the drama.

Finally went to the Dr. today for the headache going on 8 days. It was a dramatic afternoon to say the least. Everything seems fine at the moment, after a visit to my regular doc, a trip across town to see a surgeon, and a referral to a neurologist. Exciting afternoon, a bit o' panic, and yet still - I have a headache. Please say a prayer for me that we can get this figured out and I can sneeze without searing my temple. In all seriousness, I seem to be fine, and will tell the whole story later...maybe.

2 away.

I am 2 posts away from 700. That is a lot of talking and writing and thinking and sharing. Thanks for being on this journey with me. I asked Chad what I should blog about today...he said these things: - tell them how it has been raining for days, it seems (and he forgets to be thankful because it is prime fire season around here so I am being thankful for him). things are starting to bloom and leaf out making them harder to burn but for now, I am thankful for the rain. (as long as my back yard does not wash away) - tell them how you have an eye appointment, for the first time in years. I am a little embarrassed about this one. I had the same pair of glasses (for reading and computer using) for a few years before I moved to Chattanooga and that was about 2 and a half years ago. It is truly about time. Maybe I can get some stylish new eyes... - He also told me to tell you that we are ready to sell my car - any takers? We are using our tax refund to purchase a new (to us - used of course) car. We've been researching, planning, praying, more research - hoping to make the best, wisest, most frugal, safe decision that we can. And that includes getting rid of my Saturn Vue. My only project this week is to clean it out - nice and good - give her a good vacuum and take some pictures to post with the listing. I will link to it when we get it up. We are gonna start on Craigslist and see where it goes...wish us luck! Headed to bed. I'm on day #7 of the headache. It is only truly unbearable when I cough or sneeze. And yes, I have finally called the Dr. and made an appt. for tomorrow afternoon. Let's hope that we can resolve this quickly. Other than that, I am looking forward to an uneventful week - and working NO NIGHTS. It's gonna be good stuff! P.S. I have been inspired by Danielle's changing of the photo on top of her blog and I finally took the time to figure out how to do it on mine. This was one of our engagement/we-were-actually-already-married pictures by Lindsey. Love it! What do you think about the new header? P.P.S. I promise I put paragraph spaces in here. Blogger must hate me.

fast one.

A quick little shorty before I head to work this morning. You haven't heard from me in the mornings in quite a while because I am usually at the gym this time of day...I will be going at lunch time today so I got to sleep in for a bit.
Still have the headache - going on day 4 here. I am convinced that it is related to sinus, nose grosssness, allergies, all the pollen on my car, etc. so I am going to stop and get some allergy meds on my way to work and cross my fingers that works wonders. It is hard to operate when your brain hurts - though I am trying really, really hard not to complain (it isn't easy, by the way).
I have an overnight event tonight, for which I will not be spending the night. I will go for a while and then come home and get some sleep because we have a big event at the office tomorrow that I have to go to as well. I just lurve to work Saturdays - oops, sarcasam - sorry. Hopefully Chad will be able to change my oil and my brakes on my car while I am at work (he volunteered!) and then we can hang out some tomorrow night. I am truly looking forward to some sweet time with my husband!

Also, looking forward to a mid-April trip to Asheville! More details on that later!

the plague.

I stayed home sick today with the plague that Chad so sweetly brought home from work. Apparently all the guys passed it around in the past couple weeks and it came home to visit us (though frankly, I wasn't willing to give up kissing him to avoid it - was that too much information?). Other than feeling like my head might just possibly explode and like my throat may just be on fire, I am feeling OK. True confessions though, I went to the gym this morning - thinking that was a good idea - and then came home and went back to bed. For 3 hours. Yes, my name is Paula and I slept until 12:30. Obviously I needed it but I also needed to go to work today. I guess I needed the sleep more. I watched a movie this afternoon and I am about to go jump in the shower and head outside for some fresh air - hoping that will improve my mood even more. Maybe tomorrow morning I won't feel so much like death and I can go to work.

beautiful Sunday.

I am loving, loving, loving this beautiful Sunday. All the windows in the house are open, church this morning was great (along the lines of..."if you think you are really saved, are you living like it?"), and now I am cleaning the house like a mad-woman getting ready for a friend to come over. I don't even mind cleaning the house when all the windows are open and the breeze is blowing and it is so beautiful.
Lots to do.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Go outside.

i know.

I have really been enjoying watching this surprise us and start to bloom in our yard. There are some nice bulbs in the flower beds (that have looked rather pitiful since we moved in during the late spring last year). Some pretty things near the front steps...

Then our entire yard is covered in flowering weeds - so pretty that I won't let Chad cut the grass just yet - even though it really needs it!

And a beautiful blooming purpleness (someone called it a tulip something-or-other?) in the front yard. Check out Lookout Mtn. in the background - love living at the base of the mtn!

Chad added two more supers to the bee hive in the back yard over the weekend and the bees have already discovered them and started working on filling out the wax. It looks like this early spring warmness might bring us some decent honey later this summer/fall! We might give little jars for Christmas presents! Hello Spring!

getting close.

It has been an incredibly productive day today. Since Chad is out teaching a lifeguarding class all weekend, I had all last night and today to do whatever I wanted to do. Last night = I did NOTHING. I mean literally - dropped Chad off, came home, played on the computer, read some magazines that came in the mail this week, and went a picked Chad back up (his car is in the shop where it has been for 4 weeks - long, unpleasant story). Today, however, I was much more productive. I dropped Chad off, went to check on his car (they were not open - shocker.), ran some errands with Uncle J (who was going with me to help pick up the car - I think he got out of bed for no reason and I feel bad about it), then I came home and took a nap. A 2 hour nap. Productive? You betcha. I obviously needed it. Hope I didn't screw myself over for sleeping tonight though...maybe I should take a walk this afternoon. Anyway, I then proceeded to: do 3 loads of laundry - last is in the dryer, vacuum all the hardwood floors (just say no to Gwendolen tumbleweeds), cleaned the kitchen, and ran a load of dishes. I still need a shower but since I have to go pick Chad back up in a little while, I can wait. He wants to go run when he gets back so I can go for a walk and shower in the time he will run (Saturdays are his long run days - training for another race!).

I am just a couple of posts away from 700. Never thought I would get this far...even though - apologies - I never really have much to say. How should I celebrate?

I am craving BBQ for dinner. Chattanoogans - what is your favorite BBQ place?

oh weekends.

It shall probably be an uneventful weekend. I took the afternoon off today after working quite late Tuesday and Thursday nights. It was nice to not have much to do...I ran an errand for Chad and then spent some time with my friend A who just got back from a tour de Europe. She had fun stories to tell and I really enjoyed gabbing with her at Panera for a while. Fun to just hang with a gal and talk about lots of nothing...hopefully we might get together tomorrow and she can help me start to look for some new clothes. Sadly I have not lost the weight I had planned on losing by now but I am still faithfully going to the gym 5 mornings a week. I've been taking weekends off to just sleep in and enjoy some nothing time but it is still frustrating. As my job flexes and grows and changes, I have discovered that my typically business casual wardrobe will no longer be quite as appropriate. I am needing to aquire a bit more business and less casual things so I will be looking at sale racks, TJ Maxx (even though the chaos makes me a bit twitchy), etc. for some good deals. Need the clothes but don't really have the money to blow on wardrobe changes.
Chad is teaching all this weekend and next weeked so I am looking for ways to entertain myself. Do I hear a craft project coming? I am totally open to suggestions!

oh - too easy.

Thanks to an introduction by my sister Brenda (who by the way - just moved to Atlanta and has a wonderful birth services business - know any pregnant folks who want to make their own birthing choices??), I have been using E-mealz for a few weeks now. Sadly, I am not being paid or perked to offer the following glowing recommendation but here goes...

It Is Amazing.
I mean like - I think I hear angels singing - amazing.

You join, pay a small fee ($5 a month - not bad!), and it plans meals for you for every day of the week. Not only does it plan meals for you, it gives you the recipes for each meal and prints out a shopping list for you to take to the grocery store. You can choose the store you want to shop at and you can choose the menu you prefer (meals for 2 people - our choice - or meals for families, as well as low card, gluten free, low calorie, even Weight Watchers points based meals). It has truly solved my "what the heck am I going to make for dinner and do I have to go to the grocery store to get the ingredients" daily dilema. It is truly a lifesaver. I even let Chad pick which meal we are having so he feels somewhat invested in what we will be eating, then I just mark it off the list. For someone who works many nights (me), unpredictable schedules (Chad), and just has general life craziness - it is a $5 well, well spent. And if we see a meal on there we don't like, we just don't get the ingredients for that mean. Most meals even make enough for me to take to work the next day as leftovers (they apparently think most people are BIG eaters! We are not...).

So Brenda - thank you. From the bottom of my not stressed out anymore, dinner cooking heart.

Edited to add: If you are interested, go here:

weekends are for...rain.

It is a rainy day today - we are slated to get another round of decent storms. Good for doing laundry, cleaning the kitchen, and just general hanging out.
Chad is working for the Red Cross most of the day and then hopefully we will get to hang out some tonight. I am going to drop him off (his car is in the shop), go get my flat tire fixed (why yes, that is a screw hanging out of your tire!), put in an appearance at at Girl Scout event up on the mountain, and then come home and clean some this afternoon.
Not too much exciting to report. sorry...

Thriller

Thank you Chattanooga Fire Academy for completely making my day.