Ok, there is a double meaning to today's title as you will soon see. The first meaning is that Mike has been dragging me out to finally ride our bicycles. Well, he doesn't have to drag me as I actually like riding but it hasn't been easy in this heat. We did 6 miles on Saturday -- almost died cause there was no shade and way too hot. Then we did 8 on Sunday -- not too bad as we went much later when it was cooling off and getting dark. And last we did 4 on Wednesday night -- made the mistake of going after dinner which was so not smart. So, now we know to 1) go when it's cool and 2) go on relatively empty stomachs. Mike was fine cause he used to do this all the time but I got sick on Sat and Wed. I'm ok and feeling pretty good about having done 18 miles this week. We're going when we can and not pushing it beyond the 8 mile mark until I get used to riding again. When you figure that I haven't been regularly on a bike since my freshman year of college. . .not bad. lol
The second meaning of the title has to do with the gap in writing. Good grief, it's been two weeks?!? You'd think with me not being at the store my life would be less frantic. Guess not.
Well, last week I had three days of massive jitters and stuff. Probably hormonal but it was unexpected so I pretty much just focused on grading, straightening, and playing online golf with Mike. You heard me right. He found a website and we've been geekily addicted to it since. It's actually pretty cool and we're evenly matched so it makes it fun. Sad, isn't it? I think the other reason for the jitters was because our landlord has made a decision about the house we're renting.
Ok, see, back at the beginning of the month our landlord, Hite, called to see if we wanted to stay another year. We would like to but wanted a month by month lease because we have been discussing buying a house next year. Makes more sense to own than to rent, right? I told him this and also asked if he'd be willing to sell us this house because we really like it and think it makes a great "first" home. Well, he wasn't sure because he hadn't had it appraised. I told him I would talk with Mike about a year lease and get back to him. During that time, Hite must have thought hard about it because the next thing I know, he's willing to sell it. But see, there's a catch. . .the original owner wants to buy the house back. She's apparently been bugging him since he bought the place in 2004. Apparently she sold the house to her son-in-law who proceeded to trash it and then Hite bought and fixed it. So now she wants it back. Of course she does. . .he did all the repair work.
The house was built in 1972 so it's only a year younger than me. So, the way I see it, there can't have been too much sentimental value in it for her if she didn't buy it back from her dumb in-law. Of course, there could have been other reasons too but I'm sorry, we're here and we want the house. We've been taking good care of it and have ideas of how to improve it. Well, Hite had the place appraised last Friday and let us know on Monday what it's worth. He's not asking for anything more than that. However, we don't have a down payment for a mortgage yet (cause we were looking to save for next year). That might not be a problem since it's possible to get 100% financing but who knows? Hite sent us the appraisal and an intent to purchase contract on which he is giving us a week to give back! He's coming over on Sunday with the woman and her daughter to look at the house. All week it's been like, "Oh my God! We need to get a mortgage and buy this place or we are going to have to move!" Is it the best time to buy? Probably not but we don't seem to have much choice now. Suddenly we're being rushed into doing something we were just trying to feel out. Eeek!
One good thing is that because of the price of the house, any mortgage we get will be less than or about the same price that we pay in rent right now. So, that's not a problem. We'll see. I have some stuff to do today and will keep you posted on what happens. Sheesh.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Monday, June 18, 2007
Mini-Vacation
It was a very nice little break. For those of you who didn't read the previous post, Mike had to work in Myrtle Beach last Thursday and they suggested he take me with him for some time away. Hey, who am I to argue? First he had to do a job in Charleston so we left really early. That didn't take long. The place had some nice woods and a gazebo near it so I laid down and took a nap. We had lunch at a really yummy Italian restaurant (owned by Greeks, go figure) in MB. It was a good find: Pizza Ala Roma III off Business 17. Somewhere bewteen the southern and nothern avenue blocks changeover. Don't remember exactly but if your coming from the south, it's on the right hand side. Anyway, then we headed to the hotel so we could check in and I could chill til Mike got back. That worked well. Stayed at the Marriott that is near Broadway at the Beach. Got a good deal too.
Mike was done before 5p so we wandered over to the Broadway place. It's huge with a lot of shops and stuff. Had a dinner at a place called Tripps. Mike's shrimp alfredo was good. My ribs were a little eh. I always seem to get disappointed by the ribs I get when I go out. It's rare for me to have them but if I get in the mood, they just never seem to live up to the expectations. Oh well. They were ok. The entire place was open til 11p so we got back late.
On Friday, Mike woke up late but it didn't matter cause he was waiting for the dispatcher to call with where he was supposed to go. Basically it ended up being a lazy day with him on call and doing phone tech support. So, we wandered down to the beach. It was overcast and rainy but that was ok cause it kept the crowds away. We ate lunch at the River City Cafe. On the outside it looks like a rundown shack. On the inside there is graffitti everywhere. I had seen it from the car the day before and it was busy so I thought it must be a good place to eat. Turns out it was part of a chain. We both opted for burgers. Mine was "normal" but Mike just had to try a peanut butter cheeseburger. You heard me right. He added the cheese. Actually, it was pretty good even though it sounds gross. lol
After lunch, we walked along the beach and it was sooooo relaxing. Then we played some games (skeeball, etc) to win cheesy prizes. But it was fun. We decided to head to this bookstore that we had passed on the highway. What can I say? We're book geeks. The place, Giant Book Sale, turned out to be a bargain outlet with paperbacks, hard covers, audio, etc. It was kind of like the Book Warehouse in PA. The prices were awesome. We managed to get 3 audio books and a dozen plus assortment of others for $46. Good thing we don't live there. lol I also got us an extra discount for being a teacher cause they count professors in that group. Cool, huh?
We ended up having dinner at a place called Crabby Mike's. Fitting, non? They had a huge buffet. It was on the expensive side but Mike made sure to eat enough crab legs to make up for it. I had a little and some shrimp. Fortunately, the buffet included things for those of us who are more land inclined in our tastes. But overall it was a good experience.
We had decided that we should save the shopping for Saturday since the weather was supposed to be nice and most people would be at the beach. Plus we wouldn't have to worry about trekking sand home. We got to Broadway fairly early and it was nice to wander in and out of the shops. We didn't buy much cause we're behaving ourselves. But we did see a lot of great stuff. Lunch was at Senor Frog's. As you can guess, it's Mexican. The tourist center had been giving out coupons and this restaurant's was for free Chef's Nachos with a purchase of an entree. So, we chose the two person Taco assortment plate and got the nachos for free. Lots of food and very yummy. The only downside to this money savings is that our iced teas cost almost $3 each! Yikes! Oh, well, we still did all right. Broadway has a mini golf course. Well, actually, they have two separate courses. So, we got the day pass cause it's cheaper than doing both separate and had at it. It was the most fun I've ever had playing mini golf. We had wanted to try some of the other places along 17 (like Jurassic Golf Park) but we were just too worn out by the time we left Broadway at 5p. Plus, it had been very sunny and Mike was starting to feel it as was I. He didn't have the benefit of my 60+ sunscreen so he got red. However, unlike me, he doesn't feel it much because of his Cherokee blood. I only got a little pink on my arms because I didn't slather there for a while. But the rest of me is ok. Still, being out like that made us both tired.
The weekend ended up feeling like we took a whole week's vacation. That's ok. It was very much needed and I feel better. Didn't really want to come home but it felt good once we got back. I had gotten a new chair for my office last week and am now getting a chance to test it out since Mike put it together for me on Saturday night. He had the craving to build something. Good thing it was here to do or God only knows what we would have ended up with.
By the way, I'll be posting this later than the time this says on here so that people will have a chance to sign up for the new groups. So, there's nothing wrong with your emails, I just delayed the posting.
Mike was done before 5p so we wandered over to the Broadway place. It's huge with a lot of shops and stuff. Had a dinner at a place called Tripps. Mike's shrimp alfredo was good. My ribs were a little eh. I always seem to get disappointed by the ribs I get when I go out. It's rare for me to have them but if I get in the mood, they just never seem to live up to the expectations. Oh well. They were ok. The entire place was open til 11p so we got back late.
On Friday, Mike woke up late but it didn't matter cause he was waiting for the dispatcher to call with where he was supposed to go. Basically it ended up being a lazy day with him on call and doing phone tech support. So, we wandered down to the beach. It was overcast and rainy but that was ok cause it kept the crowds away. We ate lunch at the River City Cafe. On the outside it looks like a rundown shack. On the inside there is graffitti everywhere. I had seen it from the car the day before and it was busy so I thought it must be a good place to eat. Turns out it was part of a chain. We both opted for burgers. Mine was "normal" but Mike just had to try a peanut butter cheeseburger. You heard me right. He added the cheese. Actually, it was pretty good even though it sounds gross. lol
After lunch, we walked along the beach and it was sooooo relaxing. Then we played some games (skeeball, etc) to win cheesy prizes. But it was fun. We decided to head to this bookstore that we had passed on the highway. What can I say? We're book geeks. The place, Giant Book Sale, turned out to be a bargain outlet with paperbacks, hard covers, audio, etc. It was kind of like the Book Warehouse in PA. The prices were awesome. We managed to get 3 audio books and a dozen plus assortment of others for $46. Good thing we don't live there. lol I also got us an extra discount for being a teacher cause they count professors in that group. Cool, huh?
We ended up having dinner at a place called Crabby Mike's. Fitting, non? They had a huge buffet. It was on the expensive side but Mike made sure to eat enough crab legs to make up for it. I had a little and some shrimp. Fortunately, the buffet included things for those of us who are more land inclined in our tastes. But overall it was a good experience.
We had decided that we should save the shopping for Saturday since the weather was supposed to be nice and most people would be at the beach. Plus we wouldn't have to worry about trekking sand home. We got to Broadway fairly early and it was nice to wander in and out of the shops. We didn't buy much cause we're behaving ourselves. But we did see a lot of great stuff. Lunch was at Senor Frog's. As you can guess, it's Mexican. The tourist center had been giving out coupons and this restaurant's was for free Chef's Nachos with a purchase of an entree. So, we chose the two person Taco assortment plate and got the nachos for free. Lots of food and very yummy. The only downside to this money savings is that our iced teas cost almost $3 each! Yikes! Oh, well, we still did all right. Broadway has a mini golf course. Well, actually, they have two separate courses. So, we got the day pass cause it's cheaper than doing both separate and had at it. It was the most fun I've ever had playing mini golf. We had wanted to try some of the other places along 17 (like Jurassic Golf Park) but we were just too worn out by the time we left Broadway at 5p. Plus, it had been very sunny and Mike was starting to feel it as was I. He didn't have the benefit of my 60+ sunscreen so he got red. However, unlike me, he doesn't feel it much because of his Cherokee blood. I only got a little pink on my arms because I didn't slather there for a while. But the rest of me is ok. Still, being out like that made us both tired.
The weekend ended up feeling like we took a whole week's vacation. That's ok. It was very much needed and I feel better. Didn't really want to come home but it felt good once we got back. I had gotten a new chair for my office last week and am now getting a chance to test it out since Mike put it together for me on Saturday night. He had the craving to build something. Good thing it was here to do or God only knows what we would have ended up with.
By the way, I'll be posting this later than the time this says on here so that people will have a chance to sign up for the new groups. So, there's nothing wrong with your emails, I just delayed the posting.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Getting Away
So, I am currently sitting in a hotel room in Myrtle Beach. Before you start wondering why I'm writing instead of playing, well, the hotel is a few miles inland. Not too far a drive (five minutes or so) but a hefty walk. Mike's company sent him on an install and suggested he bring me with him. Who am I to turn down a free hotel room? We will be paying for a second night tomorrow but since I got us a Courtyard Marriott for $83/night (with the tax), who's complaining? That's what I thought. Go me and travel. Maybe I need to change my vocation. lol
We won't be gone long but will be able to go to the beach and have some relaxation. Lord knows I need that. So, til Mike gets back from work, I'm gonna chill here and enjoy the quiet. And catch up on some stuff. Just exist for a while.
I did have a couple of good things happen over the past few days. We got the house cleaned and looking like we live there rather than like it's a storage shed. We threw out a lot of junk and I shrunk stuff down into manageable boxes. Next week I'll be organizing and putting stuff away. We loaded up the spare bedroom again so that I have one spot to work from. God, it's good to have clean and space. It's helped both our moods. We also had a jolt to get it done quickly because Maja came to visit. For those of you who don't know, she's my German friend. We met about six or so years ago at USC. She's now a journalist back home but had popped over here to visit some friends in Baltimore. When I found out she was here and realized I had time, I offered to go up or her to come down. Maja's friends lent her a car and she drove down. It was a very cool visit and I am ever so happy she came. Both Jon and Mike like her and she seems to like them. They helped "babysit" (her words) her while I was in class and at an appointment. Though she is quite able to take care of herself, I felt bad for leaving her alone which is why I wanted them to help. Besides, it's not like they minded. In fact, when I mentioned that non-US friends get a place to stay for the wedding, she volunteered Jon's place for herself. lol You should have seen Jon's face when I told him. That was funny. Guess he was relegated to trusted friend status. Wouldn't be the first time it's happened, eh Jon?
I had my appointment yesterday with the counseling center's psychiatrist. She's nice. Basically, it comes down to me having extreme anxiety coupled with depression. No bipolar stuff -- she doesn't think Lashley had labeled me that way, thank God. But considering the family history, it's possible since that can spring up at any point. Anyway, I am obviously maxed out on the stressors and stuff so she's prescribed Lexapro. It's an SSRI that is similar to Zoloft for those of you who know what that is (just look at the commercials). It's geared towards both depression and anxiety. I'll spare you more info cause you can look it up on the main website. She has me on the lowest dose right now because you have to start out slow and build up plus she doesn't want to cost me a ton of money. Gee, I think this will get me the FMLA and short-term disability stuff. Hope so anyway. The side effects are supposed to be mild but if I notice anything odd, I'm to tell her asap and stop taking it. I had no bad reactions to the Luvox years ago but that doesn't mean anything. What I didn't like about that is it made me feel too neutral after a while. I didn't feel particularly happy or sad and it was kind of bland. But I want to feel less spazzy so I'm willing to give it a shot. We'll see.
We won't be gone long but will be able to go to the beach and have some relaxation. Lord knows I need that. So, til Mike gets back from work, I'm gonna chill here and enjoy the quiet. And catch up on some stuff. Just exist for a while.
I did have a couple of good things happen over the past few days. We got the house cleaned and looking like we live there rather than like it's a storage shed. We threw out a lot of junk and I shrunk stuff down into manageable boxes. Next week I'll be organizing and putting stuff away. We loaded up the spare bedroom again so that I have one spot to work from. God, it's good to have clean and space. It's helped both our moods. We also had a jolt to get it done quickly because Maja came to visit. For those of you who don't know, she's my German friend. We met about six or so years ago at USC. She's now a journalist back home but had popped over here to visit some friends in Baltimore. When I found out she was here and realized I had time, I offered to go up or her to come down. Maja's friends lent her a car and she drove down. It was a very cool visit and I am ever so happy she came. Both Jon and Mike like her and she seems to like them. They helped "babysit" (her words) her while I was in class and at an appointment. Though she is quite able to take care of herself, I felt bad for leaving her alone which is why I wanted them to help. Besides, it's not like they minded. In fact, when I mentioned that non-US friends get a place to stay for the wedding, she volunteered Jon's place for herself. lol You should have seen Jon's face when I told him. That was funny. Guess he was relegated to trusted friend status. Wouldn't be the first time it's happened, eh Jon?
I had my appointment yesterday with the counseling center's psychiatrist. She's nice. Basically, it comes down to me having extreme anxiety coupled with depression. No bipolar stuff -- she doesn't think Lashley had labeled me that way, thank God. But considering the family history, it's possible since that can spring up at any point. Anyway, I am obviously maxed out on the stressors and stuff so she's prescribed Lexapro. It's an SSRI that is similar to Zoloft for those of you who know what that is (just look at the commercials). It's geared towards both depression and anxiety. I'll spare you more info cause you can look it up on the main website. She has me on the lowest dose right now because you have to start out slow and build up plus she doesn't want to cost me a ton of money. Gee, I think this will get me the FMLA and short-term disability stuff. Hope so anyway. The side effects are supposed to be mild but if I notice anything odd, I'm to tell her asap and stop taking it. I had no bad reactions to the Luvox years ago but that doesn't mean anything. What I didn't like about that is it made me feel too neutral after a while. I didn't feel particularly happy or sad and it was kind of bland. But I want to feel less spazzy so I'm willing to give it a shot. We'll see.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Oh My God
Just had to share this with you. . .there's a Hello Kitty wedding dress:
I showed it to Mike and he was like, "Honey, if you love me. . . ." Oh, HELL no! lol Thank God he was joking. I think. Oh, Lord, please be joking.
I showed it to Mike and he was like, "Honey, if you love me. . . ." Oh, HELL no! lol Thank God he was joking. I think. Oh, Lord, please be joking.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Here We Go Again
So, I am now officially out on medical leave. The woman from benefits finally got ahold of me on Tuesday (we'd been playing phone tag) and is sending me the FMLA paperwork. She also told me to call Aetna because the company offers disability pay. What? Cool. Was just gonna suffer through without my income and let Mike help me. You gotta know how much that irked me. Well, if the woman I spoke to had had a personality I might have fallen over. She was very mean and rude but I assumed that she was just doing her job cause people probably make false claims all the time and stuff. But no, I just spoke to another rep and she was very sweet and polite. See? You don't have to be mean to people. Anyway, I digress. It turned out that in order to get the paperwork processed, I needed a DOCTOR's signature. My two medical peeps are both NURSE PRACTITIONERS. The first rep made it sound like I was doing something wrong and wasting her time because I thought Julie was an MD but we couldn't find her info in the system. So, I was going to have to call back with her info. When I spoke with Julie and found out she was also a nurse practitioner, I was stumped. So, I decided to call Gaye and find out what she thought or if she could direct me to a doctor for all of this so we could do things "properly." She recommended someone and I set up an appointment for yesterday afternoon.
Gotta love USC, they get you in as quickly as they can. And if it's a true emergency, they get you in even faster. Fortunately they are slow right now because of summer so I knew I didn't have any worries at all. I didn't and had time to do lunch with Mike. I like the doctor, he's very nice. I was a bit hyper (manic) and it showed in my blood pressure: 145/79. Good bottom, sucky top. One reason I was stressed was because I didn't know what he would be like or say. I mean, I trust Gaye's opinion but still. Fortunately, he trusts Gaye too so it was all good. Where we get the title of the blog is from what he recommended -- that I go to the counseling center and see the new psychiatrist. Great. He was pretty adamant that I do so and knowing that the benefits conditions state the necessity of a psychiatrist for anything related to mental health, I agreed to go. This way if he writes down extreme anxiety or stress or whatever, I'm covered through that as well. Gaye thought that I should be out for 4-6 weeks but Dr. King said at least six weeks, possibly more depending upon what the other doc says. Great, Jess is gonna love that.
Anyway, I decided to just go over to CHDC (Counseling and Human Development Center) since I had time and then wouldn't have to come back if they could squeeze me in. I think I might have freaked the secretary a little (I didn't recognize her) when I said I was sent over cause I guess that made it sound like an emergency. I just wanted her to know why I was there and it was a referral. But that all got straightened out. I spoke briefly with the new psychiatrist (thank God the old one is gone because I did not like him). See, for those of you who don't know, I went there from the fall of 1998 to at the fall of 2003 (minus the year off for when I was in France). I only needed the psychiatric part of it for the first two years of my counseling. Can't remember the full diagnosis beyond being OCD (duh, we know that lol). There was a different psychiatrist then from the guy I just mentioned not liking and he was cool. I think he labeled me with bi-polar tendencies. Not sure if he diagnosed me with as being full-blown with it. But whatever cause all of that info is poof and I get to start fresh.
The new psych talked only briefly with me to get a feel for what is up and why I was there. Then she let me go finish filling out the paperwork and set me up to talk with one of the counselors. Most of the people are new. There's only two left from when I was there before. I like Russell but I didn't want to see him cause something about him has always made me kind of nervous. Did group stuff with him and Ruthann one time and that could be why. As for the other woman, I think Ruthann had recommended her but since I suck at remembering names, I didn't ask for her. So, I ended up with someone new. I wasn't thrilled at first with getting a guy only because most of the male psychologists/psychiatrists I've met have had a huge arrogant vibe. But Jaime is cool. He doesn't have that at all and "feels" more like Ruthann. So, that should do. I will see him next week again and also see Dr. Khetpal for an evaluation next week. She seems very nice so I think I'll be ok there too. A part of me doesn't want to go this route again but I need to do something.
I'm just trying to figure stuff out. I think I wore myself out physically again by working so much when my body needed rest to try and heal itself. December and January were very rough months. I wish I had known about FMLA then and the short term disability because I would have done it but the money thing became all pervasive. Mike would have helped me but I wasn't in a frame of mind to let him. Too damn independent sometimes for my own good. I try not to judge him based upon the men in my family but that's hard to do in situations such as the financial. The thing with Jessica last month was just the last straw in a long line of stressors I've had for the past year from work and her. (shrug) So, we'll see. You all knew I was crazy, I'm just reaffirming it. ;o)
Gotta love USC, they get you in as quickly as they can. And if it's a true emergency, they get you in even faster. Fortunately they are slow right now because of summer so I knew I didn't have any worries at all. I didn't and had time to do lunch with Mike. I like the doctor, he's very nice. I was a bit hyper (manic) and it showed in my blood pressure: 145/79. Good bottom, sucky top. One reason I was stressed was because I didn't know what he would be like or say. I mean, I trust Gaye's opinion but still. Fortunately, he trusts Gaye too so it was all good. Where we get the title of the blog is from what he recommended -- that I go to the counseling center and see the new psychiatrist. Great. He was pretty adamant that I do so and knowing that the benefits conditions state the necessity of a psychiatrist for anything related to mental health, I agreed to go. This way if he writes down extreme anxiety or stress or whatever, I'm covered through that as well. Gaye thought that I should be out for 4-6 weeks but Dr. King said at least six weeks, possibly more depending upon what the other doc says. Great, Jess is gonna love that.
Anyway, I decided to just go over to CHDC (Counseling and Human Development Center) since I had time and then wouldn't have to come back if they could squeeze me in. I think I might have freaked the secretary a little (I didn't recognize her) when I said I was sent over cause I guess that made it sound like an emergency. I just wanted her to know why I was there and it was a referral. But that all got straightened out. I spoke briefly with the new psychiatrist (thank God the old one is gone because I did not like him). See, for those of you who don't know, I went there from the fall of 1998 to at the fall of 2003 (minus the year off for when I was in France). I only needed the psychiatric part of it for the first two years of my counseling. Can't remember the full diagnosis beyond being OCD (duh, we know that lol). There was a different psychiatrist then from the guy I just mentioned not liking and he was cool. I think he labeled me with bi-polar tendencies. Not sure if he diagnosed me with as being full-blown with it. But whatever cause all of that info is poof and I get to start fresh.
The new psych talked only briefly with me to get a feel for what is up and why I was there. Then she let me go finish filling out the paperwork and set me up to talk with one of the counselors. Most of the people are new. There's only two left from when I was there before. I like Russell but I didn't want to see him cause something about him has always made me kind of nervous. Did group stuff with him and Ruthann one time and that could be why. As for the other woman, I think Ruthann had recommended her but since I suck at remembering names, I didn't ask for her. So, I ended up with someone new. I wasn't thrilled at first with getting a guy only because most of the male psychologists/psychiatrists I've met have had a huge arrogant vibe. But Jaime is cool. He doesn't have that at all and "feels" more like Ruthann. So, that should do. I will see him next week again and also see Dr. Khetpal for an evaluation next week. She seems very nice so I think I'll be ok there too. A part of me doesn't want to go this route again but I need to do something.
I'm just trying to figure stuff out. I think I wore myself out physically again by working so much when my body needed rest to try and heal itself. December and January were very rough months. I wish I had known about FMLA then and the short term disability because I would have done it but the money thing became all pervasive. Mike would have helped me but I wasn't in a frame of mind to let him. Too damn independent sometimes for my own good. I try not to judge him based upon the men in my family but that's hard to do in situations such as the financial. The thing with Jessica last month was just the last straw in a long line of stressors I've had for the past year from work and her. (shrug) So, we'll see. You all knew I was crazy, I'm just reaffirming it. ;o)
Sunday, June 03, 2007
How To Make Someone Smile
Well, I found a way to make Michael feel better when the weather has his back acting up. I can't remember if I've typed this before so forgive me if I repeat myself. See, a few years ago he was in a very nasty car accident that left him with a broken back. They weren't sure if he would walk again because of the severity of the injuries. He has a steel rod though his spine and obviously managed to get his body to function properly for him again but whenever the weather turns ugly (cold, rain, etc) his back hurts him like hell. He refuses to take anything for the pain beyond Advil because he already did the bout with harder stuff back in the day and all the problems that came with it. So, he suffers through.
I've been helping him with massages and he's noticed a huge improvement in his back and pain level since we've been together. I've also noticed a big improvement in his sensitivity to touch. When we first started dating, he was very touchy about people touching him. He would flinch a lot. Now, he doesn't react very much. And he's gotten so used to having a lot of good days that when he gets hit with a bad one, it feels really bad. (sigh) Always a trade off.
Yesterday we finally got some much needed rain. It has been dry as a bone down here for the past couple of weeks. We had a decent amount of rain in the early part of spring but nothing for a long while now. The tropical storm that had hit Florida finally stirred up some moisture for us. Unfortunately it also caused some nasty pressure changes that has been causing myself and others nice migraines and Michael to have a spazzing back.
Well, two weeks ago Michael had dropped me off at a mall in Charlotte while he was working and I'd found some cute pajamas at Torrid. Yes, I know, hard to imagine me wearing cute pjs. And I'm not talking about color or cut, I'm talking character pjs. See, with Michael's love of manga, anime, and almost everything Japanese, we've developed a running gag about Hello Kitty. Yes, you heard me right. I now own Hello Kitty pjs. I swear, I don't think I've had cutesy clothing since I was a kid. And even then I limited that after being teased for wearing a Winnie-the-Pooh dress in the first grade. Actually, the Hello Kitty stuff started out as a gag but has kind of become one of our couple's things. Michael has never watched Hello Kitty and barely gave it a thought before we were in Target one day last year and I jokingly pointed out that they have a Hello Kitty bedspread that we should buy. No, we haven't. But I wonder if it isn't a matter of time. Check our sanity if we do though, ok?
Since then I have bought him Hello Kitty pop tarts, soap, band aids, Easter egg stuff, etc. He's gotten me some stuffed ones, a charm, contact case (which is actually cool and useful), etc. Not much, a little over a dozen items (they apparently have over 20,000). So when I saw that Torrid had Hello Kitty underwear and pajamas, I just had to get them. I surprised him with the undies earlier this week. He was highly amused.
But last night's reaction will be one of my fondest memories for years. I was saving the pjs for a special surprise. You know, that right moment kind of thing. I've bought some sexy lingerie (one red nightie is a particular favorite as it's long and sleek and so comfy) to wear for him. It makes me feel girlie too. Here's a pic of it from Torrid's site:
He's liked it all but none of it gave me last night's reaction (which I find highly amusing). When I got home from work after 11p, Michael was up watching some anime. He'd been blech all day. Earlier he had come by the mall to get some dinner with Jonathan since Jon was craving Japanese food but didn't want to get it alone (it is kind of boring to do the steakhouse thing without another person) and then Mike could bring me some. Well, Michael seemed very down and I was worried about him. He wasn't any better when I got home so I decided to take a shower and put on the pjs. He was in his office by the time I was changing so before he could come in the bedroom, I covered myself with my thermal blanket. Only problem is it's a light blue and worn so Michael could see the kitty pattern on the pants through it. But that was ok cause he just looked stunned and surprised.
I whipped off the blanket -- Michael's reaction was complete delight and laughter followed by pouncing on me with a hug and "I love you, I love you, I love you soooo much." lol Should I be worried that I don't get this kind of reaction when I wear something sexy? lmao Well, hey, it made him really happy and took the pained look from his eyes and body if only for a short while. I'd say that was worth wearing something cute. But I have to say, the outfit is surprisingly comfy. And it makes me feel 20 years younger. Oye, I'm getting old. (big grin)
I've been helping him with massages and he's noticed a huge improvement in his back and pain level since we've been together. I've also noticed a big improvement in his sensitivity to touch. When we first started dating, he was very touchy about people touching him. He would flinch a lot. Now, he doesn't react very much. And he's gotten so used to having a lot of good days that when he gets hit with a bad one, it feels really bad. (sigh) Always a trade off.
Yesterday we finally got some much needed rain. It has been dry as a bone down here for the past couple of weeks. We had a decent amount of rain in the early part of spring but nothing for a long while now. The tropical storm that had hit Florida finally stirred up some moisture for us. Unfortunately it also caused some nasty pressure changes that has been causing myself and others nice migraines and Michael to have a spazzing back.
Well, two weeks ago Michael had dropped me off at a mall in Charlotte while he was working and I'd found some cute pajamas at Torrid. Yes, I know, hard to imagine me wearing cute pjs. And I'm not talking about color or cut, I'm talking character pjs. See, with Michael's love of manga, anime, and almost everything Japanese, we've developed a running gag about Hello Kitty. Yes, you heard me right. I now own Hello Kitty pjs. I swear, I don't think I've had cutesy clothing since I was a kid. And even then I limited that after being teased for wearing a Winnie-the-Pooh dress in the first grade. Actually, the Hello Kitty stuff started out as a gag but has kind of become one of our couple's things. Michael has never watched Hello Kitty and barely gave it a thought before we were in Target one day last year and I jokingly pointed out that they have a Hello Kitty bedspread that we should buy. No, we haven't. But I wonder if it isn't a matter of time. Check our sanity if we do though, ok?
Since then I have bought him Hello Kitty pop tarts, soap, band aids, Easter egg stuff, etc. He's gotten me some stuffed ones, a charm, contact case (which is actually cool and useful), etc. Not much, a little over a dozen items (they apparently have over 20,000). So when I saw that Torrid had Hello Kitty underwear and pajamas, I just had to get them. I surprised him with the undies earlier this week. He was highly amused.
But last night's reaction will be one of my fondest memories for years. I was saving the pjs for a special surprise. You know, that right moment kind of thing. I've bought some sexy lingerie (one red nightie is a particular favorite as it's long and sleek and so comfy) to wear for him. It makes me feel girlie too. Here's a pic of it from Torrid's site:
He's liked it all but none of it gave me last night's reaction (which I find highly amusing). When I got home from work after 11p, Michael was up watching some anime. He'd been blech all day. Earlier he had come by the mall to get some dinner with Jonathan since Jon was craving Japanese food but didn't want to get it alone (it is kind of boring to do the steakhouse thing without another person) and then Mike could bring me some. Well, Michael seemed very down and I was worried about him. He wasn't any better when I got home so I decided to take a shower and put on the pjs. He was in his office by the time I was changing so before he could come in the bedroom, I covered myself with my thermal blanket. Only problem is it's a light blue and worn so Michael could see the kitty pattern on the pants through it. But that was ok cause he just looked stunned and surprised.
I whipped off the blanket -- Michael's reaction was complete delight and laughter followed by pouncing on me with a hug and "I love you, I love you, I love you soooo much." lol Should I be worried that I don't get this kind of reaction when I wear something sexy? lmao Well, hey, it made him really happy and took the pained look from his eyes and body if only for a short while. I'd say that was worth wearing something cute. But I have to say, the outfit is surprisingly comfy. And it makes me feel 20 years younger. Oye, I'm getting old. (big grin)
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Couseling Form
So, Jessica was to write up a counseling form stating that she had spoken with me about all of the stuff going on. It's just a formality. She said that it was just going to be about what we talked about in the back that night after she and Mike had their chat. Well, it wasn't just about that. Jessica included things from later on. A few of them ticked me off because they had nothing to do with the "incident". Any guilt I had about talking to HR has gone poof. Fortunately, I was able to type up a response to it all. I admitted to the things that were true and "corrected" the things that weren't or that didn't have the full picture.
Example: She pointed out that on Wednesday, May 16th, Michael had been in the store and I had been a half hour late clocking off. And that both of us had bought stuff. Michael was in, he came in right when I was supposed to get off the clock in order to buy his manga special orders that had just come in that day. I was late getting out of there because I was in the middle of something (I don't remember what) and wanted to finish it before I left. It had nothing to do with him and Jonathan rang both of us up. But she made it sound like we had broken her rule about him not being there when I was working. If you get technical, yes, but only because I was trying to finish something. Had I clocked out on time, then there wouldn't have been an issue. Excuse me for trying to accomplish a task. I know for a fact that when she was assistant manager at the other store, she did the same thing because she told me about how she would end up working extra during the week and then have to leave early on Saturdays so she wouldn't go over time.
Hell, I've worked off the clock but the company discourages that so I claim my time.
Sheesh. . .it's that petty bs that has been driving me nuts. Anyway, I work today for my normal schedule. I have off tomorrow and then work my normal on Mon and Tues and then half day on Wed. That will give me enough time to get the paperwork in and see Gaye (my nurse practitioner) since she'll be back from her break. Then I am off and away from this crap. Thank God.
Example: She pointed out that on Wednesday, May 16th, Michael had been in the store and I had been a half hour late clocking off. And that both of us had bought stuff. Michael was in, he came in right when I was supposed to get off the clock in order to buy his manga special orders that had just come in that day. I was late getting out of there because I was in the middle of something (I don't remember what) and wanted to finish it before I left. It had nothing to do with him and Jonathan rang both of us up. But she made it sound like we had broken her rule about him not being there when I was working. If you get technical, yes, but only because I was trying to finish something. Had I clocked out on time, then there wouldn't have been an issue. Excuse me for trying to accomplish a task. I know for a fact that when she was assistant manager at the other store, she did the same thing because she told me about how she would end up working extra during the week and then have to leave early on Saturdays so she wouldn't go over time.
Hell, I've worked off the clock but the company discourages that so I claim my time.
Sheesh. . .it's that petty bs that has been driving me nuts. Anyway, I work today for my normal schedule. I have off tomorrow and then work my normal on Mon and Tues and then half day on Wed. That will give me enough time to get the paperwork in and see Gaye (my nurse practitioner) since she'll be back from her break. Then I am off and away from this crap. Thank God.
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