So I've been trying to hold out on an update until all of our current remodelling is done...it's still not done, but I got tired of waiting. You'll have to hold out for pics when it's all done, but here's a run down of what's going on...
We met a fabulous contractor who has helped us with our family room. We discovered it wasn't insulated (and even though we live in San Diego, yes it needs insulation). So he and his sister tore down all the panelling in the room and insulated and put up new dry wall. They wired some new lights and added some switches and painted the room. They even sanded and re-stained the beams on the ceiling...it's breath taking.
There are no pictures right now because we had to move everything from the living room to the family room so that our floors can be fixed. Yes, there is a whole floor saga that has been going on since last August because of the horrid floor people. They'll be starting to tear out our ruined floor and installing a new one next Tuesday so new pictures will have to wait until it's done...stay tuned!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
New Eyes...
So after 6 years of whining and saying, "I'm going to do it next year," I finally took the plunge and got Lasik. I let a man take not one, but TWO lasers to my eyeballs and fix them so my near sightedness and astigmatism would finally go away.
I know many, many people who say it's not big deal, it's over quick, blah, blah, blah. I didn't like it. Not one bit. In fact, halfway through the first eye I literally thought, "WTF am I doing? I'm done, I want out of this chair!" Unfortunately, the laser had already cut my eye open.
I went to Dr. Shanzlin at UCSD (University of California, San Diego for you non SoCal'ers) who has impeccable credentials. I mean, if I'm going to let someone toy with my eyes, he better be one of the best, right?
The facility was wonderful, staff great. They even have this viewing window and eye camera so you're "loved one" can watch. Of course Nick watched, I can't believe you're even wondering!
They walked me into this room and hand me this poor stuffed bear (which I got to keep) to hold in my hands for anxiety. Dr. Shanzlin said he was surprised the bear's head wasn't ripped off by the time it was all said and done.
He took a laser, called an Intralase, and lasered the top of my eye and flipped it back (called a corneal flap). In order to do this, they gave me a Valium, and a ton of numbing drops. It's true, you don't feel anything; however, they put this weird suction thingie over my eye to help keep it open and laser it. The laser pushes down on top of the suction thingie while it's lasering. The pressure is beyond uncomfortable! This is also the point when everything goes black. I was definitely feeling like my Valium wasn't working. Dr. Shanzlin had offered me an extra one about 10 minutes before the procedure, but I thought I was fine and declined it. If you ever get Lasik and they offer you more Valium, take it.
When the laser is done, they take the suction thingie off and put the eye speculum in, think Clockwork Orange folks. Also not the most comfortable contraption, but it was better than the suction thingie. I then see this tiny hook thing (although it's REALLY blurry) and Dr. Shanlzin hooks around my little flap all around my eye and then gently pulls my cornea back. Everything takes on this weird blurry, milky look.
Then comes the second laser. I didn't smell my eyeball burning which I've heard isn't a good smell and Dr. Shanzlin actually warned me about. He also said I might not smell it because I didn't need the laser as long as most...small victory for me!
Stare at the orange light, no one says the orange light turns into a disco dance party which makes me feel like I'm trippin'...the rainbow colors can't be described as anything but, "far out". ;)
Then the laser is done, lifted up, hook thing reappears, but is almost unseeable now, and the hook goes whip and cornea is back in place, and smoothed out. Drops are put in, but at this point I can barely keep my eye open so most of it goes on my eyelid, patch placed over it and I'm ready to do the other eye.
Only I don't really want to do it anymore, but I can't have one better than perfect eye and the other blurry, can I? My left eye would get an inferiority complex...
So the other eye is completed, dark goggles taped in place, and I'm done. I'm told to keep my eyes closed as gently as possible for as long as possible until my 1 day post op the next day. No problem, because honestly, I can't open my eyes at this point, they immediately fall shut from their poor trauma. The whole procedure literally took less than 30 minutes.
After they all warn me repeatedly not to "wrinkle my flaps" and wear my goggles to bed every night for the next week, Nick takes me home, the numbing drops are wearing off and my eyes hurt. After I've asked about 20 times in the 10 minute drive home if we're almost there, we get home, he gets me in bed and then looks through all the drops for my pain drops and gets it open for me.
No one told me the pain drops sting like hell. Ugh...I turn over and pass out. I wake up a couple of hours later, NOW I can finally feel the Valium. Scream for Nick for water for the cotton mouth I now have and then roll back over and fall back asleep. Nick wakes me up for dinner and then I call my mom to let her know I've survived. My eyes don't feel fabulous at this point, but not nearly as bad as when I first got home.
Nick brings in the laptop in the bedroom and watches some of his Netflix movie while I lay next to him with my eyes clothes...and you guessed it, fall back asleep. I don't know if it's the Valium or what, but I have all these nightmares about wrinkling my flaps, thanks Dr. Shanzlin!
The the next thing I know the alarm clock is going off so I can get up for my first post op visit. I tentatively open my eyes and while they're dry, nothing is blurry and they feel fine.
We get in the car to go and I CAN READ ALL THE STREET SIGNS!!! I literally cannot believe it. Nothing is blurry, I can see!
So far I have 20/15 vision as of that first visit. They think I may end up with 20/10 once my eyes are fully healed and re-moisturized....
So, all-in-all it was totally worth it, but I don't know what I'm going to do if I end up needing an enhancement!
I know many, many people who say it's not big deal, it's over quick, blah, blah, blah. I didn't like it. Not one bit. In fact, halfway through the first eye I literally thought, "WTF am I doing? I'm done, I want out of this chair!" Unfortunately, the laser had already cut my eye open.
I went to Dr. Shanzlin at UCSD (University of California, San Diego for you non SoCal'ers) who has impeccable credentials. I mean, if I'm going to let someone toy with my eyes, he better be one of the best, right?
The facility was wonderful, staff great. They even have this viewing window and eye camera so you're "loved one" can watch. Of course Nick watched, I can't believe you're even wondering!
They walked me into this room and hand me this poor stuffed bear (which I got to keep) to hold in my hands for anxiety. Dr. Shanzlin said he was surprised the bear's head wasn't ripped off by the time it was all said and done.
He took a laser, called an Intralase, and lasered the top of my eye and flipped it back (called a corneal flap). In order to do this, they gave me a Valium, and a ton of numbing drops. It's true, you don't feel anything; however, they put this weird suction thingie over my eye to help keep it open and laser it. The laser pushes down on top of the suction thingie while it's lasering. The pressure is beyond uncomfortable! This is also the point when everything goes black. I was definitely feeling like my Valium wasn't working. Dr. Shanzlin had offered me an extra one about 10 minutes before the procedure, but I thought I was fine and declined it. If you ever get Lasik and they offer you more Valium, take it.
When the laser is done, they take the suction thingie off and put the eye speculum in, think Clockwork Orange folks. Also not the most comfortable contraption, but it was better than the suction thingie. I then see this tiny hook thing (although it's REALLY blurry) and Dr. Shanlzin hooks around my little flap all around my eye and then gently pulls my cornea back. Everything takes on this weird blurry, milky look.
Then comes the second laser. I didn't smell my eyeball burning which I've heard isn't a good smell and Dr. Shanzlin actually warned me about. He also said I might not smell it because I didn't need the laser as long as most...small victory for me!
Stare at the orange light, no one says the orange light turns into a disco dance party which makes me feel like I'm trippin'...the rainbow colors can't be described as anything but, "far out". ;)
Then the laser is done, lifted up, hook thing reappears, but is almost unseeable now, and the hook goes whip and cornea is back in place, and smoothed out. Drops are put in, but at this point I can barely keep my eye open so most of it goes on my eyelid, patch placed over it and I'm ready to do the other eye.
Only I don't really want to do it anymore, but I can't have one better than perfect eye and the other blurry, can I? My left eye would get an inferiority complex...
So the other eye is completed, dark goggles taped in place, and I'm done. I'm told to keep my eyes closed as gently as possible for as long as possible until my 1 day post op the next day. No problem, because honestly, I can't open my eyes at this point, they immediately fall shut from their poor trauma. The whole procedure literally took less than 30 minutes.
After they all warn me repeatedly not to "wrinkle my flaps" and wear my goggles to bed every night for the next week, Nick takes me home, the numbing drops are wearing off and my eyes hurt. After I've asked about 20 times in the 10 minute drive home if we're almost there, we get home, he gets me in bed and then looks through all the drops for my pain drops and gets it open for me.
No one told me the pain drops sting like hell. Ugh...I turn over and pass out. I wake up a couple of hours later, NOW I can finally feel the Valium. Scream for Nick for water for the cotton mouth I now have and then roll back over and fall back asleep. Nick wakes me up for dinner and then I call my mom to let her know I've survived. My eyes don't feel fabulous at this point, but not nearly as bad as when I first got home.
Nick brings in the laptop in the bedroom and watches some of his Netflix movie while I lay next to him with my eyes clothes...and you guessed it, fall back asleep. I don't know if it's the Valium or what, but I have all these nightmares about wrinkling my flaps, thanks Dr. Shanzlin!
The the next thing I know the alarm clock is going off so I can get up for my first post op visit. I tentatively open my eyes and while they're dry, nothing is blurry and they feel fine.
We get in the car to go and I CAN READ ALL THE STREET SIGNS!!! I literally cannot believe it. Nothing is blurry, I can see!
So far I have 20/15 vision as of that first visit. They think I may end up with 20/10 once my eyes are fully healed and re-moisturized....
So, all-in-all it was totally worth it, but I don't know what I'm going to do if I end up needing an enhancement!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Mammoth 2010
So this year's trip to Mammoth was amazing. We got there after a full week of heavy storms and there was nothing but fresh snow everywhere.The only downside for this newbie was the storms that rolled in every afternoon right after lunch. They made conditions a little too rough for me. Hubby took me up a chair and I promptly melted down because of the high winds and pelting snow (yes, pelting).
Hubby was wonderful...he offered to get ski patrol because I was so petrified, I refused.
Hubby offered to unstrap us and walk down the mountain, I refused.
For those of you who know me well, I may be petrified, but I will never, ever back down from a challenge.
Hubby was wonderful...he offered to get ski patrol because I was so petrified, I refused.
Hubby offered to unstrap us and walk down the mountain, I refused.
For those of you who know me well, I may be petrified, but I will never, ever back down from a challenge.
I reverted to falling leaf and sobbed at the top of my lungs all the way down, but I did it.
Here are some amazing picks I took on the way up and down. We didn't get a lot of action shots this year. It was so cold the battery kept going dead on us when we would pull the camera out...enjoy!
Friday, January 22, 2010
One of my last monitoring trips...
So as part of my New Year Resolution, I WILL write in my blog more to keep you all updated...
I HAVE BEEN PROMOTED!!! I start my new job (still with Quintiles) on Feb 1st. I will be a Strategic Site Recruitment Manager which means I will work with the Quintiles partner sites and help manage their recruitment and select studies which they can enroll into.
NO MORE OVERNIGHT TRAVEL!!! Will we hear the pitter patter of little Bambino Muscolino feet this year? It could be a possiblity since I will no longer be gone Monday through Friday!
This brings me to the point of this post...I was in Phoenix ALL week this week co-monitoring with another co-monitor and the site's assigned monitor. HORRIBLE site, can't even get into it. After a VERY LONG week, the co-monitor (who is also from San Diego) and I had the same flight. Only problem is that the it had been raining all week as severe storms swept into San Diego and headed east to Phoenix. We got to the airport and our flight was delayed from 8 PM to 9:30 PM...then 10:30 PM...then 11:05 PM...then 11:30 PM. We tried to stay positive even as the two other San Diego flights got cancelled on US Airways. All outbound Southwest and United flights had been cancelled...the storm continued to rage outside.
Our plane that was coming was re-routed to Las Vegas to wait the storm out...at around 11PM the FLIGHT MADE IT TO PHOENIX...yea! The other co-monitor and I did our happy dance, so, so, so happy to be going home after an awful work week...we waited for the plane to be cleaned and then disaster...CANCELLED!
So we go to the ticket counter and find out that they can't get us home until the next day at either 8PM or 10PM and we can either fly into Orange County or have a lay over in Denver...NO THANK YOU. We rented a hotel room and rented a car. By the time all this was figured out and we actually made it to our hotel it was 2 AM. One phone call to hubby and one hot shower later it's 2:45 AM. We're waking up at 6:30 AM to be on the road by 7 AM.
Wake up, hit Starbucks (thank God for double tall, non-fat, gingerbread lattes) and hit the road. All is BEA-U-TI-FUL in Phoenix and all the way out until...we hit the mountains and the thunderstorm that hit San Diego the night before was making it's way to San Diego.
We go up, it's windy, it's raining...no problem for this NW girl. Then, SNOW!!! OMG! SNOW! Could NOT believe it...check it out (courtesy of co-monitor's IPhone):
So this brillant girl (although in my defense I'd only had 3 1/2 hours of sleep) suddenly noticed that there was only an 1/8th of a tank of gas left. There are NO gas stations on this mountain and even if there are, the off ramps are COVERED in snow and we're in some Kia sedan. So we truck along, gas light comes on and we're still trucking along...we decend and make it to Alpine almost on fumes and fill it up. There is Zen in my life again. We're only 37 miles home.
We're both so excited and can't wait to make it. The co-monitor came home with me and her boyfriend was going to pick her up from there. We get there and...disaster no house keys. Hubby works in Camp Pendleton...45 minutes away and has the house keys.
SO...I'm writing this at Tige & Amanda's. Amanda graciously let me come over and hang out with her and Holling until Nick gets home at 6:30 tonight...this trip is still not over because I'm not home yet...
I WILL NOT MISS MONITORING!!!
I HAVE BEEN PROMOTED!!! I start my new job (still with Quintiles) on Feb 1st. I will be a Strategic Site Recruitment Manager which means I will work with the Quintiles partner sites and help manage their recruitment and select studies which they can enroll into.
NO MORE OVERNIGHT TRAVEL!!! Will we hear the pitter patter of little Bambino Muscolino feet this year? It could be a possiblity since I will no longer be gone Monday through Friday!
This brings me to the point of this post...I was in Phoenix ALL week this week co-monitoring with another co-monitor and the site's assigned monitor. HORRIBLE site, can't even get into it. After a VERY LONG week, the co-monitor (who is also from San Diego) and I had the same flight. Only problem is that the it had been raining all week as severe storms swept into San Diego and headed east to Phoenix. We got to the airport and our flight was delayed from 8 PM to 9:30 PM...then 10:30 PM...then 11:05 PM...then 11:30 PM. We tried to stay positive even as the two other San Diego flights got cancelled on US Airways. All outbound Southwest and United flights had been cancelled...the storm continued to rage outside.
Our plane that was coming was re-routed to Las Vegas to wait the storm out...at around 11PM the FLIGHT MADE IT TO PHOENIX...yea! The other co-monitor and I did our happy dance, so, so, so happy to be going home after an awful work week...we waited for the plane to be cleaned and then disaster...CANCELLED!
So we go to the ticket counter and find out that they can't get us home until the next day at either 8PM or 10PM and we can either fly into Orange County or have a lay over in Denver...NO THANK YOU. We rented a hotel room and rented a car. By the time all this was figured out and we actually made it to our hotel it was 2 AM. One phone call to hubby and one hot shower later it's 2:45 AM. We're waking up at 6:30 AM to be on the road by 7 AM.
Wake up, hit Starbucks (thank God for double tall, non-fat, gingerbread lattes) and hit the road. All is BEA-U-TI-FUL in Phoenix and all the way out until...we hit the mountains and the thunderstorm that hit San Diego the night before was making it's way to San Diego.
We go up, it's windy, it's raining...no problem for this NW girl. Then, SNOW!!! OMG! SNOW! Could NOT believe it...check it out (courtesy of co-monitor's IPhone):
So this brillant girl (although in my defense I'd only had 3 1/2 hours of sleep) suddenly noticed that there was only an 1/8th of a tank of gas left. There are NO gas stations on this mountain and even if there are, the off ramps are COVERED in snow and we're in some Kia sedan. So we truck along, gas light comes on and we're still trucking along...we decend and make it to Alpine almost on fumes and fill it up. There is Zen in my life again. We're only 37 miles home.
We're both so excited and can't wait to make it. The co-monitor came home with me and her boyfriend was going to pick her up from there. We get there and...disaster no house keys. Hubby works in Camp Pendleton...45 minutes away and has the house keys.
SO...I'm writing this at Tige & Amanda's. Amanda graciously let me come over and hang out with her and Holling until Nick gets home at 6:30 tonight...this trip is still not over because I'm not home yet...
I WILL NOT MISS MONITORING!!!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Little Mookie...vicious hunter
It's been a long time and I don't really have any updates for you all...we've pretty much gotten the yard gutted, but Nick's unforeseen job hiatis dried up extra funds to really work on the house. Luckily, he has a great new job at a company called TAIC. He's loving the new job and people and we're grateful he was able to find a new job with all that is going on in the economy!
My mom came to visit two weekends ago. We have some good pictures which I posted on my Facebook page so you should check them out...
Last night Little Mookie caught his first moth. It somehow got in the house and was attracted to our lamp. He was a little perplexed at how to get it out so I hit the lamp shade until it flew out and he caught it out of the air with his mouth and chomped it down...We don't normally allow him on this table (and he knows that), but he was so excited we let him at go for it...
He also hunts spiders and other creepy crawlies in the house which I'm so grateful for!
Thinking about how to get the moth out...
Do you see it???
Enjoying his spoils...
Wishing there were seconds...
My mom came to visit two weekends ago. We have some good pictures which I posted on my Facebook page so you should check them out...
Last night Little Mookie caught his first moth. It somehow got in the house and was attracted to our lamp. He was a little perplexed at how to get it out so I hit the lamp shade until it flew out and he caught it out of the air with his mouth and chomped it down...We don't normally allow him on this table (and he knows that), but he was so excited we let him at go for it...
He also hunts spiders and other creepy crawlies in the house which I'm so grateful for!
Thinking about how to get the moth out...
Do you see it???
Enjoying his spoils...
Wishing there were seconds...
Monday, May 18, 2009
Jamestown Court Demo
Here are the latest demo pics.
Hallway leading to the master bedroom:
BEFORE
AFTER
Half bathroom demo:
BEFORE
AFTER
Yard demo:
Ugly tree in the front yard - BEFORE
AFTERYard demo:
Ugly tree in the front yard - BEFORE
AFTER - It's still standing, but I couldn't take it anymore and cut as many limbs as I could.
Front Yard:
BEFORE
No really AFTER, but IN PROCESS:
More Little Mookie Pics
Little Mookie doing his cuteness poses again...I think he just likes rubbing all over the navy blue carpet so we have to vaccume his hair up every day....
