HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Hope everyone has a very safe and happy new year. Time sure flies when you aren't looking.

Was good to see everyone over Christmas. I even got to see Rob and everyone at his house on the Web Cam the other night. So i got to see everyone in the family, cept Todd and fam.

Guess i am just gonna be here at home to bring in the new year. A couple of friends are gonna come over and we are gonna play some cards and maybe do some beauty make overs. Hair highlights and foot soaking...stuff like that. If anyone is gonna do anything more exciting....tell me about it so i can be jealous....lol.

Love to all!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I switched over to the new blog thing and lost my ticker but found out how to get it back. Took me a while though. I added a new picture too. It's early morning and i am wide awake. I hate when that happens...lol.

I can't believe Christmas is almost here. Just a couple more days and I am nowhere near ready for it.

Tonight we have a dinner at the Church and tomorrow we will be delivering meals to people in our surrounding communities.

I have been helping my friend Marcia look for a trailer and a lot to put it on. She will be moving this way soon from Greenridge MO down by Sedalia. She is buying one from New Castle and moving onto a lot about 5 blocks from me. I will be glad to have her closer. We do a lot of stuff together and it will be fun to have her close. And we will ride to work together which will be so much better since they moved downtown. We went to her sisters Sunday afternoon and made christmas cookies and fudge and chocolate coated chex mix which i will bring to let everyone sample at Christmas time. That was super fun. Her grandkids were with us and we all were busy in the kitchen making the stuff. Everyone had a job to do and we all took turns stirring the fudge and adding the different chips and nuts to it. Why did we never have traditions like that when we were kids? It's fun and may turn into one of my traditions with them.

I need to go weigh but haven't done that as yet. I will do it maybe today before i go to the church to eat. LOL.

Hope everyone has a MERRY CHRISTMAS! See most of you soon!!!

Love ya all!

Compact cars VS mini van...

I took my van in to the shop today to get the bumper and fender and hood fixed. They gave me a rental car to drive....oh my goodness...it was a red NEON. a dinky little toy car. I had to bend in half to get into the dang thing....and then i couldn't see what was around me cuz it was so low....anddddddddd....i felt like my BUTT was dragging the gound as i was driving. I could have gotten a van but the girl said i would have to pay 15.00 a day extra out of my own pocket...unless i could call the guys insurance company and explain to them my dilema. SO..that is what i did. I went home...called them and told them....LOOK...i am a big woman and i don't fit in a compact car. Well she said hang on and let me check with the agent on my case. well the lady was home sick and wouldn't be there for a day or two. and her back up called in sick today too. I told her that the lady at the car rental place said they had a van but no bigger cars at this time. Well whe said...hang on and let me see what i can do. Well she got back on the phone and said...I got you authorized for the van...take the car back and get the van. I said...Thank you very much. So i have a van to drive till mine is fixed. It's a new van too....got about 6125 miles on it. woohoo. it drives nice. took it to grandview today. It's the same color as mine is so when Amanda got home she had to do a double take cuz she thought it was mine and that i hadn't taken it in to get fixed.

and the ticker says.........

look up people....i went and weighed today. NOW...its 120 down.....Woo Hoo.

Went out to lunch today with my friend Marcia. We were gonna go to Partners but it was super busy so we opted for Applebee's. We had the Chicken wraps and a salad. it was pretty yummy. and i have enough for about 2 more meals....she had half hers left and so did i. we should have just shared one meal and got a second salad....but we didn't think about that. Any way she was on her way to her mom and sisters house in Raymore and stopped here to find some boots at Family Center so she got her stuff (her purses from Mels party and her stuff from my party) that i had here. Its always fun to go out with friends.

Amanda is in the city tonight cuz she has an interview tomorrow with Childrens Mercy....and hopefully with Dr. McDreamy....hehehe. I actually cooked a meal last night. First time in a really long time that i have cooked anything. Cooked her a roast and taters and carrots. YUMMY.

Love you all....see you soon.

SNOW SNOW SNOW

Everywhere i look there is that yucky white stuff. I got about 12 inches of the white menace. I HATE SNOW!!! Here is my story of going to the store during the blizzard Thursday afternoon/evening.

I had to go out and get groceries in this stuff. I should have gone earlier that day but i still wasn't feeling too good. This bronchial stuff is hard to kick. I was running out of everything so i decided i needed to go to walmart in the blizzard. Man that stuff was coming down and wasn't even like real snow...you know white and fluffy...it was more like little compact snow balls, jillions of them, smacking you in the face cuz that wind was atrocious. AND i had to clean off the van, then try to get the door open, it was frozen shut, and then try to get the ice off the windshield that was there from the day before. and get the wipers to move which were frozen tight. After i chipped off the ice and got it so i could see out, and it was warmed up, i took off for walmart, finding out that as i moved forward at any speed that the water on the windshield froze again. The wipers still had bits of ice frozen to them so they only added to the mess. SOOOOOOOOOOO....i had to look out through small openings in the ice so i could get the rest of the way to walmart. the roads were snow covered and getting deeper. I got all the stuff i went after and went out to get in the van...tried to open the back door and it was frozen solid...couldn't open it at all. either side. so here i am with the little snowballs hitting me in the face and trying to get groceries into the van through the drivers door. i had to sit in the seat and pull the cart to the door and put them in up over the steering wheel and over into the other seat. i had like 6 or 8 bags, some of which were bottles of water, milk and tea all the while the snow pellets hitting me in the face cuz the wind was naturally coming from the direction of my open door. i started the van and the ice had frozen over on the windshield again of course so i had to get out and scrape the windshield yet again...unstick the wipers which had frozen the window again. i got them unstuck and tried to get the ice that was stuck to the blades off so i could at least try to keep the build up off on the way home instead of looking through the ice streaks. Well it still was hard to see on the way home but not quite as bad as on the way there.

I get home and find that the porch that i swept off to get out of the house...was now covered and deeper than it was the first time i swept it off. so i have to grab the bags that i had lifted over the steering wheel and to the other seat BACK over the steering wheel and out the door. (needless to say i had to make two trips) The water milk and tea were heavy. i had to try to get up the steps of which i could not see, without falling and get to the door. i took that load in and got the broom again. swept them off and got the rest of the stuff out of the van and back in the house. ok...about 3 hours later i look outside....can't see through the ice covered window on the storm door...tried to open it...the snow is up above the bottom of the door and i can only push it open about 3 inches. OK...i am stuck in the house which doesn't bother me cuz i don't plan on going out again for the rest of the night.

Next morning i still can't open the door and i had to call Pat, my neighbor and see if he would come shovel me out. he did and i spread salt on the porch to melt the ice that he uncovered. he also cleaned the 4 inches of snow off my windsheild. but the blades were frozen up again. UGHH!!!

Did i mention i HATE snow? lol Hope everyoe else is getting well, or staying well, and driving safely on this yuck!

Amanda will be home in a day or so...i sure miss that kid.

Sick yet again...

We had a good weekend at Mom's till i started getting sick. We had a good time with Mom and Ruth and Bob and Mel and the boys on Thanksgiving. Friday i started feeling like my throat was scratchy and i kept coughing off and on....went out to Glo's Friday for turkey and she was sick. By the time i left there and got home to my house...i was a sick puppy. I was coughing and had chills and my throat was sore from sinus drainage and i had a super duper headache. My nose would not stop draining. By Saturday morning i was a very sick momma. I was taking advil and the decongestant tabs the Dr gave me for the last sickness i had. I couldn't stop chilling. I slept most of the day and finally broke the fever. I then had to visit the bathroom frequently. I feel a little better tonight but not completely. I still have the cough and runny nose and the cough is rather dry at times. Hurts my chest to cough and my head still hurts off and on. I get dizzy when i get up and walk around much. I have done nothing but sleep and cough. I haven't felt like eating much either. It hurts just having my glasses sitting on my nose. I just LOVE family get togethers when someone is sick and passes it around....the boys were hacking all over the place and then Glo was sick.....i was doomed!!

Other than all that....it was good to see everyone again. Missed seeing you Jen and Bob and D, but glad you missed all the sick. maybe we can see you soon.

I haven't weighed again so i will do that again soon.

Laid off in time to be sick...ugh

Got laid off Thursday. They were getting stuff ready to move as we were finishing the documents. Lots of noise...lots of distractions...not much work getting done...I left at 10:30 cuz i felt like crap. And now i really feel like crap. Guess i better go to the Dr on Monday and try to get rid of this before too much longer....lots of people say it goes into something else...like walking pneumonia. I don't need that. I haven't been sick for like ever and i don't like it. makes me want to scream....and i would if my throat didn't hurt and i didn't cough every time i talk. UGHHHHHHHH!!!

Anyway...i had to postpone my car inspection cuz i was still working. So i go this next Wednesday. The bumper is cracked beside the license plate and the fender over the wheel is kinda pushed out a bit and the hood is pushed in a little with a bend up on the top (not really noticeable though unless you look for it) the bumper has a bunch of scratches on it too.

I am feeling better (aches from the wreck only) now and so are the others that were with me. I am still having a few headaches from the bump on the head though...not sure whats up with that. Will ask the Dr when i go to see about this bug i have.

Hope i am better by Thanksgiving....Love you all.

Not another accident??

Well yes....yet another accident. Last Sunday afternoon after Melo's party we had just dropped Amanda off at the Peculiar Church and were on the way back to get onto 71 hwy. Right in front of Casey's and Flying J. There was a kid stopped at the stop sign on the outer road. A Lady had stopped to let me go by so she could turn onto the outer road. The kid was looking her way and saw her stop and i guess he figured she stopped for him and he didn't even look my way that i saw. He pulled out in front of me and i slammed on the brakes and slid right into him broadside. I hit my head on the sun visor and the CD's i have there cut my head, and was shook up and an instant headache and my neck hurt some. Marcia (my friend from work) had an instant headache also. She was in the passenger seat. Her daughter and granddaughter were in the back....they were both shook up and Dana had twisted a little to do the mother block on her daughter who was behind her in the very back seat hurt from the twisted hit. She is still in pain and her daughter has headaches off and on. Marcia could tell that she put her brakes on cuz her hip and tail bone hurt her the next day. Anyway....the kid tried to tell the police that it was my fault...that i was a MAD woman who came out of nowhere. The police told him that yeah...they could see the 30 foot of tire marks on the highway where i came out of nowhere. The Peculiar police told me he didn't have a very good track record anyway. He has already totaled a camero and gotten several tickets. And now this accident. But the sad thing is...his dad came up to the scene and told him that he guessed that now he would have to give him the Blazer he had just bought (not a new one but new enough) since he wrecked this car. And the police handed the kid the ticket and he huffed and shoved it at his dad....and his dad took it. The kid got into the blazer and left his dad at the scene with the tow truck and as he was turning around he almost got two other cars. The police had to holler at him to put on his seat belt. And i also heard that his dad is going to buy him a Corvet for his graduation.....heaven help us. I am not thinking that he really needs to be rewarded with a car like that at all. but that is my opinion i guess.

I didn't go to the hospital from the scene....i didn't want to go in the ambulance...but i did however go after i got home and sat down for a bit....i was hurting. I went and they took X-rays and everything looked ok. They gave me a pain pill and muscle relaxer and i went home and was out. I am feeling a bit better....i didn't work Monday and i also stayed home Thursday cuz i was hurting a lot....i took my pain pills and muscle relaxers they prescribed for me at the emergency room and don't remember much about thursday at all....i was kinda out of it all day. But i did feel better Friday.

I was at the church most of the week because we had Judgement House this week. If you don't know what that is...its a walk through play depicting the lives of some kids and how their lives go as to whether they choose to follow God or not. It is very moving and takes a lot of work from all of our church body. It is just a great week to be a part of and I really wish all of you would have come to see it. And Amanda i wish you could have been there this Sunday...it was a great sermon and we had 5 baptisms (not sure i spelled that right...) There are 5 more tonight at the Peculiar campus also.

Oh...by the way...did ya look at my ticker at the top????? I haven't weighed this for many many years. WOOHOOOOO!!!!!!!!! I need to find out how to put pictures on here again...i forget how. They will come later...Amanda will be here next month so she can help me do it.

Love you all and God Bless!

What are you doing back here?

Everyone at work was shocked to see me back there. The main question was..."I thought you had another job?" I said....yep..but now i don't. and then the next sentence was...."I knew you would be back!" Well actually...so did I. But before when i would go back i dreaded it...but now that i have worked somewhere else.....I don't dread going there like i used to. We shall see how it goes. I put in for a perm job at IRS yet again. Wonder how it will turn out this time. prolly the same. I think they know who they want before they even post the jobs on the board. I guess if its meant to be...it will be. I also put in for a work leader job. It is just a seasonal thing too...but its more money seasonally. I can do the work leader thing even if i get the perm position. We shall see. Next week is layoff either Tuesday or Wednesday...maybe possibly Friday at the latest...completion date for 1040's is the 3rd.

I need to go weigh...but i haven't done it lately. Wish i had a scale here so i could weigh when i want to..and one that would weigh me...lol...its a pain to go to the Hospital and weigh. I will go soon though.

Free at last Free at last

Yesterday was my last day at that "place" and i am so glad. I will go back to IRS Tuesday. The girls were really nice but the job sucked. Most of them were jealous that i quit. They hate it too but can't quit. Several of them said they felt stuck cuz they didn't have another job to go to to get away from this one and most of them i talked to used to work at IRS.

Not much to say today. Maybe later. Love you all.

Decision MADE easy

I got a call today that changed everything i was trying to figure out. ALL is good to go now. I am soooo happy.

Now to explain. You know that i HATED this job, right. Well i have been trying to think of how i could quit there and draw my unemployment. Cuz if you quit, then you would have a big waiting period before you can draw it. So i was dreading having to work at this job till the end of January. AND you all know that i have not been called back to work during the mini peaks they have in quite a few years. WELL...today Marcia and I took a test run up to the new building just to see how long it will take us to get there and a good route to take to get there. Which by the way was a pretty straight shot there. Easy to find and i think that maybe even i can drive it. It took us about an hour and ten to fifteen minutes to get there 0from here. But i digress. We stopped at IHOP on the way home and ate brunch. My phone rang so i answered it. It was Cis...my unit chief from IRS. She was making call back phone calls for the mini peak this month. She asked me if i would want to come back to work. I said....well ummm....yeah. She said you don't sound very convincing that you want to come back. I laughed then and said....well i am working at another job right now but have been trying to figure out how i could quit.....she laughed and said OH ok...lol And i asked her like 3 times if she was sure that she was supposed to be callin me back....she laughed at me and said Yes. SOOOOOO....i go back to work at IRS on the 17th for about 3 maybe 4 weeks...then when i get laid off again...i can draw my unemployment with no problems. They have raised the amount this year for the first time in many years....the max is now 275.00 a week(which wasn't much of a raise...but it helps) Also they have posted some more full time jobs on the board at IRS so i will apply for one of them again and see if i can maybe get one of them. So say a few prayers that i can this time.

It was fun seeing everyone last Sunday. Too bad we couldn't have visited longer. Uncle Chuck is fun to listen to.

Ok...i fell asleep before i posted this...i am so bad.

I hate this job.

I hate this job...i really do hate this job. I'm thinking it's not the one for me. I dread going more and more every morning. I'm thinking i will be back at my desk at IRS the beginning of next tax season. I was really hoping this job would work out but not looking promising. It would have to drastically improve in the next few weeks to gain my attention. I guess when you have worked somewhere for the last 22 years and you are used to the routine there...it really spoils you for any other jobs out there. I HATE having my days off split up. It just never seems like you have enough time off when its one day here and one day there. YUCK.

Tomorrow is the memorial service for my friends husband. That is really bumming me out too. Also its the LaCygne festival and i wanted to be there also. Amanda is going to work the booth for me till i can get there...(not sure if i can make it before its over or not but hoping to)...hopefully i can make some money there. I didn't get as much stuff made as i wanted to but i have quite a bit done. I got some business cards made up so if people want to order stuff they have my info. I got them free form vistaprint.com....your first ones are free...so that was kinda fun.

Anyway....we shall see what we shall see.

OK....I am posting...

This week was supposed to be a short week...but it sure has seemed LONGGGGGGGGGGG. And i still have to work tomorrow. UGH.

My best friend from work lost her husband this week. He had a brain anurism while in surgery for pollips on his sinuses and was pronounced brain dead Tuesday. My neighbor was sent to the hospital today for what is appearing as a heart attack (they aren't real sure about it yet, it's Phyllis) and when i went to see her in the ER....there was a woman there that is from my small group and her husband, who has cancer and is on dialysis, was there. He wasn't feeling well after dialysis today and so she brought him in. They are running tests on him and are going to keep him through the weekend. When it rains it pours. sheesh.

By the way...did ya notice my ticker up there? LOOK LOOK LOOK!!!!!!!!!!!! I weighed while i was at the hospital tonight. 109 I now went under a certain weight that i was waiting to go under....WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!

Double Excitement!!!!!

Amanda is coming HOME!!!!!!! WOOHOO.....i am soooooooo excited and happy. Thats one excitement....the other is....i have THREE days off in a row!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And did i say that my baby is coming home today?

We all got to trade our day off for Tuesday so we could have 3 days off together....i am so siked up about that. AND AMANDA WILL BE HOME TOO....lol.

Glad everything went well with Glo's operation. You are on the prayer list at my church. You can't go wrong with the power of prayer thats for sure.

Good luck on your tests Jen. We will be there bright and early Tuesday morning to keep that sweet little bundle of joy while you are indisposed.

Sorry i will miss seeing Stacy and the kids....but i had to take the 3 day weekend where i can get it. AND i was wanting to see Ruth too.

pssssst....pssssst.....did i tell you my baby is coming home today?? hehehe.

OH the PRESSURE to blog..........

LOL. You guys are pretty pushy you know? So.....here's how it goes....

This is starting my fourth week. I have gotten the hang of it a little better now but there is still so much to learn. I still haven't been shown the other programs i am going to have to do....but its yet to come. I still don't know anyone well enough to strike up a conversation with them cuz all we seem to do is work and when you aren't working...you are trying to get rid of the numbness in your butt, walking around to put the circulation back in your legs and going to the bathroom. LOL I am still not sure if this job is gonna be my cup of tea or not. It's not hard work...it's really actually kinda boring...right now anyway....its like just comparing one line of information with the information the computer put in that section and if its wrong you have to correct it. I would rather have to enter all the information myself. It would make the day go faster and i can go faster that way. And i am not real thrilled with having my days off spread out.....i like having them together so i have time to relax for at least one day. but oh well.

Now that most of the family blogs we can keep up with each other better. Mel needs to get on this train with us. Maybe that would be an outlet for some of her frustrations and stress. HOW BOUT IT MEL??

New Job Frustrations

Ok...one week has gone by. Training was not too bad....but on Friday when i went to the Lees Summit office....OH MY. The main program that i do isn't too bad. I can do it failry well. BUT....the second program they showed me how to do on the last day of training....i fear it will be my downfall. Every one of the forms i have done since i learned them i have gotten an error on. Friday i was so frustrated i was in tears. Today wasn't too bad cuz i only did that program once and only did about 3 documents...lol. AND my supervisor had one of the girls sit with me and walk me through them. Maybe that was why it went a bit better. OMG....will i ever get this? I guess i will but since its only been 6 working days....we shall see. At least the people at my office are a bit more friendly. They all talk to me and say hi and good morning which makes me feel much better.

Pray for me!!!

Information OVERLOAD!!!

The first day on a new job.....ugh. I have so much information rolling around in my head that i can't even keep it all straight. They crammed me so full of info on the first day that i have a headache. I have a book of insurance codes that they tell me i will memorize...yeah right...lol. This book is as thick as one of those big dictionaries. It's not too bad though. After i get the hang of it i think it might be ok...maybe....i dunno...lol.

I am staying with Mel these 4 days cuz she lives closer to where i have to train in Lenexa. 5 min apposed to 40 min....hmmm...which would you choose.

OH YEAH. Sunday after church i go out and get in my van and try to leave.....NOT HAPPENING! I turn the key and NOTHING HAPPENS...a coulple of guys try jumpstarting it and they finally fet it started. So we let it run a while...and I follow Paul to his house so he can hook it up to a meter to see if its something other than just the battery. He said there wasn't much charge coming from the alternator. So before i shut it off i go back to the church. I left it running and went inside. Well...needless to say...it died and didn't start again. I ended up calling Kia and got the number for the roadside service off the answering machine. I called it and they sent a tow truck to get it and towed it up to Shawnee Mission Kia since that is close to Mels...which is where i was gonna be staying.

Well i had planned on going to Mels after church so i could go to the picnic the boys were having to start their VBS at their church but had to get my stuff packed up before i could go. Soooooooo.....we had to make other plans. Diana Cotton said she would take me up there if i wanted her to. She is so sweet. But Mel came and met us in Grandview so she didn't have to drive all the way up to Mels.

Mel and I went by Kia to see where they put my van...it was at the gate of the Kia lot and Mel noticed that the window on the passenger side was open and it was supposed to rain Sunday night. We stopped and I tried to shut the window...but there was absolutely NO power so I couldn't close it. Luckily there was a guy inside the gate that was getting a car for someone ready. Mel went inside and asked if he could maybe jump the battery so i could at least get the window up. He came out and jumped the battery and said that he would just move it inside the gate since he had it started. So i felt better with it on the inside of the gate and the window shut....

Mel took me to work this morning and I called Kia...told them about my problems with the van and he said he would call me that afternoon and let me know what was going on with it but if its just the battery it wasn't under the warranty and i would have to pay the diagnostic fee. BUT if it was the battery AND the alternator I wouldn't have to pay the fee. So on my lunch break i called and he said that it was my alternator and that my battery was shot also. I said...so how much will it cost to replace the battery. He says....120.00. Then he tells me that my front brake pads are gonna need changing soon. I said...ok....how much will that cost....he said....the brake pads and the battery together would cost me around 289.00 I about swallowed my tongue. I said...NOT today....but thanks. i said...will the battery hold a charge at all? he said....no. If you shut the van off it won't start again. I said...will it hold a charge long enough to get me to Walmart? He said...just don't shut it off. So we went to Walmart and they put a battery in for me for 62.89. Brake pads will come later when i can find someone willing to do it for me for a lot less than Kia wants to do it. LOL

Now i just have to find my way to work by myself tomorrow....I hope i remember how...LOL

I really didn't need all this stress starting a new job.

Day 1 over.

Procrastinating

I am so bad with this posting...sorry.

I got a new job yesterday. I had originally applied for a work at home job with LabOne in Lees Summit. They called me in for an interview and some testing. I talked to the guy doing the hiring and he was telling me about the job and looking over my application and saw that i did data entry at IRS and he said....We just got the word that we have 5 openings in our data entry department...would you like to test for one of those? Well i said sure why not. so i took the data entry test. It was a timed 5 minute typing test of names and addresses. Their requirements were like 3200 kph (keystrokes per hour) and my kph was 9654 with 0 errors. needless to say they were pretty impressed with the 0 errors and liked the key strokes too. so i interviewed with the supervisor in the data entry department and she told me about the job and asked me questions about my job at irs and then we went back to the first guy. He gave me the packet of first day papers and said he would call and let me know when to come in for the training....you train in Lenexa for the first 4 days and then you work in the Lee's Summit office. SOOOOOOOOOOOO......it seems like a pretty good job....cept for the pay. Its about 5.oo less than what i make now at irs ......but it is a full time job. its closer to home...i won't have to drive downtown....they have company paid insurance right now but will change soon cuz Quest Diagnostics bought them....but they said it would be a small amount for insurance.....they have an incentive program right now but they are not sure if they will have it after Quest revamps.....they have a 401K which i can roll over my 401k from irs....and after a year the company will match what you pay in. ALL-IN-ALL.....i will try it and see if it will pay my bills while i am laid off and if i don't like it i can go back to irs when they call me back. and if i want to try it longer....i can refuse to go back to irs for 2 years before i have to resign. so we will se what we will see.

As for my weight...i haven't weighed for a while now...i keep putting it off. hoping it will be a big number when i finally do go weigh....lol. and i WILL go weigh soon i promise.

I showed some of the girls at work the neclace i made for your friend amanda...and i now have to make 5 more of them. I will be blind before i get all those seed beads strung. UGH!! But they are pretty...i am making 2 pink ones like yours, a blue one and 2 peridot green ones. i have one pink, the blue one and one of the green ones done so far. amd Jen....i think i have found some chunky black beads....so you will have to see if they are what you want or not. I will make up the bracelet and then you can decide. I hope its what you were looking for. they are the only ones i can find....well i did find some really big black ones but they had white stripes on them and were really heavy cuz they are glass. The ones i have are glass too...but they aren't real big.

Those babies are just growing up too fast....Standing and Walking and all....sheesh i am really feeling OLD! lol but they are both getting so dang cute i just can't stand it....i want to come see them both soon.

Posting is not my thing...

I am so bad about updating this thing. And Stacy i don't remember how to update the ticker on the top of the page. I tried but it didn't work.

Well i didn't get the perm job i applied for at work. Not sure how they picked people but i guess that seniority means diddly squat at IRS. I have been there 22 years now and thats almost longer than anyone else in my department.....but that just don't hold water for nothing. but at least i don't get laid off till end of July this year....whoopie doo....I have put in an application at LabOne for a part time work at home job. they train you for 2 weeks there at LabOne 8:30 to 5 and then you work from home part time from 1pm to 6pm. We shall see how that goes and if i even get it.

I have lost 100 lbs. the last i weighed. I need to go weigh again but by the time i get home i am too pooped to go trapsing through the hospital to find the scale. I will soon though.

I went and got my picture taken at the church tonight for the new church directory. Olan Mills took them. I have a lazy eye that really shows up in the pics. its crazy but it doesn't even pick up the light either. the right eye sparkles and the left one is dull. You will see when i get them.

I was so glad Amanda was home this weekend. I miss her when she is gone so long. But....i am always the last one to know that she is coming home. Mom is always the last to know things i guess. Love you baby!!!

Graceful I am NOT

Most of you have already heard about this....but Here goes.

Last weekend Mom and I went to Holts Summit to see my sister clog. We went down Friday and had a great meal of chicken on the grill after Ruth cleaned out the grill from the Bird that wanted to take possession for a bird house. After supper i kinda fell asleep and the rest of them played scrabble. Saturday....we lazed around the house till it was time to go watch Ruth dance. We went to Mokane and she danced at the nursing home which all went well and nobody messed up too bad or fell on the slick floor (and they all did a great job). Then we went over to the park where they were going to perform again for family and friends and then have a BBQ with hotdogs and all the trimmings that others brought to share with everyone. Well.....we parked the van and got out and got out the lawn chairs we brought. Ruth took two of them and her and mom entered the shelter house. I picked up the other chair and started to enter but my toe either caught on the cement floor edge or the small stump covered with grass at the entrance and i started to stumble. I had more or less caught my balance and was ok......till i dropped the lawn chair i was carrying and tripped over it.....all i could think was "Here I go...no stopping now." All i could see was the cement floor coming at my face and i put out my hand to stop myself. I kinda fell like i was doing the "worm" dance. I looked up and saw everyone looking at me and i put my hands under my chin and was SO embarrassed. Ruth said that when she turned around and looked at me i had one of my feet up in the air behind me and i looked like i had laid down to read a book or something. She came over and asked if i was alright....i said...open the chair so i can get up. I had gotten up on my hands and knees so i could get up easier but needed something to put my hand on so i could get up. (I haven't lost enough yet to just be able to jump up in the middle of the room yet) But Ruth just kept asking if i was alright. i said....JUST OPEN THE CHAIR so i can get up!!!!

Anyway....i got up and put ice on my arm and hand which was hurting and the next couple days the pain was a bit worse. My fingers started getting numb and my hip is hurting and i went and got them both X-rayed. Nothing is broken...just bruised a lot. I am taking liquid advil gel caps and it helps some.

I am DEFINITELY NOT graceful!

More Poking and Prodding

Ok....i called the clinic and told them that i really needed to see someone about his pain i was having in my back cuz it was putting me into tears it was getting so bad. Of cours nobody answered the phone when they sent me to Dr K but i was sure she would call me back cuz she usually does. Instead Nishi called (she is the office patient advocate) and tells me to come in Wednesday to see Jeff (he is the cute doctor that i used as moral support when the other doctor injected me in the back before) He explained to me what was causing my pain and that he was going to inject some numbing medicine and steroids into the "V" pads under the L-5 part of my spine. Instead he worked on the part that was really hurting me and causing the tears to flow. He injected the stuff in the space by L-5 and i am feeling MUCH better. Now if the other spot keeps hurting (its a spot across my left buttox cheek) he is going to take care of that in two weeks. Wish i had known that he could do the shots earlier so i wouldn't have had to wait on the other guy to come back from vacation (which he hasn't yet and not sure what that situation is for sure) cuz i sure would have called sooner and had him do this sooner. Anyway....i feel much better now and i thank you all for your prayers.

I did weigh while i was there too....i have now lost 97 pounds...still shy of my 100 pound goal of two weeks ago. I guess i need to watch what i am eating now....been too many dinners and parties and eating the wrong stuff. When i am good i loose faster....when i am bad....i don't lose. SOOOOOOOOO.....back to being good. Hopefully by the next post i can report a significant loss.

Great Weekend

This weekend was very good. Amanda was home and it was her birthday and we saw family and it was just a good time. (however she was home from thursday night to sunday afternoon and didn't sleep here ONCE!!!...lol) It is always good when she comes home. (cuz i miss her...)

Well....i didn't post on my birthday.....cuz i didn't quite make my goal....i was like 4 pounds shy and it depressed me some. BUT....i am over it now. sort of... maybe.... NOT...lol...but i will live.

If my doctor ever gets back from his vacation i might get some relief from my hip and leg pain i have been having since the end of the spinal shots. The back feels better...but the hips have to go. It's heck getting old.

Busy Busy Busy

I know....its been a while since i posted. Been pretty busy at work lately. LOTS of overtime and lots of fatigue. I go to work, come home, sit down to relax and next thing i know it's time for bed. I started working the 4/10 work schedule (thats 4 10 hour days and three days off) and have yet to have a 3 day weekend. Last weekend we had mandatory overtime and was supposed to have it again this weekend but they called off the mandatory part of it for some reason. I am still going to work Saturday but i can work however many hours i want to. They (meaning the people in my work group of people) are going to have a dinner tomorrow at work in honor of my birthday which is Sunday. I will be 25.........oops i think i transposed those numbers....lol. Three of my friends at work took me out for supper Thursday after work for my birthday. We went to Habeneros (not sure i spelled that right....i KNOW i didn't...lol) in Lees Summit. I haven't been there since about two mothers days ago. Amanda used to take me there on Mothers Day when she was home. I had the Habbi Dip and a Chicken Chimichanga. It was very good but i had to bring most of mine home. Will have it for lunch today.

My back was doing pretty good after my injections. Then last week i guess i turned the wrong way or i slept the wrong way or something, but all this week i have been having a lot of trouble with it hurting a LOT. Sitting in the chairs at work kills me. They were supposed to call me back with an appointment for my next shots since he was on vacation when i was supposed to go the last time but guess they forgot about me. I will have to call them and see when i go back.

The last time i weighed i had lost 95 pounds. I need to go and weigh again. My first goal was to have lost 100 pounds by my birthday this year. I am pretty sure i have done that, but need to go and weigh and see since that deadline is Sunday.

I tried to add a ticker at the top of my blog....would anyone like to help me with that. I am not sure how to do it. Can you walk me through it? HELPPPPP....lol

A great weekend

I had a very good weekend. Amanda was home and we went to see Stacy and Nathan and Abby and Ruth and Bob. That was great to see everyone. Cuddling babies is fun. I went with Jen and Amanda to Ruth's house for a Pampered Chef party. I took a vacation day on Friday so i could go and be with amanda longer...lol. It was fun.

I had my second in a series of 3 shots in my back. This one wasn't as bad as the first one. I laid on my stomach and they did it that way...didn't hurt near as much. Then they turned me over (after a little while cuZ you have to wait to see if you do ok before they let you get up and move) and did an adjustment on my band.....can you say pin cushion? I also lost more....i have now lost 84 pounds....you can see a pic on amanda's blog of me and Stacy. I will have to get some more shots of me and post on here sonetime. I will wear some of my new clothes that actually fit...lol...Thank you to my daughter for those. I will wear some new ones for the Pampered Chef party i am having. Maybe miss shutter bug can take some pics for me. hehehe.

Holy Cow that hurt

If you have never had an epidural.....DON'T!!! it hurts. I didn't have one when i had amanda and now i am glad i didn't.....i have had the first in a series of 3 shots in my back...ugh. The pain doctor read the MRI results and i have Spinal Stenosis. In lieu of me not being a doctor...my doctor described it as the tube going down your spine is round and mine at the botton is kinda oval or flattened. So this is putting pressure on my hip and the nerves going to my siatica. So to relieve the irritation and pain in my back (which is the start of the rest of the pain in my hip and legs...) he is doing the steroid shots in my back. At least i had a good looking guy to hang on to while i was getting the shot...lol. I grabbed his shoulders (well the shirt on his shoulders) and i said....if i rip your shirt off i am sorry...he said no problem i have another one....lol. too bad hes married....hahaha. So the next shot is going to be on Thursday of this week....they are going to try this one while i am laying on my tummy...then i get to roll over and they are gonna do an adjustment on my band too.....double UGH.

Oh...and i weighed before i had the epidural...and i had lost 5 pounds since weighing on monday....so now i have lost 78 pounds. if you count the pounds i lost after gaining a few....lol...i have lost 85....but i am not counting those. that was a bloated few weeks for sure. not even my water pill helped for some reason. But i talked to Dr S and he and Dr K both said some people have those times. soooooooooo....Hopefully with the next adjustment and me getting back on track we will se a lot more losses.

How did you like this weather this crazy Sunday? It got pretty crazy around here for sure. Hail, Wind, Rain, Thunder, Lightening.....you name it we got it....but thank God we didn't get the tornados.

Short Update

Sorry I haven't posted for so long. Everything came out ok on the test they ran for the chest pains. Bloodwork, EKG, and the Echo cardiogram. So it must have just been stress and anxiety.

I had an MRI on my lower back last week and now i am waiting on the doctor to be at the office so i can go and see what he says about it. He was supposed to be there Monday. I took off work and went and he didn't make it. Then they told me to come Tuesday after work but then they called me today and told me to come Thursday at 3:15. He had looked at my MRI results and he ordered something for my back that wouldn't be there till then (not sure what) so we shall see. Mondays appointment wasn't a total loss though....i talked to Dr S....(not sure how to spell his name...lol) and told him i have felt like i was at a stand still and wondered why. He asked me a bunch of questions and said i need to have another adjustment on the band so We are going to do that next Thursday. Hopefully that will start the loosing again. i had even gained a few but have lost the ones i gained again. I have been taking my water pills but my legs still seem to do a lot of swelling like today. My left one especially looks like someone blew it up like a balloon.

I am going to have a Pampered Chef party for Jen on the 2nd of April. Several people have told me they needed stuff...so hopefully it will be a good one.....prolly not as good as Christy's was. But good i hope. Just gotta get my house cleaned up....lol.

When it rains it pours

I had a very strange day Wednesday. I got up and felt kinda strange. Showered and got dressed and took off for work. Wasn't too bad but still felt kinda like something was up. Worked for a while and decided i needed a drink and the potty. (everywhere you go at IRS is like a long walk...at least two city blocks away...lol) I had to go to the cafeteria to get ice and water so i went to the bathroom that was closest to there. Did fine going but coming back i had a bad feeling and a pain in my chest. Sat down and worked for a while. Went to break (in the cafeteria again) and was kinda dizzy. Started having those cold sweats and twinges in my chest again. Had to go potty again when i got back but sat and worked for a little bit first. (took a water pill that morning so i had to pee a lot) Walked to the back bathroom and when i got in there and sat down my heart was pounding and felt kinda jumpy. When i got back to my seat i told Theresa to give me her hand and i put it on my chest. She was like "DANG" do you want to go to the nurse? I said i didn't want to walk for a while. My heart was racing and had a crazy beat. It hurt off and on the rest of the day (not bad just twinges). Got home and relaxed and it was ok (a few pains now and then) but i still felt weird. Everybody wanted me to go to the ER but i didn't because i didn't think there was anything with it (and i figured that it would be cheaper to go to the Doctor instead of the ER). Didn't go to work today cuz my chest was kinda "bruised" feeling. Called the Doctor and went in at 3:30. He did an EKG and took blood and wants me to get an Echocardiogram. But he said that he thought it was stress or anxiety (worrying about the dang shots in my back!!!!) He asked me if i had any kind of stress in my life in the last week or so....DUH. The EKG was ok...so we shall see about the blood and the echo (when i have it). When it rains..............

Back to work....UGH!

I went back to work last Wednesday. Everone was so surprised that i didn't use my motorized chair. And they all were really flattering on my weight loss. Every time i see someone that hasn't seen me for a while they stand there with their mouth open and say WOW...what have you done? I never know what to say with all the compliments so i just blush and say thank you. I think that the walking i have been doing has really helped me cuz i don't get tired walking into the building like i used to. And i can walk faster than i did too. Not everyone is back to work yet...so i am sure i will still hear all the wows and good goings for a few weeks. Makes me feel like this is working anyway.

My weight is really fluxuating these last few weeks....i really feel bloated and not sure why. They re-adjusted my band again before i went back to work. Then i went back for a pain consultation the day after i went back to work and he wants me to do an MRI so he can tell which disk is out in my back causing my pain. He also wants to try Epidural steroid shots in my back to help ease the pressure on the disk and also something on my hip too for the pain i am having there (which he says is stemming from my back and compensating for the right ankle that is messed up.) So we shall see how this plays out. Not real thrilled about getting shots in my back!!! Kinda scary. He prescribed Celebrex for my pain and my insurance is balking on paying on the prescription. So i still don't have it. and sitting at work is killing me (the chairs are supposed to be ergonomical chairs...but they kill me). so i get up and walk every so often and walking irritates it too so i am between a rock and a hard place.

Found out why you don't eat fast

OMG....i found out just why they tell you not to eat too fast and to chew your food really good. I was eating some eggs and toast the other morning and i guess i wasn't paying attention to what i was doing. I soon found out that i needed to pay attention. I swallowed and it stuck in my throat. it wouldn't go down and i couldn't get the bubble that formed to come out. I kept trying to swallow and all it did was HURT. So i end up in the bathroom over the good old porcelin bowl. I kept swallowing and my mouth kept watering. I got that terrible feeling that i was gonna hurl. I burped and swallowed and burped and spit. I finally got the bubble to come up and then the food finally went down. Geeze. I vowed not to do it again. BUT....as all may happen....i did it again tonight when i was eating some steak and potatos. I guess i was talking and not chewing my food properly.....and to my dismay....it stuck again. So....back to the good old porcelin god i went. This was actually more painful than the eggs and toast. I didn't chew the steak enough i guess. I finally got the bubble to come up and the food went down. MAN YOU WOULD THINK I WOULD HAVE LEARNED. I guess not. and it will prolly happen again knowing me.

I went to visit my mom Sunday after church and stayed till Tuesday. I figured that since i am going back to work i should visit with her some. We had a good time.

One of these days i want to go visit the new kids on the family tree. Every time i say i am going...something happens and i don't get to go. Boys....don't start walking till i get to come see you and cuddle a bit first....lol.

I will give a progress report after next Monday when we go to weigh again. I didn't go this time cuz i was at mom's.

Went back to the Dr

I went back to the Dr yesterday and got tightened again. He also got after me to not drink when i eat and told me all the stuff i can't eat. I guess i have only lost 22 lbs since the surgery and he expected more. I don't think they tightened the band enough the first time i went in. But I have lost 74 lbs. altogether now, and i like that. But now i have another problem. My left hip and knee is really giving me problems. It aches and throbs all night long. No matter what position i put it in. I told them about it and they took X-rays of my hip and knee. I go back on the 9th of Feb to a pain consultation to see if they can help it with shots or if it will have to be some other way. I have injured that side before and he wants to see if there is too much arthritis or what it is causing the pain. I just know that if it keeps up this way for two weeks, i am not gonna be very pleasant to be around. LOL He did tell me to back off of the walking some till they see whats wrong. I just know that i can't do all the walking i want to do cuz it hurts when i do. I am still doing the exercises though. Don't want to get away from it all entirely. I walked about 3 rounds last night and i paid for it last night. My leg hurt all night. UGH!

OH yeah....i go back to work finally on the 8th. So i get to go back for a day and then have to take time off for a Dr. apt. Oh well. Gotta do what ya gotta do. They know i had the surgery and will deal with it.

Can you say TIRED?

Last nights scrapbooking party was so much fun. We started out the night with 20 people. That is about 12 more people than we usually have at our scrapbooking parties. We had fun setting up our stuff and getting the tables set up for everyone. It took us about 30 minutes just to get our stuff unloaded out of our cans and into the building. There was a stream of scrapbooking supplies and sleeping bags going into the the building. After everyone had arrived and got settled in, about two hours, Connie gave us a devotional. Everyone was talking and having fun and checking out everyones scrapbooking supplies and scrapbooks. After a couple hours more Jamie gave a devotional. More laughing, talking, sharing and fun went on. I was handing out ideas right and left to others, but my brain was at a standstill for my stuff and i couldn't think of what i wanted to put on a page. Sooooo, i got out my jewelry making stuff and started messing with the beads. (I went prepared for anything.) As the night went our number dwindled down to 10 people and I started making bracelets for everyone. We were getting slap happy around 4am and three people decided to go lay down till breakfast at 7. I was going to go lay down but decided not to. (i should have) The four of us (and Connie's daughter and her frined) tried to scrap but the two girls went into the other room to talk, and we were so silly by this time we didn't get much done (cept for Ann who was used to being up all night) but laugh and try to stay awake. We ordered our breakfast pizza from Casey's at 6 and it was ready for pick up at 6:30. When Connie called in the order, she got to laughing and that in turn started the rest of us to laugh uncontrollably and she was trying to place our order which wasn't going too well. When she got off the phone she tried to explain that the woman on the other end of the phone had asked her if she had said something wrong. Connie was laughing so hard that she almost couldn't tell the woman that she hadn't and that we had just stayed up all night was all. So after Connie and Karen went and picked up the pizza we hollered at the sleeping ones to come and eat. They we so thrilled to get up after only 2 hours of sleep. LOL They had had just enough sleep to NOT think we were being funny when we burst into hysterical, sleep deprivated laughter. While we were eating, Karen gave a devotional. I tried to go back to scrapping but my eyes would not stay open so i gave up the ghost and went into the Library and got comfy on the love seat in there and put my feet up on the foot stool and promptly went to sleep. After two hours i got up and came back into the scrapping room. It almost looked deserted. Ann was on her way out the door. (she had the farthest to drive and she decided that she had had enough and was too tired to keep going.) Then Jen and Darlus left. All that were left were me, Jamie, Connie, Erin and her friend. I was back on track and started another scrapbook page. Connie (the only on who made it without sleep, cuz the two girls had laid down about 20 min. before i did) was putting her stuff away and getting ready to load up so Jamie and i finished our pages and started the clean up too. OH YEAH....at around 7:30 this morning the guys had come and started fixing food for our Church dinner tomorrow. So all the while we were trying to scrap and stay awake this morning...this wonder smell was coming from the kitchen. So by noon when we were ready to leave we were hungry from smelling all the wonderful stuff coming from the kitchen. (now i can't wait till tomorrow evening to eat that food!!!)

I had to call my friend on my way home just to keep me talking while i drove home. I came in and sat down and was all but asleep when the phone rang. It was my mother. She was just calling to see what was going on. I told her i was sleeping and she said she would let me go......but....instead of saying goodbye...she kept on talking. LOL...thats my mom!!! Gotta love her. She finally said goodbye and i went to sleep. I woke up around 5 and my friend called me cuz she wants her hair colored. So all in all I had a great time. I am sure everyone else had a good time too. It was fun just being amoung friends and doing something we all enjoy. However....not sure some want to do it again overnight. LOL...i enjoyed it though and would do it again in a heartbeat.

Week 3 of walking and exercise

Well, I have been walking and exercising now for 3 weeks and i am a little sore but walking is getting easier. We measure and weigh each week and i have lost inches here and there. Last week i lost 1 1/2 lbs. This week i lost a whopping 6 1/2 pounds making it a grand total of 70 lbs. so far. The place i have lost the most inches on is my hip area....(which includes that hangie belly i have). I have lost 4 inches there and 1 inch on my waist. One inch on my upper arms. One inch on my upper thigh. And sadly to say 1/2 inch on my bust. But i think it depends on which bra i wear. lol If i can get my left hip to stop hurting i could walk more. I am walking between 1/4 and 1/2 of a mile now. Depends on the day and the pain in my hip and knees. I do know that my clothes are getting baggy.

Tomorrow night we are going to have an overnight scrapbooking party at my church. It will be lots of fun i think.

CONGRATULATIONS JEN AND BOB on becoming parents. Decovin is so CUTE! Now i have two fantastically cute great-nephews. And Stacy....if i didn't say it before....CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND SEAN on the birth of Nathan. I hope Abby is getting used to having him around. I hope to see my new nephews soon.

I need to find some good and different foods to eat. I am slowly getting burnt out on chicken and tuna and cheese. I made a roast the other night. That was a good change. I wish i knew how to cook a good pork roast. Those are so good. I need to clean out my freezer and see what all i have in there in the line of meat and get rid of the stuff i don't need.

time drags on

I don't know about you but time is really standing still for me right now. We are walking every day at the church and I am sore cuz we keep doing something different every day. I am still walking about 1/4 mile but we are also doing exercises now. We have been doing leg lifts and tummy crunchers. Rolling to get rid of the hips and excess butt padding...lol...and stretches. Boy do i feel old...lol. I have lost another 1 1/2 lbs....so that makes 63 1/2 lbs now. (I was the only one who lost this week...but i am not bragging....well maybe a little bit...lol) It's going slowly but i guess thats ok. I need to go back and get my band adjusted again before i go back to work...which will be who knows when.

Mom and I were going to go to see my sister this weekend but mom was sick and I had stuff to do so we are going to try to go Monday if mom feels better and the weather is not nasty. It's been an off and on crazy weather thing here every other day so you never know. We may make it and we may not.

I have to be home next weekend cuz we are going to do a Scrapbooking weekend at my church. We will start Friday evening at 6 and scrap all night till Saturday at noon. We can sleep if we want or just keep on scrapping. It sounds like fun and fellowship. This is the first time we have tried this but we all thought it would be cool. I can't wait...something fun to do!!!!

I'm Baaaaaack!!

OK...i am back on track now. We (a few friends of mine and I) started a walking club. We go to the Nazarene Church and walk around their gym (which is their sanctuary). But it's kinda fun to walk in a group instead of by yourself. Two walk more than me and Joyce but we walk at our own pace. Joyce is 62 and i am 51 so we are the oldies of the group. Tanya and Phyllis are in their 40's so they are still youngens. lol We call ourselves the WWW's....(Wacky Weight Walkers). We took pictures of each other and did measurements and tonight we went and weighed. We have walked every night this week so far. We are going to try to walk during the week and take the weekend off. We also started doing some exercises after we have walked our laps. We can all feel it in our muscles now. I have a coupld of saddle bags on my behind that i feel every time I try to roll from side to side. And before you ask....no i do not lay on the floor....well i do but it's actually the stage that the preacher stands on. It goes clear across the one side of the gym. So we sit down and then lay down and do tummy crunchers and leg lifts and side to side rolls. I have been walking about a quarter of a mile. I will work up to a mile some day...lol. The youngens walk a mile.....and us oldies walk 1/4 of one for now.

Oh...by the way. When i weighed tonight.....i lost another 4 pounds.....that makes 62 so far. It should have been more but i will admit that i cheated some over the holidays. BUT....i am back on track now and it's full steam ahead!!!!!!!! Have to go back up for another tightening of the band again soon.

Happy now Jen? LOL...love you kiddo.
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And I am soooo glad that my daughter is doing so well after her accident. I was so glad to be able to hug her and kiss her and just stare at her and know that she was really here over the Christmas holiday. It was a relief to me to see her in person. (It's a mom thing!)I knew she was ok....but it's one of those things where you just have to see for yourself up close and personal.