It's happened

Well, it was inevitable. I just was so sure it would've been longer before it happened. I'm not near old enough for it to be here already, can I?

I'm talking about the cyclical motion the fashion world moves through. In middle school I was sure I would never wear jeans that didn't go over my shoes. Oops. Skinny jeans are my friend. Tonight, it happened. I saw them in Target.




What?! Shortalls and overalls are back!!! I wore overalls and a white shirt with blue sneakers 6 days a week my entire 6th grade year. I know now how frumpy and unflattering they are, but at the time I thought there was nothing better to wear.

I also saw a pair of floral patterned jeans in the girls section. I used to wear tons of floral shirts, turtlenecks and rompers back in the day.

Crap.

new year efforts

I'll be adding (and hopefully not subtracting) from this list of goals for 2011!

1. Be nicer. (React slower, keep your mouth shut, be stingy with your opinions.)

2. Honk less. (Be a nicer driver in general.)

3. Volunteer at a local non-profit. Currently considering Infant Crisis Services, Citizens Caring for Children, and CASA.

4. Show my face and get to know students at Destiny Urban Academy on a regular basis. (I'm on the board of this school and have only visited the students once in almost a year. Not acceptable!)

5. Send more mail. I think I've sent a total of 5 cards this year. (Not counting xmas cards.) It's always fun to get mail!

6. Play some music on a semi-regular basis. (Meaning, an instrument. That guitar is collecting dust!)

7. Be vigilant about date nights with your husband. Pick a night and guard it like Fort Knox.

8. Get serious about your health! Stop watching Biggest Loser and start making changes!

9. Get involved on some level at church. Join a small group, go to a class or bible study. Dare I say Sunday School???

10. Take your friendships to the next level. (Remember special times (bdays, anniversaries) LISTEN, be thoughtful, and be REAL.)

11. Take more pictures of your life.


It's a place to start. When I add items or accomplish/"in-progress" items, I'll re-post the list. Who's with me?!

move it

People. Get off your phone. You're not able to notice when the light turns green and it makes me upset at you. When I'm upset, I tend to honk. So when the light has been green for a good while and you still haven't moved, I will honk until you move. And I'm not sorry.

Sincerely,


-citizen

Sickly

I haven't been sick in a long time. Especially stay-in-bed sick. I have had a fever for 2 days of 102. I haven't had a fever since I don't know when! I apparently got bronchitis overnight and it has a deathly grip on me. Ugh! After catching up on my shows which took all of 4 hours yesterday....I've been using Hulu and Netflix for all they're worth. Unfortunately, I can't remember anything I've seen! I'm on cough meds with codeine so I've been living in a cloud of sitting up, laying down, going pee, laying down, sitting up....you get it.

Here's a pic of my side-table.



I'm pathetic. My sweet husband is doing his best to take care of me. Even at 25, I still want my Mommy!

Well....that is all.

Returner

Out of every purchase, I return at least one item probably 75% of the time. Doesn't matter how long I tried it on for. The percentage goes up if the item was expensive or full price. I just almost always feel like I can get a better deal so I take it back.

Why is that? And can I get a witness???

things that are free

Yikes, I love things that are free. Pretty much anything. I've been downloading free fonts, free labels, free cards, free wrapping paper (like I'm going to print that?) and free backgrounds. Join the fun!

I found most of my freebies through How About Orange (blog) that I follow. Just click the "free downloads" button. There's tons of good stuff available! This is my favorite and I don't know why. I just like all the colors.

New Beginning

My cousin and her husband will be reunited tomorrow! I am nervous and excited for them. I'm staying here this time, but I'm so excited for them to get back and pick up where they left off 4.5 years ago. This is an exciting time. What a way to lead up to Thanksgiving!

The final step is Tuesday with his final interview and then we wait for his green card to be delivered which could be 1 to 7 days. We're hoping for just 1!

Eeeeeeek! I'm so excited! You can catch up here.

Random thoughts

I just watched the P Run finale (like 3 weeks late) and I'm super upset about it! Gretchen? Are you kidding me?

Parenthood is an amazing show.

I need someone to come unpack my house and organize it. I'm not motivated.

K bye.

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Sharing

I've been sharing my blogging with my travel blog. Mostly because I've been on the road for 3 weeks. Go check it out!
www.ribbonofhighway.tumblr.com

i'm a man's man.

I shot guns today. Big guns. And it was awesome.

Proof.

Big thanks to the Herberts for inviting me to come out for Warrior Day! I had a blast! Zach graduates from TBS tomorrow. The Zochs are super proud of our friends!

victory!

I JUST FOUND THE PIECES TO OUR BEDDDDDDD!!!!!


We've been sleeping on our mattress on the floor since Friday and I just can't sleep!

Today, I was on a mission to find those blasted pieces. We knew they were here, just didn't know where. I started unloading tubs that we'd moved.....I just had a feeling about this certain tub.....I almost gave up and then VOILAAAAA!!!! YESSSSSSSSSSS!!!!


Commence dancing around the entire house to Miranda Lambert and Tim McGraw.

Observant Olivia

People are interesting.

I went to the bank. They had double charged my car payment. I appreciate them trying to pay off my loan faster, it's just that....well I can't afford it Mr. Banks. The teller, who had assured me last week that the online payment wouldn't be taken til next month, told me I must've submitted a second document. I assured her I had not, showed her my receipt with her initials showing the payment was to start 10/23/10 and she continued to tell me I had done something wrong. Okay Beverly. Smile. How can we fix this problem? Great. I appreciate you refunding me the second payment. Have a great day. I smiled to myself as I have been practicing restraint in my tendency to react defensively and quickly. Good job self!

Second bank. I need to deposit checks. Oops, I have a lot of checks. The teller helps me fill out my deposit slip while we make surface conversation. Upon handing me my receipt she asks if I take pictures (based on the checks being made to CarlZochPhotography.) I explain, she smiles and says "That's cool. Looks like it pays well." I make a confused face not sure what to say in return (only thinking of how much we pay in taxes and how that is a common misconception.) I said with a smile, "Thanks for your help!" and left. That was an interesting choice of words to say to a customer, ma'am. I don't think it's necessarily appropriate for you to comment on my finances. Hm. I stayed confused and kind of shocked at what happened while I drove to Target.

I ate alone at Taco Bueno and sat behind a family. It's super fun to observe people, especially parents. Especially parents of difficult children. Especially when the dad/husband is totally disengaged. I'm not judging. I realize we sometimes catch people in their "not-so-shining" moments. I try really hard to keep myself rooted in every day reality especially when I'm listening in on other people's conversations.

Oh, and then when I left Target, I was following the parking lot "understood etiquette" that you drive to the end of the row of spaces and then out. Sadly, Mr Senior Citizen in his large Chrysler decided he'd like to drive across the parking lot sideways. This is SO breaking parking lot etiquette. Since he decided to pull out in front of me (I guess he didn't see my large red SUV within 10 feet of his car) I gave him a friendly honk. He lurched to a stop so I proceeded. While passing, I observed him to be yelling and explaining through rolled up windows (I'm guessing?) what he was trying to do. I gave him a friendly smile and wave. He proceeded to break the rules across the parking lot, nearly hitting several other cars. Interesting, sir. You are interesting.

Go observe some people!

U-Haul, We bawl.

We have this thing we do. It's called moving. We love it and hate it....and we have different reasons for those feelings.

Right now, I'm sitting staring, defeated, by a kitchen full of dishes. Why do we have so many dishes? Oh yea. We registered for 3 different sets because someone (my mom) told us to get a variety so people could choose. Well, and we registered for 4 place settings of 3 different sets. And we got them all. Plus the salad plates and coffee mugs and bowls. That's a lot of dishes. Oh, and 1 set we have 8 place settings for. Whaaaaaat?! Why?

I am defeated.

project runway

so. much. drama.


know-it-alls, outrageous dressers, bi-polars and "cray cray"s.

whatever. make it work.


PS, I do not like Gretchen. I literally talk to my tv and tell her to shut-up every week.

House on the Hill

I love visiting my G&G's house in Independence, KS. They have nicknamed their homeplace "The House on the Hill." On their answering machine they (in unison) say, "This is the house on the hill. Please leave a message" in their sweet old shaky voices. I love the prayers my grandpa makes rhyme at the dinner table. I love the way my Grammy rolls her eyes and shakes her head at my Grandpa's stories and says "Here.....here" which is her way of calling him out or correcting his memory. I love it all. I love them. You would too.


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Arg

We bought a car for me!
-It's weird.
-It's nice.
-I don't feel like it's mine.

I hate money.

We need a place to move! Our landlord is selling our house and our lease ends Sept. 9th.
-getting nervous.

In other news, I've sold some stuff on Craigslist like a wheeler-dealer.

what i'm thinking today

1) You can't have roots and wings.


2) Everyone has problems. Everyone. (No really. Everyone.)


3) Technology can become a tangly web. (As I type this on a piece of technology being sent over another form of technology to be read on another piece of technology.)

Love/Hate

I love:
-clean sheets on my bed.
-pedicures.
-setting off fireworks!
-a clean house.
-dining al fresco.
-rainy/cloudy/cooler days.
-spending time with my husband.
-dinner at my mom's house.
-rearranging furniture.
-purging items from my house! (a whole car-full to the church/Goodwill/recycling bin!)
-putting old cd's on my computer and re-living high school and college through music.
-scheduling a sushi making class to do with my husband.



I hate:
-bauer escaping our backyard.
-driving around my neighborhood hanging out the window whistling and clapping like an idiot looking for said dog.
-my lovely neighbors setting off fireworks until 1am for several nights in a row. And this afternoon. (Why? It's the 6th of July!)
-car shopping. Seriously. I'm looking at every single car on the street in a new way.
-being a picky/particular person. (I can't help it!)
-looking for a new place to live. (I am not doing another year in this bug infested, backed up shower drain, dog hoodini backyard, outdoor laundry room, too big to keep up with, tiny kitchen of a house!)
-doing laundry. Especially in afor mentioned laundry room.
-working out.
-junk mail and organizing mail in general.


What do you love/hate?

Netflix

So.....Netflix is awesome. I have been watching about 2 documentaries a day this weekend. I'd encourage you to do the free trial and watch a lot of documentaries. I'd highly recommend No Impact Man. Got me thinking about my consumption.

I watched:
King Corn
Deliver Us From Evil
No Impact Man
Stronger, Bigger, Faster

Now, it's time to find a car with A/C.

i've decided

i'm going to have a birthday party next year. i'll be in Hawaii on my actual birthday, but after last night's wedding and an amazing 27 year old's birthday party that included a bouncy house castle, i've decided that life is to be celebrated.

so watch out. serious party coming in January 2011.

Results

EEG: Unremarkable.
MRI: Unremarkable.

That means they didn't find anything. Grrrrrrrr! It seems that square-1 and I are doing a lot of bonding. I'd rather bond with something else.

I started my new medication last week. I have the next 8 weeks to see how it goes and then it's back to the doctor to see how we're doing. No seizures since May 17th. I'm not that impressed since I've gone 6 weeks before. We'll see.

Let's talk about something else.....Ummmm. Oh! My garden! Well, pot garden. No, I'm not growing pot, I'm growing stuff IN pots! Tomatoes (2 kinds) bell peppers and a jalapeno plant plus some cilantro. I had my first harvest this week! Woo hoo! 6 cherry tomatos! They're currently decorating the counter of my kitchen, but they are BRIGHT red and I can't wait to eat them.

Bye now.

Oh yea, it's 90 in our house right now. Thankful we have an awesome landlord that takes care of us! Air guy just arrived to save the day!

Brain Test

In case you missed it, here's me getting my EEG done on Monday. I think it should replace waterboarding as a form of torture. Keep people awake for 24 hours and then place a strobe light right in front of their face for a few minutes. I promise anyone would crack.





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his and hers

This is a "What's in your bag?!" blog! I compared Carl's pockets to my bag.

His:
-iPhone
-Sunglasses
-Watch
-Keys
-Wallet

Hers:
-Yellow Clutch/Wallet (I take this out when I'm just running in somewhere. Everything else in my bag is no big loss. But I'll never leave my wallet in the car! (Learned that the hard way.)
-Brown/White bag contains allergy medicine for allergic reactions (epi-pen, fast acting benedryl) 3 kinds of lotion, dramamene, Tide pen, band-aids, IBprophen, antacids, moist toilettes...)
-Camera and battery charger
-1 necklace and 1 medical ID bracelet
-Ponytail holder and 2 bobbypins
-Reading/driving glasses
-Sunglasses
-2 pairs of earphones
-Icebreakers sour candy
-Travel tissues
-Burt's Bees chap stick
-Gum
-1 dime
-Daily meds holder
-A pile of trash
-Black bridesmaids bag holds personal bathroom items
-Plastic bag holds Claritin that Carl requested I bring to the studio 4 days ago
-Random items found...safety pin, toothpick, and paper clip.
*Not pictured (iPhone used to take these pics.)

What's in your bag?

medicine

I know medicine is a good thing. I know it does great things for people. I know it's come a long way. I know it can be really helpful and healing.

I just wish all the other stuff didn't come with it. The good never comes without the bad. Side effects are a given. We weren't made to be on medication long-term. I'm ready to quit.

Bye.

nothing happenin'

I'm in a blog slump. Nothing's happenin'. Then when I do write something, I only get 1 comment. I think part of my slump is because I don't think anyone's reading so why put forth the effort. Then I realize how many blogs I read but don't comment on.....double standard.

I've been sick the last week and a half. Annoying sick. I already function in a state of fatigue and lack of energy due to my seizure medication so to be sick takes it to the next level. The next level involves the couch and having to lay down nearly all day. No offense, but I lived that life for an entire summer in 2008 and it gets old really fast. Plus, we own no movies and I never unpacked the DVD player so I'm left with what's on TV. This has led to lots of trashy tv watching. I discovered BBC today so I watched a lot of documentary shows which made me feel a little better. (At least I'll be learning things while I watch tv. Right?!) But then I watched a lot of Real Housewives of this and that.

I've spent some time reading today. I'm borrowing a book from a friend called Taking Charge of Your Fertility. Before you ask, we're not trying to get pregnant! Due to some of my health issues, we've decided to go off of birth control to allow my body to get back to a "normal" state so that we can better figure out what is going on. This book is amazing. It should be required reading for every woman. I wish I'd known about it sooner. However, I think I would've received it's information a lot differently if I'd read it before taking this journey into natural wellness and alternative medicine. I've had lots of discussion with my friends recently about birth control. We have all kind of landed in the same place. It seems to do more harm than good. Sure, some people have no issues and think it's the greatest thing. I didn't have a bad experience with my birth control. I just started thinking about how I am doing all these things to get healthy and to get my body operating the best it possibly can naturally. However, birth control is not natural. It causes your body to have extra hormones and stop a natural process every month. I don't know, that's just where I'm at right now. What do you think?

I'm still on the gluten-free journey. Carl's mom brought me 2 gluten-free cookbooks on her visit last week. I'm just now getting a chance to go through them and start marking things I'd like to try. The thing with gluten-free is that you can't do anything fast. Everything takes time to make. I miss being able to just put something together really quick. Oh well, it's not like I'm working full-time!

I've started having some new issues with my right arm and hand. I'm going to an epilepsy specialist at OU next Friday. I'm really excited and hopeful that I will finally be teamed with a doctor who can help explain and figure all this out. In similar news, I hit the 2 year mark on Thursday! Two years ago I had a grand-mal seizure that set this crazy thing in motion. It's led to a lot of tests and doctors visits with very few answers. I think most of the answers I do have were ones I found from researching things on my own!

So, what's next? Well, for starters, Carl and I celebrate 3 years of marriage next Wednesday!

postsecret of the week

If you don't check postsecret.com weekly, you really should. Here's my favorites from this week. I've talked about my feelings towards leggings before and someone out there agrees with me!

This second one, Frank Warren, the author and instigator of PostSecret, had students write a one sentence commencement speech. He featured some during his commencement speech as well as on the website this week. I love this one. Life is all about balance. 

Live Blogging: American Idol

Commercial 1: A new Shrek movie? What? Hasn't there been like 8 already?

Show: Lee is safe. Good. I don't think he'll win, but I thought he did great last night.

Commercial 2: The new Sears one with breakdancers. I laugh every time. "Circles are out! (makes a face) Whaaaaatt?!?!" I love it. It's a classic "dad" thing to do.

Show: Lady Gaga is so crazy. I think she is the Marilyn Manson on this generation...except she actually has talent and doesn't wear freaky contacts.

Commercial 3: Some commercial playing "Pure Imagination" from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. What a creepy song. The way he sings it....it's just eerie. Now I have goosebumps.

Show: Oh Harry Connick Jr. I have loved you for a long time. I first fell in love with Frank Sinatra and then Nat King Cole and then Tony Bennett and then you. (If we're being technical.) Michael Buble means nothing to me. I think you are the best. Let's be friends. Wait. Whoa. You just dissed Ellen. Not cool.----Okay, bottom 2 are Big Mike and Aaron. Not sad about it. I've been rooting for Crystal Bowersox since day 1. I think Mike should've gone home a long time ago.

Commerical 4: MacGruber movie. Oh dear.

Show: Aaron's going home. It's time.

Commercial 5: 1800contacts. Any of them. All funny.


bye now.

Wal-Mart, seriously?

If you've been around here for a while you know that I don't like Wal-Mart. Well, more than that. I don't buy anything from them or anyone associated with them (like Sam's.) I'm going on something like 4 years? There was 1 exception in Oakland, CA when my suitcase zipper busted and we had less than 30 minutes to replace it and repack it before getting to the airport. Anyway.....I've done a few soapboxes about why we all should consider boycotting. Now, finally, the media is covering several stories about how bad Wal-Mart is doing at being a corporation and employer. Read below if interested!

Hazerdous Waste

Class Action Suit for paying women less than men

Harry Wayne & Betty Jayne

I have been fortunate to have some amazing grandparents. Their names are Harry Wayne and Betty Jayne. They are absolutely precious and the cutest ever. We recently spent a weekend up in Kansas to be with them and help Grandpa get his garden going for the spring. Carl took some pictures around the farm and of my grandparents for us to have and enjoy. I'm in love with the pictures, but I love the actual people more. I hope that all of you have a set of amazing grandparents! I hope you've learned to listen when they talk, to remember their stories and make fun of their quirks. I hope you treasure them and value time with them. I know it's been a recent discovery for me. I've always enjoyed visiting them, but in the last few years I've realized all the things I've learned from them and how amazing it is to have such great influences in my life. 

in my head

I blogged 2 blogs in my head last night as I was trying to fall asleep. Of course now I can't remember what they were about. I do remember being like, Wow, that will be a good blog post. Boooo.

In other news I found out who Justin Bieber is by watching last weekend's SNL. What a child. And I'm ashamed to know that I've been car dancing to his jams on the radio thinking it was some Lil' Bow Wow type who must a cutie 12 year old black kid. Nope. 16 year old baby faced white boy. (Who can't dance.) This was similar to the time I found out "The Climb" that I was SO enjoying singing at the top of my lungs was sung by Miley Cyrus.

if you want to

Check out some pictures from our Hawaii trip over on Carl's blog. There's 3 posts so be sure to look at all of them!

Hoppy Easter Every Bunny!

"Your generation..."

While I was enjoying my first flight in First Class, (I know!) the RUDE woman sitting next to me asked, "Do you have the time?" I picked up my iPhone and said "3:55. So 2:55 Eastern." She thanked me as she re-set her watch and then proceeded to lecture me on how she read an article the other day that talked about how "your generation" doesn't wear watches anymore and how it's really sad.

What am I supposed to do?! I don't feel like I have the permission to appologize on behalf of "my" generation....and over not wearing a watch, afterall. I don't even remember how I responded but I do remember immediately judging her based on how she was speaking to me. It's like she knew I'd never been in First Class and knew I wasn't worthy enough of the status required to sit in that seat.

Listen here lady. I earned that seat (thank you credit card miles) and the good news is, I can tell time. With or without a watch.

Not to rub it in your face...

...but we just got home from Hawaii.

Sorry! (No I'm not.) Not much to blog about. Maybe there is, but I'm tired and not motivated.

Let me say again though, that I don't think it makes any sense to wear heels while traveling. Lots of people do it and I just don't get it.

Can anyone tell me when it became exceptable to wear leggings as pants? Pants. Like, with no long top over them. Pants. I don't get it.

Bye.

Vacuuming

So, I hate vacuuming. I realized today though that I think about a lot of random things while doing it. In the bathroom, I thought about my friends who will be tackling potty training in the next year. I cursed all the dog hair clogging my filter in the living room. In the dining room, I thought, "I hope we have hilarious kids." It was almost like therapy with myself.

Anybody else do this?

Another reason I don't like being a girl

Getting my car worked on. It's so intimidating. Even oil changes make me nervous. I feel at a disadvantage before I even go because I'm a woman. I start running lines before I go about why I don't need a new air filter or a transmission flush. I try to guess what they might throw at me so I have a defense ready. Does anyone else feel this way? I feel like if I was a man, I'd only be approached about my air filter 1 of every 4 visits instead of every time. I feel like they wouldn't try to sell me on every service because I'd know what they were talking about. On the way here, I thought to myself that when we have kids and if we have a girl, she will be required to take an auto shop class. Heck, I need to! I do know how to check my oil, but I can't change a headlight or a tire. That makes me feel vulnerable. I want to feel independent. Like, really independent.

Am I alone in this? Do men feel this way about anything?

kidish

Swings and Kites. Those are 2 things that always make me feel like a kid instantly.

props

 props (ps, that's me.)

It has been so nice the last few days. Get outside and be a kid!

wish list

 

I'd like to be in this lovely spot right now. I feel like I could do a lot of dreaming here and everything would be right with the world.

Something I hate more than jean shopping....

...is swimsuit shopping.

Ew.

I haven't purchased a swimsuit in nearly 3 years. I don't do a lot of swimming...I'm more of a sun-soaker who gets in to cool off. My life situation has changed a lot over the last 3 years. I managed to stave off the freshman 15 all four years of college....and then I got married. And got a stressful job. And I like to eat when I'm stressed. Especially those foods that are really bad for you. Fatty foods. Yummy, delicious, thousand calorie packed foods. So I gained about 10 pounds. I knew it was inevitable. No big. Then I had a seizure and I became really good friends with our couch. Close friends. Too close. So I gained another 10 pounds. And somewhere in there I was replacing muscle with fat. Ew.

All that to say, we leave for Hawaii in 2 weeks and I have no adequate swimsuit! So I went to Target today to start the search. (Shocker I chose Target, I know.) No dice. While yoga is making me feel better and is slowely building my body back to what it used to be, it won't be here in time for Hawaii.

I'm just sharing because the 99% of you readers are women and you feel my pain.

Too much?

So, how many times a week is an appropriate amount to go to Target? Different locations of course....

But seriously, give me a number.


PS, I want/need this.


And this coordinating pillow.

The Winter Games

We just love the Olympics around here. Is anyone else just blown away at how nearly every sport has evolved since we were kids? Tricks are so outrageous now. And I can't get over how far over you can speed skate. You're basically levitating off the ground Apollo! It's only day 2 of competition, but we've been recording and watching as much as possible.  The Opening Ceremonies weren't the greatest ever, but I still enjoyed them. (China really set the bar high.)

Speed Skating: For some reason it is really intense to watch, especially short-track. (For me anyway.) They go so fast and are so far over and soooo close together that I'm concerned for their safety. At least 1 person wipes out every race and they go flying into the wall. Ouch.

Moguls: I've watched both men and women's. My body hurts. They are sailing down a black diamond hill, hitting every mogul, completing 2 jumps and someone coming away safely. I saw 2 crashes. Both got up and finished the hill, but I have no idea how. It looks like they were flown from a vehicle into hard snow! Yowzers! One girl has had 6 knee surgeries and walked away with the bronze! Whaaaaaaattt?!?!?!?

Luge: I can't watch it. (Okay, I did...but I can't anymore.) They are just going too fast. Even after all the changes they made to the track, it's just too fast. 90mph?! It's 10mph MORE than the 2006 games.

We're watching Figure Skating, but it's only because freestyle skiing is next.

GO WORLD.

What have you enjoyed about the Olympics so far?

Yogaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh.

Well, Carl and I started taking yoga this week! We're doing a Vinyasa 1 class three times a week and then a Restorative Yoga class twice a week. We love it. It's been hard and I'm totally sore all over, but it's a good sore.

PLEASE check out our friend Mandy's studio! They've worked so hard to get it up and running. Take advantage of the February special and get 30 days for $60! Unlimited classes!

I can do this!

I had a research and baking day with my mom. It appears that this no-wheat/gluten-free diet thing may turn into a long time thing. I've noticed a big difference in how I feel and how my body reacts to food. I cheated twice last week. We were snowed in at a friend's house and it was pizza night. I was lazy and went ahead and made my pizza on the community dough instead of making my gluten-free version. The next morning I ate buiscuts. Again. I was lazy.

Back to my story. We made bread, an applesauce spice cake and some pizza crust for me to use tomorrow at pizza night. The picture is of the cake. It is sooooooooooooooo yummy! Gluten-free items have a history of being dense, heavy and dry. We were both nervous how these experiements would turn out. The bread didn't rise all the way, (too cold in the house we think,) but we made it anyway. Honestly, we still have some work to do, BUT, it was SOOOOO much better than the store bought bread I've eaten so far! So I was pleased.  The cake. Oh my word. We were shocked! It was moist! (I hate that word.) And it was really good!  The pizza crust will have a verdict tomorrow night.

If you have recipes for me to try, let me know!

Be Honest

People. Your car is not trapped in your driveway. The streets are not sheets of ice. The roads are clear.

You are just lazy.

It's okay! I am too! Just don't lie about it. Turn on your defrost, come back in 20 minutes with your ice scraper and start chipping away. It's great exercise and a swell stress reliever. Get out there and run your errands!


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Grammy opinions

I'm blogging live....ooo la la!

Stephen Colbert...I love you, but you weren't meant to host the Grammys. (Just like Ricky Gervais wasn't meant to host the Golden Globes.)

Lady Gaga and Elton John surprise duet....loved it!

American Idiot cast and Green Day: LOVVVVVVED it! Very unique.

Beyonce-legit. Covering Alanis? Genius.

Pink. Didn't care much for your "outfit", but loved your performance.

Black Eyed Peas....more than terrible. But I enjoyed the robots.

Lady Antebellum. You are in Taylor Swift's live category. Stick to the radio. You were flat the whole time.

Jamie Foxx: Please stop trying to pull a Michael Jordan. You have no future in a music career. And were you really attempting the "running-man" as a legitimate dance move? Please, no.

The Zac Brown Band: You have mad-crazy guitar skills. That's all.

Taylor Swift: You are awkward. You are always flat. I can't tell if your hair is naturally curly or not and that bothers me. I think you should stick to the studio. And please stop swinging your hair around.

MJ Tribute: Celine: I've missed you. Usher: You are showy. Carrie: I love you. Jennifer: You're legit. Smokey: You're the only one who knew Michael.---Did anyone else think about Free Willy when they showed the killer whale? ----PS No one looks cool in 3D glasses. Even celebrities. (Yesssss)

Bon Jovi and Jennifer Nettles: Fairly good. Jennifer saved you. PS. "Living On A Prayer" has been out of your range for some time now Jon.

Haiti tribute: I've loved Andrea Bocelli for a long time. His voice is insanely clear. Mary J, did you know he is blind? I left like you didn't. And you're standing really close to him. But you were legit nonetheless. (And your body is bangin')

Dave Matthews Band: You are great. Still querky. Still singing out of the side of your mouth. Still doing that weird walking/dancing thing you do while playing.

Maxwell: Who are you? Take your stage fog and lame falsetto and go home.

The people Jeff Bridges introduced: We all know you're lip-syncing.

Dre, Eminem, Lil' Wayne: The best part about you guys was Travis Barker on the drums.

Best of the night: Pink. DMB. Mary J and Bocelli.

In other news:
I'm over the auto-tuning.
I'm soooooooooooooooo annoyed with Taylor Swift. She only writes about fairytales. She can't sing live. She can't harmonize. I think she's still 15. And her hair bothers me (as previously stated.)

think about it

I read an article today that has lead to some great conversations. Just something to think about. Check it out and let's chat.

I don't know why

But seriously. American Idol and Biggest Loser: Will you PLEASE stop tugging my heart strings?!??! I refuse to shed tears over TV shows (with the exception of Friday Night Lights.) I can't lie. I have been reeeeeeeeeeaaaalllyy close.

Seeing people come from horrible circumstances and situations and overcome them and get a chance at a better life....it stirs something in me. I can't help it. You can laugh at me. I don't care.

In other news, here's a Polaroid from our recent trip to LA! Thanks to our new friends Scott and Mary!

the update

Carl and I went back to the nutritionist this morning for my 1 week follow up. He is a clinical nutritionist with a background in pharmacology and is currently a candidate for his N.D.. I will be calling him Keith. I've had a really good experience with him so far and feel that he has been the most helpful and realistic in unraveling the web of health issues I seem to be having. I will start with last week and then fill you in on today.

Last Wednesday, I went to have a consultation with Keith. We met for about 45 minutes to talk and go over some "homework" I had done before my appointment; mostly questionnaires. I had a Natural Wellness Screening done and was sent home with more homework and some other tests to complete before coming back. The NWS consisted of getting my vitals, height, weight, etc. I also completed an electrode test which measures how quickly electrical current moves through the body. It also measures your cell walls and water retention. Lastly, I had an iodine test done to see how quickly/slowly my body absorbs it. Turns out, my body is within normal range. I scored well with my blood pressure! Unfortunately, that's about all. I'm retaining water at a fairly high amount, my cell walls are thin and cells move fairly slowly. I have 21 pounds of body fat and am lacking 5 lbs of muscle. I also have an extreme magnesium deficiency. I scored in the age range of a 55 year old woman! Oops! Keith was very shocked at my results. He said he's never had anyone as young as me score so poorly. I was put on 2 supplements and a multivitamin. I was also given a restricted food list to follow for the next week. He is very interested in my food allergies and how that may correlate to my seizures. No wheat/gluten. No dairy. No grains. No sugar. No citrus fruits or tomatoes. Needless to say, it was a VERY hard week! I cheated a few times (wheat was VERY hard to eliminate completely) but gave myself an overall grade of 75%. Going cold turkey was definitely a challenge. My homework was to fill out more questionnaires, have a complete blood panel done, and a urine test to look for metal toxicity.

I was in shock and mourning for about a day over the loss of cheese, butter, tomatoes, bread, ranch and granola. I had an attitude adjustment Thursday night after talking with Holly and realizing that this wasn't the end of the world. Since, I have also talked with a couple of other friends who have either been on a vegan diet or have gone gluten free. I feel very encouraged and hopeful that I can make the best of the new foods I have to eat.

Today:
Carl and I met with Keith to go over my test results and put together a plan for the next few months.

Bad News:
-I am "dangerously low" in Vitamin D. (There is a lot of research showing links between low Vit D levels and seizures as well as other issues.)
-My Homocysteine level was high which could indicate a deficiency in B vitamins. (I had found to be a HUGE link to seizures through a book I just finished reading about treating Epilepsy naturally)
-My hsCRP level is very high which indicates there is some type of inflammation occurring in my body. hsCRP usually correlates to the blood vessels and heart. While he is not ruling this out, it can also be a sign of it in other areas of the body.
-My Free T3 (the non-bound carrier protein associated with the thyroid function) was a little more elevated than he would like.
-My BUN and Creatinine levels are low. This shows I am low in protein and could have malabsorption which means my body is not absorbing the appropriate proteins/minerals. It also shows that I could have muscle atrophy and/or nerve/muscle degeneration. (This is linked to my lack of muscle.)
-Potassium is low. This is linked to the adrenal gland. This could be connected to blood pressure and hypertension.
-Chloride is high. This is also linked to the adrenal gland. This is linked to your metabolism.
-I am possibly not absorbing fats and proteins correctly. My digestive tract is officially under construction.

Good News:
-Thyroid panel came back within normal limits
-I get to eat cheese and tomatoes again!!!


The Plan:
-Continue with Gluten-free diet. This means no wheat. I will be foraging for gluten-free bread, crackers, and other options. I need to be eating 3 meals and 3 snacks a day.
-Up my protein intake. I am supposed to eat 1 palm sized portion of protein, 3 times a day (at least.)
-Have Dr. Waggoner (chiropractor) evaluate me for fibromyalgia.
-Conduct stomach acid and pH tests.
-Conduct blood work and NWS in 3 months to see if levels are within normal range.



I'm sure after reading all that it sounds really bad. It is a lot of information. I felt very encouraged to have some answers and a plan to move forward. I am confident that Keith is committed to getting me better and getting my seizures under control.


Now? We're heading to LA for a week! At least it's the epicenter of the gluten-free revolution!

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrg.

In the last few weeks I've embarked on an adventure of seeking alternative treatment for my seizures. It has been really frustrating. I guess I was hoping for a quick fix but at the same time, I knew it would probably be hard. I've been going to my chiropractor for about 3 weeks to get my spine back in place. As of today, I'm doing so much better! No seizures either.

Last Wednesday, I went to see a clinical nutritionist. He has a 15 year background in pharmacology and is currently a N.D. candidate. I really like him and trust him. I had some tests done while I was there and have been completing some other tests in the meantime. I go back again this Wednesday to see the results and get the news of where we're going to go from there. I'm on a restricted diet that contains: no gluten, no wheat, no dairy. It's insane and really hard. I'm hoping on Wednesday he'll allow me to have my cheese, bread, and tomatoes back.

That's all. And my insurance decided my medication is "not preferred" so they upped the price $50. How ruuuuuuudeeee.

Best of 2009!

Here are some of my favorites from 2009! It's been such a fun year.

Book: In Defense of Food by: Michael Pollan

Movie: Hmmm. Defiance and Everybody's Fine. Those may be the only movies I saw this year though.

Trips: Well obviously, attending the Inauguration was pretty incredible. My first time to California was a blast thanks to the Herberts. Michigan for Emily's wedding was up there too. Seeing The Counting Crows for free in a small park in Iowa with some of our best friends and my brother was pretty awesome. Oh and then seeing the Cubs play at home while seeing the Pickles in Chicago was amazing. Then, seeing my cousin and her boys reunite with her husband in Mexico was heartbreaking but also incredible. And getting to be in Oregon 3 times in 1 year was awesome too. So.....I can't choose.

Moments: I think my favorite moments this year have involved my grandparents. They're just so darn cute. Seeing U2 live was great.New babies has been awesome! And Carl opening his studio with Aaron Snow has proved to be a great decision.

I hope you've had a great year! One of my goals is to be better at documenting the exciting things we've done this year. As for my 2010 resolutions, they involve getting healthy and losing weight (who's don't?!) And maybe to read more? I haven't really sat down long enough to commit to ideas on paper. Any of you?