Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Passport Update
Ever since I found out our passports were lost a manual search has been being performed. Basically the individual at the USPS was working as a liason between myself and the US Passport Agency. She'd keep me posted on anything going on, mostly just to give me condfidence that something was actually happening and they weren't yanking my chain. I received another phone call yesterday. The USPS worker wanted to verify our address. After a week's manual search our passport applications are still MIA. Back to square one. We are to receive a letter today stating that we need to re-apply. We cannot do anything until we receive the letter, but she was just giving us the heads up so we could get the ball moving again on our end. Ah well. We had already picked up a certified letter of David's name change and David took care of getting certified birth certificates for both of us. And at the beginning of this fiasco I filled out new applications. Of course we never used those so I held on to them, so it's one less this we have to do. According to the USPS worker she understands that the letter states some fees are going to be waved. We will still have to pay the $75 fee for each passport but this application fee via the USPS will be waved and we will be reimbursed for our expenses (1st application fee, certified name change letter, birth certificates). In addition, our passports will be expedited at no charge. That's what I'm talking about. We better get something here. So as of this moment we're waiting in the wings ready to jump for when we receive the letter.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Spencer Can Run!
Spencer was cleared for full activity after his pelvic radiographs Friday. The boy can run!!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Updates
Looking at the calendar I can't believe we're already in August for the year 2008. It's true that time moves faster when you get older.
Yesterday was Spencer's 1 month anniversary of joining our family. He has made himself right at home. And even after a few rough spots in the adjustment period it's gone quite smooth and we're glad we made the decision to not only adopt a greyhound, but chose Spencer to adopt. Actually, it's more like he chose us.
I figured I'd also update you on a couple other things. I've been a lacto-ovo vegetarian for 2 months now. It's still going well with no real glitches. As with anything it's easy to be an unhealthy vegetarian, but I think I'm doing well. Think about it, you could be a vegetarian and eat potato chips all day. Not good. I believe I allow myself a decently well-rounded diet. I can't remember the last time we even had fast food. It's not like I have many choices if we were to go there so we just don't. I had my first craving 2 weeks ago. It was for a Whopper with cheese. I definitely knew it was truly a want considering I haven't had BK in over 2 years. While in Michigan we ate there a couple times and every time I felt sick afterwards. It didn't take long for us to avoid going there. My other craving was rice krispie treats. But considering marshmallows have gelatin, a no-no, I avoided them. Come to find out that they do have vegan marshmallows and marshmallow treats. I'm gonna have to buy some of those. So that's going well, which I'm very happy with.
It's also been 4 months since I've been on Zoloft. I believe I can say that it does work. My anxiety and compulsiveness has been taken down several notches. The downside is that I see that my compulsiveness is lowered and I try to fight it with no success. My body's not used to letting things slide so my mind gets torn. For instance, running. I know I should run and want to run but I find myself saying, "Oh I'll do it later..." Same thing we accomplishing simple tasks like cleaning or reading. In addition my memory seems shot. I'm not kidding when I say I can sit down at the computer determined to look something up, a different thought enters my mind for 1 second and I can't remember what I had wanted to look up. This is quite scary to me as I've always had an awesome memory and can recall any detail when asked. And sometimes I'll even do this when I'm talking. My mind wanders and I find it hard to put my thoughts together to make a sentence. And these past 2 things (less compulsiveness and memory) combine sometimes. I'm a list maker so I always have 1 to 2 lists going at all times. Previously this was an obsessive thing and something I really didn't need. Now I do need it for memory but since my compulsiveness is gone I find myself either forgetting or putting off making a list. I could also sleep all day if my schedule allowed me. I do attribute some of this to being worked into the ground while at work. I'm throughly exhausted by the time I step foot in the door. So I wasn't surprised that when I sat down to read at 7 last night I ended up falling asleep on the couch for 2 hours and then slept through the night. I awoke at 5am today and I could definitely hit the hay right now if I could. I've always been a dreamer. I also tend to remember my dreams. However, since being on the medication my dreams haven't ceased and have only become more vivid and realistic. To the point where I'm always waking up saying, "Did that really happen?" Not to mention, I can recall every detail in them. Why's my memory so good with the dreams and not the rest of my life? So I guess what I'm saying is that there are trade-offs to the medication. It's do what it's supposed to be doing but I'm not sure if I necessarily like it. I guess I need to determine if I want to have a good memory and be compulsive or have a poor memory and be laid back. I guess I can't have my cake and eat it too. But damn, I love cake.
Yesterday was Spencer's 1 month anniversary of joining our family. He has made himself right at home. And even after a few rough spots in the adjustment period it's gone quite smooth and we're glad we made the decision to not only adopt a greyhound, but chose Spencer to adopt. Actually, it's more like he chose us.
I figured I'd also update you on a couple other things. I've been a lacto-ovo vegetarian for 2 months now. It's still going well with no real glitches. As with anything it's easy to be an unhealthy vegetarian, but I think I'm doing well. Think about it, you could be a vegetarian and eat potato chips all day. Not good. I believe I allow myself a decently well-rounded diet. I can't remember the last time we even had fast food. It's not like I have many choices if we were to go there so we just don't. I had my first craving 2 weeks ago. It was for a Whopper with cheese. I definitely knew it was truly a want considering I haven't had BK in over 2 years. While in Michigan we ate there a couple times and every time I felt sick afterwards. It didn't take long for us to avoid going there. My other craving was rice krispie treats. But considering marshmallows have gelatin, a no-no, I avoided them. Come to find out that they do have vegan marshmallows and marshmallow treats. I'm gonna have to buy some of those. So that's going well, which I'm very happy with.
It's also been 4 months since I've been on Zoloft. I believe I can say that it does work. My anxiety and compulsiveness has been taken down several notches. The downside is that I see that my compulsiveness is lowered and I try to fight it with no success. My body's not used to letting things slide so my mind gets torn. For instance, running. I know I should run and want to run but I find myself saying, "Oh I'll do it later..." Same thing we accomplishing simple tasks like cleaning or reading. In addition my memory seems shot. I'm not kidding when I say I can sit down at the computer determined to look something up, a different thought enters my mind for 1 second and I can't remember what I had wanted to look up. This is quite scary to me as I've always had an awesome memory and can recall any detail when asked. And sometimes I'll even do this when I'm talking. My mind wanders and I find it hard to put my thoughts together to make a sentence. And these past 2 things (less compulsiveness and memory) combine sometimes. I'm a list maker so I always have 1 to 2 lists going at all times. Previously this was an obsessive thing and something I really didn't need. Now I do need it for memory but since my compulsiveness is gone I find myself either forgetting or putting off making a list. I could also sleep all day if my schedule allowed me. I do attribute some of this to being worked into the ground while at work. I'm throughly exhausted by the time I step foot in the door. So I wasn't surprised that when I sat down to read at 7 last night I ended up falling asleep on the couch for 2 hours and then slept through the night. I awoke at 5am today and I could definitely hit the hay right now if I could. I've always been a dreamer. I also tend to remember my dreams. However, since being on the medication my dreams haven't ceased and have only become more vivid and realistic. To the point where I'm always waking up saying, "Did that really happen?" Not to mention, I can recall every detail in them. Why's my memory so good with the dreams and not the rest of my life? So I guess what I'm saying is that there are trade-offs to the medication. It's do what it's supposed to be doing but I'm not sure if I necessarily like it. I guess I need to determine if I want to have a good memory and be compulsive or have a poor memory and be laid back. I guess I can't have my cake and eat it too. But damn, I love cake.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Passport Fiasco
How my morning started yesterday....
Given our upcoming cruise David and I applied for our first passports on June 14th. We don't leave for our trip until September 27th so we figured we'd be way in the clear. I've continued to see if our checks cleared and nothing went through. Time kept passing but everyone said to give it time. I was patient but as time keeps closing in I've become quite uncomfortable. Approximately 2 weeks ago I signed up for email notification when they start to process our applications. I never heard anything so come Monday morning I called 1st thing. The US Passport office couldn't find that our applications were received. I then called the post office, where we applied, to see what the deal was. They said that they sent them in via certified mail and that they received confirmation with signature that they were received. So the circle begins. I kept calling each agency to see what I should do. Basically what it came down to was that we should re-apply. That means another $25 for each processing fee. Then I realized, "Wait, they have our birth certificates! Son of a...." Next I started to research how to get certified birth certificates. I found we could go to the health department and for $20 each get a new certified copy. Then, I realized that David's name was changed in 1995 meaning we'd have to get some sort of certified letter verifying his name change. Next call, the probate court. A certified copy of that piece of paper was only $1. I was also unsure as to whether expedite the application process. If we were to do so it'd be another $60 each. The normal application time turnaround is 4 weeks, but I'm not 100% sure I'd believe it. So in order to re-apply we'd be putting another $91 to $211, which in my opinion shouldn't be our responsibility. Needless to say I had a bit of a freak out as all of this was going down. I couldn't believe this had happened. Actually, I could. Given our last vacation was almost pure hell, in our eyes, I'm not going to lie and say that I have no fears something will go wrong on this one.
I continued making phone calls through out the morning trying to find where our applications are. Basically they're in limbo. The USPS doesn't have them and has confirmation that they were delivered and the US Passport office states they don't have any record of them whatsoever. The woman at the post office stepped up to look into it personally. I guess awhile back the same thing happened and the individual took it all the way to our state representative, Marcy Kaptur. The woman ended up getting all fees waived and thereafter all mailings had to be done by certified/confirmation letters. We were the first ones to have this happened after the new protocol. So the lady at the post office made a few phone calls and then got back to me. At the point they're doing a manual search for our applications. It could take a few days but we should find out something at some point. That still left us unsure as to whether to re-apply but at this point we decided to sit tight and hope for the best.
Something else to consider is identity theft. Our birth certificates and SSN's are out there and could get into anyone's hands. We'll have to keep our eyes on our credit reports. More than likely they have found their way into a pile on someone's desk. Wishful thinking? Maybe.
During all of this I made a million phone calls including one to my mom. She couldn't believe what happened either and just reassured me everything was going to be fine. I got off the phone with her and soon after received another call from her. She stated that a coworker said passports are required just yet for cruising to the caribbean. We figured it wasn't true but we'd give it a whirl. I called Royal Caribbean and stated my situation. The representative went on to say that the man was correct. Passports are NOT required. Due to the influx in passport applications they have extended the requirment deadline til June 2009. In addition, I also got this in writing via their website. It states that they highly recommend a passport but a certified birthe certificate and picture ID will do. Whew! A million pounds fell off of my shoulders. Of course we still want our passports but if push came to shove and we didn't receive them we'd be able to get certified birth certificates for our trip.
What a whirlwind of a morning.
We're hoping this is the first and last fiasco of our upcoming trip. I can only imagine Jerry, Diana, Justin, Cassie, Mom, and Dad reading this and saying their prayers. Really, it's going to be an awesome trip. I promise!
Given our upcoming cruise David and I applied for our first passports on June 14th. We don't leave for our trip until September 27th so we figured we'd be way in the clear. I've continued to see if our checks cleared and nothing went through. Time kept passing but everyone said to give it time. I was patient but as time keeps closing in I've become quite uncomfortable. Approximately 2 weeks ago I signed up for email notification when they start to process our applications. I never heard anything so come Monday morning I called 1st thing. The US Passport office couldn't find that our applications were received. I then called the post office, where we applied, to see what the deal was. They said that they sent them in via certified mail and that they received confirmation with signature that they were received. So the circle begins. I kept calling each agency to see what I should do. Basically what it came down to was that we should re-apply. That means another $25 for each processing fee. Then I realized, "Wait, they have our birth certificates! Son of a...." Next I started to research how to get certified birth certificates. I found we could go to the health department and for $20 each get a new certified copy. Then, I realized that David's name was changed in 1995 meaning we'd have to get some sort of certified letter verifying his name change. Next call, the probate court. A certified copy of that piece of paper was only $1. I was also unsure as to whether expedite the application process. If we were to do so it'd be another $60 each. The normal application time turnaround is 4 weeks, but I'm not 100% sure I'd believe it. So in order to re-apply we'd be putting another $91 to $211, which in my opinion shouldn't be our responsibility. Needless to say I had a bit of a freak out as all of this was going down. I couldn't believe this had happened. Actually, I could. Given our last vacation was almost pure hell, in our eyes, I'm not going to lie and say that I have no fears something will go wrong on this one.
I continued making phone calls through out the morning trying to find where our applications are. Basically they're in limbo. The USPS doesn't have them and has confirmation that they were delivered and the US Passport office states they don't have any record of them whatsoever. The woman at the post office stepped up to look into it personally. I guess awhile back the same thing happened and the individual took it all the way to our state representative, Marcy Kaptur. The woman ended up getting all fees waived and thereafter all mailings had to be done by certified/confirmation letters. We were the first ones to have this happened after the new protocol. So the lady at the post office made a few phone calls and then got back to me. At the point they're doing a manual search for our applications. It could take a few days but we should find out something at some point. That still left us unsure as to whether to re-apply but at this point we decided to sit tight and hope for the best.
Something else to consider is identity theft. Our birth certificates and SSN's are out there and could get into anyone's hands. We'll have to keep our eyes on our credit reports. More than likely they have found their way into a pile on someone's desk. Wishful thinking? Maybe.
During all of this I made a million phone calls including one to my mom. She couldn't believe what happened either and just reassured me everything was going to be fine. I got off the phone with her and soon after received another call from her. She stated that a coworker said passports are required just yet for cruising to the caribbean. We figured it wasn't true but we'd give it a whirl. I called Royal Caribbean and stated my situation. The representative went on to say that the man was correct. Passports are NOT required. Due to the influx in passport applications they have extended the requirment deadline til June 2009. In addition, I also got this in writing via their website. It states that they highly recommend a passport but a certified birthe certificate and picture ID will do. Whew! A million pounds fell off of my shoulders. Of course we still want our passports but if push came to shove and we didn't receive them we'd be able to get certified birth certificates for our trip.
What a whirlwind of a morning.
We're hoping this is the first and last fiasco of our upcoming trip. I can only imagine Jerry, Diana, Justin, Cassie, Mom, and Dad reading this and saying their prayers. Really, it's going to be an awesome trip. I promise!
Monday, August 11, 2008
Time For A She Did
It's been awhile since I've posted a She Did award. So long that the last time I posted about it, it was the first time ever "presenting" the She Did award. I think it's time for another one....
This She Did Award is being presented to Susan Veliz-Henry, aka Sita, Seeter, Elma. About a year ago, or even over a year ago, Sita wanted to try something new. She's been drawn to massage and massotherapy for as long as I've known. She's always had a knack for it and could give some relaxing massages just using her own personal research. Well, the time came and she decided it was time to go back to school to become licensed. School's never really easy for all that many people, but add on to that a long hiatus from school, a slightly older brain, and working a normal job, it's quite a challenge. It was a trying time for her in a multitude of ways but she persevered and overcame any obstacle presented to her. Sita's now finished with her courses and will take a short break. After that she'll apply to a refresher course to prep for her Ohio board exam that is held in December. She's an awesome mother-in-law and an amazing massotherapist. If anyone needs a good massage give her a holler!
With that being said, I applaud you Sita and am truly proud of all of your hardwork. You believed you could go back to school, complete your course work, and graduate, so you did! Rock on!!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Mr. And Mrs. Randy Hammons
Yesterday we spent the afternoon with friends celebrating the marriage of Randy and Shannon. It was a beautiful wedding and a ton of fun. I'm still getting used to the camera so it was great to be able to test the waters a bit with it. Be sure to check out the other photos from the big day. Congratulations Randy and Shannon!!
Friday, August 08, 2008
Parvo Sucks
It's parvo season. This time is never fun. It means vomit, diarrhea, disinfect, and repeat at work. In addition you deal with dying animals and people that don't have money to treat the animals. It's such a tough time. This year isn't any easier and if anything the strain is more virulent. On average we're seeing 3-4 cases a day and that doesn't even include those that call in and don't make an appointment. We're constantly dealing with individuals that are calling thinking their pet has been poisoned. Of course they haven't been poisoned. It's parvo. People aren't getting their puppies vaccinated and oftentimes when they do, they give one vaccination...not enough to provide enough immunity. It definitely takes an emotional toll on us. You know you want to provide for the pet but 9 times out of 10 the people don't have money. Just as with human children, it seems that the ones that shouldn't or can't afford to reproduce also have the most dogs and don't take proper care of them. So you're between a rock and a hard place. You try to go through the motions and not try to identify too much with the pet or you'll just crumble. On the other hand there's no denying that you need to help the poor things. You even have the thoughts of, "maybe the pet will be better off in the long run if they do pass." Horrible, I know. But so true. Then, dealing with the humans you wonder if they honestly don't know what they're doing or if they are plain ignorant. The people come in crying saying, "They're like our child." Of course they are, but don't you get your children vaccinated? As with everything it's trying to find the happy medium. Go to work, do my job, have compassion (but not too much), and go home.
So, FYI...parvo is VERY bad here in Sandusky. If you have a puppy that's not vaccinated, get it vaccinated ASAP. If you have an adult dog that's not current on vaccinations, get it vaccinated ASAP. Even adult dogs that are current on the vaccination can run the risk of contracting the disease. Of course this is rare but all vaccinations aren't 100%. And even if they were to contract the disease the severity will be much less. Parvo sucks but it's a preventable disease.
So, FYI...parvo is VERY bad here in Sandusky. If you have a puppy that's not vaccinated, get it vaccinated ASAP. If you have an adult dog that's not current on vaccinations, get it vaccinated ASAP. Even adult dogs that are current on the vaccination can run the risk of contracting the disease. Of course this is rare but all vaccinations aren't 100%. And even if they were to contract the disease the severity will be much less. Parvo sucks but it's a preventable disease.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Proud To Claim The Title
In October 2000 David signed an 8 year contract with the United State Marine Corps. This October, 2008, his contract will be completed. It seemed appropriate that he signify the end of a long journey. After years of thinking about it David finally went and received his first tattoo. He went with USMC.
Life in the Marine Corps wasn't always easy. During his time while serving he dealt with many hardships and left the service with bitter feelings toward the Marine Corps. After having time away from the service and assessing the situation he realized that the resentment was towards higher ranking individuals and some peers, not the Marine Corps. All in all it was a process that he had to go through and there's no denying that his experiences helped mold him into who he is today. And although he had times when he thought he wasn't proud to be a Marine he can stand today and say that he is, and will always be, proud to be a Marine. OohRah!
Life in the Marine Corps wasn't always easy. During his time while serving he dealt with many hardships and left the service with bitter feelings toward the Marine Corps. After having time away from the service and assessing the situation he realized that the resentment was towards higher ranking individuals and some peers, not the Marine Corps. All in all it was a process that he had to go through and there's no denying that his experiences helped mold him into who he is today. And although he had times when he thought he wasn't proud to be a Marine he can stand today and say that he is, and will always be, proud to be a Marine. OohRah!
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Surgery For Lily
Hopefully the start of the morning doesn't signify how the rest of the day's going to be. I woke up at 5:30 to find that we over slept. I knew that I set the alarm for 5am to go running. And I'm a triple plus checker when it comes to alarms. I was baffled by what happened. I reset it for 6am and had a last half hour of restless sleep. At 5:59 I went to turn off the alarm and it started vibrating. Ohhhh, I forgot to turn the sound on before going to bed last night. I'm an idiot and totally bummed that we had another day of no running. Yesterday we didn't run since we were up later on Sunday waiting for a phone call from Sita and Alpa saying they are safe and sound on American soil after their vacation. So the day isn't starting out so well.
It's a nervous day for me. Our little Lily's going under anesthesia to have some work done. To begin, she has a hernia. She's had it for awhile and we've kept an eye on it. However, she had some IBD issues a couple weeks ago and was straining to defecate, which made the hernia larger. So it's time to repair that. In addition, while she's under it's best to have her teeth cleaned. That will definitely call for an extraction or two seeing that one is discolored and knowing her dental history. I administer anesthesia on a daily basis and the protocol doesn't change with your own pet, however my mommy mode has kicked in and I'm generally nervous. Not to mention, I hate inflicting pain on her. She'll of course have a good dose of morphine and an NSAID, but she's such a fragile girl at only 6 lbs. I know she'll never be a mama's girl (she's definitely a daddy's girl) but I hate the feeling that she resents me since I'm the one always putting her through stressful/painful situations. I know most anyone reading this will think I'm crazy and say, "She's just a dog," but she's our dog and as close to a child as we'll ever have. So if you have a moment Lily would appreciate any positive energy sent her way today.
It is currently 2:05 pm and Lily has been out of surgery for approximately 1 hour. There were no complications with surgery. Her hernia's been repaired, teeth have been cleaned, and she had 2 extractions. She's recovering nicely and Mommy's not doing too bad either =).
It's a nervous day for me. Our little Lily's going under anesthesia to have some work done. To begin, she has a hernia. She's had it for awhile and we've kept an eye on it. However, she had some IBD issues a couple weeks ago and was straining to defecate, which made the hernia larger. So it's time to repair that. In addition, while she's under it's best to have her teeth cleaned. That will definitely call for an extraction or two seeing that one is discolored and knowing her dental history. I administer anesthesia on a daily basis and the protocol doesn't change with your own pet, however my mommy mode has kicked in and I'm generally nervous. Not to mention, I hate inflicting pain on her. She'll of course have a good dose of morphine and an NSAID, but she's such a fragile girl at only 6 lbs. I know she'll never be a mama's girl (she's definitely a daddy's girl) but I hate the feeling that she resents me since I'm the one always putting her through stressful/painful situations. I know most anyone reading this will think I'm crazy and say, "She's just a dog," but she's our dog and as close to a child as we'll ever have. So if you have a moment Lily would appreciate any positive energy sent her way today.
It is currently 2:05 pm and Lily has been out of surgery for approximately 1 hour. There were no complications with surgery. Her hernia's been repaired, teeth have been cleaned, and she had 2 extractions. She's recovering nicely and Mommy's not doing too bad either =).
Sunday, August 03, 2008
The Amazing Evolution Of David
As most of you know from previous posts David has had some big physical changes over the past year. Through our running, working out, and watching what we're eating he's at his healthiest lowest weight ever, 165 lbs. The previous lowest was 169 lbs during boot camp, while he was literally being starved. Of course we've noticed the obvious changes with having to purchase new clothes including everything from jeans to skivvies. But you seem to overlook the picture as a whole because we see each other everyday. However, mom brought to our attention that she was looking through our Flickr pictures, both old and new, and was amazed at David's transformation. So much so that she didn't even recognize him at one point. It sounded crazy but we decided to take a look ourselves. Holy crap! We couldn't believe it. It truly amazed us. Wow. I just had to do some before and after pictures:
We were at our heaviest when we lived in Michigan. David at 270 lbs and me at 140 lbs. We don't even have pictures of ourselves during that time. Thank God.
When we got married I weighed 115 lbs, so obviously I had put on a few pounds myself through the past several years. I never considered myself huge but my weight was at a constant increase, moving in a direction I didn't want to go. Thankfully I caught it when I did and it's now in check.
I think it's pretty safe to say that David and I are out of our running funk, where we don't want to get up in the morning. It will never be easy but it's getting better and the pictures sealed the deal knowing it's what we have to do to stay where we're at. Don't get me wrong it's hard, but definitely worth the payoff.
We were at our heaviest when we lived in Michigan. David at 270 lbs and me at 140 lbs. We don't even have pictures of ourselves during that time. Thank God.
When we got married I weighed 115 lbs, so obviously I had put on a few pounds myself through the past several years. I never considered myself huge but my weight was at a constant increase, moving in a direction I didn't want to go. Thankfully I caught it when I did and it's now in check.
I think it's pretty safe to say that David and I are out of our running funk, where we don't want to get up in the morning. It will never be easy but it's getting better and the pictures sealed the deal knowing it's what we have to do to stay where we're at. Don't get me wrong it's hard, but definitely worth the payoff.
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