Fighting in my sleep

I'm so glad my husband was traveling and I slept alone last night. I dreamt about being chased and attacked. At one point, my "attacker" was holding my head with his arm outstretched. I flailed my arms trying to hit him, but couldn't reach him. (You know - kinda like a big kid taunting a little one. :) I ended up kicking him HARD. And woke up kicking and hitting the air. Twice last night, I woke up punching or kicking as hard as I can. I can't tell you why I had these dreams. Weird stuff.... I'm just glad my husband wasn't here to accidently become my punching bag!

Big Sister

I’m very impressed with Natalie’s attentiveness to her siblings. She is a WONDERFUL sister. I probably don’t tell her this enough. Last week, I was listening to stories of things that Natalie has done recently for her siblings. It made me think. She is always there for any of her younger sisters or brother when they need her, or when she thinks they will appreciate her involvement in their lives. (Natalie – You are amazing.) It made me think about my life and realize that MY big sister always played a similar role in my family. Although, I’m sure my big Sis, Sue, never got the appreciation she deserved.

So here’s to MY "Big Sis", Sue:

You were a pain to live with at times, but so was I. That's because we were so different as teenagers, but we’re really not that different at the core of who we are now.

I watched you lead the way in family matters and gaining independence. I learned from your mistakes and thank you for the path you paved for us younger sibs when we still lived with our parents. (Heck, you even helped me when I got my first period because we were visiting our father!!)

I looked up to you as you left the house, got married, and started your family. You taught me a lot – from cooking, coping with life issues, the joys of simple things, and how to fix a good Bloody Mary. You even taught me that toddlers can “gum their chicken to death” before they have grown teeth!

When I decided to quit college and get married, you were the ONE person in the family to support me. You agreed to be in the wedding and let me stay with you before the big day. (BTW, I’m SO SORRY that you weren’t the Matron of Honor. I was stupid.)

You were also the one that kept the family connected. You called everyone weekly. You organized cookouts and family get togethers. You were always interested in your siblings’ lives and took an interest in your nieces and nephews. There were times when you just “kidnapped” my kids for a couple of days to play and bake cookies. Ash and Adam still talk about these trips.

You were our dad’s caretaker. No question about it. When the inevitable occurred and our dad entered long-term care, you picked the best facility and checked on him DAILY. Because my kids were very young at the time, your caretaking was SUCH A HUGE help and brought me and our brother peace of mind.

Then you went away to CA, and I miss you. I’ve done a poor job of maintaining regular conversations with you, and I’m just realizing how much I’ve lost. You are always kind, giving, caring and selfless. Additionally, you have a great sense of humor, cooking skills, intelligence, and optimism. I’m sorry I missed out on enjoying more of your life in the past few years, but I want to change all of that.

My Big Sis is coming to WI this week. I can’t wait to see you! I realize that you want to see many family members and old friends, but I hope to make it a “vacation” for you, Dre and Christina. I miss you Sis!!! Can’t wait to see ya!

Boredom...

I have SO MUCH to do at work, and I am SO FAR behind!

To get access to some of the tools that I need to do my job, I need to take "mandatory training" that should last a mere 30 minutes.

Ok... I can multi-task and half-listen while I do REAL work.

But this training has droned on and on and on and ON for 75 minutes! And it's still going strong!!!

YIKES!!!

Will I ever just get my user ID and password to use the darn web conferencing / collaberation toolset??????????

Allergies Suck

It's a bright sunshiney day...
and I. AM. MISERABLE.

My eyes are watery and itch.... A LOT.
My nose is runny... and itches A LOT.
I sneeze
and sneeze
... and sneeze
....... and sneeze some more!

I can't breathe out of my nose.

I take Zyrtec and it doesn't help.
I take one Benadryl and it helps only a very little.
If I take another Benadryl, I'll be asleep.

I hate allergies.

Madison is the fourth worst place in the USA for pollen and other allergens this spring. If you don't believe me, look here....
http://www.medicinenet.com/10_worst_cities_for_spring_allergies/article.htm

The Radio - A Joke

I received one of those "chain emails" today from my Sister in CA. It's hilarious so I'm sharing with the blogosphere..

Just when you have lost faith in human kindness, someone who teaches at Kean Elementary in Wooster, Ohio forwarded the following letter. The letter was sent to the Principal's office after the school had sponsored a luncheon for the elderly. An old lady received a new radio at the lunch as a door prize and was writing to say thank you. This story is a credit to all humankind. Forward to anyone you know who might need a lift today.

Dear Kean Elementary: God bless you for the beautiful radio I won at your recent senior citizens luncheon. I am 84 years old and live at the Sprenger Home for the Aged. All of my family has passed away. I am all alone now and it's nice to know that someone is thinking of me. God bless you for your kindness to an old forgotten lady. My roommate is 95 and has always had her own radio, but she would never let me listen to hers, even when she was napping. The other day her radio fell off the nightstand and broke into a lot of pieces. It was awful and she was in tears. Her distress over the broken radio touched me and I knew this was God's way of answering my prayers. She asked if she could listen to mine, and I told her to kiss my ass. Thank you for that opportunity.
Sincerely, Agnes Baker

Gym Fridays

It seems that no one works out on Fridays. (Honestly, I usually only work out on Fridays if I can sneak it in before 5pm.) But this week was different.

At the gym this Friday evening, there were a mere FOUR people there. And one was a trainer! It was a very different experience than normal. No waiting for a machine... and I could stay on as long as I wanted, not a 30 minute limit.

It was interesting to watch the personal trainer. He had his trainee spend only a little time on a treadmill -- running, not walking. Then not a single weight machine was used! All good old-fashioned calisthenics. Lunge while you walk around the entire track. Now do it holding some dumbbells. Crunches. Some free weights - biceps and presses. No need for expensive Nautilus gear... just do the basic push-ups, sit-ups, lunges, and squats. Mix in a little running, and viola! You're a new person. :)

I don't have cancer!

YAYYYYYYYYY!!!!

Yes, I was EXTREMELY worried. When the doctor tells you they found "an area of concern" on your test, it scares you. Very much.

Glad to report that after more tests, it was decided that I DO NOT have cancer. Whew! I didn't realize just how worried I was until the weight was lifted from my chest. I can breathe again. :)

Do the Happy Happy Joy Joy dance with me!