update

Sorry I've been so quiet lately. I had to make a trip out of town. It's the 1st trip we've made since the accident and we learned that our vehicle is in worse shape than we were told. At 1st dh thought it was because of the wind. Then he thought it was because of the highway speed being so much faster than what one does around town. Although it's slightly noticeable in town depending on where you go. What the car is doing is basically fishtailing. Any ways, it was bad enough that we got half way to our destination before we just couldn't risk going any further. One because of the increase wind, the big rigs that were passing caused issues, and both of us were too sea sick to continue on. It took us a good 45 minutes pulled off the road in a parking lot at full stop for us to recover enough to make it home. We learned our top speed is 45 mph, so we limped home at that speed. Thankfully no one was behind us till we got into town and then slower speeds were expected. .. (normal speed is 70 mph) I don't know what all the swaying did but it didn't help what ever is going on with me. I couldn't get up and function yesterday. I'm only slightly improved today. I can be up but not for very long although longer than yesterday.

I had forgotten how nice it is to have a small child pamper you. .. I drink an instant powder tea mix concoction that is generic but similar to Nestea or Liptons instant. I make a big container 40 oz one up to sip on through out the day. I use oh maybe 4 Tbs of tea in it. Dear son put half a cup of the powder in. Let's just say it was really strong... I only had to water it down about 20 times so I could finish it without hurting his feelings. I also got the only thing he feels comfortable making for a meal. A big bowl of microwave popcorn (with some extras to kick it up a notch & make it special). He's a good lad. It was just the right amount of ick factor to make the tea go down nicely before I could add more water to it.

One bright spot in all of this is I did get an appointment with the other retinal specialist. So will see what she decides to do. I have an increased list of thou shall not's than I have been given so far. Pretty much limited to bed rest. Lol Just have to hang tough until next Tuesday for a 4 hour appointment.

It now 3 weeks and yes, the headache is still here and still as strong. I am dealing better with the blind spots and floaters aren't making quiet as sick to my stomach as before and I'm getting used to the cross-eyed feeling when I try to read and type. Even more people who know me IRL are commenting on how messed up I am. It's hilarious to suddenly be their new focal point and the conclusions they are jumping to are just wild. Let's see so far... I've been accused of drinking, having or had a stroke, taking a leaf out of my bil's book (doing illegal drugs), having a very sick demented sense of humor by imitating another class of citizen that is treated far worse here than me & kids have ever been treated, but still haven't been able to get into the doctor's I need to see. It's been a long time since I have felt like a 2nd class citizen.

Soon as I can get my head up for longer periods than I can do now; I'm thinking of implementing the game plan of going to the office and sitting from open to close until I can get in. This has been suggested by three different counselors who are concerned that it's been too long. I am starting to think this may be a good option and at least if I go to jail for loitering I'll have to be checked out right? Might be a good option for getting help at last.

It was also suggested by another party that I take the kids and home school in the waiting room too while we were there. The only downside to this would be that it could easily lead to very negative impression of home schooling. I know a lot of people are really ticked that we were allowed to home school and that has negatively affected their opinions of home schoolers in general. What's hilarious is I believe their biggest objection isn't to us home schooling but to us no longer providing them with a source of entertainment. Seriously we no longer are the coffee clutches main source of gossip. Parents have nothing to protest about, cops are no longer being called to find out if it's legal for our kind to be in the classroom of the precious bullies, medical professionals are no longer being called in order to reassure and teach parents that they can't catch what my dear children have. They can no longer use us as a reason to raise the mill levy. It must be down right odd for them to have to mind their own business. LOL

Where is all the snow?
Current mood: thoughtful

I have a crushed little boy here because we've had a warm spell and all the snow is gone. He was working on a snow fort and had gotten excited about hearing that more snow was expected. Now it's cold and dry with no more snow yet to add and grow his creation. In fact, it's gone. He's really bummed about having a greenish/brown Christmas yet again.

The weather has been so weird the last several years that it's odd to think of the snows I had to cope with as a child and I can totally understand my children's reactions to what they think are tall tales of winter long ago. They haven't experienced. They have nothing to compare and contrast it to in their little box of life experiences. So they can't wrap their minds around the concept of how we traveled or how we could possibly be gone all day to do the few blocks in our neighborhood to make money shoveling snow.

I don't like the snow because of the problems with trying to get around to appointments on icy roads, like avoiding accidents because you can't see where your going. but deep down inside I really wish we could have a winter or two like what I remember it being.

I'd like my children to experience snow drifts deep enough that they don't have to choose between building a snowman or a snow fort. They've never experienced that kind of snow yet. they've always had to choose which to do because of the clear lack of snow.

That sledding is an all day every day for a few months event; instead of, maybe a few hours on one day event. Currently it's oh there's enough snow. Quick get dressed and grab the sled because putting it off for a day means it won't happen until the next snow fall when and if it happens. I'd also like them to experience sledding as a means of transportation too.

I'd like them to really appreciate the tales of having to shovel oneself out or the true back breaking experience of what it's like to have enough snow that it takes hours to do your neighbors sidewalks to make money instead of the normal hour max to do around your block.

Am I wrong for this? I don't know. I just think that they'd appreciate the scenes in movies or tv shows like Wilderness Family or books like Little House On the Prarie more if they could see it and experience it in real life just once.

So what do I want for Christmas most of all? A good true old fashioned white Christmas from my childhood. The one with the six foot drifts. And while that's a pure fantasy thought it would also be very practical because then maybe we could start to recover from the drought we've been in.

A friend sent me the following with some very meaningful stories from the past. LOL

Small Town...Ain't it the truth?

Those who grew up in small towns will laugh when they read this.
Those who didn't will be in disbelief.

1) You can name everyone you graduated with.

2) You know what 4-H means.

3) You went to parties at a pasture, barn, gravel pit, or in the
middle of a dirt road. On Monday you could always tell who was at
the party because of the scratches on their legs from running
through the woods when the party was busted. (See 6.)

4) You used to "drag" Main.

5) You said the "F" word and your parents knew within the hour.

6) You scheduled parties around the schedules of different police
officers because you knew which ones would bust you and which ones
wouldn't.

7) You could never buy cigarettes because all the store clerks knew
how old you were (and if you were old enough, they'd tell your
parents anyhow).

8) When you did find somebody old enough and brave enough to buy
cigarettes, you still had to go out into the country and drive on
back roads to smoke them.

9) You knew which section of the ditch you would find the beer your
buyer dropped off.

10) It was cool to date somebody from the neighboring town.

11) The whole school went to the same party after graduation.

12) You didn't give directions by street names but rather by
references. Turn by Nelson's house, go 2 blocks to Anderson's, and
it's four houses left of the track field.

13) The golf course had only 9 holes.

14) You couldn't help but date a friend's ex-boyfriend/girlfriend.

15) Your car stayed filthy because of the dirt roads, and you will
never own a dark vehicle for this reason.

16) The town next to you was considered "trashy" or "snooty," but
was actually just like your town.

17) You referred to anyone with a house newer then 1965 as the "rich
people."

18) The people in the "big city" dressed funny, and then you picked
up the trend 2 years later.

19) Anyone you wanted could be found at the local gas station or the
town bar.

20) You saw at least one friend a week driving a tractor through
town or one of your friends driving a grain truck to school
occasionally.

21) The gym teacher suggested you haul hay for the summer to get
stronger.

22) Directions were given using THE stop sign as a reference.

23) When you decided to walk somewhere for exercise, 5 people would
pull over and ask if you wanted a ride.

24) Your teachers called you by your older siblings' names.

25) Your teachers remembered when they taught your parents.

26) You could charge at any local store or write checks without any ID.

27) The closest Taco Bell was 45 miles away (or more).

28) The closest mall was over an hour away.

29) It was normal to see an old man riding through town on a riding
lawn mower.

30) You've peed in a cornfield or a wheat field.

31) Most people went by a nickname.

32) You laughed your butt off reading this because you know it is
true, and you forward it to everyone who may have lived in a small
town.