Quick Update

It's been a few days since I last blogged, but nothing has really happened.

Last night the hubs and I went out to dinner and a movie. We had dinner at Logan's Roadhouse. Dusty had a steak, baked potato, and a salad, he paired this meal with a couple of beers. I, on the other hand, was wanting to try something new; so, I got the grilled salmon, with a salad, and a grilled mushroom skewer. My drink of choice was Classic Coca-Cola. Dinner tasted pretty good, but for some reason I got full fairly quick.

After dinner we headed to the local cinema, where it was ridiculously crowded. We were too late to catch the movie in 3D, so we got tickets for the next regular showing. At this point, we had over an hour to kill, before the theatre would let us back. So to pass the time we went across the street, to Academy: Sporting Goods. 

While there, we just looked around. I wasn't really planning on buying anything, but Dusty had different plans. The day before, Dusty had shown me where there was a hole in his work boots; this led to us picking out a pair of new boots. We ended up finding the exact pair that he already had; unfortunately, the store did not have his size (he wears a 13). No matter, Dusty decided that tomorrow (which is really today) we would go to Ervin's (a western and work store) for some new boots. So I started thinking we would get out of this store purchase free, until my husband became obsessed with a toy helicopter.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I agreed to let Dusty buy a remote controlled helicopter...it didn't survive one day. After flying it in the house, he took it outside. There the dogs tried to get at it, but it ended up flying straight up into a tree. It managed to get stuck in a lower branch on an oak tree, the only problem was that this low branch was a good 50 feet or more in the air. We tried everything to get it down, but short of cutting the tree down, the only thing left to do was shoot it down. So with a BB gun, Dusty managed to shoot some of the twigs holding the helicopter in place, but inadvertently shot the toy too. The helicopter never flew again.

So, that memory was fresh in my mind when trying to decide whether or not to buy him this newer, more expensive helicopter. This one advertised that it could take up to 200lbs of force. So I reluctantly agreed, on the condition that I got to pick out a purchase of equal value, and Dusty had to carry the box for that thing. So I bought a new purse, and Dusty looked like a man-child.

Afterwards, we went back to the theatre, where I had to scour the parking lot for an empty space. Once parked I switched purses and we headed inside. We went and saw Thor: the Dark World. It was great, and as I said on Facebook, it toyed with my emotions. With out giving away anything, I think the director must have been watching too much Game of Thrones or Walking Dead, because one of the main characters dies, comes back, dies, comes back...it was just an emotional roller coaster. But I loved the movie. The bonus scene during the credits (FYI: after ever Marvel movie there is always one more scene, so for the love of all that is holy, do not leave!) confused me, but then again I'm not as familiar with the comic book story line as I would like to be.

Anywho it was a great night. Also something that popped in my head just now, that is completely unrelated. Please when a family member is admitted to the hospital for any reason, address their Code status, and the measures that they would like performed to keep them alive. Maybe I'll elaborate more on that later.

Until then, good day!

Splendid Sunday

This Lord's day was great. I started it off by waking up early to make breakfast which consisted of muffins, left-over steak, and eggs. I also made my self a nice hot cup of peach tea that I sweetened with some honey. Now I'm not a hot tea drinker but this stuff was good!

After breakfast I got a shower and prepared myself for church, while Dusty played Call of Duty. He insisted that he only needed 15 minutes to get ready. So even though it stressed me out, he waited till the last minute to get ready. We did end up leaving the house on time. 

Today was special, because we were trying out a new church. The people were very friendly. The congregation had a mix of families and age groups, but there were plenty of seniors there, which was to be expected. The pastor was enjoyable and did a good job of preaching his sermon. After discussing it with Dusty, ke believe will attend this church again in the near future.

After church, it was on to the grocery store, where we spend all our time and money...or so it seems. Dusty was craving Asian food, and while I'm not crazy about it, I agreed. Once home I prepared said food, which ended up being a lot. I tried the sweet and sour chicken, because Dusty insisted, but it was gross. I tried the pork egg roll, also bad. So all I ate was fried rice, with yum-yum sauce, and some chicken lo mein. 

After eating such a huge lunch (sarcasm), I became very sleepy. So I took a nap on this rainy afternoon. I had only intended to nap till 3:30p but when I woke up it was after 4:40p and I had a crook in my neck. After some neck stretches and an Oreo to wake me up, I decided to finish working on my Christmas tree.

The Christmas tree looks great. I didn't even use all the ornaments that we bought yesterday. My bottle cap snowmen and scrabble words look awesome. It's not very fancy, I don't have any garland,  but I never used it much to begin with. I'm pleased with it though.

And to finish out the night I warmed up a peach cobbler. Dusty and I both had some topped with eggnog ice cream (made by Edy's, it's so good)! Now we are both in bed, about to catch some Z's. So now you know how my Sunday went. I hope yours was just as pleasant.

Until next time!

Soothing Saturday

Well here's a quick snippet of how my Saturday off played out.

To begin with, Dusty and I got up and went to the Home Depot. While there, we purchased some Christmas decoration, a tarp for the lawn mower, some work gloves, and a pair of grilling tongs. We then went from home improvement to groceries. At the Winn-Dixie we bought steak for dinner and food for Thanksgiving, as well as food to satisfy our fatty selves. We also had to stop by the pharmacy and buy pseudophed. Me nor Dusty are having any sinus problems, so I questioned him about such a purchase. He said it was for his mother, who lives over an hour away! I was asked him why she couldn't buy it herself, and he said in Mississippi that they needed a prescription for it. Now I know that you have to go to the counter to buy the medicine, so that they can be certain you're not a meth-maker, but do you really need a prescription? Even I as a nurse was unsure. So I did the logical thing and called my mother. She assured me that unless the laws had changed, that all I needed to do was show my driver's license. Which is what ended up being the case.

After arriving home, I questioned Dusty about how and when his mother was going to get her medication. Of course hi answer is "I dunno." We'll fortunately for us, his mother's partner called. She wanted us to meet her...in Coker! Now assuming you don't know where Coker is, that's about 30 minutes from my house. Granted she's driving in from Columbus, but seriously you might as well come over if your coming 2/3 of the way. Her reason for not coming into town was traffic! Please the football game is in Starkville! Plus, highway 82 is 4 lanes for the most part! But whatever, anything to make the inlaws happy.

Well once we returned from that journey, we watched Man of Steel (which was pretty good; I love Henry Cavill now). Then I made Scrabble ornaments, while Dusty grilled up out steak.

It was just about dinner time when I realized I had missed a call from my parents, so returning the call, I discussed a range of topics with my mother that led back to football. She was watching the Auburn game and was giving me the play by play, beings how we didn't have it on. Also, I am an avid Auburn fan. There was  less than 2 minutes left and Georgia had just taken the lead 38-37. So after much talking and pleading Dusty flipped it over to the game. It was 3rd down and we threw an incomplete. So we went for it on 4th and 18. A Hail Mary to be remembered! It looked like a interception but it bounces out of the defenders hands and into our receiver's hands for a touchdown! I have never been so thrilled over a play! It made my night!

From there we ate delicious steak and potatoes, while watching the Bama game. But I got bored with that, so I did what I said I wouldn't do and put up our Christmas tree. I had just bought it earlier this week and was determined to celebrate Thanksgiving before putting it up. But with all the Christmas decoration buying and ornament crafting, I just couldn't help myself. So I at least assembled it, and I will probably decorate it tomorrow after church.

Well that's been my crazy Saturday, it really want that soothing, until I took my nap. Anywho, I hope yours was well too!

Until next time!

Opinion / Soap Box Time

Beings how it is all in the news, I figured I would go ahead and join the countless others, in giving my opinion about the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare.

To let you all know, I am a Republican, and while I may not agree with them on everything, this is one thing I do agree with.

I cannot stand Obamacare. Maybe it's the way that I was brought up; you can thank my parents and grandparents for that, because I do. I was reared learning that you must work hard for what you want and need, and you must work hard to keep those items as well. When I was little if I wanted a toy or to go out or just some extra cash, I had to earn it. At my parents' home we didn't spend money for services we could do ourselves. My dad, in particular, bestowed upon me vast knowledge of how to care and tend to our home and property. With those experiences, I am now quite the handy-woman. My mother, on the other hand, taught me to care and love deeply, and to always help others when possible. With my parents' guidance and dedication I formed a work ethic that has gotten me far and will hopefully get me further in my career and in life.

I am all for helping the poor, needy, and less fortunate, because that's what is right and that is what Jesus would want. However, I am completely against funding the lazy and giving handouts to those who are capable of doing all that I can do.

As a nurse I see the abuse of Medicare and welfare. Patients come in with legitimate healthcare problems; however, they expect us to fix them and then they can leave and go back to the life that they were living. When you don't listen to your doctor's instruction how do you expect to get better? Medicine has come a long way and continues to make advancements everyday, but medicine will NEVER cure laziness, negligence, or just plain stupidity.

I understand that some health conditions can not be helped, such as type 1 diabetes, certain cancers, genetic related  conditions. However, many can. Type 2 diabetes, for instance while not curable, can be greatly managed through diet and exercise, oh but that might mean work and having to put in effort...the horror. Lung problems, more specifically lung problems related to first hand smoking. If you smoke, then you brought it upon yourself. Why should I have to pay for you doctor bill when you're the one who payed for and put yourself in that position. Same goes for cardiac patients. You're 300-400 pounds and you wonder why your arteries are clogged off. When I as a nurse teach you before you leave the hospital to exercise and diet (no salt and less fat), that's not a recommendation. That was an order! Otherwise, I'll just see you later down the road, either in the hospital or the obituaries. My favorite though is the druggies. Now people are wanting to legalize marijuana for health benefits, but did you know that marijuana can cause your heart to go into atrial fibrillation? When your heart is in this rhythm it doesn't pump blood correctly, which can lead to clots, which inevitably can lead to a stroke or worse without proper medical intervention. Then we have our cocaine users. Until I started working at the hospital I had no idea there were so many cocaine users. Cocaine causes increased blood pressure and heart rate, over time this damages the heart. Yet these are the patients that come to the hospital for chest pain and get to stay for a few days till we hopefully "fix" them. I don't know about other nurses but I try my best to convey the importance of being compliant with medications and to stop using drugs. Inevitably, though, the patient leaves and if they haven't OD'd then we see them back later for the same reasons. And the whole time tax-paying working class people (you and me) are paying for them!

These are the people who either have no insurance or either they have Medicare. Either or I'm the one stuck footing the bill.

And it will not be any different with the Affordable Care Act. My insurance premiums are going up because insurance companies can no longer refuse customers. Now I have to pay more for myself as well as pay for others. It makes no sense at all.

I work hard for my money and I would love to keep it, not because I'm greedy but because its mine! Sounds to me like those who are in favor of the new bill are the greedy ones. You know it wouldn't be so bad if it was just helping the less fortunate, but it's not. It's helping the fortunate but lazy. 

I understand the need and want to help everybody, but sometimes in order for that there has to be tough love. You work hard and try your best. Keep your nose to the grind stone and keep a clean slate. Because in the end hard work, dedication, and a good work ethic will pay off. Although it might be harder now with more folks jumping on your coat-tails, but don't give up. Because if we as the working class give up then society as we knew it will forever just be a page in a history book.

Stepping off the soap box now.

Leave me comments.

A very unproductive day

As I sit here on my couch, I have come to the realization that today has been very unproductive.

To begin, I had planned to go by work and turn in my insurance documentation for open inrollment. We'll that didn't happen because I slept late.

Also I was suppose to work tonight; therefore, I took a nap for a couple of hours. When I woke up I felt extremely tired and a little crampy. I figured a nice shower should do the trick, but no it did not. The shower did wake me up, but afterwards I broke out in sweats and had more cramps. I thought maybe my self-diagnosed IBS was flaring up; however, the only thing I had eaten prior to these events were some whole grain waffles and I drank some almond milk. At this point I no longer felt well enough to go to work. 

You are probably thinking that I'm a wuss, but let me tell you, I have worked a 12 hour shift with my IBS acting up and it is in no way fun or pleasant for anybody involved. So I called into work sick.

From there I went ahead and prepared dinner for my husband. Being how last night's meal was home made (see my last post), tonight's was meal was a Stouffer's oven meal. I did fix some cheesy garlic bread to go with it though.

For the evening's entertainment Dusty and I watched Netflix. We are trying to catch up on the series Once Upon A Time. After a few episodes, Dusty who worked all day decided to go to bed. I, on the other hand, am wide awake. So I watched a couple of more episodes, but I decided to stop because I don't want to get too far ahead of him.

From there I ended up here. Sitting on the couch with Roxy and Dozer cuddled up on the other end. Which is huge beings how, I NEVER allow them to get on the couch. I did put a blanket down just for this occasion though. (Dog hair is everywhere in my house.)

Probably the only productive things I did today were: one load of laundry, take a shower, feed the animals, bring in the newspaper and main, and fix dinner. 

Maybe tomorrow will be better. I will turn in my insurance stuff, mainly because it's the last day to do so. I will go put Dusty's paycheck in the bank, and I will go buy Popsicle sticks for my Christmas ornament crafts (I'm taking scrabble letters and gluing them together). 

One thing I can say is that I'm thankful that Dusty and I are in a position so that if we are sick or not feeling well, we can take the day off, and still be financially sound. I know others have to work relentlessly day in and day out. So a word to the wise, be thankful for all that you have; because there is always somebody less fortunate than you.

Bacon wrapped pesto stuffed pork loin with Dixie Stampede vegetable soup

Homeowners and Pinterest

Hello to all!

I swear I will start to blog more. That is going to be my new goal starting....now!

Well since I last blogged there have been some changes in my life.
1: the hubs and I bought out first home.
2: I finished Insanity and lost 20pounds
3: I have become even more addicted to Pinterest.

Now let me explain.

My husband, Dusty, and I finally found our dream home and purchased it back in July. Probably the best 1 year anniversary gift ever. It's awesome. Nothing too fancy. It's a 3 bedroom 2 bathroom brick home in an established subdivision. It has carpet and laminate wood floors, wood burning fireplace, and an updated kitchen. It even has a formal dining room, which makes the hostess in me pop out! I truly love being a homeowner. However there are plenty of changes that Dusty and I want to make. Mainly repainting the main rooms, because all the rooms are a neutral beige color right now. Dusty want to level out the back yard and put up a privacy fence; he also wants a little storage/shop building. Lord help us if I ever wanted something that costly...Haha. But I do have to say being out on our own is a nice and exciting adventure. The only downside is paying bills, but that's how life goes, right?

Anywho, back in June my sister and I finished Shaun T's 60 day Insanity Challenge! Together we lost about 50 pounds. I lost 20 and she 30. She is proof that if you follow the meal plan you WILL have better results. The workouts were tough and after everyone I was drenched I'm sweat, but it was well worth it, for the results. I would recommend this workout routine to anybody serious about wanting to lose weight and get in shape. It isn't easy though and you have to be willing to push your self to the limit and out of your comfort zone. But as long as you stay committed and follow the program then you WILL see results.

After finishing that challenge I have plateaued in my weight loss. Which is sort of expected when you stop exercising and are eating the weight maintenance amount of calories instead of the wight loss amount. But I better make some changes because the holidays are right around the corner and that when the pounds and calories usually get packed on. Which leads toy next point.

I have become even more addicted to Pinterest! I guess it because moving closer to town I now have access to wifi Internet or what, but not a day passes that I don't get on Pinterest or get emails from them. I find all sorts of interesting things. Just last night I made Dixie Stampede vegetable soup, and I got the recipe off Pinterest. Or just the other week I made some Christmas ornaments from bottle caps. Pinterest has made me so crafty. I don't know if its being a homeowner or what, but I have the urge to constantly decorate my house, especially with Christmas coming up. And recipes, oh the recipes I have found look divine! I have tried recreating a few but only if I'm certain my husband will eat them. Plus Pinterest has funny things, and clothes, hair how-to's, and so much more. Now I'm not new to Pinterest by any means but I have come to love and use it on a regular basis whether to past time or as a resource.

Well it's almost time for Dusty's alarm to start quacking (he has a duck alarm on his phone). So I'd better be wrapping things up. Just FYI its 4:25a right now. I've been up since 2a with another bout of insomnia. Which is just another blessing from working nightshift and accidentally taking naps during the day. But that Z-quil stuff is the trick! However I'm out at the moment. Anyways I'm going to do better at blogging more...I hope.

Until Then.
-Quirk of a Girl