After running all my errands today, I called Tom when I was on my way home.

When we were done with our normal conversation, Tom asked, “So, can we go geocaching today?”

I paused, and thought, and answered, “Well, I’m not saying ‘no’.”

The day was perfect. It wasn’t too hot. It wasn’t to windy. There wasn’t a threat of rain, and it hadn’t rained so recently that Tom’s chair wouldn’t be able to travel through the grass.

I didn’t have to work.

I felt okay. Not jumping up and down for joy, but not ready to curl up into bed as soon as I arrived home, either.

So, once I got home and resituated, we loaded up into the van and headed out to a local park to find a couple caches.

Geocaching is always a team building exercise for us, as I would assume it would be for anyone who goes out with more than one person. But, obviously, with Tom being a wheelchair, being a team is a little more important.

And, uh, sometimes we’re less than perfect at being a team.

Our communication skills are sometimes a little … strained, also.

Needless to say, sometimes I forget that we’re supposed to be having fun. Go figure.

But, somewhere during the process of finding the geocache, and seeing Tom enjoying himself while being outside and away from the confines of our yard, I remember that its not about geocaching as much as its about enjoying our time together.

Corny, yes.

But, its the truth.

I’m sure there will be a lot of posts going up about Bernie Mac’s death.  I am one of an unknown number that are flabbergasted and blindsided by this death.  50 years old is way to young, in my opinion.

And, as upsetting this situation is, I am more in shock.

I sit here, slightly shaken, because Tom has had pneumonia several times after becoming a quadriplegic.

There was one long stay that the pneumonia was so severe that the doctors wanted to put Tom on a respirator, since it had compromised his ability to breathe that intensely.  Tom refused the respirator, after having a horrible experience with one immediately after his initial injury.  When Tom’s heath had improved significantly during that stay, the doctors shook their heads with relief and whispered of close calls.

Tom battled through each time.  He’s been very lucky, all things considering.

And, although I knew that pneumonia could be potentially deadly, I never feared that Tom would not recover.  There were a couple times that I really should of been worried, though.  I don’t know if it was me being naive to the severity of the situation, or if I just never had any doubt.

Reading about Bernie Mac’s death brings me right back to all those hospital stays for pneumonia … and how lucky Tom and I are to have been able to go home.

As I approached the end of my second month’s worth of paxil, I found myself starting to slip backwards on my anxiety scale.  I was getting more irritable and less comfortable in my own skin.

After calling the doctor, and running up to Wally World’s pharmacy, I will be taking my first increased dosage tonight.  I sure hope this dosage will be the winner.  But, I will not compromise.

I will give this dosage its month to take affect, and keep a close eye on my mind and body.  If the symptoms persist, I will be contacting the doctor again.

Anxiety is a horrible feeling to deal with.  I will not let it completely take a hold of me ever again.

Blue gave me the keys to her blog while she’s away ‘camping’.

I’ve decided to expose the truth about her while she’s gone.

Go read all about it before the story breaks on CNN.

I want to be a Guitar Hero.

I neeeeeed to be a Guitar Hero.

I have, of course, gone through the entire Easy level.  I’m not a constant five star kinda girl.  But, I get the job done.  And, c’mon, I was learning!

So, I get motivated and move up to the next level.  Medium isn’t too bad there until the last section.  Then, suddenly, my fingers start getting tied in knots.  After several fits of cursing, yelling and threatening the television with its life, I’ve finally gotten three stars or better on the last section.

Except that blasted last song, Bark at the Moon by Ozzy Osbourne.

O.M.G.

I will go insane.

I will never ever never be able to listen to that song again without mumbling curse words under my breath.

I have gone back and practiced all the songs in that section.  I have moved forward to the Hard level and worked on the first couple songs from there.  I have gone through the tutorial, again, just in case I’m missing something.

I have attempted to play Bark at the Moon more times than a priest has crossed himself.

True Story.

And, I cannot get past flipping 70% in that song.

O.

M.

G.

I can see it now.  It will be the death of me.

And, dammit, if someone plays that song at my funeral, I will come back and haunt your ass.

I hate infomercials.

With a passion.

I can be asleep before an infomercial begins and subconsciously hear the television yapping at me to ‘ORDER NOW!‘ or suggesting I make ‘THREE EASY PAYMENTS!‘ and I cringe.

In my sleep!

I honestly have to change the channel when one comes on.

I believe they are the biggest waste of time evah.

I’ve never seen something on an infomercial and, at two in the morning, thought, “Holy crap, I need that now!”

In fact, I have never ever watched an infomercial that compelled me to reach for the telephone.  Ever.

I will admit that I have bought several items, at the store, that are clearly marked, “as seen on tv’.

Have I seen them on TV?  I doubt it.

Does the big ‘as seen on tv’ signage on the box draw my attention to the item I’m considering purchasing?

No.

Not at all.

Why, you ask?

Because, I HATE INFOMERCIALS!

I do anything within my power to avoid these television time wasters.

And, after giving you this new information to ponder and process, I bid you adieu.

You know that moment when you stare at the empty ‘post’ field on your dashboard and think, “Gee, I wish I could think of something clever to write about”?

Well, I’m totally there.

So, here I sit, trying to think of something to entertain the masses.

(And by ‘masses’, I mean all three of my regular readers.)

(Hi there you three!!)

As I’m staring at my notoriously messy desk, I’ve decided that I am going to show you that I can be a neat freak.

And, by ’show you’, of course, I mean ‘list for you in typed form’.

Oh yes.

It is true.

I am going to itemize the contents of my spotless purse for you.

You’re excited, eh?

Well, hold on to your seats, my three readers… its going to be one heck of a journey!

1. Two checkbooks. My personal account and Tom’s and my joint account.

2. 3 ballpoint pens, two blue and one black.

3. 1 keyring with keys to Tom’s van and my mother’s house.

4. 1 keyring with keys to my car and our house.

5. My wallet, containing nothing except what is to remain in a wallet - like business cards, credit cards, ID, etc.

6. My cellphone

… uh, the further I get into this, I’ve come to realize that I’ve not cleaned out my purse in a week or so. Damn it, I was trying to impress you all!! Too bad I’m an honest person …

And yet I continue:

6. a travel hairbrush that pops apart each time I attempt to use it, yet I do not replace it.

7. an inhaler that I no longer use, but feel the need to carry with me, just in case.

8. A Pamprin pill bottle that also contains Alieve and Pepto pills, just in case.

9. My sister’s bluetooth headset that she let me borrow that I’ve only used twice. But, I keep it in my purse so I have the ability to be ‘hands free’ in the car. You know … just in case (see a theme here?).

10. chapstick

11. rewetting drops for contacts, which I hardly ever wear, at all.

12. One girlie product, cuz you can never be too sure.

13. Two new redbox movies: Hack and Bee Movie.

14. The receipt to Guitar Hero and the PS2.

15. The receipt for my oil change that didn’t make the check engine light go off.

16. my handwritten directions to the neighboring County Health Department so they could test me about proper food handling techniques, charge me $15 and give me a paper card that keeps me from being fined while working in the food service industry … or as I like to call it, a complete waste of my time.

17. A paycheck stub.

18. The receipt from my grocery shopping today, with a coupon the cashier gave me for Carnation Instant Breakfast, which is the only thing that Tom likes to drink when taking all of his medications.

Okay. I think that’s it.

Which, I guess isn’t that bad, all things considering.

But, normally there is no spare paper in my purse. All those receipts are a nuisance , and get shredded as soon as I get home normally. But, alas, when I attempt to brag, they must be my demise!

Photos? Since I’m still bored:

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