Change Is Good, Right?

Change can be a good thing for many people, and it can be scary for others.  I had so many wonderful ideas for this blog at the first of the year, and honestly, I wasn't happy with it.  I was afraid that the books reviews would get lost among the ankle issues and seashells that pile up.  

I'm doing a scary change, but I think a really, really great change, and I am so excited about it.  First of all, I am going to keep this blog going, because I do feel that getting my ankle story out there and keeping it out there will help someone someday - if not it will continue to help me as an emotional outlet for my progress and sometimes lack there of.

The book reviews were kind of that third wheel and didn't really fit in with what I had going.  The Love of my Life suggested that I just make a blog and totally dedicate it to my book reading and reviewing.  Wow!  Why didn't I think of that?  Probably had my nose in a book somewhere.

Tonight a new blog was born:  Ravenous Reader - Book Reviews and I can't be happier!!!  I am going to take the book reviews off this page and put them over onto the new blog during the next couple of days.  I will have my review policies and discuss the types of books I am willing and wanting to review, along with some other cool ideas I want to incorporate as time goes on.  

If I build it they will come, right?  Hopefully!  If you check in every now and then for my book reviews, please visit me at Ravenous Reader - Book Reviews and let me know what you think!  And tell all your reader friends, too, of course.  And, the invitation is always open to follow me here, because there will always be something going on!

Thanks,

Tuesday

Walking In Sand

I have had two ankle fusion surgeries in less than 7 years that have essentially put my ankle in a permanent 90 degree angle - it kind of looks like a hockey stick or a boomerang or as it is fondly called in one of my circles, a kickstand.  My ankle does not move, at all.  I can wiggle my toes a little bit, but other than that, nothing.


This is very hard to explain to people or it's very hard for people to understand, I'm not really sure what statement is more correct.  I feel like I explain it well, but then I see that far away, blank look in the person's eye and the babbling really starts.  I've even been to an internal medicine physician a time or two who after being told that I have an ankle fusion ask me to move my foot.  Sure, okay, yeah, let me break that solid bond of fused bone with my super power strength just so you can see me move my ankle.


To say I get frustrated sometimes is an understatement.  I hate coming across as angry regarding my explanation all of the time, but it does grow old trying to articulate that my ankle.does.not.move.  Then I hit the spiral down into the rabbit hole of being depressed over my disability, and it gets more out of control from there.  Hey!   Maybe I can start a Twitter trend of #F (for FUSION) and wear a scarlet #F on my foot.  I mean, Angelina Jolie's leg has her own hash tag for her leg, why wouldn't it work for my foot?  I've never been one to get into fashion trends too much, but it's never too late to start, right?


Currently I am almost 10 months post-op from my second ankle fusion surgery.  In my first surgery I had the large ankle joint (the one that allows you to move your foot up and down) fused.  This is called a tibia talar fusion.  My second ankle fusion was a on the smaller joint below the larger one that allows your ankle to have side-to-side movement.  This is called a sub-talar ankle fusion.  Many people who have a tibia talar ankle fusion do end up going on to get a sub-talar ankle fusion because that small joint just can't hold up to the pressure.  For me there really wasn't a question of having to have the second ankle fusion surgery, but when will I need it?  Sometimes I think it came too soon, and other times I am glad to have it out of the way.


Last week I spent 7 glorious days in Englewood, Florida along with every Canadian Snow Bird in the entire world, except for the 5 who spend the winter in my county.  I saw more license plates from Canada last week than I did when I practically lived on the Canadian border as a child.  But, the beach and the water were wonderful, and I spent time walking in the sand collecting shark's teeth and seashells to add to my growing collection.


For the first time in I can't remember when, my ankle did not hurt when I walked through the sand.  I didn't have that constant pain and worry about getting from the top of the beach to the surf.  It wasn't perfectly easy, but it was so much better than it used to be before both ankle fusion surgeries.  I walked farther and longer this past week in flip flop and bare feet than I have in over a year in sensible shoes.  It was a pretty awesome feeling.


I have some some ideas of what my ankle future holds, but I will pull a Scarlett O'Hara and think about that tomorrow.  Today I want to remember my week of walking in sand.

A Week By The Sea

I just spent a wonderful week by the sea, and am putting the finishing touches on some blog posts.  In the meantime, I leave you with some photographs.

I Joined A Book Club

I've always wanted to become a member of a book club.  I've heard of these seemingly elusive groups who choose a book, read the book, and then get together to discuss the book.  Since moving to Florida I've been hard pressed to find one to fit my needs.  Oh they are here, but remember, this is Florida, and there are only about 25 of us in the entire state who work a full-time job.  The sad realization that I came to very quickly after settling in, is that most things in Florida revolved around that giant group of folks called retirees.  Yeah, them.


There are tons of clubs and activities, but they are held during the day when the Seniors can stay awake, drive to in relative safety, and work around their meals.  I asked a local librarian one time if she knew of any evening book clubs, and she looked at me like I was a creature straight out of Mos Eisley Cantina (calm down, Han shot first - well, now who the hell knows now that George Lucas has gone all squirrley on us as of late and said that it was never like that.  Doesn't he know that there is an entire generation of us who are now going to need therapy?  I digress...)  This librarian couldn't seem to wrap her head around the fact that I was a bit miffed that there were so few activities being held after 5 pm.  


Through some savvy internet searching I found a book club about 20 miles from home.  It was a squeeze to get there on time, and the few times I went there were only one or two people attending, and the last time I was all alone.  Granted I really enjoy my own company, but book clubs are boring as a Party of One.


Last month, the love of my life and I weaved our way through the streets of Crystal River and enjoyed the annual Manatee Festival.  When our feet were tired, we popped into a really cool local pub called Burkes of Ireland to grab a cold beer.  There on the wall behind the bar was a note that said "Books & Beer".  Whoa, whoa, whoa!  Books AND beer?  They sky opened up and I could hear the Angels sing!  Books & Beer.


People who know me well, know that I love to read and that I love beer - not necessarily in that order.  Could this really be true?  I asked the bartender, and absolutely it was true!  (happy, happy dance)  He directed me to the end of the bar where I met the leader of this group.  I was so in!  I was so there!  Books & Beer!  Life in the Sunshine State just got sunnier!


I grabbed the book a little late and got about 25% of the way through it, but still attended the club meeting.  I figured it would be nice to hang out, drink beer, and meet some new people and see if this book club was something that I wanted to continue with.  I arrived, grabbed a pint of Harp from the bar and headed outside.  About 13 of us sat in a circle around a couple of tables, there were introductions, there was food, and there was intelligent conversation about the book.


I think what I liked most was that not everyone agreed with the conversations and opinions about the book.  No one stomped their feet and crossed their arms because someone had a differing opinion.  It was like a group of adults got together for the sole purpose of one thing - discussion about reading.  Hmmmmm, what a novel idea.  Who the hell am I kidding, I like the beer the most!


I will most definitely attend Books & Beer at Burkes of Ireland again.  It was a great group of men and women who all have one thing in common - reading.

I Pinky Swear (a.k.a. My Book Review Oath)

When I see a book  I am interested in, I read reviews to see what other readers thought about the book.  I am very specific in what I am looking for in a book review, and I do admit that I tend to get frustrated when I can't find what I am looking for.  I think the aspect of a book review that I see most often that gets my ire up is when the reviewer summarizes the book.  Not just the quick three or four sentence summary, but the three or four paragraph summary.  I believe that you read the book, really, I do!  There is no need to regurgitate that information, because if I choose to read it, I'm going to ingest it all anyway.  If I was in a book store or library, I probably read the inside jacket cover or the back of the book.  If I am shopping online,  I will have already read the summary.  I want to know if you loved it, hated it, was it a simple read, or was it a great read for the beach.

The other thing I really, really dislike are spoilers.  I mean, does this really make you happy that you can ruin the experience for potential readers?  It's like going to the movies and some moron blurts out something in the middle  of it that's so crucial to the rest of the show.  People who write reviews that have spoilers WITHOUT a disclaimer at the beginning simply suck.  They do.

And finally, the last thing I dislike about book reviews is when a reviewer bashes the author's character, personality, and Mama.  It's a book, and unless it's touted as non-fiction, a memoir, an autobiography, or based on true events, it's more than likely make-believe.  There's a difference between stating in a review that an author's writing style or prose is poor, but it's a totally different thing to say that the author is a horrible person.  Unless he is your neighbor and steals your newspaper every morning, you really don't have any idea what he's like as a fellow human being.

When I decided to start writing reviews of the dozens of books that I read each year, I went in search of the elements of a good book review.  I found that it's pretty much the same across the board whether it was a college or educational website or another book reviewer providing the information.  The common theme is that book reviews are personal, a reaction to the work, and there is no right or wrong way to write one.  I believe that an author probably wants the truth, but given in a constructive way.  A book  can be poorly written, and I will still enjoy the story and message.  A book can be beautifully written and I can dislike it.

I've mentioned that I read a lot.  I read for enjoyment and entertainment.  I read to escape the daily stress in my life, and I find reading relaxing.  I read for the pleasure of the written word, and when I read something that I enjoy, I want the ability to share that experience with others; therefore, the book review portion of my blog.  There's a little tab above that says Book Reviews - it's going away - it may already be gone by the time you are reading this.  When you visit My Life With Seashells, you will read the book reviews right on the page without having to search for them or load another page.

I welcome challenges and comments regarding any post on My Life With Seashells.  I will engage in intelligent, adult conversations regarding anything that is written here.  I'm really a pretty simple girl; I just want to make this an enjoyable experience for everyone, myself included.  If I can make someone happy through a review and recommend a book that they end up enjoying as much as I have, then I will consider myself successful.

I promise to be real.  I will not promise that I will read only "real, paper books".  I have a Kindle, I am in love with my Kindle, and many of the books that I read are on my Kindle (his name is Vinny).  I also check books out of my local library, and I utilize the hell out of PaperBack Swap.  I've been known to borrow books from family or friends, and pick them up at flea markets or garage sales.  I have books all over my house on shelves and on display.  I'm an equal opportunity reader (the operative word is READER) - I don't discriminate against electronic or printed format.

I promise to write reviews that are honest and succinct.  I won't ever write a review that has spoilers.  Even if I saw the author spit on a little old lady, I probably wouldn't hold that against his or her writing, so I can promise you that I won't bash their writing character.  I won't drone on and on with summarization, because you can read the summary easier than I can write it.

There you have it!  My Book Review Oath, My Pinky Swear.

My Life With Seashells

When I first started this blog the main purpose was to use the medium of writing for a creative outlet.  I could put my thoughts out there for all the world to see, wear my heart on my sleeve, be as real a possible - of course, all the while working on those creative thoughts and processes that are always going through my mind.  


Why would anyone really want to ready about me - a forty something chick who lives in Florida, collects seashells, has a bum ankle and likes to read?  What do I have to offer?  So, I trudged along like I always do, and when the transition from an old year to a new year came around I decided that I actually DO have something to offer.  I'm a forty something chick that lives in Florida who loves to read, who has a bum ankle, and I collect seashells.  Wait?  What?  Didn't I just say that not three sentences ago?  Yes, yes I did.  


I sat around for almost a month and wrung my hands and clutched my pearls with worry that I wouldn't be able to pull it off.  I thought that I would just let this blog fade away and swirl down the toilet bowl of where blogs go when they die.  I second guessed myself, then third guessed myself, then asked myself "what do I have to lose"?  Nothing really.  Either I go for it and succeed or fail or never go for it and that in and of itself is a failure without even trying.  Then I would kick myself in the tush for not giving it go.  More hand wringing, more pearl clutching, then a eerie sense of calm.  Nike said it best - "Just do it"


I've often thought of going to all the blogs I stalk follow and stumble across and asking in the comments section, what motivated you to start blogging?  What was your creative inspiration and desired outcome for having a blog?  Did it change part way through?  


Here it is:


I read.  I read a lot, probably a lot more than many people.  Besides searching for the end of the Internet,  reading is my main source of entertainment.  I don't have cable television, so the day-to-day drama of reality television and commercials escapes me.  While the books that I read aren't profound, and most of them are picked up in an extremely economic way - they are entertaining for me and give me a way to escape daily stress.  I actually do read a lot of Indie books that I pick up as freebies on Amazon, and what better way to give back and say thank you to the author of that book than to give them a true and honest review of their labor of love?  The Internet is powerful and through the mediums of blogging and Twitter and Goodreads and other social media I could possibly help these authors out by reviewing their work and letting the communities that I follow know.


I have a bum ankle.  For my entire adult life I have dealt with the worsening progression and disability of my right ankle.  I have belonged to a couple of communities of other people who share a similar plight in their lives, but as someone who craves information, I know that the more information there is out there, the more calming effect it has.  I believe that I can provide that information as a historical summation of how my ankle problems started and how I have been able to maintain a pretty active and normal lifestyle while losing a part of myself in the process and not going [totally] insane.


I collect seashells.  I've always had an affinity for rocks and the little things that the earth leaves us I see as gifts.  I am not really sure why, but I keep my eyes to the ground when I am walking, because I never know what I might stumble upon and be able to pick up as a treasure.  I've collected a lot of rocks and seashells and sea glass and shark's teeth along the way, and I would like to share those trips of finding such treasures with everyone.  They are special and have meaning to me.




So, that's the 2012 "Attainable Goal" for My Life With Seashells.  I hope that you will enjoy some part of it, give me honest and truthful feedback, and come back again and again.

Resolutions? Nah, I Prefer Attainable Goals

The holidays have come and gone.  I have enjoyed some well deserved and much needed time off during the last few weeks.  We had the ultimate Florida weather for the season with temperatures pushing the 90-degree mark for a couple of days.  As the reality of heading back into my routine tomorrow sets in, a massive cold front has moved south and has moved me to the comfortable warmth inside.  This has given me an opportunity to reflect back and look forward.

Year In Review 

2011 was a jam-packed year for me, and while only a couple of major things happened, those things were very important to me and will impact me for many years to come.

The most important thing that happened in 2011 was that I married the love of my life.  We met almost 22 years ago on a blind date.  I knew that summer that he was the person I would spend the rest of my life with.  We have had so many wonderful years together, and we finally sealed that bond with the ultimate bond of 'till death do us part.  We had a very private, very quick ceremony on a local beach performed by a work colleague who is a notary public.  It was simple and sweet, and I am so happy to be a Mrs. now!

The other very important part of my life this year was my sub talar ankle fusion surgery.  My latest ankle fusion surgery was the fifth ankle surgery to my right foot.  Needless to say, it's been a journey of sorts for me. You can read about my latest surgery:  the history of my ankle fusion surgery, the downs of ankle fusion surgery, and the ups of my ankle fusion surgery.  I've faced many difficult realizations regarding my ankle in these last 9 months, and I am working toward coming to terms with and accepting those realizations.


Oh, yeah, I also turned 40.  I had a bit of an issue with that one, but I'm embracing it now.  

2012

I don't want to sit here and say I resolve to do this, or this, and that and this.  It's so blah, it never works, and honestly for me, it only leads to disappointment in, oh, say, about three weeks.  But, I do have some goals for the upcoming year.  Goals are attainable.  Goals can be worked toward, set aside, built on and subtracted from.  

Just to throw a couple out there for all the world to see:  

My blog.  I finally have an idea of what direction I want to go with my blog.  The mindless ramblings are a great outlet, but I do want to make this into something more.  I have a small plan in place, and will be putting it together and rolling it out in the weeks to come. 

My career.  Everyone wants to better themselves in their careers.  Professionally I have grown a lot in the last year.  I want to continue that growth.

My life.  I love my life.  I can honestly say that I am very happy.  I want to continue this happiness for the next year.  

Seashells.  I want to collect more seashells, doesn't everyone?

Happy New Year!!!

A Christmas Eve Tradition

I had never touched a golf club until we moved to Florida a little over 3 years ago.  Once fully settled in with the palm trees, Lincoln Continentals, and two-for-one drink specials, I decided that I would become a golfer.  It wasn't hard.  Hit the white ball, say a string of poetic profanity, rinse and repeat for 4 hours.  Then follow that by rewarding myself with cold beer.  My kind of sport!  Couple that with the fact that I have some limitations due to a couple of fused ankle joints, and this sport allows you to drive around to get to the next  point, well, it's a win-win!

Today marks my first golf outing post sub-talar ankle fusion, and I am so excited!  I could barely get through my last round of golf, 5 days pre-op almost 9 months go.  The love of my life have golfed every Christmas and New Year's Eve for the last three years, and I didn't want to break that tradition.  I feel strong enough to get through the round, and believe that my ankle will hold up nicely.

We'll be golfing at the world renowned World Woods Golf Club that's just a few short miles down the road from us.  They have beautiful grounds and friendly staff.  There are three courses to choose from, and even as a beginner there is something there for me.  

The weather is beautiful here in Florida today, and that will make my Christmas Eve round of golf that much better!!!


Edit:  The round wasn't great, but it wasn't horrible.  I survived without any major pain while hitting the ball.  I did have some pain/discomfort while walking around and general fatigue, but what do you expect when you have had a 9 month lay-off due to major ankle surgery?  I'm happy with the day.  And it was  beautiful!  The sun broke through the fog and turned my skin pink.  

The 5th Hole - one of my favorites.  Massive downhill with waste area to the right.

Golf Course Squirrel - a.k.a. fox squirrel or monkey squirrel.  These guys are so much fun to watch and they are totally fearless of the golf balls flying down the fairway.  

The Shed at MacRae's

This little gem on the Homosassa River is one of my favorite places to waste time.  An open air bar with friendly folks, cheap cold beer, great music, MacRae's is a destination.  On any given day you can find bikers, bankers, fishermen, and women dripping with diamonds.  The gentle mingle with the tough, and above the music all you hear is laughter. 
I spent Saturday afternoon and evening at MacRae's with the love of my life and our two best friends.  We had a few laughs, watched a cool Christmas boat parade, and enjoyed the beautiful Florida weather.
Perfect, bliss, memorable.

The Answer Machine

Oh, how far we’ve come.  Just the other day I was fondly recalling a family card game.  It was cutthroat, loud, and I recall some cheating going on by one particular person.  Conversations were ebbing and flowing, matching the game’s ups and downs.  Then, as certain as Christmas, a question would eventually come up that no one knew the correct answer to.  Well, at least two people were certain that they knew the correct answer as the challenges of the others in our family game night clutch besieged their notions. 

Then, without fail, the mad dash to the living room would divert our attentions from gaming to truth seeking.  Jostling and page shuffling would ensue as we groped the encyclopedia and ferreted out the answer.

Errrr, encyclo – what!?  Yeah, it seems that you either need to hit the correct ripple in time or step into the way-back machine to remember this...early 1990’s. Yep, a grand ol’ time when computers and their invasive technology weren’t in every home, much less at the finger tip. 

Yep, manual research was the way to find answers.  How those burning questions seared our hearts and plagued our souls during family game night. The correct answer must be found.  The repercussions for not finding the correct answers would result in casualties.  Correct answer—NOW!  The truth must be found for it seemed blackened eyes or, the much worse, bruised ego depended upon it.  Okay, that’s a little dramatic, but I do recall a particular Parcheesi game that got way out of hand one time, but I digress…

Then came the time, etched in my mind forever, the first time a friend “paid up” to find the answer to one of those burning question.  The place: Flying Saucer bar in Little Rock with the Internet on her new fangled cell phone.  Believe that?  Wow, Internet on a phone. The burning question: How old is Olivia Newton-John? Oh, the gravity answering that question.  Wagers in pints and drinking penalties were exchanged, and then silence fell as we all watched the phone “thinking” in the middle of the table. 

Another world, no, but certainly another time. Today answers are at our fingertips, literally.  I can answer burning questions, averting bodily and financial harm, on just about any subject my brain can conjure in a matter of seconds now. Easy, painless.

Recently, I discovered InfoBarrel while searching for truth concerning one of those burning questions. InfoBarrel? Why InfoBarrel?  Well, the question was an exact match, just what I was looking for.  The plain Google search is great, don’t get me wrong, but InfoBarrel was informative.  InfoBarrel employs “crowdsourcing” for information.

Crowdsourcing uses everyday people to find the answers to questions people are searching for.  People like you and me seek the information and write about it in our own way.  I find the articles on InfoBarrel to be both more informative and relevant in many ways.  There are some real gems there and sometimes the plain, efficient style of typical information sharing is thrown to the wind and an artist speaks.

The other reason I like InfoBarrel so much, is that I have a special place in my heart for aspiring and struggling artists.  I feel that someone who is working diligently at creating their art, and sure, trying to make a penny or two while doing it, really deserves the clicks and the link love. 

Now, I wonder what happened to those encyclopedias…as I recall, one game night we found a stash of Jackson’s in there….

Friendships in the Workplace

I have been working a full time job for over half of my life now, and the impact that these jobs have had on my life has varied over the years.  I've been the new person, the veteran, the middle of the pack, and the leader.  I've also made friendships along the way that have been maintained through many years in between each of these jobs.  Certainly, technology has helped those friendships with the creation of Facebook.


While I haven't had a lot of jobs in my working tenure, I've kept the ones I've had for long periods of time.  From a management perspective this is a very good track record.  When you work in the same place for an extended period of time you  tend to gravitate toward those people who are most like you, and those that you can relate to the most.  


I've been at my current employer for over 3 years.  For the first year I didn't make many "work friends".  My office was in a remote location, and it wasn't really possible.  Once I was brought into the  inner-circle of my current office, I forged two close friendships.  Both of these women are strong-willed, successful, outspoken and funny - kind of like me.


I've decided that as of this point moving forward that I will never make close friendships at work ever again.  Why that's just silly you are thinking.  Yeah, it probably is, but I like to think of myself as having a stony soul, but below the stone is a heart and feelings.  My feelings are of sadness this week.  


Those two friends are leaving.  One left on Thursday, one in three weeks.  Each friend has exciting and new opportunities that I am very happy about, but I can't help but feel sorry for myself, just a little bit.


My "girl gang" as we fondly call ourselves has become a party of 1 -- me.  These two women are rays of sunshine in a sometimes cloudy environment, they are the cool breeze in hell, and they keep me sane enjoying coming back each day.  


They both will be missed very much.

Ozello Arts and Crafts Festival

The "Festival" season here in  Florida kicks off around October.  Almost every weekend you can find an arts and crafts festival of some sort with a theme - from cooters to manatees to strawberries - you name it, we can probably find it.   This weekend we went to the Ozello Arts and Crafts Festival in Ozello, Florida.  

You start out on US Hwy 19, head down W Ozello Trail, along winding roads, across saw grass flats until you find the festival...they aren't very hard to miss.

While we were at the festival, we saw lots of interesting sights, such as:

You end up seeing the same vendors, the same booths, and the same crowd at many of these festivals, but each one is endearing in it's own way.  We did our obligatory lap, bought nothing, and instead of turning left to head home, we turned right.  This is where the road took us:

It was an enjoyable day, and we look forward to checking out more festivals as the season progresses.

No Thanksgiving Glut For Me

When it comes to holidays, the love of my life and I have spent our share of them being the perfect host and hostess.  We have had all family members and a few strays at our home more times than we can count.  No guest ever had to lift a finger other than bringing their fork to mouth.  Those times are memorable, but they do end up taking their toll in the stress department. 


When we downsized and moved to Florida we decided that we would do things different and make life easier for ourselves.  We've cooked one big holiday for the family each year and left the rest to chance.  Let someone else take the reigns, find a restaurant to eat at - didn't matter.  Last year's restaurant was over priced and crappy at best.  We had to find another alternative.

This year our Uncle Jack moved into an apartment at a retirement community.  This has been his first time being on his own, and what better way to celebrate the holiday and Uncle Jack's new found independence than for the family to descend upon his residence for the Thanksgiving Feast.  


After paying our 8 bucks per head, our party of 6 was ushered to our table.  We picked and climbed our way through the obstacle course of durable medical equipment while dodging power scooter mounted seniors, but finally found our table right next to the salad bar and within sight of the dessert cart.  Oh pumpkin pie how you tease me so!  There was only one tense moment when one of Uncle Jack's normal table mates seemed like she wanted to throw down because she was forced to sit elsewhere.  Come to find out later, she's a pretty big pro at being displaced, as she was a Hurricane Katrina survivor who was relocated to Citrus County.  


Dinner was simple and tasty, and while I think most of us at the table could have used another portion or three of turkey and stuffing, we didn't push back from the table wobbly and gorged, intoxicated with gluttony.  It was actually quite refreshing to feel normal knowing there wouldn't be a fight for the couch and control of the television remote.


I found this article on holiday weight management and thought it summed up some of my current ideas on how to deal with holiday glut.  Not that I would really follow any of these things, but in the spirit of the holidays I may give one or two a shot.  I mean, I already did tip number 3 in the article, but if I am perfectly honest with myself, I only did it because I am heading out to the bar to watch football today and eat greasy bar food and drink my weight in the hollow calories known as BEER!  Thanksgiving Friday is a Football Day!  Go Hogs, Beat LSU!

Time Flies

Time sure flies when you're not lying on the couch feeling sorry for yourself!  

It's been what, three, four months since my last non-follow through with pictures post.  Let me tell you, baby rabbits grow really freaking fast.  I mean, if we could insert the DNA of those critters into human babies...there might be a chance of people like me actually having a kid, especially since I won't need to deal with that 18 year commitment and all.

So much has happened in the last few months, that I don't even know where to begin.  Bullet points are best for situations like these, because I really don't think I have the time or energy to actually write it all down and do I want to take the chance that it won't even be read in its entirety.  

• I have pretty much been told by my surgeon to go forth into the world and do what I am able to do.  This doesn't leave me with a lot of options, but I do wear matching shoes to work, I am able to go shopping if I choose, I can do stuff in our yard, and I can walk my precious little snowflake of a dog.  I still have bad days, but my good days out number them.  I've also come to the realization that I'll never be able to do a lot of the things that most normal people can't, but hey, I've never really been normal (more on that in a bit).
• I took a whirlwind trip back to Arkansas and came to the realization that you can take the girl out of the city.  I swore for the last three years that living in the "country" was going to kill me.  I didn't like the bugs, the snakes, and most of all, I hated the sheer quiet of it all.  Well, this little trip back to The Rock, well, let's just say it was too loud for me.  I couldn't wait to get back to my quaint little house and my quiet little life in Florida.  Don't get me wrong, I miss my Mom back in AR and I miss my friends as well, but they really need to get their head's on straight and move to the land of the palm tree.
• I got married.  This probably should be the biggest bullet point you can find, but honestly, it wasn't anything big at all.  It wasn't really anything.  We found out that you can get married in Florida by a notary, and being the unconventional never do anything normal couple that we are, well this just seemed fitting.  But, we didn't just go to the Pack N Post, we found someone we trust, found a quiet corner of a beach, and said our three lines of vows and exchanged rings ceremoniously.  It was short, sweet, simple, and just how we really wanted it to be.  It pissed a few people off  (okay, it really only pissed one person off), but after knowing each other for almost 22 years and living together for almost 17, I think doing it any other way would have been a joke for us.  I will never regret the way we got married.  A wedding is a day, a marriage is all the rest of the stuff.

So, that's the highlights.  I'm hoping to get back into blogging again on a regular basis.  I have more time to do the things I want to do now, so writing is at near the top of my list.

I've actually missed my little blog...a safe place to be.

Wabbit

While I was bringing in the pooch from watering his favorite tree I noticed a rabbit very close to the house.  She usually hangs out in the yard or in the driveway.  When she finally noticed me noticing her, she took off.  I called to the love of my life to come see how close the rabbit was, and that's when I noticed the hole!  And the stuff in the hole was moving!  WE HAVE BABIES!!!  We got close enough to see that they don't have any fur and their eyes aren't open yet, so they are pretty new.  I didn't want to totally freak them out tonight and it was getting dark, so photographic evidence will have to wait until tomorrow.

We've dealt with baby bunnies in our yard several years ago.  The way the Mama rabbit takes care of them is hiding them pretty much in plain sight.  They have no odor, and the Mama only nurses them 2-3 times a day.  She stays far enough away, but close enough to draw any attention away from the nest on her.  The bunnies are old enough and have the instincts to leave the nest at around 3 weeks of age.  

I can't wait to share pictures!!!

Once Upon A Time...

...in the middle of the 'hood, I had a garden.  The love of my life filled it with flowers and fish for us to enjoy.  It was peaceful and beautiful.  

Happy Dance

I am doing a happy dance!  Had a great visit with my surgeon yesterday, and he freed me from my Velcro prison - as I see fit to do so.  I came right home, stripped off the blasted boot and tried to take my first steps in over three months.  Yeah, that didn't work out so well.  I psyched myself totally out and ended up doing a half shuffle thing for two feet.  But, I guess I set myself up for a mini-fail.  I was in a sock on a not very padded Oriental rug that sits on a ceramic tile floor.  A couple of hours later I put on both of my trusty old Asics and walked around the house.  It was the weirdest sensation that is difficult to describe, and my foot felt as light as a feather.  Today I woke up, put on my shoes and haven't been in the boot all day.  I have also spent the majority of the day sitting around doing some work for the family business and haven't had to walk a ton.  I definitely see myself continuing to use the blasted boot for a few more weeks when I have to do a lot of walking and while working for the majority of the day.    


We did take a trip to the post office and to Publix for some ice cream.  I parked in my gimpy spot, walked in the door by the ice cream aisle, walked down the aisle, picked out my Starbucks ice cream, checked out and walked back to the car.  That was by far one of the hardest parts so far.  I have lost so much muscle mass over the years with all of my ankle issues, and now even more with this latest surgery.  I have very little control over when any type of nerve pain strikes, and there are all sorts of little nagging pains in ligaments, tendons, and very, very weak muscles.  I am also very aware that my walking will be a lot different than before.  I had the large up and down joint in my ankle fused 6 years ago, but still had that next joint down that was able to give me movement and give and take in my walking.  Now I have nothing there.  I'm totally fused down to my heel, and I fear this is going to make learning to walk normally a little more difficult for me this time.  I plan to push myself though - I have to or I fear going down the rabbit hole of the ultimate pity party.


I finished my USF course this week!  Yay for me!  All I have left is my case study and my final exam.  I should have the case study completed by the end of the weekend and then get that final done next week.  Once this class is over, I can dedicate more time to making something out of this blog, because it's quite boring with me just rambling on all the time.  


I haven't ventured out with my camera this week as I had planned.  We had some massive rain the first part of the week and it was just too hectic.  Maybe tomorrow morning while the light is good I can get something in.  Speaking of tomorrow,  I am really looking forward to lunch tomorrow!  My bestie and her husband are coming up and we are planning lunch with her parents on the water!  Should be some fun laughs and a great way to spend a hot, Florida summer afternoon!

Another Week!!!

I am happy to report that I actually followed through and accomplished a couple of my goals from last week.  I totally ditched the crutch AND the cane.  The cane was just not working for me, and I ended up carrying it like little old ladies do and not using it for what it was intended.  I'm able to really get around well this week.  Had some pretty bad nerve regeneration pain this week which I haven't had in awhile, but that just means I'm healing.  I will see my surgeon this Thursday, so hopefully I will be booted from my boot.  This thing is literally a drag.  


I found my desk - for about an hour on Wednesday, but unfortunately lost it again.  It's better than it has been in the last 2 months since returning to work, but still not my normal OCD standards.  I guess I'm destined to be one of those messy work desk people. 


I did not finish my USF course, but I have actually been really sick - still.  So sick that I dragged my ass to the doctor on Thursday morning.  My little allergy attack turned into a nice little sinus  infection.  I'm now taking Amoxicillin and praying my intestines don't turn inside out.


I am figuring out my new phone.  


Spent a few hours checking out some local yard sales yesterday.  Came away with a cool vintage necklace and some clamp lid mason jars that I've been wanting for my buttons and a gift idea for the sister of the love of my life who turns 50 in November.  Today was a lazy day.  We were supposed to hit the Tampa ComiCon, but due to my illness and gimpyness, we settled for Gone With the Wind.  The love of my life has never watched it, so while we still have streaming Netflix, he indulged me and checked it out.  I never get tired of it, but am certain he'll never watch it again.


So for the upcoming week I want to get that USF course completed, get de-booted, start photographing my thrift and yard sale hauls, and get a little better at this blog thing.

Bad Blogger

I've been a bad blogger this week, because I haven't updated with all the exciting milestones and the exciting life I have been leading.  Where the hell is that sarcasm font when you need it.


I've graduated to using one crutch exclusively.  I am really, really wanting to ditch the crutch and use that fancy old person cane I have sitting by the door, but I am using that crutch as a crutch.  It makes me feel safe.


I drove for the first time in almost three months this week!  I am no longer requiring the use of my Sherpa on a daily basis.  Now I get to schlep my own shit into the office every day.  I only hope that the afternoon rain showers stop at 4:30 for at least 3 minutes, because that's how long it takes me to get to my freaking car.   Oh, and I saw the inside of the grocery store for the first time in 3 months - thank goodness they didn't change the layout on me.  


I had another successful company management meeting. I threw an awesome day of education and exciting benchmarks for our over 60 strong management team.  Great fun and laughs were had by all!


I had the BEST weekend with the love of my life.  It doesn't matter what we do or where we go, I just love spending my free time with him.  We had a great day yesterday zig-zagging across the county checking out some yard sales.  We met some very interesting characters, a few of which will certainly make it into my book one day.  Oh and found some really cool vintage stuff!


My goal for the week is to ditch the crutch, use the cane, clean off my disaster zone of a desk, finish my USF course, and keep trying to figure out how to use my new Android phone (I swear if I don't figure it out, I'm going to hang it all up and just get the Jitterbug and some Depends...).

Just Not A Good Day

I don't know what sucks more:


Still being dependent on crutches to walk.


Having a two day allergy attack that lowers my already low immune system and getting a        major cold that has put me down.


Getting stung by a freaking scorpion at 1:30 AM  


OR!!!  


All three!  Yeah, that pretty much sums it for me the last couple of days.  I don't know if I want to laugh or cry or rip the sinus cavities out of my head.