Just trying to stay alive

As stated in the title. I have just been trying to just keep my head above water in school, work, church, and health.

School has been crazy busy. I remember the great other colleges I went to where you were treated like an adult and there was no busy work. you either knew the information because you went to class and studied or you didn't. Such a nice time in my life. Unlike now... where the 12 hours I have put in to one stupid project still has not been sufficient to finish the assignment. Not to mention the other 3 assignments due this week. -and work on top of that - and being a wife and TRYING to have clean clothes and something of a meal by the end of the day. Although I fall short most the time, my husband is very forgiving.

So then church. The nursery. I don't have much to say because I really have been trying to find the good in it. I found it very easy to pick up the bad. So now I'm trying to be more positive. But in general, yesterday was a mad house and I never want kids. Wonderful.

HEALTH. There hasn't been much of that lately. I don't know if i should blame it on the nursery or the sick kids I take care of in my clinical.
Last week I got strep throat. ugh. I hate strep throat. So I drug my sick butt into walmart and got my amoxicillin - took it for the required number of days and felt so much better. Well, then 2-3 days after I stopped taking it SUPRISE!!! a rash pops up. Itchy on the feet and just plain ugly on the rest of me.
The diagnosis for now- scarlet fever. HORRAY!
not.

Isn't scarlet fever for kids? YES IT IS. So why do I have it???????

UGH. so I started taking the antibiotics again and the rash started going away.
I just need a break. I CANNOT wait for this week to be over - and this rash to go away completely. I'm tired of looking like a plucked chicken.

BUT I just cant wait for the peeling that will follow after the rash goes away- thereby securing my scarlet fever diagnosis.

I can do this... I can do this...

Obstruction

SO... the week started out with a bang. And by that I mean the dog threw up ALL over the bedroom. More specifically the master bedroom. MY bedroom. GROSS.

So I cleaned it up, cleaned the floor and washed the clothes he barfed on. At least this time he got off the bed before throwing up :) (positive thoughts)

Then later that afternoon (after I fed Charlie) I went to shower. (Yes I was being lazy, but it was MLK day and there was no school, so I stayed in my PJ's until 10 or so and then went on a run... nevermind)

So while showering I see the dog outside the shower. Usually he waits for me to get out of the shower so he can lick the walls of the shower. (I know... weirdo) But I don't mind. So I get out to see the dog and he looks GUILTY. Like trying to hide from me, but yet confess something.... I didn't figure it out until I turned around. Barf; on the floor.
I'm thinking, "Thats totally fine... just some stomach juices and on tile. Piece of cake."
Then I got into the bedroom. EWWW

HUGE pile of vomit! On Jared's side of the bed, and on his soccer shoes, dress shoes, and slippers. ew.

So I clean.

Charlie is getting no more food for the day. But Jared and I were worried that he might have eaten something bad so we got him some antibiotics and gatorade (dogs need electrolytes too)

Bad idea with the BLUE gatorade. Since dog only aims for the carpet.

Tuesday morning he wouldn't even eat or give food a second glance. This scared me to tears because this dog will eat all day long sick or not he always wants more food.
I finally coaxed him to eat a small handful of dog food which he immediately threw up.

We got a vet visit that afternoon. They did some tests and took and x-ray and wouldn't you know it. Charlie had a small bowel obstruction. He was completely blocked up.

Poor thing!

So we given two options of attack:

1.) Give him a lubricant used for cats and hairballs and hope it gets things moving
and if that doesn't work...
2.) A costly surgery to open his gut up and pull out the poo

So the lubricant it was. He loved it. (but at this point he hadn't keep food down since sunday)
Wednesday came. He was supposed to poop that morning. NO GO.

But then I got this text from Jared while I was at school... (Please look away poop ain't your thing)

"HE POOPED"

WOO HOO!!!

Finally he started eating, poopin' and acting like he normally does. We were ecstatic!

The culprit of the obstruction... well a tasty mixture of bone and a toy ball. YUM. (sarcasm... I just wanted to clarify. that would be gross if I really thought that was 'yummy')

What Powdered Donuts?

BEACH BAG (with tutorial)

What a good way to forget about the cold for just one second. A beach bag!


This would be my first REAL tutorial.

I am very proud (by the way) that I did it!

First things first I got my fabric. I actually used a heavier fabric for the outside of the bag and a lightweight cotton for the inside.

I cut everything out. The length was 20"x 14" x 6".

(after I made a plan of action)

Then I cut out some light interfacing to steam on the outside fabric. (yes I was doing homework while ironing)
Start sowing the edges together. Make sure they are the right direction with all the hems out (it will look something like this before you sow all the edges together). Sow so it looks like a 'box'
Then you hem the edges of the 'box' (only on the portions on the opening of the box)You should end up with something like this...


THEN..

Do the same for the light fabric to line the bag

Cut (make sure it is the same size as the outer fabric.)

I didn't put interfacing on the inside fabric because I didn't want it stiff, but you can if you want.

Then the lightweight or inner fabric was sown the same way as the outside (so you end up with a box.)

For the pocket I cut a size I wanted, ironed the edges (so it would be easier to sow) steamed the interfacing on.
I then cut a another piece of fabric of the same size and ironed the edges, sowed the two pocket pieces together, measured and sowed the pocket onto the lightweight (inner) fabric. REMEMBER to only sow three sides so you have a pocket.

Then come the handles.
For the handles I cut two pieces 24" x 5".

Start by fold them over and sew around three sides, leaving one side unfinished to turn inside out. After you turn them inside out stitch on the outside of the last side

I folded the handles once more (hotdog style) and pinned with 4 inches on each end. I sowed between the pins to get something of a flare on the end of the to-be handles.
Another view.

I then measured and pined them in place on the inside of the bag. Make sure both handles are the same height otherwise the bag will hang uneven.


At this point all you need to do to finish is sowing the lining in. I pinned the lining to the outside of the bag and started sowing. Both the inner and outer "boxes" are inside out. Line the bags up and sow them up. (Ya, sad. I work at a lotion shop and my hands DESPERATELY need some lotion here.)It will look kinda crazy... Something like this.
Flip the outside fabric onto the inside fabric. By doing this you end up with the liner inside the 'box'. Then pin the inner fabric to the outer fabric. Make sure to fold a hem into the inner fabric before you sow them together.




YOU ARE DONE!

LOVE IT!

The perfect bag for all those large (possibly beachy) items!

And away we go!

We are officially poor again. (not that we were ever swimming in Benjamin's, but I sure to like to save) So we saved up for ...

A cruise to the Caribbean!!

Woohoo!

My only problem then is all these questions I have.

SO if anyone out there knows ANYTHING helpful about... tipping (are we expected to tip on top of the prepaid gratuities?), extra costs that no one thinks of before, what to pack (what is expected to wear on the ship... I know they don't want you just hanging in your jeans all day), how much to pack, (is their usually a landramate if I need to wash something), what can be fun to do... etc... etc... So if you know ANYTHING please share.

10 things you should know about me if we are going to be friends

10. I have to finish everything that is on my plate. I hate it. I can be bursting at the seams but will keep eating if there is more.

9. I’m terrified of breast feeding. NO, we are not expecting and will not be for a while, but the thought of it is too much for me to handle right now.

8. I’m obsessed with weather.com. This was one of those things Jared didn’t know until well AFTER we were married. And I kept it a secret for about 18 months. I JUST LOVE checking the weather and watching the videos on their website. NERD.

7. I have freakishly cold hands and feet. Especially if I am nervous or it is winter.

6. If you love me or want to be on my good side you can buy me some hand sanitizer. I LOVE that stuff. (not that I don’t wash my hands)

5. At nights when Jared is gone and I feel lonely I have a stuffed bear that I will pull out of the bottom drawer of my nightstand and cuddle with. How old am I?

4. I can’t hardly smell or taste. I don’t have a cold, I just can’t. So when people ask if something tastes or smells good I usually say yes. Because to me it sure doesn’t smell/taste bad, it just doesn’t at all.

3. I love watching the show hoarding on A&E. It makes me feel better about my own messy home. AND feel better that I don’t have problems like those people.

2. Speaking of a messy home… our master bathroom has not been cleaned…in… 6ish months. But before I could post this little secret, I cleaned the bathroom. TOTALLY NASTY.

(***Please note... this is NOT my bathroom, but rather someone that was confident to post their nasty bathroom)

1. I HATE SPIT. Gag. It is the one thing that I really gag at. At the hospital I will change nasty poopy diapers before I will suction someone’s mouth. Oh… I’m getting nauseous thinking about it. BLAH.

So there you go. You now have a start at being my BFF. Some silly, some gross, all true.