Friday, July 30, 2010

Second Day Withdrawls . . .

. . .  and I have hardly any symptoms. Or perhaps none? If I think about it too much it has the potential of freaking me out. Therefore, I do not think. 

Took another 7mg Lexapro tonight. Cross your fingers!!! 

(Totally going to prescribe myself some new happy meds: CHOCOLATE. Today's prescription came in a rice krispy and chocolate chip form. Tomorrow it will be chocolate milkshake and Bailey's. Mmmmm!)

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Withdrawal Symptoms (I feel like an addict typing that)

So last night instead of my 10mg of Lexapro I decreased it down to about 7 or 8mg's and today has been interesting. I felt fine all day long (granted, I was babysitting for Cole (3.5 years old) and Siena (1.5 years old) and I probably wouldn't have had the time to notice if I felt weird even if I did)--regardless, I didn't notice anything odd until dinnertime when I was driving to Nick's. I started to feel light-headed. That sensation has remained for the last five hours and may I just say it is a most curious sensation indeed. (MAKEITSTOP.)

Mayo Clinic says in regards to stopping Lexapro: "Your doctor may want you to gradually reduce the amount you are taking before stopping it completely. This is to decrease the chance of having symptoms such as increased anxiety; burning or tingling feelings; confusion; dizziness; headache; irritability; nausea; nervousness; trouble with sleeping; or unusual tiredness or weakness."

LOVELY. Before I started decreasing the dose I had a headache (I think I've only had two in the last month, I never get headaches) and have been seriously tired, but that could be because I stay up late and get up late! Yay, summer! 

So I'm googling and reading all these horrible sounding withdrawl symptoms--tachycardia, bradycardia, (at the same time even! ^_- ) brain zaps (!?!?) paranoia and serious depression--and reading these horror stories of people who are addicted to Lexapro and can't get off it without baaaad symptoms. And then I promptly slapped myself across the face and said, Self, you cannot handle reading scary things because you will become a hypochondriac and believe they are happening to you, knock it off and click to something happy. 

Wheeee. It's kind of a light-headed slightly dizzy feeling. Even when I'm lying down! Tonight I took another 7 or 8 mg dosage and I think I'll keep that up for a week at least and then knock it down to 5mg. And perhaps contact my doctor to see if he has a better idea. 

BBC Update

Bikini Body Challenge Update: Man, I suck at sticking with challenges.

Beginning Weight (from, like, a year ago): 152
Current Weight: 147
Goal Weight: 140

Summary: I did lose weight. And then I found it again! ^_^ When I had serious tummy troubles I dropped twenty pounds and went down to like, 135, which is too skinny for me. I'm happy at 140-145. Unfortunately (and also fortunately) my tummy troubles started to go away and I actually managed to start eating, which translated to over-eating. (Crap!)

So now, once again, it is bikini season and I am not happy with the way I look in my bikini.

Solution: Bikini Body Challenge 2010!!!

I hereby declare that I will start to exercise for at least twenty minutes a day, and eat healthy, and stop over-eating. Feel free to pester me about behaving. Feel free to join me! Let me know where you stand and where you want to be, whether or it maintaining or losing! (Or gaining a bikini booty! Be like Kim Kardashian!)

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

And with Bated Breath . . .

. . . I will tell you that I have been off Kapidex, a prescription medication that controls the acid in your stomach, for nearly three weeks and haven't experienced any really bad days! So crossyourfingersandknockonwood that it stays the same!

In a similar vein of finger crossing, I am about to start weaning myself off of the Lexapro, which is an anxiety medication. I'm on 10mg once a day, and will start shaving off a bit to get it down to 5mg a day, and then see how I do. Lexapro is a type of med where you cannot go cold turkey on it unless you want some serious side effects. I know that Lexapro has helped control my IBS and gastritis very well, and I'm so glad my doctor suggested it, but since I've been feeling so well and dislike being on meds, I want to see what happens if I go off of them.

Wish me luck!!!

Gotta Go . . .

Because I was gonna write about how I'm off Kapidex and going to try to get off of Lexapro but Nick is here! Yay! Adios!

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Perfume and Poop

You know what one of the most horrifying smells in the world is? 

Perfume and poop. 

. . .  . . .  . . . 

. . . yes. You see, my last two foster kittens Billy and Nellie were diagnosed with coccidia, a nasty intestinal parasite that causes horribly stinky diarrhea and an apparent inability to make it to the litter box. I've found stinky little piles of pudding diarrhea in my closet, on my pillow cover, in the downstairs closet, behind the guest bed, next to the litter box, and on the bathroom rug. It's so bad that while I was taking a bath today I was trying to figure out what that awful smell was--I was sniffing my armpits, looking for mildew, making sure there wasn't cat poop behind my head . . . and finally realized that it was a few paper towels in the trash that had some diarrhea residue on them. That's how strong the smell is. 

So, that's the poop part, which is damn well bad enough on it's own. Here's where the perfume comes in: 

After I organized my room I realized I needed to put the cat food bowl somewhere else since I had gotten rid of the huge bookshelf where it had been kept, high up away from our constantly starving dogs. (Who, incidentally, adore kitten poop! Hooray! Instant clean!)

So, for lack of a better place, I put the food bowl on my dresser. It worked very well until recently, when in the middle of the night I was woken up by a crashing sound and then a pervasive smell. Since I was still half-asleep it took me a few minutes to realize that Oz had taken a flying leap onto my dresser and knocked into the food bowl which crashed into my perfume bottles which knocked over my blown glass perfume bottle that was holding some of my Britney Spears In Control perfume. So. I had perfume soaking my dresser, a broken bottle, and a freaked out cat--and a pressing need for sleep. 

Here's where my half-assed procrastination approach really shows. I soaked up some of the perfume, consigned the rest of it dripping down my dresser to a carpeted eternity, covered the glass with paper towels and went back to bed. I still haven't dealt with it. 

BUT. (Hah, puns. I kill me.) The heavy flowery scent of the perfume mingling with the knock-ya-over-with-a-feather odor of the kitten poops is simply awful. So awful that I just had to share. You are WELCOME. 

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

First Steps *Now with new fancy schmancy updated info!*

Today I took the first steps towards moving out of my parents house and living with Nick in our own apartment! I put down $200 on the perfect apartment--it's got a nice layout and a huuuuge patio! It's shaded and lovely and close to the university and markets and everything we need! Yay!!! 

We have two days to change our minds and get the deposit back, but if everything goes well we can move in August 29th! I'm very excited and can't wait to live with Nick!!! 



Update: As of today (Wednesday) our credit was approved (she said "terrific credit", yay us!) and we faxed her all the necessary information for our rental applications and employment verification blahblah she'll deposit our check tomorrow and it's looking more and more like we will be moving in August 29th!!! 

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Suckage

I got laid off Wednesday night. It was totally out of the blue. My boss DR didn't even say goodbye or give me a heads up, he just left and then it was just Aimee and I and then she told me. I get a severance check and good references from them. 

Suffice to say I was surprised, and upset after the shock wore off. Mostly I'm disappointed that after working for him for three and a half years I didn't even get a good-bye. 

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

First Day of Preschool, Again.

Today I was at my old preschool. Instead of being known as "KATIE!" (usually said in a tone of BAD) I am now "Teacher Katie." I like that one better.

One of the long-time teachers at the preschool/daycare/after school program is in Hawaii, so I was asked if I wanted to help out. (For MONEY! I heart money.) This was my first day back at preschool and it was so much fun. I picked up their names quickly and spent a lot of time wishing I had more pairs of eyeballs to catch them playing in the dirt where they weren't supposed to be, and keep an extra eye on the new two and a half year old who kept trying to escape. ^_-

We painted clownfish and read books and played with toys that I remembered playing with. It was so cool, and I get to work there next week too!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

God, He's Cute

Happy

Nick and I, sitting on a gnarled huge tree trunk on the beach right next to Van Damme, watching the sunset while Ryan was our personal photographer. He took a bunch that I adore and will be printing out to hang in our future apartment.

Friday, July 2, 2010

Well, it only took about 16 years or so. That's progress!

I finally cleaned my room. It took me 11 hours one day, a few hours the next day, and it is actually still a work in progress. (Hint: there is a reason my bed is not shown.)

My picture-mobile that Drew gave me for my 18th birthday. (Vicky, I still have photos that technically belong to you! But I will keep them by default unless you reeeeally want them back because they are majorly cute.)


This is the dresser that belonged to my grandma and grandpa--it's beautiful and very handy dandy. The top jewelery box my grandma gave me and is totally filled with my necklaces and bracelets and pendants! The middle picture is of my friend Cassie and I when she was just a few weeks pregnant with her first child. The ferris wheel of pictures was a birthday gift from Quentin. And then there's a carved knick-knack filled with zircon earrings.


This is my dresser and mirror that I've had for ages. Mom and dad bought it at an auction when I was young. The feather mask was my grandma's. On my dresser I have a carved jade jewelery box, a blown glass perfume holder, a fairy earring holder, and two coral jewelery holders. Oh, and a cat and a kitten.


This is a cross-stitched Japanese (Chinese?) woman with a little butterfly in the bottom corner. It belonged to my grandparents and was always kept in the bathroom and I've always loved it.


My bookcase corner. I gave mom the larger bookcase and took my older bookcase back (getting rid of about half of my books) and organized them to my exact specifications. On top are my bamboo hearts from Nick (^_^) and a cheap fan, and a "chop" from China from my parents.


I also organized my closet. It's awesome. I need to clean some more (does it ever end?) and then maaaybe post some more pics to show you my beautiful bed and closet. Oohlala!

Small and Fuzzy

Heeeeeeeeey!

You has foods?

Perhaps you haz cheezburger?


Three have been adopted so far, yay! I have a black tabby, a silver tabby, and a black baby girl left. They are the sweetest babies! Right now one is snoozing on my lap, so cute! They purr and play and sleep all day long.

Van Damme

I just spent Sunday through Thursday at the Van Damme campground in Mendocino, near Fort Bragg on the coast. The weather was great--we were having cool mornings and warm afternoons and cold evenings while at home they were sweltering in the hundreds. Ugh!

We biked up trails and to the ocean, flew kites and ran in the sand, soaked our ankles, poked through tidepools, and ate too many s'mores. I camped with Nick and his whole family, and our friend Ryan who we've known forever and ever. We went down to Van Damme very specifically because Nick's dad dives for abalone. Last year we went down and I dove with them but this year I stayed on the rocks with his mom and sister while Nick, his dad, and Ryan dove. Nick's cousin Brett joined us after two days and he dove the third day as well. Each day they pried off two to three abalone (like 10-25 feet down, they are giant snails stuck to rocks and they can be impossible to pry off) and we feasted on abalone for dinner.

Abalone are so weird! You gut them (eeew), slice them thin, and then mallet them until they are tender and then cook them however you like. We fried them in tempura/panko and they're soooo delicious! Monica made the most amazing fish chowder as well with some abalone in it and ohmigod it was so yummy!

We had so much fun just hanging out. We stayed busy riding our bikes and driving to beautiful spots on the coast. At night we sipped tea (or beer, or gin and tonic, or wine, whatev) and talked and told jokes and traded stories. Nick and I found the best shower where you can get like 20 minutes for a buck instead of the five minutes you were supposed to, yay! And then we shared the good news with everyone else. I bet the guys thought it was weird to go to the girls side of the showers. Heh.

Ryan took some awesome photos of Nick and I that I am so happy to have--I'm going to print some out for our apartment! I'll post them soon.

PS I've got to still take photos of my room! I went camping before taking them and it still is a little messier than I want to photograph.