OMG! I'm turning into my Mother!!!

There is a common joke around here. Sorry Mom, but it pertains to you. For the rest of you here is my story...

While we lived in Milford, my mom worked at IGA up in town. She always got her groceries there. I don't quite remember when she stopped working there, but we moved to Harrison Township in 1986. Quite a difficult move for my sister and I, although my parents would say differently.

After we moved, my mom became a BIG fan of the local party stores. Dick's Party Store was right on North River Road. Literally less than 1 mile from our door. Pete's market, was across the river about 2 miles away. Audrey, my mom and I all worked there at some point. The owners, were pretty decent people, and very hard working.

We had to bypass these two stores to go to the local grocery stores, Kroger and Farmer Jack. When we needed a substantial amount of groceries, we would go to those places, however if it was 1 or 2 items, it was quicker to hit the little party stores... You know the place... where butter is like $8 per pound... Loaf of bread... $5 lol.

Now that has become the joke in our house... As most married couples do, over the years, we have come to know a lot about each other's childhoods. My excitement over getting my license was quickly dashed by the 2000 trips per week up to Pete's or Dicks for a pound of butter. It cost more for the product than it did for gas getting there!

Unfortunately, I find that I am falling into the same bad habit!!! Case in point... I have been to Walgreens twice in the past 2 days! Yesterday it was for laundry detergent, because I wanted to get my laundry going and Costco was too far away(It's like 1 mile). Second was for canned cat food. With Boosters recent "issues" I am finding that the resident moocher wants only canned cat food. He proved it to me today by presenting his dried "reconstituted" cat food onto the living room carpeting.

I have Meijer like a mile away too. Why my sudden obsession with Walgreens? Because 1. I don't wish to take part in international culture day at Meijer which happens to be EVERY day. Apparently manners are not a priority in foreign countries, as their former residents and our new immigrants have shown me.

2. When I need like 1 thing, why in the world would I want to wait behind a person with 237 items in their buggy?

So with that... I got Tide... 2 for $7 and cat food... yes it was pricey at $.69 per can. Petsmart is MUCH cheaper at something like $.33 per can. I am just not into shopping with the weekend warriors anymore. Now I don't feel like I can poke fun at my mom anymore and her extravagant shopping at Pete's or Dick's which is now "D" Brothers.

It all makes sense to me now...

For those of you that commented on my kitchen post and other postings... I just haven't gotten a chance to "publish" them as I still can not log in on the desktop pc. If Katrina (who thinks she has NOTHING to talk about) would UPDATE her blog, then I would be able to leave a comment on her's, which allows me to go to mine without having to sign in again... which would let me publish the comments... so GET CRACKIN GIRL!

Get Rich Quick!

I need money. I big chunk of it. Den and I agree that we both have the urge to tear out our kitchen. I want it redone. Our laundry room is off the kitchen. The washer and dryer are on one side of the wall, with the stove on the other side of the wall. I want that wall removed, and the washer and dryer to go downstairs. (In my opinion first floor laundry is overrated). Dawn said to get Granite counter tops. To me, that is trivial. They are pretty, but overpriced in my opinion. I would like to look at different surfaces, but laminate is fine with me. I want a built in double oven, with a cooktop in the counter. I want the refridge to go where the pantry is now. That will open up our dining area A LOT.

So tell me... where do I come up with a chunk of change? The last thing I want to do is finance it. Plus I don't mind doing manual labor. I know that will save us a pretty penny as well.

And that my friends is my .02 cents!

PS. I LOVE working. There is nothing better than pulling in a paycheck.

Petri Dish Playtime...

That sums it up around here lately. Dennis has had 8 days off. During that time, Emily had the flu which included the hospital stay (this overlapped his last day working), then he had the flu, then Greg caught a cold, then an ear infection, then I caught something. I say something because I haven't the slightest idea what it is. I am pretty sure it is a sinus infection. Luckily I had a prescription that I hadn't had filled yet, so I'm good to go. Now I just need a time warp so I can feel better instantly!

That's about it on the homefront this week. Oh and in regards to the skateboarder that was pushed by the cop... he had it coming. Punk!

Thank God He's Only 5!

Alexandra is Emily's friend. She is very short, and very cute and has VERY long hair that goes well beyond her little hiney. Her father was bringing her over one day and Greg drops this bombshell, "I LOVE looking at your daughter". That statement is verbatim out of Child B's mouth. I almost FELL OVER. Thank God he's only 5 because if he were about 16, I'm sure Mr. Cooper would have knocked his block off. lol.

Enjoy the cartoon! Thank God my cat's like being vacuumed with the hose! Here kitty, kitty, kitty...

The Winds of Change...

The title reminds me of the movie... Chocolat. It is a GREAT movie. However the movie does not relate to my topic. Well sort of... In it, Julia Armond moves to a french town to open up a chocolatrie. She befriends a gypsy (Johnny Depp) which turns most of the town against her. She decides that she and Annuk, her daughter are going to leave. She drags a fighting Annuk down the stairs only to find many of the people that were against her, standing in her kitchen, making chocolates... preparing for a festival. She is floored. With that she decides to stay. With the winds of change howling outside her bedroom window, she decides to throw the ashes of her deceased mother into the wind. The winds of change which had initiated her wanting to move in the first place. She decides her mothers ashes can move on, she and Annuk will stay put.

The winds of change seem to be howling around this house. For some odd reason my taste for coffee is changing too. A week ago, I felt I could not live without it. Suddenly, I find I don't even want it. It's the Green Tea. I'm becoming addicted to the green tea. Today instead of firing up the coffee pot, I made tea instead. This is WAY out of the box for me. That's all I had to say. :)

The movie is one of my favorites. Definitely a "Purchase Worthy" movie!

Lookin' for a Leprechaun!

I'm going to lose it... My mind that is. This week has been the week from HELL! Everyone is getting these horrendous illnesses. Where are they coming from? Are the bacteria and viruses becoming resistant to antibiotics and antibacterial cleaners? This week, Emily went to school on Monday, then proceeded to vomit and have diarrhea the rest of the week. It also included a stay at the Pediatrics Unit at Troy Beaumont Hospital for IV rehydration. I'm telling you... Diarrhea is one thing, but 48 hours straight of vomiting? It makes you gain a whole new appreciation for just having diarrhea. At least you can keep the fluids down!

My week included numerous loads of laundry, catering to her every whim, and trying to comfort her when I was at a total loss. Lucky for us, it all ended for her yesterday.

Fast forward to today... Dennis just came off of a 48 hour shift... He now has the flu. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! He has been in bed all day. I can not believe this. My freshly bleached bathrooms are once again contaminated hazardous zones. Emily is walking on pins and needles. She wanted to leave the moment that she found out daddy has the flu. Can you blame her? Ugh... Cheers to another week in the trenches.

Michigan Stadium dedication - 1927

For your viewing pleasure... Notice the fields around Michigan Stadium! Not to mention the grass leading up to it.

You're doing what?

Laura is a good friend of mine. I met her while her son Brian and Greg were in a Come Play with Me class together two years ago. We've been friends ever since. One day last spring, Greg and I stopped over their house. They live like 1.2 miles from our door - if that. As I pull up, I found a ton of stuff out on their driveway. The entire garage was cleaned out. I thought to myself, "Well that's cool, I finally get to meet Ron" who is her ever elusive husband (he travels A LOT). We knocked on the door repeatedly but no one answered. So we quietly went around back, expecting to find her out there. Sure enough L & B were having hot dogs for lunch. Ron was nowhere to be found. Laura, decided to take it upon herself to clean out the garage, moving shelving units, ladders, paint cans, the whole nine yards. So I asked her why she would do such a heavy task, as it seems like that is the man's domain. (Whenever we have a party, Den's priority is to clean the garage... even if it's 12 below, and even when no one will be out there - it is his "thing").

Her reply... she wanted to sweep and mop the garage floor? "Huh?" I replied. "You're doing what?" She proceeds to tell me that a lot of dirt comes from the garage floor. Especially after the car brings in a lot of salt in the winter.

Today I had that lightbulb moment. I pulled the car out to clean it out and wash it. When I saw what was on the floor, it suddenly became quite clear. This week, providing the weather stays stellar, the garage will be swept and mopped. If Laura can do it, I can do it.

She is on my mind right now as I sit here drinking Green Tea that Den made. It was Laura that got me hooked on it. She says, "A thin slice of fresh ginger and a bit of honey in it make it quite palatable." She has also lost 7 pounds on it for some reason that neither of us can figure out. Now he and I are green tea junkies.

The official "BOOSTER" update...

I think he is playing with my emotions. Friday we had Mike & Donna over. Booster is her boyfriend. He will purr for her at the sound of her voice. Once I even put the phone up to his head and she talked to him. Instantly... he was purring. I say he is a "cheap date" as he gives up the purr so easily.

Friday while they were here, he would have NOTHING to do with her. He stayed in his bed all day. Again he wouldn't eat. She and Mike were as worried as I was. Yet as soon as their car left the driveway, here he comes. He plops down on the kitchen floor, purring like a harley. I put his food out and he went to town on it. I don't get this cat. I swear, I think he is playing on my emotions.

We are still giving him the pills, but at this point, I don't know what is up with him. He seems to be acting quite normal. I hope it is just IBS and tomorrow I will be calling for his recheck at the vet. He appears to have put on more weight which is a GREAT thing.

180 degree turn around...

Yesterday I called the vet quite worried about Booster. He was very weak. He wouldn't get out of bed and he wouldn't eat. I went to the office and picked up steriods and antibiotics for him. They also gave me 2 cans of cat food with syringes in case he completely stopped eating.

It was a very emotional day. I gave him the two pills before I left for work.

Upon returning home. I was met at the door by none other than Booster. He met me like he normally does. He was a totally different cat! He followed me around for a while before falling asleep in the hallway. This was after he ate A LOT of cat food.

This morning he came into our room to greet me. I am so relieved.

I am still giving him the pills because they are not sure if he has cancer or if he may have IBS. Keep your fingers crossed. He has been acting like himself again, even wanting to play with me for a few minutes this morning.

So far so good.

IBS or Cancer?

That is the question of the week. I didn't mean to be so "non-existant" but it's been crazy around here. The most recent developments in the Nut House are with Booster. He has lost some serious weight. I called the vet yesterday and took him in. He went from 17 pounds to 14 within a short period of time.

They drew blood which he was NOT happy about, and took an Xray. Funny how a cat's ribs look tiny compared to an adults. Theirs are match stick thin. His protein was extremely high which they can't figure out. He has an elevated calcium, but not high enough to diagnose him with cancer and he is almost anemic.

They said because of his history of cancer (hence the amputation of the tail) that they think it is cancer. The bizarre thing is that he's acting quite normal. Besides the weight loss, you wouldn't know anything is wrong.

So today they called with some more blood work results which were pretty normal. The vetrinarian that called said she thinks he could also have a severe form of IBS. Hmmm I say, scratching my head.

They said they can put him on cortisone pills twice a day. If it is cancer it will help with any pain he may be having, and it will prolong his life. If he doesn't have cancer, it won't hurt him either. Hmmm...

So today I started feeding him in the kitchen (their bowls are downstairs). This way I can see how often he is eating. He ate quite a bit today, so who knows.

Keep kitty in your prayers. He will be 10 this year. He's definitely too young to go. We got him in September of 1997 when it was just Den and I. He would keep me company while Den was at work. He greets us at the door every time we go out, and he sleeps in the hallway at night to "keep watch". He is my little dude. My boyfriend. Plus he can sit and shake for a treat.

Namaste.

Tip O' the Day

First off... sorry for the delay. I caught a bit of stomach flu from work. It goes with the part I guess. I'm debating on wearing a mask while checking in patients from here till the end of flu season.

My tip o' the day...

Start cracking open your windows. Last night we slept with our bedroom window cracked open about 1/4" and let me tell you... It was the best nights sleep I've had in a LONG time. The fresh air just knocks you out.

Currently I have my window open, the front room window open, and the large bathroom window open. Later I will close them and open the kids windows. Remember, just crack it open. You're not looking to give the gas company an added bonus!