What A Bummer!! Still No Pain Relief! :(

Here is the 1st Afghan that I have made just for Walt!!  He has waited patiently.....well...sort of!!  LOL  This Afghan is huge!  Of course, I had to make it over sized for my Walt.  It measures about 7 1/2 feet long by 5 feet wide.....and HEAVY!!  Of course, it has to be heavy, since I made it with double yarn!  LOL  And I figured out the color pattern using the colors that Walt chose....Hope that you like it!!







Hey Ya'll,

Well, it has been a while since I posted last....again, except for welcoming new Followers!!  But as usual so much has been happening, yet so little.

As I have posted several times, my Neck has been killing me!  It started on June 21st.  I have seen 2 Doctor's here in Reno about it and neither one would give me an RX for a Muscle Relaxer because of all the Medications that I take!!  The 2nd Doctor that we saw on Thursday, thinks that the Arthritis in my Neck is getting worse, so she gave me an RX for Celebrex and a sample of it to hold me over until I can get the RX filled.  So along with the Celebrex, I have been taking Tylenol 3 (Tylenol with Codeine), and between both, I have enough relief that I can function.

I used to take Celebrex years ago, until they took it off the market for a while.  Once it was put back on the market, my Neurologist didn't give me a new RX for it, but kept me on the new RX I had gone too.  It worked, but I had to go off of it a couple of years ago too, because I was retaining so much water and swelling up so bad, that my Legs, Ankles and Feet hurt constantly.  So I was taken off of it, which helped some with the swelling, but then my pain levels went up again.  But we managed to keep them under control for the most part.  Until recently.....

Walt is also concerned that maybe I slipped a Disc in the Neck, since it is almost 6 weeks now with no relief.  So we will probably give the Celebrex a week to see if my Neck will finally calm down, and if not, then we will call our Internist to see if he will give me a referral back to my Neurosurgeon, to see if perhaps I re-injured my Neck....here's crossing my fingers that I didn't.

Oh!!  And one of the things that I have been doing to help with my Pain-In-The-Neck, is applying an Extra Strength Creme Rub on my Neck.  Which helps....but unfortunately, the other night I guess that I didn't wash my Hands well enough, after applying it before I went to bed.  I rubbed my Eyes, and....ouch!!  I had Mentholyptus in my Eyes!!  Talk about weird!!  I wasn't sure if I would call it painful, but it felt weird....I guess because of the numbing elements of the rub, plus the smell.  Like I said, it was just weird.  But to be safe, I flushed my Eyes with Water!!  Walt made sure of that.

August is the biggest Month our family has for Birthdays.  Just my family alone, not including friends, etc, we have 8 Birthdays, (including mine!)!  My Dad's and my Grand Daughter Emily's Birthday is also in August.  I guess this means that I have another road trip ahead of me....I need to go celebrate with them.

Yesterday, Walt and I spent the whole day in a Gun Safety Course.  I was amazed at how well I did too!  We had to shoot a target at 3 different distances to show that we could hit the target and not something else!!  And I managed to hit the target right around the center of the chest most of the shots!

This Instructor was extremely through too.  He teaches Law Enforcement Officers, etc, as well as Self Defense classes for women.  And one thing that I want to bring up, since he told the other woman in the class and me....and I feel that everyone should be aware of is this.....he said that many times, a man will place a Cell Phone on the floor in the dressing rooms, and have it on record, etc.  So if you are not aware of it, you will be recorded and on the Internet!!!  So if you notice a Cell Phone on the floor, don't just assume that someone dropped it, kick it out of the way!!!

Well, I have so much to do, and as usual so little time to do it in.  So I will go for now, but I wanted to leave with this Survey that I found on Andrea's blog tonight....Hope you enjoy it too.  Till next time....

Aloha My Friends  :)

Survey Time!
Andrea posted this survey on her blog, and she got it from another friend, and I too thought it was a fun idea!  I love getting to know people better.

1. What is your occupation right now ?
I am Retired from the State of California due to Medical issues.

2. What color are your socks right now? 
White, normally I wouldn't be wearing socks in the Summer, but Walt likes to keep the RV about 68 degrees, and the cold air freezes me!!

3. What are you listening to right now? 
The movie "Because I Said So".

4. What was the last thing that you ate? 
A Ham and Cheese sandwich.

5. Can you drive a stick shift? 
Yes, all of my cars/trucks, etc that I drove from Pre-Teen on, were stick shifts until 15 years ago.  My legs can't handle having to use the Clutch all the time anymore....

6. Last person you spoke to on the phone? 
My Parents.

7. Do you like the person who sent this to you? 
Yes!

8. How old are you today? 
  55, but I will be 56 in 17 days!!

9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? 
I love watching NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car Drag Racing!!

10. What is your favorite drink? 
I love Diet Coke, Caffeine Free.  And I also like Sugar Free Cherry Kool Aid.

11. Have you ever dyed your hair? 
Yes, for a few months 19 yrs ago, I attempted to have Red hair as that is Walt's favorite hair color, but it just wouldn't hold the color, so I went back to my natural Blonde.  But it is now quickly turning Gray!  I haven't even used a Wash In Color, in over a year.  But I will probably put one in for our Vacation in Hawaii this December!!  :)

12. Favorite food? 
Definitely Mexican and Italian

13. What is the last Movie you watched? 
In the Theater, it would have been "The King's Speech" with my daughter Christa.

14. Favorite day of the year? 
Thanksgiving and Christmas!

15. How do you vent anger? 
Vent? Whats vent? I tend to hold things in until I explode!

16. What was your favorite toy as a child? 
My Bike and Motorcycle.

17. What is your favorite Season? 
Spring and Fall since it isn't too hot or too cold!

18. Cherries or Blueberries? 
Neither

19. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back? 
Yes, I love to get reply's from my e-mails.

20. Where is you favorite place to escape?

I love to go the beach, and sit in a comfortable chair in the shade.

21. Favorite TV Show?
I have too many to list, but as far as non Reality Shows, I love Bones. But I love reality shows, and there are wayyy too many of those to list!!

22. Living arrangements? 
My Husband and I live in a 40' RV Fifth Wheel, and I am liking it much more than I thought that I would.

23. When was the last time you cried? 
Last night.  I cry reading books, watching TV and Commercials, etc.  IE, I cry just thinking about it sometimes.

24. What is on the floor of your closet? 
  Our shoes.

25. Who is the friend you have had the longest?
My friend Kelly.  We have been best friends for 32 years!!

26. What did you do last night? 
Ate dinner with Walt after a full day at a Gun Safety Class.

27. What are you most afraid of? 
FIRE (I always joke that I must have been burned at the stake in another lifetime...) :)

28. Plain, Cheese, or Spicy Hamburgers? 
Cheese

29. Favorite dog breed? 
I love small dogs, like Terriers, Chihuahuas, etc. Something that I could easily carry one handed/armed.  But for a full size dog, my favorite dog growing up was a Boxer, she was the smartest, sweetest dog I ever had!

30. Favorite day of the week? 
Monday

31. How many states have you lived in? 
(2)...California for 55 yrs, and Nevada now for the past 7 months.

32. Diamonds or pearls? 
Diamonds baby!

33. What is your favorite flower? 
Carnations....

A Warm Welcome To...Dede :)

Hey Ya'll,

Well I woke up and decided to check out my emails and blog, before I start getting ready for my Doctor Appointment today, and I found that I have a new Follower!!  Her name is Dede, and she was just Banded on July 7th, 2011!!  So Dede is a real newbie to Bandland, and has already lost 32 lbs!!  So if you haven't found Dede's blog as yet, please follow the link I will provide for you, and tell her hi!!  Dede's blog is called, Saucy Little Stitch.  So, saying that Dede...."Welcome to my Nightmare!"

Aloha My New Friend  :)

A Warm Welcome To....Bec :)

Hey Ya'll,

Well, I just found out that I have a new Follower!!  Her name is Bec, and she is from Australia!!  Bec started Blogging around the same time that I did, and in fact, Bec was Banded on Oct 08, 2009, which was exactly 6 weeks before I was Banded!!  And....best of all, Bec has lost 111 lbs so far!  Yea Bec!!  But!!!  Bec is a bit perplexed as to why she only has 55 Follower's, when she Follows about 130 Blogs herself!!  So....if you haven't found Bec's Blog as yet, PLEASE follow this link to her Blog and give her the love and support we all need!!  My Lapband Journey.  So Bec, "Welcome to my Nightmare!".

Aloha My New Friend  :)

A Big Shout Out To Crystal !!

Hey Ya'll,

I just checked my emails and found that I have a new Follower!!  Yes, I have it setup so that when I get a new comment in my Blog, I receive an email letting me know! 

So like I said....I have a new Follower, and her name is Crystal!  Crystal's blog is called: My Perfect Fit.  Crystal is impatiently waiting for her Insurance approval, and hopes to have her Surgery date in a few days.  Oh!  And Crystal is getting Married on Aug 28th, 2011!!!  So, if you haven't found her blog yet, please follow the link that I provided above, and give her congrats on her upcoming Wedding and the support she can use in her upcoming Lap Band Surgery!!  So Crystal...."Welcome to my Nightmare!".

Aloha My New Friend  :)

A Big Shout Out To Undercover Banded !!

Hey Ya'll,

I just checked in an found that I have another new Follower!!  I can't tell you her name, but she goes by Undercover Banded.  She was banded on Feb 9, 2011, so she is a fairly new bandster!  She is doing great, but could use all the support we can give her (as we all can!).  So if you haven't found her blog yet, please hop on over and say hi!!  So....Undercover Banded, "Welcome to my Nightmare!"

Aloha My New Friend  :)

It's Bring Your Own Crazy!!

It's Bring Your Own Crazy!!

It’s BYOC day! Bring Your Own Crazy! We answer a few questions to get to know each other better and to give our blog brains a break! Copy and paste to your own blog and enjoy!!  Thanks Drazil!

1. Alright – forgive me – we’re gonna get a little personal here. I was flipping through my organizer and saw in big bright letters “ANNUAL PHYSICAL DUE” coming up soon. Then I remembered that last year my lady bits doc said that since I haven’t had a bad pap in so many years – that I don’t have to come back for another 3 years if I don’t want to. What the what? Did you guys know that?
No speculum in the vaginulum?
Anywhoozle – it sounds all good but really – do any of you follow this medical rule? Do you go every three years if you’ve never had a bad pap?

I was always told that it was a yearly exam.

But, since we moved up to Nevada at the end of last year, and since my Annual was due this past January, I have yet to get mine this year....However, once I had my Hysterectomy back in 1998, I continued to get Annual exams, but not the Pap Smear.  However, they do still do the full Pelvic Exam....Ugh!

2. If you read, what are you reading right now? Or how about what is your fave music right now?

I have an E-Reader and book shelves full of Books (most of them free!).  At this minute I am reading Full Moon by Stephanie Meyer (unfortunately I do most of my reading while I am doing/waiting for the laundry, or on vacation, so I don't get too much reading in anymore....for now).  One of our daughters bought me the Twilight Series and told me that I HAVE to read them!!  And I am enjoying them.  But my all time Favorite Book Series is the Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon.....very detailed, and very informative of the 18th Century time period.

3. Name some of your favorite smells.

The smell of the ocean either early in the morning or right after a cleansing rain.  That is how much I love the beach.

Carnations.  I can smell them all day.

Melons.  I love the smell of Melons so much that my Shampoo is in Melon scent, as well as Liquid Hand Soap....And it is one of the only scents that doesn't bother my Allergies.

4. Showers or baths? Shampoo only or shampoo & conditioner? Shave daily or just when you start feeling and looking like an ape?

Showers!!  I love a Bath, but because of my Spinal issues as well as Arthritis, etc. it is very difficult for me to get out of the tub, so I pretty much stick with Showers.

I prefer to use both Shampoo and Conditioner, but right now I am trying a Shampoo/Conditioner combo.

I hate to shave, so I do it when the hair is starting to pop out.  Which is about 1-2 times a week.  During the Winter, I don't shave at all!!  And Walt doesn't even notice.  He said that he could care less!!

5. Repeat question: Summarize your week in real life and in blogland.

In Blogland, I have some new Followers, and I am trying to read up on my Followers as much as possible.  Unfortunately, I can't read as much as I would like to....

In Real Life I am still suffering from this horrible Stiff Neck!!  It is now almost 5 weeks, and I am getting really tired of hurting....luckily I have an appointment with our new Doctor this Thursday!!  Hopefully she will help me with this.  The only other time that I have had a Stiff Neck this bad, or as long, was when I had a really bad case of Whiplash which was back in 1980!!!

Till next time....

Aloha My Friends  :)

A Warm Welcome To...Robyn !! :)

Hey Ya'll,

Well I'll be....I have another new Follower!!  Her name is Robyn and her blog link is: Robyn's Nest.  Robyn was just recently banded on May 27th, 2011 and has already lost 33.8 lbs!!  Yea Robyn!!  If you haven't found Robyn's blog yet, please jump on over via the link I provided, and tell Robyn hi!!  Robyn is a newbie and can use all the love and support we can give to her!!  So Robyn....."Welcome to my Nightmare!"  LOL

Aloha My New Friend  :)

I've Lost My Ride :( :( :(

Walt and I on "The Bike", our Gold Wing.  Check out how far to the ground my feet are!!  LOL














Me riding the Bike for my first time last year in a closed schools parking lot with the Training Wheels on!





Hey Ya'll,

Ladies and Gentleman, Girls and Boys.....As my post title says, I have Lost My Ride, at least until late October or early November when Walt can't ride it over the Sierra's anymore due to Winter weather.  Now that the weather finally turned to Summer, and Walt got the Bike Trailer fixed, he is now riding the Bike to and from Sacramento each week.  But at least I do have a ride....I have the Truck.  Before this, during the Winter, he was driving the Truck (4x4) back and forth over the Sierra's because of the Snow and Ice, so I had the Bike.  But of course, I couldn't ride the Bike in the Snow and Ice.....so I was house bound all Winter and most of the Spring.

But today we went for a nice long ride together, like an all day ride!  Walt got a bit tired though (he has been suffering from a Cold), and I would have taken over the riding, but I Couldn't!!  On Walt's trip down to Sacramento this week, he took off my "Training Wheels".  So even if I wanted to, I can't ride the Bike, as I can't come even close to putting my feet on the ground!! LOL

We rode all over Reno, North, South, East and West, as well as down the valley to a quaint small town called Gardnerville which is about 35-40 miles South of Reno.  This is where our Optometrist is, and while we were down in the Carson City area, we stopped in to get some more eye glass cleaner (she gives free cleaner for life!!).  And while we were in the Carson City area, Walt treated me to lunch at my favorite Mexican Restaurant there.  And it was sooo good!! :)

Then we went to a local "Giant" Sportsman store, to purchase some Ammo for a Gun Safety class that we will be taking next weekend.  I wasn't expecting to go to it, but Walt wants me to go through it with him, and he likes for us to do everything together....So I get to go fire off about 150 rounds of Ammo in at least 3 different types of Handguns!!  Supposedly the instructor has extra Headsets available for us to use.  I really hope so, because at our age...we can't afford to lose our hearing any faster than we already are!!  LOL

On the Band front, I haven't had any problems in at least a week now.  Go figure, one week you would think that I had all kinds of restriction and the next....nothing!!  Well, I am going to go for now, I have so much to do to finish Walt's giant Afghan.  I want to finish it this week and I will post photos of it when I am finished with it.  :)  Till next time.....

Aloha My Friends  :)

A Big Shout Out To Stacey !!

Hey Ya'll,

Well, Walt and I got home after a long day riding (to be discussed later), and as I usually do, I checked into my blog, and I found that I have a new Follower!!  Her name is Stacey, and Stacey was just Banded with the Realize Band on June 24th, and has lost 14 lbs already!!  If you haven't already found Stacey's blog, please follow the link I am providing, and give her the love and support we know that she can use, especially being so soon out of Surgery!!  Here is the link to her blog....Ready To Realize.  So Stacy, "Welcome to my Nightmare!"

Aloha My New Friend  :)

A Warm Welcome To...Lana !!)

Hey Ya'll,

Wow I just checked in and saw that I had a new Follower!!  I just started to Follower her too!  Her name is Lana and she is having Gastric Bypass Surgery, TOMORROW!!  So please hop on over to Lana's blog, and give her the love and support we all need, especially in the early stages of WLS.  Lana's blog is called, My Journey.  So Lana, "Welcome to my Nightmare".....and good luck tomorrow!  I am sure that you will pull through fast and easy!!  I will be thinking of you!!

Aloha My New Friend  :)

Can You Say OMG...And Yuch??

And NO this is NOT me!  I just wish that I looked this good!! LOL

Hey Ya'll,

Well, yesterday was not a great day for me, and for that matter neither was today!!  However, yesterday started out great, but ultimately ended horrible!!  I met Carolyn (Walt's ex-wife) for lunch yesterday.  Yes, for those of you that are new to my blog, and haven't read it from the start, Carolyn and I are good friends now.  It took quite a few years to get to this point, but we are now here, and are comfortable being alone with each other for an extended period of time!!  We even consider each other friends now, and Walt jokes and calls her my "Sister".  LOL

Anyway, like I said, I met Carolyn for lunch at the Claim Jumper Restaurant here in Reno.  She is having Surgery in Reno on Monday, and had to drive into town for a Pre-Surgery Appointment with her Surgeon and take some Tests.  So we had a great lunch after her Appointment and Tests were finished, and we ate and talked for an hour and a half.  I had no problems eating the meal.  I ate slowly, and barely touched my lunch!!

But about 2 hrs later, I realized that I was STUCK....yet again!!  I was hoping that I could get through it before Walt came home.  But of course, that was not to be!!  So he came home and found me sitting with a "lined" waste basket between my feet, and me bent over it for close to 2 additional hours (for a total of about 4 hours)!!  When I was finally finished sliming and vomiting (yes, vomiting multiple times), the tightly sealed up bag that had lined the waste basket probably weighed at least a lb if not more of mostly liquid!!  And of course, it was disgusting having to carry that thing out to place in the larger waste basket, to be taken out to the trash....and yes, Walt saw it...

Well, I was careful about not getting stuck again last night.  And I made it through the rest of the night ok.  Then today, I did our customary 9 loads of laundry (every other week).  I didn't eat until after I was finished, at which time I ate another small helping of my left over lunch from yesterday (yes, a very fattening Chicken Pot Pie, but I figure that I eat such a small amount at each meal, I am not taking in too many calories in each meal) and I allowed Walt to eat a good sized portion of it too, so I ended up eating only about 1/2 of the left overs.  I didn't have any problems after eating lunch today....After eating, I laid down and took a 3 hour nap, as I didn't get to sleep until after 5 am this morning, and was awake a little after 8 am!  After I got up, Walt decided to barbecue a New York Steak for us to eat, with some Corn on the Cob.

Of course, the Corn was done first, so we ate it while the Steak was still grilling, and the Corn was hot.  I did cut the Corn off the Cob (as I hate getting it stuck between my teeth), and ate it like a helping of sweet corn with no butter, just some No Salt sprinkled on it.  Then I tried to eat my portion of the Steak.  But after eating 2 very small bites, I knew that I couldn't eat it.  It was grilled too much and had too much char on it.  I HATE CHAR!!  All I could taste was the char, and nothing of the Steak.  So I gave my portion to Walt, so he ended up eating the whole Steak himself.

So I heated up the last of my lunch from yesterday.  I guess that I ate it too fast, or because it was combined with the Corn, and the 2 small bites of Steak, I was STUCK again!!  Luckily, not as bad as yesterday, so I only slimed for about an hour, and vomited only once this time....And because we ate so early, and I stay up so late, I will be eating one more small meal tonight.  Because it is late, I will be eating a small helping of Oatmeal.  I eat it without any thing added to it except a couple of Splenda packets.  When I eat Oatmeal at home, I do not mix milk or butter in it.  I only add these items when I eat Oatmeal at a Restaurant, as the Oatmeal they prepare is usually very thick and very hot!!  So because I do not add anything to it at home, a 1 cup serving fully prepared is only 150 calories!

The only other thing that I have to report is that my Neck is still killing me!  It has now been 25 days of constant pain!  My Mom suggested that perhaps I might have done some damage to my Cervical Spine again....I really hope not.  I have already had to have my C4-5 Vertebrate Fused back in 1999.  The Neurosurgeon that did my Surgery, told me at that time, that I would probably need further Surgery to Fuse either the C3-4 and or the C5-6 Vertebrates, as having the Fusion causes more wear and tear of the Vertebrates above and below the original Fusion.  So if the pain doesn't go away soon, I may ask to have another MRI done, to see if there is any further damage in my Cervical Spine.

Well, I guess I should go for now.  I have to start working on Walt's Afghan again!  It is 2/3's done!!  It will be approximately 7' long by about 5' wide.  And it is made with double yarn, so it is very thick and VERY HEAVY!!  Well, Walt wanted it big and warm....LOL  I will post photos of it when it is finished.  Till next time.....

Aloha My Friends  :)

A Warm Welcome To...Debi !! :)

Hey Ya'll,

Well, I just checked in and saw that I have a new Follower!  Her name is Debi too!!  Debi was banded on Dec 31, 2009 and has already lost 96 lbs!!  Here is the link to her blog: Losing Weight And Changing Habits.  So jump on over to her blog, and give her the support she needs to lose those last few pounds!!  So Debi, "Welcome to my Nightmare".....

Aloha My New Friend  :)

What The Hell???

Hey Ya'll,

Well, this will be a short post (at least by my standards!!).  I just wanted to document my Band's strange behavior the last couple of days....Since I got the small unfill a few months ago, I have had very little problem with the Band.  Not much restriction, but at least I am not slimming/vomiting daily with day and night (mostly night) Acid Reflux.....which is fantastic I might add.

But Thursday, I ate a Tuna sandwich, and I got a bit stuck.  I slimmed a bit, and then vomited a couple of times (riding myself almost completely of my sandwich), then felt fine....for awhile.  Then Walt made it home from Sacramento, and before you know it, I was slimming again!!  So of course, I was hungry later on, so I ate an Apple.  And....you guessed it, I was really stuck!  Slimming and vomiting all over again!!  I didn't even eat the whole Apple!  I never have had problems eating an Apple before.

Then yesterday, I didn't eat until lunch, which was a bowl of Beef Stew.  I only ate a few bites of it, and I knew that I was tight.  So I stopped, and I felt fairly sure that I had stopped in time.  Although I was a bit tight, I felt fine until about 2 hours later....then, for no known reason, I began slimming!!!  And I was fairly sure that I was going to vomit, when it suddenly stopped, and I felt fine again!! 

Because, I had very little to eat at lunch, I did eat some Chili for dinner and a small (very small as Walt dished it out and it wasn't even a full scoop) amount of Ice Cream for dessert!  With no problems I might add....And today I was fine.  What gives???  I go months with no problems, then....Any advise??  Well, I should go, till next time.....

Aloha My Friends  :)

I Feel Sooo Stupid!! My Worst Nightmare Came True!

Hey Ya'll,

Well, tonight my worst nightmare regarding the RV came true.....

Here is a background on why it happened.  We have a small leak in the back toilet (or something like that), so we have the city water line off, and only use the water from our holding tanks for now until Walt gets back and fixes it.  So when we need to flush the toilet or wash our hands or the dishes, we turn on the water pump so that the water is pumped to the faucet, etc.  Well, we filled the water tank the night before Walt left for Sacramento.  But just in case, he showed my how to refill it.

Well, I miss checked the tank reader and I thought that my water was empty!!  So I grabbed the key ring that I needed to unlock the storage area, that has our water hose in it.  I also grabbed my key ring that has the RV keys on it.  You see, I like to lock the top lock while Walt is away for security reasons.  But it can only be locked/unlocked with the key from the outside.

So I was getting ready to go outside to refill the water tank, and decided to check the gauges again.  Luckily for me, I realized that I miss read them, and I didn't need to go outside after all.  So I laid both sets of keys down and stayed inside.....getting the picture yet????

Well, tonight Walt called me as he does every night that he is away, and we were talking.  He was asking me about the weather here, so I opened up the door to look outside, and noticed how nice it was.  So I grabbed my keys and went outside to finish the conversation, sitting on my gravity new lounge chair while watching the Sunset.  Walt decided it was time to go to bed, as he is getting over a cold.  I decided to sit outside for a bit longer. 

But once I went to go inside, I pulled out the keys from my pocket and (you guessed it by now I am sure), I had the wrong keys!!!!  So I was locked out of the RV!  I figured that I had two choices. 

1) keep my mouth shut, wait until full dark, to hide my shame and embarrassment (after all, I was shoeless, bra less and my hair was super dirty and oily....) and carry my lounge chair into the closest bathroom/shower room, and lock myself into the large Handicap Shower Stall (since it is large enough to lay all the way back in my chair) to sleep for the night.  At least I would have water to drink from the faucet if I was desperate, and a bathroom to use.  However, the light would stay on all night.  Then in the morning, carry the chair back and place it under our RV Fifth Wheel, so that it would be in the shade, and stay there until Walt returned, which would be somewhere between 3pm-7pm tomorrow!! 

Or 2) Call Walt, get his input and look into calling a Locksmith to come out to unlock my door for me.  This was my preferred choice, but I wanted it approved by Walt first.  So after walking up to the RV's Clubhouse, and having a group of men and women playing cards, see me in my state of dishevelment, so that I could look up local Locksmith's in the phone book, I called and managed to get one to come out.  Thank God, he was here within a half hour.  And it only cost me $75!!  Well, I won't be making this mistake again!!  LOL  Yes, I can laugh about it now.....So how was your day/night??  Hopefully better than mine was.  And yes, this is a true story that happened to me tonight.  Till next time....

Aloha My Friends  :)

I Am So Ashamed.....And My New Blog Layout...

This is my new Gravity Lounger that Walt bought me this weekend.  I love it!

Hey Ya'll,

Well, first off I want to address my new blog layout.  I wanted something Summery, and I hope that you like it.  But whenever I change the layout, I have to reinstall all the blogs that I follow, so that they show up under "My Blogging Friends".  This time, when I went to add them back in, I noticed that I was blocked out of several blogs.  I am not sure if this is because of the new layout or not.  I hope this is the case, because I would hate the thought of someone not wanting me to follow them anymore.  Of those blogs that I am currently blocked out of, the 2 that are of the most concern to me is Gen's (I Heart The Band), and Dee's (Kajun Gumbo).  They were 2 of my first follower's.....  :(

Anyway, enough Debbie downer....

Now, for the real guts and glory to this post.  I did something today that I am totally ashamed of.  Walt left this morning for Sacramento to work, so what did I do???  I went to the store and bought myself a container of Ice Cream.  I can't say a half gallon container, since they no longer make half gallons anymore, but the 1.5 quart size.  I also bought 2 bags of Candy.  I ate some of the Candy until I felt sick.  I don't want to eat anymore of it!!  However, I did not open up the Ice Cream.  The seal is still attached.  So Walt, I know that you will be reading this.  I am so sorry, please forgive me.  I am leaving it here for you to eat when you get home.  I will not touch another bite of it.  I hate myself sometimes, I am so weak, if only I could control my food urges.....

I have not lost any weight since shortly after my last visit to the Surgeon's office (a long time ago). And it isn't anyone's fault but my own.  I have another appointment with the Surgeon's office in August, but I may cancel it, as I am not sure if they have gotten a resolution with my Insurance Company.  My Insurance Co had decided that I couldn't get my Fill's done at the Surgeon's office any more.  They seemed to think that it would be less expensive for me to go to the Surgeon, have a co-payment (them paying the balance) in order for the Surgeon to say....yes you need a Fill.  Then to have to schedule the Fill at the HOSPITAL!!!  Causing me I don't know how much out of pocket for the Fill to be done there!!  Not to mention the Insurance Co paying the balance there too!  Go figure?????  WTH are they thinking???

The Doctor's office was supposed to be battling it out, trying to come to an agreement with the Insurance Co.  But I haven't heard anything since my last visit.  And I don't want to pay $165 for them to weight me, and ask some questions.  Then say, well we don't feel you need a Fill right now just because you are not losing weight.  Since this is obviously because my calorie intake has been too high, not because the Band isn't tight enough.  I suppose that I should call them, and see if I can get some answers regarding this though.  Just one more thing for me to worry about....

Well, so far I have a couple of orders for my Tote Bag (pictured above).  It seems to really be a hit with everyone!!  I also had made a new Winter Hat for our Grand Kids Walker and Emily.  I let them try them on when I saw them 2 weeks ago and they are too small!!!  So I am going to take them apart and redo them.  I am also making a Hat for our oldest Daughter Christa.  She picked out the pattern when I saw her last.  By the way, she liked her Blue Purse (but Emily will probably get more use out of it!), but loved the Tote Bag!!  Even her husband Mark loves it, and wants one so that he can carry a change of clothes in it for work.  I guess that I should discuss this with Christa about possibly increasing the size for him. 

On Friday, we went to our Storage Unit, and brought back as many of the book boxes that we could get out easily.  We are giving most of our hard copies to family and friends, and will be repurchasing the ones that we do not want to lose in Electronic format.  For me it will be for the Kindle, I am not sure which form Walt will purchase his in.  He likes the Kindle, but so far, Kindle only comes in Black and White print.  He would like Color capability.  I am sure that they will eventually bring a Kindle out in Color as well, in order to be able to continue competing in e-readers!!  But for now, they are only in Black and White. 

So this is what I am doing this week, while Walt is away.  I am figuring out which books I want to keep, so that I can purchase them in the future for my Kindle.  I am also putting away another couple of boxes of Bathroom/Office supplies that we brought back from Storage.  You see, we can only bring back so much at a time, as I have to either find a place for it in our small RV, or decide if we even need it anymore, and if not, toss it away or give it away, and we can only place so many boxes in here at a time!!  We are currently in a 10x20 Unit, and hope to be in a 10x10 before the end of Summer.  This way we can move our stuff over to Reno from Carson City, so we don't have to go so far just to put something in, or take something out of it!!  But because we have Furniture and Electronic stuff in Storage, we are keeping it in a Climate Controlled Unit.

Well, I guess I should go for now.  It is about 4:15 am and I should get to bed.....till next time....

Aloha My Friends  :)

BYOC A Day Late!!

Hey Ya'll,

Well, I finally decided to sit down long enough to answer Draz's BYOC for this week!!  So here goes....

BYOC 

1.  Let's stick with the pictures/exercise and shoe topic and post a picture of (or describe) your work out shoes.


Here is a photo of my Tennis Shoes.  Although I wouldn't call any of them my workout shoes, since I really don't work out.  Working out for me is to do some gentle walking.  But I do have 3 pairs of Tennis Shoes.  Two of which I have never really worn....I am the kind of person that will buy a pair or two or three because you need something new, but then don't want to get them "dirty", so I pick one of the pairs to wear most, if not all of the time.  Meanwhile, my other shoes sits in the closet waiting patiently for me to wear them....this of course can take months, or even YEARS!!!  I love the blue and white Sketchers in front, but I have never worn them other than to try them on.  I also love the Brooks which are the blue and white ones in the back on the right, but again, I rarely wear them.  The ones that I do wear all the time, are the Avias which are in the back on the left....again, they are blue and white, have you noticed a trend in colors here??? LOL

2.  Again with the Summer/hot theme of the week....what does your current swimsuit look like?

 

I don't really know.  Since I have lost weight, I haven't actually tried on any of my bathing suits yet.  I have several in sizes ranging from 14-20!!  I am actually afraid to try them on, and will probably wait until later in Summer so that I can see if ANY of my suits will fit me for our Hawaii vacation in December!  But I am sure that at least one of the suits will fit.  Especially since I have so many....LOL  But here is a photo of a swimsuit that is similar to the swimsuit that I have in size 14.  Except that my swimsuit, is in a beautiful shade of Blue!  Unfortunately, it is a VERY small size 14, and seems to fit like a size 12.  So it is super tight, I am hoping that after losing another 10-20 lbs, it will fit.....so cross your fingers and toes.

3.  Do you lay out, fake bake, sunless spray tan or use tanning lotion?

I never lay out!!  I burn too easily.  Which is funny, since as a kid/teenager/young adult, I tanned very easily without even trying!  I just swam all day long.  But since I got pregnant (37 yrs ago), my body changed, and now all I do is burn.  And since I have already had to have several pre-cancerous spots removed from my Face, I was told by my Dermatologist, that I should always wear a high number Sunscreen AND wear a hat to keep my Face in the shade!!  So I go Au Natural as far as skin goes....no tanning, no sunless spray, no fake bake.  I go as I am.....white.  So put on your Sun Glasses if you are around me!!  LOL

4.  Describe your week in blogland and in real life.

In Blogland, I have been remiss in keeping up on everyone's blogs.  I occasionally try to read at least that days post, but that is kind of rare lately.  I will try to make myself take the time to read everyone's new posts....

In Real Life, the past week or two has been hectic and painful.  Mostly painful.  I am hoping to get some relief soon.  Until then, I just live day to day.  Oh and I have been very concerned about my parents health.  They both look like they could pass on at anytime....and I live out of the State.  Luckily for me though, I am only about 2-3 hours away by car.  So if I get the call....I could be there quickly.

Other than that, I am surviving.  Last night Walt and I went to The Outback restaurant, so that Walt could have their Steak and Snow Crab special.  I had a $5 off coupon so, I ordered the Filet Mignon and Snow Crab, so that Walt could eat my Snow Crab as well.  So all in all, I did ok.  I ate one thin slice of the bread, about 1/3-1/2 of my Salad (I love their salads and could have eaten the whole thing), about 4 ozs of my Steak, and my Baked Potato.   I know, I know, I shouldn't have had the Potato, but it is rare that I get one anymore, so I splurged and ate it!!  And it was GOOD!!  All in all, I felt satisfied, not full or stuffed, so I did ok.

However, I am still taking in too many calories.  So my goal is to drop my calories enough, so that I can lose at least 15-20 lbs by December 1st!!  Do you think it is possible?? Or do you think that this is an unreal goal???

Well, I should end this for now, till next time.....

Aloha My Friends  :)