Don't Let The Front Door Hit You On The Way Out

Apparently facebook thought they were doing me a favor by organizing my "big moments" and a few assorted pictures into a collage deemed "My Year In Review" or something like that. I'm assuming that they took the pictures and/or updates with the most likes and/or comments to make a quick scroll to showcase my year.

As if facebook knows me.

Sure, they got a few things right... those things that I care to post to facebook anyway. My kids. My dad. The discovery of my lost wedding album. After scoffing at what took about fifteen seconds to view, I thought,

Is that all this year was?

So I danced across a few virtual stepping stones and peeked at my blog. Thirty entries for the entire year. The least I've posted since I began blogging around 2010. I've come to acknowledge that my year is not about what all was posted, but everything that was not.

Or something like that.

I have cried more this year than I knew was possible (and believe me, I am a crier). I've witnessed things that I still see practically every night when I close my eyes. I've driven more miles, stared at more walls, and prayed more prayers this year than any other year... of that I am certain.

Where does all that leave me?

In my opinion, stronger.

And more glad than ever to slam the door on 2014.

Not to forget,
but to move forward.

Wisdom found on facebook. Who knew?

So long, year. Hello, blank page.

Teenagers Rule On The Lame Definition (at least none of us have the energy to argue that fact)...

I asked the youngest if it was too early to post a wedding photo (our anniversary is in March) as my new profile pic on facebook to which she responded with a resounding, "Yes!"

This is why I have teenage children.

I mean, really. They keep me up to date on the proper uses of "lol".
Only GROWN-UPS capitalize the blasted thing, in case you're wondering.

They let me know when things are lame or overused or just plain dumb.

For example, I thought "swag" was hip forever until I was informed just tonight that it will be dreadfully out of style by 2016.

The husband and I sat with the youngest tonight at dinner and laughed and laughed and laughed. I remember when it was just he and I (him and me?) with the oldest. Now those were some days. Neither one of us had a clue, but boy, was he ever a good daddy. Now those days of our babies being babies are just memories. We're surrounded by young adults with fresh ideas and just enough tradition thrown in to keep us all sane.

We don't change much around our house except for a little shuffling here and there. Kids at work. Kids at home. The husband always busy. A mom always on the couch. Cats roam. Cats sniff. Cats meow.

And you thought you were dropping in for a little inspiration.

Only one thing is for certain.
Only one thing is for sure.
Only one thing never changes.

Except  for me and coffee, of course...

The Lord knew exactly what He had in mind when he took a southern boy and mid-western girl and sparked a fire. We've missed the mark in so many ways, but we've hit it straight on in so many others.

And for the record, I don't think it's at all too early to post the wedding pic, but I'll trust the powers that be on this one.

Lord knows I don't need another lecture on that one.

Facebook and Other Worthless News

My blogging machine seems to have run out of steam. I'm beginning to think that the whole thing was necessary to get me through those workless years. Now that I'm back to full-time, I might have more to write about, but also a whole lot more people to offend. It just doesn't seem worth it.

Speaking of offending people, I shut down my facebook account and started a new one. My previous account just had too many issues that the faceless facebook people were not being of much help to fix. The final straw was a rather lengthy form they had me fill out detailing all the glitches I was experiencing. When I hit submit, a new window opened informing me not to expect any help or a reply... my information would simply be used for future facebook improvements.

Yeah. A lot of good that did me in the present.

I think I'm ready to join the husband and venture off the grid.

So Much Cooler Online

I have spent the better part of this morning reading blogs from all kinds of women (rarely men) from all parts of the country. Some make me laugh. Some make me hungry. A few inspire me to do something crafty and a few cause me to shake my head in disbelief. One thing they all have in common, though, is they all entertain the heck out of me.

I love people. No, I am not a people-person and I have not momentarily lost my mind, but I really do love people. Real people. The people who admit their faults and laugh at their mistakes. People who know they're not perfect and aren't afraid to tell you about it.

It all makes me feel unusually normal.

Blogs are not like facebook or twitter. For instance, on either one of those you might find some random, attention-seeking post like,

I CAN'T BELIEVE THE NERVE OF SOME PEOPLE!!

On a blog, you'll get that story in detail. In fact, if you've read any particular blog long enough, you start to feel like you actually know the people. You (or at least I do) will find yourself nodding in agreement with the shenanigans surrounding everyday people in everyday life.

On a blog, you won't just find a picture of half-eaten food on a obvious restaurant-style plate (those photos have always driven me insane)- you'll get a story about why that particular dish is picture-worthy. You won't get a series of "check-ins" or "self-portraits". You really only get what that particular writer feels is worth taking the time to write and let's face it, your daily stop at the gas station  or your boobs peeking out from your new lace cami is probably not gonna top the list of important things to write about on any given day.

Whoops. I did it again... caused another pair of eyes to roll heavenward. I can almost hear the fury of clicks as people scurry away from what I deem worthy to publish to the virtual screen. I'm probably just jealous. I can't check-in at the gas station or take fitting-room pics with my stylin' pink, Pantech dumbphone. Otherwise I would probably join the masses- though I seriously doubt it.

The moral of today's front porch story? Don't judge other bloggers based on me. Scroll around. You're sure to find someone who shares your interests. Blogs are a lot of fun. They're real. And hey, if you don't like 'em, just move on the next one.

I've lost lots of readers that way. =)

Eat More Chicken! (Or At Least Learn A Lesson From A Couple Of Cats)

I'll tell you, people never run out of having something to talk about complain about, that is. Between the on-going headlines about the tragedy in Colorado (is anyone else sick of seeing that bright orange hair?) to the recent back-and-forth about Chick-fil-A and their stance on biblical values (including valued opinions [HA!] from Miley Cyrus and the Kardashian clan), I am weary of clicking on any online news link. For that matter, my own facebook page is driving me insane. Come on, people, even my cats get along. They don't always agree... like who should have dibs on the food bowl first... but the older one will wait patiently why the younger, more immature one has her turn. When the more feisty, young one (with claws, mind you) pesters the more laid-back, been around the block more than once, older cat (without claws), the old just watches the young with little interest waiting for her to run out of steam.

Call me crazy, but I think there's a lesson there.

And this entry was just interrupted by my daughter's alarm. She's not even here and yet the sound of "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" was playing from her room. I'll have to ask her about that one later. I can never figure out her alarm to turn it off, but I can figure out the yanking of the batteries. I've never been a fan of Christmas in July.

Back to business, though. There is real life happening out there, remember? A good friend of mine had a scare yesterday with her grandbaby-to-be. My husband's grandma is still recovering from a car accident that happened over a month ago. Drought-stricken states are arguing with government agencies about whether or not they can use what corn they do have for food or fuel. Regardless of what mainstream media polls or a late-night-show-hopping president has to say, unemployment is still a big problem. And on a more pressing note, we are having issues with ants and other creepy crawlies in the house. A woman can only take so much, you know.

Meanwhile, families in Colorado are learning what life is like when the cameras and reporters turn their attention to the Olympics and what Team USA will be wearing while they are still minus one at the dinner table. And when it comes down to it, does anyone really care where you get your next chicken sandwich at anyway? I mean, I'm all for Chick-fil-A, hands down. I've always admired their company and Closed On Sunday policy (much like Hobby Lobby), but the real reason I go there is for the service (and well, they do have the BEST chocolate chip cookie ever). I'll be there next Wednesday for the big appreciation day, but I'm there at least one day out of the week anyway. I also like KFC for my Sunday after-church dinner and Wendy's new almond-chicken-berry salad any day of the week.

Yes. I just like chicken.
I also like rainbows in the sky.
And cats that play nice.

Happy Thursday!

OMG!!! You're Not Going To Believe This!!!

And so it would seem that I have to yet another fork in the road.  I'm asking all you prayer warriors out there to pray for direction and the way the Lord would lead.

I wrote the above words on Saturday as a facebook status. I kind of go in phases with facebook; sometimes I update a lot, sometimes I update hardly ever. I’m not the kind of status person that hopes to get a zillion and one comments wondering if I am okay.

Example:

If that ever happens again, I think I might die!!!

Great news today!!!

OMG!!! You’ll never guess what’s going on!!!

And so forth and on and on. If you’re not on facebook, you have no idea what I am talking about. If you are a frequent flyer, than you know all too well (and sorry in advance if one of the above is your most recent post. I promise I have not even been on there yet today except to copy and paste the opening statement, but... I do confess to shamelessly using the title of this post to grab your attention).

Anyway.

There are times when I reach out in the few ways I know how for some extra support. I’ve been struggling with some stuff… you name it… job searches, money woes, and general why am I even here type stuff. Depending on what day you catch me, I might be full of hope and cleaning supplies or full of despair and used kleenexes.

I came to that fork in the road last week. It was as clear before me just as if I was standing in the middle of a backwoods dusty road. I needed to make a decision or my indecision was going to drown me standing up. You ever been there? It’s an uncomfortable place to be. I would rather be moving in a solid direction than willingly give into the quicksand that threatens to squeeze the life out of me.

So I asked for prayer. I prayed. God moved. Well, technically, He moved me. No lightning bolts. No thunderous voice. Just a gentle, gentle push in my spirit that said, “This way.” So that way I went. I still don’t have a clue what lies along this way. Maybe it’s about a job. Maybe it’s about obedience. Maybe it’s about being prepared. I just hope it includes some kind of income.

Hey, I’m about as real as you can get.

After making my beginning steps this morning, I sat down to again search the scriptures. I wanted to find something that expressed how I am feeling; to be assured that I am not the only one with these up-and-down emotions. This chapter about said it all. I especially like how it came from David when he was hiding out in a cave.

Jesus. Son of David. Have mercy on me.

Psalm 142 Amplified Bible

A skillful song, or a didactic or reflective poem, of David;

 when he was in the cave. A Prayer.

¹ I cry to the Lord with my voice; with my voice to the Lord do I make supplication.

² I pour out my complaint before Him; I tell before Him my trouble.

³ When my spirit was overwhelmed and fainted [throwing all its weight] upon me, then You knew my path. In the way where I walk they have hidden a snare for me.

⁴ Look on the right hand [the point of attack] and see; for there is no man who knows me [to appear for me]. Refuge has failed me and I have no way to flee; no man cares for my life or my welfare.

⁵ I cried to You, O Lord; I said, You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.

⁶ Attend to my loud cry, for I am brought very low; deliver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I.

⁷ Bring my life out of prison, that I may confess, praise, and give thanks to Your name; the righteous will surround me and crown themselves because of me, for You will deal bountifully with me.

How's That Working For You?

So the thought occurred to me that if I'm no longer on facebook, the access that I have to a couple of sweet little babies living far away from me will become severely limited. We just can't have that. I guess you can say I was four days clean. What can I say? I miss seeing my mom saying "Cheers" with her teacup. I miss seeing my brother holding up his now-too-big pants. And I miss catching little two-minute videos of those sweet little babies rolling over or trying to walk or just looking plain cute. Plus, my daughter said she missed seeing me on there. Enough said. I guess I'm not as done with the virtual world as I thought I was. Live and learn.

And don't post it publicly.

I Am A Former User

It's official! I have cut the facebook cord. I deactivated my profile, gave my kids a heads up that their own accounts were up for "search and seizure" at any given time, and removed that familiar blue f from my favorites tool bar. I honestly have no intention of going back. The only thing I will really miss is the ability to post these entries to facebook; I know a lot of my friends and family followed me that way. Oh well. I guess now we'll see if any of them liked me enough to track me down (and the answer there is probably not).

And like I often say, "That's that."

Facebook No More (Well... Maybe)

Here we go. The great facebook debate. To stay or not to stay. For the first time since I joined the site, I do believe I'm about done. I logged on this morning to see the status update of someone who is not on my friend list for good reason:

A). I have no clue who the person is, and
B). Vulgar language about male body parts is something I can do without.

Since facebook implemented their latest round of changes to the site, pretty much everyone is open game. It all has to do with mutual friends and status updates and comments and likes and all that, but the short of the story is, if I can view information about people that I am not personally linked to, then those same people can see mine. I have always been very particular about my friend list. I keep it at around 100 (this in a world where people have 300-500-1000! people on their list of friends). Yes, I've unfriended people who:

A). Never commented or updated anything anyway which for some reason annoys me, or
B). Used that aforementioned vulgar language about body parts or their mama or God.

I figured that was the point of having some sort of control. I immediately nixed the whole places feature that turns ordinary people into celebrities by allowing the paparazzi (aka their friend list) to follow their every move. That kind of thing is just not for me. I once "followed" a guy as he went from the library to the gym to Starbucks and finally back to his home. This is one of those guys who has friends in the 1000s and think about it, if I was following him via facebook (this was back in my farmville days... 198 days sober!), how many other people were also? He's got a beautiful home, a beautiful wife who stays home with beautiful kids, and a brand-new 52" flatscreen/LCD/HD3D (I have NO idea what I'm talking about here)... anyway, he's one of those people that will post everything about his life.

Does this make me sound like a stalker? I promise you I'm not, but with the information that some people put out there, I almost feel like one. I'm just a semi-bored housewife with no evil intention at all who just also happens to be very observant. Imagine if I really were looking to do something like steal your new tv or investigate your child custody case or raise your property taxes...

Yeah. Maybe I should go offline with facebook.
I may not have many friends left after this anyway.

My point is that there is so much information out there. Yes, I give my own pointless updates and post pointless pictures from time to time and just generally have a little fun with it all, but that control, my control, is slowly getting peeled away and I gotta tell you, I don't like it one bit. As I told one other person earlier this morning, the whole thing is starting to get a little creepy. I know there are people out there, good people, who could care less about the whole privacy issue. That's just not me. I didn't have a high security clearance for nothing, you know.

I'm a private person (who also happens to write a public blog).
Yes. I do see the irony there.

So what happens to a facebook user who leaves the arena? Is there withdrawal? You know, the farmville reference earlier was just a joke (I really haven't counted the number of days since I last plowed or harvested or whatever), but I did discover more time once I stopped.  Maybe I won't miss it at all.

Or maybe I won't go anywhere.
Are there really more changes in store?
Am I jumping ship too early?

I never had this problem in the pre-facebook world.

Shhhhhh! Hold The Phone...

It's actually nice outside. There's a slight breeze, the birds are chirping, the dog yelps occasionally, and the cat is scratching the heck out of the porch rail (which is amusing in itself considering the fact that the cat has no front claws). I've been sitting on the swing browsing through facebook and such and thinking about how easily people hand out advice.

Holy Moly. This blog has been interrupted by breakfast delivered to me by that wonderful girl of mine. Scrambled eggs, a Belgium waffle with some berry concoction on top (looks like raspberries and blueberries), and a fresh refill of the coffee cup. What does she want?

On second thought, who cares what she wants. She can have it. That was delicious! And add blackberries to her berry-on-the-waffle concoction. Awesome! She just may have very well won the coveted Best Child Ever Award (for the day, anyway). My, oh my. Thank you, Jesus, for whatever I did right with that one.

But back to the advice thing... I've read all kinds of, what I'm assuming is unsolicited, advice on every kind of topic under the sun: parenting newborns, disciplining toddlers, how to win court cases, and handling tense job situations. My thought is not so much on the people that hand out the advice, but just in wondering do people really take it? I mean, seriously, what went well in your custody case may not be the best idea for your facebook friend who lives a hundred miles away from you and the "best judge ever." And while I'm all for giving a toddler a strategically-placed swat, "laying into him" regardless of where you are at or "what people think" may not be all that wise. Oh, and one more thing (and this might be the thing that opens up a whole can of worms)... babies really do need a daddy in their life even if you have twenty-three "friends" trying to convince you otherwise. Yes, I understand there are situations and circumstances where this is not the best option for anyone, but if the daddy is there and he wants to be a daddy, let the man be a daddy!

There. Glad I got that off my chest.

Now lest you think I've got myself all worked up over a few random facebook posts, this goes back a little further than that. I have found myself knee-deep in a parenting discussion in my current sociology class (of which I have desire to work in the social field) regarding media influence on children. All I said was that sometimes we are too quick to play the blame game... that yes, there are certainly video games and music and movies that are abundant in negative, demeaning, and violent themes, but the last time I checked (and at least in my own house), it's the parents who pay the cable bill or the internet service or (heaven forbid!) buy the mature-rated video games that kids under eighteen aren't allowed to purchase. Was that such a bad observation?

Apparently for one guy, it was. Now every time I log on I have some nit-wit comment about how I know nothing and the government has corrupted my way of thinking and my kids are doomed to act out on the violent tendencies they have been indoctrinated with by a corrupt media that I have no control over. And I thought I was the conspiracy theorist around here. Anyway, this dude is about to wear me out. I refuse to believe that everything that is wrong with society is the media's fault, and I'm no big fan of any media outlet. Sales fuel all the crap stuff that is out there and who fuels the sales? People! That is a pretty simple formula, isn't it? Pull the plug on advertisers and change the flow of what goes over the airways.

Good grief. It's too pretty of a morning to be mumbling over this. Believe or not, that breeze is still blowing while the birds sing their songs. The cat is perched beside me, the dog is quiet, and my girl is basking in the glow of knowing that whatever she wanted, she's about to get (although truth be told, and for anyone who knows her, I'm pretty certain she's not after anything). Parenting is not easy, plain and simple, but it can be a lot of fun.

Just don't listen to the facebook psychologists.
If you really want advice, call your mom or grandma or dear ole aunt.
But don't get mad when we tell it like it is.
No dislike button allowed.

Virtual Death

I spent my wee morning hours contemplating virtual suicide. You know, the kind where you completely walk away from the virtual world. No more facebook. Business email only. End of the blog era. I wondered if anyone would notice and I wondered if I would even care. Then, in the midst of the mental note that I was writing to leave behind, my husband walked in the bedroom bearing gifts of eggs, toast, coffee, and a smile. My first thought as he left me with my treasures and walked back out the door?

I need to update my facebook status.
Apparently my virtual demise would not have lasted for long.
Guess I'll be sticking around for a while.

I suffered through yet another job rejection yesterday. I know that some of you might be thinking, What is wrong with this girl that she can't seem to land a job? Trust me, I've thought the same thing. I've had people look over my resume. I'm all about constructive criticism. I think the problem is just that I am one of many in a flooded unemployment state. The latest no thank you reply cited the fact that I don't have enough framed certificates on my ego wall; in other words, I lack the required education. Looks like I have entered the realm where experience counts for nothing. My response was probably a bit immature, but it made me feel better nonetheless. I simply presented my opinion regarding the reason for being passed by and wished them well. I am tired of nodding my head politely and walking away.

Anyway, yesterday's events were the reason, I'm sure, for my lousy mood and the subsequent breakfast-in-bed episode this morning. I gotta admit, it's very hard to lay around and feel sorry for yourself when you've got a husband who is so darn nice. I ate his breakfast, took a shower, and greeted the kids (whom he also rolled out of bed early on a Saturday morning). I'm starting to think their day is not as great as mine. In fact, I know it's not. Their computer is acting up, we're out of toilet bowl cleaner, someone can't find their swimming shorts, and I'm suppose to have all the answers. Why, yes. It does make me laugh to myself. It's so nice to have them all home.

If I could just stay away from those job boards, I would probably be all right.
Maybe I should spend the energy instead on writing a book.
No framed diplomas needed for that.

Any suggestions?

I'll Apologize In Advance

This is going to be a random rant of the things that get on my nerves. I'm sorry, but it's got to be done. I have a very nice evening planned and I worry that if I don't vent at this very moment, I might not make for pleasant conversation later. I promise that this won't get nasty or rude (much), but if you want to move on at this point for more pleasant things to consider, please feel free. I'll never know.

I saw a kid at Walmart today wearing a t-shirt that proudly proclaimed, Blame It On My Parents. I didn't know who I wanted to shake more~ the kid who will no doubt blame it on his parents, or the parents that let him wear that shirt to begin with.

In another aisle, I couldn't get through. A minimum of four people were arguing in something other than English while another bystander talked on the phone about something that had nothing to do with the forty different jars of spaghetti sauce she was examining. On the way out, a small toddler was clutching a cart while stomping her feet and crying loudly while the lady with her carried on her own conversation on the phone.

Just another Saturday at an overly crowded neighborhood Walmart.
I know better than to get out on a day like today.
Maybe I'm just mad at myself.

I'm also growing weary of Facebook. Well, maybe not so much Facebook, but just the never ending abundance of personal information that some people think everybody in their virtual world needs to know. Am I going too far here? Sometimes I literally wait for someone to update their status with the announcement that they are entering the bathroom. And then maybe update what they did in there. Lord help us all if they decide to tag a picture of that one.

And yes, I will post this to Facebook like I always do on the premise that my mom is my biggest fan. And no, I won't deactivate my Facebook account, although if I trim my friend list any more, it will be down to my immediate family of four (the husband avoids any kind of social network like the plague) and my mom and brother. And probably my friend down the street and a few from back home. That would leave me with a total of ten friends and a whole lot of what's the point in this? I guess I'll leave things alone and just continue to sort through the stuff of everybody's everyday life. On the plus side, I might have an idea who follows me through Facebook if my friend list started decreasing on its own.

Of course, that would be sad, too.
Now I have guilt.
Maybe I should blame it on my parents.

We Are Amazing

This was the middle's facebook status last night:

I have amazing parents.
:D
Just sayin'.

I tend to document this kind of stuff so I always have it on standby in case a certain kid forgets. That's just the kind of mom I am. Now I'm no dummy (ignoring the chuckling in the background). I know why we were amazing parents last night; so does my husband. We let a kid suffering from a particular form of techno-itis have an extra hour with his beloved DSi and wi-fi. At the other end of that connection was his beloved girlfriend. You better believe we are amazing parents.

As my girl would say, Whatever keeps the tears away, Mom.

Virtual Distractions

This virtual world is a funny thing. Things get said that make you wonder if the same words would be spoken face to face. People share details and forget their mothers are reading the same thing their BFF is... same thing with party pictures of the night before and that general rule of too much information.

 

Why am I sharing this? I don't know, but it's my virtual world. I guess I can.

 

I like Facebook. I really do. It keeps me in touch with my mom and dad and brother almost a thousand miles away. Yes, we use the phone, too, but sometimes (okay, all the time) it's fun to kick back in my recliner and chat with my mom online or make comments back and forth with my brother and nieces and cousins and long lost friends from my early days.

 

And I am pretty picky about my online friends. The ones that disappear or just never make their presence known, the ones the cuss and share locker room style jokes, the ones that are just plain rude and bossy; well, I tend to sort through them from time to time. I wonder if I'm the only one who does this. I look at my list of friends and think about all the pictures I share of my kids. I like to know who's looking at them.

 

Then again, there is this blog. I post pictures on here and sometimes (okay, all the time) intimate details about what goes on in my mind. Unlike Facebook, there really is very little control regarding who has access to my life... at least the part I intentionally share. I know that in addition to the United States, I have regular visitors from Poland and Malaysia, Russia and Germany, and as of today, the Netherlands. The countries that pop up always make me laugh to myself. I wonder about the people who are reading about my grandma and my brother and my pink bike.

 

Maybe they find the same distraction I find in other blogs. I've got favorites in Missouri and Connecticut, California and New Mexico, and of all places, the Middle East. All women. All different walks of life. All very entertaining and surprisingly refreshing. All reminders that we basically share the same joys, the same sorrows; the same sunshine and the same rain. I like that. It makes me feel less alone and more a part of something bigger.

 

I guess I've just been spending some time reflecting about why I started this series of writings. Like most people, I think, I just wanted to be heard. By whom? Well, I have no idea. I tend to leave things like that to the Lord. It has yet to ever work out the way I think I should. So today I was thinking about three particular entries I made last year. And it was good to remember.

 

• Remembering the beginning.
• Remembering to laugh.
• Remembering it's okay to just sit and think.

 

And yes, most of my reflecting and laughing and thinking takes place on my front porch swing. And when the sun goes down? Well, that's when I've got my feet up in the recliner (typically with the cat sprawled out over them), a cup of coffee at my side, and my laptop open waiting for my mom to leave her virtual farm and come knocking on my virtual door. It's my little slice of the virtual world.

Tony's Journey: Volume One

I've been giving this entry some thought for quite a little while now and for once, it has nothing to do about me, my kids or husband, my unemployment status or my financial woes. It does, however, having everything to do with someone that I happen to think a lot about.

Yes, I realized that for something that has nothing to do with me, maybe my picture should not be included. But you know, I've got a mom who will love stuff like this.

Allow me to introduce you to my brother. I have another photo identical to the one above with the exception of the fact he is holding bunny ears up behind my head, bridal veil and all. I've got that one safely tucked away in my wedding album.

I've talked about him before and that same bunny ear picture. You can read here all about him becoming a new grandpa. He's been through quite a lot in his life and has got one remarkable testimony, in my opinion. One day I might try to talk him into sharing that. For now, though, I asked him for permission to share the current journey that he's about to embark on. He readily agreed, but I gotta warn you ~ he doesn't mince words. He says exactly what he thinks and doesn't hold anything back. That's one of the things that makes him... well, him.

Through Facebook, he has been sharing bits and pieces of a surgery he has been preparing for since last year, I believe. I thought it would be interesting to sort of document everything on here as well. I really think this is a story others will find to be informative; maybe there are those out there who are thinking about having the same kind of procedure done. He thinks that same way. In fact, he said that's why he has been sharing on Facebook and why he is so thorough in his details (and another disclaimer here, these accounts can be pretty detailed; he is my brother after all).

Anyway, I am not sure how often I will update via this blog. If he keeps me supplied with enough material, it could very well be a weekly thing. There is no plan here, just an opportunity to talk about someone I happen to love very much and am very proud of. And by the way, his name is Tony.

Here's a recent picture of him with his new grandbaby. He likes to call her his little buddy.

And here is a mini-journal of sorts about what is going on in his life (copied with his approval, although the grammar teacher in me cannot avoid correcting mechanical errors... Sorry! I've been without a red pen for far too long. The words, though, are definitely his).

January 25, 2011

Well, today is my 44th Birthday, And everyone that has called or text me, are SHOCKED that I am at work. I haven't worked on my birthday since 1991 and I was in the desert during the gulf war. In fact that night we were being bombed by Saddam. Oh what a fun birthday that was. For the record, I am getting ready to have my weight loss surgery so I didn't want to miss too much work. I am dedicated like that. LOL

Well, I got back from the Doctor, and the countdown is on. My Surgery date will be the 21st of Feb. My last really good meal is going to be on the 9th of Feb. And TRUST me it won't be a TV dinner. Oh, for those that don't know I am going to have Gastric Sleeve Bypass, they are going to remove 80% of my stomach. Hope they let me keep it in a Pickle Jar on the shelf. LOL

February 11, 2011

Well, the countdown is on for this really, really fat guy to have the “let’s make you skinny” surgery. I had a busy day today, EKG, blood work, X-rays, and the class on learning how to shrink up your organs so they can cut 80% of your stomach out.

For the next 7 days, my eating habits are going to really get hammered on. I get a protein shake in the morning, a protein bar for a snack, 4 oz. of meat, chicken, fish I get to pick one, and I get 1 oz. of stupid veggies. then I get another... protein bar for afternoon snack, the for supper it will be the 4 oz of meat, fish, chicken and 1 oz. of veggies. on my 8,9,10 day I will be on a liquid diet of 3 protein shakes and 3 protein drinks. That is it, nothing else. On my 11th day I go under the knife. From Sunday (20th) to Tuesday morning (22nd) I will have NOTHING to drink or eat. Tuesday morning I get 1, yes, I said one piece of ice every 30 minutes. This goes on all day. The ice has a blue dye in it. This way they can see if my new stomach is leaking. There is more to the story but I'll stop now. THIS SHOULD BE FUN

Today is the official start of my 10 day diet before my surgery on the 21st. I weighed in at a tip-toeing 385.0. It was 4:30 a.m. I was wearing just my drawers with about 4 inch of crack showing. I want you to feel like you was right there at the weigh in. LOL For breakfast was 7oz of 1% milk mixed with strawberry flavored protein mix (made by Chike).

So now you can see where this is going. If you're interested, look for the entries with this same title. If you're not, well, just move on to another cup of coffee and cozy up with this one about my two grandmas. If you have any questions and/or encouragement about the surgery (and notice I said questions and/or encouragement... this is not the time for opinions or doomsday predictions), ask away in the comment section. I happen to know my brother visits my blog often and has made a few comments of his own from time to time. He said he would answer any questions he doesn't cover in his Facebook updates.

And with that, my dad is calling me.

And a girl's got to go when her dad is calling.