Crap Happens!

Here we go.......Ok so I left for work the other morning and I noticed that my heat in my car was not working. Ugh, well at least my car has seat warmers. So I am trying to keep my buns toasty while driving an hour to work. When I am about...5 min from work on the interstate my engine light comes on.....hmmmm so I keep driving wondering what is up. Then as I am about to get off on my exit I decided to look at my temp gauge. Sure enough my car is running hot and ALL THE WAY HOT. (on the H) I figured this was important enough to call Josh at work. So I tried, but he was out on the unit, so I had to leave a message. I wasn't sure what to do, but I was almost to work, so I decided to try to make it. (in hindsight I realize this was probably not the best idea) Anyways, I got to work, pulled in the parking lot, and kaplooey! My car dies, and the power steering goes out......I couldn't even park it. I coasted to a stop. Hmmmm.......I'm thinking this is not good.......maybe I should have stopped? eh? I went in to work, with my car lopsided in the parking lot, and waited for Josh to call back. Why I wanted to subject myself to his opinion on the matter I don't know!!! Of course when I told him the whole story I got an earfull!!! (you know better than to drive a car when it's running hot, yada yada yada, cost a fortune, yada yada yada, probably cracked a head, yada yada...Wait is he threatening me, or talking about the car. LOL JK) So I swiftly tell him I didn't call him to get yelled at, so tell me what to do so I can get back to work. Anyways, Franklin Automotive happens to be across the street from my work so I called them. They only work on higher end cars like Acura Volvo Infinity, etc. Well, since I drive an Acura I thought that would work out great. Long story short...they were able to get my car across the street without towing it, but apparently I have done some serious damage. I don't know how much yet, because when I told Josh how much the "cylinder leak test" was going to cost he had a coniption! Not to mention whatever it will cost to repair it!! Needless to say we are going to look around for somewhere else to take it. This will most likely either: max out our credit card which we have paid off and only keep for emergencies (such as this) (We don't even want to talk about the interest rate they inflicted on us before they made all of these laws restricting credit card companies.), or.... it will drain the itty bitty house fund that we have recently been working hard on . Or even better..... some combination of the two....drain house fund, and still have to put some on credit card.....I am a little stressed to say the least. The moral of this story is not to pull over when your car is running hot, however....you may definitely want to make a mental note of that for future reference....even though most people (including me) know it anyways. The moral of this story, is that crap happens! That is life. Like they say.....LIFE is what happens while you are busy making plans! I think this will be my quote for the day, even though I don't know who said it. It could be worse. I am trying to think positive, even though the thought of spending my little pennies that I have scraped together with the hopes and dreams of someday being out of my little death-trap-in-a tornado-trailer makes me want to curl up in a ball on the floor and cry uncontrollably for a few minutes. But I won't. (yes I know that is not a sentence, but this isn't english class) I have faith that God has a plan for my life, and sometimes we just hit a few bumps in the road. I will have my house one day. (And Megan so will You!! lol I read your post today and I feel your pain!) I guess that is all for now!

Update!

Here is what I finally did about my chest pain. I did take off the next day with the intentions of seeing a doctor. However, I hurt so bad that evening after work, that I decided I should go to the emergency room. I went to St. Vincents, and spent 8 hours being poked and prodded and monitored. First they did a chest x-ray. Then they did a blood test. The blood test they do to check for the possibility of clots is called a D-dimer. This just checks for increased levels of the clot disolving substance in your blood. My D-dimer came back slightly elevated. Because of this the doctor decided to do a CT scan to rule out blood clot for sure. Has anyone ever had one of those? OMG I am such a baby. (I know) but I almost had a panic attack. The lady doing the scan told me she was going to inject contrast dye into my IV. I knew that before she told me. What I didn't know was when she told me that the dye would make my body feel hot all over, and that I would feel it and taste it in the back of my throat, and that I would feel it in my bladder, and that it would feel like I was urinating on myself. This is when I got a little freaked out. She was not kidding either. It was terrible. I felt like my body was being totally taken over, and there was nothing I could do about it. It made me feel claustrophobic. I hated it! Anyways, long story short, my CT was normal. NO blood clots for me!! Yay! I just have a bad case of pleurisy. Just like they said before. I got another decadron shot and some more steroids for home. I feel sooooo much better! I can "breathe easy" now, knowing I don't have a blood clot. (pun intended) Peace of mind was worth the 8 hours in the ER. I also would like to say, that I am sooo thankful to God for having mercy on me, even when I don't deserve it. It is when you feel you worst, that you really appreciate your life and all of the blessings in it. God is so good to me! Why do we complain over the stupidest things? Thank you Father for my life, and my family, my sweet husband who takes great care of me, my dogs, and even my job! I am soooo blessed!

Chest pain is a pain in the butt!!

I need to vent. Ok here is the deal. I inherited a lovely chest cold from my sweet hubby last week. It happens. It is almost unavoidable when u sleep in the same bed with someone. Well, I of course am the only hygienist and assistant at my work. Most of you know that. Being the trooper that I am, I go in to work all last week because I can't stand to put someone in a bind! On Wednesday I was out of zombie mode, and feeling a little better. Still had a cough but that was it. On wed. night I had a sharp pain under my left rib. Thought nothing of it. Took some gas medicine thinking maybe it was gas pain and went to bed. (sorry if that is TMI) At 3am I woke with severe pain under my left rib. I could not breathe I could not move, laying down intensified the pain, no way to get relief. I woke my hubby and told him I thought something was terribly wrong, and that I could be dying. (a little dramatic I know) I turned a lovely shade of green, got nauseated but did not throw up, and got clammy. I got dressed and told Josh that I didn't want to pass out with no clothes on,(real clothes that is. I was in my t-shirt and undies) and that he may have to take me to the emergency room. He got up with me and I sat on the couch trying to decide if I was overreacting or if I should go to the emergency room. I calmed down and convinced myself that I was overreacting, and that my off-brand gas medicine obviously did not work so I took some more. lol. I sat on the couch until 5am which is when I was supposed to get ready for work. I thought I would not be able to work with this pain in my side and having no sleep so I decided I would call in at 6 and tell my boss I was not coming. At six when my alarm went off for me to call in I realized that I had dozed off, and that is when I had second thoughts about calling in. Who calls in for gas pain!!??? I then hopped in the shower, and left for work looking like a hot mess. When I got to work I asked if it would be ok if I saw my morning patients, and then go home. We only had one afternoon patient and I hoped we could reschedule. He agreed but was obviously less than thrilled, and wanted to "see how I felt now that I was up and moving around" UGH! Yeah! Because work always makes you feel better! Well, being the loyal employee that I am, I figured I was already at work why not suck it up and stay. So that is what I did. It was the last day of the week so I knew I could survive. I survived, and that night my mom made me some "sleepy time tea" a special concoction of her own that would hopefully help with my self-diagnosed "gas pain". Well it did something alright, but the "gas pain" was still there. Only now it was in my back and my shoulder. I knew then that I needed to see a doctor. I decided to bypass the emergency room and just see a doctor at the urgent care. I hate emergency rooms. Especially Jasper's!! The dr. at the urgent care seemed a little confused by my symptoms, and decided to do bloodwork, and chest and abdominal x-rays. X-rays were normal but he said two of my liver enzymes were almost double the normal level. He said he wasn't sure what it was but thought that I may have pleurisy, gave me a decadron shot and some pain meds and told me to come back in a week for more bloodwork. Ok, well after the decadron shot I did feel better, I slept better, but when I woke on Sat, I was hurting a little more (still felt better, but not as good as I did immediately after the shot) sunday I felt a little worse than saturday, and now it is Monday, and I feel a little worse than I did on Sunday. Everyone following me? I am thinking that I should feel progressively better? Is that too optimistic? I still don't feel as bad as I did the first day I had the pain, but I am not feeling better. I did some "research" on pleurisy and it can be caused by several things. One of those things being a chest infection. (Which I had the week before) Here is where I get a little uneasy, It can also be caused by a blood clot in the lungs. Ok...... I know. If that's what it was I would probably be dead by now, but I had all of the symptoms! And I really made a mess of my birth control pills this month. Taking 2 on more than one occasion because I kept forgetting. Obviously birth control is a risk factor for blood clots!! I decided today that I want a second opinion. Just to rule out blood clot. Is that stupid? Am I overreacting? Anyways I told my boss that I would like to take tomorrow off to see another doctor. (The first time I have actually taken any time off during this ordeal) He definitely is pissed. He didn't say that, but I can tell. I even found someone to cover for me while I'm gone!!! I want to scream at the top of my lungs (if I could without excruciating pain!) MY HEALTH IS MORE IMPORTANT!!!!! I have run myself ragged trying not to inconvenience him with my sickness. KISS MY ASS!!!!!!! Sorry ladies, I would rather type it than say it. It makes me feel a little better. Any opinions appreciated. Am I overreacting? Should I just "wait and see"? Thank you to anyone who actually read this whole post. I know it was long and boring.

Wedding disasters!!

This weekend was Sarah's wedding. Here are a few of the hightlights: On friday (the day before the wedding) Sarah calls me crying hysterically. I told her to calm down and tell me what was wrong. She found out the day before that the area where they were having the reception was booked for a breakfast, and a 12:00 lunch on the day of the wedding. The wedding started at 2, so there was approximately one hour to set up and decorate the whole reception area before the reception started. Anyone who has had a wedding knows how crazy this is. I try to remain calm and pretend like this is no big deal. I am freaking out for her on the inside. Then she says the flowers that were supposed to be small gerber daisys came in and they were the size of a small saucer. The reason this is bad is because these were to be used as the men's boutineers. They were hugely ridiculous looking! So being the awesome MOH that I was I told her it would be ok. We would recruit everyone who loved her to help with the reception and I would go to the flower shop to fix the flower situation since she couldn't because she had to meet with the preacher before rehersal. (of course I wasn't really sure that there was anything I could do) So I went to the flower shop and nicely asked if there was any other flower we could use for the boutineers because the bride was crying hysterically. Fortunately we were able to "borrow" some flowers that were supposed to go in the bouquets and use them for the boutineers instead, and the bouquets were still beautiful! Problem solved. Whew! So I'm driving home from solving this problem when she calls me crying again, saying "I guess we're just not going to have any music!" This ,by the way, is three hours before rehersal begins. Ok....why not? She says, "My computer is frozen and I can't download anything!" Yes...I know....You're thinking.....Shouldn't that have ALREADY been taken care of? I didn't dare say that, so I said well, why don't you just come over to my house and use my computer? Then she says...I have to get ready for rehersal and be there an hour early.....Ugh.....so I'm like.....Ok, tell me what songs you want, and I will download them. She says: "I DONT KNOW.".....seriously. There was one song she wanted, but she didn't know what she wanted to use it for. So I told her not to worry that I would pick her out some music. Yeah!! That stressed me out! I had to pick out someone elses wedding music 3 hours before the rehersal! I went home and asked Josh if he knew where OUR wedding CD might possibly be. After a little digging he found it!!! SCORE!!! Fortunately we had not used any special or sentimental songs in our wedding. Just traditional, classical, wedding music. So I uploaded that CD onto the computer, and downloaded the song she said she wanted and added them all together and ta-da! I figured if she didn't like it, there wasn't much she could say. Anyways, she heard it for the FIRST time at her rehersal. She was just thankful to have music! The groom on the other hand had the nerve to say he didn't like the song that they left to. I laughed it off and told him that he better not knock it since he didn't make it. I DID! It didn't bother me because, grooms really have no idea what us women go through to plan a wedding! They just show up, and think someone waved a magic wand, and a wedding happened! Fortunately, the drama all happened the day before, and the actual wedding day was perfect and beautiful! I am soooooo glad that it is over. Hopefully I am done with weddings for a while! Everyone i am close to is married now, except my sister, but she is doing a beach wedding next year and she isn't having bridesmaids or groomsmen! Thank GOD! After the wedding I had to rush home and make cheese dip, because we had friends over for the game. I was exhausted by the end of the night. It was a good weekend, but a very tireing one!

a few thoughts

This is just an update on what's new. Which is not much....Maynard is growing so fast!! He has sucessfully jumped on the couch once. Fortunately only once. The couch is Ellie's "safe place" where she can hide from him. Obviously not anymore. I already posted this on my facebook, but it just really cracks me up. We took Maynard to the creek this weekend and he loved it!!! He gets nervous when he can't touch though. We will work on that. What else....I am starting to think I have carpal tunnel syndrome. I may be overreacting, but dental hygienists are very prone to getting it. I have only been doing this for three years. How am I supposed to work for the next 40!!!! Hmmmm...I guess I will just have to stay home and raise babies....how terrible. (sarcasm) I have had a little bit of the baby fever lately. well...a low grade fever. That is saying alot for me though. Before the thought of babies right now would give me a panic attack. lol

Today happens to be mine and Josh's two year wedding anniversary! We aren't doing anything special. We didn't even buy each other cards. How terrible is that? It doesn't mean I love him any less though. It has been a great two years. (overall) I head the other day that a 20 year old girl from Jasper was killed in a car accident. She was supposed to be getting married this month. I don't know her, but it really makes you stop and think. I have always been terrified of losing Josh! I am soooo thankful for everyday that God gives us together. I know you can't live your life in fear, so I just try not to take a single day for granted, even though I know sometimes I do. Every single day is a blessing! I hope that we grow old and wrinkley, and flatulent together. lol Ok....maybe not flatulent. But if I have to be all of those things, I can't think of a better person to be them with! He loves me for exactly who I am. I don't have to try to hide my flaws from him. He knows them all, and loves me in spite of them. He will probably just pretend not to hear my flatulence! ha ha. ok.... I will stop. Anyways, that is all that is new.

Maynard

Ok, It has been over a month since I have posted, so here is what is new at the Piper house. We have a new child. His name is Maynard and he is a chocolate lab. He is 9 weeks old, and he is pretty big for his age. He has a cone head that we are hoping he will grow into. I will post pictures later. My camera has been in surgery so I will have to take some now that I have it back. Ellie is not so excited about her little-big bruder. He is already three times her size and of course is full of energy. He wants to play with her soooo bad, but she is scared. I can understand why. He is clumsy and rough and he barks at her like she is a toy. What else.... We just got home saturday from a full week at the beach! It was awesome. We went parasailing, and we rented jet-skis, we saw dolphins, and sharks and manna rays, and sting rays and we stuffed our faces. It was good for us to just have some stress-free time together. I guess that is all for now. It is lunch time, and I am hungry, and my belly won't let me focus on what I am writing.

a little complaining + an update.

Now is probably not the best time for me to blog....but here I go. I am so ill today. I have been sick with a chest cold for two weeks, and I thought I was over it, and now I woke up with stuffy sinus infection head. Ugh! Josh is being a jerk today too. So I'm bored at work as usual and I decided to look at houses online. Just to pass the time. I found one I really liked and I called him to tell him about it. Woa! I was not prepared for a hissy fit, big baby, panties in a wad,butt hole tantrum, but that, most definitely, is what I got! Conversation went as follows: Hey babe, I was calling to tell you to check out this house online. "A HOUSE!" Yeah, I was just bored at work so I was looking at them. "SIGH...OK WHAT'S THE WEBSITE" Gave website and MLS number......waiting......Then I say.." I know what your going to say about the outside, just give it a chance and look at the inside, it's really pretty. WELL YOU SEE THAT IT WAS BUILT IN 1955! I'M NOT INTERESTED. "Yes but it has been totally remodled. who cares if it's old. That just means it has lasted that long." "Just look at the pictures please" WELL I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE WIREING IF IT HAS BEEN REDONE. " Ok Mr. electritian, just look at it would ya?" WELL I ALREADY KNOW I DON'T WANT TO PAY THAT. " Ok honey...that's just the asking price, would you just look at it." ..............ITS OK. "I really like it." ITS NOTHING SPECIAL. "I would like to look at it." WELL YOU CAN GO LOOK AT IT THEN, BUT I'M NOT INTERESTED. I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU ARE SO INTERESTED IN BUYING A HOUSE ALL OF THE SUDDEN, AND I WILL JUST GO AHEAD AND TELL YOU I'M NOT PLANNING ON DOING ANYTHING ANY TIME SOON. BUILDING OR BUYING!..........
Ok. I'm sorry somebody pissed in his cherrios this morning, but the attitude was uncalled for. Oh, did I forget to mention that just two weeks ago he wanted to go look at a house in the home buyers guide for the simple fact that it had a shop! really? In fact the only reason we didn't go is because when I called my sister (she is an agent or realtor or whatever) she said the house had already sold. So I didn't just get some wild hair for a house.
Ok, I realize I am venting more than blogging, but sometimes you just need to. Maybe I am done now. Just for the record I really am happily married, and I do love my stubborn husband.
Hmmmm.... what has been going on lately?
1.)Ellie got a summer haircut. It's cute
2.)Ellie went "swimming" at the in-laws and almost drowned.
3.)Me and Josh tried knee-boarding with my sister for the first time ever. I was not very successful.
4.)I decided to call a temp agency to see if I could work some fridays. I met with the lady, and she will call when she needs me. (FYI: this decision was for extra money for a house!)
5.)They haven't called, but it's ok cause I kinda changed my mind. I'm lazy and I like my fridays off.
6.)It is just me and my sister working out at the gym now. Kristi is back in school.
7.)I signed up for a 1 year membership. Weight loss to date: 0 lbs ha ha
8.)Went canoeing with our friends Gary and Sherry on the fourth.
9.)I am reconnecting with my bff from highschool today. We are having a dinner date.
10.)Got totally schnockered on nyquil last night and passed out. Don't remember much.
11.)Planning on a decadron shot in the hiney after our dinner date. "hey...long time no see...I brought you something.....It's the crud!" ha ha jk
12.)Sarah just called and said she is giving me back my regular Nintendo. I'm pretty excited. She's had it for a while. Regular Nintendo is awesome!
That's all