This Week I......

Worked 2 twelve hour night shifts.

Went to see my GP for a follow up to last weeks episode of angioedema and discuss the negative and disturbing effects I was having on the Prednisone......depression, crying episodes, auditory and visual hallucinations, etc.

Learned that some people develop a type of psychosis (I remember crying to Garth and saying something is wrong with me. I feel like one of my patients) from Prednisone so it was a good thing I stopped taking.

Took Brooke to GP for checkup.

Went to urgent care to get antibiotics for eye /sinus infection

Went out for lunch with Brooke and spent a mother daughter afternoon.

Bought my daughter her Netbook for her 13th birthday. Alley has now taken claim of my laptop.

Attended Brookes Science Fair at school and was blown away by some of the students and their creativity.

Who knew you could make a lamp from a pickle?

Began watching season 1 of The Wire.......good and gritty.

Continued to watch Season 4 of Rescue Me

Attended my bookclub where we reviewed this book.

I think I might want to watch the film production with Dustin Hoffman and John Malkovich.

It is truly a brilliant novel / play that touches upon many themes.

Hosted my daughters 13th birthday party that involved a dinner and sleepover with 6 of her besties.

I watched The Hurt Locker.........great flick.

Song Of The Day: Your Love Is My Drug By Kesha

Todays song is for the teen ager in the house. Her and her besties loooovvvveeee this song.

Brookie Becomes A Teen

She has her own Facebook Account and she MSNs with friends and family daily.

She is into Justin Bieber, Keesha, Lady GaGa.

She spends time texting her friends.

She is moody.

She is on team Jacob.......but really much prefers Damon from Vampire Diaries.

She watches..........The Biggest Loser, 16 & Pregnant, Family Guy, Ugly Betty, Vampire Diaries and Survivor.

She wears skinny jeans, plaid shirts, tank tops, hoodies, headbands, flip flops & Uggs.

She spends alot of time in the bathroom.

She spends alot of time in front of the mirror.

She is one of the two best things I have ever done.

Thirteen years ago, I would sit on our couch for hours with this girls tiny tush cupped in the palm of my hand and yet now by the nature of science and time she now occupies the majority of the couch when she sprawls out on it. She stands beside me and she cheers "I'm almost as tall as you now!"

She has begun to spread her wings as she now goes to the cinema with her girlfriends and not me. I struggle with these new milestones of independence as she journeys her way into the world and I just keep repeating "She'll be alright. She'll be alright. She'll be alright." I can't always be the one making sure of that, but I have to trust that she'll ensure it.

Happy birthday Brooke..... My world changed when you came into it. You deserve every bit of that world you create.

Here is a handy list of 43 of the most mispronouced food words.

Basil (bay-zill)
Boudin (the Cajun kind, "Boo-dan")
Bouillabaisse (booyah bahss)
Bruschetta (broo-SKEH-tah)
Buffet (boo-fay)


Cabernet sauvignon (cabber-nay so-vin-yahwn)
Caramel (car-ah-mel)
Charcuterie (shahr-KOO-tuhr-ee)
Chipotle (chi-poht-lay)
Chorizo (chore-eetz-zo)
Cognac (cone-yack)
Coq au vin (co-ooh-vin)
Crudite (crew-da-tay)
Endive (en-dive)
Escargot (es-car-goh)
Espresso (es-press-o, no ex)
Fajitas (fah-hee-tahs)
Filet or Fillet (fill-ay)
Ghee (ghee, not jee)
Gnocchi (NYOH-kee)
Guacamole (wah-cah-moe-lay)
Gyro (YEER-oh)
Habanero (Hah-bahn-air-oh)
Herb (erb)
Horchata (orrchata, silent h, roll the r)
Hors d'oeuvres (ohr-derves)
Huitlacoche (wheet-lah-KOH-chay)
Mole (MOH-lay)
Muffuletta (MOO-fa-la-Tuh)
Nicoise (nee-swaahz)
Paczki (POONCH-key)
Paella (pie-aye-ya)
Pho (fuh)
Pinot noir (pee-no nwahr)
Pouilly-Fuisse (poo-yee fwee-SAY)
Prosciutto (proh-SHOO-toe)
Quinoa (keen-wah)
Sake (SAH-kay)
Sriracha (See-rah-cha)
Tortillas (tohr-tee-yahs)
Turmeric (ter-me-rick)
Vichyssoise (vee-she-swaaz)
Worcestershire Sauce (woos-ter-sheer saws)

Song Of The Day: Coast By Court Yard Hounds

Court Yard Hounds are an American country music duo founded by sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Robison. They, along with Natalie Maines, comprise the Dixie Chicks, which went on hiatus in 2008. The duo was founded in 2009 after Maguire and Robison decided to record a new Dixie Chicks album, but after Maines stated that she was not ready, the sisters decided to record a side project under a different name.

What To Know & Do If You Ever Make Alien Contact

A great read. You might want to check out this one as well. Remember click to enlarge.

Song Of The Day:Disarm By The Smashing Pumpkins

The BBC banned this song from appearing on Top of the Pops, because of the lyric "cut that little child", and it received little radio airplay in the United Kingdom. That lyric along with lyrics like "what I choose is my choice" and "the killer in me is the killer in you" has also led to some controversy, as some read it as implying that abortion is murder. Corgan, however, has clearly asserted that the song is about the shaky relationship he had with his parents while growing up.

Opening A Sliding Chain Lock Using A Rubber Band

I'm not sure thiw would actually work.....Hmmmmm.

Song Of The Day: I Am Goodbye By Bonnie Prince Billy

Endearingly simple and sweet.

Anatomy Of A Hornet

I found the dialogue that acccompanies this video fascintating.

This Week I........

Had the wackiest week ever.

Celebrated Easter Monday with my family........Ham, Scalloped Potatoes, Mixed Vegetables, Rolls, Apple Crumble Pie & Ice Cream.......yummmm!

Went for a 3 km jog along the fitness trail and on the way home broke out in hives all over my body. My eyes swelled up to to the size of golfballs and the palms of my hands and my feet were so itchy that they were in pain. Went home and took some Benedryl......no relief.

Went to Emerg and was given priority treatment. They became concerned when my O2 sat was 91%. An IV was started and I was treated with more antihistamines and Prednisone. I was quite sedated ( either from the meds or lack of oxygen in my blood stream ) which was probably a good thing as I was placed next to a young asian gentleman who had recently been involved in a motor vehicle accident and sustained a head injury and was being treated for same. I was still there when his pastor arrived and they were able to use him as an interpreter to relay information to him as he spoke Mandarin. The man kept asking about his wife and how was she....where was she? It was painful to hear his cry when they informed him that she died from the injuries she sustained. We later learned through the course of the evening that they were hit by a drunk driver. I can't stop thinking about this young man and how his life changed in a moment.

I was eventually sent home with a diagnosis of idiopathic angioedema and instructions to rest with more antihistamines and steroids to take through the week.

These meds have reeked havoc on me and I had to stop after day three. I developed an irregular pulse and would have episodes of dizziness and blacking out. I felt so disconnected from my body and it was quite frightening how I felt when I was on these meds. It is now day 2 or 3 since I have stopped and I am just beginning to feel like myself again.

I took two of my scheduled nightshifts off under the direction of my GP and have slept the days and nights away.

I was able to watch Rachel Getting Married and quite enjoyed it.

Tonight I watched My Life In Ruins and it was a cute little escape from reality.

Song Of The Day: Take My Love With You By Eli 'Paperboy' Reed & The True Loves

Eli "Paperboy" Reed is a Boston-via-Delta South soul singer who, with his band the True Loves, conquered both street corners and punk clubs with a mix of grooved-out rave-ups and slow-burning ballads.

On his new album Roll With You, "Paperboy" delivers classic soul and horn-heavy R&B soaked with the blues of Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. Vital Stats:

How To Snag A Major League Baseball

Here’s a report on a guy who has gotten a ball at each of the last 454 games he’s attended. He tells his secrets here:

Song Of The Day: Bloodshot Days By The Crookes

The Crookes are an indie band where all of the band members are students in the city of Sheffield. The band's style has been described as influenced by "old-time" pop-music, with elements of 1950s and 60s songwriting.
There have been comparisons which span bands such as The Smiths, The Housemartins and The Everly Brothers.

Trailer: Sex & The City 2

Can the girls do it again at the box office second time around?

Dance Sequences

There have been some great dance moments captured on film. I have compiled my favorite dance scenes from film.

Gene Kelly-Singing In The Rain












Dirty Dancing - Time of my Life (Final Dance)

Song Of The Day: The Black Keys: Tighten Up

The music video for this song is a low budget clip filming a puppet dinosaur named Frank who is standing beside a plant. The video shows him dancing, while subtitles explain trivia about him .... e.g. "Frank has an profile on eharmony.com";"He is a puppet, not a real dinosaur."

Rapid Waterballoon Refill

This little gadget appeals to me more than any food processor or kitchen gadget. What does that say about me?

I Am Not A Fan Of This New Nike Ad

Did the execs at Nike really think that it would be a good commercial concept to channel Tiger’s dead father. Tiger’s father passed away in 2006 has now been resurrected via Hollywood magic in order to give the fallen golf-star a stern talking-to regarding his multiple indiscretions.....Is nothing sacred anymore?

Jimmy Fallon Mocks Kate Gosselin On DWTS

She really must have her eight kids speed dialing the show, voting for her twenty times each....How is she still in this competition?