Well, That Was A Heck of a Hiatus!

Apparently, I haven't posted anything since July. I guess it's time for a little update.

Well, that...and it's snowing like a mo-fo outside.  It's a good day to sip some tea and catch up on some blog reading and writing.

My love.  Ready to head out for Snowpocalypse
2012.  Can those pants be any bigger or pulled up
any higher?  Where words fail, laughter prevails.

I had my pre cancer tongue cells checked a week ago.  So far, so good.  We had a bit of a worry in August.  After my lasering in July, I had another strange spot appear in that same area.  Another biopsy, a couple days off work, only to discover it was more of the same.  Not cancer, but abnormal cells.  So, off to the cancer specialist.  

I can pretty much say, I love my doctors.  Dr. S. is pretty much amazing and has the same sense of humor as the future hubs.  I think they enjoy visiting as much as I enjoy getting a "clean" bill of health.  Anyway, the good doc thinks that this whole pre cancer cell thing is just the way I'm made.  We all knew I was a little abnormal.  So for now, we visit every 2 months, unless something strange appears.

In other news:  No wedding plans at the moment.  Why?  Because being government employees suck.  Because, being financially responsible is more of a priority than blowing the vacation money we have saved--in case something were to happen.  We've had two plans of attack.  Both have failed miserably.  (At least, in my mind they have.)  After canceling the first and talking about the second, I cried.  I cried because it's not what we had planned.  I cried because it meant more stress.  I cried because Florida is not the beach in Mexico...nor was it an all-inclusive resort.  So...plans have stalled for the moment.   But...doesn't this look inviting?                       

Yeah.  I thought so too.  (And, why, Yes!  That IS a real Corona in that glass.  This is circa 2010...our first trip to Cancun.)

This is our Elf on the Shelf, Bing.  Bing McGillicuddy Griswold, to be exact.  Bing--from Bing Crosby; McGillicuddy--from the great Doctor himself and his Menthol Peppermint schnapps, and Griswold--well, if you don't know, you live under a rock!   He found his romantic match with a tall, beautiful bottle of moscatto on Christmas day.  We love our elf.  And, despite the fact we don't have children of our own, we enjoy having him around.  He makes our spirits just a little bit brighter!  This year, Bing fished in the toilet, roasted marshmallows over a candle, climbed the pull chain to the fan, hovered in the window, hugged a wine glass and my salted caramel mocha coffee creamer in the fridge.  He also hung out between the front door and the glass storm door while waiting for packages to arrive.  Of course, this was after I caught him searching for nude elf pics on my computer and hanging out in the shower!

This sweet boy is Nissem (Nis-eem).  I call him Little Dog...and he responds to that.  He's a bit hyper and crazy and LOVES all food and his master!  I think there are times he believes he's a "Real Boy"!  (And maybe a cat at other times.  He's been taught to jump up on the counter!  It wasn't me!)  Little Dog will do absolutely anything for a treat!  

I also feel the need to note the hardwood floor!  Thanks to future hubs for finally getting rid of the skank carpet that resided in this area!  The floor is beautiful...this pic doesn't do it justice. I'm happy that he's so handy.  (In fact, today he's building a drawer to store baking sheets under the oven.)  More on that later!  Lots of updates on the house need to be done.  I'm hoping to get to the cabinets by summer!

Oh...one more thing...  Yeah, the weight loss thing...weight is winning.  Er, I guess I'm maintaining.  I shall make this a New Year's resolution.  I'm toying with the idea of "clean-eating".   I think that's an easier transition than Paleo.  Anyone have thoughts or ideas?

Hope everyone had a fabulous holiday!  

Unusual Parallels

I am my father's daughter.  I act like him and have a similar personality.  We have some weird connections at times.  


Like when shopping with my mom, I had a stabbing pain in my thumb that wouldn't go away.  My dad had a been working on a job site and had a metal shard pierce his skin at his thumb that he had to have removed.  Or, when I get weird pains in my knees or sometimes my foot, to find out he's been having the same pains just opposite side.


Unusual Parallels.


At the age of 33, my dad was diagnosed with throat cancer.  He's a non-smoker, and something like this was unexpected.  He had the full course of chemo and radiation, lost his hair, but never gave up hope and made a full recovery.  


I am now my dad's age.


I've said before this summer hasn't shaped out to be what I'd hoped.  But, I think I kind of knew that before the month of May had ended.


In mid May, I'd been to the dentist where I showed him a spot on the underside of my tongue.  It was white, was in a place where it hits a molar, but never really hurt and didn't really change shape.  I did have like a white "haze" that covered that area.  My dentist was concerned and sent me to a specialist.


Early June, I saw the specialist.  He was very concerned due to my age.  Normally, they see this kind of thing in older people.  The good news, it wasn't red and didn't hurt.  The bad news, he was still doing a biopsy.  


I got the results two weeks later.  Severe Epithelial Dysplasia.  The good news, not cancer.  The bad news, it's pre-cancer.  As it was explained to me, dysplasia can never go back to normal.  It can either stay dysplasia or become cancer.  I would need to have a laser procedure done to get rid of the pre-cancerous cells.  Oy.


I had the procedure done yesterday.  They used a CO2 laser to basically burn the area.  (After LOTS of numbing agents!)  It's like the worst charred marshmallow-burnt hair smell/taste ever.  But worth it.  


Plus, I was a "guinea pig" for some of the other doctors who came in to check out my tongue before surgery.  The nurse apologized.  I told her, "No worries...I'm a teacher, I get it!"


It'll take a while to heal.  I go back in two weeks to see how things are healing.  Then, I'll have a standing date with my specialist every 3 months for the first year, then every 6 months to a year after that.


In the words of my father: "You gotta take the good with the bad!"


I'm pretty lucky to have a supportive family and a positive outlook on life.  It is what you make it.  Lucky for me, I have a bit of a heads up!  Thanks, Dad!


I'll end this with a cute pic (slightly out of focus) of my parents.  

Yep.  I'll take the good with the bad.