Wee Little Update

It's been a little bit since I posted last, so I thought I'd give a little update on what's been going on.

We went to Boston last weekend and it was amazing! I'll post on that later when I have my laptop with all my pictures on it!

I still have stupid shingles. It's like the Devil's disease or something! I swear it sucks! It feels like someone took sandpaper and rubbed it all over my arm! My arm feels raw and it just plain hurts. Doc gave me some nerve pain killers to help with the pain, but they make me loopy so I can't really ever take them except for at night. Oh well, at least I'm getting some good sleep out of the deal!

I'm getting a new fence! They should be finished tonight! I'm so excited! I've wanted a privacy fence for a while now, so this will be nice to have! Plus, it'll be better for outdoor entertaining, which I hope to do a lot of this summer. Too bad I have no pool, that always goes over better. But, I love having a backyard. The dogs love it too, so that helps!

School is going OK. It's still school, and sometimes it sucks, but at the end of the day, I'm glad that I'm doing it.

I'll post more later when I have my pictures! We had an AMAZING time in Boston and some of our whale watching pictures are pretty good!

"Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live"
-Unknown

Holy Jeez...

So today is Wednesday, which means that I have had this painful, annoying rash on my arm for almost 2 weeks (tomorrow will be two weeks exactly). I thought it was getting better after this weekend. I really thought that I was on the mend and that I would feel SPECTACULAR for my trip to Boston. Which by the way, is tomorrow. Boy, was I wrong.

I'm not sure if maybe I just did too much on Monday and so that wore me out and took me back to reality with a big slap in the face, or if the virus really is getting worse. The rash is about the same. I won't describe it, but if you're curious, you can go here to read about it. Mine actually doesn't look near as bad as it could. At the moment, it just kind of looks like dry skin. Anyway, that's besides the point. My point is that it seems like things should be better by now. I mean, I took all of the meds the doc gave me. I took time off work to rest, and took time off school to rest (which is a whole different story). So why am I not feeling 110%? This is so like me too. My body must really hate me or something. I mean, who else gets sick the week before they are supposed to take a super fun trip with their hubby? Oh, right, just me. With my luck, I'm going to end up in some Boston hospital waiting for death to take me. Okay, maybe that's a little over dramatic and it won't really happen, but it could....it seriously could.

I go back to the doctor today. Actually, while I will be going to the same doctor's office, I'm going to see a different doctor because she wants to "get a fresh perspective". Basically, she doesn't understand why I'm not feeling any better yet either....she sounded worried, but I'm trying to not let that stress me out...I mean, that's how we got here in the first place, right?

And to top everything off, I have class tonight. Basically, I'm going to be driving all over hell and back today and that always adds to my stress. Dallas drivers aren't the best. That's for sure.

So here's hoping I don't end up in the hospital in Boston, that I make an excellent grade on my exam next week....and that I can take care of everything I need to take care of by tomorrow.

Appreciate the woman you love

I really liked this message that I got in an email so I wanted to pass it along:

One Flaw In Women

Women have strengths that amaze men.
They bear hardships and they carry burdens,
but they hold happiness, love and joy.

They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy
and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in.
They stand up to injustice.

They don't take "no" for an answer
when they believe there is a better solution.

They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.

They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel
and cheer when their friends get awards.

They are happy when they hear about
a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member,
yet they are strong when they
think there is no strength left.
They know that a hug and a kiss
can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.

They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you
to show how much they care about you.

The heart of a woman is what
makes the world keep turning.

They bring joy, hope and love.
They have compassion and ideas.
They give moral support to their
family and friends.

Women have vital things to say
and everything to give.

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,
IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

Taking it easy...East Texas style

Spent some quality time with the fam this weekend, kicking back in front of a campfire and enjoying nature. I think it was a pretty good trip all around, and my immune system definitely needed the relaxation and fresh air. Let's hope the dreadful shingles are behind me and I can keep moving forward in this stupid illness!

Here are a few of my favorite pics:

This is Abby. She's about 15 years old now and all she did was sleep the whole time! She got a little bit grumpy with me for taking this picture, but overall, she is the best, most laid back dog any family could ask for. I'll be very sad when she finally leaves us.
"If a dog will not come to you after having looked you in the face, you should go home and examine your conscience."
~Woodrow Wilson
Early to bed, early to rise. This was the scene at around 7:00AM. All the meds I've been on have been conking me out pretty early, so although I was fast asleep in a super comfy tent on the ground (please tell me you caught the sarcasm), my body was ready for action at 7:00AM. I took a few strolls around the park but found this picture to be one of my favorites. I love it in the morning when the sun is just now coming up. It's my favorite time of day.
"Nothing is more beautiful than the loveliness of the woods before sunrise"
George Washington Carver

You knew the dachshunds would make it at some point!! This is one of their favorite things to do! Afternoon naps in the sunshine. Bailey (the girl bottom right) will lay in the smallest patches of sunshine to try and "sunbathe." She even rolls over on all sides to make sure that each side gets the same amount of time in the sun. Wilson (top left) just likes to be wherever she is. I bet if I mirrored my life more after them, I wouldn't have to worry about getting shingles!
"Happiness is a warm puppy"
Charles M. Schulz


What campsite would be complete without a hot, burning fire? This fire kept us warm for more than a little while. The boys (hubby and brother in law) did a really good job keeping it going and gathering an endless supply of firewood. I think BIL sacrificed some skin for some of the firewood (scrapes, cuts, spider bites) but in the end, we had warmth, and what more do you need, right?
"The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire"
Marshal Ferdinand Foch

All in all, it was a great weekend. Although it might even be a little cliche, it was just what the doctor ordered!

And it definitely got me hyped up about going to Boston! Although I don't have my fancy new camera yet (still warming the hubby up to the idea) my sister in law's ex boss is going to let me borrow one of his!! I think I just might die I'm so excited!!!

Not sure if I've closed with this before, but I love it and I try to remember it often:

"Do not run through life so fast that you forget not only where you have been, but also where you are going"

Still surviving and pouting a lil all at the same time...

So..I'm still suffering from this crap chicken pox/shingles/herpes bull. It's really annoying. The worst part is that it makes me soo tired and I feel so worn down. I literally just want to sleep all the time. So, we're going camping tonight which means that hubby will have to do all the driving because I'm probably going to konk out on the way there.

I'm pouting because I really wanted to buy my new camera before we went camping. I wanted to use this weekend to practice and get good at it so that I could be great at it by next weekend...aka BOSTON! I guess I can try to talk the hubby into stopping before we head out for camping, but it's not likely that he'll say yes. Boo.

Any suggestions on what camera? I'm currently thinking the Nikon D60 or if I can get hubby to splurge, the D90--it does have the built in video camera after all!

Just another day in the life of a sicky

So, I'm pretty sickenss prone, that's what we call it. I have things like chronic sinusitis and petella tendonitis, so it doesn't usually freak me out when I go to the doctor and she tells me something crazy... like, "only 2% of patients will experience nausea with this medicine" which generally means that I will spend the first 2 days vomitting after taking the pills. I've gotten used to it, I've always fit into that special category of 2%, so it's not real surprising anymore.

Anyway, I say all of that to say all of this. I went to the doctor yesterday because I've had a rash on my arm since last Thursday and it was starting to hurt and cause some discomfort. Turns out I have chicken pox, but in the adult form. So basically, once you have chicken pox, the virus stays in your body. It lays dormant in your nerve roots and in your spine. Most people don't ever experience a flair up of the virus, but on occassion, something like stress, or an illness can bring the virus to the surface. So, that's what is happening with me. The virus has decided to rear it's ugly head all the way down the back of my arm. Okay, not all the way down, but it's a pretty large size area and the crap hurts like hell. They call it shingles when you get it as an adult, but I prefer to call it adult chicken pox because I feel like only people over 50 get shingles.
So, I have to take Valtrex, yeah, the herpes medicine, like 3 times a day in these huge ass pills, and steroid pills which always make me feel crazy. And to top it all off, I'm supposed to "take it easy, get some rest" Right...because you said stress was one of the main reasons this virus shows up, so CLEARLY I AM NOT GOOD AT RESTING AND TAKING IT EASY!

Ugh, I swear to god, the crazy things only happen to me. My sister is lucky to get a cold once a year. Husband is like a freaking sickness blocker and never gets sick. Me and my dad...resident freak shows.

Anyway, this is me, taking it easy, resting, and going completely insane wanting to itch the crap out of my adult chicken pox.

someone save me.

"take it easy, take it easy, don't let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy"
-the eagles