Chiarian headaches are the worst!

Secret Angel / Santa time again...

What is a Secret Angel / Santa?
It's where you give (virtual) gifts to someone else in the group... via me, the moderator. & Then someone will be providing me gifts to give to you as well! It's all done in SECRET! (Trust me it's much easier than you think!)

I've already had a few ask if we're going to do something this year. I was going to say no... but then this morning some ideas fluttered through my head & so, I wrote them down.. & I'll be posting a sign up blog on the group site, shortly! :)

So, if you're interested in participating this year & you're not already a member... hurry up & get & click this link ~~~> The Secret Angels & click "Join Group"!!! ;o)

Then watch for blogs from me in that group! :)

There are SIMPLE RULES / TIPS in the welcome box via the link above.

In the blog I will post shortly I'll give a bit of a description of what we'll be doing. It's going to be very much like the past couple years. And we'll be doing the 12 days of Christmas & a Reveal Blog Party.

So, hurry on over & join the group (if you're not already!)... because the deadline to sign up will be 11:59pm Thursday 12-10-09.

This blog is NOT the sign up... please wait until I post the blog about how to sign up... IN THE GROUP!! It's going to be a tad different!!! You can reply to this blog with questions or anything... but if you sign up here, it will NOT be counted!! (You'll see why when the sign up blog is posted over on the Secret Angels site!!!) :)

P.S. Feel free to pass the link to the group on to your friends. You can even link to this blog, if you wish! The more the merrier!! :o)

ARGH I can't get logged into Facebook!! ARGH!! Can't even cross post from here!! ARGH!!!

I gone & did it! I cut my hair... SHORT!!!

This is one of them blogs where I'm posting it really for my dad... but I know others want to see too!

The day before Thanksgiving I finally got the nerve up to go get my haircut really short... & So, Hubby drove me (because we've agreed I shouldn't drive until... well, probably not until after I have the surgery or get medicine to stop the feeling of faint all the time.)

Anyway... I did this because IF I am going to be having the decompression surgery for my Chiari Malformation they will shave a bit of the hair in the center of the back of my head... and so, I didn't want to have to deal with having to cut my hair (to make it look ok) after that & be devastated by having short hair... So, I put it in my own hands to have short hair.

Honestly... it's actually a nice change of pace. I've NEVER had my hair this short!!! I like it... for now! ;)

Here's the "before"...

& The after.......


In case you're wondering that was about 7 inches... Which means that since September I've cut off approximately a total of 17 inches of my hair! YIKES!!!

Here's one more picture...
It's from when I got home & took out the little bit of the "poofy" that the stylist put in. And it can show you that the back is really really SHORT... I mean... IT'S SHORT!!! But I'm liking it.

Another reason I cut it so short was because I needed it off the back of my neck. And it will be easier for me to take care of. For someone who can't stand long in the shower, washing & rinsing long hair does not cut it. (No pun intended... really!) ;)

Now I just need to wait to get the call from my dad to see what he thinks! *giggles*

In all the hustle & bustle... I forgot to wish you all... HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I hope you had an enjoyable & SAFE day! :)

More news (again CONTACTS only!)

Anyone that wants to follow me on Facebook... I'll post status updates to this account: (LINK BELOW) (this is for Contacts ONLY) & those who don't have my real name Facebook page.

Update for my contacts ONLY... see below...

I'm pulling for MARK MARTIN to win the race AND Nascar Championship! HE DESERVES IT!

Today is the last NASCAR race of the season, which means the Holidays are not far off. EEKS! This is the 1st year I'm not really looking forward to them... sort of.

is hoping the feeling of a cold looming, is just because it's night time. To be safe... I'm going to bed now. ~ Night! ~

For review by TLW Admins

Ok ladies... here's the updated rules I have for the new season... for when we get to that point! :) I'm hoping shortly after Thanksgiving! :)
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BASIC RULES
1. No profanity!!! (Have not had a problem... just making sure! LOL)

2. No repeats! (If any doubt, use Ctrl + F  (link to tutorial coming soon) to search the whole page.)

3. PLAY NICE! (Do NOT argue in the game.) If you have a problem with another, player or word played, please send Lady Harley a PM!

4. BE CLEAN!!! We have young players, so, please do not say, or link to, anything explicit... or questionable!

5. English ONLY. We do take in to account the different forms, such as British / Queens English. (More info in tips) (If any doubt, I (or a co-admin) will check it out... oooh, sorry for the rhyme!)

6. Please wait for at least one person to change the word before you go again.

7. NO graphics, please... don't want auto reply to be slow! (The admins have a few to use. THAT'S all!... until TLW is played!)

8. Do NOT delete your word / comment... especially if it's been determined if it's already been used or is not legal. (I, or the admins, need to be able to hop on & see all replies in case there is a problem.)

9. TLW official dictionary is: OneLook.com (see below for more info.)

10. Most of all... HAVE FUN!!!

From time to time we'll have Special Rounds. If & when we do, see those rounds for their specific rules. The BASIC RULES above will ALWAYS apply, unless otherwise noted in the round!!

Normal Round rules...
1. Change only ONE letter.
2. Do NOT add any letters.
3. Do NOT take away any letters.
4. Do NOT rearrange the letters to make a new word.
5. Capitalize the ONE letter you are changing.
6. When you play your word, be sure to put the word you are playing off of before yours & remember rule #5. (ie: last... lIst) (Also, be sure to put dots, or something in between, like the example!)
7. OneLook.com is the OFFICIAL dictionary of TLW, however, the admins MAY use other sources to determine if a word is acceptable.
8. Pronouns / proper names / brand names will NOT be allowed. (Unless other wise noted in the blog above the replies!) (If the 1st letter in the word needs to be capitalized, it is not "legal" in this game!)
9. Certain slang will be accepted, see tips, below, for more info!
10. We will NOT accept Wikepedia words, it must be in other dictionaries!

Tips:
T. To play a word, just post a reply... it can be just your answer... no need to say anything else, if you don't want to! :)

H. If two (or more) players change the word at the same time... it will be the admins' call as to who was 1st. (At this point, everyone in the game should REFRESH to see who was 1st... Remember not all internet connections runs the same!)

E. Feel free to put your "last word" in a funny saying or something... If so, then put that "word" in ALL CAPS (or bold, italic, or bold italic if you know how to use basic HTML) so that we all can see which word you're using as your "last word"... and it HAS to make sense!!

L. When referring to a definition on OneLook.com, do NOT post the link... just post the name of the dictionary it's in. (ie: Cambridge; Dictionary.com; Merriam-Webster's; etc.)

A. OneLook.com looks up a word in just about every dictionary on net today... Including sports; medicine & slang dictionaries. HOWEVER, be careful with it because it does give brand names.

S.  Some slang will be acceptable. However, it has to be widely known in the WORLD. (ie: DARNED IF I CAN'T THINK OF ANY EXAMPLES AT THE MOMENT!! Can you??) ;o)

T. You're more than welcome to use Google; Dictionary.com; Define.com or any other resources to try to be the one with "The Last Word"!! HOWEVER... The ONE and ONLY link that will be accepted to verify words is OneLook.com. (The admins will have a list of which sources within OneLook.com to determine if an obscure word will be accepted or not.) (See Tip #5 for explanation!) (P.S. If you can use the word in a sentence, properly, and if asked... we more than likely will accept it. So, you best be prepared to back up your word!!!)

W. Words with more than one spelling for different countries will be accepted... HOWEVER, you must back it up via the "unified dictionary link" as stated above, if asked! (ie: grEy & grAy are both valid words & allowed.)

O. Admins are permitted to win. (However, I will make sure I am not the winner... because I have the fun of getting it started & etc.)

R. If you have ANY comment or suggestion, please do NOT hesitate to send me a PM (private message)... you never know, you might think of something I never did!!

D. AGAIN, remember this is JUST A GAME... So, HAVE FUN, ya hear?!?!!?

Winners:
We will no longer have personalized winning badges. However, we will use the graphics at: (WILL INSERT A LINK HERE!!!) Feel free to use the one we post, OR... choose one of your own to brag about your win on your own blog.

(1st season are rounds 1.0 through 72.2) New season starts ??????

The "Hall of Fame" page is still available, however, it will NOT be updated beyond what it there now!!! If you won a round after the ones that are posted & would like a personalized badge, please send Lady Harley or KittyChile a PM.

Once the new season begins, we will start a separate NOTE on the site to post the winners, along with copy-able links to the game for you to use in your blog.

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As you can tell... I've made it easy a basic outline format... that way if we ever need in the game to reference a particular rule we can say, Please see.....
Get it? .... Good! :)

Now... is there anything any of you disagree with... or think needs tweaked?? Now is the time to tell me!! I'm thinking I'll give you all until 11-25 to review & discuss it & state any opinions / corrections / etc...

Sound good??

Ok... let me have it... what don't you like?? Or what can you improve with it???

NaNoWriMo update... Nov 21st

Uh... if you hadn't been able to figure it out, my writing has gone by the wayside the past few weeks. It's not that I'm in a writer's block... it's just I don't have the energy? to write. (Energy is NOT the correct word.)

It has nothing to do with the pressure of a deadline either... I have plenty of ideas for it... it's just I'm not at a place where I can write & write & write.

So, I've retreated to Facebook... & other things to get my mind off of it. But alas that proved to be a little detrimental... in the fact, I had forgot about NaNoWriMo for some time. & Now I know there's no way I'd make the deadline without pushing myself way beyond the limit... & again, I just don't have the stamina / energy to do it.

I'm not giving up on the book... I'm actually looking forward to finishing it. I'm just not going to push it to be 50,000 words. Because there are so many of you involved in it... I will get it finished! I may just post it as chapters here. or something. We'll see.

Ok, that's all for now. I have lots of other things on my mind that I need to attend to. Take care & HUGS to you all!

Thanks for cheering me on... sorry to let you down. NEXT YEAR, I'll do it!!! (Who knows I may still be able to make a little more effort to it this year... but I'm not going to push it!)

~~TOODLES~~

Alright... how do you edit your 'To:' (when sending a PM) list now????

Calling all Chiarians... Have you tried using earplugs to diffuse noise? If so, how did it work? I'm wondering if I should where something for Thanksgiving so I won't be ready to go in 5 minutes of arriving at our 1st dinner location.

After a whirlwind of 'excitement'... Time for bed! ~NIGHT~

We SERIOUSLY need to move! Our neighbors truck was just hit & they kept on driving & hit another car down the street! ARGH!

has a nasty Chiari headache. Only on for a few. Then going to lay down again!

NaNoWriMo update: nothing really to update! Not written in days :(

Good news on the SS Disability .... sort of... (Chiari related)

Spoke with the attorney today & he said we FINALLY have a hearing date scheduled for 1-21-2010.

1st... I can't believe it's going to be 2010 in just about 7 weeks... WHAT HAPPENED to 2009??

2nd.. The attorney said they're going to have a neurologist at the hearing. Which will all be done via video conferencing.

He also said that if all goes well & I'm approved, it will be 30 to 60 days before I get the 1st check... which should be the retroactive money. (Over 3 years worth!!!)

So, once we have that accomplished, I'll be scheduling the surgery soon as I can.... However, BEFORE I can even think about that... I have to get that MRI Cine Flow study done... That won't happen until Hubby's new insurance kicks in late this month....

UNLESS a friend, & advocate for Chiarians & a Chiarian herself, finds out if a certain radiologist will do the MRI for FREE... yes... I said  FREE!!!! Only thing is... since I haven't heard from her... I'm thinking that the radiologist can't get privileges down in Columbus. ... I'm about to tell her to tell the guy that if he can do it... I'll get to New York!

Just hope if I do that... they don't mind I'm not going to the doctors in New York.

Who knows, maybe the doctor will tell me I don't need surgery after all & just will need to take some medicine to relieve the pressure. We'll see.

Anyway... that's the update on that.
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A quick NaNoWriMo update (in case you didn't see my quick note)... It's on hold for me right now. I have completely lost my muse... & the mood of creative writing. I think it's from the lack of sleep I've gotten this week... SOOOOO hopefully things will improve over the weekend.

Stay tuned for more...
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*HUGS* & ~~Toodles~~

NaNoWriMo update... quick & short... it's on hold for me. Not in the mood. :(

Literary abandonment is what it's called... (NaNoWriMo update)

It's a good thing that this book does not need to make sense... because last night after nearly 30 hours of not writing anything toward it I picked up my pen and paper (because my computer was off... as it should be at 3:30 AM!!) and just started to write about each of the characters.

What prompted that was a little 'pep talk' letter that was sent out to the NaNoWriMo participants last evening.

It said something about when you've come to a road block start describing the characters. Their clothes, their mannerisms... anything... just do it in great wordy detail! JUST WRITE!!!

So, that's what I was doing. I believe I only wrote for about 1/2 hour maybe longer. Didn't look at the time when I finally put down my paper & pen... I barely remember laying down.

However, it felt good to have written when I didn't write AT ALL on Friday.

I just finished counting all them words... & they're good enough to add to the book. ... The count was 724. (I'm now up to a total of 10,886 words with 39,114 to go!) I guess I tend to write faster with a pen than to type. LOL.

If I could, probably would write with my pen more often. Only thing is... I would need to transfer it all to the computer anyway. So, I stick with the typing. LOL!!!

Ok... I have to get back at it before the muse leaves me again. I'm playing catch up mode again. By the end of tonight I should be over 13 grand... again, key word being.... SHOULD!

However... I'm more looking at the goal at the end of tomorrow... FIFTEEN THOUSAND words... So, hopefully be end of tomorrow I'll be back on track. (Not going to push myself... just going to write and write and write.... )

~Toodles~

For Richer or Poorer ... In Sickness and in health.... I DO!

When we said those words just a short 13 years ago TODAY, I'm sure, neither my husband nor I would have imagined that we would have to deal with all that we are dealing with right now.

When you say them, you know you're going to have some ups and downs. However, you hope, pray, & dream you never have to deal with the inferior of those vows.

It's comforting to know since we are "in sickness", I have a husband who has stuck with me during the worst we have seen so far.

Yes, it's been a struggle for us both these past 13 years. However, we ARE still together.

What pains me at this moment is that I do not have the ability to be able to celebrate our day, with him the way we should. I can't even get out to get him a proper gift or card... So, this is why I write this blog.

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Dear Hubby,
I love you so much that there are times that words can't describe it. You mean the world to me and if I had these past 13 years to do over again, the only thing I would change would be the stuff that causes either of us heartache & headaches. (No pun intended.)

You have been such a comfort, especially these past couple months.

I am so honored to be your wife and so grateful you have stuck beside me through all of our struggles.

I know that we still have a long road ahead of us in the "sickness" part, however, I would not want any other to be at my side, than you.
Thank you... I love you & HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

(P.S. I'm not leaving this open for replies... it's just one of them types.) ;o)

Love this cross posting in Multiply. Can hit 3 places at once. But it needs a character count, for Twitter posting!... Just saying! ;o)

Really do NOT feel like doing any NaNoWriMo writing today... but there's still about 5+ hours left in the day. We'll see ;o)

This may be the silliest thing I've ever written (NaNoWriMo update)

I thought Stella the Stiletto was the goofiest thing I would ever write. Well, this novel I'm writing for the NaNoWriMo challenge has gone way beyond silliness!! In my mind, I think so! ;o)

At least it really doesn't matter if the book is really worthy for the masses to read. It's the exercise of writing is what counts.

In doing so, I have found I can write nearly 1500 words in just over an hour, if I really just sat down and just let mind (and fingers) have at it. I can only imagine at this point what I really could punch out if I spent a good eight hours working on just writing for my book. Meaning no blogs... no Facebook updates... no tweets on Twitter... just creative writing.

Anyway, I'm taking a little break from the book to let you know that (in case you didn't see in my quick notes) I've crossed that TEN GRAND mark! WOO HOO!!! And there's still a few hour left in the day! :o)

Also, to inform you there is now a widget on my front page with my word count. It's the 1st little box in the left column. (Or you can just refer back to this blog and the picture at the top.)

Well, that's all for this update. Talk to ya all soon! ~Toodles~

Well on my way of breaking the 10k mark today. So... back at it! ;o)

Finally back on track! Over 8500 words for Day 5 of NaNoWriMo. Next stop 10 grand!

Praying for all affected by the mass shooting at the Ft. Hood, Tx military base.

I'm up & sort of awake... thus begins another day of NaNoWriMo writing! ;o)

Made it up to 7140 words... I think that's good for now. My 4th NaNoWriMo day is officially done. 42,860 to go! :)

End of 4th day of NaNoWriMo... 6220 words. 43780 to go. Yeah, I'm a little behind. Maybe day 5 will be better. Anything I write now is on Day 5 (per the NaNo stats.) ;o)

NaNoWriMo update: Writing up a storm today! Still need to catch up from yesterday!!! Stay tuned!

At 4876, I'm a little shy of the 5000 word goal for day 3 of NaNoWriMo. At least I was able to get some writing in! ~NIGHT!~

having a BAD Chiari day. think I'll take 1/2 an Ativan & lay down, to avoid going to ER again! ~ NaNoWriMo maybe on hold today :(

Multiply experiment...

Well, I actually saw this 1st on Facebook (Thanks again Amy!)  but I got to thinking this would be neat to see here too... And I wonder if anyone has done it yet?

Please feel free to yoink if you wish... Just know that I am making this only available to my contacts... however you can make yours available to as little or as many people as you want.

On with the "experiment"... (Oh... P.S. If you already answered mine via Facebook, no need to do it here too... unless you want to!) ;o)
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If you are reading this, whether we do or don't speak often, post a comment of the first memory you have of you and me that pops in your head. When you've finished, post this paragraph on your own status. You'll be surprised what people remember about you.

Woo hoo! I now have EIGHT packs of TimTams! That's 88 of them. Now, how long will they last? Depends if I give any away. LOL

btw, if anyone (not saying any of my friends would) tries to 'steal' my idea for this book... there's ONE 'secret' character who is riding along with the rest of us on this train! ;o)

Good thing it's still Day 1 of NaNoWriMo & I wrote over 2600 words from 12a to 3a... head hurts too much to write, atm! ARGH!

Nascar has some SERIOUS thinking to do about restrictor plates!!! 2 BIG wrecks at the end! UGH!

Off to a good start - NaNoWriMo update

After I gathered my Nestle Toll House chocolate chips and a glass a milk I started the challenge.

I stopped only once in the past 3 hours, and it has paid off. I have already typed over 2600 words. To meet the goal of 50,000 words in 30 days you need to average about 1667 words a day. My personal goal is 1800 to 2000.

Which I have succeeded for Day 1! And to think... there's still 21 more hours left in the day! *grins!*

In the next day or so, I hope to be able to have a little widget on my front page to show you my tally, so I don't have to bug you all with a blog each time. (And so I don't use up my words! Like as if that would happen! LOL!)

Anyway... Just wanted to let you all know how it's going. Stay tuned for more updates!

~Toodles!~ :)