Master William

I spent part of the evening with Will.

We combined his love for dinosaurs and puzzles

by fixing (six) dinosaur puzzles. Whew!

Mighty Mack

Awww...

Oh, how the mighty have fallen!

Following the news of Rod's arrest,

I threw up some decorations and got a slice of chocolate cake.

Let the party begin!

Hardy's Reindeer Ranch

For the first time, I went to Hardy's Reindeer Ranch in Rantoul. I took my youngest sister Sarah (whom can never pass up an opportunity to see the reindeer), and Olivia (whom just took a fieldtrip to the Reindeer Ranch yesterday).

I checked the website for their hours of operation. We planned to "beat the crowd" and arrive at 10am, right when they opened up for business. We pulled in at 9:58am and the place looked empty. After a few minutes pondering whether or not we should sneak away or attempt to go into one of the buildings, Miss Olivia decided we should "just go in already!"

Their very friendly dog, Dakota met us as we headed into a cute little country store. We were then welcomed by a couple of staff members, thus confirming once and for all that the ranch was indeed, open for business.

We enjoyed the Christmas decorations, tasted some hot apple cider (that was actually luke-warm at best), and perused the gift shop.

Olivia chose to purchase a sticky, stretchy, pink snake for $3.99. Most likely you could get a similar toy at the Dollar Store.

She did take some time out from her shopping to pose for a quick photo on top of this saddled reindeer.

The Reindeer had some pretty amazing antlers.

Very cool.

The youngest reindeer....I think her name is Daisy.

And what did Sarah find inside the store?

Hehehehe.........anyone in need of a good hot sauce???

Rugby Beagle

Harvest Time

We are finally harvesting our crops this year!

Here are some photos from the corn fields. Enjoy! ;)

James....waiting to hop on the combine with Grandpa....

...there they go!

Now the corn goes from the combine,

into the wagon, then into the

semi to be driven over to the grain bins

until it is sold and taken to the elevator. =)

Cookie Cake

One of the girls at the office was recently promoted to a management position. We love to get giant cookies from the Cookie Jar. While Ed does a fantastic job and always adds extra frosting per our request, I decided I could try my hand at making a giant cookie cake. After all...how hard could it be?



I found a recipe online, used the mini-chocolate chips and found a pretty silver platter that my mom had to put it on.



I took the cookie from the oven and I could tell it was going to be delicious!



I waited for the cookie to cool for about 15 minutes. The tricky part was going to be transferring this giant cookie from the baking sheet to the silver platter. I took a regular plate and placed it upside down on top of the cookie. Then I held the two together and flipped it over. Next, I was going to remove the caking sheet.



Most of the cookie came free from the baking sheet, but in the center, there was some sticking. I scraped off what I could, then decided it wouldn't make much of a difference, since this was going to be the bottom and it would be hidden.



Next, I took the silver platter and placed it on top of the upside down cookie. I flipped them again. Here is the result of said flipping...





Oh...and don't worry....my Dad helped himself to some of the cookie...it was very tasty!

First Trip to Starbucks and the Pseudo-Thermos

One of my good friends will be celebrating her birthday on Monday and as I have been fortunate enough to be invited to a party honoring such an occasion, I decided to venture over to Bloomington and stop by Starbucks, as I have heard her describe in full detail how yummy the drinks are there.

Now when it comes to Starbucks and anything coffee, I am completely inexperienced. My parents are not coffee drinkers, and the only time was around coffee was at my grandparents house. While I enjoy the aroma, I have never indulged in coffee (except for one chocolate covered coffee bean some deviant slipped me once).

Anyway, knowing that this birthday was coming up, I have tried to pay close attention to my friend when she orders her coffee .. .. .. or is it a latte .. .. .. or an espresso .. .. .. cappuccino .. .. .. ? .. .. .. I just don't know. I thought I would just march into Starbucks and be able to quickly snatch something up that she would fall in love with. Little did I know what was in store for me.

I headed into Starbucks and was immediately overwhelmed. I began to look around. There was QUITE a variety! I have no idea what the difference is between Berundi Kayanza and Cafe Estima or the Anniversary Blend and the House Blend. Nor do I have any idea how robust some of this coffee is going to turn out to be. Extra bold? Medium? Is there just a regular or average type? Is mild to bland?

And look at how many things you can add to your coffee! Not just cream and sugar, but cinnamon, vanilla, caramel, milk, syrup .. .. .. WOW! The list seems endless. And how can I put this all together into a nice gift basket?

I have walked so many circles around the coffee products and espresso machines that people are beginning to stare at me. I am still clueless, so I decide to go with a gift card and maybe I can locate something over in the gift area where there are some teas, a selection of CDs and a variety of mugs and insulated cups.

I spot a very pretty stainless steel thermos that had some pretty blue designs on it with a blue cap. Not only does it look good, it bares the Ethos Water logo, which means I am helping people in Africa, Asia and Latin America to have clean drinking water. I decide to stick with the thermos and a gift card. I grab my thermos and stand in line. There are three people ahead of me. A few minutes go by, and now there are two people ahead of me, then one. Finally I realize that I am in the wrong line! I am standing in the line for people to pick up their drinks because they have already ordered and paid for them in the OTHER line! Ooohh!

To avoid any further embarrassment, I return to the section of music for sale. Then I nonchalantly head over to the correct line, or so I thought. A man behind the counter asks if he can help me. I say yes, "I would like to purchase this thermos and get a gift card." He proceeds to tell me that he does not have a cash register and the woman to his left (my right) will have to assist him.

Well fine then. Apparently, the cash register he is standing in front of is not on. So I tell her what I need and she completes my purchase. As I return to my car, I can tell that I now reek of coffee! While this is not necessarily a bad thing, I would prefer to evoke a more pleasant, flowery, soft, lady-like scent.

Thankfully, all of my shopping is complete and I can head home.

After changing into a new outfit, I open up my purchase and begin to wrap up my gift. Upon further inspection, I find a piece of paper inside this thermos and it includes the following:

Caution: Not to be used with hot liquids.

What!?!? How can this be?

Apparently, this is actually a water bottle.

So much for my "coffee-themed" birthday gift.

Pseudo-thermos!

B & E

Well, I did some babysitting yesterday afternoon and things turned out a little more adventuresome than I thought. (Eeek!)

I arrived at the house mid-morning and was happy that Zachary had only been awake for thirty minutes. This meant that after feeding him his oatmeal, we would have a good two hours of play before he would have lunch and a subsequent nap.

Zachary gobbled up his oatmeal, drank some milk and we went outside to play on the swing set and in the sand box. Zachary is at a nice age....he is about 14 months old and he is a well behaved little fellow.

After a late lunch, I decided that we would check out the basement of the house. I had never been down there before and I wanted to be able to add it into my description of this enormous, gorgeous house that looks like it is right out of a magazine. Oh, and plus, I was just being nosey.

I scooped up Zachary and said, "Come on, Zachary...we are goin' to the basement!" I looked back over my shoulder at the dog and said, "You stay here, Bugsy....you will just run around and get dust on your paws and then give us away." In order to make sure Bugsy didn't follow us into the basement, I shut the door behind me. We were on our way!

The basement is basically a work in progress. It is not finished, although it has great potential. Right now, it seems to be storage. "Well Zachary, there is nothing to see here...lets head back upstairs."

As we are about half way up the stairs, I look at Zachary and say, "Eeew Zachary! You STANK! Did you poop your pants?" Oh yeah....he did. He just grinned. "Okay then. I will change your diaper and then you are going down for your nap!" With that, I reach for the door handle and discover that it is locked. Slowly, the reality of Zachary and I being locked down in the basement begins to sink in.

"Hmmm....Zachary, this door is locked? What are we going to do? Maybe I am not pushing hard enough.....nope. This door is definitely locked."

"Okay, nobody panic. Let's go back down to the basement and look for something we can jam into this door's lock and hopefully pry it open." We return to the basement where we unsuccessfully find anything that will help us. No extra key, no screwdriver, no crowbar....NOTHING!

"Zachary, lets head back up those stairs. Maybe we can push it open." At the top of the stairs, Bugsy is looking at us and wondering why we are stopping at this door. I begin to wonder if Bugsy can turn into the Air-Bud wonder dog type and open the door for us. After all, if the dog just gets his paw on the top of the handle, it could potentially just open up because that is the type of handle it is. "Come on, Bugsy....you can do it! Just jump up. Jump up!" The dog just stares at me. "Damn it Bugsy.....you and I are going to watch Lasie if Zachary and I ever get out of here!"

Then I remember that there is another set of stairs that lead up to the main floor from the basement. "Come of Zachary....to the other stairs!"

Well, just as I expected, the door to that set of stairs is also locked. Ugh! Zachary and I go back down the stairs and try to re-group. "How are we going to get out of here, Zachary. Your parents will be home in two hours and you have not had your nap yet and you pooped your pants!"

After some pacing and brainstorming, I have somewhat of an epiphany. Windows! There are two large windows along one wall of the basement. And due to the building codes, the windows have large window wells to them. "Zachary, we are saved!" I set him down and give him some brief rules. "Do not make a mess. Do not get dirty, you will give us away. Just be careful." Zachary looks at me, then begins to explore the immediate area while I survey the windows.

I go to the first window. I unlock it. Just as I think we are home free, I realize that I cannot get the window open. I try harder, but nothing works. After some serious elbow grease, the window comes open! "Yahooo!"

Wait a minute. What is this screen doing here? Who puts screens on basement windows that they never open? Ugh! I proceed to work with the screen, trying to get it loose. Nothing works. I step back, survey the situation and decide to check out the other window. The second window has sheet rock stacked up in front of it. Not easily discouraged, I convince myself that I can shimmy down between the sheet rock and the wall and then get to the window. Luckily for us, I see that there is a screen on that window as well, so I just decide to stick with the window I have already opened.

"Don't worry, Zachary. I will have us out of here in no time." Hmmm....I wonder if the baby can sense that I am lying to him....oh well.

I finally see a small gap at the center of the screen. I am able to push it outward and it comes off. I toss the screen the side and grab some paint cans. I take one 5 gallon bucket and set it outside into the window well so that I can use it to stand on and climb out. I grab the other 5 gallon bucket, climb up on it and finally I am out of the basement! I holler back to Zachary...."Stay here little buddy. I will go around to the garage door and then run down and get you. Don't move. And don't cry or the men working back on the dock will hear us."

I stand up and prepare to climb out of the window well. Due to the recent rain, the small rocks at the bottom of this window well are not providing a stable base. I quickly put one foot on the paint bucket and attempt to lift the other foot up over the side of the window well and onto the lawn. Oh no! My legs are too short. Ugh!

I get down, jump back down into the basement and explain to Zachary what is happening. I get a regular can of paint, use it to get out of the basement and then stack the two 5-gallon paint buckets on top of one another to get out of the window well. Before jumping up, I look to make sure the neighbors are not outside. The coast is clear.

I climb out of the window well, run around to the garage door....and wouldn't you know it...the garage door is locked! The door that they always leave unlocked is now locked! I am locked outside of the house and the baby is locked in the basement. Shoot!

I run over to the garage door to see if it is open. No....it is not. I attempt to punch in some numbers on the key pad to see if I can magically guess the combination to get the garage door to open up. I cannot.

In one last attempt, I go over to the second set of garage doors to see if it is open. Yahoo! It is! I run into the house, down the basement and grab Zachary! We are free! I put the paint cans back and tried to put the window back together. Well, I couldn't get the screen back on, but at this point, I don't care. The screen can just rest up against the window for all I care. "Come on Zachary, let's change your diaper and put you down for a nap."

I am so sweaty from this adventure that my hair is wet. I debate about washing it, but decide I didn't look that great when I arrived, so I will just try to cool off under the fan.

This breaking and entering business sure is tiring!

100 Grand

My baby hits 100 Grand!

Funny Film

One of my friends sent me this link.


It cracks me up.


All I can say is Go, Granny, Go!



Granny Air Bag

Bug Bite

I have been bitten by the cleaning bug. Others may have delved into their own Spring Cleaning weeks ago, but following a shopping trip to Target, I couldn't stop myself. I was limiting myself to within the confines of my scrapbook area. Here is a before and after photo. Quite exciting!

The before picture...


Bruno watches on from outside...



Ahhh....much better!

New Photo

Here is a recent photo of Billy the Beagle.
He is holding a rawhide twist in his mouth,
or as we like to say, a "smoke."

You Decide

Funky......or Freaky?

My Uncle John found came across this lamp at a garage sale last weekend. The more I look at it, the more it looks like Big Bird's green-feathered cousin or some of the other Muppets. Maybe it will be one of the items up for auction at the Power Family Reunion this Saturday.....

Happy Father's Day!

The greatest gift

I ever had

came from God -

I call him Dad.

Its Official...

I'm thirty.

Celebrity Fit Club

During the middle of April, some of the people at work decided that we would have our own "Celebrity Fit Club" to motivate each other to loose weight. We all donated $25, and at the end of 12 weeks, whomever has lost the most percentage of body fat will win the money (which is about $250 total).

My first choice for my "celebrity persona" was Free Willie. However, animals were not an option. So, I decided to go with Ella Mitchell, whom you may recognize as "Big Momma" (Hattie Mae Pierce) from the movie Big Momma's House.

Other celebs include Oprah, Kirstie Alley, Queen Latifah and Walter Peyton. Most of us have made it up through six weeks. When we hit week seven, no one weighed in. The competition stopped at week seven for about three weeks.

This week we have collectively decided to start up again and have the final weigh in at the end of July. Time to get focused!

Seven Days

Seven days and counting
until the Big 3-0!

Guilty!

When it comes to bathroom singing, I am definitely guilty of indulging in this new sport. Even at a young age, I realized that singing in the bathroom made me sound 400 times better than when I sing...well, outside of the bathroom. I may not have realized the why behind it, but since I sounded like a rock star, I decided "why ask why?" --- just go with it! Shampoo bottles are great microphones...they do not slip out of your hands like the bar of soap can! ;)

Bellflower Birthday

I was lucky enough to be invited to one of my former First School kids' birthday party today. She just turned two years old and the best part is that we live in the same town. Although very windy, it was a perfect day to be outside for a cook-out.

Blowing bubbles...



Driving my new Escalade...

Opening gifts...



...and CAKE!


Happy 2nd Birthday, Halley Faye!

Marking Your Territory

There is never a dull moment at the farm when you have an idiot dog around. Yes, I am talking about Bruno.

We had a visit from the Schwan's man, and although it was a substitute driver and someone whom Bruno has never met before, he was still elated when he heard the Schwan's truck pull up into our long driveway. Bruno ran outside, got his football, and waited excitedly for the man to emerge from the truck.

Our regular Schwan's man had to take the night off. Bruno dropped his ball and ran right over to the substitute driver and began sniffing his legs and walking circles around this guy. The man said that he had been around many dogs that evening. I could tell! And so could Bruno!

Just as I was ordering the ice cream, I see Bruno standing behind the Schwan's man, lifting his leg, and attempting to pee on him. I guess Bruno wanted to "mark" him as his own. How embarrassing! Luckily, Bruno had relieved himself in the yard just prior to our visit from the Schwan's man, so he didn't actually pee on his leg before I yelled at him to come over next to me. And this is the dog that has been to THREE training classes?!?! Nice manners, Brunster.

Making Strides

The latest event happening at work is the upcoming Making Strides Against Breast Cancer that will kick off this summer with a breakfast and then a 5K walk. We had out picture taken outside of the office at work following our own kick off meeting. What a windy day!

Let the Countdown Begin!

On Saturday I received my first birthday card in the mail! It was from Talbots; coupon included! Awesome. Thank. You. Talbots! So I guess I can go ahead and begin counting down to the big day! Only 16 days left of being "in my twenties."

The Rubik's Cube

Ever wonder what the inside of a Rubik's cube looks like? Me neither. But, I stumbled upon this blog and I think this guy has the answers. And all of the answers to the other questions you never knew you had about a Rubik's cube.....



http://alexgohblogs.blogspot.com/

What a find!

While working in Bloomington, I would often drive by a business called The Keepsake Element. I wasn't exactly sure what type of business this was. Could it be scrapbooking related? I was too shy to go in to check it out, and it was one of the things I wanted to do before returning to working in Champaign. I was surfin' the 'net this weekend and remembered this store. I found it's website....eureka! It is a scrapbook store! I made the trip from Champaign to Bloomington today and it was well worth it! This is BY FAR the BEST scrapbook store I have ever been to! I will be making many trips to The Keepsake Element. Too bad I didn't discover it while I was actually working in town! ;)

2 Pics

Sad...

or angry?

I just can't decide.

Depressed?

Definietly.

Happy Mother's Day

Once upon a time…

there was a child ready to be born. So one day she asked God: “They tell me you are sending me to Earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?” And God answered, “I chose an angel for you. She will be waiting for you and will take care of you.”

“But here, in Heaven, all I ever do is sing and smile and laugh. That’s enough for me to be happy.”

“Your angel will sing for you and will smile for you every day. And you will feel your angel’s love and be happy.”

“And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I do not know the language that men speak?”

“Your angel will speak to you using the sweetest, most beautiful words you will ever hear; and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak.”

“And what am I going to do when I want to talk to You?”

“Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray.”

“I’ve heard that on Earth there are bad men. Who will protect me?”

“Your angel will defend you, even if it means risking her life.”

“But I will be sad because I will not see You anymore.”

“Your angel will talk to you about Me, and will teach you the way for you to come back to Me, though I will always be beside you.”

At that moment, there was much peace in Heaven. Voices from Earth could already be heard, and the child asked softly, “God, if I am about to leave now, would you please tell me my angel’s name?”

“You will call your angel: Mommy.”

Happy Day in May

I had a dentist appointment bright and early this morning. The great news is....No Cavities! Yahoo! I will not have to return to the dreaded dentist's office for another six months!

I am currently on my second business trip for the new job. I am in Chicago for two days this time and with luck, the training will not be boring. Our division office is located just off of Wacker Dr on Michigan Avenue, so there is plenty of shopping to be had.

Happy thought number two...dinner at the Grand Lux Cafe. I think the strawberry shortcake sums it all up. Delicious!

New Scrapbooking Store Found

Yahoo! I have located a new scrapbooking store in Champaign! It is located in the tiny strip mall where Pickles used to be. (Pickles is now Papa George's Greek & American Restaurant.)

Anyhow....the name of the store is Blessed 2 Scrapbook and I love it there because they have the really "good" selection of items, which Hobby Lobby, Michaels or Prairie Gardens do not carry.

I ran in this afternoon to grab a couple of items before heading home. There was one woman running the register and two other women (plus myself) were shopping.

Enter...a man. A man, with a slight English (?) accent. This man is wondering around the entire store as quickly as he can. I was minding my own business looking at some paper, and then he zoomed by me and ran into me. I said, "Oh, excuse me." Why did I say that? HE ran into ME! Oh well. At least he was heading away from me.

He goes up to the woman at the register and asks her is she has any paper he can use as wrapping paper. She tells him, "No, we do not have paper that large." The man continues to tell her how impressed he is with the store and that he just "loves it." I spend a lot of time in scrapbooking stores, and I rarely see men. And if they are there, they are with their wife, or shopping for a gift...for their wife. They never know what to get and they never compliment the store, as they likely see it all as a big waste of time and money.

The man in the store then argues with the woman at the register and says, "I don't think you understand my question....I am looking for paper that I can wrap up a gift with." The woman kindly tells him that all of the paper is the same size (12 x 12 inches), but they are different thicknesses and he will need to feel which one he wants to use to wrap with.

Again, the man says, "I don't think you understand my question....I am looking for paper that I can wrap up a gift with." So the woman goes over to the closest rack of paper, picks two sheets up and hands them to him saying..."the paper comes in different weights and textures. You need to feel them to see which one will work for you."

"Ohhh!" says the man. Ding, ding, ding! The light bulb is on. "Well then, I will take this piece right here." The woman rings him up and tells him his total is $1.07. "No, no," says the man, it says that paper is 99 cents. How can my total be $1.07?"

"The paper is 99 cents, Sir, but there is sales tax that brings your total up to $1.07."

"Well, I cannot buy this then. Why is tax different? Do you know? Some places it is $1.02, but here it is $1.07? That is crazy. I know it isn't your fault, but I am just wondering."

"Well Sir, different items have different taxes on them, and sometimes there is more than one tax."

"Well, here's the dollar."

"I am sorry Sir, your total is $1.07"

"Well, I've got three pennies. Can you take that?"

"No sir, I do not own this store. Your total is $1.07"

He begins to leave without the paper, but then turns around and gives her a dime.

"Thank you, Sir."

And he leaves. With the paper, but not with his change of 3 cents.


Who does this guy think he is? You cannot walk into a store and bargain for the price. It isn't a garage sale! And where is he from that he does not understand how taxes work?

Aside from the crazy man, stopping off at this new scrapbook store was quite successful for me. Time to go and be creative with my new products! =)

Health Insurance...Is it worth it?

I went to the doctor last week for a routine visit. His bill arrived in the mail today. It was for $110. I was surprised. Not at the total cost, but that in the past while having health insurance through FS, the same visit was $125...and that was my "co-pay."

As of now, I have no health insurance. (I have a new job, and that particular benefit will begin in two days.) So with no health insurance, I pay $110 --- which is $15 less than I paid in the past.

Hmmm...while I worked at FS, I paid a ridiculous amount of money for "health insurance" coverage each pay period. Then on top of that, I paid $125 for a regular visit...which was supposed to be a "partial" payment.

I have no monthly insurance costs, and on top of that, it is CHEAPER to pay the doctor bill outright?!?

Why have health insurance then? Oh yes, I know...in case something serious happens so that you do not have a huge bill. Would the bill be that large, because in this case, is sure wasn't! And the same has happened with medicine! The pharmacist I went to would run the out-of-pocket or "cash" price of the medicine. If it was cheaper than my co-pay, I would pay for it in cash.

So in what other ways do health insurance providers scam the consumer to make a profit? I think I will be writing them a letter!

Thank you for ripping me off, Health Alliance....you dirty rat.

Bell's Palsy Update

Praise the Lord, there has been significant improvement with the face! The doctor informed me that at three weeks following onset, I should begin to see improvement. Well, Easter Sunday marked week two for me. I noticed when I woke up that my left eye was not as swollen and I was able to close it completely. No more eye drops or ointment for me! I was also able to open my mouth up a bit more, and when I smile, you can see almost all of my front teeth again. I am still unable to pronounce words with "b," "p" and "m" sounds. And as for rinsing my mouth after brushing my teeth...well, it isn't pretty. The amount of times I have drooled onto my clothes has also gone down considerably. More lines appear across my forehead when I raise my eyebrows and my face generally isn't so tight and stiff. Things are definitely looking up! Now, if I could only whistle....

St. Patty's Day

As requested, here is the highly coveted
Sugar Cookie recipe that I use.

Bon apetite!

1 cup soft (unsalted) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups flour (sifted)
3 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar

Cream butter and vanilla, add sugar and stir until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, beating after each.
Add dry ingredients together in sifter, then add to mixture.

Chill 3-4 hours.

Roll out on floured surface.
Bake at 375 degrees for 6 minutes. (Or less!)

Icing:
4 cups powdered sugar (also called confectioner's sugar)
1 stick oleo (this is butter, Ms. Angie)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup milk

The Face Update

Unfortunately, the face is the same. There has been ZERO improvement regarding my Bell's Palsy. Eating and drinking is difficult, and I usually drool or miscalculate while swallowing and end up spilling some of my drink all down my shirt. Other obstacles include putting on lipstick, brushing my teeth (especially the left side of my mouth), and talking clearly. It is impossible to say any words that have "b" or "p" sounds, and to close my left eye (unless I do it with my finger)! I hope to get better soon! Sometimes it can take MONTHS for this to get better! Ugh!

Springing Ahead

Before going to bed last night, I made sure to set my alarm clock ahead one hour, and make sure that my alarm was set. I was worried about over-sleeping and missing yet another choir performance at the 9:30am Mass in Champaign. As it turned out, the time change was the LEAST of my worries...

I had no trouble getting up and running. My hair still looked good from yesterday, and as this never happens to me, I was excited that all I needed to do was wash my face off and put on new make-up. While applying said make-up, I noticed my left eye was slightly "poofy" and I had trouble closing it all of the way. Hmmmm...what was happening?

My tongue felt swollen and my entire mouth felt numb. My ears had been hurting, so I opted for contact lenses. By the time I had driven the 45 minute drive into church, I had felt like I had just been to the dentist and I had a numb mouth from Novocaine. As I spoke to a friend, I could tell that only half of my mouth and face was moving. How embarrassing! The vision in my left eye was blurred, but I wasn't sure if this was due to wearing my contact lenses for the first time in over a year!

After some difficulty swallowing after Communion, I decided I was not getting any better, and I phoned the Patient Advisory Nurse. She instructed me to go the the Emergency Room. Well, I wasn't about to call for an ambulance as she suggested and have it come and pick me up causing a raucous in front of a large church crowd. After all, if I didn't try to speak, I looked fine.

I called my dad to tell him and my mom the plans. I would need them to bring me my glasses, as the doctor told me to remove the contact lenses ASAP. I told him what was wrong. He seemed a bit concerned that I had had a stroke. He told me to get out of the car, stand up, and hold my arms up. They should be even. And also, I should be able to walk without trouble. He could tell my speech was a bit slurred, but that was due to the swelling/numbness in my mouth. I told him I was fine, and that I would just need the glasses before being discharged from the Emergency Department. So he asked if he had time to change the oil in my sister's car. Sure Dad....sure.

I drove the the hospital, and two hours later, they decided that I did NOT have a stroke, but instead, I had Bell's Palsy. Which, basically means, one side of your face is paralyzed due to facial nerves being inflamed or swollen. The likely cause of it is, of course, a VIRUS. (Go figure...this seems to be the standard diagnosis for everything these days.) I was sent home with steroids and an anti-viral medicine.

I phoned my Dad once more to find out what his location was. He and my mom were at the mall. So, I said I was leaving the hospital. No one had eaten any lunch yet, so we decided to meet at Culver's. I love Culver's! Eating was quite interesting. I couldn't get my sandwich in my mouth without pulling my lips down. I bit my tongue a couple of times, too. I think I definitely provided some comic relief.

My dad still doesn't seem 100% convinced about this Bell's Palsy deal. He joked that my pupils were different sizes, which could mean brain damage, or "drain bamage" as he likes to say. I think it was just the light, or the fact he was five feet away from me. Regardless, we took some pictures of the paralyzed face. Have a giggle on me...

This picture isn't so bad...you can tell a bit
more that the eyebrows are not even as I smile.

Bah! In this picture, I am scrunching
up my face as tight as I can. But the
left side of my face is perfectly smooth.

And the last photo, a dramatic smile.
It finally looks like my eyebrows are not
so uneven. Hopefully, my mouth will even
out next. I cannot even whistle!

The Maniac

Meet Bruno.

Bruno was residing in the West Wind with me. He is slowly migrating to the back porch. He is currently halfway there, as his "den" is now in the living room. Next stop: the porch. It is enclosed, and it will be heated. He isn't allowed to be outdoors because Dad is afraid the coyote's will get him. (Yeah...and they would probably win too because Bruno is kind of an idiot.) Here are some more facts about stinky:

He is about four years old.

A full-grown Dalmatian.

Very energetic.

Graduated from three classes in obedience and agility.

Likes to play B-A-L-L.

Fast friends with ANYONE who will throw the ball for him to chase after.

Chews anything that is plastic with great fervor!

Spoiled rotten.

Frequents parades, where he assists the Fire Chief (my Dad) greet the public.

Fairly friendly, yet protective.

Pretends to have a "hurt paw" when he wants attention. (Only Dad falls for this one!)

Likes to chase the "red light" (the laser light we shine around).

Tears open "his" mail.

Eats apples and peanut butter for snacks when he is a very good boy.

Loves to bury his ball in the snow.

Enjoys drinking water directly from the spout at the outdoor well.

Will spend hours chewing on a rawhide bone!

Sneaks up on the couch when Mom or Dad is not around.

Steals people food whenever he can.
(Including whole sticks of real butter, muffins - with the wrapper still on it -
my blueberry waffles, Krispy Kreme donuts and anything else he can get his paws on!)

Enjoys snooping around while I scrapbook.

Oh...and is a MANIAC! Observe the video of him playing with an old sheet he has confiscated from inside his den.