December 29, 2012 – Christmas Time!

My Christmas week has been absolutely exhausting.  Fun!!!  But exhausting lol.

Christmas Eve, we went out to my dad and step mom’s and had a yummy dinner and got to see tons of family and friends.  All my nieces and nephews and siblings were there, so it was great.

I was so tired when I got home that night, I was in bed before 10pm and got woken up to Zeus at 1am and never went back to sleep!  I tried to nap at my mom’s later, but I kept getting crazy restless leg!  It snowed quite a bit, so I got most of the shoveling done before I left.

I was at mom’s all day, for brunch and dinner.  By the time I lugged all my awesome gifts home, I thought I was going to die from exhaustion lol.  I got tons of paint, art supplies, wool, needles, books, etc.  I was definitely spoiled

Boxing Day, I came back up in the afternoon to see visit more with my aunt Kelly and had yummy left overs there.

Yesterday we had a crazy snow storm, and was up to my knees trying to shovel it.  It took me four tries of having to take breaks, just to get the front ramp and the side ramp and deck shoveled.  I could care less about my driveway spot with no car, and I cannot even look at the big back deck right now without wanting to bawl lol.  It was killer!

Having a Cupcake Girls marathon on tv today while getting some cleaning done around here.  Not going to bother putting any of the Christmas decorations away until New Years Day or the 2nd.  On the 4th, I head to the Neuro!

Hope you all had a wonderful time!

Ash,

December 23, 2012 – Merry Christmas Eve… Eve

Just wanted to write a quick post before all the Christmas craziness starts! Hope you all have a wonderful time with family! I cannot wait to see my dad, and my nieces and Travis I love them soooooo much, but rarely get to see them! I’m excited to spend time with them! Today is basically my last minute day to get everything done, since I won’t be able to tomorrow, so I am getting my homemade chocolate chip cookies done to put in the little Christmas bags to attach to the presents. Yesterday I went up to my mom’s and hung out there for the afternoon with my nephew Nick. And I was able to get my small and large book shelf on really cheap and got them put together and already the big one is almost full! I would say I have too many books, but that just isn’t possible! Friday because of the weather, I had to cancel my Crohn’s appointment. If I was still like I was last week when it started, I would be worried, but since I seem to be pretty much back to my normal sick self, it’s okay. I don’t get to go back in until the 18th, but that will be okay. I’ve been getting all the catnip bunny toys I made stuffed this week. They’ve been sitting under the tree in their cute mini Christmas bags for a while, but I knew not to stuff them until the last minute. So Zeus and I have been having catnip parties one after the other! We just had our last one for a while this morning, so I could bring the cat called Blue, who lives upstairs, her catnip bunny. Now Nicole, is the last one to get hers, for her three cats Ending the catnip parties after they’re sent… for now lol. My mom’s cat Addy was rolling around loving hers, and attacking her sister August whenever she tried to play with the other one. Then my mom’s dog, Niles, would run in and steal both bunnies and hide them with his toys lol. He likes his toy elephant I bought him. Amanda’s dog Sookie had to curl up in my lap yesterday with the toy rope I got her and get some good snuggling in. I’d say I did good! With the animals anyway lol. Good to know someone loves me! I had a funny dream last night. I was going to have a crohn’s surgery done (not in real life) so I was meeting with all the doctors before hand to discuss what they were going to do, and where the cuts were going to be, etc. and my surgeon was actually the one guy on the show, The Doctors. Not the cute one either, but the oldest one, who I believe does plastic surgery in real life lol. So I showed them in my dream the tiny spot where I was having the pain, and they marked my whole damn stomach area to be opened up instead of where I showed them! Then I was mad, bc I kept telling them I had to pee (why do I always have to pee in my dreams???) and they kept telling me I wasn’t allowed! Though, they kept giving me glass of water after glass of water, which didn’t make sense to me if I was about to go into surgery. And why couldn’t I go pee before they started??? Then my neighbor upstairs knocked on my door to give me a nice card and a box of chocolates, so I woke up… and I went pee just to spite them LOL. Have a wonderful holiday everyone! Will do Wordless Wed. then write later on in the week to let you know how my holidays went! Take Care! Ash,

December 20, 2012 – Wed. Extra

I notice on a lot of other blogs, people doing wordless Wednesday.  Starting next week, I will be doing the same.  That way I can still share some of my favorite photos from the week.  Since I posted a quick entry this morning, I am going to post pictures now from when Amanda, Nick and I did Christmas decorations.  I will also post some nice candle holders Amanda and Nick got me for my birthday, and a pretty glove/Christmas ornament that my PSW Lilian gave me today

red and blue candle holders

tea light candle holder

 

Take Care and have a Merry Christmas… as long as we make it through Friday that is hehe.

Ash,

December 29, 2012 – Relapse

Well I have had three colds and strep throat, and now I am having a crohn’s disease relapse.  I ended up in the ER last Saturday from the pain.  They put me on morphine, and checked to make sure I don’t have a blockage, which thankfully I don’t!  So now, I go in to see my specialists on Friday, and see what their plan is.  I’m happy I get to be home for Christmas, bc for a while there, I didn’t think I would be.

Amanda and Nick came over a week or so ago, and we made a bunch of homemade ornaments.  I have some pictures of that to post.

Then this past Sunday (yes, the day after being in the ER) I went over to their place to celebrate Nick’s 7th birthday.  It is technically today, but we celebrated it early so he could have his two best friends over.  I got him a Thor doll… Amanda likes it even more than him LOL.  Later today mom, Grams and I, are going up to see him, and they’ll have cake.

November 25, 2012

I haven’t written in almost two weeks.  I was planning on telling you all about my friend Nicole’s art show from last weekend, then about going to the movies with my sister and friends, and about going to the yearly Pauls Family Christmas Dinner which was last night… but none of it ended up being a go for me, because I caught another cold!!!  *stomps feet* It’s never ending this crap lol.  I feel like total Hell, and can barely talk, but am pushing through!!!

My dad goes in for knee surgery tomorrow, so I couldn’t be around him at the party in case he caught it from me.  I am giving him a call today before he goes in tomorrow to see how he’s doing.

My Grams, brought me over an early birthday gift, bc it’s pretty much impossible to wrap.  It’s one of the metal moose at JYSK.  I have the red one, and really wanted to the white one that sold out right away last year.  I love it   Now I have both my moose!  hehe.

My birthday is next week sometime.. Tues. or Wed. I think.  I will be 30!!!  I think it just seems silly.  Not scary like it does to most people.  I mean come on, 30 is NOT old by ANY means, and the idea just makes me giggle bc I don’t act like an adult at all!

Ash,

November 14, 2012 – Busy, Busy, Busy, Busy, Busy

Omg I have not had 5 minutes to just sit down and relax!  My aunt was down from Toronto, like I mentioned in my last post.  Saturday I went and visited, and went with them to drop her off at the train station that night.  They changed and added a whole new building to the station, so it was cool to see what it looks like now.

Amanda, Nick, Grams, and I went to Bath, and finally got to meet Aria, Theone and Jesse’s new baby girl!  She’s about 3 weeks old.  What a beauty and wonderful to kiss and snuggle with   We also got to see their new home which was nice!  I love their flooring!  Anyway, it was really sweet to spend time with them and see how Theone’s been holding up.

My dad called and decided to take my Christmas shopping on Monday.  Anyone who as ever read my other blog ashpauls.wordpress.com knows that each year, he comes up, and takes my sister and I out shopping for our gifts.  I felt like I had the flu Monday morning, and didn’t know how I was going to get through the day shopping.  I knew it was just my POTS and that I really needed a day to crash, but I didn’t want to let him down.  My step mom Lois came too

I picked out a Zahi Hawass book on archeological digs on Cleopatra.  Anyone who knows me personally, knows I love Egyptian history and knows I think Dr. Hawass is the most kick ass story teller ever!  I was really excited to find something of his, and finally get to read it!

I also got a burgundy sweater, and a couple bras and underwear, and picked out a nice body wash and moisturizer at the Body Shop.  I looked for a pair of funky, but nice boots, but never found anything I really liked.  We also went to lunch at Montannas and I got a chicken sandwich with gravy and fries.

Went to my mom’s after for dinner and felt sicker than a dog by the time I got home.

Today I haven’t stopped since I got up, and still not done yet!  I just got my medicine delivered a little bit ago, changed the whole living room dining room area around, and set up my Christmas tree, current presents, etc. up with the other decorations.  I still need to jump in the shower before bed, and finish my Spring cleaning.  The only thing I have left to do with that, is wipe down the front door and screen door, and do a nice Mr. Clean Magic Eraser scrub on the sinks.

Right now, I am reading Vanity Fair, and Food Not Lawns, by HC Flores.  It’s really cool about setting up home gardens, etc.  Gives really cool ideas, that help with the environment.  I definitely recommend it!

Tomorrow I have my PSW in the morning, then I go to the doctors, then I go to my mom’s to do my laundry and then pick up my sister’s Christmas present at the post office, and come home and die.  That will be when I finally get to catch up with friends, e-mails, etc.  It will be nice!

November 10, 2012 – Bbrrrrr

It’s like Winter out!  Though by Sunday, it’s supposed to be in the mid teens again.  Boo!  And more rain!

Today, my aunt Kelly, Grams, Amanda and I, went to Nick’s school and watched their Remembrance Day assembly.  Nick and another student brought the big wreath from their class up to hang on the cross, and we watched his class and another sing this adorable song   Proud Ya Ya!!!  It was great to get to be there after getting to hear him practice it earlier in the week!

My aunt Kelly is down from Toronto, which totally makes my week!  I went there yesterday for dinner, and will go for the day tomorrow before she goes home on Sunday.  I don’t get to see her enough!  Love, love, love her!

Got all my Christmas stuff, but the tree and decorations for it out.  I have to move my couch and TV around so I can actually see my tree, then I will actually sort out the room decorations and figure out where to put them.  Right now, they’re just a big pile in the living room!

Working on catnip bunnies.  They’re cute, but I wish they were more round like a normal bunny.  Hopefully all the kitties will like them.  I have ten to make, and I think I’m about half done.  Or almost… they’re taking forever!  But I like to make something fun for them all.

Money is getting tight.  Thankfully I sold my wheelchair, or else I would be screwed for Christmas.  I still need to buy for my dad and step mom, my aunt Kelly, and half of my Gram’s gift.  Since stockings are such a special deal in our family, and all of us are on a very tight budget, my aunt Kelly had a good idea, by having each of us buy one small fun gift for everyone to put in the stockings, and one for Nick too.  Next year, we talked of having a secret Santa, where we draw a name, and only have to by for one person.  Then you can buy a litter nicer gift than usual, but not go broke trying to buy for everyone.

Gotta head out and give my dad a call since it’s his 61st birthday today!

Ash,

 

November 3, 2012 – Happy Halloween!

Hope you all had a great Halloween!  I went up to my mom’s again.  I picked Nick up at the bus, and we came back and hung out until Meghan, Julian and Liam got there.  Nick was dressed up as Darth Vadar, and Liam was a really cool Zombie.  The three of us walked them around the entire town house complex that my mom and Grams lives in.  It was fun, since normally I just sit at the door and hand out candy and take pictures of the kids we know.

When I got home that night, yet again there were signs that trick or treaters had been at my place.  I love seeing the children I know, especially Nick, but I think next year, I might give out candy at my own place.  I’ll wait a see next year what I feel like doing.

I got Nick’s Christmas present ordered, and got a call today that it’s in.  I got him a Yoshi racing car that he asked for.  I still don’t know what I’m going to get him for his birthday yet though.  My Grams, I ordered part of her gift yesterday and Amanda’s gift.  I can’t say what since they may both read this, but I’m excited

I sold my wheel chair!  Which now makes Christmas shopping a little less stressful.  Obviously people don’t expect you to buy, but when it’s my close family, I like to, bc they do so much for me during the year.  It’s fun getting to watch them open something I picked out for them.

Yesterday was grocery day… aka day from Hell for me lol.  It kills me to lug the grocery bags, and is frustrating knowing that I am basically making myself sick.  Day from Hell number 2, goes to laundry day, but thankfully, once I got the washer and dryer in here, it won’t be bad at all.  Right now it’s the lugging the laundry to my mom’s, and down into her basement, then back up stairs, and out to my place and fold and hang everything.  Kills my body!

I got everything done though, and even got myself some sparkly (of course purple) nail polish lol.  I put away all the Halloween decorations, except one, I just noticed hanging on the wall dammit!  *shakes fist* lol.  So almost done it!

I also went outside yesterday to take the garbage out, and noticed I have a new front door! LOL.  Didn’t even know he had changed it.  Must have happened during my Strep Throat time when I was out to the doctors or at my mom’s.

Last evening, mom and I were sitting on my side deck chatting and we saw the cute little dark grey shi-tzu just walking along on no leash!  He looked familiar as one of the dogs I see a lot walking with their owners, but I didn’t know who he belonged to, so we ran out and after him realizing we weren’t going to hurt him, he let me scoop him up and hold him bc it was raining.  We walked down the direction he came from to see if anyone in the houses knew who he was, but no one did.  Mom said I should have kept him bc he was sweet lol, but Zeus would have ate him, and I didn’t know what kind of health problems he might have had, so I called and the animal rescue place came to get him and take him to the Humane Society in case his owners called there looking for him.  I hope he gets home!  He was a sweet little dear.  He just slept on my belly, while we cuddled on the couch waiting for them to get here.  Didn’t even have a collar on!

Nothing exciting happening this following week!  Just grabbing my Christmas orders, my dad’s and brother’s and step mother’s birthday are this week, and just trying to get ahead of the game for this month with things I want to get done.  Like my Spring, now Fall, and soon to be Winter cleaning LOL.  My knee still hurts, but I think I can finally get the kitchen all cleaned up, and then the front room now since the new door, so I can start using it, instead of the side kitchen door!

Take Care

Ash,

PS  The hurricane day here was nuts with wind, and half ass scary by that night, but thankfully no crazy damage or anything

Oh Geeze

I can’t believe it’s been since before Halloween since I wrote!!!!

my Christmas tree

I am going to a Neurologist at the end of this month… why I don’t know actually lol.  I figure it’s for my POTS, bc I never got the appointment I was supposed to have with my Cardiologist, I got this appointment instead!  My SSW is going to be taking me, which is sweet, and she kicks people’s asses into gear too lol.

I am also going to my family doctor next week bc of something to do with my test results when I had my physical.  Could be many simple things, but I’m still interested as to why she called to have me come in!

My grandpa passed away just before Christmas.  It was really sad, but for the best bc he wasn’t eating, or even waking up in the end.  My sister did a really sweet thing for all of us, and got one of our favorite photos of him before he got sick blown up and framed in black and white.  I have it hanging in my hallway   I love it.

Christmas was great.  We went to my dad’s Christmas Eve, and I got to see all my brothers and nieces and nephews, and a lot of family friends I adore like family.  Dinner was good too YUM! hehe.

Then Christmas morning, I went up to my mom’s and had a dinner with them, and ANOTHER ONE on Boxing Day when my aunt Kelly came down to celebrate with us.

I was able to get a recumbent bike finally, and am doing 15 minutes on it a day, on the days I’m not shoveling snow!  Yes I am shoveling too and damn it’s not easy!!! I had a bit of a flu last week and it just about killed me to shovel, but thankfully the weather has not been typical, so there hasn’t been as much snow as usual.

Besides that, I just finished knitting myself a scarf… yes knitting lol.  I love it   This is the first thing I’ve ever knitted for myself!  I just have to do the fringe at the ends and I’m done

I am now hooked on Dexter.  My sister got me into it, but I have to watch it on Netflix bc I don’t get HBO.  It gives me an excuse to exercise and knit while I’m watching it.

I am also reading the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo which isn’t at all what I thought it was going to be.  I am also reading 44 Scotland Street, which is awesome so far   Just the lives of a bunch of people who live at 44 Scotland Street, lol but it’s good

New Years, I fell asleep at 9pm LOL.  Wasn’t my intention, and could have went out, but I went to my mom’s, and fell asleep bc I wasn’t feeling the greatest.

Hope you are all well

Ash,

Insomnia Monday… No Wait Wednesday lol

Okay I’m totally out of it.. and as the title shows on NO sleep.  I apologize in advance to my horrible writing mistakes in this post bc even though there is a spell checker, I’m notorious for putting wrong words spelt right in the wrong spot… now you’re feeling as confused as I am aren’t you? Good… I’m not alone then.

So I had 3 great days.  The 3 best days I’ve had in about 5 years.  I felt good, had some boxes and some Christmas crazy going on in the apartment and I just went nuts packing stuff.  My place feels hollow now and very echoy… sadly my neighbors sex life has seemed to become more echoy as well *shudders*

Susan my Social Service Worker, has a new student Aristha or something and every time I say it, I’m saying a totally different name lol.  She’s older, which I like.  And she and Susan came by today for me to meet her.  Aristha or whatever she is, is coming by tomorrow for her first session with me.  Zeus made it very clear she digusts him and wouldn’t let her go near him without flailing and running off to the tub to scream his usual grumpy rant.  Mind you bc I didn’t sleep… that means he didn’t either.

I got rid of a whole whack load of more stuff on the Free Cycle site.  Google it bitches, bc you can get and give away free stuff in your city.  Such a great idea, bc it saves so many items from going to the dump, and helps many people who don’t have a lot of money.  I’ve gotten some stupid items that turned out to be more of a pain, and I’ve gotten great things too like my bread maker which I love!  Definitely recommend it.  The only thing I’m waiting to give away now is my couch.

I’ve been reading a LOT lately.  I finished up the new CSI digi novel which was amazing!  Also read Bitch in the Kitch and the first of the series… cannot remember its name and I lent it to my step mom to borrow.  It’s about all the interesting facts to do with food with a lot of sarcasm and swearing thrown in… perfection.  Changed my whole ideal on eating and cooking too!  Bitch in the Kitch is actually one of the cookbooks so you’d want to read the first book obviously before buying it.  So funny too.  I’ve also finished one of the free novels I got with my Kobo.. The Preacher’s something or other.  Good but wouldn’t bother to recommend it to anyone.  And am now reading everything Edgar Allen Poe has ever written lol.  I love his short stories especially!  Oh!  And read the play, The Importance of Being Ernest… omg I LOVE it!  I wish it was longer, and that I could see it performed live!

Anyway, besides that I’ve been on the phone like a fat kid clings to the refrigerator and I hate it lol.  I hate the telephone!  So many little things disability needs done.  Proving that I’m moving bc of health conditions, proving I am approved and actually moving to the new apartment… weirdos.  And getting quotes sent over to them for movers.  What do they care so long as I give them a receipt?  Which they’ll need too lol.

Also been on the phone starting my month of doctors appointment bookings!  Had a horrible time getting a hold of anyone of Christmas and the week after.  My family doctor for my knee and fibromyalgia, and my sleep study.. Susan is taking me as well to see what all my tests have said since my numb brain won’t remember everything.  Then I have to run to the dentist on Monday with the student social service worker (the same program I’m in) and sign a consent for my needle poking dentist to get a hold of my Cardiologist.  Since he NEVER phones me back! Grrrrr.    As well the Crohn’s Disease dudes to make my check up appointment… yes it’s been almost a month on these new pills.  They are now helping greatly with the heart burn and acid burn in the stomach, BUT I still have nerve damage pain that doesn’t seem to go away no matter what they give me… except Amytripline which I can’t take thanx to Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome.

So a lot of my facebook, etc. friends have noticed me being absent a lot.  A big part of it was just all the holiday business and being with family a lot.  And now my computer which has always been a piece of crap is getting even worse!  To write an email on facebook, I literally have to wait a good 20 minutes after I’ve finished typing it, for the computer to actually input it onto the screen!  It’s insane!  Surprisingly, knock on wood, this program so far isn’t being effected, but hotmail, facebook and yahoo mail seems to be very hard to manouver around without a lot of swearing and giving up to go sit on the couch and try it again later.

I hope you’re all well and not still pooped out from the holidays!  We all seem to slowly but surely coming back to our normal crappy selves lol.  Xo!

Ash,