Rob said my post wasn’t very coherent so I thought I better fix it. I don’t want anybody to think I’m a retard or anything. :-) Hopefully I get it right this time!
So here’s the story.
The other day we were going to bed. Before we go to bed we always say a prayer together. This particular day it was Rob’s turn to give the prayer. He was so tired due to his lack of sleep that he fell asleep mid sentence. One minute he was talking and the next, he was fast asleep. It took me by surprise a little because I was listening to his prayer when all of a sudden there was an unexpected long pause. When I realized he had fallen asleep I just said “amen!?” with a chuckle. This woke him up just enough that he piped in with his own “amen”. Soon after that I started to really laugh because he proceeded to tell me he had fallen asleep during my prayer. Well I hadn’t said the prayer, he did, which made it even funnier because not only did he fall asleep in the middle of his prayer, he didn’t even remember that he had said one at all. I guess this just goes to show he was not getting enough sleep during his last rotation.
Hopefully the next rotation allows him to get a little more sleep.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
ICE ICE BABY
So this is going to be a story that you should naturally laugh at. Don’t worry about the fact that it was happening to me, someone you know. I’m laughing about it too. As I’ve said before, weather in Chicago is bizarre. On Sunday it warmed up to the mid 50’s. While the temperatures were rather pleasant, what we got after wasn’t. Since the temperatures had warmed up so did the snow. Instead of getting lots of snow on Sunday we got lots of RAIN. Well rain isn’t necessarily a bad thing but it is when you live in Chicago. Our warm temperatures slowly dipped back down into the freezing range. While the temperatures were falling, so was the rain. The rain slowly started to become icy sleet and then into solid ice. I of course was nicely tucked in my warm blankets in the warm house so I didn’t think anything of the crazy weather going on outside. Monday morning however my attention was very much focused on the crazy weather.
I knew it was going to be a slow crazy morning since it took Rob a good 5 to 10 minutes just getting into the car. All the rain we got Sunday had turned into a nice thick sheet of ice on EVERYTHING. The cars were a big block of ice. So as I was waiting for Rachel to come get me for seminary, it was her week to drive, I was wondering how she was fairing with the ice on her car. My questions were quickly answered when my phone rang and it was Rachel asking if I would drive since my car was sleeping nicely in the non-frozen garage. Ok, sure. I had no problem driving. So I head out to the garage to get my unfrozen car so we could go to seminary. Hah, Not a chance! I got to the garage and tried to put my key in the doorknob so I could get into the garage. It was frozen! I couldn’t get my key in the keyhole from all the ice. I was banging on the door knob, trying to jamb my key into the keyhole, twisting, hitting, banging, oh and freezing. At this point with the wind chills the temperatures outside were in the double digits below zero. All my work wasn’t doing me any good. I couldn’t get the doorknob to twist so I could get into the garage. I called Rachel to tell her of my dilemma. A few minutes later she showed up to pick me up. Her windshield only had a small clearing for her to see out of but we were on our way. While we were on our way to seminary we were kind of laughing at how awful this morning was going and how we should have thought about canceling seminary. Just as we were saying these things, BAM, her windshield cracked. Then another BAM, it cracked again. The entire windshield was cracked from one side to the next. Oh boy was this a good morning!
I knew it was going to be a slow crazy morning since it took Rob a good 5 to 10 minutes just getting into the car. All the rain we got Sunday had turned into a nice thick sheet of ice on EVERYTHING. The cars were a big block of ice. So as I was waiting for Rachel to come get me for seminary, it was her week to drive, I was wondering how she was fairing with the ice on her car. My questions were quickly answered when my phone rang and it was Rachel asking if I would drive since my car was sleeping nicely in the non-frozen garage. Ok, sure. I had no problem driving. So I head out to the garage to get my unfrozen car so we could go to seminary. Hah, Not a chance! I got to the garage and tried to put my key in the doorknob so I could get into the garage. It was frozen! I couldn’t get my key in the keyhole from all the ice. I was banging on the door knob, trying to jamb my key into the keyhole, twisting, hitting, banging, oh and freezing. At this point with the wind chills the temperatures outside were in the double digits below zero. All my work wasn’t doing me any good. I couldn’t get the doorknob to twist so I could get into the garage. I called Rachel to tell her of my dilemma. A few minutes later she showed up to pick me up. Her windshield only had a small clearing for her to see out of but we were on our way. While we were on our way to seminary we were kind of laughing at how awful this morning was going and how we should have thought about canceling seminary. Just as we were saying these things, BAM, her windshield cracked. Then another BAM, it cracked again. The entire windshield was cracked from one side to the next. Oh boy was this a good morning!
(This is what it felt like) :-)
We finally pull into the church parking lot to see that we actually had students there waiting for us. I thought for sure they would have all gone home by now since we were running about 20 minutes late at this point. We hurried into the church, set up our classroom, and I proceeded to give the lesson. It was the shortest, most rushed lesson I have ever given! Sigh… oh well! We learned our lesson for the next ice storm.
Ok, so I’m home now and it’s about 7:00am. I go in the house and start doing my dishes before I head off to work. While I’m doing the dishes I hear my upstairs neighbor heading out to the garage. I wondered to myself if she would be able to get into the garage. Oh boy was she able to get in! She decided to use the quick fix, pour hot water on the handle. Little did she know it would make it much more difficult for me when it was my turn to head out. So I’m all bundled up and I head out to the garage to see what I was going to be faced with and I was thinking of how I was going to get in when I discovered the now completely frozen doorknob. I could tell she had poured water on in from the puddle of frozen ice right below the doorknob. I couldn’t believe it. All the work I had put into the doorknob at 5:30am was wasted! Now I couldn’t even get the key in the keyhole or get the knob to turn in the slightest bit. What was I going to do? Ah hah!! I went to the bathroom and grabbed my hair dryer and an extension cord. But wait, my cord isn’t long enough! Ahh….. Ok now what? To my luck there is a utility kind of room next to the door I was now trying to break into, and its door was not closed. Having never been in this room I wasn’t sure what I would be finding but to my amazement, there was an outlet right by the door. Sweet! So I plugged my hairdryer in and I was back in business. After blowing hot air on the doorknob for a while I was able to get it to loosen up a little bit. I still had to twist and bang and put some back into it but I was finally able to get the door open. Whew!! What a relief.
The door doesn’t latch anymore because although I was able to get it to twist just enough for me to open the door, it now wont untwist. I can’t complain too much though. I can at least get in and out of the garage now.
(a total exaggeration of our ice storm but you get the point)
Oh I love it when the Chicago-land freezes, it sure makes life interesting. :-)
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Party!!
First of all, I'm sorry! For some strange reason I just haven't been in the writing mood. That means you haven't been getting very many updates. So I thought I would give you an update on what life's been like for us lately.
Rob started his General Surgery rotation the week of Thanksgiving. It has been a very long rotation, maybe not in how many days he's been going but in the hours. They have him working six days a week and long hours everyday. He gets up and leaves before I get out of bed and doesn't get home until after me. We were actually lucky to have him home for Thanksgiving, they were going to make him work. So anyway, we both get up really early now. I go to seminary and Rob goes to the hospital.
I've been slowly getting the house put together. I hate unpacking! It's so hard to figure out where to stick everything. So my Saturday's usually consist of doing the regular cleaning like laundry, dishes and bathroom but I try to get a few extra things done as well. It will be nice when I'm done.
I've been feeling a little behind on the cleaning and house stuff because I love reading. For some reason I get addicted to reading. Once I'm done with one book I can't wait to pick up another one. Just in the last week I read three books. It's kind of hard to stay on top of your everyday chores when you can't pull yourself out of the pages of a book. I guess one good thing about reading more is I've been watching much less tv. Thanks D for supplying me with an endless amount of books to read. :-)
Rob started his General Surgery rotation the week of Thanksgiving. It has been a very long rotation, maybe not in how many days he's been going but in the hours. They have him working six days a week and long hours everyday. He gets up and leaves before I get out of bed and doesn't get home until after me. We were actually lucky to have him home for Thanksgiving, they were going to make him work. So anyway, we both get up really early now. I go to seminary and Rob goes to the hospital.
I've been slowly getting the house put together. I hate unpacking! It's so hard to figure out where to stick everything. So my Saturday's usually consist of doing the regular cleaning like laundry, dishes and bathroom but I try to get a few extra things done as well. It will be nice when I'm done.
I've been feeling a little behind on the cleaning and house stuff because I love reading. For some reason I get addicted to reading. Once I'm done with one book I can't wait to pick up another one. Just in the last week I read three books. It's kind of hard to stay on top of your everyday chores when you can't pull yourself out of the pages of a book. I guess one good thing about reading more is I've been watching much less tv. Thanks D for supplying me with an endless amount of books to read. :-)
This last Saturday was my work party. It's always fun to go to a party. I like getting dressed up. It's not like I wear anything too fancy it's just Sunday clothes but I very rarely wear make-up or really do my hair. So it was fun to have an excuse to pamper myself a little more than usual. We had really yummy food and we had fun talking and laughing with Kim and her husband. Kim is our accountant at the office and since we're the only girls employed by the company we kind of stick together. Rob had to go to the hospital early the next morning so we tried not to stay too long.
Since Rob was at the hospital for a 30 hour shift Sunday to Monday I had a very quiet Sunday by myself. Jason and Diana were nice enough to feed me Sunday night. So I went to their house, ate their food, and then beat them at a game of Ticket to Ride. :-) Thanks guys for letting me come hang out with you!
Oh, speaking of Jason and Diana. They are officially eligible to adopt now. Their adoption profile is up and running and they have a blog for adoption stuff. All they need now is a baby! Go to their blog to find out more.
So as you can see our lives are kind of boring right now. We're both really busy with hospitals, studying, seminary, work, books and sleep. I hope everyone is doing well and staying warm. Christmas is almost here, I hope you have all your shopping done! :-)
Love you!
Bizarre
There have been crazy things happening here in Illinois. First, the weather. It snowed almost all day Saturday and was quite cold. Then on Monday afternoon it warmed up just a smidgen and we had RAIN all night into Tuesday afternoon-ish. Everything was soaking wet with rain but wait, it doesn't end there. Tuesday as it was raining, the temperatures decided to drop again. By late afternoon/evening it was snowing. Snow/Rain/Snow..... Mother Nature just can't make up her mind. At this point I would rather have the snow, not rain. I was prepared to go outside this morning to find the roads a big sheet of ice. Luckily they weren't.
Next in the craziness, Illinois politics are so corrupt! Our governor was taken into federal custody early yesterday morning. Apparently you can buy yourself a seat in the senate now days. Oh and if the newspapers are saying things about you that you don't like, just threaten them with money.
This has been the big buzz on the news the last few days. Our governor was arrested and uncovered being even more corrupt than we all knew. He's been in the news for so long about being watched and investigated for corruption then he goes and tries to sale off the senate seat for large amounts of money. Did he really think he wouldn't be caught? It’s going to be quite interesting to see how Illinois politics recovers from this.
Next in the craziness, Illinois politics are so corrupt! Our governor was taken into federal custody early yesterday morning. Apparently you can buy yourself a seat in the senate now days. Oh and if the newspapers are saying things about you that you don't like, just threaten them with money.
This has been the big buzz on the news the last few days. Our governor was arrested and uncovered being even more corrupt than we all knew. He's been in the news for so long about being watched and investigated for corruption then he goes and tries to sale off the senate seat for large amounts of money. Did he really think he wouldn't be caught? It’s going to be quite interesting to see how Illinois politics recovers from this.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Thanksgiving
Well I know I'm a little late at posting this but I thought I would let you know how our Thanksgiving went. It was fabulous!
I was quite the little baker that's for sure. I made four kinds of pies, Pumpkin, banana cream, lemon meringue, and chocolate. Mmmm.... they sure were delicious. I was pretty proud of myself at how well they all turned out. My crusts looked amazing, nicely golden brown, and the meringue on top of the lemon had beautiful golden peaks. Ok yea I'm dramatizing things a bit but they did turn out pretty darn good if I do say so myself. Rob even commented on how impressed he was with my pie baking abilities. That's always a bonus when your hubby compliments you on your cooking. :-) In addition to the pies I made my moms broccoli salad and the yummy raspberry jello salad that you could eat as dessert. Rob was calling it the BTS jello salad.
The boys deep fried our turkey again this year and once again they did a fabulous job. It was so yummy! It was pretty funny to watch them cook it though. We looked out the window and started to laugh. They had set up camp at the far side of the parking lot. They had the pot on the stove cooking while they lounged in their camp chairs reading the black Friday adds. They looked pretty silly, especially since they were all bundled up in their winter attire. Thanks boys for braving the cold weather to cook us an awesome turkey!
As we sat down to eat, we had a table loaded with yummy food: mashed potatoes and gravy, turkey, sweet potatoes, sweet potato soufflé, salads, rolls, stuffing and plenty of pies. We were lucky to be sitting down with great friends, Jason and Diana, Becky and Ryan and their cute kids, and Andrea. We had a good time talking while we ate our fare share of food until we were all stuffed and couldn't move. After our tummies settled a little bit we broke out the games. Andrea had to head out but we gained another friend to play games with. Blake, one of the youth from our ward, came over to have some fun with our crazy group. We laughed and played games, ate the yummy pies and ice cream then we headed home.
If we have to be apart from family for the holidays, spending it with friends is a good alternative. We are lucky to have such good friends here in Illinois.
The next morning when Rob got up and headed to the hospital I headed out to go shopping. I spent the morning shopping with Becky and Andrea at Target and Kohl’s. We also met up with Jason and Diana at Target. They were going shopping to more stores than us so we didn't see them much. Even though it was early in the morning I still had a good time shopping and hanging out with the girls. Later that day when Rob came home we went back out and hit a few more stores, without the crowds.
So our Thanksgiving was a successful Holiday. Thanks for all the love that was sent our way from our families in Utah. We love you!
I was quite the little baker that's for sure. I made four kinds of pies, Pumpkin, banana cream, lemon meringue, and chocolate. Mmmm.... they sure were delicious. I was pretty proud of myself at how well they all turned out. My crusts looked amazing, nicely golden brown, and the meringue on top of the lemon had beautiful golden peaks. Ok yea I'm dramatizing things a bit but they did turn out pretty darn good if I do say so myself. Rob even commented on how impressed he was with my pie baking abilities. That's always a bonus when your hubby compliments you on your cooking. :-) In addition to the pies I made my moms broccoli salad and the yummy raspberry jello salad that you could eat as dessert. Rob was calling it the BTS jello salad.
The boys deep fried our turkey again this year and once again they did a fabulous job. It was so yummy! It was pretty funny to watch them cook it though. We looked out the window and started to laugh. They had set up camp at the far side of the parking lot. They had the pot on the stove cooking while they lounged in their camp chairs reading the black Friday adds. They looked pretty silly, especially since they were all bundled up in their winter attire. Thanks boys for braving the cold weather to cook us an awesome turkey!
As we sat down to eat, we had a table loaded with yummy food: mashed potatoes and gravy, turkey, sweet potatoes, sweet potato soufflé, salads, rolls, stuffing and plenty of pies. We were lucky to be sitting down with great friends, Jason and Diana, Becky and Ryan and their cute kids, and Andrea. We had a good time talking while we ate our fare share of food until we were all stuffed and couldn't move. After our tummies settled a little bit we broke out the games. Andrea had to head out but we gained another friend to play games with. Blake, one of the youth from our ward, came over to have some fun with our crazy group. We laughed and played games, ate the yummy pies and ice cream then we headed home.
If we have to be apart from family for the holidays, spending it with friends is a good alternative. We are lucky to have such good friends here in Illinois.
The next morning when Rob got up and headed to the hospital I headed out to go shopping. I spent the morning shopping with Becky and Andrea at Target and Kohl’s. We also met up with Jason and Diana at Target. They were going shopping to more stores than us so we didn't see them much. Even though it was early in the morning I still had a good time shopping and hanging out with the girls. Later that day when Rob came home we went back out and hit a few more stores, without the crowds.
So our Thanksgiving was a successful Holiday. Thanks for all the love that was sent our way from our families in Utah. We love you!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Text
Ok I had to post this, it's too funny not to share. I was having a conversation with my little sister last night through text messaging and anytime I'm texting Mugs and Rob finds out, he grabs my phone away and starts writing things like this.
(I had just told Mugs that I love her and she had responded then this happened)
My phone: Kiss my butt you cheese head
Mugs: After you kiss mine!
My Phone: Whatever smelly rotten cheese butt
Mugs: Oh yeah stinky old rotten cheese poo! Haha you know my conversations with tiff usually end like this!
My phone: (I've successfully taken my phone back) you can always tell when my hubby gets home and gets ahold of my phone. He sure likes to tease you.
Mugs: Haha yeah i really can :-) he is such a sill guy! It's a good thing i love him.
My phone: Love this turtle turd! :-) (smiley face with it's tongue sticking out) (can you tell Rob had taken my phone back? )
I think it's hilarious, especially because mugs doesn't even miss a beat, she knows it's him and goes right along with it.
Thanks for the good laugh you two.
(I had just told Mugs that I love her and she had responded then this happened)
My phone: Kiss my butt you cheese head
Mugs: After you kiss mine!
My Phone: Whatever smelly rotten cheese butt
Mugs: Oh yeah stinky old rotten cheese poo! Haha you know my conversations with tiff usually end like this!
My phone: (I've successfully taken my phone back) you can always tell when my hubby gets home and gets ahold of my phone. He sure likes to tease you.
Mugs: Haha yeah i really can :-) he is such a sill guy! It's a good thing i love him.
My phone: Love this turtle turd! :-) (smiley face with it's tongue sticking out) (can you tell Rob had taken my phone back? )
I think it's hilarious, especially because mugs doesn't even miss a beat, she knows it's him and goes right along with it.
Thanks for the good laugh you two.
Quick Chick
So every time I wear this shirt I inevitably have a good day. I don't know why but I think it has something to do with it reminding me about something I love. I love to sweat!
When I sweat my hair gets drenched and it sticks to my head like glue, my face goes bright red and doesn't lose the color for quite some time after I'm done exercising, and if I'm sweating for long enough, I eventually start to smell. :-) So why do I love to sweat? Because when I sweat, I'm usually doing something I love, with people I love. I'm a pretty lucky girl too because the wonderful guy I'm married to fell in love with me and the first time, and most times after that, he saw me I was in my best form; sweaty, red faced and maybe even smelly. How many girls can say they were able to snag the man of their dreams when they were in this kind of state? Most girls think they have to be all dolled up in order to win a guys heart. I'm living proof that that's not always true. Since the day my love and I met we've spent countless hours sweating together and that's BEAUTIFUL.
Ok so not only did I win the heart of my sexy hubby when I was all sweaty but I love sweating for my own personal benefit too. You know you're doing something right by your body when you can work up a really good sweat. There is nothing better than just finishing a good bike ride. You climb off that bike with sweat dripping from every inch of your body, you smell like something fierce, and to top it off you have a nice layer of salt on your skin. :-) What a sweet sight! If you want your body to really thank you for keeping it alive, go out and work up a sweat like that! Yea it's true that I usually walk like an old lady the next day because my muscles are stiff and sore from the results of that bike ride. It's also living proof that my muscles will love me once they recover 'cause the next time I go out and do the same ride, those same muscles aren't going to hurt quite as bad. They love a good workout just as much as my mental health does.
Sweating isn't just a way to get the guys or work up a good healthy smell. It's also a way to keep yourself sane. Have you ever had a really bad day where you mentally feel exhausted from stress, grief, boredom or just life? Well you should go hit the gym, grab a bike, or just hit asphalt. You can crank up the music on your iPod and just let loose. Once you're done with your workout, I guarantee you will feel better. There is no better way to get myself out of a mental/emotional funk than to go work up a good sweat.
So this shirt makes me smile every time I wear it, not only because I bought it as a souvenir from running the Chicago Marathon, but because it reminds me of what I did and what I love to do. I love to sweat and even better, I love to sweat with my wonderful husband, family and friends. :-)
I hope you can all go out and work up a good sweat. One that you will always remember due to how it made you feel, who you were with, where you were at, or maybe even what you were overcoming. Good luck! I can't wait for my next big sweat causing, spirit lifting, muscle aching workout.
Love always, Tiff
When I sweat my hair gets drenched and it sticks to my head like glue, my face goes bright red and doesn't lose the color for quite some time after I'm done exercising, and if I'm sweating for long enough, I eventually start to smell. :-) So why do I love to sweat? Because when I sweat, I'm usually doing something I love, with people I love. I'm a pretty lucky girl too because the wonderful guy I'm married to fell in love with me and the first time, and most times after that, he saw me I was in my best form; sweaty, red faced and maybe even smelly. How many girls can say they were able to snag the man of their dreams when they were in this kind of state? Most girls think they have to be all dolled up in order to win a guys heart. I'm living proof that that's not always true. Since the day my love and I met we've spent countless hours sweating together and that's BEAUTIFUL.
Ok so not only did I win the heart of my sexy hubby when I was all sweaty but I love sweating for my own personal benefit too. You know you're doing something right by your body when you can work up a really good sweat. There is nothing better than just finishing a good bike ride. You climb off that bike with sweat dripping from every inch of your body, you smell like something fierce, and to top it off you have a nice layer of salt on your skin. :-) What a sweet sight! If you want your body to really thank you for keeping it alive, go out and work up a sweat like that! Yea it's true that I usually walk like an old lady the next day because my muscles are stiff and sore from the results of that bike ride. It's also living proof that my muscles will love me once they recover 'cause the next time I go out and do the same ride, those same muscles aren't going to hurt quite as bad. They love a good workout just as much as my mental health does.
Sweating isn't just a way to get the guys or work up a good healthy smell. It's also a way to keep yourself sane. Have you ever had a really bad day where you mentally feel exhausted from stress, grief, boredom or just life? Well you should go hit the gym, grab a bike, or just hit asphalt. You can crank up the music on your iPod and just let loose. Once you're done with your workout, I guarantee you will feel better. There is no better way to get myself out of a mental/emotional funk than to go work up a good sweat.
So this shirt makes me smile every time I wear it, not only because I bought it as a souvenir from running the Chicago Marathon, but because it reminds me of what I did and what I love to do. I love to sweat and even better, I love to sweat with my wonderful husband, family and friends. :-)
I hope you can all go out and work up a good sweat. One that you will always remember due to how it made you feel, who you were with, where you were at, or maybe even what you were overcoming. Good luck! I can't wait for my next big sweat causing, spirit lifting, muscle aching workout.
Love always, Tiff
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
National Steal A Lunch Tuesday
Every Tuesday Rob asks me "guess what today is" and I proceed to say "I don't know what?" Then he tells me it's National Steal a Lunch Tuesday. He gets so excited for Tuesdays because he gets a free lunch at the clinic. I'm not entirely sure why he calls it 'stealing' a lunch. He sure is a happy camper when he comes home on Tuesdays though.
The other day he came in the kitchen to see me packing my lunch and he wanted to know what I was doing. "It's national steal a lunch Tuesday, you're not supposed to take a lunch" is what he told me. I had to tell him it was just my 'back-up' lunch. :-) Good thing I took my lunch that day, I sure would have been hungry if I was relying on a free lunch.
I hope everyone gets to have a free lunch every once in a while. It sure makes for a great day! :-)
The other day he came in the kitchen to see me packing my lunch and he wanted to know what I was doing. "It's national steal a lunch Tuesday, you're not supposed to take a lunch" is what he told me. I had to tell him it was just my 'back-up' lunch. :-) Good thing I took my lunch that day, I sure would have been hungry if I was relying on a free lunch.
I hope everyone gets to have a free lunch every once in a while. It sure makes for a great day! :-)
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Breaking News
Guess what everybody..... we're adding a new member to our family next year!
Through MARRIAGE!!!!
Ha! I got you didn't I? You thought I was going to say I was pregnant. I'm not! The breaking news is that my big sister Jamie is engaged to be married in March. I'm so excited that she has found someone who makes her happy. Rob and I unfortunately don't really know Adam that well being that we live so far away but my family seems to love him, so we're happy to welcome him into our crazy Leake family. From the sounds of it, he'll fit right in. A little quirky and loves to have fun. :-)
Congratulations Jamie and Adam! We love you!
Monday, November 3, 2008
Ahoy Mate
So for the Primary trunk-or-treat party Rob was asked to dress as a pirate. He made an excellent pirate! We had fun finding clothes to dress him up in. Let's just say that dressing a guy up in women's clothing in a store can be quite hilarious. We had a good laugh every time Rob would try on a new shirt.
Rob insisted that in order to be in full pirate costume he needed to have a peg leg. So our pirate was fully equipped with a peg leg. Can you figure out what he did with that leg? He had it hidden very well, didn't he?! Even the adults at the party were having a hard time figuring it out.
Here's our pirate.
Friday, October 31, 2008
I want to suck your blood
Happy Halloween you blood suckers (Life Source)!
My building has a tradition of having Life Source come to the building so people can donate blood on Halloween. I donated for my first time last year. I debated whether I should donate this year or not because last year my finger hurt for a week after. I hate that finer prick! Ouch!
I decided to be brave and give it another try. It was freezing it that room so I was cold before they even got started. The finger prick went fine but we'll see how my poor little finger feels tomorrow. Once the needle was in my arm the blood started to flow but at a very slow rate. Eventually the blood stopped flowing. After some twisting and moving of the needle they were able to get the blood to flow again. Oops! It stopped again! After the girl moved the needle around some more, got some more blood, the blood stopped moving, move the needle again, got some more blood. I was done. My donation was insufficient. My blood just didn't want to leave my body. So I get to keep the rest of it and who knows what they'll do with the small amount they got out of me.
I told the girl that it was probably because I was cold and my body knew better than to send blood towards my fingers. I mean it wont even send blood to my fingers on a good day, why would it send blood when I was cold and there was a huge lurking needle waiting to suck it out?
So that was my attempt at having my blood sucked. Insufficient with a big X! Better luck next time. :-)
Happy Haunting!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Bubbles
Rob did the dishes for me on Friday, what a sweetheart.
At least that's what I thought until he did this...
I had just come back in the house after running and he thought it would be funny to throw all the bubbles at me. The majority of the bubbles, as you can see, landed on my head. I guess this is just the price I have to pay to have help in the kitchen. The plus side to the mess, my floor got mopped from the result of a bubble fight. :-)
Who says you can't have fun doing chores??
Let's get physical..
Rob has been bugging me to put this picture on. He thinks it's funny and he tells me, "the people want to see it, so give it to them." So I hope you enjoy. He sure is a character.
This is when he ripped off his pants before the marathon (yes Rob, I cropped myself out of the picture because I looked like a complete retard)
Friday, October 24, 2008
Craptacular Morning
I'm not having a great morning today so I thought I better post something happy to try and help myself get out of this craptacular mood I'm in. So here are some of the beautiful colors I've been able to capture with my camera this fall. They're not the best but hey, I never said I knew what I was doing with a camera. I hope this brightens your day. I'm counting on it to brighten mine. :-) 
Most of these pictures were taken near my office or from the top of the parking garage at work
Monday, October 20, 2008
Pumpkins
It was a beautiful weekend. We lounged around the house in the morning before we went to Costco then we headed outside. We went golfing with our buddies the Bowlers. I was so glad we were outside enjoying the beautiful air because the weather was absolutely gorgeous. I didn't even need my jacket until the sun started setting.
We've been having such nice weather lately that all the leaves have been taking their time changing colors. I have loved driving down the road enjoying all the colors the trees have brought to this wonderful season. The trees that turn a brilliant red always catch my eye.
So besides going golfing and enjoying the nice crisp air and the color of fall, we decided to get into the halloween mood. We made some yummy chili and carved pumpkins. Jeremy and Renee came over and joined in on the fun too. We had a lot of fun carving fun characters into our pumpkins and it was actually Renee's first time ever carving a pumpkin. Jason dug out so much of the inside of his pumpkin that the whole thing glowed when the candle was lit. D was hilarious. She just wanted to get hers done so she was really going at it and pumpkin was being thrown all over the place. My pumpkin took forever because I was trying to do all the little details to perfection. It's only a pumpkin!! I couldn't believe it when Jeremy free handed his picture onto his pumpkin, quite the artist he is.
After we ate yummy chili and carved pumpkins we played some killer bunnies. I don't know what my problem was but it was all I could do to keep my entire body awake. I don't think it helped that I had wrapped myself in blankets. I was a little cold from the door being open so I wrapped the blankets around me and once my body warmed up it was like I was going into a coma. I had to fight really hard to keep the brain functioning in a proper manner. Then you know how it goes when girls get tired. We get really giggly. D had taken benadryl and I was zonking out quickly, it turned into a giggle fest. Somehow I received the name of swamp thing from my lovely hubby. I was bundled up pretty nicely in those blankets, and the blankets were green. I guess that's how I received the very creative name.
Needless to say, it was a very entertaining night.
Jeremy and Renee's ghost
D's Homer Simpson
Jason's U
Rob and Tiff's Lisa Simpson
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Marathon Mania - Pictures!
Before the race with our fabulous friends
Pumped up and ready for the run
The long line of port-a-potties and line we had to wait in
The race has started!
45,000 signed up to run, 33,000+ started and only 31,000+ finished
At mile 20!
A few feet before we crossed the finish line. I'm the one with her arms up, the girl in the purple shirt had great timing to get in front of me.
We're still alive after 26.2 miles, Yea!!
The huge piles of bananas
Lounging at the Bowlers after the run, see the foot bath on the floor, it was my friend.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Chicago Marathon
After the long training runs, blisters, aching muscles and sore knees we were ready for the big marathon day. We did a few short runs during the week prior to the race to keep our legs loose. We didn’t want to over do it so we kept them short and light. On Saturday we drove down to the McCormick expo center. We had to pick up our race packet which contained our race number, timing chip, a t-shirt and a whole lot of papers which were mostly junk mail. That night we had a big spaghetti dinner with Jason and Diana then watched some Scrubs episodes with friends.
Before we went to bed that night we coordinated times and locations for the next day with Jason and Diana. We headed to bed fairly early since we were both excited for the next day and we knew it was going to be exhausting and we would need all the rest we could get. I slept like a rock, like usual, and Rob tossed and turned, like usual.
45,000 people registered to run the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, October 12, 2008. Wow that’s a lot of people! We were a little worried about traffic and road closures so we left our house around 6 am. It turned out that a fairly large amount of those who were running stayed downtown the night before the race so we didn’t have any problems getting into the city. We parked under the park where the race was starting so we didn’t even have to go that far to get to the starting line. We saw a beautiful sunrise as we drove into the city and we were all excited and full of energy. Diana sang the “lets get physical” song and Rob got so pumped up that he ripped his tear away pants off with much excitement. We all had a good laugh at that.
We made a quick, well a not so quick stop at the bathrooms (the port-a-potties were a happening place that morning) then to the start line we went. We weren’t really sure how we were supposed to get into the huge masses of people waiting to start the race because there was a fence separating the runners and the spectators. So with a few other people, we jumped the fence.
Now it was getting really exciting. We were standing in a huge crowd of runners waiting to start an extremely insane run. 26.2 miles, who does that!? Rob and I were very social with our fellow runners as we were waiting to start. We were laughing and joking with some ladies who had come into Chicago just for the race. When the announcer said the elite group had started the whole pack started slowly moving forward. Everyone gradually moved forward as we were herded like cattle between the two fences to the start line. As soon as we made it to the actual start line everyone started running. Oh boy was that a site to see! I was wishing I had taken a camera with me. The streets were completely covered with runners and the sides of the streets were covered with spectators cheering you on. It was awesome! As we ran the race there were only a few spots the entire time that didn’t have tons of people on the sides cheering and of course with over 33,000 runners on the road you were never alone.
We started the race at a good pace. We both felt good and the miles seemed to be going by a lot faster than they did when we were on training runs. Before we knew it we were in North Chicago passing the 10 mile marker. We picked up a few new friends to run with along the way. At the beginning there was a women named Vicky who was running near us. She seemed to be going the same pace we were so we started chatting. She had turned 40 this year so she felt like she needed to prove she was still young enough to do something as insane as a marathon. It was fun talking to her. As we went through one of the water zones we ended up loosing track of Vicky but we eventually met back up with her down the road. We ran quite a bit with her. We also ran with a girl named Kari, she had a pace team number on her back so we started chatting with her. She had run a marathon before and was going to try to beat her time this year. She was wearing her projected finish time on her back to let other runners know about how fast she was going to try to run. That way if they wanted to stay at the same pace they could keep an eye on her. Further into the race we were chatting with other runners and giving encouragement to all kinds of people.
At about mile 15 we had a guy tell us that he had been following us for the last five miles and we had been his inspiration to keep going. I thought that was very nice of him to say. We weren’t trying to beat a time or finish in any specific time. We were just running together and having fun. Right from the beginning of the race Rob and I were cheering each other on. All the spectators on the road were cheering people on and calling out names so we decided to be our own cheering squad. We would holler out “Yea, Go Rob, you’re awesome” and “Yea, Go Tiff, you’re doing great,” then we would give each other a fist bump or high five. As we picked up friends to run with, our cheering list became longer. I couldn’t remember everyone’s names by the end of the race but while they were running with us it would sounds something like this “Go Rob, go Tiff, go Vicky, go Kari, go Joe…” It was kind of funny and the others who started running with us would get in on it every once in a while too. So I guess this guy found us entertaining and wanted to follow us. Oh yea and Rob said it was hilarious to run with me because at one point I saw this little boy standing on the side holding his hand out wanting someone to give him high five and nobody was. So he inspired me. I started giving high fives to people as I passed them, even if they didn’t have their hand out to begin with they did by the time I got to them. Why not have fun while you’re torturing yourself through 26.2 miles!
So we kept up our good pace for quite a while. I had to make a bathroom break at about mile 12 and my legs were starting to get tired but not unbearable. Rob’s legs were cramping and numbing fairly early into the run but he said he could handle it. He had taken some heavy pain killers before the race to try and mask the pain before it started. By the time we made it to about mile 15 or so he was starting to hurt pretty bad though. Jason and Diana saw us off at the start of the race then rode the bus up to the 10 mile marker to hand off food or water to us if we needed it. Both of us missed each other so we didn’t see them at the 10 mile but we weren’t worried about it since we still had food with us and we were still feeling really good. Their plan was to meet us at the 10 mile then meet us at the 20 mile so when they found out we had passed without them seeing us they headed down to the 20 mile marker. When we made it to the 20 mile we spotted them, well really they spotted us. Diana yelled out my name and I just so happened to be headed straight for her. My brain didn’t quite register to stop though. It was like I was in bike race mode and I couldn’t stop to get my stuff. I just had to run through and grab it as I went. Maybe it’s because that’s how we were getting all the water and Gatorade through the water zones. In any event, my brain caught up to me fast enough and I realized I needed to stop. So they replenished our food and I was able to get some sunblock on.
By the time we made it to this point in the race the sun had really warmed things up and we were west of the city so we weren’t being shaded by the buildings anymore. Rob was really starting to suffer now. His legs were hurting and he was starting to over heat from the warm temperatures. After we saw Jason and Diana we had to really slow it down. Rob was starting to get lightheaded and nauseous. At one point he wanted to stop because he thought he was going to vomit. After he stood there for a minute I told him we should probably keep moving to keep our legs from stiffening up. So we did some walking to cool him down and to keep him from passing out by stopping. After another bathroom break for me and a few more miles of walking/running we were almost there.
I was still feeling really good, besides the sore muscles so I was doing more of my cheering and encouraging others. Rob wasn’t the only one suffering on the last 6 miles of the run. There were a lot of other people slowing down and doing a lot of walking. Also, we were at the South end of the city by China Town and there weren’t quite as many spectators cheering on the runners. We had hit a lull in the cheering and energy to run. So I started hollering out to people that they were doing great and that we were almost there. I started giving high-fives to people again and at one point I heard someone on the side lines yelling “You’re almost there, good job” and I waved my arms and hollered back and she said “look, there is life out there!” I thought that was pretty funny.
Rob was able to pull through and not loose his cookies on the side of the street and we were able to keep him moving. We were almost there! Eventually we saw the “one mile to go” sign and the side of the streets started to roar with cheers again. As we rounded the corner to make the final stretch to the finish line Rob was able to get some energy back so he could finish the marathon with a smile on his face. Jason and Diana were on the sidelines yelling and cheering us on. They even found a banner to right our names on. We would have never seen them among all the other cheering spectators had Jason not yelled out “Go Leakey-Johnson” as soon as I heard that, my head popped up and I was able to find them with no problems. Jason said he had been yelling “Rob and Tiff” but we couldn’t hear him so he changed his game plan, apparently it worked.
We were finished, we crossed that finish line and that was it, we were done. Oh how nice it was to know we didn’t have to run any further. Rob looked like he was ready to fall to the ground and my feet were very sore. The race volunteers were handing out wet washcloths to wipe your self off with. That was really nice, my face felt so gross covered in sweat and salt. As you continued to walk through the finishing area they took pictures, took the timing chip off your shoe, handed out about a bazillion bananas, passed out beer, mmm..that was yummy J just kidding, they handed out bagels, bags of ice to put on your aching body, bottles of water and I’m not really sure what else. I eventually stopped paying attention to what they were handing out so I could keep track of my husband. I wasn’t walking that fast but every time I’d look behind me I had lost him again. I don’t think his mind was functioning properly. He was walking pretty slowly and he had a pain filled glazed over look on his face. Eventually we found a grassy shaded area where he could sit down. I left him in the shade so I could go find Jason and Diana at the runner reunite spot.
After we reunited with our fabulous cheering squad and excellent support crew, they drove our sore, tired behinds home so we could take a shower and put our feet up. After we recovered for a few minutes we went over to their house where they were making us a yummy post-race dinner. While Jason grilled up some steaks, Diana let me soak my feet in her foot bath thing. It had bubbles and rollers and massagers and callus remover things and it was oh so nice. I was in heaven letting those bubbles spill over while I soaked my poor little feet in that hot water. Thank you, Jason and Diana, for being our cheering squad and support crew and for taking such good care of us afterward.
We had finished a marathon! Among the 31,000 some-odd people who finished, we were two of them. It was so awesome that we were able to do it together. As much as I hated running all summer and how much my body hurt after every run, I was glad we did it. Now we can add 26.2 miles to our list of insane things we’ve done. Good job Rob! Thanks for pushing me to do something I would have never in my wildest dreams thought of doing. You’re the best! I love you.
Before we went to bed that night we coordinated times and locations for the next day with Jason and Diana. We headed to bed fairly early since we were both excited for the next day and we knew it was going to be exhausting and we would need all the rest we could get. I slept like a rock, like usual, and Rob tossed and turned, like usual.
45,000 people registered to run the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, October 12, 2008. Wow that’s a lot of people! We were a little worried about traffic and road closures so we left our house around 6 am. It turned out that a fairly large amount of those who were running stayed downtown the night before the race so we didn’t have any problems getting into the city. We parked under the park where the race was starting so we didn’t even have to go that far to get to the starting line. We saw a beautiful sunrise as we drove into the city and we were all excited and full of energy. Diana sang the “lets get physical” song and Rob got so pumped up that he ripped his tear away pants off with much excitement. We all had a good laugh at that.
We made a quick, well a not so quick stop at the bathrooms (the port-a-potties were a happening place that morning) then to the start line we went. We weren’t really sure how we were supposed to get into the huge masses of people waiting to start the race because there was a fence separating the runners and the spectators. So with a few other people, we jumped the fence.
Now it was getting really exciting. We were standing in a huge crowd of runners waiting to start an extremely insane run. 26.2 miles, who does that!? Rob and I were very social with our fellow runners as we were waiting to start. We were laughing and joking with some ladies who had come into Chicago just for the race. When the announcer said the elite group had started the whole pack started slowly moving forward. Everyone gradually moved forward as we were herded like cattle between the two fences to the start line. As soon as we made it to the actual start line everyone started running. Oh boy was that a site to see! I was wishing I had taken a camera with me. The streets were completely covered with runners and the sides of the streets were covered with spectators cheering you on. It was awesome! As we ran the race there were only a few spots the entire time that didn’t have tons of people on the sides cheering and of course with over 33,000 runners on the road you were never alone.
We started the race at a good pace. We both felt good and the miles seemed to be going by a lot faster than they did when we were on training runs. Before we knew it we were in North Chicago passing the 10 mile marker. We picked up a few new friends to run with along the way. At the beginning there was a women named Vicky who was running near us. She seemed to be going the same pace we were so we started chatting. She had turned 40 this year so she felt like she needed to prove she was still young enough to do something as insane as a marathon. It was fun talking to her. As we went through one of the water zones we ended up loosing track of Vicky but we eventually met back up with her down the road. We ran quite a bit with her. We also ran with a girl named Kari, she had a pace team number on her back so we started chatting with her. She had run a marathon before and was going to try to beat her time this year. She was wearing her projected finish time on her back to let other runners know about how fast she was going to try to run. That way if they wanted to stay at the same pace they could keep an eye on her. Further into the race we were chatting with other runners and giving encouragement to all kinds of people.
At about mile 15 we had a guy tell us that he had been following us for the last five miles and we had been his inspiration to keep going. I thought that was very nice of him to say. We weren’t trying to beat a time or finish in any specific time. We were just running together and having fun. Right from the beginning of the race Rob and I were cheering each other on. All the spectators on the road were cheering people on and calling out names so we decided to be our own cheering squad. We would holler out “Yea, Go Rob, you’re awesome” and “Yea, Go Tiff, you’re doing great,” then we would give each other a fist bump or high five. As we picked up friends to run with, our cheering list became longer. I couldn’t remember everyone’s names by the end of the race but while they were running with us it would sounds something like this “Go Rob, go Tiff, go Vicky, go Kari, go Joe…” It was kind of funny and the others who started running with us would get in on it every once in a while too. So I guess this guy found us entertaining and wanted to follow us. Oh yea and Rob said it was hilarious to run with me because at one point I saw this little boy standing on the side holding his hand out wanting someone to give him high five and nobody was. So he inspired me. I started giving high fives to people as I passed them, even if they didn’t have their hand out to begin with they did by the time I got to them. Why not have fun while you’re torturing yourself through 26.2 miles!
So we kept up our good pace for quite a while. I had to make a bathroom break at about mile 12 and my legs were starting to get tired but not unbearable. Rob’s legs were cramping and numbing fairly early into the run but he said he could handle it. He had taken some heavy pain killers before the race to try and mask the pain before it started. By the time we made it to about mile 15 or so he was starting to hurt pretty bad though. Jason and Diana saw us off at the start of the race then rode the bus up to the 10 mile marker to hand off food or water to us if we needed it. Both of us missed each other so we didn’t see them at the 10 mile but we weren’t worried about it since we still had food with us and we were still feeling really good. Their plan was to meet us at the 10 mile then meet us at the 20 mile so when they found out we had passed without them seeing us they headed down to the 20 mile marker. When we made it to the 20 mile we spotted them, well really they spotted us. Diana yelled out my name and I just so happened to be headed straight for her. My brain didn’t quite register to stop though. It was like I was in bike race mode and I couldn’t stop to get my stuff. I just had to run through and grab it as I went. Maybe it’s because that’s how we were getting all the water and Gatorade through the water zones. In any event, my brain caught up to me fast enough and I realized I needed to stop. So they replenished our food and I was able to get some sunblock on.
By the time we made it to this point in the race the sun had really warmed things up and we were west of the city so we weren’t being shaded by the buildings anymore. Rob was really starting to suffer now. His legs were hurting and he was starting to over heat from the warm temperatures. After we saw Jason and Diana we had to really slow it down. Rob was starting to get lightheaded and nauseous. At one point he wanted to stop because he thought he was going to vomit. After he stood there for a minute I told him we should probably keep moving to keep our legs from stiffening up. So we did some walking to cool him down and to keep him from passing out by stopping. After another bathroom break for me and a few more miles of walking/running we were almost there.
I was still feeling really good, besides the sore muscles so I was doing more of my cheering and encouraging others. Rob wasn’t the only one suffering on the last 6 miles of the run. There were a lot of other people slowing down and doing a lot of walking. Also, we were at the South end of the city by China Town and there weren’t quite as many spectators cheering on the runners. We had hit a lull in the cheering and energy to run. So I started hollering out to people that they were doing great and that we were almost there. I started giving high-fives to people again and at one point I heard someone on the side lines yelling “You’re almost there, good job” and I waved my arms and hollered back and she said “look, there is life out there!” I thought that was pretty funny.
Rob was able to pull through and not loose his cookies on the side of the street and we were able to keep him moving. We were almost there! Eventually we saw the “one mile to go” sign and the side of the streets started to roar with cheers again. As we rounded the corner to make the final stretch to the finish line Rob was able to get some energy back so he could finish the marathon with a smile on his face. Jason and Diana were on the sidelines yelling and cheering us on. They even found a banner to right our names on. We would have never seen them among all the other cheering spectators had Jason not yelled out “Go Leakey-Johnson” as soon as I heard that, my head popped up and I was able to find them with no problems. Jason said he had been yelling “Rob and Tiff” but we couldn’t hear him so he changed his game plan, apparently it worked.
We were finished, we crossed that finish line and that was it, we were done. Oh how nice it was to know we didn’t have to run any further. Rob looked like he was ready to fall to the ground and my feet were very sore. The race volunteers were handing out wet washcloths to wipe your self off with. That was really nice, my face felt so gross covered in sweat and salt. As you continued to walk through the finishing area they took pictures, took the timing chip off your shoe, handed out about a bazillion bananas, passed out beer, mmm..that was yummy J just kidding, they handed out bagels, bags of ice to put on your aching body, bottles of water and I’m not really sure what else. I eventually stopped paying attention to what they were handing out so I could keep track of my husband. I wasn’t walking that fast but every time I’d look behind me I had lost him again. I don’t think his mind was functioning properly. He was walking pretty slowly and he had a pain filled glazed over look on his face. Eventually we found a grassy shaded area where he could sit down. I left him in the shade so I could go find Jason and Diana at the runner reunite spot.
After we reunited with our fabulous cheering squad and excellent support crew, they drove our sore, tired behinds home so we could take a shower and put our feet up. After we recovered for a few minutes we went over to their house where they were making us a yummy post-race dinner. While Jason grilled up some steaks, Diana let me soak my feet in her foot bath thing. It had bubbles and rollers and massagers and callus remover things and it was oh so nice. I was in heaven letting those bubbles spill over while I soaked my poor little feet in that hot water. Thank you, Jason and Diana, for being our cheering squad and support crew and for taking such good care of us afterward.
We had finished a marathon! Among the 31,000 some-odd people who finished, we were two of them. It was so awesome that we were able to do it together. As much as I hated running all summer and how much my body hurt after every run, I was glad we did it. Now we can add 26.2 miles to our list of insane things we’ve done. Good job Rob! Thanks for pushing me to do something I would have never in my wildest dreams thought of doing. You’re the best! I love you.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Setting the stage
Before I give the awaited update on how our marathon went I better give an account of why running a marathon was such a big goal and challenge.
In 2004 we had a medical emergency with Rob. Wait let me back up and start from the beginning. Somewhere around High School age Rob started experiencing pain in his lower legs when he would exercise. He went to a few doctors but they weren’t able to find anything abnormal with his feet. Rob started feeling like he was loosing his mind or something but since the doctors couldn’t find anything wrong he eventually started just dealing with the pain as it came. By the time 2004 rolled around he was starting to feel a more constant pain in his lower legs and feet. The pain was no longer only when he exercised. In fact it was worse when he would exercise. He would experience cramping and eventually a numbness in his feet.
One day in 2004 Rob went on a bike ride with my family thinking it was going to be another normal bike ride. As they were nearing the end of the ride they had to climb a big hill. We call it the wall because it’s so steep. As Rob started climbing the wall he began to have severe difficulties. This particular day Rob’s feet hit their cramping and numbing threshold early. He was now trying to climb the wall with numb feet and it hurt extremely badly. Rob finally made it home but I could tell something was wrong. When he told me what had happened and how bad it hurt I took his shoes off to look at his feet. They were still white and cold. I quickly grabbed a heating pad and wrapped his feet to get them to warm up. We both knew something was really wrong with this picture and I told him we needed to figure out what was going on.
The next day we had some blood drawn to start getting blood work done up on him. A few days later he was scheduled to have an angiogram. As he was being prepared for the angiogram the doctor was baffled that he had a seemingly healthy 24 year old on his table. Normally it’s old guys who need these kinds of procedures done. Rob had to explain to him what had been happening with his feet. The doctor agreed to do the procedure. Rob was wide awake during the whole thing so the doctor was talking to him explaining what he was seeing on the screen. He was still confused as to why Rob would be lying on his table until the dye moved past Robs knees. The doctor fell silent in disbelief to what he was seeing on his healthy 24 year old patient. A normal person has three main arteries that supply blood to your lower legs and feet. Rob’s arteries had occluded (stopped from a blockage) just below the knee and well “if you don’t use ‘em you loose ‘em.” Two of the three arteries in Rob’s lower legs were completely gone. He only gets blood to his feet through one artery now. This gave a good explanation as to why Rob’s feet go numb fairly quickly during physical activity. Now we knew why his feet were going numb but what had caused his arteries to be blocked off? More tests!
It’s not very normal to get blood clots in the arteries because the blood is constantly moving. It’s even odder to see an artery become occluded. The fresh blood the arteries carry eventually find a way to get to where it needs to go.
The doctors were concerned that Rob might have a hole in his heart that was throwing clots. He was quickly scheduled to have his heart looked at. Luckily he came away with a clean bill of health on his heart. So he was scheduled for more tests. I can’t remember what test it was he was scheduled for on this specific day but I do remember thinking it was weird that he hadn’t called me all day to tell me what the doctors had said. When Rob finally called me around 5:00 pm he was calling to tell me that they were admitting him to the hospital. Whatever test it was they had done resulted in more tests and a chest x-ray. Not only did Rob have four arteries completely blocked off, he had developed multiple DVT’s, deep vein thrombosis, these clots were causing a blockage in his veins in his lower legs which is what was causing the constant, more severe pain. Also, the dvt’s were throwing clots and causing pulmonary embolisms. He had blood clots in his lungs. Yikes! He was admitted to the hospital so they could start him on Coumadin. They wanted to immediately start thinning his blood. Thinning the blood too fast could cause its own problems though so they started him off pretty slow. Rob was in the hospital for 5 days before they were comfortable with his blood levels. It was insane!
We have great family and friends who were so great at visiting and keeping him company. I would almost have to say that one of the most fun date nights we’ve ever had was when all our friends came to the hospital and we played games in the cafeteria. All of our friends except one couple eventually left. With Rob in a hospital gown with his IV in tow, and myself, Lance and Sabra we wandered down to Primary Children’s Hospital, ate dinner in their cafeteria, laughed at silly jokes, walked through the U of U hospital and over to a wing of U of U’s lab buildings to see Lances lab rats, Sabra washed her hair with one of those no water shampoo shower caps, laughed at each other, played games, laughed, talked forever and laughed some more. Lance and Sabra sure helped us forget our worries that night.
After all the tests were done, we found out a few major things about my hubby. The pain he experienced during exercise from his High School age and on was from his arteries being blocked off. The severe pain he started feeling in 2004 was due to veins in his lower legs and feet being blocked. The severe asthma he was dealing with wasn’t just from asthma. He had pulmonary embolisms inhibiting his breathing as well. The one remaining artery in his left leg had re-routed itself in order to supply enough blood to his foot. The doctor didn’t want to do anything for his four missing arteries because he had this notion that Rob was young and healthy and that his arteries would eventually grow back. Not sure if that will ever happen and if it does how long it will take. Rob has to take Coumadin for the rest of his life to thin his blood. He can no longer play contact sports because he bruises too easy. He has to be very careful about not experiencing any head injuries. The culprit behind all the fun we had was a blood disorder called Protein C deficiency.
Rob still experiences pain from cramping and numbing in his feet and lower legs when he exercises. It’s not as bad when he rides a bike because his feet aren’t pounding on anything but running causes numerous amounts of pain. When we go for a run Rob’s feet usually start cramping and going numb shortly after we start. I don’t know why he continues to run but he does. He has always had a desire to run a marathon and so he figured he had better get it done while he was young so he wouldn’t have to deal with the severe pain as an old guy. Also, what better marathon to run than the Chicago Marathon? It’s a huge event in the city and it’s very flat.
As you can see, running a marathon isn’t just insane for the sane people. It’s insane for the unhealthy insane people too. We were going to attempt a marathon even with all of Rob’s health problems, that’s really INSANE! However insane we were though, we made the commitment, paid the registration fees and started training.
In 2004 we had a medical emergency with Rob. Wait let me back up and start from the beginning. Somewhere around High School age Rob started experiencing pain in his lower legs when he would exercise. He went to a few doctors but they weren’t able to find anything abnormal with his feet. Rob started feeling like he was loosing his mind or something but since the doctors couldn’t find anything wrong he eventually started just dealing with the pain as it came. By the time 2004 rolled around he was starting to feel a more constant pain in his lower legs and feet. The pain was no longer only when he exercised. In fact it was worse when he would exercise. He would experience cramping and eventually a numbness in his feet.
One day in 2004 Rob went on a bike ride with my family thinking it was going to be another normal bike ride. As they were nearing the end of the ride they had to climb a big hill. We call it the wall because it’s so steep. As Rob started climbing the wall he began to have severe difficulties. This particular day Rob’s feet hit their cramping and numbing threshold early. He was now trying to climb the wall with numb feet and it hurt extremely badly. Rob finally made it home but I could tell something was wrong. When he told me what had happened and how bad it hurt I took his shoes off to look at his feet. They were still white and cold. I quickly grabbed a heating pad and wrapped his feet to get them to warm up. We both knew something was really wrong with this picture and I told him we needed to figure out what was going on.
The next day we had some blood drawn to start getting blood work done up on him. A few days later he was scheduled to have an angiogram. As he was being prepared for the angiogram the doctor was baffled that he had a seemingly healthy 24 year old on his table. Normally it’s old guys who need these kinds of procedures done. Rob had to explain to him what had been happening with his feet. The doctor agreed to do the procedure. Rob was wide awake during the whole thing so the doctor was talking to him explaining what he was seeing on the screen. He was still confused as to why Rob would be lying on his table until the dye moved past Robs knees. The doctor fell silent in disbelief to what he was seeing on his healthy 24 year old patient. A normal person has three main arteries that supply blood to your lower legs and feet. Rob’s arteries had occluded (stopped from a blockage) just below the knee and well “if you don’t use ‘em you loose ‘em.” Two of the three arteries in Rob’s lower legs were completely gone. He only gets blood to his feet through one artery now. This gave a good explanation as to why Rob’s feet go numb fairly quickly during physical activity. Now we knew why his feet were going numb but what had caused his arteries to be blocked off? More tests!
It’s not very normal to get blood clots in the arteries because the blood is constantly moving. It’s even odder to see an artery become occluded. The fresh blood the arteries carry eventually find a way to get to where it needs to go.
The doctors were concerned that Rob might have a hole in his heart that was throwing clots. He was quickly scheduled to have his heart looked at. Luckily he came away with a clean bill of health on his heart. So he was scheduled for more tests. I can’t remember what test it was he was scheduled for on this specific day but I do remember thinking it was weird that he hadn’t called me all day to tell me what the doctors had said. When Rob finally called me around 5:00 pm he was calling to tell me that they were admitting him to the hospital. Whatever test it was they had done resulted in more tests and a chest x-ray. Not only did Rob have four arteries completely blocked off, he had developed multiple DVT’s, deep vein thrombosis, these clots were causing a blockage in his veins in his lower legs which is what was causing the constant, more severe pain. Also, the dvt’s were throwing clots and causing pulmonary embolisms. He had blood clots in his lungs. Yikes! He was admitted to the hospital so they could start him on Coumadin. They wanted to immediately start thinning his blood. Thinning the blood too fast could cause its own problems though so they started him off pretty slow. Rob was in the hospital for 5 days before they were comfortable with his blood levels. It was insane!
We have great family and friends who were so great at visiting and keeping him company. I would almost have to say that one of the most fun date nights we’ve ever had was when all our friends came to the hospital and we played games in the cafeteria. All of our friends except one couple eventually left. With Rob in a hospital gown with his IV in tow, and myself, Lance and Sabra we wandered down to Primary Children’s Hospital, ate dinner in their cafeteria, laughed at silly jokes, walked through the U of U hospital and over to a wing of U of U’s lab buildings to see Lances lab rats, Sabra washed her hair with one of those no water shampoo shower caps, laughed at each other, played games, laughed, talked forever and laughed some more. Lance and Sabra sure helped us forget our worries that night.
After all the tests were done, we found out a few major things about my hubby. The pain he experienced during exercise from his High School age and on was from his arteries being blocked off. The severe pain he started feeling in 2004 was due to veins in his lower legs and feet being blocked. The severe asthma he was dealing with wasn’t just from asthma. He had pulmonary embolisms inhibiting his breathing as well. The one remaining artery in his left leg had re-routed itself in order to supply enough blood to his foot. The doctor didn’t want to do anything for his four missing arteries because he had this notion that Rob was young and healthy and that his arteries would eventually grow back. Not sure if that will ever happen and if it does how long it will take. Rob has to take Coumadin for the rest of his life to thin his blood. He can no longer play contact sports because he bruises too easy. He has to be very careful about not experiencing any head injuries. The culprit behind all the fun we had was a blood disorder called Protein C deficiency.
Rob still experiences pain from cramping and numbing in his feet and lower legs when he exercises. It’s not as bad when he rides a bike because his feet aren’t pounding on anything but running causes numerous amounts of pain. When we go for a run Rob’s feet usually start cramping and going numb shortly after we start. I don’t know why he continues to run but he does. He has always had a desire to run a marathon and so he figured he had better get it done while he was young so he wouldn’t have to deal with the severe pain as an old guy. Also, what better marathon to run than the Chicago Marathon? It’s a huge event in the city and it’s very flat.
As you can see, running a marathon isn’t just insane for the sane people. It’s insane for the unhealthy insane people too. We were going to attempt a marathon even with all of Rob’s health problems, that’s really INSANE! However insane we were though, we made the commitment, paid the registration fees and started training.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Ready or Not...
HERE WE COME!
The countdown to our big day at the Chicago Marathon has begun. Well ok it started a while ago but now it's really hitting home. We only have four more days until we have to go run our guts out.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Blast from the Past
This is a High School Tag
I'm not going to tag anybody specific because I'm sure you wouldn't do it anyway so those of you who do want to play, go right ahead. :-)
I hope you enjoy this little insight to my high school life.
1. Did you date someone from your high school?: Yes, my sophomore year. Then I gained a brain. Oh thank goodness!
2. What kind of car did you drive?: A Plymouth reliant. Sweet huh! It even came equipped with a battery operated radio, four-speed air-conditioning(the windows), and it left a trail so I could always find my way home or was it so my parents could tell where I had been???
3. What is your most embarrassing moment in high school? Uh well, I think I was pretty embarrassed when I found out the boyfriend I did have was cheating on me and my cousin knew about it but didn’t tell me until the night before a dance. Let’s just say, I did not want to go to that dance! I should have ditched him right then and there and let him take his own sorry backside to the dance.
4. Were you a party animal? No not really
5.Were you considered a flirt? Umm… I’m not really sure if I was or not
6. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir?: yep, an orch dork!
7. Were you a nerd? Probably
8. Were you on any varsity teams? I wasn’t on any teams
9. Did you get suspended/expelled? Nope!
10. Can you still sing the fight song? What’s that???
11. Who were your favorite teachers? Trudy Pecorrelli and Curtis Hagen
12. Where did you sit during lunch? At a table?? I don’t know, I wasn’t ever the kind of person that had to sit at the same place or with the same people every day.
13. School Mascot? Silverwolf
14. Did you go to homecoming and with who?:Yea, I went to Bingham’s homecoming my Jr year with my then current boyfriend.
15. If you could go back and do it again, would you? Absolutely NOT! I did graduate early for a reason!
16. What do you remember most about graduation? It was long, I had been in a car accident the night before and my cousin and I actually spoke to each other for the first time after a long time of silence.
17. Where did you go senior skip day? Work probably since I had technically already graduated by then.
18. Have you gained weight since then? No
19. Who was your prom date? Just some guy, I think. He apparently left a very long lasting impression on me, can you tell?
20. Are you planning on going to your 10 year reunion? Um, not sure yet, that will depend on where I’m living I think.
21. Looking back, what advice would you give yourself? Pay attention in class so when you’re out of high school you’ll actually feel like you learned something. :-)
I'm not going to tag anybody specific because I'm sure you wouldn't do it anyway so those of you who do want to play, go right ahead. :-)
I hope you enjoy this little insight to my high school life.
1. Did you date someone from your high school?: Yes, my sophomore year. Then I gained a brain. Oh thank goodness!
2. What kind of car did you drive?: A Plymouth reliant. Sweet huh! It even came equipped with a battery operated radio, four-speed air-conditioning(the windows), and it left a trail so I could always find my way home or was it so my parents could tell where I had been???
3. What is your most embarrassing moment in high school? Uh well, I think I was pretty embarrassed when I found out the boyfriend I did have was cheating on me and my cousin knew about it but didn’t tell me until the night before a dance. Let’s just say, I did not want to go to that dance! I should have ditched him right then and there and let him take his own sorry backside to the dance.
4. Were you a party animal? No not really
5.Were you considered a flirt? Umm… I’m not really sure if I was or not
6. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir?: yep, an orch dork!
7. Were you a nerd? Probably
8. Were you on any varsity teams? I wasn’t on any teams
9. Did you get suspended/expelled? Nope!
10. Can you still sing the fight song? What’s that???
11. Who were your favorite teachers? Trudy Pecorrelli and Curtis Hagen
12. Where did you sit during lunch? At a table?? I don’t know, I wasn’t ever the kind of person that had to sit at the same place or with the same people every day.
13. School Mascot? Silverwolf
14. Did you go to homecoming and with who?:Yea, I went to Bingham’s homecoming my Jr year with my then current boyfriend.
15. If you could go back and do it again, would you? Absolutely NOT! I did graduate early for a reason!
16. What do you remember most about graduation? It was long, I had been in a car accident the night before and my cousin and I actually spoke to each other for the first time after a long time of silence.
17. Where did you go senior skip day? Work probably since I had technically already graduated by then.
18. Have you gained weight since then? No
19. Who was your prom date? Just some guy, I think. He apparently left a very long lasting impression on me, can you tell?
20. Are you planning on going to your 10 year reunion? Um, not sure yet, that will depend on where I’m living I think.
21. Looking back, what advice would you give yourself? Pay attention in class so when you’re out of high school you’ll actually feel like you learned something. :-)
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Happy Birthday to ME!
For my birthday we did absolutely nothing and it was awesome! We have been so busy lately and after our 20 mile run on Saturday we were so exhausted that we just vegged out. We watched some movies and enjoyed the couch on our tooshies. One of the highlights of my birthday was on Sunday with two of my favorite little kids. Christian and Nicole had made me some very cute cards and they were so excited to give them to me. When church was over they were quickly by my side jumping with excitement for me to open their cards and see what they had drawn for me. It was so cute. I opened each of their cards, read what they had said and gave each of them a great big hug. They sure are sweethearts! Thanks Becky for letting me love you and your kids.
Bubba, Nicolie and I made chocolate covered pretzels this summer.
My birthday cake was delicious! The receptionist at the building management office loves to bake for people so she made me a very yummy cake. I happened to know she was going to bake me a cake so I didn't worry about having one for the weekend and boy was it a good thing. Even though I shared with people at work I still don't think I'll be able to eat the whole thing.
The delicious double layered chocolate cake with fluffy chocolate frosting. Mmmmm....
I also loved all the phone calls and birthday songs. Thank you everyone for sharing your love with me on my special day.
Bubba, Nicolie and I made chocolate covered pretzels this summer.
My birthday cake was delicious! The receptionist at the building management office loves to bake for people so she made me a very yummy cake. I happened to know she was going to bake me a cake so I didn't worry about having one for the weekend and boy was it a good thing. Even though I shared with people at work I still don't think I'll be able to eat the whole thing.
The delicious double layered chocolate cake with fluffy chocolate frosting. Mmmmm....
I also loved all the phone calls and birthday songs. Thank you everyone for sharing your love with me on my special day.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Blister Man
Ok this is kind of gross so if you have a queasy stomach, don’t look.
On Saturday we did a 20 mile run and upon our return I took my shoes off so I could assess the damage. My toe felt a little tender as we were finishing the last mile or so so I knew it was at least going to be red. When I removed my socks and took a look at my poor toe I realized that this was much worse than I expected. My toe was very sensitive to the touch because I had an enormous blister on it. The blister practically consumed my whole toenail. Underneath and all the way up and around the toenail was this big white blister. Rob eventually popped it for me in an effort to save my toenail the agony of never growing back from the pressure. He’s had to re-pop it every night because it fills back up with fluid. It doesn’t hurt anymore but I haven’t tried warring anything but open toed shoes since Saturday. I’m going to test it out tonight for my easy run. Hopefully the toe thing wont cause any problems since the marathon is less than two weeks away now. So I guess I’m off to hit the pavement again and I’ll keep you updated on the nasty blister man. 
On Saturday we did a 20 mile run and upon our return I took my shoes off so I could assess the damage. My toe felt a little tender as we were finishing the last mile or so so I knew it was at least going to be red. When I removed my socks and took a look at my poor toe I realized that this was much worse than I expected. My toe was very sensitive to the touch because I had an enormous blister on it. The blister practically consumed my whole toenail. Underneath and all the way up and around the toenail was this big white blister. Rob eventually popped it for me in an effort to save my toenail the agony of never growing back from the pressure. He’s had to re-pop it every night because it fills back up with fluid. It doesn’t hurt anymore but I haven’t tried warring anything but open toed shoes since Saturday. I’m going to test it out tonight for my easy run. Hopefully the toe thing wont cause any problems since the marathon is less than two weeks away now. So I guess I’m off to hit the pavement again and I’ll keep you updated on the nasty blister man.
*Please be advised that my toes are not the most beautiful things to look at. Sorry that's what happens when you're running a lot and you have really dry skin. Not much I can do about that!
See how white it is at the base of my toenail, that's from all the pressure.
My toenail is sitting on top of the nasty blister man like a hat
This is on Sunday after it had been popped once and refilled.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Chicago Bears
Well I'm almost a whole week behind in getting this posted but better late than never right? :-)
(Outside Soldier Field)
Ok so once again we were given an awesome opportunity that we just couldn't resist accepting. My boss, who is very generous, casually approached me one day and asked what we had planned for the weekend. After I proceeded to tell him we didn't have too much planned he asked if we would be interested in using his Bears tickets. Oh My Gosh, are you kidding me? Heck Yes we would be interested! Of course I just casually grinned and said we would be interested but I would have to check with Rob. I didn't want to jump up and down and scream too much so I played it cool. I didn't really need to ask Rob, I knew he would jump up and down and scream in excitement too. So the next day I told Lee (my boss) that we would love to use his tickets. Isn't that so nice of him? He could have easily sold them on e-bay and made double what he paid for them but instead, he gave them to me. So we were going to our first, if possibly not our last, Chicago Bears game.
(The wall of fame)
On game day we drove downtown and parked at the Millennium Park garage and rode the shuttle to Soldier Field. We followed the crowd through the gates and around the outside of the stadium until we found our entrance. We had been so excited to actually be at the game that we made sure to give ourselves plenty of time to get there early so we could take it all in. We wandered around looking at all the awesome displays, found our seats, bought our stadium food then took our seats to watch the game. The day couldn't have been more perfect. The sun was out with a light breeze to keep us from getting too hot but still keeping me warm enough. We were sitting in the shade because our seats were covered, which would be very nice on those cold snowy days. Not only were our seats in the covered area, we were sitting at the 40 yard line and we were high enough that we could see the whole field without any problems and yet close enough that we could still see the players really well. Our seats were on the news deck level so right behind us was the Fox Sports box and on the other side of right behind us were the visiting coaches. It was incredible. I learned a lot more about football too. Not only was it a little easier for me to understand a few of the things by being there and seeing it, but the guy behind us was giving a play by play description of everything to his kids so I was filled with all kinds of new info. Don't get me wrong though, I still only know just enough that I'm not completely lost when I watch. I'm no expert by any means. 
(Here come the Bears. Go Team!)
It was very entertaining to watch all the people too. We had one guy in our section that kept doing this war like holler the entire game. Quite frankly I'm surprised he still had a voice at the end of the game. Then there was another guy a few rows in front of us who was hilarious to watch because he would stand up and do all kinds of hand signals and call out plays like his opinion actually mattered. Not to mention everyone around you is dressed in Bears clothes or wearing something orange and blue, they were rowdy and just plain excited to be there. I loved it! Unfortunately the bears lost in overtime but I would still consider our trip to Soldier Field a success. 
(Outside Soldier Field)
Ok so once again we were given an awesome opportunity that we just couldn't resist accepting. My boss, who is very generous, casually approached me one day and asked what we had planned for the weekend. After I proceeded to tell him we didn't have too much planned he asked if we would be interested in using his Bears tickets. Oh My Gosh, are you kidding me? Heck Yes we would be interested! Of course I just casually grinned and said we would be interested but I would have to check with Rob. I didn't want to jump up and down and scream too much so I played it cool. I didn't really need to ask Rob, I knew he would jump up and down and scream in excitement too. So the next day I told Lee (my boss) that we would love to use his tickets. Isn't that so nice of him? He could have easily sold them on e-bay and made double what he paid for them but instead, he gave them to me. So we were going to our first, if possibly not our last, Chicago Bears game.
(The wall of fame)
On game day we drove downtown and parked at the Millennium Park garage and rode the shuttle to Soldier Field. We followed the crowd through the gates and around the outside of the stadium until we found our entrance. We had been so excited to actually be at the game that we made sure to give ourselves plenty of time to get there early so we could take it all in. We wandered around looking at all the awesome displays, found our seats, bought our stadium food then took our seats to watch the game. The day couldn't have been more perfect. The sun was out with a light breeze to keep us from getting too hot but still keeping me warm enough. We were sitting in the shade because our seats were covered, which would be very nice on those cold snowy days. Not only were our seats in the covered area, we were sitting at the 40 yard line and we were high enough that we could see the whole field without any problems and yet close enough that we could still see the players really well. Our seats were on the news deck level so right behind us was the Fox Sports box and on the other side of right behind us were the visiting coaches. It was incredible. I learned a lot more about football too. Not only was it a little easier for me to understand a few of the things by being there and seeing it, but the guy behind us was giving a play by play description of everything to his kids so I was filled with all kinds of new info. Don't get me wrong though, I still only know just enough that I'm not completely lost when I watch. I'm no expert by any means.
(Here come the Bears. Go Team!)
It was very entertaining to watch all the people too. We had one guy in our section that kept doing this war like holler the entire game. Quite frankly I'm surprised he still had a voice at the end of the game. Then there was another guy a few rows in front of us who was hilarious to watch because he would stand up and do all kinds of hand signals and call out plays like his opinion actually mattered. Not to mention everyone around you is dressed in Bears clothes or wearing something orange and blue, they were rowdy and just plain excited to be there. I loved it! Unfortunately the bears lost in overtime but I would still consider our trip to Soldier Field a success.
(my cute hubby and partner in crime)
We have now been to a Cubs game, Sox game, Bears game and Blackhawks game. I think the only thing we’re missing is a Bulls game and we’re not too worried about that one since we still consider ourselves Jazz fans. Oh and soccer, I think they have a soccer team out here too and we haven’t been to that. I think we’ve done pretty good at becoming true Chicago fans and covering our basis. And all the credit goes to Lee. I sure was lucky to have landed a job with a great boss.
We have now been to a Cubs game, Sox game, Bears game and Blackhawks game. I think the only thing we’re missing is a Bulls game and we’re not too worried about that one since we still consider ourselves Jazz fans. Oh and soccer, I think they have a soccer team out here too and we haven’t been to that. I think we’ve done pretty good at becoming true Chicago fans and covering our basis. And all the credit goes to Lee. I sure was lucky to have landed a job with a great boss.
(Wow, nice kick)
(yep, I'm a dork!)
(#54 Brian Urlacher, Go Defense)
(The kick off, lets get this game started!)
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