Diet, Basketball, and Idol

I have lost a little over 1 pound in 2 days by drinking my standard diet coke and coffee PLUS eating junk...pizza and chocolate pie. I am thinking of donating my body to science. Fascinating!

My Final Four bracket was blown all to Hades this week. I don't even like basketball but I do like to gamble:) I still have quite the crush on Rick Pitino (Louisville coach and previous Kentucky coach). I am hoping they win, even though I didn't pick them to, so I can watch him. LOL

I didn't get to see the Idol results until about 1:30 Friday morning. I attended a surprise birthday party for my bff ACV Thursday evening. I had an awesome time and "think" she was genuinely surprised. She swears she was so I will go with that. :) During the party, my mom calls in a panic. She has to take my stepdad to the hospital in Jonesboro because he fell off a ladder and his fingers are now pointing in the wrong direction. Great. Long story short....she was not a happy camper and did not get back home until 4 Friday morning. He dislocated a couple of fingers and managed to break his foot which now must be operated on. Great. This is why I didn't get to see Idol. I hated that Michael got voted off because I think Megan sang much, much worse but that's the breaks.

This rain is crappy but I am going to take advantage of it. I am headed to napdom. All day. Well, after the gym. Later.....

Caffeine!!

OK, here's the deal! My body can simply not live on healthy food and drink. It totally rejects stuff that others say is good for it. I have gained 3 1/2 pounds in ONE FREAKIN WEEK. I don't gain weight like that.. remember I am 5'1". As Jake would say WTF?

Sooooo, I googled "weight gain if a person drinks a lot of water and quits caffeine. " Actually it CAN occur and lucky me.....I'm one of those people. I had my first cup of coffee this morning and I didn't go all schizo or amped up..it's just like water to my body. Weird. Not even a buzz. Now that should prove my theory to some doubters. Give me junk food and caffeine and I am good to go! I will let you know how this works out. Ofcourse I may go into kidney failure and have to go to Plan B which is just to be fat cause I ain't giving up my kidneys. Not even one.

I am on day 3 of my workout and ran on the treadmill. It was harder than Monday because that darn strength workout on yesterday just about killed me. I am sore and I even stretched. Old and cranky body is all I have to say.

Am watching American Idol and am voting for Matt Giraud for SURE. He sang me and my better half's theme song.."Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye. It's my ringtone for him. Awwwwww....you can go throw up now. LOL Oh wait...the screen just went black. It's back on and Megan Joy is not doing so hot. Sad performance.

Will try and blog tomorrow but if I don't make it I will blog Friday. Later.......

School, Exercise, and the Leader of the Free World

Here's the deal, today half of my kids in each of my classes are going to the ABC competition in Mississippi. It's a dead day if ya know what I mean. I really don't like these days. They drag on FOREVER. Can't really do a full lesson and can't really do busy work. I remember in public school if we had special academic competitions we had to go on a Saturday. I don't guess that's an option for private schools and heck, probably not even an option for public schools anymore. Should be though.

I did the toning part of this new running workout yesterday. It was HARD. I mean I was sweating with free weights. Today is back to walk/run and tomorrow is the ab workout. I can honestly say if the ab workout is like the toning one, I may not be able to get out of bed on Friday. Sick day??? :P

I did not watch President Obama last night. I can honestly say he appears to be one of the hardest working Presidents EVER in his first 100 days. However, I do not subscribe to the "be seen and heard" ALL the FREAKIN time. Just delegate. I'm a big fan of delegating. And this is by no means an insult to the leader of the free world, but he is not really a very good speaker. Too many pauses and broken speech patterns. Honestly it drives me nuts. I expected a much better bs'er off the cuff. Maybe that's why he's doing so many televised press conferences and night shows... for the practice. It's not working. The economy is in the toilet.. I get it... like this is news. Just stick to the yearly State of the Union address and I'll be happy.

Flying season has arrived. Long days and short nights make for a very crabby husband. From here to October it's a dicey time at the Davis house! I know enough after 12 years to just ignore but Blakely is full on calling her dad out if he snaps. I have to say she can get away with much more than me! LOL Daddy's and their little girls....priceless. Later.......

Back to the Grind

Well, today was actually a GOOD day! Yes, it was a Monday and yes, I had stupid early duty BUT the day just FLEW by! I am sure it will suck tomorrow, though. LOL

I was loaned a VHS tape of the Paperclip Project that I showed my juniors. It is an awesome documentary about this little town in Tennessee that changed a bunch of kids/adults lives ALL OVER the world by studying the Holocaust. It showed my kids (who look just like the kids in this documentary) that you don't have to be, think, and act like everybody else by stereotyping or profiling those different from you. I loved the message of love and tolerance it gave. Wow is all I can say.

I am starting a new exercise program today. I am going to return to running. It's been a long time and I hope I won't injure myself. Anyhoo it's a 6 week program to get me back into running shape PLUS toning my bod and abs (AKA Fatroll). I am not stopping my yoga..I am just going to enhance my performance. I will keep you posted as to how well I keep up with this new endeavor. Care to start an odds pool? LOL

It has been exactly ONE WHOLE WEEK that my body has not indulged in ANY caffeine liquid. No diet coke (gasp!), no black coffee (gasp!gasp!), and no tea OR any other caffeinated beverage. I can hardly believe it myself but once I got over the first THREE days of withdrawal...I am golden! I am a water drinking, sierra mist loving nutjob! And I have energy! Thank you to my bladder/kidney failure last week or I would have NEVER attempted such an awesome undertaking!

I have to write a paper this week for my Lit class. Thrilled. Actually, I like doing this but don't tell anyone. It makes me look like a nerd. Oh wait, I am a nerd. Who else takes college classes when they already have a degree???? LOL (yes Ashley and Trish you are nerds)

I am doing quite well in my NCAA bracket. I may have lost a few but I got the right ones in the Sweet 16! I am sooooo ready for Football Season! Notice how I capitalize Football Season..it should be a National Holiday!

I will try and post later this week. You can also follow me on Twitter...thanks to jake and rebecca! Like I need something else to do!!!! Later.......

Sidebar: If you want to leave comments about my blog, I believe you can now do this without having a google account. I changed some things on my settings and would love to know if it works. Soooo, one of you brave souls without a gmail account please give it a try. I promise not to hold it against you:)

Spring Break...Uh, not so much

OK, I haven't blogged in a while. I have been ILL. Today is literally the first day I have left my home. I will not subject you to my health issues but let's just say.....I have been miserable. Bladder, kidneys, and back sprain? Pa-thetic I am.

First things first. I took the GRE test on Monday. I barely made it up there and back because this was literally the first day of my illness. I sure hope the GRE is not an accurate measure of my intelligence. If it is, then I am an dumb blonde for sure. In my defense, I could hardly concentrate because I felt like doodoo. Whatever.

I am just in a funk over Natasha Richardson. I don't know why it affected me so much but it did. I really liked her and Liam Neeson, her husband. Tragedy is the only word that can describe. I mean she barely hit her head on what...snow???...and DIED from it. Scary! I am soooo wearing a helmet the next time I go snow skiing. Why people don't wear helmets while motorcycle riding I will never know. I mean pavement vs. snow. And they BOTH can kill you. Again..scary.

I finally called my doctor on Wednesday to call me in an antibiotic. My history with medication is sketchy and weird at best. If there's some off the wall allergic reaction that can happen..trust me I'll be the 1 in 1000 they are talking about. And yes, I hit the allergy lottery yet again. It causes nightmares. Not run of the mill scary stuff but hard core fighting nightmares. Atleast I won't have to go to the gym for a few days. I have boxed quite well in my dreams thank you very much. But my infection is gone. Woohoo!

Today I got a treat! I screened Slumdog Millionaire with ACV. It was AWESOME!!! I love this movie! It totally deserved all the acclaim it received at the Oscar's. Foreign film or not..it's a great movie. I love the stars and especially the soundtrack. It's got some cool music! Plus there's this actor that hosts the Millionaire show and he can't say Millionaire. He says Mill-ah-naire. Everytime he said this it cracked me up! Who wants to be a Mill-ah-Naire! LOL You'll just have to take my word for it...it's FUNNY.

Other than that it's been a fairly uneventful week. I am actually ready to go back to school. I am ready to get these last few weeks over with and get OUT. I am ready to begin the unemployed chapter of my life. later......

Finally...Spring Break!!!

At noon today, I am OFFICIALLY on Spring Break!!!! Why I am even bothering going to school today I will never know. I will have NOBODY in class. The kids start their break on Thursday. OK, they aren't supposed to....but they do. Works for me. I am really looking forward to this time off.
On Monday, I am scheduled to take the GRE exam in Jonesboro. I am ready to see how Not Smart I am. It should be interesting.
The rest of the week I have scheduled myself mani/pedis and massages. It's all about me and my birthday money.:)
I really hated to hear about the loss of Trudi Ramsey yesterday. My prayers goes up for her family and friends. It is never easy to lose someone you love, but I know it is even more difficult when it is senseless. Drug addiction knows no boundaries unless you are able to set those boundaries yourself. In the end, you are the one responsible for your own life. Nobody else. Excuses can always be made, but ultimately it is your choice. I just pray the family has strength to endure. It is at times like these when living in small town can be a blessing and a curse.
I am very happy with American Idol this week. I hated to see Jorge and Jas go but they were the weakest links. It's a pretty tough crowd. I am not sold on Scott, the sight impaired guy. I think he is very talented but compared to the rest of them he is NOT the best. My votes are still on Adam, Lil, and Kris. But I really, really like Matt Giraud! Honestly, I like all of them. If I had a tenth of their talent, I would be singing my heart out EVERY SINGLE day! I really wish I could sing. But believe me when I say this....I CAN'T! I mean dogs even cover their ears! LOL
Well, hope all have a wonderful weekend! Later....

Sidebar: I really am not sure I like the new Facebook.

History of Alcohol

Now that's an attention grabber! LOL I read several blogs and one blog posted a litany of opinion (which I totally respect their right to) about the outrage they felt about the picture of President Obama drinking a beer at a basketball game. A poll was conducted and 60 % of their readers did not have a problem with it, but the blogger did. I totally understand but happen to disagree.
Being an absolute nutty lover of all things history, I just felt the need to share. Alcohol has actually been referred to as our country's FIRST pasttime. Not baseball. It is widely known and accepted that our founding fathers actually wrote our most important documents (or IDEAS thereof) such as The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution while imbibing at their favorite local tavern. Alcohol was not a social stigma UNLESS you couldn't mind your P's & Q's (Pints and Quarts). George Washington and Thomas Jefferson (two of our biggies) owned distilleries of fine whiskey AND both loved beer and wine. Martin VanBuren and Franklin Pierce had "issues" with alcohol, just to name a few. These all occured while serving as President of the United States. Now granted we didn't have many photo-ops of the day but hey, they drank a little. I agree it's the highest office in the land BUT I would hazard a guess that most enjoyed a glass or two while in office...they just hid it in a cup.
Obama apparently felt the need to be more open. Or maybe he just didn't know any better. Who knows? What exactly the problem is I do not know. Maybe the lights are just a little brighter and harsher these days. I realize that we have all sorts of moral issues front and center, but history is FULL of these moral issues. This is nothing new. Yes, we may very well be going to hell in a handbasket but have a little perspective. It's a great big world and it is full of wonderful, good things that just don't get as much airtime as our President sipping a beer. And who's to say it wasn't an O'Douls? George W. Bush was photographed while he was our President at a G-8 summit pouring a beer into a glass. It was an O'doul's but somebody took the time to find out, and the only reason that would matter is he is a teetotaller. FYI: O'doul's has alcohol in it. A very small percentage but it is NOT alcohol free.
If you would like to read more, or discover more, about the history of our country and our Presidents PLEASE check out ANY book from the library. It is the MOST reliable source of ACCURATE written word.
Also, a neat little book titled "The Spirits of America" by Eric Brown will give you insight on the history of alcohol and the quite large role it plays in our history.
I just know this....I actually feel sorry for our children and grandchildren. Not for the reasons you might think. Our world is a much smaller place than it was when I was growing up. Nothing is hidden. Nothing is wondrous. Everything is given a negative connotation by somebody somewhere and they have the tools to spread...the internet. We are global. Instead of bonding us together, it seems to be spreading us apart. NAHHHHH....I still feel that the world is a wonderful place and I am thankful that the good Lord above has allowed me to live here at this exact moment in history with these people. Think about it..we were put on this Earth at this time for His reason. Pretty deep. How could you NOT love it??
OK, that's my little history lesson for the day. Forgive me. Later......

Start of a Brand New Week!

Yesterday was my 41st birthday. Honestly, I barely even noticed. I mean I knew it was my birthday and I had lots of well wishes, but it felt just like any other day. I think that it is numero uno sign of getting older. You just don't think it's a big deal. Don't get me wrong...I love a birthday. I love cards, presents, and well wishes. I love being above ground. LOL It's just not fun like when you turn 16, 18, 21, and 25. Those were FUN!!! 30 and 40..not so much. LOL

I am going to change my blog post name. It's kind of lame sounding now. I would LOVE any suggestions from my readers.. I know you can't post a comment if you don't have gmail so you can just facebook it, or email me at step_68@yahoo.com
I am serious about name suggestions. I need help!

This is the last week of school before spring break. I have missed more school these past two weeks than I have missed in 3 years! I hate to miss. I really do. I feel all out of sync. I wonder how i am going to feel when August rolls around this year. Wow...I won't be there. I even had to miss today. Blakely has been running a 99 temp since yesterday. I managed to run one as well. I think we are both just run down from our schedules being off these past two weeks. I literally have slept ALL day. And if you know me at all, I must be sick! I don't sleep or nap. OK, I may nap on Sunday afternoon but that's it! I am still tired right now. I WILL be at work tomorrow though if it kills me. I am very thankful for Ash, Kelly, Trish, and Ruth, though. They make sure I don't have to stress just because I can't make it in.

Can I just say that I am still floored that my Buffalo Bills signed Terrell Owens AKA T.O. ???? This just blows my mind. I sure hope we win this year!

I saw Taken with Liam Neeson yesterday afternoon. Thanks ACV and Victor! Anthony and I really liked it! If you haven't seen it, you need to! It's pretty cool. I want to learn how to chop people in the neck like he did! I probably NEVER need to learn that, but it would be so cool to have that in my self-defense arsenal. I could just see me chopping somebody in the neck. Scary! LOL

Well, I hope everyone has a wonderful stress-free week! I know I am gonna try! later......

Whirlwind of Activity

Where do I begin???? These past few days have been a series of ups and downs. Mostly ups though! I will just start at the beginning:

Thursday I went to school and prepared as much material as I could think of (while brain dead) for my sub, Kelly (who is AWESOME to me! thanks!) for Friday. I get home a little later than normal and of course put off packing for this weekend's trip to the hospital. I ditched yoga because my better half wanted me to go with him to his dad's in Palestine. I sat around out there and ended up eating a pretty darn yummy steak dinner. By this time, it was well after 8p. I am fairly sure that my laundry had not washed itself and my suitcase had not packed itself. I am getting cranky. I know it was just stress over my dad, but it became a little overwhelming.

What had been hanging around in my mind for a few days was the possibility (strong) that my dad would have the big "C"..cancer. I mean the man smokes a LOT and he never has been a healthy eater and I literally could come up with loads of reasons that this could become very real, very quickly. It was a subject that neither one of us would mention to the other. I know he mentioned it to others and so did I; but NOT to each other. That would have been too much.

On Friday morning, I am up, packed, and ready to go by 545. He arrives on time as usual. We drive to LR and talked about everything and nothing the whole way. Miraculously, we get straight in to pre-op. I can tell he is pretty nervous. Who wouldn't be??? But they gave him a little of that "don't give a care" medicine and it gets a lot better from there. I personally wish they could have spared a little of that for me! He goes back, as scheduled, at 1030 sharp. I am excused to the waiting room and told to expect the doctor in a little over an hour.

I hadn't been out there 35 minutes when Dr. Gibbs came out. I am not going to lie here...I thought that was NOT a good sign. It was just an awful moment. I am there by myself and kind of wish that I wasn't. Alas, all this was for naught!!!! The man is GOOD. He took Dad's gallbladder out AND fixed his regular old run-of-the-mill bowel obstruction in 30 minutes flat! WOW! No mass...No cancer... All better! It was just an old appendectomy scar that was causing all his problems. I am stunned, relieved, and thankful all at once.

I get Dad settled into his room and share with him the good news. I swear as soon as he knows he's going to LIVE, he's back to his old cantankerous self. LOL I get out of there pretty quickly after that and head to Hot Springs!

I had such a great time with my college sorority sisters Andrea and Dede (plus Austin, her hubby who's just like one of the gals--and not in an ookey way:)). I hadn't seen them in a little over 2 years. WOW...it's amazing how some friendships are so comfortable and never change. We drank a little, ate a little, and laughed a LOT! We laughed until we literally were crying! It was a wonderful end to the day! They were going to the races the next day, but I had to get back to LR to pick up dad. We plan on getting together next month. I can hardly wait!

Before the drive home, I insisted that Dad take a pain pill. Not so much for him.. but for me! LOL I needed him to sleep as much as possible on the way home. He was dying for a cigarette and I figured if I could get him knocked out I wouldn't have to be the subject of his nicotine withdrawal. Sad, but true. Of course they didn't feed him before we left and he had to have a McDonald's fish sandwich. We get tickled because I made SURE he knew that we were going to Prothro NOT Galloway. (If you don't get this joke read my last post) Dad's fish sandwich was actually a tartar sauce sandwich with a little fish. And he had issues with top of his drink. It was pretty funny. Guess you had to be there.

I threw him out at home. Just kidding. I walked him in and everything. His dog was there and he seemed to be feeling pretty good. I left him and the last info I got was that he was resting. That's a good thing.

All in all, it was a pretty good if not exhausting weekend. I look forward to NEXT weekend where hopefully I don't have to do ANYTHING. Later.......

Sidebar #1: My Buffalo Bills signed T.O.!!!! What the crap? I did not see that one coming. I am not sure but maybe this will at least get us to a post season game! LOL

Sidebar #2: I turn 41 tomorrow and just hope I get a nap. :)

The GPS

OK, I am officially tired. It has been a very long week and it's shaping up to look like a long weekend.

Yesterday I went to Little Rock with my Dad for a doctor appointment. Dad doesn't like to drive I-40 so we had to take the "scenic" route AKA Hwy 70. 2 1/2 hours and ohhhh about 15 cigarettes later..we arrive. He apparently decided to NOT quit smoking. Great. I hate cigarette smoke. It always gives me headaches and it just sits on my skin if ya know what I mean. But hey, he's my Dad so I held my tongue.....seriously, I did...but there is always the drive home. By this time it is 12:30 but we decide to hold out to eat lunch after the visit. BIG mistake...as you will soon learn.

The doctor was great and I liked his straight get-to-the-point attitude. Dad is scheduled for surgery on Friday. We leave the office at 2:30 and decide to just head to NLR to eat. BIG mistake.

Dad loves his GPS. It is cool except it's kind of freaky when she starts telling you where to go all the sudden without you asking her. Weird! It is amazing that he went without smoking for 2 whole hours but now is back on the ONE EVERY TEN MINUTES routine. My inheritance is literally going up in smoke! LOL I can tell he's feeling better because he is cursing other drivers while I try to direct him into the right lane. This is where the whole trip goes seriously downhill. We both want McDonald's. Although he hates Coke products and wonders why can't everybody just serve Pepsi. But I digress....He wants to pull off at Galloway (which he thinks is Protho). I tell him this exit doesn't have a McD's but ofcourse he doesn't hear me. He thinks I said it does. We pull off and realize, big surprise, there is no McDonald's. While trying to get back onto the interstate we end up on a service road. I gently suggest turning around but noooo we are driving on! About 15 minutes into our little scenic excursion.. I snap. I am tired. I am starving...I have blood sugar issues and it is wayyyy past time for me to eat. I am CRANKY and I am sick of smoking without the pleasure of actually smoking. So.. I sort of ask him for a cigarette. I told him I might as well enjoy it since I am literally inhaling the noxious, poisonous, cancer sticks with him anyway. Well, that did it. The fight was ON. I told him why even act like he's going to quit. I don't expect him to quit but since he gripes about the cost of them why doesn't he just try cutting down to oh, say, 3 cigs an hour instead of 6?!?!?!? He comes back with...and,I kid you not, this was his argument..."I enjoy them. It's what I like to do. YOU work out! Are you gonna stop that?" I looked at him and asked, "Are you freakin' kidding me? That's your argument? My working out hurts NOBODY. Your smoking hurts you and everyone around who inhales with you." Then I played the Blakely card. I said you don't smoke around her so why do you smoke around me? And on it went. We both sulled up and about 15 minutes later arrived at Lonoke, got McD's, ate, and headed home. The storm had passed and I must say, he only smoked 3 cigarettes on the way home. I must have made him feel bad, which I did not intend to do. But hey, we are both stubborn so I am not apologizing AND neither is he. It works for us. Oh, and fat lot of good the GPS did!

Friday I am taking him for surgery in LR and I am driving. Which means he is not smoking. Good!

Sidebar 1: 9 weeks tests are this week and I can not even be there to give most of mine. I hate that but family does come first.

Sidebar 2: American Idol picked all of my faves EXCEPT what the heck were the judges thinking bringing psycho Tatiana back. Ratings?

Sidebar 3:My 41st birthday is Sunday which also happens to be when Daylight Savings Time begins/ends. Either way it's "spring" forward which means I lose a WHOLE hour on my birthday. What's up with that?!?!? That sucks.

Sidebar 4: We now have DSL through ATT. I love it! I hated being without the internet at home!

Later.....

Where Do I Begin???

When I entered my Facebook status on Thursday: Stephanie thinks this is going to be a long day, I had NO idea of how true that would be! I must be psychic! I had my first online Lit test Thursday so I logged on a little after 3. Almost TWO hours later I am still taking the darn test! It was one of the hardest exams EVER! With about 15 minutes left, I get a call from my step-sister-in-law. My dad's in the hospital. I kind of freak out...not only because Dad's in the hospital (even though she told me not to worry) but because I was afraid I wouldn't get through this test! Well, I FINALLY finish the exam with a whole whopping 47 seconds to go.

I immediately call my sister-n-law back. He is being admitted so I head to the hospital in Wynne. I am NO fan of this hospital which is nothing more than a glorified first aid station. But that's a whole other blog rant. I get there and he is really sick. I mean doesn't look good at all. We see a doctor and they order a ct scan for Friday morning. Now I am no nursemaid... I could be worse than Nurse Cratchett. However, who else is there for Dad tonight? How unlucky is this man????? LOL I won't go into the details but I did an OK job and even managed to not go all Shirley MacClain in "Terms of Endearment" on their butts. I am pooped by this time and realize the gravity of his situation. I am very thankful for my two good buds at Lee Academy, Ash and Trish, for helping me manage. And very special thanks to Kelly who watched my classes.

Friday I have to be at the 1st aid station by 7a. I get there at 630. Dad still doesn't look good but hey, he looked better than he did. I am at the hospital the ENTIRE day. The ct scan and the doctor finally show up around 730p that night. I don't know if you have ever stayed in a hospital with a sick loved one, but I am here to tell ya it's HARD on the visitor. I am close to unravelling. If Dad or I get out of here without staph, tb, hepatitis, and/or God knows what else it will be a minor miracle!!!! It's just not a very sanitary environment in my opinion. The CT scan and blood work confirm he is a diabetic and needs to have his gallbladder removed (been there, done that) and they will release him in the morning. He tells me to go home...I "look" tired. I'm like, what??? Me?! How do you think you look Dad???? Oh, I can tell he's feeling much better because we begin to bicker. This is a GOOD thing.

I go home and manage to sleep like the dead for the whole night. I am really exhausted and can not imagine how hard it will be if/when I ever have to put in MORE time at a hospital. I am really not looking forward to those days....this is when being an only child could have its drawbacks...NAH...I'll get over it! There are NO drawbacks! :)

I log on to the internet on Saturday morning just to realize I don't have the internet. Great. It's the modem and to replace it will cost 150 bucks. So, we cancel and go with ATT. I will have home internet back up by Wednesday, but for now I will blog at work. On my lunch break...geez!

Loved the snow. Liked to watch it and loved that it was gone next day. If only it would have waited to start on Sunday! I needed another day off work! Hopefully, that's the last of the white stuff for the year. I am ready for Spring!

This weekend I am going to Oaklawn for a college girlfriend day at the races! We are staying in a lake house and I am beyond excited! I can't wait to see all my sorority sisters! PLUS, I am turning the big 4-1 on Sunday. Wow, how fast did this year go???????? I may be older, but I wouldn't trade it for all the tea in China. How corny was that??? LOL

I will try to blog after the weekend....Later......