Busy, but not so much

Busy. We make it look that way!

School is out for three of the four of us.

The oldest will be in Oklahoma all summer putting his civil engineering edumacation to work building bridges. He has only been at it this week, but seems to be really enjoying it. He hasn't made it out into the hot Oklahoma sun to physically work, so we'll see if his tune changes. He id djust get back from Air Assault school where he passed with (flying?) colors. It is one of the hardest schools the Army has and people get sent home for little things. We are so proud of him!

The youngest is busy with camps. He helped with a Cub Scout camp last weekend. This weekend he is going to go through his Ordeal to get into the Order of the Arrow. The OA is an honor society within the Boy Scouts. He was the only one of his Troop to get elected into it this year. Now if he can just keep quiet for 24 hours, he should be good to go! (They go to the Scout camp to clean it up for the summer camps, but the kids can't talk during the Ordeal. We wish him luck with that.) Next month he goes to church camp for a week, home a week, and then back to the Scout camp for a week. He also had his piano recital last Sunday and rocked it (of course). :)

The husband is busy being busy. He keeps the house in liveable shape while I'm at work. Dishes, laundry, yard work...now if I could only get him to cook! He's looking at running for a county superintendent position. That would be sweet. We just have to get a bunch of signatures to get him on the ballot.

I've just been doing what I do so well. Working, reading, and just being awesome.

The water heater sprang a leak last Wednesday and partially flooded the utility room. Sweet. We kept the leaky water mostly under control until we could get a new heater put in on Monday. So my nerves were shot over that.

So that's that.

Tomorrow is the day!

Tomorrow is the big day. Gall Bladder and I will be parting ways.

I've tried to make GB's last days fun. We've thrown a Frisbee, thrown a football (perfect spiral if I do say so myself), bought our favorite chocolate/banana swirl ice cream, went for a photography walk in the park, read some good books, and ate a bunch of bacon.

I'm not nervous, but am totally ready for this to happen. I trust the doctors and nurses and am confidant they will do their best.



I'll leave you with some photos to enjoy...

Scouts working on their Orienteering Badge

Photos around Cedar Park, Fairmont, MN

Sloppy Joes! (I tucked my shirt in for this photo.)

 

Popcorn Patrol reporting for duty!

Water...I need water...anyone? Anyone? If only I had thumbs!!

The Gall!

Well, I've seem to acquired an internal pouch of gall stones. How fun is that?

I've been having a dull ache in my abdomen for about a month and decided that it would probably be in my best interest to get it checked out.

(I can't imbed the video I wanted to put here, but it is of Ah-nuld saying, "It's not a toomah! It's not a toomah. At all.")

The nice lady did the ultrasound on my guts, but wouldn't print off a copy of my gall bladder to share with you. Boo to the nice lady!

I spoke with the doctor a couple of days later (both of us were on cell phones and I only had one bar of service so the conversation was a bit iffy) and I caught words like "Accute", "Multiple", "Stones", "Surgeon", and "Schedule".

I was thrilled it wasn't a toomah, but not too happy that the word "surgeon" was involved.

I dialed up the old intrawebs and searched my insurance site to make sure ye olde surgeon was in network. Aaaaaaaaand of course not. I called the insurance and the lady there searched and searched and sure enough, not in the network. I called my doctor's nurse to let her know and she sounded more shocked than I was. I am waiting to hear back from a friend of mine whose wife is a surgery nurse at the place that is in my network. I'm hoping she has a recommendation or two of who I could use since I don't know anything about the doctors in that facility.

So while I wait, I'm entertaining my gall bladder to the best of my ability. I took it to St. Paul, Minnesota this weekend for the Women's State Bowling Tournament. I let it enjoy a couple of Blood Orange Margaritas (Don Julio Blanco tequila, sweet blood orange puree and Cointreau; topped with sweet and sour) and a warm cheese sampler plate (Grilled baguette served with warmed brie, gorgonzola and goat cheese; paired with roasted garlic, basil oil and boozy cherries). Nothing but the best for my innards! We played a round of Yahtzee with six other ladies (I don't know how many other gall bladders were involved in the game).

I'll keep updating here to let you know what my gall bladder has been up to until it is time to part ways with it.


Total absence of humor renders life impossible. - Colette (1873 - 1954), Chance Acquaintances, 1952

The Hunger Games

Saw the Hunger Games this afternoon. From a video producer's perspective, I wanted to slap the person who that it would be good to let their six year old kid run the camera during the District 12 scenes at the beginning. I got a little sea sick. I know it was all supposed to be "artsy", but it was more annoying than anything. Thank goodness that nonsense stopped. I don't think I could have lasted the whole two hours and twenty-two minutes like that!

Barometer

Coffee of the Day: Butter Toffee

Mental Jukebox Selection: The Dandy Warhols -We Used To Be Friends

Reading:: Jennifer Lancaster - If You Were Here

Thinking: Hungry! Must eat!

Dreading: Cleaning the house today.

Looking: Switching between The Today Show and GMA

Wondering: If the ruffle in my blouse willl be pressed and if the wrinkles in my skirt will come out.

Needing: A million dollars.

Also needing: To shave these legs!

Bloggity, blog, blog

(This is where I would normally insert some excuse(s) for not blogging since October, but phfft.)

Winter is finally upon us. We lucked out at not having any major snow since November-ish. Of course, that meant a brown Christmas. Sad face.

Have I mentioned I got a part-time jay-oh-bee? Yep. I went back to work. Marketing Coordinator. I'm the department head of a department of one. I'm a good boss. I should give myself a raise.

Since I have all of this fun money now, I've been eyeballing a new-ish car. I love my Pacifica. It runs fine and looks great, but I think it is time. I had my Shadow for six years, my Stratus for eight years and my Pacifica for six years. This is what I took for a test drive...




I love it, but the salesman BSed us with a list of things their mechanic guy found wrong with my trade in. Our mechanic took that list, checked my car and said that the majority of the stuff on the list wasn't bad enough to worry about, a couple of lines that were "wet" were totally "dry", and to fix everything would run about $1,300. I asked if it were his car, what would he fix. He said the only two things that needed fixing and we figured it would be less than $600 to get it ready to sell. We are taking it in next week and then putting it up for sale. We had it detailed a couple of weeks ago and it looks suh-weet! So, we will see.

No other great changes have been happening. The Boy is doing pretty awesome with his piano and school. Shorty started his first Senior year at State University. (He has to go five years with his major.) The Commander is going to community college again. He is loving his GI money. Tall Dog is good. Short Dog is still having allergy problems. We switched to no-grain, no-meat (just fish and veggies) food, but he is still licking like crazy. Cat is still nutso.