I felt I was finally heard....

 I had an appointment with my 'new' (the son as the dad retired) dermatologist yesterday morning.  For the first time, I felt like I was really heard about the bug bites on my leg. You know how much I have complained (aka talked about) them since October - when I was bitten at the hotel in Prescott.  I told Brandon about the bug bites, and he took a look.  And his comment?  "Those should have been gone a long time ago."  Hello?  After doing a body scan for anything else (appears to be all clear), he ordered a strong cream (forget whether antibiotic or steroid) to put on it twice a day - and he wants to see me in one month. If the bites are still there, he will take a biopsy to see what is going on and why they aren't going away.  I told him my imagination runs wild with thoughts of bugs being buried under my skin and ever so often they prick at my skin and want 'out'.  I liked him and am so grateful he actually listened to me and acknowledged the bug bites - since the middle of October and this is the end of March - should have been gone a long time ago.

This morning has been thrown off somewhat as I was awakened again about 2:30AM with one of the sprinklers shooting up in the air and the water slamming to the ground near our bedroom window.  I got up and was peeking out to see which one it was and woke hubby up - we both got up and was peering into the darkness; he finally opened the back door and went out to see.  He found it.  Neither of us were able to go back to sleep right away and although I know I have dozed off and on, still feel like I haven't slept much.  I may need to get a nap in this afternoon.  Yeah, right.  I'm running out of time to write in here, so this 'may' be short (don't you wish) this morning.  I've done my reading and all, but it's nearly 7AM already. 

I put in over 10k in steps yesterday - and dropped down to 5th place in the challenge.  We have one more week.  I'm about 3k behind the 4th place - which I may have still had if I had gotten more steps in Tuesday and Wednesday - just didn't get that much in and my 3rd place was taken away from me.  First place?  She is way ahead of everyone - over 300K steps - I'm guessing she is a runner!  Wish I was.  I've always wanted to be a runner, and in my single days I did run.  Occasionally.  Not long distances either.  But I ran.  It's just freeing to get out and take long walks or even a short run.  I'm afraid now that I will stumble and fall and break something if I tried to run.  Walking is about my speed.

Just checked another book read off my list in Goodreads.  I'm at 13 of my 50 goal now.  It says I'm 2 ahead of schedule.  Sure hope I can keep it up and meet the goal this year.  I didn't make it last year.  At least I've got hubby working on seeing how many he can read.  It seems like he said he has read 12 since the first of the year, and he is writing down the books he reads.  Pretty proud of himself - as he should be.  He is giving up the TV to read.  I'm personally glad about that, for when he reads, I can in the evenings.  Maybe I will throw a challenge out next year if he loses interest.  We both like to be 'first'. LOL

I saw Ms. Vicky at the mailbox last night and went to chat with her.  She spent 4 days in the hospital last week and I've heard more and more about this hospital (plus hubby has been in it) and I refuse to go there.  She went in with extreme gallbladder pain - instead of removing the gallbladder and sending her home - they went in through her esophagus and took the stones out (supposedly) of the gallbladder, did not remove it (they are saying they got them all), and put two stents in her liver, but she doesn't know what for - plus now she has to go back and have the two stents removed from her liver.  None of it makes sense and she said she was there in pain for four days and couldn't even eat.  No way will I go there.  We sent hubby there a couple years ago when he got popcorn aspirated into his lung and causing wheezing, and they did a body scan to find the aneurysm in his abdomen - which is a good thing - but what was the need for a body scan?  It was his lung that has aspirated!  And he still has the wheezing at times!!  I've heard rumors about the doctors from others who have gone to this hospital so no thank you.  

Sunday is National Doctor's Day - I need to send a couple of my favorite doctors an ecard today.  I know Dr. K doesn't work Fridays but he will get it on Monday. He may even be in Australia now - I think that is where he said they were going - he and his wife travel Europe and all over every couple of years.  I'm not an 'out of country' traveler - and as I have aged, getting out of the state is a challenge. And I will leave that there!

Well, it is now after 7AM and I do need to work today.  Haven't even gotten dressed yet - but am working on it. Didn't get through my usual things - checking emails, etc. - today so will do that later on. I just clear out all the advertisements - I need to start blocking so that I don't to delete all the time. My daughter had told me once about a program called disenroll me or something like that. I'll have to ask. Then you put the emails of those you don't want to get anymore.  I need to quit looking at things on Facebook, then they won't get my email and send me their advertisements - right?

And, with that - I need to get off here and start on the projects that I left last night.  So glad this is Friday. I'm supposed to go to a women's conference tomorrow, but I'm not sure that I will go right now. Ms. Diane and Ms. Vicky have both told me to come visit - and this week, only tomorrow would be the time for me to go.  I'm still thinking about what to do.  My daughter isn't going with me this time so it's by myself or meet up with some from our former church - which I could do.... I really feel like I need to put my neighbors first at this time.  Maybe fix a soup or something and take over to them.  You know me and my cooking - love to do it - and love to give it to others.  That sounds more appealing to me at the moment. 

Hope that you have an amazing day - behave yourself - don't want to read about you in the papers!  Oh yeah, we don't get the paper anymore.  Ok - don't make it to the news on TV!

Blessings!

Yesterday went longer than expected

 What I mean by that is - well, work kept me very busy in the morning, but I still stopped and fixed hubby and I lunch and took a short break to eat with him.  Then it was time to get ready for a dental appointment in which I knew I was to have a filling removed out of a tooth and a temporary crown put on.  I'm thinking maybe an hour, right?  My appointment was at 2:45PM.  I did not leave there until about 5:20PM, I think it was.  They numbed, they took out and they drilled the decay under that filling.  Then they had to work on the temporary crown, which meant several mouthfuls of gook to get a definition of what the tooth should look like. Then my tooth was stuffed with some type of filling to keep it dry on the inside - sigh.  finally got the temporary filling put on and I was out of there!  My daughter had picked up KFC for dinner and she was sitting in the driveway waiting on me for over 30 minutes!  It felt like I had been at the dentist's office forever.  I don't need to go back until April 10th for the final crown.

Hmmm  The Posse just drove by with the car lights flashing silently.  I wonder what's up?  And, being the nosey neighbor that I am, I will be able to figure out what the house on the corner (in another HOA) is having done to the yard. The house has been up for sale for quite a while with no takers. It's fairly small, and I think that is the reason why. Perfect for one person, but not two.  Anyway, I'm not sure if they are going to put gravel down in the yard or sod.  They dug up what little grass that was there the other day. They are out there this morning, digging through more dirt.  Maybe I will find out today.

See how exciting my life is?  I live through this window most days.

I didn't get out to walk yesterday because of work and the dentist - and I've dropped to 4th place in the walk challenge.  Today we meet with our tax guy at 11AM so I'm thinking that I won't be getting much walking done today either.  My workout is scheduled at 5:30PM tonight - later than usual - and I really don't want to walk much as it is 'leg day'.  But then, I just keep falling further behind in the challenge.  Got to keep pushing myself to get my steps in.

And of course I am running late in writing in here - and it's almost time for the work computer to get turned on and get working. Plus I need to jump in the shower.  At least hubby remembered to take out the recycle things this morning!  I took off in a panic a bit ago to check in the garage, for if he hadn't, I would have had to get dressed and get it taken out as it was getting quite full in that area.  Now I just need to put a couple more boxes in place to catch whatever recycle we have next time.  Grateful he got it done before he left for the gym.

Talked to my little brother yesterday.  He isn't doing well, and it causes me to be fearful.  He has a CT on 4/1 and will see his pulmonologist on 4/3 and will see if all the chemo and radiation eradicated the cancer in his lung.  But he also mentioned other issues with the prostate and that he needs to get in to see his urologist.  And he said he was frequently dizzy and was just exhausted.  Oh, and he shaved his beard.... and now his hair is falling out.  He took his pony tail down and a gob of hair came with it, and his wife brushes his hair and it is falling out. He plans to get it cut very short.  I can't imagine him with a short haircut. I saw a photo where he had shaved his beard a few months back and it didn't look like him at all.  He said the last time he cut his hair short was for our mama's funeral back in 2004.  Interestingly, he commented that he only cuts it for the women in his life he loves.  He didn't cut it for our sister's funeral a few years ago.  I remained silent.  I wonder if he would cut it for mine.  Things that make one go hmmm when they hear a comment, right?

I just got a message from my coach for Virta.  I haven't been doing too well on it as my numbers aren't really staying where they should.  I've got to get refocused.  He has asked me two questions - and I will have to think on how to answer.  How would YOU answer these two questions?

1) What's one thing that's been going well for you?

2) What's one thing you would like to improve upon moving forward?

At first 'thought', I have no clue what to write.  I will think about these two questions and will hopefully come up with an answer to the questions before end of day.

In the meantime, I must get on the work computer and get busy.  I'm out of time for 'play'.

Have an amazing day!

Blessings!

Finally!

 I have been stalling on writing in here as I knew hubby would be coming in any time to tell me 'goodbye' as he heads to his Bible study this morning.  He's running about 10-15 minutes later than usual.  He asked me again the other day if I 'still journal' (well, this IS a journal of my life, isn't it?) in my computer.  I said yes.  Then he asked how often I type in my blog.  I just said some.  Nothing I have said about him has been out of line, so if he reads it, he reads it.  He has the 'address' and can go into it at any time. I have never forbidden him.  But I don't want to be 'caught' typing in it for that will ensure he will go into it. If he remembers.  With having the computer on this desk, my back is to the door, therefore he can see what I'm doing when he comes in.  This morning I took the opportunity to pay my Kohls bill and check on a couple of credit cards while waiting on him to come in.  At least any 'bills' I had are now paid off.  All he saw was the store screen.  

I didn't sleep well last night.  I mean I really didn't sleep well.  I woke up at 11:30PM for the trek down the hall, but then tossed and turned for another hour.  Finally at 12:30AM I got up and came in here.  I knew hubby had at least one more trek down the hall during the night so I was having difficulty getting settled in my chair, anticipating him opening the door.  I was just settling in and sure enough, I hear his footsteps.  He opens the door.  Stars at me (I can see him because he has a night light in his bathroom).  "Are you in here?"  I just told him yes I was in here.  "Why?"  Well, I couldn't sleep so came in here so that he could.  He stood there for a few more seconds and I told him to just shut the door and go back to bed so that I could try and get some sleep too.  He did. And I did for a couple hours, I think.  

Yes, I have something on my mind and was working through it during the night.  Nothing bad.  But just thoughts.  A lot of good thoughts, and something I need to discuss with someone later today.  

I actually worked on my bulletin board yesterday and threw away some papers.  Will I get around to doing anything else in here?  Who knows.  I have Needles of Hope in the morning and hubby (yes, he did) made us mani/pedi appointments with the nail shop down the road - and he plans to pay for it.  Works for me.  His toenails are awful and I tried to cut them one time and after one look opted to take him to the nail shop for them to cut them.  YECK.  Now my feet are not the prettiest feet in the world, but, uh, no. Not cutting his toenails.  So we have that tomorrow afternoon.  Maybe after that I can get something done. Or not.  We've been doing more reading (so glad about that!) so may just curl up with a book. 

Had an eye exam yesterday and I really liked this doctor who did my exam.  I did the $35 scan they offer (have always refused it in the past) on a whim, and I'm glad I did.  This doctor brought up the photos and pointed out the nerves, and the stigmas I have in each eye - and he noticed I have a scar on the edge toward the ear on each eye.  Weird.   But he told me my eye nerves were healthy and no sign of diabetes (did you know they can tell some diseases by looking at your eye?  Ms. Bonnie from our other neighborhood was diagnosed with MS by her eye doctor!).  He also commented that my left eye worked harder than my right eye to see.  No explanation for the ocular migraines.  I keep asking.  But he wrote two prescriptions for glasses for whichever I wanted. I like him because he explained everything in the test in terms that I understood.  I think I'm getting the progressive for reading and computer.  When those come in, I'll ask what the other prescription was for.  I may ask for that prescription and check around for prices.  My insurance is good.  Remember last year they told me to never quit work, the VSP insurance I have for hubby and I (I took the top line) gives us one frame a year, and some of the other stuff too.  I ended up paying $35 for the test; $10 copay, and $95 for my cost of the new glasses.  Total $140.  Not bad, huh!  They will be here in about two weeks and I'm excited to get them. They are much lighter I think, than my last pair.  And I have numerous reading glasses laying around cause I don't wear my glasses all the time and have to find a pair to read anything with.  A couple of the frames (plastic) have broken and I need to throw those away.  Or glue back together.  

Did I tell you my new phone case finally arrived and I've had to 'downsize' all that I carried in my other one?  Yeah - I don't need to carry all that I was, but you know once you use something you just stick it in the folder and move on.  And my old phone case was getting pretty full.  Hubby likes his new blue cover; hopefully he will find it easier to find when he loses his phone.

My little sister and I are going to do a bible study together.  I saw this ad for one for Easter and we both ordered the books.  I decided that I wasn't going to try and watch the streaming video because with work and other issues, I often miss things due to time differences.  So I ordered the video to go along with the 4 week bible study and can do it on my own time.  I also ordered one for my sister and will send it on to her when I get it.  I also bought 'myself' a new DVD portable player.  It's larger than the one I had purchased about 5 years ago.  We only used it a couple times but the last time I used it, it stopped in the middle of the movie and wouldn't play anymore.  I was not a happy camper.  It was a cheap plastic one anyway.  The new one is as big, if not bigger, than this laptop.  Which is bigger than I like, but serves it purpose.  It's heavy too.  But at least the screen is big enough that we can see the movie and not a 8 inch screen like before.  I can remember when they had a player built within the computer and we could use those - but no more.  I actually miss those days of convenience.

Oh my - starting late this morning and time has gotten away from me!  Have already turned my work computer on and got caught by an email that had to be responded to right away.  Got to order some printing stuff for one of the directors in Colorado today too.  It's been 5 years since I've ordered any printing - think it has changed any?  And why does she have to ask me to do it!  I don't wanna!!  UGH but I have to do it.  Suck it up buttercup!

Alas, I don't have time to ramble so much in here; it's 7:04AM and I need to get to work.  My time is never my own, right?  Oh well - enjoy my little rambling stuff today - maybe I'll be more with it tomorrow when I have more than 4 hours of sleep.

Blessings!