December? Already?

I haven't turned my calendar at work. In my head I know that it's December, but in my heart I want it to still be November. I've just got too much to do and it can't already be the month that all that stuff needs to be done!

This weekend B is working nights, so I'm planning to do some heavy duty combat style shopping and get some names knocked off the list. That is the plan. I don't want anyone to mess with the plan. Please.

And here's a random thought for you - I put nail polish on my finger nails today. It's probably the first time in 4 or 5 years I've done it. I'm not sure why, but it felt like the thing to do and now I can't stop watching my fingers type. Weird, huh?

Anyway...it's December, time has officially flown and now I must commence the panic!

What did you do Saturday night?

Well, thanks for asking!

I spent 3 hours in the Emergency Room. Thankfully B, was with me. But, let me lead up to the eventful night.

Friday I woke up about 3 a.m. with violent chills. Begged B to throw some more blankets over me and hug me tight. Got up for work, the sides of my head above me ears hurt to touch. My glands were swollen and I felt hot all over. Headed to the folks place about 4 hours away later on Friday and just kept feeling worse. Friday night I touched my forehead and realized something wasn't quite right. I was red by my hairline and it was warm and swollen. Didn't get a whole lot of sleep that night. NICE, huh?

Saturday I just kept feeling worse - taking Tylenol every 4 hours and not seeing much for results. Half my forehead is now red and swollen, my whole scalp hurts, my glands are huge and my head hurt. My 11 year old niece decides that I need to go to the hospital so I don't die...so...guess where we went!!

Thankfully the Emergency Room was quiet, we got a lovely room right away. My doctor was baffled. Yes, it did look like I had an ear or sinus infection but what to heck was going on my with my forehead and scalp. So, 1 CAT scan and a pint of blood later (well maybe not quite that much) and it was decided that I definitely had an infection (sinusitis) and some kind of weird thing going on with my scalp which may or may not be connected. To sum up the night it was three hours in the ER on an uncomfortable bed in a johnny, a trip through the entire hospital in the johnny and my socks for the CAT scan, 4 prescriptions and a doctor who thought he should mention that he'd never seen anything like it in his 15 years of being a doctor. It was quite an event.

The meds are working. I'm feeling better, just tired...but then when am I not! Once again, B was the man....getting me to and from the ER safely (forgot to mention that we had had the first snowstorm of the season that day!) Sitting there, bored out of his mind and tending to my whiny needs. He deserves a medal. Well...he did until he forgot and kissed me on the forehead Monday night and then immediately went and washed his lips with soap cuz he was afraid of my germs! Love him!

A Day at the Hospital

Today dad had his back surgery. Our morning started at 5:30 and I got home at 6 p.m. It was a long day of sitting, waiting, worrying, rejoicing, sitting, working, sitting, eating and sitting. Everything went well, he was looking and feeling good when I left him this afternoon and we are hopeful that the pain he was experiencing from his back is going to be gone.

Hoping mom will sleep well tonight. This has been weighing heavily on her and I could hear the relief in her voice today every time I called with good news.

Can I just say that hospitals are a world of their own. Everything and everyone marches to a different beat and I am so out of my element when I am in one. The good news is that I didn't pass out today and that I didn't even feel close to passing out at any point. I think this shows growth and maturity! snort snort. Truth is, when the nurse asked if I wanted to see where dad's incision was, I started giggling hysterically and squealing no, no, no. But, just so you know, I did actually sneak a peek later on when he was sitting on the side of the bed and I had to call in his order for supper. Oh! Did you know that patients have to call in their order to eat. Dad is such a scaredy cat - I had to call in his order for orange jello and ginger ale. The man will probably not eat breakfast because no one will be there in the morning to order it for him!!

Today was a good day. Dad's surgery is over, he's doing well. I didn't get too lost getting home from the hospital. My mom thought she might be able to finally get a good nights sleep. My handsome husband bought me pizza for supper and let me beat him at a card game and gave me a big old kiss and a hug. Yep, today was a good day.

Worst Blogger of the Year Award

Yeah...I stink at this. It's obvious, since it's been over a month since my last meager post. Anywho, I'm sitting on the bed in a hotel room, listening to my dad snore. Tomorrow morning he is having back surgery and I'm his support, driver, whatever you want to call me. I'm glad that I can do this for him...cuz he has done a bazillion things for me over the years. But...between his snoring, and the heater coming on and off, it may be a very long night!

He's nervous, I'm nervous. I'm a fainter. Usually feel the blood leaving my head about the time someone is brought into their room after surgery, or when I know I'm not needed anymore during an emergency. Wondering at what point tomorrow I will be sitting with my head down between my knees trying not to keel over. Anyone want to take bets on what time that's going to happen?

I love my family - was born into a wonderful one, married into another great one. I'm doubly blessed and know it.

Catch Up

So, let's play catch up since it's been almost a month since I last posted.

• My mom is holding her own, which is a great thing. I'm still worrying and praying and traveling and visiting and taking care of as much as I can, when I can.
• We went to Florida - Disney World to be specific, with my sister's kiddos. We had a great time - wicked hot and humid - but a wonderful time to get to know these 2 little people much, much better. And well, yeah - we learned quite a bit about ourselves at the same time.
• I still love my husband more than words can express.

Why does my DVR do that?

Ok...so B and I are watching The Bachelor Pad (I know, I know...but we can't help ourselves). And we had to run and switch laundry and get a snack and stuff, so we paused it, because that's what you can do with a DVR. So...then we hit fast forward to speed through a commercial and boom, suddenly it's at the end. So we rewind, and boom it's back at the beginning. Say what? The only way it would work is if we fast forwarded it very, very slowly. So that's what we did. Then I hit fast forward twice..by mistake and we had to start the process all over again. I give up. It's taken us 3 hours to watch a 2 hour show and in the end it's the Bachelor Pad for pete's sake!!

Don't worry....

I'm a worrier. Always have been, probably always will be. I pray about it, it doesn't seem to go away. I have a general list of worries...money, what am I gonna make for supper, do my armpits stink, will I ever get all my work done, is my lunch stuck in my teeth...again? Then I have my specific list...my mom, my dad, my hubby and so on.

I worry that I'll never stop worrying. I envy those that seem to just float along in life...just letting things happen and moving through them. Maybe someday that will be me...but don't worry...I'm sure it won't be!

The First Day of School

I work in the Central Office at our local school district in a year-round position. For all of you that think working in the schools must be great cuz you have all that time off - it's not since I don't get my summers or school breaks off.

Tomorrow is the opening day of our school year. All of the staff are expected to be there (no students til next week!) and they do a breakfast and a mandatory meeting. For us in the Central Office, it's the "First Day of School!" And just like back when I was actually attending school, it's mandatory to have something NEW to wear! After work today, I drove myself to the local shopping center and spent an hour trying on things that didn't fit, were a horrid color, or just weren't going to cut it. Finally, I found an outfit, and then I found another shirt I couldn't live with out. Then I went to the shoes and found a great pair of sandals on clearance. Suddenly I had a new wardrobe (sort of!)

I love the First Day of School!

An Office in Motion, Stays in Motion

Today I swapped offices. My former supervisor/now friend departed for a position closer to home and she had the primo office in the place. I asked if I could trade to her office - closer to the photocopier, reception area, has awesome closets and plenty of room and I got it!

I arrived at work, ready to move. Swapped computers, moved binders, boxes, pens and more. Waited all morning for the phone company to show up to swap phones. And they didn't come. So I called them after lunch and, surprise! they weren't coming...not this week at least. Thanks for nothing!

So, I've moved...but I'm not settled and that drives me crazy. The desk is covered with papers, I don't know where I've put stuff and I have no phone. Tomorrow I will find the desk top, I will sort my files, and I will become comfortable, or else!

Friday!

I'm not sure if I can express how excited I am that it is Friday, my "work" day is done and I have nothing planned for the next 48 hours or so. I can cook if I want, I can clean if I want, I can read a magazine if I want. Or, I can do nothing - and that sounds mighty good. B called to see what I wanted to do this weekend (he's working the Day Shift) and I could think of nothing better then getting pizza tonight and hanging with him.

So..the weekend is mine to do whatever I want with it and right now that might be a whole lot of doing nothing at all!

Camping - Part 2

So...if I was a campground designer, I'd make sure that the bathrooms were right next to the tent sites. Wouldn't you? The campground we stayed at this past week was built on a hill. Tent/rental sites at the bottom, on the lake, with a wonderful view. That was really nice. Unfortunately, the restrooms were up the hill...way up the hill. You quickly realize why most of the seasonal rentals have golf carts - and they don't even use the restrooms for the most part!

I think that mountain goats would have been tired after the 4th or 5th trip up the hill! I am proud to say that we only used our vehicle once - and that was because there was a skunk running around on our last night there...

On a positive note - my legs haven't been so toned in months!

Camping - part 1

I want to know why it always rains when we go camping. We tent. Tents don't like water. We camped for 5 nights this past week...4 nights were gorgeous, cool, non-humid evenings - meant for tenting. And on the 5th night, the heaven's opened up and the rain came down, and down, and then down some more. I spent the night dodging thunder, turning on the light to see where the rain might be coming in, moving everything to the middle of the tent, turning the light back on again to see more water, getting towels out of the laundry and trying to mop up the puddles, sleeping for a couple of hours, pushing my pillow up against the tent while I was sleeping, waking up and realizing that my pillow was now wet, turning the light back on again to see how much more water is in our tent...and so on! Then...the wind came up, the tarp blew off the top of our tent, so B and I went out and put it back on. Went back to bed, woke up to the sounds of rain dripping on the tarp/tent and 2 huge gray squirrels outside on the picnic table opening up the gladware that held brownies and treating themselves to a little sugar rush!

So...I'm glad to be home with my honey! Let it rain, let the wind blow and may the gray squirrels find some sort of dessert on the front lawn!

My name is Annie and I love Reality TV

It's true..I'm a reality TV show junkie. I am currently watching a DVR'd episode of Big Brother, watched the Bachelorette last night and may watch the Kardashians, Top Chef or whatever other kinda reality TV I can get my eyeballs on later (after B falls asleep!) And..what makes it more than entertainment is that B watches some of this stuff with me...and talks to the TV while doing it. He's the best!!

A Weekend to Remember

We stuffed as much as we could into this past weekend. I took Friday off, and picked B. up at 5:55 a.m. (after he had worked all night) and we made the 4 hour drive to my parents. My Dad's 50th class reunion was this weekend and his classmates and their significant others were coming to tour his farm and check out the changes in potato farming over the past 50 years. My parents were so proud to have all of their family there - it was worth getting up at 4:45 a.m. and I'd do it again in a heart beat. I spent time with my 8 year old spitfire niece. We played cards, picked raspberries and ate grilled cheese sandwiches. We visited my 92 year old grandfather at the local nursing home - he might not remember our names...but he knows our faces and that's enough. We had homemade french fries and bbq'd steak with my parents. My oldest niece (and her boyfriend) and my oldest nephew came over at 9 p.m. to play cards with us and teach my dad a new game. We went to church and watched our niece sing (the spitfire again!), we visited with my sister and her family, we went for a ride in my Dad's new Case IH Scout ATV, and we just watched and marveled as my mom emerges from the pit that chemo had her trapped in. I texted with my sisters-in-law on the way home and made plans for this week. B & I are so fortunate to have such wonderful families and I hope to never take that for granted. It was one of the best weekends I've had in many months.

Bread & Burn

Today, on one of the hottest, most humid days of summer so far, I decided I was going to make bread. Mom's recipe - I'd never attempted to make it without her in the room with me. I only had to call her once...and well, talk to her while I did most of the mixing, but still I was in my own home, with my own ingredients! And guess what...I can make bread! Still not as beautiful as what Mom makes..but it's bread and people are eating it. I may have to do this again. I will probably wait til the temps dip below 80 next time though.

B was working today. If he's got to work weekends, at least the day shift has him home by 6 p.m. and we can have supper together. After the bread baked off, I went to B's cousin's house to lounge in and around their pool. And that is where I burnt to a crisp. Darn SPF30 Sunscreen, should have used SPF130!

I'm going to go crank up the air conditioner and spray on some aloe vera and pretend that I've learned my lesson about the sun.

Dinner, Movie & a Wireless Router

Tonite we finally hooked up with my sister-in-law and her husband and went on a double date! They both work shift work, and their shifts don't always coordinate so well with B's...so it's been awhile since the 4 of us have been together. Let me just say that I hit the in-law lottery - they are truly wonderful, giving, loving individuals - plus they love to eat and play cards - 2 of my favorite things!

As usual, I overate at Ruby Tuesdays - woo hoo, big surprise! Then we bought a new wireless router. Ours apparently died this afternoon and B was in mourning and I just can't bear to see him sad. More about easy 3-steps to install wireless router later. After our quick stop at Best Buy and after Brent asked every question he could think of of the poor Best Buy employee who asked if we had any questions about flat screen TVs (sorry Best Buy guy...run the next time you see us!), we headed to the movies. No need for popcorn or candy...my loose fitting shorts were feeling not so loose after our meal. We saw the movie "Grown-ups". Had all the funny guys I love - Adam Sandler, Rob Schnieder, Chris Rock. It was laugh-out-loud funny several times. It was just nice to sit in an air conditioned theater and hold hands with B.

So, we dropped my in-laws back off at their house and came home to set up our 3 step, easy to install wireless router. One hour later, with most of that spent with a phone glued to my ear trying to understand the very nice, patient, hard to understand Shrev from Belkin Customer Service...our wireless is working. It was not 3 easy steps...it was about 22 unintelligible at times steps. Not sure of all that I did, just know that it made it work and Shrev was very happy to help me.

Couple Things

So, as B and I watch the Batchelorette tonight, I realized what a cool husband I have. How many guys out there, would give up watching the Homerun Derby to watch the Batchelorette go on hometown dates? C'mon, raise your hands guys...how many of you?

It got me thinking, how many things that are sort of out of the norm do the two of us enjoy...so here's a short list:

• Survivor/Big Brother/Bachelor/Bacholorette - I have turned my husband into a kind of reality TV junkie like me
• Fantasy Baseball - yes ladies, I joined a league with B so I could see what it was all about. I find it fun and aggravating.
• NASCAR Race Pool - we started one together and have run it for several years
• Shopping - my B loves to go with me, loves the outlets...how did I get so lucky?

Maybe it isn't weird that we enjoy these things together - but something tells me that it's not the norm and for that I'm wicked glad!

Sshhhiiiffttt work

When B and I met he worked a day job, 5 days a week - in at 6 a.m. and home by 2:30 p.m. and it worked great for us. We had our weekends to do what we wanted, he was home early during the week so we could take off and do what we wanted. Then, in one of those life altering moments, he was notified that his job was being eliminated and our choices were limited. Hang in there and hope they changed their mind or go back to the job he was working 10 years ago...on a rotating shift. The good news - more bucks per hour and a lot of time off. The bad news - 12 hour, rotating shifts.

I was an independent, lived on my own for 20 years, kinda gal before we married. But for the last 5 1/2 years, our work lives blended perfectly and now suddenly he is working nights and weekends and 5 months into this new life, I'm still not sure how I feel about it. He has time off during the week when I'm working - how fair is that? He only gets 2 weekends off a month, so what am I suppose to do those other 2 weekends while he's either working night and sleeping days or working days and not home til after 6 p.m.?

I know that there will come a time that I will forget what life, as we knew it before, was like. Maybe. I am getting used to the time alone, although I still don't sleep that great when he's working nights, but I'm rocking the dark circles under my eyes, so it's all good.

I guess when you love someone you just figure it out. So that's where we are, figuring it out. I try hard not to be jealous during his 7 day off stretch each month and he tries to ignore me when I whine about wanting a 7 day off stretch each month too!

The Beginning

So, during a weekend of anniversary celebrating, I announced to my husband of 6 years that I was going to start a blog and he couldn't do anything about it. This don't-post-anything-about-me-on-facebook-or-I'll-freak-out man of my dreams said "go for it". OK. That was strange. Was he using reverse psychology? Did he think I'd change my mind if he was all for it? I know better than to question him too deeply, so I changed the subject, enjoyed the rest of our weekend and quietly started a quest to come up with a clever name. Judging by what I came up with, I should have quested a little longer I think.

Regardless, it's a start..a beginning of something for me, from me. I like starting new things, which is why I have several books by my night stand that I've started and not finished, crochet projects half done, and a photo collage laid out on my living room floor at this very moment that needs just a couple more pics to finish it up.

There can only be one beginning...and I'm wishing this one was a bit more exciting. Oh well, maybe that's what comes next!