Thumpin' Thestrals!!!

 

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AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So... I woke up this morning to a text from my Squirley (BF from home) telling me "we need to talk." My heart just dropped because she's been planning on coming to visit me in 2 weeks (around the time Deathly Hallows 2 comes out) and I was just sure that she was about to tell me she couldn't come after all... I got out of bed, went downstairs (Ben was still asleep) and prepared myself for the big letdown. She then tells me that no, she's not coming anymore... BUT that I'm going out there instead!!!

SAY WHAT?!?!?!

Yeah, exactly!!! She's flying me out to NYC instead of coming herself! Apparently she and Ben have been plotting this for over a month now!!! They wanted to keep the ruse going a little bit longer but being the control-freak that I am, I was getting a bit over-zealous in all my plans for every minute of every day of her stay, and they didn't want me buying tickets for things so yeah... she had to tell me, LOL! (I then ran back upstairs and started jumping up and down on our bed squealing to the high heavens... Ben couldn't stop laughing!)

So yeah, how refreakindiculously AWESOME are they?!?! I am still in shock and have walked around with a silly grin on my face all day! I haven't been home or seen Shirley for about... 7 years now? It will be a short visit but I am going to relish every second, I am SO excited!!!!

Oh, and yeah she's got our midnight tickets AND tickets to take me here as well! WOOT!!!!

Whoopsie!

(This pic is for you Kim!)

A few things I learned today:

1) If you are allergic to cherries, DO NOT eat them.... no, not even "just one or two!"

2) If you're going to be a turd and eat them anyway, for the love, WASH your hands before doing something silly like oh.... rubbing your itchy eyes!

3) If you see what looks like a contact folded in half smack in the middle of your eyeball when you know for a fact that its NOT a contact because you are wearing glasses... well, for one thing, don't poke and prod it with the aforementioned unwashed, cherry-fied fingers!!!

*sigh* Where's my sign? ;)

SO... now for the story. Ben and I had dinner at his parents house tonight. Cherries were on the menu. I LOVE CHERRIES. I'm also allergic to them. They make my tongue and throat itchy. If I eat enough of them I end up with bubble lips. But I love them... loooooooooooooooooove them! So when I saw them, I knew what I was doing but promised myself that I'd stop at the first sign of an itch. It only took 2. I should have stopped there but I had 1 more and prepared myself. Sure enough my tongue started itching... then my gums... then the roof of my mouth, and then my throat. Crud! Oh well... I started gulping water and scratching my tongue with my teeth and figured that was that.

A little while later my left eye started itching. I rubbed it. It kept itching. I rubbed it some more. Then it started tearing and got all blurry. I tried to ignore it but eventually I couldn't see squat out of it and it felt like I had a major eyelash or something in there. I went to look in a mirror and my first thought was, "Why do I have a folded over contact in my eye?" Then my brain caught up and I realized... uh, that's no contact. I poked at the weird transparent folds and ripples on my eyeball and it finally dawned on me what I was touching. A very swollen cornea that was folding in on itself every time I blinked. Yikes!

I called my eye doctor/old boss to make sure this was nothing urgent. While it didn't hurt, it was very uncomfortable and felt like my eye was going to fall out with every blink... really nasty sensation. I ended up having to go get some eye drops, took some Benadryl, and got an icepack on it right away. Fortunately the swelling has gone down considerably, though I still can't see very well out of that eye. I should be good as new tomorrow, but if I'm not, it shouldn't be anything some steroid drops can't fix. Phew!

Lesson learned... No more cherries! Or... maybe I'll just wear gloves next time, heehee ;)

Dog vent... no, not mine!

If there is one thing I will never understand, its how/why some people let their dogs ride on the backs of pickup trucks on busy roads. Despite what magnetic-paw superpowers they think their pups might have (or incredible balance or self-control or whatever) dogs have been known to fall out and CAN get hurt! That to me would be the obvious reason not to do this, but today I was reminded of yet another.

As I was driving to school this afternoon, I came upon a pickup truck with a beautiful Australian Shepherd in the back. Not only was this dog in the back of the pickup, she was running back and forth on top of one of those metal toolbox thingies that come up higher than the lip of the truck bed! She was even standing up on her hind legs and resting her front paws on the roof of the truck!!! All the cars around me (myself included) slowed way down and I bet we were all thinking the same thing- "Oh please don't let me be the one to A) run over that dog when it falls off or B) get into an accident trying to avoid that dog when it falls off!" We were all keeping a distance of about 4-5 car lengths between us and that crazy shmuck driving this vehicle.

SERIOUSLY dude?!?! Ok, so let's just say that this guy couldn't give a rat's fart about his pup's safety ... what about US, his fellow drivers?!?! I mean come on! No one wants to see a dog splattered all over the road, much less be the one to run over it OR drive into oncoming traffic/a pole (etc) trying to avoid it! If I were a cop I would have pulled him over and cited him for reckless driving and/or whatever else I could get him on, including endangerment of an animal! This can't have been the first time the dog did that, and knowing how it behaves and the increased risk it puts everyone in should be one more reason to either keep the dog in the cab with you or leave it at home!!!

Still, best case scenario- your dog is well mannered and sits quietly in the back? Congratulations to you. That doesn't mean he/she couldn't go flying out and get run over (or cause accidents) if you have to make a sudden stop, turn, or get into an accident yourself. I recognize that I am super paranoid about doggy safety and all, but this is something that transcends even my paranoia. It's about our responsibility (not just as dog owners) as drivers to keep the road safe for ourselves and everyone around us.

Sheesh people, use your brains... Grrr...

Caramel Corn Disaster!

My sister-in-law Tiffany makes the BEST caramel popcorn. So good that I dream about eating it on occasion... seriously. Today was one of those days and so I decided to try my hand at caramel popcorn making... after all, how hard could it be, right?

I should have just called her and asked for the recipe...

Instead, I just went to one of my go-to cooking websites, Our Best Bites thinking all caramel popcorn recipes would be the same, minus the added bells and whistles like nuts, etc. The recipe in itself wasn't difficult to follow but things just didn't turn out quite right... first the sugar seemed to be overcooked ( I followed the exact time... I believe my microwave's "high" is a lot higher then hers) and then when I added the baking soda it turned the wrong consistency. ( marshmallow jet-puff instead of thick yet pourable) I plugged on, hoping it would be alright in the end. However, instead of being soft and gooey it got rock solid before I was even able to get it mixed in well. By the time I was done, it had hardened into a huge ball of not so yummyness. I could have cracked someone's skull open with it... not to mention some teeth, so with not much coaxing from Ben, into the trash it went. *sigh*

I then decided to try another recipe altogether. One that calls for you to melt everything on the stovetop rather than our crazy microwave. I was surprised to see how much these recipes varied! (I was happy to see that this one didn't call for baking soda) I am about 90% happy with this recipe. It turned out gooey and soft like I wanted it too but we'll see how it hold up overnight. If it's still soft tomorrow I will consider it a success.

Tiff's definitely tastes better though... I will still have to beg her for it!

Go figure...

Yesterday was my first day at Integris and I was SO hoping I'd get through my first day without making a fool out of myself... but this is me we're talking about, right? *sigh*

So we had this one patient that had a trach and was wearing a cervical collar due to a neck injury. The poor guy was having a really hard time because his trach was getting clogged up with his thick secretions/sputum so every once in a while the nurse or respiratory therapist had to go in there and suction all that crap out. Anyway, my charge nurse (who knows I'm in school for nursing) asked me to help her since my morning hadn't been too terribly exciting and the coolest thing I'd gotten to do thusfar were some finger sticks. So I gowned up because he was an isolation patient (he has MRSA) and put on my gloves, and face-shield mask. His room was REALLY hot... the thermostat was above 85, I believe. It hadn't been a problem the previous times I'd been in there with him that morning because vital signs and finger sticks take all of 3 minutes, so you're in and out. However cleaning out this poor guys trach took a lot longer than I expected. She had me hold his head perfectly still while she took his neck brace off and then got to work suctioning, cleaning, and replacing all his little doodads. She asked me if I was getting grossed out, but honestly it was actually pretty cool. Ten minutes into the whole thing he started getting really uncomfortable (since she had to keep suctioning again and again after cleaning around it) and grimacing a lot. I felt terrible for him and tried to smile and be comforting but then I realized all he could see of my face were my eyes, which probably weren't very comforting-looking anyway. Then he started curling up and shaking and coughing and gasping like crazy. The nurse said it was normal but it was just too much for me at that point, I think. I'd already started to feel really hot because of the isolation gear but all of a sudden it felt like 110* in there. I knew I was starting to have a little freak out so I focused on breathing and telling myself to hang on. My arms were starting to shake a little from holding his head absolutely still in that position for that long and then with him writhing and gasping and looking at me with his eyes bugging out... that was it. I started getting this funny ringing in my ears and the the spots started. I knew I was going to pass out but I was SO embarrassed and trying to hold on, but it's like time just slowed down and it was taking forever... I couldn't feel my legs anymore and could hardly see (except for the flashing spots) so I managed to say something lame along the lines of, "Uh... I think... I need some... air... real quick..." I don't know what I looked like but she took his head and told me to strip my stuff off and go get some water. I made it to the break room just in time. I was sweating and it took forever to get the ringing in my ears to stop. I sipped on some Sprite and just wanted to die... seriously, on my first day? Way to make an impression, huh? Doh!

Afterwards, they came and checked on me and I apologized profusely. I felt like such a shmuck... She was really nice and told me it happens to everyone, especially when you are new. I tried to explain that it really wasn't the gross-factor, it was the heat and seeing him writhe around and gasping and looking so freaked out and scared that did me in. I don't think they believed me and still think I just got grossed out... *sigh* So now I feel like I have to prove myself... reassure them that I have the intestinal fortitude to be an NA and someday an RN.

Other than that, my 1st day was great! I had a blast! I got to see some nasty stuff (none of which bothered me, argh that's SO frustrating!) but it was really cool. My feet were killing me when I got home and I passed out on the couch at about 8:30 but man, I can't wait until Tuesday!

How's THIS for a stocking stuffer?!?!

Totally random and useless info

Catherine Zeta-Jones is Welch/Irish. She is not Hispanic in any way, shape, or form. I did not know that until today and was flabbergasted when I found out. She doesn't look it. Anyway, not that anyone cares, but it was news to me! And now you all know too, if you didn't before, that is.

Thanks Ava! :)

W-O-W

Just... WOW.

Kseniya Simonova is a Ukrainian artist who just won Ukraine's version of "America's Got Talent." She uses a giant light box, dramatic music, imagination and "sand painting" skills to interpret Germany's invasion and occupation of Ukraine during WWII.

Like Momma like son

I took Sirius to the vet today because he's been acting strange since last week. Not eating, laying around looking all pathetic, not wanting to jump on the couch/bed with us, tummy probs, etc. Ben took him to an after-hours clinic last week and they said it might be an infection or he might have thrown out his back. They gave him antibiotics and pain meds and figured one or the other should work. He got better for a few days and then last night he was acting strange again. He could barely make it upstairs to bed and his tongue was really pale/white-ish. That really got my attention so I took him in to see Dr.Mauldin today to get this figured out once and for all.

Turns out he threw out his back! Odd, I didn't really think dogs did that. I mean, I know they can have bad hips and knees so I'm not sure why I was surprised, but I was.He ran some bloodwork too and the white tongue/gums were a sign of pretty bad dehydration, so they hooked him up with 300 cc's of fluids under the skin on each side of his back. Poor thing looked deformed when they handed him back to me, 2 big bulges on each side.

He's ok though. We have to take him back in a week for a follow-up to make sure it's better after some R&R and some anti-inflammatory meds. If not, he may need some X-rays to rule out any disk herniations etc, but we're hoping that won't be necessary. Ben says he's just wanting to keep me company since I'm always hurting my back, LOL!

Dis-gust-ing

I just got home from school tonight and Ben was ready to tell me about this story. I hadn't even heard about it until now, and ironically it hasn't been spoken of in my Nursing class... hmm, I think I shall mention it tomorrow.

I am appalled. Absolutely 110% disgusted and beyond words with frustration for these 2 honorable nurses who were doing their job, that is protecting their patients!!! It is a sad day indeed when you lose you job, get thrown in jail and slapped with thousands of dollars of fines for following the Ethics Code of Nursing. There are laws that are supposed to protect nurses against reprecautions for whistle-blowing, but sadly enough, the DA in Kermit, TX believes he is above such laws (more info here).

As a future nurse, this is really disturbing to me. I will be following this closely and hope and pray justice prevails for these two nurses who were just doing their job and placing their patients' well being and safety above their own.

ARGH! GRR!!!

The Girl in the Bubble strikes again... and other EXCITING NEWS!!!

I'm really good at hurting myself... really, really good at it! A few days ago I managed to jam my pinky finger and man, that hurt! The next morning I woke up and it was killing me, so I cautiously flexed it and heard/felt a loud and nasty "pop/crunch!" I decided to buddy tape it to my ring finger and see if that would help... After a day or so the swelling kinda went down and although it still looked bruised I figured I was on the mend... until today. I jumped up a little too fast from bed and had a little encounter with my ol' buddy orthostatic hypotension. (Sorry, I know I could have just said head rush, but I'm enjoying using medical terms now!) I started blacking out so I reached out to brace myself and smashed my pinky against the bookshelf by the bed. AHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Ya'll know I don't have a potty mouth, but I almost let a few choice words slip out... Oh man that killed! So I decided it was time to get something a little more sturdy to protect my poor little re-injured pinky finger... It looks funny, but I'm fairly certain this could withstand another smash or two... which knowing me is bound to happen before this thing heals up... *sigh*


By the way, its really annoying and cumbersome to type with this thing on so I'm very grateful I waited until after finals and my 16 page Psych paper was due before I busted my finger!!!

Ok, so now for the exciting news.... Matt's home! :)


This is my lil'bro-in-law. (Not so little, I know... he's taller than me!) He got home last night from his 2 year mission in Tijuana, Mexico! We're so glad he survived and made it home in one happy piece, albeit charred to a crisp, heehee... Welcome home Matt, it's good to have you back!!! YAY! :)


I have more exciting news to share (NO, I'm not pregnant.... ha! That'll be the day...) but I can't share it just yet, lest I spoil the surprise for those whom I'm planning on surprising... which is obviously a secret. Not that they read my blog... but just in case, right? I'll blog more about it tomorrow evening or Friday... more likely Friday since tomorrow will be a long day. Anyway, stay tuned and I'll post pics... Again, it's really not that interesting to anyone other than me, really.... but I'm excited so I had to get something out! :P

Read before you swallow!

I've always been really particular about reading the pamphlets that come with your Rx's and tell you about all possible side effects, drug interactions, etc. I always read them... always.

Except today. Why? Because I've taken drug X a gazillion times, which means I've read that piece of paper a gazillion times. Then what's the big deal you might ask? Well... I'm on a new medication now that I wasn't on all the other gazillion times I took drug X... can you see where this is going?

It's 1:15 am right now... I should be in bed asleep, but instead I'm sitting here, trying to keep myself awake because I am itchy all over and and have broken out in hives. Drugs X and Y don't like each other much. Normally, I would reach for drug Z (you know, Benadryl) but it just so happens that drug Z also interacts with drug Y, and the fact that drug X makes drug Y much more potent increases the odds of drug Y and Z causing me to stop breathing in my sleep...

So... I'm trying to stay awake, to make sure the itchiness and hives go away soon, per the pharmacist's orders. Basically, as long as it doesn't get worse (ie. my tongue swelling) I'm ok, otherwise its off to the ER with me... *sigh* I'm trying to avoid that right now.

Hmmm... maybe its time to pop in Twilight/Harry Potter/HSM/Mulan again. This is going to be a long night... *yawn*- slap!

PS> We saw Push tonight, it was good. I'm not an action flick kind of gal, but it was pretty decent. I kind of wish they'd make a sequel.

Girl In The Bubble

That's my official new title... even here at work. I wasn't feeling well earlier this week (after retrning to work) and while I expected that to happen, turns out I ended up with a fever (again) and am now on antibiotics for yet another infection... woohoo! My doc knows I tend to get secondary infections whenever I'm on antibiotics (especially in combo with the steroids) so he's pre-empted another call from me and called in a sleuth of other meds just in case... lol. Seriously, this 2nd Lap was supposed to be easier than last time and it's turning into just about the same, if not worse!

Work is going... school is going... I'm still plugging along, and just telling myself things will get better... eventually! Some days I just have to laugh at myself because its just all too ridiculous!

Ben is my hero... he is such a trooper. I would have chucked me out to the side of the street by now if I were him... Thanks babe! :)

Second verse same as the first?

Two years ago when I had my first Lap, I encountered a few bumps in the road during recovery. I developed a couple of secondary infections and a horrendous rash all over my belly, chest, and thighs due to what we *thought* was the Dermabond or surgical glue used on my incisions. Prepared with this info, we went into this surgery knowing not to use that and my doc just stuck with regular sutures to close the wounds. I was beyond relieved since that rash (more so than any of the other things) had been the worst of my post-op complications.

Guess what showed up a few days post-op? Oh yeah... the rash. (Not to mention another bout with those other 2 secondary infections again) Are you freaking KIDDING me?!?! I tried hydrocortisone cream for a few days hoping it would just go away but to no avail. I talked to my doc today and he was really surprised to hear about it because not only had he not used the Dermabond, but he'd also switched to a different kind of antiseptic surgical wash that is more hypoallergenic, just in case it had been a combination of things that had caused the rash. I am just as flabbergasted as he is... what in the world is causing this? No clue! Unfortunately, whatever it was is wreaking havoc on my body and it looks like I'm going to have to go back on steroids to make it go away, like last time... which took weeks to clear up :(

Argh...

Today's pick me up

I'm home sick today due to a poorly timed fever and stomach bug. Three days prior to my surgery and I get sick? Seriously, this is just ridiculous. It's viral and so there is nothing they can give me to get me better by Monday, so I've been ordered to rest as much as I can and keep an eye on my temps. If I still have a fever on Sunday, my surgery is canceled. :( These past 6 weeks have been really rough and my countdown to Monday was pretty much the only thing that kept me going, so the thought of having to reschedule it is freaking me out. I have to admit... I'm pretty bummed out and on the verge of panic.

On the bright side, I found this just now which definitely cheered me up some! For those of you that are not familiar with New Moon, this is a pivotal scene in the book. For me, its the only part that makes New Moon worth the read, as I find the first 3/4 of it much too painful to get through. (Explanation of scene below)




Edward has run off to Italy to provoke the Volturi (the Vampire law enforcement- basically a royal vampire family that makes it their duty to keep their existence a secret. Anyone that threatens to expose them gets dealt with quickly) into killing him because he thinks Bella is dead. Overdramatic vampire that he is,Edward is planning on walking out into the Voltera Piazza (plaza) at noon when the sun is at it's highest point and take off his shirt in front of the townsfolk. (SM's vampires sparkle in the sunlight because their skin is like diamonds) Bella arrives just in time to sprint across the piazza, through the big fountain, and slams into Edward who thinks he's already dead and has just been reunited with Bella. She then forces him into the shadows so that no one notices his sparklies and the Volturi won't attack... except its too late. DUM DUM DUUUUUM! :) They don't actually kiss in the book when this happens, but I'll forgive them this little fudge. Oh, and those black dots all over RP have something to do with the CGI sparkle effect. At first I thought he'd grown a whole lot of moles all of a sudden, lol! Oh, I should add that the townsfolk are all in red cloaks because they are celebrating St.Marcus Day so they (and the town) are all decked out. Anyway... enjoy!

Voltaren... might as well be a city full of vampires!

A few months ago I posted that due to some recent clumsiness, Ben had nicknamed me "Bella" and this past week I have definitely lived up to it.... again. After just 2 weeks I managed to land myself in the ER once more today. Over the weekend I slipped and fell at Ben's parent's house (rain+ crazy little dog running circles around me= disaster!) and hurt my knee. Last night we went to Mercy After-hours to get it checked out b/c it was killing me and was swollen/bruised etc. Turns out it is sprained, how nice. So I'm in a brace and on crutches with a referral to do some PT for it for a few weeks. Simple enough right? Well, yes... but when you're Alex (or Bella) nothing is ever that simple.

I had to go and have an adverse reaction to the pain meds/NSAIDs they gave me last night, pass out in the bathroom at work today(can you say embarrassing?!?! Nothing like coming to surrounded by a bunch of people freaking out), and land myself in the ER again. Ben took me to the doctor and my blood pressure was all over the place so he sent me straight there. The offending meds? Tramadol + Voltaren (I couldn't remember the name and kept calling it Volterra, though no one other than Ben thought it was funny!) Guess I won't ever be taking those again...

Seriously... why does this stuff always happen to me?!?! I know I can't get an Edward out of this, but how about an Alice? Is that too much to ask? Everyone can use a little Alice in their lives, no? At least then I'd know when danger was coming and could avoid it...well, maybe... :)

Seriously?!?!

So Percocet and Phenegran make for a very sleepy Alex, which doesn't exactly mix well with getting behind the wheel of a car and driving to work, right? No worries, I haven't been driving under the influenec of narcotics people, come on now! (I'm an insurance agent, really!) Anyway, so I muscled my way through work today sans-happy meds and it just wasn't cool. The pain I have become accustomed to grinning and baring it, but the pukes? Not...so...much... Talked to my doc today and he called me in 3 more meds, one of which was the much loved Zofran everyone raves about. He says its supposed to work really well (better than Phenegran) without putting me to sleep. The catch? It's expensive!!! So he called me in the generic to help with costs. Hooray, right? Riiiiiiiiiiiight... until I see how many 15 pills cost me! (Mind you they only gave me 15 but really the supply is supposed to be 90. This will make sense in a minute.) $70 for 15 pills!!! I was told the full 90 would run me another $150....eeeek, thank goodness for our FSA...phew!

Oh wells, hopefully these little golden pills will be worth it. At the very least make the next few weeks a bit more bearable until my surgery, which in theory *should* make my life a lot more bearable! :) The exact date is still a bit fuzzy, but that should get squared away here pretty soon. Hooray for modern medicine and itty bitty little incisions! :)

ByeBye Carrabas :(

Yesterday was my birthday, and so Ben wanted to take me out to dinner at my favorite restaurant, Carrabas. I was sooooo excited, we haven't been there in months (probably closer to a year, actually) since we've been on the Dave Ramsey plan, paying off debt and whatnot. Anyway, so I'm just estatic, right? I was already imagining all the nummies I was going to eat... (their Mezzaluna is just esquisite!)
On our way up there, we stopped by Ben's parents' house and when they asked where we were going to eat and we said, "Carrabas!" thats when my whole day was ruined...

"But they closed down."

............. WHAT?!?!?!

*sigh*

I guess we have no choice but to make the 2 hour trip to Tulsa now, since that's the only place Carrabas still exists here in OK. Back in the day when the OKC location wasn't open, we'd take long weekend trips up there mainly for that. Oh, the lengths I'll go to for some good Italian food... I just hope we can make it up there before the Tulsa one closes down too! :/

Other than that, my b-day was relatively uneventful. We had our first assessment at work and I scored a 96%, woohoo! (Who likes to take tests on their birthday, ugh!) Ben came up for lunch (yay!) and after I got over the shock and grief of no Carrabas, we had a nice dinner at Texas Roadhouse. :)

I'm toxic... still.

It's been over three years since I was last able to donate blood. (I used to do so quite frequently, I have always loved it for some odd reason... Ben thinks I'm crazy) I couldn't donate because of all the hormones I was on while TTC, then because of my surgery, and then because of the Lupron (a chemo agent)! Last month I became eligible again (it takes 6 months for the Lupron to completely leave your system) and I've been soooooooooooo looking forward to today's blood drive at church!!! Finally, something my body could do correctly and make itself useful for, right?

So I get to church and start going through the paperwork as per usual. I get to the "deferal due to medications" section and there was Lupron, but no biggie right? It's been over 6 months, I'm set! My blood is clean and good to go! EXCEPT that right next to Lupron (it used to be the last one in that section) now was Aygestin... I just started taking Aygestin about 2 weeks ago because my prior Endo treatment plan was giving me horrendous migraines.

Apparently Aygestin is new to "the list." It's level of toxicity is equal to that of Lupron and means I have to wait until 6 months after my last dose before I am able to donate. I was soooooooooooooooooooooo MAD! I seriously went back to my car, texted Ben and cried all the way home. It was like Christmas being canceled...

I'm sure you are all thinking I'm crazy. Why get so worked up over not being able to go get poked by a needle and bleed into a bag for 7 minutes? Odd, I know. I guess it doesn't really make very much sense to anyone but me. Being able to donate again was one of the "bright sides" to having given up trying to have kids. It also meant my body was finally good at something again, and not a complete failure, like I often feel because of all the problems it gives me most of the time. It was my way of feeling "normal" again after 3 years of feeling anything but normal.

Oh well... I'm not sure how long I'll be on Aygestin (seeing as it is one of only 2 options for a long term Endo management plan) but until then OBI will not be wanting any of my blood. It's really too bad actually, since I've got O+ blood which is rather useful, but I guess not so much when it's all toxic and whatnot.

Maybe I should get a t-shirt with a biohazard symbol on it, lol.

You know you've overdone it on the Twilight front when...

... you start having recurring nightmares about James coming to get you! ;)

Last night I tossed and turned and had another one of those dreams where you wake up, roll over and continue dreaming right where you left off...several times! I was in a hotel hiding out while James was on trial for trying to kill me. (Apparently in my dream he hadn't been ripped apart by Emmett, Jasper, and Alice?) Carlisle and Edward were there as witnesses and while I was waiting in my hotel room, I get a call from Carlisle urging me to stay put because James got away while the jury was deliberating and Edward was off tracking him. He (Carlisle) was on his way back to the hotel to watch over me in case James tried to do me in again. I, of course, was terrified and became much more so when Carlisle's cell dropped the call and the last I heard was that he was on SW 29th and Meridian (here in OKC, so apprently we moved away from Forkls?!?!) which seemed too far away for comfort.

I woke up at this point, pretty disturbed. Rolled over, kinda laughed at myself and fell back asleep.

I was still in the hotel, frantically trying to reach Carlisle again. His cell went straight to voicemail. I tried to tell myself that it was because he didn't want to be overheard talking to me just in case James was close by (tracking him back to me) and could hear him. I don't remember how much time passed but I was starting to panic b/c in my dream it had been quite a while and Carlisle should have been there by then.

I woke up again. Still pretty disturbed, rolled over again and tried to think about something else other than Carlisle, James, and Edward. Fell back asleep eventually.

Once again in dreamland, now I was in hysterics because it had been hours and still no sign of Carlilse OR Edward. I was still alone in this hotel, windows shut tight, door locked, lights off- terrified that any moment I'd see James' red eyes and his freaky smile. Now MY cell wouldn't work either. All of a sudden my door bursts open and in come a bunch of people that look vaguely familiar, but none of them vampires. It took me a second to figure out who they were, but in the meanwhile, they turned on the lights and brought in food and drinks and were really loud and happy. I finally recognized them... they were all contestants on American Idol! The runners up from previous seasons! Ace, Bucky, Constantine, the be-boxer guy whose name I can't remember, etc etc.(there were like 15 of them) Apparently I had won some contest and got to meet them and help them with their new albums?!?! Yeah... so here they were in my hotel room, completely oblivious to the fact that I was surely about to be murdered by James since Carlisle and Edward were nowhere to be found and I (as of yet) possessed no extraordinary powers as a pitiful human being.

Guess what came next? Oh yeah, I woke up... again! By now I was actually starting to feel less disturbed and more intrigued. AI contestants?!?! Where would this dream go eventually? Once again, I rolled over and tried to fall asleep quickly, hoping I could pick right back up.

I got lucky! So again I'm with all these AI singers and we're just kinda rockin' out and they're making me sing (in my dream I could sing, it was awesome!) and for a while I'm oddly content and lose track of the time. Eventually I realize a few hours have gone by and its almost dawn and still no Carlisle/Edward. I start trying my phone again and to my surprise they (the AI people) start telling me to not worry, and just come and have fun, etc etc. I got a bad feeling. All of a sudden it hit me... The were IN on it! I'm not sure how I knew, but I just knew that James had sent them to keep me busy while he intercepted Edward and Carlisle and then came for me one last time. At this point I just freaked. I started crying and oddly enough, it wasn't because of Edward anymore... I was so sad that I wouldn't get to see Carlisle again?!?! Hmm... yeah, not sure what happened there, but there it is.

I woke up one last time, totally frustrated and mad at my dumb achy back for ruining this for me! That was kinda sucky, because I really wanted to finish up and either A) die so this dumb run-on dream could end once and for all or B)watch James get his trash kicked (somehow) and then I could see Carlisle... no, wait, Edward.... no wait Carlisle? I don't know...

In any case, I shut my eyes really tight and tried willing myself into the continuation, but this time it didn't work. ARGH! I'd done it 3 times already, why couldn't it happen once more? Grrr...

*sigh* Oh well, I guess there's always tonight, right? Wish me luck! ;)

PS> Yes, I know that the AI contestants being in on it makes no sense... If they were human (they had to have been because they looked normal, felt normal, smelled normal) I'm not quite sure how they were alive if they'd actually MET James, seeing as he would have killed them? Yeah, I know... weird, but then again what part of this dream wasn't?