Achy Breaky Back

Our blog is so neglected. I guess we both stopped sharing because all we were sharing was gloomy news. Well, today I have elected to see the brighter side of life. Okay, I'm not fooling anyone... but I have been more energetic and positive lately so maybe I'm coming back to life, as we know it. For those following at home: Jenny has endured countless surgeries, exploratory medical adventures, every mishap and complication you could throw at woman within the last 13 months. I'm done with it... well not really, but I'm on the downhill, I hope. Got a great report about the rods and screws. They are holding. This isn't my back, but it looks similar.

Through all of this, my wonderful husband and very loving family moved us to Mt. Juliet. Even though our address has been in Wilson County since April, I'm just now living here and exploring our new lands. We live in a new apartment complex within Providence. Yes, I ate tons of crow when we signed the papers. But, we weren't ready for a house commitment with all the medical adventures and uncertainty.

What we have learned since moving in:

1. We HATE (and I use this term in its fullest context) our upstairs neighbor. She is a recently divorced woman who takes out every emotion on her vacuum cleaner. Seriously, I'm not kidding. She will vacuum her apartment 3 times a day! Stop the insanity! Kris and I have to calmly talk each other down from marching up there and kicking her Hoover to the curb.

2. We (well, I) dislike apartment lighting and blinds. I took the blinds down as soon as I saw them. I know its against Section 89b, but puh-lease. Talk about tacky!

3. Water is black gold in Wilson County. Our water bill rivals the cable bill. I think I need to go into the water business here. I could make millions.

4. Though we enjoy having everything at our finger tips (i.e. Providence). We miss the idiosyncrasies of the Boro. There isn't any redlight cameras, one street having four different names, random festivals in the square, driving 30 mins to get across town... There isn't a Hastings, Slick Pig, Toot's, Demo's, All Souped Up... I think I'm hungry.

5. Swimming in a salt water pool can lead to poison ivy. That's all I'm going to say about that one.

Well, I promise to start blogging again. It may end up being quite therapeutic for me.

Bring on the Rain (and needles)

How to explain the last 8 months of our lives... more ups and downs than a play school seesaw. We were doing quite well the first few months of the year, then the proverbial snowball started rolling down the hill. So now, we find ourselves with a lot of life experiences that we really could have done with out. Emotions are all over the place. I get annoyed by the smallest things. Gotta love those extra hormones. My latest annoyance is the I-24 rush-hour drivers, particularly the ones who carpool and refuse to use the HOV lane. Seriously... that is what they created for! So move your clown car over to the far left lane and leave my lane alone. I also have recent disgust for those drivers who ride their brakes. I am 99.9% sure that they are the root cause for the parking lot (aka I-24W). However, today I have found a new and bigger annoyance - the jackhammer of a machine located across the street that is chiseling away at what I can only hope is 2 feet of bedrock. If there had been a gun near me, I wouldn’t had been able to restrain myself. Any who, there are a lot of positive things that have happened too...like Jenny overcoming her fear of needles. Let’s just say, I didn’t have a choice and every doctor/nurse/evil person I met wanted to stick me with a needle to accomplish some ambiguous goal that I’m still trying to figure out. We can also successfully check the “in sickness and in health” portion of our marriage vows. We both feel like 2009 is the year for us and we will be able to get back to normal... whatever that might be. It will be the year of fun and no needles, well a girl can dream!

“Bring on the Rain” by JoDee Messina with Tim McGraw has really put into words what I have been feeling all this year with everything. The song has empowered me during some of my darkest days.

"Bring on the Rain"

Another day has almost come and gone

Can’t imagine what else could wrong

Sometimes I’d like to hide away somewhere and lock the door

A single battle lost but not the war (cause)

Tomorrow’s another day

And I’m thirsty anyway

So bring on the rain

It’s almost like the hard times circle round

A couple drops and they all start coming down

Yeah, I might feel defeated,

I might hang my head

I might be barely breathing - but I’m not dead

Tomorrow’s another day

And I’m thirsty anyway

So bring on the rain

I’m not gonna let it get me down

I’m not gonna cry

And I’m not gonna lose any sleep tonight

Doss Rewind

We are in the midst of the coming and going so much that our townhouse is taking on attributes of an airport landing strip. Kris has joined not one, but two soccer teams and frequents the soccer fields whenever he can. However, lately with all the rain and storms he has been grounded to the house. This Saturday marked his second official games. His teams lost one and tied another. He scored a goal and had 2 assists. He also had a collision with another player and we have been icing down his knee ever since. He is sore right now from his doubleheader on Saturday, but he is loving every minute of it. He also has what appears to be ringworm. He thinks he got it from me, but this has not been proven.

We heard that there is a fake ringworm that is going around. You treat it just like ringworm, but it isn't ringworm. I forgot what it is called but we are putting our money on that theory. Very strange for two people to get weird red rings and have no access to animals or children. Oh well, we got the fancy cream and soon he will be cured too.

I think I have 2 more weeks of school to go. Really, I have lost count. I have been busy with last minute case studies that have to be turned in. Also, I have been assisting my sister with her senior project. She is graduating on May 3rd. My father and mother can't wait for that day. Both grandparents are attending the event. It will be great to see both sets. Besides that, I'm driving my car everywhere. I love it! I can't wait to go on a long trip soon. I continually find new features on it and fall in love all over again with the car.

I had planned to take the summer off from school, but after calculating when I could graduate. I scheduled 3 classes for this summer. I know I am pushing myself, but if I take these 3 classes, I will graduate next May and can space out the really hard classes for this fall and coming spring. I will keep you posted if this idea turns out for the best. I'm sure I will hate it soon enough. It involves a Saturday class for 5 weeks and a Tuesday/Thursday class for a month and half. So for about a month, I will be on campus 3 times a week, which includes all day on Saturdays. Fun, Fun! Oh well, at least I will have my MBA soon enough. And...that's the Doss Rewind for the week.

Molly Ringworm

Hmm, where to begin with my going-ons. Work has kicked into high gear, which is a blessing with the recent job reports. My car stopped in the middle of Memorial Blvd. After $220, it is believed that my car was just out of gas. Seriously! Classes have started back. I hate to admit it, but I really could use another week away from my classes to tell the truth. So last week, I noticed a red spot on my neck. First thoughts...dry skin? carpet burn? curling iron mark? They didn't make sense to me either, but those were my initial reactions to this strange, quarter size mark on the base of my neck.

Wake up this morning, there is a perfect red circle. So, I cover up with a turtleneck and head to work. When I get to work, I show and tell. It's unanimous. I have ringworm! Freaking out on the inside, I casually laugh it off. I can't have ringworm. I haven't been in contact with any pets that I could remember. So, I sat down at my desk. Imagining worms crawling around under my skin, which if you know me at all, starts making me woozy. I decided that I needed to see a doctor, quick.

So, I was preparing to go. I moved ever so careful in my office chair and then POW! My chair flung me forward and my chair broke in half. This all happened before 11am. Needless to say, I wanted to call it day. I dashed out the door to my lovely car that awaited me in the parking lot. Sidenote: My car hates me again for taking it into the shop that it is retaliating against me through the radio..again! It open and closes, back and forth. Unless, I physically hold it for more than 5 minutes.

Anyway, I get to the doctor. I waited for her for about an hour. Finally, she comes in and looks at the growing circle located where a trachea would go. She started asking a series of questions.

"Do I own any pets?" No.
"Have I come into contact with any pets?" No.

"Do I have any children?" No.
"Have I come into contact with any children?" No.

"Have I been playing in the dirt?" No.
"Have I come into contact with anyone who has played in the dirt?" Seriously, No.

"Are you a swimmer?" No. "A wrestler?" No, No, No!

Photo: Not my actual ring, my camera can't take the picture correctly. This picture is close to what it looks like though.

Really, there was not a question she asked that I said yes to. So... after a short deliberation. I have ring worm! She said if that isn't it, then I have eczema. So, I have the worm cream and hoping for the best! My dad thinks I got it from the nasty Corolla (that Kris made me rent while the car was in the shop). So, my new name is Molly Ringworm dubbed by Kris.