Sunday, January 30, 2011

Lasik

Last Friday (Jan. 21, 2011) I had Lasik. I have to say that the procedure itself was actually really painful and my nerves got the best of me. That evening was also hard as I tried to rest and recover. This week has had a lot of ups and downs, both with pain/discomfort and vision. However; I am very happy to report that I had my one week follow up yesterday and I now have amazing vision. Each eye is 20/20 and together I see 20/15 :)
Aside from some occasional dryness I am feeling great!

Friday, January 21, 2011

Something Positive

Just to throw something positive in the mix of all my rants....
1) I am with my husband tonight rather then him being stranded and both us us alone
2) we are still on schedule for Lasik
3) my dog is being cared for by my wonderful parents
4) we are staying in a really nice hotel and had a really nice dinner for FREE..sort of
5) I get to enjoy beautiful snow
6) last but certainly not least because it is the most important....I have a Savior that loves me and understands my concerns! Praise God for His goodness and His loving mercy on a sinner like me!!!!

Stranded

My husband travels frequently for work and this week I decided to travel with him. For those who know me, you know that I despise flying and that I'm REALLY not happy with all this security theater stuff the TSA is doing! But that's a rant for another day.
Our Monday morning started well especially since we had an upgrade to first class on the second part of our trip. Once we arrived in CT we were able to quickly get our car and head for the hotel. Once there I got a nap in while my husband went to the office to get in a few hours of work.
Later that evening we met up with my in-laws at T.G.I.Fridays. We had a pleasant dinner and we all went back to the hotel for a few fun games of Taboo. Finally we said our goodbyes as they headed back home to NY.
So far it looked to be a promising week in CT. The next day I hung around the hotel while my husband was at work. I read most of my new book and caught up on some shows I had been missing at home since we cut the cable. I brought my Curves pass since there was one just across the street a ways, but my husband advised against walking due to the extreme amount of snow and ice. By the time he got in that afternoon and we made a needed run to the store it was too late to hit the gym so I had lots of hope that I could go the next day. That evening we had dinner at the hotel and spent the night watching movies.
The next morning is when things began to turn. I had some trouble sleeping the night before but didn't really think anything of it. I woke up early to have breakfast at the hotel before he left for the office. The smell of the food was making me feel a little uneasy but I thought it could be due to the fact that it was very early and there were a lot of people there. I had some oatmeal and strawberries and that was a very bad idea.
I started to feel really nauseous and my head was starting to throb! I laid back in bed and just a few min. after my husband left started to get really ill. I was actively ill for about 25 min. before I could call him and let him know what was going on.
He was able to get away at lunch to come check on me. He gave me some more tylenol and brought me some pepto. It was nice just to have him there for a few minutes to rub my head and hold me. I hated to see him go back to work but I knew he would be back in a few hours and that I could rest more while he was away.
That evening we laid around for a while and then decided that we would try to go out (whether I could eat or not, he still needed to and when traveling going out is really the only option) hoping that the fresh air would help.
I was feeling some better when we arrived and able to eat, though the experience was not amazing...see previous post.
Finally today arrived....I was so ready to go home. Everything again was going well. Arrived at the airport on time, had some lunch, and were ready to board our flight.
First the flight was delayed by over an hour. That in on its own was not a huge deal, we still had plenty of time to make our connection in Detroit. Then later the gate agents announced that the flight was completely full so they needed volunteers to have their carry on bags checked to their final destination to save time in the loading process and to make room for the passengers who truly needed their bags with them. We had already checked one of our bags because of liquids and thinking that we were going to make it home we thought that we would be one of the nice volunteers.
So we handed over our bag with all our clothes and hygiene items in it. All we had with us now was his work laptop and my purse and a few books. No biggie I thought.
That was until we landed in Detroit, checked the status of our connecting flight and saw that it was canceled. Panic set in!
Not only were all my possessions stuck out of my reach but now I'm stranded overnight far from home. The airline was very friendly and already had us re-booked on the earliest flight back home the next morning, gave us a voucher for a hotel and a dinner voucher. The really did what they could but the biggest issue is that I am scheduled to have Lasik tomorrow, at 1 p.m. at home. The flight (which was canceled due to snow and ice) is not due in until almost 11 a.m. If there are any more delays tomorrow it will have to be rescheduled.
Oy, what next? I just want to go home!

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Getting on my Nerves

My husband and I have discovered how to eat less when we go out......sit in a section with a really bad waiter. Tonight when we left for dinner we were both really hungry and so we picked a spot we knew to have good food. Once we were seated we were greeted by an overly friendly waitress.
The waitress insisted on making not so funny jokes and trying to carry on full blown conversations with us. I'm all about being friendly with waiters and getting to know them, but I want to eat too. Her voice carried across that whole side of the resturant and sent chills down my back.
The food was good this evening, I started with clam chowder (a must when visiting the northeast). I only had the small cup and was getting "full" before I had even finished half of it. By the time my main dish arrived, shrimp and mashed potatos I could hardly swallow more than a few bites. My meal included what they call a petite dessert (literaly 3-4 bites of cake) and of course I was able to finish that ;)
As we were walking into the hotel this evening we were both feeling as though we were hungry (we plan to warm up the left overs soon). We began discussing how rude or obnoxious people in general lately have really affected us. We tend to change where we sit, events we attend, and even how much we eat when we are around them.
So please take note all you obnoxious people, you are not the only people in the world (or room) and my patience is running thin!
 BTW, my loving husband just informed me that "patience" is singular....I know this when I see it but it's not how how I think of it. I think of patience as a bunch a fish in a pond and everytime someone gets on your nerves a fish gets pulled out. Once you run out you have to wait for it to be restocked! So while I know that it's "patience is" please understand where I am coming from when I say "patience are" because to me it makes more sense.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Christian Marriage

Recently I came across a blog (actually Warren found it) that I found very interesting. It was a blog warning against the advice from a website called christianmarriage.com   We as Christians need to be very careful in practices we engage in and the resources we use to get our information from and lead others to. What are your thoughts????

"ChristianMarriage.com is Wrong About Christian Marriage

At ChristianMarriage.com I found what I initially thought was a great resource on Christian Marriage. As I got into reading the site, I began to see the fire and brimstone attitude that has driven so many away from Christ. ChristianMarriage.com seems mired in the Old Testament.

The site calls on Old Testament Law and seems to level judgment and threats against those who are sinning. The first thing that ChristianMarrage.com should know is that Christians are not to pass judgment on anyone. Christians are commanded to love people – all people – to attract them to Christ; not condemn people and drive them away. And they should know that they (the pastors at ChristianMarrage.com) are not sin free – we are all sinners – we are human. That is why Christ came:[more] to extend His loving Grace and Forgiveness to all of us in spite of our sins (when we accept his free gift of Salvation).

But that is not the worst of it! ChristianMarriage.com actually makes the bold assertion that Christian husbands should be allowed to take more than one wife. They say that concubines are ok and good. Wow. The justification? That King David was a polygamist. They maintain that since the Bible says in 1 Kings 15:5 that "David did [that which was] right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any [thing] that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite", it makes polygamy ok for Christians. They also point to other Old Testament history of men with more than one wife.

The fact is that all men fall short of the perfection of Christ – for He was the only Spotless Lamb – which means that even though David did what was commanded by the Lord, he was still a man and a sinner. There are many arguments I could use, but I only need one: what does the Bible specifically say about marriage?

God made Eve from Adam. Each has one counterpart: one man, one woman. Adam did not take his daughters as wives. He had one wife which is God's design for marriage. "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." – Genesis 2:24. This statement is repeated in the New Testament in both Matthew 19:5 and Ephesians 5:31: "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh."

It says specifically the two become one in marriage. Not "the two or more become one." Not "the two become one and then another can become one with them." Not "the three become one." It refers specifically to two. Marriage is modeled after Adam and Eve. It is not modeled after Adam, Eve and Jane.

Also, in the New Testament, when referring to husbands and wives, the singular is always used.

Ephesians 5:28 …He who loves his wife loves himself. Not "He who loves all his wives loves himself." And in Eph 5:33: "However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." Not "wives" or "wife and/or wives."


And the final proof about Christian Marriage… in Mark 10 Jesus Christ specifies even more clearly in his own words:

Jesus replied. "But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.' 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." (emphasis added)

Christian Marriage = One husband and one wife.

I think I would rather listen to my Lord and Savior than to some sinners (not an insult: for all men are sinners) over at ChristianMarriage.com. (What a waste of a great domain name… sheesh! – Don't be misled, by the way…)"

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Mongolian????

     So my husband has been wanting to take me out for Mongolian for a while but I have been reluctant. I'm not really a fan of stir-fry...who am I kidding, I'm not a fan of A LOT of stuff. While I am willing to go out to new places I am very predictable in what I order....usually some kind of ordinary salad, pasta, burger or chicken.
     When we arrived there was a 15ish minute wait so I had some time to observe how this whole operation worked. After you are seated the waiter brings you a bowl. You then take your empty bowl to what looks like a regular buffet bar, except the first bar is full of raw meat!!!! Now my husband thinks this is just awesome, he calls himself a "meatatarian", me not so much..meat is ok, but to see large amounts of it kind of makes me ill.
     After you fill your bowl with the type and amount of meat you want you then move over to the veggie bar. At this point you pile as many different types as you want onto of the raw meat. This part was kind fun. I like veggies and there were a lot to choose from.
    The third part of this process was picking from a very wide selection of sauces and seasonings. Again, I'm not a real adventurous person but I decided to at least try it. After my bowl was finally put together I did have to admit that I could see how it would taste good (after it was cooked) and I could also see why people say that if you eat at a Mongolian restaurant it's your own fault if it's not what you want. In my bowl I had duck, corn, snap peas, soy beans, and a few other veggies and for sauce I choose a cranberry mixed with orange peel.
     Finally it was time to take my raw ingredients over to the grill. The guys grilling the food seemed to be having a lot of fun. They took my bowl of raw ingredients and poured then onto the grill and did some fancy work. There was meat chopping and veggie flipping and egg cracking going on everywhere. Oh, and did I mention there was a gong? Yes, a gong! Every time someone took a fancy they would hit this large gong and the men cooking would all stop and hoot and holler. It was kind of an amusing site.
     It didn't take long before my food was ready and being handed to me on a new fresh plate. When we got back to the table the waiter brought us rice and tortillas. The dinner and experience was way better than I could have ever imagined and I'm looking forward to eating there again.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Dougal

My little dog is so funny. He is a 15lb, black and white Shih Tzu and he has a personality all his own. He really thinks everything is supposed to revolve around him. Anyway, yesterday after taking him on an afternoon walk I put him in the car and went to Wendy's. He already does not like riding in a car and after I got my food he was really not happy. Lately he thinks he is supposed to eat people food..not sure why. Anyway, on the way back he just would not sit still, he kept bouncing around and trying to look out the window. Once we got in the parking lot at the apartment I opened the door to let him out while I got my stuff together before we went upstairs. Usually when I do this he runs over to the side of the building, does his business and then meets me by the walkway. This day was different though, he did not make it up onto the grass and when I walked over to him he would not look at me and was acting sneaky. It didn't take long before I realized that he had something in his mouth he was trying to hide, a rather large something. I told him to "drop it", a command that he knows and 9 times out of 10 obeys immediately. Well, needless to say, this was one of those rare times he did not obey so I knew that it had to be something good, something he really wanted. Upon trying to get whatever this object was out of his mouth he tried to run. Thinking about it now, it must have been a very humorous sight. Anyway, after catching him I discovered that it was a very large bite of a honey bun and that he was VERY determined to eat it. I tried everything I could think of to get him to drop it but had to finally just pry it out of his mouth. He was very sad and tried to pout. He ran away, all the way up to the second floor and didn't even stop to potty. He's good at pouting and usually if left alone will come back out to play shortly but I knew that if I let him go upstairs without going potty he would decide that he really needed to go about the time I was in the middle of something. So I went up the the second floor, put his leash on, and took him on another walk. By the time I got back upstairs, my lunch was very cold. So, I just want to thank you neighbor, whoever you are for leaving part of your snack on the ground...

Monday, January 3, 2011

A little about me....

I married the man of my dreams in June 2010. After the wedding I gave up my jobs (working with children) and moved to the city. So, for the last 6.5 months I have been on this incredible journey of learning my new role as a housewife.
My husband and I are Christians and the Bible is our foundation for everything we do from our marriage to our personal convictions and beyond.
It is my hope that through blogging I will be able to grow as an individual and a wife.....and, maybe someone else will be able to relate to my stories along the way.