Diagnosis: Gallstones

Pending further investigation, the initial results of my chest CT last week are that I have gallstones. Hmm...interesting! Not exactly what we were looking for so I googled 'gallstones' and discovered some helpful info. My primary Dr.'s office simply left me a voice mail, referring me to a surgeon...which I am having big issues with.

I'm not a fan of surgery...don't know anyone who is. So if I've had NO attacks and NO other symptoms, should surgery be my first option? I think NOT! So, I'm waiting for a call back from my primary Dr.'s nurse for more info on my CT results. I'm hoping there is a healthy alternative to avoid or even stave off surgery, which I'm pretty sure there are other options such as liver & gallbladder cleanses. So far I have removed almost all the unhealthy fats I know how to from my diet. I've already lost some lbs & it's only been 5 days. Next thing I need to do is add some exercise, some good quality time on some treadmills perhaps, throw in some swimming...it's a great way to start incorporating it into my daily routine. I'll update with more info later.

On the brink of something good

I've been collecting Coca Cola cap codes and entering them for a while now. It's just me so they don't add up very fast except when someone blesses me with a zip lock full of them :) (WINK! Anybody? Anybody?)

I have already cashed some points in & received a cell phone skin that I personalized, which is cool. But now I have even more points accumulated and I'm on the brink of getting something *good*. Of course I could be spending my time online with better things, like how I can save money comparing health insurance quotes or even researching how to run an alpaca farm. Sure, I could do that and I might but getting junk for free from Coke is also fun for me! Those points are burning a hole in my virtual pocket! Just a little more and I'll have a can cooler or free movie ticket!

What is the deal with pickles lately?

I'm craving them like crazy!!! I think it all started with a pickle from Jimmy John's sandwich shop. They have a jumbo dill that they cut in 1/2 for you. It's so yummy and juicy and cold!! I really do crave pickles now.

Even at home, I can hear them calling me from the fridge....spears, baby dills and bread and butters! I'm pretty sure they aren't good for me, I mean, I don't think you'll find them on any fat burner review or list of healthy snacks anywhere! I am enjoying them in moderation but the crunch and juiciness call my name when I'm needing a snack!!

Worth more than every penny!

When I bought my used 2002 Saturn L300, I also purchased one of those after market mechanical breakdown insurance policies and it has turned out to be worth more than every penny I spent on it!!! I actually chose one that had a zero deductible and it was only like $50 more or something!

Anyway, I've used it here and there and it has more than paid for itself already. I've had over $2,000 worth of repairs done and I only paid like $1,200 for it! I still have about 16,000 miles left or until June 8, 2012...whichever comes first. I'm pretty sure I'll be over on mileage well before that time. I highly HIGHLY recommend getting one of these policies for your next purchase as well as the gap insurance too. If your car is totaled and you owe more than the insurance company gives you, the gap insurance pays the uncovered amount! I hear gap insurance has gone up though. Anyway, I'm loving my warranty, that's for sure! Not to mention my peace of mind, since I'm a single female and all.

Rudolph with that nose so bright...

"...won't you guide my sleigh tonight?" Thanks Darlene, now that song is going to be stuck in my head all day!!!!

Isn't it annoying when someone hums or sings part of a song right by you and you spend the rest of the day with it replaying over and over in your head while you're researching the best diet pills for men or searching the want ads online? Heck, until I hear the song in it's entirety or go to sleep for 6-8 hours, it will be stuck there with my brain constantly trying to finish the song. Ack!! I'll get you for this Dar!!!

Eeek, it's been hot out!

Summer has just about arrived here in St. Louis. The mornings and nights are cooler (only by a bit) but the heat in the daytime can be relentless!!! I'm almost to the point right now that I cringe when I think about being outside during that hot muggy midday sun. Unless it's to go swimming in a nice cold and inviting pool or river! I remember as a kid, I could play outside all day and I never really noticed the heat as much as I do now. I mean, I lose my breath so easily, I almost need one of those Evergo oxygen concentrators just to keep from passing out!!!

My landlord finally installed a new A/C in my living room over the holiday weekend. It's a good thing too, the temps were up to 88 or higher in there on some days! Of course, we still had our smaller A/Cs in the bedrooms so atleast we could sleep. I just can't sleep when I'm hot. The new A/C is programmable, has a sleep setting and a timer...even came with a remote! I wish they'd have kept the book for me though, who the heck knows how to take full advantage of the settings if you don't know what they all do!? Oh well, maybe I can find the instruction manual online!

With moving comes new furniture needs.

Well, that's 1 thing for sure, if I move I may need new furniture! Right now I don't even have a kitchen table and chairs. My sofa and love seat and chair are still nice. Although, I slept on my leather sofa for a while and now it's not that great to sit on.

I bought leather furniture because I had 2 cats and their hair wouldn't be a problem...and it wasn't. But I don't have my furry babies anymore and I can enjoy whatever kind of furniture I want! Maybe I'll start looking at contemporary sofas, I like some sectionals I've seen in the mail ads. Although I don't enjoy it when the pieces begin to separate on you while you are getting up or down, perhaps there is a way to lock them together? We'll see. I don't even know where I'm moving to yet but I am leaning more towards a place with some amenities. :) Never had those before!!!

Moving again?

I've been contemplating the idea of moving for a while now. Every time I can't find a parking space or smell burnt tacos in my living room...it's brought back to mind. Of course, I believe if I do move, that will mean higher rent.

I'm just not sure if I want to commit to that or not right now. Higher rent means I will be able to afford less toys, and I love my toys (can I get an Amen!?). For instance, my next cell phone *will* be an iPhone and of course, you can't get an iPhone without plenty of iPhone accessories and so on and so forth. I have a deadline of June 30th due to the fact that my landlord only sent me a 6 month lease so I'm feeling the pressure to search for new places or just resolve to stay put and deal with my surroundings. I don't fancy the thought of another cold & drafty winter where my heating bills are like $300 a month though. Hmmm...

GASP!!! Mission accomplished.

At the risk of sounding judgmental, is this what we are wearing to take the kids to the playground now?No bra, no over-shirt, no class. The obvious mission this morning when getting dressed...if she even did get dressed and didn't just roll out of bed dressed this way (I wear spaghetti strap shirts with no bra to sleep in) was to draw attention to herself.

I guess if you are a loving and caring parent, you would do this too! After all, dressing like *this* would indeed draw every eye, both child & adult eyes, to you and away from your child...just in case there were any pervs at the park eyeballing your kid. Well, her mission is accomplished. You can't help but to gawk at her, mostly in disbelief and disgust. I feel sorry for people that feel they need to dress this way or that it's even appropriate to dress like this outside your home. I hope she gets someone, a friend or sister of some kind to tell her she doesn't have to give it all away upfront, there's absolutely NOTHING left to the imagination in this case...and trust me. This is a modest camera angle. Sad.

The Friendship Factor by Brenda Poinsett

One of my favorite authors, Brenda Poinsett is celebrating the release of her newest book 'The Friendship Factor, Why women need other women.' The First Baptist Church in St. Clair, MO is hosting a dessert party to help launch the new book and we were personally invited by Brenda to come celebrate!

The flyer for tonight's party reads, "Join Brenda as she explores the needs women have to connect deeply with others, to share their burdens, to rejuvenate their souls, to reduce their stress and to connect for ministry. Let 'The Friendship Factor' show you what your friendships can truly become." I can't wait!

My favorite book of hers was called 'What will I do with the rest of my life?' and came to me at a desperate time in my life. It really helped move me past a dark time and for that, I love and appreciate Brenda! She has taught me many priceless things so I am excited to celebrate her new book which is also a topic that is near and dear to my heart. Congrats Brenda!!!

Wow what a beautiful day!

It is an absolutely beautiful day here in St. Louis! The sun is shining through a clear blue sky, warming your skin with excitement while the cool breeze tickles your senses. The only thing you need is a decent pair of sunglasses and you're set!

Driving to work today, I had to fight the urge to just keep going when I arrived at the office parking lot. It's a great day for a drive, that's for sure! Get out and enjoy it if you can. I for one will be stuck admiring the nice day from inside my office, plopped on my butt behind a desk. ***SIGH***

Let's talk body wash!

Since I was a child, I've used the same bar soap. A couple of years ago, I switched from that same Coast brand over to Dove body bars for the added moisturizing. I have used the occasional body wash here and there....for convenience or at a friend's house. I am also a big fan of Bath and Body Works products...they just smell amazing! There was a sale and I picked up a couple of their body washes and I love them!!!

Going forward, I'd like to get some feedback on what brands of body wash you prefer? Sometimes like in outdoor rugs or say, hangers...name brands don't really come into play much, but I figure with something like this it's good to get other opinions on brands. Which ones do you prefer for scent, for lathering qualities or hey, the all important 'bang for your buck' factor. Let's face it, Bath and Body Works sure smells nice but it'll break your wallet (even with a sale!) for as much as you get in that small bottle. So, spill it, what do you prefer?

Summer, it is a comin'

Summer is quickly approaching and I'm regretting more and more, not making good use of this late winter/early spring time to take off a few pounds. I was so cozy, layered in my winter garb that I wasn't remembering that feeling of 'nakedness' I get when I begin to go out in the world with no coat or jacket or sweater to hide behind.

Unfortunately, I don't even think the best diet pills would help me shed the pounds at this point because spring is sprung and summer is knocking at the door! I am out of time! Shoot....guess I'll have to move to Alaska so I can hide behind my sweaters LOL

Miche Bag Rep Con in KC

A couple of months ago I was introduced to Miche Bags and instantly was interested in selling them. That doesn't happen often, let me tell ya! I suppose I was already 'in the market' to find a home based business to give me an opportunity to make money in my off work time. Home party businesses can be great but also can be aggravating. I mean, you really are relying on whether or not other people want to host a party at their house and if people like the products and want or even can afford to buy them.

Miche Bags are such a great novel idea and if it was new to me, it's new in my area! The concept is, you buy a base and then get different 'shells' to change the outside look! I'm a big fan of the Big Bag, myself but the classic size is most popular and has the most shells to choose from. So far I have had an open house for myself and 2 of my bestest friends have offered to host parties for me which have added 2 more bookings so far! I've decided to take an extremely laid back approach to the entire concept. I mean, the purses literally sell themselves once the ladies have access to playing with them.

Saturday, April 10, 2010, there is a Miche Bag sales rep conference in Kansas City, Mo and I will be on my way as soon as I leave work today! The Lord blessed me with the opportunity to work a double shift last Saturday at my second job, giving me the funds to secure a hotel room near the city (cheaper that way!) so I wouldn't have to leave St. Louis at like 2 am and try and catch some ZZzzzs in my car before it started at 8 am tomorrow. Of course I could have used that unbudgeted windfall for things like diet supplements or paying down my debt....but I think this is a good use of the money, too. I'll let you all know what fun things I learn at the conference!

I got my Facebook back!

Over the past, oh I don't know....year or so, I have been increasingly involved in a Facebook game called Mafia Wars. Stop me if you've heard someone say this before but it went from a casual enjoyment to a full on obsession!! To be honest, it was getting to the point of jeopardizing my job because I was not getting my work completed to the best of my abilities. For shame!!!

But how do you 'get out' when you are a made lady? I mean I was a tagged player with an elite all woman's fighting group who gifted me much loot and bang bangs to make me a strong player for when we would be at war with another tagged group. The {PD-KTB} really put a lot into me and I enjoyed my squad, The Sirens. Interacting within the group was/is so much fun!

The reason I decided this week to leave the game...was the game itself. Zynga must have had 4,000,000 people working on this thing to come up with SO MANY aspects of play that just to touch base on some of them, took all day long, literally! In the end, I had taken on over 800 'friends' and my wall was so clouded with Mafia Wars stream posts that it was impossible for me to even find any legitimate posts from my friends and family. Facebook was no longer Facebook, it was the website I played Mafia Wars on. I spent so much time 'working' the game, I couldn't even have researched gmat prep courses if I wanted to! No, if I was online I was involved with some aspect of Mafia Wars.

In an effort to be a better steward of my resource of time, I am leaving Mafia Wars for good. I have spent a considerable amount of time this week, gifting back tons of loot and bang bangs to a couple of friends and the rest all went back to the girls of The Sirens. I also unloaded over 800 unnecessary 'friends' from my profile! I really did enjoy the game until it became work and that wasn't fun anymore. I love the Sirens and everyone else in the PDs and KTB! I wish you all luck and try not to let it get the best of you :) Now, I finally have my Facebook back!!!

It hasn't been *that* hot yet...

but it doesn't seem to matter though. I've always been a 'sweat-er' and as soon as my skin takes the notion that the temperature is going up at all, I start sweating on my face! Ugh, it just wreaks havoc on my skin. It starts off with a bit of oiliness....then before long BOOM! I start breaking out. It's time to grab my acne face wash and an air conditioner. I tell ya, if it's not oily skin......it's dry skin! I just wish it would make up it's mind already :)

Casting Crowns Concert-Tonight!

I'm so excited, I'm soooo excited!!! I have loved this band since the very first time I ever heard the first song. Over the years, they have repeatedly blown me away with their albums. From Christmas songs to worship songs...they do it all! And they do it oh so well! Their latest album is called Until The Whole World Hears and there's a song on it with the same title that's very good. It's growing into another favorite of mine :)

I'm just so excited because I'm going with friends from church and I've never seen Casting Crowns in concert before. Busy brides, put down your wedding favors, waitresses put down your trays and make your way to the St. Charles Family Arena for the Casting Crowns show tonight!

Seriously disgusting!

Want to know what disgusting taste I'm currently experiencing? No, there wasn't a sale on day old fruit. I'm about to throw up from the taste of my eye drops!!

Yes, you heard me right, the eye drops I just started have an aftertaste...you know all these things are connected. I didn't realize you could taste something that was in your eye but hey, they say you learn something new every day. Bleh.... My spoonful of peanut butter isn't helping. I can still taste it! :(

These are not my eyes obviously, I am not a dude. But this is a great representation of what my eyes are looking like right now. The drops offering the foul tasting backlash are dilation drops. Inflammation in my right eye has caused a myriad of issues including my iris being stuck closed...resulting in the need to jerk it back open with dilation drops. I have a way to go but atleast I don't have a half moon pupil anymore. More to come on the eye issues.

Blogging is old news, really?

I was interviewed by Tim Barker, a writer from stltoday.com. The article titled "Still blogging? FYI: It's old news" was written discussing how 'young people' have abandoned blogging for social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and Myspace. Although I was well out of the 'younger generation of bloggers' he was looking to interview, we spoke at length about many things. It's always very interesting to me to read what someone gleans from a conversation. You'll have to read down to the last 2 paragraphs of the article to find where I'm mentioned.

BeccA's Buzz, by the way, is the blog I referred to as a 'big ol' bowl of soup in terms of content.' You know me, I could be talking about taking a trip or incontinence products or heck, maybe both at the same time! At any rate, I don't plan to stop blogging...not anytime soon. So you young people can do whatcha like creating and following all the newest trends but my blog and I will be chatting it up for a long, long time. Oops, I said 'you young people'....spoken like a true old person! LOL

R.I.P. Aunt Vera

My father's sister Vera passed away yesterday. My heart goes out to my cousins for the loss of their mom. Also to my grandmother, this is the second child for her to bury in less than 4 months.

Makes you stop and think about things...like family and goals....even whole life insurance or term, whichever suits your needs. Today is my dad's birthday and I'm sure he's thinking about these things considering this is his second sibling to pass in less than 4 months. Hmm....spend time with those you love while you still can. That's all I have to say about that.