Happy New Year!

Hope everyone has a great New Year and practices safe drinking and no driving!!

A year in review....

Well, we are nearing the end of 2007. Was it a good year? I can't really say that it was. It started off good with the engagement. Throughout the remaining months it has it's ups and downs and then fell hard in October. Overall I'm going to have to call 2007 a mediocre year. Not only did I finish the year off bad, but in general it feels like it had a bad vibe. A lot of people had a bad go of it for 2007. Now 2008 is on the way so there is always going to be talk of resolutions. I rarely make them because I rarely keep them, but I decided to make myself a resolution list. So, here are my resolutions for 2008.

1. Walk

2. Once walking, stop taking advantage of my body. I can't even call this resolution eat better and lose weight. I feel like it's more than that. I want to do more, get out more, walk around more. Not being able to walk really makes you realize how much you take something for granted!!

3. Keep on the non-frivilous path! My shopping habit has become a thing of the past for the first time in my life. I have no desire to shop, and when I do see something I like I really think about it before I buy....and 99% of the time I end up not buying! It feels really good. It feels good to balance a checkbook, to pay bills first, to have money left over at the end. I want to keep feeling that.

That about sums it up for now! I'm sure there are a million more things I could do, but just one little step at a time for now. Hope everyone else makes some resolutions that they can stick to.

I love mail!

More good stuff in the mail! I got my Aflac check!!! Years and years ago I signed up for a short term disability policy with Aflac. It was shortly after my shoulder surgery and I thought it might be good to have. Boy, am I glad that I signed up for it. With disability you just don't get that much. I mean it's good, but it's definitely not a regular paycheck. With Aflac it balances stuff out. Only thing that would have made it better would be if the duck showed up at the door to deliver it to me!!

It's exactly what I wanted!!

My Mom did a little shopping off my Amazon wish list for Christmas. I really thing this is the BEST way to go when gifting. In fact, I think everyone should just have a wish list. If you put enough on it things actually end up being a surprise when you get them. Each day a little something has come in the mail for me! It's a little Christmas extension which is super fun. So far, everything has been exactly what I wanted too...imagine that!

Thanks Mommy D!

Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back.

Many years ago I became a member of Netflix. It was back when there wasn't any advertisement and most people still went to the video store. A couple years ago I made a change and switched to Blockbuster online. The main motive..it was $1 cheaper. It also allowed me some free rentals in the store and eventually lead to being able to exchange mail movies in the store. A couple of days ago I got a notice in the mail that the rates at Blockbuster would be going up, $3. This means that it is now $2 more than Netflix. Too bad for Blockbuster because I'm going back to Netflix. I read an article that Blockbuster is only raising fees for "some" of their members. Why the heck did they choose me? Oh well! So long Blockbuster!

How much is that doggie in the window?

I've really been thinking alot about a dog lately. Part of it is sitting at home everyday by myself and wishing that I had a companion. I think Bill and I are pretty certain that our next dog will be a bloodhound. We've talked in the past about them and I started doing some research and really like this dog. We'll start out with a puppy this time around. Although it is super nice having a dog that is already trained, it will be even nicer to be able to raise a dog ourselves. We had some problems with Louie when it involved other dogs and kids so I want to make sure that doesn't happen this time around. Plus, I know puppies are cute...but when it looks like this how can you pass up that chance??

Merry Christmas!!

This could make me cook more!

I got the cutest Christmas gift from Kristi last week. It's an awesome fish print apron from Anthropologie. I never wear aprons when I cook and I always get stuff all over me. Now that I have this amazing apron I will be wearing aprons when I heat up microwave meals!!! Thanks Kristi!

Prayers

I got something in the mail this week that was super exciting and touching. Apparently my Grandma in Texas (hi Grandma!) put me on a prayer list at her church. They sent me a card in the mail that had signatures of all the people that are praying for me to get better. I thought that was sooo cool! It's nice to know that people care and are rooting for me to get better.

Thanks for the prayers!

Thank you, thank you!

This will probably be the first time ever, but I have to give BIG thanks to California State Disability Insurance. Before I applied I heard nothing but horror stories about how long it was going to get checks and how little they would be. I figured that my first check would come in sometime in January. Low and behold...it got here on Wednesday!! That means that it took them less than one week to process my paperwork and get the check in the mail to me. Not only that, but it was a tad more than I had projected. That ROCKS!!!

Should I build an ark?

Ok, so let's just start by saying that in Sacramento we haven't had much rain. This week was to be our first real rain. This was not just any rain, according to the news, this was going to be a deluge! In fact it was such a deluge that on Tuesday the news stayed on for an extra 3 hours just to talk about rain. From the time I got up at 7am until 1pm it was nothing but talk about the rain. There was so much talk about rain I was tempted to get my rain coat and rain boots out and wear them on the sofa just in case. This is why I HATE the news! It literally drizzled all day and then was OVER. Totally ridiculous! Good thing I'm on crutches or I would have been in the backyard making an ark out of fence posts just to be prepared.

Paranormal State

I watched the show Paranormal State the other day because I like shows about ghosts and stuff and most of the Ghost Hunter's shows are reruns. I'm not sure how I feel about the show yet, but I'll definitely give it another shot. One thing that I thought was weird is they talk about what they call Dead Time or the Anti-hour. This is basically the theory that at 3-4am there are heavier chances of paranormal activity. Why this struck me weird is because for the last couple weeks I always wake up at night around 3am and struggle to get back to sleep. Now it's worse because I look around and listen for weird things!! I definitely believe in spirits and will always stand by my belief that there was something in the guest bedroom at my Mom's house. Luckily over the years that spirit friend became very tranquil and I think was happy to live with my Mom.

More snugglers...

Wendy and Becki came over tonight for some grub and some movie and Wheezie and Bowser came along as well. I had some delicious Jimboys: thank you Wendy! I also saw a great movie called "Once": thank you Becki! I also got to see Bowser chill out on the sofa which made me laugh my arse off! What a good night!

Knee Update

I realize it has been a while since I did a knee update so here we go. I had a meeting with the Ortho again and it was discovered that the fracture has COMPLETELY disappeared. This was such good news. I still have to stay off the leg for about another month and will hopefully be able to start putting weight on it sometime at the end of January. The meniscus tear is still there and I have been scheduled for surgery on the 25th of January to take care of it. The doctor feels it will then take me a full month to recover and get my leg working correctly again since it has been so long since the injury. This means I'm estimated to be off work till March 1st. That just seems so weird. I haven't been off work this long since high school and that was probably when I didn't have a job!

As for the blood clot, it is still there but my blood has been in the theraputic level for a while now so I haven't had to give myself any shots for a long time AND I only have to do lab work once a week. The treatment for the clot will also continue till sometime in March, but they will have to take me off the anti-coagulators a week before the surgery so they can do the surgery. Then I will start taking it again after the surgery.

So, there is my health in a nutshell! I'm going to need alot of physical therapy after all this and may even have to invest in a how to book or two.

Hell no, we won't go!!!

Sitting at home everyday is painful, which I'm sure I've shared with you before. It's not that I'm in pain from the knee...it's more pain from boredom. One thing that I did have going for me was DVR. In the evenings I would record all my favorite shows so I could watch them the next day. Slowly over the last month the shows have been dropping like flies. Since the writers strike is going on there are no new episodes and at this point all the shows I like are showing reruns. That is, except for all the ridiculous reality tv shows. Now, don't get my wrong, I like myself some Amazing Race. On the other hand Clash of the Choirs?! Please please, settle the writers strike soon so people like me will have something to watch!!

Just a Pickle

I was watching a Christmas themed show and learned that in Germany you will almost always find a pickle ornament on the Christmas trees because it is considered good look. Well, in the Ball household you will also find a pickle on the tree. I'd have to say though that our motive has more to do with delicious saltiness....but I'll take the good luck!

I'm Done!

So in all of my sitting around on the sofa, I have managed to COMPLETE my Christmas shopping. I went really light this year, but between the internet and one other gem I was able to get it all done. What is the other gem you ask? None other than ........

I know, I know. On the other hand there is some great stuff with great deals on the show! I do have to put it in mute though because the cheesy commentary could really drive someone insane. Plus there was something about the fact that when they went to "the phones" to talk to customers it was always people buying for their grandkids that got to me! Put on some good tunes and put the tv on mute and QVC rocks!

My Soundtrack

Someone posted this as a Myspace bulletin, but I thought I would go ahead and blog it. Basically here is how it works... If your life was a movie, what would the soundtrack be? Open your MP3 library and put it on shuffle. Press play and for every question type the song that is playing. When you to to a new question, press the next button. Here is the soundtrack of my life:

Opening Credits: Angeles-Elliot Smith

Waking Up: Features-Zero 7

First Day At School: Blow Ya Mind-Eve and Gwen Stefani

Falling In Love: The Blowers Daughter-Damien Rice

Fight Song: Common Pleasure-Jazon Mraz

Breaking Up: Your Girl-Mariah Carey

Prom: Back When-Tim McGraw

Life: Pandora's Aquarium-Tori Amos

Mental Breakdown: Synchronicity II-The Police

Driving: I'm A Long Way From Home-Shooter Jennings

Flashback: Mother Mother-Tracy Bonham

Getting back together: Just Another Old Love-Joe Purdy

Wedding: If I Were You-Terri Clark

Birth of Child: Cloud Candy-The New Chick Corea Trio

Final Battle: Resolve-Foo Fighters

Death Scene: El Manana-Gorillaz

Funeral Song: On A Plain-Nirvana

End Credits: Answering Bell-Ryan Adams

Heaven: Just Because I'm a Woman-Dolly Parton

That is a ROCKIN soundtrack!!! Some of those are sooo perfect it is hard to believe!!

Snuggle Muffins

Bill and I watched Becki's dogs this week and let me tell you....these dogs LOVE to snuggle. Not just snuggle, they like to be under the blankets as well. It was fun and nice to have some daytime comfy. I think I need a bigger couch though if they come again. Bill also quickly nicknamed the dogs. Hazel and Jasper are now known as Wheezie and Bowser!

Oh Christmas Tree....

Bill went up to Redding with the family last weekend and brought us home a beautiful tree! He also came home and decorated it beautifully. It was hard to just sit on the couch and try to advise where to put ornaments and lights, but overall it is nice to have a tree and I'm super thankful to Bill to put it all together. Now we just need to get some presents under it. That's going to be the hard part!!

Skagway Police Blotter

My niece (that was fun to say!) Carey works in Skagway, Alaska each year during the summer. While we were at her house for Thanksgiving I was reading a local Skagway paper that she brought home. The paper has a section called "Skagway Police Blotter" which is basically little stories of things that were called into the police. You have your typical calls: loud parties, accidents, stolen/missing things.....but then you have classic stories that only a small town can give you! Here are a couple classics for your reading enjoyment.

-Officers reponded to a report of someone screaming in the Long Bay area. A group of women were contacted. They had decided to take a swim and discovered that water was extremely cold, which made them scream.

-Fire personnel responded to a fire alarm. It was determined to have been set off by cooking.

-A woman called and expressed concern about her son, who is working in town this summer.

She had been talking to him on the phone and was disconnected. She had been trying to reach him again with no luck. The son was contacted and he said his cell phone battery died. His mother was contacted and advised.

-A woman reported that her 86 year old husband was missing. She was shopping and he did not want to shop. She left him sitting on a bench on Broadway while she shopped. When she returned he was gone. He was located on a bench in front of the AB Hall where he had been sitting for 2 hours or more. His wife was mistaken about the location of the bench she left him on.

-A complaint of people drinking alcohol at a picnic table downtown was received. An officer responded and found some men sitting at the table drinking Coca Cola.

-Report that a woman got up in the morning and found a strange man in her house. Turned out man though he had gone to his employer's house.**Reminder: you should lock your doors at night.

I now hate commercials!

When you watch tv you start to pick out commercials that drive you nuts. These are typically commercials that get played over and over again and no matter where you turn, there it is again The commercial I would be speaking of is the damn holiday Old Navy commercials. The commercial annoys me and the song REALLY annoys me! I can't stand the voice and unfortunately it keeps playing and playing and playing in my head and on tv over and over again. If you haven't heard enough of it, just keep playing it through the blog and hopefully you will get a feel for what a day in the life of myself is right now. I'm not shopping at Old Navy, that's for damn sure!!

Secret Gifter!

I came home today after spending some time out in Davis and discovered a gift on the porch. There was no card or note, only a gift bag! This was quite exciting for sure! When I opened it there is a set of adorable gnome tealights. These will NEVER get lit as they are much too cute to be set on fire. I love gnomes and the thought of watching them melt away is barbaric! I wonder who my secret gifter is?????

Fun with wish list.

I had some fun today updating my Amazon wishlist. Amazon is great because I think anything you could possibly want is on there! I added a whole bunch of stuff in the spirit of the holidays. I really really want this cake pan the most. I've seen it on many sites and was reminded when browsing Amazon. I want a giant cupcake right now actually.

On another note I got some good news today. My blood has been in theraputic range for two days now. That means I don't have to do the Lovenox shots and I don't have to go and have blood drawn until Tuesday! What a break that is going to be. It's a good thing the shots are ending because I'm definitely noticing a change now that my blood is theraputic. I bruise like CRAZY! I have big ugly bruises on my tummy from the shots but it doesn't stop there. I lightly bumped my hip the other day and my elbow today and there is a nasty bruise in it's place. Also the veins going down my arms look soooo blue. Very weird!

ProTime

Not to be confused with Hammer Time! Each day I go to the lab to have blood drawn so they can check my protime level. This is basically an indicator at how fast or slow the blood is clotting. The goal has been to get to between 2 and 3, and today it finally hit 2.4!!! So happy for that. Now, it just has to stay there in the range for a while. Then I won't have to go and get blood drawn everday and won't have to give myself shots in the stomach. Getting blood drawn has been a bummer, although I have to give the lab kudos cause they do a good job. I wish that they had this little device though. It's basically a way to check your protime levels with just a finger prick! That would be SSOOOOOO nice.

Two years ago....

I started knitting a scarf. It was kind of a joke gift, and now that the joke is over...the scarf is finished! Joke just doesn't seem so funny anymore. Guess I'll move onto the next knitted item.

Bring on the excitement.

Things in my life have taken on a whole new perspective in the past few weeks. Sitting on the couch and being really laid up is just such an eye opening experience. One of the bummers right now is all the needles. Right now, I'm still giving myself two shots a day and then also have to go and give blood each day to check the protone levels. We're shotting for the level to read between 2-3. Yesterday it read at 1.8 so I'm ALMOST there. The other day a pharmacy brought me another prescription of Lovenox. I was super excited because they also included alcohol wipes and a needle safety box. You know your life has changed when these things bring you excitement!!

Go Elf Yourself!!!

I got sent a super cute elf gram from my friend Amy and I had to try it myself. I don't know why, but it makes me laugh my ass off. Maybe it's cause I sit on a couch all day watching daytime tv?!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1162959322

While sitting on the sofa....

Since I've stopped taking some of the pain meds I have started to think of what I can do while sitting on the sofa. Trying to create myself a "To Do" list of sorts! So far I have three things...

1. Finish knitting scarf that I started two years ago.

2. Send out Thank You cards for the wedding gifts.

3. Send out Christmas cards.

I'm going to have to space these things out though because the only thing that will take a while is the scarf. I flipped on Martha Stewart yesterday and there was a lady on there knitting these adorable animal backpacks for kids. I now have to add this to my list of things to make. They have the pattern for the Eli the Owl backpack on Martha and it doesn't seem to hard. I might have to make the arm straps longer though so I can carry it myself. When on crutches, one is in need of a cute owl backpack don't you think??