September 2007 Archives
I have a question for you that I am thinking I dare not ask. Oh OK, here goes: Have you started your ... *gulp* ... Christmas shopping yet? LOL I know, I know, it's only September, and I never start my own Christmas shopping until December myself, but I have a very, very good friend who has already started hers (hi Debbie!). She's very efficient. ;) Even though I don't start my shopping until December most years, I do keep my eyes peeled for good deals and take advantage of them all year 'round. Yes, you're right, I'm about to share something cool with you, and it's called GoGoShopper.com.
Do you like coupons? Of course you do. Who doesn't? Well, at GoGoShopper.com you can get coupons to name brand stores such as WalMart, J.C. Penney, Target, Macy's, HomeDepot and many, many more, as well as online stores such as Amazon.com, Dell.com, GoDaddy.com, Shoes.com and even Drugstore.com coupons (you can find lots of gift items in drug stores, too!). Personally speaking, we're thinking very seriously about doing a major remodel of our house very soon, so those HomeDepot coupons are looking pretty good to me! Go check it out -- you're bound to find coupons for something you want/need!
I had such a great day yesterday. :) Callie and I went shopping and bought ourselves some fun stuff like shoes, jeans, jewelry, makeup, perfume and a bunch of other things. It was SO much fun! When we were finished shopping, we went home and cooked dinner together and watched a thriller of a movie (Vacancy) while eating, then went to the park and walked 2 miles. When we got back home we watched the TV shows TiVo had recorded while we were gone. Like I said, a great day! Daughters are so much fun. :)
We're just about to leave to go walking again. Hope you all have had a great start to your weekend, too! :)
Daughters, Walking, Movies, Vacancy, Shopping
My daughter's first shipment of High School subjects arrived the other day. We are very excited about getting started! I think the distance learning program we found and ultimately chose is going to be a really good one. She's totally jazzed about her electives, too. She gets to pick two, so she chose Psychology and Entrepreneurship/Business Marketing. She's very interested in both of those fields, so it's a perfect fit for her.
And wow, things sure have changed since I took plain old Business Math in High School! I can't believe all the things she'll be learning in the Business class! There are also so many great programs out there for business people to use, making everything from payroll to project management so much easier! This free timesheet is a perfect example of that. Can you believe they give it away for FREE? It's called Journyx Timesheet, and it actually integrates well with Microsoft Project, Quickbooks and many other programs. I just think that's very cool. I wish there had been things like this way back when I was interested in business. ;) Oh well, I bet my daughter will love it!
I read a story out of Morrisville, North Carolina, wherein it was reported that a man, Kent Kauffman, was arrested and charged with assault on a government official after an officer said the man coughed into his face during a traffic stop.
Are you kidding me???
Yeah, the cop said that Mr. Kauffman coughed in his face three times, even though he (the cop) was standing outside Kauffman's car, with him in it!! Kauffman freely admits he did cough from the window of his minivan, but did so toward Officer Gill's waist. He told the reporter, "He says I coughed in his face, but that would only work if he had a 4-foot-long face." LOL! I love that part! So tell me, when did coughing become a crime???
A while back a cop here in my town arrested someone for -- get this -- swearing at him. LOL! How boneheaded can you be?! The judge threw the case out the window, as well he should. Um, did said cop ever hear of FREE SPEECH? Idiot.
Let's hope the judge in North Carolina is just as smart. And let's hope Officer Gill learns how to arrest real criminals!
Stupid Cops, Police Officers, Bogus Arrests, Morrisville, North Carolina
What do you think about women who have breast enlargement surgery done? Have you had it done? Would you have it done if you could? I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it. I can see both sides, so to speak. ;)
If I were a woman who was extremely flat-chested, I would definitely have breast augmentation done. It's a self-esteem issue, right? Sort of. Some would ask why we women allow our breasts to define our sense of self-worth. To those people -- mostly men -- I'd ask why you let your penis define your sense of masculinity! There are, of course, women who ask that question, too, but more times than not they have no need for breast enlargement themselves. Everyone needs to walk a mile in those shoes before judging, you know?
I do think, however, if a woman is going to have it done simply because she doesn't think she has anything else to offer, then she should probably seek counseling, not a cosmetic surgeon. And speaking of surgeons, I think we all know we should find a board-certified surgeon with excellent credentials and references, right? There's a place in the U.K. called Make Yourself Amazing, which has some of the most experienced surgeons in the world performing Breast Enlargement surgery. Not that many of us can hop a plane for the U.K., but I have wondered about other countries and what they have to offer. It's interesting, don't you agree? And just think, all it entails is two small incisions and an overnight stay in the hospital. One week later your stitches are removed and you're back at work!
Look, I believe we're all born amazing, but the fact is that the world and society put so much emphasis on the human form and what they say it should look like, that many women are left feeling pretty cheated and rather embarrassed. There aren't many of us who can truthfully say we aren't the least bit vain, right? If it makes a person feel better about how they look in clothes -- and out of them -- then why not go for it?
What do you think?
Make Yourself Amazing, Breast Enlargement
Those of you who know me well know that I love football. As far as I'm concerned, football is the only sport that matters. ;) Both of my sons played football, and I easily admit that those years of watching them play were some of the best of my life! I did worry a little, though. Any mother would. My son David played his entire senior year with a bad thumb. They had to tape his thumb, hand and wrist before every game. When my son Ryan played, he messed up his knee. As far as injuries go, they were fairly minor, thankfully, and they continued playing. But how far is too far?
I know that players in the NFL play hurt all the time. That doesn't make it right, but they are adults, after all, and can decide for themselves if they want to permanently screw up their bodies. What I take issue with is High School and College players who are allowed -- even encouraged -- to play hurt.
What really got me to thinking about this was an article in our local newspaper about Gary Kubiak's son. To preface this a bit, I'll tell you that Gary Kubiak is the Denver Broncos' former back-up Quarterback, as well as their Offensive Coordinator for eleven years. He is now the head coach of the Houston Texans. He has a son named Klint who is a junior at Colorado State University (Ft. Collins) and is a player for the CSU Rams. Well, apparently on Saturday he dropped to a knee following pre-game warm-ups in the Rams’ game against the University of Houston. He was immediately taken to the hospital, where he was determined to have low blood pressure and bleeding ulcers, and required several blood transfusions. He was released on Monday afternoon.
Now, I don't know about you, but I don't think bleeding ulcers are typical in 20 year old people. My own father ultimately died from complications of bleeding ulcers, but he was in his sixties. I also know that it takes a lot for ulcers to begin bleeding. Yes, I know there are other causes besides stress and inner turmoil, such as stomachs which are extremely sensitive to ibuprofen, etc., but it certainly makes one wonder, doesn't it.
With all that aside, though, the thing that really got to me was the "discussion" between Sonny Lubick, the Rams' head coach, and the press as to whether or not Klint would play on Saturday:
“I would say right now it would seem like it would be very doubtful. He’s resilient and I know that Klint wants to play. I don’t know how fast you recover from those things. Maybe if Klint got back and got some practice in Wednesday, maybe he could. I would say we should prepare that he would not be playing.”
WHY is it even in question? Of course he shouldn't play! Does it even make common sense that someone who has bleeding ulcers and has had to have blood transfusions should be playing in a college football game a week later??? Hell no it doesn't! So I ask you, when does it cross the line between right and wrong? When do we tell the coaches "no way!"? Should parents have the right to say no, even though their children are legally adults? I say YES. They're still in college. In most instances, parents are still providing at the very least partial support to their college-age children. I'm sure that Klint Kubiak has aspirations of playing in the NFL like his father, but why should our young athletes have to sacrifice their very health in order to do so? In my opinion, it just isn't right -- or even moral.
What do you think?
Gary Kubiak, Klint Kubiak, Football, NFL, Football Injuries, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, CSU Rams
Do you still use a land line telephone? Hubs and I were talking just the other day about how we'd like to just get rid of the land line if we could, but he needs it for his job (he's an Engineer with the Railroad). They have to have 2 ways in which to contact him when his turn is up and he has to go to work, so he uses his cell phone and our land line. There are just SO many different options these days for getting in touch with friends and loved ones, and most of them are way cheaper than using a regular telephone!
Take, for instance, this new way of making and receiving free phone calls -- it's called iCall. With iCall you can call any phone in the U.S. and Canada from your PC for free, and receive phone calls from anywhere in the world for free! And, amazingly enough, you even get FREE voicemail! iCall features a new technology which uses your existing Internet connection (cable, DSL, wireless, or dial-up) and your PC to plug you directly in to the regular telephone network. How's that for slick! All you have to do is simply download iCall for free and you can be making calls within minutes! The only thing you need is a microphone or a headset!
There is a lot more information for you on their web site. You should seriously check it out!
I did it! I made it to 2 miles tonight! Walking, that is. I walked 2 miles! I am SO PROUD of myself! Yay for me! LOL I gotta say, too, that I am totally lovin' it. :)
My sweet girl Lily has pink eye. She's my gorgeous Australian Shepherd. Her left eye was all red and icky yesterday; today they both are. Looks like I'll be calling the Vet bright and early in the morning. I feel so sorry for her. She keeps rubbing them with her paw, poor thing.
It's no wonder people get sick 'round these parts so much this time of year. It's been 85 to 89 degrees during the day, then as low as 53 at night. First you're hot, then you're cold. Then you're sick. lol Is it like that where you live?
So what did you do this weekend? My daughter and I watched Fracture last night. It was really good! Of course, anything with Anthony Hopkins in it just has to be good, right? He's such an amazing actor. Great flick. Watch it if you can.
Guess that's about it. Hope you all had a great weekend! :)
Fracture, Anthony Hopkins, Pink Eye, Pink Eye in Dogs, Australian Shepherds
I don't care what anyone says in trying to convince me differently, I know it to be true. There's only so much that can be done to improve something so deeply ingrained in the societal infrastructure of the Deep South. It's part of who they are, like it or not.
My sister lived for 10 years in New Orleans, and my father was born and raised in Georgia. Yes, he was a racist. He was also a self-proclaimed Christian. How those two things mesh is beyond me. But I digress. What I learned about Louisiana from having my sister there for so long is that they are, for all intents and purposes, a culture unto themselves. They do things in ways completely unique to them. One common trait they share with much of the South, though, is racism.
You've probably guessed by now that I am talking about the unconscionable events in Jena, Louisiana. Yes, I know the U.S. Attorney announced Wednesday that the nooses hung from the tree and the beating are unrelated, to which I resoundingly say ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME?! Give me a break!! It's those damn nooses hung from that damn tree that started ALL of this escalating racial tension at Jena High School! And why did those white students hang those nooses? Because a few black students dared to sit under "their" tree. OH.MY.GOD. Now I ask you, where do you think those high school kids learned to be so racist? No, not just at home, people. I'm telling you, it's an inherent part of their culture!
So the nooses are hung, and nothing is done. They call it simply a high school prank. Yeah, right, just a prank. NOT! Hanging nooses is just as horrendous as burning a cross in someone's yard or spray painting a swastika on a Synagogue! It's a hate crime! (At least the police in Alexandria, Louisiana, 40 miles from Jena, recognize it for what it is! Be sure to pay attention to what the passenger of the pickup said to authorities. Like I said, deeply ingrained!) So, tensions rise and more incidents take place, finally leading to several black students beating up a white boy who, by the way, was treated and released, then went to a school function that night! All of a sudden it's attempted murder and they're arrested! WTF?? Eventually the national media got wind of the story, and you know what's happened since then. Yesterday thousands marched for justice in Jena, and I SO wish I could have been there! For all the good it did. Today the Court announced that Mychal Bell, the sole defendant who remains behind bars from the group of teens known as the "Jena 6," will not be released. This is unbelievable. This should outrage ALL of us! He was a minor when this incident occurred and he should have been charged as a juvenile! But let's just put all that aside for a moment and consider THIS: his conviction was overturned!! WHY is he still in jail??? WHY do they refuse to release him or transfer him to a juvenile facility! This is WRONG, people!
Stand up for what is RIGHT! Shout it from the rooftops -- or better yet, SHOUT it from your blogs!! We are more powerful than you know!
Jena, Louisiana, Jena 6, Mychal Bell, Racism, Racism in the South
Wow, I think I'm finally finished with this damn upgrade! *WHEW!* It took a long time getting everything functional, and I had to do A LOT of reading and learning, but it's always worth it in the end. I think it's good to know at least a little bit about the nuts and bolts of the programs I use. That way, if anything goes wrong I'm more likely to know how to fix it myself, or where to go to find the answers.
ANYway, I think I have everything done. If you find anything amiss while here, please let me know, OK? Now, on to MUCH more interesting and important things -- how are YOU? Did you have a good weekend? Let me know what's going on in your world! :)
(making mental note to figure out how to get smilies working in MT 4)
Movable Type 4.0, Upgrading, Smilies
I didn't have much of a mind left to lose, but I think I'm pretty close to having NOTHING left!! This upgrade -- holy crap!! I have seemed to left myself with no individual pages accessible. Used to get a "Forbidden" error; now I'm getting a "so-and-so category doesn't exist". You wanna bet?! They all exist! They're hiding somewhere and I can't find them. Well, not the categories themselves; I know where THEY are. Browsers just can't seem to find my archives. HELP!!
I'm going to be attempting an upgrade to MT 4.0 tonight, so if things look and act wonky, that's why, OK? Wish me luck!!
Hope you're all having a great Friday night! :)
Movable Type, MT, MT 4.0, Upgrading to MT 4.0
Well, the whole Big Brother thing is really getting unbelievable now. I won't go into any detail, cuz it would give away who won the first round of the final HoH competition. If you want to know, email me. I will, however, tell you that Daniele was heard talking about how she and her father were driven in the same limo before the show began. Wow. That kinda' shoots the idea of "surprise enemies" thing all to hell, doesn't it? Oh, and she also said that she gets so many "hints" in the Diary Room that by the time she leaves she knows what is going to happen and what to do. Of course the live feeds are cut when little slips of the tongue are made, but let's face it, buy the time they slip, they're out there! Nuttin' you can do about it now! LOL! I just think it would be totally hilarious if Zach won the whole damn thing! It would serve CBS right for trying to rig a reality show! OK, let's move on ....
Do cats dream? I know dogs do. My dogs dream ALL THE TIME. They twitch and yip and their lips curl up sometimes. It's hysterical! LOL But I've never seen a cat dream. Do they do the same thing?
Fall is just around the corner. You can feel it in the air. Isn't it funny how you can literally feel things in the air? I love the feeling of Fall. I hate what comes after it. Actually, I begin hating it when the leaves fall off the trees, the grass turns brown and the flowers die. It's depressing. Brown is not a good color for me. Then Winter has to come and make it even worse! I used to adore Winter when I was a kid, though. Gotta' love those snow days from school!! But now? No way. You can keep all the snow (except for the first snowfall of the season. that one is always cool), and you can DEFINITELY keep the cold!! I don't do cold well. Not well at all. How 'bout you?
Big Brother 8, Fall, Autumn, Winter, Snow, Cold
God rest their souls and heal the hearts of their loved ones. May it never, ever, ever happen again.
September 11th, 9/11, Anniversary of 9/11
As many of you know, I'm a huge Big Brother fan. I've watched the show each and every summer since it first began 8 years ago. This year, by far, has been the most UNREALISTIC reality show on television. It has become increasingly obvious -- glaringly so -- that CBS has orchestrated and manipulated many, many things within the house this year. Rules have consistently been broken by house guests, but only certain house guests are reprimanded for them.
Dick has been horribly mean, cruel, vile, crude and rude, bordering on humiliating verbal abuse, and BB has never stepped in ONCE. I can't believe they have let him spout the things he has! Oh sure, they don't show the television viewing audience even a fraction of it, but the live feed viewers, such as myself, have seen every awful minute of it. In fact, CBS only shows you what they WANT you to see in a very strategic manner, thereby skewing your ideas and opinions about the house guests. Those of you who only watch the televised episodes probably don't know that Daniele is a spoiled rotten brat, who treats her father like crap when she doesn't need him for anything, then uses her love as a bargaining chip when she wants something. He does ALL her dirty work for her. She makes the most horrible suggestions of what they should do to people, then he goes and does it. She's as foul-mouthed as he is, and EXTREMELY spiteful. SHE'S the one who has orchestrated the latest attack on Zach, telling her father that they should (paraphrasing)"make America and Jameka think he's racist, and ruin his job, his life and his reputation". Yeah, how's that for a nice young lady? NOT! (You'll probably see some of it on tomorrow night's show, but I promise it won't show the very mean, nasty things Dick said to Zach)
The lastest HUGE thing to come out from the viewers of the live feeds is the following video, in which Dick is heard telling his daughter, Daniele, how he cheated in the game by getting secret messages in a letter from his son when he was Head of Household -- STRICTLY against the rules! But has CBS done anything about it? Of course not!! They want the finale this week to include a Donato (Dick or Daniele) as winner, no one else, and are positioning it to happen. I guarantee if anyone else had done that, they would have probably been kicked out of the house! Can't say they didn't hear it, because they hear and record EVERYTHING. They are, after all, Big Brother. Here, listen for yourself:
Doesn't it make you sick how they're laughing about it? What's way worse, though, is the fact that CBS did nothing about it. How could they? It would ruin their plan for a Donato to win this thing. As my favorite web site for everything Big Brother said,
Big Brother no longer has any resemblance to reality and it is no longer a fair game. It's simply manipulated and scripted for ratings. Even blatant cheating is allowable so long as it does not change the direction Big Brother wants the show to go. It's been obvious for weeks that Big Brother is engineering a Donato win. This is just more evidence.It is very sad that that the people who produce this show have traded the integrity for a ratings point.
Very sad, indeed. What a ripoff!
CBS, Big Brother, Dick, Daniele, Zach, Jameka, CBS Engineering the Win
I've talked a lot about Phil Spector and his murder trial over the last 4 1/2 months. I still can't believe it takes so long to try a star as opposed to a "regular" person. I think it all boils down to money. But anyway, regardless of what I think, I've discovered a cool blog written by former Los Angeles Prosecutors in California. If you want opinion and fact from those who have actually been in the trenches, this is where you'll find it.
In fact, if you go visit the Los Angeles Criminal Lawyers Blog | California Criminal Defense Law Forum right now, you'll see a great post about the Spector case, written only as a trial lawyer could. They give both sides of the story, just as you'd see in the courtroom, leaving it up to you, the reader, to decide what you think. Scroll down the front page and you'll see many other entries dealing with important and timely issues in today's society. You can even leave comments regarding your own thoughts on any post. I think I'll put this blog in my bookmarks. Even though I don't live in California, I'm sure there is a lot of information there I could find useful, if not simply interesting, educational and enlightening!
Hey you guys, just thought I'd give you a heads-up on my wonky blog here. When you leave a comment, if you get a blank white screen after you click "Post", there is no need to re-post your comment. It doesn't look like it, but it actually has been posted.
I've been trying to figure out why this happens. I've done everything I can think of, including running the repair command for my entire database. Nothing changes it. Guess I'll have to call my web host -- again! *sigh* If any of you have any bright ideas, I'd love to hear them! 
Web Site Problems, Wonky Web Sites, Commenting System Problems
Have any of you ladies joined Curves? We have one here in my town, and my daughter and I are thinking of becoming members. I like the fact that it's for women only, and they don't have those gigantic windows that everyone and his brother can look through and see you working out! I think I'll call and get the specifics on prices and stuff. I wonder if they have something like a family plan? Anyway, if any of you have been or are currently a member of Curves, can you please give me your opinion?
Thanks! :)
Curves, Working Out, Gym for Women, Curves for Women
Have you sent a child off to college lately? Like within the last few years? I have, and the expense is not pretty. I was aghast at how much books cost, and this is a small town and our college is a Junior College! The colleges in bigger cities are even worse!
Well guess what? Today I discovered socialbib. What is that, you ask? It is a great new web site where students give their used text books away for free, and then receive the text books they need for free, saving them hundreds of dollars! This is how it works:
You join socialbib -- which is completely FREE -- then add the used text books you want to GIVE away, and then the used text books you want to RECEIVE, and then get matched up with someone who has the books you want, and with someone who wants the books you have. Simple! If you haven't seen the price of college text books lately, you have no idea what a great idea this is! I wish there had been something like this when my boys needed it! I still have my daughter to send through college, though, and believe me, I will be keeping socialbib in my bookmarks!
First of all, I'd like to say thank you to all of you who left such heartfelt comments to my "There Is No Shame In Needing Help" post. They were very much appreciated, indeed.
Secondly, and keeping in line with that post, I'd thought I'd share a personal accomplishment with you guys. :) I will preface it by reminding you that for a very long time now, I have been "hiding away" in my house; away from life, away from most people. That changed with the recent change in my medication, as well as the recent trip I took with my daughter. On said trip, we did A LOT of walking. More than I've done in eons! Upon returning home, I told my daughter that I didn't want all that good walking to go to waste, so we agreed to walk together every night (she's a BIG walker; walks all over the place all the time!). So, we began on Monday, and have continued to do so every night. Well, I reached a milestone tonight when I walked a whole mile -- without stopping, and at a quick pace! 
Now, that may not seem like a very long distance to those of you who walk all the time and have done so forever, but for me it is HUGE! I was so happy, and so proud of myself! I emailed my bestest bud, Debbie, almost immediately. LOL! Then I decided to tell all of you, too. I have a feeling that before long, I'll make it to TWO miles! Yay! 
Walking, Daily Walks, Walking For Health
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Passion -- a vital ingredient in anyone's life, regardless of what they do! Interested? Go take a look! :)
My daughter received a check for $50 from her brother David for her birthday. We went to cash it today. We went to his bank. The bank from which the check was drawn. We went to the drive-up window. I handed the guy teller the check and said that my daughter would like to cash that check from her brother. He asked if she had an account there. I said no, but her brother, who wrote the check, does (duh!). Guess what he asked me next?
"Do you know his account number?"
Ummm ... no, but it's there on the check (double DUH!) He fiddled around on his computer for a minute or so, then asked, "Do you know any other name this might be under besides Callie?" I was like, "What?? No, the account is in David's name" (triple DUH!). He then says, "Oh, well you'll have to go inside to cash this". Oh.My.God. Fine!
I go in, ask again to cash it, and am told I must endorse it, also, and provide 2 forms of identification. Oh, and a fingerprint. Geez!! I used to work in a bank, people, and it was never like that! I guess that's what crime and the information age has brought us. A bunch of bullshit.
Banks are stupid. 
So how well are you keeping up with the Presidential candidates and what they're saying so far? I have to admit that I've fallen way back in keeping myself informed. It just seems like such a looong time before the election, and all their rhetoric gets SO old. But what if you could interact with other internet users to discuss the candidates and the issues? Now that would be very interesting, and fun, too! Well, now you can -- at the 2008 Presidential Election Forum. I know, you're probably thinking that it sounds boring, but it's not at all. When I went to take a look-see at the site, I was very impressed. I registered as a user right away.
Take a look at the Presidential polls -- very interesting. I found the same thing there that I've found elsewhere on the internet -- Ron Paul is the users' favorite! Mainstream media would have you believe that he is not a contender, but almost everywhere you go on the 'net says something completely different. Yes, I am a Ron Paul fan; a very BIG fan. I like the idea of having a place to go to discuss his stand on the issues with other people like myself. I also find it interesting and compelling to discuss the other candidates, as well. I've never been accused of backing down from a good debate. ;) Besides that, I think I can learn a great deal about the other candidates from the people who support them. As I said before, I haven't been keeping up well at all, and I like to make informed decisions, especially about something as important as electing our next President. If you feel the same, then go visit the forum and dive into a discussion about the candidate you support, or read through the topics so you can remain informed about what people are thinking and saying!
2008 Presidential Election, 2008presidentialelectionforum.com
I've been thinking a lot lately about my life and the changes I've been through the last 4 years or so. I went from being a strong, steady individual to a highly anxious, depressed one. My mother's illness and death really took a huge chunk of me away. I even had to quit my job. I couldn't handle anything.
I went to the doctor and found that I also had extremely high blood pressure. I started meds for everything -- anxiety, depression and high BP. I felt ashamed. Humiliated. I had always been able to handle just about anything that came my way. Suddenly, I only felt helpless. I continued taking the meds all these years, never really feeling much better. I recently went to see my doctor and told her I wanted to change my anti-anxiety/antidepressant medication. When I questioned her about there being something better than Paxil on the market now, her response was "Oh yes; I don't even prescribe Paxil anymore". I was flabbergasted! She'd been refilling my prescription for FOUR years and had never mentioned changing it to something new. Of course, I had never told her I wasn't happy with it, either, which I most definitely should have done. Anyway, I'm now taking Celexa and feeling SO MUCH better. I'm feeling more and more like my old self every single day. I so wish I had changed meds a LONG time ago.
I'm telling you all of this for two reasons: I don't want any of you who are currently on meds such as mine to EVER feel ashamed or like a failure because you have to take them. There is nothing shameful in helping yourself! This world is a hard place in which to live. It's beyond stressful, and sometimes we all need help, ya' know? It's not a failure; it's brave! It takes guts to reach out and ask for help. Secondly, PLEASE keep yourself educated on the types of medications available for your particular needs. If I had done that, I would have known long ago to get off Paxil and try something new. I so regret losing the time I did taking something that didn't really help me. I'm not going to focus on that, though. I'm going to take the blessings of my new medication and run with them! I no longer feel like hiding from life and the world -- I want to be part of it again, finally. It's so wonderful to feel like this again! I still have a ways to go, but I'm taking it one day at a time and am very happy doing so.
Please, if you feel you may need help, go see your doctor. Research your feelings and symptoms and educate yourself. Be a proactive patient, and do NOT feel badly about seeking the help you need. It's the bravest thing you can do for yourself!
Anti-anxiety Medications, Antidepressant Medications, Celexa
Hubs and I were talking the other night about vacations we'd like to take, eventually coming 'round to talking about vacations our oldest son has taken (yes, he's been on way more vacations than we have! how sad is that? lol). A few years ago, he and his then-girlfriend took a trip to Jamaica and had a fabulous time. I can still remember the pictures they took, especially one of them sitting at a gorgeous table in one of the beautiful restaurants they visited. Ryan had a huge smile on his very well-tanned face. He looked like he was having the time of his life!
He also went scuba diving while there, which I knew he would do, being the water baby that he is. ;) He absolutely loved it! I so wish he had had an underwater camera with him when he did it! I would have loved to have seen what he saw. Hubs and I decided that when we go there, we will go snorkeling instead. Neither one of us are much for deep diving, but we still want to see what those beautiful waters have to offer! We'd really like to go there before our daughter is all grown-up and can still take her with us. She'd be in heaven! :)
Oh yes, one of these days!
Well, my daughter and I are back from our trip -- finally. It was one of the best/worst/weirdest/funniest trips I've ever been on.
We left Tuesday morning, and as soon as we arrived in Loveland we stopped at a mall just off the highway for some coffee. I, of course, immediately tripped on a slight incline in the parking lot and hurt the big toe on my left foot. It hurt like hell. I sucked it up and went into the coffee shop. The girls (Callie and her best friend) got what they wanted, and after sitting for a few minutes we went back out to the car to take off for Centerra Mall, but guess what? The car wouldn't start. Sooo, we walked, throbbing toe and all, WAAAY across the mall to Red Robin for lunch. We finished up there and walked WAAAY back across the mall to the car, which promptly started. Yay! We then drove on to Centerra Mall, where we spent a good couple of hours or more shopping, then decided to head to our hotel. Of course it happened to be raining buckets, which made the drive there quite unpleasant, as we found ourselves lost in a maze of roundabouts which, for the record, I find COMPLETELY asinine! Anyway, we finally made it there and got all checked in and unpacked, and were very happy with our room. We had dinner in the restaurant/lounge of the hotel and met the fantastic manager, Nate, who was just as nice and accommodating as he could be (he made a special dessert just for Callie a couple days later when he found out we were there on her birthday trip). He told us that it was open mic that night and we should come back and have a listen. We told him we would, then went back up to our room where the girls prepared to go swimming. Their swim didn't last too long, as it began lightning and thundering again, so they came in, showered and got ready to go back downstairs to the restaurant. We were pleasantly surprised and actually quite blown away by what we saw: a two-man band consisting of a very good guitarist and an awesome keyboardist, who just happened to be totally blind. He was absolutely phenomenal in both his playing and his singing! We had a fabulous time!
The next day we headed out for more shopping, and guess what? The car wouldn't start. And my toe was still throbbing. I won't bore you with what followed (a lot of cursing, crying and phone calls!). We ended up calling the friend with whom my sister was staying in Greeley before her surgery that day, and she came to the hotel and picked us up and took us to her house to get my sister's car. Thank God! If she hadn't had her car there, I don't know what we would have done! I had called Hertz, and would you believe they had NO cars available at either their Loveland OR Ft. Collins offices?! Geez! Get more cars, people! ANYway, we kept her car the rest of our trip, but had to extend our stay for 2 more days so that we could pick her up from the hospital and deliver her once again to her friend's house. We were going to bring her home with us on Saturday, but her friend was coming here to our town on Friday evening, so she brought her back with her. By the way, my sister's surgery went very well and she is now recuperating at home. Yay again! :)
We had a real nice day of shopping on Friday, and a great dinner at TGI Fridays. We finally got back to the hotel around 9:00PM and just hung out the rest of night, watching movies on TV. Around 3:00AM we were awakened by some people being VERY loud down at the pool (we were on the 2nd floor, and the pool was out and down -- a great view for keeping an eye on the girls when they were swimming!). I went to our window, which was open, and said SHHHH! very loudly, but they didn't hear me. I then called the front desk and politely asked the night manager to please go ask them to be quiet. He said he would do it immediately (the pool area closes at 10:00PM, so no one was even supposed to be down there). Of course we, being the snoops we are, went to the window to watch. LOL Guess what we saw? Four men in boxers and one woman completely naked, except for a thong, exit the pool! LOL! They were sooo drunk. They kept jumping into the pool whenever the manager would step away to fetch them towels, and the woman pushed one of the guys in after he had climbed out and wrapped a towel around himself. The woman came out of the pool and walked around to the side where her clothes were just as proudly as could be, too. LOL And believe me, she didn't have much to be proud of! LOL It was hysterical.
We got home around 1:00 yesterday afternoon, and were glad to be here. Our dogs were overjoyed to see us! We were overjoyed to see them, too. :) Hubs and Callie went back today with a trailer and picked up the car. It's back home safe and sound. Now we have to have it fixed. Grrrrrr!!! It's always something! ANYway ... Callie and I are going to go see a movie tonight -- Halloween is playing!
Hope you all had a good week and are enjoying a great Labor Day weekend so far! :)
Vacations, Trips, Cars Breaking Down, Halloween, TGI Fridays, Red Robin, Funny Hotel Stories
