given eyes to see (the ever changing status of m)

memoryanddream@gmail.com (:: miss m ::) — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:31:00 +0000

Well celebrations about Rand moving were premature. We saw him tonight
and talked tithe nurse again and got another detailed update. He's
been off sedation for three days now. And his movements are merely
"twitch" type motions that are very brain stem, and not actually
responsive, conscious movements.

Physically he's doing pretty well. His heart is healing nicely and
while his remaining kidney isn't really functioning, that's not a real
problem in that it's treatable.

So we're left with the neurological problems. The fact that he's not
waking up is worrisome. We're at the stage where it's hurry up and
wait. Either he will wake up or he won't. And there is no promise that
he will wake up. There is also no promise that if he does wake up, he
will be himself. He could be gone even if he opens his eyes tomorrow -
and that I think is even more horrifying then the idea he won't wake
up at all.

I am really upset. I am already stressed out and running beyond empty
and exhausted and I don't know what to do about any of it. I haven't
had time to do anything at all; just nothing is ever enough time for
everything and day after day i'm getting further and further behind. I
haven't even had time for simple things like blog updates or reading
up on my friends list or updating my jewelery or anything! And I am
getting hours less sleep each night then I need and still...it's not
enough. Things just feel like they're crumbling all around me.

I was on the phone all by myself today at work talking to our clients
and it went well but it's still very dull and repeatitve and I find
myself wanting to call in more days then not. I mean I don't but it's
hard because I so want too. I think if so much else wasn't going on,
it would be easier to deal with that one change and the schedule
change and the loss of free time but with everythig else goingn on as
well? It's really killing me.

Anyway that's tonight in a brief nutshell. Things are bad and feeling
bleak right now and I am really just trashed and feeling pretty ruined.

I'm not sure honestly what to do about anything anymore.

Sent from my iPod

memoryanddream@gmail.com (:: miss m ::) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:00:00 +0000

Just heard rand opened his eyes + is moving arms/legs. Not awake yet but good sign. we see him 2night. Will update then

memoryanddream@gmail.com (:: miss m ::) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:03:00 +0000

Another monday. At work on the phone. stomach mad at me since yesterday. Boo. Oh well only 3hrs to go. Text msg from M

memoryanddream@gmail.com (:: miss m ::) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:33:00 +0000

sorry hit send accisdentaly. also he had to be sedated even further because when they tried to bring him up a little he started shivering which is bad because it spikes his blood pressure. so they had to put him deeper down. and hiw white count is elevated and he has a fever so they are running cultures for infection. they fear the shaking might be neuorlogical but they have ruled out seizures. either way though there are issues at the moment. its really been hard dealing with all of this and the nurse said theres no way of knowing how many months before he may be anywhere near ready for even the rehab stage. anyway things are still really rough. havent had time to update but i will try this weekend for more cohesion and catching up with things.

remote update

memoryanddream@gmail.com (:: miss m ::) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:25:00 +0000

typing on my phone through email so sorry for errors. saw rand last night. there are problems. didnt realize the aorta tear was low and in the abdominal area. when it disected it also took out one of his kidneys. so he has only one and its not doing well. at this point they are not overly hopeful and he may need dialysis forever.

memoryanddream@gmail.com (:: miss m ::) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:45:00 +0000

Omg over two hours so far of confusing boring training videos. Dont understand any of it and it doesnt apply to me even! Arg!! Stiil 1hr more! Text msg from M

memoryanddream@gmail.com (:: miss m ::) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:50:00 +0000

Holy crap its crazy windy out there! Like traffic lights blowing everywhere car pushing crazy wind! Text msg from M

memoryanddream@gmail.com (:: miss m ::) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:36:00 +0000

In Other News...
Briefly, here's what else has been going on the past few days.

Saturday afternoon (before all the emergency stuff with my friend) Love and I ran back for the third time to the eyeglass place. I had picked up the glasses with the unflawed lenses Tuesday night but they were giving me a HORRIBLE "fish eye" distortion. I couldn't even judge depth at first and even after 24 hours of trying to "get used to them" it wasn't working and I was in an isle in Target, dizzy and sick. I switched back to my old pair.

So they tested the focal point and the prescription, measured my pupil distance and all sorts of things. The glasses are to spec but they think the size and shape of the lenses, being so much wider and longer then my current pair are just going to have that kind of distortion for me. And if I am not getting used to it, I need to pick out a new pair. Boo.

Well, that's what I wound up doing. I mean, much as I absolutely LOVED the pair and the color of the frames and such, being ill wearing them defeats the point. The pair I ordered instead has a more golden-brown sort of frame color (the other pair had a more coppery-burgundy color) and they're the same basic shape - still a rounded rectangle - but they're shorter and hopefully won't leave me looking through the blurred corners so much. Unfortunately, they only had ONE lens in stock so they need to order more. Should be sometime maybe this weekend/early next week before they'll be ready and we can try again.

Problem is of course that you can't tell if a lens or the shape of the frames is going to be bad for wearing until it has your Rx in it. They looked fine to me in the demo lenses but of course, that's because they had no strength to them! HOPEFULLY, this pair will work. I really want my new glasses!

Today I'm running over to see Shelly - my favorite therapist from my old job - at 3pm. It's been two months since I've had a massage and the stress of everything going on has taken a serious toll on my neck. I really need it and I'm tired of headaches and such from it these past few weeks.

Work was ok with my calling off Monday so that's good. It's been such erratic training so far that I still am not actually doing the tasks yet that I will be responsible for. I know it's more bearable right now since I can chat with my trainer, Janet, but once I'm on my own, I'll just be sitting in my cube, dialing people and filling out repetitive forms on a computer screen. (A TINY and awful little CRT monitor I might add.) Janet told me she hopes they take advantage of my intelligence and quick wit or they'll lose me because I'm clearly WAY overqualified for the job. That's sweet of her to say. Of course, I don't know how likely it will be to come to pass but...it's sweet regardless.

Rand's still stable. He may be in CSU (Cardiac Surgery Unit) for several weeks we found out as the sedation and such can take several weeks to fully come out of, even if they only have him on it fully for several days. We tried to go see him last night but shift change was 6:30pm-8pm and it was 6:45pm so we just left. Didn't want to wait around that long when he's not even conscious anyway.

Been feeding his cats and such and I'll be running by his house daily to keep an eye on them. They like me best of anyone besides Rand so they'll come out for me where they hide for everyone else.

Alright well, I need to get ready. Just wanted to give a bit of an update of what's been going on in general.

memoryanddream@gmail.com (:: miss m ::) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 17:45:00 +0000

A More Cohesive Explanation Of This Weekend
Just because my posts were so erratic and most likely confusing, here's a bit more of a cohesive timeline of this weekend.

Saturday - Late afternoon Saturday, our friend Rand (who's 42 by the way so yes, this is very young for the severity of his problems!) was apparently experiencing massive pain in his chest, arm, and back. He called 911 and then his mother. Ambulance came and took him to the local hospital. His mom called us to alert us to what was going on but they were going to move him to another hospital so we told her to let us know when he was at the new one and we'd come meet her.

Around 7pm we arrived at the ER of the other hospital. We didn't know exactly what was wrong yet but they were doing tests. Around 8:30pm, we found out he had a complete tear in his aorta and needed to go into emergency surgery right away.

The aorta is the largest artery in the body. It is the main pathway that oxygenated blood travels from the heart to ALL other parts including organs and limbs. They had to cut him from top to bottom all the way down his abdomen and crack and spread his ribs. It's going to be a hell of a scar.

The surgery was going to be 6-8 hours or more. So we were put in a waiting room and waited. Around midnight, a nurse came and let us know that surgery was going ok but that when they got in there, he needed a valve replacement as well. They harvested veins from his left leg. (Adding to the seemingly miles-and-miles of scar he'll have from this.)

He was on bypass - a "heart-lung" machine - for several hours during the procedure as they had to stop his heart to do the repairs. The dangerous part was starting it back up and that was a major hurdle we still had hours to know if he'd pass.

Around 3am they came down and gave us another update. He was successfully brought off bypass and his heart had started beating. He was going to be several more hours in surgical observation and recovery. Love and I got home around 4:30am since the worst had past for the night and no one would be allowed to see him anyway.

Sunday Around 6:30am, we got a call from his mom and step-dad. He was finally in recovery but there was concern about damage done to his kidneys. They didn't know the extent and only time would tell if he would gain function back.

Around lunchtime, we got a call from his mom again and he had to go back into surgery. Tests revealed extensive internal bleeding. We got ready and rushed back to the hospital to meet up with his parents. There are some things they can fix and some things they can't. By the looks in the scans they were worried it was the type that is fatal. But he dodged another bullet and they were able to make repairs and fix a drainage issue that was causing so much bleeding. He lost three liters of blood during the internal bleeding so it was very serious.

By late Sunday afternoon, the surgeon came and spoke with us and was very confident that things were going well now and that everything was looking good. The surgeon had driven in from his home in Brandon all the way to Tampa, performed the surgery Saturday night, driven home wee early hours Sunday morning and then had to come back Sunday late morning/early afternoon to open him back up and manage the bleeding.

We were able to see him briefly in his room in the Cardiac Surgical Unit (CSU) late Sunday afternoon/early evening. He was unconscious but stable. They had him on assisted ventilator; he was breathing but it was helping since he was tending to breathe a little too shallow on his own. But he was breathing and his heart was beating and the bleeding had been contained. Additionally, testing showed at least one kidney was doing pretty good and the other had signs of improvement which was great news. They had him on dialysis and will keep him on for at least a few days to help give his body time to heal. There was concern for awhile he might have total kidney failure. (The tear led to his kidneys being starved of blood and oxygen for several hours.)

Monday - It all hit me hard Sunday night. It all caught up to me and I just couldn't stop crying over the emotions of it all. This morning, I called and left a message for my boss, briefly explaining my weekend and telling him I was going to be out today. I simply was more emotionally, mentally and physically drained then I could explain and just too broken to function. I needed sleep and time and I'm starting to feel a little better but jeez, it's been rough.

Love talked to his mom at lunchtime and Rand is stable. They're keeping him sedated for a couple days but sorta rousing him a little every few hours just to check on him. Love and I will probably drop by for a few minutes after Love gets home from work just to see him. He's still out like I said but it's nice just to check on him.

In the meantime, we're taking over feeding his cats for him since he has two kitties and it's going to be a long time until he's home and able to do that kind of stuff. We don't know yet how long he'll be in the hospital in general but I guess they'll keep him in the CSU for at least two days of monitoring before downgrading him to another unit.

At the moment though, all is stable and long process of healing and recovery - plus physical therapy - begins.

I can't thank everyone enough for their thoughts, prayers and good wishes sent his way. A full 50% of people with aortic tears don't even survive to make it to the hospital and 1 in 4 don't make it through the surgery itself. So he dodged many bullets this weekend.

Anyway, that's the story so far.

memoryanddream@gmail.com (:: miss m ::) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 20:16:00 +0000

Good news. The surgeon came and talked to us and the bleeding is under
control. He's very confident and they have the drains working right
again and it looks really good. He will be on dialysis for a few days
but he's getting some function back so they are hoping it will be ok
too. Things are looking good and stable right now. So thank goodness.

Sent from my iPod

memoryanddream@gmail.com (:: miss m ::) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 18:59:00 +0000

Update - Day 2
Left the hospital around 3:30am. Got a call from his parents at 6:30am. He was in his room and would be under sedation for two days. There was concern about damage to his kidneys. The extent of the damage was unknown and he would have to be on dialysis until they could determine if it was permanent or not.

Today we just got a call that they're taking him back in for surgery as he has developed internal bleeding. This apparently is common in cases of surgery like his - repair to a complete tear in his aorta and replacement of a valve - but they won't know how serious it is until they get in there to do the fixes. Most places they can fix the bleeds but if it's a bleed in his heart, there's nothing that can be done.

We're on our way back over there now to sit and wait with his parents. He's not out of the woods yet, so I thank you for the thoughts and prayers and good energy so far, but please, if you can, keep it coming. My friend, Rand, needs as much love and energy as possible right now.

Thanks guys. More as I know it.

memoryanddream@gmail.com (:: miss m ::) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 08:50:00 +0000

Just got home. It's going to be a few more hours before he's even in recovery so his mom said to head on home. We're going to bed and she'll call us if there's any updates/changes and we'll sleep for awhile for now. Later today, we'll get up and feed his cats for him on our way over to the hospital.

Thank you for your thoughts. I'll update again after some sleep.

memoryanddream@gmail.com (:: miss m ::) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 08:03:00 +0000

Good news update. He is off the bypass (he was on a heart lung machine
during the proceedure) and his heart is beating on it's own and
started right up. It's still going to be a few hours but the worst
part - him coming off the bypass -is over. Thank goodness. Still a
long night and getting very tired at this point but I am so happy it's
going well.

Sent from my iPod

memoryanddream@gmail.com (:: miss m ::) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 05:23:00 +0000

After midnight. Still in hospital waiting for the surgery to finish.
It's been going on since 9pm and could go 6-8 hours total. The nurse
just moved us from one waiting room to another icu waiting room and
she will be back at 2am to update us. He might be done by then but
they won't know until they get further in the proceedure. But I guess
so far it's going well. dangerous part is bringing him off bypass and
that's still a couple hours away. Tough long night so far and it's
nowhere near done yet.

Sent from my iPod

memoryanddream@gmail.com (:: miss m ::) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 01:42:00 +0000

Just realized there is a hotspot here int the lobby. He's going in for
an aerotic valve replacement. It's really serious. This is our good
friend Rand bythe way. We just had loves bday party at his house last
Saturday. It's so crazy and we're kinda freaking out here. If everyone
can please keep him their thoughts and prayers tonight I would really
appreciate it. Just so stunned and a little overwhelmed at the
suddeness of this news.

Sent from my iPod

memoryanddream@gmail.com (:: miss m ::) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 01:17:00 +0000

Update. Friend going into open heart surgery tonight. Please keep him in thoughts and prayers Text msg from M

memoryanddream@gmail.com (:: miss m ::) — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 01:06:00 +0000

At er. Friend came in with chest pains. Not heart attack but dont know what exactly it is. please sne him good thoughts

(remote posting from work)

memoryanddream@gmail.com (:: miss m ::) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:34:00 +0000

(Remote Posting Entry From Work)

It's Friday. I'm at work but unlike the other days this week, my
trainer, Janet is out sick so I'm on my own. It's going to be a long,
boring day because I'm supposed to just review and practice but
without actually *doing* anything or making any actual calls or
changes in the system, it's going to get a wee bit dull. (The old,
"try to look busy while doing nothing" routine.)

Forgot to mention (because honestly, I'm still trying to figure out
how this whole new schedule and thus work/life balance thing is
supposed to even out and I've been way behind and way pressed for
time) that I picked up my new glasses on Tuesday. This time the lenses
weren't flawed, BUT, what she didn't tell me was that the lenses they
were using cause a distortion; a fish-eye effect. At first, it was
horrible and I couldn't even judge distance or depth perception. She
told me to give it a day or two to see if I got used to it. If I
didn't, they have a "high definition" lens as well that eliminates the
fish-eye which they could change it over to for $30. HELLO? Why didn't
you tell me about this in the first place? I would have easily spent
$30 extra buck � a trivial amount truly when you're ordering two pairs
of glasses! � to avoid this nasty effect and have nice, clear lenses!
What the heck? Who wouldn't want the better lenses? Don't you think
they should have, I don't know, maybe asked me if I wanted them? If
for nothing more then a sales upgrade?!

I wore the pair for about 24 hours and while I did get a little more
used to the fishbowl, the distortion just was really making me dizzy.
I wound up going back to my old pair of glasses! I think this weekend,
I may have to run over there and have them change it out. It's just
absurd that they didn't even think to offer me the better lenses! I'm
SO frustrated by this entire thing and their lack of service and
quality control is really aggravating. It's a waste of my time and
money to keep having to drive over there like this. Especially after
being SO excited by getting new glasses � finally! � to have them be a
disappointment is really�well, a disappointment. My sunglasses don't
seem to have this problem for some reason and are perfectly fine. I
haven't been wearing them though since there is a *slight*
prescription change and I don't want to have one pair one Rx and the
other pair a different Rx.

Tomorrow (Saturday) we have our Give A Day, Get A Disney Day volunteer
thing to do. Our original event (a beach cleanup) got cancelled so I
had to look for another one. I want to apply our free day towards the
renewal of our AP's in May so I needed something relatively soon. Of
course, when I booked it, I didn't know I'd be starting work this week
so it kinda sucks that I have to get up early tomorrow morning � AGAIN
� instead of sleeping in like I really rather do. It's about 45
minutes/hour drive away from here and we're supposed to be there at
10am. And then we'll be there until 6pm so it's going to be a long
day. The volunteer opportunities out there are pretty slim picking
though as anything easy/fun goes immediately.

Back to work for a moment, yesterday before I left, I talked to my
boss about whether or not you were allowed to request specific
equipment; in my case an ergonomic keyboard and my Logitech Trackman
trackball. He said yeah and he'd get them for me next week. Sweet! I
can get by on a regular keyboard and mouse if need be, but they really
hurt my hands and wrists after awhile and since I'll be heavy
mouse-driven getting around these screens and updating notes and such
all the time, having them both will be a big help. Most people who try
my specific trackball really can't "get" it right away but for me, it
was just instant and complete love. I drive my trackball probably
miles a day under normal usage and never have any pain or problems.
It's just so natural to me and I look forward to having it here as
well. (I was surprised they didn't have a problem with it given the
fact the trackball is like $60 on it's own. I think though they get
corporate pricing so it's cheaper for them then retail.)

Ugh. Been here 1.5 hours so far and already bored. LOL I don't know
how much better it will be when I'm actually doing the calls and such
that are my job, but at least it will be a goal. There's no goal when
you're on your own and unable to really do any actual work!

It's funny. Everyone is SO amazed at how smart I am and how quickly
I'm picking this up. Makes me wonder who else did this job before me
and how dumb must they have been? Janet was saying yesterday I remind
her of her Gifted daughter and I laughed and told her I *was* in
Gifted in school. If Mom had let them skip me a grade when I moved
down to Florida, I would have been 16 my entire Senior year of high
school but she didn't want me to be that much younger then everyone
else. (I was already a year younger then the rest of my class.) It's
funny though because I think of myself as a decently intelligent
person but I guess I forget sometimes that there's a lot of very
typically, average people out there for whom a strangely large amount
of random facts and information would seem "extraordinary." *laughs*
For example, I was talking to Janet about migraines and the neurology
surrounding what causes them and what happens during an attack and she
was just speechless about how much I knew. Why wouldn't I research it
though? I try and read as much information as possible since I've had
migraines more then half my life now and it only makes sense to be
educated on it and look for ways to help prevent and treat them. But,
then, maybe not everyone wants to learn for the sake of learning the
way I do. I don't know. (I'm not trying to brag but it's just funny
how much everyone is so impressed and it's kinda flattering.)

Janet said yesterday this job is WAY too easy for me and I'm going to
be so bored. I kinda agree with her but there's not a lot of great p/t
jobs out there. I think this is going to be a rather mind-numbing
experience but...for now, I need the paycheck.

(They only have IE here and man, I'm so spoiled by my Firefox
real-time spell check. Hopefully, I've caught any typos but if not,
sorry!)

Ok, I'm SO babbling at this point and it's going to be a rather long
entry as it is and since I lack anything better to do, I could keep
just blathering but I won't. I'll just send for now. No promises that
I won't be posting again later out of bordem!)

memoryanddream@gmail.com (:: miss m ::) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 23:08:00 +0000

Sweet! Earned $25 amazon gc so far! Seriously sign up, search & win. Bonus points from my link http://ping.fm/5LkgA

memoryanddream@gmail.com (:: miss m ::) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:01:00 +0000

Back at wk today. Just finishing lunch. 2 hrs to go in my day. Going ok. Tired. Change in schedule tough to get used to

memoryanddream@gmail.com (:: miss m ::) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:30:00 +0000

Lunch day 2. Going ok. Still a little weird since its such a big change. Worried about it getting boring. Glad off tom!

memoryanddream@gmail.com (:: miss m ::) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 01:11:00 +0000

First Day
Today was my first day at the new job. Not much to report really so far as today was more paperwork/orientation/meet people/set up email/etc. kinda day then really doing any work. I spent about an hour sitting in with the lady who's going to be doing my training listening to her do about four calls. The hardest part will be learning their software which is old and kinda clunky but which is apparently going to be updated at some point. The actual questions are easy but I can see where it will get excessively repetitive.

It's a huge place. I got my security badge today and because there's multiple buildings and because you have to scan to get in OR out, it's weird walking around. There's a cafeteria that sells all sorts of food from breakfast in the morning to burgers, sandwiches and snacks during the day. I get two 15 minute breaks which I can combine into one 30 minute if I want which is what I'll probably do.

Everyone seems nice but definitely a little more..bland? Restrained? Conservative? I don't know exactly the adjective I'm looking for...then my last place. We were kind of a rough, rowdy but good-natured bunch at my last job with a lot more loose way of doing things. It's also weird being in a cube staring at a wall, my back to the row behind me and no natural light to speak of. Haven't done that in awhile. (Like a decade!)

I don't think it's a bad gig and I don't see that there's anything wrong with it, but it's certainly not going to be as fun or easy-going as my last job. I don't think I'll be as free to surf or do other things as I did before and I think the days will feel longer. (Today felt really long even though I didn't really do much.) I don't know if that extra hour makes it feel so long on it's own or if it's the difference in environment I'm not really used to which makes me feel more aware of my awkwardness but today was a long day.

It's too early though to make any real determination if I love it or hate it. Like I said, there's nothing overtly horrible or anything but it's very different and it will take some getting used to. Maybe once I settle in and find my place a bit it will feel more comfortable. I don't know.

For now, I'm back tomorrow on training schedule (9am-3pm) and then I have Wednesday off to rest and recoup. I'm exhausted today and my poor head's been hurting as the afternoon has progressed into evening but that could just be lack of sleep and change of routine. (Or of course it could just be hormones as this of all weeks is also cycle and that blows for trying to start a new job!)

Anyway, weird day today. Let's see how tomorrow goes!

memoryanddream@gmail.com (:: miss m ::) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 01:35:00 +0000

Woke up this morning with a horrible headache. Didn't realize it was
sinus/pollen related until I finally headed outside a few hours later
to discover *everything* covered in yellow crap. The stairs, the
walls, every inch of every car, the parking lot - just everything.
Sometimes, rarely my alleries manifest as a brutal sinus-induced
migraine instead of the more common runny nose/sneezing symptoms.
Because the sinus problems cause an otherwise normal feeling migraine,
I don't always realize the cause. When I got home, I took some
decongestant and it did help a bit.

I had to run out today to pick up my new glasses. They were
technically ready yesterday but with Love's birthday party, I didn't
have time to go get them. I got home last night to a message on my
answering machine from the glasses place telling me to call them - but
no reason why.

So this morning I called them back and they didn't know why I had a
message yesterday but they said my glasses were ready. We got there,
waited like 45 minutes for an available sales rep only to find out the
hard way what they must have been calling about. The sunglasses are
fine but the regular pair are flawed. There is a scratch on one lens
and a "smear" type flaw in the uv coating right in the middle of the
right eye lens. Totally ruining the lens and making it unwearable. It
was so bad that it actually distorted my vision. The saleslady (same
one we had on Friday when I ordered them) was really nice and very
apologetic about it. She said no one wrote down the flaw on my record
so she didn't know until she pulled them out. She said had she known
she never would have had me come all the way down and she would have
called me herself. So no new pair yet. I guess the machine has been
screwing up and they are having it serviced tomorrow. She is going to
hold off remaking the pair for me until it's fixed and will call me
when they are ready. (Probably later this week.) Bummer since I was
really looking forward to having my new pair for tomorrow. You know
start my first day with my shiny new pair.

Speaking of tomorrow... Ugh! I am *so* nervous! I know it's silly but
it's always tough starting a new job. Plus it's been almost three
months since my last one and getting back into a schedule is also
tough the longer you go between jobs, you know? More then anything I'm
worried about the things I can't control and don't know like my
stomach, the hours, the people, if I'll like the job itself, etc. I
just liked my old job so much it's hard not knowing what to expect
this time around. Plus like I don't know how the facility is like are
there nice restrooms? Do I get a lunch break? Is there a kitchen or
area to keep drinks/snacks? Can I stretch my legs when I need to? What
is the dress code? Stupid things like the day in, day out stuff.

Ugh nervous!

I do training from 9AM-3pm but my normal schedule will be a slightly
better 10-4. I just want it to work out and be good

Anyway I am so babbling. I guess I should just stop. I'm on the couch
watching US vs Canada hockey right now which is hard to do typing.

Wish me luck tomorrow!

Sent from my iPod

memoryanddream@gmail.com (:: miss m ::) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 05:24:00 +0000

Busy Week So Quick Update
Here's the Reader's Digest, bullet-point version of my week. :)

Spent a lot of time in the early week preparing for Love's birthday and getting everyone in on a surprise gift for him. (A new cell phone that required everyone to chip in since it was pricey.) He had NO IDEA I had gotten even his friends at work involved! Sneaky, sneaky me! :)

Eye Exam

Wednesday I got my eye exam! Went to the Optical center in Super Target ($55 total) and the doctor was really nice. She was about my age and totally understood about the pupil dilation = migraines problem and did the full exam, sans dilation without a problem. It went so well!
My Rx barely changed (a good thing! stable and steady is apparently what you want) and my eyes look healthy. It's -2.75 with a tiny, slight .25 astigmatism in both eyes.
The only negative is that I have some blockage in my tear ducts that are probably cause my eyes to be drier then they should be (something I hadn't really realized they were "dry" but I do rub them a lot and I tend to think of them "hurting" a little so what I think of that is probably really dryness.) I need to massage my eyelids with a warm washcloth two times a day for two weeks to help try and open up the ducts.)

Love's Birthday @ WDW

Thursday, Feb 18th was Love's 40th birthday. (Yes my guy's getting old. Sadly so I am but there's seven years difference in us so thankfully, I'm not that old yet!)
Love and I were supposed to go to Walt Disney World with his brother and our friend Rand but both of them had to cancel so it wound up just being the two of us.
We did lunch at the Whispering Canyon Cafe inside the Wilderness Lodge Resort on property. It was the first time we'd been to that restaurant and I picked it because (a) we love the theme and style of the Wilderness Lodge and (b) the menu was way up Love's alley with all-you-care-to-eat ribs, chicken, cornbread and a ton of extras. It was really tasty!
Afterward we wandered around the Magic Kingdom for a few hours, caught a few rides and watched the fireworks before heading out pretty early (leaving around 8:45pm)
Friday, we went shopping for Love's birthday party which is a family/friends event on Saturday. Picked up lunch meats, cheese, breads and other assorted goodies. Plus Love doesn't know we ordered him an ice cream cake which is his favorite as well.
Love's birthday party is Saturday at 2pm so that should be fun. Looking forward to having a nice afternoon. We're having it at our friend Rand's house since he has a house and we have an apartment. Much more room at his place.

New Glasses!

Also on Friday I finally ordered new glasses! (I can pick them up Saturday after 3pm.) When I filed my taxes and saw I was getting back a decent amount, I immediately said glasses were priority #1. I still had $150 in gift certificates to a vision store but seeing as my last two pairs were over $800 before discounts, I kept putting it off lacking the funds to get glasses.
My new glasses are a cool, more rectangular frame instead of the rounder ones I've been wearing and I even got a new pair of sunglasses as well. My cost after the gift cards? A mere $127!! Holy crap, awesome deal! (They had a two-for special going on.) Bonus to me!

New Job Jitters

Monday I start my new job. For training I'll work 9am-3pm but my normal schedule will be 10pm-4pm. I am SO NERVOUS about it as it gets ever closer. It's been such a busy, active week I haven't had a lot of time to think about it and I've been focused on Love's birthday but as my weekend is approaching and the days until I start are winding down, I realize how scared I am.
My old job was a small, Mom-and-Pop, family-owned business with like 10 employees total. My new job is a MAJOR company with like 2,000 people or something just at this location! They're global. It's such a change of pace. Can't get too much further apart then these two companies.

Alright well I think that covers the bases of my week. I should shut down and get ready for bed since it's going on 1am at this point and I have to get up and over to Rand's a few hours in advance for party setup.

Hope everyone's had a good week! I'll get pics of me in my new glasses in the next few days as well because I am so going to want to show them off! :)

memoryanddream@gmail.com (:: miss m ::) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 19:16:00 +0000

At wilderness lodge in walt disney having birthday lunch for love. :) Text msg from M