Day 104: December 9th, 2009

Quote of the Day:  by Allan K. Chalmers:

"The Grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for."

I got up this morning to a FREEZING COLD HOUSE!!!! The door to the backyard had come open in the middle of the night thanks to that stupid weatherstripping keeping it from closing, and it was 51 degrees in the house with the heater running full blast. Dangit! Just what we need, a bigger electric bill. What a total waste. At least all the cats were smart enough to figure out that it was too cold to get outside, and they were all in the house. I can't wait until we have the money to completely replace the doors and get rid of that particular problem. And the windows... you can feel a ten degree difference when you're within three feet of a window. We'd DEFINITELY save on electricity then.

Today was picture day for my weight-loss records, but I had to wait forever for the house to warm up enough for me to feel comfortable doing them, since I have to be in a bikini and all. I honestly can't say that I see any difference when I'm looking in the mirror, but I guess that all my weight loss is occurring all over my body instead of just in one area, so it's making my body appear the same even though I'm losing weight? It's so hard for me to tell! The pictures show the loss, though... I was pleasantly surprised. I've still got a way to go, but I'm getting there. Definitely going to have to up the toning exercises, that's for sure! LOL

The newest Harry Potter came out on DVD yesterday, and of course it is a have-to-have, so we bought it at WalMart while it was still sale price. Don't you love how WalMart has that reduced-price thing for the first three days of its new releases? Saves you SOOO much money! For once I had both the boys at home at the same time, so we all piled into the car to get down there and get the movie, and something to eat while watching it because I didn't have anything laid out to cook for dinner.  It had been a really great day, with no backtalking, no arguing, and everything going along smoothly. Then, as it always happens when the two of them are together for any amount of time, Damien and Cody's personalities finally clashed and the entire drive there, time in the store, and drive home were monstrous.  See, the problem is that they are BOTH too much like Ron and I are. Neither of them will back down if they know they're right, neither of them has learned how to just "let it go", and they are both very opinionated.  Normally, this is not a problem for most people. However, that being said.... it really stinks because once Damien gets into his bad mood, it LASTS. A LONG TIME.  And he starts in on the "people suck, the world sucks, my generation is a bunch of idiots and morons" thing that drives me so nuts. I wish I knew where he had learned all this negativity from. Ron and I haven't spent his entire childhood ranting and raving about things like that, so he either learned it at school from his friends, or he is just naturally pessimistic and a bummer to be around. And he really is a depressing person. He has this ability to bring everyone around him down when he's in one of his moods, and it MAKES! ME! NUTS!

I got a couple strands of Christmas lights up yesterday in the front yard, but it was sooooo cold and windy outside, with such strong winds, that when it started sprinkling I said the heck with it and came back inside. Now, I'm thinking that maybe I should have stuck it out and dealt with it, though, because today's forecast high WAS supposed to be 36... Brrrrrrrr.  But I had to get out there and try to get the lights done so that I can take pictures to send to my baby, soooo... today it was back out to the yard in the cold and do some serious lights.  When I got up this morning it was like 20 out, with a wind chill of 7. WAY too cold to even step foot outside.  When I started doing the lights it was 29 out, with 17 MPH winds, so the wind chill was 17.  At 3pm, when I finished the ground lights, it was 31 out, with a wind chill that felt like 22. Definitely an improvement, but still cold as heck.  Then, at 4pm after doing the tree out front, it was still 31 with wind chill of 22.  Forecast high of 36 my BUTT!!!!  I don't think so!!!!  We never did make it.  And now it's 9:20 at night, I'm only 3/4 of the way done with the lights, and it's 24 out with a wind chill of  17. I am ONE COLD PUPPY!!! Can't wait to get it all finished so that I can come inside and get WARM!!!! May even get out the heating blanket tonight, who knows.

Have you ever seen me all bundled up for warmth, by the way? I gain a hundred pounds instantly.  It's hilarious!  Here's a comparison photo for you, both taken this morning, so that you can see the difference. Like I told my friend Sherrie when I showed it to her, it looks like some sort of crazy weight-loss commercial! HAHAHA

Oh, and by the way, Ron, I do NOT know why you took the light stakes off the edging lights to store them, but it is such a pain in the butt to have to use the pliers in the cold to squeeze those wires together that I am not taking them off this year. I will figure out a way to store them without removing the stakes, thank you very much. Maybe I can line them all up on the ground and roll them up in layers of cloth like one of those little roly-tool kits they show on tv, so that they don't tangle up and are easy to work with next winter.  I'll think about it while I'm waiting for the time to take the lights down and come up with something. But I can't even imagine sitting out there for hours with the pliers prying the wires apart to get the lights out.  So next Christmas time it's going to be a little different putting those lights up.  The rest of it will be the same, though. The bagged lights seem to work out really well, so I'm glad we came up with that.   Oh, and as far as the tree goes.... we need to buy six or eight giant LED nets that can all be hooked together and cover the tree, because it is a PAIN to try to get the lights up into it! I did not like it at all.  You know me and ladders... ;)

Got the part in yesterday afternoon to fix the water heater! At first when I looked at it I was wondering how in the heck I was going to be able to do the repair, but ya know how that goes.  I looked at the information that came with it and it seems pretty easy to do. I was going up there tonight to replace the old circuit board with the new one, but it has taken so long to do the lights that I wouldn't get to it until late, and like Ron said, who knows how long the water heater will take to replace. SOOOO, I'm going to do it tomorrow.  We'll see how that goes, but I'll write an update on here tomorrow with pictures. Right now, I'm going back out there to finish those darn lights. The pictures had BETTER look good, with all this stupid work! HAHAHA

Day 103: December 8th, 2009

Quote of the Day:

"With what a deep devotedness of woe

I wept thy absence - o'er and o'er again

Thinking of thee, still thee, till thought grew pain,

And memory, like a drop that, night and day,

Falls cold and ceaseless, wore my heart away!"

                                  ~Thomas Moore

Well, I did it! I found out this morning that I passed my class with an 80.  THANK GOD! I was really sweating bullets after that monstrous final exam! I have NEVER taken such a horrible test, in my entire life! And it turns out, all my study group passed as well, so we're all still in great shape for studying together next semester.  And next semester we will all REALLY need to study a LOT.  Next semester is when we have to take the HESI exam - the test which you HAVE to pass or else you cannot graduate.  Everyone gets three chances to pass it, but if you can't pass it then you're not graduating with the rest of your class.  Not sure what class they make you repeat, or how it all works. I don't think I really even want to know. I've just spent the entire time telling myself that I AM GOING TO PASS IT THE FIRST TIME I TAKE IT SO THAT I DON'T HAVE TO STRESS OUT ON IT ANYMORE.  I am so tired of all the worrying that goes along with nursing school. It almost seems that the classes you have to take to get your degree are a lot harder than the job you will be doing! And then, once I get the HESI exam behind me I'll have the NCLEX-RN to look forward to... the test I have to pass to get my RN license.   Oh, joy.  WHEN will the testing end, for pete's sake?

I jumped through hoops today and went shopping for Ron for some quick microwave meals and spent a couple hours packing all his things into boxes and mailing them to him.  I sent him four boxes of that cranberry stuffing so that he and the guys can have it for Christmas dinner, and the good thing is that the lady at the post office said that it should all without a doubt make it there before Christmas.  THAT is good news! I know, things happen that rarely can be foreseen, and there are times when you're mailing things to an APO that they just aren't going to make it in the promised time no matter what, but it's still comforting to think that there's that chance. I sent him banana bread and beer and cheese bread, too, and a couple other small things. I think the one he'll most appreciate is his robe, so that he can be warm on the way to and from the showers. I've sent him all sorts of things to use to keep warm, so he should be very comfy until he comes home. Which isn't soon enough!

I started putting up the Christmas lights out front today, but didn't get much done hardly because the wind was blowing, it was cold, and it started to drizzle. So I packed it up and came back inside. Forget it! LOL I'll go back out there tomorrow with some warmer clothes and all day to work on it and see how much I can get accomplished. As of right now, I'm tempted to only do the white lights around the edges of the yard and leave the rest until NEXT year. Would sure make it easier to do that, wouldn't it? I'll see how I feel tomorrow.  Oh, and the part for the water heater came today, so I'll be going up here in a little bit to switch those out. Wish me luck that it's the right part, and that it is easy to do... I don't usually work on anything electrical, that's Ron's job.  I'm just not that great at it. But it's got to be done, so I'll let you know how it went, and if we have hot water in the kitchen tomorrow morning. THAT would be great! :)

Other than that, I'm sitting down tonight with my list book and getting everything all set up for my time off, so that I can have a plan of attack to help me get things checked off.  Already I have more on there than I will be able to do, but that's okay... I've got some other things to add which would be much better in the long run to do.  And there's a couple things which I can mark off completely because they were already finished.  But first, I'm off to Movie Gallery to return Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.  Which was pretty good, by the way.  I've got my eyes out on a couple of other movies I would like to see. Maybe I'll find the time to catch the cheap shows sometime.

A Message From Ron

From: "Ron"

To: Carmen

Sent: Tue, December 8, 2009 1:25:19 AM

Subject: Hey love

Guess what I just found out? They are planning on promoting me again this coming August to SMSgt!!!! All I have to do is finish my senior enlisted course ASAP. Is that kick ass or what? Anyways I need to get back to work, I was just so excited that I had to let you know.

Love ya and will talk to you tonight.

RONALD A. NASON, MSgt, USAF

From: Carmen

Sent: Tuesday, December 08, 2009 4:12 PM

To: Ron

Subject: Re: Hey love

HELL, YEAH! I AM VERY, VERY EXCITED FOR YOU!!!!!  CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! How long does it take to finish the course? Will you have to take it over there? This is pretty sudden, since you're only over there a couple more months. Wow! :)

Talk to you soon! Love ya!

From: "Ron"

To: Carmen

Sent: Tue, December 8, 2009 7:36:52 AM

Subject: Hey love

I was actually already enrolled in the course and was planning on finishing it here before I found out about it. The Major told Mike that I needed to come see him this morning as soon as I had a chance, so there I was trying to figure out what I had screwed up on or who I pissed off this time! That is when he asked if I was interested in being the next SMSgt, I’m sure I had the deer in the headlights look for a moment until I understood what he was saying, so I told him uhm dugh of course I am! So then he told me that Col Luke had asked all the other SMSgt about it and they were moving a slot to my section so they could promote me. Then he told me that I have to finish this course before I can sew it on. So now I’m on a mission to finish it. It isn’t too bad, it’s all on line and there are 5 sections that after each section I have to go over to the Learning center and take a test. SO I guess if I already knew everything that was in it I could be done in 5 days, you can only take one test per day. So my plan is one to two tests a week until I finish it.

Oh and it might be as soon as April when I sew it on, the time in grade requirement is only 20 months not 24. So if that’s the case I will have an almost entire month of SMSgt pay at the end of my orders! This also means only one more stripe to go! Anyways I need to finish up some things here in the office before I can call it a day.

Love you and will talk to you in a couple of hours…MUAH!!!

So I guess pretty soon, I'll be seeing....

Wow!  Came a long way from this.....

Or actually, from nothing.... since he started out his career as a NO-STRIPE! LOL

Day 102: December 7th, 2009

Quote of the Day: "Remember sadness is always temporary. This, too, shall pass." -Chuck T. Falcon

Well, the best thing that I can say is that it is FINALLY over.  By the time I was only on the second page of the test I had this sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. The way the questions were worded was extremely misleading, and it even took ME almost an hour and a half to take it. And those of you who know me, know that I can finish a test in no time at all without hardly blinking.  PEOPLE WERE LEAVING THE ROOM IN TEARS! I know that there were a lot of students in my class who were in danger of failing the class, their grade banking on them doing well on the final exam, and I really am wondering how many people will be in our group after this.  It was without a doubt the most difficult test I have ever taken in this program. I don't think that I did very well on it at all.  I left with that same sinking feeling, just KNOWING that I had failed the test.  If I failed the test, then I failed this class, which means that I cannot continue in nursing school until NEXT January... that's January of 2011. So.... it is with a heavy heart that I await my final grade in the class.  I'm on pins and needles, waiting for a miracle but not really expecting one. I don't even care anymore if I'm stuck with a "C" in the class, just PLEASE let me have passed it so that I can move forward and be a nurse. If I didn't pass, that's a whole year of waiting in which all the knowledge I have gained will be lost due to not being around it.

On the positive side of things, I finally had the time to call Whirlpool and speak to some yahoo in God only knows what foreign country. Seems this lovely little water heater is only under warranty for labor for one year, after which it has 9 years of warranty for "parts and tank only". So.... they are shipping me out a new control board that I have to put in myself. It will get here tomorrow. And she tried to make me pay shipping for that part, can you believe it??? For something that happened as a result of THEIR product's malfunction??? I DON'T THINK SO. Needless to say, I am receiving the new part tomorrow VIA UPS and did NOT have to pay shipping for it. I'm not sure if they think all Americans are idiots, or what, but come ON! Stand behind your product, already. Stop nickel and diming your consumers!

Okay, enough of that.  I had to go toWalMart this morning with Laurie to help her find an American flag for the front of her house, and while we were there I found Ron's little miss Mocha a coat to keep her warm, at a third of the prices I have seen ANYWHERE... even at WalMart.  I am not convinced she likes it, but how should I know.... She was shivering so badly that I forced her to come inside.  You'd think I had killed her or something! I mean, really.... it's 30 degrees outside today with a wind chill of 25... I THINK you can come inside for a while.  Seriously, she loves the outdoors so much it's hilarious. She'd even rather be in the garage on her dog bed than in the house. I think she has something against cats, actually... now that I think about it.  Oh, and can you believe.... WalMart had a scarf and legwarmer set.... FOR DOGS!!!! Who in the world comes up with this stuff? Do they sit around reading kids' books and then decide that real dogs would like to wear this stuff too? I couldn't resist.... so here is a picture of Mocha in her scarf and leg warmers.... WAY over the top, but too cute to care. I think. HAHAHA

Day 101: December 6th, 2009

Quote of the Day: "Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence." - Helen Keller

I found my list book, sitting right in my bookshelf where I must have left it. Which is not where I remember having it last, NOR is that where it usually is. I don't ever put it in the bookshelf because I constantly use it, which means I must have put it there one day while cleaning for study group or something. I have no idea half the time why I put things places, or don't, or anything. It just doesn't make any sense. But at least I found it, right? So now I know that I had intended to sort out the linen closet over Christmas break, and re-organize the kitchen (what was I thinking on THAT one?). I also know that I wanted to paint the master bathroom, train the dog, finish my painting, and organize all the paperwork and stuff throughout the house.  Boy, will I sleep better knowing that I have all of THAT hanging over my head in the next couple weeks, on TOP of what I have been thinking about doing to surprise Ron. Yikes... time's going to FLY by!

I sorted out the Christmas lights today and came up with my plan of attack, and now I just have to wait and see what it will turn out like once i get started tomorrow after the final exam. I've decided that when they have the clearance sales this year we need more single-color light strands... we have tons of white, tons of blue, and tons of multicolor, but only two red strands and two green strands.  NOT hardly enough to give us a good variety of colors out there... I'm going to have to remedy that ASAP. BEFORE next Christmas, which is going to be our best yet... because Ron and I will be doing it TOGETHER. Not just him, and not just me.  THAT I'm looking forward to. This year? Not so much.

I found a blog today that was written by a nurse that really made me stop and think. She told a story about a house that she would always pass by on the train to work, that always had party lights on and people out and about, that she was just fascinated with.  Every day on the way to work she looked forward to seeing the house with its lights and parties and wonder about the owner, and how anyone had the strength to host so many parties.  Then one day the lights were all off and nobody was there, and when she got to work she found out that the lady who lived in that house was in the hospital. The nurse talked to her for a long time and learned her story of how she lost most of her family and children leaving Argentina (I think) to go to Canada and had spent the rest of her life feeling guilty for it so she always wanted to have her big house all lit up and happy and all her remaining family around her all the time. It was really a sad story, because the lady passed on later that shift, but it left the nurse with a sense of knowing something greater. She had to sit down and think about what the important things in life really are.  Those are the moments which I think will make nursing worth it in the end, the moments that take your breath away.

Off to bed now, I have final exams tomorrow.... wish me luck! Goodnight, everyone!

Day 100: December 5th, 2009

Quote of the Day:

"Walking, working, barely breathing

My thoughts, far away-

Heart aching, mind racing-

Sleep does not come easily, nor last long...."

~Peter Winstanley

I'm having a really hard day today. Well, mostly tonight, I suppose. It doesn't help that I am alone again, just sitting and moping around the computer wishing that there was something besides cleaning to do.  Cody left around six to go spend the night with his friend Nathan who lives out in the country, and Damien is still over at his friends Kim and Devin's, where he has been most of the week.  And that leaves just me, in a big old house with just cats for company, and the dogs if I can force them to stay inside.  It wasn't too bad, until I went to write tonight's blog, and had to type those three little numbers at the top as the title... 100.  They're the lowest numbers there could possibly be.  A one, and a couple of zeros. So insignificant. Until you put them together, in that order, and your heart does this painful little flop as you begin to realize just how long you have really been apart from the one person in the whole world who means the most to you.  It's kind of funny how 99 did not bother me at all, but that 100 just threw me for a loop.  I felt the same as I did the other day when I was getting out the Christmas decorations and had a bad moment when I was putting up four stockings while thinking about how only three of us were here this time around.  I am tough, I know, but those times that take you by surprise are the ones that hurt the most. I can't wait until this whole mess is OVER!!!!

I found that postcard that I was so stressed out over finding, it was stuffed in with some customs forms that I have in the kitchen to fill out to mail Ron his packages. I don't know how they got in there, it must have happened when I was clearing the table to serve Thanksgiving dinner. Not sure, exactly. But it was quite a relief to find it, because that means that everything will be fine and nothing will get in the way of me getting into classes next semester and graduating. BIG sigh of relief, because that potentially could have held me up in registering which would mean that I would have to wait a whole year to finish nursing school.  So yes, I am VERY HAPPY that I found it.  Now if only I could find that stupid Lists book as easily....

I think tomorrow if the weather is decent I'm going to go outside and start putting up all the yard lights. I really don't want to, because I have this mental image of Ron crouched down in the yard ALL DAY LONG, literally, putting the spikes in the ground and having to set up those lights just right in order to get them to fit and look good, and it seems pretty intimidating. But I know that he ( and probably some of the neighbors ) would be disappointed if I did not at least make an effort, so I'm going to do it anyways. But when I get to the roof lights.... if I fall off that ladder there are going to be some SERIOUS consequences!!!!!! LOL  I may have to come up with some sort of plan or invention that will make it to where you can just pop the lights up there on a board or something with a hook at either end of the roof, so that it won't take more than ten minutes or so to do the whole front of the house.  Maybe that would be a good idea anyways.  I brought up that idea last year to Ron, but he said that he prefers to do it the old-fashioned way... I guess he feels that it makes a difference on how they look.  Me personally, I think that the less time you have to spend on that part of it, the more creative you can be with the other parts.  Just a thought... I know everyone has a different way of doing things. I'll bet, though, if I started going out there with him every year and decorated with him, we could REALLY have a snazzy yard! I'm big on doing treetops, tree trunks, and pretty much everything out there, whereas Ron is more traditional and prefers rooftop and bushes, and now the yard border that everyone in our neighborhood does.  If you mix the two of us together, WATCH OUT!!!! GORGEOUS HOLIDAY LIGHTS IN PROGRESS!!! LOL

I do promise to take pictures when I'm done, though.  It should at least look good on HERE, right?

Oh, and just as a little taste of what I have to try and match... here's some pictures of the awesome job Ron did last year... a hard act to follow!

Day 99: December 4th, 2009

Quote of the Day: "May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields. And until we meet again, may God hold you in the hollow of his hand." ~Irish Blessing
I can’t find my “List Book”! I have looked EVERYWHERE, and it is just not anywhere that I can find it! I wouldn’t mind so much, except that it has a list in there of all the things I wanted to get done over Christmas break, and now I can’t remember what all was on there because I wrote it all down so that I DIDN’T have to remember! UGH!!! I can’t believe that it’s missing, but isn’t just like me… to forget where I put the thing I started to help me keep from forgetting things. Dang, I can be such a dork sometimes! Now I’ll have to spend a ton of time looking for the stupid thing, and it’ll take away from a lot of the things which I had wanted to get done. Sigh. I guess it’s just going to be one less thing I get finished, if I can’t get it found here pretty quickly.

I was wondering… could the fact that children in the 1800s were so willing to help their parents and respectful stem from not only the use of corporal punishment, but also from the fact that there were a lot fewer children around to be a bad influence? It seems like Cody just keeps getting worse and worse, toward me and just in general. He gets disrespectful, belligerent, mean, and insensitive all the time now. He has no respect for people or property, and does not care in the least that he has made life so difficult for everyone else. I really and truly hope that this is simply just a teenage thing, and that he’ll grow out of it. Because he keeps yelling and screaming about “I’ll just run away!” whenever I try to correct him in any way or make him do any chores. At this point, I’m starting to wish that he would, just so that he could fall on his face and learn some respect. He has no idea how much the things he does influences the lives of everyone around him, and just takes it for granted that the world owes him everything. I shall call him Mini-Damien.

You know, I'm getting horrible at doing the blog. I had this already mostly written by two in the afternoon yesterday, and then realized that my card from the Texas Board of Nursing that says I have been approved for security clearance is missing, and it's due before I can register for classes. I am FREAKING OUT!!!! I had it on the table next to my chair in the living room, and now it's not there... I think I vaguely remember moving it so that it wouldn't get lost (hahaha, joke's on me) but now I can't find it anywhere. So now I get to tear the house apart to find it! LOL Wish me luck!

Day 98: December 3rd, 2009

Quote of the Day: "Nothing is so strong as gentleness. Nothing is so gentle as real strength." - Frances de Sales

Just because I'm sure you're wondering, I didn't write a blog last night because I got to talk to Ron on the phone instead. It was great to hear him, even though we got interrupted twice and he ended up having to call back both times.  It'll be even better to hear his voice in person!

This was the last clinical day for this semester... no more classes, no more clinicals! Now I just have the final exam on Monday, and it's time off for the whole rest of December... and part of January!!!! Yeah, it'll be cold out so we can't do any camping or anything, but I have plenty of other things that I have planned to keep me busy and entertained.  We'll see what I can and can't accomplish in that short time.  I can't really go into all the fun details because some things are meant to be a surprise, but a lot of it is girly stuff like scrapbooking and things like that.  I can't wait to get started!  Oh, yeah... I forgot. I have to put up Christmas lights before I can do anything fun. Oh, well. There'll still be time.

We had a guest speaker at clinicals today talking about chemotherapy and oncology nursing, and it was a really, really great lecture. I am probably one of the very few people who found it interesting, but that's okay.  There's not much about nursing that I HAVEN'T found interesting so far.  It did start me thinking, though... what part of nursing would I be most interested in?  I have no idea, and it really worries me because I only have a few short months to figure it out! UGH! There are just so many different areas to nursing, so many different things to do. Research... Obstetrics... Trauma... Med-Surg.... grr! I've got NO IDEA what would best suit me.  I'm not interested in critical care nursing, at least not here in Wichita Falls, and haven't yet done any kind of Obstetrics, Pediatrics, or Psych nursing clinicals because those are next semester. Maybe one of those will jump out at me.  I just know that there are a whole lot of areas to nursing... and before I started nursing school I just thought a nurse was a nurse. HA! Serves me right for presuming, right? But really, the big question now is what do I want to be when I grow up? I thought that I had it all figured out...I'm going to be a nurse. But what KIND of nurse? It seems like every time I get my life all figured out and line everything up straight here comes another wind to shift things around. I can't wait for next semester, though... at least I'll finally get to experience working with children and infants. THAT should be interesting. Not to mention the psych rotation at the psychiatric hospital... now THAT is a dangerous job.  I can really see me coming home with black eyes all the time if I worked at a place like that.  Boy, I could REALLY pick on Ron then! LOL

I'm back to being sick today. I have no idea why I can't seem to shake this stupid head cold I have had. I wonder if it's really allergies? That would make a lot of sense. I do seem to always feel worse in Texas than I have when we've lived other places. Damn cotton plants! LOL Or maybe the wheat? Hay? Who knows what it is. I'm just super-tired of my nose always being clogged up and runny, and my head feeling all gross all the time.  Someday I'd love to have a month of feeling perfect.

Day 96: December 1st, 2009

Quote of the Day: "I will keep a smile on my face and in my heart even when it hurts today." -Og Mandino

The weather is really, really icky outside today. It has been cold and rainy all day long, and they say that tonight is supposed to be a low of 36 with a rain/snow mix. I've been keeping the heater off the whole time, no matter how cold it was outside, but today I finally decided that one day of having warm hands wouldn't be a bad thing, so I turned it on.  It was 58 in the house when I did, DEFINITELY not a comfortable temperature.  BARELY not comfortable, but it's been staying 60 in here for the last three weeks, so a little warmth isn't a bad thing.

You know, I’ve noticed lately that every fall, our yard gets “professionally” de-thatched and stirred up. For FREE! And it is, quite literally, an every fall thing. I walk outside every day in the spring and summer and the grass is all pretty and perfect and green. Then all of a sudden fall hits, and I start seeing little patches of dirt and grass pulled out. Just a small patch, here and there- nothing to really worry about. Until the next day, when there’s a little more, and on and on it goes as fall progresses, until one day I walk outside and see that most of the grass in my yard is now, literally in the yard, not attached to the yard. And how, you may ask, does this happen? Well, I’ll tell you… it’s Chloe! That supposedly sweet and innocent dog that never does ANYTHING wrong according to the guys in the family has developed a particular fondness for those grubs that live in the dirt, and with her supersonic hearing she listens for them and then digs them out and eats them! And in the process, turns our yard into this really huge mess. Sometimes it makes me want to choke her! Like we don’t have a hard enough time keeping the weeds out??? We are going to have to SERIOUSLY take matters into our own hands and spend some money on pest control if we ever want to have a nice yard. Or get rid of the dog, which after her chewing up the moulding at the back door and destroying the yard I am starting to think is an option. Stupid dog. Between the dogs and cats, I’m going a little crazy here!

Day 95: November 30th, 2009

Quote of the Day: "Leaders make decisions that create the future they desire." - Mike Murdock

I did not get around to doing the Christmas lights today, in case you are wondering. I spent most of the day doing miscellaneous things. I went to the gym this morning with Sherrie and got in a really good workout, then we stopped into WalMart because she needed some things and I found that stuffing from Thanksgiving on clearance at 78 cents a box, so I picked some up for Ron.  Then after talking to him online for a while and having him tell me how to check the water heater to make sure the heating elements and thermostat were still working because we have no hot water in the kitchen.  So I move Damien's old car out of the garage, pull down the ladder to the attic and get up there.  And guess what I found?  See that little brown spot? That means that the control panel is fried.  See where there's suppose to be a green light that's lit up meaning it's working? No green light. Dangit.  So I spent most of the rest of the day trying to figure out when it was bought, how it was paid for, so that I could get the Whirlpool people to come fix the darn thing, because it's still under warranty, because we bought it in June.  The problem is that I have no receipt for it, no owner's manual, no NOTHING for it. So I'm quite literally up a creek until those things are found. Otherwise, they can say "Well, you have no proof of when you bought it, so your warranty is invalid." I guess there is something to registering a product with those little postcard things after all... I could have saved myself a LOT of work today. 

Oh, sure, I could always call it in under our home warranty program we purchased, but I'd rather not do that since the darn thing is still under warranty, and the home warranty program has a $50 service call fee. Or is it $60? I can't remember. Sigh.  If it's not one thing, it's another.  I also had to go in and get an insurance replacement for Cody's phone.  I tried to look for the cheapest  phone they have, but they won't let me re-do his contract and I would have to pay full price for it, and their cheapest phone is $150. Sigh.  So I spent the $39 for an insurance replacement.  I can't wait to get out of school and get a job so that we can support these two children that are always up to no good. This has DEFINITELY been a bad year, as far as money goes... and lately it seems it's really going as fast as he makes it. Just six more months to my RN degree and a job.... I can make it, I can make it, I can make it!!!

There is something good to talk about finally, though... Cody's room did finally get cleaned up.  Gotta love it! Here are some pictures for you to look at, since it most likely won't be like that for long.... ;) hehehe

Hey, look... there IS a floor in there!!!!! Oh, my gosh! And all this time I thought we'd picked up our carpeting from the city dump!

Day 94: November 29th, 2009

Quote of the Day: “What shall I do with all the days and hours That must be counted ere I see thy face?

How shall I charm the interval that lowers Between this time and that sweet time of grace?”

~Frances Anne Kemble

I got up this morning to a very dark, cloudy, dreary day. My first thought was “Well, I guess I’m off the hook for doing Christmas lights today… The forecast said cloudy and windy with showers and a high of 54. So… maybe a better idea would be cleaning up the house and baking bread, instead?”

And then I thought, “Oh, wait…. Better check the three-day forecast…. Hmm. Tomorrow is sunny and 60 for a high, but Tuesday is going to be just like today. Sigh. That only gives me one day to get it ALL done. Maybe I’d better suck it up and get out there in a little bit and just do it, huh? I guess I can go out there and throw a net or two onto the bushes, right? In between rain, that is. Then I’ll just hook them all up to the power all at once, and that would give me all day tomorrow to set up the ground lighting that took Ron FOREVER to do last year. As for the ladder and doing the roof, well… you can’t climb a wet ladder safely, so that will have to be put off until tomorrow.”

I should have known that I should have pushed myself to do the lights yesterday! UGH! I guess the moral of the story is that when Carmen doesn’t want to do something she can find a million and one reasons why it shouldn’t be done. HAHAHA! But seriously, tomorrow will be better for it, so maybe it’s best that I didn’t do it.

Instead, I spent the day doing miscellaneous things around the house. I put self-closing hinges on the bathroom doors to keep the cats out of there. I fixed up the mantle in Christmas stuff so that it looks a little more like it fits in with the tree. I watched some TV.  I’ve done some laundry. I’ve cleaned up some of the mess. All in all, it’s been a semi-productive day. Tomorrow morning first thing I have got to get up and get outside to put up some lights, but today is for cleaning and maintenance. And of course, it’s also for the ever-popular “dreaming up of ideas to do to the house to make it nicer.”

Today’s thought is regarding the inadequate kitchen lighting, and how nice it would be to take out the lights that are in there and put up some recessed lighting. And I also finally decided that over Christmas break I’m going to utilize the paint we bought LAST YEAR to finally paint the backsplash in the kitchen. The only reason that I haven’t done it yet is because I find it a little bit intimidating because of all the prepwork that HAS to be done right to get it to stick without flaking off or being weak enough to scrub off when you wash down the tile. Just one more thing to keep me busy and keep my mind off things, yes, but you never know what other ideas I might come up with if I don’t have something to do. Right?

And I finally got Cody to start cleaning up his room! I went in there and took out the extra bed, leaving him with just one bed. Then I just told him that he has until bedtime to have his room clean because all day tomorrow Mom’s going to be at home, bored, with nothing to do… except box up everything in his room that I find to put in the trash. So he has been pretty much in his room cleaning since then. You can actually see the floor!!!

Day 93: November 28, 2009

Quote of the Day: “To die and part is a less evil; but to part and live, there, there is the torment.” ~George Lansdowne

Okay, I just got done killing myself on the bike again... 14.58 miles! WOOHOO!!!! My endurance is definitely getting better! Soon I'll be able to do 30 miles a day, like I did when I was sixteen! Oh, well... maybe not with the body I had at sixteen, but so what! Right? Getting healthy HAS to be worth something, right?  Besides, I snacked all day long, so I have to do something to counteract that.  I did buy my first Coke in months this morning, and was kind of looking forward to drinking it, but I could only take two small swallows of it and couldn't stand the taste any more.  I guess I've gotten kind of used to water now, since I've been drinking it so much more.  Almost 3 liters, today! My mother would be so proud of me!

I never got around to doing the Christmas lights out front today. I have found that it's going to be easier to do if I just get up and go right out there, because otherwise I find things that need to be done first. This morning, it was that I got up and had to immediately run to the grocery store for dog food, because the girls were out. And then, once I got back, Cody was playing a game on his phone and threw a temper tantrum because he was losing. And like a total retard, he threw his phone like a two year old and the display is now broken. WITH no money to fix it. So now, not only do I have a brand-new phone broken, with no way that insurance will cover it, but I have a thirteen year old that has no phone, so he is grounded until I decide that he can be mature. And that is all ON TOP OF the money he ran up for those songs and applications he downloaded onto his new phone without permission. That he will no longer have access to, by the way. So even though he's the screwup, I'm still the ultimate loser because I have to pay for the phone to be fixed if it can be, or buy him a new phone, and also for the programs and songs that he cannot even access any more.  Totally uncool.  Where the hell does he get this, anyways?

I did not do anything much at all today, as a matter of fact, other than take the boxes and bins that were emptied up into the attic.  I figure tomorrow is plenty of time to get the outdoor lights done, and if not then there's always Monday and Tuesday. My classes do not resume until Wednesday. Soooo, I have no worries about getting things done.  It felt good to talk to Ron today, though.  I was able to get a lot of my frustration off my chest and it felt good just to talk to him.  I miss him so much sometimes that it's crazy!  But he's doing a good thing, so I don't mind sharing him once in a while. Too bad that this particular once in a while will be so long, that's all.  It's funny how no matter how upset I am he always knows how to make me feel better. (Unless he's the reason I'm upset, that is! hehehe)

Oh, and by the way, I am putting a transcript on here of some test messages that went back and forth between Damien and I this afternoon, just in case. These things are time and date stamped, so if something happens the proof will be "on the blog", so to speak:
Damien: "Be careful mom. Certain individuals have threatened harm to me and my family. Keep an eye out and be careful. Please?" Nov 28, 4:29pm

• Carmen: "What certain individuals?" Nov 28, 4:29pm
• Damien: "Rachael's family. And it isn't related to her, just threatening me and wanting me to stay away from her. Don't worry, I won't do anything." Nov 28, 4:30pm
• Damien: "Will you be careful, though?"Nov 28, 4:47pm
• Carmen: "How, Damien? I will not live in fear. It's just bluster. Another reason I don't like your relationship." Nov 28, 4:48pm
• Damien: "*sighs* im not saying me afraid. Im just saying keep an eye out. They are pretty stupid if you recall." Nov 28, 4:49pm

I'm pretty sure it was just an empty threat, more psychotic drama.  The only reason I'm putting this crap on here is because if something actually DOES happen to our house or cars or whatever, I want it known that this conversation occurred so that I can tell them who to suspect.  But I can tell you that it has been a really bad day for me, and I seriously wish we had never moved back to this place. Damien was much better off ANYWHERE but here.  I just wish he'd grow a brain and get away from that girl and her psychotic family.  But he "thinks" he's in "love". How stupid can a person be? Never mind, don't answer that. I already know the answer to that.

Day 92: November 27, 2009

Quote of the Day: "The great secret of a successful marriage is to treat all disasters as incidents, and none of the incidents as disasters." – Harold Nicholson

That being said, we have just had another "incident" today. I opened up my email right before getting on here to do the blog, and you'll never guess what I found. My Verizon Wireless bill has arrived.  And lo and behold, the bill has finally gotten here for Cody's utter stupidity.  He ran up $277 in downloads before I noticed it a couple weeks ago and called and had them block him from doing any of that.  AGAIN with the costing us an arm and a leg! I could KILL him for that! GRR!!!!  Thank God they blocked it when they did, or it could have been a LOT worse... like another thousand dollar bill! I swear, I am about ready to take his phone away completely and just give him a pager.

I managed to get the Christmas tree up today, so tomorrow it's on to the outside decorations. I'm NOT looking forward to that at all, but it's got to be done. And by the way, I honestly don't think that the blue and silver tree looks very good in this house. I like the red and gold a lot better with our paint colors and decor.  I'll be getting a better picture tomorrow, once I have the room cleaned up and all the empty boxes on there, but here's a preliminary picture. Not too bad, but it just doesn't "pop" like my red and gold does.  That, and I don't have many accents for a blue and silver tree. Just the tree itself. Sigh.  So I'll either have to buy a whole bunch more decorations, or stick with the red and gold. Next year, I think maybe I'll go with the family tree. I think Ron would get a kick out of that.

These are just some quick pictures, I'll get some better ones later!

Day 91: November 26th, 2009

Quote of the Day:

"I thank God for the way he made you, distinct, special and unique. You were not made from a common mold." - Erwin W. Lutzer

Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends and family! Today has been a pretty good day. I got up and started making banana bread early this morning... I woke up with a  case of the jump-ups! I just couldn't bring myself to stay in bed, because I wanted to make sure that I got a good start on the bread before it came time to put in the turkey and start on all the other things.  I accidentally made a mistake when I was making it, though.  I was doubling my recipe, and doubled everything but the bananas. I didn't remember until the last pan was in the oven. I tasted the first one cooled, though, and it wasn't bad, so I guess it turned out okay.  I've got to make some more of that, plus some beer bread, soon, but went ahead and froze the remaining bananas because now that Thanksgiving is over I have to do the Christmas decorations tomorrow.  And who KNOWS how long that will take me, since the outside is Ron's job. I'm an inexperienced outdoor-lightsman ever since he took it over... can't remember what goes where and all that jazz!!!

The kids got along pretty well today overall, and there was only one little incident that threatened the day.  We actually had a good meal, with the exception of.. the green bean casserole! UGH!  I made it, and we ate it, but as we were eating it we were a little confused because something just tasted "off" about it. And then it hit me... I haven't made it with canned green beans in FOREVER. So the taste was really different, and I vow that I will be going back to fresh green beans from now on. Yuk!  I also didn't have enough brown sugar to do the sweet potatoes with, but made do and they turned out okay, but nothing to write home about.  And the turkey... ugh!  Let's face it... I am NOT a good turkey carver. I'll leave that in Ron's capable hands. We're only getting a ham for Christmas dinner - it's hard to massacre that!  But no one got burned, or hurt in any way, or food poisoned... or choked... so... I'm thankful that we all made it through this Thanksgiving unscathed! LOL

Sometimes it was hard to imagine ahead of time in the days coming up to the holiday that I'd be flying solo for it. It's been a while since that has happened. And I did not like it one bit. It just doesn't feel like a family without Ron around, no matter how many traditions we try to keep.  It's hard to describe it, but the closest I can come is to compare it to that disjointed feeling that you get when you  have forgotten something, and know that there's something you forgot, but can't remember what it is. You know, the feeling that follows you along all day in the back of your mind, tormenting you, like a word that's right on the tip of your tongue all day long.  And just like that, you wake up in the  middle of the night and blurt the word out, wondering why you couldn't remember it in the first place. That's what I'm waiting for now, for that middle of the night realization to come that tells me that our family is now home together again.  But since it's Thanksgiving day, I need to say that the one thing in the world that I am most thankful for is the time I have had with Ron, whether here or deployed.  Every day since January of 1992 has been my most favorite day, because it's been a day that I can look at him and thank God for sending him to me to take care of me, and for me to take care of.  And I guess I'm a little thankful for hot water and the internet, too, but let's not get too hasty.

I never did get up into the attic and start getting out the Christmas decorations, because we all sat down and watched a movie together after dinner and then I rode that stupid bike 11.72 miles to try and counter all that food that I devoured today. I just know my weight will be up tomorrow, probably a lot, but hey... it's a holiday.  I really enjoyed every bite of it, even if the turkey got cold quick and the rolls were a little bit dry.  Tried a new stuffing this year, with cranberries in it and LOVED it, so right there is about a pound because I couldn't help myself and had two big helpings of it. I will buy it again if I can find it, but in the meantime, ugh... Now I'll have to work harder tomorrow too. Sigh.  I'll take pictures tomorrow of the lights if I get them done in one day.  If not, you may just end up waiting a day or two, but I'll put them on here.

Anyways, I hope everyone had a great meal with good friends and family, and for those of you away from home, that you were safe and enjoyed your extended brothers and sisters in uniform.  God bless you all for doing what you can to make the world a little better for those who are clueless or helpless.

Day 90: November 25, 2009

Quote of the Day: "Why can't we get all the people together in the world that we really like and then just stay together? I guess that wouldn't work. Someone would leave. Someone always leaves. Then we would have to say good-bye. I hate good-byes. I know what I need. I need more hellos." ~Charles M. Schulz

It has been a pretty good day in my little corner of the world today, unlike some of the people I know.  I officially started my day this morning by going to the gym with Sherrie, and we had a really good workout. I climbed 53 floors on the stairmaster! UGH!  But I worked through my knees hurting, and it was good.  Then we went to the Commissary and I picked up some things for Ron that I think he'll enjoy.  I can't WAIT to send them to him... it'll be really great for him, and I also got a whole bunch of bananas at 25 cents a bag, so I'm going to make banana bread to send to him so that he can have enough to share with all the guys over there.  I'd imagine they really would like something homemade for the holidays, and if not, well, at least it's something they can snack on.  I'll also be making some beer bread to send to him, so that will be good too.

But poor Sherrie and Laurie are having a really bad day today.  Sherrie went to bake her pumpkin pies this evening for tomorrow, to get them ready, and found out that their stove is now broken! How awful is that!!!! Ron and I know all about having broken appliances on Thanksgiving from having our great freezer thawout a few years back. When my pumpkin pie in the freezer melted all over ALL the foods in the freezer. Didn't matter anyways, because it was mostly trashed, but there also was the year that my Corningware with the stuffing in it exploded all over the kitchen in Japan.  THAT was actually pretty funny, though, and we got a good laugh.  Once we had cleaned up all the glass, that is.  And I'm thankful for our neighbors that were all getting together for Thanksgiving dinner, so that we at least got to eat some stuffing that year... I didn't have any more that I could make, remember that, Ron? Good times.

And Laurie... she called to say that she wasn't supposed to work today but got called in, and hit her head on a coat hook in one of the patient rooms when she went in to give the patient therapy, and had to go to the emergency room and get stitches in her head!  On a day when she wasn't even supposed to work.  Go figure, right? So that's two of my good friends that have had really rotten days, and I just keep wondering... am I next? Or one of my other friends?  It makes me sad for them regardless. I invited Mike and Sherrie to come have Thanksgiving dinner here, and they can use my oven if they want to, but they prefer to stay at home and enjoy the adventure... so Sherrie says that she may come tomorrow morning to do her pies and rolls, and they will attempt to BBQ their turkey.  Isn't that how memories are made, anyways?  Of course it is... you can tell by my own "exploding dish" debacle... I won't ever forget THAT Thanksgiving! HAHAHA

Other than that, I've been pretty low-key all day long. The kitchen is clean, there's just a few loads of laundry left to do, and I have to vacuum and mop the kitchen floor, and that's about it.  Such an EXCITING life I have, right? hehehe  Just wait... when I get out of school and am able to do some real fun things, and not just housecleaning and home things, the blog will be SO much better.   Although it will probably be a weekly thing, at that point.  This takes a lot of time, and I would have so much more fun giving a condensed version and being out in the world enjoying some things, whether it be shows, or who knows what.  I'm planning on getting a LIFE! And I know that Ron feels exactly the same, there are a LOT of things he would love to be able to do once in a while.   Like go to concerts. Or camping. Or fishing. Or travel. Or just... whatever we WANT to do. Whenever we aren't working. Or even better.... get new flooring!!!!!!  That would be great! To get rid of this disgusting carpet would be fantastic. Our biggest problem, though, is deciding whether to go with wood (which is in right now) or tile (which really isn't).  I like both, and so does Ron.  I think that wood would look better with the style of house, but am worried about durability. Sigh.  I guess we'll probably go with tile. UGH! Oh, well... maybe a little upgrade to the kitchen, instead? ;) New countertops and floors would go a long way to making it liveable and presentable... But again, one step at a time, right? LOL  I always do that, just get my head spinning full of ideas and spend thousands of dollars in my mind.  It's not MY fault that I have an imagination, though! Blame my parents!

I went outside today, and was surprised... the spanish flag I planted this past spring, that barely grew and then started to die out the minute it got cool without ever having bloomed.... IS NOW BLOOMING!!!!!! Can you believe it? It's so frustrating! I wish it would have bloomed the way it was supposed to. I think next spring I'll try again, but put it in a different spot so that it can maybe grow and bloom right. It really is a pretty vine, and I wish it had performed better. I think it just got too hot where I have it this year. I'll have to plant a hot-weather vine there next spring.  Anyone who has any ideas of a good heat tolerant vine, please let me know... I won't have much time to research it this time around.

Day 89: November 24th, 2009

Quote of the Day:

"Where'er I roam, whatever realms to see,

My heart untravelled, fondly turns to thee;

Still to my brother turns, with ceaseless pain,

And drags at each remove a lengthening chain."

~Oliver Goldsmith, The Traveller

Ever have one of those days, where nothing seems to work out the way you wanted it to? Well, today hasn't been one of those days! As a matter of fact, you'd have to HAVE a plan to have it not work out, right? Or at the very least do something.  I haven't really done much at all today, actually.  I cleaned the living room, did a couple loads of laundry.... nothing big.  It's been a really hum-drum kind of day, the kind where you just don't do much of anything. Sigh.  It sure is nice to not have to stress out about studying! Being able to just take my time with it... nice.

It was pretty nice outside today, from the little bit that I saw.  I mostly sat in my chair reading and  trying to get over this cold that has been plaguing me for the last couple weeks.  I think I'm actually on the mend, if you can believe that! LOL  It's about time!  I've almost got the house in order again, just in time to destroy it cooking Thanksgiving dinner, taking down the Thanksgiving decorations and putting up the Christmas ones.  THAT should be fun, right? I am actually almost excited about that one, but only because I just love to decorate. Not so much that, but even if it's sad I still love the holidays. I do, however, really wish I didn't have to do the OUTSIDE decorations.... TOTALLY not my thing. That whole climb-the-ladder thing just doesn't work for me. Plus, I don't know how to set up the white lights like Ron does... that's kind of scary to me too.

I'm not sure how in the world I'll get it figured out. I know I have to, but still.. I can't remember if some of them were on the timer, or if I'm going to have to remember every single day to turn them on. Sigh. I'll have to look at it when I'm a little closer to that time.  It makes me wonder, though... it seems like EVERY SINGLE YEAR we've been here, the day we put up the Christmas decorations outside are the coldest, wettest days... and lately, with ICE. I wonder if it will be that way this year? Because, seriously, if it is like that this year you can just forget it... I am WAY too much of a wimp to be out in that. I don't know how Ron does it, and I'm not convinced that I want to find out. Ya know?

I've GOT to get it in gear soon, though. Sherrie and I have made plans to do some scrapbooking during the Christmas break, since I will have much more time. I'll be going through my pictures so that I can decide which ones I want to make new pages of.  I have always dreamed of doing a family history album, but I don't have any pictures from Ron's mother's side, and very few from his father's side.  So that's out of the question, leaving me with all the pictures from when we moved to Texas the first time until now. That's a WHOLE LOT of pictures to go through.  I've also got a couple of other surprise things in the works to try and get done as well, so it should be interesting to see what all I can accomplish in that short time. I have high hopes for getting ALL of it done, but a lot of what I'm thinking about doing depends on finances. And the time constraints, of course. Who knows, maybe I'm putting too many irons in the fire. I'll have to wait and see. Right? LOL

Day 88: November 23rd, 2009

Quote of the Day: “I think about you constantly, whether it's with my mind or my heart.” ~Albany Bach Reid

The blog is seriously late tonight, I know. I nearly forgot again, because the boys wanted to go see New Moon, so I took them to the theater to see it and I went and watched 2012 since I'd already SEEN New Moon and thought it would be a waste of money to see it again, especially since I plan on buying it when it comes out on DVD. But 2012 was a GREAT movie too, definitely right up our alley. It's the kind of movie that Ron and I both really, really enjoy watching... tons of natural disasters! It actually really does make you think, in a way.  That's the reason that we watch them. It gives you a little bit of "what-if" to think about, and it's a way to remind you that no matter what you do or how safe you are, there isn't always a guarantee. I think that's what we love the most about those movies, anyways. Speaking for myself. I really can't honestly tell you if that's Ron's reason or not, and I don't dare to speculate... sometimes the inner workings of his mind can be downright scary! HAHAHA

Our next door neighbor mowed our front yard today. I was just sitting in my chair reading with major medicine head, and I kept hearing a lawnmower.  It didn't really hit me that it kept sounding closer and closer for a while, but he had been mowing his own yard, and decided to be nice and mow ours too.  Either that, or he thought it was getting too tall?  Nah, not really.  It wasn't, but you know how my mind works... if someone does something nice for me, I have to figure out all the alterior motives they might have.  And I HAVE been meaning to go mow it once I start feeling better. The entire yard hasn't grown a bit, except for the two small patches of wild grass that we haven't been able to kill yet... those were about three inches tall.  The rest was normal, though, which is why I wasn't out there doing it while I was sick. Definitely not worth it, if you ask me.  I know that I appreciate him doing it for us, but at the same time I have that "I should have done that" guilt going on.  I guess I'll have to write him a thank-you note.

I went to the gym with Sherrie again this morning and tried yet again to kill myself.  I'm getting better at it or something, though, because it didn't hurt as badly as the last time we went.  We had to go to WalMart on the way home because Sherrie needed to pick up some things to make pumpkin pies for her church for Thanksgiving, so I went ahead and picked up a turkey and some other things for Thanksgiving dinner. And guess who I ran into while I was there? Tiffany! She and her mother were there shopping also, and it was good to see her for that few minutes even if I was a little distracted because I was feeling rushed.  She'll be coming over tomorrow to pick up our baby gate so that they can use them for the puppies.  She says they're getting really big now, and I can't wait to see them again. And no, Ron, I won't break my promise and bring one home. I'm not a glutton for punishment! LOL

Oh, and I had my follow-up dental appointment today, which REALLY irritated me.  I've been sick as a dog for the last few days, and had to drive an hour and a half round-trip to Lawton, and pay $1.50 at the toll booth for each leg of the trip, just to spend 5 minutes in a chair while a dental assistant looked at my mouth and decided that things were coming along nicely.  Not even the dentist!!! I was miserable, running a fever, couldn't breathe, and had a sinus headache bigger than Texas, and had to struggle through the drive just for five minutes.  Five minutes... seriously? Are you kidding me? LOL

Day 87: November 22nd, 2009

Quote of the Day: “In true love the smallest distance is too great, and the greatest distance can be bridged.” ~Hans Nouwens

Today has been a really long, really boring day of trying to get over this stupid illness that is plaguing me. I can't seem to shake it, no matter what medicines I take.  I guess it was about time, since I really haven't been sick since well before last Thanksgiving, that I can remember. No, not before it, maybe, but close.  Let me think a minute... who was my clinical instructor when I last got sick?  Oh, that's right, it was spring semester. So it's been half a year.  Sigh.  Still, I'm not really one to get sick, so when I do it really takes it out of me.  But on the plus side I have already read New Moon, and just finished Eclipse today. I'll be starting on Breaking Dawn tomorrow.  I am not usually one to re-read a book I've already read before, but there are three series which I WILL do that for... Jean Auel's Clan of the Cave Bear series, JK Rowling's Harry Potter series, and now Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series.  Other than that, I'll pick the books up after having read them and they bore me.  Something about those three series, though, makes me just want to read them over and over.  I haven't figured out what the characters have in common, except that in all three the main character is kind of shy, bullied, and a geek, then later grows into a very powerful and brilliant character. Maybe that's what it is... my subconscious desire to be powerful and cool! HAHAHA

Nah, it's just the excellent writing. ;)

Tomorrow is my follow-up appointment up at the dentist's office in Lawton.  I'm kind of excited to get it over with and done, so that I can go ahead and have my cavities fixed and all that.  It'll be great to get that done and not have to worry about it for a little while. And to have things back to normal, to where I feel comfortable smiling again. THAT would be great, huh?  Not that it's too much of a hindrance right now, but there's nothing better than the fresh-from-the-dentist look. Though they won't be polishing or whitening my teeth, so I'm not sure what exactly I'm all excited about.

I mean, really... who doesn't LOVE the sound of that drill grinding into their teeth!

Day 86: November 21, 2009

Quote of the Day: "So long as there is breath in me, that long will I persist. For now I know one of the greatest principles of success; If I persist long enough I will win." --Og mandino




Okay, NEW MOON WAS AWESOME!!! Right up until the end where they leave you hanging. If I had not already read the books and known what happens next I would have walked out of the theater angry as heck. But I do know, so it was all good. I could NOT believe how many people there were last night showing up for the show... the theater is inside the mall, and we went to the 10:10 show, and it was JAM-PACKED with people! The entire middle of the mall was three big lines. I didn't know there were that many people in the Wichita Falls area who were interested. And this wasn't the first showing... there had already been five at least! Yikes! Lots of people went to see it, and yes, there were a LOT of guys there! So definitely not a "chick flick", Ron! LOL I think you'd like it. I tried to take a picture of the lines to show how many people were there, but the stupid phone was acting up, so the photo got deleted during file transfer. Oh, well. Suffice it to say there were at least 500 people in the lines. That's a LOT for such a late show, I would think.



Yesterday, though, all the pressure that has been building up in my head finally let loose and my nose started to run a little bit. Didn't think much of it, but as the day progressed it got worse and worse, until now it is a full-blown head cold, and I feel really miserable. I'm going to go to the store here in a little bit and pick up something to see if I can get it to go away fast. I could barely sleep last night! I was back to looking ridiculous with toilet paper stuffed up against my nose to absorb the flow so that I could try and get just a little bit of sleep. No luck, though, I kept having to wake up and blow my nose. It was HORRIBLE! So now I'm all achy, stuffed up and runny nose at the same time, have a pressure headache, and just feel downright moody as hell. It's a good day for Ron not to be around... I hate being sick when there's things to do, and he ALWAYS has something going, which makes me want to get up and do something. I'm going to work out today, of course, but I'll probably spend most of the rest of the day either in bed or on the couch. So much for getting anything done today. Right now I just want to go lay down for a while. There is NOTHING worse than being sick. Unless it's being sick, trying to lose weight, and trying to quit smoking all at the same time. UGH!


Oh, and by the way.... CODY GOT A REAL HAIRCUT! No more "Mom" haircut.  Have the pictures to prove it, too! :)