Thank You Mucinex

Every time I sniffle or grab that tissue, I think of your commercial with the Mucus family.

I think of Mr. and Mrs. Mucus taking up residence in my lungs.

Given the amount of tissues I have gone through, there must be a whole nation down there. I just want this image to go away. Mucus should not have a persona.

Whirlwind Weekend

It was bound to happen at some point. I am sick. I survived my crazy weekend only to be felled by a nasty cold. Rather then go on and on here is my weekend in pictures:

The hotel room in Chicago at the Allegro Hotel:

Meeting up with a good friend that I have not seen in 17 years! Far too long!

Discovering Chicago Pizza at Giordano’s. It was spinach, Italian sausage and onion.

Going to the wedding party for a good friend in New Hampshire on Saturday. Congratulations!

They had a crazy balloon artist at the party, who was a lot of fun.

He made me a kitty ring.

I am off to take more Sudafed and whine about being sick.

The Beginning

I am in Chicago.

My crazy crazy weekend has begun.

I have my work meeting tomorrow then seeing my old friend tomorrow night. I fly out Saturday morning then drive to northern New Hampshire for a wedding party. I am staying up there Saturday night but Sunday morning I am going to brunch in downtown Boston.

I may need a day off after this weekend!

I still feel like I am in a bit of a funk but it may be the head ache I have. Why does my mood have to be so up and down?

I am getting to bed early tonight.

Mirror Mirror

I just wanted to curl up under my desk at work today. Retreat home and just get under the covers to forget the day ever happened.

I am not sure what happened to bring this on. I looked into the mirror and hated what stared out at me. That should have been the first clue. I even took care today in dressing up, wearing a skirt, tights, doing up my hair, even wearing make up, to hide what I saw but it did not work. I knew what was underneath and I wanted to put a stop to it.

Just goes to show that my demons are never really gone. They pop in for a visit now and then. Like the elementary school bully that stopped focusing on me only to “discover” me again a week later.

Tomorrow is another day.

Going Way Back!

I will be here this week:

I am going for a work meeting but what is awesome about this visit is that I am visiting a good friend from my days at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois that I haven’t seen in about 17 years! I am wicked excited! I reconnected with her over Facebook, one thing it is good for, and when she found out I would be close by, it was decided. We must get together.

To add to this excitement, I found out I was the grand prize winner in the 6 Weeks of Bliss blogging challenge put on by Bliss.com by Glam Media. If you are a health and wellness blogger like myself, you should join their blogging network.

 

High Anxiety

Oh My Goodness.

The Patriots are going to the Super Bowl.

I have said before how I get wicked nervous. I sometimes think if I watch they will lose. I know, silly. That I get so nervous during big games. When the Patriots played the Rams, I could hardly breathe after the game and after breathing into a paper bag, Dad thought to give me his C-Pap to give me oxygen! He even talked of taking me to the hospital. I continued to breathe into the paper bag and slowly became normal again.

Most of my anxiety is generally related to my family or my opinions of myself but some is some irrational fears of watching the Patriots, specifically them. I have none of the same qualms watching the Bruins or any other games. I am not sure why. I fear that MY watching will bring bad luck specifically. That I will somehow ruin things.

I usually watch the games alone so I can hide under a pillow or blanket if the situation warrants. No one will tell me that I am being to serious. (Not so Secret Sister, I am looking at you.)

I know it is silly. I know. I know. It is irrational. 

The only person who really knows of this fear of mine is Dad. He tells me not to worry about it and he has told me since I was a little girl listening to the game with him over the radio because the Patriots were blacked out.

I am kind of embarrassed to admit it but if I am to face it, I will face it here.

Maybe I should pledge to watch the Super Bowl with others this year.

Blissfully Me with Friday Happiness

How do I infuse myself into this blog?

This blog is about me. My quirks. My ups and downs. My forwards and backwards. My craziness and moments of clarity. Anything and most everything.

I like to think I am a little different than the norm and I am not afraid to show it. 

Here are 5 things you might or might not know about me:

1. I drink about 5 cups of coffee every day and I could go to bed right after. You will have to pry it out of my cold dead hands though.  

2. I am known to think that most things are better with Heinz ketchup.

3. Green is truly my favorite color and my wardrobe shows it. 

4. I think I am going to fly into Portland and drive to Boise in June. I love love love road trips. Will I drive by your area? 

5. I once thought of getting Italian citizenship as well as my American citizenship but decided against it. I don't speak Italian and my grandparents left there, gave up their Italian citizenship not for me to go get it back. 

I came across this song from Matisyahu yesterday driving to work.He is a Hasidic Jewish reggae and alternative rock musician and he has this happy bubbly song that I wanted to share with you:

In my searching for the song, I found out it is a Hanukkah song but it does not sound like it to me and it made me happy anyways so it is my happy song of the week.


I got a call from the past today. Irish guy called me at work, out of the blue. I didn't even know it was him at first. He said he saw me in downtown Boston the other day but I was not paying attention to him beeping at me, typical, so he found my business card and called. I am not sure how I feel about this. We left on not so good terms. 

I Interrupt My Musings….

 

Do you want to see my happy song of the week or a review of a movie or a YouTube video of a dancing baby with music in the background? Yes, then listen to this:

 

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

Please contact your representatives in Congress and tell them to oppose SOPA and PIPA. If you want to see if your representative has already come out for or against it, check this website from ProPublica.org.

The only representative from my state, Massachusetts, that has come out either way is Senator Scott Brown. What about my other representatives, Senator John Kerry and Congressman William Keating, where are your voices on this important issue?

Topamax Times

I had a doctor’s appointment by coincidence today and the doctor decided to double my Topamax prescription from 25mgs to 50mgs.

If you aren’t familiar with Topamax, it is an anti-seizure medicine that is also used in the prevention of migraines.

It is one of those medicines that has a list of side effects and warnings that is a mile long.

Just for medicines you should be careful with:

Be sure to mention any of the following: acetazolamide (Diamox); amitriptyline; antidepressants; antihistamines; dichlorphenamide (Daranide); digoxin (Lanoxin, Digitek); hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide, Oretic); ipratropium (Atrovent); iron; isoniazid (INH, Nydrazid); lithium (Eskalith, Lithobid); medications for anxiety, irritable bowel disease, mental illness, motion sickness, Parkinson's disease, ulcers, or urinary problems; metformin (Glucophage); methazolamide; hormonal contraceptives (birth control pills, patches, rings, implants, or injections); other medications for seizures such as carbamazepine (Tegretol) and phenytoin (Dilantin, Phenytek); pioglitazone (Actos); risperidone (Risperdal); salicylate pain relievers such as aspirin, choline magnesium trisalicylate (Trisalate), choline salicylate (Arthropan), diflunisal (Dolobid), magnesium salicylate (Doan's, others), and salsalate (Argesic, Disalcid, Salgesic); sedatives; sleeping pills; tranquilizers; valproic acid (Depakene, Depakote); and zonisamide (Zonegran). Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.

The highlight ones are ones I take.

This side effect makes me a little nervous:

you should know that your mental health may change in unexpected ways and you may become suicidal (thinking about harming or killing yourself or planning or trying to do so) while you are taking topiramate for the treatment of epilepsy, mental illness, or other conditions.

Oh goody! Here’s some more wonderful side effects:

• numbness, burning, or tingling in the hands or feet

• slowed reactions

• difficulty concentrating

• speech problems, especially difficulty thinking of specific words

• memory problems

• lack of coordination

• confusion

• nervousness

• aggressive behavior

• irritability

• mood swings

• depression

• headache

• drowsiness

• weakness

• excessive movement

• uncontrollable shaking of a part of the body

• uncontrollable eye movements

• extreme thirst

• weight loss

• constipation

• diarrhea

• gas

• heartburn

• change in ability to taste food

• swelling of the tongue

• overgrowth of the gums

• dry mouth

• increased saliva

• trouble swallowing

• nosebleed

• teary or dry eyes

• back, muscle, or bone pain

• missed menstrual periods

• excessive menstrual bleeding

• skin problems or changes in skin color

• dandruff

• hair loss

• growth of hair in unusual places

• ringing in the ears

• difficulty falling or staying asleep

• swelling of the hands, arms, feet, ankles, or lower legs

• difficulty urinating or pain when urinating

Ugh. I did not have many bad side effects with 25mgs. Let’s hope that it continues to be that way. I take it before bed. It fascinates me that all of this can come from 1 little pill.

All of my information came from the US National Library of Medicine’s page on topiramate.

Lazy Monday

Today lived up to my expectation. I lounged around until 2. I woke up with the migraine still there. I am totally happy that today is a holiday because I needed it.

I did take a shower and go out to get dish soap so they day was not all full of nothingness.

Sometimes you just need a nothingness day. I have a busy couple of weeks culminating in one crazy weekend at the end of the month that involves Chicago, a wedding party in New Hampshire and a brunch for the food bank. I may need a vacation after that.

 My Friskyscope this week is intriguing:

Hold off on making any long-terms plans now, as this week life will start to shift in a way that can throw you for a loop. Not to say it’ll be bad, but things you experience now can give you a different point of view, making you see that the options you once thought were not so good might be way more appealing that suspected.

I could totally use a loop. I have been feeling rather stuck and I need to break out.

Tonight, I am going to relax and watch Alcatraz. I know, a LOST fan, that they hype around this new show is crazy but I was such a fan of Hurley on LOST that I must watch. Though I am reluctant to get into another LOST like program but I will.  It is a 2 hour premiere tonight and the couch is calling.

Migraine Blues

It has been a quiet day today. I had plans but I had a bad migraine so I spent a good portion of the day napping. That is what happens when I get to bed late and wake up early. I was so pumped up from the Patriot’s game on Saturday night that I had trouble falling asleep and I had to be up early.

I can sleep in tomorrow and I may really sleep in.

I haven’t had a migraine like today’s  in a long time. I have been spoiled with it I guess. I used to get them at least twice a week and could deal with it better. I didn’t want to move today at all.

I am going to take a pain med, make some tea and just chill out tonight.

Long holiday weekends are good.

Moving Bliss

Two posts in a day! Wow!

This is week 5 of the 6 Weeks of Bliss Challenge. How do you get a little exercise into your day when you are insanely busy? I have not been good with that lately but I am trying.

I try to round up my sneakers and get a little walking in.

I walk to the T. I get off a stop early and walk the rest of the way. I park a little further away. I take the stairs if I can.

Today, any walking outdoors takes an extra effort. That wind is kicking outside. The wind gusts were up to 40 miles per hour. Walking between the high rises at work today was a challenge.

 

 

How do you get moving when you are busy? I could use a tip or two lately.

Friday Happiness: Long Weekends

I have a couple of things to be happy about this weekend.

It is a long holiday weekend, my last until Memorial Day weekend. Hopefully, you also have a long weekend, if you are in the USA.

I will be relaxing with some Grimm tonight and Cupcake Riesling.

I heard this song tonight on the way home from work and I really like it. Puts me in a weekend mood.

I found out by looking for the video that this song is a Glee song but this is not the Glee version but the original. I don’t watch Glee and I knew nothing about it.

Finally, Go Patriots!

It Will Not Solve Me

via pintrest

 

I read an article on Psych Central’s Weightless blog called Why Weight-loss & Diet Commercials Are Dangerous that I just had to talk about tonight.

I totally agree with it 100% and I will tell you why.

I have been overweight most of my life. I was always told by supposedly well-meaning people that life would be so much better when I lost weight. That if I lost weight it was the BEST THING I COULD DO FOR MYSELF.

More important than having a family?

More important than being loved?

More important than winning an Oscar?

I had thought once that losing the weight would make things perfect. It would get rid of my depression. It would solve everything! I would be happy and someone would love me and I would live happily ever after.

It did not happen that way as almost 4 years of blogging about depression have shown me. In some ways it made me feel worse about myself. I never lived up to my high expectations of myself and shamed myself at my “lack of self control”.

Being at a healthy weight would be good for me health wise but I am so much more then what a commercial would tell would tell me that I should feel about the process of losing weight. I am not going to be Janet Jackson when I lose weight.

I want to be known as a good person. I want to be known as smart, funny, friendly, anything but pointing out my faults.

I am going to lose my weight the healthy way. I am going to take care of myself because I deserve it. It will not cure Mom. It will not cure my deep issues.

My life is not going to be perfect or solve my problems when I lose weight. I wish advertisers would just stop trying to make me think that I only need weight loss to save me.

My life is more than weight-loss and being fat.

A hippo? No a Cookie.

Cute cookies? Hippopotamus shaped? Yes!

I have never seen these before. I got a box of them in a gift basket for Christmas.

While the hazelnut flavor was a little too sweet, I liked them. I have never seen the Kinder Happy Hippos in the grocery stores but I will have to look in the “food of the world” aisle a little more closely. I had to take a picture since they are too cute.

Any interesting finds lately?

Go West Young Lady

My mind is on vacations.

I want to check out Portland, Oregon and Boise, Idaho. Boise is one of the cities that I think I might like to live in. My friend said that I should look at Idaho Falls or Pocatello as well.

It is substantially cheaper to fly into Portland then fly to Boise from Boston, so I will visit there for a few days.

So far the top places I would like to live in is Denver but the country is big and I have never been.

Not so Secret Sister wants to move to Texas someday and I might go down for a weekend with her to check it out.

I imagine that both places are very different than Boston.

I have Bloggy Boot Camp in Philadelphia. Then there is Blogher in New York. It will be my 3rd year going.

Do you have any travel plans this year?

5 Things: First Full 2012 Weekend

It was a slow weekend and that is okay with me because I have a wicked busy month ahead of me.

1. I started to knit again.

I spend Saturday knitting with a friend and I will be knitting during Downton Manor tonight.

2. I did not have any of these.

Pre-weekend, maybe.

3. Someone was very clingy this weekend.

4. I enjoyed a good breakfast Sunday.

It included Johnny cakes, bacon and lots of coffee at Kristin’s Breakfast & Lunch in Braintree. If you in the area, Kristin’s is a great place to grab breakfast on Rt. 37. Yum!

5. I need a few more days of the weekend.

Don’t you?

Friday Happiness: Sports

 

The playoffs begin this weekend. Everyone is a buzz about who is going to win the Wild Card games this weekend.

I can watch some nice relaxing football because my team, the Patriots, have a bye week. There will be no nervously hiding in the pillow, biting my nails, closing my eyes, praying, generally nervous nausea over Patriot’s playoff games this week. I can sit back and watch my favorite sport and while I have preferences, not really care who wins.

Plus, the Bruins are on a tear this week. They beat the New Jersey Devils 6-1 and then beat the Calgary Flames 9-0. It is a repeat of the final against Vancouver tomorrow night. I will also be tuning into the game.

If you watch football, would would you like to see in the Super Bowl? I think you know my answer

A Blissful 2012

This week’s 6 Weeks of Bliss topic is about the New Year and what you resolve to do in 2012.

I don’t do resolutions. I will do it for two days and then fail, beat myself up for failing, try again, fail, and the pattern stops to where I forget about things totally.

I posted last week about my 2012 Healthy Living Goals.

I find setting goals of different things, some healthy, some for my mind, some just to get out of the house, helps a lot more then resolutions.

When I look back at my 2011 Healthy Living Goals,I have mixed reactions.

I see 2 fails, 1 so so and 1 pass. I feel a little defeated.

Especially when I see the paragraph on the end and I see I have gained 10 pounds this year.  <SIGH>

2011 was not a bad year over all just when I see these goals, I feel myself getting down.

I don’t want be down. This year’s goals I look forward to. I want to accomplish them. I will not let my defeat bring me down.

A New Bhangra Fan

I just noticed that my last post was number 666. Kind of ominous

Now that the holidays are done, I am ready to hibernate.

This year I am going to fight the urge to hibernate.

On New Year’s Eve one of my favorite acts that I were the Boston Bhangra dancers. They actually got me to dance a little bit with catchy music and just general coolness.

My pictures don’t tell the story. The music was Indian and I loved it. They offer classes in Brookline on Sundays and I am there. I can’t go this Sunday but the others, yes please!

If you know me, this is something huge. I had a great time following along with the crowd, moving my arms to the music. Yes, I did.

There is one way not to hibernate and try something new.

New Year’s Eve 2012

I had one of the best New Year’s Eves I have had in a while.

For the first time, I went to some of the First Night Boston events. I have lived in Boston for 95% of my life and I have never been. Well, I can cross that off of my list now. I even made a new friend, which is always welcome.

This was my favorite event of the whole day. These kids were great and they played holiday music. I was very impressed.

I took lots more pictures and even a video on my phone but my phone is reluctant to upload the video. I was so excited about it. An actual video! to post! Tomorrow I will figure it out.

How was your New Years?