Fall

Summer is over.  I have had the AC off for the last 2 days.  Shy loves it because I leave the front door open and she can watch outside for kitty cats.  She loves to scare the cats by barking at them very loudly.  She has way too much fun with that.  Here is a picture from last year of her watching for her next victim to scare.I had to shut the door this evening because she was having too much fun barking at everything from kids on bikes to the neighbors cat.  It is hard to hear your self think when she gets started. 
I have a road trip to make this weekend.  Bruce's son Rob and his wife Carrie had a baby boy Saturday.  We were not able to go to MO and visit last weekend but we ARE going this weekend.  I have a bag full of baby clothes for him.  I am taking my camera and I apologize now cause there will be lots of photos of the little guy.  The little guy's name is Cohen.  I can not wait to get my hands on him.  It is going to be hard to come home Sunday.  I know I am going to fall madly in love with him.  WHY, WHY, WHY can they not live in OK? 
I am very tired tonight.  I wanted to go to bed at about 6:00 tonight but I am afraid I would wake up 7 hrs later and then what would I do with myself?  I will shoot for 9:00.  That is only 1 more hour.  I can do that..... I think. 
Didn't have as bad of headaches today.  I have full motion back on my neck.  The constant pressure and soreness from the injection is gone.  The pain from the blown disc is not any better.  That was the whole reason for the shot.  I am not impressed.  Sure was a LOT of effort, embarrassment, and pain for no results.  Now if I can just get rid of the stupid headaches completely I can at least be back were I started from. 

Toy

I have a new toy.    But I broke it out tonight and tried to see what I could find to do with it.

I also have new photo editing software that I have been playing with.  That was free.  Can't beat free.  The new toy was not free.  Ouch!  I am really trying to not think about that part.

I took this photo with the old point and click.

And made a few changes using the new software.

 I think it made a nice difference.  I was glad I got a shot of this old flag earlier this summer because they replaced it the next day. 

I feel so much better today.  Sleep is a wonderful thing.  I went about 33 hours with out sleep.  I am too goofy when I have the "normal" amount of sleep. 
I do not need to be at work while sleep deprived.  But I had missed 2 days last week.  Then I was off Monday playing at adventures with needles.  I simply did not feel right about not going to work.  I wasn't much help but I was a warm body that could answer a phone. 
I wasn't as sore today thank goodness.  I felt silly turning my whole body instead of just turning my neck.  I still can't look down with out some pain, so I try not to do that.  I can lift my arms above my shoulders with out hurting today.  That makes fixing my hair less of a chore.  I did fight a headache most of the day but I beat it!  The jury is still out on if the shot will be worth the trouble.

Adventure

So I have had a new adventure in South Tulsa.  Had my 1st Epidural Injection.  I learned a few things today from this experience.  1st the lady at my surgeons office does not understand when a person has the option for sedation.  I went today thinking that they were going to knock me out.  Of course that means no food or drink for 6 hrs before the procedure.  Wrong.  The doc that I saw today informed me that an injection in the neck never has the option for sedation.  Can't do it because I have to be awake to tell him if something goes wrong.  So I went without coffee and breakfast this morning for nothing. 
I got to wear one of the lovely "gowns" that they provided.  I felt so pretty.  I did learn that if I had worn a regular bra and not the sport bra then I would not have had to remove it.  This is important because they untie the gown at the top so that they can work on the neck area.  If I had worn a regular bra then they could have tucked the gown into the straps so that it wouldn't fall off of me and show way more than I was comfortable with in a room full of strangers.  When the nurse offered me a warm blanket I had to decline.  I told her I was way too warm from embarrassment.  This is one of the few times that I have found a negative thing from being modest. 
The doc was good.  The area was numbed 1st and that is all I felt until he injected the steroid.  The injection didn't hurt, there was just a lot of pressure.  That is when I learned another thing about myself.  I pass out when they inject steroids into my neck.  I usually only pass out when I get IV's or when something is really painful.  My veins are deep and they roll.  So when I get an IV they always have to dig around and stick me 3 or 4 times.  That will make me pass out every time.  I have passed out once when a surgeon was reviewing my hand after a surgery.  He grabbed my finger, that he had broken loose from being frozen for 20+ years, and boy did it hurt when he moved it around!  Out I went.  It is so embarrassing! 
Guess that makes me a wuss.  I always thought it was pain that caused it.  Apparently not.  I was reminded today that embarrassment motivates me!  I talked them into letting sit up in just a few moments and then into getting me wheeled back to my room.  I got dressed asap and was out of there before they could stop me.  Another thing that I was reminded of today is that I will ALWAYS be a dork.  DORK DORK DORK. 
It usually does not bother me.  Today it did. 
So today's lessons learned from the newest adventure?
1.  Appointment lady is clueless.
2. Wear a regular bra to epidural injection procedure.
3. I am still embarrassingly modest.
4. Embarrassment will keep me warm in a very cold room.
5. It is not just pain that will make me pass out.
6. I am a wuss.
7. There are worse ways to spend a Monday then at work.
8. I can still make a room full of nurses and a doc panic when I pass out.
9. Hubby freaks out when he sees "them" run out of room in a panic.
10. Last & never the least..... I am still a DORK.
So now I get to wait for 7 days and see if all of this was worth the effort. 
I sure hope so. 
It would have been a better day if I had just went to work.

Music

I found a new song that I just love. 
Follow by Susan Tedeschi.

Some of the lyrics.....

Then close your fingertips and fly where I can't hold you
Let the sun-rain fall and let the dewy clouds enfold you
And maybe you can sing to me the words that I just told you
If all the things you feel ain't what they seem
Then don't mind me, cause I ain't nothin but a dream

And close your eyes, child and listen to what I'll tell you
Follow in the darkest night the sounds that may impel you
And the song that I am singing may disturb or serve to quell you
If all the sounds you hear ain't what they seem
Then don't mind me cause I ain't nothin but a dream.

And close your lips, child so softly that I might kiss you
Let your flower perfume out and let the winds caress you
As I walk on through the garden, I am hoping that I don't miss you
If all the things that you taste ain't what they seem
Then don't mind me cause I ain't nothin but a dream 

It was a good day. 

I spent a few hours at Philbrook.  It was very crowded when we 1st got there but it thinned out pretty quickly.  I love the Indian art that they had on exhibit.  Only one Jerome Tiger print.  It was very small but it was one that I hadn't seen before.  I need to go back and spend time in the garden and I need to take my camera.

Saw Grams, Mattie, Merideth, Houston, Mick, Aunt Mary, Uncle David.

Had a good Weber burger with tater tots and Weber rootbeer.

Made BT lemon cupcakes

2 new CDs to add to the collection.  Tried to find some of Tedeschi's older stuff but no luck.  Need to get the Just won't burn album.  I will keep looking.

Yep good day.  Night all.

Cool

The end of Summer is not here yet but it is on it's last few breaths.  I don't mind Fall.  I like when the trees change colors.  I do not like winter.  I know you have heard me whine about that before.  But I can't say it enough!  I DO NOT LIKE WINTER.  The cold hurts.  Okay that is enough of that for now.

Since I have no control over warm or cold......  I am going to try to think of anything about cooler weather that I do like.  Try to look on the positive side. 

I have already said it above but I will put it on the list.  I like trees in fall colors.  The mixture of reds, oranges and yellows just make everything festive. 
Fall does have my favorite holiday in it.  Thanksgiving.  All that good food.  Getting to hang out with people that love you. All the left overs from all that good food.  I am really looking forward to some turkey and all the fixings. 
All the foods that you only cook in the winter or Fall.  Stews, Chili, Soups, baking breads and sweets.  I did not loose enough weight yet.  I am gonna be in lots of trouble if I don't find ways to remove some of the calories. 
Putting away my cotton pants and breaking out the cords.  Woo Hoo!  A break from ironing.  Now that is something that makes me smile.
Clothes that come out in fall colors.  No more bright pinks and yellows in those awful neon shades!  If I get motivated to go clothes shopping I should at least find some colors that I like.  I never did get motivated to get any new sandals this year.  I should throw the old pair away.  That way I have to get a new pair next year.  Sneaky of me.....  I hate shoe shopping with a passion. 
Speaking of shoe shopping.  I need to see if I can find a new pair of brown work shoes.  That is another pair I need to throw away.  Crap!  HOW did I get stuck on shopping?  ewwwww.
Now I am having troubles thinking of things that I like.  I need to wipe away all of that ewwww stuff from my brain and think positive.  Think positive, think positive, think positive.
Hot cocoa
Hot tea
The smell of wood burning.
Listening to all of the hunters making plans.  There are so many people at work that love to hunt.  I love hearing their plans and the stories of what they got.  I don't think I could hunt so I am glad others can.  I have trouble killing anything more than a bug. 
Snow days.  The ones that shut everything down.  That way I don't have to go out in it.  On snow days I get a free day at home.  That is my favorite place.  Home
That is all I can come up with for now.  I am sure more things will come to me right before I fall asleep.  That way the idea can try to keep me awake. 

Just watching

There is nothing that I have found harder to do in this life than watching someone you love fight for their life.  There have been things as hard, but nothing harder. 
My thoughts and prayers are with you and all of yours.

May God keep you strong.
May he listen to our prayers.

I hope you are able to smile when you have to.
I pray you can cry when you need to.
Draw all the strength you can from those around you.

I hope you have the quiet when your soul needs peace.
I pray you are surrounded by crowds when you need to be distracted.

What?

I got a big envelope from the pain management doctor's office in the mail today.  The 1st page has things highlighted all over it.  It states in bold, capital, & underline all the things that they will charge you for if you are late or fail to cancel an appt. 24 hrs prior to service. 
I have had really bad luck with doctor's offices like that.  It never fails I will get sick for the 1st time in years and call in to reschedule and bang, they send me a bill for not showing up. 
That just does not sit well with me. 
Not at all.
I do not believe that I will go to that appt.  I am tempted to just pull a no show and tell them where they can stick it when they try to collect for NO SERVICE provided. 
I understand it hurts the business when a patient does that kind of thing.  BUT I will not be punished for other people's actions.  I Refuse to.
I wonder if there is another place that does the shots?
This is the place that I waited  for the surgeon's office to call me about. They were supposed to call my insurance company and let me know the next day what my appt time would be. I had to call and remind them a week later.  So now how long will this take?
So some time next week I will call the surgeon's office back and see if they can schedule me somewhere else.  If not then I will not get the shots. 
What has happened to customer service?  Do people not realize that they do not have to be treated like that?  The 1st surgeon that I went to 4 yrs ago left me sitting for about 2 hrs past my appt. times.  I told him the 2nd time that I wouldn't trust him to do anything for me because he couldn't even see me on time.  He did seem a bit shocked, but not that worried about it.  It is rude for them to think that my time is not as valuable to me.  I guess there are enough people that are willing to put up with it because his office was full.  It is their time to waste. 
Not me.
I don't wait good at all. 
There sure seems to be several hic-ups with this whole thing.  I don't want to do any of it.  I have to make myself go to a doc.  I made up my mind to see a surgeon more than 4 months ago and this is as far as I have gotten?  It sure is a lot of effort to do something that I don't want to do.  If I wasn't hurting.....
I might be a bit grumpy. 
Possibly.