Hi Ho, Hi Ho...

It's off to work hospital I go....
Yup, George says there's a flurry of activity and he was given no breakfast. They're prepping for surgery, so

{insert deep breath here}

it looks like they'll do the surgery today.

They won't do the endoscopic surgery though, this is full-on throat surgery so the surgeon can get a good look at all of the parathyroid glands.

Anyway, prayers for the surgeon's steady hand, for DH's peace of mind and for me to have patience with my children.

Because as much as they deserve some of it, they don't deserve all of my stress-aggravated impatience and witchy treatment. Aghhhh. We will get through all of this, but honestly, doesn't my self-centered Rude Teen-age Son know not to push my buttons and defy me on E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G when I'm already on edge?

And tell me this, is it unreasonable for me to expect my 13 and a half year old to set his own alarm clock and wake up semi-on-his-own? I tried waking him up and he ignored me. I made him walk today. Yes, I know it's like 6 degrees. I gave him a hat, he was wearing boots and a winter coat.

It's not that far a walk, really. He's tough and he walks on his own afterschool anyway. Well, not usually when it's this cold, but he'll survive and maybe not treat me like a jerk next time.

I know I'm a Mean Mom, but I want him to grow up to know his boundaries and right now he knows none. But that's another bitchfest post.

A mini-update

DH is in the hospital for the weekend, and possibly longer.

They may do the surgery on Monday or Tuesday.

He's tired and frustrated with being cooped up in the hospital and going through all the tests, and is antsy to get O-U-T.

It's hard to watch him go through this and know how to be helpful. He sounds depressed.

As much as I enjoy the time at home when he travels for golf or business, this is different and is Not Fun.

We were supposed to get our Christmas tree this weekend. Number One Son has an away hockey game on Sunday. We're supposed to see Mamma Mia on Wednesday. We're supposed to have a huge Christmas party at our house this coming Friday. We're supposed to go to Florida the day after Christmas.

Do you like give-aways?

or just want perfect holiday hair?

Then check out "A Daily Dose of Toni" She's got both.
(I love her url - juststopscreaming.com - lol)

Anyway, leave her a comment and you, too could be a winner with perfect holiday hair!

hyperparathyroidism - an update and a possible answer

and probably more than you wanted to know....

Thank you to all who have commented and emailed their concern and prayers about DH.

It seems there are 4 nodes near the thyroid called the parathyroid. When one goes out of whack (benign tumor), it causes calcium levels to rise (which is dangerous - can lead to arrythmia and stroke)

Calcium in bones = good, calcium in blood or urine =bad. Apparently it is leached from your bones.

Anyway, high calcium and dehydration can put a huge strain on your kidney function and can lead to failure. Right now, they are trying to lower the calcium level, rehydrate and stabilize his kidney function.

Check out these symptoms: I've highlighted DH's chief complaints.

Symptoms of Parathyroid Disease

	Loss of energy. Don't feel like doing much. Tired all the time.
	Just don't feel well; don't quite feel normal. Hard to explain but just feel kind of bad.
	Feel old. Don't have the interest in things that you used to.
	Can't concentrate, or can't keep your concentration like in the past.
	Depression.
	Osteoporosis and Osteopenia.
	Bones hurt; typically it's bones in the legs and arms but can be most bones.
	Don't sleep like you used to. Wake up in middle of night. Trouble getting to sleep.
	Tired during the day and frequently feel like you want a nap.
	Spouse claims you are more irritable and harder to get along with (cranky, bitchy). (we laughed about this - I told him this explained a lot, he said he had an excuse now)
	Forget simple things that you used to remember very easily.
	Gastric acid reflux; heartburn; GERD.
	Decrease in sex drive.
	Thinning hair (predominately in older females).
	Kidney Stones.
	High Blood Pressure (sometimes mild, sometimes quite severe; up and down a lot).
	Recurrent Headaches (usually patients under the age of 40).
	Heart Palpitations (arrhythmias). Typically atrial arrhythmias.

Most people with hyperparathyroidism will have 4 - 6 of these symptoms. Some will have lots of them. A few people will say they don't have any... but after an operation they will often say otherwise. 95% of people with hyperparathyroidism will have 3 or more of these symptoms. In general, the longer you have hyperparathyroidism, the more symptoms you will develop.

This gave us a little chuckle:

In many cases, it's the spouse or children who has detected a change in personality over the past several years -- "He/She is more cranky than he/she used to be; he/she has a shorter fuse and is quicker to anger than he/she used to be". In some cases, its ONLY the spouse who notices a big difference in the patient with the parathyroid problem, while the person with the parathyroid problem will claim they don't see much difference in their personality. After the parathyroid operation, spouses typically comment that their husband or wife sleeps better, can remember things better, and is easier to get along with -- "After the operation, he/she quickly returned to his/her old self again!". As Dr Norman says: "A good parathyroid surgeon can save a lot of marriages!"

blogging with my eyes closed

and a big mug of coffee in my hand (yes, it's my Our Name Is Mud Domestic Goddess mug)

DH has been feeling nauseous for about a month now, a lot of retching with nothing in his stomach. I finally convinced badgered him to call his doctor on Monday. Because, you know, it's a little weird to feel sick for a month and not have any interest in eating.

His dr ran some blood tests and based on those results ordered more yesterday.

At 10 PM (yes, 10 PM!) we got a call from his doctor's partner, explaining that he had dangerously high levels of calcium which could cause cardiac arrhythmia and along with parathyroid hormone levels, he urged us to go immediately to the ER and be admitted.

You know it's serious when a doctor calls you at home.

At 10 PM. DH tried to argue for waiting until the morning.

Uh, HELLO! No way!

They ran more blood tests and confirmed the high calcium, did an EKG and had him hooked up to a heart monitor. They also found evidence of kidney failure. We don't know where this comes from as he has had no symptoms of that. They did say he was dehydrated and hooked him up to an IV.

I left him at 3 AM on his way for a CT scan of the kidney and I will be talking to his PCP this morning.

Please keep him in your prayers. I'm not sure what today will bring - as far as his hospital stay, test results, and how I'll be functioning on 3 hours of sleep. Maybe pray for both of us. At least we know it's not prostate cancer or a kidney blockage or an ulcer.

He just called - he finally got to his room at 5 AM, he's now catheterized (mucho fun for a guy) and may have to stay in the hospital for 2-3 days.

Number One Son is 13 and a half. After calling a friend, we left him at home "in charge", while I took DH to the ER. Thank God I didn't have to call in a neighbor or rouse both kids out of bed to come with us. It's kind of nice when the rugrats are old enough for some responsibility.

I'm a little tired. And more than a little worried.

It was amusing to bitch a little when it was just a dramatic man-cold. Not so much when it involves a trip to the hospital.

I'm really not a Scrooge

...there's no "Bah, Humbug!" in me.

But there are days weeks when I think December (and Christmas) would be lovely if we skipped the Christmas cards, parties and gifts.

Really. Just give me the carols and the food.

Don't get me wrong.

I LOVE giving gifts. And picking them out. And making gifts (spiced pecans, chocolate dipped pretzel sticks, peppermint white chocolate bark, handpainted swirled glass ornaments, etc.) I love to say "thank you" to those who have made my life easier, taken care of my kids, hosted lovely get-togethers, done jobs that I can't or don't want to have to do....

I love Advent and the new church year.

I love the anticipation of Christmas, the traditions and rituals (okay, maybe not *All of them, but some of them), the celebration of the birth of Christ, the magic of Christmas with young children, the reunion of family and friends.... you get the picture.

But I do NOT like the pressure to find the perfect gift, the pressure to buy gifts and send cards out of obligation. (I am much happier spying the PERFECT gift at some other time of the year and surprising the recipient for no reason.)

The crowds, the traffic, the parking.

The dilemma of shopping for gifts for nephews or nieces that are almost grown and are so far away that I'm not up on their interests, needs and likes.

The mailing of gifts to far-off friends and family.

The difference in expectations and traditions between your birth family and your family-by-marriage.

I do not like trying to think of something personal to write on 100 Christmas cards (and what's the point of just sending a colorful piece of paper with your name on it), or addressing, signing, licking and stamping them.

I do not like worrying about who I might have missed. And surely offended.

The bills, I should mention the bills. Actually it's not the bills - they're payable. It's the budgeting. No, that's not hard. It's trying to figure out x number of dollars to spend on 18-26 people. And then realizing you forgot the teachers and bus drivers or something like that. I never know all the rules about holiday gifting and tipping.

You know... who's an owner, who relies on tips, who can't accept tips, who's a professional and would be offended....


:::sigh::: I know, I'm just a whiner today.

So, I wonder sometimes...

Do you ever wonder how random people find you on Twitter?

And why they follow you?

What makes them unfollow you, just as randomly.

Why your teen at home is SO not the teen at school. I think it's a multiple personality disorder, personally.
Although, to be fair, I suffer from the same thing, I'm sure.

Why some people think it's okay to watch endless hours of tv (or sports), but they think the internet is just a useless waste of time.

Why the people you most want to see never go to your college (or highschool) reunions.

Do people really care if you send them a Christmas card? Especially one that doesn't even have a note. (Don't get me started)

What if I just skipped the Christmas cards altogether?

Cyber Christmas cards - yes or no?

Why doctor's don't let you email them with teeny little question? It would be much more expedient than a gazillion phone tag installments with the nurses and office staff.

Why the *idea if something is often better than the actual something.

How I became a grown-up with out feeling grown up? Almost like I'm an impostor.

Where time goes? I swear it does fly.

Really.

If you have answers to any of these, please tell me.

I swear I had a bunch more, but I forgot them.

Old people's confession time

Okay, so in recent medical news - this just in.

I don't have kidney stones.

I don't have a tumor. That's a relief.
So, I'm not going to become famous blogging about my cancer with a courageous, humorous spin on my life.

This blog will not be my legacy to my family (at last that pressure is off)

I have "mild degenerative changes" and some arthritis.

That, my friends, is the result of 4 weeks of a kidney infection, 2 weeks of antibiotics, several weeks of bitching and moaning, and a 3 hour wait in the radiology department the night before Thanksgiving (drinking several gallons of water, enduring multiple stabbings in an attempt to get a usable blood sample and an IV of a quart of contrast dye and another quart of saline solution).
(That is not my tush)

I'm getting old. Apparently, mild degenerative changes don't alarm my doctor. My body is just wearing out. Isn't there an extended warranty I can get?

Oh, and DH? The one who's been nauseous and gaggy and whining for 5 weeks? (well, the only one I have, to be honest). He finally went to the doctor today (after I threatened him). He has an ulcer. He's going for more tests this week, all sorts of GI stuff, but at least they ruled out other stuff like prostate cancer. He's old, too.

Oh, what an exciting life I lead.

Next up: AARP travel reviews, early bird dining deals and tips on the best senior pharmacies.

Stay tuned!

Java-lujah

This is just too funny. Okay, maybe it's only funny if you're involved in church or in outreach at church. But *I thought it was funny. And a little sad, too.

Okay. It's more than a little sad. Especially if you're involved in outreach or greeting visitors at your church.


In other news,

Carrie has posted pics of the Traveling Blog Blox! Yay! It'll be off to Karen soon. Despite my fumblings and Tiffany's snags, it really will get to everyone!

I know I'm a little late, but did anyone see last week's Top Chef? The one where they catered a Thanksgiving dinner for the Foo Fighters? It was filmed in Rochester, NY! Yup, woohoo!

Now, I know it was shown as a Thanksgiving show, but I checked the Foo Fighters tour schedule - they were here in July, people. Besides the obvious taping schedule and tour schedule stuff, the big clue? They were cooking outside! In shirtsleeves.
Come on, this is Upstate NY.
In November.
No one would believe that.

Month

Avg. High

Avg. Low

Mean

Avg. Precip

Record High

Record Low

Nov

47°F

33°F

40°F

2.84 in.

81°F (1950)

5°F (1971)

But it was Very Cool anyway.

Random Pics: Northampton, MA

I just liked this window.
This sign is at the entrance of the parking garage! Northampton is one of my favorite little towns to wander around.

Main Street
These penguins were marching up the stairs at Faces. DD almost knocked them over like dominos!
Random things in the store.
Total BITCH bubble bath
Lookin' Good for Jesus Bubble Bath. I bought some of the Lookin Good for Jesus Sparkle Cream for the pastor I work for. :-)
I NEED this bag.
Heaven. We went in for fudge. walnut penuchi and chocolate peanut butter.
Damn. I rotated these photos in IPhoto and they didn't stay rotated!
Thorne's Market. A wonderfully eclectic collection of shops.
Thorne's
We had great soup and sandwiches here. Mine was a curried pumpkin.

Friday already?

Okay, so here are a few Friday Rants and Raves:

Rants:

• children bickering in car
• 5 hour car rides
• husband in bad mood during all 5 hours of car ride
• headaches
• CT scans
• feeling like you have to pee REALLY BADLY and being told to hold your breath FOREVER during said CT scan
• nurses who can't find a vein when they set up your IV
• labs who "hemolize" your blood while doing the lab work, necessitating another blood draw and another 45 minute wait
• tire centers who have 5 days before your appointment, but on the day of, "can't find the tires in the store" and have to reschedule for the next day. The day before Thanksgiving. The day of your CT scan.
• children bickering in hotel room instead of doing homework.
  

Raves:

• Tire guys who take your tongue-in-cheek comment about how the waiting room would be better if they served wine and had wireless internet access seriously and present you with a bottle of wine when you go back for your appointment. :-)
• a NICE bottle of chardonnay. Really. How coool is that?
  
• headphones in the car when no one can agree on the music
• nice radiology nurses
• Black Friday deals available on Wednesday
  
• Guesstures. A pee-in-your-pants funny game when played with relatives of every generation after eating waaay too much turkey. And a little scotch. Just a little, I swear.
• SIL did a boob flash for one of her words. Not caught on film.
• MIL acted out stripper for her word. Caught on film.
• I did "The Worm" on the floor. They got the word. No photographic evidence, thankyouverymuch
• Brined turkey.
  
• Post turkey naps. Someone drooled. It wasn't me. It was DD, snuggled in my arms on the couch. Someone snored. Could have been DH or FIL. Definitely not me.
• Dessert buffets.
• Glenlivet scotch (so not me, but sooo good)
  
• Staying in a hotel room instead of on a relative's pull out sofa
• Hotels that offer free breakfast
• Hotels that have wireless internet.
• Blog Give Aways!

So, I followed a blog link from Thystle's blog and found Sheree, on "Opinions of a Broad". She's seriously witty, beautifully real and honest, and she's a cool potter. She had a post about her "Swearware", some wise-ass pottery that would be like what I imagine Thystle drinking her coffee out of, and mentioned a 50% (yes 50% discount!) and said something like she'll give away a mug for free if a reader can convince her. So I rambled on and on and I won! Well, actually, I was the only one who asked, but waay cool! Lorrie and Thystle my dry spell is OVER!

I should have known, that both Thystle and Lorrie would be followers of her blog. I can see a kindred spirit amongst these women. While I am not a potter (well, my family members have a few clunky pieces I made for them when I was in my artsy phase, but that didn't last), and am certainly not as witty or as "spot-on" in my snarky life observations and not as eloquent as I write my daily ramblings and frustrations, I still think those three would be a blast to have a drink with. Okay, more than one. Maybe too much. But it would be worth it. Can't you imagine a Thelma and Louise type adventure?

Other random news from the week:

• I made the Eggnog cheesecake squares for Turkey Day and they were a big hit!
• I watched the Real Housewives of Atlanta reunion - what a train wreck! and the new Real Housewives of Orange County - delightful back-to-back reality trash tv.
• I bought a turtleneck from Lane Bryant with a 15.00 coupon and found out that it was buy one get one free (not the lame buy one, get one half off which is a cheap ploy just to get you to spend more money) So, instead of a 49.00 t-neck for $34, I got TWO t-necks for $24 something. (Yeah, I don't get that math either, it's like there's an extra discount in there somewhere, but I'm not complaining)
• I used another $20 coupon in Coldwater Creek and got another t-neck for only $9.50 - yeah, I'm all about the sales and the turtlenecks.
• I bought a Nikon Coolpix camera. I love that it's smaller than my phone. Not the Ashton Kutcher cool one (that was $400!), but a cool plum colored one that was on sale for $129. Yay!
  
• I forget the rest - that's what I get for not updating since Monday.

Enjoy Black Friday shopping! Enjoy the leftovers! Enjoy the weekend!
Thank you Sheree!

Twilight Zone

Okay, so a quick tour of my blog feeds this weekend shows that either you or your friends are ALL blogging or tweeting about the Twilight Zone.

Seriously, if there were a way to do a trending report (hello? Google Analytics? Somebody?) Anyway, I'm sure somebody has done it, but I'm sure that it would show that Twilight got the most hits or keywords or whatever this weekend.

As someone who has not read the books or seen the movie, I'm feeling slightly out of touch.

A little like I've missed the boat, or like I'm June Cleaver and I don't understand those Beatles.

Am I the only one?

I read a lot of James Patterson, Jen Lancaster, Anita Shreve, Elizabeth Berg, Jodi Picoult, Dean Koontz, "Oprah" type books.....

Anybody have a recommendation? Think I might like it? I never warmed up to the Harry Potter books, although I liked the movies and am a voracious reader.

You know you've got a problem when...

Your 10 year old is sitting at the kitchen table doing homework and belting out a song.

Not just any song. A Mamma Mia song.

An Abba song.




....."Gimme gimme gimme a MAN after midnight...... Won't somebody help me chase the shadows awaaaaay?"


....."Is there a man out therrrrrrrre?........"


Damn Abba.

Top of her lungs, too.

I got nuthin'

Well, nothing much.

Darling Daughter finally caught the bug today. And instead of her usual bounce-back self, continued to puke from 6:30 AM to 10:00 AM.

She was supposed to go to a Sweet and Sassy party at 11:30 this morning. :-(

At 10:45, she announced, through Darling Husband, that she "felt better" and could she go to the party?

Um, no.

Talk to me mothers.... I wasn't being overprotective, right? You wouldn't let your kid go to a party after a morning of puking, right?

I mean, I didn't want to punish her, but my thinking was my name would be MUD (sorry Lorrie) if she went to the party and either
A) puked again
or
B) other kids started puking on Sunday. Or Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday.

*We'd be blamed.

DH couldn't understand this.(!) I'm usually pretty lax, but this seemed to me to be a common courtesy.

I mean, if she had puked once, and felt immediately better, I *might've acquiesced. But not when it was repetitive.

And at around 1 PM she had a 100.4 temp.

She finally had a bit of tomato soup at 7 PM, but pretty much nothing else but water and a little juice. all. day.

So, I spent the day exploring the dusty boxes underneath my bed. Ack! I keep a lot of crap. Mostly there were boxes of photos ( I haven't done a scrap book or photo album since 2003) :-( . Anyway, I culled through a lot of tacky sweaters, ratty tees and semi-organized the photo boxes.

I made a GREAT dinner - chicken breasts with a creamy, lemony sauce and angel hair pasta. As I was browning the chicken, DH and Number One Son informed me they were on their way out to the movies. (James Bond)

Hello!? When I asked you what time the movie was, you never mentioned that you weren't staying for dinner!

So, I told DH he could have it tomorrow night and I will be taking Darling Daughter to the movies when she feels better.

Anyway, with a generous glass of chardonnay, that chicken was AMAZING. :-)

I also promised DD that I would take her to Sweet and Sassy for a raincheck hair cut and spa day. I went there to drop off the gift and take some photos of what she missed. What a cute concept! Check it out: Sweet and Sassy.

Hope you enjopyed your day.

More random shots from the week

Can you see the huge snow flakes?
No more driveway basketball for a while.

Last night, we went to the YMCA's victory celebration for a successful end to their fundraising campaign. (Can you say 1.3 million dollars? Woot! It all goes to families and kids who can't afford to go to camp or childcare or other Y programs)

I have to say, I'm pretty very proud of him. He's worked really hard with great volunteers and a great staff to make this a very successful YMCA. He's a great motivator and always makes these events exciting and rewarding for those who have worked so hard to make it successful.

It's always pretty crazy with spoofs and skits. You never know what you'll find.

That is my husband dressed up as Gene Simmons. Two years ago, he dressed up as a Spice Girl. Yes, really. I suppose this is an improvement.
Yes, that's a glittery turkey. Playing the sax. No, it's not my husband.
This is my distinguished husband again. He's "Sir Raise-a-Lot", a take-off on Sir Mix-a-Lot. I think he looks a little "Jerry Garcia-ish", with the salt and pepper beard. What do you think?

Yes, he was wearing obnoxious faux bling, a bathrobe in public, and can you see them?

Crocs.

Gold crocs.

In size 14.

:::sigh::: I did say, "for better or worse".

A confession

Okay, I'm really not mean-spirited In Real Life, honest.

And I realize by confessing this I open myself up to all sorts of criticism of my evil ways, my shallowness, my own physical (and other) imperfections......

So before I get all catty and petty, in full disclosure, I'll admit to some of my more public faults.

• I weigh more than I should (snort)
  
• I have many bad hair days and a wardrobe that would make Stacy and Clinton cringe.
• I procrastinate. It's maddening, I'm sure.
• I'm slovenly.
• I have too many piles. I seriously need to declutter.
• I'm not always prompt with my thank you notes.
• sometimes I'm just not motivated.
• I am often an uninspired cook
• I ignore things that need to be fixed, like loose buttons on a shirt and pants that should be ironed or that stubborn stain on my daughter's favorite shirt.
• sometimes I wait until the end of the day to wipe the toothpaste out of the sink
  

To be fair, I think I have a fair amount of desirable qualities, too, but that's a post for another day.

But am the only one who secretly does a fist pump when they see a photo of someone they knew in their teens or early 20's; who was an "It Girl" or BMOC, and they used to be so super skinny or so perfectly coiffed or drop-dead I-can't-breathe-gorgeous or whatever and now they are....

.... different?

I mean, I know we all age, and some of us take better care of ourselves than others...

Most of the time, I see pics of people I haven't seen in 20 years and they look exactly like you'd expect them to. With a few extra pounds, or a few less hairs, or gray hair, or wrinkles. No big surprises. And I'd probably recognize them if I bumped into them.

But once in a while, I see a photo of someone and I think, "Holy Crap!".

Like they are the COMPLETE opposite of what you would've expected when you were younger.

Like an ALIEN came and took over their body and replaced it with one from another gene pool?

Really, no? I'm the only one?

Go ahead, flame away.

Honest, I don't think any less of them, but I just think "Wow", or maybe "Whoa".

And I should add, sometimes it goes the other way, too. I knew them in all of their adolescent awkward glory and college un-fashion and now they're..... grown up. (Big surprise, huh?) Put together, successful, hip.... I know I shouldn't be surprised. But am I the only one?

TWOP

okay, if you've never been over to the website, Television Without Pity, go.
Now.
Go to the list of shows, click on one you like and then read the recaps. Seriously, side-splitting funny snarky (what's not to love about that?) commentary on the characters, dialog, drama, fashion - you name it.

But this post isn't really about TWOP.

Anyway, I've been watching...

(promise not to judge me?)


pinky swear?

The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

Yes, shut up. I know it's trash TV. AND IT'S NOT ON TWOP!. :::sigh:::

But seriously, don't those women have anyone to slap them and tell them to stop embarrassing themselves and their families?

The husbands seem normal. The kids seem normal.

Lisa and DeShawn seem normal. Privileged, but normal. Lisa's husband is an NFL player and DeShawn's husband is an NBA player. They live in fabulous houses, have personal chefs (yes, I am jealous), but I can't really say anything bad about them. They enjoy a nice lifestyle, but have been polite to the people around them and are trying to include Sheree, NeNe and Kim in their plans without excluding anyone. Nothing embarrassing in their TV personas at all.

But Sheree, NeNe (what the h&*% kind of name is that for a grown woman?) and Kim? Someone should throw a drink over their heads, slap them and set them straight. @@ The D-R-A-M-A.

Holy crap, it's worse than jr high.

Sheree is the least offensive of the 3, but she's full of herself and seems to be the catalyst in some of the problems between NeNe and Kim - almost like a jr high dynamic of only being able to have one BFF.

(I can't believe I'm talking about these "characters" like they go to my school or something!)

NeNe is just an idiot. A Drama Queen. I can't believe she has a normal kid and a normal husband. She needs a supportive bra for her gigantic "girls"and she needs to STOP being passive-aggressive and infantile. Holy Cow. She's total trash. I'd say white trash, but she's African American and I don't want to say ghetto trash, but really, :::shudder:::. You can dress a person up (tackily), but you can't change who they are.

Kim, well, Kim seems stuck in jr high like no one else. She's in total denial of her true age. (29? Are you KIDDING me? :::snort:::) She does Botox (NTTAWWT*), wears gobs and GOBS of heavy make-up, doesn't know how to button her shirts or maybe doesn't know what size she really is because I have never seen any shirt properly buttoned up (yes, I know I sound like a prude), calls her boyfriend "Big Poppa" (gag) and wears schoolgirl plaid mini-skirts. AND she announced on national TV that she NEVER wears panties, and if she does, (I know, a contradiction, right?) Big Poppa likes the big white granny panties.

How's *that for an image seared into your brain? Yeah, she's trash, too.

Kim thinks she's going to be a big country singer, but can't seem to HEAR the professionals ( a voice coach and big hip-hop producer) tell her she can't carry a tune in a bucket and smoking a pack a day is doing nothing for her voice. I mean, they've only told her a zillion times that she doesn't know music, can't sing, has to start over with training and quit smoking and she just keeps on talking blah, blah, blah, I have a crack in the foundation, but the windows are beautiful so I have some work to do.....

And she's super-pissed at NeNe, (in previous episodes, NeNe was her BFF) and instead of talking to her and telling her she overheard something that hurt her feelings; she blows off a dinner party that the nice DeShawn invited her to, and hangs up on her, then texts NeNe a bitchy, F-off text. This is from GROWN WOMEN?!

I swear, I was talking to the TV screen last night, something I really don't usually do. Honest.

Whew, I feel better now. It's always good to get things off your chest.

Thank you.

Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming.

PS - If you get sucked in, the previews show some trashspectacular fighting on the reunion show next Tuesday at 9 PM on Bravo.

Oh and it's followed by The Real Housewives of Orange County - an all new season! :-) I'm buying a fresh bottle of chardonnay and snacks. Hmmm, maybe gorgonzola on toasted baguette rounds.... I have a week to plan.

Enjoy the day.

* NTTAWWT = Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Really Random

pics from the last two weeks. I know, kind of lame, but I don't have much here as I lost the entire weekend plus Monday to the nasty stomach bug that's been going around. You know the one..... lots of puking and general queasiness. I wish I could say I lost weight, but I highly doubt it.

Number One Son and his friend on Halloween night. Yeah, he was a white-boy version of Flava Flav. @@ Hey, I pick and choose my battles. This one I didn't pick. In my defense, that was the same day I was diagnosed with a raging kidney infection. I was clearly not in my right mind.

I can't figure out how to rotate this one, which is a shame, because Darling Daughter is just too cute. So, turn your head to the side and check out her abs! She definitely did not inherit them from me. Or DH either, honestly.
The last soccer game of the season. November 1 and beautiful weather.

The last football game of the season - more beautiful weather. I think it hit 70 degree that day. Number One Son is the TALL one in the middle, number 58
When I went to Number One Son's hockey practice last week, I was feeling too sick to hang at the bar, so I watched the action on the other rinks. This one had the speed skating club practicing. Unfortunately, 10 minutes later, one of them took a header into the (padded) wall and did serious enough damage that she was taken out in a neck brace on a back board by the EMS crew and taken to the hospital. I think she (he?) was unconscious. :-(
This is what my Darling Daughter does when she should be doing homework or cleaning her room. It was the first day of snow here and she thought the poor tortured cat needed a sweater and boots, borrowed from her Poochie Pup. Poor thing.

That's all folks - I have lots of comments and blogs to catch up on, as well as cleaning and decluttering.

PS - I made the eggnog cheesecake bars, and they TOTALLY ROCK!

Snark

and rambling observations will have to wait. It's hard to be witty or observant when you're sick in bed.

Catch ya later.

Whoa

Anybody wandering over here this week would think this was a cooking kind of blog. I'll be back to snark and rambling observations soon, maybe tomorrow. '

Have a good night!