JabberJuls

**Short Version: I Got the Flu.
Symptoms: High Fevers, chills, body aches, severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, headache, and dizziness at times. All symptoms lasted 3-days. Only severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, and headache still on…this is my 4th day.
What helped me: Requesting Prayer from prayer chain of friends, lots of prayer from me too, Tylenol every 4-hours till fevers were gone, lots of water and gatorade as thirsted for (which ended up being 1 gallon and 1/4 gallon of gatorade over 3-days the rest water), baths, Vaseline Petroleum Jelly (a must to protect the rectum from pain), lots of rest as possible, ate: crackers, bread, noodles, soft potatoes, and soup works. Oatmeal seemed to not bother my stomach too much today (4th day).

***Whole Story:
Well, I apparently could not escape the flu this year. It hit me on Mother’s Day. Around 6:30amish, I woke up with aching bones all over the body. My first thought was, “Oh My Old Age is kicking in already…get the Tylenol.” I naturally was in denial that I had the flu, I had too much to do for Mother’s Day to be sick. So took some Tylenol and the achy bones feeling subsided. By the time we got to Russ’s Mom’s to celebrate, the tylenol started wearing off and chills started to happen even with Tylenol 2nd dose. Uhoh…told Russ we better get home so no one gets whatever this is. By the time we got home, I was running a full blown fever around 102.7 or so. Everything I ate that day, went right thru me.You got it…major stomach pain and the Craps. I felt overly thirsty and just completely exhausted.

Russ came to my rescue, keeping a water cup and cup of gatorade at my bedside at all times. Oh my Gosh, water the way he made it for me never tasted so good in my life. He laughs when I tell him that and chuckles, “I just put ice in it.” Well, heck it made the world of difference.

Well, we had to make the decision of what to do with our dogs now that the income isn’t coming in like it used to, when Russ travels for work it creates a hardship financially to kennel the dogs, and now Luke is getting older and may not be around to help us take care of them properly. What made us deal with the issue quicker was when Luke showed up one night with a beautiful black lab puppy…we called him Duke. We tried to see if we could do it. Luke took care of Duke really well. Buddy potty trained him and was really good with the puppy too, but then it came time to pay for shots, food, supplies. What do we do?

So we put a listing on Craigslist.com and within minutes people were emailing about the puppy and a couple people even asked about buddy our 5 year old. So we made a list of people in order that they contacted us. First appt. was the next day, but never showed up. Second person was driving down from Oceanside and he wanted Duke for a gift for his wife’s birthday, but his car broke down. A local gal had called the same time as the 2nd guy and she really wanted the puppy and got all excited that it was now available to her. So we took Duke over there. He’s got a huge backyard to run around in and a family with a little girl that fell instantly in love with him and him her. Perfect match.

We’re looking for a ceiling fan with a good light. Hoping to find one for Russ’s office area. His lighting and ventilation is really poor in there. He’s finding that his eyes are bothering him from lack of lighting. So we talked to an electrician friend of ours to see if he’d help us set up a fan with a light in the office and he agreed. So all we have to do at this point is find the right fan/light for our need.

I’m going to go check out Farrey’s online. They offer a ceiling fan search that let’s you see all the brands and manufacturers that they have available to compare all the different styles. It has been really useful for Russ and I to get an idea of the options available to us. Farrey’s is not only reasonably priced, easily accessible online, but also provides quality ceiling fans and lighting products.

Some of my favorites amongst their stock are the modern fan company, fanimation ceiling fans, hunter ceiling fans. Check Farrey’s out for yourself. Might find something you like too.

Russ and I haven’t been using credit cards for sometime now, but we’ve come to discover that there are moments that you need a credit card to purchase on item online or especially when traveling. Yeah, companies will take your debit card, but it locks up the funds in the bank for a couple days. So frustrating when that happens.

Well, we’ve stumbled on to a new alternative to using our personal debit card. It’s an Achieve Card, its basically a Prepaid Credit Card. The AchieveCard is a reloadable, Prepaid Debit Card that can be used at any location that accepts MasterCard. A Prepaid Mastercard like this is perfect for someone like me that doesn’t want to spend more than what you have. So check it out if this is something you’d be interested in.

I didn’t realize how important it is to have the right shoes until I started walking. Wearing my flat, generic tennies just didn’t give me the support my body needs. Of course, as a teenager, I didn’t notice the toll it made on my body, but now I notice every strain on the bod. Once I got a really good pair of walking shoes, my back didn’t hurt, my feet weren’t stressed, and exercising wasn’t as much of burden.

Was planning to start hiking with some friends and I’m wondering what the differences are from hiking shoes and walking shoes. I stumbled on this unique website called Zappos.com and it not only gave me an awesome selection of walking shoes, boots, etc, but it explained the reasoning behind the different styles. I really found that interesting. For example, If you’ll be hiking on rougher terrain or carrying a pack, consider the mid-weight hiking boots and heavyweight hiking boots. The heavier constructions are less flexible, providing more support and protection and most of the styles are water-resistant or waterproof, ideal for wet terrain or inclement weather conditions. Would you have known that?

Anyway, checkout Zappos.com the next time you’re looking for hiking shoes, clothing, jewelry, etc. They offer Free shipping and everything.

I have always had the desire to Travel Alaska ever since I was a little girl. I’ve intently listened to people I’ve met through out the years that have vacationed there. The stories are so exciting to listen to. The wild country in its fullest beauty, animals, birds, and glaciers all create such an intensive get-away-from-it-all feeling.

The Denali National Park is a must see during your Alaska Travel. The Park is located about 240 miles north of Anchorage and 120 mile south of Fairbanks on the George Parks Highway.

In Denali Park, there are many glaciers visible to the eye and close to the roads. There are around 175 species of birds and 40 species of animals– to name a few seen are Grizzly bear, moose, wolves, Dall sheep and caribou. All of which are commonly seen in the park during bus tours that take you deep into the park. I hope to some day have the opportunity to visit Alaska and explore the intense beauty hidden there.

Checkout Alaska Denali Tours if you’re planning an Alaska trip. They offer some great online discounts for lodging, tours, and other unique packages to the areas you may be interested in.

Yay, the time with mom and dad made a huge difference for Luke and us. We’ve been enjoying each other again. Luke is always a great help to us. This week has been so crazy for Russ and I. Russ working several projects at one time and me plugging away at his business taxes. Luke has been a trooper keeping up on his studies, taking care of buddy, sorting out the shed, and taking on little projects knowing that he’s making a difference in our home. We love you Luke and appreciate the love you are sharing with us too.

It’s almost like a Where’s Waldo photo. Where’s Luke? he he he. Luke is the head popping up in the back of this latest photo taken during Steve’s visit. Luke is staying at Mom and Dad’s for awhile.

Mom has been having some adverse reactions to the latest chemo treatments, which is affecting her legs and stomach area. She has had to stay in bed the last two days bearing extreme amount of pain. From a level of 1 to 10, she rated it at a 9 the night before last. She’s been in contact with her doctor and they are arranging for pain medications and adjustments in her treatments, which seem to help. As of last night around 9:30ish, she was feeling relief. Keep Mom in prayer; each day is a blessing.

Having Luke stay with them seems to be a huge blessing to Mom and Dad. Circumstances surrounding him being there weren’t the best thing, but the Lord is allowing it to be a good thing in the midst of disaster. Luke has been helping with chores and keeping them company and Mom & Dad have been mentoring him in his walk with the Lord. We’re keeping Luke in prayer too to continue his studies, get that diploma, and adapt to life in a positive way. I’m thankful that Luke’s school allows him to be flexible and adjust to lifes responsibilities. Don’t forget your Dad and I love you Luke and are cheering you on for success. I’m thankful that Luke is able to be there in my stead. Life has thrown us for a loop, but this too shall pass.

Wow, what is up with the Luxury Apartments in New York? I just stumbled upon Centurion Condominiums. It’s all the comforts of a Luxury resort pulled all into a huge condominium living environment. Beautiful ambience, huge floor plans, luxurious facilities, and services available. This would definitely be some 5th Avenue Real Estate to consider investing in.

These condos are the start of a modern day trend for living accommodations. Who in their right mind wouldn’t want to live in them. Check it out for yourself.

Michael’s House is another California drug rehab and alcohol rehab treatment facility located in beautiful Palm Springs within the San Jacinto mountain range. Their website is very informative about all their individual programs and treatments.

Michael’s House introduces the 12-step principles, has daily group and individual therapy, also life skills classes. Their Residential program offers delicious and nutritious food, an exercise weight room, meditation and quiet time, daily recreational opportunities, and other healthful and fun activities.

Just realizing and accepting the fact that addictions are real and you may have one is the first step to getting any help at all. Denial is the biggest roadblock that gets in people’s way from accepting the truth about an addiction. Just being open enough to hear or read through some addiction information may seem difficult to some people.

If you’re serious about finding the appropriate rehab facility for yourself or loved ones, be sure to investigate until you are comfortable with what is being provided.