Annette's Exciting Blog

One set of problems taken care of....

2011-10-17T18:14:00.000-07:00

then I fall on my face....

not just once, but .....

TWICE!!!!!!!

Fall #1
Last Tuesday evening, I was heading down the stairs from our bedroom to the kitchen. I was daydreaming about nothing in particular, but it was enough to allow me to miss the bottom stair....

Fall #2
Then, a week ago, I went to the movies and saw a really good indie-movie called, "Higher Ground."
and I came out of the theater, once again not concentrating on my walking, and I tripped over the door frame and...you guessed it...landed on my face!

The really frustrating part of all of this, is that no one came to help. I couldn't get off the concrete because my legs were so unsteady. My face was bleeding into my eyes. After I finally was able to pull myself up, I had to find my car. Again, no one came to help. In all honesty, I'm kind of glad that no one came to help me because I was looking pretty scary.

Anyway, that's why I've been absent from the blogging world yet again.

Thanks for reading.
Annette

Oh for crying out loud!!

2011-09-29T14:32:00.000-07:00

It was a tough, tough summer. I'm seriously sorry about ignoring those of you that have asked me to post. But, when you're exhausted, nauseated, shaky, etc., etc., etc. you have little or no motivation to finish things, or even start them. I sent the following email to a friend, who seemed upset and worried about me. I think it might clear up a few things.
Again, I'm so, so sorry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I can't believe how much of a hermit I've become! I have had a bit of a rough couple of months. It started in July out in San Diego when I discovered a crack in my line. But it was underneath the blue connection. So, I decided to switch the two lines since there was no leaking and my site was absolutely fine. (I have a double lumen Hickman line.) (This is NOT my chest. I'm much more "endowed")

There was no redness, or anything else so I wasn't concerned. I was suppose to stay out in San Diego for another 2 weeks.
But then, after a few days, I started vomiting. So, I decided to go home. I got a bit better but, then a couple of days later I was vomiting again. Eventually I agreed to go to the hospital and soon discovered that I indeed did have a line infection, I actually had both bacteria and yeast! We started antibiotics and anti-fungal medicines through an IV. Then, when the surgeon took out the"old" line it broke, causing all of the bacteria and yeast to leak out of the line. I soon had unbearable lower back pain that seemed to last several hours. (I actually doubt that it was that long. It just FELT like it!), Rod got in touch with the doc in charge of the ICU. He had a couple of tests done including an MRI which discovered a compression fracture in my lower back. We also discovered that the bacteria and yeast went to two weak spots, my lungs and my back where there is this fracture. I hurt my back two years ago while sitting in the back seat of my car, with Nick (driving) and Kara. I was stupid and didn't buckle my seat. Nick hit a very, very deep speed bump causing me to fly, hitting my head and then coming back down and hurting back. I went into back spasms. We had no idea how badly I was hurt.

The doctors told me on Friday that I needed to stay in the hospital and get my new line on Monday. So. after a 10 day stay in the ICU, I finally got to go home. I'm still trying to get my stamina back and all. Dr. Thompson (my pulmonary doc) told me it would take a couple of months to get back to where I was, prior to the hospital visit.

There is other crap that I could tell you. But, "For crying out loud!" Aren't you tired of all of this?

Let's take a break from this depressing news and look at this nice picture of the old Markins and the new Markins and one future Markin. Plus, I could never forget "my boys" Asa and Haver.

Well, I think I'll head off to bed. I'd like to thank each and everyone of you for hanging in there with me.
Thanks for caring.
Thanks for reading.

I got my feelings hurt last week and my body hurt last night!!

2011-05-25T16:13:00.000-07:00

Last week I had a unique way to celebrate my birthday....I went to THE DENTIST!! It was one of those "every 6 months" appointments that I'm sure I wasn't paying attention to when it was scheduled. Otherwise, even on my most mellow of days I would not willingly go to the doctor to celebrate anything, especially my birthday!

I was actually suppose to go to the dentist about a month ago. But, the appointment was scheduled for just a couple of days after my fight with gravity. So, I rescheduled, obviously without thinking.

Anyway, I've been going to this dentist for over 5 years. About a year after getting diagnosed with PH, I realized that I needed to "put my teeth in the hands of a professional" who had some kind of experience with patients with "unique" physical issues. This man and his staff came highly recommended and have always been very understanding and on top of their games.

So, imagine my surprise when I sat down in "the chair" and had the hygienist say, "You're the one that can't lay flat, right?" (Many if not most of us with PH can't lay flat. It is very uncomfortable and really makes it difficult to breath.) I said, "Yes." And, she promptly lowered the chair and flattened it to the point that my head was actually lower than the rest of my body! I held onto the sides of the chair and sat up the best I could, fighting gravity since the feet on the chair were so elevated! I said that I couldn't lay like that. She didn't apologize at all as she reluctantly move the head back up to a more comfortable position. She then announced "I can't do this procedure! I can't work with the chair in this position!" I turned to her and said, "Fine. I'll be more than happy to leave and schedule with someone else. She back-peddled to the point where she thought she could do it.

The whole cleaning was filled with snarky remarks about how difficult this was for her...blah, blah, blah...At one point she did notice that it was my birthday. She joylessly told me "Happy Birthday" commenting on hating to "get old." (She was at least my age if not older.)I told her that I was THRILLED to turn 55! That I was not supposed to live past 52-53, so I look at every year as a celebration! She didn't say a word, but went back to her job, complaining the whole time!

By then I had decided for sure to tell the dentist what happened. He had been taking care of me for years. Except for this broad, I've always had excellent hygienists and have never had any problems. So, Dr. X came in, said a couple of nicey- nice things and then said, "Annette, why can't you lay flat?" Oh For Heaven's Sake!! He proceeded to complain. But, by now I was so livid that I blocked both of them out and tried to visualize finding a new dentist! When he was finished and tried to move me on for his next appointment, I asked him, "Why, after 5 years, there is now a problem and complaints about my inability to lay flat?" Back-peddling began again, with him trying to tell me it wasn't anything to "stew" about. I continued to fantasize about a new dentist.

So, here's the deal. It's hard enough living a good life with this disease and it's restrictions. But to have two professionals make a big stink out of it, is very disheartening. Maybe I'm too thin-skinned. I don't know, but, I was very upset and felt that unique ache of having my feelings hurt. Plus, IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY!!!.

Now, onto last night.........

Many of us are experiencing some wild spring weather. You might have pets that get nervous and might need a little extra TLC. Well, Haver the Fat needs lots of reassurance and is only happy when he's on the lap of an adult.

Yes, Haver hurt my body! The hardest part was sitting there with "His Wackiness" cuddling in fear for about 45 minutes! My legs were really going to sleep!!

Yeah, I know. There's no way to get mad at this guy. But, when the storms continued until about 2:30 a.m. I can honestly say he did lose some of his appeal!

OK, that's all for now.
Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.

So, I was having a conversation with Asa and Haver yesterday.....

2011-05-15T13:03:00.000-07:00

They were asking me why I hadn't blogged for TWO WEEKS!! I told them that there were 3 big reasons why I hadn't posted anything these last two weeks.

#1. I was still recovering from the concussion that I received a month ago, when I passed out and hit my head on the kitchen counter. I've finally gotten to the point where I can bend my neck and turn my head enough to type and not have the world spin like a top!

#2. I have also completely recovered from a bout of the stomach flu that I somehow caught this last week. I got the flu shot last fall. I just thought that would cover things. Oh well, lesson learned.

#3. I'm lazy.

After talking it over, "The Boys" agreed that I was indeed very lazy. In fact, they were wondering why I hadn't fed them in the last 5 minutes!

I hope you're are all doing well. I want to let you know how much it means to me that you are still reading this blog. I'd also like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers, notes, comments and emails. Don't ever hesitate letting me know if there is something I can do for you.

Take care.

Annette

Lovely Weekend and..... Don't You Think It's About Time for a Movie and Book Review?

2011-05-01T14:31:00.000-07:00

The Nebraska version of "Mother Nature" was smiling on the Markin family this weekend! The sun was shining, the flowers and trees were blooming and the diamonds on our future daughter-in-law's ring were incredibly brilliant!

Yes, I said "Our future Daughter-in-law!" Chris and Suzie drove 8 hours on Saturday so they could spend some time with us! This is an incredibly special ring. It belonged to Rod's mom's mother, which would make her Chris' great-great grandma!! Because of the age of the ring, the jeweler was unable to separate the engagement ring from the wedding band. I think Chris and Suzie might look for another simple band to add to the top of the ring, but, I'm not sure. I asked Suzie if she was okay with having Chris' great-grandma's ring, or, would she rather have a new one. "Oh no," she said. "I love it! In fact, I had been looking at rings online for a few weeks, but, wasn't able to find anything that 'seemed right.' When Chris proposed and put this ring on my finger I thought, 'this is the ring I was looking for! It's perfect!'" Talk about a sweetheart!!

We were able to celebrate the engagement in style. Nick, Kara, Chris, Suzie, Rod and I enjoyed a great dinner at Firebirds.

We were actually having so much fun, that we evidently stayed a bit too long for the busy restaurant because everyone from our server, to the water guy, to a variety of different "table cleaners," and then finally to the manager came to our table asking if "We had a nice meal." if there "Was anything they could do for us," yada, yada, yada! At that point, we figured it was time to go!

There is nothing better than having your family around! And, when I say "family" I am including the beloved dogs...

Deoji is so...Deoji!

Asa, showing off his sleek body!!

Haver. showing off his large, grumpy self! To be fair, I have to share that Haver had every right to be grumpy. Deoji spent the day before trying to be "romantic" with Haver. And, as you can guess, Haver was in no mood for romance!!

We are so incredibly blessed.

Now, how about a couple of movie and book reviews??

Heaven is for Real!

I've been struggling with the right words to do a review on this book that would not give away too many details, but also would help you realize how powerful this book was. So, I found a review by a real-live writer and copied his words.

"A young boy emerges from life-saving surgery with remarkable stories of his visit to heaven.

Heaven Is for Real is the true story of the four-year old son of a small town Nebraska pastor who during emergency surgery slips from consciousness and enters heaven. He survives and begins talking about being able to look down and see the doctor operating and his dad praying in the waiting room. The family didn’t know what to believe but soon the evidence was clear.

Colton said he met his miscarried sister, whom no one had told him about, and his great grandfather who died 30 years before Colton was born, then shared impossible-to-know details about each. He describes the horse that only Jesus could ride, about how "reaaally big" God and his chair are, and how the Holy Spirit "shoots down power" from heaven to help us.

Told by the father, but often in Colton’s own words, the disarmingly simple message is heaven is a real place, Jesus really loves children, and be ready, there is a coming last battle."

I rate this: 8 puppy paws up!

The movie review for this posting is such a gem! I would recommend it for the entire family (as long as the family doesn't include pre-teens...a little bit of cursing..)

This role seems to have almost been written for Paul Giamatti! He is a family man with a struggling law practice. "For fun," he coaches the local high school wrestling team. One day his two worlds meet up having a huge impact on his family life.
Again, I'm leery to give too much information. Just realize that I'm giving 8 puppy paws up and would love to give it more! (But, I only have two dogs and they each have the regular 4 legs...so I'm kind of stuck!)

Well, I think it' time for me to end this posting. I greatly appreciate you coming to the sight and reading my blog. I'll do my best to continue to post and keep you informed with all things exciting! (Well... at least keep you informed....)

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Thanks for your prayers and your friendship.

Much love

Annette

And the hermit's cave is opening.....

2011-04-27T14:13:00.000-07:00

Hello to all and anyone who still checks this blog out from time-to-time!
I'm sorry that I've been gone for so long! It was just due to the "normal" things in our lives...

*The roller coaster of life, better known as "Living with Pulmonary Hypertension and Addisons Disease." I can honestly tell you though, before this last downward ride, I had been feeling better than I have in years! I no longer use oxygen during the day!! I still need it at night and on those days when the roller coaster is taking a dive. I'm still on only 18 ng's of Veletri (same family of drug as Flolan, only it doesn't require being kept cold while in use!) down from 54 ng's in November! As my phriends know, the positive things are what we grab onto....tightly!

*Holidays. It was such a strange December/January that I didn't even write my annual Christmas letter. So, see? I haven't just been ignoring this blog!

*Traveling. I was given the gift of being able to spend some time in sunny San Diego, missing several big snow storms here in Nebraska! (It's all about the timing!)

*Family. Our oldest son Nick, and his beautiful bride, Kara are doing very well. They're both working hard and doing very well!
Chris (our baby!) just got engaged Saturday night! His fiance' is Suzie from Chicago! The first time that Suzie came for a visit, she immediately felt like a member of the family! We absolutely love her! God has completely blessed Rod and I with two wonderful men who fell in love with two wonderful women!

*Animals. I debated whether to include our beloved dogs with the "family" update or here in the "animal" section. I decided that no family member would kill a baby squirrel and bring it around for show and tell (thank you Haver)! They're both doing well or at least as well as two dogs on Prozac can do! Haver continues to be HUGE, while Asa actually looks like he's dropped a few pounds from time to time!

In case you couldn't tell, Haver is on the left and Asa is on the right.

Well, I'm going to end this update for now. I'll have to see if anyone is still checking it out. If not, I'd certainly understand. There are consequences for being a hermit.

Take care.
Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.

Annette

Hello! Happy Friday!

2010-11-19T07:59:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been quite a week. The last time we visited, I had experienced an insane reaction to Flolan, the IV medicine I use that helps reduce my pulmonary hypertension symptoms. Well, a week later, we don't really have any answers. In a matter of a few hours I had to reduce my dosage from 50.5 ngs to 18 ngs. Since then I've reduced it again to 17 ngs. I don't know if this is going to be my "new normal," but, it is a good thing that I need less medicine!

I was also planning on switching to this new kind of Flolan that doesn't require me to include ice packs in the fanny pack that hold my Flolan pump and that I wear around my waist. But, because I appear to be "unstable" (no cracks from the peanut gallery) we're now holding off this switch to sometime in December. I'm sure we'll have a much better handle on things by then!

Plus, I'm actually feeling better! I certainly feel better than I did last week. But, I'm starting to think that I'm feeling better than I did BEFORE all of this happened.

Here's where it gets a bit frustrating...
I would really like to think that I've had a little miracle here and, that I really AM better. I'd like to think that maybe this Flolan did some remodeling of the cells in the pulmonary arteries (which is something that scientist are trying to determine)and that I am really, truly better!

But...since this came on so quickly, I'm concerned it can hit again and I'll need to start increasing my dosage again. This disease is really a roller-coaster ride. Although I've never had moments where things looked this good, I have had moments of improvement. Then, in a few hours, or days or weeks, I'm once again on the down-slide of the roller coaster.

So, here's the plan. Since I seem to be riding on the top of the roller coaster right now, I'm going to enjoy it and take advantage of it. But, I'm going to keep one foot planted on the ground so that when (or if) the ride heads downward, I'll be somewhat ready for it.

Does that make sense to anyone?

Well, I think that's all for this post. I woke up very early for some reason and now I'm having a hard time keeping my eyes open. So, I'm going to sneak in a little mid-morning nap.

As always, thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Thanks for your prayers and your friendship.

Much love
Annette

It's been a rough week...

2010-11-12T09:41:00.000-08:00

I thought I'd share a couple of things...
1. Thanks to all of you who came to our "5th Annual Phenomenal Hope for a Cure" that was held this last Saturday, November 6th. I promise I'll give you more details when I get better. It usually takes 1-2 days to recover from the amount of fun I had on Saturday. I was feeling pretty good on Monday, and then really good on Tuesday, until Tuesday night.

The following is what I posted on the PHA discussion boards looking for some help. I just can't write a better explanation, and, I really need to get some sleep.

"Horrific Flolan reaction! Anyone else?

On Tuesday evening, I did my normal routine of switching out the cassette I was using to a new cassette. I then mix a new cassette to have ready as an emergency back-up or to use when I switch out the cassette again the next evening. About 45-50 minutes after switching the new cassette, I started having some flushing problems. Now, if you are a Flolan user, you know that flushing is a side effect. This has happened maybe 3=4 times in the 6 years that I've been on Flolan. We were told to bump the pump flow down a notch or two to see if that helps. It always has helped and I either just keep the pump that rate until I mix and switch the next night, resetting the flow rate to what it was before. It's never been a problem beyond that. My doctor felt that, because Flolan is so sensitive that I maybe mixed a little incorrectly. As long as everything went back to normal when I put on a new cassette, there was really nothing to worry about.

Well, Tuesday night became a nightmare. The flushing came on fast and furiously. My entire head became bright red, then the flushing spread down my arms. Then I got a butt-kicking headache. So, we turned the pump down a couple more notches. I was at my normal pump rate of 76. We went down to 74 then 72. But the Flolan side effects continued to get worse. I started sweating profusely, all over my body. We bumped it down to 70 and things continued to get worse. I was feeling extremely nauseated and really felt like I was passing out. My husband ran downstairs, mixed a new cassette and hooked me up. I was having the same problems. My husband wanted to take me to the hospital, but we all know how "helpful" those ER visits can be. So, my husband called our doctor and he said to just keep decreasing the pump rate to see if we could get things settled down. Finally, at a pump rate of 62 (down from 76)the sweating stopped, the flushing was better and I felt alert. My doctor said to keep the pump at that rate and try to "sleep" it off. Things got quite a bit better, except that I've been extremely exhausted, continue to have an annoying headache and I did end up throwing up yesterday. Today I'm a bit less tired, very light flushing and still no appetite. I don't know what's going to happen next. This is so frustrating! We had our 5th Annual Phenomenal Hope for a Cure fundraiser this last weekend. I was so thrilled that I had backed off doing much for the event because I wasn't overly tired.
CRAP!

Have any of you had a similar experience? We're wondering if I have a "bad batch" of Flolan.
Thanks for reading."

**Since I wrote this yesterday morning, I had to decrease my pump again..twice. So, now I'm on a setting of 56, down from 76 when all of this started. It's very confusing and frustrating.

I'm asking for prayers that we figure out what is going on and that everything settles back down.

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Thanks for your prayers.

Annette

I'm having a hard time getting to sleep...

2010-10-27T20:43:00.000-07:00

I'm stopping by for a quick request. I'm scheduled to take yet another "fricken" test tomorrow. This one is called an "Exercise Pulmonary Function Stress Test.

Now I've done the treadmill stress test before.

I've also taken a pulmonary function test before.

It's just that I've never taken an "Excercise Pulmonary Function stress test."

I honestly feel that I'm being a wimp and have no reason to be nervous about this test. It's just that I'm a bit tired of doing uncomfortable tests, with results that come in with no answers. I'm worried (irrationally worried I should add) that I'm going to take yet another test, and learn that the only thing wrong with me is that I'm an old woman who is overweight and out of shape.

So, if I may be selfish, would you please pray that this test is not too difficult, I'm able to push myself hard enough so that the doctors can analyze the information and get some answers, AND that the results do not include any of the following words, "Mrs. Markin, these results show that you have turned into a lazy lump. Your biggest problems are that you are just really overweight, really out of shape and lazy."

I will also be getting my blood drawn to see if I'm still anemic.

OK, that's all for now. I really need to be trying harder to clear my head and get some sleep.

Thank you so much for checking in.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this blog
And, thanks for caring.

Annette

I said I'd try to post a bit more.....

2010-10-21T18:32:00.000-07:00

But, this is going to be short and sweet. I went to the dentist today (6 month cleaning....soooo exciting, aren't I?) AND I went to a movie this afternoon with my dear daughter-in-law's mother, Jeane. I tell you, we really hit the jackpot when Nick married Kara! Her entire family is incredibly wonderful! Anyway, Jeane and I went to see "The Social Network" which is the movie about how "Facebook" came into being.

It was a really interesting and well made movie. I do have to admit though, there were many discussions about computers and algorithms that were way above my head!
I give this movie 8 puppy paws up!

When I got home from the movie, I fell asleep on the couch until about an hour ago. Now I need to go take care of my medicine and get to bed. I sure hope these iron pills kick in soon. Sleeping away my life is not my idea of a good time. (Sorry. I told myself I wasn't going to do any whining in this posting.)

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Thanks for hanging in there with me.

Annette

Excuse me while I rev up my engine..vroom...vroom..vr...

2010-10-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

Thank you for continuing to come back to "AnnettesexcitingBlog" to see if there is anything exciting being posted, or at least to see if anything NEW has been posted.

It has been a lo-o-o-o-o-ong summer and proving to be a lo-o-o-o-ng fall. And NOW it looks like I was given incorrect information that, in turn, makes me look like a LIAR! LIAR! PANTS ON FIRE!

After my last post I had an appointment with my "GP." I soon discovered that I misunderstood the results of the procedures done in the hospital. They did find an AVM, but, it wasn't actively bleeding. The good thing is that with all of these tests, we were able to rule out really bad reasons for being anemic. But, we're left with no explanation for the anemia. The "game plan" is still the same, though. Keep taking the iron and....wait! That is the worse 4-letter word in the world! I'm so sick and tired of WAITING to find out what's going on. I know that I need to be thrilled with the fact that the doctor's were able to rule out really bad reasons for the anemia and tiredness. I have never been a patient individual. Having PH and Addison's have forced me to become a very patient woman, or I would go crazy. I've felt, ever since I was diagnosed, that knowledge is power. The more I know and understand what is happening with my body, the less afraid and more confident I become in fighting these illnesses.

OK, that's all of the whining for now. I'm going to walk down to the street and grab the mail and the newspaper. I'll be back soon, maybe even tonight, and write a bit more.

Thanks for staying with me.
Thanks for reading.
Thanks for your support.

Annette

A Quick Update

2010-10-08T13:02:00.000-07:00

First, thanks so much for all of the posts, emails, cards, calls and prayers. I'm home and really tired. I wanted to let you know what we learned and I'll fill in more later. But, the basic info is that they discovered the source of the bleeding. I have a AVM, which is an arteriovenous malformation in my colon. I have an artery and a vein that have grown together, causing some slight bleeding or leaking.Usually it wouldn't be a big enough deal to cause anemia, but, because I'm on blood thinners, it is bleeding a bit too much. I'm going to see the doctor next week, but, the general thought is I'll just continue to take iron pills.
OK, I need to take a nap.

Thanks again for everything.
Annette

A Quick "Hello."

2010-10-05T14:41:00.000-07:00

I'm heading into the hospital tomorrow. I'm scheduled for a colonoscopy and endoscopy on Thursday morning. The plan is to find a cause for this anemia I'm been dealing with for a couple of months now. It's crazy how we "hurry up to wait" and "hurry up to wait" again in our society, getting no further than where we were before we started that insane dance!

So, today I prepared for being on a liquid diet for tonight and tomorrow before being admitted into the hospital. I've also had one of two Lovinox shots just for today that will help thicken my blood that I try to to thin on a regular basis with blood thinners.
I thought about going on a food binge...but I kept hearing the song, "Spinning Wheels" by Blood, Sweat and Tears...."What goes up, must come down..."....only in my head, the words changed a bit..."What goes in, must come out!" So, I decided that a "food binge" wasn't such a good move (so to speak).

Going to the hospital and, especially having to spend the night, is a big mess when you have Pulmonary Hypertension and Addison's disease which both require lots of drugs, ice bags and cassette's of mixed medicine.

I would love to ask you all to send a prayer my way and some good thoughts that things go well and that we finally get some answers and I can get back some energy.

Thanks for stopping by.
Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Thanks for listening.

Annette

Hello. I'm here...it's been a lo-o-o-o-ong summer!

2010-09-20T17:28:00.000-07:00

I would like to thank so many of you who have written, called and emailed to let me know you're out there and that I'm not here alone. I even received $$ from a friend (thank you Mary Jane!) so I could go out and get a magical Blizzard!! Of course, Rod's comment when he saw the kind card and cool cash was something like, "Annette, maybe you should start talking about how much a new Corvette would help you and that you might actually be CURED if you had a new Corvette!" That Rod is such a funny guy.....ha...ha...ha......

It's just been tough month since I wrote last month. The "car incident" is just a memory. But the high-velocity back-dive into the dresser is still causing some problems. Being on blood thinners seems to have slowed the healing a bit. But, the fist-size blood clot is almost completely dissolved.

Unfortunately the tiredness has not improved, it's actually gotten worse. Another appointment with my endocrine doctor provided some answers and some more "crap" to deal with. (Sorry...I've really developed a bad attitude) The increase in my thyroid medication has not increased those low levels. Plus, I'm severely anemic with significant iron loss. Those results lead the doctors to suspect bleeding from somewhere in my body, most likely my colon or my stomach. So, in two weeks I "get" to go into the hospital for a couple of days and have a colonoscopy and an endoscopy (The GI doctor whimsically calls it a "Tops and Bottoms!" Ha, ha, ha, ha....) Because I'm "so complicated" I need to be in the hospital for a couple of days, because I'm on a blood thinner I have to give myself some special shots for several days prior to the procedure....etc., etc., etc., whine, whine, whine...)

In the meantime, we've increased the thyroid medicine, added iron pills and, oh, I almost forgot, I've also added a new medication to take care of a case of thrush (a yeast infection in my mouth) I'm so proud to be able to share that little tidbit with all of you.

So, all of this whining and moaning and groaning is why I've stayed away from this blog for a month. First, I've really been tired and just didn't want to try to figure out what to write. But, mostly, I didn't want to come here with "doom and gloom." I'm hoping now that I've written it all down I can try to write some much more fun postings.

OK, I'm tired. I think I hear the couch and the TV remote calling my name.

Thank you so much for checking in.
Thanks for letting me vent.
Thanks for reading.

Annette

A (not so) funny thing happened on the way to a funeral and other problems and incidents since the beginning of July...

2010-08-19T15:39:00.000-07:00

It has been a tough summer. I don't wont to boor you with a laundry list of aches, pains and problems, but I also don't want you to think I've been a lazy old woman, lounging on he couch eating bon-bons and having Asa and Haver peel grapes for me. So, I'm going to just try to do a quick little list to bring you up to speed.

I starting doing some significant "butt-dragging" after Memorial Day. We spent most of June assuming it was the progression of the PH since I have been fighting this beast for 6 years now. But, in July we contacted my endocrine doctor to see if she had any insight. She came to the conclusion that much of the tiredness and body aches could be related to the Addison's disease (that, quite frankly, I'd forgotten about...even though I take supplemental steroids and thyroid every day). She suggested I try a round of increasing my steroids and see if that helps. About a week later I was actually starting to see some improvement when a (not so) funny thing happened on our way to a funeral. Nick, Kara and I drove down to Lincoln to attend a very good family friend's funeral. I was sitting in the back seat and was too stupid to buckle my seat belt. Nick did not see this drainage ditch/speed bump and we hit it going at a pretty good clip. I flew off the seat, hit my head on the ceiling and jammed my back on the landing. I went into complete back spasm with a pain level of about a 15 on the 1-10 scale. Luckily I had a doctor and a med student in the car with me. It was obvious that it was just muscle spasms so we went to a Walgreens and got some muscle relaxers, a heating pad and headed back to Omaha. If I needed to go to the hospital I was going to go my MY hospital where all of my doctor's practice.

After about a week of heating pads, ice packs and lots of drugs I was starting to feel better. Then...

Haver came up to "give me some love" which means he rubs his face and his body against my legs, very similar to what a cat does. The difference though between a cat doing this and Haver doing this is that Haver weighs 135 pounds! Consequently, as I was trying to get away from him without hurting my back again, he nailed the back out of my knee causing some kind of painful damage that resulted in immediate swelling. After a couple of days of icing the knee, it was starting to feel better. Then...

A week ago Monday, I was returning to bed after a midnight bathroom break when I lost my balance (God only knows WHY) and fell backward into my dresser gouging my back and my backside with a couple of the drawer knobs. I am still not able to sit down like a "normal" person and the backside wound is still oozing, but, the back wound is almost completely healed.

So, how has your summer been?

I so greatly, greatly appreciate so many of you coming back to this blog to see if there was anything happening. I also really, really appreciate all of the people who sent emails and left messages on this site. I would really like to give out cash prizes to all of you who tried to claim "your prize!"

I have been doing lots of sleeping over the last several months. Sometimes I think it's because I'm really tired and then there are those times that I just wish if I sleep long enough I'll wake up all healed and happy and there will be rainbows and flowers all around!...Did I tell you I've been taking lots of drugs???

So, I need to get switched, drugged and into bed. My dear sweet beloved husband has been a rock through this whole mess this summer and has been mixing my medicine almost every night. I'm a very lucky woman.

Well, thanks for checking in.
Thanks for hanging in there with me.
Thanks for reading.

I think I'll leave you with the wise words of Jeane, Kara's mom. After this latest disaster, she told me, "Annette, I have two words for you...BUBBLE WRAP!" She's like the Dalai Lama or something.

Fat Dog Drinking

Not as Fat Dog Drinking

Annette

I'm thinking about offering a cash prize to...

2010-08-05T13:55:00.003-07:00

anyone who is still reading this blog.
Annette

Another Lengthy Absence...

2010-07-11T15:19:00.000-07:00

I can see by the visitor counter that many of you have been very kind in "hanging in there" with me and checking to see if I've gotten my butt off the couch and posted something new. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. As I've told you before, it does take some energy to get a post written, edited and appropriate pictures added so it isn't all too boring.

So, what have I been up to?

Well, Chris came home the week of the 4th. A friend of his flew in for the weekend and stayed at our house. We had a 4th of July party with about 100 people in attendance. It took several days to recover. Just as I was feeling better, I either picked up a bug or had a strange batch of Flolan that caused me to spend a couple of days experiencing extreme Flolan side effects, the worse of all of them was leg and body pain.

So, now I'm feeling good enough to at least stop by and leave a boring explanation for being gone for a week. I really hope to be able to share our recent visit to the vet with Asa and Haver in the next day or so.

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

Hello! I'm here and I'm fine...

2010-07-01T18:22:00.000-07:00

I had a couple of good days and now I'm paying for it. No biggie...just typical for people with pulmonary hypertension.I going to mix and switch my medicine early tonight so I can try to get an early start on the day tomorrow. I've got lots of fun stories, just running out of energy and daylight. But, tomorrow's a new day. (I think that was a Broadway song?!?)

Thanks for your patience.

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading ( very few words... )
Annette

Entertainment News!!

2010-06-26T17:22:00.000-07:00

Movie Review!

Rod and I enjoyed our regular Friday night date night by watching the new Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz movie called, "Night and Day."

This was a great movie and a real surprise! It's full of car chases, gun fights... a real action-packed movie! But, it's also really, really funny! Tom Cruise is a James Bond kind of guy and Cameron Diaz was a midwest tom boy who liked to restore cars, who was trying to get to Boston for her sister's wedding.

I'm so impressed with Tom Cruise's comedic side! Cameron Diaz was also very, very funny! I would highly recommend "Knight and Day!'

I give it 8 puppy paws up!

Book Review!

I just finished a great book called, "Walking in Circles Before Lying Down" by Merrill Markoe.

This is the perfect summer read! It funny, entertaining, easy to follow (code for "You don't have to think or pay a lot attention to the story!) and includes my favorite topic...TALKING DOGS!!

At only 270 pages, you can easily get through this book and still have time for lots of other books on your summer read list!

And, you guessed it....

OK, that's it for tonight! I hope you're having a nice weekend.

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

It's nearly 10:30 p.m. and I need to get to bed, but...

2010-06-24T20:22:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post something positive for a change, since I feel like I'm always whining about how crappy I feel.

So....
I feel good tonight! We had a pantyhose dinner at a country club place for Rod's work tonight. I had to put on nice clothes (including pantyhose), use all of the correct silverware while dining, say nice comments using only appropriate words and be nice to everyone! I know!! What an exhausting experience! But, I came home tonight and realized that I actually FELT GOOD! I wasn't feeling very well today. But, tonight I feel good! I don't know why, but I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth!
I'm not going to repeat the mistake that I've done before when I've "FELT GOOD" by thinking this is a sign that I've turned a corner. I'm taking it for what it is... a special little gift from God so I won't give up and will keep "fighting the good fight" with the mentality of a warrior!

So, thanks for letting me share something positive for a change!

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

I'm Back. Sorry it took so long to get my keister in gear!

2010-06-22T15:18:00.000-07:00

When I PROMISED that I would be back here blogging away by Friday, June 18th, I thought I was giving myself plenty of time to kick-start my rear end. Unfortunately, it took a bit longer.

Chris did make it home on Wednesday. He stayed until yesterday morning (the 21st). He rode his motorcycle here from Chicago and was going to ride it back yesterday. But Mother Nature had other plans for him. So, he left his bike in our garage and took one of the inexpensive Southwest Airlines flights back to Chicago yesterday. He's planning on driving his truck home for several days over the 4th of July. So, he'll load his bike up in the back of the pick-up and take it back to Chicago when he heads back in July.

I did make it to my new bible study with my friend Martha. We are doing a study on The Psalms in a program put together by Beth Moore. She is known for her fabulous bible studies for women. I'm trying to get my reading done for class again tomorrow night.

On Thursday, June 17th, Rod and I celebrated 32 years of marriage! The evening was perfect since we had dinner at the Flat Iron with Chris, Nick and Kara!

On Saturday I went to our Pulmonary Hypertension support group meeting. We had a pretty good turnout with 7 phriends and numerous other friends and relatives. This is a picture of our support group leader Carol (in the back) and phriend Frances.

We celebrated Father's Day with Chris, Nick and Kara with having breakfast at one of our most favorite restaurants, Wheatfields! Yes, the Markins pretty much celebrate EVERYTHING with food!!
Can you see a family resemblance?

Well, I know this hasn't been very exciting. But, to tell you the truth, I'm still not feeling up to par.

I want to thank all of you that send emails and post comments on this blog. It is very hard to get motivated to sit down and figure out what to write about when I'm not feeling well. But, knowing that there are actually people out there in cyber-land who seem to enjoy the exciting life of The Markins, I feel honored to pull it together and share stories from our lives with you.

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

Dear Faithful Readers..

2010-06-16T15:48:00.000-07:00

I've been "dragging my keister" for the last few days. I don't know if it's the PH, the Addison's, the fact that I'm an old woman and it's hot outside...but..whatever it is, I've not been able to get anything done.

Tonight I'm going to attend a new bible study with my friend Martha. Also, Chris is driving home on his motorcycle today and will be home for a couple of days.

So, I'm going to take a little break. But, I promise I'll be back on Friday, June 18th.
Thanks for your understanding.

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

A Polo Match in Nebraska?

2010-06-13T16:34:00.000-07:00

It was another busy weekend in the Markin household! We had a couple of "pantyhose" dinners, a 50th wedding anniversary celebration, a surprise breakfast with Nick and Kara after church on Sunday morning, and a polo match.

Yes, you read that correctly, we went to a POLO MATCH in Omaha, Nebraska! On Saturday, the University of Nebraska Medical Center held "Polo for Patients," a fundraiser for UNMC's patient assistance fun. The money raised helps patients and their families with basic needs, such as clothing, lodging and food.

This was the second year for this event and was quite an experience! Rod and I had never watched a polo match before and were very intrigued with the event when it was held in 2008. This year we had a better idea of what to expect. It was so much fun! The horses were beautiful!

The horses work so hard that a "polo guy" uses 4 different horses for each match so that the horses don't overheat or get sick.

Speaking of "beautiful" and speaking of "polo guys" there was a very special "polo guy" who played on Saturday. His name is, Nacho Figueras.

Let me show you a better picture...

or this really, really nice picture...

Nacho is not only a "polo guy," but he is also a model for Ralph Lauren. Big, big shock...huh??

I'm sorry to say that I can't report who won the match. It was incredibly hot and humid on Saturday. Those two words are kind of like Kryptonite to someone with pulmonary hypertension. So, we needed to come home early. But, if you go to this site, you can read all about the fundraiser and even watch a fantastic video of Nacho visiting kids at the hospital.

No weekend would be complete without a little "dog action."

Asa LOVED his new toy. It's a "gutless" stuffed fox. It actually comes without any filler so when the dogs destroy the toy they don't make such big mess! Brilliant idea!
Here is Asa bringing "the kill" into the kitchen.

And, here he is trying to hurl said "gutless fox" across the room to where his brother, Haver,

was playing hide and seek with himself and his favorite blanket. "Peek-a-boo, Haver...

we see you!!

Never a dull moment at the Markin household!

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

Rainy Day...

2010-06-10T11:12:00.000-07:00

It's funny how differently we look at rainy, overcast days, depending on our age, location, experiences or frame of mind...

It was a very, very rainy day here in Omaha until around 2:00 p.m. We had some thunder and lightning (which caused my dark blue sweats to instantly be decorated with yellow lab hair....big chickens!) along with some really heavy downpours.

When I was a little girl going to school, I LOVED rainy days! The rain would make us have inside recess! In the primary grades inside recess meant getting to play in the gym. We would have free time with the balls, jump-ropes, basketball hoops AND there was a stage in the gym, where we could pretend we were putting on shows!

In the junior high grades, inside recess meant we could visit with our friends, read books, write notes...all the things we wanted to do during class but would normally get in trouble for doing!

Of course, by high school, the rainy days started to loose their appeal. Now, instead of having inside recess, we just still had classes. Plus, the rain played havoc with our hair and our clothes as we waited for buses, or ran from the cars in the parking lot. Something that we LOVED a few years ago, became something we dreaded, as high school divas!

While in college, learning to become a teacher, I would imagine just how my classes would be, how well-behaved the students would be, how much fun we would have together AND all the great things we would do when we had inside recess!!

During my first year of teaching (5th graders!) I soon learned that while I was in college, I had a really, inventive imagination! Those 5th graders had no intention of "behaving" and "enjoying" board games and other inside recess activities I slaved over creating in my teacher education classes! The students seemed to think that inside recess was the perfect time to push the teachers' buttons and see just how many rules they could break in a short time-span!

The longer I taught, the better I learned how to create a more productive and enjoyable inside recess experience. But, it never lived up to the picture I created in my head back in college, with the kids all sitting around, quietly visiting, reading books and coloring. It certainly wasn't the way I remembered it when I was a student. I'm thinking those nuns must have been way tougher on us than I was with my students!

As I was teaching, I had another vision of what I'd like to be doing on a rainy day. While I was trying to "redirect and contain" what was happening in my classroom during inside recess, I would always daydream about what I would be doing if I wasn't working. I always figured that when I retired, I would embrace rainy days as the perfect break to a busy life as a retired teacher. In my imagination, I was always cuddled up on the couch with a cup of tea, a lap blanket and a great book! The more it rained, the more I read! Quite honestly, that vision kept me going on many of those rainy days during my 27 years of teaching!

Now that I'm not teaching, and didn't really "retire," rainy days have become a bit of a "downer day." I'm home because I got sick 6 years ago and was no longer able to teach, I really didn't retire, or "burn out" of the profession. I had planned on teaching at least another 15 years when I had to "hang it up." Now, every day can be sitting on the couch reading with a cup of tea, if I want it to. The thrill of "doing what I wanted to do during class, but would get in trouble for" is gone. Now, when it rains, that means that the humidity levels will be higher, so when I walk down to the street to get the mail and/or the newspaper, I'll be more short of breath than normal, and get tired a bit quicker. It also means that I'll probably stay home and not try to run an errand or go see a "chick flick" because my oxygen concentrator can't get wet and it's hard to drag it out of the car into a building without hitting puddles or getting hit with raindrops.

Even though my "inside recess days" are not quite what I planned for, I do still find joy in them. I already mentioned the addition of a significant amount of dog hair on my clothes. It is a real hoot to watch these 125 and 140 pound "yellow beasts" get scared with a little clap of thunder and see them running for safety on the couch right next to me.

I also enjoy the notion that I no longer have to monitor inside recess. There were too many times where I had to "pick my battles" during that inside 20 minute period in order to save any hope of keeping my sanity and not get in trouble for saying OR DOING something to the "little darlings!"

And, even though I can sit on the couch and read a good book any day of the week, a really good rainy day is the perfect time for a long and enjoyable nap...of which I've taken two today!!

So, here's to rainy days and inside recesses. I hope you've had many joyous ones in your life.

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

2 Brushes with Fame, 1 smash against the Wall and 1 Smashing Good Book About a Famous Person!

2010-06-07T11:36:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know, that title is quite of mouthful! Well, let's see if I can clear things up!

Several weeks ago, Rod and I went to a Med Center dinner. I don't usually get excited about these events. In fact, I not so lovingly call them, "Pantyhose dinners!" You see, "Pantyhose Dinners" usually involve putting on nice clothes (hence the "Pantyhose" title) sitting with people I may or may not know, making small-talk, watching out that I don't tell any "good" jokes...basically, spending the evening working very hard at behaving myself! That is a tough job!!

Well, it was time to get ready for this dinner and I couldn't get there fast enough! You see, we got to sit at the table with the special guest speaker of the evening!! Are you ready?!?! The one and only....MARG HELGENBERGER from my very favorite show, CSI!!! She is originally from Nebraska and was asked to come to Omaha and speak about surviving cancer. Her mother, who now lives in Omaha, is a breast cancer survivor! Marg's mom (yes, we are now on a first name basis) was at the dinner, but didn't sit at our table. I made Rod sit next to Marg because I was so nervous that I would say or do something stupid. I couldn't come up with a single "good" question, so I...are you ready for this?...I just sat there and ate my dinner! I DIDN'T SAY ONE WORD THE WHOLE EVENING! Well, that's not entirely true. My dear, sweet, beloved husband asked if I could have my picture taken with her. As I was standing there, panicking about what I could/should say, I blurted out the only thing I could think of...."Wow! I can't believe I'm standing here next to you! I love your show! I'm so excited, I hope I don't pass out!"

Yes, me, the "Word Wizard" said those lovely, lovely words! Marg kindly responded, "Well, I'm glad that you are such a fan!" Oh LORD!! WHY ME!! After the photo op, I sat back down in my seat, still in awe of my luck, not realizing my lovely word choice. I dreamily smooth out my skirt and discover a BIG BLOB OF DESSERT ON MY SKIRT...SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF MY BELLY!!! ARG!!! God was looking out for me though, the photographer only took head shots. Plus, I'm pretty sure Marg didn't notice my meal on my stomach, since she was still trying to figure out how "her people" let this crazy woman get so close to her!

My second brush with fame just happened this weekend. Rod and I attended "The Cattlemen's Ball" in Kearney, Nebraska.

This is the 12th year that this group of people have held these amazing fundraisers where they have raised millions of dollars for the Eppley Cancer Center and cancer research in Omaha.

We drove to Kearney Saturday morning (about a 2 1/2 hour drive from Omaha) and found the ranch where all of the festivities were being held. There were all kinds of things to do, look at cattle, farm equipment, eat, drink, shop and bid on silent auction items. After dinner was when the excitement happened! Our evening entertainment was the one and only RANDY TRAVIS!!

We were so close! Rod thought that we were maybe 50 feet from the stage! He sang for nearly 2 hours.

The real treat happened after the concert! There was a small reception for Randy that Rod and I were invited to attend! He autographed a couple of CD's for us and we got our picture taken with him!

He was very kind. He even asked about my oxygen. I told him about Pulmonary Hypertension, although I was a bit tongue-tied (yes, shocker!) and am not sure I was really making any sense! But, it was still a fantastic experience!

Now, for the "Smash Against the Wall." Our evening went quite late, with Rod and I getting back to the hotel around 11:30 p.m. You realize, I've usually mixed and switched my Flolan and am in bed by 9:30 or 10:00! Rod was kind enough to mix for me. But, by the time I switched and cleaned up, it was almost 12:30 a.m. before I got to sleep. During the evening, I got up to use the restroom. I was not very "with it" and managed to trip over the suitcase! Somehow when I fell, my arm hit the corner of the wall!

Lovely isn't it? That's what being on blood thinners will do for you!!

Now, for the final part of this post...the "Smashing Good Book About a Famous Person!"

I just finished this incredible book called, "Boxes The Secret Life of Howard Hughes."
It is written by Douglas Wellman and tells about the secret life of Howard Hughes when he was married to Eva McLelland and was living under the assumed identity of Verner Nicely. Although, he went by the nickname of "Nik." It is an amazing story that includes photos, documentation and professional research that shows there were two "Howard Hughes" with the "stand-in" passing away in 1976 and the real Howard Hughes living until 2001! Eva promised "Nik" that she would not tell his story while he was alive. In 2002, she contacted Mark Miller to tell the "whole story" before she passed away. It is an amazing story! If you are interested in this book, you can go to Amazon.com, or a much easier way would be to go to the top of this pages and click on the "writelife" icon.

OK, this is the 2nd novel I have written! I've got to shorten these babies, or no one is going to want to read them!

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.

Annette

3 Interactions, 3 Outcomes, 3 Final scores

2010-06-03T20:08:00.000-07:00

INTERACTION #1:

ASA-vs-HAVER

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Tuesday was a very hot and humid day here in Nebraska. Haver, being a bit more chubby than Asa, does not tolerate the heat very well. His cranky levels increase dramatically and his ability to be patient pretty much melts away. Asa, on the other hand, seems to never have a "bad day." In fact, when his brother is hot and tired, Asa seems to think that Haver is an easier mark. You see, Asa's goal in life seems to be to steal everything that is near and dear to Haver's heart. Then, Asa takes his new "catch" up to the landing on the stairs in the entryway of the house. He considers this his "safe
zone" because:

#1. He has the vantage point of being able to see anyone coming or going.
#2. To get to his "safe spot" someone has to walk up a flight of stairs. As mentioned before, Haver is a bit chubby and tends to avoid any unnecessary movement or exertion. So, Asa's "stash" is pretty safe.

I had to run a couple of errands, leaving Haver and Asa outside in the elements for about an hour. (Now, before someone decides they need to call the Humane Society, please understand that Asa and Haver have the complete run of the property which includes lots of shade and a big container or water.) Whenever we leave the dogs while we go run errands (or attempt to have some kind of a social life) Rod or I will give each of the them a large-sized Milk Bone for them to enjoy while we're gone. (It also doubles as an attempt to not feel so guilty when we see their little faces look so sad as we drive away...yes...we are SUCKERS!)

Generally, what happens with these treats is, Asa eats his in record time. Haver acts very nonchalant, like he doesn't want his, until, Asa comes around and tries to steal it! Then Haver goes into WILD DOG/MICHAEL VICK DOG mode! These little "games" drive me insane!! Asa never, ever learns and Haver never ever changes his reaction. So...

Tuesday, June 2, 2010 1:30 pm...

I return home from running errands. Haver waddles out from the cool bushes to tell me hello. Asa notices that Haver has left his Milk Bone unattended. As Haver gets closer to me, Asa goes in for the grab...One little problem...Asa has miscalculated the level of grumpiness in hot and chubby Haver. When Haver sees Asa going for his beloved Milk Bone, Mr. Big Boy pivots on his back feet and goes after Asa! Unfortunately, Asa has not positioned his body well... and he is now literally backed into a corner...a corner of bushes! The "interaction" doesn't last long, but the outcome is obvious...

Score:
Haver: 1 Asa: 0

INTERACTION #2

ASA-vs-BUNNY
HAVER-vs-BUNNY
ASA-vs-HAVER

Wednesday, June 2, 2010 9:00 p.m...

It was around 9:00 Wednesday night, which means it's time for nightly chores. Nightly chores include:
1. feeding the fish
2. giving Asa and Haver their Prozac (real big shocker...huh???)
3. feed the horses and check their water tanks.

When Rod asks Asa and Haver if they "want to go feed the horses?" they respond as if they've just won lottery! (Of course, for a dog, I think "winning the lottery" would most likely be lots of dog treats and the opportunity to sniff 100 dog rear ends!) The three of them head over to the barn. Usually Asa and Haver will hear or smell something and have to make a couple of side trips before they actually get over to the barn.

On this night, Haver pretty much stayed by Rod on their walk to the barn. Asa however, took off like a shot as soon as they left the house! While Rod and Haver were checking out the horses, Asa comes into the barn, pleased as punch!! He managed to catch a baby bunny! The bunny was fine, very much alive, and something that Haver thought should be his! He starts barking at Asa. Asa (not the smartest one of the two) drops the bunny so he can bark back at Haver. They continue their "He's mine!" "No, he's mine!" conversation while the bunny quickly and quietly hops out of the barn and into the neighbor's yard. Suddenly, Asa and Haver notice "the great find" is gone! They smash their noses to the ground to follow the scent, only to discover that the bunny outsmarted both of them by hopping into the neighbor's yard, where Asa and Haver can't get access!!

Score:
Asa: 0 Haver: 0 Bunny:1

INTERACTION #3
HAVER-vs-ASA-vs-ANNETTE

Thursday, June 3, 2010 2:30 p.m....

I just returned home from a busy day! In the morning I went out to a friend's house for our PEO book club where we enjoyed discussing, "The Help."

After that, I met my friend Dean for lunch at "The Cheesecake Factory." It's so very hard to believe that his wife, my friend, Cindy, passed away a year ago...

Anyway, when I got home, I was pooped! That's one of the things about Pulmonary Hypertension that I don't understand. Socializing, talking and laughing are exhausting! It's kind of a cruel side effect, getting worn out from having fun. A couple of phriends (friends that also have Pulmonary Hypertension) thought it might be from using up so much oxygen while laughing and talking. Whatever the reason, I usually need to rest after having a good time, especially having fun like I did with my PEO friends and my friend Dean!

When I drove into the driveway, Asa and Haver did their usual Happy Dance!! They run around the car, wagging their tails, picking up whatever they can find...just generally letting us know that whoever is in the car is the most important person in the world! Unfortunately, their excitement doesn't slow down once I get out of the car. Then, when we get into the house, they pick up the pace! They each find something to carry, usually a shoe, or a blanket, then they carry it around and around the house like they are in a parade! It's really pretty cute...unless you're really, really tired! There is no calming them down until they finish their "parade" which may last for 3-5 minutes!

Usually, after the "parade" is over, they'll go find a quiet spot to lay down and take a nap. But, not this day! This day Asa spies a bone that he wants! Unfortunately, Haver also sees it! Asa, being lighter on his feet grabs the bone first. While he's trying to sneak it up to his "perch" Haver realizes what's going on. So, Haver goes all CRAZY DOG and, I, being a really tired and crabby old woman, slides into first grade teacher mode! I clap my hands and tell them to "Knock it off!" I grab the bone out of Asa's mouth, open up the front door and throw the bone out into the yard! They look at me, look out the door and they both turn around and go lay down to take a nap! Hah! I still have it!!

Score:
Asa: 0 Haver:0 Annette: 1

Life is never dull with the Markins!

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

Sorry, I lied...

2010-06-02T19:13:00.001-07:00

I didn't mean to lie...I really WAS going to write a very interesting blog today...but..I had a headache most of the day. But, it did finally go away and I was able to go to a PARTY tonight and I just got home...
so...sorry I lied...I'll write something exciting tomorrow...or at least download a picture or two...

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

Hello!

2010-06-01T18:09:00.001-07:00

I hope you all had a great holiday weekend! Rod and I did our 10 hour Memorial Day marathon tour of a variety of cemeteries in the state of Nebraska yesterday. Today, I'm pooped! I keep falling asleep sitting up. I will be back tomorrow.

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

Book Review Time!!

2010-05-27T09:15:00.000-07:00

Nick called the other night to chat. Somehow we got on the topic of wondering how some people are able to persevere and reach there goals while some others will drag their feet and never even have goals, let alone reaching them! I told him that I had a perfect example of that with a book I just finished! I went on to tell him about my latest book club read and how people persevered even under horrible circumstances. I told Nick that I LOVED this book and that it was probably one of the best books I've ever read. Mr. Wise-A*% then says, "Mom, every book you read is always your favorite book!" I informed Mr. Smartypants that I do not always love every book that I read, it just so happens that I just finished this book about 30 minutes before he called and I was excited about it. So, Mr. You-Know-What says,"That's why you're so buzzed!"
THAT'S WHY I WAS SO BUZZED???? I just finished a book, not a six-pack!!

Later that night, while I was mixing my Flolan and replaying the discussion in my head, I realized that I do get kind of a "buzz" when I read, especially when I read a good book. I have always loved to read.

When I was a little girl, every day after school I would walk to the public library (10 miles... uphill...both ways...no shoes...freezing weather... ) every day after school and hang out in the children's book section until my mom would come and pick me up after she got finished at work. I would usually run in, return my book and search for a new one. Once I found my new book. I'd check it out and then have a seat somewhere in the library and read. Nine times out of ten, I'd finish that book before mom arrived. So, I would return that book, search for the next "perfect story," check that one out, find a good reading spot, sit down and read. It was not unusual for me to get 3 or 4 books checked out and read before my mom got to the library! I now realize that I could have checked out more than one book at a time, or, sit and read it, put it back on the shelf and pick another one. But, I just loved the idea of checking out a book and "owning" it, even if it was for a short time.

Once a week the "library lady" would have after school story time! I LOVED that time! Since I was already there, I usually got a great spot, right in front! When the "library lady" read, the whole library would turn into the location in the book! It was such a magical time. When I read to my own boys, and then later to my first graders, I always tried to recapture that feeling, wanting them to feel the magic in the written word.

So, speaking of "magic," my new favorite book is written so very well that I "magically" felt I was experiencing the lives of people living in Mississippi in the 1960's. It is called, "The Help."

The story follows three woman in Jackson, Mississippi during a time when wealthy white families had African-American maids/nannies. It was not unusual for one of these nannies to be more of a mother than the children's biological mother. Consequently, their treatment of their "white children" impacted many of those kids in ways they didn't realize until they were grown.

In "The Help" we meet "Skeeter," a 20-something white girl who is an aspiring writer, "Aibileen" a 50-something maid/nanny and "Minnie," a 30-something (I'm guessing here) maid/nanny who is near and dear to my heart......her mouth is always getting her in trouble!

The story gives us insight into what life was like for all of these women who lived in the deep south at a time when the civil rights movement was just beginning to grow. These three women work together to write a book showing a different side of life for these maids/nannies, who give so much of themselves to their "white families." It's so difficult to review a book, especially this book, without giving too much away. I highly recommend this book, but, be careful! Once you start, it's really hard to put it down! I finished this book in record time, but, missed some much-needed sleep!

Obviously it is receiving 8 PUPPY PAWS UP!!

Well, it's Friday night. That is usually movie night for Rod and I. But, we have two graduation parties to attend. We might try to take a movie in this weekend. We'll just have to see.

I hope you all have a safe and wonderful Memorial Day weekend.

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

I'm surprised that I didn't get punched!!

2010-05-24T16:21:00.000-07:00

I stopped at my local Walgreens to pick up a couple of prescriptions. I was in a bit of a cranky mood, no good reason, just my regular old irritable self....

Anyway, when I pulled up I noticed that MY FAVORITE handicap parking space was filled! I love that spot! It's right by the front door. I can grab my oxygen, and purse and in just a few seconds roll right into the store. Since my beloved spot was taken, I had to park next to it. Which, is really no big deal, except that it is on a little bit of an incline and when it's a windy day, it's seems to be a bit more windy there than it is when I get out of the car in MY FAVORITE space. As I was dragging things out of my car, I take a peek at the parking spot stealer. Unfortunately I became even grumpier! I noticed this guy had a gigantic pickup truck that was so tall it looked like someone my height or less would need a step stool to get inside! Plus, the truck was running, (oh I forgot to tell you...it was a diesel!) and inside was this rather large man, sitting at the wheel, smoking like a fool! PLUS in the back seat of this giant truck with this giant smoking man, IN MY FAVORITE PARKING SPOT, there was this beautiful little girl! So, not only did this guy take my spot, was sitting there smoking, he even was forcing a beautiful little girl to have to experience his second-hand smoke! THEN, as I'm trying to figure out which cranky face to show him, I notice that there is no handicap sign hanging from his mirror! The nerve! But, I then realized that maybe he had a handicapped license plate. So, as I'm dragging my crap up the slight incline, looking at this GIANT SMOKING GUY SIT IN MY FAVORITE PARKING SPACE WITH A LITTLE GIRL IN THE BACK SEAT, I take a quick peek at his license plate, and GUESS WHAT?? NO HANDICAP LICENSE PLATE!! I completely lost it! I wave my arm in Vanna White fashion, from the mirror to the license plate, look at his smoking face as he sits in his running diesel truck with a pretty little girl in his back seat and yell, "WHERE'S YOUR HANDICAP SIGN?!?" He looks down on me, takes a big drag on his cigarette and yells.."IT'S ON THE DAMN DASHBOARD!!" How was I suppose to know that? I could barely see the front window, let alone the stinking dashboard!! But, not to be one to admit that she's wrong, I gave him a dirty look and rolled into the store. It then dawned on me that I just yelled at a GIANT MAN IN A GIANT TRUCK ABOUT NOT HAVING A HANDICAP SIGN WHEN HE ACTUALLY HAD A HANDICAP SIGN, BUT I WAS JUST TOO STINKING SHORT TO SEE IT!! So, I start worrying about whether I should go out and apologize or hide in the store until he leaves. I ended up staying in the store for about 30 minutes buying a bunch of stuff I didn't need, just to make sure he was gone. Thinking back on it, I'm absolutely shocked that he didn't hop out of the giant truck and slug me!!

Sometimes I wonder how I've lived this long....
Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

Horse Thieves!! Actually, THIEVING HORSES!!

2010-05-20T15:17:00.000-07:00

Last night Rod went over to do the nightly chore of giving the horses a coffee can of feed, filling their water containers, brushing them, talking to them and just generally checking them out to see how they're doing. Imagine his surprise when he goes to the stall where the horse feed is stored in giant garbage cans, and discovers this:

and this:

When he walked outside he found this:

and finally, this!

Evidently, the horses decided they needed a little snack! So, one of them (probably Dude because Doc has a weak lower lip from when he contracted the West Nile Virus several years ago.) reached over the stall door (Doc is demonstrating)

and unhooked this latch!

Once the door was open, they went on into the stall, teased the lids off the garbage cans and started to have quite a feast of sweet feed! Rod figures by the time their binge was over, they ate at least 15 pounds of feed! Now, that's not enough to hurt them, but it is enough to fill them up, give them a little gas and stay very busy in the field (if you know what I mean!)

When I went over to the barn tonight to take pictures of the "crime" Doc,

yes, you, Doc, was very busy making lots of noise and...well...let's just say that it's a good thing we don't have "smell-a-vision" here in the blog world!

I must say that Dude looks very satisfied and VERY FULL!!

OK, I need to get moving so I can get my Flolan mixed and switched for the night.

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

We went on a safari in Nebraska!!

2010-05-18T08:17:00.000-07:00

Nick had an odd situation...he actually had the whole weekend off from work! So, he and Kara wanted to do something with Rod and I to celebrate my birthday. Being "A Markin, " our usual routine for celebrating birthdays is to go out to eat! (Markin + eating= normal routine!) I decided that I wanted to throw a wrench into things and spit in the eye of tradition and do something totally different!! My first thought was, instead of going out to dinner, we would just go straight to the Dairy Queen and get a Blizzard! But, I knew that wouldn't take up an entire day, so I thought maybe we could go to the new exhibit at the zoo, or something along those lines. My suggestion was received with comments and looks that basically said, "Mom, are you nuts? You have Pulmonary Hypertension AND Addison's! You can't walk all over the zoo! You won't let us wheel you around in you a wheelchair if you get tired, so, it's not really going to be much of a fun celebration having you get really tired and very short of breath! Plus, when you get tired, you get cranky, and when you get cranky, the whole mood becomes ugly!!" (Isn't it amazing how I can imagine entire conversations without anyone uttering one word?) But, Nick and Kara had their own idea! I had completely forgot about the Wildlife Safari that is just a few miles outside of Omaha. It's called the "Simmons Wildlife Safari." It is a 440 acre sight in an area called the "Platte River hill country." There is a 4 mile road that you drive your own car on as you go around the park, coming face-to-face with a variety of animals including buffalo, deer, elk, antelope and a huge variety of birds!

Nick is showing me the snacks and wildlife books that he has packed for our safari! If you look hard you can also see Rod and Kara in the car.

There was an entire herd of these "horny little devils" just walking next to our car!

OK, all of you city people!! Do you know what this bird is???

Look at this poor, scrawny little Bambi! It's very obvious that this guy is not a
Markin!!

Here's another quiz for you city slickers...what are these birds? Here's a hint...they are NOT swans!!

I'm afraid that I'm going to ruin a possible trip for some of you that may want to go to the safari park by showing you everything. So, here's probably the coolest and the largest animal we saw in the park!

These guys were just a couple of feet away from the car!

There were many other animals, birds, turtles and such that we saw. But, although we didn't get a picture of it, we all agreed that Rod was mostly impressed with the....
PORT-A-POTTY! After he "visited" the "honey hotel" he commented to us that "Whoever designed those facilities were really using their heads! Everything is made from molded plastic, with great ventilation..." Yes, I did start to tune him out and am not really sure how his "praise to the potty" ended...sorry.

Although this is not a picture of the ACTUAL port-a-potty, I felt that having a visual as you reread Rod's "praise to the potty" would be helpful.

I had a fantastic 54th birthday! Thanks to all who sent beautiful flowers, cards, emails, phone calls and songs! I'm such a lucky, lucky woman. Thank you God for blessing me with another year and such amazing family and friends.

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette
The Old (and proud of it!) woman!

Happy Monday!

2010-05-17T14:54:00.000-07:00

I hope you all had a nice weekend. When I was teaching, I often wondered if weekends
would be no different than weekdays when I "retired" from the job. The end of this school year will mark 5 years of being "retired." And, for the most part, the weekends are quite a bit different than the weekdays. There are those times though, when it's hard to tell the difference between the two. Don't get me wrong, I like my weekends AND I like my weekdays, but, I would much rather be back in the classroom, teaching first graders and having daily interaction with other "2 legged individuals!"

Yes, boys, I'm talking about you! (And, yes, Asa is carrying around a piece of firewood....you never know when you might need a nice piece of firewood...)

Saturday really didn't "feel" much different than a regular weekday. My dear sweet husband had a morning workout and then had a meeting ( I know, I told him it was Saturday...but...), then when he got home, he headed outside to mow the yard. We have a large yard, and it takes several hours to finish. So, it was really like Rod being at work all day. Please do not interpret any of these comments as whining, because they are not! I'm so glad that Rod goes to these workout sessions. It is one of the very, very few things that he does just for himself. Plus, with his workload, it's a great stress-reliever. I am frustrated though, that I can't help him with the yard. Mowing the yard was one of my many household "chores" before I got sick. As a matter of fact, I mowed for two summers after I was diagnosed (don't be too impressed, they are riding mowers!) But, it became frustrating because after 20 minutes or so, I'd get real sleepy and kind of fall asleep while I was driving the mower! Sometimes, we are really slow in the Markin household and we didn't realize what was going on. I wasn't on oxygen yet, and it didn't even dawn on us that all of the bumping and jerking while driving the lawn mower, was knocking the air around and I was actually "de-satting" which means my oxygen levels would decrease and I was kind of passing out! After I started on the O2, I did take another stab at mowing. I did better, but, I really didn't feel good at all. So, we decided that that chore was to be taken off my list...permanently. Rod did buy a new mower this year, though. I'm seriously thinking of doing another "experiment." I'd love to be able to help out my guy. So, we'll see.

Anyway, because Saturday felt like a weekday, I decided to head on out to a chick flick. So.....

MOVIE REVIEW TIME!!!

I decided to go see, "Letters to Juliet" with Amanda Seyfried.

It was an absolutely adorable "romantic drama" that would be about the best example of a "chick flick" I have ever seen! Amanda Seyfried is absolutely adorable as a "fact finder" for the "New Yorker" magazine who heads off to Italy with her fiance for a pre-wedding honeymoon. As her fiance heads off on his own to do some work regarding his soon to be opened restaurant in New York, Sophie (played by Amanda Seyfriend) gets in the middle of a decades old tradition related to woman writing letters to Juliet Capulet (as in Romeo and Juliet) asking for her help with a love interest. Some would call this movie "predictable" and "sentimental" but, I would then ask them what they thought they were going to see? Were they expecting a blood-bath with machine guns and rocket launchers? I don't think so!

Anyway, I give it 8 puppy paws up, if you like this type of movie!

Oh my, this post is turning into quite a novel!! I think I'll tell you about my exciting Sunday adventures when I post tomorrow. Just to tweak your interest, I'll tell you it has something to do with buffalo, sandhill cranes, outhouses and celebrating my birthday with Rod, Nick and Kara.

Before I go, I'd like to thank all of you for your cards, notes and well-wishes on this, my 54th birthday!! It's hard to believe that when I was 48 years old, I was diagnosed with a rare disease that was suppose to "do me in" by the time I turned 53. Hah!! I showed them!! Those goofy doctors, they just didn't know how stubborn I really am!!

I'll see you tomorrow.
Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

I'M BACK!!!!!!

2010-05-14T07:14:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for your patience with my little "blog vacation." I needed a break from "the outside world" as strange as that sounds. I think fighting whatever bug I have/had (still not sure if I'm over it, but I'm really tired of giving it so much power!) stole a bit of my "drive." The last few weeks I seemed to be completely satisfied with sitting on the couch, watching mindless television and being completely unproductive.

I'm sure that the weather hasn't helped any. I heard someone coin the phrase "Nebraska now has a 5th season...it's called 'SPRINTER!'" Winter really didn't want to give up it's place in the seasonal cycle, while spring was fighting to retake it's rightful spot! I was still wearing my "winter sloppy clothes" up until yesterday! But, today it's suppose to be around 70 degrees and sunny! To celebrate I put on my pink "spring sloppy clothes!"

So, enough whining!! It's time to get back to work!!

I have a couple of updates...

Family Update:
Mother's Day was especially nice this year! Chris sent me flowers that were delivered on Saturday. He was so pleased with himself that he remembered, he wrote "Happy Surprise Mother's Day!" We haven't decided who was more surprised, he or I!

On Sunday, Rod and I got up a bit early so we could go to breakfast before church, hoping the beat the crowds. It worked! After breakfast, we headed over to church where getting up early started creeping into my eyelids. I made Rod promise to poke me if I started to snore or drool! Thankfully he didn't have to do either one! After a significant nap, Rod and I headed over to Kara's folk's house for a delicious Mother's Day dinner with Kara's mom, dad, brother, sister, sister's boyfriend, AND Nick and Kara! I know I've said this before, but, when Nick hit the jackpot by marrying Kara, we also hit the jackpot by "marrying" her fabulous family! Chris even called while we were eating dinner, so, it was almost like having him there with us.

Jeane provided us with our lovely crowns!

Doggie Update

On Tuesday, I did some exciting errands, including stopping at Target to buy some new pillows. I found a couple of very cute and, supposedly durable, dog toys! It was cold and rainy again yesterday, so I decided to break out the "NEW AND EXCITING SQUEAKY DUCK TOYS!!"

Haver, being Haver, decided it was something to lick his chompers for!

While Asa, being Asa, was not really sure what to do with his "NEW AND EXCITING SQUEAKY DUCK TOY!"

Eventually, Haver completely gutted his duck and Asa actually carried his around for a little while. Progress!!

Well, I have much more to share, but I need to get ready to head to a doctor's appointment. Thanks again for your patience and for hanging with me. I'm back for good now!!

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.

Annette

Please know, I'm fine and dandy....just taking a break...

2010-05-08T19:34:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling lots better and am so sorry to be gone for so long....I promise to be back very soon with some great stories and pictures....

Thanks for checking in.
Annette

Friday night and we're having a small thunderstorm....

2010-04-23T17:41:00.000-07:00

I did not realize that Asa and Haver hated thunder so much!

Haver is actually sitting on Rod's head!

Asa is trying to pay off Haver so he can get the "safe seat!"

Before the storm rolled in, I went outside and walked around looking at how beautiful the spring trees are!

Doc and Dude are in serious need of some big-time brushing!

This afternoon I decided to go see a "chick-flick" since there are no new "macho-movies" coming out this weekend. I saw "The Backup Plan" with Jennifer Lopez.

I absolutely love Jennifer Lopez and I absolutely loved this movie! It is the perfect "romantic comedy." I would highly recommend it, giving it 8 puppy paws up!

Well, I think that's about it. Oh, wait! I wanted to share some potential good news (I'm crossing my fingers and hoping I'm not jinxing this!). Rod decided that I should try another round of antibiotics and, after 4 days, I think I'm finally feeling better! So, keep your fingers crossed!

OK, that's it for today.

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

It's been a tough week...

2010-04-17T21:49:00.000-07:00

It seems like I've developed a bit of a bad habit with this blog...Things are fine for a while, I'm able to share some nice, positive updates and then I get bogged down with a bug of some sort, go MIA for a while, come back and apologize (and whine a bit) which then usually seems to help me either kick the bug,or, at least not care about it as much, and then get back into a pretty good blogging schedule.

Well, I'm here to tell you that the pattern is now repeating...again.

The "mysterious" bug that is giving me muscle and joint aches, reduced appetite and a low-grade fever has returned again with a vengeance. I've been laying low at home for most of this last week.

But, the roughest part of the week has been the death of a dear friend of our family. Mary was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008. She was a single mom with three grown children and a 12 year old daughter. Mary was a very successful and busy career woman. She was determined that her diagnosis would not slow her down or interfere with the lives of her family. The disease became horrendously aggressive and even though it had traveled to every part of her body, she continued to work. But, on the Monday after Easter Sunday, she began to have significant shortness of breath. It was discovered that her lungs were full of tumors. By Wednesday, April 15th, she passed away. Rod was with Mary and her family the entire day. He did not want me come to visit her because of the terrible downturn she took and the significant difficulty she was having with her breathing. My dear, sweet, loving husband said, "Annette, she is dying a pulmonary death and I don't want you to see that." And there I was, asking him not to go back because I didn't want him to witness a pulmonary death. It seemed so selfish to think of my potential future and not wanting to witness it, but, I certainly didn't want my dear, sweet, beloved husband to have to see it...does that make sense?

Mary passed away Wednesday afternoon at 3:30 pm. She was a 58 year old daughter, sister, mother, aunt, cousin and friend. Rod spoke at wake that was held on Friday night and a beautiful funeral and celebration of her life was held on Saturday.

Please pray for Mary's family as they face life without their beloved mother, sister, daughter, aunt, cousin and friend.

I hope that whatever this stupid bug is, it will take a long, long vacation!

OK, time to head to bed.

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Thanks for putting up with my frustrating "blog pattern."

Annette

Happy Sunday!

2010-04-11T10:08:00.000-07:00

It is sunny, warm (high 60's), calm winds, the trees are budding and the birds are singing! This is why I live in Nebraska!!

I love going outside on days like this with Asa and Haver. I know I've mentioned this before, but we really have some strange, strange dogs! Evidently they've found a way to scratch their own backs!

Well, there's really not much going on today. I just thought I'd stop by, say hello and share a little Nebraska springtime with you.

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

I hope you all had a happy Easter!

2010-04-06T10:21:00.000-07:00

We had one of the best Easters we've had in a long time! Rod and I decided to have Easter at our home this year and we were thrilled that almost everyone was able to come! When Rod's mom and dad were alive, we would split the three big holidays three ways...Thanksgiving was at Rod's brother's house, Christmas was at our house and Easter was at Rod's mom and dad's house. My family (mom and dad, my sister and her girls) was always included so that we didn't have to do the typical "dinner dance" from house to house.

So, we had Nick, Kara, Chris, Kara's family (except for her sister), Rod's brother's family and my sister, Kathleen and her girls Maggie and Katie, along with Katie's boyfriend Aaron and Rod and myself for a total of 17. We set up three big tables in our greenhouse and Chris set the table with Rod's mom's special dishes. We added fresh flowers, jelly beans and chocolate eggs for a great "ambiance!"

Rod cooked the main dish, with Kara's mom (who is a delicious cook!) brought several side dishes and Rod's brother brought the pies!

Katie and Aaron

Maggie

Kara's Parents

We didn't have any little kids to have an Easter egg hunt for, so we decided to bring back the special Easter egg hunt that Bud, Rod's dad did with us every year. We hid a plastic egg for each person with their name on it and a $5.00 bill hidden inside each egg. It was a big hit!

Nick and Kara and their find!

Kara's mom and Kara's "little" brother, Pete!

Chris..in a rare moment where he is actually behaving himself!

To make the day even better, Asa and Haver were extremely well behaved!

Haver

Asa with Haver trying to tie the chicken head on Asa's head...or Haver trying to chew off the chicken head and probably Asa's head as well!

I wore myself out and ended up sleeping most of yesterday. But, I'm feeling pretty good today. That is really fast turn-around for a person with PH, isn't it PHriends?!? :)
Plus, it was totally worth it.

Thanks so much for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

Happy Monday!

2010-03-29T09:05:00.000-07:00

It is so beautiful in Omaha today! The sun is shining AND the temperatures are are in the 60's!! Life is good!

Life is good, but, the stupid bug is still hiding somewhere in my body. I decided last night that I was going to have to just do my best to ignore it. I mean, for crying out loud...I've been fighting one kind of bug or another for over 2 months. I'll go several days without a fever and then...WHAM! It hits again. So, that's it. I'm going to ignore it as much as possible. Sticking my head in the sand is a skill I'm sure I can master without much trouble.

It has been kind of busy and lots of fun around the Markin household the last couple of weeks!

On Wednesday, March 24th, Rod and I went to the traveling Cirque De Soleil show, "Alegria!" What an incredible show! Rod saw the Cirque De Soleil show, "The Beatles" when he was in Las Vegas for a meeting. When he heard that the traveling troupe was coming to Omaha, he convinced me that we needed to go. I'm so glad that we went! If you've not been to one of these shows, I think the easiest way to explain it is to simple call it a circus on steroids!

The local paper included this guy in a story about the show, calling him "An Adonis!" I think that sums it up pretty well!

What can I say...this guy is HOT!!

These girls sometimes looked like they removed their heads, replacing them on various parts of their bodies! It was a bit creepy!

When buying our tickets, I noticed the handicap symbol under the "ticket choices" section. I had no idea that it was possible to request special seating! It worked perfectly! We were able to park (for free!) in the parking garage attached to the Qwest Center where the show was being held. That parking spot opened directly to the floor where our seats were located, making it a very short walk. I told Rod that if we could get seats and parking situations like that all of the time, I'd be more than happy to go to more shows!

On Friday night we went out to dinner with Kara's parents! They are such wonderful people. We ALL hit the jackpot when Nick and Kara fell in love!

On Saturday I had lunch with a bunch of girlfriends from high school! Three of us live in Lincoln, two of us live in Omaha and one of "the girls" lives in Wisconsin. Debbie (from Wisconsin) was in town for the weekend, which gave the 6 of us a chance to get together and catch up!

Before I finish this post, I wanted to quickly give you an "opinion" on the two books that I didn't get a chance to discuss in the last post.

"Left to Tell" is a story of courage and faith. It is one that will leave you breathless with sadness, but also filled with hope when you witness the power of one woman's love of God. This book was written by Immaculee Ilibagiza, who is a survivor of the Rwandan Holocaust.

I will tell you that this was a tough book to read. But, the hope, faith and love of God that Immaculee embodies, balances the horror she experienced.
I would recommend this book...8 puppy paws up!

"The Last Surgeon" is Michael Palmer's latest medical suspense novels.. and it is a very, very good read! It has enough twists and turns to keep you interested, but not too long so you can read it in just a couple of weeks.

Once again, 8 puppy paws up!!

As you can see, I started this post yesterday (on Monday the 29th...it's now Tuesday the 30th)! I think I'm going to end things now and get this published before another dog needs attention or another nap successfully calls my name!!

Thanks for checking in!
Thanks for reading.
Annette

Please read the following sentence with serious sarcasm...

2010-03-21T16:31:00.000-07:00

My dear, beloved husband, Rod, thank you so very, very much for giving me your miserable cold. I was just starting to feel good and I was beginning to feel that I was just about recovered from the 8 week sinus bug. But, now, thanks to your generosity, I won't have to worry about where to put that large bottle of Tylenol. Thank you. I love you.

If you know me, you know that I'm not really grumpy at Rod or am blaming him for "giving" me this cold. Honestly, I'm not even worried about it. Rod and I think there's something in the Flolan that helps me fight cold bugs pretty easily. So, I'm sure I will have this bug kicked very soon.

In the meantime, it warmed up to 45 degrees here in Omaha today. To celebrate I went outside with the "boys" and grabbed a couple of pictures of them.

Haver is showing off his "svelte" winter body. Notice the lovely shape he's in after a Nebraska winter of eating and sleeping. (And, no, I'm not going to take and show a picture of MY lovely winter body!)

Asa, on the other hand, didn't develop quite the same "lovely" body as his brother this winter. My guess is, being chased and chewed on by his big bully brother burns a few more calories.

Haver absolutely LOVES this toy! He wanted to bring it inside last week, but, it was covered in horse manure and I really wasn't interested in having that particular scent looming in the house! As you can tell, it's quite clean now. I don't even want to think about what he did to clean it off!! (lick...lick...lick....)

I tried to get another picture of Asa, but he was too wound up to stay put long enough for me to get another shot of him. Oh, to be a dog and have so many smells to smell after a long winter!

OK, time for Tylenol.

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

It is snowing again!!!

2010-03-19T14:57:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the first day of spring and today we are under a "Winter Weather Advisory" with a 3 inch snowfall predicted to fall tonight. I know, three inches doesn't sound like much. But, when we had 88 consecutive days of 1 inch or more of snow on the ground and just finished two full weeks without the sun, it's just about enough to make a person grumpy!!

My poor, dear, sweet husband is fighting off a tough cold, so there will be no "date night" tonight. We almost always go to the movies on Friday nights. But, we had a better offer for tonight that I actually had to turn down because of Rod's bug! Kara's parents invited Rod and I to dinner tonight. We were bummed in not being able to go out with this fabulous couple. But, if they could see how miserable Rod is feeling, they'd be thanking us for not infecting them!

When I had lunch with "Aunt Patsy" she told me about a book that she recently finished. She really liked it and I was surprised to find out it was one that I had "reviewed" here on this blog! It dawned on me that I haven't given a book review on this blog for a while. So, since there is no movie and/or very exciting "date night" to share with you, I'll share a couple of "good reads" instead!

"Saving Graces" was a book I read for one of my book groups. This is a perfect example of a book I wouldn't normally pick up to read. But, because of the book group, I was introduced to a great author and had an opportunity to read a fabulous book!

This story is about the lives of 4 friends who have so little in common. They are different ages, come from different backgrounds and are living very different lives. But, like many true friendships, the differences don't really matter. The women call themselves "The Saving Graces" after a mutt of a dog that they accidentally hit with their car and then later rescued. I'm afraid of telling too much of the story, so I'm going to stop with that and just tell you that I HIGHLY recommend this book about 4 strong women and their amazing bond!
8 puppy paws up!

"Cutting for Stone" was an incredible (and very long, but very worthwhile read) book that came to me via the US mail!

During one of our cruises, Rod and I met some wonderful, wonderful people from California. We all hit it off, feeling like we were life-long friends! Barbara, like me, is an avid reader. She fell in love with this book and thought I'd really like it also. Boy oh boy, was she ever correct! This is another book that I would have never EVER picked up to read. First, I would have been put off by the size of the book...it is really long, but, really worth the time. I also would not have been too keen on the book because the title made no sense!
Let me tell you a little bit about this book, so maybe you can understand why this big book with a strange title struck a chord with a woman in California and a woman in Nebraska!
The book is set in Ethiopia and tells the story of twin brothers born to an Indian nun and fathered by a British surgeon. A large part of the story takes place in the mission hospital where the nun, surgeon and many other "interesting characters" live. All of their lives are disrupted as Ethiopia hovers on the brink of revolution. It is so difficult to give a decent summary of a book that includes, love, loss, war, politics, medicine and even autism! You really need to carve some time out of your busy life and read this book.
Definitely, 8 puppy paws up!!!

Well, CRAP!!! It's getting close to 9:00 which means I need to mix my Flolan. I still have two other books I want to tell you about. I think instead of saving this post so I can include two more book reviews, I will just go ahead and share this much tonight. Hopefully tomorrow I'll get my butt in gear and let you know about "Left to Tell" and "The Last Surgeon."

It has taken me a while to type this post tonight because I took a break about half-way through the post. Since Rod isn't feeling well, I decided to be the "VERY WONDERFUL WIFE" and drive up to Dairy Queen to get my poor husband a Blizzard. We all know that all ills can be healed by a Blizzard!! And, yes, while I was there, I got one for myself...yum.....

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

Happy Wednesday!

2010-03-17T19:00:00.000-07:00

I need to get my rear end into the kitchen and mix my Flolan. But, I realized I hadn't posted for a couple of days and I decided to plop down on my "nest" (that's what Rod calls my spot in the family room...comfy couch, remote control, knitting and computer and a bottle of H2O!)and send a quick note. Three semi-big things over the last couple of days...
1. I got my hair cut yesterday!

I haven't had my hair cut since Nick and Kara's wedding (which was in August), so you can imagine how much I looked like Asa and Haver!

2. I had lunch today with a wonderful friend named Pat (I LOVE to call her Aunt Patsy...just to drive her nuts!).

3. I have not had a fever in TWO days!! ( I did have a slight one on Monday...crap!)
I have two days of antibiotics left. I think I'm going to call the doctor tomorrow and see if I can get one more week's worth. I really, really, really think I've just about kicked this stupid virus! (But keep your fingers crossed and send a little prayer that I don't get my beloved husband's cold that he came down with this weekend. Poor guy...)

I know, it's not very exciting, but, Patsy (I love you Aunt Patsy! :)) made me promise that I would do a better job of posting, so here I am.

It actually got up to 50 degrees today AND....THE SUN SHOWED IT'S BEAUTIFUL FACE!! This was the first time we've had the sun in over two weeks! Tomorrow is suppose to be 60 and sunny! I'm so excited to sit outside and play with my pups!!

Anyway, that's it.

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.

Annette

I LOVE the antibiotic, CEFTIN!!!!

2010-03-14T19:04:00.000-07:00

I went to an excellent Family Practice doctor last week. After more tests, he decided to put me on the antibiotic, Ceftin! I have now gone three consecutive days without even a HINT of a fever!! Yahoo!!

Haver felt he needed to give me a congratulatory smooch!

I decided to buy myself some daffodils to celebrate!!

That's it for today. I think I'm back in the game!!

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.

Annette

Random Thoughts

2010-03-08T19:17:00.000-08:00

I'm really glad that I recorded the "good day" last
Friday because I haven't really had another one since. I'm not whining, I'm just observing. One of the most frustrating aspects of being diagnosed with a disease like Pulmonary Hypertension, is that many times the symptoms are very subjective...based a lot on how you feel, but are not things that you can actually document. Sure, several of the symptoms are easy to document, like low oxygen levels, rapid heart rate, elevated pulmonary pressures (of course, that can only be done in a medical setting), etc. But, there aren't machines or tools that can document how tired you feel, when you're light-headed, when you have achy muscles or even feeling short of breath. The lack of tools to document these feelings/symptoms have left many of us without a diagnosis and sometimes, even accusations of being depressed or "faking it." Unfortunately many people with PH were delayed in getting a diagnosis and treatment, sometimes for YEARS because of these subjective symptoms.

When I was diagnosed, I discovered the fabulous Pulmonary Hypertension Association and their website, http:///www.phassociation.org where I actually found other people who were feeling like me and going through the same frustrations. It was life changing to have these subjective symptoms validated by others, people just like me!

Even though I've been doing the "PH Dance" for over 5 years, I still forget that when I feel like crap, I actually do feel like crap and am not making it up, feeling sorry for myself or milking the situation for attention or sympathy.

So, when I decided to post about my "good day" I was actually helping me deal with the "not so good days" and remember that it's not me, it's the disease...
I'm not sure this is going to make any sense to you, my dear reader, but, to quote the infamous Dr. Rod Markin,

"It is what it is."

Given all of that, I have now decided that my favorite part of the day is bedtime. Yes, it's partly due to the actually "getting to go to sleep time." But, for me, it's really about finally losing the pressure of feeling like I need to push myself to feel better so I can actually get something done. When it's the end of the day, all expectations for getting anything else done for the day are gone....pressures off.

"Hello Father God. I love you so much. Thank you for giving me "bedtime" so I can rest, recharge for tomorrow and have the pressure of feeling that I have to accomplish something today taken off my shoulders for the night. Thank you also for always giving me hope that tomorrow will be a better day.

Thank you so much for checking in.
Thank for so much for reading.
Thank you so much for your hope and prayers for all of us to have a good day tomorrow.
Annette

A quick post...

2010-03-05T20:32:00.000-08:00

I wanted to share the fact that today, I actually had a "good day!" Now, I know that doesn't sound like a newsworthy piece of information. But, given how crappy I've felt off and on during this last month, I just wanted to write this down to remember that I actually had a good day! I'm planning on having a lot more good days. But, I need to have this recorded in black and white so when I have another "bad day" I'll know that all is not lost and that I will many more "good days!" So here is why today was a GOOD DAY! I went all day without a fever, I went all day without a nose bleed and I went all day and only needed a 20 minute nap instead of a 2 hour nap! I also got out of the house and did a couple of errands. Rod and I went to a movie tonight and I came home with enough energy to mix my own meds. And, when it was time to go to bed I was able to change into my pajamas without experiencing significant pain and with enough energy to do the job without having to take a rest from the beginning and end.

There was one bleak spot though' today. I bought my signature REECES PEANUT BUTTER CUP BLIZZARD and it didn't taste good....what a cruel, cruel experience. I'll have to try again soon...I wont' that little blip interfere with my "required medical treatment!"

Alright, it's way past my bedtime.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

Hello again.

2010-03-04T17:47:00.001-08:00

I don't really have a lot to share tonight, at least anything very exciting. Plus, I'm really tired, achy and feeling a bit lazy. So, I thought I'd show you a couple pictures of "the boys" that I took today.

Asa is saying, "I love you, Mom!"

This is Haver's favorite toy!

Look how far these guys have come! They are actually playing together!!

Nothing to worry about! They're still playing! See how Asa's holding onto the ball?

See? Here's proof, Asa is perfectly happy and doing a nice job of posing for the camera!

OK, I am really calling it quits for tonight.

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for hanging in with me.
Thanks for reading.

Annette

Hello. I know you may not remember me, but my name is Annette Markin...

2010-03-01T14:26:00.000-08:00

I am an old woman who lives in Omaha, NE. I have been fighting a sinus infection/bug for a little over a month now. I've been waiting to get the results of a CT scan of my sinuses and "sample" from my nasal passageway. (That is close to the most disgusting thing I have ever written!) Well, I just got off the phone with the doctor and I've decided to officially change my name to FRUSTRATED!! I know I should be happy with the results of, "Clear CT scan" and "No bacteria growth in sample." I should also be happy with, "There is no reason to put you on antibiotics, especially since it will really mess with your coumadin." It's just that the following phrase put my very patient, mild-mannered personality into a tailspin..."It's just a virus..." How many of you have put up with some kind of a bug, hoping for some medicine to make it go away, but get smacked with the words, "It's a virus" and know the bug has won and will stay as long as it wants to? I've tried to behave, eating healthy, going to bed early, drinking lots of fluids. But, "Mrs. Doormat" is gone!! I'm off to the Dairy Queen to get a LARGE BLIZZARD!!!

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
I'm back and I'm eating ice cream!
Annette

OK, I surrender! I'm sick and tired of this CRAP!!

2010-02-18T16:56:00.000-08:00

I'm thinking that this sinus infection has decided to take permanent residency. I'm thinking I need to go and get it a "Green Card!" Ha-ha! Get it? Yeah, I know, that's gross. But, right now that's about all I've got left in my repertoire!

We've broken a record in Omaha for the longest time ever having at least an inch of snow on the ground. Today we are at a record-breaking 74 days. But, as the weather-people so kindly point out, we've had at least 5-6 inches of snow for that time frame, forget the wimpy 1 inch stuff!

We've also had a record-breaking amount of snow this season. Last year, at this point, we had 16.5 inches. The average is 18.6 inches of snow for the season. So far, this year, we are sitting at 45.9 inches of snow!! I really, really need to have someone explain this "Global Warming" thingie to me because it's just not making much sense.

The temperatures are also refusing to be ignored! We've recorded below normal temperatures (anywhere from 5-15 degrees below normal!)all this season!

Oh, and did I mention that we're suppose to get another 2-3 inches of snow tonight and another 2-3 inches of snow on Sunday night? Nebraska weather....maybe it's Alaska weather....maybe I somehow got tele-ported to Alaska when I wasn't watching....

OK, sorry that this is such a boring and whiny post. I figured I better post something and this is as good as I can do tonight.
Sorry.

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

Just a quick update...

2010-02-10T20:15:00.000-08:00

I went to an ENT specialist. I told her that I've been having nose bleeds, sinus headaches and low grade fevers off and on for two weeks and that I feel like crap. She looked things over and said that, at the least, I have a sinus infection. She gave me antibiotics for two weeks. If things aren't then better, I need to go in for a C.T. scan because she really thinks that I have some kind of chronic sinus infection. So' keep your fingers crossed.
thanks
thanks for checking in
thanks for reading
love
annete
the absentee blogger

I'm here, just another bug....

2010-01-25T11:43:00.000-08:00

Sorry that I've been gone again. I've been fighting a bug off and on this week. It's nothing major, just enough to make me drag my butt and leave me completely unmotivated.

I just thought I'd let you know.

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.

Annette

My house has been invaded!!

2010-01-19T18:49:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, someone from the Pulmonary Hypertension Association in Maryland called to see if I would be willing to fly to San Francisco at the end of January to talk about living with pulmonary hypertension to a group from one of the big drug companies. We discussed how flying has become a somewhat difficult endeavor for me. But, if it was really an important thing to do that would end up helping these people understand this disease and what it was like living with it day to day, I would certainly consider. Well, I never heard anything else about it and assumed that PHA either found someone else to speak, or just scrapped the project all together. Then, I get a phone call on Saturday night. It was decided that instead of having PH patients fly around the country, it would make more sense to fly a film crew to the PH patient. So, if I was still interested in helping, would I be willing to have a film crew come to my house on Tuesday morning....(Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday...)My first thought was, "Crap! That's 4 days away! I can't possibly lose 20 pounds in 4 days!" My second thought was, "Crap! Film adds like 5-10 pounds! If I agree to do this, it's going to look like they interviewed the Pillsbury Dough Girl for the piece!" Finally, my third thought was, "If it will help the drug companies put a face to the disease and to the drugs that they are distributing and developing then I should probably do it."

So, here we are. They are actually videotaping me right now as I'm typing this. Wow...this is really strange. So, there are like 5 grown men in my house with all kinds of lights, cameras, etc. They just asked, "Can I hear typing now please?"
Now they just asked me to laugh a little while I'm typing. I'm not so sure that's a good idea...is that suppose to mean that I get a kick out of own writing, or am I so pathetic I laugh to myself when I'm by myself?

We had to stop filming early because of "interference from background noises." The problem was, Haver was sleeping and began snoring so loudly that the equipment was picking it up!

OK, they're finished, I've taken a nap and now I figured I'd finish this post. So, yes, I must say the highlight of the experience was when we had to sop filming because my fat dog has sleep apnea! Probably the second favorite, or maybe most memorable part of the day was when the director decided he would like to finish with me sitting on the couch, calling for Asa and Haver and them running to me. I told him that it wasn't such a good idea. I reminded him that they were on Prozac and I had kept them locked i different bedrooms for a reason. I also reminded him that they were not really petite and that there was a lot of expensive equipment in the room. But, the producer guy said it would be OK. So, I got the boys and the producer held them both by their collars. I sat down on the couch...so far...so good. He said, "Action!" I call, "Asa, Haver, come and see me!" Haver comes running (OK, more like lumbering, or maybe waddling) over and sits right down in front of me! I was so proud! Asa, on the other hand, took one look at Haver sitting next to me, started his "possessed dog" growling and runs to the front door! ARG!! We spent several minutes trying to get Asa to come in and sit down without much luck. Eventually one of the camera guys grabbed Asa by the collar and drug him over by me. He did actually sit for a second, then turned his head and saw Haver and...you guessed it! He growled like the nutball that he is and took off for the door.

"And, cut! I think we're good for the day!"

It was really a very positive experience and I hope that it helps the drug reps understand how important it is to keep working on improving PH drugs.

OK, I'm really pooped! I need to go mix and switch and go to bed.

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.

Annette

Sorry about being gone for a couple of days....I got bit by a bug!

2010-01-16T15:23:00.000-08:00

Not a "bad bug," but enough of a bug to give me a low-grade fever, headache and give me an excuse to be even lazier than normal! (And, yes, Jen and Lisa, I did have a Reece's Peanut Buttercup Blizzard to celebrate when I was deemed "bug-free!") I also had my blood checked on Thursday and it went from being "too thin" to being "too thick" (yes, I realize that the blood now matches my brain...too thick! Ha...ha...ha...). It was 6.5 and on Thursday it was 1.4. We'll get it figured out. At least I don't have to run away from Haver's toenails!

Along with all of you, I've been following the horrendous situation unravel in Haiti. There are no words to convey the sadness and heartache that comes with seeing the pictures and hearing the cries... I have no idea what I can write about this tragedy that would be helpful, insightful or meaningful. The only thing I know that I can do is pray and to look for reminders that God is with the Haitian people just like he is always with us. I found reminders of His presence outside this morning.

I certainly found it when I looked at the pictures I took of my friend's baby, Savannah, wearing the hat that I knitted for her...

And, yes, I could even see God's presence and His love while I watched Asa protect Rod's boot and Haver "relax."

As a matter of fact, after looking at Haver's picture again, I would have to say that God also has a very good sense of humor!

The last few years while I was teaching first grade at Black Elk Elementary, our principal would write a newsletter that he sent to all of the families. At the end of every newsletter he would remind parents to "Hug your children." I think those are excellent words of wisdom when you go to bed tonight and realize how lucky we are to live in the United States.

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.

Annette

The temperature is finally going up, unfortunately so is my INR level! CRAP!

2010-01-11T13:25:00.000-08:00

Finally, for the first time in weeks, the temperature has risen to the double digits ABOVE zero!! Yahoo!! So, I took advantage of Mother Nature's kindness and left the house to do exciting things! I #1.went to the post office to mail (FINALLY mail) our Christmas letters,#2. stopped at the bank (no, I didn't go back to the branch where "The Female Dog Teller" works, #3. stopped to get my blood drawn to check my INR ( a blood test to check on how well my blood is clotting), #4. stopped at a different post office to pick up the mail that they have been holding for us because the snow plows took out our mailbox during the last storm, #5. stopped at the bookstore just because I LOVE the bookstore, #6. stopped at the pharmacy to pick up a refill on a prescription AND #7. stopped at Hobby Lobby to get some better yarn to use in making this latest prayer shawl I'm working on. (The yarn I was working on was really cheap crap and was completely sucking all of the moisture out of my fingertips.)

The only downer to all of this was the phone call I received from the doctor's office. People that have pulmonary hypertension have a tendency to develop blood clots. Plus, having a central line increases those chances. So, I've been on a blood thinner since I was diagnosed. The doctor likes to have the levels somewhere between 2.7 and 3.2. Today, my levels came back at 6.5! That explains why I have so many bruises. You should see my leg where Haver accidentally scratched it. I actually have a bruise, from one claw, that covers the entire front of my thigh! It's actually kind of pretty. Rod says it looks like a super nova! (Yes, he's a geek and I love him.) Anyway, I've been "ordered" to eat lots and lots of green vegetables, to stop taking my blood thinner and to be incredibly careful not to fall or get scratched. I'll get it checked again on Thursday. I don't mean to whine, but, this is just another one of the "little things" that people with pulmonary hypertension have to deal with.

Well, that's about it for today. I've got to get some reading done and I'm pretty sure I hear the walls talking to me saying, "Take a nap, take a nap, take a nap!

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

Two seconds is all it took to remind me why I don't look in mirrors...

2010-01-10T17:02:00.000-08:00

I made a huge mistake today. It was a very sunny (but still cold) day. It was nice to actually see that bright guy! We've missed him here in the plains! Anyway, I walked into the little bathroom by our family room that has a nice window which really allows the afternoon sun to stream in. I don't know why I did it...I usually have much more self control...maybe I was tired...maybe I was temporarily "stupified" due to the sun bouncing off all of the snow...but...I actually looked at my reflection in the mirror. I know! You're all probably yelling at your computer now saying, "Annette! What were you thinking!?! You're 53 years old, you're on lots of drugs, you're overweight, you're tired, you haven't been out of the house for days...why would you look at yourself! But, I did. I stared at the OLD woman with thinning hair, red blotchy "Flolan skin," bags that you'd be charged extra for if you were flying in an airplane, chins that can no longer be zoned for just "double-wide" and a lovely plastic (but, Latex-free) cannula sticking up my nose, wrapped around my face and draped behind my ears. And, by the way...have my ears always stuck out that much or is it just a change that's occurred from years of oxygen use?!?!

After the shock wore off I wondered what a person would have to do to become a vampire so that you'd never have to look at your reflection again.

I was so traumatized by the experience I had to ask Rod to go up to Dairy Queen and get me a Blizzard.

How was YOUR day?

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

That's It! I'm becoming a HERMIT!!!

2010-01-06T15:05:00.000-08:00

So, much of the U.S. is experiencing the same "lovely" weather (sarcasm, sarcasm, sarcasm) this January. Since New Year's day, I've only been out of the house once, due to the extreme cold and snow amounts. Monday night I took the plunge and went to my Monday night bible study. Our group meets at my friend Tammy's house. She called and offered to pull her car out of the garage so that I could drive from my garage to her garage. It seemed like a good idea. The temperatures were in the single digits and the wind chills were way below zero. But, the garages are usually in the upper teens. So, I did it. Even though it took me about 30 minutes to recover (the group was thrilled that I couldn't really talk for 30 minutes! It was the quietest they've ever seen me!), I was really glad that I got out to see friends and to discuss God's word.

Well, we are being hit with our 3rd snowstorm since Christmas and this one is bringing temperatures in the -30 degrees range...that's without the wind chill. Winds are suppose to be picking up causing "colder than crap" conditions. (That was my interpretation of the weather report, not the meteorologists.) So, imagine my surprise when I saw that there was a little bit of a "warm" front coming through ahead of this latest storm. This afternoon around 2:30 I noticed that it was actually 21 degrees! That's like a HEAT WAVE! So, I decided that I better grab the opportunity and go do some errand and maybe even sneak in a chick flick. Well...I should have stayed home and taken a nap.

Stop #1. The bank. Rod asked me if I would stop and get some cash since he's been working such long hours, he hadn't been able to get to the bank. Being the loving wife, I said, "Sure, no problem!" I went to the drive-through, handing my check and driver's license to the teller (Who will now and forever be called, "The Female Dog Teller."). After 10 minutes of her working on her computer with her back to me, I pushed the "Attention Please" buzzer. Now, you need to get a visual here, so I'm going to try to help you....close your eyes...wait a minute..you can't read when your eyes are close..just use your imagination...I'm sitting in the car with my heavy winter coat on, my seat belt on, my oxygen on and I can't reach the stupid "Attention Please" button. So, I have to roll down the window, unhook my seat belt, take off the cannula, open my car door and then push the stupid button. Do you know what "The Female Dog Teller" did? NOTHING!!!! She acted like I was invisible and that she was immune to hearing the "Attention Please" button. Knowing that dogs, male or female, can hear all levels of sounds, I was sure she heard the buzzing. But, just to be fair, I buzzed again. This time she put up a finger as if telling me, "One minute, I'm busy!" So, I pushed the "Attention Please" buzzer again! This time she did absolutely nothing! But, a coworker did come to the window to see what I needed. I asked her if there was a problem with my check or my account and she said she didn't know, but she would ask. Now I've been sitting at the stupid drive-through for 15 minutes! AND, now the coworker is standing at the computer with HER back to me! I undo everything roll down the window, open the door and SMASH the "Attention Please" button. The coworker came over and said she wasn't sure what the problem was. I said, in a not very nice voice, "I've been waiting for 20 minutes! I'd like my *^&% check back!" So, she went over, got the check, my license and brought it to me. No apology, no explanation and still "The Female Dog Teller" was on the STUPID phone!! I called Rod, told him what happened. He called our banker who promptly called me with his tail between his legs. He had no idea what happened, yada, yada, yade. He asked me if I was close to the bank. I informed him that I was in another part of town and had no interest in ever going back to that branch. He promised to call the branch that was close to where I was driving and make sure they took care of me. So, after chewing him out for having employees who did no understand what "customer service" meant and suggesting what he might do with "The Female Dog Teller" I take the short drive to the closer branch. I've got my blinker on to turn into the side street for the bank and there is a car stuck in the middle of the side street. So, I continued on to the next corner to get to the bank from the other side. While I was trying NOT to smack into the stuck car and figure out how to get into the bank, I hear this "HOOOOOOOONK!" Looking in the rear-view mirrow I see this GIANT pickup truck with these two 20 something boys honking at me and giving me the finger!! As I continued up the street and turned to get to the bank, they continued to drive right next to me, honking the horn and flipping me off!! FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!

Thankfully, the teller (who was actually a teller and not any form of a dog) at the 2nd branch took care of me very quickly (in fact, I think I saw her feet smoking as she ran around to take care of the woman that caused "The Boss" to call her)

By now I was in no mood to go to a movie, chick flick or not. So, I drove home. Plus, the weather had turned, the wind was gearing up and the snowflakes were falling. After THREE attempts to get up our snowy driveway I came in the house, grabbed a bag of chips (quietly yelling at myself for not stopping at Dairy Queen) and fired up the computer. What you are reading is a result of me getting rid of my bad mood. So, I (as does Rod, Asa and Haver) need to thank you, dear readers, for letting me vent.

By the way, my friend Dean emailed me an explanation of the cartoon that I didn't put in the last posting. Now that I know what it means, it seems like the perfect way to finish this posting. Let me know if you are as dense as I am and need an explanation.

Thank you for checking in.
Thank you for reading.
Annette

Can someone tell me what happened to "Global Warming?"

2010-01-04T13:56:00.000-08:00

We have about two feet of snow on the ground, the actual temperature right now is 2 degrees with a windchill of -13 degrees I'm trying to figure out what happened to "Global Warming?"
My friend Dean sent out these cartoons today in an email:

He actually sent me one more, but I didn't understand it...my poor old lady brain.

So, other than the stupid ridiculous cold weather, it's been a nice, quiet, calm day. Both of the "boys" are snoring away. Playing outside and even just having to go outside to do their "business" wears them out! So, there really is a plus side to this weather!

I thought since it was such a nice quiet afternoon, I'd share some pictures from Nick and Kara's wedding that was on August 14, 2009. The temperature was in the 90's with a balmy humidity level in the 60's!

This is a picture of Kara and her Dad walking down the "aisle."

The wedding took place at Lauritzen's Gardens. It is such a beautiful place!

I love this picture of Nick and Chris!

Here is Kara's Mom, Jeane, putting on the necklace that Nick gave to Kara to celebrate the day!

Kara and her sister are so adorable!

Kara's Dad and brother are handsome guys also!

The two Moms.

Such a beautiful shot!

We had the best seats in the house!!

Proud parents!

The rings!!

Kara is so pretty! Her Mom made her veil. Look at her earrings!!

I was told once to "Always leave them wanting more!" So, I think I'll stop for now. I've got to start throwing something together for dinner and I'm still trying to figure out if I can get to my bible study tonight.

So, that's all for now folks!

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Stay warm!

Annette

Doing the "HAPPY DANCE!"

2010-01-02T15:19:00.000-08:00

I have FINALLY finished our Christmas letter! For someone who loves to talk, I sometimes get really, really stuck when I HAVE to write something. There's so much pressure when writing this yearly piece. First, we send out more than 250 of them, to friends and family all over the country and even a couple out of the country. Second, I know that some of the people who will be reading "the update" are English professors and professional writers! I'm always worrying if I've put in too many commas or have ended a sentence with a preposition! The phrase my dad taught me, "Never use a preposition to end a sentence with." keeps rolling around in my brain, along with the constant question, "What are the prepositions???" Third, by now, since I'm so stinkin' late, we've already received so many fabulous cards and letters. So, I keep asking myself "Is my letter is going to look pitiful compared to their letter?" Then the last reason I get a little knotted up when I write our Christmas letter is the worry that I won't give equal billing to all family members! Yes, you read that correctly! One year, Nick and Chris actually told me they were disappointed because the dogs got more space in the Christmas letter than both of them together. Now, granted, I think they were like 12 and 14 at the time. But still...I did have a witty retort when they complained that year, but it didn't stop their comments. I told them that if they would start doing more funny and cute things then I would have more stories about them to share with everyone. After actually saying that sentence out loud I realized how much trouble I was inviting to the sanity and safety of our home. So, instead, I grabbed the computer and cut out some dog stories and wrote more about the wonderful young Markin men!

So, now that I'm finished with my part of the yearly letter (Rod does the editing and the printing) I now have time to get caught up in other things. I have several thank you notes to write for various things from donations to the Pulmonary Hypertension Association, Christmas presents and just to some friends for being friends. I also have about a two foot high pile of papers that I need to file in the 20+ 3-ring notebooks I've organized in anticipation of income tax time. I really need to take down Christmas decorations. I should take down the tree, but, I just finished getting the decorations on it on December 26th!

This is my "Peggy Karr" tree.

I also have to ornaments on it that my phriend Cindy tatted for me a couple of years ago.

But, here I am, sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace, happy that I'm not a horse. We are in the middle of a cold front and right now the temperature is -1.6 degrees! It got down to -15 degrees last night with a wind chill of -25! Now, we have a barn with very nice horse stalls that Doc and Dude could go into. But, they are perfectly happy standing outside in the bitter cold, wearing their snappy blue coats and eating they bale of hay!

Before I leave this post, I thought you might like to see a picture of Deoje in is Rudolph costume!

OK, I've enjoyed myself long enough. It's time to get back to work!
Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.

Annette

Did you have a Very Merry Christmas?

2009-12-31T10:52:00.001-08:00

We had a great Christmas! But, we also had a weird Christmas! About a week before Christmas we received almost 10 inches of snow. That snow never really got a chance to melt and then...BAM!! "THE CHRISTMAS BLIZZARD OF 2009 HITS NEBRASKA!!!" Beginning on Christmas Eve and lasting until December 26th, Omaha received another 13-14 inches of snow, followed by howling winds and causing blizzard conditions. That was then followed by bone-chilling temperatures! Thankfully, Chris and Deoje drove home on the 23rd and had no weather and/or road problems.

Look at this interesting drift outside our kitchen window!

Because of all of the snow and the road conditions, many Christmas Eve and most Christmas Day church services were canceled. Our church did have the 5:00 Christmas Eve service, but, YOWZERS! It was so cold!

After church we had our usual Christmas Eve dinner with Rod's brother's family (wife, two daughters and one son) and with Rod cooking his delicious prime rib dinner. Chris, of course was here, as were Nick and Kara. So, even though it was really awful outside, it was warm, cozy and smelling good inside!

Here's Nick fixing his "gourmet" sausage/cheese/crackers snack.

Rod and his brother enjoying a post-dinner laugh. (Rod is on the right...they kind of look alike...)

Chris and Deoje entertained us with a song...."ROWL-ROWL-ROWL-ROWL"

Christmas day was very quiet. Nick had to work at the hospital and Rod got the stomach flu!! Chris used the big John Deere tractor to attempt to clear the driveway. Between the huge amount of snowfall and the high winds, we had drifts that were easily 4-5 feet high! Then, Chris, being Chris, decided he needed to go see a movie! So he took his big Ford pickup to the movie theater and watched "Avatar" in 3-D with about 7 other people in the entire theater! When he came home, the county snow plows had driven past our property and kindly pushed a butt-load of snow back into our driveway! It took him 4 attempts to get into the driveway!!

But, the snow fun didn't end there! Chris, being Chris, convinced me that I should go to another movie with him. I really don't know what (if) I was thinking! Since he had a little trouble with his truck, Rod suggested we take his giant Hummer out into the tundra! It was absolutely crazy out there! There were cars in ditches, in mediums, in front yards...pretty much everywhere but the street! At one point Chris hit a slick spot and we drove right into a 5 foot drift! He just laughed and said, "Isn't this fun? Mom, are you ok, you don't look like you're having fun!" How observant! We eventually made it to the theater and really, really enjoyed George Clooney in "Up in the Air."

It was a great movie with a fabulous message (a sort of sad ending) and an absolutely gorgeous George Clooney!

The movie was extra interesting to those of us who live in Omaha because quite a bit of the movie was actually shot here in Omaha. In fact, George's character (yes, we are on a first name basis) was actually living in Omaha!!

I would highly recommend this movie, giving it 8 puppy paws up!!

When we got home, the "lovely" snow plows decided to visit our driveway again! Even with the GINORMOUS Hummer, it STILL took FOUR tries to get up the driveway! I told Chris that my wild "Snow Bunny" days were over and promptly went inside, mixed and switched my Flolan and went to bed!!!

I'll be back later.
Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.

Annette

Happy Holidays!!

2009-12-23T08:24:00.000-08:00

It is Wednesday, December 23rd, about 10:30 a.m. I don't have the Christmas tree up, obviously it's not decorated yet either! I've done very little Christmas shopping and what few things I have bought, I haven't wrapped yet. I have written only ONE STINKING SENTENCE for our annual Christmas letter. So, you may be asking yourself, "If Annette hasn't gotten squat done for Christmas, why is she posting on her blog?" Well, that's a good question. Actually, right now I'm multi-tasking!! I'm posting and browning hamburger for a big crock pot of chilli! Plus, I'm watching "The Price is Right!" Wow! I'm doing three things at the same time!! My head might just explode! Crap! The hamburger is burning! But, THANK YOU GOD!! They're playing Plinko on TPIR!!!!! This is turning into quite the exciting day! OK, the hamburger is now mostly brown and the guy has just won 5 Plinko chips, meaning he could win $50,000!!! Crap! Alvin only got $1,200. Bummer!
Anyway, let's get back to the little voices in your head...."Why is Annette making chilli, I didn't think she cooked?" Well, you're right, I don't cook. But, I can make chilli. We are in the middle of a winter storm warning here in Nebraska and my baby boy is driving home from Chicago today with his dog. So, I figured if he survives the trip through this stupid storm, he'd like some of "Mom's Chilli" for dinner!

You might also be asking yourself, "Why is Annette watching 'The Price is right?'" I'm watching that brainless show because I'm so tired of listening to the adds and arguments on the radio and watching the ads and arguments on the television about HEALTH CARE!! I am not going to make a political statement here. But, I would like everyone remember that it is the holiday season, it's not a time to be arguing, yelling and screaming and pointing fingers! Go home! Bake some cookies! Eat some chocolate! Hug your kids for crying out loud!

Now to quiet that last little voice in your head, "Why is Annette blogging instead of writing her Christmas letter?" Well....I don't know! I'm just not in the Christmas spirit. It might be because we don't have our tree up yet (which is very unusual for us! Rod's just been so crazy busy the last few weeks). Maybe I'm just waiting to get Chris home. Maybe it's because I can't get the dogs to wear their antlers for a good picture. Or, this is the most likely culprit...I'm just LAZY!!

So, that's it for now.
Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

p.s. Hopefully this will be what it takes to kick my behinder in gear!!

Open House, Post #2

2009-12-21T08:24:00.000-08:00

Good morning.
I thought I'd go ahead and post some pictures from our party. In case you were wondering, we kept the dogs away from the action. We're not sure which we were most worried about....them eating all of the food or them jumping on everyone and knocking over anyone who weighed less than them!

One of the many things that I love about this party is that it gives people a chance to get "caught up." This is a picture of Chris' friend Josh, who is hugging the Mom of another one of their friends named Jason. Jason lives in a different state now, and won't make it back to Nebraska until later in the holidays. But Josh got a chance to get caught up on Jason's life by visiting with his Mom, Paula!

This good looking group shows my "first grade team" when I taught the last couple of years at Black Elk. Not only did I get to catch up with some good friends, but a couple of them have children and brought them along, so, I also got to see how their own children are doing, how much they've grown, etc!

Then, there are those very special moments when we get to meet a new member of a family. At last year's Open House, the couple in the picture was telling us all about their upcoming trip overseas to bring home their new daughter. This year, we got to meet their beautiful new daughter. I'm thinking this beautiful little girl realizes how lucky she is to have such a loving family, even though she had to come all the way from Ethiopia to find them!

But, I have to admit, this picture shows my favorite part of the day! I was able to introduce my favorite Minister to my favorite Rabbi!

OK, I thought I'd share one more little tidbit that has nothing to do with the Open House. I've FINALLY finished my first little knitted cap (at least one that I'm willing to show to the general population!

OK, that's it for now. The temperature is up to 29 degrees! I'm going to head on out and get some errands done.

Thanks for checking in again.
Thanks again for reading.
Annette

So, I decided that if I waited until I was completely rested....

2009-12-19T14:21:00.000-08:00

I'd probably never write another post to this blog! So, as long as you (the reader) understands that I'm not at my 100% smart-aleckie self and might, potentially say something nice about someone, then we're good to go.

So, just a week ago, we held our 11th annual "Markin Holiday Open House." This was a party that Rod's Mom did for some 38-40 years! Every December Hetty Jane (Rod's Mom's name was, "Hetty Jane Marie...very pretty, I think) would send out handwritten postcards inviting friends and family to stop by her house for some coffee, apple cider, little sandwiches and cookies and a chance to just sit and visit with people they might only get to see once a year when they stop at Hetty Jane's party! (Please note the very lengthy run-on sentence...it's not my fault...it's my tired brain and tired body's fault...) Plus, the party lasted all day so, if you had a busy schedule, you could get a few things done, then stop by her house for coffee and treats! Rod's parents lived in Lincoln. Hetty Jane made ALL of the food for her party! She would bake for weeks! She and Bud (Rod's Dad) would make up these delicious little chicken salad and ham salad sandwiches. She went to this neighborhood bakery every year and have them make up these adorable little sandwich buns, just for her party! Bud and Hetty Jane lived in a "raised ranch" style house, meaning the ground floor was actually the garage and the basement. You'd have to go up a set of stairs outside to get to the "first floor" or do the same inside from the basement to the first floor. It was always a very, very special time to visit Bud and Hetty's house the days before the "Open House" because they used their cool basement and garage to store many of the delicious treats that would be served during the party! Sometimes she would come looking for us because she would see us drive up but we hadn't made it upstairs yet to say hello yet! My mother-in-law was an incredible cook and baker!

As Hetty Jane grew older and tired) unlike her beloved daughter-in-law who seems to be growing younger and tired...ha....ha....ha...) she decided to stop doing her annual Christmas party. But, she didn't anticipate how much she would miss having this fun event. So, the next year Rod and I decided to have Hetty Jane pass the torch to us and we started having a Christmas party in Omaha for our friends and family. The first few years, Hetty Jane would help me do most of the baking and cooking. She also passed on her beautiful little glass plates and coffee cups for us to use. Bud and Hetty Jane also became our official door greeters! It was so much fun for everyone! They got to see some of our friends, some of their friends and meet many new people!

After Hetty Jane passed away, Bud became our one and only greeter. All of our friends were so good to him that first Christmas. Anyway....

So, 11 years later we're still having our "Annual Open House!" Now, we take turns being greeters and sometimes friends will just hang out at the front door greeting other friends!

******
OK, I started this post on Saturday afternoon. It's now 9:00 Sunday night. I've got to go work on mixing my medicine. I'm just going to go ahead and post this and I'll come back tomorrow, write some more and add some pictures...
Sorry. I just don't know where the time goes....

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

The Definition of Tired...

2009-12-14T17:30:00.000-08:00

Friday night...two parties
Saturday.... Open House at our Home
hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
number in attendance: around 300
Sunday...sleeping
Monday...sleeping, but waking up enough to post this exciting bit of information, then back to sleep....

I'm a pooped puppy dog...

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

Baby, it is STINKING COLD OUTSIDE!!!!!

2009-12-10T16:36:00.001-08:00

Yes, I know it's December and YES I know I live in Nebraska. But, when we get the "one-two punch" we have every right to WHINE!!
First came the 12 inches of snow (yes, that's ONE FOOT OF SNOW!!). Then came the "Polar Express" as our local weather guy lovingly calls our present temperature trend. Today we made it all the way up to 12 degrees!! WHOO-HOOOO!!

If I was still teaching, I would be thrilled because the schools have been out for the last three days! (I'd also be freaking out because we didn't have school for three days which would have meant that my lesson plans were all screwed up, testing that needed to get done before Christmas break would be now behind schedule and the kids at home would have probably spent the last three days finishing off the Halloween candy that their Mom's had stashed away!)

I did venture out today though, for a very special experience that also ended up having a nice surprise stuck inside!

I'm guessing the majority of you have read, "The Last Lecture."

Randy Pausch was a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. His lecture became known world wide. With the help of writer, Jeffrey Zaslow, he was able to put his lecture into book form and published before he passed away. The book immediately became a best seller.

Several months ago, Nick and Kara (my DAUGHTER-IN-LAW!!!!!:) )gave me the book, "The Girls from Ames..A Story of Women and a Forty-Year Friendship" written by Jeffrey Zaslow.

It is such a fabulous book!

Well, today Jeffrey Zaslow and 8 of the "Girls from Ames" came to Omaha to talk about the book! They came as part of a fundraiser for the Omaha Hearing School.

The event was fabulous. But, here's the surprise that I found "stuck inside." When I went to the little "check-in" table a woman says, "Mrs. Markin!" I looked at her and it was the Mom of a little girl I taught in first grade about 20 years ago! Her daughter was hearing impaired and was being mainstreamed into a regular first grade classroom. Well, that little doll was so brilliant she just blossomed in first grade! I asked her how Megan was, what she was doing, etc., etc, etc. Polly (her Mom) said, "Megan is here!! She's speaking at the luncheon! You must go in and tell her hello!" What a treat! I went in and found this beautiful young woman who told me all about her great job and how she just bought her own home! It was such a joy to get to see her!

By the way, Jeffrey Zaslow just finished writing another book along with Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger called, "Highest Duty...My Search for What Really Matters"

Mr. Zaslow spoke a bit about the book today and it also sounds like a fabulous read.
OK, this post is really kind of fragmented, hit and miss, not very smooth. But, I'd really like to post it tonight and I really need to clean up the kitchen. So, I'm going to just have to call it "good enough."

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.

Annette

I really should be going to sleep, but...

2009-12-08T21:03:00.000-08:00

we are having quite a beautiful "blizzard" here tonight in the midwest. We have about a foot of snow on the ground and now the winds have picked up, blowing about 40 mph's making for some pretty amazing drifts and designs on the windows.
I received some sad news this morning. I found out that a former first grade student made the decision to end his life yesterday morning with the help of a gun. I have no other details. He was in my class 14 years ago. He was such a loving, strong, smart and capable young man. I know it was a long time ago, but he was such a happy young little man. It's so hard to imagine what kind of tragedies and hardships must have come his way leaving, at least in his young mind, that dying was the best way to solve the problem. I knew his parents, I knew his siblings. They were the family that, as a teacher, we would look to for a positive example of a good, core, strong and loving family. Yet, something went wrong for him. I pray that God understands his source of pain and even though God was unable to help him on Earth, that He will now be able to help him in Heaven, without all of the distractions and disappointments living on Earth brings to maturing young men.
If you are reading this and are the praying kind, please pray for his soul and for his families broken hearts.

A snowstorm is such a beautiful gift of nature. It covers everything with a thick blanket of snow,covering all the ugly messes. Sometimes we really need to identify those messes and clean them up before they get covered up so they can be fixed, be delt with. Then when the snow melts, we can once again see the other beautiful gifts given to us by God.

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

The Holidays are quickly approaching!

2009-12-07T09:29:00.000-08:00

We had a nice turnout at our PH support group Christmas party on Saturday. We had some great food, fellowship and presents!! You can't beat that! It was so nice to see phriends, friends and family together having such a great time. It was also nice for our caregivers to have time to visit with other caregivers and relax a bit.

Carol (in the middle) is our support group leader. As you can see, she does a great job of making everyone feel welcome to the party!

Jessica (in front) couldn't wait until we did our present exchange game!

Lynne (on the left) has such a supportive sister!

Paula (left) and Barb both said, "I don't like having my picture taken!" I told them, "Why do you suppose I'm always holding the camera?!?"

Dean and Karen enjoy getting caught up on each other's lives.

Lynne and Ed share how they've been feeling since the last meeting.

Carol is "sharing the love" with PH nurse, Judy!

Rod was "thrilled" to have picked some lovely candles for his present!

Roy ended up with a "beer maker." I'm not sure Frances, his wife, thinks it's such a great idea!

Dean wasn't sure what to do with his "colorful" socks and gloves that he picked! He was thrilled when someone "stole" them from him and he got to pick something else!

Karen, on the other hand WAS thrilled when she picked this book out of the presents. But, her happiness didn't last very long. Someone else "stole" it from her and she had to pick another gift!

Bob was THRILLED when he got the chance to steal the "Keep you Coffee Hot" mug from someone!

For a bunch of sick people, we are kind of a cut-throat group!!
Actually, this is the most amazing, energizing, loving and motivating bunch of people I have even known.

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

Well, winter finally found Nebraska!

2009-12-03T15:14:00.000-08:00

We have been spoiled with great weather this fall-winter season. Today we were reminded that it is December and that we do live in Nebraska. The temperature has been hovering in the mid 20's all day with the wind chills in the teens. I've discovered (as have many other phriends) that cold weather and PH do not make for a happy pair of lungs. I personally do OK until the temps and/or wind chills get in the 30-32 degree area. I wasn't really prepared for this since it has been in the 50's for the last week or so!
But, when you're a lazy bum, it's not difficult filling up your daily schedule when you're stuck inside.
8:30 a.m. Get up
11:30 a.m. take a nap
12:00 p.m. Watch "All My Children"
1:00 p.m. Watch "One Life to Live"
2:00 p.m. Eat lunch or cereal or whatever's sitting around.
3:00 p.m. Take a nap....
WOW!! No wonder I have to go to bed early! What A grueling schedule!!!!

Actually, I did some Christmas decorating today. We are having our Pulmonary Hypertension Support Group Christmas Party!" here on Saturday. We'll only have about 30 or so phriends and phamily members, so it will be a nice gathering. My phriend Colleen showed us how she jazzed up her place for Christmas one year. So, maybe I'll show you a few pictures.

This is the Nativity set that my family had when I was a little girl.

I read about this little Christmas decorating trick a few years ago:

In all of the framed family photos, put a Christmas family photo in the frame behind the one you look at year round. Then, at Christmas time, you just switch the Christmas photo with the "normal photo." I LOVE it!

I love "discovering" my treasured memories every year!

Yesterday I went to our local yarn shop and said, "Please show me the error of my ways!" I have been trying to knit a hat using "needles in the round." Everyone that I know who knows how to knit says it's so easy. But, my brain was screaming at me "You can't teach an old dog new tricks!" After 90 minutes of one-on-one instruction, I left with what I came with...a bunch of yarn and some needles. Actually, I did come home with a new pair of circular needles and a $4.00 hat pattern. Well, determined knot (get it????KNOT?!?!?) to be outdone by a ball of yarn, I sat down with a new ball of yarn and tried again. I think I might have finally figured it out! If I ever finish it, I'll be sure to take a picture and show it to you. I'd really like to be able to knit hats for little babies and kids who need them. But, we'll see. I might be better off going out and just buying some knit hats!!

In other news of the weird...
Last week I experienced 3 nose bleed in 4 days. Now, I know that many people get nose bleeds. People on oxygen are at a much higher risk for nose bleeds. I've never, ever had nose bleeds. But, a few months ago I had one, took myself to the lab, had them draw blood for my INR (which is a test to determine the clotting factor in your blood. People with PH are at a higher risk of developing blood clots, so most of "us" are on blood thinners). Well, no surprise, my INR was higher than it was suppose to be. So, we adjusted the meds and all was well with the world.

So, when I ended up having three fairly disgusting nose bleeds, I took myself to the lab and expected the numbers to be elevated again. But, my numbers were actually low. So, I'm going to an ENT doctor tomorrow. I'm sure it's no big deal, but, I just wanted to share how excited I am to spend a chunk of my day seeing yet another doctor!! (There was some serious sarcasm there if you didn't notice)I haven't had any nose bleeds since I made the appointment...of course...more sarcasm....

Other news of the weird...
Some faithful readers might remember that about six months ago I started fighting a rash on my face. I've been to various specialists, each one coming up with a different "guess" as to what was the problem. The rash would come and go, get worse and get better. I woke up last week and SHAZAM!! There was no rash blotching my face! It was gone for three days and then I woke up on the 4th day and SHAAAA-CRAP!!! The rash was back and it was gross! Now the experts (including my beloved husband) think they have a really, really good "guess." They think I've developed an allergy to one of the three thousands medicines I take each day. The three days when I didn't have the face of a teenager, I wasn't taking one of my meds because I ran out and it was too soon for the insurance company to OK a refill. The rash returned the morning after I took the refilled med the night before. So, now we are doing an experiment for a few days. Wish me luck because I'm really tired of looking like the before picture in an ad for acne or other disgusting rashes.

One more story from the "news of thew weird..."
I think I pulled a muscle in my left buttock....that's all I have to say...it really hurts...anyone have any sympathy for me? Anyone??? I didn't think so. Oh well.

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.

Annette

PH Awareness on TV

2009-11-30T08:53:00.000-08:00

I've included a link to take you to the Fox 42 story and video. I'm really happy with how well it turned out. The reporter and the photographer did a good job getting all of the important info in a 2 minute segment.

Woman Survives Odds After Devastating Diagnosis

Pulmonary Hypertension Story on TV Tonight!

2009-11-29T13:51:00.000-08:00

If you are in the Omaha area, Fox 42 will be airing the story on pulmonary hypertension they did with interviews with my ph doctor, Dr. Austin Thompson and myself. It is to be aired sometime during their 9:00 program.
I'm going to try to remember to record it and, if it's any good, I'll try to figure out how to post it on here sometime.

I'll be back later for a "proper posting."

Thanks for checking in.
Annette

I should never try to write a blog post after I've...

2009-11-25T17:07:00.000-08:00

taken my nightly medicines! I'm pretty sure there were more misspelled words in that last entry than correctly spelled words! Plus, it kind of didn't make sense...at least a lot of sense in terms of what I thought I had written and what I actually wrote...Oh well....drugs...you've got to love them!!

Anyway, I think the interview with the television station went well. They think it might be aired on Sunday evening. We basically talked about Pulmonary Hypertension, what it is, how I was diagnosed and then we talked about the medications. I'm on three medications for Pulmonary Hypertension (actually I'm on over a dozen different medications, but three of them are strictly for PH). One is coumadin, a very inexpensive medicine that is a blood thinner. People with PH are prone to developing blood clots, so it's necessary to always take a blood thinner.

The second drug is Flolan. That is the IV medicine that is pumped into my system through a central line. It runs 24/7.

This medicine is runs around $10,000.00 a month. Rod's insurance does NOT cover Flolan. But, my insurance with school does. So, I was very relieved when we found out that I could continue getting my insurance even after I had to quit teaching.

The third medicine I take for PH, and the one that was really the focus of the television story is Revatio.

As I mentioned last night (in my drug-induced state), Revatio is a vaso-dialator. It relaxes the blood vessels so that the blood can run through your system with less resistance. When you have PH the cells in the pulmonary artery duplicate and grow in strange ways (similar to cancer cells) that cause the pulmonary artery to thicken and stiffen. Medicines like Revatio relax that artery, along with the other arteries in the body. That's why Revatio, in it's other form as Viagra, does it's job for men with ED.

The main difference between Revatio and Viagra is the color and the amount of medicine in each pill. Viagra comes in 25 mg doses and Revatio comes in 20 mg doses. According to my local pharmacist, Viagra runs around $20.00 a pill. Revatio costs $10.00 a pill. I take 3 Revatio pills a day. I can't get my insurance company or Rod's insurance company to pay for the Revatio. If I was a man and had ED, both insurance companies would pay for it. In fact, if I was on Medicare and/or Medicaid, I've been told that the Viagra would also be covered. I was on a study for double blind study for Revatio that then went into a two year long-term study where I was provided Revatio for free for a period of time. We discovered that the insurance companies wouldn't cover the Revatio when the study ended. My doctor's office worked very hard to get me on a different study that is providing Revatio to me at no cost for a full year. Hopefully by the end of that year, one of our insurance companies will have come to their senses.

OK, that's a lot of writing I did tonight!! I really need to get some things done. I'm hoping to get back into being a better poster. I've got lots of things to share, including going to the Capitol in Lincoln and meeting with the Governor regarding Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness month.

But, for now, I've got two little blond-headed, four-legged wild men jumping on the back door.

Have a great evening and thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.

Annette

I'm very nervous...

2009-11-24T19:52:00.000-08:00

A reporter from Fox 42 and a cameraman are coming to my home this morning to interview me about pulmonary hypertension and the high cost of medicines needed to treat the disease. One of my medications is a syldenaphil (I'm pretty sure I've screwed up that spelling. ) It's a vaso-diolater. It helps to keep the pulmonary artery relaxed and diolated to hopefully keep the pressures lower which would then cause less stress to my heart. It is the same medicine used for erectile dysfunction. When it is used for "ED" is is called "Viagra." When it is used for pulmonary hypertension it is called, "Revatio." Viagra comes in 25 mg doses and "Revatio" doses come in 20 mg pills. All insurance companies including Medicare pay for men's Viagra. Neither one of my insurance policies, my own policy and/or my husbands policy that he gets through the University of Nebraska Medical Center will pay for the Revatio. The Revatio pills cost $10.00 a pill. I have to take 3 pills a day, every day to help keep my pulmonary arteries open, giving me a better quality of life.

So, I'll fill in more tomorrow. I need to get to bed. Wish me luck.

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

Sorry, I did it again!

2009-11-23T14:22:00.001-08:00

I'm here and I'm fine. I promise I'll write more, maybe still today.
thanks for checking.
annette
the lazy one

Three Rivers TV Show Was a Bust!!

2009-11-16T10:37:00.000-08:00

Now if anyone actually watched it, we need to write complaint letters to the station and tell them what a horrible job they did! First off, they had a 22 year old man. Now, granted, some men do get PH. But, the average PH person is a middle-aged woman. Plus, babies are sometimes born with the disease. So, in terms of awareness and helping viewers understand if their symptoms might be PH-related, they blew that. Speaking of symptoms...the man was not on oxygen, he was very active, (playing in the leaves with his brothers and sister...)he had no chest pains, he passed out and then wheezed like he was having an asthma attack! Then, the doctor at the hospital told him he needed to have a lung transplant. The guy refused because he needed to stay home to take care of his brothers and sister. So, the doctor said he would write a prescription, but he didn't say what it was. The writers could have used this moment to talk about Revatio which is one of the oral meds that are used! I could go on and on but, the bottom line is that it is really, really disappointing to see a completely wasted opportunity to teach thousands and thousands of people of PH. ARG!!!!!!!

Oh well, thanks for trying.

annette

Three Rivers TV Show Tonight on CBS!

2009-11-15T10:59:00.000-08:00

This is a medical drama about a transplant hospital. I heard through the "PH Grapevine" that the show tonight was going to have at least a little part of the story about pulmonary hypertension. The show is suppose to be on at 8:00 p.m. on CBS. But, there's football on all day, so, it will most likely be delayed. But, if you can catch it, that would be great! Here's what is written about tonight's episode:

"A Car crash victim (Mandy Patinkin) dying of Lou Gehrig's disease refuses medical treatment so his organs can be used to help others; a foster parent with pulmonary hypertension refuses to be admitted to the hospital."

I have no idea if this story will be accurate or even interesting. But, I thought I'd "spread the word" just in case it was any good.

Thanks for checking in.

Annette

Another Nebraska Game and ANOTHER WIN!!!

2009-11-14T18:09:00.000-08:00

Nebraska is continuing their winning streak (knocking on wood as I type). If they win their game this next Saturday then they get to play for the Big 12 championship! The football nerds are pretty psyched here in Nebraska!

The game was in Kansas this week and was televised on ABC. But, I ended up sleeping through most of it! I did wake up in time to see the last two touchdowns. You know I must have been really pooped to sleep through a Nebraska game! The reason you ask? Having some lunch with some high school girlfriends, I answer!

It was nice getting a chance to get caught up with "the girls" lives and the happenings of their families. It's also very odd to think that we graduated over 35 years ago!! In case you were wondering, yes, I was a child prodigy. I graduated from high school when I was 6 years old. It was a bit of a challenge. But, when you're brilliant, you're brilliant....

We were suppose to go to dinner with a group of friends tonight. But I am so dragging my rear-end due to the socializing at lunch. Ever since I got sick, it seems that my body can only handle one big outing a day. It is one of the most frustrating aspects of PH, at least for me. (everyone is different...) I was especially bummed today since I had just done so well on the exercise echo. I made the assumption that if my pressures had gone down to the "normal" range at rest, then I might be able to be a bit more active. But, the numbers are still elevated with activity and I guess I just proved that test to be true...crap.

Oh well, a night at home with the "Prozac Brothers" is not a bad thing.

Asa, getting ready to enjoy a late-night snack!

Haver "sitting" on Daddy's lap!

Well, that's it for tonight. It's time for the Flolan mix!
Thanks for reading.

Annette

Working oustide my comfort zone....

2009-11-12T16:50:00.000-08:00

Tuesday afternoon I received a phone call from Adrienne Dern with the Pulmonary Hypertension Association in Maryland. This woman is the VICE PRESIDENT of the PHA and was calling ME to ask a favor. The PHA is helping to sponsor a 30 City Tour Medical Education Program.

One of the cities and physicians chosen to be part of this program was Omaha and MY ph doctor, Dr. Austin Thompson. The Omaha program was scheduled to be held Wednesday evening (that would be the NEXT day, Wednesday evening). The PHA representative who was suppose to give a slide presentation about the PHA and then introduce Dr. Thompson, ended up having an attack of gall stones and would not be able to make the trip. Ms. Dern told me that Rino (as in Rina Aldrighetti, the PRESIDENT of the PHA) mentioned I might be willing to help them out and asked if I would step in and take this woman's place! (I have no idea how he even knew I existed!) So, in front of a room of 40 + medical professionals I talked through 13 slides about the Pulmonary Hypertension Association and their various medical programs, organizations, etc. I then got to introduce my PH doctor. I was thrilled to be able to tell the room that due to his good care for the last 5 years, my pulmonary pressures were in the normal range at rest! Then, I was able to sit down and eat my dinner. I was so stinking nervous!! But, I'm really glad I got a chance to do it, especially since it's PH awareness month. I told the people during the introduction that they didn't realize they were going to get a 3-D presentation, including a live ph patient!

So, that's my story. Oh, in case you were wondering, I did reward myself with a Blizzard!!

I thought I'd take a moment and share a couple of pictures of "the babies" from when Chris and his puppy came to visit a couple of weeks ago.

Asa chilling....

Deeoji chilling...

And, Haver wondering, "How long do I have to lay like this until I get a treat!?!"

Thanks for reading.

Annette

Go Big Red!! Go Big Purple!!

2009-11-10T17:18:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, we're a little crazy about our football in Nebraska. We won a HUGE game on Saturday! We played Oklahoma and WON 10-3!!

The place was rocking!

I was a little more excited than normal about winning this game because I had a side bet. A phriend who lives in the Washington DC area is an alumn of Oklahoma. Three years ago we had a "little bet" going. Nebraska lost that year, BIG TIME and I ended up sending gallons of ice cream to her as payment! This year I told her if (when) Nebraska won that I'd rather have flowers because I was pretty sure the dogs would get to the ice cream before I did and I really wanted to enjoy this victory! Well, today my prize arrived!!

Plus, because Nebraska held Oklahoma to only 3 points, we could take our football ticket stub to a local restaurant and get a free sandwich!

It's good to be a winner!

Another important color this month is purple. November is Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness month.

So, last night at my P.E.O. meeting (a women's philanthropic education organization) I took a bunch of the purple Pulmonary Hypertension awareness bracelets. I announced my good news about my pulmonary pressures being normal at rest and thanked everyone for their continued prayers by giving them an awareness bracelet to wear.

Tomorrow I'll be stepping way outside my comfort level to do something related to awareness month and some local physicians. Tune in Thursday to find out what I did!

Thanks for reading.

Annette

How about some good news for a change?

2009-11-05T17:57:00.000-08:00

I had an exercise echo done today. It is one of my least favorite tests. You're strapped to an examination table and hooked up to a cardiac machine that records your heart rate, etc. This particular exam table has bicycle pedals with a machine on top. You start pedaling and the machine records your reps and a 3 minute countdown. It also has 3 lights, a green one in the middle with yellow lights on either side. The plan is to constantly pedal, keeping the green light on. If you go too slowly the left yellow light flashes. If you go too quickly the right yellow light flashes. After pedaling for 2 minutes, the doctor tilts the table down to the left where he is sitting. You have to keep pedaling at that angle while he does an echo. The echo records all kinds of things including the pulmonary artery pressures. After a minute the doctor tilts the table back so you're laying flat again. Then the resistance is increased so that it's harder to pedal. Again, you do this for two minutes, trying to keep the green light on. At two minutes, the doctor tilts the table and does another echo. This procedure continues until the doctor gets enough info or the patient screams "UNCLE!"

I was suppose to do this test several months ago. But, I got sidelined by the "Wild Dogs of Borneo" and had to wait until the knee was in better shape, able to handle the pedaling. I was thrilled not be able to do this test, even if it was because I had a sore swollen knee! I HATE this test! Plus, the last time I took it, my pressures were elevated from the previous echo. So, needless to say, I was not looking forward to my afternoon appointment.

The doctor who did the echo is the head of the department, so, lucky me, I didn't have to wait to get the results! Are you ready for this????

Drumroll please...............

My pulmonary artery pressures at rest were 30!!

My pulmonary artery pressures with exercise were 55!!

Normal pulmonary artery pressures at rest are anything less than 25!!!

Normal pulmonary artery pressures with exercise are 30!!

The last time I had this test, my pressures at rest were 48 and with exercise they were 68!!

WOOHOO!!!!!!!

Rod was in the room with me while I did the test and was there to hear the results! He was so excited he told me we should order pizza for dinner to celebrate!! I had pepperoni...it was delicious!

I go to see my PH specialist on the 18th of the month. I'm excited to go and see what he has to say about this good news!

Here's Haver's version of the happy dance!!

And here's a picture of Asa, just because I don't want him to feel left out!

OK, that's all for now.
Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.

AND, thanks for all of your continued prayers...obviously they're working!

much love
Annette

So, how do you like the new look?

2009-11-04T17:51:00.001-08:00

I'm here...I'm just mostly boring....

2009-10-31T16:14:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't blogged for a while. I got some kind of bug again...we don't know if it was the infamous H1N1 or "just a bug." But it did make me very, very tired and very, very achy with a very low-grade fever. I had to increase my steroids which then screwed up my coumadin levels, yada, yada, yada!

But, mostly I haven't posted because I really would like to revamp this blog. I think it's very boring. I feel bad for when someone comes by to read something of interest and it's just the same old, same old. I have some ideas and will hopefully get some brain cells back in working order.

And, if you're wondering if I got the "regular" flu shot? The answer is yes, several weeks ago. Also, if you're wondering if I got the "H1N1 shot?" No, there haven't been any available. But, I"m on the list so I'm sure I'll be getting one soon. If you have an opportunity to get both flu shots, you need to do it. I'm hearing some very, scary and sad stories of "regular" people who are getting the tough strain of this bug.

OK, I'm really boring and Rod bought a TON of Halloween candy and we might (if we're lucky) get 2-3 kids stop by. So, I've got some munching to do!

Thanks for checking in on this boring blog that hopefully will be getting revamped and more interesting.

Thanks for reading.
Annette

Fall in Nebraska!

2009-10-13T17:05:00.000-07:00

I think that fall is the best time of the year to live in Nebraska. It's not too hot, it's not too cold. We call it the "Goldilocks Season" because it's just right! One of the first signs of fall in Nebraska is the when over 80,000 red adorned creatures migrate to the capitol city of Lincoln on Saturdays to watch our beloved Nebraska college football team, the Cornhuskers play (and hopefully win) football games! The state of Nebraska is a little crazy about their "Big Red Football!" I must admit that I'm not a football nut, but, it is quite a feeling being in the football stadium on Saturdays in the fall, with over 85,000 other fans, singing the National Anthem, followed by the Air National Guard flying jets over the crowd. Nebraska recently broke a college record of 300 consecutive sellouts! That record began in 1962!

Can you see the fighter jets?

They were flying so fast I couldn't get a very close shot!

TOUCHDOWN!!

Usually the temperatures average in the low 70's or high 60's during the fall months. But, the weather in Nebraska never feels like it needs to be "average" or follow the "rules." This last weekend we were surprised when our lovely fall colors turned white!! Depending on which part of town you live in we received 3-5 inches of the crap! I mean, "we received 3-5 inches of the beautiful, much needed precipitation!"

The older I get the more I appreciate snow, from the inside, sitting next to a fire, with a cup of hot chocolate...

But, not to worry! Since it's October in Nebraska, this is what I saw out of my window yesterday morning...

Now THIS is why I love living in Nebraska!

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

Swine Flu, Regular Flu or just a COLD???

2009-10-12T13:30:00.000-07:00

My poor, dear sweet husband is battling his second round of a "bug attack!" This one has left him exhausted. But, he is on the uphill climb for this round at least. Over the last couple of weeks he has repeatedly said, "I hope you don't get this." I reminded him that between 27 years of teaching the princes and princesses of contagious bugs and all of the meds that I'm on, I usually don't get these seasonal problems. Plus, I got a flu shot a few weeks ago. I evidently didn't "knock on wood" enough, or got too cocky or didn't wash my hands enough, or just got unlucky because I now have "the bug." This lovely gift comes with a headache, stuffy nose, muscle aches, low-grade fever and extreme tiredness. I don't know what it is, but it has certainly hit the Markin household. Besides Rod and now me, Nick has had it, Kara now has it and even Chris in Chicago has it! Rod and I spent the weekend sleeping. In fact, Asa and Haver also slept an unusual amount of time this weekend. I suppose it's possible for dogs to get the flu. I actually saw a piece on the news where owners were trying to get flu shots for their pets! So, who knows? I can say that I'm feeling much better than I did this weekend. At least I can concentrate enough to post a little bit on this exciting blog! So, keep your fingers crossed that all of us will kick this bug to the curb a.s.a.p.!

Don't you just love Maxine?

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

cough, sniffle, cough...

ps. I forgot the cutest thing...a couple of weeks ago at my Wednesday morning ladies bible study, this "young lady" in her 90's said she wasn't going to get "that hiny flu shot." I said to her, "Wanda, it's H1N1," She said, "I know, but doesn't it look like it's says, 'hiny?' Plus, it's a lot more fun to say "hiny' than "H1N1!"
Let's pray that we all stay "Hiny Flu" free!

Another long break from blogging...no excuses...

2009-10-06T16:53:00.000-07:00

Hello to anyone who is still reading this "off again, on again" blog. I wish I had something brilliant to talk about or some funny dog story. But, unfortunately I've got nothing exciting to share. I know it's been a while since I've blogged and you're thinking, "Surely she's got something to write about." I hate to disappoint you, but, I don't. I've been battling some pretty serious "tiredness" for the last week or so. I don't think it's a bug, I don't think it's PH, I don't think it's the Addison's disease and I can't even blame it on my knee because that is also healing. It might just be "lazy old woman" syndrome. Rod's banking on my tiredness as a potential bug (he's fighting his second cold in the last couple of weeks) and that the bug is making me tired since I have PH, Addison's and am a lazy old woman. (I added the last part. He's too smart to make that comment...at least within arm's length.)

So, I guess I came here just to tell you hello and that, except for the tiredness, I'm just fine.

By the way, if you have any ideas of what you'd like to read about on this blog, I'd greatly appreciate some suggestions. Maybe when I'm dragging my derriere, some outside suggestions might help motivate me to do something besides staring at the television.

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

Rested, rejuvinated and ready to show some "vacation" pictures!

2009-09-24T07:37:00.000-07:00

If you would like to read the "low lights" of our recent cruise along the northeast border, be sure to click here.

This post will hopefully provide some of the highlights of our little trip.

Our first port was Portland, Maine. We had scheduled a morning tour around town and around the coastline on an "amphibious duck!" Unfortunately we missed that tour because of "discussing" our luggage and belongings situation with "customer service" people (I use that phrase "customer service" and maybe even the word "people" loosly) and shopping for replacement prescriptions, luggage and underwear, etc., etc., etc.

I'm am always in awe of how Rod can smile and keep his sense of humor under ANY circumstance! No wonder I love that guy!

Here is a picture of Rod's pill caddy after it took it's little ocean dip.

We were able to catch our afternoon shore excursion which was riding on a little "motor coach" around the coastline and through the coastal village of Kennebunkport which included driving past the "Bush Family Compound." No matter what your political opinions are, it is still very cool to see the home where two of our president's spent their summers. The property has been in the Bush family for many generations. If you're interested in a little history about the area, click here.

The United States flag was flying high on the flagpole which, we were told, means that "George and Barbara" were on the property. We saw what looked like a secret service boat driving around the waters by the property and a couple of big white vans that almost looked like a catering company. If they were having a party, we didn't get our invitation....it's probably at the bottom of the ocean back in Boston....

On Wednesday we docked in Bar Harbor. We decided to sleep in a bit, work a little more on our "issues" with the boat and try to relax. In the afternoon we went whale watching! It was very cool! We actually saw two different Finback Whales! If you want some information about these "second largest living animals, after the Blue Whales," click here.

Here is Rod's "look of amazement" after seeing a whale!

What a goofball!

On Thursday we visited the port city of Halifax, Nova Scotia. We took a free bus into town, went to a museum where we learned about the history of the area, including how the people of Halifax were the first at the scene of the Titanic tragedy.

We spent Friday "at sea" sailing back to the Boston Harbor. We had planned on staying over Saturday night in Boston so we could tour the city. But, given how well things had gone on the trip, we decided that we just wanted to get home to our drugged dogs and our own beds.

Well, I need to close this post for the day. I'm off to take a knitting lesson. My dear phriend Cindy and I had promised each other that we were going to take a knitting class so that we could get beyond just knitting scarves. With fall here, I decided I needed to get my behind in gear and learn how to knit, I mean, really knit. So, I'm going to a local knitting store called, "String of Purls" and see if this old dog can learn a new trick.

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

Did you hear about the lovely couple who....

2009-09-18T13:45:00.000-07:00

went on a relaxing cruise along the New England shore? They flew from Omaha to Minneapolis and then Minneapolis to Boston without any trouble. They took a cab from the airport to the dock where the cruise ship, the “Jewel” was waiting for them. It took a bit of time to get checked in, where the luggage guys whisked away their luggage, the service counter people took their credit card number and took their pictures so that they could be given a “sea pass” that basically is a credit card/charge card/ room key and identification card all rolled into one. With the assistance of a crew member the “lovely couple” were taken to their beautiful room where a plate of fresh fruit was waiting for them. Their luggage had yet to arrive, but, that was not unusual for a big ship like the Jewel.
Well “the lovely couple” (who from now on will be known as “us, we, our, I, Rod and Annette) headed off for our first of 3, 679 meals that we would consume while on the ship for the next 5 days (ok, I know, that was a bit of an exaggeration…it was really closer to 3, 678 meals). Upon returning to our room we were still not surprised that we didn’t have our luggage. As “seasoned” cruisers we knew that it might be a good couple of hours before the workers would be able to deliver the bags to the thousands of people on board. We did notice the phone “message” light flashing. We figured it was the typical, “Welcome to the Jewel of the Seas. We hope you enjoy your voyage.” Imagine my surprise to hear this sweet little accented woman’s voice say, “Good evening Mr. and Mrs. Markin. This is “blah-blah-blah” from guest services. We regret to inform you that there has been an incident involving your luggage. We regret to inform you that when your luggage was being transferred to the ship, it accidentally FELL INTO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN! We would like your permission to clean the items before we return them to you. Please call “blah-blah-blah” at guest services as soon as you get this message.” Rod was out on the balcony enjoying the view as I listened to this message. I pushed the “repeat message” button thinking I must have misunderstood what this young lady said. Nope! She actually said, “ YOUR LUGGAGE FELL INTO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN.” I yelled at Rod saying, “Our luggage was dumped into the Atlantic Ocean in Boston!” He, of course, thought I was jesting…until I replayed the message! He called guest services and was told that our luggage was dumped into the Atlantic Ocean. The good news was (according to them) they were able to retrieve both pieces of our luggage. But, the bad news was, everything was drenched with ocean salt water. They wanted permission to clean our clothing and the “other items” that were in the bags.

Now, here’s where the story REALLY gets interesting….

Bag #1’s Contents: clothes

Bag #2’s Contents: medicine, all of MY medicine for my pulmonary hypertension, all of Rod’s prescription medications, a heating pad for the leg aches I’m still getting because of the knee issue and Rod’s CPAP machine.

You might want to reread the contents of bag #2 to get the full impact of what happened. By now our ship has left the port and we are on our way to our first stop, Portland, Maine.

Rod, in his stern “doctor voice” told the guest service person that he wanted our luggage delivered to us a.s.a.p. so we could actually see what kind of damage they were talking about. AND, no matter what, we did NOT want them touching the medicine!
Our luggage was delivered and it was an absolute mess!! The suitcase with the clothes had every single item dripping with smelly water. The second bag was when the real problems were revealed. I should start by saying there was some good news in bag #2. The medicine that I have to use for the pulmonary hypertension is all sealed. So, with the exception of a couple of packages of extension tubing, needles and the alcohol squares that I use for cleaning the tops and connections, everything else was fine. I had all of my oral meds with me in the carry-on, along with my back-up Flolan pump and cassette of medicine. But, Rod had his shaver, CPAP machine, the heating pad and all of his oral meds. At the last minute he stuck those pills in the checked luggage because he didn’t have room in his briefcase.
We were sent down to the ship doctor’s office to try to get replacements meds for Rod and any items I needed to replace for my Flolan supplies. The doctor was able to help Rod out with some of the prescriptions, but the doctor’s replacements were drugs that were manufactured in Russia!! There is no FDA in Russia. Rod politely accepted the pills as we started to figure out what we were going to do as soon as we landed in Portland the next morning. There was nothing that could be done for his CPAP machine. This $5,000.00 piece of equipment was completely ruined.

Well, in an attempt to make a long story a bit shorter, Rod and I spent the first half of our stop in Portland taking cabs to drug stores and Target stores to replace his prescriptions, new luggage, underwear, socks, etc. He was unable to find a CPAP machine. But, after several hours of phone calls Rod received a new CPAP at our second port of call (Bar Harbor, Maine…on Wednesday) and was thrilled to finally get a good night of sleep.
We did not receive our cleaned clothes until Tuesday evening. We got several phone calls asking for our permission to clean the clothes for us. Every time we said, “Yes!” It was pretty obvious that no one in “guest services” had a clue what was happening.

In spite of all of this crap that went on with the luggage and everything that went along with that, we did manage to take a tour Tuesday afternoon. We went to Kennebunkport, Maine and saw the Bush family compound. The American flag was waving proudly in the front of the house. The flying flag is the signal that President George and Barbara were at the house. We even saw a secret service boat patrolling the area around the compound. We had a little free time in the town of Kennebunkport where we enjoyed a delicious piece of blueberry pie!

Wednesday was a much better day. We landed at the port in Bar Harbor where we went on a whale watching boat and we actually spotted two different “Finback Whales!” We were told that Finback Whales are the second largest whales in the whale family. After our little excursion, we were, once again, given a little free time. This time we found a fabulous bookstore and another restaurant that also served delicious blueberry pie! Ding-Ding! 2 pieces of blueberry pie with ice cream two days in a row!
Thursday we landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia. We took the free bus named “Fred” into town to visit the Maritime Museum where we learned about Halifax and their part in retrieving survivors and “non-survivors” of the Titanic disaster. For lunch we went across the street to a Chinese buffet. I know, don’t ask me why we went to some goofy Chinese buffet when we were in a fish town. They also didn’t have blueberry pie there. But, this did have ice cream!
That brings us to today, Friday. We honestly feel like this is the first day of our vacation. We finally had our belongings, either returned or replaced. We’d signed the majority of the paperwork involved when your luggage is thrown into the Atlantic Ocean. So, we slept in, went for lunch, took a nap, went for a snack….you get the picture.

We get back into Boston tomorrow (Saturday) morning. We were planning on staying over an extra day so that we could explore Boston since I’ve never been to Boston and Rod has only been there for meetings. But, given how this trip began we both decided we just wanted to go home. So, we’ll be coming home tomorrow night. Hopefully Rod will have a quiet Sunday so he can face work after his week of “vacation.”
OK, that’s it for now. This has been a strange, strange week, even for a “Markin.” We’ll be glad to get home and see our little “Prozac Babies.”

Thanks for checking in.

Thanks for reading.

Annette

*************IMPORTANT P.S.
I tried really, really hard to upload some pictures, but I kept losing my internet connection and at .55 cents a minute, I figured you good people wouldn't mind waiting for me to get home and some pictures from our "vacation." Sorry.... I'll get them posted when we return and get settled in...
Thanks again.
love
annette

Pack your virtual bags.....

2009-09-13T15:26:00.000-07:00

Rod and I are heading out early tomorrow morning (very, very early....ARG!!!) to fly to Boston where we'll pick up the "Jewel of the Seas"

with the Royal Caribbean cruise lines for a 5 night "Canada and New England Cruise!" We will board the ship in Boston, making stops in Portland, Bar Harbor and Halifax, Nova Scotia. We'll return to Boston and stay an extra day so we can see the city.

Rod's been to Boston, but only for meetings. We're hoping the the fall colors will be in full force.

Sorry, this needs to be short and sweet. I need to pack clothes, medicine, O2 supplies and mix. Traveling with all of my crap harks back to the days when the boys were babies and we had to bring and entire extra car full of things. (kidding...mostly)

I'm taking my computer and I'm hoping to bring you all along.

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.

annette

Where were you 8 years ago?

2009-09-11T10:42:00.000-07:00

Last year on this date, I wrote about our experience on September 11, 2001. First, I never expected to still be blogging. In fact, to be honest, I wasn't sure I'd still be here, as bad as that sounds. I think, in all honesty, I feel better than I did a year ago (if you don't count the stupid knee). A lot has happened since September 11, 2001....a lot has happened since September 11, 2008.

I'd like to take this moment in history to thank God for this life, this country, the family and friends we have been given and all of the freedoms that come with living in this country and from God Himself.

I'm being a bit lazy, but I just don't see any reason to re-write what I wrote last year. So, I have copied and pasted here today.

Please remember. Please take the time to thank all of the people that keep us safe because they have decided to put themselves in harms way. Most importantly, take the time to hug your loved ones and tell them how much you love them.

Thanks for reading.
Annette

*****************************
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Where were you 7 years ago?
Seven years ago Rod and I took Nick to Manchester, England so he could do a year of college in Europe. We planned on taking Nick to college and get him all settled, spend a day or two visiting the area and then head on back home. Well, as luck would have it, Nick was able to get settled, get a bank account set-up, etc., in just a couple of days. So we decided to head back home a day early so we could get back to work and check on how Chris was doing with his first year at Northwest Missouri State College in Maryville, Missouri. So, we headed back to Omaha on September 11, 2001 on flight Delta 65. After a few hours into the flight the pilot announced that our plane was having mechanical problems and that we were going to make an unexpected landing in St. Johns, Newfoundland. Rod had his cell phone and started making phone calls to try to let Nick and Chris know what was going on (although,he wasn't suppose to, you know, cell phones interrupt flight communications, yah, yah, yah...). He started getting bits and pieces of information, just enough to let us know that it was unlikely that our plane was experiencing mechanical problems. His cell phone was running out of battery, so he asked a flight attendant if he could charge it up back in their work area. The flight attendants were trying to put on these tough professional faces, but they were obviously very worried. They had also only heard bits and pieces of what was actually happening. Rod told them that they could certainly use his phone to call their family members to let them know they were safe. They were very appreciative. We circled Newfoundland for five hours while the pilot drained the plane of all of the extra fuel (we later found out that a bomb threat had been called into our plane). After we landed in St. Johns we sat in the plane on the tarmac for 10 hours watching 20+ other planes land at this small terminal. We eventually were let off the plane and loaded on big buses. Because of the security threat and the fact that the officials had no idea if they had any "bad guys" on this flight, we were not allowed to take any of our luggage, any of our personal items, not even any of our medications, unless there was something small in our carry-on that we could stick in a purse. (Thank God I wasn't sick then. I don't know what would have happened.) So, we stuck Rod's phone and his charger into my purse and got on a giant bus with our fellow travel companions. We rode for about 30 minutes and were taken to the Mile One Centre, which is a huge auditorium used by their hockey team.

We still did not have a real idea of what had happened until we walked into the stadium. We had to go through different check-points, getting registered, getting free drinks and snacks and then we were led into this hockey auditorium. Like many sports stadiums, this one had numerous giant screen TV's and we saw for the first time what had happened and what was going on back home. It was so eerie seeing what was going on in our country, while we were stuck in a totally different country. We had Nick in England and Chris is Missouri and here we were in Newfoundland. We had to stay at the Centre for a few hours until our flight was announced. We were loaded back into a bus and this time we were driven to the Salvation Army St. John's Temple, where we lived, sleeping on the floor in sleeping bags for a week.

Due to the bomb threats and the overall situation, all of the planes that landed on the island had to dump their extra fuel. We had to all wait until fuel could be delivered, via boats, and then we had to wait our turn to leave. It took us a full week before we were back in the air, heading for home. This is actually a photo taken from our return flight as we flew over New York, one week after the attack. Notice how it's still smoking.

I love our country. I love being an American. God bless America and all of it's people.

Thanks for reading.
Annette

GRRRRRRRRRRRR....................

2009-09-09T20:40:00.000-07:00

OK, I'm starting this posting on Wednesday night (9-9-09) because I'm so frickin' mad at my dogs right now I can't relax enough to go to sleep! So, I decided if I wrote about it (typing it, smacking the keys like they are little puppy butts!) I'd calm down and be able to go to sleep. Then I'll come back to it tomorrow (9-10-09) and add something more intelligent or interesting or at least less grumpy!

So, Rod's out of town again. He'll be back Friday morning. (Just two more sleeps....I can't remember where I heard that phrase...maybe one of the many books I've read....but, I digress....)If you've read this blog before you know that when Rod goes out of town, I've got extra chores. My dear friends Tammy, Dan and Carly are taking care of the horses (after I got scolded because I didn't tell them that Rod was going out of town because I didn't want them to have to do MY chores. I mean, they have their own busy lives! But, with my knee still trying to improve...which it has...I figured I better give in to peer pressure and let them help.) So, that just leaves me with the fish and the dogs. I have not had any trouble getting the dogs "to bed" since they were little puppies...like when they weighed less than 100 pounds. But, now, two nights in a row when I hobble outside (looking for the sympathy vote) to have them do their business, they both run off barking, chasing and just basically acting like idiotic dogs. Why is this a problem you ask? Because after they go outside to "do their business" they come in and Haver goes to "his room" (the laundry room) and Asa comes upstairs with me and I get to go to bed!!

Last night I dinked around for over 30 minutes before they finally got tired of whatever they were doing and finally came inside! I don't want to wait 30 minutes to go to bed! (Although tonight it will be more than 30 minutes since I'm doing "blogging therapy" to calm down enough to go to sleep!) I was determined that they were not going to do a repeat tonight. We headed on outside and I'm telling them, "OK guys, it's potty and night-night....potty and night-night....potty and night-night." I praised them as they squatted and praised them as they started walking back towards me and then WHAM!!! They either smelled something or saw something and then they were off!!! I yelled their names, I whistled, I clapped my hands and....nothing! I opened and shut the garage doors a couple of times, trying to get my point across and....nothing! I went out the front door to the front yard and yelled their names, clapped my hands and whistled and....they came running! Yahoo! But, just as they were making their way to the front door.....THEY WENT OFF RUNNING AGAIN ACTING LIKE IDIOT DOGS!!! ARG!!!!!!!

By now my heart is racing, my ire and dander are both up (whatever either one of those things are...) and I was really pissed! (Sorry about all of the language...but, when your beating the hell out of the computer keys, you can't help but get a "naughty" word or two in the sentence!) I came back inside and wrapped up both knees, ready to go outside and fight the fight to get these two stupid wack-jobs to come inside so I COULD GO TO BED!!

I head back outside, yelling, clapping and whistling and here comes Asa....with a dead animal hanging out of his mouth! OH FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!! NOW they come when I call and they bring their road kill with them!

I yelled "No, no, no, no, no!" to Asa and miraculously he responded, dropping the vole onto the driveway and headed into the house. I hollered for Haver and he rounds the corner, thankfully with an empty mouth! Somehow he managed to walk past Asa's "catch of the day" and waddled on into the house! I told him it was time to go "night-night" and he waddled right into his room! Asa, basically shivering in fear from all of my screaming stood looking at me with a look that said, "I hope this crazy lady doesn't do to me what I did my little vole friend." Instead, I told him to stay downstairs for a while because I wasn't interested in having "vole breath" in my room, and he listened.

OK, I'm actually starting to type more slowly and lightly on the keyboard. I think it's time to stop for now, get some sleep and pick this up again in the morning.

****************************************

Well, it's now around 5:00 on Thursday (9-10-09) and I'm finally getting back to this post. I would like to add a couple of things, unrelated to idiotic dogs.

1. Yesterday was Christopher's birthday!!! He turned 26 years old!! There have only been a handful of birthdays that he's been away from home for, but I miss not being able to give him a real birthday hug on his real birthday. I thought you might enjoy a little bit of video from his very first birthday. It's a bit grainy and not very long, but you can see how incredibly cute he was (and still is...sorry Chris, I'm your Mom!) Also, the voice that you hear is Rod's Dad. He was taking the video. And, yes, the split-second vision of someone in a red sweater is me and NO I'm not showing you any more of her...me...at least not today....maybe if I start taking up drinking....or someone buys me a Blizzard.....

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

And, for those of you faithful readers of this blog, be sure to click here to see how adorable Chris was in the spring of 1986....

I can't remember what else I was going to write about tonight. So, I guess this is it for now.

Thanks for checking in.
Thanks for reading.
Annette

The End of an Era...The Nebraska State Fair in Lincoln

2009-09-06T20:03:00.000-07:00

Rod and I both grew up in Lincoln, NE. Nebraska has been having their state fair in Lincoln for 140 years. So, if you do the math, Rod and I have been going to the fair for about 10 years. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!

The Nebraska State Fair is moving to Grand Island which is more in the center of the state.

As kids, we'd go every year since it was in town. When Rod was in high school he worked at one of the restaurants every fair season, cooking hamburgers. This particular "stand" was owned by the same guy who owned a regular restaurant that Rod worked at during the school year. One year in college,(the college, Nebraska Wesleyan was also in Lincoln) after we started dating, Rod got this idea that it would be fun for the both of us to go back and work the state fair booth one year. I really don't know why Rod thought that was such a fun thing to do! I mean, it was fun working with Rod, but it was hot, tough long hours! But, we'd get up early, go to the fair, work all day and then go on a couple of rides before we called it a day. We also got into the fair for free and did make some pretty decent money!

When Nick and Chris were little, we'd take them to the fair every year. They would love the rides, the animals and, of course, the food! I don't know about you, but there's nothing better than a good funnel cake!

Rod and I have gone a couple of times since I got sick. It's not really an easy place to maneuver. The last time we rented a scooter and that made a big difference. I really wasn't sure about going this year because of my stupid knee. But, since it was the last year for the fair to be in Lincoln, we figured we needed to go. So Friday night after Rod got home from work, we headed on down to Lincoln. Luckily the scooter rentals just happened to be at the entrance where we parked! (Another one of those little "miracle moments!") We loaded up the scooter with my O2, medicine and other crap, then started out. I'm just going to jump right to the end of this story...The fair this year was really, really pathetic! We don't know if it was because the organizers knew it was the last year or if it was the economy, we're not sure. But, we really did expect...MORE! It started out with the beloved funnel cake that ended up being, now I'm quoting my beloved husband...."It was a GUT BOMB!" Here he is, ordering said "GUT BOMB!"

After that, we basically wandered around the fairgrounds for about an hour, trying to find something interesting to see. There were some big John Deere displays and the Budweiser Clydesdales, but they were in these little cages, sleeping.

After a TOTAL of 90 minutes we decided to go home. On the way to the car we hit the highlight of the evening.....

and....

AND......

Rod took this picture. Not until I downloaded it to put on this blog post did I realized that I was talking to the wrong end of 850 pound "Harold."

I would like to wish Grand Island much luck in rebuilding the Nebraska State Fair. It's not beyond me to drive that extra mile for a good funnel cake.

Thanks for reading.
Annette

Couch Potato Diaries...Day 12....

2009-09-02T10:43:00.000-07:00

Well, I went to the specialist on Monday. She was very nice. She's trying a new cutting edge type of approach where she uses an ultrasound machine to look directly at the knee and find where most of the fluid is so she can just insert the needle there and not have to "dig around" looking for the best spot. She also promised to give me a tad bit more numbing medicine so it wouldn't hurt so much. Such good theories.......

She went into a different pocket of fluid and was unable to get anything out. It was also all congealed blood. Even though she used an 18 gauge needle (now and forever known as a BIG-ASS needle) she was not able to get out any blood, whereas the doctor last Monday was at least able to get out some blood with the same, BIG ASS needle. After she dug around a bit trying to get some fluid out, she decided to inject some steroids. The thought is that I have damaged my knee causing it to bleed. Because I'm on blood thinners I bleed more than the average Joan. The blood then clots and gets absorbed and things are all better. But, every time the dogs clip me, run into me, wag their tail and hit my knee, it gets re-injured and bleeds again, starting the whole vicious cycle all over again.

We can't find out what the exact damage is because that would mean an MRI would have to be done. I can't have an MRI because of my Flolan pump. So, for now, I'm staying off my feet as much as I need to, keeping it elevated, and iced. I'm also going to keep wearing this BIG ASS brace (it just FEELS good to type BIG ASS and not be referring to my body)until my knee feels stable. Also, Rod has made me promise not to carry any more 40 pound boxes of plums which is what appears to have been the latest trigger for this cycle.

The knee actually feels better tonight and I actually went out and ran an errand this afternoon. I took some clothes to the cleaners and, while I was out I figured it was necessary to swing through the Dairy Queen drive-through and get a blizzard. We all KNOW that Blizzards can cure almost anything!

A positive thing that has come out of this latest bump in the road is having the opportunity to once again experience some of the little miracles that God provides and we are usually too busy to pay attention to or notice. Here's an example, one that may look silly or small to some, but my phriends with O2 will understand. Up until last night (when my knee was starting to feel better) I have not had my long, long line of O2 tubing stuck or crimped AT ALL! I could go anywhere, whether I was pushing my walker or sitting on and rolling my walker or actually trying to walk all over the first floor and NOT ONCE did I have to back-track to free my tubing! NOT ONCE!

Another positive thing that has happened over this last week is to take advantage of my constant sitting position and scanned some pictures from Nick and Kara's wedding that Kara's mom and aunt took. We haven't seen the "official" pictures yet, but these "amateur" shots are great!

This is a shot at the rehearsal night.

This is a picture from the delicious picnic that Kara's parents hosted for relatives and out of town visitors. This is my beloved and significantly older sister (in the middle...you're welcome Kathleen) her daughter Maggie on the left and her other daughter Katie. Such beautiful girls, inside and out!

Here is a really nice shot of Kara, her brother and sister and their grandma!

Here's a shot of Chris sticking his brother with the pin for his boutineer!

My, how they have grown!

And, my favorite picture...

If that's not the look of love, I don't know what is!

Well, I think that's enough for this post. As always, thanks for checking in and thanks for reading.

Annette

Couch Potato Diaries...Day 8...

2009-08-29T15:15:00.000-07:00

I was getting ready to go see the doctor yesterday when I got this phone call from a doctor's office asking if I'd like to reschedule the appointment I missed at 11:00 that morning. Being a bit more confused than normal, I asked her what she was talking about. She told me that I had missed an 11:00 appointment with Dr. Somebody who was suppose to ultrasound and inject my knee. I told her that I had a 1:00 appointment with Dr. Somebody Else who was just going to look at my knee. She then proceeded to tell me how she spoke with me personally Wednesday afternoon and had scheduled the appointment with me to see Dr. Somebody at 11:00 to have an ultrasound and injection on Friday. Now, here's the problem. I was on LOTS of pain pills Wednesday and slept most of the day. But, I DO remember getting a phone call from Dr. Somebody Else's office and making an appointment for 1:00 on Friday. I even wrote it on my calendar! So then she asked me again if I wanted to go ahead and reschedule my missed appointment with Dr. Somebody for the ultrasound and injection. I said, that no, I wanted to come and see Dr. Somebody Else at 1:00. She told me I didn't have an appointment with Dr. Somebody Else and what would I like to do. I told her I wanted to... CALL MY HUSBAND!! Now, having a doctor in the house comes in very handy. But, looking back I'm pretty sure my sanity and level of maturity were in question by this point and my comment of wishing to call my husband sounded more like a child who wanted to "TALK TO MY DADDY! HE'LL STRAIGHTEN THIS OUT! HE'LL STRAIGHTEN YOU OUT!!"
Anyway....
I'm scheduled now to see Dr. Somebody for an ultrasound and "possible" injection on Monday. I really hope I don't see the lady that was on the phone...

Topic change....BOOK REPORT!
Being chained to the couch has helped me get some reading done. This week I read James Patterson's 8th book in his"Women's Murder Club" series. It's called,
"The Eighth Confession."

I enjoy James Patterson's "Women's Murder Club" series and his "Alex Cross" series. I am a little miffed that he no longer seems to be writing his books by himself. But, he keeps cranking books out at record speed, has movie and TV deals, video games and even things to help motivate kids to read. I suppose it would be impossible for him to be able to do it all by himself. He also has quite a website. I would give it 8 puppy paws up.

Speaking of "puppy paws," Asa and Haver are birthday boys today! They turned two years old! Haver's latest Prozac increase has proved to have a very positive effect on his behavior. He is though, having trouble sharing the couch with Rod!

And, dear sweet Asa just had to "kiss-up" to mom by showing how much he loves Peggy Karr plates!

No, there was NOT a Peggy Karr plate in the box and NO, he did NOT get to chew the box!

Well, that's all for now.
Thanks for hanging in there with me.
Thanks for reading.

Annette

I can't believe that it's been almost a month!!

2009-08-27T14:37:00.000-07:00

So, here's the deal. While I've been gone...

**I worked and worked on the videos for Nick and Kara's wedding. I would really like to show them on this site, but I'm going to need to ask them first if it's OK. But, I can show you a couple of pictures...
This is Kara when she was about 2 years old:

Here's Nick around the same age:

One of the funnest discoveries was pictures of them doing similar things at a similar age, thousands of miles apart!

Kara eating spaghetti:

Nick eating spaghetti:

Isn't it just crazy?!?!?

**While I've been gone I also had to be the "responsible adult" because Rod went out of town which means I had to do extra chores which wore me out and gave me less time and energy to be a "good blogger."

**While I've been gone I had lunch with my friend Paula and her son, Jason. Jason was visiting his mom after a "camp-out vacation" that he took with Chris and some other friends from high school.

**While I've been gone I also had lunch and went to a movie with my niece Katie!

Katie has recently started blogging. You should check out her site!

We saw the movie "Ice Age:Dawn of the Dinosaurs in 3-D!"

It was a really funny movie and the 3-D stuff is AWESOME!! I'd give it 8 puppy paws up!!

**And, of course, while I was gone, Nick and Kara became husband and wife. I don't have any of their wedding pictures yet. But, I do have a really nice one of during the rehearsal.

I will be sharing more pictures and stories from their wedding when we get some of the pictures back. Just know it was fabulous and we are so blessed to have Kara and her family in our family.

**One more thing....While I've been gone:
I really, really hurt my knee. I've been on "couch rest for the last 4-5 days and am seeing the doctor tomorrow. Hopefully, now that I'm back in "blogger mode" I'll get back here and fill in lots of blanks.

I sure hope that there are people that will be coming back to check in and read what all is going on in the Markin household. I know it's a lot to ask to be gone for a month and to expect paeople to want to come back to read and see pictures and such. So, if you're reading this, thank you so very much for checking in and coming back.

More to come....I PROMISE!!

much love
annette

A Nice weekend...

2009-07-26T14:25:00.000-07:00

My beloved sister came up from Lincoln Friday afternoon and we went to the new Katherine Heigl movie, "The Ugly Truth."

It was an entertaining movie with a happy ending. But, you need to know that it is a little crude at times and it is rated "R." But, I LOVE Katherine Heigl

and Gerard Butler

is also pretty easy on the eyes!! I would certainly give it about 7 puppy paws up!

Friday night Rod and I decided to stay home, watch some TV and play with the dogs. By the way, I forgot to show you the nice little "partner" that Asa had on his head the other day...
WARNING!! THIS IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART OR WEAK OF STOMACH! Asa had a very full and disgusting...
TICK!!

This is the ugly guys belly!

Rod "snuffed" the little blood-sucker!

OK, let's move onto a nicer and more pleasant topic...
I'm working on a video of Nick and Kara to be shown at their wedding reception and the picnic that we are hosting the next day. I thought I'd show you a couple of my favorite pictures of Nick from his "early years!"

Nick was just a couple of months old when this photo was shot.

Here's another one of he and his dad playing. Rod has a hard time looking at this picture...so much hair....so long ago...

And here is an adorable one of he and Chris. This is their first Christmas together. Chris is about 3 months old and Nick is 26 months old.

Boy oh boy, they've really grown up!

Well, I have more to tell you. But, I really need to go sneak in a nap. I'll post some more later.

Thanks for reading.
Annette