Make up your mind, Anne!

No, I do not have the "United States of Tara" disease. If anybody were to become so enamored of my wit and charm to read all the way back to my first post they'd know that my name is not really Grace, and where the title of my blog originated. Having spent countless hours in the blogsphere myself I realize, who the hell has the time for that?? Hence, a title change...or a title addendum as it were. We'll see how it goes...

Time for the weekly wrap-up

Huh. This week seemed to move pretty fast. Was it the Memorial Day holiday? I don't know really...I mean, I don't have a job so all my days are kind of like a day off. Sounds better than it actually is, trust me.

A girlfriend of mine called, she and hubby (hers, not mine!) had to attend a family funeral in WV and I volunteered to keep her pup. The pup is a pocket beagle (12") named Lottie who - although she's just a tad spoiled - is a sweetie pie.

While I loved having her here and would do it again in a heartbeat, three dogs are just exhausting...especially when bladders are not in sync...dogs go out...dogs come in...non-stop...7:00am til midnight.

I received my first blog award from Webster. I think he was sick of Julie and I whining about not getting any awards. I guess the squeaky wheel does get the grease. Thanks, Webster!!

I can't say I'm disappointed that Susan Boyle did not win Britain's Got Talent. She's been pestered to death by stupid paparazzi and media commentators for like two months now, and she really kept her shit together better than most could. I've been watching online since the beginning, and I truly didn't care if she won or not, but if she didn't, I was rooting for Diversity. These guys choreographed a different performance at each stage of the competition and each one was clever, athletic and full of humor. Look at their final performance...they start out as a frikking Transformer for cripe's sake! Watch closely at how often they work together so that three of them become one. Really, really phenomenal. Besides, like American Idol, just think of all the #2's and 3's who have had significantly larger success in the long-term than did the winner. Susan is going to have a huge career for years. Speaking of #3's, I was hoping it would be these two.

I've got my crave on for an Einstein's bagel...talk to you guys later...

Really...a fundraiser??

So in the mail yesterday I got an invitation for an "old fashioned carnival" thing next weekend. Carnival games, a petting zoo, clowns, bring the whole family, etc.

This event is to raise money for the MS Center of Atlanta which is where I happen to go for care now that I'm in this drug study. I have never been under the care of a group of docs who actually hold fundraisers. But I guess a lot of "MS Centers" are 501(c)'s, so contributions are tax exempt...and so officers can receive HUGE salaries. Whatever.

But, I digress...so ok, I assume every patient gets one of these invites. Now look, MS Center of Atlanta, here's the thing: not trying to speak for everyone who has MS, but carnival games?? Every day of my life is an effing carnival game. I mean seriously, you ought to see me getting in and out of the shower...oh...ummm...well, maybe you shouldn't. Petting zoo? Right...a goat nudging me could put my ass on the ground. Clown? Really...I want to be made dizzy by a perky person in a multi-colored, multi-patterned outfit with a multi-colored afro wig in my face. Nightmare, truly. And don't even get me started on the squealing kids I'm quite sure will be attending.

Thanks for the invite, I think I'll pass...

Happy happy birthday, baby

On May 24, 1993 my nephew was born. This was a really, really big deal because not only was he the first grandchild, but he was The One to continue the family name, blah, blah, blah.

His parents lived in another state then, so when he was about six weeks old I drove up to meet him for the first time. He was heart-stoppingly beautiful and I felt a depth of love in my heart unlike anything I had experienced before. For the first time in my life I'd met another human being for whom I'd give my life.

By the time he was about two, my brother had gotten transferred back to Atlanta, so I've been able to watch that little kid grow into an amazing young man. He's handsome, funny, smart, tall (thanks to the height gene from his mom's end of the pool, thank god), witty, compassionate, level-headed and will absolutely succeed in any path he chooses.

So...Christian Steven Pappas...Happy Birthday my handsome boy! I'm thrilled to know you, love you to pieces and will be here for you anytime. Anywhere. For all of my life.

Who IS this guy?!?

For years, one of my favorite TV shows is always the original Law & Order. I like all of the L&O's but I'm constantly amazed at how good the writing and acting consistently is on a show that feels like has been around for seven and a half million years or so.

Anyway, last night's episode was called Skate or Die and the main guest star was a guy named Brian Gant. He totally blew me away with what felt to me like a very brave performance. When he was on the screen, I was mezmerized. I am SO keeping this ep on the DVR.

Oh my god, I needed a laugh!!

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

You're fired!

So today I spoke with two brokerage firms about moving my existing investment account - currently at Merrill Lynch, whose check it was that bounced on me - over to them. Three solid hours on the phone, I kid you not. But I am determined not to let a company which can't even manage an effing checking account, manage my financial future.

Then the rest of the day was spent on Homeowner Association tasks. Thank God I am merely a committee member and not on the actual Board of Directors. Blech.

Oh, and in the mail was a letter from the State of Georgia that I've made a mistake on my 2005 income tax return and I have to file an amended return and I owe them like $1500 .

My brain is frozen in cramp mode, I swear.

Tomorrow, Wags has his weekly appointment at the vet, then I have a Physical Therapy appointment, then I have an evening meeting in the neighborhood. I'm tired already just thinking about it.

Wish me luck. Man, am I looking forward to this week ending.

Two month visit

Oh yeah, forgot to mention...today was my visit to the MS Center for my two-month check-up for the Fingolimod study. It was a quick and easy one, just had two tubes of blood taken and left them with a really pitiful excuse for a urine sample.

Now I get to start stressing about the three-month visit in June...

Stress is not good for MS, people!

Oh jeez. I made a deposit in early May, which was exactly the amount necessary to pay some bills.

It bounced. Therefore, so did my payments to American Express, Capital One, the veterinarian and the physical therapist.

Has the initial deposit been resolved and made good? Yes. Now I'm doing "I'm sorry" letters and telephone calls to people and businesses who - up until now - I've had a good relationship with. In this day and age, one really doesn't want to piss off a credit card company.

Ms. Smurf gets a new ride

OK so, here are more tidbits from the week:

The blue fingers have not happened since I posted about them. And now that I think about it...food doesn't seem to be bothering me quite so much these days either. To be honest, I haven't had the balls to eat a banana yet, but so far everything seems to be going down ok. I guess these are good things, eh?

Thursday was a full day. First, Wags had his weekly visit to the vet. More bad news...his hemoglobin dropped yet again. He acts fine, he looks good and doesn't show any noticeable signs that he's (really) heading rapidly toward death. The new plan is iron supplements...

After that, I took my car to the local Ford dealership because the driver's side seat hadn't been acting right. [Kind of a strange thing to do immediately after a bad-news vet visit, but I had to not sit at home staring at my dog.] I've been trying to compensate for this seat issue since sometime in April, but it's been getting to where I have to slide down so far in the seat to hold the brake pedal down, it was really getting just super-irritating. When I'm at a red light, I don't need to be drifting into the intersection because I can't get enough pressure on the brake pedal, doncha think?

Anyway, the service manager messed with it and proclaimed there was nothing wrong with it; I was like,"Yeah, right, well my legs haven't gotten two inches shorter in the past month and I'm telling you the frikking seat will not move me close enough to the frikking pedals and this car is no longer safe for me to drive, so I suggest you get another opinion." Of course, the second opinion was a service technician whose time goes for $55 an hour. Some things never change...

Anyway, since I had to kill an hour, I went looking around the lot to see if there was anything I might like to test drive. Yeah well, you know how this is gonna end, don't you? They had pretty much exactly the car I've been eyeing for the past four years. A Ford Escape Hybrid. Four doors, butt warmers, room for the dogs and well-reviewed hybrid technology. Honestly, the only thing I wasn't fond of was the color (Ford calls it Black Pearl, I say it's more graphite-looking); while not gross or anything, it just wasn't what I would have picked out if I was going to customize my own, y'know?

But, he's an '08, Ford certified pre-owned, nice warranty, fun to drive, I feel safe and the more I look at him, the cuter he gets. Anybody want some company? I feel like going for a drive...

Busy week...kinda

OK, apparently I WAS in a "don't care" mood last Monday, because I completely neglected my blog, didn't I? Sorry.

I'm not going to write a long and wordy recap of the week, rather just little dribbles. Here's the first one, which isn't much but I'm still happy to share it.

I went grocery shopping. By myself. Didn't use my cane NOR one of the scooters provided by Publix.

Seriously, this is exciting!

Blah, blah, whatever

Recently I find myself with an ever-growing list of things to do, but not also finding the interest to actually do them. It amazes me how much time I can piss away just making sure I don't lose the goddamn list.

I'm not depressed - been there, done that, this ain't it. I just kind of don't care about anything that remotely resembles a responsibility enough to actually do anything about it.

Lucky for me the utilities are auto-billed to a credit card, which is then auto-paid.

Happy happy joy joy

These are the sweet faces I wake up with each and every day. Really, how can I claim to ever have a bad day, eh?

Whirlwind weekend

A couple of weeks ago I met a gal (on Craigs List!) who was looking for someone to share a ride from Alpharetta, GA (my fair city) to Richmond, VA (my favorite city) for a quick weekend trip. She had some real estate business to take care of, and I have a very close friend who I don't get to see a lot of, so a deal was struck.

Yesterday morning we met up at 6:00am and started driving. Mapquest says this is something like a 550 mile drive, which should take something over 9 hours. When I drive myself, it takes me probably 10 hours because I like to not be in a hurry and take lots of breaks. Even with trying to make it as easy on myself as possible, it's just not something I can do solo anymore (thanks, MS).

The drive itself was uneventful. She - I'll call her L - did most of the driving, giving me the wheel for about an hour in NC. Girlfriend drives like a bat out of you know where, and we arrived at almost exactly the 8-hour mark!

Anyhoo, we met up with my friend of 30+ years, Cathy, who toted me over to her beautiful home in Montpelier, 15 minutes north of Richmond Proper (check out the new barn and stables in her front yard),

where I was greeted by her horses, Man, Diamond and Radar (the only one who tolerated my camera).


Of course it started pouring down rain, so I couldn't get pics of the pasture and the house, dammit. Well, we chilled out, gabbed, messed with the cats, Peej, Mao, Leo and Louis for a couple of hours, then showered and headed out to dinner at my favorite Richmond eatery, The White Dog. Check out that menu!! Tip: Tell all the restaurant staff you drove eight hours to eat there, they might give you free dessert.

OK, back home at 11-ish, a little more yapping, in the bed at midnight. Slept like a dead person and up, bright and bushy-tailed at 7:30. Breakfast, coffee and more yapping, met back up with L at 10:50 and on the road home at 11. We drove to Charlotte with no stops, then I got about a 45-minute break when L deposited me at a Jack in the Box while she ran a personal errand. Back in the car, one stop to refuel and we arrived back home at about 7:30 this evening. Honestly, if it hadn't started monsoon-like raining as we got closer to home, we would have gotten home about a half-hour sooner.

Now it's 10:00pm and, somebody stick a fork in me, I'm done. What fun, what fun, what fun!!

Breaking News!

I'm sitting here filling out some paperwork, right? Then I started thinking to myself, "You're hungry. You have to go make that deposit. Don't forget your Fingolimod."

Then it dawned on me. The usual tremor in my right hand hasn't been an issue this morning. What do I do every morning that I haven't done today?

:drumroll:

Don't have my daily Fingo in me yet! Hmmmmm

Stay tuned...