This is My World

This is my second weekend of being single after 10 months.  So, I was sitting at home last night remembering when I could call up a few friends and basically take a party to a bar. 

Well, Big Dan (huge Hank Jr. fan) had to work.  John had his daughter.  Andi was spending time with her family and fiance.  The list went on with family obligations, etc.  Then, this song came on the radio.  Now I know what Hank Williams Jr. was talking about when he wrote “All My Rowdy Friends Have Settled Down.”  To make it all better, I looked in the mirror and found not one, but three gray hairs.

Now, I’m at a crossroad.  I can find new rowdy friends, or I can settle on down.  Hmm… I’m only 26.  What do you think I’ll do?

I went to Evansville today to remind myself why I live in the country.  Honestly, I needed fabric from Jo~Ann’s and my cousin had a baby girl this morning. 

As inconvenient as is it to live in the country, I’m glad I live here.  It’s a whole lot easier to drive.  Tell City is the nearest town.  Twelfth Street has nothing on the Lloyd Expressway.  Going into Evansville isn’t that bad.  The Lloyd gradually gets wider as you go.  Coming home on the other hand, four lanes turn into one within a mile. 

Traffic is ridiculous.  No one has heard of a turn signal, and they’re all weaving in and out of lanes all at once.  Makes me wonder if they all had the same driver’s education instructor.  It never fails either.  The person in front of you is always the one that’s afraid to go as fast as the rest of the traffic, but leaves the turn signal on to make up for everyone else not using one. 

It’s okay though because I’m home now.  As soon as I finish this, I’m going to go cut up some $8.99 per yard fabric.  Makes me wish Wal-mart would carry the prints I need for custom orders.  Less traffic to get there, too.

Ya’ll have a good day!

Socializing in Perry County, Indiana! Ha! It doesn’t exist. 

Here’s a little history about me.  I grew up in Perry County, Indiana.  In 2001, I left town for four years.  I’ve been back in Perry County since 2005.  For the past four years I’ve felt like I’ve been the new person in town. 

After realizing that you are not going to find a sober person in a bar, I attempted to find other places to meet new people.  So far, the best I’ve come up with is Wal-Mart on a Saturday afternoon.  I’m still 30 to 40 years younger than that crowd.

My next step was to think.  Okay, this is a technological era.  Surely I’ll find people around my age with similar interests in my area on various social networking sites.  Yeah, about that. 

Here’s the list of sites I’ve tried: MySpace, Twitter, and Facebook.  Next I’ll tell you why they haven’t worked.

With Facebook you have to enter the name or email address of the person for which you are looking.  There is no area where you can just browse people in your area.  I don’t want to find a specific person to become friends with.  I would like to find an interesting person in my area to get to know and maybe become friends with.  However, Facebook does have the bar on the bottom that you can use to chat with someone.

Twitter has the same complications as Facebook, except it doesn’t have an instant message system.  In fact, I have to continuously refresh my page to talk to someone.

With MySpace you can browse people in your area and set the age range.  This is an excellent way to connect with someone.  Here’s the problem.  Facebook has become so cotton-pickin’ popular that no one is ever on MySpace.  To make matters worse, it takes FOREVER to load a MySpace profile once it’s customized.

There’s my rant for the day.  Anyone from Perry County, Indiana? I’m still new in town after four years.  I’m a quilter that loves Chinese food and mud.

Well, for everyone that has told me that it is impossible to make meth in a car, there was a story on CourierPress.com about Heather A. McClure that was doing just that.  She got caught when she didn’t signal and got pulled over in Vincennes, Indiana.

Meth is bad. There are a few “rolling meth labs” around here and I don’t like it.  They are dangerous.  When they mess up, they go boom.  I don’t want them near my house or my car when that happens.

That’s my opinion.  Straight forward.

So, did everyone have a good weekend?  I chose to take the weekend off.  I’ve been writing for my blog, sewing, listing on Etsy, writing about Etsy, and networking on Etsy pretty well everyday since I opened my Etsy store.  Everyone needs a break. 

In the meantime, Saturday was fun.  A friend of mine picked me up on his Harley Davidson motorcycle Saturday morning.  We rode on it for a good two or three hours.  It was a good morning to be riding. 

Then, Saturday evening another friend (a bass player for Legacy) picked me up.  We went to French Lick, Indiana where the band was playing for a benefit for a toddler with cancer.  I donated a quilt that was raffled off.  The people that won the quilt gave it to the little girl’s family to give to her younger sister.  That was sweet.

Later, I got home just in time to head to Tell City.  I stopped a another friend’s house and we walked to a local bar (the Alpine).  We had a few drinks so I ended up sleeping on his couch. 

Sunday morning I came home early enough to take care of my dog.  Then, I rested all day and evening.  Isn’t that what Sundays are for? 

Today, I had an appointment in Tell City.  Then I came home and started doing laundry.  I also listed some place mats in my Etsy store.

So, for anyone that was wondering how I’ve been doing since I asked my boyfriend to leave, the answer is that I’m starting to put some pieces back together one weekend at a time. 

For the record, I still have my dog!  If anyone wants to argue about it, she hid behind me when he called for her.

I went to the bar tonight.  Not to rock my beer gut, I just wanted to have a couple beers and engage in conversation.  See, when you live in the country, you can go days without talking to people.  Sometimes, human interaction is important to maintain sanity. 

So I was at the Hide Away in Tell City having a good conversation with an old friend.  It was actually an interesting topic and I intend to share it with you.

We were talking about how beer can relieve physical pain. I said that if it wasn’t so hard on my liver I would probably just drink beer instead of taking pain pills that my doctor gave me.  Then, I thought about what I had said, and we compared beer to the strong pain pills (Percocet, Lortab, etc) that doctors prescribe. 

When I walked into that bar, I was limping because my back hurt.  After a couple of beers I started walking straight because the pain actually eased in my back.  It was basically the same effect as if I were to take a Percocet.  In both instances, beer and Percocet, I felt a little buzzed but the pain was almost gone. 

So,  why should I take Percocet (or a different prescribed narcotic) when a couple beers has the same effect?  That’s a good question.  Both beer and Percocet are hard on your liver.  They both affect your ability to drive or operate heavy machinery.  With Percocet you feel high, with beer it’s called buzzed.  High and buzzed are basically the same feeling.  Your inhibitions will be lowered either way.  They both relieve the same pain. 

To be honest, I would prefer beer.  Beer is cheaper and tastes better.  If you control yourself while drinking beer, you are less likely to become addicted than if you were taking Percocet.  You can also share your beer with your friend without breaking the law.  Beer is easier on my stomach than Percocet, Lortab, or other narcotics are.  Beer also doesn’t make me constipated.  Yep, from my point of view, beer is definitely a better option for pain relief than prescription narcotics. 

Tuesday, I received some of the best news I’ve had in years.  I’m fixable.  That is as long as my primaary care physician will shut her mouth and listen. 

A few months ago, I had applied for an increase in disability payments from the VA.  They sent me to a doctor in Evansville for further evaluation.  I mentioned to this doctor about the pain pills I have not actually relieving the nerve pain in my leg.  He was confused for a second, until I explained to him that my doctors have thought that the nerve pain in my leg was radiating from my back. 

This doctor did a little poking around on my hip with questions like, “Can you feel this?” and “Does this hurt?”  Then, he told me that I was right and my doctors don’t listen to me.

See, when I was in Navy boot camp I had a hip injury that was left untreated because I didn’t want to be on medical hold.  When I arrived in Monterey, California, I started going to the base clinic for hip pain.  Dr. Lowry at that clinic ordered an MRI of my left hip.  The results showed a normal left hip with degenerate disc disease between the L5 and S1 vertebrae.  The doctor explained to me that my hip hurt because the pain was radiating from my back.  So, for the rest of my Navy career I had a doctor’s note stating that I wasn’t allowed to do a whole lot. 

Now, let’s fast forward to present.  Since then, I’ve been listening to my doctors unless they tell me that it’s all in my head.  The doctor I saw Tuesday explained that it is possible that I have scar tissue from my boot camp injury pressing on my lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (the nerve that’s responsible for sensation on your thigh).  It’s a condition called Meralgia Paresthetica and it’s fixable.  Whatever is pressing on that nerve needs to be moved away from it.  If it is scar tissue, it needs to be removed. 

What about my aching back?  He said that doing nothing makes degenerate disc disease worse.  So, when the nerve problem gets fixed, I can slowly get more active and most of the pain should go away as long as I don’t over do it.

Conclusion: I’m fixable!!  I hope.

I’m free! I’m free!

Wondering what I’m talking about?  For the past ten months I’ve had a boyfriend that constantly told me I was lazy and yelled at me a lot.  I finally got enough of it today and packed his shit for him.  Everyone has a breaking point.  I reached mine when I asked him not tocome home high anymore and he said, “That’s not happening.” 

Now, I’m free and I can go on with my life.

I’ve actually had to take time to calm down from my latest visit to the VA clinic in Evansville, Indiana to be able to write about it.  I went in for a pap smear (cursed things) but I wanted to see about changing my pain medication while I was in there.  I’m not taking the ones I currently have because they don’t work.  All they do is make me constipated without relieving any pain.  Well, I ended up with the know-it-all doctor that doesn’t listen to her patients. 

Friday, my new doctor told me I was 40 lbs over weight and that was why I had back problems.  I’ve included in this article a picture of myself because I would like someone to explain to me exactly where I am going to lose 40 lbs through a healthy diet and exercise.  Sure I’m a little chubby, but I don’t see where 40 lbs is going to come off without a breast reduction (and you can kiss my ass if you think that’s necessary).

Well, beyond deciding where 40 lbs is going to come from, my back problems started when I was in the Navy in Monterey, California.  At that time, I was so skinny that my rib cage and my cheek bones were sticking out.  So, apparently, my weight didn’t cause the start of my back problems.  On top of that, when I was in high school, I was much larger than I am now.  I didn’t have back problems then. 

Anyway, sitting in the doctor’s office, I tried to explain to this lady that the constant aching back wasn’t even the worst of my problems.  In fact, the bigger issue that I have is the nerve pain shoot down my legs.  I even tried to tell her about the time I was doing dishes and my entire left leg went numb.  (I’m no doctor, but it sounds like a seriously pinched nerve to me.)  Her answer was that I was too young to have nerve pain. 

I would have pushed the subject even further, however, I was in a very vulnerable position.  Right after a pap smear, you’re usually naked from the waist down with a sheet on your lap.  So, I found it difficult to argue with a doctor at that point. 

So, the next time my leg goes number I’ll just have to call and make an appointment.  Then, I won’t be scheduled for a pap smear and I’ll be able to tell her off if I need to.

I went to the doctor yesterday.  She told me I needed to lose 40 lbs.  So, I had a pretty crappy day.  Actually, I was fiery mad pretty well the whole day.  When I woke up today, I checked my email and immediately decided it was going to be a good day. 

See, this morning about 12:01 an article about me was posted on the IN Crowd Team blog.  It was a recent interview I did via email with the editor.  So far today, I’ve received three compliments in various places about my quilts.  I like compliments.  They make me smile.

So, today is going to be a good day.  I’m going to my dad’s birthday party later.  It’ll be good too.

Back in 2000, I was a senior in high school.  I attended a lock-in program at school.  There was a man there that was telling the story about how he beat his crack addiction.  Unfortunately, I don’t remember his name. 

During his speech, he mentioned that every time life got stressful he would want crack.  Then, one day a counselor told him that coloring can be a major stress reliever. It worked. 

In the conclusion of his speech, he gave everyone the best advice I’ve ever heard.  He said, “Color everyday.  And when you find that you are over-stressed and want a way out, just sit down and color.”

From that point on, I have always had a coloring books and crayons in my house.  When life gets overwhelming, I sit down and color.  Sometimes I just pull out paper and draw, but that results in some form of coloring even if it is just shading. 

If you are wondering about the red string in the picture, this drawing is listed in my Etsy store and I didn’t want people copying it.

I know I’ve been talking a lot about Etsy.com lately, but it seems like everyday something positive happens to give me a smile. 

Today, I joined the INCrowd Team on Etsy.  That’s a group of Etsy sellers all from Indiana.  They have to be some of the most friendly and joyful people to ever come out of Indiana. 

Another seller on the INCrowd forum complimented one of my quilts today.  I really was having a bad day until I read that.  It made it seem like the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders.

I found another storeon Etsy that the seller makes gorgeous pictures and such out of wood.  Those pictures were so impressive that I couldn’t keep myself from contacting him to compliment his work.  He actually wrote back today, just to welcome me to Etsy and wish me luck. 

The third confidence boost I got on Etsy today come from the lady for whom I’m making a custom quilt.  I had uploaded photos of what I have already.  She said that she was impressed and that I have done an excellent job.

Honestly, I am very happy to be selling my quilts on Etsy.  The other sellers on there are just absolutely awesome people, and so are the customers.  I’m impressed with the amount of courtesy on Etsy.  Here I am trying my hardest to work around a disability and not let it control my life.  I never imagined people could be so friendly and have that much of a positive effect on my confidence and attitude.

And because I’m in such a good mood today, I hope you have a great day too.  Thank you sincerely for reading.

Took a road trip today.  It was pretty short.  I just went from here to Corydon, Indiana and back. 

On the way there the sky was bright and the sun was shining.  Then, I noticed that the leaves on the trees were turned upside down on the north side of Interstate 64.  My first thought of course was, “It’s about to rain.”  Then, I thought some more.  The sun was out and there weren’t very many clouds.

Confused, I went ahead to Corydon to take care of my business.  There was construction between exit 92 and the Corydon exit, but it wasn’t too bad if you don’t mind going 40 mph on the Interstate.

When I was on my way back, I noticed the dark clouds north of the Interstate.  Then, the sky opened up and down came the rain.  So, that proves the theory that if the leaves on the trees are upside down, it will rain.

I don’t usually do this for all my friends.  However, there was one person I graduated high school with that was always level headed, polite, and a friend to everyone who would let him.  He is just one of those people that even in high school you could look at and know he was going to make something of himself. 

Now, he has one of the toughest and most dangerous jobs in the world.  He’s a United States Marine.  Today, August 10th, is his birthday.

From a Sailor to a Marine:

Happy Birthday Walter!

I got a forward from my mom today.  I don’t normally read forwards, but my inbox was pretty empty.  It’s 11 things that Bill Gates says high school students will not learn in school.  I read it.  It’s actually pretty good advice for high school students.  So, in the Back to School spirit, here are the 11 things I think every high school student should read.  I especially like rule number 6.

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!

Rule 2: The world doesn’t care about your
self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won’t be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it’s not your parents’ fault, so don’t whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren’t as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent’s generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they’ll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn’t bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters.. You don’t get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for one.

If you can read this -Thank a teacher!
If you can read this in English thank a soldier!!!