Introducing the Newest Symington

Meet Oz Symington, our newest member. I finally bit the bullet and decided to adopt him! The deciding factor was finding Oz snuggled up with Io underneath my dresser--Io's favorite hangout--and I was so surprised to see them together that I stood there dumbstruck for a moment. My cat doesn't usually take to kittens, but he and Oz have been playing and eating and exploring together, so I knew it would work.

Our new tuxedo boy loves to play with "presents"--or rather bows for wrapping presents. He carries them around and plays and jumps and then drops them in his food dish--his favorite place for his toys.


He also gets along well with my hamster Gus-Gus. Never fear, the hamster is not in the cage. I took Gus-Gus out to let him roll around in his ball, and Oz hopped right on in!


He is a pretty adorable kitten. My family likes him too, but my mom has made it clear that Io and Oz come with me when I move out. Good thing Nick likes him a lot!

High Sierra Camps

Optimism. We have it.

First day. The weather is beautiful, the temperature is perfect, and we have yet to develop any blisters or backaches. Life is good for the Symingtons on the first day.

Ten Things About Tummies

I've learned a lot over the last few weeks of being sick. Some things I knew and some I had no clue about! Behold!

First: I become a hypochondriac when I am sick. For example: I've been sick with gastritis, basically an inflamed and irritated stomach. While using the almighty Doctor Google, I started to fear that I had an ulcer! or stomach cancer! or even an ovarian cyst! or gastro-esophageal reflux disease! Also over the summer I have had, in order, a bad cold, an urinary tract infection, the flu, the flu, and now gastritis, which means a lowered immune system, which could be AIDS! AAAGHH! I am a worrier at the best of times, and apparently being sick is just way too much for my mind to handle. I panic and worry and Google and freak out, and that is just not conducive to being healthy. (Nick does a pretty good job of telling me to stop my bellyaching and feel better already, jeez).

Second: Stomach issues are a lot more common than I thought. Aimee has had to take acid-reducers for 2 years and still watches what she eats (caffeine=bad). My aunt Lesley has had stomach issues since she was a kid (used to take my grandpa's Rollaids!) and has been on stuff to help it for years. My cousin Kim and my cousin Kevin have both had acid problems. My Grandpa used to get stomach aches whenever he was upset--which is the same with my aunt--and the same with me. I too have the Ravenscroft Tummy!

Third: I need to knock off the worrying. Seriously. Ever since my Grandma died I've been worrying about my parents, my family, my friends, my pets, and myself dying. (Dramatic much?) In the forefront of my mind I am thinking that I'm being silly, because we are all healthy...but my Grandma was healthy too until she got ovarian cancer. So I worry. But I am getting better about it.

Fourth: I love my boyfriend. ^_^ And I'm so glad that he is being so sweet about me not feeling that well. (Even with the bellyachin' comments!) I'm also happy that he keeps poking at me to feel better. Cuz I need to!

Fifth: My family is pretty awesome too about being nice for me feeling bad. Even when they make me go on 40 mile hikes.

Sixth: I am going off of prevacid today...unless I get bad and then I will go back on it. But the doctor said 10-14 days and I was on it for 17 because I was stressing and consequently hurting my stomach. So today is my first day off, and despite some random burning sensations, I'm doing okay. Yay!

Seventh: Apparently ulcers and gastritis are treated the same. They didn't know what I had but they gave me the prevacid--a acid proton pump inhibitor--basically it stops the things that produce acid in your stomach from producing acid. Sweeet. My prevacid belonged to my grandpa--it's a prescription. I was going to take Maalox until Mom whipped the prevacid out of her purse and was all "Can she take this instead?" Go mom!

Eighth: I can never, ever, spell "eighth" correctly on the first try.

Ninth: Jeez, these lists of ten things sure are long! Um, we might to go Marine World on Thursday and everybody cross you fingers that my stomach behaves!

Tenth: I will never ever think badly of anyone who has chronic stomach issues again. They don't want hot sauce? I will sympathize. They can't eat dessert? I will sympathize. They don't like my cooking? I will murtalize. Kisses!

Bonjour!

We survived the trip! (Technically we survived it quite a while ago but our internet has been odd and I haven't felt up to blogging. So now ya'll get this half-assed post).

We hiked about 40 miles in 5 days!

I am feeling better and better with my stomach, and considering not taking my prevacid tomorrow morning and seeing how I do.

We are now a family of five! Quentin Devins from France is going to live with us for the high school year--about 10 months. He arrived last night (I didn't even see him until this morning) and we have all spent the day trying to get to know each other. He speaks English well but there are some words that we have to figure out how to explain, and when we all speak at once we make no sense!

Now we are cooking dinner and planning for the pool party tomorrow that will introduce Quentin to the people he will be going to school with. Huzzah!

There is a Tent in My Living Room

The tent is so we can check that there are no holes in the fabric before we leave for our Yosemite backpacking trip. Each day we are going about 7-11 miles at a very high elevation, and we take everything with us except food. (Apparently the food is deelish! Brought in on mules!)

In other exciting news, I just got a super happy tentative diagnosis of gastritis by my wonderful doctor (seriously nice guy) after I finally caved in and made an appointment after 6 days of constant dull pain and nausea and lower bowel issues. He said to take an acid reduce (prevacid) and a probiotic (align [expensive!]) and gas-x and pepto bismol as needed, and that it will be hopefully better in about 2 weeks. Yay!

This has been an awesome summer, with me being sick. About three days after the semester ended I wound up with a really sucky cold that knocked me out for about a week. A week after I recovered from that I got a urinary tract infection (peeing blood) and went on cipro antibiotics. A week or so after that I caught Vicky's flu for two days and then relapsed during Nick's camping trip. And now I have gastritis. The doctor said that my system is probably way out of whack, with being sick so much, and that hopefully the acid reducer and the probiotic will get me back on track.

In conclusion: Nick, you were right about making me see a doctor. Mom, you were right about saying what was wrong and also that our doctor would be cheaper than the county clinic. Aimee, you were right to say to take an acid-reducer. I'm sure other people were right too, but right now my stomach is too rumbly to think about it. (But no pain! NOOOO PAAAIN! Yess!)

Cross your fingers for me that this works! Also, wish me lots and lots of luck and happy stomach feelings on this trip, since we will be in the middle of nowhere.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

I was so excited to see this movie I was bouncing through the credits. When the lights dimmed, I squealed and clutched the hands of my neighbors (luckily people I know--Nick and Andra), and then clapped a few times in happiness. 

I get really into movies. ^_^ And the Harry Potter series is totally worth getting into! 

It was funny, it was scary, it had romance and action and just some darn cute moments. We went to see a matinee showing and it was nearly full, but much better than the nighttime showings--the line was already way long when we got out.

Everyone agreed the Half-Blood Prince is a great movie. Now, go and see it! I order you!

Question!

I am debating getting a dwarf hamster. I know my house is already overrun with animals, but I waaaaant one. (I am an impulsive sort of girl. Also an obsessive one.) It all started when on vacation I reread my Mice Guide book from back when I had mice (have had mice, birds, hamsters, fish, cats, dogs, rabbits), and I decided that I wanted a furry four-legged little stinky thing again. Since then I have been debating mouse vs. hamster vs. bird.

So I need advice on whether or not to get one.

First! Mice are stinky. And they eat their babies. They are cute, but I am iffy on them.

Second! Hamsters are cute! And fluffy! They probably eat their babies too, but hey! Nobody's perfect! And they are soooo cute and adorable and fun. They usually live for 1 1/2 to 2 years.



(And this is the cage I would like to get for the hypothetical hamster. Our old cage is stiiiinky).

It has a SLIDE. That you climb up! Too cute! At at the top is the exercise wheel! I love it! Ahem.

Third! Birds are awesome and cool, and if I had one I would try really hard not to let it fly away outside like I did with Rainbow, my old parakeet. (BTW, I would get a parakeet). They are colorful and fun, but my cat would try to kill it. They also live for like 7 plus years, so when I move out in a year(ish) Nick might kill me for bringing a bird. ^_~

Help! Decision time! I need advice! 

Guess Who Sold Her Car?!?!

ME! ME! ME! I sold my car!!! My very first car, my silvery blue Toyota Camry 1994 car, my car that grandma and grandpa sold to us (for a very nice price), that car, is sold. To a very nice man with a two year old daughter. I put the car out for sale with Nick at 4pm, got a call at 6pm, and he drove it at 7pm, and then called at 9pm to say that he wanted to buy it. No haggling, all very simple, and breezy. And he paid in cash!



Huzzah!

I also got the flu, and went camping with Nick's family in Fort Bragg, and then went on a vacation with my family, all of which I will post pictures of shortly. But I am soooo excited because I sold my car!!! (Except now I really ought to pay for my new car since I have moola. Drat!)

Happy Father's Day Daddy!

Thank you . . . 


for being . . . 

the best dad . . . 

I ever wanted! 

Love you Daddy! 

Blah Blah Whine Blah Blah Saab

Nick bought a Saab! A beautiful fun completely digital silver awesome driving machine! It is a Saab 93, I think a 2004, and it is oh-so-pretty.


Anybody want to buy a 1994 Camry or a 1968 Mustang? Let me know!

In other news, I have the flu. Vicky had it, then her daughter, and I foolishly still went over to her house, (but I had fuuuun) and I promptly started puking last Saturday. I had a nauseous few days, then went camping in Mendocino with Nick's family, and it was awesome. Until I got sick again two days in and spent the last few days trying not to throw up. Now I am back home and feeling queasy.

I have eaten enough saltines and chicken noodle soup to last me a good long while. I have been sick three times this summer vacation. Ack! This sure makes me appreciate my usual health!