Infusion Day

Today I got my Remicade infusion to treat my rheumatoid arthritis. Every eight weeks, they hook me up to an IV and I get the medication intravenously. It takes about two hours to get the treatment. I go to the treatment room in my rheumatologist's office where they have a team of very friendly and professional nurses who administer the medication. They make you feel as comfortable as possible. I love the recliners. They even provide snacks and beverages. They're much more hospitable than flight attendants (using the word "beverage" made me think of flight attendants).

snack drawer

Remicade helps stop further joint damage. And, for some patients without joint damage, it may help stop damage before it starts. I wish this wonderful drug had been around when I was first diagnosed. Remicade can also be used to treat diseases such as plaque psoriasis, adult Crohn’s disease, and ankylosing spondylitis.

So here's a shout out to the wonderful gals at Drs. Myerson and Sutej's office in Atlanta, GA. You rock!

Gia, great nurse and mother of teenage daughter

The boss--Gail, head nurse--very spunky & perky

Shawn, nurse extraordinaire
(This is really Michelle Obama. Shawn wouldn't let me take her picture!)

Have We Met?

Do I look familiar to you? Do you feel like you've met me before? To many people, I do look familiar to them and they're sure they've met me before. This is not a recent occurrence, but something that has been going on for years. Just today I met a lady for the first time. Later in a follow-up e-mail she said, "I feel like we've met before, I just can't put my finger on it?? Hmmm." Several years ago I was eating in a restaurant and a man came up to me and asked if I was that tennis player from Australia? What tennis player from Australia? I assured him that I was not her and he asked me, "Are you sure, because you sure do look like her." Yes, I'm pretty sure I'm not a famous tennis player from Australia. Another time I was at an amusement park and someone grabbed me and spun me around, "Oh, I'm so sorry! I thought you were someone else!"

I'd say nine times out of 10 when I meet someone new, they say that we've met before. What could be the cause of this phenomenon? Is it that I'm so plain that my face can blend into any one's? Could it be that I have several twins out there? Maybe it's not only my face, but something about me and my aura and my friendly personality that makes them feel comfortable and familar. Perhaps I embody something special that people find affable. I don't know, but it's very curious. What do you think? Have we met before?

Gas Shortage in Georgia

If you live in Georgia, then you know what's happening here with gas. If you don't, we're running short on gas. Some stations have it, sometimes. When they do have gas, it may only be unleaded and there will be long lines. This is what I encountered this morning in Alpharetta at the QuickTrip on Haynes Bridge Rd. Everyone was very orderly and patient. I waited about 15 minutes to fill up. Gas was $3.96 per gallon for unleaded. Other people in Georgia have waited much longer and some have run out of gas while waiting in line. It all depends on which station you go to and when.



On Friday I had a different experience at a QT on Sidney Marcus Blvd. in Atlanta. I left the station angry. I was waiting in line for my turn, when a gas station employee decided to "help" and direct us. I was next in line to pull up to the pump when he waved me forward to pull into another line with five cars ahead of me. After I sat there for a short time and the line wasn't moving and I saw that a car that had been behind me was pulling up to get gas, my anger surged and I turned around to leave. The attendant stopped me and asked why I was leaving. I forcefully, not shouting, told him why. He said, "Well, good luck." I pulled out and was on my way. Several other stations that day had no gas, but fortunately I was not on empty.

Friday's Highlight

Trey

Kate

The highlight of my Friday was meeting friends for lunch. We all used to work together on the communications team of an Atlanta ministry. We've all moved on for various reasons. You can see why two of us left--to start families. It was so fun to see these ladies with children of their own. I love the picture of Trey kicking back after his tummy was full from spaghetti--which he had all over him, even his feet. And Kate, what a cutie. She was so curious about my camera phone. She's used to her mom taking pictures with a regular camera.

Karen, Kate's Mom

Luann, Trey's Mom

We met for lunch because John, our former boss, is now leaving the ministry. Leaving was not his choice. I've been in that situation before and it feels rotten. John, on the other hand, has such a positive attitude. He knows that God is in control. He's also been working on a novel for years and recently he finished it. He's now fine tuning the book in hopes of a publisher picking it up.

John (father of five)

John and Karen are the reasons I started blogging (and Eric.--he was also on the communications team. He couldn't make it to the lunch). John and Eric have been blogging for years and I always hoped that Karen would start. Luann has also started a blog. It's fun to see what they're up to and going through.

I can't wait to see where God takes John next. Whoever hires him is going to be one fortunate company. Unless, of course, his novel gets published and lands on the New York Times Best Seller List. I hope he'll remember us little people who once shared office space in the green warehouse.

Drama at the Dinner Table

Dinner is on the table and we're about to sit down. Rebecca grabs the bottle of barbeque sauce and shakes it vigorously. The problem is that I had loosened the top. The top went flying, along with the bbq sauce. It flew across the table, in the blinds, down the floor vent, behind her, in her hair, and on her phone and ipod that where on the table. One small speck landed on her plate. The pictures don't do the mess justice since I was a little late getting to the scene with the camera. Rebecca was not amused at me covering the tragedy. Her father didn't find it amusing that I was taking pictures. Gracie, our dog, was the first to arrive for clean up. Oh the drama.

Cats and Dogs

Kiki and Gracie taking a nap

Apparently, our cat and dog didn't get the memo that cats and dogs aren't supposed to get along. Our cat, Kiki, loves our dog, Gracie. She grooms her. Runs to greet her in the morning. And likes cuddling up next to her. The pictures below show Kiki grooming Gracie. I've never seen anything like it. Even Gracie's best friend, Ava, gets along with the cat. Maybe our cat likes dogs. Or, maybe Vizslas are just great dogs. Or, maybe we just got lucky with a great dog and cat.

Kiki grooming Gracie's face

Ava

Texting Teen Style

This video is not sped up. This is how my teenage daughter texts--fast! Watch the technique and learn.

The video was shot on my Blackberry. Not bad, but I'm sure an iPhone would do much better.



BTW, this is my dog, Gracie. She likes to watch me while I blog.

Penaholic

I admit it. I'm addicted to pens. I love them. I've been this way for years and I don't plan on changing now. I used to have this thing for sharpened pencils, but I've outgrown the old #2. I used to keep them sharpened and standing point up in the pencil holder on my desk. When the point became dull, it was placed lead side down in the pencil cup. I've moved on to mechanical pencils now. No more sharpening for me.

The pen must write smoothly so that the ink flows effortlessly onto the paper. The feel of the pen is important too. It must feel like it belongs in your hand. It must also look rich and expensive--the look of "I've made it in this world."

I recently received an order from Staples of brand new Sharpie pens. Red, black and blue. You can only imagine my excitement the day they arrived. I'm fairly pleased with the new Sharpie pen, but it could write a little smoother for my taste. It does live up to it's promises of not bleeding through the paper or smudging--both important must nots to a pen addict.

My two favorite pens (Waterman)

Yeah for Chick-fil-A

FREE Wi-Fi @ the Chick! I was so offended by Starbucks no longer offering free Wi-Fi at their stores. The nerve, charging big bucks for coffee and fluffy blender drinks AND charging for Wi-Fi. After that experience, it's tainted my desire to go back. It's not like I hang out in places with my laptop, it's just the idea that it's no longer free. Imagine my excitement when I saw this sign the other day! And, I'd much rather have a Chick-fil-A iced tea any day--in fact, it's my morning beverage of choice for every day.

Palin's Glasses & Blepharitis

Palin Specs

I got to try on a pair of glasses just like Sarah Palin's! Yep. They had a sample at the eye doctor today. My groom was disappointed because they didn't make me look like Sarah. I must say that they were very comfortable. The technician told me that Sarah's glasses are gray, these were a copper color. They also come in other colors. Everyone in the doctor's office was abuzz about the glasses.

I went to the eye doctor because of an annoying red spot on my lower eyelid. Turns out I have what's called "Blepharitis." Basically my lower eyelid around the lashes is irritated with oil and old makeup and I need to cleanse my eyelids everyday now with diluted baby shampoo. He said my Irish heritage and age adds to the problem, so it will probably recur. Goodie!

The Art of the Hug

You know, there's a real art to hugging. There's the "faux hug"--the one where you really don't want to hug the other person, but it's the polite thing to do. There's the "pull and pat" that women do when you give a nice hug but no body parts touch. There's the "full body" where you hold the person close and most body parts touch--this is a person you really like. There's the "death squeeze" where a person hugs you tight and keeps holding tight--you release, but they don't. This can go on for what seems like several minutes. There's the "sidewinder"--usually done between a man and woman when frontal hugs are inappropriate. There's the awkward "hesitator"--the one where you start to hug, then pull back because the other person seems like they're not going to hug you, then you both go in for the hug--who goes right and who goes left?. Then, of course, "the man hug"--the one guys do where they clasp the other guys opposite hand, pull together and slap the back--for cool guys only. Hug tip: the amount of pressure applied in the hug is also dependent on your fondness for the person, the more pressure applied, the more you like them.

Personally, I love hugs. Hugging is wonderful. Sometimes you want to hug so much it's inappropriate. I might be a hug addict.

Funny Stuff on SNL

I haven't found a lot of skits on SNL that funny lately, but this one is good. It's not mean spirited and it's just plain funny.

Blogger Help Group Works!

I posted my problem in a help discussion group and two guru bloggers and one blogger employee answered back. TED came to the rescue with a simple solution and now I'm back in business! Thanks TED whoever you are!

I screwed up

I deleted some html and now my old posts are not showing up on the home page. I'm waiting to hear back from Blogger Help to see if they can restore things. Maybe I'll hear something from them before too long. Some advice: don't click or delete things unless you're sure of what you're doing!

If you have any suggestions, let me know!

LifeShare: a 7 day online challenge (Starting 9/17)

LifeChurch.tv and Ragamuffinsoul.com are teaming up for an online event called LifeShare and I want to share this with you because I plan on getting in. I am going to embed the Mogulus player later and invite you to visit the LifeShare site to learn more about this 7-day event and participate in this online community. You can check out Carlos Whitaker’s post about it and join us as we explore what an online church can be like.

Sarah Palin ABC News Interview, Part 2

9/11/089/12/08

My first observation is that on today's interview from Palin's home, they used a softer lens. Yesterday I noticed that Sarah looked a little harsh. Today, she and Charlie Gibson were both "softer." I wonder who made that call, Palin or Gibson?

More thoughts on the interviews later.

Arthritis Checkup

I saw my rheumatologist this week for a checkup. He came bouncing in the examine room and said, "How's my girlfriend?" Girlfriend? First time he's said that. He seemed to be in a particularly good mood that day. He continued to compliment me on my brown-fallish color outfit and said he looks horrible in brown.

Anyway, after some chit chat, we moved on to the medical examine. He looked at my hands and shook his head and sighed. He said he wished he had known me when I was first diagnosed with RA. Although after we talked some more, we determined that it might not have made a difference. In 1987 when I first "presented" (to use his terminology) they didn't have the revolutionary drugs that they have today to treat the disease. My doctor at that time could have treated the disease more aggressively, but the really radical drugs didn't come on the market until 2000.

If you're interested in reading more about the history of treatments for RA, check out part one of this article by Dr. Michael Makover. He's pretty much describing my experience. I also learned through his article that one of my all-time favorite actresses, Lucille Ball, had RA and was bedridden for two years at the start of her career. Wow, who knew? Renoir also suffered from RA. I didn't know that either.

I'm taking many medications for my RA--I'd be embarrassed for anyone to see my medicine cabinet. The most effective drug combo that I'm currently being treated with is an infusion of Remicade that I get every eight weeks and methotrexate. The great news today for anyone being diagnosed with RA is that the new drugs on the market are breakthroughs and can prevent deformities and allow you to lead a fairly normal life.

Two Sisters, 1881 - Renoir

Bush Doctrine?

Gee, is the "Bush Doctrine" going to go down in the analogs of history like the "Monroe Doctrine?" I didn't know there was such a thing as the Bush Doctrine. I'm referring to the question that Charlie Gibson threw at Palin in his interview.

Phenomenon of Palin

Sarah Palin's interview tonight with Charlie Gibson on ABC News proves her to be a woman ready to be Vice President of the United States. I loved when Charlie asked her if she had ever met a head of state? Here's what she said:

"I have not and I think if you go back in history and if you ask that question of many vice presidents, they may have the same answer that I just gave you. But, Charlie, again, we've got to remember what the desire is in this nation at this time. It is for no more politics as usual and somebody's big, fat resume maybe that shows decades and decades in that Washington establishment, where, yes, they've had opportunities to meet heads of state ... it has been overwhelming to me that confirmation of the message that Americans are getting sick and tired of that ... good old boy network that has been the Washington elite."

YOU GO GIRL! Here's a link to the video of the first interview.

What is really amazing to me is the scrutiny that this woman is under ... from the glasses that she wears to her makeup and suits, to how she styles her hair. People are clamoring to get her eye glasses. My gosh. A reporter mentioned in a news story that she has two Blackberries--watch, there will be a surge in sales of Blackberries. I just got one a couple of weeks ago, thank goodness I got mine!


She certainly has stirred this election up and I think she's getting inside Obama's head--for example, his comment the other day about pigs and lipstick. Big news! I don't think he was saying Sarah is a pig, I think he's been put off balance by her.

Sarah Palin was a brilliant choice for Vice President by McCain and I'm looking forward to the rest of the interviews with Charlie Gibson. This Presidential election is fantastic and exciting--thanks Sarah!

Where Were You?

Just like my parents and many others remembered where they were when John F. Kennedy was assassinated, I remember where I was when I first heard about the terrorist attacks of 9/11. On the evening of September 10th I had just returned from a trip to New York City where I had met with a publishing company doing contract work for Porsche (that's who I worked for back then). I had flown out of Newark Airport and I remember getting home late because my flight had been delayed several hours. I was sleeping the morning of September 11, when our home phone rang. I answered and it was a lady I worked with at Porsche calling to make sure I was OK. Kind of fuzzy and sleepy-eyed, she told me to turn on the TV. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The first tower of the World Trade Center had been hit by a plane and they were trying to figure out if it was just a plane crash. Minutes later, another plan crashed into the second tower. I was glued to the TV. How could this be happening here in America? I could only imagine the horror of those who died that day and the grief of their loved ones.

I hope you'll think of this day on November 4, election day. I know John McCain and Sarah Palin support our troops and their role in the war against terrorism. They know that terrorists still pose a threat to America. Here's a portion of McCain's speech today on the seventh anniversary of 9/11:

"I have witnessed great courage and sacrifice for America's sake, but none greater than the sacrifice of those good people who grasped the gravity of the moment, understood the threat, and decided to fight back at the cost of their lives.

"In the Gospel of John it is written, 'Greater love hath no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends.' Such was their love; a love so sublime that only God's love surpasses it. I am in awe of it as much as I am in debt to it. May God bless their souls."

Reconnecting through Facebook

When I first joined Facebook, hardly anyone from my high school was a member. That was several months ago. Finally, more people who went to my high school are joining. It has been so much fun to catch up--we haven't seen or talked with each other for 30 years! It's great to be a small part of their lives again, it's almost like it was just yesterday that we were walking the halls together.