Something Not Shit

“The way I look at it, in everyone’s life there’s a certain amount of shit. And in the last year, things have turned out pretty shitty. So logically, mathematically even, it’s got to be time for something not shit.” --Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason

That statement very well describes my feelings at the end of 2005. No doubt the worst year of my life. I wish I could go back and erase it. But I can’t. I can only joke about it, learn from it, and move on.

In the spring of 2005, my dad lost his job. My mom called to tell me the news. Over the phone, I could see the tears in her eyes and feel the fear in her voice. It was a scary thing in their single income household. And I’m an only child so I had no one to share the burden. He was out of work for several weeks, but eventually got things straightened out and was hired back by the company for a different job with less pay. And due to the recent economic downturn, he’s also getting less hours now but hopefully things will pick back up next year.

In the summer of 2005, I discovered my then husband was having an affair. So on top of worrying about my mom and dad, I now had an emotional black hole to emerge out of every day. I tried going to a counselor. I tried reading books. I tried praying. I tried everything I could but in the end, I just couldn’t live with it and, try as I might, I definitely couldn‘t change it. But I did live with it for several months. And I honestly don’t know how people do it for longer than that and function. Some people endure infidelity all of their lives. I am not one of them. I was in a constant, puffy eyed state, a hot mess on the verge of tears. It’s a hell of a way to live, and I’m so glad it’s behind me.

In the fall of 2005, my cousin died in a car accident. He was just a year older than me and the whole family took it very hard. He had some problems and was on the verge of getting his act together, and then this happened. It was a tragic event but I think it brought us all closer together in the end. I miss him.

The year ended pretty much the way it began. My dad fell and broke his leg, and was once again out of commission. He still got paid for disability, or whatever insurance term you want to use, but now there were medical bills piling up on top of normal bills. With everything else that had happened that year, and keep in mind at this point I’m still dealing day in and day out with my husband’s affair, it was the last straw. To quote another movie, how much more shit can we pile on top of this heap? -- My Cousin Vinny.

I’m writing this now because I’m about to enter 2010: a new decade and 5 years removed from the year of shit. And I’m very happy. I think things have gotten better every day since 2005 ended and they’re pretty damn good right now. I still have my bad days and meltdowns, but I’m nowhere near where I was then. I can smile. I can laugh. I can have a good time without the weight of the world on my shoulders. I’m so lucky. So blessed. And so grateful that 2005 is becoming a distant memory.

Christmas Past

This is a picture from 14WFIE's Christmas party in 2006. Perry and I had our first date at this event. I got the urge to find this picture after my mom gave me a picture frame that said "Christmas 2006" because she knew that's when we started dating. Problem is, I didn't have a camera back then. Ironically, I got one for Christmas that year but it was after the fact. So I started hunting down co-workers who might have caught us on tape. Sure enough, Stefanie Silvey came through, and now I have the picture. Sans red eye.

This weekend, yet another WFIE Christmas party rolls around. It would be my 6th but I skipped a year, so just 5 parties for me. Several, several more for Pmo. It's been downsized from a formal gala at the country club to an intimate gathering at the general manager's home. But there's good food and it's still a lot of fun. I also just found out that our favorite bar is having karaoke Saturday night. They recently came under new management, and karaoke is hard to come by now. So I'm super psyched and looking forward to having lots of fun with my husband and our friends.

Working Holiday

I find it funny that people are still shocked I sometimes have to work on a holiday. Especially Thanksgiving or Christmas. People, I work in news. I've been working in news for 6 years. The news doesn't stop for family, friends, and feasting. But I try to take turns with people and sometimes I get to choose. Like this year I decided to take off Friday instead of Thanksgiving. It's a bonus because I get a three day weekend and I get to go out to dinner on my birthday. Plus I'm off Christmas Eve and Christmas Day so I think that's a good trade off.

Working today wasn't that big of a deal anyway because it was a pretty easy day. I did some pre-planning on Wednesday night and got my 2 newscasts as organized as I could. Many of us brought in side dishes and desserts for dinner. Our editor even smoked a turkey so we had a pretty good spread that we ate on all day. I had extra supplies from our reception over the summer so I brought in the sectioned plates, utensils, napkins, a loaf of bread, and three side dishes. We just decided to throw this together last night, so I was amazed at what I could bring that I already had at home. I didn't have to go to the store for anything. I spent the morning cooking for work and cleaning for company who is coming tomorrow night.

Tomorrow, as I've mentioned, is my birthday. Our friends, Rachel and Nick, as well as Mom and Dad are going to eat dinner with us at Shogun in Owensboro. Yummy Japanese hibachi food! I'm very excited and looking forward to it. I might even brave the stores tomorrow to look for a new outfit. I'm at that point where I hate all of my clothes again and feel fat in everything. Also, tomorrow night, we're meeting a couple of my cousins out for drinks. We have no plans for the rest of the weekend, but I imagine we'll start the indoor Christmas decorating. We put lights up on the house last weekend. Now it's time to start on the tree and all the knick knacks.

Yay for the holidays!

Giving Thanks

I'm thankful for many things this year:

I'm thankful I have some money in the bank. Not a lot, but some. Enough to make a dent in my debt. I'm about ready to pay off my car, and that is so sweet.

I'm thankful I have a job that allows me to put money in the bank. And spend it. Usually on groceries. And wine.

I'm thankful my job is not flipping burgers and actually has some purpose and respect that goes along with it.

I'm thankful I have a second chance at marriage and a husband who does not run around on me.

I'm thankful he looks out for me and takes care of me when I need it. Like when I'm sick. Or hungover.

I'm thankful we're able to travel and see the sights. Even if it is just a rock formation or a state park. Every moment is precious.

I'm thankful we have a nice home and a big yard. Even if we had 36 huge Rural King bags full of leaves last weekend. And aching muscles.

I'm thankful I don't live in white trash alley anymore. And kids don't smash my pumpkins.

I'm thankful for my family. I'm lucky my parents and three of my grandparents are still living. And my little cousins bring me such joy.

I'm thankful for friends. New ones that hang out with me on a Saturday night. Old ones that stay in touch and will never forget me.

I'm thankful for my dogs. They may have problems from time to time with fleas, glanding, and eye gunk, but they're my best buddies. I don't know what I'd do without them to come home to.

I'm thankful I've almost made it to my 31st birthday. I wouldn't want to go back to any other year of my life. I've got it pretty good.

Jack Scratch Fever

I haven’t had much to blog about lately except for pet problems. It’s not Bug this time, it’s Jack. A little over a week ago, he started scratching like crazy, and constantly. We went to a pet store to see what remedies we could find. The manager told us that dogs tend to have corn allergies this time of year. And most dog food has corn in it. After he told me what most dog food was made of, I was more than ready to try something new. The manager also recommended a tea tree oil spray. So we bought both. We’re working the food in gradually: half old, half new. The spray provided relief for a bit, but otherwise didn’t do much good. We noticed Bug was scratching, too, but not as much and no hair loss. After we put the spray on Jack, we noticed he had a big chunk of hair missing.

I started looking up solutions on the internet. Then I considered flea allergies could be the problem. I treat the dogs for fleas in the warmer months with flea collars and topicals. But I thought fleas went away when it got colder. I was wrong. Pmo found a couple of Bug the other day and I also found one on Jack. Then I noticed Jack had some red, irritated spots on him that I now believe are flea bites. So I turned back to the flea shampoo I use in the summer and broke down and bathed Jack today, though he wasn‘t due for another two weeks. I'm told overbathing can irritate their skin, too. When Jack was dry again, I put a flea collar back on him and applied the topical.

I found some home remedies for dog allergies on the internet involving oatmeal and baking soda. I didn’t have any baking soda so I tried the oatmeal recipe. It said boil 2 quarts of water and a handful of oats for 10 minutes, drain the particles, and let cool. I had to stick the pot in the freezer so it wouldn’t scald Jack, but I got it down to a nice lukewarm temperature. I put the oatmeal on him after the flea bath and it felt good to me, silky smooth in fact. Surely that had to help even a little bit. I left the oatmeal on for about 5 minutes, then rinsed it off. I think next time I’ll only make half the batch though, unless I’m bathing Bug, too. It seemed a little excessive for one dog.

After I got Jack out of the tub, which he was so ready to do after shivering during most of the ordeal, he didn’t scratch for about 5 to 10 minutes. But I was also vacuuming so maybe he was just distracted. Nevertheless, he eventually started scratching again. So I gave him another dose of children’s Benadryl in the hopes it would ease his pain in the afternoon. That was also a recommendation from the pet store manager and I read about it in several articles on the internet. Except there‘s conflicting information on whether the liquid form or the pill form is better for dogs. I bought the liquid. I haven’t been able to tell if it helps because it’s either been at night when I get home and we soon go to sleep, or before I go to work and I’m not around to see if he’s still scratching. But he hasn’t thrown it up at all, and he has a sensitive stomach. So that's a good sign.

I hope some if not all of these remedies work. I think the flea treatment will do the trick, but the oatmeal and baking soda are good ideas, too. I guess I'll move onto Bug tomorrow.

I Heart Vino

It all began with a trip to the Biltmore Estate. Up until then, I didn't really care for wine and didn't understand the attraction. But Pmo and I visited that winery and we haven't stopped looking for tasting rooms since. We've been to wineries in North Carolina, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Indiana, and Kentucky. Maybe even more states but I can't think of them right now.

Visiting wineries and buying wine has really become sort of a hobby for us. But not every winery is created equal. I like a winery to be scenic, kind of set back from everything else. I don’t like junky ones that sit right off the interstate, but I'll still try them out. I think one of my favorites is Stone Hill in Missouri. It's on a hill, obviously, in this charming small town, almost village like. I also like Huber Winery in southern Indiana. Lots of farmland around it.

http://www.stonehillwinery.com
http://www.huberwinery.com

I started my drinking career with hard liquor. Screwdrivers were my drink of choice. It was college, so cheap vodka was the best I could do. I didn't like beer at the time. Then at some point, I ended up growing quite fond of beer. And I took a few shots of tequila here and there until I knew better. I was on the beer kick for quite awhile, but my tastes have now turned to the art of grapes.

I love learning about wine, talking about wine, and of course, tasting wine. Pmo and I gathered quite a collection from our trips this year, but now that supply is gone. I expect we'll stock up again soon. We have some standards at the local liquor store that are tasty. But half the fun of opening a bottle of wine from a trip is bringing back those memories and remembering why you liked it enough to buy it in the first place.

Every bottle of wine is different, and it has its own story. I don't think you can really say that about other alcoholic drinks. I love smelling a glass or bottle of wine, including the cork. I love to look at it in the glass and swish it around. I enjoy it. I experience it. I used to think it was a bit uppity to drink wine, but not anymore. I'd rather drink wine than any other alcohol at this point in my life.

The bad thing is wine knocks me on my butt pretty quick. I've learned Pmo and I can share a bottle and I'm good the next day. If we share two bottles, I'm probably going to have a headache. Three bottles or more, I'm headed for trouble. And if I'm drinking wine by myself? Oh, Lord, not a good move. But nevertheless, tonight, I'm looking forward to going home, sitting in my recliner, and drinking a bottle of great vino with my husband. In my opinion, it's the perfect way to end the work week.

Coupon Caper

My latest hobby is searching out deals. I scour the Sunday ads and the weekly circulars looking for ways to save. I usually don't travel from store to store just to buy a few items here and there that are on sale. I tend to stick to the deals offered by my local Wesselman's and Dollar General. It helps that they're right next door to each other. But this week, I found good deals on items we use every day that were spread out at several stores, so I decided to brave the rain today and make the trip around town. I went to 5 stores and spent about $25 at each store. But, I saved at least $25 in markdowns and coupons.

I've learned that I can cheat on my coupons a bit. It depends on the cashier, but sometimes you can slip some by that really shouldn't be used. I try to get in line where I see a young kid, preferably a boy, because something tells me he doesn't care if I have a coupon for High Fiber Progresso Soup when I only got the regular kind. By the way, I got 6 cans of Progresso Soup for $7 and some change today. Or when I have coupons for $1 off the purchase of two 12-packs of Diet Coke, but I use 1 coupon per pack instead. That day I got four 12-packs for $7.

I also enjoy buy 1 get one free sales, if I can use the items. Today, I decided against a buy 1 get 1 free today on cranberry juice, because it was a huge container that was $5.49 and I didn't think I could drink 2 of them. I try not to buy things I don't need just because they're on sale. But I've learned the art of watching for things to go on sale, THEN using my coupons. Which is tricky. You have to pay careful attention to the ads, mark things, and make a list. Otherwise, you'll forget what was on sale and what you wanted to get when you walk in the storer. Also, do lots of coupon clipping and be aware of what you have. Long expiration dates on those coupons are important so you can hold onto them and use them when the time is right. And of course, you have to have the patience and will to not need the item right away, and to wait it out. Then you can truly reap the benefits of sales and coupons.