One Step At A Time

Honey just called me from Cold Stone. Said he's getting ice cream for
the kids and asked if I wanted any. Girls...I said no. This is quite
significant. No to Cold Stone? Hooray for me!!!

Is it a Waste of Time?

"YOUR CROSS-STITCH is KILLING us!"

This is a direct quote from a good friend. What is she trying to say? Do I need an intervention? Would I rather sit on the couch and sew ALL day, than do pretty much anything else? Ummmm - yes. YES! Ok? I admit it! I would LOVE to sit ALL freeeeeking day and just sew sew sew sew sew until my fingers bleed. Give me a chic flick, a big ol' bottomless Sonic drink and my sewing and I'll be in h-e-a-v-e-n :::singsongy:::. Let me just show you my my big waste of time that's killing my blogger friends, my participation in book club and my time management at home.

Exhibit A
The Christ Cross Stitch

Started about 10 years ago
Completed Size approx. 11" x 9"
Total squares stitched when complete = 64,240

47 Colors
17 of those as solid colors and 12 different blended-color combinations
done as complete cross-stitches.
19 of those as solid colors and 9 different blended-color combinations
done as half cross-stitches.
This is like the bigdaddy of all cross-stitches (at least for me)
and I will very proudly display it on the wall in my house when it's finished.

Exhibit B

The Spring Queen


Started about 4 years ago
Completed size approx. 11" x 17"
Total squares stitched when complete = 50,040

40 Colors, all in cross-stitch
3 different blended color combinations
6 different colors of beads
While there are fewer colors and a ton less blending,
this pattern is stitched on linen and has lots of beading.
My wish is to complete the four queens;
Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.

I don't know. I love to do it. I just LOVE to do it. I also LOVE reading a good book, and I LOVE hanging out with my friends. I haven't found the happy balance yet. And isn't that just the constant battle that we're all fighting in one way or another? Food and exercise, sleep and awake, blog or podcast?

I'm a Loser!

NEVER type the words "Lose Weight Fast" in Googler if you don't want to be inundated with a bunch of scammy garbage. I kind of knew that already, but somehow got sucked into some thing about Dr. Oz and Oprah and Rachel Ray. I decided to try this Acai stuff that's supposed to help you lose weight. My friend takes some form of it and was telling me that she likes what it's doing for her. So - I signed up for the "RISK FREE" trial offer - just pay $4.95 for shipping. Uh huh. SUUUUUURRRRRRRRE!

This was about 10 days ago. I still haven't received any product. I decided to look around online and see what was up and I found a guy talking about it being a scam, etc. So, I decided to look further. Here's a little info in the fine print. I added the italics and stuff.

"You will have 15 days from your original purchase date to decide if Acai Advanced is right for you. If you are enjoying Acai Advanced do nothing and at the end of your 15 day trial period you will be charged the low rate of only sixty four dollars and ninety five cents (notice no numbers?) for the bottle you received. Approximately 30 days from your original purchase date and every 30 days thereafter you will be sent another 1 month supply of Acai Advanced and your credit card on file will be billed the Healthy Lifestyle’s Member's Only price of sixty four dollars and ninety five cents plus nine dollars and ninety five cents for shipping and handling for a total of seventy four dollars and ninety five cents. That's 30% off the regular price for a 1 month supply of Acai Advanced. You may cancel your membership at any time by simply contacting customer service. Please remember, most customers see most noticeable results by using Acai Advanced consistently for 3 months. You may contact our customer service department via postal mail, email, or by using our toll free phone number. Customer service hours are between the hours of 9 am till 5 pm PST, Monday through Friday."

Oh but there's MORE! Not only did I get signed up for this lovely 30% off the regular price, but I got automatically signed up for The Live Lean For Life Weight Loss Management Plan Trial. Oh YES!

"Try Live Lean For Life absolutely free for three weeks. You will have 20 days from your original purchase date to decide if Live Lean For Life is right for you. If you are enjoying Live Lean For Life do nothing and at the end of your 20 day trial period and every 30 days thereafter you will be charged the low rate of only Twenty four dollars and ninety five cents (still no numbers) to your credit card on file. You may cancel your membership at any time by simply contacting customer service....phone number 888-272-6483."

So, first I called Acai. Here's the deal, you gize. I lied. I told them my husband lost his job. Why? Cause one of my friends was saying that when her husband lost his and she started cancelling things - she was amazed at how instantly helpful and willing they were to do it. There wasn't any arguing. They just didn't want to mess with someone who wasn't going to have money. Taaadaaaaaaa! I tried it. They gave me the cancellation number and I'm so lucky - I only have to return 30 of the pills and I only have to pay for the shipping for that. Oh, but wait -- I still don't have them, do I? Hmmmmmm.

Then, I called Live Life Lean or whatever it is. That number listed put my on hold for over 10 minutes. During that time, I was researching them online and found another number. I don't think anyone would have ever picked up the first one. I called this other number and they couldn't find any record of me in their system. I hope that's true. If they charge me anything, I'll have to dispute it and that's a big pain in the hind-end.

Eneeeewaaaaaaaay.......I'm a loser. I got sucked in and scammed and luckily (hopefully) got out of it before they started charging me a bunch of money. Next plan -- which I might just do -- is call the bank and get a new card number. Cancel the current one. I keep thinking about the story of the camera - you know who you are - and the husband rushing home in the middle of church to get online and save the day. My Honey is probably shaking his head at me.

I guess if you want to try Acai - go to the vitamin store or something and just buy it.

ON ANOTHER TOPIC:

How about that Michael Jackson thing, eh? I think he killed himself, or got his 'personal physician' to help him. Can you think of any one person who was more miserable to just exist as himself? Poor fella. Mark my words people. I can't wait to find out the autopsy results. At least - if they tell us the truth.

Who doesn't love a good conspiracy theory now and again??

Now can we stop hearing about him on the news already? Goll! I feel bad that Farah got so swept under the rug.

Mkay. Moving on. I've got to go get that lovely boot thing for my foot this morning.

yay.

Just Some Stuff Cause I Feel Like Talking

Oh, I know!! Just look at those little liquid-brown eyes and teeny baby teefers! She is adorable. Nellie has thrown everything off kilter. I got her to satisfy some 'something' that I had going on. You know...my husband wants a Harley. I want a puppy. Anyway, Honey was not very happy when I pulled up with her in the car. He stayed back, kept his sunglasses on, held her for about 8 seconds and gave her back. He didn't say much to me that afternoon.

He tried to tell me that getting a puppy would be upsetting to the status quo around here. Mess up our trip to the cabin, add some chaos and take away some sleep. He was right. We've had to reschedule the cabin trip for August. We have dog toys all over the house all the time now. We have three children and three dogs. I must be out of my mind. I get comments from people -- not naming any names btw -- and I've been taking them a little too personally and finding myself feeling a little embarrassed because I crossed that line. Most families have one dog. Right? Some have two. We had two little dogs. Totally normal. But three little dogs? What the heck is going on there? (P.S. I think it we wrapped them all up together, it would be equal to one big dog...they just all run in different directions...) Maybe if we had no kids or only one kid. But I started judging myself. Then, I was tired. Tired of poo and pee on the carpet and non-stop monitoring the puppy so that I could avoid the poo and pee on the carpet. Link was the miracle puppy-sitter when we brought her home. Now all of a sudden, he's too afraid to pick her up and too lazy to stick it out when she's wandering in the grass and taking her sweet time. Our two old lady dogs are worn out. So much more running and playing than they've been used to in years. I haven't been able to touch my reading or my cross-stitching since I brought her home. I'm dying! And to top it all off, she has giardia, which translates to puppy diarhea. So, she's on meds for that, an antibiotic and an anti-diarheal med. Boy oh boy. She doesn't like Honey. Actually, she doesn't like much of anyone outside of me and Link. She'll nap on George's lap. But Honey scares her. We suspect she doesn't like men in general. I feel bad. I remember Honey playing with our old girls when they were puppies and it was totally fun! I've suggested bacon in the pocket, but he hasn't tried it yet.

So yesterday I texted him and told him that I was having second thoughts. I gave him complete credit and swallowed my pride and told him that he was right all along. Did I mention to you all how golden he is?

Get this...he called me on the phone and talked me down off the 'let's-sell-the-puppy' ledge. He was kind. He never took credit for being right. NEVER said "I told you so." And, for not even wanting the puppy in the first place, he chose to completely support my choice to get her and make me feel better about all the poo and the lost sleep. Can you believe it? How many times can you fall in love with the same person? Honey - seriously. You're the best.

Here she is sleeping on Link.

Here we are taking a nap together. I can hardly stand how cute this picture is...

Sammy has taken a very loving roll in the whole thing. She lets Nellie sleep by her, wrestles really gently with her, puts up with her puppy stuff and all that. It's impressive. I never would have guessed that Sammy could be so sweet to a new dog.

Landee, I still owe you a picture of Nellie in the totally cute puppy warming sweater you gave her. I want to get it 'in action' tho and she's been sleeping all day today. Had a vet appt and a booster shot. I think it wore her out and made her not feel so good.

Here's some more "Stuff"
Really...it's just "stuff"

So today, I found out that I have a stress fracture in my foot. In the third metatarsal of my left foot. Isn't that awesome? I thought that's what it was, and luckily my doctor took me seriously. Unluckily, I get to wear a boot cast, which I will get on Friday. yay for me...(NOT!)

We're having fish for dinner. Landee enlightened me to the beautifully frozen, individually packaged Mahi at Costco and it's fabulously yummy and fabulously easy to grill. Link is mad and wants a corndog instead. No way, bud.

I've begun the reversal process off the crap Cymbalta and back to my original meds. I already feel a ton better. Brighter. I was so tired and smudged out. I have more energy. It's really nice. If the dead zone reverses...I probably won't tell you. You don't want to know that anyway. I'm laughing because my Dr. wants to do a sleep study on me. The more I think about it -- I have a three year old and a puppy. Of course I don't sleep well. Geez! I'm gonna hold off on that.

Got my house cleaned today. I love this day. I will totally love tomorrow too.

Sooooo, maybe I'll blog some more nonsense later. Thanks for reading the riff raff.

OH and Memzy Memzerton...I missed your BIRTHDAY! Sorry, girlie! Landee even texted me and told me on the day. I hope it was a fab one and I still can't wait to meet you.

Nellie

Nellie is fitting in just fine. Sammy seems to be taking on an adopted
mommy role. Cute!

Doin' it Easy

Link spotted this at Costco. Remember Bisquick? My mother loved this stuff. She used it all the time. Now I have a really fantastic pancake recipe, thanks to Sara. Buttermilk Pancakes, to be precise. They are thick and turn into the most wonderful things I've ever seen when they cook. Just love them.

Anyway, Link saw the Bisquick and begged me. I figured it wouldn't hurt to try a short cut once in a while. Maybe they'd eat a little less cold cereal.

They are easy. They are fast. My kids wolfed them down (Sassy excepted, cause she won't eat much that she didn't decide she wanted in the first place).

I'm giving a lot of the credit to Landee, who gave me permission to use prefabricated refridgerated cookie dough (even though I think it's a bit yucky...but that makes me eat it less). Here I am using a pancake mix, of all things. What in the world is going on here?

(I should add....that cheeseburger pie thing my mom used to make for dinner...I've been craving it for weeks. Guess what recipe is on the back of the box of Bisquick? Taaa Daaaaaaaaa!)

Sassy is an Escape Artist

Sassy has a mind of her own. She is movin' fast and doesn't have time for anyone to get in her way. She's bossy and likes to take charge. Sassy came charging into the world 3 weeks early. She may be sweet as a pea, dimples and all, but she knows exactly what she's doing. Sassy started walking at 10 months, would't have anything to do with a high chair by the time she was a year old, never wanted a booster or a little potty. From zero to ten, people.

My latest enjoyment is that she just helps herself to playing outside whenever she feels like it. I'm two seconds from taking myself to Home Depot and getting extra locks for the doors. Up high. High locks. She runs to neighbor A's house and walks in like she owns the place. She rings the doorbell at neighbor B's house to borrow movies and see their dog and their fish. She goes to neighbor C, D, E and F's houses to socialize when she sees them outside. At neighbor G's house, she hangs out with them when they are outside, gets things out of their garage, or goes into their backyard to play in the sand. There use to only be one or two places that she would go and it was fairly easy to find her. Now, I send Link to do the rounds. It's ridiculous. If I tell her to stay inside, she waits until I find something to do and disappears. Or, she sneaks out into the backyard and then through the fence to the front and she's gone. She loves to run around in her mismatched outfits, on backwards or inside out. Sometimes two different shoes. Always messy hair because there's too much structure involved with her hair being fixed. I can get it fixed, but anywhere from 10 minutes to 2 hours later, it's all dismantled and flying free. It's bittersweet. I see myself in that little sassy. I ran around barefoot and all messy, spent hours and hours outside. Sometimes with friends, mostly alone. My mom would shove me out the door before 8 am with a paper cup of orange juice and a piece of cinnamon toast. If she had cleaning to do and was grouchy (all the time) we were herded out the door and she'd lock it. Out for the day. I remember spending the night at my grandpa's farm. I'd wake up and be outside before anyone else. It was chilly, but I loved the sound of the birds in the morning and couldn't wait to go find something to explore.

As much as I love my neighbors, sometimes the most dangerous people are the ones who look the most normal. Now I have this little girl who couldn't be more of a target, and I can hardly keep her beside me. So, the hard lessons have begun. She's grounded from outside for the day for disappearing. The next week or so is going to be great fun, fighting with this strong-willed little girl. I love that she'll look at me and say, "Cha!" She heard that one on Thumbelina. Thanks Thumbelina. I'm still trying to reconcile how a three year old can have as much attitude as some of the Beehives I know.

Oh help!

Dont' Go Out on a Sunday.....duh?

I've been wanting a new puppy. Long story short, decision made - breed decided - research done - shopping commenced - blah, blah, blah.... Got word on Sunday that the price of some local Italian Greyhound puppies had dropped and I texted Honey about it. Somewhere along the way, we decided that I would go 'look' at them. I got Link in the car and we took off. I was, naturally, excited! Less than 5 miles from the house, I got pulled over. First, I couldn't find my purse. Oh yes...left it at home. Wha? I had my phone. I had my soda. No purse. No ID. "Oh, come on!" I was thinking. Second thing I couldn't find was the registration. There was a current ins card. The cop took that from me along with my name, birthdate, etc. He then informed me that I was going 70 mph in a 55 mph construction zone, which would typically be between $300 and $400. You have got to be kidding me! While he was in his car making calls and looking me up, I discovered the registration and started texting with Honey. I hate that. You know? Why is it so embarrassing to have to tell my husband that I've not only been pulled over for speeding, but that I don't have my driver's license either.

Side Note

This happened a few months ago, when I was pulled over for driving with headphones on. I had my ID this time, but there was no current ins card in the car, and I was surprised to find out from the cop that my tags were expired. He got me for the expired tags and the headphones. Because of this experience (and because Honey's been pulled over and given stinkin' warnings - we put a marine sticker on the back of the van, thinking it would be as beneficial as it has been for him...).

So, the 'kind' police officer came back and informed me that he was going to do me a favor. He didn't double the fine, like he should in a construction zone. The ticket was only a 4 point for $162. Oh, how kind! Wasn't he generous? Never mind that he was sitting on the side of the highway with another police car and they both pulled over people at the same time. Can you say speed trap? Never mind that I drive that section of the highway all the time and I was not only taken completely surprise by the orange cones, but never saw a thing about any reduced speed. Geez. I had to turn around and come right back home to get my purse. I couldn't very well drive 45 minutes north to look at a puppy without my driver's license, especially now that I'd gotten a ticket already. On my way back to the house, someone started pulling out into the road in front of me. They weren't paying attention at all and I had to tap my breaks pretty hard. Luckily, they came to their senses and stopped. What is the deal? The voice in my head says "it's Sunday...dummy."

I stopped, got my purse, gave the ticket to Honey. He was very kind. He didn't give me crap and he didn't laugh too much. Back on the road.

We found the place okay - checked out the puppy. I decided she was perfect. We got her. The dark clouds were rolling in, just as we were getting ready to leave. Minutes after, it started pouring. Then it started hailing. One large hail here and there. Not a deluge. But when they hit the car, it sounded like someone had pelted us with a rock or a paintball gun. It hit so hard. Before long, it was a lot more and I could hardly see out the window. The road was flooded, we were going about 20 mph, I couldn't see where we were. Ridiculous. We finally made it out of the storm and made our way toward home. The rest of the day was okay. Honey finally warmed up to the puppy. I have to give it to him. He handled it all so well. He 'responded' so well to the whole thing.

(this is in reference to the fabulous Marriage and Family Relations class that I'm taking at church. We've been discussing responding to conflict rather than reacting to it.)

I think he realized that I was going to get this puppy one way or another, and when it comes to compromising in marriage with your spouse, differing opinions and all that...he was golden as can be. Absolutely Golden.

As to the topic of going out on a Sunday?

• Speeding ticket: $162.
  
• Puppy plus puppy supplies: $270.
  
• Hail damage: $100 deductible plus time for adjuster to 'look' and scheduled time for repair.
  
• Lesson relearned that keeping the Sabbath Day is a commandment? Simply Priceless.

The last time this happened, (about 8 years ago) I was at the mall on a Sunday and happened upon a fabulous shoe sale at Nordstrom. Awesome pair of size 10 Doc Martin boots for $100!!! However, when I got home, I realized the box held a pair of these size 5 little strappy something-er-others that belonged to someone else. I called the store. She had taken my boots home. We had to figure out how to hook up with each other, met at the mall later in the week and traded our shoes. Stupid.

On a happier note, we have decided to name our little puppy Nellie. She is adorable! I will be posting pictures. I promise. Hang in there. Our two old lady dogs are taking to her like she's the new baby in the house. They love playing with her. They're protective. They're gentle. It's so fun to watch. Nellie is very attached to me and to Will. She needs more time and opportunity to get attached to George, Sassy and Honey. George isn't as enthralled as Link is. He finds other things to do and keeps himself busy elsewhere most of the day. Sassy spends all her time trying to find out ways to socialize with the neighbors and Honey is at work. It'll come.

Anyway. Now, we have a baby who needs to go outside every two hours for the opportunity to pee and poo. She's playful and seems to be pretty well behaved for a puppy. I don't know if we just got lucky, or if she just hasn't kicked in yet. Last night she went out at midnight and was still sound asleep at 6 am. It does sound too good to be true, doesn't it? No matter. It's totally fun. The kids are loving her. She's really fun to have around.

Just for the record, if you think I'm going out on Sunday again anytime soon? You've got another thing coming!! :D

What a bummer.....

Remember the fat post? Yes. You do. You think after all of that I would have learned something. Nope. You think it might have motivated me to DO something. Nope. You think I would have at least halted where I was and waited it out. Nope. Not that either.

I am now the same as I was right after Colin was born. HOLY SHAMMMMU! What the HECK is going on here? I think I'd better finally make that appt with my GYN for the annual garbage visit we all love so much and get some blood work done. Maybe it's hormonal? Maybe it's thyroid-ial. I don't know gize.

How much do you want to know about me, anyway? Well, I'm feeling a little "So?" this morning. I might sound a bit snootyish. Sorry.

I have depression. Clinical, hereditary, brain-does-it-without-my-permission depression. It makes me anti-social. It makes me eat. It makes me grouchy, destroys my self-esteem, eliminates my ability to make decisions, makes my kids and husband seem outrageously annoying, convinces me that everyone is out to get me, distorts my perception. What else can I say? Mental illness is nasty, people. Nasty! I can put on a pretty good face. I don't know how it happens, actually. I was SO bummed out a couple of days ago and somehow found myself smiling and seeming perfectly normal. There is a difference between my prefabricated happiness and the kind that comes all-natural. Unfortunately, the all-natural kind is hard to come by. I know! It really and truly stinks and I wish I could just change it.

See, I've been on the same meds for over 7 years. I think they have finally just quit doing their job. It's been a gradual thing. Slowly depleating over the last several months, until I suddenly realized that I'm suffering from depression and have been for a while - but in denial. It's all quite annoying. I've been through this a million times and there are tell-tale signs. Things I find myself doing or thinking that raises the red flag. I have to exercise enough self-awareness and self-control to say to my sickened, mentally-ill self that I need to get help. It's like when the power goes out and some generator kicks on the backup lights? I think it's a blessing, actually. I don't think everyone has those. I've seen friends and others with different forms of mental and emotional problems who just can't seem to climb out on their own. I can't climb out alone either, but I can use the backups to at least motivate me to find help.

Ennneeeeeeeeeway......I decided to get help. Went to my guy. He put me on a new stuff. The first two weeks were CRAZY! Now, it's leveled off and I live in a constant state of really tired. It's driven me to become addicted to fully leaded caffeine Coke. There are a few other side effects that I'm becoming aware of. Weird stuff. Most importantly, the dead zone. One or two of you reading know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. Use your imagination. Initially, the dead zone wasn't a big deal. Now? It's starting to be a really big bummer. Otherwise, I still feel like hiding out in my house. I don't want to get dressed or go anywhere. I can't stand the idea of having to do my hair or make myself presentable. I will. If I have to. But it's hard. Ready for this one? I can't stop looking at my skin. This is one of the weird ones. You know how they talk about people on meth who can't stop picking? I can't stop picking!!! I have stopped, now that I've allowed the generator lights to come on and tell me what's going on. So, now after two months of trial, I have to go back to my doctor and go through the process of getting back off this horrible med. What am I going to take now? It sucks.

I was talking to my hair girl about it. She said that her meds make her feel constantly tired too, and she also has the dead zone. It's just not fair.

Depression as a child was hard. I was always convinced that the people laughing nearby were laughing at me. It made me impulsive and I would do crazy things, trying to find some happiness, except that I just ended up getting into a lot of trouble. I couldn't concentrate or function very well mentally, so my grades were in the toilet. In high school, it made me suicidal. I never really tried. I wanted to really badly for about a year or two. Knowing who I am and where I came from kept me from doing it. Somewhere inside me, I knew there was a future I really wanted to have, so I just made it through, I guess. It wasn't until I got married, that I finally sought some medication for help.

I never really knew HOW bad it was until I finally got on medication. All of a sudden, it was like someone turned the lights on. Like I'd been living under water, but finally come to the surface. You know how distorted things are when you're under water? You can't hear other people very well, you can't see things very well, you move slowly....? It's the best way I can think to describe it. Right now, I feel like I'm treading water, occasionally getting caught under, occasionally catching my breath. It's not good enough.

So, I know this is not a well organized post. My thoughts are sorta discombobulated and strange. I also know it's a depressing topic. Duh. I also know that I'm taking a risk telling you such intimate things about myself. It's hard to take. Hard to know your friend might suffer from mental illness and then still want to have lunch and stuff. "How genuine is her smile, anyway?" Just so you know...I might be forcing the smile and forcing myself to get out of the house. But - inside I really do want to be there. It's a strange internal battle. If I'm your friend, and now you're confused, I can tell you that I really do love you. I really do want to be your friend. If I do something really weird, or I seem witchy, or I act like I'm not paying attention...it's all just me battling with my brain to get it to function "normally." I hope it won't be weird the next time we're chatting. Just pretend you knew this all along. I remember telling a friend some really private things about myself and the conversation seemed to go really well. Until the next day. All of a sudden our relationship was completely different and she was all disconnected and stuff. It's happened before. I get it.

So, I'm sitting here at 8:20 in the morning, yawning like I was up all night long, even though I wasn't, wishing I could go back to sleep. If I don't go back to sleep, I'll have to suck down a couple of sodas to get myself moving. Sadly, I became aware early this week that Honey's wearing thin with all this crappola and I have to figure out how to make myself function. I'm sorry that he's annoyed and I'm pizzzzzzzed that he's annoyed. But, I have to choose the high road, right? I've made it this far. I really and truly look forward to the next life, people.

To those of you whom I love, thanks for loving me back. The last few months have been pretty cruddy. At the same time, I've made some brand new and fantabulous friendships in the last few months and I think they are heaven-sent. You know who you are.... I'll make it. I always do. I'll find a way, just like I always do.

And now, we can pretend we never had this discussion and we can pretend that you don't know and I can pretend that I don't know that you know and you're pretending you don't know. Self-induced denial really can be useful.....sometimes. :D


P.S. -- I really am not writing this for sympathy or a bunch of attention. Just writing it. I am fine. Just some honesty - probably too much information. Just don't feel like you have to say something meaningful or sensitive. I promise, I'm not keeping tabs. And, I'm not jumping off a cliff either. It's cool.

Poor Trees Got Shredded

So, we headed off to Hobby Lobby and Walmart today. I wasn't paying attention and missed the turn for Hobby Lobby, so I figured we would just hit Walmart first. While walking in, we were commenting on the looming, really dark clouds - that also had large areas of green in them. Hmmmm. We started getting the things on our list and a lady poked her head from between a couple of aisles to announce to everyone within earshot that we were now under a tornado warning. Within a minute or two, I could hear the rain on the roof. We wandered toward the doors to see if it was hailing. Nope. Just rain. A few minutes later, it started getting louder, so we headed back toward the doors. The sound kept getting louder and louder. It was crazy! We couldn't talk to eachother without yelling. We stood near the doors for a few minutes. It was totally dark outside and hailing like crazy. That was when the Walmart people started herding everyone to the back of the store and grouped us all together by the shoes. I guess getting hit in the head with flying shoes is better than housewares or cd cases, right? Anyway, we all stood back there for just over 30 minutes before they let us go free into the store again. It felt like a lot longer than that. Everyone was talking on their phones. Babies were crying. The guy near us was asking around for a cell he could borrow, and then I heard him begging his wife (over the phone) to go to their basement. Link was freaking out a little. Every once in a while his chin would start to quiver and tears would well up in his eyes. I have to admit, as the decible level kept going up and up, I was getting anxious. I was trying to imagine what it would be like to be stuck in Walmart with a tornado raging outside. Looking around me for some safe place to huddle the kids together. Could I cover all three of them up with my body at the same time? Ok, yes. I probably could. :::::ahem:::::

Anyway - exciting afternoon at Walmart. By the time we got out of there, I had snatched up a bag of Dove dark chocolate covered almonds. It was still pouring outside. We took a spin through Sonic on the way home so I could pacify myself with a Rt. 44 Coke and ended up skipping the trip to Hobby Lobby all together. Dang it. I need some dark olive green thread for my cross stitch. That's an entirely separate blog, y'all.

So, we're supposed to have rain every day for the next 8-9 days. I'm so happy. I love it when it rains. I love thunder and lightening. I love how green everything gets. Some of my plants outside look happier this spring than I've seen in a very long time. Aaaaaand, I get out of going to the pool. Phew!

More Hail

Hail!

Silly Putty Fun

This morning, I asked my boys to clean up their room. When I went to check, there was still a wad of blankets on the floor. I asked them to move the blankets. George moved them, and I saw a smear of orange something on the carpet. "What is this?" I touched it with my toes...oh no...please tell me it isn't? "That's his!!!" Link is always anxious to share information that leads blame in someone else's direction. "It's all over his blanket too!!" George just keeps saying, "I'm sorry Mom, I fell asleep with it." "I'm sorry, Mom."

I'm here to share with you a method for removing that blasted silly putty. I'm amazed. Disappointed that I don't have photos to share. Sorry about that. I wasn't in the mindset of taking pictures.

After a little research on Google, this is what I did. I laid out the comforter and sprayed all of the silly putty spots with WD-40. Yes folks -- WD-40. Within seconds, it became really soft and all of the wrinkles that were stuck together pulled gently apart. With a dull butter knife, I scraped all of the silly putty off. It took a little work, but it wasn't as difficult as I expected. When all of the big chunks were removed, I dosed a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol and rubbed the area. It simply dissolved the remaining putty and transferred all of the orange color from the fabric onto the cotton ball. I'm not kidding! The comforter is now in the washing machine. I will let you know how it looks when it's finished.

I then went upstairs, dosed another cotton ball with alcohol and rubbed it over the silly putty on the carpet. Just like before, it simply dissolved the putty and it soaked into the cotton ball. You can hardly tell there was anything there to begin with!

Fancy trick, you gize! I have been very bluntly reminded why I never before bought silly putty and why I shall never buy silly putty again. If you have conveniently forgotten too, I hope I just reminded you why you're holding out and telling those little scampers no. Don't give in. Don't do it. Be strong.

Migraines and Stuff

Ever get a migraine? Aren't they awful? I get them occasionally. A few times a year, I think. The first time, I didn't realize that's what it was. Honey and I had gone skiing that day. He took me to Vail. As a preface, and I love you honey, but I'm just going to tell this story one more time. Honey was a big skier when we were dating. He'd boast about skiing 35 times a year, or something ridiculous like that. Totally a bachelor then, obviously. He loved getting up at 4 in the morning and tearing out of town. Breakfast? Who needs that? I had told him that I skied once, in 6th grade. Started at the top of the mountain (which meant a little hill, when talking about Meadowlark Ski in WY), took most of the morning trying to get to the bottom and spent the rest of the day in the lodge. He heard my story differently and will tell you that I bragged about something entirely more impressive. So when he took me to Vail, (on an empty stomach) he hauled me to the tip top of vail mountain and set me lose to find my way down. You gize, it srsly took me over two hours. I was crying. I was mad. I was exhausted and cold and wet. And after I got to the bottom, I was done. Done, done, done. Here's a guy who told me he could never be married to someone who wasn't a skier. No pressure there, right? The POINT of this story is that I ended up with altitude sickness, which turned into a headache that hurt so bad, I had tears running down my face. It felt like my forehead was going to explode.

There were just one or two times over the next few years that I got a migraine. They would hit in the middle of the night. I would wake up in pain. These felt like my hair follicles were on fire. If anyone tells you that your hair can't hurt - they're lying. It really and truly can. Sometimes they make me nauseous, or really cold and I have to take a super-hot shower at 3 in the morning. Light, sound and too much air-movement can be really aggravating. A few years ago, I woke up in the morning with a headache that kept getting worse, and worse and worse. Not a searing fire pain, but this one was very heavy, lot's of pressure-on-my-brain. The next day, the headache was gone, but my head felt strange. Like it was bruised on the inside or something. I don't really know how to explain that.

Then a whole new sort of migraine showed itself. I'd started running, training for my first half-marathon. The day I ran my first consecutive 6 miles, I came home - feeling tired but exhilerated. I started fixing myself some breakfast. As I was cutting up some strawberries, I started squinting, and realized that I couldn't see out of one eye. It dawned on me that some people get that before a migraine. It caught me off guard and I ended up with a terrible headache. Later, a friend pointed out that I probably hadn't had enought water to drink while I was running. So, as long as I stayed hydrated, I could avoid them. I would make sure I was drinking 8-10 every day, guzzle a big gatorade after a run and take Excedrin Migraine just incase.

Things I've learned? Too little sleep too many days in a row can lead to one, as well as not drinking enough water. I very often get one when Honey is traveling because it's hard for me to sleep when he isn't home. I stay up until 1-2 am every night. I read somewhere that over-the-counter Excedrin Migraine is one of the best pain relievers, even above the prescription stuff. So, I always have it on hand and if I take two of them the minute I suspect one coming on - I can keep the pain level somewhere around a 6, instead of a big-fat-searing-on-fire-10. I see colors when I'm in pain. That 10 kind of pain is always bright orange and red.

Today I woke up, fixed the boys some scrambled eggs and toast for breakfast and got them off to school. Sassy and I were sitting on the floor playing with the dog, and I realized that I suddenly couldn't see out of my left eye. It's 2 1/2 hours later and I still can't. But, I took some Ex. M. that minute and I'm running with a headache that's a bit yellow - like a 5 or a 6. The only problem with Ex.M. is that it's loaded with caffeine, so I'm also quite shaky and wired from that. Annoying, but an easy payoff. The thing I discovered with this headache, is that if I close my eyes and cover them with my hand, I can see what resembles a cluster of lightening bolts across that left eye on the inside of my eyelid. Isn't that strange?

So here I sit. Wishing I could get busy because we really need some groceries and I was going to go shopping today. I need to pick up a prescription for Link. I need to get a birthday present for Colin's friend. I also need to do some housework.

It stinks. Hopefully by lunchtime, I'll be functional enough to get a couple of things accomplished. But while my eyesight is all freaked out, I really shouldn't drive. I know. I'm so responsible. :)