Open or Closed?

It's signs like this that make me confused...
perhaps it should say "Yes, We're Lazy"

The apartment search continues...

So, Joel & I saw some more apartments tonight.
Many of them were a lot more promising than others we've seen & we are loving the 'hood we've been checking out. The management companies seem to really try to update these places with new bathrooms, kitchens, appliances, paint jobs...very nice.

however, there were a couple bumps that I must share:
-we had a different realtor today than a couple nights ago (diff folks have diff listings so we have to 'cheat' on the realtors to see the most of what is out there). Tonight's woman tried to show us an apartment that the woman a couple nights ago tried to show us. Initially Joel & I smirked at each other knowing we had just been there before, but had hope for tonight since the other woman didn't have the right keys & we couldn't get in before. Well, after walking up four flights of stairs in 90 degree humidity...we couldn't get in and see the place again. Didn't have the right keys...guess this place is just not meant to be.

-in another apartment, Joel peeked into the new restored beautiful cabinets & there were dead crusty roaches inside. ew.

-and lastly, this is my favorite: Joel was quite intrigued by what was out of the window on the 'balcony' (aka: fire escape) of one of the places & I walked over there to see what he was peeking at...a dead mangled bat.
double ew.
i need to start bringing the camera.

the search continues!
off to see more this week, I know the right home is out there for us.
:)

Oh Ugly Bathrooms....

My husband & I are apartment hunting.
Here are some things we are finding in the places we are shown:
-a bathroom all in blue: blue toilet, blue tub, blue sink, blue shower curtain, blue floor, blue tiles.
-another bathroom with 3 layers of tile on the floor, guess they couldn't make up their mind?
-in addition to the 3 layers of tile on the floor, the wallpaper on the ceiling (yes, wallpaper on the ceiling!) was a blue tinfoil-type wallpaper similar to: so, but blue & uglier & with a hue of gold in it.
-another bathroom with lime green & black tile throughout the shower & a matching lime green toilet.
-the outside of the apartment 'building' covered with brown wooden shingles, everywhere. (& it definitely did not have the nice cabin/country feel to it...more like the creepy lady inside feel)
-another building that Joel so aptly named 'Transylvania'.

why do they punish us so?
I'm assuming these owners think that these are acceptable forms of 'interior design'?

I know God's got the right place out there somewhere...in the meantime I'll enjoy the gaudiness.
we're off again tonight to see more!
I wonder what we'll find!?
Queens, NY you have such a way with your decor!

Warning Signs of a Stroke

Do you know the warning signs of a stroke?
I am meeting more & more women who have had a stroke, & it's not just for your grandparents...young folks have strokes too.

I take this info all from the American Heart Association's Website:
Stroke Warning Signs
*If you or someone with you has one or more of these signs, don't delay!
-Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
-Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
-Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
-Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
-Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

Immediately call 9-1-1 or the emergency medical services (EMS) number so an ambulance (ideally with advanced life support) can be sent for you. Also, check the time so you'll know when the first symptoms appeared. It's very important to take immediate action. If given within three hours of the start of symptoms, a clot-busting drug called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) can reduce long-term disability for the most common type of stroke. tPA is the only FDA-approved medication for the treatment of stroke within three hours of stroke symptom onset.

A TIA, or transient ischemic attack, is a "warning stroke" or "mini-stroke" that produces stroke-like symptoms but no lasting damage. Recognizing and treating TIAs can reduce your risk of a major stroke. The usual TIA symptoms are the same as those of stroke, only temporary. The short duration of these symptoms and lack of permanent brain injury is the main difference between TIA and stroke.

The basic jist to start us off...

I am just starting to write this story down...it'll take awhile to get all of the specifics out, but I only hope to help & encourage (& maybe even educate??) others by sharing the crazy year that Joel & I have had...

Basically, here's the jist:
-May 28, 2008: I had a stroke.
-the next week I am in the hospital & the doctors find out that I had a hole in my heart (I did not know I had a hole in my heart up until this point & the hole is something docs are learning are a major cause of strokes)
-so, we learn we have to fix the hole
-Oct 3, 2008: we fix the hole with an 'umbrella' (aka: Amplatzer Septal Occluder - something that has been invented to help avoid having to do open heart surgery)
-Jan 21, 2009: we have to remove the umbrella, after finding it went terribly wrong.
-Spring 2009: we know we still have to fix the hole in the heart to help prevent future strokes
-Eventually: we decide we do not want to try the umbrella again.
-we then know that we want the best of the best of the best after having the previous complication, so I push & push to get Dr. Oz to operate on me.
-June 15, 2009: Dr. Oz performs minimally invasive open heart surgery on me.

now, I'm all better!
Joel & I are so incredibly thankful for the good Lord's protection through all of this & for prayer from folks all over the world...we couldn't have done it otherwise.

I will update this more....so, please check back for more specifics...about other things like: warning signs of a stroke, birth control, listening to your body, being pushy with the insurance even though they told me they won't cover Dr. Oz since he's not on our plan, physical & occupational thearapy, very minimal residual effects from the stroke.

what a year!

Me & the Wizard...

So, from the encouragement of my huz, some friends & a little doc we call Oz, I have decided to start blogging again to share my story. I will update this over time, but here's a little taste of it all....

Yup, that's me & Dr. Oz. I LOVE him! he's a wonderful, sympathetic doctor & you know he's trying his hardest to make the world of medicine a much better place. I feel so blessed that we were able to get him. :)

Rambo

While watching Rambo in Spanish tonight (a language my husband doesn't speak), he says "some movies just don't need words".
So true.

It's a hard-knock life...

There was a guy in Staples the other day yelling many things...it was hilarious:
-can someone help me here!
-I need to make a copy & I don't know how to use these machines, you [the sales clerk] need to help me.
-It used to be so easy in the old days! You'd hand them a piece of paper, tell them how many copies you wanted made & it was done!
-What does someone have to do to get a copy made around here!!!

I wish I had a video.

Madonna

Last time I checked...Madonna was from Michigan.
So, uh...why is she speaking with an English accent?
(Also here.)

Notes from a flight...

Ok, so it's been QUITE awhile since I've posted...but the holidays gave me plenty of fodder.

Here goes:
I love to observe, watch, notice, take note, & of course make fun of folks on flights...it's the best place to people watch.
On my & Joel's flight to El Paso for Christmas on December 18, 2007 we had an early morning flight to Chicago for a quick layover & then proceeded to El Paso. Our flight left at 7:55am & arrived in Chicago at about 9am, getting all of the 'suits' on the flight into Chicago just in time for that 10am business meeting.
Joel & I were quite tired & planned on getting a nice cat nap on the way to Chicago...yet, we couldn't really plan on that. There was one Suit who liked to talk quite loudly, making sure that everyone else on the flight knew she was there & what she thought of everyone she worked with, along with her other thoughts on life, love, politics, and cashmere.
She was just two rows behind us.
Just as the Flight Attendant was about to close the door & we would be requested to put on our seatbelts, I asked Joel if he could help me get a blanket from the overhead compartment. Joel, being the wonderful helper & chivalrous husband he is, got up & retreived a blanket, just above Ms. Suit. As he reached up & grabbed the item that would keep me warm & cozy for the first leg that began our holiday vacation, Ms. Suit made note of this & said to her friend in a low, hushed voice yet certain that she was loud enough that we could hear her:
(Picture her with me -- a well dressed woman, perfect hair, make-up, pumps, & Coach bag with that nice Upper East Side 'I can purchase anything I want' attitude & way of speaking...similar to Meryl Streep in Devil Wears Prada)
"You know, I can't use THOSE blankets anymore & I travel SO much that I bring my own. A $325 cashmere Vanity Fair blanket. Cashmere, it's SO soft & nice!!!"
I was about to turn around & ask Ms. Suit if I could borrow the aforementioned blanket, but instead I warmed up with my non-cashmere blanket & got some nice quick shut eye to begin what was a wonderful Christmas vacation with my new in-laws in TX.

What's in a name?

Women get married, women take their husband's name.
It happens all the time.
OH!

Except when you live in Queens, NY or Vegas...then, there are special rules.
Our government Social Security offices have decided that if you live in Queens, NY or in Vegas... that there are special rules to submit your paper work.
It seems as if anywhere else in the country you can change your name with some ease.
But not when you live in Queens or Vegas....we're special here & have to do it the special way.

Let me tell you a bit about my journey:
~Joel & I go to get our marriage license.
~on the marriage license you tell them what name you want.
-keep your maiden name
-take your husband's name
-hyphenate the 2 names
-do something else.
this is suppose to make it easier when you change everything with Social Security & all the other peeps.
~I chose to keep my maiden name (as a middle name) and add my husband's name (as my last name) , without the hyphen.
~this is recorded on the license, we get married (YAY!), now I'm all set to go to Social Security & change it all....
~I go to the Social Security office, during my lunch break, wait for about an hour & 15 minutes
~I observe how easy it is for the other "name changers" in line as they submit their paper work.
~I get to the front of the line, submit my papers and.....
WAIT! They tell me I'm not supposed to be there! I live in Queens & I have to go to the special office.
~ok, not such a big deal, I only wasted my lunch break waiting in line to do nothing!
then......
~I take a day off work (because the SS office is only open during office hours) -- fortunately my husband was able to come with me, it was nice to have the company.
~we buy a train ticket to Jamaica, Queens -- really far out in Queens & WAY too far to try & ride the subway to.
~I wait in line for an hour at the SS office in Queens, all my paperwork filled out & ready to go!
~I get to the front of the line, only to be told that I can't have my maiden name as my middle name (WHAT! I have other friends who have done this with NO problem!)
~I am told I have to go to the "Name Change Office" to officially change my name.
(which seems a little odd since, according to the Social Security website, your marriage certificate/license is enough proof for the name change)
~ok, we got to the Name Change Office, fill out all the paper work, & have to submit a fee (yes, I had to pay to do all of this....)
~so, now......
~I am waiting for the judge to approve my name change & tell me "it's ok" for me to have my husband's name & keep something I already have (my maiden name)
~it takes "about 8 weeks" for my paperwork to even reach the judge's hands
~then I have to put a note in the paper telling the world I have a new name:
the gal formerly known as "Megan middle name last name" will now be known as "Megan middle name last name married name"

It all seems like a lot of work.
yes, I know I'm making it a little harder on myself by not just dropping my maiden name, but that name means a lot to me & even tho I can't 'officially' carry on the family name, we only have a couple of gents who can do so.
So, I wanna help keep the name alive.

Did I mention that the "customer service" at the SS & Name Change offices weren't too helpful either?
I just wanted to ask questions to make sure I was doing the right thing!

So, now I wait for the judge....
Oh, how I pray it'll all work out ok.

For now I feel like I don't have a real last name.
& don't get me started on trying to book travel (flights, car rental, hotels) through all of this!!!
Sheesh!

You'd think that by now with the millions of women who get married every year, that the government would know how to handle this & make it easier!
Lord help us.

Any words from the wise who have done this run around before?

Jail Time.

I heard this on the subway the other day:
"Sometimes I think they let me outta jail too early!"

yeah, me too.

A little morning show & a little print work...

Matt Lauer is now doing print work for CVS.AWSOME!

addendum: and...in doing some 'research', seems as if I'm not the first person to notice this.

OUCH!

Note to self:
be careful with the new waffle iron.
ouch!

Working...

Hum....
I guess I can't work today!









I forgot my hat.
dag.

Just tell the truth.

This morning I was walking to work & passed by a cute little man (about 9 years old) & his father.
The little guy said "I want a donut."
To which the dad (older & wiser) replied, "There is not a place to get a donut around here, let's go."
Kid: "Yes there is, right there!"
(the child pointing to the New Yorker's ever faithful coffee, bagel, & donut cart.)
Dad: "No, there's not."
Kid: "Yes there is Dad! I saw one right there!"
(again, pointing to the coffee, bagel, & donut cart.)
Dad: "No, there's not, now let's Go!"
(dad, obviously in a rush & trying to get the cart out of view of the child).

I heard them bicker like this a few more times & it just made me want to go over to the kid & say:
"You're not crazy, you could have gotten a donut back there, I saw it too. But your dad was in a rush & probably on a diet & didn't want you to have a donut. So instead of telling you the truth & saying, 'no we can't have one daddy's dieting & in a rush, lets get fruit or something instead'....he said: NO DUNUTS HERE JUNIOR!"

ah...this poor child.
If only dad would've told him the truth.
Then the kid probably wouldn't be questioning his sight.

Makes me wonder sometimes...am I really crazy, thinking I see things?
or do people just lie a lot?

But! What if I'm on Fire?!

Today I was in a building.
I walked down the hall to the restroom.
On my way, I walked past the fire escape.
Then I stopped & looked:
-there was yellow caution tape laid lazily across the door & taped up with some office scotch tape.
then, there was a sign:
-on 8 x 11 white office paper
-written with a black sharpie
-with the printing of a 4th grader
it read:
"Fire Escape is under construction, please do not use."

Well that's just great!
What if I leave my hot pocket in the toaster too long & the kitchen is on fire & we have to RUN!
then what?
not very convenient folks.

(ps-- bonus points for whoever can tell me where I stole the hot pockets fire ref from)

I love it when...

I love it when:
I push the elevator button & it's all lit up & ready to roll, then...someone will come up behind me & push the button again hard, many times.
As if I didn't push the button hard enough.

We're Back!

The Wedding & Honeymoon were AWESOME!
now, back to reality...

:)

The Blind Man

This morning, I helped a blind man cross the street.

As we got near the curb on the other side I said:

"Watch your step!"
-oops.