Chocolate Fixes EVERYTHING!

Boy! What a week! I didn't think this week would ever end!

For the last month or so, my office has been going through MAJOR changes. First, there was the new carpet and paint throughout the entire front offices. My office was last to be done because of all the desks, files and cabinets.

About the same time the carpet and paint started causing havoc, one of my billers left for greener pastures. We decided to take our time in hiring someone new in hopes of finding the perfect person to fill her shoes. Interviews did not produce anyone we were interested in hiring.

Finally, I filled the position with the help of a temp agency. And, I am so happy to say, my temp is doing really well! She's completed two weeks with us and not only is she doing a good job for us, she still wants to come back.

So, the carpet's laid, the walls are painted - a color I do not care for, but that's another story - I've got a great person working my vacant position.

Oh, did I mention? My corporate office has decided to convert our hospital charge and billing system. See, my facility has used a non-corporate program for more than five years, and they want us on the same program the rest of the corporation is on. I can't blame them, but they wanted this conversion completed by October 1st. I've been trying to work all these changes, plus do my regular work. And yesterday, my receptionist decided the work she is doing for us is not what she wants to be doing. She's taken a job at AppleBee's, and gave her two week notice.

Add to all this, my mom went into the hospital on Monday for a total knee replacement surgery. I've been concerned about her, she's doing great. My daughter too, has a medical procedure coming up, I've been waiting to hear from her about when this will happen. She called today and will be in the hospital for an outpatient procedure next Wednesday, in Southern California. She told me I didn't need to be there with her.

There's been good news this week... I cancelled my home phone service and added an additional line to my cell phone family plan with my old home phone number, saving myself $40 a month. I also had my auto insurance agent go over my policy, re-run it and found an extra $100 a month plus added coverage for the contents of our home. Then, I decided enough was enough, and I found an individual medical plan which will cover my son for more than $400 less a month than my employer group plan! And, this morning someone, a chocolate angel, filled my candy bowl in my office, full of chocolates before I got there! Life is good, busy, but good.

For Mom

Lately, I have been having fun making fun-fur knitted scarves. I've made several. One, I made special for my mom, using olive green metallic Fun-Fur together with a multi-colored Boucle yarn in the same olive color base.

I also purchased a picture made with scrapbook copper pieces that represent Love, Hope, and Faith, matted and framed. It is very girlie, very simple, and very nice.

Taking some colored tissue paper to wrap the boxed frame work, then tying the scarf around the outside, and wha-la! A sparkley wrapped gift for my mom was ready!

Today's my mom's birthday. My son and I got up earlier than we normally do on a weekend, to meet my parents for breakfast out. Gosh! It's been years since I've had breakfast with my parents. It was good to be together.

Mom loved her scarf! And she's already decided where she wants to hang the picture.

Monday, my mom will be going in for knee replacement surgery. The procedure is not supposed to take too long, she should be out of recovery and up to her room after a few hours. It's serious enough that she will need to be in the hospital for a few days. My dad will be there with her. Being on standby for my daughter's upcoming surgery, I hadn't asked for time off for my mom's surgery to be with her. I know my dad will be by her side. I will be able to time off during the day to see my mom, after her surgery. I'm praying everything goes well, and after all the recovery time, I hope my mom will be able to walk again!

Game Day

Photo Courtesy of BSU

I tried to find something to do this weekend, looking at concerts, festivals, plays, shows... and there's nothing, but Boise State University football! That's alright with me. BSU was my school, and I'm a huge BSU Football fan. Always at the last minute, we decide to go to one of the home games. Last night when I checked for tickets, they were sold out. That's 30,000 tickets!

BSU has kept their winning streak going, winning their season opener 45 - 0 against Sacramento State, August 31. Then going on to win against Oregon State 42 - 14, September 7. And winning 17 - 10 at Wyoming, September 16.

Tonight, the game starts here in Boise, at 6pm against Hawaii. Last year's game against Hawaii was played in Honolulu, Boise State won 44 - 41. Today's game should be a good match and great game. I'll be having a tailgate party on my couch in front of our big screen tv. Go BSU!

Half Time Update: BSU leads 27-14 over UH.

Final Update: BSU wins 41-34 over UH. Good game!

Change Is In the Air...

Fall is upon us.

Yorkies

So, I get these mailers, every so often, of beautiful Yorkie figurines. I don't know if my name and address have been sold by AKC or what. I only get Yorkie flyers, no Pugs, no Retrievers. So, I'm thinking, it's got to be something to do with the AKC when I register my dogs? I don't know.

Anyway, I normally throw these flyers out after looking them over. They're always something really cute, but not something I would really purchase. Then, a few weeks ago, they sent me a flyer of a life size, bronzed cast iron Yorkie! Perfect! My imagination found this Yorkie figurine sitting proudly in my front yard, near the porch and flower bed.

Well, that was a couple of months ago...

Today, my son calls me at work, he NEVER calls me! He says, "WHAT did you buy!? Did you get a new computer? This huge box came today for you."

I'm trying to think fast... I can't remember buying or ordering anything. "It's big?"

"Yes, it's big!"

"How much does it weigh?"

"About twelve pounds, box and all."

"Ooohh! It's a Yorkie!" I remembered.

My son about died. ANOTHER Yorkie!?? He protests, "We have enough Yorkies!"

Trying to calm him down, thinking, yah right, I had a live Yorkie shipped, clear across the US of A, in a box. "No, no, it's a full size, bronzed, cast iron Yorkie figurine for the yard."

"Mom, you're nuts!" And he hangs up.

What A Fun Day!

Every September, the Boise Art Museum holds their "Art in the Park" event, full of crafters and food vendors. This year's event is the 52nd annual! The weather was perfect, the park was great. Trees shaded most of the many booths that set along the Boise River at Julia Davis Park. We had parked at the mall, across town, and road the bus into the park.

One of the first booths we came across was the espresso booth my son has been working all summer at different events. Today, he was home, doing homework, but I met his boss for the first time. Turns out, my friend went to school with my son's boss, since junior high. They're old buddies!

My friend and I wandered through the park a couple of different times to be sure to see all there was to see. The many different aromas of food drew us in for a taste, mmmmm! Pronto Pups and fresh made strawberry lemonade. We found my friend's son's booth, a local favorite ice cream parlor's booth. He's such a cutie! He and my son are the exact same age, born the very same day, more than 17 years ago. The boys have known eachother since they were just three years old.

There were so many different craft ideas, so many nice ceramics, paintings, photography, most anything you could think of was there. Oh! And the dogs! Seemed most everyone brought dogs, all sorts of dogs. Some had two or three. Wow!

Back at the mall, we found a shop to get my ears pierced. I first pierced my ears when I was twelve years old. Years ago, I let my ears close up, and wanted to get them pierced again. I picked out princess cut studs in white gold. I like them!

Girls Night Out...

Last night, I joined my friends at a big screen premiere of Broken Bridges starring Toby Keith, Lindsey Haun, and Kelly Preston. A couple of my friends listen to the local country radio station at work and play all the contests, calling in and winning all sorts of things. This time they won 4 free tickets to this premiere showing. We waited at a nearby coffee shop until it was time to go in for the show, sipping our coffees and catching up on old times. The movie was real good and our time out was real good too. The live premiere came via-satellite from the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. Next, they want to win Brooks N Dunn tickets. (I'm a rock n roll gal, but I can do these new country sounds.)

I love this collage of my daughter. I've been thinking about my little girl a lot lately. I spoke with her doctor yesterday. He was very, very nice, very knowledgeable, giving me information, and answering my questions at a level I could understand. This specific type of cancer cell is normally, a very slow moving cancer. He says we need to remove the cells that can turn to cancer, as soon as possible. I asked, just how much of my little girl would he be removing. They need to take a margin of good tissue around the bad tissue to make sure they get all the pre-cancerous cells. The size of what they need to remove is two inches long and one inch wide. The doctor said he would need to go a few millimeters deep. He said this should be done in the hospital under general anesthesia, and will cost anywhere from $5k to $10k. Can you believe that? Of course, my daughter is worth every penny!

August 21, 2006

She's my baby girl, and she was 25 years old a couple of weeks ago. I cannot believe I have a child this old, but at the same time, I'm so excited about the young adult she's become. We've had a rough year or so, in our personal relationship, but we seem to have worked things out. We talk most every night now, via instant messages, and cell phones with no long distance fees.

This last Christmas, she moved from Seattle, Washington, to Los Angeles, California, to follow her rock and roll dreams. Then, a couple of months ago she had some lab work done after not feeling well. One of the lab tests came back abnormal with cells in a pre-cancerous state. She will need to have these cells removed so that they do not develop into full blown cancer cells. I want to be with her when she goes in for surgery to remove these pre-cancerous cells. I've been assured she will be fine, but the procedure, as with any surgery, will be uncomfortable and she wants her mom to be with her.