Wow

I really haven't felt like blogging....

So...

...the money thing isn't going so well. I haven't shopped, but I have eaten out a few times. At least at cheap take out places though, no fancy sit down places. I am still trying to keep curbed. Cause I REALLY want to go shopping today. And on the positive side, I have made 2 trips to the local GCF with donation stuff, and have another trip ready to go. The next move I make, who knows when that will be, HAS to be easier, I can't handle another 1k check to a mover, and I sure as shootin' can't do it myself! Ugh.

And I just called all of my credit cards (all 2 of them) and one of Jose's and got our APRs brought back down to normal levels. I have to keep an eye on those buggers, they had us up to 26.9 and 24.9! Bastards. They are slippery, gotta keep on top of them. It is ridiculous, they really do just prey on us folks that don't pay as much attention! Well, I am no longer one of those people! Damnit.

Sarah Palin is an idiot

Do I really have to expound on that? I think Queen Latifah aka Gwen Ifill said it best at the beginning of the SNL version of the VP debate when she points out that as long as Palin didn't throw up, cry or run out the debate should be considered a tie. Scary thing that many people are actually doing that. Here is the full skit if you haven't seen it yet, great commentary!


http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/vp-debate-open-palin-biden/727421/

Gearing Up

I am really gonna do it, I am getting myself, mentally, in the zone! So friends, please try not to ask me to join you for a drink or whatever! Come to my house, invite me to yours, etc! Love ya.

New Project

So I have been going kinda nuts, spending money like I have tons of it, which compared to a year ago today, or 2 years ago, I do, but not in the grand scheme of things. SOOOOO... I think that I am going to, beginning October 1st, try to spend a set amount of time not spending money, outside of necessities such as groceries, gas and bills. Of course, with groceries and gas I will do my best to budget, think ahead and all that.

No fun stuff like makeup or new clothes (which for one, I don't need any, and secondly, hopefully I would get out of the size I am in now before long!). No going out to eat, I can clean my house and invite friends over for coffee (good motivation to get the house in the shape I want, plus not eating out will help me get back on WW track!). No movies, I mean shoot, I have Tivo, cable, and oodles of DVDs, plus I can get a library card...No coffee trips, I mean usually I am heading home when I get it anyway and I have tons of coffee and tea stuff at the house. I am really going to try this. Wish me luck...those of you who know me well know what a truly monumental challenge this truly is!

At first I said I was going to aim for a month, but I think that I will say I will do it weekly, with the ultimate goal being a month, but if I approach it weekly I have a much better chance of success. Maybe I should take it day by day...

The wagon

I fell off, that is the Weight Watchers wagon, of course! But I am getting back on. I had really good reasons too. My life starting around the end of last week was a comedy of errors!

I went to Carowinds on Saturday for the first time, had a blast, but wasn't aware of the water park aspect, so got WAY more exposed to the sun than I planned, and of course didn't think to stop and buy some sunscreen from one of the thousands of vendors! So I got a vicious sunburn, scalp and everything! NO blistering luckily, but I was feeling pretty crappy.

Then, on Saturday night or Sunday morning, not quite sure which, I got a lovely break out of poison ivy! First time in my life. I was exposed to it on Thursday at an interpreting job, but it takes a bit to pop out. Actually I think it is still developing! Ugh. It is awful, and oddly enough one of the home remedies that I read about actually seems to help, and that is rubbing the inside of a banana peel on the rash! So both my ankles smell like bananas, tasty!

Of course, there was still the everpresent nausea on top of all of this. I think I finally have it under control, but I frequently have off moments related to that. So with all that going on, I have been eating 'normally' ie, not counting points. But I still haven't gone quite crazy like I did before I joined. So I am getting back on, cause I still have a goal to reach, and I won't let this lull in willpower ruin it for good!

Tummy

I am having stomach issues. The meds they have me on have me constantly, in a low grade kinda way, nauseous. I hate it. Blech. But it is worth it, right?

Pets, continued

Well, Charlene, the kitty, has no issues, her bloodwork is perfect, so we just have to give her some special food so that she doesn't have 'tummy' issues. For a 17 year old kitty, she is doing great. Puppers, on the other hand, has been having nonstop issues since his routine teeth cleaning. He finally got some energy and began eating and such, but he has this horrible wheezing that he does whenever he wakes up or just tries to get around quickly. I am taking him back in tomorrow and to be quite honest, pretty pissed about it. Kinda feel like I shouldn't have to pay for another visit since it is due to whatever they did. Bastards better fix my baby! Ugh.

Pets

Today has been a rough day for the babies. Puppers went for a teeth cleaning, and for those of you unaware, dogs and cats must be put under when they get their teeth cleaned. He has had this done before and had no issues, well this time they used a different kind of sedation and he isn't reacting well to it.

First the vet dentist told me he got snappy after he woke up, he went from wagging his tail to growling to jumping to cuddle on his (the doc's) neck, to trying to do his vampire imitation, trying to take a chunk out of the doc's neck, but got a mouthful of stethoscope instead. This is totally unlike my boy, he either likes you or he doesn't, no waffling here. Besides, he only attempts to bite at all when very scared and very rarely has that happened! He is a lover, not a fighter. So then they go to bring him out to me and he bites the vet tech so badly they were sending her to the hospital!! Usually, they say they are required by law to keep the animal for 10 days for observation in these cases, rabies being the issue in question. But luckily he had his latest rabies vaccination there, so they know he was up to date, and they know this was because of the meds. So they let me bring baby home. I told dad this means he is a real dog! Trying to find some silver lining here.

Charlene, my beautiful 17 year old kitty, who has always exhibited wonderful health, may have liver or kidney disease, we are still waiting on the test results. So now Pups is at home trying to sleep off the drugs. He can barely move, wobbles and whines when he does, and in general is a mess. Charlene seems ok, but has a new diet (which will be SOOO fun to administer with 2 other cats and a dog in the house) and may or may not have other things to contend with. My poor babies, and my poor wallet. Ugh.

Whoo hoo, yippee kay ay!

I just went for my first weigh in since I joined Weight Watchers last week, guess what! I lost 4.2 lbs in a week! Whoo hoo! And I didn't even stick to my points the first few days! AHHHHHHH!

Gas

So, as some people may have noticed, gas prices are dropping, a bit, but every bit is appreciated. So the average gas around my neighborhood is 3.77/gallon. Well, on the road to my friend Sheila's house I know that gas is cheaper, it is 3.56/gallon. So I decided to be one of the patient and line up and wait my turn for the 'cheap' gas. As many of my stories end, it ended up costing me more than it should have.

I was in the line and it was taking everyone forever, so finally it is my turn and I get to the pump and after doing the credit card thing and inserting the pump, I sit back to realize the reason it was taking forever, the damn pump was slow as all get out! So as I sit there numbly staring at the numbers CRAWLING by, I start to realize, wow, for only half a tank I sure seem to be getting a lot in there. As I keep waiting for it to stop, some guy yells 'yo, you're overflowing'. See, I set it up on the automatice handle holder (Whatever the hell those things are called) and whatever little doohickey it is that stops it when it is full apparently was on vacation! So I overflowed and had a nice little puddle under my soaked tire. Great stuff. I wonder how much of what I paid for ended up on the damn floor. Thank god it was going slow at least.

And then I think about how the guy who finally alerted me (thank you!!) was like 3 cars behind me and noone else bothered, and you know everyone was staring wondering when their turn would come! Bastards. Anyway, lesson for the day, watch the tank, not the dollar signs! Lesson learned. Dumb me for expecting technology to be reliable.

PCOS

I have it, previously mentioned, and now I am starting meds as well as DEFINITELY having to lose weight, a friend and I are taking immediate steps, like tomorrow, to do so, and I have walked twice this week, meaning walking for its own sake and no other reason, yesterday 3 laps and today 2. Whoo hoo. Maybe some day I will actually fit into those few items I treasured enough to keep for 'someday'. Wish me luck.

Special Olympics

Last Friday, that is to say the Friday before the most recent Friday, my great Friend Theresa and I volunteered to interpret the Opening Ceremonies for the Special Olympics NC MidSummer Tournament. It was such a wonderful experience in many ways.

Professionally, it was wonderful because they actually had us set up in the proper way, with the seating in the right spot for the 'off' interpreter. One of us would interpret (on stage) while the other sat behind the speakers ready to jump in when time was up, and ready to help the other out if something was needed. Also, it was just so wonderful to be in a such a POSITIVE environment. Seeing all those happy and determined faces really makes you put things in perspective. It was such a high and we both hope to be able to work with the Special Olympics again. Yay! Theresa told me I was grinning like an idiot when it was over. I was!

Sunburn

I was at the pool this Sunday, and I had my friend spray my sunblock on, wasn't out more than 2 hours total, and I have blotchy red spots of sunburn, it is bad enough that I got sunburned at all, but it is insult to injury that it is blotchy! Ugh.

Changes

So, I am in a mood or something, because normally I am a job whore (meaning, I take any terp job that comes my way that I am appropriate for) but lately, when the agency calls me, I think, 'ugh, I don't wanna!!' and hope that they can get someone else, while letting them know that I probably can with some rescheduling. See that way they don't think I just don't wanna (which could result in less calls down the road) and shows that I am willing to go out of my way for them. Luckily, the ones I REALLY didn't want were otherwise covered. And the ones I was so-so about I covered unless they got someone else immediately. I hope I get out of this funk soon. I feel pretty much fine except for this. Finally got some good sleep last night after a couple days of pure tossing and turning! It was ugly.

Boredom

I am sooo bored. I am at a job where I am more here 'just in case' so I spend time on the computer. And I forgot my book at home cause I rushed out the door late because I didn't fall asleep well until 5 am-ish. So I am writing. And I have a very long day of stuff booked back to back until 10 pm. NOT fun stuff, work. Not that I hate my work, but I am just saying, I have to be on my toes, except obviously a bit less so at the job I am at now. But when my client needs me, I drop this and run. Not literally, the client is right next to me. :)

Old Loves

I ran into an old ex of mine, pretty heavy duty relationship back in the day. He told me that he is still in love with me. I told him I am married. I don't love him anymore, not that way, but I care about him and I feel for him that he hasn't moved on. It really doesn't make sense to me that he hasn't, it was a pretty rough relationship. I can only figure that he has idealized things in his memory and it isn't allowing him to let go. And it makes me relieved that I could move on. Whew.

Updates...

So, I had to go in this past Wednesday for further blood work....eck. I hate getting blood drawn, I have horrible veins in my arms, they can't find them so they can't stick me there, so they always have to use the back of my hands. If you haven't had this done, let me assure you that it hurts more there. And for some reason, they can never get it the first time. Ugh. I screamed like a 5 year old. But I manage to joke my way out of the office, so I don't think they hate me too much.

Anyway, they still believe that I have PCOS but the first blood test wasn't conclusive, so they are running more in depth tests. Fun for me. I am really psyched though, cause I think there may be some resolution in sight. So I should have some results by Wednesday or Thursday. Keep your fingers crossed for me...

Eh

I am too tired to bother adding to the last post. Maybe one day. Guess if I want this dream to happen I better buy some lotto tickets, eh?

Millionaire

Growing up, I said that I didn't want to be a millionaire, not that I would say 'No, thanks' if someone walked up and handed me a few million with no strings attached. But the idea of working toward a goal like that just didn't appeal to me. I just wanted to be able to have a stable, solid life, a home, and to have the ability to put my kids through college without breaking. In this time of economic instability, I have changed my mind. I want oodles of money.

The sad thing about this is that I have no plan or way to get it, other than winning the lottery. I spend oodles of time dreaming of what I would do if I were to win the lottery. Buy my parents' beach house, buy a friend a house, buy myself a big whopper of a home. Buy my mom her own home. See a theme here?

I would Gift a bunch of people in my life with things like exotic and wonderful trips (for ex, roma), and cars when needed. I would go on a crazy shopping binge, to fill up my new house. Although I wouldn't fill it up TOO much, I want a clean, uncluttered beautiful home.

I would start a business to keep up my new lifestyle, and as a safety net. I would create a department store for "Real" sized women. Size 10 and up, it would be like Lane Bryant, but bigger and much better. It would have everyday clothes, work clothes, undergarments, swimsuits, basics, glamour clothes, trendy clothes, formal wear, accessories (because big girls need different sized necklaces, bracelets and anklets too, quite often). It would be one stop shopping with a few other little niceties that I won't post here just in case I ever get to do it so that noone steals all of my ideas!

And most importantly, I would start a plan that I have to help single mothers. I would start in Raleigh with a whole apartment building. I would renovate it so that it had a floor of classrooms, a cafeteria, a gym, a laundromat and a medical office. It would almost be like its own little city. Outside we would have a bit of land, enough to have a big playground, some tennis and basketball courts, and a pool that would be able to be uncovered for inseason swimming and covered for year round.

So what I would do with this building now that I have it all set up is to allow single mothers, starting with homeless women, and then with poverty stricken and so forth, to move in, with their families. The apartments would vary in layout, and they would be somewhat small, but well laid out and comfortable. These mothers would have to train in a vocation or get a degree, with specific work intentions, at a local community college or whatever.

Their children would be supplied with basic necessities like clean clothes and such. They would be in school of course. The cafeteria would feed everyone breakfast and set up lunches for the kids to take to school, and it would feed the children below grade school level while the parents and older kids were at school. Of course we would also have high quality day care on sight for those younger kids.

Everyone would be required to contribute to the whole. Parents would not have to get outside jobs the first year (families can stay a max of 2 years, more about that later). They would have nights and weekends free. The mothers would have to teach a class once a week (anything from another language, cooking, knitting, anything that people might enjoy taking) or commit time to helping babysit other kids in the building, or time in the cafeteria. Older children will be required to do similar things. They will help babysit, help in the cafeteria and help tutor younger kids.

All school children are required to maintain at least a C average in school with incentives for higher grades (such as trips and such). Tutoring will of course be available at the home. All children must be engaged in some sort of structured activity whether it is a sport, being part of a school club that is active (meaning actually takes part in activities, not sitting around and talking for one hour a week). After 16 years old, they may take an approved job off site as long as they maintain their grades. They will get help with prepping for college and applying for scholarships and financial aid, as well as getting guidance counseling in general.

All families will be required to enter family therapy for a minimum amount of time, and then for as long as the inhouse therapist deems necessary. This is because these families will likely be coming from difficult situations where the kids and moms were likely exposed to upsetting situations and they need to get out from under all the drama.

The daily rules about living in the home would be quite strict. This would be a place for a family that is serious about changing their lives, not for people who just want a hand out. No males over 18 (that aren't relatives) would be allowed in the building except in common areas past 8 pm. The exception would be for males that came in as 17 and are still in high school. Moms are discouraged from dating if they aren't already in a relationship, but the men they do get involved with are not allowed to stay over ever because that is inappropriate. This is to keep the mothers focused on their goals as well as to keep children from being exposed to potentially negative men (when moms have a habit of choosing 'inappropriate' men it affects the kids). Moms are expected to be home every night (sleep at home, not out with men or partying). If moms need to stay somewhere for a legitimate reason they must leave contact info with the concierge.

There would be constant activities for the kids and the families to do together, movie nights, international food nights, classes, sports activities, and periodic outings, such as trips to museums, movies, theater, amusement parks, and sporting events. The cafeteria would not be open for the nights or weekends unless to cater a special event.

I mentioned a medical office. There would be a 24 hour nurse onsite, with a doctor on site weekdays and Saturdays for basic preventative care and minor issues.

We would have a concierge that I mentioned earlier, this person and their staff would be in charge of keeping track of guests registered with the residents and maintaining the use of the home vehicles. There would be a number of large vans and smaller SUVs for use on outings and for taking families to the grocery store and on errands. There would also be a few 'rental' cars onsite, owned by the home, for use when reserved by licensed drivers (moms) for family things.

My goal with all of this is to give these moms not only a workable skill, but to help them and their kids get a taste of what life can be like, and to enable them with the mental, emotional abilities to succeed in life. More to come, I am getting kicked off the computer....ahhhhh!!

Movies

So I have been on a total 'going to the movies' binge lately. I have seen Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Ironman, Prince Caspian, You Don't Mess With the Zohan (got dragged to that one!), Sex and the City, The Happening, and Get Smart. All of these I saw within a week of opening. I liked them all.

Indy was a bit cheesy, but fun and nostalgic. Ironman was AWESOME, and I didn't really expect to like it nearly as much as I did! Prince Caspian was better than the first, much faster paced! Zohan had its moments. Sex and the City, LOVED it, I don't care what the naysayers claim, it was fun! The Happening was very interesting. I liked the explanation, and it had some funny moments, Marky Mark is a hoot. And I have to say that I was quite surprised at how funny Get Smart was. I figured it would be cute, but I was really cracking up!

So there is my movie corner. Hope it helps some people make some very important summertime movie going decisions :P

Help me! Project...

Hmm, so a bunch of my friends that have posts have 'projects' that they post about. I want to be a copycat and do that. But what should I do? I am thinking to watch all of the Best Picture Academy Award winning movies, in order. Any ideas for me?? BTW, props to Summer and Courtney for giving me the idea (not to mention, love the voting thing Courtney, stole that too!).

Nothing much...

is going on at the moment, I feel as if I am getting a mini break. I have had a lot of last minute, and long, assignments lately and spent at least the last 3 weekends in a row out of town, so this will be my first weekend in town in a while. I was supposed to be out of town this weekend, but the kabosh was put on that, which while I was GREATLY looking forward to my plans, I am kinda relieved to have some down time at home. I will AIM to do some housework, organize some things, etc. What will probably happen is I will clear out my backlog of programs recorded on my Tivo (what a miracle box that is!). And late and long naptimes. Yay. Hopefully, I get something productive done. We shall see.

Oh yeah, I went to the doctor and got my first physical in almost 10 years. Actually the last one was in January of '99 when I had to get one to start working at a High School. So luckily I know I am good on my tetanus shot for another year. One less needle is a good thing.

I am getting tested for Diabetes (my request, family history, weight, etc) and getting my cholesterol checked, eck. And my doc thinks I have polycystic ovarian syndrome, which if I do would actually be a relief, to be told some of my issues are based on something quantitative finally! Finally something somewhat good, since it can be treated. I have to wait a full week to get the results though. Wish me luck.

Oh, and they only had to stick me twice to get the blood, which is the best anyone has ever done, so I was pleased, and I only cried out once, and not in an overly obnoxious way! I even had the nurses cracking up. So I deserved a lollipop, but since I am trying to watch my sugar as a preventitive measure, I turned it down ;).

The Blahs...

I have them. I don't know why. Nothing is wrong (other than the fact that I have not yet won the lottery). Life is fine, I have a nice home, a good hubby, a wonderful puppers. No reason to feel this way, but I do. I feel like I need a really good cry, but as opposed to my youthful days, I cannot just cry for no reason. I need something to make me cry, but I am afraid of getting it! Ugh.

Damn David Letterman

Sex and the City was wonderful! A few twists and turns that hadn't leaked out, things ended the way I would have expected, but the ride was there, and yes, I teared up a bit at parts! I admit it. The reason I damn DL is that he caused me to cry more than I would have because when SJP was on his show last week he 'let it slip' that someone died in the movie. SO I had myself convinced that I knew who was going to die (based on VERY logical past info) and thus cried much more than I would have if I had not thought the character was in mortal danger! SO damn David Letterman for my sore throat that night! Noone died just in case you didn't get it!

Wow

I worked a 15 hour emergency job from 6:30 pm 'til 9:30 am after having been up since 8 am that day. I was zonked today, but wow I made it (and some cashola). Life can be good in some ways.

Blech

I am sick, actually feeling better today than recently, that is why I have the energy to post this. I walked into a small town hardware store on Saturday and got hit by the smell of mold. While my body is sensitive to mold, as most would be, my nose isn't usually too quick to catch it, so the fact that I noticed it as quickly and overpoweringly as I did, I take as an indicator that it was insane amounts of the evil stuff. So that night I started feeling that fun sour feeling at the back of my throat and achy. I spent all of Memorial Day laying on the couch dripping and being overall a miserable and cranky person. But I feel human somewhat today. Just wish my nose would unstuff! Ugh.

ManiPedi

After weeks and weeks of saying that I was going to do it, I finally did, I got a manicure and a pedicure! I am almost looking like a female again! Whoo hoo!

The oddest thing though, the salon wouldn't allow you to tip on the credit card, check or anything, ONLY by cash. Apparently this policy went into effect on April 15th. Wondering if this is some way to get around reporting tips? I mean come on, like servers really do it 100%?? I won't be going back there because of it, what a pain in the you know what for someone who really doesn't carry cash to have to go and get cash when this is a spur of the moment thing! And I was clearly a new client and they didn't tell me until I went to pay. They had some tiny handwritten signs up, but they were apparently behind things, like fans! Not a good customer building policy! Oh well.

Domestic Diva...

That is me! I have been on quite the little cooking spree! Whoo hoo. Tonight we had some friends over and I roasted 2 chickens, the recipe is called, Orange Coriander Chicken. It took almost a couple hours, but wasn't really labor intensive. And I made a fancy artichoke vinagrette salad and fruit tarts for dessert. Ok, I cheated on that a bit, bought the tart filling and shells. But I washed, cut and laid out the fruit on them! And I made HOMEMADE whipped cream with a touch of Gran Marnier! And we used the dining room table, and matching plates, and even coffee cups with coasters and a cream and sugar holder thingy with dessert! I feel so grown-up, better enjoy it while it lasts!

Van Halen

OK, so most of you that read this (that would be 2 of you I think) know already that I got to interpret for Van Halen! This was on May 5th. It was a last minute thing, so there was NO prep time so it wasn't the best job that I had ever done by any stretch of the imagination. However, I was able to bring mom and Jose, for free. Park in VIP, and see the concert for free. On top of all of that, I worked with another interpreter, Susan, who was a GREAT team interpreter. I would work with her again in a hot minute! She has been in the biz for MUCH longer and she never lorded it over me or anything, was just super nice and friendly, not to mention a great interpreter!

So back to the concert. Unfortunately, we weren't near the stage, we were sat directly in front of the Deaf consumer 2/3 of the way back, but on the first row of bleacher seats. No way to meet the band, but it was still fun. They put on a good show!

OH MY GOD!

I think that I just had one of the most exciting days ever! In addition to my previous post where I got to interpret a rally for Michelle Obama, I got free passes to an event for the DNC here in NC tonight. So I dragged my mom to it. The passes that we had entitled us to sit in the bleachers. Down by where the speakers would be were all of these fancy pants white table clothed tables. Turns out that it was a $225 a plate dinner down there.

So long story less long, mom starts chatting with a woman who sat near us (I was at the concession stand, Dorton Arena, please staff your concessions better at events like these!) and the woman ended up going to ask if we could sit at one of the empty tables down there. Apparently this was instigated by my mom who said "If my daughter were here she would ask if we could sit down there." So the woman said she would. And she did. AND we got to sit down there! We had a FREE 3 course meals including filet mignon! And we got to hear the Gubernatorial candidates, US Senate candidates for NC, AND Hillary and Obama! And we were right there, all for free, all due to a trickle down effect from my interpreting assignment earlier that day, a last minute thing, and all built on just being open and talking to people!
Life can be pretty exciting sometimes!!! Whoo hoo! I am still so wired, I might not sleep tonight!

ROCK ON!

Well, in contrast to the last day that I posted, I had an awesome few days, culminating in one amazing experience! First off, after the bad incident that I had last Monday, on both Wednesday and Thursday I had the Deaf client that I was working with each time, without any egging on by yours truly, go to the agency where they have their appointments and SPECIFICALLY request me, by name! Yay! Ha, talk about an ego boost when you need it the most! So, that plus some more thinking and I am over the situation the other day, and I have to say that that is the quickest I have gotten over something, EVER!

Then today, I had a whole day of nothingness ahead of me when I got a call asking if I was free for a job, long story short, I took it and it was to interpret at a Rally for Michelle Obama! How awesome is that!? And I must say that I have been planning on voting for Clinton but I might just change that vote. We shall see, going to another event tonight, I will reserve judgement 'til then!

ROCK ON!

Bad day

Today was my first really bad experience since I have returned to the interpreting world. A client was already upset and mentioning a lawyer when I didn't understand a word, granted a basic word, but one I haven't used or seen in a while, and I had a freaking brain freeze. So then the client asked if I was certified and claimed that the communication wasn't good in the situation and was definitely going to get a lawyer. I know that I did a good job, everyone needs a bit of a nudge on a word here or there, this client was just pissed and took it out on me as well as who they were really mad at, but I still feel like crap on toast. Blech, and it is pouring out.

Snow Alert

Heading to Boston this weekend for Northeastern University's 11th Annual ASL Festival! Whoo hoo! Taking one of my best friend's, and my boss! Have almost every minute accounted for and will be more tired coming home than I am now, but it will be a blast! And they say it might snow while we are there, hot dog!

Dad

Whoo hoo! Dad is coming home tomorrow! He is a 'miracle', that is what the hospital staff is telling him, he went from seemingly fine one day, to having a heart attack and double bypass the next, to progressing slower than average, to beating the time in the hospital, or at least catching up to the projected average time! And he still has his sense of sarcastic humor! Great stuff. :)

Easter Miracle

Well, it is a good day in the world of news in relation to Dad! We went in for the first visit allowed (10am) and while we were there his doctor showed up and told us that as soon as we left they were taking the balloon out. They also said (yippee!) that when the bleeding is done from that (usually in a few hours) they will take out the breathing tube!!!! This is the best news that we could have gotten at this point and we are thrilled! Finally he will be able to communicate! This is just the beginning of a long and arduous road, but being able to communicate is a huge barrier for him right now.

As well as the good news, he was even more alert and himself than last night. He doesn't like to try to write in an attempt to communicate, for various reasons, but he does like to draw letters in the air to tell us what he wants to tell us. This can be difficult to understand as we may all recall from our games as a child with this. Especially since he thinks in cursive. But he is getting his point across. Today he was trying to get something across, and when I couldn't understand it he took my hand (which is great, he is more mobile today!) and laid it on the pillow on his stomach, and smacked it! Then he proceeded to draw his letters in my hand. That worked well!

Also, when I made a comment about his new leg stocking (something having to do with holding the veins in place since they had to take part of a vein from his leg to do the bypass) he made the universal 'whoopee' sign of circling his finger in the air. He also attempted to strike a pose! It was very heartening stuff and we couldn't be happier about this progress!

We are hoping to find his breathing tube out by 2 but if not then I expect it to be gone by the 5 o'clock visit! Yay.

Dad

On Thursday March 20th my father had emergency double bypass surgery. He had a heart attack at some point, but they are not sure when exactly. Apparently a migraine saved his life. Who knew one could be grateful for a migraine!

He had had the migraine for about a week off and on at which point he finally went to the doctor. They gave him some Immitrex for it and then detected an arrhythmia. They took an EKG and referred him to a cardiologist with the recommendation of being seen within the next week. They went ahead and sent the EKG along to the cardiologist who told him to get in to see him immediately. He went. They called an ambulance and sent him to the hospital right away for a cardiac catheter at which point they let me know that I should come to Wilmington.

By the time I got there, a few hours later, thinking that I am just going to sit around while they do this test on him, I was notified that he was already in surgery for a possible triple or quadruple bypass. It turned out that it should have been a triple but one of the areas that was blocked was where the heart attack occurred and was atrophied so they couldn't bypass it.

It is now Saturday and he is doing ok. Not great, but he is making progress. There was a blip with his blood pressure this morning, but they got it stabilized. They were hoping to have the breathing tube out yesterday but his vitals aren't yet strong enough to do that. We are hoping very hard that it is done by Monday (although tomorrow would be better!). It would mean that his vitals are very good and that he can communicate effectively.

When visiting him today he was lucid and aware when we were there (although we are told due to the medications that he won't really remember these days) and was able to interact in a manner with us. The GREAT news is that he still has his sense of humor. When he was told that a family friend, a straight male no less, asked what his favorite flowers are so that he could send him some, I noticed his hand moving and realized that he was giving the finger in response! I asked him if he was in fact giving the guy the finger and he nodded a clear yes! So this is all good news. His color is great and the nurses say that his lab work is coming back looking right on target, so we have every reason to believe that he will make a full recovery (albeit a slow one).

I am scared because this is the first real sign that I have had to deal with that my father is in fact mortal, and I don't like it one bit. I think that if I lose him (and I don't expect that to be any time soon!), I will fall apart, because he is my best friend. And yes I realize that I said if and not when, I am not even ready to deal with the difference yet!

Bill Bryson, you slay me!

For those unlucky souls out there who don't already know, there is this author, Bill Bryson. He writes books that fall in the 'travel' category. I can't quite recall how I stumbled upon the first book of his that I was lucky enough to read (I'm A Stranger Here Myself) but I did, and boy howdy, I am one happy girl for it! He is hilarious, sarcastic, and can alternately be nostalgic, sweet and a sarcastic straightforward speaker. You should all read him, it is worth your time. Just to give you a taste, here is a part that is in 'Neither Here Nor There' about his recreation of a youthful tour of Europe that he took as a middle aged man. When he originally did the tour he was joined by Steve Katz and that guy just didn't seem very pleasant. While Bill was in Paris for this go round he recounted an incident that occurred those many years ago. This one had me laughing out loud, tears streaming down my cheeks, mostly from the 'tone of voice' that he uses. Enjoy!

"Katz was in a tetchy frame of mind throughout most of our stay in Paris. He was convinced everything was out to get him. On the morning of our second day, we were strolling down the Champs-Elysees when a bird shit on his head. "Did you know," I asked a block or 2 later, "that a bird's shit on your head?"

Instinctively, Katz put a hand to his head, looked at it in horror, and with only a mumbled "Wait here", walked with ramrod stiffness in the direction of our hotel. When he reappeared twenty minutes later, he smelled overpoweringly of Brut aftershave and his hair was plastered down like a third-rate Spanish gigilo's, but he appeared to have regained his composure. "I'm ready now," he announced.

Almost immediately another bird shit on his head. Only this time it really shit. I don't want to get too graphic, in case you're snacking or anything, but if you can imagine a pot of yogurt upended onto his scalp, I think you'll get the picture. It was running down the sides of his head and everything. "Gosh, Steve, that was one sick bird," I observed helpfully.

Katz was literally speechless. Without a word he turned and walked stiffly back to the hotel, ignoring the turning heads of passerby. He was gone for nearly an hour. When at last he returned, he was wearing a poncho with the hood up. "Just don't say a word," he warned me and strode past. He never really warmed to Paris after that."

I still giggle when I read this. I tried to read it out loud to my mom once, could barely breathe for laughing so hard because I knew what was coming. Great stuff!

Gums

I have periodontal disease. Yay. I have my first 'special' cleaning tomorrow. Hopefully I won't come home spitting out blood every five seconds from my newly clean teeth and shredded wheat gums. After they get rid of all the nasty bacteria that are eating away at the bones in my mouth, I am going to get Invisalign (after having my SIDEWAYS wisdom tooth pulled, plus the other 3). Then I will have nice, semi straight teeth! Finally! Whoo hoo!

Airbus- foul language ahead

So, I admit to not being the most informed person when it comes to politics, but in some ways I like it like that. Because I realize that when it comes to policies and things there is sooo much info to factor in that it seems that the people who make the decisions and such get bogged down by it all. Sometimes it is much simpler than it seems once the politicos clutter it all up in one big cluster fuck of rules, regulations and negotiation.

Case in point. The 40 billion dollar contract that went to a French company to build the refueling planes for our airforce. Ok, just saying that statement gets me all riled up. First off let me say that I AM a supporter of Free Trade to a degree and I do believe that we need to get the best for our money. That being said, I think this is one of the most IDIOTIC things that our government has ever done, well at least recently and excluding violent actions.

1) When it comes to supplying things for our armed forces, I just think it best that we do it here at home. Period.

2) When we are coming into one of the worst economic times for our country since the depression (thanks a lot, W!) why the HELL would we give a contract of that high a value to another country. We could have spent a bit more and kept it here at home where it would create jobs and keep the money flowing HERE!!!! I know that they say the company has some plant in Alabama and all, but come on! BULLSHIT. I am so pissed about this that I can barely stand it. Ugh.

3) Our tax money, those of the middle class who pay the highest percentage of taxes (right?) would I believe overall agree that OUR money should be spent HERE! If Boeing (the company that has traditionally made these refueling planes until this point, and is AMERICAN) charged a bit more, then pay it damnit, I am sure we would rather as a country pay a bit more if it stayed here and boosted jobs and the economy, then getting a 'deal' and leaving us. It isn't like this is a private company paying for these planes, it is us, our government and our taxes, so why the FUCK would they not factor that in when they made the decision on who got the contract! Idiots. But then again, look who runs the damn country, I shouldn't be surprised, but I am. Again.

Last Night

So last night I had quite an experience! I was at the hospital interpreting for a Deaf woman who had a baby! I was there for all the good and gory stuff! I saw the baby the second it was born! It was an amazing and odd experience! It was awkward because I had never met the parents before and here I am, a stranger, there and privy to the most intimate and special moment in their lives. The awkwardness was more on their part. But we all got through it beautifully. They had a beautiful and healthy baby and I am honored that I was allowed to be a part of it. Yay, interpreting!

Moving Hell

Yup, moving again. Some would think that as often as I engage in this particularly stressful pastime that I would be good at it by now. But alas, it is not so! Not by a long shot. As a matter of fact, I usually cry, fight with my husband and overall become a stressed, tired, cranky bitch. I hate it in other words. I would love to say that I won't move again until we have enough money to pay someone to do the whole shebang for us. But that is unlikely. But I swear, I SWEAR that the next time that I move it will be into a house that I will own, so it will be worth it all!!!

Sucker's Day

So I have decided that I will now refer to this day that most of our society calls Valentine's Day as Sucker's Day. I say this not from a place of bitterness (if you haven't read it before, I am married). Since before I was married I began to look at this holiday differently.

First I hated it because I was frequently single and bitter about it. Then I spent years working as a server then manager at a restaurant. First off, it is hard to see the romance in the holiday after you have watched it from the 'other side' for a while. There is nothing romantic about all of the pressure that couples put on each other to be romantic and special and find just the right gift and make the right reservations and so on and so forth. It is just more stress. Then there is the fact that it isn't romantic to do the same thing as every other couple (or person trying to get laid) out there on the same day that they do it! Just not romantic.

Now that being said, I do love all of the cute stuff that they sell for the holiday, I can't help it, it gets me! So I buy the stuff before and after the holiday and give it to hubby when the mood strikes, to show him that I love him and am thinking about him, not to show him that I can read the calendar or that the Hallmark commercials have gotten through to me.

So..... Happy Sucker's Day!!!!!!!!

Rant and then some good!

So, we were always warned in our Interpreter Training program that we would encounter professionals who had issues with us, working with interpreters that is! Professionals such as teachers, lawyers, doctors and such are not used to having to share authority or feel that they are not entirely in control of the situation. Having another educated adult, not to mention one who effectively has the reins of control of communication in their hands can be a difficult change for them.


Well, up until this point I haven't really encountered too much of this. But today, boy howdy did I ever! Not to mention that this geriatric (and she is, technically) teacher acted as if she was in high school!!! After an hour and a half of straight interpreting, the class went on break and I let her and the client know that I was running to the bathroom. While I was in there, the classic cliche situation out of a bad high school drama occurred to me! And I am over 30! The teacher was talking with another teacher about my client, and then began to discuss me! And she trash talked me. While I was in the stall!

Up until this point I had done my best to communicate effectively with this teacher, explain to her the interpreting process and inform her of things that she needed to know about in relation to the client. I viewed us as a team that was working in conjunction to get this client the best education we could. Well, apparently this teacher does not look at it the same way!
I had explained to the teacher that this class almost, and I said ALMOST required a team for interpreting because it was 2 1/2 hours and the only break wasn't until an hour and a half in. It may not sound like much, but this class is ALL talking, rarely an instance of independent work, which means that while the teacher may only be saying so much, I have to interpret every word that she, the client and all of the other students say. It is mentally taxing and much harder than it may seem to those who don't do it. So I mentioned this to her and she told the other teacher that apparently she talks too fast because I can't keep up and need help! She also told the other teacher that she wasn't sure if the information she was getting was correct or just my version. I am not sure if she is saying that I don't interpret correctly or if she is calling into question the information I have discussed with her about the process and the client's progress with me on that. Either way!

So I confronted her! I told her that I was in the bathroom and heard her conversation. I told her that I interpret everything and that if she is ever unsure of what is going on, to just ask me. I also told her that I can more than keep up with her but tried to explain what I did in this blog, and told her that our industry standard is 45 - 50 minutes of straight interpreting and then a break, that is what is determined as optimal time for quality interpreting.

What really gets me is that she didn't apologize or act in the least bit embarrassed for having been caught trash talking someone like that. That had never happened to me in grade school! But it happened to me at this age! It is nuts. That b$%h. Screw her. I am good at what I do, and I know what I am talking about, I can't account for her lack of professionalism or bad judgement!

Onto the good news! We are moving into a great house in 2 weeks! While I have loved being where I am at the moment, very cute comfy condo, we are going to move into a bigger house (yay, space for animals AND mom!) and have a big backyard for the pupster! It is a cute house, and has 3 bedrooms and I get my own office too (gotta love a tax write off!). It is very well maintained and I think we will be very happy there until it is time to FINALLY buy a house! It will be nice to be settled into somewhere for a while and feel really established. Wish us luck!

SuperBowl Sunday!

I am such an idiot for not having posted this earlier, of course it would only really matter if anyone other than my sister actually read this thing, but I just want to make sure that as many people as possible know what is going to happen today! During the pregame show, Pepsi is airing a one minute commercial that will be done entirely in ASL (American Sign Language) and it will be captioned for those hearing folks not lucky enough to know the language! This is a great coup for ASL and the Deaf community. Please check it out! When the TV goes silent, look up!

House Hunting?

So, if anyone has themselves, or knows someone who has just under 2 million to spend on a gorgeous custom built beach house, check out some pics and fun facts about this place. I can personally attest that it is one of the most unique and fun houses ever built! No cookie cutter construction here!

Ah, taxes!

So, first year doing taxes as a married person, and as a self employed person. As well, have forms for 2 states and hubby has had a thousand and one jobs! Ugh. Fun fun fun.

Sick...for real

Ugh, looks like I won't fight it off, damnit. Oh well. Now time for the Maker's Mark!

Sick...kinda....

I hate being sick, but almost worse than that I hate being KINDA sick. You know what I mean, when you feel it all coming on, and you don't really hurt, but you feel like your throat isn't right, your head kinda hurts, you feel sorta achy. Blech. Now the only good thing about it could be that I head it off before it gets really bad. But if I don't, and I have to go through full blown feeling like crap, in addition to days of building up to it, well that would really blow!

EEEEK!!!!!!!!

Where did my goodreads go?? I just tried to sign in and the page is supposedly not there any longer! What am I going to do??????????????????

Good News

So I am thrilled to death. You know how sometimes you get screwed, I mean you just have something happen to you that makes you want to kick your tires, spit at everyone, scream, maybe run your car into a trash can? Well I have, of course, being the emotional basket case that I can be.

Last month, I drove an hour and a half for an interpreting job, to a place which was SOOO set out of the way that they really should have made a note of that to the agency when they set the appointment. But they didn't. Of course, this is the day that I cannot for the life of me find my phone before I set off. I arrive in the area, should have been on time, but spend precious minutes driving around trying to find the building, which is hidden off directly behind another building. I arrive at the front desk exactly 8 minutes late. They ask me to have a seat and wait, apparently they have started the appointment without me. Now, I cannot divulge much about this appointment because intepreters have a Code of Conduct that says we can't divulge this kind of info. But suffice it to say that this was the type of event that SHOULD NOT have proceeded without an interpreter!

After waiting for a bit more than 10 minutes, someone comes out and says that they won't be able to use me and that I won't be getting paid for the job! I understand that being on time is important, and those of you who know me might find this hard to believe, but I am always 15 minutes early for my jobs, unless I am coming directly from another one and I just got there as soon as I could! So this was a double blow.

Now, the reason that I am soooo happy is that I was just informed by my agency that I will in fact be getting paid for the job! It turns out that my agency stood up for me and pointed out that I handled myself professionally, and that interpreters wait for 30 minutes for the client to show up, they could have waited or attempted to contact the agency to find out what was going on! Things, like life, happen, and their response was ridiculous, especially in light of the small time that I was late. So yay! I am getting paid. HAHAHA to them! And they were rude about it when they told me, so I really like the feeling that they got it stuck to them! Ha!

Disappointment

I call it disappointment, because while I recently found out I was pregnant, I almost immediately lost the baby. I hadn't even truly believed that it was real before it was no longer so. I haven't cried, well not much, but I did tear up when I had to tell my husband that it appeared that Daddyhood was not lurking around the corner. I knew he would be devastated, although he took it well.

So here I am, not pregnant, but trying to keep positive and telling myself that overall things are good, I can apparently get pregnant, contrary to what the doctors have told me so far. Hormone therapy is not something that I look forward to. But that is battling the fear that I will begin a vicious cycle of emotionally and physically draining pregnancies and miscarriages, because that is in fact common with my condition, endometriosis.

So I keep trudging through day to day, noticing how EVERYone seems to be pregnant or have babies, and I say, that WILL be me one day, it will. And I hope that I am right...

Paragraphs

I just want to apologize for anyone brave, or bored, enough to read my blog. I DO write these in paragraphs, but for some reason it just isn't showing that way. Thanks for trying to get through it.

I have been chastised...

My blogorophic sister has warned me that I might lose my blogger license if I don't get to adding to this real soon! So here it is. I guess I could tell you all that I am pregnant! It is my own little holiday miracle. This is so special because I was not supposed to be able to get pregnant without hormone therapy because my ovaries are lazy, just like me! But here I am. Preggo. Whomp there it is (don't ask, I don't know, I just type).