Thoughts

Where has January gone? Or, more like, where have I been in January.

Well, I've been traveling, working like crazy, and sans computer at home (more on all of that later).... So, I guess that is where I've been.

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I'm antsy. Like, really antsy.

In some ways, I think I just need to get back into my actual routine (which I still haven't been able to do since pre-Holidays).... the routine of eating well, exercising, working, and socializing. 

In other ways, I think it may be more. I'm going to try my routine first and then see if I need something bigger to get me out of my itch.

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Tomorrow marks the beginning of February Sweeps. We better get some good TV out of it.

Monday Musings

We had a new movie theatre open up in town this past weekend and I was able to attend a VIP night on Thursday. The sister went with me and we randomly chose to see 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' because all the other movies were ones other friends/family wanted to see. And, because it was free, so we decided to see something we wouldn't pay to see.

It was..... interesting. The first half was just so odd. Like, it was well done, but it was just so weird and awkward.

The second half and the ending made it really good, though. I wasn't planning to see this, but I'm glad I did!

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One of the films we wanted to see was 'Lone Survivor.' I CANNOT wait to see this film!

Two years ago, Marcus Luttrell was a guest speaker at St. Jude Seminar. I was able to hear his entire story and now it's a movie. As soon as I saw the previews for the first time.... like three seconds into it... I was screaming at the TV, "I KNOW THIS STORY!!!"

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St. Jude Seminar is this week. I'm really excited for several reasons, but the main one is that I've been put on a panel! I'll be speaking to two different groups on Saturday about my experiences in raising money and awareness for St. Jude through radio!!

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My BIL is *obsessed* with Batman. Like, obsessed. I genuinely am a fan, but Bry just loves it. It's one of those things that bonds us.

Anyway, this was circulating on FB and I thought it was hysterical....

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Saturday, Lydia was over and she did this. Too adorable.........

 

 

The time I was sick and went a month without blogging....

Merry Christmas, Goodbye 2013, and Hello 2014.

Yeah, so I clearly did not mean to go over a month without blogging. Or, not waxing poetic about how much I love Christmas. Or, not talking about how excited I was about my massive family being all together. Or, not letting you know how much fun we were having.

I clearly didn't mean to not wish you all a Merry Christmas. Or, not reflect on 2013. Or, not look forward to what 2014 has to bring.

I didn't mean for it, but it happened. Here's why....

Monday, Dec 9th - I went to work as normal and went about my day. Basically, I was fine. At 5:24pm, my boss closed his office door and waved good-bye. I remember, because I looked at the clock and was surprised by how late it had gotten. Sometime between then and about 5:40, I started getting this odd and intense pain in my abdomen. At first, I thought it was a weird gas pain or something. My coworker/friend M came in to chat and I stood up, thinking that would help work it through. However, the pain quickly became worse and I could barely focus on what M was saying.

Immediately after she left, I quickly grabbed what I could and left. I almost didn't make it to my car without passing out. After sitting in my car for a few minutes to try to regain my bearings, I grabbed my keys and phone and headed back inside. Again, I barely made it to my destination without passing out. The pain was HORRIBLE and I thought I was going to be sick.

Thankfully, things started to fall into place.... Both my mom and Heidi were on their way to get me. A coworker (who I scared to death when she found me in the hall, curled up in a ball) sat with me until they got there. My mom and stepdad took me to the ER where I underwent test after test for about six hours.

Diagnosis - Ruptured Ovarian Cyst.... Went home with pain meds and orders to follow-up with my GYN

Tuesday, Dec 10th - After barely being able to walk all day (not that I was going very far from the couch to the bathroom and back) and basically rotating between being in horrible pain and knocked out from the pain meds, my abdomen began swelling and I developed a fever. Back to the ER I went.... More tests. ANOTHER CT Scan (with contrast, which pissed off the ER nurse as I had been given contrast 24 hours before).

Diagnosis - Ruptured Ovarian Cyst (from the day before) and a Bladder Infection.... Went home around 2am with antibiotics to go along with the pain meds.

Wednesday, Dec 11th - In bed all day.

Thursday, Dec 12th - Feeling marginally better. GYN visit, where after reviewing everything from both ER visits and examining me, the Dr decides that he doesn't think it was a cyst.

"It doesn't make sense." - He thinks it might have been a flare up from my appendix and the meds they had me on was killing any infection.

Well, that's just great.

Friday, Dec 13th - Feeling A LOT better. *Almost* back to normal, except that I developed a cough overnight. It gets worse throughout the day. About 4pm, I'm shivering uncontrollably, cannot get warm, and apparently have a fever.

I refused to go back to the ER, so my mom takes me to Urgent Care. When I arrive, my temp is 103.2. More tests. More bloodwork. A chest X-Ray. About 45 minutes of letting me sleep in a back procedure room while they are waiting for everything to come back.

Diagnosis - A respiratory infection which the Dr thinks I probably got from one of my ER visits. Effing Fantastic. Since I was already on stronger antibiotics than he would have prescribed for a respiratory infection, he sends me home with orders to come back in 24 hours to make sure I haven't gotten any worse. He also says to take OTC meds in between my pain meds to help keep the fever down.

Saturday, Dec 14th - Still not well, but totally better than the evening before thanks to the meds. Go back to see the Urgent Care Dr. He congratulates me on my upswing and refers me for a follow-up in a couple of weeks.

Monday, Dec 16th - My Uncle Bobby arrives in town.

Tuesday- Dec 15th - Go back to work, even though everyone there tells me that I sound and look like death.

Wednesday, Dec 17th - Still sound and look bad.... Still go to work.... My cousin Ben and his wife Terra arrive in town.

Cough and generally feel crappy until after Christmas, but go along with all the plans we'd made for our visitors.

Monday, Jan 6th - Ben and Terra leave to go home.

Tuesday, Jan 7th - Uncle Bobby and Aunt Deb (who got in on Christmas Eve) leave to go home. Jess returns to her blog.


I did have fun over Christmas, New Years, and their visits, in general (which I hope to document here). I was on vacation from the 21st until the 2nd, so I got to have fun and recover.

Here's hoping I will be able to blog more frequently and stay well in 2014!

Christmas From The Other Side

I am typing this on my phone because I am still at the event that led me to blog. I just do not want to forget...

So, my town does a big Holiday event to celebrate. They officially light up downtown and there is music, vendors, performances, etc. On Thursday, we have a huge parade and thousands of people decend. Friday, there is the monthly First Friday.... Again, holiday themed.

I came down tonight to meet up with my parents, who brought Lydia. While walking through the downtown square, I ran into a former church friend that I haven't seen in close to a year. We were catching up and a homeless man walked up to us. At first, we both tensed up... I truly had nothing but my keys and phone, so I knew I wouldn't be able to give him anything. I was prepared to kindly turn him away.

Then, he didn't ask for anything. In his mumbled, clearly incapacitated way, he just stood and talked about how beautiful the park was. He was so animated and excited. He kept saying, "It's so pretty! It's so pretty! They turn off the lights after the New Year. But, it is so pretty until then."

We smiled and agreed and listened. And, then he left. Just smiling.

We didn't say anything. We didn't have to, because our faces after he left said it all.

It was sad. And, slightly shameful. We immediately assumed the worst, when all he wanted was to tell us how pretty his home was for a month.

It also made me sad, because every year I get sad when Christmas comes down. I get kind of depressed. 

I never thought about what it is like for them, until right now.

Just an FYI.....

If you are looking for some Scentsy discounts, there is a huge sale on closeout items going on right now!

Blurbs, because I apparently don't have anything important to say

Hi, folks! It's been two weeks since the last time I said anything. Longer since I said anything important. I do need to get better at this whole consistency thing.

Life is mainly back on track after the month-o-suck. Just busy. 

In the meantime, here are a few short points of my interest.....

I saw 'About Time' this weekend. Go.See.It. It's wonderful. Charming, funny, sentimental.... Just adorable.

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Speaking of Rachel McAdams, there are rumors of her and Ryan reuniting. I'm crossing fingers that it is true.

This cute little buzzfeed exhibits why they are meant to be together.... http://www.buzzfeed.com/mackenziekruvant/ryan-gosling-and-rachel-mcadams-forever

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My work FINALLY got me a decent phone. I've been stuck using a first generation Blackberry for 5 years.

Thanks to some finagling from our CFO, I was able to get a brand new Hot Pink IPhone 5c. It's glorious.

I wanted a cute display of my work perks for the cover of this phone. Shutterfly actually does have the option of getting a case with a liner (adding a layer of protection to what would otherwise be just a pretty piece of plastic). However, the design options they had weren't really what I had in mind.

I found exactly what I was looking for on Zazzle, but their cases didn't seem to be very protective.

That is where PicMonkey came in. I basically recreated the design I liked (with a few changes) in PicMonkey and then saved it as a jpg. Then, I went back to Shutterfly and used the option of just uploading one picture as your case background. In just a few short days, I shall have my customized-just-the-way-I-want-it phone case.....

It is ridiculous just how excited I am about a phone case.

Also, I'm not receiving any sort of compensation from Shutterfly, PicMonkey, or Zazzle. I wouldn't mind some free cards or a photo book, though, Shutterfly.

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I feel both ahead of the Christmas game and behind it. I've already crossed several people off of my list in the present department (when usually I do not buy the first gift until Black Friday) and I have a set of cards already (thanks, Minted). However, I still feel like I'm playing the rat race game.

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Running. I need to do more of it.

I also need to do some sort of weight training.

I just feel blubbery. Not good.

Monday Musings

Happy November!! Already, this is a great month.

Seriously, I think that at least 15% of my horrible mood in late Sept and all of Oct was the weather. Florida "winter" is more like everyone else's Fall. However, we didn't have one this year. So, basically we spent 9 months in a state of heat and humidity. Ya'll get Winter Blues? Well, I got the Summer Blues. 

It is amazing what a drop in the humidity and ten degrees of temperature will do for a person's overall outlook.

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A couple weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting up with My Twin.

Marianne and I met through blogging and I just adore her. It's ridiculous how eerily similar we are.

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Has anyone been watching 'The Originals'?

I love.

No, I really love.

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I was walking through Target and saw these.....

NO. Just no.

Leotards or "bodysuits" are not acceptable in 2013, unless you are actually a dancer.

No.

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Each year, my friends at work don cute semi-Halloween outfits. Then, we go out to a fun, yummy lunch.

Aren't we adorable?.....

Also, one of our stations was at a Halloween trick-or-treating event. This was our table after about five minutes.........

I did have more candy to replenish the stash, but we basically sat at an empty table for three hours.

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I'm a dork and already have my tickets for the 9pm showing of 'Catching Fire.' I.AM.SO.EXCITED!!!!!!

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I spent all weekend wanting sweets. For which I am kicking myself.

Today? Today, I want salty and cheesy. For which I am also kicking myself.