Idiot (or don't try this at home)

So, I did a stupid thing and let my Cymbalta run out. I finally got more yesterday after 8 days of going without. I thought I'd end up in a depressed ball on the bed and that I would have rebound pain as Cymbalta treats nerve pain. No real depression except I perseverate about stupid shit like what someone said at a meeting. However, the pain rebounded back big time last night. One minute I can feel the pain coming on and took a Lortab & Phenergan; before the drugs had a chance to take effect, I was dry heaving into the toilet. Dry heaves because after the Nissen I cannot physically throw up. I found a Phenergan suppository which should take effect faster than pills, then went back to bed and hoped it would work really fast. I think I was hyperventilating, I know I was begging it to stop. Poor Mike, he felt so helpless. Then the poor man has to go to the bathroom, with his book and glasses if you know what I mean. He's sitting in there when the nausea slams me on my ass again and I'm dry heaving into the bathroom sink. The rest of the night was OK and I slept about 12 hours.

It happened again this morning except I didn't dry heave. I felt it coming, took some drugs and rode through the waves of pain and nausea. I have been out of bed for a few hours now and while I am hurting worse than usual, I can stay upright without feeling nauseated. Boy, I will never let my Cymbalta run out again. And I am supposed to be this smart nurse who should know better.

Flaming Gorge

I've got to do better keeping this up. I've decided what I want for a graduation present to myself when I finish my master's degree. I want a good digital camera. I will have more time to have a hobby other than school and I'd like to take pretty pictures like this one from Flaming Gorge.

Our last camping trip was to Flaming Gorge. That place is so beautiful. We went up to Wyoming so Mike could visit Fort Bridger. I think we found the only dry town in Wyoming. I wanted some wine coolers because I am such a hard drinker. But there wasn't even beer in their stores let alone wine coolers. We had to return to Utah where the liquor laws were less strict.

Another thing you shouldn't do while driving...

A discovery while driving down the freeway. Even if you use kleenix, you shouldn't try to blow your nose and drive. You get snot all over your glasses.

What happens in Vegas....

Mike and I vacationed last week in Pahrump, Nevada which is about 60 miles from Las Vegas. We belong to a campground organization which has an RV park in Pahrump so we stayed the entire week for about $60. It was a very nice RV park. We wanted to go some place warm enough to sit under the awning on our Christmas presents (reclining chairs). Plus we hadn't been to Vegas in about 5 years and wanted to see if it was still there. We discovered we are too old and orthopedically challenged to spend too much time in Sin City. After two days wandering around the strip we stayed in Pahrump under the awning eating Advil.

Mike was fascinated by all the Adult Megastores. He said he'd never seen a porn shop the size of Walmart. I kind of like the idea of a Walporn. Do you think it would do well in Utah?

Madrigals

Last week, Jeffrey was taken from his room in the wee hours of the morning. It seems the tradition when one makes it into the Madrigals is to be taken to breakfast in your jammies. He'd bought a pair of pajama bottoms so they wouldn't take him to breakfast in his boxers. He wore them every night for two weeks waiting to find out if he made the Madrigals. The rest of the group dress him up with a sash that said something like doofus or dorkwad, put flaming boxers on him outside of his PJ's, goofy sunglasses and I don't remember what else. He went to school like that. I wish I had my camera so I could have gotten a picture of him but it was out in the trailer.

David is really proud of his brother and thinks we should take him out to dinner to celebrate. I love that he's proud of his brother. The Madrigals are apparently a pretty big deal, an elite school choir. They are such good boys, young men.

Costco

Conversation while waiting in line at Costco....

"This is going to cost a lot, but we didn't buy anything frivolous. Oil of Olay isn't frivolous after a certain age right?"

"Absolutely not"

"I mean, did you see how old I looked in that web cam picture?"

"Absolutely not"

"Good man"

Pink Eye

I don't remember if I've ever had pink eye but I can unequivocably state that I don't like it. I did not know that all the tissues surrounding the eye become tender as if bruised. The constant watering and feeling like I've got a dog hair in my eye is just an added bonus. Speaking of hair, I got a wild hair up my, well figure it out, to take a picture of my night of the living dead red-eye look with the webcam. I do not take pictures of myself, therefore couldn't remember how to work the damn thing. I only have it because it came with the laptop. After hours of intense searching and wondering why my eye looks so much better in the picture than in life, here it is. By the way, I forgot that when staring into a camera, everything is opposite so I kept looking for my left eye to look bad when on camera it is my right.

A school play

Jeffrey is one of the lead players in his high school musical, Zombie Prom. It was really cute to watch. The female lead has a beautiful Disney voice and could easily sing Belle or Ariel's parts. Jeffrey played Joey, the Zombie's best friend. There was lots of singing and dancing. Jeffrey cut his beautiful red hair into a buzz for his 50's look but says the girls like it better because it is soft when they pet his head. His dance partner is a cutie but "taken" according to Jeffrey. For someone who is taken, they sure text each other a lot.

Solo business trip

I went to Atlanta last week to learn how to use the data we get from our Smart pumps (for I.V.'s). The workshop and accommodations were at the Airport Marriott. I've stayed at Marriotts three times when the hospital has sent me on a trip. This one was the lesser of the three. One of the things I look forward to in these hotels which are too expensive for me to use on my own dime is the bathroom, but this was just a regular hotel bathroom. The bed was as soft and nice as usual. I thought I would like it better to go alone than to go with someone else so I could do what I want when I want. It may have been more fun with someone else but I got more work done and rested more on my own. Landing during a tornado watch was something I'd like never to do again. They'll have to clean my seat on the plane.

My personal barometer

Here is my theory about my chronic pain issues. I believe I have so much scar tissue from multiple surgeries and sinus infections that it hurts like a (cover your ears Ma) mother-fucker when a big storm is coming. Yesterday, I was actually blazing along writing my paper that was due last night when all of the sudden, the chronic tolerable pain turned into panic-stricken-should-I-just-throw-up-now pain. I was taking Lortab and phenergan, holding an ice bag to my pounding skull and face; then taking a nap with a warm spice bag across my face. Needless to say, I did not get my paper finished. The chronic fevers usually don't bother me as much as the pain but I have been febrile for at least a week and it wears me out. Hot cold, hot, cold, chills, sweats; pick a temperature and just go with it....

Wicked Wife

This is probably under the heading of too much information, but Mike has the most amazingly sensitive nipples and I don't mean in a way that turns him on. But more in that his nipples are ticklish. It is like goosing him if you tweak them, so naturally when I am feeling impish, I sneak up on him and tweak them. The other day when Mike was lying in bed, Misty climbed up on him and started nibbling his chin which is rather adorable. I went into the other other room and heard a loud whoop (or some other unintelligible word). Misty had nipped his nipple. The wicked part of me just loved that.

Is my beagle a puppyphile?

Scout and Misty are having great fun chasing each other around the house. I am a bit concerned that Scout keeps wearing this maniacal doggy-grin and trying to hump Misty. Jeff thinks he may be a pedophile but I think he's into puppies.

Give her an inch, she shits in your dining room

When we got Misty, they gave us a dog training book which suggest having her on a 6-foot leash when she is not in her crate so you can "immediately correct bad behavior". She's been such a good girl, that I have been lax and just keeping a close eye on her. Apparently not close enough. I just cleaned up a little doodie in the dining room.

Controlled Chaos

Misty and Scout have become fast friends, but I swear Scout has also nominated himself as her mentor. When we are trying to get her to pee outside, Scout will come out and show her what to do. Scout also puts her in her place when she gets too exuberant. Scout and Misty must have chased each other around the house for two hours straight today. I though Scout was going to have a heart attack from all of the exertion. He's not a young dog anymore (he's six). Misty nips at Scouts lips, then they run like mad until Scout bowls her over with his paw. She is darn near potty trained except when I read her signals wrong. I had her in the bedroom with me and she was whining. I thought it was because she wanted to be with Jeffrey, but it was because she had to pee. What the hell, the carpet needed cleaning anyway.

New Puppy

Scout was moping around like he'd lost his best friend. He stopped racing to the door to great us and hadn't barked or howled (unusual for our Beagle). I had been thinking of getting a smaller, more portable dog in the future so last Sunday we all went to the Petsmart adopt a dog thing. There was a Shi Tsu that Mike and I had our hearts set on but Jeffrey begged, pleaded and bargained (he paid the $50 more for a puppy) and we got Misty the mischievous pup. She is adorable with little black button eyes and a face like a baby fox. She is a Cairn Terrier/Sheltie mix so should not get too big. She steals our shoes and attacks my slippers while still on my feet. Yesterday morning, I missed my train because we could not find where Misty put my glasses. It will take a bit before Misty has us trained about what we can and cannot leave out. I will post her picture this weekend when I have time to upload it.

In Memoriam

Our charmingly incorrigible, clown Trigger has died. Trigger was only 6 years old (best we can tell). He was a big goofy Bassett Hound who had theme music when he walked (dopey,dopey, dope, dope...). David used to say Trigger was the coolest dog we ever had because he was so stupid that he forgot who we were when we left and greeted us as if we were wonderful new people that he could charm. Yesterday, Trigger stopped using his hind legs and was pitifully dragging himself a few feet at a time because he wanted to still follow us around. He was diagnosed with a ruptured spinal disc. The Vet gave him steroids but by this morning, they still had not worked so we had to put him to sleep. He went peacefully with Jeffrey and I in attendance. We will miss him. I loved watching him cavort around the house. Such a goof!