A quick preview

Today on my drive south home I stopped, as I often do in Columbus for a short walk and some photos.  I don't have time tonight to edit all the photos I took and do a blog post.  To be honest, it is probably going to end up being 2 or three posts because I got a lot of interesting photos.  But, I thought I'd just start out tonight with a quick shot or two of something to whet your appetite. Hopefully tomorrow night I'll have time to get some editing done and do an initial post.  I also have a post to do of weekend photos (specifically Miss Kay's Birthday!)

Hope you enjoy the photos!

Rain & Fog

On my way home today I wanted to stop at a Nature Preserve outside of Logan.  But, I found out it is only open through October and by appointment.  That sucks...so, I just went driving through the hills of southern Ohio/Hocking Hills and since its not very well populated was able to get some good shots.

I loved the fog and rain and really enjoyed the way these pictures came out.  I hope you do too!  Enjoy and have a great night!

November 9 - Thankful (Plus a few photos for a welcome change of pace)

Today I actually took a few photos to put up here on my photo blog.  What an accomplishment.  I am amazing.  Can you hear the sarcasm dripping in my writing?  Its there, believe me.

Before I post them, let me bore you with several things.  Some much needed information about my day and my list of things I'm thankful for today.

First off, it has been a unique day.  At times I have been extremely happy and high as a kite (quite literally.)  Other times, I have been dashed against the rocks and as low as a person can be.  Pain is a bi**h.  I actually (against doctors orders) took my Oxycontin 2 times today.  The pain was bad.  I really didn't eat anything significant to speak of, even with all the pain medications, but I really needed it to get me through.  I have such a long list for the GI tomorrow.  I am working on my assertiveness and am going to be VERY firm and EXTREMELY honest with him.  Maybe I should print out some of my logs from this blog to show him exactly how I've been feeling.  Its a thought. 

The good news is that my appointment with the ENT (ear, nose, and throat doctor) went very well.  The looked at my vocal chords and they are in great shape.  The problem with my voice is actually because my throat and mouth are WAY to dry.  I have dry mucus in my throat.  How does one have dry mucus?  I am confused about that but believe the incredibly handsome educated and smart doctor and am going to start a new medication to help with the problem.  He said it all probably began with all the medications that I take.  About half of them cause dry mouth and throat and it is just making a slightly natural predilection for me worse.  So, we'll work on that.  Easy enough solution.  I just hate taking 2 more pills a day.  With that my count will almost be up to 30 pills/doses of medications a day!  OMG - I'm only 31.  Can you imagine where I'll be when I'm 40?

On to the next topic of conversation.  My thankfulness.  Today I am thankful for:

1. Books - I stopped at Barnes and Noble to get my 'dinner' (a croissant-not too doughy, a banana, and a hot apple cider) at the Starbucks there and browsed around the children's section.  I found the most adorable book about an Owl and I can't wait to read it to my preschoolers tomorrow or Friday!
2. Directions - The directions to the clinic for the ENT were great and I got there with no trouble at all.  I was early (big surprise for me) and had plenty of time to use the restroom, take my pain meds (thank you God) and drink a protein shake well before my appointment so I didn't risk vomiting when they did the camera down my throat.
3. My organizational skills - I have all of my things neatly packed and stowed away and all is set for the night and for the morning.  Hopefully all will go smoothly and I will be up and ready in plenty of time to leave my motel room and make the 15 minute trek down the road to the hospital for my doctor's visit in the morning.  (Sorry, that sounded really vain didn't it?)

Okay, now on to a few pictures.  I hope you like them.  Have a lovely evening and a wonderful tomorrow.  Love to everyone, everywhere (can you tell I'm high again?)  Enjoy!

A very ominous sky while I was driving after my doctor's appointment.  Spooky!

The sky getting a bit brighter!

A bright and glorious sky!  Beautiful!

The book I got at Barnes and Noble.  Isn't it so cute?!

Some fabric I picked up at Jo-Ann, etc.  Hmmm....

Not so good at this

So, I've been slacking lately.  I really need to get back on track and start trying to take a few more good and interesting photos and blog a bit more.

Anyhow, today was a bit of an unusual day, though I have a lot of those.  I was at my parent's house, having traveled there after my doctor's apt. in Columbus yesterday.  They left on vacation yesterday and I was picking up my charge for the week, Duke, the dog.  So, after being extremely lazy and sleeping in, I did a few things around the house, packed up most of our stuff (forgot Duke's cage and I think my watch) and we set off. 

We stopped in Columbus for a drink (mainly for Duke) and a walk (mainly for me).  We only walked about 25 minutes but Duke was whipped.  I think he's a bit out of shape, like me.  We'll work on that together this week.  We got home around 7, I made dinner and we've been lazing about in the bedroom to take advantage of the only room with AC since its been pretty stinking hot.

Well, that's a recap of my exciting day.  Hope you're having a great weekend.  Enjoy the photos.

Candy tomatoes on the vine at Mom & Dad's.  I picked a few to bring home with me.  Yum!  (Along with some beans and lettuce.)  I really need to grow my own garden!

The Olentangy River off of the Olentangy Bike Path.

A very tired and hot dog.  Poor Duke.

I love this bridge.  I've seen it many times while traveling down 315, but was thrilled (I am such a dork) to get to walk across it and enjoy the view of the river on a sunny day.    :)

Some fabrics I'm going to be working with soon.  I have so many ideas!  And so much awesome fabric!

I love this little guy.  The fabric is so cute and the frog is my favorite part of the fabric.

The picture on the top of the jewelry box Megan & Phillip gave me from their trip to the Hocking Hills.  I forgot it at home last week and was so happy to get it so I could start using it!  Thanks guys!

Contents of my jewelry box.  I'm a very simple person and I usually have 1 or 2 pairs of earrings I wear ALL THE TIME and a ring or 2 and this cross is my current favorite necklace I wear everyday.  The jewelry box is perfect to keep on my nightstand to put all my everyday wear ables in.

Relaxing, driving, relaxing

This summer weather stinks.  It has been so horridly hot and living in a house with no central air conditioning.  But, for the most part I'm climatized and used to living with the heat.  This heat wave though, is too much even for me.  I am happy now, at my parent's house in Smithville and loving the AC. 

Kayla and I drove up this afternoon.  Today was our official last full day together.  I am sad.  She is thrilled (as she should be) to see her parents tomorrow.  I am thinking about returning to my house on Sunday and how quiet it will be.  No kids, just me.  There are positive aspects, less work to do, but so much quieter and less lively.   I'll miss my baby girl.  She is growing up so fast and I can't believe how big and mature she is. 

Anyway, last night we spent the evening at home, had a nice casual dinner (in my room-the only one with ac), Kayla had her bath, then we watched a little Fraggle Rock on netflix.  Then off to bed.  I was terribly lazy and did no work after she was in bed.  Just surfed the internet and wrote a few emails.  I was in bed by 10:30 and loving it.

This morning we got up, I had tons of chores to do, we packed out bags, and off we went.  The heat was brutal and with no real working AC in the car, we couldn't get here fast enough.  We ate lunch in the car, stopped only once and got here in good time.  Kayla was thrilled to see Grandma, so we stopped in at her work and brought her home.  We've enjoyed a nice evening together and I got my gifts for Paul for his birthday.  Our baby boy is turning TWO tomorrow.  A baby no longer.  I am so sad about that.  Can't wait to see him tomorrow at his party and spend some time together.  I'm so excited to see him open his toys and I hope he likes them. 

So, not many pictures tonight as I have just sucked about taking pictures lately.  I will have some tomorrow, as the boy's birthday should prove to have some photographic moments.  Well, here they are.  Sorry in advance they're all from my blackberry. 

Talking on the phone to grandma.  You'd think she was a teenager already the way she loves to talk on the phone.

A nice simple pony tail.  Hair decisions are a big part of our daily routine.

Asleep in the heat with bows in her hair.  Excuse me while I cry...

Driving, driving, driving

Lately it seems like I do a lot of driving. If I'm not on my way to the homestead (a three hour trip), I'm on my way to Columbus to the Hospital/Doctor (an hour and a half trip.)  Typically, I love to drive.  However, three main factors have begun to lessen my love of driving. 

First, my car isn't in the shape it used to be in.  Now when I've driven long distances I have to do some maintenance on my car after the trips to ensure it keeps running.  Its not hard work but, just not something I enjoy doing.

Secondly, my body is not in the shape it used to be in.  I can not handle long spans of time sitting in one spot.  I find I am no longer able to just drive for the three straight hours home, but must stop at least once to use the necessary room and just to move.

Finally, its so RIDICULOUSLY expensive to travel these days.  Most of my trips are subsidized by my loving parents (thank goodness) or I'd really be stuck.  Trips to the Dr., food, or meds?  Tough choices.

Anyway, my photos today include photos I took while driving (don't worry, I was careful).  They aren't great pictures by any stretch of the imagination, just quick snapshots. The others are just some quick pictures I took throughout the day.  I really want to get back on the wagon posting everyday, so sorry if they may be boring pictures, I really want to get into the habit though. (Oh and just FYI, in the 5 minutes I was walking around my house to snap a few photos, I got 5 mosquito bites.  I wish I knew why my blood was so sweet to
mosquitoes.)

Well, that's all for today, here's my pictures and I'm off to take some meds, unpack and go to bed.  I spoke to soon yesterday about having pain after my procedure.  Today has definitely made up for any lack of pain I had yesterday.  Ugh!! :(

Nicholas & Kayla ready to swim at Andy & Angela's house.  When did they get so grown up?

My newest camera/blackberry case.  I made it last night when the pain started.  I have found sewing is a great distraction, so I may be doing a lot more sewing in the coming months. Love this fabric (thanks Mom!)

On 30 just outside of Mansfield.  Sometimes Ohio is so pretty.

The Columbus skyline off of Route 71 south.  Have I mentioned how much I love Columbus?

A flower blooming on a bush at the back of my house. I love the variance of colors.

A gall on the tree in my front yard.  Cool.

A little informal sidewalk art for the people I love most.  Hi babies!!!

Traveling

Today I spent most of the day traveling.  All total I was on the road for about 6.5 hours.  But, it was totally worth it.  My nephew is, hopefully, asleep in the next room.  (I know he's in the next room, I'm just hoping he's asleep.) 

So, the point of this blog is to show photos of my day to day life, but I would like to just add a quick anectdote today. 

As most of you know, I am not a morning person.  I hate mornings. I don't function well in the morning.  I don't like to talk in the morning and pity the person who wakes me up.  I hate mornings.  I am a night person and as such like to stay up late (often too late) and am barely able to survive until around 10 am.  (And tomorrow I have to be up, showered, dressed, get a child up and dressed and fed and at work by 7 am.  Kill me now.)  But, I do it for work and at least pretend to be happy and silly and jovial when I arrive at work, often around 7 am, especially during the summer months.  Yuck.  But, back to my story.

This week, as I mentioned earlier, my nephew is with me.  He'll be at my day camp during the day having fun with the other kids (and hopefully me a little bit) and in the evenings we'll have lots of time to do stuff together.  So, it was rather appropriate that the hymn Morning has Broken was played today in church.  You see, every morning at sleep-over camp when I was a little girl, that was the song played to wake us up.  Every day over the loudspeakers, a-nnoy-ing.  And as I sat in church this morning listening to the hymn it made me stop and think.  This is Nick's first long time sleep-over away from his parent's.  I remember what that was like.

I was a bit older, but for me camp was on your own.  Andy (my older brother) was there, but wanted ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with me while we were at camp.  That was his time away to forget he had younger siblings.  My cousins both worked at the camp and I saw them pretty regularly, but they had their own things to do, so it was just me.  I was not a child (or am an adult) who makes friends easily.  In addition I had an absolute hatred of being away from my parents (especially my Mother).  I was miserable.  And I should mention that my first year of camp on the Sunday we were brought to camp, it was my 2nd day of wearing glasses.  Ever.  I hated them.  They hurt and were awful.  Life was not fun. 

So, I'm going to try to keep all these things in mind this week as I help my nephew get through this first full week away from home.  I know, in the end, it is a great thing. We'll bond, which is awesome; he'll make new friends and have fun at camp during the day; and he'll learn a little more independence and grow.  I know personally, that if it wasn't for my Mother pushing me to go to camp; go to school; spend the night at grandpa's; leave her side for 2 seconds!!!!; I wouldn't be the independent woman I am today.  It's tough, but in the end worthwhile.  So, I'll pray I am a good Aunt and can help my baby learn a few things and get us both through this week and have a great time. 

Alright, enought rambling.  I'm not even sure all of that makes sense.  Sorry, I'm tired, it's late and I still have stuff to do and I need to be up at 5:30 am.  I am insane.  So, here's some photos from my day.  (Please forgive the quality.  All were taken with my Blackberry so they're not great.  Except for the subjects, that is.)

Nicholas in the car as we were preparing to get back on the road.  He was a great traveler and we enjoyed a nice dinner at Bob Evan's in Columbus.  Also, he is so cool in those shades!!

A building (and the highway) in Columbus.  I like to go North via Columbus as there are more places to stop between Athens and home; and over the last year and a half I have become very familiar with this great city and I love it there.  I really want to find a job and move there.  Really, really, really bad!

My hydrangea.  I 'stole' this off my own hydrangea plant, that just happens to be at my parent's house.  And they weren't home.  But, it is my plant, it was a gift several years ago for my birthday.  Unfortunately, I thought I had a bottle of water in my car and I didn't.  I also thought I had the keys to my parent's house in my purse and I didn't.  (I needed to get something and could not as they are on vacation and I had forgotten my keys.)  So, my flower withered.  I am attempting to revive it, but it doesn't look good.  At least I got this picture while it was beautiful.