"The" plans

I have been told a time or two in my life to "Never say never" and it is once again coming true.  I had said that I would never get married again and here I am making plans to tie the knot once again next month.  Since Ron and I have been together for 10 years [as of July 1st] we thought, what the heck, and decided to make it legal.  We're just exchanging vows, no one will be there except the two witnesses... there will be no party afterwards, just a nice meal for the four of us after the nuptials.  There will be some pictures but the whole process shouldn't take more than 10 to 15 minutes.  We are recycling rings, Ron has one from one of his two previous weddings and mine is my ex's ring that I had resized for a total of $35.00.  I'm borrowing a dress to wear and hope my Stargazer lilies are in bloom for my bouquet.  We have our license, paid for the justice of the peace and the total for everything should even out to around $500.00, less than what people would pay for the engagement ring alone [we aren't bothering with that ring, just the wedding band].  So it's a practical, level headed process.   Over the last ten years we have had all the romantic gestures our hearts could want.. and both of us don't want muss or fuss so we are left with practical, so in essence, that is the romantic part.

The "Dog" Whisperer

This is literally the story of the "Dog" whisperer, that is my dog, Tinka, the ShihTzu/Pekingese mix who is a total of 12 pounds + has a way with animals that are huge!!   Like big, scary horses or cattle that like to rub noses with her.  She amazes me because these animals seem to be drawn to her and her to them.  She never barks at them and she seems to think that they are overgrown dogs or something.  She is a wonder dog.

Making a list and checking it twice...

• decided to get married *check
• picked the date *check
• got copies of needed documentation *check
• picked the witnesses*check
• picked the location *check
• decided on a Justice of the Peace *check
• recycled and resized my ring *check
• got the marriage license *check
• picked what  vows to recite *check
• decided what to wear x nope, not yet
• got flowers x nope but hoping my star gazer lilies are in bloom when the day arrives next month
• decided where to take the witnesses after the short, but sweet ceremony x nope but we have a month to decide

A sad goodbye.

Ron's 21 month old grandson died yesterday.  It was so sad but at the same time was a relief that he's finally at peace. 

RIP little Charlie.

Growing up

I had a doctor's appointment today for a followup on the fact that I had increased my dosage of Victoza the last time from .6 mg to 1.2 mg, so it's been doubled.  I still haven't started to lose weight again but good news is that my blood sugars are back down into the normal range.  Normal is below 7 and my readings on my A1C's were 6.4, down from my last readings which were 6.9 so they were on the verge of being over normal.  So that gave me some comfort. 

I told Michelle, the nurse who has been with me during this whole process and who is a nurse practitioner, that I'm unsure what I should do, whether I should increase the Victoza again to the highest dosage of 1.8 [which will be very expensive] or stay on the dosage I'm on now and see if I can get my head in the right place to start eating right.  She told me it's entirely up to me whether I should do that or not but that I'm on the injections mainly for my blood sugars and that it is doing the job because my blood sugars are perfectly normal.  She also said that I'm being too hard on myself and that I know what to do because I've done it before and that is to get my eating back on track. 

I agree that it's something that I have to work out in my head and that the Victoza is not going to do it for me, I have to do the work.  I also feel like there is a weight lifted off of my shoulders because, even though I'm not eating properly, the medication is working and imagine how much better it will work once I take control of my life again.  Losing the weight isn't the end of it, it's just the beginning because the rest of my life I will have to be diligent to maintain the weight loss because I know how easy it is to slip back into the old habits and to put the weight back on before you know it, even to the point of gaining more weight.

I know that I don't have to rush to take the weight off today because it took me 60 years to put it on and what makes me think that I could take it off in a couple of months?  Pretty arrogant I'd say.. lol.   I've been struggling since I came off of the clinical study with my cravings and my mind set that I'm somehow entitled to eat whatever I want.  Crazy thinking that I've been trying hard to overcome.  In a way it was a mixed blessing that the first injections worked so well so quickly because I've been expecting these ones to do the same so that I don't even have to try.. well it's been a rude awakening but a learning experience as well.  I don't know, I may finally be growing up, maybe?

Stay Below the Radar

Over the last few days something rotten is afoot and as we all know, rotten feet can be quite unpleasant.  You see, it's election day in Canada today and the political parties are trying to vie for our votes.  We got a call a couple of days ago when I was at work from the Conservatives wanting to verify that I gave them permission to put a sign on our lawn.  Ron told them that he was sure that I would not do that but they said for me to call them back as soon as I got home from work because they have word that I had given said permission in a phone call.

Now Ron is aware that I would rather have bamboo shoots under the finger nails than have a Conservative sign even within sight of our home.  But I called them as soon as I came through the door and said "No, under no circumstances would I want their sign on my lawn!!"

Well, as we are aware, the Conservatives don't like to admit that they have made a mistake so I am now in their radar and on their list for "special" treatment.   Multiple times a day I have been getting spam phone calls from Stevie and his cronies because they believe I'm so in love with him and want him to continue his dictatorship.  I have also received flyers every day addressed to me personally from the sleaze.. I feel so dirty!!  

So Canada, please, please, please get it right this time and vote in someone, anyone else, than Stephan Harper!!  But do vote, because if you don't, than they will win and we will lose.  Also, vote smart, if there is a close race between a Conservative and another candidate, vote the one that has a chance of gaining a seat over the Cons... Let his reign of terror finally come to an end!

The cuteness factor

We had the electricians in today to install our heavy wiring for our new electric heat and our dog, Tinka, a Pekingese/Shiatsu mix decided to do her Rambo impersonation.  At first she was cute with her charging the baby gate in the kitchen, yapping and generally being all macho.  And then she became a nuisance.  I'm not sure exactly what the tipping point was but there must be some kind of formula to determine where it occurred.   Something like [cuteness] by [ fluffiness] minus [dirty feet] divided by [sharpness of bark] by [% of sleep previous night] = [degree of irritation] / [cuteness factor] or something like that.

The perfect storm...

There is a perfect storm going on.. not outside.. but in my body.  You see, I have the flu.. and I've started a new medication, which, as it turns out is conflicting with my present medication.. and the flu.  The new medication is to replace the injections I was taking last year when I was on a clinical study for an injectable  medication for weight loss and  diabetes.  It was a 6 month study that was over in November.  Well, since I have been off of it I have gained back 10 of the 45 pounds that I lost, and my blood sugars have increased as well... not a good thing.  So my doctor put me back on the injections, well, not the ones I was on before because they still aren't available in Canada, these new ones are a once-a-day kind instead of once-a-week.   Also these new injections are easier to take because they are premixed and you just need to place a needle on the end of the pen device and inject.. easy peasy with no mixing, or measuring or removing of bubbles that form from the mixing etc. 

Now back to the perfect storm scenario.. I am on a medication from the pain clinic that is supposed to help with the pain in my back.  And one tiny, tiny problem with it is that it... wait for it... it.... has the side effect of weight gain and increased appetite... and that sort of defeats the purpose of the injections that reduce weight and decrease appetite don't you think?  So next week, when I go to the pain clinic, I'm going to tell them to take me off of the pain meds... I figure once I lose more weight then the strain on my back should decrease even more and besides, I don't plan on working much past my birthday in July anyway.  And when I'm at home I can manage the pain better because I can walk when I need to and rest when I need to.  

Now if I can just get rid of this terrible flu and stop running to the bathroom I think I'll be able to make it! 

Eagle Sighting

We came home Monday and there was an eagle flying in circles over our house, very close to it, about 10 feet from the roof.  It circled a few times, I so wish that I had had my camera with me at the time because it would have made a wonderful photo.  Thank goodness our dog and cat weren't outside at the time.  


Here are a couple of photos of it after it had landed on the neighbour's tree.  The pictures aren't that clear but you can see it in the centre of the photo at the very tip of the tree.


(if you want to see the images larger just click on them)

 In this photo you can see that there is a crow that was flying at the eagle, cheeky little bastard, and then the eagle took off after the crow, I'm not sure if it caught it or not because they flew out of sight behind the neighbour's house.
                                    

Wrong.. Wrong.. Wrong

I had to admit recently that I was wrong.. well, not wrong exactly, but mistaken, yeah that has a better ring to it.. mistaken.   I don't see wrong as a way to describe myself or my actions.  I was told years ago that I was stubborn, yeah right, and passive-aggressive.   Well the passive-aggressive one I can attribute to my late mother, she had the passive-aggressive thing down to a science.   I remember her saying to my father on more than one occasion when they were having a disagreement  "yeah, you're right, whatever." when they were arguing... meaning, I'll agree with you just to shut you the fuck up... is that passive-aggressive?... hmmmm maybe.  And the stubborn thing.. well, I was told that right before I got married to my now ex that I was stubborn and so was he and that we should work on that but what do young, early 20's people know about working on themselves, not much apparently because I couldn't see that trait in myself until many years later and that combined with passive-aggressive.. well, I pity my poor ex for having to deal with that from me, especially since I felt like the one put upon.  But now, many years later, I can admit that I was mistaken, I would say that's progress, don't you think?    Oh and the mistaken thing, I had to admit to Ron that CBC radio was better to listen to than the local radio station that had music from the 70's, 80's etc..  and it actually flexes my brain muscle... which is good at my age.   So whenever I'm in the car driving to and from work I have the radio set to CBC radio and find the time passes so much more quickly.

Well I bow to public opinion...

I have changed my background from a red to a reddish brown and I do like how it shows up my photos.  I don't like the kind of back that stands still while the text scrolls.. don't know why but I just don't. 

I saw a couple of coworkers from my previous job yesterday and I have to say that I'm glad I have the job I have and that I'm not working in Government any more.  Money is no substitute for peace of mind.

The Torture of Indecision..

I've wanted to have a change in my blog for a while now but I just can't seem to get the look I want so if anyone finds the red of the present background hard on the eyes just leave me a comment and I'll change it to a soothing green or blue.. or maybe pink.

The Obligatory Gift

I went to a banquet on Saturday night ("I" being myself and Ron) that was honouring the retirees from Provincial Government, myself included. There was a lovely turkey dinner and we were presented with a plaque and a "gold" watch. Very nice and except for our server being snarky because we didn't fork out $40.00 for a bottle of wine at our table, the evening went better than expected.. lol.

Went to Halifax to see the back specialist...

Went to Halifax on the 1st of November to see the back specialist.. it will be going on three years that I have been suffering with a bad back, in fact I retired in December of last year after being off for a year with it. The specialist I saw here on PEI did every test imaginable without being able to diagnose me and ended up treating the bursitis in my hip that was a result of the back problem but not the problem itself. The specialist in Halifax finally gave me a diagnosis, I have a cyst between the bottom two vertebrae which has been causing my problems that could have been treated years ago with a cortisone shot or surgery. I've lost over 45 pounds so I've had a lot of improvement and the specialist said if it flares up that I can get the shot and if that doesn't help he can do surgery, which would be day surgery so I suspect that they would just drain it but he said that they usually grow back but at least I have an answer to what the problem is.

By the way, I went from being in the high 190's to the low 150's since January. I would like to ideally be at 135 but if I stay at where I am I'm content because it has solved a whole host of health problems, my back being only one.

Never Say Never!!

Do we ever truly know someone, or even ourselves for that matter. I thought I had myself pigeon-holed as this person who didn't like retail, I would never work in retail.. yadda, yadda, yadda.. Yet here I am working in retail, and loving it by the way.

Also, I'm learning to never say never because if I do it's a sure sign that the "never" will be "for sure" and in no time flat. I said that I'd "never" sell my house that the kids grew up in even after I got my divorce but a short while after my brother helped me to do it all over I sold it. I said that I'd "never" leave my government job, and then said I'd never return, but after I sold my house I took a leave of absence and moved to the west coast from my home on the east coast of Canada and then 9 months later moved back and ... you guessed it... back to my government job.

I said I'd "never" get into another relationship but I'm now in a 9 year one that looks like it's going to be for keeps. I said I'd never buy another house but we have been in this new/old one for 7 years now and loving it.

We said we'd "never" get another dog when our sweet Missy had to be put down but we now have Tinka who we adore.

So all in all I have to be careful what I say I'll Never do, which reminds me, I said I'd never get married again.. hmmm... do you think a spring or summer wedding would be best?... just sayin'

Hello fellow blog readers.. how was your day?

Well I have finished my 6 month clinical study and will have a follow-up visit 10 weeks after my last injection. My blood sugars are wonderful and I've lost over 40 pounds. I'm down to around 155 pounds and the reduction in weight has made a dramatic improvement with my back. I hope to lose another 15 pounds or so to get down to what my doctor considers an ideal weight for me because of my age she doesn't want me to lose too much weight because if I get sick I should have some weight to fall back on. My blood pressure is improved to the point that I'm on 1/2 the dose of medication for that. The only down side of this is that my cholesterol didn't go down enough so my doctor prescribed a cholesterol lowering medication.

And since my back has improved dramatically I decided to get myself a little part time job to supplement my pension that is reduced because I retired early. So I applied for and got a job at a small retail store called Bentley's that sells luggage, purses, wallets and various other similar items. I'm assistant manager and so far I'm loving it. I work around 25 hours a week and they are very flexible with the hours, in fact I can pretty well pick when I want to work [within reason of course]. I always said that I'd never work retail [I know, never say never] but I'm really enjoying the whole experience and it's so much less stressful than working for the Government.

I got a letter from a specialist in Halifax called doctor Oxner who's an orthopedic specialist and surgeon who is going to see me about my back problems. I wasn't going to go because my back has improved so much but thought that it would be to my advantage to see him because then I might get some answers about why I was in so much pain and why I still continue to have pain, although at a lesser degree. I also figured if I didn't go and see him and my back got worse [being that it's a degenerative condition that is most likely] then I might have to wait another 2 years or so to see him. My appointment is on November the 1st so I have time to work around that day with my schedule.

My tomato plants that I took pictures of below are growing very well, I've had a steady supply of those Tiny Tim tomatoes which are about the size of a small grape and I pop them like candy. The other tomatoes are a weird shape, long and narrow and come to a sharp point. They take a lot longer to ripen but are very delicious as well.

Our weather has been really unusual this year, we have been having midsummer weather in the fall with record high temperatures but it has been saving on the wood pellets. Well, have a great day and enjoy the sunshine while you can.

I'm going blog crazy!!! More photos..

Ahh summer is almost here and my flowers are doing wonderfully so far and also my neighbour gave me a couple of tomato plants that I planted next to the house out of the wind, which today, turned out to be a wise move.. I'm sure all you savvy bloggers know to click on the images, sometimes twice, to see them in all their glory.. hmmm?

Here are my Iris's they went from three blossoms to this the next day..


And my Columbine.. they shot up out of nowhere.. and is so beautiful.. now my goal is to get some Foxglove.. hint hint Janet.. :-)

I caused my doctor to do a little happy dance..

That's right, my doctor, once he got my blood sugar results did a little dance around the office.. I was happy to provide him with his happy injection [pardon the pun].. The diabetic association nurse called me last week and said that my diabetic three month test came back with a 2 point drop from 8.2 down to 6.2 in three months.. she also said this is what caused my doctor to do the rumba.. *wish I had seen that*: -) She also said that I have had the most dramatic improvement of all the test patients so that made me proud as well... I should be going in next week for my next follow up visit to get another supply of Exenatide and to have my cholesterol retested. Wonder if that will cause further merriment in an otherwise serious establishment?

I feel slightly la-de-da today...

I have taken up drinking green tea.. since I've started my diabetic treatment I've been having horrendous heartburn.. I've been blaming it on the Metformin but I have come to the conclusion that it has to do with all the coffee and diet pop that I've been drinking since I've retired... so last night I decided to drink some green tea and I do believe that I'm on to something.. I had one cup of coffee this morning to get my caffeine fix and now I'm drinking green tea and so far so good..

Oh and speaking about the Diabetic treatment, it's going really well... so far I've lost 20 pounds since I started 3 months ago with another 3 months to go of injections and I'm down 30 pounds at least from Christmas time [I lost at least 10 pounds before I started the treatment].. so I'm pretty happy with being 162.8 this morning considering I was well over the 190 mark at Christmas time. I haven't been this light since I was in my early 20's and with another 3 months to go I can see myself getting down to the 135-140 as my goal. But if I plateau at this weight or even in the 150's then I'll have huge health benefits.

Windy out eh?

I looked with horror as my newly blossoming Poppies were whipped by the strong winds this morning.. so I threw on some clothes and went out to put some bamboo stakes in the ground to use as anchor points for my string to hold the plant in place. I didn't realize when I bought the stakes that bamboo is rather fragile.. hmmmm ironic that they should be selling it as a stake material.. so now I have the plant surrounded by green bamboo tied together with white string.. not the most attractive setup but at least I feel that my Poppies have a fighting chance. PEI is a rather windy province so this was to be expected.. I said that I was going to put the stakes in yesterday evening but procrastination is a bitch.