Irishrose1

Holiday Cards!

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:12:11 GMT

Yes, this means you!

If you would like a holiday card, the please comment here with your address.

If you have moved since last year, please comment here with your address.

If you celebrate a holiday other than Christmas, please comment here with your address. (and your holiday!)

If you hate my guts and wish I would die, please comment here with your address. *eg*

All comments are screened, by the way, so don't be shy!

Can I be Scrooge now?

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:23:35 GMT

We had a pretty decent day filled with a relaxing time, a little baking, and just hanging around.

That was before we went to the family thing.

Don't get me wrong, I love my family, I just don't particularly like them. Oh, they're ok most of the time. But through various ways that might be considered dubious, a couple of them live in large, expensive, houses that are furnished with things that could probably pay for my house a few times over. Just the place you want to take your two year old, yeah? So, rather than actually getting to talk to anyone or try to be civil and family like, we spend all of our time watching Liam like a hauk to make sure he doesn't bump, break, or otherwise harm anything. So lots of tension and can't really respond to anyone because we are constantly redirecting Liam. Sure there are toys, but there are lots of things, expensive things, that he's not seen before and look really cool and enticing to a 2 year old.

And it didn't help any that they told us about 10 times to be sure and be there BY 5. It started right AT 5. Don't be late, because we will start without you, etc., etc., etc. So we show up at 4:40 figuring that would be good and Liam wouldn't have to wait too long before the meal started. But, about 5pm they announced it would be at least another hour. Great. Liam's hungry and we're in this huge expensive house.

Well, guess what? We failed. About 10 minutes before dinner's ready he saw it. The nice big crystal elephant, and he got to it just before Mr IR did. Just as he grabs it, Mr IR very sternly says "no!" and of course 2 year old Liam knows that means to get your hands off...so he drops it like a hot potato. *facepalm*

Nice big crystal elephant is now missing an ear and part of a tusk. Which lead to the 80 year old ass that is my uncle grabbing Liam by the arm and yelling at him to keep his hands off everything. (Which very nearly lead to me shouting at him to get his hand off my son and leaving.) Of course we apologize to my aunt and tell her we'll replace it. But I can't find anything close that doesn't cost a few hundred dollars. I'm about ready to throw my hands up and say too bad.

Is it worth it? All the tension? The total lack of anything resembling family fun and joy of being together? It seems like the older I get, the less I like them.

Ah well, enough bitching. The rest of my day was good. No work tomorrow. It'll be a good day.

"It's a ritual sacrifice...with pie."

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:36:46 GMT

Here's hoping your ritual sacrifice goes well today! May it please the god (or goddess) you offer it up to, as well as your friends and family! And who knows, maybe a mortal stranger or two.

Gotta love two year olds!

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 02:24:49 GMT

We are redoing the floor in the hallway. We are going to continue the wood laminate in there. In prep, we pulled up the carpet. Unexpectedly, there is a half-dollar size hole in the floor in one spot. About what you would expect for some sort of gas pipe, etc., only there is no pipe there. Well, since we pulled up the carpet, things have gone missing around here. Today, Rosebud spotted Liam dropping something down the hole. So Mr IR got the flashlight and peered through the hole and...holy moley we've hit the motherload! *g*

In view are several butter knives, a couple of Mr Ir's good screw drivers, a bag of cheetos (how'd he get those through there?), and a corn skewer. Goodness knows what else is down there.

Only problem is, it's on top of the basement ceiling, kind of right in the middle. So we have to go through the crawl space, and somehow figure out how to get to the middle of the basement ceiling to get all that stuff.

Just goes to show you, if there is a hole...children will put something in it!

Supernatural: To Bold go where not even Joss would go...

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 00:31:22 GMT

Friendly ribbing, or poke in the eye with a sharp stick?
I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this episode. Oh sure, I've read both sides, the effusive praise and love for the friendly ribbing that is Supernatural poking good natured fun at itself and its fans, and the up in arms "they hate their fans!" stuff. Like most things, I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

I like it when a show doesn't take itself too seriously and can sit back and take a moment to laugh at itself and let the fans in on the joke. That is what I felt like watching "Monster at the end of this book" last season. Joss was good at those moments. And I think he really truly appreciates his fandom, even when they seem to be less than effusive.

But I'm not so sure that Kripke and Edlund are of the same mind. Last night's episode seemed like a whole other story though. It came off as chastizement in several parts to certain aspects of fandom. Was it coincidence that they killed the fan who was critical? Becky dropping Sam like a rock once she realized that author dude could be action man too? The fake Sam & Dean who turned out to be a loving gay couple who met in a Supernatural internet chatroom was the crowning glory though.

There was a moment when I really thought they were trying to salvage the "friendly ribbing" when fake Dean was trying to put the fandom in perspective for real Dean, but then they had to go with the gay partners theme and it kind of just shot it all to heck. And of course the closing line of the show that it isn't jumping the shark if you never come back down.

Really? Do they REALLY believe that? (Not that I think they've really jumped the shark. There isn't a moment where I could point to and say, "This is it! This is the moment they jumped the shark.")

There were some great moments though. I kind of liked that they jumped to the (reasonable) assumption about the mother, and then realized it was the boys that were the problem and she was keeping them under control.

And then there is the interesting question of why Sam & Dean can't bear to hear their previous conversations played out in front of them. Is it the annoyance of everyone knowing their personal discussion and trying to be them? Or something deeper?

And while one can draw innumerable comparisons with the characters of the Jossverse, Supernatural is its own story. And while Joss will certainly take a stab and laugh at the show, himself, and wink at the fandom, maybe even try to persuade them as to his intent, I don't think he would outright mock them in the serious way that Kriple and Edlund have. Was it a friendly ribbing, or was it a reprimand to certain less than desirable aspects of fandom?

Ah well, in conclusion, I miss Castiel!

"You're not the average patient"

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:26:36 GMT

Bwahahaha... no, really?

Trust me when I say this, because as a nurse I am being completely straight with you, the one thing you never want to hear from a doctor you are paying to evaluate your problem, is that you are "interesting". I don't know if there is anything worse than being "interesting" in the medical sense. *g* I once said that to a doctor when he commented about an "interesting" case. He laughing and said that is very true.

Which is what I did when the pain management doctor made the comment that I'm not the average patient. I laughed. He's right. And yes, I am "interesting" in the medical sense. If my family had a crazy rare inheritable problem, I inherited it. I inherited things that most doctors learn out in medical school but are told they will "never see a patient who has this." I'm just lucky that way.

(But for the most part, I ignore them. *g*)

But hey, the doctor was very thorough and comprehensive. I liked him. He only annoyed me once. Maybe twice. He very clearly explained what was going on, and what we can do to fix it. He did do a little head and beard scratching since I'm such an interesting person and present some unique challenges. After all, I'm not the average patient.

Anyway, they can fix my pain. Yay! Not today, because they have to get the insurance to authorize everything first of course. But they can make my head feel better. So I say "yay" to that!

YAY!

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:56:31 GMT

The Pain medicine people had another cancelation and can work me in tomorrow! Thank goodness I don't have to go through the weekend like this. The nurses at work didn't seem too bothered by the short notice absence, but we'll see how the ones from on high feel about it tomorrow. (They were all gone by the time I got the call.) Then again (ah), I am thinking that (ah) they might be a little (ow) tired of me (ow) spending all day like (ow) this.

I'm just amazed that I'm still running into people who I haven't explained why I stop every few seconds and grad the side of me head and grimace.

Yay for getting my head fixed tomorrow!!! (ahahaha...like THAT is possible! Ahahaha.)

(and yes, all of my children are still alive, thank you for asking. *g*)

ARG!!!! Teenagers! ARG!!!

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:36:13 GMT

I love them. And on occasion I want to choke the living $%&^ out of them. *g*

I'm cleaning off my desk at home this evening, when I notice this little piece of paper with a phone number on it. I recognize the phone number as belonging to the pain medicine doctor with whom I have an appointment on the 23rd so he can fix my wonky nerve that makes me want to rip of part of my scalp. Nothing else is written on the paper, just the phone number.

So I roam around the house asking each of the girls who wrote the phone number down and why. Finally get to the transplanted rose and she says, "oh yeah, I forgot to tell you....your doctor's office called and they moved your appointment up. I think it was today sometime. Sorry!"

AAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!

I was on the cancelation list. My head could be better right now.

Sorry?! SORRY?!?!?!

Because it can happen again...

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:04:17 GMT

71 years ago Kristallnacht was taking place.

If you don't know what that was, then this is the perfect opportunity for you to learn a bit of history. I do not bring this very sensitive subject up to shame or spotlight any particular people, country, or religion. But rather, I bring it up to highlight what can happen when religious intolerance becomes the bedfellow of political power.

And it doesn't have to be religious intolerance. Iintolerance to any subgroup of people can result in this kind of sanctioned hate crime. When we start thinking of people in terms of "us" and "them", and how infinitely right we are, which means that "they" are infinitely wrong, this can happen again. And again, and again, and again.

When we forget what happened, or excuse it, we begin setting the stage for it to happen again. And it is becoming so distant an occurrence, that people are already forgetting.

And people are still hating. People are still being intolerant of those who are different. Those who aren't "us".

So take a moment tonight, to meditate on the past. Tomorrow, continue to work on changing the future.

It isn't all in my head!

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:55:20 GMT

Turns out some of it is in my neck!

So, my headaches have changed this weekend to this really blinding, stabbing ice-pick of doom, sort of thing. Always in the same place and sort of branching from there. Has my complete and undivided attention when it happens. Sure, it only lasts a few seconds, but WHOA MAMA!

Turns out this is a classic symptom, and the headaches I've been having for weeks (months) now are sort of the precurser. But now it's full out assault!

It's called Occipital Neuralgia. And it's what happens when you have a pinched nerve at the C2 level, the nerve that feeds the scalp. Hence my headaches.

If you could imagine what it might feel like to get shot in the head about 100 times a day...this would be it.

Hmmm...what to cook?

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:21:28 GMT

I have a couple pounds of carrots, and two good size fiarytale pumpkins. Any suggestions other than making a dozen pumpkin pies and carrot cakes? Not that there's anything wrong with pumpkin pie and carrot cake, mind you. Just looking to cook something different.

So, any suggestions?

I now have evidence that I do have a brain after all!

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:32:23 GMT

First of all, I want to say thank you to everyone for your wonderful thoughts, energy, and prayers. My headaches do seem to be a bit better. Still an every day occurrence, but at least they aren't ALL day, or as bad as they were. So perhaps they are on the way to resolving.

Second, the MRI. I have reviewed the films myself, and there are no signs of growths, tumors, or anything worrying. It did show plenty of deep sinus inflammation, which is likely what has been causing my headaches. (Likely in concert with stress.) We already knew that my frontal sinuses are very abnormally small, but they are there.

Fixability (hey! I made a new word!) is questionable. We have already tried nasal steroids, allergy medicine, and anti-inflammatories. I did allergy shots years ago, which helped my asthma, but did nothing for my sinuses. I've done sinuses washes to clean them out. I've also tried just leaving them alone. I really don't want to start on the path of pain meds. Nor do I really want to contemplate surgery. The only thing that seemed to have helped was a short course of oral steroids I took a while back for bronchitis. It got rid of my headaches for a brief period. But that certainly isn't a long term solution.

So it seems that we are left with a watch and wait scenario. Particularly since they seem to be getting somewhat better.

Again, thanks to everyone for your wonderful thoughts and prayers!

Healing Thoughts please

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 01:25:53 GMT

If you could sent a thought or vibe this way, it would be appreciated.

I've been having headaches for weeks, possibly months now. Hard to pinpoint when they started. For a while I just assumed it was sinuses. My sinuses are all messed up and some of them didn't form right, as they are much, much, smaller than they should be. But the last few weeks the headaches have been an all day/every day thing. The chiropractic and meds doesn't seem to be helping them. The placement of the headaches really points to a combination of stress and sinuses, but all day/every day headaches aren't something to play around with. So friday I'm getting an MRI friday to see if that tells us anything. Hopefully, it won't show anything abnormal, or will confirm sinuses as the problem. All I know is that I really want them gone! They are affecting my perfomance and my mood. (Hard to be happy-go-lucky when your head won't stop hurting.)

So, if you could spare a thought, or vibe, or prayer my way that everything looks good and that my head stops hurting, I would be very, very, grateful!

Happy Birthday!

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 19:26:35 GMT

Big shiney happy birthday wishes to a wonderful, splendiferous, stupendous person, who also writes some kickass stories!

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Big shiney happy birthday wishes to a wonderful, splendiferous, stupendous person, who also writes some kickass stories!

<marquee<h2>Happy Birthday <lj user="whenbuffysmiles">!</h2></marquee>

Hope it's a great one!

I PASSED!!!!

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:46:32 GMT

Woohoo!!!! I passed the exam. I am now an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant!

19 years together, and I have yet to kill him!

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:38:29 GMT

Today is our anniversary, Mr IR and I. Sometimes I wonder how it can be so long, and others I think there is surely a year or two missing in there somewhere. *g* We had a handful of rough periods, but we worked it through. Sometimes people ask us how on earth we can stay together so long. I tell them that I think we're just different. We never went into this with the thought that if it doesn't work out....or if this or that happens, then we can always... It is work at times. But we never considered that there was an alternative. This is something you do forever, so you might as well do it right, and make it work, even when it gets hard.

That's usually the point when people tell me that's crazy. *g*

Ah well, lquality of life and love is pretty ood in crazy land!

Using my wife icon- because although it doesn't really fit, I don't have anything else that fits better! *lol*

Flu, woohoo

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:25:09 GMT

Well, two of the four kids and Mr IR have what is probably the flu. So it's lots of vitamin C, silver, and some herbals for all. I would guess that about 30 to 40% of my city has this crud right now. Ah well, at least we'll all have good immunity to it when it rolls back around again.

picture meme

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 21:06:43 GMT

Swiped from teragramm and kallysten

Post a picture, no matter how surreal or plain, in my comments of what you think describes me when you think about what/who I am, an image of anything that you think says "irishrose1" Give no written explanation, just an image.

If you would like, post this in your journal and see what images you get.

Woo Hoo!

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 18:42:07 GMT

I just found out they are shooting season 2 of Being Human!

YYYAaaaaaaayyy!!!

SOA

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 01:41:48 GMT

Don't suppose anyone has 2x02 of Sons of Anarchy? The transplanted rose missed it the other day and is just dying for her fix. (And who am I to throw stones? *lol*)

Thoughts on True Blood...Spoilery stuff!

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 01:05:55 GMT

I finished watching the season two backlog just an hour before last nights finale. Then was able to watch the finale thanks to some wonderful friends (thank you all!!!)

Here are my thoughts off the top of my head:

Ok, in general:
Jason is adorable in the brotherly, brainless, blond way.
Sam is interesting thus far. A bit of a moper, but interesting. I will be curious to see where his story leads
Pam is fun!
Lafayette is more interesting than most of the other characters.
Ditto Tara.
Tara's mom, I feel so bad for. She's been so messed up for so long that now she hasn't a clue what to do. Character is very true.
Maryann, interesting mythology pitched in there! Character was wonderful, but got a bit old.
Fellowship of the Sun (or whatever they are called) so campy and overdone, but OTOH, I can't argue that they aren't true to life. *g* Religious zealots, are religious zealots, and I can SO see something exactly like that springing up in half a heart beat. Possibly government sponsored. *g*
Terry is probably my favorite character next to Lafayette.
Jessica, I love her. I feel bad for her. Sookie was right in the teen/vampire comparitive. As for her perpetual virginity, I laughed my arse off! I mean, how many times have we in the Buffy fandom had that discussion? What a nightmare that would be!
Eric is hot and funny.
Godric...Who knew vampires could be emo too! (Ok, to be fair Louis was pretty emo, but Godric REALLY embodied it!)
Bill..is kind of boring.
Sookie is the penultimate Mary Sue. (Sorry Sookie fans!) I can't decide if I want to slap her, shake her, or just ignore her, about 90% of the time.
The Queen. Is also boring thus far. And I'm a little confused about why such a young vampire would be queen. But I suppose all will be revealed.
Seems to be a lot less sex in season 2. (not counting the orgies!)
Jessica and Hoyt are the only couple I'm firmly behind at this point.
They can fly?!
The accents kind of suck. *g* Although given the fact that most of the main actors are from other countries, I guess I can forgive.
Eric is so Season 2 Spike, but Bill is NOT Angel in any way, shape, or form.

Season Finale thought:
Kind of dragged. Like an anvil behind a car.
Queen annoys me.
MaryAnn got killed too early in the episode. It was sort of anticlimactic.
Must...resist...urge...to smack....Sookie...
Eggs...ok, while I fully anticipated his death, I didn't see THAT coming!
That giant sucking sound isn't the vampires, it's Tara's life!

Well, that's it for now I suppose.

Ok True Blood Fan's...need some...help.

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 22:37:25 GMT

I've rented and watched the first season and it is nothing if not entertaining. In the amusing and fun sort of way. But it's also like a bad drug. You don't really want it, but you've got to have it.

Now, I know that several of you are fans of the show (yes, I do in fact read my FL!) And, I do not have HBO. I can barely afford to feed three teenagers plus the rest of us. *g*

So, if someone could point me to the direction of season two episodes so that I don't have to wait for the DVD's to become available at Hastings, I'd be very grateful.

(And you should know by now that I'm the very discrete type when discretion is called for.)

Besides, I think the Rosebud is getting tired of me asking her, "Now, who the heck is this person and more importantly, when do they die?" *lol*

Are the books better or the same? Rosebud only has the first one. Is it worth it to continue on in the series?

I think I have whiplash.

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 03:11:15 GMT

Um, yeah, teaching the two 17 year old's how to drive a stick??? Kinda painful. One is still really aggressive with the brake pedal. (hello dashboard! Why yes, that is a seat belt bruise, why do you ask?) The other is better overall with a regular car, but is WAY to fast off the clutch in the toyota! Every shirt is accompanied but a lurch. (hunny, where's the ice pack for my neck & shoulders?)

Ah well. Made Mr IR take them out driving for a while this time. Ijust got adjusted today and I'd like to enjoy it for a while. *g*

Prezzies in the mail!

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 02:58:47 GMT

Everyone is currently squeeing because a certain wonderful someone sent us all prezzies in the mail! Tidbits for everyone. yummy biscuits for me. (And OHhhh are they yummy!) as well as some wonderful teas! Hair and phone accessories. Lovely pins. All wonderful stuff that really brightened everyone's day!

So thank you very, very much!

(And the added bit for the pseudo adopted rose really was a nice touch. And very touching to her. Thank you fromt eh bottom of my heart!)

Well, that sucked!

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 02:57:22 GMT

So, I have three teenage girls who need clothes for school. And they need them by friday morning because they are going on a trip to NOLA and won't be back until 8pm the night before school starts. I am NOT made of money. Not to worry, says I. There's a huge thrift store a block and a half away from my house! So we go toddling off to said thrift store. Well, an hour and a half after sorting through the unsorted mile of jeans (they don't believe in sorting things at this particular thrift store), we have found no less than 20 pairs of decent and stylish jeans in the three respective sizes for the young ladies. The most expensive pair is 2.99! Quite satisfied with myself, I push my loaded cart up to the register to check out. I unzip my purse to get out my check book, and....

A very panicked woman comes running out of the back of the building yelling..

FIIIIIIRRRRRRREEEEEEE!!!!!!!! FIRE, FIRE, FIRE, GET EVERYONE OUT! FIIIIRRRRRREEEEE!!!!!

Well, everyone kind of looks around trying to figure out if the woman is serious, when 3 more people come running out of the back in as similar manner, all yelling the same thing.

The cashier grabs her purse and promptly exits the building. (To heck with making sure everyone else got out! *g*)

I tried in vain several times to get the various employees running by to let me take the jeans and give them cash. No one would hear anything of it unfortunately. If I weren't such an upstanding person, I would have liberated the jeans from an apparently dismal fate.

So, I usher this teens outside. Glancing around to make sure that everyone in site has left the building or were in the process of doing so, and exit myself. It was good to see that all the employees were standing safely on the curb away from the building so as not to impeed anyones egress. I quickily suggest it might be good to call 911. Someone does do. I hang around long enough to make sure everyone has fled to a safe distance. Andto make sure the idiots driving by on the main street who are trying to take cell phone pictures of the billowy smoke pouring out of the back of the building don't run over the bystanders. Then I head back to the house a block and half away as the fire truck comes roaring in.

That was at 7:15. The lovely fire department is still there monitoring for hot spots etc.

Something tells me I won't be able to get back in tomorrow morning to get my cart of jeans.

Damn it! I needed those jeans! Do you KNOW how expensive jeans are for THREE teenage girls??!?!?!