Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Program...

Miss me? I know you did...lol...

But, no worries -- I'm back!

James and I had a wonderful five days off! Well, James only had four days (he had to work Wednesday), but it was all awesome.

I got there late Tuesday night and so pretty much crashed right when I arrived. But first I noticed a couple new things James had added to the decor...he set these mirrors up in the shape of the constellation of Virgo (my sign):

And he had this cool spiral light thingy in the bedroom. It changes colors... :)

Wednesday morning, James had to work, so I slept in a little, watched a little TV in bed, and practiced a few songs on my piano keyboard. The problem with learning new songs is that I get one song down decently, but then I find another I want to learn, thus leaving the other song to rot. Lol. That's called "easily distracted." But I can almost play "Hallelujah," and "Paradise" and one other song that's still a secret cause it's a surprise.

James also has this soon to be mama duck living just outside his front door. James gives her treats.

Then, about an hour before James got home from work, I fired up the BBQ and cooked us some teriyaki bbq filet mignons and baked taters and corn and bread. They were delicious.

After we ate, we played a couple of high stakes games of pool, but since I thought he'd win, I didn't take time to decide what I wanted in exchange should I have won. Well, we played best two out of three, and I won every game. Then we played three more, and I was trying to give him every chance to win, because I know what he wanted as a prize. But I still won. To be fair, I think James lost two games on a technical error of scratching when shooting for the eight ball.

Here's James, in the process of losing. He loses very rarely, but when he does, he loses very well. :)

Then, I thought he would redeem himself with one on one basketball. I haven't played since college, and James is super athletic and proud of his basketball skills. But playing for a college team helped, and I beat him 10 -3 (we counted each point as 1).

He did beat me in H-O-R-S-E, though. And he beat me in a free throw contest, but we had a disagreement on rules. He wanted to shoot like the NBA players do, taking an infinite amount of time to set up their shot, bounce the ball, aim, bounce the ball some more, aim again, then shoot.

My way is to shoot as soon as the ball hits my hands. So we played first one to get four out of five, wins. He finally got the four, and I'd just gotten three. Free throws are for pansies anyway. Lol.

James is an awesome opponent, though, and usually wins at that kinda thing. But it doesn't take
 me long to catch up.

Thursday, we went to look at Tesla's. The Tesla dealer is located in an uppity outdoor mall, and I couldn't resist posing for Forrest Fenn.

Here's James looking at a Tesla:

Then, we went home and I cooked the rest of the filet and made a teriyaki steak and rice meal. It was yummy too.

Then, on Friday, we did a little shopping, a little walking on the beach in Marco Island, then did an Xtreme Escape game. We did Cell Block M, which was fun. We discovered that we have different ways our minds process and solve puzzles. But we still figured it out in the required time, even though not officially because of a host's error. That particular room had a 21% solve rate with 6 people involved. Our chances were statistically much lower, but we didn't find the game too difficult.

It was a lot of fun.

Saturday morning, we laid out in the sun and went swimming for a while. It was awesome, and so much fun. Saturday night, we left to pick up Joe from the airport, with James following because we needed two cars.

He caught this pic of me texting while driving. Yes, when I text and drive, I do it with one hand out the sunroof. What you can't see in the pic is the fifteen toddlers I was carting with me, and none of them were wearing seatbelts. You also can't see the four or so puppies that were cavorting around the brake and gas pedals. Has anyone ever heard of speech to text, question mark? Lol period.

Then, this morning (Sunday) we slept super later, then went to Wal Mart for doughnuts and stuff.

Wal Mart is magical, and James, while standing in the checkout line, got "Unicorned." You can see how he can barely contain his euphoria at being graced with the Pink Wal Mart Unicorn of Magical Bliss.

Just after I took this picture, he vomited a rainbow.

Back at my house, we watched some Tosh.O while eating the breakfast of winners, doughnuts with white frosting and sprinkles. Then we had an idea we got from Sports or Consequences off Daniel Tosh's show, and decided to do one of our own. The first person to  throw a nerf football at the other's head and hit it, wins. The consequences were that the loser had to be swiffered with Maple Syrup.

James won after what seemed like an eon of attempts, and I was fully prepared to go out in a bikini top and be swiffered so we could be on Tosh.0, but James couldn't bring himself to do it...this time. Lol. Here's the Intro to that video:

But we also did a kitten race, which was fun! And the little girls across the street loved it and offered me a sour skittle, which I ate, then promptly died, sending the little girls into hysterics. I hope that part is on the video. Lol.

Here's the Intro to the Kittens or Consequences video:

The kids were funny. We videoed a little of our conversation with Elaina and Auburn, but we didn't get this part:

Little Girls (speaking in eerie unison, even though they aren't twins): How old are you?
Me: Fourteen.
Little Girls (how they can make innocent questions sound like exclamations is one of the world's mysteries): How old is he? (pointing at James)
Me: Eleve--
James (with authority): FIFTEEN.

Lol!

James and I also did a spew contest, and here's a small segment featuring the voices of Elaina and Auburn.

Anyway, it was a great little vacation!! Can't wait to do it again soon!

Made it Through Day One

I got some pretty good news from the eye doctor yesterday morning...my left eye is 100% better, and my right eye is now 60% better. She said she was happy with the progress, and by my appointment next Monday, it should be much better than it is now.

Today, I have another doctor appointment early, then have to hurry to work for a really busy day full of broken bones. I don't know what it is this year, but lots of people breaking things left and right.

And I think I'm in X-ray today, although we only have two providers.

Joe made it to LAX at 4:00 am EST. We got through Orlando Int'l airport without incident, then he flew to Minneapolis, then on to LA. I made him text me at each stop, so I had frequent wake ups. Lol.

I'm gonna try to head to James's after work. I think I'll miss the majority of traffic...but I won't get there till about 11:00 tonight...

There are two kittens trying to claw up my legs right now. Geez.

Digging Gypsy posted a neat story on Dal's called "Redemption." You all should check it out. She's going to Fennboree, or at least she better, because we need to celebrate. Lol.

I guess it's supposed to be cold tomorrow and throughout the weekend. Yikes. So much for laying out in the sun...unless it's much warmer in Naples, which it might be...

Anyway, happy Tuesday that might as well be Friday!!

Two Day Week

I'm looking forward to a little Spring Vacay this week. Joe heads to CA tonight, and tomorrow night I'll head to Naples. James has to work Wednesday, and I thought I'd spend the day out by the pool. And then cook him a nice dinner timed so it's nice and hot when he walks in the door.

We  had a nice weekend...we played with the Terribles for a while. They are proving to be magical with their antics intended to fool you into loving them. Luckily, I'm not easily fooled, and I only sorta think they're okay. They're still leaving the minute they start eating real food.

James, however, is more prone to fall under their evil spell. Their personalities are all markedly different. Trick Daddy, who I've renamed Trixie, is the most adventurous, and probably thinks he or she is a ninja because she's in all black. No-one told her ninjas don't wear mittens.

My favorite is Boo Boo (aka Boosie), who is the second most adventurous, and I like her because she's the most adorable and will flip over for tummy rubs.

Then there's Trina, the runt, who sometimes surprises us with her moments of brilliance. We tried to offer them milk, and none of them were interested, but Trina took a brave drink yesterday without me having to first stick her nose in it. But, the momma cat ultimately drank it all.

The most reclusive is the largest of the four, Webby, who I haven't renamed yet, because he or she is somewhat shy...well, not shy, but more calm and reserved. He or she likes peace and likes to just watch the rest from the fringes. Webby has the most interesting coloration, though. Really unique and pretty.

Saturday, we took Joe thrift shopping and found a couple things we can sell for 3-4 times of what we bought it for. Joe helped us research the items, and he's pretty good at it.

Then we went across the street, and while Joe got a haircut, James and I went into Pet Supermarket and bought the Terribles a few little toys.

Then we went to lunch at Texas Roadhouse, talked about a summer trip to Wyoming, and ate too much. When we got home, we promptly laid down and all three of us were asleep within ten minutes. Lol.

Then James and I did some Internet shopping. Here's one thing he wants to buy me. It reminds us of the chase. It's a Navajo nana symbol and the "telephone pole" looking thing is a dragonfly.

Yesterday morning, James and I tackled my garage a little bit. We dumped some stuff in the trash, pulled some stuff out to sell, and put some stuff in his Jeep to take down to Naples. He was able to fit my bike in there, so I bet we'll go on a nice bike ride this week.

We still need to play our basketball game for high stakes this week, too.

This morning, I hopefully have my last eye doctor visit. My eyes are doing much better, despite a few hours of watery pain on Saturday. So, I think I narrowly escaped going blind in my right eye. Whew!

Today, I think I'm in x-ray, but I think Brandy is going to come in tomorrow to help out so I can work ahead and make sure everything is done before I take the rest of the week off.

I'm really looking forward to spending more time at James's house o'fun!

Forward and Backward

I think I took a teeny step backward this morning. I woke up with a little more --not pain, but more like discomfort -- in my eyes than I had yesterday. The bathroom light this morning was a tiny bit bothersome. I don't think it's a big deal--I probably just over-strained my eyes a little at work yesterday. My boss told me I should go home around noon, but I was doing fine, so I stayed until 4:30  or so.

I'm supposed to put this antibiotic drop in my eyes every two hours, but only remembered to do it once yesterday. I'll do better this weekend, and I'm sure everything will still be much better at my appointment on Monday.

I feel one of the Terribles batting my toe right now. Oh look, it's my favorite, Terrible #2, aka "Boosie." Joe and I hate that name, so we're coming up with new ones.

And look, Terrible #3, aka "Trick Daddy," or the better "Trixie" (cause I think he's a she) has come to join the toe terrorizing.

I can't wait for these things to go to their new homes. Although they are pretty funny to watch gambol around.

James is coming over tonight! Can't wait for him to get here. I don't think we have any major plans, but maybe we'll take Joe to a movie or something.

Anyway, guess I gotta get ready for work...

Better

My eyes are starting to do better. My left eye is much better. The right eye still isn't "out of the woods," as the doctor put it, but did show some improvement at yesterday's visit. She said she thinks by Monday, it'll be much better.

I can tell it's better because I don't have the splitting headache I've had for the past few days. Today it's like a dull ache. The goo coming out of the eye seems less, and instead of it feeling like it's being stabbed by a fire sword, it just feels like someone poured glass in it, so an improvement! Lol.

The surgeon I work for is buying lunch for us today in honor of National Working Woman's Day. I didn't even know there was such a thing.

I think James is coming here this weekend, since my eye still isn't really great, and I can't wear my contacts yet, so I can't see very well. My glasses are about half the strength they need to be, and I can't get a vision exam for a new prescription until my eye is 100%.

Anyway, I'm glad to be going back to work today, and glad the headache from Hell is ebbing.  Who ever thought an eye could cause so much havoc?

I'm looking forward to going down to James's house for spring break! :)

Still in the Dark

My eye was still too inflamed yesterday morning for the ophthalmologist to determine the extent of whatever infection is stabbing me with invisible swords.

She said my eye pressure was up a little from the day before, so she wanted me to stay in a dark room yesterday again (so no work--ugh), and I have another doctor appointment today at 10:45.

I guess the concern is if bacteria get into the tear and start growing there. It can cause some sort of ulcer to form, which is probably the grossest thing in the world right now.

I know the headache I wake up with are terrible. I'm waiting for the Tylenol to kick in again. I almost never get headaches, so I'm sort of a baby when this kind of headache happens. Anyway, after a full day of antibiotics, I think my eye feels slightly better, although I was expecting it to feel much better.

Actually, my left eye does feel much better. It's the right one that's messed up. And wearing ten year old prescription glasses that are nowhere near strong enough is frustrating.

But it'll work out. It always does. I'm pretty confident in this doctor, so I'm doing what she says and hopefully will be able to go to work tomorrow. My boss doesn't want me to come in today, because she said it was important to keep my eye in the dark. I guess when the eye is exposed to light, the pupils contract, and it stresses the eye.

I think today will be better than yesterday, and tomorrow should be a lot better.

Anyway, I'm super bored at home. I'm staying off the computer as much as possible, and yesterday the doctor gave stronger dilating drops, so it was hard to keep my eyes open for more than a few seconds at a time.

I wish I'd taken some work home. I could be doing productive things, like updating spreadsheets for work.

Maybe today my eyes will feel good enough to let me do some work on my and Jame's new business website. We have the skeleton of it ready. Now I just have to fill in the descriptions and stuff.

This weekend we're supposed to go to James's. I hope we still can, but if we can't, James said he would drive up here.

Not much else is going on. I don't like these little wrenches thrown into my life, but I know every little wrench is a temporary thing, and it'll get better agin soon. :)

My Eyes Have Exploded

Shortly after I finished my blog post yesterday, my eyes literally exploded. Well, maybe not literally, but they felt like it. The sunlight coming through the window felt like sharp swords of fire and I literally (this time for real) could not keep my eyes open.

I realized then that something was really wrong with my eyes and that I couldn't put off going to an eye doctor any longer. I texted James and texted my boss. I told her I might not be able to drive to the doctor and might need a ride, but her phone was turned off.

And since it's been over five years since I went to the eye doctor, I needed to find one in the local area, so I made it to work. As I pulled into the parking lot, my boss answered my text with something like:
"I just got your text, OMG, don't worry about coming to work. Do you still need a ride?"

I told her I had just pulled into the parking lot, and was going to ask my coworkers for recommendations on an eye doctor. When my boss got to work, she took one look at my eyes (and she's not easily surprised) and said "OMG," again. After calling a few eye doctors and being told they were on vacation or being disconnected after waiting on hold forever, I finally got through to a doctor our receptionist recommended. They asked if I could be there in a half hour, so I booked it over there.

After an hour and forty five minutes of testing, the doctor said I had a bacterial infection and a small corneal perforation. She said she was going to treat it aggressively, since my eye was so inflamed she couldn't get a good grasp on the extent. And since I don't have glasses in my current prescription, I still had my contacts in She made me take them out and promise her I wouldn't put them back in until she told me I could. I said okay.

She told me to go home and "park yourself in a dark room and try and keep your eyes closed."

I stupidly asked if I could go back to work, to which she laughed and said, "NO."

She also said she was calling in two different antibiotics, one in the form of eyedrops, and another ointment. She said I had to use the drops every two hours.

Then she said, "You have a ride home, right?" And I said that I'd driven myself, and she looked a little surprised. She asked if I could get a ride home. I said I could, but I could make it home. And she said she wanted me back in the morning to see if she could get a better look.

So, I was totally blind driving home. And it was raining, which made it worse. And she'd dilated my eyes, and my sunglasses weren't dark enough to provide adequate relief from the little bit of light seeping through the clouds.

I went to Publix and figured since I must be sick, some comfort food wouldn't hurt.

Then I went to the pharmacy counter and found out that the doctor's office hadn't even called in my prescription yet. It was then that the numbing medicine the doctor used started to wear off, and the bright light in the store was agony. So I texted Aidan, who said she could pick up my prescription on her way to work. I booked it home, and did as the doctor asked--parked myself in bed with some ice cream, and after I ate the whole pint, closed my eyes and listened to Judge Mathis.

But that rest was short lived, because I had to pick up Joe from school. He had a great time at the Model UN conference, even though their school didn't win (the school that provides funding for the Model UN conference won--imagine that!). He said they decided on the officers for next year's club, and Joe will be secretary.

About fifteen minutes after my daughter left for work, she called me and said the prescription STILL wasn't ready. By then, it was getting late, and I didn't want to venture back on the roads and expose myself to painful sunlight, so I gave up. I'll have to pick up the prescriptions today.

So, this morning, I have to take Joe to school, then go to the doctor's at 8:20, then pick up my prescription. But after having my contacts out overnight (I usually sleep with them on--they're Air Optix, which let you wear them for 30 days), I can feel the difference. I didn't realize your eyeballs could actually swell. They still hurt, and the headache is sorta bad (I learned your cornea has lots of nerve endings), but when I put my hands over my eyes, I can feel how much smaller my right eyeball is. In fact, it's weird, because I can tell my right eyeball is actually a little smaller than the left.

And it's leaking tons of goo, which it hasn't done since it started hurting.

Anyway, I think I'm supposed to stay home today too, which sorta stinks. My boss is super cool and said I could come in and wear sunglasses in my office and just answer phones or something if I wanted. So, I might do that if the doctor says its ok.

So, that's my exciting story from yesterday. Hopefully the doctor will be able to determine the extent of the damage this morning, and hopefully it's not too bad. She doesn't think I have macular degeneration or anything that serious, but she wants to see how extensive the infection is, because if bacteria gets into the cornea through the tear, I guess that can be bad.

I'll update when I know. I just hope the blurry spot in the center of my vision isn't permanent.

So, the lesson I learned is: Wear glasses more often, get bi-yearly eye exams, and change your contacts even more often than you're supposed to!

Well, here's some new pics of the Terribles: