randomness. dig it.

Since our last blog post, I have had a million things I've wanted to blog about. But since I have spent the last 2 weeks getting back in the swing of things at work and still getting used to motherhood (will I ever get used to it?), the last thing I want to do when I get home is blog.

In fact, there actually really is no time to blog about everything I have wanted to - going back to work, balancing baby life with work life and home life, No Shave November, how stores start decorating for Christmas the day after Halloween, how much I love this time of year, my goal to not procrastinate shopping this year, how we might need a new car soon, how we can't afford a new car or christmas presents right now because i haven't been paid for 2 months, etc. etc.

Okay.

Looking back over that list, maybe it's a good thing there was no time to blog about it.

But I DO want to talk about a camping trip we took last weekend. It was our first camping trip since the 4th of July weekend, and our first camping trip with Vincent. I will admit. I was VERY nervous about it since he is just barely 3 months old this week.

Joe's parents were in town from New England and my parents went with us as well. After all, it was both our parents who created the love of camping in each of us. So it was quite the family trip. And Vincent was an angel. He was so quite the entire trip and just loved being outdoors.

For me, it was definitely exhausting. Very nice and peaceful. But exhausting. I remember camping trips where I could just sit and relax and breathe in the smell of nature with no distractions at all. It was still mostly like that, except now there are distractions. Now I'm not saying that having Vincent there was a bad thing. Quite the opposite, actually. I look forward to taking him camping as much as possible so that he can enjoy it with us. But it was just different this time around. And having a small baby meant that I could never really FULLY 100% relax.

You know?

But what I think is the coolest thing about this trip is that Vincent was able to be in the same place at the same time with ALL of his grandparents. When people have children when they are super young, this might not seem like that abnormal of a thing. But my mother had me at about the same age I am now, and I was never able to be with all of my grandparents at the same time. I was unfortunate to never even meet one of them because he had passed away long before my birth. And Joe never met all of his grandparents either. Is this really that abnormal? Or is it just abnormal for me and Joe?

Anyway, I just thought it was the coolest thing, and something that we'll be able to tell Vincent for years to come. That his first camping trip ever was spent with his parents and ALL of his grandparents (and Lucy, too, of course!). And let me tell you this...this kid's grandparents love the crap out of him. He is one really lucky little boy.

Seriously. How cool is this?

Grandma K, Grandma M, Vincent (sleeping), Grandpa M, Grandpa K

can i be one of the 1%?.....pretty please?!?!

I have a feeling that every new mother, at some point, loathes the idea of going back to work after spending precious time with her newborn. And now that Baby McG is out of the newborn phase and in the really cute I-wanna-smile-all-the-time-and just-stare-at-my-mommy-and-daddy phase, all I want to do is stay at home with him. But, financially speaking, bills are really tight right now and going back to work this week is really a necessity for us.

But it's still heartbreaking.

He has grown so much in the past few weeks...and not just his belly size. :-) He has become so happy, so smiley, so interactive. He's also really inquisitive and loves staring straight at the camera to figure out what it is (since I always put it right in front of his face). He loves staring at his hand and trying to figure out what that is, too. And if you talk to him and ask him a question, he'll respond with a cute little coo. He's just getting so fun to be around!

And I want to be around him all the time.

During the first week and a half I would have never thought these words would come out of my mouth, but now...even his cries are cute! Annoying at times, but cute as hell.

But...back to work I go. If I was one of the lucky One Percent of people in the world who were super wealthy, then I would stay at home with him in a heartbeat. Not a second thought. I would have to be organized like a teacher and really develop him until he starts going to school, but I would love every second of it.

I love the crap out of this kid!

Weird expression, I know...but everything he does makes me so happy.

I know, I know.

You're probably thinking "blah blah blah BLAH blahblah Blah blah blaaaahhh!"

But I am just feeling really bitterwseet about going back to work tomorrow. It will be nice to get back to work, be around adults during the day, and make money again to help with new expenses...but I am also just sad about leaving him with another person.

The sitter we found actually comes highly recommended and is great with children. And I have no doubts that he will get anything less than great care. But, as a mother, I am just worried that he won't get as much loving attention as I know I would give him. Also, I am worried that I will miss important milestones. Like...if I pick him up one day and they tell me he sat up on his own, or said his first word, or took his first step, I think I would feel very sad that I was not there to witness it. Is that stupid?

Anyway.

I'll get over it. And I'll drop him off tomorrow. And I'll go to work and then pick him up afterwards. Just like every other working mother out there. I just wish I had the option of staying with him all day.

I love this little dude with every ounce of my body. I know he doesn't know what love is yet, but I hope that I can show it to him as best I can.

it's time for a break

I have been really bad about keeping up with the blog over the past couple weeks, so I apologize for that. Things have just been a little overwhelming lately…

Work is going just fine for both of us as there is never a lack of work to do. Every day is different and not all days are perfect, but we both really like where we are at (for now!) and it’s just really great to have jobs that we like. The economy over the past few years has been a little scary, so we definitely count ourselves as blessed!

The baby is alive and well and I've felt him kicking a time or two over the past week. One of the times I realized it was a real baby kick and not just gas was last Saturday. We were all sitting around on the patio listening to my dad play his guitar and I think our little Baby McG was dancing along with him. It was weird…but really really cute. :-) So that's exciting!

And our beagle, Lucy, is seemingly healthy - which, if you know ANYTHING about our dog, being healthy is a miracle!! And Joe and I were just looking at old Lucy pictures last night and we fell in love with her all over again. Here is one of our favorites. :-)

So it actually seems like things are going really well and I shouldn’t be overwhelmed. But I am.

I started my statistics and measurements course which is definitely interesting, but it’s hard for me. So much is involved in answering each question, mostly because I don’t know what is going on and have to spend hours just learning about one concept. And it’s just really difficult. I’m doing okay in the class (so far), but it’s still a little stressful. (Maybe I should stop blogging and get back to it?)

Also, we recently found out that a really good friend of ours from back East was in a very serious car accident last week. He was hospitalized immediately and has been there ever since where he has been in critical condition. He had no scratches anywhere except for his head and they immediately had to treat him for brain swelling and placed him in a medically-induced coma to help treat it. They have been waking him every two hours to check on his progress and/or complications and because of the brain swelling, they had to remove part of his skull to allow room for the brain to swell. His left arm and leg have not been responding much at all. Every time they would wake him to check his responses he has reacted severely to the tubes they placed in his throat for food and breathing. This week so far, we have found out that they did a tracheotomy for his breathing and placed a tube in his stomach for feeding. This way, the the tubes are no longer in his throat. The hemicraniectomy, tracheotomy and gastral tube procedures have been very successful so far, so now they are just waiting for his recovery and to see how things progress from here. And over the past couple days he has actually made some really good strides in responsiveness. We are very hopeful for him because he is an extremely strong young man and it seems like things are definitely getting better, slowly but surely. But it’s just very hard being so far away and not knowing what to expect. So him and his family have not strayed far from my mind over the past week. I think about them constantly, actually.

Also…and I hope he doesn’t kill me for putting this out there…but Joe had his yearly biopsy and ultrasounds a few weeks ago. One of the things they noticed in the ultrasound was that his renal artery (which connects the kidney to the major artery blood supply) was looking constricted and causing the kidney to possibly not get as much blood as it should be getting. So they want him to have a renal angioplasty to fix it. Anytime he has to go to the hospital I…well…I just don’t like it one bit! But I want him to stay healthy for as long as humanly possible…so that’s been on my mind a lot, too.

Now...I don’t complain to anyone at ALL (unless you are Joe or my family), so please don’t take this as complaining. There’s just a lot going on in my little world. So, if you have a second, just send some positive thoughts out into the universe. Lord knows, I’ll be doing the same…

blogging it up!

Here are some updates on the Arizona McGowan clan.

Lucy:
For a reminder of Lucy Fur's latest health debacle, glance through our previous post. Christmas and the two weeks that followed were a pretty tense time on the Lucy front, actually. But after almost two thousand dollars' worth of testing (and a stressful holiday), they concluded that she had tick fever. The valley fever results came back negative, thank GOODness. They put her on a special bland diet, liver booster pills, probiotics, and antibiotics (why the probiotics and antibiotics don't cancel each other out, is beyond me) and then, after follow up testing, decided to keep her on the bland diet along with doxycycline for the tick fever. We will be having her 6 week follow up this week, at which time we will see if the liver enzymes have reduced (meaning less treatment) or not (meaning long term treatment plan is needed). Will keep you posted.

Car:
In addition to paying for vet visits and beagle meds, we also needed to buy a new car. When I say "new car" I mean new for us....not brand new as in "never been owned before". Over the holidays, Joe's truck finally went kaput. For good this time. And after researching different options, he decided that it wasn't worth the money that it would take to fix it. Sad. I actually really liked that little truck! And also, it's a royal pain in the REAR to have to get a new vehicle. But we ended up looking around to see what was out there in the used department. My dad actually found an SUV that was for sale and parked in the parking lot of where my Granny (mom's mom) moved to. 2002 Mitsubishi Montero, ES Sport, low miles, one owner, maintained really well, minor blemishes, decent asking price. After we test drove it, it was a done deal! Here's a pic. We call him Monty.


And I really hope we don't have to get another car for a LONG time!!

Camping:
Our year has gotten off to a rotten start as far as camping is concerned. We didn't go AT ALL in the month of January!! To our defense, we had outrageous vet bills plus a new car to buy. BUT...we are FINALLY going camping in a couple weeks to celebrate our first anniversary. SO WEIRD!!! It literally feels like yesterday you were all here to help celebrate the start of our marriage. And as cliche as this sounds, time really does fly by when you're having fun. It's definitely been a stressful year at times, but the fact that we don't hate each other yet is good news, right? :-)

Et Cetera:

• We went to the most AWESOME Polish Restaurant last weekend with the family. I don't think I've had authentic polish food since my grandma Bubba (dad's mom) was alive. She used to make the most yummy Golabki. And pierogies have ALWAYS been a favorite. This place was amazing. It's called A Touch of Europeon Cafe. Check it out!!!
  
• I don't even want to tell you all how much weight I've gained over the past 4 years. It's quite disgusting, actually. But I started a diet in November and I've lost about 27 pounds since then. I've been off the diet for about a month now, but I'll be starting again in a few weeks. I'm not quite at my goal weight yet and I know it'll be a neverending struggle, but I'm happy that I've been able to stick with it. Can't wait to lose about a million more!!
• Last, but certainly not least, I am finally Finally FINALLY starting my masters program in a couple weeks. Crazy, huh? It's been almost 10 years since I finished my bachelor's degree and I've struggled with finding the motivation to continue for quite some time, actually. But, since I'm an academic counselor and I speak with students every day, trying to remind them of the importance of continuing their education, I find it quite hypocritical that I don't "practice what I preach." You know what I mean. All in all, I'm scared that I might fail and I'm nervous about how much time I'll have to spend. But I'm also excited about learning more about what I'm interested in and I'm looking forward to having another degree to fall back on. It's going to be hard and I might tell you all (at some point) that I want to quit. But, please....don't let me!!

I hope you are doing well.....we love and miss you all.....and to those we haven't seen in a while, we hope to see you soon!!

do you know what that sound is, highness?....

...those are the shrieking eels!

This post, actually, has nothing to do with the Princess Bride (which is where that quote comes from, for those of us who are uncultured), but it just popped into my head for some reason.

Anyway...

HI EVERYONE!!! I know it's seemed like a bojillion years since we last blogged, so I thought I'd drop you all a line. It really hasn't been a bojillion years, but tons of things have definitely been going on, so we've been a little preoccupied:

SEPTEMBER

• LUCY - We are not millionaires because Lucy did not win the cutest dog competition. :o( For those of you who actually did vote and continue to show your endless support of our gorgeous beagle dog, THANK YOU! Maybe we'll have better luck next year. Or maybe we'll start a dog talent competition, or something. Lucy's pretty amazing at sitting, laying down, rolling over, speaking, and playing hide and seek! Anyway, to see information on the winner of the competition, click here.

OCTOBER

• SWINE - I'm pretty sure I had the swine flu in October. Joe and Alanna and I had planned a camping trip for the first weekend of October and, even though I started feeling like death with a fever of 103, NOTHING was going to get in the way of camping. I had a fever for a couple days and we were scheduled to go on a Friday night and I really didn't want to pull the plug on the trip. So we headed out of Phoenix and during the ride I think something pretty crazy happened because I don't remember much from that night. My fever seemed to skyrocket and I was freezing and burning up all at the same time. I'm pretty sure I was delirious (Joe and Alanna can probably give more details) and it seriously felt like I was actually dead. Not fun. We stayed one night and packed up first thing in the morning. :o( Sad!! It probably wasn't really the swine flu (I tend to exaggerate), but it was pretty brutal. On the positive side, I've hit my sick quotient for the year, so hopefully I won't be sick again for a long time.
• LUCY - Lucy turned TWO!! YAHOOOO!!!! Okay, so maybe this is only exciting to us.
• KIDNEY - Joe celebrated his first anniversary with his new kidney on October 7th!! It's definitely been a roller coaster as far as that goes - being more apt to get diseases and virus due to the suppressed immune system. They are constantly meeting with him, always doing new lab work, adjusting medications due to differences in blood levels and new viruses that pop up, keeping him healthy, etc. The Mayo Clinic and all of Joe's doctors in this city are really top notch. And so is Jen for being the awesome donor!! :o)
  

NOVEMBER

• MOVING - We moved into a new place!! Moving is always super stressful (especially when you realize about 1/3 of the stuff you own could probably just be thrown away), so we are glad to have that over and done with. And, as of yesterday, we have now been in the new place about a month and are pretty much all unpacked and settled in. It's a nice place, too. It's just about 3 miles away from our previous place, so it's in the same general area, but it's about $200 cheaper per month, so we're REALLY excited about saving some extra money. Which is something that isn't easy to do this day and age.
• WILDLIFE - We take Lucy for nightly walks around the new neighborhood and have had the opportunity of seeing and hearing different wildlife such as rabbits, owls, coyotes and even javelinas!! HOW COOL IS THAT??
• WORK - The coming of this month signaled my first anniversary at my current job. It's really crazy how time flies when you're having....fun? Yeah. Amazing. There are DEFINITELY days when things drag and situations get stressful at work (poor Joe never seems to hear the end of it, either) but, for the most part, I have actually grown to really enjoy my new position. This month has been really stressful at work because it's the end of my first year, so I had to work some overtime and work as hard as possible to make sure that I ended it with a bang (want to get some good points on my review!!). It's hard to do with unexpected issues that come up, fires that need to be put out, lives to save, etc. But on the other hand, there is a lot of teamwork involved, so there is a lot of time to continually improve upon communicating effectively with each other. There are great benefits and a lot of opportunity for growth. There are people who really make each day worthwhile. And among all the good and the bad (which you seem to find no matter WHERE you work), it's really been a pretty good experience so far.
• NEW MOON - I have nothing to say about it that won't make you all roll your eyes. So will spare you my thoughts.
  
• THANKSGIVING - It's scary how quickly Thanksgiving has come and gone, you know? My family traveled on a tour of Ireland for the holiday last week (the price was right) but Joe and decided to save our bucks (will visit Ireland someday...) and stuck around Phoenix. We had an awesome dinner celebration at my aunt and uncle's house and hung out and played games afterwards. We went camping amongst coyotes for a few days at Apache Lake, where we went last Thanksgiving. And had a really nice, stress-free weekend. I love Thanksgiving. And I am still so very thankful for everything listed here...and more!!
  

DECEMBER

Dude. Back off. It JUST STARTED!!! he he.

Really, though. December. Ahhh.

• Weather changes (finally).
  
• Holiday decorations.
  
• The season of giving.
• Making new year resolutions.
  
• Spending time with family.
• Enjoying life.
  

Hmmmm. I utterly love this time of year. :o)

Ciao for now!

reflections

The past week and a half have been kind of a blur for me. A lot has happened, both good and bad, but most of all...growth. A lot of growth in myself, growth with family and friends and, especially, growth with Joe. One thing I've learned in the past week and a half is that life throws you curve balls without even a moment's notice, you just have to learn how to catch them.

Today I am thankful for:

1. Family - Especially Mom, Dad and Alanna. You are my most favorite people in the whole entire world.
   
2. Alanna - I am so thankful that your trip in the South Pacific was safe and that you are finally home!
3. Friends - You know who you are. I can't tell you how much it means to me to have you in my life as my lucky stars and rocks of support. I learn more from each of you every day.
   
4. Lucy - My little ball of beagle fur. I am thankful for your hugs, your yawns, your kisses, your stretching, your cockroaches, your zoomies, your growls, your cuddles, the way you smell, the way you run up to us when we get home like we are the most important people in your universe. I love everything about you!
   
5. Work - In these tough economic times, I am so thankful to be working for a solid company that has much interest and support of their employees. Without this job I would not be able to camp, travel, pay rent, pay bills, buy groceries, etc. I am so thankful to have this job.
   
6. Health - I am thankful to be alive. This summer has been pretty rough (especially with regards to heat), but my health is something I definitely need to stop taking for granted and try to preserve. I'm starting to get into the swing of the gym again and, once the weather cools off, we'll be able to go for rides and hikes again.
   
7. Jen - I am so thankful that you gave one of your kidneys to Joe. It is the most amazing gift a person could ever receive. Sadly, words really can't even express gratitude for a gift like that.
   
8. Recreation - I am thankful to have the opportunity to do things like camp, sight see, swim, relax, read, spend time with family, etc. The joy I get from these simplest of things makes the weekends so precious to me.
   
9. (last, but not least) Joe - No matter how flawed you are at times and no matter how perfect you are at times, what amazes me most is how much more I grow to love you each and every day.

life, work and alanna wanna fanna

Life is good.

It's getting really, Really, REALLY hot now. And, with the monsoon season actually picking up a little, the past few days have been wicked humid...so it's been kind of like a sticky furnace outside. But life is good. We've been spending a lot of time hanging out with family, swimming, camping, playing with Lucy, relaxing, etc....just doing all of the things that you SHOULD do during summertime.

Work is.....uhhh.....work. But it is good, too. :o)

Some days are better than others (as is true with any occupation), but I am really starting to feel like I'm actually doing okay there. When I first started, I was totally overwhelmed. It's almost too difficult to explain in words, so I will just say that I knew I would get used to it, but it was a little stressful at first. Especially since we are judged quantitatively in several different categories - something that I have never experienced before. It's different, and started off a little rocky. Recently, though, over the past few months, I've been doing a little better and better with every week. And it has even gotten to the point where I was given an award (a fancy piece of paper) at an awards ceremony in front of 900+ of my peers in the Northeast Division. I'm not 100% sure of what the award was for, but it has something to do with not sucking. So getting that recognition for my efforts made yesterday a really nice day. Now I just have to start doing BETTER so that I get another award at the 4th Quarter awards ceremony (won't hold my breath, but it doesn't hurt to try).

And, finally...Alanna is AWESOME!!!


Alanna has spent the past 2+ weeks on her expedition with Project MARC in the island nation of Vanuatu, and is now in tourist mode in Australia. The expedition was supposed to last all month, but due to some certain circumstances (which I'm not fully clear about yet), the volunteers have completed everything they could and have finished the mission. Since the mission has ended ahead of schedule and my folks aren't flying out to meet her until the very END of the month, Loni has decided to take an inclusive guided tour around some of Australia's islands and up to the Great Barrier Reef. Her first stop, today, was at Fraser Island (pictured above) and I am seriously jealous of all the different places she has been seeing. What a neat experience to have!! It's a little scary because she's all by herself, but she's a big girl and I'm sure she's doing just fine. Plus, I kind of have this sneaking suspicion that she's having the time of her life.

just checking in...

Greetings everyone!!

1. To those affected by the crazy weather in the Northeast, you are probably not even able to read this right now because you are without power (if you don't know what I'm talking about, click here). So even though you may not even be able to see this post, just know that our thoughts are with you as you have to deal with the lack of electricity, lack of heat and lack of all other things that are a Northeastern necessity during the winter months. Seriously, for the sake of all that is holy, I pray that the power situation is resolved soon. It's just terrible that this has happened during wintertime. Keep us posted!
2. I can't resist one more minute gone by without mentioning Twilight. Joe, Alanna and I went to see it on opening day and I wanted to talk about it right away, but wanted to wait. One reason is that I wanted to see the movie a second time, because that first time all I was noticing were the things that were different from the book. So, yes...the dork that I am...went to see it again. Joe actually went, too! I asked him many times if he wanted to see anything else other than Twilight and he just said "no"....only later did I find out that he only went to see it again to be supportive of my crazy obsession. He's so great, isn't he?? Anyway, we saw it again and I really liked it better because I could look at it more objectively. I know a lot of people gave it mixed reviews, but I liked it a lot. I think they did a really good job in selecting the actors and thought that everything they added just made the story really come alive. Yes, I may be crazy and should just stop talking about it already, but I just really enjoyed these books. And I hope that if they make a sequel, it's as well done as the first movie.
3. My friend, Lindsay, just had baby twins this past Sunday - Boston and Teagan. I am so thankful that everything has been going well for them. Her pregnancy started off a little rocky and there were many health concerns, but all is well. They have even posted some really precious pictures of the little ones, so take a gander if you are so inclined. I am just so happy that the family is finally all together and that mom and babies are doing well. Congratulations, Lindsay and Michael!!
   
4. Work is good. It's definitely been an adjustment, learning a new occupation, and I'm not 100% certain how it will all turn out. But for now, it's keeping me busy and keeping our bills paid, which is definitely something that not everyone can say right during this economic time. So, for having a job and roof over my head, I am definitely thankful. And I'm working overtime tomorrow which isn't really the first thing I think of doing on a Saturday morning, but will definitely help us out a little more, especially during the holidays!
   
5. The wedding is coming along like the little engine that could. The invitations just came in, so that is our big project for the weekend. Exciting!!! As for everything else, Joe and I are probably the biggest procrastinators in the universe (what a pair!!), so it's all coming together slowly. But it will be perfect. Normally I'm easily stressed out about big things, but right now I'm just excited and happy and I'm sure that everything will come together just fine.
6. Last, but not least, and update on Joey 3 Kidney Man! The Good News = he's healthy. It's been 2 months (time flies!!) since the transplant and all is well. He's doing fantastic and has never felt better. They are even starting to reduce and get rid of some of his prescriptions because his health keeps improving. And we got each other bikes for Christmas (see pictures here) and have been riding every day, so BOTH of us are more on the health track. The Bad News = Joe has to go back to work on Monday. (although, it's not terrible, because at least he'll be getting a full paycheck again). Plus, we'll be able to share in each other's misery again when we both get home from work every day and vent about how we wish we were independently wealthy and didn't have to go to work every day! (not holding our breath, though)

Hope all is well with everyone. Stay warm and safe this holiday season!!

where everybody knows your name...

FIRST...

I have finally started my new job after 6 weeks of training. The first 3 weeks of training were hard. It was like sitting in a classroom all over again, learning and memorizing things from a book all day long. Once I started the "on the job training" 3 weeks later, I felt as if I had to learn one more thing, my brain might literally explode. Well, turns out that I don't give my brain enough credit (sometimes) because I DID have to learn more and more and more and my brain didn't actually explode. Now that the on the job training is over, I'm working on the floor now and it's going okay so far. It's very exhausting, though - I come home really beat at the end of each day. And they don't have my phone working yet (which is kind of hard for a job that requires tons of phone conversations), but overall, it's okay so far. I still have a lot to get used to, but I'll deal. It's just a job, right? Plus...the people are nice and, in an economy where job security is falling by the day, it's nice to have a job that is fairly secure for now.

Now...on to something even MORE exciting....

Within the past 7 months or so, I have taken a stab at learning web design. My skills in web design and html coding is pretty fundamental but, with a little patience and time, I was able to teach myself the basics and have created a couple of rough draft websites. And with my design work for The Hampshire House and Cheers under my belt already, I was approached by a friend and colleague with the company to try to redesign the Cheers website.

And guess what??? It's FINALLY UP AND RUNNING!!!!! Take a look......and be nice to me. Tell me it looks really really awesome even if it doesn't!!!

Check it out here:
Cheers Boston Website

Anyway...I bet ya didn't know I was this cool, did ya?

an update for all y'all

As you can see, posting is becoming few and far between...for which I apologize. Most of that is due to the fact that Joe and Jen had their big surgeries last week as well as the fact that I have started a new job.

All is well so far since the surgery, so that's really good. Joe is healing well and is even able to walk the dog with me now! Not that I don't mind doing it like I usually do, but it's fun to take family walks together. He's still not able to lift anything, really...but don't worry, Joey....you'll be able to help clean again in NO time!! he he he And as for Jen, she and Chris left on Wednesday and, as far as we know, things are healing okay for her. Like I said before, the Mayo Clinic is just really awesome and everything went so smoothly. In fact, I'm going to see if there's an online comment form or something so that I can go say nice things about them.

And as for work, I pretty much feel like this every day...


...so that's another reason postings are getting further apart. I'll try to get updates posted as often as I can, but just for the interim, while I get used to getting up really early and working all day, I pretty much just want to curl up in a ball and veg out whenever I get home so blogging is usually last on my list of things to do each day. Especially since I never get to just veg out when I get home.

What do I do, may you ask?

Well, usually I have to make dinner (although Joe has done the past couple nights....SO GOOD!!!), then I walk the dog for about 2 miles since she doesn't get exercise during the day, and that is usually followed by a trip to the dog park (since 2 miles hardly tires out a little beagle) and, by the time I get a chance to sit down and down and do nothing it's already time for bed. Craziness, I tell you.

And, on top of all of that, the new job is a little crazy. All the people are really really REALLY awesome...but I'm not quite sure if it's a good fit for me yet. So that uncertainty is really weighing down on me as well.

And, yes, to answer the question in your head, I AM just complaining right now and will definitely get over it especially since, in the grand scheme of things, life could be so much MORE crazy than it is. But sometimes it's just nice to vent, eh?

But everything else is just awesome! Lucy is getting so much smarter (and sometimes dumber) every day. Having Jen and Chris here, besides the life-giving nature of the visit, was really really nice. And Ma McGowan is still here and she's helping keep everything together and epsecially helping Joe while I'm at work. We've got health, life, love, family, friends, food on the table and roofs over our heads. PLUS......::drum roll please::......the new Cheers website will be up soon, so I will let you know as soon as it's up and running so you can take a look at my first big website design job. YAY!!!!!! So all in all, the fall has gotten off to a great start.

I'll definitely have Joe post next time so that he can tell you his side of the story but, until then, thanks again Jen (and Chris), thanks for everything Ma McGowan, and I hope everyone has a really nice weekend! I know I will...

the wait is over

Doesn't seem like there's a new kidney in there, does it?? Well....there is! See...



UPDATE:

• The surgery on Tuesday went smoothly and took WAY less time than they originally estimated.
  
• They let Jen go the next day (which, by our consensus, we think they could have at least kept her there longer).
  
• Joe was up and starting to get around a little the next day, too. With pain, of course, but he still got up to walk a little.
• Joe's surgeon (a nice little Indian man) was just awesome and said that Joe was doing so well with everything.
• They released Joe on Friday.

Now, Joe and Jen are home and healthy. Still in pain, but all is well. And some good news = no more dialysis!!!

All in all, I am so very much impressed by the Mayo Clinic. They were just very informative with everything, always there for any need whatsoever, and they were just very on top of things. Since I just started training for a new job (that is pretty inflexible with missing work for a kidney transplant), so it was really hard to be gone for 10+ hours each day while Joe was in the hospital. But everyone is home now and on the road to recovery. It's hard to believe it has already come and gone. Thanks to EVERYONE for all of your prayers and support for Jen and Joe. It has really paid off!!!

it's about time!

Finally, finally, FINALLY Joe and I are able to travel somewhere! Ever since we moved back last year (yes...it's been a year...CRAZY!!!!), set back after setback has happened and, especially with all the airlines going under, flight prices to the Northeast have been pretty terrible. So the only travel we've done is camping here and there within a couple hundred miles of Phoenix. Which is fun, don't get me wrong. We LOVE to camp! But this will be our first real "vacation". In a year.

Starting this Friday, we will begin our trip to lovely Hawaii where we will be cruising around the islands with my parents, sister and a few family friends. Money is extremely tight right now and I don't start training until September 29th (which means I don't get paid until October 15th)...so this next month will be interesting, to say the least. Is there ever a time when money isn't a worry? Because I'm honestly getting a little sick of it.

But, if there was ever a time to get out of town, I guess it would be right now. Besides the fact that we have to leave Lucy behind (about which I am completely heartbroken), and besides the fact that Joe will have to go to dialysis several times while we are there, it will still be an awesome and most welcome vacation. We'll have to count our pennies, of course, and keep track of everything...but it'll be a nice break from Phoenix and the perpetual summer heat.

the wait is over

I GOT A JOB!!!

Just wanted to let you all know that, as of September 29th, I will no longer be unemployed as I will begin training with the University of Phoenix to be an Academic Counselor!

YIPPEEEE!!!!!!

I got the job thanks to my buddy, Lindsay (who used to work there), and her husband (who DOES work there) - the two of them, combined, got my resume to the right people. YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!!!!

I'm taking a pay cut which, I know, isn't the worst thing in the world and there ARE more important things than money. But I'm at the point where I need to find a "career" and I finally have the chance to get back to doing what I originally set out to do with my Bachelor's degree. I didn't originally want to be an Academic Counselor, per say, but it's definitely a stepping stone into the world of helping people and the University of Phoenix has great benefits (including FREE TUITION!!). Plus, there are locations all across the country...which is helpful in case the future holds another relocation. I think it will work out well, though. One definite plus, too, is that the training doesn't start until the 29th...which means we can go on the cruise in Hawaii first and I won't have to worry about taking any time off!

Just thought I'd let you all know the good news - somebody out there DOES like me!!!

it's been awhile...

Okay.

So maybe it's only been a week. But, still...I feel so removed from blogging that I've decided to write one even though nothing significantly exciting has been going on.

Here's an update on life in the Theresa lane:

• Reading: I have started reading 3 different books - Labyrinth by Kate Mosse, Interview With the Vampire by Anne Rice, and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling. I've decided that I need to take a step back and read one. Just one at a time. I'm finding it hard to concentrate, though, since I finished the Twilight Saga. Yep. I finished it. All of 'em. They were good. But now it's time to move on. I think I might stick with Harry Potter so that I can read the Half Blood Prince afterwards (since the movie is coming out this holiday season and I want to have read the book beforehand). Afterwards, I will probably resume reading Labyrinth...and follow that up with The Host by Stephenie Meyer (which Alanna just bought for me yesterday! THANKS, LONI!!)

• Camping: I can't wait to go camping again! Joe and I will try to squeeze in at least one more trip before the transplant. It's just hard because we're leaving for a cruise around Hawaii next month and the transplant is a couple weeks after we get back. So this next trip might be our last of 2008. Now we just have to figure out where to go...

• Cooking: Ever since Joe has needed to start a new diet because of his ESRD, it's been a struggle deciding what things are "good things" for him to eat. It's really not TOO difficult now that we've got the hang of it, but it's still a change. Basically we have to make sure whatever we prepare has LOTS of protein, little to no sodium, little to no phosphorus and little to no potassium. Sodium is easy to eliminate, but try cutting out phosphorus and potassium when the nutritional content for those are rarely on the labels! Anyway, I've been getting good use of my new cookbooks and will post a couple of our favorite recipes soon.

• Current Events: John Edwards makes me so angry. There was a time when he was my favorite choice back when all the democrat contenders were still in the game. It's amazing to me how one (or, in his case, REPEATED) lack of judgment can change my entire opinion about a person. I feel terribly for his wife and am just really sad about the whole situation.

• Dialysis: I hate dialysis. I'm not the one doing it 3 times a week, but I still hate it. That's all I'm saying about that.

• Family: Joe, my family and I will be taking a cruise around Hawaii in exactly ONE MONTH! I can not wait for this. It's going to be interesting having to work our activities around dialysis, but honestly, I'm content just walking around and experiencing life in Hawaii. I'm sure no matter what we do will be wonderful and fun. I can't WAIT!!!

• Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds Fur: While on our cruise, Lucy will be staying at a doggie day care and boarding place I found since all of our potential dog sitters are going with us on the cruise! So...I took her there yesterday for about 4 hours to see how she liked it. She seemed fine after Alanna and I picked her up, so that's good. I think the REAL test will be when I drop her off next Wednesday for another half day - if we get there and she's excited with tail wagging and all, then I'll know she likes it. I know that she's just a dog. And animal. And she probably loves and prefers being around the other dogs all day, but part of me is freaked out that she's not going to remember who we are...or that she's not going to want to come home with us. I mean, she'll be there for 10 nights/10 days! That's a loooooong time! I know I'm weird, but I really hope she likes it and that she is happy to see us when we get back.

• Work: I have been out of work for 2 months now. I'm doing part-time design work on the side, so I do have a little money trickling in here and there, but nothing full time yet. I believe that I am at a crossroads. So far, the only people who have responded to my resumes and letters have been related to positions I have never done before. Interesting, huh? I had an interview yesterday for a position as an Academic Counselor (I'll tell you more about it if they offer me the gig) and have another interview set up for Sunday (weird, I know) for a position as a Publications Designer. I have my Bachelor's in Psychology and the area of psychology has always been an interest of mine. I've always been fascinated with everything about it, so that's what I went through my undergrad career studying for - to hopefully work in that field someday. But then life happened and I went through a few jobs completely unrelated to psychology; but they were jobs that I fully enjoyed as well. While working in one of those jobs, I was able to explore my creative side and being designing a whole bunch of different types of materials for print and web. I never knew I would like it so much! So now I have been presented with two interview opportunities: one pertaining to Psychology and Design. The Academic Counselor position, if I'm accepted, is one that I could use as a start to working in psychology and eventually going back to school to further my career in that field. The Publications Designer position, if I'm accepted, could be used as a stepping stone into the field of design (I'd have to eventually go back to school for that, too). These are two fields that I feel strongly about. So now comes the question of the day - which road should I take?
  

Until next time,
XOXO

and i thought Boston drivers were bad....

Thursday Comment #1
People who live in Phoenix don't know what a rotary is. There is this rotary (ok...technically I guess you would call it a "roundabout") around a fountain on the street right next to the apartment complex. I was driving to the apartment for lunch one day to let Lucy out of the crate for a little while and I was stuck behind a genuis. He enters the rotary. Then I enter behind him. All of a sudden, he stops right in the middle of the rotary to let another car enter the rotary. Are you KIDDING?!?!? You don't STOP in rotaries! To make matters worse...I've seen this happen more than once.

Thursday Comment #2
The biggest douche bag in the universe lives in Paradise Valley and drives a Maserati. Apparently when you are loaded and have a car that costs as much as a 4 bedroom house, driving rules don't apply to you.

Thursday Comment #3
My last day of work is tomorrow. For those who don't know (or don't remember), I've been laid off from my current position due to the terrible economy. The company I was working for mainly worked with partnership marketing for financial institutions in the credit and loan industry. And since the credit and loan industry has been hit pretty badly this year, the business owners have decided to shut everything down. I've started to look for new jobs, but I'm really unsure of what I really want to do. I have a strong desire to be creative, go into publishing or graphic design or something related to the advertising/marketing world. I think that is where I'd be most happy. But I also have a strong desire to actually make money. And in order to continue making what I've been making the past few years, it looks like being an Executive Assistant is the way to go. I'm not really certified for anything else. So it's going to be tough. Do I just settle for something that will enable us to live comfortably or do I go for something I'm really interested in and won't feel like poking my eyes out at the end of each day?

Thursday Comment #4
***POSITIVE COMMENT ALERT! POSITIVE COMMENT ALERT!***
Joe's catheter is gone. Adios. Au revoir. Arrivederci. Sayonara. Peace out. Buh bye. GONE! Not sure if it will happen tonight, but he'll get to go swimming very soon and take a nice long shower with no fear of getting an infection! YAY!!! Dialysis is still kicking his butt and his left arm is like a pincushion, but he's still on the road to getting a nice healthy kidney, thanks to his sister, Jen. What do you do for someone who gives you a kidney? A simple "thank you" card definitely isn't enough. I mean...it's saving his life, in the simplest of terms. It's the most awesome gift ever!

Thursday Comment #5
***SAPPY COMMENT ALERT! SAPPY COMMENT ALERT!***
Joe is amazing. It's been such a tough year for him having to deal with a life threatening disease and having to go through all of the treatment for it. I mean, the choice is easy, really: do the treatment or let your kidneys fail and die. The choice is easy. But it's just a hard thing to have to go through. It's really part of our daily life now, but every once in a while I just wonder "Why him? Why so young?" and I think to myself that he's just such a strong person for going through it so gracefully. I LOVE YOU, JOE!! It's all working out...

why Tax Day 2008 wasn't that bad...

Good day to you all! -

Life in Phoenix is getting a little more interesting lately, to say the least. For example: Lucy Pants (I like to call her Lucy Pants sometimes) is starting to "talk" more, work is picking up a little in spite of the "recessing" economy, Joe is having his evaluations and tests at the Mayo Clinic this week and next week (GO JOE! I hope they OK your transplant!), and the weather is a-changin! (got up to 97 this week!).

Also, the sometimes feared and dreaded Tax Day has come and gone. Most of the time I'm at least able to get at least 20 bucks back from the government, but there have been a few times when I've had to paid an ungodly amount to the IRS. During those years, I would pray for dear life that April 14th would just sweep over to the 16th. But here are a few reasons why April 15th this year wasn't all that bad:

(1) We have a brand spankin' new computer thanks to tax money...it's so AWESOME!!!!!


(2) I have a new haircut which is growing on me...especially since it's getting so warm out lately (it hasn't been this short since the 8th grade!)


(3) I have newly grown fingernails! For those who don't know, I've bit my nails to the cuticle (pretty much) ever since I can remember. And probably before then, too! This picture proves that after 20+ years of biting, quitting is still possible!

(4) Did you notice the ring?

Stuff

I figured I'd contribute, here's some random stuff.

It's freakin' hot ! 88 degrees today, and it's only been spring for three days. Because of my catheter, I cannot swim, and I'm not supposed to even shower. Thank God I got the fistula, as soon as it matures in a month or so I'll be able to swim, which is good because it'll probably be in the 100's by then. My fistula surgery went well, I went back to work today.

Our dog is a terror. It's like she forgot all her training, unless there's food involved. She only comes near us to nip at us, and cannot calmly sit on our laps or allow us to pet her. Occasionally she'll bring us a toy and allow us to play tugowar or throw it for her. I think she needs another dog to play with, or more training stat.

Arizona sucks for allergies. T has been sick for three days. She's pretty miserable.

That is all for now, I'm going to beat the dog.

-Joe(hammed)

March Madness

1. Joe gets his av fistula surgery tomorrow afternoon. YUCK! Hopefully there will come a day...and soon!!...when he won't have to be stabbed by doctors all the time. He needs a break!
2. Lucy is cute!
   
3. I forgot to fill out and submit my MarchMadness brackets for our work game pool - which means I'm not going to win!!!
4. Maybe we'll win PowerBall tonight instead?

Lucy likes sleeping on Joe's lap with her head at his feet.

Proof here is. Blogging Joe does.

Garlic

Just writing a mid-week post to say hello and let you know what's going on...

Not much has happened since the last entry. Joe is still going to dialysis on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturdays. He completed his first week this past Saturday and...thank goodness...so far so good!

He says that he hasn't noticed any drastic improvements in the way he's been feeling lately, but he hasn't been getting sick in the mornings anymore and no longer has night sweats. I know that there have been many times he's felt very sick to his stomach and over the past week, it seems like this has diminished greatly (correct me if I'm wrong, Joe). So that's the report for now.

Joe will (hopefully) be speaking with his social worker to get him into a new center (one that's closer and better quality) and on a new treatment schedule (Monday, Wednesday, Friday)...so hopefully that will happen soon.

As for me, "life is good":

• Joe is getting good treatment and is on the path to getting a new kidney (they haven't called him for a consultation yet, but at least the ball has started to roll)
• Lucy is such a sweetheart (except when she's not, of course....ha ha)
• My job is getting a LITTLE more interesting (more on that to come)
• The weather, while hot earlier today, is now GORGEOUS as I type this on the patio
• We don't have puppy kindergarten on the weekends anymore...which means we can start camping and doing FUN STUFF!
  

The only complaint I have is.....garlic is a MONSTER to peel! I hate, Hate, HATE peeling garlic. I know, I know....I could buy the minced garlic that is already peeled. But seriously, people...you'd think there would be an easier way than to try to peel the ridiculously thin skin from a clove of garlic!

Until next time,
XOXO