feeling human

 I am really going to try to do better at blogging.  I don't why but I just fell out of the habit.  

I am feeling better, I just woke up one day and it was like a switch was flipped and I felt human again.  Still struggling with my appetite but I am eating at regular intervals.  Weight was up to 95 on the dot.  

Saturday I did the weekly tip to my mom's.  It was raining and unusually cooler than normal.  We went and got 2 watermelons.  I told the guy that he has created a monster and I have a two melon a week habit.  I got an orange and red and he picked out two of the larger ones and told me to see if those last me a little longer.  The orange is already gone.  He did say he will be open until Labor Day so I won't go into immediate withdrawals.   We are never on that side of town but it is a few miles away from the organization I volunteer at.  There is a smoked baked potato place that I love so I took my mom there.  I was shocked that she really liked it.  She is so hard to please.  She wanted to see if she could find something new to wear for her birthday dinner so we went to Dillard's.  It was sparse.   I don't know how they are still open.  I found some bath towels on clearance and my mom found a pair of pants she liked.  We ended up going to Marshall's and hit the mother load on clearance.  We didn't realize it was tax free weekend and the line was LONG.  Luckily it moved really fast.  

Sunday morning I noticed Truman had a hotspot.  Dennis had left to go to his mom's.  I called and told him I was going to give Truman a bath and take him to urgent care.  Dennis came back home and said he would do baths because he didn't want me to overdue it after the drama of a couple of weeks ago.  We got him in the tub and he was infested with fleas!  It was bad.  We have never had a flea problem and they are on Frontline so it never occurred to us.  In the passed we did Bravecto and it worked well but they didn't like the taste so we had to force them to eat it.  I decided to try topical instead but we are going back.  Both of the boys got good baths and I gave them the last tube of frontline and ordered more of the oral meds.  I went to Petco and got some Capstar that is a short term flea treatment and some topical for the cats.  I am sure the stray cats are to blame.  That and the strange weather we are having.  I felt so bad for not noticing sooner.  They are acting much better now.  

Once we got the flea issue taken care of I decide d I to go see Theater Camp.  It was pretty funny.  Same old story line as most camp movies, broke ass owners having to save the camp from big bad.  But, there were some really funny and cute scenes.  

Monday was an office day and I am so swamped I hardly had a chance to come up for air.  For some reason everyone was being extra loud and it was driving me up the wall.  I found a good podcast (Behind the Bastards, Clearance Thomas and Dr. Phil episodes) and tried my best to tune it all out.  

After work I decided to go to dance.  I hadn't been in a few months.  I was disappointed that the girl that usually teaches has a conflict and won't be teaching through fall.  The lady that taught was a little chaotic and her warm up and across the floor stuff was just odd to me.  But, the routine she taught was very musical theateresque and a ton of fun.  The owner was there and I said hi briefly but didn't really talk to her.  I am still a little salty over her pretty much ignoring me until she wanted something from me.  I realize I really miss it though.  I plan on going to the heels class on Wednesday night if things stay the way they are with me feeling good.

Tuesday was my Mom's birthday and we had reservations for dinner.  My little sister's boyfriend's birthday is the same day and he came in and ate with us.  Both of my sisters and their SO's came and I know it meant a lot to my mom.  I think Dennis kind of balk at the prices, he isn't one for fine dining so I wasn't surprised when he ordered the cheapest meal on the menu.  His idea of fancy is Carrabba's.  He did go in on the seafood tower with lobster, shrimp, crab and some other stuff that would put me in anaphylactic shock, so he did splurge a little.  I am allergic to shellfish and my mom isn't a huge fan so we got onion rings and split them.  He got a burger, I got stroganoff with house made pasta and prime rib tips, mom got salmon.  I ate enough that no one commented on me not eating so I take that as a win.  My sister's boyfriend was not at all what I expected.  He looks a lot like her ex-husband even if my mom swears he doesn't.  He also doesn't have the fuck boy attitude she had been drawn too.  They have been together since December so I guess it is serious?  

 

I wore heels so I didn't look like a munchkin.  

The rest of the week was pretty dull.  Friday afternoon I got my first official advocate call.  They had someone they were finishing up on that they said they just didn't think about calling me on but they had one coming in that they thought would be a good training experience.  I got there as they were finishing up with the first case.  I didn't know anything about the case coming in except they were coming from a town a couple of hours out.  I didn't think much of it but learned that the victim was a male prisoner.  That was interesting.  He said he was trying to protect his 'roommate' and from what I picked up I am 90% sure the roommate was in for some kind of crime against kids.  It was an interesting first case for sure.  

OK, I have to head out.  Next week I will be in California for a work meeting.  I kind of hope we get a call needing help for the fires in Maui.  I figure it would be a week or so before they can really start to even think about that since a lot of the area is destroyed.  

 

Catching Up

 I have kind of fell off the face of the earth.  Lots of stuff going on but nothing of interest to the outside world and not really sure where to start.

Guess I will start with health.  I have mentioned the last few posts that I have been losing weight and having problems with my appetite.  It kind of came to a head a few weeks ago.  I went to work but couldn't make it to my desk without sitting down to rest.  I stayed at work a few hours and decided I was just too tired to deal with it.  It took me a few hours to work up the strength to get back to my car.  I had to sit down three times and seriously thought about going into one of the other towers (our office in a a series of 3 towers, one of which is a private hospital without any urgent/emergency department).  I got to my car and went straight to urgent care.  I parked and walked in and immediately started dry heaving.  I had barely eaten in a few days.  I had tried but it made me very sick.  They got me back really quick so I hate to think how bad I looked.  When the doctor came in she asked me if I knew someone named Jen.  Turns out she is my cousin's SIL and her brother was the preacher at my dad's funeral.  She was very thorough and did blood, x-rays, EKG, and a urinalysis.  At one point she told me to go home and get some rest and she would call me with results because it was going to be over an hour for one of the tests to come back.  She called me and told me that I needed to come back by and get a CT scan.  Long story short I was a hot mess.  My blood sugar was 60, my heart rate was 125 and showed signs of left atrial enlargement, I showed signs of dehydration but with the heart issues she didn't want to give me fluids (?), and whatever she saw on the x-ray that made her order the CT scan.  They suspect gastric outlet obstruction.  So here is my issue, she wanted me to get a scope done to my stomach but my gastrologist blames everything on the old lapband.  He sends me to the bariatric surgeon who says there is nothing wrong and doesn't need removed.  That means insurance won't pay for it.  I am 100% on board with getting it taken out but not with having to empty out my savings to do so.  I have a roof and a privacy fence to pay for and I just can't right now.  FYI, my weight was 93 at urgent care.  I look like a deflated balloon, even the skin on my legs is just saggy.  

Work is insane.  We are doing audits on traffic counters, which is just as exciting as it sounds.  It is 105 outside and the whole process is miserable. I took most of last week off and now I am super behind.  I have to find time to get about 10 lakes done before October.  A few of these are 4 hours away so it requires travel.  My plan is to go into the office Monday and get a final schedule hammered out. To add to the fun, while I was on the first audit on the lake on the TX/OK border that required multiple days and a week away from home and Dennis called and told me that he got terminated because he turned them in on the employee relation line.  Total retaliation but probably not something you can prove and not sure it is worth hiring an attorney over.  I saw his evaluation and it was really great, not to mention the times he was mentioned by name on google reviews.  I am so stressed out.  I haven't told anyone but you guys and my bff.  When he got laid off I did everything for him as far as unemployment but I am not taking that on this time.  He is a grown ass man and he can figure it out on his own.  I don't need the addition pressure right now.  It has been 2 weeks and he still hasn't filed.  He is on daily pain medications for his back pain and with the stroke I think it would be worth it to try and get on disability.  Again, it is up to him to look into.  I have several people I work with that supports their entire family on my income so I could do it.  He is a saver and probably has the first nickel he ever made so he will be fine until he figures it out.  

I have finally got the cat distribution system worked out.  Frankie, the little siamese went to live with a girl I am friends with on FB.  She stayed with us for about a week.  I just couldn't take on anything else right now.

The long hair tabby was a little bit more complicated.  When Frankie was around the two male tabby's were relentless.  I posted on the neighborhood FB site asking if anyone knew who the cats belonged to.  Apparently the long hair cat is a 'neighborhood' cat.  He was in pretty bad shape as he had been fighting with the other cat to Frankie.  He was really sweet and just wanted to be loved on.  It took over a week for the 'owners' to respond, when they did I told them that we had vouchers to get the 3 cats fixed.  She threw a little fit about how she didn't want him neutered.  So I pulled a fuck around and find out and got the cat treated by a vet and neutered.  I posted him on a Main Coon site because I obviously couldn't put him on FB.  I got an email the next day with some lady from freaking Wisconsin and she wanted to drive down that week to get him.  I did a little research on her and the fact that she was willing to drive 11 hours to get him and the fact that he need to get as far away from this hood as possible.  They will never find him.  He had no chip or collar so fuck them.  I told the vet before they did any of the procedures and she agreed with my sentiment.  By that time he had already been fixed and we released him back to the neighborhood, I wasn't about to let them piss all over my house.  Crazy Lady started driving down to get him before I even had him back in custody.  Her and her son stayed at some airbnb and I told her that I had no idea when he would be back.  They stayed for an extra night and I gave her the location of the park by my house because I wasn't about to give this psycho my address and they said they were going to come and look for him.  Just as they were about to call it quits he showed up on my door.  I crated that bastard up and took him to the park.  He was on his way north in less than an hour later.  She has since emailed me freaking out because he had a flea.  I told her that he had been treated with Revolution but they had to bite him to die.  When I say she was apeshit.  She gave me this long story about how she got fleas in a newish care once and it got infested with fleas and she had to just scrap the car.  She sent me an email today telling me that she had to get a second job to be able to afford vet bills and gave me a list of all the things he needed.  I didn't have an adoption fee and bitch drove 11 hours to get a cat and she can't afford vet bills?  I sent her a message back saying yup, pets are expensive and we were taking care of 3 strays in addition to my pets.  I'm not sure if she was wanting me to offer her money but that isn't going to happen.  At least I know he is getting vet treatment.  The last cat, we call him baby daddy, is still hanging around.  He was the most feral and is just now letting us get close to him.  Yesterday he decided he would rather have scratches than food.  I almost yeeted him to the sun at one point for holding down that sweet little Siamese to mate.  She was not wanting any part of it.  And as I said last time she was pregnant when they spayed her.  He has been neutered too so at least we don't have to worry about that.

So, I woke up yesterday and felt much better.  I have been able to eat without getting sick and am trying to eat small meals to keep my blood sugar up.  I have also started back on betablockers for my heart rate.  I attribute my miracle recovery to watermelon 😛 For the last few years we have been buying watermelon from him and when I say they are the best I have ever tasted, I mean they are THE BEST I have ever eaten.  We have gotten 4 from him in the last 2 weeks.  I finished off the orange meat this morning and will probably polish of the red tonight.  Tomorrow is his last day selling so I will have to ask him how long they will last if we don't cut them.  I very well may cry next weekend when he is gone.  

Tomorrow I am going to go get my mom and go to melon fest - yes that is actually a thing, and out to eat.  Her birthday is Tuesday and we are going to take her out to a steakhouse.  My little sister has been dating a doctor and my mom is eating that shit up.  Anyway, for some random reason he invited my mom to eat dinner with him at Outback 👀 some rich doctor he is.  I have reservations at a place called Prhyme and my older sister and her husband is supposed to meet us there.  My older sister is the golden child so set and match.  I win birthday this year.  It will also give us a chance to talk about the NYC trip.  

Sunday I plan on going to see Theater Camp.  I plan on going by myself but I have a feeling Dennis will decide he wants to go.  He never turns down popcorn opportunities.  I have a feeling with all the strikes in the entertainment industry this might be one of the last movies we see in the theater for awhile.  I really want to see Oppenheimer too but I am not so sure about a 3+ hour movie.  They say it was filmed for a specific type of screen but we don't have one locally not sure if I would notice a difference anyway.  

I have done a little stress shopping.  My favorite shoe store had a sale so I had to help stimulate the economy.  

These were the ones I wanted but I ended up getting the beige combat boots and the top green ones.  I already got the boots and they are too small.  The other pair are supposed to be delivered today so I can try them on.  I am really bummed the boots don't fit.  The website says they are out of my size 😭 When I get the other pair I will see how they fit and call the closest store, which is in Dallas.  I would love to roadtrip to the store but I will probably ship them back and hope they can find some in my size somewhere.  They also have the boots in green and orange so if all else fails I will get another color.  

We got our broadway tour season tickets and purchased tickets for the add on limited run of Book of Mormon.  I wasn't sure if I would be able to go as the show was last week in the middle of my health crisis but I am so glad I powered through.  It was the funniest thing I have seen in a very long time.  5 stars recommend highly.  That was the show I wanted to see while we were in NYC but they had already seen it so I'm glad we were able to catch it.  

Alright that's about it for my dull life.