In other news

Indra and I are making changes. it is slow but we are going to do it. We both need to loose weight, we want a cleaner house (dirty dishes on the counter is a sorry thing) and we both want to eat better. Depression is a major obstacle for both of us, followed closely by pain (it is hard to clean when it hurts to sweep).

We are making plans, simple easy plans, and starting to dream (while trying to stay realistic, I will never be a size 14 again, I will be very lucky to every see a size 16 again) But it is a start.

I have a new knitting project, it is a Xmas present for Indra that she sort of knows about but since it is lace (with beads) she won't get to fully see it until I give it to her, right now it is sort of scrunchy.

I am quiting Daring Bakers, I just don't have the energy, money or interest needed to complete their challenges, instead I will be challenging myself to cook at least one recipe a month from my favorite desert book. Classic Home Desserts by Richard Sax. Indra and I have a system worked out, I select the chapter and she selects the recipe. To make it a little more challenging I am going to be reducing the recipes to two person size and I am thinking about making a second variation of each just to challenge my creativity. Indra has expressed an interest in baking bread (which I am all for) so hopefully there will be fresh bread around here soon too.

Indra is talking about starting up blogging again, and I am going to try and blog more if only for myself. Indra wants us to do a blog together but I am really not sure about that, we have to drastically different styles and different interests and well everything. We will have to see what happens. Meanwhile I am redesigning my food blog High on the Hog. It needs some color and graphics and sparkle and pizazz! I may even be using wordpress with it, assuming of course I figure out how to do that.

My AC1 results came back as stop eating bad stuff before you become diabetic (so did Indra's) so we are trying to cut down on processed foods and carbs and up the protein and veggies we consume. It is not easy let me tell you. Protein costs money, and that is something in short supply around here, so Indra and I are talking food alot more and she is going to be helping me more so I can cook food instead of just heating things up. At least that's the plan and we all know how well those work.

In other news I have given up on WOW and am now playing EQ2, granted not alot but it really is alot more my speed. As a bonus they have housing for me to decorate :)

Sorry!!!

It has been a bit since my last post for which I apologize. I got busy, got sick and played a whole bunch of catchup. Lately it has been I felt like crap, mostly anyway.

For those of you that don't follow Facebook and aren't members of Recipes to Rival (shame on you) I spent a week in the hospital and three weeks on either side of that feeling slightly better than crap. So I spent my whole month not eating, not cooking and not doing much of anything not required for basic survival.

I learned a couple things this month, like after a week of juice, malt-o-meal can make me cry and when you have a fever of 104 an ice bath is a lovely thing. I also learned that I have no idea how to clean and hiring a maid once in a while will make my life much much cleaner (and happier). I also learned that you can't dry heave forever, eventually you will find something to get rid of (not my most favorite discovery).

Most importantly I rediscovered how great my friends are, the one that took care of the car payment, the one that paid the electric bill and the one that got the new water heater on their Lowe's card. Not to mention the constant calls to see how I was doing and offering to drive an hour to take Indra shopping or pick up meds.

So Thanks all, and I got alot of catching up to do. :)

The Weekend

This was the most productive weekend I can remember ever. I made strudel, I made onion strings, I did 4 dishwasher loads and 2 washers of cloths, I swept the floor and washed the dogs. I got highlights in my hair for the first time ever and waxed my eyebrows (also the first time). I moved Indra's computer to a bigger Case and hooked up her secondary drives. I did a little weeding and went to the movies. In short I was busy and accomplished alot.

I also figured out at least some of my health issues, I am getting night sweats because I can't breathe laying down (I have started sleeping in a recliner until I can get my mask recalibrate). My stomach has been acting up because I hurt, I am apparently gulping air when I get tired and giving myself gas and if I don't take pain pills my stomach gets cranky and I feel rotten. So I am being scanned and poked and prodded to figure it all out. I know more about my insides now than I ever wanted to.

So I guess it is a mixed bag, but in general I am feeling pretty positive. Now if I could only win the lottery

Rain Rain go away

It has been raining off and on for the last several days, sometimes it is just a sprinkle and other times it is sheets of rain marching across the land scape. The yard is loving it, I am sure the pecans this year will be gorgeous. Indra and I are not as fond of it however. Our sinuses and allergies are making us tired and irritable. Plus I am cold, and being cold in Texas in may is just wrong. It is also limiting my activities on the weekends which I take exception to, tax season is over, I am suppose to be able to go outside on the weekend and do things.

All the rain has brought the fleas out in force and everybody is infested. I have ordered the flea meds but who knows when it will get here until then I think the boys are going to be getting frequent baths.

To add to the misery Indra's thyroid is being bad and making her tireder and sore and just plain Icky. My tummy is acting up, I am not sure if it is a result of the surgery or something new and interesting. Hopefully the Dr. will fix it on Friday.

Not everything is Doom and Gloom though. I received an invitation to Abacus from the Mushroom Council for a three-course meal, including a recipe demo and discussion on the latest mushroom ideas and trends from chef Kent Rathbun. To say I was thrilled would be an understatement. Indra was jealous until she heard it was about mushrooms, then she just made me promise to take her some day for regular food. Indra is using this as an excuse to doll me up. Personally I am still hung up on someone reading my blog and thinking that this would be a good event for me.

Riding this high, Indra took me out to get booze. Originally she was looking for hard liqueur, Bourbon, amaretto, rum, etc. We ended up in a wine shop however and after she was done drooling over the meat we did a small wine tasting and she bought me a very nice bottle to redo my Coq au Vin with. We signed up for their mailing list also and I think we are both looking forward to going back for more tastings. Since I don't like drinking wine, it surprised me that I enjoyed the tasting.
Indra also picked up some bottles of gourmet vanilla cream soda that wasn't half bad.

Indra is trying to convince me to celebrate an un Xmas so she can have her prezzie early. I compromised and told her I would show her another hint. This is what was hiding under the bubble wrap. Wonder what it could be ;) And no I am not removing the protective wrap so you can get a better look. At least not yet.

Under the weather

We were Internet less this weekend starting about Friday afternoon. Indra went into serious withdrawal and started to clean. It got so bad she scrubbed the kitchen counter with a toothbrush. Granted it was an electric toothbrush but still. If it wasn't so cruel I would consider random Internet outages to keep the house clean.

I am in training for the next several weeks, A+ and Individual tax. I start work at 8:30 and the A+ class ends at 10, that is really not alot of time for a life, or well anything. Poor Indra is having to take care of herself and the house without me. I come home and pass out, if she is lucky I may peck her cheek on my way thru.

The A+ class is easy, I have taken the test and passed once already, granted it was several years ago, and not alot has changed. Besides I do that stuff for a living. But I get a new computer out of it and a shiney new certificate to hang on the wall.

The Ind class on the other hand has me scared. I am not good with money and the IRS insanity called a tax code. Honestly it gives me a headache and makes me very frustrated. To add to the pressure this means I will be expected to take at least a few tax calls. I have alot of mixed feeling about the whole thing but I can't complain to much, I did volunteer after all.

I find it ironic that I am spending all day on a computer but I am not finding enough time to do all the things I need to do on the computer. I also find it Ironic that working as hard as I do in a supposedly well paying field that I have as many money worries as I do. Obviously I am doing something wrong.

The sucker punch to my productivity the last week or so (besides the appendix thing) has been the weather. It has been rainy, hot and all around blechy. I have felt lethargic, sticky and floaty headed, not exactly conducive to hard work. Which has been bad because as always there is alot to do and alot I want to do and neither is getting done. I am almost at the point of having a bunch of friends over to clean everything.

Insult and Injury

Last Thursday I had my Appendix removed. Believe me this surprised me as much as anyone.

I had gone to bed Wed at my regular time only to be woken up about midnight with stomach pains. The Mexican from supper I figured and went back to sleep. I woke up several more times and by 6:50 hurt to much for sleep. At that point I figured out it wasn't the Mexican, because as far as I know Mexican doesn't hurt in just the lower right hand side.

I confirmed the 'not Mexican' feeling with a handy google search, decided it was also not kidneys, and figured out for anything more specific than I think it might be my appendix I would need a professional opinion. besides its not like I could treat not Mexican or kidneys myself.

At this point it is almost 8 so I decide to wait another 10 minutes to see what my local Dr thought, since I did not want to go to the emergency room if I had any other options. Unfortunately I chose a day the Dr was out and the nurse was late to get sick, so off to the emergency room i went. I decided against the ambulance because even though it was a 30 minute drive I figured I would be alot more comfortable sitting up then laying down (and ambulance rides are expensive).

I have nothing but good things to say about my emergency room experience. That might have to do with being out of my mind with pain and then pain killers but I don't think so. I was treaged quickly and in bed with out alot of poking, prodding or questioning. Even better they came by with morphine pretty soon after that.

I have been to the emergency room with other people enough to know they don't hand out pain pills until after they have decided whats wrong with you and that you really need it, so I was very surprised and very grateful. It didn't stop the hurting but it was enough to take the edge off. I was extremely grateful.

They gave me an IV and took a ton of blood, made em pee in a cup, sonogramed and scanned me. By noon they had a diagnosis, sick appendix, and by 3 I was out of surgery.

I really don't remember much of the recovery room, except for some strange reason my shoulder really hurt. They gave me more morphine, called Indra for me, and Most importantly gave me something to drink! I had a couple sips of water at 7:30 am and nothing else since 9 pm the night before. To say I was bone dry would be an understatement. Just before I lost consciousness again they said my oxygen was low and gave me an oxygen tube. Then they got panicky because I was cold, I got 4 heated blankets and told to keep my hands under the covers.

I woke up feeling pretty good and alot more lucid, I could actually use big people words (instead of owchie) and complete sentences. They told me I looked alot better then when I first came in (I didn't feel a whole lot better) and once I had proven that I was once again functioning, they said I could go home.

5pm and I was taken home by some good friends, even better they split up and Paul drove my car so I didn't have to worry about it. Not that I was worried about much of anything at that point.

Indra took over from there and for the last week I have not been allowed to do anything. I belched every time I set up for the first couple days and used alot more pain pills then I expected. On top of that I got my period and poison ivy. I am better than I was but not where I would like to be.

Pictures are from my visit (once I discovered I had my camera and the pain meds kicked in enough for me to get bored.)

Boxes

Easter came and I finally got the Xmas tree down. I also cleaned like crazy and did some baking, over all a pretty productive day. I even decorated eggs with Jon, which was fun but now I have a dozen hard boiled eggs to eat.

Whoever is responsible for our hold music needs help. Just today I have listened to a woman singing about being a better man and a man singing about love hurting so good. It almost makes me scared to transfer calls. And our clients are not getting any smarter (or happier). this morning they were all calling in about an alert (see screen shot) they thought that it meant the efile deadline was 4/9. One guy yelled at me for 5 minutes because he read a message wrong (he thought return/extension meant it was efiling an extension not a return). I will be so glad when this is over.

It got cold after it got warm (again) but we are back to decent weather. Soon it will be to hot to do anything, but for now I am enjoying it. I am also working furiously at getting the kitchen cleaned so after tax I can dismantle it and put everything back where I can find it. Right now cleaning something involves moving alot of things around and putting other things in their place. I feel productive though.

Ready for the second installment of taunt Indra. We have rules in this house about opening other people boxes. But its really not Indra's box until I give it to her, So I am going to show you whats in the box today!

Ta Da! packing material! Huzzah! But wait, what is that underneath those giant bubbles? ......

You will have to wait for next time.