Happy New Year!

 

Here's hoping 2013 is good to you and yours!

Merry Christmas!

 
 
I hope you have a VERY Merry Christmas! Love to you all!

A Light At the End of the Tunnel?

Yes, there actually may be a light at the end of the tunnel! And hopefully, *fingers crossed* it isn't a freight train.....

We have been working constantly, shedding blood, sweat, and tears on this new system that we are switching over to. Even though it won't go "live" until Summer 2013, we have a handful of classes piloting it this upcoming Spring semester. Which means we have to have things ready for the students in the pilot classes.Like an orientation to train them how to use the new system.

Which is my baby.

The drop-dead date for having this ready to go? TODAY.

Is it ready to go? It will be, before the work day is done.

The last 2-1/2 months have been brutal. Not only still working with our current system, but trying to learn the admin side of the new program, develop training materials for instructors, and creating a whole new student training from the ground up. Yes, BRUTAL.

I have lost sleep, I have cried many tears, thrown a few things (yes, literally have just let things fly), and threatened to drop-kick my computer down the hallway and back again.

But it's A-L-M-O-S-T finished now. Just putting on the last few "tweaks" and then turning it over to the "big guys" to get the students in it.

Wish me luck!

INSANITY.......

The past week-and-a-half has been insane. INSANE.....and then some.

We are working on our usual semester "stuff" and also trying very hard to learn the new system, all the ins-and-outs and nooks-n-crannys and just how the whole damn thing works. And I'm tired. And confused. And have a headache.

And losing sleep. Seriously......

Last Friday, I was exhausted, and basically was a zombie all day. The work day FINALLY ended, and once I got hom and had some supper, it was in the jammies and hit the bed early. After sitting up reading for a bit, it was "lights out" and time for a good night's sleep.

That turned out not to be the case.

I woke up about 1-1/2 hours later, WIDE awake. For no good reason.  *sigh*

After tossing and turning for about a half-hour, I finally decided it was best to get up before all my restlessness woke up Dear Mr. Dizzy. So me and my Kindle headed out to the living room to do some reading, figuring that would make me drowsy again soon and I could head back to bed.

The next thing I know, it's 5:30 AM. I was STILL wide awake, and had been up reading all night!

*sigh*

My alarm was set for 7:00 AM, so I just went back to bed and kind of lightly dozed on and off until it rang, then got up.

At that point? I was really, really foggy, and felt like I was walking through clouds.

Uh oh, this was NOT going to be good. We had a full day planned, and I was running on basically NO sleep.

I got dressed and headed to the Gym, hoping a bit of physical activity would help get the blood flowing and wake me up a bit. Also, the morning was a bit on the cool side, so that would help. Right? RIGHT?

Nope. Not a chance.  *sigh*

So after an extremely brief stint on the elliptical and a few minutes on the recumbent bike, I headed back out. After a quick stop to gas up the Jeep, it was on home to get ready to meet Dad for the Caterpillar Open House.

We got to Cat right as they opened up for the festivities at 11:00 AM, and headed on in. We walked. And walked. And walked some more. Dad was having trouble getting around, so we got a wheelchair and I pushed him around the buildings. And pushed. And pushed some more.

All this with basically NO sleep, remember.....

Once we were finished with the tours, it was 1:30. Dad decided to head on back home, and we made a quick run to the house to freshen up a bit and make it to our NEXT appointment - - our former neighbors' 60th Anniversary Party.

We went there for 2 hours and talked and chatted and visited and had a pretty good time. And somehow - - SOMEHOW - - stayed awake. But I was running out of steam, and fast!

We finally made it back home. *sigh*  It felt SO good be be home and able to get all relaxed and comfy! I immediately went to bed and took a 2 hour nap, and once back awake, felt much better.

I usually don't suffer from insomnia. If it ever does happen, it's usually during times of great stress. I can only think that was the cause this time.....last week was TOTALLY horrendous (especially Wednesday, which was HELL).

I'm hoping it starts to slow down a bit soon. Please?

9/11/01 - Never Forget

I know I never will.

Is It Spring Again?

Temps today are in the lower 70's, it is sunny, the sky is a beautiful shade of blue with big puffy clouds floating by, there is a beautiful breeze.....and after getting around 3" of rain in the last week-and-a-half, we have been mowing the past 2 days. The grass has gotten back it's beautiful green color, and growing FAST!

It almost seems like it's May instead of September.....but I am NOT complaining!

Enjoy your Sunday!

Deja Vu All Over Again

This has been a strange, strange day.

First, a bit of background - - I grew up in a small town, and attended a Catholic Grade School. It wasn't a good experience for me, and I do not have many good memories of that place. In fact, I can only think of 1 year (5th Grade) that I could consider a good, happy time. I only went there 7 out of the 8 grades, and then went to the public Junior High for 8th and 9th grades, then on to the public high school.

Seventh Grade was the most difficult year for me. The teacher, Sister Mary Rosalie, was also the Mother Superior for that Convent. She was difficult at best as a teacher. At the first part of the year, she acted okay towards me; actually, she acted TOO okay towards me, to the point where some of the other students started called me a "teacher's pet" and really giving me a hard time. Well, I soon found out why she was acting so favorably towards me - - she (or maybe the voices in her head) had decided that I had "the calling" and she had me targeted for Sisterhood (Nunhood? Whatever the hell you call it).

How did I find this out? Apparently she was talking to my parents. A lot. A LOT. To the point where they were pretty much convinced that maybe there might be something to it.

Finally, my parents said something to ME about it. (Yeah, THANKS Mom and Dad for FINALLY including me in on the conversation) I was shocked, to put it mildly. I was NOT in any way even remotely thinking about that as a life path, not at all! I had NO interest in it! My parents then told me that Sr. Rosalie had apparently been talking to them quite a lot, and had even talked to them about me attending the all-girls Catholic high school in Springfield, and then going on from there to becoming a Novice.

Oh.My.God. No. Just - - NO.

Needless to say, I was scared half out of my mind. Here my parents thought that she had been talking about this with ME, and that I was totally on board with all of this, and that she was talking with THEM on my behalf. WHICH WAS SO TOTALLY NOT THE CASE.

I was so afraid that things had already been planned and put in place, and that I would be forced into going somewhere and doing something I had NO desire to go to or do. It was such a scary time that I just burst into tears. I think THAT is probably what finally made my parents realize just exactly what had been going on, and they were finally able to calm me down by letting me know that if I did not want it, it would not happen that way.

Then they decided to let Sr. Rosalie know. And THAT? Is when the REAL fun started.

Sr. Rosalie changed overnight from treating me as if I were the "golden child" to treating me as if I were something she just scraped off her shoe. She ridiculed me and belittled me in front of the class at any opportunity. She even had the nerve to say one time that I was going to just be nothing but trash and be a product of the streets. (She stopped just short of calling me a whore)

It was hell. Sheer, total HELL.

It got to the point where I would get sick whenever it was time to go to school, but never got sick on the weekends. I would cry for no reason. I had nervous twitches and was jumpy all the time. And I was scared to death to tell my parents, because I was scared to death that it would just make the situation even worse.

But I finally told them. And the met with the Sister. And I don't know exactly what all was said, but when they got home they told me there was nothing to worry about.

And they were right - - kind of. Apparently they had it out with her, big time, and also informed her that I would NOT be attending the school for 8th grade; that they were pulling me out and sending me to the public Junior High a year early.

Sr. Rosalie started just pretty much ignoring me. Which was fine. The school year went pretty much uneventful (at least where she was concerned) except for one or two incidents. But, it was much easier to take it in stride, knowing that I was leaving at the end of the school year and would not have to put up with her much longer.

ANYWAY - - I told THAT story to explain what happened TODAY.....

The Grade School is celebrating their 125th Anniversary, and today was their Open House. Dad called to tell me about it, and I got the distinct impression he wanted me to go with him, since he is sponsoring the 3rd Grade classroom and wanted to meet the teacher.

The last thing I wanted to do was go into that school. For any reason. But it was for my Daddy, so I went. And was actually pleasantly surprised.....

The school has been completely redone inside. And they have TECHNOLOGY. Every classroom has a SmartBoard, a laptop, and Elmo's. They have a computer lab with 17 stations running Windows 7 Professional, and Office 2010. (Yeah, the computer "geek" in me is jumping with joy!) Classrooms are light and airy, with lots of good things to teach the students.

I went through the school, looking at my old classrooms, just amazed at all the changes and up-to-date equipment. Then, while Dad was visiting with the 3rd Grade teacher, I decided it was time. Time to face my old "demons" and go back into my old 7th grade classroom. And even though I know it was many, many years ago, and that my old nemesis is long gone, it took everything inside me to make myself walk in that room. And the whole time I was talking with the 5th Grade teacher (who has that room now) and we were having a good time discussing the technology and all the new things, my nerves were still twitching. That was the room of my worst gradeschool nightmares. And even though everything - and I do mean EVERYTHING - has changed in there, that room still haunted me.

Guess it always will. Because you see, Sr. Rosalie may have been my worst nightmare in that room, but there was another incident that happened in there that only three people know about - - myself, the perpetrator, and one other classmate who came to my "rescue" know about. I never told the teacher (as if she would have done anything about it? Not bloody likely...), and I never told my parents. I have not ever told anyone about it, and even to this day (around 45 years later), I can't. I never see the perpetrator, since he and his family moved right after that school year (thank God!). I still see my "rescuer" now and then at class reunions and such, and we talk about school and even about Sr. Rosalie, but he and I never mention that incident and the part he played in helping me.

Wonder if I will ever be able to let it go? Maybe someday, maybe not. But at least going to the Open House today showed me that time has passed and things are completely different. Maybe that will help me move past this also.

Someday. Maybe.

I Knew This Would Happen.....

The beginning of the Fall Semester - - the "Nightmare Semester" - - and my blogging goes to hell in a handbasket.....but I warned you, remember? I DID WARN YOU.

*sigh*

It's been insane.

But it is starting to look like things are settling down, just a tiny little bit. Or maybe I am just so frazzled that I don't even notice it anymore.

Definitely possibility, that.....

But whatever.

In spite of all the insane-ness and crazy-ness and what-all-ness, I am hereby pledging to start blogging again this weekend. And actually continue it on into the following week! Imagine! Crazy talk!

Let's see how it goes.....

Rough, Rough Week

This has been SUCH a rough week, both here at the Dizzy household, and at work. I am so glad it is finally over!

Some of the "highlights" (if they can be considered that):

~ Lost a coworker this weekend. Mary was a dear, sweet lady, who worked tirelessly supporting students with accommodations. She did so much for the College, and will be truly missed. Her son was a student worker of mine many, many years ago, and was a very nice, hard-working young man who has gone on to do great things with his life. I had not seen him for years, but ran into him with his mother late last Spring. He was getting out of the service and was moving to Korea to work and live. He is back in the States for the funeral, and I will be attending the visitation; not just to see him, but to show my support for Mary and her family. It is a sad, sad time for the College at the moment.

~ We are in the process of not only trying to get things going for the Fall Semester, but also in planning the implementation of a new Learning Management System (LMS) for the College. So not only are we having to deal with the daily mess of the Fall "Nightmare" Semester, we are trying to learn the new LMS, and also the Admin (back) side of the LMS. And THEN creating training materials to train faculty on building courses, and for students to learn how to use it. I nightmare of epic proportions, for sure.

~ The drought has taken its toll on our entire property. Trees are suffering, and the grass is brown and "crunchy".....and we have been worried sick about our well and the possibility of running out of water. But this weekend? The remnants of Hurricane Isaac are dumping some welcome, much-needed rain! We have gotten over 2 inches so far, and it looks like we will getting more. Not a drought buster, but still very, very welcome.

Well, time to go back to the sunroom and watch the rain fall. It's SUCH a welcome sight! Thanks, Isaac, for bringing some much-needed moisture to this parched area!

The New Game At Our House.....

When we make the bed - - it's called "Find the Kitty"......

FRIDAY......

Sweet, wonderful Friday!

This has been  one helluva week, and I am SO grateful that it is almost over. Everyone in my office is exhausted and stressed, and are feeling a bit worse for wear.

Next week - - hopefully - - things will slow down a bit.

*keeping fingers crossed*

Hell Week Two (Tuesday)

Hell Week Two is in full swing, and chaos reigns supreme. And that, basically, is all I have the energy to say.

My whole body is just plain, totally exhausted.

Hopefully able to post more tomorrow - - time for this one to head for bed and try to find the energy for tomorrow.

'Night.....

Living In the Country

I grew up in town. Sure, it was a small town, but my Mom grew up in New York City. We went there for family vacations. I feel at home in an urban setting - - either small town or large metropolis.

But Dear Mr. Dizzy and I live in a rural setting. Thankfully, we live only 5 minutes from "civilization" - - work, restaurants, the Mall, so it's bearable for me. I'm not a country lass; I'm a city girl. This close proximity to actual people and places and "things" keeps me sane and happy. (Well, being married to the fine Mr. Dizzy doesn't hurt, either.)

But, one of the things I actually DO like about living in a country setting? Little surprises of nature. And some not-so-little surprises of nature - - such as the time I counted a herd of 16 deer roaming in our back yard late one night.

But THIS little surprise greeted us this evening:




NOTE: This is NOT a picture of the actual owl that was there. I could not get outside and close enough to get a shot of it. Clip art copyrighted by photographer:  Anguskirk, license CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

That bad boy was HUGE, standing proud on one of our fenceposts, surveying the cornfield, hunting for his dinner. And from the times we saw him suddenly fly down from the fencepost to the ground, he was pretty successful. I'm sure he has a full tummy tonight.

It was a nice, calming thing to watch after an extremely hectic day at the office, ducking the flying monkeys and side-stepping the clown cars......

Counting Down.....

Classes start Monday. Hell Week Two starts Monday. It's shaping up to be an "interesting" semester already, and it hasn't even officially started yet!

*sigh*

It's gonna be fun.....

PS: On a totally unrelated topic, I just read online that Jamie Lee Curtis is NOT coming back to the NCIS show next season. This? Makes me as giddy as a schoolgirl! Just sayin' is all.

You Say It's Your Birthday?

Happy Birthday to ME!  :)

Could It Be.....???

Could it? Possibly? No - - well, maybe?

Is it actually possible that it is actually RAINING outside?

And I am not talking just a tiny sprinkle here and there, the way it has been for MONTHS (if any at all).....

We are talking BUCKETS here. And even though I have a weather headache, that's fine. It makes me HAPPY.

We need this rain so bad. I know this isn't a drought-buster, not by any means, but it is very, very welcome.

Now where did I put that aspirin bottle......

Wednesday.......

Day Three, Hell Week One. The clown cars showed up right on schedule.....it's getting kinda bumpy, hang on!

Tuesday

I have survived (somehow) Day Two of Hell Week One.

Somehow.

The flying monkeys are circling overhead, and the clown cars are in the wings, revving their engines and waiting to make their appearance.

And with the way the past 2 days have gone in our office, that could be at any time.....

This week (and next) are gonna be one helluva ride.....

Well, It's Starting.....

It is becoming very obvious that the semester start is just one week away.......it's getting totally insane already! Things are flying in faster than I can keep track of them!

I may happen to miss a day or two of blogging if I have to work late, or get home and just drop on the couch exhausted. But I will try to keep up the best I can.

Wish me luck......

Ouch.....

All the walking at the Decatur Celebration last weekend, and all the walking up and down the hills and valley of the State Fair, and being on my feet all day yesterday working, has all caught up with me. My legs are killing me!

Time for the aspirin bottle - - 

I Hate Working On Saturdays.....

But sometimes it happens. Today we had a workshop for new and returning part-time instructors. It was a pretty interesting, fast-paced day, but of course you always have "glitches" that happen. This time? It was nothing to do with the session, the presenters, or anyone or anything connected to the college - - it was with Panera's. Yup, the bagel place.

The office coordinating the workshop ordered breakfast and lunch from the local Panera's last week. Everything was paid for in advance; all that needed to be done today was to pick up the breakfast foods in the morning, and the lunchboxes before lunch. Easy-peasy, right?

Yeah, not so much.

My coworker got there a little after 8:00 AM. They didn't have the order rung up or waiting for her; they made her stand in line, and then wait while they got it rung up and got her a receipt. Before she left she checked to make sure the lunch order would be ready; oh, lunch? Better check on that - - um, yeah, maybe you had better do that. Once the lunch order was verified, she was finally able to take off and head out to the college so we could get all set up for the 9:00 AM start. 

I left to head across town to Panera's about 10 minutes after 11:00 AM to pick up the lunches and have them back in time to get lunch all set up and ready for the Noon break. Got there, told the cashier that I was there to pick up 30 lunches for {college}, and she said to me, "Oh, is it an order you have already placed?"

Um, no, sweet pea - - I just decided to randomly come in off the street and see how fast you all can scramble and make me 30 box lunches.

I would have LOVED to be able to say that out loud. But, I just bit my lip, and said "Yes" - - she got me a manager who verified the order. I thought I was in luck....he grabbed the big bags and helped me carry them out, and off I headed back to the college to set up.

Once I got everything carted inside and started setup, I noticed - - something is not quite right here - - I'm counting boxes - - and instead of 30 lunches? They gave me 20. But the receipt was for 30.

OH, GREAT.

I headed back out, calling the manager as I'm in the car driving back. He goes back into the cooler to check - - yup, there is another bag! Ha ha, gee whiz, I totally overlooked that one. Ha ha, sorry, my fault. Can I come pick it up? Since we DO NOT deliver on weekends?

Well hey, asshat, I'm already on my way. Please be ready, because I will not stand in line.

He met me at the door of Panera's and brought the bag out to me. Along with a bag of pastries and cookies to "make up" for his mistake.Buddy, that doesn't even come close to making it up in my book.

When I left Panera's, I had four minutes before lunch was scheduled. FOUR. MINUTES.

I was late.

Fortunately, the speaker ran a few minutes over. I had just enough time to schlep everything in and set it up, and they hungry crowd was ready to eat.

*whew*

This is the FOURTH time I have had bad luck at our local Panera's in the past year - - both food-wise and customer service-wise. I refuse to go there anymore because of it. The only reason I went this time? It was for work, and I was picking up for someone else.

If I never darken their door again, it will be WAYYYYY too soon. I wish we could get an Einstein's Bagel here in town and run Panera's out of business.


Update on pictures: With the hectic day working, I have not had the chance to try and figure out how to get the pictures of the State Fair off my phone. But tomorrow I am going get Mr. Dizzy to help me - - he's so good at that kind of thing!

State Fair Time

Mr. Dizzy and I decided to take the day off and head over to the State Fair for the day. The weather was beautiful - - around 78 degrees, partly cloudy, and a nice breeze. It was a nice, fun, relaxing day.

My feet hurt.  :)

I have a few pictures, and will hopefully get them posted tomorrow. If I can figure out how to get them off my phone card, that is.....I used to know how to do it, but that was with my old phone, and I haven't learned everything about this phone yet!

Hopefully tomorrow they will be availabke.

Decatur Celebration, Day 3 - Winding Down

Sunday was a BEAUTIFUL day! The temps were in the 80's, it was partly sunny, and there was a nice breeze. So why is it, of the 3 days, this was the ONLY day I got any sunburn? My whole neck was red! Fortunately, it looked worse than it felt, and with a bit of aloe to take out the sting, it was all good.....

We had a very busy day on the Show Stage on Sunday. Our first two shows were the Boat Drunks, a Jimmy Buffet Tribute Band:


They were supposed to put on two shows, but..... of course things can't just good smoothly and as planned, can they? It turned out that Billy Ocean's flight plans had been delayed (does that sound familiar?) and he and his band would be running a bit late. So a decision had to be made - - either have the second show of the Boat Drunks, or have Billy Ocean's band soundcheck, but there was no way with the scheduling restraints that both could happen. (With 10 stages, times have to be coordinated so that one band does not interfere with another stage's band)

So the decision was made to cancel the second show for the Boat Drunks, and the setup/soundcheck for Billy Ocean was underway.

(A side note about this? We had spent a LOT of time backstage, blowing up beach balls for the band to throw out during their second set. I now have them here in my office, looking for a home. Beach volleyball, anyone?)

Soundcheck got completed, and the sound of the music started bringin the crowds. They started piling in. And piling in more. And more.....it was actually getting a bit "scary" the closer it got to showtime. And unfortunately, Billy Ocean himself was delayed - - for his 8:00 show, he got here on the grounds approximately 8:05. They whisked him off to the dressing rooms, and in about 15 minutes, he was out, on stage, and performing his heart out. So his show may have gotten a 20 minute late start, but he performed an incredible show. And the crowd loved him. LOVED him.


Once the show was finished and he came offstage, he did something that made me realize what a good, sweet man he was, and has endeared him to me forever - - backstage was a Celebration Board Member, with a young boy in a wheelchair. As Mr. Ocean was walking back towards the dressing room area, surrounded by 3 or 4 security people, he stopped, said "Wait a minute" and knelt down by the wheelchair to have his picture taken. The look on that young boy's face - - oh my, I am ready to tear up here - - well, he just BEAMED.

Add that to the fact that in the following "Meet and Greet" that some fans were lucky enough to attend went on FOREVER (he loved meeting and talking with each and every fan) ..... he is a very kind, sweet man. I am so glad he came to our festival, and feel honored to not only have seen him perform, but got to see him in the close proximity of backstage.

We got home late, tired and sweaty, achy, and SO ready for sleep! Monday was going to be a L-O-N-G, sleepy day.

But it was well worth it. Looking forward to next year!

Decatur Celebration, Day 2 - BRUTAL

Saturday the temps and humidity were brutal.

BRUTAL.

The kind where you feel like a giant weight is on you and you can't hardly breathe. 

If it weren't for the big fan we had backstage we would have not made it.

But, we made it, and got the job done!  :)

The Spin Doctors were the band Saturday evening:.

They not only put on a great show, but they were VERY nice guys! The bass player came up from the hospitality area between sets to visit with fans and spend some time with the stage crew people. And after the second set, the entire band spent nearly an hour signing autographs, getting pictures taken with fans, and just visiting and having fun with everyone.

So it may have been a brutally hot day and evening, but it was worth it to be able to work with such a good group of guys as they were.

Tomorrow? Day 3!

Decatur Celebration, Day 1 - Kickoff

The Mr. and I got downtown to the Stage around3:30 PM Friday afternoon. Downtown streets had been blocked off since about 5:00 AM and stage construction started. By the time we got there our stage was completely built, and most of the equipment for the Opening Ceremonies and the night's band was set up. The weather was nice - - hot, but slightly overcast and a nice breeze, so it was easier to tolerate the heat.

We got our first inkling of trouble when our stage manager was told that Mitch Ryder's flight had been delayed - - and delayed again - - and delayed AGAIN....... and finally that he was not going to be able to make it for the first show. Fortunately, Michael "Supe" Granda and his band was there, and in a pinch could do the show, with Mitch to be there to share the stage with him for the second set.

Ten minutes before showtime for the first set, we got the news - - his flight had been cancelled due to mechanical difficulties. So the main headliner for the first night was not going to be there AT ALL. 

*sigh*  GREAT......

But Supe, being the professional he is, stepped up to do BOTH full sets, so that the show would go on.

Now granted, it was not my type of music - - kinda folk, a bit country, just not for me - - but he was a very nice man, humorous, a bit ornery, and both he and his band were excellent musicians and performers. And, if it had not been for him, the main stage would NOT have had any entertainment on it that night, at all. So I give definite "kudos" to Supe Granda and his band for stepping up and giving a good show!

Tomorrow - - Day 2: Brutal heat, and other good stuff.

Survived the Weekend!

We survived the Decatur Celebration weekend! Mr. Dizzy and I spent 30+ hours downtown - - working stage, backstage hospitality, etc. It was hot, steamy and sticky. And it was FUN.

This morning we managed to get up early and make it to work (somehow). I am tired, a bit sunburned, and just a tad sunburned! Right now I am just running on adrenalin and caffeine, just trying to make it through the workday. It's a bit tough.

I took just a few pictures, and will share in the next post. Just way too tired and addle-brained to do more than focus on trying to wade through my work Inbox taking care of stuff that came in since Friday morning. 

More later.....

Celebration Weekend!

I am only at work today until 11:30, and then off for the weekend. Yay!

I will be off the blog for a couple of days, because.....

This is Decatur Celebration (www.decaturcelebration.com) Weekend, and as usual, Mr. Dizzy and I are heading downtown to work on the Show Stage. This is the 27th year of the festival, and the 26th year we have worked it. The theme this year is "The Beat Goes On," and it's true!

Our Stage this year has a pretty good entertainment lineup..... Mitch Ryder (Devil With the Blue Dress On, CC Rider) with Michael "Supe" Granda (Ozark Mountain Daredevils) are on stage tonight; The Spin Doctors (Little Miss Can't Be Wrong) Saturday, The Boat Drunks (Jimmy Buffet Tribute Band) Sunday afternoon, and Billy Ocean (Caribbean Queen) Sunday night.

There are plenty of other bands on the rest of the stages in all types of genres - - Christian, Country, Jazz, Blues, Folk, Rock, R&B (Color Me Badd), Disco (yep, DISCO....The Trammps with "Disco Inferno" are on the Funfest Stage!) and more.

We will be spending basically ALL our time this weekend downtown working. It will be HOT, we will be SWEATY, and it will be a BLAST. Every year I am so tired and hot and sweaty and SWEAR that I will NEVER, EVER do this again. Then I can't wait for the next year's festival to do it all over again.

If you are in the Decatur, Illinois area this weekend, come on down to the festival. 18 blocks of downtown blocked off and set up with all kinds of things to do - - 10 stages, Wine Garden, Craft Beer area, 60 different food vendors, all kinds of arts and crafts, a large Carnival, roving entertainers, and much, much more.

Come join the fun - - "The Beat Goes On!"

Wednesday

Well, yesterday the Flying Monkeys made their appearance. Today the Clown Cars are here and in full swing.

I am SO glad I'm leaving early on Friday.....even though it's only a half day, it makes it feel like it's a bit easier to make it through the rest of today and tomorrow.

What a week.....

Keeping my fingers crossed one of the clown cars doesn't run over me!  :)

Well, It's Starting.....

Fall Semester is always our "Nightmare" semester.....and it is looking like this year will be no exception.......

My coworker and her husband (who also works with our College Technology) are gone this week on vacation.

Our Tech Services Director is gone on vacation this week.

My two student workers were helping out the Tech Services guys with tearing down/rebuilding a computer lab all day.

I was along in the office all day.

And it was a ZOO. A total freakin' ZOO.

And it is just beginning....... because classes don't start until August 20th. So there is a LOT more time for the circus to get into full swing.

The "Flying Monkeys" made an earlier than usual appearance this year. I see the "Clown Cars" waiting in the wings.

*sigh*

It's gonna be a LONG week.

Olympics Opening Ceremonies Commentary

I have been thinking about this ever since watch the Opening Ceremonies Friday night. Something about them was really bothering me, and I didn't know if it was just me, or if anyone else felt the same way. So yesterday I did a Google search, and found out that I am definitely not alone.....

Matt Lauer, Meredith Viera, and Bob Costas were the NBC commentators for the ceremonies. And my thoughts and feelings are echoed in the following article linked below:

http://www.examiner.com/article/nbc-commentary-of-the-london-olympics-opening-ceremony-deemed-offensive

Matt and Meredith showed their ignorance in their prattling on about the scenarios of London's history, with no end to the snarky comments. And when Bob Costas took her place, it didn't get any better. Matt and Bob seemed to take great delight in slamming other countries and their athletes.

In fact, it was so bad, that on Twitter one of the most popular hashtags is #shutupmattlauer. And it has been getting a LOT of traffic, believe me. Check it out. Post to it and add your thoughts. I intend to.

I am ashamed and embarrassed. They not only showed their lack of professionalism, but were an embarrassment to the entire NBC Network, and made the entire United States look bad. Matt Lauer and Bob Costas showed their ignorance, and as for Meredith Viera, she just proved to me all over again what a Snarky Bitch she is.

NBC Network owes London an apology. And all three of the commentators should be suspended from the games. Get someone else in there who can behave themselves with some decorum, and who is willing to do their research on the games and act professionally.

I for one am very sorry, and if anyone from London ever happens to read this blog post, please realize that not all Americans are like they are. If Matt, Meredith and Bob are too stupid to feel ashamed of themselves for their behavior, that's on them. There are many more of us who are not that way, and for that I am truly grateful.

Weekend

It's been a pretty nice weekend so far....

Went to lunch at Cheddar's yesterday with some ladies from the College - - some retired, some of us not so lucky to be. The company was good; but Cheddar's? Not so much. One friend got baby back ribs, and they were so hard and dry she could not eat them. They replaced them for her, and she took them home for dinner later. Some of the others got Caesar Salads that had basically no dressing on them; just dry salad. A quick comment to our waiter got that resolved as well.

Our waiter, Jeremy (a cute young thing)(Hush - - I may be old but I'm not dead) was not happy with the way our meals were turning out to be, and swore to us that he was definitely going back to the kitchen and check on what was going on. He apologized all over himself, and worked hard to please us. It wasn't his fault, and I made sure to tip him well for his efforts.

But some of us were ready to march back into that kitchen with him and kick some butt!

By the way, my Napa Chicken Ciabatta was fine. And very, very delicious.

Dear Mr. Dizzy is working today so I have the house to myself. Well, with 2 furballs, that is, and they seem to feel the need to follow me EVERYWHERE! Probably trying to make sure I don't take off and leave them......they tend to get a bit proprietary toward me on the weekends. They must like me or something....Go figure.  


Well, back to crafting and mending, while I still have some time before having to break and make dinner later. The house is quiet, and it's the perfect time to go to my little space and dig in!

2012 Olympics Opening Ceremonies

I decided to watch a bit of the opening ceremonies last night. Thought I would catch a bit of it, while puttering around catching up on a few things around the house.

It didn't work out that way.....

That show? Was absolutely, totally AMAZING. It caught me, and didn't let go. 4-1/2 hours later, when it ended, I was finally able to turn off the TV and head for bed.

The scenarios, the pyrotechnics, the pageantry - - amazing. Absolutely, totally amazing.

The parts I like best?

• Rowan Atkinson as Mr. Bean as a keyboard player with the London Symphony Orchestra. Hilarious.
• Daniel Craig as James Bond, with Her Majesty the Queen, heading to the arena by helicopter, and her (supposedly) parachuting into the games.
• Paul McCartney's voice cracking with emotion as he began singing "Hey Jude." Seeing a star of his caliber chocking up with emotion like that really showed a real, down-to-earth side of the man. Cheers to you, Sir Paul.

 All in all, it was a grand welcome to all the athletes from the 204 countries they are representing in the games.
 
Well done, London. Well done, indeed!

Finally Friday.....

This has been a loooooong week....... but the weekend is almost here, and I am extremely thankful for that.

Yesterday evening we saw a pretty big line of storms heading directly our way. We were thinking, "Hooray, RAIN!" It kept coming right at us. You could look out the window and see that it was raining buckets about a mile North of us. BUCKETS.

What did WE get? Not one drop. Nope, nothing at all.

*sigh*

Mother Nature does NOT want me to go out in my back yard and do my naked rain dance.....that would burn out her retinas, big time. Just sayin'.  ;-)

This weekend I am planning to get some crafting done. It's been way too long since I have had a chance to spend any time in my craft studio and work on anything. Mr. Dizzy is working Sunday, so that seems like a good day to spend some quality time in my "girl cave" and make some things. Hopefully I can get some things created and take some pictures. If things go as planned (which in my world? Is iffy at best) I will try to get some things posted and show on here.

*keeping my fingers crossed that Sunday will be MY day*

Another New Recipe

I made these Chocolate Chip Nutella Cheesecake Bars and brought them into the office this week. They were a hit, and didn't last long!

This is another "keeper" recipe that will definitely be going on my recipe blog!

Check-up

I have cholesterol issues. Have for a few years. My doctor put me on Pravastatin, and counseled me to watch what I eat....fat intake, sugars, breads, etc. For years I have gone back every 4 months to get my cholesterol levels checked, and they have never gone down.

NEVER.

I would ask the doctor what else I could do, and kept getting the same spiel - - take my meds, watch what I eat - - lather, rinse, repeat.

I don't go to that doctor anymore.

Checked with my NEW doctor today and we went over my cholesterol levels, and discussed the Pravastatin and its lack of help with the levels. In his own words, it has done NOTHING for me, and instead of wasting my money on pills that don't work, I should probably just be drinking the water for all the good it's doing. So he has decided to switch me to a new med, starting today. And we will do a blood draw in 6 weeks to see how the levels are doing, and how my liver is doing on this new pill.

At least I now have a doctor who listens to me, talks with me, and is willing to try other things if what are doing presently doesn't work. Thank God.

So I'm keeping my fingers crossed here, and hoping for the best.

Drought Question....

Just a question - - 

Is grass SUPPOSED to crunch?

Just wondering......

Yawny Monday

I did not sleep well last night. Not at all.

Damn cats.  :-)

Actually, it's not all their fault. We went to Springfield yesterday evening to a friend's house for a cookout. Said friend has 2 good-sized dogs. Who are very playful, and LOVE people.

Love people A LOT.

So there was much playing with toys and licking of toes and jumping up on us with dirty paws and all that stuff. And then when we got home, the cats went crazy. They could smell the dogs on us, and knew that we had been petting other animals.

They KNEW we had been unfaithful! And they were determined to make us pay.

And pay we did.

Although we both had cleaned up before bed, they STILL could smell the dogs on us, and they KNEW.

So last night? They were CRAZYPANTS on the bed! It was like the bed was their trampoline, and they were jumping on in like crazy - - walking on us, nudging us, crawling under the covers with us, and just literally keeping me awake all damn night.

*sigh*

Silly cats.

Gonna be a early night tonight.

Project So Far

Our little outside project is coming along nicely! Here it is so far:





Still need to get some rock to put down around the light pole and on the outside of the new little wall. We also have some small to medium "mini-boulders" to bring in once the rock is in place.But it's starting to look good. Can't wait to see how it looks once it's all finished!

Project Progress

The outdoor project is progressing nicely! Mr. Dizzy just headed to Menard's for more supplies, and we will hopefully be pretty much finished up this evening.

Once it's finished (or pretty much so) there will be pictures. Promise.

It's going to look SO nice when it's done!

Where Is the Rain?

We were very hopeful when we heard the forecast the past couple of days. We were even MORE hopeful when we saw the radar on the early morning news....there was some very much-needed rain heading our way!

Mr. Dizzy called me from the parking lot at his workplace to let me know it was starting to sprinkle. I had to drive to work this morning with my windshield wipers on (heck, I was wondering if I even remembered how to turn the darn things on!). I walked through the the parking lot on my way into the building and got my hair wet. And did't care about it one bit.

But then? Shortly after that? The rain stopped. Just dissipated.

And what does the radar show now? Any rain showing is south of us, and moving to the southeast. And the forecast? Sunny and in the 90's for the next 10 days.

This is not good. Not at all.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this drought will run it's course soon. We need the moisture badly! The crops in farmer's fields are ruined, and our yard (and my poor flowers!) are dead to the world. Can't water anything, because we have to be careful that our well doesn't go dry.

Pray for us. And I am praying for rain, and soon.

They Were a Hit!

I made the Nutella Swirled Banana Muffins and they were a definite hit! Dear Mr. Dizzy loved them, and when I brought the rest into the office they went very fast.

I have posted the recipe to my recipe blog, "Cookin' In the Kitchen With Dizzy" and you can find it here. 

Try them - - they are easy to make and absolutely delicious!

Home!

We are finally back home. The medical procedure for Mr. Dizzy was fine, not problems found. He is good to go, and HUNGRY!

I just made Nutella Swirled Banana Muffins, and the house smells amazing! This is one recipe that is definitely going on my recipe blog! The Mr. has already had two of them with a cold glass of milk, and his tummy is now happy (well, happier, at least). He has already told me that come lunchtime he will definitely be ready for his KFC!

So now it is a day of rest and relaxation for him. After the ordeal he had to go through yesterday evening prepping for this procedure, he has definitely earned it!

Tomorrow will be back to the normal routine.....but it's nice to have a day off. Wish it had been for some other reason!  :)

Strange Sunday

Today is kind of a strange day.....Mr. Dizzy is scheduled for a routine medical procedure tomorrow, and today has to have nothing but clear liquids. I feel pretty strange trying to eat around him, because I don't want to tempt him! So earlier today when I had to run a couple of errands, I got a small quick snack and got it gulped down before I got back home. For lunch, I heated up a can of chicken noodle soup, strained out the noodles and chicken, and he got the broth. I sat there with him and ate the noodles. He has plenty of Sierra Mist, water and fruit juices to drink, and lots of Jello he can eat. For suppertime, I will more than likely just make a quick sandwich and eat it out of sight from him.

Damn, I hate this......*sigh*

But tomorrow? After we are back home and the procedure is done? He will be sleeping off the rest of the anesthesia, and I will make him some Nutella-Swirled Banana Bread. Hopefully the smell of baking Banana Bread will tempt him into wanting something to eat! And we have already decided that for lunch, it's KFC - - they have the new Original Recipe Chicken Bites, and the Sunday paper had a coupon for buy one-get one free. So there is lunch!  :)

Here's to having today get over with soon, and tomorrow having everything go smoothly. We both cannot wait to get it done over with!

Finally! Rain!

Well, I think we have finally figured out how to make it start raining - - plan a full day of outside chores.

The Mr. and I started up this morning with an outdoor project. We have landscape blocks that we wanted to put down between our two drives, around our outside pole light. This will not only look really nice, but it will give us a bit more turn-around space when backing out of the garage, and also protect the light pole from being hit. (Not that it's a major problem, but better safe than sorry)

So we have all the blocks out there. And the tools. And sand, and mortar mix, and the big tractor with the bucket blade.

A lot of the heavy work got done....the measuring, digging, leveling, etc. Just getting ready to place the blocks. And guess what happened?

Thunder. In the not-so-distant distance. Then the clouds started moving in. Then more thunder. Then the wind.

We hurried to get everything moved back into the garage (including my Jeep) and headed in just and the rain started. We figured with the way this severe drought had been going it would rain itself out soon and we would get back outside and finish up.

No deal there.

It rained pretty steady for a couple of hours. We have almost an inch of rain in our rain gauge. So needless to say, the project didn't get finished up today.

But do we care about that? Well, yes and no. Yes, because this was the only day we had to get it done. But NO, because we need the rain, dammit! This drought is killing us!

So we will get back outside and finish up in a few days - - Tuesday or Wednesday possibly. Weather permitting, of course. And if weather doesn't permit, and it decides to rain us out again?

That's fine. BRING IT ON!!

Friday!

Friday the 13th.......The day of black cats and bad luck.

But for some reason, I don't believe THIS black cat is bad luck, OR scary - -

Just sayin'.

The Urge to Start Cooking Again

With the high temps we have been experiencing, I have not had any desire to cook. Not at all. Even with the A/C on, the thought of turning on the oven just did not appeal to me.

But now that the triple-digit temps have diminished, I am getting the itch to do some cooking, and have seen some new recipes that are calling to me. For example:

Nutella Swirl Banana Muffins at The Londoner blog look just plain yummy. Must try for a weekend breakfast soon.

Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies on Lick the Bowl Good blog are a definite must. A cookie within a cookie; who can resist?

Bacon Double Cheeseburger Dip on Cooking With Mel blog. It might be an appetizer, but I'm thinking about making this for a light lunch or supper with a nice salad on the side. Bacon, burger, and cheese - - what's not to love?

I definitely intend to try these and a couple other recipes in the near future. And, of course, if they turn out well, they will be added to my recipe blog, Cookin' In the Kitchen with Dizzy.

So stay tuned for updates!

MUCH Better!

The heat wave seems to have broken somewhat.....temps are still hovering around 90 degrees, but considering the triple-digit temps and high humidity of the past couple of weeks? It almost feels downright balmy!  :)

Yesterday after work we went to Bloomington to return brother-in-law's tables, and while we were there, I treated Mr. Dizzy to supper to say "thank you" for all the help he gave me during the sale. I honestly could not have gotten it accomplished without him.We went to TGI Fridays, and it was fantastic! They have a special going on that is "2 for $10"....you get an entree, and either a starter or a dessert for that price. I had Parmesan-Spinach Flatbread, and an entree of Parmesan-Crusted Chicken with Spinach-Cheese Sauce and Tortellini. The Mr. had a Jack Daniels Cheeseburger and then Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie for dessert (which I of course had to try - - it's the law, right?). The service was great, and the food was incredible. We will definitely go again. 

There was so much food that I wound up taking half of it home, so guess what I'm having for supper tonight?  :-)  

Unfortunately, no Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie was left over - - *sigh* - - maybe next time.

Rude Awakening

Vacation is over. And MONDAY has hit, with a vengeance.

*sigh* 

It's rough coming back to work after a week off. And the kittykids? They certainly didn't seem too happy to see me and Mr. Dizzy leaving this morning. 

Now it's all a process of checking voicemail, cleanout out my e-mail Inbox, and getting back into the swing of things. I should be back into the groove by the end of the week. I hope.
One thing last week showed me though - - when me and Mr. Dizzy finally have the chance to retire, we will do just fine. We love just being with each other and spending time doing things together. Granted, we still go off and do our own things now and then, but it's SO nice to come back home, any time of the day, and find the other there waiting for them.

Someday....... it's such a nice thought!

Sunday

Finally got everything boxed up that was left over from the sale. There is really not very much left, not at all! But what is left will definitely benefit the sale next weekend to raise funds for By Grace Orphanage. Glad we can help out a bit with that.

All we need to do now is get the tables we borrowed back to their rightful owners, take my tubs of antiques back down to the basement, and put our tables back in storage. So not much left to do.

It has been great being off work this past week, in spite of being out in those terribly hot temps! But, all good things much come to an end, and tomorrow I will be back in the office and playing catch-up. I'm not really ready to go back!  :-) 

Now, time to go have some more fun with Mr. Dizzy and the kittykids.....need to enjoy the last of my vacation!

The Sale Is OVER!

The sale is finally over, and it was a HUGE success! Between the three families, we made over $1000 total! It was HOT, it was HUMID, it was STICKY, but it was very, very profitable.

But it's OVER. And that is a very good thing.

It really was a lot of fun, despite the miserable weather. We met some very nice people, and we also met some very weird ones. I'm talking total whack-jobs here. But that provided some comic relief!  :) 

Once we got things shut down and we were back in the cool A/C, it was time to tally up and settle up. We are all pretty happy with what we each made. Every little bit helps, especially in this economy!

We still have to go out and clear up everything and set the barn back to rights, and make sure the borrowed tables get back to the people they belong to. But, that will be worked on tomorrow, when it's supposed to be a bit cooler. Instead of triple-digit temps, it is supposed to be in the mid-80's, which will be a very welcome change.

We also have a good place for all our leftover rummage sale "stuff" to go! A friend and former co-worker is having a rummage sale next weekend, and all proceeds benefit an orphanage in Kenya that one of our student clubs helps out. So I am arranging to get everything over to his house; hopefully it will help them out. I'm happy to be able to do something for them.

Now it's time for a nice cool shower and a good night's sleep! And I'm sure the cats are ready also - - they usually sleep the day away, but the past 2 days? It's been way too interesting outside, and they have spent most of their time watching the comings and goings of all the cars and people! So we are all ready for some sleep.

 Goodnight.........*yawn*

Sale, Day 1

the first day of the sale is done! It was steaming hot! But very profitable. Haven't tallied up yet, but people flocked in and things were flying out the door! Let's see how Day 2 goes. Stay tuned.......

Getting Ready

We have been busy all day yesterday and today getting ready for the rummage sale - - yesterday moving everything up from the basement to the barn, setting up tables, and a bit of sorting. Today I have been emptying boxes and tubs and getting everything out onto tables.

We have a LOT of STUFF. Been working on it all afternoon and not done yet.

And, to make it worse, we are under an excessive heat warning until 7 PM Saturday. The only saving grace is that I am in the barn and not in direct sunlight, with 2 big doors open, a nice breeze coming through, and a fan on.

But it's still FREAKIN' HOT.

Fortunately, I have to make runs into the house occasionally to make signs, grab stickers or tape, or grab another bottle of water, so the A/C helps a bit.

If it is this unbearably hot the 2 days of the sale, we may wind up shutting down before the 3 PM closing time. Just have to wait and see.

Tuesday

We had a very "freaky" storm yesterday evening. It was bright and sunny outside at our house, when we suddenly hear an extremely loud boom of thunder. ??? Looked outside and the sun was shining brightly. Stepped out on the back porch and got pelted with raindrops! Looked to the East, and the sky was black, and a whole lot of lightning. Then the wind started - - FROM THE EAST, which is extremely unusual! The next thing we knew, the trees were blowing wildly and we were getting rain. Not a lot, but I'll take whatever we can get!

On another note - - For being on "vacation" I have really gotten a lot accomplished already, and it's only Tuesday! Got up early again today and was at the Gym by 6:30 AM. Walked out an hour later, went to Walmart and found the extra plant I needed, got home and got a bit of yard work done while it was still a little bit cooler. That didn't last long - - by 8:30 AM it was already starting to steam, so back inside I went. Kitchen and laundry room are cleaned, and also managed to fit in a bit of playtime with the kittykids. Even with me working and running around the house like a crazy woman, they seem to be pretty happy having me home.

Tonight when Mr. Dizzy gets off work we will be heading North to pick up tables and stuff for this weekend's sale. Since he's being so nice and helpful about all of this (the man has the patience of a saint)(he needs it, being married to me!) I will treat him to supper while we are out. Just because he's such a good boy.  :-)  We just may get this sale pulled together yet......and I am going to be very happy when it's done!

The forecast for the rest of this week, including our sale weekend, is temps  right up around the 100 degree mark. This is not going to be fun. But the barn has 2 big doors to open, and we have a fan to set up, so hopefully we will have enough of a breeze to make it tolerable. *keeping fingers crossed*

Time to wrap this post up....I hear the kittykids calling me to come play with them!  :)

Carmichael: "Come rub my belly, Mom!"

VA-CAY!!

This is the first day of my vacation! Time to rest, relax, have some fun. Right?

Nope. Not happening.

What have I been doing the first day of my vacation? Well, let's see - - this morning I got up and was at teh Gym at 6:30 for an hour work out. Then to Walmart to pick up a few plants to fill in a few dead spots from plants that have not survived the heat. Then potting said plants. Then inside, to clean how and do laundry.

Tomorrow? Lather, rinse, repeat. (Yes, including the Walmart run; ran short on plants)

Oh, and also keep on getting ready for the rummage sale this weekend. Tonight heading to a friend's house to pick up some tables to use. Tomorrow night heading up to Bloomington to pick up some more tables a family member is lending us, as well as tables and "stuff" from my friend who is going in on the sale with me.

And through all of this we are still in the middle of one helluva heat wave. In fact, for the sale this weekend? They are forecasting near-100 degree temps.

*sigh*

I am ready for a cool-down, any time now.

I DID IT!

I actually did it! I was able to complete NaBloPoMo for June! Yes, I actually managed to post ever single day. Wow - - I honestly was not sure I would be able to. But I did. Now let's see what July has to offer.....

I survived the lake yesterday. Yes, it was hot. Miserably so. Little to no breeze. Bugs. I had to spend quite a bit of time in the camper trying to cool down and let nausea pass. But I made it. And then, on the way home, we saw some storms building. And when we got home, there was water standing on the roads and we knew that we had finally gotten some much needed rain.

Then! Then! We got MORE rain. More, blessed rain. And thunder, lightning, the whole bit. Unfortunately, it was over way too soon. In fact, Mr. Dizzy said there was only about 1/3 inch in the rain gauge. Considering we are 7-10 inches below normal for the year, that hurts. Especially since we had a fairly dry summer last year, and little to no snow last winter.

Central Illinois is hurting, and hurting bad.

This next week they are calling for more high temps and no rain. In fact, they are saying we could get triple-digit temps again next weekend. This is not good, because that is when we have our Rummage Sale planned. At least we will be in the barn and not out in the sun. Keeping my fingers crossed thaat we will at least have a breeze......

NaBloPoMo June - Day 30 - It's HOT!

The Midwest is under a heat warning. The past two days temps have reached the triple digits, and it doesn't look like it intends to break any time soon.

Well, that might not be totally accurate. Yesterday it hit 102 degrees, and then an hour later we must have had a cold snap come through, because the temp dove all the way down to 99 degrees. Gee, time to dig out the sweaters, isn't it? (Not.)

Today looks to be another day of triple-digit temps. So what is going on with the Dizzy's today? Do I get to stay inside and be cool? Work on more crafts? Maybe cook something special for the Mister?

Of course not.

Today is the annual family gathering at the lake. Yes, the lake. Outside. Bugs, sun, and high temps and humidity.

I'm going, but I'm not exactly happy about it. I want to see a lot of the family, but I really am not relishing the idea of being miserable while I'm doing it. I'm not a real outdoorsy person....I don't go on the water, can't swim, and really am not real fond of bugs.

*sigh*

Wish me luck. And don't let me forget the sunscreen.

NaBloPoMo June - Day 29 - FINALLY!!

Got my meds. Finally! 

I talked with the nurse at the Doctor's office, and they had a 14 day supply of the Enjuvia they said I could have. Talked with CVS, and they still had the 30 days of Cenestin. (The two meds are interchangeable). So between the two, I now have six weeks of meds. A little breathing room, at least.


The Pharmacist at CVS told me she had checked directly with their vendor, and was told that they were hoping the manufacturing issues would be cleared up no later than October. Also, she said they still had 15 bottles of Cenestin to sell or dispose of, so she ordered a bottle of 100 to have on hand. Hopefully she will still have some at the end of six weeks when I need a refill.

But at least I have not completely run out. YET.

NaBloPoMo June - Day 28 - Meds (Again)

Okay, this is going to get ugly.

I posted about my HRT meds situation here and here, and was hoping that all would turn out well.

Well, it hasn't. And now I'm going ballistic.

When I got my prescription transferred over to CVS from Walgreen's, the pharmacy tech told me that they would fill the balance of my order for that month when I needed it, near the end of the month. I thought that was a bit strange, but figured it might have had something to do with the fact that I was a brand new CVS customer, and had never gotten prescriptions filled there before. She assured me - - she PROMISED me - - that she was going to take those 10 pills and put them back with my name on them so that they would be there for me when I needed them. She said she was going to do that "right now."

She PROMISED me.

She LIED.

Last night on my way home from a hair appointment, I went by CVS to get the balance of the prescription, since I was down to 3 pills. The young man checked records, shelves, everywhere.....no pills. Nothing with my name on them. And the other balance of the pills they had in stock previously? Gone. None left, including the 10 that were supposedly reserved and held back for me.

He called 2 other CVS stores, none of them have the pills in stock. Checking computer records, it shows that they are on "Hold" and that they cannot be reordered until September. He then checked my previous med, Cenestin, and said he had 30 of those in stock, but their status was also on "Hold" and could not be reordered until September.

I am NOT a happy camper here. I mean, what the hell is the deal? I know I can't be the only woman in the world who has to take the plant-derived HRT because my system doesn't tolerate the animal-derived version. I KNOW I'M NOT.

His only other suggestion was that I could "call around" and try to find it. Like I can spend the whole damn day at work calling pharmacies to try and find some of the pills, only to have to redo the whole thing again in another month? And keep having to transfer my prescription from pharmacy to pharmacy? That is just NOT going to happen.

This morning I called my Doctor and talked with her. She said they have some Enjuvia at their office, and I need to contact them tomorrow and see what we can work out. So at least I can have some pills for a short duration until we can come up with some sort of game plan.

This is not going to be fun.

NaBloPoMo June - Day 27 - Wednesday

Kind of a random day - - nothing terribly notable about it, just a "random" sort of day. So I guess this is going to be a "random" sort of post.

• This evening is the June Culinary Arts Dinner, and to go with a Summer theme, it is a Barbeque. The menu sounds fantastic: Smoked Pulled Pork, BBQ Chicken, Grilled Sausage and Peppers, Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, Baked Beans, and Macaroni and Cheese. All food is prepared and presented by the Culinary Arts students, under direct tutelage of the Chefs. I made reservations for myself and Mr. Dizzy, who will be meeting me here at the College at 5:00.
• Immediately following dinner, Mr. Dizzy heads home and I head downtown to the salon to get my hair cut. Not trimmed - - CUT. I have hair to my shoulders, and love it at this length. However, my hair is VERY thick. Good ol' Italian hair....thick, and HOT. And we are under a heat advisory for the next week (well, it IS Summer, after all!). Today it will hit the mid-90's, tomorrow they are forecasting triple-digit temps. As in 100+. Hair is coming off, and staying shorter for the rest of the Summer season!
• I am in Week 4 of my online class, and my attention span is not what is should be. Too many distracting "ooh shiny!" moments. Such as last night....at the computer, my article summary called up on the monitor, textbook, article, and assignment directions spread out on the desk in front of me - - suddenly covered by big, fat, black kitty belly. Lil Dude decided that his belly was WAY more important than any piddly homework Mom was trying to do! No matter what I said, no matter what I did, he laid there, belly exposed, eyes imploring me to rub his belly...."It will make you feel better, Mom." Really it will!" You know, he was right. Homework got packed up and put away until this morning. Funny how work at my office is actually less distracting than kitty belly!

Hope everyone is prepared for the hot weather tomorrow. Stay inside where it is cool and safe if you possibly can. And be sure your animals are safe as well!

NaBloPoMo June - Day 26 - Survivor Car Show (part 2)

Once we got into St. Charles and found Pheasant Run, we got parked and started walking to the show entrance. Parking was across the street and a little ways down from the show, so it was a nice little walk - - got our blood pumping and got us woke up a bit. As we were waiting to cross the street to get to the show, we started chatting with a couple of elderly gentlemen waiting to cross also, about the show. They asked if we had ever attended before; we said no. They then asked if we had out admission tickets, and again the answer was no. One of the gentlemen told us it was $20 to get in, and asked if we had a Corvette (since the main show was the Bloomington Gold Corvette Show). We said no, and Mr. Dizzy started telling him about his "survivor" car and how we were on a "fact-finding mission" to scout out for next year's Survivor show.

What happened next really surprised us.....one of the gentlemen said they were Bloomington Gold club members, and they had been given 8 VIP passes each. They had shared a lot of them with family members and friends, but still had quite a few left that they knew would not get used since this was the last day of the show. He then asked his friend to give us a couple of them, effectively saving us $40 in entrance fees!

We were, in a word, amazed. Oh, and grateful. Very, very grateful. Sometimes something surprising and good happens and restores your faith in humankind.

The Survivor show was really nice! Lots of old, original cars, and lots of nice people. Actually, most car people are very nice, and a lot of fun to talk to. MOST of them, that is.....like anything else, you always run into one or two who you wish would just go away. But the majority ar good folks.

From what we saw at the Survivor show, Mr. Dizzy's car stands a very good chance of making it to the "Zenith" level, the top status a car can reach. The show next year is in Champaign, Illinois, MUCH closer to home. We are already making plans to get the car entered into the show, and are really looking forward to it!

We finally got on the road after a bite to eat at Boston Market, and then a quick trip to Trader Joe's (never been to one, can't wait to go back!) and made it back home just before 9:00 PM. After getting everything unloaded from the truck and in the house, it was a matter of unpacking just enough "stuff" to be able to get ready for work the next day, then off to bed with the "velcro kitty-kids" (yes, very clingy....apparently them missed us or something). After such a long, hot and tiring weekend, you would think we would fall asleep immediately, but that was not the case. The Mr. was still pumped up from the show and what he found out, and I still felt like I was riding in the truck.

So Monday was "zombie day" for both of us. But we survived.

All in all, it was a GREAT weekend! Just fun to get away and spend some time together.

NaBloPoMo June - Day 25 - Survivor Car Show

Mr. Dizzy and I spent the weekend in the Fox River Valley area so we could go to the Survivor Car Show at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, Illinois. The show, which is run in conjunction with the Bloomington Gold Corvette Show, highlights "survivor" cars - - cars which are originals, not restored or having major portions of the vehicle replace or upgraded. In fact, you lose points for perfection, which is actually kind of neat. They want to see cars that are as original as possible.

Mr. Dizzy has such a car....a year or so ago his Dad gave him his 1965 Pontiac Tempest, which he drove off the showroom floor on September 30, 1964. The car is in excellent condition, all original, with a little over 70,000 original miles on it. He would like to get it entered into the show next year, so this year was a "fact-finding" mission.

However, on our way up we stopped in Pontiac, Illinois at the Pontiac-Oakland Museum so that the Mr. could drop off a donation. While in town we had lunch at Lucy's Cup Cafe, which is a nice little place with GREAT food. Before leaving town I stopped at a resale shop there on the square, and scored a shirt, a purse, and a pair of sandals for just a little bit of nothing. A definite win!

We got to the Fox River Valley Saturday afternoon, and checked into our hotel room in Yorkville, which is about 17 miles from St. Charles. We decided to stay a bit outside of St. Charles, because with all the Bloomington Gold participants around (it's a huge show) hotel rooms were scarce AND extremely expensive. So in looking outside that area, well - - a Super 8 for $58/night seemed pretty good! The room was clean and quiet, so that's all that mattered.

Yorkville had some pretty good restaurant choices, and we settled on Maciano's for Italian. I had a Caprese sandwich, which was fresh-sliced tomatoes, discs of fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil leaves, served open-faced on on Italian roll, drizzled with garlic olive oil and heated in their pizza over until the bottom of the bread was crispy and the cheese was melted. OMG yummy.....Mr. Dizzy had a Calzone with pepperoni, Italian Sausage and cheese, with Marinara sauce on the side for dipping. He loved it.

Sunday morning started off a bit shaky with the clock radio alarm in our room not going off, so we woke up about a half-hour later than we wanted to. We scrambled around getting ready and pulling everything together, and finally got out of there (after reporting the faulty alarm to the front desk). Super 8 has a free breakfast, but we opted for the Dunkin' Donuts across the parking lot....grabbed a couple of doughnuts and some juice, and hit the road.

I will tell more about the weekend and the car show the next couple of posts. Lots to share!  :)

NaBloPoMo June - Day 24 - Home

We spent the weekend in the Fox River Valley area (Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles, IL). Good weekend, but SO glad to be home. Now that things are in the house, and things for work tomorrow are found and ready to go, it's time for bed. The kitty-kids are being VERY demanding and "clingy" so we know it's best to do what they want.....I think they missed us.

It was a LONG, HOT weekend, but a good one. More tomorrow.

NaBloPoMo June - Day 23 - Contratulations!

My former daughter-in-law (aka The Daughter I Never Had) - - the one who just had the darling little Tyler, got married yesterday! She has a wonderful man in her life, who loves her, loves my grandsons, and treats them right. I am very happy for ALL of them!

Congratulations, Dawn and Kevin! Here is wishing you many, many happy years together!

NaBloPoMo June - Day 22 - Easter

No, not the religious holiday. Easter the bunny. And no, not the "Easter Bunny" either. Easter is a yard bunny, who just happens to live in our yard at the Mr. & Mrs. Dizzy homestead.

How did Easter get his name? Well, here's the story:

Back in April, on Easter weekend, Mr. Dizzy and I were busily mowing our 5 acres on that nice Saturday morning. Mr. Dizzy finished up in the big meadow with the large tradtor, which is a major portion of our acreage, and went inside briefly to take a short break. I continued on with the smaller Toro in the back yard.

Suddenly, I saw a smallish rabbit run away from where I was getting ready to mow. That scared me, because I did NOT want to run over a rabbit's nest and kill any babies! So, I immediately stopped mowing and turned off the tractor, went in the house and got Mr. Dizzy, and we started looking for the nest.

We found TWO of them. One I had already mowed over, but there were no rabbits in it, thank goodness! We think that is where the one I saw running must have been staying, and he beat big bunny feet getting out of the way before I went over it. *whew* .... close one.

We kept looking around where I had not mowed yet, and found the second rabbit nest, and inside was this tiny, itty-bitty bunny baby. He was laying there, really still, hiding. I am sure he was scared to death! But the strange part was, he stayed there while we knelt by him, talking softly to him, and even let us softly stroke him with a gloved finger. He did not even attempt to take off.

Well, Mr. Dizzy decided he needed to be moved so nothing happened to him. So, I went down to the basement and found a small box, which the Mr. started filling with fresh cut grass. He then picked up the little bunny, placed it in the grass-filled box, and shut the lid. The box was then placed on the back porch, safely away from the mowing, so I jumped back on the Toro and finished up that part of the yard. We then got the box and turned the baby loose.....and he immediately ran WAYYYYY back to the part of the yard behind the barn - - that Mr. Dizzy had not gotten mowed yet.

*sigh*

We really didn't expect him to go THAT direction and run THAT far. But he did.

SO - - here we go, with the box of grass, down behind the barn to find him. He was just laying there, and let us even pet him again. So Mr. Dizzy got him in the box a second time, and we hurried up to get the mowing finished. Once we were done, we opened the box and let the little guy go. He ran off happily and joined his other bunny friend.

SInce we had rescued him (twice) and it was Easter weekend, we decided to call him Easter.

Fast-forward to present day. The two yard bunnies are still here, and one is still quite a bit smaller than the other, and we believe that one is Easter. And the amazing thing? In the mornings, when Mr. Dizzy leaves the house to get to his truck and go to work, the smaller bunny is there, in the back yard, and just sits there watching him. Mr. Dizzy always makes a point of stopping and just talking to him, and the bunny just sits there, watching and listening to him.

And this happens almost every morning!

This little guy has also stopped and listened to me if I come outside and see him....he doesn't run away scared like the other bunny does. Having us around doesn't seem to bother him at all. I guess he knows we are the "good guys" and he has nothing to fear.

Kinda neat, actually.