I'm gonna be on national tv!

So I'm in Philly today and tomorrow for some training. Tonight a few of us decided to go downtown for dinner and exploring. This was my FIRST time in downtown Philly so we decided we had to go for cheesesteaks...which I had never had. I guess those of you that know the area are aware of this...but for everyone else....apparently you go to one of two places for the original (and best) cheesesteak. Either Genos or Pats. They are across the street from each other. So we headed that way for me to have my first cheesesteak. We notice as we're driving down the street that there is some filming going on..and we think its the news or something. Then we park down the street and walk past Genos towards Pats. The camera crew is ALL over at Pats. I notice this dude talking to folks outside..and he looks really familier...but I can't place him. I'm thinking that its someone from the food channel...because I totally know that I've seen Pats on the food channel before. The camera crew is all over the place, inside and out. While my one co-worker and I are waiting patiently in line to order our cheesesteaks we notice they are filming the guy in front of us from inside while he's being handed a big box of cheesesteaks and is saying "Thanks, the guys are gonna love this. We'll decide for sure who is the best". They film this shot numerous times to get it JUST right...and then finally the director comes over to thank the guys inside. She's wearing a jacket that says "Extreme Makover: Home Edition". Which is when I realize the familier looking dude is Paul DiMeo from the show. Anyway, my co-worker and I were just behind him when he was getting the box from inside so we're TOTALLY in the shot. And they made such a big deal about figuring out "who is the best" and then spent 30 minutes filming at genos that I'm sure it will make the final cut. By the way..my favorite part....when Paul and the other dude...(I didn't get a close up but I think it was Preston Sharp) get into a big blue pick up truck and drive away. Then the truck comes back around the block...they hop out and walk towards a big passenger van and the crew loads the filming gear into the bed of the truck and takes off. Anyway, not sure when this episode will air...so watch your local listings for when the family from Philly is on.

On another note, my uncle did come home from the hospital last night. He ended up developing phnemonia (probably from being in bed in the hospital all week) but it didn't get any worse from Saturday to Sunday so they let him come home yesterday. Now we just have to wait to hear back the results of the liver biopsy and decide what the final prognonsis is and what the plan of attack is.

Nice to be close to family.

So I'm blogging from my aunt and uncles computer in Virigina again. I was actually thinking of coming down here this weekend so I could use my special coach discount before it expireson Sunday night. I called my aunt to see what they were up to and she told me that my uncle had been in the hospital all week. There is a laundry list of how we got to where we are today...but we think its liver cyrocys (okay I know thats not spelled right but hopefully you get the idea because I'm not thinking of how it should be spelled). Anyway, last night they did a liver biopsy and they'll find out next week if that's what it is or not. So....after talking to my aunt I decided to drive down just to keep them company because she's been sitting at the hospital from 7am-11pm all week. I had a quick morning meeting yesterday and then I was headed down...but alas I came out of my meeting to find a flat tire! So....2 hours later with a new tire on the car I was on my way to Virigina.

Good news is my uncle is looking pretty well...they have all the things that brought him into the hospital under control for now and he might be coming home tonight. And they're both really glad I drove down. But honestly...when you are just 2 hours away...how could I NOT drive down. I was a little upset my aunt didn't tell me sooner..but honestly..I couldn't have gotten down here any sooner than I did so its probably better she didn't because then I would have just felt bad that I couldn't be here.

So...that's it for now. We're back off to the hospital...hopefully to bring him home!

I wonder how my kitties are doing?

Last night was my first time away from home since moving into the new house and getting the kitties. I cleaned out their box right before I left and put down plenty of food. But since Zella has become quite demanding for my attention I'm wondering how they did their first night alone? I've got a few more hours left before I leave Philly and I was doing to stop at the Coach store to try and use my special invitation only coupon....so I'm thinking I won't be home til like 7pm....that will have been like 40 hours of them home alone.....

Either way I'm anxious to get home and see them....it was strange not having Zella wake me up this morning...or watch them play while I'm getting ready.

Powder Room Pictures

Guest Room Pictures!

Yippee!

Got an invitation to my first Coach special sale! I can't figure out how I HADN'T spent enough to get one of these sooner....but whatever the magic number is I finally hit it! Next week I'm off to the Coach stores (yes there are two) at the King of Prussia mall to make my purchase with my special 25% off card! I get to use it for anything from the spring collection (too bad I didn't have it when I bought a few things a few weeks ago!).

People who live in glass houses.....

So I was just thinking to myself, man, I'm way out here in PA without a clue what's going on in CA since people haven't been updating their blogs very much...and then I realized....damn...neither have I! So....here goes.....

Spent this past weekend painting my bedroom "sun ray" a bright bold yellow (matches the yellow in my bedding). Joey and Zella weren't too happy about being locked out of the room...but the last thing I needed were little tiny paws getting in bright yellow paint and painting my white carpeting!!!!

Speaking of the kids...they're doing really well. Both have decided their new favorite place to hide is in the closet in the guest room. Somehow they've figured out how to get the doors open, go inside and close the doors behind them (they are bifold). They can't get back out once they are in...but neither seem to want to either. When I get home Joey will come down to meet me at the door...Zella is no where to be found..and sure enough she's in the closet! I guess its good she's not under the bed anymore! She's actually starting to come downstairs more too. She likes climbing on top of me while I'm watching tv...be it on the couch or in bed. And she's sleeping in bed with me most of the night. She's decided about 4-5am she likes to start standing on my chest and pushing her little cold nose up against mine. I'm sure it will get annoying soon, but right now I'm so excited she's warming up to me enough to do that so I don't care. Joey's favorite place to spend time with me is when I'm on the computer. He likes to hop up on the keyboard and in front of the monitor. I keep trying to snap a picture from the imac to show you how silly it looks but he always ducks down last minute and then all I have is a silly picture of ME!

The job seems to be going pretty well...I know better than to elaborate in detail...but most of the people I have to work with have been GREAT...making me a lot happier with my job than I was the last year in CA. I wish things were better there...but my replacement out there I think already is getting a sense of what I was going through...at least with the folks that were especially bad. My co-workers are great...although I'm really bummed that the one guy I went through training with just got transfered to Canada. I was so excited to be moved to the same place with him...but he'd been here almost 3 years so it was time for him to go.

I'm almost finished with the first shrug I started to knit (not the one for Mandy's wedding). I've just got about another couple of inches or ribbing to go on that one. Then I can get started on the one for the wedding which I'm really excited about!

I did find a Color Me Mine in Harrisburg so I've been over there a few times. I LOVE it. And they have a frequent visitor card...for $25 you get a free sitting and I think 10% off any pottery you purchase that visit. I went in and made little bowls for Zella and Joey to match my kitchen (and a dog bowl for Heidi-my aunt and uncles dog-for when she comes to visit) and I saved a ton! I just feel nice and relaxed when I spend a few hours there...and its nice to have things you created!

I promise I will start taking pictures of the house to share soon.....a few things holding me back. 1) those of you who know me know that I'm NOT the neatest housekeeper. I'm still trying to put away some clutter before taking pictures! 2) I'm working on getting some of the decor hung so that it looks like it really WILL when its done. 3) I haven't wanted to get back up on the ladder and take down the rest of the blue tape from painting my bedroom! Anyway...I'm getting there....my goal is to get rid of the rest of the clutter this week/weekend and then I'll take some pictures!

Painting a bathroom is hard!

So I decided that there's too much white in my house still....so I went to Home Depot this morning to scope out paint colors for the downstairs bathroom. I figured it would be a small easy project. The towels and stuff I'd bought were green with gold accents...so I decided a golden color would be nice (especially since the majority of the downtairs is already painted green). I found a great shade of paint (Gold Buff) and then loaded up on some more supplies. And I finally spotted the little paint touch up bottles I'd been looking for. The kind that have a little roller attached to the bottle and you can fill it with your paint. Perfect for touch ups. I've been looking for those forever and I think I just kept looking over them because they were in a really obvious spot at Home Depot. Anyway, from there I headed out to Bed Bath and Beyond and Target to look at curtain rods/shades. I've not been able to sleep later than 8am in my bedroom because it gets SO much eastern light. So I decided it was time I figure out what to do for shade in that room. And although I didn't like any pre-sized options for shades or blinds I did find nice little temporary ones (who knew you could buy these instead of having to put paper on the windows?) and rods/hangers for my bedroom. I didn't like any of the color options as I suspected so I will be making myself curtains using left over sheets from when I had the full size bed. For now I just hung up a flat sheet off my curtain rod (with the litle shades behind it). And my room is so well shaded now!

Then it was downstairs to paint the bathroom. Problem number one...my ceilings are so freakin high downstairs...and while my genaric little giant ladder is great...it wasn't doing what I wanted it to in the little tiny bathroom. I feel much better on the thing when its doubled...but I couldn't get to all the places I needed to reach with it doubled because I could only put it in one place. After fussing with it a while..I made the ladder staight and leaned it against a wall...but that made me really nervous (what if it slipped and I fell and needed help no one is here). Plus it made some little black scuffs on the wall...not so bad pre-paint. But now that its painted I don't want to put NEW scuffs on the wall.....SO....its now all painted...and I need to find a different way to get the tape of the ceiling. And probably won't be hanging the mirror back up without someone here to help me as I'm sure it will take more hands to put it up safely than it did to take it down!

Was going to put the little safety rod on my patio door next...but it needs to be drilled into the door and frame..and I'm not sure I can because its not wood....

Ladies this one is for you.

New kind of Breast Cancer - I checked this out on SNOPES.com before posting and its legit.

Please share with all of the women in your lives -- Mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts, friends, etc.

"In November, a rare kind of breast cancer was found. A lady developed a rash on her breast, similar to that of young mothers who are nursing.
Because her mammogram had been clear, the doctor treated her with antibiotics for infections. After 2 rounds, it continued to get worse, so her doctor sent her for another mammogram. This time it showed a mass.
A biopsy found a fast growing malignancy. Chemo was started in order to shrink the growth; then a mastectomy was performed; then a full round of Chemo; then radiation. After about 9 months of intense treatment, she was given a clean bill of health.
She had one year of living each day to its fullest! Then the cancer returned to the liver area. She took 4 treatments and decided that she wanted quality of life, not the after effects of Chemo. She had 5 great months and she planned each detail of the final days. After a few days of needing morphine, she died. She left this message to be delivered to women everywhere.

Women, PLEASE be alert to anything that is not normal, and be persistent in getting help as soon as possible.

Paget's Disease: This is a rare form of breast cancer, and is on the outside of the breast, on the nipple and aureole. It appeared as a rash, which later became a lesion with a crusty outer edge. I would not have ever suspected it to be breast cancer but it was. My nipple never seemed any different to me, but the rash bothered me, so I went to the doctor for that. Sometimes, it itched and was sore, but other than that it didn't bother me. It was just ugly and a nuisance, and could not be cleared up with all the creams prescribed by my doctor and dermatologist for the dermatitis on my eyes just prior to this outbreak.

They seemed a little concerned but did not warn me it could be cancerous. Now, I suspect not many women out there know a lesion or rash on the nipple or aureole can be breast cancer. Mine started out as a single red pimple on the aureole.

One of the biggest problems with Paget's disease of the nipple is that the symptoms appear to be harmless. It is frequently thought to be a skin inflammation or infection, leading to unfortunate delays in detection and care. What are the symptoms?

1. A persistent redness, oozing, and crusting of your nipple causing it to itch and burn. (As I stated, mine did not itch or burn much, and had no oozing I was aware of, but it did have a crust along the outer edge on one side.)

2. A sore on your nipple that will not heal. (Mine was on the aureole area with a whitish thick looking area in center of nipple).

3. Usually only one nipple is effected. How is it diagnosed? Your doctor will do a physical exam and should suggest having a mammogram of both breasts, done immediately. Even though the redness, oozing and crusting closely resemble dermatitis (inflammation of the skin), your doctor should suspect cancer if the sore is only on one breast. Your doctor should order a biopsy of your sore to confirm what is going on.

This message should be taken seriously and passed on to as many of your relatives and friends as possible; it could save someone's life.

My breast cancer has spread and metastasized to my bones after receiving mega doses of chemotherapy, 28 treatments of radiation and taking Tamaxofin. If this had been diagnosed as breast cancer in the beginning, perhaps it would not have spread... "

TO ALL READERS:
This is sad as women are not aware of Paget's disease of the nipple . If, by passing this around on the e-mail, we can make others aware of it and its potential danger, we are helping women everywhere.

Please, if you can, take a moment! to forward this message to as many people as possible, especially to your family and friends. It only takes a moment, yet the results could save a life

Update on the kiddies!

Zella finally came out to visit last night. I went upstairs and watched tv laying on the floor instead of on the bed. The first hour Joey and I were playing (he's finally into toys now) and she was only about a foot away under the bed (as opposed to back up against the wall and on top of the air pump for the bed). Joey headed downstairs to check things out and she popped out a few times to get a little food and some water. Then she came out and sat right in front of me so I started to pet her and she went CRAZY all rubbing up on my like I was catnip. She did that for like a half an hour. Then I got up into bed and they BOTH jumped up into bed to
lay nicely while we watched tv.

Then it was lights out and the both of them went crazy. The knocked a few things off shelves (one was 7 feet up..I don't even know how they got that one). Darted in and out of the bathroom numerous times chasing each other. Kicked up litter EVERYWHERE in their littler box corner (once they get used to me/the house I'm going to buy a box that is DEEPER so they kick and it stays in the box). Most of the food I put out last night was gone for the first time (hopefully they BOTH ate it and not just Joey who I saw eat a bunch of it). And...toys were ALL over the place this morning. So apparently they had a grand ole time last night. When I got out of the shower this morning they were both under the bed sleeping. Must have
been as tiring of a night for them as it was for me! I can't wait til they're comfortable with the house and venture OUTSIDE my room to play at night!