My Memory Fails Me

It’s probably mostly due to “old age” but if that’s the case then I have to assume by the time I reach my 60’s,70’s I will have absolutely zilch ability to remember people’s names! Maybe there is some chemical imbalance or something like that going on that is getting worse as I grow older.

 I never had much of a memory when it came to remembering History or Geography in school (which is likely why I hated those subjects with a passion!). And now that I am in my 50’s (early 50’s that is), I find I cannot remember names at all, not only the new ones that I recently get introduced to but I find myself searching in vain for names from my child/teen/early adult time frames. It gets exasperating really! Very annoying and very embarrassing too!

Sometimes a lightbulb will go on days later when a name suddenly "POPS" into my head of some name I had been searching for, then as quick as it came, it's gone again! (I really think I have a chemical imbalance!)

I could see people from my school days forgetting my name, as I was always that person who was neither in or out of “the” crowd, I always seemed to be on the edge, teetering, not quite part of the “inner circle” although not an outcast either. I was just there with them, though if I wasn’t around I would not have been missed! I was that person who people would say “Oh yeah, I think I remember her” but only if you showed them a picture but wouldn’t if they only heard my name.

"Keep Up With Me!"

"Keep up with Me!", that's what the little voice keeps saying everytime my steps tend to slow down a little while watching TV and doing my step aerobics using my WII fitness plus.

Every now and then I get this little reminder that she's still there counting my steps!

I haven't progressed past a 45 min workout yet, but I figure any kind of workout compared to none at all must be a good thing, right? And I have managed to do one every day so far this week! (High Five!)

Bring on the Motivation

The "Winter Blues" has made it's usual return once again, you would think I would grow accustomed to that! But no, I have not, and I am once again in need of a kick in the butt to get myself motivated to do much of anything.

As of yet (and I know you will say get real, it's only Jan 19, what did you expect) 2010 has not started out as I had hoped it would after dragging my ass through 2009! I had to buy a new dryer, my gorgeous 7yr old Zues's life was cut short, and a dear cousin has had a mastectomy. Maybe it has all come at once and now 2010 is ready to bring on the good stuff? Right? (I said RIGHT?)

Anyway, I did start to exercise (and please don't put a damper on my idea of exercise). I got a WII fit plus for Christmas, and finally got it set up (set up meaning I can now turn it on and off without my son's assistance!). So while watching TV I do a 30min step aerobic workout! YEAH for me! I usually always manage to start great and drop off quickly, however since we have just booked a trip to CUBA at the end of March, I now have a very good reason to keep pushing myself. Because if you go to CUBA, you obviously have to wear some beach wear, right? That pretty picture should certainly be enough to keep me motivated!

Broken Hearts

Anyone who owns has brought a pet into their family will know why I am feeling sad and empty today. Yesterday we had to have our precious "Zues" put to sleep.

The poor thing was in such agony, his kidneys had shut down and because he had gone past a certain point he had no chance of surviving the surgery that needed to be done.

In hind sight now (oh how I wish we all had the ability to have it before we do things, or in my case don't do things), I should have taken him to the vet 2 days earlier, and then the outcome may have been a little different, but maybe not. In any case I didn't have hindsight, and now Zues is kept in a special corner of our hearts. (And of course our picture photo albums as he is in there quite alot!).

Gift Of Life

I finally got myself back on track, after a lapse of a few years (and yes I do feel bad about that, especially since it took me so long to start giving blood in the first place!)

I had started to go on a regular basis when I moved into my new job 10 years ago, they set one up where I worked every 2 months, so it was easy for me(and yes I know I should have been able to give anyway without it having to be in such a convenient spot, but come on, people like me don't always do what they should, unless someone pushes or pulls us there!). Anyway I lapsed when I moved out of that building into another spot much farther away (much to my chagrin, but that's another saga).

So when the Red Cross called to see if I wanted to Donate and gave me a place fairly close by that I could attend,I felt bad (really rather embarrassed )that I hadn't gone in about 2 years, so I said you bet, sign me up, get me back on track, make me a better person (ok going a little overboard huh?).

Anyway I did get there today, got through the first little finger prick to see if my Iron was ok, some people I know get to that  part hoping it isn't ,so they get turned away, and they can say they tried but weren't allowed (those would be the chicken sh@#t ones!) Shame on you, and you know who you are!

Then got through the questionaire (this believe it or not is the part that takes up more time than actually giving the blood! )They must ask you in a dozen different ways if you could have any possible chance of having Aids. She took my blood pressure, mine was fine, no thanks to that dang machine! It decided (YES it has a brain) to take a  second one (I think my shirt sleeve through it off, (remembering to wear a loose fitting sleeve would have been really good, duh!) nearly cut off my circulation! My hand was turning blue and I thought my arm would burst! The lady who was in the booth was getting a mighty worried look on her face!! When she asked which arm I preferred to have the blood taken from I said it would have to be the other one cause this one no longer has any feeling in it ! Geez people, way to make me glad I came back!


I do always feel good after donating (getting rid of some of that old tired blood seems to rejuvinate you! ) Well maybe not right away, was just a little Woozy for a few minutes when I first got up, guess that's why they give you juice and a cookie (and these weren't just your average packaged cookies, no sir, fresh baked cookies!) to take away the woozy feeling.

56 more days and I can do it all over again!

Prorogation For Me Too!

Prorogation

At Prorogation:

–Bills that have not received 3rd reading at the time a Session is prorogued either:

•Die on the Order Paper, or

•Are rolled over to the next Session

I want to Prorogate for 6 months , put all my bills on hold for that period so I can formulate plans on how to pay them off! Or perhaps they will just end, never to be seen again? Sounds like a plan to me!

Follow up- Vet Visit

DIABETIC!
That's what she said after the blood work she did, so for the next 2 weeks he needs insulin shots twice a day (and you can be sure it isn't going to be me doing them) plus on top of that we had to change his diet over to a special diet plan purchased from the vet store!

The poor thing had lost 11 lbs in a 2 week period.  No wonder he looked scrawny!

All you could see were those big brown eyes staring at you, his face was just ALL EYES!

Hoping that after 2 wks of insulin plus the diet change that he will be good to go with just the new food,(at least my wallet hopes that), but he is one of the family so you just gotta do whatcha gotta do!

Oh yeah, and the last thing she said was "Don't be surprised if he develops cateracts too!).

Where Did My Dog Go??

It happened over night, well it seemed like it anyway, because one day he was his usual slightly overweight self, (ok likely that part is our fault for feeding him people snacks) and then this one day it was "Where did all the weight go?"

 He is actually looking scrawny, his collar hangs on his neck, last time I checked it all you could get was the 2 fingers you are supposed to be able to fit under! And  since when did he have ribs showing (we hadn't seen those since he was a pup, 8 years ago!).  Like, when did this all happen? Where was I while he was wasting away, it's not like we haven't seen him in a long while?

This summer we had put him on glucosamene for his aching joints (just like mine) and he had gotten back some energy (he could once again jump up onto our bed (oh yah!- (it was heaven while he couldn't cause then I didn't have to share my side, not my favorite thing to do you see, not even with my husband, I like my space)).

 We knew he had had a bug over Christmas, he was a little listless and didn't gobble his breakfast down like he usually does until much later in the morning, but we didn't notice the weight loss so much (perhaps because he was laying around more than usual) and then he got his appetite back, except that he is still losing weight!

We called our vet but can't get him in until Monday.... so for now he is getting all this loving attention,(not that he didn't get it anyway) even has been allowed to sleep on the bed with us when he can make the jump.

You know he's not feeling well when he stays on the sofa instead of following you out to the kitchen (so not like him, you usually trip over him everytime you move cause he goes where you go, even if its to the bathroom,and then you trip over him again when you open the door!) He should really have been fit with all the up and down he does on a regular basis following everyone who moves, cause he was so afraid he might miss something (food), or that you might leave the house without him!

But OMG the snoring! That's really gotta go (well it's really not snoring, cause sometimes his eyes are still open. Can you snore with your eyes open? It's more like weird breathing sounds when he rests his chin down flat and seems to close off his airways). It's even worse when the other one (dog that is) starts snoring too, one on one side of you, one on the other, not even in sync!

Anyway, we're all hoping that it is just a bug and not an age thing (he will be 9 in March and his breed average is 9), but up until now he has always been quite healthy (albeit slightly overweight, but then so am I :(

Who Changed the Guidelines!

Ok, so today I had to go see my Dr so she could "discuss" my recent yearly bloodwork I had done last week.

Aside from needing my thyroid med changed (so I am less tired and sweaty, that will be nice!), and that my blood pressure was up a little (talking about weight will do that you know), we talked mostly about this:

Bad cholesterol: Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) / Good cholesterol: High-density lipoprotein (HDL) / Triglyceride (a type of fat found in your blood) levels

Most people usually have pretty good HDL (which is good) and not so good LDL (which is bad), confused yet, but me I'm a reversal, my HDL was too low, my LDL was still not good, and my trigliceride was too high- wouldn't you just know it,( you know where they do that test where they measure your waistline and if it isn't in the right range they tell you you're at risk for heart disease) she didn't even have to measure mine to know I was at risk in category! (Shame face showing now!)

Things were pretty much the same as they were last year except that HDL part, (although truth be told, last year's results were in need of improvement, but they weren't way out there) however somebody decided they needed to change the guidelines, and in doing so this now means that those results that were borderline last year have now put me in the "risky" category! So not fair!This means keeping the status quo won't cut it anymore.

 

Now she tells me I have 3 months to try to improve what needs to be improved upon through diet and exercise (and I soooo love to exercise,NOT!!), and if it doesn't improve then I have to add cholesterol medication into the mix. Three months (and during cold, wet, yucky weather months) to walk or ride my stationary bike and change my eating habits.

She said she should have bought stock in cholesterol medication pharmaceutical companies with this new guidline! Who knew!

Ok, so now we know what my New Year's resolution has changed to!

How the New Year Came In

This was Jan 1st later in the afternoon, first came the snow, then came the rain(as you can see I took this through the window!). We had intentions of going out to a Levy, but the dreariness outside changed our minds, so I stayed in and took down and packed away the reminants of Christmas instead.!


I was going through a few photos I managed to take during the holidays and thought this one said it all: "Is it over yet"?

Will This be a Better Year?

Well it's gone, all gone, moved on to 2010 (that's sounds so much better(twenty-ten rather than twenty- oh-nine)). I have to admit that I am not sorry to have left 2009 behind and that I am looking hoping praying that 2010 is a kinder year! Not that it was my worst year ever, but it can't be deemed my best year.

I made a resolution (not that I have ever made one and really kept it for more than a very short period of time) to try (notice I said try) to have a frugal year, spend less, pay off cards, that sort of thing. So of course yesterday my dryer decided to DIE on me! Yep, no heat, not much good with no heat! So now my frugal spending just went down the drain and I had to go out and buy a new one, and of course there was a deal on buying a set, washer and dryer, so yep, it only made sense to go that route! So much for this year's resolution! Maybe next year.