tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42805053181727619832024-03-12T18:12:43.931-07:00DistractibilityA blog about the funnier side of ADHD.Awesome Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16422807327043994542noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280505318172761983.post-70479969805480193812015-06-29T12:14:00.000-07:002015-06-29T12:14:15.918-07:00MovingSix months ago we moved from this:<br />
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To this:<br />
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If you can't tell from my exquisite drawing, that is a fifth wheel RV. I actually wrote this post right after I moved...but it's taken me a while to get back in the swing of drawing again.<br />
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It was a long process to make the decision to make this move. If you care about the decision making you can read my other blog <a href="http://incredibleshrinkinghouse.blogspot.com/2014/09/where-journey-begins.html">http://incredibleshrinkinghouse.blogspot.com/2014/09/where-journey-begins.html</a>. If you don't care...keep reading...it's all good.<br />
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In my mind this move was going to be easy. We had planned to take the stuff we wanted and leave the rest in the house. We had hired an estate sale service to take care of disposing our stuff for the most money possible.<br />
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I figured we could take over a few boxes, unpack them, then get a few more boxes. This way it wouldn't crazy and out of control in such a small space.<br />
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That would have worked perfectly if I had plenty of time and no one needed to eat, go to school or have their clothes washed during the process. (Seriously, when one is moving things should not have to get cleaned or fed.)<br />
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My reality was that we had little time, had to get kids to school, people kept wanting meals and so everything kinda got dumped.<br />
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Plus just taking what you want out of a house is much harder than it sounds. You have to make so many choices. Unlike regular moving where you intend to sort things, but you end up just throwing it all in boxes and taking it with you.<br />
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The first morning after we moved in, I had to get kids off to school. What was I thinking? Moving should always be done in summer when kids can stay in the same clothes for a week and no one notices if they don't get out of bed. Trying to make lunches, find clothes and homework all in the chaos of having just moved in was insane.<br />
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In my head it had sounded like a good idea because I would have the day to myself to get unpacked. My reality was that I never even went back to the new place after dropping off the kids because I had to unpack my new office (oh yeah...I moved that at the same time.)<br />
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But now we are settled in and mostly unpacked. (Yes, even though we have been here 6 months I have boxes in my van that I haven't dealt with yet....shhhhh don't tell anyone.) My stress level has come down to tolerable and we are enjoying life again. And I have the knowledge that my next move will be super easy and stress free. (I think moving is like childbirth...we forget how bad it was soon after it's all over.)Awesome Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16422807327043994542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280505318172761983.post-8190361648402444952013-07-28T15:42:00.000-07:002013-07-28T15:42:11.250-07:00Grieving Kidd KraddickDisclaimer: This post is long, not funny and has no illustrations. But I'm hoping it can convey the feelings I'm having today.<br />
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It hit me really hard last night when I found out Kidd Kraddick had died suddenly. I couldn't believe my feelings, really I am grieving a DJ? I'm not the type of person who follows celebrities and if they die I have empathy for the family but I don't feel the need for grieving. This is different. <br />
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When I moved to Texas in 1992 I had zero friends. One day I turned on the radio and heard a familiar voice. I couldn't place the voice but it was enough to hook me on his show. Years later I found out Kidd was on the radio in Utah years before when I had lived there. <br />
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I started listening to the Kidd Kraddick show even before Kellie Rasberry was his co-host. I remember going on maternity leave with my first child. I always listened at work so I missed a couple months while I was at home. When I went back to work Kellie had replaced the previous co-host and I was even more hooked than before. The chemistry that the two of them have had the last 19 years has been a perfect blend of ADHD and rationality.<br />
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I remember Al joining the show and wondering how long he would last. Kellie did not seem very fond of him at first. But Kidd made it work. Then many others coming and going like Bert, Flakeboy, and Rich. When you listen to a group of people for four hours a day you really feel like you are getting to know them.<br />
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Kidd seemed to be pretty honest about himself on the show. We got to know his daughter, (remember bath time with Caroline?) and before his divorce, his wife. I remember him calling her one time when he had lost the keys to his car and took her car. She had a meeting to attend, found his keys, but wasn't able to drive his car due to it being a stick. He promised her he would call a car service to take her to her meeting. In typical ADHD style he completely forgot and got a call from her hours later after she had driven an hour to her meeting in first gear. He was so sorry and remorseful about the incident. Even after his divorce he was never disrespectful to his ex-wife. I can't remember a time he dogged on her. He always seemed to take the blame for the divorce.<br />
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I remember all the fun phrases like boogaloo, I love your circus and there is one I can't quite remember that had to do with Annette Funicello. And of course the one that has been there as long as I can remember, "Keep looking up, cause that's where it all is." Kinda appropriate now.<br />
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Kidd Kraddick was there for many sad events and handled them with dignity. I was listening to the show when I found out about 9/11. I remember how they stayed on all day. That will always be burned in my memory, one of those where were you when you found out about a huge event in history.<br />
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For a while I had an hour long commute to work. I loved how Kidd's ADHD would kick in and they would skip many commercial breaks. I selfishly didn't like it when syndication happened because they had to stay on a strict schedule and so no more 45 minute lengths of time for the crew to talk.<br />
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My son discovered he loved Kidd Kraddick as well. He would get up early before school and turn on the show to listen to during breakfast. The show also provided a bonding time for us. We could talk about the show and I remember many times taking him to school when he was grumpy. I would turn on the show and soon we would be laughing together.<br />
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Last year I started running and I discovered listening to the show while I ran made it such an enjoyable time of day for me. And it provided time for me to catch up on the show since my job no longer allowed for me to listen all morning at work.<br />
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I have so many good memories of the funny bits he engineered. One of the funniest ones I remember is when Dr. Phil's wife was taking someone from Good Morning Texas on a tour of her home. Kidd sent Big Al over there in a bunny suit. I remember laughing so hard watching this unfold on TV with a giant black man in a bunny suit following them up the stairs. I love how I can be driving, running, or just listening and be laughing so hard.<br />
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Kidd also made me cry on many occasions. His yearly reading of the letter of letting your children go to school for the first time, breaking and entering Christmas, Kissmas wishes, the random caller who he feels for and gives them exactly what they need and of course Kidd's Kids.<br />
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I have never gotten the privilege of meeting Kidd Kraddick so I cannot imagine the grief that the families who got to spend a week at Disney world with him are going through. He gave something huge to so many children and families and to my knowledge never made a dime off of it. In fact, I know in the early days the show members were required to buy their own plane tickets to Disney. I also have no way to understand the depths of grief the staff and cast of the show will be grieving. They were truly a family.<br />
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It's hard to allow myself to grieve someone I have never met. But I am going to allow myself some tears because even though Kidd Kraddick had absolutely no idea who I was, I feel like he was family. In fact almost daily I was telling my husband something he said or happened on the show. KKITM was there for me when I had no friends. It sounds corny, but there are times they were my only friends.<br />
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In reading many of the comments online I can see he touched so many people in a positive manner. He seemed to really care about people. Someone like him is supposed to get old, retire and then we hear of his passing at age 90. Sad, but expected and we would be grateful for all he added to our lives. This isn't fair that he had to die when he was doing so much good in the world. Besides his charity work, how many people was he supporting with jobs? And how many people have a better day because of listening to him and the show in the morning. I want to believe this is all a cruel joke and he will be on tomorrow laughing at us all, but unfortunately that will not be the case.<br />
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I will take this as a reminder to live every day like it's my last and enjoy where I am right now. Also as a reminder to do what I can to make others have a better day as well. Kidd Kraddick made a positive impact on the world using what he had available to him. I can do the same, just in a much smaller way. <br />
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Kidd, you will be missed by so very many people, me included. Thank you for the laughs, tears and inspiration.Awesome Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16422807327043994542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280505318172761983.post-36459575348454692662013-04-10T10:23:00.000-07:002013-04-10T10:23:00.471-07:00A Second Inside My MindI was thinking of doing a post on what it felt like to be me for a day, but that would take too many pages. So next I thought of what it's like to be me for a minute and that was too long. I decided I will attempt to do what it's like to be inside my mind for a second.<br />
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Part of being ADHD is the constant onslaught of things that pass through your head. In the space of a second (maybe two but probably not) I will have a thought process that looks like this:<br />
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I'm riding in the car and see a bumper sticker on the car in front of me that has a unicorn on it.<br />
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It makes me think of my brother-in-law because he has a weird obsession with unicorns.<br />
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Which makes me think of my sister-in-law because she is married to him.<br />
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She has been running lately and I wonder what her running speed is because that is a current obsession of mine.<br />
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I think of my running speed and how I am trying to make it faster by going to the gym and working out with my husband.<br />
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I think of how we will be working out tomorrow and I wonder if that guy at the gym that annoys me by all his loud grunting will be there.<br />
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I think about how he loves having people watch him work out and how ridiculous he looks. I wonder if I look ridiculous, I don't want people watching me work out. What should I wear to the gym so I will blend in better?<br />
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Maybe my black tank-top, but it always has so much cat hair on it.<br />
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The cat has been puking so much lately, I wonder if this is normal for a cat or if something is wrong with him. It's weird, every time he eats he seems to need to puke.<br />
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I can't imagine puking every time I ate, I would make sure I ate things that taste good coming up. The last time I puked we had eaten Mexican food, that did not taste good coming back up. Chocolate chip cookies would be much better. Speaking of which maybe we should make chocolate chip cookies tonight, it's been a while.<br />
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My comment to my husband is, "Let's stop at the grocery store and pick up chocolate chips." When he asks what made me think of that (I secretly think he gets a kick out of my randomness) I tell him the unicorn on the bumper sticker (obviously, heh-heh).Awesome Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16422807327043994542noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280505318172761983.post-22659305065159942502013-04-08T10:28:00.000-07:002013-04-08T10:28:07.522-07:00What's that thing called?I have trouble remembering people's names. I know this is a common problem not restricted to people with ADHD, but for me it's just the tip of the iceberg.<br />
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Here is the scenario: I meet someone new, they tell me their name, I tell them my name and instantly their name is out of my head. Even if they have the same name as me, their name will escape me, I will just have that nagging thought that there is a reason I should be remembering their name.<br />
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I'd like to say I am better with faces, but often I am not. I'd say I'm better with faces than names, but still not very good at it. I blame it on the fact that I am very kinesthetic (that means I learn best by touching things) and since we don't go around touching people it's hard for me to remember them properly. Maybe if I could touch everyone I would have better luck, so if I meet you and rub your arm, you will know what I'm doing and not be totally freaked out.<br />
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I feel like I am a typical person with the whole names thing though, I rarely hear a person say, I'm great at remembering names. So I can't blame my ADHD on that so much. But here is where I have trouble that I think other's don't have as much. I often can't remember the names of common everyday objects. In a conversation I will say long descriptive sentences to let the other person know what I am talking about. For example if I want a pen I might say, "Can you hand me that long skinny thingy (I use the word thingy a lot) that writes."<br />
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It's frustrating because this happens all the time, my brain stutters and can't seem to grab the name of the object I am trying to describe. I honestly think my brain moves so fast it can't be bothered to go back and remember the word I need. At least that's how I like to think about it, I'm hoping it's not a sign that I am in the early stages of dementia.<br />
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One day we had picked up a grab bag of Legos at the Lego store. Best way to buy Legos by the way, for only $8.00 we get a quart size bag full of random Legos. Unfortunately they don't do that anymore. Apparently they send back the random Legos to the Lego factory where they put them into the Lego kits again to sell. At least that is what the store employee told us. She may have been making that all up just to get out of having to make up Lego grab bags. Anyhow, we had picked up a grab bag that had a lot of cute little mugs in it.<br />
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I thought they were the cutest thing ever and when I was pointing it out the first time I could not think of the word mug, all I could say was, "Look how cute these hot cocoa cups are" (as you can probably tell I do not drink coffee or I might have called it a coffee cup. To me coffee is a vile smelling substance, but it makes my husband very happy so I put up with him drinking it.) So from now on, in our family, mugs are called hot cocoa cups.<br />
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In a family setting we can all laugh about it and make jokes and all is well. In public, not so much. It's really embarrassing when I'm asking someone to pass the salt and I say please pass that cool glass thingy with the white stuff in it.<br />
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Can anyone relate? Please tell me you can relate...so I can go on believing this has to do with my ADHD and not that I'm experiencing early onset of that disease where you can't remember anything.Awesome Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16422807327043994542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280505318172761983.post-34507752512211537892013-04-05T06:45:00.000-07:002013-04-05T06:45:29.715-07:00My Love/Hate RelationshipI don't think I have too many people that hate me. I may have some that I am unaware of, ADHD will do that, make you not realize that you are driving other people crazy. I know that I have some people that are not fond of me, but they haven't unfriended me on Facebook yet, so I don't think of them as hating me. But this isn't about people (I almost forgot that for a second as I am writing this post while chatting on Facebook with someone I know is a friend and also arranging a future babysitter for my youngest daughter). This post is about calendars.<br />
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How disappointing you say? Who even has a relationship with calendars? I do...and it is a love/hate relationship. I love putting together a calendar. I love getting new ones and putting all I have to do on them. I love looking at all the fabulous calendars in an office supply store. (Which by the way are awesome stores. I love love love office supplies. And I can't explain why. It's not like I need many of them. I just think it would be cool to have a desk filled with every office supply imaginable...just in case someone was in need of a pink paperclip in the shape of a butterfly.)<br />
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So I'm really great at getting a calendar and starting to fill everything in. And then a day passes. I look at the calendar many times during the day and it helps me to remember that my children will be home from school at 3:30, I need to cook dinner for everyone at 5:00 and I have a doctors appointment in 2 weeks.<br />
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Then day 2 passes. I see that the kids will be arriving home from school at 3:30 (like they always do...imagine that), I need to cook everyone dinner they will refuse to eat at 5:00 (I'm so excited) and I have a doctors appointment in 1 weeks and 6 days. Even when I am busy and have a lot on the calendar, I look at it and say why am I looking at this, I know what I have to do today.<br />
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By day 3 I know what is on the calendar and I don't bother looking at it. In two weeks I miss the doctors appointment because I forgot to look at the calendar. After a few months I try all over again. I want so bad to be one of those organized mom's who uses a calender and never misses an event. But I'm not. I've even tried putting a calendar on the fridge because I know I have to look there because I go to the fridge all the time. That one worked for a little while, but then I forgot to look at that one as well.<br />
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Now that I am a counselor I really do need to use a calendar. It's important that I am at the appointments when I say I am going to be. For some reason people don't like it when they show up and I don't. Thankfully we now have smart phones. I don't think they are quite smart enough though. If they were really smart I would be able to set up an appointment with a client, it would overhear me and put it on my calendar. Then a little while before the appointment it would let me know I had an appointment. Then I wouldn't even have to look at my calendar anymore. See...now that is a smart phone.<br />
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I have decided what I really need is to get really rich and have a personal assistant. The help wanted ad would look something like this:<br />
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Looking to hire a Personal Assistant. I need someone who can keep track of my calender and remind me when I need to be places. And by remind I mean tell me enough time in advance so I can get ready, and keep reminding me when I forget 2 minutes later...all while not being annoying about it. And if you could drive me there too, that would be great, because I really don't like driving. I get lost a lot. And you get bonus points if you clean my house. Please do not apply if you have ADHD, I have enough of that swirling around me as it is.<br />
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So now all I have to do is make lots of money, which requires me to actually show up for my counseling sessions, which requires me to keep track of my calendar...can you see the catch-22 I am in? Maybe I will just keep blogging instead and hope lots of people love my blog and I can get rich through it. All I have to do is remember to keep writing posts, an assistant would really help with that as well. Hey, throw me a bone please...share my blog with some people with connections. I will have my assistant reward you handsomely.Awesome Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16422807327043994542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280505318172761983.post-37659324856703807842013-04-01T19:47:00.000-07:002013-04-01T19:47:36.611-07:00Racing...ADHD styleSo I have been a little obsessed with running lately. For example I looked at my last 10 posts on Facebook and they all had the word run in them. I've read some blog posts about the race I ran last week and figured I had to get on the bandwagon and post as well. I didn't take any pictures during the race so I will use my mad illustrating skills.<br />
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I ran my first half-marathon last weekend with my friend Erin. And while running helps with ADHD, my ADHD certainly hindered my pre-race preparation. I knew we had to get up super early so I laid out everything the night before...mostly. I stressed over the weather, it was going to be cold and windy, but what if it warmed up, what layers could I take off and throw away in the street to be given to charity. Why is it when I have to choose something from my closet to give to charity suddenly every sweatshirt became my favorite sweatshirt, even if I had not worn it in years. Finally my sweet husband offered up one of his.<br />
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So I had my outfit all ready, my nutrition, my new running belt, my number, my shoes and oh yeah, I had a certain pair of socks I wanted so I put them in the washer. I was ready to go.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioSwo7yWn0ivKVjxXanJLAtEkoXkOKauTZlb_R8aI2rErSsMLR6BtPWcYq-y0Ekp9zImQEtFR5b26d3vQIQ4vo-lalynZY64Klntg4B2Ty7FEz8wLlMcDYp_RkUwsTBw381a99Fou62Zeb/s1600/Photo+Mar+31%252C+9+25+28+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioSwo7yWn0ivKVjxXanJLAtEkoXkOKauTZlb_R8aI2rErSsMLR6BtPWcYq-y0Ekp9zImQEtFR5b26d3vQIQ4vo-lalynZY64Klntg4B2Ty7FEz8wLlMcDYp_RkUwsTBw381a99Fou62Zeb/s400/Photo+Mar+31%252C+9+25+28+PM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The alarm went off the next morning at 5am and the first thing out of my mouth was, "Why do I sign up for these things?" But I got up and put on my running clothes (I had conveniently showered the night before...see I was prepared.) Uh oh, my socks were still in the washer. And I had to have those socks. I dug them out and put them by themselves in the dryer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3nGJzb9obwsQf4EWAMX0TRSUA3JId0LKrk5guifaBB-VUxhYtT_fsjxDMBSW-wTWsUVc3uIrMtTweI6DnA9dyFBbpaE_HoFq720IM9Fr-S-pWWlqVTOkvnY4knr4nZOQIYoEPc_543X1/s1600/Photo+Apr+01%252C+2+56+17+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB3nGJzb9obwsQf4EWAMX0TRSUA3JId0LKrk5guifaBB-VUxhYtT_fsjxDMBSW-wTWsUVc3uIrMtTweI6DnA9dyFBbpaE_HoFq720IM9Fr-S-pWWlqVTOkvnY4knr4nZOQIYoEPc_543X1/s400/Photo+Apr+01%252C+2+56+17+PM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I tried to continue getting ready, but this disrupted my flow. All I could think about was my socks. I also realized I hadn't taken my medicine I have to take an hour before eating so I could not eat at home. I had to take breakfast on the go. I did the best I could at getting ready, luckily I had my husband helping me out and got everything together. Went to check on the socks and they were still wettish so he put them in the microwave for me. I was terrified of my socks catching on fire, because without these socks I could not run. Not really, I run in other socks all the time, but that was the state I was in. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjpkZXELr70bjCVTIRDzfSuR5qXDRjSrR1bZwrMTqhHrAbH1QgR5CyC5AeR4cM-PgIo_cIu7Rs1d4FPBVVV9tZKtW9eOMkQToxuv2S0EYStUjPoY885zNfDd9Cx7jsWe7dq3u5mdpYPUEq/s1600/Photo+Apr+01%252C+2+59+26+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjpkZXELr70bjCVTIRDzfSuR5qXDRjSrR1bZwrMTqhHrAbH1QgR5CyC5AeR4cM-PgIo_cIu7Rs1d4FPBVVV9tZKtW9eOMkQToxuv2S0EYStUjPoY885zNfDd9Cx7jsWe7dq3u5mdpYPUEq/s400/Photo+Apr+01%252C+2+59+26+PM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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On a random side note....can I tell you that the stupid huge ad that pops up in the corner of my screen is really annoying because I can't see what I am typing and even though I keep running spyware and virus checks it insists on staying there.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJagkb7N0PqsNOq7cqqY1G-poQK3tdDEeeZy2jHcaLVP1-jL-WFi8Hk2RkCEu1wkh2BtIslzRsLMD5faf08nD9ThPfwlnmfMbcju_jzgEe0Vm2LAyguuPRt5bSklBPWXSBA2rPz2lzy6x6/s1600/Photo+Apr+01%252C+3+01+03+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJagkb7N0PqsNOq7cqqY1G-poQK3tdDEeeZy2jHcaLVP1-jL-WFi8Hk2RkCEu1wkh2BtIslzRsLMD5faf08nD9ThPfwlnmfMbcju_jzgEe0Vm2LAyguuPRt5bSklBPWXSBA2rPz2lzy6x6/s400/Photo+Apr+01%252C+3+01+03+PM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Okay continuing on...we finally get it all together...it looks like I am going on vacation for a week, not running 13.1 miles, but I believe I have everything I need.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgRZGzITJZBPdyKMWpyyIdydUFOTFZ6vpjQqklYZg8RGI8HgkUS0kJ62iPex-Lb8Ts996INRjYzxIL-GrCa5XtYiuuI_RVhHYE9cMtsU1XoRk-k-kMEv1j7b7rhj74Y-AlJEc0j1UdCB3/s1600/Photo+Apr+01%252C+3+06+23+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgRZGzITJZBPdyKMWpyyIdydUFOTFZ6vpjQqklYZg8RGI8HgkUS0kJ62iPex-Lb8Ts996INRjYzxIL-GrCa5XtYiuuI_RVhHYE9cMtsU1XoRk-k-kMEv1j7b7rhj74Y-AlJEc0j1UdCB3/s400/Photo+Apr+01%252C+3+06+23+PM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We were meeting friends a few miles away and all driving in together. We just about get to our meeting spot and I realize I have forgotten my water bottle.<br />
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Now let me tell you about my water bottle. It is a really cool water bottle. It is shaped to follow the curve of your back and has a hooked part so you can hang it on the back of your pants. I bought the bottle specifically to run this race with. I am not the best runner ever (or even a fair runner) and wanted to be sure I had water with me. So I was very distressed at the thought that I had forgotten something so important. But I could not go back for it. I was sad.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2fU1ISaU5p28E4jdUDvLTInaK0gW-TDBdTm7_p8QB98rpb3sosaRmb_zHVjirsA85Hk-V3Bp89Udshg5XA4kT63FhklICOMx4t_dpDP5oWsaOLJwzCfNHAIc3vQdxrDh0xq_Wl0gFqCfu/s1600/Photo+Apr+01%252C+9+17+39+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2fU1ISaU5p28E4jdUDvLTInaK0gW-TDBdTm7_p8QB98rpb3sosaRmb_zHVjirsA85Hk-V3Bp89Udshg5XA4kT63FhklICOMx4t_dpDP5oWsaOLJwzCfNHAIc3vQdxrDh0xq_Wl0gFqCfu/s400/Photo+Apr+01%252C+9+17+39+PM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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In real life the water bottle doesn't really look like a snake with a sombrero. For real pics of it go to <a href="http://simplehydration.com/">simplehydration.com</a>. (And no I didn't get paid to endorse this water bottle, I paid almost full price for it...it's just really great and I love it...except for the lid's a bit hard to open while running. Almost perfect though).<br />
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Continuing on...I told everyone about my plight and my friend offered me her bottle because she probably wasn't going to run with it. I decided that I would be fine getting water from the water stations and being that it was cold out, it should be enough. But my ADHD had kicked in. Even though I knew in my head that I was fine and would run without water I could not stop talking about the water bottle. This prompted my friends to keep offering me solutions. I did not want solutions, I already had a solution, I just could not stop talking about the problem.<br />
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Finally we get to the race...about 45 minutes earlier than we needed to be (I totally could have gone back for the water bottle). I was afraid there was going to be crazy traffic, apparently not. So we all sat and chatted for a while. I'm sure it was more I chatted and they listened politely wondering if they could signal each other to have me thrown out of the car.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwtdIiam0oEb7qwN-kBtDX14oaoTWgkMrLyzKWsCQDUciCukey9Q6nabNJBanahmVE1fn9UI0OxiAxMNnLc8qQwbzRsAJbZuf5kfumlO_JcXRtNU39bfXO8QqrV8u-wFN7g5R-KRPd-kP/s1600/Photo+Apr+01%252C+9+21+17+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwtdIiam0oEb7qwN-kBtDX14oaoTWgkMrLyzKWsCQDUciCukey9Q6nabNJBanahmVE1fn9UI0OxiAxMNnLc8qQwbzRsAJbZuf5kfumlO_JcXRtNU39bfXO8QqrV8u-wFN7g5R-KRPd-kP/s400/Photo+Apr+01%252C+9+21+17+PM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Now it was race time...and I'm get a little more nervous. The furthest I have ever run is 10 miles the previous Saturday and that was really hard. I was going to run 13.1 miles today. We wait in line to use a porta-potty. Side note...I hate porta-potties and will do anything to avoid them. But when you have to go and you have 13 miles of running ahead of you, you go.<br />
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Next we went to go get in line. There were over 10,000 people racing and we were back in corral 13. So we had a ways to walk, in fact the race started before we got back to our corral. Which freaked people out that were supposed to be in the front corrals. They were pushing through the crowd to get to their spot. I figured we all had those time thingys on our shoes, who cares when you actually cross the start line. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-CeTXZJgCeN1q7oV0GPg5rW4nLDYo3_4wuQCIl2KDDJRuc2f0z3J4U7p8lK30bEL8pSdYvGGZ7SzuD-ksUJDZO6FKhQXFw4e8fQf-Vu0ZPALlriSf6e_gUYfobpniDBnczppR5BFiwyqq/s1600/Photo+Apr+01%252C+9+23+18+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-CeTXZJgCeN1q7oV0GPg5rW4nLDYo3_4wuQCIl2KDDJRuc2f0z3J4U7p8lK30bEL8pSdYvGGZ7SzuD-ksUJDZO6FKhQXFw4e8fQf-Vu0ZPALlriSf6e_gUYfobpniDBnczppR5BFiwyqq/s400/Photo+Apr+01%252C+9+23+18+PM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We finally pushed our way into our corral which was a good place to be. Much less wind and cold when you are surrounded by thousands of people. And 25 minutes later we were off. I was finally working on completing this goal I had set for myself about 6 months prior. So here is a breakdown of the miles of the race.<br />
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Mile 1: This is so much fun, the band was good, the people running around me are about my pace, my friend is staying with me for a while, I can do this.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_9EqIj4MntEJ-wvuv1Dau5jRQwDRUwT7QxZ69a8tPETjjf7KJ8x1cpA1Wy28OmhtCbH0NzIFfdA504ru7LhduXzn_Y1sdsMfoQ9k6irhVkideLOyMlnGpRtcIIuJ7uQrBhOgd_CXVdj1v/s1600/Photo+Apr+01%252C+9+25+17+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_9EqIj4MntEJ-wvuv1Dau5jRQwDRUwT7QxZ69a8tPETjjf7KJ8x1cpA1Wy28OmhtCbH0NzIFfdA504ru7LhduXzn_Y1sdsMfoQ9k6irhVkideLOyMlnGpRtcIIuJ7uQrBhOgd_CXVdj1v/s400/Photo+Apr+01%252C+9+25+17+PM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Mile 2: Erin has to pee, I didn't have to, but when someone talks about having to pee then you have to pee and I might as well being as we had stopped already anyhow. And it felt better to get that out of the way.<br />
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Mile 3: Still doing great, the first half is up-hill, but we have been training on hills and so it's not a big deal. I am still able to chatter away the entire time, so I know I am running an okay speed for now. Bands are not quite as good now. In fact we ran past what appeared to be an older Dallas socialite with lots of plastic surgery singing ZZ Top by herself while wearing a full length fur coat. (Have I even mentioned yet that there are bands every mile? If not, there are.)<br />
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Mile 4: I slow down, a lot, Erin decides it's time for her to go do her own thing. This was planned and I was surprised she stayed with me as long as she did. Especially with my incessant chattering. Now it's just me and the road (well and the thousands of people around me) for another 9 miles.<br />
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Mile 5: Still feeling good, but getting warm. I take off my sweatshirt, but can't bear to throw it away. I know my husband will be seeing me at mile 6 so I decide to hold on to it. By the way I'm texting and running...kinda tells you how fast I was going.<br />
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Mile 6: Yay...here is my husband...I give him my sweatshirt (technically it's his sweatshirt) he runs with me for a second and I tell him how great I feel and how good it's going. <br />
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Mile 7: I pass the point where the relay runners trade off. I think I'm so glad I am running the whole thing...I'm still feeling great.<br />
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Mile 8: We finally reach the highest point of the race...the rest is all downhill. By the way I congratulate myself every time we go up a steepish hill...most everyone stops to walk...but not me, I've been training on hills so I keep going.<br />
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Mile 9: I think I'm going to die. It's kinda downhill, but suddenly my legs weigh 1000 pounds each. I want to stop and walk so badly, but my ego will not let me. But I kinda have to pee and if I go pee I have to wait in line and then get to sit down for a minute. Sounds like a fantastic plan to me. Suddenly the porta-potty is a welcomed sight.<br />
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Mile 10-13: These are all a painful blur. Who said the last 3 miles will just happen on race day? I've only ran 10 miles one time in my life. That was not enough training apparently. I got to see my husband at mile 10...this time I was not so positive. But I kept going.<br />
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Finally someone says we have 200 yards to the finish line. I'm trying to work out in my head if it's 2/3 of a football field or 2 football fields. It felt more like 100 football fields. It seriously was the longest 200 yards ever. To make matters worse photographers are taking my picture left and right. I don't have it in me to even pretend like I am a champion and almost done. My husband texts me to tell me where he is. I don't even care that I'm close to the finish line, I don't have anything left in me to sprint for the finish. Instead I read his text and look around at all the people. The Dallas cheerleaders were there, looking tired as well. Being as they had been cheering for the last 2 hours I don't blame them.<br />
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And I cross the finish line. I did it.<br />
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Unfortunately the way it's set up I have to walk through an area with drinks and food before I can find my husband. All I want is to see him, but I get enough clarity to realize I should take everything in sight to eat and drink. I'm also handed my medal. That is awesome...it's really heavy and feels like I must have done something amazing to get it. I put it on so my hands are free to grab bananas, bagels and chocolate milk. Finally I'm out of that mess and into my husbands arms. I cried...partly because I did it, but mostly because I was completely and utterly spent.<br />
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Erin is there waiting as well, well sitting on the ground eating and drinking as much as she can. We finally get slightly rested and take some pics. In the spirit of my blog I will draw what the pics looked like.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjysuArRuiq5ALLSAalLo63cIqBAiVciNUVgVcYKvO0gzqvF19IxAr7h0O0BgJDHJzjRJhFZ3iThihYC4CojfHdpN65BQTQPK5cjFyJar-bR_EN_1OvoWkpep4BRpKh-hb8Cg8SBFMMsC4V/s1600/Photo+Mar+31%252C+9+05+34+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjysuArRuiq5ALLSAalLo63cIqBAiVciNUVgVcYKvO0gzqvF19IxAr7h0O0BgJDHJzjRJhFZ3iThihYC4CojfHdpN65BQTQPK5cjFyJar-bR_EN_1OvoWkpep4BRpKh-hb8Cg8SBFMMsC4V/s400/Photo+Mar+31%252C+9+05+34+PM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Then we get some bad news from the husbands...the car is about a 1/2 mile away. That was a very very very long 1/2 mile.<br />
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My favorite comment was from my son who saw my medal and asked if I had won the race...I had to let him know that no I did not win it. He then asked if I got 6th place...how about 9000ish place. But who cares...I did it!!Awesome Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16422807327043994542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280505318172761983.post-41320355124002832982013-01-09T18:34:00.000-08:002013-01-09T18:34:44.044-08:00How to follow a recipeI'm sure this will surprise you, but I have trouble following a recipe. It's not that I can't follow the recipe exactly. I can. I can make chocolate chip cookies that are to die for. Seriously, you will eat one and come back begging for more. I just made some for work at Christmas time and I was handing them out in the hallway to some people I did not work with directly. A few minutes later we get a knock on our office door and it was one of the employees begging for another cookie. And I follow the recipe on the back of the bag of chocolate chips exactly. But I digress.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwlZ23LqIkUAfGJOUmoXpeGOcBuAv15kZPDpDb805uPMoDj1MLFllTSVX5ei5Z8H4ebj4r7Zz4n5GbULUgDwIG-NUcXz3Hzt0Di-pJ2ugN6MZF-YiI8TtJ-nSnZpN0JHNBiZI01v4bmjC0/s1600/Photo+Jan+09,+8+13+10+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwlZ23LqIkUAfGJOUmoXpeGOcBuAv15kZPDpDb805uPMoDj1MLFllTSVX5ei5Z8H4ebj4r7Zz4n5GbULUgDwIG-NUcXz3Hzt0Di-pJ2ugN6MZF-YiI8TtJ-nSnZpN0JHNBiZI01v4bmjC0/s400/Photo+Jan+09,+8+13+10+PM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Most of the time recipes are a little difficult for me. One of the problems is there are a lot of ingredients I don't like to eat, such as tomatoes, onions, peppers and the like and so when they are in a recipe I just substitute them with mushrooms. Because I really, really like mushrooms. It usually works, but salsa comes out a bit differently...not sure why.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH40oA2EdclwoZn2XfXWcH0ij1LTadZ4dG-bJsRKMErB3atysyuvzPf6Fn0Viyq1BWpK8sn5BvDMxDjDDHhRZgZndP8mxJExhTzoxJtk0NpJ8Y1dWoZ6rjNMcNf9f1fjPiAULrAw_qsD7d/s1600/Photo+Jan+09%252C+8+15+25+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH40oA2EdclwoZn2XfXWcH0ij1LTadZ4dG-bJsRKMErB3atysyuvzPf6Fn0Viyq1BWpK8sn5BvDMxDjDDHhRZgZndP8mxJExhTzoxJtk0NpJ8Y1dWoZ6rjNMcNf9f1fjPiAULrAw_qsD7d/s400/Photo+Jan+09%252C+8+15+25+PM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Another problem is I have a hard time believing recipes. I often think if a little of an ingredient is good, then more must be better. Or I just skip ingredients I don't have on hand figuring they weren't that important anyhow. Or the recipe jumps around on the page and I start making the next recipe down. So I will be making brownies and then start adding in the ingredients for lasagne.<br />
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The last problem is I prefer not to use a recipe at all. I have a theory that if you like everything you put into a dish, then it has to come out tasting yummy. Which it actually often does, but sometimes it doesn't work so well.<br />
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Take today as an example. It's my husbands birthday today (happy birthday sweetie...hope I am spoiling you enough). He loves my chocolate chip cookies (see above). And he loves chocolate ice cream. And he might have mentioned that homemade ice cream sandwiches would be super yummy for his birthday. And I agreed. So I decided that is what I would make today.<br />
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No need to look up a recipe...I got the cookie part down, and I know how to buy chocolate ice cream so this was a no-brainer right? I was so sure of myself I didn't even bother to look at Pinterest first. I almost always at least look there and then do my own thing, but I was confidant. So I made the cookies. Now when I said I make incredibly yummy chocolate chip cookies, what I really meant is I am really good at getting out all the ingredients while my husband actually makes the cookies. And then I am really good at spooning them on the pan to cook.<br />
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I forgot about that part today and they did not look like they always do when they come out of the oven. In fact they were very small and thick, not large and kinda flat like usual. Now remember I was using them to make ice cream sandwiches so small and thick was not the preferred type of cookie I was going for. But I tasted a bunch to make sure they were edible and they still tasted wonderful so I would make it work.<br />
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I was running out of time so I let them mostly cool down and got out the ice cream. I tried spooning some ice cream on the cookie and it wasn't going so well so I decided to melt the ice cream just a bit and stir it all up and then it plopped on the cookies very nicely. I put on a second cookie, wrapped it in waxed paper and popped them all in the freezer.<br />
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I was so proud of myself for pulling this off and could not wait for dinner to be over to surprise my husband.<br />
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The time was here and I pulled out my masterpieces. My son opened his up first and his comment was, "Is the freezer working? Mine is all melted." Well that is not what a master chef wants to hear when she unveils her amazing dessert. I knew the freezer was working so something else had to be the matter. When everyone had the same dilemma my sweet husband inquired if I had let the cookies cool all the way before I put them together. Perhaps the ice cream had melted out of the center of the cookies.<br />
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Hmmm...well maybe I meant to make frozen chocolate chip cookies soaked in chocolate ice cream. They were still super yummy, although incredibly messy.Awesome Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16422807327043994542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280505318172761983.post-25113256489268954882013-01-03T20:14:00.001-08:002013-01-09T19:01:43.539-08:00Happy Belated ChristmasEvery year for as long as I can remember I have sent out elaborately awesome Christmas cards. When I only had one kid I lovingly hand stamped each one.<br />
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Then I had a couple more kids and started coming up with creatively cute cards that included I spy and crossword puzzles that intertwined tidbits from our year. <br />
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More recently as I've been in school I have been sending the typical photo card, but at least I designed them myself in photo shop and still included a Christmas letter.<br />
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Then came this year. I had great intentions. I was going to do a cute card based on my blog. I had it all planned out...in my head. I was going to do it right after Thanksgiving. But I work now so it would have to happen on the weekend. No problem, I had plenty of those before Christmas. So the weekend after Thanksgiving we got to go on a short trip to visit friends in Florida. Lots of fun, I even got a surprise graduation party, but no Christmas card creating.<br />
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The next weekend I got sick...horribly, terribly sick. The lay on the couch and watch movies all weekend kind of sick. I didn't even think about Christmas cards.<br />
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Next weekend...we had the kids, first time in 3 weeks we had the kids for the weekend and again fun was had instead of Christmas cards.<br />
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All of the sudden it was the weekend before Christmas. When did this happen? I still had presents to wrap and throughout the month I had been transforming my craft room into a cute future counseling office. So, for the first time in as many years as I can remember...no Christmas cards were to be sent. So instead I offer you this:<br />
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Happy Belated Christmas from our family to yours.<br />
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And as an extra bonus...here is what our Christmas letter might have said:<br />
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Dear Friends and Family,<br />
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Hope your year has been as fantastic as ours has been. Because we are the most organized and put together family you have ever laid eyes upon we have accomplished much this year (if by much you mean our children are still alive and well and we haven't burned the house down). <br />
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Husband got promoted and now owns Home Depot. I know it looks like he still works in the stores, but he doesn't like to brag and show off, so he pretends he is a supervisor in love with his job. He has been working out this year and can pick up a small car and throw it across the street. The neighbors for some reason haven't loved this, but I think it's handy for that annoying neighbor who loves to park right by the stop sign.<br />
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I started running this year and have broken all sorts of records (such as being able to run a mile faster than the fastest snail). I graduated and now run a psych hospital (again no bragging so it appears I work there part time as a lowly therapist). I continue to run her taxi service with help from loving husband.<br />
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Oldest daughter graduated high school and decided Texas was not big enough for her, she has taken over North Carolina. She almost passed her drivers test on the first attempt, but decided driving was too mainstream. Why drive when you can walk somewhere. She too has picked up running and has broken some records herself (such as running a longer distance in a day than a turtle).<br />
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Son has become a pro-bowler this year. He consistently breaks new records himself (such as getting a higher score than his little sister every.single.time.) He also played a starring role in the high school musical, Annie. He was in charge of scurrying up the stairs as they rolled them off the stage in order to lift up the curtains. The show would not have happened if it had not been for him.<br />
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Youngest daughter has become an engineer this year. She has built amazing towns, pools, amusements parks and the like (in Mine Craft). She also was prepared for the Zombie Apocalypse due to her hours of training (in Mine Craft). <br />
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The cats continue to puke and pee on the carpet in a talented manner.<br />
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We have traveled to many exotic destinations (and by exotic I mean we left our neighborhood).<br />
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So for the two of you who are not on Facebook and hadn't already seen pictures of all our amazing accomplishments, we hope you enjoyed reading about how fantastic we all are :P<br />
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Merry Belated Christmas!! And may your new year be more focused than mine will be.<br />
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<br />Awesome Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16422807327043994542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280505318172761983.post-67517687963418091252012-10-28T17:55:00.000-07:002012-10-28T17:55:50.173-07:00Running AwayRecently I've decided I want to be a runner. It doesn't matter that I've never been able to run more than one minute straight my entire life. I've seen all sorts of my friends pictures on Facebook of them running in races and I wanted to do that. So my mind was made up and I download a couch to 5k program and started.<br />
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The first day I had to run one minute stretches about 6 times with walks in between. I thought I was going to die. Literally, right there...in the gym...on the treadmill.<br />
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But I was determined. So I kept going and discovered I liked running outside lots better than on a treadmill. I also found a podcast I loved to listen to and looked forward to my runs because I got to learn all sorts of useless information. The podcast is called Stuff You Should Know. If you ever wanted to learn about everything from how the Autobahn works to how acne works give it a listen. I would come home every day and enthrall my family with new information.<br />
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And before I knew it I had finished the couch to 5k program. I was running for 35 minutes straight. (Go me!)<br />
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So I signed up for a race. Which I ran a couple weeks ago. My goals were to run the entire race and not come in last. Both of which I accomplished. Although the 60+ race walker left me in her dust.<br />
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The big race was on a Sunday and Tuesday was the next day I ran again. (Us runners need to take a rest day after the big race you know...or as in my case I was too busy to run Monday).<br />
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I've decided to train for a longer distance so I ran about 4 miles. I could have kept going but I had to pee something ferocious. So I ran to the house. When I got close to the house the need to pee intensified greatly. For some reason our bodies say, "hey, we are about to get to a toilet...lets see if we can make our human pee her pants instead." I get to the door and it's locked. My oldest had left for work and locked me out.<br />
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No worries, we often leave the back door unlocked. Nope...for once we were on top of security and it's locked too. I glance around at my back yard wondering if I'm desperate enough. <br />
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Nope not yet, I go to my neighbors house. No answer. I'm dancing like it's 1999 and must look pretty silly. They probably didn't answer the door because they saw some crazy dancing chick doing the I have to pee dance on their porch.<br />
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Then I realized my friend across the street was home from work today becuase she had two sick kids. I bolt over there and ring the doorbell not caring that I am probalby waking up her sick children. No answer, but I know she's home so I start pounding on the door. She calls out a little freaked out that she will be there in a minute. I don't have a minute, so I yell to her that it's just me. She answers looking like I had awaken her from a deep sleep, for which I feel very guilty, but I almost trample her over getting to her restroom.<br />
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Finally sweet relief.<br />
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Now to tackle the next problem. I have exactly 45 minutes to get myself presentable for a job interview. I'm currently a sweaty mess and my daughter is at work, luckily only a half mile away, but I'm not figuring out how I am going to run over there quickly (after just finishing the longest I have ever run in my life) and get back and shower and get ready for this important appointment. Luckily I have an awesome friend and she offered to let me use her car. Her exact words were, "I trusted you with my child (I watched him last week for all of 30 minutes), I certainly can trust you to use my car." I thought that was really sweet.<br />
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I run into the big box store that my daughter works at and I'm all sweaty and such and ask everyone where she is. They eye me suspiciously like I'm a crazy person but they tell me where she is at. At the far end of the store of course. More running and I'm able to get the key and get home. <br />
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Luckily this story has a happy ending, I got to the interview on time...got the job and lived happily ever after...The End!!Awesome Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16422807327043994542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280505318172761983.post-33737896547659218702012-10-03T12:07:00.000-07:002012-10-03T12:07:51.180-07:00Game NightOur family loves to play games. Let's see if there is anyone else out there that enjoys the same type of games we seem to.<br />
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We love to play Stack all the Dishes as High as Possible in the Sink Until they Fall Over game. <br />
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The rules go something like this...<br />
-If dishwasher is full of clean dishes, put dirty dishes in the sink.<br />
-If dishwasher is full of dirty dishes, put dirty dishes in the sink.<br />
-If dishwasher is empty, put dirty dishes in the sink.<br />
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Keep piling up the dishes until something breaks. First one to give in a put them in the dishwasher loses.<br />
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Another game we like to play is Drop Everything on the Floor the Moment You Walk in the Door. <br />
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Here is how you play this one...<br />
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-Walk in the house...immediately drop everything on the floor. <br />
-Get a point for normal items dropped including backpack, jacket, and shoes. <br />
-Get an extra point for unusual items such as baggies full of smashed goldfish crackers, notes from mom to the school that should have been turned in last week and collections of acorns gathered from the playground.<br />
-Bonus points awarded to the person who can make mom trip over their stuff the most times in a day.<br />
-Person with the highest number of points when mom flips out and demands the floor be cleaned up wins.<br />
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And our favorite game which is Walk Around the Cat Puke and Pretend You Didn't See it so You Don't Have to Clean it Up. <br />
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The way you play this one is:<br />
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-Notice cat puke on floor<br />
-Walk over or around it<br />
-Person who finally gives up and cleans it up loses (I lose this one every.single.time)<br />
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So what is your families favorite game?Awesome Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16422807327043994542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280505318172761983.post-4694073029812643502012-09-26T09:13:00.000-07:002012-09-26T09:13:10.640-07:00TimeI have an on again off again relationship with time. I think it's a combination of my ADD mixed together with my upbringing all stirred together in a complicated time soup.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmygoGF0V4IcCh4CPhJEzyZ-bhi__b_M2zyOpHECVhiMBc5c6pdj1w6iT2J38vizY08p8uYbmJEOlyTdl6AEDHDYTkphq6HgMs4TBYr_bWsxOOJXITaROo2rWRSQg_egOnal8Ls9ocB9YQ/s1600/Photo+Sep+26,+10+50+58+AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmygoGF0V4IcCh4CPhJEzyZ-bhi__b_M2zyOpHECVhiMBc5c6pdj1w6iT2J38vizY08p8uYbmJEOlyTdl6AEDHDYTkphq6HgMs4TBYr_bWsxOOJXITaROo2rWRSQg_egOnal8Ls9ocB9YQ/s400/Photo+Sep+26,+10+50+58+AM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I know for some people with ADD/ADHD they cannot get to a place on time ever. My oldest daughter for example really struggles with time. If you say we need to leave at 4:00, she interprets that as maybe she should start getting ready at 4:00ish. She doesn't do it to be rude...it's just how her mind works. <br />
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For me it's more complicated than that. I learned early on in my childhood that being on time was life threateningly vital...if I was late to something, humanity as we know it would be lost forever. <br />
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So, as you can imagine, my family was very early to a lot of things. I have lots of memories of helping to set up events.<br />
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Fast forward 30+ years and you can imagine the struggles of a mom who had an animal like instinct to being early and a daughter whose idea of early was not missing the entire event.<br />
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Then add a couple more kids to the mix and my general dislike of setting up and the idea of time gets more complicated. I'm always trying to figure out things like: What time to I need to leave in order to get there after several other people have arrived so I don't have to set up. How long will it really take me to drive there (for some reason I always forget I don't have a flying car and traffic could be an issue)? If I say I want to leave at 4:00 what is the likelihood of everyone coming with me being ready at 4:00 and did I take into account the time I would need to go back in the house several times for items I forgot.<br />
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You put this all together and I started being late to events which triggered anxiety deep within me. All the way to the event I would stress and yell at traffic and generally not be very much fun to be around. I'd arrive all stressed out and be mad at myself for being late.<br />
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So I have learned to adapt over the years. But one thing I still do is manage to pack my schedule too tight on some days. I'll have an appointments throughout the day and someone will ask me to do something and I'll say, yes, I have 35.6 minutes free, sure I can do that. And then it will take 41.2 minutes to accomplish and I'll be a ball of stress because the rest of my day is thrown off. A perfect example of that would be my wedding day which I will put into it's own post...simply because I think it deserves it :-)<br />
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The last ingredient that goes into my time soup is distraction. I will have a schedule, I'll have planned out the time I need to leave the house, I'll plan out the time that I need to start getting ready in order to leave the house, I'll see I have a few minutes to kill until that time and I'll sit down to the computer. Next thing I know it's 5 minutes after I was supposed to be leaving and the stress begins.<br />
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This happened a lot when I was having to pick up kids from school every day. Thank goodness for the bus...I no longer have to be that late mom.<br />
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<br />Awesome Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16422807327043994542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280505318172761983.post-56237158102617823442012-09-20T06:28:00.000-07:002012-09-20T06:28:39.933-07:00Bowling MomSo I gave myself a new title this weekend...I am now an official bowling mom. What is that you ask? Hmmmm....I'm quickly figuring out it means I drive a lot and sit in bowling alleys 100% more than I used to. (And why is it mandated that bowling alleys must be cheesy? And is it bowling allies or alleys....Googled it...it's alleys.)<br />
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So some quick background information. I'd like to equate being a bowling mom is a lot like being a soccer mom, but I have never been a soccer mom before. I've only been a basketball mom, t-ball/baseball mom, swim team mom, gymnastics mom and tennis mom before.<br />
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And allow me to clarify, when I say I have been a sports mom, it means I have driven them to every practice, cheered for them at every competition, and bought them all the paraphernalia associated with those sports. I was not however the awesome mom that organized stuff, sent out emails, watched the kids while sitting on the bench or any other such gung-ho activities that some moms are capable of. In my head I was that awesome organized mom, but luckily I knew that keeping up with their schedule was all I could handle and I kept my mouth shut when it came to volunteer.<br />
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So I've had some time off and a new school year has started and I got a lovely little email that stated that my high school son could join the bowling team if he wanted to. I asked him about it, expecting him to say no, and to my surprise he said sure, he would like to try bowling.<br />
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I thought bowling would involve throwing a ball down the alley at some pins a couple times a week and possibly having to buy some new shoes. I also secretly envisioned that the fancy schmancy high school my son attends had a couple of bowling lanes hidden deep inside some dark corridor. (It's a public high school, but new and overwhelmingly large.)<br />
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I have been a bowling mom for 3 days now and my head is spinning. We can practice on this day for free, but on this day we have to pay at one alley. We should join a league at another alley for extra practice (and extra money). We need to buy shoes, and a ball, and by the way, only expect the ball to last about 6 months. (Really, a bowling ball wears out? What does that look like? Does it start to get square and stop rolling?)<br />
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Also we might need to buy a little bowling toolkit and a bag to put everything in. The team must have tryouts, but everyone will get on the team (and shockingly the tryouts cost money). Oh and once he makes the team we have a fee we will need to pay.<br />
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Needless to say my head is spinning and the dollars are rapidly flying out of my wallet. All this because of a casual, "Hey, would you like to bowl?" question I threw out there last week.<br />
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Now before anyone thinks I'm complaining, I'm really not. I love seeing my son involved in something. My husband and I enjoy a little bowling ourselves and this will end up being fun. It's just making my brain hurt right now is all.Awesome Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16422807327043994542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280505318172761983.post-67075038242497986072012-09-18T10:47:00.000-07:002012-09-18T10:48:27.638-07:00Time passes quicklyAs the title suggests, time has passed me by very quickly lately. While I've been away from my blog...I wish I could say I was doing this:<br />
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But unfortunately it has looked more like this:<br />
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When school starts, mom's chauffeuring service starts as well. Every time I had an idea and sat down to blog this happened:<br />
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Unfortunately I have not figured out a way to blog while driving.<br />
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Another event going on in my life is my starting up a career. I have spent lots of hours on the computer making things like forms and editing my new webpage, but none of that involved stick figures and pseudo-funny commentary. (Although my daughter did put some cool stick figures on my webpage, but I didn't get to draw them so it doesn't count.)<br />
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Lastly, I would like to say I blog for myself, that it is okay if no one likes my blog because I do and I'm okay with that. But....I'm not okay with that. In my head I'm super funny and tons of people love to read my blog and comment how much they love it.<br />
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My reality is I write a sometimes mildly amusing blog that about five people like to read (most of which are in my immediate family making sure I'm not embarrassing them) and no one has missed it while it's been on hiatus. So every time I go to blog I think about how no one really likes it and so why bother.<br />
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Then something changed. Yesterday someone I have never met, liked my Facebook page. That was huge for my self-esteem...that someone who isn't just supposed to support me pushed that little like button on Facebook. So I'm going to give it another shot. I'll work on staying focused (and I know you are saying "good luck with that Jen") and post twice a week. I figure that is a reasonable goal with how busy my life is right now. <br />
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But you have a job too. If you find me at all amusing, please comment every once in a while. Give me that extra boost I need to keep focused and keep going. If you find me boring and not worth your time, I understand completely....but why are you reading this then?<br />
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Okay...so off I go...I will start working right away on a post that is supposed to be funny (unlike the boring commentary that this post is) and see how it goes....right after I take a shower and feed the cats.Awesome Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16422807327043994542noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280505318172761983.post-49608394345647885242012-08-29T12:22:00.001-07:002012-08-29T12:22:34.432-07:00PaperMonday of this week was the day that every kid in the nation started back to school. I guess not exactly every kid, but from the pictures on my Facebook it appeared to be every last kid. Of course my kids were in that group and started school on Monday as well. (I was lazy and did not post their picture on Facebook so I will include a picture of what they looked like on Monday right here.)<br />
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With school comes paperwork. Mounds and mounds of paperwork. An ADD mom, with 2 ADD kids in school and a mountain of paperwork equals a mess, frustration, and an overwhelming feeling of inadequacy.<br />
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Luckily for me the usual paperwork sent home on the first day which includes health information and the need for you to write your name address and phone number 16 times is done online at our school district. I still have to type my name at least 16 times per child, but it's so much better than the actual papers coming home.<br />
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My daughter is starting 4th grade and has a wonderful teacher who seems to believe in only sending home one piece of paper at a time for me to sign. We can do that. She is organized enough to bring home one piece of paper that the teacher asked her to put in her binder, I can sign it and it makes it back to school. (He did send us home with a packet of papers to sign at meet the teacher night which I promptly lost and finally found in time for her to bring them in the second day of school.)<br />
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My son is starting high school. They are not so understanding. He has 8 different teachers who all want something signed. No one is asking him to put the piece of paper neatly in a binder. So this is how last night went.<br />
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Finally he dumped out his backpack (which still had stuff from a class he took over the summer in it) and found the piece of paper I had to sign. But it was actually around 10 pieces of paper and he had them all nicely shoved into the front pocket of his backpack. And in the process found a paper that outlined a project due tomorrow.<br />
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And then the papers start coming home from school. All the drawings,
test grades, handwriting samples and on and on. And my children want
everything kept. I have to sneak while they are asleep to throw any
schoolwork away, so it sits and get marinated on my counter for
weeks.<br />
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Paper stresses me out. Completely. I constantly have a bunch of receipts in my purse. Can't they just start emailing me that info. Do I really need that piece of paper that says I bought something. Can't someone make an app for all my receipts so I never have to actually touch the paper one?<br />
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Mail is another problem. I get about 3 pieces of mail per week that I actually care about. The rest goes straight to the trash. But first it too must sit on my counter and marinate for a few days. Then it is worthy of the trash can.<br />
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I'm drowning in paper and information overload. And I know my kids are too. I think I'll go find some chocolate. I'm sure it will make everything all better.<br />
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<br />Awesome Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16422807327043994542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280505318172761983.post-59286930939098517202012-08-14T10:31:00.000-07:002012-08-14T10:31:49.478-07:00Now what...So the Olympics are all finished and I am all graduated.<br />
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Now I have lots of time to catch up on things like posting to my blog. So on my agenda for yesterday was write a new post, make my Distractibility Facebook page look presentable so I can ask people to like it. Work on my bio for my new job. Get my ideas together for a website for my new job. Work out. Do some laundry. Clean up the house. And spend some time with the kids.<br />
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What I actually did yesterday was spend the entire day figuring out how to backup my massive amount of photos to my new laptop I got for work.<br />
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I seriously sat down to try and move the photos for a minute, and then several hours later I realized I was downloading some software that I had no idea what it did or why I needed to download it. I just had been following links and trying to make things work. <br />
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At that point I did pop out of my trance and make my daughter some lunch. But the break was short lived. I was determined to figure this out. <br />
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Did those photos need to be backed up yesterday? No they did not, but once I started I couldn't seem to let it go. There had to be a way to copy 100 gigs of photos with all the technology available in this house. And after I finally got them all moved over I decided I needed to organize them so the files looked pretty on my new laptop. This project started at 9:30 pm. Luckily I got tired and gave that project up for the night. But I'm itching to work on it more today.<br />
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But first I'm posting this blog update. And if you would be so kind, please <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Distractibility">like my Facebook page</a>. Even though it's not anything special yet. I promise to work on it soon...really I will :-)<br />
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<br />Awesome Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16422807327043994542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280505318172761983.post-79976587276138424632012-08-10T07:52:00.001-07:002012-08-10T07:52:07.434-07:00Focused Friday: GraduationToday is a huge day for me. It's my graduation day!!! I am graduating from college today with my masters degree. <br />
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And it isn't just any masters degree. It's the one I have always wanted to get, but I thought I wasn't capable. I am now officially a counselor. Or at least I will be in a few hours. Technically I won't have my license for a few weeks even, but you know what I mean :-)<br />
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And I am the first one in my family to get a master's degree. (If you don't count my incredibly smart sister-in-law who has her MD and PHD.) But I'm just counting my family of origin.<br />
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This is the most focused I have ever been. I stayed focused for 2 1/2 years in order to get to this goal. How does someone with ADHD do that? I think for me it goes back to when I was a little kid. My mom made us kids eat our vegetables every night for dinner. And there was no getting out of it. I don't remember how she made us do this (I certainly have not been able to pass this onto my own kids), but the vegetables were to be eaten. I did not care for vegetables. So I came up with a strategy. It was really complicated, here goes....I ate them first.<br />
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How is that a strategy and why does it pertain to graduation? I'm glad you asked. It's a strategy because I figured if I had to eat them anyhow I would rather get it over with and end my meal with something I liked such as mashed potatoes, rather than dreading the veggies the whole meal and having to end my meal with them.<br />
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How this pertains to graduation is how I got through school. I knew I had to do the homework and the studying, I wasn't getting out of it if I wanted a good grade in the class. So I always jumped in and worked as hard as I could during the week so I could have fun and play on the weekend. As soon as something was assigned I tackled it. I figured I was going to have to do it anyway, so I could put it off and stress it for a few weeks, or I could get it done.<br />
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The other factor that helped me get through school is I was getting a degree in something I really liked. I enjoyed most (not all, a few were terribly boring) of my classes. And I knew if I could get school out of the way as quickly as possible I would be able to do what I enjoyed which is being a counselor.<br />
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So now my vegetables are eaten and it's time for me to get to the mashed potatoes. But first I must wear the incredibly flattering cap and gown and wait for my name to be called to be handed a piece of paper that isn't really my diploma. <br />
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And being a master's graduate I also get to wear this cool cape. <br />
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Perhaps I get super powers with that fake diploma piece of paper thingy. Hmmm...what super power would I like to have? I wonder if I get to choose.<br />
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<br />Awesome Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16422807327043994542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280505318172761983.post-61634457038806042682012-08-06T09:21:00.001-07:002012-08-06T09:21:04.187-07:00Jumpers and Runners and Swimmers Oh My!Maybe you have noticed, (or maybe you have not because you have been distracted like I have been), but I have not posted in over a week. I have been distracted by this little thing on TV called the Olympics. <br />
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We never watch TV, but my wonderful husband figured out how to adjust the antenna just right so I could watch the summer Olympics. Santa Claus brought us this awesome TV last Christmas, but we have never watched TV on it, only movies so we had to figure all that out. For a little bit I thought my husband was going to have to stand holding the antenna for me for the the next two weeks. <br />
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But lucky for him he figured out a way for me to be able to see the Olympics and and he could sit beside me.<br />
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I was wondering why I loved the Olympics so much. I hate watching sports. Any sport. But I love seeing people win and cheering for the Americans or anyone else I feel like cheering for at the moment. And the Olympics provides me with that in nice short segments so I don't get too bored. In fact I get frustrated when they show the entire water polo match. Just give me the highlights please.<br />
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I think my favorite is track and field. I love it because there are so many short contests. I can watch a race that takes 10 seconds. I love that. And then it switches to hurdles or jumping or throwing. They are always doing something different. <br />
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I really want to see more events though. Because I do not pay for my TV programming, all I get is the actual NBC station. So I get to see swimming, track and field, gymnastics, water polo, and volleyball. Every once in a while if I'm lucky I get to see a snippet of kayaking or something else. But I'll take it and be happy with it. Although if the truth be told I am sick of swimming :-) Unless it were to be synchronized swimming, I would like to see that.<br />
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The other day they were showing a segment on some gymnast (sorry I don't remember who) and stating he had crawled up to the ceiling in a department store when he was little (Too bad youtube wasn't around then...I would love to see that video) so his mom put him in gymnastics. I started to wonder, how many athletes in the Olympics have ADHD? I know Michael Phelps does. And I was guessing that gymnast might as well. I got to thinking, kids with ADHD tend to have a lot of energy so their parents might be more likely to put them into sports at a young age. Exercise is great for people with ADHD so that might contribute as well. And if a person with ADHD loves something they are able to hyper-focus on it. I'm thinking the Olympics might be the perfect storm for ADHDness. <br />
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I really want to attend the Olympics in Rio. How about I be a
counselor to the athletes. If they are ADHD they might really need my
specialized counseling. Right?<br />
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We were trying to come up with new Olympic sports the other day. Like why don't we see who can hold their breath under the water the longest? <br />
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Or speed tree climbing. <br />
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How about an event I could participate in like crochet racing. <br />
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<br />I want to hear your ideas for Olympic games they should include next time around. But I just heard pole vaulting might be coming up next so I gotta run!! <br />
<br />Awesome Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16422807327043994542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280505318172761983.post-71452367983290915062012-07-29T13:42:00.001-07:002012-07-29T13:42:13.974-07:00The Birthday PartyMy youngest daughter came home from her dad's this week. She had been over there for a month. So I spent the week hanging out with her. And getting ready for her birthday party which she had been planning for a little while (and by little while I mean for the last 6 months.)<br />
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This little girl of mine is so awesome. She can plan an event perfectly...and she just turned 9. She had everything down, including a schedule of events, a map of where everything would occur and a list of activities. And all this within a very small budget. I love how when someone with ADHD has a goal they are passionate about, so much can happen.<br />
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She did need my help for some of the preparations. And I was not as passionately committed to her cause as I should have been. Everything eventually got done, but in a haphazard sort of way. Luckily my husband did not complain that he was unable to eat at the kitchen table all week long due to the many painting projects that were in progress.<br />
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And the kitten did not complain when I had to pull paper mâché out of her fur because I had stated that I knew exactly how to make a pinata. <br />
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So by the day of the party, we still needed to clean the house, paint and fill the pinata, finish up the games, organize the crafts, decorate the house and go to the store for some last minute supplies. <br />
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Things were going well, until all of the sudden we found ourselves working on a complicated logic problem on the computer. How did this happen and what did it have to do with our birthday party planning.<br />
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I was able to redirect my efforts and everything got done. Including washing and folding every bit of laundry in the house. Because you can't have a birthday party without clean clothes in your closets right?Awesome Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16422807327043994542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280505318172761983.post-39711746080803262832012-07-22T19:11:00.000-07:002012-07-22T19:11:32.264-07:00BloggingI'm trying to write a great blog post tonight. My youngest daughter (who is the official knower of all things funny) declared that my last post wasn't so great. So I wanted to redeem myself. (Plus I really want to eat something terrible for me and I need to get myself distracted)<br />
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Here is how it's going. <br />
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I have a great idea...I'll start writing about it.<br />
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Oooh let me see what was just posted on Facebook. I think I need to respond to that post. Oh and look I was invited to a party that I cannot attend. I'll respond no. But then I need to explain why because I don't want her to think I just don't want to go. I typed in my explanation, but I can't find it anywhere. No matter, it'll show up in a bit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6WGaMg9Rd4aJPYK9_RsMo3Wzo3zOv1bNT1J-8qRMeMxy9lmkmxt87uui69gK5HvvGumuFcFdDlZjbdJidCaKzxHw53UmcqawCMXaFEYEPxHD4C14dSsQ_adCBE5Iqd4XK5iUT7X4c7MK/s1600/Photo+Jul+22%252C+9+01+19+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6WGaMg9Rd4aJPYK9_RsMo3Wzo3zOv1bNT1J-8qRMeMxy9lmkmxt87uui69gK5HvvGumuFcFdDlZjbdJidCaKzxHw53UmcqawCMXaFEYEPxHD4C14dSsQ_adCBE5Iqd4XK5iUT7X4c7MK/s400/Photo+Jul+22%252C+9+01+19+PM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Back to writing my blog.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtwcjm_gZixQ3C1VOUBGKnklxomwu7SrvpjJCLU4m3g_tYUF_-r8kcSaseYCghjaHzYwisCfNjqeiWsRt9mtZxtnfcq0P7vt8kGcvaV8me0_xV_dzMBl7g0ipVfVldFSLDTh319xtAklNO/s1600/Photo+Jul+22%252C+8+56+57+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtwcjm_gZixQ3C1VOUBGKnklxomwu7SrvpjJCLU4m3g_tYUF_-r8kcSaseYCghjaHzYwisCfNjqeiWsRt9mtZxtnfcq0P7vt8kGcvaV8me0_xV_dzMBl7g0ipVfVldFSLDTh319xtAklNO/s400/Photo+Jul+22%252C+8+56+57+PM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Hmmm...better check if my post showed up. I don't want to write it again in case it shows up twice. What should I do? I know, I'll send her a private message.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6WGaMg9Rd4aJPYK9_RsMo3Wzo3zOv1bNT1J-8qRMeMxy9lmkmxt87uui69gK5HvvGumuFcFdDlZjbdJidCaKzxHw53UmcqawCMXaFEYEPxHD4C14dSsQ_adCBE5Iqd4XK5iUT7X4c7MK/s1600/Photo+Jul+22%252C+9+01+19+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6WGaMg9Rd4aJPYK9_RsMo3Wzo3zOv1bNT1J-8qRMeMxy9lmkmxt87uui69gK5HvvGumuFcFdDlZjbdJidCaKzxHw53UmcqawCMXaFEYEPxHD4C14dSsQ_adCBE5Iqd4XK5iUT7X4c7MK/s400/Photo+Jul+22%252C+9+01+19+PM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Okay...now back to blogging.<br />
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Ah, now she is chatting with me. And I haven't talked to her in forever. I really want to see how she is doing. I can chat and write my blog all at the same time.<br />
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And look my other friend responded to what I said and needs a response from me. Okay...got that done back to blogging.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtwcjm_gZixQ3C1VOUBGKnklxomwu7SrvpjJCLU4m3g_tYUF_-r8kcSaseYCghjaHzYwisCfNjqeiWsRt9mtZxtnfcq0P7vt8kGcvaV8me0_xV_dzMBl7g0ipVfVldFSLDTh319xtAklNO/s1600/Photo+Jul+22%252C+8+56+57+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtwcjm_gZixQ3C1VOUBGKnklxomwu7SrvpjJCLU4m3g_tYUF_-r8kcSaseYCghjaHzYwisCfNjqeiWsRt9mtZxtnfcq0P7vt8kGcvaV8me0_xV_dzMBl7g0ipVfVldFSLDTh319xtAklNO/s400/Photo+Jul+22%252C+8+56+57+PM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Chat...blog....chat....blog....chat....blog.<br />
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Now my daughter needs some help running a bath. So now I'm back and forth between the bathroom and the computer (Luckily they are pretty close to each other.) <br />
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Now it's chat....blog...conversation with daughter in the tub (who is giving me a play by play of the cat trying to get in the tub with her)....chat....blog....conversation....you get the picture. (I hope because I can't figure out how to draw that picture.)<br />
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I think I kept up okay on the chat. I was able to say ok and laugh at the appropriate times for my daughter, but the blog is incoherent. I'll try again tomorrow.Awesome Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16422807327043994542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280505318172761983.post-31792010115418479212012-07-20T08:48:00.000-07:002012-07-20T08:48:36.649-07:00Focused Friday: Dude...Where's My Phone?When I started this blog I wanted to have one day a week dedicated to the positive aspects of ADHD and/or ways to cope with it. I had a few stumbling blocks. First what to call it. It had to have a name before I could write it. Then I had to remember to write the post on the correct day (I know I could do it before hand and just post it on Friday, but I haven't gotten that organized yet.)<br />
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But now I have a name and I remembered to write the post and I am posting this on the right day.<br />
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So here goes.<br />
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My husband recently brought it to my attention that I lose my phone...a lot. This statement actually surprised me because it seems like my phone is something I hang onto very well. I use it for everything and I am constantly making sure I have it.<br />
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But last night I needed my phone for an important task. And I could not find the phone. I looked in the usual places and even out in the car.<br />
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I asked my husband to call it. We could not hear it ring. I remembered the last time I used it and so knew it wasn't lost forever. It had to be around here somewhere.<br />
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And then we found it in the bathroom. I had left it there when I went to wash my hands after cleaning up the cat poop. I don't consider that losing my phone, but my husband had a point. He has to call my phone to help me locate it at least once or twice a week. And I have probably done that for him once....if that. So I would say I misplace my phone often. Losing it would be leaving it at the store or library or on top of my car and driving off.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuCfFDJb2eINLIpKSA4_Xk9L6zLX1CAW0BPPc62ORH6GLQ8M_RJS7DErB_8KRtZukYe6pO9PZzvlWEFNVjdjQ90YiQDX0V7HmUXrEbGfaoBB715nydrN9yBMP4xJ7vAGDPZH2AJDA2DV-4/s1600/Photo+Jul+20%252C+10+29+17+AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuCfFDJb2eINLIpKSA4_Xk9L6zLX1CAW0BPPc62ORH6GLQ8M_RJS7DErB_8KRtZukYe6pO9PZzvlWEFNVjdjQ90YiQDX0V7HmUXrEbGfaoBB715nydrN9yBMP4xJ7vAGDPZH2AJDA2DV-4/s400/Photo+Jul+20%252C+10+29+17+AM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I used to lose my purse and keys all the time as well. At least I used to misplace them. Although I went through a phase where I was leaving the keys on top of the car and driving off. I'm not sure how I drove off with my keys on top of the car, but I distinctly remember looking for my beat up keys on the street more often than I would like to admit. Luckily those days seem to be over.<br />
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But I finally figured out a way to not misplace my purse anymore. I gave it a home. I know this sounds incredibly basic for the non-ADHD person, but for me it was a completely foreign idea. I always came home and plopped my purse wherever. It did not have it's own special spot.<br />
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I went to the store and bought cubbies and assigned each person in the family a cubby. That is where shoes, purses, hats and all things important for leaving the house were to stay. And for me when my purse came off my shoulder I made myself put it in the cubby, no matter what. And after a while it actually became a habit.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOdFuXndma9mqKYbl1D1z0TQuYZ6xQeCCrx35N7IzZQ-0_DcmqtkXxk79TSxeAKVfBbjHUgjVOl78MmUhX4-IvgL5leQJ6ag47ZJN3l6zF1O7nzhmWu2KB6hdfO1mIrOGgqlowV1JI-lJU/s1600/Photo+Jul+20%252C+10+38+38+AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOdFuXndma9mqKYbl1D1z0TQuYZ6xQeCCrx35N7IzZQ-0_DcmqtkXxk79TSxeAKVfBbjHUgjVOl78MmUhX4-IvgL5leQJ6ag47ZJN3l6zF1O7nzhmWu2KB6hdfO1mIrOGgqlowV1JI-lJU/s400/Photo+Jul+20%252C+10+38+38+AM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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For me it has been a life changing event. I no longer have to search for my purse and keys. They are always in the cubby. The time saved for looking for my purse has given me time to do more important things, like check Facebook, write a blog or finish that last level on that iPad game.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5XAmqWpXM_9__ryElLflxVkCJ_bVKyFRPIawOEMqYIxcsFif60eJ9iMkZCPr4jsqE83Hty-6mtfWKqcjDbVmQG4wZv6gdgTI_SKlL007kwIfa2JBxPsZacJn6Mj_q4HiNM3zBCg0ZLAz9/s1600/Photo+Jul+20%252C+10+41+35+AM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5XAmqWpXM_9__ryElLflxVkCJ_bVKyFRPIawOEMqYIxcsFif60eJ9iMkZCPr4jsqE83Hty-6mtfWKqcjDbVmQG4wZv6gdgTI_SKlL007kwIfa2JBxPsZacJn6Mj_q4HiNM3zBCg0ZLAz9/s400/Photo+Jul+20%252C+10+41+35+AM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Unfortunately this strategy does not work for my phone. But I'm not too bothered by how much I misplace it. My husband can always call it for me right? And as soon as I found my phone I realized I could not remember what the super important task was I needed to do. But I know exactly where my purse is...so all is well!!Awesome Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16422807327043994542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280505318172761983.post-76920194906225864562012-07-18T08:13:00.001-07:002012-07-18T08:13:41.583-07:00ADHD vs. OCD An exhaustive study involving my catsWe have three cats. One cat pees on the carpet so she is an outside cat. The other two are inside cats. We have the new kitten Abby and the old fat cat Tigger. (I realize I have already established this fact, but just wanted to make sure my new readers were "in the know" :-)<br />
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(I bet you were surprised that Tigger is orange...weird right?)<br />
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Abby the kitten is the epitome of ADHD. She has all three facets of ADHD. She is distracted...I can call her and she starts to come, then she sees a piece of paper on the floor and decides to pounce on that instead.<br />
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She is impulsive...She decides at the last minute that it would be a great idea to jump from the table to the top of the bookshelf and falls to the floor instead.<br />
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She is hyperactive...she can go up the stairs in less than a second and she finds it amusing to bite your toes and jump around crazily on the bed at 2am.<br />
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Tigger on the other hand is OCD. Things have to be just right for him. If you are wearing black he ensures that it is covered in just the right amount of fur.<br />
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If you don't make the bed he will not sleep on the sheets. He will find a section of the comforter to sleep on.<br />
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If you clean up all the puke he has recently placed strategically on the floor he will work overtime to get it back right where you are sure to step in it when getting up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.<br />
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And he is also determined. I have allergies. One of the things I am most allergic to is cats. Why do I have cats you ask? Because I can. And I really like cats...most of the time. I take lots of allergy medicine anyways...so as long as I continue it (by not forgetting to pick up the prescription at the store for a week and wondering why my eyes look like I've been crying for the last 3 days) I'm fine. The one thing I require is for the cats to not sleep by my head. I wake up stuffier if a cat sleeps by my head all night so that is something I will not tolerate.<br />
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Tigger is persistent...every single night he tries to sleep on my pillow with me. It's like his OCD is saying, "here is where I must sleep for the universe to keep in balance."<br />
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He never ever sleeps on my husbands pillow. Ever. Even though he is welcome there. And he is also immovable. When I try to shoo him off he puts down some electromagnetic force and it is impossible to get him to move. Then I try and lift him. His claws extend and he will bring the pillow with him if I manage to get him up.<br />
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This happens every night. You would think he would get the message that I do not want him there. All he is learning is how to be sneaky about it. If I'm awake he will casually walk up to the head of the bed and if I say NO he plops down and gives me a look that says, "what...I was just going to lay down right here, by your side...I had no intention of going up to your pillow." If I say no enough he will eventually give up and go down by my feet. And then I wake up in the middle of the night and there he is curled up around my head. <br />
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And then I yell at him which wakes up Abby who then goes into a hyperactive fit and starts jumping all over me and biting my toes. <br />
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<br />Awesome Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16422807327043994542noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280505318172761983.post-12507125190588462882012-07-15T13:41:00.002-07:002012-07-15T13:41:53.844-07:00Chocolate and DinosaursWe went on our little road trip. And it was the type of road trip I have always dreamed about. The kind where I see something I want to stop at and we actually stop at it. I've been on many road trips before, but never with someone I like so much as my husband. (We have only been married for two years). <br />
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Day one of the road trip was extreme ADHD awesomeness for me. We got up really early...well really early for me...standard time for my husband. We wanted to get all the way out of town before morning rush hour.<br />
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Notice in the picture it's so dark you can't even see us in the car. <br />
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We started out and I looked on my phone for where the hotel was so we had a general idea of how long this would take. I looked it up and went hmmmm. The hotel wasn't exactly where I thought it would be when I booked it. After all the time and care I put into booking the <a href="http://distractibility.blogspot.com/2012/07/great-hotel-search.html">hotel </a>you would have thought I knew exactly where it was...apparently not.<br />
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It was okay because now we had two different ways we could go to our destination. Feeling adventurous we both decided that we would take the route that neither of us had ever gone before. And as a bonus the map stated this route was faster. So off we went.<br />
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First off, the map lied...maybe the route was shorter, but it took us through every small town. But this was a good thing, much more adventures could happen in small towns than on the highway.<br />
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So we were driving for a while and I notice a town name that I had been to before. In my head we weren't anywhere near that town...but here it was. And this town had real live dinosaur footprints that we could go look at. My husband loves dinosaurs so we decide this would be a great thing to go do. Then we looked at the clock and saw that it was 7am. Hmmm...would the dinosaur footprints be open this early? <br />
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We decided to check it out and lucky us, it was a state park and it was open. Off we went to look at footprints. And we got to see the footprints...in their original state (not moved to a museum) and we could walk right up to them. It was surreal being able to go and put our feet by them (we didn't put our feet in the footprints because they were all filled with water, but we could have). It was amazing that they weren't all cordoned off and kept away from actual visitors.<br />
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After we spent about an hour looking at footprints we resumed driving. Our route took us through a small town where we had to make a turn. Small towns love doing that. Make you turn to keep on your route. But we were stopped at a light and off to my right I saw a sign that said chocolate store. Chocolate is one of my most favorite things in the whole wide world. So I asked if we could stop there. Chocolate is also one of my husband's most favorite things in the world. So he happily obliged. He even performed the <a href="http://distractibility.blogspot.com/2012/07/adventures-in-driving.html">u-turn</a> that is usually reserved for me in order to take me to the chocolate.<br />
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We only had to wait 15 minutes for the store to open. We went inside and were in chocolate heaven. I knew I wanted to buy stuff, but what stuff? There was so much to choose from and I couldn't afford to buy the entire store.<br />
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We browsed for a while and made our choices. As we were checking out the cashier told us the place they make the chocolate was nearby and they had free samples. I looked at my husband and said...um yeah...we will definitely be checking that place out.<br />
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We went to the factory and it was a cute little place where they handmade this wonderful stuff. We talked to the chocolate maker for a bit and had lots of free samples. Chocolate is a wonderful way to start a morning.<br />
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**And no, that is not a ball of poop in my hands...it is absolutely wonderfully yummy chocolate.<br />
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We continue driving and pass a cave. We both want to go check out the cave, but we are hungry, very hungry. And we are close to our hotel. So we decide to check in, eat and then go back and see the cave. As we are eating we look up to see how close our hotel is to where we actually wanted to be for sightseeing. I figured about 20 minutes. Turns out it was an hour away. So much for all my hotel research. But on the bright side the hotel was on a lake and it was beautiful. And close to a cave. It worked out perfectly.Awesome Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16422807327043994542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280505318172761983.post-59511046251511733792012-07-10T07:39:00.002-07:002012-07-10T07:39:58.650-07:00Packing...sortaI'm getting ready to go on a mini road trip with my sweet husband soon. I'll be really busy the last couple of days right before the trip and we plan on leaving early in the morning for the trip so I need to pack several days in advance. At least that would make sense.<br />
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The trip will be short so I don't need to pack that much even. But my ADHD has kicked in. Even though the trip will be very quick, there is so much to be done before I can pack.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(The kitten loves suitcases. She is always hiding in them when we are trying to pack them. I swear one day we will get to our destination and out will pop Abby!</span>)<br />
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For example:<br />
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-Every speck of laundry must be done before I can even think about packing. It doesn't matter that I'll only be packing for a couple days, it all must get done first.<br />
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-The kitchen must be clean before I go (usually it's the whole house but this time even I realize that isn't going to happen :-)<br />
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-My sewing project that I am in the middle of must be finished because I want to bring it with me. (It's a new purse)<br />
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-All my schoolwork must be finished before I leave (Even the stuff not due yet)<br />
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-A new swimsuit must be purchased before I can go (Even though it looks like it will be raining). <br />
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That is all I can think of right now, but it is enough. I can't seem to pack because of these holdups. It's frustrating really. All I need is a couple of outfits and my shampoo right? And my newly made purse and my swimsuit. Oh and my phone and charger and my camera and some snacks and a book and a jacket if it gets cold (yeah right...cold...who am I kidding?) and I'm sure I will forget something. It wouldn't be me if I didn't forget something and make my husband come back for it.<br />
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This is a vacation...it's supposed to be relaxing...and it will be...as soon as I can get packed.Awesome Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16422807327043994542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280505318172761983.post-87667611281611979592012-07-09T05:14:00.001-07:002012-07-09T05:14:40.472-07:00ShoppingI love shopping....but I am not very fun to go shopping with. At least that is what I'm guessing. My husband is always willing to go with me, no matter what I am shopping for. But he is one-of-a-kind amazing husband. My kids on the other hand...hate shopping with me.<br />
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When I go shopping for a specific item it is always a process. Take for example recently I needed a cat carrier for my new kitten. It did not matter that I already had two cat carriers. I needed a special cat carrier because she is going to be my therapy cat and she cannot be seen hanging out in one of those boring old tan, hard sided cat carriers. I wanted my kitten to be hanging out in style. She needed a pink cat carrier.<br />
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Of course I decided this one evening about 7:00 at night and had to have it that night. My husband indulged me and took me to the pet store. I found lots of cat carriers that were less than perfect. My husband found one that wasn't pink, but it was the right size and a really good price......but it wasn't pink.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">**For some reason this in this picture I would fill in my red shirt and when I saved it parts of the shirt did not save. So I'm not trying to look inappropriate...my computer is out to embarrass me.**</span><br />
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We kept looking and I could not find the perfect one, so I started settling for the blue one my husband had picked out. But he could tell I was not happy with it. I was thinking...how could I settle when we had only been to one store so far this evening?<br />
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So my husband agreed to take me to another pet store. That is a trend with me. I can find the absolutely perfect item that I am looking for, but if it is at the first store I looked, I can't help myself, I must keep looking. The perfect item might be out there and if I stop looking I won't find it. Never mind that this rarely happens.<br />
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So we go to the next pet store. And I was right!!! They have the perfect pink cat carrier. But it is too expensive. Hmmm....I keep looking...time is running out, I must find the perfect cat carrier tonight. It's not like I have a need for it tonight or tomorrow, I just want it tonight.<br />
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I keep looking through the store, the perfect one was actually a dog carrier, I figure I will go check out the cat area. And there it is. The perfect carrier for the perfect price. And I can purchase it, because before I ever got to this store I had checked at the big box stores while grocery shopping, I had checked online earlier that day and I had been to the other pet store already this evening. If this had been the first place I had looked I would not have been able to bring myself to actually buy it.<br />
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So I thought I had been entirely reasonable that night only going to two stores. I can't imagine why my kids refuse to shop with me.<br />
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<br />Awesome Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16422807327043994542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4280505318172761983.post-61609378079012885862012-07-05T19:16:00.000-07:002012-07-05T19:16:59.244-07:00Adventures in DrivingI had to take my little kitten to the vet again today. I say again because I took her two weeks ago, but she was one ounce too light for her surgery. One ounce...I should of had her wear her collar. But she has managed to permanently lose two different collars so I refuse to buy her another one. I think she secretly throws them away because she hates the bell ringing all the time on it.<br />
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So I was on my way to the vet. I turned down the street and the vet was not there. I was confused. It was there two weeks ago. Now there was some companies headquarters...not something that would have been built in the last two weeks.<br />
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I went further down the road thinking that maybe it was down farther than I remembered. Still no vets office. So I did what I seem to have to do almost every time I drive...I did the U-turn. Seriously, I make u-turns all the time. And unfortunately I'm not talking just when I'm going somewhere new. I could be driving the same route I drive everyday and suddenly I realize I have gone past my turn...so I do the u-turn. I once bought a car based on it turning radius...but now I own a van. My van does a great u-turn.<br />
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So anyhow...I did the u-turn and looked once again where the vet was last week. Still some companies headquarter...darn...I was hoping the vet had reappeared in the last two minutes. I was starting to think my cat had something to do with this.<br />
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So I do the quick look on my phone to see where the vets office had gone to. I found a place about an hour away. Not what I was looking for.<br />
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So I'm driving along after performing another u-turn and suddenly it dawns on me. I'm on the wrong road. I turned one light too soon. I went down to the next road and the vet was magically where it belonged.<br />
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This is why I drive as little as possible.<br />
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***No my cat did not ride in the back seat of my van. She rode in her carrier. I just cannot draw her in her carrier very well :-)Awesome Jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16422807327043994542noreply@blogger.com0