Just wanted to put a post up that I am here...I have had a horrible cold and I normally come home and end up coughing myself to sleep.

I will be going for my sleep study the end of March. I can't wait to find out if that is the reason I am tired all the time and just don't have a lot of motivation. I am looking foward to an open sew day in April at Frank's Sewing Center! Hopefully I will have an answer about this sleep thing. It can also be the reason my blood pressure is up...believe it or not that is one of the side effects of poor sleep. I also read that it can effect weight...causing weight gain. It would be nice if my weight problem were that simple. (sigh)

I am also not looking forward to the snow that they are predicting. Right now we should get anywhere from 4" to 10". YUCH! I am tired of snow and I am ready for spring. I keep telling Mark maybe the snow will pass us by.

Emma is been sitting by me right now and has been taking care of me. She is a good nurse (giggle). Hope everyone is having fun and taking advantage of time to get some quilting done.

Lots Has Been Going On...

Wow...I don't even know where to start!

Last week Thursday my husband and I went shopping at Best Buy and used my gift certificates that I got for Christmas...I bought a new digital camera. The new camera is an Olympus Stylus. So far I really like the pictures it takes. Unfortunately on Friday I did not take any pictures when asked because I still haven't learned everything about the camera.

Friday - Well I went to Block of the Month Club at Frank's. Wow the block has a lot of little pieces. Wendy brought this really yummy pizza dip. UMMMMM!!!! My secret sister brought me a lot of fun stuff...candy (3 kinds), a springer spaniel notebook, a Wild Rose charm pack, and an emery board. I would check in the bag to see if I am missing something but Emma is sleeping with her head on my lap. After BOM we went to Mama Mia's for dinner....wow we sure had a great time and a lot of laughs. The girls bought me dinner to celebrate my birthday...believe it or not I didn't see it coming.

Saturday - my sister-in-law Terry and my mom threw a 40th birthday party for me. It was so much fun. There were a ton of people who showed up. Jen and Cindy came and they bought me 40 fat quarters...they are so pretty...I don't know what I will do with the fat quarters yet...after talking to Jen I am thinking a Turning Twenty quilt. If I do that I will need to get more fat quarters...ohhh shopping. Mark gave me a dragon fly necklace and my parents gave me some beautiful earrings. I also got a lot of gift cards...Best Buy, Barnes and Noble, Patched Works, Joanne's, etc. I received a really nice frame and several pieces of jewerly. My friend Wendy made me a pin cushion. I also got a really nice bottle of Asti. I know I am missing some gifts like a charm pack and jelly roll...and other stuff. Wow I will have a good time shopping. There was a ton of food...my family (both sides) are great cooks.

Sunday - Well when I finally woke up I went to a sewing day at Frank's. I didn't get much done...in fact I got one square done and I left Sophia there for a cleaning. I should have picked her up today but unfortunately I worked later so I couldn't go get her and tomorrow night I have another appointment right after work so I can't go again. Hopefully I will be able to pick her up on Thursday. Sophia - my Janome 6600 - needs to come home so that I can work on a square or two this weekend so I can celebrate National Quilting Day. I left early to go to my nephew, Ethan's birthday. I gave Ethan his quilt and he loved it...he hugged his quilt he was so excited. The only problem is that I didn't get a picture of him with his quilt...at 3 if he doesn't want his picture taken you don't get to take it. Sorry!

Monday - I brought in treats for people at work and boy did everyone enjoy themselves. I made taco dip and it went really quickly.

Tonight I tried a new Weight Watchers recipe and I wasn't excited about it...I felt it needed more flavor! Mark said it tasted really good. I made Orange Beef with Broccoli...it uses broccoli slaw. I think next time I will use real broccoli and more orange juice (fresh squeezed!). I squeezed the oranges and zested the orange! I felt like Martha Stewart - LOL!

I have another new recipe I want to make but I am a little unsure so I think we will be having stir fry for dinner tomorrow night. I am hoping I will be able to do some beading tomorrow night.

I was so excited that I was able to help Wendy, Jen, Judy and Tori cut fabric for the next three months of block of the month club at Frank's Sewing Center. I was so glad I got a chance to do some "quilting" related crafting. I have not had a lot of time to quilt...I have a lot of other things that have been taking up my time.

I did follow up with my insurance company today and I am working on setting up my sleep apena test. I am hoping to set it up for next weekend...this weekend I have other plans with my family! I also need to go to have my cholesterol level tested and other blood work as well. Tonight on Biggest Loser they talked about sleep apnea and how weight loss decreases how much you snore, etc. The doctor also explained that blood pressure increases when you have sleep apnea so there is hope that my blood pressure will go down.

Nothing Much Going On!

Well I realized that I hadn't blogged since Saturday but not much has been going on...I have been going to work and coming home. My schedule is something like make dinner, watch TV, check out the internet and friend's blogs. I was going to work on a bracelet tonight but well I'm just too tired.

I still have to call my insurance company to find out where I have to go for a sleep study. The doctor thinks I have sleep apnea so I have to go for a study to find out for sure. With as busy as I have been at work I have not been able to call in a refill on my prescription nor to call the insurance company to figure out where to go for a sleep study.

I am looking forward to Saturday because we are celebrating my nephew, Teran's 14th birthday. I am going to call tonight to wish him a Happy Birthday and to ask his Mom what I should bring on Saturday (food wise). Then I actually get to do something quilt related on Monday...I am going to help cut blocks for the Block of the Month Club held at Frank's...which is designed and taught by Wendy Rieves! She is a great teacher and we have so much fun at the BOM meeting! Other than that not much to report here...sorry this is sooo boring!

Update on Ouch!

I saw the Doctor on Thursday and she said that I was doing everything right for my back...for the first 48 hours I iced my back and then I used heat. I also took Naproxen Sodium for mucsle soreness...the pain slowly went up my back to my shoulders and neck. The whole time I tried to rest my back but still try to do things otherwise I would have stiffened up. I'm still a little sore esp. when I do a bunch of stuff...like today I did a bunch of running. I went to Weight Watchers right after I dropped Mark off at work. Then I went to the bank, followed by going to Wal-Mart, then the vet and Walgreens. I did stop for lunch and read a book that I bought at Wal-Mart. I bought 7th Heaven by James Patterson and Maxine Something...unsure of her last name. Anyways I really enjoyed that. I have read the series of the books and this is the most recent one...The books have been made into the TV series The Women's Murder Club or something like that. I only watched it once or twice. The characters in the book and on the show just don't match what I think they would look like and at times act.

At WW I was surprised that I lost a little weight. I haven't been there for several weeks. After seeing the Doctor I have to lose weight...I may have sleep apnea and I have to go for a sleep study. I know this is a normal procedure and I just have to contact my insurance company to find out where I can go. I am hoping I can go in the next couple of weeks. From my understanding I am probably not getting REM sleep because I am up so many times during the evening. I have to increase my Vitamin D intake (most people in Wisconsin don't have enough Vitamin D in the winter according to two of my doctors). I also need to take more Calcium in as I am Lactose Intolerant.

Well I am hoping I can work in the quilt room tomorrow. I want to finish two table runners for Easter...one for me and one for my sister-in-law, Terry. First I have to do some cleaning and wash some clothes. I am also hoping that Best Buy has a Digital Camera that I want to use my Christmas gift cards on.

The Ouch Continues

Well I stayed home from work today because I just could not get out of bed this morning my back hurt so much. You would think I landed on my tailbone so that would hurt more but no...it's my back. I have been iceing my back and it helps with the pain. Sitting is my problem. If I can lay down on my side and rest my back I am okay for an hour or two. So that said tomorrow will be horrible! I have to go to work...I just can't miss another day. I have missed a few already this year and well I just hate to miss this much work.

I know when I can't sit or stand up to get dressed ... well I should stay home (just like when I get migraines) but I still feel guilty. I think I over did it yesterday. I got up and made blueberry pancakes with bacon...yum. Before we could do that we had to do dishes so Mark washed and I dried (OUCH!!!). I did recline and look at some blogs yesterday...not with it enough to post comments...also I spent a lot of time on the phone yesterday with my family talking to my Mom and my sister-in-law Terry!

Finally I made a really yummy dinner...Lasagna (homemade-not homemade noodles). Anyways that took some standing time so by about 9:00 - 9:30 PM my back was killing me so I sent to bed. Boy a Temperpedic bed sounds wonderful right about now!

So needless to say I have slept most of today and laid on the couch. I commented on Jen's blog and was having trouble posting on Jill's blog and well guess what I am yawning right now. Time to take a little nap! Tonight I think it will be fish and fries for dinner...Mark can make them in the oven.

Happy President's Day!

Ouch!

This morning I dropped Mark off at work and decided to fuel up the truck...we were close to the Low Fuel light coming on and in fact when I put it in park the Low Fuel light came on...so far so good. I paid at the pump and started fueling....well I was getting into the truck to put my credit card away and that's when it happened...I ended up with one foot in the truck and the rest of me under the truck...I slipped on a piece of ice. As I laid there I said Ouch!...not loudly, the lady at the next pump had just gotten out of her car and she asked if I was okay. Well other than smelling like gasoline, at that moment my tailbone hurt and my pride was hurt...how did this happen. Ohh well, I decide to go and tell them in the gas station that I had fallen and that they should put something down. They lady said to me that they had just been plowed again and I told her it was ice....she said that they would go outside and put something down.

Now my back and bottom and foot, etc are really bothering me. I am taking Tylenol since I am sore all over. I am such a clutz at times...I wish there wsas something I could do. I am guessing I tensed up when I fell so I am sore all over.

I am also feeling bad about my weight. I need to lose weight badly...I have a lot to lose and no matter what I do I can not get motivated. I had a doctor talk to me about the lap band and I am wondering if the doctor is right...maybe I can't do this myself...maybe I need to do something extreme like have surgery...I don't know I did lose 30 lbs through WW but I love food...I am sooo confused.