Introducing the Allergist

I went to the allergist today. After signing about 11 pages (none of which I barely remember) I sat down and pretended as hard as I could that I wasn’t itching. After like 10 minutes of shaking my leg and fidgeting in my seat, I gave in, pulled my claws out and went to work. After a couple minutes of relief one lady started looking at me. Irritated at the entire situation I just wanted to yell at her to mind her business. I’M NOT DIRTY OR ASHY… something is going on. I sat for another 20 minutes trying to be more discrete about my itching problem.

“Miss Prat!” SIGH. They never get my name right.

I go back and they do the normal: blood pressure and weight. Then they take ya to the room where you WAIT again. I was ready to take a nap by the time the doctor came in. So doc is a tall, lanky, older man with some extreme bush action in the eyebrow area. The only reason I mentioned this was because I had to train my eyes during the first half of his visit not to look up at them. The hair on his head was thinning but not those eyebrows. Ok… back on track.

We talk for a bit and then he starts checking everything out. “Take a deep breath in for me”. I breathe in deep. “Ummm… take a deep breath in for me”. I did it again. “You’re not putting out”. I bust out laughing. Really, you say!!! Sometimes the bad girl just pops up out of no where. Back on track… they put me on the blow-out-as-many-candles-as-you-can-in-one-breath machine and after three attempts, just like that, I’m asthmatic. Can I say here that I was mad at the machine? With my birthday fast approaching I just imagined these were real candles on my favorite cake. I saw family and presents surrounding me. SMILE. I thought I would blow out all the dern candles and that would be it. NO. I was disappointed in myself. Can I try again please????!!!

After a lot more dialogue and questions galore I left the office with a handful of prescriptions, a few concerns, an appointment to get my thyroid checked and an appointment for a skin test. Oh yeah and some pretty good nasal spray; better than the one my PO gave me. Anyway… let’s back up. Why the thyroid check-up? I was getting so much instruction and information that I forgot to ask that question. I really just wanted to get out of there so I could get those drugs in my system. And hooray for small victories because they are dissolving as I type. So we'll see what happens. I just want to be itch-free.

Old McDonald Had A Farm

A House committee cleared a bill that will allow Georgia homeowners to have chickens, milk goats and rabbits - as long as the goal is to feed their families.

Really???

While the idea of having a coup of chickens to save on the rising prices of eggs sounds maybe a little intriguing to me, I think these people have lost their minds. If you want Old McDonald at the house you need to live in the country. All that noise and the smell... Am I missing something? I can just see this getting out of hand.

Will I wake up in the morning, take my coffee to the porch and find that my neighbors having slaughter day. The image of murdered chickens is not one I want to see from my doorstep. I prefer to save that work for Tyson or Clayton or whoever you get your chicken from.

And then the rooster... If you have hens, I imagine you are going to need at least one rooster to keep the hens happy and the process moving. Roosters crow!!!! I bought my alarm clock from Wally World (Wal-mart). I don't need any extra help waking up in the morning. I can see myself throwing something at this poor animal when he decides to proclaim his territory at some ungodly hour on Saturday morning. I thought I lived in a CITY.

Rep Bobby Franklin made the comment, "If Michelle Obama can grow food at the White House, then no Georgia family should be denied the right to grow their own food". Michelle doesn't have no chickens and goats running round the White House or did I miss that clip on the news. If you want to grow your tomatoes, lettuce, squash, etc... go for it. When they start talking about barnyard animals... NO.

DIY Car Maintenance

I took my car in for an oil change. I called a friend to come scoop me up and I said a prayer on the way out the door, "Lord, please let my car need nothing more than an oil change. Amen!". Three hours later I got the dreaded phone call. NOOOOOOO. You need this done and you need that done. If you don't get this done by this date, your CAR WILL DIE. How much do I have to give you today to save Sylvia's (my car) life? WHAT?! Can you repeat that number? Let me find the bus schedule!!

I ended up giving up quite a bit of my monthly party money on Sylvia and vowed to get the rest done when the next check comes along. Quick pout here: This month is my birthday... not hers!!! Okay, pouting over.

So I'm thinking here. Why don't I put on a garage suit, get under the hood and save some money? We are way past the days of "only-a-man-can-handle-what's-under-the-hood". More and more women are putting their regular car maintenance on their to-do lists.

I gotta say the whole idea intrigues me a bit. I'm a crafty person by nature. I have a whole list of little "put-together" projects. Granted this is probably one of the biggest projects I will ever take on, I'm ready. I've changed my lights and refilled my windshield wiper fluid. From what I've read I think I can add changing the cabin air filter and changing my oil to the list of things I can do. I don't plan on messing with the engine or anything like that. I don't want to blow up my baby. I can however, learn to change my fluids... that would save me loads. Vision... I could get an extra pair of shoes a month and still have some money to put in the savings account. (SMILING HARD!!!)

While I've done lots of reading on the subject online, I've decided to stop into my local B&N and grab a book on the subject matter. Next month... I'm on it. I've gotta put my girlie up a little though; at least when I'm under the hood. During a normal day I wash my hands like every hour because they just "feel dirty". I'm going to have to get dirty here. There is going to be a lot of grease involved but if it saves me some money here and there... let's do it. Vrooom vrooom!

Introducing our Newest Roller Coaster... The Date Drop

Why didn't they offer a course on dating in high school?!?!

I am getting myself back into the dating world after a long hiatus. Can I tell you it's utterly terrifying? It's like the feeling I get when I'm on a roller coaster. You stand in line, waiting your turn, anxious for the ride. Now while getting on a roller coaster doesn't slow some people down one bit, it goes a little bit different for me. From the second I realize I'm in the next group to go, my heart starts pounding. They strap you in and up you go. Click click click... you make your way to the crest.

Going uphill on a roller coaster is like talking on the phone for the first time with a potential... just torture. Reminders to breathe and to relax so you can enjoy the ride accompany both events. While some are raising their arms in anticipation, screaming with adrenaline... me, I'm sitting there wondering if I ever should have gotten my butt on the ride in the first place. Will I have a headache after this, will I upchuck all of my meal or will it be the best ride of my life??

Geez... why can't dating be simpler for me!!! Eventually I know I'll get on some ride and never want to get off. Until then for whatever the ride presents, I've got my Tylenol, Pepto and a glass of wine to get through. LOL.

Pruritus

Itch is an irritation in the skin that elicits the urge to scratch. I have the urge to dig like Fido up here. I have been digging into my skin for a whole day now. Apparently my body is not happy with something in my environment.

You know how you notice changes but you dismiss them until they really become a problem. I noticed about a month ago that my body was becoming a little extra itchy. It was mainly my face and I really noticed it after a night on the town. Everyone was downloading pictures from the night and how lovely... my face had red spots all on it out the blue. Didn't leave the house with them but by midnight I was broken out. Didn't think much of it. I thought maybe it was a heat rash and kept on moving with my life. Since then and looking back, I realize that I have been scratching more and more. Last night was the climax. I started getting a little itchy around 6pm and it only got worse from there. Around 3am I woke up in a fury… the itch monster would not let me sleep. I ended up tearing up my house looking for antihistamines. My place looks like a small tornado came through. It was just my luck that I had removed my drugs from the normal spot I keep them in. It was a hunt. I started pulling stuff out and just throwing them to the side til I found something… anything.

I am finally pumped with drugs and to be honest… they aren’t helping. I still feel like a million critters are crawling over my body. Called the allergist and when is my appointment? Thursday!!! Really? I wanted to ask them WTF am I supposed to do until then. Every two seconds I am digging my claws in some area of my body. That’s not cute.

So what is the culprit? Dry skin? NO. I grease up EVERY morning. They say the most common causes are stress and anxiety. My life is not that hectic. I've been STRESSED before and it's usually my hair that acts up and not my skin. Next... allergic reaction?? I don't know. God forbid I'm wigging out because of the carpet or some other element within my daily routine. SIGH. Time to pray... Lord, please don't let me be allergic to some food that I REALLY love. Amen.

Praise HIM in my New Shoes

I was sitting around thinking about a conversation a potential mate and I had one evening. Fred, a theology graduate, told me I worshipped the things that I had. Worshipped how? I don’t boast about what I have? I don’t claim to have much, if we are talking material things. I have always claimed to have family, friends and love in abundance over everything else in my life. What are you talking about? Like most fashionable women, I love shoes. I had purchased two pairs within the span of a month and a half (considering I’m a girl… not bad at all). Fred shared with me that he thought my buying shoes was taking away from my duties and responsibilities in serving the Lord. Side note: Most of the pumps I buy are for Sunday morning!! Anyway… The time I spent buying my shoes could have been spent in the church. I had not reached his level of maturity, as if replacing my worn out black pumps signified childishness. At this moment, I knew that either I had failed at showcasing the real me or that Fred needed glasses because he couldn’t see. I also realized at this moment that Fred and I would not make it. Anyone who knows me knows that I place nothing in my life above God. Everything that I have is because of HIM. I have always been taught that if you seek first the kingdom of God, all things will be provided according to his will. This doesn’t necessary mean materialistic items and in some cases doesn’t at all; however I’d like to think my shoes are a gift from God. I’m being funny here, but serious at the same time. I gave my life over to God a long time ago and HE has been abundant in his blessings. Everything that I own, inside and out (including my shoes), is because of HIM and I’m thankful for it. Maybe God doesn’t mind my feet looking fly every now and then, especially in HIS house. :-)

What Would You Do???

Let's say you've married the love of your life. In front of God, your family and a licensed minister you make your vows to love and cherish FOREVER. Let's skip forward 3 or so years. Your spouse comes in the door and says that they need to tell you something. You feel the presence of a storm. Something is wrong. What is it? Your spouse tells you they've been unfaithful.

So the question is today, could you forgive them? More importantly, could you save your marriage?

I ran this question through my head this evening after being asked by one of my friends what I would do in this situation. I can easily state that I could forgive my spouse. I don't believe in harboring any resetment towards anyone. It's unhealthy. Could I stay... would I stay?

Honestly I don't know. I have always held on to the notion that I want to get married and stay married, period. My belief has always been that we can work through anything. I believe I could get over the hurt and the humilitiation. I've got to be honest though and say that I would be scared straight to go down that road again. I would be afraid of being hurt and with good reason, don't you think?

I don't have the answer here or one that is remotely close to it. Only thing I can imagine is needed is forgiveness, time, patience, honesty, commitment and lots and lots of PRAYER.