Working Lots 'n Lots - But It's Time to Walk!

So, um, it's been hard to nail down some bloggin' time lately because I've been working a lot... AND I'm on the Las Vegas MS Walk Committee again this year and the MS Walk is only a little more than a week away, not this weekend but the next! And I've yet to start my own fundraising efforts?!? EKK!!!

So be forewarned, if I get it together by tomorrow's end, this blog will turn into a "Gimme' Your Money So We Can Find a Cure for MS"-themed blog for at least the next week! Although, do please note, I will be able to accept National MS Society donations for at least a week after the official MS Walk date of Saturday, May 10th.

Guilty Confession #8

Didn't I just post yesterday that the latest song I've got stuck in my head is Neil Diamond's "Cherry, Cherry"?!?

Well, okay, okay, anyhow... Here's my guilty confession: This is my 2nd week in a row that I've tried to make it home from work in time to watch American Idol while I continue to work from home... And right now? I'm watching Jason Castro sing "Forever in Blue Jeans," and I'm delighted in totally geek-out fashion.

P.S. Although I didn't watch the second night of American Idol last week, I was upset to find out Carly had been voted off!

P.P.S. *UPDATE* David Archuleta (sp?) is next and so far, I'm totally unimpressed.

Found in My Purse Last Friday...

The photo is of poor quality, but try a guess as to what this is:

Answer: a hard boiled egg... yup.

Leaving for work Thursday morning, I don't know how I'd thought I'd remember it (knowing me), but, indeed, I had thrown a hard boiled egg into my purse to be added to the day's eligible mid-day snacks. Yup, it'd been in my purse allll day long and allll night long, and I found it around noon on Friday. Imagine if I'd found it some time on Saturday, or better yet, the following Monday, today!

12-Hour Days, Anyday! Compared to...

Without volunteering much detail, having learned from Dooce that one shouldn't blog about one's work, I'll just say the last couple weeks have been particularly busy due to the loss of a particular colleague - - yup, can't say much more than that here, but anyone who knows me, they know what I'm talkin' about here. So yeah, we had a staffing change and I'm now working 12-hour days more than half the week for the last 2 weeks...

For the last year, actually, work had already been challenging in all the wrong ways, but I can't say much about that either. However, comparatively, the last two weeks have been an absolute breeze compared to the last year of work to date!

OPTIMISTICALLY: My hope is I'll have a new assistant before the summer months are underway. REALISTICALLY: I'll be lucky to have one by the end of June.

Sooo, wish me luck!

Spontaneous Flying Eruptions of Fur

I'd been watching for this, silently dreading this time to come for about a month now, and yesterday, it became absolutely clear that it's officially official: The kitties have begun their summer shedding.

I scooped up Owen yesterday morning and let him try his usual squirming, wriggling wiggles to be set free, and once I did let him go? There was a visible, billowing puff of cat hair rising up into the air, and all the white lil' cat hairs that I could see plastered to the fabric fibers of my shirt? I loudly groaned, looking upward at the ceiling, "Ohhh nooo! The summer shed has beguuuun!?!" My honey-man then grunted from the kitchen, "Yes, I know."

The "summer shed" amounts to basically twice as much cleaning to be done 'round the house:

1) Vacuuming nearly twice a week,
2) Vacuuming the furniture twice a month,
3) Dusting every week instead of every other,
4) Wiping down baseboards and the stairs woodwork twice a month,
5) Using the dust mop every week and sweeping 1-2 times a week,
6) Running all throw blankets and bedroom quilts in the dryer on 'fluff' twice a month,
7) Shaking all the rugs twice a month,
8) Wash the kitchen's table cloth weekly [SIDE NOTE: They're not allowed on the kitchen table, but they're all over it when we're not at home, as evidenced by the cat hair!]
9) Use a lint brush on all the kitchen chair cushions whenever I can remember...
10) and, I think that's it.

Yeah, just gotta do alllll the above regularly until September's end... geesh!

See, I'm one of those cat owners who doesn't want her home to look like she owns two cats. As to how realistic this expectation is? Um, "No comment" -? [Yes, I'm in total denial.] Although I am certain this doubled cleaning effort over the summers will become impossible to maintain once we have a lil' two-legged wee one to care for. The baby will just have to double as a kitty-cat come the summertime, as he/she will always be covered with kitty hair!

Growin' Up and Up!

I've been meaning to share this since I took this picture! The door frame of our downstairs 'powder room' has been deemed the "growth chart" door frame! [SIDENOTE: "Powder room" is code for a bathroom with nothing but a sink and toilet!]

Here's the angel boy-O's progress since November 10th!

In two months' time, he grew 0.75" and he's grown a total of 1.75 inches over the last four n' a half months! Not bad, eh? My honey-man kept growth marks for the angel boy-O in a certain spot on the wall near the entry door to his old L.A. apartment. I know he took a picture of it somewhere before moving to Vegas, but I'm not sure if included a ruler for comparative reference or not.

I'm still kickin' myself that we didn't start marking the boy-O's growth sooner, beginning in June of last year, when we first moved in!

Why I Love Mah Honey-Man ~ Reason 24

For years now, I have told, asked, requested, demanded and complained to my honey-man about his poor, inconsistent use of the very-necessary turn signal whenever he's driving, and for years, no effort on my part has improved his use of the very-necessary turning signal. This is not to say he never uses his turn signals, but rather, that he picks and chooses when to use them, as the mood strikes him (a lil' exaggeration there).

About a week ago or so, maybe more, I tried a new tactic: I actually told my honey-man quite seriously that if he would please use his turn signals no matter what, it would make me very happy.

Around noon-ish today, my honey-man was driving, and he made this very exaggerated move with his left hand like a marked, backwards flick of the wrist with an upward flare of his fingers, all while leaning forward and at the same time leaning towards his right, towards me...and then he froze into this final position...

Of course all this strange movement got my attention (as was his aim to do so): He was using his right-hand turn signal!!! and doing it Just for me!!! and my happiness!!! ~ Bless him!

'Flicks on Repeat' or 'Guilty Confession #7'

I've been home by myself today, doing all sorts of lil' odd jobs: I've hung the ironing board wall mounting rack in our coat closet, painted 3 wall shelves, spray painted a new torchiere lamp for our bedroom, re-centered the frames above our bed, hung the guest signatures framing mat from our wedding, washed and folded 6 loads of laundry (whites, our bedsheets, our bed quilt, our winter duvet cover with other reds, synthetic darks, and light cottons), uploaded my pedometer records for the month, re-potted my mint plant and a jade, and I've had The Family Stone playing on repeat all this time... it's currently on it's fifth play through... yup.

There are other movies I tend to play over and over throughout a single day. Here's my Top Ten list for favorite 'watch it again and again in a single day' movies:

1) The Fellowship of the Ring (although I do watch all 3 on repeat)
2) Pride & Prejudice (2005)
3) Moulin Rouge
4) When Harry Met Sally
5) My Fair Lady
6) My Big Fat Greek Wedding
7) Amadeus
8) Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
9) The Family Stone
10) Fried Green Tomatoes

No More Secrets

This past Friday after work, although there were other things that had to get done before the weekend's official start, by Saturday morning (and Istayed up until 3AM that night to get those things done!), I was determined to attend this event!

My friend, Daly and I, we went to the gym together right after work and finished in time to attend this speaking event at UNLV featuring Frank Warren, the creator of PostSecret.com.

I have THREE copies of this book - - each given to me by friends, two of which, I was the one who introduced them to PostSecret.com. This copy had no writing on the title page, so it was the one I had signed by Frank Warren. I had actually forgotten to bring the book, but my darling honey-man brought it to me from home!

I can't put into words how profoundly I am touched by PostSecret and its purpose. I visit this website every week. It keeps me in touch with the idea that we're not alone - - and that we all have challenges, and that these challenges come in all shapes and sizes, and we all need a lil' help and that's nothing to be ashamed of.

Admitting ones secrets is the first vital step towards recovery.

Guilty Confession #6

For breakfast this morning, eaten in my car while on the way to work, I had a split, pan-fried Nathan's hot dog on a potato bun with mayo, mustard, ketchup and melted sharp cheddar cheese. Yes, a hot dog for breakfast.

And this is from a woman who normally eats a hot dog once or twice a year at best.

How 'Bout 'Losing My Religion'?

Although I'm really swamped with work this week and shouldn't be 'here' right now, I must take this moment... I said something to one of the young ladies working for me about how REM has released a new album, and that I'd read this one may finally be a lil' buzz worthy for once, considering their last few releases... and her response? (drumroll)

Her: Who's REM?
Me: [too dumbfounded to say anything]
Her: [she stares at me, befuddled, awaiting my response]
Me: You really don't know who REM is? Really? Seriously?
Her: [she shakes her head]
Me: [I close my gaping mouth] No 'Losing my Religion'?
Her: No [shaking her head again, and she's now looking amused by my stunned state].
Me: 'It's the End of the World as We Know It'?
Her: Nope [she's now looking at me like I'm absolutely bonkers]
Me: [I scramble to bring up YouTube.com on my computer, and I search for REM, 'Losing my Religion' and as the video begins, and I turn and look at her expectantly...]
Her: [Nothing... !?!]
Me: [I search for REM's video of 'Stand' and click play]
Her: Oh, I recognize that! That's REM?
Me: You're makin' me feel sooooo OLD right now. You hafta go away!

Negatory!

We've both tested negative for Hep C & B, and HIV! We'd been waiting for my results, which arrived in the mail over the past weekend, just opened last night!

Now we just get tah test again in another 6 months... (*sigh*) However, I do believe we'll be juhhhst fine (fingers still crossed).

BIG Thank you to everyone for all the well-wishes and heart-felt hopes and prayers ~

Purty Zion Nat'l Park Pics

Minus any identifying-family shots [so sorry, but those don't happen here], here are some of our favorite non-family-featured pics from our camping trip this past weekend with the angel boy-O!

I don't know what these are called [UPDATE: Indian Paintbrush, but it looks slightly different from the kind I've seen in Northern Utah & Southern Idaho - Thanks, Don!], but they and several other kids of wild flowers were everywhere!!!

A gnarly tree! (duh!)

Another gnarly tree, nearing the top of Watchman trail...

The end of the 'Temple of Sinawava' trail
After hopping around the mid-river rocks, I sat n' watched the angel boy-O practicing how to skip rocks on water...
More from the Temple of Sinawava trail...
How I wish I had had something to indicate the scale of this!?!
Beneath the Weeping Rock

Beneath the falls found at the Lower Emerald Pools
From above the Lower Emerald Pools

Some balanced rock art [UPDATE! This lil' pile of rocks is called a CAIRN - Thanks again, Don!] we found along the trail to the Upper Emerald Pools, along with a spectacular view of the Zion canyon...

The lil' waterfall above the upper Emerald Pools...

And down below... (the boy-O for scale)

The view from the Upper Emerald Pools trail
View from the bridge at Zion Lodge

And this moment at the Virgin River was amazing - -

There were about 10 mule deer and the boy-O was absolutely mesmerized.

The gargantuan tree at Zion Lodge (again, the boy-O for scale)!

Watchman Campground:
Along the line of tents seen here, just right of center, the light green one with the purple bottom was us.

Wees Iz Goin' Campin'

Bright and early tomorrow morning, we'll be off to Zion National Park with the angel boy-O in tow! Our first camping trip of the year! I'll be posting purty pictures by Sunday! Yes! I will! With lots more exclamation points too!!!

Eastah Sunday Flowahs

This one's a little late in posting: For the last four years, I've spent my Easter weekends in Burbank, CA ~ And for the last four years, we've gone to the somewhat historic 'Smokehouse Restaurant' for their FABULOUS Easter Brunch buffet with the angel boy-O and his mommie, Wendy and her lovin'-man. There have also been a few others who have joined our lil' party in the past, including one particular regular, Wendy's niece, who lives only a few blocks from the Smokehouse. Sooo, for the last four years, post-Easter brunch, we've walked to her house as our after-brunch gathering place... And the walk there has always featured a number of gorgeous flowers along the way! Here's this year's collection ~

Everythin's Comin' Up Something Daisy-Like

Saw these on my way out to my car, having finally left work after 6:30pm... I had my arms full of stuff, so I first placed my coffee cup balanced atop a barrier post, I gingerly placed what I could around me on the ground, camera already in hand, car keys between my teeth, and my purse wedged between my knees...

Three different people, who were each about to walk right past me, each stopped to see what I was up to, and consequently, each stopped to also admire these lil' sunny blooms.

When She was Thirty-Three

Hi Mum, *Big sigh*

How's it been going these last 21 years? Can you believe it's now been 21 years? And I had thought 20 years, just last year, was well enough time to have lived without you. Of course, I realize the time just gets longer and longer, compared to the 12 years I did have with you... I know.

As a child, I had believed you'd live to be 65, just one year beyond "When I'm Sixty-Four." No one set me up with this expectation. I made it up on my own, and although I did not share this with others, I had convinced myself that you would last that long. See, I had figured that by the age of 65, my children would have all been born and would have all had the chance to have met you.

I think I may have mentioned this before, but when I was 24 years old, I had thought that that year would have to be the very worst, realizing it was the 'half-way point' of no return; having lived half of my life without you, and that from there on out, my time with you would be forever growing smaller than the time I'd continue to live without you.

This year though? Well, this year may actually be the worst thus far, although I don't think I can bawl my eyes out for hours like I did when I was 24.

I'm 33 years old, newly and happily remarried for 6 months now, working full-time while contemplating another masters program (?!?) on top of my MPA, and I'm an absentee step-mom with no other babies, except furry lil' feline ones, and my hair is short by choice, and for the time being, it happens to be hot pink. In stark contrast, when you were my age, you'd been out of college since you were 21 years of age, and you'd never worked full-time since your teenage summers. You had been married for 13 years and had a 12 year old daughter, and you'd spent over half of your life sick with Hodgkins disease. You were experiencing the third regrowth of your hair, post-treatment. You were 33 years old, and you died 6 months before your 34th birthday.

This year will be the beginning of my outliving you.

I really miss you, mum.

Love,
Your Squirreleta oxo

No News Yet...

I've had a few friends call/write in the last week, asking if we've gotten our HIV and HEP test results. My honey-man should receive his soon - - we'd thought he'd have his back last week though.

One other thing, while we're on the subject: Even if we both test negative for HIV and HEP B and C, we have to test again in 6 months to a year... and Then? If we both test negative on the second tests, we'll still have to test again a year from then! Overall, we'll have to keep this 'chance of infection' in mind for potentially the next 5-10 years. No joke. See, some don't understand this part... I could test negative, but be a dormant carrier for years until either virus - HIV or HEP - were to become an active infection.

Ohhh yeah, and here's another lovely perk resulting from this whole ordeal ~ [BEWARE: THE FOLLOWING ADMISSION HAS OVERBOARD 'TMI' POTENTIAL] ~ Because either one of us could be a dormant carrier of HIV, HBV or HCV, we have to use 'protection' from here on out in order to avoid potentially exposing the other, were either one of us to move from 'dormant carrier' to a positive infection, undetected between blood testing. So yeah, when the time comes to get pregnant, hypothetically, we will be required to test on a regular basis to monitor the chance of infection.

Oh then there's this general question: "What if you're infected and you're preggers?"
There are soooo many "If this ______, then _____" answers to that one. Go Google it!

The chances that either one of us will be found positive are pretty slim - - but then read this (8 positives) and this (71 positives).

P.S. Happy St. Pat's!

Just in Time for Easter!

Soooo, my hair has grown out [over 2 inches] since my last hair cut in December. I have done a bit of maintenance trimming here and there for the last month or so to keep it manageable (also in order to maintain my ability to see!), but I plan to get a real haircut in the next week. Soooo, I had my friend, Daly, come over to add some spice to my hair before it's too short for her to get a grip on it!

We were aiming for a deep 'crimson' red, but instead?
We got FLAMING HOT PINK!

These pictures DO NOT capture just how freakin' HOT PINK my hair is...
And what does my honey-man think? - - He says he likes it!?!
(I think he's just a good actor, frankly!)

Daly will be coming over again tomorrow, and we'll see if we can tame these flames before I have to go to work on Monday!

P.S. I went to a team penning event in Boulder City (my honey-man's first event!?!) right after my hair was done, and lemme' tell ya, I got several dozen triple and quadruple takes!!!

Denial Transforming into Anger

I went to get my blood tests for HIV and Hepatitis C and B. SEMI-RELATED TANGENT: The plebotomist I had this morning, I'd had her before a few months ago, when I went in for the required blood work for my colonoscopy, and I was so thrilled to see her again! No joke. From here on out, any blood work to be done, I'll be at that same lab location and will call in advance to ask for her by name! She was fabulous ~ absolutely no digging around for a vein! She gets it the first try, every time, which is big deal for someone [that'd be me] who's been repeatedly told she has the veins of a child. END OF TANGENT.

So, having finally been called in after waiting for over two hours, I sat down, Xochitl did her magic, and I watched each glass vial fill with my blood, and I began to space off, wondering which movie my Grams and I would try to see together later tonight. Once it was time for me to press the cotton ball over the point of needle entry on my arm, I glanced left and the printed blood work order was there for a thorough look over. There was all my contact info. and some technical mumbo- jumbo that meant nothing to me, and then four particular lines detailing 'HIV' and 'HEP C AND B', written in ALL CAPS and some notes typed about the endoscopy clinic closure as the reason for the ordered blood tests... At this point, my eyes began to well with fat tears and my throat began to tighten.

With great enthusiasm, I then thanked Xochitl for her fantastic skills and smiled broadly and thanked her again, and I told her I'd be asking for her next time 'round. I then got up, walked out of the lab and into the lobby, and out the front door, striding fast as I could toward my car - - there was a feeling of hot anger surging through me, and the tears began to pour.

I'd like to write Dr. Dipak Desai a letter. Yeah, I think I'll do that.