howdy all .. sorry it took so long to get back ... :Wave-Hello:

we got another 4 inches of snow on Friday ... and Saturday was full of taxes and going to Italy, England and Greece ... very therapeutic when working!!

I have 3 more returns to go and I get the last one tomorrow and will work on all of them tomorrow ..

applied for a part-time job ... 9-4, 6.5 hrs/.5 hr lunch .. only 15-20 minutes from home .. not sure of the pay or if I'll get it ... not sure I want it ... but I need $$ so I can work with the mobile home people to see if I can get a new/newer home ...

our lake is still frozen ... don't believe all you hear on TV about the flooding ... we NEEDED the snow and rain ... the farmers are loving it .. but I'm ready for spring ...

saw my tulips coming up .. only about 3 inches high ...

well, I'm tired .. thanks for the thoughts ... will post an update when I find out more .. :Red eyes:
:Zzzz:

Vonn, I knew you would dig thru the snow and find the puter...heheheeh hugssss good luck if you want that job..hugsssss

Frank sorry you feeling like mashed potato...cogfog hits me hard at times too...sometimes I wonder how I will do the work of being the boss...(my hubby teases me...hey you cant remember your phone number at times...how you gonna be the boss...) we just tease thru things....a lot...

Cayo, sorry you had cold eggs....cool he was cooking...yeahhhhh and hope you feeling better in the yoohooo...or whatever you called it hehee

Hugsss all...sarah:grouphug:

oval track, my fine, fat, and fair fanny!

the main highway here is majorly potholed and has no marking stripes, it's narrow and curvy and visibility is poor, due to encroaching jungle...

:D

and the side roads aren't paved at all!

:eek:

Good morning all. :) It's cold this morning, but the sun is shining. :) Hoping this coffee kicks in soon, lol.

~~~~~

Frank, I think we all become contemplative sometimes. Or as my hubby jokes, we have "doh!" moments. :Doh: I've had a few of those. It's like a small light bulb shining through the cog fog.

Vonn, Hope the part time gig works out for ya. :hug:

Sarah, I think you'll be fine at your new job.

Kay, wow. reading about the roads makes me really glad you guys made it home in one piece. I thought the twisting roads through the appalachain mountains were bad, lol.

it's the absence of any yellow or white stripes that made the driving so difficult...

curves I'm used to - being from the Sierra Nevadas, near Yosemite in California.

I used to drive like Mario Andretti...

:o

Renee - What wonderful news. I am so glad your hubby is doing better and home. I am sure that makes you feel better as well.

Too much to remember to respond to everyone. I hope you are all doing fine.

We got back a few hours ago. DBF skunked me. This was the 1st time ever. The score was 5 to 1. (Keep in mind, fishing is more difficult here than most places.) I had him take a picture with my camera of the 1 fish I caught and he didn't hit save!!! LOL. I was not going to take any pictures of him catching fish because no one would believe it and it would be the great story of the "big fish that got away." I broke down and ended up taking some pics this morning. LOL.

All in all it was a very relaxing weekend. There were a lot of campers but they all left yesterday so it was nice and quite today. The deer came down off the mountains and it was awesome to watch them. I almost forgot to pay attention to my pole. LOL. Jackrabbits were out running around as well. We also saw a bald headed eagle and a bobcat. It was great.

Have a great evening everyone.

Renne, Hope your hubbie is recuperating and that you are also doing ok

Tk -- Sounds like you had a good weekend. I am happy you were able to enjoy yourself despite the hug. Do you eat the fish you catch or let them go?

My oney news is that I have an appointment this Friday at the ms center at Barnes hospital in St. Louis. They had a cancellation so I snatched it up. Otherwise I would have had to wait until June. It is about a 2 1/2 hour drive so I will have to leave around 6 in the morning. Ugh!

TK glad you all had a wonderful time and are home safe and sound

Barb glad u were able to get in sooner, thats always nice to get that type of break, especially if yours can be har to get an appt with.

Fin Sandy Jim Cayo sarah sharon vonn and if i slipped up and misssed anyone howdy howdy howdy

wanders off singing :::::::cause im the tax man yeah yeah im the tax man..............

TK, glad you had fun camping. Sounds like it was a blast. :)

Barb, great news about snatching up the appointment. Hope it goes well.

Frank, and a howdy back to you too. :Wave-Hello:

Renee, hope things are continuing to improve with your hubby.

~~~~~~~

The sun is shining this morning, the last day of my vacation. A little lumpy and sore this morning, but happy because I got some stuff done this past week. :)

Have to make a swing by the accountant today to get our tax stuff. It was e-filed, but they still want the stuff mailed in today. The joy of taxes. :rolleyes: Usually we're earlier with it, but time seems to be flying by these days.

Hope everyone has a great day.

Hubby is doing as well as to be expected overdid it yesterday and paid for it...we sat around last night and wathed Alvin and the Chipmunks with my mom our kids and 7 of the neighborhood kids! it was cute though and the kids were all good. I have been exhausted and got a stomach virus to boot...then hubby has taken over my side of the bed because it is easier for him but I ain't gettin no sleep!! LOL

Hope everyone is well love you all......didn't Vonn have a big surprise?? Did I miss it?

Im glad your dh is getting better Renee. But you gotta take care of
you too girl! I hope that stomach thingy doesnt last too long.

:hug::hug:

Sox

well, here's the antidote :D

Shakira's Hips Don't Lie, sung in Chipmunk-style!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usEgz615TDs

it made me laugh so hard I almost peed my chair!

:grouphug:

glad hubby's doing better, and don't I KNOW about bed-side switching causing lack of sleep, honey!

we are SUCH creatures of habit that a little thing like that can really fangule things up.

:eek:

Barb - That's great that you got in earlier. I hope this works out well for you and they can find something that will work for you. Getting up at 6 am to drive there will be so worth it. I wish you the best with your visit. Let us know how it goes.

Oh, DBF and I are catch and release fishers. Neither one of us has the heart to actually kill it and eat it. We enjoy the challenge of catching the fish.

Frank - Is that a song for Vonn? She's "the tax girl yeah, yeah, yeah." LOL. Sorry about the cog fogging stuff. Sometimes it gets so thick I wish I had a fog light to help me through it. LOL.

Fin - Glad you enjoyed your vacation and got some things done. That is always such a good feeling.

Renee - Glad hubby is doing better but am sorry you are feeling so carppy. I hate, hate, hate having the stomach flu. Is there somewhere else that you can sleep to help both you and hubby? He can't afford getting the stomach flu and you can't afford the lack of sleep. Hang in there! Still keeping you all in my prayers.

Vonn - Good luck with the possible part time job. I hope this works for you. Also is your big secret going to Italy, England, and Greece? I saw you threw that in the middle of your post. Was this it? Are you messing with us? :D LOL.

Kay - I thought of you this weekend as I sat in awe watching some of the wild animals. What a wonderful way to wake up every morning knowing that these opportunities to watch these animals can happen everyday. Back in my "real" life the only animals I get to watch are the little kids running around. LOL. Well, occasionally the javelinas will come walking by my window. They are so cool to watch and I love the little ones. So cute! You are very blessed!

Good morning everyone else. Hope everyone has a good day.

No update here. Just going to get back in the swing of things. I have family coming to stay with me over the next weekend so I need to clean. I am going to break it down in to small tasks that are more manageable so I don't irritate the hug, which has been downgraded to a squeeze.

oh, Vonn, I was totally surprised to see YOUR name in the New York Times Sports headlines this morning!

Vonn Finds Herself at the Top

By JOHN BRANCH - Published: April 15, 2008

PARK CITY, Utah — Lindsey Vonn really did not want to be interviewed at her house, the new one that she had hardly seen in six months while she was off being the world’s best female skier.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/15/sp...th&oref=slogin

well, I guess if ya gotz alla that snow, ya gotta go skiing?

:hug::D:hug:

so, how was Italy?

I just finished reading Eat, Pray, Love, and the author made me salivate for double-mozzarella-cheese pizza, made by hand in Naples, Italy (the origin of pizza!)

YUM !!

my son the adventurer actually WENT to Greece, Italy, England, Wales, Ireland, Amsterdam, and the Czech Repblic.

I am so JEALOUS... someday I'd like to go for real, and see the Coliseum, and Stonehenge.

:cool::p:cool:

TK, happy to see your HUG has been downgraded !!

besides the TN, the hug is at the top of the MS-stuff I like least.

here's a very gentle :hug:

yes, I'm grateful to be surrounded by nature constantly.

I try to take the bad (wildcats, snakes, bugs) with the GOOD (flocks of noisy chattering Aztec parakeets, a GORGEOUS pair of Green Jays, an Egret, and some FABULOUS Kiskidees, all spotted on this morning's animal-feeding rounds)

I think maybe I see all these things because I move quietly and slowly (I promise, no more HURRYING!)

I'm glad you had a good time fishing, honey, and hope you get to go OFTEN.

fresh fish is one of my very favorite meals... when it's just-caught, all it needs is a little salt, and butter, and OOOOOOOH-WHEE, MAMA !!

ooops!

THIS is the one I meant to show ya:

Shakira's Whenever, Wherever in Chipmunk:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2f5Eyb22tJ4

the one I gave you first is just AUDIO, the second one's VIDEO too.

:D

thanks, Kay ... I was trying to hide my 'other' ego-lifestyle ... glad that it made everyone look twice!! me too! LOL

today is the LAST tax day and I finished all the efiling yesterday ..and now to print out and mail them back to their respective homes ..

I was given an opportunity to move back to Beaver Dam .. by friends - who have been trying to figure something out so I'd be close to them ...

I can't stay here in the heat of this trailer .. heat and me do not mix well - probably why I was doing so good this winter!

hope everyone is having a great day ... and Frank .. I should be singing that goofy song!! but today - I would whisper it ever so softly!! LOL

Renee, hope you feel better soon. I'll call you later this week. I wanted you, momma and hubby to have some time together before I took you away from them! ;-)

Hope everyone is having a good day. Not much planned to do today, just chillin'.

PS: Jim and I just bought Kid Rock, Rock and Roll Revival tickets! We are taking the boys with us. This is so sweeeeetttttt!

Hello everyone:Wave-Hello:

Renee glad to hear all is going well, Hubby just still take it slow,

and dont over do it


TK Cayo Sandy Jim Fin Barb Vonn Sharon and Sarah and others, this part of the MS i dislike so much, this fatigue part of it, coming off the steroids which is good, but WoWser, am actually falling asleep, however it be late at night or early morning, I am getting 5 -7 hrs plus naps,
it doesnt seem to make much difference, :Soapbox:, shall get down off my soapbox, its jsut so frustrating at times, I want to, well, guess its moot now, because I ams what I ams, guess i need to still get this acceptance thing down . yet acceptance, to me is almost like a defeat, does anyone relate with me on that?:Poke:

sorry about even mentioning relating to me, that thought had to freak a few of you out :trampoline: just razzing yall

hope everyone has a good day, take it easy, enjoy the moment


peace

for me, acceptance has jockeyed with DENIAL for the lead place in my life.

it sometimes seems that I've accepted having MS, and then a NEW Sx comes along, (or one I particularly dislike rears its ugly head), and I find I am distressed or angry all over again.

frustrated, tired, whiny, cranky, and grumpy as well!

that doesn't sound very "accepting" does it?

:o

then, I go for months and months, just gliding along, "Yeah, I have MS, so what? I'm still having a LIFE, and a good one too!"

I guess, my long-winded point is... my goal is to find BALANCE... in my body, soul, mind, and heart.

and be more accepting when symptoms are going on.

and most of all, be consistently grateful that I have an understanding spouse who takes very good care of me, and encourages me to do all I can, while allowing me to REST when I need to, and never ragging on me to do more than I'm able to.

:hug: :grouphug: :hug:

acceptance ISN'T "defeat" Frank, it's not letting the wave wash OVER you, and lying down to let it drown you.

it's more of a BODY-surfing thing, just "going with the flow" and letting it happen, because worrying about it won't CHANGE it, the tide's gonna come in, it always does.

hard to get past wanting to get out there and SWIM the speed-stroke, but... I'm content to just FLOAT for now.

:D :) :D

lol, kiddies, how's THAT for a set of mangled and mixed metaphors?

:rolleyes: :wink: :rolleyes:

thank you, very insightful actually, I do know what you mean the new SX can get you back to square one, as far as feelings about MS, I do appreciate the fact my family cares for me and to that i am also very grateful for that.

I am getting the, I cant always do the backstroke, and one must float down stream, I liked that analogy, I do get it but its the I want to do more part I need to amend.

thanks for taking a few to answer me i am just doing the old WE need cheese with that whine thingy

:Thank you:

Thanks Kay, needed this today.:hug:

Sandy, you and Jim always see the coolest people! Congrats on scoring the concert tickets. :cool:

Renee, Sorry to hear you're not feeling well. :hug: Of course, My hubby and I are both bed hogs when we're sick. LOL, no one gets any sleep at my house when that happens. So totally understand.

TK, hope the breaks in cleaning help keep the hug as a squeeze. :hug:

Vonn, hope things work out for ya.

Frank, :Poke: Totally understand the feeling that acceptance feels like defeat. But I'm learning that acceptance and changing things around are actually helping me plow through everything. Of course, I HATE change, so I have a tendancy to fight it. :rolleyes:

~~~~~~~

Today was a little scary driving. Went to pick up our tax forms, and had problems with feeling how soft or hard I was pressing on the peddles. :eek:

It's making me worried about how long I can keep doing it. I make sure there's plenty of distance between me and the car in front, but it's still nerve wracking.

What will be, will be. Think I'll definitely talk it over with hubby tonight. This, unfortunately, is not the first time I've had issues with driving. :( The drop foot is on the right, and sometimes it will kick in at the most unexpected moment.

If you want to watch out for me, I'm the maniac in a black murano racing down the road. LOL. :D

Fin, please look into hand controls. Jim has them and he is still driving. Maybe not as much as me, but he does drive when needed. They connect to the brake and gas and are easy to maneuver once trained.

here honey...


http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/7...echeeseix6.jpg


If ya gotta do it, may as well do it in STYLE, eh?


;):winky:;)

Sandy, I'll definitely look into the hand controls, thanks bunches! :hug: Well, this is going to be a fun conversation tonight with hubby, lol. But he needs to know what's going on. :o

Kay, do you have any merlot? :D

dagnabbit! I'm fresh OUT, sorry!

wine is VERY hard to get here in the jungle... well, GOOD wine... one CAN find rice wine, and cashew wine, but it's not good for more than cooking with.

on the upscale-Yuppies front, I took mi esposo to a special birthday treat - lunch last week, in the capitol, at an Indian restaurant... he had the curried shrimp, and I had a mutton safela.

and they had (GASP !! OMG !!) a REAL WINE LIST !!

we chose a crisp, light Bolla Soave (best match, under the circumstances, lol)

we spent two lovely lingersome HOURS dawdling over lunch, and polished off the whole delicious bottle...

:D

thanks everyone ...

been thinking about this all day (and before) ... and it would be a good thing! I even giggled to myself thinking that I'll be closer to Sandy and Frank!! hmmm, good things do come around ...

I need a fresh start ... and spend time with friends that really do want me around, not just when they need something ... they make me feel part of their family and include me and ask me to do things with them ... up here, I feel so lost .. and now with the dx - I'm really alone ...

you all have been great ... I wish I could do more for you! (yes, Kay - your dark chocolate valentine M&Ms are still here ... a 2 lb-er ... and I haven't even opened them - tempted, but didn't yet! oh, I didn't mean yet!) :Doh:

YET ?!?!?

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/6192/bustedvq9.jpg

:D :p :D

it's all good, honey...

mi esposo found some Dove Dark Chocolate Bars at a fancy little store near the US Embassy... the store has 24/7 air conditioning, and probably brings the stuff in in a diplomatic pouch or something, 'cause omg, it wasn't a BIT melty !!

so, I got my once-per-year choco-FIX already, back on Valentine's Day.

thus, perchance if you get a wee bit hungry on that debt diet, well, I won't mind if you gobble the M & Ms.

:o:(:o

'cause it's the THOUGHT that counts!

:circlelove::heartthrob::circlelove:

Vonn, closer to us? Whoohoo! Map-questing Beaver dam.

I hope this finds everyone doing well

I think this last spring snow storm has vonn thinking south I am debating it too, vonn thinks our climate is warmer down here:yikes: its ok its got to be better than the great white north, now is that beaver falls or beaver dam. I say we buy a nice plot with cabins lake front docks boats rent it out for fishing and camping and horses, during the summer and ice fishing and snow mobiles during winter vonn and deb can sell all their arts and crafts, get sandy a big ole john deer tractor so she can plow the grass , and four wheel it around the place, and i got a a crew 5 kids

so how is everyone yes its late again no I didnt sleep today i did my best to rest and stay awake, even got a lot of nothing done today, which is always good, did some thinking, today and came to this conclusion

this latest attack sucks, that much I have decided, with clarity.

Starting to worry about this leg spacicity and pain its not going away, and cant use it still, calling nero the neuro tomorrow about it at this point a new med might be in order something i am on isnt cutting it so lets stop that one and switch out or even a brace of some sort for leg support so I can use the leg yeah its that sore and useless, doing massages and ice and heat stretching too, so doing all I can short of going in to doc, joy joy,


so on those positive notes:thud:

I hope everyone has a good nights rest, sweet dreams and a wonderful morn to great you


peace

Frank, so sorry your having problems. A leg brace might help and definately a change in dosage or meds may be in order. Or, you can come down and let Jim help you out. :cool:

I love the idea of cabins but let's go farther south OK? This weather is beating the daylights out of Jim and I. Oh and can I sing the John Deere Green song while I plow? :D

Hey Frank, guess what? 70+ degrees tomorrow!

I put up a new thread on my mom in the spiritual area. She apparently passed out today. She said she had a headache and eye twitching and laid down for a nap on the couch. She woke up on the floor. She refused to go to the doctor. Please keep her in your prayers.

morning ever-body ...

getting ready to meet with my friends from Beaver Dam down in Appleton - we're going to the IHOP for lunch!! mmmm, dreaming of whipped cream on pancakes!

then back up to Mountain to spend time with my friend that works at the Pentagon and is home for her folks 50th anniv this weekend that I'll be hanging out at on saturday.

the more I've been thinking about it .. the calmer I feel ... although I'm not into 'apartment' living - it's not a death sentence ..so I can figure out how to make $$ and buy a plot of land to build my lighthouse ..

well, better get going ... hope everyone has a great day! live for the now - it's tough, I know .. but we can't change the past, or live for someone else, or be someone else ... we are a GIFT .... we are unique ... and it's okay to feel pain or hurt, but not to let it control us .. set your mind free to be YOU!!

Hey all apparently a 24 hour bug was all I had, mom and neighbors had it too.
Frank-accept what? That I am not a nordic goddess olympian with 6 foot legs in stead of short fat dark haired and have a disability? Hmmm I have nothing to accept LOL!

hope you do get to feeling better as someone who never sleeps I feel your pain!

Sandy -posted on your thread...call me anytime you know that!

Jenn-definitely get the hand control info, I have lost feeling driving a couple of times and it is scary!

Getting Tysabri number two tomorrow...a couple of weeks late but oh well!

Sandy, prayers being sent. :hug:

Renee, glad you're feeling better and it was only one of those 24hour jobbers. Hope the infusion goes well.

Vonn, IHOP - YUM!!! One of the resturants I do miss living where I am. Have a great time!

Frank, hoping you have a better day today.

~~~~~~

Good morning all:) Coffee in hand, and the sun is shining. should be close to 70 today. LOL, how fair is that? I go back to work this afternoon. :D

Had a long talk with hubby last night. My hubby is a sneaky one, LOL. Having me take a long vacation was his way of testing the water of me not working anymore. Would it drive me batty? Would it make me more like the old me? etc.

We've decided it is probably time. Between some of my cog issues causing problems and my fatigue, probably long past it.

I will see how I feel about really being back at work to decide when, but won't hold off if it becomes even more apparent that I need to do this. My boss, who has been great and bent over backwards, deserves to be told as soon as possible.

The inspection we had was the timeframe I was waiting for too before revisiting this. I understand what Vonn means, this time I am calm with my decision.

Sorry so long. :Talkative: Have a great day everyone. :)

:Wave-Hello: good day all


hope everyone is doing well just a note of thanks, peace and salutaions

renee glad it was just a bug, ws worried u over did it,

glad i am on here, wasnt on a lot yesterday but what time i was on was well spent, thanks for letting me whine and for giving me your take of what i was talking about,:hit-safe:

you all have a nice day and enjoy yourselves


peace

Good morning all:) It's a beautiful day today in Ohio. Sun is shining, supposed to be warm, and the birds have begun to rebuild one of their nests. Spring seems to be here. :Excited: Got my daily dose of coffee and hoping for a good day today.

I'm so proud of myself. Last night we had chicken caesar salad wraps for dinner, and I had made it myself. :) Have enough left over I think that's what I'm having for lunch today.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day today. :grouphug:

Frank - I hope you are doing better today. We all have down days. Days where we get so sick of it all. Heck, I had those days before I was diagnosed. LOL. Whine all you want we don't mind.

(((Sandy))) - I posted on your prayers for mom thread. I hope she is doing better and that some how you all can get to the bottom of this. Maybe she wasn't ready to go back to work. I will continue to pray for her as well as you and the rest of the family.

Vonn - I think it is awesome and inspiring that you have such goals. That is so important. You are a doer and can adapt well and because of that you will get through anything. Keep going, girl!

Renee - Glad it was only a bug. I hope everyone starts feeling better soon.

Fin - It is a tough decision that you have to make. MS made the decision for me loud and clear. Although I work a little from home, I get bored during my downtime for work. I miss some of the social interactions that you get at work. The advantage though, I get to nap whenever I need to.:D. And just think, maybe you can make dinner like that all the time. You're dinner sounded awesome!

~~~~
Nothing to update here. I have been busy trying to get a couple of paintings done by this weekend. (Not happening but I'm trying). They are for my Mom and my sister for their birthdays. I have a lot of family coming in to town over the next week. My sister is staying with me and the others are staying between my Mom and Dad's and my brothers. I will try to post when I can.

Have a good day everyone!

Hey Barb - how are you doing? Tomorrow's the big day right? Wishing you the best of luck. Remember you are NOT a failure. There are many of us that are sensitive to medications and you are part of that club.

Let us know how it goes at the MS clinic/center.:hug:

morning all ..

thanks .. I'm in one of those 'hurts' .. for having TOO much fun with friends and driving yesterday ... and good food to boot!! LOVE IT!

plans are in the work for me relocating down to Beaver Dam ... so downsizing is back into full throttle ..

when I got to IHOP ... it was closed until noon ... the water main in front of the business had broken, so they weren't going to open until noon ... so we went to OG .. LOVE IT .. have leftovers ...mmmm!!

now to contact Dodge County and see what they do to help with assistance ... send some good vibes that I find the right person to help me!!

talk soon!! hugs-among-us!!