Sometimes it is really hard being a daughter....

trying to make your mom listen to you!

Warning: long vent to follow...

So I get on here tonight to check email and write to Heidi who has been waiting probably impatiently for an email back and I see an email in my inbox from my mom titled Car Accident. I immediately stop my spam deleting and open that up ... mom was in a car accident tonight on her way home from school. She said she was at the red light about 8 blocks from home stopped and she was rear ended by someone going probably 35-40mph from what she can estimate and rammed into her and then took off!!! She said it was rush hour and no one stopped to check on her or stop to offer anything and she was so stunned she pulled over to the side and just sat there. I feel so terrible. She said she is already stiff and sore and that the impact threw her forward and then her seatbelt snapped her back.

Right now she and I are instant messaging and she is STRESSING ME OUT! She said the back of the car is damaged pretty bad but the airbags didn't deploy. Thank the Lord she drives a Crown Vic because they are so sturdy but she doesn't want to see the Dr. because she can't afford the co-pay and doesn't want to worry anyone. HELLO you are worrying me! And I'm not even in the same town, let alone state, where I can go and help her out. She's made me resort to typing in CAPS to her. She says she won't get the damage fixed because it will be ok and she's afraid her rates on her insurance will go up. I give up. I've threatened the old "don't make me come out there" and we are still going in circles.

I understand her concern about the car and rates and insurance because their medical is not the best, they have huge co-pays and I wish I could help them with $$$ but I can't because I'm scraping by myself but she won't listen to me. I asked if she talked to her sister (she's in insurance too) and she said she emailed her but she'd wait till tomorrow, etc etc etc. I've never raised my voice to my mom or yelled at her ... even during the teenage years ... but right now I could just scream and yell at her. This is when it really sucks to not live near them because I can't drive over and make her do all this stuff.
I know in the morning she's going to be stiff and miserable but she won't listen to me. I'm going to email her sister and make her talk to her. I have been in a few accidents where I was rear ended, one about 2 blocks from where she just got hit where I was rear ended by someone when I was at a dead stop and I was sore and stiff and had bruises for several weeks and had to get seen.

Once thing I have learned this evening is that I now know who I inherited my stubborn streak from ... my Mom.

I feel better venting now. If you read this and stuck with it, thank you. If not, I don't blame you one bit. I am sure if I were not so emotional over the monthly visitor it wouldn't be as bad but that just compounds it.

The monthly visitor

First of all, thanks for the sympathy and comments. It always helps knowing everyone else deals with it too!

Twin, I'm sorry your visitor arrived today too ... I guess we really are twins. I hope your aunt isn't here with a vengence like mine.

I had never used Thermacare wraps before ... but I went and bought some last night and I have been living with them since. I can't believe I didn't buy these sooner! I am in love with them. The best thing invented since Coldstone Creamery cake batter ice cream!

Today wasn't as bad as yesterday ... although after reading TCOYF I am starting to see signs of impending visitors and different things that were my "warning signs" that I never paid attention to before. Without much TMI here, like a headache I get every month about 3 days before, always thought it was odd. Plus the usual signs but I always attributed the headache to work or lack of caffine ... it's amazing.

Anyhow, I have a small rant to post but I'll reserve another post for it.

What your underwear says about you

What Your Underwear Says About You

You like your underwear to make you feel girlish and pretty. Let's hope you're a chick. You're comfortable in your own skin - and don't care to impress anyone.

The Underwear Oracle

A couple of vents

Disclaimer:
I have severe cramps to the point of contemplating getting my parts removed and forfeiting having children just to make them go away.
I had to go to the post office this morning.

Disclaimers over ... if you are still reading you must be used to me or not too *skeered* of what's going on.
I knew *it* was going to start and am used to cramps but never to this magnitude. I have never taken a sick day from work because of this problem but actually thought about it this morning. I took some asprin and stocked up the asprin and supplies and came to work. Thankfully my awesome co worker and friend Dawnn had sympathy for me and gave me one of those Thermacare heat pads to try ... so far so good. I am feeling kinda toasty warm so we will see how well this works.

I went to the post office this morning to FINALLY mail my swap borders, 2 albums for 2 trades and the pictures from home I've been sitting on. I knew prices had gone up ... but didn't expect that 1 album with no pages! would be $7.00 to send parcel post, and the other album with pages was $13.00 to send!!!!!!!!! I about died right there in the post office. I was so mad but had no choice because I had to get them out so I did it but have sworn to never ever mail stuff again. I know this will not happen but hey it sounded good at 7:45 this morning!!!! And to think I got out of bed early for that!

Update on the heat pad ... I can really feel it now ... if you want to come touch my belly it's really hot! and not that kind of hot! *lol*

Here's wishin ya'll a better cramp free day!

Cheerios

I am not a cereal person ... I don't eat it, don't like milk in it, etc. But a month or so ago a friend at work had Yogurt Burst Cheerio's, the strawberry kind. I thought hey why not and tried a handful ... well I'm now on my third box.

I am addicted to them. I buy a box and put some into a baggie and bring it to work for breakfast snacks. It is so yummy. They also have vanilla but I am too stuck on strawberry to try the other. I finished the box this morning and need to stop and get more tonight.

From a non-cereal eating person, I highly recommend these!

My weekend in review

I was figuring I'd have a pretty low key weekend, nothing planned and in desparate need of cleaning house.

Saturday after Abbie woke me up (see prior post) I decided to put some Kenny on and start at one end of my place and work my way to the other cleaning. It took several hours but was so worth it. I felt a sense of accomplishment when I was done and couldn't believe how nice and clean everything looks.

Today (Sunday) I got up and was just going to do laundry and hang around the house. I did laundry and got a call from my friend Jean and we decided to go to the galleria and see a movie. I got there a bit early and thought I'd check out Kohl's to see if anything was on a great sale as I desparately need work clothes. I found the 70% off rack and they had short sleeve Sag Harbor sweaters on sale, normally $34 on sale for $10.20. I couldn't believe it so I got 3 in different colors. The great thing is they go with khaki's, dress pants, skirts, etc. Plus they are lightweight enough I can wear them in the summer to work. I was so pleased with my $30 purchase!

Jean and I saw 'Rumor Has It' starring Jennifer Anniston, Kevin Costner, and Shirley McLane. It was really funny. I liked it and would recommend it if you are looking for a movie to see. After the movie we went to Coldstone Creamery ... I love that place! I got cake batter and raspberry sorbet mixed together in a waffle cup. Heavenly. She got German chocolate cake with lots of extra chocolate syrup. All in all a good weekend for not having anything planned! Unfortunately work returns again tomorrow ... but I will survive.

Also, I am not a big fan of AOL but since I don't pay for my service I keep them. I think I found 1 redeeming quality ... on AOL Radio they have XM Nashville and I just turned it on here while I'm online and so far I have heard 4 songs I haven't heard in 5 years or more. I was so impressed! They play old and new! I think AOL has *almost* redeemed themselves!

Concerts

As previously mentioned I am going to see Keith Urban on 2/11 (I did see him when he was playing in Garth's band) and it got me thinking about other concerts I have been to. I decided to see if I could get a list together.
This is in no particular order and I am sure I am forgetting some along with some artists I have seen several times.

Here goes:

Kenny Chesney
Stevie Nicks
Aerosmith
Montgomery Gentry
Kelly Coffey
Carolyn Dawn Johnson
Sara Evans
Phil Vassar
Chris Cagle
Garth Brooks
Trisha Yearwood
Faith Hill
Reba McEntire
Terri Clark
David Kersch
Linda Davis (Reba's backup singer)
Tim McGraw
The Warren Brothers
Bryan White
LeAnn Rimes
Lila McCann
Alan Jackson
The Judds
JoDee Messina
Diamond Rio
Brooks and Dunn
Trace Adkins
Randy Travis
John Michael Montgomery
The Wilkinsons
Chely Wright
Mark Wills
Clay Davidson
Martina McBride
Steve Wariner
Joe Diffie
Chris LeDeux
LeAnn Womack
Deana Carter
Clint Black

I know there are several more and I can't think if their names right now :) I am going to publish as is and will add them because I am sure soon as I publish this I will remember!

Ok so I have remembered at least 4 more since I published this post ... I knew it would jog memory. I think I am still missing a few more so I will add those as I remember ... and for my twin I moved our Kenny to the top billing *wink*

Photos from Trip Home Part 2

The Space Needle:


Pike Place Market ... this is the fish mongers .. you know them as the guys that throw the fish. They are lots of fun to watch and talk to!



The Pike Place Sign:



I have lots more photos but I thought this was a good start :)

Photos from my trip home Part 1

I finally have the pictures all uploaded from my trip home ... well most of them. I thought I would share several of them here and try not to make this like your uncle's-sisters-boyfriends-friends-cousin slide shows from a vacation where you could care less! *lol*

Me in front of the Space Needle:


Me again!





My twin Heidi :)

Starbucks

I can't believe I have blogged this long and this is my first real Starbucks post. My twin Heidi is what reminded me of it after I saw her picture of her at Starbucks I realized I had to get mine out here too!

I grew up real close to Seattle land of Coffee and home to The Original Starbucks. I've always liked coffee and as a little girl I used to have coffee with my grandpa. One of my earliest memories with him is me sitting on his lap in his recliner with my little kid sized china cup with my coffee and a sugar cube in it and being told that to drink out of a china cup like a lady you must have your pinky finger extended. I remember thinking it was funny because he had a work accident several years before and part of his right pinky finger was cut off, so his would always stick out. I also used to get dressed up and do 'beauty ups' with my grandma and we would have coffee or tea like elegant beauty-up ladies that we were. I guess I've always had a love for coffee.

Even during high school I would drive to school and would stop in the mornings and get a coffee on may way, usually some sort of a Mocha or Latte. In the summer I would switch to iced mocha's. I also would go up to Seattle for the sole purpose of getting a Starbucks from the original Starbucks.

When I went home last month and my twin Heidi came down for a weekend her requirement was she wanted to visit the original Starbucks and so after we got there this was our first order of the day and of course had to have photo taken in front. Oddly enough, my drink in my hand is not coffee ... it is a Vanilla Bean Frappachino but still awesome! That morning I already had some caffine and didn't need any more of it.

Now that I've moved away I've been fortunate to have Starbucks near me, the closest one being 2 blocks away and within a 10 mile radius I can tell you where 5 of them are. Not bad even though I miss the coffee stands on every street corner and parking lots of grocery stores and strip malls like they have out there in WA.

Yes, another Kenny Chesney post =)

By now you've probably realized that I am a Kenny Chesney fan ... and if you hadn't, well then you may be even more blonde than I!

Anyhow, I thought it only fitting to share my prized photo of when I met Kenny Chesney before one of his concerts.

Please try not to drip drool on the keyboard, it can cause short circuiting =)

Some people's cats ...

I love my furry child Abbie alot but right now she's working the nerves. Saturday mornings I sleep in, on a good morning until 10 or 11am. This morning she decides no not going to happen and wakes me up at 7:45. (I didn't get home until 3 from Dawnn's and stayed up till after 4 to read) so I was not pleased. I tried to ignore her but she's too smart for that and jumps up and stands on my hip as I'm laying on my side and howls. For a 7 pound cat she's got lungs! So I sit up and talk to her, soon as I do this she turns into nice sweet Abbie again and starts purring and "talking" in her little cat chatter and then jumps down and fetches a toy and brings it up. She wants to play.

I'm sorry but I don't get the luxury of sleeping 18-20 hours a day like she does. I finally threw her the toy - and still being half asleep forget she fetches - and I lay down and back comes the toy. I finally took the toy and shoved it under my pillow and turned away and pulled the blanket over my head and ignored her. After about 10 minutes I heard her jump down and run out into the living room and play with her plastic donut toy - very noisily. I finally gave up and got up just before 9.

I don't think she has taken a nap all day! Right now she's running around playing with her plastic ball with the bell in it. A few minutes before that she had a mouse ...

I know most parents wish their kids would take naps and are exhausted ... is it wrong to be exhausted wishing your cat would take a nap?

I'm a bad blogger ...

I hadn't posted since early this week. It was pointed out to me by someone that I was a bad blogger for not updating my blog. It's not like I haven't wanted to, I just haven't had time :)

So here's a recap of my week ... or the semi exciting things at least ...

I am going to see Keith Urban in February! He is coming to Lansing and I knew about it for some time and said no you can't afford it Emmy don't go. Well I still can't really but I got a spot bonus at work so I decided to put some of that towards tickets and asked a friend to go with me and I am now the proud owner of 2 Keith Urban tickets! Now I'm excited and want February 11th to be here fast!

I got my borders done for the Traveling the US/Major US Cities Swap I signed up for back in August/September :) I got them done with help from Dawnn who has saved my butt on them ... so if you were in that swap and think that Idaho and Orlando borders suck ... talk to her =) They don't suck, they are awesome! I am just glad to have them done. I felt a sense of done-ness (is that even a word?) when I ziplocked the last baggie and shoved them all into this oversized puffy envelope and put them on the kitchen table to go postal on Monday. Now I can't wait to see what comes back to me :) I may have to post some pictures of them because I think they will be awesome!

Not too much else went on this week ... I am on a high priority project at work, have been since before Christmas with 2 other co workers so that has been consuming most all of my time at work. We had it originally finished in time, turned it in for review, etc. and then the head cheese peeps came back with, 'why not this instead of this?' so we dropped everything and attacked that, then partly through that got shifted in a total 180 degree towards something else in the project. Our poor boss is pulling out her hair right now I think because she has had to put everything she is doing on hold to work on this too. Then at about 4:45 yesterday we find out we can stop what we are doing as we are going to play the corporate politics and bypass a few on the ladder and just go to the top. Not a bad thing in this case. So now we have a totally new direction to go on this that is different from what we have been doing. So looks like an intersting Monday is shaping up :)

I think that is it for now. I have some more randomness to post but I will do that after I refill the Cherry Coke =)

More random stuff I case'd =)

[A is for age:] - 27
[B is for booze of choice:] - Margarita's or Cosmo's
[C is for career:] - Help Desk Analyst
[D is for your dad's name:] - Dave
[E is for essential items to bring to a party:] - Board Game, Munchies
[F is for favorite song at the moment:] - "Living in Fast Forward"
[G is for favorite game:] - Clue
[H is for hometown:] - *sorry will not release that info at this time*
[I is for instruments you play:] - Hmmmm nope I'm not that talented, but I do play the radio well :)
[J is for jam or jelly you like:] - Raspberry
[K is for kids?] - Not yet
[L is for living arrangements:] - Apartment
[M is for mom's name:] - Jan
[N is for name of your crush ] - Kenny :)
[O is for overnight hospital stays] - When I was born and when I was 5 and had pneumonia at Christmas.
[P is for phobias:] - Spiders
[R is for relationship that lasted the longest] - 6 years
[S is for sexual preference:] - Hot guys :)
[T is for time you wake up:] - Alarm goes off at 7:10, I'm rarely up before 7:25am
[U is for underwear:] - Pink high cut today
[V is for vegetable you love:] - I don't love vegetables but I will eat lettuce
[W is for weekend plans:] - Cropping
[X is for x-rays you've had:] - Teeth, wrist, knee, ankle
[Y is for yummy food you make:] - Red Velvet Cake, Taco's and Enchilada's
[Z is for zodiac sign:] - Taurus

Random info about me ...

I saw this on another blog and had to case it ...
2 Names you go by:
Diane
Emmy
2 parts of your heritage:
Norweigan
French
2 Things that scare you:
Spiders!
Never getting married
2 of your everyday essentials:
Internet
Cherry Coke
2 Things that you are wearing right now:
Old Navy fleece pj pants things
Tennessee Vols TShirt
2 of your favorite bands or musical artists: (given that Kenny Chesney's a given on that list!)
(at the moment) Bon Jovie
(all time) The Beatles
2 Things you want in a relationship (other than true love):
Honesty
Sense of Humor
2Truths about me:
I am a procrastinator
I always have my toenails painted
2 Physical Things that appeal to you (in the opposite sex):
Great Smile
Eyes - bright and smiling
2 of your Favorite Hobbies:
Scrapbooking
Photography
2 Material Things you want really badly:
A Canon Rebel Digital Camera
New bed and bedroom furniture
2 places you want to go on vacation:
Carribbean
Australia
2 Stores you Shop at:
Meijer
Target
2 Stores you like to Shop at when traveling to the big city:
I think am in the big city ... but ok
Bath and Body Works
Barnes and Noble