As you know, we made it to Cincinnati. We got checked in. Got our bags unloaded. And I am still starving at this point. As we are leaving the hospital to go feed our faces, Joan gets to chatting with one of her nurses. For 20 minutes. Seriously. No disrespect to her...I love her with all my heart...but I am hungry...and you are going to see this nurse in the morning when you come back.
Yes...I was thinking of me and only me. Okay, I was really thinking of Kathy AND myself. I just knew that at any minute, one of us was going to tear the other's arm off and start chomping away. Told you I was hungry.
We finally get Joan to ourselves and get to the parking garage where Kathy asks me to "please drive?" IF I could rewind right here, I would find a stake and drive it into my heart. Then I would have cut my fingers off, one at a time, with nail clippers. It would have been less painful...AND I was already AT a hospital. AND I wouldn't have had to have driven.
"Okay, I can do that. After all, you have driven the whole way here anyway." Oh, did I tell you that she let me drive for 10 minutes on the Bore Snore Beltway? She is such a generous sister.....
Now... I don't know if you know this or not but parking garages are not my thing. I'm not scared of them. I just have a weird feeling when I'm in them. Like I'm going to hit my head. ALL. THE. TIME. I can't help but squint my eyes so as to shield them from getting hit. I believe, even though we were on level 2, we had to go UP a couple of levels just to get out. I am assuming level 2 means two levels down but they should just say that. I had to take a whole lot more turns to get out of that stupid garage, than she did to get in it!
We head to Don Pablos. As if driving in Cincinnati isn't scary enough, driving someone else's car makes it double scary for me. The last thing I want is to hurt someone else's car, ya know??? Finding a parking spot was nearly impossible. I thought Kathy or Joan was going to have to go inside and pull someone out and make them move THEIR car for us. Ugh!!! I can't tell you how much of a nightmare that city is. If you have been there and you like it, then you must be clinically insane. The only thing I found there, that I liked more than my sister & the family I went to see, was the exit road out of there!
Don Pablos had some good food. Joan had their "biggest" margarita and it took her 41 minutes to drink it. I think that was mostly because she hadn't seen people in so long, she wanted to get in as many words as she could. And she did. No fear there. Anyway, as usual, I ate a little more than I should have and felt full up to the roots of my hair. I needed to burp so bad that it almost hurt. I was debating ordering a pop when it suddenly came to me...without my knowledge...so I couldn't stop it...and it was loud...B-U-R-P!!!
Whoa! I don't do that in restaurants. Maybe at home (maybe?) but never ever at a public restaurant! I was a little mortified at the sound that came out and my eyes were big and all I could say was "Now I know how babies feel." As we are laughing about it, I happen to look at the table behind Kathy (facing me) and this lady is sitting there with a young gal and I could just tell she was horrified at what I had just done.
Joan breaks out in story time about this moment and here's how that went. "We were sitting outside on the smoker's porch last night, joking around, and there was a roll of paper towels in the middle of the table. I said to this gal, you see that roll of paper towels? Yes. That's my tampon!" Well, we broke out into laughter (I can't remember how that story came up though) right there at the table. LOUD laughter. I looked right over at that lady just as she put her napkin on her plate, rolled her eyes and got ready to leave.
Ha ha ha now that is just funny! We ran her completely away. She may have even had her hands waving hysterically in the air when she ran out the door. I'm not sure though because I was almost on the floor laughing.
After dinner, we head down the strip mall to Carter's. Joan said she would be outside smoking and would find us. Kathy and I go in and look at a few things and walk right back out. I told Kathy I was going to scream when I saw Joan and scare her. There was no Joan. She was gone. Ka-put! So we headed to the next store, Home Goods, since we had told her that was the reason we walked down here anyway. We figured she would be waiting for us inside the door. No. No Joan. We have lost her. And she couldn't have left us there because she doesn't have a driver's license and Kathy had the keys!
Look around a little bit and she finally calls...just as my phone died on me. Great. Turns out, she had followed us into Carter's and we didn't know it. We were probably only in the building two minutes and we didn't see her come in and she didn't see us leave. It wasn't a big store at all either. Can we say distracted??? We meet back up and did some shopping. That was a very neat store if you haven't ever been in one. It was a cross between Pier 1 and Gordman's, I guess. Very cute stuff. They had furniture with the name brand "Hooker." If I would have had a truck, I would have come home with some Hooker furniture!
Another store or two and I need to find a Wal-Mart because I seriously need a new blender and can't find one in any of these stores we have been in. How hard do you think it is to find a Wal-Mart in Cincinnati, Ohio when you have never been there before??? With the help of a gal at the Ronald McDonald house, we found one not too far away. We did though, get turned around once...but that wasn't our fault...the GPS told me we were on a different road than the sign said!! It's not my fault dang it!
Found the Wal-Mart. Found the blender (after an hour). Didn't find the Sally Hansen wax I am needing. Kathy asks me again (I am such a sucker!) to please please please drive back to the house because her head was killing her. This was a sign folks. A sign for her and I to never darken the doorstep of this crappy place, ever again. The funniest thing happened in Wal-Mart though. I will never forget this as long as I live.
Kathy walks in first and the greeter (about 80 years old and has a cane & a smile) tips his cane to the right, taps his foot out with his cane, like a bow, and says "Welcome to Wal-Mart." Kathy says thank you and keeps walking. I am next. "Welcome to Wal-Mart." Thanked him and kept going. He was an odd little man but that little bow was adorable. Joan comes in behind us and he does the same for her, "Welcome to Wal-Mart." We are standing there waiting for her and she keeps walking. Kathy says something like "aren't you going to say thanks?" Joan looks at the man and says, "He's not real. He's wax." Pretty sure that was the closest I came to pissing myself that whole trip. And it took forever to make her realize he was a human being!
Driving back, of course, like in any city, there is road construction. And Joan was talking like a mad man, we were laughing like burnt out hyenas and I miss my exit. Now... for those of you who have never been blessed with this city, I will tell you this. It isn't like Des Moines, Omaha, KC, Wichita...where you can just go to the next exit and get right back on. No, it's nothing like that. The next exit was about 2 miles down the road and for two miles I had to hear two things over and over and over and over and over.....Kroger's--they have Kroger's all over down here. Kroger's is the main grocery store here. There are Kroger's everywhere. I'm pretty sure I heard the name Kroger's 18 times in 30 seconds. I finally had to end the madness with "Hey Joan, do they have any grocery stores down here?" She just looked at me like I had lost my mind. And then laughter.
The next road that I was to get off onto was called "Hopple St." Between the GPS and Kathy, I heard Hopple Street 90 times in 30 seconds. I was screaming at the girls. They were screaming at me back while we were all laughing at the same time. One of us would talk so the others would talk over that person and it was a nightmare. Getting lost in this city scared me bad. GPS had us going back to where we were supposed to go though. Through more road construction...and at one point I couldn't understand how the car ahead of me got in the other lane...because I couldn't see the break in the cones...and I'm sure every car behind me was screaming that F-bomb that I am (to this day) still fighting not to say!
There was some nutjob that about took the back end of Kathy's car off while we were going down the interstate. Seriously folks, if you have to drive like a rocket, leave 30 minutes early. Don't be putting MY life and MY families lives at stake. This was one of those moments when I got really frustrated at driving someone else's car in the city. But we didn't get hit and we didn't die and neither did anyone else.
And another thing I don't understand about their roads out there (in the city) is how you come to an intersection, not in a turning lane, your lane just ends. Yeah for real. And then you have to go on a wing and a prayer that you can blend in with traffic and nobody kills you. Totally not worth the headaches at this point.
When we got back to the house, Joan gave us a tour and showed us all the wonderful things the Ronald McDonald house does for people and how the volunteers are 100% depended on to make it work. It was amazing. I think I told you that once, though.
We get a snack and head out to the smoker's porch before heading in for the night. There is a lady out there talking to us. Can't remember her name.....Juanita maybe? Not sure right now but she was so nice and so funny. She originates from Iowa but moved there years ago. I questioned her sanity when she told me that. She told me that they call the place "Cincinnasty." And so it is.
The night before we got there, the smokers were out on the porch and the SWAT team pulled up, told them to get inside just to be safe, and busted the house across the street. How's that for slums? How's that for entertainment? How's that for thanking God I don't live there!?!
Can't wait to get to bed so we can get up and leave this city. I looked out the window right before I laid down in bed and said, "Goodbye to you in the morning Cincinnasty. I will never return here. For any reason. I do not like you and I do not have anything good to say about you."
And then it was good night. So I don't think I will finish today. It will be way too long for one read. I will finish this weekend.....I hope. But soon, I will finish soon. We are on our last leg so how long can that one be???
Until next time, have a great evening and a magnificent weekend!!!
2013/04/26
2013/04/25
And again...will we ever get there?
And here we are again. Bore snore I-74 EB. I'm pretty sure I will NEVER forget that road in my life. From Peoria, Illinois, we really have nothing to look forward to in the entire state BUT we both already realized that Indianapolis is our next BIG city to go through.
Anticipation. Nerves. Excitement. And then I look at the map of Indianapolis. Have you ever looked at a city map of Indianapolis, Indiana????? It. Is. Huge. It looks as though it should be pretty smooth sailing around it but oh french fry gods.....look at all those roads!!! And let me tell you this. As if I hadn't been a Nervous Nelly already.....I was sweating bullets just at the anticipation of Indianapolis.
We finally got out of Illinois with no scrapes or injuries and my Google map was keeping very good time with us. I was watching for the VERY second we crossed that border. I mean, after all, Indiana HAS TO BE more interesting than what Illinois had to offer. And that whole "losing an hour" thing is really annoying. You don't know WHAT clock is right after some point. We finally decided that since our cell phones both said the same time (yes, they change automatically which is a life saver), that was the time we should go by. But THAT puts us an hour later arriving!! Ugh, I forgot about that. That just killed an hour of visiting time and shopping time and eating time and sleeping time and visiting time and laughing time and eating time and sleeping time and shopping time. Do you see where I'm going with this???
Drive, drive, drive. Bore snore I-74 didn't prove to be any better in this state so midway through, I decided to get on my trusty phone and look up some "Interesting Indiana Facts." Let me just say, right here, right now.....don't Google that. It's not that interesting at all. And I pushed through several facts before giving in to complete and utter boredom. And Kathy will vouch for it. All of it. A.L.L.
Turns out, Indianapolis isn't quite as scary and demanding as I thought it was going to be. Traffic wasn't the worst...of course it WAS a Saturday morning and there was no race that day...and we just continued on. At one point, Kathy had followed this blue truck for several miles. I had had enough!! I told her she could get in another lane since it would be a couple of miles or so before we had to exit off to the right. She tells me that it's hard to pass because there are always cars behind her. No kidding sister, drive like you own the road...just like they do.
She ventured out into another lane finally and I got to see that the blue truck wasn't all blue. It was yellow in the front. Nice. I can finally look around and see something besides a big blue truck butt in my face. "Oh were we supposed to exit there?" Aren't I fun to travel with??? I kid you not.....the exit was half a mile long, or longer...so Kathy just veers over into the right lane and over the drain that is down in the bottom of the exit...and into the exit lane. Why can't she drive that aggressively when she needs to change lanes??? For real sister!!!
Phew, we are out of Indianapolis. We are feeling pretty studly at this point. For two reasons. One, because Indianapolis is halfway through the state; and two, because we just drove through Indianapolis and NOBODY DIED because of it!!!! Hell to the yeah!!!
Every town on the map makes us grow more and more excited. We can't wait to get to our destination and see Tyler, Joan and Terry! The anticipation of hitting Ohio...and Cincinnati...is overwhelming at this point. We didn't even stop for lunch because we wanted to get there so badly. We knew lunch would happen just as soon as we met up with our friends.
Before I "explode with excitement," (sarcasm at this point, sarcasm), I have to send a shout out to my new favorite truck stop in the world!!! These places have ANYTHING and EVERYTHING you can possibly imagine. I could buy all of my Christmas presents at these places if I chose to. Everything. Don't ever pass up a Love's truck stop. Just saying.
So.....guess what? We have just passed over the Ohio border and are about to enter the limits of Cincinnati. The roads were confusing. The directions were even more confusing. The people drive ruder than any place I have ever been in my life. But it was beautiful scenery. I have to give them that. Ups and downs where you wouldn't think there would be ups and downs. Just beautiful.
And then we get close to our destination. The Children's Hospital. We were warned that this was in the "slums" so we didn't have our expectations set too high.....but wow. I can't even think of another word to describe it. Scary, maybe? Dirty? Fear? Okay so I thought of a couple of words. Now you know what my first impression was.
We made it there, with few scrapes and bruises, and find our friend, who is just dying to go outside and smoke. So we go with her. And she smokes two cigarettes. And feels the need to update us on everything right then and there. Months and months worth of everything that has been going on since they have been there. I finally get us broke free enough that we walked down (and at this point, we weren't realizing just how daring that was, for us to do) to the Ronald McDonald house and got checked in. Can't wait to tell you about that place but that will be a whole blog in itself. I have so much to tell you about it.
Back to the hospital to see Tyler and Terry. Tyler looked so good! He had recently had surgery to reconstruct his stomach and have the J tube and G tube put in so it will (hopefully) be easier to recieve meds and to feed him. His spirits were really good and he had just had a bandage change so it was good timing for us. So good to see our friends after so long. I don't think I had seen them since right after the New Year. There they are...stuck in Cincinnati...until he heals enough to go back to either Des Moines hospital or home (hopefully).
And this is where I'm stopping. I hope to be able to finish up tomorrow. I can't make any promises though. Lots of laughs in store. We ARE a crazy couple of girls. See you soon!!!
Anticipation. Nerves. Excitement. And then I look at the map of Indianapolis. Have you ever looked at a city map of Indianapolis, Indiana????? It. Is. Huge. It looks as though it should be pretty smooth sailing around it but oh french fry gods.....look at all those roads!!! And let me tell you this. As if I hadn't been a Nervous Nelly already.....I was sweating bullets just at the anticipation of Indianapolis.
We finally got out of Illinois with no scrapes or injuries and my Google map was keeping very good time with us. I was watching for the VERY second we crossed that border. I mean, after all, Indiana HAS TO BE more interesting than what Illinois had to offer. And that whole "losing an hour" thing is really annoying. You don't know WHAT clock is right after some point. We finally decided that since our cell phones both said the same time (yes, they change automatically which is a life saver), that was the time we should go by. But THAT puts us an hour later arriving!! Ugh, I forgot about that. That just killed an hour of visiting time and shopping time and eating time and sleeping time and visiting time and laughing time and eating time and sleeping time and shopping time. Do you see where I'm going with this???
Drive, drive, drive. Bore snore I-74 didn't prove to be any better in this state so midway through, I decided to get on my trusty phone and look up some "Interesting Indiana Facts." Let me just say, right here, right now.....don't Google that. It's not that interesting at all. And I pushed through several facts before giving in to complete and utter boredom. And Kathy will vouch for it. All of it. A.L.L.
Turns out, Indianapolis isn't quite as scary and demanding as I thought it was going to be. Traffic wasn't the worst...of course it WAS a Saturday morning and there was no race that day...and we just continued on. At one point, Kathy had followed this blue truck for several miles. I had had enough!! I told her she could get in another lane since it would be a couple of miles or so before we had to exit off to the right. She tells me that it's hard to pass because there are always cars behind her. No kidding sister, drive like you own the road...just like they do.
She ventured out into another lane finally and I got to see that the blue truck wasn't all blue. It was yellow in the front. Nice. I can finally look around and see something besides a big blue truck butt in my face. "Oh were we supposed to exit there?" Aren't I fun to travel with??? I kid you not.....the exit was half a mile long, or longer...so Kathy just veers over into the right lane and over the drain that is down in the bottom of the exit...and into the exit lane. Why can't she drive that aggressively when she needs to change lanes??? For real sister!!!
Phew, we are out of Indianapolis. We are feeling pretty studly at this point. For two reasons. One, because Indianapolis is halfway through the state; and two, because we just drove through Indianapolis and NOBODY DIED because of it!!!! Hell to the yeah!!!
Every town on the map makes us grow more and more excited. We can't wait to get to our destination and see Tyler, Joan and Terry! The anticipation of hitting Ohio...and Cincinnati...is overwhelming at this point. We didn't even stop for lunch because we wanted to get there so badly. We knew lunch would happen just as soon as we met up with our friends.
Before I "explode with excitement," (sarcasm at this point, sarcasm), I have to send a shout out to my new favorite truck stop in the world!!! These places have ANYTHING and EVERYTHING you can possibly imagine. I could buy all of my Christmas presents at these places if I chose to. Everything. Don't ever pass up a Love's truck stop. Just saying.
So.....guess what? We have just passed over the Ohio border and are about to enter the limits of Cincinnati. The roads were confusing. The directions were even more confusing. The people drive ruder than any place I have ever been in my life. But it was beautiful scenery. I have to give them that. Ups and downs where you wouldn't think there would be ups and downs. Just beautiful.
And then we get close to our destination. The Children's Hospital. We were warned that this was in the "slums" so we didn't have our expectations set too high.....but wow. I can't even think of another word to describe it. Scary, maybe? Dirty? Fear? Okay so I thought of a couple of words. Now you know what my first impression was.
We made it there, with few scrapes and bruises, and find our friend, who is just dying to go outside and smoke. So we go with her. And she smokes two cigarettes. And feels the need to update us on everything right then and there. Months and months worth of everything that has been going on since they have been there. I finally get us broke free enough that we walked down (and at this point, we weren't realizing just how daring that was, for us to do) to the Ronald McDonald house and got checked in. Can't wait to tell you about that place but that will be a whole blog in itself. I have so much to tell you about it.
Back to the hospital to see Tyler and Terry. Tyler looked so good! He had recently had surgery to reconstruct his stomach and have the J tube and G tube put in so it will (hopefully) be easier to recieve meds and to feed him. His spirits were really good and he had just had a bandage change so it was good timing for us. So good to see our friends after so long. I don't think I had seen them since right after the New Year. There they are...stuck in Cincinnati...until he heals enough to go back to either Des Moines hospital or home (hopefully).
And this is where I'm stopping. I hope to be able to finish up tomorrow. I can't make any promises though. Lots of laughs in store. We ARE a crazy couple of girls. See you soon!!!
2013/04/24
And so it begins
2 and a half days. 1358.5 miles, round trip. $140.40 for gas. Frustration of losing an hour of our lives by doing nothing but crossing a simple state line. Thanks to God for that hour being returned on our trip home. Crazy truck drivers. Stupid (and I use that word loosely because it's the nicest I can be when describing them) Cincinnati drivers. 9 cemetaries. A dozen or so backyard swimming pools. Floods (and I'm sure Noah's ark was in the river at Peoria, IL) up to the roadways. And more laughter than I have ever had with my sister. I should have crow's feet just from this trip. But I don't. Just stating a fact.
Unfortunately, I don't have any of the pictures with me right now so I will get them to you soon. And there aren't many pictures to show because we were so.....scared of getting lost.....in awe of what we were seeing.....and just plain exhausted from driving.....that we didn't take many pictures. Not even of Tyler, Joan and/or Terry. And THEY are the ones we went to see!!!
We took I-80 WB because 34 had some flooding and some of the roads were closed. It was your typical Friday on the interstate. Everybody trying to beat everybody else on the roads. Semi's driving like lunatics. We saw a truck that had Kim Kardashian on it, naked, with the exception of her fur coat she was clinging onto. It was an advertisement for her perfume. She stinks in my opinion, so I'm guessing her perfume does too. And thank God for the fur coat...or whatever it is, she had around her.
As we pass Iowa City, Kathy says to me, "What are those???" I look up only to see 2 H*U*G*E faces staring back at me. I couldn't even tell you WHO they are but there was a man and a woman that scared the beegeezus right out of me. I mean, the last thing you are expecting to see at 75 mph, is a giant head looking you in the eye!!! Weird!! I'm hoping someone can help me out with what that is all about!
Our anticipation mounts shortly after the heart attack previously described, as we are about to Walcott, Iowa. Home of the I-80 truckstop. I have been wanting to go here for a couple of years now. We were at "pee-our-pants" level of excitement when we pulled off the interstate. As we sat at the light, waiting to turn, Kathy says to me, "I wonder why all those busses are over there to the right? Is something big going on around here?" It was the beginning of the trip. I didn't know any better than to look when she said "what's that?" I have since learned my lesson. I look at what has her attention and I realize that those are not busses. Those are campers. RV's. And they are for sale. All one hundred of them sitting there in front of us.
We are like two airheads when we get together, it's true. So we get to this truck stop and just about enter at a dead run. Kathy heads to the potty room and I walk around and look at stuff. Here's your visual of what I was wearing for my long, comfy ride. A newly knitted gray hat that my good friend Shannon made for me that very day, a gray Ashley t-shirt, pink & gray camo pajama pants, tennies, and to top it off.....my favorite purse in the world. Zebra print with bright pink flower on it and bright pink straps. If you've seen it, you know what I'm talking about!
I'm pretty sure I looked the part of a traveling hobo to most (and I got the stares to prove it) but...and I have to say this with head lowered...I was too busy being creeped out by anyone who might have been a terrorist and what my reaction was going to be if someone started acting like a jackwagon. I was still in attack/fear mode at this point, with all that was currently going on in the city of Boston/Watertown.
The truck stop was neat. Kathy flirted endlessly with several men there. She was just non-stop. It was almost embarrassing. For me. Ha!!! She tried to get up into a semi that was on display in the truck stop and couldn't understand how ANYONE could get up in there!! Hahaha there was a sign clearly taped to the door that said "CLOSED DUE TO CONSTRUCTION" and the steps had been taken out so people wouldn't get in it!!! Next time I'm putting a leash on her! Like I said, the truck stop was neat. I think it would be neater for a truck driver that has cash on hand though. Dentist, Chiropractor, Barber, showers...you name it; they had it; for them. But at least I have been there and don't have to wonder anymore. Onward bound.
If, at any time in this or the following Cincinnati blogs, I refer to us going "down" there, I mean over there. The roads had me all turned around the closer we got to destination.
At Davenport, we got onto I-74 and what a mess!!! Water everywhere. This was where it was clearly up to the roadways. It terrified me just a little bit which Kathy didn't understand because I love water. What had me creeped out were all the videos I had watched that whole week about how water can turn a road into a river (literally) in minutes. Yeah...I did that to myself. But we didn't encounter any roadways under water. God and I were talking a lot during this drive.
Let's see...I had us both convinced, at one point, in Davenport, that we were on the wrong road; that we had missed our turn. I think this time I was more the Nervous Nelly than Kathy was! That never happens!!! Never fear, we are still here. On the right road and right on track. Into Illinois we go!!! Over a GINORMOUS bridge! I can't help but gasp and laugh (and boy did she gasp!) because dear Kathy is driving and she is TERRIFIED of bridges. (Maybe you will remember the next time you see a clown dear sister of mine!)
We get into Illinois and with the exception of all the flooding....and don't get me wrong, it was awful to see all those trees and fields and hay bales under water.....there wasn't much else to see. The bore snore I-74 didn't take us through any fun towns. Nothing exceptional to look at. We had to make our own fun. And we did. We laughed the whole time at one thing or another. And Illinois speed limit on interstate is 65. We were shocked. Even Iowa has 70mph!!! I was beginning to think I didn't live in the slowest (and that goes for more than the speed) state after all. People, don't take your great state for granted. There is always worse out there!
At some point along the way, the speed limit was different for truck drivers than it was for cars. I liked that. Those big trucks didn't seem like so much of a threat finally. Got to Peoria about 8:15pm and got a room at the Motel 6. They kept the light on for us and we appreciated that a lot. And it didn't hurt that Kyle...the eye candy at the desk...was super friendly and helpful. Our key was an Applebee's key.....meaning that it had an advertisement for the restaurant. It also said on the back of it that if we went there to eat, we got 10% off our meal. Cool beans, we're in!!
We got the car unloaded and go back up to ask Kyle where Applebee's is at but we have to wait because a man.....85 years old if he was a day.....was checking in.....with a female about 30 years younger than him. I noticed afterward that they arrived in different cars. That makes me shudder and vomit a little bit, in my mouth. Kyle made sure to tell them they couldn't smoke or they would get charges pressed because it was a state law.....which he didn't tell us, not because we are smokers but because he thinks we are the super coolest women he has ever met. He didn't say that but I'm sure that is what he was thinking. After gramps and his friend left, I stepped up to the desk and looked at Kyle and said, "Do you think that couple is going to doink?"
The look on his face was priceless. He laughed and laughed. We all did! So he gives us directions to the restaurant and we get turned around a little bit and finally find it. Get sat down and tell the waitress we have these "coupons." She looks at Kathy's and I look at mine. I spot where it says "in Bradley, IL." Oops!! The waitress and I look at each other and I asked her where that was at and she had no clue!!!! Whoa Nelly!!! She took one of the keys up to the manager and asked him about it. He says that normally they wouldn't honor that but because nobody there even knows where Bradley is, he will give us the 10% off this time. Thanks dude but we were going to eat there no matter what. Score!
Ate dinner and headed back to the Motel. Got a good night's sleep and got refreshed for the morning drive. Let me interject here a moment and just add that I am currently trying to clean up my vocabulary a little bit. I think I overuse that F bomb a lot and it needs to stop. It's not very professional and it sounds awful. Maybe I'm turning into my parents finally, I'm not sure. So, I have yet to go a day without accidentally dropping that bomb. It is 6:02am on Saturday morning and I don't even know what triggered it but I dropped it. Loud and proud. And stopped still as can be and just stared at Kathy with, I'm sure, big eyes. She was just as surprised as I was that I had said it. And so early in the morning!!! I can't for the life of me, imagine what had happened so early in the morning that would make me say that word!!! Now you see why I want to stop saying it!
Back on the road to bore snore I-74 we go. Can't wait to get out of Illinois. It's boring here!
Until next time.........I hope this shows you a little bit about how our trip started out. There's more to come. Don't worry. A lot more. I just hope I can keep my own excitement down to a minimum. Yeah.........I'll do my best!
Unfortunately, I don't have any of the pictures with me right now so I will get them to you soon. And there aren't many pictures to show because we were so.....scared of getting lost.....in awe of what we were seeing.....and just plain exhausted from driving.....that we didn't take many pictures. Not even of Tyler, Joan and/or Terry. And THEY are the ones we went to see!!!
We took I-80 WB because 34 had some flooding and some of the roads were closed. It was your typical Friday on the interstate. Everybody trying to beat everybody else on the roads. Semi's driving like lunatics. We saw a truck that had Kim Kardashian on it, naked, with the exception of her fur coat she was clinging onto. It was an advertisement for her perfume. She stinks in my opinion, so I'm guessing her perfume does too. And thank God for the fur coat...or whatever it is, she had around her.
As we pass Iowa City, Kathy says to me, "What are those???" I look up only to see 2 H*U*G*E faces staring back at me. I couldn't even tell you WHO they are but there was a man and a woman that scared the beegeezus right out of me. I mean, the last thing you are expecting to see at 75 mph, is a giant head looking you in the eye!!! Weird!! I'm hoping someone can help me out with what that is all about!
Our anticipation mounts shortly after the heart attack previously described, as we are about to Walcott, Iowa. Home of the I-80 truckstop. I have been wanting to go here for a couple of years now. We were at "pee-our-pants" level of excitement when we pulled off the interstate. As we sat at the light, waiting to turn, Kathy says to me, "I wonder why all those busses are over there to the right? Is something big going on around here?" It was the beginning of the trip. I didn't know any better than to look when she said "what's that?" I have since learned my lesson. I look at what has her attention and I realize that those are not busses. Those are campers. RV's. And they are for sale. All one hundred of them sitting there in front of us.
We are like two airheads when we get together, it's true. So we get to this truck stop and just about enter at a dead run. Kathy heads to the potty room and I walk around and look at stuff. Here's your visual of what I was wearing for my long, comfy ride. A newly knitted gray hat that my good friend Shannon made for me that very day, a gray Ashley t-shirt, pink & gray camo pajama pants, tennies, and to top it off.....my favorite purse in the world. Zebra print with bright pink flower on it and bright pink straps. If you've seen it, you know what I'm talking about!
I'm pretty sure I looked the part of a traveling hobo to most (and I got the stares to prove it) but...and I have to say this with head lowered...I was too busy being creeped out by anyone who might have been a terrorist and what my reaction was going to be if someone started acting like a jackwagon. I was still in attack/fear mode at this point, with all that was currently going on in the city of Boston/Watertown.
The truck stop was neat. Kathy flirted endlessly with several men there. She was just non-stop. It was almost embarrassing. For me. Ha!!! She tried to get up into a semi that was on display in the truck stop and couldn't understand how ANYONE could get up in there!! Hahaha there was a sign clearly taped to the door that said "CLOSED DUE TO CONSTRUCTION" and the steps had been taken out so people wouldn't get in it!!! Next time I'm putting a leash on her! Like I said, the truck stop was neat. I think it would be neater for a truck driver that has cash on hand though. Dentist, Chiropractor, Barber, showers...you name it; they had it; for them. But at least I have been there and don't have to wonder anymore. Onward bound.
If, at any time in this or the following Cincinnati blogs, I refer to us going "down" there, I mean over there. The roads had me all turned around the closer we got to destination.
At Davenport, we got onto I-74 and what a mess!!! Water everywhere. This was where it was clearly up to the roadways. It terrified me just a little bit which Kathy didn't understand because I love water. What had me creeped out were all the videos I had watched that whole week about how water can turn a road into a river (literally) in minutes. Yeah...I did that to myself. But we didn't encounter any roadways under water. God and I were talking a lot during this drive.
Let's see...I had us both convinced, at one point, in Davenport, that we were on the wrong road; that we had missed our turn. I think this time I was more the Nervous Nelly than Kathy was! That never happens!!! Never fear, we are still here. On the right road and right on track. Into Illinois we go!!! Over a GINORMOUS bridge! I can't help but gasp and laugh (and boy did she gasp!) because dear Kathy is driving and she is TERRIFIED of bridges. (Maybe you will remember the next time you see a clown dear sister of mine!)
We get into Illinois and with the exception of all the flooding....and don't get me wrong, it was awful to see all those trees and fields and hay bales under water.....there wasn't much else to see. The bore snore I-74 didn't take us through any fun towns. Nothing exceptional to look at. We had to make our own fun. And we did. We laughed the whole time at one thing or another. And Illinois speed limit on interstate is 65. We were shocked. Even Iowa has 70mph!!! I was beginning to think I didn't live in the slowest (and that goes for more than the speed) state after all. People, don't take your great state for granted. There is always worse out there!
At some point along the way, the speed limit was different for truck drivers than it was for cars. I liked that. Those big trucks didn't seem like so much of a threat finally. Got to Peoria about 8:15pm and got a room at the Motel 6. They kept the light on for us and we appreciated that a lot. And it didn't hurt that Kyle...the eye candy at the desk...was super friendly and helpful. Our key was an Applebee's key.....meaning that it had an advertisement for the restaurant. It also said on the back of it that if we went there to eat, we got 10% off our meal. Cool beans, we're in!!
We got the car unloaded and go back up to ask Kyle where Applebee's is at but we have to wait because a man.....85 years old if he was a day.....was checking in.....with a female about 30 years younger than him. I noticed afterward that they arrived in different cars. That makes me shudder and vomit a little bit, in my mouth. Kyle made sure to tell them they couldn't smoke or they would get charges pressed because it was a state law.....which he didn't tell us, not because we are smokers but because he thinks we are the super coolest women he has ever met. He didn't say that but I'm sure that is what he was thinking. After gramps and his friend left, I stepped up to the desk and looked at Kyle and said, "Do you think that couple is going to doink?"
The look on his face was priceless. He laughed and laughed. We all did! So he gives us directions to the restaurant and we get turned around a little bit and finally find it. Get sat down and tell the waitress we have these "coupons." She looks at Kathy's and I look at mine. I spot where it says "in Bradley, IL." Oops!! The waitress and I look at each other and I asked her where that was at and she had no clue!!!! Whoa Nelly!!! She took one of the keys up to the manager and asked him about it. He says that normally they wouldn't honor that but because nobody there even knows where Bradley is, he will give us the 10% off this time. Thanks dude but we were going to eat there no matter what. Score!
Ate dinner and headed back to the Motel. Got a good night's sleep and got refreshed for the morning drive. Let me interject here a moment and just add that I am currently trying to clean up my vocabulary a little bit. I think I overuse that F bomb a lot and it needs to stop. It's not very professional and it sounds awful. Maybe I'm turning into my parents finally, I'm not sure. So, I have yet to go a day without accidentally dropping that bomb. It is 6:02am on Saturday morning and I don't even know what triggered it but I dropped it. Loud and proud. And stopped still as can be and just stared at Kathy with, I'm sure, big eyes. She was just as surprised as I was that I had said it. And so early in the morning!!! I can't for the life of me, imagine what had happened so early in the morning that would make me say that word!!! Now you see why I want to stop saying it!
Back on the road to bore snore I-74 we go. Can't wait to get out of Illinois. It's boring here!
Until next time.........I hope this shows you a little bit about how our trip started out. There's more to come. Don't worry. A lot more. I just hope I can keep my own excitement down to a minimum. Yeah.........I'll do my best!
2013/04/09
Let me stand here
For all intents and purposes, today's blog is not meant to offend anyone at all.
#1: I believe I have a right to my own opinion, just like you do.
#2: I believe I have a right to voice my own opinion and even put it in print, just like you do.
#3: I understand that you may or may not agree with me and may or may not want to state that outloud.
Those are your choices and this blog is MY choice. Nobody elses.
With the current issue of same-sex marriage being legal or not legal, I held my tongue; for a long time. And here is why I held my tongue. I have family and I have friends that are gay. Some that are very close to me and some that are not so close. Either way, they are family; or they are friends; and I respect them.
I sat on top of the fence for so long, watching the two sides battle it out and this is what I saw. For arguments sake, I will use "FOR" and "NOT" as my sides. "FOR" is obviously the side that is for same-sex marriage. "NOT" is not for it. Pretty simple, eh?
"FOR" is pushing for their right to legally marry someone of the same sex, whether it be for love, for insurance, for taxes, whatever. Personally, I don't really care what the reasons are. We all have our reasons, right?
"NOT" is stating that it isn't morally right. It isn't what God planned for His people.
Now.....here is something else that I saw as I was sitting on the fence, afraid to dangle my feet near either side, for fear of having them bitten off or eaten. I've seen the Walking Dead. I know what to do when someone tries to eat you.
Everybody in the "FOR" group kept saying this one thing over and over. "If you aren't in the "FOR" group, you have to hate them." I was dumbfounded. Seriously, I shook my head many times over this because I had never once seen it. I mean, I'm not so naive that I don't know there are haters but out of all the people that I have on my Facebook friends list, not one of them has ever posted that because someone is gay, they hate them...or should die...or be harmed...in ANY way.
I don't know, maybe I just have the coolest friends on earth??? It's a possibility for sure!!!
So I start doing some digging. I look into some groups that I am not connected to, in any way...I start asking people questions; people that I would never talk about such a sensitive subject with simply because #1: I don't want to be involved in a debate about it, and #2: when and if you have 2 sides in opposition, nothing is going to be solved. Hasn't our ridiculous Presidential election proved that?
No matter how much someone posts on Facebook that they support same-sex marriages, it doesn't and won't change the mind of someone who doesn't support it. I'm happy if you support it friend!! And to the other friend, I am happy that you don't support it!! We all have our reasons. We all have our own minds. We all have our own free will. For the sake of french fries, let's just get along people!!!
And then I waited. And I will be honest with you here about what I was doing while I waited to tell the world what "Mrs. Queen Princess Simply Shellie Dispatcher of Death" thinks. I asked around for different Bible chapters that I could read. I talked to people (as I said earlier) about their opinions and why they believed what they believe. Not to be judgmental, but to hear everyone's side. I needed to get as much information as I could. And then...I prayed.
Now, I'm not a public speaker for the church at all. I don't know a whole lot about the Bible, other than what I have learned growing up, in Sunday school and church and what I have seeked out, but I know what I believe and I know, NOW, that I have convictions. And they are a lot stronger than I ever knew they were. God has always been in my life. Always. But it seems in the past few months, He has been with me more and more. The past 2 days I have woken up saying the 23rd Psalm. It's the first thing I think of when I wake up. I don't know why and I don't know what has sparked it.
Unless it's this debate because I can't tell you how much it has affected me. Even I am shocked. I choose the "NOT" side of the fence. No matter how much I have argued and argued with myself, I keep coming back to God. Without going into a long story, this is what I always have at the end: God made Adam and Eve, and as funny as it sounds to say He didn't make Adam and Steve, that is exactly right. God made Adam and Eve so they could procreate. He gave us our own minds and our own free will to make decisions for ourselves. Eve was tempted, and ate the apple. She didn't lay down in the leaves with another female. She didn't ask God to make her a female companion.
I guess I think that if God WANTED us to be with same-sex partners, he would have made us asexual; which means"independent of sexual processes, especially not involving the union of male and female germ cells," according to dictionary.com.
I have several male gay friends and I will tell you that one of them I care a lot about. I have yet to sit down with him and talk about this issue because we have not been able to yet. But we will. He knows something is in the makings with me though. I suppose after this blog, he will know it all. And he will either accept that I have different views then him and we will continue on our path of friendship...or we won't. Who knows what is going to happen. Time will tell.
I have cousins on both sides of my family that are gay. I love them whole-heartedly as well. I will never, under any circumstances, stop loving them for this reason. They are my family, my blood. We don't HAVE to agree on everything. Tell me what family does!!
To be honest, I didn't think I would ever write a blog about this because I figured I would just stay up on top of that fence and never have to say a word but like I said, my convictions on this subject were, and are, a lot stronger than I thought. It's not something I have control over. This comes from my heart and like I said at the beginning, I am not out to offend anybody at all and I am truly sorry if you feel like I am attacking you.
But this is my place to vent and so I am; just like MY Facebook wall is a place for ME to post what I like or what I don't. It's nobody else's concern and if ANYTHING I post on MY wall offends you or hurts you, feel free to exit stage left because you are not going to change my mind when my heart is involved.
I recently posted the below image, to my Facebook wall:
#1: I believe I have a right to my own opinion, just like you do.
#2: I believe I have a right to voice my own opinion and even put it in print, just like you do.
#3: I understand that you may or may not agree with me and may or may not want to state that outloud.
Those are your choices and this blog is MY choice. Nobody elses.
With the current issue of same-sex marriage being legal or not legal, I held my tongue; for a long time. And here is why I held my tongue. I have family and I have friends that are gay. Some that are very close to me and some that are not so close. Either way, they are family; or they are friends; and I respect them.
I sat on top of the fence for so long, watching the two sides battle it out and this is what I saw. For arguments sake, I will use "FOR" and "NOT" as my sides. "FOR" is obviously the side that is for same-sex marriage. "NOT" is not for it. Pretty simple, eh?
"FOR" is pushing for their right to legally marry someone of the same sex, whether it be for love, for insurance, for taxes, whatever. Personally, I don't really care what the reasons are. We all have our reasons, right?
"NOT" is stating that it isn't morally right. It isn't what God planned for His people.
Now.....here is something else that I saw as I was sitting on the fence, afraid to dangle my feet near either side, for fear of having them bitten off or eaten. I've seen the Walking Dead. I know what to do when someone tries to eat you.
Everybody in the "FOR" group kept saying this one thing over and over. "If you aren't in the "FOR" group, you have to hate them." I was dumbfounded. Seriously, I shook my head many times over this because I had never once seen it. I mean, I'm not so naive that I don't know there are haters but out of all the people that I have on my Facebook friends list, not one of them has ever posted that because someone is gay, they hate them...or should die...or be harmed...in ANY way.
I don't know, maybe I just have the coolest friends on earth??? It's a possibility for sure!!!
So I start doing some digging. I look into some groups that I am not connected to, in any way...I start asking people questions; people that I would never talk about such a sensitive subject with simply because #1: I don't want to be involved in a debate about it, and #2: when and if you have 2 sides in opposition, nothing is going to be solved. Hasn't our ridiculous Presidential election proved that?
No matter how much someone posts on Facebook that they support same-sex marriages, it doesn't and won't change the mind of someone who doesn't support it. I'm happy if you support it friend!! And to the other friend, I am happy that you don't support it!! We all have our reasons. We all have our own minds. We all have our own free will. For the sake of french fries, let's just get along people!!!
And then I waited. And I will be honest with you here about what I was doing while I waited to tell the world what "Mrs. Queen Princess Simply Shellie Dispatcher of Death" thinks. I asked around for different Bible chapters that I could read. I talked to people (as I said earlier) about their opinions and why they believed what they believe. Not to be judgmental, but to hear everyone's side. I needed to get as much information as I could. And then...I prayed.
Now, I'm not a public speaker for the church at all. I don't know a whole lot about the Bible, other than what I have learned growing up, in Sunday school and church and what I have seeked out, but I know what I believe and I know, NOW, that I have convictions. And they are a lot stronger than I ever knew they were. God has always been in my life. Always. But it seems in the past few months, He has been with me more and more. The past 2 days I have woken up saying the 23rd Psalm. It's the first thing I think of when I wake up. I don't know why and I don't know what has sparked it.
Unless it's this debate because I can't tell you how much it has affected me. Even I am shocked. I choose the "NOT" side of the fence. No matter how much I have argued and argued with myself, I keep coming back to God. Without going into a long story, this is what I always have at the end: God made Adam and Eve, and as funny as it sounds to say He didn't make Adam and Steve, that is exactly right. God made Adam and Eve so they could procreate. He gave us our own minds and our own free will to make decisions for ourselves. Eve was tempted, and ate the apple. She didn't lay down in the leaves with another female. She didn't ask God to make her a female companion.
I guess I think that if God WANTED us to be with same-sex partners, he would have made us asexual; which means"independent of sexual processes, especially not involving the union of male and female germ cells," according to dictionary.com.
I have several male gay friends and I will tell you that one of them I care a lot about. I have yet to sit down with him and talk about this issue because we have not been able to yet. But we will. He knows something is in the makings with me though. I suppose after this blog, he will know it all. And he will either accept that I have different views then him and we will continue on our path of friendship...or we won't. Who knows what is going to happen. Time will tell.
I have cousins on both sides of my family that are gay. I love them whole-heartedly as well. I will never, under any circumstances, stop loving them for this reason. They are my family, my blood. We don't HAVE to agree on everything. Tell me what family does!!
To be honest, I didn't think I would ever write a blog about this because I figured I would just stay up on top of that fence and never have to say a word but like I said, my convictions on this subject were, and are, a lot stronger than I thought. It's not something I have control over. This comes from my heart and like I said at the beginning, I am not out to offend anybody at all and I am truly sorry if you feel like I am attacking you.
But this is my place to vent and so I am; just like MY Facebook wall is a place for ME to post what I like or what I don't. It's nobody else's concern and if ANYTHING I post on MY wall offends you or hurts you, feel free to exit stage left because you are not going to change my mind when my heart is involved.
I recently posted the below image, to my Facebook wall:
I just thought it was time. Time to let you know what I was thinking and feeling. I was sure you couldn't wait. And I didn't get anything at first. I was really shocked about that. And then I got some "likes" and a few "shares," which made me happy. So I started thinking "ok, I'm good. My friends are okay with me having my own opinion."
And then it comes. Just took a little bit. One person's comment was "...wow," and another's was "thumbs down." Well that was okay. So we disagree, so be it. Doesn't make me like these people ANY less. And then my girl speaks up. I love this girl so much and she doesn't even really realize how much. This is her comment, "I know we have differences but I respect this post! I still love you Shellie no matter what!"
Awww I'm blushing! She's too cute for words!
Apparently, maybe, one of the above commenters thought she was trying to start a debate because she chimed back in and even though it's okay, we should remember that unless someone's name is mentioned, comments are directed toward the owner of the wall. Isn't that how it's supposed to be??? Maybe I live in a different world than the rest. I don't know.
This is what I got from her, "gay people do not choose to be gay, anymore than white people choose to be white or black people choose to be black. They are born that way. To say that you are against it or don't agree is your own choice, but it is a form of prejudice all the same. I do believe we are supose to love one another without prejudices..."
And this, my friends, is my OPINION on that: I am not 100% in agreement that people are born gay. But I don't know. In my world, God made a man and a woman. The goal for Christians is to live how Jesus wants us to live. And we aren't perfect. We are tempted every day of our lives by one thing or another. It's all in what we choose. As for prejudice, according to dictionary.com again..."unreasonable feelings, opinions or attitudes, especially of a hostile nature, regarding a racial, religious, or national group." I don't think my feelings, opinions or attitudes are unreasonable, and they are definitely not hostile. I think there are millions that feel the same way I do. If what I am saying, is prejudice, than so is this girl being prejudice to me.
Then..."it doesnt offend me, I just dont understand how you have gay friends and love them, but yet choose not to support them? That's like not supporting people with cancer. I just don't understand. The post says you do not support homosexuality. You also said you don't have to love their choices. It's not a choice though. They are born the way they are."
"It doesn't offend me..." Apparently it does or you wouldn't keep coming back to poke me with your stick. When I read that she doesn't understand how I can have gay friends and love them but not their choices, I realized why people use the word hate. Hate:"to dislike intensely or passionately; feel extreme aversion for or extreme hostility toward; detest."
Here's the word, I think people mean but aren't realizing it: Disagree: "to fail to agree; differ." And that is all I'm doing; disagreeing. I don't hate anybody for their choices. I don't hate anybody period. But I know there are some that do. Please don't catagorize me in that group just because I have a similar belief. Who's judging who now?
And as for the cancer thing sweetie, don't get me started. I have lost many many loved ones to cancer and have family that still fight it everyday of their life. I don't support cancer. I support THEM. And yes, there is a HUGE GINORMOUS difference between homosexuality and cancer. That comment is riduculous.
"? so lets take away the rights that herosexuals have from gay people just because they are gay? You said it yourself that you have been married 3 times (im not against that btw) but why shouldnt they get that right, just because they are gay? we dont even know there is a god, but just for arguments sake lets say there is, who are we to say he is not ok with it? Did he come down and tell us all that it is wrong? Or did we just ASSume it because it's in sone book (that a human wrote) that is suppose to be HIS truth. you are entitled to your opinions, I simple dont agree with statements that are hypocritical. One of these days maybe we will all love and cherish one another for the way we are no matter how different we are made."
I have never stated that anyone's rights should be taken away. Not one time. But what right does marriage give them that they can't have single? Because like I have said numerous times, I have been married as many times as the space shuttle has landed and I have haven't ever been "advantaged" because of it. I pay for my own insurance at my own job. Why can't a gay man? Or a lesbian? Or a transsexual? AND THEN... I see it. I see WHY this person keeps arguing with me. She doesn't even believe there is a God. This is the point where I exit stage right because if you don't believe...can't see it everyday of your life...I am not the person you want to talk to. You need someone else in your life. Seriously. End of conversation.
Sorry friends, that this is so long. It wasn't intended to be but I was afraid it would be. Next up: a lighter, friendlier blog. Phew!!!
The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want;
He maketh me lie down in green pastures.
He leadeth me beside still waters;
He restoreth my soul.
He leadeth me in paths of righteousness
for His name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil
for Thou art with me
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life
And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever and ever.
Amen
2013/04/06
Throwing caution to the wind
I may regret putting some of this information out here for the world to see but we all have to come to a point where it just doesn't matter anymore. I'm throwing "caution" to the wind, so to speak. I don't know a whole lot of people that would post their weight on the internet. Here goes!
At the beginning of the new year, I joined a 90-day weight loss challenge. I didn't have to pay for anything. I didn't have to take any pills (although a Skinny Fiber consultant DID start the group up for us), I didn't have to eat any certain foods. I just had to be me. If you know me at all, some days it's hard to be me.
Anyway, before I had joined this weigh loss group, I had already made a pact with myself that this was the year I was going to lose some much needed weight and get my health back on track. As most of you know, I'm a diabetic and never really held it very long in the forefront of my mind. It never got the attention it was screaming out for and demanding. After all, diabetes can't kill you; only the complications of it can!
My "yearly" goal was to lose 35 lbs. The reason I chose 35 lbs. is because in my head, I weighed 235 lbs. Guess what. I couldn't have been wronger...or more wrong...or more off...ha, whatever. I get on a scales the first "weigh in" day and it read 258 lbs. I stepped off the scales, looked at myself in the mirror, wondered what more I could take off (and there was nothing), get back on the scales and it reads 258 lbs.
How the heck did I let myself get so out of control? I have only been this heavy (and heavier than this) one time in my life. I got on the scales once and it read 340 lbs, I cried for days. I started walking like a mad woman; I started eating less and less each day until I was down to 1 meal a day; when that wasn't fast enough, I started making myself vomit after that one meal (that was a choice of ramen noodles or popcorn); and I did aerobics 3 times a day. Yes...I went nuts.
I lost 170 lbs. Half of my person, literally. I lived in KC and when I would go back to Bedford to see my mom and my family, I would hear people whisper that I had turned to drinking from my (1st) divorce and then a classmate told me that she heard I was on drugs. It's amazing what people will say to make themselves look better. I will tell you this though.....I looked great. On the other hand, I felt like complete crap!! Not only was my body messed up but my mind didn't even make good decisions anymore. Life was all about what I looked like. And get this.....I had made my mind up that when I could pull the seat belt across me...and not have to pull any excess...and get it latched, I would be at my goal.
Well...I drove a little itty bitty Toyota and the seatbelts didn't come down very far. Maybe...just maybe, I could have gotten a baby doll strapped in without pulling excess down but I seriously doubt it. I got to where I measured my weight, not in pounds or inches, but in how I looked next to things or how I felt next to things. How stupid is that?
And I'm a pretty tall girl. 170lbs. may have been half of me at that point BUT I felt worse than I ever had in my life. I remember mom telling me I went overboard and needed to put a little bit of weight back on. I was so confused at that point. The most important thing to me was to look good at that point. I thought that was what would make me happy. But it wasn't. Visual skinny is not all it's cracked up to be.
Eventually the weight...some, not all...came back. And then I would lose it again. And put it back on. Yada yada yada. I was on the roller coaster of my life. But enough is enough!!
Last year...late in the year...I decided it was more than past time to do something good with myself. In more ways than one but my health HAD to be a priority! My friend Sherry added me to this Healthy Start Weight Loss Group on Facebook. I didn't know a soul in this group and that was okay too. This group has a lot of great recipes that are good for you and even easy to make. For example, sassy water, asparagus & chicken breasts, crock pot chicken noodle soup. I could go on forever.
Becky, the site admin also posts a lot of health tips like what to eat/drink to help detoxify your body, helpful weight loss tips, the benefits of eating fruits and veggies. Again, I could go on all day long. Becky also is the consultant for Skinny Fiber, as I mentioned before. I have yet to try Skinny Fiber but there seems to be a lot of positive things about it and am curious to try it. And I probably will. If it works, I will be singing it's praises. If it doesn't, I will try something else.
So...where was I going with this??? Let me scroll.............ok back to the challenge. Every Tuesday we would weigh in. We either went to the site and told Becky (and the rest of the group) what our weight was for that week, or we could send her a private message. I think we had 6 ladies in our group this first time. I figured it would do me more good to put my weight out there where everyone could see it so it would keep me focused. It seemed to work. Some of the gals took pictures of the scales to show their weight. I never did that. I don't want ANY MORE weight that I have to have!!!
So when I started this challenge, I changed from 35 lbs. being a yearly goal, to a 90 day goal. I figured it was a long shot but hey, we all need something to look forward to, right? So, like I said, I started in at 258.0 lbs. At the end of the challenge, I can proudly say I weigh 229.7 lbs. I had a loss of 28.3 lbs. I will take it! The winner got a month's supply of Skinny Fiber. I wasn't the winner, sad to say (not this time) but I was in second place. That's motivating for me.
In a couple of weeks, we are starting a new challenge. Our goal is to get some more people to join us in our challenge. I don't know if there will be a "prize" at the end of the 90 days this time but either way, it can only be good for us. I would love to have at least one person join "under me" so I have someone to talk to about it outside of Facebook.
We would even love to have some men join us if you are interested. If someone wants to join that I live close to, let me know and we can set up walking dates or even go to a fitness center/YMCA close by. I will be your motivation if you will be mine.
Please think about it. I have 29.7 lbs. yet to lose and then I will be satisfied. I hope. No really, I will be. My blood sugars are back in "normal" range and I am feeling so much better. I have even added vitamins to my life and that's something I have always fought hard against. Let me know if you have any questions. We would LOVE to have you join us!
At the beginning of the new year, I joined a 90-day weight loss challenge. I didn't have to pay for anything. I didn't have to take any pills (although a Skinny Fiber consultant DID start the group up for us), I didn't have to eat any certain foods. I just had to be me. If you know me at all, some days it's hard to be me.
Anyway, before I had joined this weigh loss group, I had already made a pact with myself that this was the year I was going to lose some much needed weight and get my health back on track. As most of you know, I'm a diabetic and never really held it very long in the forefront of my mind. It never got the attention it was screaming out for and demanding. After all, diabetes can't kill you; only the complications of it can!
My "yearly" goal was to lose 35 lbs. The reason I chose 35 lbs. is because in my head, I weighed 235 lbs. Guess what. I couldn't have been wronger...or more wrong...or more off...ha, whatever. I get on a scales the first "weigh in" day and it read 258 lbs. I stepped off the scales, looked at myself in the mirror, wondered what more I could take off (and there was nothing), get back on the scales and it reads 258 lbs.
How the heck did I let myself get so out of control? I have only been this heavy (and heavier than this) one time in my life. I got on the scales once and it read 340 lbs, I cried for days. I started walking like a mad woman; I started eating less and less each day until I was down to 1 meal a day; when that wasn't fast enough, I started making myself vomit after that one meal (that was a choice of ramen noodles or popcorn); and I did aerobics 3 times a day. Yes...I went nuts.
I lost 170 lbs. Half of my person, literally. I lived in KC and when I would go back to Bedford to see my mom and my family, I would hear people whisper that I had turned to drinking from my (1st) divorce and then a classmate told me that she heard I was on drugs. It's amazing what people will say to make themselves look better. I will tell you this though.....I looked great. On the other hand, I felt like complete crap!! Not only was my body messed up but my mind didn't even make good decisions anymore. Life was all about what I looked like. And get this.....I had made my mind up that when I could pull the seat belt across me...and not have to pull any excess...and get it latched, I would be at my goal.
Well...I drove a little itty bitty Toyota and the seatbelts didn't come down very far. Maybe...just maybe, I could have gotten a baby doll strapped in without pulling excess down but I seriously doubt it. I got to where I measured my weight, not in pounds or inches, but in how I looked next to things or how I felt next to things. How stupid is that?
And I'm a pretty tall girl. 170lbs. may have been half of me at that point BUT I felt worse than I ever had in my life. I remember mom telling me I went overboard and needed to put a little bit of weight back on. I was so confused at that point. The most important thing to me was to look good at that point. I thought that was what would make me happy. But it wasn't. Visual skinny is not all it's cracked up to be.
Eventually the weight...some, not all...came back. And then I would lose it again. And put it back on. Yada yada yada. I was on the roller coaster of my life. But enough is enough!!
Last year...late in the year...I decided it was more than past time to do something good with myself. In more ways than one but my health HAD to be a priority! My friend Sherry added me to this Healthy Start Weight Loss Group on Facebook. I didn't know a soul in this group and that was okay too. This group has a lot of great recipes that are good for you and even easy to make. For example, sassy water, asparagus & chicken breasts, crock pot chicken noodle soup. I could go on forever.
Becky, the site admin also posts a lot of health tips like what to eat/drink to help detoxify your body, helpful weight loss tips, the benefits of eating fruits and veggies. Again, I could go on all day long. Becky also is the consultant for Skinny Fiber, as I mentioned before. I have yet to try Skinny Fiber but there seems to be a lot of positive things about it and am curious to try it. And I probably will. If it works, I will be singing it's praises. If it doesn't, I will try something else.
So...where was I going with this??? Let me scroll.............ok back to the challenge. Every Tuesday we would weigh in. We either went to the site and told Becky (and the rest of the group) what our weight was for that week, or we could send her a private message. I think we had 6 ladies in our group this first time. I figured it would do me more good to put my weight out there where everyone could see it so it would keep me focused. It seemed to work. Some of the gals took pictures of the scales to show their weight. I never did that. I don't want ANY MORE weight that I have to have!!!
So when I started this challenge, I changed from 35 lbs. being a yearly goal, to a 90 day goal. I figured it was a long shot but hey, we all need something to look forward to, right? So, like I said, I started in at 258.0 lbs. At the end of the challenge, I can proudly say I weigh 229.7 lbs. I had a loss of 28.3 lbs. I will take it! The winner got a month's supply of Skinny Fiber. I wasn't the winner, sad to say (not this time) but I was in second place. That's motivating for me.
In a couple of weeks, we are starting a new challenge. Our goal is to get some more people to join us in our challenge. I don't know if there will be a "prize" at the end of the 90 days this time but either way, it can only be good for us. I would love to have at least one person join "under me" so I have someone to talk to about it outside of Facebook.
We would even love to have some men join us if you are interested. If someone wants to join that I live close to, let me know and we can set up walking dates or even go to a fitness center/YMCA close by. I will be your motivation if you will be mine.
Please think about it. I have 29.7 lbs. yet to lose and then I will be satisfied. I hope. No really, I will be. My blood sugars are back in "normal" range and I am feeling so much better. I have even added vitamins to my life and that's something I have always fought hard against. Let me know if you have any questions. We would LOVE to have you join us!
2013/04/01
A day out loose...with my sister
Saturday I had an eye doctors appointment. I was only 2 weeks late. Originally, I was supposed to have been there 2 Saturdays before but because I was sick and running a fever, I chose to stay home and feel like death. So when I got there this past Saturday and told them why I didn't make it, they were so thankful that I came late.
As some of you may remember, I used to go to America's Best Contacts and Eyeglasses. Never. Again. Ever. I decided to try this new place. I must say that they were awesome from the get-go. Greeted us at the door. Kathy went with me because well.....why would I go to the city alone? That would just be boring. And we all know that when Kathy and I go places, someone has a chance of pissing themselves.
Anyway, they greeted us at the door, and even though I was 30 minutes early...and surprisingly so after Kathy made me take 2 turns that were WRONG!!!...got me right in. They asked me if I wanted to do that little test that blows air in your eye. Of course I don't WANT to do it BUT we have glaucoma and macular degeneration in our family so yes, yes I will do it. But I won't like it.
So, it's then I remember that I forgot to put my glasses in my purse. So I have to take my contacts out (that were killing me because they were too over-used at this point) and walk around blind for a little while. Dr. Shephard diluted my eyes...and that's an uncomfortable feeling...and finished all her tests; and she did A LOT of tests. We talked about the different kinds of contacts and what I like and what I don't like. What I don't like are those stoopid softmeds that feel like I am carrying a cement disk in my eye socket. Acuvue Oasis it is!! Fabulous.
Stuck in my new contacts and away we went. Ahhh...eyeball bliss! My original appointment was at 10:15 and we ended up getting out of there at 10:25. Not bad; not bad at all. I don't have to go back for ANYTHING unless I have problems, for a whole year. Unlike that other jerky place I went to before; that I will never go back to again.
To hobby lobby...with Kathy driving me around now...because my eyes are diluted...and I am fearing for my life...because she sometimes drives like a maniac. Hehehe love you sister! Do you have any idea how hard it is to read price tags after your eyes have been diluted??? Oh dear, it's amazingly hard. Didn't take me long to figure out why Dr. Shephard told me to have my sister check price tags for me. Ha! Couldn't even read the time on my phone. I almost felt crippled!!! How sad is that?
Didn't find what we were looking for at Hobby Lobby...well we did but they were about 3 times as much as what I knew I could get at Walmart. Oh Walmart, I loathe you! So we are going down Army Post Road and remember, Kathy is driving and I am looking around like I've been blind all my life and am just now discovering the world. Kathy had mentioned she wanted to go to QuikTrip to get her some iced tea. Not a problem, we should pass several on the way to the grocery store. Just pick one.
I wanted to go to my favorite grocery store...which seems like an oxymoron to me since I think of grocery shopping as the equivalent of pulling toenails and fingernails out with pliers...in the dirty garage...by a blood covered, greasy haired, homicidal mechanic. So anyway, there we are going down the road and the stoplight ahead of us is red. There are 2 cars sitting at the light and it feels like we are accelerating rather than decelerating. "The light is red." She hits the brake, "I know. Let me get up to it." Uh huh, SUUUUUURE you knew it. I know you weren't paying attention and it's a damn good thing the blind person could see that light!!! We stop, and as usual, as soon as we get stopped, the light turns green and we go forward past the intersection.
The intersection where my favorite grocery store was at. I didn't say a word. I knew if we ended up on the other side of the freeway, there was another. "So where are we going?" my thoughtful sister asks me. "Aldi's." I am still peering out the window...on that cloudy day...with my sunglasses on...like a newborn puppy. "Oh, where is that at?" "Well, we just passed one back at that red light you didn't see that you claimed you saw." Laughter. Lots of it. "Oops. But I did see the light." Whatever helps you sleep at night sister.
We keep driving and I am still gazing out the window. "Did you know there was a trailer park here all this time???" She hadn't ever noticed it either. I wonder what's on the other side of the road that holds my attention. I look to my left and just as I did, we passed the QT. "There's a QT." We've passed the corner...zoom...too late. Now I don't feel so bad that she passed my grocery store. More laughter. Lots more.
We talked about stopping and getting our tattoos but pretty much ended that conversation before it got started. We both knew we weren't going to have that done yet. Next stop is Walmart. I get the things that I needed (from Hobby Lobby) and decide that I don't want to drive around to another grocery store. I'm getting it all here. And I did. Had to stock up for Easter dinner as my cupboards were B-A-R-E.
That job is done. And I couldn't be more thankful for that. Car packed. Lunch at Hooters. Quick stop to the Dollar Tree...just because I wanted to pick up a few things that I didn't need to begin with. Now I get to drive.
I graciously took my sister to the nearest QT...because I love her more than she loves me...and let her get her iced tea finally. I tried to drive like her but then again...it scared the beejeezus out of me so I won't be doing that again anytime soon. It really is a wonder that she has a valid driver's license. -_- Maybe it's not valid...............
We headed south to Truro. I wanted to show her the park that I have heard so many stories about...the slide that isn't there anymore but is loved by my aunts and uncles. I took her to the cemetary and showed her some family grave sites. They really need a bathroom out there though. I have to pee everytime I go there. My apologies to those that had to get mooned while I relieved myself. :O
Back on the road to East Peru. Or Peru. Whichever it is. Don't confuse this with the country of Peru. This little burg is pronounced Pee-Roo. I thought I was going to have to tattoo that on Kathy's hand so she could remember. Before we got into town though, we took a little side trip out in the country. I wanted to show her this piece of farmland that our Greats.....or someone.....had lived on. Then on to the King Cemetary we go!
The road was a little sketchy because it needed some new gravel and there were 2 big puddles in the middle of the road at the bottom of the hill...and it was kind of a scary little road. I don't know why I always think that...that it's a scary road. Just a lot of trees I guess. But at the end of the road is the cemetary and off of that is a long driveway to someone's beautiful log cabin house. We never go that far down though.
We got out of the car and started walking up this hill and sis says to me, "Who is buried here and where are they at?" Of course I can't remember for sure and scream out loud for the living...and maybe unliving...to hear, "Family, where are you?" Immediately Kathy lets out this blood curdling S-C-R-E-A-M!! Of course, my first thought is that they have heard me and come to greet us. She scared me so bad that I screamed too! Don't you hate when that happens??? You scream because someone's scream scared the pee-diddle out of you??? As I scream, I turn toward Kathy...fully expecting to see a ghost of someone that knows who we are and "what we did last summer," and there's a dog.
Seriously. A dog. I even have a picture of him. Let's see if it loads the right way or not.
Nope, it didn't load right. Anyhow...this dog just wants someone to pet him and play with him. He was soooooooooo friendly and so pretty. When I told him to sit, he sat. Wished he had a name tag on though so I could have called him by name. Next time I will have to remember to have a treat or two for him. So this is the reason my sister screamed bloody murder in the cemetary. We laughed about it at Easter dinner and she says, "All I could hear was breathing coming up behind me." And as Quintin so eloquently put it, "The last thing you expect to hear at a cemetary is breathing." Very well said my dear, very well said. I'm not sure how Kathy didn't pee herself.
And this dog KNEW she was scared of it...and kept trying to jump up on her. That, my friends, was hilarious. She would stop and say, "Get down" or "stop jumping on me." I finally had to hold him and kiss on him to get him calmed down enough Kathy would put her tender hand out and finally pet him. Geez what a wiener. Kathy, not the dog.
So, on to Peru. Where it all happens. Happened. At some point or another. I showed her the little house that our Grandpa Weed was born in. Two room shack...if that. She thinks we need to buy it and fix it up a little bit. Won't put any electricity in it so nobody could "cook" in it. Hahahaha that cracks me up. I wonder who owns it........
Went straight somewhere that we should have turned but ended up coming out south of Winterset and it all worked out. Wanted to show her Podunk, Iowa though. I will have to remember to do that next time.
What a blast we had. Then I had to come home and clean my house. That was full of home construction pieces, bookshelves that I had given to me (4 of them), and a WHOLE LOT OF.....dust. Ugh........but we got it all cleaned up...well most of it anyway. Hosted Easter dinner Sunday for us, Kathy, Jackie, Aunt Ruth, Samantha and Shaun. We had a good time and waaaaaaaaay too much food.
My mom always taught us that nobody should leave hungry. I am just like her in that I make too much food. But I don't care. I always will.
I hope this made you smile like it made me smile. Until next time!!!
As some of you may remember, I used to go to America's Best Contacts and Eyeglasses. Never. Again. Ever. I decided to try this new place. I must say that they were awesome from the get-go. Greeted us at the door. Kathy went with me because well.....why would I go to the city alone? That would just be boring. And we all know that when Kathy and I go places, someone has a chance of pissing themselves.
Anyway, they greeted us at the door, and even though I was 30 minutes early...and surprisingly so after Kathy made me take 2 turns that were WRONG!!!...got me right in. They asked me if I wanted to do that little test that blows air in your eye. Of course I don't WANT to do it BUT we have glaucoma and macular degeneration in our family so yes, yes I will do it. But I won't like it.
So, it's then I remember that I forgot to put my glasses in my purse. So I have to take my contacts out (that were killing me because they were too over-used at this point) and walk around blind for a little while. Dr. Shephard diluted my eyes...and that's an uncomfortable feeling...and finished all her tests; and she did A LOT of tests. We talked about the different kinds of contacts and what I like and what I don't like. What I don't like are those stoopid softmeds that feel like I am carrying a cement disk in my eye socket. Acuvue Oasis it is!! Fabulous.
Stuck in my new contacts and away we went. Ahhh...eyeball bliss! My original appointment was at 10:15 and we ended up getting out of there at 10:25. Not bad; not bad at all. I don't have to go back for ANYTHING unless I have problems, for a whole year. Unlike that other jerky place I went to before; that I will never go back to again.
To hobby lobby...with Kathy driving me around now...because my eyes are diluted...and I am fearing for my life...because she sometimes drives like a maniac. Hehehe love you sister! Do you have any idea how hard it is to read price tags after your eyes have been diluted??? Oh dear, it's amazingly hard. Didn't take me long to figure out why Dr. Shephard told me to have my sister check price tags for me. Ha! Couldn't even read the time on my phone. I almost felt crippled!!! How sad is that?
Didn't find what we were looking for at Hobby Lobby...well we did but they were about 3 times as much as what I knew I could get at Walmart. Oh Walmart, I loathe you! So we are going down Army Post Road and remember, Kathy is driving and I am looking around like I've been blind all my life and am just now discovering the world. Kathy had mentioned she wanted to go to QuikTrip to get her some iced tea. Not a problem, we should pass several on the way to the grocery store. Just pick one.
I wanted to go to my favorite grocery store...which seems like an oxymoron to me since I think of grocery shopping as the equivalent of pulling toenails and fingernails out with pliers...in the dirty garage...by a blood covered, greasy haired, homicidal mechanic. So anyway, there we are going down the road and the stoplight ahead of us is red. There are 2 cars sitting at the light and it feels like we are accelerating rather than decelerating. "The light is red." She hits the brake, "I know. Let me get up to it." Uh huh, SUUUUUURE you knew it. I know you weren't paying attention and it's a damn good thing the blind person could see that light!!! We stop, and as usual, as soon as we get stopped, the light turns green and we go forward past the intersection.
The intersection where my favorite grocery store was at. I didn't say a word. I knew if we ended up on the other side of the freeway, there was another. "So where are we going?" my thoughtful sister asks me. "Aldi's." I am still peering out the window...on that cloudy day...with my sunglasses on...like a newborn puppy. "Oh, where is that at?" "Well, we just passed one back at that red light you didn't see that you claimed you saw." Laughter. Lots of it. "Oops. But I did see the light." Whatever helps you sleep at night sister.
We keep driving and I am still gazing out the window. "Did you know there was a trailer park here all this time???" She hadn't ever noticed it either. I wonder what's on the other side of the road that holds my attention. I look to my left and just as I did, we passed the QT. "There's a QT." We've passed the corner...zoom...too late. Now I don't feel so bad that she passed my grocery store. More laughter. Lots more.
We talked about stopping and getting our tattoos but pretty much ended that conversation before it got started. We both knew we weren't going to have that done yet. Next stop is Walmart. I get the things that I needed (from Hobby Lobby) and decide that I don't want to drive around to another grocery store. I'm getting it all here. And I did. Had to stock up for Easter dinner as my cupboards were B-A-R-E.
That job is done. And I couldn't be more thankful for that. Car packed. Lunch at Hooters. Quick stop to the Dollar Tree...just because I wanted to pick up a few things that I didn't need to begin with. Now I get to drive.
I graciously took my sister to the nearest QT...because I love her more than she loves me...and let her get her iced tea finally. I tried to drive like her but then again...it scared the beejeezus out of me so I won't be doing that again anytime soon. It really is a wonder that she has a valid driver's license. -_- Maybe it's not valid...............
We headed south to Truro. I wanted to show her the park that I have heard so many stories about...the slide that isn't there anymore but is loved by my aunts and uncles. I took her to the cemetary and showed her some family grave sites. They really need a bathroom out there though. I have to pee everytime I go there. My apologies to those that had to get mooned while I relieved myself. :O
Back on the road to East Peru. Or Peru. Whichever it is. Don't confuse this with the country of Peru. This little burg is pronounced Pee-Roo. I thought I was going to have to tattoo that on Kathy's hand so she could remember. Before we got into town though, we took a little side trip out in the country. I wanted to show her this piece of farmland that our Greats.....or someone.....had lived on. Then on to the King Cemetary we go!
The road was a little sketchy because it needed some new gravel and there were 2 big puddles in the middle of the road at the bottom of the hill...and it was kind of a scary little road. I don't know why I always think that...that it's a scary road. Just a lot of trees I guess. But at the end of the road is the cemetary and off of that is a long driveway to someone's beautiful log cabin house. We never go that far down though.
We got out of the car and started walking up this hill and sis says to me, "Who is buried here and where are they at?" Of course I can't remember for sure and scream out loud for the living...and maybe unliving...to hear, "Family, where are you?" Immediately Kathy lets out this blood curdling S-C-R-E-A-M!! Of course, my first thought is that they have heard me and come to greet us. She scared me so bad that I screamed too! Don't you hate when that happens??? You scream because someone's scream scared the pee-diddle out of you??? As I scream, I turn toward Kathy...fully expecting to see a ghost of someone that knows who we are and "what we did last summer," and there's a dog.
Seriously. A dog. I even have a picture of him. Let's see if it loads the right way or not.
Nope, it didn't load right. Anyhow...this dog just wants someone to pet him and play with him. He was soooooooooo friendly and so pretty. When I told him to sit, he sat. Wished he had a name tag on though so I could have called him by name. Next time I will have to remember to have a treat or two for him. So this is the reason my sister screamed bloody murder in the cemetary. We laughed about it at Easter dinner and she says, "All I could hear was breathing coming up behind me." And as Quintin so eloquently put it, "The last thing you expect to hear at a cemetary is breathing." Very well said my dear, very well said. I'm not sure how Kathy didn't pee herself.
And this dog KNEW she was scared of it...and kept trying to jump up on her. That, my friends, was hilarious. She would stop and say, "Get down" or "stop jumping on me." I finally had to hold him and kiss on him to get him calmed down enough Kathy would put her tender hand out and finally pet him. Geez what a wiener. Kathy, not the dog.
So, on to Peru. Where it all happens. Happened. At some point or another. I showed her the little house that our Grandpa Weed was born in. Two room shack...if that. She thinks we need to buy it and fix it up a little bit. Won't put any electricity in it so nobody could "cook" in it. Hahahaha that cracks me up. I wonder who owns it........
Went straight somewhere that we should have turned but ended up coming out south of Winterset and it all worked out. Wanted to show her Podunk, Iowa though. I will have to remember to do that next time.
What a blast we had. Then I had to come home and clean my house. That was full of home construction pieces, bookshelves that I had given to me (4 of them), and a WHOLE LOT OF.....dust. Ugh........but we got it all cleaned up...well most of it anyway. Hosted Easter dinner Sunday for us, Kathy, Jackie, Aunt Ruth, Samantha and Shaun. We had a good time and waaaaaaaaay too much food.
My mom always taught us that nobody should leave hungry. I am just like her in that I make too much food. But I don't care. I always will.
I hope this made you smile like it made me smile. Until next time!!!
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