorrow! ;)

I was also so proud of myself because I am a very picky eater, which is probably hard for people to understand when they see me or hear how much I weigh, but I am very picky. Of course my picky eating is always for the wrong stuff. For example, the fruits that I like are bananas, apples and grapes. I do not really broaden my horizons when it comes to stuff like that, but between breakfast and lunch I was hungry, so I went downstairs to our little cafe and I opted for a banana and a fruit bowl, which had 2 different kinds of melon in it, strawberries, pineapple pieces and grapes. I originally thought that I would just eat the grapes, but I forced myself to eat all of it and I was proud of myself! More steps like this the better my life becomes. Baby steps...

All of my new meds seem to be working well, so I'm happy with that! The munchkin is feeling better too. It appears that we are both on the long road to recovery.

I find it funny (not ha-ha funny, but ironic funny) because Mother's Day weekend at the Lady of Hog's Ladies Night I saw a tarot card reader who told me that I was going to have a rough year through September with my health, but that on the other side of that I would come out better than I started. I thought it was crazy then, but as I get closer to September I think of her often and pray she was right about the other side of September! Everything else she said...I hope to God she was wrong, because I will be sad...but as always, I will survive!

Sweet dreams to everyone out there as I close the book on another longest day of the week!

Sunday, August 9, 2009

A WWs update

So with everything going on, over a week ago I decided to join the new WWs at work that was starting Monday, August 3, 2009. So I was totally ready and was so sadly disappointed that there weren't enough people for it to run. They are hopeful that in 4 weeks there will be, so now I'm going to try and do it on my own till them, but I was so excited to start and be able to see weekly progress, but alas....I must wait and I was super disappointed. :(

As an update to the WWs issue, on 7/29 when I went to the doctor's I weighed 356.2 and when I attempted to register for WWs I was down to 352, which was a loss of 4.2lbs in 6 days (but with 2 days of complications) and when I returned to the doc's yesterday I was glad when she told me to get on the scales to see where I was! I weighed in at 349.4! That is a total of 6.8lbs in 10 days!!

I'm trying to get control and I am so proud of myself! Hopefully this keeps going down this path!

Another set of numbers...

I haven't really updated y'all on my numbers since here, so let me do it now:

191--am
243--pm
202--am
188--am
186--pm
228--am
181--pm
253--am
222-pm
354--am
160--am
220--am
141--pm
209--am
157--pm
213--am
184--am
144--pm
143--am
145--pm
157--am
163--pm
144--am
168--am
127--pm
167--am
154--am
156--am
139--am
144-am
127--am

Look at that...I haven't been in the 200's in 11 days!!! That includes the days I was off my medicine due to the complications and a trip to the fair! I'm so proud of myself...

Off to the hospital we go...

Last night munchkin and I did not go to bed until midnight and at 3:00am I was awakened by a burning hot 7 year old in my bed moaning. After about 20 mins I gave him some Motrin when he had a temp of 101.8. An hour later in the living room he began vomiting. Finally at 5:30am we opted to go back to bed.

Munchkin got up around 8:30am and came out to the living room to watch TV and play on the computer a little. He crawled back in the bed with me around 10:30am. I checked him at 1pm and he was still cooler than he was during the night. At 2:45pm, I checked again on my sleeping prince and he was on fire! His fever was up to 102.7, so off to the ER we went! Munchkin has a middle ear infection and is on antibiotics...so instead of me feeling icky, today it was his turn...

Baby, I hope you feel better real soon...

Saturday, August 8, 2009

You Are So Not Mr. Rodgers!

This year the munchkin is going to a new school. A charter school, which requires uniforms. Luckily someone told me the place to go for his uniforms was Old Navy! And since we no longer have one in our town, we had to make school clothes shopping a whole day experience. So after I went to the doc's to check in on my issues that I was currently freaking out about, and then talking to my man, which made me deliriously happy, off we went, in the rain, to the nearest Old Navy to do some shopping!

We found perfect pants and shirts for the munchkin, including 2 pairs of shorts and long arm shirts! $300+ later, we were off to the nearest Stride Rite store, because our local Stride Rite store, owned by Mr. Rodgers, closed too. What is going on in this town with the closings? Even our most famous nicest restaurants have closed. Obviously we are really being affected by the economic crisis in my home town. So we went to one of the malls that when I was a kid was the place to be with its 3 floors, glass elevators, etc. We entered the new Stride Rite store and the guy was a total ass! He was rude, smart-mouthed and a condescending jerk. I suspect that he thought we couldn't afford to buy shoes there. Well, 4 pairs of shoes, one belt and one place phone later, we left. As we entered one of the class elevators and I said, "Oh, we so will not be back to that asshole's store." Alfredo said, "Excuse me. Here is your card for your 7th pair at half off." I sweetly said, "Thank you" and watched the doors close between us.

My aunt, munchkin and I all agreed, that he was so not Mr. Rodgers! We miss you Mr. Rodgers!!!

Friday, August 7, 2009

Girl Power @ The Monster Trucks

Even though I was at work for 4 hours today and an hour and a half was spent in a team meeting, doing a post-mortum on this, I seemed to accomplish a lot of my stuff. I called and set an appointment with a specialist, an endocrinologist, which isn't until 11/9. I reserved my hotel room for next weekend so I can go and see my man before I go back to school. I called my doc's office and reported the incorrectly dated prior authorization and the referral gal said she would take care of it. I also said that I needed a number for the results that was causing the doc to call in this new medicine. She promised that the new girl would call me back when she came in the office at 3pm with my test results. I also actually did some work too this morning.

I left at noon to take the munchkin to our county fair and more importantly, to see the Monster Trucks there tonight! As always, my aunt tagged along. :) We arrived at the fair and walked around. I was starving as I hadn't ate anything since my sausage biscuit at 7:30am! We went to one of the local church booths and had lunch. It wasn't too great and it wasn't "fair" food, but it did the trick. Munchkin rode a ton of rides, for being 7, and then he saw that the little circus had started their show. It was so packed so the munchkin and our aunt, since she is so short, made their way to the front, so I went to one of the rest areas with picnic tables and waited for them to join me. We opted to have some fair fries, which were delicious! Yummy...greasy, hot, salty...yum, yum, yum!

Then before making our way in to the monster trucks the munchkin rode more rides, we all shared an elephant ear and a corn dog. Then it was time for the big show! We made our way to the grand stands and the show finally began. There were 6 monster trucks and 2 of the drivers were girls! One was a tom-boy type of gal, but the other one...she was a girly girl! I, as a girl, was so proud of the Girl Power demonstrated with the drivers at Monster Truck!! Yippie!!

We all had tons of fun! I was really glad we opted to go and see The Monster Trucks! Of course we were covered in dirt by the time we left...who knew Monster Trucks were so dirty!

Thursday, August 6, 2009

It is all interrelated

As I was leaving the office today my cell phone rings as I walk my 3 blocks to the "hole" (a/k/a our current parking lot). It was my PCP's office. The new girl asked me for my pharmacy number because doc wanted to call in a script. I asked her what the script was, what it was for and why he wanted to call it in. She provided me the name of the drug, said it was for high-blood pressure and that it was because of my urinalysis.

None of this added up, because when I was just at the doc's he said my blood pressure was good. So why would he call a medication in for high-blood pressure? And furthermore, CG said my test results were good. So WTH? On top of all of that...the particular test he sent me for was related to my diabetes and was to evaluate my kidneys not my blood pressure. Of course the new girl couldn't answer any of my questions. Her only response was, "Everything is interrelated." So I decided to come home and look things up on-line. This is not always a smart thing for medical situations.

About 30 mins in to my looking up online I was totally freaked! I did my best to keep it under control...but no one was fooled. There is another trip to the doctor's in my near future...

The topper to my whole day was when I did open my mail and the back dated prior authorization that my doc's office secured for me in relation to my $738 bill was incorrectly dated. So much for solving that problem! Ugh...

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Hello? You aren't real.

My doctor's office has a new system that allows you to call in and with a pin number access your test results. I've had several tests since this system was installed, but until today I have not been able to access any of my test results. The instructions advise to wait 3-5 days before attempting to get your test results but each time in the past I would call after 5 days and was advised, "Your test results are not available."

I went to the lab on Saturday and with so many failed attempts at using the new system I had not even thought about calling to check on my results. Yesterday my cell phone rang and the following conversation took place:

j'lynn: Hello?
CG: Hello.
j'lynn: Yes?
CG: Your test results are available.
j'lynn: Wow! Thanks.
CG: Please call 734-tes-tsin and enter your PIN. Thank you for using the new system. Again, your test results are available...
j'lynn: OMG...You aren't real!

Laughing hysterically when I realized I was having a conversation with a computer. But all is good, because CG (Computer Girl) lead me to find out that my test results were all normal! :)

Am I as smart as they are or are they as dumb as I am?

I went downstairs today to get some water and a banana. I wasn't exactly ready to take my lunch, just yet, but I needed sustenance for the time being. As I entered the elevator I realize I am on the elevator with 4 attorneys from the big firm in my building. All graying, all seasoned individuals. As they continue speaking I realize they are discussing jurisdiction and service of process. They seemed to be grappling with the subject matter...I wanted to blurt out the answer because I knew it!!! :) I was so proud of myself. Of course then it lead me to ask the above question, "Am I as smart as they are or are they as dumb as I am?"

I like to believe that my $105,000+ education is starting to pay off! hehe

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

The Flu or the Pills?

Well August has started and it finds me behind already! Yikes!! My apologies for the lack of posts for this past week. I have a few things that I will discuss in future posts ("What do you need?"; "What bank? Oh...that one. Opps!"; "Hello? You aren't real."; and "That's not a party, that is their TV.") to make up the lack of posts. Of course I do not know when that will happen, but it will! ;)

Where was I all weekend you ask? Well, I was here...at home...sick. Friday night we went to dinner and then I came home to relax a bit. I knew I had a lot to accomplish this weekend, so I went to bed with the thought that I would sleep as late as I could after my crazy week (more on that later). I woke up at 10am, but decided to lay there for another hour. Finally at 11am I got up so I could shower and go and get my bloodwork done. Before I left for the lab I started feeling "off"...I made a trip to the restroom and then went on to the lab.

After I went to the lab, I decided to go to the pharmacy to pick up my durable medical equipment for my diabetes equipment. As I left there I knew I needed to race back home to the bathroom again. After coming home I decided to watch a movie that I purchased the night before (more about this later too!) until my 3:15pm pampering appointment. About 30 mins before, I left for my salon. Of course my girl was running really late, but I was okay with that. She did my facial and waxed my brows & lip. As soon as I left and entered my car I knew I had to come straight home again.

I spent the rest of Saturday at home even though I had a huge list of things to do. Thinking maybe the stress of the week finally got to me, I decided to go to bed early. I was in the bed before 10pm and spent the night wrapped in a blanket trying to get warm, but my head was on fire. Sunday morning I got up feeling just horrible. My entire body ached, especially my legs. I called my aunt to tell her I wouldn't be making the parade and cookout at her house that afternoon. She brought me some medicine and gatorade...

Thinking that I had licked this little stomach flu, much to my amazement that 2 days later I'm still having some issues. Now we are beginning to wonder...was it the flu or am I having a reaction to my diabetes medicine? So now tomorrow I need to deal with this. I'm totally bummed because I tested at 107 tonight and now I may be having some problems with my pills...ugh.

As I told my aunt...if it isn't one thing, I swear, it is another! :(