I've Got Some Cool Winners!

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S.....or, almost New Year's......:0)

I have some awesome winners that will ring in the New Year with some fancy, premium chocolate!!  Please see my post "Another Giveaway!!!" which is located in my blog archive.  Here are the winners:

1.  Beab757 (I hope this person sees this post or the reply they made to enter the contest.  I have NO email for them, so I left a comment to reply to theirs.  They have 72 hours in which to notify me before another winner is chosen.)

2.  Heather (from the blog "Life and Fibromyalgia.")

3.  Desiree (from the blog "Living Fibro.")

4.  CT Mom (from the blog "Inspired by Savannah.")

5.  Gina (from the blog "Downtown Tulsa.")

Congratulations, winners!!!!

And Happy New Year to all my family and friends!!!
May 2011 be good for all!!

Goodbye, Grandma

Howdy, my dear friends!  I'm so sorry I haven't been blogging much this week, I just wanted to spend all available time that I could with my grandma before she departed for College Station, TX on Wednesday morning.  I had my psychological evaluation for the bariatric surgery right when her flight was due to leave, so I thank my in-laws very much for taking her to the airport and making sure she got her wheelchair in prompt enough time!! 

I said good-bye (I HATE that word!) to her before my husband and I went out to Gilbert for my appointment.  I gave her a great big hug to get me through the lonely times when I see her again.  Is there really a big enough hug for that?  All I know is, I had the time of my life with her.  Jack did, too.  He sniffed her WHOLE luggage out; I guess he is practicing to be a feline drug sniffing agent.  :0)  Frankie had fun, too.  We sure will miss her - I will miss being called my mom's name for sure....it almost made it like she was with us somehow by saying her name a lot.  I know....I'm very nostalgic!!!

Anyway, my pysch eval when OK.  It showed I am indeed SANE...in case anyone had any doubt.  :0)  I met some really nice folks over there, too who are just like me....very heavy in search of some weight loss help.  We are done with our dieting screw-ups and are hoping to find the answer under the knife.  The psychologist was very nice and she asked me all kinds of questions about my past life and we figured out right away that my stumbling blocks to keeping weight OFF was stress and my ability to cope with stress.  So that is where the support groups come in handy. And I just need to find a different comfort than food.  Easier said, than done!!!  But I will do it this time.  What is different is that I will remember the pain very well this time.  I didn't have pain when I lost weight in high school or college.  NOW I have LOTS of pain, and a lot of it due to being morbidly obese.  (Another word I HATE!!) My poor back and legs are taking a beating and I will definitely remember that for the rest of my life.    Anyway, she said at the end of the interview that I would make a good candidate for the surgery.  Her only concern was post op pain management when I got home.  Because my body is soooo used to narcotics, I need a larger amount than those that don't take narcotics.  My body is now physically dependent on them and she doesn't want me going through withdrawal on top of post op pain!!!  Nice woman.....I totally agree!!!  So I definitely will have a conversation with the doctor about that.

I hope you all are doing well.  My lower back is KILLING me.  Santa was nice and brought me a heated back massager mat, so I need to lay on that again.  Pains are shooting down my legs and I'm about to scream!!  The weather here is nasty....we had quite the storm last night with real live thunder and lightening!  And today, it's only 45 out.  I know, I know.  For my friends and family living back East, you really don't sympathize with me.  :0) I never did, either, when my grandma would call from Yuma, AZ to our snowy home in Michigan and say...."I've got my shorts on.  It's only 60 here!"  But when you live in AZ long enough, your blood thins and you get cold at anything below 60.  What can I say?!  Now I know what she meant when she said ONLY 60.......

Today is the LAST day FOR THE CHOCOLATE GIVE-AWAY.  Please see my post in the December archives that says "ANOTHER GIVEAWAY"  and enter it on that post ONLY.  I don't have a lot of people signed up for it....what, nobody likes chocolate anymore?  If I had my way, I'd sign up 5 times and win all 5 spots....but I can't do that.  So I have to live vicariously through my friends....PLEASE SIGN UP!!!  :0)

Have a great night and I will post winners tomorrow.
Stay warm, everyone!!

God bless you all

PS....In a very near future post I will tell you the story of about how I fired my Social Security Disability lawyer this past week.....so stay tuned!!

Over and Done!

Hello, my dear friends!  I write this post with both happiness (we had a totally AWESOME Christmas over at my sister and brother n' law's house) and with sadness (my grandma only has just under 2 days remaining with me before she zooms off into the sky towards her home in College Station, TX.)  We have had soooooo much laughs and good times to last a life time.  She was my best gift this year and I will cherish her forever.  :0)  I love you, Grandma!!  And thank you so much Aunt Penny and Uncle Jeff for making it possible for her to visit me this holiday season.

Where do I start?  Barbara's house was all decked out in Christmas lights and good cheer.  Her food was absolutely DIVINE.  We had turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, pickles, salad, potatoes, pecan pie, and so much more!  We practically had to be rolled out of the house to the car to go home.  It was also on the way home that I got my last shots of Christmas lights in Barb and Jay's neighborhood.  It was pretty decked out!  I'll have to remember that for next year.  :0)

My neat-o brother-in-law Jay played "Santa" and handed out all kinds of goodies to us all.  My grandma felt bad, though, as she got gifts but didn't give any.  I told her, yes, you did.....she paid for Barb and Jay's gift (she, of course, wouldn't let me pay our half!) of stationary and pen items that everyone needs on a daily basis.  The crazy thing is....Barbara and Jay got US almost the SAME items!  Isn't that rad?  :0)  We also got a mini-dvd player that runs off rechargeable batteries.  And clothes for Frankie.  Slippers and a new purse for me!  So many things, I can't possibly mention them all.  I will say right now that both my sis and bro-in-law and mom and dad in-law were very generous in giving us both checks, too.  I was just absolutely astounded at the generosity!!!  If I live to be a 140, I'll never be able to pay everyone back for being so nice with us.

I took loads of pics and videos that I will share some here with you, my friends.  Hopefully Blogger is working better and will let me upload the videos.  We shall see.
Here we go....our Christmas in pictures!

Barbara's Christmas tree.  Isn't it a beaut?????

Frankie and his mom.  Aren't they cute? :0)

Here is my grandma.  The lil' stinker had her eyes closed!! 

The beautiful table.  Very festive with its red and green plates!

Let's eat!!  From L to R: Jay, Barbara, Grandma, Frank Sr. and my dear hubby hammin' it up for the camera up front, Frankie!!

We even had a feline dinner guest!!  :0)  Barbara and Jay have 3 beautiful kitties.  Here is one of them.

Kitty enjoying her gift of a cat nip square!  :0)

We're all full and happy now!  Look at that turkey....just a plate of bones! What cannibals we were!  :0)

 Here is a little video of a light display in Barbara and Jay's neighborhood.  I hope that Blogger cooperates and uploads it right.  Just recently we have had such a time with our Internet being really slow.  Maybe everyone is on because they are home for the holidays?  Who knows!!

I hope you all had a great Christmas no matter what you did!  And from my family to yours....have a safe and happy 2011!!!!

God Bless You All!!

Merry Christmas, My Friends!

Merry Christmas, everyone!  I am so very thankful to have such great friends.  Both online with the blog and Facebook and off-line with my in-laws, my grandma, my dad, Gina and numerous other family and friends.  I've never been involved with such a big network of people who have done nothing but offer me love, help and support this past year.  I wish I could say thank you personally to all of you, but my friends list is over 1,000 and it's impossible for me to say thank you to you personally.  So to everyone:  THANK YOU SO MUCH AND MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011!! 

I don't know if I told you yet that I now have an official hearing date to get my disability benefits.  The hearing will take place January 29, 2011.  I am so totally freaked out.  I will be going up against an administrative law judge alone with just my lawyer, whom I still have NOT seen face-to-face.  She is really great with mailing me stuff and calling, and I already have heard from her twice since I was notified of the hearing date.  She is getting all my recent medical records and also my bariatric surgery appointment records and neurosurgeon records.  I hope everyone cooperates and sends what they need to to my lawyer.  If anyone has gone through a hearing and feel like telling me what your experiences were, I'd love to hear it.  If you don't want to leave a public comment, email me at: missyschranzrn@gmail.com. 

And if that weren't enough, January is the month I start all the testing for the bariatric surgery!!  December isn't even over with and already January is almost booked back to back with appointments for me and my husband!  Yikes!!!  But I have made a pact with myself that for today and tomorrow, I'm not going to think about or be worried about the above projects.  It's Christmas, and I'm going to enjoy it to the fullest!!!  We are going to my sister-in-law's house for Christmas and is so totally a kick butt cook!!  I love her cooking and so does my husband.  Thank you, Barbara for having us and my grandma.  :0)

I can't believe my grandma's time here is almost up.  She will be leaving Dec. 29th, which is the date of my psychology examination for the bariatric surgery.  So my in-laws will be driving her to the airport.  We have had sooooo much fun and laughs, I can't begin to even tell you all the fun we have had.  At first I thought it might be hard to see her and she would remind me too much of my dear mom in Heaven, but I was so glad to see her, it wasn't hard at all!!  She keeps calling me "Cindy", but that's OK.  She did that when Mom was alive, too, so I'm used to being called my mom's name.  :0)  I will be sure to get photos tomorrow of our time at Barbara's, whether Granny likes or not!

Grandma got me a gorgeous new camera that takes beautiful pics and videos.  At the end of this post I will put up new pics of Jack and some videos of our light tours around town.  They turned out so well!  I hope you enjoy them.

I got so many cute comments about the picture I selected for "Wordless Wednesday."  To clear up confusion, the picture is of MY MOM and NOT me.  We got lost in San Diego finding our hotel and when we finally did, she let herself into our room and went right for the bed!  Too bad she didn't like the GPS.  She wasn't going to take orders "from some voice in a box."  Ah, gotta love her!

We got a gift certificate from Frankie's brother and his family (THANK YOU so much, Doug and Patty!) and with it we got a web cam.  So I signed up with Skype and now I need people to talk to!  My dad and Gina will be talking to me with the web cam next week.  That will be so rad!  So if you have Skype, look me up!  My user name is: missyschranz.

OK!  That's enough, don't you think?  I hope you all have fun wherever you go.  You deserve it!!!  Here is my pictures of Jack and the light videos:

 

Jackie has started a habit of sleeping with us every night.  I don't know why I got him a kitty bed!  He doesn't use it (only rarely)!!  We also had him groomed. I love how soft and smooth he feels and he has NO fur mats, either.  It ain't cheap, either.....$55.00 plus tip, but it is sooooo worth it!

"Mr. J."

Well, I tried and tried to get my light videos to upload and they just won't.  I don't know if it is a problem with Blogger, our Internet or the computer.  So here's two pictures I took of some light displays we saw in town.  :0)

For all you "Pooh" fans!  I love Pooh, too!

God bless you all!
Until next post,

PS.....You still have time to enter my chocolate giveaway!  It ends Dec. 30th and you can find the post in my archive under "Another Giveaway."

Wordless Wednesday

"Weary Traveler"

 

                                                 

Can You BELIEVE It's Almost Christmas Again?

Howdy, fine friends!  As my post states, can you believe the holiday season is fast approaching and pretty soon we will be in the homes of our loved ones and friends, wishing everyone Christmas cheer and good fortune for the coming year.  My blog is not a year old yet, not until May, but I have gone so far with it since I first started blogging.  Looking back at all my posts, I see myself in many different lights....cheerful, frustrated, happy, the whole capult of emotions!  But I am so thankful for all my friends and family that words cannot adequately express it.  And I am sooo thankful that all my blogger friends STILL read my blog!  I was afraid of boring everyone, so I try to think of fun things to do instead of just dwelling on how my leg is killing me and my back is atrocious.  I find that blogging helps me forget.  And for that, I am very grateful!!!  And I thank the good Lord above, too.  Always and forever.

Today we have to brave Walmart again to return my digital frame key chain that won't work on my computer.  It keeps seeing it as a CD player (it's a USB hook-up) and no matter how hard I try, I can't change that.  So I'm gonna change it out for another one that hopefully works!!  Those digital frames are sooo neat.  I'd love a big one for our bedroom, but those are over $100.00.  Our budge just can't support that.  So hopefully I can find a digital photo key chain that works!  Wish me luck!!

I LOVE having my grandma here with us.  She has been such a joy and a blessing.  We are having SO much fun going out to eat, looking at lights, talking and just being together.  I'm gonna start taking pictures with my new camera over Christmas, so be looking for that.  We'll be going over to Frankie's sister's house and it should be absolutely devine and Barbara is a fabulous cook.  I'm very excited for Christmas to come this year.  I can't remember the last time I had Christmas with her.  She would always spend it in Texas when we all lived in Yuma.  So it definitely is time for a switch-a-roo!!

Jack is doing good, he's not bothering Grandma like he did when she first came.  I think he has gotten the hint that she is just NOT a cat OR dog person.  I have a few new pics of my boy that I'll post.  It works out great that she sleeps out on the couch (and says that is perfectly fine for her - it's comfortable) and we keep Jack in with us and he can lay on our bed like he's used to, so he hasn't thrown any further fits!  What a silly kitty!!!

My two men.  One happy, one grouchy....that would be Jack! He hates the flash of the camera in his eyes. The next pic is of Jack all sacked out on our new quilt and sheets. I don't know why we even bought him his own kitty bed. He rarely sleeps in it!!  Maybe if I got HIM a new sheet set he'd sleep in it? :0)

 My zany granny doing her "swine flue days" imitation!  This was her way of hiding her so-called wrinkles.  Heck, for 87 years old, I think she looks great!!!  But there is NO convincing her!  I wanted a picture and this was the only way of getting it!!  :0)

Now on to the contest winners.  I've heard from THREE of you, I need the other TWO names and addresses before I can send them on to the company that is sponsoring my giveaway.  So please drop me an email soon.  Let's get them addresses out to the company.

If I DON'T hear from the two remaining names, I will be picking more winners in two days.

Thank you!!!

That's all the news so far.  Hope you all are happy and healthy this holiday season.  I'm so happy to be spending it with all my new blogger friends!!
God bless,

I Have Some Winners....

Howdy, ho, friends!!  This will probably be the shortest post in the world as I am just dead tired and will be going to bed soon.  I went to Walmart with my husband and searched the whole store twice trying to find measuring cups!!  My feet are killing me and so is my back!!  It's time for my new heated massaging mat......

OK, before I close, I just wanted to relay the lucky winners of my Bubble Chocolate Contest.  I have five of them and I have notified each individually by email.  They have 72 hours to notify me and if they don't, then I will pick another winner.  Hopefully that won't happen!!!

Here are the winners:

1. Sharon Ballentine
2. "Answer Is Chocolate"
3. Shawn Becker
4. Grace Matthews
 5. Rochelle

CONGRATULATIONS!!!  And remember, to the people that didn't win, you can still join my second giveaway with a different chocolate company by going to the post "Another Giveaway" in my blog archive.  I have lots of openings in there, so I need you to join!
Thank you!

Hope you all have a great day (or night) and I will post again real soon.
Hugs to all!
God bless ya!

Hurry Up!

Howdy, folks!  Just wanted to let you know that if you hurry, you can still enter my chocolate giveaway by midnight, PST.  I will be picking winners and emailing them to let them know they are a lucky winner.  I get to choose 5 winners...and I've got plenty of room left for you to sign up if you haven't done so.  They can make perfect stocking stuffers if the company sends them out in time....I'm sure they will!!

Hope you all are having a great Saturday.  I'm still having a horrible time with my right leg/calf and can hardly walk on it.  I'm nervous about my upcoming hearing for the disability.  If anyone has been to a disability hearing, if you don't mind sharing your story I'd love to hear it.  My lawyer says I don't have much "paper evidence" so maybe seeing me in person and how badly I get around will help.  I hope so!  And she said I can get on Medicare in two months as I've already done my time waiting to get the hearing!  That is what I was worrying about..the standard two year wait for Medicare.  I would lose my state benefits if I got a check monthly and I can't lost my medical insurance.  That would be a nightmare!  OK, I'm finished with venting!!!

My grandma is so sweet....she got me a new camera for Christmas.  It was on sale and boy is it a beauty.  I took the videos and picture in my last post with the new camera.  We are having so much fun just yakking around and enjoying each other's company.

OK....time is of the essence....sign up NOW for my giveaway by going to the "For Chocoholics" post in my archive.

God bless!

TGIF!!

Howdy, my dear friends!  I hope this post finds you all happy and in the holiday spirits.  I'm getting there...I've already received two early Christmas gifts from my husband and Grandma!  Aren't they sweet?  I got a massage with heat pad and that feels oh, so good!!  I have a hard time coming off of it!!!  My hubby couldn't have found a more perfect gift!  He probably is tired of me constantly asking for a massage....LOL!

My grandma got me a wonderful digital camera.  It has 10 megapixels and works much faster than my old one.  With the old one, I had to use rechargeable batteries and they would only last for about 5 minutes before you could take another picture.  NOT a good camera for fast -paced sports activities!!  This camera solely takes alkaline batteries and those lost so much  longer.  The camera is called "Insignia."  I used the camera all day yesterday when we were out and about, and the batteries are holding strong.  I can even take several videos of the lights and show you my new camera.  OK---here we go!!!

I just love Christmas, don't you?  I love praising the Lord for this is His day always.  Christmas has become so commercialized, hasn't it?  Kids want all the latest toys and adults want the latest electronics.  When I was kid, I got mostly clothes for Christmas and toys that didn't require batters that run, but your IMAGINATION!!.  What happened to those days of yesteryear?  Sigh.  Here's another video:

The Shutterfly photo book I posted yesterday was actually FREE for me, I just had to pay shipping and handing.  Shutterfly paid the rest.  Because I got the new camera, that deal came with it!  How sweet!  I've loaded it with pictures of my mom, dad, hubby and me as a memory book to use when I feel down.

Having Grandma here has been a blessing.  Just like old times, except we are in Phoenix instead of Yuma.  And my mom's not here for us to be the "Three Muskateers."  I feel bad that my legs and back are NOT cooperating and we can't really do much but ride about and look at lights.  She says she is having fun and having problems with her back, too.  This morning I woke and and took that first step and my leg hurt so bad I thought I broke it.
Then, as I walk on it, it gets a little better.  I had to cancel the pulmonologist due to I couldn't walk into the office.  Literally!  Now that is pretty bad!!

I will be getting more pictures of me and Grandma (who cares if I'm fat? I've come to accept that and more on to ways to get thinner.)  And who knows when I see Grandma again?  I'll post those as soon as I get them.  :)  Tomorrow I have to work on my application for state food stamps and medical insurance.  Oh, fun!  I'll just use what I had for last year and copy that.  Nothing has changed with me, unfortunately!!!

I have a hearing date for Social Security Disability....January 29th.  I have yet to see me lawyer and she said I don't really have much evidence, but wants me to go so they can see me in person.  I am a pathetic sight.  I'll take my walker, my medical records and the the truth.  My lawyer says that if I get disability, then I would qualify for Medicare in two months, because I've waited almost two years anyway fighting my case.  So we shall see.  I just don't want to lost my medical insurance.  Please pray for me!!!

Last but not least, don't forget to register for my giveaways!  I'm got on on the post page "For Chocoholics" witch ends soon- December 18th at midnight.  And the new one on the post page "Another Giveaway."  That one ends December 30, if I remember correctly.  It's wonderful chocolate and makes excellent stocking stuffers.

OK, my leg is killing me so it's time to get it up.  Jack agrees too....talk a look at the cute picture I got of him with my new camera:

Man, WHERE can I get a life like his?  It just isn't fair!!  He doesn't do laundry or house cleaning or cooking.  But he looks at you with that face and I'm taken in again!!!  I love you, Jackie!!

Hope you all have a good weekend!
God bless you and yours.
Until next post,

My Photo Book

Click here to view this photo book larger

ANOTHER GIVEAWAY!!

Howdy, everyone!!

Hope you all are having a very happy Christmas season!!  I sure am, with looking at all the pretty Christmas lights and having my grandma here with me.  We are having so much fun, talking about old times and laughing at all our silly adventures.  Here is one of the pictures of some of the pretty lights:

I never dreamed how many lights and ornaments on the houses in Phoenix.  They certainly have outdone themselves!!  Grandma, my hubby and I have had so fun going around town shooting videos of all the pretty decorations.  I'll show you some in future posts.  Right now, though, this post is all about:
                              ANOTHER GIVEAWAY!!!!
It's another premium chocolate giveaway, where 5 winners get two big bars of chocolate supplied by Bloomsberry chocolate.  They sent me a sample to try out and let me tell you, it is chocolate at its finest.  It's made of decadent milk chocolate and also deep, dark chocolate (which is good for your heart!  A good health reason to eat chocolate!!)  It was created in New Zealand, but now it has been tantalizing tastebuds here in the USA.
The bars are wrapped in paper of all kinds: humorous, holidays, ect.  Here is what the two bars that I got looked like:

They offer so many wrappings, there is something for everyone.  And the chocolate is absolutely decadent!!!  Wanna win two bars?  Follow the rules below:

1.  You MUST be a follower of my blog via Google Friends and/or Network Friends.  Please let me know in the comment section that you are a follower of mine.  I will follow you back! :0)

Optional:  You will get two additional entries  if you do this one thing.  Please add in separate comment that you have done this.  Thanks!
1. Visit their website and tell me which design you like the best.

That's it!  That's all you have to do.   I hope I get a better turn out than the last giveaway, which is still in progress.  Just go to my archive and poke on the post "For Chocoholics."  You can enter both giveaways at once....so go for it!!  This giveaway will end December 30, 2010.  My first giveaway will end December 18th, 2010.   Sorry, NO P.O. Boxes and continental USA only.

I'll post again soon!  Hope you all have a blessed and happy day!!
God bless,

It's A Holly Jolly Christmas!!

Howdy, fine friends and a family!!

I hope you guys and gals are having as much fun as I am with having my grandma visiting us from College Station, Texas.  I haven't seen her since my mom died in July 2008.  We have done nothing but giggle and catch up way into the night.  Almost as if we were teenagers again!!  We have remembered all the funny things my mom did as a little little girl and have laughed our little butts off about it.  I wish my mom were here with us to have as much fun as Grandma and I are having!!!  Knowing her, though, she would have been having her own brand of fun up in Heaven!!

Nothing much going on so far, this first week. Jackie has been an absolute HANDFUL by wanting out every time the bedroom door is open or when when the hall gate is open.  I've yelled at the poor kitty so much this week I'm surprised he hasn't wanted to pack his bags and head for the hills recently!!!!

I finally got two pictures of my grandma and me and my grandma and my husband.  Wanna see my handiwork.........here is my grandma and I:

Don't joke too much at me as "jobba the hudd"....Man I wish I would lose a lot by Christmas!!

And here is my hubbster with Grandma.  Aren't they a cute little pair?  Here they are:

So far, all we have done so far has been look at Christmas lights.  Oh, man, have they had so many lights to be hold!!  A few days ago we went to the west valley and the lights twinkled so brightly, we barely knew which way to look.  I took the camera with to capture all we could could on one session.  I'm so glad I have a great camera to capture both photo and video with sound.  You just can't beat it!!!  Here is one of four series .  Enjoy it!!

 

Hope you enjoyed the videos of our Christmas light night out.  We will we be posting more to come.  Hope you all have a great holiday season and spend time with all those of you whom you love the best!!

I know Jackie is having the time off his furry life by having our guest in town.  Everything morning he takes the opportunity to skittle out the gate and out the doggie door.  Poor Frankie has to go after him in his bare feet and grab him back inside. I don't like him going outside due to he has no front claws and he is so curious, I'd be afraid he'd wander too far away from home and I'd lose him!  Although he has an ID chip implanted, I just don't want anything bad to happen.  And I just spent $55 on his grooming and he loves to roll around in the dirt!  What a cat!!!

 PLEASE JOIN OUR BUBBLE CHOCOLATE GIVEAWAY!!!!

This is our first giveaway and only 4 people have signed up so far.  So please, sign up for some free chocolate.  I would greatly appreciate it!!  All ya gotta to is go to over to "archive" list and pick on "For Chocoholics" and follow the instructions.  That's it!!  Not so hard, is it?  Please help me out!!!

Already, this is it for now.  Hope you all have a great day and have fun Christmas shopping.  Also have fun signing up for the chocolate contest!!!!!

See ya next post!!!

God bless ya!

  (Thanks, Gina!)

Grandma Comes Today!

Hello, friends!

I'm sorry it has been awhile since my last post.  Between having problems with my right leg, and having my twitch come back to a minor fibro flare, I certainly have had my hands full!!
I couldn't even go to that pulomonary doctor consultation on Monday due to my leg being so painful that I just couldn't walk that far and I felt absolutely lousy on Monday, as if I were coming down with the cold that is making rounds around here!  And, as if that weren't enough, I've got a whole army of mouth sores on my lower lip and tongue and my twitch has come back!

Anyway, my pulmonary doc appointment was re-scheduled to next week and as for the twitch, I figured out that I was on way too much "serotonin."  I was on Paxil, which was recently increased from 20mg to 30mg by my primary doctor AND taking Savella, which deals with the two major neurotransmitters.  That dosage has remained the same.  I was also taking Melatonin sleep formula.  So, I cut in half the Paxil dosage, kept the Savella the same, and quit taking the Melatonin altogether.  After only one night of this, I think it already is starting to help.  My twitch is almost gone and I had a lot more restful night and could actually sleep without having to be woken up every five minutes with a twitch.  I'm soooo glad I figured out what was causing it and how to fix it before Grandma comes!!

Speaking of which, we pick up Grandma today at the airport!!  I'm so excited to see her as I haven't seen her since my mom died over two years ago.  It's been too long!!  She lives  with my aunt and uncle in College Station, TX.  She has been there since before Mom died, so she is ready for a good vacation back to Arizona where she has lived since she and Grandpa had retired.  I spoke with her last night and she is very excited, too, to see me.  :0)

Frankie, Jackie and I have worked very hard for her arrival.  We have it all planned out as far as sleeping arrangements.  Since she and I are no good at getting back up off the floor, my generous and sweet hubby has agreed to let Grandma have the bed with me and he will take the sleeping back into the other guest room.  Too bad we don't have our stuff from San Antonio yet,  we would have three beds!  Oh, well.  At least we have the one bed for Grandma and I.  It would be a scary sight to see us get up off the floor.  We probably would need the fire department to get ME off the floor.  Yikes!!

Well, time to close this post and go to the airport with Frankie and my father-in-law.  I will post again soon, I promise.  For newcomers, PLEASE JOIN MY GIVEAWAY!!  All ya gotta do is go to my blog archive and visit my post labeled "FOR CHOCOHOLICS" and follow the instructions listed.  I've got plenty of room and would love new people to sign up.

I will close this post with a cute picture I took of my "feline pharmacist."  He's got even more pill bottles to search!!  He is so incredibly nosy, it's adorable!!  This was taken the evening he would be going to the groomers.  I'll take more of him afterward.  :0)

God bless you all!!
Until next post,

Can I Have A Do-Over?

Howdy, my fine friends!

I thought I'd start my post with a nifty title like that!  I think I can speak for ALL of us in the Schranz household that this morning was the morning from Hell!!  Even our sweet kitty, Jack had a rough one....here's a pic of him upset with us for taking him from the groomers.  But he soooo needed to go.  If we would have waited anymore on it, I could have taken Jack outside, sprout some roots and call him a little bush.

Doesn't he look a bit "upset" with us?  LOL...he does make a really good kitty bookend, don't ya think?  This morning was terrible for him.  He puked twice in our hallway and had diarrhea to match, except he went into his litter box for that.  Good kitty!  Cleaning up puke is far more better than diarrhea in my book!!  Right now he is crashed out in his kitty bed.  I am right near him in the computer room.  For some reason, he has to be near my hubby or me at all times.  At night time, he loves to crawl on our bodies with those hard paws of his and then he finds the perfect spot right in a "craddle" made of my husbad's arms.  Mind you, it takes him quite a while to find the perfect spot and he is purring so loud he could wake the dead.  But, I look at that cute, furry lil' face and big, expressive eyes of his and I know I'm just SUNK.  He has me wrapped around his shaved "palm-tree" tail of his!!
I always have the groomer shave everything off, EXCEPT for the end of Jack's tail.  There is always a little "plume" on top and I think that looks really cute on him.

The "human" part of the Schranz Ranch had a terrible start of the day, too.  My father-in-law has a cold along with a nice sounding cough, so he has been staying in the bedroom so he won't spread it to others.  My mother-in-law has a terrible neck in that it has the same nerve compression that I have, it's just in her neck.  She has a Lidoderm patch on her neck and right now as we speak she is in the pharmacy aisle at Costco with my husband, asking him if he would give it out as a gift.  Usually Costco sells things as gift quality and if it is, then get it.  We shall see what he drags home.  :0)


My hubby spent the morning bending over, with his head in the toilet, puking his guts out.  He went to his friend's house as he always does and his friend offered him a cold drink.  Frankie said "sure."  He completely forgot about his new life rule that he can't eat cold food or drink cold liquids.  For now.  His stomach and intestines are so delicate from the surgery, it is difficult to give a a result right now.  Life's a bummer sometimes!  Good things really DO come to patients who wait patiently.  

I opened my eyes this morning and just knew it was time to close them immediately!  My lower back hurt so bad I thought I had sprained it some how.  My legs are soooo bad, with shooting pain from the nerve compression areas that I can't even express it with words.  I am using my TENS unit to try and get some relief somehow.  My feet are no better, my big toes are kinda red and very sore.  Probably from the store and walking around so long.  I just can't walk around in stores anymore.  Not until I lose weight and a lot of the pressure is gone from my lower back.

Well, tomorrow I go to the pulmonologist and see if anything is wrong with my lungs.  I thing everything is right from that (lung) point of view.  But you know how the insurance's point of view is.  They are sure and very precise about things.  I hope that everything is alright.  :0)

Alrighty, well, I'm gonna make a simple dinner and go to bed.  I hope that everyone is doing well and is enjoying the last little bit of fall.  Can you believe that winter is almost here? December is almost gone and January is almost here?  Love ya both!!!  Stay warm!!
Hugs,
Until next time,

For CHOCOHOLICS!

Greetings, everyone!!

Are you a "Choco-holic"?  Do you dream just about chocolate?  Do you think chocolate should be included in the food groups?

If you answered "yes" to any of the above, you are NOT alone!!  Whether you are a secret closet eater or do it out in the open, we've got you covered with new (to the United States) European Premium Bubble Chocolate!!

"Bubble Chocolate" is made with premium chocolate and is sold in 2.8oz bars of either creamy milk chocolate (which is 38% cocoa) or delicious dark chocolate (which is 60% cocoa). "Bubble Chocolate" is so different from its competitors in that it offers a mouth-mattering sensation that tickles your tastebuds.  It has a unique "airy" texture that promises a consistent balance of smooth, all natural, premium chocolate.  To fully enjoy your chocolate, break off in small squares (which are pre-cut for you! ) and place into your mouth.  Allow it to dissolve on your tongue (usually takes just a few seconds). Gently start chewing, which will activate the bubbles to form in your mouth.  This unique texture of light and airy "bubbles" sensation is absolutely AWESOME...which is MY point of view!!!  Ha!
So if you are a chocolate lover, head on over to Bubble Chocolate.  From what the manufacturer tells me, it is a HIT in the UK, but not in the USA.  So let's change that!  It REALLY IS absolutely delicious.  I can't wait for y'all to try it out...whether you buy it or win it.  

Here is how to WIN ONE SET OF BUBBLE CHOCOLATE:  (One set consists of one bar of dark chocolate and one bar of milk chocolate.)  TO ENTER:  you must do the following stuff:

You must "follow" me on "Google Friend Connect." 
Then, write a comment you are "following" me along with your email address or where I can get your email address so I can contact you if you win.  Please keep reading on.......

Now, if you have either a Facebook or Twitter accounts, it would be nice if you could do the following and let me know via separate comments and that will count as TWO ADDITIONAL ENTRIES TO WIN!!  :0)

You  "like" Bubble Chocolate on "Facebook"

You can "tweet" Bubble Chocolate on "Twitter"
They are advertising their own contest "Win One Year of Bubble Chocolate."  Man, imagine that!

The giveaway will start now (Dec. 4th) and end at 11 : 59pm PST Dec. 18th.  I will randomly chose the winners and I will notify them via email.  PLEASE NO P.O. BOXES AND ONLY CONTINENTAL USA WINNERS.
  

HOT Blog Hoppin'!

Howdy, friends!

Yesterday I told you all a little bit about the blog hop that I have been spotlighted in (WOW- twice in ONE week!) and now I have the code for the blog hop to put in this post so you all can blog hop around with me.  Try it - it's great fun and it's a wonderful way to meet fabulous new friends!  Here is how YOU can participate and if you have a blog, you just might be picked to be spotlighted, too!

PS-Before you start hoppin', let me tell you one more thing.  I cannot do the review or giveaway yet, I still have unanswered questions that I have written to the product manufacturer. Sorry I got ahead of myself.  Forgive me?  :0)





(Feel free to copy and paste these rules)


* 1. Copy and Paste the 'Keepin' Company Thursday" button and write a blog post about it on your page, explaining to your blog followers how it works and how to join.

* 2. Follow the first two blogs, which are the hostesses, Heck of a Bunch and Traci66. They will follow back.

* 3. Follow the "LUCKY" #3 spot winner.

For this hop to really work you'll need to follow the 'honor code' and help us spread the word about Keepin' Company Thursday.

*4. Go to as many blogs on the list as possible and follow them.

*5. Leave them a comment saying. "Hey! I'm a new follower from "Keepin' Company Thursday" Check out my blog too! www.yourbloghere.blogspot.com Thanks!" They should all follow you back because that's what this is all about!

*6. If you get a follower via Keepin' Company Thursday please follow them back.

*7. Add your blog name and the URL to your Keepin' Company Thursday Post to the linky below

* You can also grab the code below to add to your post if you want the thumbnails to appear in your post.

How to get to be in the #3 spot
* If you add the Keepin' Company button to your sidebar or post and leave either of the hostesses, Heck of a Bunch or Traci66, a comment letting them know where to find it. They will randomly draw a blog to be in the #3 spot next week. They would really appreciate if you did this step so we can spread the word about Keepin' Company Thursdays.

THIS LINKY POST IS NOW CLOSED. 
PLEASE RETURN NEXT WEEK FOR A WHOLE NEW LINKY!!! :0)

Have fun!  :0)
God bless,

Welcome, December!

Here is a quickie update. I don't want my faithful friends to think I dropped off the face of the Earth!  I think I'm coming down with a cold.  I have the scratchy throat, plugged nose and watery eyes.  It's the watery eyes that really gets to me!

Nothing much new with me "medical" wise - I think the swelling in my feet are actually improving.  Yesterday I had them down to I could feel my ankle bones again!  Welcome back feet!  I've missed you!  OK....I think I've had too much cold medicine.  I'm actually talking to my feet.....Ha!  I go to the pulmonologist on Monday to get the clearance from his point of view for my bariatric surgery.  I have to visit the website and print out the patient paperwork.  Isn't that clever that they have the PATIENT print out the paperwork now?  Saves them money on paper and ink.  Then I guess I work on getting all the labs and tests done.  Because my doc's office didn't get the auth code for the psychologist at the bariatric center, the center switched my appt to the END of December, pushing everything back a month.  ARGH!  All this time has given me time to think...."Do I really need this surgery?"  Yeah, I guess I do!

Frankie went to the doc this morning for his yearly "check-up" and he still is having problems with vomiting.  It's projectile now - I was cleaning puke off the bathroom wall and under the toilet the other day.  The doctor thinks his stomach is having spasms - so nothing cold to eat or drink.  There goes the iced tea!  Poor Frankie.  He loves his tea.  He also put Frankie back on the medication (Reglan) to take care of the spasms.  I hope it works for him.  I hate seeing him sick like that.  :(  Other than that issue, he is good.  He even is having less pain, too. Yay!

My blog has been picked AGAIN to spotlight on the blog hop "Keepin' Company Thursday"
I better hit Vegas soon, as my lucky streak is HOT!  Funny, I didn't even know I HAD a lucky streak! Ha!  Anyway, I will be posting the linky for the hop tomorrow, so please come join in on the hop and have some fun!

What does chocolate and my blog have in common?  No, you can't eat my blog! Ha1  Tomorrow I will be reviewing a very interesting chocolate AND having a giveaway that you won't want to miss!!  Return tomorrow and check it out. 

That pretty much is it. Hope you have a great night!!
God bless ya all,