Yea! They're out!!

I finally, finally got my stitches out today.  Its been 13 days!  And the skin around that area is red.  I'm hoping it heals up the rest of the way quickly. There is a chance it will heal with a raised scar....the doctor had a name for it and said she could 'fix' it.  Well let's hope it heals nicely enough on its own because I'm not planning on going back there for 6 months!  They want me back in 6 months since they found some basal cell carcinoma.  She said though next time if there is still no issues, I can go every year after that.  That was my plan anyway.  I'm not a every 6 month kind of gal for anything anymore.  Oh she didn't find any other issues with my skin (did a full body look). That was nice to hear!

So tomorrow I get to start exercising again!  Yes!  I can't wait. I know I sound nuts but I really have missed it and my flabby arms show it too!  Ick!

Flooring Job *Part 2*

Now for the good stuff!

Special laminate floor padding

Let's cover up those subfloor stains

First couple of rows down..

OMG it looks so much better already!

The wall where the bed goes

And up to the fireplace (tiled area)

Across the room, almost past the fireplace!

and the other side.

We stopped the flooring at the little hall that leads to the bathroom to wait until get bathroom done. Next year?

Front Balcony door area. See trim is up too! (got new trim)

 

Front balcony door area with dresser back in place

Furniture back in

Nightstands back in. We ordered a king sized bed..NEVER had one..and will take more pics when that is in

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flooring job *Part 1*

My hubby was very busy last week. He replaced our old, stained 29 year old (as far as we know) carpet in our bedroom.  That's the room that I took all those nasty photos of dust and bugs that my extremely short time cleaning lady did not clean.  

I'll first post some BEFORE pictures which includes removal of the old stuff..

This area shows where some carpet has been pulled up (at the seams) and some stains

Bed with dog...

No bed with dog.  :)

No night stands

Carpets up...now to the old padding...which actually hub said was pretty good quality

More old pad

Here's under the pad. Guess they used the floor to spray paint something?

More under the pad... 

Next blog will be the best part :)

Happy Memorial Day!

Nice to have a Monday off!  It will also mean a shorter work week which is always great!
Yesterday we grilled hot dogs, cooked up some beans and I had a iced mug of beer to go along with it for dinner. Yum!!   Today it is steaks on the grill and loaded potatoes (left over bacon from earlier this week, and sour cream & butter)!  This will be the first two days we used our grill this year and in a row!  I was the one who came up with the idea to grill the hot dogs on the grill instead of the stove. There is not a lot of charcoal left for the steaks though so I only used a handful for the dogs. Was a bit worried that it wasn't going to be enough, but patience is a virtue, right?!

Yesterday my youngest got dirty with me and helped me thin out 3 way overgrown Aloe plants.  I meant to take a photo of all 3 before we started, but forgot. I did however not get to the third one (we had 9 pots and that was only enough for two of them). Even with that I did ditch some of the younger sprouts.  I just don't want that much aloe! :))

Here's a picture of the one left over yet to be split. See how crowded this poor baby is? You can barely see the pot it is in.

 Here's all the ones we made out of the other two!!

Soggy Saturday

We got a good soaking rain today.  Yes!  I haven't had to use the sprinklers in over a month!  It stopped raining before noon and hubby, my youngest who came home yesterday and I went to see a movie.  We saw Iron Man III.  It was really good and had great special effects.  The theater was packed and we were worried we wouldn't get popcorn in time for the movie so hubby stood in line and got it while we sat. He only missed the first 5 minutes so that was good!

Got dinner at Taco Bell. I haven't sat down at the local one since we move here 8 years ago but we went tonight.  It was pretty good.  After dinner, my youngest and I took a nice walk, my only form of exercise for 3 or 4 more days.  It is so nice when she visits. I really miss her. Miss the other one too but she is back east so don't get to see her much at all.


I'm so glad that I got my hubby to finally listen to me and stop doing my laundry. The other day he did a load of only his clothes and had a brand new button down shirt that he had only worn once get ruined because there was a pen in a shirt (my guess) and it leaked all over that shirt.  I'm just glad none of my clothes were in it!  I tried soaking it in vinegar but it didn't work. So that shirt is history.

I got some work done this morning before the youngest got up.  And before dinner I brushed all the dogs and cleaned the powder room earlier before the movie, so I feel good that I got some work and some fun things in today.

Tomorrow I want to thin out the aloe plants that we have that are way overcrowded in their pots. I also have a spearmint plant to put in a pot that I got in my last Greenling order. My youngest has agreed to get her hands dirty too.

Fnally Friday..

Quick post before I start work today.  Three day weekend!  Woo hoo!  And I don't think I'm working at all. Won't know until the end of the day though if something pressing comes up.  My youngest is coming home for perhaps a week which is wonderful. She's going to visit the schools she sent a resume out to for a teaching job. Sure would be great if she could live here at least for a year or so. Then I won't have to change the name of this blog. :)

It was season finale this week  for some of my favorite shows like Grimm and Nashville..the sort of finales that have you gripping the edge of your seat until...the fall.  But on a good note, a lot of my summertime favorites that I nearly forgot about are coming back like Rookie Blue and Longmire.  I'm sure glad the networks realized that there are indeed people who do watch television from May through September and like to have more of a selection than just re-runs of the past seasons of shows.

My body is doing much better handling these stitches now as this is day 7 with them in. I no longer have pain with every moment and only occasionally turn or pull the wrong way and am reminded about them.  I no longer have a dressing on them either. Did that for 5 days, now I want the air to help although I keep the entire stitched area with globs of Vaseline as instructed.  I suppose I could just apply it lightly but that would require rubbing it with either my fingertips or a q-tip. So instead I take a q-tip with a lot of it and dab it on so that it has plenty on that area. Hey it was never mentioned not to use too much Vaseline. :) I would like the least amount of scarring possible. 

Okay, here's to Friday and the three day weekend!!!

Cool morning..

This morning it is only 57 out now although it is still going to get up to the 90's. I'm wearing a new skirt that is layered since it won't get hot until later on and it isn't suppose to get real humid today.  I thought I'd write a quick blog before started work. I have to say I hate that I am not to do my regular exercise routines!  I sure do hope it won't be real hard for me to do after 10 days of not doing it.  And the walk I took on Monday evening hurt my stitches but I took it regardless. I guess the walking on the pavement movement was enough to make them pull with each step. I'm going to take one tonight too but since it has been two more days I am hoping it doesn't hurt much if at all by this point. Today is day 5 with stitches.

Hey I forgot to mention that we WON THE LOTTERY from last Saturday!  Woo hoo!!  But I can't quit my job yet as it was only $8.00.   At least I can say we won something!

We were perhaps going to get some severe storms that were stretching down from Dallas last evening, but we just got about 20 minutes of rain and that's it. Just enough to wet the grass but I'll take that over severe weather anytime.

Well off to work!

Tornado Alley becoming Tornado Moving Parking Lot?

Just last evening we were watching a show about doomsday preppers where a woman was spending $150,000 for a bunker to escape to should a nuclear power plant have a melt down.  It was a ton of money for something that I don't know she could even get to, should a tragedy like that occur. The only real solution was to just move into the bunker and already 'be' there. It just seemed really extreme to me although I understood the woman's yearning to have a place to survive for a year should a nuclear disaster hit.  But what happens after that year. What if there is nothing left when you come out?  No food, no vegetation?  And who knows how long nuclear fall out can cause illness/death?  Would it just be delaying the inevitable?  Who knows.

With all the tornadoes that are hitting the US, especially Oklahoma yesterday and today, I wonder if we all shouldn't just look into earth homes (homes built totally underground) with just a door/hatch that has a window that you can look out of, in order to get at least a little natural light!  The devastation that they show on the television to rows and rows of stick built homes is horrifying.  And that is just the structure destruction.  What is worse is the loss of life. 

There used to be Tornado Alley but with the tornadoes of late they spread all across the US anymore, not just mainly in Tornado Alley. It has become more like a Tornado parking lot in motion.  There was even a tornado in Massachusetts last year!  I don't know if it is due to global warming or what, but it does make me wonder if the conventional 'house' should be reconsidered.  I've heard about container houses that are those old metal containers no longer used and seems like those would be very sturdy.  I suppose they could be decorated on the inside well enough to not care how industrial and yucky they can be on the outside. 
 
Just some food for thought. The wave of the future may be an entirely different home!  We may be looking for flag poles sticking out of the ground with house numbers and last names on them to find our friends and family!

Warning - Graphic

Thought I'd share a photo of my procedure yesterday that removed a basal cell carcinoma area. It wasn't a few stitches after all but actually 6 on the outside anyway.  Wasn't real comfortable sleeping last night as I kept trying to not roll over to fast or hard but I roll a lot at night, just the way I am.  And just to let you know, my actual 'spot' was only a little larger than a pencil eraser, not as big as this looks like but they have to take the area around it to make sure only leave all healthy tissue.

Good news is that it is done and there should not be any more basal cell carcinoma at least not there anymore.  Sure wish I hadn't worshipped the sun so much as a teen! 

I am working (my desk job) this weekend which is just as well. Can't do anything strenuous so not doing any cleaning this weekend or replanting aloe plants either that are way overgrown and need to be split. Great excuse to take it easy on my body! :)  We haven't put the A/C on yet but it is suppose to get up to the 90's today so will probably put it on later, maybe even the system upstairs.  Oh I see it is 93 degrees now already.  Well, back to work.

Lunch Break..

I'm on my lunch break and thought I'd pop in to say I survived my procedure this morning.  What I don't like is that I got a call yesterday saying my procedure costs would be due at time of services (and I thought insurance would cover it). Apparently because it is a medical procedure and not a doctor's appointment it will only go toward my deductible. Luckily I had the $345.06 to cover it!  They should mention these things before they even schedule the procedures.  At least the nurse gave me 5 adhesive pads today to use after she told me to keep band aids on it when I retorted that I don't have any big enough (this is wider than a regular band-aid size).

The gauze bandage that was put on this morning is getting a little itchy but I'm trying to not bother it.  And it was more than a few stitches too. Probably more like 5 or 6, although I didn't ask.  The doctor (lady) is very nice and she was pleasant and chatty as was her nurse throughout the procedure, so that kept me at ease. One time though I heard scissors and asked her if she was using them and she said yes for the outer layer of skin.  I told her that I could do THAT!  LOL.  Anyway, it is done at least. Now more bandage and Vaseline applications for another 10 days. Oh I can't exercise either (my aerobics) as they do have some stitches inside as well and I don't want to pull/tear them.  So that will be really weird not doing my tapes for 10 days.  I can still walk (they said) so I'll do that but to this exercise addict it will be weird not doing my routine!

We didn't with the Power Ball the other day although no one did.  We didn't get more than 1 number right. But we are certainly going to play it tomorrow. Can't win if you don't play right? 

Short one..

Not going to be a long post because I'm tired!  Tomorrow morning I have an appointment to get that basal cell carcinoma on my chest removed. Wish me luck! :)

It is suppose to be a fairly quick, simple procedure. I've eaten half of the chocolate strawberries so far.  Had some loud thunderstorms last night but I won't complain. Some areas around Dallas had tornadoes! :(

Okay, nite!

Not Mother's Day but who CARES

Okay it is no longer Mother's Day per se but I just got a yummy gift from my oldest daughter and her fiance'!  I had two already and they are good!  And hubby doesn't like chocolate covered strawberries so I get them all for me!  YIPPEE!

Remember the plant that we left out all winter on the balcony covered with a black garbage bag?  That looked pretty much dead?  Well it is coming back !  See pics below!!

Here it is with dead leaves...

Here I have removed some of the leaves...

And LOOK!! New growth where I removed some of the dead leaves! Woo hoo!  It's definitely ALIVE!

Here's some more pictures of the zucchini that I started a few weeks ago too. Coming up very nicely!

Another Mother's Day

I love Mother's Day.  Why?  Because I know that on that day I will hear from both my girls, in one form or another.  And that makes my Mother's Day!  That reminder from them that they are aware how they even came to be....is nice!  Let's face it! Without us our kids would not even exist.  So here's to us MOMS!  :)))  

I also always go and visit my mother who is 86 now and I am not sure how many more Mother's Days I will have to celebrate with her. She is very thin and getting up there in years.  My dad has to make all the meals and such as she doesn't want to lift anything heavy and her back hurts if stands for very long.  But I am grateful that she had me.  I like my life, heck I love it most of the time.  And I love having two wonderful grown kids!..

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Now that my youngest has graduated from college I am waiting to see if she will return home when her lease is up in a few months.  If she gets a teaching job elsewhere and doesn't come back to live that will be the end of my Empty Nester Countdown.  I will likely keep my blog and just rename it. It is fun to write about everyday life.  I feel proud of myself that I kept up this blog for the last 4 years.  Hope some others enjoyed following my story too.

Milestone Day Yesterday

Well yesterday I took the day off work as it was a special occasion! A Rite of Passage if you will. I even plucked my stray eyebrow hairs and put practically full makeup on, and I don't do that just for any occasion. The youngest has graduated from college~!  :))  We went yesterday and spent the night in Huntsville and are back so I wanted to post a few pics of the celebration! 

We got there in time to take her, her boyfriend and her dad who flew in for graduation to dinner at Chili's.  Then on to graduation. Be kind on the pics with me in them as I had just driven 3+ hours, etc, and did not freshen up any before we went to dinner. 

We took a different way there that was going to take an extra 16 minutes and had us going north then east then south instead of the way we used to take. I wanted to be adventurous and also wanted to see if it would help cut down the traffic and stop and go as we took Ditzy with us. The normal way involves some highway but also a lot of traffic lights, congestion in spots and potential construction to deal with. It was actually a very pleasant ride~!  The one road we took , state highway 7 was very rural and there were lots of cattle and land.  We went through a few small town, one of them so small the population was under 500 people!  The speed limit dropped from 75, yes 75mph, which to me is way too high even for rural roads as it is one lane going both ways too with nothing between the lanes (but a yellow line), down to 30mph when we went through these towns. Only one had a stop light, the rest had maybe a stop sign. It was a bit sad to see a few  of these towns had dilapidated looking housing or ones in really bad shape right on that main drag.  Not sure if business just dried up in those towns or what, but didn't look like a whole lot of people lived there (at least not from the looks of the houses on that main street). I didn't stop to take any pictures of those houses, but should have as an afterthought.  I wondered how some of those houses were still standing as they looked like if you went up and touched them, they'd implode!

But all in all, Ditzy survived, Stac graduated and all in all it was a pleasant celebration!

Stac anticipating graduation in a few hours

Hubby and I

Why is it as we age we hate our own pics?!

Stac and her boyfriend of approx 6 yrs Todd

Stac and her dad

Getting out of the car at the coliseum

Ready with cap & Gown

Waiting for it to start

College band played while we waited for students to be seated

She was somewhere in this mess. Hard to keep track :)

School of Education Graduation Class 2013

She's graduated!  The yellow cords are for graduating Summa cum laude