Who Does That?

I finally did it.  It took me almost 7 months but today was the day.  The deed is done.  I'm sure all will read this holding their breath waiting...for the bomb to drop.  Ready?  What I did today will forever change the course of how I do a certain thing in my life.  And that thing?  Why laundry of course.  I LOCKED MY KITTEN IN THE DRYER.  What kind of mom am I?  Who does that?  It's been an ongoing issue in this house.  I do laundry, she jumps in the dryer.  I ALWAYS check and double check before I close and turn on the dryer.  Luckily and thankfully I did not turn on the dryer this time.  But I pulled out some things that needed to be hung up.  Hung those items up and went back to the dryer to pull out items that just needed to be folded.  At that moment I had a whoosh of laziness and said "forget it - I will fold them later".  Slammed the door shut, closed the closet door, turned off the light, and went on with my evening.  I was sitting on the couch watching a movie a while ago and realized my ever-faithful kitten was not close by.  She is always close by - in fact we are kind of stuck like glue.  I did a once-over the living room.  Roxie was in one corner of the room napping.  Cassie (I was dog sitting) was in a chair napping.  But where was Zoe?  I asked Roxie "have you seen your sister"?  Now I get why the look of sheer pleasure and laughter in her eyes!  I started calling for Zoe and nothing.  I finally got up and decided it was time to go on a kitten hunt.  At that same time I heard this horrible banging.  My first thought was "damn neighbors - can't they just shut up and be quiet for even one night?"  I couldn't figure out what the noise of the day upstairs could possibly be.  I walked toward my bedroom and that's when it hit me.  Someone was knocking on something in my closet.  As I opened the closet door, I just knew what it was.  Zoe was banging on the door asking to be let out of the dark, hot dryer.  Back to my question...who does that?!  I opened up the dryer and she practically fell out of it and then looked up and gave me the meanest look that a kitten could muster up!  I felt terrible.  Apologizing, kissing, begging...she was having none of that.  But in about 30 minutes my little friend jumped up on the couch next to me and plopped down and gave me a little sigh and a real big purrrrr.  She's fine.  I'm not.  Note to self...ALWAYS check the dryer, no matter what!
Heard a really interesting guy talk at church yesterday.  It wasn't a sermon but more like a story like thing.  He was a Navy frogman.  Had everything going for him until one day he decided to help his friend sell a little bit green leafy stuff to other friends on the Island of Hawaii.  Next thing he knows he is in Columbia picking up cocaine.  Long story short, he was in a car in Florida with 32 million dollars worth of cocaine in his car and he got busted.  He just happened to be one of John DeLorean's co-defendants in his big drug case.  He could have gotten 50 to life but pled guilty and got 5.  Out in 3.  He did amazing things in prison - became chief engineer of the fire department within his federal prison.  He met many people while fighting fires in the Mojave Desert.  Became friends with some CHP.  Got out of prison and they recommended him to work for the Diving University in Los Angeles.  He just kept going and soon became the chief diver for Jacques Cousteau.  How incredible is that?  He had live footage of looking down the mouths of great whites.  Awesome.  He showed footage of going along the white barrier reef in Fiji.  I was so fixated on all the beauty at the bottom of the sea.  I just loved it.  By the way, I do have a customary thing that I do when I travel.  Any new city that I travel to I visit their aquarium (If they have one).  I am hooked on aquariums.  Now I want to dive in Fiji...I hope I can do that some day!  Anyway, he left the Cousteau Society after turning down an offer to be the CEO.  He also turned down National Geographic to head their great white shark expedition.  He is a lay minister and speaker in schools and is also a missionary in Fiji.  And he loves it.  He is starting a new program to take kids who are physically challenged (as in never walked before) and teach them how to dive in Fiji.  And John Cousteau has volunteered to head the operation for him.  Incredible story.  Just had to share that...
Valentine's Day tomorrow...I think someone is buying me a Pandora Bracelet.  Not!  A private joke which couldn't possibly be funny to anyone but me.  Sorry!
2 more days...Optifast is creeping up on me! ♥

Cruising and Fasting

 

I know - I promised a cruise re-cap and while I usually deliver on my promises, it often takes me a long time to get there.

The cruise to Cabo was actually more fun than I anticipated it would be.  Mom and I got along quite well.  Some of my biggest fears just didn't come to fruition.  Dad on the other hand...he really surprised me. The older he gets the more paranoid he becomes.  I found out that he actually sleeps in bed with a flashlight.  When he hears a noise he snaps on the light to catch the thief!  It's quite strange actually.  And then the other thing he does is say that lights keep coming on in the cabin while he is sleeping.  I hate to break this to him but the lights that are coming on are from his flashlight!  He was also convinced that someone would climb onto the balcony and enter the cabin.  Ok, let me shake the hand of the person who wants to play with death and scale along the balconies with the dark, ice cold pacific ocean lurking down below.  Really?!  Whatever.  We all survived the trip, felt safe in Mexico, and gained a few pounds.  Oh, and mom finally stopped calling the Carnival Dancers "Nudie Girls".  We've moved on since then.  Of course I had to open up my big mouth and tell her it's a good thing she has never been to a Vegas show because those girls really don't have anything on top.  She was horrified by that fact and even more horrified figuring out that I know that because I have seen it myself.  Sorry!  Mom claims she doesn't know where she went wrong with raising me.  I guess she expects perfection.  Believe me, I was and am VERY mild compared to many people.  I've never done drugs and I've never been arrested.  I think I'm angelic!  I will never forget the time when she found out that I shared a pitcher of margaritas one afternoon with a friend.  She was absolutely devastated that I had gone to the dark side (at the young age of 21).  And she spent the whole next year worrying that by doing that I had triggered alcoholism.  Drama!

5 more days to Optifast.  Beginning Wednesday morning, food will not be in my life for 20 weeks.  Wow - I still find it hard to believe.  I will be drinking 5 shakes a day.  The shakes contain EVERYTHING a body needs to function.  Actually to highly function.  I can chew gum as long as it is not sweetened with anything ending in a "tol".  Sorbitol, etc.  The white coats claim that "tol" in connection with the shakes will cause some horrible diarrhea.  No thanks.  Not even an issue.  May the "tol" be consumed by someone other than myself.  I will be posting every day on this Blog with regard to my life on a "fast".  I am supposed to journal as part of my journey so some of it will be done on here.  I can't miss a shake so I figure I also can't miss a Blog entry.  Call me on it if I fail!
Signing off with some more Cabo pics.  I also posted some on FB.  I have more from mom's camera and I will download those over the weekend.  No pics of me...these were taken from my camera and I don't often take pics of myself...

Wear Your Seatbelt

I love a Sunday followed by a no-work Monday.  Work has been especially difficult lately so I am so thankful for an extra day off.
So last night I was in an itty bitty car accident.  It really was no big deal but I think I got whiplash.  I learned a painful lesson....THEY MAKE SEAT BELTS FOR A REASON!  My dad was driving.  He was a very careful driver but in the last couple of years, his perception is bad.  Also he is too quick to react and there have been several times that I have not felt safe.  I worry the most because Roxie is in the car with them quite a bit.  And yesterday was a prime example of why I worry about Roxie.  He was pulling out of my driveway.  Mom was in the passenger seat.  Luigi, Roxie, and I were in the back seat.  I don't remember where Cassie was.  He gunned the car when we pulled out.  Unfortunately, there was a guy speeding up the hill going way too fast.  The guy slammed on his brakes.  Stopped right at our car.  At the same time, Dad slammed on his brakes too.  That's what caused the biggest problem for me and for Roxie.  I was not wearing a seat belt and my head jerked forward really quick.  Also I saw Roxie's little head going straight for the back of the front seat.  Right before she hit it, Luigi grabbed her harness and saved her.  We stopped hard enough that I think she would have possibly broken her neck if she had hit the seat.  This all happened very fast.  Dad panics and throws the car in reverse and guns it again and CRASH...plows into the car behind us.  At this point he says "SHIT".  And then my sweet mother yells at him for hitting the car behind us.  So we pull over and the other car pulls over.  She had a kid in the car but she was ok.  The most amazing thing were the bumpers on these cars. We were in a Subaru and she was in a Nissan.  True to what the commercials say - they buckled and then went back into place.  Amazing!  There was such little damage that they didn't even need to exchange information.  Then we got back in the car and mom yelled at him again!  He told her to shut up.  She did.  Not a fun evening.  We were all fine but I woke up with a shooting pain going down the right side of my neck into my upper back.  Time to visit my friendly chiropractor.  I am just thankful that my Roxie is ok.  Now I am really scared to ride with him.  I think I need to drive every time we go somewhere in his car.
6 days until the cruise with the parents.  I'm trying not to stress about it.  One good thing...Hugh won't be driving! ♥

Bathroom Zoe

I had a request today for pics of Zoe being silly.  Her favorite playground is her bathroom.  She has to accompany me for my bathroom trips also (she lets me use her bathroom).  Her favorite thing lately is to jump over me while I am sitting on the toilet and crash land in the bathtub.  She is mesmorized with the toilet (wish she would use it).  And she lays in her litter box ONLY when it has been freshly washed, sanitized, and new litter.  As you can tell by the picture - it's a clean box tonight!  I love her! ♥



Clean litter box with baking soda...ahhhh!





Zoe's playground




Watching the toilet flush - such fun!



Hello!





Looking at the bubbles made by the Scrubbing Bubbles thingy when you flush!













Hanging on the edge of the bathtub