First Week A Success!

I made it through my first week and I love it!! I knew alot before going in the office due to my externship and volunteering at Hospice. This week I learned how to do special weekly and montly reports that I am taking over. It is funny because I really went to school to be a medical assistant. Back in January, I found out that Hospice would be the place of my externship. Everyone is assigned there. They have an agreement with the University I went to. I learned I would have to fulfill 100 hours there to qualify for my credentials. As soon as I walked in the building it felt like home to me. I can't explain it. I think God had different plans for me and was working in my life. Those 100 hours turned into almost 250. I loved going there so much. I worked in every department and out in the field with patients. I wanted "the whole" experience. Circa 7 months later, I am employed there! It was funny because the Thursday before I started, I went in and volunteered one last time. They all thought I was starting that day! Too funny.

I am very happy there. I work with a bunch of wonderful people who absolutely love what they do. I feel so blessed and thankful that I was given this opportunity. After graduation, I searched for 6 weeks for a medical assistant position. I am certified and all. But I have to honestly say I would have been settling if I was offered and accepted a position. Isn't it funny how God works things? If I hadn't gone to school, I would have never found Hospice. I loved it there and they really liked me. But, there was a hiring freeze. It got defrosted! Then a miracle happened: this position opened up. Long-time readers know that Hospice was and is my heart. God made it happen! What a blessing! I was so scared because I was one of almost a dozen candidates up for this position. Thank you, thank you, thank you is all I can say!

I have made so many changes since April 1st of 2009. I went from being an unhappy, severly overweight manager of a travel agency traveling 45 miles each way to a job that I dreaded going to. Getting laid off later in the year was the best thing that ever happened to me. Of course when it happened, I didn't see it that way! But even before that, I decided I needed to make a change --> for me! April 1st was the day I decided to change my life forever. I knew I had to lose weight in order to start my life over. I knew in the back of my mind that my boss was going to close the agency. I saw it coming. I knew I had to do something for me. For my health. I am happy to report that I am now 188 pounds lighter. I feel phenomenal. It is like I got my life back. I wake up with a spring in my step and I go to a job that I am passionate about. I am so blessed. I am so thankful. One day when I am ready I will post my before pictures. I'm just not ready to do that yet. The reason being is that I feel like I don't know that girl in the pictures. She was broken. She was tired.

Anyway, onto happier things...On the left is the picture on my work photo ID. My friend Terry (and former externship manager..now coworker!!) took this of me outside of our building. I go out there and read during lunch. It is SO peaceful and beautiful. I have to bring my camera into work so I can take better shots of the outside. Behind me is a beautiful pond with a fountain. There is also a courtyard with tables and chairs and has a gorgeous area with flowers. It is very peaceful.

I'm sorry I've been a stranger to the blogs. I am just getting adjusted to having a schedule again. I have to say..I love it! When the alarm goes off in the morning, I jump right out of bed. I don't hit snooze anymore. No more delaying for me! I got my life back and I'm holding onto it with everything I got!

Losing Touch

Well, it has been nearly a month since my last blog post. I never in my life thought that I would be so busy with school and my hospice externship. I am so sorry. I really shouldn't be making excuses. I really need to set aside time for the things that I love...like blogging. Oh yes, and sleeping. I didn't expect it to be this involved. I never had "the college experience". Maybe the reason that all of this whole program is crammed into 6 months and is very intensive. It is ALOT to remember and alot to memorize. I have a weekly 4hr lecture of anatomy & physiology that I really like. My professor that teaches that class is brilliant. He is going to medical school with hopes to become either a spinal or a thoracic surgeon. Plus he gets major props because he is a LOST fan too!

I have a HUGE project that I'm working on for class. Each of us was given a medical specialty and basically we have to make a brochure for "our practice" as we are both "the medical assistant and managers" of that practice. I got ophthalmology. We have to go as far as naming a doctor, giving his history, discussing diseases, treatments. The whole kit-and-kaboodle. We could make anything up and she told us to have fun with it too. Guess who my doctor is??? Dr. Elvis A. Presley, MD. I kid you not!!! As you can see, I'm having some fun with it too!! So far I have an 8 page folded brochure. I still have more to go. It is going to be lots of fun when I have to actually go and print this thing. Lining up the pages with the correct things on each side has been very challenging.

I wanted to post these pictures of me with my cousins. Larry and I went out with them a few weeks ago.

This is me with my cousin Kara. She gets all the time that she looks like Jennifer Aniston. She is my heart though! We grew up together.

This is me with Kara and her daughter (also my cousin) Hope. I adore both of them so much!!


Well, I better go back and work on my project. I am sorry I have been losing touch. I really am going to try and be better. This blog and all of you are very important to me. I'm just not used to being back in a routine like this and trying to prioritize my time.

This Is The Reason Why

This is the reason why I run late in the morning. I mean how cute is this? I was rubbing Harley's face before I left for work this morning. He pushed my hand down after he had enough, rested his head on it, put his paw over my hand, and fell asleep. I sat there and just stared at him and just felt so lucky. I can't explain it. I know this is going to sound SO sappy. I am just so thankful to have him in my life. This cat has brought me such joy for 15 years now. I want him to be with me forever and I know that cannot be. So, when a moment like this comes I just want to sit back and enjoy it.

I Can't Make This Stuff Up If I Tried

I knew it was going to be a bad morning. My husband called me when he got to his job before I left for mine reporting to me that second highway I drive on was closed due to an accident that involved a fatality so I needed to go a different way to work. I was so happy he told me so I got my butt in gear and tried to hustle it out of there to allow more time since I knew I would be delayed. Well, wouldn't you know it, in the interim, the main road I take down there, the Garden State Parkway was closed midway on my commute because there was an accident there as well that included a car fire so emergency crews and fire trucks shut it down to put out the fire, clean up, and investigate. So, I had to go about 20 miles out of my way, sit through traffic near Newark Airport that was a nightmare only to take a road that took me back onto the Garden State Parkway 5 miles after the accident. So I basically almost went in a 20 mile circle (less the 5 miles).

Luckily one of the side roads was opened so I avoided the 2nd highway that was closed due to the fatality. However, I saw two interesting things on my commute. Very bizarre things. A few miles before Newark Airport there was this young man standing next to a wall near a traffic light I was at. He had this "Dude, where's my car?" look on his face. He was holding onto the wall, he took a few steps, he stumbled but did not fall, then he swung around and grabbed onto the wall again. He was either drunk or stoned. I couldn't tell. I could tell he just wasn't right.

Then, on the 2nd highway I was on that led to my job there was a firetruck parked with its lights on. There were six firemen (in regular uniform..not dressed in their fire protective clothing) standing there talking. What was bizarre about this was there was a man slumped over leaning against a telephone pole. I'm not sure if he was sleeping or if he was dead. All I know is that they weren't attending to him so either he was "sleeping it off" or they were waiting for a coroner. I couldn't tell the difference from a car window. I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried.

The amazing thing is...I was only a half hour late for work. The same place I'm leaving now. Hopefully I will not have to deal with anymore catastrophes. I've had enough for one day! I will see you all later, safe commutes home everyone! Have a great evening!

UPDATE 11:15pm: Here is a link about the accident that had the fatality this morning, It claimed the life of a 31yr old Perth Amboy NJ police officer.

Apparently I Missed Something

Today was such a nice day. I went to visit both of my sisters. We had a very nice day together. We met at my other sister's house. The sister that I speak alot about wasn't feeling well though. I finally convinced her to call the urologist on Monday to either schedule an appointment or get more antibiotics because that kidney infection is far from over. I just hope that when they take the stent out of her this nightmare will be over. I hate to see her like this, in so much pain. She tried to make the best of it. It was good for her to get out of the house.

We got to see my niece who is home from college on break. My 28yr old nephew showed up to borrow his sister's digital camera to take to a wedding him, his girlfriend, & his roommate were attending. I got to meet her today finally! The pathetic thing is that they have been dating for a year and a half! She was SO sweet. She has a son from a prior relationship & my nephew just adores him. So that it good. He seems to be really serious about her because he is moving back home to save money so they can get a house together. For my nephew, that is a big step. My actually putting it into words amazes me. That's my baby!! LOL! The fact that he would become an instant father amazes me too. It is good that he & her son get along. I believe he is 10 years old. My nephew brought along one of his roommates. He & a bunch of his friends rent a brownstone in Hoboken. I think there are 7 of them. Well this guy was a trip & he was SO funny. I loved his voice. He had an accent & I just had to know. So, I blurt out, "Where is your voice from, I love it?". Everyone thought it was funny. It was like spontaneous combustion. It just came out. He replied, "Germany". So I asked him to keep talking because I loved his accent. My nephew turns to him and says, "Tell her a story". He is such a jokester. He returned a compliment to me saying how much he loved my Miami Ink t-shirt. Very cool. When the three of them left I tried to convince my niece to ask her brother to set them up. He was adorable. Apparently I missed something. She thought he was a "metrosexual" & that would mean he is too high maintenance. So she was not interested. This is coming from a girl who prior to their arrival showed me her new pair of Burberry rain boots that she was bringing back to college with her. Now who is high maintenance?

ON A SIDE NOTE: I would like to take this opportunity to pay a little tribute to my favorite singer of all time. Today is the 31st anniversary of Elvis Presley's passing. My regular readers know how much I adore him. I just wanted to post a little something honoring his memory.

Polly Productive

What a great day so far! It is really quiet at work and I got caught up on all my unanswered emails. I think these people probably think I died or something. Well, they didn't send out a search party. I think they know I am busy, either that or they gave up on me. It is cool that I got a little breather here. I don't know about you, but an empty inbox makes me happy. I hate to think I leave people hanging.

Tonight we are either going to our normal dinner at our favorite Italian place or we are getting Chinese food. Not much in the mood for cooking. Too lazy tired to cook. The commute this morning was ridiculous, expecting the same for the way home. Cooking will make me grouchy and I don't do grouchy well.

I will try to get on again later tonight. Have safe drives home everyone! Enjoy your evening!

Distractions Again

Last night we went to have our normal Monday night dinner at the Italian place near my house. We had a delicious dinner and I purposely didn't finish my meal because I wanted to save room for a cannoli. I figured I could have them wrap up what I didn't finish and I could take it for lunch today. We wound up having a cannoli each and I had coffee (he doesn't like coffee-sigh!) . I love the cannolis because they fill them there, so they are fresh. The waitress loves us & she knows I love coffee so she gave me a refill to go so I could have some for later. We left there full and happy. We drive home, go upstairs, get into our pj's and then I settle down to drink the rest of my coffee and suddenly realize - she never gave me the "to go" bag with my leftovers. There went my theory about lunch. I guess I'm not the only one who gets distracted. She probably totally forgot about it when she gave me the coffee. I totally forgot about it too. It was no big deal because I knew I could get something today at the deli across the street, it was just the fact of knowing half the money we spent on it was literally being thrown in the garbage. Then I felt bad about the starving people in the world. (insert my Mother's Italian guilt trip (God rest her soul) that she would put me on as a young child when I didn't want to finish my dinner)

It was fine though. I just got back from lunch about an hour ago. I had a tuna wrap instead of my angel hair pasta with meat sauce, you know the bag that is currently sitting somewhere in a dumpster. It's OK you know why? I am learning my lesson because I am so easily distracted that this is what happens to me. I'll give you another example that just happened, this morning. I got out a birthday card that I need to send my friend whose birthday is on Monday the 11th. I wanted to include some birthday lottery scratch-off tickets in the card. I put the card on the side because I went to find the tickets. Then...I forgot to find them. I went and did something else. Oh yes, I went to clean out Harley's litter box because today is garbage day. I remembered that, but I forgot the tickets and the card. I am just that easily distracted. Story of my life.

Well, 2 more hours to go until I can go home. Yay! Tonight we are staying in so I hopefully can stay out of trouble and avoid distractions. Enjoy your evening everyone!!!!

I'm Going to "Rest My Eyes"

Good morning friends! All I can say is this. I am well rested! Last night my hubby wanted to use the computer first. So I said "sure" I'll go and read. It was about 9pm. Well turns out I didn't read a thing. I really went in the bedroom to "rest my eyes". Next thing I knew, it was midnight. Did you ever wake up and for a minute & not know where you were? It was weird. I think I was dreaming then I suddenly woke up. All the lights were on in the bedroom. I heard this horrendous sound like people fighting that was so loud. It turns out it was the TV in the living room. He was "watching" a wrestling DVD (hence people fighting). In all actuality, it turns out he was "resting his eyes" too. I went in and woke him up and told him what time it was. He had told me he came in at 9:45pm to wake me up and tell me he was done with the computer, to come out so I could go on, and that he was going to watch a DVD. Well, apparently, I told him I would be out in a few minutes. (I have absolutely no recollection of having this conversation, I must have been way out of it) So he started his DVD and I guess I went back to sleep. He then fell asleep on the couch watching the DVD. When I came out at midnight he looked SO uncomfortable! My hubby is 6'ft5"in. So it was scrunched up legs everywhere! Poor thing. Well needless to say, I woke him up, we shut everything down & went back to bed in our normal spot - the bed. Well that was after I fed Harley again. I guess the cat figured - 'hey, while she's up, I'll rub on her leg, that always gets her, she'll know I want food'. Next thing I know, the alarm is blaring at 5am...and so I sit.

Yesterday was a relatively good day. All was serene on the work front. My commute home wasn't too bad either. We ate dinner & watched 2 episodes of the "Whats Happening Now". It really was a quiet night before I fell asleep. I guess I just needed the rest. Either that or I'm just getting old. One or the other.
Have a great day everyone!! I'm going to go start my morning routine. I'll try to post again later. Oh by the way, speaking of posting. My bloggy friend Sue has been doing the NaBloPoMo 30 day challenge of posting everyday on a set subject (given by the webhosts). I decided to take the challenge for August. I'm not sure what the theme is yet but I will let you know. At least it will guarantee I won't be lazy and make sure that I post everyday.

Halfway Point

Today is hump day! Yay!!! (whoever thought of the term "hump" day anyway?) Yesterday was quite interesting. Again, not too busy, not to slow - just right. I took an extended lunch because my manicure took longer than expected. I told my boss that I was going to "take it off" my lunch today. So turns out that it leaves me with a 15min lunch today. Oh well. It felt good to be out of the office for a longer period of time. It just stinks for me today. Oh well, it was worth it, Below is the color that I got on my nails. I had a month of a french manicure. I wanted to go with a "me" color and I love dark colors, even in the summer. Here it is - it is by Esse...the color is called "Wicked".

Last night was a quiet night. When I got home we had dinner and watched old episodes of "What's Happening Now?" The continuation of the series "What's Happening?" After dinner my hubby went on the computer while I watched an old episode of "Sex And The City". I went on the computer for a bit, read some blogs, posted 2 memes, and answered a few emails. I then went to bed. Now getting ready for work. Rinse. Repeat.

Well I better get my rear in gear. I am still suffering from distraction problems. I can't seem to get out of here in the morning. I keep finding stuff to do. I am a creature of habit I suppose. Well, Happy Wednesday friends. I wish you all a wonderful day....maybe I'll get another post in later. I think I am one away from my first milestone!!!

UPDATE 11:30am: I did wind up getting my butt in gear...I actually left a little earlier. I walked in right on time. I even had time to stop for my iced coffee.

Calm On The Homefront

Yesterday ran rather smooth. Work was fine. The commute getting there was a "B". But other than that, it wasn't too busy, it wasn't too slow, like baby bear's porridge, it was just right. When I got home, hubby & I went for our normal Monday night dinner at our favorite Mom & Pop Italian place in town. It is so nice there because Monday's are slow and it usually just us and maybe 2 other tables. So that is cool. We had a nice dinner & I even got leftovers for lunch today. So all is good.

I spoke with my sister 3 times yesterday. She seems to be feeling alot better but since she suffers from depression she is getting it a little bit worse because she really still can't "do anything". The catheter is out thank God, but still she can't really leave the house or go anywhere since her incisions are still really bothering her & she can't do anything strenuous. I keep trying to make her feel better by assuring her the hard part is over and soon she will be feeling much, much better. I assured her that once the stent is out she can go back to work again and get out of the house. I think that is what is adding to the depression. She is not used to being home SO much. She likes to interact with people. So hopefully all will change for her in September.

Today at lunch time I have a nail appointment so I'll have to eat my leftovers at my desk. How attractive that will be - my eating angel hair pasta with meat sauce. I'll be a sight to see. LOL! I get my nails done every 2 weeks. I never used to do it but see the convenience of having a nail salon across the hall from me was just too inviting. Besides her & I became friends and she is all by herself. It is a pleasure going there. It is normally just us and it is nice to get away from the office for an hour. Normally I will eat in the back room by myself but I'm still there...you know what I mean? I unlock the chain twice a month. LOL!

Well I better hustle my butt in gear and get in the shower. I must allow time for me to stop for my iced coffee. Remember, we all have our priorities. Have a Happy Tuesday everyone :)

"Born To Run"

Well it was an interesting day yesterday. I had another migraine so I decided to stay home instead of going up my sister's house. I just bummed around the house and took a couple of doses of my "emeralds" - translation Advil Liqui-Gels. I love those things because they work fast. Problem was they weren't working yesterday. I managed to finally shower by 3pm. That was the only time I felt that the water hitting my head wouldn't cause immense pain. When I get migraines...light, sound, smell, everything gets affected. By the end of the afternoon when my hubby got home from work I was feeling halfway decent. I was finally convinced to leave the house because he thought I would "feel better if I went outside". OK. Sure.
We went out for dinner to TGI Fridays. It was a semi-disaster. We know the server so we tried not to complain too much because she is such a nice woman. But they really messed up alot last night. What was going on was that we were at the location that is close to where the Bruce Springsteen concert was playing and it was PACKED. I guess everybody wanted to go to Fridays before they went to see The Boss. I sat there and wished I was going to see The Boss. I don't think I will ever Maybe someday I will get to see him. I want to kick myself in my hind end because I'm from NJ for the love of God. How come I haven't seen him yet? Someday.

Back to our bizarre meal. We ordered Sesame Jack Chicken Strips for appetizer. Thank God we had a coupon for a free appetizer. I swear to God that the portion seriously was less than half the normal size. Did the Bruce people get to it before us? Were they running out and decided to downsize the portion? We didn't say anything because we had the coupon (which they didn't know about...so they weren't short changing us because of that) For dinner I ordered the All American Chicken sandwich which comes with bacon and I asked for mayonnaise on the side. Well when it came out, both the bacon and the mayo were missing. My dinner also came with onion rings on the side. It came with three. I kid you not. They were the size of rubber bands. Three rubber bands. My hubby ordered the Jack Daniels cheeseburger with no tomato and asked for it to be extra EXTRA well-done, burnt to be the exact words he used. Well it came out rarer than rare with a dripping tomato on top of it. It looked like it was hardly cooked. Blech! Now the thing is, everybody makes mistakes. But both dinners were wrong. I got my bacon & mayo 10 minutes before my husband got his well-done burger. I felt bad eating mine while he waited for his. But he insisted because he didn't want mine to get cold. So basically, we sat together & ate at separate times.

Maybe we should have been "Born to Run" - We should have run the hell out of there. LOL! Well I better run myself right into the bathroom and shower and get ready for the day. Back to the grind! Happy Monday everyone :)

Peace and Quiet

Boy oh boy it sure is quiet on a Sunday morning. I think I have to change my career, become a writer and write on Sundays. Wait a second. Didn't "Carrie Bradshaw" write on Sundays in Sex And The City? Why yes she did. That is why Mr. Big (a.k.a. John James Preston) never asked her to go to church with him & his Mom. She was a wise gal that Carrie. She had wonderful taste in men (i.e. Big, Aidan)....

(Earth to Jodi...come back)...Oh sorry, I was daydreaming. OK..back to the real world. Sundays are very quiet around here. Hubby left for work at 6am. His alarm woke me up at 5am. I fed Harley & went back and laid down and finally arose at 6:15am because I figure why lay there when I can do stuff.

So, I planned on catching up on emails, writing in my blog, checking my blogroll list, etc. I'm about to make myself some coffee. I figure I will take a nap in a little while, then get ready to go up and see my sister. Tomorrow is back to the grind for another week.
I figured I throw another meme out there to any
who want to participate. This is an easy one!

randomness...feed your mind and your blog
Let's do good ol' fashioned random word association this week :o)I say....you think...
1. flower......Rose
2. paper.......News
3. coffee.......Yes Please
4. tire...........Goodyear
5. sand.........Wich
6. work........Monday
7. reality tv......American Idol
8. itch...........Scratch
9. tooth........Paste
10. sour.......Sweet
till next time....

Distractions Among Me

It is funny. I should be getting ready for work but I'm sitting here writing a blog. LOL! My husband is right, I do love "cutting everything down to the wire". Are any of you guys like that? I know what time I have to leave, I know I'm always pressed for time, but I get distracted so easily. I'll be doing something like say going to clean out Harley's litter box (which I have to do before I leave for work) and...the computer was on when I walked by to get the bag & I plop down & say to myself 'hmm, let me check the blog'. I digress. So now once I sign out of here I will go clean his box if I don't stop & get distracted again. Then this is classic Jodi. I will then realize the time and rush around like a moron to "beat the clock" and still get out at the same time I normally leave. Why do I do this to myself? Especially when I know today is payday & I have to hit the ATM before I go. But see in my head, I know I could save time because God one day saw fit to have someone think of the most brilliant idea for people who rush everywhere just like me....the drive thru ATM. Thank you God!
Do you all have them/use them? To me, I think they are safer than regular ATMs. Only reason being is if someone tried to hold you up at one of them, you could floor it out of there. I think there is a better chance of survival. (maybe not for the criminal) In the bank lobbies you are like a sitting duck, stuck in there with them. One of the most uncomfortable feelings in the world is when you are actually at the ATM in a bank lobby and you hear someone swipe their card to get in the lobby with you. Well, you think to yourself...'well they swiped a card so they are a customer'. So you breathe easy. Then you think to yourself, 'Wait! They could have stolen someones purse or wallet and swiped it just to get into the lobby'. Maybe I just spend too much time thinking. Well for slackers like me the drive thru ATM is better anyway so I don't have the lobby worry lingering over my head. That just takes up more time that I don't have. LOL!

Speaking of time, I guess I should start the process. Happy Friday my bloggy friends. I'm going to go get ready now. Oh wait, I got to do Harley's box...then get ready. See, what I mean?

UPDATE at 10:45am: I was on time for work - yay - pulled right in at 8:30am!! OK so I didn't make it to the ATM. But I did make it to McDonalds for an iced coffee. We all have our priorites. I will hit the ATM on my way home. The beautiful thing about it is that it is always open (pending it doesn't run out of money)..LOL! I do have a sister update. I spoke to her on the way to work and she said she has been doing great since the catheter is out. She is going often, but that is to be expected because of the stent she still has in. You can't imagine how much happier she sounds. Thank God.

Thursday Morning Thunder

WOW, what a day yesterday! It poured almost all day long. Last night a roll of thunder and lightening came and BAM the thunder made this horrific sound that almost brought me out of my skin. Harley ran for the hills and hid, I jumped and actually shook. Never before has a crash of thunder scared me that much. Then, the lights went out. For something like 6 hours. I just have one question. How do Amish people do this all the time? I was LOST without power. I sat & worried:

'OMG, what if it doesn't go on in the morning, how am I going to blow-dry my hair?'

'What about all the food in the fridge, it is going to go bad?'

'What about my blog? My emails?'

'How am I going to charge my cell? My iPod?'

I sat & pondered, how the hell did this happen? Technology has grabbed a hold of me & I am hooked. Hook, line, and sinker. Well I guess the first step is admitting you are powerless over technology.

Anyways, well luckily this morning I was able to get on the computer before I get ready for work. (yay, my blow dryer will work!) I feel SOOOO bad because I didn't know it was one of my bloggy friend's birthdays because I wasn't able to get back on the computer last night.So by one day off..HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUE!!! I humbly apologize for missing it last night. May you have many, many healthy & happy more!!

Well, I am going to go off and get ready for work and use my technology to the fullest. Must also stop and get an iced coffee because I am craving one right about now. Oh yes, and it is STILL pouring outside. I have a bad feeling my hubby isn't going to get into work today because it floods near his job. It isn't good because today is his payday. Ugh!!!!!! Well the good news of the day is this, my sister is getting her catheter out a day early. She has an 8am appointment this morning. The stent will come out in 5 more weeks. But this is going to be SO much better for her. Yay!!!

I will leave you with some pics of Harley at his cutest. I promise soon ((Linda)) I will put up the tattoo pics. I just have to get my butt in gear find them on the computer. Harley has his own folder. LOL!

You know Jack-in-a-box....this is my version Harley-in-a-box. He has two beautiful cat beds but he prefers cardboard:This is Harley's Presidential portrait. LOL! He is SO serious in this picture. If you notice in the background on the wall is a painting my hubby had done by a local artist several years ago for me of my boy. I love it.Lastly, like mother like son...what we do best:

UPDATE at 9:45am: Spoke with my hubby..he got to work safe so he will be able to get his paycheck today. He just needs to be able to get past the floods to the bank to cash/deposit it. Also spoke to my sister at around 8:30am. She got the catheter out and she feels like a new woman! Now we have to wait to make sure she is able to "go". The urologist said that if there were any problems she can go right back. He also checked her incisions. Two started to bleed when he took the dressings off - ouch! He put antiseptic and put new dressings on all 4 of the incisions.

UPDATE at 10:00am: Spoke to my sister again..wanted to make sure she was able to "go"...and praise the Lord she went to the bathroom twice since she got home. She truly feels like a new person. Now we sit & wait & pray that this stent does the trick and will continue to work when the doctor removes it in 5wks.

Thank You For Being A Friend Estelle!

Awww, I was so saddened to hear about the passing of Estelle Getty. I just loved her. She was always my favorite Golden Girl. I am lucky enough to have an autographed photo from her. Years ago after my Mom passed away I had written to her thanking her for being able to make me laugh and shared with her how much my Mom had loved the show & that she was her favorite too. My Mom passed away in 1991. I think the show ended in 92. Well, she sent me back a picture, I have to try and find it, but it said something like "thank you for your letter and thank you for being a friend, Love, Estelle Getty". It was a picture that had her on one half as herself and the other half as Sophia and Sophia was wearing sunglasses. It was too cute. She will definitely be missed.

Well last night I don't know what the hell happened to me. I turned in at 8:40pm!!! I think it was because the night before I got something like 3hrs sleep. I was like a zombie yesterday. Now I feel much better and am looking forward to my stop at Dunkin Donuts for my iced coffee. This one place by my job makes the donuts unbelievable. I think they cook them for the area ones they deliver too. Let me tell you, they keep the best ones for themselves. I'm a huge Boston Creme donut fan. What flavors do you guys like? Please note that I need a Boston creme donut like I need another hole in my head. ROTFL.

Well I best be getting my butt in gear. It is POURING outside and I got a 90min drive to work normally. I have to cut out even earlier because in NJ everybody suddenly forgets how to drive when it is raining outside. I'll try to post more later. Have a great day everybody!

And So We Melt

I cannot believe how hot it has been for these past couple of days. I don't think I have ever sweated so much. It was 102 degrees with high humidity today. It really did a number on my asthma. It sucks not being able to breath sometimes. But luckily, my allotted time outside was only when I need to get to my car, go into and out of places, then go home for the evening. I could not stand to be out there for anything else. If I did, I would probably be hooked up to an oxygen mask at the nearest hospital. Normally I have my asthma under control but jeez, this is ridiculous, you breath in and it is like - nothing! I cannot wait until the fall. Fall & Spring are my favorite seasons. I love 70 degree weather. My perfect temperature. Now, if I can find a place like that all year round?? Hmmm? Does such a place exist besides my dreams?

Well today consisted of my getting up around 9am. I got up did some stuff around the apartment or made it look like I was constructive. I showered, got ready quick and headed to my local Hallmark store to pick up some cards and flowers for my sister. I got her a bouquet of daises which are her favorite flower. I stink at transporting flowers though. By the time I got to her house it looked like someone played "he loves me, he loves me not" on a few of them. Oh well, it was the thought that counts I suppose. LOL! My sister is an animal lover like me so I got her a Get Well card from us that had a dog on it. She has 2 labs...one yellow & one chocolate. Harley (my cat) also bought her a card "out of his allowance" LOL! It was cute because I found a card that had a cat on it that looked just like Harley. So he got his "aunt" a get well card too. She gets a kick out of that kind of thing. The dogs get me a birthday card every year. I know, we are retarded, but it makes us happy! LOL!

So, I went up to spend the day with her. She looked SO much better. I did an internal sigh of relief inside. I told her in her card that she has filled her quota for this year. She can not make me nervous anymore. LOL! She really does mean the world to me & seeing her be so sick for so long has killed me inside. But hopefully this is the first step of her getting her life back. On Friday, she will get the catheter out. After that the stent will come out 5 weeks later from this Friday. Fingers crossed, the nightmare will be over.

I stayed a couple of hours with her then came home, met up with hubby, then we went out for dinner at our favorite Irish Restaurant & Pub. I had my "medium" buffalo strips. Love them. Then I came home & watched a couple of episodes of Sex And The City while hubby used the computer first. He got me the whole series for my birthday. I loved that show. I loved the movie. It was the perfect gift. I've seen them all before, but I can watch them over and over. I'm a "Mr Big" fan. I'm on Season 2 at the moment. Anyone a fan of the show? Anyone seen the movie?

Well I best be ending my post because it is 10:30pm and 5am comes around really fast. Back to the grind tomorrow. Hopefully this heat wave will end and I will stop melting. Sweat does not become me. All I have to say is THANK GOD for Secret Platinum. (powder fresh gel is my favorite)

Light At The End Of The Tunnel

Well my sister is home safe and sound. Thank the good Lord! She went home on Wednesday evening. She went home with the catheter which she is really not happy about. She is getting it removed next Friday the 25th. She is counting the days. She is in alot of pain where the incisions were. What she had done was a laporoscopic pyleoplasty. I got the technical term of it. I actually watched one performed on You Tube. Let me just say I am glad I saw this after she had it. Blech! Now we just need to get her through this week with the catheter and then 6 weeks with the stent in and hopefully this nightmare will be over. Again, thank you all for your concern. It means so much to me!

My plans for the weekend are to go up and see her and try to catch up on stuff. I have so many "flagged" emails to reply to, blogs to catch up on, TV shows to watch and phone calls to make. But it will all get done eventually.

I can go for a big glass of iced tea right now. Speaking of iced tea. I thought you all should know that I have given up my addiction to McDonalds Sweet Tea. It was honestly getting too sweet for me. I'm sticking with my iced coffees from Dunkin Donuts and my once a week treat of a Java Chip Frappuchino from Starbucks. They are just too expensive and I'm not Rockefeller. LOL! Just a note to those "watching their figure"....you can get ANY frappuchino in light form, not just the coffee light and mocha light. Awesome.

Today is the Day

Hello everyone...First let me take this moment to apologize for me being out of blog land for over 2 weeks. I was on vacation the first week. The second week I really don't have an excuse for. I guess I didn't have much to say. For our vacation all we did was go visit family and friends. I had a birthday during my vacation. That was a good day even though I hate turning older. My hubby took me to see "Sex And The City: The Movie" that day and to a beautiful dinner. We went to Amish Country one day. Boy oh boy...we should have stayed over. 2 1/2 hrs each way and guess who did all the driving ---->me. My hubby hates to drive. But that wouldn't have been so bad except while we were there I did all the driving there. I love to look at the scenery, the farmland, the animals. So it was quite tough to do that as you can imagine. But I made the best of it. My hubby feels very uncomfortable driving on roads he is not familiar with. Guess that gives all new meaning to the road less traveled. Anyway, we did have a wonderful day. We came hom with an array of delicious Amish baked goods such as red velvet whoopie pies, peanut butter cookies, a package of assorted cookies, and "Pappys" fresh kettle corn (they made it in front of us). I know this may sound weird, but I also came home with an Elvis iPod carrying case. It is the perfect size to fit my iPod (with its bulky plastic protective casing) and my over-the ear buds. I had to get them because the ones that come with the iPod keep falling out. I don't know how people jog or exercise with them. I'm lazy and sit my but and don't move and they fall out. Go figure. LOL!

Well today is the big day...my sister's surgery. I am blogging around 9:30am. I am meeting her at the hospital at 11:30am. Her husband is driving them, my other sister & myself are meeting them there. She needs to be there for 12 noon. Her surgery is scheduled for 2pm and should last approximately 3hrs. Her urologist and a specialist who specializes in this "robotic arm" technigue will perform the surgery. We are praying that this is successful. It has an 85 percent success rate. They are manually removing the obstruction and cleaning out the area that is causing the problem. She will leave with another stent in her. They are thinking she will be in the hospital 2 or 3 days. This is the last step to avoid having to remove the kidney. We are praying that this works.

Well my friends, thank you for those of you who have been on this whole journey with me. I will try to get on here and let you know how everything went. I'm very nervous because I don't want her to have to go through this, or any type of pain. She is more nervous about the recovery time. My sister is a very active person. She is concerned that she is going to need alot of down time and she doesn't do down time well. In any case, I am off...thanks again for your prayers and support - you all are wonderful.

Tuesday Priorities

What a day my friends! It was SO busy at work today. Not to be too personal or to give you too much information but at 4:30pm I suddenly realized I forgot to go to the bathroom since before I left work. LOL! (I know..thanks for sharing!) It really drives me crazy moments like that when I feel so overwhelmed. Well needless to say, I did in fact take care of that situation before I had my long commute home & all was well in the world. Ah, the feeling when the clock strikes 5pm is such a good one. I feel like Mister Rogers "It's such a good feeling to know you're alive" !(insert blast from the past here)

This evening we went back to that little Italian place that we went to last week, remember the one where that man had been taken away in an ambulance while his son waited for a take-out order. They didn't know anything yet about what happened to the gentleman. Hopefully next time they will because the couple are regulars. I just want to know if he is OK and if his son overcame his selfishness. Dinner however was yummy! I had chicken parmigiana. We skipped the cannolis because when were done eating it was 7:40pm and I almost had a panic attack because it was 20 minutes to American Idol and there was no tape set. See like I said, everyone has their priorities. LOL!

For American Idol fans, my review of this evening's show is the post below this one. Until next time friends, sleep tight, sweet dreams & wishes for a great day tomorrow. ♥

Frazzled Female 101

Is there a cure for the Frazzled Female Blues? Have you ever felt just so overwhelmed? I am having one of those weeks. Actually, I've felt this way for quite some time. Maybe it is my job or my commute. I don't know. I just feel like I don't ever have 'enough time'. I sound like that old saying - "there are not enough hours in the day". I get up at 5am to get ready for work. My commute is about 1hr 30mins each way. Most nights I don't get home until 7pm or after. My priority is spending time with my husband. We always make sure we eat dinner together. I sit back & think of my "to do list". One thing that never seems to get done is this - I have an inbox overflowing of emails I need to reply to. See, my problem is this, I always want to write a long email to the person, you know to 'personalize it'. But what winds up happening is that I put up a Flag next to the emails I need to respond to, and in a few days I have enough flags to fill the front of the United Nations. How to I keep up with this?? Do any of you have this situation? Any suggestions? Do I write less? Do I do a group email? I just think that a group emails are so impersonal.

I used to have some free time at work & I would sneak in an email here & there, but we have been so busy that I can't do that anymore. By the time I get home, eat dinner, etc - the time is gone. I just feel so frazzled. I sit here and feel guilty. I'm guilty because I don't have time for emails. This blog has been a release for me to be honest. I just have the thought in my head, & come in and type it up...takes all of 5 minutes. Plus, it is something I enjoy doing. But to sit down & actually concentrate on a long email, my mind can't process it at the end of the day. I'm just so tired from the too few hours sleep I get, the roundtrip commute, and regular daily work activity. Do you all have any suggestions? I really don't want to sound like I'm whining because I'm not. I have this overwhelming sense of guilt that people think I'm forgetting them. I am so thankful & blessed that I have these wonderful people to fill my inbox. I just don't want anyone to feel bad. I love all my friends & family members who write, but I'm just getting a little overwhelmed. HELP!

Update at of 11:45am on Tuesday 3/25/08: I think the Lord knew I was frazzled & gave me some quiet moments at work today. I was able to answer so many emails this morning. Thank you all for "listening". I am sorry to vent like that, I am just having a hard time balancing everything going on in my life.