7/13/06

Accomplished. (My weight loss site is here.)

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Pet store kitty pics from Monday are here.
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Yesterday, I ran around like a chicken with its head cut off, getting last-minute things accomplished. I had a hair appointment at 11:00 and before that I did a couple of loads of laundry and actually started packing. I decided to take two suitcases with me, because I always have extra crap to bring home and I could have fit everything in one suitcase, but would have had no extra room left over, and since I’m allowed to take two suitcases, I figured I might as well do so. I usually only start packing the night before my flight leaves, and only if it’s leaving early, so to have started packing a day in advance is a HUGE deal for me. I hope it means I didn’t forget anything, but who the hell knows? After my hair appointment I had to go to the optometrist because when I was there three weeks ago, I got a new kind of contact lens, one that was supposed to be better and supposedly lets more oxygen into your eyeball, except that when I wore them, the opposite sort of thing seemed to be happening. That is, about halfway through the day the contacts would start fogging up, and nothing – eyedrops (yes, I use the ones specially formulated for contacts), saline solution, swearing loudly – would un-fog them. Luckily I had a couple pairs of Acuvue2 lenses left over, so I tossed the Optix and went back to the Acuvue2s. Which left me with the problem that I had four boxes of Optix because I try to get 6 months or a year’s worth of contacts at one time so I don’t have to keep going back to get more. And I couldn’t find my freakin’ receipt, and I just KNEW they wouldn’t take the Optix lenses back without a receipt. Two weeks went by, and when I went to pay bills, I found the receipt stuck in with the to-be-paid bills, DESPITE the fact that I had looked in that exact same location at least twenty times and never once saw the damn thing. So yesterday I took the four boxes of Optix lenses into the optometrist’s office and told the lady working at the desk of my problems, and asked if I could exchange them for Acuvue2 lenses. Not only was she happy to help me out, not only did she not even glance at my receipt, but she told me that the Optix were a bit more expensive than the Acuvue2s, so I walked in with four boxes of lenses and out with five, and didn’t have to pay anything. Woot! I went from there to Dick’s Sporting Goods with the idea of finding some of those hand warmers that where you open the package and the little whatchamacallit inside warms up immediately. ‘Cause I know we’ll be going to at least three movies while I’m in Maine, and despite the fact that I brought a corduroy shirt to the movies when Fred and I saw Superman Returns, I still froze half to death*. So I thought hand warmers would be a good idea, and what better place to find them than a sporting goods store? I thought they’d probably be either in the Camping section or the Hunting section, and though I looked carefully through those sections, I found nothing that appeared to be what I was looking for. I found two employees who were standing and idly chatting about something or another, and I waited politely for them to complete their NON-WORK-RELATED conversation, and I cleared my throat and they each glanced over at me… and kept on talking. I waited a couple of minutes, then grumbled “FUCK THIS” and stomped out of the store. Then I called Fred and demanded that he stop by Dick’s on his way home and get me some hand warmers, since I was SURE they wouldn’t just ignore HIM. Fuckers. I went over to the pet store and bought a squirrel feeder and some squirrel food – since we’ve moved the bird feeders closer to the house and not so close to the tree, I suspect that the squirrel won’t be spending as much time on and under the feeders, and we wouldn’t want the little porker to STARVE, would we? – and then finally headed home. Where I spent the afternoon installing iTunes on the laptop, because I intend to do some walking while I’m in Maine, and I need to have access to my Keith and the Girl podcasts to listen to, and then I made sure that my memory card reader would work with the laptop, and then I did some more packing and switched all my crap over to my “traveling” purse (ie, a Healthy Back Bag in size large, to hold all my crap on the plane) and did some more laundry, and the next thing I knew, it was time for Fred to come home from work and for me to exercise on the elliptical (which I’ve started doing to make up for the exercise I’m not getting since I stopped hiking with Fred) and it was dinnertime, then TV time, and time for bed. And 5:20 came mighty damn early this morning, believe you me. Now I need to go scrub down the litter boxes, put fresh litter in them, clean the bathroom, change the sheets, vacuum and dust the entire house, and possibly wash the kitchen, dining room, and hallway floors, if I decide they need it. Not to mention watering the plants, putting fresh food in the hummingbird feeder, watering my Petunias (on the front steps), cleaning and putting fresh water in the bird bath, making sure the bird feeders are full, and…. crap. What the hell else was I going to do? I think I need a nap. *Yes, I’ll be having my iron level checked when I get back from Maine.
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I have exactly two songs ping-ponging around in my brain, and they are DRIVING ME NUTS. The first is from that fine, fine show The Golden Girls. There was an episode where they wrote a song about Miami, which they entered into a contest to win something I don’t remember, and for some reason that freakin’ song has implanted itself in my brain, and I find myself singing it at the oddest times. I have to say what I feel Miami has so much appeal A great place to get a seafood meal MIAMI Miami, Miami you’ve got style. Blue skies, sunshine, white sand by the mile. When you live in this town, each day is sublime. The coldest of winters, are warm and divine Miami, Miami, you’ve got style Blue skies, sunshine, white sand by the mile There’s ball clubs and night clubs, all with in reach Dance the Samba till morning, then lie on the beach Each view is a postcard, each day a great time! Cream of the crop it’s the top of the line! Miami, Miami you’ve got style Blue skies, sunshine, white sand by the mile. MIAMI, you’ve got style! (Especially the Miami, Miami, you’ve got style part of the song.) The other song, I know where it came from. Last week when I was in the pet store, I bought the cats a can of Kookamunga Catnip treats, and they have the distinction of being the only treats we’ve ever bought that all six cats like. Anyway, the can sits on my dresser, and every time I go by it, I catch a glimpse of the name, and my brain immediately starts singing: Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree, Merry, merry king of the bush is he, Laugh, Kookaburra, Laugh, Kookaburra, Gay your life must be. Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree Eating all the gumdrops he can see Stop, Kookaburra, Stop, Kookaburra Leave some there for me. It’s driving me NUTS.
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Sorry, no cat pics today. The camera and memory card reader are both packed away (one in my purse and the other with the laptop). But here’s a flash from the past – one of my favorite pictures of Mia and her babies from over a year ago. Dsc01896
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I’m off to Maine in a few hours, so I’ll see you when I see you!
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Previously 2005: Hey. What’s worse than not being able to stop yourself from crying? WHEN A MOTHERFUCKER KEEPS LOOKING AT YOU TO SEE IF YOU’RE CRYING. 2004: She looked simultaneously confused and disgusted. “When do I eat CHICKEN eggs?” She wrinkled her nose. 2003: No entry. 2002: No entry. 2001: Sh’yeah. I’m sure Brad’s reallllly worried. 2000: Could that paragraph have been any more rambly and pointless? ]]>

32 thoughts on “7/13/06”

  4. YOU ROCK! Welcome to Onederland (under 200)! Nice job planning ahead and figuring out a walking route. Have a great visit to Maine.

  5. Sweet!
    I now live in Maine, maybe I will see you around somewhere…
    Hey – Westbrook has a new movie theatre with stadium seating that has been open for less than a month. Very swank!

  7. CONGRATULATIONS!! You must be so excited! Thanks for the link to the gmaps. I am going to start walking this afternoon with my hubby! Have a good trip and I’m looking forward to my postcard!

  9. Congratulations on reaching your goal!
    The big-box sporting goods stores here only carry those hand warmers starting about Sept-Oct since it’s hot 11 months of the year in Houston. They don’t restock after they run out in Feb or so. I bought some for the same reason you want them.

  10. You might want to check the iPod with the laptop before you go… depending on how you set it up initially, you may not be able to sync it and get the podcasts on it without deleting everything else on it. :\
    Have a great trip!

  11. Congratulations under 200!!! I wore the Acuvue 2 for years and got switched to the better more oxygen type a few months ago. I hated them also and am back in the Acuvue 2. Who knew my eyeballs need to breathe anyway?

  12. Congrats on the under 200 mark — way to go!! 😀
    I watch the Golden Girls every single day on Lifetime and I LOVE when they do that song. There is one part where Rose says: “Miami is nice so I’ll say it thrice.” And Dortothy says: “Who the hell says thrice?” Rose: “It’s a word!” Dorothy: “So is intrauterine but it doesn’t belong in a song!!”
    [/end super long tangent about the GG’s ;)]
    Have a great time in Maine!

  14. Desi: Yeah, I checked it with the laptop, and did have everything but the podcasts deleted. I’m okay with that, though, because I very rarely listen to music on my iPod, and when I get back, I can re-sync it to my desktop, hopefully with no problems!
    Everyone else: Thank you! 🙂

  15. I can’t remember what the keys are, but there’s a keystroke combination you can use when you hook up an iPod to a computer that you don’t want to synch to iTunes automatically. Then you can go into your iPod preferences in iTunes to set that particular computer to NOT sync when you hook up your iPod. Then you can manually drag and drop only what you want to change, or have a special folder that syncs, but not everything. Sorry I can’t remember what the combination is at the moment. Does anyone else know? Of course, since you’ve already deleted your songs, you can just rehook up your iPod and do the settings so that it won’t happen again.

  17. Congrats on the weight loss accomplishment and have a great vacation!
    I couldnt wear the Optix contacts either! my eyes could never get used to them and I could always feel them and halfway thru the day they would just be so dry…

  18. Congratulations on your weight loss!!!!! 🙂
    Have a great time in Maine–I’ll miss reading your journal.

  19. ROCK ON with the weight loss. What an awesome accomplishment. Just had to delurk to comment. Have a great trip!

  20. Congrats on under 200!!!! I think I am exactly where you are after having baby #4. I now have to watch it, cause I don’t want to be left behind!

  21. OH. MY. GOONESS.
    Ce – le – brashun time.
    COME ON!!!!!!!!!
    I don’t know if you can feel my happiness for ya, but it is all there, momma.

  22. Confrats on meeting your goal! Have a great time. I have been meaning to ask, how are Miz Poo’s lips?

  23. FYI: You can find handwarmers in Walmart at the checkout. you’ll just have to find which checkout its located in.
    have a great trip!!

  24. Robyn, Congratulations on your wonderful weight loss! The cold may not be low iron at all, though it is a good idea to get it checked. Sometimes it’s just a “side-effect” of WLS. I’m 4 years postop and its not as bad as it used to be, but I still get cold. My iron has always been good or borderline at worst, never low.

  25. I told you you’d beat me under 200! WOO-HOOOOOOO GIRL! What a great feeling that must be! Congrats!!!!!! Have a fantastic time in Maine. I’ll be reading super carefully and noting all the restaurants & things to see for our trip in September. Happy, safe travels to you & Fred!

  26. I sympathize with the whole “song-stuck-in-the-head” issue. I’ve had “You Can’t Over Love Your Underwear” by the Fruit of the Loom guys in my head for DAYS. I may go mad.

  27. *Internet kick* Thanks Robyn! Now I have:
    Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree,
    Merry, merry king of the bush is he,
    Laugh, Kookaburra, Laugh, Kookaburra,
    Gay your life must be.
    Running through my head at super annoying speed. And there it will be stuck for a week! Argggg. Thanks for sharing. *sticks tongue out* LOLOL
    That is really funny, your issue with the O2Optixs. I used to wear the Acuvue 2’s also and about a year ago I tried the 02’s since I am one of those bad, bad contacts wearers that sleeps in my contacts and the doctor was adamant that if I were to be an idiot, then at least TRY to be an oxygenated idiot. Soooo I try to be a good girl and try the O2’s, eek. To me it was like having a fan on my eyeballs constantly… too much oxygen apparently and after three years of no air, my eyeballs were all “Oh hells no” and would water like a teenage girls crying over the crush of the moment. So, I switched back to the Acuvue’s. Now, recently I went back to the eye doctor who informed me that I had two options, 1) I could wear the 02’s and get used to them, or 2) He would take my contacts away and make me wear glasses. Now, we all know that after wearing contacts for years, you cannot simply throw them out and get the glasses out, dust them off and try to live with them. I relented at the speed of light and resigned myself to wear the turbo fanned wind tunnels that the doctor wanted me to wear.
    Funny thing is, now they don’t bother me at all. Not sure if it is the way they are made, maybe they are made different? Probably not, I think more than anything it is the “O2’s or else glasses” aspect that has my eyes saying, hmmm these are awesome.
    Seeing the Mia and babies picture sure did bring back alot of memories.. I fondly remember watching the kitties grow through your pictures, hearing of their antics and crying like a baby over Mia. Funny how they felt so close and I just shared in their lives through pictures and your accounts of daily activities.

  28. Have a great trip!
    When it comes to chatting employees,I break right in and say,” ‘scuse me,I need help.” Afterall,they get paid to wait on YOU. I have bad knees and hips and walk with a cane,so my allowable waiting time limit is greatly reduced. And,my getting older makes me put up with less crap.
    Ha,two weeks ago someone sent me a poison-pen letter which was based on lies they had heard second-hand.
    I went directly to their house, confronted them,cussed them out and refused to leave ’til I had my say.
    I’ll bet that will be the last poison-pen letter they will be sending in their lifetime.
    Robyn,if you see any “Luke from The Gilmore Girls” lookalikes in Maine,would you take photos?? Surely there muct be some cute guys wearing flannel shirts in the NorthEast.
    What will Fred do without you??
    I’ll bet your long-distance phone bill will be HUGE. It’s inspiring to see a couple so much in love!

  30. Way to go on gettıng below 200. I can’t stand rude employees, I would have saıd sometıng to someone on the way out the door at least. I hope you have a safe and fun trip!

  31. Robyn – Congrats, Congrats, Congrats…. Have a great time in Maine. We’ll all miss you. I’ll just catch up on my reading since I’ve been gone a couple weeks…..

  32. only 48 lbs to go!? OMG, WOW! I can’t wait to see your next set of pics at the end of the month! 🙂

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