3/07/2002
It was so nice today that the kids played out back for over an hour before dinner. I love that the days are getting longer. I hate when it gets really dark by 430 in the afternoon.
I am sending out cyber hugs to Erin and Jill. Each of them has had one helluva day today. {{{{{Erin}}}}} and {{{{{Jill}}}}}. Hang in there ladies!
Another quiz.. I think I am addicted!
(link via Roni)
So which letter of the alphabet matches YOUR personality, huh?
It's a good thing I am awake. Olivia has woken up twice. The first awakening, about 40 minutes ago, was accompanied with a piercing scream! She had a "Bad Dweam". I cuddled her for a little while then tucked her back into her crib (yes, my 2 yr old is still in a crib. We bought a toddler bed to put together on Saturday). She just woke up a few minutes ago and cried out. Another "Bad Dweam".. or so she said. I don't mind going in her room late at night.. she is so warm and snuggly. When she puts her chubby little baby arms up and around my neck, I just melt.
She had a nightmare about 2 months ago and Paul was the one who raced to her room at top speed. When he asked her what happened, she replied, still hiccupping and crying that "..the squirrel said stop it." Huh? What a weird thing to say!
3/06/2002
I'm here.. I'm here! Bet you thought I forgot all about you? ::grin::
Actually... Paul was home sick today so I managed to sneak in a nap since I am not feeling great myself. I was up WAY too late last night but I did work on my final. It's starting to come together nicely. I was having a very difficult time coming up with actual content to "make up" for my "business". Plus, I didn't want to make my business an online shop. Just a main page with 2 more links on it.
Paul and the kids are on their own for dinner tonight aka FFY dinner. Fend For Yourselves. Heck - I have enough leftovers for them. I will be at class tonight.
Catch you later!
3/05/2002
By the way, Jason's new blog is underway. Stop by and check him out.
::waving to Jason::
Glad you are back among us!
I just love Yul Brynner...
that voice, those eyes, that awesome chest, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera!
::making mental note to add "The King and I" to my wishlist::
This or That
(from Jill)
Train or boat? Train
Lake or ocean? Lake
Thoughtful or perceptive? Perceptive
Observant or participative? Observant
Line or curve? Curve baby, curve!
Capitalize or lowercase? Capitalize - when needed, of course!
Giraffe or zebra? Giraffe
Shiny or matte? Matte
Oil or vinegar? Vinegar
Sand or clay? Sand
Hahaha! True...
(link via Erin)
You are Rowlf! | |
Ok - update for the past 24 hours...
I visited Mom last night. She is NOT going on vacation ::phew:: The pulmonologist didn't think it was a good idea (DUH) for her to go away. Her lungs need about 1-2 months to recover.. Needless to say, I am SO relieved.. and I think she is as well. Dan might fly down to Tennessee on his own to visit his daughter, son in law, and granddaughter. This way, the 2 of them would get a well needed vacation.. from each other! Mom is on an amazing amount of medication. She is quite organized and has a journal that helps her keep her schedule on track. Thank God.
On the school front, I am doing ok.. I think. I have my final due in 4 classes. I have to make a business webpage (using NotePad) with a minimum of 2 pages/max 5. BUT - it has to fit on a FLOPPY! This guy is looking for a basic business page.. no bells and whistles. So I came up with a "Country Home" type of store as my main page. I also have 2 other linked pages, a recipe of the week page and a craft technique of the week. The "Country Home" home page will not be a retail page but more of a promotion page (describing *my* brick and mortar store) that offers tips and information about the store. God - I hope it turns out ok.
3/04/2002
OK - I did this too.. but only after Erin and Mike did theirs too. Link from PopCultureSlut
Kate
Your name of Kate has created a practical, responsible, stable nature, and you desire to direct the efforts of others rather than to take order or ask permission. You have a determined, self-reliant, capable nature and resent any interference, although in your desire to help you are inclined to become involved in the lives and decisions of other people. You like to make your own decisions and to be the master of your domain. You feel a limitation in your own expression when it is necessary to reach another through tact and understanding. Although you are honest and fair, a directness in speech is a source of much consternation to you, and you often regret what you say. You also have a tendency to worry. It causes you to be too serious, and interferes with happiness and relaxation that comes with naturalness of expression. Health weaknesses centre in the head appearing as headaches, head colds, and eye, teeth, ear, or sinus problems.
3/03/2002
Hello!
Thanks for all the comments and emails about my Mom. You are all so sweet and I truly appreciate your kindness. I was having a bit of a pity party last night. I pretty much stayed around the house today. The girls and I did a lot of crafts and had a good time. Paul was so beat he ended up taking a nap.. the lucky bastard!
I will post more tomorrow.. I am exhausted.. Mom has her PET scan tomorrow. God - I hope that the chemo has SOME effect on the lymphoma.
3/02/2002
Good morn...err.. evening!
Such a looooong day today! I was at my Mom's place by 930 this morning. I had to take her to the dentist for an emergency visit.. a tooth problem. Thank goodness they were able to get her in ASAP. I have to say, it has been alarming to watch her while she's walking. She is practically panting for air. She has several appointments on Monday. A PET scan, to see how the cancer reacted to the chemo, bloodwork and a visit to the pulmonologist. At this point, I don't want her to even GO to Florida. Mom doesn't even want to go to Florida. But, she is going anyway. I almost wish the doctors would tell her to stay home. Honestly, I think she would want that. I had to pack her bags for the trip. She is so tired. She also has laryngitis. It seems that Mom can't get a frickin' break.
Dad and Millie (my Step-Mom) came down for a visit this afternoon. I had gotten home about 5 minutes before they showed up. The girls always enjoy it when they come down. We had a nice visit and they left about 90 minutes later. For the rest of the day, we just bumped around until dinner.
After dinner, the girls played while Paul and I cleaned up. Finally got them into bed by 845. I have been trying to figure out what I am going to do on my final. I have to write a business website with a minimum of 2 pages, max 5. I can make up a business and I was going nuts, wondering what I was going to do. I finally came up with a solution and now I have to work like a dog planning and designing it. It *must* fit on a floppy disk. So, no bells and whistles for me (Thank God!)
I am so stressed. My neck is killing me. I am cranky. I was doing my crafts for about 2 hours, just to try to relax. AND, I will be teaching Sunday School again tomorrow. Needless to say, I will be heading to bed shortly. I hope tomorrow is a better day...
3/01/2002
My neighbor is having 7 trees removed from his property this morning. I got back from driving Moira to school and the guys were already here. There is 1 GIANT pine tree (damn scrubby looking pines!) that was pretty hard to get to from his property. So, the guys drove the big lift truck up our driveway and cut from there. Now - the icky tree is gone! Hooray! My neighbor is pretty cool. His wife is a sweetie and he has 2 kids, 1 in college (used to babysit Moira) and the other is a junior in HS (and he's huge - plays football) We are lucky to have such great neighbors... EXCEPT for the ones behind us. UGH! Anyone every see "A Christmas Story" with Ralphie and his family? Remember the Bumpus' next door to them? With 500 dogs? THAT describes our neighbors behind us. I will tell that story another time.
Won't be blogging too much today.. I have a ton of things to do plus I have a Daisy meeting from 3-415. I get to rush home from that, eat dinner in 15 minutes, then head out to class tonight. Lord help me!
2/28/2002
From Andrew
If you could only watch 2 TV shows a week what would they be? Good Eats with Alton Brown (LOVE him!) and Trading Spaces on TLC
Jennings, Brokaw or Rather? None - Sean Hannity or Bill O'Reilly
Oprah or Jerry Springer? Oprah. I hate Springer ick ick ick
Have you meet a famous celebrity? Well - I saw Elle MacPhereson in Planet Hollywood. She is *really* tall... and gorgeous ::sigh:: I got Margaret Smith's autograph. She was really cool.
Jay or Silent Bob? no clue.. never saw the movies
Monsters Inc. or Shrek? I didn't see Monsters Inc. but I really thought Shrek was funny.
Coke or Pepsi? Diet Coke.. but I usually prefer water or coffee
What do you generally have for breakfast? Toast and coffee... lots of coffee
Leno or Letterman? They both suck. Jon Stewart or Dennis Miller are so much better.
Lara Croft or Sydney Bristow? Well - again, never having seen either one... I still would rather watch Sydney from Alias.
Good morning!
Some good news - Mom might be coming home today! YAY! She is getting stir crazy in the hospital, not that I blame her. She has a roommate who is so sick : - ( She has liver problems and cancer to boot. The poor woman...
I had class last night and I enjoyed it. We got out early due to it being the first night. The instructor seems pretty cool.. very straight up and forward. I like him. He's strictly a a code kinda of guy. He also likes Star Trek too. Hmm... coincidence? ::grin:: Surprisingly, I have picked up some HTML just by playing with my blog and getting help from people (Erin, Mike, ToeTag - THANK YOU!)
2/27/2002
2/26/2002
My dream job!
"We’re looking for friendly regular people who like to talk and can talk about anything. If you’re warm, friendly and sincere, and you think you have that special quality it takes to be QVC’s next Program Host, then please come to our next Program Host Auditions."
Wow - was this job set up with me in mind??
QVC Host Auditions
Ok - I wasn't going to do this to myself.. but I took the quiz.. and I am so happy with my result. I **love** Vern!

take the which one of the trading spaces cast are you? quiz!
take the which one of the trading spaces cast are you? quiz!
2/25/2002
Olivia's playdate was wonderful. She and her little buddy were just SO adorable. I should have brought my camera and taken a few pictures. We ended up going back to her friend's house for lunch, which wasn't planned. But, it was so kind of her Dad to offer. Olivia really had so much fun playing with her friend. She can't wait to do it again. At least she will see her tomorrow at her BabyPower class.
2/24/2002
I was up at the hospital most of the afternoon. I left my house around 1 and got back home about 9-ish. I have been making phone calls and doing emails for Mom and myself. Andrew and Chris, thank you so much for your emails. They really mean a lot to me. ::smile::
Mom is doing ok. Her doctor says "fair condition". She could be out in a few days. There is a slight chance of pneumonia. Not really what I wanted to hear but it could have been worse. ::knocking wood:: But, her white blood cell count it good. That's a bonus. She was NOT given the prednisone last night. It was ordered today by the pulmonologist, along with albuterol treatments via nebulizer. THIS stuff I know! Moira and Olivia have nebulizers and we do breathing treatments as needed for them. Anyway, this morning she was having tremendous coughing fits, again to the point of vomiting. Tim (my brother) was with her this morning. Mom got a dose of the steroid along with the breathing treatment and antibiotic. After I arrived, she managed to eat some Jello and sip some water. About an hour later, severe nausea hit her. The nurse gave her a shot of anti-nausea medication directly into her portocath. It worked pretty quickly, about 15 minutes. So, no vomiting today with the exception of this morning. Thank goodness. She is so weak and sore from coughing. Even walking to the bathroom (about 5 feet away) brings on more wheezing and dizziness. She had a slight fever again when I left. She pretty much told me to go home. She is exhausted.. hasn't had much sleep the past 4-5 days. She seemed a lot more comfortable when I left her this evening. I will be up there tomorrow night and Tuesday night as well. I can't get there on Wednesday since my class is starting that day. So, Tim will probably be down to take care of her on those days.
:::sigh:::
2/23/2002
Tim called -
Mom will be hospitalized for a couple days. She is taking prednisone (steroids) for the constant wheezing. This will effectively reduce any swelling she might have in her lung tissue. She has also been using a nebulizer. Her lung capacity is at 93%. Hopefully, she will be able to eat something and finally get some sleep. I will be heading up to the hospital tomorrow afternoon.
Anyone wondering what's up with my Mom's health should click here and read about it.
Just heard from Tim (my brother)....
Mom will be hospitalized. She has some fluid in her lungs, making her feel breathless. She has stopped vomiting since earlier this morning. She also has a very slight temp of 99.5.. I think she will be in the oncology unit.. I am waiting to hear back from Tim with more information..
2/22/2002
Comments are back up! YAY!
Also - Erin, of gigglechick.com fame, helped me tweak my blog template. I love it. Thanks SO much babe! I owe you big. I'll buy you a drink when we go out..
According to a Chinese allegory, a mother mouse took her babies out to seek food and to teach them the ways of life. On their journey, they came across a huge chunk of cheese placed in an iron box with an open door. The baby mice were excited and wanted to rush in. But the mother mouse stopped them and sternly warned they to stay away from this box, because it was a dangerous trap.
"Anyone who goes into the box will never come out alive," the mother told her children.
Unfortunately, her children didn't understand the danger and began to argue with her. Finally, the mother mouse decided that the only way to teach her children about the danger would be to show them. After making sure her children remained at a safe distance, the mother walked in. As soon as she did, the door of the box shut and locked her in. The mother then took a bite of the cheese and was poisoned. With her dying breath she urged her children to leave quickly and to remember this lesson always.
Wow.
2/21/2002
I read this on Eric's site and it brought back such AWFUL memories! So, I thought I would share them with you. Ain't I nice?
Picture way back to Summer of 1981. I had just turned 11 and was SO psyched to go to summer camp. (Hey, I was 11!) **Brief eye history. I got my first pair of glasses when I was in first grade, to correct my eyes. I had amblyopia (aka lazy eye) in both eyes. I looked pretty damn freaky, let me tell ya. I would "look" at someone but my eyes would go in 2 different directions.** My parents decided, with the help of my eye doctor, that I needed corrective surgery on BOTH eyes. AND - they would be done at the same time. AND - it was day stay surgery. I get to go home as SOON as I wake up after the operation. During the summer. Oh, and I wouldn't be swimming either. Camp - no way. Not this year. You can imagine how totally freaked out I was to get this news.
Surgery day arrives. I am hysterical. Don't want to do it. I got a few happy shots and apparently I calmed down after that. I do remember seeing my eye doctor in the OR. He told me to start counting backwards from 10. I start counting "10..9..8...................." I wake up and I can't open my eyes. I start freaking out again. My Mom was in the room with me. My Dad came in to see me and totally lost his mind. My Dad is SO bad under stress. He left the room, left the hospital and promptly vomited in the bushes. What can I say? Dad, you are a class act. I love you! Why, you may ask? My eyes were oozing. I had stitches in my eyes. They were supposed to dissolve. Take note I said supposed. It turns out I was allergic to dissolving stiches. What a frickin' way to find THIS fact out! My doctor had to remove them... while I sat still...very still. To this day, I am very squeamish about my eyes.
Needless to say, the summer sucked. I finally managed to go swimming my mid September. Let me tell you, it didn't matter to me how cold the water was against my skin... it felt wonderful!
Wow - just finished watching "12 Angry Men"
Holy smokes! Awesome - just awesome. Could the movie industry even attempt to re-create this movie in the 21st century?
Describe yourself!
1. Eye and Hair Color: Hazel/Green. My hair is currently reddish brown
2. Height: 5'2 - since I am usually in sneakers
3. Job Status: Stay at home Mom and attending College at night (starting Wednesday! YAY)
4. Likes: FUN! Good jokes, Comedies, a sexy voice (a la Sean Connery, Patrick Stewart, Howard Keel ::sigh::),
5. Dislikes: Seafood - BLEECH! Rude people
6. Favorite Movie: It's a toss up between The Sting and Kiss Me Kate (I like the oldies)
7. Favorite Bands: Bare Naked Ladies, The Police, Smashmouth, Wings
8. Favorite Artists: Sting, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett
9. Favorite Foods: A great steak or Fettucini Alfredo
10. What do you like most about yourself? I really do have a great sense of humor! I just mess up punch lines occasionally!
11. Location: Ocean County, NJ
Answer in your blog and post your link in the comments! I am looking forward to getting to know you guys! ::smile::
Your Daily Horoscope:
February 21, 2002
by iVillage Astrologer, Kelli Fox
You should know by now that you can't judge a book by its cover, Gemini. Actual appearance only hints at some unseen impact that is yet to be revealed. Even though you are perfectly in control, your metaphysical wrestling match looks a lot like a crazy dance to those who don't understand. For intellectuals, it doesn't get any better than this. Pass the hours away with people who get where you're coming from and want to go along on the next journey with you anyway.