Us and two cats

I made the switch

2009-04-23T12:17:00.000-05:00

I recently migrated to a new forum, please check me out at:
http://catchingamy.wordpress.com/2009/04/23/new-forum/

Article on making decisions for your best life (not to sound too Oprah-ish)

2009-04-01T16:05:00.003-05:00

I just read a great article on decision making for women when it comes to the careers, and life in general, by a very promising blogger:

http://www.emilystoddardfurrow.com/

Emily discusses making decisions based on your actual likes and dislikes, rather than just going with the flow based on your career ladder, and 'saying yes' to everything. Her article is based on an article that she read and is commenting on.

Of course, this topic is not just limited to women - men could get something from this too. I'm sure that at least one quarter of the population in the US is guilty of implementing their parents's dreams for them, which are generally contrary to their own, or blindly climbing the corporate ladder in a career that they care nothing about or have grown tired of. Obviously the current job market is not an ideal one for making sudden changes and experimenting toward the ideal career, but it is still worth thinking about.

I've been thinking about this area lately, what with not working and planning for the future when I am able to work again. Do I want to go back to Navision, or perhaps learn another ERP tool so that I can find a job with good security in Houston, and live close to my parents? Lately I've been taking for granted the fact that I don't currently have to work, and can be supported by my parents and husband. I would prefer to work again in the near future, but I do want to make sure that I am going into a career that I enjoy and can manage the stress level for. I'm not sure how easy it will be to manage a career and this ridiculous disease. The thought does worry me.

So I continue to dawdle, play a lot of lexulous (scrabble on facebook - at one point I counted 11 games at one time in my queue), play the mafia game, watch movies, read books, browse the web, and unpack and organize our stuff. And worry about finding a place for the cats, and start to take over all of the tasks (like insurance and bills) that I've been deferring to my dad, mom, and husband for a few months. I've made good progress on these tasks this week, so I am grateful - my health is definitely on the mend!

Oh, and for those of you that are interested, the sambar that we made was quite good! The lemon rasam - not so great, we'll have to make some additions to the pot next time.

Later,
A

Organizing is fun

2009-03-26T15:46:00.002-05:00

I'm currently in the process of sorting through all of my clothes and other stuff that were sent from California. Throwing out all of the old crap that I have somehow held onto for years has been really fun! I am currently figuring out where everything will go in my room, as I will probably be here for at least a few more months, possibly through the end of the year. The recovery is going slower than I had hoped, but we did go to Chicago last weekend to see my sister (her and her husband just purchased a condo there). Getting out of town was fun and so freeing.

Other than that, just playing a ton of lexulous (scrabble on facebook) and watching lots of movies. I'm a new fan of the probiotic yoghurt thing, so we will probably go to one of the places here after dinner tonight. Mom and I are trying out a new recipe for sambar - I'll let you know how it goes!

TTYL,
Amy

Positivity and Updates

2009-03-10T18:44:00.003-05:00

I'm on this new positivity kick lately, after reading "The Secret" yesterday afternoon. In case you are not familiar with this phenomenon, which was first written about over 100 years ago, it has a lot to offer to the world today. The Secret is also known as 'The Law of Attraction' and using positive thoughts and the process of visualization to summon positive outcomes.

From the website www.thesecret.tv:

The Secret teaches us that we create our lives, with every thought every minute of every day. Living The Secret offers tools and ideas to help you live The Secret and create the life of your dreams

So far it seems to be helping with keeping a positive outlook. At first it was really hard to focus on and banish negative thoughts, but I used the recommendation of summoning feelings of gratitude, if nothing else. I will post later in terms of results - but so far so good!

I never updated regarding the move. We are still waiting for the pod with our stuff to arrive. The tracking details show that it is in Houston, I just don't the delivery date to us. The cats are currently being boarded right now nearby, and I visit them when possible. Hasan flew with them from California to Houston after he packed the pod and had it sent off. He is in the UK right now visiting his little sister.

On the book front, I just finished a series on King Henry and Eleanor by Sharon Kay Penman. I'm currently reading a book by Sandra Gulland on Louise, the commoner wife of Louis the 16th.

I've also been catching up on Hindi movies lately, and getting back into the swing of things with Navision accounting. We do 30 minute walks once or twice a day for exercise - I can't wait to be back in the gym! Overall things are going well..I went up on the meds, but am hoping that that also translates in to a full recovery.

TTFN,
Amy

On their way

2009-02-24T23:36:00.003-06:00

So my cats and husband are going to be here tomorrow evening! I'm excited, stressed, and nervous, all in one, but I think that's a good thing! It's like two worlds are coming together - my California family and my Texas family, which was been hard to do!!!

In other news, I'm still reading a lot. "The Russian Concubine" was a fabulous book - I highly recommend it. I'm currently reading a Jude Deveraux trade book, "Return to Summerhouse", and next up might be "The Photograph."

The next few days will be a bit busy, so I will try to post again when I have some free time.

The latest update

2009-02-23T23:22:00.002-06:00

Again, sorry for the lack of posts lately. I've been away from the computer a bit while I brush up on my physical therapy and wii fit exercise, and of course plenty of books and movies. I've been reading a LOT of Rosamund Pilcher - her books are just to easy and relaxing. The complexity level of her plots are just the right amount - no major twists or sudden new characters, or mysterious murders. Just what I need right now! I also finished "How to be Cool" (good book) and another recent one from Anne Rivers Siddons, I forget the actual title. It was decent.

We saw the Duchess last weekend - that was a good film! I have yet too see Slumdog due to the subject nature, but we might see The Changeling this week.

Hasan is currently in the process of getting the cats to Houston, once he sends his car off. The exact date of his arrival at this point is unknown, but it might just be tomorrow, if all goes as planned!

I'm back with a recommendation for some of you

2009-02-13T19:52:00.006-06:00

Hi all! I'm back, sorry for the time between posts. I actually wrote up a review of the "Story of India" BBC series about a week ago, but the website ate it. After that I was hesitant to write another one again.

I have been looking on the web for interesting sites, and found the following:

http://workingwithchronicillness.com/
http://www.findingeq.com/

The first contains tips on working with a chronic illness. The second is by a professional blogger who is recently out of school - I really like her writing style. She writes about various aspects of living and working with a chronic disease, in her case the illnesses are IBS and sleep apnea.

The issue of working with this illness has been on my mind a lot lately, and I know that others of you might find some helpful information in her blog. Chronic illness, particularly the auto-immune variety, requires a lot of stress monitoring and management.

This blogger also has links to some other interesting sites. I believe that I found her through Brazen Careerist.

In other news, I've been keeping busy with books, working out, movies, and visiting friends.
Basically, nothing too new to report. Hasan gets in to town next week with the cats, so we will soon be busy unpacking and reorganizing the stuff from our California apartment. That should be fun! I'm planning to finally get rid of a LOT of stuff. Can't wait!

What are you all up to? I haven't heard from you in a while, drop a note or comment when you get a chance. Or better yet, send me an email!

Love ya,
Amy

Happy Groundhog Day!

2009-02-02T16:06:00.002-06:00

Here's wishing everyone a Happy Groundhog Day!

Nothing new to report, except that I am feeling so much better lately, and want to apologize for my whininess and complainy-bird attitude over the past 2 months! I'm taking the honorable and truthful way out and revealing my secret...it was the medicines that I was on! I'm not normally so down, but I realize that one particular medicine that I'm on has been particularly crazy-making. I'm hoping to reduce it this week pending the doctor's authorization - one woman that we met on the cruise warned me about this medicine and said that she ended up in a mental institution as a result of it. I was overruled by my medical team when I asked to go on something else, but whatever.

I just finished a great book - 'The Day the Rain Came" by Rosamunde Pilcher. It's a great comfort read. The other book that I would recommend for you historical mystery buffs is "A Poisoned Season" by Tasha Alexander. Both are absolutely fantastic!

Other than that, same old stuff. I've been industrious with the wii fit and physical therapy, and get stronger every day, knock on wood!

Please keep your comments coming - it lets me known that someone besides my mom reads this thing!

Bye,
Amy

Life is good - my update

2009-01-29T15:51:00.003-06:00

I just got back from physical therapy and eye doctor appointments, and I feel really great about the results! As far as I can tell, I'm in fairly good shape, and I'm hopeful to make a full recovery of all numbness in my fingers. My eyes checked out perfectly - there's been no issues due to the disease, and every piece of information that I uncover makes me feel that much better! I think I've been worrying a lot needlessly, and I apologize to those of you that have been worrying along with me, but who can know without actual physical results? Everything that I have read about this disease has put the fear or god in me, and I'm finally now getting over it.

Now that things are better, I'm even considering driving again for short distances - let's see if my doctor approves it next week.

In terms of activities, I've just been reading, wii fitting, and watching Lost! now that the new episodes are on tv. The new episodes are very exciting, for you Lost! fans out there. Watch it again - it's gotten more adventurous, but they are preserving some of the debt. Things seem to also be getting a bit more scientific.

In terms of books, I finished a great book - 'The Diplomat's Daughter'. It was fabulous, very interesting for those of you that follow current events and are interested in world politics. I read the whole book in a day, and it's huge!

We need to get a few more books from the library. I will keep you posted if I find any other good ones!

TTFN,
A

Some interesting articles on recovering from setbacks

2009-01-26T09:59:00.003-06:00

I just read a very interesting article on tough experiences and what we can gain from them. If you're interested in that kind of thing, defintely check it out!

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=45978089203&h=2dASr&u=AP8HP&ref=nf

Here's another article that I found interesting on a site that I check every day. It's great for career advice, and they have fantastic blogs every day by 20 and 30 something professionals.
Read this if you think you are having a bad year:

http://www.brazencareerist.com/2009/01/24/what-i-learned-about-life-through-disasters

Enjoy!

Amy

Reviews of my latest reads

2009-01-24T17:02:00.004-06:00

My latest book read is "First Darling of the Morning" by Thrity Umrigar. I seem to have a knack lately for picking up dark books that strangely have similarities to my life. Not that my life is or has been dark, per se, but you know where you read something about a character andd think "Wow, that's me!" That - it's happening to me. A Lot. Very eerie, strange, and a bit perturbing, when you're trying to think about positive things and cheery little butterflies, but then, what fun is that anyway? The dark side is where the good stuff is, according to all the books.

So I just finished the Umrigar book, which is dark but good, and am almost done with 'The Palace Of Illusions' by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. Now this is one Fantastic book, but it is Very Dark. It is basically a retelling of essential stories from the Mahabharata, the great Indian epic, from the vantage point of the main female character, Draupadi. I had to actually put the book down at times, as those of you that are familiar with the Mahabharata are aware of how dark the story gets at points. Multiply that by 100 - the author really puts you in Draupadi's skin and makes you feel an approximation of what she might have felt at each of the major instances in her life. This book is really amazing - Divakaruni should win a literary prize for it.

The last book, which I ended up returning to the library without finishing, was a book about Elizabeth. The author is Allison Weitland (sp?), and the book is really amazing, but it got too dark for me, with all the talk of the Tower and death, so I just let it go. I believe that this is the book that the last Elizabeth movie was based on, and I highly recommend it for any history enthusiasts that enjoy the stories of Elizabeth and Henry VIIIth. I've read a lot of historical fiction about these two subjects, and this one did the best job of making sense of various events in history. The lives of both of these historical figures make so much more sense to me now! If the subject interests you, definitely grab this book!

Tonight - dinner at CPK with the parents, sister, and her father-in-law. The finale for SaReGaMaPa was very long, but decent, and Rush Hour 3 is a good movie! The next books on the list are: 'A Golden Age' by Tahmima Anam, 'The Diplomat's Daughter' by Tom Kinsolving, 'The Harafish' by Nagub Mahfouz, and 'Secrets and Mysteries of the World' by Sylvia Browne.

Later,
A

Keeping busy and other thoughts

2009-01-21T15:05:00.004-06:00

My biggest past time right now, while I am am home, has been finding positive ways to keep myself busy.

For those of you that currently work, this is not as easy as it would seem. I'm magically hitting that 3 month mark at which unemployment turns from fun and freedom into boredom.

I have been planning, depending on the day, to start writing a book, start preparation for the remaining Navision certification exams, update my blog on a more regular basis, study a new language, watch more movies, catch up with more friends, etc. None of the above is quite sticking. I'm thinking back to what others have done during prolonged bouts of bedrest - the only person that I have heard stories of is JFK. I believe that he was hospitalized and on bedrest for a few months after back surgery, and that he read a lot and ended up writing a book. Huh.

I found a new blog on writing that is endlessly entertaining to me. For those of you that have problems with bad language, please be warned, there is some.

http://www.writinghannah.blogspot.com/

It did inspire me to finally start my book, but Hannah was not kidding. I barely wrote a page, and I think I'm tapped out now, writing is really tough business!

I hope you enjoy the above, more later!
A

Nav 2009 is very impressive!

2009-01-19T15:43:00.002-06:00

I just saw a preview of Dynamics Nav 2009, and I was not planning to be impressed, but I absolutely was! The options for viewing of documents based on certain breakdowns of statistics (this will only make sense for those of you that are very familiar with MS Dynamics Nav, if you are not please do yourself a favor and skip this post).

I can't wait to get more familiar with it and the process of implementing it. Actually, the implementation does seem like it will be more of a bear, but the extra time spent on start seems like it will save a lot of time later. I'm very impressed with the Danish folk that have spent the time and come up with this improved design.

There are possibly two people still reading at this point. Do either of you have anything to add regarding the software, including your impressions and/ or experiences with it. How does it feel on the development side? I can imagine that there have been significant structural changes that almost make 2009 a different language from CSIDE? If you have any feedback, please elaborate, I'm curious!

Amy

Dealing with bad friends

2009-01-16T16:27:00.002-06:00

A while back a posted about a dilemna involving an ex-friend and asked for feedback on how to deal with her regarding a silly rumor her family seems to have started about me. I received some really good feedback, particularly from people that know both myself and the party in question, yes - including my mom. I have come to the decision that this friend is basically not in my 'lifetime' category.

At the risk of sounding childish, I will mention that email that everyone has seen, regarding people that come into your life for a reason, season, or lifetime. Not everyone that we meet falls into the lifetime category, and this has been a particularly painful experience for me up until now, for some reason. I had always prided myself on my ability to make and sustain friendships for the long term, until recently. I now realize that a relationship can not be sustained by one person alone, no matter the person and no matter the circumstances. Some, indeed most, people are meant to be there for the short term, either for a reason or a season.

Back to the ex-friend - and I want to make sure that I don't sound petty or over-reactive here. Obviously there have been other events that have precipitated the falling out and led to whatever bad feelings there might be between us, and this bit was just the last straw for me. I had tried reasoning with her a few times, and just seemed to keep meeting a brick wall of resistance. She is a fun friend, and we come from similar communities - I'm not sure if that contributes to my stupidity in holding on to that ridiculous one-way relationship for so long, but I can only guess what my reasoning was at that time. When you're young you do stupid things, and we were young when we met, so that's my excuse and I'm sticking with it!

At this point I've decided to just cut her off. I pray for forgiveness, but I really want forgetness first, to make a reference to "The Hills" and the great Lauren/Heidi argument. Just make her go away, please! No references to her, no "how is she doing", I think I just want to forget the fact of her existness - my life will be better for it.

I decided to write about this subject as it has been a long standing issue for me, and so maybe someone else can get some clarity from my experiences. I seem to have had several of these issues with friends and former friends, especially lately with this illness and the move. If I can keep one of you from experiencing some of the pain, it's worth it!

Do any of you have similar experiences? If so, I'd love to hear about them. Please let me know if you have any thoughts on the decision I made. Is it the healthy choice, escapism, or maybe just what works best for me? I would love to hear your comments and feedback!

Anyway, enjoy the rest of your day!
Amy

Where I review Louise Hay's book

2009-01-14T09:49:00.002-06:00

I had promised earlier to talk more about my favorite New Age Healing book of the minute, "Heal Your Body, Heal Your Life", and I have to start off by saying, I had no idea how popular this book is! I have mentioned it to just a few people in passing, and a some of the people that I mentioned it to got really excited when I told them the title or author. This book truly has been a godsend to many, so I feel that it is fitting to write about it here in the hope that more people can be helped by its contents.

Louise Hay was touted by Oprah Winfrey as the founder of the New Age Movement, and I would have to agree with her regarding that title. I've been pursuing natural altenatives to medicine for the last 8 or so years, and Louise Hay's name and book titles have constantly come to me during that time, whether it was a reference in other books, online, or by word of mouth. I wish I had listened before, but maybe I was not yet ready to hear her message.

The basic premise of "Heal Your Body, Heal Your Life" is that all diseases and infections in the body can be linked to negative emotional states and traumas that a person has experiences. Once these negative states are resolved, the body is able to heal itself as it needs to. Hay discusses the need to totally love oneself in the book, and many of the exercises in the book are directed toward this goal. Toward the end of the book, Hay has a list of hundreds of different ailments, along with each prescribed affirmation that the sufferer should say to counteract the negative emotional state that might be causing the illness.

I first read through the book a bit, and tried some of the exercises half-heartedly to see if I got any immediate effect. These exercises can be a bit taxing and draining, if you've never done them, and I did not want to risk making myself worse, even temporarily. The process of clearing out old crap can be tough, as we all know. I noticed that I felt a bit better after reading theough some of the sections and exercises.

Over the past few months, as I mentioned, I've been experiencing some crazy mood swings. I'm honestly not myself right now - screaming at the people around me (even my parents' friends, lol) at the drop of a hat, this is so unlike me. I generally don't scream unless thoroughly provoked, and I usually have a lot of patience with people.

I decided to write down several of the affirmations from Louise's book that applied to me currently (and was shocked that there were a lot of them, lol!). I figured I would try reading them to myself at night a few times before bed, and see if they made a difference.

I got a really good night's sleep, and the affirmations continue to help me a few days later! I say one or two of them to myself as a calming factor any time I find my mood dropping. I havem't been able to catch myself before my temper flares, but that is my next goal. In short, they worked for me!

I also really recommend the aesthetics of the book - the drawings inside are so beautiful and warmly colored, that you can't help but be drawn if you dare to open a copy of the book. I plan to pick up a copy for myself and for a family friend that was recently diagnosed with cancer. Hay mentions cancer as a disease that is the result of pent-up resentment. I had already mentioned the affirmations to this family friend, and she is currently expecting a list of the ones that apply to her condition from me, but I would rather just give her a copy of the book. That way she can read through the stories in her own time, and hopefully get the full effect.

In case it wasn't clear from the review, I loved this book! I've already recommended it to a couple of friends that I know would benefit from it. I'm planning on getting my own copy before this one gets back to the library!

Comments, suggestions, alternative viewpoints of the book? Please forward them on to me!
Amy

Lazy Sunday, the news is depressing

2009-01-11T08:45:00.000-06:00

Today is turning out to be a nice relaxing Sunday. I made pancakes for breakfast and set up the Bose system.

The morning is still wide open.

So is anyone else getting depressed by the news? The economic situation is horrible, Israel and Palestine will not stop going at it, and it's so sad. I guess it could always be worse, but how did we get to this horrible point? I'm really worried that the Middle East situation might escalate to a world war, what with all the nuclear arms proliferation that has occurred in so many countries over the past few years. Unless an independent party agrees to act as mediator for the two sides, the situation will just continue to escalate. I liked Naomi Klein's idea of a boycott to Israeli products in order to send an economic signal of disapproval around the world, but it just seems like too little too late. I'm not sure that it would have enough of an economic effect to even bear noticing. We are talking about years of segregation and persecution and hatred that have brought the two parties to this point.

I think maybe that I have too much time on my hands. I was counting - I'm generally up 16 hours a day, and that's a lot of time to fill when you are not working - lol! I'm thinking about taking a language class - something to get me out of the house more and force me to study. The Nav continuing education or rather re-education program that I was putting myself on has been a no go thus far - it's hard to force yourself to study! At least it is for me - I have always admired those self-motivated people that can schedule and stick to allotted study and work and feeding and play times. I do think that the best balance is somewhere in between though.

About that situation with the ex-friend - I've decided to just let it go. It's really not worth worrying about - it's in the past and what's done is done. The funny thing is the lie that was told is so obviously not true, and in February it will be obvious to everyone. So why spend a second's thought on the silliness? You're right, I won't!!!

I didn't really have a ton to say today, so sorry for the brevity, but I wanted to get a post in while I had a chance. I hope that you are all having nice Mimosa or other drink of your choice Sundays!

TTFN,
Amy

Welcome twitter friends!

2009-01-10T12:27:00.000-06:00

I'm expecting that some of you have ventured here from my link on twitter, and if so, Welcome!

I wanted to make sure that I was not being too secretive and dicey on twitter about the issues that I'm going through. None of this is a secret, but because some of what I have written in this blog is so personal to me and my experiences, I've only made the url known to a few good friends until now. That might change in the future depending on how brave I get, but let's see.

Today seems like it will be a good day. Mom and I are heading out to buy something for my sister-in-law in London whose birthday just passed. We will probably have lunch outside and grab a Hindi dvd for tonight.

Last night we went to our family friend's place - this is the family friend that was recently diagnosed with lymphoma. It really made me think about my own issues, as I need to be monitored for the development of lymphoma with the high doses of corticosteroids and chemotherapy agents I'm taking. Scary stuff. She starts chemo at the end of the month, and is understandably scared, but it seemed to help her a bit to see us.

Tomorrow is another family friend's birthday, so we will be going over there in the evening.
Other than that, I'm finally sleeping 8 hours a night (yay me!) and it seems to really be helping. I've had a bit of a setback in that my foot seems to be going numb again, but the doctors are aware of it and just want to wait it out two weeks to see if it persists.

So I guess tonight we will watch a movie. Other than that who knows, we are wild and crazy kind of people right now, woohoo! Sorry to be so boring, I promise to be a little more interesting once my energy level goes up. I started doing some Louise Hay affirmations last night, and I think that they really helped with the sleep quality and general outlook, believe it or not! I need to post a review of her book, it has been a life changer for me, so I just know that it can help someone else out. I'm planning to read every book now that she has written, and I know that there are a lot. She's a genius!

Anyway, that's all for now!
Amy

Great day!

2009-01-09T14:43:00.000-06:00

We just got back from a fantastic Chinese buffet, and a great visit to the chiropractor and massage therapist. In California I was getting regular treatments from a chiropractor, and it really kept me sane during the last 6 months of hell. Today I also got a biofeedback session with a massage therapist, and I felt fabulous afterward, like my old self again!

I also switched from Ambien to another sleep med, as sleep is so important right now and mine has been erratic at best. Well, I'm off to journal and take a nap.

I have a dilemna for some of you. If you had been told that a family member of a former friend was spreading untrue rumors about you, what would you do? Particularly if the rumors had by now spread all over the city? Would you retaliate with the truth as you know it about that person, and consider it fair play? This is what my heart tells me I should do...comments please!

Some of you will know who and what I'm referring to - please feel free to use real names, lol!

Amy

Easy breezy day today

2009-01-08T08:54:00.000-06:00

Today was a nice and easy day - we were just at home today. I slept about 10 hours, which was fabulous, and then dad and I went grocery shopping in the evening.

I talked to a couple of friends today and formulated some ideas on the future of this blog. I'm realizing more and more that the purpose was never to talk about Navision and IT, but rather my interest in healing others. The older I get, the more I consider myself a healer. I believe that this is the reason that I am experiencing all of this, and that ultimately what keeps me going during the day is helping others with their issues. So those of you that worry about stressing me out with your own persona issues, please don't. I will tell you if I can't handle it or just not answer the phone.

I know that several of you have expressed concern over my current physical condition. I'm in decent shape - I'm walking and talking and eating on my own, and most people that come to visit say that they would not even know that I was less than 100% healthy from looking at me. Auto-immune diseases are strange like that I guess.

Anyway, I will write more tomorrow most likely, good night!
A

Phone shopping, etc.

2009-01-07T16:17:00.002-06:00

Today we checked out the phones at Best Buy. There are way too many to choose from! I think I like the Treo, but have decided to find a way to try it out before I buy.

It has been a great couple of days, thanks to good company and getting out of the house! I'd like to welcome my sorority sisters that are visiting the blog - I hope you like what you read!

I've been reading some good books, and will post recommendations if anyone is interested. Same with movies. TV - not so much, which I'm actually really proud of - I used to be a tv fiend! I was planning to get some extra channels that I watch added to my parents cable, but I'm holding off until the boredom is too great. I've actually been able to fill the hours during the day with PT practice, watching recorded shows, reading, meals, getting out of the house, and the internet.

So I'm more than willing to take suggestions for interesting topics that might appear in this blog - please don't be shy! I've really enjoyed reconnecting with a lot of you via facebook, and hope that we can continue to be in touch through the years.

A good friend of mine sent a diet that she follows to deal with rheumatoid arthritis - she is now medicine and pain-free! Please let me know if you would like a copy - I've already sent it to a few of you that might be interested.

I've decided to start cooking healthy meals, so I'm going to get a crockpot for this house, and start making some of those meals, once my energy and strength are back. I can't wait!

I think my brain is empty now, so I am signing off for today. Thanks for reading, I'll talk more to you guys soon!

A

Good Morning!

2009-01-06T04:26:00.004-06:00

So it's 4:30 am and I am waiting for the Ambien to kick in. I'm starting to enjoy these early hours to check mail and read and just do whatever strikes my fancy. Of course not having to get up early for work helps in this situation - sorry to rub it in to those of you that are currently working. You can pinch me later - lol!

In terms of news, there is not much new to tell. My sister and her husband are vacationing in Italy and sent us some gorgeous pictures from a show at the coliseum in Rome. She's in love with gelato, and of course I asked her to please send us some.

The plan for today is to maybe start reading my accounting books to refresh my memory.
My health gets better day by day. I did some exercise yesterday and might have overdone it, as my feet and fingers were swollen at night. This disease is so crazy - pain can be either a good or bad sign!

Today - appointment at the hair salon. My dad wants me to wear a face mask to the mall - lol! Luckily my dr. mom nixed that idea. My poor dad is so worried still, he sometimes suggests really funny things in a bid to help.

In other news, there is so much sadness going on in the world right now, what with John Travolta's son, and the situation in Gaza. Ay ay ay!

Time to change the subject. One task that I have undertaken while in the Mehta household is to clean up and organize. I'm really hoping that we can help my parents out with electronics set up and fixing up the decor a bit so its warmer and cozier. The whole downstairs is marble, so we will need to add some warmer touches and maybe some more paintings, and clear out the tons of knicknacks and pics that are on display - there is waaaaay tooo much clutter and it drives me crazy! I've already annoyed my parents with the reorganizing I did of their bathroom (there was literally stuff everywhere, books, magazines, receipts, medicines, and makeup galore). Since my mom and I each have a sink and side of the counter, I cleaned up my side completely and put some of her and dad's stuff away in drawers to make things a bit more manageable and have actual empty counter top space. Yeah, they weren't too happy about the changes, and asked for a few restores, but now we are okay. So the next step is to keep working on the bathroom until it is a little cozier and prettier - it reminds me our old college dormitory bathroom, with the two stalls and shower in between. The shower that they have is to die for, with three shower heads and a marble seating area! So the bathroom definitely has potential - lol!

That all's for now - I'll post more later!

A

Welcome to my blog (3-5 stars)

2009-01-04T11:24:00.001-06:00

You might be visiting this site for the first time, and if that's the case, Welcome! If you've been here before, welcome back :-)

I didn't mention it before by name, but I was diagnosed with Lupus in November of this year. The diagnosis occurred over Thanksgiving weekend in Houston, and I started treatment right away. The update is I am doing well today - I can leave the house and have been getting out of the house for the last couple of days. Things continue to go really well, and I'm hopeful to make a complete recovery.

I started having these weird pains in January of this year. I had just started a new job as a trainer in September of 2007, but it was really a challenge. I gave my first professional training class in January of 2008. It was a 2-day 8 hour class, and the day afterward I started having this really bad pain in my right thumb, which attributed to bad ergonomics in the training room. I just stopped using the mouse with my computer completely, and found ways to avoid using the fingers that were in pain. The pain continued to get worse, and soon I had it in the left hand too. When I discussed it with my mom, she mentioned that we had carpal tunnel syndrome in our family history, and that she had had a really bad bout with it the previous year and recommended wearing splints at night. So I bought splints and wore them at night, and sometimes during the day. The idea of surgery and physical therapy freaked me out, so I figured I would just wait and see, and hopefully the pain would go away. In March it went away, and I started to have this weird tooth pain, almost like a toothbrush abrasion. I went to a dentist, but he was unable to find anything, so he just added a little sealant and let me go.

In April we had my sister's wedding, and that was about 2 weeks of non-stop work. It was a lot of fun, but one of the most stressful experiences ever, and there were issues with Hasan's flight and him having the right clothing for some of the formal events, and of course his religion compared with my sister's Hindu in-laws (the engagement was at an ashram that the family is a follower of, in the ancient and holy town where Krishna grew up). So that whole experience was and continues to be a stressful one.

Anyway, back to the saga. When Hasan showed up the day before the wedding, he was really really sick with pink-eye and a fever, so he ended up sleeping in at the hotel during the wedding. In spite of my relatives going up one by one to ask him to come down. Yes they did, and they even made me call him to ask, as they were really worried about offending my sister's new family.

So anyway, he was in a really great mood for the reception that night, which he did end up coming to. I was just done with my family, him, and everything at that point, and spent most of the night talking to a friend outside the reception area. At that point we were just done with appearances, the events were over and our duties were done as far as I was concerned.

So he ended up flying out to a friend's place to recover the following week, as we still had tons of family at our house and all the usual obligations to go out and meet people and sightsee that come along with visitors. He flew back for a few days once he was better, then flew back to Ca.

Fast forward to the first week of May, the following week. I fly back to California and promptly get the same flu and pink-eye. I was sick for 3 or 4 days, and started on these eyedrops for the pe, and soon I noticed that the left side of my face felt numb in parts. I stopped using the eyedrops as I was freaked out, but the numbness continued. Of course I told my mom about it and started researching it on the web, and the things I found were kind of scary - MS and other neurological issues that were detected through less sensitivity in the body.

There were some issues with finding a specialist in California (I had really bad luck with doctors in California, almost every single one I went to was bad) and when I discussed it with Ashna, she recommended seeing a specific specialist at UCLA if it continued. We were hopeful that it was just a mild case of Bell's Palsy, but she advised me to see a specialist but not panic, to just get it checked out at my convenience.

Let me just say, the UCLA system sucked - I realize now that I should have just pulled some strings and gotten in to see a specialist right away, but I didn't know how to do that at the time and was still optimistic that I could figure this out on my own while working. I'm a grown woman, married and running a household, and even handling having a husband that is out of the country for long periods of time. I've been through harder times as a kid and in college, this is doable. I believe that was my reasoning, along with a big dose of denial that something was seriously wrong. I was certainly hoping it was not MS or anything life threatening. I finally ended up filing a worker's comp claim in September so I could get in to see a family friend that is a family practitioner. Originally she also thought carpal tunnel syndrome, but agreed that further testing was needed due to the neuro issues. She ran the ANA values in October and those ended up being high, so she referred me to a neurologist and rheumatoid arthritis specialist, which was a little freaky! I was the only person that was able to walk - all of the patients in the office were over 70 or at least appeared to be..

This Ra guy, Dr. Fisher, seemed to be about 70 and a little senile to me. He ran some tests, and whe I went to the neurologist, he finally reran the EMG that I had already had done for workers comp in August due to the strange results. Keep in mind - I was somehow working a full-time job and dealing with severe pain now in both hands and wrists, and driving myself to appointments. So I went back to both of these guys and the primary care person again and again for testing, and had MRIs and ultrasounds at an imaging place near work, and worked and went home and didn't sleep. It was a really horrible time, and I know that god must have been with me. My mom came to visit us in september as my car had died, so we were sharing Hasan's and thinking about getting a new car. She says that she really got worried when she saw the level of pain I was at, and how little energy I had because of it.

Fast-forward to October. All of that financial collapse was occurring, and somewhere in the beginning of October, Iceland went bankrupt. Well, the company that I work for is an Icelandic- owned company, and with the lack of work, worker's comp claim, many hours I was out for appointments, and low level of performance due to so much pain and lack of sleep, I should have been prepared. I did discuss the Icelandic situation with my supervisor, to see what his tboughts were on the future of the company due to the bankruptcy, and had told my parents when they and the dr. advised the worker's comp claim to get in to see a dr. quickly, that I could get laid off as a result. My mom had told me not to worry about work, that my health was the number one priority, and that they would be able to help out if I was without a job. Sure enough, in mid October I was laid off with 2 weeks severance.

I honestly feel now that the lay off was a god send, as I was in no shape to be working and driving at that time. Soon after that I started to get this weird burning sensation on the bottom of my feet, which after a few weeks turned into icky bunions that made wearing shoes difficult. Thank god for the Uggs Roshini brought me from Australia - those were the only shoes I could handle at that point. So I wore those things every day, non-stop.

In November my parents had signed the three of us up for a cruise, and we ended up going. The first sign to me that I needed help was that we rented a wheelchair so I could limit my walking, and I used it every day, to go anywhere. At that point I realized that living in LA with Hasan was no longer an option - too many stairs and not enough of the personal care that I needed at that point in time.

So once the cruise was over, I packed two bags with clothes somehow, and flew to Houston, where I saw another neuro the next day, had a third EMG, and got the diagnosis of lupus. I also got chest and foot x-rays done.

All I could think of when I heard lupus was that movie in the '80s with Mathew Modine and Daphne Zuniga, where Sigourney Weaver is a professor and mentor. One day she doesn't show up, and the other guys find out she had actually given them her chart to study, and that she has died of 4th stage lupus. This image pretty much stayed with me for the next month, it was all I could think about. Hasan researched lupus in California, and what he found out really scared him. He asked me how long I had had it, as that would determine my life expectancy - which was a freaky question, and paints a picture of the state of mind that we were both in.

He did more research online, and calmed down after finding out that treatment methods have really progressed over the last few years. We also went to the top Ra guy in Houston, Dr. Frank Arnette, and he really confirmed the diagnosis and gave us all the facts. I even asked him if there was a0ny possibility of amputation (very little as long as we continue to monitor and control the disease, if the disease could be lethal (yes if not controlled), and if I can have children (yes as long as I am in remission, but it would be a high-risk pregnancy and I could not go into a acute phase during pregnancy, as the treatment drugs cannot be taken while pregnant without affect to the fetus), and if my depression meds might have caused the lupus (no).

So anyway, since the diagnosis and treatment started, it's been rough going. At first the drugs were just kicking my butt all over the place - I was on permanent bed rest and in a wheelchair.

Visits from friends really sustained me during this time - you guys are awesome, every single one of you that came over and/or contacted me online or on the phone. I really owe you guys my life, and I thank god every day that I know you. Those of you that are learning about this for the first time, please don't freak out, lupus is manageable, not contagious, and I'm not dying.

Through this process a few friends have dropped off, and I assume it's because they don't know how to deal with this issue or what to say, or maybe they just have their own stuff going on. I'm trying to just have forgiveness in my heart and to not take it personally, but with these crazy meds I'm on right now, I'm a bit of a basket-case mood wise. It's hard, but what can you do. This is my life right now, for some reason, and I will get through this with flying colors, god willing.

Well I really need to go grab lunch now. I hope this wasn't too long, in-depth, or tmi for you guys. I appreciate your getting this far if you are still reading, and thank you for letting me share my news with you in this way. Writing is a huge outlet for me, and I've noticed that every time I tell this wacky story, the telling gets a little easier.

There was one scare on Christmas Eve that just turned out to be an anxiety attack due to high meds, weather changes, and a really really stressful day, and I'll probably write about that later too, if you don't mind. Please feel free to read as much or as little as you like. I can understand the need to limit what types of news you expose yourself to - I'm the same way.

Anyway, that's all for now - again, I love you guys!
Please write back soon, I get lonely realllllly easily :)

Muah,
Amy

Happy 2009! 3/4 stars

2009-01-01T12:47:00.000-06:00

Happy 2009 to all of our dear friends and family! Here's wishing you the best 2009 ever!

I received an email about 2009 - apparently in astrology it is 'The Year of the Ox'. I'm not sure what that means, but I do know my Chinese astrological sign, based on the typical placemat in Chinese restaurants, is the ox. That makes me really hopeful that this will be a better year (for moi at least :0).

Apparently, in order to make positive changes this year, one must be very slow and methodical about all steps that are taken. No fast fixes will work, according to the email I received, so stay away from three minute cures - this is not the time for that. If you are ready and willing for a change, make sure that you have enough desire to see your changes through to the end, the long way.

In other news I'm finally updating my phone to the new blackberry, possibly tomorrow, so yay. Please welcome me to the 21st century. thank you! My current phone is more than 3 years old now and can barely be used to text message, but for some reason I was attached to it. At this point its a necessity to have something that's easy to use, so it's time to take the plunge.

A quick note - the 4 stars at the top refers to how sad/depressing this post is, for those of you to stay around the happy ones for now. It's based on a recommendation from my friend Ailee - thanks Ailee! Also big thanks go to Kavitha and Marie for all of their help with this blog, Kavitha was instrumental in me getting this out there, and then suggesting I keep it restricted until I' ready for the mainstream, and Marie had some great feedback on pics and posts, some of which I have implemented, and others of which I will be implementing as soon as I get some web help. I'm not sure if this blog forum or another one is the best for me, as the abilities with this app are limited, but we shall she see. I will definitely keep you posted if the address changes.

In other news I feel good!!!!! I'm a bit sad that Hasan is leaving tomorrow, but he has some things to take care of with BD, and of course there's all the moving to think of. Luckily a friend in my complex is going to help with the packing, as I was a bit worried about Hasan getting overzealous and throwing things out in a rush to save on the moving expenses. Don't judge him too harshly - I have a TON of books and magazines - we ended up paying twice the original estimate in order to move originally from TX to CA. Things have not been easy with him here in Houston this week - he's a total bohemian, and my dad is a total strict disciplined guy, and suffice it to say there is a bit of relief right now in addition to the sadness that I will no longer be worried about both of them being happy, spending adequate time with him before he goes, etc. I'm not sure how he will be able to adjust to living here in Houston in my parents' house...All four of us are such strong personalities and must each have our way in everything!!!

It looks like a former coworker from the company that I worked at before SCS (OSI) is possibly offering me a job. I'm not planning to work again for at least another 3 to 6 months, and I told this former coworker so, which he said was not a problem. Of course my mom said right away "You're not going back to California" so I guess we'll see about that. It felt nice to have a job offer, even if he was just being nice.

OK, this has been a crazy morning what with non-stop calls from friends and family. I miss all of you guys but I have to get off the computer now! The only issue I have right now is adopting out my cats, as a friend of mine that was supposed to take them for 2 months starting in January seems to have totally flaked. If you think of any other options for my little cats, please let me know - I just want them to be healthy and happy somewhere if they have to be away from me. Sorry to drop the post down a little sadness wise - this is why its a 3/4! As always, more later!

TTFN,
A

Visit to the dr - not bad!

2008-12-29T19:39:00.001-06:00

Well, in other news we made a trip to the dr. today to check on my progress, and according to him, things seem to be way improved for me health-wise. Yay!!!! As long as things continue to move in this direction, 2009 is already a better year personally than '08.

So we are all breathing big sighs of relief in the Mahmood and Mehta households! I'm going to check in with a physical therapist friend to see what she recommends in the way of finger rehab. Is that tmi? Sorry!!!!!! I'm just ecstatic with positive news, as this has been such trying time on our family and friends. Life has just been incredibly tough - my mom cries a lot with friends on the phone when recounting some issues this year. I think that we still have a few more months of hardship ahead of us, but it's nice to know that things might continue to improve.

I've been using my family's advice after that awful Christmas Eve ER visit (more on that another day) and trying my best not to be stressed or worried about anything. Of course, easier said than done! I think that that little change in mindset is going to take a while, and be a forever work in progress.

So we watched a few Hindi movies this past weekend, Hasan visited and told a few Houston friends, and I spent time with some good friends from college. It was nice to have that block of time with family and friends at once, and I hope I don't go through withdrawal over the next few days.

I know that this post has not been very entertaining, although you might find it informative. Thanks for letting me speak and give an outlet to these latest thoughts...I promise to keep them coming...

TTFN and Night all,
A

Today is way better

2008-12-21T13:01:00.000-06:00

I was having a reaallllly bad day yesterday, and I think my last post reflects the state of mind that I was in at the time. It's a little fast for another post, but I couldn't leave that last one of the most current image in anyone's mind. My one saving grace through this experience has been positive and forward thinking, and I want it back as soon as possible!

I'm sure that this next few months of recovery will take me through many ups and downs. I'd like to think that last night was the worst of it, although it eventually just needed an over the counter med to take effect. It can always get worse, so I want to treasure every positive moment that I experience through this.

Now that I've covered a bit of the sadness in my life, let's cover some of the not-so-sad parts. Until recently, I worked professionally with a Microsoft software called Navision. I managed a help desk and trained users on Navision. The next step on my career path is to become an implementer, so I plan to use this free time to obtain further certifications on the Navision front. I'm a bit rusty right now, but I do plan to get back into the program soon. I'm not sure whether that is next month or a few months from now, but I realize now that my mind can't decide when the healing happens - the body will, and I must be patient. This is one valuable quality that I can improve in myself patience with nature and letting things happen as they will. At some point you just have to trust that things will work out for the best, do your part when possible. and then let them.

Boring post, I know. Navision is quite interesting to those that work with it, but it sounds quite dry when described professionally. It is an enterprise resource planning software that encompasses all the activities and transactions that can occur within a small-to-medium-sized organization. I have obtained my Navision certifications in Financials and Trade 5. Next steps are certifications in Manufacturing and Warehouse Management.

So what else? It's just a lazy Sunday around here. We have the christmas tree up and are eagerly awaiting my husband and my sister and her husband - they all get into town this week. I haven't done a thing in the way of Christmas presents - I'm hoping my parents can just cover me this year for the most part. Being housebound really puts a damper on your ability to shop, but I feel kind of lucky because of my disability this week! Shhhhh-don't tell!

Have a beautiful day,
Amy

The real deal

2008-12-20T18:00:00.000-06:00

I've been purposely staying off topic with this blog while I grapple with some of the real issues at hand. Fact A - I am currently in the process of undergoing treatment for a major illness while I recuperate in my parents' home. Fact B - My husband is in the process of moving our things from LA to Houston, where I am. Fact C - I was working full-time until Mid-October,. Fact D - My prognosis appears to be good, but it is still too soon to know how far the disease has progressed. We believe that the illness started at the beginning of this year, but do not know this for sure, and what the current form it takes is. Fact E - We have tons of friends and family that have shown themselves to be increasingly more supportive as time goes on. My family and I continue the slow process of imparting the above to our nearest and dearest as we struggle to deal with day-to-day issues around the holidays. Suffice it to say, this can definitely be considered one of the hardest of our lives/

I am so thankful to have this blog as a relatively new outlet, and look forward to turning it into a source of information and entertainment for others. Something good always comes of hardship, and I'm looking to this blog to be my resulting gift to the world. I'm sure it will do more to help me with distractions that are sorely needed at this point in time.

TTFN,
A

Taking care of bizness

2008-12-18T15:18:00.000-06:00

Well today has been quite productive. I got rid of several to-dos over the phone today, which is always nice.

I was reading an interview with the author of the GTD (Getting Things Done) book, David Allen, and it reminded me of a time when I was regularly crossing to-dos off a list and feeling good about it. It inspired me to take action today, which, in turn, is a great sign that healing is happening. Yay!

I had been reading a lot about the GTD approach and maximizing productivity over the past year. Efficiency is a big deal to me, and I am constantly striving to be more organized and efficient in my daily life. This seems like a great time to practice this quality in myself and my family.

How important is efficiency and organization to you in your daily activities? Is it something that you strive toward, or does it just come naturally? Or do you just do your thing, and worry about re-organizing later as part of future reiterations?

I used to fall into the last category, but I'm trying to change that. As a person that has always had trouble managing the stuff around me, I think that this will go years toward making my life happier. I can't wait to see these effects, as they have started showing up everywhere around me.

I'm specifically focussing right now on clutter in my physical and virtual environments. I'm currently working on cleaning out my email inbox for the last several years. Amazingly enough (and surprise surprise) I've saved all of the jokes and cute emails that I've received since 2004. OK, that's embarrassing to admit. But admitting errors is the first step toward change, and I am all about change right now. So I've started the process with the deletion of 1K emails so far, and will continue to do this until it is down to a manageable level. The next step will probably be removing my name from mailing lists that I no longer have the time or need to keep up with so that it takes less effort to maintain my inbox. I have a tendency to go through phases with mailing lists, and of course, once the phase is over, I continue to be bombarded with mail that now needs to be deleted. I'm resolving to revisit my inbox periodically to weed out these time wasters before they become issues. Daily Candy in LA regular updates during this phase of moving from LA back to TX - not so useful!

At close to 6k emails in my personal inbox, the whole thing is still a daunting and tedious task to be undertaken. Oh well, that's just more incentive to perform iterations more often and prevent this from becoming such a bear again in the future.

OK, sorry for the tedious post, but I'm sure thatthere is at least one other person out there that can get something out of this. And it helps me to write about my efforts and to commit to the process verbally. So that's two people that are helped in the process.

That's all for now!
A

Pissed off

2008-12-13T13:53:00.000-06:00

I'm in the mood to vent of spleen right now, so please skip this post if this sort of thing is not entertaining to you.

I'm just so irritated at everyone and everything in the world right now! I'm sick of being sick and housebound, waiting for the hubby to get here and worrying about the plans to transport cars and stuff over several states, wondering about the cats, dealing with temperature fluctuations due to different meds, being constantly forcefed by the p's, having people ask to visit, being asked for help by the p's for silly things, stomach queasiness that is near-constant, you name it at this point. If you know me there is a pain in my side with your name on it.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day. I normally am good at rising above this sort of petty shit, but hey, it happens.

To continue from my previous post, I had about 20 years of floundering, until I started on a course of treatment that changed my life. I then expereienced what I still consider to be the best and craziest 6 months of my life in which I had a really close set of friends and an educational and career path that I could look forward to. I met my husband and the rest is history. It has been quite a turbulent and crazy ride, and you know what, it just never stops!

OK, I feel better now. This blogging thing is fabulous.
I need to work more on editing, but, hey, that's something to strive for. Onward and upward!

Later,
A

The elusivity of happiness

2008-12-11T12:53:00.001-06:00

The inspiration for this post comes from an interview done by Gretchen Rubin with Deborah Norville for her Happiness Project:
http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/2008/12/happiness-int-1.html

The interview itself was interesting, but what actually stirred me up enough to write was a comment from a poster that happiness tips from a person that has always been happy are not so useful.

As someone who has had a lifelong struggle chasing the elusiveness of happiness (to paraphrase Mrs. Norville's quote, which I love), I definitely have something to add from the other side.
Mr. Pavlina urges us to use 'fear as the carrot, not the stick'.

I read some posts today on Obama and racism and sexism, and when these issues will cease to matter when evaluating candidates. My personal hot topic is depression - it sounds scary and is scary, and has so many stigmas attached. I come from the Indian-American community, where this word is not even mentioned in any kind of discussion. I have yet to discuss depression and my own personal struggles in the past with anyone outside my closest friends, husband, parents, and sister. I think I'm ready for this to change.

What works for me is a combination of extra protein in my diet, regular exercise (which I'm generally bad at maintaining), regular chiropractic treatments, and at least 8 hours of sleep at night. If you have tips for what works for you, please post them!

TTFN,
Amy

TMI - its where we live!

2008-12-10T18:39:00.000-06:00

OK, next question. Where is the divide drawn in a blog between 'what you do' and 'what you are'? I've been reading up on the perils of putting too much of yourself out there in a blog when the focus should be on marketing oneself as an authority in your career field of choice. This is a huge question that I am struggling with right now, as my family live in a country called TMI. It's a way-of-life for us, one of that I struggle to get a handle on with age and maturity of course.

Where do you draw the line? I have read up on this very struggle by Penelope Trunk and my other favorite bloggers, and hope to learn from their experiences on this journey.

The other issue that I stuggle with is to whom this blog is made accessible. I have removed the link on my facebook page until I figure this out. Something inherently more comfortable about virtual strangers knowing your innermost business :)

And yet another issue that comes up for me as to organize the layout and plans for my personal forum - image. It's not something that I've ever really concerned myself with, and as a result, I never really managed my personal image well. This falls in line with the question of TMI and oversharing.

I hate the idea of talking strictly about professional and not personal interests. My bent is toward the latter - I would much rather go through my personal struggles over the past 20+ plus years. I know that I could help others with what I have to share, but I first need to prep myself internally for the information being out there. Bear with me - I realize that this is all very theoretical when laid out like this and not very entertaining, but I will come to a decision and move forward with it soon - that I promise you!

Until later,
A

Phones - are there too many out there?

2008-12-07T15:41:00.001-06:00

Not to jump around too much subject-wise, but which phones are you gadget junkies salivating over right now - the bberry storm or bold? Or are you still ecstatic with your iphones?

I have a 3 year old gorgeous phone that I had been loathe to give up for years. This thing was in my color and had everything I needed and kept me from feeling too 'accessible' to work and home. Now I feel ready to get a phone that offers more features to choose from and I'm not so concerned about it being in my favorite color - I can tell this is going to be another tmi post! Oh well, my friends all know and love me well for my eccentricities.

How much of your phone is just about it being a means to contact people and keep pieces of data handy, and how much of it is about the image that one projects to others? I have struggled with this concept for years, and worry that I am moving from function to form, which is not the direction that I want to be moving in. Of course my current phone is bright cherry red - maybe a little more function and form are called for here?

The other feature that I desperately need improved functionality on is my current speaker phone. The one I currently use is mono only, which is a no-no if you are against headsets, as I am. So much to choose from - there are just too many options out there! And how long is the latest gadget the very latest thing anyway - a week if you're lucky?

Update as of 12/09 - based on mollywood's review of the latest blackberrys, I'm once again leaning toward the Bold: http://www.wowowow.com/post/mollywood-new-blackberry-storm-iphone-smart-phone-146277. Now I just need to make sure that it is available at Sprint..

Tata for now,
A

What a year!

2008-12-05T10:39:00.000-06:00

Now that I have found some time to reflect on 2008, I realize what a crazy year this has been! I started a new job, which I loved, had some strange health issues periodically, celebrated my sister's wedding over 2 weeks of craziness, welcomed my husband back from his 6 month overseas trip to deal with family lawsuits, dealt with a lawsuit in the US, got laid off from said job, went on a cruise to Mexico, signed a settlement for the US lawsuit, and got diagnosed with a major illness.

Now that I have recovered a bit from the above, at least enough to be able to write about it somewhat coherently, I am working to keep positive about the future. I know for sure that these are minor setbacks, and that things will hopefully continue to improve. I am so ready to move back into my independent life - depending on others just sucks!

Of course, the year hasn't been all bad. Obama won, my sister's wedding was a truly fabulous occasion, the cruise was awesome, and I made some amazing new friends at work and home. There is also a real sense of trust that must be established in order for you to depend on others for basic things. I'm not sure that I ever had that sense of trust in anyone, at least not for a very long time. It feels great to know that my family has my back no matter what - I'm not sure that I ever really realized this before. Strange but true!

I realize now that maybe this time off from life is what I need in order to regroup and make changes for the better. Generally periods of intense turmoil are accompanied by growth, and it ends up having been worth it when you look back. I'm not worried, just ready for 2008 to be over. This has been quite a year!

A

Reflexology rules!

2008-11-07T00:20:00.000-06:00

I just had my first full reflexology session today, and it was fabulous. I've been experiencing some foot pain lately, and have a cruise to Mexico coming up next week. The doctors are stumped as to the cause of pain, and I was getting a bit desperate to feel better in prep for the vacay, so I decided to give reflexology a try.

After the session, the pain was close to gone. I still have a bit of trouble with pressure on the soles of my feet, hence the constant donning of uggs, but I do have hope now of graduating to shoes that are a bit cuter.

I'd really like to encourage anyone that has any sort of pain (non-emergency of course) or trouble sleeping (check) to try this alternative mode of therapy out. I don't think I have ever been more relaxed in my life than I was after my session (I really mean EVER). I'll post more on this session later for those of you that are still reading. I just wanted to mention this great event in my day while it was fresh on my mind.

Now off to try on bathing suits!

A

My first post

2008-10-27T02:20:00.000-05:00

This is my first post on the new blog.
As the title states, I live with my husband and our cats, Gigi and Lulu. Those of you that know me well have met all four of us. If you only know me from an online forum, you have not actually met any of us. No matter - technology now makes f2f (face to face) meetings non essential, although nice-to-have.

I work with a Microsoft software called Navision.
Please stay tuned, there is more to come..