Boy did I goof up today!!!!

Had a good Saturday for the most part today. Leeann is a bit under the weather. I hope she gets to feeling better soon. I hate it when she is not feeling good. The only thing that helps her is lots and lots of sleep. That is just what she has done today, SLEPT. But, it has been good for her. The only thing is that leaves me in charge of taking care of things around the house, not that it is a big deal, but today, it was a big deal.

Saturdays are STAR days for Katie. That is the day we take her out to STAR and she does her riding therapy and she has been doing so well with it. So, I had to get Katie and my self ready for STAR, well, I was in a hurry because we were running late (as we always do on Saturday) and I had to give Katie her morning meds. Well, she got her nighttime meds instead. One of those meds is Melatonin (a sleep aid) and did it ever work! She was able to do her riding, but in the car on the way home, she was fighting hard to stay awake. I got her home; she went straight to the bedroom with Leeann (one of Katie's favorite places) and went straight to sleep for about 2 hours. I thought she was sick since the only time Katie will take a nap during the day is when she is sick (just like her mom). Well, I ran a few errands, and came home to a sleeping house. About 2pm Katie woke up and wanted to go swimming, I took her and we were in the pool for about 30 minutes when she said she was tired, so back to bed she went and back to sleep. I thought at this point, "Man, she is not going to be doing good tonight". I went on about my day and made dinner and got things ready for the night when I saw why Katie was so tired and sleeping so much, I had given her nighttime meds by mistake. One of those meds is Melatonin (a sleep aid) and did it ever work! OOOOPPPPPPSSSSS!!!!!!!

I may have to fire Coco for that one, he should know better.

I went to see Leeann's grandmother yesterday. Not a good thing. She has to be the maddest old lady I think I have ever seen. But the thing is she has no one to be angry with other than her self. She is into the "poor me" stage. We (Leeann, her dad, the doctors, the insurance co., the nurses, you name it) are all out to get her and make her think she is crazy. I tried to tell her that we only want to help her as much as possible. I mean, Leeann has spent so much time on the phone trying to get things set up for her for when she does come home. We had to sell her car since the doctor as said she should not be driving at all anymore and we don't want there to be an accident. Leeann's dad and step-mom spent 6 days in her condo cleaning up the place. The ended up filling two (2) LARGE dumpsters with garbage from her place. Doing nothing more than trying to help her, and she still is mad at everyone.

Yesterday was the 17th anniversary of my dad's death. It is always the week before Fathers Day. So you can image that I am not a big fan of Fathers Day. I have so many memories going through my head this time of year. You see, I spoke to my dad for the last time the night before he died. I called him to ask a favor of him. His last words to me were "I love you son". My last words to him were, "yea, ok. Let me know when you can do that, bye". I know he knows how much I loved him; I just wish he could be here now. He never got to meet my Leeann, he never got to meet his first grandchild, Katie, and I hope that he is proud of me. That is all I ever wanted from him, is to be proud of me.

30 pounds and still creeping along

I jumped on the scale today, it is weigh in Wenesday after all, and I was down 30 pounds. Leeann is down over 100 pounds and I can't be more proud of her. Some things are really good right now, other things are not so good, so lets see, the good or the bad.....which should I share first???? Ok, the bad first.

I am out of work right now on short term disability due to HIGH STRESS. This is related to work mostly. My job is very stressfull to say the least. Making sure that the shows are right, that they air right, no black holes, no audio errors, no mistakes 100% correct all the time. So, you can see how stressful that can be. Leeann has been pushing me to see a doctor and get checked out. I kept telling her that I would be ok, just give me some time for things to cool off. Things kept building and building and building. I finally had to go when Leeann made me the time for me to go. After talking to my doctor and telling her what was going on with me, she told me to go home and relax for a bit, stay away from work and you need to see someone to talk to. She sent me to a physcologest (I know I misspelled that one). I have now been reffered to a physicarist (that one too, sorry Lisa) who thinks I may be bi-polor amongest other things. I have not been doing well the last several months that is for sure, trouble breathing, upset stomach, chest pains, and the list goes on. I have not been back to work since May 17th and as of today, will not be back until June 19th. I am not sure if I will be able to go back even then. Just talking about it makes my stomach go into knots.

The good news is that my last blood test came back really good and for me, that is good. My A3C (average blood sugar) was 6.9, my LDL was 109 and my blood sugar was 169. Those number are without fasting. Pretty good if you ask me. I have also had a stress test that came back really good and I had an Echo of my heart that looked good as well, so that is the good.

I just hope that things get better soon.

Should have stayed in Orlando

Talk about getting a blow to the head. We come back from Orland and I head back to work this past Monday and get hit with a huge bomb. If you have been reading my Blog, than you know about Leeann's surgery this past winter. I took FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act) to take care of her. That was at the end of December and I was going to go back to work in January. Well, Leeann had a complacation and I needed to take more time off. I spoke wth my HR person and she told me that since the leave was part of the same occorance I would not have to use any of my paid time off (PTO). If I came back to work for one day in January, I would have had to use 5 PTO days. I didn't go to work until Leeann was home and doing well. I asked my HR person if everything was OK and to confirm with me (on at least 3 phone calls) that I would not loose any PTO time. You see, I have to be careful of my PTO time as they take sick time and vacation time out of the same 13 days I get per year. So, you can understand, 5 days is a big hit. Anyway, I was told that I would not have to use any of those 5 days.

Well, I got an email on Monday saying that I was, in fact, being charged with those 5 days. Talk about being upset!!!! I have emailed my HR person 3 times and have asked her why the change, and not once has she given me an answer. Instead she is trying to push me off to someone else. I don't even know if they are going to pay me for those 5 days. I don't know what I am going to do about this. As it stands right now, I have only 1 day left for the rest of the year.

On top of all that, we are having to deal with Leeann's grandmother. She is 85 years old, is not in the best of health, has a very poor memory and is being a pain. She has been in the hospital for almost a month with a bad infection in her leg. She is not able to walk without the help of a walker, she cannot pick the walker up, she has to slide it accross the floor. She can't remember her own phone number, or our for that matter. She is not able to get herself off the floor with the help of a chair. So, living at home alone is not an option for her at this time. (If ever) She she is having to go to a nursing home and she is being a big pill about that. She enough pride to fill the state of Texas alone. She thinks she can do anything and that she is still in her 40's or 50's.

To make matters worse, Leeann's dad is not being much of a help, leaving most of the decision to Leeann. I am hoping that Leeann just throws her hands up with all of this and just tells her dad that he needs to deal with it. If someone callse about her grandmother, give them her dad's phone number and tell them to ask him. But, I know Leeann too well. She can't do that, it is not in her. She is geting better standing up for her self and being more self confident in what she is able to do.

I need to vent more on this blog, it is my only outlet.

Home Again :(

Yep, we made it, back home after a great 6 day vacation to Disney World. The trip home was pretty un-eventful for the most part. We had a pretty good time getting home, just a few bumps, but fun for the most part. We got up at 6am so that we could finish packing and get the luggage down to the check-in area. I found out I could not check in unless I had the luggage with me, so I made the trip all the down there for nothing, such is life. Katie was a bit grumpy getting up this morning. I don't think she wanted to leave (guess what, neither did I). Well, we were able to get off and going without any problems.

Then we had to wait for the bus to take us to the airport. About a 10 minute wait, not too bad. The bus was mostly empty except for about 6 people that were already on the bus. Well, we filled the bus up at our stop. God Bless Leeann for not wanting to wait, she inched her way up to the front of the line and we were the fist ones on the bus. (we were not the first ones there, she we had waited the least amount of time, but if the they just wanted to stand there, we were going) We got on the bus and waited for the others to get on and such. While we were waiting, this guy who was on the bus when we arrived, became fustrated about having to wait for the rest of us to load. He got mad, jumped up and grabbed his wife and kid and got off the bus. Seems that he felt it was taking too long to get loaded up.

The airport was fine except: Orlando International Airport is not a very good airport. It is nice looking and all, but not marked very well as to where you are or how to get to where you want to be. It took us 10 minutes just to figure out which way we needed to go to get to our gate.

Well we made it and now we are back home and back to reality. And right now our biggest reality is Leeann's grandmother. She is still in the hospital, still waiting to see where and when they are going to move her. We were hoping it was going to happen while we were gone, but no such luck. The hardest part of all this is Gran is not going to handel the move that well. She still thinks in her mind that she is going to go home and jump in her car and just go on with her life the way is was before. I don't think that is going to happen for her. She is not able to get up off the floor if she fell down. she has a hard time walking without a walker among other things.

I just really think this unfair to Leeann. We are here and Leeann's dad is just shows up from time to time. Leeann is the one dealing with the daliy task of Gran. The complaining, the moaning about this and that. We are going to have to get her set up in a care facility, deal with the condo, the car, the insurance and so on. Her dad is going to be sitting in NC not having a clue what is going on. But what can you do.

Back to work tomorrow. yeeeppppiiiii (NOT)

Wet and Wild Day

Today was a much better day than yesterday. We started the day off a bit better, took our time and got ready for a fun day of water fun. Since we were off to a water-park today, we didn’t get really dressed up or anything, we just put on bathing suits and sandals and off we went.

It was a beautiful day and much to our surprise not that many people were going to the Typhoon Lagoon. I am not complaining or anything, it was just a nice surprise. Since we are staying at a resort, we got into the park an hour earlier than non-guest. That made a huge difference in finding a nice spot to camp out at. I found a nice one; Leeann got us water shoes and locker key. We put our stuff up and hit the rides.

The only ride we went one was a water roller coaster. Not bad, but not the most fun things I have ever been on. The put Katie up front, which I was not, thrilled about, and then sent us shooting down the ride. Katie had her earplugs in and we told her to cover her ears at the end so she would not loose them. Well, she lost one on the way down. We got to the bottom and she told us she lost it I thought our day was done. I was looking all over the pool area trying to find it. I even asked a lifeguard, but didn’t see a thing. THEN Leeann saw it off to the side and we were able to have fun the rest of the day. If it had been mid day and a lot of people in the park, there is no way we would have found it, but lucky for us we were one of the first ones to ride.

We then jumped in the lazy river ride. This is like a slow moving waterway that you ride on in an inner tube. That was lots of fun and we spent most of the day doing that.

We went to an area called Shark Reef where you get to swim with fish and a few sharks. Not the dangerous ones, this is Disney after all, but small sharks that are harmless. Leeann and Katie jumped in and floated along, but I couldn’t do it. I have a hard time breathing with a snorkel and mask. I just panicked and jumped out and went around to where Leeann and Katie got out and meet them there. I felt so bad.

We then went to the wave pool. This thing shoots a 6-foot wave at the crowd about every 90 seconds. And I do mean a 6-FOOT WAVE. This thing was huge. But, it was lots of fun. We all went out a little too far at one point and got hit by a wave and it knocked Katie and me off our feet and under the water. Leeann was right behind us and when the wave hit, she ended up on top of us. I had a hold of Katie and was not going to let go no matter what. That was very scary to Katie, but she did really well with it. She did not want to go back into the waves for a while, but we didn’t want that to be her memory of waves since we like going to the beach some. So we took it easy, and worked our way back into the waves and she did great by the time we left.

Now for the worst part of our trip, PACKING UP. We are flying out tomorrow morning and I don’t want to go just yet. I have had a lot of fun this past week. We have gotten to see things through Katie’s eyes on so many things. She has been wide eyed and amazed with so many things. She has been on rides that I never thought she would have even tried before. She has meet princesses, characters and some of the nicest people around. But most of all, we have gotten to have time as a family. Time to play with one another, time to laugh at and with each other. Time to just be us and so many times it seems we are missing that the most, time to just be us. I know I said this yesterday, but I still see it, parents here with cell phones doing business back home. I saw a few people at the front desk yesterday getting or sending faxes. This was our vacation, a vacation away from stress, from problems, from the world. I do know this, when we land in Knoxville tomorrow, the world and the problems will still be there, but for now, they are a million miles away. I only hope they stay there when we get home. Here’s hoping.

Not so great day, but......

This has not been the best day we have had so far. I don’t know if we are just tired, if we have done too much, if it is the heat (90+ today) or if it was just too many people but Epcot was not all that much fun. There is no shade in the park, lots of wide-open spaces, just no shade. And lots of rude people, I mean LOTS of rude people. If this is supposed to be the “Happiest Place on Earth”, why are there so many kids crying here???

I want to make a few observations about this “Happy Place”: Some of the parents here should not be parents or be here. They are here with the mentality of “we are here and your going have fun weather you like it or not!!!” I thought this was for the kids to begin with??? I have seen parents dragging their kids onto rides with the kids crying, “NOOOO, I don’t want to go”. Why do that to your kids?? There were several things I wanted to do here but didn’t because Katie either didn’t want to do it or would be a bit too scary for her. I am not going to drag her into something she doesn’t like.

I have seen parents here at the hotel not paying attention to their kids. I watched a mother this morning read a book while her kid (not more than 3 years old) CLIMBING on a deck chair. I heard a mother tell her child to “go play with some kids, I need 10 minutes to my self”. I was walking back to the room tonight and I saw a man sitting on the steps with a cell phone up to his ear telling someone “I fell so out of touch, I don’t know what is going on back at the office, what is going on in the world?” YOU’ER ON VACATIOIN!!!!!! You are supposed to be OUT of touch with the office and IN touch with your family, your kids, your wife. Why spend thousands of dollars to go somewhere and complain about being out of touch????

The worse of all with the “Alpha Mom” standing in line with us at “Soarin” today. We used our pass for Katie and it still took about an hour to get to the ride. Standing in line in front of us was using her BlackBerry to send e-mails to people at work. She was riding the ride alone, I don’t get it. You are at Epcot and you are riding something alone while you send emails to work.

The only ride that I really liked today was Mission: Space. They have two versions, one that spins and produces G-Forces and one that doesn’t spin. We did the one that doesn’t spin first to see if Katie liked it. She loved it so we had to do the spinning one. It was great. Katie wanted to do it again and I wish we would have. We then did the GM Test Track. Not my favorite. The fast part of the track was great, but the rest of it was not that great.

Well, tomorrow we made a change of plans. We are going to Typhoon Lagoon Water Park. We are great about that; being flexible enough to change plans when we feel it is necessary. Katie is doing great, it is mom and dad that are wearing out. Anyway, we are excited about going to a water park for the day. This should be great.

No picture today, nothing really to remember from this day. Just glad it’s over.

See Ya…

Animal Kingdom Day

Let me start off with an apology for all those who read my last blog. I was very tired last night and I wanted to get my thoughts down before I fell asleep and I did not do a spell check so…. SORRY!!!

Today was Animal Kingdom and it was a blast. Today is Katie’s real birthday so we woke her up singing happy birthday and she started smiling really big, what a way to start.

We had breakfast in Animal Kingdom at a character breakfast with Mickey, Donald, Pluto and my favorite, Goofy. It was so much fun, but the best part was when the staff sang happy birthday to Katie and she was laughing and smiling so much, she even clapped along with them when they say to her.

So after a great breakfast, it was off to Dinoland and rides some of the rides. The first ride up was Dinosaur, the ride. I was afraid it would be a bit too scary for her. WRONG!!! She was yelling “Yaaaahhhhh WWWWHHHHOOOO!!!” all the way through the ride. She loves dinosaurs and she got to see so many up close and a in some cases a bit personal. We got off the ride and got a few gifts, including a couple of photos of us on the ride. That will be a great memory for her. She surprised me by asking if she could ride it again. Well, we thought we would make it back, but were not able to. Anyway, we went off to ride a spinning roller coaster that Katie and Leeann just laughed so hard on, that we went back and rode it a second time and we laughed just that much harder.

Then it was on to much bigger things. Expedition Everest. This is a huge roller coaster that forward and backwards, in the dark, around quick turns, hits about 50 miles an hour and so on. I was not sure about this one after the whole Space Mountain thing from yesterday. Well again, SURPRISE!!! We rode that thing 3, yes 3 times in a row. She laughed and screamed harder each time. The last time, she rode it with her arms up in the air. Katie never ceases to amaze me with the things she does. She wanted to go again, but we wanted to do a few more things. We walked around the park the rest of the day and saw so many animals and birds, this place is just amazing.

We have this special pass we are able to use because of Katie’s handicaps. We have a letter from her doctor and Disney gave us a pass that helps us get to either the front of a show because of her vision problem or we can go thought the fast pass area because Katie is not good waiting for long period, so with that pass, we were able to get on Everest 3 times in a row without much of a wait.

Katie was taking it all in. The animals, the birds, the plants, she was looking around every corner wondering what was next, what was in the trees, what was behind the next bush. Leeann and I both know that Katie is going to do something with either animals or plant life.

I don’t know if any of you have ever seen this commercial, but there is one for the Orlando area that show a mother and daughter running around the park, at some point the mother turns into a little girl like her daughter and they play around the park like they are best of friends. Then at the end of the commercial, the mother turns back into an adult and meets up with her husband. That is what the past couple of days have been like with Katie and Leeann. They have just been having so much fun with each other.

Well, tomorrow we have made a change in plans, we are going to MGM Studios and ride the Rockin’ Roller Coaster with Aerosmith, then head off the Epcot in the late afternoon so we can stay and see the fireworks so there may be a blog tomorrow night, there may not be one, you will just have to check back and see.

This has been the best time of our lives.