things i like and dislike about hurricanes

So first off is the disclaimer -- I have absolutely no right to complain at all -- we had the means and the ability to evacuate and CHOSE to stay in town for Isaac.  That said, here are the things I liked:

1. Listening to the wind and rain (cat 1, so not horrific!)
2. Reading by candlelight (the first 2 days)
3. Remembering how to get around in the dark (before I had LASIK I had this sort of inner-radar thing going on and was able to navigate the house in the dark without my glasses/contacts)
4. Tom's ingenuity -- he'd purchased a HUGE generator after Katrina -- we lost NOTHING in the refrigerator due to melting or being off temperature (we lost a head of broccoli from lack of use!). He enabled us to charge phones and other devices, rigged up the TV, washer and dryer and strong fans to make the house bearable -- he'd just about finished rigging up a window a/c when the power came back on
5. Playing card-games with my girls
6. Finished ALL my library books -- especially after remembering and finding the book-lights we had
7. Just being at home
8. Going to church Sunday
9. Celebrating Tom's b-day 

Things I disliked:

1. Showering in the dark (actually it was rather funny this morning -- the power came on while I was in the shower and Abby came to tell me it was on.  I let out a "whoop!" and had her call Tom and Maggie who were out buying MORE gas for the generator.  Then I realized I could turn on the light and did so.  THEN I realized I could also turn on the exhaust fan).  Bliss.
2. Cooking in the dark -- made spaghetti on Wednesday, the day it made landfall
3. Doing laundry in a serial fashion as only one big appliance could be run at a time -- wash clothes, dry clothes, then wash/dry second load.
4. House smelling like a locker room due to the fact that it got hot and humid and towels and bathmats weren't able to dry out
5. Having what seemed like EVERYONE else getting power on faster than we did
6. Trying to figure out what to do considering the fact that Tom's leaving for Holland tomorrow and we didn't have power yet this morning AND the girls go back to school tomorrow (plan was to get a hotel room for the three of us)
7. Not being able to enjoy my coffee
8. Feeling slightly "sticky" all the time

Considering there are more things I liked (also see previous post), I suppose it wasn't so bad.  Today was the first day I really felt like crying from frustration and everything.  All things considered I'll stay again for a cat-1 (maybe cat-2) and the biggest lesson I've learned is to include in the supply list PAPER PLATES (doing dishes is NOT one of my likes!).

Hope your Labor Day is wonderful -- I enjoyed a "normal" day including going to my yoga class and going to the grocery.......

things i like about the time leading up to hurricane isaac

Gotta put something positive, no?  So here's a list of things I'm liking so far:

1. Sleeping in on a Tuesday morning
2. NOT driving to/from school
3. Staying home all day (yep, I'm a home-body) -- though I may be tired of it Thursday!
4. Cooking with Maggie
5. Eating supper as a family
6. Feeling prepared yet still somewhat cautious
7. Watching the wind blow (not really loud yet!)
8. Not having time constraints

That's all I can think of for now!  Stay safe and I'm sure I'll come up with thins I DON'T like before this is over..........

Summer Holiday 2012

So, how'd we spend our family vacation this year?  We headed to North Carolina to spend 2 weeks.  The first week we were joined by my aunt, cousins, and their families for a "reunion" of the Tolar clan.  First time we've all been together since my gramma's death in 2006, so it's definitely a long time coming!  Great to see those we haven't seen in a while and so fun to see the kids interacting.  Had a funny moment when I overheard my mom and aunt talking about "the kids" and realizing that my sister, two cousins and I are no longer they.  Been replaced by 7 others!  The reunion week was spent playing on Lake Norman with swimming, tubing, and fishing being done to a great degree.  We spent on HOT day at Carrowinds amusement park riding coasters and lots of other rides.  My sister, cousin and I spent a day shopping at the outlet mall.  Others hit the furniture mart and Tom and my cousin traveled to Greensboro one day for some genealogy research.

The day my aunt's family left for home Abby and my sister's kids took a session of waterskiing lessons.  It was difficult to really watch from shore as there were 5 or so boats and they had to spread out so that the water was smooth for the new skiiers.  The kids each got up on the skis and reportedly had fun.  After we got back to mom and dad's, Tom and I headed out for a much-needed r&r holiday alone.  It's been a couple years since we've had an opportunity to be alone together for a length of time and we enjoyed it.  We stayed at a hotel in Greensboro and partook of the spa services there as well as trying out and enjoying the services at Hand and Stone spa.  Definitely a great way to spend time off!  We headed back to mom and dad's to enjoy a day with my cousin Amanda who lives in Charlotte.  She'd been to Carrowinds with us, but this was more of a relaxation day.  While Tom and I had been gone the girls had tried out my parent's latest toys -- a kneeboard and a wakeboard.  We got to see them do both and, for the biggest surprise of my recent life, TOM did the kneeboard!  Meanwhile, I stayed safely in the boat.....

Here's some of the photos..... 

Brigdens

Abby showing her skills on the wakeboard

Abby 

  

Maggie and Abby

Maggie and Abby

Maggie

I hadn't known there were turtles in Lake Norman -- Taylor caught a HUGE one!

Mom had a "big" birthday -- Tom's showing the latest way to wear party hats

My guy

The proof!

Tom and Maggie

Kneeboarding is tiring

Mackenzie doing yoga with me

Maggie and me

Hope your summer holidays were just as special!  School starts this week.........

really quick!

I have 20 minutes before heading to pick Maggie up from work to take her and Abby to the dentist.  Crazy busy summer, spent mainly driving daughters (or having daughter drive me) all over the city.  But it's certainly been productive.

First major project has been re-doing 3 rooms in the house plus replacing "my" chair.  Tom and Maggie painted 2 rooms, we re-carpeted the same two rooms, sold the old furniture, moved Tom's office upstairs (to co-exist with the guest room rather than the tv room) and bought new furniture.  Mom was here to see the new stuff and we continue to progress -- still haven't landed on a "solution" to Tom's book collection (he'd like glass doors on shelves and we're pricing options) so they're stacked in the dining room.  Less chaotic than before, but getting there.  The third room getting a face lift is the master bathroom -- decor circa 1984 when the house was built.  Not doing anything about the (small) size at this point in time (it's an interior room, we're on a slab, cost, cost, cost), but redoing cabinets, tile, walls, and countertops.  Should be much better!

Second project has been getting Maggie to drive as much as possible.  She'll be 16 in March, and we'll be ever so much more happy with her behind the wheel knowing she's got a LOT of experience.  She drives to/from work every day (with me as passenger!) and anywhere else where family is going.  Even drove to the airport to pick my mom up!  She's again working at the JCC summer camp with the kiddos going into first grade.  This year she's doing it to accumulate her required volunteer hours (100) for graduating high school plus a bunch of extra ones.

Abby's summer projects included summer theater camp and swim team.  Mom flew down to attend all three performances of Aladdin.  Abby was a fish-mom and a jewelry peddler.  She made it to the district meet this year in the "country club" league, but didn't qualify for the city meet.  Mom was able to attend the meet on the west bank this year 2 July and was a really GREAT SPORT considering for half the meet I was working inside the air conditioning as an averager.  And Abby got to cool off in the water!  She's also adjusting to her new braces and doing well with them.....

As for me, I continue to do what yoga I can daily and try to keep the old muscles strong.  I return to the orthopedist in September and I think that will be time for considering "next steps" as the slight improvement experienced from the synvisc injection seems to have tapered off a great deal.  He's thinking the next step will be some arthroscopic work to clean out "stray" pieces of torn cartilage before we move into full joint replacement.  Quite frustrating, but a test of faith and patience.  Sigh.....

Enjoy the rest of summer!

Monthly entry

There seems to be a (bad) pattern developing wherein I only seem to get this updated once a month.  Like most of us, I seem to let almost anything else become a priority, even sitting and playing "words with friends".  Sigh.  In any event, here's the update!

School ended for the girls in May.  Abby was out a full week before Memorial Day and spent the week before that holiday in Chicago with my mom and dad (they take the grandkids to a location of their choosing when they finish 6th grade).  The saw Blue Man Group and Jersey Boys, did Navy Pier, went to the museum and, of course, SHOPPED.  We had a couple quick visits with mom and dad before/after their trip -- due to the girls' finals' schedule, they came only a couple days before the departure and left for home the day after they got back to attend the wedding of friends.  Mom will be back for the performances of Aladdin that Abby will be in this summer.

Abby's also begun swim team.  The first meet is tomorrow.  She (like I think I would!) prefers the practicing to the competition.  Seems to be a family trait to prefer competition with one's own performance to that with others.  She also got her braces.  She'll only need to wear them for 12-15 months, but seems to be managing ok with them.  Definitely not her favorites, though I think she enjoys using them for an excuse to not eat much meat (not a favorite of hers!).  And, best news of all is that she managed to squeak by and gets promoted to 7th grade in the fall.

Maggie finished her freshman year of high school on the Tuesday before Memorial Day weekend.  Since Abby was out of town, we were able to do some fun things together -- out to lunch 2 days, massages and pedicures, and the annual doctor's visit (one of these things doesn't quite fit!).  She kept busy with friends Memorial Day week as she's started both summer running (6am) for cross country and work (counselor at the JCC summer camp) this week.  AND she's completed the driving portion of driver's ed so we need to go get her learner's permit.  Scary thought! (sorry about my thumb - I was trying to be surreptitious!).

Tom's been traveling with his new Shell role.  He spent most of last week in Boston at MIT and spent time previously in Washington DC.  Not quite as much travel (yet?) as when we were first married, but it's definitely a change.

As a family we hosted a garage sale this past weekend.  Although we still have quite a bit for the vets to pick up Friday, we managed to sell almost all the big items.  WHEW!!!!  Secret is to price to sell and make "deals".  Now we need to replace what we sold!  Maggie and Tom did the really heavy lifting of the furniture items (Tom keeps me somewhat on injured reserve due to the hip, though Maggie and I think I carried as much weight with all the other stuff I carried outside!).  Abby was in charge of putting the prices on items.  It was HOT but there was a nice breeze and, best for me and Abby was that we could leave at noon for violin rehearsal (recital coming up at the end of June).  Tom even provided delivery service for a couple people.  He was gone at one point when I was going to pick up the pizza, so the girls ended up bicycling over to pick it up.  Maggie rode my euro-bike with it's "tray" in the back so she could bungee cord the pizza to it.  Unfortunately, she took a bit of a spill on the way home (onto the grass) due to the fact that the bike is adjusted to my legs, not hers.  She wasn't hurt and laughed about it and the pizza came out fine.


As for me, I returned to the orthopedist Monday morning for the 6 week review of the synvisc injection.  I'm no longer in pain walking/standing, but don't have full range of motion.  Overall I'm pleased and ok with the current status.  If I can stay like this for 6 months, the doctor says it's worth doing another round of injection.  If not, he wants to try some arthroscopic clean up.  Ultimately the joint needs to be replaced.  In the meanwhile I'm keeping the muscles around it strong with the exercise I'm "allowed" to do -- yoga, swimming (not as pain-free as I'd anticipated, but I do a bit of it), elliptical, mat pilates, and now I'm "allowed" to add a bit of walking, perhaps once a week.  I go back in 3 months.  My other accomplishment is completing the year long commitment to reading the Bible chronologically that some members of my church undertook this year.  I was asked to create a blog for this journey and did that, almost as haphazardly as this one!  I've since purchased a new chronological study Bible and started reading it again from the beginning.  I think this will be my 5th time through the entire book, but am not sure about that!

Another month.....

And of course it's been busy!  I recently came to the conclusion that although we talk about various times of the year as being "so busy" that, in reality, EVERY time of the year has its own share of busy-ness.  Gets so bad for me that when I do have a couple/few hours of quiet and someone makes another request that I react badly.  Sigh.

In any event, the weekend after Easter we enjoyed a short visit from Tom's mom and her husband.  They live about a 9-10 hour drive away and there's not an easy way to fly from there to here, so we're so thankful they made the effort to come down and participate in some of our busy-ness!

The following weekend my parents came down (11 hour drive this time -- again how we appreciate it!) to enjoy Abby's grandparent's day and participate again in the busy-ness of our life.  Maggie went to Baton Rouge (with Tom and my dad) early Saturday morning to take the Geometry test for the State Rally.  Mom, Abby and I left a bit later to meet with them at an outlet mall in Gonzales.  Enjoyed some Starbucks while waiting, then the boys headed back home and the girls went birthday shopping (a bit delayed, especially for Abby!).

So we were able to see all sets of grandparents 3 weekends in a row -- gotta be a record since the girls were quite little and we were living in Houston!

Meanwhile, Tom has started a new role at Shell and is settling in well.  Back to external technology research for the purpose of making recommendations for the company to take up.  He's traveling more but we're pleased that we don't have to make a move while one is in high school and the other is rapidly approaching it.  There's no ideal time to move, and while New Orleans hasn't been my favorite location, I'd rather get them both in college before heading out!

As for me, I FINALLY have gotten some treatment and (praise God!) relief from my hip pain.  I was going back and forth with the orthopedist and pain management doctors trying to find out the status and kept hearing that it hadn't been approved yet.  It finally became my check-in with the orthopedist.  And while we ended up there THREE HOURS, it finally got resolved -- one of those cases where a code got entered incorrectly, a key person (insurance company liaison) was on vacation, and no one kept the ball in the air.  The PA at the orthopedists got the injectionist's office on one phone and the insurance company on the other and got it resolved.  3 days later Tom took me to the hospital for the injection.  They're using Synvisc, which is derived from rooster combs, to effectively lubricate the space between the bones that in normal joints has cartilage.  They'd told me I'd be unable to drive until the next day, so I was anticipating something to relax me.  No dice.  They drove me on the gurney to the OR and had me move myself onto the table.  Covered me in a sheet and had me pull down my pants.  Cleaned and got ready for two shots (first to numb, second to treat) directly into the hip joint directed by xray/fluoroscope.  Back to the gurney and back to the room where Tom was, a drink and snack and wheeled to the car.  When my friend dropped Abby from school that afternoon, she'd warned Abby that mom might be loopy -- nope.  Stone cold sober and without any discomfort until that evening.  Improvement wasn't immediate, but now it's been 16 days and I'm quite pleased -- I can get into and out of the car more easily (Tom's sedan is a bit more tricky when I'm driving as it's the left hip).  I can walk without pain.  I can go up the stairs without putting weight on the railing (or even hanging on to it!).  Still discomfort when pivoting on the joint or sometimes rolling over at night.  And it gets stiff when I stay in one position too long.  But I'm pleased and hope it continues to help delay the eventuality of a total joint replacement.

Enjoy the beginning of summer!

Easter

We had a wonderful Easter weekend. Maggie was off school on Thursday and she and I decided we HAD to get our nails done (duh!). Went to collect Abby from school in the afternoon and relaxed in the evening. On Friday the three of us got in the car to head to Houston. Unfortunately I managed to get a speeding ticket -- I suppose I'm a bit thankful that Tom got a ticket recently for an illegal u-turn so that he wasn't able to harass me too much. I used it as a learning opportunity for my soon-to-be driver, instructing her on what to do when you're stopped (get out the license, registration, insurance) and how to be polite to the police officer even though you're irritated that you were the one stopped when "everyone" in traffic was going to same speed (sigh). I'm also thankful that he didn't keep us too long as they are sometimes wont to do -- 10 minutes later we were again heading west.

We arrived in Houston about 2:30 and met Tom and his brother Troy at a Starbucks (Tom had been in Calgary for work the week before and Troy had kindly picked him up at the airport). Tom and Troy headed to meet a lady who'd written about one of their ancestors and the girls and I headed to Rice Village for a bit of shopping. Tom met us there and we headed down to where the rest of his family was gathered. His youngest sister has a brand new baby as well as a 4 and almost-3-year-old which, of course, were the highlight of the visit! I did my fair share (and probably then some) of "helping" by holding the new baby, William. We enjoyed dinner out and the four of us headed to our hotel after a long day of travelling.

Saturday morning we headed back to Kay's house and spent the day visiting with family. My brother-in-law made a SUPER supper of salmon which we all enjoyed. Back again to the hotel for the night. Sunday morning we got together and attended mass. I "had" to help again with the baby to enable the Catholics in our family to take communion -- the sacrifices one has to do! After mass the baby was baptized and we all headed over to a picnic meal. Sunday evening was back to Kay's for more visiting and then we made our good-byes as we'd be heading back to New Orleans Monday.

Tom drove us home and we had a safe and pretty uneventful trip. Home to lots of laundry and settling back in. Abby was back in school Tuesday and Maggie had her final track practice that morning. She was back in school yesterday and I ran LOTS of errands. I've managed to get both cars inspected (whoops, the brake tags expired in March!), got Abby's new violin, corrected some investments for tax purposes, paid Tom's library fine, dropped of Maggie's summer work contract, grocery shopped, finished my Bible study homework, and ironed 14 shirts of Tom's (he was both gone a week AND I've been a bit delinquent in my ironing -- thankful that he's got a lot of shirts!).

Tomorrow Tom's mom and Lou arrive for a visit which will be great. I'm back to the orthopedist Monday. And then we have my parents coming the following week -- all the in-laws/grandparents within a three week period. Life is great AND busy!