How Time Flies...

I can't believe it's been 18 years since my precious baby girl was placed in my arms.  She was 3 weeks early and totally caught us off guard.  I was in a child birth class about to watch the video about labor and my water broke as soon as we sat down on our pillows.  I didn't know what was going on, I was so scared.  I went to the bathroom and the instructor came in to talk to me.  As we were talking, another Mom from the class said "excuse me, but you have your microphone on and we can hear everything."  I was so embarrassed.  

Our insurance wouldn't cover us at this hospital so we had to LEAVE the hospital to drive to another hospital over an hour away.  Imagine the police officer who pulled us over one block away from the hospital.  He told us he would "let us go this time".   That was a riot.  I ended up being in labor 23 1/2 hours.  30 minutes away from a c-section.  I was determined that was not happening.  The first thing the nurse said was "what a little peanut".  That stuck and I've called her that ever since.

You have so many hopes and dreams for your child when you first hold her in your arms.  I am so very proud to say that my daughter is amazing.  She is so loving, giving, caring and has amazing morals.  I couldn't be more proud.   I boo hoo'ed several times today when I was able to stop and breathe and think about what was really happening today.  I ran around all day trying to make everything perfect.  My pain was pushed to the back burner so that today could be as special as I could make it.  I'll pay tomorrow but it will 100% have all been worth it.  Next step on the emotional roller coaster...Graduation.  I'll need stock in Kleenex.

Cabin Fever!!

I've got it!  Honestly, who in the North East doesn't at this point?  It's just storm after storm for weeks now.  Schools are closed at least 2 days a week and 2 hour delays on the other days.  I can't stand our schedules being so messed up.  Funds are running extremely low.  It's not good when a supposed 80 hour check is only 44 hours.  To say I am ready for Spring is an understatement.

The house has been so much dirtier lately with everyone home so much.  The dishes are never ending.  On top of that I have been in so much pain from this cold weather.  The changes in the barometer from all of these storms is driving me crazy too.  I'm lucky the headaches haven't been worse (knock on wood).

Oh in the summer when the humidity is high and the a/c can't be cold enough, I'll be complaining then too.  Is there a happy medium?  I've heard California has this perfect weather, but I think I might be more terrified of earthquakes than what the trade off would be...maybe?  Nah, just kidding.  My family and friends are here, I couldn't imagine moving that far away.  

I can't believe the Olympics are almost over.  I was supposed to get the DVR cleared off during this time.  My daughter and I decided we would get caught up on all of our shows, but instead, we've been watching the Olympics non stop.  We'll get caught up someday, somehow I guess.

Speaking of the Olympics, I was livid and disappointed in the coverage last night of Bode Miller's medal.  I felt like the reporter pushed and pushed him until he broke down.  That wasn't entertaining, it wasn't what I wanted to see.  It made me sad, mad and hurt for him and his family.  We need to do better than that, America.  We need to speak out against this type of thing, so that the media doesn't think it's ok to treat people like this.  

Frozen!?!?

We got hit by the latest Nor'Easter the Weather Channel has named Pax...but luckily it got warmer today and things started melting and compacting.  Unfortunately, not enough to mean no shoveling.  You can't melt 16 inches of snow in a day.  Nope.  Instead it meant the shoveling was HEAVY and exhausting.  Of course, I just got the official Fibromyalgia diagnosis on Monday.  I have been hurting all week, but the cars had to be shoveled out so what can you do?  

I planned on taking the kids to see Frozen tomorrow, but more snow is on the way...sigh!  So we dug out, and headed to the movies today.  By the way, Valentine's Day afternoon after a huge snow storm, happens to be a wonderful time to go to the movies.  Matinee price plus an almost empty theater was awesome.  The movie was great.  

Afterwards, I "thought" we were going to go glasses shopping and pick up my contacts, but we left to the roads freezing up, so that nixed that idea.  Thanks to Pizza Hut for the free Chocolate Dunkers for Valentine's Day, we had pizza and dessert with no more effort on my part than swiping a few things on my phone.    I was happily surprised to get a large pizza because they were out of mediums?  How is that possible?  I thought they made the dough fresh?   Obviously not.   Regardless, I'm not complaining.

I have no idea why I am here typing, other than I'm avoiding finishing my healthcare application, leaving it for the absolute last minute.   My shoulder and honestly all of me is aching horribly from shoveling today, yet here I am typing away.  I'll pay for that tonight when I'm trying to sleep.  

I really hope this snow tonight into tomorrow is a bust and we don't get much.  The kids want more to keep working on their igloo though, maybe I could convince them to shovel it from the driveway to the igloo in the front yard?   Yeah right!!

Ice..Ice..Baby

So today was quite interesting.  Several days after the ice storm and it's still going on.  The mountain I was on today was coated in a crystal ice display.  It was gorgeous with the sun shining on it.  It amazes me how at the base of the mountain not one tree had ice on it and 1/4 of the way up bam ice everywhere.  I don't know how they are going to get that car down but it reminds me to never park near the base of a tree, because apparently the root ball will raise your car up...CRAZY!!!

I'm hurting today.  I need a formal diagnosis and a game plan besides live in agony and off of Advil and heating pads.  I was diagnosed with Fibro back in 1996 and I scoffed at the doctor, thinking he was just pulling something out of the air because they couldn't figure out what was wrong with me.  Back then you didn't hear much about fibro and IBS and I was told I had both.  Well the GI doctor re-diagnosed the IBS and I'm going to see the doctor Monday to figure out if the fibro is true or if it's RA, which I hope and pray it's not.  I am riddled with arthritis from head to toe.  I was in a car accident and the xrays showed arthritis from the top of my neck to the bottom of my spine.  I fell in the house and had my shoulder xrayed and it showed arthritis.  I was having problems with my foot and that xrays showed guess what...ding, ding ding...arthritis.   It's awful to be having this at my age.  I can trade stories with my 70 and 80 year old friends.  I am only 41 and that just seems wrong to me.  I hope that it doesn't take forever to get some help and relief.  I know others are so, so much worse off than me, but I have to live with this pain every day and that's very real for me.  I want to be able to run and play with the kids and not be in pain all of the time.  I want to know if day after day of pushing myself, because let's face it that's what I do, is taking a toll or not making a difference one way or another.

I don't personally need a name or a label, but if that's what it takes to explain to everyone that what I feel is real and extreme then label me, name it...but most of all just give me some relief...please!

The Not So Super Bowl...

Unfortunately, I think this awful start to the game set the tone for the entire game.  Poor Peyton looked so shocked and destroyed at the same time.  I have never been so bored and disappointed in a Super Bowl ever.  As a Redskins fan I was absolutely rooting for the Broncos to come out victorious, besides the fact that I really respect Peyton.  He had an amazing season and I wanted to see him get the ring to top it off.

As for my rundown of the game, I thought Pete Carroll's challenge on the spot of the ball for the kick they were going to make anyway was so stupid, luckily he never needed that lost time out.  Later on Seattle's late hit on the play after the punt was so incredibly stupid and unnecessary.  I was getting so annoyed with the half time hype at every commercial break, I found myself talking to my television "I KNOW ALREADY"  "Yes ok we know Bruno Mars and Red Hot Chili Peppers, I won't miss it" STOP reminding me already.

Ok so back to the game, I thought John Fox wasted a time out on the forward pass call, but it was worth a shot.  Desperate times call for desperate measures.  I felt that Denver was ripped off on so many Pass Interference calls it was a crime.  

I really thought Petyon should have taken that sack instead of letting the ball get tipped and costing them another touch down, but hindsight is 20/20.  Seattle's defense just brought way too much pressure for the Broncos.

Halftime came and I was skeptical. I like Bruno don't get me wrong, but I really felt Bon Jovi got slighted since he is the reigning King of New Jersey.  However, I have to admit that Bruno KILLED IT!  I mean he was amazing, totally amazing.  The military tribute was really wonderful.  The Red Hot Chili Peppers were awesome as well and that brought back some memories too.  I was really hoping that Peyton and the boys would shake it off and come back strong in the 2nd half of the game but NOOOOOO they had to let them return it for a touchdown right from the get go.  NO just NO!!!!  I honestly considered turning the game off.  I was just that disappointed.   I kept thinking it would get better, they would come back, but they never did.  I think being a Skins fan prepared me for this disappointment though.  I am hoping that changes next year, I'm hopeful because I so want to hear the announcer say "Redskins fans, your team just wont the Super Bowl" and I will follow his instructions and I will gladly go and purchase my merchandise!!!

I really hope that Peyton doesn't retire on this note, but to me, this one game doesn't define his career in any way.  The entire team was spectacular this season, you can't deny that.  Seattle shut down Thomas and so many good players last night and that just shows that although it's hard for me to say (mumbles lowly) Seattle has an amazing defense and as I (puking sound) heard way more than I needed to on Twitter last night "Great Defenses win games."

I was really disappointed in the commercials as well.  It used to be that you would love the epic commercials, the edgy and different instead of hum drum and so so commercials, but this year fell short for me.  There were a few that were "good" and "funny" but not one that was amazingly funny or along the lines of the past Doritos flying out of the dryer into the hot models mouth commercials of yesterday ha ha!  

The McDonald's one to start the show off of the voice overs of the players was awesome.  I'm a total sucker for this stuff and loved every bit of it.  The time machine commercial for Doritos was cute and funny.  I loved the start of the commercial where they compared the Super Bowl to prom and gave Sean stats but the end of it being a turbo tax commercial implying that getting your big check would fix all of that was a let down.

I love Don Cheadle and that was funny seeing him with the llama.  The whole Ian doesn't know what is happening to him story line was ok, it seemed a little unbelievable though.  Bud Light you need to step it up a bit next year.

I liked the U2 commercial, I mean who doesn't like U2 and what a great cause.  I didn't even know they were coming out with a new album.

The Auto Emergency break commercial was really cute where the kid is practically drooling over the girl and the car prevents the accident.  I thought there were way too many car commercials but at least this one was different.  The Radio Shack commercial was so on point and totally relevant.  I am so excited to check out my local Radio Shack to see the changes.  Also, admittedly being an 80s kid made me love the commercial even more.  There's something to be said about nostalgia.  

The Chevy cancer road commercial was so touching.  Being surrounded by those having fought, still fighting and having lost their battles to this awful disease made this one hit home.  

I'd be lying if I didn't admit the the David Beckham commercial made my daughter and I both put our cell phones down and pay attention.  The muppet commercial was hysterical, I totally love Terry Crews, he's awesome.  The Pistachio commercial made us stop and pay attention as well, it was strange and creepy and great at the same time.  The Seinfeld commercial hit that nostalgia button as well.  They all look the same and could totally do this show again.  The "mumble" had me cracking up, my 17 year old, not so much.  I feel bad for Tim Tebow, I feel like he got a bad rap in the football community and his talent is being wasted, but I did like his commercial Illegal Formation ha ha!  

The Bruce Willis commercial was pretty hilarious, that guy that was hugging him looked so creepy and serious, ha ha ha love it!!!  The Dannon Oikos commercial was pretty funny too.  I love me some John Stamos.  The Doritos commercial where the kid is riding the dog to lasso the Doritos bag was pretty darn good too.

The Budweiser commercials were awesome, of course, they just rock at this stuff.  The puppy and the horse was too cute and the military honor was amazing, every soldier does deserve a special homecoming like that.  They make a shit ton of money so they should set up a fund to help make soldier homecomings special somehow.   Ok so maybe I was a little hard on the commercials at the start of this post.  Maybe I did enjoy some more than I thought, but I still felt like they were lacking somehow.

In the end, I'm sad it's over.  It is a long wait until the pre-season and I'm frankly glad this season is over and we can start fresh again in August.