I lifted it from caragirl!
A Survey
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Month: January 2008
Productive & Random (Pictures)
Today didn’t start off so productively, I must admit. I lolled around in bed until about 4:30pm. It felt so nice, just relaxing, reading, and drifting in and out of naps. And that yummy electric blanket. Mmm. What a great way to spend a winter Saturday.
I messed around on the computer for a couple hours, and then I decided that it was FINALLY time to take down the Christmas tree and decorations. To be honest, I feel kind of cheated regarding this last Christmas. It was wonderful, it truly was, but it just SPED by! Maybe because I put my tree up so late. Maybe because a lot of the holiday was spent in kind of a pain-filled haze. At any rate, it just doesn’t seem like I should have to wait another eleven months to hear holiday music and enjoy the pretty lights and decorations. It’s not fair. Time crawls all the time, but my favorite time of year comes by and it’s over in a blink. *sniffle*
Oh well. I’ll get over it. I mean, I do have a lot to look forward to this year. There’s the big move to Chicago (which makes me have more panic attacks than it should–simply because the whole thought of packing this place up, loading it into a truck, moving, unloading, unpacking, setting up is sooo overwhelming). I hate the moving process. If I could afford it, I’d have movers do the whole thing. The packing, loading, driving, etc. As it is, I MIGHT be able to swing the U-Haul and all its pieces and parts. So, that’s the part that scares me. And the job search that will take place once I’m there. That scares the hot banana out of me. I hate the job search process. I just changed my careerbuilder profile to start showing me Chicago-land jobs, but my line of work–I don’t think it’s worth trying until I’m there. I know how cheap publishing companies are. They’re not going to fly me out to interview me for a copy editing position, not where there are 49084594 copy editors already living there. Anyway, I’ll probably end up someone’s administrative assistant when I do get a permanent job.
I’m going to have to do some MAJOR de-cluttering. That means going through all my clothes again and getting rid of stuff I don’t wear now and never will again. That means getting those space bags and condensing a great deal of “fluffy” things. And I should really, really try to use up all the shower gels and things I have, because I do not want to move that stuff!
I’d like to snap my fingers and have all that stuff taken care of, so I can just enjoy setting up house with Adam.
So, the tree is down, the decorations are put away. I did a little bit of rearranging. I put the side table on the right side of my futon instead of the left. The lighting seems to work a lot better that way. I also cleaned Aidan’s room, and finally put up the Disney posters his soon-to-be Aunt Melissa gave him. I also set up a little radio in there and plan to get him storybooks on tape so he can listen to them before bed. Maybe those things will make him more inclined to sleep in his own bed without much fuss. It would be really nice.
The top of my entertainment center which used to house a clusterfuck of a mess, now has my degree, my “Ronica” name thingy, and the bananas dancing picture Jen painted for me years ago. Much nicer looking. I packed away a lot of things I’d had out as decorations before, but one giraffe is still out, and my little white elephant with its trunk up.
I had a goal of condensing my Christmas decorations into two boxes, and I did it! I was so excited. And you know how everyone amasses billions of those plastic bags from the grocery store, etc.? I finally found a use for some of mine. I wrapped ornaments in them, and my village pieces, too. When I start seriously packing for moving, I will use the rest for that. No need to get newspaper or foam things! Whee!
I got on my other computer and cleaned out my gmail accounts. I had Inbox Dollars paid emails from before Christmas to process, and a few surveys to take. I’m going to be cashing out my Inbox Dollars balance soon and put it in the Chicago account. I have a few other things to cash out too, that’ll help the move a little bit.
I need to clean out my refrigerator. This is sad. There are loads of Christmas leftovers in there, but I was in so much pain that I didn’t bother to eat them. Now that I can enjoy them, I suspect they will wreck havoc on my digestive system. So I have to throw them out. Well, I am procrastinating because throwing out leftovers means there will be dishes to wash. Ew. It’s not even *that* many, but still. Ew.
I need to get groceries, but I refuse to do it until my fridge is clean. I have half a mind to do it now and then make a late-night run to Meijer. I just printed off some coupons, and I am desperately craving bacon, which I am out of! I will need to get cat food for little Lucy soon, and I also want some ice cream. I need to make a list and get more coupons printed out, though, before I hit the store. A late-night run to Meijer sounds really good, though. I’ll be done and can relax all day tomorrow, and I will have a clean fridge. And I’ll take out the trash before I go to the store, so no stinky apartment to worry about.
This not being in pain stuff is so strange to me. The other night, my ear started to bug me so I was scared it was coming back, but by the time morning rolled around, I was okay. YAY. It’s nice, though, feeling normal. My appetite still is not full force, which I don’t mind. I do keep eating too much candy, though.
I’ve been listening to The Andrews Sisters lately. I love that kind of music, it reminds me of cartoons such as Tom & Jerry and Woody Woodpecker. It helped me get through the whole “decorations coming down” ordeal.
Aidan comes back to town tomorrow. I’ll see him on Wednesday. I have all this stuff planned for when we have a weekend together. My mom gave him two $25 gift cards to Toys R Us, and I have a $3 off birthday coupon for him! I also have a coupon for a free meal for him from Bob Evans, so we’re going to make a day of it. Plus, he has all his Christmas stuff to play with. YAY Aidan. 🙂
My computer is mad at me because I turned off the automatic update install. Well, when I have stuff on it overnight, I don’t like for my computer to randomly reboot and take it away. So POOP on you, Norton and HP Healthcheck!
I was playing a bit with my integrated webcam last night, and came up with a couple cute ones.
O hai!!
Lovin’ on Little Lucy
(yes, I know, I need to get reaquainted with a comb or a brush….)
And finally, my typing test results:
I need to dust, but I can’t find my Swiffer dust thingy. Oh well. Some other time.
Off I go to clean the fridge, do the dishes, and hit the store, I think. Good night, I mean, good morning.
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Can You Feel A Brand New Day!
Today is my first day of Copyediting I, through the UC San Diego Extension course. I already did one of my assignments, which was to introduce myself on the classroom discussion board. There are several readings for me to complete before the end of the week. I can’t even believe I’m back in school again, even if it is an online course. There will even be quizzes and a midterm. Oh Lord, help me.
Update on the sore throat situation:
Friday, my doctor’s office called and said that he wanted me to get a CAT scan. A CAT scan. Eek. I would have been okay with it, except my insurance has a $500 deductibe and then they only cover 80% of the cost. He also wanted me to see an ENT (ear/nose/throat) specialist. It just so happens that my co-worker’s father happens to be one of the most respected ENTs in the city. She called him and told him my situation. They got me an appointment for today. In the meantime, my doctor was kind enough to give me a prescription for Darvocet once he found out how much ibuprofen I was taking to edge off the pain.
The ENT told me to hold off on the CAT scan. If I was all swollen and stuff, it wouldn’t do any good and would be a waste of my money. That was a relief, and I need to call my doctor and tell him that.
I took three Darvocet Friday night over the course of about six hours or so. I slept and slept and slept on Saturday. There were points that my throat felt like–okay, you know how it is when you want to cry and you’re trying not to? That pressure? That’s how I felt. My ears, too. Ouch. Three more Darvocet kept me feeling pretty sleepy Saturday, and I woke up Saturday night, at around 730 or so. It felt like there was a gigantic cotton ball in my throat. I knew that if I could somehow pull that cotton ball out, I’d start to feel better.
Sunday morning, I woke up and realized I was able to swallow. SWALLOW! There was virtually no pain, and I was just.. amazed. I’d forgotten how it felt to feel somewhat normal. I’d been eating very little lately because it’s just been too miserable to get anything past my fiery throat, so when my friend Angelo bought me dinner at Ponderosa last night, I kinda sorta pigged out. It was SO nice to talk without pain, to eat without pain. It still kind of hurts when I yawn, or if I swallow too hard, but it’s not like I’m yawning or dramatically swallowing all the time, right?
Today, I went to the ENT. After listening to me describe my symptoms and examining me, he said that although I am starting to feel better, he was going to put me on acute status. That means that the second I start to feel anything like I have the past several weeks (If that happens, it’s possible that I am actually healting, but time will tell), save today and yesterday, to call and he’d see me right away. He also said that he is concerned about my tonsils, but not to the point where we need to talk surgery. He did say that tonsils and wreck havoc on the entire head system, including ears. He mentioned that I could be healing–and that at the early stages, my symptoms could be going away but the tissue won’t be healed for a long time–or things could be quieting down just for a bit and could flare up really badly again. And as I said, the pain is not completely gone. I know I’m not out of the woods yet, so I’m keeping his business card close, just in case.
I’ve been making it through the day with no painkillers at all, but I am still taking a Darvocet at night, because I don’t want to take any chances and be awakened by crazy pain. So, that’ s the update so far.
Oh yeah…. I really hate it when big pills decide to go CROSSWAYS down my throat. OUCH.
Aidan is still up North. I called today and he was being REALLY naughty! My mom had to put him in time out and at one point, Aidan got mad and started yelling “I WANT MOMMY I WANT MOMMY.” I’m thinking “Um, sure, but if I was there, you’d be staying in time out because you were not acting nice!” Lots of drama, especially when he is tired.
My appetite has been sufficiently supressed. The Psuedovent is doing it. There is a warning in the patient info thingy that says DO NOT TAKE APPETITE SUPPRESSANTS WHILE TAKING THIS MEDICATION or something like that. And when I asked my pharmacist friend Angelo last night at dinner, he said something about there being some appetite suppressing agents in the Psuedovent. So, in addition to not eating much due to being in pain, I also haven’t had much appetite. I got on the scale tonight before my bath and in clothes, I weighed 107.
I haven’t been below 110 since the summer of 2006. I wonder if I can keep this up? Last year this time I was definitely bigger. My jeans are falling off of me these days. I’m not complaining.
Friday, I won a $20 gift certificate to amazon.com from the Wise Bread Forums! Now I have $45 to spend there, and no clue what I want to spend it on. Well, I have some ideas, but I haven’t decided which one(s) to go with yet.
I find myself once again addicted to that damn Poppit game on pogo.com. Son of a bitch. I won’t even bother linking it because then I’ll GO there and end up playing for another two hours. Argh. Stupid fun pointless cute games.
I should go to bed. I was up late last night, had a horrible time finding my way to the doctor’s office today (wasted so much gas, grrr), and I just need more rest. I definitely don’t want to relapse and go back into that horrible pain again.
Good night.
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299 (Pictures)
Okay, so 299 is still a pretty big number, but when I checked the counter today and it said 299 days until your wedding, I panicked. Just a little. Not because I don’t want to marry Adam, but because of all the PLANNING I have not done recently. So what did I do? I hopped over to theknot.com to check on the planner. Now I am down to 168 things I need to do. Most of it needs to wait until I get some extra cash. And I have not tried on one dress yet. For some reason, the wedding still seemed so far away, but seeing that first number go from a 3 to a 2 is kind of showing me that time is indeed moving. Pretty soon, serious planning will have to take place. I have no idea what that means, but eeek.
Adam hung out with Aidan over the holidays, and that was a really fun, special time. All Adam had to do was play Alpha Butt for Aidan to warm up to him, but Aidan had been warm to him anyway, and he gave Adam a hug the second he walked in the door. They played together very well, and Adam has a gentle way with Aidan that even I can’t master completely. I don’t know if it still kind of makes Adam nervous, the prospect of being a step-father, but I think he’s going to be a great one. It helps that Aidan’s such a great kid. 
So, on the one hand, it seems like AGES and AGES until the wedding. I’m ready to settle into life with Adam. I’m ready to not be alone all the time. I mean, it can’t be healthy, how much I like being by myself. I often forget how nice it is to have someone around just to make random observations with, watch TV with, or to even bring me a cup of tea.
But on the other hand, in terms of planning, it seems like it’ll be here in a flash, and I’m not doing a damn thing about it. Eloping sometimes sounds like such a great idea, but I’m not selfish enough to do that, not when there are two families plus lots of friends who want to be there for when Adam and I tie the knot.
So, I shall prevail in the planning. Whenever I actually resume planning. Which will be soon… I think. 
(Originally published at Anywhere Is…)
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Potluck Entry
Happy 2008, everyone. I have a feeling this year is going to be amazing for me. 🙂 Let’s see why:
– I’m moving to Chicago
– I’m marrying adamselzer ♥
– Aidan’s 5, the best age EVER
– I have a new computer
It’ll be even better if this sinus pain or stuff would clear up.
Today was a so-so day. Healthwise, I was in the worst pain by far all day. Ibuprofen worked enough to make me very sleepy, but didn’t really knock out the pain. I called my doctor to see if he’d have mercy on me and prescibe me something to help me sleep, but I haven’t heard from him yet. Will try again tomorrow. Cause it gets infinitely worse at night, I don’t sleep, I’m miserable, and I am crap all day at work because of it.
I hope this thing clears away soon. The Psuedovent I am on is supposed to be thinning out this stuff, and making it come out of me, but I swear, things have gotten worse. My ears feel like they are perpetually on fire. And my eyes. People look at me and go “do you have pinkeye?” They’re red and all gunky and just, blah. I’m hoping that means things are draining and moving in there, but we’ll see.
Went to the dentist. That’s always fun. I have to get two fillings. Last time I went and they told me that, the cost was frightening and prohitibitive. This time, it didn’t seem so bad. I should probably get it handled before I move, because who knows how long I’ll have to wait for insurance after then? Other than that, my teeth look good, she said. Yay.
My dentist office is cool. I go to The Gentle Dentist. At my appointment today, I sat in a massage chair, and the hygenist and I chatted about Rachael Ray as the Food Network played above me. I got cherry toothpaste for my tooth polishing.
I think I should probably get my eyes checked too, and maybe get some new glasses. The problem is that my insurance says everything is “discounted.” Nothing is “covered,” actually. I’m a little bit wary, because there is no information about the size of the discount or anything.
newlifeinstpaul has been requesting that I post my recipe for macaroni and cheese, so here goes:
Ronni’s Macaroni & Cheese
elbow macaroni (or whatever shape you prefer)
shredded sharp cheddar cheese
shredded mild cheddar cheese
grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
shredded Mozzarella cheese
2% milk, or evaporated milk
butter
salt
vegetable oilBoil the macaroni with butter, salt, and oil until desired firmness. Drain. Add the macaroni back to the pot, and turn on low heat. Add butter and milk. Gradually add cheeses, stirring as you do so. Once you have desired cheesiness, season to taste. Enjoy!
Very easy, very yummy.
Hmm. I had some other stuff, but now that the drugs are kicking in, the fuzziness is taking over and I am not quite sure of what that other stuff was. Well, one is that I am reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. So far, it’s delightful.
Lucy’s been awesome lately. She’s so chill these days, and I now LOVE having her in the room with me at night, or anytime I am in here. One of my favorite things to do is to lie on my tummy, and to have Lucy lie on my legs and purr. It’s so relaxing. Now, she’s taking a bath. :O
Brr! Cold! Temps in the teens and low 20s. But tomorrow, things are supposed to warm up again. Yay.
Yesterday was awful, it went SO SLOWLY! Today was a little bit better, except when the ibuprofen made me really sleepy. Tomorrow’s Friday, which means I’ll pop by the library on the way home, and possibly the grocery store to get some wine. Wine is really good at helping me sleep. 🙂 Then, I’m going to enjoy my weekend of nothingness. Well, sort of. I SHOULD take down the Christmas decorations, as Christmas officially ends January 6th, but I probably won’t. We’ll see how I feel. I really want to get better, so I may simply rest.
Speaking of rest, I should try to do that now. The meds are kicking in hardcore now, and I want to lie down. I have to pay a bill first, though.
Till next time!
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