February 2008 Round Up

Blinkie by: Brandy's Blinkies

Monthly Round Up idea borrowed from Katie the Scrapbook Lady.

I didn't do very well at taking notes this month, and I feel like I have forgotten everything that happened! This may be my most pathetic round-up ever.

What books and/or magazines did I read this month?
mumble, mumble, mumble..... ::sigh::

What movies and/or tv shows did I watch this month?
We did *finally* see National Treasure: Book of Secrets. Disappointing overall, I thought. TV was just the usual stuff.

What special days did I celebrate and how?
Um, uh.... DH and I traded cards for Valentine's Day, and he got me a very cute stuffed dog and some chocolate. Better than what I got him, which was nothing.

What gifts did I give and/or receive?
Melissa and Ursula were kind enough to send me one of the "cast member only" pins they received while at Disney in February. It may be the only one I have, since I am more of a collector than a trader. I mostly only have pins that I have bought myself at the parks, and this was a pin you can only get by trading with a cast member. That was so sweet of them!

What illnesses or health concerns did I have?
I think we were all sick this month! DH brought home some kind of 7-day flu bug that knocked out both him and me; Luke seemed unphased. Then I came down with bronchitis, an ear infection, and a sinus infection, all at the same time. By the time the end of the month rolled around, DH was coughing his head off and Luke was starting (though he never got as bad as DH or me). But Luke's ear tubes were deemed perfectly fine at his ENT appointment, so that was good.

What fun things did I do with my friends and/or family?
Seems like my parents came for a visit. It is so hard to remember! Other than that, things were pretty quiet (considering we spent the better part of the month rather ill and going to bed around 9 PM).

What new foods, recipes or restaurants did I try this month?
Seems like there was some new place in here, but I can't remember where for anything.

What special or unusual purchases did I make?
Lots of (legal prescription) drugs.

What were this month's disappointments?
Just being so very sick for so long. I lost almost a week at work. Not good considering I will (did) miss 3 days at the beginning of March and a whole week for the beginning of April. And I didn't take a *single* photo of my son this month.

What were my accomplishments this month?
I do feel like I am finally starting to get just a teensy bit better at work. I don't feel completely and totally lost now, just mostly.

What were Luke's accomplishments this month?
Not sure this really counts as an accomplishment: he got demoted at school from the 3-year-old room back to the 2-year-old room because of the potty training thing. They had some kind of surprise state inspection, and they got sited for having a non-potty trained kid in the 3-year-old room, so he is back in the Twos. That's less than two weeks after they officially promoted him. I understand why they did it, and I don't blame them, but I am so not happy right now.

As far as real accomplishments go, he has finally learned to draw something recognizable. It's just a "robot" (read: circle with two eyes and long stick legs), but he is consistent about it. It is nice to see after all this time of just scribbles.

Anything else noteworthy to record?
Nothing in particular comes to mind. Sorry this was so crummy. I'll try to do better for March.

Currently feeling: tired and slack

Wacky Leap Day

I sure hope your Leap Day 2008 was a little more.... normal than mine. Everyone and everything just seemed unusually crazed today. My favorite thing, though, was this, which *definitely* falls under the category of "things you don't want to see when you arrive to pick up your child from daycare," don't you think?



Why yes, that is an ambulance (actually a fire/rescue unit; the ambulance arrived as we were leaving). Given that my son has already had two ER-worthy (though thankfully not ambulance-worthy) injuries at this facility, my heart naturally leapt into my throat a bit, but when the director walked right past me without reacting as I walked through the door, I knew at least it wasn't my child involved (this time). Turns out one of the older kids in the after school program (he was probably 9-ish) was horsing around and fell head first off something on the playground (slide or monkey bars, depending on who you asked) and landed on the asphalt. They said he probably has a mild concussion, but he is expected to be fine. How much you want to bet that it will be *my* kid in about 5-6 years? That's what I thought.

Currently feeling: relieved

Pop pop, fizz fizz

And suddenly, my ear can hear! To me, one of the worst things about having an ear infection is that it takes forever for my body to decide that the antibiotics really are working and it can allow me to hear again. After gurgling most of the day Saturday and all day Sunday, it finally decided to go on and pop for good about half way through the Oscars last night. I didn't get a ballot done this year, since I honestly forgot they were on until about an hour before hand. I would have scored just under 50%, I think, purely by guessing and listening to buzz. I'm starting to feel like I should relinquish my Movie Muse title. I haven't reviewed a film since June, and I've actually been to the theater and seen a few on DVD or OnDemand since then. I'm so sad.

Currently feeling: blah

How about some good health news?

Might make a nice change, no? Luke had his six month ear tubes follow up appointment today, and I would like to quote the doctor: "If all ear tubes looked this good after six months, I would be a happy woman." Yay! Ears look good, tubes look great (clean, no clogs, still in place, etc). They are also not showing any signs of falling out any time soon, which is also good. She wants them to stay in there for about 18 months. Hopefully, we can manage that with just one set of tubes and that will be the end of it. We go back in six months to check on them again.

Currently feeling: doctored out for this week!

Self-diagnosis was essentially correct

I definitely have bronchitis and an ear infection, and I might have some kind of sinus thing going on. There is some viral respiratory thing running around, but apparently it follows a very specific progression, and this isn't it. She thinks the bacterial bronchitis bug snuck in there when my "defenses were down" from the flu bug. BP was 120/82, so that was good, but my heart rate was like 125! YIKES! She thinks that is from all the trouble I'm having breathing with the bronchitis(and maybe a little from the decongestant (yes, the one I am allowed to take!)), even though my oxygen saturation was 98%. She wants me to wait 5 days for the antibiotics to take effect, then take my pulse again. If it's not way down, I'm to call back. The down side (and it is admittedly very minor) is I have to take a 10-day antibiotic. Waahh, I hate those. It is such a pain to take it twice a day with food for 10 stinkin' days. I much prefer the Z-pack, 4 days (or is it 5?) once a day and done! But, since she's trying to kill the bronchitis, the ear infection, and the possible sinus thing all in one shot, I have to take the heavy-duty drugs for a long time. She said I should be good to go for Disney, though.

Currently feeling: ready to be better

And the sick get sicker

I just don't see how this is fair. DH decided to bring home some kind of 7-day flu bug last weekend that took hold of me fairly quickly. Fever, exhaustion, aches, the works, though none of those symptoms were as bad as they could have been. DH missed work on Monday, I missed work on Wednesday (due more to fatigue than anything), but by Thursday, I was doing much better, though I was starting to sniffle, which was a new symptom.

Friday, he was mostly better, but I was doing my best Bette Davis impression; even my boss said she hardly recognized my voice on our conference calls. But other than sounding off, I still felt okay. Or so I thought. As the day progressed, I started feeling worse and worse and worse. By the time we left to eat dinner at Mexican (our standard Friday routine: Mexican, then groceries), I was feeling pretty rotten, and I thought my head was going to explode from sinus pressure. We didn't even make it to the grocery store on Friday, I felt so bad by the end of dinner, and I crawled into bed around 8:30, sleeping until 1 PM on Saturday (do I have the best husband or what?). Just for the record, DH seems to have a bit of a lingering cough from the flu thing, but he says he feels fine. No respiratory issues for him. Pppbbbtttt.

I got up on Saturday and started popping decongestants (which I am not supposed to do due to my blood pressure; I was taking half the recommended dose, though) just to survive, but with them, I was managing somewhat okay for a couple hours at a time. But again, as they day progressed, I started getting worse and worse, the decongestants hardly making a dent, even at full strength. I had also progressed from a dry cough to a congested one. This cannot be happening! We're supposed to leave for Disney in just over 2 weeks. I cannot be sick (sniffles are livable, but not sick like this). I am also terrified that Luke won't start manifesting symptoms until too close to the trip to get anything done, and I don't think a sick 3-year-old will have or be much fun at the Mouse House.

Today, I am feeling even worse than I was yesterday, if that is possible. I feel like there is an elephant sitting on my chest, my nose is red and sore from blowing it so much, my throat feels like I have swallowed broken glass, and my head still feels ready to split open at any minute. Oh, and my right ear hurts and I've started sneezing! Joy. The lymph nodes under my jaw are also big enough for me to feel (which is rare; I'd say they're large marble sized or so) and quite sore. That can't be good. If I were to self-diagnose, I'd say I definitely have a sinus infection, with bronchitis and an ear infection in the midst of developing. We'll see what my doctor says. I intend to call first thing on Monday and get the first available appointment, whether it is with my usual doctor or not. This just cannot wait any longer, given the rate of deterioration over the last couple of days. Wish me luck for an early appointment (preferably with my own doctor), and that the drugs work both quickly and effectively.
Currently feeling: sick sick sick

Chuck renewed! (2008-2009 Season)

CBS and NBC both announced the shows that will have new episodes to come this season (2008-2009), as well as what new shows have been renewed for next year. And it looks like NBC has picked up Chuck for next year!!! I am a happy happy girl!! Chuck is one of our favorite shows. Not the best show, not the deepest show, but it is so much fun. I even got my brother hooked on it, which is saying something. There won't be any new episodes of it this season, but it will be back in the fall. Yay!

Edited 4/22/2009 to add the years this applies to, since I keep getting hundreds of hits on this post.

Currently feeling: happy!

Food Meme

This one was new to me.

01. CHEESE or CHOCOLATE? Ouch! Start with a hard one why don't you? Do I really have to choose? I'm not sure I can! Honestly, I might have to go with cheese.
02. BLUEBERRIES or STRAWBERRIES? Blueberries. Don't care for strawberries.
03. COFFEE or TEA? Tea, preferably ice cold and so sweet that even normal humans go into diabetic shock.
04. CORN MUFFIN or ENGLISH MUFFIN? Corn muffin. Hey, I'm a Southern girl!
05. PANCAKES or FRENCH TOAST? That is completely dependant on my mood.
06. YOGURT or CREAM CHEESE? Really don't care for either straight up. I like cream cheese in things, though.
07. RICE or PASTA? Plain? Rice. With stuff? Pasta.
08. CAKE or PIE? Cake.
09. GROUND BEEF or GROUND TURKEY? Depends on the application. Things with lots of other flavors (like tacos) are fine with ground turkey (breast, please!), but some things (like my Salisbury Steak recipe) just aren't the same without the beef.
10. HOT DOGS or HAMBURGERS? Baseball game? Dogs. Otherwise, burger.
11. JELLY or MARMALADE? Jelly.
12. AMERICAN CHEESE or SWISS CHEESE? American. Swiss only in very partiular recipes.
13. DIET SODA or NO SODA? Am I the only person who still drinks (and needs to stop drinking) the real thing?
14. LEMONADE or ICED TEA? Iced tea.
15. CHERRIES or GRAPES? Grapes. Don't like cherries.
16. CHOCOLATE QUIK or STRAWBERRY QUIK? If I have to pick, then chocolate, but I prefer my milk ice cold and straight up.
17. WAFFLES or PANCAKES? Generally pancakes, but again, it depends on my mood.
18. WHITE BREAD or WHOLE-GRAIN/WHEAT BREAD? Depends. I prefer whole grain to eat as bread, but french toast and garlic bread just aren't the same unless it is white.
19. PEAS or CARROTS? Cooked? Peas. Raw? Carrots.
20. PUDDING or FRUIT-FLAVORED GELATIN? Pudding. Jell-o gives me the willies.
21. COLD CEREAL or HOT CEREAL? Generally, cold, but some days, there is just nothing like a hot bowl of cream of wheat.
22. KETCHUP or MUSTARD? Ketchup. Mustard on Krystal burgers only.
23. MUSTARD or MAYONNAISE? Mayo.
24. MAYONNAISE or KETCHUP? Usually both! On my burgers at least.
25. BLACK OLIVES or GREEN OLIVES? Black.
26. ONION or GARLIC? Usually both.
27. PLAIN BARBECUE or BARBECUE WITH SAUCE? Plain.
28. SCRAMBLED EGGS or FRIED EGGS? Scrambled. I don't like fried eggs at all.
29. EGGS or EGG REPLACEMENTS? Like that's even a question! Real, please.
30. MEAT or VEGETABLES? Meat. I'm a carnivore.
31. CHINESE TAKE-OUT or PIZZA? Usually pizza.
32. SUSHI or DELI SANDWICH? Deli.
33. WHITE CLAM CHOWDER or RED CLAM CHOWDER? If I have to choose, then white, but I don't particularly care for either.
34. KEY LIME PIE or LEMON MERANGUE PIE? Key Lime. I don't like meringue (or lemon, really, for that matter).
35. PIE & ICE CREAM or CAKE & ICE CREAM? Neither. I don't like my ice cream to mingle with other desserts.
36. WHIPPED CREAM or CAKE FROSTING? Depends on the application. If you mean on my cake? Then cake frosting, preferably my mom's decorating icing recipe.
37. HONEY or MAPLE SYRUP? Maple syrup. Never cared much for honey.

Currently feeling: hungry

Oughta be in pictures (photo meme)

I've seen this in several places, but I first spotted it on Heather's blog. Me being me, most of mine are fairly obvious, but there are a couple that might make you think (or cheat and check the file names).

Answer the questions and type your answer into Google images search. Post a photo from the FIRST results page. (this can be tough!!)

Age you will be on your next birthday?


Place you would like to visit?


One of your favorite places?


Your favorite object?


Your favorite food?


Your favorite animal?


Your favorite color?


Name of a past pet?


Where you live?


First grade teacher’s last name?


Middle name?


A bad habit of yours?


Favorite flower?


Favorite Holiday?


Currently feeling: in pictures

In my hidey-hole

Sorry, y'all, I'm sort of hiding from the world right now. Not much to say, not doing much, still feelingn lost at work. So I'll do a few memes over the next few days, and I'll start with Krista's latest. It's about half scrapping, half not.

1. Name your two favorite scrapbooking topics:
Luke, my family.

2. Where are the two best places you’ve been to?
Walt Disney World, Germany

3. Name two things you do every day:
Say "I love you" to my husband and son, eat.

4. Tell us two things that pretty much everyone knows about you:
I love movies, and I have red hair.

5. Tell us two things that everyone DOESN’T know about you:
I hate this kind of question! I'll tell you pretty much anything, so I'm not sure who knows what about me, and I never can remember what I've said in the past (and I hate repeating myself). Um, uh, er.... My first car was a station wagon (that I actually liked driving), and I love forensics shows (prefer the real case file type programs, but CSI is fine too).

6. Tell us two things that got you into the hobby of scrapping:
Jacob's PhD graduation, and Melissa's Christmas card from a few years ago.

7. Tell us two things that you want to accomplish in the next six months:
Survive two trips in six weeks (one of which is going to be very long, travel-wise), and get better at my job.

8. Name your two favorite scrapping tools:
Computer, external hard drive. (Does Snapfish count?) If you mean products, then templates and ribbons.

9. Name your two favorite sources of scrapping inspiration:
Other people's layouts, and the photos themselves.

10. How has your scrapping changed since you started?
Templates! I love them. And just the depth and reality of the elements.

11. What scrapbooking project have you yet to try but would love to?
A Shutterfly book.

Currently feeling: wanting to disappear for a bit