What's on your DVR?

I think I have briefly mentioned this topic before, however I was moved tonight and wanted to write elaborate. I know many people have DVR/TiVO, one of the new wonderful devices that allow us to record and watch our favorite shows. You know, the ones that you just can't live without, I sure know I have a handful. My all time favorite OTH, American Idol, others that I enjoy such as Gossip Girl, Grey's (that's more of a "I can't live without categeoty, haha"), Dancing with the Stars, and a new one to my DVR this year; Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. If you have never watched this show, then I don't know what is wrong with you!! This show is a reality check for me, sad but true.

This season has been remarkable as they have directed the season towards heroes. Each week they honor a family who either struggle with a daily disability, has overcome tremendous loss, or donates so much of their own time and money that their own home is almost unlivable. Tonight's episode falls in that last category. A family who runs an animal rescue center (that doesn't even really explain it) in their backyard. The Almquist family, a family of 6; mom, dad and the four children, give their hearts, income, and time to saving animals that have been raised in captivity and then abandoned, neglected, etc. They call their organization Forever Wild and I have included a link to their website so you can see for yourself how wonderful these people are.

It is unbelievable how cruel human beings can be to animals and how careless the end result is. Most the animals that the family takes in are cats (tigers, bengals, etc.) who people have thought would be great pets, get them as kittens, love them for a little while and then when they become too big, dump them. What people don't realize is if you've raised a cat (or any animal in that matter) in captivity, they can NEVER be successfully put back into the wild with a chance of survival. They lack the skills necessary to fend for their owns because that's been taken away from them. One of the commonalities that this family faces with the animals is that people have "declawed" them, or cut their toes off essentially. Take a look at your finger, and then imagine cutting it off at your first knuckle; that is what is done to these poor animals. It causes them extreme pain, infection, and discomfort. Some of the animals are in such pain that they walk on their elbows, because their paws are too broken. The family with the help of donations (which in this trying economic time have severely slowed) pay for the animals to have re constructive surgery so that they can have a second chance at pain free and running around as they should. At the point the show was filmed, they had one tiger who badly needed the surgery, however their were no funds available to provide it. That tiger is pictured here, Diablo; a beautiful Siberian X Bengal.Of course, the show surprised the family by paying for Diablo's surgery and having it done while the family was on vacation.

This family goes through over 300 lbs of meat a day just to feed the animals. Their own home had holes in the floor, cracked foundation, and rats in the kitchen. As you watch ABC, extreme home makeover, the coalition of builders, volunteers, etc. work for seven days straight to make someone else's life better it is the most amazing thing. It reminds me that being a good person is so important and that whenever you are given the chance to help someone or give back just even a little, you should do it.

My point of this blog tonight was to encourage you to add one more show to your DVR schedule. It's on ABC on Sunday nights at 8:00. While the reality tv shows are fantastic, and the dramas allows us to escape life for a while, extreme makeover does just the opposite. It throws life at you full speed. It reminds you that their are people out their living in unimaginable circumstances, with life threatening diseases, people who give their hearts and souls to others and ask for nothing in return... as corny as you all may think I am, this show touches my heart and leaves a trail of tears down my face every evening I watch it. It allows me to realize when I am making a big deal about things that don't matter and forces me to try and be a better person. Maybe you'll find a connection with the show too!

How I Spent My Weekend

So where do I start?? Well last Thursday I went to the dentist for the first time in a few years to try and get back in a normal schedule... you know cleanings every 6 months... all that good jazz. So I went, they said I had excellent teeth, but I also had 4 small cavities... yikes! So blah blah blah, we make a treatment plan and schedule all my work for the following Friday (the 27th aka yesterday).

Now usually I LOVE Thursdays because they are my day off with Jon, however the lady I babysit for says she really needs me, she's in a jam. Me, being soft hearted, says Ok. So I spend pretty much all day at her house babysitting...

I get home Thursday night and Jon and I watch American Idol together (I LOVE Danny Gokey) and then we go to bed and watch a movie. I wake up around 3 am with the WORST stomach pains imaginable.... like there is a knife in my stomach and it's being twisted around and around... thus causing me to toss and turn for the rest of my sleep.... I get up in the morning and talk to Jon about it, his guess is it's just my nerves about the dentist... logically I think he could be right..

I try and eat some breakfast... but still feel pretty queezy...I go to the dentist and argue with the doctor about not wanting amalgam fillings... I researched them and read that they are 50% made up of mercury. Now, obviously I know they can be that unsafe, or they wouldn't be used, but still... I didn't want them. So the dentist doctor lady did all composite fillings (thank you very much I said). The weird thing is I did GREAT at the dentist. While I was all numb with Novocaine or lidocaine, whichever it is they use, I had no stomach pain or nausea any more.

But when I left and got back in the car it came back full force. You know how when you feel like that the ONLY thing that helps is to scrunch your knees as close to your belly as possible, well that's what I was trying to do while driving home (not an easy task).

I stop by Bugaboo to see Jon and tell him what's going on and he's like "babe, you look like you're going to pass out" and that confirms that this is more than just my nervousness for the dentist. He tells me he'll be home soon... I go home and try (try being the operative word) to sleep. I toss and turn... my stomach hurts so bad I have tears slowly trickling down my cheeks. There were numerous events where I felt like I would finally be sick, get out of bed, go to the bathroom, and nothing!! Until Jon called. I was talking to him when I knew for a fact, I was going to be sick... and sure enough, finally... up came breakfast.

At this point I begin to worry, because I've know rid my body of the ONLY thing that was in it... since I couldn't eat after having dental work done and now was so sick I couldn't get anything down. So sure enough, the next trip to the bathroom is not. good. at. all. I throw up pure black, stomach bile I believe. At this point my fever is up to a good solid 100 (which I know doesn't sound terrible... but I NEVER run a normal 98.6, I am usually around 97.2 or 3) So 100 for me is high....

It's about 8:30 Friday night and NO improvement... still tossing, turning, sweating, shivering, it was just awful!!! So I decide I better call work, there's not a likely chance I'm going to make it through my double tomorrow with these feelings... Now the good thing about being a workaholic and NEVER calling in sick, is that once you do, people really know you are sick and are very great about it!!! I thank god dearly for the people who helped me get my shifts covered and were so understanding.

So now... it's 3:30pm on saturday, I JUST got out of bed and am trying to eat small things to regain strength because people, there's nothing in me right now...

Just felt like blogging about my painful weekend.., I surely hope all of yours were WAY better!!! And I hope no one gets this 24 hour flu thing... cause it f***ing sucked!!!!

So much anger

I should really be getting ready to leave for class, however I felt if I didn't vent somewhere before going to class I was going to either get in a wreck driving there or get in a fight with my professor, thus the blog!

I don't get it... do you ever just wake up in the worse mood ever with no explanation, reason, or cause??? I mean it's not "that time of the month" and I originally woke up in a pretty good mood. The repair man was here at 8am to fix the dresser and I was fine. He left, I laid in bed, ate some breakfast, watched some tv, and fell asleep. That must be what went wrong. For the next hour I pushed snooze every 9 minutes and could not get up. I needed to get up though, I had school work for tonight and while I have now finished the actual written work (with help from my good friend) I haven't done the reading.

I can't explain it though, as I sit here fingers furiously typing, I feel as if my heart is going to bust through my chest and fall to the ground. I feel anxious, sick, angry, and I have no idea why. I mean, I have a small glimmer, but it shouldn't be enough to wind me up the way I am right now. One of my professors posted grades and I got an 8.7 out of 10. Maybe that doesn't sound that bad, but for me, I'm about to have a break down over it. I'm sure you're reading this thinking "wow, she's ridiculous, she needs to get a grip" but I can't. Of course, my friends and I always compare grades and I usually do better than them. You are going to think I'm a terrible person while reading this, but it's a good feeling to do better, or at least the same. I know I need to stop comparing myself and my grades to them, I really do, but in reality, life is a competition... is it not???

Anyways, they are telling me they got 9.6's and 9.9's.... I'm like WTF??? What did I do so possibly wrong... does the professor hate me? You know, the million questions... I realize while writing this, this is NOT a problem... I know there are thousands of people out there with real life problems, so don't get me wrong, just needed to vent. This is really weird for me because I have many times been the runner up and not been the best.... that's usually where I fall. I really have no problem with an 87, I mean it's not a bad grade at all.

It's just the feeling in my body right now... the rage, anger, etc. as I type I feel like my heart is in my throat my stomach is sinking into my legs... I can't figure it out... what is wrong? Will this feeling go away?? Or am I going to get to school and sit through 5 hours of class feeling tortured and a wreck like I do now???

I just want life to stop... please, take a time out, let me catch my breath. Because right now.... I'm drowning in a never-ending hole.. I'm swimming to the surface, I can see it, but I can't reach it. Is there ice over the top preventing me from breaking through, or is someone holding my head under??

To my followers, I'm sorry for the gloomy post... but I needed an out before I left my house driving like a fool or being mean to my dear friends who are nothing short of amazing... I love you all!!!

I need a 30 hour day.....

Do you ever find that 24 hours just doesn't cut it?? I mean the last thing I want to do is lengthen the day, but sometimes I have no idea what other option there is. Lets look at my last few days as an example. My usual week consists of graduate classes Monday-Wednesday, Thursday I spend doing laundry, errands, paying bills, etc. and I work Fri-Sat, which brings me really quickly back to Monday. Now that schedule isn't all that bad... I don't have class until 4:00 on all school days and on Monday I have two in a row so I get home at like 9:30 but Tuesday and Wednesday I only have class from 4-6:20, so I get home around 7ish (traffic pending). Ok, so like I said, doesn't sound that bad right?? Now I've gone and started studying for the CPA (Certified Public Accountant) exam. What is this exam you ask? It's months of tedious studying day after day, followed by a 4-5 hour exam. However, multiply it by FOUR because there are 4 parts you have to pass.

Back to the point... These past four days have been excruciating for me and I just want to bitch about it. You can feel free to press the back button now, or for some entertainment and maybe a feeling of (yeah I know just how she feels) read on folks! My school started classes on January 20th (the day after MLK day, which was a Tuesday). Now how incredibly ridiculous is this: Bentley thinks that the Monday classes that were missed on the 19th (HOW THE HELL THEY ARE CONSIDERED MISSED WHEN THE SCHOOL HASN'T OPENED YET IS BEYOND ME) could be made up on FRIDAY Feb 6th. Remember what I said a few sentences back.. I have TWO classes on Monday; one at 4:00 and the other at 6:30. Well of course my 4:00 professor is level headed and says we won't be doing a "make-up" class he's scheduled accordingly, excellent! But the professor of the 6:30 class wants to hold the make-up session; super-friggan-fantastic... I would LOVE to come to class on a FRIDAY NIGHT AT 6:30. Let me give away a Friday night at LoHO to open instead and make $47; awesome!!! So yeah, I opened (and made diddly squat), then went to class, got home at 9:30, did homework (because I have the same damn class AGAIN on Monday), worked a double on Saturday, and then worked an open double on Sunday. Please don't misconstrue my frustration, I'm not bitching about working (I need to work)... but to then have to turn around and have two classes on Monday again when CLEARLY I've had NO TIME to do the homework between Friday and Monday is a BIG PAIN IN MY ASS!

So finally, I've been up since 8:30 where I spent all day doing an assignment for the 4:00 class (it's Multi-state Jurisdiction in case you were curious), sat through that class, then the 6:30 class (which I had NO idea what was going on, because I didn't get to do the reading) and now it's 10:30pm and I'm home!! Exhausted, yes. Frustrated, yes. Emotional, yes. Ready to do more homework, HELL NO! Unfortunately the work needs to be done and I NEED A FEW EXTRA HOURS PEOPLE!!! I mean.. it's Monday night.. the best television night of the week!! Oh well... life goes on!!! And I love life, so don't get me wrong there. One day the blood, sweat, and tears (and oh tears there are) will all be worth it!!!

Scary News ........ Happy Ending

It's amazing how one phone call changes everything. For my large group of followers (haha) that know my boyfriend Jon, you know he works insane hours and cares a lot about his job. Well the big President of the entire company was coming in today (at 7:00 tonight) to see the restaurant. For Jon, that meant a 17 hour day yesterday. No, that's not a typo, 17 hours my boyfriend stayed at work to make sure it was perfect, 10 am to 3 am. So he crawls in bed a little after 3 am with me this morning to get a phone call from his step dad at 6:30 am (which is ok because he had to be back to work at 7am anyways, crazy I know!) We assume that it's about his grandpa. Quick side not on grandpa... he's a quadriplegic, he's been bed ridden for 10 years. He can not eat, can not talk, can not move a muscle... what caused this you ask? His terrible ex-wife who tried to kill him with arsenic... she failed and he suffers everyday. Jon's AMAZING mother (I'm talking saint people, takes care of him. She's never drank, never smoked, she's healthy... this is important... stay tuned) She takes care of him every morning, every night, and every second that the 9-5, M-F nurse is not there.

So, back to the story. We assume the phone call is about grandpa, which we would have been saddened with grief, however accepted. But no, it's his MOTHER. He shoots up out of bed like a cannon ball leaving the cannon. I now wide awake with pain in my chest am freaked out. Ever been the person next to the person on the phone getting bad news?? It's really tough! I don't know what is being said, but facial expressions are not comforting! It appears she's been rushed to the hospital by ambulance. At first, sounds like appendisitis; odd for someone who is 53, but still possible. Jon gets up, goes to work, we think positive... everything will be ok.

It's now 11:30 am and Jon tells me he's heard back from his step-dad... it doens't look like apendisitis anymore... it looks bad but he doens't want to talk about it while still at work. Tells me he's leaving in an hour to be up there (in Maine... precisely Waterville) and would very much like me to be there. I say of course, I love you, everything will be ok.

I send emails and make phone calls.. I have two graduate classes tonight, my very first sessions.. dear professor... family emergency... sincerely apoloogize... you get the jist... I call my mom crying, tell her what's going on and beg her to please take care of herself. Yes people, I'm legitamtely falling apart! So I decided I need to know exaclty how bad things are. I call his step-dad's cell, no answer. I pack, I stay positive (with tears streaming down my face).. I've been with this man for 4 years... I love her like my own mother, I can't bear to think she's in pain and I can't phathom what could be wrong?? She has NEVER smoked ANYTHING, NEVER drank a drop of alcohol, of course she's never done drugs, she eats 3 meals a day, she exercises, geee she even flosses every night! Why is this happening???

This is an appropriate time for another quick sidenote. I know mother and sons are generally close, but that does nothing to explain the bond between this mother and son. Jon is an only child. Jon almost died of leukimia at the age of 9. See where this is going?? These two are inseperable!!! When they are together it is the most beautiful thing. We laugh, we love, we play... it's amazing. His relationship with his mother is part of what I love so much about him!

Ok, back to story. I call Dave (Jon's step-dad), "please tell me what is going on?" He explains it looks worse than appendisitis... it was explained to him as something that is similar to "a heart attack to the colon". My stomach sinks more. He says that they were going to start with a laprocscoy to see what's going on and from there probably need to cut her open and proceed. It was possible that she would need a colonoscopy and all these other things that just did not sound great. While we were are conversing, I hear the doctor say, "Dave we are finished". Stomach is now down in my knees. I can hear everything as if I'm standing in that waiting room. The doctor says, "It was her apendix after all. We've removed it, she did great, she can even go home today!" I heard the whole thing with my own ear!! It was like angels playing music... I of course call Jon instantly and I almost cry to his reaction. He's (what I'm pretty sure was) hugging the guys around him and excitedly saying "thank you god, thank you god". I tear up just from the emotional roller coaster of the event and sigh with relief.

One phone call... one phone call can change your entire day, life, and your world. I wanted to share this with you because I believe the power of prayer will truly get you through many tough circumstances. There are happy endings, and good things do happen to good people. So for my dear friends who follow and each have their own very saddening and difficult situations; I pray for you, I have hope for you, and I beleive that everything will work out!! Love you guys!!

People who talk shit

Just getting home from a day at the office (haha, wish I could say that... instead it's a night on my feet at the o'wonderful world of Longhorn).  Don't get me wrong, I like it there the most part.  I've met some wonderful people (my one great follower included.. soon I'll have a couple more!!)  It also pays for me to go to school so I can hopefully live out my dreams.  However, it also pisses me off some days, I'm sure you know that feeling.

I don't get people who feel the need to talk shit.  I've come to the conclusion that if you are talking shit, it's because you are insecure with who YOU are and by trying to be big or talk someone else down, it makes you feel better.  That to me is just sad!!  Don't waste my time talking crap to me about the people in my life because when all is said and done, I'm going to think less of you and have to come home to blog about it, haha!!

Ok, enough with that.  I wish the world was different.  I think of this time to time and occasional things will set me off.  Yesterday, Jon and I went and watched a very powerful movie "Grand Torino".  If you haven't seen the movie or have no idea what it's about, basically it's about gangs, race, pride, hate, and things that make me sick to my stomach.  I guess now that I think of it, it makes sense that I wrote about people who talk shit bothering me; I don't understand why we can't all be equal.  Why do people have to be mean to one another, why is it that one color thinks they are better than another, why are there gangs, why do these gangs kill each other???  These questions really bother me; watch the movie... while it portrays very realistically what still goes on it parts of the world, it also gives you hope and makes you think.

I was able to find a preview of the movie and I have embedded it into this blog so you can take a peak if interested.  I know we have made large leaps and bounds; I mean look at our 44th President of the United States, that itself shows the progress this nation has made.  However, unfortunately, that's not enough in my heart.  I pray for less violence and more compassion and understanding in our world; our home.

Gran Torino - Click here for more home videos 

Inspiration & Hope

For those of my friends who may read this, you know that I watch all kind of "girly dramas".  I love to watch One Tree Hill, Gossip Girl, 90210, etc.  However, you may not know that in the mix of those, as my mother calls them "teenie bopper shows" I also love to watch Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.  There is something about hundreds of people coming together to help a family that they don't even know that warms my heart.  For those of you who know me, you may know that I am a big softy and super emotional; so yes, I cry during practically everything.

Tonight's episode was really special however.  It was about the Grys Family; a family of 7.  A mom and dad who have helped over 250 children by providing foster care.  The family makeup is mom and dad and five kids.  Two of the five are biological and the remaining 3 adopted; 2 girls with down syndrome and a very very special little boy; Jake.  He was born with two incredibly difficult challenges; dwarfism and osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bones).  He breaks bones every month and at the age of 8 years old is about the size of an 18 month old. Watching the episode tonight and listening to his little voice and all his hope and faith brought tears to my eyes.  I think about the things I take for granted and the petty things that I complain about..... then I watch this little miracle of a child who wasn't supposed to live long after his birth, but instead he is a miracle.  I found a great video of him that was on a petition website to help him gain independence (a new home) and am posting it for your joy. 

I said when I started this blog that it would contain various thoughts, ideas, and day to day happenings... tonight I really wanted to share the hope, inspiration, and joy that I gained from watching this story and remind everyone to cherish everything they have; it could always be worse.  And don't forget.... miracles really do happen!!!