Sock 'Em in the Monkey Butt

The Challenge: Read 12 books of 200 pages or more in 12 months. That's one book per month.

The Time frame: January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011

The Reason: Studies have shown that reading helps keep your mind healthy and active. The mind you save may be your own.

January

Sisterchicks Say Ooh La La! - Robin Jones Gunn

Sisterchicks in Gondolas! - Robin Jones Gunn

Sisterchicks Go Brit! - Robin Jones Gunn

One Tuesday Morning - Karen Kingsbury

Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes! - Robin Jones Gunn

Sisterchicks Down Under! - Robin Jones Gunn

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

What I'm Currently Reading

Redemption

Karen Kingsbury

Book Count 2011:  6 

Okay.  I admit I am not perfect.  Definitely no angel by anyone's stretch of the imagination.  I have a bad habit of cutting people off when they are talking, particularly when I know they are wrong about something and I know I am right.  My husband is being a total monkey's butt and I just want to sock him right now, because he's not speaking to me.  It's cuz I cut him off.  He was wrong and he is a know-it-all, especially when it comes to "medical" issues because he spent 20 years working in medicine in the Navy.  Well that doesn't make him a doctor or a expert, and I'm sorry to say, he does NOT know everything.

Corri and I have been talking for the past several days about donating plasma because they pay you for your donation.  $120 the first time you donate and then $60 a week after that.  You can donate up to twice in a 7-day period with 48 hours between donations.  The process is a lot like giving blood, and it takes anywhere from one to two hours to do.  We were going to go today and do it, but I found out that I have to wait a year before I'm eligible to donate.  New piercing.  It disqualifies me until November this year, provided I don't get another tattoo or piercing during that time, cuz then the count starts all over again.

I told Al that HE could donate plasma, and he's giving me all these reasons why he can't:  he doesn't get enough sleep, he's vitamin D deficient, and blah, blah, blah.  I was reading RIGHT off the website about who can or cannot donate and he was getting pissy with me, so I cut him off.  Now he's not speaking to me at all.  He's such a damn baby sometimes.  He hates being wrong.  I told him if he'd go there and have the initial exam and they say he can't donate, then I'll admit I was wrong, but I'm going by what the website says.  He won't even discuss the issue anymore.

Fine.  Screw you, pal.

I don't want to hear him complain about us having no money when he's got an opportunity to make some easy money by doing this and he's refusing to even discuss it.  Jerk.  Baby.  Monkey's butt.

Yeah, I'm fired up right now.  Can't you tell?  My poor laptop is having the keys beaten half to death as I'm typing this because I'm so ticked off.  I'm ticked at him and I'm ticked because I WANT to donate and I'm not supposed to.

Well, here's the thing.  I went to a professional piercer and I'm healthy, the piercing isn't infected and you can't tell it's a new piercing.  I'm going to do something that I hate doing.  I'm going to lie.  We need the money too much for me to sit back and do nothing.  I'm going to go in there and tell them I've had my piercings for over a year.  Prove I haven't.  They can't.  As long as my blood work is good, there's no reason why I can't donate my plasma.

I picked Corri up from SAP and we were talking about it.  Apparently I'm not the only one who lies about piercings to donate plasma.  It's a fairly common practice, and the plasma is washed anyway before it's given to anyone, so it's not like I'm taking risks with other people's lives by donating.  Besides, they will test my blood first and if there's anything in my blood that tells them I can't donate, then I won't be able to, but providing it's clear, I'm going to give.

We're going to an Al-Anon meeting tomorrow afternoon, since Corri asked me if Al and I would start going to them because she's living with us.  I guess Corri is going to spend the night at Jason's tonight, and have him drop her off at the plasma donation clinic because the process takes a while.  So we'll pick her up after our Al-Anon meeting is over.  She'll get her first donation done right away.  She wants the money to contribute to buying her own cigarettes and helping pay for her own storage bills that Mom and I (and Amy for a while) have been paying on all her furniture and things that are still in Florida.  I'm proud of her for wanting to be able to contribute.

Okay, so that's that.

Other than that whole plasma drama this morning with Al, I dropped and picked Corri up from SAP, and also made a run to the endocrinologist to pick up the prescription for my lab work that he's going to need done before my appointment.  Al is going to have to take me to the new Health Center that was opened at the VA.  They have completely closed down the Naval Hospital and moved all medical operations to the Health Center.  I don't know where it is, where to park, or where any of my doctors are anymore.  I don't even know who to call when I need an appointment.

Remember what I said about not doing well with change?  This is one of those times where I'm not liking it at all.  I'm not afraid to go by myself, but I'd rather Al go with me and show me where everything is.  I just need to get my bearings again and then I'll be fine.

My books came in from Amazon today, but as I was looking through them, I discovered that the workbook goes along with a video set.  I don't have the money to buy the DVDs, but I think I will save up for them.  Then I can actually teach this as a class, and maybe offer it to women in my parish.  At least, that's what I'm hoping.  In this respect, I do miss teaching.  If I can get back into it with something like this, that would be awesome.

Corri is going to a meeting at the rehab center tonight, just to keep herself held accountable for her classes and recovery.  She called someone yesterday to get a ride, and that person said they'd take her, but now she can't reach this person and she hasn't called Corri back to get directions here.  I may have to drive her out there tonight.  At least Jason is going to be picking her up and I don't have to make a second trip back.  While I'm out there, I may stop in the Christian book store and see what's what over there.

No other real plans for the night.  Maybe I'll watch Off the Map, cuz that's still sitting on my DVR from this week.  I can't watch the soaps and get caught up on those without Corri, but I can watch a few episodes of The View and get caught up on those too.  Sounds like fun, doesn't it?  I'll probably read a bit, too.

Who'd have thought I was such a fun person?

Our morning devotions today were great.  The story was about a woman in her mid-eighties who still takes risks and tries new things.  The bible readings were all about age not being a hinderance, but a chance to still live a full and vibrant life.  It really got me thinking.

I'm not much of a risk taker, by nature.  I don't think I have ever really been one.  But I am adventurous and despite the fact that my life is so hum-drum and boring most of the time, I don't shy away from new things or new experiences.  Whenever something new is presented to me, I jump in with both feet, even if I might be a little nervous or scared about it.  Being nervous is normal and a little fear is healthy, provided it's not the kind of nervousness or fear that completely cripples you.

The book asked what things we were holding off on doing because we might be afraid to take risks and I really sat and thought about it.  I'm not holding back doing anything for that reason.  It's not a risk or fear factor.  It's a monetary factor.

I want to go back to school and take classes online.  Maybe I'll even take classes in person at the county college.  The only thing that has stopped me from enrolling in classes already is the money.  I just don't have it.  We've got to get some of our bills paid down first before I can think of registering for classes and buying books.  I want to get my degree in training and I found a college that offers online classes for just that specialty.  That's what I've been waiting for.  One class is like $1600.  I just don't have that kind of cash laying around, but I can certainly save up for it.

And then, I'm going to jump in with both feet.  Sink or swim, it doesn't matter.  What matters is making the leap.

There are going to be days when we feel we just can't do it.  Everywhere we turn, there is another temptation, another chance to blow it.  Occasionally, we might even give in, but that is no reason to give up.  Part of being human means we won't succeed every time we try something.  That's okay.  When we find ourselves in situations where we give in, that is when we need to call on God, asking for forgiveness, strength, and determination.  God shall send forth His mercy and His truth, and we will be able to pick up from where we left off and do even better the next time.

Today's thought:  Losing one battle doesn't mean I've lost the war!