NEGLECT

Dear Blog Friends,
I have badly neglected my poor blog. I surely hope to remedy this. I once again have free time on my hands. The girls came to live with me and it was a whirlwind on my life. I was tired but blessedly happy with having them here with me daily. We had many arguments and struggles adjusting to each other again. We had TONS of fun and laughed a lot. It was Wonderful connecting with each other again. My youngest made some great progress in catching up her reading level. We had a routine of going to the library once a week at least. I got them both bitten by the reading bug. I am super proud of that! Most of my family was surprised with how well I adjusted and jumped in handling life with them. I didn't back off or stop even when I was my most tired or frustrated with things. When the school year ended the girls went back to their Dad, in California for a visit in the Summer. The youngest was up in the air about not coming back. She sorely missed her sisters and grandparents there. The older one was adamant that she would be returning. They even left some really important stuff behind. When the time came for their return flight, they told me that they were staying. I don't know what transpired there for them to change their minds. I am sorely disappointed and depressed about this development. Mostly I worry about them finishing school and getting a good education. It seems my ex has been a bit lax in that department with them. Well enough of laying my heart and mind bare for all to see on this matter. Anyways, now you see I have time once again on my hands and the ability to revive my Blog and my old online friendships.

The Law of the Garbage Truck

 Emails.  Now I don't know about you folks but I dread my e-mail. I am horrible at handling it daily.  Although since I have joined Shelfari I have gotten much better at going through it daily.  Which is a HUGE improvement and much better then I handle my real life mail. That's a whole nother story.  I have my Mother (aka The "News Buffer"), and my Dad (aka "Navy Guy"), who send me about 10-15 emails daily.  Now they both have their own collective genre of emails they like to send me.  I.E. Some religious/spiratual, and Political from the "News Buffer".  Some Political and Dirty Pictures/Dirty Jokes from "Navy Guy"  They both email me jokes and chain mail letters.  Then you go and join a group, a game, or fall for a trick like Surveys for this item or that and they all want your email.  So for a while I was giving my email out like Candy.  Then the way I hit and miss on containing it, before I knew it I would have easily 2000+ emails. 
My mother has made it her daily job to tackle her emails at very minimum of twice daily.  She has even gone in and cleaned my email out for me on several occasions in the last few years because I had more then 5000+ emails unopened.  Now I got smart this past year.  I have one email for family and close personal friends.  I have one for joining everything.  I still need to get another one for joining things like games that just email you once a year if that.  If I have email set up for this blog I will have to make it totally seperate.  Well the parents (whom have been divoriced for eons), luckily don't send me the same stuff to often.  I do not continue chain letters.  They bug me.  I only forward a few really good emails and save my friends and other family their sanity. (Your welcome!)  Once in a while though while sifting through the miriad of emails I come across a Pearl of a joke or story that just has to be told.  It would be unjust not to share this current one below with you all.

The Law of the Garbage Truck

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us.

My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean he was really friendly. So I asked, "Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!" This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks.  They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. 

Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so...Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't.

Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!

So I am wishing you a garbage-free day! 

~Fibro What??~

That is usually what I hear when I let someone know I have Fibromyalgia(sia). The spelling may vary for some but it is still painful. September happens to be National Pain Awareness month. What I have falls under that category. I am sharing with you today a few notes from the National Fibromyalgia Association.

About Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia (pronounced fy-bro-my-AL-ja) is a complex chronic pain disorder that affects an
estimated 10 million Americans and approximately 3-6% of the population worldwide. While it
occurs most often in women, it strikes men and children, and all ethnic backgrounds. For those with
severe symptoms, fibromyalgia (FM) can be extremely debilitating and interfere with basic daily
activities.

Diagnosis:
o The FM diagnostic criteria, established by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR)
in 1990, includes a history of widespread pain in all four quadrants of the body for a
minimum duration of three months, and pain in at least 11 of the 18 designated tender
points when a specified amount of pressure is applied.
o Since people with FM tend to look healthy and conventional tests are typically normal, a
physician knowledgeable about the disorder is necessary to make a diagnosis.
o Physicians should rule out other causes of the symptoms before making a diagnosis of
fibromyalgia.

Symptoms:
o Although chronic, widespread body pain is the primary symptom of fibromyalgia, a
variety of other symptoms are common in FM patients. Symptoms include: moderate to
severe fatigue, sleep disorders, problems with cognitive functioning, IBS, headaches and
migraines, anxiety and depression, and environmental sensitivities.
o Research has documented neuroendocrine physiological abnormalities that may contribute
to the symptoms.
Causes:
o Recent research has suggested a genetic component. The disorder is often seen in families,
among siblings or mothers and their children.
o Fibromyalgia often occurs following a physical trauma, such as an acute illness or injury,
which may act as a “trigger” in the development of the disorder.
o Increasing attention is being devoted to the central nervous system as the underlying
mechanism of FM. Recent studies have suggested that FM patients have generalized
disturbance in pain processing and an amplified response to stimuli that would not
ordinarily be painful in healthy individuals.

Treatment:
o Since there is no known cure for FM, treatment focuses on relieving symptoms and
improving function.
o A variety of prescription medications are often used to reduce pain levels and improve
sleep. On June 21, 2007, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Lyrica
(pregabalin) as the first drug to treat fibromyalgia.
o Alternative therapies, such as massage, myofasical release, acupuncture, chiropractic,
herbal supplements and yoga, can be effective tools in managing FM symptoms.
o Increasing rest, pacing activities, reducing stress, practicing relaxation and improving
nutrition can help minimize symptoms and improve quality of life.
National Fibromyalgia Association (NFA) is a non-profit [501 (c) (3)] organization
www.FMaware.org (714) 921-0150
NFA 2008©

Pain in the Neck!

Image via Wikipedia So yesterday, I woke up with this HORRIBLE pain in my neck. I must have slept wrong. I think it started because I was reading to my 15year old daughter a couple chapters of a book over the phone. I was reading the chapters not from a book, but from the internet. I was holding the phone with my shoulder while reading, 2 very long chapters of "Midnight Sun" by Stephanie Meyers. My daughter, who lives with her Dad in another state, is OBSESSED with the Twilight series. I believe she has read the whole series at least 3 times now in the past 2 months. In all fairness though, I am the one to blame for the obsession and the way I held the phone. I went to bed right after our phone call. Then who knows what happened.

Have you ever wondered where some of our sayings have come from? For example; "Pain in the Neck". I always have thought about sayings through the years. In this case that phrase is fairly simple to figure out where it came from. Other times though it is difficult to sort out. I of course ask my mother. Mom's are supposed to know EVERYTHING right? Well, now that I am in my 30's and have kids of my own, she felt the need to let me know, that phrase is actually a lie. Of course now my jaw drops. My own sweet mother admitting to "LIEING"!! What other crimes has she committed in the past? Is she even "MY mother"? (Again another fine example of my overactive imaginnation at work, folks. Don't be alarmed for she is in fact my mother.) I can not however vouch for any crimes she may or may not have commited. *giggles

Now because of my grand pain in the neck, I have decided on a new series of posts, I will be posting every so often. It will be called, "Where did that come from?". I wanted to post yesterday and cry and whine about my neck. Then I didn't. I want to try to think of the positives in things. For me this is just that positive. Oh, by the way, my neck feels better but still sore. I can at least move more to the right and look up and down now. LOL

Power Outage, Let the Craziness Ensue!

There I was, 1am in the morning, minding my own business book in one hand, snickers in the other. The whole house shuts down, lights, computers the whole enchilada. Now I am sitting in the dark wondering when the masked ninjas will appear and the major fight scene will take place.
Then I remember, "Hey, this isn't a movie"! As my overactive mind begins to spin its evil web of bad thoughts, I am cursing my big brother for all those years of torture. He could give the best professionals in the business a run for their money. My mother suggests I send him the therapy bills. She lives with my husband & myself. Anyways, I digress. As I find the bravery to breathe, stand up and feel the walls all the way down to my mother's room, while still holding on to my precious snickers bar and book. Hey, I gotta keep the important things safe alright! I make it to my Mom's room, the one with All the emergency supplies. Since I am need of a flashlight, I knock lightly on her door then open it. She is snoozing hard. "Mom"? "MOM, I need a flashlight." Now I grew up with this lady, she always had one of those little pen lights handy. Now I swear I thought she kept it by her recliner, which happens to be where she is sleeping this night. All I hear out her is "Huh, what?" I say, "Mom, the power is out and I need one of your flashlights."
So I wait patiently at the door. I hear lots of fumbling, more fumbling then crash bang boom and her yelling profanities that would turn your grandmothers hair blue without her weekly tinting. So now I managed to wake her up, the woman who hardly can sleep anymore, as well as my husband who had to get up in another hour for work. Poor guy. Then the next thing I hear that isn't dirty from my mother's mouth is "I thought I was in my bed." She was trying to get into one her desk drawers that wasn't there. Well once I can see with some form of light, I see my mother, a.k.a. Grammy Gram to some, has gone and Shoved over a bookcase and her side table clear to the floor. (I think you should lay off the roids Mom.) When it's all said and done, both her and my husband ask me why didn't I just go to bed. Well first of all that would of been the smart thing to do, and we all know I always pick door #2, the difficult and dumb way. Second of all, I was trying to protect my snickers. I mean they REALLY do SATISFY.