Life changes

Just when I thought things were going to get back to (semi) normal, I was laid off from work on Nov. 14th. I was shocked and very sad, as that was the perfect job for me. I went right out and applied for unemployment, which is taking 3 to 5 weeks to process here in Arizona, and then went to see my friend who owns the most popular bakery/restaraunt in our town to tell her what happened. She immediately offered me a job, and I have been working for her as a waitress and barista since the 18th. I am very lucky to have a job during these times, the job situation here is dismal at best. I like working for her a lot, and the other people there welcomed me with open arms. The only bad thing is, is that I am on my feet all day, and after having sitting down jobs for the last 16 years, my feet are ready to disown me. I am in agony by the 4th hour of my shift, and I can't afford to buy really good server shoes, so I just have to tough it out. It is very hard. VERY HARD. But at least it's fun and I feed off everyone's energy, so that helps.
Hubby's job has been very slow. His foot is continuing to do well, just sore at the end of the day, but he is trying to walk more without crutches in his boot. The Dr. says that he could be in regular sneakers by Christmas! The ulcer is continuing to heal, and it looks like he'll be good as new after all.
We had a nice Thanksgiving, our oldest daughter and her boyfriend came out to cook dinner for us all, and our good friends came out (all from San Diego) too. Our youngest daughter and her lame-ass boyfriend and our little grandson came down, and our nephew and his wife were over as well. It was loud, and fun. I am going to attempt to clean the house tomorrow, now that everyone is gone. I'm takin' it easy today, since Thursday was my only day off last week. I have today and tomorrow off, thank God.
I won't be posting as much (yeah, like I did so much before), but I will try to once a week. I will also try to stop in my favorite blogs once a week as well.
Wish me luck!

Feelin' mushy...

I just wanted to share one of my favorite songs. I had a wild crush on Barry Gibb when this song came out, and this video just happened to be on TV one night while my parents were watching. I heard it from my room, came out into the hall and just stood there with goose bumps and tears in my eyes. He was so gorgeous and their perfect voices just reduced me to a puddle on the floor.
Anyway, just so you know, I got goosebumps and tears all over again just watching this video. Suddenly I was 13 years old...

Bee Gees - Too Much Heaven


The only way I could get a link to come up was to e-mail the video to myself from Youtube, then copy and paste the e-mail in this post, after deleting everything but the link. It worked! :)

Happy birthday Ben!

Yesterday was Ben's first birthday. I found him online at a local (well, 45 minutes away) shelter. This was the picture they posted with his information. I was just scanning through pics and stopped dead at his. I fell head over heels in love. The look on his little face just killed me, like he was so shy and sad, that he just couldn't bring himself to look at the camera. That's all it took. He's adorable.

This was taken about 2 1/2 weeks before I found him and we adopted him. I told hubby about him and listed all the reasons why we should get a dog for Storm, and he agreed. The very next day, I think it was January 4th, we took Storm down to meet him and see how they got along. They were instant best friends. The lady told me that Ben was very good with other dogs, and very sweet but shy with people. It took about 3 weeks of working with him to gain his trust. He would wag his tail and entire rear end when we would try to get him to come to us, like he was saying "Sorry! I want to so bad, but I just can't!"
Anyway, I love him so much and he's the best thing that's happened to Storm. He is a great dog and I'm so thankful I found him. We took them to the dog park on Friday evening and they had a blast. There were a lot of dogs, and my dogs got along with everyone. I was very interested to see how Storm would do, it's been since last winter that he'd been to the dog park, and he did great. I had a feeling Ben would be just fine, but you never know when it's their first time... anyway he was a very good boy.

Hubby's foot is coming along. The ulcer has filled in and now it's just a matter of the skin growing over it... I still treat it twice a day. It will probably be a few more months before it's closed up. The Dr. took x-rays again on Monday and is super impressed with how the bones are healing. His joint fusions are already at 90% or more! He said that by Christmas, hubby should be walking in a regular tennis shoe! I can't believe it! That was such good news. His foot was really swollen over the weekend from working last week, but the Dr. said it was normal and that it would swell off and on for the next year. This particular surgery (Triple Arthrodesis) is notorious for swelling. AND, he said that it has a high risk of breaking down or not healing... so that was extra special good news about his bones healing so well and so fast! :)
He's been doing ok at work, but yesterday and today they didn't have enough work for everyone, so he and several other people got sent home. That's nice. I was really hoping for a full weeks' pay this week. Oh well! I just don't have the energy to worry about everything all the time.

I got my fall decorations put outside in my entryway last weekend and started some preliminary cleaning for Thanksgiving. There are a few more things I want to get to decorate inside, we have a BRAND NEW Michael's in our brand new mall, and I'm hoping so much it opens in the next week so I can get some cool stuff. For those that don't know, Michael's is a big craft supply store. We had them in San Diego, and I am not the most creative person, but I loved Michael's. I felt like I could do anything when I was in there! LOL

Vote America!!

I wanted to vote today before I went to work. Silly me, thinking there wouldn't be a line when the polls opened at 6:00 am! Wrong!! I got there at 6:10, and stood in line until 6:50, then I wham-bam voted and raced to work... getting there at the stroke of 7:00! Whew. By the way, it has cooled off significantly, and of course I was not prepared to stand outside in the wind... so I was cold, but it was worth it.
Anyway, I hope you all will take the time to vote today. This is an extremely important election year, and 'lil old you CAN make your voice heard!
I am wearing red, white and blue today, an American flag necklace, and my "I Voted" sticker proudly on my shirt!

Just a funny-odd sidenote, I dreamt that I met Sarah Palin last night, and she was super cool. We became friends and just hung out. I really like her! :)

It's November... why is it 90 degrees???

Where the heck is Fall? I'm beginning to think that there isn't going to be one this year. I think the reason I didn't decorate at all for Halloween is because it just didn't seem like I was supposed to. My plans for putting up all my Thanksgiving/Fall decor this weekend fell by the wayside too.

It was too. dang. hot.

I am going to have to do it, however, since we are having Thanksgiving at our house. My oldest step-daughter is coming out and wants to cook. Sounds good to me!

Hubby is back at work today. I had to drive him there. He starts at 6:00 a.m. and I start at 7:00 a.m. I got up at 5:00 (my normal time) and spent most of the next 45 mins helping him get ready. I figured I'd just finish getting ready at work, since I'd be there REALLY EARLY (hub's job is like 3 minutes away from mine). Instead I went to the local donut shop, had an apple fritter and read the paper until 6:45. Then I went to work and fixed myself up. It wasn't such a bad way to start the morning, actually. I liked seeing all the people come and go and listening to their conversations.

Hubby has a Dr. appointment today, which is good because the Dr. will get to see what his foot looks like right after his first day of work. Hopefully it will look ok to him. We want to ask him when hubby can start driving again. Then I can just help him get ready in the a.m., and then he'll leave. He's been doing pretty good walking on it here and there, he actually walked gingerly on it for me without crutches across the kitchen on Saturday. It was so cool, and strange having him be above eye-level with me again. Even on crutches, he's bent over and shorter than me. I hope he is going to be ok at work. I talked to him on his first break at 8:00 a.m. and he said he was ok....but his foot was hurting a little from being down for so long.

He made me a Halloween cake on Friday. It was the cutest thing. Here is a picture of me and my little friend. My shirt says "Spooky" on it, and this is what I wore to work.

I was really surprised to see how long my hair is now. I didn't realize until it was up in the ponytails. I like it! Just ignore the double chin, please! :-/

Weekend stuff

Harmony had the right idea, running away and sleeping. However, I didn't get the invitation from her until today... too late! Of course, our little get-away would have also involved eating lots of yummy stuff that is terrible for you... but who cares?? I think a fireplace, jacuzzi tub, and the softest duvets on our beds would top out the trip. It would be up in the mountains, and we'd have our footie jammies. DVD's and books. Sounds heavenly. The rest of you can keep your minds out of the gutter, please. :)

I did, however spend most of Saturday asleep. I woke up with a headache at about 7:15 and hubby suggested that I take a pain pill and just sleep for a while. So I did. I took a Percocet and the thing knocked me on my ass, but it was the most wonderful sleep, I put my ear plugs in and was a goner until 11:45. Then I got up, took a shower, had a PB & J, watched some TV and went back to sleep at about 4:00. Then I got up again at 6:30, ordered a pizza, watched more TV and went back to bed at 10:00! What a great day! I didn't even feel guilty about not doing any housework or laundry or any of the other 1,000,000 things I usually do on the weekend.
Sunday I got up at 8:00, made breakfast, put dinner in the Crock Pot (Corned beef and cabbage), flipped back and forth between the Cowboys winning (YAY), and the Chargers losing (BOOOOOOOOOOOOO), and then took a nap. Got up, did laundry, dusted, ate dinner and watched TV until it was time for bed.

Here are a couple of quick tidbits about me currently:
*I am reading Maureen McCormick's (Marcia Brady) book. So far it's not bad. I really like autobiographies of famous people. "The Dirt" by Motley Crue, "The Heroin Diaries" by Nikki Sixx, and "I'm With the Band" by Pamela DesBarres are favorites of mine. I read Brian Wilson's (Beach Boys) autobiography and it was excellent.
*I am addicted to "Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team". I wish that darn show was on for more than 1/2 hour, once a week. I always wanted to be a DCC!
*I need an intervention for the show "Intervention". I'm hooked, big time.
*I am in love with Simon Baker and his new show "The Mentalist". He is cute in an unconventional kind of way, and the show is really, really good. I remember feeling the same way when I first saw William Peterson and "CSI".
*I'm pissed off about the following shows being cancelled: Justice", "Shark", "Moonlight" and "Swingtown". What is wrong with these network people?? Each one of these shows were viewer-voted favorites, or generated a lot of buzz (which leads to viewership, idiots!). I don't get it.
*And last but not least, I want to meet and hang out with Judge Judy! I love her!

Serve me up and call me dinner...

'Cuz I'm drained. Mentally, physically, emotionally, and literally (thanks Aunt Flo!)
I feel like a cooked, limp, noodle.
Top Ramen, anyone?

Bzzzz bzzzz busy bee

Oh my gosh, I have been a most neglectful blogger. Harmony commented today, and I got it right when I was logging on to post! We are definately on the same wavelength! It's her son's birthday today, so stop by and give the kiddo some love!

First, I was going to ask a question about commenting. I don't know how bloggers usually respond to comments. Is it in the comment section? Or the next post? Or what? I've tried both, and neither one seems right.

Next, my hopes of owning my pink dream bicycle have been dashed. I did extensive research and many phone calls, finally ending up with the bike's manufacturer... only to be told that bike is discontinued! So I don't know, maybe one will show up on Ebay sometime, but not likely. My next goal is to get a pink Dyson vacuum. I have a fancy Kirby with all the bells and whistles, including the carpet cleaning system, but it is no longer suitable for my needs. Bummer too, because the thing cost over $1500.00 (hubby surprised me with it a few years ago). I am going to sell it, and use the money to buy a Dyson. I bet I'll still have to come up with some money on my own, though. There is no way I'll get even close to what that Kirby is worth. It's in great condition, too.

Got a good report (and the light at the end of the tunnel I was praying for) from the foot Dr. yesterday. He said I was doing a great job with the wound, and it was looking fantastic. He said we are definately over the hump with it's care, and hubby should be off antibiotics next week. He is going to take a culture of it one more time to be sure, though. He also told us that hubby could WALK on his foot in the boot a little, just steps here and there, and moving it around while he's sitting down. I was so happy!

Hubby's job continues to piss me off. The "friend" (boss) finally called last Thursday to see how he was doing, and hubby read him the riot act. Not in a mean way, just stating facts and basically asking him how he thought we were paying bills, etc. when he's been made to stay home. The guy said he didn't expect him to be Superman, just able to get around and be consistant, and that he could come back whenever he wanted. Hubby told him we'd borrowed money to get by until the first of the month, so he'd be back after that. Anyway, today I stopped by to get his check from the 1 1/2 days he worked, and hub's friend who takes him to the Dr. for me when I can't take that much time off work, said they told him that he can't go get him anymore. So the petty shit is starting already. What a bunch of stupid Jr. High crap.

I have been so caught up in everybody else's lives, that I have totally neglected myself. My car is running on fumes because I am too distracted to notice it was getting low. I have been out of my thyroid medication for 2 weeks- too busy. I missed my OB/GYN appt.- too busy. I'm so busy trying to do everything, that I'm not getting anything done. Does that make sense?? I'm tired and going through the worst PMS ever. I want to get awayyyyyyyyyyyyyy.......! At least my eyelid is just fluttering only occasionally now...LOL

Updates galore, and a spastic eyelid....

Ok, we'll get the foot thing over with first. We went to the Dr. yesterday and he took the cast off. Rather than putting a new one on, he decided to help me out (so much, you'll never know) by putting hubby in a removable boot!!! He is to keep it on at all times, so it's like a cast, but I can take it off to treat his wound... AND best of all, hubby can shower without it (no more struggling for 1/2 hour just to get the cast "water-proof"... that was a total nightmare). The Dr. said that it's to the point now, that soap and water are the best things for it, and I am to get aggressive with cleaning it out (which makes me feel faint, just thinking about it), using a soft brush (forget that!), or a washcloth to scrub it. UGH. Anyway, I'll just try to focus on the fact that a shower will only take 45 mins, instead of well over an hour. The Dr. also did x-rays and said the joints were fusing together great. That was very happy news, and he is pleased with how the bones are doing.

Hubby's job update is next. We have decided to just really tighten our belts and have him stay home this whole month. I feel a lot better not worrying about him at work right now, or when they will let him back. His boss(the wonderful "friend")hasn't even called since the foreman(scumbag asshole)sent him home! Isn't he wondering how we are going to make it with hubby out of work?? It's unreal. BTW Diva, he isn't union, there is no state disability in Arizona, you have to be disabled for a year to get Social Security Disability and have it be provable... which at this point the only documentation is what he's had done since July. Even though he had a debilitating condition with his foot his whole life. Our only recourse at this point is the ADA, but I am holding off on that for now until I talk to the bastard (friend/boss), because threatening law suits could cause them to let hubby go for good. And yes, Harmony, they are a bunch of idiot fucktards.

Mother-in-law update... she is in San Diego, living in a 5th wheel that she bought and we never hear from her. Which is the best thing that's ever happened to me, but is very sad for hubby... who feels like he lost both his parents. It makes me cry, how cruel she is to him.

Update about me. I am pretty good. It's getting hot here again, but I think it's the last hoorah before fall really sets in. It was so nice and cool last weekend, I can't wait for it to be like that every day. I'll be able to take the doggies to the dog park, and for walks.... which I need desperately too, so I can lose some weight! I've gained 40 lbs in the 2 years since I was diagnosed with Iron Deficiency Anemia... which sapped my strength and at my worst point, caused me to sleep 18 to 20 hours a day! Anyway, my last two bloodworks have been 100% normal. This is due to 4-hour long iron infusions every 2-3 months. I will need them for the rest of my life, but this is the longest I've gone without needing one! It's been since February. So now I can get some exercise. The only thing else I have going on is an eyelid that is fluttering and driving me nuts. I get this fairly often and it lasts for days... help.

Meme: 5 rad things about me, myself, & I

Given my state of mind lately (just call me Negative Nellie), this is going to be a bit of a challenge. But as Peter Pan says on his ride at Disneyland (over and over and overandoverandover while you're stuck in line), "Come on everybody, here we goooooooooooo!"

1. I am very compassionate. This makes me a good caretaker of people, and very good with any, and all animals.
2. I have a great work ethic. I have had only 7 jobs in 27 years, and that's counting summer or part time jobs when I was a teenager. The longest I've held a job was for 14 years at a veterinarian's office before we moved here. Even though I spend most of my time at my current job surfing the 'net, and blogging- ha!, I always make sure my work is done first, and my office is clean, neat and organized. There is so much down-time that I'd go crazy if I didn't have my computer here. But work always comes first.
3. I am very good at spelling, alphabetizing, and reading. I hated the first two subjects in school (always loved reading, though), but most of my jobs involved alphabetizing and so now it's second nature to me. I've seen how bad spelling can affect a person's view of someone else, and it's super important to me to spell correctly. If I don't know the correct spelling, I grab my dictionary right away! Guessing isn't an option!
4. I'm not a quitter. I've fought and persisted my way through unbelievable amounts of crap in my life. Not the least of which has been my marriage. We've been through so much. Not between the two of us, so much, but suffering through outside interference time and time and time again. I love my husband, and that's enough for me to stay with him forever. I will also stick with a project, or chore, until it's done. No matter how hard, tiring, or frustrating.
5. I (like to think I can) make people laugh. It's HUGE to me, for people to think I'm funny. I also have to have people who make me laugh in my life. I don't have many friends here, so thank God I found all you bloggers who crack me up every day.
**Bonus rad thing**
I'm very organized. I love to take a messy space and go to town on it. However, while this is a rad thing overall, it can be dangerous. I can get way anal over it. Like cleaning the house, for example. I'll end up cleaning for like, 8 hours straight when I get on a roll (which, thankfully, isn't very often), and just collapse (but not until it's done!!).

I'll tag 5 other people, but I don't know who reads my blog enough, except for Harmony, so if there are lurkers out there and you feel like it, I'm taggin' ya! Also, if you'd want to say hi in the comments, I'd sure like to meet you!

Could someone tell me where the bright side went?

GRRRRR..... I am so mad right now. I guess this is a classic case of "that's what you get for complaining". Yesterday hubby called me at noon and told me that the foreman at his work told him he wasn't getting around fast enough (he's in a wheelchair!!), or getting enough work done (you can only grind metal so fast), so he had to go home "for another few weeks until he is walking around!"
***F-bomb alert***
What the FUCK is that about? That isn't what we were told! They knew he'd be in a wheelchair or using crutches for 12 to 16 weeks! And that was before the wound happened! It's only the 5th week! I don't know what we're going to do for money now! Damn, damn, damn.

Meme has to wait again, I guess... I'm too mother-fucking pissed.

Tiiiiimmmeee is(n't) on my side....

Lordy, I can't believe I haven't posted in over a week now. I have been so dang busy with work and Dr. appointments and taking care of hubby, that the time is a-flyin' by....

Quickie foot update, then I'll get to the cool Meme that Harmony tagged me for.
I *think* it might be getting better. Last night when I changed the dressing, I wasn't as horrified as I've been, and I'm hoping that it's not because I am getting used to seeing it. Hubby is now on Cipro, which is the hardest-hitting antibiotic there is. The Dr. and I still don't think the wound is infected, but he took a culture on Friday just to be safe, we'll find out the results today. Poor hubby had to have it debrided (scraped out) on Friday evening, he had an appointment at 11:30, and the Dr. took one look and said, "Come back at 5:00 and make sure you take a few pain pills!" Oh, man. Anyway, he got his cast changed and the wound treated and it was pretty bad, but not agonizing this time. He is very brave. Especially since he is so afraid of Dr.s and needles. Anyway, we go see the Dr. tomorrow and get the verdict on if he has to go back into the hospital for a debridement under anesthesia! I am so hoping he won't have to. He went back to work yesterday, which created a whole new set of stuff I had to figure out and do. His wheelchair is extra large, made of very strong steel and very heavy (about 100 lbs). I have to put it in the back of our (giant, lifted) truck by myself, then get it out again to wheel him up the (long, steep) ramp to his work. It takes forever and I am exhausted by the time I finally get to work. Last night I went grocery shopping and left there with two carts of groceries that I had to load in the truck, unload at home and put away all by myself... after being at the store for almost 2 hours. There are a ton of little things that I have to do now, in addition to everything I did before. Showering is a nightmare. Laundry has tripled. I am awake 4-5 times a night for his various needs. So yes, I will be so glad when hubby is all better... mainly for him and his new life, but also (finally admitting it here) so I can have some help. I'm getting worn out!
I had no idea this post was going to go in this direction. I feel kinda bad, but it is what it is, I guess. I probably should just do my Meme tomorrow!

All puffed up with pride!

Gotta say that I am so proud of my "boyfriend" Luis Castillo! Man oh man, did he put that Charger game away yesterday! Sure, LaDanian made the winning touchdown, but Luis set it up with his awesome defensive play before it! I was yelling my head off. Stinkin' Raiders deserved it...LOL.
Not so happy with my Cowboys. I can not believe they lost to the Redskins, of all teams. Made me mad. Grrrrr.
Thanks Harmony for caring and being my friend. I will post a foot update for sure. It's actually looking a bit better, I think. Without going into yukky details, it appears to be healing over... we'll get the official word today. The only thing is the Keflex antibiotic is making him horribly dizzy, which I never knew was a side-effect. Maybe we can change to something else. He was actually due to start work again this week, but that ain't happening! Good thing our re-fi went through and we don't have a house payment until Nov. 1st! I thought we could put the money we'd be paying this month in savings, but oh well, at least we won't be screwed from him missing work this week. Gotta look on the bright side!

The good, the bad, and the ugly

The good: I have been working on getting our house re-financed since February. I have been through 2 loan companies and 5 loan agents. It has been a nightmare, to the point that one of the two guys I've been working with the most said, "They really need to write a screenplay about this loan!!". I agree. The whole ordeal is a ridiculously long post in itself. I'll spare you the details (for today, anyway!). {{Que fanfare}} WE ARE SIGNING CLOSING DOCS THIS AFTERNOON!!! Woo hoo! I can't tell you how happy I am that this is finally over. We are getting a great interest rate, fixed 30-year, and it's FHA. We'll save a couple hundred a month, and the first payment is due Nov. 1st. I am SO glad I stuck with it. I have to give major huge props and hugs to my main guys who got me through it... Jake Schering and Spencer Erickson at Quicken Loans. All I can say is, if you ever need a loan, Quicken is the company and these guys are the very best. I'm so grateful for their help.

The bad: I'm not feeling well today. I am super tired and cranky. I guess everything is catching up with me? See below...

The ugly: Hubby's foot. The Dr. took his cast off Monday. There is a huge, deep, pressure ulcer on one side of his foot, just above the incision. He had to dig the staples out and clean the sore (ulcer) which caused hubby terrible pain. I have never been so horrified in my life. He was almost screaming, and he has a very high tolerance for pain. I have a strong stomach when it comes to surgery and wounds, but I guess it's different when it's someone you love more than anything. I didn't know whether to cry, throw up, or hit the Doctor! The incision on the other side of his foot and the one on his heel looked perfect and the staples came out without too much trouble, but I was completely unprepared for this to happen. Anyway, after traumatizing both of us for 25 minutes, the Dr. put some ointment, a soft bandage and wrap on the area and told us to come back Wednesday (yesterday). The Dr. had taken off the wrap and was putting a new cast on when I got there, and cut a window in the cast to relieve pressure and to be able to treat the area. I have to change the gauze packing every day and cover it. The Dr. says it will heal no problem, and that sometimes this happens, but I am still really upset about it. It looks terrible, and I am just SO MAD that he has to go through this! We are going in for a re-check on Monday. I hope he says it looks better.

Crushes

I've decided to list every crush (that I can remember) I've ever had in my life... but only people you may have heard of. I feel like it's just time for one of my silly posts... so here goes!

Andy Williams- I was very, very young.
Merrill Osmond
Tony DeFranco
Wolfie from the Groovy Ghoulies (cartoon)
Captain Kool from the Kroft Super Show
Quickdraw McGraw (cartoon)
Dan Haggarty (Grizzly Adams)
Kenny Rogers
Franco Harris (Running Back for the Steelers)
**all three previous guys had beards, and it was around the same time in my life... probably between 8 and 10 years old**
Danny White (Quarterback for the Cowboys)
Donny York (Sha-na-na)
Bill Murray (early SNL days)
John Taylor (Duran Duran)
Dean Butler (Almanzo Wilder from Little House on the Praire... I met him my Jr. year in High School and he was dreamy! Tall, gorgeous, a great hugger and smelled SO good... I was a goner)
Robert Smith (The Cure)
Nikki Sixx (Motley Crue)
Kurt Russell
Troy Aikman (Quarterback for the Cowboys)
Steve Young (Quarterback for the '49rs)
William Peterson (Gil Grissom from CSI)
Colin Farrell

And my current red-hot crush (pant pant pant)....
Luis Castillo!!! He's a Defensive Tackle for the Chargers and I've been into this guy since the first time I saw him, his rookie year. That was 2 years ago, and yes, he is (almost) young enough to be my son... but I DON'T CARE! He is gorgeous, sweet, intelligent, and a great player. I get weak in the knees just thinking about him! :)

Onward and upwards

I can see the surface of the water as I'm floating with the bubbles up to it.
That describes my life right now perfectly. Good things are happening here and there, and am I glad!

First and foremost, hubby is recouperating well from his surgery. He ended up staying at the hospital 3 extra days, because they were having a hard time getting his pain under control. They finally found the winning combo of drugs, and amazingly enough, now that he's home he's hardly had to take any pain pills! The hospital was great, our main nurse was an angel... she arranged to have a hospital bed brought in the room for me, and three meals a day when hubby got his. I couldn't believe it. I guess they saw that I wasn't going to leave his side, and I was actually a help to the nurses with my medical background. Anyway, he is getting around home with a wheel chair and crutches. The Dr. was so impressed with how well he is healing that he put a cast on it 4 days post-op, instead of 3 weeks post-op! That was a big improvement, believe me. I was having multiple heart attacks worrying about bumping his foot while it had the soft wraps on it. So we are getting through this. He has his good days and tired/sick days. I was off work with him all last week so we could get in a routine, and now I'm back at work... not happy about that really, but I have no choice.

Second good thing, stepdaughter left the weekend hubby was in the hospital. We came home to a quiet house that my sister-in-law (bless her heart) had cleaned up the best she could for me. I truly think I'd be in a straight-jacket if s-daughter and g-baby were still there. I miss the baby, but enough is enough.

Third good thing, my MIL is putting her stuff in storage and going back East to visit relatives for an extended time. If I listed all the ways this woman is a nightmare, it would take me years. I just thank God that she won't be living with us, or even in the same town anymore... I have a feeling she'll move back to San Diego when she's through riding her broom all over the east coast. She is a miserable person.

Fourth good thing, MIL is paying us back for the arrangements for Pop. We paid for everything, none of the other kids or grandkids offered to help at all, and MIL said nothing about it at the time, but she gave us a check for 1/2 the cost the other day, and the other 1/2 in a couple of weeks. I'm sending it straight to the credit card company!!!

Fifth good thing, it is cooling down a little here, I can feel Fall coming. It's only been 105 the last few days! LOL!!
Seriously, I love the Fall here in the desert. It is truly coming. Soon it will be in the 70's during the day and gorgeous, and crisp at night in the 50's. I can't wait!!

Tomorrow's the big day!

Yep, you heard right, folks. Tomorrow is the first day of our new lives. My hubby is going to get his foot fixed! Hooray! It has been a long, painful 18 years together (longer for him), and I just know he will see a side of life that he doesn't even know exists. Pain-free. It's a miracle. As you can tell, I am very excited for him. This is a major surgery, his Dr. said his foot is about as bad as you can get. He will have a complete reconstruction, and the good news is, that he will still be able to flex his ankle. Very good news for a drummer...LOL. Anyway, I am nervous of course, it's surgery after all, but my positive feelings far out-weigh the worry. We have to check in at 8:15, and his surgery is at 10:00. They are making special arrangements to do it on a Friday, which they don't normally do surgery on Fridays, so I can have as much time with him at home as possible. We have such a great Dr. and hospital here.
I am taking next week off work, so hopefully I should have some time to blog. We will both get some much-needed rest, that's for sure. Well, we will get rest if my step-daughter and 2-year old grandson go home this weekend. Otherwise it will be chaos. She'll probably get mad and leave anyway, because I will not put up with the crap that's been going on since she came 2 weeks ago! My house is a disaster area, and she lets him run wild. I've been teaching him how to behave, and you can tell that he is relieved to have some structure and boundries! It's amazing that he's such a good kid, in spite of her and her lame boyfriend (who just lost his job). Ugh. I've been on an emotional roller-coaster for weeks now, and I think it's catching up with me. I am planning on taking a little weekend trip to see my sister when things calm down and hubby is healed enough. I need to get away!!!! Where the hell is the Calgon?! :)

Sigh....

I haven't posted in a while. Our family had a terrible event this past weekend. Long story short, my husband's father passed away. We were having a big surprise party on Saturday for his 99th birthday, which was Monday. Friday afternoon, he had a massive stroke and never woke up. He died Sunday morning at 6:30. I know you are all thinking, "well, 99 years old... you had to expect it!" We did always have it in the back of our minds, but Pop was the most vibrant, funny, friendly person I've ever met. He didn't look or act his age at all. Most people guessed his age between 70 or 75, and sometimes younger! Plus we were so wrapped up in the party preparations, and he was perfectly fine that morning, that it caught us off guard. He was fixing something in the shower when it happened. He was always working on something, usually making it worse than it was before, lol. But that's just because of his age. He was a great carpenter in his day, and taught my hubby everything he knows. It was funny though, because in his later years, Pop would tell my hubby he was doing something wrong... and hubby would say, "You are the one who showed me how to do it this way!" I have lots of good memories. Everyone loved him. The terrible thing about all this is watching my poor husband go through it. He's never experienced death, and his dad was his best friend. My husband was born when Pop was 50 years old, and he was able to be home with him a lot. My hubby was his parents' only child together, the kids from previous marriages were grown and gone. I am happy for Pop, he never knew what hit him, he didn't suffer, and didn't linger. We had a lot of family and friends in town for the party, so there was a great support system this weekend, but now things are calming down and reality is setting in for my husband. It shatters me to see him cry, he is a gentle giant who doesn't let that part of him show. I feel so helpless and sad, but I know he has to be let to do it... I've been through death before (not at his level of pain, but almost), and I know what he's going through. If I didn't know, I would be blind with panic, because he's a person right now, who I've never seen before. I hope he comes back to me, I miss him. And I wish to God I could take his pain for him. But I can't. :-(

Mo' random factoids

--I have a lava lamp in my office at work. I also have San Diego Charger and Dallas Cowboys banners on my wall (the two of them playing each other last Saturday night was painful for me). I have been considering finding my life-size Jon Bon Jovi poster from the '80s and putting it on my door, just to shake things up a little bit... especially since I work with all men...LOL.

--My Betta (Siamese Fighting Fish) "Gilligan" (cuz he's my lil' buddy) died. I had him for over 3 years, I rescued him at WalMart, and he was my first pet here. I miss him.

--I am going to have to go shopping for a muumuu, before we take the boat out next time. Either that, or I will have to go fully dressed because there is no way I'm wearing a bathing suit right now, especially in front of family that's coming to visit!

--I love Hello Kitty stuff. My favorite has always been Little Twin Stars.
If I had my way, my bedroom would look like a pre-teen's. All pink and fuzzy and girly. Hubby wouldn't go for that, though...lol.

--My car is too low to the ground for me to get into easily. I need to find some way to get a van or small SUV that's higher and won't kill my back to bend down into.

--I was a cheerleader and on the flag team at different points in my life. Both were super fun!

--I can only sleep on flat pillows....and...my hair has to be covering my neck so vampires won't see it and want to bite me (my 8-year old logic has stayed with me).

--My most recurring dreams consist of flying, or my teeth falling out, or getting lost in buildings with lots of hallways and doors. I love the flying ones. I used to dream about being able to breathe underwater all the time, and then I'd wake up under the covers.

--My dream job is anything that involves helping people. I am a caretaker by nature. On the other hand, what I really want to do is work at home, or from home. I don't know if it's possible to do both.

--I pick up people's accents when they talk to me. I can't help it. I'm really good at languages too. My teachers all told me I should pursue many languages since they come easily to me, but I never did. Lately I've been thinking about learning German, though. In fact, I signed up for a free 7-day Rosetta Stone trial course in German. It's been fun!

--I don't want to be buried when I die. I am going to be cremated, and have my ashes shot up in a fireworks display! Really! I've looked into it and there is a real company that does just that! Wouldn't that be the coolest!?

Getting to know the kid in me

I was thinking about some goofy things I did when I was a kid.

When I was about 6 years old, my parents took my sister and I to Bodie, CA. which is a ghost town in the High Sierras. It was pretty darn cool and I got some really interesting vibes while we were walking around. There was a camp ground nearby and we stayed a night there in our camper. We did quite a bit of camping during those next few years and it was really fun. Anyway, somehow my dad got one of those old-fashioned straight razors and an old shaving cream brush. I don't remember if he found them, or bought them, but my sister and I were explicitly told NOT TO TOUCH THE RAZOR!!! EVER!! Let me tell you, that thing made me so darn curious, but I stayed away from it and every once in a while I'd ask my dad to show it to me. Fast forward a couple of years... my parents weren't home one day and I went and got that darn razor from it's spot on the top shelf of the bookcase. I opened it up and pretended to shave my face. I then reasoned that it was really old so therefore it couldn't be sharp anymore, so I didn't know what the big deal was. Since it was old (and not sharp), for some unknown reason, I decided to test it out...ON THE ARM OF THE COUCH! Well, it cut right through and I liked how it did that so much that I cut 2 more times. Reality then set in and I freaked out. Of course my mom saw the damage not long after she got home, and I thought about blaming my little sister, but I'm a terrible liar and got in huge trouble for cutting the couch... with the razor I wished I'd never seen. I got the belt for that one.

Another classic moment is the time when we were camping in the High Sierras, and I snuck a match out of the box in the camper. All I wanted to do was find out if matches lit if they were struck on something other than the thing on the box. Of course we were told NOT TO TOUCH MATCHES!! EVER! Anyway, I went over to a tree and thought I was hidden behind it, but in reality I wasn't fooling anyone and was in perfect sight of my dad, whom I hadn't noticed. I tried to strike the match a couple of times on the bark, and my curiosity was satisfied when it didn't light. I turned around and my dad was standing there. Of course I got the "What are you DOING?" question... a lecture, and the belt again.

One day I was at my grandma's house and I picked up a stick to see if it would make a mark on the shingles on the side of her house. May I add that she just had the whole house painted dark brown a week earlier. Ok, well I proceeded to make (count 'em) four lines on the shingle that showed up just fine. As usual, I couldn't stop at just one before that dang reality set in. The problem was... I made the lines on the front of the house in plain sight of anyone coming in the driveway and house. I went running around looking for paint (surely there was some left over somewhere), and couldn't find any. I gave up and went in the house to waited to be found out. We were watching my grandma's house for her at the time, and my parents were out running errands. When they got back, I could see them get out of the car, walk toward the house, stop, back up and stare at the shingle. You guessed it, belt again.

I was in Jr. High and it was the Friday before Easter Vacation, also known as: The one-solid-week-of-fun-with-my-cousins-extravaganza! Unfortunately, report cards were sent home a couple of days before, and mine wasn't exactly what my parents expected of me. I told my sister to hide hers (she got all A's and B's), and I would hide mine until after Easter vacation. So we did. Apparently, my stupid sister hid hers under her bed. My mom found it while vacuuming. My sister was home sick that day so I can only imagine the lecture she got before I got home. Well, I come bouncing up the sidewalk to our front door like Tigger, I was on Cloud 9 that Friday!!! I can only say it's a long fall back to Earth from that particular cloud. My mom opened the door, holding my sisters report card, and said "WHERE'S YOURS". Not a question, a demand. Of course I got put on restriction for the whole vacation, and had to do 3 hours of homework whether I had it or not every night for the 2 months. Sheesh.

Note: This last story I have doesn't involve me getting in trouble, for once. It's just about me being a dork and my bizarre reasoning.
I was in in Jr. High and in LOVE with Donny from Sha-na-na. I watched the show religiously every afternoon (it was in syndication by then), and I decided to write him a letter in care of the TV station. I asked him if he was married, what he liked to do for fun, and how old he was. I was 13 at the time, but told him I was 14 (like that would make a difference), and told him I loved him. I also sent a school picture which was very unflattering with my braces and feathered hair that didn't work out well that day. I can only imagine his reaction to this whole thing. I waited months and months and gave up. On the day of my sister's birthday sleep-over I got a letter from Donny... we were all crazy for Sha-na-na and completely lost our minds! He wrote me a very nice letter and autographed picture (which I framed and put on my nightstand). He mentioned that his wife said he was too old for a 14 year-old girl.
Oh, the heartbreak! What on earth was I thinking anyway? LOLOLOL

August '08...so far so good!

I was really, really glad to see July go bye-bye. August has been pretty fine, if I do say so myself. Hubby's appointment with the foot specialist went well, we are moving forward with the surgery plans. He was a little more detailed than my husband would have liked (he's scared of medical stuff), but it sounds like he's going to be in awesome hands.

The only bad thing (well, make that 2 bad things...I just started my monthly nightmare, just now, and the cramps are killing me already) was that I burned my arm really bad making hubby breakfast on Saturday. It looks terrible and it's right on my wrist. Sigh...

We did get to take the boat out on the lake Saturday though. I've been wanting to do it for the last few weekends, and we had a very good time. The water is just cool enough to be nice, but not so warm that it's yukky. We took our doggies and picnic dinner and were out on the water at 4:30. We swam and ate and relaxed, and I was very happy.


This is Storm (the Malamute) and Ben (the mutt). Ben is a lot bigger now, we adopted him for Storm so he could have a playmate and it was a great decision! Storm will be 2 years old on Dec. 7th. and Ben will be 1 year old on Nov. 11th. They both like to swim, Storm more so than Ben, which is unusual for a Malamute. I will have to get some new pictures of them. That's another good thing about blogging, it's nice to have pictures in your posts...and that motivates me to keep my camera nearby and actually take pictures with it!

This is a picture of my dream bicycle. I am saving up for it, I got some money for my birthday and will hopefully get it pretty soon. Just picture it with a basket and pink streamers! I love this bike, and am looking forward to many adventures with it. Now if I could just get my darn Walmart to get it in stock again, I'd be set! When I first saw it, it was like angels singing "Ahhhhhhhhhh" and it was in a beam of light! I've been looking for a beach-type retro cruiser in baby pink forever, but the ones I found didn't have gears, and I need them here because of the hills. So it was a true moment. The problem was, we were broke, so I thought I'd ask for it for my birthday in a couple of months. When I went to look for it the day before my birthday, it was gone! And they didn't know when/if they'd get more! And this was in June!! So I'm hoping hoping hoping...a miracle will happen.

Hey Harmony, I can't get on the blog of yours I usually read. I found your other one, though, and will start reading it later today (Life in the L.O.)

Crisis averted....for now.

So yesterday I met with the backstabbing friend (aka hubby's boss). He wanted to talk to me, alone, because he said he can always get the 'real' story on what's going on and how I feel. So I gave it to him alright... and in the process, woke him up to several things that were going on in his own company that he didn't know about. One of which was that the P.O.S. wannabe supervisor told hubby that his pay would be cut or he'd be fired. He swore he didn't know that threat was made, and I told him he'd better get more involved with what was going on there! You know, he's been so stressed out, so much is going wrong, blah blah blah, that he isn't paying much attention to the shop. Whatever! So I told him that it was complete f*****g bulls*** that we'd been under so much stress for the last 6 weeks due to the threat that was made. I told him I was practically vomiting with fear every week when we'd get hubby's check, wondering if this was going to be the week it would be cut in half. He said his main concern was hubby's health deteriorating so much in the last 3 years and as a result, his work performance was declining severely. I asked him why he thought that was?! We didn't come over here to have hubby work himself to death and worry himself sick over money...we were told it would be easier and better! He's known what hubby's condition is, for over 20 years!!! I told him that not one single day since we came here has been easier or better for my hubby! Or me!!! Anyway, he wanted to make sure we were going through with the surgery and get well, so he could justify paying him what he does, and more, in the future. I wanted to make sure his job was secure...and the pay not get cut, since we were moving forward with our plans. I also demanded that he "call off the dogs", meaning his idiot "supervisors" and their pussy-ass punishments. And I worded it exactly like that too! I told him it was making a bad situation worse and it needed to stop now! So it was a long, stressfull week, culminating in this meeting which almost gave me a nervous breakdown. But my hubby was right, he said, "You are a lot smarter than him, and you don't have to worry about what you are going to say, or how to answer, because we have the truth on our side!" So it was ok. And I sure hope it will stay that way for a while now. I am still a bit skeptical though, he said so many things before... I hope to God he goes through with what he told me he'd do yesterday.

Two Confessions

Confession #1:
I just finished eating a chocolate cupcake with buttercream frosting and a Hershey with almonds bar for breakfast. Wash it all down with a Diet Coke, and you have the "Breakfast of Champions"! What a slug... and I have the nerve to complain about my weight? Go figure!
Confession #2:
I am having a nervous breakdown. How sad is it that in only my second post ever, I am going to whine and complain about something? Anyway, my life is totally upside down right now, and I am afraid things are going to get worse before they get better. I have tried really hard to be an optomist through this crisis (which is not my normal mind-set), but I have to be realistic. My husband's job is in serious jeopardy, and I do not know what is going to happen with our home, lives or future. Every day he goes into work and gets more bad news. It is such a long and involved story leading up to this situation, that the thought of posting it all is exhausting. In a nutshell, we gave up our beautiful home in San Diego, to move out here (this town and lake used to be our vacation spot)to work with a good friend who was moving his business. We got all kinds of promises, but most importantly, the work would be much easier for my husband who has a disabled foot/ankle. No standing, just office work in the air-conditioning, and be "be brought into the business". We've been here 4 years and he has been working on his feet in the shop where it is boiling hot in the summer and freezing in the winter. This 'friend' said 2 weeks ago that if he didn't get his foot fixed, they would cut his pay in half or fire him...that he wasn't being productive enough. Just a side-note, he works with guys half his age who are in normal physical condition. This friend has known us for almost 20 years and we really thought he was being sincere in wanting to help hubby and give us the opportunity to have a really great life here. We had a lot in S.D. but hubby was working hard and it seemed like a real blessing to have things be easier on him. We were really had. There is a lot more to the story, believe me. I might post bits and pieces as it goes. Anyway, the company went to 4 10-hour days recently, but some of the guys have been working on Fridays, and when hubby asks to work too, they say no. Problem is, we aren't making enough money to get by. Things could be worse, and they sure are for many people, I pray for them every night...but gee whiz, this is really getting me down.
I do have a happy thing though, I got my very first comment, and I am so excited! Thanks Harmony!

OK, so it's not a giant step for mankind...

Tap,tap, is this thing working? (cue feedback...screeeeeeeee!!!)
Oh! Well hello. This is a very big day for me. After months of lurking around others' blogs and occasionally saying hello to my faves, I have decided to blast myself off into the blogosphere. I have a feeling, much like the first manned mission to the moon, that it will be filled with anxiety and near-fatal (kidding!) errors. Unlike that first trip to Mr. Moon, my launch will be met with much less fanfare. In fact, no one may know about it at all! That's ok though, this is going to be fun and theraputic for me... and if anyone else wants to take the ride, great! Hop on board...let's go!