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Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Detoxing on Hold

I mentioned that I wanted to start a detox program. What I came up with involves raw fruits and veggies for the first 4 days, followed by 3 days of juice/tea/water fasting, then 4 weeks of various different detox methods from my 4-week Detox Plan book. Unfortunately, though I went into the week very enthusiastic, it's looking like my digestive system doesn't want to actually digest fruits or vegetables. I'm looking for a solution, potentially apple cider vinegar to boost the acid level in my stomach, but since I don't know what the problem is that's really just a shot in the dark. So assuming we can get my system working again, I'll start the plan. Otherwise I might have to fast out of necessity. Drinks I can digest. Maybe I just need to put all my food in the blender and eat it that way. I'm testing my stomach by eating the same thing for lunch that I had for dinner and then threw up. Was it a fluke? We'll know in 8 hours if my food stayed down. I hate being sick, which is all the time.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Disappointment

Well, the Mayo clinic won't see me because I've been in pain too long. Apparently anything that's been going on longer than 6-7 months they don't feel they'll be able to diagnose either. Great. So I'm in mind numbing amounts of pain and can't get anyone to care. Apparently dealing with it for six years means I have the ability to deal with it forever. I'm going to go to the doctor on the 5th and try to get him to take my gall bladder out. We need to do something, and at this point...well nothing makes sense at this point. We have nothing to go on, except the pain and that I don't digest things very well. And who knows what else it's affecting. So it'd be nice if someone would do something about it.

I'm starting a natural regimen of herbs and supplements, with the mindset that before there was medicine in the sense that we think of it now, the only remedies available were natural ones. We went to a really cool store today, called Sage Woman Herbs. Besides the herbs for tea, I picked up a green food supplement and digestive enzymes. Maybe they won't do anything, but they can't do any more nothing than what the doctors have prescribed. I'm going to fast Tuesday-Thursday next week, and for the next month I'm sticking to an organic, detoxifying diet for the next month. Again with not really knowing how much a difference it will actually make, but I'm done waiting on doctors to care about my complete lack of any quality of life.

Friday, September 25, 2009

I <3 my realtor

We saw the house again today. We went to Lowes beforehand and had a great conversation with one of the employees about refinishing floors. We're definitely going to be attempting to do it ourselves. I don't think it's going to take as long as I was initially giving it credit for. I picked out a color for the kitchen, it's called Caribbean sunrise, I think. We're going to just replace all of the baseboards, I think, instead of refinishing them. They're missing in a bunch of places and we might as well take that opportunity to update the look. I can't believe it's less than three weeks now. I just hope the VA appraiser gets out there in time and we don't have to extend it any longer. We're very excited though.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Good Day

I felt a lot better today! We had an appointment with Jason and it went really well, now all we're waiting on is the VA inspector and all the paperwork that comes after that and before closing. I need to come up with a solid plan for the one week I'll have David for, because we have so much to do. And we have to have everything in readiness well beforehand. My move from Georgia to Illinois was an eye opener. I thought I was well prepared for the loading/moving to begin when my parents got there. We ended up packing until the very last second. We have a lot more stuff than I gave myself credit for and it took a lot longer to pack all the little stuff than I anticipated. So this time we'll do it the right way (hopefully). But we got the guitar hero instruments, humidifiers, all but one box of my books, and 3 hanging boxes of clothes, as well as getting the big blue boxes of stuff in the office lined up on one wall so we can start putting packed boxes into that room. David was very helpful and is gung ho about getting more packing done, so hopefully my body will cooperate and we'll continue to be productive through the weekend.

Our apartment is repaving the parking lot, so we had to move our cars out. I'm actually rather surprised that the majority of spaces are still filled. I'm assuming people are planning on moving them in the morning before seven, or going to work before then, but if they aren't out in time they'll be towed. So I hope everyone got the memo.

We're going out to the house again tomorrow so the inspector can collect the radon test. We collected a lot of information, mostly measurements, last time, but since then I discovered the disturbing fact that David will only be here for a week before he goes to California. And when we were there on Tuesday we decided that the hardwood floors need to be refinished, and the easiest (relatively) time to do this is before we've moved in. However, it will probably take us about a week to get them all done. Sanding takes a while and each polyurethane coat takes about a day to dry. So we have to coordinate getting the sanding done before he leaves, with the thought that as long as that is done I can probably deal with the polyurethane myself. And we have to get the majority of our things moved, particularly the bigger and heavier items, before David leaves because I can't do that on my own. So 2 big projects in one week: prepping and sanding three rooms and a hallway and doing the vast majority of our moving. Hence the need for a detailed plan of action so that any help we're going to get is available when we need it and we can make reservations for the equipment that we need.

I'm planning on starting a detox program of my own design in the hopes that I will continue improving and won't be stuck in bed that week, because that would be a disaster.

David and I are watching Buffy and then heading to bed. It's already late, and we have to get up to go to Home Depot and get paint chips before heading over to the house. That's one of the things we need to do at the house tomorrow, examine paint chips. And take count of switch and outlet covers that need to be replaced, and measure the parts of baseboard that are missing and compare to what was left in the garage to see whether we need to buy any of that. I want to know these things before the big week, obviously. Anyway, cuddle time. Here's to a good day, with many more to follow.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Heave a heavy sigh

Nice to know that for $888.66 I can GET to Paris and back. If I bring a tent and an electric skillet I might be able to do the whole thing for $1000. Now I just need a grand that I can afford to spend on my own, personal trip to Paris, because this is for one person, no way we can afford two.

<3 That's supposed to be a heart

David just bought me another heating pad, so I can have one on both my lower back and my abdomen at the same time. I'm fairly certain you're not supposed to do that, but I'm going to do it anyway. Because, seriously, ow. Ow to the tenth power.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Pets Blog

I didn't want to shove this long thing at the front of my blog, so I'm hiding it back in 2008. The link is here. Those were the smallest I could get those pictures, can you believe that? Anyway, there are a lot of funny things at the beginning, working towards more serious, and I'll add more as I find them.

Fred Rogers

I have heard, on many occasions from many people, including my hubby, that Fred Rogers wore long sleeves on "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" to cover up the tattoos he got while serving in the US Armed Forces as a sharp shooter. I would like to clarify: Fred Rogers was never in the military and didn't have any tattoos. References can be found in this biography and the entire thing, plus other rumors, are debunked here.

What am I doing today?

Well...probably a lot of sitting around, watching tv, because I'm in a lot of pain and even that pushes the limits of my pain threshold at times. So other than that...I'm going to blog, incessantly update my facebook and myspace statuses, and read. I really want to fast, like a serious fast, for a week or so. I have no idea what's wrong at this moment in time, but I feel in serious need of a detox. My stomach feels full and my mouth feels dirty no matter what! I always want to barf and brush my teeth, but no amount of those things makes the feelings go away. Blah. Too much sugar, which is unfortunate considering I usually have the most adverse reactions to healthy food. I've thrown up more bread and fruit than candy this past week. I'll probably play the Sims, and then go back and forth as it randomly shuts down. And organize about a thousand saved links. Maybe I'll find a way to share them here, but the catching up would be astronomical, and posting everything as it's own post, even if I was just sharing links, and not the actual pictures or articles, would take a lot of time and space. We'll see just how bored I get. Oh, and look up projects and crafts and Christmas presents and work on the projects I haven't touched since we got the news.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Angel

I am your shadow,
I am your rain,
I am your longing,
let alone your pain
I am red,
I am blue,
I am your angel,
I am in you
Angel

I am your madness,
I am your tears,
I am your sadness,
I am your fears
I am restless,
I am your dreams,
I am the moments in between
Angel

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Go CARDS!!!

We beat the Brewers by a three-run homer last night! We were tied up until the 7th inning, and then Holliday kicked butt! Rock on! World Series, here we come!

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Pet Ownership

I found this on my friend Lauren's myspace page. It was meant to be passed around, and I wanted to do my part. I have had many, many people ask me why we have so many pets, and why we kept the babies. My heart breaks for the two we gave up. I know one has a good home for the rest of his life. The other, one of my favorites, disappeared because she was "scared of the toddler" and instead of calling me to give her back, like I TOLD HER TO, she gave her to someone else. And that scares the hell out of me, it really does. Not knowing where my sweet, beautiful Bast is and whether she's taken care of is a hole in my heart that will never go away. You can say that's pathetic, but it's true. I kept our kittens because it was OUR FAULT that our first two cats didn't get fixed, OUR FAULT that Isis got pregnant, and OUR FAULT that four lovely kittens were born. I'm not going to send them to an animal shelter because I didn't get my cats fixed. I'm going to take care of them, pay for them, and love them for the rest of their lives. And I wish we still had six. I really, truly do. One of the biggest regrets of my life is giving them up.

Education people, EDUCATION!! Let's pray that 2009 spares more lives than the 11 million killed this year...

(do not stop reading until you've reached the end)

A Letter from a Shelter Manager:

I think our society needs a huge " Wake-up" call.

As a shelter manager, I am going to share a little insight with you all. ..a view from the inside if you will.

First off, all of you breeders/sellers should be made to work in the "back" of an animal shelter for just one day.

Maybe if you saw the life drain from a few sad, lost, confused eyes, you would change your mind about breeding and selling to people you don't even know. That puppy you just sold will most likely end up in my shelter when it's not a cute little puppy anymore.

So how would you feel if you knew that there's about a 90% chance that dog will never walk out of the shelter it is going to be dumped at? Purebred or not! About 50% of all of the dogs that are "owner surrenders" or "strays" that come into my shelter are purebred dogs.

The most common excuses I hear are;

"We are moving and we can't take our dog (or cat)." Really? Where are you moving to that doesn't allow pets and why did you choose that place instead of a pet friendly home?

Or they say "The dog got bigger than we thought it would". How big did you think a German Shepherd would get?

"We don't have time for her". Really? I work a 10- 12 hour day and still have time for my 6 dogs!

"She' s tearing up our yard". How about making her a part of your family?

They always tell me: "We just don't want to have to stress about finding a place for her we know she'll get adopted, she's a good dog."

Odds are your pet won't get adopted & how stressful do you think being in a shelter is? Well, let me tell you, your pet has 72 hours to find a new family from the moment you drop it off. Sometimes a little longer if the shelter isn't full and your dog manages to stay completely healthy. If it sniffles, it dies.

Your pet will be confined to a small run/kennel in a room with about 25 other barking or crying animals. It will have to relieve itself where it eats and sleeps.

It will be depressed and it will cry constantly for the family that abandoned it.

If your pet is lucky, I will have enough volunteers in that day to take him/her for a walk. If I don't, your pet won't get any attention besides having a bowl of food slid under the kennel door and the waste sprayed out of its pen with a high-powered hose.

If your dog is big, black or any of the "Bully" breeds (pit bull, rottie, mastiff, etc) it was pretty much dead when you walked it through the front door. Those dogs just don't get adopted.

It doesn't matter how 'sweet' or 'well behaved' they are. If your dog doesn't get adopted within its 72 hours and the shelter is full, it will be destroyed.

If the shelter isn't full and your dog is good enough, and of a desirable enough breed it may get a stay of execution, but not for long.

Most dogs get very kennel protective after about a week and are destroyed for showing aggression. Even the sweetest dogs will turn in this environment.

If your pet makes it over all of those hurdles chances are it will get kennel cough or an upper respiratory infection and will be destroyed because shelters just don't have the funds to pay for even a $100 treatment.


Here's a little euthanasia 101 for those of you that have never witnessed a perfectly healthy, scared animal being "put-down"....

First, your pet will be taken from its kennel on a leash. They always look like they think they are going for a walk - happy, wagging their tails.

Until, they get to "The Room", every one of them freak out and put the brakes on when we get to the door. It must smell like death or they can feel the sad souls that are left in there, it's strange, but it happens with every one of them.

Your dog or cat will be restrained, held down by 1 or 2 vet techs depending on the size and how freaked out they are.

Then a euthanasia tech or a vet will start the process. They will find a vein in the front leg and inject a lethal dose of the "pink stuff".

Hopefully your pet doesn't panic from being restrained and jerk. I've seen the needles tear out of a leg and been covered with the resulting blood and been deafened by the yelps and screams.

They all don't just "go to sleep", sometimes they spasm for a while, gasp for air and defecate on themselves.

When it all ends, your pet's corpse will be stacked like firewood in a large freezer in the back with all of the other animals that were killed waiting to be picked up like garbage.

What happens next? Cremated? Taken to the dump? Rendered into pet food? You'll never know and it probably won't even cross your mind. It was just an animal and you can always buy another one, right?

I hope that those of you that have read this are bawling your eyes out and can't get the pictures out of your head I deal with everyday on the way home from work.

I hate my job, I hate that it exists & I hate that it will always be there unless you people make some changes and realize that the lives you are affecting go much further than the pets you dump at a shelter.

Between 9 and 11 MILLION animals die every year in shelters and only you can stop it. I do my best to save every life I can but rescues are always full, and there are more animals coming in everyday than there are homes.

My point to all of this: DON'T BREED OR BUY WHILE SHELTER PETS DIE!

Hate me if you want to. The truth hurts and reality is what it is.

I just hope I maybe changed one person's mind about breeding their dog, taking their loving pet to a shelter, or buying a dog.

I hope that someone will walk into my shelter and say "I saw this and it made me want to adopt." THAT WOULD MAKE IT WORTH IT!

PLEASE FORWARD, CROSS POST, CIRCULATE TO YOUR CONTACTS!!!!

Letter to small car owners:

Dear small car owners,

I realize that my Jeep stands a couple of feet higher off the ground than your car does. This, by default, also means that my headlights are a couple of feet higher up than yours are. Unfortunately, this means that the majority of the time, when it's dark, my lights are going to hit you in the eyes. I'm extremely sorry about that. However, there's nothing I can do about it. As irritating as it is for you, my brights do not have to be on for my regular lights to make it difficult for you to see. I would greatly appreciate it, however, if you would cease leaving your brights on out of spite, or the alternative, flashing your brights at me to tell me that I left my brights on. Unless I turn my headlights off, which would probably be disconcerting and hazardous, they don't go any lower. I am a courteous driver, and I turn my brights off as soon as you're close enough that I can discern two headlights on the front of your car. I've taken to leaving it until closer so that you will realize that I did, in fact, already turn my brights off. Please return the favor, and turn your brights off as well. And if you flash me, well...I'll have to flash you back to show you that no, I'm not being a jerk and I didn't forget. Your head just happens to be on the same level as my headlights. Buy a taller car or grow a couple inches.

Thank you, that will be all.

Manitou

Kristin and I are going to the DMV and the to Manitou to walk around and get some ice cream. I love that town! I'll add a slideshow when I get back. I wish I lived close enough that I didn't have to drive to walk, but alas. Still worth it.