Ramblings of Mitzy

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2011-10-07T23:06:00.001-04:00

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My twist on Jen's almost famous chili

2010-12-27T17:06:00.000-05:00

These two ladies that I've had the pleasure of getting to know over the past year, are business partners and bloggers for "Pouch Party". I love their honesty, I love their twist on life, and most of all, I love their kitchen skills. They had a "Soup Week" a few weeks back, which featured their twists on Jen's Practically Famous Beef Tip Chili and Nikki's Ground Turkey & TVP Chili. I couldn't participate in the entire cook-along, but I did want to participate, to support them and all. I know I'm a good cook. But my style of cooking rarely utilizes specific measurements. I always take a recipe and toss my own spin onto it. Anyhow, by looking at Jen and Nikki's recipes, I kind of giggled to myself, as I do a few of their secret tips in what I call my "Married Chili". Married because, before I was married, I had my own style of chili, chunky, super garlicey and onioney with layers of heat... I use garlic as its' own food group and its' own heat source. Then, I got married to a man from the Chili capital of the country, Cincinnati. Cincinnati Chili is like no other chili I've ever tried, many pages try to make recipes that taste the same, but Hubby says it's no Skyline... It's ground up, broken into intsy-weinsie tiny pieces. Here's the basic breakdown of what a true Cincy Chili is:

two-way: spaghetti and chili

three-way: spaghetti, chili, and shredded cheese

four-way: spaghetti, chili, shredded cheese, and either diced onions or beans

five-way: spaghetti, chili, shredded cheese, diced onions, and beans

I make my own version of this typically, with beans. Cause to me, it ain't chili if it ain't got beans!

So, without further ado, my version of Jen's Chili.

Dozen tomatoes- Caperelli, Roma and some Heirlooms
3-4 Bell Peppers- Red, yellow, orange I had on hand, green works, too
1 medium white Spanish Onion
1/2 yellow sweet onion
4-5 cloves of garlic (yes, this much)
1 packet chili seasoning (whatever brand is cheapest- Low sodium, I eat too much salt as it is)
1tsp cocoa powder (UNSWEETENED!!!)
1/2-1tsp cayenne pepper flakes (I make my own from the garden, but store bought is fine too)
1 lb beef tips or a little on the freezer burned side steak (I'll explain this in a bit)
2 cans kidney beans (if you can reconstitute dried, let me know, cause I suck at it)
1 can chopped green chilies OR 1 chopped small jalapeño.

Step one: CHOP EVERYTHING... This part takes the longest.
First, I dice up the peppers, onions and garlic all together. No specific size, peppers always end up a little bigger than onions and the garlic, I mince. They get tossed together on a paper plate or in a bowl. I didn't want to add to the dishes heap, so it was a paper plate today.

Then, I chopped up the tomatoes. I usually use boxed (Pomi brand). I try to avoid plastic (BPA is not good) and the canned tomatoes have the plastic lining for preservation, so I just get boxed and stock up when it's on sale. It isn't completely plastic free, but it's better than the canned.
Oh, and while I'm on that tangent, PLEASE get some reusable fabric bags and stop using plastic bags, you're killing the f'ing birds. (Don't click those links while eating, this is your warning.)

Step TWO: Meat. Yum.
Chop your meat or get your tips together. I had two packages of tips from the store on quick sale, and apparently one was bad. So, not to be deterred, I started hunting through the freezer to find more beef. I couldn't find another package of tips, so I grabbed a steak that had been in there a while, thawed that bad boy out and just tossed that into the pan with the tips.

When your meat gets to the second point (mostly browned, a little bit pink), then toss in your peppers, onions and garlic. Saute for about 5-8 minutes (until the onions get a little translucent), then toss in the tomatoes & beans.

Step Three: Secret ingredients

Then toss in the can of chilies. I love layers of heat, and this makes it pretty fantastic. Take 1/4 c water, stir in the cocoa, cayenne. Then mix into the chili. Mixing this into the water (Or the beans juice) will help decrease clumpiness.

Step Four:
Reduce heat, to a simmer. Low-Med. Low if it is a high output burner.

After about 45 minutes or longer, then it's mostly ready. This gets better as it cooks, but

Mine is on the Left, Hubby's is on the Right. I like the heat + cool with the cream on it. I used Greek yogurt this time, and it was so close, I won't be using sour cream again.

So, yeah. I make chili, with noodles. Since RNY/WLS, I tend to skip the noodles in my chili. But, when I have a hankering, I allow myself Dreamfields (supposedly low carb- and Hubby can't tell the difference) or Barilla Plus. But, mostly Dreamfields, cause I buy them in bulk on Amazon.

ENJOY!!!

The time has come...

2010-11-15T00:19:00.001-05:00

It's officially that day. Sigh. Yep, the time has come, my friends, that I am starting calorie counting. When I was a baby post op, I just counted protein, fluid and made sure to get my vitamins. I kept saying, I know there will be a day that I'll have to start logging and counting calories, one day. I always felt that "one day" was still far off... Well that "one day", it's NOW.

This all came about because I said, a few weeks back, that chocolate wasn't my thing (it's not, really), and that Hubby bought a bunch of candies I wouldn't eat. BUT THEN CAME AFTER HOLIDAY SPECIALS. Oh gosh. An entire 200pk of LAFFY TAFFY and SWEET TART HEAVEN. For less than 3 dollars. It was like 11 dollars a bag before the holiday. Although I do not believe in feeling guilt for the occasional indulgence (or regret at all for that matter), I know allowing myself frequent, DAILY indulgences is not a healthy thing, and it's just the gateway for allowing myself down that slippery slope. There's no point in feeling guilty for something that can't be changed. It's all about making good choices, next time. But right now, I am not making good choices for my food intake.

Choices. Each and every single day. See, I do not believe in New Year's resolutions. I have never kept one that I set, I occasionally was too drunk to even remember what it had been. That joking, and silly reason aside. We have control of our lives. We make choices, some come with consequences, some with rewards, and some with just simple satisfaction. Whether it be for a WLS patient, Joe, that dude that lives across my street, Bob, that weird dude that runs like a sissy girl that I always see crossing at the same street, anyone... they have the ability to control the situation they are involved in, by controlling our actions. By just taking a step back and making a choice. All choices will have a result. Cause=Effect. See, knowing this and doing this are different things, and my point is that waiting until New Year's is just an easy cop out and an easier way for more weight to creep its' way back on.

Now, I know that I am at a healthy weight, one I could be comfortable keeping. If I don't gain a single pound, that would be fantastic, if it doesn't go down anymore, I was okay with that, too. I say was, because I have gained some weight since the lowest weight I have ever been in my adult life, that presented itself a couple weeks ago (month maybe?). Anyhow, the scale is not my friend... Ah, well maybe it is, cause it always tells me the dirty, evil, straight-up truth. No lies there.

Stand on it... wait... and beepbeepbeep- there it is. The Ugly Truth. Fact. No argument to be made. I am not at the weight I was at a few weeks ago. Period.

So, this is the plan:

I am going to count my calories, fat, carbs, etc for the next week days (until next Friday), to give myself an honest picture of what I'm really taking in food/calorie wise. I already count protein intake. I started documenting my food last week, on Monday, so I've got most of the previous week logged already. Most, because I get off track of everything on the weekends, and didn't journal a single food morsel. I need to continue the right track, every day of the week, until I am back in control.

I will be recording my intake on fitday.com. I will post my progress each day, on the WLS board on facebook. Being accountable to that support system and being honest is one of the tools I know I need to utilize. I will try to blog on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday with updates. I will commit to at least 30 minutes of additional physical activity 3 days this week. I say additional, because I have a physical job and have been making myself use the stairs already.

I don't weigh myself every day, never really have, as that would be cruel. I don't believe it's a healthy habit. At. All. Since I weigh once weekly, I decided for the next couple weeks I will increase it to twice weekly for records purposes only. So, Monday/Friday are my weigh in days.

Recap
I am going to journal the following:
Food intake (good, bad, and really ugly) logged
Fluid intake

Log hours of sleep, vitamins and medications
Daily posting here

Blog updates at least 3x per week
30 minutes additional physical activity 4x per week
Weigh in on Monday, Friday.

I should probably consider doing this long term, journaling all of these things. So that I am able to look back and see how I'm doing. But, for now, I will commit to doing this for the next couple weeks.

Chicken Cordon Bleu- homemade

2010-10-24T20:15:00.001-04:00

Chicken Cordon Bleu: from scratch

Two chicken breasts, butterflied (usually about 6-8oz).

Four slices swiss cheese

Two slices good quality deli ham

1/2 cup bread crumb mix (see separate recipe).

2 eggs

1tsp spicy brown mustard

Four toothpicks

Preheat oven 350 degrees.

Take chicken breasts, one at a time, between two pieces of cling wrap, pound with meat cleaver or flat pan bottom until about 1/2 inch thick. I put the chicken on my thickest cutting board, to make sure I've got a good stable and flat surface. Don't pound too hard, too fast, or it'll tear up the chicken (which doesn't alter flavor, just look).

Place chicken on pan, layer cheese, ham, cheese on one end (there should be about 2" without cheese or ham layered on it). The end that the cheese is closest to is the end that you're going to start rolling up on. Roll the chicken up, using toothpicks at the ends to secure it. The ends won't be fully closed up, and that's okay. The most important part is making sure the side seams are secure. My picture shows a long bamboo skewer along the seam. It doesn't matter how you seal it though, just that it's sealed up.

Take eggs, brown mustard into a bowl and whisk together. I spread the egg mixture on the chicken with a silicone brush, instead of dunking it. I feel like it gets where I need it and less calories from dredging. Then pat bread crumb mixture on the chicken, rolling in the mixture as needed.

Place in baking dish, cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil, then cook another 15-20 minutes. Until chicken is 160 degrees on the inside. Yes, I recommend a food thermometer.

Should feed 2-3 people easily. WLS'ers- I get three meals from this for my 1yr out pouch.
I like it with Couscous and asparagus. PS- Couscous has 2x more protein per serving than Rice Pilaf.

Bread Crumb Mix:

1c. Panko Bread crumbs

1c. Regular style bread crumbs

2 tbsp italian seasoning (can omit if you'd like or use italian bread crumbs).

1tsp garlic powder

1tsp onion powder

Mix all ingredients together. Store in ziploc bag and remove what you need, as you need it.

I'm Baaaaccckkk!

2010-10-24T19:44:00.003-04:00

So I haven't really been around much lately. Well, make that like almost ~~two~~ three entire months.
I know, I know. I did promise more regular blogging. And I broke that promise. I suck at promises.

So in the past ~~two~~ three months, what's been up? Work, family visiting, a little more weight loss, a small surgery to remove my gallbladder and repair a hernia, a very sick kitty that spent a week in kitty ICU and had to have a feeding tube placed for about 6 weeks, ummm... and more work. Yeah, bleh. Work.

So, since I've been so absent lately, I am spending my lovely three day weekend starting and scheduling some blog posts. I'm in the process of doing some recipes, some info on vitamins, and of course, lots of restaurant reviews- I have like 10 posts started, seriously. Let me know if you want me to post about anything in particular? mmm-Kay?

flip flops are dangerous...

2010-07-30T23:44:00.000-04:00

Um, duh?

I have at least 4 or 5 pairs of the rubber/plastic kind (one in each of all the important colors),

a pair or two made of leather and some really cute leather Ugg ones that have a cute little heel.

I've busted my tail my fair share of times while slipping in a flip flop.

Two or three of those times were on WalMart property- just a note, rubber flip flops from Old Navy will not give you any traction whatsoever while walking in the crosswalk lines at the front door when it's raining... just wear something else, seriously.

So, when I saw this article on lemondrop I decided I must share.

This got me to thinking, why do we wear flipflops? So here's my top reasons why I believe we wear them.

The noise they make. Flip, flop, flip, flop. Flip, flop, flip, flop. Flip, flop, flip, flop. Flipflopflipflopflipflopflipflop.
You can wear them with a dress, with pajama pants, jeans, shorts. I've probably worn flip flops with more outfits than I would like to admit. :)
They scream casual, even if they are a little bit on the dressy side and have shimmer or bedazzle or metallic or black leather with a mini heel.
You really do not wear socks with them. I don't care if your feet get dirty (or you're from Miami), that's what a bath/hot washcloth/water is for.
It's hilarious when they fly off when you're doing stupid things with friends. Or dangling your legs off a ledge.
They are perfect for the beach, lake or river. If they get wet, they probably aren't ruined. They float, so they are easy to find if you jump right in.
This brings me to my next point- if they get dirty, you just hose them off (well, the plastic ones). If they get really dirty, you can bleach them.
Wearing them gives you a super good ~~excuse~~ reason to get a pedicure. You shouldn't ignore your feet when wearing sandals of any kind. Seriously. Nasty toenails, bunions, callouses, cracked heels are all a no-no.
They work for 40 or 100 degree weather. You might regret them in the 40 degree weather, but honestly, I've worn them in that weather because I couldn't find sneakers and I had two minutes to run to class (and I only woke up 2 minutes before that to throw my hair in a ponytail and halfway brush my teeth- but that's another story).
You can throw them on in a hot second. No extra straps, no laces.

That is all for now my friends. Thanks for reading :)

yeah, I'm cute

2010-07-27T22:31:00.002-04:00

Not me... well me, too. But my cat.

I .Love. My. Cats. (duh)

Isn't Lola adorable?

Pay attention to meeeee-ow! Meeee-ow!

She likes to PRETEND she's not a house cat and/or PRETENDS she doesn't like to cuddle.
Proof here little kitty, photographic proof. Nah!

Work it kitty :)

(Me-ow)

'til next time ya'll...

I want to go here...

2010-07-26T21:35:00.001-04:00

Like in a fairytale..., originally uploaded by niklas94 (on vacation).

I'm still alive my friends. Just working so much and trying to stay sane.

Choices, choices. Life is full of them. I'm making some decisions these days... stay tuned :)

Love this...

2010-07-12T21:36:00.001-04:00

Spring around me, originally uploaded by cuellar.

I know I'm a blogging bum. I know I've promised more posts, I intend on keeping to that!

HUGE? I'm tuning in...

2010-06-29T07:45:00.037-04:00

I read this article on nytimes.com yesterday and decided I must watch HUGE. So, I set the DVR and will be watching it on Tuesday night (I hate commercials, so that's just what I do).

Nikki Blonsky is awesome and I totally *heart* her.

And this show has a mostly plus size cast. I say mostly, some say entirely, but mostly because I'm betting the camp counselors aren't plus size- I'm betting they're mean and fat-haters/discriminators... I'm all about embracing who we are, as a healthy size- not necessarily skinny or "normal" sized. Just healthy. And the executive producer, Winnie Holzman, says something to that effect: "It's about being an outsider and struggling to make some kind of peace with who you are, to figure out who you were." I read a little more about the show here.

What's pretty cool is that it's a show based on a book (see image over there>>>>>>).

And then this article on zap2it.com gives the following 5 reasons we should watch...

1. No other cast on television looks like this one. With a few rare exceptions, "Huge" is the first show with an entirely plus-size cast. "Most of America is plus-sized," Blonsky tells us. "I really want kids to be able to watch this show and finally be able to say, 'Hey, they look like me, they have the same problems that I do.'"

2. Nikki Blonsky's performance is completely fearless. She's barely recognizable as Will. We're used to actresses with perfect hair and impeccable make-up. In this role, Blonsky is as natural as can be - well, except for the blue streak in her hair. "It was a little weird for me at first, to be in front of the camera with no makeup, my hair all a mess," she says. Still, she didn't have much time to be shy. In the very first scene Blonsky shot, her character performs a daring striptease for the entire camp, establishing her brazen attitude right off the bat. Blonsky says there was no hesitation on her part.

3. "Huge" doesn't shy away from serious issues. In the first episode, one character battles a serious eating disorder and the consequences shock the rest of the campers. "We're not just dealing with body image," Blonsky tells us. "We're also going to talk about sexual orientation. My character Will wears only boys' clothes, she's kind of tough, and then someone calls her a lesbian."

"It's just something she's never considered before. She never thought people would look at the clothes she wore and make assumptions about her sexuality. She's shocked, and she asks her friend, you know, 'Do you think I'm gay?' It's a really difficult situation for her."

4. Get ready for some great music. In addition to a pretty fantastic soundtrack, Blonsky isn't going to waste that amazing voice that propelled "Hairspray" to the top of the box office. "Will actually does sing," she says. "Don't worry, they've got me singing. Just, uh... not showtunes.

5. What's a summer camp story without romance? Nothing sells us on a show like some good old fashioned unrequited crushing. "It's true," Blonsky sighs. "My love interest is interested in someone else." That someone happens to be Amber, played by Hayley Hasselhoff. Being overweight doesn't keep Amber from being the camp hottie - and the super-cute counselor (Zander Eckhouse) takes note.

But two things I do hope, is that the show's producers really take an honest look at what it really is like to be a fat kid and don't make light of the serious epidemic of obesity in this country. It's important to love who you are, but being healthy too is just as important.

Pillows in Tulu, Istanbul

2010-06-28T21:43:00.001-04:00

Tulu, Istanbul, originally uploaded by lavenderandlime.

I love these pillows... now if I could just figure out that awesome hobo chic home feeling I love so much...

Food- Giovanna's, formerly Imbis

2010-06-28T18:12:00.000-04:00

So another Urbanspoon adventure. I was on the hunt for another gyro so we hit up the old, trusty Urbanspoon.

We found this place called Imbis but according to a couple of other sites, it was closed. But since we would be up by Lowes, we figured we'd check and see if it was still there. Well the restaurant was still there, but now it's under new management and had a name change. They still serve all the same stuff that Imbis used to serve, but added pizza to the menu (according to the new owners).

We've been there a couple times since the first trip there- the first time, Hubby got a Polish Sausage/Kielbasa dog with peppers and onions and I got a gyro.

Look at this pepper/onion action. Yes, amazing. I know.

The gyros are absolutely perfect, nothing really bad to say about them really. They have amazing hummus, too. Nonetheless, we'll be going again, and again, and again. :)

Food- The Market Restaurant

2010-06-27T19:44:00.000-04:00

Friday night Hubby and I decided to go out to dinner and headed towards downtown. I felt like Thai, but then we decided to try The Market. We were a little underdressed, but I honestly didn't care that much.

I didn't take any pictures, honestly I was too hungry and tired to think about it.

Official review: Nice restaurant, good atmosphere. Overall it was a pretty disappointing meal. We tried two of the specials, I had the Organic Australian Ribeye with potatoes and green beans and Hubby had the Panzanella Style Grouper in some chowder stuff. We didn't have appetizers, I didn't even look at that part of the menu! When we got our food, I was overpowered by the smell of jarred garlic (you know the gross stuff chopped up in the oil in the grocery store, yeah that stuff). My potatoes and greenbeans had been SMOTHERED in that garlic and seemed like they were drenched in oil. I asked if they would switch the potatoes for rice pilaf but NOPE, they didn't do the swap for me. I understand that when it's a special, but it irritated me because I really did not want potatoes. The steak was overcooked and had SO much gristle and tendons, I was not a very happy camper- I could barely cut it. Mike said that it was so chewy, he could barely swallow. I had at least 3-4 bites I had to spit out (like a lady into my napkin). Mike's grouper was good- the chowder was tasty and the fish was good too. Unfortunately, he found 4 ribs in the fish. When we told the server, she told some guy that I assume was the manager and he totally brushed it off and didn't even come to apologize for it- I saw this entire exchange as he was hovering by the kitchen window. So, for that, the service gets a poor rating from me (although the couple next to us that ordered a bottle of wine got personal service from that guy). Anyhow, I'm not really a big fish person, so for me to enjoy a bite of fish means it had to have been quite decent. Mike said the fish and chowder wasn't very filling but after a few bites of my ~~olive oil/garlic drenched~~ potatoes and steak helped to fill him up. He did enjoy the fish though. So, I guess there's a plus in that column.
The drinks were good and the menu had a decent variety for a local joint, so although this trip was quite disappointing, I'm going to give the restaurant one more try before I totally write it off. I expected a lot more from one of the nicer places Columbus has to offer, but I'm hoping it was just one bad night.
Next time we visit, I promise to provide pictures.

do you know how far your food travels?

2010-06-25T21:34:00.000-04:00

I ran across this the other night and it got me thinking. I do prefer to purchase at a farmer's market, I want to grow at home and mostly buy from the big box what is in season, but how far does my food travel? Sometimes, I put food back when I look at the sticker and see where it has traveled from. Sometimes, I don't even look. However, I am quite excited about there being a new Fresh Market here in Columbus (sadly, not yet open), so I wonder if I will still put produce back on the shelves when I realize it's traveled to Georgia from California. Especially when most of the produce grown in California can be grown in Florida, a mere 200 miles away. Yes, it's not entirely local, but at least it's closer, leaving less of a carbon imprint, right?
This year, I wanted to join a local CSA (find yours here). CSAs are Community Supported Agriculture programs, basically you subscribe for a season of produce and purchase directly from the farms. Great for local business, great for your wallet, great for your health, and everything is local. Problem is that I'm not yet working because I still don't have my professional license, so I didn't have the $360 to sign up for the 12 weeks up front. Apparently, the farmers plan part of their harvests based on subscriptions... It works out to $30 per week and is supposed to be enough for a family of four for dinners for the week. However, I'm betting much of the produce in the box are items I'm growing in my own garden, so I'm not too bummed this year.
I like buying from local businesses, especially those that truly are local small businesses. Then, there's the local Farmer's market, that has yet to open for the year. It's not year-round like in St Augustine (bummer, IMO), but at least there's one for summer season items. There's not even a flea market here that I can tell. THAT is a bummer, that's for sure.
But I digress. Does it make me a huge tree-hugger that I prefer to shop local and put back produce that has traveled a far distance? Maybe so, but I also want to decrease my carbon imprint on the Earth. Maybe not enough people care yet, but we need to.

birthdays... my birthday.

2010-06-22T20:32:00.002-04:00

Today is my birthday...

Nothing very special going on, I worked today and decided that I didn't want to go out for dinner.

So we bought some crab legs and enjoyed those for supper instead.

Honestly, I just didn't feel like getting dressed up to go to the restaurant I've been wanting to try, so we'll just go over the weekend and try it then.

And as promised, I am posting. So, posting more.

Not necessarily of substance, but posts nonetheless.

Random things I love or see... After all, this is the ramblings and all. :)
I saw this picture on Kind over matter and wanted to share because it's so peaceful and gorgeous.

It's just how I want to feel overall. This picture makes me feel peaceful.

Butterflies POV, originally uploaded by Reiffhaus.

Not OBESE anymore...

2010-06-18T16:53:00.000-04:00

So yesterday, I was working (like normal) and got a referral to evaluate a patient that is basically bed bound. He's incapacitated because he's super morbidly obese. He had a twisted bowel and had to have surgery and now, two weeks later, he's barely able to get up. He wants to get control over his life, but can't. Anyhow, he's LOST 70lbs while being in the hospital, but most of that is likely lean muscle mass because he hasn't been moving or doing load/weight bearing activities. There's no special story really here to tell, I did my evaluation, made recommendations, basically did my job. But my heart ached for him. Because I understand that helplessness. I understand that feeling that there is no way to get control over life and weight after being heavy for so long. I chose to get control over my life- because I knew if I didn't do it, then I would have a miserable quality of life. So that's one of the reasons I chose gastric bypass. I had to get control of my life. Gastric bypass saved my life.

So last night, I came home and hopped on the scale. I'm not weighing every single day, I don't want to obsess about the scale like that. Then I decided I should take that new weight and plug it into my handy dandy BMI Calculator app on my iPhone. I about cried.

BMI calc said:

Your BMI:

29.0

Overweight

AMEN!!! A-M-E-N!!! THANK YOU GOD! I'm not OBESE ANYMORE!

I literally got on my knees and thanked God for my RNY gastric bypass.

So, it wouldn't be a good post if I didn't give you guys pictures, eh?

From the left of each picture set...
Picture 1: 9/29/10, the night before my surgery. My husband didn't quite understand my need to take these pictures, but now, he gets it.

Picture 2: 3/8/10, down about 85 lbs (or so)
Picture 3: 6/17/10, down 109 lbs.

FOUR WEEKS?

2010-06-14T21:39:00.001-04:00

Wow. I just realized it's been four weeks since I last blogged. What's going on with me? Well, I'm not dead. Though I did end up in the ER (more about that in another post).

Well... work started. And I've been exhausted. Exhausted isn't even the possible word. Seriously.

Here's a pic of me on my first day of patient care

yes, I'm aware how dorky I look

Working has been just that, but it's been interesting and eye opening about how things go on in an acute hospital setting. There's some great people that care about the work they do and the people we care for, and then, there's not... Those people make me wanna vomit.

I'm learning a LOT. Learning how to be genuine, caring and perform my job within a very short period of time. I don't get 30 minutes or an hour for each, there's some I only get 10-15 minutes with, and some I end up staying with for an hour. Just depends on their needs, their family's needs and how much education/training/help they need. It's hard because my previous experiences have allowed me plenty of time to get to know my patients and their families, but this setting does not allow me to do so that often. There's some people who are in the hospital for a month, so I might get to know them fairly well, but there's many people I see one or two times total for maybe 30 minutes total. That, for me, is weird. But I'm adjusting. And learning how to be informative and helpful without talking too much and keeping my time short.

The reason to keep time short is because we have to be productive. As in, 105% productive and all patient care, all the time. Yes, 105%. Does this make sense? Not to me, but it is what the hospital system expects of the therapy staff. This doesn't even allot for documentation time, which for me, sometimes takes a while. I'm still learning, and sometimes have a hard time coming up with appropriate goals for each patient is really hard to me. There's days I feel like I am not getting enough done, not seeing enough patients, and some days the day seems to fly by and I couldn't even tell you what I did with the patient in Room 311, who they were or anything about them. Yeah, that is weird. But, I also know this is real life. I don't get to be all up close, personal with my patients in this setting and I have to be realistic. Realistic that I need to be as productive as possible, learning or not, because this is my job and that's just a part of it.

But there's days that someone says that something I've said or something I've showed them has helped them in some way. Today, someone told me that my time with them was more helpful than words could express. A few weeks ago, someone told me that my taking 10 minutes to sit and chat with them (while doing therapy stuff of course), really helped to make their hospital stay bearable. That's better than me receiving a note of thanks (which this hospital is big into), because I know when they go home, something will be a little easier. That's why I do what I do. To help people.

Anyhow, my dear readers, I promise to post more. I will be setting up a few posts over the weekend to hit throughout the week so that you have a little ramblings over the week when I'm too tired to post :)

So, what's coming up? A few restaurant reviews, farm stuff, some protein shake and vitamin reviews, garden updates, hmmmmm... more to come. That's for sure! I promise!

Thanks for reading!

Today was my first day!

2010-05-18T02:19:00.002-04:00

Today was my first day of work! I'm official! Today was my first day as an Occupational Therapist! I have officially begun my career.

{cheesy grin here}

I woke up to this sweet note from Hubby. Put a smile on my face and a perfect start to a great day!

Today was mostly just hospital orientation and policies, tomorrow I start in my department. I'll be working with one other OT and she'll show me the ropes and (hopefully) learn my way around the hospital... But considering I got lost twice today (with a map), I've got a feeling I might get lost for a while!!!
I went scrub shopping tonight and fit into a MEDIUM!!! What?!? That's right! Some tops fit better in larges (breasts are what they are my friends). But to give you an idea, last time I wore scrubs, I barely fit into a 2XL. Yeah you read that right.
That's all for now! I'm TIRED!

Worst plants for allergies

2010-05-14T07:23:00.000-04:00

I have three of these in my yard. Super.

I'm not really allowed to cut down trees at a rental house, am I?

10 Worst Plants for Your Allergies - allergy - Health.com

Driving in the country

2010-05-14T06:07:00.003-04:00

I took these pictures on a random trip through Georgia.

I was headed to pick up my truck from the shop (last week), but once again, unforeseen circumstances prevented me from doing so. So I decided to sightsee in two of the little towns on the way back. And, of course, I can't not stop and take pictures of cows, donkeys and horses... :)

I promise more posts (and better ones) in the next few days. I finally got my professional license and am starting work Monday, so I'm taking these last few days of freedom to relax, de-stress and try not to freak out too much about starting my career (and thus officially being all grown up).

Who knew cows and chickens got along?

This one is a momma cow snuggling with her calf.

This barn is for sale. I would buy it just for the wood to put in the house we're planning on building :)

Limpy puppy and administering a dog a shot

2010-05-11T01:12:00.002-04:00

I take my dog to the chiropractor.

Well, I used to. I have video and pictures of the last adjustment we had done to show the immediate difference and intended on blogging about it, but haven't really got around to it, yet.

I believe if it works for people, then we've got a chance of making it work for an animal- physical therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, it's all the same to me. Let's give it a whirl is my opinion. It worked for his condition for the past couple years. It's a chronic condition, so the longer we can treat him biomedically, without strong pain pills, the better.

Why would you want to drug up this cute ~~ginormous~~ little baby?

And, please save me the "well it's just a dog" lecture, or the "just put him out of his misery" (we don't really do this to humans, yet) or the "you're not being fair to him". Um, we will address THAT when the time comes. He's a puppy still. All of 4.5ish years old. And, I have no children, yet. This is my child, so suck it. Thank you.

Anyhow, there's no dog chiropractor here in Columbus. There used to be two. One retired and the other moved away. So we're back to limpy puppy. {insert sad momma here}

Last time we were in St Augustine (back in mid-April), we took Cody to the vet for a follow up on his blood work (a follow-up draw), to check his levels following going on Soloxine for his low thyroid levels (T3 for those of you medically minded people). While we were there, we discussed his recent limping and lack of chiropractor nearby. I'm contemplating making the trip to Atlanta once per month to take him to someone, ~~but~~ I need to start working first. We decided that oral glucosamine wasn't likely the best for him (it doesn't really absorb properly when in pill form), so shots it is. Plus, requiring a shot every 3-5 days is better for our schedules because we aren't very good with the follow through on the glucosamine pills, but him being on thyroid medication, we can do 2x per day, for the most part, without fail. Taking the dog to the vet here in Columbus would entail a vet visit fee + shot charge (which is like 30 some odd bucks), so the vet provided us with month's worth of dosages and syringes to do try it to see he responds well. One thing I love about our vet in St Augustine is that she wants to provide the most holistic, best care for an animal, while being the most cost conscious as possible. She agrees with medication as a last resort, she was the one that suggested the chiropractor in the beginning.

Of course I researched it. I found this great review and information.

We're such bad puppy parents that we haven't started the shots yet, despite my every-other-night blanket statement "we need to start his shots soon". I decided tonight was the night.

Supplies: alcohol to wipe the container and puppy's skin.

Medicine

Here it is, all filled up.

This shot requires to be given in the muscle, not like in the scruff of the neck (like vaccinations), so I have to give it in his lower-back muscles. {insert worried momma here} I'm not concerned about him nipping or biting because he's a stoic doggy.

I just have to get him to the floor in the dining room, because I'm not doing this on the sofa b/c he pees when he gets nervous.

He doesn't bite when people manhandle him- it's an ongoing joke with my St Auggie vet.

See that look of concentration on my face?

I'm palpating to find his pelvis, L1 and space 2" to the musculature.

My vet showed me, but I found this online.

See my face? Yeah, I was surprised how tough the skin was to poke that needle into.

(and I didn't want to hit any nerves, hello lumbar plexus)

Beginning the injection.

All of 15 seconds later, all done.

The paper towel is to cover his little pecker

We'll follow the shot protocol (already scheduled to alert me in my iPhone for follow through) and we'll let you know how it helps him. Hopefully, it does.

Addressing all the (rude) questions about WLS

2010-05-09T23:43:00.002-04:00

Since making the decision to have Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, I've been very open about it to my family, friends, colleagues and the administration at my graduate school. I'm an open person. My closest friends know that no topic is ever off the docket.

Most importantly, being open and informing people about obesity, the struggles obese people have and choosing to have weight loss surgery were things I felt strongly about, especially with the administration at my graduate school as well as my colleagues. I'm in the health care profession. I attended a school that was like 80% physical therapist students, 20% occupational therapist students. People in those professions tend to have one thing in common: health and physical fitness. This school was full of a BUNCH of elitists. I even heard a few people joking one day that there should be a weight limit for people attending school there. I heard a rumor about people that had an overweight or obese BMI would be required to attend the on campus gym 3x per week minimum (which we had to pay for- whether we used that gym or not). Anyhow, one of my faculty members made a very astute observation about me: On the surface, I appear strong minded, brash, confident, and determined; but once you scratch the surface, I'm not what I appear to be. Fake it 'til you make it was something I learned years ago and that's what I was living. Faking confidence but scared (and upset) that people wouldn't (or didn't) like me. They just didn't take the chance to get to know me, and I didn't give them one. I have my close group of friends who accept me as I am- fat or skinny, bitchy or loving. Just how I am, whatever that day brings.

So back on track with the topic at hand (as the title of the blog says- ramblings here folks). I'm going to address some of the questions, comments and rude things people have said to me about having bariatric surgery. And if you have a question, comment or whatever, shoot me a message or comment and I'll address it.

Multiple people have said to me that "you've cheated" or "you took the easy way out". Yeah, who said this was easy?

WHOEVER SAID HAVING YOUR INTESTINES CUT, STOMACH REMOVED AND INSIDES REARRANGED (or becoming a "surgically altered freak" as another blogger would like to affectionately call us). Then, all the emotional and physical issues that follow? That's not easy. I had 3 weeks of recovery, then was "given" an additional 2 weeks because someone thought I was "unable to complete the essential functions of my internship" because I almost passed out on the first day. That was embarrassing (on top of everything else). I've had to entirely change the way I think about food, but I still love food. I still want food. But seriously, this is a strict, behavior modification way of forcing good eating habits. I have to make good choices though. If I eat something that doesn't agree with my body, I puke, have dumping syndrome, reactive hypoglycemia, diarrhea or constipation (depends on the food). I can still make bad decisions, but that's the whole emotional/addictive side of food. Medications can cause low blood pressure. There's even been times I have nearly passed out while working, grocery shopping, even while cooking dinner. Yes, I have an easier time losing weight, this surgery causes malabsorption of my food intake. This includes nutrients and vitamins. I am on a vitamin protocol- for LIFE. I have to get blood work every six months- for LIFE. There are always the threat of complications, such as bowel obstructions, twisted intestines, hernias, etc. But, the risk of these complications, the need for a vitamin regimen for life, they are nothing in comparison to living as an obese person with the buckets of emotional and health problems that come with that.

Why not eat less/exercise more/take medication?

Do you have any idea what it takes to get approval to have bariatric surgery (of any kind!!)? I had to prove a 5 year history of obesity, had to have a BMI above 40, have an EKG with cardiac clearance, bloodwork, radiographs, pulmonary clearance, psychological testing and counseling, and follow a 6 month physician supervised diet. I had a 10 year history of obesity. My BMI was 50- which is medically classified as super morbid obesity. I followed a 6 month physician supervised diet before EVEN CONSIDERING gastric bypass surgery. I was on two different prescription weight loss medications (Adipex/phentermine and Xenical). I gained weight on that diet and on those drugs. Stress makes me gain weight, no matter what I eat, no matter what drugs you pump into my system. I've done the counseling thing on and off for years and the psychologist said I seemed to have a good head on my shoulders, a good idea of what to expect, as well as good expectations of what I should achieve with this surgery. I had no idea of the emotional changes that were to come after, though- that's another post.

Why would you do this at this time of your life?

Why wait? Why wait 5 more years, have 2 or 3 kids by then and gain another 50lbs. Then I would have been over 300 lbs. In addition to physical discomfort, pain in my every joint at the end of the day, high blood pressure, I would have been worse off. More strain on my heart, more stress on my joints, risky pregnancies.

Why not wait until after you have kids? Or why not have kids first, because you'll just gain it all back when you get pregnant...

I don't plan on gaining it all back when I get pregnant. I have lost NINTY-FOUR pounds. That's a person. Yes, I expect I will gain weight when I get pregnant. I expect to even gain weight after I've gotten to goal (it's called bounce-back). I'm aware I might not get back down to my lowest weight after I have children. But losing the weight prior to pregnancy means I will be HEALTHIER when I am pregnant. I will be healthier when I have children and I will be a healthier mother. I'll tell you one thing I'm waiting for- I'm waiting until after I have kids to have my tummy tuck to get rid of all this extra skin, I'll wait for that. :)

Don't you know RNY doesn't have good long term success?

My response is "When did you go to medical school, get your degree, and then do residency in bariatric medicine?" RNY gastric bypass is the "gold standard" in bariatric medicine while treating obesity. See here for information about the different types of surgery. Long term results say that people with RNY are considered a success if they are able to keep off ~60% of their excess weight. So, as long as I keep off about 70 of the 130lbs they expect me to lose, then I'm successful. My personal goal started at only 100lbs. I'm down 94 so far. So I think I'm doing well. Talk to me in five years. Hopefully I don't hit 200 again.

Why not wait until you're done with school?

I'm done now. I made it through my final internship- and was 48lbs smaller than I was when I was on my first one. I had more energy as the weight came off. Honestly, I can't imagine how I would have been able to walk as much as I did at that internship when I was 268 lbs. Yes, I had to deal with the emotional drama, I had to deal with some complications, but I made it through. I needed to take control of my life and my weight was something that needed to be controlled.

OMG- You'll never be able to eat X,Y,Z again?

Um, not really. I'm not a person who will listen to "you can never eat this ever again". There's some foods I need to stay away from. I am addicted to Pepsi. Pepsi is my fri-enemy. I love it, I hate it. It's SO bad for me. But, I can eat most things- JUST smaller portions. I need to make good choices. Dinner can't consist of only macaroni and cheese, or ramen noodles. It needs to be mostly protein, with fruits and veggies. Pasta, starches and potatoes can be there or not, but the portions, SMALL and only if there's room after the important things have been eaten. Sweets- I don't need them, but I allot myself a little treat here and there. Not everyday, not anymore. Cake makes.me.sick. On the floor, sweating, nauseated, dizzy, headache. That's dumping syndrome. It's not crapping myself (though that happens for some people), but it's when the sugar from your stomach dumps into your intestine and the fluids in your system rush to the intestines basically to dilute it. Anyhow, there's some people who get severe reactive hypoglycemia and seizures, if a food did that to me, I'd stay away from it, or find a healthier version of it.

Aren't you going to miss food?
Um no. My life revolves around food. There's days I f*&^ing hate food. The thought of food makes me nauseated and want to vomit. Why? I have to count my protein, making sure I'm getting in my minimum 65-70g per day. I don't want to lose muscle mass here man- muscle mass loss=loss of heart muscle here too! I eat food, I find ways to make it work and have even started trying new things. Want to know what I hate about food? When people try to push crap into my face and get me to eat it, or offer me the same crap they know I can't eat (OVER, and OVER, and OVER). I know some people who have to log EVERY single bite they put in their mouth. They need to. Right now, I'm not at the point I need that, but I know that day is coming. That day is going to suck.

I know someone, who knows someone, that had all these problems and lost their hair/teeth, etc. Aren't you scared?
Not anymore scared than I am of having a heart attack like my dad (who died), or getting cancer like both my parents, a few aunts, and grandmother, or having a stroke in Target at the checkout like my mom.

I know someone, who ended up getting divorced because x,y,z. Does that scare you?
Um no. I have a solid relationship with my husband and we work very hard to have a good relationship. That's right. We work at it. It's not easy, there's been changes, resentment, fighting, etc. What marriage doesn't have that? All of them do. Yeah statistics aren't on my side (they aren't anyway- more than 50% people). People are more likely to be divorced after any number of life changes- death of a family member, birth of a child, illness (of self or family), surgery, graduation of college, moving to a new city, any number of life changes. My opinion here is that the people who get divorced after having surgery had problems beforehand, they just may not have come to head until the surgery happened and the person dealing with surgery starts going through the emotional changes. It's up to them to work through those problems and decide if they still love one another enough to make it work or if they ever loved each other at all. My husband has loved me at 160, at 268, he's known me for 7 years. The lowest weight of my adult life and the highest. I'm pretty sure he's here to stay. But thanks for your concern about MY marriage.

What about when you get a job?
On my interviews, I was very forthcoming about the possibility of needing to miss occasional time from work due to medical appointments. I wasn't all "I had gastric bypass and you're gonna need to make accomodations", no, NOT like that at all. More along the lines of "I have to travel to Florida in April for an appointment that I cannot miss, and it's on a Friday". One of my interviews asked if this was going to be a frequent thing and I explained no more than every 3 or 6 months (depending on my blood work). The job I ended up taking, my supervisor was very excited for me and asked me lots of questions about it- turns out she has a friend thinking about bariatric surgery and has been thinking about it for years. So, her acceptance of my choice to better myself led me to choose this job over other jobs I interviewed for. On another interview, well, she didn't seem all that interested in it and kind of gave that slight judgmental face. Whatever, that's why she's still looking for an occupational therapist.

What about the holidays?
What about them? My first Christmas, I learned my lesson. Don't nosh and cook. At. All. Why? Because I didn't chew that yummy ham good enough, it got stuck and I was in the bathroom yaking it up while everyone else was sitting down enjoying their Polish dinner, ham, and yummy goodness. I can have SOME of those things, I even can have one bite, and only one bite. It's called control and not wanting to have that "Post-thanksgiving coma". You're not tired from turkey, you're tired because you ate 10,000 calories, enough food for an entire week and your body is saying WTF?!?! and trying to break it down.

What about all the extra skin you're going to have?
I can't predict how my body is going to react. I can't tell you if I'm going to have batwings, a huge fat apron (aka pannus) , saggy thighs, saggy boobs (or saggier?). If I do? Well, I am going to have kids in a few years and then get a panniculectomy or tummy tuck (they are two different procedures), and get a breast lift. If I have the other stuff, well then I guess I'll just see when I get there.

What about the long term?
Well, I am not a fortune teller. So, I rely on those who have been there, done that and learn from them. I've learned a LOT from them. I read multiple blogs from other WLS'ers and they are so full of knowledge, I still feel like a newbie at 7.5 months out. Right now, despite complications, I'm happy with my choice. There's people that are years out that are mostly happy with their surgery, depending on the day or the situation or if they gained ALL their weight back.

Okay, so this is the end of this ramble. I need to publish this.
I'm sure I'll touch on a few things here and there in the future.

Life and real life

2010-05-07T09:43:00.043-04:00

This past week I've been handling some demons. Not necessarily related to my WLS, but demons nonetheless.

My anxiety and depression have started to gives me issues, the medication I've been taking for years no longer works. I was taking it in the mornings and after surgery,I had to switch formulations because I can't take extended release medications. This caused my blood pressure to drop and make me pass out or so weak I had to lay on the floor. Multiple times. So, I started taking it in the evenings, to try to sleep through the sick feeling. Well, that didn't work so much. It caused insomnia. So, going against everything I believe, I stopped taking the medication.

Yeah. Bad idea. Really bad, stupid idea.

The thing about some conditions is that people are hard-wired a certain way and some psychiatric conditions are genetically linked. I was once told by a psychologist (the ones that don't dispense drugs) that if a person has tried to stop taking medication for depression and/or anxiety, among other psychiatric conditions, that it is very likely they will have to continue to be on medication for life. If someone tells me that depression isn't genetically linked, I can show you my family tree and show you otherwise. Maybe my entire family is just screwed mentally, but it's the most basic nature versus nurture debate there could be. Some people have a hard time accepting this information and through my experience and studies that this is fact.

The sh!t has hit the fan. I've been wanting to start working, I got hired in March, but I'm still waiting on my license to go through. Then, on the way to my graduation, my car broke down, we had to get a rental to make it on time. We thought that the problem with the car was an easy fix, but here we are, four weeks later and my car is still in the shop in BFE, Georgia. I'm still not working because the state has yet to process my final two pieces of paperwork (which they have had for a month). The rental car that we had for 3 weeks cost about 4 months worth of car payments. Bummer. And if (God forbid!) my dog ran away, it would be a total country song.

I know things in life happen. I usually can handle them. But the problem with all of this is that I have depression and am unmedicated. For me, that's a bad combination. I have been craving food like it's nobody's business. All the bad food I know I can't eat. I didn't eat any of it. I didn't cook any of it. But that doesn't mean I'm not sitting here thinking about homemade macaroni and cheese (with hot-dogs of course).

I took the plunge, reached out to my support system (which happens to rock) and became accountable for myself. Made an appointment and got in immediately with a new psychiatrist here in my new town. He's double board certified in psychiatric and internal medicine.

Other than that HUGE medical practice (it's like a small hospital- 2 floors) and the more than 1 hour wait, needless to say I mostly liked the doctor. I know the practice doesn't make the doctor but I think the type of setting a person chooses to practice in says a lot about the person. He didn't make the impression on me that my previous PCP did, but he did take the research articles I brought in regarding medications, nutritients and how those are affected in an RNY post-op. I've got a follow up in two weeks. We'll see how that goes and maybe I've got a new PCP here. In a month, the MD will run some new blood work to supplement my 6 month lab work to determine if the deficiencies present have started to clear up and determine if there's any others that need addressing... because if there's anything someone with RNY should know is that deficiencies show up, cause havoc on your system and mask themselves as all kinds of insanity in our systems.

So, I'm on a new medication to control my depression.
I have never tried this one in the past, but I'm optimistic.
It's all I've got to go on right now is my sarcastic optimism.

Strap on 100 pounds

2010-05-06T23:23:00.004-04:00

A friend of mine said something to this effect tonight, and I felt it was important to share.

If you believe that ALL obese people are lazy, I ask you to do this: Take a backpack and fill it up with 100 lbs (almost the amount I've lost in the past 7 months). Carry it around for one day, and never take it off. I want you to try to walk stairs, go to toilet and try to wipe, even try to exercise, feel your bones. Then give me a call.

Not every obese person wants to be better, not all try, but there are many obese people who want better- some of us just don't know how to get there or are too afraid to make the steps.

I said to my husband tonight, "I want to put 100 lbs on my back and try to walk around, see how it feels".

He looks at me in shock and horror, "but you'll throw out your back!!!"

I can't help but laugh- I threw out my back three times when I was 235+. But that doesn't mean I don't want to do it to see how hard it actually was.

So when I hit my century mark (in 6 pounds), I'm planning on doing that. That will be a part of my celebration.

Food- Osaka Japanese & Sushi

2010-05-05T09:24:00.001-04:00

We went out to dinner Friday night (4/30/10) for "date night"... Yep, another food review. I've got a bit of catching up to do, but this is the last restaurant post for a few days. I'll be posting restaurant reviews 1-2 times per week because Hubby and I eat about that often and I've decided that I want to try local restaurants as much as possible, keeping away from chains that can be had anywhere in the country.

We decided to keep the ethnic theme going for the week. I saw sushi on TV and decided I needed to have some. And then I saw this post by Shelly aka eggface. I haven't had sushi since my RNY, so I figured, "no time like the present". And that was that.

We went to Osaka Japanese & Sushi in North Columbus, the Landings shopping center.

It's a small place, they were quite busy (typical for Friday night though, eh?!), so we chose to sit at the only open table (a 6 topper), instead of the bar. Thinking back, I think we should have chosen the bar because I felt kind of guilty when a large party of 4 or 5 came about 15 minutes after us and they had to rearrange a couple tables to sit them.

Cute little lantern with "Bento" on it... I see a theme here... While reading the menu, they had options of meals with a sushi roll and a type of dish in a Bento box. (and yes, I'm wishing for one of these boxes or containers for my birthday...)

They had these little fake roses on the tables for decoration and a cool chart on the wall with types of sushi/sashimi and if they are raw or cooked/prepared.

My miso soup.

There's a little seafood and tofu shot.

Um, duh.

Our platter. We ordered the following:

Top row left: Crunchy Shrimp w/ avocado and crunch; Top row right: Alaska roll with raw salmon;

center row mammoth: Spicy Spider Roll with tempura fried soft shell crab, avocado and cukes

Bottom: both rolls are the good ole' standby, California roll with avocado, cukes and real crab.

My soy (dark) with ginger and wasabi mixed in it.

This monster- aka Spicy Spider Roll (fried soft shell crab) was full of yummy avocado and crunchy-goodness.

I love the ends of the rolls. They are so cute and fun.

And this was what we had left. About a little more than a roll. Perfect for lunch for hubby.

Yummy cold treat for dessert. Cold oranges are the bees-knees.

We will go here again the official review: Service was good, servers were really patient with all my questions (I really ask too many questions when ordering food). Impressed with the Alaska roll (I had one bite, Hubby ate the other 5), Crunchy Shrimp roll was really a two biter because I just can't swallow that much in one bite anymore. Next time we'll try their little hand rolls- looks like the insides are rolled into a small seafood cone (with light rice, I need to do less rice).

The rice sat alright in my pouch, didn't expand much or get stuck- thank God, as you all know I prefer rice items in the privacy of my own home But then again, I broke one of the WLS rules cheated and had about three sips of water with my meal. Why is no drinking a rule? Read here and here.

That was probably one of the reasons my pouch did not revolt against the evil rice.

bad food is cheaper for you...

2010-05-05T00:32:00.006-04:00

Yes, I know this is nothing new. This is a random, no real point blog post.

I had a conversation with my husband tonight about that he thinks I " have been drinking too much pop lately" and he commented that it's been too much. He tries to sugar coat it by saying he has too, but that's just his way of trying to not be critical and accept some of the blame.

I think to myself ~~"the scale is still frigging moving"...~~ and say "you're right, pop is my food addiction and I need to deal with it."
Food po-po and RNY cops, please pass by without a comment. I know I'm breaking someone's rules.

He says, "well pop is more expensive..." and I cut him off.

"A two liter bottle of RC or Pepsi (diet, whatever) is $0.99 cents. A 1 liter bottle of Smart Water is $1.69".
I know this is fact. I looked at my receipts. Yes, I did. Why would you know this? Because I know how much I spend on things I keep in my house all the time. These are two of those things.

Green police: Yes, I'm aware bottled water is worse for the environment than tap because plastic and I "claim" to want to do right by the environment, but until tap tastes like filtered (and Brita doesn't cut it for me), then we'll talk. Until then, I'll stick with my Smart Water. And tap is "free" (though I pay a water bill). But I like my Smart Water. It doesn't taste like chlorinated shit.

He shuts up about cost. Then says "it is more expensive to be healthier than to eat crap".

Um, duh. I've been saying this for over a year. And I really know from being super morbidly obese that this is the problem here in America. Just google it. I like this article: here. But this one, seriously? Like no one thought of that? Here's a good debate on this entire thought. Here's one that explains WHY, ah no-brainer, basic supply and demand. It's more important to eat healthy, but paying the bills is just as important. Here's one that talks about ways to save, but planning is key. Most ~~sane people~~ of us don't plan an entire year's worth of food in advance. Seriously, here's her calendar. What about the occasional dinner guest? Or those nights when you just don't feel like cooking a thing. What about those vegans? It must be expensive for them, eh? I'm not saying all vegans are the healthiest of people, but plant foods in general.

And honestly, my pouch is an asshole (I've decided it must be a man, the way it behaves), so just because I PLAN dinner, that does NOT mean that my pouch agrees with baked herbed chicken or chili or smelly strips re-done or cheeseburgers or pork chops or whatever. Sometimes all I can have is yogurt. 'Cause that's all that stays down. Sometimes not even that. Yes, my pouch can be an asshole.

So off my tangent and back to my pop addiction. It's time I came clean.
My name is Michelle, and I am addicted to caramel colored pop. I can't get enough. Nothing compares to the bubbly yummy-ness of fizziness on the back of your tongue. Seriously. I feel this way about pop.
Some people feel this way about running, cheese, chocolate. Not me. I feel like this about pop.

I let myself have one here or there... then it crept back into my life. It's not my husband's fault. He wouldn't drink it (or buy it for himself) if I didn't bring it into this house when I shop. That's right. I do the shopping. He comes with sometimes, but I do the shopping. I say what does and does not go into the cart.
WHY THE HELL DID I LET THIS HAPPEN? Who knows? But I guess this is my cigarette addiction. It's hard to quit. Can I get me some Chantix? Probably not.

It's cheaper to drink pop than to drink bottled water. I must once again ban the caramel colored devil in this household.
Key word here, again.

Food- La Margarita

2010-05-04T09:37:00.004-04:00

Yes, we've been eating out a lot this past week. I haven't felt like cooking because I've. been. stressed. out.

We came here to La Margarita because my trusty old Urban Spoon told me that they served Mediterranean cuisine. I was CRAVING a gyro.

We tried Monday, but they were closed (so we went somewhere else).

Um. Yeah. When we sat down, we got tortilla chips and salsa. The salsa is good. :) But that's not what I was going there for. Maybe the being closed on Monday and the name should have tipped me off that I should have come when craving something a little different.

House margaritas on sale Wednesdays ($3??), instead of my typical top shelf ($9), I decided to be frugal here. This place considers Jose Cuervo to be a mid-grade tequila. It wasn't horrible, but with the addition of at least juice of 1/2 lime, it was palatable.

We ordered Greek Salads. But as soon as I got it, I knew it was not going to work on this evil pouch. EVIL pouch. Sometimes vinegary stuff just does me wrong and this was straight balsamic vinegar (I tried a bite of Mike's).

So, I ~~annoyingly~~ kindly informed the waitress that this wasn't what I had expected and the vinegar would upset my stomach, so I asked to swap for a Caesar salad instead.

(Yes RNY'ers and food po-pos, I could have passed on the salad, but it came with my meal).

We both got Gyros. I hate when we both order the same thing at a new restaurant, because then I can't try two things :) And since I only eat about 1/4-1/3 of a normal person's meal, well. You get the point.

Easy-peasy to pick up and grab for eating. (Which is a MUST with a gyro).

Here's the official review: The gyro meat was good- tender and juicy. The pita seemed a little stale to me, but Hubby said his tasted good. The tzatziki was a decent texture, but needed a little more cuke or garlic or dill or something to it. Who knows!? I just hate when I taste something and it seems like there's something missing. It wasn't bad, I used what they gave me for my take home on my meal. Anyhow, overall it was a decent meal, but don't go here if you're looking to go Greek. After all, they serve chips & salsa when you sit down and have $3 margaritas on Wednesdays. :) Server was super attentive and patient with my questions and even swapped out my salad (which some places just don't do). I'll try it again, but next time, I'll be sure to stick to the Mexican food and see how that goes.

Dear Google Maps

2010-05-03T19:13:00.001-04:00

Dear Google Maps:
Please work on your rural Georgia GPS-ing mapping skills. This corn
field is, in fact, NOT the location of Tifton's Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
I love wandering around aimlessly, but not when I have an actual
timeline- they want their rental car back! I guess my mom was right
when she told me I needed to learn how to look at a regular map to
find my way. (biting my tongue at that there)
Thankyouverymuch. That is all.

Signed,
Lost ditzy brunette.

Organic Manifesto

2010-05-03T00:16:00.001-04:00

In the past few years, I've tried to move as green and healthy as possible in my life. Especially when I was really actively trying to live healthily. Then I met my mentor on my second internship (she's a healthy, gluten-free, yoga guru, amazing earth goddess!), and she inspired me to go even more organic and green as possible. Especially since having my gastric bypass, I've just tried to be more aware of what I'm putting into my body and how things affect my system. I've been trying to be working in my garden and choosing foods and products (pesticides) that are as close to organic as possible.

<~~~ Love that organically home grown pineapple? Yeah I did, too- don't worry, I shared. :)

Also, I stay away from plastic as much as possible. We must take better care of our planet. We have to take better care of ourselves, our children (the children of today have a SHORTER EXPECTED LIFESPAN THAN THEIR PARENTS). Sign Jamie Oliver's petition to help change school lunch programs!

So, the whole point here is that I was perusing Organic Gardening magazine online (this is on my to-get magazine subscription list, for sure) and came across this article about a woman who decided years ago to go "Green" and do the Organic thing, way before it was a fad. If you want her book get Organic Manifesto here.

Also blogged about here.

The new digs in GA

2010-05-02T04:52:00.002-04:00

Okay dear friends. By popular demand.
I've finally gotten a FEW pictures to share of my "new" house.

The new place is quite cute. It's an older house, built in the late 1920's or early 1930's.

I love this porch. Perfect place to work on potting my plants in the shade (and away from EVIL pollen)

My little sitting nook. Mom insisted I put chairs out for her so she could sit comfortably while she ~~ruins her lungs worse than the emphysema already has~~ smokes and enjoys the great outdoors.

This guy is chilling on my front step. I haven't decided if he's going back near the garden or not.

Here's a shot of part of the backyard (the part not really covered by garden or puppy piles of love.

Lola has already gotten herself stuck up in the tree. Yes, really.

And Luke on the top of the garage/shed thing.

Some of my gardening pots and random things that should be making their way into the shed/garage (but that's another story). The cool thing is that we can open the gate up (it's a double swing one), so we can actually pull a vehicle into the backyard for oil changes or unloading things.

Most of the rooms are in complete disarray, which is typical, and I've got two rooms of mostly boxes.

So my dears, please excuse the mess, but it's all natural. I'm still organizing and trying to figure out where to put things (this house has no storage- you'll see below).

Inside photos:

Living room fireplace- I hate that board, but I can't figure how to work the flue and that's what they put there to close it up. I really hate the pineapple (that's the blue blob). The galvanized bucket is for firewood and the Razor scooter is Hubby's (it was left at our LAST house and the nephews enjoy it).

Above most of the doorways (front door, bedrooms- not bath), there's these really cute windows. Authentic to the era of when it was built.

One half of the dining room... (see all kitties and one puppy in this one!)

The floors are all wooden and slope in some of the rooms. And, yes, I believe that everything is painted in toxic, crappy, latex paint that peels ALL OVER THE PLACE. BLEH.

I love the glass knobs on all the doors. It even has a little old fashioned telephone nook (we're trying to figure out how to make this one a little more cute).

Bathroom. It's a crying shame. I have to bleach every single surface of it, all the time. Ugh.

Fireplace in master bedroom (I would absolutely love to paint that hideous yellow a lovely muted cloudy grey).

Linen closet- located in the master bedroom, and FYI THIS is the closet in the master.

The disastrous, dreaded kitchen. See the boxes?

And more boxes??

And even more boxes. They were all labeled according to importance (packed according to importance of use). If I haven't needed it, I haven't unpacked it because there isn't enough cabinet space. Nor, are they even deep enough. I can't fit serving platters in there. Which is why I really wanted that white cabinet from Gina's. It would have fit perfectly next to the fridge (where the freezer is sitting in the above picture), and is deep enough for all my big dishes.

. The laundry room is SO tiny, I didn't even think the washer/dryer would fit in there (it did)! I'm glad I'm not as big as I used to be, or I wouldn't be able to fit between the space. We were going to stack them, but then realized the 220v plug and hole for hose were on that left side. Ugh. If I wasn't worried about a can of worms opening about all the old electricity in this house, I would totally have paid someone to move that. Making a new hole in the floor for a dryer vent would be easy-peasy. Nonetheless, it's like this for now until we decide exactly how long we're going to live here.

Okay. You wanna' see those box rooms? I know you do (especially my homeopathic faery).

Here's 2/3 of them.

Here's the spare bedroom.

(this is the other half of my huge dining room)- that chair with the green cover and the desk (with the cat on it) are for a very specific project I have coming up. :)

So that's it. My lovely little depression-era house.

Food- Johnny's Hot Dogs with a new name of Major Hot Dogs & Sandwiches

2010-05-02T02:47:00.002-04:00

I took one picture. The storefront. That was all. We went here for lunch on Saturday afternoon (5/2/10), about 1:30pm.

This place is a typical hole in the wall local joint and was expecting something decent based on previous reviews and percentages.
These were by far, not nearly anywhere near decent hot dogs. Cheap buns, gross hot dogs. I swear these hot dogs must've been the 30-pack of the cheapest ones (with pork and chicken, definitely NOT beef hot dogs) on sale at Publix- I saw the receipts strewn on one of the tables in "organized piles". There was only three tables, and two had crap strewn on them. I wasn't expecting much because it's small, but at least keep the paperwork and receipts in the back, right?? They were busy when I got there, the counter lady answered her cell phone twice in the three minutes that I stood there. There was no place to sit because the junk on the tables and we ended up eating them in the car. By and far, not good hot dogs. I was so unimpressed because these dogs looked gross I ate two bites and threw the rest away. Period.

linen peek-a-boo mini bucket

2010-05-02T00:51:00.004-04:00

linen peek-a-boo mini bucket, originally uploaded by smidgebox designs.

This is totally cute. I *heart* it!
I'm thinking a whole set of these for my desk/closet/cabinet that I'm working on. They would line my shelves perfectly! :)

Happy May Day!

2010-05-01T23:55:00.002-04:00

I've been hearing about May Day for a week, and was admittedly not sure what all this was all about.

So I'm going to celebrate the random flowers I've taken pictures of the past few days, around my home and out in the country.

Here's a couple excerpts from wikipedia. I will choose this for my May Day celebration.

May Day was also celebrated by some early European settlers of the American continent. In some parts of the United States, May Baskets are made. These baskets are small and usually filled with flowers or treats and left at someone's doorstep. The basket giver would ring the bell and run away. The person receiving the basket would try to catch the fleeing giver. If they caught the person, a kiss was to be exchanged.

And this:

The earliest May Day celebrations appeared in pre-Christian times, with the festival of Flora, the Roman Goddess of flowers.

And of course, it wouldn't be a lovely spring day if there weren't a few pictures of my fur babies at play!

If she wasn't so cranky, she should have been a complete cat model. Yeah, I think so.

Food- Old Siam

2010-04-29T08:21:00.005-04:00

The other night Hubby and I decided to go out to dinner, because I was craving Gyros. Um, yum-O.

I hit up the "Urban Spoon" on my iPhone and one restaurant showed up as Mediterranean, and when we went that way- They. Were. Closed. On. Mondays. Ugh.

So then I was like, hmmmmm what should we eat. Then I remembered this post, which was linked on Urban Spoon. Oh, how linked the world is these days!

I say to Hubby, "How about Thai food... I've never had it".

Hubby says, "Really? I had it before."

Me thinking, "just because you've had it doesn't mean I have, even though we've spent nearly 1/3 of our lives together" and then I say (out loud), "Let's go downtown and so I can try some Thai"

So we headed over to Old Siam. (Ate there 4/26/10) Of course I checked out their Urban Spoon profile and checked online (twice) to make sure they were, indeed, open on Mondays.

We got there and it was quiet, I asked for a "warm, not drafty" spot to sit, to which they sat us by the fireplace, though not lit (loving that dark stain on the mantle). This place is so cute, quaint and lovely. Enjoy the eye candy.

Dressed up hall to the bathrooms

Cute, varied seating options (benches, booths, chairs and any combo of the like)

Loving the stained glass

Behind the stained glass: an awesome, romantic, "I'm a VIP" nook!

I wanted to re-arrange those pillows so the paisley was in the middle of the striped ones, but I didn't want them to think I was ~~more~~ weird ~~than I am~~.

There was a stack of these sitting here, no idea what they had been used for in the past. But the beading is GORGEOUS. This picture does not do it justice.

This pic was actually of the little step up, but I also like how you can see right into the kitchen

Now onto the FOOD!

I took a picture of the menu because of the name of D5. Yeah, I'm 12.

Since having gastric bypass surgery, portion sizes and how things are prepared are more important than ever. Certain things just don't agree with my pouch (my new stomach). I'm at the point in my weight loss journey that I'm allowed certain carbohydrates, but I've never been the person who is told "under no uncertain terms, you can never, ever, have this thing again". I know my trigger foods, still continue to fight that fight, but that's a whole other blog post all together. Anyhow, I've gotten more adventurous in my eating, willing to try things I wouldn't have had before. But I digress.

Certain things just don't work for me. Rice is one of them. I prefer to deal with the discomfort of eating rice in the privacy of my own home, so stir fry dishes were out for me. The wait staff was great at explaining the different tastes, hot/spicy stuff (tread lightly with spices still). I probably asked about 3 questions before deciding on appetizers, another 5 or 6 before deciding on an entrée.

We ordered Chicken Satay for an appetizer. It was really yummy. I didn't so much dig the peanut sauce (lower dish, left), but the Tamarind/sweet&sour sauce (upper dish, right, with pineapples) was "lick your fingers" GOOD.

My main course (and that of at least 2 more meals).

I ordered the Pad Thai (with chicken).

Description from menu: Thailand’s most popular noodle dish; stir fried rice noodles with bean sprouts, scallions, carrots, onions, crushed peanuts, egg, and choice of meat.

My good friend has always said Pad Thai is her favorite thing, so I figured why not.

Hubby ordered Pad Woon Seen. Description from menu: Stir fried glass noodles with eggs, scallions, carrots, and (lots of) bean sprouts with choice of meat in a brown stir fry sauce (dark soy and some other stuff).

The food was good. I liked the taste and texture (different noodle type) of Hubby's a little more than mine. But the Pad Thai was good, a little creamy in the sauce. Good enough I took the leftovers home for a Pad Thai part two (meal another day that was reheated on the stove with some more chicken, cabbage and soy sauce).

And a little more eye candy:

I love those old chippy little (big) cabinets that every retailer/shop owner/restaurant seems to have for displays. I want one. If you have one, I want to buy it. If you know where I can get one (and you know it's actually there), let me know!

This picture is supposed to show how they used old window shutters to create an entryway

I noticed these pansies on my way out. I love the little attention to detail.

Second test

2010-04-29T06:13:00.002-04:00

Testing one more time.
And there's not an app for that. Boo.

Multimedia message

2010-04-29T06:10:00.001-04:00

Testing blogger's new mobile feature

A little rant.

2010-04-28T10:31:00.000-04:00

{Begin rant}

Coworkers... haha. I referred to my would-be coworkers in a previous post.

I have a job, have had a tentative start date that has been continuously moved back on a bi-weekly schedule since March 22nd, being that I will be working for a large hospital, they only do orientation bi-weekly.

I have a job, but, I cannot work. This is because the GA license board has yet to issue my license. They're willing to fast-track a temp license for new-grads without NBCOT certification, but applications processed (and expedited/overnighting with delivery confirmation do not matter when it comes to processing times) after the applicant's testing date get put on the back burner and have to wait up to 8 weeks (that would be around 35 or so business days). But they can't tell you ANYTHING on the phone. At all, except that they have UP TO 10 business days (and take every second of that) to process your application and payment, and then an additional 25 days following processing of the payment. And yet, they process the payment (which comes with the application paperwork, mind you), without even glancing at or PROCESSING THE ACTUAL APPLICATION. But these dates and this information isn't really clear on the website or application (even if the lady that answers the phone insists it states so plainly and boldly on the application, um, no??)-

I especially love the part about not being issued a temporary license so I can work can only done if my application was processed BEFORE the testing date (again, the date they receive it matters nothing here, they have 10 days to sit on it). I wish that information was actually out there, I would have put in my application in February, as soon as I moved here and got settled. At least I would have gotten a temporary license while they ~~wipe their butts with my application~~ process my paperwork completely, and thus would be working by now. No matter that they REVOKE the temporary license if you don't pass the test (talk about an embarassing conversation with your new boss... Imagine this: "So, um, I know you just hired me, and I'm a new grad... I found out that I failed my board exam and thus, according to GA rules, I lose my temp license, so I need the next 45 days off because I can't retake my test until then, and then have to wait ANOTHER 35 business days to get a real license."

There's just too many holes here that make no sense to someone as dumb as me.

Yeah. So, I'm gardening and reading books and blogs and blogging and doing projects. I have too much free time on my hands. And I'm not cut out to be a housewife. I'm ready to work and have been for over 6 weeks now. Please magical paperwork fairies, grant my license so I can begin my job (life)? Thankyouverymuch. That is all.

{end rant}

more of the garden

2010-04-28T02:31:00.000-04:00

These pictures were taken over two days.

Hubby and I were loading up the beds with a combination of soils from the local landscaper, the bags of Miracle Gro, manure, compost, etc. I didn't use "Mel's Mix", because, well I already had a few bags of dirt and am not letting that $$$ go to waste!

I wasn't going to square out my garden as Mel Bartholomew, the square foot gardener, suggests, but then I figured if I'm going to sort of follow the rules, I would do it my way. I don't like the typical wood slats recommended and used, so I used some all-natural twine to lay it out. Measure the length (about 52"), cut 6 per box, then staple with staple gun in place (staple twine down, then fold over staple #1 and staple both parts together).

Here's my grid, yawn.

As you can tell, I'm just not a fan of super geometric-ness in my garden.

My poor corn all root bound and funky from sitting on my porch for the past two weeks (and some longer)... I know they are all good and hardened, but I didn't thin, so I'll have to split the babes up a bit. I just hope they make it!

Me, not so glamourously dressed, but feeling totally accomplished!

I am quite excited that at some point in this home's history, someone cared for roses. There's other flowers around, but I deem roses to be something of a difficult flower, so it is on a pedestal in my book. I would love to have a beautiful English rose garden. And Peonies. I *heart* peonies.

Because I feel wasteful even trimming back my tomato plants, here's my cuttings of my six (yes, six) different tomato varieties. At least I'm not planting this many... :) I'm just not a tomato gal, but I refuse to have a garden and not have at least one or two tomatoes growing.
I will most likely freecycle them or give them to my (future) co-workers...

Yeah, too much free time.

Happy Earth Day!

2010-04-23T02:58:00.000-04:00

What did everyone do for Earth Day?

I decided to get the last of my supplies to finish up my raised garden beds. I've been procrastinating way too long. I went to a local landscaping company to purchase dirt because I've decided that buying bags isn't really that cheap- at nearly $6 for 1 sq ft, $10 for 2 sq ft for a bag of decent garden soil, 16 sq ft will get EXPENSIVE... And my local librarian gave me the dirt (pun intended) on this company and the info about it. Anyhow, for 1 cubic yard of dirt (that includes compost, manure, peat, etc) was $40. That would be more than enough for my two beds, including all the dirt I've already purchased via regular method (i.e. Home Depot and "shudder" Hell-Mart).

Here's the dude that will be loading up my pickup with my lovely dirt...

A little close for my comfort, but I had to get some action shots here!

Not the most flattering of shots, but it could be worse. I figured I would try to do 2 screws per corner because I was low on screws (and didn't want to go get more- see it's dark outside in this pic). Then ah-ha, I realized there was an easier way to build my bed than my prior attempt. I measured 1 3/4" in from the end of each piece of lumber, then drilled the pilot holes. I still set the pieces together to make sure the holes went flush, but this helped me to not have to switch bits back and forth.

Here's my beds, all finished up for the night and ready for the fillin'.

Yes, Miss Ladybug, there's going to be lots more pollen around here for you soon... Please stay around!

Oh MY! Google Translate feature

2010-04-21T10:20:00.000-04:00

So I'm reading blogs last night and come across some blogs in German. They have BEAUTIFUL pictures of antiques, shabby-chic things, gorgeous chippy painted furniture, etc.
I copy and paste the link into Google Chrome to view it so it loads a little quicker (serious issues with Mozilla in the past few days), and lo-and-behold! A little pop down comes across my screen:

This page is in (German). Would you like to translate it?

Um, why, actually, YES, I WOULD!
More info HERE.
Google, why do you do things like this that make me love you so?!
Chrome will be my new go-to for reading new blogs that I'm not already subscribed to in reader... Oh my.

Keeping chickens...

2010-04-20T23:24:00.001-04:00

I read Design*Sponge religiously. By far, it's one of my favorite blogs.
I came across this post the other day about keeping your own chickens. I decided to post it here because it goes with my dream of one day owning a large plot of land and being somewhat self-sustaining on it (and along with that goes being less reliant on big business and the middleman...). Hubby has already poo-pooed down the idea of having chickens for the immediate future (we have enough pets), but it's a dream anyhow. My friend and amazing wedding photographer, Christy Whitehead, keeps chickens for show and as pets, not for eggs, but it's still cool nonetheless. And she gets great pictures out of them, too!

Original Post HERE:

Before you make the decision to keep a flock of feathered friends yourself, there are a few considerations you’ll want to address before you put in an order for chicks or start building a hen house. To begin, check that chicken-keeping is legal in your area. This can be determined by a quick call to your local animal control office. They’ll let you know the rules on keeping chickens where you live (which, by the way, can vary widely from one region to the next, so what holds true in one town might not be consistent for the town next door).

Secondly, resign yourself to the fact that, unless you live outside of city limits absent zoning restrictions, roosters are verboten. While they certainly are grand and gorgeous lotharios, they just aren’t welcome in urban or suburban settings. Keep this in mind when selecting your birds. Also, mention your plans to your neighbors in advance. Offering to ply them with eggs is always handy, as is assuring them that you fully intend to stay on top of your coop’s cleanliness (there’s nothing like the stench of chicken poo to really get the neighbors riled up!).

It might also be worthwhile to go ahead and give some thought to who might be willing to take care of your birds when you are away on vacation, or out late at night for a soiree or late-show at the theater. Chickens need care and attention just like any other domesticated animal and it’s pretty unlikely that you’ll find someone offering “chicken-sitting” services in your area. Make sure you’ve got a neighbor, or family member, or fellow chicken aficionado willing to steward your flock in your absence. Fortunately, we’ve got neighbors and friends alike willing to lock “The Ladies” up when a dinner party keeps us from getting home at sunset or a family excursion to Florida or jaunt to San Francisco takes us away for a week or two (a wide range of predators find your chickens just as alluring as you do, but for very different reasons; protect them accordingly). Find your ace in the hole and secure it in advance.

Now, once you’ve cleared those hurdles, you can get busy with housing and feeding needs. As for housing, bear in mind that intensively confined birds (meaning those lacking access to roaming space) will need at least 4 sq. feet per bird in the henhouse (which will need nesting boxes for laying eggs as well as roosting poles for the birds to sleep on at night). Those with outdoor areas should provide 2 sq. ft. per bird in the hen house along with 4 sq. ft. in the run (the outdoor area). These figures are, as with most things in life, variable, based on bird size, degree to which they are kept confined, and the number of birds you are keeping. If you plan to build a coop yourself versus purchasing one (and there are many, many truly gorgeous models available for purchase), make sure its size doesn’t merit the need for a building permit (most small coops won’t need one). Those as equally enthusiastic about chickens as they are about tricked out design will appreciate the offerings of UK-based company Omlet .

Chickens need adequate ventilation in their housing set-ups, so be certain that your coop has good air flow. The housing should also offer your flock a safe place from moisture and a dark nesting box filled with bedding material (such as straw, shredded newspaper, or wood chips). One nesting box for every four birds is more than adequate. Your birds will need to be fed a ration according to the needs of their age. Ask your feed supply store, or, lacking one, read online poultry supplier’s offerings and make your selection accordingly. The flock will also need a constant supply of water. Galvanized metal or plastic chicken waterers are perfect (chicks have their own waterers suited to the needs of tiny beaks) for this purpose; both can freeze, however, in colder months, which can in turn affect a hen’s ability to produce eggs (quite sensible, given that eggs have an inherently watery composition). Warmers can be used, if your coop can be reached by an extension cord or is wired for electricity, or you can make a point of changing out the water during the day, such as I do, if you are often home during daytime hours.

You’ve checked regulations, chatted up your neighbors, found a go-to “chicken tender” for times you’ll be away, created housing, and secured food and water equipment and supplies. Now it’s time to get your birds! If you live in an area where chicks can be purchased from farms, I’d encourage you to pursue that purchasing route. That way, you’ll know what your birds have eaten and how they’ve been handled before coming home with you. Absent a local supplier, go online. A quick internet search will turn out numerous suppliers. There are also enormously assistive websites such as “My Pet Chicken” to connect you with suppliers, as well as other chicken fiends to pose questions to. A diverse selection of periodicals can be found nowadays for the chicken novice and seasoned chicken tender alike (personal favorites include Backyard Poultry and Hobby Farms). I’d also highly recommend the purchase, or library rental, of books on the subject. They’ll provide indispensable advice and troubleshooting tips to get you moving in the right direction.

Oh, heck, let's get a couple cute pics from Christy on here:

Happy Birthday dear hubby

2010-04-20T01:48:00.000-04:00

Dear Hubby,
Here's my birthday card to you, all out in public. Yes, I know I'm two days late, but I'm a perpetual procrastinator. And tonight, after you went to bed, I was thinking how lucky I am to be married to you.

So for your 31st, I'm going to give you 31 more reasons I love you.

1. You are the yang to my yin. You are the calm, collected, silent and strong; while I'm the erratic, crazy, all over the place. You create my balance.
2. You have that funny sweet tooth that hits at the most insane of times.
3. You supported me, despite your fears, through the hardest and most scary year and choice of my life, having WLS.
4. You took care of me for an entire two weeks after my surgery... and you know what THAT entailed. I really wish you never have to do some of that ever again.

5. That you're willing to put our family above yourself.
6. Your love of shows that my siblings love makes you part of the family without even having to try. Even if I hate those shows- like the Family Guy and anything on adult swim- I just don't get 'adult' cartoons. I know when visits come along, I don't get to veto the TV shows because I'm totally the minority.
7. You get excited when I'm excited about stupid silly things, like getting a strawberry from the garden.

8. You eat everything I cook, even when I know it sucks. But at least you give me my 1-10 rating when I ask.
9. Even though you SAY you're not a cat person, I still can catch you snuggling with the cats. :)

10. You're willing to come to church with me on a holiday, even when you're not a church-going guy, not Catholic, and don't get why I still yearn to continue being Catholic.
11. We can be complete dorks together.

12. You enjoyed the fact that I cooked you a birthday dinner, and even said it was better than going out- even with my mother and sister in tow :)
13. The way you inspire me to be a better person.

14. You look so hot when you're dressed up in a suit. And your uniform. And those jeans- you know which ones.
15. You love to cuddle and snuggle.
16. When I am down, you find a way to pick me up, even when I spend days in bed, crying, not showering and in complete depression.
17. You totally rock the bald head. I dig it and that's all that matters.

18. My hand fits perfectly in yours and in your arms is where I feel the safest.
19. I don't have to explain when I have irrational fears and do stupid things that make little sense to anyone else.
20. You support me even when I am scared and thought I couldn't make it. You never gave up, even when I felt like I couldn't go on.
21. You're not intimidated by my drive to succeed and be able to give us a good life. In fact, you want me to succeed. You understand what drives me. Now, I've finished my degree and you're the #1 reason I was able to do that. (now if I could just start working...)

22. You try to be a handyman, and are willing to give any silly project a try... even if it means installing a ceiling fan for my mother.
23. The way I turn you on, without me doing anything (even with my weird post-op body).
24. You're so hilarious with my nephews. Even when they head-butt you and accidentally nose-butt you instead.

25. We finish each other's sentences, and even think of the same movie quotes while in conversation with other people.
26. You let me do my crazy projects like this one and this one and this one, and the lists of ones that half of I never got to...
27. You love to take showers together.
28. You call my sister to ask her opinion about things that would freak me out before freaking me out.

29. You've forgiven me when I have screwed up, without throwing it back in my face. You have taught me the true meaning of unconditional love.
30. How you would drive hours just to visit me for 36 hours while you were training for your job.
31. You let me write all my silly to-do lists, even if I never do half of what's on them. And pretend that you'll do what's on yours. :)

I wouldn't be who I am today without you. I couldn't imagine my life any differently.

Happy Birthday Hubby!

Big exciting weekend...

2010-04-19T00:40:00.000-04:00

It's officially OVER!

No more school for me... for the immediate future as of now.

I wouldn't have made it without my rock- my hubby :)

This is the only pic of the outfit I wore, and honestly, my sister isn't the best of photographers (and I was standing all funky).

Gardening... Building this year's garden

2010-04-15T01:34:00.000-04:00

So, it's probably no surprise, but I love to garden. I'm a lazy gardener, however, I think I usually do quite alright by my plants. This year, I was going to do all my plants in containers like my first year, but I then remembered that more than half of my good rectangle ones that are 8" deep were ruined during my move by someone either throwing them around, or them not being secured in the back of the pickup and flying into the interstate. But I digress, some are so deep (some are up to 12" deep) and are more wasteful (dirt-wise) than doing my typical raised garden beds that I have done in the past two years. Raised beds are quite cost effective. Filling the dirt is quite expensive, but you can purchase fill dirt and compost in bulk if you have a truck from a landscape company to save a little coin, and I'm all for saving a buck! They even occasionally will deliver, but that will cost quite a bit extra. Which ruins the savings IMO. Sometimes you can get lumber and even dirt for free, so keep an eye on craigslist or freecycle for goodies!

The raised bed we had in Florida was set up with regular treated landscaping timbers, stacked 3 high, 4'x8'. It was a pain nailing each tier together and each corner with each level. Also, the idea of using treated wood in my garden makes me a little uneasy, so I avoid treated woods and unsafe chemicals in my garden.
So this year, especially since we moved, I wanted to use a more simple system. I've been reading about small space, potentially portable (in case we move). and square foot gardening and pretty much set up my systems like that in the past, but there's a lot more involved with it. As with anything, I take the information that works and applies to me, and toss the rest in the wind. So here's what I've got so far. I agree with the 4' width recommended so that you can't walk on soil, as well as making it easier to get in the garden to harvest- proof in the fact by remembering that year I spent the night before my b'day in the ER because I was trying to reach something in my bed that I couldn't reach (and spent three weeks in pain, attending a couple days of classes in a narcotic haze- just to be able to sit upright).

Supplies for 1 4'x4' raised garden bed:
~2 2x8x8's each cut in half to make a perfect square.
~Box of 3" wood screws (you'll need 12 total + a few extra if you strip)
~1 roll landscaping fabric (bought mine at Fred's for $4 per roll, the exact same thing was $16 at the hardware store)
~Staple gun and staples
~Enough fill dirt of your choosing
~Plants- I use veggies, I tend to kill flowers and quite frankly, being able to eat what I grow makes it much more fulfilling than looking at pretty flowers I'm probably allergic to and will kill. And I even tried inter-planting some marigolds and other flowers one year, but they died.

Step 1. Lay out the boards in the arrangement you're going to use. And you'll probably need a helper:

Step 2. I used a basic Black and Decker drill, fully charged up, with a 5/32 bit (general purpose) for drilling the holes in the frame.

But really, mom started as a helper until Mike stepped in.

Step 3: I secured each corner with one screw around each side to make the basic frame. This was a little annoying switching from the drill bit to the screw bit, but I wanted to make sure the frame was actually a square. It probably would have been easier some other way, but whatever, this worked for me.

Step 4. After securing each side with one screw, I then went around and drilled the holes for the next screws. Drilling the holes after securing each side.

They aren't perfectly spaced, but three per side is fine by me

Screwing in the last screw. Yay!

Finally finished with the frame after 30-45 minutes or so!

Step 5: Installing the bottom of your box or using a black landscape fabric (this was the easiest part).
Basically, the reason I used this instead of plywood recommended by the SFG'ers is because the plywood was pricey and I will be in this place for at least the season, so I shouldn't have to move the entire garden bed. The beauty of using this is to prevent grass, weeds and other crap from coming up from your dirt and out of the garden bed, more info here. It's even used for creeping veggies to keep the bugs from crawling up and eating your precious harvest from my facebook friend that is a master at straw bale gardening here:

I laid the fabric down, then stapled each corner into place, so that it was taut in place. The rolls were only 3 feet wide, so I had to layer/stagger them to have a solid bottom. Pulling corners, stapling down and then filling in the spaces at about 4-6 inch intervals. Again, I'm not specific, just wanted it to look good.

Step 6. After all the fabric was stapled down, I trimmed the sides up to the edges so they wouldn't be visible once in place.

the fabric in place all tight and pretty

It's strong enough to be put on its' side, YAY!

Isn't it lovely? Yeah, I think so!

Cody checking out the spot where the frame is going to go

All finished, at home in it's place in the middle of the sunniest part of the yard.

I'll update with more pictures once the bed is all filled up. We've got lots of goodies going on this year, many things I haven't tried before, so lots of experimenting going to happen while gardening.

My first ever garden in 2007

2010-04-14T22:23:00.000-04:00

My first garden was done in containers. It was for simplicity (so I thought) and ability to move them for optimal lighting. Containers and potting soil/dirt are quite expensive, that's for sure.

the whole thing, veggies, tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini

my peppers, I love peppers and chili of any variety

my pathetic attempt at zucchini

They all died by the end of the season between squash bugs, caterpillars and my lack of ability

Gorgeous fairytale eggplants, little minis that are varigated, purple/white and taste quite yummy.

Needless to say, this quite simply grew my love of gardening. Feeling quite productive letting nature take its' course.

Junking and antiquing- Part 2

2010-04-13T04:31:00.000-04:00

More junking and hunting with mom, here's some more pieces, not as "shabby chic" as the other pieces I posted about in my earlier post. All goodies are from Gina's Junk Thrift & Antique Shop here in Columbus, GA.

I love this desk- the coloring is perfect for my home decor, would be great as a vanity, desk, a sofa console table, even as a "catchall" table near the front door with a basked underneath it for shoes and stuff we want kept out of sight (but there's no place at this house for this piece). I love the roping type detail along the top of the desk.
Pic from Gina's blog- my pics came out atrocious.

And another one with such a cute curve at the front, I love it.

Here's a great sewing table with the original stool (which I would totally recover with some funky bright fabric).

These are two great dressers, perfect in their own right (pics from Gina's blog), but I could totally seen them in a roughed up kelly green (like this sweet baby at knack studios) or turquoise blue.

Oh chairs, I love chairs. Here's two that would be A-MAZ-ING recovered and some new finish.
This one, it would be in my spare bedroom. Just because.

This one has a matching friend next to it. They aren't necessarily a pair, the color of the fabric is slightly different (maybe one sat near a window and faded??). They would be amazing, together, in a lovely corner near my fireplace, with a reading table. Can't you see it? Mike drinking his coffee and I drinking my protein shake? :)

That is all for now. I'll be back soon with more updates on projects and fun goings on!

Junking and antiquing with mom- Part 1

2010-04-13T00:02:00.000-04:00

I love going junking and antiquing. Many of my little passions like gardening, junking, crafting come from my mom. She's in town visiting, so we did so many of the things both love to do this week. I wanted to take her by one of my little gems I've recently found, Gina's Junk Thrift & Antique Shop here in Columbus, GA. She's got some really great items, and she's always got a great rotating inventory with amazing prices.
I love finding great pieces of things that are shabby, have great bones, sturdy, sometimes that great little chippy paintedness on them. I especially love finding great items super cheap or even free. I find that people throw away perfectly good pieces of furniture because they have scratches, are replaced for newer items or even because they're moving and wanna get rid of them.

Here's a few pieces that I adore:

Not that we're working on having a baby yet, but sanded up and given a great polyurethane coat (so my kid wouldn't eat some paint chips or anything), it would be SO cute in a nursery, maybe with a coat of pink and roughed up a little more...

This piece, I am in LOVE with. I absolutely adore its' primitive design, solid wood, and all old and chippy paint. A little sanding, a little touch ups (but keeping it's chippy charm) and a lovely coat of polyurethane to seal it all in so my cats don't have a field day chipping off the left over paint.
It would be perfect to fit next to my refrigerator, perfect to store my bakeware and large serving pieces/platters that don't fit into my old cupboards that are original to this late 1920's home. Alas, unless it's sitting there after I start working, then it is not meant to be mine... I wonder if I could build this...

And just a couple more pics from Gina's blog:

I would totally take this chair, sand up the legs, bring them to their original white sheen, and paint the seat a lovely watermelon. :)

I would use this for hanging something, like hanging my upside-down tomato plant from my porch.

I think this is a little old fashioned butler's cart, maybe a plant stand. Who knows? But it has total potential!

Jeans, overpriced jeans and how-to fit them.

2010-04-09T00:43:00.000-04:00

$300 jeans trend may be O-V-E-R, Yes, you read that right! Not that I've ever spent more than $60 on one pair of jeans, like ever, but it makes me happy to hear that good, quality denim is coming down in price. :)

Could $300 Jeans Finally Be Over? from StyleList

I truly believe that every single woman should have one, great fitting, jean that makes you feel slim, tall and have a nice ass- even if you're chubby/fat/obese, short (like me) and have a weird shaped/flat ass.

Now, since I'm losing weight, I refuse to spend a crazy amount of money on jeans, I feel that right now, there's just a few staples pieces of clothing that are necessary. This includes a denim jean, dress pant, casual khaki type pant, and maybe a skirt in my current size and a few tops to mix and match is more than sufficient. Tops are easier to get away with when you're between sizes and sometimes, you can still get away with an XL if you might be in a L. But with bottoms, if you're pants are a little too small, they are uncomfortable when sitting down, if they are a little too big, then you have saggy ass all day.

Here's a few Jeans that I particularly like for all shapes:
Old Navy

Gap

Levi's

Lane Bryant

Avenue

And now, there's companies who offer a more custom fit where you can pick and choose the specific assets you like about certain jeans- front and low rise, tightness through hip and thigh, ankle cut (boot/flare/straight/skinny), length (perfect for shorties like me), washes etc. For the perfect fit you may have to spend a little more, but for jeans that fit like a glove without having to try on 100 pairs to find the right one, it just might be worth it!
My true fit, indidenim, and ic3d
There's probably more, but this is just what I've found this evening while looking around quickly.

This company gives discounts if you recycle your old jeans! Azalea Boutique

And, to see celebs in THEIR jeans, check out this blog: Jeans blog. Just great and not-so great pics and good info :)
They also have some great tips for finding the right fitting jean:
Jeans to fit your body shape
Hemming jeans while keeping the original hem style
Jeans and Stretch

gardening

2010-04-05T22:10:00.000-04:00

Moving to a new town and region leads to new types of gardening. My previous gardens had been, at best, basic. Now, I'm looking into making my gardening a little more mature, a little more sustainable and a little more productive throughout the growing seasons. I quite enjoy gardening, but really feel that it definitely is better for the environment, better tasting and quality of foods, and in the long run is actually quite a bit more economical and fiscally responsible once you get the hang of it (after the initial investment).
This weekend, I decided I should go pick up some gardening books at the local library. I live about 1.5 miles from the library and actually enjoy libraries, even if I never get to read all the books I check out. The books I was really looking for weren't available, but I found a few that seem good. I'll post reviews as I go through each one.
It would be my dream to have a greenhouse when we finally settle down and purchase some land, but I don't know if I have the time or ability to properly sustain one throughout the year. Here's a really interesting article I found on Scribd

Building on Traditional Gardening to Improve Household Food

Easter weekend and I was able to RUN!

2010-04-04T23:48:00.000-04:00

This weekend was Easter.

Saturday, we did some random household things but decided to take a walk in the late afternoon. We didn't take Cody because he's limping again, but we took Jake because he really needs the exercise and energy burn. Jake has so much energy, it's insane.

So, we walked over to Wercoba/Lakebottom Park, and I decided I wanted to run. So we jogged/ran a block, walked a couple blocks, ran another block, walked a couple more blocks. I was able to run without wanting to pass out immediately! I couldn't even believe it. My legs felt a little like rubber when we got home, but I was determined to make it from the far end of my street to my house, no matter what my legs did.

Afterwards, I went over to Publix to pick up something special for Easter dinner. All I have in the freezer is chicken and ground beef. Lamb or ham, decisions, decisions. Ham was about less than half the price of the rack of Lamb, so that made the decision for me. I know I've said pork is something I can't eat since surgery, that it doesn't agree with me, but as they say "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again..." and Mike really loves ham on the holidays.

On Sunday, we did more household organizing and chores, I also did a little gardening. Then it was time to make dinner, early, so Mike could hit the road back to training. Only one more week- he's all finished next Tuesday. This is the last time he has to leave me on Sunday night. Thank God!

Holidays are rough for me, I LOVE cooking holiday meals. I love cooking Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, you name the holiday, I want to cook the meal. Since this year it was just Mike and I, I had to plan the meal accordingly. Especially, since I'm the only one here on weekdays, I had to make sure to make just enough so there wasn't mountains of leftovers and waste. I hate wasting food. HATE it and wasting food makes me feel guilty. It's a waste of resources, money, bad for the environment, and there's some starving kids out there that need it. Anyhow, I cut the ham up into three sections, so that we didn't have hella leftovers from one meal and that way I could have two other hams for other occasions or meals. I made a ham, peas/carrots, and a baked sweet potato. It was a good meal, and the baked sweet potato was ALMOST as good as my sweet potato casserole. It was still a LOT of ham for the two of us, but it'll last me a few days. I'll come up with something brilliant for the leftover ham.

Anyhow, Happy Easter friends!

Moved to Columbus

2010-04-02T19:30:00.000-04:00

In February, we moved to Columbus. Mike got a position in federal law enforcement; he started training back in the end of November. He trains at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Brunswick. Right now, he's only able to come home on weekends during training, and now, during Spanish, he only comes every other weekend, or so. His position requires that he be fluent enough in Spanish to interview and interrogate. He had been applying for this position for two years. He left his position as a deputy sheriff for an opportunity he couldn't pass up.

For me, being finished with my internships and leaving St. Augustine is a great thing. I am finally done with school. Finally. There's so many people from my school that are staying in the area, that finding a position that would be fulfilling for me would probably be difficult.

Leaving Florida is really a great fresh start for the both of us.

Taking my board exam

2010-04-02T17:26:00.000-04:00

So last week, I took my OT board exam. I was so freaked out about it and planned on rescheduling at the last minute, until I found out that it would cost $175. I felt like I barely studied, which is honest. I barely studied. At all. I've been in school for three years. Three years. The last time I was in a classroom was over a year ago. An entire year.

So at 3am, the night before the test I called my husband and asked him what to do. He said to do whatever I needed to do, but if I took it, he would be proud either way.
So at almost 5am, I turned in for the night with the plan to wake up at 9am. I woke up about 8:30am and go up, got dressed and started reviewing the little list of things I wrote down when doing a few practice tests.

At 11:30, I left my house to go take the test. I showed up with the complete intention of failing that test. Over 4 hours, I took 3 breaks. I never take breaks during tests, I usually zip right through, answer what I know, go back and guess on the others. I went through the test, answered what I could, marked what I didn't know and moved on. I took a 5 minute break at question 70, about 1:15 into the test, then another, longer break when I got to the end of the test at question 135. Then I finished the test and took one last test 15 minute break and ate a little snack. Then I went through the questions I marked to review, and then went through the entire test to review everything.
Then about 3:40 after I arrived, I was finally finished. UGH. I was exhausted, my eyes were tired and the testing desk was so uncomfortable- they really need some OTs to redesign their testing areas so they are more ergonomic.

Sunday night after my sister and husband left from the weekend, I had my typical insomnia and wanted to check to see what the NBCOT site said while applicants were waiting on their scores. I logged on and it says "PASSED"!!! WHAT?!?! I so could not believe that. They weren't supposed to be scoring it for three more days.

So, it's official, I'm an OTR/L now.

Month three and three month post op appointment

2010-04-01T22:12:00.000-04:00

The third month came along and went well. I was finally getting a hang of things. Mostly getting in my protein and fluids. I occasionally would get sick, food would get stuck because I didn't chew it well enough or my nerves were bothering me.

Here's a post that I posted on facebook about my 3 month post-op appointment on December 18th:

I had my 3-month post op appointment today! All good news. Down 48 lbs!!! (My scale at home says 54 but w/e). The MD said I'm 5% ahead of schedule (goal is 30% excess body weight, I'm at 35%!)... I'm smaller than I was when I got married! I'm feeling so good! Only regret is that I didn't have the surgery sooner!

I started losing a little bit of hair around the 2-3 month mark. It was thinning out, so I decided to cut about 7-8 inches off.

Month two after WLS

2010-04-01T19:02:00.000-04:00

At about 6 weeks post-op, I started vomiting a lot. I couldn't take pills without vomiting those up, dense proteins were tough. I called my surgeon and he scheduled me for an emergency endoscopy.

Scheduling outpatient procedures suck. There's never times that you need them. I just needed something later in the day so I could get a half day of internship in. So I got in about 3 hours of work and then left for my scope.
I got there and sat there for like 3 hours waiting. I was so pissed off. They failed to run a pregnancy test- which there was no possibility of pregnancy, but it's standard when people go under general anesthesia. So, I had to sign some waiver so I didn't have to wait another 2 hours for a pregnancy test. This time, I actually remembered being rolled back for my procedure, which is done in the operation room.

They put my lovely anesthesia and asleep I went.

They did my scope and my surgeon said there was a minimal stricture at my stoma, as well as severe inflammation of my esophagus. The stoma is basically the connection of my new stomach pouch to my intestines. They dilate the stoma with a balloon and it fixes the problem. The inflammation is likely from really hot fluids or cheating and having a few sips of caramel colored pop, or pre-ulcers from stomach acids. So I was put back on Pepcid, and took Carafate for a month.

One month post op appointment

2010-03-31T06:54:00.000-04:00

October 30th, at my one month post op appointment, I was down a total of 23 pounds.
I had a hard time getting in my fluids and protein, still trying to figure things out. Also, getting in exercise, yeah that was a joke.

But I was re-released to go back to internship after getting pulled the week before. He gave me another week off to deal with the school drama, so a total of 5 weeks off technically post op.

Month one after WLS

2010-03-31T03:38:00.001-04:00

The first month after surgery was AWFUL.

In the hospital, I was allowed only clear liquids (see previous post). Then when I went home, I was on two weeks of pureed foods. The idea of pureed proteins sounded so DISGUSTING. Pureed food sucked until I started seasoning it. I also ate Boars Head turkey and roast beef. But around day 10, I NEEDED to chew something. Pureed foods aren't SO bad as long as they are SEASONED. I decided that rotisserie chickens would be the best route to go. They taste good normally, so at least puree chicken wouldn't suck so bad. For fruits and veggies, I ate baby pears, peaches and applesauce. Who knew baby fruit tasted SO GOOD.

Other than the food, I was in so much pain, and had a couple times that I broke down wondering "WTH did I do?!?!", "WHAT WAS I THINKING?!?". Hubby was really supportive and helped me through that whole remorse phase. Here's a post that I posted on OH.

"two weeks post op and have had two times where I have asked myself what did I do. Once was the first weekend when I was in so much pain that I couldn't get out of bed myself and I began having serious bowel issues, and had such a hard time taking care of myself in general. I couldn't even do the most basic tasks for myself. That was a horrible night, but I thank God for my husband because while I was sitting there crying asking "Why did I do this?!" he is telling me to calm down and that I'm just in pain, adjusting, I never like change, and that I did this to get healthy.

Today was my two week post op visit and I literally cried throughout the entire visit. I was so tired- I haven't slept an entire night since surgery. The MD said that burning up the fat releases hormones that make me emotional and cause sleep issues. Also, I'm dehydrated and not getting enough protein, increasing the tired feeling- because I am having a hard time eating and getting enough liquid in.

I think it's only natural to feel a sense of loss- we are changing our lives and really changing the way we do everything."

My career involves helping people be able to perform basic ADL tasks like showering, wiping, dressing. I couldn't do those things for myself. I couldn't even do IADLs like prepping my own food. I didn't have the stamina for the first 10 days.

My incisions were healing well, but of course there was bruising at 5 or so days out.

These are my incisions just before two weeks. Everything healed up, except the one that has an OBVIOUS allergic reaction and the ends opened up and were draining a bit, plus some internal stitches came out a little and needed cutting. A LOT of people say it takes up to a month and longer for surgical incisions to heal up, but I was doing hyperbaric oxygen therapy to increase my healing, help rid my system from toxins and improve overall wellness, see here, here, here, and here is where I received my treatments. I also got glutathione IV infusions to help my system process all the crap that was pumped into it.

Then, at day 19, I tried to start my third internship. The first day, I got so nauseated and dizzy, I had to lay down on the floor. My BP dropped. The next day things went well, but Wednesday, I felt like a Mack truck ran over my body and couldn't get out of bed. Thursday, the school made the decision to pull me from my internship without even discussing it with my supervisor pending additional release from my surgeon. I had already given them two letters of release at this point. UGH. So that pushed my internship back two additional weeks. I was livid. The person at my school stated I was "physically unable to perform the essential functions of an OT". Yeah, right. I had low BP and almost passed out. I could do my job. I could treat patients. Turns out, it wasn't even related to my surgery, it was a reaction to a medication I was taking.

When I returned to my internship, my supervisor was really annoyed with my school and felt that the school's decision to remove me without discussing it with her or her department manager was rude, inconsiderate and completely underhanded. My internship site was VERY supportive about everything. When I looked pale, they suggested I check my BP. When I threw up, they offered me water- which was nice, but doesn't work for WLS people. Anyhow, that internship was a great place to be with the things going on at that point in my life.

Surgery Day and Hospital Stay.

2010-03-29T07:34:00.000-04:00

So, I was called the day before and told to be at the hospital at 9:00 am on Wednesday for my surgery. I stayed up really late, trying to do last minute things, and honestly, I had anxiety and no amount of Xanax was going to make things better.
I woke up, showered with my special body wash (antibacterial). Took my couple prescribed medications that I was authorized to take that AM. Showed up at the hospital, waited for a bit then went back to my prep room.

Here's me on the way in...

Mike had to wear my wedding band because no jewelry is allowed in the OR.

I got my hand IV, and it burned. It really irritated me because the needle was touching the wall of the vein and everything burned going through that. They have to do about an hour or two of fluids plus antibiotics prior to surgery and also begin administering anti-coagulant shots.

I met the anesthesiologist and he gave me two Ativan for my anxiety. Good man. I fell asleep and that's all she wrote.

I was not allowed out of bed alone because I was a fall risk after my Ativans. :)

Yeah, I'm oblivious to the world. And don't you dig my sexy cap? It's a good thing I was out of it because they took my glasses off when they rolled me out of my room. And I'm blind as a bat without them.

After I woke up though, ugh. PAIN. Thank God for a PCA pump. I slept, and slept.

Here's another glamour shot

Then when I woke up... However, except the great drugs, this is probably what I look like on a normal day. :D

About four hours after surgery, I had to do some walking.I refused to walk around without a gait belt or a wheelchair behind me. I know that everything I'm taught in school isn't always what is done in practice, but when you're on a morphine drip, dizziness is just a part of the package. They told me I was overreacting and that I didn't need one, and I continued to argue with them. Then my O2 levels decreased so I needed O2 while I was walking, so they had to have a wheelchair to hook the oxygen on.

This one is my "get the frigging camera out of my face" look.

Later that night I had some breakthrough bleeding and the nurses were total asses about it. I didn't know that could happen. No clue at all. They laughed at me because I didn't want Hubby to help me clean myself up (I couldn't twist very well) and I started crying. They still didn't help me. My husband ended up doing it. And I had to wear a cath for 24 hours post-op, so that thing was in the way too. Then I had a panic attack. Those nurses are jerks. The hospital stay wasn't so bad except for them. They brought my maternity pads and I was like HELL no. I was like give me a chucks or an adult brief for over night. Cause (in my head), that had to be better than those 1" thick pads.

I had to wear a drain as well, so here's me with my drain and my depends in all their glory! I realize now how hilarious that I wanted an adult brief (depends) rather than pads. But it's so absolutely sexy, isn't it?

Here's the nurse doing something. I don't remember if it was draining my drain, giving me another blood thinner shot or removing my cath.

Here's a pic of my "food" and drinks. I had to do medicine cups to get used to not gulping down liquids. (And if you look close enough, you can see my red eyes from crying.

And here's me eating Jello. HAHA. I can't not spill on myself. Even after surgery.

In between sleeping and sipping drinks that were way too cold, and some of the best chicken broth of my life, I would get online. Because, yes, I'm a technology addict and had free wifi.

The next day, they removed the cath (thank God) and the PCA pump (so sad) because I had to get radiographs (X-rays) to make sure everything sealed up properly. I had to swallow some nasty barium contrast stuff to make sure there's no leaks. I was so tired after standing still for like 10 minutes and my body ached. But, all was fine. Then, later on that day, the same snotty nurse told me that I didn't need to be asking for my pain meds every 4 hours. WTH? They are prescribed every 4-6 hours. Anyhow, I told her to shut her mouth and do her job and please bring me pain medication.

Here's what the laproscopic incisions look like from my surgery. I've blacked out the lady parts you just don't get to see.

And one more on my left side near my largest incision, with the bruising from the anticoagulant they shot me with.

Then on Friday, I got to go home. Oh, I was so happy to get back in my bed. See how happy we are.

I was nauseated the whole way home (all 10 minutes). When we got home, I didn't even make it to bed, I fell asleep on the couch and couldn't get up. See my puke bucket next to my head. haha.

Before pictures- they day of surgery

2010-03-29T07:12:00.000-04:00

Here's some before shots. If you're not into seeing fat chicks, then don't look.
I decided to take these in boy shorts because I wanted to really see how nasty my legs looked.

Pre operative testing

2010-03-25T04:59:00.000-04:00

At the very minimum, a Bariatric surgeon should have routine medical testing, psychological testing, blood work, and clearances from cardiologists, pulmonologists and your general practitioner/primary care physician.

I was required to have general blood work drawn and an urinalysis. Basic tests are usually CBC (complete blood count), CMP (complete metabolic panel), PT/PTT (blood clotting), Thyroid function tests, lipid panel (cholesterol), glucose (sugar) panel. For RNY gastric bypass surgery, a H. Pylori blood test is also necessary to make sure this bacteria isn't present in your digestive tract. If so, they do a basic run of antibiotics to clear it up pre-op.

Pre-operative psychological counseling and evaluation are a requirement of all surgeons. I had to complete a Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI, which is a really long test that asks tons of questions, and many of the questions are asked multiple times in different ways to determine if the tester is fudging some of the results. I had my MMPI about three weeks after my first internship, so the psychologist was a little worried about me and some of my answers, needless to say I was stressed and depressed. She still cleared me for surgery as long as I continued to follow up with my psychiatrist to get my depression under control.

The other tests I needed were a respiratory exam and a cardiovascular exam. Since I am rather young for a RNY patient and didn't have co-morbidities contributing to my obesity, these tests were rather simple. My respiratory exam consisted of a chest radiograph (X-ray) and my cardio exam consisted of an EKG. Some people have to have more tests, such as cardiovascular stress tests (either on the treadmill or chemical) and pulmonary exam determines the volume of air your lungs can breath in and out.

A clearance from your primary care physician (PCP), or general practitioner (GP), is also required for surgery. My doctor wrote a letter of medical necessity to assist with my insurance clearance in the beginning, so he was totally on board with my getting surgery and there were no issues with clearances on that front.

So anyhow, these are the things that my surgeon required prior to surgery.

Pre operative food prep and vitamins

2010-03-25T02:52:00.000-04:00

Food prep: I wasn't on a super strict pre-operative diet prior to surgery. Some people have to do two weeks of fluids, shakes and soft mushies in advance. My surgeon only required a realistic program that was laid out in very basic, non-medical terms that any dummy could follow. But honestly, not everyone does what they are supposed to do. I did my best, but altered a bit here and there because of my schedule at that current internship site was varied and lunchtimes and "free time" for snacks varied greatly based on our daily caseload.

Pre-Op Diet Instructions- all information provided to patients from U.S. Bariatric from Flagler Hospital, a Bariatric Center of Excellence and have ASMBS certified surgerons on staff.

You are going to start phase two of the pre-operative diet immediately. Please follow the diet protocol exactly as it is written. The diet is going to be critical in preparing your liver (very, very important for safety) for surgery and decreasing your risk of having to do the surgery open instead of laparoscopically:

Breakfast
•8 oz skim or 1% milk
•½ protein drink
•4 oz fruit
Mid Morning
•Protein drink
Lunch
•6-8 oz low fat, light yogurt
•4 oz vegetable or fruit
Afternoon
•1 oz nuts or 2 tbsp peanut butter or ½ cup beans or hummus
•4 oz vegetable or fruit
Dinner
•4 oz protein
•4 oz vegetable with 1 tbsp olive oil
•½ cup whole grain starch or 1 slice whole grain bread or ½ potato
Evening
•8 oz skim or 1% milk
•½ protein drink
•4 oz fruit

VITAMINS: You must take the following twice daily until surgery: a fiber supplement (5 grams), multiple vitamin, calcium (600 mg), and CoQ10 (50 mg).

My doctor told me to stop taking ALL other herbal supplements and ANY NSAIDS prior to treatment. There are MANY types of OTC vitamins and prescription medications that can cause thinning out and occasionally thickening of the blood, which can cause problems and serious, life threatening problems post-op. After surgery, vitamin requirements will change and the types and compounds in the vitamins will be need to be more closely monitored because many meds will not absorb properly in our system (some irons, some calciums, some B12, most oil based vitamins).

"Be sure to intake 100 ounces of free liquid (water, crystal light, hot tea, diet iced tea, broth, decaf coffee, propel water, sugar free jell-o, sugar free popsicles, etc.) Your fiber supplements and your protein supplements count toward your 100 ounces of fluid."

Their recommendations for protein supplements are as follows: Contains pure whey protein, between 20 & 40 grams of protein per serving, is low fat and has less than 5 grams of total carbohydrates. Many/most ready to drink (RTD) protein supplements have less than 20 g protein, but the mix ones tend to have a little more. The trick is ordering tons of samples because you never know what you're going to like, and then post op, your taste buds change tremendously. I ended up finding Low Carb/High Protein Slim Fast shakes, BUT the problem was that about a month post op, they recalled them and they haven't been on the market since. Boo.

In addition to my mainstream vitamin and food protocol, I added alternative medical stuff. I did some hyperbaric oxygen treatments in preparation for surgery, which I continued following surgery. I did 2-3 dives for 1-3 hours per week for a month prior to surgery. The hyperbaric chamber is so awesome and is one of those experiences that is kind of hard to explain, but the best way to describe it is that a one hour nap in there feels like three hours of sleep. I always feel so refreshed coming out of the chamber. The oxygen chamber is used for all sorts of conditions, including sports injuries, stroke, spinal cord injuries, wound care, Autism, cerebral palsy. Some basic good info can be found here and here. Also, I did glutathione IV infusions to help my liver and system process all the junk out of it. I received both of these treatments from here.

What is RNY and Why would I do it?

2010-03-22T22:48:00.000-04:00

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery is a weight loss surgery that results in creating a small pouch from the stomach and bypassing parts of the intestine from the digestive tract, the duodenum and a portion of the jejunum. This results in drastically restricting stomach size and creates a malabsorptive effect of nutrients and calories. The resulting pouch is about 1-2 oz in size and is connected to the lower (distal) portion of the jejunum. The "remnant" stomach, also called the blind stomach, is closed and left inside the body, where it still remains viable and healthy, although it is no longer used during digestion of food. The part of the intestine removed from the digestive tract is still connected to the remnant stomach and food "bypasses" this area, and is then attached to the ileum to allow the digestive fluids to rejoin the digestive tract lower down the pathway. The body still has bile from the liver and digestive juices and enzymes from the pancreas.
For a further in depth look at RNY gastric bypass, read here, here, or here. The above picture is from wikipedia.com.

The surgery can be done open or laparoscopically, each have their pros and cons. My surgery was laparoscopic, resulting in less scarring, shorter hospital stay, and supposedly quicker healing times.

Why did I chose RNY?

Well, in all blunt honesty. I was super morbidly obese. Yes, that's an official medical term. Morbid obesity is when someone's body mass index (BMI) is above 40, meaning their body is 40% fat. Super morbid obesity is when a person's BMI is 50 or above. I am 5'1" and my highest weight was 267.8. For calculation purposes, I use 268. I was two hundred sixty-eight pounds. Yes, seriously.
I tried multiple diets, and followed an eight month program through my primary care doctor. I ate the same food for 11 weeks: slim fast for breakfast, decent/healthy lunch, small dinners. My lunches were my large meal of the day. Anyhow, I gained weight during those 11 weeks. It sucked and I was mad and frustrated. After I failed my first internship, I needed to take control of my life. Those 11 weeks of internship were the most horrible time of my life. It was a bad experience and I wouldn't wish that environment on anyone. Although it seems insane, this was the way I could control my life. I had to get healthy so I could perform my job at 100% and the extra weight was another obstacle and prevented me from handling stress effectively. I was tired of being fat, I was tired getting so winded, my joints ached at the end of the day. And my doctor I was well on my way for a heart attack by the age of 30. Not to mention, I want to have children and I was not in a healthy place to be able to try to conceive and healthfully sustain a pregnancy. I would be a high risk pregnancy because I WAS OBESE.
I went to the information session, met the primary surgeon for the practice and decided to go through with it. Hubby was very supportive and wanted me healthy too. So that was that. I made the decision. It was scary. I was scared. But I knew I had to do it. I knew Lap-band wasn't a good idea for me because it doesn't restrict the TYPES of foods you can eat. And I needed that severe physiological reaction that would create strict behavior modifications (such as if I have more than 3 bites of cake, I'm on the floor, sick as a dog). But the malabsorptive effect is also a very good point. It helps you lose weight because you can't absort all the calories you take in. So the combination was best FOR ME.
Mike & I, a week prior to surgery.

Me doing some gardening intervention with one of my OT kids about a week or so prior to surgery

Me in August, one month prior to surgery.

Six months later.

2010-03-22T22:04:00.000-04:00

So, the last six months have been quite a ride. It's been nearly six months since I had Gastric Bypass Surgery. My husband got a new job and we've relocated to Columbus, GA. I've completed my internships and was officially finished with school at the end of January. LOTS of changes. Lots.

I'm going to write a series of posts to bring my followers (all 2 of you) up to date with the goings on in my life as of late.

HUGE life decision

2009-09-28T14:48:00.000-04:00

So, I have made a HUGE decision.

I have decided to have weight loss surgery. When I started to write this post, I was still undecided as to which procedure I was going to have, still on the fence, so to speak.

I had been following a diet and been on medication from my physician, and only lost about 8 lbs over 6 months. Which at my size, the weight should have come off a little easier. Yes, there were extraneous factors, such as my practical exit exam and my stressful internship, but with the assistance of medication, I should have lost more weight.

After the drama of failing my first internship, I had about 6 weeks of soul searching to do. I was supposed to be graduating in August. Then my husband and I were going to start a family... all those plans were changed in the instant I found out I was pulled from my internship site. I can rant, rave, scream, and shout about it, but nothing will change the lessons I learned over those 11 weeks and nothing will change the outcome. That was something that was hard to digest.

I kept saying that something had to give, and God would reveal his plan for me. And then I had my monthly weight in/check up with my physician and he said that I was a walking heart attack- that with my weight as high as it is, and with my stress level, I would be having a heart attack by age 30. I'm 27 right now.

Everything flashed through my head, how long I had worked to be an OT, the family I wish to have, my sweet pets, my siblings and their kids, my mother, and my dear husband. I am so sick of being tired all the time, sluggish with all this extra weight. And I'm tired of being worried about my health. I always get sick, which is likely due to me being so overweight and my immune system being so out of wack.

That was the decision maker for me. That wake up call that was so loud it was like a Gong next to my head, and a pitcher of ice water at 5am.

He highly recommended I make the step to call the local bariatric surgeon and go to the open informational session on Thursday pm. The appeals process with school was taking forever, then there was a remediation process (IMO- a personality intervention) that lasted weeks. I knew I wouldn't get another site back to back, and knew I would end up with a long break.

I figured that was the new plan God had for me. The timing couldn't have been any more perfect. My life was in limbo and I needed a new plan.

I started the process for weight loss surgery (WLS).

So that's it... I'm having gastric bypass surgery.

I've waited this week to post the posts that will follow this, as many people have tried to get me to change my mind.

Yes, I am a blogging bum!

2009-08-29T18:26:00.000-04:00

Yes! I know! I should be blogging more frequently. One thing I have realized and learned over the past few months is I lack consistency in most areas of my life.

I am on my pediatric internship affiliation right now, and realized I have 4 weeks left. It would have been three, but I ended up with the flu and missed nearly an entire WEEK! I am absolutely loving my internship. I am learning so much, and am finally gaining my confidence back. I've been working more independently with the kids, figuring out my way of how I am going to be a therapist. Each person has their own style, and it's been interesting to figure out my way with the whole process.

It's been an interesting road, that's for sure.

Please vote for Nancy Marin!

2009-07-13T00:07:00.000-04:00

Please place your vote so that an amazing woman, who is so deserving, can win an awesome makeover in NYC!!

Here's a direct link to her vote page.
http://www.brickfish.com/Pages/PhotosAlbums/PhotoView.aspx?qsi=13388604

The person you are voting for is a chick named Nancy from Florida. She is an Occupational Therapist that works with children with special needs, many on the Autism spectrum and a few with Cerebral Palsy. She is such an amazing person, always giving so much for herself! She even has an adaptive yoga class for some of our patients. She gives so much of herself to these kids, and one of her great tools while working with the kids is that she lets the kids play with her hair. Her hair is one of the tools she uses to help soothe some of kids, who like the feel and texture of her hair. By the end of some days, her hair is a plum mess, but the kids are happy, and that is all that matters to her!

The contest is for the ultimate curly girl weekend in New York which includes a makeover by an amazing stylist who will definitely keep those curls, roundtrip airfare for two to New York, two nights at the W Hotel, two tickets to see "In the Heights", a Broadway play, and a $500 American Express Gift Card and a collection of Ouidad products. And, she will receive the title of "Ouidad Curl Ambassador"!

You can vote more than once per day, per browser, and NO registration required! Takes 2 seconds!! Only one week left to get her to #1! She has gone from 11th place Monday afternoon, to 3rd place!!!!

However, if you can just place one vote, once per day until next Wednesday, it will totally help bring our girl to the top!

Thanks all and I hope our curly girl can win!

And PLEASE Pass this along to friends and family that would be willing to vote!!

Here's a picture of Nancy with one of our little guys- and yes, his parents gave permission to post the picture~

New blog, new name

2009-07-10T23:48:00.000-04:00

I've decided to go ahead and start up a new blog. Mainly for randomness, partly for a new start. I haven't blogged on newlyweds since January, and it was November before that. Most of those posts were about our wedding, random things, and complaining!!!

There's been many changes going on, here in St. Auggie lately. My schooling has had some roadblocks, speed bumps and adjustments. My first internship experience was nothing short of a nightmare. That place was so awful and really broke me, I ended up being pulled early and didn't get any credit for 11 weeks work. I had to appeal to be reinstated back into school. After being readmitted, I had to go through a remediation process with my school, that ended up pushing my second internship back 6 weeks.

I've finally started my second internship, about two weeks ago, and I've started to finally regain my confidence. So anyhow, I'll be blogging at least once a week, all about the same random things as before, a few re-posts (like the pet intros!!), and maybe a little about my internships. But of course, without violating HIPPA laws!!!

So, I guess, raise your glass to a new start.

I'm still alive & 25 random things

2009-01-29T21:13:00.000-05:00

So I'm still alive, just a busy bee... I finish up my exit exams in a week, then I go on internship in another two weeks. YAY!
I got "tagged" on Facebook for this thing and figured, well I might as well post it over here. So here's 25 random thoughts about me:

1. I believe all cats and dogs should be spayed and neutered. People that breed dogs should have a permit to keep their pets with all their breeding parts...

2. I don't like the person I used to be when I was younger- I don't like to talk to people I knew in high school because I am SO not anything like that person anymore. Apparently, I've become a snob.

3. I think that sometimes it takes moving away from everyone and everything you know to grow up and find yourself. I am still finding myself.

4. I want to save the world- one lost soul, one hurt person, one kind gesture, one blunt statement, one stray cat/dog at a time.

5. I am very shy. I just pretend not to be. "Fake it til you make it" is my motto.

6. I ramble when I am extremely tired or nervous. And sometimes both of those make me cry too.

7. I hate when people whistle- I just want to throw a rock into their lips so they can't anymore.

8. I believe everyone should know and practice basic etiquette. The chapter is called "The Kindergarten of Etiquette" in THE book of etiquette (aka the Etiquette Bible). Read here: http://www.bartleby.com/95/35.html

9. I will go out of my way to help people. Even for people that I know don't like me. Helping people is my calling, I can't help it if they suck.

10. I used to sell kitchen knives in people's houses while I was in college. Cutco RULES!! I did pretty well at it because I believe in the product (and still do!)

11. I speak my mind way too much, and sometimes it gets me in trouble or offends people. I just blurt out whatever I'm thinking.

12. I love my dogs and cats so much, it is borderline obsessive. I'm like one of those paranoid parents... but about my pets, and maybe a little co-dependent. I miss my animals when I'm not home all day.

13. One of my biggest fears is that I am going to be a awful mother one day.

14. I consider myself an expert at very few things. I like knowing a little bit about a lot of things, that way I can always participate in any conversation at a party... well if I was the type of person to go to parties. :)

15. I really hated my wedding... it was nothing like I expected and everything I didn't plan for. Please don't ask me about it... I'll go on for HOURS. But my husband had such a great time and was so happy, that's all that really matters!

16. I have a huge family on my mother's side, over 100 1st and 2nd cousins from 9 aunts & uncles (not including their spouses)... I recently found out in the last year that I have a huge family on my father's side too! That's why I'm such a loudmouth.

17. I hate the lottery and think that anyone that gambles or plays it is just dumb. Period.

18. I hate being late, but I'm always late anyway. When I try to be early, I'm just later. It's pathetic and in my genes.

19. People that park like crap drive me crazy. I used to write notes and stick them on their cars to let them know people think they suck at parking.

20. I think people that get a second DUI should have to pay to have a breathalyzer installed into their car ignitions and be required to keep it in place for at least a decade. Okay, I get the first one may be a stupid mistake, but a second time, well, that's just the sign of a flat out idiot.

21. I hate to read anything with chapters... I prefer magazines, they take up less attention and brain power.

22. I love my friends so much, they become my family. I am fiercely loyal to my friends, no matter what.

23. Tequila is my favorite liquor... Not Jose Cuervo, that crap is like drinking bleach. If you buy the right kind, it goes down smoothly, and there shouldn't be a hangover the next day (which is why I was able to make it through my wedding!).

24. I start way too many projects and don't finish half of them. Most of that stuff is in my spare bedroom or my laundry room... piled up. People have junk drawers, I have rooms.

25. My husband proposed to me while I was cooking sloppy joes. :) It really was a good moment, perfect for us.

No privacy online

2008-11-16T18:54:00.000-05:00

Yeah, keeping a blog isn't really maintaining ultimate privacy, but I really was quite disturbed when I read this link. To sum it up, you basically can enter your address and find your neighbor's You Tube account and videos.

Those of you that know me IRL, know I hate my neighbors across the street for a million reasons. Now I'm going to have to go and make my videos private.

history tonight

2008-11-04T22:55:00.000-05:00

I'm blogging in the middle of the electoral count, just as the state of California has closed their polls. Tonight is a historical night, no matter who wins. This is the first time in the history of our country that a Black man has a shot at being president. And no, I won't say AFRICAN American. Because he is an American first. Of African decent second.

So, off my soapbox and back to the television I go.

cannot wait until NEXT Wednesday

2008-10-27T00:38:00.000-04:00

I'm not a political blogger. Shit, I hardly keep up with my blog! But GOSH I cannot wait until next Wednesday. The day AFTER the election. Because then these stupid phone calls, idiotic surveys, and STUPID people sharing THEIR opinion without regard to others opinions and viewpoints. There's just a few things people aren't supposed to discuss. Politics, money and religion. And for some, sex and sports are included in there as well. :)
And no, I won't tell you who I'm voting for.

lemme tell you a secret

2008-10-19T17:55:00.000-04:00

I'm going to tell you really gross secret... I have gnarly dandruff.

And my head itches like crazy on top of it too, so not only do I have snowflakes, they fall whenever I rub or mess with my head- which is really freakin often.
I've tried everything to get rid of it... Neutrogena T/Gel, Selsun Blue, Olive Oil soaks rubbed on my scalp, Aloe Vera (from the freaking plant), lemon juice, listerine, Pert Dandruff Control, T-Sal(salicylic acid treatment), Body Shop brand Melaleuca dandruff shampoo (at 14 per bottle)... anyhow you name it, I've tried it.

So short of shaving my gorgeous hair and rubbing canola oil directly on my scalp, I just was suffering through it. Then, about a month ago, I read this post and then this one and decided that I had nothing to lose. Except a co-pay to the doctor because I'm just about that desperate to get rid of this nastiness (and not to mention it makes me look like I have poor grooming skills).

Here's my next try at getting rid of dandruff flakes:

Why isn't it good enough for me? Hmmm... well, I use it on my pets when I give them baths (who doesn't love that just out of the bathtub baby smell???- you know you agree!)... Anyhow, I had some baby shampoo lying around from a visit from my sister and her kids, so I figured it was worth a try. After all, I tried everything else.

Believe it or not, baby shampoo pretty much has worked. I still HAVE to use products (damn curly long hair) and conditioner, so my scalp tends to accumulate them. But I am using baby shampoo every other day, with no product usage (except water) on my off-wash days. At least I can wear a dark shirt without feeling like a complete nasty person.

Happy Birthday sisterly

2008-10-18T23:35:00.000-04:00

Today, my sister turned thirty- yup that's the big 3-0. So, rather than a cute loverly long post about how awesome she is, what a super sister she is, how proud I am of her (for a million reasons she knows that I won't share with you all in cyberland), how smart she is, that she kicks ass while saving lives, and what a great mother she is, I just wanted to say Happy Birthday Meow!

Cats get a bath...

2008-10-14T00:47:00.000-04:00

Am I the only person who gives my cats a bath on a regular basis?

Luke, he's mostly white, and is outdoor/indoor... Mia, well, she's lazy and doesn't clean her business like cats should. Lola plays in water, so that's not an issue.

Luke and Mia HATE baths... Luke flat out bit me a good 4 times!

just hi

2008-10-05T12:52:00.000-04:00

School is taking over my life again and the DIY projects have somewhat halted to a snail's pace and everything else... well by the wayside as well.

So a little update on the funny little stray cat we took in... She's settling in well, gets along with both of the cats and sleeps with Cody on his dog bed at night- that is, when she isn't sleeping on my stomach or back.

Here's a recent pic of Lola and Mia.
(please ignore the atrocious mess of a desk in the picture... we were switching to a mid century one we found on the side of the road for FREE! And it's so much prettier!)

redneck hottub

2008-09-30T23:49:00.000-04:00

Okay, this is a totally random how-to...
I was dared to make this on a random drunk night with some friends... and she totally didn't remember even talking about this... hahaha. But we made it anyway... because I'm just like that!

Step 1: Get pick up truck.

Step 2: Tape tarp in place around bed of truck.

Step 3: Fill with water (I used two hoses from two spigots at my house)

Step 4: Get the water system working.
Tape hose to pump system (this is the fancy version)- we used a koy pond sized one. Retape a few times to make sure there's no leaks.

Step 5: Build fire-- this wasn't hot enough so we used the little camping grill I had lying around. We taped the hose to a copper pipe and sat the pipe directly above the fire, the idea was that the water would absorb heat through the pipe on the fire.

Step 6: Wait about 2 hours for heat to actually work. Now, if you have time in the morning, filling it early will allow the sun to help... I, on the other hand, woke up around 1-ish, so I missed prime sun heating time (10a-2p).

Step 7: Enjoy!

Gray's Anatomy is back!

2008-09-25T11:31:00.000-04:00

Totally random and so not even a how-to, but I can't wait until tonight!
Grey's anatomy is back!

dear santa

2008-09-17T14:35:00.000-04:00

Dear Santa,
For Christmas, I would really, really, like one of these,
that way I can really have a piece of toast with Jesus' face on it

Scan Toaster: the USB toaster that prints news, weather and snapshots onto slices of toast, by Sung Bae Chang, Sejong University, South Korea. One of the nine finalists of the Electrolux Design Lab competition 08. This global design competition challenges industrial design students to develop the appliances of the future. This year's theme was appliances for the i-generation that is three to five years out. The Electrolux Design Lab final was held in Zurich.

Pic from here

yummy homemade mac n cheese

2008-09-14T19:06:00.000-04:00

I really have nothing much going on these days, just back in school and slowly working on my to-do list. So today, I'm going to share my yummy homemade mac n cheese recipe passed along and adapted from my 2nd ma.

Yummy Homemade mac-n-cheese

1 box (lb) elbow macaroni or other shape you like
1 tsp salt (to the water while cooking)

2 tbsp butter
1/2 small onion
1 clove garlic
1tsp flour
3/4 cup milk (I use low fat)
2 cups cheese of your liking- I use a combination of Muenster, Monterey Jack, Cheddar and American and sometimes add Parmesan and Mozzarella. Cubes, shreds or torn slices work fine.
pepper to taste

1/2 cup Bread crumbs or old stale croutons (crushed)

Boil Water & cook pasta to AL DENTE' instruction according to package. Toss salt for seasoning in the water when you toss in the pasta.

While the pasta is cooking, chop 1 onion (small coarsely) and 1 clove garlic and saute in butter until onion is transparent. Add flour, stir for 30 sec until flour is golden brown. Then add milk immediately and whisk until smooth. (Make sure the milk is ready to pour so the flour doesn't burn.)
Add the cheese slowly, about 1/4 at a time, continuously whisking and stirring.

Pour pasta (when strained) into a baking pan/dish. If you like cheesey pockets of yumminess, add about 1/4 cup cheese not melted (set aside) to toss into it. Then add cheese sauce, pepper to taste (no more than 1 tsp), and 1/2 the breadcrumbs or croutons into the macaroni. Then top with the rest of the breadcrumbs. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes to brown the breadcrumbs.

Enjoy!

got a new ride

2008-09-06T02:26:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts this week all, classes started back and we were still on the great car search!

First big purchase as a married couple- our first new(er) car. New to me!
Its an '05 Ford Escape... yes we were looking for a car, but with the huge "gas scare" no car salesman was just selling 4-dr sedans in our price range. But then hubby and I talked and kind of agreed that a smaller SUV would get the same gas mileage as a slightly older sedan anyhow and would be better for our dogs and trips to the beach~ I was slightly disappointed when we had to walk over a mile to find a good spot for our pups to get a good run this week because the sand was too soft for the rental to drive on it.

We went to look at a Trailblazer (one of my girlfriends has one) that we saw the night before, and it was sold. I was sooo pissed b/c there had been about 4 other vehicles we had gone to look at that were either sold or something was so wrong with them, it was a waste of gas to even go look at them! The guy was like if you see it, then buy it then, cause it's not going to be here for long! Then I remembered a cute Ford Escape that was on the lot that I liked even when we were there looking at cars.

So we took it for a test drive (with the dealer) who tried to sell us on the car the whole time, and I'm like I RESEARCHED THESE before dude... When we got back to the dealership I was like please give my husband and I a few minutes to talk.
As soon as the guy was out of the car, I was trying to weigh pros and cons (like always) and hubby was like "just tell me you like it because I so want it!" So I get on the line and have oldest sister pull me up a kelly blue book value on it, NADA, etc so we can get to negotiating.

FYI- for the future car buyers... buyer beware about financing and packages from the dealer... here's a price comparison chart: (click to make bigger)

They get you in that finance office and want to "beat" your deal that you get from your own bank and start talking numbers and convincing you it's a bad idea to tap out your bank resource for financing in case of an emergency (wasn't needing a new car exactly that emergency???). And throwing all that- it only increases your payment X dollars... and I'm like WHAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE PRICE FELLA! Then they try sooo hard to keep you after 5pm so you can't just drive down to your own bank and get a check for the purchase... grrrrrr I just wanted to get out of there.

Also, buying in St Augustine saved us 1% on taxes when purchasing (6% in St John's county and 7% in Duval).

So here's the first pics (I'll update when it's sunny after Hannah passes us!)