Big girl's in the house

That is how I'm feeling right now. For more than a while actually. Am I supposed to give in to the notion that when you get older you get fatter? Am I supposed to lose the battle and just give in and buy bigger clothes? Do I say forget it and just say, "well I just have to accept it and deal with it". I think not. I am not the one for "settling". I am not. I wonder how many overweight, obese humans got that way. I assume the obvious which in my mind would be overeating. How do you just say ok I will just buy a bigger size and then bigger and bigger? I can't fathom the thought of folks truly being happy obese. It is hard for me to look in the mirror and think to myself that I am at a weight where I am happy. For the most part growing up I was fairly thin. Not skinny but sorta slim. High school hit and I thinned out some more along with my height. I am fortunate to be the height I am so help balance out the weight. I refuse to accept this current weight. I am at my heaviest and I will not allow myself to get bigger. I was doing good with the strip aerobics until I realized that the chick was money hungry. That is another story in it's own. So I am not working out. Partly because I lost the motivation and my husband telling me I am not fat. I appreciate his comments but it means nothing if I am pleased with my own looks.

Thing is, I can do it. I've done it before. It's just a matter of motivation. Looking great on the beach is motivation. Being able to go into the store and find the cutest little number in your size is motivation. Living an overall healthy life is motivation. I always thought those New Year's resolutions of weight loss to be a waste because not many folks actually stick with it. However, I am determined to get this weight off of me. My goal is a minimum of 30 pounds. I will continue to buy shoes and other accessories but will not spend a lot of money on clothes. Not until I am at my desired weight. Not being to find clothes to put on to go out is a big motivation.

Wish me luck. I will start this endeavor January 1st. My birthday is the 31st so I would really love to make some progress by then. The Weight Watchers Point system seem to do justice the last time a attempted to lose weight so I think I will do a modified version of it along with diligent work out routines. I will keep you all updated on my progress and pictures.

It's Christmas time

I can't ask for a better time of the year. Family and friends are very high on my list so Christmas is extra special. My sister-in-law cooked for Thanksgiving so we agreed that I would cook for Christmas. December 26th started out with me waking up with the intention to cook breakfast but when you have a pretty hefty dinner to cook, somehow breakfast isn't looking all that appetizing right now. So instead, we opened each other's gifts. I was a good girl this year. I got some really nice things. My two favorite gifts were my Garmin GPS and my Sony Cyber-Shot 7.2 megapixel camera. I thought only men yearned for electronics. Not only will the Garmin get me to my destination, it has Bluetooth capability. It's perfect! The camera was an unexpected gift. I thought the 3.2 megapixel camera I had was good. That was until I saw the distinct difference between the two pictures. It was time to make dinner now. The menu consisted of: lamb, venison, chicken roaster, ham, greens, cabbage, rice, macaroni and cheese, candied yams, and potatoes. We made just enough food. I guess they enjoyed the food because there really wasn't much left. Played some Tunk and played Christmas carols and enjoyed my family. The guests left about 10 pm and I called it a night. We had a splendid time and I loved watching my nephews open their gifts. I would like to donate to a charity next year in place of buying loads of gifts like I did this year. We will see how that goes. It would be nice to do both but I have been feeling like doing more contributions next go around. So here's to a Merry Christmas to all.

The shopping excursion

I just love Christmas but I am not a fan of the shopping. Maybe that has something to do with me waiting until the last minute. I am getting better by the year but I am far from perfect. I started the week before this year. There are at least 2 items left I need to get but I dread going out there again. We are having dinner here on Christmas and I need to hit up the grocery store on Sunday. I think the stores will be just as packed as the malls are. My plan was to get up super early yesterday and go to the mall but my laziness got the best of me. It wasn't until 2 pm that I got of the house. My hubby has gotten me into the AMC channel. I watched "Cool Hand Luke" with none other than the sexy Paul Newman. I was glued to the tube and couldn't move until I found out how it ended. Not a nice ended but none the less a great one. I am a go getter. I know what I want when I go to the malls. The mission is easily accomplished when you know exactly what you are shopping for. I went alone and walked at my fast paced speed to maneuver through the crowds. My poor Visa check card has been through quite a bit in the last three days. I'm surprised the stripe isn't worn off. Oh and I had a dilemma with Circuit City. You've seen the commercial. Buy online and pick up at the store and guaranteed your item is there in 24 minutes or you get $24. That wasn't the case with me and I was a unhappy customer. That was the entire purpose of me buying it online. 1) I'm guaranteed I have it and 2) I just walk in grab it and walk out. The cashier wasn't all that apologetic. I maybe got an "I'm sorry" but I need a bit more than that for this time of year. It's like everyone was buying digital cameras this year and the more affordable ones were all sold out. I asked homegirl how do we fix this and she informed me that she can credit my card back. That's what she did. So I had to buy the camera from Sears for my mom. I hope she actually uses it this time instead of having me take over it.

Now the wrapping. Last night I put on some carols and pour me a glass of red. Sat my butt on the floor and let the fun begin. I did all I could before my back started giving out on me. I wasn't sitting in the best position. I have several more to go today. I feel like I'm ahead of the game. Monday I will drop off those gifts to those that I have to and run home to prepare for the big day. I can't wait. This is my all time favorite holiday of the year. It really is about spending time with those you love and it's just an added bonus to receive gifts. I love giving regardless of the occasion but this is extra special for me.

Meet Lady Icis

I am usually a very organized person. I received a registration renewal for my Lady Icis a couple of months ago. I put the form on top of the pile with my other bills. Well I can't find it. I am not going to blame anyone (hubby) but I know I had it sitting with them. I only remembered to renew it because my insurance cards came in with the new dates and it jogged my memory. So it's done and it's another 2 years before the next one. I'm sure by now you have seen the picture and realized I am speaking of my motorcycle. It's a 2005 Honda F4i 600 cc, silver in color. Let me tell you the history.



As long as I can remember, I have had this insane fascination with motorcycles. Sport bikes more so. I can appreciate a good cruiser but that's only a new appreciation. I would see the fellas ride their bikes with all their gear and coordinating helmets. Not to mention the speed. I am not a speed demon but I enjoy a little speed. I dated a few guys in the past that had bikes but the relationships weren't of that magnitude where I would have them teach me. Many years later I became involved with my now hubby. A year into the relationship he bought a used Sport Cruiser from a fellow officer. I was so excited for him. You would have thought it was mine. It's a Honda ST1100 black. It's big. If you look closely you can see it behind mine. It's heavy and intimidating if you are a novice rider. Off we go to buy gear. Jackets, helmet, gloves and communicating devices so that we can talk to each other on rides. Our first long ride was to a friend's house. I trusted him. I didn't have a second thought to it which is very reassuring. No worries and wasn't afraid of the speed. That was the ride that convinced me that I should have my own to ride. No more admiring other riders.

I didn't purchase the bike based on any information other than the size and the make. I knew I wanted Honda so we could have his and hers. I knew I wanted silver because that was the color of my helmet. Finally, I knew I wanted a 600 because that's the safest bike I could get for my money. That's it! No comparisons, no pricing, no testimonials from others. I went online, looked, found and bought. It was purchased in December of 05' so I was offered a discount. Bikes don't sell that fast in the cold so they make offers. My honey went and picked up the bike. He rode it home while I followed. It was a cold day but we didn't have to go far. That next week the husband took me out to learn. Gotta love a man who can teach you to ride. After I learned the basics, practiced and dropped it a few times, I went and took the exam for the learner's permit. It was time to register for Motorcycle Safety classes. Paid the fee, took the class 4 months later, passed the course and rushed to the MVA to get my "M" added to my license. I am now ready to practice in the warm weather.

I did good and enjoyed the exhilarating moments I had on Icis. It's 2007 now and I had been planning our wedding. I managed to get on Icis a few times and put a bit more miles on it but nothing substantial. I have an embarrassing 490 miles on my 2 year old bike. I should be well into the thousands but I am not. I haven't even had my first maintenance. Pitiful. These facts led me to decide to sell her. I just figured I would never have the time. Then the registration came in and I snapped out of it. I am going to get on her 2008 riding season and put some miles on her. I think I would have regretted selling her because then I would miraculously have the desire and time to ride. Then I won't have one. I WILL NOT SELL ICIS. And that's that!

If you haven't been on one, there's nothing like it. When I first get on it my adrenaline is pumping and I'm anxious and nervous at the same time. My biggest worry is a vehicle striking me. Not me taking a spill on my own. You get all geared up with your protection and your ready to go. I get on it and battle with becoming proficient in getting out of 1st gear. Remember I only 490 miles of practice. You reach a straight away and get that baby into 4th gear and just sit back and enjoy. It's my quiet time. I clear my head. I take in the scenery and release all that adrenaline and anxiety. I miss it and I am looking forward to the upcoming season. I don't have to wait for classes or plan a wedding so there isn't any excuse to put some miles on Lady Icis. I'm not set on putting miles on it only but the more miles, the more experience and that's what is important. I get to ride with my hubby and no longer drool over the biker boys motorcycles. Huh. A sista rides her own ride now.

The Good and the Bad- No Ugly

There are some people in the world that don't know or care to know about their zodiac sign. It could be for religious reasons or just a lack of interest. I can't remember how I got reeled into it initially, but I enjoy reading about my sign. I am not as involved in it as some. I remember a patient we had who scheduled her day around the astrology. I found it to be very interesting as to how the outcome of it was but when she came in years later, she still followed it so I guess it's working for her. Whenever I would get serious with a guy I would read up on their sign first. Now I knew my compatible signs (libra, gemini, sagitarius, aries) but I would still read up to see if there is any hope in our compatibleness. The hubby is not one of my "listed" compatible signs but I think we make up for that. LOL. I am going to copy and paste one of several profiles on my sign. I chose the one that I felt listed everything the most accurately. Now I have to admit that I am still astonished at the mere thought that these descriptions are exact. I wonder are others profiles just as on point as mine. If there is an objection, I will note it next to the statement. For those that know me, here is confirmation of what you may have suspected and for those that don't know me, here I am in a nutshell. However, a nutshell is a bit small for this job. Enjoy getting to know me.

JAN 20 to FEB 18

Symbolized by the water bearer, people born on days between January 20 to February 18 are categorized as Aquarius. They are frank, practical, idealistic and spiritual. They are born rebels and following the norm is not their cup of tea. They have unusual, new and daring ideas and go to any degree to pursue them. Their outlook is positive and they have strong convictions and seek truth above all things.


Not always intelligent and logical, they are devoted to work that inspires them to the extent of injuring health. (hmm I would say ALWAYS dammit)

Argument is something they get involved into just for the sake of fun. Aquarians favor working in-group projects, if they are given the recognition of the leader. They have a feeling of unity with nature and a desire for knowledge and truth that makes them admirable.

They are witty and open to many ideas but sometimes they become mentally fixed and very stubborn. They are talkative and social but it may be hard for them to find common ground in any social circle. They enjoy expressing their views and are very articulate.

The negative aspect of this zodiac sign is rudeness, resentment, and the silence that may burst out suddenly in extreme temper. They have no respect for tradition and little concern for the lessons of the past. They are purely progressive. They love to rebel against the system in supporting causes and ideas that are controversial and revolutionary.



STRENGTHS
Intellectual, friendly, glamorous, good communication skills and ability to understand abstract concepts.



WEAKNESSES
Fixed ideas, rebelliousness, coldness

COMPATIBLE SIGN
Gemini and Libra

INCOMPATIBLE SIGNS
Taurus and Scorpio (Lee I hope you see this)

SUITABLE LIFE PARTNER
Capricorn and Leo


PERSONALITY

Eccentric and original, Aquarius is a sign of people who follow their passion and desires to the hilt. They have very advanced ideas and can excel in any profession. They are a good team player but also are headstrong and inflexible in some ways.

Their approaches to problem solving are many times termed as too radical, unworkable, advanced and ahead of the times. Being frank, they can hurt some people if they are too honest about their views. Nevertheless, their outspokenness has its advantages as it grantees them a good social life. They reject old traditions,(that would explain my wedding) venture into unknown paths, and lead a life of the rebel. They thrive on change. They get bored of usual things very quickly and always want to see new people around them. However, they are somewhat impersonal most of the time.

Equality, freedom and fairness are important issues for them. In this regard, they are likely to be classified as a progressive and often associated with humanitarian issues and causes. They are very intuitive and able judge of character and this is where being fair-minded helps them.

Though they are very involved with such matters, their approach is always somewhat in the abstract and impersonal. Their approach is often very impersonal and detached. They resist anything or anyone threatening their independence.

LOVE AND ROMANCE
These people are friendly and social with a wide circle of acquaintances. They like to have friends who share common interests and are intellectually oriented. However, when it comes to romance, they find it difficult to be happy. They do not often display emotions and they prefer to keep their feelings to themselves. Even if their friends may be romantically inclined to them, they may never realize it, as they are too aloof. (depending on the person, I do share my feelings)

Romantic attractions that do occur are often sudden, and in some way unusual; they may end just as suddenly as they began. (LOL ain't this the truth) A permanent partner will have to be a friend first and a lover second. (and that is why my hubby is the one for me)

Freedom is another thing that they dearly love and possessiveness scares them badly. They want to be free and give entire freedom to their partners too. They value their individuality very much and this makes it difficult for them to submit to their partner's choices. With an understanding partner, the relationship may last very long and may be very successful. In the matters related to sex also, they are different and rebellious. They seek variety in their sex life but after they find their ideal mate, they are very loyal and dependable.

HOBBIES
Their hobbies can range from cycling in the countryside to photography, reading comics, collecting kitsch objects, collecting stones of unusual shapes and sizes, collecting gadgets, collecting spices and off beat recipes, collecting perfumes, holidaying in the mountains, participating in car rallies. Their desire to be free is what drives them to travel. (The things I agree with are travel, mountains, and collecting perfumes)

CAREER
Aquarians can turn their hands very successfully to most things, since they are very determined individuals. (this is why I am great at braiding hair and dental assisting) Many choose rather unusual careers like Astrology. They see life as a series of excellent opportunities to make the world a happier place, and if money comes their way, so much the better.

They might excel in technical fields and those linked with electrical and radio industries. Aquarians work best in-group projects, but must be recognized as having a leading role. They make excellent researchers and admirable scientists, especially astronomers and natural historians. They may lead the field in photography, computer technology, Radiography or electronics. Aviation is also a natural vocation for Aquarians. (now I know what my next career is, LOL)

They also possess talents in writing, particularly poetry, and in broadcasting. In theater, they make good character actors, and are natural mimics. Possessing an affinity for rhythm and timing, many Aquarians make fine and progressive musicians. In the service fields, they can be effective welfare workers or educators. (all of this is intriguing)

DOMESTIC ENVIRONMENT
They are home loving and their home must have good cooking and good food as a fundamental ingredient. At times, they like to settle in places far from their place of birth. (hence why I am in the country now?) Wherever they are, they like to surround themselves with unusual, distinctive objects.

Close relationships inevitably stir up complex and convoluted emotions that Aquarians often find troublesome. Generally not materialistic, their most treasured belongings are their freedom and independence. Whilst most ultimately do form stable partnerships, it will always be important for both partners to maintain their own interests and concerns.

HEALTH
The sign of Aquarius rules the lower limbs and ankles. The diseases with which the Aquarian may be afflicted are swelling of the legs, and nervous diseases of various kinds.

STRENGHTS
Aquarians are usually intelligent, cool, clear, logical people. They have good imaginations and are quite intuitive. Aquarius is drawn to and inspired by great causes. They do not deter from their goals and pursue them until the very end. Often termed as head of their times (my mother is an Aquarius also and she tells me we are ahead of our times) ,their ideas are progressive. They are a good friend, responsible, impartial and always loyal. Cool and collected, they are levelheaded and stable. They enjoy their own company and are recharged by this quiet time. Rarely content being followers, they are more often society's trendsetters. Most Aquarians appreciate beauty and balance, possessing an excellent sense of aesthetics. This is often expressed by interests that can span drama, music, art, and science.

WEAKNESSES
They sometimes seem eccentric and unconventional in their responses to everyday problems. They are also likely to be somewhat impractical and perhaps lacking in common sense. (I beg your pardon) They consider all that they do as being on a utilitarian level, even if many of their ideas are a bit idealistic and outside the mainstream.

They are quite aloof people, who do not actively seek out relationships, and resent any infringement on their time or resources. They are engaging, yet unreachable. They can be fascinating and dynamic, while lacking any real warmth or endearing qualities.

Among the faults, which are typically Aquarian, are extreme eccentricity, and an unwillingness to participate in any standard of protocol. When angered, they become seriously rude, alternating between deafening silence and sudden outbursts of temper. Even during the best of times, they may demand the freedom to come and go as they please. Possessiveness makes they feel trapped. Casual companions and relationships are much more comfortable for them because they do not impose so many demands.

I hope everyone can use this as a guideline to dealing with someone of my caliber. I applaud my friends for being my friends. I remember my mother telling me when I was in elementary school that if I kept my attitude, I wouldn't have any friends. I guess she was wrong. Ha! I am delighted to have shared my world with you. There was some good mentioned in there so I am a happy camper. Until next time......

Shoulder gone wrong

A couple of updates before I get into the new post. We are not getting the dog. She was a beautiful shepherd I have to say. Her name is Jenna and she is approaching 4 years old. Not a pup obviously. She was very attached to her owner(s). They said she was growling at their son and that she has been aggressive since the day she got pregnant. We think they stopped paying attention to her when the baby was born. She would need a lot of work. A lot of obedience training and I don't think this is a good time do try to take on such a task because it's getting really cold.



The tree has been trimmed. Woohoo!!

Ok back to the subject of the post. I would guesstimate my shoulder pain started back in 2001 late to early 2002. I can't tell you what happened. What I can tell you is that I have been in this dental assisting field for almost 11 years now. I would say that years of leaning on my left side with all my weight would pose a problem eventually. I don't know. I'm no doctor but it seems logical considering I haven't had any falls or accidents. Suddenly I just started developing this excruciating pain in my left shoulder. Went to my then doctor who referred me to a physical therapist. So I did physical therapy for a few months. All was well for hhmmm say about a year or a little over. Then the pain occurred again and this time I just ignored it or started taking Advil. Boom. Problem went away for a bit and came back charging more than the previous occasions. This time I found a orthopedic doctor in my plan and scheduled me an appointment. I can't say that I was satisfied with his standard of care. He examined me, as much as can be examined, and asked me if I wanted a Cortisone shot. Hmmmm, "I don't know". I asked the typical will it hurt question. I factored in my pain threshold and figured it was in my best interest to accept the offer. It wasn't painful at all but it does stiffen your shoulder up a bit. The injection lasted for quite some time and then the problem reared it's ugly head again. In between that time, I had radiographs done on my shoulder. He never once told me what the findings were from the films. Go back months later and he gives me another injection and orders a MRI on my shoulder. I had that done. Might I add, it's really not all that bad having an MRI. I found the loud clanking sounds to be rather soothing if I may say so. That last injection lasted about two months before I headed back. This time, no injection. He ordered an MRI on my neck to make sure there is no underlying cause. Now why in the hell didn't he order it with the shoulder? I was pissed because here I am in pain and he wants me to wait even longer to see him again without another injection. What does a girl do in the meantime? Take Advil I gather. I get the films and scheduled an appointment as soon as possible. This poor excuse of a doctor cancelled my appointment not once but three times. That was the last time I had any dealings with that office.

Now I'm on the hunt for a new doctor. One that went to a school I can recognize, unlike the previously mentioned doctor. Someone who works in DC so it's easily accessible on my days at work. Someone who wouldn't BS me around. I was given a name by my PCP office. He assured me that I would like him. He was right. I liked him. I didn't like that it took him 45 minutes to come into my room but I liked his demeanor and I got a good feel of him. I ran down the history of the bad shoulder and he got a few more radiographs. He did a strength test also. My left side is lacking in strength. I'm not sure what the outcome of the test was on that but I don't need a gadget to tell me that. He wanted to get an explanation for my tingling fingers. He told me I had suffered enough. Surgery was the next option. Orthoscopic surgery. He couldn't guarantee that I will pain free but he projected a 90% chance I would. There is that 10% though. He read me the findings of the report from the MRI and in lam ens terms, I got out of it a tear in the tissue surrounding the disc. I requested a copy for my own personal records. He told me that he won't know how bad it is until he gets in there but there could be a minor procedure or a more involved one. He asked if I had short term disability insurance. NO I have long term. He informed me that my recuperation period can be as little as a few days up to 6 weeks depending on what lies ahead, along with physical therapy. There is a slight chance that he can perform the work and the pain will remain and my shoulder can develop a condition where the shoulder would stiffen up. I don't' know the medical term but he did inform me of this possibility. I told him that I have been living off of 800 mg of Advil and looked at me and with concern told me that I am killing my liver. He wanted me off it and suggested another type of medication. I declined the prescription.

His next question to me was if I wanted to do it before or after the holidays. I asked him what is his advice and he said it's up to me because I'm the one in pain. He can do it Monday he said. Wow!

I call this morning to set it up. I absolutely cannot live with this pain any longer and the sooner this situation can be taken care of, the better.

I was having a really bad day yesterday. I think it's the PMS kicking in again but I took it out on my dear hubby and he didn't deserve to have me kirk out on him like I did. When I got home, to my surprise, there was a big beautiful bouquet of flowers sitting right on the top landing for me to take notice to when I opened the door. They were accompanied by the most heartfelt card and upon reading it, a single tear rolled down my face. Just a single one. I have never had that happen. So it instantly made me feel better. It's good to know I have him to be there for me when I'm just down and out and not feeling very happy. The card spoke about "tomorrows" and tomorrow indeed is a new day.

My father and a dog

I went to see my dad yesterday. He had surgery on his neck to have his thyroid glands removed on Tuesday. Let me touch a bit on HMO's. I have one and most government workers I know have them. Yes, we should be very grateful for having any type of insurance but it goes back to that old saying of, "you get what you pay for". We all know having a PPO is more costly but you tend to not have any real issues with the physicians. My dad is pretty healthy. He tall and slender, always active. He is an avid bowler. I mean this man has been bowling since before I was born. I'm 30 so we are talking a long time. This issue of his first became apparent a year ago he tells me. Now, as in the post below, I am not a hypochondriac but at the site of something foreign on my body, I will head to the doctors. A year ago he noticed a bulge in his neck. Only to wait to have it checked out one year later. I didn't notice it, however, my hubby did and I mentioned it to my dad. That's when he told me it's been there that long. Finally he gets an appointment to find out it's his thyroid glands. He was in surgery for 4 hours. 10 times the size of the normal thyroid was his. Ya think? A year's worth of growth. I later find out that they didn't have room to put him in after the surgery. They had none. Absurd to me but if this was a PPO insurance plan, I know this would not be the case at hand.

Now he's not getting off that easy either. He is my father who I love with all of my heart. I just wished he took better care of himself in that, he would get physicals, dental visits or anything that can possibly prolong his health. The keyword is preventive. It will "prevent" you from needing major procedures done. I'm not a health nut but I do try to take care of the one and only body the good Lord has given me. I tell those that have money taken out of their paychecks for health care to use it. That's why you pay for it right? Otherwise, why bother. Save your money. I feel like my hands are tied, I'm talking to a brick wall and he's an old dog. I have to accept the fact that he feels that these things aren't important to him. I'm glad he's doing ok. This is his second major operation he has needed in his life and hopefully he won't need anymore anytime soon. I love ya daddy!

We have a family of 4 furbabies. Sebastian, Toby, Dexter and Morgan. 2 Huskies, 1 shepherd and a Chow Chow mix. The hubby asked me if I was busy tomorrow. I said let me check my calendar. LOL I am not that important but I do have a social life. Anyway, to my surprise, I was free. Toby was adopted by us when he was 2 years old. He's now going on 4 years old. I asked the hubby what did he have in mind and he tells me a family has a 3 year old shepherd female with papers. We have more than enough yard for a herd of dogs but not the best idea for the house. These are his words to me when I say, "honey let's add to the family". I would love another dog but I don't think I am up for adopting another one. I know she needs a home but it took a while for Toby to warm up to us. He's my baby now but it was a time to get through. I much rather get a puppy. He likes shepherds A LOT. Maybe because he's a cop. I dunno. I just know this is when compromise comes in. Now granted she would come to us at no cost but the trade off is her getting accustomed to her knew life. Maybe if she was a year younger I'd might be inclined to say absolutely. I have to go with my guts on this one. So we are taking the huskies tomorrow to meet them. At least that was the last conversation. We are trying to eliminate the 3 kennels we have downstairs now. Not add one. We'll see.....

WE HAVE TO TRIM OUR TREE.

Little things

It's amazing how some folks get all excited about the little things. This may not be much of anything to another person but I gasped when I saw these. I have had my share of salt and pepper mills but nothing of this magnitude. The set we have now just doesn't do it for me. These are like towers. I was not out looking for these. In fact, I didn't even go in the aisle that would house something of this sort. They were up front to the side at the cashier. Someone must have changed their mind. Their lost is my gain. It's complete with sea salt in one and a peppercorn medley in the other. This is over a foot tall. I'm thinking that with this amount I will be old and gray when it's time to refill it. I am going to have to buy a couple of bottles of the medley just to refill it. We aren't routine salt users. I may use it when making eggs but that pretty much is it.

From the time I got my first apartment, I have become a home shopper. You know, it went from me going out to buy clothes, shoes to now buying pieces for my home. It's the smallest thing that comforts me. Anything that is related to the kitchen or cooking or entertaining I enjoy buying. Other little things that make me happy is when you go to Popeye's and order a 5 piece chicken strip and they give you 6 or even 7 pieces. Or when you go to Coldstone Creamery and order a Like It and they give you a Love It just because the girl scooped up too much ice cream. How about when you hubby comes home with gourmet jelly beans because he know it's your favorite. Your coworker brings in extra Jamaican food because you kill to have it. Wow I just realized that all those little things were edible items. Hmmm that makes me sound greedy. LOL. Oh well. I am a simple girl who don't need much from another person. The next encounter you have with the little things, just smile and remember how happy it made you.

I'm out

Diagnosis

Let me start by saying I am not a hypochondriac. You see the eye for yourself. But when I woke up this morning the eye had noticeably gotten smaller. Still puffy but not quite as in the picture. I conveniently set it up so that all of my doctors are in the same building I work in. Not because I am a hypochondriac but because I like convenience. With that said, my primary care physician is across the hall from my place of work. I ran over there as soon as they opened and asked if I could be squeezed in as an emergency. They are always so helpful and I got me an appointment at 1 pm. Like any other doctors appointment, the issue at hand seems to diminish. I showed up all ready to run down the chain of events that occurred up until the swelling. I told the good doctor what happened and he said, "well it could be anything but I think it's blufferitis". Now of course this isn't the correct spelling but this is what my ears heard. LOL. He goes further to say, "I wouldn't do anything with it. At most, just some warm compresses". I said, "OK" and left thanking him. Why was I thanking him, uuumm dunno. I always feel as if he makes up diagnosis for my symptoms but this was one time he got it right. I know, he's the doctor and he knows his stuff but I have to venture out into that world of mine and assume the worse. I paid my copay and headed back to the office to go to my favorite tool on the world wide web called Google. I typed in "bufferitis" and "blepharitis" showed up asking me if that was what I meant. I guess. LOL. I initially saw the words causes, symptoms, and treatment. I clicked on the link and there before my eyes lie a new ailment of mine. In short, it's a chronic inflammation of the eyelids. It goes on to say it is the most common disorder of the eye. Ok so now I'm supposed to feel better because it's common? I think not. There are 3 forms of it. I narrowed my type down to the Meibomian gland dysfunction (MBG). What I also found interesting is that those that have the MBG also have seborrheic dermatitis. I say this because for the longest time I had issues with my scalp and what I called dandruff. I can't say I have it so much more now that I am chemical free and wash my hair everyday to every other day. It's has subsided dramatically but I wonder if it's worth getting checked out. For more info on my disease click on this link http://ww.agingeye.net/otheragingeye/blepharitis.php

I have previous issues with my eyes such as floaters and partial retina tears so I called my optometrist up to get some suggestions. They told me what the website told me to do which is to use warm compresses and clean my eyelids with baby shampoo on a cotton swab. It was funny because the beginning of the week I kept complaining that my eyes were burning. I equated it with me being tired but now looking forward, it was a symptom. One that is listed on the site.

I'm getting older. So on that note, I am off to clean my eyelids.

Mysterious Eye

It started out like a normal day. I got up exhausted this morning from working out and drinking two glasses of wine yesterday evening. Went to work. Did pretty much nothing. I did say it was a normal day right? LOL. Didn't bring lunch so the hubby came by and got S and I some chinese. I had shrimp and broccoli with white rice. We were done for the day so I headed on home. Walked to my bus stop to catch the commuter bus. I had a minute to spare before the bus came to my pickup so I felt good. Usually I'm running for dear life to catch the thing. I get on and take my regular seat on the bus. Slap on my iPod and shut my eyes for my evening nap. It's about an hour and 45 minute total ride home. That's including the 15 minutes it takes me to get to my home from where my vehicle is parked. You can see I can get some pretty good sleep in. I dozed off at I think around the 5 stop. That's faster than normal. I usually don't fall asleep until we hit the Maryland line. Anywho. I'm chillin, listen to my music and all of a sudden I am awakened to an unbearable itch to the eyes. Itchy throat, nose and ears also. I rub them and blink them really really hard so I wouldn't rub anymore. We were almost to the drop off so I shut my eyes until I got there. I noticed the vision was obstructed just a tad in the left eye. Still not thinking much of it. Chucked it up to the windows being fogged. I walk to my car and pull down the drivers mirror. I turned on my poor excuse for an overhead light and instantly developed the chill bumps. Ewwww. My eye was swollen beyond belief. (I'm getting the chills just reliving it in my head) I made it home without incidence and took a benadryl just in case it was a reaction to the shrimp I had earlier. Hopped in the shower and washed my soon to be dreads. Yeah baby. They are workin' it. Ok. I got off track for a bit. I took a picture before and after the shower. It looks different to me. Looks as if the swelling has traveled down towards my cheek. I have never been to the hospital and I'm thinking I won't start tonight. It's hurting a bit now probably from the swelling. My friend keeps emailing me to tell me to go to the hospital. Now, my guess is it's something on that commuter bus. I ask myself. How often do they clean it? I'm not going to push it and say a thorough cleaning but enough so that a person won't wake up with a crater on her eye. I went to WedMd to see if I could get an idea but the list of symptoms brought up too many similar diagnoses to narrow it down to what it could possibly be. So I will have to wait until tomorrow to find out. I think it's trying to decrease in size but I will update.

It's snowing and I don't like snow so I won't be posting too much on that subject.

Dinner and a tree

I'm back. Yesterday the hubby came home and brought along a spectacular tree along with the deer. I mean it's tall. About 7 feet tall, long fur tree. The sad thing is I came in the house walked up the stairs and went to the dining room to open the unwanted monthly bills. LOL. Any other person would have noticed it. I usually am a very alert individual so I was a bit unnerved to find that I overlooked this big ol' tree. When I finally took notice to it, I jumped for joy. "oooohhhhh the tree" I said. Fast forward to today. I told the hubby to get the last years ornaments and decorations out from downstairs. I had it all planned. Bake some cookies, put on xmas music, trim the tree and drink cocoa. (I am not a fan of eggnog) We had a date set but one tiny thing prohibited this date from happening. No cookies. I forgot to buy them at the grocery store. So our date has been rescheduled until tomorrow. I like things simple. So the tree will consist of lights, ball ornaments in red and silver and a topper. Oh and candy canes. No garland, no icicles, or any other additional item. It looks good to me like this and it's less stuff to try to pack away. I just love the site of the lights all lit up and alternating colors. I love this time of the year.

I love to cook. I don't do it as often as I would like because of my work hours/commute but when I do cook I enjoy it. Ideally I would like to cook a good home cooked meal every day except Saturday but that's not always the case. I have to say I get bored with eating the same foods all the time. Yes, chicken can be cooked numerous ways but it's still chicken. You have your beef and pork but again, it's still the same. So at one point I started perusing the Food Network for recipes. I like my good ol' soul food but I wanted to try something new. I have a few that I tried and liked and have added to my collection of recipes. Making recipes require prep time. I'm not in the mood nor do I have the time for this type of thing often. So today I kept it simple. Cornished hens stuffed with portabello mushrooms, green peppers, garlic and onions. Along with dill weed red potatoes and broccoli. After it was done the hubby jokingly suggested I take a pic and put it on my blog. Ha! He told that to the wrong person. I ran and got my camera and snapped a few pics. That is what it looked like in the picture above. Now I'm new to this blog thing and can't for the life of me figure out how to get the picture where I want it positioned. Folks this food was delicious. I have to toot my own horn but it's nothing new. I am a great cook. I hope to someday have that dream kitchen that makes you want to cook all day everyday. I wish you all could taste it but you can't. Sorry :-) Tomorrow is strip aerobics so I won't be cooking because it will be very late when I return home.

I am going to finish my glass of wine and call it a night everyone. Until next time.......

Aerobics, Kids & Common

Since this blogging thing turned out to be so fulfilling, I have decided to keep going with it.

Strip Aerobics is my new way of trying to shed some unwanted pounds. There are 4 different workouts to choose from. You have your choice of Strip Aerobics, Chairwork, Floorwork and Pole Fit. You can also buy or rent the "stripper" shoes consisting of 6" heels in your pick of the available colors. I workout in my tennis shoes. Enough said. So far, I have only tackled all classes but the latter. I just can't see me lifting my weight up on that devil of a pole. I'm calling it that because it is tempting me but I know I should stay away for now. The instructor is Michaela and she owns The P Spot in NW DC. http://www.thepspot.net/ Her body is the definition of motivation. Killer body. We are different body frames and height but I know I can achieve similar results if I just keep with it. For the first time in my recent attempts at losing weight I honestly can say I like this working out thing more. Why because you are obtaining the sexy moves while working all those muscles you never have before. It is an intense 45 minute workout but when you are done, you know you are one step closer to your goal. Today's class was Chairwork. This class has some serious sexy moves. The reality is that I am usually in much pain that I can't even replicate the moves when I get home. I mean, I remember some but not the majority. There is a lot of sexy leg up in the air moves, a lot of hip action with rocking side to side and circular motions. There is some bending over and touching the floor while coming back up in a slow controlled seductive fashion. I like it and anyone who has aken the classes would probably say the same. My first day at this was Nov 17Th. That means today was my 2ND week there. My thoughts are to at least do 3 classes a week and in between hit the elliptical I have downstairs that is sitting there unused. After a sista has lost some noticeable weight or have gotten to my pre 2005 weight, then I will post before and after pics. Maybe

My dear brother's one year anniversary is today. Congrats D&N. I got a call from dear bro this evening asking if I could watch his 3 sons. Ages 8, 7 and 5. The last time I saw my nephews was Thanksgiving. And that was just it. I saw them. My oldest brother brought his 2 of his 3 kids over that day so they were having themselves a blast playing with each other. It's been along time since they have spent the night over at auntie's house so this is actually good timing. The hubby is away and I would have just sat in here and drank a glass or two of wine and chilled out. Shhhh! I may still have a glass after they are off to bed. But anyway. These boys are truly special to me. All of my 6 nephews are. It would have been nice to get them earlier to have more play time. It's dark now and they can't play out in the back yard. The great thing about children is that they are great laborers. LOL As you already know, we are in the country with nothing but trees around. Trees and Autumn equals tons of leaves. This is where they come into use. It would go something like this......"Hey boys! Want to play a game? (cuz you know they are at that age of easy manipulation) It's called The Fastest Leaf." Then I would go on and make some outlandish game up and then they would happily oblige and next thing I know, I will have big piles of leaves. If you are a close friend you know that I don't have any children nor do I want any. This is the closest I will get and guess what, it's like heaven to me. It's like being a part time or on-call parent. Get them when you want. Take them out for sweets. Let them run around like maniacs. Let them stay up late. All the things that make them love their auntie. That way when I'm old and frail, I will have these loving boys to look after me. At least I hope so. I have to mentally prepare myself for their arrival. Woosah.....

I got the new Common CD. It's sitting here in front of my on my desk unwrapped from that torturous, non tear, plastic force field. Why do they have to make it so difficult? I mean seriously. It has 12 tracks on it and the cover is sorta futuristic and slight unusual. My first reaction would be that it looks as if the person who designed it wasn't really experienced in the art of graphic design. LOL. Sorry it just looks weird but a perfect fit for him. I am anxious to hear it and maybe I will just save it for the car ride tomorrow. Why is it that the positive artists go unnoticed? Why aren't they given the credit they deserve? Common is not only a lyrical genius but a fine, fine, sexy man in my book. Other uncredited artists are India.Arie, Bilal, Kindred and Lyfe Jennings and even Jill Scott. I say Lyfe because that song SEX sent a message that I only wish can be heard all over the world. Just put a giant sized megaphone over the planet for all the young girls to hear it. How many other R&B singers out here compose songs telling young girls to wait to have sex? It just blew me away when I heard that song. "Once it's gone, you'll never get it back". Powerful!

Breaking news----The hubby has a deer. That's the good news. The bad news. Someone gave it to him. He didn't sound too bummed but I think he was. Their little policy they have going up there is if a hunter has more than one and at the last day if no one does, then they give one up. I don't care how he obtained it, I'm just glad we have some to serve on Christmas Day.

Well I think I hear them driving up the driveway so I will end this blog thing now and maybe I will post an entry tomorrow.

Peace