Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Doctors Visits
So, let me now begin my rant with 'What is up with the 3 part doctor visit when you go see a specialist?" Both Charles and myself have been to a few specialists in the last few months for various things, in all the scenario's, there are always 3 parts.... WHY???? Let me explain, this is how it goes:
Visit one: Initial Consultation: It should have gone like this.... "Hi Mrs. Davis. Thanks so much for coming and bringing me your $40 co-pay. We here at the clinic do love your insurance company therefore this visit will truly not accomplish much. We'll discuss what could be wrong with you and which of my numerous expensive tests I can perform on you that your insurance company will pay. Then you can come back in a week and have all of these fabulous tests performed. Thanks for coming and don't forget your check book when you return, there will be a co-pay for the test department. "
Visit two: Tests: It should have gone like this.... "Welcome back Mrs. Davis. Thanks so much for coming and bringing us your $50 co-pay for your multiple tests we'll be running today. We'll go over to this building here and run one and then we'll skirt you around to this other building, because they want some money too. Oh, yeah, I almost forgot, let's get some blood and urine specimen's also, those are both an easy $200 charge... Now don't think we are going to give you any results today, Mam. We are only technicians. We can land on Mars and look around with a space probe. We also as a society can do facial, heart and lung transplants. Please do not be fooled by the people on CSI who can get their information immediately. We feel confident that you would like to come back one MORE time to get your results. We like to mail off all of our tests to a testing company because they want some money TOOOOO!"
Visit three: Results: It should have gone like this.... "Hi Mrs. Davis, thanks for coming back one more time. We realize your time is important also, but we are in the business of making money and therefore we felt no shame in calling you back. Of all the extensive tests we've run we didn't really find anything. You look pretty good to us. Let's just give you a round of antibiotics and call us back if you have any further problems. Thanks for coming and please refer all your friends!"
So there, that is it. Three days of annoyance to find out I am fine! Just wondering if anyone else has noticed this retarded-ness???
Gotta go, I need to schedule a doctors appointment, let me find my calendar.....
Thursday, May 21, 2009
House Cleaning
Charles and I were chatting with some couples, and one of the ladies had a house cleaner. I politely looked over and asked Charles why don't we have a house cleaner and he looked at me and said, 'duh, that would be you!'
Another occasion, the guys were talking about playing poker at one of their single friends house and they were talking about how nice and neat this guys house was. Said he had a house keeper. We all concluded that if our husbands were single, they would need a maid as well. I actually chimed in and said Charles needs one now...
So, there it is, I am the stay at home mom. That makes cleaning this abode my job. And what a lovely job it is....
Now, not all of the jobs are 'royal pains in the patoot'. Some I don't mind at all and some are right there with getting a bikini wax... I'll give them in order of lovin' to hatin':
Laundry: I do like doing laundry. For some reason, this is good for me. I like gathering the mess, organizing the mess, putting it in the washer, moving on to dryer and folding and putting away. I am very organized with my laundry. ONLY I, can do laundry. I do it my way. It is my way or the highway!!! Do not come be-bopping in with a load and then forget to move it over to the dryer and then it sits in there until I come along and have to shuffle it along!!! UGH!!!! It is an easy done. Once it is folded and hung up and dragged away, my laundry room is clean and I am rejoiceful.
Kitchen Clean-up: Don't mind doing this either. Everything has a place, and Man created that dishwasher for a reason. I load that puppy up every single day and run it, every single day!!! If I am entertaining, it may run 2 or 3 times that day. I guess I feel like the kitchen is my domain so I don't mind cleaning it up.
Floors: Now we are slowly getting into the not so friendly chores. I despise washing the kitchen floors, or my hardwood in the foyer or dining room. This is so blah! It is this gross semi soapy Mr. clean water that you swab back and forth and voila, it looks better than it did, but I have never, and I repeat never said.... 'Wow that floor is so clean I could eat off of it!'
Toilets: Moving even more down in the food chain here... What is with the texaco station black funk that appears in the toilet? I don't get it, is that bacteria, left over pee and poo, just dirt, it's gross and I can't seem to get a procedure that I like here. I've tried the scrubbers on the handle that you leave in the canister thing behind the toilet. Then I tried the disposable pads that have the cleaner built in, then I've tried the foam you just spray in every 3 or 4 days and you don't have to scrub at all.... It's all gross!!!! Really would love to keep those bleach tablets hanging in the bowls, but since my cat drinks out of the there, I don't really want to fry her brain and have a mentally retarded cat...
Dusting: This is my least favorite of all. Because it is a never ending job! Dust had to have been the reason for the fall of the roman empire. It is freakin' everywhere. And oh gosh, don't let the sun filter through a window and you just look up in the air and it is everywhere.... I start on one side of my living room and by the time I make it around the first part is dusty again... I can't take it... I'm stressing out just typing this. (no not really, I am very laid back, that is why my house is so dusty)
Well, there are tons more topics I could write paragraphs on like vacuuming, washing windows, and just plain picking up, but there must be a limit as to how long your blog can be and I am sure I lost many readers way up there after the pee and poo comment in the toilet section, so I will log off for now. I need to go dust anyway...
Monday, April 27, 2009
Road Trips
As a kid, we traveled alot. My Dad was older when I was born, therefore he retired while I was still in middle school, leaving our summers free. We would be sitting around the kitchen table and my Dad would announce, tomorrow we start driving to the Grand Canyon. When I was 12 we went to Washington, D.C. and NYC. When I was 14 we went to Mount Rushmore. ETC.... We would be gone about 2 to 3 weeks and would eat wherever, sleep whenever and see the 'World's largest Ball of Twine'.
I have officially been to 46 of the 50 states. We somehow missed Seattle and Oregon and well, obviously Alaska is a bit far for a road trip and Hawaii would be impossible. I took all of that traveling for granted. Didn't realize that not many of my friends did.
Sometimes we would stay in real posh hotels, other times it was the 'flea bag Inn'. Sometimes we would dine on steak and some times we would McDonalds it. Whatever we did, it was fun. Even though, I didn't have a DVD player, or a Nintendo DS or even an IPOD. I remember when I was in high school and we trucked to Niagria Falls, I bought a Walkman and thought I was the coolest kid in the back seat EVER!
The crazy thing about road tripping is not having a real set agenda. It's tough when you have to go visit family in Utah and you have only 3 days to do it in. That is not fun! But taking the road less traveled and taking your time to stop at Stuckey's and debate about buying that box of candy with the 1 inch layer of dust on top, is....
So this summer, we will be driving down to NOLA for a cruise and then later in the Summer, Natalie, my Mother and myself will be having a good old fashioned road trip and truck to Orlando, FL. One night we'll eat steak and the next will be Chick-fil-a. Oh and I plan on stopping to see the world largest Frying Pan! I'll be sure and post those pics on FB.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Easter
For whatever reason, it is here! This fabulous Revelation started last Sunday, Palm Sunday. I love getting a fresh new Palm for my house. I also enjoyed a thing we did at church where we passed this large wooden cross over our heads, then it was carried up to the front and my husband pounded in the nails, draped it with a cloth and put a crown of thorns up on top. It was truly moving and I cried. (Doesn't take much for me to cry, but this was truly moving!) Then Natalie and I made Easter Cookies in the afternoon.
This week we will continue with church, we have a Maundy Thursday meal and last supper re-enactment. A Service will be Friday evening and the culmination will be on Sunday! I am so looking forward to it, that we will go to both services, our normal contemporary and the traditional later. The second service is unusual for us, but Natalie will officially join the church and participate in a first communion! My parents will come and we will have a fabulous lunch at home!
In writing this, I just came to the conclusion of why I like Easter so much....
I love the rebirth of it all! It is Christ resurrected! It is a spring! It is new flowers! It is a new year! Things that were dormant all winter are blossoming! It's another chance at everything!
Well enough about the sappy stuff. I need to get back to my sarcasm and rants. Those come easier....
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Cruise #13
Cabin Steward:
This is the biggest excitement that I can share. You have this cabin steward that cleans up your cabin. Granted you have a cabin the size of my closet here at home, however, it is always clean. Make a big mess in the bathroom, no prob! Threw your wet towels in the floor, no prob! Need more ice in your ice bucket, no prob! Bed made, floor vacuumed, counter top cleaned off. HEAVEN!!!
Drink of the Day:
Where else do you go that invites you for a drink of the day? Wal-mart, work, the dry cleaners? No, it's a cruise ship. It is a tasty little concoction of either a rum punch or spin on an old classic like a screwdriver. Usually in a 'fru fru' glass, but doesn't have to be. Cute little name, like the Yellow Bird. Also, what a no brainer. Let's see what will I have today, oh yeah, the 'drink of the day'.
All you can Eat Ice Cream Machine:
Now this is my husbands and daughters equivalent to the drink of the day. I personally could care less, however they thoroughly enjoy this feature. The fact that it is practically 24/7 is great also.
Formal Dining:
Love this feature. We usually go with our friends Barbara, Greg and Allie. Sometimes my parents will go along and sometimes we bring other couples. Sometimes Barbara and I will bring 21 other women. Whoever goes and no matter how many. We ALL come together for formal dining in the dining room. We are freshened up, new outfit, feeling like a million dollars. You get to order anything you want off the menu and as much as you want. Want two appetizers, fabulous, want two soups, go for it! Don't like what you selected as the main entree and are peering enviously at your spouses steak, go for it. Tell your waiter, it is there in minutes. The food is great! Is it gourmet, maybe, is it 5 Star Michelin Worthy, well maybe not, but keep in mind this kitchen just fed 2,000 to 4,500 people. The food is pretty tasty and you didn't have to cook not one bit of it!!!
Price Worthy:
People often think of cruises as very expensive. Not So! You can make it as economical or as pricey as you would like. You can choose an interior room with no window. You can choose a suite with an extra large balcony. You can choose Carnival or your can choose Silversea. All of my cruises have been with the more economical lines, Carnival or Royal Caribbean. We choose a room with a window. The price includes room, food and entertainment.
Each to his Own:
This is the best feature of them all. Each person can do whatever they want. Want to lay in the sun? Want to go play bingo? Want to lie in the shade with a book? Want to sit in your cabin and watch a movie? Whatever? Everyone can enjoy their own pace and their own speed. You know you will be coming together at the formal dining.
So, hope you enjoyed my thoughts. If this sounds like fun, you can always join me and Barbara as we set sail with our families in June. Bon Voyage!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Restaurants
- Assume the worst service no matter where you go, except of course really fine dining and you won't be disappointed. If you except the wait at the door to be long, and your server to be young and inexperienced, and the food to take forever, etc. etc. then when it doesn't turn out that way, you will be pleasantly surprised! This way it won't bug me when I am seated at the same time as the table next to me and they get to eat before our waiter even discovers someone is sitting in their section. So, when it does turn out to be us with the good server I am over the moon. I know you are saying to yourself, it shouldn't be that way. You should get great service and great food everytime, yeah right, dream on. This is 2009, my next waiter might be a disgruntled mortgage broker that just lost his job.
- Don't order the Special of the day. This could be one of two things. Something the kitchen wants to unload or something that the chef is experimenting with and wants to charge you double for what it would normally charge if it were on the menu. I mean if it sounds good, it might be just don't be surprised when you get the bill and everyone elses was $15 and yours was $35. Choose wisely Indiana Jones.
- Don't send your food back, EVER! Listen, I know you like your steak extra well done with ketchup and it has a tinge of pink, just don't eat that part, okay. So you ordered fries and they sent you a baked potato, let it go... Don't be snobby to the waitress, don't raise your voice or be rude. Because of one simple reason. They will mess with it! Unless you are the GM (General Manager) or Head chef, these folks are making a meager hourly salary and they have no time for your hijinks. Don't think they won't spit in your burrito, drop your steak on the floor, or pee in your cup. I have heard it all.
- Tip Well. Come on, if you get good service, give 20 %. The best tippers are people who have been in those positions. Servers do not get paid that well, and the tip is a huge part of their salary. Even if the service was the crappiest ever, I have never stiffed anyone. They might have just gotten a dollar or two but still. There is that bad karma out there about stiffing the tipping.
- Lastly, for my sanity sake, keep up with what you ordered. There is nothing that grates on my nerves worse than when the server comes back to the table and shouts out, who had the steak and potato and half of the table is in LaLa Land. Granted this does not happen in a fine dining establishment. They will know exactly what you ordered and set it exactly in front of you. However, the majority of the restaurants that I frequent have this lazy policy of not really caring who ordered what. So pay attention and remember what it was. Don't grab my plate and take three bites and realize you didn't order green beans. Come on, how hard can it be... At this point, I usually have half the table memorized and I will help the waitress out, oh, the meat loaf special goes to the lady on the end with the dazed look in her eye.
So, I hope I have helped a little bit. If not given you a chuckle for the day. Enjoy going out to eat the next time you are at a restaurant and please pass on these tidbits of info. I don't want to hear that you were the person who took a bite of your sandwich and found a finger in it.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Miss Manners
Covering your Mouth:
- Sneezing - At what point do you think, I'll just spray this sneeze all over the room. It doesn't matter if you turn your head or not, it is still spraying. Stop IT! Not only is there germs flying around, there is also your nasty spit!
- Coughing - This could be a dry cough or a wet lung sludge cough. Whatever it is, I realize you must cough, just cover your mouth. Catch whatever phylm (sp?) comes flying out and for heavens sake wash your hands afterwards. (ESPECIALLY, if you are in my cooking class)
- Yawning - This is the hugest pet peeve of mine. No, I don't want to inspect your mouth and see if you still have your tonsils. There are 2 instances to this that bug me. Those that yawn when I or someone else is chatting. I realize I may be boring, but please wake yourself up. OR, those that yawn when they think no one is looking at them. Yes, I am looking and I saw that you have no manners and you yawned like a mother lion in the African Safari getting ready to chomp on some prey. STOP!
Licking your knife:
Is this a southern thing? Is that food so good that you don't want to miss not even one little drop that you raise that sharp pointy thing to your mouth and lick it clean? Really, did it taste that good? First of all that just looks rude. Second of all that is dangerous. Quit!
Common Phrases not spoken enough:
- Please - It's not so hard to say one little word. When asking anyone for anything, it is so easy and so nice to hear. Sometimes I'll throw it out there twice. i.e. Natalie, please, can you get Mommy another diet coke, PLEASE. See how easy that was...
- Thank You - I do hear this alot, but just not enough. I thank people for thanking me. Somebody will thank me for something and I'll say back, No, thank you. Wow, they either think I'm an idiot or really feel good. Either way, it gives them something to think about....
- I'm Sorry - What is the hang-up about this? Believe me, people really like to hear it. Somebody actually spilled something down my leg at work. Do you know what they said, 'Ooops'. What the heck does that mean, were you sorry, did you care? Have people ever heard 'you catch more flies with honey than vinegar'? Step up to the plate when the situation is bad and throw it out there. Let's all practice... "I'mmmm Sooorrrryyy".
Burping, Farting and other bodily noises:
Just stop this when in public. I know everyone passes gas. I know everyone burps, just stop doing it in front of ME! It's not cute when men do it, it's not cute when children do it. There is no reason to even let some big 'Hofbrau Haus' burp out and then think it is okay afterwards to say, "Excuse Me". Too late, I already was grossed out! Save all of that when you are alone or in the bathroom, then fart until you've deflated yourself.
So I hope I didn't offend anyone. I just had this rant that I needed to let loose on.... Thank you and I'm sorry....
Monday, February 23, 2009
The Oscars
I didn't mean I don't watch movies, because I do, just not those! Let's see in the last month, we saw 'Hotel for Dogs' , 'Mall Cop' and 'Bed Time Stories'. All great movies in my opinion.
Okay, now let's see what was up for best picture:
Slumdog Millionaire: Never heard of it, until the Golden Globes... I can only assume, a person in the slums becomes a millionaire.
Sean Penn Milk Movie: What??? Something about a gay rights activist politician or something, Didn't not see this because of the homosexuality, (Personally liked 'I now pronounce you Chuck and Larry'), saw it because it sounded boring.
Benjamin Button: Of all the movies, I could have possibly gone to see this, until someone told me it lasted about 3 hours. SNORE!
The Reader: Still have never heard of it. I just read this on the Oscar list nominee sheet.
Frost/Nixon: Don't do president movies.
So there, I heard of one and didn't see it! So what is all the hype about? You mean to tell me of all the 100's of movies that came out in 2008, this was the top? These were the ones that repeated in most of the categories?
Then lets talk about the actors. Mickey Rourke's movie. Okay, this guy creeps me out just looking at him walk the red carpet. Why would I go see a movie about him? Then Meryl Streep in 'Doubt'. Creepy movie there... She couldn't have gotten a nod for 'Mama Mia"? (Okay, that did sound ridiculous...LOL) Melissa Leo in 'Frozen Water', never heard of her or that movie? That must be at the Studio on the Square.
So the show was on in the background last night when I was reading. Charles was watching it. I thought, okay let me watch for a second and see what is going on. Then I saw Hugh Jackman prance across the stage singing 'Putting on a Top Hat'. Come on, Really? A Top Hat? I went straight to bed!
So, to all my friends out there who enjoyed the Oscars, Whoo Hoo to you! I hope you enjoyed them, just don't chat with me about 'em. Let me know when they nominate Kung Fu Panda.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Open Heart Surgery
Okay, let's think about that for a moment. There is the gall bladder, squiggly little thing that looks like a chili pepper that can very easily be lived without. People have them removed surgically through their belly button. Then there is the heart, the absolute most important organ in your body. Obviously, cannot live with out it! HOW can those two organs give off the same symptoms? Let's see one collects bile from the liver to pass on to the intestines when the time is right and the other, oh gosh, I forget, what was it that the heart does, oh YEAH! it pumps blood through your entire body! Don't think I just knew that about the gall bladder either, I have another browser opened up on webmd.
Well, our bodies are definately mysteries. It really got us to thinking about why some people have heart problems and others don't. Mike is 40 and had a quadruple by-pass, he's not obese, not a smoker, doesn't have really bad cholesterol. Then we thought it might be genetics. So guess who is having a stress test next week. You guessed it. The older brother to the 40 yr old.
To wrap this blog up, I would like to thank everyone for their prayers and concerns while Charles's brother had his surgery. Surgery was Monday 2-16 and he might possibly go home Friday 2-20.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
I Love To Diet!
Diets through the years in chronological order:
- Starving : Yes this was the teen years diet. Self explanatory. Lost some and gained it back.
- Wacky Weekly Diet: This was the diet that you ate goof-ball junk and the bizarre-ness made you lose weight. It was like b'fast - one hotdog, 1/2 cup cottage cheese and one beet. Then for lunch you ate 3 crackers and a piece of toast and then for dinner you had 1 cup ice cream with a chicken breast. You had this whole diet planned out for the week and you were supposed to drop like 10 pounds. Then you were off a week and then repeated. Again, lost some and gained it back.
- Cabbage Soup Diet: Gotta love this one. Eat all that wacky cabbage soup you can. That was fine the first 3 days, then by the time you opened the refrigerator door and saw that dreadful soup staring at you, you puked on the spot. More loss but gain back.
- Phen - Phen and Maj Ja Wong Stuff: Wow this stuff was powerful! I lost about 80 pounds with this stuff! It was fabulous. I was single and lovin' it. You were so hyper and never thought about food, REALLY! You were like vacuuming at three in the morning. You were so wound up. Granted it could put you in the grave with all of its breaking down the ventricular flaps in your heart (or whatever!) but man at least you were thin when they slid you in the coffin! Luckily God wasn't ready for me, so I am still here to write about it. Did enjoy the money I received from the class action law-suit that I signed a petition for though!
- Weight Watchers: God love them! They worked about 5 times. I went and lost and quit and gained and joined and lost and quit and gained and repeat 3 more times. I am too embarssed to go back anymore.
- Me Diet: This is the diet that I am on now. I call it the 'Me Diet' in tribute to Talladega Nights. That was his sponsor at the end. It's just ME. Anywho, I am counting my calories and walking! 25 pounds down at last check.
Wow, in writing all of that, I realize that I have put my body through a lot. I always joke and tell people that I have clothes in my closet from a size 2 to 22 and that is no Lie. Well, hopefully that last diet above will truly be the last diet!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Old Friends
I also "IM'ed" a friend that moved to Nashville last night (via FB, of course). That too gave me the warm and fuzzies. She was my 'best broad' at my wedding and chatting with her felt like old times. We did the usual, "can you believe our girls are that big?" and "oh, my gosh, can you believe we did that?"
Why don't we keep these friends closer in our lives? Why does it take 6 months to go by before we meet up again for lunch? Why did it take FaceBook for me to connect with my matron of honor? At least I have the comfort of knowing that WE ALL DO IT! Everyone I mention this to, says, "yeah, I'm the same way".
Well, I would end this blog by saying, "let's get out there and hook up with old friends", but you know that's not going to happen. I will continue to be a lazy toad and not do a thing and then in 6 months from now, I'll write another blog entry about this exact same topic.
So in conclusion, do what you can and enjoy what memories you make today! You never know when they will be repeated. p
Monday, February 9, 2009
Confessions of a Hypochondriac
Well, I just came home from the ear, nose and throat specialist and found out I do NOT have throat cancer, or tongue cancer or ear lobe cancer, etc. I thought I did, really! I have had this feeling of having something in my throat and I knew for sure I would be having an MRI today in that closed up capsule thing and I would be referred on to an oncologist. Nothing! (Apparantly, I have acid reflux)
About six months ago, I was kissing my daughter to sleep and noticed she had a mole come up on her chin. It looked raised. Not like the gross evil witch of the west with a hair coming out, but a small black raised up mole. That is it, I thought, I've done it. Not enough sunscreen was used over the summer and I have allowed my daughter to get skin cancer. So needless to say, we rushed to the doctor and I believe he belittled me! Something about the ABC's of skin cancer. I'm not 100% because I quit listening and started thinking about getting a referral for a skin doctor. Luckily, I dragged my husband along and he laughed at me all the way to the car.
Oh, don't get me wrong, I don't wish I had a terrible disease. I'm not trying to make up anything. I have valid concerns. Maybe it was because I was raised in a day and age when you didn't go see the doctor for every fartin' thing. I remember stepping on a rusty nail with bare feet when I was about 8 and it came up through my foot. My mom washed it and put a big fat band-aid on it. No doctor visit. No tetanus shot. No ointment. If that were to happen today, I would have myself air-lifted to the Med.
So, as life progresses, I pray that Cigna will still cover us and allow my hypochondriac-ism to flourish. That reminds me, I think I might call my primary care and get a Tetanus shot!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Why Blog?
So, I have lots of things I would like to say. If you find them interesting, then read along. I plan on putting recipes on, anticdotes, jokes, personal observations and anything else that I find amusing!
Come back and check on me! p