Thrown for a Loop

Man, oh man have I been thrown for a loop and through the ringer. This stupid Crohn's flair-up that started early last year is still kicking me in the shorts. It is still like reliving 1996, at least this time it is without all the family drama. Well, OK there is family drama, but not like then! Here we are 25 days into the new year, our nation has a new leading man, I have a new job (OMG!!! Thank you to Laurie, Kenny and Terry!) and my GI tract is playing drama queen. My head feels better, even if my guts don't. I love my new job and and I am so fortunate to have it. I have my mucho-mucho needed infusion tomorrow morning, by Tuesday morning (better if tomorrow afternoon) will be ready to take the world by the horns.

Everyday I drive to work and home I give a verbal "Thank You!" to what ever powers that be. Karma, I am paying it forward! I do not care if the Tucson rush hour traffic thinks I am nuts for being happy. They can take the smile on my face and the thanks I have on their drive home everyday. Muhahahaaaa! I am making a fraction of what I have made in my previous employed lives, but I'm working. Have I mentioned how happy I am to have a job?

I am on the little sad side to miss Paul this weekend. While I am at home in Tempe, he is camping with the doggers and friends in the Superstition Springs Mountains. A big Trans-Supes 4 Day Adventure. It will be Daisy Mae's second camp trip and Mina's first. I look forward to hearing all about it. Any who, I am in the house and it is quiet with the occasion crazy cat action. I wanted to be here two days ago, but thought better to leave yesterday, to be incapable of getting out of bed all day. OK, I did make it out of my bed to the back of the house for the Clarabelle check and to the sofa to watch a movie. But that wasn't until sometime after 4. I was able to get down and keep down some rice, jello and toast. They must have given me the gumption to get on the road today, 2 days late. Poor Zelda had been without her pill crazy pill and was a touch manic when I pulled into the driveway.

Being chronically ill and having animals around all the time can be a bit off putting. I love the companionship. I love the unconditional love (with the exception of Clarabelle's mood swings and biting issues, but I have grown to accept those. So, I care for a cat with falconer gloves? What's wrong with that?). The part that unnerves me is the sitting vigil. Like they are waiting for me to explode? Implode? Die? Burst into flames? What? What am I going to do? I was stoned to the gills on my various anti-thises and anti-thats meds with Clarabelle curled at my stomach, Pepper (Mom's brainless cat) at my feet and Bridgette at the bedroom door. I slept in one position for a few hours and not one cat or dog moved. To be honest, come dinner time the dog had different priorities and abandoned me for the length of a can of Mighty Dog, but returned to her post. Poor Katie Scarlet was at the other end of the house making sure my bed didn't fly off to outer space in case I should return for another nap. She read me the riot act when I came to bed after the movie. Honestly, I do not know where I would be without my kids. Tonight, who will be my companion in bed? D'Eggo for sure. Zelda more than likely. Possibly Casper, too. There isn't enough room for all of them and me. Good thing the sofa will not be covered in dogs in case I need some sleep.

Tomorrow is my infusion and I will need to be sure to have the next one scheduled sooner than the typical eight weeks. I do not like the fact I have fallen so far from healthy. I have not been able to run or even walk far. I move about the house like Mr. Burns from The Simpsons. Not pretty at all. I hope I can make it six weeks. I think I will have a hissy fit if I need it every four weeks. And so what if I do? I will be the picture of health sooner, not later. 'Cuz let me tell you: "This blows."

Thanks for listening!

Good News

I have abandoned the ranks of the unemployed! I am back in the black and working. What a relief! Today was the first day after being hired pretty much on the spot, yesterday. My new boss was quite frazzled after her last office manager up and left after giving her 2 seconds notice. I have a friend of a friend and a that friend to thank for recommending me to the new place and vice versa.

There was some deep irony somewhere as I was driving to and from the interview listening to NPR report the numbers of the unemployed. A dark irony was there, somewhere.

Today was a good day. It was the first day on the job and I worked with the new boss lady. I think it is a good match. She has had some bumps and bruises along the way with my predecessors, but in a few hours I left them in the dust! I dazzled her with my Excel spreadsheet skills. It was truly fabulous. I feel fabulous!

After applying to so many jobs to never receive any feedback or learn via NPR the companies where I had applied were cutting jobs, I was discouraged. I began drowning my sorrows in third grade AIMS pretest Math test grading for Mom and a fellow teacher. Hey, I got an Endanger Species chocolate bar out of the deal. That doesn't suck at all. And then ring-ring went my phone and here I sit today: employed.

So far 2009 is smoothing itself nicely.

The Good of 2008

My current list of The Good of 2008:

• Appreciating my family, Paul, Bridgette, Clarabelle, Casper, Grendel (rest in peace, my old man), Katie Scarlet, Pixel, Reece and Zelda
• Loving Daisy Mae, Diego and Mina, our newest family members
  
• Thanking old friends: Laurie, Gary & Renee, Grant, Heather, Golondrina, Monica, Suzanne & Todd
• Reconnecting with long lost friends: Robin and Meredith
• Making new friends: Luz, Yolanda
• Vampire Masquerade Ball w/ my dancing peeps
• Duran Duran concert w/ Laurie
• Girls’ Weekend w/ Heather (oh, the cheese...)
  
• Deciding to return to school (for sure) in January ’09: Human Resources watch out.
• Raised $4501 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
• Raised $350 for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America
• 5k for the Cheetah Conservation Fund
• Half marathon for LLS (Both good and bad)
• Running improved my bone density back to normal levels!
• Battled new and improved complications of my CD and won for now. Suck it Crohn's. You haven't heard the last of me.

A few days into 2009 and it isn't so bad

I was madder than a bag of cut snakes until noonish on January 1, 2009. Spending the day doing nothing of worldly importance other than buying sassy underwear, drinking tea and skulking through Bookman's with my dear Suzanne; I felt much better come dinner time. After Paul slept off the remainder of his sick, he took me out for a bite to eat.

The first day of the new year was saved.

Happy New Year 2009

It has been only 11 hours since the new year began. I have not slept, yet. I went to a party, but left early thinking it would be best to ring in the new with Paul. I got to the house with minutes to spare. I popped the bubbles, Mina stole the cork (and has been nomming it since), we clinked glasses with friends visiting from CO, and a few minutes later the fun began. Paul got sick and puked everywhere. The sofa, the rug, his shirt, a pillow, a blanket. What a freakin' mess. I cleaned everything he graced. He was like a little kid or a dog, retching... retching... retching. I stayed up and watched him until the spice stopped flowing. A couple hours ago the visiting friends departed, Paul got himself cleaned up and in bed, I made myself breakfast, Daisy stole it and ate it. I think I'm going to get cleaned up and head out. Seriously? Is this the beginning of my new and improved year? Ugh.

I am compiling a list of all the things that were good in 2008. In the same token all the things that sucked. I will keep the sucking list to myself.