twenty-four and some hair bands

Wow, I've been neglectful of my blog lately, and of other's blogs as well. I guess it is summertime and we're all off doing summery type things.

Ha!

Nope, not me. Oh, LB is for sure. He's off with a friend in Ocean City, MD this week. AW had the pleasure of spending the day at the lake on Sunday. Big B even went to Florida the other week. He texted me a photo of his feet in the surf. I called him a not-so-nice name. I mean, how mean can someone be!? WHile I am left at home taking care of his children, driving them all over God's green earth, tending to our farm of pets, the house and my studies...

Oh, but please wait. My time is coming.

The 24th of this month I am taking my first ever mommy vacation. As I've mentioned previously it is my 20th high school reunion at the end of this month and I'm leaving...the...boys...for...the first time ever!

Today I had my ENT follow-up, this time with a physician rather than a PA. He didn't do anything more than the PA did. In other words he did the nasolaryngoscope and then proceeded to tell me he'd like me to come in for one of his colleagues to perform the TNE (transnasal esophagoscopy) at a later time. Um, excuse me. I have already driven over 100 miles for you people to do the same thing...twice! He also thinks it is GERD, but not acid induced, more likely one of the other gastric juices. He was also talking about referring me to the Virginia Heartburn Institute, or something to that effect.

Screech...wait just a minute!

I expediently informed him about my upcoming appointment tomorrow with the GI doc.

Now we're just going to wait and see what they (the GI docs) have to say and go from there.

Have I mentiioned I have an exam this Friday? for A&P? No? Yes! It's on the urinary system and fluids & electrolytes.

Ahem.

Can we say "deja vu"? Didn't I just study those same subjects last semester in nursing school? Why yes, I did. Thank Heavens, because this week is hectic with doctor's appointments. You probably already got that, though.

So yes, I'm looking forward to the 24th of this month for my mommy vacation as I make my way out west to visit with old friends and family. Although it isn't the first time I've travelled by myself ever, it is since I've gotten married and given birth.

The 24th of next month leaves more to be desired. Well, it is the first day of school for the boys. That's exciting as they start their Junior and 8th gradde years.

But...

Excuse me while I recover from a sudden tidal-like wave of nausea.

August 24th I, and my classmates, embark on our second year of nursing school.

I feel green all of a sudden, and not with envy. Today I got the tuition email reminder. I still need to purchase my textbooks. And the ATI fees. Have I told you about that!? They're going up from about $83 a semester to $191 a semester. I'm still hoping it's a flub-up by our director and she has it confused, and it is actually $191 for both the Fall and Spring semesters.

There goes the green, as in dollars. Cha ching!

On to more pleasant experiences...

Big B has been identified as 60% disabled (that may not seem pleasant until you are the person who is labeled as such and receive the pay afforded one for those disabilities). Since it's been an ongoing case that had to be approved he has been backpaid money owed to him from the VA (Veteran's Administration). We get to take a family vacation this year because of this. This is especially welcomed because we didn't really get to do anything last year, since he'd just retired and started a new [civilian] job. We have tons of friends around here who get to "go to the beach" which usually means the Outer Banks of NC. I almost had us going there, but Big B brought up the fact that his brother had a week available at his beach house in Wildwood, NJ, so we're going up there for a week! We get to go to the Doo Wop District and go on the Doo Wop Experience!!! The guys may not be too thrilled, but they can just go along for me.

This past Sunday Big B and I went and saw Cheap Trick, Poison and Def Leppard in concert. It was great. I'm really not a big concert goer. In fact I can probably count on both hands how many concerts I've been to. The three bands were all pretty good. I'd say Poison was my favorite, but that opinion is rooted in nostalgia. It was my sophomore year and I loved....l-o-v-e-d them. Bret Michaels did mention and show gratitude for 22 years of fan love. Cheap Trick was pretty good, and I don't know if it was the fact that by the time Def Leppard came on that I was tired, or what, but I just wasn't as excited or thrilled anymore. My fun meter had been pegged I guess. I've always had pretty eclectic tastes in music. If you've followed my blog for long you probably can agree. We've gone from Prince, to Martina McBride and now a bunch of hair bands.

Here are some photos from Sundays concert:

the irony of it all

July 8th.

I had originally rescheduled my ENT appointment for today, and once I realized I had to take LB to the YOVASO (Youth of Virginia Speak Out), retreat which is being held at a college 2 hours away, I had to re-reschedule. My doctor's appointments are next week, to include a dental exam and cleaning Monday. Tuesday is the ENT and Wednesday is the initial GI consult. I hope to know more about my lump in throat sensation after this time next week.

Anyway. LB, his friend who is also in the club, and I headed out this morning with the intention of me heading back this way to take Exam # 4 for A&P. We left at 9 a.m. and it didn't take the full two hours that Mapquest said it would. I was able to walk in, register the boys, and then drop them off at the dorm they will call home for two nights. By this time it is right around 11 a.m. and I figure I'm o.k. to get back to my college to take the exam. Well for some reason it took a little longer, and as time wore on I had to push the speed limit. (The irony lies with me speeding after just having dropped off LB and his friend at a driving safety retreat.)

I make it back to my area of the world with about enough time to spare to be able to make a pit stop in the ladies room and then to head into the college testing center. The testing center director, Ms. M, is nowhere to be seen. Her assistant tells me she'll go get her. Ms. M. is the only one approved to proctor my A&P exams, that are being proctored so I don't have to drive forever and a day north, when I can just go half the distance.

Let me explain a little about Ms. M. She's a bit high strung. She's really not someone I would envision as working in a testing center because she is so hyper. She exists in a state of fluster. Really, who wants to deal with that when they're already flustered themselves!?

A few mintutes later both women walk into the room and Ms. M is saying something to the effect of "I don't think I'm going to be able to do this!" And of course, she is speaking to me. Apparently Wednesdays are bad days because they often hold new student orientations on Wednesdays. She has to be present during the orientations because she is the testing center director.

Ahem...

I've already had to reschedule this exam from last Wednesday, (when there was no mention of Wednesdays being a problem), to this Wednesday, because of the funeral and such from the week prior eating up my study time. Now I must prolong this agondy even longer.

What is the subject matter I'm being tested on at this point you ask?

The somatic and special senses, and the endocrine system are the units I've been suffering through for the past several weeks now. Aside from a death in the family and us having to make the trip up to NJ, I've also been on Ambien, and subsequently injured. I have not been able to focus on these units.

Ms. M. had said something about tomorrow at 8 a.m. in her verbal vomit and then almost retracted at which point I said, "No, tomorrow at 8 a.m. it is."

Ugh.

Tomorrow will be another early summer morning for me. I'll go take the exam, and then I have to go to Quantico. I dread gong there and usually put it off until the family can't take it anymore. We're at the pont now where we're out of some of the items that make going to the commissarry threre worthwile.

On the way I'm going to embark on some retail therapy. I need something to wear both nights of the reunion weekend.

Oh well, time to make lemons out of lemonade and go study the zillion pages of anatomy diagrams I printed off at the college after nearly throttling Ms. M.

gonna party like it's 1989

In 18 days I leave for Colorado Springs, CO for my 20 year high school reunion. I almost wasn't going to go, even though for the past year I've been saying I would. The hesitation stems from guilt over using money for myself that could be used for more family related things. What it came down to is I've never been apart from my guys, never, ever, and I think it's time I take a break.

Big B and I have taken a few mommy/daddy trips. When LB was a baby we left him in NJ for a night or two, with my in-laws. I shit you not I wrote out specific instructions on how to care for him. That's how I handled that separation. Separation anxiety on my part indeed! Or maybe it was a tad OCD mommism!

Aside from that I don't remember much of anything except for date nights here and there, and those have spread further and fewer in between.



He and I did take a trip to the French Riviera for our 10th Annniversary. We were already mostly there, being in Italy, and so we booked a weekend trip with our base recreation center and went off on a bus with about thirty other travelers.

There we are in front of Prince Rainier's Castle.





We toured Nice, Cannes, Monte Carlo, and Monaco. It was a quick prearranged touristy kind of trip, but we had a great time. The boys were probably 8 and 4.



Here it is after all these years of Big B going off on TDYs (temporary duties), deployments, a remote, and now his busniess trips, not to mention the times he's gone off on daddy weekends or day-trips, I am finally getting my own personal vacation.

Me, myself, I--no kids, no husband, no pets.

Wowzers.

It's a little nerve-wracking to say the least! I'm excited to see some friends and family I haven't seen in ages. I've never met my baby niece, who will be one at the end of August. I haven't seen her older sister, her mother father/my brother in a few years. My aunt and cousins live up in Denver. Then there's all the friends I've reconnected with via Facebook. Many I've kept in touch with sporadically over the years, some more frequent than others. The there are those I haven't seen in 10 + years, at least since the 10th reunion!

1992, in March after I'd come back from being overseas



How fun will that all be!? I fly in Friday afternoon and one of my dearest friends (MB, she was a bridesmaid in my wedding) is picking me up at the Denver airport since she lives in Denver and we're heading down to the Springs to the hotel to freshen up. That evening is an impromptu get together at a popular local bar. It's the ice breaker. Saturday night is the actual reunion at the hotel. MB and I are staying the night at the hotel. It helps that her mom still works there after all these years!

I'm not sure about Sunday, through when I leave late Tuesday morning, or Saturday before the reunion, for that matter. There are plenty of people to keep me busy!

I was going to stay with my brother and his family and if they're still in their house I will. Sadly they are succumbing to the tragedy that is the current economy. My mom says they've done everything they can possibly think of, but the harsh reality is they're going to lose their home of 10+ years. It breaks my heart and I wish there was something I could do, but we can barely afford our own mortgage. All I can do is not be a stressor for them while I am there, and just spend good, quality time with them. If you would, say a little prayer for them. They have two daughters, a 7 year old and one going on 1 year.

So, I also have a friend who just got stationed in the Springs who I could spend some time with. I am looking forward to the trip and the fun it promises.

Did I mention I'm leaving my children, my husband, my pets, my home, my bed? I am flying solo amongst several strangers, away from those I love. One thing's for sure I will have stopped taking Ambien by then as I'm going to need one of those wee lil bottles to tide me over for the plane ride!

independence day

let freedom ring, let the white dove sing,
let the whole world know that TODAY IS A DAY OF RECKONING,
let the weak be strong,
let the right be wrong
roll, the stone away,
let the guilty pay,
IT'S INDEPENDENCE DAY!
~lines from one of my favorite songs, by Martina McBride

Celebrate your freedom and independence as an American ♥ thank a service member and/or their family.

I haven't felt like blogging much lately, or doing much of anything for that matter.

I started Ambien the other night, about 5 nights ago now. It was on the second or third night that I had "the accident". That next morning I woke up and went to wash my face. When I went to wipe at my left eye I about yelped in pain and then wondered what in the world the reason was that it was (is) reddened and swollen. I went to ask Big B, he laughed asked me if I remembered falling.

Um, no.

He proceeded to inform me that after hearing me yell out in pain, he jumped up only to find me twisted in the elliptical trainer that sits on the side of the room that my side of the bed is on. Hearing the commotion LB came in to investigate only to find his mother looking like a human pretzel. They helped me up, to the bathroom, which evidently was my original destination, and back into bed.

This was all the day before yesterday. Today it's still swollen, painful and come to find out my right forearm is bruised up pretty good.

This incident hasn't helped the homework cause. Luckily I'm pulling strong grades in Psych and Nut. Because we had to go out of town for the funeral last week I fell behind on my A&P studies and had to ask for an extension for Exam #4 which I was set to take this past Wednesday. As it is now I'll be taking it this coming Wednesday. The delay cuts into my time for the next unit, but it just so happens to be the urinary system and fluids & electrolytes. I'm comfortable enough with just having had that subject matter, but needed the extra time for the somatic and special senses and the endocrine system, extra time that has been squandered away with injuries. Who am I kidding, it's going to be about doing some serious cramming over the next few weeks.

The boys have stayed pretty low-key lately. LB continues to do well driving and AW is staying out of trouble.

Big B and I have nearly completed the backyard landscaping, well at least for this year. I'm thinking the yard could use a couple of good specimen trees. That may wait for fall or next year.

I'm leave you with our latest 'scapes:

some befores, for reference


picture from realtor, before we owned the house

our latest work


lavender, crape myrtle, boxwood
just some potted plants, and pots with seedlings to include four o'clocks and portulaca






i love this grouping with my elephant's ears, some geranium and my little pot of cacti and succulents


I don't really have a good before and after for this, but will explain it anyway. To the right of our house, facing it, is a side entry where the previous owner had laid pea gravel. I've been meaning to get rid of the gravel along with the rose bushes that suffered in it, and lay mulch. We finally did it this past weekend. In fact I owe it all to Big B, self-proclaimed, "Mega Mulch". He did the pea gravel removal and has done all the mulching over these past few 'scaping jobs around the house. The rose bush was relocated to the back bed, center (see above photos), and we'll plant hardier, low-maintenance shrubs along the side of the house, soon.



this is actually some coneflower I transplanted in the front, but it's such a pretty color and ti will be nic eto see it mature in this spot

can't even blame the dogs

Really, you can't because it has nothing to do with dogs for the most part.



Lately when I 've been working in my gardens I've noticed patches of odd looking stuff. When I spray them with the hose nozzle a brown smokish substance emits from them. I figured they were some sort of mold or fungus. Come to find out it's what is called "dog vomit fungus". The patches aren't really a type of fungus, they are a type of slime mold. It's is more accurately called "dog vomit slime mold".



I am happy to learn it is harmless, if not scarey and will go away on its own. I'll probably still play with any patches I come across and spray them into oblivion.


You can see me spraying in the second photo, the glob of dog vomit slime mold the brown smokish stuff which is actually spores. Then the last photo is the end product that will hopefully just go away.

i've seen better days

weeks even

This week has shaped up to be a rough one as of yet.

Let's start with the highlights:

~AW made it out of the 7th grade. This is wonderful news, albeit it shouldn't be anything out of the ordinary, but when one is unsure if their child will in fact be promoted to the next grade one is happy when it happens.

~Dr. B's office called and left me a voicemail the other day notifying me that I am not menopausal. Great news, but what's up with leaving a message? Isn't that anti-HIPAA? But hey! I'm not menopausal!!

and now I'm drawing a blank

Now the low points:

Monday started out great, until my brother-in-law called. He was calling to get Big B's work phone number because their uncle had passed away the night before. Let's not forget what this past Sunday was...Father's Day. Uncle F had been battling Alzheimer's Disease for several years and had a heart attack amidst his sons and daughters on Sunday, June 21, 2009.

We drove up to NJ Tuesday for the viewing. I was ok until I saw the picture of him and Aunt AM. It's one from back in the day, say about circa 1950. He's in his sailor's uniform, she's all dolled up looking beautiful. The whole Korean War veteran thing got me. We had the military in common, not to mention this man was one of the good ones. Really, he was a devoted husband and father. Sad to see him go.

The funeral was yesterday morning. Afterward they had a brunch at a nearby restaurant and then the guys and I headed back home.

We arrived in time for LB to gather up his baseball gear and head out to the game. Players have to be at home games an hour and a half early. I'm discovering the advantages of him driving. After getting things back in to the house Big B and I headed out to pick up dinner at Subway, and then over to the game. It started out great. LB's been starting Right Fielder for the past several games. He had an off night last night, striking out three times. Actually that was the norm for pretty much everyone. They did get a few hits in but lost 7-5 in the end.

That's another advantage to LB driving,as a matter of fact. When they lose, and/or he doesn't play well he usually ends up grumpy. Well, I didn't have to ride along with him in his grumpiness last night!

Anyway, after dragging AW to all of the games as of late we decided to give him a chance at staying at home by himself again, since he's been behaving somewhat ok, and it's less expensive considering when concession stands are open children tend to think they need to support the local team.

Gave the kid an inch and he took a mile. Let's just say he's ruined his newfound independence and is now relegated to tagging along to this summer's future ballgames.

Seriously, I hate the middle school years. On a serious note, when your child continually does things to try your patience it not only wears your patience down it also wears away at your motherly confidence.

So, in the past 36 hours I've seen a great man's funeral, my eldest son's frustration at playing poorly at baseball (his passion), my youngest's antics as an unruly, near thug-like pre-teen, and oh, yeah, my husband and I have been fighting today!

8 hours til TGIF!

P.S. I am yet again, behind on my studies!

cat days of summer

not a care in the world

bedhead


how dare you disturb my slumber??

indulgences

This isn't about sin or purgatory. So much in life is precious and should be cherished, even indulged upon. Yet, so much is taken for granted.

indulge: to take unrestrained pleasure in
-Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Today is Father's Day. I live in Virginia and my father lives in Texas. We see each other once a year, if we're lucky. Today I undulged in the love I have for my husband, the father of my children. Sometimes I take him for granted. Today I decided to get up and make him breakfast rather than going out.

I decided to try and copycat a recipe for the scrumptious donuts at The Apple House. They're these wonderful, sinful little apple, cinnamon morsels of pleasure. Far be it from me to deep fry anything, as I don't do it very often. I decided to go on the hunt and see if I could make something similar. We have some Aunt Jemima Whole Wheat pancake mix, and wouldn't you know it, right there on the box is a recipe for Pancake Muffins.



It calls for:

* 2 cups Aunt Jemima® Whole Wheat Blend Pancake & Waffle Mix
* 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
* 2/3 cup 2% milk
* 1/3 cup honey
* 1 egg, slightly beaten
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil
* 1 tsp. vanilla extract

The honey we have has congealed into a crystal-like concoction I decided to abstain from using. Instead I used Maple Syrup. I substituted a 1/2 cup of the WW mix for Bisquick. I added 1 tsp of cinnamon rather than a half. We use Non-Fat Skim milk, so I added in a little margarine. I also added in finely chopped apple. Once they were done I let them cool for a few minutes while tending the bacon, hashbrowns and eggs. I melted some margarine and mixed some cinnamon sugar together. Once the muffins had cooled enough to handle I dredged them in the melted margarine and rolled them in the cinnamon sugar. They actually turned out to be quite a nice substitution for the donuts, maybe even a tad bit healthier. They were a teensy-weensy dry, but that can be rememdied with an addition of a little water.




Once everything was ready the guys and I sat down and indulged in a good meal, and each other's company. This afternoon we went and saw The Hangover and indulged in a laughter.










We must live for the few who know and appreciate us, who judge and absolve us, and for whom we have the same affection and indulgence. The rest I look upon as a mere crowd, lively or sad, loyal or corrupt, from whom there is nothing to be expected but fleeting emotions, either pleasant or unpleasant, which leave no trace behind them.
~Sarah Bernhardt

soggy saturday

Before I forget I want to share with you the enlightening information that made my evening Thursday. I was talking to one of my classmates, telling her about probably receiving my first college C, in A&P, this semester. She pointed out that because I'm taking it from another school it will just come in as transfer credit!! How totally, without a doubt, awesome is that!? Of course I knew this, but hadn't thought about it. I got a 76 on the lab exam Thursday, and a 70 on the lecture exam. Hey, passing scores=happy nursing student! And as long as I pass the course with a C or better I'm golden!

Other good news is LB is seeing alot of playing time with the American Legion team he plays for. Last year he was the low player on the totem pole and didn't see much playing time at all. I really need to talk to him about how far he wants to go with baseball. If he wants to try and play in college he needs to do showcase camps during the summer. One, the experience is priceless. It only helps him to get better. Secondly, showcase camps do exactly that-they showcase a player. College coaches are often times present, if they're not already directly involved with the camp. Showcase camps tend to be pricey (for a 2-3 day camp you're talking $399 and up), so if he doesn't really plan to play in college it isn't worth it. If he does, we'll do what we can to help him.

I'm keeping this short today as we're spending what has started out to be a rainy Saturday inside watching movies. The guys are patiently waiting for me to finish up.

ring around the posey

Today I had my visit with the OBGYN, we'll call him Dr. B. First let me say it was kind of odd, because in the military OBGYN clinics/offices I've been to children are not allowed, but today moms strolled in with their wee ones in tow.

Anyway.

I sat there reading about the nervous system, you know that unit, the one I'll be lucky to test out of with a C! Then it was my turn and Dr. B took me back and I proceeded to fill him in on my woes of late. Long story, short: he's prescribed Ambien CR and NuvaRing, which I inserted and now I wont be taking OCPs. He gave it to me to insert on my own and then returned. He gloved his left hand telling me his left hand was for his GYN patients and his right is for his OB patients. Why yes, you better use your left hand then!!! Dr. B also wrote an order for a FSH test, so after my blood was drawn I promptly paid my co-pay and skeedaddled.

I'm quite proud to say I headed straight home. This might not seem to be quite a big deal, but let me fill you in on why it really is. Dr. B's office is amidst every store you could possibly want to spend money in, and I didn't want to spend money, so I left the area PDQ! It only took a little bit of effort.

I also wanted to share our latest addition to our backyard landscaping. It's coming along slowly, but surely. The mulch pile on the driveway still exists, but it is getting smaller. We planted in one side and Big B mulched it to his heart's contentment. The other side still has a couple of open spots, so it has yet to be completed with mulch. Big B was quite proud of his mulching job, as it was his first time throwing the woody bits. He did a mighty fine job!







The day lillies, salvia, achillea, coneflower and jacob's ladder were all brought around from the front yard, so they're in shock, and will hopefully make it through the transplant process ok. The larger day lillies are the ones that look the worst, although the salvia are just lying on the dirt rather than standing tall and proud as usual. I can't wait for the crape myrtle to bloom as it is a beautiful color, called "dynamite"! It's a brilliant, firecracker red.

Ho hum. It's time I get back to working on that C! The exam this time is in two parts. One is for lecture and the other is for lab. The lab exam is nothing more than labeling, which sounds easy, until you remember you are not that nervous system savvy! You know, there are some systems you get and some you don't get as much!

I did get approval for my community college to proctor my exams for A&P, so I don't have to drive up north, which wastes a lot of time. The exams are this Thursday. Wish me luck! Cs get the degrees! C=RN!