It is truly never ending here. In addition to pinkeye, I also now have a nasty virus that is just knocking me flat. I spent most of the day either in the bathtub soaking my aching body, or asleep in my bed. The pinkeye seems to be improving slightly, so I’m grateful for that. But the fever, headache, body aches, sore throat and congestion can take a hike NOW. Complicating this is the fact that I can’t take most of the good drugs right now, so I’m having to suffer with only some Tylenol and Benadryl to help me out. It’s quite unpleasant.
May, 2008
Wednesday, May 28th, 2008
Wii love to play!
I bought my husband a Wii for Father’s Day and it arrived yesterday. (I can’t say enough good things about wiitracker.com here. By signing up for their RSS feed, I was able to find a console by itself, without a lot of extras like T rated games that we don’t need/want!) Since then, it’s been a non-stop Wii fest. My oldest son has quickly become an addict and my husband, who’s never been much of a “gamer” is actually doing *exercise* with it. He did a few rounds of boxing and we were surprised at how intense it is. We’re hoping to locate a Wii Fit soon so we can do some more physical stuff with it since we both need to become more active.
I’ve already figured out that I am going to have to put limits on it because otherwise my oldest son would stay on it all day long. Not too bad on days like today when you can’t really go outside because it’s rainy and miserable, but not something I want to get in the habit of doing! It was wonderful to have today, though…he got in some physical exercise AND it entertained him.
This is our very first gaming console, and though I’m concerned about the overuse of it, I also think that the physical activity aspect of it is great. Sure, there are some games that you can park your butt on the couch and play, but that’s definitely not all there is to it. The Wii gets two thumbs up from this family!
Tuesday, May 27th, 2008
No TSP Revelations Today
Sorry…I really hoped to have some news but it’s just not prudent at this juncture. It will probably be a couple more weeks. I do, however, have pinkeye. Must get to walk-in clinic for eye drops tomorrow if things don’t get better. I’m assuming it’s pinkeye. I haven’t had it in forever and I don’t remember the pain being *quite* this bad. My eyelid is swollen and it hurts like a you know what. Seriously, it’s about the most disgusting thing ever. And I have to throw away ALL of my eye make-up and buy new. I am not at all pleased as this is going to cost me a good bit of money…it’s not so bad when you pick up bits and pieces here and there, but having to get all new at once will put a dent in my “personal care” budget for the month. No pedis for me, bummer.
Monday, May 26th, 2008
Happy Memorial Day!
We’re planning to head over to Gross Farms and do some strawberry pickin’. We haven’t been able to find out if any of the surrounding areas have a parade or something for small kids to enjoy, so we’re settling for simple family time instead. It’s supposed to be beautiful, sunny and HOT today, so get out and enjoy the weather if you can. If we still had a pool I’d be in it today, that’s for sure!
I’m hoping to have good news on the TSP tomorrow, but realistically it may be another week or two. I know a lot of people either already know (or have figured out…I am NOT good at keeping secrets!) what it is, so if you could keep us in your thoughts and prayers for good news tomorrow, that would be great. And for those who don’t know, well…I hope I don’t have to keep you in suspense much longer!
Sunday, May 25th, 2008
Things I Love About Sanford (Psssssst…local bloggers, I’d love to see this from you, too!)
I’ve been thinking a lot about why it is that I love Sanford. We’ve moved around so much in our married life and this is by far the longest we’ve ever been anywhere. (I hope I’m not jinxing myself by saying that!) It’s the smallest place we’ve lived and even this city girl has learned to love it here. So here’s my top 5 list, in no particular order.
1. Traffic. Or more accurately, the lack thereof. Sure, Horner can be scary with those semis flying by, but I never get stuck anywhere for more than a couple of minutes. I do not miss traffic.
2. We have some really good local restaurants. I love Fairview Dairy Bar for a cheap lunch or dinner. I never have to worry about my kids getting loud there. It’s a great place for families to eat…and now that they’re smoke-free, I don’t have to worry about my child with asthma getting sick after a meal there! Davison’s is quite possibly the BEST steak place I’ve ever eaten at. We almost never get to go because of the kid factor but when we get a night to ourselves, that’s where we like to spend it. And if you have fried pickle fetish (like me) you must go to the River Lodge. I adore fried pickles. They are arguably one of my favorite foods, but they’re not easy to find. The River Lodge has them and they are delicious. I also love their Sunday lunch buffet. Even without the fried pickles. I know there are lots more great restaurants, but there’s my top 3.
3. The choice for year-round school. My 5 year old will start at Tramway in a few months and I couldn’t be happier. I have heard great things about the school and the benefits of going year-round. He thrives on consistency so this will minimize the adjustments he has to make at the start of every school year. I really don’t understand why so many people in Wake County are so opposed to the year-round concept. I think the traditional calendar is outdated and makes very little sense. Going year round will give him a great start to his school career.
4. The hospital here is very good, considering the size of Sanford. The first time I was there was for the birth of my youngest son. That experience was amazing. And there is no comparison to the birth of my oldest child at Cape Fear Valley in Fayetteville. You would think a hospital that delivers 3000-4000 babies a year would have a better facility, but they don’t. I’ve also had several outpatient surgeries at Central Carolina Hospital and though the surgeries themselves weren’t a lot of fun, I’ve always been very well taken care of by the nurses there. We’ve needed the lab and radiology department there on several occasions and have never had any problems. We’ve not needed a visit to the ER (knock wood) so I can’t comment on that, but everything else has been as pleasant as possible, considering.
5. In less than an hour I can be in a large city and take advantage of all those things that Sanford doesn’t have. Shopping, all those chain restaurants that I occasionally get a craving for, world class hospitals that can treat anything you can come up with, and even traffic, should I find myself wishing I could sit in a hot car and not move for a long time. It’s really nice and I feel like we’re perfectly situated here.
If you’re a Sanford blogger, consider yourself tagged. Let’s hear what you like about Sanford. Leave a comment with a link to your post so we can all feel the love together. (Don’t worry, I’m planning a “Things that annoy me about Sanford” post in a few days!)
Saturday, May 24th, 2008
LC2C
Now that my child appears to (finally!) be on the mend, I wanted to talk about the 2nd Century Project meeting. First of all, I was disappointed (as usual) with the small number of attendees. But I hear that the crowd at lunch was substantial so I am pleased about that. The presentation was interesting, though I would have liked to hear more about their plans, not necessarily see examples of what they’ve done for other places. Still, it gave me confidence that this group knows what they’re doing.
Mainly the discussion centered on the questions posed here. If you weren’t there or didn’t fill out the sheet, fill out the online form so that they have some good input from the community. They said the presentations were being recorded to put on the web, so hopefully you’ll be able to access those soon.
I still think the biggest obstacle Sanford faces is apathy or outright resistance from the people who aren’t interested in change. The letters to the editor recently have proven that the vocal minority will always be ready to cause problems. I’ll reiterate what I said in my letter to the editor this morning…if you don’t like the way things are going, work with the planners and organizers, not against them. Make your voice heard, give everyone some food for thought, but don’t whine and complain afterwards when things didn’t go your way.
I know I’ve only been here for a couple of years, but I’ve really grown to love Sanford. I have my gripes, just like everyone else (we *really* need a Target!) but it is truly a great place to live.
Friday, May 23rd, 2008
Not what I intended to write…
I know I promised a recap of the 2nd Century Project meeting last night, but it will have to wait. We have been back to the pediatrician today, to make the 3rd time this week. Stitches are out, but fever persists. We’re on day 5 now, with no end in sight. We’re supposed to go back tomorrow morning and I guess we’ll see what that visit holds. There don’t seem to be any good answers and every day this drags on there are more and more questions. It’s scary and I’m so overwhelmed by it all right now that I just don’t have the energy to focus on anything else.
Thursday, May 22nd, 2008
Lee County 2nd Century Project
For those who are interested in maximizing the potential of Sanford/Lee County, I urge you to go to the 2nd Century Project Meeting tonight at 7PM at the Civic Center. For more info, click here.
I’m planning to be there, and hope I can stay awake for the entire thing. (Not that I think it will be boring, but because I am so sleepy and couldn’t manage a nap today.) It’s open to the public and just like with voting…if you don’t provide input, you have no right to complain! I think it’s a worthy project, and something this area really needs.
I’ll try to come back this evening with some info…if not tonight, then definitely tomorrow!
Wednesday, May 21st, 2008
Must Haves: Cosmetics
Since my oldest is on the mend (I think…fever has gone down now and he certainly *acts* like he’s feeling better!) it’s time for a little frivolous fun. Let’s talk cosmetics.
I’ve mentioned my problem skin before. Though good skin care helps some, make-up has to do a lot of work, too. It’s not perfect, but I love my bareMinerals. There may be comparable, less expensive products out there but nothing I’ve tried has worked quite as well. I spent a few weeks trying a different brand that is available at places like drug stores and Target and it just wasn’t the same. So I placed an order with Sephora on Sunday and it will be here today, thank heavens. I’ve been lost without my good make-up. I use the concealer, powder, blush, eye shadow, and mineral veil regularly. I ordered a Starter Kit this time so I could get new brushes and it looks like it will have some things that I haven’t tried yet.
I’ve loved my bareMinerals so much that I’ve branched into more items from the Bare Escentuals line. Their Buxom Lips glosses are very nice, and I added a Quick Stick to my last order, so we’ll see how that goes as well.
If you want to try it out, Sephora has tons of starter kits/palettes and their prices are reasonable. If you join their Beauty Insider club, you get some pretty nice samples every time you spend $100. I chose a Murad Intense Resurfacing Peel this time and can’t wait to see what it does for my skin. Even if you don’t join the club, you get free shipping over $50 and 3 free samples of your choice every time you place an order, plus free returns either by mail or in the store. (Sanford people — there’s a Sephora at Southpoint in Durham or Crabtree Valley in Raleigh.)
And yes, there are infomercials out there for bareMinerals/Bare Escentuals. It’s sold on at least one of the shopping channels, too. Don’t let that scare you away…it really is good stuff!
Tuesday, May 20th, 2008
Another week, another emergency visit to the pediatrician.
No, I’m not kidding. This string of bad luck has been very unusual for us…normally we see the ped only for well baby visits and regular check ups. My oldest has had more sick/emergency visits in the last month than his whole life combined. I truly don’t know what’s going on.
Yesterday it was a random fever that popped up out of nowhere with no other symptoms beyond being tired and not wanting to play outside. It was so similar to how the pneumonia appeared that I made the call to the ped at 3:50 and they had me come in for an appt at 4:15. I headed straight over there…luckily we were all dressed this time…and was told that it’s unlikely to be pneumonia again. (Still?) He’s been done with his abx for over a week and has been fine since a day or 2 after he was diagnosed and got his rocephin shots. So likely just a virus, but if he’s not better by tomorrow we’ll be heading back.
Are you keeping up with the running tally? That’s $120 in co-pays. I found out yesterday that the rocephin administration was applied to our deductible so that’s almost $200. Then of course I am still unsure how much the x-rays will be. I’m guessing $150+ each. Stitches will probably have to be paid for, to some extent at least. I don’t know many budgets that can withstand something like this in the course of a month…ours certainly can’t. And we have insurance. What about people who don’t? The system seems unbelievably broken but I don’t have a clue how to fix it. The concept of universal health care is appealing, but I think that in many cases the execution fails. So where’s the middle ground? How do we make sure everyone is treated fairly…health care providers and patients? I don’t have the answers, but I hope somebody out there does and that someday soon we have a better way to make sure everyone has the medical coverage they need and deserve.
