Let's see...we have mashed potato, frosted, special K, scalp....

What constitutes being a "flake" or a "flaky" person? If you say that you would go to a party, but after you thought about it, decided not to go because it was a party you don't think you should go to, is that really defined as flakiness? Or is that just simply following your gut feeling, which is usually acceptable?

Crackin' Back

I went to the chiropractor today in Ojai. This is the 2nd time I've been in a year and let me tell ya- the first chiropractor I went to was a joke and this Dr. Johnston (who I went to today) was AWESOME!!! She went through a complete health history with me first, then measured my limbs, warmed my back using ultrasonic waves, stretched my back, and finally the cracking began. Or, as she called it, "alignment". I felt like I was floating on air the rest of the day. I found out that my left leg is anatomically shorter than my right by a considerable amount, and Dr. Johnston says it would benefit me greatly to have a heal insert. Maybe I will reach that 6' mark after all. I promised her that I wouldn't crack my neck anymore (and I have made it 10.5 hours without doing so). She was quite impressed with my crooked chest, and didn't hesitate to tell me how abnormal it is. Sure, not like I haven't heard that one a few times!!!!
All in all, it was a great experience and I'm going back next week too. Might have to put this one in the budget (ok, honey???).

Sleep

Just so ya know, if you can't get to sleep and are considering the aid of pharmaceuticals to induce you, try Tylenol Sore Throat and Cold. I didn't wake up one time last night, and the effects last for only 6 hours. Take a swig and brrrrrrrring! It's already the next morning.
Miracle, that Tylenol Sore Throat and Cold.

My husband, the Rock Star

For my birthday, we went to sing karaoke. Randy surprised me and dedicated the song "Your Song" by Elton John to me. The announcer had me sit on a stool in front of the stage while Randy serenaded me. I just copied these pictures off of Jared's blog site- thanks Jared!!!!!
By the way, Randy was sensational!

Lesson for the Day

It takes approximately 5 seconds for the interior of your car to be saturated with olive oil. Furthermore, it takes approximately one roll of paper towels, 5 regular terry towels, 3 old ripped-up hanes t-shirts, 2 swear words (oops), 3 hours of upholstery detailing, 2 run throughs with a wet/dry vac, and $45 to erase that first 5 seconds.
Any questions?

Is Harry Potter Day a bonafide holiday?

It was deemed "Harry Potter Day" last Friday at summer school. All these kids had to put on fake round black glasses and don witches hats. Even some of the adults dressed up like witches and did a Harry Potter skit. Then the kids all particpated in a quiz show about the books. I didn't feel comfortable sitting there wondering if a children's camp should be celebrating witchcraft or books about witchcraft. Then again, was I looking too much into it?

What do you guys think of letting your kids read Harry Potter? I've heard some people debating on the radio today and one side thought that the books are evil (being based on sorcery, witches, and the like) and the other side said to lay off, they are kid's books, that no one is hurt by reading them. I've never read Harry Potter, nor have been interested in reading the books. But I am curious as to what parents do these days in regards to deciding what their kids read. And, more importantly, what they would think if Harry Potter Day was celebrated at their school or camp.

Anniversary

Today was the day that, 30 years ago, my dad put on his pink leisure suit and my marm got out her blue flowered dress and exchanged vows "til death would they part". Well, they loved each other but eventually death did part them 11 years ago. I'm not speaking directly from my mom's prospective, though she may agree whole heartedly when I say that what her and my dad began 30 years ago people wait lifetimes for. He may be gone now, but I know his love for her and for his kids has carried us the past 30 years and will continue to do so for years to come. I can only hope to have the kind of marriage that my parents had. I think Randy and I are off to a good start! It's better to have a love for a little while than never to have had a love at all.

Thanks marm...

for having me. You remember what happened on this day better than I do (and have the scars to prove it). I love you!

Hotel Rwanda

Randy and I just watched the movie Hotel Rwanda (based on a true story, in case you didn't know). All I could think was "people are absolute savages". Has anyone else watched that movie? I want to take my nursing and go work in a refugee camp. I want to be able to help those people who are refugees from such massacres and genocides like those that happened in Rwanda. Why do I feel so helpless?

Four more days...

Why does it seem like "27" is old? My 26th birthday wasn't so bad, but 27? That's closer to 30!!!! So much to do in such little time! Yikes! (no offense you over 30 crowd) :-)

I want a Golden Ticket

Who's up for Charlie & the Chocolate Factory on Friday at the IMAX in Valencia? There's a 7:30 pm show.

Nail Biting

Ok. the time has come where I am truly annoying my husband with my nail biting. I need to quit. I don't want to, and I probably won't stop biting them altogether, but for his sanity I must stop doing it in front of him. How am I supposed to go about doing this? I have tried EVERYTHING to quit: icky tasting solution (I thought it tasted good, like cayenne peppers), getting a manicure (I felt like it was a waste of money) , wearing bandaids (yeah that's attractive and makes me look like I got attacked by a glucose monitoring kit), being offered money (hey mom- does that "deal" you made me in fourth grade still count if I stop biting my nails now???), etc...... and nothing seems to work. Or, it's a quick fix. I stopped biting my nails exactly 2 weeks before our wedding, and promptly went to town on them the day after on the plane to the French Polynesia. My motivation? At the wedding, I wanted to take the infamous 'newly married hands on the Bible' picture. That's it.
My nails are like a good old friend. I bite them when I'm scared, when I'm bored, when I am thinking, when I'm driving, when I'm furious, when I'm excited...basically all the time. Not because I'm hungry (mom) or trying to annoy people (Randy). How do I stop myself from biting them in front of people? It's second nature for me to casually put my nails in my mouth without even knowing I did so until Randy nudges me and gives me "the look". If I don't respond to his stare, I get the "Kristi! STOP BITING YOUR NAILS! PLEASE!!!!". Help me!!!!!!

Terrorists Shmerrorists

I woke up this morning to Google news telling me that terrorists had placed bombs throughout London and that 4 out of 6 of them had blown up, killing and hurting people. My thoughts turned to my friend Diane, who lives in London and takes the train every day to work about the same time as those explosions. Well, after many tries and getting the ole "All circuits are busy" recording in a British accent, I finally got through to her. Turns out she was in line at an underground train station on her route to work when the bombs went off, but at the time the station agents said that it was a power problem and that all trains were being shut down. Diane and the rest of the Brits waiting went above ground to get other transportation, but no one hardly realized where they were and how to get home because public transportation is HUGE there. People just hung out and tried to get directions to their homes or works from others around. Diane couldn't get through to anyone on her cell for a bit, since officials by that time had found out it was a bomb and had shut down cell communications (in case bombs were being detonated using cells). Finally, she got ahold of her boyfriend Hu (a tall Brit, not an Asian guy) who drove across town to get her. When she arrived back to her flat, she found out on the news that one of the train stations that blew up was the next stop on her route to work. Scary! Diane is fine, thank God. Stupid terrorists.

Quote of the day

In the beginning there was nothing. God said, 'Let there be light!' And there was light. There was still nothing, but you could see it a whole lot better.
Ellen Degeneres

My day

Sometimes I wish I could "beam me up Scottie" and arrive in Indiana just for the day. Click my heals, be in Indiana, then click them again and be back in Cali.
Today was one of those days. I called my sister on the way up to work this a.m. and she answered the phone "Sissy?" and it sounded like she was crying. Granted, my sister is 28. Not normal for her to do, so I knew something was wrong. She proceeded to tell me the story of her horrendous weekend in which she went tubing and slammed her head into her knee hard. Immediately she fell asleep for 12 hours straight. Hello? Did anyone try to wake her? NO! They just thought maybe she had drank a little too much (not realizing she had only 2 drinks that wouldn't even get a five year old buzzed). By Monday she was vomiting and lethargic and her face was swollen and painful. Today, I guess she went into work and one of her subordinates told her that she looked like crap (in so many words) and called Keri's doctor for her. She was ordered to go to the ER, and after a series of CT scans and Xrays, was cleared with an ok bill of health. I don't know whether it was fully determined that she had a concussion, but it sure sounds like it. I am so glad she's ok. I guess she looked pretty beat up though. Hey Keri, send me a picture to show me your wounds.
In other Kristi family news, my grandfather suffered what doctors are calling a stroke this past weekend while visiting St. Louis with my mom and step dad. Grandpa started slurring his words and was unable to walk properly, so they cut the trip short. Mom called me on their way back to Indiana and let me talk to grandpa. He sounded incoherent at times and kept saying "I sound like a drunk, Kristi Jean!". Well, he did sound drunk, but I knew there is a "no alcohol" rule when Donna is around. I told her to call his neurologist as soon as she got back, which she did, and had to take him over to the hospital. He spent 2 nights there and was released. He's recovering now, resting at home.
Click click click, there's no place like home.

My sister Keri and I

Taken last month in Indiana. She does have clothes on.

Explanation of pretty

When I was little, I would ask my mom if I was pretty. She would reply "Pretty is as pretty does, Kristi Bugg" and hug and kiss me. And I would go about my day with those words in mind. I commend my mom. What else would you say if a girl with legs like a chicken, permed frizzy hair, glassess, and buck teeth came up to you and asked if she was pretty? My mom wouldn't lie. She hates lying.

Mom also passed along some other proverbs. Ones like "keep your legs together and your panties up". But I didn't think that would be such an appropriate blog title.

My weird dreams

Here's a synopsis of the dream I had last night: I was at a doctor's office in Bloomington (where I'm from) and I found out that I was going to die of cancer in my 40s. My sister Keri picked me up from my appointment and took me to the mall. I hadn't said anything to Keri yet because I wanted Randy to be the first one I told, but since he was out in California I would have to tell him over the phone. I wanted to tell everyone about me dying face to face, but decided to call Randy because he had to be the first to know. I started out the conversation with "Randy, if you knew that I was going to die in my forties, would you still want to have a baby, since I've always wanted one?" He said yes (in my dream. This morning when I was rehashing the whole thing he said "no way! why would I want our kids to not have a mom?!) and I hung up the phone and told my sister about my dying. I think she was sad, but not too sure. I hope it's not prophetic!

I then dreamt about my nephew Levi last night too, but can't remember it except that he was running to me and I picked him up, threw him in the air, and then caught him. He was laughing and laughing.

I think my dreams have a multiple personality disorder of sorts.

A day in the life of a boarding school nurse...

consists of getting to the school at 8 or 8:30 am, just in time to hit the cafeteria and hand out the day's candy of choice: Wellbutrin, Strattera, Adderall, Ritalin, or Concerta (all which beat that horrible Depression or ADHD to a bloody pulp). Waiting to give the meds, I can't help but admire the 5th grade girls outfits (obviously having a Coach face off, where each one wears or carries a different accessory which they got from their movie producer parents to celebrate an older brother's Bar Mizvah). I have to watch some of the older girls who are anorexic to make sure they eat all their toast, eggs, and yogurt. The boys come in to eat next and, without batting an eye at the girls (I guess $250 flip flops turn them off) manage to eat their way through the rest of the food. So goes my breakfast.
After breakfast (of course, it's called 'brunch' on the weekends, sans Mimosas), the kids are off to their activities as I venture on back to my post at the health center, where I immediately begin getting faxes from mothers worrying about their child's medication consumption that read something like this: "Dear School Nurses, please take my son X off of his Concerta and instead give him 4 Red Bulls a day. Of course, I will be sending money so that you can go shopping for the Red Bull. FYI: The FDA just showed in a study that Concerta causes heart palpitations in youth. I think that the caffeine regimen will work fine. Thanks, Mrs. X". And I think to myself- what a load of crap. I want to send her a fax back that says what studies have indicated about caffeine use in adolescents. But I won't, not today atleast.
Next, I wait in the 90 degree heat. I wait for mosquito bites, bee stings, splinters, scratches, and burns. I wait for homesickness, chapped lips, allergy attacks, and possible broken bones. In between all these kids (adding up to 30 visits a day) I read books. I have read 4 books since June 24. Even I'm impressed.
I mentioned the kids activities earlier. Let me tell you, these aren't the normal "let's paint by numbers or make potholders" camp classes/activities. Oh, no. We have a buffet from which the little rich kids can choose from (just so it feels more like their own backyard). We have archery, rock climbing, equestrian, woodworking, yoga, martial arts, tennis, and performing arts. I have worked on injuries from each of the above activity categories (even yoga).
In between giving the 12, 3 and then 4 o'clock doses of psychotropic candy, I do some paperwork but also read some more. I'm done by 4:30 and walk out to my car which is in the nasty gravel parking lot by the horses. I take a big whiff of mountain air (horse crap) and get into my Bug, ready to head off down the mountain back into the real world.
Don't get me wrong, I love my job. It's fun and funny at times. I like that the nurses and counselors I work with are down to earth and are great people to be around. I think that we act as stability for those kids whose lives are more messed up at home than we could ever imagine. Still, you have to wonder about their parents. Caffeine instead of Concerta? Give me a break! How about spending some time and giving attention to your child? I love those kids and it's all sad to me. It's so sad.

I've entered the realm of blogging

Wow. Here I am! I mainly created a blog spot in order to keep my family and friends in Indiana and beyond up to date on my life. Just in case they care. Blogs can be so pretentious- that's why I've never wanted to have one before. Now I see it as a fun, informative way in which friends could keep up on what 's going on in your life and vice versa. It's still 2-way communication that people can respond to if they so desire. This is my diary...sometimes it will be filled with boring day-to-day crap that no one gives a hoot about (except, maybe, my mom), and then other times I will go off into the deep end ranting and raving about some thing in life or society that ticks me off. Whatever. Do with this blog what you please. Just have fun with it!