More Gall Bladder Updates :)

 

Hey Ya'll,

Well, I went in this morning to have my Blood Work drawn.  So the first of two tests are now completed.  This afternoon, after I returned home.  I received the call from the Imaging place, to set my CT Scan appointment up.  So my CT Scan is scheduled for this Friday, the 2nd.  I just want to and get it over with.

The worst part of the CT Scan, for those that have not had to undergo one for viewing of the Abdomen, is that I have to drink at least 16 ozs of water, an hour before the Scan, then another 16 ozs at my appointment time just before the scan.  They told me it is to ensure that I am well hydrated for the Scan.  If I were allowed to drink my Cherry Kool Aid or a Diet Coke, it wouldn't be a problem.  But I have to drink plain water, and I RARELY drink plain water.  Not even water with lemon.  However, I would rather drink it plain than with lemon in it.

So this should prove interesting.  I have had CT Scans in the past, but not for anything like this.  Usually they were for diagnosing issues with pain in my lower Back and Legs.  And they will also be administering a dye for better view.  Lucky me!  LOL  Anyway, I will update more about this later!

Today was a much nicer day.  No extreme heat, just normal temps of about 93-95 degrees.  Much more livable.  We would love to see the temps staying at this temp or less.  We took a swim at about 7:30 to cool off for the night, then opened up the house and turned on the Whole House Fan, which we will leave on all night.

Now I would like to talk about something that has nothing to do with the Lap Band or our heat issues for a minute.  I am getting a Kindle DX eReader!!  I want it for 2 main reasons.  First, it will be much easier to take it with me wherever I go, so that I can read while waiting, or on vacation, saving space and weight, making it much easier to read while on the road, etc.  The second, and main reason, is because of our downsizing from a decent sized house (2200 sf) to a 5th Wheel.

This is what the Kindle DX looks like.  Yes it is a bit large, but that is part of the reason that we like it.  The only thing that we don't like about it, is that you can only buy eBooks from Amazon, but luckily they have over 600,000 books with more being added all the time!!  So that is not an issue.

We will be severely limited on space in the 5th Wheel, so being able to buy the books that I love, and don't want to lose, and have the ability to save them to my Computer or Reader, so that I can give away/donate the majority of my hard copy books, will save us a lot in what we need to store.   I can't believe that I am finally buying something before the entire world already has one!!  I am usually one of the last to buy new technology.  I like it to be tried and true, with all the bugs figured out.

I do love to read, and I mostly read while away on vacations.  But this way, I can take the Reader with me when I go to Doctor appointments etc, when you expect to have a wait, so that I can read without the size and weight of a hard copy book.  Because of this, I will be encouraged to read more!!  Getting the eReader will deal with the issue of size and weight!!

I was originally going to purchase the Kindle II.  But after thinking on it a lot, we decided that the larger screen of the DX would be better for me.  After all, I am not getting any younger!!  The Kindle II has a 6" screen, and the DX has a 9.7" screen.   OMG!!  I just checked Amazon, to make sure that I had the screen size correct for the DX, and discovered that they just lowered the price on the DX from $489 to.....drum roll please....$379!  That's a drop of $110.  I am a happy camper!! (imagine an old, fat lady, doing a happy dance!)  I have been saving for this device for a while now and finally came up with the money.  Luckily, I didn't purchase it earlier today, like I wanted.  So now we will be saving money!!  Maybe I can use the difference saved to actually buy some books to put on it!!!  (hint, hint my sweetheart).

Well, I better go for now, I need to reheat my left overs from lunch for dinner.  Oh, I almost forgot.  My Daughter Kat and Son In Law Elliott, took me to lunch today.  We had a great time and the lunch was great!  Thank you Kat and Elliott!!  Till Next Time...

Aloha My Friends  :)

THE NEXT STEP.....

I remember this place well...Mazatlan...oh yea......

Hey Ya'll,

Well we are back home from seeing the Doctor about my Gallbladder Pain, from the other night.  He agreed that my symptoms definitely appear to be Gallbladder related.  He is setting up a CT Scan and I have to go in for some Blood Work tomorrow.  He said that my last Blood Work showed some signs of Gallbladder problems starting.  So he wants to see how it has changed since my last Blood Work in January as well as checking my Liver functions. 

He said that in the past, the preferred test for Gallbladder was Ultrasound.  But he said that now they believe it is best to have the CT Scan, as it can show the Organs in 3D, which will greatly help the Surgeon if Surgery is called for.  Which makes me wonder if he is thinking that Surgery will be the eventual outcome.....?

And now, to switch gears TOTALLY....have you ever kept something for later consumption as a treat, just to find that someone else ate or drank it without asking you if it was ok?  Well, Walt did it again and I am more than just pissed.  I am really disappointed in him.  He is such a loving and caring person underneath his tough guy persona.  But what he sometimes does, shows his insensitive and selfish side too.

He uses the excuse that "You are not supposed to eat/drink it anyway, so I am saving you from yourself".  Well, I know exactly what I should and should not be consuming, believe me.  But these days, especially since our home is so hot, due to the fact that we are not using the Air Conditioner.  I really look forward to having one really cold iced Diet Coke.  Yes, I do know that the Surgeons claim it is a no no, but I have been drinking one everyday for at least the last 3-4 months with no problems! 

Well, I buy one soda with lunch just about every day.  I take it home, drink a few sips of it, then place it in the refrigerator to keep it really cold, to drink later in the afternoon, when the house is so hot.  I began salivating, just thinking about the ice cold Diet Coke in my refrigerator.  So when I went to get it out just a little bit ago, lo and behold, it was 3/4's gone!!  Like I said earlier, Walt said "you are not supposed to be drinking it anyway, and after all, I did save you some".  Even if there wasn't anything else cold to drink, he should not have drank someone else's drink!!  I would never do this. 

And the worst part is...he has a whole 2 liter bottle of cold Dr Pepper in the frig.  He just doesn't want to open it up!!!!  Am I pissed?  Yes.  Am I disappointed?  Very!!!  Will I get over it?  Of course.  But it just irks me that he can be so selfish about some things.  He is not limited to what he can eat or drink like I am.  So the one thing that I am saving to savor later, should not be violated.  I guess it is a kind of trust issue.  I can't trust him to not eat or drink whatever he wants, even if he knows that it was being saved for me.  I guess that I feel this way because of the way that I was brought up.  You respect someone else's privacy and possessions.

Ok, I am getting off my soapbox.  I will stop bitching about my Walt.  Luckily, I really do love him to pieces.  But sometimes I just want to strangle him!!  Am I wrong in how I feel?  Am I being over dramatic and over reacting?  Walt thinks so.   

Well, it is hot....again.  It is reading 105 degrees on our back Patio and 86 degrees in my office.  I may just have to go jump in the pool real soon.  Till next time...

Aloha My Friends  :)

BOY IS IT HOT!!!

 I want to be here, sipping a nice cold Fruity Fru Fru drink!!

Hey Ya'll,

First off, I would like to thank those of you who commented on my post from last night regarding my Pain Attack.  After seeing the pain that I was in first hand, and reading your comments this morning before I woke up, Walt had already called our Internal Physician and made an appointment for me tomorrow afternoon.

So tomorrow will tell if he thinks the pain that I felt last night, was indeed a Gallbladder Attack of some kind.  Our Doctor isn't one of those Doctors that calls for Surgery at the drop of the hat.  Nor does he call for unnecessary testing.  So I guess if he agrees that testing is in order, then it means that he at least suspects at least the possibility for the finding of Gallbladder Disease.  I will keep you posted.  I am hoping that it isn't something to do with the Gallbladder, however, I do hope that we can find out what is causing the pain!!

Now, for the Post Title.  I don't know how hot it is in your neck of the woods, so to speak, but it is damn hot here right now!!!  Because we are trying to save up money for our 5th wheel, we are not using the Air Conditioner this Summer.  I say this because if we use the Air Conditioner and running the Pool, then our Electric bill is usually around $1000 a month!!  Currently it is about $350.  Yesterday and today, our temperatures reached about 105 degrees.  Now, we can stand the temps up to about 92 degrees, but once it reaches the upper 90's or more, it can get to be pretty uncomfortable in the house!!  Today, my indoor thermometer showed my Office to be 88 degrees!!  88 Degrees in the house!!  So luckily, we do have the pool (still), and we really enjoyed it tonight.

Did I ever tell you how much I hate the heat?  I hate it with a passion.  If it gets too hot, I don't even like to venture out of the house (assuming the Air is on and the house is cool, of course!!).  So I may have to live in the pool all day, or spend some time in the local Mall this Summer!!  Hey!  I could be like one of those old folks that spend all day in the mall, sitting in a chair or on a bench, reading a good book.  Hey, now that doesn't sound too bad of an idea.  I may just have to remember this the next time we have a super hot day!!!  We normally have about 20-25 days of 100+ degree heat.  And this could be a VERY UNCOMFORTABLE SUMMER!!  Who knows, I just may be able to get some serious reading done this Summer after all!!  LOL

Well, I gotta go for now, as the Water Pill I took earlier, is starting to really work me now!!!  Can you say...don't bother to close the toilet bowl lid?  Yes, I am lucky, Walt is one of the few men on this planet, who insists on not only dropping the toilet seat, but the lid as well, after every use!!  Normally I do this without hesitation.  But on a night like this, I will be keeping the lid up, thank you very much!!!  But of course, after I had already taken the pill, I realized that maybe, just maybe, the Doctor might want me to provide a urine test?  Hopefully this won't change the outcome too much!!  EEK!  Oh well, live by the sword, die by the sword.  :)

Aloha My Friends  :)

OMG, THE PAIN!!

 

 Wish I were here!!

Hey Ya'll,

 Sorry that it has been a while since my last post.  As usual, I have been BUSY!!  What can I say, my Walt doesn't believe in idle time.  If he thinks that I don't have enough to do, he will find something (or make up something) else for me to do!!  But just to be sure, he usually has me working on at least 2-4 different things at once!!  He just checked in to my blog to see what I had posted lately, and said"you haven't been blogging".  Well unfortunately, I can only do so many things at one time!!  So the blogging has been in neutral for awhile!  LOL

I have been in contact with 3 of our blogging friends, here on the West Coast.  And there is a possibility that Walt and I may get to meet up with them on our Vacation in late September!!  We will be riding the Bike up I-5 through Northern California, on our way up to Portland, Oregon.  We will be staying overnight in Medford, Oregon.

So if there is anyone living in or around that area, that I have not already been in contact with, who would be interested in getting together.  Please leave a comment or email me.  My email address is on my blog page.  I would love to provide the actual dates that we will be going through the area.  Then we could discuss whether or not Walt and I could stop for a visit where you live, if you would not be able to meet up in Medford.  But who knows, maybe we could pull together a mini pre-Chicago get together dinner or something in Medford!!

Now for the PAIN that I mentioned in my blog Title.  I am hoping that you, my fellow bandster's, can give me a heads up on what I experienced tonight.  I am suspecting a Gallbladder Attack, but I do not want to jump to conclusions unnecessarily.  But since I know that many of you have had this same issue, several in the past several months, in fact, I thought that who better to ask than someone who has gone through it!!

First let me say, that Gallbladder Disease runs in my family.  My Mother, Sister and my Niece have all had to have their Gallbladder's removed.  And this is just from my immediate family!  My Niece is the most recent family member to fall victim to the nasty Gallbladder Disease!  She is the Niece that just had her first baby on March 13th, and she just turned 20 on June 13th.  In fact, now that I think about it, she had to have her Gallbladder removed on June 12th the day before her 20th Birthday!!  Wow!

Now, on to the pain.  I have been having these pains periodically for a while now, but they never lasted too long or got to be too severe, so I blew them off as a bad case of Heart Burn or something (of course in the back of my mind, I thought about the possibility of Gallbladder issues, but didn't want to dwell on that possibility).

But tonight it felt different, more painful than the past incidents.  Once the pain started, it continued to get worse until I could only press my hands into the area trying to ease the pain.  The pain was located just below the Rib Cage, and was located mostly in the central area and over to the right side.  It also began to radiate through to the Back.  The pain lasted for about 2 hours, then it finally appeared to start easing up.  So I thought it was passing.  But then...before I could start breathing easy again, it started again, but the second round was worse!!  It hurt to even breath.

Walt even began to be concerned once he realized that the pain was real and lasting for so long.  I took some Vicodin for the pain, and finally after about 30 minutes, the Vicodin took the edge off the pain.  So Walt told me that since the Vicodin helped (and right now, I am pain free!!), if the pain continues through to tomorrow, then we will go to the Doctor.  Otherwise, we will keep our eyes on it and see if it returns, etc.

Oh!  And I don't know if this means anything, but I read on a site that talked about Gallbladder Attack Symptoms a strange symptom, that I have been having, but I figured that my skin was just getting dry.  The site stated: "If you also have itching and yellowing of the skin and eyes, please see your medical doctor immediately".  I have not noticed yellowing of the skin and eyes (but then, I haven't been looking at myself much either), but I have been itching a LOT lately, and mostly across the upper area below the Breasts where my pain was tonight!!  Until the Vicodin kicked in, the pain lasted for about 3 hours.

So, for those of you with first hand knowledge of this.  Am I being paranoid?  Or could this be the start of Gallbladder problems for me too?  If you believe this to be the case, how long did those of you who have had Gallbladder issues, wait to go see a Doctor?  And looking back, if you didn't go to a Doctor immediately, meaning during/after your first big attack, do you wish that you had?

Well, I better go for now, I had intended to write a different post tonight, but this seemed to be the one that needed to be written at this time.  I will be sitting on pins and needles to (hopefully)  read your comments regarding this.  I hope that everyone had a great weekend!!  

Aloha My Friends  :)

A Big Shout Out To Jenny !! :)

Hey Ya'll,

I just checked in a saw that I had a new Follower!!  Her name is Jenny and she is sharing a blog along with her Sister Maree.  They were banded together, and only 6 days before me!!  So we are practically banding buddies!!  Maree has already been Following me, and I have been Following them as well. 

Their blog link is: Sister's Banded Together.  And what really makes me sick, is...they have both almost reached their goal weight already!!  I am so jealous!!  LOL  Jenny has already lost over 51 lbs since November 2009!!!  You go girl!!  And Maree has lost over 46 lbs!!  Not shabby either!!  LOL  Can we switch numbers??  So Jenny..."welcome to my nightmare".

Aloha My New Friend  :)

What A Night!! And A Note To Jennifer/A Southern Girls Journey

Hey Ya'll,

I just finished cleaning our patio furniture for the Summer Season!!  What a task!  I didn't bother to put the covers on the furniture like I usually do and even though they were under the Patio Cover, we still get a lot of winds, etc and they were filthy.  I had to vacuum all of the cushions, and clean all of the Wrought Iron Chairs.  We have two sets of furniture, so I had to clean 8 Chairs/Cushions and the Swing Cushions.  This only took me about 2-3 hours!!

The next thing I need to do is power spray the concrete in the backyard and the front.  This usually takes about 2 hours for each the front and the back!!  So I will break these up between 2 nights.  So once I finish these tasks, we will be ready for our last Summer Season in the house, before we move out into a 5th Wheel.

So now on to my comment to Jennifer, from A Southern Girls Journey.  I have been trying to read your blog and CAN'T!!  I can see the Post Title, and the amount of Comments you have, etc, but I cannot read or see any words of your Posts, nor can I see any of the Comments.  I can see the amount of space that the Post or Comments took up, but Not The Words!!  Help!  Is it just me?  Or is others having problems too!!  I can read everyone else's blogs.  Yours is the only one that I have this problem with.  I hope this gets taken care of, I miss reading your blog!

Well, now that I have posted about my exciting night, and let Jennifer know of my problem reading her blog, I guess I will go for now.  Till next time.....

Aloha My Friends  :)

A Big Shout Out To Cissy !! :)

Hey Ya'll,

I just checked in and found I have a new Follower, and her name is Cissy!!  She is brand new to blogging and will be banded this Thursday, June 24th!!!  So hop on over to her blog, and give her the support that she will need in her new "Journey"!!  Her blog link is: Cissy's Band.  Thanks for Following me Cissy, and...."welcome to my nightmare"!

Aloha My New Friend  :)

Walt's OK!! :)

Hey Ya'll,

Sorry it has taken so long to post about our San Francisco trip to the Specialist.  But the trip was fantastic!!  One of the leading Ultrasound Specialists in the Country, if not the World did the Transrectal Ultrasound, and he said that he didn't see anything to worry about!!  No Cancer or Tumors!!  Which is great news, but on the other hand, now this means that we have to learn to live with the bleeding.  The only way to guarantee the bleeding to stop, would be for them to remove the Prostate.

And for Walt, this is not an option, since one of Walt's co-workers had Prostate Cancer 2 yrs ago and had to have the Prostate removed.  He hasn't been able to have sexual relations with his wife since.  So guess what?  This is not an option in Walt's mind!!  LOL

This trip, we had just enough time between the Test and the appointment with the Urologist, to eat lunch.  So we walked over to a small hole in the wall, Mexican Restaurant called El Burrito Express.  I had the best Enchiladas and Beans ever!!  At least they were the closest to my home made ones.  So if anyone is in San Francisco near the San Francisco Medical Center on Divisadero Street, and likes Mexican Food, then check them out.  It is located in the 1800 block on Divisadero Street.  And like I said, it is a hole in the wall, with just about 6 tables in it.  But well worth it.

After the last appointment with the Urologist, we decided to bite the bullet and start driving home immediately, instead of waiting until 7pm to miss the traffic.  We ended up detouring off the freeway at Vacaville and taking the scenic route the rest of the way home.  It was a nice drive through the country side and it only took us about 3.5 hrs to get home instead of the 4-5 hrs it probably would have taken if we had continued on the freeway.

Yesterday (Father's Day), we rode the bike over to my parents house and visited with them for a couple of hours.  Then we rode the bike to the Arco Arena in Sacramento, to check out a small RV Show going on there.  The Arco Arena is where the Kings Basketball Team plays their home games at.  And it is also where Concerts are played at as well.  I am NOT a Basketball fan, so no, I have never seen the Kings play!  However, I used to see one of them years ago when I first moved up to Northern Calif and worked in a Bank.  It was obvious that he was a Basketball player by his height!  But my co-workers also knew him and told me who he was!  LOL  So I have never seen them play, but I have seen a lot of Concerts there.

However, it was a bust going there.  It was sponsored by only one Company and not very many 5th Wheels were there.  They mostly had Motorhomes on display.  So we are hoping that the next RV Show, that will be at Cal Expo (which is the State Fair Grounds in Sacramento), will be a much better one to attend.  We attended it a few years ago and there were many different Dealer's there with literally hundreds of RV's for show.  So we are really hoping it is a big turn out like that again!!

Well, I need to go as we are on our way to meet our Daughter and SIL.  They are taking us to watch a River Cats Baseball game tonight.  If you watched the movie "The Ugly Truth", that is the stadium and team that they watched.  The River Cats is our local AAA team and this will be my first time to watch them play.

*We are back from the game and had a great time there!!  The Stadium is really nice and there wasn't a bad seat in the place.  Oh yea, the River Cat's won...4-0!

Well, I better go for now or I will never get this posted!!  LOL  Till next time....

Aloha My Friends  :)

A Big Shout Out To Maria !! :)

Hey Ya'll,

I just checked in real quick, and found that I have a new Follower!  Her name is Maria (DIZneDIVa) and her blog is...My Big Fat Band Geek Life, aka (This One Time At Band Camp).  She was just banded on March 23rd and could use all the support we can give her, so jump on over and check out her blog and say hi!!  So Maria...."welcome to my nightmare".

Aloha My New Friend  :)

A Big Shout Out To Janet And Toby !! :)

Hey Ya'll,

First off I would like to apologize to you (Janetandtoby) for not welcoming you sooner.  I noticed that you started Following me yesterday, but as most of you, who read my blog know, I like to welcome every new Follower.  And if at all possible, I like to Follow you as well, AND, give a shout out to your blog as well as welcoming you to mine!! 

But try as I might, I have not been able to figure out what your blog address is.  So for now at least, I am giving up, and hoping that you will be interested in providing your information, so that I can Follow you too!!  LOL  However, if you want to remain anonymous as far as your own blog is concerned, I understand that too!!  So, saying that..."welcome to my nightmare".

Aloha My New Friend  :)

A Big Welcome To Tessie Rose !!!

Hey Ya'll,

I just wanted to make a quick post to say welcome to Tessie Rose!!  Her blog is...Band Me Baby!  She was recently banded on March 25th, 2010.  So go check out her blog and help support her!!  So...Tessie Rose, "welcome to my nightmare"!!

Aloha My New Friend  :)

Friday Is D Day For Walt!! Wish Us Luck!

Hey Ya'll,

Well, tomorrow morning (Friday), we head back to San Francisco for Walt's Transrectal Ultrasound.  Yes, is sounds like a blast, don't you think??  This will be the most invasive procedure that he has ever had to undergo (isn't he lucky?).  Now try being a woman and see how many uncomfortable procedures you have to go through!!  LOL

We will be leaving around 9 ish as you never know what the traffic will be like driving there.  His Ultrasound is scheduled for 12 noon or 12:30.  We have to arrive at least an hour early so he can prep with the Enema.  Then we have to wait around for his second appointment with the Urologist Specialist which is at 3 pm.  We are hoping to have at least some preliminary results, if not "The Results" at this time.

Once we are out of these appointments, we will then take a breather and go eat some dinner and waste a little time until it is easier to drive home.  As trying to drive out of the City on a Friday evening is ridiculous!!  I will try to remember to take my camera this time though, so I can take some pictures if the opportunity is there. 

So please keep Walt in your thoughts, I will post how it went, hopefully this weekend. 

And in honor of Father's Day, I am posting a photo of my immediate family.  This photo was taken at my Dad's 74th Birthday swim party in our backyard, August of 08.  Of course my DAD is sitting on the swing, I am standing behind my Dad with the short hair, my Brother, SIL and Nephew are standing to my right, my Sister, BIL, and my Niece's Sig other is standing to my left.  My Mom is sitting next to my Dad, of course, and my Niece and her Son are sitting to my Dad's left.

Everyone have a great weekend and a great Father's Day!! 

Aloha My Friends  :)

It's About Time!! LOL

Hey Ya'll,

Warning, warning!!  I am apologizing in advance, for the many photos below!!!

I'm sorry to have taken so long in posting about my first experiences on our bike.  But as usual, I have been very busy.  Lately, I have been researching 5th Wheels for us.  So far, I have it narrowed down a bit, but still have some more research before we make up our minds.

We were hoping to be able to attend the Annual RV Show here in Sacramento, but so far, they have not posted it for this year.  So we may just have to purchase, based on our own research.  But it is always nice to get to actually go through all the different Manufacturers, and Models to see the craftsmanship for ourselves, rather than relying on photos.  At that point, we will know exactly (or at least in the ballpark) how much we need to save to purchase it.  We will be paying for the RV with cash, no charge or credit (obviously!).

We are turning over my CRV to the Bank next Wednesday morning.  Sigh...  Walt has called them, and spoke with the entity that will actually be picking it up.  And we have agreed to already have the car cleaned out and parked at the curb, making it easier for them to take.  We are also leaving the keys to it under the front door mat.

I guess this will be one of the easiest pickups for a repo man ever!!  I just hope that they pick it up while no one is out watching.  We have not told any of our neighbors about our predicament as yet.  And I know that they are beginning to wonder what is going on, as we have already begun taking furniture out of the house already.  But for them to know, that our car is being repossessed is hard.  But the hardest will be when they see the notice on our door or window advising of the Foreclosure, then of course, with us actually moving everything left out of the house and into an RV!!

Here is my new Helmet, with the Face shields up.  It also has a Chin Guard that can be attached to it making it a Full Face Helmet if wanted.  I wear a material head cap on over my hair to make it easier to put the Helmet on, as well as to keep the Helmet from getting too sweaty.

 This is with both the Sunglass Visor and the front Clear Full Visor down.

 A better view of the Visors down.












We bought my Helmet last Saturday, the 5th.  It is a Nolan and fits really nice.  But when I look at myself in the mirror with it on, I instantly think of Kazoo, the Martian from the Flintstones Cartoon (not the live action movies, with John Goodman!).  Only those of you old enough, will probably know what character I am talking about!!  LOL

We ordered my Jacket and Pants as well as my Headset.  All are to be delivered this week.  So far, I have already received my Jacket.  For those of you not into Motorcycles, and the proper safety riding gear, the Jacket and Pants are made with shields built into them at various places to protect the body in case of an accident.  They are made in such a way, that should you go down, you shouldn't lose all your skin.  You may have broken bones, but your skin should still be intact!!  And of course the Helmet is to protect your Head and Face.

So!  Now onto our rides this week!  I must tell you that until I lost this 40 lbs, it wasn't really feasible for us to ride together.  But now that I have lost my initial weight, we can go riding together.  We took our first ride last Friday as we had to get out of the house anyway for a bit, as I had seen a terrifying bug (which I have since researched and discovered that they are fairly common and are considered a "good bug" as they eat other bugs and spiders).  But still...a bug is a bug, and it was inside the house, so Clarks...I Need You!  So Clarks came out on Friday to spray the house inside and out.  Here is a photo that I took of the bug before I KILLED IT!!  And keep in mind that the main body was about an inch long, not counting the Legs and Antennas!!  It is called a House Centipede.  YUK!!

Anyways!!  Now that I have grossed most of you out, I am getting back to my story!!  We went for a nice short ride around town.  We first went to Carl's Jr for lunch, and I was trying not to freak out on the way there!  Now remember, except for my Motorcycle Safety Class, I hadn't been on a Motorcycle in 37 yrs, and especially not on one, where I wasn't in control of the bike!  But after eating, we continued on our ride, making a big loop back too our house.  The whole ride was about 15 miles just to get me used to being on the bike behind Walt, and most importantly, getting Walt used to having me on the bike behind him!

But like I said.  On the way to lunch, I was terrified, every time we made a turn.  I was just sure that we were going to go down, every turn we made.  But we made it there just fine, and I decided after lunch, that I was just going to have to trust in Walt, that he wouldn't make any stupid mistakes, like turning too sharp or at too high a speed, causing us to go down.  And just enjoy the ride!  The other big concern that I had had, was that because I didn't have my Motorcycle Jacket yet, all I had to wear for protection other than my Helmet, was my Leather Jacket and Jeans.  And it was about 90 degrees last Friday!!  So I was freaking out a bit about having to ride in Summer conditions in heavy Leather!!

In the past, every time that I saw bikers riding in the Summer with Leather Jackets, or full Motorcycle Safety Gear like we do on, I always said that I didn't know how they could possibly wear them in the heat!!  I would die!  But surprisingly, the only time that I felt warm at all, was when we were stopped at a signal for any length of time.

So after our test ride on Friday, we had made plans to go to 4 different RV Dealerships the next day on Saturday, to check out some of the RV's we are considering.  They are spaced all around the area and it turned out to be about an 85 mile ride, in the HEAT!!  Saturday was even hotter, at about 98 degrees!!  And of course we rode the bike.  But again, like Friday, except when we were stopped for any length of time, it wasn't too hot!!  Even in a zipped up Leather Jacket.

In fact, I was hotter just walking around the RV Dealers than I was on the bike.  I can't wait to try out my new Jacket, as it has a zip out liner making it more like a wind breaker with the shields for protection, so it should be a bit cooler but more protective.  And the Pants are supposed to do the same, making them bearable to wear in both the Summer and Winter as well.

The reason we didn't take the freeways which would have made it faster and shorter distances overall, was because Walt wanted more experience in riding in stop and go traffic with my weight on back, and because I didn't have the Safety Equipment to wear, so he felt safer in slower traffic than at high speeds on the freeway in case we went down!!  I will try to get someone to take our picture with us on the bike after I get all my gear.  When I do, I will post them.

Earlier in the post, I said that we have been moving out a lot of our furniture already.  Because of this, our house is beginning to look very bare!!

This is my Bookcase that we gave my SIL.  It was purchased about 34 yrs ago!!

And this is the room where my White furniture is without the Bookcase.  I moved the Love Seat which is usually kept in front of the Window, to the wall where the Bookcase used to sit.

The room already looks bare in comparison!

These next two photos is of our fantastic Entertainment Center!  We loved this piece, and have now given it to our Daughter Kat.  She loves it in her home too.

After this photo was taken, the TV seen here died, and was replaced by an LCD TV.  Which sat on a matching piece to the Entertainment Center, that couldn't be used at this particular time with this huge TV!!

And this is where the Entertainment Center used to sit.  It now has Kat's old Entertainment Center that will eventually go to Russ as well as the TV that is sitting on it.

Here is my Electric Scooter, that now fits in the corner, out of the way.  I have not had to use it since my Surgery and initial weight loss!  Here's crossing my fingers that I won't need it again for a very long time!!

Here is the Red Sofa Sectional that Walt usually plants himself on to watch TV!!  We are giving it to our Son Russ, sometime in the next several weeks.  If you look carefully, or increase the photo size, you can see our beloved cat, Oreo, before we had to have him put to sleep.  He was hiding in his bed, but watching me closely!!

I believe that Russ is also taking the Coffee Table from this room.

These next 3 photos shows our Family Room with the Black Leather furniture group and how full the room felt with it in there.

We have given one of the Love Seats and Sofa to my parents, but we are keeping one of the Love Seats and the Chair and Ottoman for ourselves.  We also gave them the two End Marble Tables and the Rug.  We may end up giving them the matching Coffee Table as well.

And here is how bare the Family Room is now!!

Bare isn't it?  I think that we could almost hold a dance in here now!!  Now we only have one Love Seat, the Chair and Ottoman, the Coffee Table and the Electric Piano.















Well, I apologized early in the post, and I am apologizing at the end of the post, for the massive amount of photos, but it has been a really long time since I made a real post, and a lot has happened.  Anyway, I better go for now, Walt thinks that I am writing a book!!  Till next time...

Aloha My Friends  :)

A Big Shout Out To Hambone !! :)

Hey Ya'll,

I just checked in, and found that I have a new Follower!  Their name is Hambone.  Unfortunately, I can't figure out your blog address, so I am not sure if you are a female or male!  I would love to Follow you too, so if you are interested in providing your blog address, please let me know!!  Otherwise..."welcome to my nightmare".

Aloha My New Friend  :)

MY FIRST RIDE!! :)

Hey Ya'll,

Just a really quick post to say...I am still alive and kicking!!  I went for my first ride on the Gold Wing with Walt yesterday (just to get my feet wet) and a longer ride today!!  I am tired and exhausted, so I will post more about it tomorrow.  Hope everyone is having a great weekend!!

Aloha My Friends  :)

A Warm Welcome To Kerri !!!

Hey Ya'll,

I just realized that I have a new Follower!!  Her name is, Kerri and her blog is...Just Me And My Band .  She was just banded on May 10th, so please jump on over to her blog, and give her the support she could use, like all of us!!!  Kerri, I'm so sorry that I have taken so long to welcome you to my blog.  This is how over whelmed I am right now!!  So Kerri, please forgive me, and..."welcome to my nightmare".

Aloha My New Friend  :) 

Wow! I Finally Made The 180's!!!!

  HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!!

Hey Ya'll,

Well....like my post Title says....I finally broke into the 180's!!!  I had weighted myself earlier in the week, and it read 189. something, and I was so excited.  But I didn't want to get ahead of myself, as we all know how fickle the scale can be!  So I waited until my official weight in day (today), to recheck my weight.  And....I weight 187.8!!!  This means that I have lost a total of 40.8 lbs since my initial Surgical Consultation, and 23.2 lbs since Surgery 6.5 months ago!!  So that is an average of 1.569 lbs per week!!  I was hoping for somewhere between 1-2 lbs per week.  So I am still on target.  IF I can keep this up, I will be at goal in another 38 weeks, which would put me at goal by....early March 2011!!  Which means that even if I slip up some (which I will, no doubt), I should be at goal (or at least very near goal), by the time we are supposed to go to Hawaii (assuming we are still able to go of course)!!

Well, after my great news, there isn't much else to say.  Except that I have had a couple more sliming incidents since my last post.  They aren't as bad as the others, nor lasted as long (thank God).  So I guess this means that I definitely have restriction!!!  Yea!!!

Yesterday, Walt and Russ took over our Entertainment Center to Kat's house, and they say it looks fabulous there!!  Now I have to empty out my 3 piece Bookcase so that they can take it over to my SIL'S house tomorrow!!!  So I will be busy again today/tonight.  They will also be taking some of the pieces from our Black Leather Living Room set (the Sofa and 1 of the Love Seats) to my parents house.

SO I AM REALLY SORRY THAT I HAVE NOT BEEN BLOGGING MUCH LATELY, NOR HAVE I HAD MUCH TIME TO READ ANYONE'S BLOGS, WHICH MEANS THAT I HAVEN'T BEEN COMMENTING MUCH, IF ANY LATELY!!  PLEASE BEAR WITH ME ON THIS.  WE HAVE SO MUCH THAT WE NEED TO ACCOMPLISH, THAT I JUST HAVEN'T HAD THE TIME TO KEEP UP ON READING, BUT I HOPE TO BE ABLE TO START READING BLOGS AND COMMENTING AGAIN SOON!!!

Well, I guess I should go.  Walt will be home soon, and we are supposed to go shopping for my Motorcycle Gear (Helmet, Jacket and Pants).  We won't purchase them today, just find what we want, and what size I need, then price it, and see who can give us the best deal.  Walt is a born bargainer.  Me...not so much.  I am very shy, and not confrontational at all!  I would rather just accept the price and pay it.  In fact, I used to be so shy, that when I needed to call someone that I didn't know, I had to write a script of what I wanted to say, and read it word for word!!!  Luckily, I am much better now, but I am still on the shy side.  :)

Oh well, again I should go.  I need to take a shower before Walt gets home.  Till next time....

Aloha My Friends  :)

OMG!! What a night!!

Doesn't this photo just make you want to be there?

Hey Ya'll,

Well tonight, I finally managed to feel like myself again after a longgggg nightttttt last night!!  Yesterday started out just like any other day, except that it was a Holiday.  We didn't do anything out of the ordinary.  In fact, other than to go out for a cheap lunch at our local Del Taco (no, I didn't get stuck this time!!), we didn't do anything.  I was researching on the Internet pretty much all day until about 9:40 pm!!

All of a sudden, the power went off!!  We thought, WTH?  This is something that usually only happens in the heat of Summer when so much power is being drawn for Air Conditioners, or Winter when weather may cause an outage.  But here it was, a beautiful day/night with no major power draw and we lose power.

So we figure, oh well, it happens.  These power outages are usually resolved within a couple of hours or less.  At 11:30, I realize that it might be an issue.  After all, I stay up most of the night and there isn't too much that I can do without power!!  So I called PG&E, our local Electric Company and find out that they were projecting the power to be back up by Midnight, yea!!!

Midnight comes and no power.  So I called PG&E again and they had changed their projection to 2 am!!  But I figure, ok, I still have some things that I can do using our lantern and candles for light.  So I get to work by lantern light, packing all our DVD'S from our Entertainment Center, as we are giving it to our Daughter Kat on Thursday.  So I packed all of them up last night.

Once I finished packing the DVD's, it was 2 am.  So again, I called PG&E.  This time they took off the projection of when the work would be finished!!!  By this time, we had been out of power for 4 hrs 20 mins!!  So I thought Ok, occasionally we have been without power for up to 6 or 7 hrs, so no big deal.  So I went back into my Office and began (again by lantern light), reading my Motorcycle Handbook for my upcoming DMV Test.

I called several times during my reading, hoping they would give some more information, and they still kept the report as, "they are aware of the outage, they have people working on it...blah, blah, blah".  Then, I finally got a new update saying they expected service back by 3 am!!  Yea!!  Then 3 am comes and they are back to...no longer projecting a time for completion!  So I finish reading the Handbook and call again!!  Again, still nothing to report and it has now been almost 6 hrs.

I normally eat my 3rd meal of the day (Oatmeal), somewhere between Midnight and 3 am, and I am now realllly hungry!  But I am also getting tired and realize that I need to get to bed, as we had made a lunch date with our friends Don and Debbie from out of town for today.  I hate to go to bed starving, it makes it hard for me to go to sleep, and since we had no power to make anything hot, I decided to make myself a quick PB&J Sandwich.

Unfortunately, I was so hungry, and thinking about getting to bed as quickly as possible, that I forgot about being careful with the bread, and practically inhaled the sandwich!!  Of course, I became instantly stuck!!!  So now, instead of getting to go to bed, I am now up PB'g....again!!!  This one lasted until abut 6:15 am!!!  So it lasted about 2.5 hours!!!  And of course, it was now 6:15 and STILL NO POWER!!!

I figured that they couldn't take much longer, but...when I woke up at 9:45 this morning to get ready for our lunch date, it still wasn't on!!  WTH????  When I left for lunch at 11:10.....you guessed it!  It still wasn't on!!  And now it has been 13.5 hours and still no power!  Finally, somewhere between Noon and 1:30 (while we were gone), the power was restored!!

FINALLY!!!  However, when I got home, at least half of the lights was on.  The worst part was, we forgot to turn off the Whole House Fan last night, when the power outage happened!!!  EEKS!  I'm sure you know that you must at least have a window or two cracked when the WHF is on!!  So I had to RUN, DON'T WALK to the control and shut it down!!!  BUT!  We have power now!!  LOL

We did have a really nice lunch with our friends, but because of my being so stuck early this morning, I was afraid to eat too much.  In fact, I only had a few bites of my Enchiladas and Beans, and decided to stop.  I am sooo glad that I did!  I was a little uncomfortable for an hour or so after, because of the tightness from the PB episode earlier, but I didn't go into a full blown PB!

I dipped into the 180's this morning, but I am not going to post it permanently in my ticker tapes for a day for so to make sure I stay in the 180's.  But, unless it is a fluke, I am here!!!  I will post it permanently later in the week if my weight doesn't fly back up into the 190's!!

Well, it is now 4:15 and I need to go to bed!!  Till next time.....

Aloha My Friends  :)