sunflowery's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Catching Everyone Up Sorry it's been so long since I've written...things have been crazy. Here's a breakdown: FRIDAY: Work, as usual...though I got there 3 hours late due to a sore lack of sleep the night before and I overslept. After work was our work Christmas party at my boss's house. I went home first to pick up Bob and the appetizer I made. Bob was still in bed. But he woke up shortly after I got home. I was ready for a fight of some kind, but he got right up, showered and was ready within 20 minutes. So we were on the road to White Bear Lake by 5:40. There was still rush hour traffic so it took us about an hour to get there...maybe a little more. But we had a great time. The food was amazing and the company, so good. Unlike most work settings, I get along with all my co-workers and we all seem to get along with each other. If there are feuds or personality conflicts, they are well hidden...and not in an immature or sassy basis either. We ended up leaving around 9:30 or so and made it home by 10:00. Both of us were so tired. SATURDAY: I woke up earlier than I wanted, but this cold is kicking my butt and the coughing is keeping me awake. Bah! My first errand was to Wal-Mart to get some stuff. I picked up a Christmas tree skirt, some candy canes, new balls of yarn, and some other stuff. Then it was off to pick up our Christmas tree. Our realtor was hosting a Christmas open house where they were giving away a free tree or Christmas wreath. We picked a tree on our invitation. I dropped off our Toys 4 Tots gift, turned in our invitation and picked our our tree. I choose a lovely, short needled, smaller tree. They were all tied up, so it was hard to get a sense of how full it was, but I did get one with a good tip and a trunk void of extra branches. After picking up the tree, it was off to the boutique at Kathy's. As far as selling the dishclothes goes, it wasn't as successful as I would have hoped. I sold about 13 clothes total. Bob sold 3 or 4 poems! Whoot! So, together, we made $100. But I had a blast and met so many cool, fun, smart, and funny people, I consider the venture a complete and total success. Plus, I got to see some amazing products made/designed by amazing people. SO much fun! And I was surrounded by Kathy's fun fiestaware collection and how can you not enjoy yourself surrounded by color? Hee. AND can I just say that I met a woman who has what promises to be the next big thing in body care products? This amazing woman makes and designs her own line of body butters, balms, lotions, and sprays and they are amazing! She also designs her own graphics and packaging. Her line is called Bonita and when you start to hear of her, you can tell me thank you. And as thanks to me, you can buy me a tub of her "Frosting". Bob was thrilled that some of his poetry sold. He was like a little boy winning a prize when I told him. So happy. He is putting the money he earns on his poetry away and is saving it to publish a book of poetry. So, he's that much closer. I took the $65 I earned and got my grandmother's ring back from the jewelers. I had taken it in back in July or August. A prong or two on the setting was loose and it was originally sized too small, so I had it resized. Which ended up being a mistake since I've lost so much weight that now it's a tad too big! But that's easily remedied. And I LOVE having the ring back. It's beautiful. It's white gold decco/filligree with my birthstone in the setting. I've missed wearing it. Anyway, that's what I used the cash I made at the boutique for. Repairing and resizing the ring cost exactally what I made at the sale, so...it only made sense. SUNDAY: I still wasn't feeling 100%, so we both slept in. Then I got up, readied the tree by cutting off the base and putting it in the tree stand and then brought it into the apartment. Later, Bob and I went to the MDA Christmas party. We had a good time, as we do every year, though we didn't win anything at the drawing. But we were able to connect with some folks we only see at these events and it was good to talk. One of the bad things about going to these annual events is that you see the degeneration that is Muscular Dystrophy at work in these people. People who were walking last year are now in wheelchairs. People who were alive last year, have passed away. It's the sadder side of these gatherings. But we were able to connect to several people and had a good time. But that ended when we got home. The elevator in our apartment building was broken, so we left the garage and walked up the sidewalk to our building and as we did so, I happened to look in our sliding glass door and saw that our Christmas tree was on its side in our apartment. Once we got to the apartment door, it became aparent we weren't getting in any time soon. I had locked the keys in our pick up truck. So, Bob went to the gas station next door and got their tools. 30-40 minutes and a melt down on my part later, we were in. I think the tree tipped over on its own due to warming up and filling out. But the cats were no where to be found, I think the tree falling over freaked them out. The rest of the night was spent putting lights and decorations on the tree. It looks beautiful. Both Bob and I love it. I did take a phone call from my nephew who's 10th birthday was yesterday. He was calling to thank me for the gift we had left for his birthday. We had a nice chat and it was a real high point for me. LOVE that boy and his brother. MONDAY: Still feeling crappy. Still coughing too much at night to get any kind of good rest. Found out that a gal on our team is leaving after the 17th. I am going to apply for her job. She does not work on the phone team, she works on the data entry team and while she does take calls, she is not a slave to the phone and the "calls waiting" red light. It's a lateral move, but I think it would be a good one. Plus, it helps out my boss as there are only 3 people on this data entry team. We hired a new gal almost 3 months ago and she has been having a hard time learning the ropes. Then, once this gal leaves, that will leave 1 woman who really knows what she is doing. If I move over there, I know the product but just have to be trained on the procedure. So, I will be telling my boss today that I want that job. The power went out in our building for about 2 hours and our computers were down for another 2 hours after that which made taking calls such a joy. While the power was out, we just talked and relaxed and generally had a good time. I got my ring, which I've already talked about here. LOVE IT! Went to bed around 8:30 but woke up every 2 hours coughing and have come to the conclusion that I need to see the doctor today. Bob thinks there might be fluid in my lungs and I should be checked for pneumonia. If nothing eles, maybe they can give me these lovely little yellow pearls of cough suppresent I've taken before. I can't take the cough syrup with codiene as I am allergic. But the pearls are heaven. At lunch today I need to get a B12 booster as my B12 levels are low. I had to cancel my girls night out birthday bash. Having a birthday in December sometimes sucks rocks. I scheduled my girls night out birthday bash for the 18th at 5 only to find out that Bob's family's Christmas party is scheduled for the exact same time. 5 gals were coming to the birthday bash as it was scheduled before. I rescheduled it for this Saturday and no one could come, so I canceled it altogether. So, no birthday bash for me this year. Sucks rocks. I wanted to try a restaurant I had heard about in St. Paul. It's called La Hacienda and they specialize in Peruvian/Salvadorian/Mexican food. I will have to try it out on another occation, another time. So, now you're all caught up and I'm off to work. Have a good one. *************************************** About A Year Ago Today: December 04, 2003:Ahead of the Christmas rush and chewing kitty 10 days to my birthday! I am feeling quite good today. I got our Christmas letter out yesterday. That is always an accomplishment. But my goal is always to get them out before my birthday. This year, I am on the ball. We already have received 4 Christmas letters/cards, so I am by no means the first. If you don�t receive our Christmas letter in a week or so, let me know. Email me with your address and I will send one out to you too. People who read this regularly will not really need the Christmas letter though as I mostly just recapped a year I have spent all year writing about. But still, there is something fun about receiving the annual Christmas update. Our letter is mostly photos this year, with some captions. It was fun to do and, I hope, fun to receive. Does anyone have this problem? Our cat Daisy is a chewer. She�s like a puppy...she chews anything plastic, book bindings, my glasses if they are left out overnight, phone cords, etc. We would like to give her something she CAN chew. Like a toy or a rawhide or something, but with cats delicate sensibilities, we don�t know what is really safe to give her. If you have any ideas or experience with this, please leave a message in my comments section. Today is doctor day for me. I am having her look at and finally try to do something about my plantar warts. I am just so grossed out by them. My distaste for them has finally outgrown my fear or pain. Also, she is going to look at my right elbow. I have been having a lot of pain from my right hand to my elbow. It usually happens after I have been writing with a pen or pencil, crocheting, or using a mouse without the support of a desk or chair arm. One day I actually had to ice my elbow because of the pain. Sweet Baboo thinks It�s bursitis. I will hopefully find out today. So it turns out I have tennis elbow. I was given a very nifty velcro strap to place on my arm just before my elbow joint. Somehow it�s supposed to sort of dam up the works so that tendon/muscle doesn�t get used so much and so hard. We'll see if it works. In the meantime, I am use anti-inflamaroties and ice it when it hurts. Also, if you have plantar warts and your doctor tells you that there is a new treatment but it involves sticking needles into your already tender wart-covered flesh? Know this...it HURTS! I only had to have 3 shots, but dang it hurt. Supposedly this treatment only works for about 50% of the population and I have to wait about 12 weeks to see if it works for me. But if it does, I will gladly stick sharp pointy needles into the rest of these godawful ugly things. Blech! If it doesn�t work...I can�t even begin to think. It means freezing. I HATE freezing. It not only hurts like the dickens while they are doing it, but it hurts all dang day too. Hope this works. I have to say that I love having a physician who has similar spiritual beliefs as I do. I told my doctor that I had contacted the center for Bariatic surgery per her referal and we chatted about it for a bit. She encouraged me to keep looking into it, praying about it and as long as the doors stay open, to pursue it. That led into a very good and frank discussion about medicine vs. miracles. She sees this surgery as I do, a tool to help people develop healthy bodies, habits and appetites when no other tool has worked or helped. But she also sees room for God to open up and intervene in the lives of His people and touch their lives in a way that results in the same healthy bodies, habits and appetites without the surgery. So far, though many prayers have been prayed, that hasn't happened for me. So, I continue to plug ahead, learning about the surgery, the risks, and the lifetime of change I will have to live afterwards. Have I said before how much I love my doctor? If not, I�m saying it now. I love my doctor. There was a scary momment before going in to her office today. The business office asked to see me. It seems that though we have been making small monthly payments on an outstanding balance, that wasn�t enough for them. They wanted payment in full in 5 days or they would contact their attorney. I called Sweet Baboo from work and left a message for him. He called them and it turns out they had been crediting his payments to my outstanding balance, to his acct. He had a credit! They reversed it all and now we�re OK. Whew! But as we were talking, SB said, \"Honey, I�m sorry I don�t make a lot of money.\" And I said, \"Have I ever said I wished you did?\" \"No.\" \"Have I ever said it was a condition of loving you or staying married to you?\" \"No\" \"Have I ever said that I wanted anything different?\" \"No\" \"Then, Honey, don�t worry about it. We will be fine and it will all work out in the end.\" And I believe it. I also realized, while at the doctor's office, that I am a lot more laid back and relaxed since starting my job at Big Bank Co. When I worked for Bankers, I was a bundle of nerves and anxiety, mostly because I never knew what to expect from SM and CM. And even when I thought I knew what to expect, they would throw me the unexpected and get mad when I couldn't follow-through right away. Here at Big Bank Co, my job is clearly defined, with clear goals, clear expectations and back up when questions or the unexpected arrise. Plus, I am treated very well. This week is staff appreciation week. On Monday, we came to work and on every one of our desks was a large basket filled with goodies and surprises. Yesterday was Bingo for prizes (of which I didn�t win any!) and today, there was a large popcorn bucket on every desk with a gift card to Blockbuster, bags of microwave popcorn and big boxes of movie candy as another thank you for our hard work. This place is fun and this job is really good. I am so glad I made the move. December 05, 2003: Dreaming of Harrison and Frustrating Teen Talks I had a spectacularily real dream last night in which my good friend J from WI was dating Harrison Ford. Not the haggard old man he�s becoming, trying to keep up with the young and hungry Calista Flockhart...oh no. He was the hot young, beautiful Harrison Ford from the first Indiana Jones movie. He was tall and ruggged and beautiful. Was it odd that an A-list movie star was dating my good friend? Not at all for she is tall (statuesque), with beautiful porcelin skin, fiery red hair down to her waist, and considered a classic beauty. My only thought was what had taken this man, or any man for that matter, so long in discovering her? In the dream, there were only a select few who knew of their relationship. She and I were living together, so when he came over to pick her up, she introduced us. The 2 other people in the room were speechless and gawked all over Harrison (or Harry as she called him! Hee!). I went right up to him, looked him straight in the eye and said, \"Hello, I�m J's friend, Amy. It is very nice to finally meet you.\" He seemed relieved, shook my hand, said hello and then put his hand on the small of J's back and led her out the door to their date. It was sweet! I have to say that keeping their relationship a secret was so hard in my dream. I kept logging onto all the celebrity gossip news and websites. I figured if they had spotted them together or had a photo, then I could FINALLY share what I knew with others. But I woke up before they were discovered. Still, it seemed so real and so completely natural for them to be a couple. I also had a more frustrating dream. I dreamed I had to address a room full of teens. I was waiting for them to settle down and it was taking forever. I felt myself getting frustrated and angry and ready to break down, but I remembered that if I cry, they will attack like a group of sharks circling bleeding prey. So I sucked it up and they finally got quiet enough for me to begin my speech. I got through my opening statements and just as I was about to launch into the meat of the talk, another lady leader began to take over. I found myself getting all mad and frustrated again. I finally got my bearings enough that I said it was not the time of place for her to be talking and if she wanted to comment at the end of my talk, she could. She finally shut up, I got my bearings back and began to speak when the bell rang and all the kids left. I felt such disappointment and so let down. I woke up feeling that way and I HATE when that happens. It snowed last night and everything looks new and fresh again. It�s supposed to melt over the weekend as the temps will be up around 35. I got to work and found a cool Sony Dream Machine on my desk! We all got one. I needed a new alarm clock and now I have the super duper version of all alarm clocks. It�s the Sony Dream Machine with TV/Weather/AM/FM reception and a CD Player! Woo Hoo! I LOVE working here. I remembered what I was going to share. I had decided to confide in someone close to me. I opened up and let it all out, expecting consolation, understanding, empathy. Instead I got a quick case of the fix-its. I should know better. I hate when that happens. Maybe I need to preface my confidance with a disclaimer that I am not sharing in exchange for some advice or in hopes of the quick fix. I am looking for commiseration. I LOVE my husband. He is the most amazing man. Last night we were laying in bed talking and I noticed that his hair was doing this little flippy, ski-jump thing. I started to play with it and he said, \"Don�t mess it up, it took me forever to get it that way.\" I knew he was joking, but playing along, I said, \"Oh really? How did you get it so flippy?\" To which he responded, \"I used your round brush.\" I laughed out loud and said, \"Now I know you're pulling my leg. My round brush is in my drawer at work!\" His face froze and then broke out into a big grin as he laughed at his teasing gone awry. He is the cutest. Thanks for reading. 6:20 a.m. - Tuesday, Dec. 07, 2004 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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