theHelenSmet

Ain't that some Shit!

2011-05-02T00:14:00.002-04:00

Well, there's been some news toNIGHT! Osama Bin Laden has been killed. His body is in "custody" of the American military.
WOW!
Holy Humpin' Hannah!!!!!
What?
So many thoughts here.........

"Custody" of his body?
Ummmmm.... what does that mean? We can beat the crap outta him? I'm just glad he's dead. I'm sure there have been orders for quite some time indicating Osama's wishes, "I will not be taken alive!"
No friggin' shit! If I were you, I wouldn't want to be taken alive either..... Too bad you weren't!

"Gee, does this mean we can get on an airplane without as much security?"
I HOPE to HELL, NOT!!!!! Explosive underwear is one "small part" of the issue (apologies to any who think their underwear should be a "larger part" of security.)

Okay.......can't even express what's going on! Celebrations outside the White House, non-stop news coverage, tweets, FB posts, the vigils which must be happening in New York City, The Pentagon, and a lonely field in Pennsylvania which had a much larger impact than we might ever know.........

When did Cystic Fibrosis get here?

2010-11-01T00:05:00.019-04:00

I know Ginny was diagnosed when she was 3 months old. It's a genetic disease, thus determined from conception. Before we knew it was CF, there were many tests done while in the hospital to figure out why she wasn't gaining weight, had anemia, vitamin E deficiency, etc. Once diagnosed and on the correct meds, things improved and life settled in.

Over the years, Ginny has had colds, coughs, strep, ear infections, etc. Those have been easily resolved with anti-biotics. Her lung function (PFTs) has always been in the 107% - 118% - ideally, you want your lungs to function at 100% so she's been in GREAT shape!

Ginny's weight was a struggle until they introduced us to "the hungry pill" (don't remember the medical name). The goal was to have her BMI above the 50th percentile. She was usually no higher than the 20th until that medication. They had started hinting at a G-tube, but we told them to come up with something else. They did. Within 4 months of being on "the hungry pill", her BMI% shot from 21% to 49%.

Don't get me wrong.....we've had our stressors and struggles with all of the appts, meds issues, germ warfare, insurance, trying to gain weight, trying to kick colds/coughs, etc. But, after the initial difficulties, we settled into daily life with CF......

...... That is, until her PFTs dropped to 89%....... we upped her meds, increased nebs, added Cipro and were to return in 1 month to check again............ they dropped to 81%...... *THUD*.....

She was admitted to the hospital -
She was in for 1 week of IV anti-biotics, respiratory therapy 4x/day, Chest PT 3x/day, and food galore. Just as she was finishing breakfast, snack would arrive - when that was done, lunch was delivered and all meals/snacks were wrapped around all of the other therapies. She has come home with a PICC line so she can continue the IV anti-biotics. There are 4 per day and we had to really schedule things carefully to fit them in with the proper spacing between - not to mention that thing called school, maybe even life.

Guess I can no longer live in my happy, little denial about CF. It's always been there, but now it's sitting at the table.

The 24-Hour Whirlwind - The Taming of the Dew - Part III

2010-10-14T21:11:00.022-04:00

*BEFORE READING THIS, PLEASE SEE "THE 24-HOUR WHIRLWIND - THE TAMING OF THE DEW - PART I & II" - IT WON'T MAKE SENSE WITHOUT THEM*
Okay, I haven't done this in forever, but I need to close it out so I can blog about all the other stuff going on.

When last we left our heroine, there was a phalanx of men with tools - ripping, sanitizing, examining, evaluating, and itemizing. Over $3,000 had already been spent and estimates were being calculated by the thousands. Troy, the sewer technician, was estimating the cost of ripping out 1-2 dogwood trees, tearing up a portion of the cemented, tiered walkway, and digging down 10-12 feet just to get to the pipe which needed replacement - with a minimum price tag of $10,000. Alan, the BGE guy, was pricing the replacement of a compressor (the most expensive repair possible when an a/c goes kaput, but he might be able to get it under $3,000).

On to the FINALE:

There I was, waiting for another $15,000+ worth of repair estimates to be thrown at me. Alan, the BGE guy, came in after having spoken to his warranty/parts department. Tim, the Servpro guy sanitizing my basement, was coming up the stairs at the same time.

HERE'S where things REALLY get crazy............

Alan tells me that the previous owners DID get the extended warranty. The replacemenet of the compresser would be done at NO COST to me. That means, the potential $3,000 a/c repair has ended up as a $0 estimate. He came in and made this statement aloud. There would be NO COST to repair my a/c. I looked at Alan, admitted that I didn't know him that well, but that I really wanted to kiss him. Tim from Servpro, who had just charged me $2500 to rip the crap (literally) out of my basement, just looked at him. Tim's response, "Great. You make the rest of us look bad.".........fer sure!!! Alan's big-ass repair was going to cost NOTHING!

*whew*

Troy came in after examining the option of destroying my front walk, 2 trees, and digging a 12-foot trench in my front yard. The look on his face was very confused as he told me that he thinks his machine was picking up my solar lighting features. He took the search for the underground beacon out to the backyard. Lo, and Behold........... the sewer line went out the back of the house, past the walk-out portion of the basement. The pipe was right next to the foundation of my deck, but the cost went from $10,000+ to just under $5,000.

*Wow!*

New estimates:
A/C repair = $0 rather than $3000
pipe dig-up/replace = $5000 rather than $10000+
downstairs devoid of sewage = priceless

OMG - I really have to blog

2010-07-08T02:00:00.003-04:00

I really should have been blogging over the last 2 weeks while I've been relaxing out here in Northern Idaho.... sitting on the deck, looking at the lake, looking at the mountains surrounding the lake, watching the Osprey pluck fish from right in front of our dock, watching 2 Osprey chase down a Bald Eagle.......
Hmmmmmmm........
Maybe that's why I didn't spend the last 2 weeks blogging. It was too, too perfect to do anything but sit back, relax, and enjoy!
*sigh*
Tomorrow is our travel day. Over 12 hours of a combination of security checks, flights, layovers, baggage claim. Won't be fun, and the weather will be barbarically hot when we return, but we will be home. I will have some time to blog before my next life adventure begins. I've got to finish up my "really crappy day" story, and do some catch-ups here and there. I also have some profound thoughts to ponder.
SO.......I'll catch ya after we return and I've had time to smooch & snuggle with my pups!
C'ya!

The 24-Hour Whirlwind - The Taming of the Dew - Part II

2010-05-04T18:48:00.017-04:00

*BEFORE READING THIS, PLEASE SEE "THE 24-HOUR WHIRLWIND - THE TAMING OF THE DEW - PART I" - IT WON'T MAKE SENSE WITHOUT IT*

So, the Friday craziness continues. Quick Recap: Brad the Plumber snaked my sewer line - $550 and Tim & Israel started cleaning up the aftermath once I paid $2500 up front....they gotta have payment up front because they aren't offering a product that can be re-possessed....and it's not like they can shoot your crap back into your house.

So, the next one to arrive was Troy. Troy is a Sewer Technician with myPlumber. He brought the camera to snake down the sewer line to confirm it was all cleared out and see if there were any tree roots or blockage. He fed the camera down the line and had a portable screen. Tim (from Servpro) and I couldn't help ourselves....we had to watch. I mean, how often do you get to see the inner bowels of your house. With fascination, Tim and I looked at the screen as it made it's way through the pipe. It was just a pipe, nothing interesting ...then.....EWWWWWW....... we both looked away as the camera came upon some messy stuff. Tim suggested that we stop watching, I agreed :).

Tim & Israel continued to soak up and sanitize my basement. Troy came up to announce there were tree roots in my line and that it was 90% blocked.... the roots were like fingers just waiting to catch anything that came by. The camera has a beacon on the end of it which was left at the roots while he took a machine outside to pick up the signal. He did this so they would know where to dig to get to the pipe to replace it.....GREAT! That won't be expensive or anything!!!

Remember that I originally stayed home on Friday for my A/C to be repaired? Well, while Troy was outside and Tim was going in and out of the house as he disposed of items, Alan from BGE Home arrived. When I explained that the A/C was tripping the breakers whenever it turned on, he expressed his hope that it was just a short somewhere and not the compressor. Thanks....I really need to worry about THIS worst-case scenario, too! Whatever!

Within the first 5 minutes, Alan was able to tell that it was the compressor which led me to share my sob story with HIM! Wow....he said....yes...Wow... The compressor would be a few thousand to repair. Because I have the service contract with them, labor would be free and I would get a discount on parts which could drop it closer to a couple thousand....great, thanks! Alan asked if I had the warranty information on it because most systems come standard with a 5-year warranty. No, I don't have that information and I've lived here for 7 years and how do I find out how old the system is and if an extended warranty was purchased? (Because I needed one more thing to research and make calls about right now). Alan told me that he would call the service department, find out any warranty information, and get the repair quote...might take about 15 mins....Okay......great.....I'll miss you while you're gone....... *sigh*

While Alan was in his truck racking up my next bill, Troy asked me to come out front to talk about my tree roots and his findings. Along the walkway to my house are 2 dogwood trees. There's some sort of water main type thingie to the left of them. Troy told me the beacon was responding just under the dogwoods...... that would mean the pipe is coming from my basement out the front of my house which is not a walk-out. That means the pipe is about 10-15 feet down and to get to it, I would lose 1, maybe both dogwoods...... this would be a 5-digit job....ummmm...that means $10,000 or more....... GREAT!!!! I had just spent over $3000 on the snaking and the clean-up and I was informed of my layoff less than 24 hours prior to this...... what's another $10k......, along with the pending compressor estimate.......... THAT'S IT!!!!! I can't do this anymore....I just can't do it....I can't afford any of this.... I wish I lived somewhere else!!!!!

But, I don't! I live here, and it is mine to deal with. So, I shall deal....*breathe*

*TO BE CONTINUED*
Please....bear with me....the fun stuff is yet to come....really.... I promise....this IS a sitcom!

The 24-Hour Whirlwind - The Taming of the Dew - Part I

2010-05-01T20:35:00.020-04:00

*BEFORE READING THIS, PLEASE SEE "THE 24-HOUR WHIRLWIND - THE MORNING DEW COMETH" - IT WON'T MAKE SENSE WITHOUT IT*

Friday, April 9, 2010 was quite the adventure! I had so many men rolling through my doors that it MUST have impressed my neighbors!.... either that or generated TONS of sympathy!

My first man of the day was Brad, the plumber. Brad arrived with scary, crazy-loud equipment to snake my line...... I really don't want to know too much about that! Upon hearing the story of my previous 24 hours, he knocked 10% off the price of the "sewer-line snaking". Thank you Brad!!!!
While Brad was here, Tim and Israel from Servpro arrived. Now I had TWO service vehicles out front of my house. They instructed me and my brother (okay, mainly my brother because my head was swimming in all of the crap...) to begin removing everything from the storage area.....EVERYTHING??!!?? Do you mean 7 years worth of storage and junk that I just kept dumping in there??? Time to clear out all the junk I'd dumped since my sewer line decided to take a "dump" on my stuff.. (actually, it didn't take so much as it gave!). Items from the damaged area which had not been in contact with the contaminated material would go into the finished area of the basement which had been spared. Sewage soaked items were escorted outside.
As I finish up and pay ($550 on credit card!) Brad's work, Tim was surveying the poopy damage with Israel and determining the course of action....and the cost!!! Brad left with the promise that a camera crew would be coming out to run a camera through my line to see exactly what/where the blockage was. GREAT!!! A whole-house colonoscopy! Pretty!

So, I call the insurance company to update the claim submitted the night before with the additional "crap".....BTW, in case you hadn't caught on, there were so many "crap" jokes flung around that day, it was a "stinkin' " riot!!! While I'm on the phone with the insurance company, Tim from Servpro tells me that he needs to speak to them so he can get approval to begin the work. No problem, I've got her on the phone so this would be the perfect time.....NOT!!! She tells me that she can't approve the clean-up because she doesn't know if the blockage was in my line or beyond mine and into the county. WHAT??!!?? My basement if full of water and sewage....visible sewage.....I'm supposed to wait for the whole-house colonoscopy??? That wasn't going to happen for about 4 more hours.........and my house STINKS!!!!! Sewage en masse in an enclosed area is not very pleasant....

Here's the deal with Servpro.......they won't begin the clean up until there is insurance approval or payment up-front....and my insurance wouldn't approve it...and I'm broke and have just been laid off.....Sometimes, life is priceless...thank you MasterCard.... Heck! What's another $2600? ...... Put that on the credit card since the insurance company won't fight for me as I put in a call to Brad - myPlumber..... He calls back and I tell him that I had to pay Servpro upfront so they could start the work and my insurance won't cover it unless the blockage was on my end, not the county.... "No problem" says Brad. "Have the adjuster call me and I will confirm the blockage is on your end"........... Again, Thank You, Brad!!!!

In the meantime, since I'd handed over the plastic and signed off my life - Tim & Israel put a plastic tarp down across the floor of the basement's finished area from interior door to exterior door. Love them!!! We could haul my "crap" outside without dropping it in the "clean" area!

*TO BE CONTINUED*

The 24-Hour Whirlwind - The Morning Dew Cometh

2010-05-01T14:11:00.010-04:00

*BEFORE READING THIS, PLEASE SEE "THE 24-HOUR WHIRLWIND - THE DAY OF" - IT WON'T MAKE SENSE WITHOUT IT*

So, after cleaning up the sewage spew of the previous evening, I was first on the list for the plumber on Friday morning. Before Drew left for the day, I asked him to take a peek at the basement to see if there had been any further sewage flooding. Ummmm..........................

*MORE BAD NEWS*

The landing, powder room, and ENTIRE laundry/storage area was a puddle of water & sewage....ah Poop! The toilet had erupted a sewage volcano. How did I get SO lucky!!!
My A/C broke, I got laid off, and there was Lake Poopy in my basement.
Work from home/Air repair day had turned into mourning the loss of my job and wallowing in crap. I had more men coming through my door than a sorority house on a Friday night, only none of them were drunk.
The day began with a 7:00am call to myPlumber as I was already first on the list. When I explained the situation had gotten worse, they were VERY sympathetic and helpful. They asked if it was something I could clean up myself or would I need a water mitigation company.....a what?? They work with Servpro and would call them and get the ticket started for me. THANK YOU!!! Nice! One less call I had to make.
The best call I made that day was to my brother. I asked for help.....I'm not so good at that. When I first called him he asked me what I needed him to do. I couldn't tell him....all I could say was that I had no A/C, was losing my job, and had a basement full of crap. I didn't know what I needed except to call the plumber. After calling them and realizing that Servpro would be coming out to rip up and clean out my basement, I knew what I needed. I called Charles back and asked if he could come over and help me move my belongings out and go through damaged items. My brother took the day off work to come over and slosh through my basement, help with the physical moving of my belongings, but mainly.... I needed him for me, to be the stability, the person unattached to the possessions, the person who could answer questions when my mind had enough. He was all that and more. It was as though he picked me up and carried me around in his arms that day......and we had a really great time together! I know that sounds crazy considering all that was going on; but, because we were together, I was able to laugh through the tears, stress, and the crap that was consuming my day.

*PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER IN "THE 24-HOUR WHIRLWIND"*

The 24-Hour Whirlwind - The Day Of

2010-04-13T19:28:00.010-04:00

*BEFORE READING THIS, PLEASE SEE "THE 24-HOUR WHIRLWIND - THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM" - IT WON'T MAKE SENSE WITHOUT IT*

Thank goodness for my service contract with BGE Home, they told me they could come out on Friday, and it would not cost me a thing to have the problem diagnosed. They would do the annual inspection and cleaning at the same time which might fix the problem. *Awesome!* Wouldn't that be great! Thanks!!!!

I put in the request to work from home on Friday so I could wait my turn for the tech who would arrive at some point between 8:00 & 5:00....way to narrow it down! A rather sympathetic understanding of the need to address the situation led to the approval of working from home. See, I work with people that have also had the pleasure of "home-ownership drama". It just sucks, and we all know it! I went to work knowing that I didn't have to worry about the A/C for the day. I could put it aside, and know that it would be waiting for me to deal with on Friday.

At least I could focus on work.......not so much! The afternoon of Thursday, April 8, I was told that my grant ended in November 2009 (which I knew), and there is no further funding for me (which I didn't know, but was scared of). My contract that goes through June 30, 2010 will not be renewed. My skills, and the things I do are not a fit for the work needed to be done. There aren't enough full-time, project-manager level tasks to justify my employment during times of budget cuts and lost grant funding.
I DO NOT HAVE A JOB PAST JUNE 30, 2010. Well, that sucks!

Sucks though it may, I didn't feel the need to throw myself on the floor and cry, panic, scream. That was a bit more energy than I felt needed to be expended. Good thing I held back.....

When I got home, the kids told me that the downstairs toilet had backed up which led to a water/sewage flood. When you walk downstairs, there is a landing/foyer area, with a powder room straight ahead. To the right, behind a closed door is the finished basement. When you go down the stairs, to the left, there is another door which leads to the laundry room and storage area. Sooooooooooo............ the sewage back-up was in the powder room, foyer, and a portion of the laundry/storage area.

WOW!!!!!!!! My A/C busted, I got laid off, and came home to shit in my basement in less than 24 hours...........now that's a bummer of a day!!!!

*PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER IN "THE 24-HOUR WHIRLWIND"*

The 24-Hour Whirlwind - The Calm Before the Storm

2010-04-12T20:05:00.022-04:00

In our lives, there are certain events, or series of events which suck. They are upsetting, stressful, ridiculous, etc. Some of these incidents cause friends to say, "well, you'll look back at this in 5 years and laugh". But, have you ever had a series of events occur in a 24 hour period that would be too much to handle over the course of a year?

Well, let me tell you about a 24 hour period that was so full of shit that you won't believe me. You literally will not believe me! You will think I'm exaggerating, embellishing the truth, or flat out lying. I assure you, my friends, the following is all true. No creative license has be taken to embellish the truth.

After being pounded with chains of blizzards and feet of snow, the Mid-Atlantic region broke yet another weather record. We broke the high temperatures last week by getting into the 90s in early April. It became ghastly hot on Tuesday, April 6th. I had not used my heat in a month and wasn't even CLOSE to ready for the air conditioning, so I refused to turn it on. I put on a fan and peeled off outer layers. I made it through the night, and toddled off to work the next morning feeling proud of my success. Wednesday was another ghastly hot day. When I got home from work, it was 80 degrees in my house, and the afternoon sun was beating through the windows. On Tuesday, it had been just me, but the kids were home on Wednesday.

When the temperature got up to 84, I broke and turned on the air conditioning (henceforth, to be referred to as the A/C). A cool-down was forecast for Thursday evening and Friday so I knew we would be able to head back toward saving electricity for the good of the planet, and my big-ass electric bill.

About an hour after turning on the A/C, I noticed that it didn't feel much warmer. Checking the temperature revealed that it was still 84 degrees. My wonderful son, Drew, checked the fuse box and reset the breakers for me. Thank God that was an easy one.....But, Wait!!!! No, the breakers tripped every time the A/C went on. That was one HOT night! Fans and light clothing wasn't really enough.....little did I know this would be the least interesting, stressful, or difficult thing that would happen to me in 24 hours.

*PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER IN "THE 24-HOUR WHIRLWIND"*

The Big F-U

2010-04-06T21:47:00.002-04:00

Yeah....F-U....I said it, I meant it. Sometimes, there is no other option. There are days, times, incidents, issues that just warrant an F-U. Right?

They annoy, stress, push, frustrate, or maybe even scare you; so, the F-U must be pulled out. It doesn't matter who else is involved, or who else is around. The F-U may be caused by family, friends, co-workers, boss. Everyone ends up getting an F-U at some point, and most of the time...they really deserve it!!!! You may be worried that you could get in trouble for pulling it out. But, you might find that everyone else wanted to put it out there and just didn't have the "oomph" to do it. Taking that initiative may actually change others' opinion of you.

Don't act surprised, don't act mortified, disgusted, uncomfortable. Close that slack-jaw!!!! There is nothing wrong with telling some that you may need to Follow-Up. Never be afraid of the F-U, it might just make your day!!!!

Are You There, God? It's Me, Helen.....

2010-04-05T21:51:00.011-04:00

So, I'm beyond the point where my friends have all started their period or I must increase my bust. But, why hasn't Judy Blume come up with the follow-up (other than "Wifey"), and created a guidebook for future phases of life.

And, what about the authors of "What to Expect When You Are Expecting"? What happened to the follow-up versions, "What to Expect When They Are Out"?, or "What to Expect When They Talk Back"?, or "What to Expect When They Grow Up and You Wish They Needed You As Much As They Used To"?......

So, do I have to do this myself? Hmmmm.....my sister is an editor/publisher/author advisor....etc. Mayhaps I should propose this? I can even add in the aspects of dealing with IEPs, 504s, Docs, medical thrills......I've got some personal experience and educational background there.

Regardless.......Please, please, please God....... don't turn me into the parent of teenagers.

They are out there....

2010-03-16T22:06:00.005-04:00

There are so many of them. They're all over the place. Some are far, some are close by. They are floating all around me. Zipping by before I can really take a good look, then coming around again, they change...evolve. Some of them fizzle before they even have a chance. It doesn't mean they shouldn't exist, just not right now. Rebirth, regrowth, renewal....always being replenished.

They are out there, just waiting for me. Motivating, overwhelming, frightening, exciting.... they are my dreams, ideas, hopes. As long as I keep my eyes open, there is opportunity for me to see them, catch them.... even if they are only visible to me.

Well, it did something....

2010-01-10T14:58:00.003-05:00

Ok, so my previous post was about "how to and what would" motivate me to do something about my weight. I thought maybe I would need to post a picture of myself in workout clothing for the world to see, post my weight, cry and say I want to do this just as they do on The Biggest Loser. I decided not to do that. Actually, I didn't really decide to do anything. But, I have tried something I've been thinking about for some time.

I've got a lot of shows on TV that I like. I Tivo them so I don't have to watch commercials or so that I can watch those that I would miss. I love Reality TV and catch almost all of those. I like the evening dramas, too: Brothers & Sisters, Housewives, Grey's, Private Practice...well, you get the idea. I like TV. I do multi-task when I watch TV. I'm usually doing something on the computer. But, there are times that I'm just piddling or playing around on the computer. I don't HAVE to be on the computer. So, I wondered what would happen if I put a condition on my shows. I can watch them from the recumbent bike. Not all of them, although I'd probably lose 50 lbs in 2 weeks :).

So, 4 times since my Tuesday blog, I watched a show from my bike. It was actually pretty easy. During one of the shows, I did 40 minutes. I don't think this would work as well while watching a soap opera, or Rachael Ray. Those are slow-paced. I have been doing it through shows like Castle, and the Forgotten....those can be intense, exciting, fast-paced, even a bit of ass-kicking being done. Now, THAT'S how to get pumped! So, rather than mindlessly watching TV, I am mindlessly riding my bike....while watching TV. Not so bad. A friend gave me a good tip and suggested that I not make a goal of "X" mins per day, but "X" mins per week. That way, I won't feel like a failure if I only do 15 minutes one day. I still did something toward my goal of 100 minutes per week.

THINKABOUT: Do I love it? Nope! Do I hate it? Not really. Can I do it? Well, I am right now. I'll take that for what it is and keep trying.

How did this happen?

2010-01-05T21:41:00.004-05:00

How did I get so heavy? Well, I mean....I know how it happened.....so, maybe I should be asking myself why? And, why can't I get myself to stop? At least I have stopped gaining weight...it only took 3 years and 50 lbs. I've quit some bad habits, but added others which is how I got here.
"Two Roads diverged...." Robert Frost
Why didn't I take the other one? Well, I can't change what I did. But, I really should try to see if I can find my way back to that spot rather than just sitting on the large bottom that I have given myself.

So..............
I'm watching The Biggest Loser because I'm a Reality TV junkie. The big question was whether or not these folks would get up in front of the family, friends, and community with their shirts off, and bellies hanging out as they stepped on the scale and announced their starting weight.

What I really should do is challenge myself. I should post a picture of myself in shorts and a cropped workout tank along with my starting weight. Will that make me do anything about it? Is that motivating? Would people support me, or just kind of let it go because they don't want to embarrass me? I could even allow myself to watch my favorite TV only if I'm on my recumbent bike. I wouldn't have to go fast and furious.....just go, at this point!

Well....I'm going to think about this.....yanno.....weigh my options (OMG, I am funny!). I'll let you know what I come up with.

Whoa....That's not good....

2009-11-24T21:44:00.007-05:00

Has this ever happend to you? Something doesn't happen the way you had planned? What do you do? You may agree that it's not good, but do you sit down and take it? Do you fight? Do you problem solve, re-evaluate what you are doing? Maybe try something new?
OR (view video)

OR
Do you just wait for someone else to take care of you and what may be going wrong? Are you paralyzed by what happened or by what may happen if you try to do anything? Are you unable to see beyond the unfortunate-ness in front of you?
I would recommend attempting to see other ways around an issue. Remain calm, be thoughtful, be strong...even faithful.
While I hope you enjoyed the video, don't be the dumbass on the escalator!
Seriously....Figure it out!!!!

A Magical Feel

2009-11-13T23:00:00.001-05:00

A misty fog in the forest
Leaves crackling underfoot
The smell of wet pine needles
A stillness
A silence

A scent of vanilla
The warm glow of fire
Reflections on the wall
Peace
Serenity

A puppy across my lap
The sigh of a snuggle
Another puppy against my side
Sweetness
Love

The Ineffective Middle Finger

2009-11-09T21:52:00.007-05:00

There are ways to be effective and ways to be ineffective. I'm guessing that most people have the goal of being effective. Only a dumbass would strive for ineffectiveness. Well, I met one such dumbass last week. Here is the story of our encounter......
I left work and took the exit for 95 south. I go only one exit until I take the route that travels east to take me home. A car behind me headed down the ramp to 95 south, at close range. Rather than go around me, he remained closely behind me in the right lane. We both took the exit to head east. Upon merging onto the eastern route we both wanted to move to the left lane as there was slower moving traffic in the right. Here is where the fun began.
As I was in front of the tailgater on the southern route, on the ramp to the eastern route, as we merged onto the eastern route, I was still in front of him as we moved into the left lane. Apparently, this was not pleasing to him and caused anger. He shoved his hand very far forward in the front window and raised his middle finger. This was effective. It revealed that he was angry and didn't like me. It was even effective in that it elicited a raised middle finger from me in return. Because there was a line of cars to the right, he couldn't go around me which may have led to more frustration.
Having exchanged middle fingers following proper protocol, I believed our encounter was over. However, being the good driver that I am, I followed the 3-second rule and looked in my rearview mirror. It was at this time that I noticed the angry man driving with both hands on the wheel with the middle finger still extended. My thought was "whatever". However, the finger continued to be extended as I drove on. In fact, this continued for the entire eastern route of 13.8 miles. 13.8 miles?!?!? Wow.....that is one angry person.
Funny thing is that after about mile 2.4, it was losing its effectiveness. It became funny, but was also no longer the most noticeable thing on the road. Just as a hood ornament can be seen as you glance in the rearview mirror, the finger remained in place. This person's anger with me caused him to lose his control of the situation. Eventually, it turned around and my behavior controlled his action........ for 13.8 miles.
Now, that's ineffective.....but it was really funny!

An Ode to Panties

2009-11-01T11:12:00.008-05:00

I dream of panties
pretty, lacy, and small;
Not the ones that look like my Granny's
I don't like those at all.

But, I pluck and pull
to make them fit right;
Now, I'm starting to mull,
"Is it really worth the fight?"

I want something that won't roll down,
maybe something that won't pinch;
Not bloomers that belong to a clown,
why can't it just be a cinch?

So, I pull out the briefs
cotton, white, and boring;
Oh my Goodness Grief!
How will I ever be alluring?

What are you going to be for Halloween?

2009-10-30T21:49:00.004-04:00

Me?

I'm going to be a curmudgeon. My porch lights will be off. The lights on the main level will be off.

I will be in the basement; fire in the fireplace, puppies snuggled in, movies, good wine (not necessarily a fine wine, that's expensive ...but a good one) and good food (who knows what that means).

My basement has a sliding glass door and a window into the backyard, but the front is underground so I can be in hiding. I'll have the window open. I'll be able to hear the evening passing by on the sidewalk one unit over to the right. Costumes shuffling, giggles, excitement, crying from exhaustion.....kids and parents; there may be the sound of the predicted rain, the rustling of those leaves that are all over the place.

It will be so nice to hear the sounds and know that the holiday is being celebrated. I'm not overly keen on the holiday itself, but the sounds, smells, and knowledge that I used to do that for my own kids is a good feeling.

Happy Halloween!

Do you know why..........? Because.....

2009-10-30T20:20:00.006-04:00

Do you know why Weight Watchers doesn't work for me?
Because.......
Because I don't follow the program. I don't journal, read labels, figure out points, or weigh food to re-gain knowledge of portion control.

Do you know why I don't follow the program?
Because.......
Because I'm not motivated. I want to be. I want to be able to walk up the stairs without getting winded. I want to get off my blood pressure medication. I want to come home and wear what I had on during the day instead of changing into sweatpants.

Do you know why I'm not motivated?
Because.......
I'm stuck on this one. I have 2 great kids, 2 great puppies, a home of my own, and a job that I love. It's not a perfect life...there is debt, home & car repairs, parental angst. But, I'm generally pleased with my life.

So.....if you know why? ...... please, clue me in....
Because.......
Because I'm not sure.

My best ideas come too late.

2009-09-13T23:39:00.004-04:00

I don't mean that my best ideas come too late for me to do anything about them. But, look at the time. It is 11:40pm. I got into bed, all snug and ready to fall asleep. My puppies jumped up and joined me. My daughter snuck in (after a stressful day...for her...she's 12: All drama, all the time). All was right, and the idea of a long night's rest was before me.
My head gently fell to the pillow, my positioning was perfect and comfortable, my breathing relaxing into the calmness of the comfort.
THAT is when my mind kicked in. Ideas started flowing, words which had escaped me througout the day broke through and were ready to be spoken....or written, as the case may be. Coherent thought replaced emotional reactions. Motivation to put forth ideas replaced the desire to sit like a vegetable on the porch or the couch.
Oftentimes, I ignore this occurrence and continue the path to sleep. That leads to a lengthened time between head hitting the pillow and sleep taking over. It also leads to a night fraught with odd, realistic, vivid dreams which sneak into my thoughts throughout the next day.
Tonight, I decided to allow my brilliant thoughts out by putting pen to pa....ummmm....finger to keyboard? I will be interested to see if this alleviates the difficulty of falling asleep, the dreams to follow, and the interference of said dreams into my day.

Good Night my friends, my thoughts, my demons, my ideas. See you in my dreams.

Verbosity

2009-09-08T20:28:00.003-04:00

Is it a curse or a skill?

My verbosity is a skill, a talent, something to be heralded...applauded...
The verbosity of others is a curse, an annoyance, a hinderance, a thorn in my side...

But, here is the problem with verbosity in today's world. It is a dying art. In the world of Twitter and the status of the Facebook, all one needs is a word, a phrase......maybe even....*gasp*....can it be? *gasp* ..... a sentence???

Do we give in? Do we allow today's definition of sociability to decrease our desire to share words? I hope to increase my efforts to blog my verbosity, while maintaining the minimalistic social networking standard to which we have entered.

Can you feel that?

2009-09-02T22:32:00.005-04:00

....it's a shift ....it's a change ....can you feel it?
I can. I feel it and it may only get worse until the shift splits the path.
It's called adolescence.... or pre-adolescence for now.
What does this mean, how is it defined? Some see it as a time of stress, frustration, growth, independence. There is foot stomping, door slamming, the hand on that one hip that is sticking out, the crossed arms. There is yelling, blame, tears. Quotes may be "I hate you", "You're ruining my life", "You don't understand". That is what people think of or fear about what is coming.
For me, there is a different shift that is turning out to be more painful than that other adolescent stuff. It is the shifting of pill-counting, neb scheduling, worry, and stress over Cystic Fibrosis. For the first time, this last appointment was really hard on Ginny. They are always tiring, stressful, exhausting both emotionally and physically. But, there was something different this time. Cystic Fibrosis is shifting more to a problem she has to deal with. It's always been hers, but the burden has been mostly mine.
It is breaking my heart to watch her feel this more heavily, to cry that she "just wants to be normal!!!" It isn't fair, it does suck, it is annoying and frustrating. It always has been..... but, now it isn't just the physical issues for her. It is moving to a much deeper place for her, and that is pulling pain from deep within me.

If Tomorrow Never Comes.....

2009-08-13T21:07:00.003-04:00

Well, guess what?

IT WON'T!

Think about it.........
When tomorrow comes, it will be today.
And, today.... will become yesterday.
Hence, tomorrow never comes.

Sorry to disappoint those of you looking for a better tomorrow. Go for making today a better day!

Skunk Encounter

2009-08-08T14:14:00.004-04:00

During our lovely and relaxing vacation in Northern Idaho, we had an incident with a skunk. We knew it was nearby because a musky breeze wafted through the house one lazy afternoon.
That's often the case with a skunk....you smell it, but you can't see it. The stink passes by and you continue on with your business.
The question is, what happens when you come face to face with a skunk? Well, Lacey did just that. They were nose to nose under the dock when the skunk sprayed its stank so it wasn't a direct hit. But, it did lead to one smelly puppy!
We pulled her out from under the dock, along with the strong, gamey scent which took 6 washings to remove. Did this upset Lacey? Was she bothered, did she run? No, she wanted to get back under the dock and play with her new friend. Much to her dismay, we chased the skunk out from under the dock and it scuttled up the hill into the empty, wooded lot next to us. Even the next day, Lacey looked under the dock for her most recent acquaintance.
Why is it that we can be so trusting?
That we allow someone to emit their stank on us, whether direct or indirect, and we still look to spend time with them. We wash off the smell, we cover it with a perfumed scent, and continue on with the business at hand.
I recommend going another direction at the first whiff of the waft!

What Shape Are You?

2009-08-06T21:19:00.001-04:00

Are you pear shaped?
Hour-glass shaped?
What about the inverted triangular shape?
You can often find clothing which best suits your shape, so this is information you need to know!
Have you got a big belly?
Are you chesty?
Have you got junk in your trunk?
Are you short, stout, and roundabout?
What shape is THAT?!?
What if you are all of that, or God Forbid....NONE of that!?!
Well, here is what I have determined:
I am Helen-Shaped.
I used to have smaller areas, now I have bigger ones. I'm a size 16, not a size 8 anymore. I would like to know when the catalogs will add helen-shaped to their clothing choices...the talk shows will address the helen-shapes out there for makeovers.....when will they tell helen-shapers what not to wear?
I am Helen-shaped.
Welcome to my world.

Oh, the Agony of...

2009-07-13T21:24:00.003-04:00

de feet, de knee, de elbow, de shoulder. What the heck's happening to me? Dare I say that my aging self is getting old. And, am I turning into my mother by telling you about it?

What's next? Ben-Gay, Depends, an Orthopedic Doc on speed dial? :)
Did you know that just after I turned 40, I got a letter from AARP? Are you F-ING SERIOUS???? My name shouldn't be on that spam list for QUITE some time. They must've realized their mistake because I didn't hear from them again, but dang, they really know how to hurt a girl.

Have I told you that oftentimes...in fact, most of the time, I'm asked for my ID at restaurants and the wine store? Have I told you how disappointing it is that it's because I put "request ID" on the back of all of my credit cards?

I am now starting to understand the need for Dr. Wrinkle Remover. I don't care if my face cracks and doesn't show emotion anymore. Suddenly, the concept makes sense. Luckily, I'm broke so I can't give in to the urge to have things ironed out, lifted up, and tucked in.

Tough Day!

2009-07-09T19:55:00.002-04:00

Last night before going to bed, I checked on Baby. I found her in the yard near the area from which I had to rescue her. Her head was turned and tucked into her shoulder, she was breathing steadily and having a peaceful night's sleep.
I've become used to heading into the backyard each morning to check on Baby, talk to her, and say hi to Momma before going to work. Things were a bit different on this day. I went on the deck and looked down in the backyard. I could see Baby laying on her side. My heart dropped right away!
I went down to Baby and could see that she was no longer alive. Why did my eyes water, my heart feel pain, and my body wanted to collapse. I wanted to lay down next to Baby and tell her how sorry that I was about not being able to save her. Her time spent under the deck was too long without food, very scary, a shock to the system, and she may have gotten scrapes, scratches, and bruises from trying to find her way out. Why didn't I realize that morning before going to work that she was trapped and needed my help? Should I have found worms to feed her once I did rescue her?
I know....enough of the "what ifs"! She was so amazing to see, and watch, and I'm grateful for that and how dedicated her mother was for taking care of her. I'm sad for the growth and experiences we missed with her. I'm said for her very loving Momma.
I miss Baby....I really do, and I feel ridiculous for crying. It was a sad day!

The Harrowing Experience

2009-07-08T10:22:00.003-04:00

More about Baby!
When I arrived home from work yesterday, I didn't see Baby anywhere in the yard. I did, however, see Momma. She was on the fence with a bug in her beak, giving the "I'm here to feed you" chirp. I could hear Baby responding, but wasn't able to see her. After much searching, I discovered that her chirps were coming from the other side of my fence, under my neighbor's raised, wooden patio. She had somehow be-bopped her way under my fence and gotten lost under their patio. There isn't an opening between my yard and the underneath, but there are little paths that were probably created by the chipmunks that pop into my yard every so often. Baby couldn't find her way back out. I would go to the fence, call her name, and she would respond with her little chirps.
I spent the next couple of hours trying to figure out how to coax Baby out. I tapped on the fence, tried to move the dirt around so she could see light and find her way out. I remembered the glow sticks, bracelets, and necklaces that Ginny wanted for 4th of July. I grabbed a long necklace and put it under the fence hoping Baby would follow the pretty color out of the dark tunnels under the patio. This proved to be the most successful as it brought her closer to the fence, but she wasn't coming out.
Finally, I got a flashlight and my gardening gloves. I laid down on my stomach in the dirty garden filled with worms & slugs. I could see Baby's feet! With the gloves on, I put my hand behind Baby and guided her out. She squawked and flapped, but made it out. Momma stood by chirping loudly, but not attacking.
I can't believe that I spent hours on my belly trying to save a baby bird. I have become so attached to Baby.

The newest addition to the family

2009-07-07T23:05:00.002-04:00

It all started last Friday, July 3rd. The kids and I woke up late since it was a holiday. Ginny let the dogs out back and went down into the yard with them. Suddenly, there was screaming, birds squawking, and a flurry of activity. I ran outside to Ginny screaming that there was a baby bird in the yard and the puppies were trying to get it. I helped get the dogs inside, then went back out to assess the situation. Sure enough, there was a baby bird in the yard that didn't look too good. The neighbors were out on their deck and said they had 2 of them when they woke up that morning, but that they thought the birds were gone. The birds weren't big or strong enough to fly yet so it looked as though the nest had been blown out of the tree....Hence, Momma Robin who kept swooping down to attack when we got close to her baby. I was pretty sure the baby wouldn't make it through the day, so we kept the dogs out of the yard.

DAY 2: We kept the dogs out of the yard again because the baby spent the day hopping around all over the entire yard. She still didn't look great, but she was getting around. Throughout the day, we saw Momma bring bugs and/or worms around. She would sit on the fence and chirp. The baby would chirp back, Momma would fly down, the baby would hop over and open it's mouth VERY wide at which time the food would be dropped in.
In the meantime, the neighbors didn't see their birds anymore (they may have been behind the shed) and let their dog in the yard. I was out on the deck when their dog found the babies. As the neighbor's dog attacked, 4 robins swooped, screeched, squawked and yelled in pain. It was awful!

DAY 3: The baby was looking healthier and better every moment. Momma was feeding her numerous times throughout the day, and we kept the dogs out of the yard. By this time, I was able to stand right next to the baby and say "Hi, baby!" without Momma attacking me. She would only attack if I put out a shovel or rake to try and get the bird to jump on so I could put her up high. At that point, the baby would squawk and the Momma would swoop.

We have just ended DAY 5. We have named our baby bird "Baby", Momma still feeds her and no longer attacks. Baby new responds with a chirp when I call out "Baby".

Stay tuned....there is more to this story, including the harrowing experience of Day 5. It was a draining day of which I will blog later. I've really become attached to my newest Baby. (pictures coming soon).

The Angst of the Birthday

2009-06-27T12:17:00.011-04:00

It's been a couple of weeks since my 27th birthday....oh, I'm not good with math or numbers, so I just estimated. Anyhoo, all is well regardless of being another year older. Many people dislike birthdays for different reasons:

they don't want to get older

they're upset that it isn't their birthday

then, there's Henry....... View the Glog about Birthday Angst....make sure to scroll to the bottom and click the audio arrow to hear Henry's reaction to my birthday wish....

BLOCKBUSTER Summer Escape Rentals

2009-06-21T22:40:00.006-04:00

Well, BLOCKBUSTER has done what they could to stay in the game with the movies On Demand, the Tivo partnership with Amazon, Netflix and all of the other deals out there. This is a really good one!!!!

You can rent 2 movies and tell them you want the Summer Escape. You will get the 2 movies for $15. You can keep them out for 1 week.....BUT....during that week, you can turn them in and exchange them for 2 others for FREE..... You can do this as many times as you'd like or as often as you can during the week. I managed to get 2 for $15, exchange them for 2 others - watch them, then exchange them for 2 more....that was 6 movies in 24 hours (it has rained NON-STOP in Maryland!!!!) for the $15.... AND, I wasn't done.... I exchanged them a couple of more times during the week.

I'm on my second round of this. Here are some of the movies I've seen, recommend, DON'T recommend - BTW, none of this is based on Oscar-level, movie critic or other knowledge....just on what I liked (or didn't like), and what cracked my ass up:

MY LIST:
Tropic Thunder
The Departed
Taken (OMG - Amazing! I love Liam Neeson, I will buy this to watch over and over again)
Bolt
Hotel for Dogs
Night Train (really bad, don't bother!)
Crossing Over (amazing, thought-provoking, straight to DVD [with Harrison Ford] movie about immigration...reminded me of CRASH, but for immigration issues v. racial issues)
Nothing But the Truth
Traitor (Don Cheadle is THE BEST!!!! Get this movie, it is amazing and worthy of many kudos!)
Nights in Rodanthe
My Mom's New Boyfriend (REALLY funny movie with Meg Ryan & Antonio Banderas + others...cracked me up)

Use the comments to recommend more....I've got the following:
Out of Sight
Noises Off!
Rumor Has It
The Family Stone

What I did on my Summer Stay-cation

2009-06-21T20:54:00.010-04:00

With some vacation days remaining which had to be taken prior to June 30, I decided to take them, but stay home. The timing worked for a couple of reasons: kids' last day of school, puppies getting fixed, me in need of a break from work.

So, here's a quick run-down of what I did:

watch the puppies, keep them from picking at their stitches, carry them in and outside to keep them from using stairs, keep them from digging and playing in the dirt to avoid infection - SOLUTION: Put them in baby onesies (size 0-3 mos) so the site was covered from dirt, doggie picking, and any other potential dangers - BTW, they still got infections cuz I couldn't keep them from jumping, running, playing, and generally irritating the site. Anti-biotics are almost done and have cleared it up with no problems.
hang out with my kids since school was finished and try to keep them occupied in a useful, productive manner - RESULT: My son cleared out some clothing which didn't fit and helped with laundry.....by putting a load of khakis, towels, and sheets in the washer at one time when I told him to do those 3 loads by the time I got home....NICE! My daughter tried to perfect her manicure and learn how to best style her hair. GREAT!
cleared out 2 dressers and 1 bookcase RESULT: now have bags of clothing & books to give to charity. SWEET!
shopped Whole Foods for the first time - RESULT: Best Salad Bar dinner, plus bought and enjoyed hummus & roasted pepper/eggplant dip - potomacfinefoods.com
played Top Chef on my computer almost non-stop
Hosted/Supported some online chats for the courses I support at work, plus do some other work that needed to get done within a certain timeframe. (yes, on my vacation, but it really needed to get done and I wanted to do it rather than have it passed off to someone else).
discovered that falling asleep on the couch whlie watching movies and waking up the next morning isn't as fun OR as comfortable as I thought it would be.
FINALLY - took/taking full advantage of BLOCKBUSTER'S Summer Escape rental package. I discovered this when I went in to rent 6 movies for me & my kids to watch over the last week. The clerk told me that instead of paying over $30 for 6, I could pay $15 and take ony 2 out, but bring them back and exchange them for 2 more AND do this as many times as I wanted to within the week. RESULT: I watched the 2, took them back and exchanged them for 2 more, took them back and exchanged them for 2 more, etc. AMAZING DEAL!!!!....and it continues! I will be posting a list of the movies I have watched and asking for recommendations in an upcoming post. I will also be recommending (and NOT recommending) other movies, so LISTEN UP!

What a great stay-cation! A little bit of everything, and a lot of nothing!

P.S. Did I mention that I got crabs twice while on stay-cation ;) Me likey the mid-atlantic region...

Why Isn't Everything Fixed Yet?

2009-05-03T22:01:00.008-04:00

DISCLAIMER: I am a Republican, a staunch Repulican. I have always voted as such and am not able to picture myself ever doing otherwise. This post is not a slam on Democrats, but on the expectations placed upon politicians as a whole.

Why isn't everything fixed yet? Why is the economy still bad? Why aren't folks getting Cost-of-Living raises for the 2009-2010 Fiscal Year? Why are people going into foreclosure?

WARNING: Here's where it may get dicey, but stick with my thought process, okay?

Republicans: Why hasn't Obama fixed everything? He's been in for more than 100 days. I didn't vote for him, so he must suck.

Democrats: Why hasn't Obama fixed everything? I put all of my faith in him. There was some resistance to change. I voted for a new type of administration and for change. I voted for him, but nothing has changed, so he must suck.

So, what were our options:
Young, Black, Male, Democrat
Middle-Aged, White, Female, Democrat
Older, White, Male, Republican
Greenies :)....any demographics....

Those were the dynamics from which we had to choose. I'm not sure that any one of those combinations would have been more successful than the others. Switch them around?

Middle-Aged, Black, Female, Republican?
Young, White, Female, Democrat?
Older, Black, Male..........AnyParty
Younger, White, Female.................AnyParty?
So many others to create.........
Really, what would have been the difference?

Why hasn't EVERYTHING been fixed? Weren't we all expecting more from this President because he was the "Out-of-the-Box" choice? He is black. He is young. He is a male with a strong wife, and two very small children. There is a swingset at the White House. There is a vegetable garden at the White House. There is a newly, adopted puppy at the White House.

Are these the things which make him more qualified? Is that why all of our problems should be fixed? Please fill my paycheck with more money on a regular basis! Please provide COL raises for everyone I know!

Folks - this man is not a miracle worker. He is a man, husband, father. Let's not place it all on his shoulders, just as we should not place all of the blame on Bush's shoulders. He, too, was a man, husband, father. Just breathe...

Love is...

2009-04-26T18:30:00.005-04:00

Other than being higher than a mountain, and thicker than water....Love is puppies! My puppies in particular.

They are smart:

- ring a bell to go outside

- learned the "sit" command in one day

- don't piddle on my bed

They are also cute, mischevious, loving, and supportive. They took care of me last week when I was so sick....well, I mean, they didn't bring me medicine, soup, or take my temp....but, they sure did snuggle up, kiss and love me, and keep me company while I was miserable!

Here are the pictures of them after digging a muddy swimming hole for themselves after 2 days of rain :).

I'm Brilliant because.....

2009-04-08T01:06:00.003-04:00

I have discovered that PMS stands for Pesky Mood Swings
I've figured out how to avoid doing laundry...... febreeze & weekly trips to Target to buy more underwear...... (kidding, but not far away!)
I know exactly what movies to put in my 5-disc DVD changer to elicit the tears needed to deal with Pesky Mood Swing - Cry-baby.
I have hidden my soon-to-be 15 year old son's birthday gift in the dishwasher.... pretty sure he won't find it between now and his birthday on Friday.
Dunkin' Donuts coffee really tastes the best, straight-up black....no cream or sugar needed.

I'm pretty sure there is more corroborating evidence to support my brilliance, but I've got to finally drag me arse to bed after waking up in the middle of the night with the need to document my high level of ability to WOW and WOO my audiences with my ever-exciting adventures and stories. G'night me friends!

Subtle differences

2009-04-02T09:32:00.002-04:00

Subtle differences can easily go unnoticed. I suggest that we pay more attention to them.

Did you know that the word for marry in Swedish is "gifta"? (pronounced yifta). The word for poison is "gift".... something to ponder about the derivation of words.

There is a difference of only 1 letter between winner and wiener. Think about that when you think you've picked a winner, you may have misspelled your selection.

I note the above not to scare or encourage bitterness. Just make sure you think before you act, and buy yourself an updated dictionary.

Too Old or Too High Tech?

2009-03-11T22:02:00.004-04:00

Which is it?
Am I getting old? I'm having trouble remembering my username/password. Is it serious? Do I need to get to a Neurologist for testing?
OR
Is it that fact that I have 4 email accounts, 2 blogs, 3 Social Networking sites, 3 Wiki sites, 1 Social Bookmarking site, 5 financial institutes.....and, that doesn't even touch on all of my online shopping sites.....could that be part of the problem? I don't always sign up with the same email account, and I don't want to use my financial passwords for my social networking sites, and some of them are work-related sites....

Oh, the angst of being one of such high intellect, technical savvy, and mass popularity. Now, can someone tell my how to work these damn motion sensor nightlights!?!

How high? How high?

2009-03-05T10:57:00.003-05:00

Why is it that some people think that will be the answer when they say, "jump"? Instant gratification, folks! That's what they want. There is no regard to the fact that others may be swamped or involved in something else that someone else asked one to "jump" on. Perhaps the problem is in the asking. There are many ways to ask one to jump:

Can you jump for me?
Please jump.
Do you have time to jump for me right now?
I could use some help jumping, are you available?
JUMP, Asshat!

Some of these I would be more likely to respond to with a smile, others with a finger gesture. Feel free to use this as a matching activity in your spare time...... see, I just let you know that you could "jump" on an activity if you wanted to.

Now, I do realize that some things you are not able to opt out of and they must be done. But, let's evaluate whether or not it is URGENT. Urgent means that it has to be done right now or someone will die, go to jail, or lose funding. Those are pretty important. If no one is bleeding from the eyeballs, then maybe it could wait until I am finished.

FINAL WORD: Ultimately, my problems, issues, needs, etc. are bigger, more urgent, and more important than yours anyway.

Am I having fun?

2009-02-02T20:09:00.006-05:00

Because time is flying!

It is already February. The second month of 2009....really?

So, this year, my daughter will turn 12, my son will turn 15....what??!!?....and I will be one year deeper into my 4th decade.

Here are some of the other events of the year:

- I've suddenly gotten really into cooking. I enjoy getting home, chopping vegetables, potatoes, and prepping food for dinner.

- February will be my first month without a car payment since I paid my Honda off 1 year early.

- I will lose the 40 pounds I started to gain over the last 18 months (already 5 down after only 1 week back to journaling all my food with Weight Watchers).

- I will work toward paying off my debt (already consolidated on my card with the lowest APR).

- Things are going so well with my job, and they are only on their way to getting better with the team I am on. My team is interested in focusing on each of our strengths and making sure we are doing things at which we are most suited instead of "fixing" our weaknesses. COOL!

- I'm adopting twins....

Although this is not a picture of my girls, this is what they look like. The solid girl will be called Lacey Grey and the white/blenheim, Zoe Bailey. The middle names will only be used when they are in trouble :).

Anyway, I have so many good plans for myself this year. There won't be as many vacations as last year, but I think things will still be good for me and the kids this year. I'm so looking forward to it and ask the powers that be to stick with me.

Wow...I suck!

2009-01-21T23:04:00.005-05:00

Has it really been since November? I posted nothing in December? That was the month I finished my first semester in the Adult Learning Graduate Certificate at Hopkins, went to London (England, that is...), and then there was that little thing called Christmas...and New Year.....
So.....quick recap......
Relief
Amazingly fun, special, father-daughter bonding
Family, hysterical, food....foood......food....
alone....shocker!

Okay, there it is! I'll add some real posts coming up. I'd love to say it was because I was so busy, but I must blame it on the Wii. I am now addicted and feel that I may need to quit my graduate studies, and possibly my job in order to keep up with the Wii in the way that I would like to.

Stay tuned for fun info and awesome pics....maybe I'll even look into using some of the Web 2.0 tools I'm learning more and more about.

I know "Life isn't fair", but.....really? C'mon!!!!

2008-11-15T14:49:00.005-05:00

Every November the landscapers in our community will suck up the leaves if we rake them, blow them (the leaves, not the landscapers), or pick them up one by one and put them into the common areas.
Well, I have one Japenese Maple in my backyard. My neighbors have a huge, honkin' regular maple in the backyard which dumps all of its leaves and fargin' gumballs into MY backyard. So, how come I just spent 1.5 hours raking out my backyard (and still have 1/4 of it left to go), and my fargin' neighbor spent 20 minutes and brought out 3 wheelbarrows full. Are you FARGIN' KIDDING ME???? 3 WHEELBARROWS. You may think I'm exaggerating, but really....I'm not!!! I took a picture of my piles, and his little clump of leaves, but I can't find the transfer cord. I'll post them as soon as I find the cord.
I am a 40 year old, 50 lb overweight, single woman with high-blood pressure, asthma, and allergies to the trees from which those leaves came. I have 2 kids, a full-time job, and I go to school. My neighbor is in his 50's, athletic, in great shape, married, no kids, retired military...retired, not working.....
Yanno, 80% of the leaves in my backyard and 100% of the gumballs come from his fargin' tree!!!! But, I sure am glad that he got his 3 wheelbarrows full outta his yard.....And, DON'T EVEN get me started on the front yard!!!

Fall sucks!

Okay. Here are the pics. Guess which one is mine?

Tools for Teaching

2008-11-12T22:47:00.007-05:00

I use television as a teaching tool with my children. Particularly shows such as Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, and Boston Legal. I do this mostly with my 14 year old son, and explain that they often go for the extremes and dramatization for ratings. But, I can’t even tell you how many conversations have been generated this way.

I was blown away by my son’s insights this week which relate to my sister’s blog: thefairfax.blogspot.com and the response he had to a VERY similar thought process.

Drew’s school has been studying The Holocaust. An Auschwitz Survivor visited his school this week and spoke with them. He said that half of the football team was crying over the loss of this man’s family, the numbers tattooed on his arm, and the impact of him witnessing his sister’s death and the shooting of others. TRAGIC! I cried as he spoke about it! His eyes were red-rimmed as he was telling me.

Boston Legal had an abortion storyline this week. Drew and I discussed the issues and reasons for abortion. I explained that I don’t believe it should be used as a method of birth control and that if one has unprotected sex, abortion should not be the backup to condoms or other birth control methods. He understood and was thoughtful of that. Then it moved into “in cases of rape”. And, I brought up the issue of “medical cases” and “genetic testing”. When I related this to his sister with Cystic Fibrosis, the conversation floored me.

What if we had known before Ginny was born that this fetus had Cystic Fibrosis and was an expensive, time-consuming, emotionally draining disease and that we should consider aborting for medical reasons….
Drew’s response was “That’s just like the Nazis”. WHOA!!!! WOW!!! This 14-year old boy has been so stricken by the discrimination which was carried out against a group of people in a “long-ago” generation that he has applied it to his own life and is seeing it from his perspective in HIS generation. WOW…..

What a thought-provoking young man! Did I raise him? Did he really come from me? How amazing of an intelligent, sensitive young man! God, please, please keep his insight and sensitivity intact as he grows into a man.

Lane 4 is No More

2008-11-10T20:21:00.003-05:00

And, this makes me sad......

Our cabin on the lake in Idaho has had the address of Lane 4 since I was born.....Hell...since before my Father was born. This lake has been an integral part of the Smetheram Family history since at least the 1920s. And, that cabin has always been on Lane 4.

To conform to modern times, the county decided we needed to change the name (I think it was for the purposes of emergency services, but I chalk it up to the government nosing in). We submitted names which had to do with Moose......moose have now become an integral part of Lane 4, so we thought that would be a great match.

Alas, the county shot down our moose....names, that is. Apparently, there are too many Moose-type names in existence in Kootenai County. I had some really great suggestions:
Evil Squirrel Lane - in honor of the squirrel which tortured my sister this past summer
Twin Moose Lane
Moose Lane.....but my Dad knew those wouldn't be accepted by the county. He proposed to honor the Quail which run around from the empty lot next to us, to the empty lot across the street. So, now it will be known as Covey Lane.

It sounds so trendy. How can I make fun of Lane 4, and the quaintness that is Idaho with the name Covey Lane? How sad that we are not able to honor the Moose of Twin Lakes!

At least The Lightning Bar is still there! Please do not take that away from our Idaho repertoire....

Here's to you, Lane 4! Cheers to you, Lane 4! Regardless of the Covey, you will always be 4th in my heart!

My mantra will get me through...

2008-11-04T22:33:00.003-05:00

I'm going to London. I'm going to London.

Whatever else is going wrong, or stressing me out, or concerning me...

I'm going to London. I'm going to London.

Regardless of my finances, and the stress therein.....

I'm going to London. I'm going to London.

Even if I have to bend over and take it for the next 4 years as I'm over-taxed and have to charge my groceries to my credit card on a more frequent basis....

I'm going to London. I'm going to London.

Even if my "wealth" is being shared to help those less fortunate, and I may have to work at McDonald's in order to afford living.....

I'm going to London. I'm going to London.

Philosophical Question: If you tax anyone who makes over $42k to spread the wealth to those who don't, how close is that to socialism?

OK. Don't go political Ape-shit on me! This is my angst-filled opinion, who agrees that there needs to be change. I just don't think it needs to be so drastic, and that action plans need to be formulated, and agreed upon before jumping into things.

BESIDES, this is my blog and I'll whine if I want to!

I LOVE my horoscope!

2008-11-03T13:41:00.003-05:00

NO...I am not an astrological guru or freak.... my horoscope is on my Yahoo page, so I see it every day when I open up the internet. Check out today's!

November 03, 2008
Gemini (5/21-6/21)

Unless it's the big boss dictating a firm rule, you don't have to obey anyone except yourself, today. If people are trying to put restrictions on what you can do, work your way around them! You are the one in control of your life, and it's the right time to remind yourself of this face. Point your ship wherever you want it to go, and start off on your journey. Just fulfill your own goals right now -- worry about following all the rules later.

HYSTERICAL!!!! That's pretty much me on a daily basis :).
So, I forwarded this to my supervisor and gave her a heads up in case she saw my ship pointing toward the Bahamas!

CF Appointment - 10/29/08

2008-10-29T23:16:00.005-04:00

Good stuff at today's CF appointment. I'll provide stats, then some awesome research news...as close as ever to a cure!

Height: 54.7 - up 1.3 in.
Height %: 10% - up 1%
Weight: 76 lbs. up 3.75 lbs.
Weight %: 22% - up 1%
BMI: 17.83
BMI %: 49% - GOAL = 50%.......last visit 52%..... The kid grows which is what they want, AND gains over 3 lbs, but her height didn't go up as much as her weight.....Go Figure! Time to get out the stretching machine again :).
PFTs (breathing test) = 108...decrease of 7 from last appt., but still excellent!
Last throat culture showed light pseudamonas. OK. We are doing the TOBI every other month, so we are doing what we can for now. If it were to drop massively, then we worry (some of the other PFT stats indicate this could be margin of error).

RESEARCH NEWS:
Dr. Z was on rounds today. She heads up numerous research projects and reports out to the medical community and the local parent community on this at least yearly.

I asked if there was any research down the road for a DeltaF508 & R1162X person (Ginny's "mutations", as they like to call them!). She told us there had recently been a very promising research on the GG-something group. We all have CFTR channels which just happen to be blocked in folks with CF. Different genotypes lead to different manifestations.

So, this recent research caused the CFTR channels of the GG? group to act as the CFTR channels of "normal....non-mutant" people. WOW!!!! Basically, a cure of the issue, but not a way to be off of medicine and breathing treatments.

There is a research study of the same type coming for those that have the "x" codon. Lucky us!!!!!! She may be eligible to particpate, but she may also be too healthy to participate. Regardless, let's get this medication on the shelf so Ginny's CFTR channels function properly while she has no lung scarring and issues!!!!

I'm tired now.....

Repairs Needed

2008-10-24T12:35:00.005-04:00

So many things broken, so little time....

My dryer isn't drying;

My freezer isn't sealing;

My heat pump doesn't turn on.

Then........ there's me!

I have the flu...

Fever;

Chills;
Aches;

Exhaustion;

Raw throat.

I've got space heaters running, my freezer is held closed with duct tape, and I've got laundry all over the place. It hurts when I move, and it's hard to stay awake for too long.

Where's MY Fairy Godmother???!!???

To Buy or Not To Buy

2008-10-14T13:46:00.003-04:00

So, I've kinda got the "wansties" right now.

I live in a townhouse. It's a great layout, good size, deck, good neighbors, and is in a community that is over 30 years old.....this means there are large trees and the homes were actually built with space so I'm not staring into my neighbor's house as they are eating dinner or getting dressed.....this, I find to be a bonus.

HOWEVER........I want a house. I want a house with no one attached to my walls (my neighbors aren't loud). I want a garage cuz I'm sick of scraping ice off my car in the winter, defogging during the fall & spring, boiling in the summer (although, there is the tree coverage which keeps my car from getting too hot).

BUT.......Do I really need a house? That would mean a yard to mow. My son is in 9th grade and enjoys pointing out to me that he will be going to college in 4 years and won't be home (he will be home during vacations, he just doesn't realize that yet).

YET.......He does bring about a good point. Most people downsize as their children leave the nest. I would be upsizing for what? for for who?

So, I ask you: Do I really need a house?

Really good stuff!

2008-10-08T20:09:00.007-04:00

Yesterday, I was in an all-day face-to-face kickoff for an online course. I'm the support person for the instructor. I was posting some of her suggestions online as she spoke to the group, posted her resources in our online communities. I was helping the students with best technology practices and getting them enrolled into the course online. I had a really great time interatcting with the students, being there for the instructor and playing around with the technology.

As soon as that group cleared out, it was time for me to prepare for my team's presentation in my graduate certificate class. I was focused on Behaviorism.....which I LOVE!!!!...It was all about Pavlov's dogs & Skinner's rats....Thank you, DR. RAY!!!!

All of this was so great, so exciting, and exactly what I want to be doing.

So, why was I so homesick!I just wanted to sit in my parents' family room while they puttered around and I geeked around online. I didn't need anyone to take care of me, feed me, or anything. I just wanted them around.

I would do ANYTHING to help my Dad!

2008-09-27T19:48:00.004-04:00

In recent years, I have taken vacation days from work and have gone to Florida to:
-help my Dad set up new computers and transfer files
-been his HelpDesk when there have been technical difficulties (mainly user error)
-spent a week helping him get around and do his physical therapy after knee replacement

He has recently made another request of me. Though I am tired, taking on more work responsibilities, back in school, and want to save vacation days, I just don't think I can deny him this request. He called me the other day, and in order to maintain his platinum level status in his travel club, he must go to London......England, that is. He would like me to go with him.

*SIGH*

Once again, I will sacrifice for my father the way my parents sacrificed for me.

IALAC

2008-09-21T21:24:00.002-04:00

"I Am Lovable And Capable" - IALAC
Frequently, this acronym makes me want to hurl. However, I'm making attempts to be more positive these days. Examples of being positive:

* I positively want to stop saying "asshat" after speaking to certain people on the phone.

* I positively want to stop saying that "Exercise SUCKS!"

* I positively want to love the price of Gas, but that one is out of my control!!!

Maybe I should start a positive thoughts of the week thread, or at least thoughts, or at least consider having a list of positives for the week...........maybe for the month.

I'm positive that is a good idea :).

How much do I LOVE......

2008-09-08T23:16:00.003-04:00

**that I regularly have trouble finding my cell phone in my purse.

**that I drive past my Ex & his new wife going to or from work on an almost daily basis.

**that I look in the mirror and am surprised to find that I'm not cute anymore, just older and fatter.

**that my children are not in my presence every single day of my life.

**that others are "bringing sexy back", yet I brought it out back and beat the shit out of it.

**that a review of my "lack of love" life brings me to the revelation that I obsessed over one guy (NO...not my ex-husband) for the last few years and allowed myself to be hurt when it proved to be nothing.

**that I don't have porch furniture and can't sit out on my back deck and enjoy the change in the weather.

OMG Life has changed

2008-08-29T18:47:00.002-04:00

1/2 tank of gas.......that's IT!!!! In one week!!!

I used to fill my gas tank twice a week when I was driving the kids 12 miles south of my house to school, then drive back by my house and go another 23 miles to work. Now, the kids walk and/or take the bus to their schools.

My son came home yesterday and told me that he loves his new school, and really likes having different people in his classes. He's finding his way around, and all's good.

My girlie is doing great, making new friends, be-bopping around. She told me last night that there is a dance coming up in October.....ACK!

Life is good. Sometimes, it's the simple things that make a difference.

The moose, the fish

2008-08-26T21:31:00.010-04:00

Quick Idaho update:

No fish. When I told Ginny I couldn't catch any of the stupid fish, she said that might actually make them smart.

I only saw moose clumping through a meadow as I was driving across Route 90 between Montana & Idaho. They were too far to see very well, and they were on the opposite side of the road so I didn't get to stop and take pictures.

100 degree days to start the trip, big storm came through with 2 days of rain, temps dropped to 70. Wild weather patterns!

The vacation was amazing! Ginny had a blast with her cousin Amanda. They are the same age, going into the same grade, and can talk on the phone for hours. They are sisters at heart! I spent 10 days in Idaho. Prior to the trip, I was worried and thought to myself.....What am I going to do in IDAHO for 10 days???? I'm always worried I'll be bored. I read 3 books, fished a bit, hung out with family, went out for great dinners, and woke up to the most beautiful view every day.....even in the rain.

Pictures above: View from the deck, Drew at The Smetheram Wheel

Pictures below: Idaho on foot :)

I've discovered something...

2008-08-25T23:02:00.005-04:00

You can't drive down the highway at 40 miles per hour and switch to reverse.

No, I did not learn this in the car, that is a metaphor. I learned this through experience with my weight. Last year, after some personal heartbreak, family stress, and other external problems, I had a medical issue. It's called THE CREEPS! I had the creeps, my weight was creeping, creeping, and creeping up. I gained 40 lbs over the last year. The Creeps really suck!!!

You can't go from steadily gaining weight to reverse and losing it at the same pace. One must first stop, get into neutral, then you can move into reverse and slowly back up. I started on Jenny Craig in March. Since then, I've not even lost a full 10 lbs. I have been frustrated, annoyed, and really angry with myself for not steadily losing 1 - 2 lbs. per week.

Guess what??!!?? I need to slow down, stop, get into neutral, then....and ONLY then, will I be able to go into reverse.

So, now I will be grateful for the 8 lbs. I've lost and the fact that I'm no longer heading down that highway at the maximum speed. I need to get comfortable with where I am so that I can switch comfortably into reverse. THAT IS MY NEW PLAN!

I am working on taking out some of the bad (fast food), and adding the good (Jenny Craig & salads). I've been increasing my fruit, and found a great salad bar near my work that isn't too expensive.

Here are some of the good & bad coming up:
When the kids are with me, I will have to get up at 5:00am to get Drew to the bus stop. That will suck! However, I will have a chance to get on the recumbent bike and/or balance ball with weights during that early morning time before I take my shower and get Ginny up to leave with her.
I start classes on Tuesday nights and will need to avoid the fast food for dinner in between work & class.

Happy I go with my stop & neutral positions until I'm ready to hit reverse. Good luck to me!

Please God.....Oh, Please...

2008-08-12T15:10:00.003-04:00

Please let me see a moose on my vacation. This I pray to you, my Lord.

For the last 3 years in a row, I have seen moose while vacationing in Idaho. The first year, we went out searching for them. Our neighbor drove us up a logging road, and there along the side of the road, was a bull and a cow. The bull's face was so big! And we were so close to them.

Year 2, the moose came to us. My father and I were out in our little boat (rowboat with outboard motor) fishing (we left at approx. 6:00am). We'd had a rough morning with a slight wind, and no luck catching anything. Another boat (same type) was coming toward us. The guy yelled "There's 2 cows to your port." Now, when I hear cows, I think.....cows....as in ....Moo!" Not in Idaho. That means female moose. Sure enough, we look to our left and there were 2 moose swimming in the lake. They were maybe 5 car lengths from us, we could hear them grunting. We were close to the mountain side of the lake, and they headed over to the shore and disappeared into the mountain forest.

Last year, we saw a couple of moose. The first one was swimming across the lake. She got out near some houses farther down from us. I ran to the road (Lane 4), to see if I could meet her on the path. Alas, that did not happen (maybe for the best since they are HUGE!!!). The final moose was seen amongst the lily pads. He was shoulder deep, munching, eating his lunch. We were in my cousin's motor boat, there was another boat, and a jet ski hanging around watching him eat. In the picture below, the moose is in between my 2 kids eating his lunch.

So, God, if you are so inclined, I would be very happy if you would send a moose my way while I'm in Idaho. For some reason, Lord, this very large, odd-looking creature brings me much joy, excitement, and even peace. (Not to mention the fact that all my sister saw when she was out there were Quail.....hehehehe).

Fun In Florida

2008-07-24T16:59:00.004-04:00

So, you've seen some of the pictures of the fun we've been having. Now, let me tell you about some of the other happenings.

Drew was going to spend the week in Tennis Camp at Heathrow Country Club. He had a couple of 1:1 lessons before the week started. He was invited to attend the Advanced Tennis Class instead of the regular camp. He's being worked so hard, he's come home exhausted each day, but has really learned a lot.

Ginny has turned into a mermaid. She swims non-stop, and has been loving it. She and Mimi have gotten to spend some time together. They went to see the American Girl Movie, shopping for books at Target. She picked out a book called "If I have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince?" Wow.....don't know what to say.....didn't know she was that interested in finding her Prince....

Me, I've had a cold and have been doing a lot of snarking, sneezing, and coughing. Oh well! At home in Maryland with a cold, or in the sunshine, by the pool in Florida with a cold??? I'll take it!!!!

Fairy Godmother, Pics

2008-07-21T21:20:00.018-04:00

So much to blog about, and will do so later. I want to get the pictures up from our visit to the Fairy Godmother. It was so amazing and I started crying the second she came out the door, the crying hit another level when she started singing.
Our evening at Cinderella's Royal Table was AMAZING:
THE CASTLE:

Ginny was the Queen of the Castle and ran around taking pictures, laughing and loving it all. We got to take pictures with Cinderella before we were taken up to the dining room....
THE DINING ROOM:
The room was beautiful. A rounded room overlooking the Carousel, rich colors, chandeliers. But even better than the Dining Room was the show....
THE SHOW:
And, here's where the tears flowed. The Fairy Godmother touched my shoulder each time she passed, and my dreams really did come true that night.

The Fairy Godmother

2008-07-16T21:40:00.003-04:00

Here we are, back in Orlando at my parents' house.
Tomorrow, we will go to the Magic Kingdom. After hanging around the park, we will attend a wonderful show at Cinderella's Castle. The kids will get their picture taken with Cinderella, but to us, there is only 1 star of the show........!

The Fairy Godmother! When speaking with her, be it in person or over the phone, there is an immediate sense of wonder and amazement! She can give you hope just by saying that she is there for you, as the Fairy Godmother. Not only is she the Fairy Godmother, she is my sister!

And, your sister does ...what??... for a living???

What gives you the creeps?

2008-07-01T20:58:00.003-04:00

So, let's think about this for a moment....
I get creeped out by:
spider-cricket things that we call "hoppers"
dead animals in my chimney
live animals in my house.... bats & squirrels
people that I don't want to have anything to do with showing up at my door...
nail fungus
pimples on the ass of humanity.....

But, how we handle what creeps us out is what really matters. Do we vomit, curl up in the fetal position, scream, cry? We may do all of the above or a combination, thereof. But, hopefully, we get through it and handle it.

Regardless of how skeeved out we may be, we push through. We allow ourselves the time to have the fetal-curling, screaming, vomitrotious moments. Then.....we move on....we persevere, and show what we are made of.

How skeeved out are you right now, and how do you handle it?

Not exactly swimming with the dolphins....

2008-06-26T15:34:00.006-04:00

We arrived in Orlando on Sunday after visiting a most exciting place to eat. It's an old Sugar Mill at DeLeon Springs State Park http://www.planetdeland.com/sugarmill/sugarpage2.htm. The tables have a griddle in the middle and you can make your own pancakes...and eggs. They bring out 2 different kinds of batter, stone ground and all purpose flour. You order toppings as desired. We ordered bananas, blueberries, and chocolate chips. It was a fun thing to do with the family!!!!

Drew has spent the week at tennis camp at Heathrow Country Club where my Dad is a member. He's been the man to beat this week and I'm sure that's been great for his ego! He's sooooooo tan, and looks really great as he builds his muscle and "hot guy" status.

Ginny and I have been hanging out by the pool, swimming, reading, relaxing. I did get a manicure/pedicure.......ya like?????

What? What is that you say? It looks like a lizard on my hand? Well, yes....yes, it is. There are many, many lizards around my parents house. The baby ones are very cute and much fun to swim with. We named this one Maddie. We've caught her a couple of days in a row to take swimming with us. She seems to be responding to her name now.

CF Appt - June 2008

2008-06-13T22:27:00.005-04:00

Well, we had another CF appointment today, as we do every 3 months. It's physically and emotionally draining even when it goes well. We were there for over 3 hours today, which led to the 3 hour nap I took upon arriving home. That will lead to me being up much of this evening......bad cycle to get in :).
The reason it was 3+ hours today vs. the regular 2+ hours, was due to the fact that it was her bloodwork and x-ray appointment. Bloodwork is once a year, x-rays are every other year.
Here's the update:
Height = 53.4 inches = 9th percentile (can't imagine why she's short!!!)
Weight = 72.25 inches = 21st percentile
BMI = 17.73
And here's the big info about this one. They've wanted her to be at the 50th percentile for BMI for a long time. Today, we hit that goal!!!!!!!
BMI PERCENTILE = 52% YAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!!!!!!!!!
PFTs= 115%
PFT means Pulmonary Function Test. While a 115% lung function sounds good, she was at 134 last July. She went down over the last 2 appointments to a low of 101% at her March appointment. So, she is up almost 15%!!!! That's great news!!! Now, we just need to stay on top of her nebs (Pulmozyme, Saline, TOBI) and her chest PT to get that number back up to her norm of over 130%.

Once Ginny went on the "hungry pill" (as we call it since the name is something I can't remember), she jumped from a BMI in the 29th percentile to the 46th. How great was that!!!!!

CONGRATS GINNY!!!! You are an amazing young lady!

Trump my birthday, would ya????

2008-06-08T17:36:00.003-04:00

Leave it to my sister to trump my birthday!!!! I might as well have my party in the car in a mall parking lot......or in London, riding a London Taxi, or driving between Copenhagen and Brussels.....What a crock my birthdays are!!!!! (umm......that was sarcasm.....how many of YOU got to spend your friggin' birthdays in Europe......Me, I got 4!)

My sister, the Christian Author…..is FINALLY publishing her bible study. She’s wanted to do this Summer Bible Study for years, and has recently gotten her motivation to take it from paper (I mean, handwritten) to online. She’s posted it on her blog: http://www.thefairfax.blogspot.com/
Please share it with anyone you think may be interested! She’s so thought-provoking and interesting as an author, not to mention supportive, loving, annoying, and honest as a sister. Her evaluation of others’ questions has always been honest, open and great material to work with.
I hope you and others enjoy her work. I know I will!

I didn't implode!?!!!

2008-06-08T16:40:00.002-04:00

And, there was no pain.......
So, turning 40 wasn't that bad after all.

What is this....the Book of the Face?

2008-06-05T23:35:00.004-04:00

Facebook? MySpace? SecondLife?
Fer sure!
So, I set up an account on facebook as I prep for some of my online coursework. I'm hitting SecondLife next, but didn't have the "oomph" to do it this evening.
WHOA!!! Let me tell ya!!! I found peeps on facebook that I've been curious about over the years.
Here's what I found:
My nfrfvbf
A couple of exes
Stage fiance
College friends
Sibling of an ex that I didn't have the chutzpah to contact (although I'm dying to know about the ex)
High School memories............I won't embarrass them with what I remember :) hehehehehe
And a HOT GUY from high school that wouldn't remember me and I'd never contact :)

Wow! Rather interesting social experiment this "Book of the Face". How do different generations handle being thrown into cyber-contact whether they want to or not? Seems it can't be avoided these days unless you disconnect.....and, who wants that???? Well, not me since that's what led to my divorce :).

He's gone and done it now!!!!!

2008-06-03T21:57:00.004-04:00

My baby....my sweet baby.....he went and graduated from 8th grade......from the school he's been attending since kindergarten!!! I can't believe he's growing up.
He's so smart, so cool, so quick. He's strong and is doing such a great job working on asserting himself.
He will go to high school in the fall. HIGH SCHOOL!!!!! That's so crazy! I feel so guilty for sending him to public school, but a public high school??? What kind of horrible parent am I? But, it's a really great school.....one of the 3 in the county that I would trust. South River High School is big and will be a culture shock. I think he can handle it, but can I??? We shall see.

Congratulations to my graduate!!!!!!!
(pics coming soon)

Whoa! Seriously??

2008-05-31T20:51:00.002-04:00

I'm turning 40 in 8 days????? Are you kidding me? I mean, my thirties sucked, but am I really ready for my 40s?? Crap-Dog!!!! I'm not really a grown up yet.
I have a grown up job.
My children are growing up, one is going to High School....really? That's nuts!
I own a home, and have for the last 5 years.
I've got a retirement fund building.
I'm going back to school in the fall for a graduate certificate.
I've got plans for my future.
What the hell???? This can't be possible because all of those things indicate that I may be an adult. And, THAT....is insane!!!!!

Once again, welcome to my insanity!

Support Ginny's Genes!!!!!

2008-05-29T18:34:00.003-04:00

We are getting down to the final days before the Great Strides walk for CF. There are only 9 days left, so please go to the website. Donating is as easy as clicking a button online or writing a check to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation with Ginny’s Genes in the memo section. Forward the link to other friends and family who may be interested in reading about Ginny and helping us out toward our goal for the big day:
http://www.cff.org/Great_Strides/HelenSmetheram
Anyone who wants to join us at the Navy Stadium in Annapolis on June 7th, just let me know. There are so many great activities and food for all to enjoy on that day.
Ginny is very excited about this and the it should be so much fun! I want to make this a really fun event for her! We can't wait to join in our first Great Strides walk and get more involved with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Thanks!
Helen

Who's responsible?

2008-05-18T23:22:00.002-04:00

Is it me?
Am I responsible for the 40 lbs I gained?
Am I responsible for my divorce?
Am I responsible for turning 40?
Am I responsible for all of my poor choices?
AM I A SCREW-UP????

Yes, I'm responsible for a lot of this. It's my life, and I've screwed it up. Is it my fault that I haven't been to a dentist in 3 years and I have an appointment tomorrow for a deep cleaning due to my pre-periodontal "issues"? Tomorrow is my phase I, and the right side of my face will be numbed for this deep scaling.......and 2 weeks from now, will be the left side. WOW!

Bottom line, am I proud of my lack of action toward taking care of myself over the last year....dentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually? Yeah, that last one......I take full responsiblity for. I don't want God in my life right now because I'm afraid he'll see what a screw-up I am.

So, again, I ask you........Am I a screw-up? Has HE noticed? Will HE still help me if I ask?

Swim with the Dolphins - Part 2 & 3

2008-05-03T22:22:00.008-04:00

So, after riding the dolphins' noses across the pool, we snorkled around the cove with them. I don't have pictures of that, but it was a weird experience. I am not proficient with the snorkel. It made me gag and feel suffocated so I wasn't able to swim face down for more than a minute or two at a time.

The third part was interacting with the dolphins. We learned a lot of information from the trainers as we touched them while they swam by. We avoided the blow hole when they swam by, and learned where on their bellies to touch and where not to touch as they rolled over. Note: Avoid the genitals....always good advice.

It all culminated with hugs and kisses. Julian was the kissing dolphin seen in the pictures below. The hugging dolphin was a female whose name escapes me at this time.....I'm sure Ginny will remember.

Swim with the Dolphins - Part 1

2008-05-03T22:09:00.009-04:00

We signed up to swim with the dolphins while we were in the Bahamas. The experience was divided into 3 sections. For all sections, we wore a wetsuit, and had mask & snorkel gear on hand.

First, we were pushed across the cove by dolphins. We had a kickboard which we rested our upper body on. At the trainer's command, 2 dolphins came up quickly behind us and connected their noses with our feet, and propelled us across the cove!!!! WOW!!!! It was fast, the noses were harder than I thought. I struggled to aim myself, Ginny screamed with glee the whole way across, and Drew was cooler than cool!!!!

Bahamas Time

2008-04-28T19:39:00.014-04:00

Okay, Let's cheer it up a bit....it's time for the Bahamas!

We arrived on Tuesday evening. It was windy, but sunny, and perfectly palm-treed. Ginny and I went exploring while Drew fell asleep.
There were tons of pools of lovely sea life. Most with underground walkways, tunnels, and viewing areas. We saw some really cool stuff!

On Wednesday, we woke up and headed for the wave pools, slides, tube rides, and amazing fun around the Atlantis resort. The kids went on a ride called "The Leap of Faith". This is a slide which drops straight down into a tunnel which goes through a pool of sharks!!!! See the picture? That's Ginny on the slide......... Drew went too fast!!!! That ride was at the Mayan Temple which also had a tube ride which went into a tunnel in a shark tank. I tried that one because I'm not much for leaping!!!

More Bahama fun to come!

I was a Bride

2008-04-20T16:53:00.003-04:00

17 years ago today, I was a bride.
Now, I am a single mother of 2 kids. I'm alone in my house, there are thunderstorms outside. I've been on a crying jag all weekend and couldn't figure out why. Then, I looked at today's date.
No one called me, no one acknowledged the day....but, there is no reason to. It's irrelevant that 17 years ago, I was in a wedding dress, my sister was a Maid of Honor, my brother was in a suit, my mother wore Oleg Cassini, and my father looked stunning in his dress uniform. No one cares, no one remembers, but it was supposed to be "the happiest day of my life".
Note to Brides: Pick a different day to label the happiest. It is, after all, just a day.

Absentee Blogger

2008-04-15T21:28:00.002-04:00

Yes, I've been an Absentee Blogger. But, here's the quick and dirty version of some of the things I said I'd talk about:

The Gala - went to a most wonderful event for my nephew, Henry. It was a fund-raising gala for his school. There was a silent auction, raffle, and beautiful video/slide show presentation of all of the students at his school. Henry began the video sitting behind the Principal's desk with his glasses on (he doesn't need glasses, but has decided they are now a part of his character). If this video becomes public or I can get a hold of it, then I will post it here. He was amazing! He had a scripted part which was delivered with meaning and feeling. Then, there was his ad-libbing which brought the house down. Check out Alice's blog about the gala: http://thefairfax.blogspot.com/2008/03/weekend-to-remember.html

The Recovery - Drew's Kidney healed and his visit to the doctor after returning from Florida showed almost no blood in the urine. Hallelujah!

The Appointment - Ginny had her CF appointment. Her weight gain was, once again, beyond expectations. The "hungry pill" really made the difference in our lives and has taken her out of the "hmmm....she may need a permanent feeding tube" status.
Bad news is that her PFTs (Pulmonary Function Tests) have decreased from the 130% range to the 100 % range. Still very good, but significantly lower than her norm. She had a cold which contributed to the lower numbers. But, that is no excuse and we need to ramp it up a notch.
Good news is that we had a wonderful visit with one of the physical therapists who connected with her regarding the ability to "cough up stuff". Ginny calls it "Gunk-a-loogey" and has, generally, been disgusted when it comes up. We need her to embrace and be proud of her gunk-a-loogey. Since this visit, she has been much more productive with her cough.....I've never seen so much mucus, but I'm a proud Mama.

The Birthday Party - Ginny had the most fun & amazing birthday party. We had a room in the back of Ledo Pizza in Crofton. There was pizza, chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks and amazing entertainment. We had 2 dance mats plugged into the PlayStation2 which was hooked up to the flat screen on the wall. The karaoke machine with her iPod & TV were across the room, and we had a station for sand art. The girls sang, danced, ate, and made tropical fish & dolphin sand art keychains. My parents and brother were there, and Ward's Mother and sister + kids were there. A great time was had by all!!!!

Next up: Bahamas & Drew's Birthday Party

The Funeral

2008-03-18T23:56:00.002-04:00

The funeral for George was a beautiful tribute to his strength for his family and theirs for him. It was a true celebration of his life and honor to his family.
My former Mother-in-Law was escorted in by her 2 younger sons, her daughter was led in by her 2 children, then there was my ex. He was escorted in by our daughter and his fiancee was escorted in by my son (I do not blame my son for that set up as he was not aware that is how the procession would run since it just happened when they walked down the aisle).

There was a wonderful song by one of George's former nurses, and the readings were strong and relevant, but the Homily brought it all home.

A week after the funeral, my children and I were visiting their Godfather. He had known the family for close to 20 years. While Drew & I were standing together, their Godfather asked how the family held up during the service. I told him they did a wonderful job, it had been a long time coming and they were prepared for this event. When I noted that the only person on the "family row" that had cried was my ex's fiancee, he was surprised. He said, "She was the only one who visibly cried?"
My son responded, "Yeah, for the whole YEAR that she knew him"............
Yes, this is what I was thinking, his Godfather was thinking, but Drew was the one who expressed that thought
I've never been more proud of my boy!

God Bless George and his very strong and supportive grandson!

Travelling can be tough!

2008-03-18T19:49:00.004-04:00

No matter the circumstances, getting to the airport, checking luggage, going through security, all of it can be tedious and nerve-wracking for those who do not like flying anyway. This can either be made easier or exacerbated by those with whom you are travelling.
You get to decide which scenario this is:

To get to my former father-in-law's funeral, I would need to fly down to northern Florida. My ex made flight arrangements for our children and his fiancee. He forwarded the flight information to me so that I could fly down with my children. His fiancee, who keeps wanting to play house with my children, called me earlier in the week to tell me she had bought clothing for them for the funeral and that she would pack their bags and pack Ginny's medicine. (Normally, I would be bothered by her continued efforts to take over my role. She is constantly wanting to pick them up from school or keep them overnight when my ex is unavailable. Considering the custody agreement is between me & him, not me & him+her, I have told him that I need to be the next person in line to be with our children when he is unable to be there for them.....Excuse me for wanting to spend all the time that I can with my children....). Sorry, I digress.....However, in this case, my thought was "You want to pack for the kids? pack their medicine?........go ahead! It's one less thing I have to do.....can ya come pack my crap, too?"

On to the travel!!!

I arrive at the airport and the fiancee has checked the kids in with her so they were in a higher number bracket than me due to their business select tickets. I asked the kids to make sure they saved a seat for me. When I boarded the plane, she was in 1 row, and the kids were in a row behind her with an empty seat between them, saved for me. Now, this happened to be the row before the emergency exit over the wing so the seats didn't recline........passive aggressive or coincidence? Don't know! Because the 3 tickets were business select, they each got drink tickets. Since the kids weren't drinking, the fiancee gave one to me. NICE! Score a point on the good side for the fiancee.

Once the flight ended, the next phase of the journey took place. My ex came to the airport to pick up his ex-wife (me), 2 kids, and fiancee. We all loaded into 1 car for the one hour drive to the hotel at which my parents were staying and where me and the kids would also spend the night.

Well, wasn't that a fun trip! Each of us has our own opinions of how weird that was, and who had it worst. However, since this is my blog...........It's All About Me!!! And, why are my problems so much bigger than everyone else's????? DUHHHHH!!!!! Because they are MINE!

The Kidney

2008-03-17T22:29:00.004-04:00

OK, so the kids' grandfather died on Sunday, March 2nd. That was a tough night and I sent the kids into school the next day so they could be with their friends and continue with their routine. Was this a good idea? YES. Was it successful? Well..........
Not necessarily.
On Monday, March 3rd, Drew was playing on the playground during a class which had a substitute. He climbed a waist-high ladder and reached for the higher monkey bars. He missed the upper bars, slipped, and landed on the lower ladder bar, then flipped over it.
When I picked him up that afternoon, he told me about the fall and complained that he couldn't take a deep breath. I had concerns that he may have hurt his ribs, broken them, punctured his lung and would explode at some point during the week. So, I took him to the evening clinic to check out those ribs........
No, the doctor poked around and noted that the pain was not in his ribs, but lower and he seemed to have more pain in his kidney area. He called for a urinalyses.
Guess What??? That showed that there was blood in his urine!!!
The Peds Doc told us that we had to go to the Emergency Room for further testing because he had SIGNIFICANT blood in his urine. The options would run anywhere from "watching him to surgery". NICE!!!!
The decision was to watch him even though there was visible blood in his urine. I spent the rest of the week viewing his urine. Well.........I haven't done that since he was a toddler, but I could see the dark color which indicated the high level of blood.
Who doesn't love spending 5 hours in the ER beginning at 8:00pm?
As long as things didn't get worse, we were cleared to get on the plane for the Funeral on Thursday. A follow-up with his family doctor on Wednesday afternoon showed high levels of urine still in the blood, but 3 days was too soon for surgical intervention.
We were cleared to go ahead with our plans to fly out on Thursday for the funeral..... the flight which would include the kids, their Mom, and ..........Ward's fiancee. I'll move to that story next...........

I am here! I am here!

2008-03-17T14:53:00.005-04:00

Okay, so it may seem as though I have disappeared over the last 2 weeks. I have not, I promise. However, I do have much to catch up on. Be looking for the upcoming topics which have happened since I posted at the beginning of the month:

The Kidney
The Transportation
The Funeral
The Gala
The Recovery
The Appointment
The Birthday Party

Did this catch your attention? If so, check back over the next couple of days as I recal the wild events of the last 2 weeks.

PLUS - COUNTDOWN: 8 Days to Bahamas!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Great Loss

2008-03-02T23:03:00.005-05:00

At least 27 years ago, my ex-Father-in-Law, George, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and shared that information with his son. When I first met George he walked on 1 cane, then moved to 2 canes and was an Eagle-eyed father of a college-aged son.
He gave us heck as we dated, laughed when I "bippety-bopped" across the room and threw my fist into his son's shoulder when he made a "silly statement", and turned his head as he caught us getting to know each other better.
We visited him in Philly when we first got together, then Florida after they moved to Amelia Island, and in Vermont every summer for the family event.
He had the pleasure of seeing his first grandchild, Drew..........the grandson, at an early age. Drew was put on the tray of his wheelchair while grabbing his Grandfather's beard. Even up until this past February of 2008, he enjoyed the visits of his grandchildren. Ginny would try to kiss him, but was too short reach him. He used to say "Pucker up, Long Lips!" So, little Ginny would stretch her lips and give him kisses, sometimes with the help of her Dad lifting her up........but, she was always Long Lips!
For years, George has been close to the end of his life. He said goodbye last year, and allowed organ failure to rush his body to the hospital. He had cancerous tumors in his lungs which should've been the final straw for his weak body.........he made it through. He had organ failure, which caused his weak body to be rushed to the hospital so he could die. He managed to live through each of those.
Last Feburary (2007), George was admitted to the hospital with organ failure. He was inchoherent, and talking about being taken away. George was given a dose of medication which brought him about. The day after his goodbyes, George was eating Pork Chops. This is one of our favorite stories of him and his strength.

Today, Sunday, March 2, 2008, George was rushed to the hospital with organ failure once again. We all waited for word. His eldest son, and father of my 2 kids - Drew & Ginny, flew down once again to be with his Mother. We waited to hear that he had once again regained concisousness and was ready for his Pork Chops. We are still waiting to hear those words. ALAS, those words have not come.

Today, Sunday March 2, 2008 after 3:00 pm EST, George let go of the pain in his body. His wife was by his side and his grandchildren were waiting to hear that he was ready for his next meal.

George passed away today and has left all of us to deal with that sadness. While shocked that he finally let go, the family has to deal with the emptiness of life without him. George is finally able to rest in peace and support his family in the way he has been wanting to for years.

God Bless George Lavino - Husband, GrandFather, Father, Father-in-law, Amazing Strength...

Ahhh, The JOY of Taxes..

2008-02-24T22:53:00.003-05:00

Thank Goodness I do not have to do my own. Years ago, I left that in the fine hands of a woman who actually enjoys dealing with that kind of crap. All that I have to do is get all of my paperwork together and toss it in a folder for her to deal with. I try to organize it nicely for her, ever the OCD freak that I am.
I organized it this year, I really did..........
There's so much stuff to go through, decide where it all belongs, give it a name or a category. So, here today, are a few of my categories:
Income
Banking
Mortgage.......this is where it all went downhill.....
Child Care CRAP
My Medical CRAP
Kids' Medical CRAP
And, finally, the category in which one sets the rest of it all.....
MISC. CRAP.......
So, here's to the CRAP to be sent to the Local, State, and Federal Government to filter through the CRAP, to give me back what I deserve.
Let's hope it's the JOY rather than the CRAP!

Highlight of the Month

2008-02-18T17:07:00.003-05:00

This is a category which I just added last month. I am going to find a minimum of one Highlight each month. It is the 18th of this month and I'm getting a bit concerned that my cracked toilet will be my highlight of the month. If that happens, shoot me now..............

My can is cracked!!!!

2008-02-18T16:59:00.003-05:00

Yes, folks! I've got a crack in my can which just cracks me arse! This is the second toilet I've had put in my main bathroom. What is the deal? Are we particularly hard toilet users? Must we be more gentle with our potty? Do normal people go through this many toilets in 5 years.
So, for now, my toilet is turned off. I've met a new plumber that I like and will use instead of the company I've been going with for the last 15 years as their prices are rising and their toilets keep cracking.

They say..........

2008-02-04T23:03:00.000-05:00

They say there's no use crying over spilled milk.
What if said milk spills on your Coach purse? Is crying allowed at that point?
I'm jus' sayin'.....

Who's Picking Henry Up?!!!???

2008-02-02T21:45:00.000-05:00

Henry is my soon-to-be 12-year-old nephew. He is the son of my sister, Alice and her husband, Tim. He is a smart, loving young boy with Autism. His gift is that he is an Entertainer Savant. Give him a script, staging, lighting, costumes and he's good to go. Give him the annoying logistics of life, and he really doesn't care...just needs the bottom line.
Alice was preparing Henry for her trip to Maryland and some of what would happen with his schedule while she was gone. She told him that she would not be home to pick him up on Monday, but his Dad would be in class, so Mimi would pick him up, and she would come later and he could decide if he wanted to sleep at Mimi & GrandDad's or have her drive him home after she arrived....blah, blah, blah is what Henry must have heard because all he cared about for Monday was "WHO'S PICKING HENRY UP?" This was, apparently, said with a frustrated tone and hand gestures.......

This has become my motto when frustrated with the logistics of life......"WHO'S PICKING HENRY UP?" Sometimes, I allow the daily logistics to bog me down. What's happening here, there, everywere....upside-down, boy ya turn me, inside-out, and, round-n-round. When all I really want to know is........

WHO'S PICKING HELEN UP???

Shape Up!!!

2008-01-29T20:38:00.000-05:00

When my sister and brother were staying here, we stumbled upon an area in which I have a defecit. Now, there aren't many, so this came as shock to us all.

Apparently, I am not spatially in tuned with items. So, this may not explain why I trip over things or bump into walls since those usually occur after a wild & crazy night with friends. But, we discovered this was an issue after attempting to put leftovers into storage containers. I've got a cabinet full of containers and lids that NEVER seem to match. It is the most frustrating thing, and I dread leftovers because of it.

So as I was in MY kitchen, attempting to CLEAN UP by pulling out lid after lid to fit on top of the stinkin' container, my sister was staring at me, smirking.........yes, I believe she was laughing at me. I believe her words were "you're trying to fit square lids onto a round container"

Well!!!! Good thing they don't make me match shapes at Johns Hopkins University's Center for Technology in Education! I fully intend to blame this inability on my parents for not providing proper educational toys for me as a child. I was the middle child, after all! ;)

Baby Got Big Feet!

2008-01-28T19:52:00.000-05:00

Upon returning home after running around at work all day, then grocery shopping, my feet were fatigued. I had heels on, but needed to go back into the cold weather to retrieve the groceries from the car. By the front door were a pair of my son's sneakers which would fit the bill.....or so I thought.

I slipped my feet into them knowing that I'd only need them for a trip or two outside. They were too big!!!!! MY ALMOST 14 YEAR OLD SON'S SHOES WERE TOO BIG!!!! And, that was the pair he told me was getting a bit tight.

What the Heck????!!!!????

Well, you know what they say about a guy with big feet......................big shoes..........

Le Weekend de Smetheram

2008-01-19T19:31:00.000-05:00

Last weekend was an incredibly fun, exciting, and proud weekend for le famille Smetheram.
My sister flew up from Florida on Thursday evening, stayed with me & my kids, my brother came on Friday and the kids went to their Dad's. That left me, Alice, & Charles staying at my house Friday through Monday. Ginny's room was made up for Alice and Drew's room was made up for Charles.
Can I tell you how much fun we had? WOW!!!!

Here were some of the agenda items:
Eating Out
- Pazo - http://www.pazorestaurant.com/ (succulent tapas and hugs for the waiter)
- Ledo Pizza - http://www.ledopizza.com/ (tribute to my Robby)
- Cafe Bonaparte in Georgetown - http://www.napoleondc.com/main.html (DC Restaurant Week)
Entertainment
- National Treasure 2 (for historical value)
- H & M (for a Swedish memory)
- Mount Vernon - Tour of the Mansion and basements which are rarely opened (because it was in the historical movie we choose to view)
Priceless Moments
-Making fun of our parents
-Making fun of each other as kids
-Making fun of each other as adults

What made it such a proud weekend was that we were so excited about it! I know our parents were excited that the three of us were together. As a parent, I can't even imagine how proud I would be if one of my children went and stayed at the home of my other child. Proud of both of them for being adults together.
As children, who would ever have thought they would voluntarily spend time with their siblings in their own house.......like, a grown-up house, like...yanno? Crazy, just crazy, I tell ya!

How great is it to have such an amazing, fun, proud, and exciting memory this early into 2008! And, this is just the beginning!

Hey, Big Spender!

2008-01-09T19:47:00.000-05:00

The minute I walked in the joint....
I received a JCPenney's bill on my card under my previously married name. I haven't used that card in over 2 years. It was paid off and I really should have closed it, but I put it in my desk planning to shred it later which I failed to do.
The bill contained a dozen transactions at 3 different locations between 11/30/2007 & 12/16/2007 totalling $1,755.24. Since I had not used the card in over 2 years, I knew they were not my charges. The other telling point was that there were toddler purchases as well as men's shirts & neckwear. "Considering I no longer have toddlers and have rid myself of the men in my life, that was another strong indication that the charges were not mine", I explained to the voice on the other end of the phone at the JCPenney service dept. The explanation produced laughter which was what I needed in order not to scream, cry, throw things, or fall on the floor and throw a tantrum.
Anyway, they will gather the signatures, send them to me, and I will send them a copy of my driver's license to prove it was not me. Shouldn't be too hard considering my driver's license is a different name. The account has been cancelled.
THE FUNNIEST PART is that they spent so much, that I was automatically upgraded to platinum level and received my new card today which was sent out before I got the bill and made the call.

Hence, I am a woman of distinction, a real big spender!

Sorry, but I must complain

2008-01-04T20:16:00.000-05:00

Why does my ex feel that he needs to bring his fiancee into my house when he comes in to drop things off for the kids. Are they attached at the hip? Is he unable to walk without her there? Is she unable to walk without him?
I don't really want to see him, but must since we have children together. I don't really want him in my house, but must since we have children together. But do I really need both of them in my house?

Prayer: God, give me strength and patience to deal with people who act like an ass and don't even know they've got it tattooed on their foreheads.

It's really hard to be ........

2008-01-02T20:53:00.000-05:00

It's really hard to be a great, technologically advanced, amazing parent. No, really, ......it is!

Due to my amazing ability to provide for my children technologically, networking my home computers for internet & printing purposes, networking my Tivos for sheer amazement, and being up on emerging technologies, I AM NO LONGER ABLE TO GET ON MY OWN COMPUTERS!!!!!!

I've provided so much for my children that they are now on the computers for homework, research, and mass amusement. This means that I can't get on my home computers. Time to make up a spreadsheet schedule for computer use in this house.............but, wait...........that will require that I have TIME ON MY OWN COMPUTER!!!!!!!!!!!

Love 'em both! Because as advanced as I may think I am, technologically speaking, they are light years ahead of me in brilliance.

Dear 2008

2008-01-01T12:27:00.000-05:00

Dear 2008 –

Your predecessor sent many challenges my way. My hope for us is that we will work together and walk hand-in-hand through the year.

Here is something I would like to work on……
I believe in God, but I think that I have forgotten that He believes in me. Please help me to see in me what God does as I go through my daily life, good or bad.

Helen

New Year's Resolution, 2008

2008-01-01T12:13:00.000-05:00

I am not great with keeping resolutions and find New Year’s Resolutions to be uninspired and forced due to the expectations of the media and commercialism.

Therefore, I will make only one resolution this year……

I resolve to turn 40 this year!

Try to stop that one!!!!

2007 - The Year of Interesting Holiday Celebrations

2007-12-31T22:15:00.000-05:00

Didn't really think I'd be back tonight, didya? Well, neither did I! But, I have just returned home after spending the last 8 hours at the Emergency Room with my neighbor, who dislocated her hip, and her 13 year old granddaughter. Not necessarily how I was planning to spend my New Year's Eve, but it felt good to squeeze in one last good deed for the year. She was ever so grateful!
But, this was nothing compared to my Valentine's Day. We had an ice storm and my power went out early in the morning. By late afternoon, my house was 55 degrees and I was shivering. Friends of mine happened to call and told me that I must come up to their house. This is one of my favorite couples in the world, who happen to be great friends of mine, and happen to be lesbians. I tried to protest that they should be alone on Valentine's Day, but they insisted I come over and defrost. So, I went up, ordered Chinese food, and spent my Valentine's Day and over night with a lesbian couple. What can I say!

Dear 2007......goodbye....

2007-12-31T12:42:00.000-05:00

Dear 2007 -

Thank you for the challenges you brought. There have been health issues, dissatisfying love-life, friends lost, terrible job situation, and disappointment in the choices the ex made for the kids.

I must admit, I did not rise to the challenges at first. I fell to the floor and allowed the pain to be heaped upon me. Did you lift me up, 2007? No, you did not! You continued to beat the living hell out of me until I had no choice but to get up or turn into the puddle of loss you were aiming for.

While it wasn't until the end of the year that I was able to begin turning things around, I am looking forward to the direction that I've been heading. So, here is what I was able to do in 2007:
- Get a new job at a prestigious, world-renowned University
- Re-finance for a great deal which allowed me to pay off all credit cards, and get cash back for home repair and vacation
- Had electricians come in and put ceiling fans in all of the rooms, fix electrical issues, got chimney fixed
- Booked vacation to Atlantis, Paradise Island for me and the kids in March, 2008....paid for in full due to re-finance
- Provided a great holiday season for my children, focused on their needs/wants and filled with love and fun!!!!!

I look forward to reflecting on what I have learned and will learn in 2008!
Helen

Darn, I don't have a medical problem!

2007-12-28T23:08:00.000-05:00

So, I have no explanation for the constant viral issues I had all summer, the 30 lb weight gain over this year, or the chicken pox-like marks all over my legs.
No diabetes, cholesterol, or the ever-hoped for Thyroid problem to explain why my arse doesn't fit into any of my pants.
So, the diagnosis is: Fat and scaly, but otherwise, healthy..........great!

Dear 2007....

2007-12-27T18:26:00.000-05:00

Dear 2007 -
You suck.... *X-strike that-X* *cough* *eh-hem*.....

Dear 2007 -
I'm so glad you're over.... No..no...that's not what I meant to say...... how should I say this......

OK, I'm thinkin' I'll try again when I'm more inspired. I think I'll take a moment to read, relax, take a warm shower before I try again.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T05:10:00.000-05:00

Here it is, just after 5:00am on Christmas morning, and I am awake....unable to get back to sleep....like a small child eager to get downstairs to the presents. Why is this? My kids are at their Dad's, so it's just me, I don't even have a pet jumping all over me to get outside. Although I haven't counted, I'm pretty sure there were no additional presents put under the tree while I was sleeping. So, why am I awake? Guess I just wanted to be first!

The Joy of Scrooge!

2007-12-24T14:38:00.000-05:00

Today I am Scrooge. My kids were picked up at noon, will spend the evening with their father and his live-in girlfriend (perhaps fiancee after their weekend in NYC together?) going to her church and waking up with them.
Tomorrow at noon, I will pick them up and as Scroogish as I feel today, I will be overwhelmed with the joy and excitement of being with them again. My brother will come over, we will open gifts, eat good food and have wonderful fun! The following 2 days will be filled with playing and fighting over the gifts, whose is best, who got most.....and I can't wait!
For today, I will allow myself to feel the Scrooge knowing what tomorrow will bring!

Life IS Stranger Than Fiction!

2007-12-21T20:25:00.000-05:00

I've spoken a couple of times about Cystic Fibrosis. It is in our lives, and it's not our favorite part. Some days I deal with it better than others. I cringe when my daughter coughs, sniffles, has stomach aches, or gets tired from regular activity.
So often, I feel alone when dealing with this. There was no discussion or feeling of connection in my marriage with Cystic Fibrosis. My ex used to say "her issue" instead of actually using the words Cystic Fibrosis, disease, chronic condition.... so I felt alone there also. It was always better to ignore things because they might go away if you did.
The strangest connection came about today. I work with many people, some of who have been at CTE-JHU for a while, others who have been there a short time, like me. For the first time, I made up Christmas Cards and put candy on all of the envelopes. I've not really done this in previous jobs, I'm just so happy to be there, I was caught up in the excitement of the season. The cards I made up were the ones which I purchased from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF). I even put the cards in so when they were pulled out of the envelope, that is what would be seen before the lovely face of the card. It's just my little way of putting it out there to get into people's minds.
Today, one of my co-workers said that she had noticed that my cards were from CFF and she wondered if I supported the charity. I told her that my daughter has it. She smiled and said that she also has Cystic Fibrosis.
WOW!