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About this blog

THE SWEET SPOT My journal on my expedition to Bandlandia and my adventures there. I plan to stay forever (been to Onederland many times, but I never stayed long). Join me!:see

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6/29/09 Dorm Decor

As planned, we spent the weekend finalizing DS1’s packing/buying list for college and we started our shopping. It was fun doing this with DD when she went. It was almost like a treasure hunt. She found a reversible comforter she loved on sale and that started the whole summer hunt. We took those two colors (turquoise and lime green) and hunted all summer for everything she needed. It was fun to find perfectly coordinating things at all kinds of different stores. We found all kinds of cool things; rugs, towels, chair pad, baskets with colored liners, bedding and body pillows/extra pillows to transform the bed to a couch, bed risers so big bins would fit underneath and coordinating beach towels to use as a makeshift bed skirt since we didn’t know how tall the bed would be, butterfly chair, tons of desk accessories, wrapping paper and ribbon and colored push pins to transform her bulletin board, curtains, dragonfly lights to hang over the bed, etc. We’d find the best deals and made some returns when we’d find a better deal on something…I’m sure we spent less than most kids rooms. I even surprised her with a little art project and bought 3 large poster papers and large tissue paper in every shade of her colors…we spent a day tearing tissue, decoupaging strips down and making a triptych for her bed wall.   We got the room/furniture dimensions online and I drew it all up on my architect computer program and we figured out the best layout and viewed it 3-D. I may have told you this story, but I don’t think so…she had such an enormous pile of stuff when we unloaded the van on the curb on move in day…We left DH with the pile (and snickers from all the dad’s unpacking their much smaller piles around him) while we went to find a cart…when we came back he said he got so many question he lied and told people he was ‘moving in the twins’ LOL. DH swore as he filled the center of the shared room with her stuff that it wasn’t all going to fit and he kept offering to put the 3 stackable cabinets we bought back in the van…DD and I knew better…we knew it would fit…we’d seen it. We sent the boys off to the bookstore to pick up her order while we moved everything into place. She was so proud of her room when we got it all done and decorations up. Girls kept coming in to see it and asking her where she got things (I heard the local Wal-Mart had a couple-hour wait to check out that day…yikes). Yes, she also had the bin of every kind of medicine (and soon became the local ‘drug dealer’ LOL on her floor when friends got sick). It certainly made it easier for me to leave her knowing she was happy and had everything she needed…I was ‘nesting’ and Mama bird let her first baby go.   OK, I had to wait until I had DS1 trapped in the car ride to PSU to have him answer me yes/no on the packing/room list I had kept from DD…DH was happy to hear the pile is going to be MUCH smaller this time (we girls come with lots of accessories). It was like pulling-teeth to get DS1 to go with us to pick out his comforter, sheets and towels to set the beginnings of his room. He picked a reversible plain black and gray comforter, black sheets and plain gray towels…his ‘bachelor’ days have begun I guess…BLACK? GRAY?...I can do black, but plain...how boring...and would a punch of color kill him?!   DH let DS1 go and we went on to Bed, Bath & Beyond to continue the hunt on our own…WHAT? NO treasure hunt with my boy?!!! OK, I can deal…I found a young manager at the store to bond with…she printed me packing lists from PSU to compare to my lists and took me around the store to find my listed items…she was as excited as I was to find things…she even called the store near PSU for me and is having 2 camp style folding chairs with the ‘Nittany Lion’ emblem on them shipped out here...we bonded (I’m buying an extra one to give to his best friend and roommate...apparently a little PSU stuff is OK, matching bedding isn't...'looks like you're 10') ...Oh, and tip in case you have a BB&B store near you…they take expired coupons and you can use one coupon for each item you buy even on the same order…Yes, I forked over 13 coupons I’d been saving for my purchases and got 20% off each item. I found 2 bed pillows (for the couch look) with black pillowcases (I may have to find some fabric and make something a little more exciting than plain black). DH was a trooper shopping for hours, but a Debbie-Downer as he usually is when it comes to shopping or anything to do with decorating… ‘You can NOT buy him towels for a bed skirt!...So WHAT if the bins under his bed show!!…He will not let you put a bed skirt on his bed!!!’ I may have to sneak in a bed skirt…maybe I can make it to match the body pillow covers I’ll make…hey, it’s not like I’m going to use black and white toile, zebra print or anything floral… Would a straight piece of black/white maybe striped fabric hanging down from the bed spring frame get him teased for life?! Seriously, I’m asking!!! I did walk away from the cute pillows and throws. I was happy to see that DS1 was interested when we got home and came over to see all the things we bought in the ever growing pile in our great room, but he was most interested in the electronics…4-cup coffee maker, alarm clock, etc. Oh well. I did talk him into doing an art project for his wall…amazed, aren’t you?!! You SHOULD be! He never would have agreed if it was with me (ex-art teacher…he likes to do his own thing and is so over me teaching him) and he would have thought I’d make something too sissy. I got sneaky (I know, ‘as usual’ LOL)…DH can’t draw a straight line to save his life and hates even playing ‘Pictionary’ because our kids (all got my art talent gene) love to laugh at him. I remembered though that in HS DH had to take art and got into making batiks for a few months. I ‘suggested’ that DH show DS1 how to make a batik and they could do one for his wall…well, that went over so well that before I knew it they’d planned doing a giant ‘Lion Paw’ print (one of PSU’s trademarks, apparently it recently went from 5 to 4 toes) and I was tasked with getting the supplies…if it looks ‘cool enough’ he’s going to hang it….sneaky works!   Tonight we’re off to buy all the toiletries, cleaning/laundry, and the obligatory bin full of medicines. Yes, I’m ‘nesting’ again. Maybe I can talk them into going to the fabric/craft store with me for the batik supplies?!! I might be able to get some fabric opinions while we’re there…hey playing cards are mostly black and white...maybe a poker theme...he loves poker...sneaky, sneaky, sneaky.   Playing Cards Fabric
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12/17/08 DS Update

Wanted to let you all know I (Mr.SA had jury duty of all things) just got back from the hospital with DS (youngest). He's sleeping now. Had plenty of time to write my blog entry while in the waiting room (sorry I rambled my story today, but it kept me busy). Both procedures went smoothly and he did well with the anesthetic...just took him longer than most to wake up. One small problem and we'll wait and see what the biopsy shows...may not have results until the day after Christmas (I pray it's before). Sounds like regardless there will be more testing in the future, since they shouldn't have found anything at his age...and maybe more tests depending on biopsy. Thanks for the prayers all!
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2/20/09 Collections

We’re collectors; rusty antiques mostly. I blame my sickness on my parents (I just reminded Mom recently that everything’s their fault…my kids will blame me for whatever they want, so they’re fair game for me…LOL). But really, my parents drug us to antique stores and shows from the time I was little. I remember one particular trip to my Aunt/Uncle’s in New York where Mom and Dad hit the mother-load. We returned home in our station wagon with Mom, Dad, we five children, and a car load so full my youngest sister (little enough) sat with her head under the Grandmother clock, and my oldest sister and I took turns sitting with our heads through the rungs of the legs of a chair. We didn’t have seatbelts then…I don’t even want to think about what would have happened in an accident. See, it’s a serious contagious illness.   I always loved the Flea Markets and sometimes even the occasional Garage Sale. When DH and I started dating I introduced him to his first flea market…a big one…every Saturday morning in the summer at a local Drive-In Theater. He was hooked, so I guess he can blame me.   We didn’t have “2 nickels to rub together” so we started collecting things that were cheap and available. I took a liking to red-wooden handled kitchen tools from the 40’s-50’s (usually about 50 cents or more...I call it my 'rust collection') and DH gravitated to glass telephone insulators (his friend had a small collection), also about $1. It gave us something to ‘hunt’ for, which made it fun. Since those early years (I have several hundred tools hanging/on shelves in my kitchen…I do enjoy having my collections around me), I’ve moved on to other collections. I’m a gal who embraces change. I’ve collected baking pans, graniteware, wooden spools from mills, stoneware crocks, wooden typeset letters, and metal pie pans. I finally scored the elusive Frisbee pie pan a year ago….yes, that’s how Frisbees were invented; by the pie co. employees on their lunch hour in their parking lot.   For some strange reason I now like tiny wooden German figures and tiny houses/castle blocks. I think it has something to do with my love of Christmas melded with the fact that DH grew up (on an Army base) in Germany. I can’t wait to set them up someday under a tiny tree at Christmas. I’ve even moved on to some new (not antique) items…Polish pottery is my newest love.   DH has stuck by his beloved insulators…he’s now up to about 600 (yea, that's what I said). He’s dabbled in a few others…coins in his youth, bottle openers, rock/mineral specimens (he’s a geologist, no longer working in that field). But he’s always stuck by his insulators. I admire his tenacity (I'm fickle). Do you know there’s actually regional and national shows for insulator collectors? I know, I thought the same thing...it sounds like one step from a Star Wars convention (and don’t tell my boys they have these as my oldest loves his collection of Star Wars toys), but interestingly (to me it was), it’s not a nerdfest…there’s a cross-section of America/the World actually collecting everything. We’ve also filled our home with inexpensive primitive antique furniture and have stripped and refinished more furniture than anyone should in a lifetime. When we moved here my youngest was in Kindergarten and brought home a project the first week with a picture he’d drawn of our brand new home…his sentence below described our house as ‘Old Fashioned’ LOL.   My kids are now hooked too (yes, they’ll all blame me). When we took our family trip to Paris last year (DD studying abroad), we took them to an enormous flea market. The boys had a blast trying to make their purchases with the few French phrases they’d learned, and DD helping. I even found some red-handled kitchen tools, a piece of wooden typeset, and yes, DH found a glass insulator. We had the best time watching the kids and talking to the locals.     I swear there’s someone out there who collects anything you can possibly think of. Old bedpans?…I’m sure someone collects them…just check eBay. You see, it’s not as much about the collection as it is about the hunt (although it helps if you like what you’re collecting). You rarely find anyone who collects the same thing that you do, and you're probably better friends that way...especially when shopping, but the fact that you've found another 'collector' makes a bond all by itself. I’ve found you’re either a collector or you’re not, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s something new or old, it’s the hunt that draws us…those of us that live with this dreaded illness understand.
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11/15/08 Putting Myself First

CLIFF NOTES: I started off to write a somewhat funny note about one of my teens who had a rant:incazzato: last night, and somehow ended up on the shrinks couch:couch2:below. I’ve been feeling kind of melancholy since my good news and happy day Thurs. and I couldn’t figure out why. Apparently, I’m feeling guilty for putting myself first by going through this process. Hey at least it saved me an hour at the pre-op psych visit…tee hee:biggrin:. Don’t bother reading unless you’re there too… (Back to myself now, thank you.:wub:) -BG (I'm saving the rest just to remind myself of this.) --------------------------------------   It seems just yesterday I had a job I loved at a Fortune 500, and was on the fast track up the ladder with a very bright future ahead. But I was traveling all the time and my (2 then) kids were in daycare for LONG days. I could only involve them in things that were only on the weekends (try telling your 5 yr. old daughter she can’t take gymnastics classes on Tuesday’s after school with her friend). DH was gone many night’s working hard on his Master’s part-time for 8 years at night, and his job also required a little travel, so we were mainly a “Weekend Family”. It only got harder and harder as the kids got older (I thought they needed your time most as little kids-BIG “wrong”). I couldn’t find that elusive “Super Mom” balance between work and family and we needed a change (I so admire those of you who can do it all- some of my sisters included).     I was pregnant with my third when DH was offered a promotion to a sales position back to my home town where a lot of my family still was. I didn’t hesitate one second…It was a happy change for us all. We moved and we were now able to afford it, so I stopped working. If I’m being honest it was a hard transition going from the “fast track” to “homemaker”. With a new baby, and DH now traveling I’d go days without seeing an adult. Also, it’s kind of like being fat…people stereotype you...and with the move, no one knew I had had a career…I found people suddenly treating me like I didn’t have a brain…the topics of conversation in my life suddenly changed. Even I was guilty of this at first …I’d been friends with neighbors for years before I’d asked anything other than about life as a Mom. There were lawyers, nurses, teachers, all kinds of “formers”. And yes, those who’d never had a job also had lives outside their families…wow I was guilty of not thinking homemakers have a brain too…there were volunteers for great organizations, those that had hobbies like mine, brilliant women! Anyway, I had to keep busy so I volunteered for everything; was the Girl Scout Leader, the “Homeroom Mom” for all three of them every year (for as long as they’d let me-about middle school), and I was a former art teacher, so the schools used my talents for all kinds of things and I was there with my youngest in tow most days. I helped start a “play group” in my neighborhood for Moms/little ones. I immediately signed my two older ones for so many things they’d been asking to do. We all appreciated our new life. That first summer, I counted 14 “legs” in the car one day with the baby zigzagging the older ones around town…not good either…     We found a balance and the kid’s all were able to dabble in many thing and they each found their gifts/niche. We’ve since moved again (I designed our current home with the help of an architect software program, not a huge house, but it meets our family needs perfectly!) and the kids are now older; two teens and one is 21 (I can’t believe I’ll be down to one at home next year). I’ve certainly never been bored at home as I’ve always been busy. My youngest, 13, still needs the most time from Mom but my “job” at home has evolved more and more into time devoted to major home reno. projects; tiling, painting, sewing curtains, finished the basement/bath (I’ll never mud drywall again), built a pond with waterfall, designed and built a finished clubhouse for the kids, etc. (with help from DH & the kids). I love tackling learning something I’ve never done so I’m pretty handy, and I feel good that I’ve saved us tons of money doing all this myself (even my neighbor friends who are at home sometimes tell me I make them look bad). As a homemaker, I’ve had to come to grips with the fact that you can only get those pats on the back from your family mainly, and they get used to your capabilities, so the pats don’t always come as often. Gone are the work days when a job well done meant you had whole teams of people singing your praises…and forget getting a promotion!     I haven’t regretted anything…but with my youngest turning 13 I’m suddenly finding I no longer have that little kid in the house who thinks you know everything and glows at every little thing you do…and you’re the hardest working mom on Earth. Getting through these teen years is just difficult some days, and I knew it would be. Some days they act like/tell me I have no clue. My sister gave me a magnet that says “Ask your Teenager now while they still know everything!”, and yep, I still have a brain. It’s funny, my kids hardly remember me working and they’re wonderful kids, hard workers, not spoiled, but as teens often do, they don’t always appreciate the sacrifices you’ve made in your life for them. They don't like it when I have to said “no” (I’m the disciplinarian and DH is the softie…he’s still working on it), but I know they love me and they do show it/say so. They unknowingly say hurtful things like “I wonder why you don’t have a job?” like their friend’s mom. There’s some days I want to scream “What do you mean I don’t have a job…who’s raising you? Don’t you know I gave up working for our happiness? Do they realize how different things would be for them even now if I was working?…Don’t they remember…” Of course they don’t. I’m happy with my life…I’ve got a wonderful family and a great life, and again, I don’t regret anything…but some days-TEENS! I get glimmers of hope that they’ll get this someday…my daughter’s about ready to graduate college and she’s coming out of that teen funk; she’s starting to ask me about things that let me know she gets it.     Reading this over I’m sounding so negative, and that’s not me at all…I’m a giving person who gives out of love, not looking for appreciation; the typical nurturer – family first. *Lightbulb* I just realized this week when I saw this Lap Band thing was probably going to be a reality I was feeling guilty that I was putting myself before my family. I felt guilty I was taking time to do this just for me. That’s probably at least part of the reason I’ve let myself get to this state of health, never putting me first. Writing this was helpful for me to realize the whole family will benefit from seeing me work hard, and yes, just for me! (even if only my DH knows about the LB)…I realize the one thing I’ve yet to be able to balance in my life was sometimes putting myself first.
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2/24/10 Protein First

Blog today on nutrition/protein, here: http://bandgroupiethesweetspot.blogspot.com/2010/02/22410-linner-protein-first.html
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3/30/09 Out Like A Lion

OK, I realize it’s not quite the end of March but come on!!! Snow??!!! I’m in Pittsburgh, not flippin’ Fargo!!! (Ooops, sorry Fargo, I just heard on the news you’re having flooding, best wishes to Fargo). There’s snow flurries coming down and the wind is howling so fast that the wind chill is Frickincoldashell. I’m officially on strike until Spring shows up…I’m hibernating inside until it gets warmer…I’m so DONE with you Winter! Winter has forced me into being a bad mother. Let me preface this by saying we’re good parents, we go to everything the kids want us to. I was even Homeroom Mom (and full-time bulletin board/teacher’s helper) every year for all three of my kids until it ended at Middle School. Hey I was an Art Teacher and we did awesome fun stuff…the teachers were fighting over getting my kids into their class the next year…my kids were proud…until they became teens, at which point parents are embarrassing. We even go to most of the things the kids don’t want us to…that’s when we get.. ‘But nobody else’s parents are coming!’…OK, I listened when it came to the Middle School Dance chaperones…I let some other mom (who wants to be ‘friends’ with her teen) embarrass their teen (bet she hit the dance floor!). My standard response now when they say I’ve embarrassed them over something little is ‘Embarrassed?!! You’d better watch it or I’m going to show up at one of your dances in my sequin tube top!...that always gets them. There’s a point in High School though where you become less embarrassing again, either that or they learn to tolerate the embarrassment…DS1, age 18, now doesn’t whine when I chat with his friends as long as I don’t hang out long, don’t show naked baby photos, and I’m feeding them well as they’re over playing poker, Guitar Hero, or video games…they actually started playing the board game Risk lately (how old school!). DS2 has another (weekly) Track Meet tonight and I asked him if he cared if I just came to pick him up at the end…he grumbled OK, but I think he cared. I really think he was picturing that he might be the last kid picked up…no kid likes that, I was one of 5 kids with a busy Mom, so I remember the feeling and I try really hard to avoid that. The problem is it’s hard to predict when athletic events like this are going to end…I might as well be predicting the stock market…yes, I loaned him my cell phone, but will he call me in time to get there (the school is a ½ hour away)….no chance! There’s always ‘We can’t take a phone on the field so it was up in the bleachers and the coach wanted me to stay down there between events to warm up, so I couldn’t call you, but WHY were you late?!!!” Who does he think I am, Carmac the Magician? I don’t think he’s ever been the last kid picked up. And doesn’t he remember that I’m the same Mom who got one of two speeding tickets in my life because both boys were playing soccer games in two different locations and his soccer game ran overtime? Heck, he was in the car as the lights were flashing behind us and I didn’t pull right over, but made the police car follow me the extra thousand feet into the park where I pulled up right in front of the coach and DS1’s soccer team…TEAM you hear me?!...I was still one of the first Mom’s there! OK, so it turned out to be the school DARE officer (nice lady who wrote down less mph than I really was going, thank you) so all the kids knew her and DS1 will never let me forget how badly I embarrassed him…but if you’re a Mom who’s ever been late and you get that panicked/heart in your throat feeling as you’re driving and don't know if your kid is safe, then you know what I mean (you younger moms probably buy your tots cell phones so you’ll never have this problem). Now I wonder why teens say parents are embarrassing? Why is it that teens sometimes don’t want you to show up at anything, sometimes want you not even to exist if they're with friends? I swear there’s moments they’d like me to be invisible when I’m driving them and their friends places….and God help me if I talk too much in the car to their friends…I’ll hear about it later!...Mom! Why do you always have to laugh and talk to my friends so much?!...and yet if it involves sitting in the cold to watch them run for 1, 2, and 5 min. (events) out of a THREE-FOUR HOUR Track Meet, yes, then they want you there. I may go to the last hour since two of his events (they can only be in three) are always at the end…I’ll see how cold it is then. I’m a bad Mother, I know! Sitting in those elevated bleachers so the wind smacks you in the face as it whips across the field while your fat butt, that you thought was oh-so-very-insulated goes numb from sitting on those cold metal benches, for any longer than I have to does not sound fun today. And hey, I may be going to my pre-op class this week (toes crossed) and these weak asthmatic lungs don’t need bronchitis or pneumonia for the seventh time right before surgery…….you’re not buying my plea for sympathy are you? But it’s SO COLD! I'm sounding like a whining teen aren't I? Nuff said.
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12/18/08 Jury Duty

This year Mr.SA (DH) and I were both called to jury duty. I was thinking about this yesterday as I sat in the hospital waiting room without Mr.SA…he was on jury duty- Juror #12 (Last one picked)…as DS put it “Leaving me in my time of need!”:lol2: (funny boy). I’d been called to duty three times before in other cities but I was always traveling for work and no one could take my place, so work always wrote me a note to get me out of it…sweet relief to be honest. But now I’m home, not working, no excuse:glare:…I wasn’t sure what I thought about that…I’m pretty patriotic:patriot:…I can’t make it through 3 lines of “The Star Spangled Banner” without tearing up:crying:…I always call my Dad and thank him a on Veteran’s Day…I planned a day in Normandy:gnorsi: with a private guide when we took the family to Paris…heck I even rented every Normandy movie ever made and we had Tuesday movie nights:film: with the kids for months in preparation for our trip. So I know it’s my civic duty, but I was dreading this. Maybe I’ve gotten cynical in my almost half-century of life, but I’ve become one of those “don’t have much faith in our judicial system” people. It’s probably all those real court room cases that are on TV these days…so I’ll blame the media for my newfound knowledge of how the judicial system doesn’t always work. Two words come to mind O.J., or is that one bad word? I see people that get off on loop holes and it makes me angry…especially when children are the victims.:rolleyes3: I’m a pretty tolerant person; I’ve forgiven some pretty serious wrongs in my life especially when the forgiveness is earned…in fact those that know me would say I’m a kind, never-hurt-someone’s-feelings-let-alone-a-fly-on-their-head person. So I don’t like that I’ve gotten to this point, but if someone I loved were harmed by another, I think I would be very tempted to take justice into my own hands. I’m not so sure I would “trust the system”,:frown: but maybe, just maybe...now I would give it a chance.   You see I spent a day on Jury Duty…Jury Selection to be exact. I dressed nicely and got there early. I think I was hoping that then I’d be first to be interviewed and I could just tell them that I have no faith in their silly system and they’d let me go home…hey, I look nice, I would have time now to go window shopping at that fancy new boutique strip mall I’ve been dying to see. So 150 of us packed into a tight chairs-in-rows-room. After an hour and a half:sleep: of getting to know my neighbors the judge finally came in and told us that 6 of the 8 cases just settled. Then they started to call names and assign them numbers and I soon caught on to the fact that it didn’t matter that I came early. I watched as 50 people left the room never to be seen again and I was pissed they didn’t pick me:angry:…what’s wrong with me?:wink2: Eventually I let the slight go (forgiving remember) and I settled into my oh-so-comfy-NOT stacking chair with a good book. Lunch break we were released and then all us “losers” came back for round two. Another hour and a half and they started calling names again…44, 45, 46…Yeah me…juror number 47!:glare: We get to the courtroom and I won’t bore you with all the details, but only the first 12 + 2 alternates are THE jurors for the case unless they get dismissed.:hand: The judge is patient and informative and then starts the “Game Show” of “Eliminate the Jurors”! Round 1: “Raise your hand if you know anyone involved in this case.”…hand raised, they bring the sweet old man-juror #3 up and we all hear him proudly describe to the judge how he has known one of the lawyers since he was a little boy…good friends with his dad even…whispers between them…he waddles back with his cane towards us as the judge yells to him “Don’t get too comfortable”…more quick whispers…and before he can sit down… “Juror #3 is dismissed!” He looked startled,:yikes: then crushed:sad:…I felt for him. We all moved up one seat, and more importantly one number. Well, a million more questions and 5 more dismissals and we were done…I was up to being Juror #41…no where NEAR even being asked a question.:biggrin: I was exasperated by then…it’s late afternoon, my bum was sore from sitting in hard court-house chairs all day and they didn’t even need me! :rolleyes2:   Then the judge said something that I’ll always remember….It was a long impromptu talk about the importance of serving and our coming today…yadda, yadda, yadda...and then she said “God forbid you ever find yourself or someone you love in court (on either side),:laugh: wouldn’t you want the best people to be there to sit on your jury?” Something about that rang true to me. So yesterday instead of cursing the judicial system for making Mr.SA miss his son’s hospital visit…I did what I always do... especially when it’s earned…I forgave them.:glare:
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2/21/09 Potty Humor

(NOTE: Sorry for any disappearing pics before...I'm tech-challenged...hope they stay this time.)   DH wasn't feeling great last night...stomachache. So we went to bed last night around 11pm as I was started to get a stomachache too. Then the abdominal cramps started and they kept me awake. About midnight I ran to the bathroom (Master Bath, connected to our bedroom...this will be important later, so pay attention) and it felt like it was this far away..   ...dear Lord the seat is up and I almost fell in (again)!!! Sometimes I hate living with 3 boys in the house!!! Let's just say I was sitting on the throne and barfing into the trashcan (I'm good at multi-tasking) for at least an hour...and I used this much toilet paper...   and after awhile it felt like this (sandpaper)...     Let me preface this next part by telling you that I have given birth to three children and only with the last one did I take anything...an epidural (yes, it took me until the third to get smart, I'm stupid that way). I never came close to screaming or even complaining giving birth. I think I have a pretty high threshold of pain. Now, last night the abdominal cramps got so bad at one point that I was literally screaming at the top of my lungs. I seriously thought I needed to go to the hospital, and I said so, LOUDLY...VERY LOUDLY...it hurt that bad. I'm sure my neighbors next door heard me...but did DH sleeping just beyond the bathroom door (remember, it's connected to our bedroom) hear me...nope...he snores that loudly.   I think we (I use that term 'we' very loosely since I didn't see anyone else up last night) got food poisoning from the pizza DH picked up at Costco. I've been recovering today.   Yes, I got lots of "I didn't even hear you!" this morning...glad I wasn't actually dying. I'm now getting these stickers for my toilet...   NO, make that one of these...   and definitely one or two of these...
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7/26/10 Monday Musings

I can't believe it's been a month since my last post here...I guess because there's not been nothing new on the Band front since the partial unfill and I try to make sure my posts have something Band related here.   - As of an hour ago, we've now got a last minute trip scheduled to the shore before school starts. My SIL/DH just bought a place this summer at Cape May so we're going to meet them there not this, but next Thursday...guess I'll be breaking out the bikini again...yikes.   - I'm back to writing (the LB book) with a new vengeance today...I wrote all morning about maintenance and outlined a bunch of new things as well. I've learned that taking a break from writing can be a good thing and that I can't force feed it...I'm sure real authors can and have ways to keep themselves inspired, but my busy life this summer was making it impossible to carve out chunks of uninterrupted (read 'three teen/twenties' constantly interrupting me) time to get creative and it was getting stale and tedious...and that's just not me!   - I stopped by Barnes and Noble today to pick up a few Lap Band books to start reading at the shore...and was surprised to find they didn't have ANY (the only WLS book they even carry was 'WLS for Dummies' and after perusing it for a half-hour I realized it wasn't worth buying...nothing we all haven't heard as it's a very generalized book about all WLS). I've been putting off reading any LB books until I had at least the full outline/structure of the book all worked out so that I wouldn't be influenced or start questioning myself. It's probably for the best they didn't have any as my DH's family doesn't know about the blog or the book and they'd be wondering why I was reading these post-op. I'll just have to order some to read this Fall.   - I keep forgetting to share a few things, like I went shopping again right before I left for Ohio. Ten more tops and a sundress.   *Portion of Post Deleted for Lap Band Book   - Also, I'm not sure if I told you that I called and moved my 'refill' appointment up...a month. It's tomorrow afternoon. I've got lots of thoughts on the refill and what I'm aiming for this time (I've got some new thoughts on where I was/want to be), but I'll save the details for now. Here's hoping the Doc doesn't toss me out on my ear when he sees I'm in a month earlier than he said...I'll let you know.   - Oh and I've gone from a full 7 pounds up to reining it in to about 3-4 now...Doc will probably say I'm doing fine LOL.   Happy Monday all!
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2/4/09 Don't Forget the Lyrics!

I found an old post on another site entitiled “What Song Relates to your WLS Journey” and it got me thinking. There were some great answers. Music is such a part of my life that this answer was easy for me. I keep hearing this song and thinking of this pre-op journey I've started and where it might take me (my post-op journey song might be different). Many of the lines in this, and even individual words in this speak to me; “fork” (no, not the kind for eating…get your mind off the food porn), “time”, "test”, “lesson”, “unpredictable”, “photographs”, "health". And I can only hope “it was worth all the while”. I hope this gets you thinking about songs that mean something to your journey. If you have one, share it with me.   Music and lyrics Click YouTube - green day time of your life(lyrics)
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11/17/08 So Why Am I Insulted?

I got this call and the lady explains it’s about the health surveys we had to fill out for our insurance about a year ago. :incazzato: I’m thinking, OK maybe me going to the info. seminar at the hospitals triggered something since I filled in insurance info. on their form? Then she goes on to tell me my health survey tells them “You’re at risk for several things” (very nebulous… :cursing:“things”) and “Would you like to sign up for our free program?” :sneaky:At this point I’m trying to confirm this is not some phone scam---free program:glare: (yeah right), but I don’t want to piss the woman off either…heck I don’t know if it’s someone who works and my DH-Mr.SA’s company even (I’m thinking do they have health people in HR there?). “Could you tell me more about what this program is exactly?” I ask. :prrr: After dancing back and forth a few times (now I’m really wondering if it’s a scam) she finally offers up some details “Someone will call you with regular phone appointments and they can help you with your issues….” ISSUES? I have ISSUES?? :ugh: I don’t respond as I’m thinking this and so after a long pause she timidly says “…things like exercise and diet”. The magic word DIET. She thinks I need to go on a DIET? :banghead: I’m insulted! :puke: My mind is racing… Who is this stranger telling me I need to go on a DIET? I don’t know what to do now…so again, I blurt…(I’m really stressing now—so spoken at 100 miles per hour…) “Well I’m working with my PCP and have started a diet and exercise program…I’m going to get the Lap Band…and I’m not sure how your diet and exercise would fit in with that?” :willy_nilly: I'm nice, but inside I’m so insulted. But wait…now it’s sinking in…I’m realizing it’s not a scam…if she wanted money, she certainly wouldn’t be insulting me like this, would she?!!! Uh, oh. She’s legit. :cryin: Better be nice. She says “Well, they can help you with things like stress even.” STRESS? :incazzato:WHAT STRESS?!!! She must have detected the stress in my voice…I’m thinking…Go to your happy place, :closedeyes:deep breath… “Uh, stress, OK, fine.” I say. “Someone will call you in a week to get started.” and she explains it's a service the co. pays for through insurance...we say our goodbyes. I hang up and I’m thinking why do I feel so insulted…then I realize:der:….NO ONE has ever told me I need to go on a diet…not in my entire life…it was always my idea to go on a diet...it was like someone calling me fat to my face for the first time ever! :dita: Wow! Reality check!! :blushing:OK, she didn't make up the numbers I put on the health questionaire...I welcome the help…diet, exercise, stress even…bring it on! I get it, I AM fat, I know that!...but I ask myself again...So why am I insulted?:yikes:
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12/20/08 Physical; Bring a Copy

It sucks to be 49 ½, especially when you’re obese. So today I thought I’d recant my fall physical…as that sums it up. I remember my yearly physicals up until about 10 years ago I never had ANYTHING to complain about. After that my strategy soon became; pick the two most important issues and focus on them with the PCP. This year Mr.SA insisted I make a list…how sad is that, I have a LIST! Mr.SA gave me the lecture about how YOU don’t know what is related…give THEM all the info. and let THEM decide what’s important (can you tell his dad is a Dr?). This wasn’t my style…I’m not a complainer (I know, I get it all out here) but I typed up my list (I’m a little OCD) of about 6 or 7 things and off I went. I should mention here that this was the visit this fall that I also decided to ask about the Lap Band for the first time.   I was a little nervous about my “list” as I sat waiting on the beloved crinkly paper on the exam table…I SWEAR they make it extra noisy just to make you more nervous. In walks a kid who could have been my son. OK, NOT my usual Dr.! He explains he’s an intern and would be doing my initial exam and then the Dr. would be in. Poor kid, this was NOT to be his day. I started into my list…and he’d ask me a few questions as I went along…then I forgot where I was, so I paused to actually go get out my type written list…BIG MISTAKE…his face got more flushed than mine:blushing: (and I think I need to add rosacea to my list) and I SWEAR his teenage acne was breaking out as I spoke. I tried to add a little humor saying my DH made me make a list because I was falling apart and needed a tune up:laugh:…no smile, no laughter…just looked more frightened:eek:…OK then:huh2:…on we went. I made it through to the end with a few raised eyebrows…I’m pretty sure my face was actually on fire at this point.:cheers2: So right about now I’m feeling like he must think I’m a hypochondriac or worse yet…what’s that thing people have when they want medical attention…munchausens? The LAST think I want is attention about all my health problems.   Dear God,:mad: now he’s trying to recap my list and I suddenly realize he hasn’t taken down a single note. He’s about on number 4 on my list when his memory fails:out:…I toyed with the idea of just handing him my list, but then I remember he’s not a writer…do I dare suggest he write it down…I think not, he’s flustered enough. It’s like watching one of my kids practicing for speech class at school…I want to yell “Where are your index cards?” He tries reciting my list about 3 more times unsuccessfully (I'm starting to get a almost 50 year old hot flash and may go nuclear any minute) when I we hear a knock at the door. It’s my regular Dr. “Are you about done it there?”…Panic forms on the poor interns face. He’s frozen in fear, he opens his mouth but nothing comes out.:nonod: I shout… “Oh, sorry Dr. ____, I’m keeping him tied up with my big list of problems…ha, ha…we’re almost done!” Relief flows back into the intern’s face. Loooong pause, then he finds new strength and says “What issues are the biggest problems that you would like us to focus on today?” OK, good boy, you may make a good Dr. yet…now we’re getting somewhere…I picked my “big 2” as always and recited back the details…off he went to get the Dr.   In they came and he recited my “big 2” perfectly…I did eventually get in the rest of my “list” as if I’d just remembered them…my intern looked on gratefully.:smile2: It went smoothly…I even got a phone number of a lap band surgeon from them even though I’m “…not that heavy and you’re not a metabolic nightmare, but you can look into it if you want”. Did I not just spend the last hour giving you my “list” of reasons why I need this? All is well…I had my surgeon’s phone number and my intern may not drop out of medical school, just yet. I think schools need to issue pens with all those medical books. Just wait until he sees my list at my 50 yr. old physical...next time I'll bring a copy!:ohmy:
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12/21/08 The Price of Beauty

It’s the wee hours of the morning and I was reminded of this incident as I completed my now-weekly ritual. Since I’m on the path of turning half a century soon, and you all now know that not much embarrasses me, I thought I’d share another thing that’s so special about being 49 ½. Hairs start growing on your body in places it never did before. No, really! I looked in the mirror one day and saw a hair growing out of my chin…AHHHH!:eek: Then, in a few months I noticed I was starting to get a few whiskers over my upper lip….DOUBLE AHHHH!:eek6: Call me lucky;:ohmy: my dark haired youngest sister says she’s had this problem for years, but being a natural blonde (probably more like natural gray now, but I’m never finding out!:sad:) I’ve apparently been blessed to avoid this up until now (I don’t feel blessed). I’m blaming this all on the one month I tried hormone replacement therapy this year…estrogen I get, but doesn’t testosterone make boys go into puberty=facial hair? The hot flashes are way easier to deal with than boy puberty! Anyway, I sought advice from everyone and this is what I got; bleach (they’re already blonde), pluck (they come back thicker), wax (I’ve yet to brave this with my legs even), or hair remover…OK, that doesn’t sound SO bad? So off to the store I went.:nonod:   Now I have to preface this next part by telling you I have VERY sensitive skin. My neck turns red every time I’ve gotten my hair colored or permed. I have the kind of skin you can write your name on (or whatever else you please) and it will show up. So do I listen to the part on the box where it tells you to do a test patch…HECK NO! I’m almost half a century…I’m wise…I don’t read directions…except the part that tells you the max time to leave it on…8 min.? Well, this is a BIG problem:sneaky:…a few more minutes couldn’t hurt, so I set the time for 10 min. It’s a little bottle of cream and the lid has a built in brush…this is a piece of cake…just like nail polish right?:mad: I brush it on my face in the offending areas…the directions say to lay it on thickly (OK, I read a little more of the directions) so I keep brushing. It now looks like I got into the canned frosting in a big way.   After a few minutes I realized that I should have brushed more carefully…you would never know I have an Art Ed degree. My lips are now on fire:target: where I ‘colored outside the lines’. So I ran to get a cold wet cloth (sounds good right?) to try and wipe it off my lips. Oww! I’ve now succeeded in smearing it on every part of my lips…note: wet cloth does not work…now I’m jumping up and down…Oww, Oww! :cryin: Tissues…where are the tissues?....Ahhh…that’s better…lips are still burning a little, and they’re starting to swell, but the fire is out. A few more minutes pass and now my face is on fire! Beauty hurts though right? I tough it out…Oww, Oww, Oww! Can’t…take it…any…longer! Quick, what did it say?:smile2: Rinse? Wipe off? Who knows? Oww, Oww, Oww, Oww! I pretty much stick the lower half of my face under the sink while I’m wildly wiping it with a tissue in one hand and a washcloth in the other. What the #%!#:cheers2: is this stuff, rubber cement? After 10 min. of rinsing and wiping I finally realize it’s off…it’s just my skin that’s still on fire! I run downstairs for some ice and after about 20 min. with a cold compress I decide to take a look. OK, you know when you kiss a guy whose got really bad beard stubble…nope, that’s not it…let me start again…you know when you put red lipstick on, but you totally miss your lips? That pretty much describes my face…oh, now add Angelina Jolie’s lips…on fire! But my skin is now as smooth and hair free as a baby’s behind!
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12/22/08 I'm Making a List, I'm Checking it Twice...

I’m not ready for Christmas; OK I've admitted it. Every year I say I’m going to get it done early so I can just enjoy it…and every year I’m running around like one of Santa’s elves with his bum on fire. Thank goodness we have one of those school systems that’s screwed up (their idea of Spring Break is a long weekend) and the boys are still in school through tomorrow-half day. We picked DD up from college yesterday and she spent most of the day at two different Dr.’s appointments. I think she has about five more to go before the break is over. DH (took off all week) and I spent the day taking DH's car in to get fixed (again) and then we wrapped presents. It’s quite a production actually. You know me, I have a huge list of all the presents we’ve bought (on a spreadsheet of course). My system is all about equality and fairness. When I’m gone, my kids will be able to say many things about me (all wonderful I'm sure), but I will have no regrets about being fair. I figure it out to within a dollar of each other, and we wrap the exact same amount of presents for each kid. Santa even brings the same number of gifts and the same amount in each stocking. Of course this means wrapping several items together for some kids and it’s quite a mathematical problem (and my kids say they’ll never use algebra again). All I can say is I’m glad I only have three kids or my head would explode! We’re only half-way through the ‘big wrap’ so we’ll have to move double-time tonight and tomorrow. So I’m off to get busy before... ‘Santa Claus is coming to town!’
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12/23/08 ...and the children were nestled all snug in their beds.

I’ve collapsed into the recliner…for the moment. We’ve finished the shopping, the wrapping, and most of the baking. We held our annual “Poltergeist Feast”…let me explain, one year over Christmas break we made a huge Chinese meal which involves all of us chopping side by side and production line wrapping egg rolls and lots of wok cooking..well, the original “Poltergeist” movie just happened to be playing on TV that year. Ever since then my DD has insisted this become a Christmas break tradition complete with watching “Poltergeist” (really weird I know…can you tell my kids love traditions?). My DD and I even had time to make a few extra ornaments for our exchange tomorrow as we watched “White Christmas”. Let me just say here, it’s nice to have another girl in the house who appreciates a great old musical…I’ve been in this “boys club” for too long. Shhhh don’t tell…DD and I have secretly conspired to hit the Redbox over break for all the ‘chick flicks’ I’ve been waiting to see. Seven layer bars are now in the oven and my Fab 4 are playing Sequence (I’m sitting this one out as it’s a team game, but I’m up for Trivial Pursuit next). It’s nice to have everyone home. I’m starting to realize that we may not have too many of these years left with just our gang, so I’m trying to appreciate it all the more now. Happy Holidays all!
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12/24/08 Twas the Night Before Christmas...

I’ve finished all the baking…yes, I know…Me? Baking?...yes, I told you all about my baking disasters here, but just because I like to get creative, that doesn’t mean I can’t follow a recipe. I even made my Mom’s famous “Teacher’s Pet” apple coffee cake for Christmas morning…so moist and yummy! The table is already set complete with Christmas crackers. I’m getting ready to cut up the three loaves of bread so it can dry overnight for my sage stuffing that goes in the turkey. If I’m feeling good about the cooking then all is well in the world (since we all know what a great cook I am…hee hee)!   My youngest and I have been tracking Santa in 3D on Google Earth/Norad…see how far I’ve come this year with technology! Right now Santa is over Ile de la Possession… ‘Possession’? That’s appropriate for Santa bringing new possessions…ha ha! Had to look this place up…FYI…it’s a small island that’s part of the Crozet Islands archipelago in the middle of the Southern Indian Ocean. “The island itself is very small, and features such memorable locations as Mount Mischief, the Jules Verne Mountains, the Moby Dick River, and the Lac Perdu (LostLake), which flows out to sea via the River Styx!” See…we’re tracking Santa and learning geography all at once!   Boy that Santa moves fast…good thing he’s got Rudolph leading the way tonight as we’re having a horrible rainstorm here. All that snow we’ve had since early fall and now no snow for Christmas…ahh well. We’re putting another log on the fire…time for a hot spiced cider! Hope you all have a wonderful Holiday Season!
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6/05/09 Another Milestone

Music to enhance your reading pleasure, click here: Tonight is DS1’s High School Graduation. I can’t believe how fast time has flown by. It seems like yesterday that we moved here and he was entering 4th grade. OK, no tears, yet…must...not...cry...save them all for later today. We’re really proud of how well he’s done in school. He’s graduating with honors (he's excited he gets to wear an honors stole). His senior project (a year long requirement for graduation here, they can pick any subject/project) was on student rights and his project was getting the School Board to pass a new bill to have a student sit on the School Board. He’d make a good lawyer…loves to argue his side about anything…trust me, I’ve been on the other side of that one too many times this year. He’s decided to go into Engineering at PSU, and he’s rooming with his best friend…they’ve played soccer and ref’d together since they were little, so he’s really looking forward to it. So another summer of me purchasing everything he’ll need at school; it’s my way of ‘nesting’ and feeling better about leaving him. I’m told boys don’t take nearly as much stuff to school…DH will be glad to hear that as we’ve been moving DD around campus with her ever multiplying mountain of ‘stuff’ the past four years (and now it’s all stuffed in her room and our basement).   Now, excuse me…I need to go get tissues ready for my ‘cry-fest’ tonight. Happy Friday all!!!
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3/16/09 Carbs a la mode!

One thing about tracking your calories and nutrition...you find out what you're really eating...in my case, carbs. My little daily nutrition pie charts that pop up on FitDay have been showing one huge pink piece of carb pie! Now, I wish that pie chart would carve a huge hunk off for complex carbohydrates...not all carbs are bad after all. What about that apple I snacked on this afternoon? How about that steamed asparagus I ate at dinner? I can't help it though, I see that giant pink pie piece and I see STARCH! It's all those times I did so well on the Atkin's diet. I'm a professional carb counter (wish I could win at food poker with this skill). OK, carbs...I'm a few weeks from a pre-op diet and there will be no fatty liver for this girl...you're goin' down!
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3/13/10 This Week's Blogs

- Telling - Wednesday Words (Misc.) - The Incredible Shrinking Woman - Endoscopy Schmendoscopy   Enjoy!   All here: http://bandgroupieth...t.blogspot.com/
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2/6/09 NUT, Pulmonary, PT- Making the Rounds

Yesterday I had my NUT and Pulmonary appointments at the hospital and then my PT appointment. The NUT one I’ve really been looking forward to as it seems like each surgeon’s NUT here has different plans for patients to follow, so I was anxious to see what my diet would be (some NUT’s diets here seem a little crazy to me). I’ll have to tell you that I came away VERY happy.   Here are the basics of my plan: PHASE 1 (1-2 wks) Goal is hydration (64oz fluids). Clear sugar-free liquids, skim milk, fruit & vegetable juice (all these count toward liquid ttl). Start chewable multi-vitamins. NO protein goal (she says you have enough nutrients stored that you’re fine for a week or two), NO protein shakes. PHASE 2 (about wks 3-4) Goals to transition to food, increase nutrition. Use all phase 1 foods (64oz. liquids) plus mushies. Eat 6 small meals with portions ¼-1/2 C, and only eat for 30 min. No liquids 1 hr. before, during, and after meals. Protein – at least a few Tbs-up to ¼ C/meal, then other mushies. NO protein shakes. PHASE 3 (about wk 5 or 6) Goal adequate nutrition and weight loss. Continue liquids rules/amounts, 3 meals no snacks, <1200 cal, <1.5 C ttl. per meal. At least (per day): 6-9oz (about ¾-1C) protein, 1C Vegetables, 1C fruits, 1.5C grains/starches, 3tsp Fats. NO protein shakes (not expected to meet all these amounts/goals until about week 5). Avoid: high fat/sugar (in moderation and add to cal. for the day), stringy/tough/course foods you can’t tolerate (may be able to eat if you chew very well).   So here’s why I’m so happy with it. I’m basically following the new food pyramid (with smaller amounts/cal. to lose the weight) so it’s a very balanced diet. Basically no healthy food is completely off limits unless you can’t tolerate it (i.e. Raw celery may be too stringy, untoasted bread may be too doughy, but some CAN tolerate/eat these). I hate most low-fat condiments so I just need to use less and figure the cals into my daily totals. Did you get that I don’t HAVE to drink Protein Shakes…EVER, and she said even though they’re protein, they are high in calories compared to the satiety you get from them…they are sliders so you will feel hungry way sooner than with a food protein (I couldn’t understand why people are still drinking these years later, but whatever works for them). So far, this was the diet I was hoping for. Just healthy eating in smaller portions! We’ll see about the pre-op diet when I go to the pre-op class.   Pulmonary was simple as I’ve been to this Specialist before. I have Adult-onset Asthma and found out at the same time that I am very allergic to everything environmental (diagnosed with both in ’07 after 12 weeks of bad coughing...more debilitating than you think) and after several misdiagnosis’. My lungs have been so much better with my daily meds. Sleep lab is a pre-op my surgeon requires. My PCP had already sent me this past fall to the sleep lab as I was having a lot of trouble sleeping and my Dad has very bad sleep apnea (apparently I just snore a little, no apnea). Once I started the next month on meds. for my chronic migraines one of the side effects from that drug is deeper sleeping, so that’s helped me a lot with getting back to sleep (I think the back/shoulder problems I have wake me up, so maybe the PT I’m doing will help as well).   So two more pre-ops down, and only the Cardiologist visit next week and then my Pre-Op class left in April!   Oh, I got my neck and shoulder x-rays back before going to the PT yesterday...small amount of arthritis/degeneration in my shoulder, no problems with the shoulder blade, and the PT was right, the main issues are in my neck right where she thought (C5,6,7). I have arthritis, bone spurs, degeneration, one bone that has slid back a little and disc space narrowing which is pinching the nerves...that's what gives me the pain in my shoulder, down my arm and the numbness in my hand. The neck...which doesn't really bother me...who knew?
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2/12/10 Ticker Pics

I'm slowly updating my ticker pics with more photos from each 10# loss. 2 new photos today here: http://bandgroupiethesweetspot.blogspot.com/
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