Updating My Life

I know I haven't quite gotten back into the swing of posting regularly, but I realized it's been quite a while since I actually have done an update post.  So, here goes:

Our holidays were good.  I found as it got closer and closer to Christmas, I was over-extending myself.  So, I decided to back off.  And what a relief it was to do so!  I learned a great and valuable lesson:  Just because I WANT to do it all, I don't HAVE to do it all.  And the best part was, NO ONE knew that I didn't get everything done for Christmas that I had planned.  Wow--all of those years I ran myself into the ground and practically had a nervous breakdown every December and for what?

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January and February this year means that I am getting a whole lot of yearly medical stuff out of the way.  I have already had my appointment with my internist--which turned out fine, I guess*--and last week I saw the ophthalmologist.  It has been almost three years since I had my LASIK and he has declared me a complete success.  Everything is pretty stable and he is happy with the results.  That being said, I DO have some residual astigmatism--which I guess isn't surprising, considering how bad it WAS--and he found evidence that cataracts are beginning to form.  Great.  And the worst part is that I can't do anything to stop this and I won't be able to tell how bad things are getting because the sight deteriorates so gradually.  What I have to do is see him every two years and keep track of the progress.  Another joyful part of getting older.

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I got my report from the ultrasound of my carotid arteries and THAT was good news.  There is no evidence that anything is getting worse in my neck, which is a relief.  Now, I don't know if there is anything I can do to make things better--unless they go in and do surgery--the sludge that is there is staying.  And there is no way they would do surgery on me because the problem is so very slight.  It has been two years since the last ultrasound and I haven't exactly done much to keep things from getting any worse, so this was very welcome news.

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I won't get my mammograms done until the end of February.  This is because of when I had them done last year.  Insurance companies will only allow these once a year--unless there is a problem, of course--so I have to wait the 'one year plus one day' and have them done later than I wanted.  Sometimes things are just too complicated.  I'm just happy that the hospital caught this in time--I don't want to have to pay for something that we have covered by insurance.

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This week I get to go and have my teeth scraped--and hope that no other work needs to be done.  Just thinking about it causes a panic attack!  But, with the amount of time I spend daily with cleaning my teeth, things should be okay for a while yet.  I hope.

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A week from now I will be getting things ready for our road trip to see 'Wicked.'  We decided to spend two nights away--we will leave here on Monday afternoon, see the play on Tuesday, and come home on Wednesday.  Of course, the rest of the time will be spent in the stores--this will give me plenty of time to go to places I don't normally get to visit.  I've got my lists going already, so I am hoping the shopping will go in my favor.

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As I said, there were a few things that I didn't get done in time for Christmas.  But that just means I have to do them now.  The sewing/crafts room is filling up with projects that I need to get started on or complete.  Right now I have a scarf that I started, two hats that I'm making, a bunch of fleece blankets, and fleece polar socks.  I have no problem making the stuff--and I actually enjoy the work--but I find that I HATE the preparation and the finishing work.  I have to get going, because most of the stuff isn't for me and it has been promised to others--and I believe the patience is wearing a bit thin when it comes to people not getting what they are expecting. 

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We took a ride up north last week to deliver some stuff to The Oldest and her family.  This was the first time I've been up there in quite a few months.  So many times when K goes up there, I stay at home--I enjoy the time alone to get things done without him being here. I need to go more often, however, because I do miss the grandkids.  Anyway, the roads were normal for here in the winter:  snow-covered and a bit slippery.  As for the weather around here, we have snow almost every day--but that is normal, too.  :)  Haven't had too many bad storms this winter--but at least one will be coming yet this year.

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So far it seems as if we have been waiting for three months for the damned Super Bowl to finally be played.  Of course, with living here, the hype is on about the Packers, so I have it worse than people in other parts of the country.  I'll just be happy when the entire thing is done.

With hockey, the All-Star weekend just finished up and the regular schedule will be back on Tuesday.  I haven't seen a Wings game since Wednesday and won't get to see the next one until Wednesday.  I AM suffering from withdrawal symptoms.  ;)  Oh well, the race to the playoffs is about to begin.  Fun times.

*I still am not sure how I feel about the new doctor.  Some people think I should go out and look for someone who I may feel more comfortable with, while others tell me to give it some time.  I have a lot of thinking to do about this.

Not To Besmirch An Entire Profession...

I'm not a fan of lawyers.  It's really funny why I would feel this way, because I have never known any personally until two of our nieces became lawyers.  I won't go on about either of them, but they DO seem pretty full of themselves, so my opinion of the profession hasn't been changed because of them.  Suffice it to say, there just seems to be a bit more smarminess with lawyers these days, than in the past--although they never have been held in much better esteem than used car salesmen.

One of the ways that lawyers have been making sure that their popularity ISN'T rising, is with the commercials bombarding us day and night.  Especially the ones about drug side-effects.  Now, don't get me wrong, there have been some horrible consequences that have occurred from medical malpractice, but if you only listened to these commercials, you would think that the medical profession has NEVER done anything right--and have put almost every person at risk but prescribing bad meds.  And these lawyers try to drum up business for their class-action lawsuits by airing commercials every ten minutes or so--and they do this by instilling fear.  The commercials talk about blood clots, depression, heart problems, etc--anything that could make you run screaming to the nearest attorney to demand justice for the suffering that you have endured.  But one commercial in particular has me absolutely shaking my head:

This commercial is for a medication and the announcer says:

"If you or a loved one has suffered death, heart attack, or stroke..."*

EXCUSE ME!  If I have suffered DEATH, I wouldn't be sitting here listening to this foolish commercial!!!!!   Believe me, with all of the lawyers to choose from, if I needed one, this particular firm would NOT be of my choosing.  If you can't even make a commercial that is worded better than this, what chance do you have of getting me a settlement worth big, big bucks?  Give me a break.


*And yes, I UNDERSTAND what it is they are trying to say.  I just feel it is unfortunate when someone who uses words for a living cannot be a slight bit clearer in this instance.

 

Funny...With An ICK Factor

The Youngest posted this as a status update on Facebook yesterday:

To Whom It May Concern,
I do NOT appreciate being handed Boob money. If that's where you normally keep it fine, but please take it away from your body before you are in front of me! I don't like knowing where it was - just something I don't need to know. Okay thanks!

That made me chuckle, but then The Oldest, who worked at a bank, wrote this:
 .

You ...don't WANT to know where people keep their money - or DO with their money! :-o

Ewww, ewww, ewww!

I am one of those people who washes her hands the SECOND I get into the house.  I can't stand to think that I might bring any kind of a germ into my place.  Now I have to think about the money I have to handle at different times.  I guess I will go to my debit card ALL of the time from now on!

Sometimes I want to Unfollow EVERYONE

There are two people on Twitter that I follow that REALLY give me pains in the ass sometimes.  One is a woman in her early 40s--never married.  The other is a guy in his late 30s--never married.  They have long conversations with each other and it seems as if they are 'feeling each other out' and it wouldn't surprise me if they got together at some point.  Anyway, they REALLY drive me crazy when they get started.

First of all, the woman knows EVERYTHING!  She is a 'scientist' (a lab tech) and is knowledgeable about every subject known--and unknown--to modern man.  She is constantly correcting people and tweeting obscure scientific facts--mainly to make herself look better, IMHO.  One day, she tweeted something very condescending about her political opposites and I gently called her on it.  She hasn't 'talked' to me since then.  But I don't mind her ignoring me--I never thought we would ever be 'friends.'

The guy I 'know' because of our being fans of the Red Wings--as is the woman.  I really appreciate his hockey knowledge and devour every word he writes on his blog.  And he seems to be a kind person--I think he should RUN and not walk away from the woman.  But when he and this woman get started...

One night the two of them started on the Vietnam War--and they were barely born (if even) while it was going on.  They went on and on about what 'Dad' said about those years, or how 'Mom' protested the war--and the entire time as if THEY were the ones who experienced those years.  And then they got on the military.  AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!  Even though I never was IN the military, I was a military wife--and I didn't KNOW as much as they 'did' during the conversation.  I hate anyone who is an 'authority' about things they know NOTHING about--and think they know more than people who actually experienced the event, just because someone 'told' them about it.  I guess this bothered me so much because I have such a roller coaster-of-feelings about that time.  Those years were so very hard to get through and my feelings about what happened seem to change as I get older.  Anyone who never lived through those times CANNOT, with any certainty, KNOW beyond any doubt what went on.  But, I was good and never said a word to either of them.

Tonight, the two of them started up about women's rights--including reproductive health.  Again, the condescending tone of the conversation just appalled me.  It was implied that 'working class' people aren't progressive or smart enough to have equality in a marriage.  That the only women that are worthy of respect are those who worked outside of the home.  That anyone who doesn't want to do something against their conscience--as in pharmacists and other medical personnel--are small-minded and stupid.  Women who 'depend' on a man to 'take care of them' are idiots.  And this was NOT a private conversation!

Okay, I will admit that I am a bit sensitive when it comes to each subject.  K was on his way to Vietnam when the war was de-escalated, so I have a biased point of view.  (His orders were changed at the last minute and he didn't get there.)  Also, I lost close friends and had family and friends 'do their time' over there.  As I said, my opinion on the entire thing is very much a roller coaster ride, so I can't stand anyone--especially those who didn't experience it--to be black-and-white about it.  I think everyone who lived through those years will admit to having mixed feelings.

And I don't believe I have ever let my feelings be hidden about my stay-at-home status.  I have never felt like a lesser person because I didn't leave the house daily and bring home a paycheck, but far too many people actually believe the only way for someone to prove their worth is by what they get paid.  These two, also, seemed to feel that there could not be any equality in a marriage if the woman didn't work, didn't have her 'own' money.  I do feel sorry for people who 'know' all about relationships without getting to know the people involved.  For example, the money K earns is OUR money--we share it equally.  Not only do I discuss how I want to spend it, but HE discusses how HE will spend money, also.  Neither one of us needs the other's 'permission,' but we will defer to the other if it is determined that we can't afford something.  And just because I don't go out and work, it doesn't mean I don't have a job.  Oh, there are times I feel unappreciated, but I KNOW I truly AM appreciated for what I do.  And I AM respected for the things I do.

The bottom line to all of this is that I probably should unfollow these people.  But I just feel sorry for them--they are really limiting themselves by not trying to understand things they really know nothing about--and I think that makes THEM small minded.  So, I will continue to keep them in my 'follow' column and just ignore them when they go off like this.

Death IS Inevitable

A woman I 'know' from Twitter is going through the rapid decline of her father.  He is, I believe, dying from cancer.  And she isn't taking this very well.  The other day, she tweeted this:

"My dad is dying. He is being moved from the ICU to a Hospice House. We have no say in the matter. Devastated. :'-( "

And a few days later, she tweeted this:

"Hospice House = death chamber. My dad is being legally "murdered" by my step mother. Nothing I can do. Love him so much. Sobbing."

As the only connection this woman and I have is the Red Wings, I don't know what is going on in her personal life.  I assume she isn't very close with her stepmother and isn't very happy with the decision to place her father in hospice care.  I know that watching a loved one die is not easy, but I was never under the impression that hospice care was 'legal murder.'  I always thought that hospice was there to provide a more dignified way to leave this life, but I have not been in the situation and I could very well be wrong.

Rather than fixate on this woman's story, I am using it as a springboard for this post.  And I will talk about death.

As the title says, death IS inevitable--we all have to go through it.  And as I get older, I find that I really don't fear death like I did when I was younger.  Now, I don't particularly WANT to die, but I'm not afraid to die either.  I believe my change in how I feel has a lot to do with my faith:  I know where I will go when I leave this world--and I know it will be a better place.  My one big fear is the ACT of dying--I'm so afraid I will die a painful death.  I don't do pain very well, at all.  And that is why I always thought that hospice was such a good thing--that they help a person to, not only die with dignity, but to lessen the pain of dying.  Believe me, if I am dying while in a great amount of pain, I WILL insist on enormous amounts of pain meds to get me through the pain.  And that is why I have questions about my Twitter acquaintance:  I don't understand what her problem is, other than not getting along with her stepmother.  Death is a sad, sad thing, but is it actually worse than seeing a loved one suffer?  While I have seen MANY family members pass on, none have been closer than aunts, uncles, etc.  I don't know how I would feel if my husband or one of my children were in a bad way, whether I would want them to 'be out of their misery,' or not.  And I certainly hope that I never am put in the position where I have to watch one of them die.

Un-Freaking-Believable

I just found out that The Brother and his wife have a foreign exchange student living with them.  The two people who didn't even raise their own kids have taken someone else's into their home.  I am just speechless.  The only thing I can think is that their youngest--our godchild--wanted this to happen.  And from what it seems, whatever she wants, she gets.

Being Content

I am not ashamed to admit that I don't leave my house that often.  And I don't find reasons TO leave the house.  Oh, I go shopping when the need is there and I go to appointments.  I also enjoy our road trips and vacations, but I am very content to stay in my own home.  Basically, pretty much everything I want or need is here in my house--and with the interwebs, it is so very easy to not have to leave the house.  I have my music, TV, books, craft supplies, and computer:  What more could I want?

Growing up, The Mother had a friend who spent ENORMOUS amounts of time in The Parent's home.  (As I don't have much contact with The Mother these days, I don't know if the woman still goes there as often.)  She would show up before noon and wouldn't leave until it was time for her to go home and make dinner--usually less than an hour before she had to serve it.  (I never understood how she managed to make meals so quickly.)  She very much gave the impression that she couldn't stand her house--a house that I would've seriously considered giving my eye teeth up for.  I don't know how she ever got her housework done, with the amount of time she spent away from home.  Her and her husband raised three children and she was a stay-at-home--well, a woman who did not work outside of the home, at least.  It still amazes me that the household was kept together all of those years.

So, does my not wanting to leave my house and The Woman's not wanting to stay home point towards how content you are with your situation?  My house isn't anything to write home about--believe me when I say there are probably more things WRONG with this place, than there are right--but it is home and it is where I want to be.  I've never understood people who want to be away from their homes--but then, I was raised in a bit of a different era, by a VERY different sort of mother.  I am content and will make no apologies for that.

Episodes, Shameless, and Being Human

Showtime has two new series that just began.  The first one is 'Episodes.'  This show is about a British couple who wrote/created a hit TV show in England.  A TV executive in the US buys the show for adaptation in the States--and the key word here is 'adaptation.'  The couple comes 'over the pond' and settles in LA to adapt their show to American tastes--and find that NOTHING goes their way.  The first thing to go awry is their lead actor--an overweight, older gentleman.  They find the lead of the show being taken over by actor Matt LeBlanc--much to their dismay.  And things go downhill from there.

So far, I'm okay with this show.  BUT, time will tell.  I don't know if I can handle all of the duplicity of the Hollywood types--EVERY word out of their mouths is a lie.  While I am cynical enough to believe this is the way things are handled in LaLaLand, I can't stand people like this and won't allow them in my own life, so why would I watch them as 'entertainment?'  Matt LeBlanc isn't a bad actor--I'm pleasantly surprised by his ability to change his character from one scene to another.  At one point, he is caring, pleasant, sweet, and nice and in the following scene he is crass, vitriolic, and downright mean.  He has more range than I ever thought.  He definitely isn't playing 'Joey' and I like the fact that he isn't the focus of every scene--not to say things won't change, but I hope not.  As I said, time will tell whether I will stay with this show.

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The second new show on Showtime is 'Shameless.'  I can't even describe this show.  On one hand, I'm loving it--and a lot has to do with the fact that I really like William H Macy as an actor--and on the other, I'm really disappointed.  My disappointment comes from what  I see as the writers saying, "We are writing this for a pay channel, so we can put in as much vulgar language, sex, and nudity as we want--so let's go WAY over the top and see what we can get away with!"  My sticking with this show completely depends on whether I can handle the sex/nudity and language.  Other than that, this show is like a train wreck:  You just can't look away!

Basically, this show is about a family that lives in Chicago.  The father is a drug-addicted alcoholic who gets his money from a bogus disability claim.  The mother is AWOL and the six kids are raising themselves, while they drink and smoke cigarettes and weed.  Add some off-the-wall neighbors, a boyfriend for the oldest daughter, and various other characters, and you have 'Shameless.'  And it is quite compelling in many ways--you just want to know what the hell is going to happen next.

Case in point for 'what is going to happen next':  The father wakes up (in the 2nd episode) in Canada, with no recollection of how he got there.  He winds up in jail and Macy gives one of the funniest monologues I have heard in a long, long time.  And here is his rant against Canada:

"How the hell did I end up in Canada?  I hate f---ing Canada!  I'm an American...apple pie, lower 48, Air Supply!"

 And a couple of minutes later:

 "Why would I want to come to Canada?  So your national health care can make me wait 60 years for a new kidney?  Whole country's a bunch of parka-wearing, draft-dodging, chickenshit cowards who didn't have the balls to stay home and fight the Vietcong and to preserve our American way of life.  No snow at the Winter Olympics?  What the hell was THAT?  It's the WINTER OLYMPICS!  What are you doing?  Holding your c----, handing out maple leaf sugarloafs?  You couldn't even get the Olympic torch to f---ing light right!"

And if this didn't come across as funny as it actually was, I apologize--but it was a great, great moment.  :D

I will be watching this again before I make my final decision on whether I continue.  But I have the feeling this WILL be a big hit for Showtime and will be on for quite a few years.

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The third show that I have watched recently is 'Being Human,' which is on Syfy.  This show revolves around three 20-somethings--a vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost.  They share a house and are determined to try and be as normal as possible.

With a whole lot of the world crazy about 'Twilight,' and a lot of writers/producers/etc jumping on the bandwagon and doing way too many of the same books/shows/movies, 'Being Human' could be dismissed as just 'another one of those' shows.  However, I have the feeling this one will be different.  I liked the first show and think things will just get better from here.  And from all of the traffic on Twitter about this show, I think Syfy has a hit.

Harry's Law and Another Show

It's a new year and the networks are bringing out their mid-season series--and there are quite a few I'm hoping to sample.  I already divorced 'The Cape'--actually, we didn't get to be anything beyond acquaintances before I gave up on the show.  I really think the show could possibly have been good, but the ones in charge couldn't decide just what it would be.  It was 'here's-a-joke-for-you' funny, 'over-the-top' campy, 'look-at-this-as-real' serious, and everything in between--if the show had a direction, it might have been good.  (And it has Summer Glau  as a co-star, so that was a good thing.  I LOVE her!)   Too bad the show isn't worth my time...


I finally got a chance to watch 'Harry's Law,' and I will say, without a doubt, David E Kelley has himself another monster hit.  Kelley DOES push his own political agenda with his shows, but the writing is so brilliant that I usually can ignore it.  (e.g., 'Boston Legal')  As long as Kelley keeps off of the political soapbox for the most part, this will become one of my favorite new shows.  The opening was hysterically funny and Kathy Bates is wonderful.  The entire show kept my attention and I really liked all of the characters.  It is quite unusual for me to like all of the characters in a show, but these are quirky and likable from the beginning.  (I'm hoping I still feel this way after a month.  ;))  Other than the opening--which had me running to the bathroom with laughter--the highlight of the show was toward the end when a character said, (talking about his mother) "She died during childbirth, when she had my older brother."  Unfortunately, when this line was said, I had a mouth FULL of water--which I proceeded to SPEW all over the kitchen!  LITERALLY!  I don't remember when I laughed so hard at a line in a show.

I'm hoping to get to 'Being Human' tonight--I have already watched 'Shameless' and 'Episodes' and should comment on them soon.  But, before then, find 'Harry's Law' and watch it RIGHT NOW!  You won't be sorry.

Medical Procedure

Today I went for the first medical procedure to come out of my appointment on Monday.  I was supposed to have two done today, but the mammography machine at the hospital has been down all week, so my mams had to be rescheduled to next week.  So, all I had done today was the ultrasound of my carotid arteries. 

As far as medical procedures go, ultrasounds are quite easy to go through.  They are not invasive at all and don't hurt--at the most they can be considered uncomfortable.  And having the carotid arteries ultrasounded (is that a word?) IS uncomfortable.  The technician presses the wand on your neck with a steady, slightly hard, pressure and continues doing so until you start getting a light-headedness going for you. I also felt as if I was choking.  At one point, I even got nauseous and was afraid I would have to run to pay homage to the porcelain god, but it passed.  As I said, this is one of the easiest medical procedures to go through, however, I DON'T need to do this more than once every few years. 


DISCLAIMER:  I KNOW this sounds as if I'm pissing and moaning when things could be so much worse--and people who are REALLY ill ARE going through terrible procedures--but this is just reporting on my life.  I don't want to take anything away from those who are going through terrible illnesses.

Socks

As I get older, I'm finding it to be more difficult to put on socks.  This has nothing to do with my lack of flexibility these days--I've figured out how to get around THAT hurdle.  No, my problem begins AFTER I get the sock on my foot.  My socks go on crooked and it takes me at least ten minutes of pulling, stretching, and adjusting to get them comfortable on my feet.  It would be better if the socks went on so twisted that the heel was on the top of the foot, but noooooooo, my socks are always SLIGHTLY twisted--just enough that they don't feel RIGHT.  You can't SEE there is a problem, but the socks just don't feel comfortable--and I can't handle them not fitting properly.  Of all of the problems I imagined facing when I got old(er), improperly fitting socks was NOT one of them..;)

We Just Don't Live Right

CNN just sent this breaking news story to me:  

Mega Millions: Two tickets, one sold in Idaho and one in Washington, matched all six numbers in $355 million jackpot.


K said that it is reported that the one-time buy-out for this is over $200 million--more than $100 million per winner.  I said I guess we don't live right, because we haven't won big-time like this.  And K's response made me remember this joke:

A guy sat in front of his TV and watched the lottery drawing.  As the numbers were being picked he prayed, "Please, dear Lord, let me win the lottery.  I promise to give some of my winnings to the poor."  He didn't win.

The next week, the guy watched the drawing and prayed, "Please, please, dear Lord, let me win the lottery.  I promise to give money to the poor and give the church a new roof."  He didn't win.

Every week, for six weeks, he watched the drawing, prayed to win and made promises as to what he would do with the money.  Week six, he prayed and promised, "Dear Lord, please let me win the lottery.  I promise to do good with 75% of my winnings.  PLEASE let me win!"

And then the guy heard the voice of the Lord:  "Will you help me out already and buy a damn lottery ticket?"

K told me we have to buy tickets in order to win.  :D

This Should Be Interesting

I mentioned a bit ago that my primary care physician was giving up his practice and moving on to be a hospitalist--and this has happened.  On Monday, I got to meet my new PCP at my annual physical.  While she is nice--and I have to give her the benefit of the doubt, as I won't be completely comfortable with her for a couple of years--it just isn't the same as what I have been used to.  I have come to the conclusion that I have probably 'manipulated' my former doctors a little, and this lady won't be manipulated.  I certainly hope this doesn't stir my Finnish stubbornness into rearing its ugly head.  ;)

Some changes are in place already:  I am now off of calcium supplements and have to get it from food, I will be taking a Vitamin D supplement daily, and will be weaned off of my Premarin.  While my old PCP would always say "I work for you," this new doctor is more apt to make pronouncements.  (I don't mean to make it sound as if she acts like she knows better, it's just that she states her case for her opinions very strongly--and I don't know, yet, whether or not she is open to a free discussion of different opinions.)  She is very against my being on Premarin this long and wants me off of it within the next three years.  My old GYN and PCP were much more conservative in their accepting of the studies and continued to keep me on estrogen because the study results seemed to change drastically every couple of years.  This doctor basically feels as if I need to 'suck it up' in terms of having to deal with menopause symptoms--something I have not had to do since my hysterectomy.  I'm hoping this won't be a sticking point between us--but we'll see.  Of course, the weight and exercise issue came up and while she tried to be empathetic, I don't believe the woman has EVER had a weight problem in her life.  I seemed to get the feeling that she looks at weight problems as a will-power thing and 'just saying no' to overeating.  (Believe me, if it was as easy as will-power and just saying no, I wouldn't HAVE a weight problem.  I know this.)  To her credit, she didn't give me any ultimatums and doesn't want me to try anything so drastic that I can't keep up with it.  The plan of action is for me to NOT eat 200 calories a day that I now consume and BURN 100 calories--this should help me begin a slow and steady weight loss.  Unfortunately, I find that I don't eat at regular times--thank you shift work--and can't decide what I have to cut out of my life.  I'm sure it will come together, though, and like when I quit smoking, it will finally 'click' with me some day.

A few days ago I also got the news that my dermatologist is leaving in July.  Oh yay.  My new PCP let me know--in no uncertain terms--that I need to find a new dermatologist because she will NOT supervise my Enbrel.  (Again, I want to give her the benefit of the doubt, but I have a feeling that she might be one of the people that can't understand why someone would use Enbrel and jeopardize their health just because of 'skin problems.'  I don't know this to be true--and hope it isn't--but she was very, very adamant that she won't supervise my Enbrel and won't prescribe it to me.)  As of right now, there doesn't seem as if anyone new is coming into the area and I'm not going back to either of the two we already have.  My old dermatologist was NOT prescribing biologics when I left him and he was sending his patients who wanted them to the other guy in town--a doctor who I saw when The Oldest was 2-years-old; and he was older than dirt at THAT time, 30 years ago.  So, it looks as if I will have to leave town to find a doctor to continue prescribing Enbrel to me.  And by leaving town, I mean driving many hours to another state to find a doctor.  This shouldn't be a problem, though, as we WERE doing the same when The Youngest needed Botox injections while she was still at home.  This will just be one more scheduled road trip for us every three months or so.  Sometimes it isn't easy to live in the armpit of the Earth.  ;)

So, for the most part, I am okay with my new doctor.  She seems as if she would be happier if I could control some of my health issues in more natural ways rather than with meds, and I have no problem with that.  I have to figure out how I can get enough natural calcium in me on a daily basis without supplements, as I HATE milk and really don't do much in the way of other dairy, either.  But, if this works, maybe we can address my potassium and iron supplements and see if I can get off of them, too.  She is very much wanting to see my weight go down so that I can get off of one of my blood pressure meds--something that I would welcome a whole lot.  As she could not hear the bruit in my carotid*, we'll have to see what the ultrasound shows and whether or not the 'sludge' is going away.  If the artery is clearing/cleared, maybe I can go off of the statin, also.  (I'm not sure this could ever happen, but I can hope.)  All of this is definitely a work in progress and probably will take years to straighten out--I think I will only be seeing the doctor once a year (as long as nothing changes drastically) and see the physician's assistant the other times I go in during the year.  I really hate going through all of this, but I have to suck it up and deal.


*I guess bruit can be transient and that is why it is necessary to do the ultrasounds on a regular basis.

Police Log

Okay, so I wasn't expecting to do another police log post so soon, but this one HAD to be done.  First, realize that this was at 9:58 IN. THE. MORNING!  This was on New Year's Day.  And the car was parked not very far from where The Husband works--a VERY public place.

--9:58 AM, couple in small gray car not using much discretion, gone on arrival

Can anyone say, "GET A ROOM?"

Happy New Year!

It has been quite some time since I last posted and I think the dry spell has ended--at least I hope so.  :)  While I may put up some posts about the holidays, I will begin the new year with the police logs!  While none of these are roll-on-the-floor funny, they ARE good for a chuckle or head-scratch.  Hope you enjoy!

 --1:32 AM, suspicious subject shoveling snow on the beach
This one completely mystifies me.  Not only can you NOT shovel all of the snow from the beach around here, but why do it in the middle of the night?  I figure the person was very, very drunk.

--2:25 PM, vehicle backed into a plow
Have you ever seen the size of our plows around here?  Wasn't this person wearing his/her glasses?  They'll give licenses to drive to ANYONE!  (After all, they gave one to me, didn't they?  ;))

--10:55 AM, elderly male subject reported down;  natural death
Couldn't they have worded this a bit nicer?  I'm sorry, but I chuckled self-consciously over this one.

And my candidate for the "So You Are Stuck Writing Police Logs When You Actually Want To Be Writing Novels" Award goes to:

--7:50 AM, driver struck a large object in the westbound lane of the US 41 bypass near McClellan, which took his tire completely off and destroyed the rim, unsure what object was.  Officers determined object was a log, which had been dragged under the vehicle.
Really, nothing more needs to be said...