All is better.
No new additions to the barfy list today. BTW - my spell checker hates the word barfy.
Rand & I both stayed home yesterday. He was feeling much better. I have had a migraine every day since this all started. Most food is still not my friend. Ryan's chicken soup, oatmeal, and saltines are all safe.
I was still "iffy" about today. I made it. My supervisor had pity on me and let me do the less physical jobs and I made it for the whole 8 hours. I'm beat. I have tomorrow off (only because I was supposed to work last weekend). Nobody asked me to come in or even if I wanted to make up lost hours; and I didn't volunteer.

etc
Rob & Megan are funny this week.
My dog clippers died and I wasn't done with the dog.
(she's still pretty - I finished with shears)
We have two trees down. One to go.
I'm hiding in the basement. Mormons are canvassing the neighborhood and I am not in the mood. Too close to the anniversary.
The folks are headed to Texas for the New Year. Hey Bro.
Eric is doing a wonderful job of earning brownie points.

the barfy list continues to grow.....
Add Grandma Vi and Rand to the flu list. Grandma stayed home today. Rand arrived home a bit early. He isn't a very pretty color. He went straight to bed.

and speaking of work....
I made it to work today, but only for about half the day. I was resetting the mini seasonal area. I set three aisles and then got to pull batches and fill these areas. By the time I had shelves set - the headache was starting. Then I ended up pulling all the bulk size food first - that was my undoing. Food is still not my friend. Blueberry Nutrigrain bars will never be again.
The headache hit migrain status and when I got to stocking the blueberry bars - I just about lost my "cookies" right there in mini seasonal. (It's a metaphor - trust me no cookies in here!)
I'm amazed I was able to drive home. Don't remember much about the drive. Took 4 Tylenol and went straight to bed and slept for three hours.
Distraction - I just heard Willie spit in his room
My head is still tender. My tummy still weak. This will be a long week. Sandra and Ryan have made it home. Whathisface is making home-made chicken soup for everyone tonight. He's still a keeper!

a view from the middle ages
That is the sub-title of my blog. I just keep forgetting to note which are the wake-up calls that I'm not a "young" person anymore.
This Christmas I've had a few of those moments.
I super cleaned the house because the children were coming over.
Rand & I were the first one up Christmas morning. We couldn't wait any longer so we woke the others up. Rand made sure the coffee was ready.
I was jealous of a friend at work buying gifts for her granddaughter. I want one of those - (from one of my married children please)
I miss my brothers. Alan & Lesia didn't make it to Iowa this year. Don & family did for Christmas Day and the weekend. Both Jeffs & families were there for Christmas. We only made it over to the folks on Christmas. After that - nobody wanted to see me. I would've loved to have seen the Carroll family during their visit as well! :(

almost over
December has sucked. I've been hit by two forms of flu. I had a flu shot - this is not fair! I spent two weeks with the sneezy, coughy, sore throat, snotty variety (and I still have the sore throat) and now this. I will not see the New Year come in. My alarm will go off at 4am on New Year's Day; it is a work day. I'm even sick of looking at Christmas trees and have no energy to do anything about it.

the good stuff
Rand gets four weeks of vacation this year. We finally decided on dates for the other three weeks. The already spoken for week being July, of course. He isn't allowed to take more than one week at a time. They would miss him too much. I don't get four weeks of vacation, but I will take the time anyway.

more things barfy
Sandra just called from Fort Dodge. (Whathisface's families) She spent all last night puking.

more good giving
Rich proposed (successfully) to Kara Christmas Eve with a very shiny gift! WooHoo!

all things barfy
or how I spent my Christmas vacation
Christmas eve was nice - but I was very exhausted from working all night the night before. Christmas Day was loud and crazy as always at a Stowers family dinner. Both events I was a little off my feed. Not real hungry - a little blah. My alarm went off at 3am. I took my morning ritual of meds ......And added a couple of Rolaids. I washed my face, got dressed, combed my hair (yes my brothers - it's been known to happen!) and while brushing my teeth, I was thinking - "this isn't looking (or feeling) good". I made my way to the kitchen and caught a whiff of the bean dip the kids had left on the counter. I didn't make it back to the bathroom on time. Well, I made it to the bathroom, but that's all I accomplished. So - I thoroughly got to clean the bathroom during the puke breaks.
I didn't make it to work this morning either, or tonight. They don't seem to mind me not sharing this particular flu. The fevers broke this morning. I am just now able to eat a few things; toast, crackers, etc.
I don't recall ever running a fever with a stomach flu before. Let's face it - I never run fevers. I doubt that I have had 6 fevers in my entire adult life. I usually require something like a life-threatening pneumonia to warm up. Was the past couple of days an old age thing or just a really nasty bug?
If you check our Megan's website - it seems she is suffering like I am. On the same day. (I beat her to the "punch" by just a few hours.) No other reports of suffering family yet.

the gifts that just keep on giving
I finally got one of Don's kids in a name draw - and that child was finally old enough to receive a really good gift. Don is the brother who gave my kids Spin Art, among other unique things.
This year, Sam received an Icee Maker. It feels good to give. Grandma reports he loves it just as much as I hoped he would.
Randy surprised me with a AM/FM, record, cassette stereo. My vinyl is back - I still have all of my albums from my youth - quite a collection!
Mom, the Tiffany lamp looks fabulous next to my bed! It is even a much better reading lamp than the old one I had there. (I did a lot of that the last couple of days between naps.)

all work - no play
Randy is now on his third weekend of no time off. Christmas will probably be a huge crash day for him. He still has a lingering cough from the flu crap. I'm fighting headaches, runny nose and sore throat as my biggest flu leftovers.
I do have today off. I am thawing roasts for supper, ran to Target for basic paper weekly needs and Diet Dew, took out the garbage, and cleaned one bathroom. My body was screaming for a break - so time to work at the computer.
My schedule for next week involves two days followed by same day overnights. One is to help with clearance markdowns; the other is to make Christmas go away. I do have Christmas eve off, but my internal clock will be royally screwed up by then.

Still waiting!
For Rob and Megan to confirm Christmas eve with us. Come on you guys - we will have fun! Lots of family favorite foods and drink. The movie "Scrooged". (A long family tradition)

nephews
Yesterday Randy and I both heard from nephews. Wyatt called me to discuss his newest Hummer gift. (We share that love of all things cars) Lawyer called Randy to to rub in the fact that the KC Chiefs were losing. A long standing fued for those two!

update?
I'm giving serious thought to actually updating photos on my website today. Keep your eyes open!

*updates!*

on the road again
My family doc wrote me a medical thingy and I got use of my scooter back at work this week. I did, of course, check with the ADA and the "powers that be" were very much breaking the law. Not only with what they did, but even a lot of what they said. It was a pretty rough week without my scooter. I'm still paying physically. I've also decided not to try to be a team lead for awhile. I know I'm ready, but I got to see if Target is trying to play games with me. No stepping on anybody's rights while I'm around - especially mine!

sick room
Randy and Willie are finally showing signs of recovering from the flu. I've just hit mid-stage. The good news is we should be fine by Christmas.

The best news so far in a Christmas card
Angie and Nick are now engaged!

seasonal news
I officially have three Christmas trees now. Family room, formal living room and our bedroom.
I got our cards sent out at a reasonable schedule - in spite of my late start. (It was late for me people)
All of our shopping is done as of last weekend!
I'm still waiting for confirmation that Rob and Megan are spending Christmas eve with us. (And I do mean all night you two)

I love messing with his mind
Last week, I casually asked Willie about his girlfriend. I told him - he can't keep secrets like that from me - I do have my sources. Don't tell - but I know nothing. It was a cross between fishing and just wanting to see how much he freaked and/or denied and/or justified it. Today he finally noticed I hung a stocking next to his. Yeah, the fun just keeps rolling around here.

*screaming*
At one point this morning, I walked into the stockroom and a friend asked if I felt okay. Another said it looked more like I wanted to kill somebody. They were both right.
The Target powers-that-be have now decided I may no longer use my handicap scooter at work. The company ortho I saw has released me to full okay - complete release. So Target now states I have no disability, and as such cannot, use my scooter. My company paperwork says my left knee is now 2% permanently disabled. I think that means I get to hurt forever and they don't care - I'm still released. They didn't try cortisone shots, ultrasound, stem treatments....ect. I have had way too much experience with orthos in my years. I KNOW what they didn't do. What they didn't do is treat me. What they did do is throw me away.
Mind you the company ortho only treated my knees, which isn't even the reason I needed the scooter to begin with. The reason I need the scooter is for my hips. The right permanently disabled with scar tissue. A little souvenir from the old ISU loft building days. The left one is permanently damaged from adhesions. I don't know if I have shared this much - so consider this my public announcement - the adhesions are coming back. My pain is growing. With my insides being glued together and rearranged - I'm sure being real active could be even slightly risky. About the time I tear something I need - like the main artery going to my left leg for example, I will bleed to death and no one will know what happened. The artery was severely compromised when they went in last time. As was every internal thing in me.
I came home after a very long morning, in so much pain I was giving puking a real consideration. I had a good cry and made an appointment with my family doctor. He will back me up. Unfortunately, I will have to leave work a couple of hours early to make my appointment. :)
I tend to be real nice and follow authority well at Target.
So it may be they don't know what they have started.
They have angered an injured bear. They cannot discriminate against my disability. I am still able to do my job and I do it very well. I have seen Target change their mind about people and then pressure them to leave. And it usually works. I refuse to play the game. If they want me gone - they will have to fire me. Then I get unemployment. And if they fire me because of my disability then they get a lawsuit. And if they continue to make me miserable because of my disability, they may still face a lawsuit.
It hurts to my very soul to even have to admit I have a disability. Let alone - having to fight to prove it. It's demeaning.
Some days, I miss the strong me more than all the other days combined.

an answer
I have seen this so many times in doctors’ offices. Results and healings they can’t explain. Last night while praising and thanking Him, I was given a vision when wondering why I must go through these ordeals. I wasn’t questioning God about this - but it was on my heart as I offered my thanks. I was given a vision of Abraham and Isaac on the mountain. And I realized what a greater ordeal Abraham had to go through. I am only asked to offer up my health, my life. Abraham had to offer up his son. I think God is letting me off pretty easy. I don't believe God is testing me, only strengthening me.

Praise God! (again)
I had my most very important doctor visit this morning. Once again - the doctors have no explanation why - but my tests are reversing themselves. Everything is still above normal, but the basic readings are half of what they were a month ago. The only 'new finding' for this doctor was that my liver enzymes were elevated. This, of course, is nothing new for the Stowers family. Right little brothers?
The doc's basic plan is keep me on my current meds and see me again in six months. Which I am glad of. My pain levels are lower and I've lost weight. We are contributing it to one of my med changes. I'm certainly not trying - it's the holidays! I have officially dropped one clothing size in one month.

heigh-ho
Work is basically frustrating these days. I know the seasonal Christmas area better than anyone else in the store now. Last weekend I got to be in electronics which made me really miss being a team lead. Decisions, decisions.....Go back to being a team lead, with the awesome raise that accompanies it; or keep getting weekends off? (Except for the current season of course.)

itch
I'm really dry & itchy early this winter. Anybody else?