Category: A Bit Of Randomness

This category is full of randomness that really doesn’t fit nicely into any of the categories having to do with my road to walking.

Tweets to GMFB that I Haven’t Chronicled Here This Week: #3

This morning, the table went around and named their favorite teacher growing up. They stated the year they were in school and their name. I tweeted GMFB this:

Because I am still waking up during the show, I don’t think I had my contacts in yet and I dictate all of my texts into my phone anyway. I should have written “at” instead of “and.” I really have had too many great teachers to name! I’d start with my aunt Lissa, Mrs. Szuba, Mrs. Pazur, Ms. Graybill, Mr. Dean… and don’t even get me started on my professors in college! Dr. Watson, Dr. Smith…

Random Songs in My YouTube Feed #13

I saw this one very early this morning because I could not fall sleep last night. I didn’t fall i’m sorry but until about 2:00 a.m. I had to listen to this song because it took me way back to my beginning years of teaching and I thought about my friend, Joe, who made me this sign:

It’s modeled after the BET show, 106 & Park. My first classroom number was 106. He made me the sign that I hung in my classroom when I taught English. Instead of Park, it said “Rios.” I used that sign for the five years I taught from room 106. I still have it; it’s in my basement somewhere with all of my teacher things.

I used to call my friend Joe, “Seph” because I think he called me, “Fer.” He was brought up how people have nicknames and he wondered why they shorten the name to just the beginning, so why not the end?! I thought of that random conversation because this song came out the summer after my first year teaching. It’s the summer I went to Florida for treatment. I’m sure I have pictures of Sean from then. He was really little back then. I will have to find them.


Found!

I posted on my blog on Saturday and I spoke of going to Florida for treatment with Sean and my Mom when he was little. Here’s what I wrote in part:

“I thought of that random conversation because this song came out the summer after my first year teaching. It’s the summer I went to Florida for treatment. I’m sure I have pictures of Sean from then. He was really little back then. I will have to find them.”

I was speaking about this song:

Well, I found them! Actually, Sean found them in a collage he made in kindergarten. He brought it up to me to show me and I told him that I was just speaking of these specific pictures and when we went to Florida for me to get treatment:

That was me when I was getting treatment but this next picture is the picture I was thinking of:

I can still remember taking that picture! Sean really was SO little!

An Elephant Ear

I haven’t had an Elephant ear in years! I remember having that cinnamon sugary goodness on the ride home from Cedar Point when I was young. And Sean got me one from the Dearborn Homecoming a few years ago.

I have a thing for elephants and I am NOT talking about the cinnamon-sugar kind! I recently saw Holiday in the Wild at my Mom’s so suggestion and I really dug it! It got me thinking and I saw an elephant hallmark Christmas ornament. When I placed my order this year that ornament was one of the ornaments I ordered!

The ornaments arrived yesterday and Sean was home to receive them. When he opened them up though, the elephant ornament was missing an elephant ear! Today, after my Mom and I finished our morning routine, it was apparent that talking was not going to be an easy thing for me today.

Sean agreed to call the number to get the ornament replaced. I sound like I am drunk and I can’t even get the words out of my mouth very easily! My Mom and I told Sean that this was, “Adult Stuff” to try to get him to make the phone call. He didn’t really buy it but he made the phone call for me anyway.

I just received an email saying that my order has been processed. Sean needed to email a picture of the broken ornament:

As you can see, it is missing an elephant ear! I’m so glad that I will receive an unbroken ornament before Christmas this year!

4 Or 5%

I will have been diagnosed with having MS going on 19 years at the end of next month. I will have had it more than half of my life because I was 18 when I was diagnosed. I belong to many MS support groups both on Twitter and Facebook. When I first joined my first group, originally, I wasn’t comfortable with everyone calling themselves a, “Warrior.” Frankly, I thought it was a little bit cheesy if I am being honest.

Now that I am almost 19 years in and have a graduated from Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis to Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis; I don’t think that it’s cheesy anymore. Now that I no longer work, I have time to realize how difficult every single day actually is!

For example, I went to my son’s Ring Day ceremony/mass on Friday and because I had rented a van for me to be in my motorized chair at the mass, my Mom and I went to the movies afterward. I am still trying to recover from that day out. It was really nice and I hope to chronicle it in my blog soon, once I feel better. I haven’t even watched football at all this weekend! I’m just not up to it. Michigan won and the Lions lost.

I am in pain 100% of the time. About 10% of the time, I can, “Suck it up” enough to socialize and possibly interact with people. Now, when I say 10% of the time, it’s really like 4 or 5% of the time. Maybe even 2 or 3%. It depends on the weather outside.

Dr. Meizels?

Tonight, I used some of that 2% I feel okay to go with Sean to get our teeth cleaned. How things worked out today was that Sean got his teeth cleaned but I had to reschedule my appointment for January.

As I waited in the waiting room, I texted with my brothers. We are on a group chat and one of my brothers was sending pictures of his vacation. He sent a picture of his view. What has happened is that my other brothers and I will send pictures to the group chat of our view. My brother sent a picture of a beautiful sunset. I sent them all this picture:

I asked the question to the group of who knows where I am at? And my brothers knew where was. Sean and I still go to the dentist I went to when I was a child. I’ve been going there for about 30 years and I had my braces through that office as well. Dr. Meizels was our orthodontist. I let them know that I was listening to soft rock as I waited for Sean. That music will ALWAYS remind me of the dentist! Here is a sampling of some of the music I listened to until Sean finished:

NOT 40 Yet but I Have Older Brothers!

I’m not feeling well today and my best friend Ami has been texting me fun videos to make me feel better! She sent me this video:

I am not 40 yet but I do have older brothers ( and I am getting close) so I really dig this song! Getting these videos really made me smile! I have so many blog posts to post but I’m not sure I feel well enough to do so yet. In the meantime, you can enjoy this tune just as I am:

The Replacement

Yesterday, my replacement ornament arrived. All of this happened because Sean made the phone call for me because I was not able to speak very well. Yesterday, the fruits of his labor were a parent. The replacement ornament arrived!

So now, I was able to add all three of my new ornaments to my tree. And again, when I say, “I,” I mean, my Mom.” I ordered three ornaments this year. This first one is my favorite:

Followed closely by this one because I love elephants and because of that movie I saw with my Mom:

Once we put the replacement ornament on, I told my mom to make them look like they are kissing so this is what do you ornaments look like now even though one has a broken war:

And this last one is fitting because I have already started watching Hallmark movies and it’s not even Thanksgiving?! Things are a little bit off this year because I’m almost finish putting my tree up, I mean my mom is almost finish putting my tree up and this last one is fitting because I have already started watching Hallmark movies and it’s not even Thanksgiving?!

Things are a little bit off this year because MS ain’t no joke and I’m almost finished putting my tree up, I mean, “My Mom” is almost finish putting my tree up.:

The ornament says, “All I want to do is drink hot cocoa and watch the Hallmark channel, the heart of Christmas.”

A Little Help From My Friends

Yesterday was a bad day and today it is not much better. I really think this whole MS thing is kicking my butt!

I wrote about my friend Ami texting me funny videos to make me feel better. She lives about an hour away from me so I know that’s the best she could do for me! It was very helpful!

My friend, Renee, brought me white bean chili last night. She knows that I am having issues swallowing as of late and it was delicious! I feel most grateful for my friends! They are looking out for me! It makes me smile and I feel loved!

For some reason, I am singing this song over and over in my head and I specifically think of this version:

I love that movie but after tomorrow, my Christmas watching will begin for the next 27 days, until Christmas.

I Feel It

My Mom got a fresh turkey this year and she brought it to my house this morning and put it in my oven while we completed our morning routine. Sean watched the Lions game and I was quite optimistic in the beginning but, ultimately, they lost. That really bummed me out!

My Mom took the cooked turkey to present at her house because that is where my family is meeting. I am not feeling very well again today. As we completed our morning routine, I began to cry because this hurts all of the time! I seem to be having a hard time these days. I feel it in my eyes! I have so many posts I need to write for my blog and I am not even able to re-post my Christmas Faves just yet.

I know that is really not a big deal but it is for me. I want to keep my blog updated and I have not even written about Sean’s Ring Day or going to see the movie Last Christmas. I also have 1 million random songs that have shown up on my YouTube feed and I haven’t posted them yet. I just don’t feel well enough yet.. My eyes hurt! It makes me think of the Black Crowes song but I don’t even think I have the strength to post it here yet.

I have never been hit this hard and I’ve had MS for so long time but today, it hurts and I feel it!