The Lipstick Explosion and Spending Last Thurs Morning in the ER

Hey all,

I actually started this blog last Friday night, but didn't get the chance to finish it until tonight after the boys went to bed. So in the first paragraph, the reference to 'tomorrow' is actually last Saturday and goes along chronologically from there :-)

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Long weekend! WooHoo!!!! I'm going to see Tim McGraw & Faith Hill tomorrow WOOHOO!!! Kids start back to school next week .......... W-O-O-H-O-O!!!!! ;-)

It's been another krazy week in the korner. Although it started off fairly uneventful, ball games Tues night, school back pack shopping wed night, by Thurs, it was picking up lol.

On Wed morning, I took a few minutes and fired off a quick email to a popular cosmetic manufacturer. Not something I do on a regular basis, or have ever done before actually lol, but considering their product contributed to a really BAD start to the day, and my 'you pissed me off and I'm going to tell you why' personality, I felt I had to share my opinion with them. In a very nice, professional, calm manner of course ;-)

This particular morning, the boys and I actually got out of the house on time. Some mornings are better than others on this task, so I was actually leaving the house with a smile on my face, instead of the all too often standing by the door saying "let's move it boys!" You've been up for an hour .... what could you POSSIBLY be running down the stairs into the rec room for now?!?!?!? Let's GO!"

So we all jump into the vehicle, and before I start it, I pull out the lipstick and pull down the visor. It's always the last thing I do before I leave the house ... the lipstick :-)

I have to take a minute to embellish on this lipstick at bit ;- ) A couple of months ago, I bought one of those 8hr lasting lipsticks. It came in a small tube, in liquid format which turned to a matte once applied and dried, and there was also a stick of gloss which game with it, to apply once dry if you wanted the 'shiny' look :-) I've tried a few of these 'long wearing' lipsticks before and was never impressed ... until now! This stuff is actually REALLY good! Stays on over 8hrs, didn't come off on my Tim's cups, or on my cigarettes, I ate and the napkins were clean LOL I was so impressed, for the first few days I would pucker up to 'the girls' asking 'have you seen my new lipstick'? :-D It's a girl thing. I found one that WORKED! :-) I was so proud of my new lipstick :-)

So I pull it out, and start to apply the Burgundy/Brown shade. All of a sudden, without looking down, I can see the red liquid spilling out of the bottom of the container, all over my fingers, onto the front of a pair of light blue Capri's, and onto the car seat.

I think if the neighbours weren't already awake, the 'AAARRRRAAAGGGGHHHHH' that erupted from me might have done it :-D So much for getting out of the house in a 'smooth' fashion this morning :-( Ran back into the house, threw the defective lipstick in the garbage and tried to scrub the reddish brown coating from my hands. Not a chance it was coming off! Great! I looked like I had just had a hand in a homicide and I had to go through the day like this. Then I dove into the closet looking for another pair of pants that would match the shirt I was already wearing. Not an easy task with a bright red, light blue and yellow striped t-shirt lol. I opted for the next best thing, red Capri's, and ran back out to the truck.

I had just started it when Alec asked, 'Was that a really expensive lipstick Mom?'
I said, 'Well, not a fortune no, but expensive enough that you wouldn't expect the bottom to just fall off of it and have the contents flow all over you!'.
Then he asked 'But how much did it cost?'
"Almost 8 bucks" I replied.
'Wow! That's still pretty expensive for a liptstick'
That's when Adam just turned the whole morning around. In the rear view mirror, I could see him lean over to his brother and in a most serious, earnest voice said "Oh but Alec ... it LASTS over 8 hours!!!!"
I cracked up :D

It lasted over 8hrs on my hands too!

That night we went back pack shopping when I picked them up after work. While we were out, I noticed the pains that had started in my chest the night before at the ball game were just a little more strong. Enough that I was starting to notice it when I'd breath. Not the same type of pain as when the lungs collapsed, but ... similar.

Thursday morning, it was still there. I don't know if I was just noticing it more, or it was really just a little more prominent. After I dropped the boys off at the sitter's, I was on my way to work, and thinking about the upcoming weekend. I was going to the Country Rocks the Hill aka Tim & Faith concert in Moncton. And I remembered last year, how we had stood crammed like all those little fish in the net in the Finding Nemo movie lol, for over 4 hrs just to see Sugarland 'up close'. They were definitely worth it, and so were many of the acts performing this coming weekend If there was anything remotely wrong with my lung now, it would never stand that abuse in two days time. I had to have this looked at now. So when I reached the 'point of no return' of either turning right and going to work, or going straight and going to the community Emerg ... I went straight.

For those who aren't aware, I've learned to listen to my body's signals that there is something 'wrong'. I've been relatively healthy my whole life. Other than the scrapes, flu's, dental work lol, and occasional bout with pneumonia when I got older. However, 5 yrs ago, I had a double lung surgery, because I had a hereditary lung disease that I didn't know I had (wasn't caused by my smoking, but that certainly didn't help it). It was first discovered when my lung collapsed one day out of the blue. I had no idea what was going on, ignored the pain in my chest and figured I had pulled something and it would go away. I ended up being taken to the ER by ambulance the following morning. My lung had collapsed 90% over night. They put a chest tube in me, sent me home for two days then I had to go back to have it removed.

The second time my lung collapsed (the opposite one this time) was two months later. I was standing at my father's wake which had only started a few minutes earlier, and the lineup was all the way out of the rooms, and leaned over to my now ex and said "OK, don't say anything, don't do anything, but I think my lung just collapsed" I remembered what that pain felt like. You notice when you breath ... that's not normal. You notice it when you move, at it's worst, it's there when you're doing nothing at all. It's a pain you remember when it hits again. Because of the situation, I didn't voice my suspicion to my mom or anyone else, until I got back home two days later. THEN I went to the ER and same procedure that time. Chest tube, home, remove. Difference was, I was able to 'tolerate' it for two days this time, because I had a 'slow leak'. There was a tear in my lung, which was causing the pain, but it wasn't deflating as fast as last time, so it didn't cause me as much discomfort as soon. This time I was sent to a specialist though, and it was determined I had Bullous Lung Disease and needed the double lung surgery. Scheduled for the upcoming Nov and Jan.

The morning I went in for the first surgery, I was laying in pre-op and the nurse had just left after taking my stats and marking my hand with an 'x' on the side they were going to operate on, and all of a sudden I felt it. My lung collapsed. The opposite one of the one they were originally supposed to operate on LOL. I pushed the 'panic button' attached to my bed, and when the nurse came back I said 'I think you may want to bring a portable chest x-ray in here before we start, cause I'm pretty sure my other lung just collapsed.' She was doubtful, but by that time, I knew that pain. Knew what it meant. Sure enough ... they had to operate on the other one that day because it was already 'down' LOL.

When all was said and done, they took 15% of my 'damaged' lungs, and stapled the remainder of them to my chest walls, so they would no longer be able to collapse. Done deal. Heal and move on.

Didn't have a problem with them again. Until this week.

This wasn't the same type of pain. But it was close. More dull than sharp like it had been before and just THERE. But I had been through this (collapsing lungs aka spontaneous pneomothorax) three times now, I knew when I got the to ER, if they said "Decreased breath sounds" it wouldn't be good. Each time I heard those words I'd ended up with a tube in my chest.

There are three types of pneomothorax, I've had the first two, multiple times

Spontaneous pneumothorax - occurs when air escapes from the lung causing it to collapse. This type of pneumothorax occurs for no apparent reason.

Tension pneumothorax - a severe pneumothorax that can be life-threatening. The lung collapse is usually more than 50%. The cause of this type of pneumothorax can be a traumatic event, or a severe spontaneous pneumothorax.

Traumatic pneumothorax - results from a puncture wound to the lung, causing the lung to collapse. This can also be life-threatening.


But when I had the surgeries to 'fix' the problem, it was my understanding that after that, it wouldn't happen again. Guess that was sort of half true ...

So I get to the ER Thurs morning and after triage and hearing 'decreased breath sounds' from the nurse, they sent me for a chest x-ray, and the doc said he couldn't see a tear, didn't mean there wasn't one there, but just that it was very small, then diagnosed me with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), a different lung disease than the other one 5 yrs ago, told me to quit smoking immediately (and not in such a nice way really) and sent me on my way with instruction for pain management. And to follow up with my family doc to see a breathing specialist.

Once again, I know my body. I know when something's wrong. It would only be a matter of time before I was back ... sigh ....

I went to the concert on Sat with the pain still there. - Separate blog to come later. Had a great time! Probably wasn't such a good idea health-wise though ;-)

Could barely get out of bed the next day. Not because I had had too much fun at the concert, or stayed out late, (was in bed just after midnight and slept until just after 10am), the pain was simply getting worse.

This week, I took it relatively easy on Monday, Labour Day, spent the last day of this long weekend at the beach with the boys, not swimming ... just sitting on the blanket watching lol. And then went back again that night for Alec's first ball game of the playoff series.

Adam's game was cancelled, and now has his last game of the season on Tues night, but before we go there, we have to first stop at the fire hall for Basketball registration, and this year, they BOTH get to play :-) Alec competitively, Adam recreational. They both think they're Troy Bolton!! lol (those who have seen HSM2 will know who that is), and I'm thinkin' it's going to be a busy winter!

Then it was much worse again on Tuesday, that day I left work just before lunch and went back to the ER. I had spoken to my family doc first. She had gotten the results of the chest x-ray from Thurs and wanted to follow up with me right away because of the COPD. When she heard the pain and breathing was worse, she said 'come down now' then sent me down to the hospital for another chest x-ray. She had the same concern that I did. Slow leak.

I told the ER doc, 'you know your body and you know when a pain just isn't right. And it shouldn't hurt to breath!' And I remember the pain of the onset of a collapsing lung. I had a fast one, and a slow leak lol. This one was a slow leak. I knew it last Tues. They couldn't see it last Thurs but diagnosed me with COPD and sent me on my way, on this Tues, they said 'small tear'.

So I have a very small tear in the lung, and if it weren't for the staples, it would have collapsed by now. Wants to ... but it can't :-) The pain and symptoms of that are the same, but the up side is that I don't need a chest tube to re-inflate it and keep it up there while it heals. Supposedly now just rest (meaning off work until next Wed), nothing strenuous (like mowing my lawn lol) and pain management by way of 800mg of Ibuprofen 4 times a day will fix it :-) We'll see. I certainly hope so lol. It's a pain in the ass to my life more than anything else lol. Well, that and the whole breathing thing ;-)

As for the quitting smoking, I'm going to seriously try a hypnotist :-) A girl from work has a friend who recommended him. He does 'medical hypnosis. I just got his name today, so I'm going to call my doc tomorrow and ask her to refer me. I also found out tonight about a new pill you can take, twice a day, that will curb the cravings, and if you try to smoke on it, will make you nauseous. Champix. Going to ask her about that too.

Have been trying to go cold turkey, but falling off the wagon alot:-( I've tried the patch and zyban in the past 10yrs, and neither worked ... for me ... so I figure this time I'll try the hypnosis first, then on to Champix:-) If THAT doesn't work ... back to the patch I guess lol.

So there's the update I know some of you have been waiting for ;-) Sorry it took so long to get out, but the fatigue that goes along with this 'lung issue(s)' is incredible! I'll try and get something up about the concert some time over the weekend. Since the boys are with their dad, I'll have LOTS of time to rest. These past couple of days have been semi-restful at best lol. As any mom, single or otherwise knows, there is no such thing as REST in a house with children lol.

Night all!
Time to throw a load of laundry in the dryer and take this butt to bed ... again lol.

K

What an 11yr old boy will ask to extend his bedtime!!!! Shhheeesssshhh!

Hey all,

Here's one for the parents of Tweens :-)

I'm putting Alec to bed last night, we're discussing his day, the crazy week we've had, etc and out of the blue, he comes out with.... "Mom, if a girl isn't having her period, she can have sex right?"

Oh boy ... think fast!!! Is there really a RIGHT answer to this one? Sheeeeshhhhh! Come on ... click the slippers and go back to the land of Lions, Tigers and Bears! :-)

Alec has a tendency of asking 'these types' of questions at bedtime, at the exact time it's NOT time to get into a LONG discussion about sex ... periods ... life ... lol. But it's partly my own fault that he brings it up when he does, because I've asked him NOT to bring up such topics if his younger brother is around. I made this request one day when he asked me "Mom, what's an STD"? while his brother was in the room lol. Feeling Adam's eyes glued to me, waiting for my answer, knowing it would be something he probably shouldn't hear just yet, I felt "We'll discuss it later, after your brother has gone to bed" was an appropriate answer at the time :-) However, sometimes it backfires on me, because it's when he knows I'm tired that he'll shoot the really hard ones at me lol.

After this latest question, I just took a deep breath and said "Where did you hear that?", wanting to find out what had prompted the question, which might make a difference in the answer I provided at that particular moment LOL.

He said "Joe" (not his real name) who is a friend of his had used it in reference to girls their age. Meaning if they were old enough to have their period, medically they were old enough to have sex (just not while on their period, as far as they were concerned)

Deciding to opt for a 'quick & easy' response, I simply said "Well .. technically ... he's right, if a girl is not having her period, she could be having sex (that's as far as I was taking that one!), but these girls are only 11, and shouldn't be having sex anyway, so they shouldn't have to worry about when they can have it. And you're a boy, you don't have a period, and shouldn't be having sex yet, so it shouldn't concern you right now either ...RIGHT?

"Right Mom"

Good ... Goodnight ... Luv You :-)

Do I think he's having sex? Nah. Do I think he and 'the boys' are talking about it? Oh yeah! lol

I know at some point it's going to require further discussion. Another night, but not at 10pm when my brain is getting ready to shut down ... I'm just not up for those mental motherhood challenges right then lol. In that instance, I willingly throw the challenge, give up the Power of Veto, but remain ... as always Head of Household ;-)

Sometimes I think I preferred the days when the hardest questions were "Mommy, why does Hershey eat the cat poop?" Sigh .... ;-)

Nite all!
K

The Secret, The Bee/Wasp, The Bum and The Pass

Hey Family and Friends and Bloggers!

Last year I decided to board the blogging bus for the same reason many of us are here, to keep the family and friends updated on 'what we're up to'.

All of my previous blogs have been posted on MySpace. I like MS, but I don't look at it as a specific 'blogging site'.

I thought I would create an account here, just out of curiousity, to see what the traffic was like, if there was any interest in the adventures of Kim's Korner, outside of my loyal MS Friends :-)

I'll still be keeping my 'old' blog on MySpace, but would simply like to wander into the Blogger family as well

If you're here because I've invited you, glad you could make it! If you've wandered into my blog spot ... welcome! If you like what you read, feel free to come back. For some strange reason, 'things' always seem to happen to me, (which is probably why I like the phrase "everything happens for a reason"), so there'll always be new adventures to follow .

The last two blogs I posted, were regarding our Summer Vacation Excitement. Feel Free to go over to my MySpace account, to read those first, or, feel free to start with the newest post here.

There was one last 'story' I wanted to share with everyone from Summer Vacation '07. This one DOESN'T directly involve the kids LOL.

I'm sure many of you out there have heard of the book The Secret. Or have seen the movie. I had read review snippets of it, and caught conversations of it here and there over the past little while. I realize some of you will have no idea what I'm talking about ;-) but I think there will be some of you who are nodding your heads, as you've either read or are in the process of reading it :-)

On first day of vacation, I finished the new Harry Potter Book. Loved it. Loved the ending :-) Thanks to all of you who finished it before me, and who also didn't spoil the ending ... thank you VERY much!!! :-D

The next day, I spotted The Secret on the shelf across the room and picked it up, the book I had heard so much about, and started to read. I read the Acknowledgments, the Forward, every word of every sentence. I have a tendency of 'skimming' over paragraphs that don't hold my interest, but I wanted to be able to say I had literally read this one in particular from cover to cover :-)

Now I'm not going to go on and on about what it's about, or if I 'believe' in any or all of it. I'm not going to get onto a soapbox about god, the universe, higher powers, alien life, or invite debates on the meaning of life LOL. I simply wanted to make a few comments on a couple of incidents that happened after I started reading this book, which I thought were 'cool'.

In order for you to understand their significance, you DO have to have some sort of general understanding of what the book is about.

In a nutshell, I think it's all about the law of attraction, and what thoughts/words/actions you throw out there into the universe, good or bad, you attract back to you. You stress about things, you get more stressed, more bills arrive. Think positive thoughts, good things happen, you win the lottery ... that sort of thing.

Some people think it's a load of cr*p. That's ok. I can't say I 'believe' everything I read in these types of books anyway cause that just isn't true. I take what works for me, and leave the rest. Yes, I think the mind is an extremely powerful thing. I believe in thinking positively - no matter what, sixth senses, mommy instincts, hunches, and I follow mine. Not every time, and sometimes I regret not doing so.

But you can't tell me that a 2yr old child will send negative thoughts out into the universe to bring a form of disease or deformity onto itself. Which is also what the book is stating. Think negatively, bring negativity onto you. You can't tell me my dad didn't spend every day after he found out he was sick, asking god, the fates, the powers that be, to make him well again. You can't tell me there weren't thousands of 'good' thoughts being sent out into the universe for him. So why doesn't The Secret work for everyone, simply by them asking for what they want?

Having said all that. I still always try to look at the positive side of things. :-) Find the humor in the stressful/bad situations. You sort of have to when you own a 'Most Sh*t' trophy ... don't you? ;-) (if you're curious about the Most Sh*t trophy, you'd have to go back to my very first blog on MySpace)
There are many 'little secrets' throughout The Secret. I realize I've 'practiced' some of these my whole life, sometimes without realizing I'm doing so. Some, I've thought, sure ... that makes sense ... other bits of information just sort of leave me going '.... yeah ... ok .... I don't think so'. But again, I'm simply taking from it what I will, and leaving what just isn't for me.

So I'm into the first few chapters while we're visiting family and I had just finished reading about how it's all about the law of attraction. What you think/talk about, you send out into the universe, and the wheels go in motion to make it happen.

The afternoon of the tornado, immediately after getting into the vehicle, we cracked the windows because it was simply scorching in there. As we pulled out of the driveway, I also started the air conditioning. I made a comment of rarely using the AC, because I prefer the wind from the open window. My cousin's wife said "Oh no, I always use the AC and keep the windows closed because I'm afraid of a Bee or Hornet flying in." I sort of chuckled and asked "Really?, I ALWAYS have them down, especially on the highway and have never had a problem with bugs". I like my road trips. I like the music blasting and the windows down and singing at the top of my lungs ... and I've yet to swallow a bug that way ;-)

After that, the conversation turned to "How long can we swim this afternoon Mom?" and the window/AC debate was forgotten.

Until the drive home two days later .....

We had just finished filling the gas tank and had hit the highway, settling into the monotonous groove of 90km/h on single lane highway filled with summer tourist traffic. Tunes were going, boys were in their 'fort' (blanket over all headrests) watching a movie on the DVD's, I was wondering if the guy in front of me was EVER going to pass that guy in front of him pulling the trailer, and it flew in ............. a Bee. Right through my window, smacked into my arm and dropped onto my seat right in front of me between my legs.

You know how your mind wants to do one thing, and then your body reacts differently ....

I knew I had to NOT panic ... I knew I had to pull over .... instead, I flip the signal light, start to pull over and distracted by where the bee was, hit the gas instead of the break and surprised myself and the kids. Brain knew not to panic but mouth said "UH OH ....AHHH NOO!!!" which got the kids attention even more, and started a repeated duet of 'What Mom? What Happened? What's Wrong? Was there an accident? and on and on and I'm thinking "BEE!!! MUST ... PULL .... OVER!" And just kept saying 'hang on ...!' LOL. thinking 'let me get over to the side first!'

I pulled over, jumped out, swiped the bee onto the floor, took off my shoe, and that was the end of Mr Bee. Death by flip flop.

By now, the boys had popped up from their fort, and were asking 'What is it? What is it?' That's when I finally said "Bee" LOL. Got back in, pulled out into traffic and blended in with the traveling drones once again :-)

I can't remember the last time a bee/wasp flew in the car. Once we got back into the road trip groove, I thought about The Secret and what I had just read a couple of mornings ago, while sipping coffee on the deck. "What you throw out there, you attract back to you". I thought back to my conversation on the way to the pool. We certainly threw the bee out there LOL. Chalked it up to interesting coincidence :-)

The next day, we stopped in to see my best friend and her son. We took the kids for ice cream and while we were out, a wasp flew in the window and stung my friend's son on the hand. We were parked at the time ;-)

Twice in two days. What you throw out there. The more you think about it, the more you attract it. Two stinging insects through the window in two days ... things that make ya go hmmmmmm.......

The following week, I'm back at work and trying to finish the book on my coffee/lunch breaks. I hadn't gotten very far, despite the fact it's a 'small' book lol, and was in the chapter 'The Secret to Money'. I was outside on my break, leaning against one of the buildings across the street from my office, reading, sipping my coffee, having my cigarette, enjoying the little sunny patch I'd found, doing my own thing.

I had just finished reading the paragraph "... There is an abundance of money and it's on it's way to me. I am a money magnet. I love money and money loves me. I am receiving money every day ..." Cheesy I know, but ya know what? No sooner did I finish that sentence, then this guy comes up to me on the street and says "I'll give you 50 cents if I can get a cigarette from you". I gave him a smoke, refused his money with a 'no, that's ok', (which is simply the Maritimer way lol) and went back to my book. The very next sentence I read said "Giving is a powerful action to bring more money into your life". And couldn't resist putting the book down for a minute and chuckling to myself ... I read about receiving money, and the next minute was offered 50 cents (LOL) ... Gave, and then read about giving and receiving more ........ I'm thinking it's time to throw the thoughts of winning the lottery out into the universe ;-) There ya go fates, the good lottery thoughts are out there ... work your magic ... you've teased me with the bee, the wasp and the bum, now let's see what you can really do! :-D

And finally, yesterday I put in a request for a new security badge at work. Couldn't find mine and with the high security on our project, I didn't want to take the chance of having an active pass 'out there' and had mine deactivated. I was using a temp pass for the day, and had gone to the bathroom just before lunch. While washing my hands, I was thinking about how I hadn't heard back from the Security Lady who would authorize my new pass. I was thinking that I would send her an email as soon as I got back to my desk, in case I needed to have a new pic taken that day, I wanted to do it before it started raining LOL.

I finished drying the hands when a woman I didn't know came out of one of the stalls behind me. I turned to leave and she said "Are you Kim X?" I turned back around and said "Yes?" She said "Hi, I'm so and so, and I have your security badge ready for you upstairs". It was the security lady. Who does not work on my floor. Works 11 floors above, and had at that moment decided to come down to OUR floor to use our bathroom (she had her own specific reasons for being there that had nothing to do with my pass).

Thoughts of the security pass sent 'out there' and the security lady walks out of the bathroom stall behind me, on a floor nowhere near her own ... yet another thing to first make you LOL LOL LOL .... THEN go hmmmmm...... ;-)

Do I 'believe' everything I read in The Secret. Nah, I can't. Do I 'believe' in the power of positive thinking and unexplained 'weird' occurrences ... sure. We all have to believe in something don't we? ;-) I do believe I've won the lottery! I do believe I've won the lottery! I do believe I've won the lottery! (DUCK - here comes Tinkerbell!!!!)

No sense in starting with something small right? ;-)

Have a good night all!

Till next time!

K.

From the Beach to Tornado in a day ... Summer Vacation Adventures Part II

Hey all,

Another summer vacation adventure I wanted to share :-)

This past week, after our beach adventures, we spent a couple of days in a little village in the Miramichi. On one of those days, we experienced tornado weather! On Sat morning, my status message on one of my online accounts was questioning 'how I was going to get the golf-ball sized hail stone dents out of my vehicle when I returned home.' Sure enough ... we had a tornado in little old Blackville, NB where we happened to be visiting LOL.

Friday morning was absolutely beautiful and stifling HOT! We were no longer at the beach, but had two pools to choose from in which to spend the afternoon :-) Between the adults and kids and fact we only had one vehicle, I made two trips bringing everyone over to where we would be for the afternoon.

The kids were able to swim for about an hour when it clouded over very suddenly. You knew immediately that it wasn't one of these 'cloud passing over the sun' type of clouds ... this was one HUGE nasty black blanket covering the sky. Then, just as we said, "time to pack it in guys' the thunder started.

As I brought the first load of passengers back to the house, the rain started. On my way back to get Alec and his cousin, the HEAVY rain started. I was just rounding the corner to the house where they were waiting when the hail started. At first, I thought it was huge rain drops hitting my vehicle, then realized that they were hitting far to HARD to be rain ... then I could see it through the sheets of rain ... Hail ... BIG hail!!! First weekend of August, swimming not 15 minutes earlier, and now there was golf ball sized hail pelting down on my vehicle, and all around me!

I pulled into the driveway, and the kids ran out from under the cover of the veranda, while I stared around in amazement! HUGE hail was beating down on the boys as they ran and they couldn't get in fast enough with yells of "Do you see that! Holy WOW! Do you see that hail mom/aunt kim?!?!' LOL.

Yeah ... I saw it! And could feel it cracking down onto the truck! I tried to get a pic through the windshield, but as you'll see below, it didn't capture much more than the sheets of rain.




Then I tried to roll down the window, and managed to get a couple of quick shots while getting smacked in the face with little ice rocks! LOL

We pulled out of the driveway and it kept coming. Alec's cousin mentioned he was worried about his dad driving back from 'town' in this and hoped he was ok.

Then it started to slow in a matter of minutes. The hail stopped, but rain and thunder and lightening continued.

On the way home, we got stuck behind a big dump truck. Just stopped in the middle of the main road with his hazards flashing. A few cars drove by in the opposite lane, but made a bit of a circle around him. Traffic was starting to build up behind me, so when I saw a break, I went around him, and that's when I saw the downed wire. Not sure if it was power or phone but it was draped all over the truck, and now we were driving over the end of it ... YIKES!

Made it home without further incident though :-) and continued to watch the huge black mass move over us as the lightening shone through it sporadically. We took a drive later in the evening once the sun came out, to my cousin's camp 'back in the woods'. Trees were knocked down along the main road, and we had to take a detour, and one just missed my cousin's camp by a couple of feet. Fell perfectly straight across the back of it. Another couple of feet in, and it would have come right down through it.



On his way home during the hail storm, my cousin looked 'across the way' and said he swore he saw a tornado. Funnel and all and watched it as he drove, not really believing what he was seeing. Wondering if he should pull over, but wanting to get home.

The whole front hood of my vehicle is now covered in dents from the hail. There are also some on the roof ... but it's more so noticable on the hood. People have had the 'OMIGOD ... HAIL did that?!?!?!' When they see the hood LOL. Today, I showed it to/discussed it with a number of people and they came to the same consensus ... I'd need a new hood and have it painted. Would cost at least $1000 just for the hood, not the roof. It's not worth having my insurance go up if I claim it, after paying the deductable, when I know it's almost reached it's limit before resale. I was hoping to trade it in next spring, and as long as it runs well until then ... fine ... but I'd never see any value back in anything I put into it right now. And definitely not worth the insurance hike because of a freak of nature LOL. I've decided it will just have to remain a conversation piece of the vehicle ... and wear it's tornado war wounds proudly LOL.

Sure enough ... there was a tornado watch issued that day. I happened to google 'tornado in NB this morning, on a hunch, and sure enough, found one of my aunts quoted in a CBC news article LOL. Funny thing was, I didn't see this particular aunt on this visit, but apparently we had the same experience in the storm.

From CBC news article/weather warning:
"A tornado warning has been issued for the Miramichi area and RCMP are cautioning New Brunswickers about high winds that have knocked over telephone poles and trees.

Environment Canada reported at 3:30 p.m. AT that people in or near the Miramichi area should be on the lookout for adverse weather conditions and take safety precautions.

Environment Canada reported earlier Friday that winds were moving eastward at 90 km/h, pushing a line of thunderstorms from western and northwestern New Brunswick.

RCMP in Grand Falls report fallen trees blocking roads in the Perth-Andover, Plaster Rock and California Settlement areas, and thousands of New Brunswickers are without power after lines were downed.

Meanwhile, in Blackville there were reports of golf ball-sized hail denting cars. "Well the hailstones are pretty well all done," said *****, who works at the Blackville post office, at 4 p.m. "They were as big pretty near as golf balls and as hard, and I had a brand-new truck sitting out here and it's all dented."

A severe thunderstorm warning issued by Environment Canada said a warm and humid air mass over the province was providing ideal conditions for severe thunderstorms today.

"These thunderstorms could produce gusty winds in excess of 90 kilometres per hour, large hail greater than two centimetres, heavy rain of more than 25 millimetres per hour and intense frequent lightning," the warning read.

Officials at Environment Canada spotted small hail and funnel clouds in northern Maine, moving towards the region."

I'm 36 yrs old and I've never seen anything like it in my life. I was just amazed and couldn't really believe I was seeing it, and wasn't quite sure what was going to happen next. I clicked my flip flops a few times ... but it didn't seem to help. I KNEW I should have packed those red slingbacks ;-) We did all make it home safe and sound though, so once again ... Thanks Fates!!! :-D

Nite all.
K

Everything Happens For a Reason ... Proven to me yet again

Hey all!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Summer!

The boys and I returned home from a week's vacation at the beach around 6:30 pm tonight. I'm exhausted. We had a wonderful time! I'm burnt ... physically from the sun and mentally from the vacation lol, but overall it was great! It's an unbelievable feeling to wake up, open your door, walk out into the morning sun, stepping immediately into warm sand, and you're looking at nothing but miles of blue water :-)

After four days of playing with family at the beach, we headed to another relatives house to visit for few days. We arrived mid-evening, and after letting the boys and their cousins play for a couple of hours, while I caught up on the family news, they were definitely ready when I said it was time for bed. The grown-ups talked far too late into the night, and I was exhausted when I finally got my butt into bed.

The boys and I were sharing a room. Adam and I sleeping on the bottom bunk (double) and Alec on top bunk (single). As tired as I was, I figured (hoped) I'd just crash, and flipped through a People magazine while waiting for sleep. It didn't come. As badly as I wanted to, I couldn't fall asleep, and I couldn't figure out why. I should have. Four days of salt air, non stop 'family fun', going to a pub for a couple of drinks the night before we left, to get re-acquainted with my cousin who I hadn't seen since we were young children .... drive the next day, staying up far too late shooting the sh*t with my cousin, his wife and my aunt ... I SHOULD have crashed immediately! LOL I didn't. About half way through People, I found out why.

First, let me mention a couple of things ....

In the last few years, I have become a VERY SOUND sleeper. When I'm out, I'm out and it really takes alot to wake me up. So much so, that I slept through a hurricane we had here a few years ago LOL. The ex was out with the fire dept. My mom was visiting and she and the boys were watching the wind, rain and destruction, and aside from waking up for a few minutes, by the ex scaring the crap out of me, dressed in full fire gear telling me he was going out with 'the crew' in the storm ... I fell right back asleep, not realizing the severity of 'the storm', and slept through the whole thing LOL. So had I crashed on this particular night, as I had hoped to, what happened next may very well have had a completely different ending.

The other thing, is that Alec is prone to talking in his sleep. And walking on occasion. A couple of times, about 4 yrs ago, he came out onto the deck where the ex and I were sitting. He was sleepwalking. He'll also talk to you, somewhat coherently in this state as well, but not realize he's doing any of it. On occasion, he has night terrors. I installed a deadbolt at the top of the front door LOL. No really ... I did :-) He's since stopped walking, and haven't had the need for the extra lock for some time, but still talks at least a couple of nights a week. More so when he's tired as most of us do. Myself included :-)

So I'm laying there, and after a good 40 minutes of unsuccessfully willing sleep to just finally take over, and getting rather bored reading about Paris, Lindsay and Brittney's latest 'escapades', Alec started moaning loudly and his right hand gripped the side of the bunk railing. I put the magazine down and immediately the mother's instinct started kicking in and for some reason, all senses were on full alert ... the next thing I knew, he's sitting up, and screaming 'I want to go home, I want to go home, I want to go home !!!' Over and over. All in his sleep.

Thankfully I was sleeping on the outside of the bed. I threw the People, and jumped up just in time to catch him flinging himself headfirst over the railing. He was sound asleep. Alec's a good sized boy. Weighs more than I do. Not a whole lot. But more nonetheless. Dead weight asleep. He had both hands, white knuckled gripping the railing, his eyes were open wide and staring at me, screaming, and I had both hands on his chest, feet spread apart, bracing myself against him, trying to hold him back from throwing himself over headfirst. All the while saying "Alec hon, you're ok, you're in bed, wake up, you're ok, etc.' And all the while, he's pushing against me trying to get over the railing.

Then, the mom's eye in the back of my head catches Adam running across the room with the blanket over his head LOL. I wasn't sure if he was awake or asleep himself, so I just turned my head around and told him "It's ok bud, Alec's just having a bad dream, hang on, stay right there for a minute.' Then I turned my attention back to Alec who was still yelling/mumbling.

When I looked at him and said his name, his eyes focused and he screamed again LOL. I told him he was just having a bad dream, talked to him for a bit, and then he was calm ... wondering what was going on. It all happened and was over in a matter of minutes. Once he was 'awake' I had him get down from the bunk, and we put the mattress on the floor. Then I tucked all three of us back in bed, and kept a light hand on each boy's shoulder ... just in case :-)

Once I was settled in again, it hit me. Had I not been awake, wishing I was asleep, he would have been a dead-weight head first on a free fall, and god only knows what he would have broken when he hit that floor, if he didn't break something hitting the dresser first on the way down, depending on how he fell ... and I wouldn't have heard a thing, until it was too late.

My thoughts went back to how I had desperately wanted to go to sleep, I was CRAVING my sleep, but 'something' wouldn't let me slip into that blissful state of unconsciousness ... why?

After we moved the mattress onto the floor, and got Alec was settled and sound asleep again, I lay there for another half hour or so, thinking of all the possibilities ... of what 'could' have happened. What if'ing it to death, 'what if he'd cracked his head', 'what if he broke his neck' 'what if ... what if' ... but every few seconds, the same thought kept coming to mind ... 'don't question it, you were awake, everything happens for a reason'. So I shut off the 'what ifs' as best I could and focused instead on saying 'Thanks Fates!' and the plans for the following day.

Yup, everything happens for a reason. I can honestly say that was the last thought that drifted through my head that night, when I finally fell asleep :-)

And now ... I'm off to hit the sack and get some sleep again :-)

Night all!

K

The opposite of 'sleeping in' until noon is ......

Hey all!

This one is for all those who have been woken up 'abruptly' in the morning :-)
Last weekend the boys were with their father. On the weekends they're with him, being someone who LOVES her sleep ... I try to sleep in one of the two days . At least a little bit. 'Sleeping in' meaning not opening my eyes until sometime after 10:30am.

That saturday, after a week-long session of meetings that were particularly taxing to the brain and even physically draining, I was looking forward to a body catch up and slept in until NOON! It was absolutely AWESOME! This past weekend ... not quite!

On Sunday morning, at 9am my eyes flew open to the sound of pots (drums) being banged on (in the living room) with the big stainless steel spoons, and my 7 yr old (who I heard getting up about 15 min earlier) singing at the top of his lungs "I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves ... I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves, and this is how it goes ..... AGAIN!!! I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves ..."

AAARRRRRRAAAAGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! YES! IT DOES!! Including your mother's!!! Make it stop!!!! Sigh ... where's my coffee???

What ever happened to the old fashioned "Good morning Mommy, did you sleep well?" :-D

Nite all!
K

I met the Ex's new live-in Girlfriend for the first time last night :-)

Hey all,

Thought I'd share a personal little tidbit with you today :-) There are certain thoughts on different topics that I won't post online. Various aspects of my 'personal life' being one of them. And when I do post, I always try to do so from the perspective of 'would I want my kids to read this about me/their father/family 10-20yrs from now? ;-) But I don't think anything I've chosen to say today would shock them about their mother, and I thought it would give you a bit of further insight into my 'personality' if you haven't figured me out already ;-)

I stopped by the ex's this afternoon to drop off a few things for the boys and Belle (who are with him this weekend), and told him I had hoped his new live-in girlfriend was home ... who I officially met for the first time last night ... because I wanted her to come down the street with me to the Tim's for a coffee.

We haven't really been introduced, other than the quick 'Hi's' in the kitchen last night while dropping off the boys bag, and I think it's only fair that she and I get to have a one on one session. Not to bash the ex in any way. I'm a big girl, and I know that he's going to find someone, as am I at some point, and I don't need to bash him because she's going to determine what his good points, and bad are all on her own.

But if she's moving in, she's part of our lives now, and up until a couple of weeks ago, I didn't know about her, and saw her quickly for the first time last night, and so I think it's only fair, to both of us, for her to hear from me, not second hand through the ex, what my expectations are of his relationship with the boys, the ways I see it changing in the future and her involvement in all of it. Their lives are their lives and if he's found someone who will be good to him and the boys, as well as a good influence on them, GREAT! . But the boys are part of that life also, and my only 'expectation' of her specifically is that she be good/nice/responsible to them.

Also, there are certain 'hot' topics like child support and visitation, that I want her to hear my views on directly from ME, again, not second hand. She needs to know where I stand on both of these issues, and what my expectations have been and continue to be of the ex, directly from me. I don't ever plan on being the b*tchy ex-wife. But if this is going to be a long term relationship for him, which I have to assume since she's moved in, then I do plan on having his partner know exactly where I stand in this 'relationship' and what my expectations are. Period.

Life's too short to be playing games. We're all grown ups. I won't say we'll be the best of friends, or agree on fundamental issues of life, but we can certainly all get along and I expect it to start with all expectations laid out on the table. I'm also interested in hearing what her views on our new situation are :-)

Anyway, she wasn't home at the time. So I asked the ex to mention to her that I'd like she and I to go for a coffee ... and I'm curious to see if she's going to take me up on it .... ;-)

Have a great weekend all! I'm off to mow the lawn now ... or clean the kitchen .. I'll most likely decide which when I hit the top of the stairs and see the condition of both :-)

Kim

PS - I got my hair cut again last night ... it was much easier this time around ;-)