For my entire youth, all I learned about taxes was a bajillion sitcom plots surrounding how horrible/dreaded/panic-inducing April 15th is. All sorts of talk about filing extensions, paying accountants, trying to find a bunch of receipts, getting audited, etc. And then, after returning from my mission, moving out on my own, and supporting myself, I had to do my own tax return. It was pretty simple, and it resulted in me getting a few hundred bucks in a tax return. Where is the horror, dread, panic, and gnashing of teeth? Since I am not self-employed and all of my taxes are automatically withheld from my check, I don't dread tax time. I actually am excited to receive my W-2 forms and other tax documents in the mail, because it means I can go to my online free e-file program and put the info in. In about an hour's time, I find out that the IRS owes me a nice chunk of money. It's good times. Well, it would be better times if we could use the refund for fun stuff rather than a big credit card payment, but I will take what I can get.
In other news, I am getting incredibly sick of a couple of different radio commercials that have been in heavy rotation on 107.7 The End in Seattle since the beginning of this year. The first one is an attorney with a voice that sounds like Satan's own fingernails on a brimstone chalkboard yelling at me through the radio to contact some guys to help deal with the "horrible, brutal IRS" (speaking of tax time....). Every time that commercial comes on, I lunge at the radio to change the station, often times causing me to swerve. I think that the radio station and the people who made the commercial should both be held liable for any accidents caused by people lunging at their radio pre-set buttons to stop the commercials from causing their ears to bleed.
The other commercial that angers me is not because of a grating voice, but because of a reprehensible company peddling a despicable service. Any guesses as to what company I am talking about? It's called "Ashley Madison," and they cheerfully talk about how they help married people find people with whom to cheat on their spouses. Gee, thanks for promoting internet-aided adultery during the morning radio show, you putzes. As if the ear-bleeding from the IRS-fighting lawyer wasn't bad enough, now I feel as though I have been coated in slime just from hearing your disgusting adultery site commercial. Ugh.
At this point, I pretty much just have to turn off the radio or switch to a different station whenever the commercials come on. I think I might switch over to podcasts exclusively rather than listening to the radio any more. At least the ads on those podcasts (if present at all) don't make me feel like taking a shower and scrubbing with steel wool. Congratulations, 107.7 The End (and many other stations that I can't listen to any more without much frustration and annoyance), you are successfully killing off what little audience you have left.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Friday, January 16, 2009
20 months old!
Since he cries so hard when we buzz his hair, we decided to have our friend Kimmy trim his hair whenever we went in to get our hair cut. He is still unsure about the whole process, but at least he's not screaming his head off. I actually got haircutting scissors for Christmas. Now I just need to be brave enough to use them!
Here's a couple pictures of Joshua's recent trip to the hospital.
Elmo gave him lots of comfort when he didn't feel like doing much of anything.
When he started to get his appetite back, grape popsicles were the only things he wanted at first. They were messy, but he loved them.
Eating breakfast the morning before we left.
Other than his recent illness, Joshua has had a fun month. He had fun playing with his cousins when we were snowed in at my parents' house and during Christmas. I think being in nursery at church has helped him be more outgoing and adventurous. He loves to play and lately his favorite toys are his cars. He pushes them all around and lines them up and pushes them around some more. His vocabulary is getting bigger. His new words this month are "please" (ma-ma pwee) and "thank you" (tank-you). He also likes to say "uh-huh," "wow," and "uh-oh." He doesn't always use that last one appropriately, though. For example he doesn't understand yet that "uh-oh" is for accidents and not for when you purposefully throw your bowl of Cheerios off your booster chair tray. He's learning more and more animal sounds, as well. He's always chattering away, and it is funny to listen to him. I love watching him learn as he gets older and it is fun to be him mom.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Visiting the Armpit of Customer Service
We have been trying to cut back on expenses in order to save money, and after much resistance on my part, I realized that the cable TV needed to go. It just plain costs too much, and when we really took inventory of what we watched on cable, we realized that we absolutely never watched more than about 10 cable channels. Anything that we really wanted to get was readily available through various internet video sites like Hulu.com, Sling.com, and the network sites. In a real pinch, bittorrent would come to the rescue and help us get the programs we want to watch. Since we have a TiVo HD, and it has a built-in over the air HD tuner, all we needed to do was get an antenna that would pick up the HD local stations over the air from Seattle. I researched it and we purchased an amplified directional TV antenna that does an excellent job of picking up all of the important Seattle stations. My brother Brek came over last Saturday to help install the antenna and run the wire through the attic and down the wall to get a nice, professional-looking installation and everything works perfectly. The next step was to call up Comcast and cancel TV service.
This is where it gets annoying. I called their 1.800.COMCAST number in order to cancel just my TV service and keep cable internet service. They have you navigate a small phone tree to get to the cancelation line, which puts you in a hold queue. The computer cheerfully announced that the hold time was currently "greater than one hour," which is ridiculous, of course. However, I was committed to getting rid of cable TV right then, so I put my phone on speaker and listened to the horrendous smooth jazz junk that they play to encourage people to give up and hang up. Despite my bleeding ears, I endured until someone finally answered my call one hour and thirty-five minutes later. She promptly tried to get me to keep my service, offering inadequate discounts (which would expire in a few months, of course) and the option of keeping just basic cable, yada yada yada. She warned me that by canceling my TV service, I would no longer get the multiservice discount, and thus my cable internet would be more expensive. I knew all of this already, and I fended off her attempts to retain me as a customer. I soldiered on and canceled cable TV complete, while keeping cable internet service. The lady informed me that I would need to pull the cable cards out of my TiVo and return them to their office. I agreed to do so.
This is where the Armpit of Customer Service comes in. The closest Comcast office to our house was completely out of my way, so I decided to go to the only other Comcast office anywhere close in Auburn (since it is kind of close to my office). I had to go there during my lunch time, even though I knew that would mean a long line. I just didn't realize that the line would be so smelly or that the office would be so bleak and depressing. There were three ancient 17-inch CRT televisions on the wall showing ESPN and a couple of other basic cable channels behind the customer service people and one newer 46-inch plasma HDTV on the wall, showing last night's episode of American Idol. The plasma TV was the only thing in the office that didn't look run-down and poorly maintained. I figure it is only a matter of time, though. The whole place smelled like an old person's mobile home. Everyone there was resigned to their fate of being stuck in Comcast's armpit until we could get through the line. I listened to several people picking up self-install kits, or returning equipment, or swapping out equipment. One person was laying down a huge wad of cash to pay for her very overdue bill in order to get her TV service turned back on. In short, it was a lot like the DMV, only more depressing and soul-crushing. I was happy to finally get to the counter, turn in my cable cards, and then get the heck out of there. The whole experience was just plain Comcastic!
In summary, the bill before canceling cable TV service: $125 per month. The bill after canceling TV service, but retaining cable internet: $57 per month. That is more than 50% less per month. I think that savings is totally worth it. And the intarwebz will soon be sending a whole lot more bits my way since the final episodes of Battlestar Galactica are set to air in the coming weeks.
This is where it gets annoying. I called their 1.800.COMCAST number in order to cancel just my TV service and keep cable internet service. They have you navigate a small phone tree to get to the cancelation line, which puts you in a hold queue. The computer cheerfully announced that the hold time was currently "greater than one hour," which is ridiculous, of course. However, I was committed to getting rid of cable TV right then, so I put my phone on speaker and listened to the horrendous smooth jazz junk that they play to encourage people to give up and hang up. Despite my bleeding ears, I endured until someone finally answered my call one hour and thirty-five minutes later. She promptly tried to get me to keep my service, offering inadequate discounts (which would expire in a few months, of course) and the option of keeping just basic cable, yada yada yada. She warned me that by canceling my TV service, I would no longer get the multiservice discount, and thus my cable internet would be more expensive. I knew all of this already, and I fended off her attempts to retain me as a customer. I soldiered on and canceled cable TV complete, while keeping cable internet service. The lady informed me that I would need to pull the cable cards out of my TiVo and return them to their office. I agreed to do so.
This is where the Armpit of Customer Service comes in. The closest Comcast office to our house was completely out of my way, so I decided to go to the only other Comcast office anywhere close in Auburn (since it is kind of close to my office). I had to go there during my lunch time, even though I knew that would mean a long line. I just didn't realize that the line would be so smelly or that the office would be so bleak and depressing. There were three ancient 17-inch CRT televisions on the wall showing ESPN and a couple of other basic cable channels behind the customer service people and one newer 46-inch plasma HDTV on the wall, showing last night's episode of American Idol. The plasma TV was the only thing in the office that didn't look run-down and poorly maintained. I figure it is only a matter of time, though. The whole place smelled like an old person's mobile home. Everyone there was resigned to their fate of being stuck in Comcast's armpit until we could get through the line. I listened to several people picking up self-install kits, or returning equipment, or swapping out equipment. One person was laying down a huge wad of cash to pay for her very overdue bill in order to get her TV service turned back on. In short, it was a lot like the DMV, only more depressing and soul-crushing. I was happy to finally get to the counter, turn in my cable cards, and then get the heck out of there. The whole experience was just plain Comcastic!
In summary, the bill before canceling cable TV service: $125 per month. The bill after canceling TV service, but retaining cable internet: $57 per month. That is more than 50% less per month. I think that savings is totally worth it. And the intarwebz will soon be sending a whole lot more bits my way since the final episodes of Battlestar Galactica are set to air in the coming weeks.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
We're home!
Joshua did really well last night and this morning the doctor said he could go home today. YAY! He ate his breakfast and they unhooked him from the monitors and took out his IV. The gave him one last breathing treatment before we left. We have antibiotics to give him for a few more days and we will probably check in with his pediatrician next week to make sure everything has cleared out of his lungs. I asked the respiratory therapist about any lasting effects Joshua might have from this, like if he would be more likely to get lung infections in the future, and she didn't think he would, especially since he didn't have any problems with his lungs before this illness.
So the official diagnosis was RSV, a common viral lung infection that caused bronchiolitis. Some spots on the x-rays looked like it could be pneumonia, as well, so they treated him for that, too.
We are so glad to all be home again. Now we have to get back to real life and keep Joshua eating and drinking normally again. He is feeling so much better, though, and it is wonderful to see him be his usual happy, playful self. Also, I am so glad to be able to sleep in a real bed again!
We would like to thank everyone for their prayers and support! We are grateful for our wonderful family and friends!!
So the official diagnosis was RSV, a common viral lung infection that caused bronchiolitis. Some spots on the x-rays looked like it could be pneumonia, as well, so they treated him for that, too.
We are so glad to all be home again. Now we have to get back to real life and keep Joshua eating and drinking normally again. He is feeling so much better, though, and it is wonderful to see him be his usual happy, playful self. Also, I am so glad to be able to sleep in a real bed again!
We would like to thank everyone for their prayers and support! We are grateful for our wonderful family and friends!!
Improving By Leaps and Bounds
There is some really good news on the Joshua front tonight. When Lisa posted her last entry, Joshua had spent most of the day being all worn out and not that interested in food or drink. Well, shortly after her post, Joshua had another nap and cuddled a little bit. And then he showed a completely different attitude about eating. He wanted a bunch of yogurt, and then the rest of the cheese and meat that he didn't eat for lunch. When he had finished that, he clearly wanted more, but we didn't have any more to give him. Luckily, it was only going to be about an hour until his dinner was scheduled to arrive. When it did, Joshua was very happy to eat it, and did it sitting in bed and using the utensils himself.
He continued to show rapid improvement, and was acting like his normal happy, playful, cute self. He has started talking to us and to the nurses (he had been very reluctant to speak at all while he was feeling so sick). He wanted to play with his cars, and he drank a little more than a pint of milk after not wanting to drink anything for the last few days.
Obviously, we are very happy about this. His vitals are consistently good and his lungs are sounding better. He is coughing up all the mucus that caused all of these problems in the first place.
We were told that he might be able to go home tomorrow if he continues to improve this rapidly overnight. After seeing how he was acting like himself again this evening, I am very hopeful that the doctors will let us take him home tomorrow. We will see, but I think tomorrow is a very good possibility.
Thank you everyone for keeping Joshua in your prayers. I know they have helped both him and us.
He continued to show rapid improvement, and was acting like his normal happy, playful, cute self. He has started talking to us and to the nurses (he had been very reluctant to speak at all while he was feeling so sick). He wanted to play with his cars, and he drank a little more than a pint of milk after not wanting to drink anything for the last few days.
Obviously, we are very happy about this. His vitals are consistently good and his lungs are sounding better. He is coughing up all the mucus that caused all of these problems in the first place.
We were told that he might be able to go home tomorrow if he continues to improve this rapidly overnight. After seeing how he was acting like himself again this evening, I am very hopeful that the doctors will let us take him home tomorrow. We will see, but I think tomorrow is a very good possibility.
Thank you everyone for keeping Joshua in your prayers. I know they have helped both him and us.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Updates
So in my post yesterday, I thought Joshua was going to have to spend another night in the PICU, but he was doing well enough yesterday to move out of the PICU and to a regular room. He was on 100% oxygen Sunday night, then they weaned him down to 2% yesterday morning before moving him out of the PICU. He is still on IV antibiotics and fluids. We've tried to get him to eat or drink something, and last night he was only interested in the grape popcicles. Last night they took him completely off oxygen and he seems to be able to keep his oxygen levels up on just room air, so that is good. He also ate another popcicle this morning, and a little later ate some yogurt, a piece of cheese and a couple pieces of turkey, which is good improvement. He mostly just lays in his crib and sleeps a lot. He's starting to show a little more interest in moving around, so that's good, too. Starting last night he has had breathing treatments every four hours or so that are supposed to help him cough up all the junk in his lungs. They seem to be working and his breathing is much better.
On Friday when he had his first chest x-ray, the urgent care center diagnosed him with pneumonia. While he was in the PICU Sunday night to Monday morning, they did a couple nasal swabs for additional tests and determined he was positive for RSV, which is a respiratory virus. It's a pretty common thing, and most people get it. For adults it just acts like a bad cold, but in kids under 2 years old, it really knocks them out. You just have to help them out as much as you can while the virus runs its course.
We are grateful for the doctors and nurses that are taking good care of Joshua. Adam and I don't like hospitals, but we have noticed that children's hospitals are a little more tolerable than most regular hospitals. We are also grateful for the support of our family and friends. Thank you to all who have prayed for Joshua. We really appreciate it and ask that you continue to keep him in your prayers.
On Friday when he had his first chest x-ray, the urgent care center diagnosed him with pneumonia. While he was in the PICU Sunday night to Monday morning, they did a couple nasal swabs for additional tests and determined he was positive for RSV, which is a respiratory virus. It's a pretty common thing, and most people get it. For adults it just acts like a bad cold, but in kids under 2 years old, it really knocks them out. You just have to help them out as much as you can while the virus runs its course.
We are grateful for the doctors and nurses that are taking good care of Joshua. Adam and I don't like hospitals, but we have noticed that children's hospitals are a little more tolerable than most regular hospitals. We are also grateful for the support of our family and friends. Thank you to all who have prayed for Joshua. We really appreciate it and ask that you continue to keep him in your prayers.
Monday, January 12, 2009
So, yeah
Apparently, 2009 did not appreciate my letter below because it continued to mock me by putting Joshua in the PICU last night.
I'll try to make a kind of long story short. As Adam said below, Friday night Joshua and I were at the Urgent Care Center and the Mary Bridge ER, where they told us he had pneumonia and gave him breathing treatments and sent us home with antibiotics. On Saturday, the antibiotics seemed to be helping a little, but there wasn't rapid improvement like the doctors said it should be. After church on Sunday, a friend in our ward came over to help Adam give Joshua a blessing. Later that afternoon, we noticed his breathing seemed to be getting worse, so we packed up and went back to the Urgent Care Center. They gave him a few more breathing treatments and antibiotics, but his oxygen levels were still kind of low. They consulted with Mary Bridge ER and decided to send us over there. Luckily, it is just right next door. The ER nurses and doctors were pretty concerned when they saw his labored breathing, and eventually we ended up in the Pediatric ICU. Joshua has been on oxygen and IV antibiotics and fluids all night and this morning he seems to be breathing easier. I'm sure the fluid is helping him, too, because he wasn't interested in eating or drinking much at home on Saturday or Sunday.
Needless to say, Adam and I are stressed, but I am mostly relieved that Joshua is getting the oxygen and fluids that he needs that he wasn't getting at home. It sounds like he's going to stay another night in the PICU, and then I'm not sure how long he will stay in a regular room after that. Please keep the poor little guy in your prayers. They will be much appreciated!
I'll try to make a kind of long story short. As Adam said below, Friday night Joshua and I were at the Urgent Care Center and the Mary Bridge ER, where they told us he had pneumonia and gave him breathing treatments and sent us home with antibiotics. On Saturday, the antibiotics seemed to be helping a little, but there wasn't rapid improvement like the doctors said it should be. After church on Sunday, a friend in our ward came over to help Adam give Joshua a blessing. Later that afternoon, we noticed his breathing seemed to be getting worse, so we packed up and went back to the Urgent Care Center. They gave him a few more breathing treatments and antibiotics, but his oxygen levels were still kind of low. They consulted with Mary Bridge ER and decided to send us over there. Luckily, it is just right next door. The ER nurses and doctors were pretty concerned when they saw his labored breathing, and eventually we ended up in the Pediatric ICU. Joshua has been on oxygen and IV antibiotics and fluids all night and this morning he seems to be breathing easier. I'm sure the fluid is helping him, too, because he wasn't interested in eating or drinking much at home on Saturday or Sunday.
Needless to say, Adam and I are stressed, but I am mostly relieved that Joshua is getting the oxygen and fluids that he needs that he wasn't getting at home. It sounds like he's going to stay another night in the PICU, and then I'm not sure how long he will stay in a regular room after that. Please keep the poor little guy in your prayers. They will be much appreciated!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
An Open Letter to 2009
Dear 2009,
Can we please start over? I really don't like the way these first ten days have started out between us, and I would really like the chance to start afresh. I know the new year that you represent is supposed to bring new beginnings and refreshed hope for things to come, but I'm just not feeling it yet. Just for the record, ear infections and my child getting pneumonia are NOT the way to make a good first impression. Just so you know, spending my time in the ER with Joshua until the wee hours of the morning is not my idea of fun, for future reference.
So I call for a do-over. Let's turn back the clock and start over with a more healthy new year. Please? What do you say?
Thanks much,
Lisapants
Can we please start over? I really don't like the way these first ten days have started out between us, and I would really like the chance to start afresh. I know the new year that you represent is supposed to bring new beginnings and refreshed hope for things to come, but I'm just not feeling it yet. Just for the record, ear infections and my child getting pneumonia are NOT the way to make a good first impression. Just so you know, spending my time in the ER with Joshua until the wee hours of the morning is not my idea of fun, for future reference.
So I call for a do-over. Let's turn back the clock and start over with a more healthy new year. Please? What do you say?
Thanks much,
Lisapants
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Lingering Effects
Joshua and Lisa both had colds this past week and a half or so. Joshua got better and seemed to be doing fine, while Lisa was still suffering and eventually developed an ear infection. And then around midnight on Wednesday night/Thursday morning, I was awakened by the sound of Joshua coughing so hard that he threw up, coming over the baby monitor. So I went in and cleaned him up and cuddled him to try to help him get back to sleep. He was also breathing really shallowly. While he did eventually get back to sleep, the cough stayed -- and got worse. Then it was joined by a fever that was manageable with acetaminophen, but it didn't go away. So Lisa took Joshua into the Urgent Care center to get checked out. Looks like his cold may have turned into pneumonia.
I don't know what was up with the sickness that Lisa and Joshua both had (and I luckily avoided altogether), but its lingering effects really suck. Since the Urgent Care center closes at 11:00 PM, they sent Lisa and Joshua over to the ER at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital for further treatment. I didn't get off of work until a little after 9:00 PM, and so I have just been here at home getting periodic updates from Lisa, hoping that everything will turn out okay. This sucks.
I don't know what was up with the sickness that Lisa and Joshua both had (and I luckily avoided altogether), but its lingering effects really suck. Since the Urgent Care center closes at 11:00 PM, they sent Lisa and Joshua over to the ER at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital for further treatment. I didn't get off of work until a little after 9:00 PM, and so I have just been here at home getting periodic updates from Lisa, hoping that everything will turn out okay. This sucks.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Random Musings of a Pizza Delivery Guy
A lot of people use Pizza Delivery Guy as shorthand for an undesirable job. Not quite as bad as the derogatory "burger flipper" of course, but close. However, I have found it to be kind of enjoyable at times. Sure, there are the cruddier parts of the job: doing dishes, mopping the floor, sometimes scrubbing months-old residue off of the floor tiles.... But it can pay pretty well for a part-time gig and if the other employees are cool, then it can be fun to work there. You also learn a bunch of stuff. I will list a few of the things I have learned in my two and a half months of delivering pizza:
-An astounding number of people are surprised by my arrival. Mind you, they called us or went online and ordered pizza, but that doesn't mean that they will be dressed when I knock on the door. Or that they will have their method of payment prepared.
-Paying for pizza with a check is ridiculous. Not only do we have to charge people an extra fifty cents when they pay by check (to pay for the TeleCheck processing fee), it ends up being five times as complicated as using cash or just paying with your stinking debit card, dang it.
-There are many people who drive as though they have nowhere to be. Also, those people seem to derive a perverse pleasure from delaying those of us who DO have somewhere to be.
-Almost all of the pizza drivers at my store do the job for extra money, not because they are losers who cannot hold a "real" job. They are like me; working a second job to make ends meet. This makes it all the more important for people to be generous with tips, since that is the only way pizza delivery is profitable. Heaven knows the pizza chains won't pay anything better than minimum wage. If people stopped tipping, there would be no pizza delivery. No one could afford to do it.
-Sometimes, the stupid punk "racer boy" drivers do get their comeuppance. This past week, there was a putz in a semi-pimped mid-90's Dodge Neon who got flipped off by a guy driving a big cruddy van. So the racer boy decided to chase the van, harass and tailgate the driver. And when the van driver slammed on his brakes, racer boy plowed into his rear bumper. The van driver got out, looked at his barely scratched bumper, looked at the now-totaled Neon, shrugged and drove away. Racer boy had to call the police and wait for a sheriff's deputy to show up, fill out a report, and then get his destroyed car towed. Good thing he spent thousands of dollars on aftermarket accessories so that it could look that much more ridiculous when he totaled it by tailgating and being a douche.
-An astounding number of people are surprised by my arrival. Mind you, they called us or went online and ordered pizza, but that doesn't mean that they will be dressed when I knock on the door. Or that they will have their method of payment prepared.
-Paying for pizza with a check is ridiculous. Not only do we have to charge people an extra fifty cents when they pay by check (to pay for the TeleCheck processing fee), it ends up being five times as complicated as using cash or just paying with your stinking debit card, dang it.
-There are many people who drive as though they have nowhere to be. Also, those people seem to derive a perverse pleasure from delaying those of us who DO have somewhere to be.
-Almost all of the pizza drivers at my store do the job for extra money, not because they are losers who cannot hold a "real" job. They are like me; working a second job to make ends meet. This makes it all the more important for people to be generous with tips, since that is the only way pizza delivery is profitable. Heaven knows the pizza chains won't pay anything better than minimum wage. If people stopped tipping, there would be no pizza delivery. No one could afford to do it.
-Sometimes, the stupid punk "racer boy" drivers do get their comeuppance. This past week, there was a putz in a semi-pimped mid-90's Dodge Neon who got flipped off by a guy driving a big cruddy van. So the racer boy decided to chase the van, harass and tailgate the driver. And when the van driver slammed on his brakes, racer boy plowed into his rear bumper. The van driver got out, looked at his barely scratched bumper, looked at the now-totaled Neon, shrugged and drove away. Racer boy had to call the police and wait for a sheriff's deputy to show up, fill out a report, and then get his destroyed car towed. Good thing he spent thousands of dollars on aftermarket accessories so that it could look that much more ridiculous when he totaled it by tailgating and being a douche.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Owie
I woke up this morning to ringing in my right ear, and then after a while, my ear developed tinny, dissonant overtones, and everyone started sounding like robots (which sounds like it would be cool, but it's mostly annoying). So I went to the doctor this afternoon and apparently I have an ear infection in my right ear. It still hurts. A LOT. I got antibiotics for the infection and narcotics for the pain. Hopefully tonight I can get more than the scattered 4 hours of sleep I got last night.
I can't remember the last time I had an ear infection. I have renewed sympathies for little kids who get ear infections, especially if they are not old enough to talk or tell you how bad it hurts. You can usually tell when they start tugging on their ears that something is wrong, and they usually get antibiotics, but they still have to suffer through the pain. Poor babies!
I can't remember the last time I had an ear infection. I have renewed sympathies for little kids who get ear infections, especially if they are not old enough to talk or tell you how bad it hurts. You can usually tell when they start tugging on their ears that something is wrong, and they usually get antibiotics, but they still have to suffer through the pain. Poor babies!
A: Injured ear drum
Q: What is hurting so much I can't fall asleep or do anything else productive at 1:30 in the morning?
As you know, I've had a bad cold all week. In related news, I've also been blowing my nose multiple time an hour for the past week. This afternoon I think I injured the ear drum in my right ear while blowing my nose, and now it hurts. A LOT. I couldn't fall asleep, so I got up and called the consulting nurse to see if ibuprofen would help the pain. She said it would. I hope she's right.
As you know, I've had a bad cold all week. In related news, I've also been blowing my nose multiple time an hour for the past week. This afternoon I think I injured the ear drum in my right ear while blowing my nose, and now it hurts. A LOT. I couldn't fall asleep, so I got up and called the consulting nurse to see if ibuprofen would help the pain. She said it would. I hope she's right.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Happy New Year!
I've been a little late in getting this New Year's post done, mostly because my New Year's consisted mainly of sitting on the couch coughing, sniffling, blowing my nose, and holding a very snuggly Joshua who was going through the same thing. We're getting a little better now, but I'm still feeling congested and Joshua still isn't his usual playful self yet.
Luckily, Adam didn't have to work terribly late on New Year's Eve delivering pizzas like we thought he might, so he was home around 10pm and we were able to celebrate the coming of the New Year together. We managed to barely stay up until midnight and watched the fireworks from the Space Needle on TV. A friend had invited us to her New Year's Eve party, which I really wanted to go to, but I just wasn't feeling up to being out in public.
Some thoughts about this past year:
* Arizona is awesome in January.
* The Caribbean is even more awesome in January.
* Trying to install a simple new faucet in your bathroom can become quite the project (that still isn't completely done yet).
* 31 isn't so bad.
* Watching friends grieve just plain sucks.
* I am so thankful for modern medicine and awesome surgeons and Childrens Hospital.
* I am also very thankful for health insurance.
* Kids are amazingly resilient.
* Having a 1-year-old is pretty fun.
* Having a toddler is even more fun, if by fun you mean constantly chasing him around the house.
* Who knew fireworks were illegal in Yakima County?
* Road trips are possible, and even fun, with a 15-month-old.
* Family vacations are lots of fun.
* I LOVE MY FAMILY!!
* I like watching the Olympics.
* Celebrating the 10th anniversary of leaving for my mission makes me feel kind of old.
* Oh, yeah, the elections.
* I love my hard-working husband! He works very hard to support us and I am so grateful for all he does for me and Joshua.
* Back pain is no fun, but chiropractors are awesome!
* Snow, snow and more snow.
* I love spending the holidays with family.
* Mostly, I am so thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ that gives perspective to my life, my wonderful husband, my happy little boy, my loving family and extended family, and my great friends. You all add something very special to my life and I am grateful for all you teach me.
My resolutions for this New Year:
* Be a better wife and mother.
* Be a more organized homemaker.
* Prioritize things that matter most.
* Be more healthy.
Here's to hoping this New Year is better for everyone than 2008 was!
Luckily, Adam didn't have to work terribly late on New Year's Eve delivering pizzas like we thought he might, so he was home around 10pm and we were able to celebrate the coming of the New Year together. We managed to barely stay up until midnight and watched the fireworks from the Space Needle on TV. A friend had invited us to her New Year's Eve party, which I really wanted to go to, but I just wasn't feeling up to being out in public.
Some thoughts about this past year:
* Arizona is awesome in January.
* The Caribbean is even more awesome in January.
* Trying to install a simple new faucet in your bathroom can become quite the project (that still isn't completely done yet).
* 31 isn't so bad.
* Watching friends grieve just plain sucks.
* I am so thankful for modern medicine and awesome surgeons and Childrens Hospital.
* I am also very thankful for health insurance.
* Kids are amazingly resilient.
* Having a 1-year-old is pretty fun.
* Having a toddler is even more fun, if by fun you mean constantly chasing him around the house.
* Who knew fireworks were illegal in Yakima County?
* Road trips are possible, and even fun, with a 15-month-old.
* Family vacations are lots of fun.
* I LOVE MY FAMILY!!
* I like watching the Olympics.
* Celebrating the 10th anniversary of leaving for my mission makes me feel kind of old.
* Oh, yeah, the elections.
* I love my hard-working husband! He works very hard to support us and I am so grateful for all he does for me and Joshua.
* Back pain is no fun, but chiropractors are awesome!
* Snow, snow and more snow.
* I love spending the holidays with family.
* Mostly, I am so thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ that gives perspective to my life, my wonderful husband, my happy little boy, my loving family and extended family, and my great friends. You all add something very special to my life and I am grateful for all you teach me.
My resolutions for this New Year:
* Be a better wife and mother.
* Be a more organized homemaker.
* Prioritize things that matter most.
* Be more healthy.
Here's to hoping this New Year is better for everyone than 2008 was!
Little Baby Starbuck
For those who hadn't heard yet, our friends Dean and Michelle Sheldon have celebrated the birth of their daughter, Kara Faith. They have a bunch of details and some pictures over on their blog, so follow that link to see how they are doing.
I just wanted to mention for all of the Battlestar Galactica fans out there that Kara Faith sounds an awful lot like Kara Thrace. Now, Dean and Michelle do not watch Battlestar (for shame!), so they didn't realize the similarity in the sound of their daughter's name to one of the coolest characters in SciFi TV history. Be that as it may, I will still be calling their daughter Baby Starbuck.
Welcome to Earth, Baby Starbuck!
I just wanted to mention for all of the Battlestar Galactica fans out there that Kara Faith sounds an awful lot like Kara Thrace. Now, Dean and Michelle do not watch Battlestar (for shame!), so they didn't realize the similarity in the sound of their daughter's name to one of the coolest characters in SciFi TV history. Be that as it may, I will still be calling their daughter Baby Starbuck.
Welcome to Earth, Baby Starbuck!
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