That's what friends are for....

It took lunch with a couple of friends to realize, my problems are really small and insignificant compared to the plight that others are dealing with. Alright, so I have a husband who likes to have the latest and greatest techno gadgets. So what.



At least I have a husband who is faithful, who comes home every night, who loves me (although I will never know exactly why.) We have a home to live in, food to eat, our health. We have 2 beautiful children and 3 great dogs. Life is good.



If my husband wants a new phone, so what. Don't sweat the small stuff. I mean there are people out there with much bigger problems than mine. Like my 2 friends for instance.



The first one, has intimacy issues. Ever since I dumped him years ago for Ricardo, he hasn't been able to settle down. Bless his heart! He keeps wondering around aimlessly. Dating one woman after another, trying to fill the void in his heart. It's so pathetic. He tries to hide this void with a brave smile; but, I still know what he is feeling inside. And he's not getting any younger. The thought of him growing old, alone... Sometimes I just want to cry. But I can't fix others problems. Live and let live.



My second friend, God love him. Is a single parent.Trying to make ends meet. He has to worry about all the mouths he has to feed at home. And how he is some day going to put those little ones through college. The magnitude of his burdens, that I will never be able to comprehend in a million years.





I figure, if these two guys can get up day after day, face their huge problems and still smile-surely I with my minuit annonances can do the same. Thanks for helping me see the big picture guys. For Perspective. Forthe ability to count my blessings. I appreciate the talk!





Let's do lunch again soon....Real soon. ;)

Things we are NOT going to talk about today...

Turns out Ricardo has found the one thing that the Apple iphone does NOT have an app for...dropping it in the bottom of the frickin lake!!!! UGH!!! And that is all I'm going to say about that.





I'm just going to say that accidents happen.





I'm not going to say that perhaps one should be a little more careful with their things.





Or, that there is such a thing as learning responsibility.





I'm also not going to say that parents should teach their children responsibility. Because it sets a pattern for life. For example: Growing up if I would have left my bike out and someone stole it, I definitely would not have gotten a new one. I would have had to have gone without. (Unlike, say when husband lost bike and got a new one....)





Nope. I'm not going to talk about that.





What I am going to talk about is the EXCEPTION to the rules of responsibility. Like how if you NEED something (ie: for work) you MUST get a replacement (of equal or greater value) for the item that you lost. No matter the cost. I was not aware of this exception to the rule. But I am now.





Apparently, if YOU NEED something for work, you HAVE to get a replacement. You can't get a cheap replacement either. Oh nay! It must be top of the line so that you can do your job properly and communicate with you fellow workers.





Hmmmmmm...





I too have a job. My job is very important as well. I'm on call 24/7/365 My job is being a wife and stay at home mom. I don't have a title, but if I did...it would be El Presidente of Domesticity.


And as President, I too have NEEDS.





Hmmmmm....



I wonder if I also went to the aforementioned lake. If I too accidentally dropped my wedding ring into the dark, murky, bottomless waters...that would require me to get a replacement of equal or greater value as well wouldn't it?!!!Girls, meet my upgraded exception.






I'm thinking that if perhaps I had the kahunas to do something like this, it would be the end of the exception rule. It would also most certainly help me communicate a message of great importance to my fellow workers. The message of responsibility. And accountability. And perhaps even keep future accidents from happening.






But alas, we are definitely not going to talk about that....But a girl can dream. ;)

The Blind Side

Have you seen it? We watched it last night. Truly one of the most touching, beautiful movies I have seen in a very long time. Adding it to my all time favorites list. LOVED IT!!! Let me know what you think.....

Everything Old is New Again...

Well we FINALLY closed on the refi today. Hoo-f'n-ray!!! Now our old house is newly financed. 20 more years and this baby is ours all ours. Be interesting to see if either is still standing that many years in the future. :)

The closing took 1 1/2 hours. Ugh! Course I'm married to "Mr. Contract". Read all the fine print. Ask all kinds of questions. Which is good I guess. I mean, ONE of us should understand what we are doing. :) But after the umpteenth time of stopping to ask a question, I told Mr. Contract that perhaps he was just over thinking this. He smiled, chuckled and admitted that perhaps I was right. We have 3 days to review everything and back out if needed.

I then sweetly said, that it's simple, if they tell us to sign-we sign. If they tell us to drink the kool-aid...we drink the kool-aid. The lawyer laughed so hard at that comment, I thought he would fall out of his chair. Almost as hard as my husband had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing when I said this while signing the numerous pages:

Referring to signing my name on documents as there were multiple signing spots for multiple applicants....

Me: (Asking lawyer)..."Now, Do you want me under him or beside him?"

At which point "Mr. Contract" became "Mr Horndog" and nudged me with his knee. I then looked over at him, saw his expression and then had to bite MY tongue to keep from howling at how Ricardo interpreted my innocent question. OMG!

We made it thru the closing with no other questions or bloopers. And barely 2 steps out of the lawyer's office, Ricardo informed me that since I was "under him" this morning, I could be on top tonight if I wanted.....To which I replied, "I'll have to read all the fine print first and then get back to you!"

We really should get out more....or perhaps less would be preferable to the general public. :)

If Only they made a pill for Stupidity

If they invented a pill for stupidity, I'd have to take double the dose. And if I were to tell my life story, I would have to title the book: "I can do Stupid all by myself." Seems like my entire life has been filled with one act of stupidity followed by another.











As Ima always says- If you can't set a good example, serve as a horrible warning to others! I will now share my latest act of stupidity with you. Hopefully, keeping others from making the same mistake. ("Don't be a Stacy!")Although, I seriously doubt anyone else is this stupid....but I digress. I have been taking meds for GERD. Seems like anything I eat gives me heartburn and/or acid reflux. Not very fun at all. But there are worse things in life-so I just deal with it. I usually take my GERD meds at lunchtime since I take my thyroid meds in the morning. (Yes, I am just a walking pill bottle. :) But yesterday, I took my GERD meds at breakfast. I was already having "issues" while eating breakfast, so I decided to get a handle on things.











Fast forward to lunchtime. Darling husband Ricardo suggested Mexican food. We hadn't had it in months, so I agreed. Mistake. Without thinking, (which is how I mostly live my life) I popped another GERD pill before we ate. After swallowing, I realized that I had already taken one that day. Looked it up- symptoms for overdose were headache, nausea, accelerated heart rate, and in extreme overdose in lab rats-death. It said to contact poison control or seek medical treatment in case of overdose. Whatever.











Since I am not a lab rat, I didn't worry too much. What could one extra little pill possibly do?! Seems like quite a lot when coupled with the high sodium content from Mexican food. I spent all afternoon and evening bedridden with a horrid headache and elevated BP. My blood pressure spiked so high at one point, Ricardo said we would be doing an ER visit if it went any higher. But I told him they can't treat stupid...they can only monitor it. ;)











My blood pressure is almost back to normal today as the meds and sodium leave my body. But the effects of my stupidity still linger. My chances of eating any Mexican food in the future is pretty slim. Sodium is no longer a friend of mine. As for taking multiple doses of medicine in the future, I shouldn't have to worry about that any longer. As I'll be purchasing one of those memory medicine boxes with the days of the week on them. (Seems they're no longer just for the elderly.) Which with any luck will rule out stupid incidents with meds in the future....providing I can remember what day of the week it is. :O

Good for the Heart and Soles

As one who is always on the cutting edge of technology and fashion, (insert hysterical laughter here) today I am bringing you the latest and greatest invention of present time....



Skechers Shape-Ups fitness shoe.

As you can clearly see, they come in both men and women's sizes and styles. And as you can tell, Ricardo and I, being the ultra cool, hip people we are (insert more hysterical laughter) both have a pair.

Of course, these shoes are supposed to shape you up. Toning muscle, firming cellulite, correcting posture, etc. But may I say they are also OH SO COMFY!!! That 2" wedge is like walking on a marshmellow cloud! We both LOVE them!

We have been walking together in the evenings. 30 minutes. Just the two of us. No kiddos. No dogs. No distractions. Just two married people getting fit. Conversing. Laughing. Reconnecting.

These shoes not only have been wonderful for our soles....they've been wonderful for our souls as well! Any shoe that can keep both you and your marriage in tip top shape, is definitely something worth sharing with others. :)

The Latest Poop

Slow newsweek around here. Getting ready for Spring, and all that entails. Have all the rose bushes trimmed back, trees pruned, pre-emergent down on the ground, have "spot killed" weeds, cleaned and readied the pool and purged the house of junk....all fascinating stuff I know. But, that's just how we roll at Casa De Excitement.



With ANY luck we will close on the refi next week. (Says the girl who claimed we would be closed by now.) But patience is a virtue....I've got to get me some of that someday! I'm hoping we get to close next week. Ricardo's car had to go to the shop...cha-ching so am hoping that the mortgage payment we should get to skip in April will offset the repair/maintenance costs that we just had to cover in March . It's always something isn't it?!

Maestro is recouping just fine from his ballectomy. He is back to nibbling on un-nibbling items again. Among these, one of the posts on my banister. I firmly scolded him and said if I caught him chewing on it ONE MORE TIME I would return him to the vet to have something else removed. I don't know what, but doesn't matter, I think I got my point across. Pups and children.....their a lot of work, but their worth it. ;)



Finally, and most importantly, In keeping with the title of my post, let me say that last week we did our follow up appointment with the Gastro Doc. Little Brown Eyes had a complete bloodwork-up done (again) as well as stool samples. (TMI?) And today we got the reports back. I am pleased as punch to announce they found NOTHING wrong/amiss/peculiar going on. Can I get a Woo-Hoo?! They tested for everything from proteins to parasites , Celiac Disease, to you name it. I think we pretty much turned over every stone....nothing lurking underneath. Woo-Hoo! (It bears repeating! :) We do another follow up appointment in June just to re-check. But, am beyond thrilled that it seems my child is just....small. And as we all know, some of life's greatest gifts come in small packages. :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

The difference 2 numbers make...

Let me start off by saying that all my pets have a microchip. Having literally LOST a pet years ago, I NEVER wanted to experience that hurt again of not knowing where they were or what happened to them. So, I am a strong believer in microchipping.



Having said that, may I also say-once microchipped....maintain your account at your own risk!!! Today, I logged on...or rather TRIED to log on and update my pet's weight, etc. I entered the wrong password. So I tried again. After a few attempts it locked me out of the system. It said to call Home Again to regain access to my account. So I did.



Or I thought I did....



May I just go on the record as saying there is a WORLD of difference between 1-800 HOME AGAIN and 1-888-HOME AGAIN!!! One is the pet service center. One, not so much! Holy Crappers!!! You can only imagine my surprise, WTF factor, and then embarrassment when after dialing the 1-800 number I heard the following prompt:



"Hey there lonely guy, are you wanting to talk to horny girls just waiting for your call...."



What????!!! Oh. My. Word. No!!!!!!!!



I love to shock people, but it isn't often that I am on the recieving end of the shock. Today I definitely was. I'm still reeling (and giggling) at my mistake. What a difference 2 numbers can make!

And How was YOUR Day?!

There was much confusion in our house yesterday...


As well as worry...



Some were both confused and worried, like this little guy...

His day started by a trip to the vet's office. And he didn't return home until last night. Our little one nut wonder went in for his neutering. He had a second testicle that had not dropped, so they had to go into his abdomen and retrieve it. Ouch! Thus, the dazed and confused look on his face.

Everyone was relieved to have him back home. No one more than Maestro himself. He's a little tuckered out still today, but I have no doubt he'll be back to running with the big dawgs in no time. In the meantime, we'll have to come up with a new nickname for him. Because, one nut wonder was sooooo yesterday. :)

Another Sign of the Apocalypse

My husband Ricardo has been called many things by many people. Reliable, Dependable, All-American, Trustworthy, Easy Going....you get the point. Some things he is not associated with is Rash, Tempermental, Easily Agitated, Confrontational- those are more likely words you will hear associated with my name. :)

Yet yesterday after listening to his boss belittle him for about 20 minutes, my mild mannered husband stood up and angrily uttered these words:

"FINE! I GET YOUR POINT! I MADE A MISTAKE! I'M SORRY! NOW, DO YOU WANT TO FIRE ME OR WANT ME TO QUIT?!"

Holy Crappers! If his boss was half as stunned by this as I am- I assure you, he was still quite stunned. I don't blame Ricardo for his remark. I support him. I applaud him. I admire him.

The boss quickly back pedaled; but, Ricardo is having none of it. He's pissed. And he never gets pissed. While this may not be a sign of the end of the world coming. I believe it is a sign that the end of my husband's employment with this company is rapidly approaching.

In the meantime, when people describe Ricardo and I- at least we will have some of the same adjectives in common! :)

Medical Mystery, Headcold and Stupidity....Oh My!!!

*The following is a true story of why medical mystery novels, headcold and ditzy do not mix.*

As aforementioned, I have a headcold. And have recently discovered Michael Palmer medical suspense novels. And we all know that I'm a ditz. Now there is medical proof that the 3 should not be mixed.

I started reading another Michael Palmer book, "Silent Treatment." Oh so suspenseful. I love supsense books; but, they make me very, very nervous. Last night I took my NyQuil, snuggled under the covers and read my latest guilty pleasure until my eyes got groggy. Then I dozed off to sleep. At some point in the early morning hours, my NyQuil wore off. The head congestion came back, and my ears started that high pitched ringing sound. You know the one- the kind that only the person with the headcold and neighborhood dogs can hear. Anyhow, because I'm such a ditz, in my sleep...I thought the ringing sound was my monitor, and that I had flatlined. I gasped and sat bolt upright in bed. My heart was beating a million miles an hour.-Thank goodness! -Proof that I had indeed NOT flatlined. Then, I was so relieved and somehow amazed at my own level of ditz that I started to giggle.

Darling husband Ricardo, awoke to the sound of my giggles and asked what was going on. I then explained what had happened and we both had a good laugh. Then dozed back off to sleep.

Upon awaking this morning, Ricardo asked how I was feeling. I said that the ringing was gone, but now my ears were making that popping sound. Giggling again, I said that thanks to this book at some point today, I am sure that I will hear my ears popping and stop, drop and roll- thinking it is gunfire. We both busted up laughing again.

All of the aforementioned leads me to believe, that I don't need to read medical suspense novels, or have a doctor's opinion to declare myself legally brain dead. LOL! :)

Woman on NyQuil Speaks...

I'm sitting here typing this post, because I'm too inebriated to drive. :) Yep, momma done got herself loaded up on the meds. Stress? What stress? Let's all just chhhhhiiiiillllll. :)





I've discovered that I reeeeally should get out more. As when I took NyQuil last night, I told Ricardo that it tasted like a fine liqueur. I was wishing I had some Ice Cream, so I could pour NyQuil over the top. Honest. Then I laughed and said since we are all sick we should play quarters, but with NyQuil. Then I got to thinking...cause I'm an idea person.... Picture if you will, a doctor's office. In his waiting room instead of armless chairs and magazines on tables...Barstools gathered around mini tables. People clustered around, wearing Breathe Right strips on their noses. Nurses serving up shot glasses of NyQuil. I'm thinking that maybe, people wouldn't mind the wait time so much. Perhaps even make people look forward to going to the doctor. Yep, that's me-revolutionizing the health care industry one idea at a time.





Today I'm taking antibiotics, and NyQuil Daytime Formula. Not as satisfying as the night-time formula, yet still enough to make me a wee bit loopy. So, I'm sure more ideas will come to me before the day is out. I will forward the relative ones on to the White House posthaste.





But I'm not just spending my freetime revolutionizing the health care industry, no sirree. I've been reading as well. In the past 4 days I've knocked off 2 books. The Kitchen House and The Second Opinion. The Kitchen House, was heartbreaking and disturbing. But perhaps it's just the NyQuil talking. However, I LOVED The Second Opinion. It is by Michael Palmer. (Don't know if he's related to Robert Palmer.) He writes medical suspense novels. Very well I might add. I don't know much about medicine, (other than my experience with the aforementioned NyQuil); but, I found this book fascinating and suspenseful. A side note, he is a doctor,and has a child that is Autistic. The main character in this book is a Doctor with Asperger's Syndrome. I found it interesting to see an Autistic character that was written so well for a change.





Anyway, if you are looking for something good to read, I recommend The Second Opinion. And if you're looking for a good dessert liqueur, I also highly recommend NyQuil. :) And if you're thinking I should probably just sleep it off, I will take your advice. Ta-Ta for now....



The Book Reviewing Lush ;)

Hiatus Ending Soon!

Hello. My name is Stacy, and I've been in a funk.

"Hello Stacy!"



Finally working myself out of stress induced funk, and have now become lucky recipient of common cold. *Cough, sniff, deep sigh. *

"Hello Elvirus!"



Common cold was received from husband after traveling for work. Fly the friendly skies my ass! Slogan should read "Fly the nasty, germ ridden skies, bring home an unwanted souvenir for you and all your loved ones!" But I guess that slogan wouldn't sell as many seats. Although it's the damn truth, and there should be truth in advertising!



Now the kiddos are coming down with the junk too.

"Hello Children of the Crud!"



But, once we get over this little slice of life, things should getting back to normal. Or our version of normal at least. :)



We've been working on refi-ing our home. It just drains you. All the proof of income, debt to income ratios, and yet another appraisal. Then it's hurry up and wait while everything moves at a snail's pace. We have been waiting on the results of the aforementioned appraisal. Apparently, appraisals are only good for 60 days. So last year's appraisal was no longer considered valid. Whatever! I think it's just their way of sticking you with yet another expense. (Everyone channel Joe Pesci with me here...."They F*%k you at the drive-thru!!!") But, now our new appraisal is back, we should be able to close on our refi by the end of the month. Providing there are no other obstacles to overcome *And there was much rejoicing!*



The new loan will not be able to recoup all the sleep I've lost, or the stress I've endured wondering if it would go thru. Nor will it get back all the hours I've put into coming up with backup plans if it didn't work out. The new loan will however, enable us to take 5years off our existing note, at a lower interest rate, and enable us to get enough equity back to pay off one of our vehicles. Thus saving us money now as well as later. So, I'll take the trade off!. :)



In other news, Ricardo is still awaiting news from the job he interviewed for months ago. Apparently, they are still very interested in him, but are in a hiring freeze right now. So we will see if that ever amounts to anything. In the meantime, he is keeping his eye out and ear to the ground for other opportunities. I'd love for him to be able to find a place where his efforts are actually appreciated. All bosses are not created equal that's for sure. Somedays, it's all I can do not to kick his current boss in the ass. Ricardo says there is a good reason I am no longer in the work force. Don't know what he could possibly mean by that. LOL!



Hope to work thru this uncommon funk and the common cold quickly. I hate being out of sorts. Discombobulated. But the common cold only lasts for 7-10 days, and my sense of humor never stays gone for too long; so, I hope to be back to posting irrevelant rantings and realizations soon. Just wanted to stick my head out of the sand (or my ass) long enough to say "Hi! I'm still here! Thanks for still stopping by! I appreciate you! And, I'll be back soon!"