Tomorrow is the day!

Tomorrow is the big day. Gall Bladder and I will be parting ways.

I've tried to make GB's last days fun. We've thrown a Frisbee, thrown a football (perfect spiral if I do say so myself), bought our favorite chocolate/banana swirl ice cream, went for a photography walk in the park, read some good books, and ate a bunch of bacon.

I'm not nervous, but am totally ready for this to happen. I trust the doctors and nurses and am confidant they will do their best.



I'll leave you with some photos to enjoy...

Scouts working on their Orienteering Badge

Photos around Cedar Park, Fairmont, MN

Sloppy Joes! (I tucked my shirt in for this photo.)

 

Popcorn Patrol reporting for duty!

Water...I need water...anyone? Anyone? If only I had thumbs!!

The Gall!

Well, I've seem to acquired an internal pouch of gall stones. How fun is that?

I've been having a dull ache in my abdomen for about a month and decided that it would probably be in my best interest to get it checked out.

(I can't imbed the video I wanted to put here, but it is of Ah-nuld saying, "It's not a toomah! It's not a toomah. At all.")

The nice lady did the ultrasound on my guts, but wouldn't print off a copy of my gall bladder to share with you. Boo to the nice lady!

I spoke with the doctor a couple of days later (both of us were on cell phones and I only had one bar of service so the conversation was a bit iffy) and I caught words like "Accute", "Multiple", "Stones", "Surgeon", and "Schedule".

I was thrilled it wasn't a toomah, but not too happy that the word "surgeon" was involved.

I dialed up the old intrawebs and searched my insurance site to make sure ye olde surgeon was in network. Aaaaaaaaand of course not. I called the insurance and the lady there searched and searched and sure enough, not in the network. I called my doctor's nurse to let her know and she sounded more shocked than I was. I am waiting to hear back from a friend of mine whose wife is a surgery nurse at the place that is in my network. I'm hoping she has a recommendation or two of who I could use since I don't know anything about the doctors in that facility.

So while I wait, I'm entertaining my gall bladder to the best of my ability. I took it to St. Paul, Minnesota this weekend for the Women's State Bowling Tournament. I let it enjoy a couple of Blood Orange Margaritas (Don Julio Blanco tequila, sweet blood orange puree and Cointreau; topped with sweet and sour) and a warm cheese sampler plate (Grilled baguette served with warmed brie, gorgonzola and goat cheese; paired with roasted garlic, basil oil and boozy cherries). Nothing but the best for my innards! We played a round of Yahtzee with six other ladies (I don't know how many other gall bladders were involved in the game).

I'll keep updating here to let you know what my gall bladder has been up to until it is time to part ways with it.


Total absence of humor renders life impossible. - Colette (1873 - 1954), Chance Acquaintances, 1952

The Hunger Games

Saw the Hunger Games this afternoon. From a video producer's perspective, I wanted to slap the person who that it would be good to let their six year old kid run the camera during the District 12 scenes at the beginning. I got a little sea sick. I know it was all supposed to be "artsy", but it was more annoying than anything. Thank goodness that nonsense stopped. I don't think I could have lasted the whole two hours and twenty-two minutes like that!

Barometer

Coffee of the Day: Butter Toffee

Mental Jukebox Selection: The Dandy Warhols -We Used To Be Friends

Reading:: Jennifer Lancaster - If You Were Here

Thinking: Hungry! Must eat!

Dreading: Cleaning the house today.

Looking: Switching between The Today Show and GMA

Wondering: If the ruffle in my blouse willl be pressed and if the wrinkles in my skirt will come out.

Needing: A million dollars.

Also needing: To shave these legs!

Bloggity, blog, blog

(This is where I would normally insert some excuse(s) for not blogging since October, but phfft.)

Winter is finally upon us. We lucked out at not having any major snow since November-ish. Of course, that meant a brown Christmas. Sad face.

Have I mentioned I got a part-time jay-oh-bee? Yep. I went back to work. Marketing Coordinator. I'm the department head of a department of one. I'm a good boss. I should give myself a raise.

Since I have all of this fun money now, I've been eyeballing a new-ish car. I love my Pacifica. It runs fine and looks great, but I think it is time. I had my Shadow for six years, my Stratus for eight years and my Pacifica for six years. This is what I took for a test drive...




I love it, but the salesman BSed us with a list of things their mechanic guy found wrong with my trade in. Our mechanic took that list, checked my car and said that the majority of the stuff on the list wasn't bad enough to worry about, a couple of lines that were "wet" were totally "dry", and to fix everything would run about $1,300. I asked if it were his car, what would he fix. He said the only two things that needed fixing and we figured it would be less than $600 to get it ready to sell. We are taking it in next week and then putting it up for sale. We had it detailed a couple of weeks ago and it looks suh-weet! So, we will see.

No other great changes have been happening. The Boy is doing pretty awesome with his piano and school. Shorty started his first Senior year at State University. (He has to go five years with his major.) The Commander is going to community college again. He is loving his GI money. Tall Dog is good. Short Dog is still having allergy problems. We switched to no-grain, no-meat (just fish and veggies) food, but he is still licking like crazy. Cat is still nutso.

Update

First of all, thank you for being so patient on my clear lack of posting as of late. I started a new, part-time job as a marketing coordinator for a nursing home/assisted living center and that keeps me busy three days a week. The other days, I'm trying to run the household and that can wear a person out! Plus there are Boy Scouts (Wanna buy some popcorn? Let me know.), piano lessons, book club, bowling, church ladies, music boosters, etc, etc, etc. I'm tired just thinking about it.

If it makes you feel any better, I've been neglecting my treadmill as well. I got on it this morning, the first time in about a month, and at minute 55, my left knee told me it was done. I made it keep going another five minutes and it feels fine now. I guess it was just out of shape! :)

Last week, I weighed in and had lost 30 pounds! The Commander told me he would take me back to New York City if I lost 30 pounds and I did! Now we will see if he holds up his end of the bargain.

______

This is the newest and exciting-est thing going on here.

We bought this land behind our house and are filling it up. We've planted 50+ trees and have built The Boy a huge "Fort" in one corner. Now, we are getting a storage barn.

This is the area it will be erected (heheheheh).



And this is what thousands of dollars will get you.



Doesn't look like much, does it? I'll post photos as we go along so you can see my new skating rink in progress.

Time, time, time

This summer has flown past!

It started out a little slow, but then it gained huge momentum.

The Boy is now officially a Boy Scout and, boy, are those guys busy. Meetings every week, camping, food. A bunch of them just got back from hiking in the Black Hills and on Sunday, a different set of them (The Boy included) are heading up north for a week-long camp. This will be his first parentless Scout camp. We bought a nifty new Coleman cot and I now get to pack and pack and pack everything up for the trip.

Last week, he was at church camp and Shorty was away at Army camp for the past month. They are now both home and we are still trying to get caught up on the laundry!

Yesterday, I chaperoned the school band to the amusement park. It was fun, but it is hard because I like the roller coasters and big thrill rides and The Boy likes the smaller, less thrilling rides that go round and round. I can't do round and round. I ended up not riding much just so we could spend more time letting him ride the things he wanted. Oh well, I guess that is what parents do for their chirrun.

I have to finish writing a grant, work on a video presentation for a memorial service and get a package in the mail today. Boring, but needs to be done. That will free me up next week to party like a rock star!

Woot!