Empty. Or Maybe Not.

There's not a lot going on upstairs for me today.

I'm just sort of staring at this window, the page, opening and closing other tabs around it. 

Girl Scout Cookies are done. 

Hallelujah. 

I still have a few final boxes to deliver. I'll get there, though.

Mud Run this weekend. 

Holy cow. Crap. Sh!t. 

THIS weekend. 

Yikes. 

I know, right? 

The other night bringing our dog Bella up I fell. I smash-landed right on my right knee. It hurt like HELLO. It's still slightly sore. But I plan to persevere and continue on. 

While covered in mud. 

Lordy. 

I'm not a mud person. 

I mean, I like sand between my toes and all. And even more when it's wet sand. 

But mud? 

Yeah. Nah.

I'm excited, though. It's one of my #lifelist items. I have to finish it, because I doubt I'm going to sign up for another one once I make it through this one. Or so I think. 

Wanna see the course deets? Go Dirty and check 'em out. I think it'll not just be an incredible thing for my body, but for my mind, as well. Despite all my "Yeah. Nah." vibes up over there. ^^

Also? And as - if not more - important than my own fitspiration goals? A part of the proceeds go to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. And that's important to me. Big time important.  

I'm participating in a 30 day workout "challenge" ... where my goal is to MOVE every day for 30 days. I'm also in a Spring into Fitness weight loss challenge. This one is really a challenge, with prizes and all. I've been a bit slack there. Mother nature and being female - easy place to lay the blame, right? 

I'm back on track now. I think. 

Danged spring-like weather and iced chai lattes beat me down, though. Even if I do opt for skinny ones. They're just my kryptonite. 

I guess I'm not as empty as I thought. My original post title. Empty. 

I think it might be not-so-empty instead. 

I have something else I want to pour out but I don't have the words right now. So I'll wait. 

Otherwise I'll write a bunch of crap and be like, wha? Why did I publish THAT?

I've had some hot posts lately, it's been kind of cool. I like to see people commenting because it makes me realize they're out there. I don't NEED comments, but I do. We all do. Even if we just blog for ourselves, as we all SAY we do ... 

Don't you smile when you see someone comment? Especially someone who you never would have expected knew you were out there? Or here? Wherever we are?

Yeah, you know you do. Me, too. 

Well, thanks for taking the ride with me today. I think I'll post now so I can feel accomplished for the - uhm - not morning. Damn. Where did that go? 

I think I still have time to toss some stuff into the crockpot for tonight's dinner. 

And to remind myself that if it isn't cooked in time it's the Benadryl's fault. The generic Rite Aid brand, though. But Benadryl has become like Kleenex. Although that's the worst one for me to use. I never ever SAY Kleenex. Even when that's mostly what I buy. I wonder if Kleenex needs a brand ambassador? I could SO rock that gig. 

Allergies? Check. Constant sinus infections? Check. Pets and dust sniffles? Yup. And a kid. I win!

Okay, peeps. Enough dawdling. Talk soon!

Oh, and if you haven't seen my latest vlog - where ya been? I talk about Mama's Comfort Camp with some of my peeps over at the Mama's Comfort Camp Birthday Celebration, so check out me and some of the most amazing women I know. Go on - you don't even have to come back here. It's all good. 

Peace out!

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It's probably not a good idea

To sit online at 1AM and self-diagnose. But I'm doing it anyway. After my umpteenth coughing fit of the night I came downstairs, tried to (sorry, TMI) clear my nose as best I could, and really need to take some cough medicine.

I'm quite sure I have a recurring case of bronchitis. But I have figured out that my 2nd sinus infection in nearly as many months has a name, as well. Chronic sinusitis. That is what I have. Seriously.

These are the symptoms, as per the Mayo Clinic. And if you're going to believe anybody, of course it's going to be them!

Chronic sinusitis symptoms include:

• Drainage of a thick, yellow or greenish discharge from the nose or down the back of the throat
• Nasal obstruction or congestion, causing difficulty breathing through your nose
• Pain, tenderness and swelling around your eyes, cheeks, nose or forehead
• Aching in your upper jaw and teeth
• Reduced sense of smell and taste
• Cough, which may be worse at night

**Uhm, yeah, as if I don't ever not have any of those symptoms!!! OK, well, the first one is kind of gross, and it's not all the time, but the rest, totally me. Sense of smell, practically been gone for months. Helps with changing diapers, but not with ensuring that said diapers don't on the toddler child for hours (not really) prior to being noticed.**

And then they say ...

Other signs and symptoms can include:

• Ear pain
• Sore throat
• Bad breath (halitosis)
• Fatigue or irritability
• Nausea

The signs and symptoms of chronic sinusitis are similar to acute sinusitis, except they last longer and often cause more significant fatigue. Chronic sinusitis is sinusitis that lasts more than eight weeks or keeps coming back. Unlike with acute sinusitis, fever isn't a common sign of chronic sinusitis.

**Uhm, yeah. Me, again. Guess what? When I wake up in the morning I feel like I can't breathe and haven't been breathing all night. Why is that, you ask? Well, thank you for being concerned. Probably because I HAVEN'T BEEN BREATHING ALL NIGHT! (Sorry, I really don't mean to take this out on you! It's just that I see an Urgent Care visit in my future and I'm not looking forward to it. I'd rather see my doctor, but when you don't drive, have a 2-year-old and hubby works like a fiend, well, it's not always an option, ya know? Again, truly sorry for snapping. Maybe I should find a doctor who'll toss in some Xanax with whatever might fix this sinus issue?)** [I have no clue why this paragraph will not bold no matter what I do, and at this point I have no mindset to address it, so take it as an assist from Blogger, who obviously feels I am being too hard on my readers and wanted to soften the blow!]

And how I LOVE this part: When to see a doctor?

You may have several episodes of acute sinusitis, lasting less than four weeks, before developing chronic sinusitis. You may be referred to an allergist or an ear, nose and throat specialist for evaluation and treatment.

See a doctor:

• If you've had sinusitis a number of times and the condition fails to respond to treatment
• If you have sinusitis that lasts more than 7 days
• If your symptoms don't get better after you see your doctor

**Dare I say that I'm all of the above? Last year, about a month or so into this blog I wound up with some scary steroid medication, but man, did it help. I'm about to go beg for it. Despite the chance that I could wind up w. a puffy face, gain like 50 lbs and turn into a fierce and screaming b!tch. I mean, as if I am not all of those things already, right?**

Anyway, that's where I'm at at what is now almost 1:30AM. Hope the rest of you are sleeping well. Maybe I'll take a snifter of NyQuil to get me some ZZZs. If only hubby hadn't already done that. At least one of us has to be somewhat coherent enough to hear the child. Sigh.

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Rainy Days ...

I won't say always (like the song says ... Rainy days and Mondays always get me down ... am I dating myself with that lyric?) but rainy days can beat the heck out of me before I even blink.

We've been hit with more rain than you can imagine lately. Almost all last week it was overcast and coming down. Fortunately Thanksgiving was a nice day, as was the rest of the weekend, for the most part, but here we are again, with the rain coming down steadily all week so far.

It's a major bummer. While I enjoy a good rainy day as much as the next gal (or guy) I just can't take so many days in a row. Especially when cooped up in the house with a not-quite-three-year-old. And a crazy headache and stuffed up nose, as always. And not that much will-power while baking loads of cookies and treats for the two cookie swaps coming up I am participating in ... you don't know what a cookie swap is? Neither did I til I moved down here. It's just what it sounds like. I make cookies, you make cookies, and everyone else who attends does, too. We swap, and end up bringing home like 40 or so new cookies, in exchange for our own. Not a bad gig, no? But I digress ...
And the lack of opportunity to snuggle upstairs, under the covers with the TV on. My daughter is a sometimes snuggler. Not all the time, though, and usually not when I need to the most, like on days like these! Boo! Hiss! Come snuggle with mommy, would you?

Anyway, I did finish a book I have been reading, so that was a plus about the day. I'll post about that later, after I can go check what the official count is up to for the year. I have also watched a little bit more Nickelodeon/Nick Jr. than I would care to admit, and eaten my fair share of cookies, as has she. But, hey, what can you do when the weather hits like this? I mean, splashing in puddles is one thing, but being out there when the wind picks up and rolls you around a bit more than you're prepared for, not so much fun.

Hope it's drier wherever you are, and that if it's not you're warm and toasty in your beds, with a nice cuppa cocoa ... maybe with a splash of peppermint schnapps or brandy. IF you're into that sort of thing!

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KitKat for breakfast, anyone?

Guess who woke up in the middle of the night last night?

Guess who is cranky this morning?

I'm so tired, even though I did get her back to sleep in her own bed. But this whole *being able to get out of bed business* is a bit rough, especially when I wake up and she's right there beside me, in MY room! She is doing pretty well, and aside from a few early wake ups, she's been sleeping through the night in there. But she has continued to roll out of bed onto the floor nearly every night since we got the thing. I need to remember to bring my camera upstairs so I can document it for the record. She's so out of it when we pick her up and move her back into the bed, and hubby suggested a bed-like swaddle, where we use the blankets to at least "hold her in" somehow. And yet, in her sleep, she manages to break out of them and roll on down.

We've got padding on both sides, blankets and pillows, stuffed animals and random soft things, so she's been bruise-free. But man, the poor thing. We can't tell if she wakes up in the mornings on the floor, or in her bed, because she's not that clear when she's explaining it to us and waffles between both.

Mmmn, waffles, I would love a waffle right now. Have you heard about the EGGO shortage? I'm not kidding. Something about floods or bad weather in the area they're made, and therefore distribution is limited. I haven't figured out if this affects Aunt Jemima or generic, store-brands, though, and I hope not, as we're big on frozen waffles in this house. And yes, we have a waffle maker, but who really wants to deal with that mess? I mean, if you saw my sink right now you'd pity me. Seriously. I should say sinks, as we have the double, and my dishwasher is pretty full and needs to be run, although I JUST RAN IT.

And so, with my allergy angst kicking up again now that I'm healthier (horrific cough at night and horrible fits now and then, when eating, drinking, breathing, you know, the basics) than before and there's room for them, I sit here with itchy eyes, a cranky self and the wish that I had another KitKat in the pantry closet. In the meantime I may just settle for a CapriSun (fruit punch, blech!) and some dry Fruit Loops. Hey, don't knock it til you've tried it!

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No post today ...

A really bad allergy day for me today. I'm exhausted and headed to bed, and not able to make much of a coherent sentence tonight. I did switch up my meds this evening and am now taking generic Zyrtec instead of generic Claritin, so let's see if that helps.

I'm so tired that I can't even stay awake to watch Harold and Kumar's sequel to their White Castle movie. Hubby's watching, but I can only stay focused when Neil Patrick Harris is on. I love that man!

Anyway, good night, sweet dreams, and see you tomorrow for Muffin Tin Monday!

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Seriously?

So I went to the doctor today to figure out what to do about my inability to breathe through my nose. Yeah, it's allergy related, yeah, it sucks something awful, and oh yeah, one of the side effects of the medication they're giving me is that it will make me really HUNGRY!

WHAT? Nobody asked me if that was okay. Nobody checked to see if being hungry was an acceptable side effect of a medication. I mean, yeah, it'll be nice to finally breathe again, but hungry all the time? And mean, let's not forget mean. Some of my mommy friends have told me that it has made them or people they know really mean. Or maybe they were just too friggin hungry?

So great. Here I am, stuffed beyond belief and ready to be unfulfilled beyond belief? Seriously? Who comes up with these meds and how can I talk to them and explain that hunger is not something acceptable to a mommy of a two-year-old who has been trying to lose weight since I was like -- six? eight? ten? Something along those lines.

Anyway, I start tomorrow. So if I start posting really mean things, well, forgive me. I guess I can blame it on my meds.

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