Hi Ho Hi Ho its off to work we go

I am back among the employed and enjoying it greatly. As usually I am doing tech support, for PepsiCo this time, and not getting paid enough, as usual. But I do have free time between calls to get back to blogging on a regular basis. This is good for me. No apologies this time, just an update or two. It has been over a year since our house fire and in some ways we are still recovering. Having a decent paying job is helping but really I could use a big one time payment of a couple thousand to replace things and get back where we should be. But then who couldn't use that. I like my job, really like it. It is low stress with great coworkers and for once in my life I have seniority. I have spent the last couple of months training new hires and am just now getting back to taking calls. I need some wardrobe upgrades so I can apply for the real training positions and I need to look into training opportunities to improve my skills, hopefully this will lead to a big raise in the nearish future, another thing that has been missing in my life up until now. For once my abilities are appreciated and recognized. Yay me! I have still not picked my knitting back up, just haven't had the time / place. I am working on this and hope to have a craft area set up in the next couple of weeks. In the mean time I am working on a pair of socks for a friend (I hate socks) and playing with crochet. It keeps my fingers busy which is good and I am liking the results. No crochet patterns from or for me in the future though, I will stick to knitting for those. I like the kitchen at our apartment and am getting back into cooking, you know the fun kind not the cook to feed yourself thing. Still don't have a camera to take pics for my cooking blog but I may save up and treat myself for my birthday. Indra and I are both doing Atkins (when we aren't so sick and tired any food is good food) and that means new ways of eating and cooking. Atkins is working great for me. I have lost 50 pounds since the beginning of the year (gained 10 back because I got an ulcer) and am enjoying the results of a thinner me. I am enjoying the results of real food cooked by me and less prepackaged crud. It is an adjustment cutting out all the carbs and finding alternative to the ones I refuse to do with out, but I am doing it. And eventually I will have a camera and I will show everyone what I have been doing. The side effects of Atkins are a bit of a bother, I have dropped enough weight that nothing fits me right and I do not have enough money for a complete wardrobe. I have been picking things up here and there from other people and thrift stores but it is a slow process and a pain in the butt.

the life and times of Me

We are slowly getting our stuff back, it sounds like tomorrow will be the big day. There will be bookcases and lots of other stuff I have been told. I am hoping for yarn, of course, and books.

In recent news Dot made a bold escape from the hotel room and remains at large, search parties are going out daily but if you see a rouge calico prowling around give Cyn a call.

Last week Cookie was missing, we assumed that he had succumbed to the allure of our second floor balcony and gone walkabout. We worried and looked for him but no Cookie. When we came home from doing laundry we found a sooty outline of a cat on our hearth and Cookie looking a little dingy. Turns out he was up the chimney. Plus we now have a clean flue, minus we had a very very dirty cat. He was not happy with the bath that followed.

Today my paycheck failed to appear for the second day in a row. This is not a happy thing. Called work, called the apartment and called the post office. No Joy, work can reissue my check on thursday and overnite it to me. once again I say Not happy. I had some not so evil plots I was using my money this week to finance, you know the kind involving chocolate? Hopefully it wil resolve itself soon.

Fire! best excuse ever!

So I know I am always making excuses but honestly I have the best excuse ever this time. Fire!

For the 4th of july we had BBQ and a house fire, no relation. This resulted in us spending a week in hotels and a week at a friends before finding an apartment to live in so I could go back to earning a living.

All in all this has turned out to be for the best. We had not planned to move out until we had a car, but we are enjoying it being just the two of us again.

The down side is no stuff, the insurance company has all our belongings and has not got them back to us yet. :( also no car, and if friends and family aren't tired of us asking for rides I am sure they soon will be. The last issue is a set of stairs I have to haul things up when our furniture is released (or I get groceries). hot stairs. Hot steep stairs (cause the hot bears repeating.)

And did I mention that currently Texas is hotter than hells hinges (to quote one of Indra's news people) and honestly I don't want to even think about going outside.

ruff times

weather has moved in an out and it makes my head hurt. And really I just want a better job so I have more money, so we can get our own car and house and I have my own bed/place to hide in. Cause I really want to hide in bed today. With covers pulled up and nothing to bother me.

I have a whole season of Project Runway to watch today (Indra willing) and plenty of knitting to keep me occupied. If I could find hot and cold running nibbles I would be a happy camper.

Love is...

French Onions! My darling woman got me some at the store cause she loves me even when I have horrible onion breath!

Isn't she wonderful?

Anouther Day, or Are people really getting stupider?

I have had a run of stupid people the last couple days, I know we make jokes about them breeding but I really believe it is true. The stupid people already outnumber us and we are doing nothing to stop it.

So I am going to read a book and avoid as much stupid as I can by staying off the internet where the Stupidest Stupid lives and hopefully my IQ will regain a couple points while I sleep.

Attack of the Blahs

I've got a bad case of the blahs, I have been blaming the weather but I am thinking it is depression and well the blahs. No concentration, everything is a bit fuzzy thought wise and no energy, add in assorted I am old body aches and all I want to do is sleep until everything is better. To bad life doesn't work that way.

its been a loooong time

I have not posted in a long time and I apologize for that. the economy hit and I lost my job and my house in quick succession. I have moved in with friends and after a year found a job (half the pay of the old one) spent a lot of last year depressed out of my mind but I am getting better. I may even start posting again.

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.

Spring has sprung

Spring is officially here, I have the first rosebud outside my window and the other day a swarm of bees crossed the road in front of my car. It also means the poison Ivy is back and I got my first rash of the season, itchiness abounds. :(

In general I like spring it is one of the few times of the year I can go outside without the heat killing me. Usually I take advantage of this (and the new greenness of everything) to plant stuff. I am planning on picking up some basil and thyme today (the oregano from last year is still growing good) and am debating getting some strawberries or peppers (If Indra wasn't allergic I would be all over the tomatoes). If nothing else I have fun browsing.

I got notification last week that I had won a blog giveaway and received a very nice electronic something I am going to give Indra for Xmas. Like I told her I get 8 months of enjoyment by teasing and taunting her the joy of seeing her open it, and then I get to play with it just as much as if I had kept it for myself, which is to say not much.

To that end I took pictures, and shall post them one picture per post. Just little teasers, it will entertain me for at least a couple weeks. So picture #1.... The box it came in! OOOO AHHHH, look at that! I even included my hand for scale! see how generous I am?

You know what else spring means? Tax season is almost over and I almost have my life back.

The Word of the Day

The word of the day is Random (and not our darkly sexy friend with a thing for spiders.)

This kind of Random... Refreshed by KFC some one has been reading their Mercedy Lackey's Vladamir series. Not that is a bad Idea, just more people should do it.

And the handsome kid to the right? My nephew, apparently my sister in law is practicing her piercing on the family members (I can't wait to see the dog.

Every English Wizard present was staring, open mouthed, at what they’d just seen. Draco Malfoy, one of the biggest daddy’s boys in existence, had just attacked and threatened his father. It didn’t seem possible. It was one of the most surreal experiences any of them could remember, and Arthur had experimented with Muggle drugs.

I won something really nice (which I am not naming here) that I have decided to tuck away for a Xmas gift to Indra. I plan on mentioning it alot because it is cute when Indra gets worked up.

My birthday gifts are grand, I have made ice cream and rice (not together silly) several times. The ice cream still needs work (texture is to grainy for Indra) but the rice is nummy! So I foresee much fun in my future playing with food.

Any one wanting to give me a belated birthday present (or who just has cash to burn), I would like a flickr pro account, A Lowe's gift certificate so I can buy plants, a pasta machine or I am still waiting for that Kitchen Aid Mixer.

Happy birthday to me

Today was my birthday, and while I wish I could report that is was a perfect day, it has been along time since I have had one of those, and never on my birthday. It is like my birthday is cursed. (I think last yr I did a similar rant so feel free to wander away)

I got a concussion one year, the year I decided to have a birthday party no one came (not even my cousins), I have had a birthday cake that was slightly scorched and tilted at a 45 degree angle, when I went to college my father didn't send me a birthday card or present until Xmas time, and then their is all the years I had angel food cake for my birthday because it was dads favorite (I am not a big fan of angel food, my favorite is chocolate or pie, I like pie).

This year has been about par for the course, not terribly bad but it still fell short of expectations. Starting with last night when it went from 80 degrees outside to 40, I woke up at some strange am freezing important bits. I was then woken up about 3 hours before I would have preferred cause someone was cold and hungry (let me give you a hint it wasn't me). Because of the cold miserableness I did not get the house work done I wanted, and the rain and weather has made my head ache all day.

On the plus side I did not have to work, I got 60 dollars for watching a friends cat while they are out of town, said to heck with everything and went shopping for me food (easy and tasty) so we had real french toast (made with french bread) and real maple syrup for brunch and for supper we are having cheese enchiladas and apple pie courtesy of the freezer section with vanilla and black walnut ice cream (the black walnut makes me very happy).

For presents a friend bought me a good rice cooker and I bout myself and icecream machine and recipe book. I found out that you can make a wish list on Target (I listed all the kitchen stuff I want) and that the company spotlight awards will work on overstock.com and for things other than books at amazon (I did alot of window shopping).

Only three things left on my I don't need it but boy do I want it list, a good pasta machine, a Kitchen Aide mixer and an upright freezer. Right now I seam to be on a roll, who knows what I will have by this time next year (if you want to win major points with me the kitchen aide is the way to go, though the pasta machine would make my day (the kitchen aide would make my year)

FYI: my perfect birthday would be getting to sleep in, no house work (cause everything was already clean) and someone else cooking, Presents would be nice too with colorful paper and big bows.

Quick note

I am finally feeling better, took three weeks, but still life is looking up.

I have two weeks of dishes and cleaning to do.

I am tired, oh so tired.

I love Indra.

I love Indra (something's need repeating).

The end

just one of those days

This tax season is so bad I have started drinking Dr Pepper again. I have been caffeine free for several yrs and now this.

I was sick last week, it seems to be a never ending theme with me. I was miserable the whole time but not so miserable I didn't get frustrated that I wasn't getting anything done. Fortunately I got better rather dramatically, and almost caught up with my missed week. But the point is I am tired of being sick or busy or what ever that keeps me from having a life.

I am not sure what I am going to do about it (besides stop drinking Dr Pepper) but something has got to change. I have a feeling what is going to have to change is me and the way I think. And you know those are some of the hardest things to change.