New blog

Hello all,

I'd like to invite you all to my new blog: A Mind Serenade.  From now on I will be writing there so please feel free start following me.  Thank you to following me here for the past two years.  I can't tell you how much it means to me.

<3 Me

Saying Goodbye to this journal

I know it's only been a couple of days since I wrote the post about discontinuing this blog and starting a private online journal instead but I think it is something that I want to do.  No one has commented on anything I've posted here for a while so I'm not sure if people (aside from my mother, Dave, and Jamie) are even still reading it.  Honestly, I totally get it if people have decided to stop reading this.  Most of what I write is utter crap and very self centered.  I don't say much that's worth reading so having only three readers makes sense.  What doesn't make sense is continuing to write a public blog that only has three readers especially if there are times that I feel like I can't write about what's on my mind because it's either too personal or about someone else.  

A part of me really just wants to write for myself and then I can do what I used to do when I kept a written journal and show it to people when they ask about what's going on.  Sometimes I do find it easy to communicate in writing rather than talking so it would be easy to just have them read what I wrote rather than try to talk about it.  Sure, it would mean that I would have to excuse myself to the bathroom or try to busy myself doing something while they read it and collected their thoughts but it worked.  With an online journal, I could password protect the entries.  Like Jamie or Alli, instead of posting everyday I would post occasionally.  My friends and family would get the occasional better written post rather than horribly written posts everyday.  

I guess my biggest fear is that people will take it the wrong way but I suppose it is my choice.  It's been a wonderful two years writing here but you can't do something forever and I think it's time to make a change.  I love you all.  Thank you for spending all the time that you already have reading this and I will be posting the new journal link sometime soon.  

Nana

Got some difficult news to swallow tonight when my mother called to tell me that my nana's house got broken into last night.  She' okay, thank God.  Still it was 9pm and she was saying her rosary when she saw two men standing outside her bedroom window.  She immediately pressed her lifeline and started screaming once she heard them in her kitchen.  I can't imagine how scared she must have been.  She's got spunk though and luckily her screams caused them to run away.   I'm still not sure why at 90 years old she insists on staying at her home alone but even now she wants to go back once the doors and windows are fixed and the alarmed installed.  My hope is that my father, my aunt, and my uncle can talk her out of it.

Her strength has always astounded me.  Sure, she's gotten a bit cantankerous in her old age but I've always admired her.  Her father had a bit of an alcohol problem when she was a child causing her mother to go to work when she was only nine.  This left her cooking and cleaning and taking care of her younger brother before the age of ten.  She insisted on driving at the age of sixteen despite it being completely unheard of at that time and the man would all make fun of her.  Much later she was diagnosed with a brain tumor, had surgery, and lost all function on one side her body which she had to learn to regain.  Not to mention how she cared for my grandfather for at least 7 years after his stroke.   That strength and pride that kept her going for so long is now what makes her so stubborn about leaving her home.

I hate that this happened to her and I am so grateful that she is okay.

Writing

There was a lot of goofing around today once Dabey got home from work.  And I'm still awake whereas this time last night, I was practically in tears because I was so miserable.  Must mean that I'm feeling a bit better. Actually this morning I woke up feeling like a new person. Still, the first thing I did was schedule an appointment with the Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor for January 28th.  This is going to sound weird but I'm looking forward to meeting with her.  I just hope she doesn't bring me into emergency surgery like she did when she saw my cousin.  Then again, my cousin says it was the best thing that ever happened to her so maybe some emergency surgery is just what I need.  So long as I can make it to class on the 29th; I'm good.

Now that 2013 is here officially and I have begun writing in Investing in Living, I'm seriously considering moving this blog to Wordpress and making it something private. This is primarily a personal journal anyway. Still, because of it's public broadcasting there are times that I can't actually write about what I want. Sometimes, events happen in the lives of my friends that affect me and I want to write about them and their impact on my thoughts and feelings.

After Katie had her baby would be a perfect example. It wasn't my place to announce baby Jude's arrival into the world. Even if I had the ability to set that entry to private, I could have written about baby Jude's influence on my worldviews but I wouldn't be sharing a close friend's big announcement. Obviously, something like that doesn't happen on a daily basis but even those days when I have nothing to say or just end up complaining about nothing ad nauseum. Those kinds of posts are probably better left unread by the world. My friends love me and they tolerate it but should they have to? What do you guys think?

Still not feeling well...

Dave and I are both sick now.  I actually feel better but have had this headache that hasn't gone away and I'm still so congested.  I should have called the doctor but I didn't.  I ended up just going to bed and had some horrible dreams instead.  My whole face just hurts and I'm really regretting not contacting someone who might have helped.  That said, it's doubtful that I could be seen right away anyway.  For that I should go to my regular doctor.  I just don't think it's going to help.  I don't have a fever and will probably just be told that it's allergies and to wait it out.  With Dave being sick too, he's totally off too.  I need to go lie down again.

First Sunrise

Happy first day of the New Year.  Here are some pictures of the first sunrise.  I hope you all had as nice of a beginning at Dave and me. 

Two posts today

Happy New Year everyone!  It's 2013 and that means that I've written everyday for the past two years.  I'm pretty psyched about that.  With the new year, I've also posted my first (second) post on Investing in Living. I can't believe I'm actually trying it again after all this time.  It's terrifying but also super exciting.  

With my being ill and all, Dave and I decided to stay in tonight.  This is the first year since I was twelve that I haven't done anything special and you know, I kind of like it.  I mean, I also love spending time with my friends during the new year but it nice to not make a big deal out of it.  As of right now, I'm watching a movie I've seen a gazillion times and Dave is working on my blog layout.

I kind of feel badly because I basically begged him to work on it.  He's been killing himself working on my sister's wedding website and I felt badly about pulling him away but I really did want to get it up tonight.  Choosing a layout has been quite a process partly because I had no idea what I wanted.  I spent hours searching through our photos as a possibility and found nothing.  I tried drawing something but it looked totally cheesy and awful.  It was getting frustrating.

Finally, I found a super popular layout that is very similar to the one I'm using here and I loved it. The best part is that it is free. Is it perfect and original?  Not really.  Dave is modifying it and trying to customize it to give it more of a personalized feeling.  I'm so lucky I have him.   Once I really begin to develop the blog in a few months or so, maybe I'll change it further.  

Still sick but got something done

Last night my nose went crazy.  I couldn't stop sneezing and it kept running like a faucet.  Although I had 2 boxes of tissues, I used every last one and am now almost entirely through a whole roll of toilet paper.  I've taken all the medication I can think to try and nothing seems to work.  Somehow I felt better when I was laying down.  The mucus must drip back and I breath through one nostril or the other and I just feel better.  After talking with my mom and forgoing dinner plans for this evening, I found myself back in bed sleeping until the early evening.  I'm just exhausted.

Before going to bed I contacted my cousin who's had some major issues and found an ear, nose, throat doctor who changed her life.  I'm not sure if they'll be open tomorrow with it being New Year's Eve Day and all but I think I'll give her a office a call just to see.  I think I really need to see someone other than my regular doctor or an allergy specialist.  I need a second opinion.  If she suggests the allergy shots then maybe I will start them back up again.  Really, I'm just so tired of this and I'm tired of being tired all the time because I'm not breathing properly.  I'm taking allergy medication regularly and still it doesn't seem to help.  Maybe there is something more going on.

Despite that, I did some meal planning and planned the meals for the week. In addition I created a grocery list using Stop & Shop's website.  I know that Stop and Shop is one of the most expensive grocery stores in the area but it allows me to create a whole shopping list and price it out at the same time.  To make my meal plan for the week, I went through our cabinets and made a list of everything we still have.  We've spent the last week only eating things from our cabinets and fridge so I had a pretty good idea already.  Unfortunately we need milk and eggs to make most of the stuff that remains so I built it from there.

My goal was to keep it under $50 for the week and I totally did it.  I also went online and ordered toilet paper, razor blades, and tissues seeing as we are out of blades and tissues and only have like two rolls of toilet paper left.  My goal was to keep that under $25 but it required a $25 minimum for free shipping so I spent $26.48.  We were actually slightly under $50 for the groceries so I don't feel all that upset by it.  Plus, we'll earn 10 points on the dollar so that will be helpful if we want to take a vacation sometime after this spending fast.