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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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12/17/08 I Believe in Santa!

I’m in need of a good uplifting story today, so I thought I’d tell one. It’s my very favorite Christmas story so hang in there with me.:biggrin: When we were first starting out we didn’t have much but we tried to make the holidays special. The kids always wrote their letters to Santa well in advance and we always let them ask Santa for 3 wishes (thus giving us a clue what they wanted and limiting them at the same time). We reinforced how important this decision was and that they had to chose carefully because children only got to send one letter per year (Santa is busy after all). So the kids always fretted for weeks before deciding. This always involved hours of “test driving” in the toy store, circling items in ads, and paying more attention to the toy commercials then the cartoons on Saturday mornings (Remember when cartoons were on Saturdays only? No?…I’m aging myself:embaressed_smile:). This was always particularly hard for my DD…choosing between many things you want has always been hard for her. Just go clothes shopping with her sometime…after a few hours on the bench in the fitting room you’ll know what I mean. When my oldest (DD) was about 5 she had a particularly hard time choosing that year. She finally sent off her letter to Santa and we were set. We bought our presents, wrapped them all up,:glare: and loaded them in the car.:rolleyes3:   We used to take turns traveling to each set of Grandparents every other year and that year was my parent’s turn. My Dad has been “playing Santa” since I was a baby and he has always done an awesome job! I remember sitting in my grandparent’s house with all my cousins and hearing Santa’s bells and then seeing his face coming through the snow toward their big picture window…I thought my heart was going to burst with excitement! We each took a turn on Santa’s lap to whisper our wishes into his ear and he always had candy canes to give out. We’d sing him our best Christmas carols and then wave to him from the window as his sleigh-bells slowly faded away. I swear I could hear the reindeer on the roof! I was wonderful…up until the year that my cousin whispered in my ear who Santa really was and I burst out in tears :rolleyes2:(my Mom had to rush me to the bedroom before I traumatized all the other cousins). That cousin who told me has spent some time in jail over the years:glare:…go figure! Sorry, back to the story…   So this was one of those wonderful Christmas’ at my parent’s home now and there was Santa in their window. I thought my DD was going to die of excitement. It was finally her turn on Santa’s lap and he asked her what she wanted for Christmas…we’d been practicing this with her for weeks…she could rattle off those 3 wishes like nobody’s business…so cameras:camera: and camcorders:film: blazing we waited for her reply…I knew her well…no whispers in Santa’s ear like the shy kids…I knew she’d list them loud and proud…a pause…then she thoughtfully looks at her grandparent’s mantle points to it and says “I want a manger just like Oma’s (Grandma’s) only I want a PINK light in mine.” WHAT’S THIS???!!!:wink2: WHAT HAPPENED TO THE 3 WISHES WE’D BEEN PRACTICING FOR A MONTH??? Well Santa must have seen the surprise in my face:ohmy: because he promptly asked “Well, what other things do you want Santa to bring you?” “That’s all Santa…that’s all I want.” she says matter-of-factly and she wouldn’t budge. You’d have to know my DD to understand this…this was NOT one of those spur of the moment decision that kids make just because they can’t think of what else to say…oh NO…she had obviously given this a lot of thought. She’s one of those kids whom other people, from the age of about 2, have been telling me that she’s a kid who’s going to get what she wants out of life…she’s bright, precocious, outgoing, likable, adventurous, is always the life of the party, loves attention, and can smooth talk the pants off anyone. The manger my mother puts on her mantle every year is a beautiful antique one with 14 figures and animals. It’s from Italy, an old one from about 1920, with a yellow light in it (with a fabric covered cord that will probably cause a fire some day) and it was given to them by my father’s parents. The kids all love it because every year (I told you this story in my “Traditions” blog) on Christmas Eve a child gets chosen to carry in baby Jesus to place in the manger while we all hold candles and sing “Silent Night”. My DD loved having her turn to do this. OK…now what’s a parent to do? It’s Christmas Eve and no stores are open:clock: to look for a manger even if we wanted to. What could we do? We spent Christmas Eve assembling the kitchen set she’d asked for and said a prayer:pray2: that she’d love it.   Christmas morning dawns and the cousins arrive. Santa always wraps all his presents in plain Red and Green paper…except each child’s big gift which is left unwrapped. We let the kids come into the family room and my DD ran:willy_nilly: right to her kitchen set with squeals of delight…all was well and I breathed a sigh of relief. We start the “great unwrapping” with Opa (Grandpa) handing out gifts one at a time. A few presents into it my DD gets a red gift box from Santa that I didn’t recognize, but sometimes the grandparents do that. She opens the box and screams with delight:hurray:….she starts to jump up and down pointing and can hardly breath! It’s a manger set…identical to Oma’s…and yes, it has a big pink light in it. I look at the box…then I look at the mantle…double-take…I check again…yep, Oma’s manger is still there, yellow light and all. It’s a Christmas miracle! I start bawling and saying “I believe in Santa!!...and Christmas miracles!!”:laugh: At this point I see my middle sister in tears laughing and crying with me. Pretty soon we’re all laughing and crying. I later find out that my Grandparents had originally bought two identical manger sets…they’d given one set to my parents and one to my father’s brother and his wife (my aunt). My Aunt had passed the manger on to my sister (her Goddaughter). Long story short…my sister already had a manger set so she’d never put it out…it had been down her basement for years…waiting for it’s moment…all she had to do was switch out a big pink bulb from my parents Christmas tree for the yellow one!:glare:   The manger set now adorns my mantle every year (until my DD gets a home of her own)…and yes, everyone who sees it curiously asks about the big pink light so I have to tell the story (it does kind of make the crèche look like a brothel:blush:…but I love the pink light)…and I still believe in Santa!
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Third Bandiversary

Hello my lovelies!   This week is my 'Celebration Week', so drink up you groupies, and keep the party going all week!   - My Birthday (I'll be 53). - Our 30th Wedding Anniversary (we'll be leaving for London in less than two weeks…Cheers!). - and…drum roll please…My Third Bandiversary!!!   I can hardly believe it's been three years! It seems like just yesterday that I was getting banded, and yet it also seems like I'm now the same person I always felt like inside...only happier.   I'm swamped getting packed, so I won't repeat myself, but here are some thoughts I had on the past year HERE I just wanted to stop in for the big party (get your hugs here) and to tell you thank you all for your continued support and friendship!   Pics- a pair of pants I found in the back of my closet (too small on me when I got banded)...excuse the pre-shower scary face.   See you all in a few weeks! -BG (lap Band Groupie)
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3/14/09 Cheap Motivation

Santa brought me an electronic Pedometer for Christmas…he’s good to me, that Santa. I haven’t really had a reason to use it until now (remember, the non weight loss issue). I got it out to start using it last week with the start of my actual dieting. DH helped me measure my stride and set it up (10-15 min.). It’s got a software component so we loaded that (you just put the CD in and push install). It was inexpensive, easy to set up and it is easy to use. It tracks your steps (and separates steps that are done aerobically) if it’s on you vertically or horizontally even. It comes with a clip and a lanyard, but you can also just drop it in your pocket or purse (way smaller than a cell phone...shaped like an egg). Well I got to the end of the week and guess what? I couldn’t find the cord to hook it up to the computer so I could download my information...nice. I’d about come to the conclusion that it went out with the Christmas wrapping paper when it turned up yesterday when I was cleaning out my desk (who says Friday the 13th is bad luck). I took a look at the download and it’s going to be easy to use. It’s on all the time and once you set up the date and time I never have to push a button even...well, I do have to attach it to the computer and push 'download' on the computer once a week (but I love how I don't have to even think about it all week if I don't want to...I have more important things to think about...like where I stashed the computer cord!) It shows your information any way you want it; steps, aerobic steps (so I won’t have to track the treadmill separately), aerobic walking time, distance, calories, fat burned and your progress against any goals you’ve set up. It will be simple for me to take my calories burned and enter them into my FitDay food & exercise account.   It’s actually fun to see how you’re doing…I’m easily entertained ($30 bucks...cheap entertainment). So I’m back to tracking steps…now MARCH 2, 3, 4...... If anyone is interested: Omron HJ-720ITC $29.75 Amazon (with free shipping)...way less than what I paid in Dec., and you know OCD me, I researched them all, this one was rated #1 by Money Mag. and had great reviews. Link to Amazon [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Omron-HJ-720ITC-Pedometer-Advanced-Management/dp/B000MN92WM/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1236994498&sr=8-1]HERE[/ame]
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11/29/09 So Much To Be Thankful For!

I hope you all had a great long Holiday weekend (or week)! We sure did! It was great having DS1 home for a week. DH just left to take the PSU boys back to college so it was a wild morning today getting things together. DD just took DS2 out for lunch, a movie ('Planet 51'), and some Christmas shopping…as the youngest, he loves having any kind of private time with any of us, so I was really happy that they wanted to spend time together. I'm left to unwind here and get out some decorations for Christmas, but that's another story.     We enjoyed each others company and time together this week…played lots of games, went shopping on Black Friday (OMG the crowds this year!), etc. I'll have to say it was wonderful being home. We had some great moments together.           DH wanted to pick out the turkey, so I asked him to get a small one since it would only be the five of us. DS2 went with him and they picked out a 22 lb. turkey…ummm….what didn't they understand about the word 'small'?!!! Here's the rational I was given 'The deal was on the turkey's that were 18 lbs. or over and there weren't any that were 18-20 lbs…..Why pay more for a 16 lb. turkey when we can get a bigger one for less?!!!' Can you tell he's not the turkey chef?     Ah well…I had to increase the amount of stuffing so it wouldn't be lost in the turkey and get dried out, but other than that it wasn't a problem. I had DD help me 'dress' the turkey so she could learn how and there was lots of squealing 'Ooooo gross!!!!' as we removed the giblets to make the stock for the gravy, put butter between the skin and the meat, stuffed the cavities, sewed it closed, and bent the wings backwards (it took us at least 5 min. to ram that giant bird into my huge roasting pan). The meal turned out perfectly thanks to everyone pitching in at the end and everything came out at the same time as planned.           I asked all the kids to tell me their 'Thanksgiving favorites' as I was planning the menu. I noticed as I was bringing everything in to the buffet that, other than the turkey, there was nothing low cal or healthy about the meal…turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole w/fried onions, yam casserole in brown sugar, cranberry sauce, assorted olives, crescent rolls and butter, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream. OK, I guess it's not supposed to be a healthy meal, but next year I might add something healthy to the list…maybe some pumpkin soup or something with fruit?           *Portion of Post Deleted for Lap Band Book     I'm so thankful that I had my whole family together and that we were able to stay home and really just enjoy each other…it was a wonderful Thanksgiving week!    
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4/1/09 I'm an April Fool!

Yes, it's frozen over. Have you seen my 6 mo. Diet Ticker lately? Well, I’m done! DONE I TELL YOU!!! The 6 months of dieting is so over!!!!!! Newbies, cover your ears just a sec….All you LBT’ers who posted that “The 6 months goes so fast!” I want you to know I have all your names and I learned how to Google Earth my way to your houses and yes, I’m letting this one slide, but if I find out this ‘restriction thing’ that you also posted about is yet another LBT Urban Legend I’m coming after you!!! This has been the l—o—n—g—e—s—t 6 months of my life!!! Well, it didn’t help that I started looking at this last May, and it took me most of the summer to decide, and until September to get in to my PCP, and then I couldn’t do anything constructive to make the time fly by, …and so I past the time by (whining about) blogging every gory detail of my (dys)FUN(ctional) life and bored all my new friends on LBT until they were so tired of my incessant (whining) blogging about my 6 months of (misery) dieting that they too, (wanted to throttle me) were counting down the days until my 6 months was over, (Just so they didn't have to listen to me anymore) but it was still a LONG 6 months! OK, my friends, here’s your reward…yes, I said reward…you’ve earned it…you were always there for me laughing, crying, ranting, (whining), and yes, peeing. You’ve come along on my magical ride and now here’s the pay off…     …the 6 months are over.   APRIL FOOLS!!!   No, I wasn’t lying and now you have to suffer through more months with me, the 6 months ARE over, but that’s NOT your reward…bet you can’t guess?..........time’s up!!! I got my Band Date!!!!! (No, NOT April Fools!) Isn’t that great!!! What a reward!!! You were just calculating how many weeks of (whining) blogging about waiting to get my date you’d have to suffer through, and there will be NO (whining) blogs about that!! Good news for everyone! Here it is, served up on a silver platter just for you….drumroll please……my Band Birthday is April 22! April is going to be the best month ever…April 22, my new shiny band…April 24, our 27th Anniversary (guess that won’t be a wild night)…April 27, my big 5-0 Birthday (Broth for everyone!), April 28, DH’s 50th Birthday! Wow, all within 7 days! Then I have the 29th and 30th to get the house cleaned, party decorations up and meals made (maybe catered now) for all the company coming on May 1st for DD’s Graduation! Now here’s the ‘cherry on top’…wait for it…………..there’s NO pre-op diet! Yep, I won’t be (whining) blogging about that either! Just a pre-op class next week and a physical with the nurse there sometime before banding and I’m golden (oh, and that approval thing…I should know within 72 hours, submitted today…she said ‘no worries’, so I’m not).   Let the ROASTING begin…. I can hear it now…. BG- Thank GAWD it’s over! BG- If I had to hear one more word about your suffering with having to gain weight and your ‘non diet’ while we're all out here sweating and counting every blessed calorie… BG- Whine, whine, whine... BG- I thought you were banded years ago!   OK, maybe not that last one…I’m off to blog the (boring) nitty-gritty about my day.
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10/9/09 It was GRAND!

*Portion of Post Deleted for Lap Band Book       Now, on to my vacation adventures…         I flew out to Phoenix and using the light rail, I met DH at his hotel where he’d been for work. We got the rental car and stopped at Wal-Mart to get the cooler and my water bottles. We stopped to tour Montezuma’s Castle (an ancient cliff dwelling). We drove into Sedona (hotel) and our jaws dropped as we got our first glimpse of the red rocks.         Saturday we watched dawn and then headed up to the Grand Canyon. Like I said; I teared up with my first view. Photos can’t do it justice and it’s way bigger than I imagined…ENORMOUS is too small a word.         I was shocked by how little of the canyon has any rails (not a place I’d take kids…amazed how many people let their kids walk loose). We took the obligatory photos standing on the very edge of the canyon. You don’t really know how thick that rock you’re standing on is…glad I’d lost weight! I watched as a tiny teen Asian girl walked out on the rim rock where I was to get her photo taken…I waited to make sure she made it back as the wind scared me and I must weigh twice as much.         We had our OSU gear on (a game day tradition); I wasn’t at the canyon 5 minutes when I heard someone scream from another path “O-H!”…I laughed and screamed “I-O!” (an OSU chant). This was the start of about 10 comments I got that day from other Buckeyes. It’s a small world! Lesson- wear your favorite team hat/shirt, or one that names your state and you can make friends anywhere…I’m telling you…we get this even outside this country. The OSU saying is that you could scream ‘O-H’ in the middle of a Moroccan market and someone would reply ‘I-O’!         We drove to a few other observation points and then off to our first hotel in the park (Maswik). We walked back up and had lunch on the outside porch of the El Tovar (the huge old hotel) overlooking the canyon. We walked to all the sites on the South Rim center and walked partway down the Bright Angel Trail (yes, it’s the widest, easiest trail down into the canyon there, but one false step and…again, we were was shocked by kids running and one mom pushing a stroller partway down the trail…dangerous). We got on the park’s bus and rode all the way to the Western point and walked a little way down Hermit’s Trail there. We saw general warnings at other trailheads, but this was the only place we saw info. on someone dying there and the mistakes she’d made in preparing (young fit gal who had completed the Boston Marathon before).         We made a short trip up to the Sports Lounge just to see if the OSU game was on and to find out the score…while the bartender checked, a Buckeye came over to tell us it wasn’t on and gave us the score. After sunset we grabbed a seat in the Bright Angel Lounge where a two man band was playing/singing to have dinner/drinks. Again, soon the guitarist/singer commented that OSU Buckeye’s had arrived and that the two of them were from Ohio. They both came over during their break and we had a long fun chat with them.         The next morning we were up before dawn again to grab breakfast (PB incident) and start our day hike. The front desk posted high wind warnings (50-60 mph gusts) and the helicopter and boat tours had been cancelled. I was already nervous about my lack of exercise going on this hike, but I didn’t want to disappoint DH who has walked (with his Geology Field Camp Group) all the way down into the canyon from the North Rim (farthest hike) and back up in a day (something all the trailheads warn you not to even attempt). We went on the South Kaibab trail down into the canyon to ‘Oooh-Ahhh Point'. It was steep with lots of switchbacks and loose sand and pebbles on the trail that made you slide sometimes.         We had gusts of wind that created sand storms so bad we’d all press our bodies against the canyon wall and cover our faces. Still the dirt would be in your eyes and mouth. There were were lots of very steep log/rock steps. My legs were shaking a little and after we made it down I was wondering how many hours it was going to take me to get back up. I had to stop just a few times to catch my breath (my asthma and the thin air in that altitude didn’t help), but get this…I had an easier time on the way up than the way down!!! I was shocked by my ability to keep on marching up!         At lunch the waiter warned us about being careful with the high winds. He told us that this year there was a day very similar where a tiny old Japanese woman was getting her picture taken by her family standing on the edge of the canyon…a gust blew and she fell over the rim (yes, I was thinking about the Asian girl I saw). There was a book in the gift shops about all the deaths at the GC…pages and pages of people and their stories. Here’s a description I found “the book Over the Edge: Death in the Grand Canyon. Describes in grim detail the many ways people have gotten killed there, including falls, cardiac arrest, hypothermia, sun stroke, flash floods, drowning in the Colorado River, lightning, boulder crushings, airplane and helicopter accidents, etc. All too often tourists treat the Grand Canyon as if it is an amusement park in which everything has been idiot-proofed. To the contrary, the only thing preventing a person from walking off the edge is common sense – a slim thread indeed.” I came home and Googled…on average one to three people still die every year accidentally falling off the GC rim (not including the ones who die in the canyon on trails, and from heat stroke, etc.).         Lest I sound overly morbid…I didn't buy the book, but they ought to post better warnings. Over 600+ people have died since the late 1800’s and some 23 people are classified as being murdered in the Grand Canyon (earlier, I laughingly said to DH while I was videotaping him standing on the edge “…and this is DH right before he *ehhemm*… “FELL” off the edge!').         We took the shuttle back out to the west and hiked the rim several miles between overlooks and then all the way back to the lodge we were staying at that night (Kachina- our room had a beautiful view overlooking the canyon). We were walking back from dinner in the dark and there was an elk (first time I’ve seen one) eating the grass about 10 feet from our lodge and right on the rim…DH was hissing at me in a loud whisper as I joined others taking photos (flash, flash, flash) about 10’ from the elk ‘Get away from there!…what was all that you were reading to me on the way here about it being rutting season and the elk being aggressive this time of year?!!’ I couldn’t help myself…I was mesmerized by the giant beast (and darn it…my photos are all black LOL).         We woke early and drove the Eastern road out stopping at all the overlook. It was hard to say goodbye to that beautiful canyon. It’s easy to see why it’s one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World…I can’t wait to see the other six. More on Sedona next…         1- Rim   2- S. Kaibab Switch-backs   3- On the trail   4- Oooh-Aahh Point   5- Up the trail        
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7/2/09 Happy 4th of July!

I remember how looooooong summer’s seemed as a kid…as long as at least a couple of years of my life now…it’s like the opposite of dog years, time was just on super-slow-mo as a kid. We’d spend the days running all through the neighborhood with the ‘gang’ of kids. Mom’s generally had no clue exactly where you were, but weren’t worried as long as you showed up for lunch…my Mom with 5 kids, she just knew we were together. The only time I had to ask permission to go somewhere was ‘going to the creek’ because it was a little further away in the woods down the hill. My kids love hearing stories about all the ‘now dangerous’ things we did ‘way back when’…they never seem to hear the end of some of the stories when we sometimes got injured, but only all the fun we had doing things I wouldn’t allow them to do now…simple things like no bike helmets (I still have cinders in one knee) and no seatbelts (before there were seatbelts I broke the front windshield with my head as a child in an accident sitting in the front bench seat between my parents…I was fine), or products like metal lunch boxes (my left front tooth, now a cap, was chipped by a kid swinging one of those as we ran to line up after recess), and DH’s ‘Red Rider’ B-B gun (looks like a rifle for a toddler…my kids and my middle sister’s kids were never allowed to have even a plastic gun…my sister swears that’s why her 2nd son is now becoming a police officer LOL). They love hearing all the stories…about how my oldest sister built a go-cart/soap box and rode it down our street; a very steep hill my parents still live on…it was her first and last trip down. The piece of wood she’d nailed in for a ‘brake’ popped off the second she touched it to the ground…she lost all six of her front teeth (now capped). Our guys from the 'April Bunnies' group have tried this as well (good sports aren't they...getting stuck with the 'Bunnies', and good exercise)...they won the Derby! Times were different then for kids…you’d never know it from the injuries, but it was a safer time (and no wonder I’m the ‘safety police’, right?). We’re off to Columbus for the 4th to be with my (foodie) family (yes, all the phone calls have been about what everyone is making for the different events and meals). The 4th is a HUGE deal for all of us. My parents have been in the same house for 43 years. They built a house in the first ‘phase’ of an enormous development built around a golf course…so large it has its own Elementary school. My parents have always been really involved in the community…Dad was President of the Civic Association and the PTA way back, and they started and were the first Chair’s of the 4th of July parade that travels part of the main road through the neighborhood. They have entered a float for just our street every year which always involved months of planning and putting it together. Back in my youth we had engineers and welders who lived on the street and they concocted some pretty elaborate floats…one with a moving Ferris wheel and another with two turnstiles each with a center wall so 2 ‘scenes’ with people on them turned. We loved riding in the parade. Now my kids have that tradition as well…they’ve ridden on the floats, they’ve decorated their bicycles and won trophies and t-shirts, they’ve ridden with their grandparents (as past parade chairs they do this every year) on the golf cart through the parade, they’ve been at the street picnic every 4th after the parade (every year some of the old ‘gang’ of kids I used to run with come back to the picnic), they’ve gone to the big neighborhood fireworks display and the even bigger one the night before downtown (I always cry start crying at the first patriotic song...that's what this is about after all!) and after we set off fireworks in my folks backyard (yeah, not so safe, but we keep the kids on the patio…and more importantly, of course they’ve heard all the stories of years ago when all the dad’s had bottle rocket wars on the street with pop bottles armed with ammo aiming them at the enemy strongholds…yeah, until my youngest sister got one planted into her thigh). Yeah, we'll be stopping in Ohio for our fireworks enroute. they’ve gone to the big carnival the day after at the Elementary school and played the carnival games and ridden the ponies. My kids are really looking forward to it. Whenever I get together with my 4 siblings and parents the kids will always ask us to tell stories of all the crazy things we used to do (like the above), so there will always be several stories they’ve yet to hear each year. Apparently my middle-sister and I have the same laugh and when we get hysterical it gets to the point of no sound at all…just tears running down our faces and gasps now and then…the kids love to ‘get us going’. It’s going to be an extra special 4th weekend as Mom’s (shhhhhhh) having a big surprise party for my Dad’s 80th birthday on Sunday with over 60 guests.   So get your seat early for the parade and have a great 4th of July all!
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4/3/09 Approved!!!!!!!

Woot! As if this week could get any better! Break out the champagne for everyone...oops, all you pre-banders (won't be drinking that after LB). I got my approval in about 48 hours! Highmark PPO Blue (BCBS of Western PA if anyone needs help with them). I couldn't believe Patti (insurance gal at the Surgeon's office) called me at 5:05pm...stayed late to call me, and get this she was laughing at my screams of glee and said 'You've been such a pleasure to work with!' (Does she remember me- the April Fool with the fax machine screeching in her ear on Wed.?) I kissed her behind on the spot...made my weekend. I'm off to do my April Bunny hop dance!!!
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3/18/09 The Perfect Storm

DD is now down to her last 6 weeks of college and the stress is reaching an all time high. I’m getting calls from her several times a day…usually just to ‘unload’. She’s getting a double major and taking her hardest classes ever, she waitresses most evenings until late at night (and they have a new, mean, manager) and she’s been sending her resume out to everyone (and their brother) and is getting mostly rejections (like everyone graduating this Spring) but a few replies (but not anything close to what she’d like to be doing), and she’s trying to set up a few interviews and she doesn’t know yet if she’ll be moving or living at home until she’s settled on a job…so I get the stress, and we're both emotional women. Short pause… I’m kidding…Actually, I do love that she still calls me when she needs support. I’m learning that you’re a Mom forever. My Mom is certainly a person I still call for advice and support all the time. I’m glad DD still needs me. Just one thing…I’m less than 6 weeks from surgery (which she has no clue about, since I'm only telling DH) and I’m at an all time stress level too…just ask DH…Short pause…   Actually I no longer use tampons…hysterectomy, but the visual is fitting for what follows. Yesterday DH had been bugging me (nicely, but I know things are already bad at his work/new job duties and he doesn’t need this) because I can’t get a date yet for my surgery (can’t schedule until my 6 mo. is done April 1) and he had to make excuses twice yesterday for trips they wanted him to schedule the end of April (he already has 2 trips planned the beginning of April, so I asked him not to schedule anything the last 2 weeks until we get my date)…then family members were calling me about the two graduation parties...then DD called me for the third time that day to unload that no one will work for her Friday night...you would have thought it was the end of the world…she has an interview in Pittsburgh Monday morning, so I’ll pick her up Sat. instead, but apparently that’s not what DD was freaking about…she’s worked extra hours for everyone else several times over and…yada-yada-yada, you get the picture….DS1 came home and unloaded about his big Senior Project that is due for his HS graduation...then we were eating dinner and DH realized he forgot to go to DS2’s mandatory track parent meeting last night…DS2 freaked out on me because he instantly thought he wouldn’t be able to be on track…well, you can guess…DH unloaded on me and that was the straw that broke the camel’s back/the perfect storm…I blew...WHY IS EVERYTHING MY PROBLEM/FAULT...oh, yeah, I'm the Mom (didn’t even see it coming, but I suddenly became aware that I'm more stressed out than I thought I was)…even DS1 came in to see what I was yelling about…yikes, apologies all around…I hate yelling…there’s a make-up track parent meeting tonight, crisis avoided…everyone is happy...good thing poor DH is traveling the rest of this week, he needs a break from all this...I need a chill pill. Short pause... If you've made it this far, thanks, and I apologize for the vent...I'm sure you have enough stress in your own life..who needs to read about anyone elses. It just pointed out to me that although I'm so sure about this LB decision, I'm unconciously more stressed about all this (and everything else coming together all at once) than I thought. Today's mantra...
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