Seriously????? 14 Hours?

I was able to attend a family reunion in San Diego this weekend. I had an absolute blast :D

BUT......we were to fly out of PDX on Thursday morning at 7:20am on Spirit Airlines. We were on the plane and taxiing out...when the pilot announce that there was an indicator light on and we needed to go back and get it checked out. So back to the airport.

We sat on the plane for 40 minutes while they 're-booted' the system. They hoped that would clear the light. It did not. So off the plane we went. But we had to stay near the gate because they would give us updates on the plane.

3 hours later they let us know that they needed to order a part and it would be coming from San Fransisco so we could leave the gate and they would give us $7 vouchers to get some food. None of the stores in the airport were redeeming the vouchers.

There were many people getting super mad by this point. Lots of people were yelling and screaming MEAN things to the attendants. It was not pretty. After we had lunch they told us that we needed to stay close and they would give us updates every 15 minutes. They absolutely refused to cancel the flight. They would give us credit back for our flight but would not get us on another plane until the flight was canceled.

4:00 pm rolls around. Because we had a connecting flight....we got lucky at this point because they canceled the flight to San Diego. So the few of us that were going to San Diego got a flight on Alaska Airlines and it was to depart at 8:45pm. That meant 14 hours in the airport by this time. Yet we did not have time to go home. We spent the remaining 4 1/2 hours in a restaurant.

The people at the restaurant were the most friendly people we had encountered all day long. And they did not care how long we sat there. They gave us free food and kept refilling our drinks for us. We were very grateful. It turned a somewhat difficult day into a better one.

But, I will NEVER fly Spirit airlines again.

Yes, Yes, Yes.....I'm still here :D

Now that I'm human again.....I do not find any time to sit at the computer. But, I do have a list of all the things I want to blog about. I just have to bring myself to sit down. I've had an amazing summer and cannot wait to share it.

Also to come...........I'm going to run a 5K. Anyone pass out with that last sentence? I know I did when I thought of it. I have never run before. But, I thought it would be a great start. My brothers and their significant others are going to run with me. I would love to have support from more people. It would give me more motivation :D Let me know.....

Skippy or JIff???

Costco has done it again......darn it. I know that Costco carries only certain things. If you love it though.....they just might discontinue it. I love a lot of the things that we get from there......but now they have changed their peanut butter. I am NOT a skippy person. Jiff.....ALL THE WAY!!!

This happened earlier this year when they got me hooked on dark chocolate nature valley granola bars. There was a coupon and everything......I haven't seen them back in months.

And here I thought I was a person that loved change. Think again......

I am BORG!!!

Resistance is futile.

Dan and I are both Star Trek fans. But I never thought I would be come one of the characters. In April Dan stumbled across a new procedure for chronic back pain sufferers. I will forever be grateful for his internet escapades :D It is called a spinal chord stimulator. This is how it works.......The little round (pocket watch size) doohicky is inside my left hip. The two leads (wires) are threaded up the epidural space in my back. The leads send a busy signal to my brain so my brain is confused and does not register the chronic pain. The only thing I feel is a vibration.....kind of like the tingling you get in your legs just before they fall asleep. I have a remote (far left of picture) that helps me turn the stimulation up or down.....or off if I want to. The watch size implant in my hip needs to be charged every so often so the middle gadget is my battery charger. I have to wear it on my hip (by way of a velcro belt) for about an hour or so a week.

Here is the kicker............I am pain free :D

Pause for effect........

Seriously.........PAIN FREE!!!

I had the surgery 3 weeks ago. My incisions are still healing.....and my body is screaming at me in so many different languages because of all the muscles I am using that I have not used in 11 years. But......I am human again. With borg implants.

I have 6 to 8 weeks of no bending, lifting or twisting. Believe it or not, this is the MOST DIFFICULT part of the entire process. This is how I explain it. Imagine that 11 years ago your significant other was taken away from you. Your love grew exponentially during that 11 years. Then imagine that all of a sudden that someone has been returned to you. BUT, you are not allowed to talk or touch that someone for 6 to 8 weeks. Tough eh? YES!!!

I feel no pain. I want to get up and run and climb and jump because I feel fabulous. But, I'm not allowed to. IT SUCKS.

When that day comes.......I'm saying August 1st.......the world better watch out. Because I am going to live again :D

New 'Dog'hter

This is Nessarose.

She is our newest baby.

Her name is also from 'Wicked'. Elphaba's little sister was Nessarose. It seemed fitting :D We brought her home on March 1, 2011.......which explains a little why I have not been blogging lately. My time has been spent bonding with this little darling. She was born November 28, 2010. Nessa is a wirehair dachshund and her coloring is called piebald.

Elphaba is very lucky because Nessa loved her the first time she saw her. They were playing really hard before bedtime even came. Which is a little unusual for a new puppy. It usually takes them a little bit to get used to their new family. Elphaba has been an amazing trainer. Nessarose does everything wrong that Elphaba does :D

Gauper was indifferent at first. I'm not sure he is very happy even now......he is a grumpy old man. Nessa doesn't care though.....she plays with him just as hard. Even though he growls at her.

She is very shy but has adapted well to our home. I think that she will even be the Alpha dog eventually. Gauper and Elphaba want nothing to do with that job. It will be interesting to see her grow up. Nessa's hair will grow longer and her beard will be fuller. Kind of like a terrier. Most likely she will stay under 10 lbs. (We'll see if that is true AFTER she is 'altered'.)

Nessa has decided to make life a little more difficult for the next few weeks. The day before she was scheduled to be 'altered'.....she came into heat. Now she wears a little diaper. (Pictures to come) And will most likely be in heat for the next 3 weeks. Not fun for mama and papa :( We just got her potty trained and now we will have to take her outside to potty (puppy diapers are not like human diapers) She is not allowed to go potty in them.

The joys of a new baby.

Now I have to remember what life was like before......or that I even had a life......did I?

Best Gift

One of my favorite Christmas gifts was from my sister Lisa this year. She is always commenting on how much our dogs lick each other. They are constantly bathing one another. I tell her that it is because they love each other. But seriously....the noise is very annoying. I cannot stand the licking sound.

Lisa works at a grocery store (kind of like Roth's here in Salem). It is called Oliver's. They sell a lot of specialty items too. She found this salt and pepper shaker and knew it was the perfect gift for us. She was right!!!
One of the things that I love about it is that it is male/female appropriate. Gauper is black and tan and Elphaba is red. Seriously.....she could not have ordered this any more perfect than it was.
I love the little magnets on their noses that hold them together in a kiss. My sister is a great gift giver. Thanks Lisa :D

Snuggle time

I love it when the dogs want snuggle time. It doesn't happen very often with Elphaba. She is a free spirit. So, it was wonderful that I could catch this on camera. She loves her papa. :D

What is the point.....?

I spend so many hours cleaning my home. Mostly because I'm slow. But, by the time I get back to the front of the house.....this is what I find. Why even clean?

The funny thing is this picture doesn't even show the extent of the damage. How much stuffing do they put in those toys?

And for the record.....Gauper is not the culprit. Even though he is the only one in the photo. It is all Elphaba. She is our killer.

Beautiful!!!

This new year is giving me opportunity to reflect on last year. I have to say that this was one of the most beautiful sights I had seen last year.....



It is so nice to be home :D

Thats going a little far.....

Some people go a little far in their love for their dogs. Some people treat them like humans....or Children. (Can you believe that?)

I was surprised to find this beauty aid at the dog store. Even though it says 'John Paul'....the maker is the brother of 'Paul Mitchell' beauty supplies. Seriously....do people go that far in their love for their dogs?

Obviously....they do. Or should I say.....I do. The picture says it all. And the IKEA bedspread gives it away. Yes, My dogs are my children and they smell lovely. And are so soft.

Yes......They are worth it :D

Silence is Wierd.....

Target doesn't play music in their stores. I didn't realize that until today after hopping from store to store with blaring Christmas music. I'm not complaining about the music.....but it was just strange to notice none. An employee told us they never play music. Did you ever notice that?

Cross stitching HURTS!!!

Because we are out of town for Christmas, we had to buy new stockings for down here. (One thing I forgot to pack in September) So of course we went to IKEA to pick them out. LOVE THEM!!! And since I have tons of time on my hands....I thought I could cross stitch our initials on them. OUCH! I'm only half way through the D for Dan....and I have three blisters. Ah.....the pains of Christmas decorating :D

Who am I ????

I have fallen into the abyss of California and have completely forgotten that I have a life and a Blog. We have been here 2 1/2 months and it seems like it has been forever.

We are hoping to be home for the New Year!!! Yeah!!! If we aren't....I'll be really concerned about my sanity. Not to mention Dan's. He works 16 hour days. I have forgotten what it is like to spend all of my time with him. I stay awake at nights just to watch him and spend time with him while he sleeps.

I miss home. I miss my husband. I miss my friends.........I Just MISS!!!

Big Trees

We visited our Niece Maria and her hubby Mitchell this last weekend. They live in Fresno. We had a great time. These were some of the sites:
Yep.....those am some big trees. That was not the only thing we got to see that was huge. Picture to come of a tarantula trying to cross the road. If we had run over it....Yep....we would have felt it!!! YUCK!!!

On the sweet side we did see a few deer and a mama bear with twins (one black, one brown) It was AWESOME!!!

We loved spending time with Mitchell and Maria. We will be coming back soon. We have a few more National Forests to hit over there :D

Only in the country....

Our brother-in-law, Justin, had a birthday this last month. He decided on a restaurant called Cattleman's. Of course it was "Country". Only in a country restaurant could you have your child in a bar. Our nephew Ryder is on his lap. It was great food....but, very loud. I crave their salads. Great Ranch dressing. Yummy.....Maybe I will go there for my birthday.....NOT!!!

Speaking of Toilets.....

I thought my friends in Bookclub could appreciate this one. My sister lives in an old house. And she has a maids closet.



This is the smallest bathroom I have ever seen. It reminded me of "The Help". This closet was definitely an after thought on this home. I don't know if the picture does it justice....but your knees are touching the door if you can close it at all.


There is no window.....no air ventilation.....electricity has only been added within the last year. Seriously....I think it is the strangest thing I've seen in a while. And from the book.....I know exactly why it was made this way.

Got a good chuckle :D

Home Improvement Specialists???

I went to Lowes the other day to buy a ceiling fan for our bedroom. (It is way too hot in California) I love home improvement. Even when it is not my home.

So I go to use the bathroom and I find this......
I'm not sure if the picture does it enough justice....But it was so crooked I couldn't use it without bumping my knee on the side wall.

Not something you would expect to find in a home improvement store :D

Temptation

When you have a headache from the devil......you sometimes are forced to also cross to the dark side and use liquid from the devil too.....
Proof that I was willing to try anything. And I was right.....it didn't work. :(

What season is it?

Here we are in sunny California. Dealing with heat in the 90's and sometimes over 100. I'm having a hard time remembering that it is Autumn.....

Vaccinations

My sister called today to let me know her doctor is recommending anyone that will be around her newborn to get a 'Whooping Cough' vaccination. I guess there has been an epidemic in California. Of course, as a loving sister, I didn't have a problem with that......Dan on the other hand was not happy. (He HATES shots).

I got the appointments immediately so he could not even have a chance to think of it. What I didn't know is that the nurse was so excited to do HIS shot. She said it was like Christmas when she saw his name appear. (I love how the nurses and doctors at that office give him a hard time) He deserves it :D

So, I had to go back and get proof.
While he was in the chair trying to talk himself into and out of doing this.....the other nurse came by and did mine while I was standing there. He didn't even get to see mine happen. He was too busy causing a commotion of his own. He is so adorable.

But, I had proof too:
No one can say we don't love our new nephew :D