Boxed in and Wired Up!

Another good morsel from a friend.
Something to laugh about!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoqpjOZxf2M&NR=1

The next 'survivor' series...men trying to be moms!

A friend sent this to me and it gave me a good laugh. Definitely a show I would enjoy watching!

The next "Survivor" series:

Six married men will be dropped on an island with one car and 3 kids each for six weeks.

Each kid will play two sports and either take music or dance classes

There is no fast food.

Each man must take care of his 3 kids; keep his assigned house clean, correct all homework, and complete science projects, cook, do laundry, and pay a list of 'pretend' bills with not enough money.

In addition, each man will have to budget in money for groceries each week.

Each man must remember the birthdays of all their friends and relatives, and send cards out on time.

Each man must also take each child to a doctor's appointment, a dentist appointment and a haircut appointment.

He must make one unscheduled and inconvenient visit per child to the Urgent Care.

He must also make cookies or cupcakes for a social function.

Each man will be responsible for decorating his own assigned house, planting flowers outside and keeping it presentable at all times.

The men will only have access to television when the kids are asleep and all chores are done.

The men must shave their legs, wear makeup daily, adorn himself with jewelry, wear uncomfortable yet stylish shoes, keep fingernails polished and eyebrows groomed.

During one of the six weeks, the men will have to endure severe abdominal cramps, back aches, and have extreme, unexplained mood swings but never once complain or slow down from other duties.

They must attend weekly school meetings, church, and find time at least once to spend the afternoon at the park or a similar setting.

They will need to read a book and then pray with the children each night and in the morning, feed them, dress them, brush their teeth and comb their hair by 7:00 am.

A test will be given at the end of the six weeks, and each father will be required to know all of the following information: each child's birthday, height, weight, shoe size, clothes size and doctor's name. Also the child's weight at birth, length, time of birth, and length of labor, each child's favorite color, middle name, favorite snack, favorite song, favorite drink, favorite toy, biggest fear and what they want to be when they grow up. The kids vote them off the island based on performance. The last man wins only if...he still has enough energy to be intimate with his spouse at a moment's notice.

If the last man does win, he can play the game over and over and over again for the next 18-25 years eventually earning the right to be called Mother!

TGIF

Where did this week go?
Updates for those who have been reading.

My brother in-law made huge progress today.
Once they removed about 4 liters of fluid off his chest and abdomen, he started to immediately get better. He went through endoscopy this morning and they were able to repair the bleeders on the spot.

He still has a very serious condition with his liver. They do not know what has caused the liver to harden, since he doesn't drink, but he has been diagnosed with Cirrhosis of the Liver.

There are discussions occurring for the future...and at his age he is a good candidate for a transplant.

Thanks to all who have sent up good thoughts and lots of powerful prayers.

Prayers for my brother-in-law

hello all...

I am writing this at 12:55 am.
My brother-in-law went into the hospital early Tuesday morning with blazing symptoms across the board.

They currently are looking at the pancreas, spleen, liver and fluid that is in his abdomen and chest area. He has a tube suctioning blood from his stomach and he doesn't recognize the family. He might have brief moments of lucid behavior, but mostly he is delusional. They have him strapped down so that he doesn't try to take his tubes out.

It is pretty scarry for all of us...Dave is 58!

They are also considering spinal meningitus, hepatitis --- a major process of elimination game.

All along, he continues to demonstrate a regression in memory and awareness.
CAT scans did rule out stroke.

I know this is an unusual request...but we need all good thoughts sent out for him...he is a wonderful man of God and has been a minister his whole life.

Thanks in advance to all!

The Sun will come out tomorrow...

Wow, amazing days - Saturday, Yesterday and Today!
It is so nice to wake up to the birds singing, and sounds of spring.

Diet Journal,
Saturday, biscuits and gravy at Hometown with a great friend of 20 years. She and I hadn't talked for about 8 years. Then I went to two soccer games when we finally arrived at home... pizza and subs (already crying for the 'do over') skipped lunch!
Sunday, Ruby Tuesday's salad for lunch and grilled chicken and salad for supper
Monday, Skipped Breakfast! Turkey for lunch and multi-grain Tostitos (10 chips were 150 calories)...looking to do scallops for dinner and salad. Lord help me, I have fallen and I can't get back up!

So fellow bloggers, I have started to work from home on Mondays. It should be a good thing for me as I need a way to recover from the crazy weekends and still function! I have a great job and a great boss, who affords me 'much' freedom.

I have been in my office with the windows open and the breeze flowing. It is breathtaking.
I wish that I could work from home all the time. Of course, technology is moving in a direction where I can work anywhere and still be connected. Go Figure! In 10 years and with the push to be Green in our lifestyles...many will be working remotely. Of course, there is still that need for those whom are in a customer facing job situation. Who knows but that those issues in 50 years might be gone, as we will have camcorders and virtual video etc... everywhere, even in retail...

Think about it virtual restaurants. Hilarious!
I wouldn't ingest calories at all that way!
Or, would..............?????

Weight this morning: 225.8

Re-Start..."DO OVER" she yells!

I haven't gotten off to a great start with my diet goals this year. So I'm officially calling for a re-start. You all remember when you were kids and playing the yard games, whatever they may be -- and someone up to bat or up to the kickball yells, "do over". That is where I am at! Ready to start again on the challenge of making lifestyle changes in my dietary and life habits. I really liked what Kit said about picking twelve things to change and in 1 year you will be twelve times healthier than you are at this moment.

I have figured out a few things. My willy-nilly attitude toward my diet just isn't working. Apparently, I am eating more than I think I am and exercising less than I think I am. So I went to http://www.fitday.com/ and signed up for the free account. It is an online food journal where you can keep track of foods eaten and exercise performed. It also has all sorts of reports for you to gauge your eating/exercise habits, a place to set goals, and a place to keep a diary.
I have to make a concerted effort to do it though.

I would just as soon eat all carbs, all day, every day! But I must start to take a serious look at every bite of food that goes into my mouth - that means, no more guessing as to portion size. And, according to most diet gurus, I must take a serious look at why that food is going into my mouth as well. I have to learn to eat when I am hungry, not just when I'm 'not full' or when I'm bored or upset. Recently there was a show where Barbara Walters was interviewing several scientist and other specialists "change agents" as I like to refer to them and they were saying that over the next 30 years, technology will change so much that people will be living well beyond 150 to 300 years. They are looking at growing body parts as replacements for ones that you wear out! They talked of many other new things that are coming our way for longer life.

Accountability always helps me...I need to face the changes I need to make. Who knows, maybe I would improve so much, I could get off the blood pressure medicine.

So, with that said, here is my list of things to remove from my life.

1. TV - do not watch TV before you have taken a walk on the treadmill or weather permitting, outside.
2. Stop eating anything with refined flour (whole grains and wheat, only) (roosters wings...I miss you already)
3. Choose fruits and nuts for snacks (need to go grocery shopping)
4. Choose lean meats / fish for protein
5. Control portion sizes...(might look for that divided plate - 3 ways)
a. food should not be bigger than the palm of my hand in each divider
b. add water to the meal vs. soda or alcohol
6. Do not skip meals (I hate to put anything on my stomach before noon--a cup of coffee is about as much as I can do)
7. Do not entertain "high fat foods for snacks" (ice cream, cheesecakes) or (Chips, Cookies etc)
8. Do not eat red meat (I'm almost there by nature...I really don't like steaks etc...)
9. Exercise through the summer by riding my bike through the neighborhood over watching TV with daylight still available for exercise
10. Blogging is an earned activity - Exercise with the toning and makeover program first-only twenty minutes of toning.

Weight this morning: 226.4

Bitter / Sweet...

Okay, so I thought I could write about my childhood, but it just puts me over the edge - melancholy.

For those who don't know me, I am a very upbeat happy person and like it that way. Life is to short to get bent out of shape over things that can't be undone...so, I am going to quickly tell about what happened to me and be done with this part of the blogging...I like the fun stuff too much.

Here goes,
Parents were drinking one night, came home and got into a brawl. I decided to get help, so I walked across the street to the neighbors house for them to call the police. Last I remember is climbing in a police van with my 10mth old sister, and my 3 year old sister sitting beside me on one side while the boys, 2, 4, and 8 are sitting on the opposite side. I was 5 1/2.

One by one we all are placed in foster care with the youngest ones first and then a year later I am placed. Living at the orphanage was a terrible experience. I was forced to lay in a wet bed all day because I had wet the bed. I was molested by another resident who was much older than me...but only attacked externally not sexual penetration...but oh well...what is the difference when you are six years old.

My sister (3) had been experiencing withdrawal from relationships and people in general, at her foster care home and they ask if they could have her sister "frosty" placed with her. So, I was jumping with joy when they brought me to the new place. We stayed there for 3 plus years before we were release over to be adopted. How ironic it was to go there! The Foster family started their own family during our time with them and guess who became a caregiver for the new little ones. Yep, always a nurturer - that is my legacy.

Well as Murphy's Law would have it, the new adoptive parents seeking a match -- matched up with my sister Kim.

So the Caseworker approaches them with the story of Kim and Frosty not being separated for very long and would they be interested in "two little girls". (i have teased my parents over the years, that they got me by default) Of course, they were excited. In fact my father said often that he wished he could have adopted the whole family.

Years later, I would have the urge to seek out my other sister and brothers. I knew my last name and so I would look in the phone book under that name...but for years nothing showed.
One time I even called a company to help with the search and of course, the costs were (at the time) more than I could bear. Funny how things just happen. At a time in my life when I was somewhat past the urges etc... I sit down one day in my kitchen because we got our new phonebooks. I don't know why I decided to flip to the Ledford section. Hmm, what is that! I see Samuel Ledford listed. OMG!
I pick up the phone and call. At the time I reach a voice on the other end that appeared to me to have handicapped speech. I ask for Sam. He asks who is calling. I indicate that I am an adoptee who thinks Samual is my brother. There is a long pause on the phone and the young man says, perhaps you should contact MRDD.

I was not to be shaken, because now I was curious from both a personal health perspective. So I called MRDD. Ended up getting transferred to a lawyer who proceeds to set up a meeting in which he explains to me that Samuel passed away 5 weeks prior. SIGH.......UGH.......too late.

They told me that he had a rare disease and that they talked it over with their legal department and released a copy of his records to me, per my request. Devastated!

Several years went by and my concerns for my brothers and sister were shoved way down to a level that I could not go! I emotionally could not deal with anymore bad news.

So, Life goes on....I am traveling a lot for my company.
I get a call from my hubby one night. He says - hey I just got a call from someone who says she is your baby sister. Would you like me to give her your cell number.

Whew! I can't tell you what mixed emotions I had! But I said yes, so he called her back and I received the call from the little one. Let's see I was 44 years old then, and that would make her 39.

We talk and it is incredible, she is full of information about the biological family, but on a quest to find siblings. Soon a scheduled visit with both Kim and I along with her and my older 1/2 brother is setup at a neutral spot.

It turns out that my youngest sister had found the family about 10 plus years prior and had been helping my biological mother locate all the children. But with no luck until she found me. Note: I was the only one who did not change my name, born Rhonda Lynn on 3-16-56 and the search company locates 3 Rhonda's born on that day (2 in Ohio and one is Idaho). She knew I had been born in Grant, so she picked Cols. Oh. It was a show she had been watching on Jerry Springer and they would love to tell her story if she is successful in finding her siblings.

Nothing doing for Kim and I - we did not want our lives aired on TV!!!!

With caution, we continue to be in contact, but always in fear that she would sell us out to some TV show.

Surprisingly - we continue to stay in contact for 3 years.

When I met my biological mother - it was awkward! She hugged me and said she had loved me all my life and that she always wanted what was best. Which I understood. Then she went into her memory sharing..."oh, I remember giving you kids bathes" and so on.

I choked the tears and hurt back...looked into her eyes and said "it is funny those are the things I remember, ...me giving the kids baths and making sure they were fed and safe from danger"
She said frosty (which was my nickname all my life and it started with my biological family), you were so young, you can't possibly understand what was going on in our lives.

Well, we continue to keep in contact and visit occasionally, even went to my younger sisters wedding. But shortly after that, things went south.

There is a story to tell with my sister Debbie, as she in many ways repeated our real mothers behavior. It is not surprising they found each other first. It also was made known that Eddie was never forced to stay at the orphanage, but instead, Grandparents decided to step in and take care of him.

I also found out that my biological father passed in 1992 - so I never met him, but to hear the stories of him...he was a sociopath and used everyone to for his gain. Including my 1/2 brother he ended up in and out of jail with him. He pretty much taught him how to be a criminal. The last I talked with Eddie, which was over a year ago, he was just getting out of jail for something that had to do with the mother of his child. So Sad! Had he been adopted out, maybe he would have had a chance to survive.

As it is, Debbie was adopted and when she was 18 left home... She had married and had 2 girls, but when they were 4 and 5 (sound familiar?) she abandon them to the father and rode of with a guy on a Harley-Davidson. I had a chance to meet her daughters at the wedding and they were pretty honest in saying that they did not really know their mother. How Sad! History does repeat itself.

So, I send them Christmas letters every year and pictures of family. But they never call, never send anything...and so it is ...

more abandonment, more neglect, more lack of concern for the sisters, and or daughters, Kim and myself...

It is what it is... "life comes at you fast"