Literati VS. Kindle....NO CONTEST!!

Howdy, folks!

Hope you all had a good day today.  It got to a STEAMY 114 degrees here in Phoenix, so I did the smart thing and stayed inside!!  :0)

The other day, I was reading through my comments and saw one that had referred to my post when I got the e-reader called "Literati" by Sharper Image for Christmas.  I now have a BLESSED Kindle, so I thought I'd do a little post reviewing the two in case anyone is looking for a good e-reader.  I have had the pleasure (with the Kindle) and the horror (with the Literati) of using both.  Let me tell you, in short, DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THE LITERATI!!!!!

Yep, I feel THAT strongly about it.  I purchased it with my Christmas money because it was on sale for $79.99 at a department store online.  I thought, "Wow!  That's a great deal!"  If you are like me and pinching whatever pennies you have, you are looking for sales wherever you can find them.   So I ordered it (despite the reviews that dissed it from other people.  I figured everyone has their own experiences, both good and bad, with things) and when it came, the problems began.  At first, just minor ones that I thought I could live with.  The first problem was it wouldn't hook up to the wireless in the house, so I couldn't buy books from Kobo (the store it uses) from the device.  I could get the books with the computer and use the USB cord to sync them over to the Literati.   OK, no problem.  So I tried the device outside the house at a cafe that had free WI-FI.  The damn thing STILL wouldn't hook up.  I figured, well, as long as I can get the books on the device with the computer, it would work out OK.  And I really liked with how it had a back light, so I could read at night and not disturb my husband.  You can read my earlier posts on it (pictures included) by going to "Story Topics" to the right of my blog and clicking on "Literati" if you'd like.

Anyway, time goes on and I purchased about 10 books and had no problems with reading them on the Literati.  Then, came the second problem, which was a little harder to deal with.  The battery life on the thing is only about SIX hours.  So right when you get to the good part of your book, you have to stop and charge up!  You can still read while charging, but the power cord wasn't long enough to reach my outlet to the bed, where I do my reading.  Bummer!  I read a lot, so this problem was NOT good!  But what could I do?  I had already passed the return period, and they would just return another unit that would probably do the same thing.  So I put up with this until about a month ago when the third and final problem surfaced.  One I could NOT live with!   I went to turn the unit on and it was dead.  This was after I had fully charged it, too!  So I tried to turn the machine on by hooking it up to the power cord and the thing still wouldn't turn on.  I finally found out the power cord had a short in it and I had to practically jam the cord into the machine and hold it really, really tight in order for it to turn on.  JUNK!!!!!!  I was so mad, I threw the thing against the bed (I wanted to throw it against the wall, but didn't want to damage the wall!) and saved up for a Kindle.  I was lucky enough that Amazon had it on sale and I got free shipping, too.  I am in hog heaven with my Kindle.  It's lightweight, easy to read, the wireless works (imagine that!) and the books are even cheaper than what I was paying on the Literati.  The battery life for the Kindle is wonderful.  I've had it for over a month now and have had to charge it just once.  And that's with the reading that I do!!!  I can even play music on it and have it read to me!!   So I learned a BIG lesson......don't fall for cheap stuff.  Save for what you really want.....and I wanted a Kindle all along and should have gotten it a long time ago.  I did have a little difficulty getting the Literati books that I bought off the Literati, as it is incompatible with the Kindle format, but I downloaded a free program that helped me convert the files over so I didn't lose any money on the books I bought with the Literati.   Yeah!!!!  And my hubby is sooooo sweet....he got me a beautiful burgandy case with a light (that runs off the Kindle, so no batteries needed!) for my Kindle.  I took some pics.  You will notice that Mr. Jack had to be in one of them, too!!!  He is such a vain kitty!!!!

 Here is the Kindle screen, without the light

 

Mr. Jack watching over my precious Kindle!!

Here is a pic with the light wand extended.  Cool, huh?  Even Jack thought so!!  And he's hard to please...ha!

Hope this little review helps those that are e-reader shopping.  I love my Kindle!  I take it everywhere and imagine having your whole bookshelf in one little unit?  Whoever invented this gem I'm sure is pretty rich!!!  Wish it were me!  Ha!

Have a great night (or day) everyone!!!
Stay cool!
Hugs,

Lazy Day

Hello, everyone!  I'm so sorry about my last post where I got so excited over so many things that NOBODY can fix, it seems.  I really appreciate y'all listening to me, though.  And thank you Dad and Gina for calling me last night, I needed a big lift and you two did that.  Sorry to cut the call short, though, to go to the bathroom.  And then I got really nauseated and stayed that way all night.  I kept waking up and feeling even sicker.  My joints were stiff and the neuropathy in my feet were on fire!  I got up for awhile and rubbed lotion into my feet and legs to get circulation going and it did help a little bit.  I took a pain pill and a nausea pill and went back to bed.  Oh, if only I could sleep on my sides or stomach like I used to!!!  I've been laying on my back for over a year now.  And I'm so tired of it!!  If I move that way (on my sides or stomach) in the night, the "fire" and tingling in my legs wakes me up.

That pretty much is it in my world.  I still feel "half mast" today and am taking it really easy.   I think I'll go put my feel up and read a book.  I finally got that Literati figured out, so I'll read from that.  Hope you all have a great day!!!

I'm going to close this post with the newest single out on my all time favorite band's new album, "Gravity."  So without further ado, here's WESTLIFE singing "Safe."

God bless!

I found this wonderful siggy in my mailbox
this morning from my almost-step-mom, Gina.  Isn't it beautiful?  I LOVE it!!  Thank you, Gina!!!

Here We Go AGAIN!

Hello, everyone!!

Well, as the title of the this post reads, HERE WE GO AGAIN!  Back to the hospital for Frankie.  Ever since he had his surgery in June (for all you that are newbies to my blog, you can read about all his surgery complications in the June and July posts in the archive) for the AVM in his intestines, he's had problems with severe nausea and vomiting.  At first, it just was every other week or something like that.  Nothing too serious, I thought, as he is on a lot of medications that can cause some stomach upset.  But this past week, it has been very severe and he has been vomiting after every meal.  And I don't mean a little heave....I mean a GIANT heave and I'm cleaning it off our bathroom wall and floor behind and around the toilet.  I don't know where it all comes from, since there can't be too much more down there!  He can't keep anything in!  And his blood pressure was low, lips pale and very dry, he showed all signs of classic dehydration.  Sooooo.....we called Cigna, his insurance and they sent us to their urgent care.  I brought along my camera to break up the boredom as we have been down this road so many times.....here he is in the urgent care.  As you can see, he looks just thrilled to be there!  LOL....

 

I even took a little video, too, of the experience.

I hope nobody thinks I'm goofy or anything....just a little something to break up the time.
We waited for quite awhile in the urgent care and then saw this really nice young doctor that told us there wasn't much he could do there.  Even if he got a CT scan right there, he'd have to send him to the hospital anyway if it found anything.  So off we went to the hospital.  We went to the same one where he had his surgery in June, since they had all the records there.  It was a zoo in there!!  I knew we were in for quite some wait and I was right.  I took another picture of him when we finally got a room.

Doesn't he look all nice and comfy with a heated blanket, TV remote and nurse call button planted in his right hand?  Meanwhile, poor wife is in the corner shivering and snapping pics and videos like some kind of maniac!!  LOL!  To make matters worse, my diabetes decides to act up and what do I have in my purse?  Sugarless gum!!!  So Frankie was a dear and asked for some juice and crackers for me.  The nurse wasn't real thrilled with this and I only got two packages of crackers and one very small juice.  Oh, well.  I treated it like it was a rib-eye meal!  Neither of us had eaten in quite awhile and I completely forgot to stock my purse with some sugar candy for when my sugar gets low.  I hate diabetes!!!  I hope, if I ever get the bariatric surgery, that the diabetes will go away.  It has been known to happen with a lot of people who have the surgery.

Anyway, Frankie had blood work, an IV placed and then he had to have some yummy contrast for a CT scan of his abdomen.  The contrast was berry fusion and he wasn't too excited about it, as he hates fruit.  I took another pic of him and his "cocktail."

 

Look at how thrilled he is!!!  :0)  I had to coax him every "sip" of the way!!  And he had two bottles to guzzle down.

He finally got the contrast down and then waited for a really long time for the CT scan. It was getting to be very late (around 11pm and we had started this adventure at 3pm) and it felt like my rear end was one with those comfy plastic chairs!!  My shoulder and legs were killing me.  I think what saved me was having my Literati e reader there and while Frankie watched TV, I read my book on my reader.  It was soooo nice!  And really did make the time go a little quicker.  

The ER doctor was really nice, too.  He stuck his head in at one point and said that even if the CT scan showed nothing, he was still going to be admitted because his heart enzymes were elevated.  He thought it had something to do with all the vomiting.  I'm glad he told me that plan, as Frankie was falling asleep and I was exhausted myself.  So I left him like this:

He looks so serene in this picture, don't you think?  He's in good hands.  I kissed him good-bye and left.  I actually could find my way to the front lobby without any instruction!  The ER is like a rat's maze and I usually get so lost!!   I found the car, hefted my walker into the trunk and I zoomed off.

When I got home, it hit me.  I missed Frankie already.  Do we know how to ring in 2011 or what?  I hate this so much, I could scream.  I want them to FIX MY HUSBAND NOW!!  And have it last forever!!!  I want my surgery NOW and lose 150 pounds.  I want to go back to work NOW and get money so we can move out on our own.  I want so many things, yet it seems like we keep landing in the same spot.  Nowhere!  Anyway, my sweet mother in law met me at the door with a nice bowl of soup and a grilled cheese and ham sandwich.  She is so sweet to me! :0)

Jackie was really confused to have just me in the bed.  He laid on Frankie's side for almost the whole night.  While I was gone, though, he got "mad" and bored and climbed on top of the computer and my desk and knocked over our external hard drive and left kitty litter trail on my keyboard.  I may have to close Mr. Jack out of the computer room while I'm gone!!  So then he wanted into the towel cabinet and the second I opened it for a towel, he rushed in.  I went to scold him and he looked at me with his cute, killer face and I ran for the camera instead!

The little stinker wouldn't look up when I called his name....he knew he wasn't supposed to be there!!  But he looked adorable, all the same.

Frankie called me this morning and said he didn't get into a room until 3:30am last night.  And the CT scan was normal.  So the gastro doctor came and they are going to put the camera scope down his throat and into his stomach and see what's up...or down!  He'll have that tomorrow.  They have the poor guy NPO (nothing by mouth).  I'll be going to see him soon, so I'll close this post.  Please keep us in your prayers and I will do the same for you.

Hugs to all!!

God bless you,

Siggy bar by Helena

The Body Box

Good day, everyone!!

Whew, has it ever been busy these past few days.  What with seeing the pulmonologist for the bariatric surgery clearance and re-applying for my state funded health insurance, it was enough to keep my eyes crossed for a year!

I'll start with the pulmonologist first.  We get there, I fill out the paperwork and then the receptionist gives me three of the forms back to me and tells me to give them to the doctor.  OK, I can do that.  He then sends me upstairs on an elevator (thank goodness or I don't know how I would have managed to get my walker up there!!) and while it's moving, I see a sign that this floor does the pulmonary function tests (PFT) and "Body Box."  Well, I wasn't too much liking this "body box" thing.  I"ll do the PFT, but forget anything else!!!

We trudged off the elevator (my right leg has just been absolutely KILLING me!) and went down a narrow hall.  I passed an open doorway and there was a lady that called out if I was there for the PFT's.  I said yes and she led me into another room after telling my hubby that he could wait in the waiting room with my walker and purse.  We get into the other room and in the corner was this box like contraption.  It had windows on each side and had all kinds of valves attached to it.  I asked the lady (who wasn't very friendly!) if I was going into that box.  She said yes, "I would have to complete the test.  But not to worry, we'll go nice and easy and you will do fine." Ha!  I didn't share her enthusiasm.  My husband has very bad seasonal allergies and is on all kinds of inhalers and he has done the PFT's, too, but NEVER this "body box" thing.  It looked like it wouldn't even FIT me enough to close the door, let alone being easy to breathe in!!  Yikes!  What have I gotten myself into?

She started me through a series of little tests with some kind of nozzle contraption and a nose clip to keep air from escaping during the test.  I did that test about 49 times!!  Then she got out a medication called "albuterol" and I took it by inhaler.  I had no clue if this was a normal part of the test, or was I really having lung problems?  I didn't have a lot of time to stew about it, though, because then it was time for the BOX.  I sit down on the seat in there and I kid you not, it was wall-to-wall Missy in there!!!  I had no clue how they would close the door!!  But believe it or not, it did close.  When it closed, all noise was gone and she spoke with me via intercom.  I felt like I was in a space shuttle or something.  You know those stories about martians zapping down to earth and choosing their "subject" to do tests on?  I felt like that subject!!  Luckily, there wasn't too many tests in the box and she let me out.  Thank God!!  One more second in there and I would have gone ballistic!
I couldn't get her to tell me what the results were to the tests.  She was very tight-lipped.  She said I'd need to speak with the doctor first.  I know that, of course, being a nurse myself, but it never hurts to see if someone has "loose lips", so to speak!

She prints out the report in some jargon I didn't understand and told me to put it in the little bin by the nurse's station down stairs.  No problem.  We trudged back down via the elevator and put the letter in the bin.  It didn't take long for me to be called back into an exam room.  I think there were only two other people in the waiting room!  I followed another guy who wasn't too cheerful, either, into an x-ray room for a chest x-ray.   Good....another thing I can cross off my checklist for surgery!!  I had the x-rays then went to an exam room where I'd see the doctor.  He wasn't too long in coming and he said everything looked GREAT.  No cardiac or lung issues.  What a relief!!

I fired that disability lawyer yesterday.  We were getting nowhere and our personalities clashed!!  I felt instant gratification to have that done.  If and when I need to have a lawyer again, I will turn to someone else after thorough investigation!!

And then, yesterday, we got a letter from my state funded insurance that they would be canceling me on the 31st of this month!  They stated I failed to report to an interview.  But they never mailed me anything like an interview date!! So my hubby and I again are out and about in 45 degree weather to  stand in line with all the other down on their luck people.  The office was so small and not enough room, especially for the 30 bald babies making their voices heard by shrieking at the top of their lungs.  We waited for about three hours, was called up for a short interview and dismissed.  But my (and my husband's!) insurance and food stamps will continue!!!  I told the guy nothing had changed: I still can't work because of my back and I haven't won the lottery yet.  He smiled at that!  Ha!

I have saved the most serious part of my news for last.  Actually, it's a prayer request.  Frankie is not doing to well at the moment.  He has shaking chills, fever, upset stomach and vomiting.  The later two he has had since his surgery in June of 2010.  The doctors/surgeon don't seem too concerned about it.  But it is NOT normal to be "tossing your cookies" everyday!  And he is pale as a ghost. All his labs come back as "mild anemia."  I am just so very worried about him.  I lost my mom to a serious infection that shut her kidneys down within a 24 hour period and now I sometimes fear that will happen to Frankie.  He has a doctor's appointment on the 26th of this month (soonest he could get in) and I'm going to try and get to the bottom of this.  So could everyone please pray for my husband to be well again?  I'd really appreciate it.

I'll close this long post with a few pictures.  The first two are the Phoenix skyline that I shot going to the pulmonologist.

 

The air quality wasn't too bad downtown when these where taken yesterday.

Jack is "guarding" my brand-new purse I got as Christmas gift from my sister-in-law.

Choices, choices!!! Jake can't decide whether he should have some yummy salmon treats (just don't smell them!) or his seafood cat food.  Pampered kitty indeed!!

Hope you all are having a good week.  Oh, I don't know if I mentioned this before, but I got a Sharper Image Literati e-reader.  I love it!!  I've wanted one for a very long time and Santa was very kind with me.  And my family, of course!!!

Have a great one!
God bless,

Signature bar by Helena.

Questions, Questions and More Questions!

Hello, good friends and family!  Hope the first week of the New Year is going well for you.  I've had some ups and downs, so I don't know how to answer that appropriately yet!  I visited Fed-Ex's site and finally they updated it.  My reader should be in today.  Yay!!  I just hope the blasted thing works OK.  I have to set up the internet for it, so wish me luck.  I figured I would blog first and then play around with the reader when it comes.  It probably will take me a couple of days to set it up and get my e-books.  I'm so excited!!!  It will be the perfect thing to take with me to the hospital when I have the bariatric surgery.  (Provided that I WILL have the surgery!!)  I lost 25 pounds at my last doctor appointment.  I was so proud of myself, as I have been "pretending" I've had the surgery and doing severe portion control with everything.  So I can still lose weight, even without having the surgery.  I figured I'd start that just in case the insurance doesn't approve of the surgery.  The insurance I'm on has banned organ transplant procedures, so you never know what they will and will not cover.

Speaking of weight loss, I have NORMAL feet again!!!!  Both of my ankles and calves are back to what they used to be.  Yay!!  Unfortunately, the neuropathy is just as worse as ever.  Pain and hot prickly surges go up my legs, starting from my toes.  I don't think that will ever leave, unless I have surgery to de-compress the nerves that are pinched in my lower lumbar vertabrae.  Ugh!!  It's always something, isn't it????  At least I can go from a size 11 woman's shoe back to a 10.  Horray!!

And, yesterday I got a letter from the "lawyer from Hell."  She sent a subpeona (hope I spelled that right!) to an evaluator (she never said who....what's up with that?  It's MY case and she's keeping secrets from me!!) about my case.  This person will provide medical records in my case.  He/She will also testify at the trial.  I've got so many questions for this lawyer, and she won't listen to any of them.  I've got mixed feelings about this trial.  Should I still go?  Even though she said over the phone I didn't have a good case?  And if I DID  win, what would happen then?  I'd lose my state issued insurance for sure.  And I can't go on Medicare for another two years.  So I'd lose all health insurance.  My medications ALONE would cost most of the check.  It's not like we would benefit any from me getting a check at this point.  I just don't know what to do!!!  My family is putting it all up to me.  Yikes!!  If you've got some advice for me, I would love to hear it!!

I was taking a peek at my new camera and downloaded a few new pics of Jack that I took.  One is perfect for "Wordless Wednesday."  You will see that tomorrow.  :0)  But here is a close up of his adorable "lion cut."  I paid $55.00 on that so I love to show it off.  I also love spending time with Jack.  His world is so simple.  Eat, drink, potty and then lay with his "people."  That being me and my hubby.  No worries, no cares in the world.  Where do I sign up for that life????

Isn't he the cutest?  He knows it, too!!!  I just love the little plume on the end of his tail.

OK, I guess that is enough of my ranting for now.  Hope I didn't bore everyone into a coma about my goings-on with the Social Security and Medicare.  It bores me sometimes!!!

Hope you all have a great Tuesday.  I'm thinking about you all!!
Big hugs from me to you!!!
God bless,
Missy

PS....I EMAILED THE WINNER'S ADDRESSES TO THE CONTACT PERSON SPONSORING MY CHOCOLATE GIVEAWAY.  Big Thank-you to Sandy who sponsored me.  May we do this again soon!!  :0)

Yes, I'm Still Alive!

Howdy, everyone!!

Sorry it has taken me FOREVER to blog.  I really love it, it's just that I am having really big problems sitting up recently.  My back and legs are just killing me.  I can stay up for max, 15 minutes, then my back starts up and it seeps down into my legs.  And then the neuropathy starts up and ends in both feet.  It feels like I've got someone down there with a fire torch or something.  It's just miserable!!!

I miss having my laptop in times like this.  I had one for years and then a year ago my laptop motherboard decided to take a hike.  We didn't have the money to replace it, so I had to let it go to the "laptop graveyard" in the sky.  We have a beautiful desktop model, thanks to my sweet brother and sis-in-law, but unfortunately I can't use it in bed how I am used to with the laptop.  Maybe someday I can get another one.  Or, even better, maybe someday my back and legs will stop hurting and I can use the desktop in total comfort.  Which do you think will happen first?  :0)

I hope you all had a great new year's eve.  My hubby and I did nothing but lay on the bed and watch "7th Heaven" on DVD.  We just purchased the final season, so we have a complete set now.  I love that show.  We began watching it together 3 months before we got married.  So it's a special show for us...."our show."  OK, I'll quit being a dork.  :0)  Anyway, we fell asleep shortly after midnight, to the sound of illegal fireworks shooting outdoors.  The sub freezing temps didn't deter them at all from doing the fireworks!!  The following morning, it was 27 degrees here in AZ.  I expect that up in Flagstaff, NOT here in Phoenix.  We even had a tiny flurry of SNOW!!  Yikes!!  It was warmer in New York, than here in Phoenix!  It is now starting to warm up a bit.  But we had a historic new years day with those temps being so low.

We got some money for Christmas, so I decided to order one of those electronic e-readers.  I ordered a "Literati" e-reader from some department store in Pennsylvania.  It was very cheap at $79.99 and it is in color!!  I couldn't pass up on that!!  My problem remains with Fed-Ex.  The damn thing, to this day, still has NOT come and they haven't updated their website since Dec. 27th.  It shows still being in Pennsylvania.  My hubby called them up today to see what the deal was.  The lady there stated that it is on ground and won't be "scanned" in until it reaches a major checkpoint.  She said I should be receiving it tomorrow.  I better!!  I've NEVER had this problem with Fed-Ex before!!  I can't wait to get that reader.  I even have some money left over for some e-books.  :0)

On an earlier post I said I'd tell you why I fired my Social Security lawyer.  Well, to make a long story short (plus my back is starting to really hurt again!) she insisted on trying my case on the premise that I am majorly depressed.  She didn't want to hear at all about my bad back....I've even got proof with the MRI....but she shrugged it off and went on about how I'd need to get a psychiatrist and all that jazz.  I'm NOT depressed!!  AND, I've never seen the broad, either!!  She insists on doing things by phone and letter.  Well, I was talking to her the week after Christmas and again, I tried to tell her about my back.  She wouldn't listen.  I told her I was NOT depressed, so therefore, NOT getting a psychiatrist.  She went into a tizzy and then when I asked her the chances of getting disability with this case, she said it wasn't very good.  So why do it?  I've got the bariatric surgery with all its tests and appointments coming up and that is a major stress for me.  I can't do BOTH in January!!  I was still talking when the lawyer just up and hung up on me.  SHE HUNG UP ON ME!!  I hate that!!  So bye, bye lawyer from Hell.  I can't work with someone I can't talk to!!  So I don't know if I will pursue disability or not.  I really want to return to work after I lose weight.  We shall see.

That's it so far.  And I really have to go lay down with my heating pad again.  My damn back!!  I think it's this cold that is seeping into my bones and making me feel worse.
I hope you all are doing well.  I will visit blogs tomorrow, when I can use the computer hopefully pain free again.

Have a great day!!
Hugs n' blessings to all.....
Missy