Information Overload, Type-A Style

Almost 80 business cards collected...

Sessions about blog design, coding, vlogging and more...

Long time friends finally met and hugged in person...

Some very special new friends made (maybe even a few lifelong type ones found)...

Made some incredible connections with sponsors and brands...

Got to see some of my favorite bloggy friends for the first time this year...

1 migraine, 1 weird window breakage in the WellsFargo building next door, 8 blue line train rides, many amazing meals, and 2 stories  that beg to be told (have to figure out how)...

The Type-A Parent Conference was amazing and I can't say enough good things about the organizer extraordinaire, Kelby Carr. I have about a million posts to write, a ton of people to email, and about half a million blogs to read and twitter accounts to follow. I just can't do it yet because I am in complete information overload and need to process things. Hope to have my first real Type-A post for you tomorrow...late-ish.

Down in the Dumps

These past few days, I've been feeling a little out of sorts...not depressed, not even sad, just out of sorts...and I'm not sure why. Things have been going well. My oldest son is finally healthy again. It feels good to have kicked that 2 month migraine in the ass. It's only 2 weeks until school is out for the summer and we have a lot planned.

I have a plan mapped out to get Marty up to speed so he can start tenth grade in the fall despite his medical issues this year. We also have a lot of fun summer activities planned despite Marty needing to do school work this summer. The week after school is out, the boys and I will be heading to my parents' house. Gabe is going to be attending Agapé day camp and Joey will be helping my mom to teach swimming and possibly going to a week of sports camp while we are at my parents' house. Joey's going to Boy Scout camp at Camp Raven Knob and (hopefully) BMX bike camp.We've even managed to structure our summer so Marty still gets to go to the big Lutheran youth gathering in New Orleans this summer. Unbelievably, I also have things to look forward to. In less than a month, I get to head to Charlotte for the Type-A Conference and, towards the end of the summer, I'm heading to New York for BlogHer.

Despite having all this to look forward to, I'm just not feeling upbeat. I feel kind of unsettle and not very content...sort of overwhelmed. It may just be the exhaustion talking...Gabe has had a few really rough nights lately. Maybe it's the fact that my best friend is pregnant and my baby craving has come back full force and, medically, we're not in a position to try to conceive and we may never decide to go down that road again. Who the hell knows what is causing this funk but I really want it gone.

So, to sum it up, I'm in a funk and I need amusement. Anyone have anything funny to share?

Random Shit and a few questions...

I heard the BEST quote from a most unlikely source. Vic and I were watching Web Soup on G4tv and, after watching someone commit an epic fail (preserved forever on the net), the host said, "Warning, ideas in your brain may seem more awesome than they actually appear." LOVE IT!

Speaking of hearing, my hearing is back to normal. I was right and I had an ear infection. I tried to let my body fight it off by itself (wanted to minimize antibiotics usage if I could) but that didn't work. 2 days of good old amoxicillin has done the trick though.

Joey's African Dwarf Frog has a name. Joey is the proud owner of a frog named Bacon. My sis Jen said he needs another frog to keep Bacon company and we should name it Eggs.

Under my D is for Dragons post, Barb asked if I had ever been to Dragon Con. Sadly, I have been deprived of that joy to this date. Not only would a trip to Dragon Con feed my love of dragons but it appeals to my geeky side. Also, Barb asked if I had read Dealing With Dragons. That's another no Barb.  Is it a good book? Do you recommend it?

I made peanut butter and banana cookies today. I loved the flavor but I'm not happy with the texture yet. They are too cakey. Guess I'll play with the recipe soon. All I have to do is hide a bunch of bananas from my kids long enough for them to become overripe.

I also made some delish Cheddar Onion bread to go with our spaghetti and meatballs tonight. I've used the basic bread recipe before and it didn't rise enough that time. I had to double the yeast but it turned out perfectly.

I know not all of you enter to win the Eden Fantasy gift cards when I post them. For those of you who do, when I decide to keep the gift cards, would you be interested in an "adult" crochet item as a prize instead (think the sperm items, a mini boob key chain, the crocheted condom)?

What are you interested in me posting about? Do y'all want geeky type stuff like how to embed links and bold face things in your comments? Do you want crafty stuff? Got questions you want answered? Anything?

Monday Miscellany

I know I saw that title somewhere recently but I can't remember where to give credit where credit is due...sorry.

Welcome, welcome to all my old friends and to any new ones I may make during ICLW. I'm going to do my very best to have a great week commenting and visiting a bunch of blogs but my best intentions seem to get derailed lately. So, to kick off ICLW, here's a bunch of random stuff (Sorry, my brain is still too addled by germs and the time of night for much else).

I am still sick...boooo hiiiisssssss. I have a lingering cough that I just can NOT shake.  What makes this all the more frustrating is that next weekend I am suppose to go camping with Joey and his cub scout den. I really need to be well before then.

I stuck with it and finished The Lake of Dead Languages by Carol Goodman. This was the book I mentioned on Friday that I was having trouble focusing on because by chapter 5 I figured out who the bad guy was and another major plot twist. I am really glad I stuck with it because there was so much more going on in that book than I had realized.  It was definitely worth reading and I may have to look up some of the author's other books.

I've been being all crafty and stuff lately. For those of you who hang around a lot, I know I promised you pictures of Sheila's quilt but I've been having camera issues (as in it is still MIA) but she's going to email me some pics so I can share the splendor she is creating. Also, I made a Pi necklace...the one with the beads not the numbers. I'm going to have to make at least two more because my mom wants one and Joey wants one too. Also, do y'all remember my post about the adult themed crochet designs? Well, a dear friend requested a Beanis (the first crocheted item in the post) in the most inappropriate colors I could think of. I just finished her Beanis the 18 inch Penis and it has a bright red head, a blue/red shaft, and balls in varying shades of blue. She says she's going to display it in her china cabinet. And, I am crocheting a fabulous pair of gloves. It kind of sucks that I'll have to wait until next winter to wear them but it gives me time to get the design to work correctly.

I'd also like to ask for continued prayers for the family friend with pancreatic cancer...only, now we are back to not knowing if it's cancer or not. The doctor's at Duke couldn't decide if it was but wanted to start her on chemo and radiation just in case (because pancreatic cancer is such a bitch to treat). Well, that logic didn't sit well with her and she went off to Johns Hopkins for a consult with the two top pancreatic cancer specialist. Well, even they couldn't decide if it was cancer from the scans (and they even called in a whole team of specialists) so she is going up to Johns Hopkins this week to have a biopsy done. Evidently, there are a multitude (I think they said 11) of variations on pancreatic cancer and they all require their own specialized approach to treatment. So, hopefully the biopsy will not only tell them if the two masses on her pancreas are cancerous or not but, if they are, which variation needs to be treated.

On a lighter note, I am hosting a uPrinting giveaway of 100 custom printed postcards. Please enter.

Also, if you like to read, check out the info about my 2011 Book Challenge and, if it sounds interesting, click on the sign up page tab under my header. The more, the merrier.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly...

The Good...

• Joey found my keys which have been missing for a while.
• Marty took over cooking dinner tonight.
• My mom is going to be in town Saturday and is going to take us to dinner and out for ice cream.

The Bad...

• I've spent all day coughing but thought I was feeling better.
• My mom was originally going to come today but didn't get out of work as early as she was suppose to.

The Ugly...

• I still feel like SHIT. I let my medicine wear off because I thought I was doing better. I was sadly mistaken. The minute the tylenol/motrin was out of my system, my fever went back up and I started shaking. (which is why Marty took over cooking and an additional reason we are going to see my mom Saturday instead of today). I am sitting here in gorgeous 66 degree weather and have a thick fleece hoodie on.

Make me smile,  help entertain me...tell me something happy or funny.

A Baffling Case of the Blogging Blahs

Y'all might have noticed that I haven't been posting or commenting with my normal fervor (jeez, self-important much?). I'd like to say I had a good excuse like running away to the Bahamas with my pool-boy Raoul or inheriting from a long lost relative and using the money to jet off to Paris.  Sadly, it's nothing that exciting.  I think a good dose of an extra busy schedule + dealing with a recalcitrant laptop = a great big case of the blogging blahs. I've been reading a bit and trying to keep up with what's important (I know there have been two ALI babies born) but I've been a total slackard when it comes to commenting and showing my support to all of you wonderful people. I'm still suffering from the blogging blahs but I need to get myself out of my writing slump. So, I'm going to get off my ass and give y'all the general life update I've been promising and then I'm going to ask a favor.

My little family went through a pretty big change right around the end of 2010. My husband's job situation changed. To understand why this change was made, I have to give you the back story. A few years ago, Vic became the 911 director in a little local town. Now, as most of you know, Vic was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes right after Gabe was born. Some Type 2 diabetics have a fairly easy time controlling their disease...a little diet change, maybe a little bit of meds, and all is well.  That was not Vic's situation. Vic falls on the extreme end of insulin resistance. Nothing except meds and a bunch of them stood a snowball's chance in hell of controlling his diabetes. Now, as Vic's endocrinologist explains it, if they live long enough, all type 2 diabetics will eventually reach the point where they require insulin shots and not just oral meds to control their diabetes. Well, once again, Vic fell into the short end of the odds and, in January '09, his pancreas decided that since his body was rude enough to not use the insulin it made then there was no reason to continue producing it. Although he is still technically a Type 2 diabetic, he is completely insulin dependent (with his huge heaping helping of insulin resistance on top of it). As most medical people know, stress can affect blood sugar levels. And, for my husband, the office work of being 911 director was much, much more stressful than actually being on the console and dispatching calls. As the past 2 years went by, Vic started noticing that on the days he was in the office, his blood sugar would go through huge spikes and it was taking more and more insulin to control them (not good when you already have to take enough insulin that it could drop an elephant in it's tracks)...so much insulin that it was affecting his ability to do the job to the best of his ability. However, on the days he had to fill in on the console, his blood sugar levels were much more stable and he avoided having to take extra doses of insulin. So, after much soul searching and a little bit of beating his type A personality into submission, Vic decided for the sake of his family and his health, he needed to step down as the 911 director. Since the beginning of the year, Vic has been working as senior telecommunicator (dispatcher) and it has done wondrous things for his blood sugar levels. In the past month, his blood sugar was only above 200 on two occasions and, even with dropping his evening dose of Lantus (an insulin type) from 170 units (see, I told you it was enough to drop an elephant) to 100 units, there have been many mornings when his blood sugar was on the low end of acceptable. Yeah, the step down in position has meant a bit of a pay cut but it is helping Vic's health immensely and that is worth more than any amount of money you can mention.

In addition to all the changes with Vic's job, there is all the normal kid based craziness going on. There have been multiple birthday parties to attend. School events to fit into our schedule. I've got the paperwork to register Gabe for kindergarten (GULP...he can't be that grown up already). Joey is testing for his deputy black belt in Tae Kwon Do this weekend so we've had a lot of prep work to do for that. And, Marty is turning 14...holy shit how did THAT happen?

So, now to the favor. When I get the blogging blahs, I tend to flounder around searching for topics. So, can y'all please ask some questions, suggest some topics, or even suggest something or someone I should feature. Help this bitch out...I'm declaring a HaBO emergency.

*In response to battynurse's comment, that is only one of the types of insulin Vic is on. He takes three different types.

Brilliance Personified

My husband seriously rocks.  I mean he really, really does. I'm writing this post on the LAPTOP formerly known as the dead 'puter. Vic fixed it...and he did it without spending a single penny. Turns out that all the problems this poor baby was having were due to the half-assed repair job (or possibly work by an unnamed IT department) someone did on it. The hard drive was only being held in by one screw...one out of three.  That means every time you twitched a muscle, the hard drive moved and it couldn't do anything it was suppose to do. The most wondrous thing about this discovery is that, since the hard drive doesn't have to be replaced, we can upgrade the RAM and give this baby some serious speed...woot woot!

Since the laptop is back among the living, I can post whenevah I want...YAY!

Thanks to my honey I am no longer in laptop withdrawal.

Random Shit and Nonsense

Pet Peeve...why, oh why would you assign your pupils a research product and not teach them HOW to research? Teaching them to research is MORE than saying "Go to Yahoo, the CIA Factbook, or Wikipedia and find the information." You need to teach them the importance of key phrases and actually reading the paragraphs...not just picking out the facts in bold print.

It bothers me greatly when I hear a highly educated, fairly eloquent person say aks instead of ASK. When said person is a university professor and she repeatedly says aks in the course of her "Welcome to our Science Program", it feels like finger nails being dragged across a blackboard.

According to Gabe, noodles are naked because they are nude.

A friend and I have discovered that despite wrapping boxes, labeling boxes, and placing boxes by the front door, those aforementioned boxes will not go to the post office and mail themselves.

I got three pairs of beautimous shoes from CSN Stores. They are simply gorgeous and I can't wait to review them for you.

All of the shoes fit perfectly but, I have to put off wearing two of the pairs. Evidently, I wrenched my ankle a bit when I fell on our icy hill. My ankle isn't bothering me when I wear flats or low heels (up to 2 inches) but my gorgeous loves with their 3+ inch heels cause my right ankle to call me semi-dirty names. Soon my lovelies, soon!

I am sadly behind on two things important to me...my annual book challenge and the Brass Balls award. I promise they will both be taken care of before the end of the week. If you are going to take part in the book challenge, start keeping track of your books. I've already read 7 books.

My *SBC Jennifer rescued me tonight. Vic had to work and Marty had to go to an orientation meeting for a science program he is participating in at NC State University. Dear Jennifer came over after a long day dealing with bank stuff and kept my younger two company. I am so lucky to have someone like Jennifer in my life.

Marty had a teenage moment earlier today. I almost had to kill him but then I didn't.

One of Marty's friends sent me a Facebook friend request. Normally, I wouldn't hesitate to accept but my blog posts cross post on Facebook and certain things I talk about would totally wig out but Marty's friend and the friend's mom.

A baby born recently to an ALI community member is in the ICU on a vent. Say some prayers for her (will let you know the identity as soon as I have permission).

Tell me something random going on in your life.

*SBC = sister by choice

Random and scattered...

Not only does the kitten climb the Christmas tree but he sleeps in it. Evidently, he has spent a considerable chunk of time in it because he has a sticky, tree sappy spot on his flank.

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Just got a text message that made me grin from ear to ear. I made a dress for someone based solely on measurements, she got it today, and she LOVES it. I am thrilled. Hopefully, I will have pictures to show you of it soon.

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I'm adjusting to Vic being back on night shifts. It's not horrible anymore but it's not wonderful. On the plus side (and this is a HUGE plus), since he has been out of the office and back in front of a 911 console, his blood sugar levels have been much better.

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It's going to be a weird Christmas, schedule -wise. Vic will be working those nights but we will be able to open presents together Christmas morning.

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Remember that quilt I was talking to y'all about? It is about 90% assembled and I will hopefully have the machine quilting done by the weekend and next week I can start the hand quilted motifs (a leaf, a squirrel, a turkey, an acorn, a pumpkin, and either a corn on the cob or an apple).

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Go over to Wistfulgirl's World and sign up for the ornament exchange. I'm making some absolutely FAB ornaments for the person I get matched with.

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Anyone want to go climb up on my roof with me so I can have help putting up the Christmas lights and fixing the spot around the fan vent that is letting in water? I can do it but I get very nervous on the part of the roof with the steep slope.

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What are you baking for Christmas this year?  I make Spritz, sugar cookies, rum balls, and fattigman (a Swedish version of gingerbread).  I also make coffee cake.  I'm debating adding a new, fun cookie to the mix but I just can't decide.  And, no, all the baking isn't just for us.  When I was little, my mom use to bake up a storm and take plates around to friends.  I do that now and I try to always have a plate of goodies to take to our local fire station for the guys that are stuck on duty Christmas Eve.

Return to the land of the living

Can any of you explain to me why the same cold that barely slowed Gabe down has been seriously kicking my ass? I think their must be a cosmic rule somewhere that says if a cold doesn't incapacitate a preschooler then it has to seriously beat down the adults. With massive amounts of sleep, a bit of theraflu, and a few days under my belt, I think I've recovered enough to return to my blogging adventure in full force.

Until today, I got very little done this weekend. Today, we did get out today and bought Gabe some much needed shoes (omg, he has grown so much) and bought our Christmas tree. I had planned on putting up our outdoor lights this weekend but the little bit of snow and the north wind that has been whipping today convinced me to wait a few days. We did get our tree up and we're giving it a day to let the branches settle out so we can fully cover it with ornaments.


Butterball has decided to help out a bit and is adding his minuscule weight to the job at hand...

I think this is going to be an interesting Christmas season and I hope we don't lose too many ornaments to the Butterball express.  So far he's been up the tree 3 times in just a few hours.

I also did one of my least favorite household tasks.  I sorted through Gabe's drawers and pulled out everything he had out grown and unpacked the clothes that are one size up. Most of his clothes are size 6s but that means he either has to have an adjustable waist or a belt. Hehehehe, even with an adjustable waist, one of his pairs of pants was almost still to big. You know how the adjustable waist pants have the elastic with button holes in it?  Well, I took it all the way in to the 11th button hole on the both sides.  There was still a little more give than completely necessary in that waistband. Speaking of Gabe, can y'all stop by the post below and wish him a happy birthday? It would mean a lot to me and it would just give him the biggest thrill to see all the birthday wishes.

So, have you decorated for the holidays? Have you finished your shopping? What's your favorite gift you've picked out for someone?  Inspire me please.

The Best Laid Plans...

For a number of years, I have always brined my turkey.  It produces such a moist, delicious turkey even with a *frozen turkey. Even if I bought a fresh turkey (which sadly isn't in the budget), I would still brine it. Yes, brining is that fabulous. When working with a frozen turkey, the easiest way to brine it is to combine the brining and the thawing.  Break out a cooler that is big enough to contain the turkey, put the turkey in it,  mix up the brine, cover the turkey in the brine, and add ice. The idea is to keep the brine at a fridge temperature. That way you are essentially thawing the turkey in the fridge and brining it at the same time. The turkey needs to be taken out of the freezer and put in the cooler either Sunday or by Monday morning at the latest so it will thaw all the way.

I followed all these rules.  The only thing I did differently this year was adding a turkey breast to the cooler.  You can never have enough turkey cooked. Soooooo, last night I figured I'd do a quick check on the turkey. I opened the cooler and saw no ice cubes but the water was still pretty cold so I thought "Excellent, the turkey should be well on its way to being thawed." I was so wrong.  I looked a little closer and realized that while the ice cubes had melted, they had reformed into a solid block of ice around both the turkey and the turkey breast.  I had to drag the cooler to the sink, put my hands into the "OMG that's fucking cold" water, haul that big ass block of ice (22 lbs of turkey + a large butterball turkey breast + ice) out of the cooler and chip it away.  Thank God I checked on it last night or I would have been totally screwed when it came to preparing dinner.

Speaking of turkeys, I got a great turkey recipe in my email yesterday.  Take a look and tell me what you think...

 Ingredients:
1 whole turkey
1 large lemon, cut into halves
salt and pepper to taste
butter or olive oil, whichever you prefer

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Rub butter or oil over the skin of the turkey until it is completely coated. 

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and any other seasonings you prefer.

Take a knife and gently separate the skin from the breast meat;  

 Slide  lemon  halves  under  the  skin  with  the  peel  side  up, one on

each side.  This way the  juice from the lemon will release into the breasts.

Cover and bake for 30-45 minutes.   Remove cover and continue

to roast until juices run clear, basting every 15-20 minutes.

If you've followed these steps correctly, your turkey should  

look like the one in the picture.

Bon Appetit!

Happy Thanksgiving y'all!

Like A Chicken

I feel like I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off today. Gabe had a fabulous time at the birthday party he went to. T's mom has my undying admiration because she actually managed to organize that gaggle of 4 and 5 yr olds and had them playing games. She also had a clown their who did a cute little magic show, told corny jokes that had the little guys howling with laughter, and did face painting.

When I got home, I ran right back out and picked up the last of the cub scout popcorn we needed to fill our orders. Then, I baked the cake which tastes delicious but it rose a little oddly. Luckily, that is an easily fixable problem. I also started really looking at a map of Greece (what Joey originally said he wanted on his cake) and decided that all the islands and bays and what not would be a royal pain in the ass to render on a cake. I mean, I could do it but it wouldn't be fun in the time frame I have left. So, I convinced Joey to let me go ahead and do a test run of the helmet ancient Greek helmet design. 

Once I finished baking the cake, my kids had this demented notion I actually needed to cook dinner and feed them. Hmmmph, the nerve of them. I got them back though. After dinner, I cracked the whip and made them clean a bit. Luckily, there wasn't a huge amount of cleaning to do and we were still able to get the kids into bed on time. Since they went to bed, I put the first layer of icing on, made the rest of the icing, and now, I'm talking to y'all.

Gonna finish it all in the morning because right now my bed is calling.

Whatcha doing?

So y'all, what are you guys doing this weekend? This is going to be a pretty busy weekend for us.  Tomorrow, Vic has to work a 12 hr shift from 6a to 6p.  While he is at work (oh joy), Gabe has his first non-family birthday party to go to. Gabe's buddy T from preschool is having his 5th birthday party tomorrow and Gabe is so excited about going. I also have to do a little cleaning and bake a cake because we are having Joey's family birthday party on Sunday. I can NOT believe my boy is going to be 10 (on Monday, the 15th). We are doing the family party on the 14th because my nieces and my sis who live way over on the South Carolina side of Charlotte, NC will be around. Joey's birthday party with friends won't be until next weekend because two of his best buddies are out of town this weekend. Yeah, that means 2 parties and 2 cakes. Oh yeah, that's something else I have to do tomorrow...bake and decorate Joey's birthday cake. Joey has become obsessed with mythology, particularly Greek mythology and Joey has asked for a cake with a picture of Greece on it. It shouldn't be too hard as long as I have the cake baked and cooled before dinner tomorrow. On Sunday, we have Sunday school and church. We'll at least make it to Sunday school but church may go by the wayside if I'm behind schedule for the party. I have a feeling I'll be ready to collapse on Sunday night but it promises to be a fun weekend.

So spill it...whatcha doing this weekend?

Random Bits

Lots of little tidbits to share but none of them are worthy of a full post...

• I'm reading an awesome book called Juliet by Anne Fortier. It's a great story with lots of intrigue, a bit of romance, and, yes, it is THE JULIET in the title.
• Sadly, our plumbing fix wasn't one. We had to pay a plumber (and, oh boy did we pay). A clog in the main line leading away from the house + 3 boys does not = a good, wholesome living environment.  
• The plumber said it wasn't anything we did in the 4 years of living here. It was caused by 30+ years with no decent preventative maintenance.
• Don't refuse to help during an emergency, *claiming lack of funds despite having enough spare funds to make a large frivolous purchase, and then feign enough concern to call and see if we found someone to help.
• My parents are the most incredible, kind, caring, giving, generous people around. Other people could learn from them.
• My kids ROCK.  I woke up with a raging migraine on Monday.  When I got back from dropping the younger two off at school, Marty asked what was wrong and, when I told him about the migraine, he said "Give me my school assignments and then go back to bed.  I'll be fine."
• My house is rebelling.  In less than 2 weeks we had to fix the dryer and pay a plumber for a grand total of over $700.
• The anniversary of our church wedding is on the 11th of November and the 16th anniversary of our marriage is on November 21st.  I am lucky enough to be married to my soulmate and I can't believe we've been married that long..
• Gabe and I get to have breakfast at his school tomorrow.  They are having a pancake breakfast for  the parents and kids so we can get to know each other.

So,  what's going on in your life?

* This is not referring to any of you guys.  Yall are awesome.  Sadly, I don't think the individual it refers to would have a clue it is addressed to them.

Off to the quilt show...

I'll be back with lots of pictures later.  Don't do anything I wouldn't do.  Bwahahahahahahaha

My doggie hurt herself *UPDATED*

After I drop Joey off at school, I'm taking my sweet Jolie girl to the vet.  She has done something (God only knows what) to her left hind paw.  One of the claws looks like it is twisted sideways.  I'm not sure if it's the claw or the toe.  Be back later with an update.

*Jolie is doing much better.  The only issue was with her claw.  For some unknown reason, that one particular claw grew too long and was twisting sideways.  A manicure cured the problem.  However, it was a good thing we went in because the poor girl had a UTI brewing and needed antibiotics.

My Friday Night Out

Tonight, right as I was getting ready to call the kids in for dinner, I heard Joey yelling ow, ow, ow and running for the door.  Turns out we had a war wound.  See, there was a ginormous ninja/war game going on in the backyard and, when Joey was on his way down off the trampoline by way of the slide, he fell and bent his finger in a direction it shouldn't have bent.  He said he also heard it pop when he fell.  I checked it out and he couldn't move it much and there wasn't much strength in it so I decided we needed to get it checked out.  Of course, it was just after 6 o'clock when this happened so no doctor's office for us.  We were off to an urgent care.  Since it wasn't immediately swelling or turning black and blue, I wasn't too afraid it was broken.  Instead, I was thinking it might be dislocated.

The first urgent care center wasn't in our insurance network.  They pointed us to one a little further down the road that was in network.  We got there at 6:30 and their fucking doors were closed and locked.  An urgent care center that closed at 5:30 on a Friday?!?!?  WTF?  I thought one of the main purposes of urgent care centers was for after hours care that doesn't need an ER trip.  So, I called Vic and he managed to find one a bit farther down the road..and off we went.  We got there and it was a lovely little clinic and a hella cheaper than the ER ($30 copay instead of a $250 copay).

The doc checked out Joey's finger...palpated it, x-rayed it.  No breaks.  No dislocations.  The doc put it in a splint and said to ice it and take ibuprofen.  He also said that he was mildly concerned there might be an issue with a torn/ligament/tendon because of the lack of flexion and strength in the finger.  He said it should be significantly better by Tuesday and, if it wasn't, we needed our own doc to give us a referral to an ortho.

So, at least until early next week, Joey is sporting a spiffy new fashion accessory on his dominant hand (boy won't that make school interesting).  Please say a prayer or send up good thoughts that it isn't a torn ligament/tendon and he heals quickly.

Yesterday and Today...

Yesterday, I had all kinds of brilliant ideas for post...really funny, cute ideas & smart, witty ideas. 
Today, nothing, nada, zilch.  Having a sick little one does that to you.

Yesterday, I actually escaped for 4 hours.  I went to my quilting/crafting group and I made Gabe's Halloween costume.
Today, I've been stuck inside with a pitiful little one...but, at least he had his costume for entertainment.

Yesterday, I felt like I actually accomplished something.
Today, my only accomplishment (besides making a pot of beans for dinner) has been making it through level 25 of Continuity.  Level 20 was a bitch.

Yesterday, I was wide awake and productive all morning.
Today, I was zoned in front of the TV with Gabe all morning and I think I was only pretending to be awake half the time (Gabe woke me up multiple times through the night and then finished the night in my bed).

Yesterday, I got to be creative.
Today, I got to deal with a 4 yr old with dry heaves, a drippy nose, and diarrhea.

I hope tomorrow is more like yesterday and not like today.

Over the river...

Over the river and through the wood,
A camping we will go;
The van knows the way
To carry the scouts,
To the muddy and grimy camp, oh!
Over the river and thru the wood,
I promise we'll have fun!
We tromp through the puddles,
And climb over trees,
As through the wood we go.

Yes, that's right, Joey and I are camping this weekend.  Hopefully, mother nature got the urge to drown us out of her system and we'll have a nice, dry weekend.  Pictures to come next week.

Random updates and requests...

There is some amazing news in the field of reproductive medicine. Researchers in Alberta, Canada are developing a test to predict which pregnant women will develop pre-eclampsia. Go visit Mrs. Spit and check out the links to the interview they did with her on this subject. Mrs. Spit...THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR STORY!

My best friend and sister by choice might be buying a townhouse only a mile from my house. I am so excited. It was the first townhouse she looked at. I told her that she bought the first car she drove, why not buy the first house she looks at. Do you think that's a valid argument? ROFL

My sister's doggie has cancer. They found a big ole tumor right next to her dog's heart. Her doggie doesn't have long...sigh. Can you please keep her in your thoughts and prayers? Her dog, Asia, has been with her almost 10 years and has seen her through some very dark times in the past.

Gabe has been sick...fever and sniffly nose. Poor kiddo fell asleep in front of the tv last night while eating dinner. Luckily, he is much better today although his voice still sounds very husky.We are almost done dealing with the insurance claims from when the cell phone talking idjit totaled my hubby's car. I still can't believe it took 3 weeks to get a copy of the title for his car...ugh.

I found a giveaway that feeds a semi-secret passion of mine. I adore horses and am a somewhat avid follower of horse racing and the history of it. Over on the blog Cakeblast, there is a giveaway for apparel from the upcoming Disney movie Secretariat. I really want to go see the movie and I desperately want the shirts and hat.

I'm going to try and have the commercial site for Cuppa Joe Designs up by the end of October. Wish me luck.