YEE HAW!

Last night we had our church party for our class. It was in a barn that was way nicer than my new house. I'm estimating $400,000 barn. Sweet for the horses. The horses had not been in it yet. It had a ladies and gents separate huge bathrooms, a kitchen, an office and stables. It had a 20 foot Christmas tree in the middle with hay bales all around it. We went to it on the church bus, which was also very plush. We all took an unwrapped toy and had a couple of Marines as honored guests. Then they took all the toys for Toys for Tots.

My hand has been giving me fits this time. It really hurts and the pain meds he gave me didn't help. Finally, this morning I took the compression wrap off and it started feeling better. The wrap was too tight and my hand was swelling and pulling on the stitches. It's better now. I have another function to go to tonight, but I have been hanging around in my bed all day. It's been raining and cold all day...perfect for doing nothing.

I'm a DEADBEAT!

Last night about 10 my hand started seriously hurting. This was a big surprise because last time I didn't have any pain. I took pain meds and elevated my hand, but it still hurt. Since I couldn't sleep, I went to my mom's early and ate breakfast. She gave me some darvocet because the tramadol I was taking did not work. The darvocet worked and I have been mostly sleeping today. I have a church party to go to tonight, so I will drug myself up and go.

Sliced and Diced again!

The deed is done. My hand is once again all wrapped and stitched up. He says it should be over now. No more cutting. He did, however, send it once again for a pathology report.

I'm almost done with the Grand Bal' Program. I found out today that the woman who was supposed to get the cover art done for me had ELECTIVE surgery (face lift, tummy tuck...whatever), but she didn't bother to let me know. The person who did the program last year told me to use the invitation art for the cover page of the program. Great idea. It shall be done!!

Mission accomplished!!

Yay. I didn't get my nap in today, but I went to visit my aunt in the hospital, then made fudge and pralines. I have lots of little decorative tins that I am going to fill with the fudge and pralines for my friends that I am having lunch with tomorrow and that I have had lunch with most Thursday's for nearly two years. On February 9th, I will have been here two years. They didn't start including me right away, but it didn't take long. I needed to get that done because tomorrow my hand gets cut on again and it takes two hands to make fudge and pralines.

Whew!

It's been a busy day, but I think I am through for the day with errands. I had lots of them today, most of which were pertaining to that damn Grand Bal' Program that I am doing. It is kicking my butt, but only because the stupid people won't get the stuff in to me. We were supposed to be through selling ads and last night I got an email that someone had sold 2 more with 2 more possibilities by Friday. WTF.....why can't they understand that the publisher can't do this stuff overnight!!!

I had to take a flying trip to Bossier to the UPS store. I guess the cold front is between here and there...a mere 20 miles. I had to use the AC going over and the heater coming back!! When I got home, my mom had called and left a message that her sister is in the hospital here. She has bronchitis, so Mom cannot go see her. If Dad got that with his COPD, he would die. I'm all relaxed in my flannels now, but I guess I will get dressed again and go see her.

I also just got an invitation to attend a candlelight dinner at the Arbor, where my other aunt lives. She only gets to invite 3 people, so I guess I'm the lucky one once again this year. That is on the 20th.

Freaky Weather

It's freakin' December and my AC is going strong. Yesterday was 80 degrees. It's strange that we are only a short distance from the major ice storm just north of here. We live rather close to the Oklahoma border, yet it is shorts weather here. It makes me lethargic. I like cold weather especially when I am Christmas shopping.

This is a full week, so I'm hoping it gets cooler soon. Tonight I am working on the Mardi Gras float. Tomorrow night I am going to taste samples of food for the Grand Bal'. I think I get Wednesday off, but Thursday I have a lunch to go to and I get my hand cut on again. Friday I have a church party and Saturday I have a surprise 50th birthday party to attend. Dang...I'm tired already!

Finished!

In spite of the fact that I slipped in a little nap today, I got a lot done. The Christmas cards are finished and ready to mail. My Christmas cards are always labor and time intensive, but I enjoy doing them because I personalize each one. This gives me pause to think about the family/person that I am sending it to. I also enjoy receiving all the cards from so many people that I haven't heard from since last year. I particularly enjoy the Christmas letters and the cards that include photos. Of course, my printer ran out of ink just three cards short of the finish line, so I had to get out in the madness that is today to find a cartridge. I had one of those refilled ones. It sucked big time. I will never have any refilled again. The colors were horrible.

Holy CRAP!

I was at the mall tonight and as I was sitting in the food court having my orange chicken I saw so many repulsive looking girls. I wish I had pictures of the disgusting way these people looked. First of all, they were all overweight with really tight jeans and tops. Butts were hanging out everywhere. Can they possibly think this looks good? I just don't get it!

Woo Hoo!

My brother is back! Now I won't have to go every day to see about Mom and Dad. It's only 17 miles to their house, but it takes a chunk out of every day. My brother eats breakfast there every day and lives a minute away so it's much easier for him.

I am trying to wrap up getting everything to the publisher for our Grand Bal' Program. I have already let it be known that I will never take that job again. It's not a hard job, but people just won't get the stuff in to me. It's a royal pain in the ASS and I am not even Royalty!!!

I'm also trying to get Christmas cards done and shopping done before I have to get my hand cut on again.

A day in my life!

Since my brother is gone, I went to check on Mom and Dad this morning. Dad spent 30 minutes trying to get his hearing aids in his ears. He was getting madder by the minute. Even Mom tried to get them in for him. I was just watching all this nonsense wondering, but not dare asking, if he had the right hearing aid for the correct ear. He would have gotten mad if I had even suggested he was doing the wrong ears. Mom got out the book and read about it before I loaded them up to take them to the hearing aid place. Turns out they are COLOR CODED and he was putting them in the wrong ears!! I'm glad they figured that out before we were all embarrassed at the hearing aid place! Holy Moley! It's not going to get any better and he doesn't have Alzheimer's!

The verdict is in!

Pathology report on my hand is squamous cell carcinoma. That means it is localized and will not spread anywhere else. The reason that he is going back in and cutting more out is because if there are any cells left, it will grow back. He will be doing that the 13th so I have a few days of reprieve before I go back to being a one armed bandit. It's like I'll be getting a facelift of the hand because he cuts stuff out, then stretches the skin back over it and stitches it up. The skin on the back of my hand is plenty loose, so it will stretch easily. I just dread being cut on again.

Zoom Zoom

I have been in turbo mode today trying to get all the things done that require use of both my hands. Tomorrow I get the stitches out, but I don't think he will do the additional cutting on me then. Just in case he does, I got all the yard decorations out today, the scrapbook finished, and a lot of computer work done on the Mardi Gras Bal' Program. I made a few trips to the attic storage area for Christmas stuff, but decided against bringing much of it down.

My brother is in Branson this week, so I am checking on Mom and Dad every day. Yesterday I cooked bean soup and took it for their lunch today. I also changed the sheets on their beds and washed the clothes. I'll go back tomorrow and pick some collards for her to cook. My fall garden looks great. I have collards, broccoli, turnip greens, onions, and cauliflower growing. Yummo! I love me some broccoli!!

WooHoooo!

Just when we thought LSU was dunzo, due to some losses yesterday by other teams LSU now will play Ohio State for the National Championship! There will be a sea of purple in Louisiana. I guess I need to get a purple shirt. I didn't go to LSU, but I support them fully!

Wow! Just WOW!

Today was our Lottie Moon Christmas offering at church which goes for missions. Our church only asks once a year and the funds collected on this day go for all the mission funds that we contribute to. Last year our goal was $85,000 and we collected $107,000 that day. Today our goal was 87,000 and we collected an astounding $130,000 today.

Tonight was our Christmas musical and it was just unbelievable. There is no church anywhere that could have done any better and that includes the Morman Tabernacle Choir. Absolute perfection and totally professional. I was very impressed. My neighbor who broke his back in September was there. What a homecoming for him!! It was awesome!

Holy CRAP...AGAIN!

Just when I thought I was about through with this hand drama, my doctor's office called and said the pathology was a cancer, but not a kind that would spread to other organs. BUT>>> he wanted to go back in there after it heals better and cut around the edges! OUCH! OKAY....I'm all over getting everything out of there and I guess he is just making sure to remove the whole area, but if it won't spread...WHY? I'm confused!

Tiz the SEASON!

Yes, the season for eating has started and I have to back off. It's not even December and I went out to dinner or lunch 4 times this week, not including tonight when I plan to do it again. Yesterday was killer. I went to lunch with the ladies, a Christmas tea at the Arbor, where my aunt is in assisted living care, and out again last night after a Krewe meeting to dinner. Last night I discovered the bacon wrapped broiled shrimp. It was an appetizer, but I ordered it for dinner and could only eat 3 of the 6 shrimp. They were huge and delish!! Tonight is my cousin's last night here before she returns home to Virginia, so we are going out again.

Ouch!

Yesterday I went back to the doc for the bad news. I knew he would want to cut the place out and he did. Under all this bandage is a little incision about an inch plus with four stitches in it. He sent it off for a pathology report because he still doesn't know what it is. Next week I get the stitches out. It's hard to type so I'm out!

Busy, busy day!

Today I put my car in the shop and borrowed Mom and Dad's car for the day. By the time I had taken them to get groceries and medicine and driven them home, then went back to my home...MY CAR WAS FIXED! After spending hours working on computer stuff for our Mardi Gras Bal', I took their car back to them and they had to bring me home. It's been crazy! I really intended to call my dentist because I am getting another abscess in the tooth next to the last one that had a root canal. He was afraid last time that the other tooth may also be involved. I started taking some antibiotic that I had here and my mouth feels better. I'm going to try to avoid that $700 fee right here at Christmas. Tomorrow I go back to the doctor about my hand. It is not any better and I fear that he will have to biopsy it. Ouch!

Rain, rain, come to stay!

Today is a cold, rainy day and I am loving it. It's still 39 degrees with a slow soft rain, which we desperately need. We are not as dry as Georgia, but we do need rain. Instead of lazing around watching movies all day, I turned to the Christmas music channel on my digital TV and went to work decorating my Mardi Gras tux jacket. Mine is not nearly as decorated as it will eventually be. They are supposed to be rather gawdy. I chose a patriotic theme and have been sewing appliques on. I can't do many at one time because I stick my fingers a lot with the needle, but I did get a couple more done today. With the decorated tux tails, we wear a white shirt and gloves and jeans. Since my theme is patriotic, I will also be wearing a sequined red, white and blue top hat and a matching bow tie. I also have some patriotic blinking light beads for me to wear. All the beads that I will be throwing in 3 parades are patriotic as well. I think it is fitting for an election year, which 2008 will be.
This is the back down on the tails.
This is the front and I can tell from the picture that it needs a lot more stuff. I need to get busy since these parades all happen in January.

Blowing off steam!

I just composed a letter to the President and CEO of Borghese, Inc. complaining about the lack of customer service. It reminded me of a quote I read somewhere, "It's a shame stupidity isn't painful." I never got any of my calls returned or an email answered and that really made me angry. Even though I finally found out that the correct makeup was inside the box that was labeled incorrectly, I am still angry that a company this size has NO customer service even though they give a number on the website for customer service. Maybe I can go on and get this nonsense out of my mind now! I'm sure I won't hear from the CEO either. In fact, I doubt she will ever see it. The CEO is Georgette Mosbacher and I have seen her several times on TV. She is a big Republican and in NYC, that's significant!