The day my world stopped - Please pray for my Daddy

At 3:20pm on Tuesday my entire world came crashing down around me. My mom called me at work to tell me my daddy had had a stroke and was being rushed to the hospital. I tore out of work like a maniac, stopped by my house to change out of my heels and made it to the hospital. All in about an hour. From the time I woke up on Tuesday morning I didn't sleep again until around 10pm last night. Our world is going to be forever changed no matter what happens.

At this point he has had 4 mini-strokes or "tia"s. Basically his brain is not getting enough oxygen. His right carotic artery is 100% blocked and they cannot do anything to fix it. His left is between 30 and 50% blocked which they may be able to do surgery on. He has peripheral artery disease going on and a small blood vessel disorder  in the brain which is seeming to cause the strokes. Anytime his BP drops he has a stroke. The higher BP keeps profusion going to the brain which keeps him from stroking. His cholesterol was a 298. We as a family are staying strong for each other but we are all falling apart too. They will do a stress test on his heart today to check for circulation issues there. Currently he is stable and doing well but it is all so touch and go that you never know what the next moment will bring.

I am a firm believer in the glory and power of God and his capability to perform miracles like we have never seen before. I have been praying like a maniac since 3:20 on Tuesday and I know he has a whole army praying for him too. We all truly appreciate it. I know God is going to support him through all of this and can heal him. We just need to keep trusting in the Lord. I don't know when I will be able to get on again but I am updating on Facebook from my phone when I can. We love you all and please keep praying.

Post It Note Tuesday - IRS and Jury Duty

...I'm really starting to get into this post-it note thing. I may switch all of my communications to post-it notes. I mean it would seriously cut down on the length of most arguments. You can only fit so much on that little paper! I may be on to something here...

Not Me Monday

Not Me Monday was created by MckMama -- It's an opportunity to get a little therapy for all those things you would never do, but did :) Click here for all the rules.

I did not discover a new addiction this weekend and devour almost half a bag of these -

I did not justify this in my head with the fact that I am supposed to be putting on weight. That is also why I have not been eating ice cream sandwiches and Wendy's Frosty's every night.

I did not walk around work all day with a tomato stain on the new sweater my mom had bought me because I do not apparently still need a bib when eating my breakfast despite being 27 years old.

I would also never make sure to use the last of the fabric softener on a load of my clothes and figure the hubby can do without. I also did not dry his clothes on the line so they were a little crunchy while I tumbled mine in the dryer.

I also did not forget half the Not Me's I committed the past week and will not be making a point to jot them down in the future!

Menu Plan Monday

You can find out more about Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

We only have one carry over from last week and that's Sunday's meal. We had Wendy's for dinner on Friday so I pushed everything around. I also used a different recipe then posted for the Chicken Tortilla Soup. Now on to this week -



Monday - Carryover of the Garlic Rubbed Pork Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli and Cheese
Tuesday - Potato Topped Beef Bowl - I'm using ground turkey instead of beef and leftover mashed potatoes from Monday instead of instant.
Wednesday - Hot Dogs, French Fries, Corn on the Cob
Thursday - Grilled Cheese, Tomato Soup
Friday - Waffles, Bacon, Eggs
Saturday - Niece's Birthday Party - Pizza or such..
Sunday - Leftovers or Hubby Cooks!

A relatively easy week for me cooking wise. I have managed to put some weight on so I am going to just continue eating more often and taking bigger helpings. I have 7lbs to go until I weigh as much as I am supposed to!

No Soup For You!

This past weekend was one of those perfect scenes out of a movie. We spent the whole weekend together and really just enjoyed being with each other.

Friday after work we took the dog for a long walk in our neighborhood and then set out to go fishing. We had a very romantic dinner (Wendy's!) where Joey ate all of my fries and then we stopped by my mom and dad's to drop off some cheesecake for Daddio. A quick stop for bait and then we headed to the dock...where I caught....NOTHING!!! Joey caught two fish. I read my book and ate my mentos - then I got cold and crabby. I started whining, complaining and for some reason Joey decided it was time to go home! (Insert evil laugh here!) I crawled in bed as soon as we got home and let him go about cleaning the fish.

We ran errands much of the day yesterday. It was gorgeous outside so it was nice to get out for a bit. We hit the bank, the library (free movie rentals make my day!), Tractor Supply and Walmart. The pharmacy was closed for lunch when we got there so I treated Joey to another healthy meal at McDonald's - where he ate all my fries again! (I have managed to gain 3 lbs though on my gain weight to make baby mission.) Finally we headed back home. I planted some of my tomatoes since I am hoping winter has officially left Florida and let the bunny hop around the yard for a bit. For our date night we watched "Dan in Real Life" with Steve Carrell and Dane Cook. It was cute and pretty funny. For some reason neither one of us was all that tired so we lounged til after midnight and finally hit the hay.

Today I got up early as usual and started buzzing around. Finishing laundry, dishes, making Joey's lunch for tomorrow. I treated myself to a bath and finally Sleeping Beauty woke up. I decided to finally make some of these -




 

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies! They were heaven on earth and I doubt they will last past tomorrow!

After that the weather turned to crap and the sky opened up.




This called for trying out a new recipe and I went with Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup.



 So, we start with some chicken broth and the chicken. Boil, then simmer. Easy!
 Then you strain and set aside the chicken and the broth.
 Take all this and fry it up in the pan for a bit. Took me about 10 minutes on medium heat.
 Dump these in the pot.
 Like this! Then chop some cilantro and drop that in with the oregano - 
 I like the pretty colors here! (Kind of like a raccoon and shiny objects..)
 Then you add back the broth and once again - boil then simmer. While its simmering - shred your chicken -
 Then you get to dump the chicken in and you get this -


It's a fairly easy recipe and didn't take long to make at all. I used boneless, skinless thighs instead of whole chicken breasts which made the shredding process much easier. I would say the soup took an hour to make and another 20 minutes on the tortilla strips. I took a nap after I finished the soup since I read somewhere that it is a law to sneak a nap in on a rainy Sunday afternoon!



So once I woke up it was time for the tortilla strips. This one really is simple - heat the oil, slice the tortillas, fry and you're done!

 

Blue was of course my assistant in the kitchen all day while Cadillac did what he does best.

I am going to venture to say that the soup was a hit and is being added to our rotation. 

Joey ate two helpings and would have gone back for more if he had room. 

I also have leftovers for my freezer stash which makes my day. Next week will probably be entirely freezer meals which makes my world so so easy. These sort of weekends really just give us a chance to recharge. I'm lucky enough to have somewhat of a long weekend since I have jury duty tomorrow. All in all - its been a good weekend.

Five Question and Follow Friday

A twofer once again - Five Question and Follow Friday. Glad you could make it, pull up a seat, get comfy and let's chat awhile. Mmmkay?

Five Question Friday is just a fun way to get to know other bloggers. Click above to find out more and join in on the fun!
 

1. Have you ever had a celeb sighting?

If you define Olympic Gymnasts as celebrities than I have had loads from my days in that world. In fact I worked with one everyday for 5 years.

As far as other kinds of celebrities - the most recent was seeing Kim Kardashian at Cafe du Monde in New Orleans. She was cute but I don't really get what all the fuss is about.

2. What temperature do you keep your house?

70 degrees - or warmer. I don't do cold. That's why I live in Florida for pete's sake. I am so glad we are finally climbing out of the coldest winter on record too. I keep a space heater in my office too - but that is because I have this directly above my desk.

Tell me that isn't the biggest fricken air conditioning vent you have ever seen in your life! The space heater was left by my previous boss and I am eternally grateful to her for that!

3. Do you notice dust at other peoples homes?

Not unless they happen to have layers of it covering everything. I will notice other kinds of messes and clutter but not dust unless its really bad and sets off my allergies. Speaking of which...its time to get the dust off the ceiling fan in my bedroom.

4. What's the worst job you ever had?

Calling fax numbers for 8 hours a day to make sure they were still in service. Not kidding you. I am proud to have lasted a month. Then the buzzing and dings were starting to drive me batty.

5. What is your most sentimental possession?

My teddy bear I have had since I was 2. He is ratty and his head is barely hanging on, his nose fell off a long time ago but I love him. I will still grab him if I am depressed and cuddle up. He is comforting just from all the memories I have - he is also a well traveled bear - he has been to Poland and up and down the east coast!

Sponsored by:

The things I will try in order to make a baby

So I mentioned on Monday that I am on a mission to gain weight. Right now I am somewhere between 4'11 1/2" in and 5' and I weigh between 96 and 102 depending on the day and the scale. In my quest to make a baby I started doing some research and found out that women with a bmi below 21.5 tend to have longer cycles and more difficulty conceiving.

Guess what my bmi comes in at?

19.5


Shoot!

I talked to my ob/gyn office today and the last round of bloodwork all came back normal. Actually my progesterone levels were the highest I've ever had for CD 21. That is a good thing. So basically after all this testing we have found     -      nothing. Other than my longer cycles everything checks out fine. I mentioned trying to put on 10lbs to the nurse and she agreed with me immediately that it would help. The basic science of it is - more fat equals higher estrogen levels, shorter cycles, better lining and the body is better able to support a pregnancy.

Now I will admit to you - putting on weight when you have to is hard. We have extremely fast metabolisms in my family. I probably burn all the calories I'm taking in by chewing alone! It's also difficult to force yourself to eat more when you just aren't that hungry. I know I should feel blessed to be able to maintain a small figure but I truly think any sort of diet is hard. I also have a hard time eating junk food so taking the easy but unhealthy route of fast food isn't even an option for me. I would rather have soup or salad for lunch. I snack on fruit without thinking about it. I have worn a size 0 for over 10 years now.

I'm working hard at it though. I've been having half a bagel with a hard boiled egg for breakfast, I snack on nuts, peanut butter and pretzels during the day. Lunch is leftovers from the night before. I take extra helpings at dinner. Eat ice cream sandwiches for dessert. And my least favorite - drinking Carnation Instant Breakfasts.

For anyone that has never tried these let me enlighten you now. These suckers taste like chalk. You pour the powder in a glass, add milk, and stir. Then you have vanilla, chocolate or strawberry flavored chalk. Nasty, don't want to drink you at all chalk. Then I remember - this chalk has over 200 calories in it. And suddenly - its come to mama you tasty drink!

So the next time you see a skinny girl like me and start shooting her a death stare as she sucks down the godzilla sized milkshake just think - she maybe having just as hard of a time sucking it down as you are that salad with dressing on the side. We all have our battles - just in different ways!

Pour Your Heart Out

Shell over at Things I Can't Say is starting something new - Pour Your Heart Out.

Here are the Rules:

Write a post from the heart.
Something that has been weighing on you.
Something you feel passionately about.
Something you've been wanting to talk about.
A cause, a memory, a belief, a world view.

Anything.

It took me a second to figure out what I was going to write about. What out there really truly weighs heavily on me?

I knew instantly what that was - in my 27 years there is one thing out there that has hurt me and made me grow more than anything else- Addictions.

Not my addictions personally - I don't really get addicted to much at all, unless reading counts but I don't think it does. No addictions in family, friends and relationships.

Whether it is drugs or alcohol - addiction is a nasty, nasty demon. It eats away at both the addicted and their family and friends. It turns the addicted into a selfish person who has no concern or regard for anyone but his or herself. It turns the people that love the addict neurotic, hateful, and emotionally spent due to all the time, money, emotion and worry they have invested in the situation. Nothing about the situation is easy and there are no promises.

The guy I dated before dh was a full blown alcoholic. He went through detox three or four times in the three years we were together. At the time we broke up he had been sober for almost a year. He was the one that initiated the break up and at first I was devastated. Then once enough time had passed I was grateful for him ending the relationship as I realized how much I had missed out on having to take care of him. I finally had time to take care of and worry about myself. Unfortunately things didn't work out too smoothly for the ex. He went back to drinking. Was in and out of detox, rehab and jail for the next 2 years. Finally in September of 08 he passed away due to the alcoholism. That was the first time I had someone that close to me die. I spoke at both of his memorial services- was there for his family. Watched it completely overwhelm his mom. I finally realized the power addiction really truly had.

That wasn't the end of my dealing with addictions in other people but that experience prepared me for what I would face in the future. I have learned that the recovery process is long and arduous with slips along the way. That the person truly is trying as hard as they can to change and just because it doesn't seem like enough to me (someone who has no problem swearing off anything) doesn't mean that they are failing. The fact that an addict is selfish also does not mean they don't love you or that the alcohol or drug is more important to them. It simply means that they are fighting something bigger than they are and right now they can't give you what you need.

I wouldn't wish the experience I went through on anyone out there but in the end I am glad I went through it. I learned a lot about myself in the process and that is probably the most valuable thing that came out of it.

Post It Note Tuesday - Sleep, Dishes, and Poop

Menu Plan Monday

You can find out more about Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Once again - we did a pretty good job sticking to the plan. I thought I was going to be eating leftover Fried Chicken for lunch today from Saturday's dinner with friends but there wasn't any leftover! I settled for leftover Pizza instead from Friday night.

I'm on a mission to put on weight so if it seems like I'm having more heavy meals - I am!

This week's plan is -

Monday - Pork Tenderloin (pre-seasoned from the store), Leftover Mashed Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts with butter and garlic

Tuesday - Orange Ginger Salmon (I just use ginger powder instead of the ginger root), Brown Rice, Salad

Wednesday - Slowcooked Beef and Roasted Veggies

Thursday - Lasagna (I cheated and bought a frozen!), Garlic Bread, Salad

Friday - Jerk Chicken, Yellow Rice, Spinach Salad with Fruit

Saturday - Chicken Tortilla Soup

Sunday - Garlic rubbed Pork Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Broccoli and cheese

 Anyone have any suggestions for recipes that can help me on my weight gaining mission? Also any good southern recipes? I'm running out of ideas for the hubby's favorites!

Five Question/Follow Friday

Its a two for one today - I'm doing both Five Question and Follow Friday so hello to everyone from both. Glad to see you, hope you stay awhile and leave me a comment or two. Who knows maybe we'll become Bff's and share iced coffees while we complain about our hubbies. No? Okay well then enjoy reading!

Five Question Friday is just a fun way to get to know other bloggers. Click above to find out more and join in on the fun!

1. How much time do you spend on the computer a day?

Way too much. I believe my job description actually reads - stare at computer screen for 8.5 hours of day or until head starts spinning and eyeballs pop out of head. Then stare some more. I've gotten better though. Once I get home I refuse to get on the computer. I try to write my blogs over the weekend and just post them during the week to cut down on computer time too.

2. Will you pay for your children's college or raise them to pay for their own way?

I don't have children yet but I think it will be a combination of the two. I plan on saving what we can but also having them know that we expect them too work hard and do well so that they are able to qualify for scholarships and grants.

3. Have you ever been in a car accident?

Yes - a few. The most recent was February of last year when we got rearended by a drunk driver. Not a good experience at all.

4. What is your favorite book?

The Shop on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber - which led to loving the entire Blossom Street series. Especially Twenty Wishes.

5. Do you make your bed everyday?

For the most part -yes. I have lazy morning where I don't but almost every day I do. My absolute favorite feeling in the world though is fresh sheets. I have always said if I win the lottery I will buy a plethora of sheet sets so I can have fresh sheets on my bed every night. I literally get in bed when the sheets are fresh and whip out the snow angels to soak up that feeling!

Penny Pinching

My 100th Post! (Woo Hoo!)

As most of you know, Joey and I bought our first home back in September.We figured we would have to make some changes in our spending habits since owning a house is expensive. All the repairs, maintenance, etc now fall on our shoulders. That reality bit us in the ass in December with our whole insurance debacle. In addition to this all of the other everyday expenses haven't gone away - car payments, repairs, insurance, student loans, medical bills yep they keep on rolling in. Then there's the fact that we have had one of the coldest winters on record so our heat ran almost constantly for two months which caused astronomical electric bills. (By astronomical - I mean I would dissolve into tears and hyperventilate as I opened the bill) So yep - we stretched ourselves thin financially. It was time to pinch some pennies.

How are we doing it? Well - meal planning has played a huge part in it. I plan our meals out for two weeks and shop according to that plan. I also freeze any leftovers we have so we have quick go to meals on the nights I don't feel like cooking rather than eating out. A huge savings has come by making our breakfasts the night before. Joey loved to have hot pockets or to swing by Chik-fil-A on his way to work but that was quickly adding up. Now as I finish up cooking dinner, I also make our breakfasts and lunches for the next day. Joey has been enjoying homemade Bacon, Egg and Cheese or Sausage, Egg and Cheese sandwiches every morning and he swears they are better then Waffle House! He also makes his coffee and brings it with him which saves us even more.

I also had to figure out a way to keep my dear hubby on a budget. I love him to death but his money management skills suck. If you give him $40 he will spend $40 that day. The battle over the debit card purchases was getting bad. Then I discovered the PayPal Student Accounts - no Joey isn't a student but this allows us to keep a cap on his spending. I go in and put a certain amount of money on his card and that way he has to make it last. This is our first week doing it but so far, so good.

We are also still waiting on our tax return. Due to our claiming the First Time Homebuyer Credit the IRS didn't even start to process those returns until February 15. That means we won't see our return until sometime in April...or May. Our return is going to help us wipe out a huge chunk of our debt. Our only two credit cards will be completely paid off once we receive that money and I don't plan on ever using them again. I will also mercifully, finally get my new living room furniture that I have been patiently waiting for. For now though we wait and keep tightening those purse strings.

Joey stepped up and also found a way to save some money. His company just rehired someone who has to pass by our house everyday to get to work. Joey travels 40 miles each way to get to work. That's 80 miles a day in a 6 cylinder not exactly gas sipping Chevy Blazer. We spend over $100 a week on gas for his car alone. Starting next week - they will be taking turns driving. I wish I could car pool but unfortunately I don't live close to anyone from my work but luckily I usually only need to fill up once a week.

I try to save in every way possible. I cut off the power to the TV and the computer when we aren't using them. The AC and the heat are off while we are at work. I clip coupons and shop at places like Aldi and Save-A-Lot. We also have learned to find cheap forms of entertainment. We rent movies from Redbox and Blockbuster Express - many times I have coupon codes for those so the movies end up being free. We go fishing - that's a two for one since if we are lucky we end up catching our dinner too! I whip out gift cards we received for birthdays and Christmas (or I snagged with Mypoints)  on the weekends and we go shop without spending any of our money.

Hopefully, as the economy bounces back and we fall into a rhythm all of this will become second nature to us so we won't have to think about it anymore. I know we will eventually be in a place where we won't need to hold back as much as we do but my dream is that we continue to so we can be debt free and buliding a great nest egg for our future children and our retirement.

Please feel free to share your tips on saving with me too!

Not Me Monday

Not Me Monday was created by MckMama -- It's an opportunity to get a little therapy for all those things you would never do, but did :) Click here for all the rules.

I did not wuss out while going over my review with my boss and hold back from saying - "Well, No I don't think you challenge me enough and I am bored out of my mind half the time!" I am much more assertive than that and always speak up when bothered.

I also did not manage to keep my stovetop completely spotless through the entire cooking process Saturday night only to spill an ungodly amount of Chicken Spaghetti all over the sparkly surface as I was putting up leftovers.

I would never gloat to my husband and everyone that passed by that I caught the first and only fish when dh and I went fishing yesterday. I am a much more supportive wife than that and would never be so childish. I also would never post a picture of the fish here to continue my gloat session.

 

Nope, Not Me!

Menu Plan Monday

You can find out more about Menu Plan Monday at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

We did a pretty good job of sticking to our menu plan last week. I made banana pancaked instead of waffles for our breakfast for dinner night and we had Chicken Spaghetti instead of Chicken Parm - but now I have  another freezer meal in my stash so Woo Hoo. On to this week -

Monday - Tostada's - I'm trying something new with a recipe from Hoosier Homemade
Tuesday - Chili (Hoping for freezer leftovers here too!)
Wednesday - BLT's, Onion Rings
Thursday - Pizza
Friday - Fish and Chips
Saturday - Fried Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Corn Nuggets (We have a friend who moved to Michigan coming for dinner so we are fulfilling his request!)
Sunday - Heading to Mom and Dad's for dinner

A Little Bit of This and A Little Bit of That

I am way behind on updating this thing but two days laid up with your back out will do that to a girl! Luckily I was pretty darn good at taking pictures this time.

There were a few momentous things that did occur in the past week though. Like Joey actually washed the dishes!!! 

 

At first I was thrilled! Mind you this was after he had slept until 2pm last Sunday but this was the first time he had washed dishes since we moved into this house. When I later went to put the dishes away - I discovered this -

 

Oil - pretty much still covering everything! Oh well - Bless his heart at least he tried. I rewashed the dishes and waited for my parents to come over for lunch/dinner.

Joey managed to stay awake for about 15 minutes when my parents showed up and then passed back out on the living room floor. I took the opportunity to shoot this little video then...


That would be my hubby sawing logs while we all stared at him. He woke up as they were leaving!

Blue and Cadillac both enjoyed soaking up some extra attention too -

My dad is probably Blue's favorite person. As soon as he walks through the door Blue brings him his leash. I am pretty sure he would leave us for my dad in a heartbeat!

To wrap up this completely nonsensical post observe the photos below and try to guess why the dog is being so obedient and attentive -
 

Can't figure out what that is in Joey's hand? Hot and Spicy Pork Rinds - we have discovered our dog will do anything you ask if there are Hot Pork Rinds to be had - walk backwards upside down and do a back flip. No problem - just hand over the skins lady.