Dr.'s and Other Updates

I haven't posted for a bit so I thought I would do a quick catch up.

We had a quiet un-eventful Easter, which was wonderful.
Tuseday, Mark and I drove to St. Louis to see the Orthopedic Specialist.
All went well I guess. They took lots of X-rays, and bended my legs in all different ways. I walked in feeling fine and walked out in horrible pain. It. Sucked. Ass

They informed me that I had too much arthritis around my hip joints to do the surgery they thought they would be able to do. So they came to the decision of me getting a Cortisone Shot in the hip joint. Then follow up with Physical Therapy 3 times a week for 6 weeks. I also need to consistently take my Naproxen pills daily to reduce swelling of arthritis and then take Glucosamine and Chondroitin pills to juice up my joints daily.

Hopefully this will make it better. If not , then we will be looking at a hip replacement, sigh not what I want to do by any means.

Now that being said I was a good girl and came home and the very next day called my doctor to get these appointments made. And we did!! Monday at 9:30 I go for my shot sniff sniff, and then Friday at 10 am, I go start my PT.

Then at 4:45 pm today (Friday) I get a phone call from my Dr's office telling me that the Orthopedic Dr here in Decatur is not comfortable administering my shot and that I need to go to the Dr in St. Louis for it.

Are.YOU. KIDDING. ME???
So now here I sit with no way to figure out a solution until Monday rolls around. And there is no way in Hell I will be able to get this damn shot before my PT on Friday.

Sigh does it ever end???

Before and After

Before

I won't bore anyone with all the hassle we went thru with the living room updates. I will just show the beautiful pictures.

After

Wordless Wednesday

IKEA Day!!

Ok I am a dork I know this. However, I am in LOVE LOVE with IKEA.



If your not familiar with it, it's a HUGE store that carries home furnishings dirt cheap from over seas. Yeah yeah I know buy American. Well frankly, I am too poor to purchase American made furniture haha.



At IKEA, you can take ideas from the Pottery Barn Catalog, and make them real at less than Target's price. No Joke. OK more like Big Lot's price on some things.



What sucks is they are few and far between in location. We are lucky enough to have 2 in the Chicago area, but still it's even rarer for us to go. I turn it into a vacation destination. I have favorite products I alway think I need every time we go.



Today it's bookcases. I love love love love Billy!!!! When you live in our house your books are our most prized possessions and all of us have outgrown our current bookcases.



So today off we go to Chicago for none other than an IKEA day. I have carried the catalog with me all week making up my list so I don't forget anything. My closest friends and family will share my excitement because I will finally FINALLY shut up about what should I get??!!



I will post pictures of our new library system soon!!

Problem with tv after wii use?

OK I will keep this short. It's not so much informational as searching for help.

We got a Wii around Thanksgiving. We hooked up to living room tv (a tv/vhs/dvd combo and yes I know they suck) and played our hearts out. Right after Christmas/ new years, the tv quit working. You turn it on, and it instantly turned off. We took to a shop where he said he could fix it.
Three weeks later he says oops can't fix.

We then bring Ashley's 12 inch to the living room and hook up the wii and continue on in happy wii bliss fashion. Now her tv (tv/dvd combo) won't turn on. You turn it on , it turns right back off. Same EXACT thing the first tv did. Nothing at all is hooked up to it. What could this possibly be??

Any help much appreciated before we go purchase a new tv only to have this happen again.

WW : Butterfly Breakfast

Peer Pressure

We teach (or try to anyway) our kids to not give in to Peer Pressure. But as adults do we practice what we preach? I can say that for me no I don't.

Time and time again something comes up that I don't whole heartily believe or want to do and yet because my peer's do it, I cave and do it too. Now granted it's never anything bad or illegal, just things I don't agree with. I suffer from "NSN" syndrome. In case you haven't heard of it, it's Never Say NO. I can not say those 3 words. No matter how much I don't want to do it, I NEVER SAY NO. I then call up my friends and complain about the evil person who is putting up to the said task.

This ends today. That said I want everyone to know it's nothing against you but in the future you will ask me to do something and I WILL SAY NO!!! It won't be on everything of course but if it's really something I don't want to do , I will say no.

Today I stood a mini ground and quietly ,secretly , stated a small NO shout. And it was heard. And I got my way!!! So I am now feeling empowered. Next time it will be a bigger NO.

Now I will be staying at home this weekend and totally vegging out and being lazy and I am excited!!

How many of you suffer from NSN? Have you ever decided to start standing your ground?

Prayers

I am asking for Prayer's for one of Mark's fellow Manager's. Her 3 year old daughter was rushed to St. Johns yesterday with Acute Liver Failure. She has now been transferred to Chicago and is in a coma. My heart goes out to both. Mom is a single mom so I can't begin to imagine how hard and painful this is. Please keep them both in your thoughts.

Well here we go

I am showing you my inner most parts.

This is what my hip X Rays look like. All I can say is I am glad that I am not a Dr., because if someone showed me this, I would say it sure looks fine to me. But apparently not.

I was diagnosed with Hip dysplasia 8 years ago. It bothers me some days but most days, not. However this winter has been a bit more painfully. So I called the DR, to get some drugs( I haven't taken anything since I was diagnosed for the pain)
The Dr said she would feel more comfortable with me getting X rays to make sure nothing new has appeared.

OK fine off I go like a good girl.

I get a phone call from the Dr letting me know she wants to send my X-rays to the Ortho. Dr because its beyond her expertise. Sigh........ OK fine

Then I get another phone call to let me know that now I have to go see a Specialist in St. Louis because its beyond the regular Ortho Surgeons' Expertise. Yikes

So supposedly this X Ray shows "Drastic Deterioration" for my age

yeah right..............

Wish me luck.................. I think.............. I really am not wanting to get the hip replacement they told me 8 years ago to get ready for.

Brag for a Moment

For Christmas we purchased a new kitchen table. Not a big thing for most people, but since we never purchase furniture, it's HUGE for us. Last night as we ate pizza, and we were able to sit at the table together with two pizza's on the table and still tons of room, my family laughed at me because I kept saying "Look I can eat and not have to get up to get anything for anyone because we can have everything we need on the table." Or "Look both pizza's are on the table at the SAME TIME!!" I know the smallest things bring me the greatest enjoyment haha.

We did it again!

They did it again!!

Last night we went to the Danville Invitational. There was 11 different schools there and man everyone was nervous. Especially because 2 of the groups had dropped out last Friday so we didn't know how there show was going to be and then rumors flew that Mt. Zion who hosted last week changed their entire show.

I guess it didn't matter!!

We won Outstanding Visual Presentation, Outstanding Music Sound, Outstanding Female Soloist, one of the kids received and All Star Performer award and.........Grand Champion again!! There was only 2 other awards so it was almost a clean sweep.

Now I fear that the other close area's are going to be holding a major grudge at the next competition.

On a different note it was a bit of a sad night for out Ashley. Because she was so excited last week and yelled A-LOT she lost her voice. The girl who did her solo last night is who won best female vocalist. It was a hard lesson and she wanted to leave immediately so I didn't get any group pictures afterwards. After a bit of prodding she admitted that she was mad at herself and no one else so that's good. We have two weeks before the next competition so she should be rearing to go by then.

They put me to work so I didn't have my camera with me to take pictures of the show this time.









all the representatives of each school

our kids getting Outstanding Sound trophy

Love Cake!

Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband Mark.

This is the Beautiful Love Cake Hannah made for daddy.

A few days before the Big Day, I was asking Mark what he wanted for his birthday dinner and did he want cake , cheese cake, cookies, or some other dessert (He isn't a big dessert fan) so as usual he said nothing so Nan piped up and said

" Daddy, I know what you want, you want a Love Cake!!"

Well who can turn down a sweet little girl offering a Love Cake?

So apparently this is what one looks like!

Grand Champions!!!

Hello Blogger Friends. I have been so MIA and I am sorry. It's been a little busy since Christmas and honestly I have stayed away from the computer.

Last night was Ashley's first competition with Xperience! (the Show Choir from school) Many hours of practice paid off.

As I understand it, where you ranked the year before is how they list the order you perform in. Since JH placed 2nd last year, they were supposed to be 2nd from last. How ever, as we all know, things are not always fair so they slotted us as 2nd from the beginning. And then ....... the first group dropped out the morning of because their costumes didn't get finished (was the rumor going round) So nervous as all get out they went first.

And they blew the audience away. Everyone I talked to got chills. Then all the other groups performed and it was a fun evening but none (to me) had the tap your feet get into it performance I thought we had. There was even a group from Missouri who donned feather chicken masks and hatched an egg on stage with a big ending of the chick leading the audience in the Chicken dance? Since this was my first show to watch not sure if that's a good thing or not LOL I think I would more expect it at a comedy show but what do I know?

Ashley ended up last Wed getting a Solo for the show. So being the first time to perform it was quite nerve racking. She did great and I am sure next time she won't have the nervous deer in the head lights look.

We are so proud of the kids and this can only be the start of a great season to come!! Good Job X!

Ashley and Mrs. Bell her director with the Grand Champion Cup and Best Female Vocalist trophy (actually went to the other soloist Ashley Cook )

Ashley and her friend Susanna

Blockbuster Sucks

OK I am on a rampage. We have done the online movie rental thing for awhile. We started with Netflix. Then we heard about the Blockbuster total access so we switched. It was a no brainer.

Then things got tricky. Blockbuster fazed out my plan so I had to upgrade my plan at the cost of $7 to get what other members were only paying $3 more. I was up in arms of what to do. Do I stay, do I switch? It took quite awhile to decide. I ultimately stayed where I was. I sucked it up and payed the $7 more dollars.

Now that all has changed. I got an email last night. My plan is now going up to ............ $34.99 a month!!! They are increasing it $10 MORE DOLLARS. OH NO they are so wrong.

To put salt in the wound more I found out from a friend who was able to stay at same plan when I had to change, that not only does she still get the free coupon that originally so enticing, but that due to the price change, she is only paying $2 more a month.

To break it down she is paying $19.99 for 3 movies at a time unlimited in store exchanges and a free coupon once a month.
Where I would be paying $34.99!! for 3 at a time unlimited exchanges.

Can anyone see my frustration?

Customer service?? what's that. I called on the phone to see what was going on this is a mistake right?? The guy informs me he can not discuss other plans that other customers might be using. It's not like I gave him a name or anything I just said a member. I didn't want to know how they were paying just the fact of this must be a mistake. He said nope no mistake we are increasing the price and it's reflective of how many movies you rent. What does that mean I wonder?? If you use your service you pay more?? That can't be it, I have had the same 3 movies sitting on the desk for almost 2 weeks now.

Needless to say they lost this customer. Please, if you read this, share it, lets take revenge on the greedy money hungry pigs.

First Perfomance

Ash had her first performance last night. Along with Eisenhower Elite Energy, and the Thomas Jefferson Music Machine, the John's Hill Xperience had their Holiday Preview Show. It was AMAZING!

I have to warn TJ that if their performance last night was any indication of how they will do at competitions, they are going to lose to us every time. I am not saying this because we are in JHX but because we truly were so much better haha.

Anyway the EEE had many solo's then TJMM did their act in khaki's and polo's. It was not so great. Especially after such great performance's by the High School kids. I was very very worried of how bad the X kidss were going to be. But alas they were awesome. Their opener was "We got it Going On" by Bon Jovi. It really got the audience to sit up and take notice. And it only got better from there. Where TJ left you in pain, JH got you tapping your feet and clapping. Thank goodness our outfits came in in time to wear. It definitely made a great impression right from the get go.

Then EEE closed out the show with an excellent performance with their entire group. Hannah was in awe of the costumes. Mark who is NOT INTO this stuff actually enjoyed it for a change. It will be an interesting and fun season to be sure.

When the show was over, we were greeted by Tons of Snow!! Mark went to get the car and while us girls were walking out, we didn't see him because our silver van was totally white lmao. We walked right past him and him us because it was snowing so hard. Luckily I saw the license plate as we passed and back tracked.

On a side note, we cracked up at Ashley's hair all night. Now that I know what they want the hair to look like, I will take over the roll of her hair stylist. She looked like a French Poodle with her do. If your wondering how much product a 12 year old needs to achieve this look here you go!

I am alive

I haven't posted lately. Been so busy and yet so much is going on.

Ashley has her first performance on Saturday at the Lincoln Theater. Wish her luck. Their dresses came in yesterday so they won't be altered in time to wear so they will be wearing their 2nd costume. I still am not sure how I will deal with my little girl wearing a padded bra, makeup, hair done to the 9's and high heels. It's a bit surreal. She also has her "Christmas Ball" dance Friday. I just can't believe I have a 7th grader.

Hannah is doing good. She came home from school last Thursday beaming from ear to ear. She has her first loose tooth. This was hard. This means she will no longer be a baby. She is a little girl. A big girl if you ask her. sniff... sniff... I actually cried. Don't want to imagine her with a missing tooth. She is hoping for Christmas visit from tooth fairy so she will not wiggle it nor let anyone touch it. This could get gross.

Our house was busy with Alexis visiting and playing wii , drinking, shopping , and doing all our favorite activities. We loved having her here and now miss her terribly.

Yesterday my mom came to town and stayed the night before heading of to Chicago for a meeting then she has to rush home to Missouri to pack up to head to VA. I told her to call you Brigitte and help you move into your big beautiful new house!!

That's about all that's going on in the F house. Work and run. And no I do not have my Christmas Shopping done, so don't ask haha.

Getting Ready

In less than 2 hours I am going to pick up Alexis from the Airport. I am so excited. I haven't seen her in forever!........ Ok not true, it's only been less than 4 months but that's forever. We are going to spend the day shopping, eating, drinking , and being merry. I took the day off to be free all day. When we get back to town, we are collecting Mark and all going to dinner to eat, drink and be merry some more.

I think I am going to look for some new Christmas Decorations while out so it will put me in a Merry Christmas Mode! haha.

BINGO

Wow so last night was quite the Xperience (haha). I had to work from 5-9:30 at the Majestic Bingo Hall towards fundraising for Show Choir.

I must be honest I was extremely nervous. Have you ever seen the old people with their bingo? It's some serious stuff. Most of the people there were nice (the fellow workers) some were not. It was easy but I felt abit of a hooker. Walking up and down up and down the isles yelling "Pull tabs" "ButtCrack" "RedNeck" "IttyBittyBankers" "Anyone Need Beans?, ButtCrack, RedNeck?"

You get moments of pleading "puppies?? anyone want puppies?" I thought that if my voice was really pathetic they would buy but no if there is a good bingo going they ignore you. And it didn't help that there was 7 of us out on the floor for a room of maybe 100 people at the very very most.

But the things you see. You get your ladies who know they aren't moving so they buy 3 drinks and line them up along the table. You have your people who bring in their own computer type games to play while using a bingo computer to play all at the same time. And the good luck charms!!
You of course have your trolls. There was a giant wooden frog, special dollars with colored daub spots all over them. An American Flag, pictures of their grand kids. Soo much to see!

And the amount of money they spend Holy Cow!!!! I sold about $3,500 in pull tabs. And I sold the fewest because they realized pretty quick I was no luck lady haha. I couldn't even go in the "dungeon" (no smoking room) because Ashley's teacher from last year was in there and she played Bingo with me once and then didn't win again for 7 months!! haha. She knows all about my bad luck curse haha.

The highlight of the evening was when I had two ladies yell for pull tabs at the same time and I went to the one I was closest to first they were a table apart. I sold the lady $20 of bean cards, turned around and sold the other lady $15 of bean cards. Well the first lady ended up winning $100 so the other lady kept making comments ALL NIGHT that she was going to kick my white racist ass for selling the other lady her winning ticket. I was a bit shaking in my keds!!

But all ended well and I will probably do it again but after January when it goes all NO SMOKING!!! I am so excited haha. The smoke was so thick in there I had a headache in the first 5 minutes.

The Truth

So I previously posted about my search for the perfect Christmas tree.

I am not having much luck. I found one I liked but it's a gazillion dollars.
(OK not a gazillion but $399 so that's pretty close when talking about a tree)

I have gone to every store in town and it's down to the $$$ one or one that's not much less that I loved but it's in Springfield which isn't too far away but I hate to go when I don't really have the time right now.

There for all of this has me in a very BAH HUM BUG mood. I actually change the channel when Christmas music come on the radio. I have purchased only two Christmas presents so far. I have done absolutely NO DECORATING. And the worst part is to be honest I have no desire.

Not sure what exactly my hang up this year but I need to get over it. My kids are getting very angry with me.

Has anyone else had this feeling before? Or now? How did you get over it??

Some times wii get lucky

Yes you see correctly. I now have in my possession 2, count them 1 and 1 makes 2, wii systems. After hearing of how lucky I was yesterday and knowing of a store in town that was going to be having more, my good pal Alexis said her son Chris wanted on and it was top on his list.




So being in the KNOW, and knowing they were expecting the spill over from the unlucky ones who were going to be standing in line at Wal-Mart to fight over the 4 (yes only 4) units they were getting in, I headed to (place I shall not name to not get anyone in trouble) where I heard they were going to have 22. So at 4 30 again I headed over and thought there was a huge line but alas only 4 other people there. 2 of them were right behind me the day before. It was a nice chat and after only 10 minutes, the manager came in for the day and handed up vouchers for the 12 units they actually had. I got number 5 of 12!! Woo Hoo!! The even had in stock 2 of the Guitar Hero 3 that hubby wanted for Xmas. Jack Pot Baby





So for my good buddy Chris......... here you go merry Christmas!!