super-speedy scarf

I actually finished a crochet project in less than a week.  It's a miracle.  Six hours in the car on the way to Nashville and back this past weekend facilitated the quickness of completion.  Anyway, it's a scarf for Natalie.  Her last-year's Christmas gift that I never even started.  Sorry, Nat.

It's dark purple (Caron brand).  A very easy 14 rows of single crochets (over 6' long)- I used a size H crochet hook.  Nice and warm for the winter and for my poor little sister who seems to always be freezing cold.

don't mess with me and my coupons

I had a coupon for buy three cans of Hunts tomatoes and get one free.  I love coupons, especially for free things.  This particular one came from Kroger, although it was a Manufacturer Coupon, so it's technically good anywhere even though Kroger has plastered its logo at the bottom.  Thanks, Kroger.

So I go to Walmart the other day and buy the tomatoes.  At check-out, the cashier, who appeared to hate her life, will not accept my "in-store" coupon as she wrongly called it. "We don't take those here." 

I promptly said "Yes, you do."  She gave me the look of death like I didn't know what I was talking about and how dare I question her.  Funny- I just used one of these same "Kroger" coupons at another Walmart like 4 days ago. 

And that wasn't the first time either.  Trust me, I know how to use coupons.

I told her not once, but at least FOUR TIMES that the coupon was not an "in-store" Kroger coupon even though the logo was on it, but instead was a Manufacturer's Coupon (as I pointed to the phrase on the top) and was indeed good at her location.  She argued with me.  I told her to scan it anyway.  Much to my dismay, the stupid thing didn't scan of course.  To make herself feel better, she mosied over and asked the next-door cashier, "We don't take them in-store coupons, riiiight?"  OF COURSE YOU DON'T TAKE KROGER IN-STORE COUPONS BECAUSE THIS IS WALMART.  I am not an idiot.  If you're going to phrase it that way, of course the lady is going to agree with you.  UGH!  So when she returned to the register, I politely pointed out again that it was NOT an in-store coupon and was a manufacturer coupon.

Side note: The Kroger "in-store" coupons actually SAY "IN-STORE COUPON" at the top.

Stubborn mule wouldn't budge.  There were people waiting in line behind me.  I envisioned myself leaping across the counter and strangling her until she agreed to take my coupon!  But I dropped it.  So I told her she could just unscan my four cans of tomatoes and I would buy them at Kroger.

I'm sure the Prednisone made me angrier than I actually would have been normally.  But I knew I was right, so I was infuriated.  Yes, it was over a $1.00 coupon.  But I am a woman of principle and I hate injustice.  And apparently Walmart managers need to train their employees better.

I bought my tomatoes at Kroger today and they are sitting happily in my pantry, no thanks to Walmart.

my shoe broke :(

My Clarks shoe broke plum in half the other night.  I think it happened when I pushed the pedal down on a trashcan to open the lid and suddenly my toe popped out the side.  What the?!

This is puzzling- they were not cheap shoes.  I've had them a while, but I've not worn them often enough to warrant such a breakage.  Seriously, I've owned shoes from Walmart that have lasted longer.  Oh well.  Should I call the company and complain?

p.s.  my hand is definitely sticking out in between the soul and the shoe.  not cool.

employed!

I was offered a job today!  Clinical Research Coordinator at Baptist Physician's.  I'll be working with Alzheimer's patients in clinical trials.

I'm very excited!  I applied for this job on September 1.  Offered the job on Sept 16.  I start on Sept 28. (with orientation)

Just proves yet again that God is in control.  When He has a will, He has a way.

finally done!

After a year of crocheting a lap blanket, I am finally done!  The blanket is small, but it fits perfectly on my lap.  The bottom few rows are a bit longer than the top part... oops...  it was my first project...

I did a pattern of 6 rows of double-crochets, then 3 rows of double-crochet criss-crosses.  Repeat.  Very easy.

Here's the finished product:

 

 

Last night, I also completed a year-long scarf project for my sister-in-law, which I was supposed to give her for Christmas last year.  Oops again.  I went on a crochet-sabbaticle apparently.  But I'm back.  Merry Christmas, Candace.  Scarf will keep you warm in Portland.  :)

This is like 8 rows of single crochets, one row of double-crochet criss-crosses, then 8 more rows of single crochets

'roid rage

Please hurry up and get me off these steroids.  I am turning into a crazy person.  I am getting so moody, impatient, and downright mean.  I can't think straight sometimes.  Not to mention, I'm still wanting to eat a lot, although that has gotten a little better after the first two weeks or so that I was on the prednisone (and by "better" I mean that I'm not randomly craving Taco Bell at 9:30 pm anymore).  My face is getting the moon-shape (aka: fat face).  I can't sleep for more than about 7 hours every night.  And forget about taking a nap- that idea is out. (I used to be able to sleep all the time.) 

And for a list of other potential side effects, please click here.

Buuuuuuuut, the obnoxious, inflammatory, problem-causing nodules in my lungs are disappearing.

So can I complain?  Not really.  But I'm going to anyway for a minute.  God knows my heart.  ;-)

Anyway, 'roid rage is real.  My husband will tell you it's true.  Bless his heart.  I was horrible to him on Saturday and I of course apologized and prayed for forgiveness at church the next morning. 

To make things worse, my self-esteem is dropping quickly because I feel like a hateful, over-eating cow who no one would possibly want to be around, especially not Topher.

Now as a disclaimer, I have always had tendencies toward a hot temper.  I grew out of this slowly over the years, but it rears its ugly head now and again.  By God's grace and the Holy Spirit, I have become a much more peaceful, patient, loving person.  That's why I know something is terribly wrong...

LORD, help me!  I am on a taper for this medication and I feel like I'm going to have to take these stupid pills for forever.  I'm on 40 mg until Friday (when I see lung doc again).  He'll likely cut my dose in half again.  I'll probably have to be on 20 mg for another two weeks.  Then 10 mg for two weeks, then 5 mg for two weeks.  So potentially six and a half more weeks?!  BAH! 


Pray for Christopher.

A 9/9/09 FYI

For 9/9/09, www.restaurant.com is offering 90% OFF their gift certificates for 99 hours... so until like 3 am on the 13th I think...

Use discount code NINETY at checkout and hit Apply.

Restaurant.com is the greatest website ever and if you've never been there, please go.  Especially with the 90% off- you get $25 certificates for $1.00 and $10 certificates for $0.40.  Yes, 40 cents.  There is no catch- you just buy them and use them like cash.  Some of them have a minimum food purchase amount- they will list the special instructions on the certificate.  And you can usually only use one per table, even if the checks are split.

Unfortunately, Lexington only has about five restaurants contracted with them, so my selection is slim.  I am sad and bitter.  Places like NYC have like 50 pages of restaurants.  Memphis has a decent selection as well.  I must have bought twenty certificates to Sekisui Pacific Rim while I lived there.  Check out your city's selection- you may find your favorite little restaurant on there and save oodles of $$.

Anyway, capitalize on this amazingly ridiculous deal.  Many of the certificates may be sold out already since people got wind of this 9/9/09 deal.

Happy 9th of September!  :)

labor day lasagna

In celebration of Labor Day, I made lasagna.  I actually intended to make it like four days ago, but alas, I did not.  So instead of burgers and hot dogs, we chowed down on some yummy pasta goodness.  Plus, I made two small ones instead of one big one, so we can freeze one for later.  Yay for no-effort meals!

I've decided that I'm one of the most spastic cooks ever.  I always make such a mess... but I inevitably clean up as I go because of my OCD tendencies.  Anyway, I flipped the spatula in the floor twice tonight.  Onions and ground beef went flyin'.  Twice.  Tonight I shall blame the muscle-relaxer pill I took earlier.  Yep.

Good thing I have a clean-up crew:

Oh, and if the prednisone tells me I need a hot dog later tonight, I'll just run three houses down and ask my neighbors who are grilling out and having a party.

interview!

Great news!  I've got myself a job interview tomorrow!  It's for a Clinical Research Coordinator position.  Although I was slightly disappointed about not getting the CRA job at UK earlier this summer, God knew what he was doing.  How could I be sick and have a new job at the same time?  Not possible.  His timing is always right.  We'll see if this opportunity is the Lord's will for me, or if He's just warming me up for something else down the road.  :)

Anyway, I wore high heels for the first time in, like, six weeks (or more) to church on Sunday.  It went ok, but I had room for improvement.  There were a few stumbles.  My legs are still ridiculously weak from being inactive the last two months and losing all my muscle mass in the hospital.  Please pray that I can successfully treck to and from my interview without any disasters.  And, no, I am not wearing flats to my interview.  Forget it!

Speaking of church, Christopher and I FINALLY got to go to church together on Sunday!  It was wonderful to be in God's house.  We visited Centenary United Methodist, which was a personal recommendation from a retired pastor at Christ Church in Memphis.  We really enjoyed the service and felt that we could possibly make our home there.  We're going back next week.

Life is starting to return to 'normal' and I like it.  I just need to start exercising and I will be a much happier person.

p.s.  If a surgeon tells you he is going to do a thoracotomy on you, immediately kick, scream, and run far away.

pedicure

Since Christopher has gone back to working, my momma drove up here Tuesday night so that I could have someone take me to the doctor yesterday and today and be a second set of ears at the appointments.  (Thanks, momma!!)  Today, I'm off to see Dr. Deep (my PCP).

We spent all morning yesterday wandering around the hospital since my CT was at 9:20 and my appointment with Bensadoun wasn't until 11.  We grabbed some breakfast from the cafe and a Starbucks coffee and talked about everything that is wrong with the world.  It is settled that everyone just needs Jesus Christ.

After my appointment, we went to Tuesday Morning to attempt to find mom a rug for her living room.  No success.  We grabbed lunch at Panera (yummo!) and then mom hunted around TJ MAXX while I vegged out in the car.  I was in a lot of pain yesterday for some reason (knot in my back and ribs hurting) 

We met my sweet friend, Julie, at The Salon Professional Academy at 3:00 to get pedicures.  It was sooooo nice to sit there and get my feet pampered.  It was funny, though, because the girl who did mine got to the part where she was supposed to paint my toes and she says outloud "yeah, I'm good at all this except the painting part."  I immediately heard the sound of a scratching record in my head (wickywickyWHAT?)  Um, awesome, don't say that outloud.  She chuckled and was like, "yeah I can paint my own better than other people's."  Well, I kindly said "I believe in you!  You can do it!"  o.m.goodness.

Unfortunately she was right- she was not a stellar painter.  But technically, I am getting a student pedicure, so how much can I actually complain?  And they don't look bad at all.  She just put too many coats on there and painted all kinds of crazy directions.  It's all good.  Here's my toesies:

Anyway, after pedicures, the three of us went to Billy's BBQ for early supper.  Coming from Memphis, I am very spoiled.  Memphis has the BEST bbq ever.  Billy's was definitely edible, but it was no Memphis-style.  Man, I miss some bbq...

go lungs, go!

I went to see the pulmonologist yesterday and my chest CT revealed a 75-80% improvement in my lungs!  Praise the Lord!  Many of the nodules are completely gone and the rest are significantly reduced in size.  It will be no time before my lungs are clear.  Totally clear.

Also, Dr. Bensadoun said there is no visible evidence of lung tissue damage on the CT.  I was worried about this since the nodules were so large and the docs were calling them "necrobiotic."  He said I might have some minimal scarring, but he isn't worried about it.  Especially in regards to lung function.  So again, Praise the Lord!

He dropped my prednisone dose down to 40 mg/day (I was on 60), and I'll stay on that dose for two weeks until I go see him again on the 18th when we shall re-assess the status of my lungs.  I'm excited that I am able to start tapering off these steroids... and consequently eating less like a cow and more like a human being.

Thank you for the prayers.  I am healing.