My Life. Medication Optional.

I read stupid, horrible blogs like Gosselins w/o Pity, because I find people who hate that show entertaining.

I listen to goofy music at the gym.  For example: Britney Spears, The Hairspray soundtrack, the Josie and the Pussycats soundtrack.

I like gossip.

I am probably addicted to the internet. 

I always want to let people know when I do something awesome.

I sometimes wish I had more friends.

I sometimes wish I was more assertive IRL.

I think about my weight a lot.

I daydream way more than you would imagine.

I sometimes pretend like I don't hear Hannah crying in the middle of the night so Jeff will get her.  I may have nudged his leg to wake him up, once or twice.

I completely believe in bribing kids.  Especially other people's kids.

I used to freak out my sister in the store when we were kids by pretending I didn't know her and saying 'Stranger, stranger!'

I still don't feel bad about it.

Of course, I don't really have any days that aren't weird, so there's that.

I have way more energy today than I have had in months.  I've done laundry, ran the dishwasher twice, cleaned the kitchen and laundry room, had my nephew come over and took the kiddo out for pancakes.  So obviously, I am suspicious of my new-found good fortune. 

Oddly enough, the one thing I don't want to do it go to the gym.  I just don't feel like it.  Fortunately, I have to.  I accidentally left my workout shoes on and left my regular shoes there .  (Which is a big no-no at my gym.)  I'm sure I'll get away with it, but I need mu shoes for work, so I have to them.  Maybe Fate was stepping in to make sure I get off my ass?  Yeah, we'll go with that.

Here is my Big Love Season 3 Recap!  Read it and weep!  (Or laugh, whatever.  Just read it!)

Okay, the plan worked!  Bath at 6:30, stories at 7:00.After stories I wrapped her up in a blanket and sat by her until she relaxed and she was out by 7:30.  Now, we just have to see if her dad and I can keep it up.  I suspect this will be the more challenging aspect. 

Okay, so the kid had been having sleep issues.  When it is time for bed she doesn't want to sleep and is up for hours, well past my bedtime.  The problem is with that word bedtime, because the Mr. and I are way to liberal about it.  We've been putting her to bed pretty much when ever it is convenient for us and not paying a lot of attention to naps and how long they are.  Well today I changed all that.  I took the kid for a long walk, kept her from a nap and informed Daddy that we will be having a bath at 6:30, followed by books and bedtime at 7:30.  We are good about giving her a bath and reading, but we are not consistent with the timing at all.  Not to mention, she hasn't been going out nearly as much since it is so much colder here than normal.  I figured getting out of the house for a walk would be good for me too (I loathe the cold and prefer to stay where the nice warm Internet is).  So we talked Aunt C. into going along and walked 7 or so blocks for coffee, then back.  I carried the kiddo half way both ways, but it was still more stimulation than she's been getting. 

You know, I always thought I would be a super-strict parent.  I am pretty disciplined, I like organizing, I plan ahead.  Man, when it comes to the kid, though, I'm just like, 'Whatever, she'll be fine.  It'll work out.'  No more!  There will be planning, there will be order, there will be potty training.

On another parenting note, I talked to the woman who was my nephew's preschool teacher about getting the kiddo in.  She turns 3 in late August, but I figured I should check it out.  She told me to come by next week for an application, because they were filling up.  There's not a waiting list yet, but damn.  It seems early, but I forget that she is 2.5  My husband was like, 'Preschool what? Application who?'  This has no potential for problems AT ALL.

Oh yes, I know you.  You're the woman who goes to the gym to 'workout'.  I would like to take this time to point out to you that walking around aimlessly while chewing gum is not the most effective workout.  In fact, it's goddamn annoying.  Why? Well, to begin with chewing gum = air in the stomach and can cause some gastrointestinal issues, plus working out while chewing gum makes you look dumb and is a choking hazard.  Although I don't think the choking hazard applies to someone who walks up to a machine, looks at it for a minutes, climbs on, does a half-assed set at the lowest setting, takes her sweet time getting off the machine, then doesn't wipe it down after.  All while other people who have a plan are waiting.  Walking around looking at machines, getting sips of water and 'streching' is not a workout.  It's annoying to people who are there to actually workout. 

And the kicker is that I know that in a few weeks I'll hear you bitching to a friend about how the gym is a rip-off and you aren't losing any weight.  And I will snicker to myself and be glad you're leaving and freeing up machines.  Because I'm not always nice.

Well, we did three days straight of potty training, with zero results.  However, Hannah was getting a cold, so I'm hoping that skewed the results.  I'm going to keep on it and do a little research.  I've had books suggested, so 'm going to see what I can find.  I want an doll that pees as an example, but I live in the middle of nowhere, so we haven't found one.  I'm thinking I can turn a doll she already has into one, though.  Weird, yes, but so is potty training.

Again, with the health details.

Medications: Cymbalta 30 mg.  I love this stuff.  It makes me able to handle my own feelings, but it doesn't blur them.  Various supplements including Magnesium and Selenium, according to my doctor it can help with my fatigue and energy issues from the thyroid problem.  I'm kinda skeptical, but I'm trying it.  Glucosamine and Chondroitin for my knees, testosterone cream for my thyroid.  Huh, it seems like more when I'm taking it all in the morning, but this really isn't that bad. 

Likes: TV, running, books, reading, the internet, yoga, socks, the color green, sarcasm, ice cream, being warm, waterfalls, helping people, organizing stuff, making lists, Dr. House, self-help books, personal finance, learning things, being clever, Scrabble, earrings, cats, good blogs, dried fruit, independent newspapers, Yahoo! Mail, laptops, curtains, doing research, being weird, internet gossip, voting, doing the right thing, making friends, leaving the house, being responsible, writing blogs no one reads, wraps, watching Psych with Mr. TWoP Fan, baking, Oregon Vanilla Chai packets, having goals, being secretly competitive, automatic spellcheck.

Dislikes: being cold, diet soda, people who are too lazy to answer easy questions, Internet Explorer, realizing I've already read a book I'm halfway through, not having enough time, carrying dogs in purses, really big sunglasses, coffee, the TV being too loud, getting up before six, being short, excess packaging on products, doing the dishes, not voting, people being irresponsible, email forwards, people who don't read what I write, spending a lot of time at the doctors office, when the fridge smells weird, knickknacks.

The fab movie review website Pajiba(Scathing Reviews for Bitchy People) has asked me to do Big Love Recaps and I said yes!  I love Big Love (I'm pro-Nicki, pro-Adalene, want more Alby and Rhonda (not together!) and more focus on making the day to day family work).  It's a little scary, because I pretty much write for fun, so I'm not very polished. I tend to write the way I think and what I think.  The audience over there is terrifying (the tagline says it all) and I have a bit of a thin skin.  All that said, it is really an honor to me and I think it's time to step out of my comfy rut and try some new stuff. Bring it on, HBO!

There were a few effects of my birth defect.  I have extra skin on my neck (a webbed neck) and I was super self-conscious about it for a long time.  I even looked into surgery for it, but the cosmetic surgeon said that they could do very little for a lot of money.  So I'm pretty much over it.  It's me and it's not gonna change.  I also have edema in my feet (swelling) and weird toenails.  Oh, and I got sick a lot as a kid because my lymph nodes didn't work the way they were supposed to (see the Lymphatic part of the diagnosis), but having my adenoids out really helped.  

In high school I was told I had a chemical imbalance that was causing my depression.  I cycled through different meds until college, where I was given another diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety Disorder and I met my new friend Cymbalta.  I've been on the Cymbalta for 5 years now and it is awesome.  It just puts me to a point where I can manage the emotions I am having, rather than being overwhelmed by them. Nothing else ever did that for me.  I occasionally take Xanax for extreme anxiety, but it's pretty rare anymore.  

In November of 2009 I went to my doctor (technically a PA) Shannon (Hi!) for lethargy and no sex drive.  She ran some thyroid tests and discovered that my body makes very little testosterone, which is the basis of the sex drive.  After many, many more tests and much of my blood in little tubes, it turns out my body doesn't like my thyroid and wants to eat it.  My body = dumb.  So Shannon gave me some hormone cream in December (I'm now 60) and the actual Dr. (Dr. A) had me start some magnesium powder supplements.  Apparently most people have a magnesium deficiency and it can be the reason for extra stress and low energy levels.  Normally I would be super-skeptical, but my doctor is a big believer in quantifiable data and western medicine, so if he says he takes a supplement, I'm inclined to believe it may have value.   

And now, we're waiting to see what happens.  (As of Jan. 3, 2010, zip.)

Bored yet?

Okay, we're in day two of potty training.  Day one we had nine accidents and did two loads of laundry.  We peed in the potty zero times.  We pooped in the potty zero times.  Day two we have had five accidents, peed in the potty zero times and pooped in the potty zero times.    I hate the word potty.

If I could just get her there in time, I thin we could make some progress.  Even if it is an accident, then I can praise her and give her a Dora sticker and M&M's and call the grandparents and the president.  Is that too much to ask?

Okay, blog goals:

1. Be accountable to the larger world (ha). I am going to talk about things I want to do and actually do them.  Probably.

2. Discuss my various and sundry medical issues and conditions.  I can't be the only one who needs medication to function like a normal person.  And now I have an extra-special thyroid condition that just got diagnosed, so I can document it. 

3. Talk about parenting.  We're currently potty training Little TWoP Fan and it blows goats.

4. Talk about stuff I read and watch.  I really, really like TV and I don't really know anyone else who likes it in quite the same way, so now i can have conversations with myself about it!

5. Probably will make fun of someone or something once in a while.

6. Definitely will talk about goofy things that I say/do/think.  Also: goofy things my husband says/does.  (Ooh, need a good alternate name for him.  Mr. TWoP Fan?)

Okay, I think that is more than enough expectations that I may or may not fulfill.