Phenomenal Friday!

Time for the phenomenon know as  Friday Fragments! You can find more fun Friday Fragments and Leftovers at Half Past Kissin' Time and Sippy Cups Are Not for Starbucks.

I have decided that I have spent enough time crying in my beer (well ... I don't drink beer so I've been crying in my Coke Zero) and try to see some sunshine and flowers and rainbows in my world! May be a little difficult since they are predicting 4 - 8 inches of snow in Tulsa tomorrow but I'll give it a shot!

Was it just last week that I was "bragging" about how little diet soda I was drinking? Sigh ... not sleeping well and having to be at work (preferably awake) seemed to require more than a Green Tea capsule! My Coke Zero addiction is back! I'll work on cutting back again post surgery. As addictions go ... this is a relatively harmless one!

I'm seriously tempted to take Monday and Tuesday, or at least Tuesday, off work prior to surgery. I need to be drinking LOTS of water so that it will be easier for them to find a vein for the IV (I'm notoriously difficult). Hate drinking that much water at work even under good circumstances since the ladies room is a significant trek from my office and I must have one of the worlds tinier bladders! On days when I drink a LOT of water I can make the trip once or twice an hour all day long! If I was doing that now I would be hobbling back and forth all day long barely stopping at my desk! (I've been threatening to trade out my office guest chair for one of those bedside potty chairs. It would seriously simplify my life.) At home I could just sit on the toilet in the master bath most of the day watching the bedroom TV and drinking as much water as possible. Of course my tush would probably fall asleep but I think I could handle that!

Thinking about going to see Alice In Wonderland on IMAX this weekend if there are any seats available. My son saw it in a regular theatre this weekend and said he really wants to go back to see it on IMAX. I haven't been to a movie in forever since we usually just wait til they come out on DVD or PPV but this one I would like to see on the big screen.

Silver Dollar City (Branson, Mo) is opening this weekend and it's the first time in years that I haven't wished I could go. We have spent a lot of time (and money) at SDC in the last 10+ years, buying season tickets most years and going 4 or 5 times throughout the year. This past year we only went once (Christmas) and it had just lost a lot of it's appeal for me. I have a serious issue with crowds (inclined to panic attacks ... not pretty) and each time we have gone for the past couple of years it has been increasingly crowded. Makes me a little sad because it was one of my favorite places on earth. Guess I'll just have to find a new favorite place!

I have to work a few hours tomorrow morning (we rotate through the support staff to cover Saturday mornings and each of is scheduled about once every 8 weeks) so I get off today at 1:00. I may stop at Wendy's and get one of their new Bacon & Blue Burgers. Every time I see the ad I want one! Hope it's better than the Baconator! In spite of their ads I thought that was the worst burger ever!

After I grab my burger I need to go home and try to conquer laundry mountain! This is the first time in 50+ years of life that I have ever allowed laundry to pile up like this. I have always been the annoying sort that (pretty much daily) threw clothes in the washer, transferred them to the dryer, and then as soon as the dryer buzzed they would be folded or hung up and put away. (I do NOT iron!!! EVER!!!) I didn't understand people who somehow ended up with mountains of laundry on the couch or dining room table. I understand them now because I have joined their ranks! But I don't like it!

I think that post-surgery I am going to have to sleep in my recliner for several days. Getting into the waterbed isn't too difficult but then I might be stuck because getting back out without bending my knee, at least a little, is downright impossible! Have I mentioned before how incredibly grateful I am for the friend who blessed me with my recliner? Neither of us knew I would need it this much at the time but it has been a HUGE blessing for this season in my life!

My 20 year old son is a "geek", majoring in Computer Science, working IT support for a large oil & gas related company, etc. This is a blessing to us because when we have computer issues we just call in our personal tech support. :) He usually rolls his eyes at us but then he fixes whatever the problem is ... or finds a way around it. One time he wrote a program for me to send data from Quicken on my desktop to Quicken on my laptop every day at 6:00. Not sure how that works but it makes my book keeping easier. Anyway ... last night he was headed out to meet friends at a car show and I caught a glance of his new T-shirt. The logo on the back said "Cover Your Apps!" Pretty cute!

Just took a break from this to fill out and turn in time reports for the last 2 week period and the coming 2 week period. Kills me that I am using every minute of my available holiday and sick time for surgery and recovery. I sure hope the surgeon doesn't find something in there that makes me stay off work longer than 2 weeks!

My mom told me yesterday that she is struggling to stop using !!! multiple exclamation marks to emphasize her point in her writing. I told her that I have a similar over-use issue only mine is with dot dot dot (which has entirely different meaning if you have seen Mama Mia ... and I think about that nearly every time I ... and I still use it too much!). I suggested that we start a Punctuation Abuse Support Group. Anybody else want to join us?

I have not replaced my dysfunctional scale yet so I really have no idea as to exactly where my weight is. I can still zip my jeans up without lying down but they are not getting loose so I suspect I am probably just maintaining. For the moment I can handle that!

I sat in the den last night to watch TV so hubby could watch westerns in the living room. (I don't care for westerns and he only tolerates HGTV and Food Network in small doses. The miscellaneous wedding shows send him running from the room in horror!) My son had left a huge bag of Sour Patch Kids on the couch. I don't generally like sour candies but I pulled one out and popped it in my mouth. Next thing I knew I had eaten a pretty good number of the silly things! (I weeded out the orange ones. LOVE oranges. HATE anything orange flavored!) Hubby came in and asked if I was really eating those. I told him yes and I needed to stop. He moved the bag. :)

Really tired today so I may take a nap between loads of laundry. Except that I really need to strip the bed and wash the sheets. We have a waterbed but it is hard to find waterbed sheets locally so when I wanted flannel sheets this winter I bought regular king size sheets and mattress pad. They are not a great fit! I have them anchored at the corners but they have rolled back and after several nights of sleeping on them they are a complete mess! Oh well!

I guess I have rambled on long enough! Y'all have a fantastic Friday and a wonderful weekend!

Be blessed! ... and be a blessing!

Beth

TGIF!!!!!!

Literally! I don't think I could handle any more week days this week!

Hubby has headed of to Texas to visit with friends and family and go to the annual Rattlesnake Round Up in Sweetwater. The trip has not gone exactly as he hoped. First the engine blew in the vehicle he was driving and then Erica got lost while she was driving down (in his truck) to meet him. He may be glad when the weekend is over! Hopefully the lost will be found soon and he can get back to enjoying his weekend!

Spring Break starts today in Oklahoma. Well ... technically it starts tomorrow! Josiah (college age son) is leaving for Roaring River (?) State Park in Missouri after work today to go camping with a bunch of guys. Hopefully they will all have a wonderful, and SAFE, time in the wilderness!

I'm a little concerned about being home alone this weekend. My knee has been incredibly painful the past few days and I'm a little worried about having an "I've fallen and I can't get up" moment!" I usually have my cell phone, and all sorts of handy numbers, in my pocket but I sent my phone with Erica to Texas since she didn't have one so I feel sort of abandoned and cut off. I will keep a cordless phone nearby and avoid stairs so I should be fine. I trust God to not allow anything to happen to me outside His will but He's allowed us to learn a few painful lessons in the last couple of years so I'm not altogether confident that He would not allow such a thing! I know ... I'm a worrywart!

I think I am a little depressed right now. It makes it hard to make excellent nutritional choices. Yesterday I had nachos for lunch and Dominos pizza for dinner. I didn't gorge on either one so it's not like it's a huge failure! I just know that I cannot consistently eat that way and expect to lose weight! Right now though it hurts so much to stand that I just want quick and easy ... delivery is even better! I should run to a few stores today to buy a few healthier food choice staples but I doubt that I'll do it. It hurts to walk so I tend to do only what I absolutely have to! I already have to walk up and down the halls (bathroom), to and from parking lots, go get allergy shots at noon, etc. And I want to go straight home after work so I can maybe see Josiah for a minute before he heads out.

That's it for now I guess. The bathroom is calling to me from down the hall and I better answer while there is sufficient time to get there!

Be blessed!
Beth

Find more Friday Fragment's at Half Past Kissing Time

Taking a Deep Breath and ...

jumping into the wonderful web world of Friday Fragments hosted by Mrs.4444



I love Springtime! The world just feels fresh and new and full of hope again! Temperature today in Tulsa is supposed to hit the mid 60's. :) Went to lunch with my friend, Michelle, today and sat on a brick bench in the sunshine waiting for her to come pick me up. The sunshine was warm and awesome. The brisk wind picking up drops of water from the fountain across the street and blowing them on me ... not so much!

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2 of my favorite Dove Promises messages (yes I know I should be steering clear of all things chocolate):

• Remind yourself that it's okay not to be perfect
• Forget the potholes in the road and enjoy the journey instead

Both wrappers are pinned to my bulletin board as gentle reminders.

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PeiWei's new Caramel Chicken (I don't suppose caramel is on too many approved diet plans either) is absolutely delicious! But I still like Mongolian Beef a little bit better.

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I am rapidly becoming a big fan of Google Chrome!

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I am finally caught up on LOST. Still have absolutely NO idea what's going on!

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I did Friday Fragments last week here but had no idea that there was an official way to join in! I just thought it was a neat concept ... which I still think it is! And I got here via a link from The Fourth Frog Blog which is one of my all time favorite blogs. I originally found Amy during The Biggest Loser 6th Season when I googled "hate Heba & Vicki." 

Friday Fragments

My online friend, Amy, at The 4th Frog Blog, has adopted a weekly blog entry called Friday Fragments (a collection of random thoughts) which almost always makes me laugh. Decided that I would join her ... at least for this week! And just an FYI ... Amy is one of the funniest, and most honest, bloggers I know! Stop by and see her some time! I bet you'll become a fan!

I really wish I had Asian genes. Not that there are no heavy Asian people but they are far more rare than heavy Caucasians! And they're "ageless" to boot! We were sitting at lunch with one of my co-workers one day and she commented on how long she had worked in our office. I responded that she couldn't be that old and she laughed about the "ancient Chinese secret!" I was reminded of that this week when I looked up my doctor on Health-E-Grades and it said he had been practicing for 25 years and was 46 years old. I was truly shocked. I would have guessed he was at least 10 and maybe 15 - 20 years younger than that!

Why does every flat surface in my home become a resting place for junk? It is not any one person. We all contribute to the stuff collection. I put a coffee table in my living room and you can no longer see the top! It is covered by newspapers, tissues, cold medicine, books, tools, an unopened razor that I gave my huband for Christmas, etc. I put it there to look nice and to be a place to set food or drink while watching TV. It's not working!

While we're talking about the coffee table ... I folded up all the blankets, quilts, afghans, etc. that tend to live in our living room (Bert is always hot ... I am always cold) and put them on the bottom shelf on the coffee table. Less than an hour later my pomeranian had found them and made himself at home. That's his new favorite spot. Kinda cute!

I called the doctor's office and told them that I want a referral for an MRI of my knee now. She said she would put a note on my chart for the doctor and call me back. Any bets on whether I get a response and what that response will be?

My external hard drive (connected to my DISH receiver) is still not working correctly and I'm trying to decide whether or not I have sufficient patience to call Customer Support (again)! I don't think so!

I have enjoyed having the extra time to enjoy watching the Olympics this week. It's been nice to be able to stay up late knowing that I can sleep in the next morning. Kind of dread having to put myself back on a more responsible schedule next week.

I don't think my new scale (replacement for one that didn't work) is working right. Argh! I weighed exactly the same (to the tenth of a pound) a few days ago, last night, and this morning. No matter what time of day or what I was wearing. Hopefully that number will drop soon.

I am a scale addict! Seriously! Last paragraph not withstanding I am trying to do better. Last time I was "dieting" I would weigh every time I went in the bathroom (before and after using the toilet). I think that silly number means way too much to me!

I cannot use crutches and I'm a little worried about that since I suspect that I may need to use them for a while. Last time I tried ... I had a sprained ankle and the ER sent me out on crutches. I fell in the parking lot. I'm just not that coordinated! And the problems with my left arm will undoubtedly make that worse!

I want a cat! A friendly, snuggly, little kitty who will sit in my lap and purr. Every cat I have ever owned has been a fiercely independent cuss that did not fit that description. And my husband hates cats. Guess I'll have to teach Copper (pomeranian) to purr! :)

I believe that laughter truly is good medicine! (Proverbs 17:22) Maybe I should send Bert and / or Josiah to Blockbuster to stock up on Romantic Comedies. In the meantime these things always make me laugh: Sesame Street furry monsters (Grover, Elmo, even Oscar ... not such a fan of Bert, Ernie, Kermit, Miss Piggy or Big Bird), Weight Watchers Hungry, Despicable Me movie ads and trailers, funny e-mails, the way my dogs (Pomeranian and German Shepherd) relate to each other, etc.

My family is taking very good care of me and I am grateful! The bring me ice packs and water and whatever else I need (even if they don't stand behind me fanning me with palm fronds and feeding me grapes ... haha) and are taking care of dishes, meals, etc. so that I can stay off my feet. And though I tend to feel sorry for myself and think that no one knows how much I hurt ... I know that they do care! Bert's facebook status is a request that people pray for me. Josiah dug out a cane that we had bought a few years ago at Silver Dollar City for me to use if it will help me. I am grateful for both of them and their love and care for me.

My favorite foods:

• fruit: berries (strawberries and raspberries especially) and pears
• vegetable: romaine lettuce, red onions, broccoli, mushrooms
• meat: prime rib, ribeye, pork steaks, short ribs, chicken thighs
• fish: salmon, shrimp scampi
• eggs: scrambled with cheese, omelets
• starch: pasta, home made rolls
• sweet treats: Mom's Graham Cracker Pie, Mom's Penuche, Key Lime Pie, several of Braum's Ice Cream flavors, SDC hot Apple Dumpling with Cinnamon Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce
• nuts: cashews!
• beverage: water (really), Coke Zero, Sprite Zero, Raspberry (or Strawberry) Lemonade, Raspberry Peach Crystal Light

I still miss Steak and Ale. Not sure I will ever find another steak house that  I like that much although Longhorn is really good and I love the steaks and prime rib at Outback or Texas Roadhouse.

I LOVE cheese and really wish it was a low calorie food! I probably miss cheese (in vast quantities) more than anything else now that I am trying to control calories.

I really enjoy Water Aerobics and I'm excited about getting back to it when I am physically able to do so.

I think the University of Tulsa has an absolutely gorgeous campus and I continue to hope that my knees will heal to the point that I am able to spend my lunch hours walking this spring and summer.

There are hardwood floors under the carpets throughout my house and we keep saying we are going to pull the carpets out. I really want to do that this summer. I love hardwood floors and I am tired of these dingy green carpets.

I also want to paint my living room and dining room in an "autumn colors" palate. I thought the ivy mural in the dining room was pretty when we moved in here but I am way over it!

I live 3 or 4 houses south of a fire station and my German Shepherd howls every time she hears a siren. It's an interesting combination and never fails to make me smile.

I watch too much TV (though that is probably excusable at the moment). Mostly HGTV and Food Network. The other shows that I watch are Survivor, Amazing Race, American Idol, Hell's Kitchen, etc. ... Reality TV. I like watching but I would NEVER go on one of those shows. My testimony would be destroyed too fast if cameras were on me 24/7! I also like to watch news shows like 48 Hours or Primetime so I watch ID channel when I'm home during the day. Josiah thinks it's awful that I find it entertaining to watch hour after hour of the worst of humanity. LOL. The only non-reality series that I watch regularly is LOST. I still think they're making it up as they go along and I am now utterly lost myself!

I like to read but have to be in the mood for it ... or stuck in a car with no other options. Not in the mood right now. I started reading Ted Dekker's Green a few weeks ago. It almost never takes me this long to read a book.

I called the doctor's office at 1:00. They close at 3:00 (must be nice). It's now 3:15 and they haven't called back. Hope you didn't bet that they would. I guess I'll have to call again on Monday. Sigh!

Moving the treadmill from my bedroom to my dining room (which I wanted to do over Christmas break) has not happened yet. Maybe some day soon ...

I love the Dining room set that my husband bought me for Mother's Day a few years ago but most of the chairs have broken and I would really like a smaller set. Maybe some day.

I am a wicked procrastinator! I have to reconcile 2 checking accounts (business and personal) back to about July and enter Credit Card statements for the same period before I can submit our taxes to the accountant. I am very unmotivated to do anything about that even though I know the clock is ticking. I will not be relieved when I have it done because I KNOW it will be bad news and I don't need any more of that!

I'm hungry enough that my stomach is growling but I'm home alone and my knee hurts worse than my stomach so I'm not going to do anything about it ... at least not yet!

I love when I get followers added to my blogs (I have 3 public blogs that I write on fairly often) though I am plagued by wondering whether any one is out there reading and a completely opposite thought ... wondering if I should really be saying some of what I say in public. I know that written thought is easily misinterpretted and I don't want my words to hurt any feelings.

That's probably way too many fragments. :)

Later ...