Goodies and Baddies

Well, Chase and I have survived another wedding shower. For whatever reason, this shower stressed me out a week before it happened! I'm not really sure why I got so bent out of shape over it. It's not like I had to do any of the planning or hosting. I just had to show up, smile and open some presents. It's not like the most difficult assignment. And yet I fretted. I even tried not to, but that didn't work either. It built up over the week so much so that the day after the shower, I stayed in bed for most of the day and never left the house once. Ha! I'd been needing a day of rest anyway. And why not take one on a Sunday?

Now that I've had my day of rest, I should be completely re-charged and ready for Thanksgiving in Virginia! Yay! First holiday with future in-laws. Leigh Ann is so excited.

Last week or so ago, I got a message from one of the hosts of the shower. And she told me I needed to register for more stuff at Dillard's and Macy's because most of it had been bought. And these ladies didn't want to shop at Target where the rest of the registered items were. Well, I went online and checked the registries and it seemed like there was still enough of a selection there. So I didn't bother going in.

But it still tugged at me and kept needling me throughout the week. And finally I said, alright! I'll go in and pick out some more stuff! And that will be the end of it!

So I mosey on in to Dillard's and tell the nice lady at the register that I have a registry and need to add some things to it. She says, "Sure. What name is the registry under?" So I tell her, Keen Porter and she knows immediately. Apparently all week long women had been coming in requesting this registry, not finding anything on it and then going over to Macy's. Actually I think there were two things left on it (according to the cashier). One was an electric water boiler that they have out of stock (I told her to order more! I want one!!) and the other was a table cloth. Well, by the time I left, let me tell you, there were quite a few more things on that registry.

I spent an hour walking around with a scanning gun and shooting anything I thought was cool. And of course, something that we would use and appreciate. But the first time, we were much more conservative. This go around, I didn't even look at prices. I said, people know their own price range and I'm just giving people options. We also didn't want to look greedy or anything.... but just by the sheer volume of people we've invited to this wedding, we have to register for a huge amount of stuff so that there are options for all price ranges.

After Dillard's was updated, I walked over to Macy's and had a field day-part 2. It was the same story with the lady in Macy's. Once I said my name she almost shuddered and said she was glad to see me. I needed to add more stuff. All these ladies that came in didn't have enough selection. So I took the scanner gun, said a little prayer and started shooting.

They had some holiday stuff out this time, but I didn't really go for any of it. I tend to shy away from seasonal stuff that I can only use once a year! I find that wasteful. Cute stuff, but wasteful. What's the point of a dish you can use once a year? I want a dish I can pull out at any time of the year to celebrate anything I want! Call me crazy, but I find that much more palatable.

And apparently Macy's has a Martha Stewart infection of some sort because her name was on 55% of their merchandise. And she really likes pastel blue. But she did have this amazing rolling pin that I just had to have. So I registered for it. I mean, it's so awesome, I could probably pick a stick up of the ground and make one just like it. But of course, they call it a 'french' rolling pin, so all the mystique and allure combined with the simple nature of it makes me want it desperately.

I've already received the Martha Stewart Bible (I'm not kidding, I think it's twice as big as the Bible too... this thing's a monster), so now I need her accouterments. I'm sure all of her recipes call for these strange gadgits and gizmos that you can only get at the Martha Stewart infection site in Macy's. Honestly, I haven't even looked inside the Martha Stewart Bible. I'm scared she's going to start yelling at me for adding the laundry detergent to the clothes after the water has started to run in the washer. Or to use lemon juice from the bottle is an abomination. And why didn't I make that cake from scratch? Only cakes made from scratch say I love you. The rest say "store bought!" That Martha, She's a hard one to live with.

Pressies and such

I love it how my blog suffers because I have to post for "our" blog that no one reads. Well, it's not like this blog has a huge following.... but it's more of an ownership thing. Chase commented today that he's sorry he hasn't posted more on our joint blog because he tries to keep the content of his job blog current and updated. Which I understand. Because we really need him to find a job so we know where we will end up after January 2nd. So it's not like I can complain about a thing like that. But, apparently I am.

We just had a wedding shower yesterday that was AWESOME. It was by the ladies of our church and they were so wonderful and so generous and we all just had a great time. Although, I don't think anyone had a better time that me. You know I love to open a present. I don't even care if it's for me. I just like opening presents. It is better when it's for me. That does sweeten the deal a bit. But there's something about wrapping paper that makes me want to rip into it!
And they baked all kinds of delicious cakes. It was a sweet event, all around.


And if I may boast, Chase and I completed all the thank-you notes the next day. It was a tour de force, and we knocked it out of the park. I'm pretty proud of us for getting that done and not letting it go too long or get overwhelming when the next shower rolls around and we still haven't finished the thank-yous from this shower! I wasn't going to let that get me stressed out. So we hunkered down and went to work!

Pain meds? Big let down.

I finally had my three wisdom teeth taken out. Or sawed in half and jerked out, I should say. I mean, I don't know if that's exactly what happened because I was in laughing gas land where nothing gets through but everything is funny. I'm still amazed that I was genuinely surprised when I started laughing for no reason and said "so that's why they call it laughing gas". Uh.... good call, there chief. But in my defense, I was drugged at the time. And it's usually the blatantly obvious things that become crystal clear during those times. You know, those truths that are right there, under your nose.

My favorite part was when they strap that laughing gas pump thingy over my mouth and nose, tell me to breath deeply and then want to have a conversation with me. First off, I don't know if you've noticed, but there is thing covering my mouth.... and second, I am quickly slipping down that slippery slope of drugs that makes everything on the outside speed up but everything on the inside slow way down. So, it seems like the doctor is talking like super-duper fast and I'm responding like "yyyyyeeeeeeaaaaaahhhhhhhhh, ttttttthhhhhhhatttttt'sssss goooooooooddddd"

And then.... suddenly, the absence of anything is funny. Like, the funniest durn thing. And it makes me laugh. And I know that nothing is funny and it sure is odd for me to start laughing at nothing. And I try to stop and hold it in, but that doesn't work and I bust out laughing even louder than before. So even though I'm all drugged out, I at least know that laughing at nothing is strange behavior. But I can't stop. The nurse goes 'you can't hold it in. It just doesn't work'. So I let it all out. And the other nurse goes "she's even making me laugh" and I felt a slight ping of success.

And then I remember nothing, like not even time passing and then I'm back. And they want me to get up and walk. And I'm like, yeah. Fat chance. So she takes me out the back where Chase is waiting with the car. I try to make a joke and ask if this is the "druggie exit". I don't think she got it.

I spent the rest of the day taking oxycodone every four hours and replacing bloody gauze pads in my mouth. It was not magical. I had a horrible headache that I later discovered was courtesy of the so called "pain meds". Thank goodness Chase was there to nurse me back to health. He fed me purreed potato soup that my mother made for me. So sweet! What a love fest!

So I found out that when my mouth started to hurt and I took the oxycodone, I soon got a horrible headache that made me dizzy and woozy. I couldn't stand or sit up. But my mouth stopped hurting! Because the rest of my head hurt so much! I was like, this is crap! I thought this stuff was the shizz! I was sorely disappointed in the pain meds. I wondered how anyone could get addicted to this stuff when it makes you feel worse than before you took it! So I ended up with a catch 22. Take the meds and feel awful. Or don't take the meds and suffer the constant, dull ache in the back of your jaw. Awesome.

A few days later, the stitches started to open up and I looked in and there was this gaping hole in my mouth! I was like, eh? Is that normal? I don't think so. So I stressed the rest of the weekend over it and then called the teeth extraction place on Monday. Turns out, apparently it is normal. I am now the owner of three gaping holes in my mouth. How strange.

It's now been nearly two weeks since that fateful day when they came in and tore out three of my teeth. And it still hurts! Geezeeee. What's the deal with that? I have another pain med prescription, but I don't really want it if it's going to make me feel worse! I don't think that's the point of the medication. But whatever.

My wisdom teeth are finally gone and I'm still waiting on my insurance to reimburse me for their part. I feel that I might be waiting a while....