On Vaca!
After a very looooong, busy week at work, I’m heading out towards Alabama. Watch out for me if you’re along I-10 between Houston & Mobile 
July 3, 2008
June 30, 2008
My head hurts
This upcoming weekend, I was supposed to go visit my dad and mom. I was gonna drive with one of my cousins. Well, apparently, this cousin called my mother and asked if she could bring her friend. My mom said yes. Even though mom knows I don’t care for this friend. Completely disregarded that I will have to spend 8 hours in a car with a person that I don’t particularly care for and that is just on the ride up there. Why?! Because she just “didn’t know how to say no”. Really, cause NO is one of the simpler words in the modern language. One syllable. Universally understood by all.
June 26, 2008
Interesting…
Received a text from my mother this morning:
“If something were to happen, could you pay the bills on the house.”
Can you feel the sense of dread?! I mean, of course I can pay all the bills on the house (currently they are split between my parents, brother, and myself), but any message like that startles a person (to say the least).
My dad has been doing his job (in natural gas pipelines) for over 30 years - it’s been good to him and in turn, given me a lot in life. We are in no way rich, but we don’t hurt either. They helped pay for part of my college, the rest are loans in my name ($24K). Anywho, we really never complain about the oil industry because of our affiliations with it.
But, in the past year or so, my dad has noticed a shift in the behaviors of the ‘upper level’ executives. A company that used to make profits yet also look out for their employees, is now forcing my father to oversee 5 different pipeline installation projects at the same time. Meaning he is responsible for happenings at 5 different locations that he can not be at. He has mentioned this to his executive director several times and keeps getting the answer of “we know we are getting someone in to help”. Two weeks ago he gave them the option of either getting him help or paying him more money (his salary normally oversees 2 projects at once).
Well, today, there was an accident at one of the sites he was not at. Although he is 100% in the clear and not responsible for what happened, it pisses him off knowing that if he could have been there, this accident would not have occured. Basically, his concern is more with the welfare of his workers than with whether or not he pulls the project in on time.
So, he apparently called my mom and asked if she would be upset if he walked off this project - something he has never done (but is somewhat common in the industry). Mom called me, and we both agree that if it is so severe that he’s actually wants to leave, then he should and we will support the decision.
Kind of makes me wonder if this was supposed to happen (newbie readers: I believe in ’signs’ and fate). Maybe I was supposed to move home and work in Houston, so that my dad would be able to have the opportunity to take his own little stand.
June 23, 2008
The Rest of My Weekend
Sorry, was so enamored with the armadillos, I didn’t post anything else!
On Saturday, I went to a WW meeting and ended up transferring my online only subscription to a monthly pass. The meeting is held at the hospital of a neighboring town. The group was so sweet and helpful. They even let me know about a locally owned gym that is open 24-hours. ((Jaw drops))
As soon as I was done with the meeting (down 1 lb., btw) I hauled booty to the gym. It’s staffed from 8am-8pm; but you use your access card to get in at any time. It has classes that start at 5a.m. and run to 9 p.m (including a Spin class that I want to go to). They also have a pool and personal trainers (10 sessions for $330!!!) THEY EVEN HAVE A WII Fitness CLASS!! How crazy is that - they have 10 controllers and project the ‘game’ onto one of the walls. LOL!! Yeah, I completely signed up on the spot ($32 a month).
I cancelled my membership to 24-Hour Fitness the next day
I got half of my health news back. All of the blood work - which would have indicated severe liver issues - came back negative. They are supposed to call me today or tomorrow about my ultrasound. I’m still hoping for no problems or fatty liver! Will keep you posted.
Garden Diggers
I was blaming Raccoons for destroying my garden (my squash is completely dead), but yesterday evening I finally found the culprits:
There is a whole family of armadillos living under my neighbors house, coming over to my garden at dusk. For non-country dwellers - armadillos are blind, so they don’t really have a concept of daylight savings time….it was 8:30 p.m. when I took these. Because they are blind, all I had to do was sit completely still and wait for them to walk up to me. The only reason I made him run away is because he was about to walk on my foot….armadillos have crazy sharp claws and I was scared he’d scar my leg (was wearng flip-flops).
Sadly, I’m going to have to remove these creatures from their current residence. Yes, they are much cuter and less rabid than raccoons; but they do do a number on a person’s yard. Tonight I’m going to ”catch” them with a fishing net, pop them in a plastic container and take them down to a river. My neighbor is trying to kill them, so I’m hoping I can be faster than he.
June 20, 2008
Why?!
Why would a doctor’s office call my office and leave the following message:
” Paige, we have the results of your ultrasound and bloodwork, please call me back immediately” at 12:42.
Then when I call back, at 1:05, I have to leave a message because the doctor’s office closes at 1pm.
WTF?! They have my cell number, WHY DIDN”T SHE CALL THAT?! Not only that, it is freaking FRIDAY!! I now get to panic and freak out until Monday morning to get my results. ERG!!
June 18, 2008
Possible Diagnosis???
Went to a gastro yesterday. The great thing about working at the Medical Center is that I can see who specializes in what and focus in on who I want to see. Well, my doc walks in, I tell him my history. He presses on my upper abdomen (learned a new term: Epi-gastric region). He pulls up my bloodwork from 3 weeks ago and goes “Um…Did your doctor tell you your liver enzymes were elevated?” I said yes, but that my GP told me they weren’t that high in the ‘abnormal’ range, so not to be worried about it.
Doc: “Well, yeah, I guess I’d expect a GP to think that, but for your age, both your levels are THREE TIMES the normal range.”
Well, obviously, that made me pause. We talked through it all, and he’s leaning towards NALD (Non-Alchoholic Liver Disease) or Fatty Liver. Fatty Liver is completely curable, so I’m hoping for that option. They took more blood to check some other liver functions, I have an ultrasound on Friday, and if my liver is ‘glowing’ in the ultrasound, I have to have a liver biopsy. Crazy, right?!
He was a VERY good doctor, told me not to worry, that I was already on a good path by losing weight. He told me to watch my fat content in my foods and aim more for a low fat diet - which I think works well with Weight Watchers.
So that’s my deal for now.
June 17, 2008
The Firm is kind of awesome!
Ok, so I bought the TransFIRMer set over the weekend. It includes a ‘training schedule’ which runs Mon-Sun, so I waited until yesterday to start. I locked the pups up in their room (yes, my dogs have their own room, I know, I’m crazy), set up the steps, got my 5 pound weights out (note to self: get 3 and 8 pound weights), and popped in the DVD.
OMG!! The “Supercharged Sculpting” dvd was only 38 minutes, but was seriously awesome! It reminded me of BodyPump, just done with handweights and in the privacy of my own home! I had a killer sweat going afterwards, and this morning my legs are sore!!
Today will be an easy day of walking or riding my bike, then tomorrow I do the dvd’s again.
Such Fun!!
June 13, 2008
Yuck! and Yeah!
Not sure what is going on but my stomach issues are back in full force. I’ve taken the Prevacid every day, but starting yesterday, my stomach felt overly bloated and full. This morning I woke up nauseous and nasty. I’ve made an appt. with a gastroenterologist. No offense to my primary care doc, but obviously he’s not catching something. I’m kind of wondering if it’s a food allergy?? I had some nuts yesterday and within an hour the sickness began. And no, I don’t think its posioning from tomatoes….I get my tomatoes from my neighbors garden; in exchange for figs from my fig tree. The benefits of a small town
All that being said, I also decided to do WW Online. I think it’ll be a good way to keep me accountable (other than here of course ).
I’m also thinking of buying The FIRM set ( I think it’s called TransFIRMation) it comes with weights and a gagillion videos. My mom has mentioned her buying a treadmill!!! We’ll see how that goes.
