Well, that was unexpected.

Years ago, I was diagnosed with ADHD. I've known I've had it my entire life. It was incredibly hard to sit still in class when I was little, and my mind constantly wandered. I would often be out on the prairie with Laura, Mary, and Carrie in my mind. We weren't just picking wildflowers. We were building treehouses, fighting with riding horses, or surviving being stalked by a bear or mountain lion during math class. It hasn't let up. I still struggle with keeping my mind in one lane. The Fibro has made it worse. There are days the fog is so thick that I struggle to remember my own name. Okay. Maybe not my name, but definitely my birth year.

I had tried one of the name brands of ADHD medicines years ago, and I was amazed at how well I could put not only 2 thoughts, but 3, 4, or 5 thoughts, together at one time! Alsas, I was allergic to it. It raised my blood pressure and gave me horrible headaches, so I only took it for about a week. It was such a disappointment that I couldn't take it anymore. I was able to function efficiently for the first time in my life! However, being concerned about similar reactions to other medications, I didn't try anything else for my ADHD for another 15 years. Until recently.

Lately, thoughts bounce in an out of my mind at incredible speed. I try to focus on one thing and another thought pops it right out of my mind. So I talked to my doctor about my ADHD, and they agreed that I could try something else. I did really well with it for the first 9 days or so. I was able to have coherent thoughts without having to repeat what I was saying multiple times. However, on the night of the 9th dose, I noticed my upper lip was tingling. It felt like it was waking up from a trip to the dentist. However, it was gone in the morning, so I didn't think much of it.

The next morning, I had no tingling, so I took the medication again. An hour or so after taking the med, my lip started tingling. Then my left eyebrow. Then my chin was numb. Then my right eyelid, followed by my left cheek. An hour later, I was not only still struggling with odd facial tingling and numbness, but my scalp started playing Simon on me. Remember the light up game with the colors that would light up, and you'd have to remember their sequence? It was just a random pattern that pulsed, never made any sense, and could be dizzying to watch. Well, that's what my scalp started doing. It would jump from one patch to being numb, to another patch tingling, to yet another tightening.

It lasted for 7 hours.

Needless to say, I didn't take any more of the medication. And when I was still struggling with facial numbness and tingling a week later, I made an appointment with a neurologist. He talked about how migraines and a pinched nerve could account for the numbness and tingling, and we talked about an MRI I'd had done 11 years ago. (The neurologist at the time said that I had a couple of spots on my brain, but he also specifically said I did not have MS. However, he also signed me up with the MS Society to receive all the info on MS. It concerned me that he would do it, so I called and asked his office, if it said in my records that I had MS. It did not, so I asked them to remove my name from their mailing list. It was disconcerting to get requests to join clinical trials for something I didn't have!)

I had the MRI on the 30th and went in last week to find out the results. I had the CD in my hand, and the doctor asked me, if I'd looked at it yet. I hadn't. How unlike me is it that I wouldn't even look at it? Obviously, if I had been thinking clearly, the first thing I'd have done was pop it into the computer and looked at it. I certainly wouldn't have been thinking migraines and a pinched nerve had I seen it. The MRI looked like someone had spilled popcorn all over the film. My brain is full of lesions.

I have MS.

Motoring

Four and a half years ago when I started this blog, after watching my first episode of Hoaders, I remember looking for other hoarding blogs. I know I've written about it once or twice and how disappointing it was that they didn't keep up with their blogging. It made me think that perhaps they weren't successful with dehoarding their homes and getting their lives back together. Had they stopped blogging, because they had fallen off the wagon, so to speak, and were just embarrassed to come back and admit it? It saddened and concerned me. It made me wonder, if I'd ever be able to get it all done myself. 

It didn't dawn on me that perhaps blogging got to be too much for those who had started their journeys and that life won out. At least it didn't dawn on me until it happened to me.

The last several months have been full of, well, life. That, and my computer died on me. So I'm actually borrowing Bugster's computer for the day, so I could peruse the internet for awhile and drop by for a quick blog post.

Since Hubster had his gallbladder out back in March, our lives have been filled with all sorts of everything. 

Scooter's had some health issues that caused liver and spleen enlargement, (We never did find out the cause, but she's doing much better now.), she graduated from high school, and she's now going to her day program 5 days a week, and is thrilled she didn't have to start school last week with the rest of the students in the district! 

Hopper has done very well. A year ago, we took her in for a surgery consultation. The doctor was willing to do the surgery, but she wanted Hopper to lose some weight, so the insurance company would be more willing to approve the surgery. She's lost 29 pounds, (12 of which she'd gained in the previous year due to some medication she was taking), and the surgery is a go. We just barely got approval for it a few weeks ago, but we are beyond thrilled that she will be able to have this surgery! It will be life-changing for her. The downside of this is that her anxiety is quite high while she awaits the surgery scheduled for the end of October. 

I definitely added to her stress level. The last 2 weeks of July, I was in class for 8 hours a day to become a CNA. Hopper doesn't do well at all with change, so for me to not be home during the day was very difficult for her, in spite of the fact that I was always here with the girls in the evenings. The days were long, though. The girls' hours were extended at the day program for those 2 weeks, and it just took its toll. It was wonderful getting out of the house, being back in the school setting, and meeting people, but it was also exhausting. Still, I would do it all again in a heartbeat! 

Unfortunately, it's brought out the worst in my fibromyalgia. I've been in the worst flare I've had since I was diagnosed with it 6 years ago. It doesn't help that I ran out of some of the things that help when it gets out of control. Thankfully, they should be here tomorrow, so I will, hopefully, be fully functioning again soon. And thankfully, we haven't had any major wildfires this year, so my asthma is under much better control than it was a year ago. I'm still on a small amount of daily oral steroids, but I should be done with them shortly, so things are looking up.

I'm looking forward to taking my state test, so I can get my license and be hired on to be the girls official caretaker. It will be really odd to have an income for the first time in our 28 year marriage. It's not that I wasn't allowed to work outside the home. Hubster's not like that. I'm not, either. If he had said that he didn't allow me to work outside the home, my first stop would have been to flood the market with job applications. But I can't think of a single job where I'd have been able to call in and say, "Yeah. I need the next 3 weeks off... Hopper and Scooter have another cold." So this will be a life-changing thing for our family, and I'm looking forward to the freedom it will allow us.

Now to answer my original question. Have I left my blog, because I'd fallen off the dehoarding wagon and was too embarrassed to admit it, or has life just been overly full?

I'd like to think it's mostly that life just got in the way. While the dehoarding has taken a backseat to life, it's still in the car, and we're still putting along.

K Sare Ah. Sare Ah.

Wheezy.

Wheezy and snotty.

Wheezy and snotty and tired. 

Really, really tired. 

I'm trying to keep things together until our insurance kicks in 5 weeks from now. I have been fighting something, but I'm not exactly sure what it is. I think it's likely just allergies, but whatever it is has decided to play games with my asthma. Stupid whatever it is. And it's not that I'd necessarily go to the doctor even, if we did have insurance. It's just that I'm trying to keep things together, so it doesn't get so bad I have no choice but to go in. That's all. It just feels weird to be without insurance for the first time in almost 20 years. I think I just sort of took it for granted when we did have it and assumed it would always be there.

Needless to say, I'll be happy to see the insurance cards come in the mail when the time is right.

I have slowly but surely getting my mental energy back. The physical energy is coming along bit by bit as well, but I have to admit that I look forward to being able to being able to put in a full day's work more often than I have been without being totally worn out for the following few days. I need to get back into taking my vitamins more regularly. I sort of got off track back in February when I had my second tonsillectomy, and my train is still derailed.

I do have to admit that part of the fatigue today has to do with the events of the weekend. We finally got the second raised garden bed in the backyard built last weekend, and we got it all filled with the good soil and manure and compost and such yesterday. So now my tomatoes and peppers are all planted! I'm so excited!

I still want to get the pallet garden done, so we can have lettuce and spinach and peas and such, but at this point, I honestly think I'll be okay, if it doesn't happen. I mean, I'd really, really like to get it done, so I haven't ruled it out just yet. I just don't know, if it will happen this year or not. 

Whatever will be, and all, right?

I'm thinking of having an affair.

I'm exhausted tonight. In trying to get things caught up before my surgery, I may have overdone it a bit. I have a couple of loads of laundry to do tomorrow - some sweaters and the girls' bedding, and I should be caught up again. I have to admit I've really enjoyed the new machines we got, and I'm finding it much easier to keep caught up on laundry with them. 

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to wash the bed pillows and was pleasantly surprised at how clean they came. It's nice to know that I can wash them at home instead of lugging them down to the laundromat. Besides, I probably would have thrown some of them in the trash rather than taking the chance of someone seeing how dirty they were. Sort of like cleaning the house before the cleaning crew gets there, because you'd be embarrassed they'd see how messy your house really is. Funny how that works, isn't it? 

While we were changing the bedding on our bed today, I took the cover off the memory foam mattress topper to wash. We discovered that it is the memory foam that is wearing out instead of our mattress. That was some welcome news, considering how inexpensive memory foam is anymore. We're thankful we only have to replace it and not the whole mattress. 

So I will go to bed exhausted tonight but very thankful for the accomplishments of the day. I was even able to get on the treadmill and walk for 30 minutes. Unfortunately, I've missed about 5 days on it since I started walking daily back in October, but I'll take it. At least I  haven't given it up entirely in spite of illness, back pain and the general achiness and fatigue of fibro. 

I think our bed is trying to seduce me. I hear it tenderly calling my name with whispers of sweet dreams. 

I think I'm going to give in...

Did you see any ruby red slippers?

It's been windy here today. Seriously windy. I saw Dorothy and Toto fly by at one point. Toto was more scared than Dorothy, though. I think it's because nobody was steering the bicycle. I even saw the remnants of the Scarecrow in the front yard. He didn't look so good. I'm fairly certain I heard parts of the Tin Man hit the side of the neighbor's house. I suppose it could have been trash cans, but does anyone even use tin cans anymore? That's what I thought. It was him!

I was thrilled when I woke up yesterday, and my wrist no longer hurt. I'd worked so hard on the project that I was really hurting when I was done. I'd taken ibuprofen but nothing else for the pain. Actually, I did take half a muscle relaxant, but they don't always help with the pain. I think the thing that helped the most was the supplement I took after I showered. 

It was a creatine supplement, and it's supposed to help rebuild muscles after a workout. They, whoever 'they' are, are finding that it is helping those with fibromyalgia recover from the muscle pain they get after straining their muscles. It tasted horrible. It was a super sweet fruit stuff to be mixed with water. It reminded me of those horrid sweet drinks I had to drink when I was pregnant to test whether or not I had gestational diabetes. I gagged on them, too. 

Still, it helped. I was quite surprised when I woke up with the least amount of pain I've had in years. Seriously. Years. I will be keeping the supplement around to use when I overdo it, but I think I'll also be getting some capsules, so I don't get sick to my stomach from the sweet gunk. I am so encouraged by this, I just can't tell you!

'Cause if I told you, I'd have to kill you, dontcha know?

Defrosting.

The guy came out and fixed the furnace this morning. It was just in time... It's supposed to be even colder tonight than it has been the last couple nights. It's good to know the space heaters aren't going to be getting a heavy workout tonight. Every year we hear of house fires caused by space heaters, and every time we use them, I can't sleep for worrying about them getting too warm and causing a fire. It just always sets my nerves on edge.

And even though those trusty space heaters got a workout, they had a rough time keeping up. It never got past 66° in the house and got as low as 62°. And while that might seem like a balmy Spring day coming out of the cold of Winter, it's too cold in the house. Not only does the cold affect my fibro and cause it to flare a little, it always sets off my asthma, as well. And of course it happens just when I was getting my breathing back under control.

I'm really looking forward to warmer weather. I don't mind the snow. I enjoy it, even. 

But my body craves warmer days.

Soon, Judy. Soon...

IKEA is bad for my health.

I think shopping last weekend was a bit much for me. I think it's the cause of the most significant fibromyalgia flare I've had in a few years. My feet and legs in particular have taken a beating. I'm hoping that soaking them in Epsom Salts tomorrow will help. 


I feel like all I've been able to do this week is say, "I'm tired... I hurt... I don't feel well... I need sleep." I can't seem to concentrate on writing, and I've got so much I want to say. 


It's just sort of stuck up there between the ears. 


Maybe the Epsom Salts will dislodge some coherent thought, and I'll be able to get a post or two up this weekend, instead of more whiny drivel.

Good news.

Good news.


I don't have skin cancer.


I didn't realize how much I'd been holding my breath waiting for today's appointment until I got the news. Now that I know that the new growths on my face that just made an appearance a couple months ago are benign, I am so relieved I feel weak. And achy. 


My body apparently decided to celebrate with a pretty decent fibro flare. That's okay. I'll live. This fair skinned chick doesn't have any suspicious moles or nasties to worry about. The fibro ain't nothin' but a thing.


The best part? No meltdowns from Hopper for 2 full days. 


Things are definitely lookin' up!


Now if Tebow can just lead the Broncos to victory tomorrow night, the weekend will be complete.

A little of this. A little of that.

I've been a bit out of sorts lately, but I think I'm back on track.


My Christmas gift has been in the shop for 3 of the last 4 weeks. I finally got it back last week. The Hubster was a bit frustrated that they didn't fix my netbook the first time it went in (when they replaced the hard drive), but he's glad they fixed the touch pad, and I have it back. It means he gets to use his again whenever he wants, since I used it while mine wasn't available. I'm really glad to have my computer back and in good working order again. And I'm superdeeduperdee thankful that Bugster figured out the password for the network, so we didn't have to reset it, and I can access the internet again!


Bugster, Bubster, Hopper, Scooter and Frank surprised us with a gorgeous arrangement of 25 roses that Bugster made for us for our 25th wedding anniversary. She did an amazing job, and they are still gorgeous a week later! Then Bugster and Bubster came over to our house and hung out with Hopper and Scooter, so we could go celebrate.
                            



We spent the day enjoying one another's company and got some much needed alone time. We did a little shopping, went out to eat at a Greek restaurant that was out of this world, and went to the movies. But our favorite part of the day was spent at a paint-your-own pottery place where the customer paints the piece, and the shop fires it for you. We've gone to this little place a few times over the years for our anniversary, and I have to say it's one of my favorite ways to spend time with Hubster. There's no stress, pleasant conversation, and one on one time with my favorite guy. It's a win-win all the way around.


We didn't get to the shop in time to finish the painting in one sitting, so we'll get to go back and spend some more time together at some point in the upcoming weeks. We're very much looking forward to having that time together and seeing our finished creations. I'm definitely looking forward to finishing our mugs and picture frame, but I'm most looking forward to seeing the necklace Hubster makes after the beads he painted have been fired!


We did a lot of sitting the day we went out, and my back has bothered me ever since. I've been having problems with nerve pain in my legs and feet again lately. It happens when I'm in the middle of a fibro flare, and one started up a couple of weeks ago for me. I took a medicine I'd been prescribed quite some time ago, and it took care of the neuropathy pain within an hour. I felt so much better, but the pain started up again the next day, so I tried it again with good results. However, the third day when I took it, I made the mistake of taking it on an empty stomach, and I couldn't seem to stay awake for the next 2 days. If I sat down, I dozed off. So I stood. A lot.


I'm feeling a bit stupid for not trusting myself to stay away from the medication that I'd stopped taking once before. I won't make that mistake again. If I am as out of it as I've been after only 3 doses, I know that it's not a medicine I can ever take again. I just have to try to figure out how to keep the fibro from flaring, so I don't have the neuropathy issues as often.


I am hoping to get some help this weekend to make a raised vegetable garden bed, so I can get my tomatoes and peppers in the ground. As much as I love my umbrella planter, I don't think I'll be doing upside-down tomatoes in it anymore. I don't think they get quite enough sun to really flourish, so the tomatoes and peppers are going to go in the ground this year, and I think I'm going to try flowers in the planter. The strawberries looked great last year in them, and they did okay, but they didn't come back this year, so they're out, too. I can't afford to buy new strawberry plants every year.


Right now, I'm going to go work on pinatas and dishes and laundry and such. Maybe if I get something done, my head will stop aching. 

One can hope.

Why am I still awake? Sheesh.

Isn't it funny how the aches and pains you get from hard work feel so different than those aches and pains you have when you're sick? I'll take those that I earn, thankyouverymuch.

We got the entertainment center/bookcase finished up and put together in the basement today. It took awhile to get it together, because the top half of the unit comes apart. As in the 2 shelves, the 2 sides, the very top piece and the back. And while we didn't put the shelves in until after it was all assembled, we'd forgotten how difficult it can be to get the other 4 pieces put together and squared up. We had gotten it all together and then had to install the stabilizing bar that also squares it up to the back of it. It took a few minutes before we got the top of it square enough we could line the screw holes up for the stabilizing bar. We eventually got it, though, and I'm thrilled with how it looks. I'll be taking pictures soon and posting them. I'll probably wait until I get the other little unit done and downstairs, though. It may be as soon as tomorrow.

I was able to get the first coat of the oil based paint on the majority of stuff I have left to finish up. The doors for the hutch are a little tricky, if I want to paint the insides of them, because it means painting both sides, which would take 2 days per side to finish up. I just got day 1 out of the way on them. I guess I have to figure out whether or not I need to paint the other side. It won't show unless the doors are open, so it's not entirely necessary. Hmmm. What to do. What to do.

I was also able to get the primer on the back of the headboard we'll be cutting down to use as a footboard and the second coat of primer on the last piece of Bugster's old doll furniture I'm painting for Scooter. While I may not get these two pieces finished up tomorrow, I should be able to finish everything else, and I'll put the last coat on the footboard and doll furniture later in the week. The temperature is supposed to be 20 to 30 degrees cooler Monday than it is tomorrow, and it won't warm up until the end of the week. If there's anyway I can finish them up sooner, I will.

I was thrilled to be able to get one last thing finished up today. Several years ago, we were given a super heavy duty air cleaner/purifier. The people who gave it to us used it to clean the air in their home where they bred birds. When I brought it home, I took it apart and vacuumed it thoroughly. I've taken it apart a few times and cleaned it out with the vacuum over the years, but it needed it again. We'd had it on full blast when the basement was being drywalled and textured. It was absolutely full of dust. So I pulled it apart and used the air hose on it until I no longer saw any dust coming out of the filter. It took about 20 minutes. Did I mention it was really dusty?

Now that it's clean and ready to use, it will be turned on full blast to run for a week or two downstairs. It does a pretty good job at removing odors in the air, so I'm hoping it means we can bring in the furniture I've painted for the basement, even though it still smells a bit of the oil based paint. We'll let it run for a few days with just the bookshelf/entertainment center down there and see, if it makes a difference. I'm really hoping it will.

I really should be in bed by now. I've got so much I'd like to do tomorrow. Not only do I have finish up my painting projects, but we'll be hanging new plastic on the porch, too. What we have out there right now is a hodge podge of different sizes of plastic and a couple of tarps. Unfortunately, it's not real conducive to keeping the dust out, because the plastic flaps apart where it overlaps with the next piece.

The Hubster bought some plastic today that is 10ft wide by 100ft long. We will only use about half of it, but it will be so nice to know that it will cover from floor to ceiling and all the way around in a single piece. Not only will it keep the dust out, but it will keep the rain and snow out, so we should be able to use the porch as a work shop all winter. We might not be doing a lot of painting, but if we need to use the table saw or the router, we'll have a fairly good place to do so. And if nothing else, we'll have a covered, dry place to store some of the stuff that's in the pod until we can get to it.

Works for me.

Choo. Choo.

The doctor put me on a new pain med yesterday. I'm not sure, if it's what's causing the fatigue, or if it's my fibromyalgia. I just know I'm having a horrible time staying awake and I hurt all over. My arms in particular are very sore. I'm pretty sure it's the fibro with them. That, and I overworked them painting this morning.

If I paint tomorrow, I should be finished with all the larger pieces of furniture, and I'll only have the last table top, the headboard and footboard as well as the doors for 2 of the larger pieces of furniture left to paint with the oil based paint and then the doors with the latex paint. I'm glad I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, and I'm even more thankful it's not a train.

Medically, I feel like it is the train at the end of the tunnel, though. I'm a bit frustrated that the surgery I had at the beginning of August didn't do what we were hoping it would and in fact appears to have made things worse. Unfortunately, I'm afraid it may mean more surgery, and I really don't want that. It would be a more serious surgery, and I'd be laid up for several weeks. I'm really hoping we can figure out an alternative to surgery. I'll be seeing my doctor again next week. Hopefully, I'll get some answers.

I'm exhausted tonight, so I think I'm going to go to bed as soon as the girls go to bed tonight. My body is obviously telling me it needs rest, so I am going to listen. It's a little past 3:00 in the afternoon as I write this. I would be surprised, if I'm up past 5:00. It's days like today I appreciate that the girls go to bed so early during the school year.

I'm hoping I can get caught up on things tomorrow.

I'll be back then.

One word to sum up my day?

Ugh.

That pretty much sums it up.

For Christmas last year, my sister and Mom bought some (8 total) tickets to a local chuckwagon show for us to enjoy sometime this summer. I put them in a specific place where they would be safe the moment we opened them up. However, they've been moved. Here it is 8 months later, and we have no idea where they are. I spent hours looking for them today to no avail. I'll be looking for them tomorrow as well as calling the venue to see, if they can replace them for us. Unfortunately, I'm not too hopeful about them replacing them for us, because they were purchased as a fundraiser for a cancer victim. I just have a feeling we'll lose out, if we don't find them in the next couple of days.

I'm feeling stressed tonight with several things hanging over my head. I have to remember to get the insurance paperwork redone. The same insurance paperwork that I spent hours and hours on several months ago needs to be redone. The payout they paid us was based on depreciated values, which is understandable. However, they depreciated what we'd already depreciated, so I have to start over again and give them a non-depreciated value on things. I feel like throwing up at the mere thought.

The insurance agent just kept telling me to do my best on it. I already had. I gave it my all. And telling me to do my best doesn't take any of the stress away. It adds to it, because I tend to be overly thorough when I do my best. Perfectionism has it's place, but it's also a pain in the neck in situations like this. It's super hard for me to lump things together instead of redoing things line by line. I'm not looking forward to it.

I felt a little better today, but it's mostly due to the ankle wrap I found and used. Well, the ankle wrap and pain pills. The one antibiotic I'm on makes me hurt all over, but due to allergies, it's the only one I can take that will work on this infection. I don't think it's just the fibromyalgia flaring up. I'm pretty sure it's the antibiotic itself, because I've hurt the last several times I've used it. This particular antibiotic is known for causing tendon ruptures as much as 6 months after it's been taken to clear up an infection. And my ankle/heal has hurt nonstop for the last couple of days. I realized part of it is the type of sock I've been wearing as well, so I've been wearing slippers all day to keep from having anything tight around my ankle.

The ankle wrap helped today, and I'll wear it and the slippers again tomorrow, so I'll be able to get something more accomplished.

It's just been.... frustrating.

I'm hoping to get something done in the form of paperwork tomorrow, so I can get this stuff off my mind. I hate things hanging over my head, and especially when it feels like I have so many things in the air at once.

To V or not to V. That is the question.

I am so glad today is over. Well. Over except for relaxing with my hubby for awhile. It was just a really long day.

Hopper still isn't feeling 100%. She's not feverish or anything, just a bit lethargic and not hungry at all. I'm hoping she'll be worlds better when she wakes up in the morning.

Scooter was in a bit of a mood again today. Not entirely sure why, but she was. Did what she could to push buttons and be naughty. If either is going to do the Button Pushing Boogie, it's Scooter, but I am glad it doesn't happen often. She went as far as undoing her seatbelt 3 times today while we were driving 55 down a main road through town. Did I mention I'm really thankful she isn't like this often? I'm sure it will be at least 6 months to a year before she starts messing with her seatbelt again.

I can't explain adequately just how stressful it is to hear Hopper say that Scooter's undone the seatbelt yet again. Of course there's never anywhere for me to pull over, because I'm in the middle lane of traffic, and I have to rely on Hopper to get the seatbelt latched once again. Tonight Scooter has seatbelt welts on the side of her neck where Hopper pulled a bit too quickly and forcefully to get her sister secured, but I'd rather see a couple of seatbelt welts than to see a crumpled little body should we get in an accident. And I am so very thankful that Hopper noticed it immediately and was able to help me out from the backseat.

Got more D-Ribose today when we were out. I know it'll take a few days to kick in again, but I'm glad I have it. Hopefully, I'll never allow myself to run out again. The fibro is out in full force in my neck and shoulders tonight. I'm hoping, if I turn my heating pad on and lie back in the chair a bit while I'm relaxing with hubby some of the pain will go away. Heat always seems to help.

A guy that my husband works with came over today and helped fell a couple of trees. I did take some before pictures to show how bad the V they were growing in was. It seemed a bit Gothic in style. At one point, my hubby was on the ground holding onto a rope trying to pull this very large, very heavy portion of the tree toward him. His buddy was up the ladder with the chain saw.

And as the wind picked up, it started blowing the part of the tree my husband was trying to control away from him and toward the nearby power lines. Yeah. That's something you want to see from the kitchen window! I went outside to help pull, but his friend had come down from the ladder by the time I got outside, and they both collapsed on the ground as the tree broke free and fell where they needed it. I collapsed from relief. On the inside.

We have a lot of cleanup to do tomorrow. We have a lot of branches to get out of the backyard as well as all the wood that someone else from work will be using in his fireplace come Fall. Now we just have to figure out a way to help hubby's buddy out. He wouldn't let us pay him. He did more to help us in the hour it took them than he can ever imagine! I'm so thankful that the hubster works with such amazing people!

Tomorrow we'll be busy. We'll probably have a hard time even moving by the end of the day. But we are both so relieved and thrilled that these trees are down! It has a great big check next to it on The List Of Great Big Things To Do That We've Put Off For Way Too Long!

Progress

I cut back a little on the cola today. I the equivalent of 2 cans instead of the typical 3. It has already seemed to make a difference with the neuropathy. I only took 1/2 of 1 vicodin all day, and although my toes are a tingling they're not hurting like they have been. Although, the toes on my right foot are a bit more miserable than they were after Scooter decided to grab on and twist them, because she decided for some reason that was what she wanted to do. Little stinker.

Hopper was feeling much better today. She was sick all day yesterday. Woke us up getting sick to her stomach and then went back to bed. She didn't get back up until this morning, having slept 40 hours straight. It's just how she handles being sick. She needs to sleep whatever it is off. It still a bit unnerving, though. It was good to have her back to her chaotic loud little self today.

Didn't get a lot of anything done today but some laundry and dishes and resetting the breaker. The little window air conditioner keeps popping the circuit. I'm not sure, if we can get something to plug in that would trip the outlet only and leave the circuit working. It kept shutting the computer off after I'd been on for only moments. I really don't want to ruin the computer by having the air conditioner pop the breaker when the computer is on. I'll be leaving the computer off during the day until we can figure something out.

I'm beat tonight. I feel like I've come through the worst of the last couple of weeks and that things will only get better from here. It can be draining when things just play at your mind and body all the time. Glad the focus is coming back in, in spite of the fact that I'm sure I just sound like I'm rambling tonight.

I'll take that as a hint.

I'm off to bed.

An update here. An update there.

We never got a call back yesterday from the code enforcement officer. It must have been a really busy day. It made for a restless night last night. Very little sleep. However, the phone rang at 7:45 this morning, and it was her.

When my husband explained things to her, (that the neighbor was upset about dandelions more than anything) she was very understanding. She extended the time we have to the end of July without hesitation. Apparently, the 'setback' that was mentioned in the letter just meant that the storage pod was too close to the street. However, it's not blocking the sidewalk or anything, so she said she can let it go until we get it emptied out. We will be done for sure by the end of July. She'll come back out and inspect then.

She also said that the next time the woman next door starts giving us grief about things in our yard to just call her, since we have her phone number. She said that it's almost always someone who's mad at someone else who makes the calls. And she said she doesn't have time to deal with dandelions. She also said that the pile of pallets we have stacked up on the side of the house can stay, if it's 'usable wood'. It is.

I was talking to a friend about the whole situation today, and she said someone called on them a few years ago. She happened to go outside when the code enforcement officer was there to talk to her about things. The woman was very friendly and gave her an extension as well. She said that in her case the person who was calling was likely a realtor. Apparently several houses up and down the street had been reported, and when that happens it's usually a realtor who's trying to sell a house.

Jerks.

Breathing a little easier from the whole code enforcement situation.

Holding our breath on another.

My husband tested positive for TB when he had his physical a few days ago. We got the results right before the close of business yesterday. So we had to take the girls in to be tested this morning, and I'll go tomorrow. We won't have all the results until Monday.

Apparently, the positive result just means that he's been exposed to tuberculosis not that he has an active case. His chest x-rays must have shown that he does not have an active case, because the doctor said he's not contagious. Regardless, he has to be on antibiotics for 6 months in order to eradicate it. Even with antibiotic treatment there's a relapse rate of 2 to 5%. Not too bad, I suppose, but he'll have to be monitored with x-rays for the rest of his life.

It makes sense that he was exposed to it given his line of work, but I was surprised to find out that the bacteria can live for several months in the dust and air or on a hard surface. Makes those antibacterial wipes at the grocery store they put out to wipe your cart down even more appealing, doesn't it?

Onto a totally different subject...

I'm very thankful somebody mentioned D-Ribose for my fibromyalgia. Between that and the L-Theanine my friend mentioned, my fibro is not flaring. And considering the stress we've been under the last few weeks, that's absolutely amazing! So thanks to both of you!

My body and I appreciate it more than you can know!

A day of rest.

My tooth was feeling better when I woke this morning, but my body protested. Loudly. When prescription strength ibuprofen didn't do anything to curb the pain, I allowed myself a prescription pain med.

It took care of the pain, but it also made me extremely tired and nauseous. So my wonderful husband took the girls with him on some errands, and I crawled into bed. I slept hard and deep, and I felt much better when I awoke. However, I still am not at 100%.

I still have some deep cleaning/scrubbing to do at the newlyweds new house, but I decided to stay home today and give my body a break. I'll go over tomorrow and try and finish up while the kids are in school.

Aside from a really nice nap and a couple loads of laundry I did nothing today.

And I'm okay with that. :)

The spririt's willing, but the flesh is weak.

Yesterday, after I scrubbed the shower out and washed the shower liner, I hung the clean liner up with a shower curtain we've had for years. I was hoping that by having a shower curtain on the outside of the shower, that the liner would stay inside the 4" shower pan. In theory, I think it would work, but we've had this !00% cotton shower curtain for so long, that it's shrunk probably at least 7". It came nowhere close to the length of the liner, so we'll have to pick up something for that bathroom.

Unfortunately, between hanging the shower liner and curtain up again and doing several loads of laundry, I can hardly move today. My neck and shoulders are screaming. I had to take a muscle relaxant earlier to try to get them to calm down. I'll be taking another one soon, since the ibuprofen did nothing to dull the throbbing. I'm hoping that I'll be in tip top shape tomorrow or at least well enough I can do something.

I try hard not to complain about being in constant pain, but sometimes I find it very difficult. I work through it most days, but when it's like today, I simply can't. It can be quite frustrating. Especially because I really want to make progress with the dehoarding more quickly than I am currently. Also, I know that complaining just sounds like I'm making excuses for not getting things done. I am trying really hard not to use it as an excuse but rather as an explanation.

Besides. I really, really, really want to get the house totally dehoarded, so we can get some sort of a hot tub or an infrared sauna. Something to help relax these silly muscles!

In your mind, is there a difference between an explanation and an excuse in a situation like this? If so, what do you see as the difference?

Eating at the kitchen table. What a concept! It's like eating on the floor - only higher!

The kids were very happy to be able to sit at the table to eat. I feel so bad that it's been as long as it has. It's not like the kids weren't fed. They were. Just not at the table. I will be doing everything in my power to not allow it to get covered again.

I did go through the condiments and got them ready for hubby to take to work on Monday - a full 8 days before my phone will remind me to send them in. I only saved 5 packets of honey from the one box. The rest is going in. I was really sort of grossed out by the 'honey sauce' that was in there. I'd never paid any attention to it before. It's a mixture of honey and high fructose corn syrup. At least honey has some nutritional value, but 'honey sauce'? What's the point?

Got a thick thermal underwear shirt on clearance. I'm hoping it will help keep me warm and keep things a bit more under control with the fibro. Getting winter weather again seems to have an impact on my achiness. I'm hoping it will help.

Working on putting up the cubby above the refrigerator and stove this weekend. We had to tear the old cabinets down several months ago when we bought a new refrigerator. They were so low the new refrigerator wouldn't fit. So we're hoping to get the cubby up this weekend, so we can get the small appliances in the baskets we bought and put them away. That will help tremendously with the clutter in the kitchen area. It's been really frustrating having to work around it all this time.

So. Now you know what we'll be doing this weekend. What are your plans?

Our clothing optional refrigerator.

Just a quick post.

Still not feeling the best, but things did go better today than yesterday. For that I'm very grateful.

Made an executive decision the other night. Instead of tossing the ketchup packets in the trash, we got turkey hot dogs. We only eat them 3 or so times a year. This will be one of those times. we've used about half the ketchup packets. I'll send the packets of other condiments (except the honey) to work for the hubby's breakroom, and we'll have only 1 container of condiments left in the fridge. We'll always have some condiments, but we really don't need as many as we've had. The refrigerator will look naked without them. But the artistic, good kind of naked, not the ewwww, gross kind of naked.

Also. Got the table cleaned off today. The countertop still needs work, but at least we'll be able to eat at the table again. That will be nice.

Off to spend time with the hubby. He had some dental work done today and stayed home. I so appreciate the company.

Hope everyone's having a great Thursday! :)

It must be the weather.

Warning:I'm having a bit of a pity party. I'm not asking for anyone to join me. I have enough pity for myself right now. However, I just needed to write it down and get it out. It helps me to get over myself...

I have to admit that I pretty much loathe days like today. At least the way today has started.

Woke up with my neck and shoulders killing me. I think my hair is too long. It's just past my jawline. However, having no neck, when my hair gets this long it gets stuck under my shoulders when I sleep. It causes me to tense up and not be comfortable when I sleep. I need to get it cut. I need my rest.

I also woke up in the middle of a major fibro flare. I hardly have the strength to lift my arms up again today, and I hurt all over. Barely putting any pressure on any part of my body sends pain shooting everywhere in close proximity to the original touch. It wouldn't be so bad, if the pain didn't linger, but it does. It takes several minutes, (sometimes, it's hours), for the pain to dissipate.

Our middle daughter had a massive meltdown again this morning. She wanted her dad to stay home from work. She yelled at the top of her lungs for him to "STAY! HOME!" The entire time, I just kept telling myself, "Don't make eye contact. Don't make eye contact." If I don't make eye contact, she can usually get herself under control in about 15 minutes or so. If I do make eye contact, it seems to exacerbate the problem, and the meltdown lasts at least 30 minutes.

This is the first time she's actually tried hurting her dad. She kept grabbing his leg and trying to pinch it with her entire hand. She stopped when he casually asked, "Why are you hurting Daddy?" I'm so glad he was able to appear calm on the outside. There's no way he was calm on the inside. It's impossible when she has meltdowns to keep your nerves under control.

Part of what set her off this morning was that he was wearing his long johns. He wears one of those one-piece red union suits like you'd see in old Westerns. He really has no choice with his job. He's outside a lot, and with the colder weather and the wind he freezes, if he doesn't have them on. She kept yelling at him to take them "OFF!" with tears streaming down her face.

We have NO idea what it is about them that sets her off. All we know is that it's beyond exhausting. He's supposed to go out of town for the weekend in a few weeks. I don't know how I'll handle it, if she starts freaking out. Mostly, I'll be praying she doesn't, and that I have the strength to deal with it without making the situation worse.

She's calmed down now, but she's still really loud. Her vocal chords are paralyzed. They can still vibrate, so she can talk, but they don't open and close like they're supposed to. As a result, it's very difficult for her to regulate her volume unless she's reminded repeatedly. I will be reminding gently all afternoon, I'm sure.

One small good note to this otherwise depressing post: It appears as though we may have sold the shower enclosure. We'll find out this weekend.