Did you know November 14th is Pickle Appreciation Day?
I was searching for a good title for this entry, and I discovered the above worthless knowledge. What that has to do with this blog you will soon see.
Tonight was kind of a lazy night. I got home from work late, so I didn't have time to go to the allergist as I planned nor did I go to JoAnn's for last details for the purse. (The allergist and JoAnn's are on the north side of town less than 1 mile from each other.) Instead I read my magazines and uploaded pictures, which can be found
here. While messing around with my Vegas pics, I decided to put up some more Myspace pics. All the while I snacked on the jar of pickles I opened at dinner. Let's just say I'm feeling a little ill since I ate an entire 24 oz. jar of baby dills in less than 2 hours. I anticipate some tremendous stomach pains over the next 24 hours...an hour of punishment for each ounce of pickles. Blah! That was a dumb.
Leaving Las Vegas
For those not in the know, I went to Vegas this weekend. It was Bryan and Sarah's 5 year anniversary. Attending the party was: Bryan's dad and his fiancee, Bryan's sister and her boyfriend, Sarah's parents, Alan and I, Will and Carrie, Colleen, Jeff and Diane, Bryan's friend from high school and his girlfriend, and Jeff and Paige.
Here's a quick synopsis of the Vegas trip:
Friday- Went to work early, left a little early. Ran home to finish sewing the purse I made and change clothes. Get to the airport and see one of Bryan's bosses and other Fresno Bee people that were going to Vegas for a convention. They leave at 5:00 for their 2:40 flight. Our plane also gets delayed, but for only 30 minutes or so. Apparently there was bad weather in Salt Lake City.
We get to Vegas, meet up with Alan and get food. We meet up with the 'crew' and start at the bar. We sit at the bar and get no service for a very long time. The strung out bartender is rude to us. She gets our drinks and Alan and I play video poker. Alan doesn't really know how to play poker but wins $400. I know how to play poker (even if not well, but have the general idea) and lose $20.00. We end up getting some late night food and go to bed.
Saturday- We get up late and head to breakfast/lunch with Jeff, Paige, Colleen, Will, and Carrie at the Barbary Coast. We head for shopping with Will and Carrie and Alan and I buy watches at the Fossil store. Yard tall margaritas ensue when we meet up with Paige and Jeff. Will, Carrie, Alan, and I head to Caesar's Palace for some more loss of money. Then we take a nap.
After the nap we head to the buffet with the whole group. It was mighty tasty and I went to town. After dinner we head downtown on the bus to Fremont Street. We buy yard tall vodka drinks and head to the Golden Nugget. Alan and I lose at some slots before I sit down at a blackjack table. I break even after being up $80. We meet up with everyone before heading back to the strip on the bus. Much singing occurs on the ride back, as well as: phone calls to friends, cell phone breaking, and bantering with the busdriver. We arrive at the Flamingo for more late night food and Alan and I crash while a few people go to the hot tub.
Sunday- Too tired to go to the buffet, Alan, Colleen, and I skip out and check out late. We grab a 'quick' meal at the restaurant and meet up with James (my friend from school that lives in North Las Vegas). We hang with him before catching a cab to the airport. Colleen and I volunteer to give up our seats on our 4:30 United flight for free tickets and a spot on Bryan and Sarah's midnight US airways flight. We sit in the airport from 2:30PM until 11:30PM. We wait as Alan, Will, Carrie, Paige, and Jeff all leave. We wander around as Alan, Jeff, Paige, Will, and Carrie call to say they are home. We stroll through the D gates. We go through security twice. We wander through gates A and B looking for food. Sarah and Bryan come around about 9:30. We compare stories from the weekend and get on the plane. We land in Fresno about 1 AM. My luggage is no where in site and I have to fill out a lost luggage slip at 2 AM (after almost an hour of trying to get help). I'm not happy and tired. Go home and go to sleep.
Monday- Sarah, Colleen, and I show up to work at 11:45 after running to Rite Aid to get me deordorant. I have no hairbrush, makeup, hair gel, leave-in conditioner. My hair is in a stubby ponytail and I'm tired. Sarah and I were 2 hours later than we planned on. The airport calls and they have my luggage. Sarah and I drop by the airport on the way home.
So the trip was fun, but I won't be going back for awhile. I need a break. Pics to follow soon.
The most awesome story ever!
Check
this out! I love stupid people!
Lazy Saturday
Yesterday I was in a lot of pain so I laid low today. I work up fairly early (8:30) after staying up late to celebrate Sarah's bday and doing some late night reading. I read all morning. Not until after noon did I decided to switch from reading to checking email. I played some Trivial Pursuit on my phone. I then took a mid afternoon shower and talked Alan. Ate lunch late (alfredo and whole wheat noodles). Then I did my taxes and got them e-filed. Now I'm talking to Alan, and am not motivated to find anything to do tonight. If anyone is interested in hanging out and reads this, call me.
Finally got around to it!
So I finally learned how to use the camara for more than just picture taking. Look
here for Xmas and New Year's pics. (There aren't many because I haven't bought a storage card yet.)
Freezing!
My back is feeling better. Less overall pain. Some stiffness today. Started strengthening again.
This weekend was filled with good food and friends. Friday night I went to Jeanine's for dinner, and dice games with Estelle and Jeanine, before Peter came into town. Saturday night friends and co-workers from the therapy department went for really good Indian food at Tandoori Night. Everything was yummy. I tried some of Bryan's goat and it was very tasty. I'm looking foward to taking Alan there next time he's in Fresno. After dinner Bryan, Sarah, Colleen, and Chris went to Aimee's place to hang out and eat cheesecake. It was nice to just hang with friends with no pressure to clean or cook.
With the freeze that has taken over the west coast, I have been trying to stay warm. My house is not insulated well and it's extremely drafty. I've been sleeping on the couch because my bedroom is just too cold.
Tonight I finished my book, and am watching
Labrynth. Good times.
Mmmm Darvocet
Tonight I feel better than I have in weeks. Aimee gave me a couple Darvocet. I took one and the pain is so much better I could enjoy dinner out with her and not cringe from sitting on the hard chairs. I did all my back stretches for the first time since the week of Xmas. I've been in so much pain that I couldn't tolerate all the stretches before tonight. It is a nice reprieve and a bit more uplifting. I called the doctor to try to get in earlier today and I missed office hours by about 30 minutes. I will try to call earlier tomorrow. The Darvocet is beginning to wear off a bit, but that's ok. I'm going to sleep soon and I tend to have less pain when sleeping. I'm icing now since I did more stretches tonight than in 2 weeks. Hopefully the reprieve from pain will make my body less tense and decrease my overall pain. Just the fact I got a chance to uplift my mood might help that too.
Another grrrr for the saga.
So this morning I thought, "Next week is my back appointment. Almost there." Then I got a call from them today. "The doctor won't be in on the 19th we need to reschedule your appointment." Now I don't go until February 5th. That's almost 2 1/2 weeks later than the original appointment. I almost cried. Now I'm just bitter. My back hurts and my body is stiff. I can't do my job properly. I can't do things I want to do. If I have to deal with changing my lifestyle I will. If there is nothing that can be done that's fine. I won't like it, but I'll do it. But dragging me along with no options but dealing with it is ridiculous. I am on the waiting list for cancellations. I will be calling everyday checking for cancellations.
Grrrrr...
So I got up this morning and was feeling stiff but otherwise OK. I did some stretches, took some ibuprofin, and read a magazine before getting up and doing dishes. I did some dishes and cleaned a little and now my left buttocks is all flared up again. I didn't even do that much. I was up and about about an hour. Grrr.
R & R...kind of :/
Today my back has felt better than it has all week. Might be because I only had to work 1/2 day today, wasn't distracted by things at work so I remembered to take my meds on time, and the fact I got 2 siestas today. I was supposed to go snowshoeing tomorrow. That's pretty much out. I'm hoping that rest this weekend, mixed with chores, will heal my back enough for a smoother week at work.
Tonight I'm making the group Cheesy Beer Potato Chowder (added extra beer and broth to make it more soupy than chowdery) from my new cookbook from my parents. Smells nice and beer like right now....mmmmmmmmm beer, cheese, potatoes...3 of my favorite things.
Courtesy of the USPS....
Pictured above is the items that I received from Staci for Xmas that she did not send me. For those that don't know the story....
On Saturday afternoon I got a call from Bryan that a package arrived for me from Staci and the box was pretty tore up. He could look inside it. That is especially bad because she had mailed me Fiestaware. When I got home Alan carried the box upstairs. The top of the box was tore open and there was a good 6 inch long and 3 inch wide gap in the top of the box and it had been 'tied' back together with strapping. I finished opening the box and pulled out the contents. At first I found some of the contents strange and called Staci to tell her the Fiestaware appeared ok but the cookies were rather crumbled and there were crumbs all over the inside of the box. Later that night/day I decided that Staci couldn't have sent me all of that stuff. It was just too weird. What was even more odd was the gifts were from the Gruszies, Andrew, Nichole, and 'your cousins.' The gifts were addressed to Grandma YaYa, Aunt Chris, Dad, Jacob, and Zoe. As far as I know, I am not any of those people, and neither is Staci. Monday morning Staci called and she hadn't sent me those gifts (obvious to me by then).
If anyone is missing:
1 dozen cookies
2-4 pack packages of Ferrer Rocher candy (only one left now...Alan ate one package)
1 empty See's candy stocking with a reindeer head on it
1 knit stocking with a snowman head on it and a bag of M&M's in it
1 1970 Chevy Impala model car kit
1 kids pink purse with girls hair accessories attached
1 package of Hickory Farms snack sausage (looks like Slim Jims)
Contact me and I will gladly mail you your stuff. I'm sorry if someone ended up having a sad Xmas.
