WTF??

Pardon me for a minute here while I deal with some WTF issues...

I have gout!
In my foot!
And it hurts like hell, and I'm used to living with daily pain...

WTF?

I'm in my mid-30's and eat meat ~3-4 times/week. I get enough exercise, and for the last 6 months have been consistently getting at least/if not more than my recommended water intake. I have none of the standard risks. It can't be diet induced. I do need to lose weight, but not that much, and I'm working on that one. So WTF? body? I get down to only one thing to deal with and you feel unloved, so you throw something new at me?

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful that we have Brian's brother James staying with us.
Reconnecting with family is always worthwhile.

I am thankful that James was awesome and grabbed us some Timmy's from
Penn Station on his way through!

I am thankful the Dr. could fit me in to see about my foot. Verdict
is still out on cause though.

I am thankful for the warm weather that means Brian and James will be
BBQing tonight. Yumm, steak!

I am thankful for extended fall hours at the library that mean easier
access to books for me!

I am thankful that today is Make-A-Wish day at Cold Stone Creamery.
Free ice cream *AND* fundraising for Make-A-Wish, what could be
better?

I am thankful that I am swamped at work. Job security is a comforting thing!

It's kind of fun to do the impossible
- Walt Disney

Thankful Thursday

Today I'm thankful for warm fleece blankets and a purring cat as I keep my butt on the couch.

I'm thankful I still have sick days to take this year.

I'm thankful for 14 brain cell killing hours of recorded soap opera to keep by brain semi-occupied today.

I'm thankful this week's homework assignment for my course is optional.

I'm thankful that U of Fl is offering this Master's degree.

I'm thankful that we're going to be buying a chest freezer and I can plan regular meals again and won't have to stop at the grocery store 2-3 times/week.

I am thankful that there are still people in this world who take photos like this, after he comes back from the ISS. The world needs that kind of whimsy.

Disney Trip Report: Day 1

I don't promise to get all of them done, let alone done in this
detail, but here's a start!

Day 1

Woke up at 3:30am and couldn't get back to sleep. Alarm was set for
4:15 anyways to get hubby up and moving, so I just got up and futzed
around on the computer for a while. Posted on FB that I was up,
excited and ready to go. Had a good friend who works nights respond
with a WTF? What are you up for at this time of night and why are you
so happy about it? *GRIN*

Getting to the airport was quick, easy and painless. Checkin was the
same. Had a quick laugh when I saw security unpacking the bag we'd
checked that was full of very squished pillows. I hope they had fun
stuffing them back in! We had boarding passes A60 and B1 so we
settled in for the wait, and I finally had a little breakfast there.
I was a little nervous leaving Brian behind as I boarded (I'd been
assigned the A60 pass) and hoped he'd make it okay having to talk
himself onto the plane without my "helping hand" behind his back
pushing him onwards. Got on the plane and was astounded to find the
exit row still unoccupied. SCORE! Waited through family boarding,
and then Brian came through like a champ. He was also thrilled with
the seats. We knew it was a full flight, so he opted for the middle
seat and I took the window. The flight was generically boring,
except for getting to fly alongside the tropical storm. That was neat
to look at but even as far off as we were it did cause some
turbulence. Brian looked a little green but did okay. He declared he
preferred that to flying over the hurricane last year! We landed 35
minutes early in Orlando! Off the plane and on the DME bus before we
even were supposed to land!

We'd done the online advance checkin, so once the DME bus got to the
hotel I left Brian to grab our carryon bags from the bottom of the bus
and I hotfooted it to the check-in lines. I managed to be first off
our bus into the line and was happy later when I saw the 30+ people
behind me just for online check-in by the time I was called. Our
package was ready for pickup, they'd honoured our request for a top
floor 50's room, and though there was a slight mixup over the fridge,
it was easily and quickly sorted out. Best part was our room was
already ready for us. I wouldn't have to haul the giant laptop bag to
the park and stash my laptop in a hot locker all day. Wohoo! We
found our room and wow had we lucked out. One room closer to the
front and we'd have been in the "preferred" (and thus more expensive)
rooms. Colour me happy! Ditched our stuff, applied an extra coat of
sunscreen and we were off to the Magic Kingdom!

Arrived at the gates to the Magic Kingdom at 10:45am! Plan at first
was to just hit our favourites, adjusting depending on lines. Hopped
the steam train over to Frontierland. Wait for Splash Mountain was 20
mins, so we grabbed FP's for BTMRR and headed to get wet. After
getting mildly splashed (but the wait was longer than we wanted to go
around again) we headed for PotC, over to Aloha Isle for a Dole Whip
and off on a Jungle Cruise. Our FP's were now ready, so off to BTMRR
grabbing FP's for Splash Mountain on the way. By now it was ~1pm and
we were getting hungry, and I think this was the day we tried Pecos
Bill's. I wish I'd realized when ordering that we could "make our
own" taco salads, I'd have ordered that! I had a burger which was
only so-so, Brian had the pulled pork and enjoyed it. After sitting
down to eat lunch, the early morning hit us both and we crashed. So
back to the room for us and a no guilt nap (for Brian at least) in the
AC.

We were back up and running by about 4:30 and headed back to the MK.
Used the earlier FP's for Splash Mountain to get wet then headed for
the Haunted Mansion, grabbing BTMRR FP's for later.

We were hungry for dinner, so off to Cosmic Rays for Chicken and Ribs,
our favourite meal in the MK. Discover that TTC was still down for
repairs despite being supposed to reopen today. Oh well, we've
another 10 days left! During dinner, the skies opened up and it
poured as only South Florida can. Except that unlike in past years,
it kept pouring! Did some shopping in the stores around Cosmic Rays
and rode Buzz Lightyear. My blaster was broken, but Brian's score was
respectable. After about 90 mins of pouring down rain we decided to
just head back early and call it a night. We had plenty more time to
do it all and see it all. I worked VERY hard this trip to overcome my
Type A go-go-go personality and slow down and take things as they
come. Off to the hotel by bus, during which, of course, it stopped
raining. So a quick dip in the pool (in which I actually got *cold*)
and off to bed.

Phew!

I know I chose this, and I know it's the right decision. But man doing schoolwork every evening after a full day of work is taking it out of me. Especially when combined with my attempts to be good and develop some sort of exercise routine. I'm going to try talking to my boss and see if I can change my hours slightly away from the "company norm". There are others who do so, even more extremely than I want to, so I'm hopeful. But I know there have been others in our area who have abused it in the past so it may not fly. But yesterday I got home early, spent my half hour on the treadmill and completed 2 lectures before dinner. It felt sooo good! And then there's days like today where my insomnia had acted up last night so I didn't get to sleep until 4am. So I was late into work, late home from work, and here it is 8:15 and I've only just finished dinner. (Yummy, yummy dinner that Brian BBQ'd again...) And dessert is chocolate ice cream and homemade chocolate chip cookies* once I've written the first page of this week's homework assignment... And ONLY once that first page is written. Then it's another 50ish pages of reading and off to bed.

*Yes, I'm still on a diet, yes I'm losing weight/inches, yes this is not the best choice. But it'll be a small quantity of ice cream, 2 small cookies (I made them deliberately so) and is coming out of my "bonus" points for the week. I've (almost) earned it!

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful that I'm well employed and was able to take a great
vacation this year.

I'm thankful my husband enjoys Walt Disney World as much as I do.

I'm thankful my cat still loves me dearly and wants snuggles.

I'm thankful for more fresh tomatoes from my garden.

I'm thankful Brian is getting a promotion at work.

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

I'm going the fundraising walk again this year and would love if anyone out there could support me. It's an important cause that everyone has been touched by.

The American Cancer Society:

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