Winter Cleaning and Other Exciting News

1. I'm doing a massive winter cleaning today. My mom has kindly offered the help of her maid. I'm also having the carpet cleaned. One too many hairballs from the cats - gross I know. That's why I'm having it cleaned.

2. I feel like crap today. I've really been exercising a lot harder. I'm back at Curves and every now and again I do this aerobic exercise tape that kicks my butt. I pay for it with the fibromyalgia but I swear it's the only thing that's taking the weight off. Still, it sucks to be in pain and not be able to take my beloved aspirin or Aleve (because of the Coumadin).

3. I am almost done with my Christmas shopping. Well, things are a little tight this year so it's not like I went out and bought out the stores. I even wrapped all the gifts I have. Part of this is due to the fact that we (my mother and I) have to send a lot of these gifts back to Atlanta to my brother, niece and sister-in-law. I did buy some cute stuff for my niece. She is really into Snoopy now. She also still loves Elmo (her first love) and the Cookie Monster from Sesame Street. I bought her those, talking of course, so they will drive my brother and his wife insane after a while, haha. I also bought her some cute clothes and some books for my brother to read to her. My mom bought her an ENTIRE HUGE 1950's diner. It's the kind you can pretend to cook in, and even sit in. So much for Easy Bake Ovens - she's getting a whole diner!

4. I have to go back to the lab tomorrow for another blood test. TEDIOUS! At least I've been getting two weeks off between visits for a while now. However two weeks ago my numbers dropped from a perfect 2.4 to 1.85 for no apparent reason. Coumadin is the MOST annoying drug I've ever been on. I swear if you SNEEZE wrong your numbers can change. Ideally I am always supposed to be between 2-3 and somewhere in the middle is the best. I am about half way through my 6 months on the Coumadin. On February 26th I go back to the hematologist who will take me off it, run as many tests as he can to see if the blood clots were caused by something OTHER than the Pill. Those results will determine if and when and for how long I may go back on the Coumadin. If nothing is wrong with me (for example, I don't have a high Factor 8 clotting mechanism going on) then I may be able to get off it. Unless I fly - then I always have to go back on it. I'm sure you wanted to read ALLLLLLL about my medical history here.

5. Obviously I am taking a break from cleaning right now. The maid is vacuuming. Is that how you spell it? Oh well. I'm too lazy to look it up in the dictionary. The cats are acting like their usual chicken-shit selves and are under the bed, probably frozen in total fear.

6. Still going to OA, about three times a week. It's been so amazing in helping me take this weight off. I know I keep saying that, but I never dreamt anything could be so helpful that ISN'T just another diet.

7. I am hoping (read: praying) to get this English class next semester so I can finish up getting my English credential. This way I can teach middle and high school English. Not that I'm especially hopeful about getting a job here in CA; we are such a fucked up state. It's so discouraging. : ( I'm NOT GIVING UP THOUGH! I want to be a teacher and I don't want to retrain AGAIN.

8. I think the carpet cleaning is about to begin so I'm gonna go. Exciting stuff. What can I say? No job, nothing really exciting going on. I guess that's good. Exciting seems to get me in trouble. I'll say this: I'm not sorry to see 2009 go. The year that tried to kill me! I've just got under a month to get to 2010. Man it feels weird to write that. Ten years from Y2K. Remember that madness?