Michael's gone syndrome:Take 2

Apparently this deployment has gone entirely too smoothly, and the powers that be have decided I needed a little more stress in my life.

It all started a few weeks ago when my dad was visiting, and someone decided to sideswipe Michael's car which was innocently parked out on the street in front of my house. It wasn't too bad. It could have been worse. I just had to arrange for rides to and from the body shop, and $1400 worth of repairs later the car looks just like new.

Then comes this last week where the lesson is DO NOT GET GAS WHEN YOU ARE TIRED! And if you do, then ONLY GO TO THE SAME PUMP YOU ALWAYS GO TO! That way if you needed to you could get gas blindfolded.

I, needless to say, did not follow either of these creeds. After work B and I go and get gas. All is good. Then I go to drive away. Not so good. You know how the gas pumps have the metal arches to protect the pumps? Me too, I know. What I didn't notice, was that about 1 foot and then another 3 feet in front of that this particular pump also has concrete poles. Concrete poles that do not move when you hit them. My van door, however, does move. In fact, it moves a lot. So after hearing the heart stopping crunching noise, I readjust and pull out again and head home. I don't get out of the van yet since I am just getting some money for dinner, and B can get that for me. It took me 2 hours to get up the nerve to look at my door. All I can say is..Can I unlook now?

I call State Farm, who is wonderful by the way, and make a claim. Arrange for rides to and from the body shop...again. You know its bad when the body shop says "Is this the same accident? or another one?" and when your ride's husband says, "Didn't you just take her there?" Now, my van sits, awaiting the estimated $1800 worth of repairs. 1800 DOLLARS, ESTIMATED, It could actually be HIGHER. I would just like to say...Thank goodness I kept full coverage when I paid off this vehicle!

After all that I had to work on Sunday. I hate working on Sunday, but sometimes it is necessary, and I understand that. I try not to complain, but this Sunday? This Sunday was bad! This Sunday could cause me to be a stay at home mom. 'nuf said. We won't even go there.

Then comes yesterday with the little tiny pin prick sized scab that I must have rubbed off in the shower. I have never had so much trouble getting something to stop bleeding. I'm trying to dry off, and blood is running down my arm. I apply pressure, it won't stop. I decide I need to get my teeth brushed and then deal with it. I am brushing my teeth, and blood is dripping down my arm and into the sink and onto the floor. I was off my arm and get some tissue. Completely covered that in blood. Head downstairs and get a bandaid, put it on, and put moisturizer on my face, and REPLACE the blood soaked bandaid. The thing has now been bleeding for more than 15 minutes. At one point I was thinking two things: 1. I am not going to the urgent care for this, and 2. When I don't go and I die from blood loss no one is going to believe I exsanguinated from this itty bitty sore that is litterally smaller than the tip, the tip, not even the head of a pin. Fortunately after, soaking the second bandaid, it finally stopped bleeding. Holy cow. That was fun....not!

The Knight by Steven James--A book review

So, maybe not an official review. I don't really read them, so I don't know what needs to be in them, but if you are looking for a great mystery series, with adrenaline pumping twists and turns. GET THIS BOOK. Actually, get The Pawn, The Rook and THEN GET THIS BOOK.

With this latest story Steven James as solidified himself as my favorite author ever, and as the granddaughter of a large used bookstore owner, who loves to read. I've read A LOT of books!

Steven James has a way of writng that really makes you feel you are there. He writes word pictures in such a way that you can see and feel everything, but without getting so bogged down in the descriptions that the plot is left behind. You will find yourself struggling with the same moral dilemnas, experiencing the anxieties, and feeling the emotions of the characters. Your mind will race trying to piece together the puzzle in time---before it's too late. You will find yourself with conflicting emotions wanting to hurry up and know "who dunnit" and wanting to slow down so the book will last longer.

This is not a book you will finish and go straight to the next book on your list. You will want to savor the memory of the adventure. You will not want to push it out of the forefront of your mind too quickly in order to make room for the next story.

I soooo can NOT wait for summer, 2010 when I get to read The Bishop.

My Son the Not So Great Patient--AKA Answered Prayers

After 2 years of chronic, literally never-ending, ingrown toenails, B had the toenails on both big toes completely removed. He already had the remove the sides of the nail procedure with no luck. They never healed. In fact, the left toe just continued to get worse, and worse.

When we found out this was going to be done I was not happy. I think I was more skeeved out about it that B was. I could just feel the pain thinking about it. I decided to pray for him, and I decided to pray big--not just that the nurse giving him his first IV since he was a preemie in the NICU would know what she was doing, and get it on the first try, not just that the surgery would go well, not just that he would not have a bad reaction to the anesthesia, all of which were answered, but I was going to pray that he would have no pain after the surgery.

After listening to Beth Moore's Bible Study, "Believing God", I came to the realization that I have a habit of praying about something because I think I am supposed to, not because I really think it will make a difference. I was limiting God's role in my life. It is because of this I am trying to be more specific in my prayers. The first realization was when I had a worsening of a Fibromyalgia flare up, and instead of just living with, I decided to pray about it. A few hours later I realized I was feeling better, not normal, but my normal. These types of episodes typically last more than a week. It had only last about 2 hours. I was floored. So for the last few weeks I have been praying for B's surgery.

Today and yesterday have been answers to that prayer. B woke up with no pain. I had him take the Rx pain pills yesterday, but today he has only taken Motrin, and that was a preventative measure. Other than what he describes as "a little burning", he has had no pain. He is acting like his normal self, and he feels just fine.

There is a downside to no pain after surgery, though. It is convincing a 16 year old boy who is not in pain, that he must stay off of his feet, and keep them elevated.

I called him from work today to check on him, and I asked him if his feet were hurting. His answer? "No, but my butt hurts." I guess he is done with being a patient. Now he is going to have to work on his patience.

One step closer to living his own life.

I woke up my sleeping teenage son, not recommended for those at home, by the way, to take him to attempt to get his driver's permit. What teenage boy needs to be dragged to the DMV to get a permit? Mine, and only mine. He is a freak of nature. I could open my own circus.

So, I get him to the DMV, and while we are waiting our turn, I am a nervous wreck, and he is calmer than a glassy lake. I am wringing my hands, praying,and chewing my nails. He is reading a book. And not the driver's manual-just a book. Everyone else there to take a written test was reading the driver's manuel, but not my son. Freak.of.nature!

So finally he gets called up, and I am still worrying and praying and praying some more. Ten minutes later, just as nonchalantly as when we were waiting he walks up to the counter and picks up his temporary permit. Success!!!!! Now, I just have to worry about accidents, not coming home until 2am, and picturing him driving on the interstate, in the snow, that is covering the ice, next to an erratic driver. Hmmm, maybe the DMV will take back the permit.

Thank you

To those that gave their lives, and those they left behind, Thank you.

Loan Me Your Pillow?

I am now in the process of collecting pillows. I need them in order to ensure that I live until Michael gets home from Korea. In fact, go ahead and send your down comforters while you’re at it, so B can live until Michael gets home.

B has had an ongoing issue with his knee that he managed to hurt while playing football. No, that’s not right. He was wrestling, No, kayaking. No, get this, he was walking. Where is this treacherous landscape you might ask? After all you wouldn’t want to find yourself in the same predicament of knee braces, Percocet and MRI’s. Don’t worry you need special access known as a key to my house. The boy was walking in the living room- the clean living room with nothing, AT ALL, on the floor. Now, just 3 days shy of it being a month since this all started, we are waiting for the MRI appointment next week. It’s a good thing he’s not in gymnastics anymore because he is getting a bit clumsy in his old age.

As for me, it’s just been one of those days. I woke up late. Not real late, but I am a schedule type of person, and everything was being done at the wrong time. Then work was busy before we had any cashiers, so I was cashier while I was supposed to be making a deposit, and then I came across a traveler’s check that the customer made out to himself instead of our store, so that is a $100 short. These are all things that happen when I have a slightly bad day at work, not too bad, but then I try to eat lunch, and my credit card is declined. This wouldn’t be too bad except that in an effort to carry as little as possible with me to work I have my credit card, an id and some change with me. I spend the next 20 minutes on the phone with my bank learning that someone has gotten hold of my credit card number. Apparently, while Michael was sleeping in Korea and I was working on making sure the store didn’t lose money, someone was trying to make sure WE did lose money by racking up charges online. Since they were all for $39.99 this put up a red flag for the bank, and they put a hold on the card. Now, we are waiting for a new card. Not so bad for me. I’m here. Not so great for Michael he won’t get his new card for a while.

This is on the heels of spending the last 5 days trying to get my toilet fixed. So, I’m collecting pillows. I need something to put around me and B, for when the roof falls on my head because at the rate we’re going, it’s going to be soon!

My Fish Are on Crack

So, a couple of weeks ago I decided I wanted a betta. Don't know why, other than they are pretty, but I wanted a betta. After dinner one night, since we were on that side of town, my anti-shopping husband, being drugged with some awesome chorizo and chicken fajitas, agreed to go look at the pet store.

Since I am the anti-anti-shopper, I couldn't just look at the bettas, I had to look at everything. Great. Wonderful idea. While deeply pondering every item in the pet store I came across a fish I had never seen before, glofish. These are awesome little "freaky" fish. They are actually zebra danios that have been genetically altered, not dyed, altered by splicing the genes of coral or squid with the fish. They were originally engineered to help detect toxic water since they glow when in contact with toxins. They are neon colored and slightly larger than a neon tetra. Very cute. These are like the perfect fish. Saltwater colors, no saltwater hassles. I had to have them.

After discovering the glofish, I went home, empty handed. But not for long. Soon I had ordered an aquarium and all the fixin's. A few days later I went back to the pet store and walked out with some live plants. Still no glofish. These little oddities of nature have to live.

A few days later I went out and walked out with 5 red and orange glofish and 1 indigo betta. Voila, a faux salt water fish tank. While watching my new little pets I have discovered that bettas swim very slowly--like a feather drifting on the wind. Glofish, however, swim very, very fast, like little fish hummingbirds. I do believe they are on crack or uppers or meth or whatever makes you fidgety. They also beat the betta to the food, so I sit there and watch the food until I am sure the betta isn't going to starve to death.

Oh, and contrary to popular belief, these fish get along great with my betta. There has been no nipping of fins, and no flaring of gills, except when the betta catches his own reflection in the glass. Which is when I learn that not only are my glofish on drugs, but my betta is suicidal.

Ella

And so it begins

Around our house there is a mystery ailment. It has a multitude of symptoms, and they are never the same. We don't know if it is a virus or a bacterial infection, but we do know its name--It is Michael's Gone Syndrome, and it always rears its head when Michael goes on a longer term TDY or on remote. In the past symptoms have ranged from the dog cutting off the tip of her tail, and making our house look like a crime scene while endlessly wagging said tail as I try to clean up behind her to me getting a peice of barbed wire caught in the blade of the riding lawnmower, and trying to disentangle it without getting my hand cut off to the muffler falling off of the car.

This time, however, the syndrome has taken on record speed in settling in. Yesterday Michael left for Korea. His flight left at 7am. The day started off ok. We all drove to the airport, saw him off and headed home for some sleep after only 3 hours of sleep the night before. So far, so good, unremarkable. Then I woke up, and had the brilliant idea to take B to get new running shoes. SUUUURE it sounds innocent and easy enough, but that would be before Michael's Gone Syndrome rears its head.

So we unsuspectingly head to Kohl's to get the shoes, and as we head out, I decide to get some gas. We drive to the gas station and fill up the van. Everything is normal. Then I try to leave the gas station. I turn the key and get nothing but a series of clicks. OK, this can not be good. I turn off the vehicle and try again. Same clicks. Definately not good. Everything works, but the van will not start. So, I call my dad. After all, he is only 3000 miles away, surely that won't be a hinderance. I ask, can it be the battery when everything else works? Thankfully, it can, easy fix.

Now for the fun part. B is only 15 he has no license, so he can only do so much. I walk into the gas station, and tell them that I have to leave my vehicle there for a bit while I go get my other vehicle. The extent of their help was to tell me that if I needed to jump the vehicle to push it away from the pumps first. Gee, thanks. So, I walk home and get my other vehicle and walk back. B pushes the van about 6 feet away from the pump and I move the car in front of the van to jump start it. It worked. Now, I drive the car home leaving B with the running van, and walk back. We drive to the nearest Walmart, buy a battery, and ask them to install it. We are the 2nd car in line, so it shouldn't take long. Wrong, after an hour and a half we wander back over to the automotive section and see the vehicle parked, so we assume it is finished. Nope. They decided we had to be in the tire change line, and moved us. There are still 3 vehicles in front of us. After asking for a refund on the battery, so I can go elsewhere they decide to take our vehicle next.

Finally after more than 2 hours we are going to get the shoes. We get in the van, and now we learn the entire entertainment system is malfunctioning. It no longer works. Back to Walmart we go. This time it only took about 10 minutes. Did you know that Honda has an anti-theft system that kicks in if the battery is disconnected for more than 10 minutes? I didn't. I do now. Everything is now fixed.

In order to stay alive, though, we opted to go home. We can get shoes tomorrow.


Ella

Arlen Specter exactly where do your loyalties lie?!

In the last two days I have heard 2 interviews with Senator Specter defending his position on the stimulus bill. He keeps bringing up the Great Depression, and using fear tactics to try to tell the American people that if we do not pass this bill that our economy will go into a complete tailspin, and we will be on a one way track into a Depression that we, in this generation, have never seen. When confronted with serious flaws with this bill he reverts to "I gave my word, and I will not go back on my word."

1st of all why is this bill the do all end all of our economy? If this bill were to not pass, and it appears it will, it's not like we won't do anything to stimulate the economy. A new, reasonable bill would be written. The only reason the politicians want this bill to go through, and go through now, is so that the American people don't have time to fight the waste portion of this bill.

WHY do we have to have to have all of the extras in such an important bill? If the politicians truly want to help our economy they would put forth a clean and clear bill with only true stimulus line items included in it! I have heard it put forth that this bill should be split in 2. One half for true stimulus and one half for spending/waste, and I wholeheartedly agree.

I understand that all of these unrelated line items are how Washington is run, and how politicians get their, and sometimes, their constituents' interests through, but sometimes we just need a black and white, this is what needs to be done, no pork, no extras just a straight forward, this is what is best for the country as a whole- bill. This is one of those times.

Secondly, and most importantly, who exactly did Mr. Specter give his word to that he doesn't want to back down from? Fellow politicians?! Isn't his, and all other Congressmen's, first and foremost responsibility to represent his constituents? Isn't he there on our behalf? Why wouldn't he back down? If he learns that the majority of his constituents are against this bill who is he to decide he knows best and his opinion is the only one that counts?

If he was promised something in return for his vote I, for one, would love to know what that is.