Category: Health

Brother J Visits

Posted on

I took last week off from work because they are renovating the office which includes redoing the floors and installing new cubicles with much shorter walls (which I’m seriously dreading). I didn’t want to spend all week displaced so I decided to use some of my accumulated time off to hang out at home. Since I only work Tue-Thu and Wednesday was a holiday, I only needed to use two vacation days.

Monday (7/2) I went out to lunch with my friend C and cleaned the house Tuesday (7/3) to prepare for my Brother J to visit for a few days.

Wednesday (7/4) morning Joe and I drove to my parents house to pick up J. We stopped at Savers on the way back and then came home to start grilling some ribs we purchased at Costco over the weekend, as well as burgers. Wookie was thrilled to see J and was comfortable enough to let him rub her belly. It was really cute. She also would run over and lick his face at random times throughout the week. He’s become a lot more comfortable around her (he’s always been a bit fearful of dogs in general) which is nice because we might be able to have him dog-sit for us occasionally as long as we’re willing to do a bunch of driving since he’s not comfortable driving on expressways and taking side streets from his house to ours would take over two hours.

Anyway, here’s what we basically did the rest of the week:

Wednesday night – Watched Maximum Overdrive. I stayed up until midnight with Wookie until the fireworks stopped and she calmed down. Joe had to get to sleep since he had work the next day.

Thursday (7/5) – Joe at work. Called around to check on driveway progress, of which there was none even though this project was due to be completed on June 28th. Played Wii games (Mad World & Simpsons). Took J to Half Price Books and Chick-fil-A for lunch. Played Jeopardy & Song Quiz games on Alexa. Had baked spaghetti for dinner. Watched Dead Snow (so, so bad) and then Blockers (which was much better, but we had seen it before).

Friday (7/6) – Went to Taco bell for breakfast. Saw Antman and The Wasp at theater. Awesome movie! The trailer didn’t do it a lick of justice. Took Wookie for a walk at Armstrong park. Watched Pacific Rim: Uprising.

Saturday (7/7) – Joe made Waffles for breakfast. J and I played Wii (Donkey Kong and Raving Rabids, then Let’s Tap). We all went to McDonald’s for a late lunch, and then visited Brother B for an hour and a half before we dropped Brother J back at home.

Sunday (7/8) – Joe and I went on a morning bike ride at Armstrong park. After coming home and showering we ran to Kohl’s where I paid $3 for a pair of shorts since they gave me $15 in Kohl’s Cash. Then we did a little grocery shopping before coming home to relax.

Today (7/9) I’ve just been cleaning and calling around trying to find out when the hell our driveway apron is going to be filled with concrete. The village informed me that the concrete company had inspections scheduled but they were cancelled since they haven’t paid the village a re-inspection fee. I called the association and demanded to speak to the property manager (who never gets back to us when we call) and of course she wasn’t available. I was at least given her voicemail and left one for her that I am hoping she returns. I think at this point they need to fire these idiots and get someone else to finish the work. What a nightmare.

My boss texted me this morning to let me know the renovation at work is behind schedule so I’ll be sitting in a conference room tomorrow, and possibly Thursday, until our new cubicles are set up.

I like things neat and orderly and I have neither of those things at home or work so I’m feeling very stressed. On top of that my new glasses are too heavy and despite multiple trips back to the clinic to have the nose pads and temples adjusted, they are still hurting my face. I am going there today to have them put on the new silicone nose pads I ordered from Amazon as a last ditch effort. If that doesn’t work I’m going to have to pick out a different pair of frames which sucks because I really grew to like the ones my optician had chosen for me. They look much nicer on me than my old glasses. Too bad they aren’t comfortable, ugh!

Glasses & Haircuts

Posted on

Another four day weekend is almost over. I dread going into the office more and more these days, not because I hate my job but because I just hate sitting at a desk all day under bright florescent lights listening to other people make annoying noises. It’s only going to get worse in less than a month when they finish an office remodel which includes replacing all our cubicles with new ones with much lower walls on them. Kill me now.

Friday (6/15) for dinner we tried a new Chinese place that opened recently very close to home and between their price, portion size, and taste, they are a winner. I just finished the last of my Pad See Ew (they do Thai dishes as well) for lunch today, in fact.

Saturday (6/16) morning we headed to the Wheaton Eye Clinic so I could look at their frames since the ones at Visionworks sucked so bad I took them back for a refund. They matched with me a woman named Michelle since she specializes in helping people find suitable glasses. I explained what I was looking for and learned that the reason I’m having such difficulty is the latest trend is over-sized frames. Well, normal frames are over-sized on my face face as it is so that sucks.

That being said, she listened to what I was looking for and went around their showroom and pulled several frames for me to try on. Most of them were duds but we did find a pair I liked that she, another woman, and Joe all agreed suited my face better than the pair I’ve been wearing. They are larger around my eyes which she explained will help make the prescription more consistent through the viewing area, but are small enough that my eyes are more centered in the lens. The bridge is 1mm shorter and the temple is 5mm shorter than my current pair which should help stop them from slipping down my nose.

My only reservation is while they are labeled as purple/rose by the manufacturer, it’s more like maroon and I really wanted black. I trusted Michelle when she said they come in brown, blue, and this purple color, but when I was googling the style online last night I learned they also come in black/orchid which is totally up my alley. Now, it may be that they don’t carry that color combo in their store, and even though I like that color it might not look good on me, but I’d like to at least try them! I called over there this morning but no one is picking up the phone so I left a message and have yet to hear back. I already ordered my glasses but I’m thinking since it’s just the frame that I could be potentially changing, it shouldn’t be a big deal to them. Oh, and the total price was less than $30 more than I paid at Visionworks but at least these people actually work with you instead of leaving you to pick your own frames without verifying how they look or fit on you. I don’t think I’ll ever shop the retail vision places again because every last one of them (Lens Crafters, Four Eyes, America’s Best) were the same way.

After the eye place we went to the Subaru dealership to pick up some touch-up paint for my car since I messed up the mirror months ago when I got too close to our storage racks in the garage. At some point we’ll have to try using that. I know it won’t look perfect but better than it does now. I’m just glad it’s on the passenger side so I’m not constantly reminded of the damage I inflicted on my poor car before it was even six months old. This is why I can’t have nice things. ;)

Speaking of nice things – I found a pair of grey Addidas running shoes at Kohl’s a few weeks ago that I really liked. They were rather pricey at $60 but would go with a lot of my summer outfits. Well, I tested them out today by wearing them for a few hours and I’m disappointed to say I need to take them back. They were causing pain in my left foot and then it started vibrating, perhaps from a nerve being pinched or something, I don’t know. Back to the drawing board I guess. I hate shoe shopping! I just want something affordable, comfortable, and pretty basic. I thought they were going to be it but no.

Sunday (6/17) we finally saw Solo: A Star Wars Story which I thought was just ok. It wasn’t great, but not terrible either. There were a few boring parts but the ending was interesting at least. Afterwards we had lunch at Red Robin since I had earned a free burger. We spent the remainder of the day watching TV because it’s been crazy hot all weekend.

Today (6/18) I went to Great Clips for a haircut and am already wishing I had gotten a little bit more cut off. I asked for three inches and the woman made it sound like anything more would put my hair at my shoulders which turned out not to be the case so it could be shorter. Oh well, this is what I get for not wanting to drop $50+ at a real salon. I went to the same location where they fixed my hair after the woman I usually like screwed up my hair at a different location. The woman who did my cut today was the same one who fixed it last time so at least the ends are even. I had her round the back and do face framing with some feathering in the front/sides and for the most part I like it. At least it doesn’t look super choppy like the time I went to The Hair Cuttery and the stylist was just not getting it when I explained what I wanted. It took her three attempts before it came out right and I almost cried. Ugh!

I also stopped at Dunkin Donuts for an iced coffee I plan to nurse all this week but they overcharged me! I put together my order in the app and then picked it up during happy hour. It should have cost $1.50 but they charged me full price which I didn’t notice until I left. Usually the app shows the full price because they don’t know whether you’re actually going to pick it up during the discount period so I wasn’t too worried until I checked the app and see they charged me more than they should have. I tried calling the store and no one picks up. So I tried calling Dunkin Donuts corporate and the wait time was over thirty minutes so I ended up emailing them instead. I hope they get back to me and make things right. I usually don’t go to that particular location so I’m not sure if the mistake was caused by that store or if something went wrong in the app.

Update: Got a call back from Michelle at the eye place and she ordered the black/orchid pair of frames so I can try those too. I hope I like them just because that’s my favorite color combo but she said no big deal if I end up sticking with the original color. At least one thing is going right today.

I Photographed A Wedding!

Posted on

This past weekend was spent getting sh*t done so it wasn’t as fun compared to previous weekends.

Saturday (6/2) morning we took my car in for its first oil change and went out for breakfast while we waited. I nearly always regret grabbing breakfast anywhere but a fast food place because it’s very expensive for what you get. Our bill after tip was $35… for BREAKFAST. All I had was pancakes and hashbrowns and Joe had a platter of some sort. Blah.

Later that afternoon Joe accompanied me to photograph the outdoor wedding of my friend’s son. I truly didn’t want to do it when she asked but she kinda wore me down until I eventually agreed. Apparently her son and his fiance were fond of my photos but those are nature ones, not people. I don’t consider myself a people photographer and due to my introversion I find it hard to deal with strangers. I was super anxious about it especially after taking some test shots of Joe on Friday to re-familiarize myself with my digital SLR which I haven’t really been using lately. Most of the photos were not coming out well and I was convinced I was going to f*ck everything up. Thankfully the wedding was quick and even though I totally sucked at directing people, my more extroverted friend took the lead to help set up shots. When we got home I was supremely relieved to find that 95% of my shots came out great. I was so worried my friend was going to pay me for out of focus blown-out photos since it was pretty sunny outside. I opted to stick to a single lens for the entire shoot (my 28-135mm zoom) and leave it on programmed auto so that the camera would by and large choose the proper settings in the moment. Thank god it all worked out.

Speaking of pay, my friend gave me a card which I opened once we got home and inside was the agreed upon fee in cash, but also a Target gift card in the same amount. So in a way I was paid double. My friend explained that the gift card was a personal thank you for taking on the task which I thought was very generous, if unnecessary. Now I just need to motivate myself to work on her photos this week.

Sunday (6/3) we headed back to Visionworks so I could return my new glasses which were giving me headaches. I’m bummed they didn’t work out because my current pair are several years old and I do need new ones with an updated prescription. It’s so hard to find frames that don’t overwhelm my face which is why I opted for frames meant for children. Unfortunately they were a bit too tight and hurt my head to wear despite feeling comfortable when I initially tried them in the store on more than one occasion. I also didn’t like how they cut the lenses as they weren’t smooth around the edges. Plus I purchased an anti-reflective coating but I was noticing more reflections while wearing them than my old pair. When I mentioned that on the day I picked up the lenses they tried to tell me it was because of my prescription verses the size of the frames but I’m not quite sure I buy that. Plus they didn’t assist me whatsoever in picking the right type of frames for me which I think sucks. In fact, I shopped around at all the regular glasses places and no one could even show me petite frames and instead told me I would just have to find them by looking around. Great customer service! I’m just glad Visionworks has a 30-day unconditional money back guarantee because those glasses set me back $473!

Unfortunately, now I’m back to square one. If I could find a pair identical to my current ones but with a slightly short arm so they don’t keep slipping down my face I would be overjoyed. This is why I rarely buy new glasses – it’s such a pain in the ass and I hate the entire process. I wish I could just go back to wearing contacts most of the time but my eyes just aren’t having it anymore.

We also did some more organizing of the garage yesterday and threw out a ton of empty boxes. As if we’re going to pack stuff in their original boxes if/when we move. Not likely. We still kept some, especially for current electronic gadgets in case we try to sell them, but still freed up a lot of space. Now if only Joe can motivate himself to reorganize his tool area. That part of the garage is the messiest but I can’t help much since it’s his space.

Deadpool 2 FTW

Posted on

Saturday (5/19) morning Joe drove to my parents’ house to pick up J to spend the weekend with us. On their way back to our place I purchased tickets to the noon showing of Deadpool 2 at Classic Cinemas. I guess that is one perk to being able to buy ahead of time – you don’t have to worry about arriving early to get your preferred seats (although the theater didn’t end up being crowded at all). The downside is the extra $1 per ticket service charge, plus they raised the ticket prices to $6 sometime last year (most likely to fund the improvements) so it cost $21 for the three of us. J got to see Ken, our favorite ticket-taker, who is known to say “enjoy the movieee” which we always get a kick out of, and he did as well.

We stopped at McDonald’s beforehand for a quick late breakfast before the show so we wouldn’t be starving during it as it was almost two hours long but J got an order of nachos anyway, LOL. He shared them with us but we were pretty full so I only tried a couple.

Deadpool 2 was, dare I say it, even better than the original! So so funny. I just love that character to pieces and I cannot wait to see it again. It was better than any of the Avengers movies by far.

After the movie we headed to the mall so we could enjoy lunch at Red Robin. Surprisingly, J opted for a side of fruit instead of fries with his burger. I got my usual (Banzai) and Joe got the mushroom swiss. They had a buy one get one 50% off special, plus I had a gift card, so it didn’t cost anything out of pocket. I earned a free burger on my account too so we’ll be heading back there again sometime before mid July.

After lunch we stopped in FYE so J could look around. He always finds something there and this visit was no exception. He got a movie and a wrestling DVD for $10 total.

I had also planned to pick up my new glasses but my stomach was bothering me so we skipped that and headed home.

We spent the evening watching YouTube videos and playing a few games (Dumbass and Split Decision). I ended up cooking us dinner (grilled chicken breasts) around 9 pm because we weren’t hungry until then thanks to our late lunch. Everyone went to sleep sometime around 11:30 pm.

We didn’t do much Sunday (5/20) morning. We were up around 9 am and just got ready but skipped breakfast because we decided to have lunch at Warsaw Inn before dropping J back off at home. We stuffed ourselves silly and even though I still felt hungry when we left an hour and a half after arriving (holy crap!), I didn’t end up eating again until the evening.

Joe and I stopped at the mall to pick up my new glasses before heading home. When I tried on my new glasses I noticed the prescription on the one pair, which I was planning on using as my main one, seemed much stronger than the other. Also, I could see more reflections even though I got the anti-reflective coating on both. I was assured by the staff they were made the same but since the frame on that pair is thinner that could make the lens different. That’s the downside to having a strong prescription and small head – I have to buy kids’ frames but the lenses can only be made so thin. I guess I will just try them out this week and see if I can adjust. I keep reminding myself that I’m always unhappy at first with change and then eventually adapt.

Rain, Infinity, and Flowers

Posted on

Rain ruined plans to visit the arboretum this weekend.

Saturday (5/12) – Avengers Infinity War @ Classic Cinemas with new reclining seats you have to choose at purchase. Not a fan that you can’t choose seats that leave a single one between groups. At least feet can touch floor when seat isn’t reclined.

Movie was a disappointment. I liked Thanos more than the heroes, plus I was bummed there wasn’t an Ant-Man appearance.

Beef Shack for lunch thanks to Groupon.

Sunday (5/13) – Joe gave me a Mother’s Day card from Wookie. So cute and thoughtful! He even used a stencil he found online to draw the paw prints.

Mall to purchase glasses from Visionworks. $473 for two pair (and one of those was technically free). They will be ready for pickup in a few days.

Five for $23 deal on Wallflowers at Bath and Body Works. Got all new floral scents with the exception of the Pistachio Ice Cream.

Afternoon visit to Lilacia Park. Very crowded thanks to holiday and live band. More tulips than lilacs which bloomed and started to disappear (probably due to our weather going from warm to cold and raining and then back again).

Long walk at Camera Park with Wookie. Can’t stand that park, though. Would rather travel further to a nicer one.