Lots of random stuff.

We're all healthy again! *knocks on wood lol*  The kitties have finished the medicines and I have finished mine and we are starting to get a bounce back into our steps.  They've decided to keep the same sleeping arrangement that we had while we were sick - both kitties sleep on my lap.  Clarification: there is no cuddling between them, however.  Miles wanted you all to know.  He doesn't do that. ;)
This week I've also stopped taking my anxiety medication (with instruction from my psychiatrist, not just for kicks lol).  It worked very well for me, but a side effect of it was that I would clench my jaw and grind my teeth more in my sleep which can cause damage to my teeth and even if I had my dentist make a guard, I would still experience jaw pain and headaches as a result.  We even tried adding another kind of anxiety medication and vitamins to the mix to see if that would help and it did at first but once my body adjusted to it, the jaw pain came back.  So, we're going to stop taking both of those medications and try something else.  So, I'm taking nothing for several days and then I will start the new one and see how things go.  The only bad things: withdrawals and then side effects. :\  That's going to be no fun. v.v  But, I'm getting so I can function pretty well in spite of them. :)
As you may have seen on the news, there have been riots in Afghanistan this week.  I've been able to hear from John a little bit because he can use the internet some while he is at work.  However, his personal internet will be unusable for at least a couple of weeks.  But, he's safe and alright.  I do my best not to panic when I don't hear from him for a while.  I do feel the stress of it, but I do my best to stay calm for him and just be here for him when he is able to contact me. :)  So, hopefully things will mellow out over there in the near future.  I try never to think about what *could* happen.  In one of the recent episodes of Downton Abbey, a woman's husband might die and he tells her she needs to face it.  She said she'll deal with it if it happens but not before.  I feel the same way.  I stay positive for now and I will deal with what comes when it gets here.  The thing people say to me the most when they find out I am a military spouse is, "I could never do that."  Honestly, neither could I.  But, somehow I'm doing it, one heartbeat at a time.  And I feel every beat.  Johnny's worth it.  And much more. ;)

Recently I was able to finally acquire Rachel and the Stranger on dvd with Loretta Young, William Holden, and Robert Mitchum. :)  It's one of those old west type movies.  I don't like that it paints Native Americans as the villains of the movie, though, like so many did back then.  It's an unfair representation.  But I do like the acting and the way that Rachel's character changes throughout the movie.  When I was a kid, I had a little crushes on William Holden and Robert Mitchum. :3  (Especially since William Holden was also in Sabrina with Audrey Hepburn.)

 I thought they were dreamy. xD

 The scenery in Old West movies like Rachel and the Stranger makes me miss Utah, though.  I always thought I wouldn't miss the mountains that much cause I'd been around them so long and I thought I was ready for a change.  But all of you that told me I'd miss them were right. xD  My debit card has a picture of the mountains on it and often when I pay for something here the cashier will remark on how beautiful it is. =)  I also miss not knowing which direction is which!  I always used to know according to which mountains were where.  I thought I had a good sense of direction, but that wasn't it. xD  I couldn't point out west here unless the sun were setting at the time. ;)

Also, one of the sweetest times of the year is upon us: Cadbury Egg Season. ^_^  I love this time of year.  Cadbury Eggs are probably my favorite candy of all time.  Just perfection wrapped in aluminum foil with chicks printed on it.  So, I wish you all happy Cadburies.

Things Looking Brighter :)

We're all still sick. :\  Zoe caught it as well and the vet said she has a rasp in her right lung that he's concerned about, but she seems to be doing better.  At least, running around the house at breakneck pace at 2 a.m. leads me to believe she is feeling better. xD  I've been giving them both their medicines every day but they aren't holding it against me so much anymore.  I think they can tell that the medicine is helping them feel better.  :)  And today is a rainy day which makes us feel very cozy and cuddly. ^_^

As you can see, Miles routine hasn't changed much. xD
We're watching Winnie the Pooh today.  Sometimes it's the only thing that helps you feel better. :D  I've developed infection so now I'm on antibiotics, as well. *le sigh*  So, cozy is necessary today.  Winnie the Pooh and banana oatmeal make things feel so much better. =)
We had a fun little Valentine's Day. :D  I talked to John a little bit on facebook and that evening I ordered heart-shaped pizza and watched an awesome episode of Nova (Iceage Death Trap).  It was nice. :)  I had sent my Mama flowers - red roses and white lilies n_n - a few days ago so they'd be all bloomy for Valentine's Day and that made me really happy.  Sometimes it really is more rewarding to give than to receive. :)
The rain today is making me excited for Spring to get here.  There are a few things I love about Springtime: tulips, daffodils, bleeding hearts, and lily of the valley. =D  I remember being a kid and seeing the tulip leaves starting to grow up out of the ground and it always made me so excited.

I'm not sure if I'll be able to visit home for my birthday anymore, though.  All of the trips to the vet have been costly. v_v  Also, getting my computer fixed was an unforeseen expense.  Thankfully I had taken some steps and the repairman said that I had done 75% of the work before he got there so he mostly just had some cleanup to do.  This saved me some money! =D  He even said maybe I should go work for them. xD  So, I'm not sure if I'll be able to afford a trip next month.  And I will be nervous to leave the kitties again since they got so sick from the kennel last month. :(  But, we'll see how things go. :)
I've discovered a new show that I'm loving.  When I was little, I was simply mad about My Little Ponies. And they've made a new version of it for kids these days and the little girl in me has been loving it. ^_^

Well, I'm going to snuggle into my blankey and watch Pooh bear deal with the blustery weather. ;)

Mending and Repairs

Miles and I have been sick this week. x.x  He picked up a cold at the kennel and though I tried to help him get better it kept getting worse and then I got it. :L  So, I went to the doctor and he went to the vet and we both have been taking our medicines.  It's been crazy keeping track of my 3 medicines and his 3 medicines and making sure we take them the right hours apart. lol  But, today we are both on the mend. :)  Zoe's been fine and happy, as usual. xD  After the first round of Miles's medications, though, he would peek around the corner every time he'd enter a room to see if I had the medicine in my hand.  And every time I give Miles the medications when I walk anywhere near Zoe she runs and hides because she doesn't want to be next.  I feel like I'm running some kind of weird kitty torture chamber. xD  But the medicines will be all gone soon. And we can start rebuilding the trust. ;)

Also, a virus happened to my desktop computer.  I think I killed it, but the computer's still behaving oddly so the Geek Squad will be here tomorrow to help me. =)  My washing machine has also been acting up but it will just need to stay alive and wait its turn. *crosses fingers*
Since I've been on the couch for a week and a half, the kitties and I have been watching a lot of tv and movies (pausing for sneezing and nose-blowing, of course).  There are my usual programs, Ellen, The Daily Show, Conan, 30 Minute Meals, Chopped, Ghost Hunters, etc.  But, we've also been watching some other stuff.  I've gotten hooked on a series called Downton Abbey on PBS.  Love it!  Gorgeous costumes, scenery, architecture, and the score is beautiful.  It tells a story starting around the time the Titanic went down and moves through WWI.  And, of course, I love Maggie Smith. ^_^

I've also been enjoying another British series on PBS that I'd wanted to see from beginning to end.  A mystery series taking place during WWII called Foyle's War.  One of the main reasons I like it is the stellar acting ability of Michael Kitchen.  The rest of the cast is excellent as well, with appearances by Rosamund Pike, Emily Blunt, James McAvoy, James Wilby, and many other awesome actors. :)

When I get all better, assuming I still have money left xD , I am going to take myself and a book out to Carrabba's and get the shrimp and scallops in champagne sauce and enjoy not being sick. =D  I am very excited. ;)

Some things I love and updates.

Music is always there for me. =)  I love that.  If I'm not quite happy yet, I play a song that gets me there.  ^_^  I'm listening to some fun New Orleans style jazz with that sweet clarinet and some crooning trumpet...  Yeah, baby. =D  Peter Fountain has become one of my favorite musicians of all time. :)

 And then, of course, Louis is my favorite on the trumpet.  He's one of those artists that you can just TELL if it's him.

 ^_^  I love me some Louis.
Speaking of things I love, there was another cooking competition on Food Network that I've been enjoying.  The Rachael vs. Guy Celebrity Cook-Off.  There were a bunch of celebrities, but my favorite was Lou Diamond Phillips.  (Yum.)  And he won!  Yay!

Coolio - yes, Coolio - came in second.  It was an awesome competition to watch.  Love love love!
I've been in a cooking mood again lately and have made two new dishes (to me) that turned out very well.  Fettuccine with Prosciutto and Peas - an Emeril Lagasse recipe that was remarkably simple and as delicious as his recipes always are.  And Orecciette with Crab - a Rachael Ray recipe that had a gorgeous blend of flavors.  It was my first time cooking with lump crab meat (I will get better at finding pieces of shell before adding the crab - it's pretty tricky!) and also with tarragon, which I now adore!  It lent itself beautifully to the cream sauce and all the flavors blended delicately together for a wonderful dish.  Yay!  I've been freezing the leftovers of everything I make in portion sizes in my freezer and just choose what I want the next day the night ahead and put it in the fridge to defrost. =D  It's a good system for one person cooking so far.

Ok, *serious face* here's an update on the dealio: I most likely am dealing with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).  It is a common infertility issue, affecting about 5% of women, according to the reading material given to me by my OBGYN.  So my hormone levels are messed up, in my case it's probably the progesterone level and not the testosterone level, which is most common.  (This is what the OBGYN told me.  Along with a picture she drew of hormone levels and what they do and such.  xD  It was one of my more entertaining doctor visits.  She told me we know it's not the testosterone level cause I look like a girl. lol)  Also, she explained to me, my body tries to mature several eggs at once instead of just one.  So I end up with a few adolescent eggs instead of one mature egg, so I rarely ovulate on my own.  There are other things that come with the PCOS package, like difficulty losing weight and a higher chance of developing Type II Diabetes. :-\  But, it's alright.  I am going to see if I can see an endocrinologist soon to figure some of that stuff out (my blood sugar levels, especially since I'd thought I was hypoglycemic - the doctor that told me I had it back in Utah felt that there was no need to do the actual blood test *muttermutter* - and to work out what my diet should be like accordingly).  I'll need to see if I can get a referral and such.
  So, what this means for the future: when Johnny gets home, I'll start taking a medication like Clomid and we'll go from there.  We'll have a child of our own or we'll adopt, so either way we'll be a mommy and daddy someday.  Maybe kind of an old mommy and daddy, but still. xD
*removal of serious face, back to dopey happy face* ;)
I found one of my favorite movies on dvd!  It's called Mrs. 'Arris Goes To Paris, starring Angela Lansbury. ^_^  I've wanted it for a long time and I found it and ordered it - amazon.co.uk baby!  The only problem: I realized after ordering it that it will be a region 2 dvd. xD  That's okay, though.  We've been planning on getting a region free player for a while so we can order some of the Japanese films we like, as well.  So, eventually, I'll even get to watch it! Bahahahaha!  I crack myself up sometimes.  It's such a beautiful story.  Mrs. 'Arris is a char woman for different wealthy people and one of them has this gorgeous white and blue dress from the house of Dior.  (I still want this dress.  Like... if I had a money tree there'd be a seamstress hard at work as we speak. lol)  And Mrs. 'Arris loves the dress because it's the most beautiful thing she's ever seen.  So, she decides to save up all her money and work as much as she can so she can get one.  And the movie follows her to Paris and follows her struggles getting the snobby manager to let her - a lower class English woman - have a Dior dress made and also follows the different friendships she makes there.  *le sigh*  It's so good!  You can watch it on youtube, if you want. :)

If you do watch it, you're welcome in advance. ;)