Summer O'Fun Day 6 (2011)

I took the kids to buy stain for the deck (whoo-hoo!) and then we stopped at Half Price books so I could buy them some reading material for the summer. Dex and Jax moped around the store then said nothing appealed to them. Cars only found one book that he wanted. It is called "Fart". OMG At first I refused to consider buying it but then I relented. "Fart" is better than nothing, right?

I have also instituted a rule that there will be no xbox, wii, nintendo dsi, computer or tv between noon and 4pm. "What will we do?!" the kids wailed. I told them "something productive". Of course those 4 hours were painfully slow today but eventually they all found something to do. Dex and Cars pulled out the Thomas the Tank Engine train set that has not been played with in about 4+ years. It was fun to see them building the track - just like old times with Dex and Jax because they loved those wooden toys! Jax went to the skate park with his friend.

Afterwards, Jax asked me what I did during those 4 hours that was "productive" (he even used finger quotes). Let's see...I dropped his friend off after the skate park, I did laundry, I watered and weeded my vegetable garden. I also went through some of our 4th of July gear. I asked him if that were productive enough and he said he guessed so. Geez!

What I also did during that productive time (although I did not tell him this) was do a bit of research on Photodynamic Therapy which I had done on my face late this afternoon. It is a treatment for the pre-cancerous stuff on my face. I will tell you that nowhere did I read that it hurt as much as it does. Well, perhaps hurt is the wrong word. It stings! Like a bad sunburn which I guess makes sense because it was a serious of light pulses on my face. And I have to stay indoors and out of any direct light for 36 hours (I guess just 32 to go!). I have hired a babysitter for tomorrow so the kids will hopefully have an actual fun summer day.

And of course when I told Stephen that my face hurt he said "It's killing me!" yuk-yuk-yuk

Off to take some ibuprofen.

Summer O'Fun Day 5 (2011)

We went to the $300 Store today to buy supplies for the Fourth of July party. I know it was not the most thrilling day for the kids but they did get a slushee as a reward for helping out in the store. Then I made a meal for a friend who just had a baby (who is so little and sweet that I just want to eat her up!). Jax was going to go to the Farmer's Market to meet his friend at the skate park but the kid's mom changed her mind about going. Not a whole lot of fun for the kids today, I'm afraid.

Yesterday we went bowling though and we had fun. The kids were driving me a little bit nuts though (being super silly). We were the only ones at the bowling alley so their antics and noise seemed that much more amplified which made me less able to ignore it.

Afterwards I went to the eye doctor to check up on the corneal ulcer I had (have?). It is nearly cleared up but now I am on a different round of eye drops. I go back again next week to make sure it is all good.

Summer O'Fun Day 3 was tie-dyeing and for the first time ever our shirts did not turn out. Well, they turned out but we used dyes from two different kits and the dye from one kit ran all over and all of the shirts look muddy and ugly. So I bought a new kit today and we will redo shirts soon (need to run to Target to get more shirts).

I barely remember Summer O'Fun Day 1 & 2 but I am sure we did not do anything memorable. Gotta get on it to make sure we have more activities planned. Actually, just gotta get through to after our party on the 4th then then real Summer fun can begin.

Book List 2011

We are half way through the year and I have read a lot more so far this year than I have in previous years. I still need to step away from the computer a bit more.

Anyway, here is my list to date:

1. The Art of Racing in the Rain, Garth Stein *also read previously
2. The Book Thief, Markus Zusak
3. Rough Country, John Sandford
4. Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfuss *also read previously
5. Wise Man’s Fear, Patrick Rothfuss
6. Little Bee: A Novel, Chris Cleave
7. The People Code, Taylor Hartman
8. Middlesex, Jeffery Eugenides
9. Miss Bossypants, Tina Fey
10. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
11. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, Alan Bradley
12. Replay, Ken Grimwood
13. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson
14. The Girl who Played with Fire, Stieg Larsson

Since I have hit 14 so far, I will set a goal of 30 books this year. Geez, I remember when I used to read a book a day (in lieu of homework, tv and way before computers and children).

Hurray for Me!

Today I walked (and ran a very tiny bit) the Seattle Rock'N'Roll Half-Marathon. I have blisters on the soles of my feet and my hips are very sore but I managed to make it through the 13.1 miles. I am very proud of this accomplishment, especially since lately I have not been feeling very fit and haven't been particularly active. I even feel like signing up for another race, although I think I will do a 5K rather than another 1/2 Marathon.

Miss Melanoma

After I went to the dermatologist and found out that I had a pre-cancerous spot on my face, I wrote a little thank you to the hospital for holding the free skin cancer screening, telling them that the dermatologist I saw there recommended that I followed up on two things and the two things were not "nothing" as I was hoping to hear. Anyway, a couple of weeks later, someone in the PR department of the hospital called me to chat and told me that she would like to shop a story around to the local press about the event and asked me if I would be willing to talk to the press. I explained that I didn't have cancer so maybe it would be better if they found someone who had it diagnosed after the screening. She said it would be fine and said she'd be in touch. Another week or so later she called and said that one of our local papers was interested in the story and she set up a time for a reporter to contact me.

The reporter called and the first thing she said was that she heard I found out that I had melanoma after going to the screening. I explained that I did not in fact have melanoma or any kind of cancer but a pre-cancerous spot on my face and a suspicious mole. We spoke for a few minutes but I could tell that she really did not understand it all but I knew she would be talking to a dermatologist so no biggie.

A few days later they asked for a photo of me so I submitted my current facebook profile photo which was taken with my iPad so it is a low-res photo and my wrinkles disappear. :)

On Saturday morning as I was waiting at the plaza for my MIL to have her hair done, I saw a pile of newspapers so I picked one up (this is a free publication). There on the FRONT PAGE was a photo of me with the headline "Summer Sun: It's a killer" and under it (smaller headline "LocalCityName woman discovers she has melanoma after screening". WHAT!?!? No, I didn't and no I don't! I was horrified. I read the article and it was almost nonsensical. It did say that what I had removed was "non-cancerous" which is in direct conflict with the headline. I was so embarrassed and wanted to snatch up all of the papers that I could find to throw into the recycling bin. I am even blushing a little bit right now as I type this out.

Stephen thought it was funny and has taken to call me Miss Melanoma. :\

Fortunately, as it is a free paper, not a lot of people read it and I have had only one friend contact me about it. My hope is that no one else that I know has read it or will read it. Just three more days until the next edition comes out and this current one disappears forever.

Blathering on...

School is *almost* out for summer. The kids' school year was extended due to some snow days. So instead of getting out on June 16th, they get out in two days - June 22nd. But the last two days are 1/2 days. I am not sure why they didn't just lump them into one day and get out on the 21st.

Now if only summer weather would arrive we'd be golden.

We haven't one single summer thing scheduled this year. My traditional first day of summer tie-dye making day will not take place the first day after school gets out because I have a few things to do that day. I will try to get out to get the boys white t-shirts by Friday and hopefully we will get it done then. I usually have a party and invite several friends but I really don't feel up to it this year. We'll see how I feel later in the week.

Oh, wait, we do have one thing scheduled for the summer. Our annual 4th of July party. This year I am holding a hat contest and there will be prizes for most Patriotic Hat and most Original Hat. I hope that the guests participate. Stephen thinks it is lame and that no one will want to do it. I hope he is wrong.

Hopefully we can get a short camping trip scheduled in as well as some other fun summer activities. I need the boys to work on their summer activity wish lists. Oh and I'd better hurry and check the low tide schedule. Sometimes the lowest tides are early in the summer. Going to the tidal pools is one of my favourite summer activities.

After nearly three years, I quit my guitar lessons today. I enjoyed it but lost interest in the past few months. And I rarely practiced. My instructor would tell me "That's ok! Practice here." Fine for him getting paid to listen to me practice but expen$ive practice.

Anyway, I can play quite a few songs, and two really well - "Maggie Mae" and "It's All Been Done" by the BNL. It is one of my very favourite songs and very Beatlesque. I can also pluck away at "Let it Be", "Brown Eyed Girl", "Fire and Rain", "It's All Your Fault", "Dead or Alive" and some parts of "Stairway to Heaven". It was great getting a refresher in reading notes and now I do bar chords on an acoustic guitar (initially, I had to switch to the electric when I was learning "Let it Be").

I just sat down at with my guitar and played a few songs and I am proud of how well I have done considering the lack of practice. I imagine how great I'd be if I'd had actually picked up my guitar every day for 15 minutes each day!

Normal Crazy

I hope that no one was offended that I entitled my last entry as Crazy. I know some people are offended when depressed or overly anxious people are called crazy. But that is what I consider myself. All of the thoughts (worst-case scenario stuff and the mind that just won't shut off) make me feel like I am crazy. And that means just not "normal". And some people don't like "normal" and feel that "typical" is a better word. However, when dealing with myself, I will use crazy and normal. If you don't like it, please move along.

I have felt much better since I posted the other day. I think it was just such a relief to say it all and get it out. Confession is good for the soul, right? I think just finally admitting that I am having issues again has been a big help for me to think more about what I need to do to deal with it. I am feeling some pressure though because school is ending in a few weeks and there is so much to be done in the meantime (wrapping up volunteer work, class parties, baseball, Cars' First Communion, my in-laws visiting) that it is overwhelming to think of the time I need to exercise, clean, and perhaps go see a counselor.

See how I put that one last? Shows the priority I am giving it. Gotta re-think that.

Crazy (again) after all these years

I posted an entry last week then promptly deleted it. It was about me and anxiety and depression. Not sure why I deleted it. I think it was because I just hated saying it out loud.

What I said out loud was that over the past few months I could feel myself slipping into a sort of depression. My anxiety ramped up and I have been spending hours at night imagining the worst things possible. That the rabbits in our garden will have destroyed our property so much that it will cost tens of thousands of dollars to fix. That the rabbits are rabid (do rabbits get rabies?). That spider season is almost here and I will never be able to spend anytime down in the family room because at any moment a gigantic spider will come racing at me. That the record rainfalls will destabilize our yard and the deck and front porch will collapse while the crawlspace fills up with water. That Jax will be a hunchback. That Dex will become addicted to drugs at an early age due to self-medicating while trying to deal with his own anxiety and depression. That Cars will develop skin cancer (he is my mole-y-est kid). That Stephen will drop dead of a heart attack and I will not remember to pay the bills. That I have a heart condition and will die of a heart attack after a couple of years of shuffling around attacked to an oxygen tank. That the earth will destroy itself with floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, cyclones (are they the same thing or are they like hurricanes?), hurricanes (but I never worried about the rapture cuz the guy who predicted it was just plain nuts).

All of these very irrational things. And I know they are irrational. And during the day they are so stupid and I wonder WTF I was doing even thinking these things. But it happens at night when I am trying to lay still and go to bed. I do not discuss them with Stephen because he just rolls his eyes at me and asks me why I cannot just be happy. I don't know why. I am always waiting for the shoe to drop. Always.

So, while I sit in bed and worry and fret I can feel my heart start to constrict and I am so *sure* that I have heart disease or clogged arteries or whatever.

I recognize that these are not the thoughts of a rational person.

I made an appointment to see my doctor for a physical. Well, I saw her nurse practitioner (I don't think I have even seen my doctor since Cars was an infant). Anyway, I went in and I just started spewing all of this stuff and I told her that I thought I was depressed or needed to get a hold of my anxiety and that I was sure I was having heart problems but I know I just feel it when I am stressed and blah blah blah blah!

Once she calmed me down, she asked me if I wanted to be medicated and I said no. Why? I had no idea why. I just didn't like the IDEA of it which is so stupid because if I had high cholesterol, I would take medication. If I had diabetes, I would take the medication. But because my brain chemistry is probably out of whack I will not do anything about it. Well, not entirely true. I just won't take medication for it. I will go to counseling and I did take a referral for that (but now school is almost out so when would I go and how long will it take and the office is not close and and and and...).

I kept wondering why I would not take medication. When I was diagnosed with PPD when Cars was 3 months old, my OB/GYN prescribed Zoloft. I promptly filled the prescription but never took one. I did start counseling and long time Blahg readers will remember that I went to Crazy Doctor for 2 years. I often wonder if I had taken Zoloft, would I have been happier, saner, more stable much sooner? Probably. Yet here I am, in almost the same place six years later and I will not take an anti-depressant.

I did call Killjoy (yes, that name is back) and told her what I had told the doctor. That I thought I was depressed. This was a big step for me to even tell my mom. To admit it out loud. (I mentioned something to Stephen last month but then we just shrugged it off). Anyway, Killjoy told me not to take any of that "crap" (medication) and that I would be better if I just went out and got a job. Niiiice. Thanks for the support.

Anyway, I did agree to take a prescription for anti-anxiety medication that I can take "as needed". My heart and arteries all sound find so she is sure that the chest pains I feel as I lay in bed stressing about the recession, war in Afghanistan, tornadoes in Missouri, flooding in Louisiana, nuclear reactor meltdown in Japan and starving in Africa and general health and well-being of my family is just from anxiety. My blood work should come back next week and if my thyroid levels are out of whack or my vitamin d are low, these could also be part of the reasons why I am feeling so blue. I am also having my cholesterol checked to make sure it is still fine (at night, I imagine that it is clogged with thick layers of plaque which is causing the pains in my chest).

In the meantime, I must force myself to get up and move about and go outside, go to the store, go to the gym, go go go... I have go to get better. I must.

Gardening

For at least the second year in a row, we have had a very cool, wet, wet spring and it has been horribly depressing. Virtually no sunshine, no warm weather and just no fun. However, since Saturday, we have had 3 days of sun and tomorrow it will return along with a predicted high of 70 degrees F! I am delighted!!

I spent Saturday weeding and also cutting limbs off some of our trees. Yesterday, my neighbour gave me a small lilac bush that is an off shoot of hers and I planted it on the sunny side of our house. Lilacs are a little finicky here because we don't usually get cold enough temperatures that they need in the winter. Well, we didn't use to. We have had "cold" winters the past few years so I am hoping that this lilac bush will thrive and give off lots of sweet smelling blossoms next spring.

I also transplanted a Japanese maple bush that I purchased on clearance last fall and had hastily planted in the ground in November, pot and all! My neighbour (she is a master gardener) doesn't think the spot I chose for the maple will do well (too sunny and dry in the summer). I am hedging (ha!) on a summer like last year so a cool and wet summer will allow this maple to take root and do well.

Today, I planted a couple of zucchini plants. Hopefully they will do something and the darn bunnies will not get to them. We live in a very pest-riddled area with bunnies, deer, voles, moles, woodpeckers and other ilk! I hope to get some other veggies in the garden on the weekend (broccoli, tomatoes, and something else).

Anyway, I'll enjoy the sunshine while wearing SPF30 or 50 or 60 (depending on how long I will be out there). Don't forget to wear yours!

A few months ago, a small white spot appeared on my cheek. Great, another zit, I thought. However, it never got hard and sore and just stayed there looking white and flat and pretty noticeable (at least to me). I decided that I would have my doctor look at it at my next physical (scheduled for later this month). Then I saw that the local hosptial was having a free Skin Cancer Screening so I thought I would go because I have never been to a dermatologist (I just suffered with acne alone as a teen, fighting it with my Oxy-5). Oh, and I also have rosacea and my PCP prescribed some topical antibiotic ointment for it last year.

Anyway, I walked out of the Skin Cancer screening with a recommendation to see a dermatologist about the spot on my face and a couple of moles that were darker than the rest. Spy recommended her dermatologist to me and I got an appointment in no time. I went in and the dermatologist seemed to think the spot on my face was file - a "skin barnacle" she called it (Seborrheic Keratosis). One of the moles that the Skin Cancer screening dermatologist was concerned about was cut off as was the "skin barnacle". I have had to walk around for a week with a little round bandaid on my face that makes it look like I popped a huge pimple or something.


The dermatologist's office called back today and the mole on my arm was normal but slightly "atypical" (huh?!). So that means that I need to keep an eye on all of my moles from now on. The spot on my face was not Seborrheic Keratosis but Actinic Keratosis which is a slow growing and pre-cancerous. So, good thing I had it looked at. I have to go back for some sort of treatment next month after the rosacea in my face is "under control" (dermatologist's words).

Maybe it is a good thing that we live in the least sunniest place on the face of the earth. Ok, maybe not least sunniest but probably close! We all suffer from Vitamin D deficiency but still end up with pre-cancerous skin cells. How fair is that*?

(*ok, of course this condition took decades to build up and was a result of the many sunburns I received as a child and teen and young adult and long before I moved to the City of No Sun).

And people, please watch and share this PSA:

(of course this is about melanoma, which is not what I kind mine could have turned into, but still a good message)

I had a wonderful Mother's Day! My kids rock. My husband made the most delicious meal (teriyaki salmon grilled on a cedar plank and pan-fried scallops!). We played games, completed a puzzle. I listened to the kids play the guitar/bass and they played outside between rain showers. I spoke to my mom and MIL and admired the lovely bouquet of roses that were delivered on Friday.

I am so lucky to be a mom.

Fifteen Two

When my mom was here, she taught Dex how to play Cribbage. I was so excited because I love playing cards but Stephen doesn't like it much and the kids always played dumb whenever I tried to teach them ("I can't count to 15!"). Anyway, Dex was very willing to learn and he learned quickly. He won about 1/2 of the games that he played against my mom although I know that at least one she played the "wrong" card so she would not peg out before he counted his hand. Dex asked her many times to play and they had fun.

Since she left, I have asked him a half-dozen times to play and he always gives me a polite "no thanks". What?! I want to play Cribbage with a real person (not the computer or some Joe from Iowa who hates Obama - thank you for introducing us pogo.com).

I will keep at him. Mother's Day is coming up so I may start suggesting that a perfect gift would be a game or two of Cribbage.

Now I just need to get Jax interested in Scrabble or Cars in Gin Rummy and I will be a happy camper.

"Highlights" from April

It has so long since I updated so here are a few "highlights" from the month:

1. I am now the mother of a teenager! Jax turned 13. The days are long but the years are short.


2. My mom came for a visit and I did not feel like slitting my wrists. And she was here a week! I didn't even think to call her Killjoy once.


3. I have gained 8 pounds but it looks like 20. My pants do not fit and I look like the Michelin man. Must.do.something.now! (almost wrote soon <-- that's my problem - soon never comes!


4. I said NO (or just did not respond) to 8 additional volunteer requests in April. Of course the one extra one that I said YES to was the one that I completely forgot about (bringing in shredded cheese for the monthly teacher appreciation lunch - oops!


5. Went to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival for the first time ever (I've only lived here 12 years). It was gorgeous!


6. Have finally bested the woodpecker!(covered the hole with hardware cloth and installed a deterrent.


7. Stayed up all night to watch the Royal Wedding and I am still tired

And that was my month. Hopefully this month will be more interesting and there will be more posts from me.

Migraine's Stink

Ugh - I have a wicked migraine today. It is almost gone thanks to Relpax. I am reluctant to take prescription drugs for these so I suffered most of the day with only Anacin before I caved. I don't know why I just didn't take Relpax hours ago as I'd be done with the migraine by now.

I have had migraines as long as I remember. I often complained about headaches as a child and my mother, whom I do love and like but who had very little patience for complainers, used to call me "George" after her father, the hypochondriac. Anyway, when I was about 15 I decided that I had to do something about the headaches so I went to the doctor (changed doctors on my own since I didn't like our family doctor). Now, I don't believe my migraines are hormone-related because I do not get them around my period. Some of my triggers are dehydration, stress, smelly perfumes, not eating frequently enough (rarely get them from this ;), Chinese food (probably from MSG), lack of sleep, and changes in the weather as well as sometimes the reason I get them are a mystery. I think today's migraine was brought to me by the weather change although today was a high pressure day not a low pressure day so who knows if that were it or not.

When I was in my late teens I went to a neurologist. I had an EEG where they stuck what looked like little push-pins attached to wires into my head. This was the pre-HIV/AIDS era because I am certain they use sticky electrodes rather than push-pin kind. I know those push-pin kind were reused too and I remember my cousin (who accompanied my to the visit as my parents were at work) was so grossed out when I came out with dozens of little bloody dots on my head. Anyway, the EEG showed normal brain movement and no signs of a tumour (whew!).

My migraines often were accompanied by visual disturbances. I recall the first time I experienced a visual disturbance before a migraine. I was a student and was working part-time in a movie theatre ticket box and I lost my peripheral vision. I only had vision right in the very centre for about 15 minutes and I was so scared that I was having a stroke. I had to hold the money people gave me out to the side to see if it were a $5, $10 or $20! As my vision came back, a crushing migraine came with it. I almost vomit ted in the ticket office! I had to run out and I threw up in the bathroom. I know exactly what my trigger was that time. My co-worker's perfume! It was called Ciara and she would douse herself in it. On top of that, she had this horrible rotten cheese body odour and to this day, if I smell Ciara I will retch.

It was a few years later I was working in a bank and I lose my centre vision and could only see out of the periphery. It was very interesting for that 20 minutes trying to check people's signatures and filling in bank forms when I had to hold the form off to the side and try to write while looking straight ahead. Again, when my vision returned, the mind-blowing pain came with it.

In the years since, I have had only a few more visual disturbances that signaled a migraine onset. Once it was like wavy lines, and another, it was like I was looking through a kaleidoscope. I have had the lost peripheral vision again too but now I know when visual disturbances happen 1) I am not having a stroke and 2) these migraines will be the worst!

I have also used different migraine medications over the years. One doctor had me on a daily medication to hopefully stop them from coming but I often forgot to take the medication. So often I would just suffer through them with a cold wash cloth on my head while lying absolutely still in a darkened room.

Then in 1992, a miracle! Imitrex was approved for use in Canada. It was the best drug ever for my migraines. I could take one tablet and within 10 minutes the pain would start to dissipate and within an hour (max!) the pain would be gone as well as the crushing pressure of the migraine. I would often get a migraine "hangover" with some slurred or thick speech and feel a little dopey. But I could actually stay at work with a migraine and the quality of my life improved.

Then in late '93, Stephen and I were married and I moved to the States. I had no medical insurance and even worse - no Imitrex! I found out that they were still doing clinical trials for Imitrex and that the tablet had not been approved for sale here yet. They did have the auto-injector though and I signed up with the manufacturer and was able to get Imitrex auto-injectors FREE. The problem was, have you ever tried to inject yourself while suffering from a migraine. I wasn't sure which was worse. The pain of the migraine or the anticipation of the pain from the injector (while it was no overly painful, the injector was definitely not pain-free!).

Anyway, finally the pill form was introduced here in the States (right about the time that I got health insurance) so I took Imitrex by tablet again although my insurance company would only prescribe 6 at a time.

I stopped taking Imitrex around the time that we decided to start a family and I will tell you that while I was pregnant, I was virtually migraine-free! This made me think for a while that the migraines could have been partially hormone-related but I think it was mostly because I was eating regularly and drinking tons of water, all the while reducing the stress in my life because I had gone into pre-term labour at 28 weeks which fortunately was stopped and I was put on bed rest.

Also, since moving to the Pacific Northwest in '99, I have had far fewer migraines. I think this is mostly to do with the weather. The oppressive, muggy, humid and suffocating summer weather in Minneapolis and Toronto were big migraine triggers for me. And in '04 when we went to Florida for a vacation, I had a migraine most of the 10 days that we were there. Ugh, who could live there?! I had to suffer without Imitrex that whole trip because I was nursing Cars and although I was told it was "safe", I refused to take it while pregnant and nursing any of my children.

A few years ago, my doctor's PA suggested that I try Relpax rather than Imitrex. It is in the same "triptan" class as Imitrex and it seems to work well for me (although not nearly as quickly). It does not give me the same feelings of heaviness and thickness in my chest and throat when I take it which I do like though so I give up one for the other.

Anyway, it has been two and a half hours since I have taken Relpax and the pain in my head is gone but I still have pressure. And I have a migraine "hangover". Stephen just texted me that his plane has landed (he went to Toronto to see his parents - his mom is going through cancer treatments) so I had better run and at least load the dishwasher from today's breakfast dishes. I might even be able to throw some dinner together for the kids (no promises at this point).

In the meantime, I am watching Dex and seeing that he is a migraine sufferer and I hurt for him because I know what it will mean for him for the rest of his life. (they do tend to run in the family - two aunts, my dad and my oldest brother all had/have them). Hopefully Dex won't have them as often or as badly as I do.

My brother posted this article to me on Facebook today:

Headaches might ease as you age

I guess I have that to look forward to.

Snow in April. Yes that is what we have. Snow in Seattle in April. Aargh! Ok, the snow did not cause any problems with traffic and fortunately school was not canceled (the school year has already been extended 4 days due to snow days). But today is COLD. And it is April and it should not be this cold. The forecast for today was originally 55F and sunny by the afternoon I do not see that happening. They are still claiming it might hit 50F today but it is already 11am, still cloudy and only 40F. Promises, promises.

Today, Jax starts his track after school. They practice everyday after school except for Wednesdays. Track actually started on Monday but he had conveniently forgotten to sign up for it. I had him get the forms from school on Monday then on Tuesday I had to take him to the doctor to have her sign the release form and since he had not been to see her since October 2009, he had to have a physical. All went well until she examined his spine. She kept telling him to bend over properly then she realized that he was and she left to get some device to measure his spine. Afterwards, she told us that kids often go through growth spurts and their spines look uneven (he is now officially taller than me, standing a whopping 5'6.75"!). His spine looks crooked she is not concerned enough to send him to a specialist yet but we do have to go back to see her in 6 months.

Of course, with my worst-case-scenario personality, I already have him in a Milwaukee brace and being made fun of in school. I remember in Grade 7 when JaniceM got a Milwaukee brace. Her pencil rolled off her desk and she got down on her knees to try to pick it up but she got stuck! She could not reach it and she could not get back up. A boy name Bruce started laughing and he could not stop. Then Janice started to cry. The rest of us in the class looked on in shock, going back and forth between Bruce and Janice. It seemed to go on forever but I am sure it was just a few seconds before the teacher intervened.

And of course there was the scene from "Sixteen Candles" where Joan Cusack's character, who is wearing the brace, tries to lean over to take a drink from the water fountain and she cannot. Also, in my high school, there were two more kids wearing that brace. One was a boy who was so very tall (and he also had braces on his teeth and very bad acne - gah!).

So, these are the kind of things I have already imagined for Jax and really at this point all we have is a "come back in six months". I want to know NOW if it is going to be a problem so I can get these images and thoughts out of my head. Jax has started getting blackheads and pimples and he is in the 95th percentile for height. OMG - exactly like that boy from my high school!

Breathe - breathe - breathe

Ok, I am calm for the moment. So, for the meantime, Jax will do track (in the snowy April weather) and work on his posture (he thinks she wants to see him again because he slouches). I'll keep the worrying to myself and research alternatives to the Milwaukee brace. And maybe get him some ProActiv.

Happy Birthday to me! Well, it was a few days ago. It was spring break so I decided that it was the perfect opportunity for the kids and I to go to the Seattle Art Museum (SAM). I had never been there before and kids 12 and under were free (and Jax turns 13 next month so let's go!).

We drove through the pouring rain (we had the worse spring break weather all week!) but it had stopped by the time we got downtown. I found the SAM then circled around blocks and blocks and blocks looking for parking. Street parking downtown is very limited and what is available has a 2 hour limit so I knew we needed to find a lot. I went to my old stand-by lot which is actually very close to the aquarium and a few blocks away but there was just one skinny little space available (the cars on either side were parked on the lines) and I knew that my SUV would not fit in there.

I went back and drove around looking for a parking ramp that could accommodate the height of my vehicle. Um, there are NONE. I did see that the height at the Westlake Center was listed as 11' some inches but once I drove down the ramp, that height is for delivery trucks only and the lower levels for passenger vehicles was only 6'4" (my car is slightly over 6'5"). Nooooo! The guy had to get out of the little booth and stop the cars coming down behind me to give me room to make a very awkward 85 point turn to get around and drive back up the ramp and out onto the street. I was sweating (and swearing) at this point. Aaargh! I should have switched cars with Stephen that day.

The kids and I drove even further away and I finally found a small lot that had some available spaces. Hurray! Well, once I checked the prices I found out why there were some available. I paid $24.95 (the cost of 4+ hours up to 24 hours)! The guy told me that he'd be needing the receipt back when I left. Um, I don't think so. It was my credit card receipt and while the cc number was not printed on there, I know that he was going to re-use my ticket and give it to someone who was going to pay cash (and he'd pocket the money).

So the kids and I now had about 12 blocks to walk back to the SAM. Usually not a problem but all three chose not to dress for the weather. It was not raining but it was windy. The chose to keep their rain coats in the car and were only wearing hoodies which the wind whipped straight through. They didn't complain (since it was my birthday) but they shivered all the way there.

It really did not take as long as I figured it might to get through the exhibits. I really enjoyed looking at all of the works of art. The kids were mostly bored but they pretended not to be and did behave. The only grief I got was from Cars demanding to know why it was part noon and he had not had lunch. ~eye roll~ That kid definitely is ruled by his very picky stomach.

After we went through the museum (it is not nearly as big as I had anticipated), we headed to the restaurant which is a little fancier than I expected. Dex had a $10 gourmet hot dog (minus all of the fixings that made it gourmet, of course). Cars was the only one to order off the kids' menu(again, 12 and under so we were under a timeline for Jax but he wanted an adult-size meal). ;)

We headed back outside and hiked our way back to the car, stopping at Nordstrom so I could buy some eye make-up (happy birthday to me). I went out the back entrance of the lot so the guy could not flag me down to get the receipt (heh).

Stephen came home early from work and he grilled burgers for us and we had a vanilla cake with chocolate icing that I had made the night before. It was a very lovely evening and end to a great day spent with my kids.

School starts back from break tomorrow. I feel a little ripped off since the weather was absolutely horrible all week but it is Seattle and it is spring time. I heard a rumour that there really is a sun behind those clouds. I hope we see it soon.

It's All Been Done

The favourite song that I like to play in my guitar is "It's All Been Done". I love the song plus it is relatively easy to play with just a few bar(or barre) chords. It is upbeat and fun and one song that I can play. I can also play "Maggie May" for the same reason (although I haven't mastered the intro).

I can also play a lot of little ditty songs by picking out the notes such as "Amazing Grace", "Lavender Blue", "The Star-Spangled Banner", and "The Jamaican Farewell Song".

I have been taking guitar lessons for 2 and a half years and that is all I can play. Oh sure, I can muddle my way (barely) through songs like "Fire and Rain", "Let it Be" and "Please Don't Leave Me" (although I did have to switch to an electric guitar for Let it Be and Please Don't Leave Me because the barre chords were killer on my fingers and wrists on the acoustic because the strings are so much harder).

I am not sure what I expected with guitar. Did I think I would be able to play like Nancy Wilson from Heart by now? I think my expectations were very unrealistic, never mind the fact that I do not practice nearly enough.

So here I am, at the crossroads - do I continue or do I quit? I am worried that if I quit I will never pick up my guitar again. And if I continue, I must commit myself to really practicing and spending more time just playing in general.

Tonight I practiced for about and hour. My fingers are almost bleeding and they are sore but it is a good kind of sore. Enough to know that I did practice and I know did have a bit of a breakthrough on one song. Let's hope I still feel the itch to play again tomorrow.

I cannot stop watching video and photos of the devastation in Japan after the 8.9 earthquake and tsunami. The aftershocks are high enough to be "real" earthquakes in their own right and enough to cause tsunamis as well. And the potential meltdown at the nuclear power plant is frightening. So much to deal with all at once.

I cannot do anything other than send money at this point. What I can do for me is to update my earthquake stuff. I never did put everything all in one place so I plan to buy some totes to do that. And I need to check all of the flashlight batteries and make sure we have enough water stored away. As I mentioned in a recent post, the 10th anniversary of the Nisqually earthquake just passed. And the big earthquakes in the past few weeks in New Zealand, China and Japan are finally nudging me to get this done.

And really we should always be prepared for any kind of emergency, right? Are you prepared?

3 days 3 ways
Are you ready?

March came in like a Lion

On March 2nd, we had a big wind storm blow in. It was early in the day (much better than the ones that come up at night). I was downstairs catching up on some tv shows ("Glee" and "Survivor") when I heard a huge clatter and bang. I ran up to check on my patio furniture (the wind storms have blown my table across the deck in the past and knocked over the chairs). The table was moved a bit, the umbrella shifted as well as the grill. I couldn't figure out what had made that big clatter but all looked ok out there so back downstairs I went to finish my shows.

When I was done, I headed up to have a shower and I saw a long line of wet on the carpet:

Shoot! My skylight was leaking from all the rain! I looked up to see if I could figure out where it was leaking and saw...


What?! No SKYLIGHT! I was staring right out at a bright sky (we were between showers at the moment). OMG, my skylight was gone! I ran back downstairs and out through the garage to see if I could find the skylight. It was in the front garden.



I guess it must have slid right down the roof and feel into the garden. It fell so hard that it flipped over that round paver under it. But, it did not break! There are plenty of scratches on the glass but I could not believe it had not broken.

Then I wondered how the hell I was going to get it back up where it belonged!

I kept trying to call Stephen but he was incommunicado. I called my friend, who is a realtor, and cried WHO DO I CALL?! She calmed me down and told me to call the contractor who had been doing work around the house for us. I did call him but he wasn't going to be available for hours. It wasn't raining at the moment and the sun was even starting to peek out so maybe I'd be ok until 2pm??

Then a car pulled up and my friend's husband got out. He had a ladder strapped to the roof of his car and a blue tarp. He climbed up on the roof and strapped the blue tarp over the whole in my roof! Hurray! And just in time because the skies were getting dark again.


Then he drove away. I picked up the phone to call my friend to thank her for sending her husband over and as I was dialing, it started to hail and I was so thankful that the blue tarp was up there! Then a huge whoof and the tarp blew away as I heard my friend answered the phone. I stood there dumbfounded as it started to hail in my house. OMG - it was hailing in my house! The hail lasted close to 10 minutes. Then the sky turned blue and up drove my friend's husband again. He climbed back up on the roof and tied the blue tarp on more securely.


This time, the blue tarp stayed on until the contractor arrived, even though the wind and rain started yet again.

The contractor arrived, installed the skylight and secured our other 3 skylights. Turns out when the house was re-roofed (not long before we moved in), the roofers did not secure the skylights when they reinstalled them. I guess we were lucky that it hadn't happened before and that the skylight did not actually break.

We had another storm today. Not nearly as windy but just as rainy. I was glad to know that the skylights were not going anywhere!