Okay, I'm not great at updating. In fact, I think it's safe to say, I suck at this blogging thing. yet i keep coming back and posting every so often. I think about the blog posts that catch my attention. It seems like I have an interest in those blogs that are day to day and that i can just follow lives of the bloggers that i read. Unfortunately, my day to day isn't all that blog worthy. So rather than take up valuable time and space, i'm going to update when I can and go from there.
The last time I posted, I was fixing to end my time as an extra on FNL, my family was gearing up for the summer and my kids were growing up.
I hate goodbyes. I hate seeing the end of anything. So I took myself out of FNL early. I made a conscious decision that the last Austin games would be my farewell. I said my goodbyes and i moved on. it's been bittersweet, but I don't feel like hanging on to the bitter end would have been a good idea. I left on my terms and i have no regrets about that.
Pretty much as soon as my time on FNL ended, we had an interesting houseguest for two weeks. Some friends of ours from church were being stationed in Washington State and needed to find housing and get settled. So we hosted their mom, Reba for two weeks. It was awesome. I loved having her here. She made me feel special, like I was doing something great for her. But really, she was the blessing. Having her here added so much to our family. She was 92 at the time and shared so much history and wisdom with our kids. She has the most positive attitude and just had such a good time. I wish she could come back and stay with us again some time.
During this time, my oldest son Josh was living away from home. he took a job at Camp Tejas in the summer ministry team. We went up there to visit him one weekend and it was like seeing someone in their natural element. He just fit right in and was a part of something special. He'll be returning next summer.
With FNL ending, I was able to focus on my REAL job, doing childcare at my church. What a blessing this job has turned out to be. I love my kids, my coworkers and actually look forward to going to work each day. This job has become more like a ministry to me and I'm so very blessed.
Life has been good for all of us. Our family has been here in Texas for five years and truly feel like we're home to stay. After being military for so long, it's a great feeling to just sit still for a while.
I'll try really hard to update more often.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Nine years ago today.
Nine years ago today was a beautiful day in West Texas. It was sunny and warm, with no hint of the sadness that would come in just a few short hours.
It was tuesday, I dropped my toddler off at my next door neighbor's, then headed to Glenmore Elementary, where I was a volunteer in Josh's second grade class. Like I said, the day was beautiful. As I was pulling into the school parking lot, U2's Beautiful Day was playing on the radio. Ironically, that would be the last song I heard on the radio for many days to come. And to this day, hearing that song reminds me of that morning.
It was a busy morning in Mrs Williams room. I was busy helping the kids aith a reading assignment, when I hear an odd request over the intrcom. The office was asking for all teachers' aides to report immediately then a little while later for anyone that had a TV with antennaes to please bring them down to the office. For some reason, it reminded me of when the space shuttle Challenger blew up. I asked Ms Williams if something was happening in the news. She handed me a bit of paper that said that a plane had crashed into the Twin Towers. I had been to the twin towers as a teenager and I thought that maybe the weather was bad or it was a stunt gone horribly wrong. At that point terrorism hadn't crossed my mind.
Then the teacher's aide came back with news that another plane had hit the towers and they thought that it was intentional. The aide told me to call my husband. By the time I had called Rick, one of the towers had collapsed and there were rumors all over the place about other attacks around the country.
My husband's base was on lockdown. At that point, I was in shock. My husband was telling me all this and half my brain was registering and the other half refused to proccess any of it. At one point, I found my self asking Rick what time he would be home for lunch. It was a weird and scary conversation. I went back to Ms Williams' room and read to a couple of chilren. None of the kids knew what had happened. Though later, a fourth grader returning from a dental appointment would leak the news to his classmates. So the principal was pretty much forced to tell the older students what had happened. A part of me wanted to scoop up my kids right then and there and take them home, but I figured that they would be safe at Glenmore and i was right.
I went down the the cafeteria and loved on Benji and loved on Josh before going home. I had to get let out of the school to leave. We were on complete lockdown. The rest of the day was kind of a blur. family members and friends calling to see what we had heard and to update us.
I went to the school to pick my kids up and they had their hands full. Since the base was on lockdown, there were dozens of children who either had no way home or no one waiting for them when they got there. Everybody at Glenmore handled everything with such grace. I was so grateful that my kids were there that day. Now nine years have passed. We must never forget that day.
The rest of that week was completely horrifying. My prayers are with all of us that are affected by that day.
It was tuesday, I dropped my toddler off at my next door neighbor's, then headed to Glenmore Elementary, where I was a volunteer in Josh's second grade class. Like I said, the day was beautiful. As I was pulling into the school parking lot, U2's Beautiful Day was playing on the radio. Ironically, that would be the last song I heard on the radio for many days to come. And to this day, hearing that song reminds me of that morning.
It was a busy morning in Mrs Williams room. I was busy helping the kids aith a reading assignment, when I hear an odd request over the intrcom. The office was asking for all teachers' aides to report immediately then a little while later for anyone that had a TV with antennaes to please bring them down to the office. For some reason, it reminded me of when the space shuttle Challenger blew up. I asked Ms Williams if something was happening in the news. She handed me a bit of paper that said that a plane had crashed into the Twin Towers. I had been to the twin towers as a teenager and I thought that maybe the weather was bad or it was a stunt gone horribly wrong. At that point terrorism hadn't crossed my mind.
Then the teacher's aide came back with news that another plane had hit the towers and they thought that it was intentional. The aide told me to call my husband. By the time I had called Rick, one of the towers had collapsed and there were rumors all over the place about other attacks around the country.
My husband's base was on lockdown. At that point, I was in shock. My husband was telling me all this and half my brain was registering and the other half refused to proccess any of it. At one point, I found my self asking Rick what time he would be home for lunch. It was a weird and scary conversation. I went back to Ms Williams' room and read to a couple of chilren. None of the kids knew what had happened. Though later, a fourth grader returning from a dental appointment would leak the news to his classmates. So the principal was pretty much forced to tell the older students what had happened. A part of me wanted to scoop up my kids right then and there and take them home, but I figured that they would be safe at Glenmore and i was right.
I went down the the cafeteria and loved on Benji and loved on Josh before going home. I had to get let out of the school to leave. We were on complete lockdown. The rest of the day was kind of a blur. family members and friends calling to see what we had heard and to update us.
I went to the school to pick my kids up and they had their hands full. Since the base was on lockdown, there were dozens of children who either had no way home or no one waiting for them when they got there. Everybody at Glenmore handled everything with such grace. I was so grateful that my kids were there that day. Now nine years have passed. We must never forget that day.
The rest of that week was completely horrifying. My prayers are with all of us that are affected by that day.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
8/29/05
As an Air Force spouse, I've come to expect my share of adventure. But nothing could have prepared me for the adventure I'd be experiencing on a Monday in Late August 2005.
When hurricane Katrina hit, we were stationed at Keesler A.F.B, in Biloxi Mississippi. Our family had just starting getting back to normal after my son's brain tumor diagnosis. We had purchased a house on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and were planning on settling there after my husband's retirement from the U.S Air Force. At that time, life was good, Benji was healthy, the kids were happy to live so close to the beach and my husband had taken a deployment to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. None of us had any idea of what was about to happen.
Rick emailed me, then called from Cuba the Friday before. Katrina was coming and we were in the direct path. I was sick as a dog with bronchitis and remember telling Rick, "this dang storm is going to have to go around me. I can't get up off the couch."
My kids came home from a normal day at school that day only to find out that things weren't going to be normal for long. The next morning, while the boys were clearing the back yard of projectiles, My daughter, Grace and I joined the throngs of people lined up at the Wal-Mart. Everybody in line had an opinion or a theory on how things were going to play out. The general consensus was, that it was going to be bad, but not as bad as Camille. That turned out to be a fatal mistake. Biloxi's mayor A.J. Halloway was quoted as saying that Camille killed more people on Aug 29, 05 than she did the day she hit 30 years ago.
That Saturday was a flurry of packing and phone calls. By that evening, we had the van loaded and were taking stuff over to the base hospital, which was to be our shelter. As we were taking stuff up, the security guard at the desk was telling us that there were no plans to shelter as of yet. I told him that was fine. If we had to take our stuff back home, we'd do just that, but we were going to be ready.
The next morning, we found out that Katrina was a Cat Five. I had people calling me all worried, wanting me to just take the kids and bail. Every person I talked to said that they would pray for us. The pastor of our church came and boarded up our windows and we did all those last minute preps. By dinner time that night we were in the shelter watching Jim Cantore on the weather channel.
The next morning woke us up with a bang. We could hear the wind and rain at that point. It reminded me of Ivan, so I wasn't too scared. We still had power, so I spent most of the morning emailing folks, and checking out all the weather websites. The news wasn't good, but I trusted that God would keep a hedge of protection over our family.
The power went out later that morning and the rest of the day was spent hunkering down as Katrina passed through the area. It was hot, dark, and smelly. The De-humidifier wasn't working, so the floors were actually sweating. A dear woman named Betsy was with us and was reading aloud from Laura Ingalls Wilder's Farmer Boy. Let me just tell you all, this is not a good book to read when all you have to eat is cold soup and Pringles!!
That night, we were able listen to the radio and what we heard was horrifying!! Talk of people drowning in their attics, whole towns being leveled, thousands of homes destroyed. The next day or two was a bit of a blur. Hours spent listening to the radio, deciphering fact from fiction. Walks around the hospital to gather news from anyone we could. "have you heard anything new?" became the standard greeting that week.
Either Tuesday or Wednesday, I was able to contact my in-laws, and my best friend, who was in Texas.
Tuesday night was the night that Benji had his meltdown. We had just eaten grilled chicken rescued from the commissary, and I practically force fed my kids a gallon of milk, not knowing when we'd see something precious like milk again. I took him to a far away hallway and just let him cry. He asked if things were going to be normal ever again, and what if we lost our home? All I could tell him was that we would have to find a new normal and that it would be alright. God was watching over us, and no matter what happened, we were going to be fine.
Wednesday, I was able to sneak on a military line and contact Rick. I had no news on the house yet, so he was kind of on standby. However, his commander, who was from Pensacola, said that all the Gulf coast troops were going home. So, when I called back Thursday, one of the Colonels. that he worked for told me he was coming home, I burst into tears.
Later that day, they let folks out of the shelter in groups to check on our homes. When I saw my that my home was intact, I fell to my knees and just started sobbing, "Thank you, Jesus!! Thank you, God!!" I had thought that surely our home would either be destroyed or at least uninhabitable. But aside from our privacy fence being down, we had no damage. We had someone's roof in our backyard, and that was weird, but hey, what can you do?
After going back to the shelter, we could see first hand how bad so many people had it. And what people were made of. Betsy lost everything. Her husband was in Iraq and she had to deal with her home being demolished. Yet, she was the most positive person I met in the shelter and my kids and I will never forget her. She had such a calm about her. Every morning in the shelter, she'd disappear and do a bible study and pray.
That night we all waited three hours in line for a makeshift meal that the chow hall provided. We had cold hotdogs, warm strawberries, and all the orange juice we could drink. It was a gourmet meal.
The next day we went home. That night was a really strange night. No lights anywhere, but you could hear planes and copters flying overhead continuously. It was so loud and so strange. We had the windows open to let in some air, but ended up closing them because it felt like we were in a strange and dangerous place.
The power came back on Friday. The first thing I did was put one of those homestyle bake things in the oven. It was Chicken and biscuits, and to this day, we call it Katrina casserole!! Again, a gourmet feast!
That Sunday my husband came home from Cuba. He was able to rent a car in Mobile and get some groceries. I was so happy to see him, but I was appalled later to realize I pushed him out of the way to get to the groceries. I can't tell you what he was wearing that day, but i can tell you he brought home milk, produce, meat, all kinds of good stuff. I was able to make spaghetti and meat sauce that night with salad and it was heaven. Again, our whole family drank nearly a gallon of milk in one sitting. God bless Rick for bringing us milk!!!
The Sunday after Rick came home, we went to church for the first time since the storm. Sitting there was like being at a funeral at first. There were hugs and tears and seemingly endless updates of bad news. Then our pastor said something about praise and Worship. Blessed Be Your name was the first song that was played. ..> ..> ..> ..> Blessed Be Your Name Blessed be Your name When the sun's shining down on me When the world's 'all as it should be' Blessed be Your name Blessed be Your name On the road marked with suffering Though there's pain in the offering Blessed be Your name. The lyrics that are in bold hold a special meaning to me. Just standing in that church praising God while we were suffering the same as we would when the sun was shining, it was amazing and humbling. I'll never forget that moment. There was and is so much that God has blessed us all with.
Because of Benji's cancer, it was pretty much decided on the spot that we'd be leaving. I'm a military spouse, who's had to say goodbye to many places, but leaving the gulf coast, was the most heart breaking thing our family has had to do.
We love the coast, but after what happened, we don't see ever living there again. It's been five years now. I'm sitting here in Texas, fat and happy so to speak, while my kids are enjoying all the comforts of home. God has blessed us mightily. Our family still marvels at having air conditioning, power, and plenty of food and water. We're safe and we're together. My Goodness, what a miracle that is.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
My Time with FNL
Recently, I had the bitter sweet privilege of filming the final Austin games for the show, Friday Night Lights. This show has been a huge part of my life for the past four years. I'm a fan of the show, but I'm also a background extra. I started out getting booked in the hopes of meeting Kyle Chandler. That turned out to be just the beginning of an amazing chapter in my life and my family's life.
The first scene we filmed was a church scene. The cool thing about that was, that it was REAL! A real worship service going on while we were filming. How cool is that? When my kids and I showed up, we met the most interesting people and were introduced to a culture that I never knew existed. It was like dropping in on another planet. I was hooked.
The next filming was also a church scene. I actually found the nerve to tell a production assistant about my son and his cancer and ask if there was any possible way we could meet Kyle Chandler. After we were done filming, we got to meet him and he was beyond gracious.
And from that point on, I, along with my family have been devoted extras. We've done football games, church scenes, restaurant scenes. I've been a wife to numerous men and and a mother to numerous children. I've laughed and cheered at pep rallies and I've cried at a funeral. I've worshipped in at least two churches and have eaten my way through many restaurants in Dillon.
I've met celebrities, aspiring actors and folks who love the show, and like me, want to support it in the most tangible way possible. How many people get to actually work on the set of their favorite show, alongside their favorite actor? It's been one of those unusual blessings in life that I thank God for often.
That's not to say that all is perfect in Dillon. There have been some times when I wonder why I'm doing this.
The process of being an extra is very much like the military. There have been some report times as early as 6:00AM. You show up on set half asleep with wardrobe in hand and are immediately herded into a sign in line. Once you're signed in, you fill out your voucher, then you wait in the wardrobe line. The wardrobe line is reminiscent of my days in basic training. The wardrobe lady looks at what you have, inspects you and tells you what to wear. After that is all done, then you hurry up, get changed and then......you wait. and wait and wait and wait. Then just as you get lulled into relaxing, the production assistants come in and start barking orders. You're then told where to stand, when to walk in and what to do as often as it takes to get the scene right.
There are times when the weather is not on your side. In Texas, the weather can go from 90 degrees to 50 degrees in a half hour and you have to stay in the cooler clothes for the sake of continuity. The call times can be hard to deal with. I've had early morning call times and I've driven home from filmings as late as 5:AM
There are extras on the set that are so ambitious and competitive, that they'll gladly step on you on the way up the ladder. The lying, tattling and pot stirring could rival any soap opera. And conversely, there are extras that are just there to either meet Tim Riggins, or get an easy paycheck for little or no work. It's amazing how shocked some of these folks are when they realize they actually have to work to get that check.
All in all, it's been an unforgettable ride. I can't believe it's been four years. This experience has changed me in ways that I never thought possible. I'm not afraid of little things anymore. I'm not such a homebody anymore. I have more confidence in myself and I'm more willing to try new things. This show has really taken me out of my comfort zone and for that I will always be grateful.
Some really cool memories...
Meeting kyle!! What an awesome, humble person he is. He has made me and my family feel special and for that, he will always have a special place in my heart. What a treat it has been watching him do what he does best. I've gotten to watch him turn into Coach Taylor. I've gotten to watch him fool around on set and show us his food and throw a football around like a big kid. I've gotten the opportunity to share my faith with him, tell him how I feel about him, that I pray for him and his family, and that I'm thrilled that they are all here in Texas together. I wish Kyle the best and i'm so glad that he was Coach Taylor.
Showing up on camera!! OMGosh, this was the one thing that always surprises me. I never go into a scene trying to get on film, so seeing myself is always a special treat. First time i showed up on camera was season two, sitting right behind Landry. You could see me for a whole five or ten seconds. I was floored!! I've showed up a few more times since then and it never fails to make me all giddy inside.
Being a fan on the set. I'll never forget filming a dance scene on a Friday Night, watching Friday Night Lights in the holding area while waiting to film!! I have no words to describe how surreal that was.
Friday Night lights and my faith. I'm a born again Christian. Since this show came on the air, i have felt compelled to pray for the cast, crew and the show in general. The fact that my first booking was a real church scene, just showed me how this show can be used to connect Hollywood and God in a real and powerful way.
The friendships. I have met so many different kinds of people through this show. Before FNL, My circle of friends and aqaintances were either military spouses like myself, or friends from church, again, like myself. I've met people from this show that I never would have met otherwise. I'm so blessed by the friendships that have been formed over the past four years.
Friday Night Lights and life imitating art. My son is a junior at Judson high school, a football powerhouse here in Texas. Before this show, he had no interest in football or FNL. After watching a few episodes, he became a fan. He opened his eyes to the world around him and started to show an interest in high school football. Today, he's the Judson athletic photographer, and an aspiring film maker. His biggest influence? FNL creator, Pete Berg.
The cool factor. I can't tell you how many people think i'm just the coolest person on the planet because i'm on Friday Night lights. I have to admit, it's fun having an instant ice breaker at parties. I really do get a kick out of hearing people say that they've seen me on TV.
So that's been what the past four years has meant to me. People have asked me if I'm sad about this show and this chapter of my life coming to an end. I am sad to a point, but then i think back to an interview with one of the producers. He said something to the affect of there was a story to tell and when that story was finished, the show would be finished too. I have every confidence that this story will have a good ending. I'm so blessed to have been a part of it all and I'll never forget it. Clear eyes, full hearts....
The first scene we filmed was a church scene. The cool thing about that was, that it was REAL! A real worship service going on while we were filming. How cool is that? When my kids and I showed up, we met the most interesting people and were introduced to a culture that I never knew existed. It was like dropping in on another planet. I was hooked.
The next filming was also a church scene. I actually found the nerve to tell a production assistant about my son and his cancer and ask if there was any possible way we could meet Kyle Chandler. After we were done filming, we got to meet him and he was beyond gracious.
And from that point on, I, along with my family have been devoted extras. We've done football games, church scenes, restaurant scenes. I've been a wife to numerous men and and a mother to numerous children. I've laughed and cheered at pep rallies and I've cried at a funeral. I've worshipped in at least two churches and have eaten my way through many restaurants in Dillon.
I've met celebrities, aspiring actors and folks who love the show, and like me, want to support it in the most tangible way possible. How many people get to actually work on the set of their favorite show, alongside their favorite actor? It's been one of those unusual blessings in life that I thank God for often.
That's not to say that all is perfect in Dillon. There have been some times when I wonder why I'm doing this.
The process of being an extra is very much like the military. There have been some report times as early as 6:00AM. You show up on set half asleep with wardrobe in hand and are immediately herded into a sign in line. Once you're signed in, you fill out your voucher, then you wait in the wardrobe line. The wardrobe line is reminiscent of my days in basic training. The wardrobe lady looks at what you have, inspects you and tells you what to wear. After that is all done, then you hurry up, get changed and then......you wait. and wait and wait and wait. Then just as you get lulled into relaxing, the production assistants come in and start barking orders. You're then told where to stand, when to walk in and what to do as often as it takes to get the scene right.
There are times when the weather is not on your side. In Texas, the weather can go from 90 degrees to 50 degrees in a half hour and you have to stay in the cooler clothes for the sake of continuity. The call times can be hard to deal with. I've had early morning call times and I've driven home from filmings as late as 5:AM
There are extras on the set that are so ambitious and competitive, that they'll gladly step on you on the way up the ladder. The lying, tattling and pot stirring could rival any soap opera. And conversely, there are extras that are just there to either meet Tim Riggins, or get an easy paycheck for little or no work. It's amazing how shocked some of these folks are when they realize they actually have to work to get that check.
All in all, it's been an unforgettable ride. I can't believe it's been four years. This experience has changed me in ways that I never thought possible. I'm not afraid of little things anymore. I'm not such a homebody anymore. I have more confidence in myself and I'm more willing to try new things. This show has really taken me out of my comfort zone and for that I will always be grateful.
Some really cool memories...
Meeting kyle!! What an awesome, humble person he is. He has made me and my family feel special and for that, he will always have a special place in my heart. What a treat it has been watching him do what he does best. I've gotten to watch him turn into Coach Taylor. I've gotten to watch him fool around on set and show us his food and throw a football around like a big kid. I've gotten the opportunity to share my faith with him, tell him how I feel about him, that I pray for him and his family, and that I'm thrilled that they are all here in Texas together. I wish Kyle the best and i'm so glad that he was Coach Taylor.
Showing up on camera!! OMGosh, this was the one thing that always surprises me. I never go into a scene trying to get on film, so seeing myself is always a special treat. First time i showed up on camera was season two, sitting right behind Landry. You could see me for a whole five or ten seconds. I was floored!! I've showed up a few more times since then and it never fails to make me all giddy inside.
Being a fan on the set. I'll never forget filming a dance scene on a Friday Night, watching Friday Night Lights in the holding area while waiting to film!! I have no words to describe how surreal that was.
Friday Night lights and my faith. I'm a born again Christian. Since this show came on the air, i have felt compelled to pray for the cast, crew and the show in general. The fact that my first booking was a real church scene, just showed me how this show can be used to connect Hollywood and God in a real and powerful way.
The friendships. I have met so many different kinds of people through this show. Before FNL, My circle of friends and aqaintances were either military spouses like myself, or friends from church, again, like myself. I've met people from this show that I never would have met otherwise. I'm so blessed by the friendships that have been formed over the past four years.
Friday Night Lights and life imitating art. My son is a junior at Judson high school, a football powerhouse here in Texas. Before this show, he had no interest in football or FNL. After watching a few episodes, he became a fan. He opened his eyes to the world around him and started to show an interest in high school football. Today, he's the Judson athletic photographer, and an aspiring film maker. His biggest influence? FNL creator, Pete Berg.
The cool factor. I can't tell you how many people think i'm just the coolest person on the planet because i'm on Friday Night lights. I have to admit, it's fun having an instant ice breaker at parties. I really do get a kick out of hearing people say that they've seen me on TV.
So that's been what the past four years has meant to me. People have asked me if I'm sad about this show and this chapter of my life coming to an end. I am sad to a point, but then i think back to an interview with one of the producers. He said something to the affect of there was a story to tell and when that story was finished, the show would be finished too. I have every confidence that this story will have a good ending. I'm so blessed to have been a part of it all and I'll never forget it. Clear eyes, full hearts....
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
What a week(end) i've had. I was supposed to go in friday for my day surgery. its a D and C and an ablation. it's a day surgery that is under sedation that is supposed to lessen my period flow. I went to the preop on thursday and was told to report to day surgery at 11:00 this past friday. Rick and I walked into the hospital friday and it was as quiet as can be. It turns out that because of memorial day, it was a down day at the hospital and day surgery was the only clinic open.
There were two people ahead of me. A man who was already in when I checked in and a lady who's appointmen was an hour before mine.
They started my IV, got me into a gown and told me to wait. We we waited and waited. then the docs came out and told us the man had complications and they needed to keep the OR open so my case would be delayed a bit. So we wait some more. In the mean time, my period started and between the cramps and the gushing everytime i stood up, it was getting to be a nightmare and I just wanted to get this done.
So a few hours went by and I had nothing to eat since the night before. It was getting really tense. Then at about 5 or 6, the docs came out and told me i would not be getting my surgery that day because the man had to be opened back up three times and was now on bypass. I couldn't get mad at that because that poor man was probably dying and one of the other patients saw his family out in the waiting room crying, so what could i do, but just pray for this family.
So my surgery is rescheduled for 7 June, this Monday. In the meantime, this weekend, I had the very worst period ever. I could barely leave the house, it was that bad. The good thing is, if i had any second thoughts about getting this done, this weekend just strengthened my resolve. There's no way on this planet I will go through another period like that if i can help it. Not much new with FNL lately. Between my kids, my other job and this surgery, it's barely on the stove, let alone the back burner. I think this week, I'm going to focus on my kids' last week of school, get my preop stuff done(again) and just relax.
There were two people ahead of me. A man who was already in when I checked in and a lady who's appointmen was an hour before mine.
They started my IV, got me into a gown and told me to wait. We we waited and waited. then the docs came out and told us the man had complications and they needed to keep the OR open so my case would be delayed a bit. So we wait some more. In the mean time, my period started and between the cramps and the gushing everytime i stood up, it was getting to be a nightmare and I just wanted to get this done.
So a few hours went by and I had nothing to eat since the night before. It was getting really tense. Then at about 5 or 6, the docs came out and told me i would not be getting my surgery that day because the man had to be opened back up three times and was now on bypass. I couldn't get mad at that because that poor man was probably dying and one of the other patients saw his family out in the waiting room crying, so what could i do, but just pray for this family.
So my surgery is rescheduled for 7 June, this Monday. In the meantime, this weekend, I had the very worst period ever. I could barely leave the house, it was that bad. The good thing is, if i had any second thoughts about getting this done, this weekend just strengthened my resolve. There's no way on this planet I will go through another period like that if i can help it. Not much new with FNL lately. Between my kids, my other job and this surgery, it's barely on the stove, let alone the back burner. I think this week, I'm going to focus on my kids' last week of school, get my preop stuff done(again) and just relax.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Lots of stuff...
Life has been pretty busy lately. Last saturday, my doctor called. My ablation surgery has been scheduled for May 28th, which is perfect. It's the Friday before memorial day, which give me plenty of time to rest and get back on my feet. i'm looking forward to getting past this and moving onto a healthier life.
My oldest, Josh is now a licensed driver. He went in and took the test about a week ago and passed with flying colors. Oh the freedom!! He's really enjoying driving himself to work and being able to choose where to go at will. I'm enjoying it too. He's a good driver and it's fun watching him be so grown up!
Rick and I spent this weekend on the set of FNL, filming football games. The first night bordered on unpleasant. Between the humidity and the mosquitoes, and our confusion with the call time, it was a little bit stressful to say the least. Saturday night, on the other hand, was the perfect filming experience. The school we filmed at had an air conditioned holding are. The weather was perfect and the field was pristine. rick and i got there super early, were able to sign in, eat and were sitting outside relaxing while our less fortunate counterparts were still stuck in line.
It's amazing what a difference a little bit of experience can make. Rick and I have been doing this so long that we have figured out the ins and outs about wardrobe, signing in, comfort items and so forth. I actually felt sorry for the folks who hadn't done this before. They were the ones who ended up waiting in line after line, hot back aching and frustrated while rick and I hardly waited at all that night. The crazy stuff we see people trying to do on the set is just amusing.
My real job, up at the church has been just awesome. Last weekend, I was blessed to have picked up some extra hours and just loved it. Between toddlers and my threes, I've been getting plenty of cuddling opportunities. It's funny how things have switched up for me. I used to be all about filing, filming, filming. And childcare was great, but it wasn't filming. Now, I find myself on the set, wishing I was up at CBC being with my kids. I guess i'm finally seeing things for what they are. This whole "acting" thing has been kind of a selfish whimsical pasttime, while my heart really is with my preschoolers. It amazes me how many background extras, props with a pulse, who have never really "acted" are all about themselves being serious actors.
I mean, who wants to crush their dreams, but my goodness, the way some of them act, it's like they think someone is there that night to discover them. You have these little things that dress all sexy because they're sure tim riggins is going to sweep them away, to ladies my age that go on about "the business" and get all dolled up, trying to strut their stuff because they're sure this is going to be their big break. And some of these women are competitive!! Heaven forbid, you get a camera time and they don't! LOL It's kind of funny. or it would be if it wasn't so sad. I mean, hello!! You're NOT an actress, you're NOT ACTING! you're JUST a background extra, a dime a dozen, GET OVER YOURSELVES!! Definitely NOT how I want to spend a whole lot of my time. I guess it's not a bad thing FNL is coming to a close. I've had fun dipping my toes into the shallow water of show business, but i'm ready to dry off and get back into the real world.
My oldest, Josh is now a licensed driver. He went in and took the test about a week ago and passed with flying colors. Oh the freedom!! He's really enjoying driving himself to work and being able to choose where to go at will. I'm enjoying it too. He's a good driver and it's fun watching him be so grown up!
Rick and I spent this weekend on the set of FNL, filming football games. The first night bordered on unpleasant. Between the humidity and the mosquitoes, and our confusion with the call time, it was a little bit stressful to say the least. Saturday night, on the other hand, was the perfect filming experience. The school we filmed at had an air conditioned holding are. The weather was perfect and the field was pristine. rick and i got there super early, were able to sign in, eat and were sitting outside relaxing while our less fortunate counterparts were still stuck in line.
It's amazing what a difference a little bit of experience can make. Rick and I have been doing this so long that we have figured out the ins and outs about wardrobe, signing in, comfort items and so forth. I actually felt sorry for the folks who hadn't done this before. They were the ones who ended up waiting in line after line, hot back aching and frustrated while rick and I hardly waited at all that night. The crazy stuff we see people trying to do on the set is just amusing.
My real job, up at the church has been just awesome. Last weekend, I was blessed to have picked up some extra hours and just loved it. Between toddlers and my threes, I've been getting plenty of cuddling opportunities. It's funny how things have switched up for me. I used to be all about filing, filming, filming. And childcare was great, but it wasn't filming. Now, I find myself on the set, wishing I was up at CBC being with my kids. I guess i'm finally seeing things for what they are. This whole "acting" thing has been kind of a selfish whimsical pasttime, while my heart really is with my preschoolers. It amazes me how many background extras, props with a pulse, who have never really "acted" are all about themselves being serious actors.
I mean, who wants to crush their dreams, but my goodness, the way some of them act, it's like they think someone is there that night to discover them. You have these little things that dress all sexy because they're sure tim riggins is going to sweep them away, to ladies my age that go on about "the business" and get all dolled up, trying to strut their stuff because they're sure this is going to be their big break. And some of these women are competitive!! Heaven forbid, you get a camera time and they don't! LOL It's kind of funny. or it would be if it wasn't so sad. I mean, hello!! You're NOT an actress, you're NOT ACTING! you're JUST a background extra, a dime a dozen, GET OVER YOURSELVES!! Definitely NOT how I want to spend a whole lot of my time. I guess it's not a bad thing FNL is coming to a close. I've had fun dipping my toes into the shallow water of show business, but i'm ready to dry off and get back into the real world.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
This and that....
So yesterday was a red letter day for my oldest. He got the camera he's been pining for, for months and he passed his driver's test and is now a licensed driver. I picked him up from school early yesterday and had a couple of hours with him before all this exciting stuff happened and I could feel all the excitement inside him. Way to go, Josh!!
This weekend is going to be all about relaxing. Josh and I will be working childcare, but when we're home, we're just going to chill. It's been ages since we've had just a weekend to hang out, read, play games or do whatever. I'm so looking forward to some downtime. I'm so looking forward to the summer and having my kids home for the most part.
This weekend is going to be all about relaxing. Josh and I will be working childcare, but when we're home, we're just going to chill. It's been ages since we've had just a weekend to hang out, read, play games or do whatever. I'm so looking forward to some downtime. I'm so looking forward to the summer and having my kids home for the most part.
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