Day 4 of paint removal....

NEED...SLEEP... (we went to bed at 3 am and woke up at 7:30am getting ready for carpet guy and guests this weekend...and a day earlier than expected!) Cannot take all fumes. Can't open window cause it's too damn humid. SO TIRED and have a ton of cleaning/painting to do. Poor Geoff...he had the brunt of the chemicals last night and his eyes were blood shot! WEEK FROM HELL CURSE OF THE MAN ROOM Oh...the light at the end of the tunnel? I got my sewing room back :) That's after moving the queen bedroom set downstairs and the daybed upstairs so it would be a better fit in the sewing room/aka smaller guest room.

Learn from my mistake....sigh/sob

I wish I could be blogging about the newly installed carpet we were suppose to have in our family room aka man room upstairs. But I can't since it's not in.

Why?

Because for the past 2 days (4 hours on Monday night, 12 hours yesterday...yup TWELVE) we had been peeling off 3 layers of paint off the walls. Yup, that's right. The 3 new coats we had painted on Sunday.

Why?

Because, unbeknownst to us, we had painted with latex on top of oil paint. We have painted at least 20 rooms throughout our marriage and different homes, and NEVER has we even thought that interiors would have been oil based. Stupid us.

That dumb mistake of not checking has cost us a total of 16 (insert expletive of choice) hours. Geoff has to use his usual Monday day off yesterday to help. Peeling for 4 hours the night before barley made a dent (I have the pictures to prove it.) Sanding took FOREVER. Finally I found this product called Krud Off (take notes here people) and sprayed it on the walls....and used a Spackle knife to get it off the walls. It still took a long time but at least no more dust to inhaled....ok ok ok the fumes for the Krud off were probably worse for us but we were ready to be done with it!

Then more sanding, taping and finally primer on 3/4 of the room. Even with a mask on...poor Geoff was high off the fumes (you could smell them even downstairs...it was REALLY strong and we couldn't open the windows since the humidity outside was so high!

My goal is to get the paint of the remaining 2 walls and paint and sand. Hopefully by tonight we will be done.

I swear every bone in my body aches. My hands are swollen, and I think we just took a week off our life expectancy.

Lesson of the day: Test before you paint. Rub white rag/towel with water onto small area of wall. If the paint comes off it's latex, if not, it's oil.

Remember this always! Tell anyone you love!!! Feel free to send this to all your friends/family. This may be a widely known fact to most, but for some, you might be saving them HOURS and HOURS of frustration!!!!

Below: After 4 hours of peeling...this is how far we got the first night.

Goodbye sewing room, hello stupid man room

It seems that every time we have house guests come over, Geoff and I want to tackle a project that normally shouldn't be tackled with a limited amount of time!

Like make one of our guest rooms (that really is a bonus room/play room) into the "man room"/family room.

This is how my weekend went...

Moved all my sewing stuff out of my "sewing room" ...sigh...

Moved all queen bed furniture into small ex-sewing room (the bed barley fits)

Install new fan and a/c receptacle

paint ceiling

Put new stick tile in laundry room

Stack washer and dryer to make more room in laundry room

Fix gas leak...ugh

Take down old shelving

Put up new shelving

Put sewing stuff in laundry closet (sigh)

Prime walls

Paint walls RED (yup, red...Mr. NC State Alumni)

Keep painting walls red (takes 500 coats!!)

And tonight we finish waiting and rip up the old carpet so tomorrow the new carpet will be installed and we can have this monster delivered on Wednesday (yup, all Geoff)....

Ohhh and he want to get a plasma upstairs....I wanna choke him. Seriously ...another TV! He wants a small one mind you that is HD ready for Feb 2009...ugh!

I will post the final project later this week. I am still pouting I have a small little niche to do my sewing...but it is by a window and it is the best use of the space. But If I had to give up my sewing room...I was not going down without a fight! My Gidget poster is coming with me!!! Take that "man room". Not so manly now!!!

Weight update...

A lot of you have asked how the battle with the pounds is going? I am VERY proud to say at my last weigh in last week I had lost close to 12 pounds (15 pounds off my highest weight). That was 3.5 weeks into this. I think I have done pretty awesome considering I have traveled 2 times in my first three weeks. And there have been birthday cakes and goodies thrown at me. But honestly....I am not hungry like I used to be. My month weigh in is Thursday :) This month I hope to add exercise into my routine (too scared if I exercised and cut my calories my first month, my body would go into shock! I am one of those people that the more I exercise, the hungrier I get!!) Oh, almost forgot! I am starting to get smaller in the pants area and I could finally fit into my cute white pants I got 2 MONTHS ago and couldn't fit into them! Some of my "fat" pants are getting bigger and soon they will be donated to good will (I will NOT keep them and fall back into the habit of having clothes to fall back on if I gain weight). Thanks for all the support! 48 pounds to go...maybe less. We'll see. It's not the # I am wanting as much as feeling as though my body is healthy.

Grateful....

I have not posted for quite a few day since I was visiting my best friend in NC this weekend.

Geoff had his brother down here, so I figured it was a good time to visit Laura:)

I drove down to Jacksonville to catch my flight ($400 cheaper that way...and a direct flight). I got in Friday evening and we immediately went to watch Batman with her husband. I REALLY liked it. Heath Ledger was amazing!

We spent the rest of the HOT weekend RELAXING. Playing Guitar Hero for hours on end(boy did I get addicted). Watching tons of movies (I wish we had a 1.50 theater in Savannah) and most important, just visiting with each other.

A perfect weekend :)

When I got back home late last night...the house was still spotless from when I left and there was beautiful roses on the kitchen table.

I am sooo grateful for wonderful friends, great husband, and my three musketeers Jake, Ellie and Charlotte. I will end with this hilarious picture :) This is Jake loving Charlotte a bit too much! (do you like the collar I made for Jake on the sewing machine?? Soo much better than the dangling of tags)

8 hours of kickball in July....

I can barley believe I am functioning this morning. We had our championship tournament for kickball yesterday and it was double elimination. Whoever thought playing kickball in the summer in Savannah should be shot...let alone a tournament starting at noon!!! Honestly, I don't think (and most of our team) didn't think we had a shot to get into the final game. We one our first game, lost our second, then won the next 3. Usually 1 game in the heat gets us tired and hot....but 5 was pushing it. It was great to win. But then you thought..."Darn it! That means we have to play again." Thank GOD that Geoff was smart enough to bring a tarp so we could have shade. It made a HUGE difference. (Parental advisory....my language is not going to be suitable for some. I tend to swear like a sailor when I'm ticked off. I will do my best to keep it tame.) Then the championship game. It was lame for sooo many reasons. 1.) The team we played were a bunch of dip shit guys that were as obnoxious as they come. You know the kind...the frat boys in college that never grew up (i was in a sorority...i feel I can throw that punch). If it had been any other team we would have respected them. Not these douchebags! 2.) This was the same team that only played 3 games to our 5 games and had been resting for 2 hours prior to playing. 3.)They also had the league organizer on his team (you, know the guy that pays the refs/umps. And did I mention our weren't even in HIGH SCHOOL and were text messaging during the game...idiots kept getting chewed out for not paying attention!!!) 4.) They were obnoxious to all the other teams talking trash 5.) They played in soccer, flag football, baseball leagues throughout the year. These are the guys that live for playing any sport they can cause they have no lives without that. (I used to play every sport in high school so I can throw that punch too) 6.) They told us we would be shut out. 7.) One asshole put the championship tshirt on during the game We almost didn't play the game knowing what kind of dicks they were. We wanted to take the field and then walk off just saying "F#$^ You" for their lousy attitude. We were tired and hot but we played. We played even when they would bounce the balls off there chest back and forth to catch balls. We played even when they would skip to home plate. Or pretended to miss any base on the way there. My highlight...kicking the ball over the head of the organizer (with his child molester handle bar mustache). Not once but 2 times!!! (it was tough for anyone to get on base)He was embarrassed!!!!! He also got knocked over by one of the smallest girls on our team (dumb ass was blocking the base). We did loose. But we were so proud to get that far! And we didn't get shut out!! After 6 games (it was 8 pm when we were done) we were SO HUNGRY and dehydrated we went for pizza. By the time we got the pizza...I wasn't hungry...but forced myself to eat since I was getting the shakes. Next year we are joining a different league (we found out a couple other teams would join with us...they were so nice they stayed to cheer us on!!). Oh...and it better be in the fall! Side Note: I am so proud of Geoff. We caught every ball that came to him the entire game (well until Mr. Child Molester Mustache kicked and the wind picked up). He was awesome!!

Need to Vent...

With all that has been happening with Ellie and life being busy in general I have no idea why I am even venting this on this blog. I guess this is cathartic to some degree. I know as we get older in life...friendships change. Some friends who were friends in high school might no longer be our friends now. Some friends who were our friends a few years ago might not be anymore. Well I have one friendship in particular that I see going separate ways. (and I'm pretty sure she doesn't check this thing ...and if she does read it...well at least it's out there) In the past she was a wonderful friend. Now...I barley know her. I still check on her life on myspace and boy, is she having a grand old time! I can count the times on 1 hand her pictures don't include a grown up beverage. She loves her some bars. She also seems to be hanging out with friends that party and like the bar scene too. Some of them seem like they just don't want to grow up. It's always the same "so and so got wasted" banter when I see her "party like a rock star" friends. I feel like I am in college when I talk to them...then it's like...wait...I'm 27 and hate going to bars were a bunch of drunk college guys/single men are in a smokey bar that you have to scream so others can hear a conversation. Been there. Done that. Maybe I'm acting old ...but I think I got all the bar hopping and crashing on people's couches out in my early 20's. Being in a sorority helped :) But even when I moved to NC right after college, I partied 1 year and was pretty much done. Now I can barley stay out till 1am...let alone last call. And that's once in a blue moon. Don't get me wrong. I still go out with my friends, we still have our cocktails. But it's more of a tamer version. Early nights. What got be ticked off for a few days now is knowing this friend (who is always busy with some event) was actually close to me and not miles away and didn't bother to call and say "hey wanna do lunch" for some point during her stay. Maybe my schedule wouldn't work out since I was going to Atlanta later that weekend, but the thought would have meant the world to me. She managed to have time to update her myspace page, but not enough time to call. It's not like I can see her very often aways with her schedule being so busy. Ughh...I'm just hurt is all. I hate growing up... Vent over.....Taking my big girl pill

She's back!!!

What a difference 48 hours makes!! I still have to take her to the vet today and she still has to take a bunch of meds and eat special food until her tummy feels better but she is back to her old self (maybe a little too much her old self..she is terrorizing the puppy as we speak). The vet still doesn't know what cause her HGE and we can't be sure it won't happen again. We just have to keep her bacteria levels normal and make sure she gets plenty of water (they might give her another IV today)

It's nice to have you back Miss Growly Ellie :) The house was quiet without you!!

PS. I have never used so much bleach in my house to clean. But that kitchen is spotless. You could perform surgery on that floor. I also cleaned Ellie's crate and bought her a whole new bed, bones, and kong (no way was I cleaning those).

One of my worst fears....

I should have posted on my weekend in Atlanta with tons of pictures yesterday.

I should have not been pacing at home bleaching our kitchen floors and trying to get the smell of diahrerra and vomit out of the room.

It's been 24 hours since lil Ellie has been at the vet. She had really bad diarrhea and went all over herself in the crate (she had NEVER done that). We heard her crying in her crate that night, but thought is was because Charlotte was bugging her. When I took her out in the morning, she was a mess...and then I saw blood everywhere on her bottom. I freaked out. Geoff helped me hose her off to see if she had a wound. Nope, she was bleeding when she went to the bathroom. Then she threw up. I call the vet, they tell me to rush her over there. We wash out her crate and put her in there...she continues to not be able to hold her bowel. Literally dripping blood everywhere. Vet says she is dehydrated and runs a zillion tests on her and x-rays (mind you when we brought her home she was FINE. Drinking normal amounts of water and playing with Jake and Charlotte. Pooped normal and sleeping.) Vet tell me to leave and she will call with results. She has to give Ellie an iv with fluids. When she calls she tells me she was in pre renal failure and shock. That she "might" have HGE, which I read on the Internet, if not caught quickly can be fatal. Oh...and they don't know what causes it and you never see the onset of symptoms until it's already time to take her to the vet. GREAT! She keeps throwing up...but finally stopped with the blood. The vet is going to call me this morning to tell me how she is doing, take more x-rays to make sure she doesn't need surgery on her abdomen. She looked so pitiful and embarrassed when she had messed herself and her crate.

The house isn't the same without my crazy Ellie...oh and icing on the cake. There's a chance she might be one of the dogs where these episodes reoccur.

Fan-freaking-tastic.

My battle with the pounds...

That's it ladies and gentleman...I've had it!!! I'm tired of being tired. I'm tired of not being able to keep up with everyone when we are doing outdoor activities. I'm tired of not being able to fit into my nice clothes. I'm tired of making excuses. Last week, after taking 3 naps mid afternoon that week, I decided to get some help. I went to the doctor and am now working with him to loose 60...yup 60 pounds. Why not just work out? Been there...tried that. When I work out....I get HUNGRY! I end up eating more. Ugh. Plus, I'm lazy. There ...I said it. I HATE working out. Sure, I was an athlete in high school. But I hate cardio. And when you tired all the time you become LAZY. And honestly, after my mom died I could care less about loosing weight. I gained so much it was ridiculous. Talk about an emotional eater!! So what does going to the doctor entail? Well getting some prescribed medicine to take once a day to stop the hunger (I am one of those people that is STARVING by each meal). Reducing my calories to 1000 for the day (wohoo, no "you have to eat this, this and this. I have 1,000 per day and that means I can still eat with my friends, just smalled portions and better choices.) Exercise (ya think I could get out of that?..haha) and b12 shots for ENERGY! They also did a bunch of tests and looked over my bloodwork from my primary care physician. And come to find out (and this made my day!!!) even if I had NO BODY FAT. My bones, muscles and vital organs would be 114 pounds. That was AWESOME to hear. I know I will never be the tiny girl wearing a size 0 (nor do I want to be...I like having a chest and hips...I don't wanna be shaped like a boy!!!). But knowing this shows me that it's just not my body type! And ya know what....IT WORKS! I thought I would be DYING by lunch or dinner. But I feel no hunger!! (well except if you have breakfast at 8 and you don't eat again until 2:45...then my stomach growled 2 times...and not very loudly may I add!!) I have more energy!!! Case in point: On Sunday I had a kickball game and it was a gross, sweaty hot day. I managed to play outfield and back up first base. That's a lot of running for someone that is out of shape. Then having to run back to the bench when we are up to kick. And since we didn't have too many players...we kept have to kick and run bases. Tiring stuff. For those that didn't hear my MVP of the game story I will give you the short version. Madeline played outfield Madeline sees that 1st isn't covered Joe throws to Madeline Madeline jumps in air to catch ball (Madeline is a good 5-8 inches shorter than 1st baseman) Girl running to first knocks Madeline on her ass Madeline falls hard on ass but manages to hold on to the ball and get her out Madeline then is next kicker in lineup Madeline can't feel her legs/ass and her cuts are stinging like crazy Madeline kicks it over 3rd baseman's head Madeline sprints to 1st and is safe Madeline wanted to die continues to play :) See...that was all my energy coming back to me!!! Please note, you all can eat normal around me. I just might politely decline the dessert or cheese plate. Act normal around me!! It's OK (come on, you've seen my husband...while I ordered a salad with chicken...he had a burger, fries and Reece's blizzard...meanie). I will be healthy again! My goal is 30 in 3 months 60 in 6! And running (yes running...ugh) a 5k over the bridge downtown in Dec. Yeah I know shoot me now :) But guess what, I think I can do it! And what makes it better is I feel great about it!!! No crazy Atkins or south beach crap. Just good old fashion calorie reduction, exercise and a little help from the good old doctor! Cross your fingers for me!