Saturday, January 31, 2009

ER

**Updated on 08/14/09 - Using as a Mama Kat's Writers Workshop - I know I cheated, but I already had a blog entry for #1. hehe**

No, not the show...my current location. CAUTION: this may contain yucky stuff and be grammatically incorrect as i'm using my iPhone and typing with my left hand because they put the IV in my right arm, duh why would they do that?

Anyway, I have gall stones. I have known this for about a year, but have done nothing about it. So I deal With occasional gall bladder attacks. The first time I had one I thought I was having a heart attack. Pain in my chest that radiated to my back. I got nauseous and puked but by the time I got to the hospital that time I felt ok. So I just followed up with my doc, got an ultrasound and they told me I had gall stones. Doc said I could have them sucked out via a tube down my throat or have my gb removed. I chose the third option, which was "don't do a damn thing".

So the last few attacks have been minor, and I was able to get through them. But tonights attack woke me up at 1am. I tried my techniques to get the pain to go away, which include applying pressure to my sternum with a small ball, as well as whispering "Please God, Please God" over and over.

But the attack this morning was unrelenting. So I woke Aaron up and told him I was calling an ambulance to take me to the hospital because he had to stay home with the kids. So Fire Dept shows up at my house asking me questions as I'm writhing about on the floor in my sweatpants that have about 5 holes in the butt. They aren't allowed to diagnose abdominal issues so they call an ambulance to come get me. As I get to the ambulance, I get nauseous and barf on the street. Then they hand me a barf tube, basically a fancy trashbag. During all this I realize that one of the firefighters lives in my neighborhood and I've actually waved and said good morning to this guy, and now he's seen me in my Holy sweatpants as well as puke. That's a nice conversation starter for the next time I see my 'neighbor'.

After I puke that usually signals the end of the attack, so I am no longer in pain. So here I sit in the ER, just got back from ultrasound and am waiting to hear if my guts are infected or what. Most likely I will need my gall bladder removed. But don't these people know I'm a mom and I don't have time for this crap? And here I am thinking this was an f'ed up answer to a comment I made to God today about never having any time to myself. On the bright side if I have to be in here for a few days I might be able to get through my huge stack of magazines that I never have time to read because I never had time to myself. Oh the irony.

Friday, January 30, 2009

Friday Fill-Ins

These are fun...and keep me from having to come up with a topic for my blog.

1. I'd really like to be independently wealthy right now.

2. OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! (in Cookie Monster voice) is the word you'd most often hear me say if I stubbed my toe.

3. Possession is only a misdemeanor I think.

4. I don't really know what to say about Captain Jack Sparrow.

5. Marshmallows and fire go together like Margaritas and Salt.

6. And you keep me hangin' on and on. (okay I know there's just one "on" in the song, but oh well)

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Friday Night Dinner, tomorrow my plans include a birthday party and Sunday, I want to hang out at home, but I have to go to a Super Bowl party.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

I am SO not a writer...and...Working out Sucks

Okay...so my first thought, is now that I'm following more and more blogs, and then clicking through to read the blogs that those people read...I have come to the realization that my blogs totally SUCK!! I'm a 28 year old, mother of 4, who used to think she wanted to be an author, still has the manually written out beginnings of a book that I began when I was 14 or 15, have gone to writers workshops, have a Dad that wrote a book (not published yet, but he wrote it dammit)...and I am SO not a "writer". Yes, I write stuff, in the sense that I'm sitting here typing words...but they are not words that are going to get my blog followed by hundreds of people. Not really sure that was ever my intent anyway, but even if it was, SO not gonna happen. And I am a total overuser of the ellipses, you know the ... that I put in between my phrases because I don't want to use proper punctuation? I don't know where I picked up that nasty little habit, but I have it. Be careful, it might be contagious! And I can add it to the habit of biting my nails, which I've done since I was in school. You'd think that now that I'm an adult, that I would have matured enough to stop myself from biting my nails so that I could grow them and they would look pretty, but NO. Still biting them to this day. Ew.

And, my second part of this blog is that working out sucks. I went back to the gym today for the first time in months, besides an occasional Hip Hop class. While at the gym, I decided I was going to do upper body (shoulders, triceps, biceps)...and when I got to the bicep part, my HEAVIEST weight that I could use, was TEN POUNDS!! I was really baffled about this because my baby is 25 pounds...but as one of my friends so nicely pointed out for me, I am not doing bicep curls with my baby all day. But, I still thought I'd be at least able to reach for the 12.5's!! WTH? So, even though it sucks...I'm still going to do it. You know why? It's totally vain, and has nothing to do with wanting to "live healthier". It's because I want to look like freakin' Denise Richards, that's why! I want my husband to walk into the wall every time he happens to see me get ready to take a shower, instead of looking at the little hot chicks in his Hot Boat magazine.

So...there you have it. My writing sucks, and I work out for the wrong reasons. Whatever. :oP

Have I mentioned I'm on my period?

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

PROMPTuesday #40 - First Job

This is my first time participating in a PROMPTuesday, and it happens to be about our "First Job". This one is pretty easy...hopefully it won't be too boring.

My first job was at an Italian restaurant called Poma's Ristorante in Fountain Hills, AZ. I got this job when I was 14 years old, and I was a Busser along with my BFF, Gina. Her older brother, Nick, had this job, and then somehow got way cooler and got a job at the local video store...so his busser position was open. My BFF got it...then after a month or something like that, I was able to come on board. It was a totally gross job...we had to clear people's nasty spaghetti plates and put them in the "Bus Cart" which was up against the wall near the back of the restaurant and you would inevitably get "splatter" on the wall behind the Bus Cart. So, one of my funniest memories of this job was when our "boss" who was basically the dude that made the pizzas and sandwiches and told people what to do with them (totally not the boss...because the boss was a big guy named Al Poma...and this "boss" was not Al...in fact, I forget what his name actually was). So anywho, fake "boss" told my real BFF, to go ahead and clean the splatter from behind the Bus Cart and then said to put "elbow grease" into it. I was busy prepping stuff for the salad bar, such as slicing tomatoes, grating cheese, etc...so I didn't realize that Gina had been gone for several minutes. Then, I hear her voice coming from the supply closet..."I can't find the Elbow Grease!!". To which my laughter joins the rest of the laughter from the people who knew what 'Elbow Grease' meant...which my 15 year old BFF did not know...and the only reason I knew was because I was being raised by my grandparents who taught me all kinds of old stuff, such as calling a wallet a "billfold". Ahhh...good times.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Damn Computer AND Funny Story

OK...so, my laptop for work is a ThinkPad Lenovo x300. At first I thought it was totally the bomb, because it was so much lighter and thinner and worked much faster. But, I think I am haunted by Laptop ghosts, because the reason I got this new laptop was because my old laptop was doing weird things. The biggest one was randomly blue-screening whenever it got the notion, amongst other weird things. Anywho...so now my new one's biggest problem is that it takes me about 20 different attempts to get the damn thing to bootup. Here are all the different things I have to do to try and finesse it to start:

1. I first start with "Last Known Good Configuration"...thinking that it is using the last time that it booted up correctly and using those settings. Nah...I think it's just another option to confuse me, as there are 5 selections I can choose from.

2. Then I boot up in Safe Mode and run a virus scan just to see if I somehow have gotten some yucky bug from the Internet. It usually finds one Tracking Cookie...I repair it, and reboot, hoping to God that repairing that will fix it. It doesn't.

3. Then I try to boot up again with the regular "Start Windows Normally" option. Sometimes this works, but it usually doesn't.

4. After having struggled through this for the past few weeks, I have realized that the damn laptop doesn't like to have any peripheral devices attached to it when it's trying to boot up. ie: Power Cord, Wireless mouse thingie in the USB port.

5. I pray over the computer asking God to please fix it so I can get some damn work done today

6. I do a Boogie Woogie dance and wave my hands over the keyboard in Harry Houdini fashion, stroke the screen, and promise that I will never yell at it again

7. Repeat Steps 1-6 until she (yes, it has to be a she, since she is a hormonal bitch)...decides which one of those steps tickles her fancy today and finally boots up. Since it is never one thing in particular, I do have to run through all 6 steps several times a day. Yay Me.

OK...now that I wrote that...I realized that what I thought was going to be my Funny Story today, pales in comparison to my computer story. And I also told my family about it last night at the dinner table, and they weren't nearly as amused as I was by the whole thing. But here goes anyway...

Yesterday was my telecommute day...and a lot of times, I don't get as much work done as I should when I choose to telecommute from home because my house chores beckon me all day long, and I usually succumb to them. So, I found that I get a lot done when I go to the Starbucks, get a Grande Caramel something (macchiato in winter, frappucino in summer)...and buckle down for a few hours. This day was pretty similar to the other times I've done this, except for the fact that my laptop took an hour and fifteen minutes to boot up. But once I was up and running, everything was all good. I had a conference call at 1030am, and during about the last 15 minutes of it...someone settled in at the table behind me. The first thing that perked up my ears was a belch. So, at first I assumed the person behind me was a dude...because chicks don't belch, or at least we don't do it in public at a freakin' Starbucks. But then...this horribly annoying, LOUD, obnoxious (think The Nanny on crack)...woman's voice starts up behind me as she starts chatting loudly on the phone. I apologize to my client because there is a really loud lady at the table behind me...fortunately my client is cool, otherwise that could've looked really bad. At first she just starts calling people and leaving messages for them...I'm assuming because once they see her name on their cell phone they shriek in horror and click the Silent button and pretend they are away from their phone. I didn't really pay attention to her name, but we'll call her "Susie". So, her messages go "HELLOOOOO...This is SUSIE...just calling to say HI..talk to ya later...BYE!" (in her really annoying, loud, nasally voice). Then...she finally gets a hold of someone who probably didn't check their Caller ID first...and then Susie starts holding a loud conversation as if the poor person on the other line can't hear her. But then what clinched it for me, is that she then started using CUSS words in her extremely obnoxious conversation...have I mentioned we're in a FREAKIN STARBUCKS!! There are other folks in there that had the same idea as me, with their laptops trying to get work done...the other set of people in there are moms who have just finished their little stroller workout session, and have their little kiddos in there. So, the atmosphere was very weird due to this lady's convo. I could no longer take it, and it was about lunch time anyway, so I bailed. I never turned around to look at her, so I have no idea what she looks like. But I have to say, it was one of the strangest things I have experienced in a long time.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Sad

I just read a blog of a gal that is on the same online mommies network that I am (PhoenixMommies), and she posted the obituary of her little niece that was born stillborn at just a couple days before her due date. This happened to my sister-in-law earlier this year, but she was still two or three months away from her due date. I attended the funeral, and let me tell you, even though the baby was not mine...I ached in my heart for a long time. As a mother, it's just one of the hardest things you can ever think about experiencing...and it's my worst fear that one of my children will pass before me, or that if I were to get pregnant again that something would happen. These are the times when my faith gets shaken a little bit...you start asking all of the "Why?" questions of God...and I know that we will never fully comprehend why some things are allowed to happen, but when things like this happen, it's really hard to just say "Well, God has a plan" you know? The only thing I can take comfort in is that I know that precious little girl, and my sister-in-law's son, are in Heaven with their Heavenly Father and they are experiencing unspeakable joy in His presence and the presence of His angels, and also the loved ones that have gone to Heaven before them. I can only pray that He gives these families peace and comfort during what I think is the most difficult time that can be experienced, from a mother's point of view I guess.

I would like to lighten this up a little bit by telling a funny story about something else that happened today, but it just doesn't feel appropriate, so I'll save it for tomorrow.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

My Back is Better

So, after a couple visits to the chiropractor, my back is feeling TONS better, which I am really grateful for, because you don't realize how much you need your lower back until it stops working, or causes pain every time you attempt to move. And now I can start working out again...I had started up my program the Monday before I threw my back out, and then I had to stop again. It always seems like something happens to prevent us from getting in shape doesn't it? The kids get sick, we get sick, we hurt ourselves, work is busy and stressful, etc etc. But it has got to be done...I must and will get in shape this year. It's such an important thing to do for health issues and as a mom, for ENERGY! As I'm approaching my 29th bday, I realize how much less energy I have now than I did when I was 21...but I know that when our bodies are running at top performance that we can sometimes experience even GREATER energy than we did when we were younger. So, my program is back on as of today...and if something knocks me down again, I just have to get back up as soon as I can, or at least do what I can do, even if it's not a full workout. (Sorry, I didn't mean to turn this blog into a Fitness article...hehe)

Anywho...not too much else is going on. Work is going well, just busy...which isn't really bad, but sometimes I liked the days where I didn't have much to do. My hubby is doing well, and is able to work out again with lighter weights and has even ridden his dirtbike again, but that made him really sore since his body has gotten out of that habit. The girls are doing great in the grand scheme of things...hehe...they are healthy and happy, the sibling rivalry thing totally gets on my nerves, but they are really good kids and I'm proud of them. Good Lord I have been totally getting mushy about every little thing lately, which sort of freaks me out, because of course the first thing I think of is "Am I pregnant?". I've been taking my pills faithfully, but little Baby Pants was conceived while I was on Kariva. I switched to Yaz after her, and it's been working well so far, but I'm finding that it does tend to make me feel pregnant at some point during the month...I get emotional, want to eat junk, etc. (OK, now I'm turning this into a Birth Control article...WTH?)

OH! My Anniversary is tomorrow! Aaron and I will have been married for ONE whole year on January 16th. We have been together for 3 yrs and 2 months, but will celebrate our first wedding anniversary tomorrow. Awwww. We've come a long way in the past 3 years as individuals, as a couple, and as parents. He took on my 3 older girls, and treats them like his own, and I'm really grateful for that. He is turning them into boys, with all the dirtbikes and monster trucks and drag races...but, that's OK. ;) It's alright to not be a "girlie girl" all the time. We probably aren't going to do anything too extravagant for our anniversary...it'll probably just be a date night with some dinner and dancing or something like that. But that will be fun! We can maybe attempt an out-of-town thing next year when the baby is almost 2.

Alright, well I guess my lunch break is over now and I better get back to work. Hope everyone is having a great day!

Friday, January 9, 2009

The Sneeze Heard 'Round The World

So, yesterday, I'm on the 101 Freeway on my way to an Expo in North Scottsdale/ Cave Creek-ish at the Four Seasons. I'm supposed to get off on Scottsdale Road, but they had a flashing sign that said there was construction and to expect delays. I was coming up on the exit just before Scottsdale and thought maybe I would take that one to avoid the construction. I make my preparations and get in the far right hand land to exit...and then....I SNEEZE and this horrible shooting pain goes all through my lower back, and I'm squinting my eyes really hard saying over and over "Oh My Gosh Oh My Gosh Oh My Gosh" and trying not to cry or hit anybody or pass out. I safely make it off the freeway, and I think...OK, the pain has subsided a little bit, perhaps I can just pull over, stand up and stretch it out. So, I turn left and realize that this street is not going to take me where I want to go because it deadends...so I turn around and pull over to the side of the road to get out and stretch. I open the door, and make the attempt to turn to my left and get out, and again the excruciating pain. But, I deal with it, and put one foot on the ground and try to put the other foot on the ground. As soon as all my weight is on both feet, I feel so much pain that I want to drop to my knees, but I turn around and catch myself on the driver's seat. I cautiously get back into the car, and start driving toward Desert Ridge...because I thought I had heard one of the Phoenix Mommies talking about a place called Desert Ridge chiropractic so I thought it would be in the medical plaza across from Desert Ridge. I get over there, but don't see anything to that effect. So, I call the VP of Corp Development from my company, who I am supposed to be meeting at the Expo...and I'm now crying, and I tell him what happened. He says to of course take care of myself first, and not worry about the Expo, etc. I love our company. Then, I call my husband, bawling like a complete idiot now, and tell him I'm going to find a chiropractor. I called a friend to see if she had a chiro that she goes to, and if not, if she had the number of one of our other friends because I knew that she loved the chiro that she went to. Friend #1 did not have a chiro, so she texted me the number for Friend #2...I called Friend #2 but she did not answer...this made me cry just a little bit more. Then, I wiped my eyes and nose and decided to get a grip...I pulled out my laptop which has a wireless connection and Googled chiropractors in the area. I called my husband to tell him where I was going, and bless his heart, he had already driven over to the Desert Ridge area...so he met me at the chiropractor and helped me hobble in.

They took Xrays, and then the doctor adjusted me, and I felt just a teensy bit better. I was walking with a little bit less pain. Aaron had to go back to work after he helped me inside, so I had to get myself back to my car and drive myself home. Then my instructions were to ice my back, 20 mins on and 20 mins off...and then come back at 4pm to get adjusted again. So, I did that...and by the time I went to my 4pm appointment, I was definitely walking a lot better...still gingerly, but not with pain at every step. The doctor adjusted me again, and scheduled me for Saturday morning. Last night I was moving around quite a bit better, with shooting pain only occuring if I happened to step a certain way, and when I was in the process of sitting down or standing up...also, sitting directly on my tailbone was a No No.

This morning, feeling a tad better than last night...I'd say I'm about at 60% of normal. Still the zings of pain with certain movements...but I got everyone off to school and daycare. The VP said I could work from home, but I decided I would come in, so I put some Bengay on my back (and happened to drop some on my cat's tail...hehe...gotta admit that's kinda funny...I just hope that when she eventually cleans herself there, that she doesn't make herself sick...I wiped off as much as I could). Then I got my ice pack out of the freezer, put it behind my back in the car, and headed off to work.

Pretty light day today, gonna go to lunch with my hubby because the new Jersey Mike's he's building is at the Chandler Fashion Center, which is right down the road from where I work. So that will be nice. I'm hoping my back is all better in the next day or two...it really sucks to have to change the way you do everything: getting in and out of the car, bending to pick things up, rolling out of bed, picking up the baby (which I have to do, because there is no way in heck she would go a day without me picking her up...and by the way, she's 11 months old today, yay!!).

And that's about it...

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Quick Blog

Because I really should be working, but I haven't had time to write an entry, this is going to be my Quick Blog.

I'm excited for a new year and all the hope it brings of accomplishing new things, growing as a person, contributing to society and watching my children grow and explore their world.

We finally have everyone back in the house. For the Christmas break, SAM spent a lot of time at my grandparents' house and 'Cita went to her dad's for the entire break and just got back on Sunday. So for about 2 weeks, it was just Monkey and Baby Pants at the house...very quiet, kinda weird. So, Sunday night was our first meal together as a family again...and yesterday was the first morning everyone had to get up at a certain time and get ready to go to school. I love being a mom...sometimes I get to a place where I wonder what the heck I was thinking by having 4 kids, but then they come and wrap their little arms around me or say something really cute and funny, and I'm reminded of what a blessing they are and how privileged I am that I get to be their Mom.

OK, that's it for now. I'll try to write more later. :)