The one where I whine a little...

You've been forewarned. I'm feeling slightly whiny so no doubt that's how this post will come off. If you don't feel like listening to it, you are cordially invited to skip this one. And I won't be mad. Pinky swear.

We had a lovely weekend. Really, the wedding went off well. The reception was a lot of fun and ended far too quickly. The whole thing was great. I did not get drunk as I had planned. I did drink quite a bit of some really excellent wine but it was spread throughout the day and at the reception I kept running into people who wanted to talk and when I talk, I get so animated that I forget to keep drinking. So I was on the sober side when we left for home. Lu went ahead and drove since obviously she hadn't been drinking. We got home around midnight thirty and crawled into bed.

Enter Sunday morning. My legs refuse to work properly. I've mentioned before that I have Fibromyalgia and my leg muscles are a lot of where the problem is focused. All the walking, standing and some stairs Saturday pretty much insured they'd be screaming at me Sunday. So it really was no surprise. I rested a lot of Sunday. Watched some movies that no one else would've watched with me. One was a 1945 black & white horror film I'd never seen before. It had an awesome plot. I didn't mind my down time.

Unfortunately, my body wasn't satisfied with just one day. I've been having this problem lately. When I sit at my computer my feet swell up and then it hurts to walk on them. It’s been a couple of months and I probably should have called the doctor sooner, but I was busy. (Yes, that is my excuse. That and I get sick of doctors.) And now it’s to the point where after a while they go numb. If I sit elsewhere and keep them elevated they do better. So I've been trying to work in breaks. Although breaks make me crazy- they feel so unproductive.

And now there are these bright red dots all over my calves and shins and a few above my knee. No, it’s not a rash. They are flush with my skin and don't itch or hurt. They're just there. They look like larger versions of the petechia that Lu gets when her platelets are low. So I called the doctor. And he wants to look for zebras instead of horses. (That’s what I call it when they do elaborate tests and it turns out to be something simple). So tomorrow they'll take an ultrasound of my heart to make sure its functioning properly. I'm no doctor, but I'm betting it’s something simpler like autoimmune vasculitis and all I need is a course of steroids. But we'll see. Meantime I'm laying low and grumbling because I'm not feeling productive. Of course, there's no one here to grumble to because it’s the busy time of year.

Fibromyalgia is like that. I go for weeks feeling fine and respecting my limitations and then it flares and I have to sit a few rounds out. I'm not much for sitting on the sidelines.

On the work front though, I still managed to finish the edits on the first manuscript for Angelic Knight Press. I posted a book review at See Spot Read yesterday. And an author/publisher interview at The Author Spot. I have a new manuscript to edit for a client not involved with Angelic Knight, and one client due to send me one mid-July. I have a new book to read for review next week. And a book to beta read for a friend. Plus my own two works-in-progress to work on. So legs be damned...I'm busy!

Thanks for listening those of you who stayed. I feel better for the venting. And if you know of anyone who's had a similar problem, do tell. I'll take my suggestions to the doctor next week.

♥Spot

Then one where Lu finally picks a name...

Bless me readers, for I have sinned, it's been one month since my last blog post. Sorry. Forgiven? I'm just going to go with "yes" on that one since I can't really hear your answer. And I'm going to dive right in with the good stuff. And apparently Lu's love life is the "good stuff". How do I know? Because a friend of mine related this conversation the other day:

KK: So I read the blog. Please tell me the guy Lu was seeing wasn't M!

MM: It was.

KK: What was she thinking?!

MM: I don't know. But it's over. The end.

KK: Thank God!

MM: Do you ever wonder why we're so invested in Lu's love life??

Don't worry guys. I get it. It's like a soap opera. So the update on that is that Lu and the baby's father are on very friendly terms. They aren't what one would call officially reconciled but that's because Lu wants to take things slow and make sure that the previous issues are on their way to resolution. But he's very involved with the pregnancy now. He and his mom were both at the sonogram where we found out it's a boy! And things seem to be progressing between them in a positive direction. And frankly, it's nice to see her happy. They did work together to choose a name: Dylan James Flanagan. Personally, I was partial to Milo. Her belly is ginormous. But she makes pregnancy look adorable. And thankfully, she takes after me and has a very easy pregnancy. I hope her delivery is the same. All the screenings have come back with negative results so the baby seems extremely healthy and on track. Her platelets dipped but then went up on their own. And she finally gained some weight. Here's a picture:


Isn't she adorable??!

Sean is still working as a telemarketer and comes home daily with the funniest stories ever. He meets and works with some interesting characters that's for sure. Some of his stories are funny, though kind of sad in a way. Sad that people feel the need to self medicate with drugs and alcohol to the point that they do. Even to get through the work day. I was going to share one, but suddenly I'm not in the mood. He's looking forward to vacay. And to getting to quit his job. He's working for the boy scouts again this summer and camp callahan and then travelling.

Mike is, of course, submersed in work. Always a ton of projects to do and the usual getting camp ready for summer. In fact, he'll be missing our vacation. Don't worry about him too much though. He's not a big fan of the ocean. He calls it the big puddle.

Mike: have fun visiting the big noisy puddle.

Me: Noisy?

Mike: yeah, it's constantly making that noise.

Me: You mean the sound of the waves? The one people find soothing and they put on those machines to help people relax?

Mike: yeah. It's so annoying. Give me silence any day.

Me: You just get weirder every time I talk to you.

Don't worry. I will enjoy it. I love that sound. And I'm very excited to be visiting a state I haven't yet been to. Alabama. And drinking sweet tea and saying y'all without anyone laughing at me. I'll keep you posted.

The heart wrenching part though? We aren't taking CJ. I just can't do that without Mike. I'm already having a fibro flare up and not getting enough sleep would make it worse. Also, we considered that we aren't sure how he'll do on an eight hour car trip two days in a row. Or being out of his routine for 10 days in unfamiliar surroundings. I know in my heart that we've made the right decision but that doesn't make me any less sad. But I will be taking him to my sisters in the next month or so. We'll see how he does there and keep working to get him ready to go on a vacation with us. And Mike has promised to go somewhere with me in the fall when his work slows down some. Alaska anyone?

The fibro flare was really bumming me out. I've felt so well for such a long time that it sucks to be reminded you have a chronic illness that can put you on the bench from time to time. I was throwing myself a real pity party for a couple of days. The klutziness was really getting to me. I have thrown my phone across the kitchen (not on purpose, it just slid out of my hand), dropped a dish of cat food upside down on the floor, spilled a very full glass of red juice all over the carpet, dropped and broken a glass cookie jar and sliced my thumb open on a can lid requiring an ER visit and tetanus shot. Talented, huh? I've grounded myself from using glass glasses for the duration. But the pity party ends today. Because I happened to see a show that reminded me that there are far worse conditions to have. I may be typing awkwardly with my bandaged thumb, but at least the rest of my appendages are responding to my brain signals. I may be dropping things, but I'm still able to clean up after myself. I may be forgetting things and having trouble coming up with the right word now and then, but I can still speak and see and hear and walk. And I have people who love me and forgive me when I'm moody and sick. People who take care of me willingly when I need it. A job doing what I love. A roof over my head, plenty of food to eat and a grandson on the way. I am a blessed woman.

Thank you all for sticking with me like you do. And a big shout out to my kindle readers!! You have not gotten your money's worth this month and for that I apologize sincerely. I'll try to do better.

♥Spot

The one where I have the Plague or Black Lung or possibly Scurvy.

I think I have the plague. No seriously. Stop saying nobody gets the plague anymore. They do. I looked it up. For real. Okay, so I don't really have the plague. I'm not sure what I have, but I woke up feeling like crap. Tight chest, icky cough, headache (of course I've had the headache for three weeks so it might be completely unrelated), sick tummy and no appetite. Yeah, that's right no appetite. Not wanting to eat anything usually means I'm actually sick. I was almost too lazy to even make my cup of tea this morning but since there was no one else home to do it for me, I toughed it out. Now I'm wanting to curl up in the chair with the super soft blankie and watch some mind numbing TV. That really wasn't in my plan for today though.

I'm supposed to be working (two articles for Buzzreactor) and then cleaning my house. I'm pretty sure the cleaning the house part is not getting done. Sorry my house will still be a mess when you get here tomorrow Lizzie. I will try to get the bathrooms done at least. I'll also try not to give you the plague.

I do have some funny stories. I promise. And they have nothing to do with the plague. Hopefully tomorrow I'll feel more like writing them.

TGIF everyone.
♥Spot

The one where my cold returns and so will the children

So I thought my cold was better. In fact, I felt pretty much fine yesterday. And then I got up this morning and it was back. With a vengeance. But I got up anyway and stumbled to my computer, mumbling "tea" as I passed Mike in the hall. We've been together so long that he understands that this is in actuality a request for him to please please pretty please make me a cup of tea and bring it to me in order that I might function properly. And he did. I could get seriously addicted to him being home more often. So I consumed my delicious cup of tea, wrote an article about the whole Mel Gibson fiasco, answered emails, played a few minutes of bejeweled. Then I started to stumble out of my office so I could straighten the kitchen, take something out for dinner, make the bed and take a shower. I was mumbling under my breath as I opened my door and nearly ran into Mike, who happened to be opening the door from the other side.

Mike: What did you say?

Me: I feel like crap.

Mike: You sound like crap. Your voice is all raspy and you sound stuffy.

Me: Huh.

Mike: Also your eyes are puffy and you have huge black circles. You look like you feel like crap.

Me: You do realize that you're not helping, right?

Don't you hate that when you feel awful and you tell someone and they agree that you look awful too? Is that supposed to make you feel better? But I haven't decided yet whether that upsets me more or when the person says "you don't look sick". I guess in one instance they're validating your sickness and in the other they're questioning it. I'm sick, OK? I don't need to know what you think. End of discussion.

Took Lu for her appointment yesterday. She got a pneumonia vaccine, which was required before her surgery. Mike got one in the hospital and Sean has had them before. I knew they hurt and swell up like baseball size lumps. I chose not to share that information with her prior to. Lu hates shots. This one was no exception. Then she had a blood draw and finally we saw the NP for her doctor. Platelets are up to 225,000. That puts her firmly in the normal range. Yay! So we don't have to go back for two weeks. I'm trying to be positive about this but we had the same result with the steroids last month only to have them drop by over half in a week. So I guess I'm cautiously optimistic. I'll keep a close eye on her.

Mike continues to do well. He tries to do a little more every day. He's anxious to go back to the doctor and get the results of his blood work and hopefully get released to go back to work. I will miss him. Having him home has been great. Not the way I would have preferred to do it, but still very nice.

The kids get back from camp tonight so I'm sure much hilarity will need to be posted tomorrow or Sunday. They will bring with them a mountain of dirty laundry, a bazillion stories to tell, and a whole heck of a lot of noise. Yeah, I'm totally looking forward to it. Besides, I want to find out what's up with Sean and his ex gf. I've heard rumors...

Have a great weekend everyone,
♥Spot

The one where I apologize & then make you laugh & remind you about the giveaway...

I'm truly sorry. I have probably been the worst bloggy friend in blogland lately. Remember those sayings your mother/grandmother used to use? You know the ones..."bitten off more than you can chew"..."burning your candle at both ends". Those ones? Right. I'm pretty sure I finally know exactly what they mean. And what they mean to me is that I'm having an incredibly hard time keeping up with everything. Of course, it could just be that I suck hardcore at time management, but I'm not going to just admit that, right? It could also be that I made a promise before I had my kids that they would always be the most important thing in my life and that no matter what I was doing, when they wanted to talk/hang out/chatter incessantly be with me, I would drop it all to spend time with them. And regardless of the fact that they are now mostly mini-adults, I still feel compelled (guilt-driven) to keep that promise. I do now often have to add "just give me a few minutes to finish this up, okay?". And sometimes my few minutes turns into half an hour, but I still hunt them down and keep my promise.

My house is a mess. I desperately need to get my butt to the grocery store. And I've forgotten what my husband looks like. Mostly because this is his super busy time of year as well and we keep missing each other. If I didn't know he was that snoring lump next to me in bed, I might think he'd been abducted by aliens. Luckily, we've managed to pencil each other in for October sometime. And even more luckily, we've been together long enough to know that this too shall pass and we will have plenty of time to get on each other's nerves later.

"What is taking up all your time Spot? What is more important than us?" I hear you asking. Really, nothing is more important than you (except my kids), but the squeaky wheel gets the grease, you know? And I seem to have a lot of squeaky wheels nowadays. First, they put me on physical therapy for the knee. Three freakin times a week. That may not sound bad, until you factor in a half hour drive to and from. Grr. Then I had CJ home for a visit last week. Which was awesome, we had a great time, but he's not real keen on me being on the computer and ignoring him, so I didn't. Then I had a kidney infection and spent 7 hours in the hospital. Which trust me, is another post.

I'm attending an online convention all month called Coyote Con which is absolutely amazing and it's only the second day!! I've already learned so much and met so many awesome people. Tina from The Clean White Page is attending also and we are having a (virtual) blast! We've also both been asked to submit to Drollerie Press, the wonderful people who are putting on the whole thing. Thank you Deena!! But that does mean that I have to find a hopefully finished story that suits their publishing needs and get it ready for submission. And since writing fiction is my ultimate goal, I'm not going to let that opportunity slip by! Also Tina and I have formed a little writing partnership (since we both right horror) so we edit each other's stories before they get sent anywhere.

And (ready for more? I know that plate's looking pretty full, but you're a big eater, right?) I started working as a freelance writer for a large marketing company. I administrate some social media sites, write newsletters and articles for newsletters and do some email contacting of potential clients. Which is fabulous. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time (thank you Kathryn!) and the stars aligned and presto! I have an interesting job doing what I've always wanted with a more or less stable income. Which in the world of freelancing is almost unheard of, so Kathryn tells me. And it's a great gig. I mostly work when I want, from my own home, and often in my jammies or sweats. Woot to the woot. Except on video conference days. Yeah, my client (boss) is so great he even bought me a webcam so I can be part of the video conferences. How cool is that?

And I still have four busy teenagers to deal with. Yes, I said four...Lu's Dexter is moving in for the month of May. You should see the calendar with every one's schedules on it! Thank goodness we all have our own cars, although the insurance bill is the same as my food bill every month. So basically, I know that I am extremely blessed! I have a family who loves and supports me. I have teenagers who actually want to hang out with their mom and tell her every little detail of their lives, I have an understanding husband who's got his dream job. I have my dream job (freelance writer), I have a shot at publication, I have wonderful encouraging friends, I have my shiny new fancy phone (thank you Radio Shack! More on that later...), and while my health could be better I'm certainly not dying. All in all, I have it very good. I'm just super busy and feeling guilty about not blogging (because I love blogging) and not getting a chance to catch up on all of your blogs!! But hang with me and I promise I will find a balance soon. Now for funny...

Sean and I were driving on Wednesday and Sean reads a billboard~

Sean: "Follow the crowd. 68% of Adams County teens don't drink." Well, I would but my Mom taught me not to be a conformist!! I'm not a follower!

Me: Way to go Sean. Thanks for throwing a life lesson back in my face.

Sean: Hey, at least I listened, right?

And a convo between Lu and Sean after hopping in her car. Her name tag from work hangs from her mirror. It says the store name (DEB) and she has a Fashionista badge.

Sean: I need a name tag for my National Scout Jamboree uniform. I think I'll take your pretty pink one. I want to be a Fashionista. O-M-G! I can't believe you're wearing those flip flops with that shirt!

Lu: You don't even know what DEB stands for.

Sean: *thinks hard* You're right. I can't think of anything dirty for the "E".

Lu: Eww. You're so gross. It's an abbreviation of debutante. You know like in the old days when rich girls had their "coming out" parties.

Sean: In the old days rich people through parties for their lesbian daughters??! What?!

Lu: NO! Not that kind of "coming out"! Like coming into society.

Sean: I'm so lost. So they were sex parties?

Lu: OMG! NO! They were just introducing them to society.

Sean: So, they like hid them in the attic before that. "Look I have a daughter!"

Lu: You're so not getting this. Anyway, now it stands for "doing everything better".

Sean: *Sean convulses with laughter* Really? That might be false advertising.

Lu: Shut up Sean.


***Giveaway Reminder***
For those of you who are new...I'm doing a GIVEAWAY! Yay! All you have to do is visit any of CSNstores (there are over 200) and leave me a comment telling me something you liked and that you'd like to win! Simple as that. Leave a comment on every blog until Wednesday May 7th and I'll give you one entry per comment. On the 7th, Sean will draw a name from a hat and I'll announce the winner. The winner gets a promo code for $60 dollars off their purchase, not including shipping. Easy as that! And welcome all newcomers!!


Well, kids, I have to get to the conference. If anyone is interested it's Coyote Con and it's all online and all free. It's not too late to register. So far, the panelists have been amazing and everyone is super friendly! If you have any interest in writing speculative fiction (horror, sci-fi, fantasy, urban fantasy, mythic, paranormal romance) you should join up. Like I said, there's much to be learned.

Happy Sunday!
♥Spot

And sometimes bad things happen...

So this last week has been rough. I say rough instead of sucked the proverbial monkey balls because things could have been worse. The feeling at my house is "if the police didn't come and nobody died" it really wasn't that bad. Being sick has sucked but it's not that unusual for me. I wasn't life or death sick, just sick enough to be listless and irritable. Then on Thursday, Sean had an accident on his way to his Civil Air Patrol meeting.

It's an hour's drive from our house to where the meetings are held. He stops in the town half an hour away to either meet or ride with his friends. Sometimes the one guys dad drives, or the guy drives, sometimes Sean drives. Well, this time Sean was driving. And he was driving my car because it gets better gas mileage than his truck. The exit he takes comes down into a double left turn lane. He pulled into the farthest left lane and stopped at the light. A semi driver, with a double trailer, pulled into the lane next to him. He was on his cell phone. The semi driver changed lanes in the middle of the intersection. Sean managed to slow, but was forced into oncoming traffic. Luckily, he didn't collide with the oncoming traffic. However, the last set of tires on the last trailer of the semi clipped the front of my car. The semi driver did not even get out of his cab or get off his phone. He yelled and asked if Sean and the other boy were alright. Then he drove off!! It being Sean's first accident, he wasn't thinking clearly enough to get the guys license plate number or name of the trucking company. Or insist that they call the police. But luckily, he and his friend were unharmed and the car is driveable. There is some body damage though. But all in all, it could have been way worse. And the damage to my kid would have been far worse than any damage to my vehicle.

The second bit of not-good-ness happened Sunday/Monday. Sean has been my company/getter of everything I need while I've been ill. He's watched a massive amount of weird TV shows with me. Made many many glasses of something to drink. Fetched everything from my book, to tissues, to my favorite blanket. He started coughing Sunday. At first, I thought it was just his asthma acting up because he forgot to get one of his meds refilled. Yesterday, he woke up with a fever and a headache and a worse cough. Did I mention he gets pneumonia at least as often as I do? Luckily, because I went to the doctor already (oh yeah, the dr. says I have pneumonia, color me surprised!) and because of his history with it, they just went ahead and called his meds in so we don't have to go back. So now we're sickies together. Talk about your quality time...it's a wonder we haven't killed each other yet...

But all of this is small beans compared to what comes next. On Friday night I got a call from my aunt. She said that grandma had been admitted to the hospital because her red blood count was low and they were giving her transfusions. She gave me some values for the count but that was really all she knew. She hadn't been able to get ahold of my folks. So I said I would call them. They were at Hildi's in Ohio. I called and talked to my dad. I said that the values she gave me didn't make sense for your red blood count (I'm familiar with blood count values thanks to Lu's disorder). But my aunt has untreated fibromyalgia and can be a little spacey. My mom called my uncle, but well, mom can be kind of spacey too and all she got out of the conversation was that grandma was in stable condition. The next morning I called my SIL, who's an RN. She said that they must mean her hemoglobin was low and yes, they would transfuse at that value. Now the doctors would have to find out where she was losing the blood from or what was causing the drop. Grandma had been diagnosed with chronic leukemia several months ago and so we thought maybe it had to do with that. My SIL gave me strict orders not to visit the hospital with my pneumonia and if I was running a temp bc my grandma's immunity is shot. So I stayed home.

My folks hightailed it home from Hildi's on Saturday. They said they would be at the hospital on Sunday. I asked them to call me from there and let me know what was up. I was still running a fever. All I got Sunday was a text from my mom saying that grandma looked pretty much the same as she had been and they didn't have any new info. I relaxed. Yesterday, Hildi texted me and asked if I knew where the heck Mom & Dad were. She'd called their house and gotten no answer and they weren't answering their phones. None of that is unusual. I said no, but I was a little miffed that I couldn't get a phone call from them the day before while they were at the hospital. She said she'd requested one as well. She didn't even get the text. We were texting back and forth when she stopped texting. Again, not unusual because she has small children. Then the phone rang and I saw my Dad's cell number. I thought he was calling to check on me. (Selfish, no?) But the tone of my Dad's voice put me on instant alert. They were at the hospital. They'd found tumors in my grandmother's pancreas, gallbladder and liver. She is not a candidate for surgery due to health concerns. They are doing a liver biopsy (needle) today to be absolutely certain, but they are 95% sure the type and aggressiveness of the cancer. The recommendation is hospice care. No prolonging measures. The prognosis is for weeks, maybe months. But the goal is only to make her comfortable and pain free.

This is my mother's mother. My father's mother passed away when I was thirteen. Breast cancer. But my father and mother have been married for 43 years. He loves my grandmother like he did his own. He was in tears. I've only seen my big strong Daddy cry twice. Once, when his mother died. And the night my sister got married. (Of course, he was way drunk then). I cried too. My grandmother and I have been very close. I was the first grandchild. But I immediately asked if he talked to Hildi yet. He had. But she was home alone with the kids, her hubby at work. I called her immediately. She was doing okay. She'd called her hubby and he came home from work. The girls were patting her back and stroking her hair. But she was frantically trying to figure out whether she should come right away or wait. And if she came, how would she manage it. Her oldest daughter can't miss any more school. What would she do with the youngest if she brought her? We figured most of it out, but she's waiting for the needle biopsy results that we'll have on Wednesday to make a final decision. My father implored me to stay home one more day and give my meds time to work. So I won't be going to the hospital until tomorrow.

The only bright spot in all of this, is that my grandma has dementia. She's not really lucid a lot of the time and I have to think this is a blessing. She doesn't comprehend that she's got cancer. She continually asks why she's in the hospital. And so she doesn't know what she's in for. I can't help that think that's a good thing. You can't fear the reaper if you don't know he's coming.

I'm sorry this has been such a downer post. But it's been a downer week...

♥Spot

Happy *cough cough* Spring???

First, have I told you peeps how much you mean to mean?? Well consider yourself hugged. And notified. So many get well wishes! And funny comments. And Elly's outrageous comment. Those made me laugh so hard I'm gasping for air. Which is why I kept ineffectually punching Sean in the leg yesterday. Because he'd make me laugh. And then I'd try to sock him one while going "*cough cough* Stop *cough* making me *cough* laugh! *cough cough* I can't *cough* breathe!". So yeah, I'm still sick. Okay Angelia, I hear what you're thinking girl. You sound just like my sister Hildi. "Go to the damn doctor". Um...it's Sunday. So that means I either fight the ER waiting room/docs or go tomorrow to see my doctor. And the ER docs? Not so bright. I've had pneumonia at least once and sometimes twice every winter for the last 20 years. I've been hospitalized for it 6 times and once I had to go to the doctors every day to get IVs, because I begged him not to put me in the hospital (the children were toddlers and I didn't want to leave them). These last few years I end up in the hospital because I've managed to develop allergies to all but a handful of oral antibiotics. So if those don't work, I'm stuck in there on IVs. I hate that.

In those years, I've grown to know my foe. I know how he feels in my lungs. I know how he sounds. I'm pretty sure I can pinpoint the exact moment that his little friends invaded my chest. (Of course it was the middle of the night and I had a fever, so I could just have been trippin). I also know roughly how sick I have to be for the ER doc to get the diagnosis right. If I go to soon he diagnoses a sinus infection, a respiratory virus, the flu, a bladder infection (no joke. true story), an allergic reaction. Three days later, I'm in the hospital because I have pneumonia but the doctor didn't listen. He didn't hear any rales in my chest (because it solidifies in my lungs and you can't hear anything). Did you know that chest x-rays actually lag behind two days?? That the picture they get of your chest is how it looked two days ago. Weird huh? The crazy shit you learn in the hospital!!

So, even though Hildi's yelling. And Lu and Sean are saying, "c'mon mom, let us take you in". My hubby, says "you're mother's right. she's been through this before. She'll know when to go". It's a sad fact. So until then, I'm laying on the couch, watching really weird TV shows and Sean is my caretaker while the others work. He's damn good at his job. Except for not leaving me alone. (Stop watching me sleep kid, you're creeping me out. I promise to keep breathing.) And trying to make me eat. Pneumonia makes me not hungry. (It's the only thing that ever does!!)

So keep your fingers crossed that tomorrow the doctor says "wow. you have pneumonia" and gives me the kick ass drugs so I can get off the damn couch!! Although, I'm not sure why I want to. This is what spring is looking like at my house~





Those are pics Sean snapped for me yesterday. It snowed all day long. We ended up with about 3 inches. (Another reason I didn't want to go to town yesterday). Spring, wherefore art thou??!

♥Spot

I'm pretty sure I'm not making alot of sense...

Gah!! My husband just brought one of his bosses into my house to use the bathroom!!! I may in fact die of mortification now. Because, I'm sick. And so my already-needed-to-be-cleaned-desperately-house looks like a tornado hit it. Because that's what happens when I'm sick. No one cleans up. To give Lu credit, she's been working 8 hour days and Dexter is here so cleaning the house has not been high on her priority list. Also, they left yesterday to go to his folks house for the night. Sean also hasn't been feeling well, but he will run the vacuum if I beg. And hubby? Well, let's just say he's so busy with work that he left me for two hours with a 102 degree fever and didn't check on me. Although, right before that he did bring me a fountain coke.

So I guess if the fever doesn't kill me, the embarrassment will. I hate for people to see my house when it's dirty. It makes me feel like a failure (and I'm pretty sure in Martha Stewart's book I get no gold star today). I know, you're thinking "Spot, your house doesn't have to be clean". But it does. I feel better when it is. I hate cleaning, but I love a clean house. The way it smells. The way it feels. (Happier and well loved). And I know that the feminists are going to get me but it's my job. Now that I don't work outside the home, taking care of the house is my job. It's only fair, since hubby works outside the home and supports us. I know that's uber traditional thinking but it's how I was raised and it's what I believe. But that doesn't mean I don't take help when I can get it!!

Anyway, Lu just texted and said that they were coming home right after the memorial service they had to attend and she would marshal the boys into cleaning up the house. Bless her little organizing soul. I'm saved. So after rambling here, and leaving several inane and rambling comments on other's blogs, I'm going back to bed. I have to keep that infection in my head and not let it escape to my chest!! (Because then I end up in the hospital). So happy Friday!! And hopefully, I will be well by Monday, and funnier...and make more sense....

♥Spot

May your troubles be less, may your blessings be more...

My eye is still trying to migrate somewhere south of it's socket. I think I've got enough mucous in my head to lube a small engine. And my throat is a flaming barren desert. And when one of my family asks me a question I kind of just want to curl up in a ball and cry. Welcome to day two of "the sinus siege". I'm not sure who my opponent is but he's going down (I hope).

Hopped up on cold meds I did manage to get my corned beef & cabbage cooked yesterday. And I made Irish soda bread. Not the fake kind with raisins and sugar. (hello, they didn't have raisins in Ireland when they started making soda bread). And dinner was Delicious. I even had a Killian's. And kicked ass at one game of Wii bowling. Then I went back to bed.

My Dad's side of the family has always been proud of it's Irish heritage. My maiden name was Day but we found that it used to be O'Day. My parents always said if they had a boy they would name him Sean Patrick. But since I don't have any brothers, I stole the name for my son. Hildi has what people call the "Irish look". Her hair is auburn, fair skin and blue eyes. But whether that's from my dad's Irish side or my mother's scotch ancestors, who can say? But Lu definitely gets her looks from there as well.


Hildi and Lu

I've been told I have the look of the "black Irish" (and no, that's not a racial slur), they have dark hair, dark eyes and fewer freckles. I don't really know whether that's true or whether my coloring come from the American Indian ancestors. At any rate, our Irish ancestry was always a source of pride. And now that Lu has found herself an Irish boy to marry, I guess it will carry on.


Dexter & Lu. Last name Flanagan. Won't my grandkids be adorable?!

One day while we were in Myrtle Beach, shopping at the outlet mall, we decided to get lunch. We ordered and as the cashier was ringing us up, she asked "Are you guys Irish?" Huh?! I'd never been asked that before. I'd been asked if I was Italian. I'd been asked if I was Latino. What would have made her think 'Irish'? Maybe it was Lu's reddish hair and blue eyes? Maybe it was our wrist tattoos? (because everyone recognizes Gaelic, right?) So I said "well, yes, we are". Turns out it was our rings. I wear a claddaugh ring on my left hand instead of my wedding set sometimes. And Lu's pre-engagement ring is a claddaugh. Hildi's wedding ring is a claddaugh. The cashier said she'd done a paper on claddaugh rings for a class. They are a traditional Irish wedding ring dating back from the 17th century. For love we wear the heart, for friendship we wear the hands, and for loyalty and lasting fidelity we wear the crown. I'm even getting a new one in honor of our twentieth anniversary. I just haven't been shopping yet!

I hope that everyone enjoyed their green beer last night. Or their corned beef and cabbage. Or however it is you celebrate St. Patrick's Day. We sure showed the wearing o'the green. And well, around my house, there's plenty of blarney every single day. I hope you all had a Beannachtam na Feile Padraig!

A traditional Irish blessing for you:




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My Irish Eyes are NOT Smilin'...

So it's St. Paddy's Day! And normally, I would be way happy today. Because I love this holiday. But today? Not so much. I finally caught the cold that's been running around my house for the last 3 weeks. Remember the one that had hubby sniffling non-stop? Well Sean and I are both sneezing our heads off today. And when I woke up, I was pretty sure my right eye was trying to forcibly leave my head. It feels as though it might pop out at any second. So I stumbled to the kitchen, holding my hand over the side of my face (I mean, I can't just let my eye leave, without a fight). Hubby asked if I was alright and I said "um. No. I'm currently at war with the right side of my head. Give me your hand." I placed his hand firmly on that side. And he said "The whole side of your face is throbbing." and made a disgusted face. Yes, even my teeth hurt.

Why Universe, why??! One day a year I make corned beef and cabbage and I had to get sick today?? I loooovvveee Corned beef and cabbage. And Guinness. Universe? You suck. So I'm probably going back to bed soon. But hopefully my head will stop trying to detach itself and run from my neck so I can get my Irish on.

I was going to tell you an a funny story about my fam being Irish. It'll hold til tomorrow. I gotta go lay down...

sniffles & sinus headaches,
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Please return to owner...

OMG!!! Where has my mind been lately?? Has anyone seen it? Maybe I should make posters~ Lost. One sort of used, slightly crazy, much bemuddled mind. Slightly higher IQ than average. Very imaginative. Runs good fair. If found please return to frazzled woman running around like a chicken with her head cut off. K? Thanks!

Can you believe that I forgot yesterday was "spread the word thursday"?? I mean, I made up the day people! And I still forgot it. Honestly, I think I'd lose my patootie if it wasn't fastened on tight. I'm really not sure I'm going to survive November. And even if I do there's December to get through. December, with all it's christmasey, present giving, cookie baking goodness. And my (gasp) 40th bday. You know, the birthday by which I thought I would have gotten something accomplished? You know back in high school when you peer forward into the future and you imagine your life at the ripe old age of 40? And you think Oh! All the things I will have done by then! I'm looking around now going 'what things??? what have I done?'. And so far, peeps, there's not a lot staring back at me from that list. I shall have to ponder this more closely in the coming month...

But as for the present day, the here and now, I'm feeling better. Although judging by the cough I have today, it may be short lived. I wonder if I can convince my doc to just give me a bag of IV antibiotics now in a pre-emptive strike against my lungs and their patheticness?? Probably not. I think he likes it when he has to stick my butt in the hospital. Not only does he make money but he gets to see me everyday. No, I'm not being vain. I just happen to know that I'm one of the few people who can make him laugh. Yeah, his bedside manner lacks a little. But he laughs at me. Mostly because he thinks I'm crazy but I'm totally cool with that. I'm sure he's not the only one who thinks that. In fact, there's probably like a club or something. My hubby may or may not be the president.

So yesterday I was feeling well enough to get out of bed and hang out in the family room. And my family stopped acting like I had Ebola and started getting near me again. So this is the conversation in the kitchen while I'm making Sean and I some soup for lunch (yes, I'm back to being the house bitch, I mean domestic goddess).

Sean- so will you watch Master and Commander with me?

Me- I don't know if I'm in the mood.

Sean- you always say that! And you're going to love it. Promise. It's boats and sailing. Probably one of the best sailing movies ever made. (Technically, it's not really about sailing, but he's obsessed with sailing).

Me- what about Pirates of the Carribean? That's the best boat movie ever made. And I do love me some Cap'n Jack.

Sean- Captain Joseph would make you Captain Jack cry like a schoolgirl.

Me- *whirling around to stare in open-mouthed awe* What??!! Did.you.just.say? Oh the blashpemy! I cannot believe that one of my offspring would ever utter such a blatantly false and reprehensible thing about their future stepfather in my prescence!! (Because one day Johnny Depp is totally going to come to his senses and whisk me away from all of this. It's a well known fact at our house.)

Sean- It's true.

Me- that's fine. Whatever. Now Daddy Johnny is for sure not buying you a sailboat of your very own.

Sean- So will you watch it?

Me- yes. ok. but don't blame me if I fall asleep. Isn't it like ten hours long or something.

Sean- No. It's not quite that long. And you're going to love it.

Guess what?? I did love it! Now Russell Crowe's no Johnny but he's a damn fine actor. And you had the added attraction of Paul Bettany. It was really well done and I highly recommend it if you haven't seen it. Do be prepared for some violence and blood though, I mean it is set during the war between France and England after all. (Which one you say? I know because there have been like a million! But the Bonaparte one. You know, short dude all right hand tucked inside his vest like he's got a really bad case of heartburn? Totally in love with Josephine. Yeah, that one. And oh look! I totally turned this into a history lesson. You can thank me later.)

So then I tell Sean that the movie was actually based on a series of books written by Patrick O'Brian. So we go to Amazon.com and there are 20 books in the series!! That would take Sean, my reluctant reader, roughly 5 years to read. But we put them on the christmas list anyway. (Take note Santa)

Have a great weekend!
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Out of the woods, Into the quicksand...

I'm pretty sure I'm out of the woods. Because except for a brief time last night, my fever is mostly gone. My throat isn't sore for the first time in 5 days. And I'm grumpy. Seriously. You know that grumpy stage you go through when you're feeling better, but not quite well, and you're bored with being in bed but you don't want to get up and overdo and end up there again? And it must be someone's fault??! Yeah, that's where I am. I've also come to realize that I spoil my family. And that's making me grumpier.

I told my hubby two days ago that he was going to need to do at least one load of laundry. And if the laundry room was on the first floor, I would have done it myself, but it's in the lower level. Which is pretty much just a fancy term for basement. But of course, he didn't do any laundry. So yesterday morning he says "I'm going to have to wash some clothes. I'm running out of jeans." And I was all "Really? You think?" So yesterday after dinner he throws in laundry. And four hours later I ask "so did you think you might want to dry those clothes you washed? It might be hard to wear them wet." So he goes down and throws them in the dryer and puts a new load in. Before I go to bed I ask if he folded the load from the dryer. No, it was still in the dryer. So I kindly offer to fold them~

Me: If you go get that load of clothes, I'll fold them for you. Then you can distribute them.

Him: I don't know where they go.

Me: The hell? Your clothes go in the same places you take the clean ones out of! And the boys get placed on their neatly made...*pause*...there are no neatly made beds are there?

Him: Not a one.

So. While I was sick, laundry did not get done (the clothes are still in the dryer), beds did not get made, no effort was made to straighten the house or heaven forbid, vacuum or sweep. And the last straw was when I walked into the kitchen this morning.

Me: Why is the sink full of dirty dishes??? We have a dishwasher!

Hubby: It's Sean's fault. He didn't unload it so I could reload it. But we're going to take care of that right now. Just don't look. Go back to your room. We'll bring you tea.

I hear Sean yell from the kitchen. "It's totally his fault!! The dishes in the dishwasher are dirty!! He forgot to run it."

AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!

I know. I should be happy that they managed to feed themselves (although I'm sure the takeout has me over the grocery budget), they brought me drinks and soup, the cats got fed, and they managed to get Sean to the clinic yesterday for his flu shots. But it sucks knowing that as soon as I'm well (probably tomorrow), I'll spend all my time trying to get my house back to rights. Grrrr. I'm going to take a magnifying glass to my contract. It's time to read all the damn fine print...

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