A Life Of Leisure

So unexpectedly, after my eye appointment on Tuesday, I headed up to Columbus. (BTW - my eyes are in "perfect" shape according to the doc. Next appointment - October.) From the time I got there, until the time I left (with the exception of a morning walk on Wednesday) I did nothing but laze about in the pool and/or chill with Maggie and Eva. It was lovely. Literally from 10:00 am - 5:00 pm on Wednesday, I was in the pool. I certainly needed that.

One negative while I was in Columbus: I started dreaming about school. That's always a shitty "mile marker" during the summer...a sign that the end is near and something that always gives me high anxiety and makes me blue. Of course my teaching schedule still isn't fixed which is annoying me. If it doesn't get fixed, my principal can call the parent of the kid who will be affected and he can explain why the he will fail government this coming year (since he won't be able to take my class). But I need to settle down and hope for the best. See, school makes me anxious! And crazy!

I got home yesterday around noon and Jim was already home from work. He was on a small job and finished it. I got my hair cut at 2:45 and it feels amazing! I got a solid 3 inches off (more like 4) but best of all, she thinned it out. It's just below my shoulders and I feel about 15 pounds lighter (wish I looked 15 pounds lighter). We then headed to Shooters (for drinks and then takeout for dinner) - YUM! I wasn't planning on this but when I left for my hair appointment and checked the mail, our Duke rebate was there ($250) from when we insullated our house. BONUS!

Today, Jim had to be at work by 6:00 am so he should be home by 3:00. He will be working tomorrow as well since he didn't work Monday/Tuesday. Seems he's doing well with his port but it's certainly taken a bit of getting used to. He's been very paranoid about it "moving" and even ended up calling the doc's office thinking it had. They assured him it didn't and couldn't as they stitched it in place. Better safe than sorry. So far all is well in regard to his treatment. He hasn't had any symptoms yet. The time for side effects to take effect varies (of course) and can be anywhere from a couple days to three cycles. Most are minor (rashes, fatigue) so I'll keep my fingers crossed.

My plans for today are to clean, exercise (was going to take a bike ride but guess what? Yup, rain) and start a new book. I'm on hold for a bunch of books on my tablet but I do have a couple that I have available (My Cousin Rachel and Lily and the Octopus). The heat will be oppressive so Sami will need an early walk. Other than that - nothing.

I'm planning on going up again to Columbus next week, specifically to go with Maggie and Eva to the Kidz Bop concert Thursday. I'm not sure when I'll go...I may just go up Thursday morning and come home Friday. Jim's going to be without me for the whole of the next week (Monday - Thursday...going to PIB and coming home Friday) so I don't want to deprive him too much.

Speaking of PIB, my mom will be heading up with me. She'll come down Sunday (I believe) we'll go up Monday, spend most of the week there and then drive home Friday. I assume she'll drive back home Saturday but whatever...if she stays until Sunday, I'd love that too! Can't wait. I was sort of dreading driving up by my lonesome.

And that's all I've got. Time to eat breakfast and get Sami out for her short little jaunt. She doesn't make it very far anymore. Probably about a 1/4 mile. Poor girl. Happy Friday! Oh, it's Friday! TGIF! Later!

ARG!!!

I can't tell you how annoying Jim's doctor is! (Note: This is me bitching - not Jim...for some reason, he puts up with it.) I've told him that I have no use for her which upset Jim as though I was insulting him but who puts up with this shit?! So his appointment yesterday with his doc was at 12:30. His infusion was scheduled for 1:00. The infusion - according to Jim's My Chart site - was supposed to take 3 hours (UGH!). Jim was supposed to text me while he was getting his infusion to let me know how things were going. He never sent me a text. So at 2:00 (TWO O'CLOCK!!!) I sent a text to him asking how he was doing. He replied to say that he hadn't seen the doc yet. WHAT!? I was flabbergasted. Now, they had taken his blood and sent it to the labs (which has to be done before they send for his meds) so that's something. But for the doc to make him wait for an hour and a half, as though his time means nothing?! I don't care if you are getting an eye exam or a mole removed or you have stage IV metastatic melanoma! No patient should ever be treated so poorly!!! In the end, the appointment that was meant to take, basically 3 1/2 hours did but it should only take about an hour and a half. They did tell him that on his next appointment he won't have to go through all that rigmarole but I'll believe that when I see it. Jim doesn't feel the way I do about his doc. I don't understand a doctor who double books and makes people wait so much. She obviously needs to reevaluate. And I'll tell you - it doesn't matter if his appointment is first thing in the morning or the afternoon, same thing every time. UGH! Well, at least he won't have to deal with this again until August 7th.

Oh, and his infusion went well. No issues - though his side effects wouldn't arise right away anyway. The doctor doesn't seem to think that he'll suffer from anything major but again, I'll believe that when I see it. She said that the only major thing he needs to watch out for is shortness of breath. Not sure how much I trust her. She did say that regardless, any symptom he has, he needs to let them know. Of course they never seem to respond to messages etc. so I'm not sure what the point is. Can you tell I'm completely fed up with this office?!

So I have my 1 month eye appointment today at 10:45 and then, I've decided, to head up to Columbus. I was going to go up tomorrow and possibly come home Friday but alas, I made an appointment for a haircut on Thursday (I can't stand my mop anymore). So I'll head up today, get there around 1:00ish and then come home Thursday. YAY! I asked Eva just now over the phone if I should come up and she said, "Yeah, are you?" I said I would, after my eye appointment and she said, "YES!!!" Can't wait.

And that's all I've got. Need to get on the elliptical and pack and shower and eat breakfast. Happy Tuesday! Later!

Sunday Fun & Back To The Grind

That's funny because there is no real grind for me. And Jim doesn't go back to the grind until tomorrow. Hee hee. Anyway - yesterday was quite fun. Jim and I went to Raeburn and hung out at the pool. We had a delicious lunch with Dad and Becky and then Trip and JJ came over and Jim and I played several games of pool volleyball with them. I must say JJ is a good player...a little giggily but good. Hee hee! He and Jim were on a team for the first and last game we played and they kicked Trip's and my tail on the last game. Legitimately! 

Jim and I got home by 4:30ish and after a couple of cocktails with the neighbors and a shortened game of Hearts, Jim and I had dinner and then watched TV. I DIDN'T watch Game of Thrones yet - I'll do that today. Why, you ask? I was really tired by 9:00 and didn't want to watch and then miss something. 

Today's plans: I'll watch the first 20 minutes or so of the Today show here in a minute and then get ready to go on a ride. I didn't ride yesterday and I felt a little guilty. My goal is to get something in every day this week since I didn't start strong. All this exercise (I did something - elliptical or biking - every day but Thursday last week) and I still feel like a fatty...ugh! Anyway - after my ride, I'll come home, have breakfast and then probably watch GOT. Jim's got an appointment at the oncologist today around noon and his infusion following. That's supposed to last three hours so I don't expect him until around 5:00. They said he won't need a driver so I'll send him off with a list of questions. Hopefully he won't forget them (like he did last time). Other than that, dinner is in the works and possibly a Bachelorette watching "party" with Cari tonight.

This week I have my one month check up with my eye doc (Tuesday) and then Wednesday, I hope to go up to Columbus. Just for one day I think. We'll see.

And that's all I've got. Time to get my padded shorts on and head out the door. Later! Happy Monday!

All's Well

Not Jim...I just thought it was
a funny pic of a portacath.

Jim's port cath "installation" went well yesterday and all is well today. The port was placed on his non-dominant (left) side, just under his collar bone. You can barely see the lump and Jim's said how surprised he is that he can't feel it at all. It doesn't hurt (even his incision) but he's being very careful about using his left arm and sleeping on his left side. He should be good to go in a few days at work but as of right now, he's going to be off through Monday. Mainly to get his first infusion since there's a bit of a discrepancy on how long that will take. We've been told 90 minutes but his "UC My chart" says 180 minutes. UGH! That being the case, he'll head to work Tuesday. He's hoping he'll be working a job with someone else so that they can lift things but we'll see. Now here's hoping that the immunotherapy goes well for Jimmy.

Oh, and you should see Jim's chest and the shave job they gave him. It's straight and I give them props for shaving more than what was needed to ensure that his chest hair was even but they left the silliest patch of hair. He looks like he has a "censure" strip across his nipples. It's about an inch wide and hilarious. And of course he's had to show all the neighbors. So funny. I told him he needs to just shave his whole chest when he showers today so he doesn't look so weird.

Here's a funny: So I get the mail yesterday and I have something from my mom. So I open it and see she's sent me the program from my 8th grade graduation. Hilarious. More hilarious? I flip to the names of the graduates and read the first one and say to myself, "Who the hell is that?" And as I keep reading I see that my mom sent me MAGGIE'S 8th grade graduation program. Ha! I'll pass it on to her mom.

Today's plans: I was going to go biking on the trail (I sound like a broken record) but there are possible storms that are going to roll through round 9:00 and I definitely don't want to get caught in those. I would ride in the neighborhood but alas, with the weather, they still haven't finished the paving. Which means I'll be getting on the elliptical. Which is fine...I like the elliptical but it just isn't the same as riding around outside. Other than that - no plans. Our driveway was supposed to get sealed today but doesn't look like that can happen. Oh well...soon, I'm sure.

And that's all I've got. It's Friday - YAY! Time for breakfast. Later!

Best Put

Watching the fallout about this Russian meeting with Don Jr. the best response I've seen from someone in response to "them" saying, "Yeah, but nothing came of it, there was no pertinent information given about Hillary so there was no wrongdoing"...best response was from someone saying this: You're given a call about stolen goods, you go to pick up the stolen goods but they aren't there, however, the cops are. Just because you didn't get the goods doesn't mean you didn't do something wrong...doesn't mean your INTENT to do wrong wasn't there. Ridiculous! Talk about talking in circles, talking out of both sides of your mouth and being a big bunch of liars. I'm so sick of this shit and would love for our country to focus on worthwhile issues. It's tough not to get wrapped up in, however. It's like watching a train wreck.

Got a message from Mark (former sped teacher who is moving back and hoping to be back at Kings next year) which said, " See you in August!" YAY! I'm not exactly sure why they are coming back so soon after moving but his wife got a good job with a construction company here in Cincinnati (in fact Jim's actually working a job that this company is running) so that's good. With all the changes at school, I'm sure one less new person to have to deal with makes the administration a little less stressed.

I also checked my teaching schedule for next year and of course it was effed up. The one thing, the ONE THING that I told them had to be ensured was that my Government class was in the afternoon. They have it set for 2nd period. JEEZ! Why is it so difficult!? I emailed my principal to let him know so hopefully he'll get it fixed. Shouldn't be too hard...he can easily switch it with my plan period. We'll see.

Plans for today: It's finally NOT raining nor should it be today so I'm headed to the trail for a bike ride. I'm not sure how far I'll go because my hips are a bit sore from the last two days on the elliptical but I'll try for my normal 13 miles. It should be plenty humid and sticky but that's okay. I usually only sweat on a bike ride when I stop. Other than that, I'm going to head to Costco for some necessities (allergy pills) and that's it. Dinner tonight will be chicken quesadillas.

This time tomorrow Jim should be getting his port put in. We have to be there at 5:30 (in West Chester...thankfully not UC main campus) which means we'll have to leave here around 5:00. YUCK! I'll try to get to sleep early. I've been staying up late of late so that might be a bit of a problem. Hopefully all will go well and Jim won't have any problems.

Okay well, I need to try and beat the heat so time for breakfast. Happy Wednesday! Later!

More Storms and Rain

Once again my plans to go to the trail to bike has been foiled due to weather. Poop! I may still bike in the neighborhood, however. The problem is - there are several roads in my neighborhood being repaved and it makes for a rough road and who knows when the workers will be there to complete their work. I may just do what I did yesterday and get on the elliptical. We'll see.

The Bachelorette was finally back last night and my neighbor Cari came over to watch. Our guilty pleasure was certainly fed, not only with the show but also with wine, popcorn and chocolate. It had been a while since we had gotten together like that (pre-baby Claire) and I look forward to making that a weekly Monday thing.

No news on the hiring of a new intervention specialist. I told Mark to keep me updated but since the deadline for the position is today - I'm sure he won't know anything concrete until at least today. We'll see.

Jim scheduled his first infusion for next Monday. He'll meet with the doc beforehand and then have the treatment which should take about 90 minutes. I'm pretty sure he'll have to be off Monday anyway due to his port but we'll see. I also don't know if I need to be there with him or not. I ALSO think he has an eye appointment that day. UGH! I'll have to ask him about it. Well, just asked him and yep - the moron has an eye appointment that he didn't remember and now needs to reschedule. I said to Jim, "Why don't you put these things in your calendar so you don't have these issues?" His answer: "I do! I did but I was driving when she called to schedule." Me: "Why is it that I can remember your appointments (in my head) and you can't?" I mean this is the second time he's had to reschedule his eye appointment because he's a freaking fool! Ridiculous! Maybe Jim should be doing cognitive daily tests like I've been doing (via Lumosity). UGH! Annoying!

And that's about all I've got. Time for breakfast. Dinner tonight is blackened chicken Alfredo (per Jim's request) and a salad. A bit muggy for pasta but Jimmy wants what he wants and I aim to please. Plus it's not like we're going to eat outside.

K - happy Tuesday! Time for breakfast. Later!

Whirlwind Week

Last week was quite the week with a PIB visit, the 4th and then back home after what seemed weeks away. We had a great time at the Bay with perfect weather and one storm on the morning Jim and I left. The drive back was a bit hairy and we eventually got off the highway to drive the back roads in Dayton when the rain got too heavy. Thank God for Waze. Once home from the Bay, Jim and I enjoyed a pleasant weekend. We managed to play some cards with the neighbors, mow the lawn, clean the house, and make a trek to Shooters. Jim's now back at work and I'm going to start my normal Monday.

So what does my Monday look like? Well, originally I was going to head to the trail for a ride today but because of early morning heavy rains, I'll put that off until tomorrow and do the elliptical today. I have a goal of riding 40 miles this week so I'll have to get that in somewhere. I've already ridden 8 miles so it's doable. I'll do a bit of extra cleaning today and make a trip to the grocery.

Jim has his port procedure on Thursday. We have to be at West Chester hospital at 5:30 in the morning but his procedure isn't until 7:30. I'm not expecting it to take too long (my neighbor said it's fairly simple) but I'm pretty sure Jim won't be working for about a week. We'll see what the doctor says. From there, his immunotherapy will start. I''m anxious for that and hoping that he tolerates it well. We'll see.

I hope to get to Columbus soon. I'm thinking next week sometime but I need to coordinate with Maggie. I might just go up for a day and come home the next. Just depends on the weather.

Lots of crazy shit going on at work. A special ed teacher has resigned and a former teacher that left us at the end of last year (2016) wants to come back. I've talked to him but it's all still up in the air if he'll be able to return. UGH! I sure hope it works out for him because he's a good guy and was a good colleague but who knows. Stupid formalities that have to be followed. Bullshit.

Okay well, time for breakfast and a workout. Later!

Really!?

It's not even f%*king July yet and I just saw a Back To School commercial!? That's a total mind f*%k to teachers and I'm not going to take it! Guess who's never shopping at Office Depot!? Man, that was a rude awakening (as I just got up)!

And now I have to say and I've said it before - this person "running" our country is a total embarrassment and I can't believe - still, 5 months later - that this is the new "norm".  Realistically, who is surprised by the latest tweet that the tool of a president recently put out there? I mean he's shown his misogynistic side before with his pussy grabbing comments (to just name one). He's mocked a physically handicapped person before. The only thing I have a hard time believing is that every time he says or does something, we move the line of acceptance for the kind of shit we'll put up with. We (the media, the public etc.) keep saying that we won't take it anymore and then the next thing you know another worse tweet comes out and we say, "WHAT!? NO! That's too much! He's gone too far!" But look at the people putting up with it? I get that his wife has to support him but isn't it ironic that her "platform" is cyber bullying and who's the biggest cyber bully out there? I'm flabbergasted that educated people are still supporting not only his presidency (what promises has he kept from his campaign) but supporting this so called man! Tools the bunch of you. Sorry, not sorry! If you love humans at this point, how can you support a man who uses the human race as a punching bag because he's a petulant little fool. Ridiculous!

And I'm done. Now on for good stuff: Jim's off today and YAY! We're heading down to Party Source to get some champagne. Kroger raised their price for my champs by a buck and I just won't take it anymore. When we were talking about going, Lauren was there and she said, "I want to go!" So she'll head down with us, we'll head to the Yard House for lunch, Party Source and then home. She's without kids for the day/night so WOOT!

And that's all I've got. Time to get a move on. Breakfast and a ride (if it doesn't rain). Later!

Slowly But Surely

Seems this week is creeping by and I'm getting things done in bits and pieces. A little carpet cleaning here, a little mowing the lawn there; a little cleaning house today a little grocery shopping tomorrow. All in preparation for Sunday and next week. I don't want grocery shop too soon because I want my corn to be as fresh as possible so I'll probably do that tomorrow. I'm making lemon squares for the 4th so I'll do some prep for that here at home so I'll have less to do at the Bay (getting the crust prepared). The weather isn't great today so I'll probably do a bike ride in the neighborhood and then head to Walmart for a few things. I want to buy stuffing for the couch cushions at the cottage (they're flat and saggy) and I need some new tank tops. Other than that, I've got no plans.

Jim was up and out before 6:00 this morning. I'm not sure he even kissed me goodbye. If he did I don't remember it. I didn't hear his alarm go off either. That's good. It was so nice having him home last night. I made a delicious dinner and we actually ate our supper together! WOW! Tonight I'll do something with pork chops. I'll cook tomorrow as well but Saturday I think I'll treat us with some hibachi. I've been so good about not spending money and I don't want to cook the night before we leave. Someone mentioned going to hibachi the other day and now I can't get it out of my head. YUMMY! Can't wait.

Oh, we got the approval yesterday for Jim's immunotherapy. That only took 2 days! Normally, Anthem takes forever to approve. This means that Jim should be able to get his appointment set up for his first infusion pretty quickly. Of course his port needs to be put in first but that's already been scheduled (the 17th).

And that's all I've got for the day. Time for some breakfast and then a nice ride. Happy Thursday! Later!

Happy Birthday Mom!!! 79!!!

Happy birthday MOM!!! Hope you have a great day! Love you!!!

Jim left for work this morning around 6:00 or so (I guess...as I was snoozing, I'm not sure). I do know he came in and kissed me but I barely remember. Thankfully he'll be home around 3:00 or so and I'll actually get to make dinner! YAY! I know he'll be on this job Thursday as well but I'm not sure about Friday. Doesn't really matter, however, since we aren't leaving for PIB until Sunday.

Speaking of...Sunday the Budweiser Clydesdale horses are supposed to be at the Bay. I'm wondering what time they'll get there since we plan on getting to the Miller around noon. Hmm...guess we'll just have to see what's what and roll with the punches.

Today's plans: I'll finish mowing the lawn (backyard today), bike ride, and make my grocery list. I'd like to get to Walmart but that might be pushed off until tomorrow. It's so lovely I don't really want to spend a beautiful day shopping. Bleh!

And that's all I've got. I slept until after 7:00 today so need to get rolling. Happy Wednesday! This time next week I'll be in PIB! Woot! Later

Jim's Next Treatment

Jim called the doc yesterday, just after they had opened and SHOCKER! They immediately put him in the books to meet with the doc. He went in for a 12:40 appointment (didn't see her until after 1:30) and she ordered a new treatment. As expected, Jim will get immunotherapy when we return from PIB. Specifically, he'll be taking Keytruda (more on that in a bit). Prior to his first treatment (on July 17th) he'll go in to get a chest port put in. This is because he'll need an IV so often (every three weeks for his infusion) and Jim is definitely a hard stick (though they'd do it regardless). He was a bit concerned and bummed about the port but after the first week, it seems he can resume normal activities. People can have ports for months and since the doc said this treatment would go on for about a year, there you go. Now, they did say that about the last treatment Jim had (that he'd be on the combo of drugs for a year, year and a half) but as we all know, he was unable to tolerate. I wonder about the Keytruda.

If you don't know anything about immunotherapy, what it is meant to do is boost the body's natural defenses to fight cancer. It uses substances made by the body or in a laboratory to improve or restore immune system function. The problem with it can be that along with the body fighting cancer, it can also attack healthy tissue and/or organs. In terms of side effects, the Keytruda "common" side effects are: fatigue, cough, rash, shortness of breath, loss of skin pigmentation, rash, itching, loss of appetite and nausea. The more serious side effects, however are: inflammation of lung tissue, holes in the intestines, hepatitis, kidney failure and lots of other stuff that scares the shit out of me. Considering how long it takes the doc to get back to us when things have gone wrong before, well, you can imagine my trepidation. On the positive side, however, the results that Keytruda has on advanced melanoma patients is pretty impressive. It's even put some people in remission which is unheard of in terms of melanoma. So here's hoping! I'll certainly update when things begin.

So Jim's still working at Christian Moerlein and last night, he brought home 4 cases of their beer. Apparently during the bottling of these cases, the machines didn't fill the cans all the way so BAM! We luck out. Of course it's the FC Blood Orange IPA and it's good, but I'm not the biggest IPA fan. I do like this one, however but I can only drink one and I'm done. Well, Jim's happy and the neighbors love it so they'll get to partake as well. YAY JIM! Now if we could just get him back over to the Hershey's offices again!

And that's all I've got for today. I started shampooing the carpets yesterday so I'll finish that today. I also will take a bike ride in a bit (this time in the neighborhood) and later today (this evening) my neighbor, Lauren, will come over to watch the final episodes of this past season of Walking Dead. Happy Tuesday! Time for breakfast. Later!

Hey! It's Monday!

Once again, I lost track of the days and almost forgot to post! Lucky all of you!

So the weekend. Well, first of all, everything turned out okay but it certainly started with the feeling that it might not. First of all, Jim, of course started swelling again from his medication. This tells me that his concoction isn't working for him anymore. That being the case, he will be calling the docs this morning to figure the next step. They told him last time that this last dosage adjustment would be the lowest they could go and from there, he would have to move on to something else. I'm thinking immunotherapy. Now, I haven't talked to them or heard from them what this would entail but I did read about one such medication that is meant for patients with metastatic melanoma. It would be a 12 week round of 90 minute infusions every 3 weeks. We'll see what they say but I'd like to get this under way this week since we're headed out of town next Sunday until the following Friday. We'll see. We all know how "fast" this medical group works. Jim probably won't even talk to someone until Wednesday. Jeez.

Anyway - after that happened I thought, nothing else could happen. And then we found out that Anne's fiance, Steve, had gone into the hospital because his blood sugar was cray high and they couldn't get it under control. Oh, did I mention their wedding was Saturday? UGH! So it was the big mystery if they would be able to get his levels back under control and be released from the ICU in time for the wedding. In the end, he was released and the wedding went off without a hitch (though about a half hour late because getting released from the hospital took longer than they had anticipated). The wedding was lovely. Food? Delicious (pasta bar). Cupcakes?  Amazing (the chocolate with mocha mousse inside and cream cheese frosting was to die for). Fun had by all? Yep! Oh, and I saved a kid from drowning even though he wasn't really drowning. In my dress. Hey, better safe than sorry.

Sunday was relaxing. Jim and I hung out, played cards and grilled chicken for dinner.

And my eyeballs are doing great! I had an appointment with the doc and he said everything looked as it should. I'm off my medicated drops (still take tears every couple of hours and will for about a month). I'm supposed to wear my goggles when I sleep still but they bug me and I'm not a wild sleeper. Jim doesn't tend to sock me in the face while I sleep so I think it's safe. My next appointment is July 18.

And that's about all I've got. This week will be all about preparing for PIB. I'll get the goods for food (I'm going to do a pork tenderloin one night with corn and potato salad) plus I'll probably do a lemon bar dessert for July 4th. I also want to get some pillow filler for the couch cushions. I'll try to bike every day this week. Today I'll head to the trail and try and get 15 miles in. I'll be happy, however, if I get 13 in. That's pretty good. Jim's still on 2nd shift so I'll make my big meals for lunch.

K - time for breakfast. Happy Monday. Later!

Happy Anniversary To Me (And Jim)!!!

We both totally forgot upon waking up and I had just yelled at Jim because I couldn't see the TV. I said, "Move your big fat head! I can't see the TV! Oh, Happy anniversary!" Hee hee. Makes me laugh. Who can believe that 16 years ago, this sham of a marriage (as Maggie calls it) began. Our plans today: Jim's actually off today because he put his 40 hours in over the last 4 days (he really only needs to put in 35 hours when on 2nd shift) - woot! I'll go to my one week appointment at CEI...get my balls checked at 9:40 and then come home. We'll go to Shooters to celebrate and then I think I'll just make taco salad for dinner. Nothing major; no big deal.

Here comes the rain. It actually started last night around 7:00 and the major stuff is just moving in. We're going to get up to 3 inches and thankfully, my mom put off her travel north for Anne's wedding until tomorrow. No point in a stressful drive in my opinion.

Jim started his meds yesterday and - knock on wood - so far so good. No swelling. Here's hoping that remains.

What else? I went on a nice 13 mile bike ride yesterday on the trail...saw two people riding horses. I've seen piles of horse shit on the trail before so I knew this happened but I just don't understand why you would ride your horse on the trail and not clean up after your animal. I mean, it's not like there just a little turd on the trail. It's a literal load of shit. Carry a shovel with you. I mean if I have to pick up after my dog, you should have to pick up after your horse. That said, they sure were pretty horses.

And that's all I've got for now. No biking for me today with all this rain on the way. But on a positive front, the aftermath from this weather is going to cool weather. Next week's highs are in the upper 70s. Nice! Love it!

K - happy Friday! Later!

What A Relief!

Richard is home and it seems that his echo showed no heart issues. I guess the retention of fluid he had was causing the shortness of breath. Not sure of the exact diagnosis but apparently he slept well last night and this was a major cause of anxiety for him. YAY! I love it when there's good news.

I went for a bike ride yesterday on the trail - later than I normally do - and only managed to get in 5 1/4 miles because they were doing tree work. Additionally there were a lot of annoying people on the trail who had to be told ("Oh your left!") that I was trying to pass. I'll try again today and take a different route. When I start my ride in downtown Loveland, it's always a pain because there are so many people on the trail. I think I'll start down in Miamiville today and take my ride through Milford and Mariemont into Newtown. It's just under a 16 mile ride...hopefully I'll make it but it's really humid already so I need to be extra careful about sweat in my eyes.

Speaking of my balls - my eyeballs - I have my one week appointment tomorrow morning. Hopefully everything will look as it should. I'll be happy to stop taking my medicated drops and just go to my "tears" drops.

Cindy weather is headed our way and will be here tomorrow. It's coming up from the south and is supposed to bring us over two inches of rain. I'm okay with that since we need a good soaking. It'll be out of here by Saturday.

Jim's meds finally were delivered so he'll start those back up today. I'm hoping this latest dosage reduction will agree with him. Otherwise, I think we may have to go another route for treatment. UGH!

Okay time to watch the Today Show, have breakfast and head out to ride. Happy Thursday! Later!

Unexpected Night Out

Basically the same view I had from our table.

Yesterday around 4:00 I headed out to have a couple beers with my neighbors. And by "out" I mean out to the picnic table in the circle outside my front door. We sat and chatted for a while and as dinner time rolled around, everyone discussed what they were doing. I said I was just going to have a sandwich or cereal because A) I had a large Cobb salad for lunch with Jim and B) having just paid for my Lasik, I needed to be good about not spending. Doug and Lauren then invited me to dinner with them to Bella's in downtown Loveland. I declined but they insisted. And then I started thinking, "Mmm, Bella's! Yum!" so I succumbed and decided to go. Little did I know that Doug was going to be a devil and pay for my meal. Doug's a dog! I treated them to Graeter's afterward. It was a lovely night and the best part was (if you saw on Facebook) the older motorcyclist who rode by on his bike with Bon Jovi blaring "Living on a Prayer" with his little dachshund strapped in the back. It was CUUUUTE! Dinner was delicious (wine on tap for $5 on Tuesdays!) but I missed Jim being there. That's the second time I've been there and Jim hasn't been once. UGH!

Richard news: Still no solid information. I sent mom a text around 5:00 yesterday to see what was what and they STILL hadn't done the echo for Richard. Ridiculous! Oh, just read Mom's blog and I guess he FINALLY had his echo last night and after it's read they will release Richard. Mom is still planning on coming up on Friday for the wedding. Richard will not be coming (understanding) and they have friends who will be there in case Richard needs anything. Hopefully the treatment they'll give Richard will give him some relief from his symptoms. Especially being able to sleep again!

Today I'll go for a bike ride on the trail. There's some rain going through here in a few so I'll put it off until later morning. I then want to go to Costco and pop by Kohl's to get Jimmy something to wear for the wedding. Maybe he'll go with me, maybe he won't. He had to be in early yesterday (left around 1:30) so who knows. Still no Tensing verdict which is pointing more and more toward a hung jury. Ridiculous.

My eyeballs are doing better and better everyday. I had less dry eye yesterday and hope that continues. I can still see and that's what really counts. Hopefully my appointment Friday is a thumbs up!

And that's all I've got. I think I'll just do leftovers for lunch today or sandwiches. Now it's time for breakfast and some Today Show. Later!

This & That

First - sending healing thoughts and prayers to my mom and Richard. Richard was admitted into the hospital yesterday due to breathing difficulties.He's had trouble sleeping of late and they noticed Sunday that he seemed to have edema (swelling caused by fluid retention in the body's tissues). The signs are pointing to congestive heart failure but I haven't heard for sure the diagnosis.We're all sending positive thoughts and we love you both!

So I've mentioned that Jim's on 2nd shift for the next couple weeks at Christian Moerlein's bottling facility which is located in the heart of Over the Rhine. He called me last night on a break saying how much he hated working down there because he's constantly harassed by some of the locals. Scary. I told him that we needed to watch the Tensing trial's verdict because if things go south and he's let off, Jim is not stepping anywhere near Over the Rhine! UGH!

My eyeballs are doing well. I've had a bit more dry eye over the last day than I had before but that's to be expected. Today is day 4 post surgery. I'd like to go out for a bike ride this morning but I may actually hold off until tomorrow for safety's sake. I just don't want to do anything that would interfere with my recovery. I just hate not being able to exercise! UGH!

Plans today: Nothing major. I'll make a nice lunch - Cobb salad for Jim before he heads off to work today. We had hot ham and Swiss yesterday. I just hate not feeding him a good meal when he's on 2nd shift. Other than that - we'll just hang. We do need to go out and get him some new pants and a shirt for the wedding on Saturday but that may wait until Thursday. We'll see what he wants to do. He's worked late last night and plans on working long hours for the next three days so that he can take Friday off. We'll see how that goes.

Found out yesterday that one of our assistant principals have taken a principal's position at a local high school (Lakota East Freshman Building). I certainly don't like it when administrators leave who have historically been a support to me. Of course not everyone likes everyone and sure, I've said a negative word or two about this guy (he talks too much) but the support he gave me over the last year in terms of Jim's health issues was something that can't be ignored. I made sure to send him an email wishing him luck and thanking him for his compassion. It's a quality that not everyone has but is probably the most important quality an administrator should have.

And that's all I've got. Time to decide what I want to do. Happy Tuesday! Later!

Progress

More and more, my eyesight seems to be crisper and clearer. This morning I had a bit of dryness when I awoke but that's normal after this surgery. It's also tough to look straight at a light or something really white (like this page I'm typing on) but again, that's normal from what I understand. The goggles that I have to wear at night when sleeping cause a bit of a headache - it's the band around my head. I ended up having to take them off around 1:00 last night but I think the main reason for wearing them is to keep from rubbing eyes in the middle of the night. I'm very aware of that, however. I'll keep trying to wear the goggles, however.

Today I don't have any real plans. Jim's still on second shift (will be until we go to PIB again I believe) so I'll make a nice lunch for us (instead of dinner) and just hang. Jim hasn't been sleeping very well - waking up in the early morning...not sure why. He's currently snoring on the couch because he got up at 4:15.

I was going to take a bike ride today but it's still a bit wet out so I'll wait until tomorrow. I'm allowed to go back to exercise I just have to be careful about getting sweat in my eyes. Mainly so I don't rub them. I'll wear a sweat band.

What else? Nothing. It's time for breakfast. Happy Monday. Later!

I Can See! I Can See!

Amazing! That's what I can say about the Lasik surgery. I went in at 7:15, wearing my stupid glasses that I hate and by 8:45 I was sitting up, reading a clock clearly from 10 feet away. I didn't have any issues with the surgery. It was painless, quick and so easy, I wonder why I didn't do it sooner. My appointment today went well. I had a little something (protein?) on my left cornea that the doc quickly removed and I have a little inflammation of the right eye but that shouldn't cause any issues. I'll go in next Friday for my 1 week appointment and from there I'll go at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 1 year. Bam! So far I'm not having any issues with reading - no current need for readers but who knows when that will change. I'm not worried about it. My restrictions are: no exercise for the first week, no swimming for 2 weeks and then I'm not supposed to go under after that for another two weeks but if I do I need to make sure not water gets in my eyes. Oh, and I have to wear my goggles for sleeping for the next few weeks. No big whoop.

So for the next couple of days I'll just be laying low. I'm supposed to stay out of the heat (no sweat in the eyes) which means Jim has to cut the grass. Tonight I'll make some Cincinnati chicken chili for dinner (and freeze most of it).

Jim's doing pretty well. His CT scan came back with good results: nothing on his pancreas; the spots on his colon are diverticulitis; and though there's a small spot on his liver it isn't large enough for them to determine what exactly (if anything ) it is. I'm still concerned about his uptake levels in all three areas but will go with what the doctor has said. He started back on his meds Wednesday and immediately started swelling (knees and ankles). Still waiting for word from the doc on what to do.

And that's all I've got. Time to rest my eyes. Later!

Back Into The Swing Of Things

And I'm back. Actually we got back Saturday. Our vacation was...lets say fun at times but stressful at others. Definitely had good company (Maggie, Eva, Doug and Lauren; Dad and Becky) but there was a lot of  anxiety for Jim and thus me. Jim was dealing a LOT with the hospital and feelings of neglect from his caregivers. I think this was on his mind a ton over the last week and it reflected and bled into his attitude and overall demeanor. He didn't sleep great, was moody, snappy and preoccupied. It was tough to watch and even harder to try and help and soothe. In the end, however, Jim managed to have it out with the only person who gave him any attention from UC - a nurse/receptionist. She listened to Jim rant and rave and helped him to set up the CT, which he's getting right now - 7 AM. He has an appointment with his oncologist tomorrow morning and from there we'll figure out what the next step is. We may be headed to another doctor. It's just gotten to the point where these people don't seem to have Jim's back and stress it's causing Jim can't be good for his health.

For me - I seem to cry at the littlest thing. I'm good with Jim and have managed to keep it together around him but yowza...I'm a bit of a disaster with anyone else. One thing that helped yesterday was a lovely bike ride on the trail. I went 12 1/2 miles and hope to get 15 today. I'll head out here in a minute. Tomorrow I'll go to Columbus. I'll return on Thursday. Friday I have my Lasik surgery. Jim's on 2nd shift for the next several days...maybe the week. This is good, however, since he's got a several doc appointments during the day.

And that's all I have time for now. I'm headed out for the trail and a nice bike ride before taking Sami to the vet for a follow up. I'm then hoping to get a pedicure at 11:00 with Lauren. She's not had a pedi before...should be interesting.

Okay...I'm off. Later

This Time Tomorrow...

...Jim and I should be approaching our exit on I-75! I'm hoping that we'll get on the road at the same time we always do: 5:00. This means we'll get to the ferry by 9:00. It being a Saturday, it may be a bit busier than usual so I won't be surprised if we have to wait in line for a bit. That will affect our Frosty tradition. If we catch the ferry too late, we'll head straight to Frosty's for breakfast and more importantly, mimosas and bloody Marys. If we catch the 9:00, we'll head home, unload the car and then breakfast. YUM! Our travel weather should be good which makes me happy!

Yesterday I finished up my cooking for the week (made the French dip beef) and did my grocery shop, including a stop at Party Source for new kegs (Summer Shandy and Summerfest) and champagne, wine and spiced rum. Mowed the lawn as well. Today, I'll pack up the car with what I can, do laundry, clean the house and pack. Woot!

Jim is completely back to "normal". I would have liked him to go to work yesterday and today but that would kind of be stupid so instead, he'll be my bitch. I think I'll make him vacuum and clean the bathrooms. He's going to wish he went to work. Hee hee.

I had my official last day yesterday. I really only needed to go in to clear off my desk, grab my Kuerig and hand in my check out sheet. The school was in shambles already with the Media Center being demolished for rehab. Additionally, we had a union meeting to discuss our tentative contract. I voted yes on it as it did three of the things I was hoping for: A) increased our sick bank from 247 days to 300; B) didn't change insurance and C) gave us an increase on base by 2.5% each year of the contract, which is a 3 year contract (even better for insurance purposes). All good.

And that's about all I have. I won't be posting for the next week or so but I will, of course, post on FB. Happy Friday! Safe travels to me and Jim. Later!

Damn America's Got Talent!

 You know how people always like or share videos on FB? Well there was one from America's Got Talent with a little (I don't know) 10-year-old or so holding a cute puppet. So I decided to watch it (I'm a sucker for a cute puppet). And dammit! It made me cry! Freakin' cute kids with cute puppets who can sing! Arg!

Quick Jim Update: He's definitely on the mend from this last med reaction. His fever only got to 99 yesterday and his joints are better. After many phone calls from the docs office (including one where a nurse told him he needed to meet with the doctor today and then a follow up to say, oh, woops! The doc is out for the week) Jim finally talked to the nurse practitioner who said everything Jim had done is what they would have had him do. They're calling in another prescription for predinsone (just in case) and he'll stay off his meds through vacation. He probably won't be getting a colonoscopy because ANOTHER doc looked at his PET scan and believes the uptake on his colon and pancreas are melanoma related. The CT will confirm and that will be scheduled when we return. I definitely don't like all this back and forth, however. And that's all I have to say about that.

Today I'll head into work to finish up in my room and then vote on the tentative agreement for our contract. I'm hoping for a nice increase on base and for insurance to stay the same. Basically the only reason I would vote "no" would be if my insurance gets all effed up but I don't anticipate that. We'll see.

From there I'll come home, get Jim and we'll head to Newport to replenish kegs and stock up on champs. Then I'll head to the grocery for our big buy before vacation.

And that's all I've got. I need to get a move on so I can get to work. My "last day". Happy Thursday! Later!

Rain Delay

I was going to go for a bike ride today on the trail but it's pouring rain. Figures. Crap. I needed a stress reliever. Well, I guess the elliptical is my ride.

Yesterday was quite the annoying waiting game. Here's what really pissed me off: After waiting and waiting and waiting for someone to call from Jim's doctor's office and not getting a phone call, Jim called again to get some answers. Of course no one was available and so the nurse he talked to put him on hold, came back and said, "Well, I talked to another nurse in back and she said to go to the emergency room." WHAT?! First of all, that's bullshit! We are not going to the emergency room to sit for hours just to get the attention of Jim's doctors. Why is that an answer? Talk about a waste of time and money. How many times do you hear about people going to the hospital unnecessarily and an actual health care supposed professional is telling us basically, "To get you to quit calling here and because we don't have anyone who you can talk to that knows your situation, I don't know, just go to the hospital. See what you can find out there. Good luck." (She didn't actually say this but she might as well have.) I just can't believe that at an oncologists office, you can't get a same-day phone call back for someone with stage iv melanoma. I mean, if you're that busy, maybe you've got a staffing problem and you need to hire an extra someone to actually CARE for your patients.

Needless to say, Jim and I will be having a discussion today about seeking another doctor's care.

After all that yesterday, Jim had to go meet a fellow worker around 4:30 to pass off some plans for a building in Kenwood that they're painting. After that, he had a 5:30 dentist appointment to replace a filling that fell out over the weekend. And of course 15 minutes before Jim was supposed to leave, as I was laying on the couch nursing a headache, Jim told me he didn't think he could drive because of his joints (his knees were swollen and hurting). Now, I had no problem with driving him, but don't tell me 15 minutes before you need to leave because f*%king around. UGH!

I think Jim and I have been sitting in the same room looking at each other a little too much lately. PIB should be fun, huh?

And Jim's up. He's doing better it seems. He says his joints feel better and his fever seems to be gone. He slept last night and his temp is actually 97.6 WOOT!  Of course that happened yesterday too and eventually went up to 101. We'll just have to see what happens here.

My plans today - I'll probably do more to prepare for Saturday's departure. I was going to head into work but I'll go tomorrow instead. We may have a tentative agreement for our contract (they're meeting today) and if that's the case, we'll vote tomorrow so, two birds, one stone. Then I'll head to Costco.

Okay well, I best get on the elliptical while I have some gumption. Happy - what day is it...only day one of summer break and I've already lost track. Oh, Happy Wednesday. Later!

New Symptoms

I didn't get a lot of sleep last night and am not going in for my work day. Jim started swelling yesterday and I have a feeling that they're going to want him in and will want to admit him. The swelling is new and his ankle is huge. He also said his arm is killing him and it feels like his wrist is sprained. His fever has broken and his temp this morning was 98.7. He was near normal yesterday morning as well, however, before eventually spiking to 104 so we'll see if this lasts. He only had the chills one time yesterday and was able to manage it pretty quickly. The office opens at 8:00 and hopefully he'll talk to someone immediately so we have a plan.

In terms of sleep, I think Jim actually slept last night though he moved to the family room around midnight. I think he moved because he thought his tossing and turning would keep me awake but I couldn't turn my thoughts off. I just keep thinking about where we are right now in terms of his cancer, diagnosis and prognosis. In reading about his meds and trying to figure out if what we were doing was the right thing, I kept coming to statistics that couldn't be ignored. The two biggest things I kept running across was 6-22 and 18%. In other words, people who are diagnosed with stage iv melanoma have a survival rate of 18% and the majority of individuals live for 6-22 months after diagnosis (on the combo of meds he's on). We're at 6 months right now and I can't stop thinking about that. I know it's morbid and I shouldn't focus on that and normally I don't but when I'm laying in bed, trying to sleep and Jimmy's suffering I just see the future and it scares the shit out of me. I don't let Jim know any of this but we are coming to a point where reality needs to be a part of his thinking. I don't think Jim is completely aware of all of this. I wish his doctor was a little more forthcoming with him. But maybe ignorance is bliss.

And on that note - I'm going to go check on Jim.

The Weather That Wasn't

Cincinnati weather people of late has been anything but accurate. They've been reporting about storms we were supposed to have Friday and Saturday and Sunday and we never got a drop of rain (until the overnight last night). Which means I hadn't watered any of my plants. Thankfully they were watered overnight and now we should see beautiful weather today. I'm planning on getting some rays but watch. It'll probably NOT be as sunny as they say and I'll stay as pale as I've been all winter. UGH!

Jim seems to be feeling a bit better. He's still in bed and I'm not sure if he's going to work or not. I don't want him to push it and fall back into the chills/fever thing. He rested all day yesterday (except for a little jaunt to Shooters) and he's been drinking lots of water and has been eating well so that's good. He actually stayed in bed all night last night which he hasn't done in a while, and I think he got lots of good sleep. I'll go check on him in a minute and make him breakfast if he wants it.

Sami's got a lot of get up and go lately. These meds she's on has given her a new bounce in her step and it makes me feel bad that I didn't do this for her a long time ago. Bad mommy!

I keep forgetting that I have to go to work tomorrow. I keep making all these plans in my head to get ready for PIB on Saturday and then have to readjust because I can't run the errands I had hoped to on Tuesday. I'm also not sure when we'll get out of school, if we'll have to stay the whole day or not. I also need to remember to make the coffee cake I signed up to bring for our breakfast at school tomorrow. Maybe I'll get up and do that now so it doesn't slip my mind.

Okay - time to check on Jimmy. Happy Memorial Day! Later!

Much Needed Mimosa

Yesterday was a rough day for Jimmy. It started with his fever spiking to 103. Then he just couldn't stop sweating and finally at the end of the night - after dinner - those debilitating chills returned. I think when they started he had a bit of a panic attack and it caused him to slightly hyperventilate. He got in the shower, which helps to stop them (it worked) and then he climbed into bed. He didn't sleep much last night. He is currently in bed catching up. I had him stop his meds and take a predinsone to try and get this shit under control. We need to get this figured out by end of week so this isn't happening on vacation. That worries me. I'm hoping that by stopping pretty quickly, it will end pretty quickly and he'll bounce back. Ugh. I hate this for him.

Needless to say, today will just be a day of relaxing. I went to the store already and got fixins for dinner. I was going to make my own ribs but there wasn't a slab to be found. So, I bought a couple slabs of Montgomery Inn and will just do that with some corn and sauteed zucchini. Yummy. I also plan on cleaning out the garage. Jim just can't get it done and not just because he's sick. Although I think many of us would call his hoarding problem a bit of an illness.

Oh, well, Jim's up. Need to feed him. Happy Sunday.

Oy Vey

Things have been going somewhat swimmingly. School's out. Jim's back to work. Vacation is approaching. Sami did well at the vet and has new meds to help with her arthritis.  And then Jim's PET scan comes back and there are new, concerning spots on his pancreas and colon. Well, actually the colon has been there but they've increased in their uptake number and the reading of the PET scan is indication a new primary lesion (possibly colon cancer) or metastatic melanoma. There's also the slight possibility of diverticulitis but not likely since the readings have been persistent in previous scans. It's good news (to put a positive spin on this shit) that the nodules in Jim's lungs are smaller but Jim is, needless to say, wigged out and I think it's affecting his health. He spiked a fever last night of 103 and didn't sleep well. He was supposed to go to work today but is going to rest instead.

One of the biggest issues I have with Jim is his inability to be vigilant about taking care of himself. When I got home yesterday and could see that he was worn out and fatigued, I asked what he had eaten. Answer: cereal. UGH! You can't just eat cereal all day long! He says he doesn't have an appetite but dammit! Eat anyway. I guess easier said than done. Then there's him running a fever and not taking ibuprofen. I had to yell at him for that too. UGH!

I know that this shit is really our new norm and from day to day and from test to test just about anything can pop up but it seems like every time we get our bearings, some other shit comes up. I'm doing my best to be strong and keep Jim's spirits up (and not boo hoo in his ear) but it's hard when there is so much unknown. I do a lot of crying in the bathtub as you can imagine!

Jim's next set of tests will be a CT scan to get a better feel for what this thing on his pancreas is and the nurse practitioner has stated that there's no way that we can continue to wait for insurance to approve his colonoscopy anymore. She also brought up that we may have to go a new route for meds. We'll see. I'm just hoping that Jim has the ability to really enjoy himself and have a restful vacation when we head up to PIB next weekend.

K - sorry for the shit news. Later

Final Days!!!

And today starts the last day with kids for the year! Woot! And bonus, the first period exam time will end my classes (since the second period exam time is during my prep period). I can't tell you how excited I am. Tuesday is a work day and it's always a question on when we'll be able to scoot out but realistically, who cares if we're there until normal time?! A whole summer off is on the other side of that responsibility. Who can complain!? Not me!

Sami has a vet appointment today. Just a check up but really. I want to make sure her back legs are okay and see if there's anything that she could take to help what seems to be arthritis. She's going to hate going but it needs to happen. Jim and I will both go. I was going to take her alone but Jim isn't working but a couple hours today. He'll work Saturday and Monday, however.

What else? My kids in history didn't fare too well on their exams. I have more F's than anything but I rounded them all up to a D. I had one A a couple B's and a C. Oh well, what're you going to do? They all passed for the year, didn't need the exam to do so and exams are stupid anyway.

This time last week Jim and I were on the road...headed toward a lost weekend. Hee.

Okay - that's all I've got. Time to get my day going. Can't wait for a long weekend though it will be very stormy but that's okay. Of course the backyard is crazy long and who knows when that will get cut...what are you going to do.

Happy Friday! Happy Last Day of School to me! Oh and holy shit! Yesterday was National Wine day and today is National Chardonnay Day! Well hot damn! K - Later!

These Reporters!

I've been watching CNN this morning (I prefer local news in the morning but Jim has the remote) and these damn reporters can't stop saying, "Uh", "Um" and this one chick could not speak to save her life. She could not spit out a question and it was driving me crazy!

School news: My 1st period LA class took their exam and they all passed! Woot! Lowest grade was a C. I do not expect that today for my history class. I'm pretty sure most of them haven't studied and will most like fail miserably. UGH! And I'm only testing on one chapter. Hopefully they quizlet I sent out was used and practiced since the questions come directly from the exam. Oh well...they've all passed for the year so that's good.

Still no colonoscopy date but Jim did talk to a woman in the office who said they're waiting on insurance approval. I mean Jesus! Additionally, Jim's PET scan results haven't come out yet either. I'm anxious to see those and see how the nodule in his colon is doing. Who knew I'd be so interested in Jim's colon!?

My latest purchase for the Bay. Perfect for kids to sleep on when there's a full house and we need to huddle up! It will be delivered to the ferry warehouse about 3 days before we get there so I'll be able to get it and find a good place to store it.

And that's all I've got. Hopefully my car starts this morning. We had the mechanic dude up the street remove a couple fuses.

K - I'm out. Happy Thursday! Have I mentioned it's a Harry Potter weekend this weekend!? I mean could the year end any better!? I don't think so! Later!

Three Days!

Today starts the real exam days. We'll have two exams per day; one at 7:30 and one at 10:00. Students will be done and can leave at 12:30. For the next three days, I have one exam each day. YAY! Yesterday we have one exam at the end of the day but there wasn't much to do since it's a study hall for me and I just had to answer a few questions for a few students taking exams with us. I did manage to get all my IEP progress reports done, clean out my desk, prepare folders for next year's caseload and emailed all my new parents. I'll continue the clean today in preparation for next year. Just piddly stuff.

Jim had his latest PET scan today. No results yet but his glucose level is on the rise which isn't great. Still no colonoscopy appointment. He said this morning, "I guess I need to call them to find out what's going on." Ya think? Needless to say, his oncology appointment that was set up for the 12th will have to be pushed.

My car is still acting like an asshole. I'll take it up to my mechanic neighbor so he can pull the fuse on the radio. Hopefully that will keep the light from staying on and I won't have to constantly disconnect my battery. This is what happens when you have a 10 year old car, I guess. I mean, my engine light has been on for the last year and my gas gauge doesn't work. What are you going to do? I'm enjoying having no car payment so until my fixes aren't worth it anymore I'm going to continue what I'm doing.

And that's all I've got. Jim's working Monday which I was hoping he'd do. He offered and I said, Uh, yeah!

K - time to get a move on. Rain today. Possible storms later. Happy Wednesday. This time next week I'll be on day one of summer vacation! (And hopefully I'll still be asleep) WOOT! Later!

Jackasses!

I'm always a little surprised at the asinine behavior of kids and I don't know why. Every time I think they have it together and I can trust them to act like human beings, they show me that I'm just kidding myself.

I got to school yesterday to find two of my students in 6th period (and yes the biggest jackass of them all was a part of this) coaxed another student (the most gullible, naive and obviously delayed of all my kids) to say the "n" word and they supposedly filmed it. Of course they were turned in and of course nothing was done so I battled with the administration all day yesterday to try and investigate and make these kids pay somehow. I'm sure the year will end without them having any consequences which is so wrong. I did pull the girl aside and I made sure she knew how I felt about her actions and how disgusted I was by her gross behavior. There really wasn't anything bad enough I could say to her to impart my feelings. Kids are such little f&%kers sometimes!

Four days left! Today starts exams although I don't have an exam to give today.

Jim had a good day yesterday. He has his latest PET scan today. The colonoscopy still hasn't been scheduled. Annoying.

My car is still acting like an asshole. The radio light continues to stay on and I have to disconnect the car battery so it won't drain every time I get out of my car. I have a mechanic contact in my neighborhood who is investigating a fix so we'll see. I may just unplug the fuse when I get in and out of the car if that's possible. We'll see.

K - gotta go finish getting ready. Happy Tuesday! Later!

The Lost Weekend

I wish I could say that we had a fabulous weekend but alas, it just didn't go as well as hoped. We did manage to get all the carpets cleaned (except the bedrooms). Additionally we wiped down all the walls and furniture and nooks and crannies downstairs. The rug got installed under the kitchen table (really warms the place up...thank you Maggie) and the garage hasn't been this clean since it was originally built. Susan cleaned all the new pots and pans and then cleaned out the cabinets in the kitchen and straightened them out. Of course the golf cart was on the fritz so we had to get a loaner from Chan (gas powered and I liked it) and the weather wasn't great. But that wasn't what sucked. There was a bit of a blowout among siblings that never got resolved and probably won't because some people prefer to stick their head in the sand and pretend everything is hunky dory when it isn't. I prefer to hash shit out, lay it all out on the table so we can move on but apparently that's not going to happen. Ridiculous.

And then Maggie and Eva were SICK! Maggie was fine Friday but Saturday she was miserable. Fever, swollen throat (could barely eat), congested, hacking up crap...ugh!  Eva was miserable half the weekend (didn't sleep at all Friday into Saturday...although she did rally Saturday) and woke up Sunday to feel like shit. And on her birthday too! When Maggie got home she and Eva went to the Little Clinic or Urgent Care and turns  out Maggie has strep. Ugh! Oh and Eva has a sinus infection. Double ugh. Hopefully the strep won't spread to Jim and me. We've never had it so hopefully we aren't susceptible. They both got antibiotics and are hopefully on the mend.

One good thing was we made it to the ferry around 9:30 and caught the 10:30 off the island. I thought for sure we would have to wait for several boats but we didn't. Jim and I made it home by 2:30 and relaxed the rest of the day.

My car is acting like an asshole. The radio light won't turn off which means that it may drain my battery. I'll have to disconnect the cables when I get to school. Jim's calling the dealership to see what's what. And that's it. Oh, Jim still doesn't have his colonoscopy scheduled. One would assume they would call today but that's just silly! I know better than to think that.

Oh and JIM'S BACK TO WORK! WOOT! Today he's headed down to Kentucky. I'm so excited! I think he is too.

K - I'm out. Gotta see what I have on tap for today. Happy Monday! So happy it's the last week of school! Later!

Checklists

Jim and I have several checklists to take care of today in preparation for our trip north. I'm going to do my best to get everything ready for tomorrow at school during the school day today but I'm not sure how successful I'll be. Jim's got lots to do around the house to prepare, including cleaning, but he also has a lot of errands to run. Most important of those? Buying champagne. Just think, this time tomorrow, we'll be past Dayton! I hope! Woot!

My eyes are still slightly dilated but it's not that bad and I don't think I'll need readers today. But, I'm reading the final chapter in our book today so I'll take them just in case.

Oh, get this: I went online yesterday to the website that handles teacher absences just to check. And my absence (that I put in months ago) for Friday was gone. Which is crazy because the Friday before the last week of school? Yeah, no way am I going to get a sub with two days notice. Additionally, I KNOW that absence was in and I even knew the sub that had taken it. I realized what must have happened. The sub who had taken it is long-term subbing for our sped teacher who had a baby in April. I'm guessing that when they took her out of the sub system, it eliminated my absence. I emailed my administrator telling him all this and adding that "I don't know exactly how this could have happened and I did put in for a sub again but I'm sure I won't get one but...I won't be here Friday regardless." I never heard back from him and I'm not really worried/don't care. Oh well.

Lets see...what else? Seniors had their last day yesterday. It's always nice when seniors are out of the building. Makes for less crowded halls and classrooms. I sure wish a couple of other students could be done for the year.

Okay - time to get a move on. Happy Thursday (my Friday). Later!

Good News, Bad News & Update

First let me update on Jim's colon. He talked to someone at the doctor's office and the reasoning behind the wait on the colonoscopy makes a bit more sense. The reason why she didn't order up a colonoscopy until this past appointment was because she wanted to have Jim on his meds for about a month or so before doing the procedure. She knew from the March PET scan that there was a wonky read/uptake on his colon but because she would prescribe the same meds to treat that he's on, she held off. This make sense but I don't know why she didn't just order the colonoscopy in April so that we could schedule for around now rather than wait when we only have a 2 week window. Oh well, we'll deal. No one has called Jim yet to schedule it (that's how it works) so we don't know when it will be but unless it happens to be on the 30th or 31st, I don't see the possibility of it being before we leave for PIB.

Good news: I qualify for Lasik surgery and will have that done on June 16th. Woot! This will mean that it won't interfere with my July trip to PIB too. See, after surgery, I won't be able to swim for two weeks but by July 4th, I'll be all good. I may have to wear goggles and be extra careful on the wave runner but I can handle that. I was also told not to let anything hit me in the face for 1-3 months after surgery. My response: Uh, I'm going to try not to let anything hit me in the face forever. The doc was surprised looking at my pictures that I wear contacts. He said my eyes don't read like someone who wears contacts...in a good way. I have very thick corneas as well which is exactly what you want in Lasik! Anyway - I'm excited! Can't wait to see when I open my eyes!

And the bad news: Apparently a batch of 17-year cicadas are going to be hatching 4 years early! UGH! They're saying that about 100,000 of the little f&%kers are going to be hatching and they're already around areas on the west side and Anderson. First I'll just say that you can expect I won't be around much until these assholes are gone. Maggie, make up my bed because I'll be spending a lot of time with you until about July. Second, Anne's wedding is bound to be bombarded. I hope she doesn't mind me watching from the solarium. And third, WTF?! They're called 17-year cicadas for a reason. And you know that we'll still get a massive batch in 2021! I call bullshit on mother nature! She's on my list.

I'm still slightly dilated and having a bit of a tough time seeing close up. I'll take some readers with me to school today. Oh, and the doctor said I really should be using readers already and will most certainly need them right after surgery. I'm okay with that. That I can handle.

K - best head up and out. Need to get plans ready for Friday and make a list of jobs for Jim to do today. Happy Wednesday! Later!

I Just Can't

ARG! Here we go again! So Jim had his monthly appointment with the oncologist (I almost typed gynecologist - HA!) yesterday. Apparently, they've been sitting on information about a wonky uptake in in his colon possibly since MARCH!!!  And did anyone every say, "Hey, we need to get a look at this and schedule a colonoscopy." Nope they didn't...until yesterday! Then they tell him. Oh, and he needs to have said colonoscopy before - BEFORE - June 9th. Uh, we're headed to PIB on the 3rd. So annoying! I mean, I don't understand why someone isn't looking at his chart, his test results and seeing what needs to be done before Jim is sitting in front of their face. I think the doctor walks in the room to meet with Jim, looks at his chart and then never looks/thinks about his care until he's sitting in front of her again.

Jim's job today is to call and A) see if he can schedule a freaking colonoscopy before June 3rd, B) call the doctor's office and make it understood that he needs a phone call immediately from someone who has read his test results and can tell him if there are wonky results or not! Good or bad, someone need to call and say - "Alls well!" or "We have an issue".

Okay well, I have my eye appointment after school today so I won't be cooking or doing much of anything until 6:30. Hopefully things will turn out well and I'll get the news I want.

Oh, and my pedicure yesterday? Awesome! Headed back there for sure.

K - I'm out. Happy Tuesday! Later!

The Countdown Begins

Really the countdown began on day one but at this point, I can actually see the end. We have these next two weeks of school (minus this Friday for me since we'll be headed to PIB that day) and I can't wait! Thankfully, I timed my classes perfectly so that I'll finish up the novel we're reading in the next three days, which means we can watch the movie, take the test and be DONE!!! In history, I have to finish the last two sections of The 1990s and then THAT will be DONE! I can't believe I actually made it to the 1990s this time around in US History. I didn't do that the last time I taught the class (my history classes are on a 3-year rotation). Anyway - I will be so happy when this week is over and all we have are exams to look forward to.

This past weekend was nice. Perfect weather and a perfect couple of days of just hanging out with Maggie, Charlie and Eva. Can't wait for PIB to do it all over again but with the added bonus of Trip, Susan, JJ, Anne and Steve. Woot!

Jim's still not back to work. His boss SAYS he's going to put him back on schedule next Monday but at this point I'll believe it when I see it. So annoying. But...I'm trying to be easy about it and not stress Jim out because I know he's anxious to get back as well. So I still have my "bitch" for another week!

This week should be pretty easy. I'm going to go get a pedicure after school today...my toes need it BAD! It's a new place just up the road. Can't wait for a little pampering! Tomorrow I have my 3-hour screening for my eyes. I can't WAIT for that to be done too since I HATE MY GLASSES!!! Actually, I'm pretty used to them now but I will be glad when I can wear my contacts again, full time.

Jim has a doctor's appointment with his oncologist today. Just a check up. Should be painless...except for the fact that whenever he has to see her, she's always running about an hour hour and a half behind. So annoying. So rude!

Okay - well, I'd best get a move on...get this day started! Happy Monday!OMG! Maggie! Tomorrow is Mimosa Day! Woot! Maybe I'll start celebrating today! K - later!

Headed North

Very excited to get out of dodge! I'll head up to Maggie's after school (or maybe a little before). We don't have any real plans and Eva's been a bit sick so we may just hang at home but that's good for me!

Speaking of getting out of dodge, this time next week, we'll be on the road and headed to PIB! Hopefully in or past Dayton! WOOT!!!

School has been a bit stressful this week. First I had a couple unexpected bouts of paperwork I had to deal with (IEP amendments). And then yesterday - there was some disturbing news about one of the kids in my classes. This is the senior who was hospitalized before Spring Break because he was hearing voices. If you recall, I had emailed the parent about my concern, she confirmed that there were "issues" and then within a week, he was in the psyche ward at Children's. He returned to school about 2 weeks after Spring Break but since then, I have to say, he is obviously still hearing voices. In LA while I'm reading, he's laughing and talking/mouthing to someone/something that isn't there. It's very disturbing. I have to redirect him 3 or 4 times in class. Anyway - yesterday his mother revealed that her son told her that Satan has been speaking to him and telling him to commit suicide so he could have sex with him. But she sent him to school anyway. And the doctors didn't hospitalize him! And they said he isn't an immediate danger to himself. WHAT!? And basically the reason mom sent him to school is because she can't take off work and needs us to babysit him because she doesn't want to leave him alone (well, at least she has that sense). I emailed to the administration that I was very disturbed by this and don't think the proper place for this kid is school. If this were my son?! There wouldn't be a question! Time for a hospitalization so that meds can get regulated. UGH! I haven't been able to get this off my mind and I just feel so bad for this kid. What is going to happen to him over the summer when he's done with school and mom's going to work every day!?

Okay well, I need to finish getting ready and pack up the car. Happy Friday! Later!

Insulation Install

Yesterday we had our house's insulation beefed up. They basically came in and properly insulated our attic, crawl space in the basement, and knee wall (the space between the garage ceiling and master bedroom floor). In addition, they spray foamed all around the foundation. I hope to hell this helps with our air circulation and efficiency. We will get a rebate of $250 from Duke Energy so that's a bonus! They were here from about 9:00 until after 4:00, which meant I didn't get to exercise and that pissed me off. And then of course today it's going to be a washout so I won't be able to ride my bike. Annoying. Guess it's the elliptical for me.

In addition I'll be packing for Columbus after school. Woot. Can't wait to be there!

Jim said to me this morning that he looks forward to going back to work. Yeah, me too! His sleep pattern is completely off and he needs to reset.

No Dezi for the next couple days! Woot! He's been better lately but still a loud pain in the ass.

And that's all I've got. Need to finish getting ready. Have I mentioned that I hate my glasses!? I ended up having to put my contacts in for about 2 hours yesterday after school because I couldn't stop sneezing. My contacts act as a barrier for me and I just needed a break! I'll put them in today to exercise as well because I can't stand my glasses falling off my face due to sweating. I HATE MY GLASSES!

Okay - I better stop or I'm going to talk myself into a bad mood. Happy Thursday! Later!

Short On Time

Running short on time this morning because I was all wrapped up in reading about the latest _rump debacle. This should play out in an interesting way. I think at this point in the investigation on Russia, there will have to be a special prosecutor appointed to investigate. Crazy.

School: The lock down drill yesterday was slightly stupid but did facilitate good conversation with the kids in my room. We ended up choosing to stay put because of where the "shooter" was (in the Junior High). Reason being - my classroom is the first one coming from the Junior High so if the "shooter" was headed our way, I wanted our kids to hunker down until we knew more. While it was all going on, however, I talked to the kids about what we should do etc. They were really good during the drill (because I threatened them with the most severe forms of punishment available) and had good thoughts to share.

Today should be a relatively normal day. I'm watching Lisa's 5th period class while she's in a meeting and then our Early Release meeting is a union meeting. I'm wondering if they'll share anything about negotiations. Hoping to hear something.

I should be able to get on the bike today after school before the rain hits. YAY!

We get our insulation beefed up today! YAY! Here's to a more energy efficient, less drafty home!

Dreamt of Zekey Zoo last night. Sure do miss that boy!

And that's all I've got. I hate my glasses. Have I mentioned that? The other thing that happens when I don't have my contacts in? I'm sneezier! Stupid glasses! This week can't go fast enough!

K - happy Wednesday! Later!

Sans Contacts!

I hate not being able to wear my contacts! And I have to wear these stupid glasses for a week! They fall off my face and drive me crazy. Not to mention that I can't easily fix my face while wearing them. UGH! I tell you what...after all this (I know I'm being a drama queen) I sure hope I have the ability to get lasik surgery!

We have an active shooter simulation today at school and I am NOT looking forward to it. I'll be interested to see if they actually do it. Only reason why I say that is A) the weather B) parent input and C) it's going to suck. The kids should know by now that it's coming because of the email that went out but they won't know what time (1:00) and I'm envisioning mayhem. They're saying it's going to take 10-15 minutes but I call bullshit on that. These kids are going to be ramped up when this is all said and done and they're going to need to talk about it and they certainly aren't going to settle down easily afterward. UGH! Dread!

So I have a student going on to a program next year (a senior deferring her diploma) and I have to write an IEP for the program. The thing about this is, the program is not something I'm that familiar with which makes it hard to write an IEP when you don't really have the knowledge to write goals and services etc. The program lost it's director over this past year (she died...had a brain tumor...sad). Which means, there have been interim people running the thing and so no one really is the "go to" person for someone like me. It took me bitching about the fact that no one had contacted me about holding a meeting for this IEP to even get someone to acknowledge one needed to be written prior to the end of school. They would have waited until this week or next to call a meeting on the last week of school (when the senior would have been DONE with school). Anyway - I slapped together an IEP knowing I would have to and sent it on as a draft to the woman I've been conversing with via email. She emails me back with a shit ton of things...half of which is shit that makes no sense. And in her email she was schooling me on writing an IEP. Are you freaking kidding me bitch!? Suck a turd and did you read the IEP? Because half of what she was talking about was written in the IEP. So annoying. I think I'll be a little passive aggressive cause I'm done with this. 

Okay - and now I'm done bitching. It's raining like cats and dogs out there (and of course Sami has to go outside and drink from the outside water bowl for 10 minutes and come in soaked and NOT want to get dried. Little turkey!). Guess I better get going. Later...happy Tuesday!

PIB Prep

Jim and headed to Ikea this weekend to get some stuff for PIB (I love Ikea...I could spend so much money there! And they have the coolest towels! They have a little loop on the side of them so you can hang them on a hook!). I can't believe we'll be up there in less than two weeks! I'll be taking some blankets, new pots and pans, utensils for the pots and pans and I'll purchase a fan between now and then as well. We'll also do a major clean while up there. Maggie and I will steam clean carpets (with dueling cleaners) while everyone else installs a new closet shelving system and tackles the garage. I'm hoping that since there have been people up there this past weekend and will be up there this weekend, the major stuff will be taken care of. We'll see.

The rest of the weekend was pretty chill. We went to dinner on Saturday...a little Cinco de Mayo a day late. I wasn't about to step foot in any Mexican restaurant on Friday, that's for sure.

This week will be pretty easy. I'm trying to figure out what to do on Friday. I'm going to try and get coverage for a 1/2 day to go up to Columbus but if I can't I'll fore go because I'm covering Lisa during her plan and 7th period. I'll need to figure all this out by Wednesday though. We'll see. Maybe I'll just leave early and skip 7th...see if Diane can cover out study hall? (She doesn't read this so it's not like she'd see this).

I was going to try and get a quilt cranked out for JJ's birthday and take it up to PIB for him but I don't think I'm going to be able to. I'll see what I can get done today and then see where I stand but I don't think I have enough jean material for what I have planned. We'll see.

And that's about all I've got. Sorry I'm so boring. Happy Monday...later! Ooh, it's No Socks Day! And I'm not wearing socks! Bonus! Later!

After Today...

...I'll have 15 days of school (with kids) left. Can you freaking believe that!? And during that time, I'll be able to rejuvenate myself with a quick visit to Columbus and then a PIB weekend getaway! I can DEFINITELY do this!

Next week we're getting new insulation put into our attic, the crawl space in our basement and then in the area above the garage which also happens to be right under our bedroom. I'm hoping this helps a ton with the draftiness we have in our house and helps our energy bills. One good thing about it is we'll get a rebate from Duke after it's complete. It's a bit costly but will certainly be worth it. Fortunately (or unfortunately) Jim won't be going back to work on Monday because his boss won't have anywhere for him to go until the following Monday. UGH! Oh well.

In school news, I had to kick another kid out of class for farting. What's wrong with these disgusting little mongers?! I told Maggie I should just start ripping farts like them...that would certainly teach them a lesson! You think you can fart you little 15-year old punk!? What kind of damage do you think a 46-year old can do? Who eats a hard boiled egg nearly everyday for breakfast! Assholes!

My final IEP is today. YAY!

Weekend plans: Nothing. I plan on doing a big clean this weekend. Jim doesn't know yet. He'll be thrilled. I'm NOT running in the Flying Pig Marathon, if you were wondering. Ha!

And that's it. Time to get this Friday started! Later!

Yes He Did

Jim mowed the front yard yesterday! Can you believe it? And he had to use our regular push mower (he was going to try and borrow our neighbors who has a self-propelled one but he couldn't get a hold of him). And he hasn't complained at all about being sore! I think this is the first time he's been able to mow the lawn in about 2 years. Part of that is I prefer to mow the lawn but most of it is the pain he used to have. YAY Jimmy!

Had my dental appointment yesterday and was given a clean bill of mouth health. He said to me, "You have the CLEANEST mouth!" I guess he meant literally because normally my mouth is FILTHY!

I've got 3 assignments left to do for my HQT class. And two of those are things I have to wait for others to do (so I can respond to them). Woot!

So two days ago, Dezi (my crazy autistic kid), in the middle of class, while I was reading aloud let out the longest, loudest most disgusting fart I've ever heard. (I thought maybe he shit his pants it was so loud and disgusting.) As I laid into him and then kicked him out of class, he proceeded to BUTTON HIS PANTS back up and REBELT his belt! Yes, he had been sitting there with his pants undone! Gross and what the F&^K!? So needless to say, I went a bit off the rails on him (in the hallway) and then emailed his father to tell him about his increasingly disturbing, inappropriate, immature behavior (yes, I know he's autistic but I don't think that should give him a pass!) Anyway, yesterday Dezi came into class with a letter for me (I can't post it as is) but basically he apologized profusely and promised he'd be good. It was signed with his name but should have had his father's because you know he's the one who really wrote it.

Okay - well, lets see what today has to bring...besides rain. Happy Thursday! Later!

Eye Screening

So I decided about a week ago to check into getting Lasik surgery. I'm so sick of glasses and contacts and never being able to see. Swimming is a pain in the ass especially on the lake when I'm on the wave runner. I called (well, my secretary, Jim, called...although he prefers "personal assistant") the Cincinnati Eye Institute and finally talked to someone yesterday. She took some basic information from me and then from that gave me my options. I could do an hour long screening that just tests the basics (no dilation) but if it's a go from there, I'd do a 3-hour screening. OR! I could start with the 3-hour screening. I figured I'd have to do it anyway so I'll just start with that one. It'll be May 16th and I'm not allowed to drive after (she said they're dilation is really strong), I can't read for an hour before hand and I can't wear my contacts FOR A WEEK! UGH! That's going to be the hardest thing because I HATE my glasses. They aren't a tight fit and the lenses are all scratched up. Oh well.

In terms of cost, they cost without discount would be just about $4500 but with my vision plan, I get 15% off so it ends up being $3820 for both eyes and all follow up appointments. I think that's pretty good. Lets hope that I have the ability to get this done. The only thing that the woman said sounds like it MIGHT be a TINY issue that could make me a poor candidate is my eye stability. If my prescription changes too often, that's not good. Fingers crossed.

Last night Jim and I went to dinner with his brother, niece and sister. His sister wasn't originally going to be there but ended up tagging along when Fritz went to pick up his niece, Katie. We went to Silver Spring House and had a nice dinner. Home by 7:00ish so that was good.

I've got my 6-month checkup/cleaning at the dentist today. Sure hope my chompers are in good shape.

Should be an easy day at school today. Wednesday is independent reading day for my LA classes and the kids in history have a test. My HQT science class is going along just fine. I'm more than half way through and I'm hoping to be done with all this in the next week or so. The thing that will stand in my way is other participants progress. I have to way for people to post on specific forums so that I can reply to things they've written. Oh well, that's a no brainer.

K - well, best head out. Happy Wednesday. Later!

Damn You Jimmy Kimmel!

That's a cute baby! 6 days after surgery

So there I am...doing my normal morning thing: Eating my avocado and tomato toast, a hard boiled egg, sipping milk and perusing the Internet. I click on People magazine (my go to for all celebrity info) and I see the headline: Jimmy Kimmel Tearfully Reveals Newborn Son Billy At Home After Successful Open Heart Surgery. So I click on the article and watch his opening from last night. And he's immediately crying which means - TA DA - Muir immediately starts crying. UGH! (I'm still weeping a bit by the way). And I watch the video and man oh man, I can't imagine having to go through something so heart wrenching. Thankfully all is well and will hopefully remain that way but DAMN YOU JIMMY KIMMEL for tugging at my heart strings so early in the morning and making this cry baby cry! I'm beginning to think Matt Damon may be right and YOU are the son of a bitch! Ha!

I started my class yesterday to get highly qualified to teach the sciences to our pull out kids at school. It's a class 6-week class although I have the ability to work ahead and I'll be pushing hard over the next week to get as much complete as I can. There are 5 "learning segments" to do (with various things involved for each one) and I've completed the first one and will complete the second today. And hopefully I'll get the third one started. BAM! No pussy-footing around with this girl! The work isn't too hard either. And I've actually gotten something out of it already so that's a bonus!

Tonight Jim and I will head to Silver Spring House for dinner with his brother who is in town until Friday. Yummy!

Jim has his 6-week follow up appointment with his hip doctor today! Fingers crossed that he gives Jim the go-ahead to get back to work. As much as I've loved these last two weeks of having Jim as my bitch during the day, doing various jobs and errands, he needs to get back to work. If only for his own mental health. It's never a good idea to have too much free time.

What else? Going to be a breezy day. They said it's going to be even windier today than it was yesterday and it was REALLY windy yesterday. I was going to bike ride after school but I may have to fore go that idea. It's hard to ride when there are 40 mile an hour gusts working against you. Fit board it is.

Okay well, that's all I've got. Time to finish my toilette and get to work so I can get some more of my class check off! Later! Happy Tuesday!