I am increasingly aware of my irrational fear of open water. I would rather chew on glass than swim baywatch-style in the Pacific. Not even BIG open water necessarily, but creeks, rivers, ponds, lakes, oceans alike. I really dislike crossing the I5 bridge each morning purely for the fact that when traffic slows, I'm totally convinced the bridge will crumble underneath me and I will plummet into the cold.
Creepies, crawlies, lingering seaweeds, plants that eat fish, all of the above leave me perfectly content to sit on the beach and watch while others play.
Dana and I are gearing up for our trip to see my dad in Florida. Dana being the surfer boy he is, immediately started looking up local surf spots. Thanks to Discovery Channel 'Shark Week' I started looking up recent shark attacks.
I can't explain my neurosis really...but it keeps others entertained.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Not fat, just fabulously fluffy!
Dana and I are on a new mission.
I take that back, it's not a new mission really, but rather a new approach.
We are losing weight. Not in a "New Year's Resolution" style, because frankly, I kinda think NY resolutions are bunk. (blow raspberries) More in the 'better our lives' style. We have been really good about eating organic, natural food. We just want to take another step in the right direction to better our lives together.
To kick up Dana's weight loss, he joined his co-workers in a "Biggest Loser" challenge. Two weeks running he has been THE Biggest Loser! We are both proud to say that we are down and we have every intention of saying that week after week!
Congratulations on being a big loser babe, I'm proud of you!
I take that back, it's not a new mission really, but rather a new approach.
We are losing weight. Not in a "New Year's Resolution" style, because frankly, I kinda think NY resolutions are bunk. (blow raspberries) More in the 'better our lives' style. We have been really good about eating organic, natural food. We just want to take another step in the right direction to better our lives together.
To kick up Dana's weight loss, he joined his co-workers in a "Biggest Loser" challenge. Two weeks running he has been THE Biggest Loser! We are both proud to say that we are down and we have every intention of saying that week after week!
Congratulations on being a big loser babe, I'm proud of you!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
A few words say the most..
I was really amazed by the response of a young black boy when he was asked what this inauguration meant to him. He said that now when people see black people on TV or in the movies, they won't automatically think of them as criminals or athletes, they will see them as Presidents, lawyers or doctors.
To me, that said a lot.
Our prayers are with our new President, the man we are entrusting our future and the future of our children to.
We do see change coming, and we absolutely have hope for prosperity and unity.
But in my humble opinion, that change won't happen just by the hand of that one man alone. :)
To me, that said a lot.
Our prayers are with our new President, the man we are entrusting our future and the future of our children to.
We do see change coming, and we absolutely have hope for prosperity and unity.
But in my humble opinion, that change won't happen just by the hand of that one man alone. :)
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Yes, we are THOSE dog parents..
A little fun with Mols and the camera. We're pretty proud of her. :)
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Sugar melts in the rain my dear...
I'm not entirely sure if my mom coined this sweet phrase or if it came from a movie/song/book, "Sugar melts in the rain!"
And that indeed it does!
Our region has been blasted with the CRAZIEST weather this holiday season. It started out as the normal fall drizzle, then we were hearing warning of what they coined the "Arctic Blast". Coming from Bozeman, MT and Ogden, UT to me, that thought was laughable. But lo and behold, as predicted, the snow began to fall and you would think by the reaction, the sky was falling in. Our 8 inch snow drifts on the sides of the roads were just too much to handle. Schools were shut down, offices were closed, we were on full alert for the impending doom. Dana being from So.Cal. was amazed at this anomaly and each day just waited for the temp to drop below freezing so he could rally on the black ice in his death trap Honda Civic Hatch.
After a few days of black ice and random snow drifts and we were catapulted into the brunt of our Arctic Blast. Sure enough, our roads were all covered and we were buckled down for the big one. I realize now that these storms really aren't all that laughable. See, we are dealing with incredible amounts of ice and very dangerous driving/walking conditions. The whole place turns into an ice box and its hard to determine which way is what when you are on the roads. So people really do bunker down and ride it out at home. This kind of storm has only come twice since I have lived here nearly 5 years. So when it comes, we know it means business.
Somewhere in the center of the storm, my mom was able to fly in and join us for the white out. We had a relatively quiet and relaxing Christmas Holiday and really just dug into spending time with family and friends. Despite the troublesome temperatures and sporadic snow we were quite content laying low inside with a fire roaring in the background. We've watched a bunch of movies, made some great meals, and found rest and relaxation I think we have all needed. Now THAT is my kind of holiday. ;) Our holidays usually look quite a bit more like Clark W. Griswold's ('The little ones aren't blinking Clark'), so to say the least, it was a nice change.
I certainly hope everyone had a blessed and full holiday season. I anticipate amazing things for 2009. I believe in a big God who I know will lead us in a new and great direction this year. I have hope for change in finances, health, and fitness. I have hope for change in myself, to be stronger and more confident. I have hope for a new generation to rise up in faith, to know growth, real fulfillment and determination. I hope for those I love to experience joy of the purest sort. Oh hey, and while I'm at it, I hope for world peace and an end to world hunger...and for every orphan to find a home. Think I'll win the crown this go 'round? ;)
Wishing you and yours a beautiful and blessed 2009.
With much love, Dana and Andrea
And that indeed it does!
Our region has been blasted with the CRAZIEST weather this holiday season. It started out as the normal fall drizzle, then we were hearing warning of what they coined the "Arctic Blast". Coming from Bozeman, MT and Ogden, UT to me, that thought was laughable. But lo and behold, as predicted, the snow began to fall and you would think by the reaction, the sky was falling in. Our 8 inch snow drifts on the sides of the roads were just too much to handle. Schools were shut down, offices were closed, we were on full alert for the impending doom. Dana being from So.Cal. was amazed at this anomaly and each day just waited for the temp to drop below freezing so he could rally on the black ice in his death trap Honda Civic Hatch.
After a few days of black ice and random snow drifts and we were catapulted into the brunt of our Arctic Blast. Sure enough, our roads were all covered and we were buckled down for the big one. I realize now that these storms really aren't all that laughable. See, we are dealing with incredible amounts of ice and very dangerous driving/walking conditions. The whole place turns into an ice box and its hard to determine which way is what when you are on the roads. So people really do bunker down and ride it out at home. This kind of storm has only come twice since I have lived here nearly 5 years. So when it comes, we know it means business.
Somewhere in the center of the storm, my mom was able to fly in and join us for the white out. We had a relatively quiet and relaxing Christmas Holiday and really just dug into spending time with family and friends. Despite the troublesome temperatures and sporadic snow we were quite content laying low inside with a fire roaring in the background. We've watched a bunch of movies, made some great meals, and found rest and relaxation I think we have all needed. Now THAT is my kind of holiday. ;) Our holidays usually look quite a bit more like Clark W. Griswold's ('The little ones aren't blinking Clark'), so to say the least, it was a nice change.
I certainly hope everyone had a blessed and full holiday season. I anticipate amazing things for 2009. I believe in a big God who I know will lead us in a new and great direction this year. I have hope for change in finances, health, and fitness. I have hope for change in myself, to be stronger and more confident. I have hope for a new generation to rise up in faith, to know growth, real fulfillment and determination. I hope for those I love to experience joy of the purest sort. Oh hey, and while I'm at it, I hope for world peace and an end to world hunger...and for every orphan to find a home. Think I'll win the crown this go 'round? ;)
Wishing you and yours a beautiful and blessed 2009.
With much love, Dana and Andrea
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
So what exactly is wrong with you?
I am heading into what seem to be my most brutal/painful months of the year, and it seems I have been getting a lot of questions regarding my overall health and wellness. I thought now would be a great time to throw a post out there updating y'all with what that means for me.
A Pain Board & Internal Medicine Certified Doctor/Naturopath was my last stop in my attempt to find an solution for this pain disorder I have lived with for the past 5 years. It is called Fibromyalgia. It is something not many conventional doctors are willing to treat because its symptoms are relatively broad and hard to pin down. To the point of said visit with the new doc, I had lived through a barrage of pain/antibiotic/sleep/crazy meds, physical therapy, and counseling. All of which had become old hat to me, that was what I knew as 'normal'. I knew this was a disease that is incurable, and only really manageable with exercise, and meds. These would be routines I would have to understand and accept for the rest of my life.
Enter new doc..we will call him (thank you Aretha) Dr. Feelgood. Right off the bat, his jaw hit the floor when he saw the laundry list of medications I have been told to throw at my system. He was appalled, offended even. After two hours of sitting in his office talking, he was quite certain I was dealing with something quite a bit more complex than FMS. He examined me for 10 minutes, and sat me down to explain our game plan. I was diagnosed with FMS, which my old doctors said came as a result of my car accident 5 years ago. He is quite certain that I actually initially had something called Myofacial Pain Syndrome. He believes that because THAT went untreated, the symptoms manifested themselves into what is now FIERCE FMS/MPS. **Sidebar: Auto-immune disorders can be extremely complex. Imagine your immune system is the coast guard and each cell, good and bad is a ship with a flag on it. Your 'coast guard' looks out for the pirate flags (bad cells) and attacks/destroys them. The trick with AI disorders is that your immune system is too preoccupied with attacking the good cells, that simply does not recognize the bad ones (pirate ships).** Had the MFS been treated years ago, I would not be in the place I am now. He validated every ache and said that he has no doubt I am living in extreme pain. He also said he was confident he would be able to help me.
I left his office with somewhere around 15 different NATURAL pills/supplements that were to take place of my prescriptions for sleep, pain, depression, etc. After a month and a half of the worst detox of my life, I started to feel some relief.
I sleep without drugs.
I have more energy without drugs.
I am living what is looking more and more like a normal life. It is still a life with pain, but its looking more and more hopeful.
Seeing Dr. Feelgood is extremely costly, and at this point, we just don't have the means to make him a regular visit. However, we have learned a few really great lessons about how we eat, what medications I do take, and I've learned to look at normal activities with more hope.
Now about those bad months. Every year, we here in the Pac NW experience a shift in weather. Our change of seasons are quite as graceful as they are in other places of the world. When it's hot, it's BLISTERING hot. When it is cold, you simply forget to breathe. Either extreme would be easier to deal with if they didn't come along so suddenly, with little warning. When we kick into extreme temps, my body kicks over to pain mode.
Simply put, this kind of pain is indescribable. BUT, I have a superb support system and every reason to keep looking up. I have an amazing husband that takes more care of me than I deserve. I do have hope for a change, and I am confident in my HEALER. Who could ask for more? ;)
A Pain Board & Internal Medicine Certified Doctor/Naturopath was my last stop in my attempt to find an solution for this pain disorder I have lived with for the past 5 years. It is called Fibromyalgia. It is something not many conventional doctors are willing to treat because its symptoms are relatively broad and hard to pin down. To the point of said visit with the new doc, I had lived through a barrage of pain/antibiotic/sleep/crazy meds, physical therapy, and counseling. All of which had become old hat to me, that was what I knew as 'normal'. I knew this was a disease that is incurable, and only really manageable with exercise, and meds. These would be routines I would have to understand and accept for the rest of my life.
Enter new doc..we will call him (thank you Aretha) Dr. Feelgood. Right off the bat, his jaw hit the floor when he saw the laundry list of medications I have been told to throw at my system. He was appalled, offended even. After two hours of sitting in his office talking, he was quite certain I was dealing with something quite a bit more complex than FMS. He examined me for 10 minutes, and sat me down to explain our game plan. I was diagnosed with FMS, which my old doctors said came as a result of my car accident 5 years ago. He is quite certain that I actually initially had something called Myofacial Pain Syndrome. He believes that because THAT went untreated, the symptoms manifested themselves into what is now FIERCE FMS/MPS. **Sidebar: Auto-immune disorders can be extremely complex. Imagine your immune system is the coast guard and each cell, good and bad is a ship with a flag on it. Your 'coast guard' looks out for the pirate flags (bad cells) and attacks/destroys them. The trick with AI disorders is that your immune system is too preoccupied with attacking the good cells, that simply does not recognize the bad ones (pirate ships).** Had the MFS been treated years ago, I would not be in the place I am now. He validated every ache and said that he has no doubt I am living in extreme pain. He also said he was confident he would be able to help me.
I left his office with somewhere around 15 different NATURAL pills/supplements that were to take place of my prescriptions for sleep, pain, depression, etc. After a month and a half of the worst detox of my life, I started to feel some relief.
I sleep without drugs.
I have more energy without drugs.
I am living what is looking more and more like a normal life. It is still a life with pain, but its looking more and more hopeful.
Seeing Dr. Feelgood is extremely costly, and at this point, we just don't have the means to make him a regular visit. However, we have learned a few really great lessons about how we eat, what medications I do take, and I've learned to look at normal activities with more hope.
Now about those bad months. Every year, we here in the Pac NW experience a shift in weather. Our change of seasons are quite as graceful as they are in other places of the world. When it's hot, it's BLISTERING hot. When it is cold, you simply forget to breathe. Either extreme would be easier to deal with if they didn't come along so suddenly, with little warning. When we kick into extreme temps, my body kicks over to pain mode.
Simply put, this kind of pain is indescribable. BUT, I have a superb support system and every reason to keep looking up. I have an amazing husband that takes more care of me than I deserve. I do have hope for a change, and I am confident in my HEALER. Who could ask for more? ;)
Friday, December 12, 2008
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